text: University at Albany XMLSGML ArchiveExtensible Markup Language (XML) Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML)William F. HammondLast revision: June 2, 20061BasicSU-12Classical HTML is not an XML LanguageSU-23The Nature of SGMLSU-34Styling and Translating XML documentsSU-45Example Languages under XML and SGMLSU-56ReferencesSU-67Software Available LocallySU-78MiscellaneousSU-88.1XML and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)SU-8.18.2Library MetadataSU-8.28.3How This Document Was PreparedSU-8.31SU-1BasicStandard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) is a language for defining markup languages SGML is defined by the International Standards Organization Document ISO 8879 [1986]The ISO document is not freely available A copy of it is found in the book: Charles F. Goldfarb, The SGML Handbook,Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1990.Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), the basic language of the World Wide Web, is a markup language under SGMLExtensible Markup Language (XML) is a limited form of SGML that is currently under heavy promotion by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) It is sometimes perceived as extended HTML XML has been designed to be usable on browsing platforms, while fullfledged SGML is usually more suitable for authoring platforms In fact, XML has for most purposes become the only form of SGML that is suitable for public sharing Many SGML languagesThe phrase SGML language used here, as well as the parallel phrase XML language, is formally not correct usage What is called here an SGML (respectively, XML) language is formally known as an SGML (respectively, XML) application Every XML application may also be regarded as an SGML application There is an identifying correspondence between applications in this sense and document types that are realistically suitable for authors admit rapid automatic translation to nearly equivalent XML languages (Note that an XML language need not contain the HTML tag set nor have any relation to HTML, and HTML is not an XML language although it may be automatically converted to a language under XML.) 2SU-2Classical HTML is not an XML LanguageClassical HTML refers to the markup language behind World Wide Web locations from the beginning of the Web at CERN, Geneva, until very recently The versions of W3C HTML numbered from 2.0 through 4.01 are all languages under SGML that do not fall within XMLThree simple reasons why HTML is not an XML language are: In HTML most paragraphs are marked up using an opentag P at the beginning of the paragraph without needing a closetag P at the end, while there must be a closetag for every opentag in XML In HTML tag names are not casesensitive, while in XML tag names are casesensitive (A new standard way of converting HTML into an XML language will specify that tag names all be lower case.) In HTML some attribute values need not be placed inside quotation marks, while in XML all attribute values must be quotedEarly in the year 2000 a new evolute of HTML referred to as href="http://www.w3.org/TR/2000/rec-xhtml1-20000126"XHTML but bearing the formal document type name html (lower case characters only) acquired the status of W3C Recommendation XHTML, version 1.0, is an XML language that has the same tag set as href="http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/REC-html401-19991224"HTML 4.01 Apart from technical details XHTML 1.0 is almost the same language as HTML 4.01 Because of the technical differences, however, a computer does not need the full weight of an SGML processor to interpret XHTML This advantage is offset by the fact that it is slightly more difficult for authors to create XHTML than to create classical HTML 3SU-3The Nature of SGMLWhile SGML may be described as a language for creating markup languages with a shared syntax, more realistically and more abstractly, an SGML language (formally, an SGML application) is a template for processing For this reason when an SGML document (formally, an SGML instance) is written, the author is, in fact, setting its text as organized dataThe abstract character of languages under the SGML umbrella makes it possible to use the family to describe computer programs The Extensible Style Language (XSL) described below is an example of such an SGML application that is, in fact, an XML application 4SU-4Styling and Translating XML documentsIn principle, an author may create a personal XML language To do so the author must be prepared to provide, in addition, (1) companion style sheets or (2) companion translatorsIf one uses a language under XML or SGML, one must understand what companion style sheets or translators will be used with that languageA style sheet is a document that is created to provide directions for a processing program, perhaps a printing formatter or a web browser, on the formatting or rendering of a document that is prepared in a markup languageWhile a translator may be any program, typically a translator is a package of small programs (sometimes called functions) for processing a document under an XML language to some other language, which might be , HTML, another XML, .. under