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Unlike fake-but-accurate Native American Iron Eyes Cody, I can't even muster up a single tear. I will note the attempted murderer died after having various parts of his anatomy slammed against the concrete much as Miami-based thug Trayvon Martin attempted against George Zimmerman, before Zimmerman permanently ended Martin's criminal career.Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for the 'Crime' Category
NY thug tried to murder rival gang members, missed with every shot, got stomped to death for his trouble.
Oakland violence a great reminder of why you need a Neighborhood Protection Plan
The more I look at the declining state of the nation, the more the cautionary ideas espoused in A Failure of Civility make sense. Far from the "head for the hills" mentality of some survivalists, Garand and Lawson push for sheltering in place as a community, establishing what they call "Neighborhood Protection Plans" (NPP) to […]Read the rest of this entry »
Metropolitan area shut down because of the threat posed by one man
That is, if you define "metropolitan area" as "633 people in a cow-town in upstate New York." It appears that a guy took his mother and father-in-law hostage in Bovina, NY, before eventually letting them go. The suspect refused to come out of the home, causing them to roll everyone shy of the National Guard, […]Read the rest of this entry »
NYC's Stop and Frisk deemed unconstitutional
There's no doubt that the policy was used to target minorities, and little doubt that it was an abuse of power, even though it seemed to be somewhat effective. Frankly, I'm surprised it took this long to strike "stop and frisk" down: A U.S. District Court judge has ruled that New York's controversial practice of […]Read the rest of this entry »
PA woman leaves suspected felon a little tired.
At first I thought it was crazy that a woman ran over a man with her car for merely walking down the street with a gun, but as if often the case, the devil is in the details: The driver reportedly saw White walking down Main Street in Aliquippa carrying the pellet gun around 9 […]Read the rest of this entry »


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The 6-foot-1, 200-pound linebacker from Jacksonville (Fla.) First Coast took an official visit to Central Florida earlier in the month. He also contemplated official trips to Ole Miss and Ohio State - which now employs former UNC interim head coach Everett Withers.
Jackson made the final decision during an in-home visit with UNC assistant coach Dan Disch and Larry Fedora last week
"Once you get around and see all these schools, officially and unofficially, you kind of see where you belong," Jackson said. "Going to North Carolina and having the awesome official visit that I had definitely helped out. And then I felt so comfortable with the Southern Miss coaching staff that is coming in. Plus, they're bringing in a new style of defense that really plays to my ability. I felt it was the best place for me."
Although the pitches from Ohio State and UCF were tempting, Jackson was always leaning towards sticking with UNC.
"Once I got to see Coach Disch, once I got to see Coach Fedora, and they sat down and talked to me, I knew right then at that moment that this was probably the place," Jackson said. "I just thought, 'Hey, I'm sticking with them.'"
During the in-home visit, Fedora made his pitch.
"He was just trying to make me feel comfortable," Jackson said. "He was just telling me the things that were going to change from Coach Butch Davis to Coach Withers to his coaching. It was all positives. It was all things that I think I'm going to love."
Among the changes Fedora plans to make is with the defensive scheme UNC will now employ – the 4-2-5. Because of that, UNC is now projecting Jackson to play the "spur" position (hybrid safety/linebacker). Jackson played a similar position for First Coast.
"Actually, the way I see it, I'm not a true linebacker – I'm not a 240-, 235-pound guy," Jackson said. "I'm a 215-, 220-[pound] type guy – a safety. I'm really a safety that can play linebacker. I'm not a true in the box [all the time] linebacker – I'm a nickel back. I'm too versatile to play just one role."
The next order of business for Jackson as Signing Day approaches is to help UNC recruit his teammate Reggie Northrup.
"Most definitely [UNC] is making a lot of progress with him," Jackson said. "He's actually torn between a couple of schools right now. But I know in his top two is definitely North Carolina."
Jackson is not only recruiting Northrup, but is also trying to be supportive.
"I'm going to of course want him to come with me, but at the same time I want him to make the best decision for him," Jackson said. "If the best decision for him is to go to another school, that's what he needs to do. We're best friends, so if there's a better fit, that's where I want him to be."

subset: commoncrawl


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Issue: May 25, 2002
Stump grinder mulch ok to useQuestion:
Recently we had a large mulberry tree cut down in our yard. The person who removed the stump suggested putting the mulch or shavings produced by grinding the stump into the garden and tilling it into the soil. Can you tell me if this is a good idea, or are there any drawbacks to adding the shavings to the garden soil? Thanks for your time. Travis R.Answer:
Adding the chips (shavings) to the landscape can be a good thing. There are some facts to keep in mind. A mulch is a material placed over the surface of the soil for a number of beneficial reasons. As a mulch, the wood chips will stabilize soil temperatures (warmer in winter, cooler in summer), reduce evaporation and conserve soil moisture, reduce germination of some weed seeds, and make removal of weeds easier. Wood chip mulch can be attractive when used properly in the landscape. The chips may blow away if they are too light and wash away in the rain if on a slope. Mulch is one element of a xeriscape and a component of any good garden.
If you work the wood chips into the soil, they will be used as a soil amendment instead of a mulch. There are different considerations when using the wood chips in this manner. They can be beneficial by creating increased pore space. In a compacted soil, they allow necessary air and water to more easily penetrate a compacted soil. The wood chips will decompose releasing nutrients into the soil. The decomposition will occur more rapidly if the chips are worked into the soil, but it occurs even if the chips remain on the surface as a mulch.
The decomposition process adds some additional considerations into the gardening equation. In order to decompose, the wood chips will be food for beneficial composting fungi and bacteria. The fungi and bacteria need the food materials provided by the wood chips and nitrogen to accomplish the composting process. Wood chips are low in nitrogen, so the fungi and bacteria will take the nitrogen from the soil. Large chunks of wood will decompose slowly. Smaller wood particles with a larger surface area-to-volume ratio will decompose more rapidly. This will cause nitrogen deficiency problems in the soil. If you are using fine shavings or sawdust as mulch or as a soil amendment, you should add additional nitrogen in the form of chemical fertilizer or manure to the soil to provide the needed nitrogen.
Using the wood chips in the landscape is an excellent idea, but it must be done properly. Keep in mind the considerations stated above so that you will do it properly.back to top
Also, please join us on Southwest Yard & Garden, a weekly program made for gardeners in the Southwest. It airs on KRWG in Las Cruces Saturdays at 11:30 a.m., repeating Thursdays at 1:00 p.m.; on KENW in Portales on Saturdays at 10:00 a.m.; and on KNME in Albuquerque on Saturdays at 9:30 a.m.
Send your gardening questions to Yard and Garden, ATTN: Dr. Curtis Smith NMSU Cooperative Extension Service 9301 Indian School Road, NE, Suite 112 Albuquerque, NM 87112
Curtis W. Smith, Ph.D., is an Extension Horticulture Specialist with New Mexico State University's Cooperative Extension Service. New Mexico State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educator.
Please join us on Southwest Yard & Garden, a weekly garden program made for gardeners in the Southwest on: KNME-TV Albuquerque at 9:30 p.m. Saturdays, KENW-TV Portales at 10 a.m. Saturdays, and KRWG-TV Las Cruces at 11:30 a.m. Saturdays (repeated at 1 p.m. Thursdays.)


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In the U.S., an allergy to tree nuts affects about 0.5% of the population. There are many tree nuts including the most common: macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, cashews, almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, chestnuts, hazelnuts (filberts), and pine nuts (pignoli or pinon). Less common tree nuts are beechnut, butternut, chinquapin, gingko, hickory nuts, lychee nuts, pili nuts and shea nuts. Tree nuts frequently cause strong allergic reactions and may cause anaphylaxis.

The majority of individuals with a tree nut allergy will have it for their lifetime. However, recent research indicates about 9% of children with tree nut allergy will outgrow it. For this reason, it is recommended that children be reevaluated periodically by a board certified allergist. Children who are allergic to multiple types of tree nuts (more than one or two) are less likely to outgrow their allergy.

Allergy to More than One Tree Nut

People can be allergic to one, or some tree nuts, and not others. Some tree nuts contain similar proteins, such as almonds and hazelnuts, walnuts and pecans, or pistachios and cashews. Because of the protein similarities, it is common for an individual to have an allergy to both nuts. For instance, if you are allergic to cashew, you have a greater risk of being allergic to pistachios also.

However, most people with tree nut allergy are not allergic to all tree nuts. The decision to avoid all tree nuts when there is an allergy to one or more tree nuts is a personal one. In food production, the risk of cross-contact with multiple tree nuts is higher, which has led many health professionals to recommend avoidance of all tree nuts.

Allergy to Both Tree Nuts and Peanuts

Peanuts are legumes and are biologically unrelated to tree nuts. Allergy to tree nut and peanut are two unique allergies. While people allergic to tree nuts are not necessarily allergic to peanuts, one can be allergic to both. Tree nuts and peanuts are often found together in processed foods and nut mixtures. If you are diagnosed with a tree nut allergy, your allergist will advise you whether to avoid peanuts as well.

Symptoms Associated with Tree Nut Allergy

Symptoms associated with a tree nut allergy are:

tingling of the lips

itching of the mouth, ears and eyes

oral allergy syndrome

contact dermatitis

throat tightening

urticaria (hives)

angioedema

conjunctivitis

asthma (in asthmatics)

abdominal pain

diarrhea

vomiting

anaphylaxis

People with tree nut allergy should carry a source of epinephrine at all times, in the event of anaphylaxis.

Is Coconut a Tree Nut?

Many people consider coconut a fruit. When the FDA mandated that coconut be considered a tree nut for labeling purposes, it caused more confusion. Coconut allergy is uncommon. A 2009 study of 37 children allergic to tree nuts and peanuts were evaluated for incidence of coconut allergy and found to be at no higher risk of allergy to coconut. Many tree nut allergic individuals can tolerate coconut in milk and yogurt form. Talk to your allergist about including coconut if it is not currently part of your daily diet.

