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Help a brave knight prove the power of love to a beautiful princess! Hammer away at the side of the castle to annoy the mad king. You must collect gold coins to upgrade your hammering tool. Bring the stone castle crumbling down!
The Power of Love is one of our selected Tower Defense Games. Also very popular on this website right now are Kingdom Rush, Mighty Knight, Ancient Planet and Dragon Ball Fierce Fighting 2.4.
Report game as broken
Cancel report of broken game


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West Bromwich Albion striker Nicolas Anelka has been charged after making an allegedly anti-Semitic salute during a recent English Premier League match, the Football Association (FA) announced on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old French striker performed the 'quenelle' salute, putting one arm across his chest and straightening the other last month during West Brom's 3-3 draw at West Ham United.
''The FA has charged the West Bromwich Albion player Nicolas Anelka following an incident that occurred during the West Ham United versus West Bromwich Albion fixture at the Boleyn Ground on 28 December 2013,'' read a statement published on the FA website.
''It is alleged that, in the 40th minute of the fixture, Anelka made a gesture which was abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting and/or improper, contrary to FA Rule E3(1).
''It is further alleged that this is an aggravated breach, as defined in FA Rule E3(2), in that it included a reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or religion or belief.''
Anelka has until Thursday evening (Friday morning AEDT) to respond to the charge.
If found guilty, he faces a minimum five-game suspension under new anti-discrimination measures introduced last May by the FA.
The 'quenelle', popularised by French comedian Dieudonne M'bala M'bala, has been described by critics in France as an inverted Nazi salute, but Anelka has insisted it was merely ''a dedication'' to the comic.
M'bala M'bala, better known simply as Dieudonne, says the gesture is anti-establishment and not anti-Semitic.
The FA's decision to charge Anelka, after a three-and-a-half-week investigation, came a day after West Brom's shirt sponsors, property website Zoopla, decided to end its association with the club.
British media reports suggested the company had called on West Brom to drop Anelka over the affair.
The former French international has continued to appear for the club despite the furore and played for 77 minutes on Monday in his side's 1-1 draw with Everton.

subset: commoncrawl


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Meaning and origin of the Finnish baby name Talo. Meaning of Talo. What does Talo mean? Talo origin. Information about Talo.
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Want to know what Lalkitab telling about you and find suitable remedies..
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Get best timeing (Muhurta) for all your auspacious deeds like marriage, house warming etc.. Read more...
Get detailed Marriage prospects report including probable timing of marriage and remedies for doshas.Read more...


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As Ohio trail construction continues, bikeways are beginning to pervade more areas across Ohio. This means more urban and rural trails, along with more public exposure. In other words, more people are becoming aware of trails every day. In my view, that's a good thing. More folks are using trails not only for recreation and health, but to commute to school or work or to the store. In a world that's dominated by the automobile and caught in the clutches of rising energy costs, that's a godsend.
Criminal Activity
But as with other public areas there is also a downside, namely, criminal activity. Let's face it -- it's there, always has been. Vandalism, muggings... you know the players. The scary element that doesn't just come around once a year on Halloween. Crimes have affected parks and other public places at one time or another. Unfortunately criminal activity also thrives in some areas. So with all this trail building isn't it likely that we're building some scary trails as well? Trails that might become lairs for evil-doers?
And what about existing trails with spooky sections? You may have seen the fearful faces and heard their whispers: "I won't ride to the north end of that trail. Oh no, never." Or perhaps you're familiar with the scowls of disgust at the sight of broken glass on a trail or nearby graffiti. Trail users can be a particular bunch. Many have high standards. They want their trail experience to be a good one, with no unpleasant surprises worse than the occasional flat tire. In my view, that's also a good thing. But what about those scary trails?
Reality Check
Well, for anyone out there who may be living in a fantasy bubble, it may be time to take out a pin. Public places are not perfect; there are some criminals at work there. Trails or linear parks are public places and therefore are not immune to this type of activity. Though you may believe that your bikeway (or trail section) is a safe place -- here comes the pin -- it can never be perfectly safe. That's reality.
The Good News
However, studies have shown that for the most part bikeways have a lower incidence of crime compared to other public places such as traditional parks and residential neighborhoods. This explains why most of us get that warm fuzzy feeling when we hop onto our favorite trail. Chances are we haven't experienced or witnessed a crime there despite our innumerable visits over the years, so we feel safe and secure.
And there are good reasons why trails are generally safer places. For one thing, many are planned, built and nurtured by their local communities. Some of the people that helped to build your local trail often use it, as do their families. They often form citizen groups that volunteer to help maintain it as well. Thereby they have more of a vested interest in their linear parks. So when problems arise, they are more likely to work to find solutions to help solve them, rather than saying it's not their problem and turning their backs. When this approach is put into practice, a trail is more likely to become an asset to its community, rather than a scary liability.
Also, trail users are generally pretty nice folks. They tend to help you if you're in distress or have a problem. You could say they watch out for each other to a large extent. And this breeds a type of cooperation that helps everyone to be a bit safer on the trails.
Stay Alert!
But one should never become too complacent as crimes do occur on bikeways. Be aware of that fact and use it to make yourself safer and more prepared for the scary stuff by following these safety tips. Stay safe and get some trail riding tips as well. If we're all better prepared, we're less likely to be victims of crimes while on the trail.
"Fine," you say, but "WHO'S GONNA' RIDE THE SCARY TRAILS?" Fair question. It's time for the answer: No one. Just as we may avoid certain areas we think are unsafe while driving our car, I believe we do much the same when cycling trails. So, you may ride a trail that I find intimidating and shy away from. It's a subjective thing where most people remain in their comfort zones. We won't ride the scary trails, but someone will. Who? Why, someone who doesn't find them all that scary, of course.
Mountain Bikers Damage Native American Burial Mounds
Enthusiast Blazes Trails for Medina Biking


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One_chanceever 2008-03-02 10:41:05
About 90 days ago I was prescribed 5mg per day of Androgel by my doc,
after blood tests showed low testosterone (low end of the range). I
also had high SHBG, for which I was prescribed danazol.
The first week the results were GREAT. I felt like a million bucks.
But there has been a slow decrease in libido, well-being and sexual
function…to the point that it now *seems* to be about the same as
before I started the treatment.
The obvious conclusion is that the Androgel has suppressed what
natural production I *did* have before, leaving me back at ground
zero….except I'm relying on adrogel instead of my own production.
But the doctor (supposedly one of the experts in the field) assured me
that 5mg a day of Androgel would NOT suppress my natural production
(though he said that the pellet implants, which he also does, WOULD).
It appears that my testicals have shrunk a bit….but like an idiot I
didn't make any pre-treatment measurements…so I just relying on an
eyeball measurment…but they do seem smaller.
Was the doc wrong? Could I have turned off my already-low levels of T
production? Would Clomid bring me back to where I was before? Can
Clomid and Androgel be used at the same time to raise T levels while
keeping natural levels from falling off?
Many thanks!
Arjun lal 2008-03-02 10:41:15
There are many possibilities as to why you don't feel as good as when you
first started:
a) your body has become used to the 5g per day of Androgel and you need to
up the dose
b) your body is converting too much of the supplemental testosterone into
estrogen, this will cause you to feel crappy and lower t levels– symptoms
to look for excess estrogen are sensitive nipples, growth of b******, hot
c) your body is not efficiently using the T
And as for androgel suppressing your natural T, chances are it has. I've
read that taking HCG or Clomid will keep your natural test alive while you
take androgel, but I've never experienced this myself.
D hamilton 2008-03-02 10:41:23
On 9 Dec 2003 10:38:02 -0800, email@example.com (onechance)
I used Androgel for about 6 weeks. Prior to that use my T registered
147 on a scale of 300 to 1000. After finding this newsgroup I
discontinued use as I thought I should have more tests. The next test
turned up a level of 36 (300 – 1000).
I went to an Endo 6 weeks later who did some more testing. My
prolactin was very high and was supressing my T — which had rebounded
to pre-Androgel levels; it was 146 (300 – 1000).
It would seem the Androgel did supress my own T production (which, I
pretty sure I'd read here would happen). If I recall correctly, there
are members of this group that say stopping androgel will result in
the body going back to self-producing T … there are others who say
the opposite. Maybe it depends on length of use.
Pony 2008-03-02 18:27:29
Your doctors is absolutely INCORRECT. 5gm of Androgel will cause your own T
production to stop. You feel good at first because you have your own T and
the T you absorb from the Androgel. But then your own T stops and you can
end up with a lower T level because you're not absorbing enough.
I was on Androgel for about 2 months after testing 193 T level. On 5 gm I
felt fantastic, like a teenager for a few days, then felt awful. Upped my
dose to 10 gm, and felt better, but was unhappy with the achy, shrinking
testicles, achy prostate, and reduced e********.
They probably are. You also probably have very few sperm in your s**** now.
Yes, and yes.
If I could find a doctor who would give me a Clomid stimulation test then
I'd tell you, but I haven't been able to locate one (besides Dr. Shippen,
but he's too far away). I ended up quitting Androgel and taking Tribulus
Terrestris, HGH, Zinc, and L-Arginine. I went through about 3 weeks of zero
s** drive after quitting the Androgel. My experience is far from scientific
but I think the HGH is helping more than anything else. The good news is my
testicles are big again. Whew! And my s** drive is better than before I
started this whole business. Not that I have that "like a teenager"
horniness that starting Androgel gave me, but I'm definitely feeling better
than I was before. You can find more information about herbal treatment of
low testosterone here: http://www.geocities.com/bill3320/hormones.html
I don't think so. The presence of exogenous (external) testosterone tells
your own production to shut down. I think you'd have to quit Androgel and
take Clomid and then get tested. If the Clomid worked then you could try
Clomid, hCG, or Selegeline as therapy (if you can find a doctor who's
willing). I think that's a better way to go than TRT, which as you're
discovering has its drawbacks.
Good luck,
Tallen2_34 2008-03-03 04:40:05
Hey Pony, what were you T-levels before and after the Androgel? Have
you had them tested recently when off?
Also, how did you get your Dr. to prescribe HGH?
One_chanceever 2008-03-03 04:40:09
Thanks very much Pony….I very much appreciate your in-depth answer.
Clomid CAN be had over the Net, as I'm sure you know. But you'd be
self-prescribing and taking your chances.
Pony 2008-03-03 15:49:41
I had 2 tests before starting Androgel, the first one 193 Total T and the
second 383 Total T. I didn't have a test on 5gm Androgel, but I felt awful.
After about a week of 10gm Androgel I scored 777 Total T (and was feeling
good and h****). I haven't had a blood test since the 777 one and I've given
up on the doctors. I bought the HGH (oral, not prescription injectable) at
the same "health" store where I got the Tribulus Terrestris.
Pony 2008-03-03 15:49:44
Don't think I haven't been tempted. You should do a google search for posts
by David Zolt. He's a patient of Dr. Shippen and has been on hCG. Very