a general framework for processing XML or SGML There are free frameworks for writing such programs in various languages Most of these frameworks require preprocessing parsers, and free parsers are also availableNearterm plans for the development of the World Wide Web anticipate major web browsing programs having the capability to provide finelytuned rendering of XML documents that are accompanied by a style sheet Style sheet support for HTML documents is currently availableLimited rendering of XML documents on the World Wide Web is based on href="http://www.w3.org/Style/CSS/"Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), which has been in use for customized rendering guidance with HTML browsing programsA future standard style language for XML documents in World Wide Web browsing programs is called href="http://www.w3.org/Style/XSL/"Extensible Style Language (XSL) XSL is a restricted form of href="http://www.jclark.com/dsssl/"Document Style Semantics and Specification Language (DSSSL) that is written with XML syntax The specification for XSL was still under draft at W3C on March 1, 2000, while a variant called href="http://www.w3.org/TR/xslt"XSL Transformation Language (XSLT), which may be used for translating XML languages to other languages (whether XML or not), became a W3C recommendation in late 1999While XSLdirected formatting offers more precision than is available with CSSguided formatting, in the overall world of XML processing one should expect formatting based on either CSS or XSL style sheets to be a limited type of formatting One should expect to obtain the finest typesetting results by going beyond the narrow class of XML translation programs that admit expression in a style sheet languageA relatively new simple example of SGML processing may be found in the system manual under SunOS, version 5.7 Observant users of University at Albany SunStations may have noticed that as of the summer of 1999 most of the system manual in the central usrman area now exists in source form under an SGML document type for the manual rather than, as formerly, in the nroff typesetting language (This is temporarily hampering the operation of the classical X11 program xman for the affected portions of the system manual; text rendering is not affected.) See the manual page for solbook and browse usrlibsgml and usrsharelibsgml for more informationA document created carefully today under a well designed XML or SGML language should admit automatic conversion to future formats once an SGML or XML translator for such conversion has been created 5SU-5Example Languages under XML and SGMLCALS is a language under SGML that is widely used in the U.S. Department of Defense href="http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/"DocBook is a public language under SGML that may be used by authors A fall 1999 book, Norman Walsh, href="http://www.docbook.org/tdg/html/"DocBook: The Definitive Guide is available online and in bookstores Walsh maintains a web site http://nwalsh.com/ with a great deal of information about related topics, including an excellent tutorial on XSL (Campus UNIX Network only: A copy of the href="file:///usr/share/local/xml/docbook/dtd/"DocBook DTD is available on the local network.) The href="http://www.tei-c.org/"TEI Consortium has emerged from the href="http://www.uic.edu/orgs/tei/"Text Encoding Initiative at The University of Illinois at Chicago as custodian of the TEI language definition TEI is another public language that may be used by authors Its modular design has led to the creation of the href="http://www.hcu.ox.ac.uk/TEI/newpizza.html"TEI Pizza Chef web site at Oxford A copy of the current href="http://www.tei-c.org/P4X/"TEI Guidelines in HTML, which includes href="http://www.tei-c.org/P4X/SG.html"A Gentle Introduction to XML is available for local browsing on the Sun network from the file system location href="file:///usr/share/local/xml/tei/P4X/index.html"usrsharelocalxmlteiP4Xindex.html HTML is a language under SGML XHTML (formerly HTMLVoyager) is a language under XML, recommended by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), that is designed to be equivalent to HTML It is intended to be the base for extending HTML to a language under XML See: http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/. MathML, Mathematical Markup Language is a client platform language under XML that is intended to add mathematical functionality to the world wide web See: http://www.w3.org/Math/. The W3C Recommendation for MathML, version 2, points to a document type definition at W3C for the implementation of a href="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-xml-names/" namespacebased extension of XHTML that includes MathML The W3C working draft on Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format proposes an XML language for online graphics This draft may be found along with other related information at http://www.w3.org/Graphics/SVG/. href="http://www.cs.rpi.edu/puninj/XGMML/"XGMML, eXtensible Graph Markup and Modeling Language, developed recently in New York's Capital District at href="http://www.rpi.org/"RPI, is an XML application based on GML which is used