Foods With Tree Nuts:

Labeling laws require tree nut ingredients to be identified. Remember to always read your food packaging and ingredient labels. Ingredients can change, as well as manufacturing procedures.

Food that always or almost always contains tree nuts include:

Nutella

marzipan (almond paste)

pesto (unless specially prepared without pine nuts)

baklava

pralines

nut liqueurs (Frangelico, Amaretto, and Nocello)

nougat

turrón

gianduja (a creamy mixture of chocolate and chopped almonds and hazelnuts; other nuts can be used)

Foods that may contain tree nuts include:

macaroons

granola bars

trail mix

cereal

fudge

caponata

ice cream

divinity

candy bars

baked goods

crackers

cookies

energy bars

flavored coffee

frozen desserts

marinades

barbeque sauces

mortadella (lunchmeat)

nougat

nut meal

natural extracts: almond and wintergreen (filbert/hazelnut allergy)

As with many common allergens, tree nuts are sometimes found in unlikely foods, so be sure to read labels on all packaged foods before buying or eating them.

Labeling Laws Affecting Tree Nut Allergy:

Tree nuts are one of the most common food allergies, and as such, the FDA requires manufacturers selling foods in America to label foods containing tree nuts. The Food Allergy Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) requires that manufacturers label which tree nut is in a given product.

Manufacturers are not required to mention the presence of tree nuts on manufacturing lines. Many do, however, due to consumer pressure. Because of the possibility of anaphylaxis, people with tree nut allergies should avoid products that mention the possibility of tree nut cross-contamination on labels.

Eating Out with Tree Nut Allergies:

While tree nuts are not as prevalent as some other allergens, the risk of anaphylaxis makes them dangerous to consume outside of the home. The chance of cross-contact and other dangers exist when dining out, so call the restaurant ahead of time and discuss your diet with a manager or the chef.

Some risky cuisine for nut allergies are: Greek: several common dishes use walnuts; Chinese: cashews may be used in the dishes; Mediterranean: almonds are featured in the food; Italian: Pesto, made with pine nuts, is likely to appear on the menu. High-end restaurants may use tree nut oils to make marinades and salad dressings. Japanese and Latin American cuisines are among the safer choices but always err on the side of caution.

The Risk of Anaphylaxis:

Tree nut allergy is among the top four allergens causing the most severe allergic reactions. Allergy to peanut, fish, and shellfish round out the other three. If asthma is a co-existent condition, the risk for severe anaphylaxis is higher. For this reason, it's essential that anyone with a tree nut allergy learn the symptoms of anaphylactic shock and carry injectable epinephrine at all times.

Managing Tree Nut Allergy:

Management of a tree nut allergy depends on strict avoidance of the tree nut (s) that cause your allergic symptoms. For young children, the collaboration of a wide variety of adults including parents, caregivers, school teachers and administrators, and parents of close friends is needed to keep children safe from ingestion and reaction.

There are some places where it may be difficult to avoid tree nuts. These include parties (where bowls of mixed nuts may be served) and bars. For this reason, it is important to teach children how to talk about their food allergy.

Families dealing with tree nut allergies are likely to find at least some systems in place for dealing with allergies in many institutions. Here are some resources you may find useful:

Does Your Child Need a 504 Plan?

Airline Travel with Food Allergies

Traveling with Food Allergies

Grocery Shopping for Food Allergies

Anyone with a tree nut allergy (or caring for a child with a tree nut allergy) should be thoroughly briefed on reading labels, the symptoms of severe food allergies, and treating food allergies.

Sources:

Sicherer, Scott. Food Allergies. A Complete Guide for Eating When Your Life Depends on It. 2013. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Baltimore, MD.

Joneja, Janice Vickerstaff. The Health Professional's Guide to Food Allergies and Intolerances. 2013. Academy of Nutrition and DIetetics.


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Sweet Sisters Growing Up in Japan (17 photos): "
Miu and Kanna are two young sisters growing up in Japan. As their proud father, Nagano Toyokazu doesn't just take candid shots of his daughters, he enjoys making up fictional scenes that stretch their creativity. He come up with ideas, jots down some notes and then asks his daughters to ham it up for the camera.
'In this way, I hope that these pictures will remind my daughters of their fun memories when they grow up,' he says.
Tokokazu loves sharing his family photos online so that others can enjoy them. 'I hope that the photos I take will continue to make people from around the world smile and make them happy.'
If his younger daughter looks familiar, you may have seen her in this post. Nagano is friends with Hideaki Hamada, the man who started the Please Donate For Japan Earthquake Flickr Group.
'Since I live far away from where the earthquake hit, the situation around me is not different after the earthquake than it was before. However, a great number of Japanese people have been suffering in a devastating situation,' he tells us.
'While I was frustrated with myself for not being able to do anything but watch the news, some Japanese Flickr users came up with a proposal. With the idea of wanting to help victims of the disaster, even in a small way, we are appealing together with other Flickr users for donations from people around the world.
'We have already received kind messages from many people. We believe that these messages will reach the victims and give them hope. I can feel the power and appeal of photos, and I am grateful for having connected with people throughout the world through photography.'
Nagano Toyokazu on Flickr"


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Page d'accueil du Codex en français - Télécharger WordPress en français
Les utilisateurs francophones se retrouvent sur le site WordPress-Francophone, notamment sur son forum d'entraide.
So you want a single page with links to all your archived entries, arranged just so to form the main gateway into your blog's past. With the WordPress 1.5 theme system, you can create template files to customize this archive gateway for each theme you use.
Or, maybe you're just wondering how to use the archives.php template file that's included with the WordPress Default Theme.
This article describes both those things. The method outlined here can also be used to make other specialized pages that are integrated with the WordPress theme system: a links page, site index, or anything else your heart desires.
To set up a separate archive index in a way that plays with the Version 1.5 theme system, you'll need to create it as a Page, and assign it a special template.
Start off with a simple template called archives.php, stored in your theme's directory. The WordPress Default Theme includes such a template, and it makes a good starting point.
Technically, the template can be called almost anything (see these two lists for names you should not use; these are special file names WordPress reserves for specific purposes). However, using a standard name for your template will make it easier to change your blog's theme or distribute your theme and template to the WordPress community. It's also possible to display a large archive index using one of the all-purpose templates (like index.php or category.php) and the is_page function, but again, taking advantage of the theme system's modularity makes it easier for others (and for you!) to edit your template later.
For more information on creating templates, see Template Tags, particularly wp_get_archives.
Upload the archives.php in your theme directory (wp-content/themes/themename/). Then from the Admin Panel, Write > Write Page, and choose Add a New Page:
Upload the archives.php in your theme directory (wp-content/themes/themename/). Then from the Admin Panel, Write > Write Page
In the sidebar open the //Page templates// box, and select the //Archives// template. After saving it you will see a new item in your pages list, click on it, and enjoy!
There are a variety of techniques to customize your Archive Index page. Some involve incorporation of plugins or PHP code to create customized lists of archived posts, and others provide more interesting ways of displaying your archives.
You can set your archives up to be displayed by the year, such as:
To list your archives by year instead of by month, use the following code, in which a query to the database is made to collect and sort the posts by year, then display them as links with the get_year_link() template tag:

Archives

 <?php $years = $wpdb->get_col("SELECT DISTINCT YEAR(post_date) FROM $wpdb->posts WHERE post_status = 'publish' AND post_type = 'post' ORDER BY post_date DESC"); foreach($years as $year) : ?>
<a href="<?php echo get_year_link($year); ?> "><?php echo $year; ?>
 <?php endforeach; ?>

For versions of WordPress before 2.1, use this for your $years query:
$years = $wpdb->get_col("SELECT DISTINCT YEAR(post_date) FROM $wpdb->posts WHERE post_status = 'publish' ORDER BY post_date DESC");
If you're using Permalinks, WordPress will generate a new set of rewrite rules for your new Page. You may need to update your .htaccess file by hand, if WordPress is unable to do so automatically. See Using Permalinks for more information.
These automatic rules are based on your Page title or "slug": If your Page is named Archive Index, you'll be able to see it at http://example.net/your-wordpress-dir/archive-index/.
If your archive index Page has a slug that's the same as part of your permalink structure - e.g., your Page is named Archives, and your permalinks are set up as /archives/%post-id%/ or /archives/%year%/%monthnum%/%day%/%postname%/ - WordPress will create conflicting rewrite rules. This can cause your monthly/category archives to be displayed using your archive index template.
There are two ways to avoid this problem:


