text:
Plime – The unfriendly news aggregator
Now that Digg is dead to me I need to find a new home for social news and bookmarking. I do still use Netscape and StumbleUpon for finding things of interest but I need something that is social aside from Netscape.
I enjoy commenting on articles and finding people with similar interests, does such a site exist?
In the spirit of my quest I took some time today to look at Plime.
According to the website:
Plime is a news aggregator, wiki (editable by all) and friend finder in one. It relies on the power of online community participation to control it's structure and editorial content. It's also a great place to meet others with similar interests.
I first noticed Plime when I was checking my server logs and I saw an influx of trafic from their site. Curious I took some time to look over their site and try it out.
- Good
- Clean wiki-style interface
- Collapsable category listing on the left side
- Up and down voting is transparent
- All submissions can have an image associated with them
- You can customize your color scheme
- No advertising
- Bad
- Karma system easily abused to inflate a users power
- No FAQ on site
- Aggresive "don't come around here no more" moderators
- Same content you will find on Netscape/Reddit/Digg
I went into Plime expecting a basic news aggregator type of site. I found a good variety of categories and a system designed to help you find people with similar likes. I even submitted two stories to see how the community would react. This is when things turned bad.
One particular user (may be a mod, no way to be sure) I ran into was actively taking the role of a cop. He dropped comments all over the site pestering posters about abusing the system or only posting articles that would result in personal gain.
I can understand moderating a community and looking out for content that does not belong but I got a very unfriendly vibe from Plime. I do not think I will be going back there again.
Don't just take my word for it, take a look at their website and make up your own mind.
67 Comments
I saw you submitted my Funny Girl post and was slammed down by a user. I found the aggressive stance very off-putting, especially when you responded nicely to one remark which received more bad attitude and then when you explained what you were doing, more nastiness! PLUS, the user accused you of submitting 2 entries for self-promotion which was untrue.
I didn't bother hanging around after that.
Aggressive moderators is right! As soon as I posted an article they changed the image to a can of SPAM and quickly buried it with several "no spam" comments. I like their fiestiness, but it really wasn't spam. So yeah, definitely some tough, aggressive moderators.
Hah. I was scrolling through the "deleted" section and came across your submission Steve. That Hoosker is a real dick.
I tried to go back on later in the day and add some stuff that did not "benefit me personally" but my account was knocked down to zero karma and I can't submit now!
That is what I mean by an easily abused karma system.
Same here. I stopped by this morning but my account is completely locked out. I can't comment, vote something up, or vote it down. So what's the point?
I think I'll be happy to let them keep their little site elite.
That is a real 'bummer'. Besides the point, there's always some bad eggs in a basket, so you could just leave them aside and ignore them. For me, I would still be looking at StumbleUpon and well.. 'Digg'.
On Plime, I found out quickly that you have to argue and spit at the oldest (first on when Plime started) users. Then you have to comment on submissions to get voted up.
They're not all bad, but there are a select few that I like to call the "Plime Nazis". When I see them doing the bad things that they do, I vote them down. I would suggest you do the same. If enough people vote down the nazis, they'll lose their power.
I do submit my own blog postings and some get knocked down and some don't. My first experience pissed me off and I wasn't going to head back, but the owner basically said what I was doing was okay, just bad timing.
If you go through the deleted section, you'll see stuff that even you would have to agree are not worth being submitted. I can see it from both their and my own point of view.
Frankly, I was surprised to see the girlfriend submission get knocked down. Then I read the comments and saw that the guy who voted you down was wrong. I told him he was wrong with a negative vote on all his comments on that submission. His vote was the only one that took it down, but I suspect it's because others just followed suit.
Hmmmm, never heard of plime. But I will say that Netscape has been nothing but good to us. I agree, having something other than Netscape would be helpful in finding good info.
I will be honest and right out say that I am a member of Plime. So maybe my comments are biasd. They are fact however.
I think the problem right now is a misconception of the idea behind plime, and that is clear from your post.
For one, you talk about moderators being harsh on the site. This is incorrect, as plime does not have moderators. Plime's community is controlled and run by the community itself.
The only person that can be called a moderator is the site's creator. All other users are regular users. By gaining status in the community (thanks to up-votes), they gain more 'power' to control the site. Someone who does not follow the rules and who is a bad person in the community will not reach such a level. It takes a lot of members' votes in order to give members a certain status.
Plime is rather new, and therefore has no set FAQ yet. Of course you can create a FAQ for a website before you launch it, but isn't that a bit pointless? How can you know what the frequently asked questions about the site are if the site is not even running yet? That is why the creators of plime want the community to compose their own FAQ. This is currently being worked on in the forum, and has quite an extensive list already.
As for the abusing of the Karma system, I don't see that as a problem. It takes a lot of votes in order to reach much higher levels. Just some random user who's up to no good does not get to a high level.
The fact that the same information is on plime that you can find on other sites makes sense, since it's a news aggregator. People post links. Obviously those thinks are going to be duplicate sometimes.
Whether that member is or is not a moderator they are acting like one. With a high karma rating comes an increased responsability.
I was very open and honest about the two submissions I submitted when asked. I was not nasty and at least one of the submissions gained in popularity after I submitted it. I do not feel I benefited from both submissions as only one was to my blog and the other was to a blog that is not run by me.
Why did I not submit other content? Because I did not want to submit dupes!
When I read through the forums and other parts of the site I was given the impression that Plime had no problem with users submitting their own content
7. Post your own articles and editorials
Users can create and edit their own articles. This item is in alpha release.
I submitted this to Plime to draw attention to both this article and everyone's comments. So far people seem to taking this seriously.
From my experience with any social news site, if you just come it and submit your blog you're gonna get booed. There's no problem with self promotion, as long as you're also contributing to the community in other ways.
Here's the Plime submission:
I would comment on Plime but since I am now at 0 karma I can't do anything on the site!
There's definitely a sense of policing there, but it's not by "moderators". All users are moderators on the site.
I've taken some steps to ask people to be alot nicer in how they treat new members. We're at an interesting cross roads though… one where a tiny site composed of a group of people from Worth1000 suddenly got noticed by a lot of blogs as an easy source of good traffic. Take a look at the deleted section and you can see why members are cranky. There are so many more spammers submitting their stuff then their used to be. As RTCA said, it's a case of bad timing.
I'm going to post in the forum again to remind people to treat others with respect and give them the benefit of the doubt (which was already done here yesterday http://www.plime.com/f/657/).
I will say this though: HMTKSteve, you submitted your content to "research" plime. That's fine, but you should have revealed your intention and you wouldn't have gotten the same response. Transparency on Plime is everything (it's why we show you what your voting power is actually worth, whereas Digg, which also has a karma system, does not). And when users (especially journalists) are not transparent in their actions it will upset people.
I did read through the forums and I saw the posts where you ask the existing users to be nicer to the noobs like me. That is a good thing.
Yes, I posted two articles as "research". Part of research requires that you not notify people right away that it is research (they call it a double-blind test) but I still did say what it was when questioned.
I like the transparency of Plime but, now that I have zero karma I can not do anything on the site. I can't even vote a comment or story up or down! Can you at least reset me back to one karma point so I can become a member of the community?
HMTKsteve, I will vote your comments up to get you back into +1 karma so you can participate.
There you go, Steve. Straight from the horse's mouth. You can't get any better than that.
Incidentally, I just noticed your quote:
"When I read through the forums and other parts of the site I was given the impression that Plime had no problem with users submitting their own content
7. Post your own articles and editorials
Users can create and edit their own articles. This item is in alpha release."
That's a fair point. It addresses people creating their own articles wikipedia style, a feature which has since been removed for retooling. I can understand the confusion and I will remove that line.
Thanks for the quick responses. Once I get back to a positive karma rating I will try to become a member of the community. I will not post any stories from my own blog (no matter how good they may be) and in a month or so I will report back on my findings.
When I read this I too got the impression that submitting your own stuff was okay. Then I seemed to get targeted by this aggressive mod / power user / whatever and I really don't know if I want to be in the same community with someone who likes to go on power trips like that.
There area ways to submit articles from your blog and have it accepted.
1) Become an active member, posting links, stories, articles, etc that have nothing to do with your site. Then when you post the occasional self-article it will be looked on much more favorably. The main complaint, and the ones that caused the problems is those who post nothing but their own material. Posting nothing but your own stuff, turns it from a sharing conversation to a lecture.
2) Some personal posts belong more in the forum than on the news page. These are usually short little snippets of a story such as the one about funny girls getting the guy. The forum is for more personal interaction. A place we can hang out together and discuss things on a more intimate, personal level.
3) If your blog post is about some news story or is an opinion piece, than post a link to the original story or subject and then follow that up with a comment about your thoughts and even include a link to your site.
Those type of posts are especially appreciated by many of the users. We do want to hear your opinion, thoughts, analysis. We just want the aticle that is posted to the front page to be as unbiased as possible than we can engage in friendly conversation.
Dropping in to defend plime here. I believe I am one of the "dicks" in question (specificaly the one wildbluffmatt referred to). I'm not a mod, just a member like everyone else on the site.
Just to clarify, there are no mods. Every member of the site is a moderator in that they can up or down vote the submission. Several downvotes on the same story will result in the story making its way to the deleted page. A user can only downvote an article once.
I am conflicted on one aspect of your review, however. In your list of good aspects of plime, you included "No advertising." But then you go on to complain about links to your personal site being down-voted. Is joining a site strictly to link to your own site/blog in order to gain traffic anything other than advertising? Or were you talking about google ads?
Anyway, that's where most of us nazis are coming from.
Also, there is an FAQ… It's just not finalized yet. This is still a relatively new site.
Hey um, donteatpoop,
You misunderstood the context. He meant advertising BY the site like you see on digg.