for graph description See also http://xml.coverpages.org/xgmml.html. Any programming assembly language in which each line consists of an operation code followed by parameters is equivalent to an XML language The device independent typesetting file format (DVI) associated with the typesetting language (and with the program groff) is equivalent to an XML language6SU-6ReferencesThe World Wide Web Consortium is the driving force behind XML See:http://www.w3.org/XML/A 1998 book on XML is: Charles F. Goldfarb and Paul Prescod, The XML Handbook, Prentice Hall A second edition has now appearedA very comprehensive catalogue of information about SGML and XML may be found on the web at http://xml.coverpages.org/An interesting and useful web site with ties to Sun MicroSystems, one of the principal sponsors of XML, is http://metalab.unc.edu/xml/An early survey href="http://www.w3.org/TR/NOTE-sgml-xml-971215.html"Comparison of SGML and XML is available from W3CMonitoring the UseNet newsgroups news:comp.text.sgml and news:comp.text.xml is an excellent way to have a window on current discussionOne may also seek answers to questions in the newsgroups when the answers cannot be obtained locally through the HelpDesk at mailto:email@example.com However, one should first make sure that the question is appropriate to the specific topic of the newsgroup For example, most questions about creating web pages do not belong in these two newsgroupsInformation about the topic of mathematics and SGML may be found at the (local) URL http://math.albany.edu:8800/hm/sgml/about.html 7SU-7Software Available LocallyThe University at Albany UNIX Network has several basic, general purpose, freely available tools for working with SGML and XML including: The open source evolute, called onsgml, of James Clark's SGML parser nsgmls, which is an application under the OpenSP C library The public location for OpenSP is the href="http://openjade.sourceforge.net"OpenJade Project at SourceForge The public location for information about SP is: http://www.jclark.com/. Note: onsgmls, when properly called, may be used to check the structural correctness of an HTML document At the University at Albany the command validhtml is an interface to onsgmls for this method of HTML validation Script interfaces to various Javabased tools of James Clark for handling XML including: dtdinsta utility to generate an XML instance that models an XML document type definition given in DTD form jcxtthe engine called xt for transformations specified in the XSLT language jinga utility to validate an XML instance against a document type definition specified in the form of either a href="http://www.relaxng.org/"RelaxNG schema or a href="http://www.w3.org/XML/Schema"W3C schema. tranga utility for translations between various types of XML document type definitions David Megginson's general purpose SGMLtoanything processor, sgmlspl, which is an application under his Perl5 library SGMLSPM Local documentation on SGMLSPMsgmlspl may be found at: file:///usr/share/local/xml/html/sgmlspm/index.html The public location for information about SGMLSPMsgmlspl for many years was http:home.sprynet.comsprynetdmeggins. That appears to have been superseded by http://www.megginson.com/Software/; and SGMLSPMsgmlspl is also available at href="http://www.cpan.org/modules/by-authors/DavidMegginson/" CPAN 8SU-8Miscellaneous8.1SU-8.1XML and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)XML offers a standard framework for the general interchange of many kinds of data The usefulness of XMLEDI lies in the inherent adaptability to this end of the many new tools for handling XML There is a substantial amount of material on this topic in the book by Goldfarb and Prescod cited above See the web site: http://www.geocities.com/WallStreet/Floor/5815/.The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has basic information about how one might proceed to model a database in XML at the site: http://www.w3.org/XML/. 8.2SU-8.2Library MetadataThe Open Archives Initiative (http://www.openarchives.org/) has developed a protocol for interoperable handling of library metadata across the network based on records prepared under special purpose XML document types that are defined using the new notion of href="http://www.w3.org/XML/Schema"XML schema 8.3SU-8.3How This Document Was PreparedThis document was prepared in Generalized Extensible like Markup (GELLMU), which is the author's user markup interface for SGML languages Presently the system, still under development, may be used to create both href="general.ltx"standard and href="general.html"HTML versions from a single href="general.glm"like source, a text file The program latex may be used to prepare a high quality href="general.dvi"typeset version in DVI formatDonald Knuth's Device Independent Format (DVI) suitable for printing on this system using the program dvips, and a variant of latex known as pdflatex may be used to prepare a different href="general.pdf" typeset version in PDF format and an alternate form of processing to HTML will produce href="general.xhtml"XHTML extended by MathML For more information on this system see http://www.albany.edu/hammond/gellmu.