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Ask an Eye Doctor and Get an Answer ASAP
Hi I'll be happy to help you with your question. Are you still online?
Yes, I am
Cotton wool spots are an area of whitening in the superficial layer of your retina, called the nerve fiber layer. It is caused by a blockage of a very small arteriole (blood vessel) that makes the "juices" of the nerve fiber back up.
good. Let's see if we can get your questions answered....
As a lay person, I have no idea what you just said.
I lost some vision in my right eye in June. I failed the perifial vision test. Today, my vision was stable until she dialted my eyes and found the "cotton wool." She mentioned a "mini stroke -- which has me freaked out.
many things can cause cotton wool spots (CWS). The most common is diabetes, acute (really high) hypertension, and vein occlusion. I guess since your doctor (was it an ophthalmologist) sent you to a retina doc right away that you don't have diabetes
it's not like a stroke in your brain, so don't get scared.....we'll get you the answers you need tonight to understand what's going on.
did she mention anything about checking your neck with ultrasound? Or mention "giant cell arteritis" or vein occlusion?
I do have diabetes. My medical history is this -- in April I had an abdonimal hernia repair. In June I went to Hawaii and back -- both on a airplane. I lost vision in Hawaii but my right leg also swelled up. Everyone thought I had a blood clot. I ended having evey scan known to man -- including a brain scain, the artery in my neck. I had a scope of my heart in July and knee surgery in August.
OK then. Sounds like you have been through a lot lately. In the setting of diabetes I wouldn't get all concerned about a CWS all by itself. As you know microvascular disease is very common in diabetes. Was the doctor who told you about the CWS and rushed you off to a retina MD an ophthalmologist or an optometrist?
She is an optometrist but had the ophtalmologist take a look at the chart. He was the one who ordered all the scans initially. I saw a Retina Specialist in July but the tests came back normal. The CWS is new today.
OK, that's good. First thing. Don't worry about the CWS. An isolated CWS usually resolves by iteself in 4 - 6 weeks with no lasting damage to your vision. You did the right thing in being seen by an retina specialist in July. I believe that the optometrist who examined you works in a ophthalmology office, is this correct?
She conferred with my regular doctor, a cardioligist, a pulmenary person, and the othropedic surgeon. She is quite good.
Today, there were 3 CWS in my right eye and one in the left eye.
With your history I would recommend that you have all of your future eye examinations done by an ophthalmologist who you trust and get along with. There is no need, from what you've told me so far, for you to transfer your care to a Retina only practice but, even if the optometrist is good, and does an excellent job of coordinating with your other physicians I she is not as well trained as an MD.
She realizes that and that's why she immediately left the room and talked to her boss, Dr. Bliss -- the ophtalmologist
At this point you could be starting to have diabetic retinopathy which, at the beginning, can consist of CWS and subtle microvascular changes. These, truely, are best evaluated by an ophthalmologist.
That shows good judgment on her part. But I'm concerned that the MD didn't come and look himself.
Shall I keep my appointment with the Retina specialist?
Yes. It will allow you to have the best trained eyes evaluating your retina, set a baseline (how can you tell if something is getting worse if you don't know where you started) for your eyes and allow you to feel confident that you are doing the best you can for you sight.
There is one other thing I'd like you to do.......
what is that
Relax. Things will be ok.
Ok, thanks.
I hope this has been helpful. If I can answer any other questions please feel free to contact me again. It has been my pleasure to chat with you tonight.
Ok, how do I accept your words of wisdom?
just press accept on your screen. Just for grins and giggles, where in the world are you? I'm in Northern Wisconsin.
I am in Carmichael, California
Near Sacramento
Nice Area. I went to UCD many moons ago....good luck with your eyes and hang in there. goodnight.
My son graduated from Davis, as well.
It's a small world and Davis is a wonder school. let me know if I can help again in the future. You just hit accept and I get credit for typing on this machine :)
You got it...thanks.


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The ever-impressive Champion Sound bring a new name into the fold as they present Hold Me, the impressive debut EP from Irish house producer Replete, who brings his own brand of deep, bass heavy house to the label. The title track combines blissful pads and a late '90s atmosphere with bold piano stabs and an emotive vocal, while "Appetite/Life" takes the concept even further with a luminescent synth palette that balances the intricate yet dubby rhythm. "Make Me Want You" takes things deeper still, as a conga-led percussion melts into a reverb-heavy soundscape, while "I Haven't Felt Young In Years" provides a fittingly melancholic mid-tempo closer. Another killer release from the Champion Sound crew.
DJ-friendly full length tracks
DRM Free
Secure Shopping


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The specimen was taken along the Apas River in scrubland near the river.
A freight train dragged southward in the twilight, wending its way through pine forest and scrubland.
All that day we continued through the prairies, with here and there a belt of scrubland to cut across the vision.


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Concerns about the Thoroughbred Park track kept Shoalhaven Heads trainer Terry Robinson away, but he timed his return to Canberra perfectly with Tingeera winning the Stayers Handicap (2000 metres) on Friday.
Robinson said he had not been to Canberra in about a year but he was glad to be back.
Street Spirit took up the early running and led until the top of the home straight when the runners started to come.
Robinson said the lift in pace with 800 metres to go had worked to the advantage of Tingeera, who finished over the top of the field after being second last coming round the home turn.
The Barbara Joseph/Paul Jones-trained Al Ahmar was a nose away in second, with Matthew Dale's Catalonia third.
Robinson said the synthetic Acton Track needing work had kept him away last winter but he had been drawn back by reports of the condition of the grass track this winter.
"I haven't been back here for a long time,'' Robinson said.
''We found the track was only fair for a while so we decided to give it a miss, but they tell me it's a lot better now so we decided to head back over.
"It'd have to be nearly a year ago. It's nice to get back here and nice to win a race.
"I've always liked coming over here, I've always had a little bit of luck here."
Robinson had been unsuccessfully trying to get Tingeera a win in the city, with a second at Canterbury the best result.
The son of Commands has won at provincial level at Kembla Grange and Hawkesbury.
Robinson decided to drop Tingeera back in class and it worked.
Hawkesbury will be the eight-year-old gelding's next target, with a possible return to Sydney after that.
"This horse does go all right, he's been racing in town and running honest races, but getting beat a fair way," Robinson said.
"Certainly a drop in class today. He has got his share of ability, but I always thought he'd win a race in town that's why I persevered there for a while but it got to the stage where we needed to try and win a race and it worked.
"He'll go to the provincials next week and if I can I'll try and win a mid-weeker [in Sydney] with him."
The trainer hoped Rose Of Man would put in a good run in the next race, a maiden plate (1000m), but she missed the kick and was almost six lengths back in third to Perizada.