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Taking care of your skin can make you look like a movie star, much like standing in front of a green wall and screaming in terror at an alien that no one can see. Get ready for your close-up with this Groupon.
Choose Between Two Options
- $30 for one signature facial (a $60 value)
- $84 for three signature facials (a $180 value)
Following a skin analysis, the aesthetician cleans and exfoliates skin, applies a revitalizing mask, and relaxes muscles with a facial massage.
Rosemary for Remembrance Spa
Owner and aesthetician Cortney Moody draws on more than a decade of experience to share her passion for skincare through custom treatments performed with natural botanical products and essential oils. A blend of products determined by a thorough skin analysis swathes faces to fight aging, reduce acne, or ward off dead skin cells. Her collection of facials fight specific skin concerns and add-on treatments employ ingredients such as baobab oil to reduce fine lines or vitamin C to revive ho-hum skin. The extreme lip treatment softens chapped pouts, and a collagen eye treatment unpuffs puffy eyes and sends dark circles to the space between Saturn's rings.


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Katie and Suri's Wintery Big Apple Walk
Getting in some pre-holiday down time, Katie Holmes and Suri enjoyed a stroll in the Big Apple on Sunday (December 23).
The mother daughter duo were bundled up for the chilly day, with the 6-year-old pretty in pink as they walked hand-in-hand.
While Katie has been busy on the Great White Way starring in "Dead Accounts," Suri will be spending the Christmas holiday with her dad, Tom Cruise.
"We have got lots of very special things planned for the holidays. We are all going to be together. I am looking forward to it," Cruise said of his plans.


text:
AI::Prolog is a predicate logic engine implemented in pure Perl. In predicate logic, instead of telling the computer how to do something, you tell the computer what something is and let it figure out how to do it. Conceptually, this is similar to regular expressions. The AI::Prolog distribution contains a Prolog shell called aiprolog and two short adventure games, spider.pro and sleepy.pro.
AIOCP (All In One Control Panel) is a Content Management System (CMS), a professional all-inclusive solution to completely manage a Web site or portal through a user-friendly Web-interface. AIOCP is also a framework for Web application developement and includes e-commerce and e-business modules. It includes all basic and extra modules: CMS, WYSIWYG editor, languages, users, menus, forums, news, newsletter, links, downloads, reviews, awards, chat, polls, calendar, banners, search engine, statistics, online help, system tools, shell, backup, MIME, whois, ping, traceroute, MySQL database management, transcoding, custom modules, code libraries, images, and sounds.
AIOTrade (i.e. Humai Trader Platform) is a stock technical analysis platform with a pluggable architecture that is ideal for extensions such as indicators and charts. It supports parallel quote data retrieval from Yahoo! or ASCII text files, historical (daily, weekly, and monthly), intra-day, and real-time charts, and candle, bar, and line charts. It has a calendar date/trading date view model. "MACD", "OBV", "ROC", "KD", "BIAS", "DMI", "RSI", "MTM", and "WMS" indicators and drawing of "Line", "Parallel", "Gann Angle", and "Fibonacci Line" are supported. You can easily write your own indicators.
AJASON is a PHP 5 library and JavaScript client for the Web technology called AJAX. AJAX permits data to be fetched asynchronously without the need for reloading the Web page and thus allows the development of interactive GUI-like Web applications. JSON is a lightweight data interchange format which is used by AJASON to exchange data between server and client. AJASON features the ability to exchange complex data types and client-side error reporting for server-side AJASON errors.
AIDS (AJAX Image Dump System) is a simple, yet powerful AJAX-based image host system. It's geared toward forum usage, and it generates bb-code for cutting and pasting into forums that support bb-code. It lets people create user accounts to keep track of their pictures, reaccess them later to view stats, delete them, or simply copy the bb-code again.
AJAX Tree Control is a modified version of SilverStripe's tree control. It adds dynamic loading of child nodes via AJAX. The default implementation uses the prototype library to make dynamic requests, but this behavior can be overridden by setting functions on the global Tree object. There are a few demo Ruby on Rails applications included in the distribution that show how to use and customize the tree.
The 'AK Web Dyn Designer' is a tool for creating and deploying dynamic Web pages with PHP, XML, and JDBC in a three-tiered model. It provides a user-friendly GUI with drag 'n drop capability, with no need for the users to have any specific programming knowledge. It consists of a client and a server. The client is used to develop Web forms with an SQL query builder that associates queries to Web components. The server accepts deployments from the client and serves pages to Web browsers.
A script to submit updates to freeecode.com.
A distributed fault-tolerant Jabber/XMPP server.


text:
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) is a commonly used plasticizer and additive to adhesives, printing inks and nail polishes. Because it has been found to be a powerful reproductive and developmental toxicant, a sensor to monitor DBP in some working spaces and the environment is required. In this work polyaniline nanofibers were deposited on the electrode of a quartz crystal oscillator to form a Quartz Crystal Microbalance gas sensor. The coated quartz crystal and a non-coated quartz crystal were mounted in a sealed chamber, and their frequency difference was monitored. When DBP vapor was injected into the chamber, gas adsorption decreased the frequency of the coated quartz crystal oscillator and thereby caused an increase in the frequency difference between the two crystals. The change of the frequency difference was recorded as the sensor response. The sensor was extremely sensitive to DBP and could be easily recovered by N2 purging. A low measurement limit of 20 ppb was achieved. The morphologies of the polyaniline films prepared by different approaches have been studied by SEM and BET. How the nanofiber-structure can improve the sensitivity and stability is discussed, while its selectivity and long-term stability were investigated.
Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), which is soluble in various organic solvents, is a commonly used plasticizer as well as an additive to adhesives, printing inks and nail polishes [
Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors have been widely investigated due to their high sensitivity, durability and linearity for mass of the target materials [
Aniline (AR), dibutyl phthalate (AR), ammonium peroxydisulfate (AR), poly(sodium-
Polyaniline nanofibers used in this paper were synthesized in dilute aniline aqueous solution, using chemical polymerization methods. According to the method published by Epstein [
In order to contrast with the polyaniline nanofibers sensing film and to study the effect on gas sensing properties of the nanofiber-structured polyaniline, the corresponding polyaniline without a nanofibrous structure was chosen as the contrast sensing material. The polyaniline was prepared by adding aniline (
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation was performed using a Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope equipped with an Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (FESEM-EDS, HITACHI S4800, Tokyo, Japan). Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) nitrogen adsorption-desorption data were obtained on a Micromeritics Analyzer (ASAP 2020 V3.01 E analyzer, Micromeritics Instrument Corporation, Norcross, GA, USA) at 77 K. A measuring microscope (107JA precise measuring microscope purchased from Shanghai CSOIF, Co., LTD., Shanghai, China) was used to measure the polyaniline film thickness.
A sensing film coated crystal was used as a sensing QCM while an uncoated crystal was used as a reference QCM. Both of the reference and sensing QCM set in a 500 mL sealed chamber were exposed to DBP or analytical gases for 5 min at 20 degree Celsius. For each vapor sample, 10 mL pure DBP or other gases were left on the bottom of a 1,000 mL glass container for 3 h, so that saturated volatile organic compounds could be extracted in the headspace of the container as the analyte. Appropriate analyte concentrations were obtained in the test chamber by injecting known volumes of headspace gas via a gas tight syringe [
The polyaniline film on the QCM sensor was deposited by platinum on the surface for SEM observation. It can be seen in
Nitrogen adsorption and desorption analyses were conducted to investigate the surface area and pore structures of polyaniline films.
The thickness of the sensing film on the electrode was a key factor affecting the sensitivity of the sensor, which is controlled by the volume of the homogenous polyaniline solution coated on the QCM.
The Sauerbrey equation [
When an analyte is injected into the testing chamber, the sensing film adsorbs the analyte and the sensing QCM's frequency decreases. The response, defined as the change of the frequency difference between the sensing QCM and the reference QCM, increases. The recovery of the sensor could be achieved by high-purity N2 purging.
To investigate the selectivity, the responses of the sensor exposed to acetone, ethanol, acetaldehyde and DBP were measured and analyzed. Although the concentrations of acetone, ethanol and acetaldehyde (8 ppm) were 10 times higher than that of DBP (0.8 ppm), the responses to acetone, ethanol and acetaldehyde were still far less than those to DBP (as shown in
The sensing mechanisms are different according to the characteristics of polyaniline and the target gas [
In order to assess the long-term stability, the response cycles of the sensor used immediately after fabrication were recorded and compared with those of the sensor stored for 60 days. The experimental result is shown in
In order to investigate the effect of polyaniline nanofiber-structure on the performance of the QCM sensor, polyaniline coated sensors both with and without nanofiber-structure were fabricated and characterized. The morphologies of the polyaniline films with and without nanofiber-structure were illustrated in
The response cycles of both sensors to 0.4 ppm DBP are shown in
A large overshoot in the frequency response was observed for the sensor without nanofiber-structure, while there was only a small one for the sensor coated with nanofiber-structured sensing film as shown in
Nanofiber-structured polyaniline films were prepared by a simple non-template method. Based on this film, a QCM sensor to sense dibutyl phthalate was developed and high sensitivity and long term stability were obtained. In comparison with DBP QCM sensor fabricated in a similar way but without nanofiber-structures, the sensitivity and stability of the sensor with nanofiber-structured polyaniline film were significantly improved. Further studies on the QCM sensor response to other plasticizers need to be done and the selectivity of the sensor should be improved. The simple and low-cost method has potential for the development of commercial sensitive DBP sensors for industrial and environmental applications.
The work is supported by Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61004132 and 61128003), the Open Research Project of the State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology, Zhejiang University, China (No. ICT1210), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.
SEM images of the nanofiber-structured (
Responses of QCM sensors to 0.2 ppm DBP with different thickness of sensing film.
Response cycles of a nanofiber-structured polyaniline film based QCM sensor to different concentrations of DBP purged by high-purity N2 at room temperature.
Calibration curve of the nanofiber-structured polyaniline based QCM sensor response to DBP, the inset indicates calibration curve obtained for the linear range.
Comparison of the responses of the sensor to different analytes while the concentration of acetone, ethanol and acetaldehyde was 8 ppm and the concentration of DBP was 0.8 ppm.
Response cycles to 0.8 ppm DBP. The dashed line represents the response of the immediately fabricated sensor, while the solid line shows the response of the sensor stored in a dry cabinet at room temperature for 60 days.
Response cycles to 0.4 ppm DBP of the polyaniline film based sensors with (solid line) and without (dashed line) nanofiber-structure.
Nitrogen adsorption and desorption analyses of polyaniline films.