text:
Senator wants details on drone use in Obama's targeted-kill program
WASHINGTON — A top Democratic lawmaker and a former deputy chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff called on Tuesday on the Obama administration to make public more information about its top-secret targeted killing program amid questions about the legality and effectiveness of hundreds of CIA drone strikes in Pakistan and elsewhere.
"More transparency is needed to maintain the support of the American people and the international community" for drone strikes, said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., a key Obama ally and the chairman of the Constitution subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The White House refused to send a witness to the Senate's first open hearing on the issue despite President Obama's vow to be more forthcoming about a counterterrorism weapon that has become a despised symbol of U.S. foreign policy in many parts of the world.
"I am disappointed that the administration declined to provide witnesses to testify at today's hearing," Durbin said.
The hearing was held nearly 12 years after the United States launched its first drone strike, underscoring what some legal scholars and civil and human rights experts have criticized as insufficient oversight by Congress.
But the killings of four U.S. citizens — three of them accidentally — in Yemen and Obama's appointment of John Brennan, his former counterterrorism chief and overseer of the targeted killing program, to head the CIA have increased pressure on lawmakers to examine the use of drones in Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen and Libya.
The program remains shrouded in secrecy. The administration insists that civilian casualties have been "exceedingly rare" despite a huge expansion in strikes under Obama. Independent studies put the number of strikes since 2001 at more than 360 and estimate that as many as 3,533 people, including up to 884 civilians, have died, the vast majority in CIA operations in Pakistan's tribal area.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
found a new home!
Plenty of my friends are looking
for one too. Find a pet to adopt.
I am already neutered, up to date with shots, good with kids, good with dogs, and not good with cats.
Ranger is a fun energetic young dog that loves to run and chase his ball. He would make a great hiking and running partner. He knows sit and down, walks pretty well on leash and loves belly scratches. He is crate trained but we are not 100 percent sure about being house broken.
Ranger, a Santee Doberman Pinscher dog was adopted! Here's how you can benefit by looking at adoption as an option to buying a Doberman Pinscher for sale in Santee, or seeking a Doberman Pinscher dog from a breeder in Santee.


text:
Items by Glenn Oakley
In Idaho, the Environmental Protection Agency is giving farmers a shot at regulating themselves and voluntarily applying techniques to manage soil erosion.
The romantic appeal of the logging industry surely adds to the community spirit seen at Horseshoe Bend's Loggers' Day in Idaho. But there is another reason logging and millwork have maintained a definite sense of worth: the pay.
The 1934 Taylor Grazing Act brought order to the Old West: grazing districts, advisory boards, government-subsidized stock ponds, reservoirs and fences, and more.
Out across a sea of lava now hardened into shining basalt, a line of low volcanoes and spatter cones mark Idaho's Great Rift.
The last remaining herd of caribou in the lower 48 states, in the Selkirk Mountains of northern Idaho, has been listed as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The biggest earthquake in the United States in 24 years rippled through Idaho on October 28, blasting trees from the ground and causing widespread damage.
Watt's unique concept of balanced management landed on Idaho with his appointments to the BLM districts' citizen advisory boards.
Wilderness is promising to be Idaho's environmental hot potato this summer as Sen. James McClure prepares a state wilderness bill and the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service continue a series of wilderness plans.
High Country News contributor Glenn Oakley interviews Idaho's U.S. Senator James McClure on roadless rules, the sale of federal lands, and other issues.
A proposed northern Idaho timber sale, called unacceptable by the state Bureau of Water Quality, has resulted in attempts by the Forest Service and timber industry to rewrite the state water pollution law.
Idaho's utilities currently have nine proposals for major dams on Idaho rivers, despite dropping electricity demand.