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Fractal Design Arc Midi: The Mid Tower You've Been Waiting For?by Dustin Sklavos on 10/7/2011 12:45 AM EST
- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- mid-tower
- Fractal Design
52 Comments
Back to Article
Z Throckmorton - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkThanks again, Dustin. I wholeheartedly agree that the Arc Midi is about as good as it gets for just under $100. I've used it for a handful of builds and it has become my go-to Benjamin case for many of the reasons you highlight - it's very good at stock and great when you take the time tweak it a bit (primarily, replace its fans or at least volt mod them). That said, I'm surprised that you'd put the IN-WIN BUC slightly ahead, or even really near the Arc Midi. In my opinion the BUC feels noticeably cheaper, it's harder to work with, and while looks are subjective, it's hideous compared to the Arc Midi. The Corsair 400R is a compelling alternative, but its rounded, bulbous, flared accents make it look like something the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man might design. The customers for whom I've assembled systems in the Arc Midi rave about it. Reply
ckryan - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkDustin, do you actually have time to do anything other than review cases?
I agree about the aesthetics of the 400R, but questionable styling is an epidemic in all case segments. I know that many of the readers here at AnandTech are more likely to enjoy understated and classic styling cues than ostentatious adornment. The Arc is not hideous, which is always a plus in my book. But I've taken a different approach than in the past, and I prefer to have as little venting as possible on the case sides, as well as the front and the back where possible. It sounds counter productive, but I've been able to achieve both high performance and almost-silence with just a little work and the right components. Sandy Bridge has gone a long way to getting performance to noise ratios down, and Seasonic's X series (with fan and without) make a huge difference, and going all SSD is fantastic if you can swing it. Perhaps the next generation of GPUs can bring the same level of performance and low noise to the table, as I think every one deserves a quiet system. The case will always make a huge difference, but the fans in cases are always going to be an issue -- I just plan on replacing them, and if I don't have to, then it's all the better. Reply
Dustin Sklavos - Saturday, October 08, 2011 - linkYou'd be surprised. I'm almost done with Deus Ex: Human Revolution. I also play Magic, hang out with friends and my cat, and get swirlies from all the jocks who scream "NEERRRD" whenever I walk by. Reply
ckryan - Sunday, October 09, 2011 - linkI'm AM so jealous! You mean the jocks actually talk to you?
I bet all the cool kids were copying off of you in that senior-level Case Review Dynamics class you had after homeroom. Reply
KamikaZeeFu - Friday, October 07, 2011 - link"And while it looks like the enclosure is capable of supporting a 240mm radiator, clearance above the motherboard is pretty tight as it is, so I wouldn't recommend it."
Check again, the arc is the most dual Rad friendly case you can probably get. It's wider than other cases, and the top mounts are positioned to the left of the case.
This creates enough clearance for the thickest of radiators. The fractal design product page even has a picture of a fat Rad mounted with motherboard inside.
The case is wide enough that the Rad clears the ram easily, with a few inches of room even! Reply
KamikaZeeFu - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkAlso the top mounts allow a variety of fans being mounted, 2x120/140 or a 180 maybe even a 200 Reply
cjs150 - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkYou beat me to it.
Really, really poor work by the reviewer, 5 mins on the Fractal Website would have given the reviewer a clue.
This is the first cheap case that is designed for water cooling. There are a couple of things I would change (start with the fans) but nothing major.
This is the case for my next build Reply
ImSpartacus - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkBut isn't a cheap water build kind of an oxymoron?
Perhaps its a growing market, but I still feel that water is pretty niche. Buying a $200 case is probably fine for those who already have the time and money to invest.
But it's always good to have more options in the market. Reply
cjs150 - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkSaving money on the case allows me to spend more on the other bits of water cooling.
Water cooling is for most of us - a bit of fun, an expensive hobby, good for silent computer and (when the **** thing leaks again) wonderfully frustrating Reply
JarredWalton - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkYou'll note that the review says, "While it looks like the enclosure is capable of supporting a 240mm radiator, clearance above the motherboard is pretty tight as it is, so I wouldn't recommend it." Not recommending something isn't the same as saying it won't work. For the record, I wouldn't recommend water-cooling at all. It isn't much better than air-cooling, and the potential for things to go really bad (i.e. leaking) is enough of a concern that I just wouldn't bother.
Given the appropriate choice of a radiator, motherboard, etc. you can certainly get everything to work well. However, spending $200 on water-cooling and putting it in a $100 case just isn't a common need or desire. It's not about it being a "fun hobby" or even silent; if you want silent you're going to want a better case in the first place. Not that this is a bad case, but thin metal and plastic won't be as good as thicker metal, no plastic, and sound dampening material. By the time you make a few judicious upgrades to the Arc Midi, you could have purchased a different case that already includes those "extras". Reply
cjs150 - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkJared you are making things worse for yourself.
Radiators come in various thicknesses typically from about 34mm up to fat boys at 60mm. According to the Fractal website and other reviews the Arc supports up to 60mm thick radiators (although then it is tight). So a 34mm thick radiator would have about 1" of clearance
If we take you at face value then surely you should be consistent and say that any case which has air cooling with clearance of less than 1" or 25mm is too tight and you would not recommend it.
The price of the case is not as important as the quality of the design. If the side panels are a bit thin then stick some dampening foam on them (cost maybe $50 at worst). Up to now one of the best water cooling cases (maybe the best) has been the Silverstone TJ07 which is a lot more expensive, internal air flow is dreadful and needs some careful modding to make the water cooling work best. For someone like me who uses micro-ATX boards and storage is an SSD plus one HD, the Silverstone is completely overkill.
The way Fractal have thought about the design is impressive and makes for a great case for watercooling without ANY (or at worst ditching one of the drive cages) modding. It could be better, but then again virtually every case on the market could be improved one way or another. Reply
whatthehey - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkSpoken like a true watercooling zealot. Thanks for that subjective evaluation, CJS!
Just because something FITS doesn't mean it fits WELL. And just because you can pour a lot of money into a Honda Civic and turn it into a rice racer doesn't mean you won't end up looking like a douchebag. For the 1% of the market that uses water-cooling, the pertinent question is this: does the Arc Midi work better or worse than other options?
There are always exceptions, but most watercooled PCs that I've seen are in large full-tower cases, and the people use such cases because:
1 - You want all the room you can get for the radiator and reservoir.
2 - You're not going to move the PC around much anyway.
3 - More room to build means you can put the watercooling to good use by having dual GPUs and the chipset all cooled by the same loop.
I don't dispute that the Arc Midi can use a 240mm radiator, but I would strongly dispute anyone claiming that it's one of the better cases for watercooling. Perhaps Anandtech could have worded things better, but I'm in agreement with them on not recommending this case for watercooling. Reply
cjs150 - Monday, October 10, 2011 - linkZealot - I wish. At home I run 3 computers, one is passive, one is aircooled and one is water cooled.
The passive one is a server, never gives any trouble but the mini-ITX case design (and integrated PSU - have these guys not realised that the world moved to 24 pin ATX cables years ago) could be a lot better.
The air-cooled one is old faithful. It is noisy, needs the dust bunnies cleaned out every 6 months but is still going strong after 8 years, it is in an old coolermaster case and the design was pretty basic back then, for starters the "stealth" optical drive bay covers were useless.
The water cooled one is the power house and gaming machine and to be honest a hobby. Although it only needs cleaned every 6-9 months, cleaning is a bit more complicated than the air cooled one. But it is very very quiet. It is in the Silverstone and anyone who has used that case knows that the design is deeply flawed (lack of airflow), it looks beautiful but not all the holes line up perfectly.
Anyway back to the Fractal. People who know a lot more about water cooling than me are very impressed. The top rad placement is excellent because it is not dead centre of the top but shifted away from the motherboard to allow more room for bigger radiators.
I probably would not use this case for a full ATX motherboard and quad SLI, but as I said I prefer micro-ATX boards. The only things that defintely need water cooled are the CPU and GPU(s). These days I am not convinced the chipset needs cooling, some people water cool the power delivery capacitors, but with a top radiator you are going to have a fan directly above them so that looks unnecessary. There is bags of room for a reservoir - use of the 5.25 bays or, given that the rear fan goes if you have a radiator up top, maybe where the rear fan is
As I said the Fractal is not perfect, not convinced by the plastic front - and the front should definitely be re-tooled to support a front mounted radiator. But it is a lot better designed than many much more expensive cases. I have one on order for my next build Reply
Zebo - Sunday, October 09, 2011 - linkI've water cooled since athlon XP days and never had a leak and that was when manufactures were clueless about galvanic corrosion. Today with delrin tops and like metals you should have zero issue. Reply
Tigashark - Sunday, October 09, 2011 - linkAgree, if you end up with leaking issues you didnt put your loop together properly. Galvanic corrosion is one thing anyone looking into water SHOULD know about before they buy.
I spent ~ 12 hours cutting, checking, rechecking, dissasembling, fittting, testing on my 1st custom loop, at that has been running 24/7 for the last 2 1/2 years.
For those who dont get WHY you watercool, its simple , Water is 100 times more efficient at transferring heat than air.
Running CPU/Chipset/GPU under water and temps are *significantly* better than air for 24/7/365 operation.
Water is definitely worth the investment in time and money, and for those who dont have direct experience, you simply cant judge water performance on the pre-made "water cooling" loops such as those offered by Corsair.
The diff between those sealed units and a custom loop is night and day.
Other than that looks like a nice case, not sure how it would go with a custom loop however, looks like it would be cramped. Reply
Kiste - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkLooking at the gaping hole in the side panel (which doesn't even seem to come with a dust filter), I don't buy the statement that with "the "low" fan setting it's among the quietest". That's simply not possible, unless Fractal Design innovated some magic anti-sound tech that changes the laws of physics. Reply
KamikaZeeFu - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkI think that statement was meant as "compared to other sub $100 enclosures" Reply
Kiste - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkThere are sub $ 100 enclosures without these idiotic side panel cutouts. It's a problem with the cutouts, not the price. Reply
Kegetys - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkIn the R2 you can flip the side panels, ie. put the one with the fan grille to the right side. I find this helps to silence the noise quite a bit if you dont need the side fan. It looks like it might be possible to do it in this as well. Reply
UNHchabo - Monday, October 10, 2011 - linkHmm... I have an R3, and I never even thought of doing that!
I still have the grille cover on, so I doubt it will make any difference to noise, but it will make a difference to the aesthetics!
I'll try it out; thanks! Reply
beginner99 - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkI'm quiet surprised about the noise. I'm not sure that buying new fans helps much. i have the fractal R2 and those fans are inaudible, ok they don't have very good air flow but still. The noise comes from the GPU and probably cpu cooler and not the case fans and hence replacing them will mainly help improve cooling.
But then if you want quiet you would not buy this case anyway. Reply
Iketh - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkFor some reason, this article got me thinking about tiptronic fans... what happened to them?? I can't find in google searches Reply
Kepe - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkI strongly recommend you guys at Anandtech check out and review the Define R3. The internal and external layouts are pretty much identical despite differing aesthetics on the outside. What the R3 has over the Arc Midi, though, is noise insulation all over the case. It also has removable noise insulation pieces for those fan intakes and exhausts that are not occupied by a fan. This way you can choose to have a VERY quiet case, or a very well ventilated case that is still quite quiet.
I have the R3 with 2 intake fans in the front, 1 intake fan at the bottom and 1 exhaust fan at the back. This creates a nice overpressure that ensures there is minimal dust build-up in the case. When idling, the computer is very quiet. So quiet in fact, that when I come home from somewhere, I can't even hear if the thing is turned on or off (I have a small 1 room apartment). Also the thermals are astonishing. My Gigabyte GTX 560 Ti runs at 34 degrees Celsius when idle, and never reaches 75 degrees Celsius in Furmark.
The Define R3 cost me 75€ here in Finland (and we have huge taxes on everything), so I think it should be in the same exact price range as the Arc Midi. Reply
barry spock - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkYes, similarly I have the define mini. It has a lot of the same components as the arc here. For me the rubber access grommits did come loose, but apart from that I quite like it. Reply
Cyleo - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkSeriously, I've been waiting for this to be reviewed by Anand. I've had a hard time choosing between the R3, Carbide 400R and this one for a couple of weeks now and been hoping Anand would at least review one of them (your reviews can be a real dealbreaker for me). It didn't make my choose any easier, I still love the design of the fractal's and Anand hasn't reviewed the R3 (yet?) but I have some new arguments now. Any tips/suggestions from the other good chaps around here? Reply