text:
The plane could send back video footage of battlegrounds and remove the need for human scouts.
It could also be used for wildlife surveys, fire and rescue operations and the detection of hazardous substances in peacetime.
A prototype could follow in "a couple of years" if the research works.
Dr Ismet Gursul, head of the aerospace research group at the University of Bath, told Reuters: "We are looking for the most efficient way of flying, and the rapid flapping of a flexible wing is one of these.
"In this respect we are imitating nature and the flight of
insects and birds."
The planes could also land on the roof of enemy vehicles and mark them for future attack or as carriers of chemical or biological weapons, say researchers.
The team says it realises the project will be tough as small aircraft are
vulnerable to high winds.
Dr Gursel said: "The smaller an aircraft is made, the slower
is its speed and the more it is vulnerable to high winds.
"This means that existing micro air vehicles can only fly for short periods
at low speed and are too large to carry out fine manoeuvres."


text:
Re: Question about Mantra
Expand Messages
- Dear Hellman, Enlightenment comes from Grace.
There is no sure-fire way to prepare for it. One person
could say mantras for decades and live in the presence
of an enlightened saint, and yet never attain the
realization of enlightenment because they were so full of
spiritual pride, while another could have led their life as
a "sinner" and suddenly see the folly of their ways
and attain the divine state that is our birthright.
Mantra is a wonderful practice and has great potential,
but intention is very important. If you just want to
be able to say "I say my mantra for more hours a day
than you do", the mantra will probably not be too
helpful towards your spiritual growth. Similarly, every
"real" teacher seems to have incredibly unevolved people
around them. The thinking is that they are the ones who
need the teacher the most. There have been many
saints, like Swami Sivananda, and Sri Nisargadatta who
only had very brief contact with their Guru's, and yet
attained the highest states of Enlightenment. Their
intention was selfless, pure, focused, and determined. To
be sure, many, many people have chanted mantras and
attained Enlightenment. Similarly, Swami Vivakananda had
Enlightenment transmitted by his teacher's touch (Ramakrishna).
But it still comes down to Grace. When the universe
needs us to receive a mantra, or have a teacher, or
attain Realization of Enlightenment, it will happen. And
we will live happily ever after.
- --- In meditationsocietyofamerica@y..., "Lora_T" <candlelady123@j...>
>I have never meditated ever... i appreciate any help you can giveme.... I am so glad for
> this meditation group...Thanks for starting it.. Lora THi Lora,
I would suggest visitng the website for the meditation society
http://www.meditationsociety.com/. There are lots of techniques
listed there. Try a few different ones until you find one that is
easy to follow. Perhaps the first thing to try is to just sit in a
quiet place, close your eyes, and focus on the sound and feeling of
breath. Just breathe natually. Notice your thoughts, but don't hang
onto them. Just watch them come and go. Watch and listen.
I hope this helps. Meditation can seem difficult when you are first
starting out (and even after you have been doing it a while for that
matter). Just try it and be patient and perserve. The hardest part is
the actual committment to sit down and do it. Just sitting quietly
and watching your breath is more beneficial than you may imagine.
Your message has been successfully submitted and would be delivered to recipients shortly.


text:
AWANA is an acronym for Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed: "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)
Children age 3 through 8th Grade meet Wednesdays from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Our new AWANA year will begin with an Open House on Wednesday, September 14th when you can register your child and purchase uniforms and books. Our first regular AWANA evening will be September 21st. Designed to reach children for Christ and train them to know, love and serve Him, an Awana evening offers exciting games, age-appropriate Bible messages, and one-on-one help with scripture memorization.
- Do you want to learn more about AWANA? Click here!
- View Mary's AWANA blog with over 60 Council Time talks for T&T from previous weeks.
- View the frequently asked questions (.pdf)
- Register today! Download and complete this form: AWANA 2016-17 Registration Form. Drop it off or email to the church office.
- You can order uniforms, books and other items by using the form here: dues/gear order form (.docx). It can be dropped off or emailed to the church office.
Calendar of Events - 2016 through 2017
14 Open House to Register and Purchase Uniforms and Books - Children can also be registered by sending us the form above.
21 First Regular AWANA Evening
28 Parents' Night - Info meeting
Trading Post open through October to purchase uniforms and books
5 We're celebrating AWANA's 25th Anniversary at Stone HIll
26 Come dressed as your favorite Bible character
2 Operation Christmas Child project begins
9 Layer Night
16 Operation Christmas Child projects collected - We donated over 100 shoe boxes this year!!! Thank you!
23 Thanksgiving Break
7 AWANA store
14 AWANA Christmas party
21 & 28 Christmas Break
4 AWANA resumes
18 Sparks & T&T Winter Contests
8 Beach Night!
15 Pinewood Derby Cars go on sale - $5./each
22 & 29 Derby Build Nights
10 & 11 Pinewood Derby - Check-In Night and Saturday Races
12 NO AWANA - Spring Break
19 & 26 Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head Contest (Sparks & T&T)
21 Special Friday Night - Handbook Blitz & Pizza Night
3 AWANA Store Night!
10 Final AWANA Night - Awards night
Pinewood Derby FAQS - /sites/default/files/u96/FAQs.docx
Racing Rules - /sites/default/files/u96/2015RaceRules.docx
Our AWANA Clubs
Cubbies: Ages 3&4 - First steps in following Jesus. The evening includes storytime, songs, puppet show, activities and beginning Bible verses.
Sparks: Kindergarten through 2nd Grade - Exciting game time & meaningful talks about God. Small group Bible memorization. Caring leaders.
T&T: Grades 3-6 - Help your child develop a love for God and His Word through age-appropriate talks, relationships with loving adults, and game time that's full of surprises.
TREK/LiTs: If your child is older than 6th grade, we have the program for you! Our TREKers have their own study time and then go on to serve as Leaders-in-Training helping our Cubbies, Sparks & TnTers.
Awana is an international organization with over 8000 clubs around the world, and over one million children are involved in AWANA clubs. Awana and the Awana logo are Registered Trademarks of Awana Clubs International. Used by permission.