I recommend adblockplus for everyone. Google Ads never bothered me, but these huge glaring banners and flash animations that appear everywhere do.
[…] "unfriendly news aggregator", kinda like Digg. HMTK decided to check it out and had an interesting experience. I followed and had a very similar one. Maybe it's for you, but it's definitely not for […]
I think Plime is like any other area of life, you have disagreements with people but if so inclined you move on and get on with it.
I've had a few "disagreements" with Donteatpoop (He's not a Nazi by the way) and a few others but we get on ok now and in general it's a friendly, informative place to hang out.
My advice is, if you don't like it just don't go there again, simple.
Oh and Wildbluffmatt, Hooskers actually a good guy and I've never seen him be abusive to anyone and I've certainly never seen him resort to name calling so….
But he has that mean looking avatar. j/k
"Karma system easily abused to inflate a users power
No FAQ on site
Aggresive "don't come around here no more" users"
Started off ok with my first post. Second post was considered spam (which it wasn't plus never posted a site of my own) Instantly voted so far down that I couldn't post a thing. Don't like it. I don't think a person should be knocked down so low that they can't post just because one person thinks it's inappropriate. It's kind of "I've been here longer so I can censor what I don't like".
*Very hard on new people
*Total Nazi like attitudes from those that have good "Karma"
*It is a good idea and does have super potential
Having a look.
I have never come across such a mob mentality as exists amungst the 'editors' of this site. And the way in which the site works has allowed said mentality to become firmly entrenched.
Those who have been there the longest can edit you out of existence so far as your presence on 'their' site is concerned.
They can edit any remark you make and put it into any other thread to quote you out of context to make you look (on their (to my mind, totally uncreditable) site) foolish or wrong.
They can and do gang-up and bully and then remove any sign of having done so.
This 'Karma' (an absolute misnomer, if ever their was one) system gives power to a bunch of yobbish friends who keep each other in power. And who will jump on you should you have the 'cheek' to ask why a not overly interesting (admitted) but harmless thread was removed.
I only found this (hmtk.com) site after I had spent some time on Plime. When I started to feel uneasy about some of the posts and disappearances I 'googled' Plime and found this site.
I was thinking of setting up a 'Plime refugee' site where people can cut & paste the posts of the mob attacking before the Plime clean-up squad removes them all. And there is a 'clean-up' squad. One post bragged how quickly and easily my opinions will 'never have existed'.
A 'Plime refugee' site might well make Plime even more of a backward backwater than it is at present. But in the end, unlike Plimates (as they call themselves), I believe in live and let live. And if you, Like me, can disagree with what someone has to say, but defend their right to say it, then Plime is no place for you.
You, Sir, have no idea what you're talking about.
Go cry, emo kid.
Quixote-Grey (above) is upset because he does more than just disagree, he disagrees with hostility and blatant assholery. If you take the time to lurk a bit before joining, as most people do with most sites, you will quickly learn what is and is not acceptable behavior. People at plime very very rarely all agree on anything, so there really is not reason to but into Quixote's "you can't disagree or they will hate you" mentality. Just don't be a little shit about it when you do it.
I cannot prove my case as the threads in question have been edited or wiped.
I was, however, polite at all times. I think donteatpoop might be a little frustrated because he cannot edit my findings out of existance on hear as he can on Plime. He might like to read George Orwell's 1984.
I have wasted enough of my time on Plime. And will be wasting no more. Anyone reading this who might want to find out for themselves needs nobodies permission. Please feel free to discover for yourselves the delights of PLIME!
Continuing your friendly politeness I see. Insinuations and a generally snide attitude have served you well. You do little more than prove my point. Glad to hear you won't be wasting anyone else's time on plime. Go find another bridge to live under.
Steve, I'd like to apologize for this jackass. Sorry the squabble spilled over onto your site. For some reason he keeps linking to this ancient article at the end of his comments, then claims that he's not being rude or snide over there; typical troll behavior, I know. Again, sorry to spill over onto your site.
It's all cool. Drop me a msg on Plime and I'll look at the thread he linked from.
Your hubris is staggering.
Do not presume to apologise for me.
And whilst here I would like to comment on this:
……"I will say this though: HMTKSteve, you submitted your content to "research†plime. That's fine, but you should have revealed your intention and you wouldn't have gotten the same response"……
Well of course not everyone on the site would be private messaged to 'treat this particular newbie with respect', which in itself says 'not the way regular newbies who aren't writing reviews are treated'.
Do reply please. I so want to keep this site as the number 2 ranking on Google searches for 'Plime'. People deserve to have a balanced view of what they might by getting or have gotten from any site on the web. That is what reviews and forums are for; honest opinions, open debates and balancing views.
The above should read;
Well of course not. Everyone on the site would be private messaged to 'treat this particular newbie with respect', which in itself says 'not the way regular newbies who aren't writing reviews are treated'.
Troll on, you crazy diamond.
A copy below of email I sent to the owner of Plime earlier today.
A couple of questions and a suggestion or two.
Firstly, having been buried to a rating of minus 1, is there a way of getting out of the hole? Without re-registering?
Just a tentative suggestion; Would it not be useful to have a 'doghouse' tab? alongside the Arts, Entertainment, etc tabs?
A place where people in the doghouse (zero or minus rating) can still post. They would not be able to post anywhere else. If they want to rant they stay. If they want to be contrite, maybe someone will vote them up and release them, so to speak, back into the wider community.
The biggest issue I have with this site (no one special, just a regular guy trying to build a bridge), is that a person can be gagged. Freedom of speech denied. A fundermental right in any civilised society or community. Don't Gag people and still have them as a registered user.
Another suggestion; Might it not be an idea that only the author of a post can delete or edit his/her own words. The insentive to delete would be the negs. Leave the post, keep the negs. Delete the post the negs go away.
The two suggestions need not, but maybe could, work together. If your in the doghouse and want out then delete the posts that got you there. Just an Idea.
Finally, is it possible to delete/unregister ones own account? I am not being funny, but I do not want to be registered (my detail are real as is my photograph) on a site where I have the status persona non grata.
Thanks for your time.
Yours faithfully,
The above email did not, it would appear, warrant a response.
I rest my case!
Just an attempt at avoiding misunderstandings about fundamental rights in civilized societies:
Your freedom of speech does not include the right to force your opinions upon anyone. Nobody keeps you from blogging your thoughts all across the internet. The fact that your Plime account got banned has nothing (repeat: NOTHING) to do with infringement of rights. It's simply an infdicator for a certain group of people not being interest in what you have to say.
So please stop whining. Invoking violations of human rights for being told to please STFU is pretty damn pathetic. You're a blogger. You're sharing your opinions with the whole world 24/7. Please give us a break, mkay?
Another Blogger gave the following as an analogy of my time on Plime:
Analogy Time
There's a big ongoing party that everyone is invited to. Everyone. People come, people go; some linger around longer than others.
The music is bumping, the drinks are cold and intoxicating, the food is delicious, and the people seem to get along nicely for the most part.
One day this dude walks in, a new guy; first time he'd decided to take advantage of the open invite. He drinks the beer, eats the food, converses a little here and there; and then he decides that he isn't digging much on the party.
Now, instead of just leaving like most polite people would do, he shuts off the music for a moment and gets on the microphone.
"Hi everyone, I know I've only been here for a few minutes but I just wanted to bring a few things to your attention. First, this music sucks. I mean seriously, it's terrible. Secondly this beer is like piss in a bottle. The food was absolutely wretched, and to be perfectly frank you people bore and annoy the hell out of me."
Surprisingly the many many people at the party were not pleased with this announcement. As one they told the new guy to get the hell out of the place, kicking him out the door from whence he came.
Once he left, the party resumed.
But the guy was actually offended by this. How dare they tell him to leave! He was only expressing himself, only offering them an objective veiwpoint! This simply would not do!
He went around town telling a few people here and there about the terrible experience he had at the party. Some people listened to him and took his words to heart, most just ignored him. But that didn't stop him from trying to spread negativity about the party.
It is said that the guy still resents the party and party goers.
Despite his efforts, the party went on uninterrupted. That party still goes on today. The moon still revolves around the Earth, and the Earth still spins around the sun.
Moral: Freedom of speech does not entitle you to be an asshole.
My response is a far more acurate analogy.
As follows:
Alternative Analogy Time.
Bloke is driving down the info' highway and notices a light off to the side and in the distance. He drives down there to find a venue, above the door to which is 'News Aggregator's Forum' , on the door a note, 'Open, all welcome'. He goes in.
There is music, food, drink and conversation. There are message boards where people are invited to post comments on other's topics, or indeed post a topic of their own.
The conversations are not open to newbies, not a problem, bloke reads some posts. He comments on some posts. All, it seems, is well. His comments are well received and his rating within the forum is on the up. He might even be able to listen to and join a conversation or two soon.
Bloke reads the rebuking of a poster on some trivial thing or other, and pays little mind to it. Then he sees people who have the rating and so the power to do so, go around removing and shredding posts. Others editing other's posts.
Bloke gets on his laptop and Googles the forum. Some people have been there, left, and told others that this isn't a very friendly community. He does not take this as gospel, but draws attention to the comments to see what the community has to say about them. Thinking 'how this is reponded to will be a very good indication as to wether the negative review/comments are still, if ever they were, true'.
Well. Now the music stops (not bloke, he hasn't the rating, hence nor the means to change anything). The atmosphere changes. People whisper to people who whisper to people. Indignation is in the air and looks to be contagious. Some fight the contagion. Others don't try to. 'Who is this bloke?','bloody cheek!', indignation turns to hostility, 'Quick, shut him up', 'Gag him!', 'Bury him!'. Ordinarily rational individuals congeal into a mob.