Kepe - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkAs I mentioned in my post above yours, I would definitely recommend the R3. It has the same layout but with very good noise insulation (even on the side panel fan mount) that lets you decide how exactly the air circulates in your case. But I do recommend at least 1 extra intake fan with the R3. With stock cooling, performance isn't that great. It's not bad, but it isn't industry-leading either. Reply
hechacker1 - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkI agree.
I also have the R3, and the stock fan configuration can be lacking depending on your needs.
1. If you populate all the hard drive bays (it makes an excellent RAID box case), you will need another fan in the front.
2. If you have a hot chipset, you will either need a bottom or side panel mounted fan. My X58 chipset was crashing due to heat in the summer (110F outside), and putting on a low noise side panel fan solved the issue.
3. It's default configuration is damn near silent compared to the ambient noise. You could significantly improve it buying a few higher quality low noise fans. And this is on a gaming PC/RAID box config. I can hear the hard drives over the fans. Reply
Dustin Sklavos - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkI just requested the R3, but I have a pretty hefty backlog of cases to review still.
Honestly without knowing about the R3, between the 400R and the Arc Midi it's a tough call. I think I'd probably lean toward the Arc Midi, but I'd definitely populate the side vents with low-speed intake fans. Reply
Kepe - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkPersonally, I don't like side intake fans. A friend of mine actually installed a side intake fan to his rig, but all it did was raise the GPU temperature. This might have something to do with airflow and turbulence messing up the airflow to the GPU fan. Of course the placement of the side panel cutout for the fan affects this too. I don't remember the make and model of the case he uses, but it is a 50-70€ gaming case from a well-known manufacturer.
If you want more airflow for the GPU, it's at least worth a shot to install a fan to the bottom of the case. Reply
Z Throckmorton - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkIf your friend has an intake fan at the front of the case towards the bottom, tell him to try that lower side fan as an exhaust rather than as an intake. IME that lowers GPU temperatures. Reply
Daedalus454 - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkI did a lot of airflow experimentation with a couple of cases. I found that without exception, a side intake fan raised my GPU temperature, in some circumstances by up to 7 C. I theorize that blowing across the video card's intake lowers the air pressure in the GPU cooler enough that the GPU fan has trouble getting the air it needs.
I'm using a Fractal Design R3 now too. I'm running two 120mm fans on the front intake, a 140mm fan in the bottom intake, a single 120mm fan on the rear exhaust, and 140mm fan top exhaust, trying to for the same high-pressure dust-resistance that you were going for. All the fans are the inexpensive Yate Loons. With all the fans on high, the only sound from the case is the soft whisper of rushing air, and my hardware runs very cool. Reply
Kepe - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkSounds pretty much like my configuration. I have the stock coolers still in place; 1 in the front, 1 in the back. In addition to those, I have a Noctua NF-S12 as a second intake in the front (used to be my CPU cooler fan, but I bought a new one when I bought the case), and some unknown 120mm 24V Papst model running at 12V and creating huge amounts of airflow (I stole/rescued it from work) at the bottom of the case, blowing air to the GPU cooler. The Papst makes a bit too much noise and I'm thinking about either lowering its voltage to 7V or buying a new fan altogether. Might as well replace the stock fans at the same time, too.
Anyways, I love the R3 since it gives so many options as to how my case is cooled, and the noise insulation is amazing. I used to have an NZXT Lexa Blackline, which has to be one of the most beautiful cases I've ever seen. But it was loud. I usually turned off my computer when going to bed because of the noise, but now I don't need to. The only gripe I have about the R3 is the bright power LED on top of the front of the case. It is way too bright and actually lights up my apartment at night.
Now I'm going way off topic, but I don't understand the use of bright LEDs in places where you only need to see some sort of light coming out. My new wireless N router has a blinking bright blue light that shoots me straight in the eye when sleeping. Also the Logitech speaker system I have, but don't use anymore, has a hugely bright blue LED that actually was a pretty nasty disturbance when watching movies on my computer. My point is why do manufacturers use these overly bright LEDs in applications where they actually disturb people? A regular LED isn't too bright, but one can see if it is on or not just fine. Reply
TrackSmart - Saturday, October 08, 2011 - linkI've never found that very high air flow changed component temperatures by more than 1-3C under load, as long as air was flowing properly in the case (e.g. no dead spots for air to get trapped in).
Granted, I build systems with relatively low noise and power consumption in mind. Think quad-core 95W TDP processors and sub 200W TDP graphics cards.
Honestly, I think this case has too much ventilation for most builds. I'd rather have the sides and bottom sealed completely and have air move from the bottom front (intake) and out the top rear. The case would be quieter, require fewer fans, and probably have similar thermals. That's been my experience with modifying cases and testing component temperatures and noise. Reply
marvdmartian - Friday, October 07, 2011 - link1. yes, replacing fans is pretty easy, and most enthusiasts will have some sitting on a shelf somewhere, for easy/quick replacement. HOWEVER, 120mm fans are a whole lot more commonly found in said enthusiast's stash than 140mm fans, I would imagine. While the slightly larger fan might move a little more air, if it's going to be replaced, it's not going to be cheap to do so.
2. I know many people love the sideways mounted hard drive cages. Personally, I loathe them, as I really don't have a need to swap out drives all that often (so the easy access is wasted on me, and, I imagine, many others as well), and the lower air flow past the drives is in no way a positive aspect. My question, then, is why has no case designer come up with a way to offer BOTH methods of hard drive mounting? Seriously, it can't be that difficult to design a cage-style hard drive mounting area that, with the removal of a handful of screws, can be turned 90 degrees and secured again. Shoot, you could even make it one or two screws, and a pivot mount at the top and bottom, since hard drives aren't as long as a case is wide.
Sorry, but in my opinion, a $100 case is going to have to offer much more than this, for me to shell out my money (especially in today's economy). Reply
Fractal Design - Friday, October 07, 2011 - link1. Apart from the front fans (which are fitted with clips), all fan positions can be fitted with 120mm fans, since they have extra screw holes for that.
2. In our opinion, the biggest benefit of sideways mounted HDD's, isn't the improved accessibility. What we and, I believe, our users, like the most is the improved cable management. Instead of having all those cables sticking out over the MB, you get them out behind the HDD's towards the MB plate, which allows for a very neat build.
Actually, your wish of rotatable HDD cage have already been granted in the Arc Midi! It wasn't mentioned in the review, but you can both remove the middle HDD cage and rotate it 90 degrees. Reply
JarredWalton - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkActually, Dustin did mention the rotatable HDD cage (page 2):
"Opening up the Arc Midi reveals a thoughtful interior that takes a lot of cues from Corsair while improving a bit on their design. Fractal Design includes two drive cages with four drive sleds each, and the top drive cage can actually be either rotated ninety degrees or removed entirely. In the default configuration, the metal drive sleds (metal instead of cheap plastic!) orient the drives facing behind the motherboard tray."
Easy to miss with all the other stuff, though. :-) Reply
Kepe - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkYes, sideways mounted HDDs are way better than longitudinally mounted. The main reason for me is that longitudinally mounted HDDs tend to stick out so much that it's impossible to install an HDD to the height within the case where a long graphics card is installed. I.E. a long gfx card blocks at least one HDD position when the HDD mounts are longitudinal. This is of course in midi towers. Fullsize cases don't have this problem. Reply
lwatcdr - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkYou mentioned how sometimes the stand-offs/studs will come out when you swap motherboards. Ever think about using a little locktite on them when you installe them in the case?
Even a small dab of superglue should work. the cool thing is that if ever need to remove the stud just get a socket that fits it and it will come right out. Superglue is week in shear Reply
kyuu - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkWhat I'd like is for these companies to start offering an option of buying just the case without any of the cheap crap case fans. I like the case, but it's a waste to pay for the included fans and then buy some good fans separately. Reply
Kepe - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkActually the fans Fractal Design uses aren't that bad at all. They are very quiet when operating at 0 - 3/4 of how much the fan controller knob that comes with the case turns. The last 1/4 ups the sound level so that the sound of the air moving becomes clearly noticeable. But still the fans don't produce any whining or other kinds of extra noises. It's just the sound of the air humming by them. Reply
lwatcdr - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkHow about a case shoot out with a difference.
How about the Fracal Design Arc Midi vs the BitFenix Merc Alpha?
Except spend $60 on upgrading the Alpha. Use the money to put in better fans and such.
Now hear me out before people jump on me.
For a lot of builders they enjoy the act of building and improving. So it would be interesting to see if a hobbiest would be better off modding the Alpha vs buying the Midi.
You can do the same thing with the Midi vs a more expensive case Reply
Death666Angel - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkI like the case. I might recommend it or the smaller brother, Arc Mini.
However, I personally don't understand the obsession with:
a) tool less installation in general and
b) tool less installation of drives especially.
I don't assemble / tear apart my cases that it is a big concern. And having actual screws to tighten gives me a better feeling. Depending on the approach, tool less drive assembly might also inhibit my ability to install non-drive stuff in the cages, for example water cooling equipment, fan controllers, back planes etc., when they use non-standard holes.
This stuff may be important for big OEM who assemble millions of PCs. But for me as someone who assembles PCs for myself and friends and family, I see no reason to go with tool less, if I can avoid it. :-)
But a good review overall! And I like that you guys are tackling a lot of normal-budget cases. I don't see the appeal in huge 200 to 300USD cases that can house 10 HDDs and 4 GFX cards. :D Reply
bhima - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkI'm sort of glad the noise levels were only OK, it makes my purchase of an Antec 902 feel I little bit more justified. Reply
bunnyfubbles - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkplenty of space for a mid tower build and was easily one of the most pleasurable experiences I have ever had when actually putting the computer together, I can't really recall any instance where I was stumped or struggled on how or where i was going to route my cable management
moved the top 140mm fan to the front to have dual 140 intakes and make room for the 240mm rad of the H100, and added an aftermarket NZXT 140mm to the bottom as an intake
right now my biggest gripe is the side panel which allows for either at 140mm or 180mm fan could be improved as the 200mm round fans have mounting holes that are actually in between the 140mm and 180mm dimensions they provide and thus are simply not an option to install without some sort of mod.
A filter would also be nice for the side panel otherwise I'm more inclined to use it as an exhaust but that would likely upset positive pressure
all in all it has easily been one of my absolute favorite cases to work with thus far, I'm tempted to buy another and convert some old systems Reply
cjs150 - Monday, October 10, 2011 - linkThat is one very nice clean build. I think I can spot my favourite Gentle Typhoons on the Rad.
Do you need that many intake fans? Personally I would be tempted to pop in a thick 140mm rad at bottom (or front if you are not using the drive cage) a cool the GPU and CPU. But that is the problem with water cooling - once you start it is difficult not to tinker Reply
Malih - Friday, October 07, 2011 - linkI finally swing to Fractal Design after reading this review and seeng the build quality of the Arc Midi, and reading several other reviews,
but I was looking to build a silent system, and I also think about microATX system, so I decided to get the Define Mini, there's a "bug" in the case regarding multi-GPU setup, but since I'm not thinking of going multi-GPU (budgetwise), I decided to get the Define Mini. Reply
radium69 - Saturday, October 08, 2011 - linkWhen are you guys going to review the Xigmatek cases?
They a lot of midi towers that are very sleek and considered to be big value.
Kevin Reply
Zebo - Sunday, October 09, 2011 - linkJust another el cheapo paper thin case. I have not seen a good case since wave master had like 3mm thick aluminum everywhere. Reply
snapdrag0n - Sunday, October 09, 2011 - linkCM Storm still the best pound for pound at this price range. Reply
Bazzatron - Tuesday, October 11, 2011 - linkThe Fractal Design Define R3 is about the same price here in the UK. (About £75)
Weighs a ton - combined with a "Be Quiet" PSU is the most silent PC I've ever built
Very impressed with this case Reply
ggathagan - Friday, October 14, 2011 - linkYou don't mention any details about the top I/O ports, but the specs list one USB 3 port and two USB 2 ports. The pictures indicate the use of the USB 3 motherboard connection that has, thankfully, become more common.
Given that connector, the choice of a single USB 3 port seems odd.
If space limitations only allowed for 3 I/O ports, I would have thought that just two USB 3 ports or two USB 3 ports and an eSATA port would have been a better choice. Reply
ilkhan - Tuesday, November 27, 2012 - linkTake this case, swap to a mini-ITX mobo, chop off everything above the 3.5" drive bays and you'd have a pretty impressive 8 disk mini-server case. Reply