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Another Walk Of Shame Music Video
Songs about the walk of shame are getting trendier than energy drinks. And now the two have combined powers in one cool commercial, which, especially thanks to the dude in a thong and a trenchcoat, inadvertantly acts as an ad for sobriety and safe sex too. You may also want to protect yourself from the AMP Energy Drink it promotes (it probably tastes like Sweettarts on steroids), but at least the vid is straight up sweet. [World of Wonder]


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"You're in our world now" Ownership and access in the proprietary community of an MMOG
Humphreys, Sal (2006) "You're in our world now" Ownership and access in the proprietary community of an MMOG. In Van Der Graaf, Shenja & Washida, Yuichi (Eds.) Information Communication Technologies and Emerging Business Strategies. Idea Group Publishing (IGI Global), Hershey, PA, pp. 76-96.
|PDF (106kB)
This chapter considers how the interactive and social nature of massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) presents challenges to systems of organisation, control and regulation used for more conventional media products. It examines how the interactive structures of games cast players as producers of content, not merely consumers. This productive role creates a distributed production network that challenges the ideas of authorship which underpin copyright and intellectual property. The role of the publishers is shown to encompass community, as well as intellectual property, management. The communities generated within these games are a key source of economic benefit to the publishers. The contract that determines the conditions of access and the forms of governance inside proprietary worlds is considered in light of this newly intensified relationship between commerce and community. Questions are raised about the accountability of publishers, the role of the market and the state in determining conditions of access.
Impact and interest:
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|Posted with the permission of the copyright owner for your personal use only. No further distribution is permitted without permission of the copyright owner.
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|Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > STUDIES IN CREATIVE ARTS AND WRITING (190000) > FILM TELEVISION AND DIGITAL MEDIA (190200) > Interactive Media (190205)
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > LANGUAGES COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE (200000) > CULTURAL STUDIES (200200) > Screen and Media Culture (200212)
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency's Disaster Recovery Center at the Westchester County Center in White Plains will cease operations at 6 p.m. Friday (Dec. 21).
The center has provided face-to-face information and help to more than 890 victims of Hurricane Sandy since Nov. 8 and will continue to do so until it shuts down. Hours are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Once the White Plains center closes, those who still need help can find others by texting DRC and a zip code to 43362 (4FEMA) and a text message will be sent back with the address. You can also log on to www.FEMA.gov/disaster-recovery-centers for FEMA's recover center locator or all 800-621-3362.
Individuals can also register for help online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800621-3362.


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My nose job was on 06/22/2013. I know it takes several months to see the final result, but I am asking this to manage my expectations. Before the surgery I said to my doctor that I was unhappy with the shape of my nose, because the tip was too round and big. I can see some improvement right now in a profile view. However seeing myself from the front, I still see my nose large and round. I know that the tip should reduce over time, but should expect more definition afterwards?
Should I Expect the Definition of my Nose Improve over Time? (photo)
Doctor Answers 5
Yes you can!!
Hello rtaira,
You are very early after rhinoplasty. It is not uncommon for a nose to take over a year to completely heal. What I have noticed is that the upper 2/3's of the nose typically "heals" in the first 2-4 months. And, in general, the tip of the nose really finalizes around months 10-12. That means that your nasal tip is a long way from finishing it's development. One additional consideration is that you are an Asian male, and it is typical for an Asian male to have a more fatty nasal tip. It is reasonable to ask your surgeon how the extra fat in the tip was handled. It is also reasonable to ask your surgeon about their thoughts about the use of injectible steroids to reduce swelling. This is a common method for helping when it is felt that there is too much swelling.
I think your nose looks good now, but it doesn't matter what I think. Just make sure you communicate with your surgeon and be patient.
Good luck.
Dr. Shah
Learn more: http://www.shahrhinoplasty.com/
Should I Expect the Definition of my Nose Improve over Time?
Dear Rtaira,
Thank you for your question and photos. Expect your nasal tip to be the last part of your nose that loses its swelling. This will gradually refine over 6-12 months. I think you will like your nose more and more as the months go by.
Best wishes,
Pablo Prichard, MD
Nasal swelling
Since you just had your nose done a few weeks ago it will be swollen. You have to give it 6 months to a year to settle.
You might also like...
Should I Expect the Definition of my Nose To Improve over Time?
It has only been a few days after surgery, and the swelling will decrease markedly in the next few months.
Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA
Learn more: http://www.hughesplasticsurgery.com/Rhinoplasty.php
It Takes A Year To See The Final Result
You stated your Rhinoplasty was 6-22-13. It is too early to see your final result. You will notice changes over the next year. Follow up with your Plastic Surgeon as he recommends . Best wishes for a fast recovery!
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.


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On Saturday, April 7, Mike Wallace, the CBS Newsman, died at 93 in New Canaan, Conn. Two days before Wallace's death, Gil Noble, who for more than forty years was the host of "Like It Is," on WABC-TV made his transition.
Both were probing journalists with long years in the media spotlight where they came in contact with a multitude of world notables. Longevity is not the only thing they had in common.
They were versatile newsmen; willing to ask the hard questions and unwilling to forego an iota of integrity and objectivity.
One person in particular comes to mind when I think of them—Malcolm X.
In 1959, Wallace, along with Louis Lomax, was instrumental in producing a special on the Nation of Islam entitled "The Hate That Hate Produced." That show brought considerable attention to the NOI and provided Malcolm with a platform that would only expand until his assassination in 1965.
Noble often recounted his experiences with Malcolm, beginning with how utterly intimidated and fearful he was of the human rights leader.
"I have to admit he terrified me," Noble said. "He was not afraid to call white folks devils and that made me keep my distance from him. Later, after I got to know him better I wasn't as fearful of him."
If Wallace was to feature Malcolm in his documentary, Noble was the first to offer a full documentary devoted completely to Malcolm's ascendancy.
"The documentary was the first ever produced on Malcolm," Noble recalled in his memoir, Black Is the Color of My TV Tube. "It received critical acclaim. The show was put into distribution and sold to schools and colleges across the nation and the world."
His subsequent documentaries on Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. and Paul Robeson were equally well done and they stand as a testament to the priceless value of the archives he leaves behind.
Of course, Wallace during his many years at CBS and particularly as a correspondent for "60 Minutes" completed his share of documentaries, both long and short.
They were formidable commentators and communicators and it is difficult to believe the likes of them will ever be seen on television again telling it like it is.
Noble's funeral service is tentatively scheduled for Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem this coming Thursday, but that is still unconfirmed.


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Frank P. Ramsey: A Cambridge Economist
Frank Plumpton Ramsey was a Cambridge mathematician who produced profound work in logic, philosophy, mathematics and economics in the first-half of the twentieth century. He died at the age of twenty six, in 1930, and his contributions, despite being few in number, have been bearing fruits since then. Practitioners across those areas share the view that Ramsey was a genius ahead of his time. I explore in this article how Ramsey's image of a genius was created among eminent economists. I then discuss the main point of this essay: whether or not Ramsey may have had a research agenda in economics. His two major articles in this field seem to be unrelated. A common impression from these works and from Ramsey's interaction with other economists is that he was mostly a mathematician who was distracted by economists who from time to time sought his help with certain problems. Here I argue that Ramsey did have an economics research agenda, born out of his close relationship with Arthur Cecil Pigou. I support my thesis mostly with an archival evidence not explored thus far: some notes deposited at the University of Pittsburgh, here published for the first time.
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Volume (Year): 41 (2009)
Issue (Month): 3 (Fall)
Pages: 445-470
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|Chapman Spotts Elswick (William Elswick1) was born APR 1836 in Virginia. He married Emmaline Chambers 10 SEP 1863 in Tazewell County VA, daughter of Thomas D. Chambers III and Nancy Christian. She was born 1830 in Virginia.
Children of Chapman Spotts Elswick and Emmaline Chambers are:
|James Buchanan Elswick (Chapman Spotts Elswick2, William Elswick1) was born 1859 in Virginia. He married Elizabeth. She was born 1856 in Virginia.
Child of James Buchanan Elswick and Elizabeth is:
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As the Dow Jones Industrial Average continues to forge new all-time highs, the question on everyone's mind is, "Which sectors are driving the market higher?"
Our answer: All of them.
We know that may seem like a strange answer, but it's true. Let us explain.
Strong Positive Correlation Across the Board
Looking back, the current uptrend began on Nov. 16, 2012. Since then, virtually every major sector in the market has moved higher and higher, in lock-step with each other. You can see this trend in the chart, where we have plotted the returns of the following exchange-traded funds (ETFs):
- SPDR S&P 500 Fund (NYSE:SPY) – Black
- Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLE) – Blue
- Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLF) – Turquoise
- Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLV) – Bright Green
- Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLI) – Pink
- Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLB) – Red
- Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLK) – Blue/Gray
- Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLU) – Brown
As you can see, apart from a few positive divergences by XLK and XLB and a negative divergence by XLU, all of the sectors have been moving together.
This correlation of movement has become even more pronounced during market pullbacks – like we saw at the end of 2012 before the "fiscal cliff" deadline and at the end of February (highlighted by the red boxes).
So What Does This Tell Us?
It tells us that while there are certainly going to be some stocks that outperform and some stocks that underperform if the market continues to move higher, it is going to be pretty hard to choose investments that aren't going to move higher on average in the near term.
It also tells us that if the market starts to correct lower, it is going to be quite difficult to find any stocks that don't pull back with the rest of the market.
In other words, diversification is only going to do so much for us at this point because the market is moving as a whole.
The Bottom Line for Next Week
So what can you do in a market like this? We will continue to look for stocks that are moving with the rest of the market, but we also know that news announcements – especially earnings releases – are one catalyst that can cause an individual stock to break away from the herd in the short term.
John Jagerson and S. Wade Hansen are co-founders of LearningMarkets.com, as well as the co-editors of SlingShot Trader, a trading service designed to help you make options profits by trading the news. Get in on the next trade and get 1 free month today by clicking here.