The Bureau of Land Management is again processing homestead applications authorized by the Desert Land Act, which has long been used to claim marginal farmland in Idaho.
Concerned citizens in Montana's North Fork Flathead River valley are organizing against a proposal by Sage Creek Coal Ltd. to mine coal upstream, across the Canadian border.


text:
Will Norris
Date of birth
Youngster Will was plucked from local side Royston Town in July 2012.
The left-footed stopper played over 40 times during the 2011/12 season as the Hertfordshire club sealed a South Midlands Premier Division league and cup double. Will spent the 2012/13 campaign on loan with his former side, whilst enjoying a further month with the Crows the following year.
He returned to the Cambs Glass Stadium in January 2014, made his first team bow and kept an impressive clean sheet in a 1-0 win at Tamworth, which marked the start of a lengthy spell as first-choice goalkeeper as the U's gained promotion back to the Football League.
Subsequently despatched on a long-term loan deal to National League outfit Braintree in August 2015, he shut out the opposition on an eye-catching twelve occasions whilst at the Avanti Stadium.
Also named divisional Player of the Month for October, he was recalled by Shaun Derry prior to the U's away fixture with Crawley in January and immediately reclaimed the number one shirt, keeping a further ten clean sheets before the end of the campaign. A huge talent, Will penned an extension to his contract last June, which will keep him at United until the summer of 2019.


text:
There were marshes and a salmon river nearby and I found a lake with trout or whatever.
If you lose the marshes and the vegetation, all you're left with is mud, which just slides into the water.
You had one foot on the asphalt and the other in the marshes.
On grasses that occur in damp places, such as water meads, marshes and fens from July to April.
Whew—— "Señor of all the domains, fiefs, keeps and marshes of Warren of Kentucky—"
Frequents fields and marshes, where it hunts to and fro after mice, which form its principal fare.
It was at the edge of one of the marshes that the cub saw his first deer.
We think it very possible that Ronald is in hiding somewhere in the marshes.
There were no forests to lay waste here, nor marshes to be drained.
The bladderwort, reputed common on these marshes, seems to have become much scarcer than it was twenty years back.
Old English mersc, merisc "marsh, swamp," from West Germanic *marisko (cf. Old Frisian and Old Saxon marsk "marsh," Middle Dutch mersch, Dutch mars, German Marsch, Danish marsk), probably from Proto-Germanic *mari- "sea" (see mere (n.)).
An area of low-lying wetland in which the level of water is generally shallow and often fluctuating. The water may be either standing or slow-moving. The water in a marsh is also more or less neutral or alkaline, in contrast to the water in a bog, which is acidic. The environment of a marsh is in general well-oxygenated and nutrient-rich and allows a great variety of organisms to flourish. In contrast to a swamp, in which there is an abundance of woody plants, the plants in a marsh are mostly herbaceous. Reeds and rushes dominate the vegetation of marshes. See also salt marsh.


text:
Excited to note that stories from The Foxes Come At Night, Cees Nooteboom's recently published collection of short stories, will be read on BBC Radio Four as part of their Afternoon Reading series.
The first story, 'Gondalas', will be broadcast today at 15.30 p.m., with two further stories following at the same time on Wednesday and Thursday. So, if the streets seem eerily quiet at mid-afternoon for the next couple of days, now you'll know why. They will be read by Ian McDiarmid.


text:
Two More Arrests Made In Burgundy St. Shootings
The NOPD has made two more arrests in connection with an August 10 shooting incident on Burgundy Street that left two persons dead and five others, including two little boys, injured.
23-year-old Joseph Nelson III was arrested Monday at 300 N. Broad on two counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted first-degree murder. The NOPD believes Nelson was the second shooter in the incident.
The first person identified as a shooter, 20-year-old Blair Taylor, was arrested on the same charges last week.
Police have said they believe the target was the 33-year-old man who was shot to death. Also fatally wounded was a 16-year-old girl.
The victims were shot after they had gathered on a porch.