text:
Complain to the Data Protection Commissioner
The Data Protection Commissioner is responsible for upholding the rights of individuals as set out in the Acts, and enforcing the obligations upon data controllers. The Commissioner is appointed by Government and is independent in the exercise of his or her functions. Individuals who feel their rights are being infringed can complain to the Commissioner, who will investigate the matter, and take whatever steps may be necessary to resolve it.
This electronic form enables you to make an online complaint to the Data Protection Commissioner.
Tagged with: data protection, feedback, Make a complaint


text:
As far as guarantees go, it was rather weak, but considering the boast came from Terry Collins it was bold enough. Not only will the Mets' string of six losing seasons come to an end, but they should make the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
Pointing to a young core and return of David Wright and Curtis Granderson that should be enough to get them over the hump.
"We should be playing in October,'' Collins told reporters this week. "Our young guys are starting to grow, with the addition of some offense, and … we're not done. … I think 2015 is going to be a good year for us.''
The key, or course, is Matt Harvey's recovery from elbow surgery; development of Zack Wheeler; and a encore season from Jacob deGrom that comprise the core of a young pitching staff.
If the pitching holds up and Wright and Granderson have bounce back seasons, that should put them into contention for a wild-card berth. The NL East title? Not so much.


text:
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From Wikinews, the free news source you can write!
See http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Wikinews:Javascript#.7B.7Bdevelop.7D.7D_.E2.86.92_.7B.7Breview.7D.7D for full details. Basically it automatically replaces {{develop}} with {{review}}. If you want to change the text of the button, feel free to, but keep the link and the span the same. Bawolff ☺☻ 21:55, 5 November 2009 (UTC)
The comma after "to bring it to the attention of reviewers" should be a semicolon; as it is, it's a comma splice. --Pi zero (talk) 15:44, 30 March 2010 (UTC)
- Done Tempodivalse [talk] 17:57, 5 April 2010 (UTC)


text:
Testing Your Drinking Water
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- Water testing is generally economical and convenient with many testing laboratories located throughout the state.
- Water testing provides vital information to document the quality of your drinking water. Data from previous tests may be necessary if you ever need to prove in court that a nearby land use has damaged your drinking water quality.
- The only way homeowners can be certain that their water is safe to drink is to have the water tested periodically.
Tests to Have Done Routinely
While it is possible to have a water supply tested for many things, such a test is very expensive and unnecessary. Instead, homeowners should focus testing on a few standard parameters along with additional tests related to nearby land uses.
Private water supplies should be tested every year for total coliform bacteria and E. coli bacteria. Coliform bacteria includes a large group of many types of bacteria that occur throughout the environment. They are common in soil and surface water and may even occur on your skin. Large numbers of certain kinds of coliform bacteria can also be found in waste from humans and animals. Most types of coliform bacteria are harmless to humans, but some can cause mild illnesses and a few can lead to serious waterborne diseases.
If coliform bacteria are found in a water supply, a follow-up test can be done by the laboratory to look for E. coli—a type of coliform bacteria found only in human or animal wastes. A positive E. coli result is much more serious than coliform bacteria alone because it indicates that human or animal waste is entering the water supply.
Drinking water should be tested for pH and total dissolved solids (TDS) every three years. These tests are similar to a doctor taking your temperature—they are general tests that provide an index to the quality of your drinking water.
Water with a pH lower than 6.5 or greater than 8.5 can cause corrosion of lead and copper from household plumbing or bad tastes. The total dissolved solids content of drinking water should be below 500 milligrams per liter (mg/L), and the value should not change much from one test to the next. Increases in the TDS of water could indicate pollution has occurred, warranting further, more detailed testing.
Added Tests Related to Local Land Uses
Every three years, additional testing should be done related to land uses occurring or expected to occur within sight of the home. Pollutants related to various common land use activities in Pennsylvania are given in the Table 1 below. Keep in mind that not all laboratories will be able to run all of these tests.
|Land Use
|Pollutants to Test For
|Iron, Manganese, Sulfate, Aluminum
|Gas or Oil Well Drilling
|Chloride, Barium
|Organic Scans
|Gas Stations
|Petroleum Products
|Road Deicing
|Sodium, Chloride
|Homes with Septic
|Nitrate, Bacteria
|Nitrate, Pesticide Scans
Added Tests Related to Obvious Symptoms
Sometimes, obvious stains, tastes, or odors in water prompt a homeowner to seek water testing. Many pollutants that cause obvious aesthetic problems occur naturally in groundwater, but some can come from land uses, especially mining. While the presence of these pollutants is apparent from their symptoms, testing through a certified laboratory is valuable to confirm the pollutant and to provide valuable information about the form and concentration of these pollutants that is helpful when determining the best options for treatment. Some common drinking water symptoms and their associated pollutants are given in Table 2.
|Pollutants to Test For
|Orange-brown stains, metallic taste
|Iron, Manganese
|Black flecks or stains
|Manganese, Iron
|White/gray film, increased soap use, damaged hot water heater
|Salty taste
|Blue-green stains, metallic taste, especially early in the morning, small leaks in metal plumbing
|pH, Corrosivity Index,
Copper, Lead
Where to Get Drinking Water Tested
It is important that all water tests be performed by a certified water testing laboratory. Be cautious of water test results from any uncertified lab or from water treatment salespeople. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has a current listing of accredited drinking water testing laboratories. You can search for environmental laboratories or find a quick-reference specifically for drinking water labs on their website.
Water testing on private water supplies is also available through the Penn State Agricultural Analytical Laboratory. Drinking water test kits are now available at participating county cooperative extension offices or directly from the Agricultural Analytical Services lab.
Who Should Collect Water Samples?
In most cases, homeowners can collect water samples themselves, after obtaining proper sanitized containers and instructions from the laboratory. Some rare, specialized tests, such as radon, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and hydrogen sulfide, usually require that a lab employee visit your home to collect the sample.
In special circumstances where legal action could follow, it is best to have samples collected by an unbiased professional. For example, samples collected prior to mining, gas well drilling, or other land use disturbances meant to document existing drinking water quality should be collected by a disinterested third party. This adds to the cost of water testing but will be vital to the admissibility of the results in any legal action related to pollution of a private water supply.
Collecting a Water Sample
Most water samples are collected at the kitchen faucet since this is where most water is used for drinking and cooking. If you already have treatment equipment installed in your home, keep in mind that collecting a water sample from a kitchen or bathroom faucet will often be influenced by the treatment equipment. If you are interested in determining the raw water quality from your well (as it emerges from the ground), you may wish to collect a sample at the spigot on the pressure tank before the water enters any water treatment equipment or the home plumbing.
Do not take water samples to a laboratory that have been collected in used food or drink containers! Instead, you should arrange to obtain proper sanitized containers and instructions from the laboratory ahead of time. The sample collection instructions provided by the laboratory must be followed carefully in order to ensure an accurate test result. In general, before taking the water sample, the container should be rinsed two or three times with the water being collected. However, testing labs often supply containers that have a fixing compound, which will prevent the loss or breakdown of a certain chemical. In this case, if the bottle is rinsed or allowed to overflow, the fixing agent will be removed. For this reason, sampling instructions must be read and followed carefully.
Special Instructions for Bacteria Samples
For bacteria testing, a sterile container must be used and all chlorine must be cleared from the water system. Containers supplied by water testing labs will have a chemical present to remove any chlorine in the sample. Many labs recommend removing the aerator from the faucet and sterilizing the end of the faucet with a flame or rubbing alcohol before collecting the water sample. Allow the water to run for a few minutes before collecting the water in the sample bottle. Remove the cap from the bottle, but take care to avoid contaminating the cap or the bottle. Do not set the cap down on anything and do not touch the inside of the cap or the bottle with your hands. Run water into the bottle, carefully secure the lid, keep the sample cool, and deliver it to the lab within 24 hours. For this specific test, the shorter the time that elapses between collection and analysis, the more reliable the results will be. Make sure you contact the lab to determine how and when the sample should be shipped or dropped off at the lab to ensure accurate results. Because of the time limits necessary for bacteria sampling, most labs will not accept water samples on Fridays or before holidays.
Special Instructions for Corrosion Samples
In order to properly test for corrosion, the water should be allowed to stand in the pipes for at least 12 hours and a "first-draw" sample should be collected. This sample should be taken first thing in the morning before any water has been used. This will collect water that has sat in contact with the pipes for at least 12 hours and will be most likely to accumulate metals from corrosion.
More Information
For additional information on the management of private water systems or help with reading your water test results, contact your local Penn State Extension office or consult the Penn State Extension Water Resources website.
Prepared by Stephanie Clemens, research assistant, and Bryan Swistock, senior extension associate.
Download Publication
Article Details
TitleTesting Your Drinking Water
SeriesWater Facts 10
This publication is available in alternative media on request.
Contact Information
- Senior Extension Associate; Water Resources Specialist