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Cat Teaches New Dog An Old Trick [VIDEO]
We all know how much I love animals, and whether you are a dog person or a cat person, I guarantee you will love this video!
Dog is man's best friend. Cats are aloof & independent, but full of unique personality. I don't discriminate when it comes to my love of animals. I love all of the furry little things. I am particularly fond of my two kitties, Sophe & Boo. They have very different personalities but they are both very direct when trying to communicate what they want… much like the kitty in the video.
The video starts out with the puppy almost begging for a lesson! "Please? Please? Will you teach me how NOOOOW??? Please? Please? Please?!"
Kitty says, "Fine. Sit down and watch." Kitty lifts the puppy's head, "Now pay attention. THIS is how you impress the humans." He then proceeds to show the puppy how to execute the perfect roll over. Once he gets back up, I imagine the conversation to go something like this:
"See? That's how you do it. It's easy. Now. You try…"
"You mean like this?"
Subscribe to WDKS-FM on


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McCully to visit New York
Hon Murray McCully
Minister of
Foreign Affairs
5 February 2014 Media Statement
McCully to visit New York
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully will visit New York this week to host a Waitangi Day reception at New Zealand's Permanent Mission and for a presentation of the African Union Handbook.
While in New York Mr McCully will hold meetings with a range of Permanent Representatives at the UN Headquarters.
"Securing a seat on the Security Council for 2015-16 is the government's top foreign policy priority," Mr McCully says.
"In the lead up to the election it is important to take opportunities in New York to outline our credentials as a fair-minded and independent small state."
The African Union Handbook is a joint project by New Zealand and the AU Commission.
Modelled on New Zealand's United Nations Handbook, which is now in its 51st year, the African Union Handbook is the new official guide to the AU system.
Mr McCully will present the handbook to a meeting of the 54 African Permanent Representatives in New York. He formally launched the book last week in Addis Ababa with African Union foreign ministers.


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Most browser developers believe that tabs on top of the browser window is the logical position. They may state that this is consistent in regards to the user interface, or that all "other" browsers are doing it as well.
The debate whether tabs should be on bottom or top in Firefox has waved for years. Mozilla started to push out tabs on top in Firefox 4 as the default display mode but kept an option in Firefox to display them at the bottom if wanted.
There are arguments for tabs on bottom as well as for tabs on top. If that is of interest to you, check out the bug over at Mozilla that tracks the removal of the tabs on bottom mode.
Side note: There is also a third group of users, those who like their tabs displayed on the side of the browser.
Recently, the organization has removed that option from the UI of Firefox, but kept it as a about:config switch that experienced users could still use to display tabs on bottom. That switch, browser.tabs.onTop, will be removed when Firefox Australis is released.
Before we look at ways to restore tabs on bottom, we need to define bottom and top.
Tabs on top are displayed above the address bar and the bookmarks bar in Firefox. In Australis, only the titlebar is displayed on top of the tabbar.
Tabs on bottom on the other hand means that tabs are displayed below the browser's main toolbar and the bookmarks bar. It should not be confused with Tab Mix Plus' bottom display option which moves the tabs below the website to the bottom of the browser window.
I have been using tabs on bottom in Firefox ever since I started using the browser. While I do not have any issues using tabs on top in Chrome, as the browser lacks customization to place tabs elsewhere, I was disappointed when Mozilla announced the removal of tabs on bottom in Firefox 29.
If you want to restore the functionality, you will have to install extensions to do so. I'm going to review two extensions -- briefly -- that you can use for that.
Straightforward is the Tabs On Bottom extension. It has only one purpose and that is to restore the tabs on bottom functionality in Firefox. All you have to do is install the extension to regain the missing functionality. Note that it will leave other Australis-related changes such as curved tabs as they are.
Classic Theme Restorer on the other hand restores tabs on bottom as well as about a dozen other features or interface elements that were modified or removed in Firefox Australis. I have reviewed the extension in detail here.
You are probably wondering when this change is going to happen. If you are running Firefox Nightly, it already happened. Firefox Aurora users will notice the change February 4, 2014, Beta users on March 18, 2014, and the bulk of users when the stable version of Firefox is updated to version 29 on April 29, 2014.
While we are at it: what is your preference in regards to tabs? Top? Bottom? Side? No tabs? Lets discuss in the comments.


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I'm always so inspired when I come across the blog of a talented interior stylist. I love seeing work that I may have missed otherwise since there are so many magazines that I'll never come across and work that I wouldn't see as a result. I like when a stylist shares the work of others in addition to their own – a good mix of what they love, who they admire, coupled with some of their own work – this makes a good mix in my opinion. It feels right to me, because too much me me me can be a drag on any blog. What do you think? Out of all the stylists and designers that you follow, who do you wish had a blog?
I've been to some blogs and it seems at times like they are only pushing their work to the forefront and nothing more. How do you feel about blogs like that? I believe that it is important for creatives to make a genuine effort to connect with whomever stumbles upon their blog and this is done through sharing – always sharing – not simply to use the blog as a platform to market their work. That is a bit boring, don't you think? I love it when talented people are sharing everything that is influencing them, even abstract things (those are often the BEST posts) and both related to and unrelated to their work. I like to see what comes across their desk, what matters to them and what is meaningful at the moment to them. I want opinions and openness.
I like the blog of Anna Gillar in Sweden, who is both an interior designer and stylist. She writes an inspiring blog because… She shares what she does for work, but also what and whom she simply loves – what catches her creative eye and what calls to her heart. I adore seeing what is on the radar of style experts and trend 'watchers' out there. Her blog works for me because it's like having Anna as a friend and she's simply sharing what she finds interesting with me as we're hanging out having tea or something… That is what makes a bog inspiring to me, when I sense a kindred spirit from a faraway place!
Please check out her blog and see what you think. I've chosen some shots for this post that I think best represent her blog & style – hip, cool, clear, clean, graphic and artistic. Also not very colorful, but that's okay, it's nice on the eyes now and then to rest on simple charcoals and creams. Serene and perfect for Autumn planning… A base like this gives you so many options to mix in color if you like, as it hits you. A little mustard, a hint of orange, a bit of copper… With a simple base you can really explore.
(images: anna gillar's blog)


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Main navigation | Main content
The University of Minnesota IRB is committed to the protection of human participants in research. The following outlines guidance for researchers in the development of a research protocol.
Learn which studies require a scientific assessment before submitting to the IRB for review and approval. Includes information about acceptable methods for scientific assessment.
Learn how to ethically recruit participants for research. Includes information about acceptable recruitment materials and unique requirements for recruiting Fairview patients for research.
Learn how to ethically obtain informed consent or assent/parental permission for research. Includes best practices for informed consent, documentation of informed consent requirements, and tools and resources for developing a meaningful and engaging informed consent process.
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Minneapolis Campus


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I, a pale, Irish-blooded caucasian, was actually called a nigger today. I was minding my own business, wandering the isles of Walmart on a noble quest for some light snackage, when a middle aged, slightly inbred-looking redneck proceeded to rush me with his shopping cart. The marginally disruptive maneuver was in vain, however. Using my lighting-fast ninja reflexes, I easily dodged his enthusiast…
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Happy reading! Sarah McDulingEditorBooktopia Young Adult BuzzThe largest Australian owned and operated online bookstore.Follow me on Tumblr -
Young Adult @ BooktopiaFollow me on twitter @sarahmcduling *Ts & Cs apply.(If this newsletter is cut off in your email program, or you cannot see the right-hand side with the index, please be sure to click on the link at the top of this email to view it online.)


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congatec, a leading manufacturer of embedded computer modules, announces the expansion of its Qseven product line.The conga-QAF Qseven module, which is based on the AMD Embedded G-Series, is the first module to combine high performance graphics, dual core processing power and low power consumption in such a small form factor, targeting cost-sensitive low-power control and visualization applications.
The conga-QAF is available in two processor variants: AMD G-Series G-T40E 1.0 GHz Dual Core (6.4 W); and AMD G-Series G-T40R 1.0 GHz Single Core (5.5 W) with up to 4 GB of low power onboard DDR3 memory.
The integrated graphics core with the Universal Video Decoder 3.0 for seamless processing of blu-ray content via HDCP (1080p), MPEG-2, HD and DivX (MPEG-4) video supports DirectX® 11 and OpenGL 4.0 for fast 2D and 3D image display and OpenGL 1.1. LVDS. DisplayPort and HDMI graphics interfaces are provided.
The AMD G-Series graphics unit can also be used for compute-intensive parallelizable operations that are normally executed by the processor. OpenCL support is offered to ensure that non-graphics related standard operations are also easy and straightforward to perform.
The new conga-QAF Qseven module, which measures just 70 x 70 mm and uses the AMD Hudson E1 Fusion controller hub in combination with the G-Series processor, provides a powerful and compact two-chip solution with a complete feature set. Differential interfaces such as PCI Express and SATA are available. Support is further available for 8x USB 2.0, 2x SATA 3.0, 1x SDIO, 4x PCIe 2.0, LPC bus, I²C bus, Gigabit Ethernet and high definition audio.
Extreme performance efficiencies make this a suitable solution for user-friendly control of mobile applications in automation, medical technology, digital signage, POI/POS, transportation, and many other fields.
Pricing and Availability
The conga-QAF Qseven module is available today with pricing starting at under $200. For more information, contact email@example.com. More information is available on our website at www.congatec.us.