Also arrested Monday on charges of obstruction of justice was 25-year-old Ashely Shorts. The NOPD believes Shorts assisted one of the shooters to help them avoid detection and prosecution.
A fourth person has been charged in the case. 25-year-old Jeffrey Rivers was arrested last week on charges that he was a principal to murder and attempted murder. Police allege that he supplied one of the guns and a vehicle used in the drive-by shootings.


text:
Date: 03/17/2008
Views: 471
sheet B, MN vice Theresa: ok skip, I got it
looks like more sand problems on sheet A :)
sheet B, AK skip - Dennis: alright people, let's fill this house
LEAN on that broom!
peek-a-boo, I see you :)
AK skip: when I said fill this house, I didn't mean with their stones! :)
looks like a party at the far end :)
sheet B, MN vs AK, good game
last score, sheet B
sheet C, WA vs ND - I want to say: lift that barge, tote that bale ... or, maybe heft that stone? :)
timeout on sheet A, WI vs CA, WI strategy session
sheet C, WA vs ND, good game
last score sheet C
back in the warm room, a thankful t-shirt on Theresa (MN, 3rd)
sheet D, OH vs IL, OH vice - Jean: c'mon skip, put it right here
sheet A, WI second - Richard delivers his stone
sheet A, good game!
final score, sheet A
sheet D, good game!
final score, sheet D
in the warm room, game over, time to relax
Mark looks lonely at the merchandise table, c'mon, people, buy stuff! :)
chili and rice for dinner! with cornbread!
our kitchen crew, wonderful girls!


text:
Home >> Decorating Ideas >> Paints from Hirshfield's >> Deck Care Tips >> Cabot Wood Cleaners
Technical Data Sheets
Get the latest tips, trends and special offers.
Cabot Stains and Wood Finishes
Q: I have a three year old cedar deck. It looks bad. I was planning to refinish it but have some questions. What prep treatment do you suggest for a deck wash (bleach), etc.? What stain sealer do you suggest to protect, yet let the beauty of the wood remain?
A: We would recommend using Cabot Problem-Solver Wood Cleaner on your entire deck surface. Cabot Problem-Solver Wood Cleaner is specially formulated to remove mildew, mold, algae and dirt from most deck surfaces. The cleaner can be removed by either a high-pressure garden hose or a powerwasher. For a semi-transparent finish, we then recommend applying one coat of Cabot Decking Stain (1400 Series)in the color of your choice. Cabot Decking Stains are extremely durable stains for use on all types of wood decking. These stains bring out the full beauty of the wood grain and provide deep-penetrating wood protection. Cabot Decking Stains have an alkyd-resin base that provide an extremely tough and scuff-resistant finish. These stains are also water repellent and mildew resistant and are formulated to resist cracking, peeling and blistering.
Q: I have a deck that has been neglected and beat up, but is sound. The pressure-treated lumber was installed 20 years ago. I saw your good rating in Consumer Reports for your Decking Stain. Every few years I have bleached this deck, but never treated except once with a competitor's clear stain. Wood is not rotten, but terribly open and weathered. There is no "natural beauty" left. Which of your products would you recommend for penetrating this wood and stopping its demise and giving it a good solid gray-colored appearance? I realize that anything I do at this point will not be perfect! I should say I'm not worried about cost, and could do more than one coat.
A: Cabot would recommend staining your deck when the moisture content is 15% or lower. Since the majority of people do not have moisture meters to check the moisture content, normally we recommend waiting 3-5 days after the last rain for your wood to dry out. We would then recommend staining when the temperatures are 50 degrees or higher for 48 hours, including the night temperatures. Cabot Decking Stains (1400 Series) are extremely durable stains for use on all types of wood decking. These stains bring out the full beauty of the wood grain and provide deep-penetrating wood protection. These stains are water-repellent, mildew-resistant and will also resist cracking, peeling and blistering. I would recommend trying a 4oz. liquid sample can to test the appearance. The sample cans are available for any of Cabot's exterior products in all Cabot colors.