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FLORENCE---Three Francis Marion University faculty members were honored for outstanding individual work during the past year at a faculty recognition banquet on April 20.
Vernon W. Bauer of Lamar was given the Award for Excellence in Teaching; Jennifer Kunka of Florence was presented the Award for Excellence in Service; and Derek Jokisch of Florence received the Award for Excellence in Research. Each award carries a cash prize.
"Exemplary teaching, public service and scholarship are essential characteristics of a good faculty member, and these awards recognize the importance of each in our mission of educating students," said Fred Carter, president of FMU. "Vernon, Jennifer and Derek are ideal examples of what superlative faculty contribute to a university. I am very proud of them."
An associate professor of biology, Bauer has been a member of the FMU faculty since 2000. He was cited for his classroom teaching skills. A native of Columbia, Bauer earned a bachelor's degree in biological science at Clemson University in 1992 and a doctorate in genetics from North Carolina State University in 1999, where he received the outstanding graduate teaching award. He has also taught at North Carolina Wesleyan College. He serves on several FMU committees and is a member of the South Carolina Academy of Science. His area of expertise is the molecular control of hibernation in 13-lined ground squirrels. He has several publications and academic presentations to his credit.
Kunka, a native of Milwaukee, Wis., has been a member of the FMU faculty since 2001. She is an assistant professor of English, and director of the FMU Writing Center. She was cited for her service to the university, the community and the state. She served as co-chair of the FMU Gender Studies Steering Committee and serves on the board of the Swamp Fox Writing Project in addition to numerous other university committees. She is vice president and chair of the conference planning team of the Southeastern Writing Center Association. She also serves as a textbook reviewer for Prentice Hall and Longman. Author of several articles, she is involved in South Carolina Women in Higher Education, Sigma Tau Delta, Carolinas Council of Writing Program Administrators, the National Council of Teachers of English and the International Writing Centers Association. She earned a bachelor's degree in English and history at Marquette University in 1992, a master's degree in English and American literature from Marquette in 1995 and a doctorate in English from Purdue University in 2002 where she won the graduate student award for outstanding teaching.
A native of Carlinville, Ill., Jokisch has been a member of the FMU faculty since 1999. An associate professor of physics and health physics, he was cited for his extensive scholarly work, primarily in the field of research in trabecular bone dosimetry. He has 17 peer-reviewed articles and eight abstracts published and another two in progress. He is also credited with 25 scholarly presentations at conferences across the United States. Successful in getting several funded research grants, he is project director for a four-year program on improving teacher quality of Pee Dee middle school science teachers. Involved in a number of university committees, he also is a member of the Health Physics Society, American Physical Society, American Nuclear Society, Sigma Xi—The Scientific Research Society, and Phi Kappa Phi. Jokisch earned a bachelor's degree in nuclear engineering (1995) at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign and master's (1997) and doctoral (1999) degrees in health physics at the University of Florida. He also has been a summer fellow in the Radiation Internal Dose Information Center at Oak Ridge, Tenn., and a radiation safety assistant at the University of Illinois.
Lucy C. Thrower, a professor emeritus of mathematics, also was presented the Shared Governance Award, sponsored by the FMU Chapter of the American Association of University Professors. This award is given to a faculty member who demonstrates commitment to the principles of shared governance between the faculty, administration and the board of trustees. She was a member of the FMU faculty from 1971 until her retirement in 1999 and still teaches on a part-time basis. A native of Bennettsville, she earned a bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina and a master's degree from the University of Mississippi.


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The New York Giants will sign kicker Josh Brown this morning, reports Jenny Vrentas of The Star-Ledger. The signing officially ends Lawrence Tynes' tenure with the Giants, and opens the door (even wider) for him to sign with the San Francisco 49ers.
Despite also signing kicker David Buehler in mid-February, it was clear the Giants weren't entirely satisfied at the position and planned to add at least one more person to create a competition throughout training camp and the preseason. However, given Brown's experience, the team may also opt to release Buehler, saving them an estimated $630,000 in additional cap space.
Originally a seventh-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2003, the 34-year-old Brown has also spent time with the St. Louis Rams, New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals.
In 144 career games, Brown has connected on 231 of his 284 field goal attempts (81.3%) and 310 of his 312 extra point attempts. In four games with the Bengals last season, he made 11 of his 12 attempts.
Pat Traina of Inside Football reports the 2006 PFWA Golden Toe Award winner and Jackass 3D guest actor will sign a "very cap friendly deal."
- Be sure to like Giants 101 on Facebook, follow Giants 101 on Twitter & +1 Giants 101 on Google+
- Looking for 2013 NFL Draft news? Follow On The Clock 101 on Twitter and like On The Clock 101 on Facebook
- Be sure to "like" Sports Media 101 on Facebook and to follow Sports Media 101 on Twitter


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Country music newcomer Tyler Farr gave us a Country Thunder rewind and fast-forward during his hourlong show Sunday afternoon.
A couple songs in, Sunday night's headliner Jason Aldean popped on stage dressed in shorts, a T-shirt and baseball cap and delivered his tour buddy a red Solo cup just as he was singing "Makes You Wanna Drink."
Then he brought on Joe Diffie, who was on stage before Farr. The pair sang a song about sexy girls that they just wrote together, one that was so new that Diffie had to refer to a sheet of paper to recall the lyrics.
Finally, with a couple of songs left of his show, Farr brought on his longtime friend country rocker Colt Ford to fill in some rap rifts.
He may be new, but Farr has some serious juice. He's been friends with Ford for years and has been on the road with Aldean for a big stretch of his last tour; he's back on the road with Aldean in May through the fall.
Those were some big gun guest appearances, but frankly, Farr didn't need them. He showed the Country Thunder audience that was starting to fill in the lawn for Aldean's 9 p.m. show that he's a pretty fine entertainer.
He has a platinum-selling debut single, "Redneck Crazy," that kicked off his big-league career last year and a new single, "Whiskey In My Water," that's sprinting up the charts.
And he has live show that reminds you why you love country music. He's down to earth country, from his faded jeans to his worn ball cap and Bocephus T-shirt. He sings about drinking — it's a favorite subject except when he's singing about feeling drunk when "I Ain't Even Drinkin'" — and a sexy "Cowgirl" that steals his heart. He rocks out unapologetically with "Bet Your Ass" before going on all mushy and romantic on a painful heartbreaking ballad "Hello Goodbye."
"Thank you all so much. My pain is your pleasure," Farr joked at the end of the song.
Farr's show was a preview of his appearance on Thursday at the Pima County Fair. In an interview on his bus Sunday afternoon, Farr said he was going to spend this week at a Tucson resort writing with some Nashville buddies leading up to his Thursday show.
Jason Aldean goes on stage at 9 p.m. Word is he also will have Colt Ford and Tyler Farr on stage with him. Diffie won't be joining him for Aldean's homage to the veteran country singer. Diffie's bus pulled out of the Country Thunder grounds a few minutes after Farr's show.