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Frisky Q&A: Starstruck Author Rachel Shukert On Old Hollywood Glamour & New Teenage Problems
Here are some things you should know about author Rachel Shukert: She looks an awful lot like Kathleen Hanna; she wrote and recorded an amazing awards show-worthy Oscar movie medley; she recaps so-campy-it-hurts "Smash" for funsies; and she's the author of three of my favorite books ever. Shukert's first two, Everything Is Going To Be Great and Have You No Shame?, were memoirs, the former a hilarious meditation on her post-college European travels, the latter, essays and stories about growing up Jewish in Omaha, Nebraska. Here's how great Everything Is Going To Be Great is: I almost (almost!) stole my librarian friend's library copy so I could finish it (I now own my own).
Her latest, Starstruck, may seem like an unlikely departure. It's a young adult novel set in the 1930s about teenager Margaret Frobischer, who leaves her well-to-do family behind to pursue success in Hollywood. On the lot of Olympus Studios, Margaret (renamed Margo by the studio) befriends fellow starlet Gabby Preston, ogles leading man Dane Forrest, and puzzles over the mystery of star Diana Chesterfield's disappearance. And here's why Starstruck is great: it's rife with juicy period details, and exposes the seedy side of what it took to succeed in the film industry — plus, it has tons of fascinating little tidbits about life in the weird Hollywood studio system. And don't let the "young adult" moniker fool you — there's plenty of torrid romance, drama and unseemly characters to hook even the most depraved grownup.
I spoke to Rachel about Starstruck, her writing process, and her enduring love for all things Old Hollywood. Check out our interview after the jump, and don't forget to grab your copy of Starstruck, available online and in bookstores now.
Starstruck is about a teenage girl who doesn't fit in, and who's desperate to make her way in Hollywood. Was that your dream growing up, too?
Rachel: I don't know if we've talked about this before, but I had sort of an unusual childhood in the way that my parents sent me to Jewish Day School all through elementary school. And that doesn't sound too weird, until you remember that I grew up in Nebraska, so this school was INCREDIBLY small. I think at its height, there were about 36 kids in the whole school. I was a little bit lonely. None of my friends from school (not that there were a lot of them) lived near me, so I didn't have any friends in the neighborhood (although I would watch them all play with each other and long to be one of the group.) A lot of the kids at the school I went to, well, mostly they were fine, but it was kind of a self-selecting group, in the sense that a lot of them were either VERY religious (which we weren't, really) or had various special needs that made a very small school desirable. So basically, I was totally cut off from most average kids my own age, and grew up in this kind of peer vacuum, where I was just sort of free to like what I liked, without any fear of ostracization, because I was already sort of an outcast. It turned out what I liked were Tennessee Williams plays and Elizabeth Taylor and Judy Garland and "What Makes Sammy Run?"
That can be freeing. You can just get your weird on.
Rachel: Exactly! I got my weird on. I would like, check out Cat On A Hot Tin Roof from the library, and act out all the parts for an audience of stuffed animals, and like, that was my Saturday, and that made me happy. I was like, seven. "I'm not living with you! We occupy the same cage!" [Ed note: That's a quote from Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.] But I also think that feeling like such an oddball DID kind of lead me to that stuff, to the creation myth of old Hollywood, like, you'll be discovered by someone who sees how special you are, and become another person who everyone wants to be, who is bigger and better than everyone around you. That really appealed to me.
So was the character of Margaret in some ways a wish fulfillment from that time?
Rachel: Oh, God, totally. Margaret is who I wished I was. She knows she's different than the people around her, that she wants different things. She wants to be more alive than they are, or at least, what that feels like to her. And there is a certain kind of person, and God knows I am one of them, who feels the most alive when everything they're doing is pretend.
So we know the roots of your fascination with old Hollywood — let's talk about how that's manifested in your life, and in this book. You pursued acting for a while, right?
Rachel: Yes. For a long while, actually. I started doing community and regional theater at a really long age–again, about 9, when everything started happening to me, apparently (9 was when I got really weird, is what I'm saying.) And I actually think some of those experiences informed a lot of Starstruck, being young and being around adults…and especially those kind of adults, who weren't your typical suburban parents, you know what I mean? It made me see there was a way to be an amazing, creative bohemian weirdo, even when you grew up. I went to Tisch School of the Arts at NYU and got a BFA in acting. I mean, I am a seriously trained actress. But when I got out into the real world of it, I realized that I didn't actually want to be a 21-year-old actress making the rounds in 2000's New York City. I wanted to be a 21-year-old actress in the 1930's in the old Hollywood studio system.
So was this book always percolating in the back of your head? It it Rachel Shukert fan fic?
Rachel: Sort of, I think so. When I was a kid, my favorite books, that I would check out from the library again and again, were these sort of vintage show biz novels. Like Valley of the Dolls and Inside Daisy Clover and this amazing book called Chocolates For Breakfast (that we somehow managed to talk Harper Perennial into republishing). And at some point, I had this thought…what if someone tried to write a book like that that was meant for actually teenagers? Like, on purpose?
That seems like a totally impossible challenge. There are no vampires in your book!
Rachel: No, the only vampires are the agents!
Rachel: The more I thought of it, the more I kind of started to see these parallels–that the studio system, with its limitations and codes of behavior and paternalism, is not unlike a high school. It kept its stars bound to this sort of eternal adolescence. And I thought that might be relatable.
Why do you think Starstruck is garnering so much attention from adult readers?
Rachel: I mean, I knew it would be a book with a lot of crossover appeal, and it's incredibly different than a lot of the other YA books on the market. It's not magical, nobody is secretly a robot or a werewolf or a ghost or roaming a dessicated dystopian wilderness with some totalitarian government after them.
Yeah, I really couldn't imagine Margaret "Hunger Games-ing" it.
Rachel: No. Gabby on the other hand, Gabby would kill them all. Gabby is living in an eternal "Hunger Games." But look, here's the thing: when I was a teenager, all I wanted was for people to see me as a sophisticated, glamorous adult. That's what I aspired to. And what I love about this period, about the '30's in general, is that it has that same kind of self-conscious sophistication. All those terribly witty Cole Porter songs, all the very well-cut, understated clothes and dry little double entendres and pretending not to be very shocked by anything. To me, that feels so much like me as a teenager. This kind of studied, elegant apathy.
And that teenage self-conscious sophistication never changes, no matter the decade.
Rachel: Look at something like "Now, Voyager" where Bette Davis transforms from a spinster with a unibrow into this gorgeous, sophisticated, tragic knockout because Paul Henreid was clearly fucking her brains out on that cruise ship but then he has that crazy wife he can't leave. We don't have to see him do it to know he's doing it–in fact, not seeing it introduces the concept of "longing" into the whole equation…and to me, longing is ALL about adolescence. That yearning for someone, wondering if they like you, if they're ever going to to tell you…
It's so earnest and innocent and "before."
Exactly. Before. Before life happens to you and you stop caring so much about anything anymore. But these are real grownups in feeling that way in those movies, not John Hughes characters. And that gives it a kind of gravitas, you know what I mean? I wanted the world to feel accurate enough that you didn't have to constantly think about it. I started to find that the best research was just to go back to those original contemporaneous novels that had inspired me, and just steal things. Like which restaurants they would go to, or where someone would buy a dress, and they're all the right ones because the people writing those books were just there.
You must have loved it — I know we share that love of weird old British families and historical family narratives and all that crap.
Oh, God, yes. I loved it. I feel like that stuff is like baseball statistics for girls, you know?
And this is the first book in a trilogy? What else can we expect down the road for Margaret, Gabby and the rest of 'em?
Rachel: Well, without giving too much away, Margaret is going to begin to see that easy come is easy go, in a lot of ways. She had the meteoric rise, and in a lot of ways, she hasn't earned it. She's going to start asking herself questions about where she can go from where she is, what happens when you get everything you thought you wanted, but you can't quite keep it, and it doesn't make you happy anyway. Gabby is growing up, and getting more restless. She's got a new love interest who is actually interested in the physical company of women, if you know what I mean. And let's just say that the "vitamins' from the studio have proven to be kind of a gateway drug.
Viola is such a stage mom, too. She reminds of one of those pageant moms or something.
Rachel: Viola is totally a pageant mom!! But I always say Honey Boo Boo is our Shirley Temple.
You don't get the Shirley Temple you want, you get the Shirley Temple you deserve. One thing: I'm not naming names, but that brother/sister/lovers plotline was a shocker.
Rachel: Hahaha. I think I had been watching a LOT of "Game of Thrones" in advance of writing the book. But also, I have this very, very vivid childhood memory of being in a bookstore in Seattle. I must have been about 9, and I was just becoming obsessed with classic Hollywood and old movies and the 1930's and the Holocaust and all the various other topics that grip me to this day. And I remember being left alone in this bookstore where my parents were doing something else, and I picked up a copy of "Hollywood Babylon" by Kenneth Anger.
Totally appropriate for a 9-year-old.
Rachel: I opened it to a random page, and the first thing I saw–I remember this SO clearly–was something about Lilian and Dorothy Gish, and it said something like: "But was the unthinkable true? Was Lillian Dorothy's lover????" (They were sisters, obviously, which made it weird.) So I think maybe that was a little bit in the back of my head when I was conceiving of this plotline.
Obviously adult ladies love the book — have you heard much of a response from teens yet about it?
Rachel: So far, teens seem to like it! But it's only been out for a few days now, so I think I'll hear more soon. But I have gotten a lot of nice blog attention from a lot of bloggers who are teenagers, and it seems like they are getting into it. And that it's getting them into checking out some old movies, which is nice. My ulterior motive was always to make a generation of girls as weird as I was as a kid. Playmates at last!
Contact the author of this post at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @havethehabit.