An 'innocuous' post appears on a note that has a gravestone as it's letterhead (avatar). A topic is 'revived', and brought into service, headed 'Plime's Graveyard'. Another 'innocuous', – seeming countdown to burial – topic appears. No. No, that's paranoia. Surely. Isn't it?
Bloke looks at some stats. How many people registered here? He can't find that info. Number of sites that link to Plime 1,778. Over 1600 people have marked their locations. How many haven't? Could be tens of thousands. He looks at those who post regularly and guesses at a few or so dozen. How many are multiple registered. No way of knowing.
Bloke has to wonder, how many of the registered are now 'buried'?
It may well be that, –"The music is bumping, the drinks are cold and intoxicating, the food is delicious, and the people seem to get along nicely for the most part". When no-one is asking awkward questions.
Is this cosy community now located in the middle of a vast graveyard where 'rest' Plime's persona's non grata? And how many times bigger than the active community might this graveyard be? And what might have been the 'crimes' of all those buried?
Moral: As with opinions, there can be more than one analogy. And analogies can be slanted, biased or just plain wrong.
I cannot understand how someone can spout:
"Moral: Freedom of speech does not entitle you to be an asshole." And so convincingly demonstrate that it clearly does.
Plime; sublime or SUBPRIME!!
I Have been lurking on & off. And looks fine to me. But I take your point that you cant see what has been removed. Can seem a little Stepford-ish.
Your letting them know on Plime was removed in about 30 seconds!!
What are they SO frightened off?
Definately subprime!
My notifying the subprimates (sorry petty I know (I couldn't help myself (…:-)………))) of the above update, dated today, was removed from Plime in about 30 seconds.
As my good wife commented;
What are they SO frightened of??
Weird! Not weird and wonderful weird. Weird….Yuck!
Just a little postscript to let you mob from Plime know how much it pleases me to know that, having deleted my opinions from your site, you cannot help yourselves from gravitating to read this.
How perverse!
Oh that's your wife agreeing with you. No bias, I'm sure. Lol.
Move on man, there's a whole internet out there.
Just to point it out, there are no moderators deleting things they don't want to see; there are just a bunch of people who don't like what you're saying over there.
(had you not commented on my blog pointing here, I wouldn't have come at all)
Thank you for your concern as to how I spend my Time, but really a cut & paste of our 'ancient' tit for tat was no problem. No problem at all.
Also I wouldn't advertise your blog if I were you!
Just a little postscript to let you mob from Plime know how much it pleases me to know that, having deleted my opinions from your site, you cannot help yourselves from gravitating to read this.
How perverse!
I know, I know, I pointed it out to you. But you all know it's here and don't have to read it. And why suckersklub waited 6 weeks before coming back to have the last say I don't know.
Do you not realise that you cannot win? Not here. Not on this site. If you don't like a persons opinions or points of view, on Plime you can delete them and gag the person. On here you cannot. So by posting here you are saying:-
'We do not like your opinions go away, so when you go away we can go to where you have gone to read and reply to your opinions'.
Now don't you think, honestly, that Plime would have been so much the better, so much more credible, had this thread been 'allowed' on Plime?
Sorry, must add: I meant I wouldn't have come to this ancient post, not the site; I like hmtksteve's site. I subscribe and shit.
Comment by suckersklub
2009-03-15 12:55:43
Just an attempt at avoiding misunderstandings about fundamental rights in civilized societies:
Your freedom of speech does not include the right to force your opinions upon anyone. Nobody keeps you from blogging your thoughts all across the internet. The fact that your Plime account got banned has nothing (repeat: NOTHING) to do with infringement of rights. It's simply an infdicator for a certain group of people not being interest in what you have to say.
So please stop whining. Invoking violations of human rights for being told to please STFU is pretty damn pathetic. You're a blogger. You're sharing your opinions with the whole world 24/7. Please give us a break, mkay?
In answer to the above:-
You just don't get it do you?
There is none so blind as those who 'choose' not to see.
Though, even if this were my site I would not tell you to go away. I might not like what you say ( I might think you an utter idiot ) but I Defend your right to say it.
Just to address the following:-
Comment by donteatpoop
2009-03-25 01:40:23
"Oh that's your wife agreeing with you."
Yes, but she certainly knows how not to.
Thanks for giving us the space for this debate/arguement.
Doing so is a credit to you.
I think we are done now.
"It's all cool". :-)
Finished yet?
Believe it or not people read my blog without me advertising it. That is how I believe sucker came here, from checking my comments. I could be wrong, he could be obsessing over your insulting yet irresistably clever barage of bashing.
People don't usually like assholes and tend to kick them out. Guess where that places you? Sorry the people of plime weren't overcome with your amazing wit and charm and chose to delete your thread (with more than 100 negative votes applied to it… That's how much they liked you).
Maybe try digg, reddit, fark… Somewhere else where your overwhelming charisma will win over the masses and allow you to develop a cult following.
I anxiously await your next string of replies that for some reason you cannot manage to fit into one post. I wonder if it is because you can't concentrate long enough to fit it into one or because you're actually so distressed that you post them as the thoughts come to you.
Please read sarcasm into this comment as you see fit.
Note: I will be deleting future comments on my blog from you that have anything to do with this rambling' post or plime. Since I know you go to my blog specifically to read all of my charming and witty anecdote, I hope that you can focus on the topics at hand instead of something that you should have managed to move past by now. You may also notice that I have still not once edited or deleted a comment of yours from my blog (or from plime). Until now.
It's been a pleasure tolerating your antagonism QG, now go focus on the good things in your life instead of a petty internet squabble.
Why is it that liars find the truth to be "irresistably clever"?
It isn't, it's just the truth!
Hit a nerve, I think.
You belong on Plime. Your double standards qualify you.
You have been insulting me as well as, if not more, than my arguements.
Take your own advice; let it go!
To be honest, I only returned here last week because I had googled "That Hoosker is a real dick." Then I stayed for the laid-back atmosphere.
Anyone thinking of visiting Plime check out first what passes for opinion/arguement/debate on here:
This is from one of the big cheeses come defenders/spokesmen of Plime.
He has even gone so far as to censor HIS OWN BLOG. NOT for reasons of profanity, insult (he couldn't really), nor religious, racial or political intollerance. No. He has censored OPINION. Just like they do on his favourite site, Plime.
My friend, you have shot yourself in the foot and are just not bright enough to realise it, Yet. But you will. It will come to you.
But don't anybody hold their breath, Eh?
It occured to me after posting (A bit slow, I know. What can I say; I'm getting old) my reference to:
that you can't really check out what passes for opinion/arguement/debate there. It is after all censored (my pet hate, censorship). And, as has been said, you cannot read what has been removed or censored.
When I first visited donteatpoop's blog I thought 'well, it is what it is' (judge for yourselves (in as much as you now can)). But above the crass crudity it had a strong sense of honesty. Of integrity. He published others comments even if and when they were at odds with his own.
He now allows (which is not a problem so far as I am concerned) his friend and follow subprimate to say of me:
"Bloke didn't get enough love from Mum.
Bloke was forced to school with Davey Jones lunch pale.
Bloke blames others for shortcomings
Bloke becomes narcissistic.
Bloke isn't even British."
But then goes on to censors me saying that if he censors me he is as bad as Plime.
I am a little disappointed. Seriously, I mean it. I don't know why I should be, only that I am.
I thought, Ben, that beyond your bigmouth and bull****, you were somehow quite genuine. And that you were not running with the mob for the reason that most do. To stay on side. From a 'at least while we are all kicking him no one is kicking me' mentality. But were, rather, defending something that you didn't see as all that bad. Even if you were wrong and your defence of it was vulgar.
I noticed also that when you said on your blog:
"I've decided to stop publishing Quixnote-Grey's comments as he is stuck on one topic and will not move from it. He continues to attempt to antagonize and act like a bitch and I've decided that I'm uninterested in putting up with it anymore."
That you didn't provide a link to here so that anyone reading your blog could judge for themselves wether I was/am in fact continuing to "antagonize and act like a bitch" or rather defending my opinions in the face personal abuse.
Honesty and integrity! You can't buy them!
So, finally, we appear to be at the end (again)of the 'lets try to stiffle the opinions of anyone who dares expose the collective mentality of the subprimates (and where we can't edit or delete said exposure (sob))'.
At least donteatpoop saw the light and decided that it was not worth trashing the integrity of his own blog in his efforts to defend Plime.
So, in closing, I'll take a final look at Plime's claim of itself:
"Plime is a news aggregator"
Very loosely. If you want news you might find that The BBC, CNN or Reuters don't do too shabby a job of providing it.
"wiki" (editable by all)"
Not so. Another deception. It is editable only by those with high 'Karma' (misnomer). And those who have high 'Karma' make sure by vetting others that only those who fit in with their mentality get even close to being able to 'chat' let alone 'edit'.
"and friend finder in one."
Seriously though, if you are looking for friends it might not be a bad idea to look outside of your computer.
"It relies on the power of online community participation to control it's structure and editorial content."
That online community consists of a relative few with numerous ID's given 'Karma' by their 'friends' and their 'own' other ID's.
A very interesting stat that we will never know: How many active members are their once you strip out the multiple ID's and just how many have 'passed through'; registered and been seen off??? Now THAT, I would be interested to know!
"It's also a great place to meet others with similar interests."
Judge for yourselves!
Plime is utterly spurious.
Plime. Sublime or SUBPRIME? (Catchy, isn't it?) :-)
I'm almost sorry to interrupt your ongoing monologue – just dropped by to find this place getting better every single day!
(This time, I was referred here from Mr. Donteatpoops blog indeed.)
Very entertaining, keep up the good work!
Excuse me now, I have to go back to Plime and upvote my numerous other IDs into Super Nazi Uberplimates. BBL!
(Did I just accidentally invoke Godwin's Law? I hope not. This thread had so much potential.)