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Historical Perspectives
Syria eyewitness dispatch: ´I watched as Assad´s tanks rolled in to destroy a rebel town´ (TELEGRAPH UK) By John Cantlie 04/01/12)
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9177910/Syria-eyewitness-dispatch-I-watched-as-Assads-tanks-rolled-in-to-destroy-a-rebel-town.html
DAILY TELEGRAPH Articles-Index-Top
As President Bashar al-Assad discussed a ceasefire for Syria last week, his tanks continued to crush northern rebel strongholds. In this dispatch from the town of Saraqeb, John Cantlie describes an assault at first hand.
The sound of the caterpillar tracks could be felt as much as heard, a deep rumble that sent a rattle through windows and a tremble of fear through the guts.
Then we saw them. Huge Soviet-made T72s, accompanied by troop carriers driving slowly into town, extra plates welded onto the sides to deflect rocket-propelled grenades. It was just after 9.30am, and the tanks were coming to Saraqeb.
"Light the tyres!"
The rebels of the Free Syrian Army in Saraqeb, a farming town of 30,000 in northern Syria, are better organised than many in the surrounding Idlib province. Squaring themselves away into formation around the central marketplace, they poured petrol on to truck tyres and lit them sending plumes of thick black smoke into the air, obscuring the sun and - hopefully - the tank gunners´ visibility.
Still the tanks came, driving into town one after another. The troop carriers stopped to take up holding positions, while the T72s turned in pairs to face towards the centre.
I had been smuggled into Saraqeb last weekend by a local guerrilla unit, keen to show the world that despite playing along with international efforts to broker a ceasefire, President Bashar al- Assad was continuing to use all-out force to crush his opponents.
While he agreed last week to a six-point peace plan brokered by the veteran diplomat, Kofi Annan, what I saw for myself suggests the Syrian leader intends anything but.
As Syrian army snipers deployed to Saraqeb´s high buildings to provide covering fire, the rebel fighters around me took up positions on street corners and pavements.
Their pick-up trucks screeched to a halt, bringing reinforcements, rocket-propelled grenades and improvised bombs built from gas bottles and steel pipes which are placed against kerbs and disguised with cardboard. Then came the click-clack of 200 Kalashnikovs being loaded, a few unaimed rounds loosed off in anger. For five tense minutes, nothing happened.
Then the T72s began to advance toward the market square, the shriek of their tracks reverberating up the street as white smoke belched from their engines. Together with several dozen rebels, I watched from 100 yards away as the gun turrets swept first left, then right, scanning the side alleys for threats. For now, their 125mm cannon remained silent.
"Allahu Akbar!"
Chanting the rebel cry of "God is great", one fighter shouldered his RPG launcher, aimed down the tube and fired. The rocket flew straight and true, catching the lead T72 just to the left of the driver´s porthole. A cheer went up, the rebels punching the air in celebration. Yet no-one had noticed the rocket had not exploded, but merely shattered into a hundred useless pieces of metal. And that was when the tanks opened fire.
The first shells punched into nearby buildings, producing a shockwave of sound and a sea of grey dirt and dust that rolled up the road like a tsunami. Fist-size pieces of hot shrapnel sliced through the air, decapitating one fighter instantly.
His rifle clattered against a wall as his friends dragged his headless torso from the line of fire. The body was bloodless, cauterized. Another rebel caught a piece of shell in his leg, a deep femoral bleed that left a crimson trail across the road.
"RPGs! Get more RPGs up here!" shouted one game fighter, to little avail. With no real chain of command, the rebels use as much energy arguing amongst themselves as they do fighting the enemy. As panicky bickering ensued, a woman ushered her terrified children out of the door. "Please don´t shoot from here," she begged the rebels. "My mother is very old and cannot move - if you shoot at them here they will destroy our house." "We will use our bombs to stop them, I promise," replied a fighter. But home-made bombs do little against a battle tank. As the T72s began shooting at the base of buildings to make them collapse Muktar Nassar, a young man in white robes, ran up with another RPG, one of the few with a functioning warhead. Clearly terrified at being just 50 yards from a T72, he briefly got the perfect firing angle to hit the tank´s more vulnerable side armour, only to be forced to run for cover again as the tank behind his target fired again.
"No good, it´s no good" Muktar muttered as we retreated, showered again in dust. Up above, sniper rounds peppered the mosque minarets. The fighting was brutally one-sided. As a show of force it was absolute.
By 3pm the rebels knew it was over, retreating to cover to smoke cigarettes, leaving the tanks to roam and shell as they pleased. In the space of just a few hours, Saraqeb had been broken. Then it was everyone for themselves. Some families remained in their homes, hoping for the best, others threw belongings into cars and headed out of town.
The guerrillas, meanwhile, staged their own chaotic withdrawal, driving cars at 100mph down small country roads to villages beyond range of the shells, while an army helicopter circled overhead. If the tanks hadn´t killed the rebels, their driving may have finished the job.
"What could we do against that?" lamented Abdul Karali, a student whose family live in Saraqeb. "We´re not soldiers, we have no training and few weapons."
Seven were killed in the fighting that day and 28 wounded. Next morning, Sunday, an attempted rebel counter-attack ended in retreat, the fighters stranding themselves between two tank positions, 500 metres of open ground and a footbridge in full view of government machine guns.
The uprising in Syria is turning into a hit-and-run guerilla war, with the rebels disrupting government forces any way they can. But without money, training or anti-tank weapons, they have little bite. Until the big city businessmen from Damascus and Aleppo commit to the fight, Syria´s revolution is a working man´s uprising of limited means.
Farmers and students in the countryside sell their belongings to raise the $2,000 required for an AK-47 smuggled from Iraq and to pay $4 for each round of ammunition. But bullets are as much use as a catapult against a T72. "Until the big cities help us we will scrape along for ways to fight this revolution," said Hussein al-Brahim, an activist from Saraqeb. "But Aleppo businessmen don´t want to get involved. They cannot be anti-Assad because he gave them everything."
For those on the receiving end, the smoke and chaos that engulfed Saraqeb last weekend disguised the well-drilled military procedure that was under way. It has been honed during sieges of other rebel hotspots, from Homs and Deraa to Idlib city and other towns across the province. The tanks go in first, shelling rebel positions and driving them out. The next day, there is random shellfire to soften the target. Then, once every rebel - and foreign journalist - has left, the ground forces go in. This way, there are few witnesses to what happens next.
The accounts of atrocities committed when Syrian ground forces move are impossible to verify, but the numbers hurt and arrested are unquestionably high.
Using information stored on laptops, army intelligence officers detain all manner of people. Bad-mouthing the regime? Arrested. Seen at a protest? Arrested. Got an internet connection? Arrested. The list goes on.
"The shabiha (pro-government militia) came to my house and took my children," said Fatoum Haj Housin, a resident of the town Sarmin, five miles north-west of Saraqeb, which had been attacked a few days earlier.
"They took all three of them. They were young men in the army but they defected in January. The militia shot them in the head and burned their bodies in front of me in our courtyard. In the name of God, bring me a Kalashnikov and I will kill Assad myself!"
There was still scorching and ash in front of her house - and much evidence elsewhere in Sarmin of destruction by ground forces. The field hospital had been torched, walls and houses sprayed with AK47 fire and the mosque smashed by three shells.
When the tanks leave the city centres and the ground forces come in, this is what happens - with nobody from the outside to see.
Yet for every person killed the rebels´ resolve seems to grow day by day.
"We can never go back now," said Feras Mulheen, a student from Saraqeb who had just seen his house destroyed by the tanks. "There´s nothing to go back to. We either win or we die trying. There´s nothing in between." * John Cantlie is an independent photojournalist (© Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2012. 04/01/12)
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text: To get from Reggio nell'Emilia a Adrano by train you can catch one of the 4 trains that everyday travel between Reggio Emilia and Catenanuova-Centuripe, the closest station to the city. The first train to Catenanuova-Centuripe leaves from Reggio Emilia at 18:01 and the last train departs at 23:47. If you choose a local train the trip lasts on average 15:08 hours. On Wanderio you can compare all schedules, fares and railway companies to Catenanuova-Centuripe and book the best itinerary starting from Reggio Emilia.


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Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Review of Writer on the Side by Bryan Cohen
The author's friendly, self-deprecating style makes this a fun and encouraging read. You won't find anything earth shatteringly new in these pages, but you will find an accessible list of tips and tricks to keep you focused, fulfilled, and, most importantly, writing.
3 comments:
Sounds like just what I need, especially this time of year with the impending holidays and all the prep-work involved in preparing for them.ReplyDelete
I hate to put you on the spot, but you sound less than enthusiastic about this. Do you feel this title is worth the cover price? Or is there another book on the topic that you would recommend more highly? For example, Writer Mama or Pen on Fire, both of which have higher cover prices, but are currently listed for less than the above title.ReplyDelete
@Linda: It would be a good stocking stuffer for busy writers.ReplyDelete
@Tanya: I haven't read either of those books, so I can't do a comparison. This one doesn't offer anything revolutionary, but there were quite a few useful tips in it. For the low purchase cost - especially the Kindle - it's worth a read.


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A Pine Forest Camp leader reacts to a recent blog post from a not-so-happy former camper and a teacher urges the community to lobby the state for more equitable public school funding rather than tax credits for private schools.
Give the Power of Camp Another Chance
I'm the great-grandson of Hughie and Selma Black, the founders of Pine Forest Camp, and represent the fourth generation of my family's leadership here.
The article "Left Out of Overnight Camp" by Jennifer Raphael (Headlines, June 19) was passed on to me, and I want to express how sorry I am that her time at Pine Forest was not the kind of memorable experience that we strive for.
The name-calling and teasing she describes is unacceptable at Pine Forest and any quality camp. It's a form of bullying and should not have been tolerated when she was a camper, and certainly is not permitted now.
Counselors today have extensive training on how to prevent this kind of bad behavior, and we have been vigilant in making sure that it is eradicated. Raphael's experience illustrates how lasting the effects can be, and we are sorry that it happened here.
Call me sappy, but I believe in the power of camp. You can give your children a lot of things in life: a good education, great piano lessons, the list goes on. But there are some things you can't give them: self-esteem, self-confidence and even the ability to navigate difficult situations. Camp gives children those gifts.
I, too, first heard "American Pie" at camp, when I lived in Bunk Banana as a Junior Boy. Whenever I hear that song, it takes me back to a place that I have mixed emotions about. My counselor, like many, was always uncomfortable around me because I was the owner's son.
When I think back to that summer, there were a lot of laughs, a lot of tears and a lot of growing up. That summer made me better and stronger; it shaped who I am today in positive ways. Camp teaches resilience.
Although Raphael's experience with Pine Forest isn't one I'm proud of, or wish for any camper, I hope she'll come visit us sometime, maybe even this summer. The sights and sounds will hopefully bring back happy memories. She will meet many campers whose days here are the highlight of their lives.
Her words have given me a unique perspective this summer, and strengthen my resolve to make sure that every camper comes home with happy memories, lifelong friends and self-confidence.
Lee Forest Black | Greeley, Pa.
Forget Tax Credits, Lobby for Public Schools
According to the advocates for religious school tax credits (Headlines, "Groups Lobby to Keep School Tax Credits," June 19), the credits are needed because 1) There is too much bullying in public schools; 2) George Washington High in Philadelphia has no paper to print tests, and; 3) Music nights and saxophone lessons are offered at a Jewish day school that benefits from the credits.
I am a public school teacher and I would feel a lot better if I knew that Jews of all denominations and their clergy were lobbying Harrisburg for full and fair funding of our public schools instead of for tax credits for private religious schools.
If we take that kind of inclusive approach, maybe then the legislature would provide Philadelphia schools with the funds for security to prevent bullying, for paper and other supplies necessary for learning, for music and art, for nurses and counselors, and for enough teachers in all our schools. That would truly be an example of tikkun olam.
Gary Turetsky | Maple Glen


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I want may portfolio categories to be arranged in a certain order. Right now they are just showing up alphabetically. Do I need to hardcode the order I would like, if so were do I change the code and can you give me an example?
There are plugins that allow me to do this, but it seems to work only for the blog categories, not the portfolio categories……
Thanks in advance :)
The topic 'Need to rearange my porfolio categories PLease help' is closed to new replies.


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High School Teams from Across Colorado Compete in Science BowlFor more information contact:
e:mail: Public Affairs
Golden, Colo., Feb. 23, 1998 On the surfaces of which three planets would you weigh more than you do on Earth? How many molecules are in two moles of sulfur trioxide? High school students from across Colorado will face such questions as they test their mental agility in the 1998 Colorado Science Bowl Feb. 28 at Metropolitan State College in Denver.
More than 40 teams will compete in this rapid fire question and answer tournament which focuses on physics, math, biology, astronomy, chemistry, computers and the earth sciences. The teams are composed of four students, one alternate and a teacher who serves as adviser and coach.
The winning team will earn the opportunity to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Science Bowl in Chevy Chase, Md., in May. Teams from Aurora's Eagle Crest and Smoky Hill high schools placed first and second in last year's regional competition.
DOE began the National Science Bowl eight years ago to help stimulate interest in science and math. The competition has evolved into one of its premier educational programs.
The regional Science Bowl is sponsored by DOE, DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, DOE's Golden Field Office, DOE's Rocky Flats Field Office, the Midwest Research Institute, Kaiser Hill and Metropolitan State College.
The Colorado Science Bowl will run 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. in the North Classroom building at Metropolitan State College on the Auraria Campus (at Speer and Larimer).
Editors Note: See below for a list of participating schools.
Feb. 28, 1998
Metro Denver Area
Arapahoe High School - Littleton
Boulder High School
Colorado Springs
Air Academy High School
Pueblo Centennial
Other Areas
Center High School - Center
Note: Schools in italic have two teams participating.