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15 Books to Empower Tween Girls
Learn about good books that will empower young girls, tweens and teens. Shop books for girls on Overstock.com.
ITEM#: 12364922The bestselling book that asks what dogs know and how they think. The answers will surprise and delight you as Alexandra Horowitz, a cognitive scientist, explains how dogs perceive their daily worlds, each other, and that other quirky animal, the human.
|PETS / Dogs / General
|Publisher Date
|2010-09-28 00:00:00.0
|Copyright Year
|8.75 in
|5.5 in
|1.0 in
|Unit weight
|0.75 lb
|What Dogs See, Smell, and Know
|Horowitz, Alexandra
|Country of Origin
|United States
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Mojave CA (SPX) Mar 10, 2008
In the most recent demonstration of its national leadership role in renewable and alternative energy, Southern California Edison (SCE) has begun construction of the largest wind transmission project in the United States.
When all phases are developed, the Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project will include a series of new and upgraded high-voltage transmission lines capable of delivering 4,500 megawatts of electricity from wind farms and other generating companies in Northern Los Angeles and Eastern Kern counties.
The first three segments include the following components: two new substations - Windhub and Highwind - located near Mojave and Monolith; a new, 25.6 mile, 500 kilovolt transmission line connecting SCE's existing Antelope Substation with the new Windhub Substation; a new, 9.6 mile, 220 kilovolt transmission line connecting the Windhub Substation and the Highwind Substation; a new, 21.0-mile, 500 kilovolt transmission line connecting SCE's existing Antelope and Vincent substations; and a new, 26.7-mile, 500 kilovolt transmission line connecting SCE's existing Antelope and Pardee substations. The new lines are expected to be operational in early 2009.
"Southern California Edison is the nation's leader in renewable and alternative energy, and we are continually looking for ways to expand our renewables portfolio," said Alan J. Fohrer, chairman and chief executive officer of Southern California Edison, the utility subsidiary of Edison International. "The Tehachapi project is an example of the company finding a progressive way to meet increased energy demands of our customers and meet state officials' desires to enhance the state's renewables portfolio."
The Tehachapi project is the first major transmission project in California being built specifically to access multiple renewable generators in a remote renewable-rich resource area. When complete, it will be part of a comprehensive $1.8 billion program to provide the high-voltage transmission infrastructure necessary to interconnect and deliver the renewable wind resources being developed in the Tehachapi Wind Resource Area to California electricity customers.
Completing the Tehachapi project is an important component to meeting California's renewable energy goals.
"Construction of the Tehachapi project will create the single largest power block of wind energy in the United States," said Michael Peevey, president of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). "Our action today represents a critical step in alleviating the transmission constraints that have limited our ability to access substantial wind resources in the Tehachapi region."
Other phases of the project are in the regulatory and approval stage. The project, if completed in 2013 as proposed, would be capable of carrying 4,500 megawatts of electricity, enough energy to supply nearly 3 million homes at peak output. One megawatt is enough power to serve about 650 average homes at a given point in time.
"The Tehachapi project not only will facilitate the interconnection of new wind generation, but also will improve grid reliability to help meet the state's growing demand for electricity with renewable energy," said Dian Grueneich, the lead CPUC commissioner on the Tehachapi project.
In addition to bringing significant wind energy resources to the California transmission grid, the Tehachapi project will provide many other meaningful benefits, including:
- Improving the reliability of the California transmission grid by enabling the expansion of the transfer capability of "Path 26," one of the state's most important north/south transmission corridors.
- Serving the growth in energy demand in the Antelope Valley.
- Easing transmission constraints into the Los Angeles basin.
- The Tehachapi project is part of SCE's five-year, $5 billion transmission expansion program designed to ensure that Southern California has the robust power delivery system needed by a growing region.
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Cthulhu Amigurumi by Sarah Alderson
Welcome! You are browsing as a guestWould you like to see 3 projects made from this pattern and much more? create a free account What am I missing?
© Wessenden Woollies
© Wessenden Woollies
© Wessenden Woollies
© Wessenden Woollies
Cthulhu Amigurumi
This pattern is available for £2.50 GBP
buy it now or visit pattern website
buy it now or visit pattern website
Cthulhu is a cute little Great Old One who would love to play with you and he promises not to devourer you!
This pattern is suitable for beginner crocheters and it is very straightforward to crochet. Worked flat in chunky yarn and seamed at the side makes him quick and easy.
£1 from the sale of this pattern will go to the UK children's charity Barnardo's.
For more information, see: http://www.wessendenwoollies.com/cthulhu-amigurumi/


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" Good evening and welcome to "Arizona Horizon." I'm Ted Simons. The November 6th general election is a few weeks away but Arizonans can start voting today. In the last two presidential elections, early voting has accounted for more than half the ballots cast in Arizona and changed the way campaigns are run. Here to talk about early voting and a host of other election-related issues is Arizona State University pollster Bruce Merrill. Good to see you again. Thank you for joining us. Early voting really that big a deal?
Bruce Merrill: It's a big deal. It's completely changed electoral politics, particularly in Arizona. The smart consultants are the ones that put most of their money now towards early voting. Keep in mind that about half the people that vote early and were approaching 60% now do, cast their votes the first 10 days to 2 weeks after they got those ballots. So, you got to spend the money up front and just before early voting.
Ted Simons: When the returns come in, do the early voting are they usually announced first? Last? Doesn't really -- it changes? Doesn't really matter does it?
Bruce Merrill: It really doesn't matter. It's the final count but what we know is that the people that vote early tend to be different than the people that vote late. For instance, Janet Napolitano won both of her elections for attorney general and for governor by really understanding early voting and she spent most of her money on early voting. The research I did showed that she got like 56% of the early vote but lost the actual vote on election day, but it gave her enough that she won.
Ted Simons: So, how were those voters different?
Bruce Merrill: Well, the people that tend to vote at the polls tend to be a little bit older. Sometimes people that are kind of, it's traditional for them to go into the more established neighborhoods. A lot of the more professional people, younger people, tend to put in their ballots pretty early.
Ted Simons: Ok. Let's get to the national races here and then kind of focus in on Arizona. What is the mood of the country? Why did president Obama have the lead, seem to be owning up a lead before that debate? Why was that? Because of the 47% and things like that from the Romney campaign?
Bruce Merrill: Well, yes. It was a combination of that. The Libyan thing hurt Romney. He came out too early and criticized the president. There is a concept in American politics we call the rally around the flag syndrome, which means when you have a crisis, you lose an ambassador, there's a catastrophe, people of both parties tend support the president. That hurt Romney a little bit. Then the 47% comment hurt him a little bit. This is an election where up until the last week or two, until the debate, I couldn't, it wasn't clear to me who was going to win this election. Usually, it's pretty clear who is going to win by this time. But Romney -- Obama was pulling ahead. He was eight to 10 points ahead in the key battle ground states and I was about to call it for Obama until the debate. And it did change the dynamics. Now, whether or not it changed the underlying structure of those that are really going to vote for him or against him, probably not as much as the media has made it out to be. But nevertheless, because of media focus, it really did change the dynamics of the election.
Ted Simons: How unusual for a debate to have that kind of impact?
Bruce Merrill: Very unusual. And, in fact, I have talked with a number of reporters from the east coast, the west coast, and they are all saying the same thing I am. How did this happen? I mean, I was dumbfounded by the debate because this is a guy who has a reputation of being tough and a real good debater. He obviously either didn't take it serious. One almost looked like it like he was saying I am the president of the United States, why am I here? Why do I have to do this? And so I think we are all kind of mystified. I don't think you will see that kind of behavior in the second and third one.
Ted Simons: Is it the kind of thing, last thing on the debates, is it the kind of thing, where if you do well or you do poorly either way in the first debate, and number two and three are vastly different, I mean, how much can a second or third debate change what happened in the first debate?
Bruce Merrill: Well, you know, in the media society, the media last one day. So there's a new crisis, a new something to focus on, the next day. There are independent events. I think the thing that was surprising about the debate was simply that all Obama had to do because he was pulling away is kind of have a draw. That's all he really need but he got his rear kicked and in that particular debate.
Ted Simons: Let's get to Arizona. Is Arizona in play as far as the presidential election is concerned?
Bruce Merrill: I would be surprised. The Obama people really aren't terribly well organized in Arizona. They are not putting a great deal of money or effort into the Get Out the Vote activity, the social media that they put in last time. And keep in mind, in Arizona, there's about 4% or 5% more Republicans registered Republicans, than Democrats. Second, Republicans vote in a higher percentage than do Democrats. And so for both the challenger, Romney, in this case or the Romney to win, they have got to do well with the independent vote and get out their base. And that's what Romney will do. And keep in mind that Romney is a Mormon. There's a very significant number of Mormons in Arizona that will tend to support Romney. So it's pretty hard, I think, to see that the president is going to win in Arizona.
Ted Simons: What about the U.S. Senate race? We had our debate last night. And it was a rigorous affair, vigorous as well. How is that trending? And does something like a debate, can that, all indications are it's pretty close.
Bruce Merrill: Yeah. I was going to say, Ted, in a very close race it could. I personally thought the debate was about a draw. But it's the same scenario for Carmona. He has to get a majority of the independent vote. That's why you see lot of his ads are kind of directed towards, well, I don't like what either party is doing. That's a message that resonates well with independents. The second factor for Carmona is frankly the Hispanic vote. The Hispanic vote has to turn out for Carmona to have any chance to win.
Ted Simons: Are there indications that's going to happen? We saw the recall election of Russell Pierce. We are seeing Joe Arpaio in a relatively close race as least as far as his history is concerned. We keep hearing every election that comes around the Latino vote is ready to explode.
Bruce Merrill: I think that it will be a little higher this time but not for the traditional reasons. I think the activism that I have seen in the Hispanic community really comes from some of the younger Hispanics. Particularly because of the DREAM Act, kind of stuff that was going on. But you add the DREAM Act to the situation with the sheriff in terms of illegal immigration, and the presidential election, I think the Hispanic volt be a little higher. I don't think it's going to be high enough to really influence the outcome of the election.
Ted Simons: As far as congressional races, the CD 9 with Parker and Sinema, we have CD 1, as well, and CD 2. Let's start with CD 9, if we get to the others that's great but that's a lot of concentration. We're going to have a debate next week on that one as well. What do you see in there?
Bruce Merrill: I see a very close race there. That's an interesting district, demographically, politically. There's a large number of independents in that race. You have got two really different candidates in that race. We are at the stage where the campaign itself matters. By that, I mean strategy, putting money into get out the vote, identifying your supporters and delivering to the polls on Election Day. In a race like that, it's the better organized candidate that has a chance to win because it's a very close race.
Ted Simons: Let's talk about advertising. If one campaign or the other comes out, how negative do you go? They all, does anyone do a positive campaign ad anymore?
Bruce Merrill: Very seldom. About 80% of the ads that have been run are negative ads. Tragically the reason they run negative ads is because they work. When you live in a media society, there is so much noise. There's so many networks, so much cable, there's so much going on all the time that you have got to do something really dramatic to break through that noise to get people's attention. So what they do is they use negative advertising because it's very easy to make charges, whether they are true or not.
Ted Simons: Will that negative advertising in a race like this, could that negative advertising really make a difference?
Bruce Merrill: I doubt it. In the sense that even in the presidential election, Ted, at this point, probably no more than 4 to 5% of the people that will vote on Election Day are really undecided. Most people that vote really know how they are going to vote at this stage. And so it's just the most important thing at this point of what we call the end game of the campaigns is early voting and delivering your people to the polls. That's why the Democrats send in a guy like Bill Clinton. He didn't change anybody's mind. But what he did hopefully for the Democrats was to get out the base, to make them enthusiastic and want to get out and vote. So it's really delivering your people to the polls.
Ted Simons: Energizing folks there. CD 1, Kirkpatrick and Payton. What are you seeing on that race.
Bruce Merrill: That's another, it's not quite as polar, I think, as 9. But it's an interesting district. A lot of negative advertising. In fact, as far as I can tell it's almost all negative advertising on both of those. That's another one. I know it sounds almost like a copout but these elections are determined by who goes to the polls, who chooses to go and getting your people to the polls on election day, and the campaign that's better organized up there both of them have a chance to win.
Ted Simons: I mentioned Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County sheriff's race, do polls seem to indicate it's closer than it's ever been. Close is one thing. Losing the race is another. Is he in jeopardy of losing this race?
Bruce Merrill: Well, I think your analysis is right. I mean, he's certainly not as strong as he has been in the past. But he's got $9 million to spend for a sheriff's race. And the problem is his opponent really isn't known. The last time I looked, about 70% of the people in Maricopa County didn't know who was running against Joe Arpaio. Can he raise enough money to get his message out there to really have an effective chance to defeat the sheriff?
Ted Simons: That would be a good last question. The unknown factor that really does play how much of a difference does that make for a candidate? If you see unknown up there, how big a trouble are you in?
Bruce Merrill: There's no question that that's a major factor. Because I think one of the things to think about is we want to think about voters are rational, in other words, they are studying all the pros and cons. They are really not. Voting is primarily an emotional purchase. And so image and name is absolutely crucial.
Ted Simons: Bruce, good to have you here. Thanks for joining us.
Bruce Merrill: Good to be here.