I think the argument has always been that plimates are Nazi like so it would seem the last poster doesn't understand Godwin's law which he referred to
below is another point of view
Your article there pretty much says it: You bloggers have an image problem. It's yours, not ours. Feel free to come back once you've fixed it.
(For some odd reason, I feel like I need to explain my presence here every time I visit this site. This time, it was (again!) a discussion about Mr. Hoosker's dick. We're a funny bunch over at Plime, you know.)
I have heard that it is so big some people mistake him for it, hence the popular saying, "Hoosker is a dick!" :)
This is true.
I joined Plime a few days ago and promptly had my account deactivated after one comment.
I made a second account to try and clear things up and get my original account reactivated. A member called Hoosker who I see is mentioned here was great and so was a guy called Moe.
My account got to level 5 so I could get into the chatroom and then was prompty deactivated by means of down voting.
The vibe I got before I joined Plime was a good, relaxed one. However scratch the surface and the majority there are insecure, petty and have a distorted sense of self-importance.
I'd advice ANYONE from joining it as they obviously don't want new members but prefer to keep it a small and somewhat retarded backwater of the internet.
It's a shame becasue there seem to be SOME friendly, welcoming people there but as i the case in real life, the majority ruin it.
I've been a member of Plime for going on 4 years now and have seen a lot. I didn't lurk before I posted, but did have an advantage in that I was specifically invited there so probably not as 'suspect' as most newcomers.
Although you have some valid points, you have also struck a nerve. Plimates like to think we give newcomers a fair shake. What you experienced as quick and biased banishment is more likely a reaction to mass attack by spammers and trolls, which inundate plime on a daily basis. As much as you think Plime is hostile to newcomers, perhaps you are doing it wrong.
Take a little time to get to know us, and to let us get to know you. Look around. Comment on posts of particular people you find interesting. Don't expect to just show up at the party and take center stage. Take the time to earn the trust and respect of your peers. Be real; come as yourself, not as your conflicts of interest.
As in life, you'll find members you like and others you don't. Plime is a reflection of its active members, not a small and somewhat retarded backwater. (Now who's being judgmental?)
In the interest of building bridges, I'd encourage you to try again.
In response to the above comment.
"So say we all!"
I have recently vowed never to return to Plime as the users there are very inbred and enjoy each others company a little too exclusively.
New members are most definitely not welcome and the forums are of very little interest to anyone who isn't in on their pathetic "in-jokes".
This site had so much potential but is now over run by users who simply do not see any wrong with the way they are running the site.
Well, I joined Plime today, and already had someone attacking me for self promotion and SEO (did mention I work in SEO in my introduction post, not as if I was even being sneaky), posted a quick reply pointing out that if self promotion isn't allowed then Plime should really tell any artists, musicians and photographers that too, and that if Plime is a site where you're not allowed to share content you've produced, then its probably alot less useful and interesting than I first thought.
(Didn't go into the fact that the whole Karma thing is in essance self promotion, since you only post on there to raise your karma level!)
Keeping my mind open at the moment, but does seem a little heavy handed, the second you start editing other peoples comments it becomes biased in favour of the high favour members.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.


text:
Some of the most inspiring names in New Zealand rugby have been lent to the new National Under 19 Tournament with the tournament itself named in honour of former All Blacks captain and New Zealand Rugby (NZR) chairman Jock Hobbs.
2016 is the third year in a row Taupo will host the Jock Hobbs Memorial National U19 tournament from 14th-21st September.
Matches will be played on 15th, 18th and 21st September at Owen Delany Park.
The tournament comprises 16 seeded teams, one from each of the Mitre 10 Cup Provincial Unions, a second team from Auckland Rugby and a representative team from the 14 Mitre 10 Heartland Unions.
Teams in the top division will be competing for the honour of winning the tournament cup named after former All Blacks captain and recently retired NZR director Graham Mourie.
Read More

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- Baking Bites - http://bakingbites.com -
Almond Meal vs Almond Flour in Baking
Posted By Nicole On March 6, 2012 @ 1:59 pm In Baking | 11 Comments
Ground almonds – also known as almond meal or almond flour – are a fairly common ingredient in many different types of recipes, from cookies, tarts and cakes to a wide variety of gluten free baked goods. It is also a popular choice for breading meats in place of, or in addition to, bread crumbs. Almond meal and almond flour both appear in ingredient lists – is there a difference between them?
Almond meal and almond flour are both finely ground almonds and there is no official difference between the two products. The terms can be used interchangeably. In practice, however, almond flour is often much more finely ground than almond meal is and has a more uniform consistency. Almond meal can be blanched (skins removed) or unblanched, while most products labeled almond flour are blanched. For most recipes, you can use almond meal or almond flour, regardless of which is specifically called for in a recipe and get good results. There are a few recipes out there, however, where you should take into account the consistency of the product you're working with. French macarons are a good example, because most bakers will want the finest almond flour that they can find (usually blanched, as well) to get the smoothest looking finished macarons. People who use almond meal for breading often prefer a coarser consistency for a little more texture.
You can make your own almond meal by whizzing whole almonds in the food processor until finely ground. If you prefer a finer consistency to your ground almonds, you can sift your homemade almond meal a few times to remove any larger pieces of almond that you might not want in your finished product.
Article printed from Baking Bites: http://bakingbites.com
URL to article: http://bakingbites.com/2012/03/almond-meal-vs-almond-flour-in-baking/
Click here to print.
Thanks for visiting Baking Bites! Enjoy this recipe and don't forget to check back to the original posts for comments from other readers who have tried it!


text:
CNET: Want a VC deal? Go fly a kiteboard
Valley VCs and entrepreneurs have long mixed their sports and networking, just like other business executives. A large swath of Silicon Valley executives lean toward weekend bike-a-thons or days at the links, but a subset of the culture is drawn more toward risky sports like extreme skiing and windsurfing. Some in the industry say kiteboarding (and its cousin, snow kiting) are resonant of a faster-paced Web 2.0 tech environment.
"This sport attracts a certain early-adopter type with a bundle of energy and a lot of confidence. That personality set just happens to overlap with what makes a technology entrepreneur what they are," Tai said.
To read the entire article, click here


text:
I have just finished painting and weathering my 'psberetta' gauntlet missile. The quality of his work is outstanding and his communcation is excellent, if you have the chance grab one of these.
Firstly, I didn't use special paints or primer (specially made for aluminium) because I wanted to be able to peel off the paint to get the correct effect.
I started by airbrushing the bronze coloured item (and part of the neck) a little darker using a metallic tamiya Brown. I then masked off all none black areas and airbrushed a Tamiya black acrylic. That's all the painting done.
Now the weathering. Before the black paint is fully dried I pressed masking tape onto the surface and randomly removed portions of black, this worked very well. Then I airbrushed a mist of black over the front of the bronze coloured piece. When dry, I dabbed on a mid grey over the black using a sponge (just on the bronze piece). When dry, I lighlty rubbed this piece with a mild scouring pad to bring out a few little hilights, be carefull not to remove the bronze coloured paint that was originally applied.
Next I needed to dull down the whole thing and give it a dusty effect. I did this by airbrushing a mist of mid grey, this toned down the black and dulled the aluminium nicely. Then, using a scouring pad I gently rubbed the aluminium areas to remove some of this grey paint, this makes the aluminium look tarnished and dusty.
I haven't sealed the missile as mine will be displayed on my mannequin and shouldn't get knocked around. The paint has keyed very well to the missile, but If you will be trooping in yours then you should really use an aluminium primer on all the painted areas.
I hope this makes sense.


text:
Inflation, Trade Frictions, and Productive Activity in a Multiple-Matching Model of Money
Derek Laing, Victor E. Li, and Ping Wang
Working Paper 2000-28
November 2000
Download the full text of this paper in PDF format - (520 KB)
This paper investigates the relationship between money growth, inflation, and productive activity in a general equilibrium model of search. The use of a multiple-matching technique, where trade frictions are captured by limited consumption variety, allows us to study price determination in a search-theoretic environment with divisible money and goods. In our basic framework, productive activity and matching in the goods market are endogenized by a time allocation decision of work and shopping effort. We find that in such an environment, a positive feedback between shopping and work effort decisions creates a channel by which inflation can positively influence productive activity. This feature also creates the possibility of multiple steady state equilibria when household preferences for variety is sufficiently great. We also consider an alternative means of endogenizing the matching technology through endogenous firm entry. Consistent with the findings of our basic framework, the importance of search frictions continues to be essential for the non-uniqueness of equilibria and an additional channel which links money growth to real activity.
JEL classification: D83, E40, E31
Key words: multiple matching, endogenous search effort, money, inflation and productivity activity
The authors thank Daron Acemoglu, Ben Bernanke, Dean Corbae, Yi-ting Li, Peter Morgan, Shoyoung Shi, Neil Wallace, Randy Wright, Mike Woodford, and Ruelin Zhou, as well as participants at the Summer Meeting of the Econometric Society and workshops at the University of Pittsburgh, Princeton University, and Texas A&M University. The views expressed here are the authors' and not necessarily those of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta or the Federal Reserve System. Any remaining errors are the authors' responsibility.
Please address questions regarding content to Victor Li, Research Department, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, 104 Marietta Street, N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303, 404-498-8938, email@example.com; Derek Laing, Penn State University; or Ping Wang, Vanderbilt University.


text:
Exercise 1 : Executing sample Perl scripts
Laboratory Exercise for Introduction to Perl
This assumes you have already set up your initial directory with the init-perllab command (instructions).
- Change to the Lab1 directory:
cd /scratch/mylogin/PerlLab/Lab1
The directory path may be different if you installed the files in another location.
- List the directory contents:
ls -l
You should see the files: INSTRUCTIONS README badconst.pl goodconst.pl hello.pl trig.pl
- Look at the hello.pl file:
cat hello.pl
The contents of this file are as follows (note the line numbers have been added for clarity and are not in the actual file):
- #!/usr/bin/perl
- print "Hello, world!\n";
- Invoke perl to run the program:
perl hello.pl
The output should be:output
Hello, world!
- Execute the program directly:
The output should be the same.
- Now, look at the trig.pl file:
cat trig.pl
The contents of this file are as follows (note the line numbers have been added for clarity and are not in the actual file):
- Invoke perl to run the program:
perl trig.pl
The output should be:output
- Now, try to execute the program directly:
You should see an error message, "bash: ./trig.pl: Permission denied". This is because the permissions are not set to allow execution.
ls -l trig.pl
Notice that the permissions on the file trig.pl are "-rw-r--r--", which means you can read and write the file, but not execute. To run it, you'll have to run the actual Perl program and tell it where to find the file, or change the permissions.
- Change the permissions of the file to add execute privilege:
chmod +x trig.pl
This means "change mode to add execute (x) permission to trig.pl". Check by listing:
ls -l trig.pl
Now you sould see the permission as "-rwxr-xr-x".
- Try again to execute the program directly:
This time, the program should run.
Understanding the hello.pl program
- #!/usr/bin/perl
This directive instructs the shell to use the program /usr/bin/perl to run hello.pl . Without that line, the shell would interpret the Perl program as bash or ksh commands, which will produce many errors. You can experiment by editing the file and removing this line to see what happens.
- print "Hello, world!\n";
The print function sends the specified string to the standard output. In this case, the string is surrounded by double quotes, so the backslash n ("\n") is replaced with a newline.
Understanding the trig.pl program
- #!/usr/bin/perl
This directive instructs the shell to use the program /usr/bin/perl to run trig.pl .
- use warnings;
- use strict;
Calls to the use function usually import symbols from a given module, like using #include in C or C++. However, in this case, they act as pragmas. The warnings pragma instructs the compiler to turn on optional warnings, which are particularly helpful to avoid common programming errors. The strict pragma instructs the compiler to require that variables must be declared, among other checks. This helps to detect misspelled variables and subroutine names, for instance.
- use constant RAD => (atan2(1,0) / 90.0);
The constant pragma is a means to create constant symbols, much like the const declaration in C and C++. A Perl constant is simply a word, without a dollar sign or any other punctuation before it (as is the case with variables). To compute an accurate number, the atan2 function is used. [ caveat for constant pragma ]
- my $angle;
- my ($s, $c);
Calls to the my function declares the listed variables within the current scope (which is everything in the file after these lines). The variables $s and $c are declared on the same line, so they must be grouped with parentheses.
- print "ANGLE SIN() COS()\n";
The print function sends the specified string to the standard output. In this case, the string is surrounded by double quotes, so the backslash n ("\n") is replaced with a newline.
This is a basic while loop. The highlighted lines show the initialization, test, and increment. Note that the angle is represented as an integer, so there is no risk of roundoff errors which might complicate the given test if we were using floating point values.
Inside the loop, the sin and cos functions are computed on the angle, converted from degrees to radians by the constant RAD. Finally, the printf function prints the three values in a column-oriented format.


text: I am delivering a mandibular over denture with two Locators in the area of the mandibular canines [#22,27; 33, 43] . I first tried cold curing housing into place one by one chair side. That did not work. I then took an impression with impression copings in place, sent it to the lab for processing. That did not work either. The attachments are not engaging into the Locators. I tried replacing the attachments and used all the different colors and nothing. The denture seats and as soon as the patient does any movement the denture rises up. Not sure if the female Locators have something wrong with them. The denture on my lab models engages, but not in the mouth. I've checked it with PIP paste and can not find anything. What is going on? Any suggestions?


text:
Forward: This is the first Haruhi fanfic I've attempted. I only recently got into the series, reading the whole series of light novels a couple weeks ago after seeing the first season of the anime that I got from Netflix a couple months back. I really enjoyed the stories, though, and I couldn't help but take a crack at narrating as Kyon. His casual wit strikes me as very familiar, as I'm used to that kind of personality in my family. I've tried not to make him sound too verbose, though I'm afraid that I tend to slip into my own voice while narrating him and thus his vocabulary comes off as a little too advanced, perhaps. I've tried to fix it where I can, so hopefully it sounds enough like him to be believable. Also, I'd like to note that I know I make him extremely dense in certain cases. It's not so much that I really believe he's dense, but I think that in the novels he often plays ignorant to things he knows full well about, so even if he says things to make you think that he's missing something obvious, it's really just that he's uncomfortable with addressing the issue. So I hope you don't start banging your head when he goes from sharp wit to dunderhead, 'cause it's really all an act as far as I'm concerned. Also, in case any of you have something to say about Haruhi's out of character behavior, I'll just let you know that it happens to be a plot point. Anyway, I hope you enjoy my first foray into this particular fandom.
Suzumiya Haruhi no Injun
(The Vacillation of Haruhi Suzumiya)
Some interpretations of quantum mechanics say that for any choice one makes, or for any possibility that exists, the universe splits to accommodate every outcome. Of course, Albert Einstein once famously countered: "God does not play dice." A certain esper I know would disagree, offering his empty wallet as proof. I, personally, had no sympathy for him on that occasion.
On the other hand, my experiences with Miss Asahina would tend to dispute that possibility, as they seem to have mastered the art of the stable time loop rather well. Of course, one could also point to my experience with Nagato's alternate reality as proof of separate timelines. Koizumi explained how it could work with a stable timeline, but the whole explanation just ended up confusing me as usual.
Well, I won't care about what happens in alternate timelines until I see a slider for myself.
It was a cold Friday evening in February when it all started. I had only recently recovered from Haruhi's Valentine's Day intrigues, not to mention the case of Michiru Asahina, who had now gone back to being plain old Mikuru in spite of losing a few days in the past. As usual, the SOS Brigade met in the Literature Club's club room, of which Yuki Nagato was the sole member and de facto president, but also our SOS Brigade Chief's passive inductee into our own illegal club.
Koizumi and I were playing yet another board game while sipping some of Miss Asahina's heavenly tea when the aforementioned Brigade Chief entered the room that day without her usual fervor. I was instantly concerned. Any time Haruhi Suzumiya wasn't bouncing off the walls, chances are she was coming up with some new horrors to deliver onto the world. The fact that she frequently glanced my direction did not sooth my fears at all. Please, Haruhi, keep me out of your schemes for once.
By the time Nagato closed her book, signaling the end of our meeting, nothing too strange had happened, aside from Haruhi's conflicted looks. We disbanded without any uproar, though I noticed before I left that Haruhi seemed to be staring after us with a strange look on her face.
"Kyon," Koizumi said to me as we were leaving the school grounds. "I just wanted to let you know that there has been a slight increase in Sealed Realities occurring since yesterday."
So we have a bunch of Shinjin trashing some alternate reality bubbles and threatening to destroy the world. I'd say I felt sorry for you for having to deal with her mess, but I really don't.
"It's not quite like that," Koizumi said. "These Sealed Realities are a bit different from usual. The Shinjin appearing in them seem less interested in wrecking the surroundings than they do in beating each other to a pulp. Honestly, we haven't had to do much other than watch them destroy each other. The Sealed Realities break down by themselves once that happens."
So you could say Haruhi is really beating herself up about something.
"You could say that. I'd like to consider myself an expert on Haruhi Suzumiya's mental state, but I think you know better than I that she was conflicted about something back there. My advice to you is to watch your back."
Coming from you, Koizumi, I'd almost think it were a threat. However, we parted ways after that and I began walking away from the steep hill that plagued my existence. It wasn't too long after, though, that I got a sudden call. Taking the cell phone out of my pocket I looked at the Caller ID. Sure enough, it was Haruhi.
"Hey, Kyon!" she said enthusiastically. "I've made up my mind."
Oh, good, maybe Haruhi would be so kind as to tell me what she's made up her mind about?
"Don't worry about that, right now," she said. "Listen, meet me at the usual place tomorrow at 8 pm. Don't be late or there'll be a penalty!"
She hung up the phone and I began walking again toward home. However, just a moment later, she called me back again.
"Kyon!" she said. "Um... about tomorrow..."
"Don't worry, I'll be at our usual spot at eight," I assured her. "I wouldn't want to get a penalty."
Haruhi giggled, which I felt was a bit odd, since usually her laughs are the kind that come right from the diaphragm, like a mad scientist. "The way you rack them up, I was beginning to think you liked being punished by me."
Saying something like that was not only wrong, but it was a good way to send the wrong impression to anyone who might overhear.
"Maybe," Haruhi conceded. "Anyway… I'd actually like you to meet me a few hours before. Say... at five?"
Well, I guess that was fine. I don't know why she was waffling on the time, though.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Just don't be late or there'll be a penalty!"
- - -
I met with Haruhi the next day right at five as agreed and she greeted me with a warm "Penalty!" Asking her why she had called me here without the other SOS Brigade members, she held up two tickets and said, "Well, it's weird, but I won these in a raffle on Thursday."
What was this? It sounded almost like Haruhi was asking me out on a date.
Haruhi's face was red with what I imagine was the cold. "It's not like that… I just don't know who else I would go with and I thought it would be a waste not to use them. Besides, if you come maybe I'll forget that penalty…"
I didn't say I wouldn't come. I supposed as long as I was already there I might as well make a day of it. Besides, I'm sure Koizumi would get all bent out of shape if I were to upset his goddess in any way.
"Thanks, Kyon!" Haruhi said, her smile shining brightly. "It starts at 8:30 tonight, but I figured I'd get you out here early so we could find you something nice and formal to wear. I'll even pay for it."
Something formal? Just where were we going, anyway?