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Microsoft encourages us to think of Linux, when we think of it as all, as an also-ran operating systems for nerds. The last thing Microsoft wants us to think about is that there are some spaces where Microsoft is a distant number two and Linux is on top. Too bad Microsoft, there are several such places. One such is HPC (High Performance Computing).
At HPC's very highest end, supercomputers, Linux rules. The first computer to bust the petaflop, 1.0 quadrillion calculations per second, barrier? IBM's Roadrunner supercomputer running Linux. Out of the Top 500 supercomputers in the world, over 80% of them are running Linux.
Better still, Linux manages to pull this off by largely using off-the-shelf components unlike the supercomputers of years gone by. Instead of specialized hardware, the Roadrunner uses AMD Opteron and Sony, Toshiba and IBM's Cell processors. Yes, that's the same Cell CPU that's inside your Sony PlayStation 3.
Linux has been making the most from the least in supercomputing since 1994, when Thomas Sterling and Don Becker, at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's CESDIS (Center of Excellence in Space Data and Information Sciences) created the first Beowulf Linux-powered clustered supercomputer. That first system, which was made up of 16 486-DX4 processors connected by channel bonded Ethernet, proved you could deliver supercomputing performance with COTS (Commodity off the Shelf) based systems. I've always regretted that I had left Goddard several years earlier so I never had a chance to get my name into a footnote of supercomputing and Linux history.
HPC's real bread and butter isn't supercomputers though. It's managing, or trying to manage the madness that is the financial markets. Wall Street runs on Linux. Almost all the major financial markets rely, to one extent or another, on Linux.
For example, the CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange) Group, the world's largest derivatives exchange, just joined the Linux Foundation. Solaris is also a major player in the world's markets.
Microsoft, on the other hand, is probably best known for its colossal failure on the London Stock Exchange. What made this especially ironic was that Microsoft has made the London Exchange's decision to go with a .NET and Windows Server 2003 solution part of its "Get the Facts" anti-Linux campaign including ads with fake headlines from the "The Highly Reliable Times."
Despite that flop, Microsoft is continuing to try to prove that it has Wall Street cred as a real HPC player. In its latest attempt, Microsoft is making no bones that Windows HPC Server 2008, scheduled to be released on Nov. 1st, will try to challenge Linux in HPC on Wall Street.
I'm not terribly worried about it. When you talk about really high-end performance, you talk about Linux, Solaris and AIX, maybe HP-UX or VMS, or even z/OS on a mainframe. Windows? Windows isn't even in the conversation. Anyone who knows anything about HPC, which it seems didn't include the IT staffers at the London Stock Exchange knows this.
Someone, somewhere out there may have used HPC Server 2008's predecessor, Windows CCS (Compute Cluster Server) 2003, but I've never met them. HPC Server 2008 will probably have more users than CCS, but probably not that many more.
After all, while HPC Server 2008 talks a good game with high-speed networking, cluster management tools, advanced failover capabilities, etc., etc., let's face it. It's still Windows. People may be willing to put up with a blue screen of death on their PC. I don't think stock brokers will be so patient when an entire exchange goes down especially in a market as volatile as this one is. After all, as the London Times reported today, numerous rivals are popping up to challenge the London Stock Exchange, and, in part, that's because of the Exchange's Windows-based system failures.
No, when it comes to big-time finances, Linux and Solaris are on top and Windows is an also-ran and it's going to stay that way.


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Latest question:
How do you think the new GigE standards will influence the machine vision industry?
Respond or ask your question now!
Oculus Photonics LLP introduces the digital, near-ultraviolet (near-UV) camcorder, the UVCorder�. The lightweight, portable system was developed in response to the need for a digital imaging solution in the near-ultraviolet band. The compact unit is designed for viewing scenes in the near-UV waveband in real time on a 3.5-inch LCD display and for acquiring near-UV digital video and stills quickly and easily.
Oculus Photonics� ultraviolet camera module (UVM) features enhanced ultraviolet response in the 300-400nm range, with a peak response at 370nm, and excellent rejection of visible and infrared light. The UVM is mounted atop a commercial camcorder, from which it receives power. Easy to operate, the UVCorder is ideal for imaging in both indoor and outdoor situations, even when the ultraviolet illumination is lower than the visible or infrared ambient lighting. The UVCorder can also acquire color video and stills for reference purposes.
Applications for the new UVCorder include forensics, building inspection, ultraviolet laser alignment, dermatology, dentistry, biological research, camouflage detection and a variety of industrial surface inspection tasks. UV imaging can be used to detect sun damage or irregularities in human skin, to detect anomalies in surface texture and composition (e.g. changes in paint or finished surfaces), to image UV light sources and invisible or transparent materials, for laser and LED beam alignment and to detect corona discharge from high-voltage electrical equipment.
The UVCorder camera system and carrying case is affordably priced, and includes the UVM, the host camcorder, a lens with adjustable aperture and a near-UV LED light source in a rugged case. Additional lenses and light sources are also available as options. Oculus Photonics LLP Goleta, Calif. www.oculusphotonics.com