"Oh," she stammered. "I-It's nothing, really. It's just a Princess Ball."
A "Princess Ball?" Oh no, there were absolutely no romantic overtones whatsoever about a guy and a girl going to a ball together on Saturday night. Not a bit. It didn't help my mood that I couldn't even dance.
"Don't worry about that, Kyon," she said. "I'll show you." She immediately began to drag me all over town. She spent over an hour shopping for the perfect outfit for me until she finally settled on one that made me feel like I was straight out of the Renaissance if Tetsuya Nomura had been a fashion designer back then.
By the time seven thirty came around I was exhausted. At this point, Haruhi had brought me to her house, which was interesting as I had never been there before. Her parents apparently weren't home at the time, so she sat me down in her living room and went to change into her own outfit. I could hardly wait to see what ridiculous thing she…
Okay, I'd just like to preface this by saying that I'm a healthy teenage male, and in spite of her incredible weirdness Haruhi has been ranked as an A class beauty by very reliable sources. It was only natural when she walked in wearing that dark basque-like top with gold patterning which showed off her sides quite nicely through the interwoven lace coupled with the long dress that split all the way up to her upper thigh on both sides, showing stocking-clad legs that looked even more toned than usual thanks to the lovely heels she was wearing… that my eyes would be irresistibly transfixed for a brief moment. And my refusal to uncross my legs or stand for the next couple minutes had nothing to do with it, either.
In any case, we departed for the ball shortly, her in her flattering outfit plus heavy jacket and me in my "princely" costume. We arrived at the ball shortly before eight and presented our tickets, earning entry as well as a few stares from the slightly more normally dressed patrons of the ball. Most of the men were dressed more appropriately in tuxedos while the women were nowhere near as provocatively dressed as Haruhi.
The evening went pretty normally, however, for a fancy dance like this. We had refreshments, danced (rather awkwardly considering my lack of coordination), and chatted pleasantly about… well… fairly normal things. We stayed for over three hours, and while it was fairly dull compared to the insanity in which Haruhi usually got me involved, I have to admit that spending that time with her was enjoyable. She was unusually pleasant and, while Asahina was most certainly the eternal idol of my heart, I have to say that, in terms of overall cuteness, Haruhi was putting up a good fight.
It was approaching midnight when we arrived back at her home. I had been forced to escort her there, but I wasn't going to complain too much about it. She turned to face me at the door, her eyes shining in the moonlight.
"I had a real good time, tonight, Kyon," she said. "At first I didn't like the thought of going to a ball. It sounded boring."
Then why ask me to go at all?
"But…" she looked down demurely. It was so out of character for her that I nearly fainted. "I guess as long as it's with you… even ordinary can be… well… extraordinary."
I was about to call her on the sappiness of that speech when she suddenly cut me off mid-snark. With her lips. I've kissed Haruhi Suzumiya before, I won't deny it. However, at the time there was an imminent Armageddon upon us and I had been told… well, it had been implied that it was the proper thing to do at that moment. Besides that, even if it had been enjoyable, I only remembered the first few seconds of it before I woke up on my bedroom floor with a rather unpleasant headache. However, only now can I confirm that Miss Suzumiya is as skilled in this art as she is in most of her other activities.
Her lips release mine with surprisingly little mess given how vigorously she had been working. She was a little out of breath and had the most adorable shy expression plastered on her face. "Right at midnight… it makes me feel a little like Cinderella…"
Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and now Cinderella. Was I one of the Brothers Grimm incarnate or just Walt Disney?
"I'm… I'm tempted to invite you in, Kyon."
I'm sure I've said this before, but I'm a normal adolescent male, and comments like that are fair bait for normal adolescent fantasies. I did my best to ignore them, as I'm sure that with Haruhi being the one doing the inviting, I would probably end up doing some tedious chore like fixing her heater.
"On the other hand, I really shouldn't do anything that might keep me from studying for that test on Monday. I was so busy recently that I haven't really looked at my notes."
Oh. I remember that, now. Come to think of it, I should probably be doing the same thing. I wasn't even really paying attention in class. With that, I left Haruhi at her door, still somewhat dazed by her sudden display. I wondered idly what had brought that on. Maybe it was the same urge that drove her to molest poor Miss Asahina nearly every day. In fact, this whole scenario seemed like it was lifted from some romance manga. It's likely she's just acting it out for laughs.
I got to my house awhile after totally exhausted. I had told my parents not to wait up for me, so I thankfully didn't have to bother with some insipid debriefing before going to bed. I climbed right in, only managing to strip off my shirt and unbutton my pants before hitting the pillow and drifting off into dreamland.


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Reset My Password
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This weekend Audi Sport's three R18 TDI squads head to Spa for the 1000KM ILMC / LMS round there. Not only will this be the first race running of the new R18 TDI, but with the Le Mans test now over this will also mark the last time Audi meets up with its chief rivals Peugeot and Aston Martin before the big race
Allan McNish has made a post to his personal blog highlighting his anticipation for this weekend's race debut of the Audi R18 TDI in the 1,000km of Spa. Turns out Spa is one of his all-time favorite tracks and Allan highlights this in the post. Also, he pairs the piece with a quick podcast.
Read and listen after the
Audi Sport has released a massive amount of photography today, mainly what we expect will be included in the team's media kit at the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans. We've added more shots to our Paul Ricard Test section of our 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans gallery along with new sections that include Driver Teams, R18 Livery Designs (Spotter Guide Art) and R18 Details.
You may have caught the mention of Michele Alboreto this past weekend, with a logo of his helmet taking an honorary position on the inner rear wing of the Audi R18s that tested on Easter Sunday in Le Mans. Perhaps you saw Tom Kristensen post about this on Facebook. A long time ago Alboreto was a star on the
Audi has dropped a collection of photos from a recent test at Paul Riccard of the R18 testing with what appears to be full livery paint schemes. Interestingly, there's more than just the different access colors if these are the final paint schemes as cars like the #3 above seem to have more silver and less exposed carbon than cars like the #1 shown below.
The Audi R18 TDI Will Travel a Greater Distance During the 24 Hours of Le Mans than an F1 Car Will Travel over Entire Formula 1 Season
Statement by Allan McNish relayed to us during an interview at the 2011 12
This past weekend the 2011 DTM series was officially kicked off with the traditional demonstration and celebration in downtown Wiesbaden. Each year the series closes off the streets of its home town and invites tens of thousands of fans to take part.
The event includes a little bit of everything, from a concert (Natasha Beddingfield played this year) to demonstration
The Le Mans Series has released its promotional poster for the 1000 KM of Spa, a race that's both part of that European endurance series and also the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC). The race, planned for May 7, will be the first outing for Audi's evil-looking new R18 racer.
Still in its testing black with exposed carbon fiber (and also the preferred look by some on the Audi team), we've confirmed a livery for
We've added a collection of photos to our gallery of the Audi Sport DTM squad testing at the Lausitzring. These are among some of the first shots we've seen of the 2011-spec cars out on track. Check them all out after the jump.
Full Story
Several days ago Audi Sport released information and a limited collection of photos detailing the race liveries (i.e. paint schemes) of their factory-backed cars for the 2011 season. At the time this included just three of the team but now we've got diagrams and photos of each added to our galleries. We're including the diagrams below because they're cool but still photos


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BMW 5-Series E60 Sedan was first seen in the Unites States in the fall of 2003 with a 2004 Model Year designation. The E61 wagon followed shortly there after. The E60/E61 5 series is now available as a 528i, 528xi, 535i, 535xi, 550i and a 535xi sports wagon! -- View the E60 Wiki
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Battery Replacement in BMW E60 5 series DIY
It used to be that when your battery got old or failed youd go to the store, get a similar cranking power, and pop it in. Fast and cheap. Today, with a modern BMW that has an iDrive knob that controls and monitors lots of electronics, and a computer module that adjusts the alternator current to match the battery type and use characteristics, you need to take much more care in changing your battery. My 2004 530i with 55k miles was over 8 years old with the original BMW battery. So, I decided to replace it before it fails even though it never gave me a problem, yet. Ive posted a few pics on the batteries and jumping the car, and you can zoom in for specific details.
The best way to do this, if you dont have a battery programming tool, is to take it to the dealer for the replacement. From various posts, the cost averages about $500, which is $250 for the OEM BMW battery and $250 for the installation and programming. Some say the programming alone can be as low as $100 if you do the rest yourself, but dealers seldom let you leave with a bill of only $100. After researching numerous posts on the web (and there are many, with various opinions), I decided to buy a battery that is an almost exact match to my OEM, and install it myself. Ive read that if you match the same battery type and size, battery programming may not be a big issue. I doubt anyone knows how much of an affect variations in battery age or use have on the need for programming. I suspect its not a big reason for programming. Ive read (unconfirmed) that the computer module has a learning function that adjusts to the use of the new battery over time.
A few people suggested you should keep a continuous charge in the system as you replace the battery so it doesnt lose data or trigger error codes in iDrive. So, I jumped my BMW with another battery while I was replacing the old battery, so my car would not lose power or any settings. My BMW manual says jumping the car is ok (see pics). It worked perfectly and was easy to do. You jump the battery system with jumper cables from under the hood, whereas you change the old battery in the trunk. Ive read you can buy a settings keeper battery device that plugs into the lighter, but I didnt pursue that route and cant verify if it works.
Batteries are rated by whether they are AGM (electrolyte is suspended in Absorbed Glass Mats) or standard Flooded Lead-Acid (FLA, but you wont see that term on the label), ranking Amps (CA, at 32 degrees F), Cold Cranking Amps (CCA, at 0 degrees F), Reserve Capacity (RC), and Amp Hours (Ah). Most batteries dont show Ah, but my OEM did. My BMW OEM is no longer made. It was a Banner (Austria), 900 CCA, 900 CA, 160 RC and 90 Ah, AGM type, that lasted 8 years and was still ticking. After research, I went to Autozone and for $155 bought a Duralast H8-AGM, which is an exact size AGM replacement with 850 CCA and 975 CA, RA 170. Popping it in my car was no problem, but first I hooked up the jumper cables under the front hood to keep the power on. Its a little heavy and awkward to move in and out, but it fits exactly. It also hooks perfectly to my OEM vent hose, with a hole on the left, but since there is also a hole on the right on the Duralast I covered that side with tape. Tools: 10mm and 13mm sockets, with a small extension, and about 30 minutes if you dont stop to take pictures.
There are so many good posts out there on: the exact sizes of BMW OEM batteries; the operating difference between AGM and standard FLA batteries; the way to turn off an active steering error (if you have active steering, which I do, but didnt keep your system powered), and other useful posts. I dont know if someone has described a detailed E60 battery install with all pictures (its not very difficult), but you can see a similar install for a 1998 528i E39 at this link and its almost the same as for the E60, except my recommendation for the battery jump on an E60. http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1162887
The E39 doesnt have iDrive, and I believe it doesnt have the complex alternator charge management system that the E60 does. Incidentally, if your E60 does not have an AGM battery, Autozone sells a standard FLA battery that is the same power and size as the H8-AMG, part number Duralast 49-DL. Its only $105, and most E39s use it as a replacement with a little wiggling in required for the E39, although it is not recommended by Autozone since it isnt an exact fit. For the E60, its about ½ inch less tall, but the same length and width as the H8-AGM that fits perfectly. For an FLA, I think it would fit fine in the E60. If you switch from AGM to FLA you'd need to program for the new battery type.
The Results: When I started my car with the new H8-AGM battery it was perfect. No errors, no data lost, everything just as before. It runs great and I hope to have another 5 years or more on my new AGM battery. Total cost, about $160 plus a $12 refundable battery core charge. If you change from AGM to standard FLA, or get a dramatically different capacity, you probably must get it programmed at the dealer, or an Indy who has the programming tool. By getting the same type and size battery, and leaving the power on, I got no errors or problems and I think I wont need to program the battery.
If someone can post a collection of useful links on this subject that would be GREAT for folks trying to understand this, without making it their job. Also, it would be nice if someone posts how to buy and use a programming tool for DIY BMW battery programming. As always, comments are encouraged.
2004 530i: silver, 6 spd manual, sports pkg, premium pkg, cold pkg, Logic 7 prem sound, xenon adaptive, Dakota
Great write up but no need to "jump" the car while changing the battery, just leave the car running and the alternator keeps all the electronics going like it does whenever the car is running... Changed my battery on my 08 550 like that with no error codes but had it reprogramed at the dealer to recognized the new battery...
Sent from my PC36100 using Bimmer
I've read if you run an alternator without a battery attached it can fry the alternator. An expensive repair for a BMW. I know that's the case with an boat outboard that's running, when you're switching from one battery to the other on a dual battery system. There must always be contact with at least one battery.
2004 530i: silver, 6 spd manual, sports pkg, premium pkg, cold pkg, Logic 7 prem sound, xenon adaptive, Dakota
Years ago when cars didn't have sensitive electronics it was sort of ok to disconnect or connect the battery while the car was running. Nowadays you are playing Russian roulette if you do that due to all the electronics on the car.
Just got back from Autozone with a replaced battery. I decided to go with the Duralst Gold 95R-DLG instead of the Duralast 49-DL even though it was $60 more. Basically, I was worried about the smaller battery not staying stationary enough, the vent tube would not reach, and it had a 1 yr less replacement warranty (only 2 + 5 additional prorated).
The 95R-DLG is the exact size of the OEM, the case was shaped exactly the same, and heck, it even had a "made in Germany" sticker on it. Also, it comes with a full 3 year replacement with an additional 5 year prorated. Hopefully, this will be the last battery that I ever pay for to go into this car.
After putting it in, the car started like never before and even all of my idrive settings were maintained except for the time.
Thanks for everyone's help and advice to this new BMW owner!
MrTantrum with the 08 535i.
Yes, I think you're right that a standard FLA Duralast 49-DL, that fits fine in a E39 (5 series 1997-2003) would not be a good choice for the E60. I took a look and the vent tube from the center back side of a 49-DL may not reach all the way to the tube connection location on the E60, which is on the left front(ish) side. Autozone does recommend the 95R-DLG for the E60, among a few others, if you're not replacing an AGM. Incidentally, our battery for the E60 is group 49, AKA DIN H8. Both the 49-DL and the 95R-DLG are in that that category. There is also a H8-DLG which fits which is not AGM, but it only has 760 CCA and 100 RC. This is less capacity than my E60 which with the OEM battery was 900 CCA and 160 RC. Bottom line, 49-DL is fine for the E39 but not for the E60, mostly because of the vent location. Again, since I need an AGM replacement battery, I chose a Duralast H8-AGM that exactly fit and matched my OEM specifications.
Congrats on your successful install! Did you keep the power on when you made the change, or not?
2004 530i: silver, 6 spd manual, sports pkg, premium pkg, cold pkg, Logic 7 prem sound, xenon adaptive, Dakota
I then used INPA to reset the IBS charge system. It is ridiculous that BMW doesn't offer the battery reset option in iDrive, it is just pure greed. I am convinced that it needs to be done, however.
Last edited by txag_530i; 02-06-2012 at 10:10 AM.
"I then used INPA to reset the IBS charge system."
So, as you can see it's pretty easy to change the battery. Not trivial since it's heavy and needs to slip into the well in the trunk, but not so bad. Do you have more details on how you reset the charge system? Is that the full programming, or part of it?
2004 530i: silver, 6 spd manual, sports pkg, premium pkg, cold pkg, Logic 7 prem sound, xenon adaptive, Dakota
awesome write-up! The battery change looks pretty straight forward. After thinking on it for a few days I decided to call my indy to see how much a new battery and program would be vs me doing the install. My indy charged me 200.00 for a new battery, install and program. I really wanted the peace of mind on the program of the new battery.
Congrats, you can't beat a price like that. The dealer's OEM battery alone is $250.
2004 530i: silver, 6 spd manual, sports pkg, premium pkg, cold pkg, Logic 7 prem sound, xenon adaptive, Dakota
Great write up guys ... Sooner or later, I will have to use it .
Two quick questions...
1. One of the threads mentioned that the guy had iDrive failure (kind of partial), a couple of months after the battery change... He associated it with the battery change... Please let us know if you run into any issue few months after the change.
2. "I then used INPA to reset the IBS charge system"... I am getting into programming, and hopefully will be able to do that going forward.. however, was that necessary (I have the active steering though).
Thanks again
I did the original DIY writeup. No problems at all in the several months since I changed the battery in my E60. Everything in my iDrive works fine, including active steering, and there are no faults. I did not get my car reprogrammed, but replaced with the same type of AGM battery, before the old one died on me. I suspect the car relearns the characteristics of the battery over time, which isn't such a big change when you're replacing the same type. If you go from AGM to FLA, or vice versa, you'd need to reprogram since it has different charging characteristics.
2004 530i: silver, 6 spd manual, sports pkg, premium pkg, cold pkg, Logic 7 prem sound, xenon adaptive, Dakota
I can only speak for LCI (E60 2008 and up), no need to hook up to batt charger or running the engine while swapping the batt. Trust me you won't loose any setting on seats/radio etc. I've done it twice, once to put in the AGM then freaked out when the charging voltage rather close to absolute max for AGM so I switched the the OEM back then drove it to indy shop to get reprogramed, then swiched the AGM aftermarket batt in. so far 2-3 months no problem.
I just cringe when someone suggesting working with live wire (the pos+ batt cable is alive when charger running or engine running), you touch that pos+ to any chasis part, you short the charger/alternator you may ends up creating a bigger problem like busting the computer or any delicate electronics along the path of that cable.
2008 535i Monaco Blue
PP, SP, SAT w/paddles, ARS, CA, L7,
NAV, PDC, Heated F Seats, SIRIUS,
iPod+Aux, Bamboo Anthracite Trim,
Gray Dakota Leather
Definately agree, it makes no sense to keep wires live while replacing a battery. First you should remove the ground from your battery then there is no fear when removing the positive. If you remove the positive first then there is the risk of shorting the car with your wrench. First remove the ground. When attaching the new battery make sure you attach the positive first then the ground.
Also I went with the 95R from autozone as well because it has the same EXACT form factor as the original, even the vent was in the correct location. Interestingly the battery I purchased from Autozone was stamped ("Made in Germany).
The AGM may be better but hey, the original lasted 5 years, I have no complaints.
If you change the battery to a different type or amp rating then you definitely need to register the battery.
Thanks again.
If type and/or capacity (measured in AH) of the new battery is different, coding software is needed to change the VO (vehicle order) and the CAS control unit plus registration. In other words, three separate steps are required. You would need NCSEXPERT for coding and INPA for registering. If type and capacity is exactly the same, just registering is enough.
INPA is diagnostics software and forgiving, but coding is a whole 'nother story and done wrong can brick expensive control units.
2008 535i Monaco Blue
PP, SP, SAT w/paddles, ARS, CA, L7,
NAV, PDC, Heated F Seats, SIRIUS,
iPod+Aux, Bamboo Anthracite Trim,
Gray Dakota Leather
E60 Battery Change
Great Post.....
2007 530xi, 2008 535xi, 2007 335i, 2011 Z4 35is, 2012 X5 35i
Rear Seat Heat Retrofit, Passport 9500ci, HD Radio Retrofit
Sport Automatic Retrofit , Active Backrest Retrofit, Fire Extinguisher
Battery Replacement, E60
Good idea about the weekend!
I am a disabled Engineer, but still do my own work (at least to the extent that I am able) and the forum has always been of great benefit to me. Hate Firmware Upgrades! In Engineering, we used to have a saying: "The system is the slave, not the master".......but BMW seems to take great joy in their attempts to defeat us. What a shame........it just shouldn't be so difficult.
Start reading up and join a BMW coding forum, if you havn't already.
2008 535i Monaco Blue
PP, SP, SAT w/paddles, ARS, CA, L7,
NAV, PDC, Heated F Seats, SIRIUS,
iPod+Aux, Bamboo Anthracite Trim,
Gray Dakota Leather
I am on bmwcoding, and bmwcoders
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How 'Findable' Are Your Photos?
With billions of photographs being taken every year, the ease of searching and finding photos lacking meta data is becoming a big issue.
Another nice find from @thatrobguy – 1000memories.com does a great job of estimating how many photos have ever been taken, both analog and digital. Their analog estimation is astonishing with 85 billion photos being taken in the year 2000. As we shift in to the digital age, the initial uptake was slow but it's not estimated that 2.5 billion people in the world today have a digital camera and assuming every person snaps 150 photos per year that equates to 375 billion photos per year. Put another way, every 2 minutes today we snap as many photos as the whole of humanity took in the 1800s. Mind boggling.
The post continues by exploring where these photos get stored, with an estimated 70 billion heading towards Facebook this year – adding to the current 140 billion photos they have. It's going to make Facebook's recently introduced timeline feature all the more visually compelling.
As the 1000memories post mentions, the potential for all of these photos, when brought together, is amazing. Technology like Photosynth can create some remarkable moments that would have been almost impossible with analog photography – "The Moment stands as a great example.
The post finishes by imploring us to cherish the "lost photos" in shoe boxes and there is something quite magical about finding a creased, old, black and white photograph and enjoying that sensory experience.
To read further, click here.
Originally published on the Next at Microsoft blog, republished with kind permission.


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Mailbox mortar round mystery solved
A local man has admitted to police he dropped a WWII mortar round into a village mailbox last week, apparently as a drunken prank.
A resident discovered the explosive last Thursday afternoon while fetching newspapers from a mailbox in the village of Sundby in central Ostrobothnia.
Detained by police on Friday, a local middle-aged man confessed that he placed the mortar round in the box.
The perpetrator was unable to explain his motive, but heavy drinking is suspected to have played a part in the incident. He had acquired the mortar round from a close relative who had brought it home as a souvenir during WWII.
If the device had exploded, it could have caused serious injuries or possibly deaths.


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I work for an auto Insurance company and the company reduced my commision and then told all the agents that it would return to normal in a few months ..that never happened ..there is only a employe hand book that actually says the percentage of my commission but no contract...is this legal????
Employers have the right to unilaterally specify the amount of compensation, whether in the form of commission, hourly wages, or salary. The employer has the same rights to modify compensation unless constrained by a contract or union agreement (and consistent with the federally mandated minimum wage). That is true even where there is a handbook, unless the handbook constitutes a contract (which is very rarely the case) especially on compensation issues. The employer can revise and re-issue the handbook at will. Reductions in compensation must be prospective, not retroactive, and that sometimes raises issues for commissioned employees, but that does not seem to be the case in your matter. Your facts suggest that the company has been pressed financially and that it chose to reduce compensation rather than the work-force. That choice is the employer's to make unless there is a contrary collective bargaining agreement with a union.
My responses to questions on Avvo are never intended as legal advice and must not be relied upon as legal advice. I give legal advice only in the course of an attorney-client relationship. Exchange of information through Avvo's Questions forum does not establish an attorney-client relationship with me. That relationship is established only by individual consultation and execution of a written agreement for legal services.Ask a similar question
Good analysis by Ms. McCall. So, you will want to look at the prosepective and retroactive aspects of when the "right" to the commission was vested. You may still be owed money under the "old" commission schedule. You will want to prepare a chronology (history) with the relevant dates and facts and then have an attorney review the matter to give you a course of action that you can take without making your employer adversely react...which would not be a good thing.
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Both of the prior answers are accurate and informative. My only concern with these answers is they seem to not respond to the promise that commissions would "return to normal in several months." That promise needs to be fleshed out more here as I would guess folks have relied upon it and done so to their detriment. Was the promise in writing and/or any more specific than noted above?Ask a similar question
Generally, promises made in an employee handbook are enforceable. Howeever, I wold want to know more about the circumstances and the company's reasons for cutting the income.Ask a similar question
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SPI Timing Belt Change How to
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SPI Timing Belt Change How to
Recently changed my timing belt so I thought I would try writing a little how to.
1. You may need to raise your car some to get a little better access, but it's not a requirement unless your car is really low.
2. Under the car you will need to remove the belt shield. It is held by 2 bolts. Sorry no pictures but very easy to find and remove.
3. I found it helpful to also remove the wheel well skirt on the passenger side of the car as well. Simply remove the plastic screws on the skirt and pull out the locks. There may also be one torques screw.
4. You will need to remove your water tank.
5. Use a jack and a block of wood to hold your engine under the oil pan. This will keep it from falling and putting undue stress on the other mounts.
6. Next you are going to have to remove the passenger side engine mount.
7. Once this is out you will have more room to remove the accessory belt.
8. Once this is out you will also need to remove the timing belt covers. There is the metal one on top that has 4 bolt and a plastic lower one, that is hard to get to. The plastic one has 3 or 4 small bolt.
9. Once these are out you will need to remove your harmonic balancer (the pulley on the crank shaft). This one is hard to get out. There are a few not to safe ways to get it out that I wont mention here. Be safe.
10. Now that this is off, you will want to line up the timing marks before you remove the belt. Look for the mark on the crank and one on the cam pulley. You will want to line these up so that they are pointing up. To turn them, do so by turning the crank clock wise only. It would be easier if the spark plugs are pulled, and make sure you put the car in neutral if you have a MTX.
11. Once your lines are lined up, remove your timing belt. You will need a 8mm allien wrench to pull back the timing belt tensioner.
12. Check your tensioner for wear, I needed to replace mine.
13. Double check your timing marks, and install the new belt, by starting at the crank and going counter clockwise.
14. After you have it in double check your timing marks again.
15. There good, triple check it by turning you crank clockwise 2 turns and the marks should be in line still. If not U will need to remove the belt and try again.
16. Put it all back together. Make sure you put the accessory belt on before you reinstall the engine mount, as this is a lot easier.
Warning, this all sound very easy, but can be very difficult if you are not experienced. This can also be dangerous, as you will be working with tools and heavy parts. I take no responsibility for any out come good or bad if you try this. This is meant for informational purposes only. I recommend that you have someone to help you, preferably someone experienced. Sorry there are not more picture, but my hands were dirty and I was trying to finish. Project took about 4 hours, including a run to the parts store to get new tentioner.
Hope this helps.
Also if there is anything missing or if you have any suggestions please post it.
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Promises Heroin Addiction Treatment
Heroin Rehab and Detox Considerations
Heroin addiction is typically devastating for the user and his/her loved ones. Often times, the heroin addict is compelled to enter treatment because of criminal proceedings. As heroin has severe withdrawals (psychological cravings, sense of poor well-being, extreme cramps, nausea, diarrhea, muscle pain/spasms and insomnia, it is vital that individuals have proper drug detox prior to treatment.
At Promises, we focus on ensuring clients have a comfortable detox in a safe, compassionate place. The first few days at a heroin rehab center are critical because if the client becomes too anxious, they will panic and leave treatment. Once the initial detoxification is completed, the client can begin to focus on the deeper issues. Throughout your time at Promises you will have regular access to psychiatrists, therapists, massage therapists, acupuncturists, nutritionists, and other practitioners who will guide your care and treatment.
Heroin is a synthetic opiate derived from morphine and is illegal to manufacture, distribute or possess. Originally intended as a less addictive replacement to morphine, it is nearly four times as addictive. Heroin is also a very powerful narcotic and thus habit forming. Heroin can be swallowed or sniffed in powder form, injected intravenously or heated and inhaled ("chasing the dragon"). Heroin is known on the street as:
- Smack
- Junk
- Horse
- China white
- Chiva
- Tar
- Black
- Fix
- Speed-balling
- Dope
- Brown
- Negra
- Nod
- White horse
- Stuff
Effects of Heroin on the Human Body
Heroin is a synthetic opiate and binds to receptors in the central nervous system that typically bind with the body's own physiological opioids such as endorphins and enkephalins. Heroin (and similar opioids) is frequently abused because it creates enormous feelings of comfort and euphoria.
Long-Term Effects of Heroin Use
As an individual continues to use heroin, the body very quickly develops a tolerance to its effects and increasing amounts of heroin must be taken to produce the same effects. Frequent users can tolerate dosing that would kill uninitiated users. Most long-term problems with heroin use arise from the chosen delivery mechanism of the heroin addict: abscesses, inflammation of the heart and veins, blood poisoning, viral infections such as HIV and hepatitis, and brain damage in a limited number of cases.


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How does my veterans' organization obtain obsolete Army equipment?
How can I obtain copies of my, or my relative's, U.S. Army personnel records?
Where can I find a history of a particular Army unit?
How do I find information about what my relative did in the Army? (Trace their route of march, find out where they served, etc.)
Where can I find official unit records?
Where can I find official Army photographs and motion pictures?
I understand that my unit received a decoration after I left it, how can I verify that information?
Where can I find information about medals or awards given to a family member? How do I get replacement medals or awards for myself or a family member?
Where can I find information on the Cold War Certificate?
Where can I find information on unit patches and insignia?
I have a relative that was killed during the war and is buried overseas, where can I find information about the cemetery and burial site?
How can I locate a U.S. Army veteran?
Where can I find historical information on the other Armed Services?
Naval Historical Center at