Q: I just put in a new backyard deck. How long should I wait before I stain it? I am getting a lot of conflicting answers from stain dealers. Also, since it is a new cedar deck, do I need to do anything else besides power wash it for preparation? I was assuming that your cleaners were really for older wood that has decayed. I really like your products and will probably go with your company to help preserve my deck.
A: Cabot would recommend coating your new cedar decking as soon as you see water soak directly into the wood. This normally occurs after approximately 2-3 weeks depending on the exposure. In the past, the recommendation for weathering was a lot longer, however this new information has been provided to us by the American Forest Products Laboratory from results of their recent testing. It is always a good idea to clean any surface with Cabot Problem-Solver Wood Cleaner prior to staining. By cleaning, you are helping to ensure a contaminant-free surface.
Q: We are planning to treat our deck which is 4 years old. We had used a clear finish the first year, but obviously it didn't last long. We recently had the deck cleaned, but it has rained at least twice since. Our local paint store worker recommended waiting until the summer or after a long dry spell when there wouldn't be dew or frost, but it will require that we clean again. He recommended the Clear Solution, but it was not rated in the July 98 Consumer Reports we were reading which had us leaning toward the Decking Stain. We are hoping for a recommendation from you, as well as samples. Thanks, we look forward to your response.
A: Cabot would recommend staining your deck when the moisture content is 15% or lower. Since the majority of homeowners do not have moisture meters to check the moisture content, normally we recommend waiting 3-5 days after the last rain for your wood to dry out. We would then recommend staining when the temperatures are 50 degrees or higher for 48 hours, including the night temperatures. Cabot Clear Solution is a premium translucent finish formulated to enhance the natural beauty of exterior wood surfaces. It is designed to leave the wood in its most natural state, showing the rich grain and character. Cabot Clear Solution (3000 series) provides superior protection from sun and water damage and was specifically created to weather slowly over time-without cracking, peeling or blistering. We would recommend evaluating re-staining approximately every 1-2 years depending on the exposure your deck receives. Cabot Decking Stains (1400 Series) are extremely durable stains for use on all types of wood decking. These stains bring out the full beauty of the wood grain and provide deep-penetrating wood protection. These stains are water repellent, mildew resistant and will also resist cracking, peeling and blistering and will last for approximately 2-4 years.
Q: Should I clean my new deck prior to staining?
A: It is a common misconception that new wood does not need to be washed prior to staining, or that clear water alone is sufficient in removing surface contamination. However, quite commonly, low levels of microscopic mildew spores exist on wood surfaces and are not visible to the naked eye. When these spores are stained or painted over, they can begin to colonize and cause problems. The only way to remove and kill these spores is by using a bleach solution like Cabot Problem-Solver Wood Cleaner #8002, prior to staining.
Q: What are the differences between Cabot Deck Stain Clear and the Clear Solution products? Why might you choose one product over the other? Which one lasts longer? I have a deck which is one year old and the previous clear treatment we applied last year looks terrible. We would like to maintain the natural look of the cedar if possible.
A: Decks are considered high-maintenance surfaces due to the horizontal exposure they receive, and to preserve a deck finish, maintenance is a necessity. Clear finishes that do not contain any UV resistance, like Cabot Clear Decking Stain,#1400 when applied to decks, will require reapplication every 6 months to 1 year. Cabot Clear Solution, #3000 contains U.V. resistors and will require evaluation every 1-2 years on a deck surface. Both products are water repellent and mildew resistant.
Q: I have a 3 year old deck and I maintain it annually. It currently is in good shape but the stain I used (from a competitor) didn't keep it's color for very long. My question is, since my deck still repels water do I need to do anything other than power washing the dirt and residue off of it? I want to make sure that when I put on your product that it is going to be absorbed and the color is going to last. Thank You
A: You ask a good question. If water is being repelled, then a coating will have a tough time penetrating or adhering (depending upon how the specific product is supposed to perform). If you intend to use Cabot Decking Stain, the decking boards must be not only clean and dry, but porous as well. Cabot Problem-Solver Wood Stripper will do a good job at removing the older stain. The Problem-Solver Wood stripper is available in two formulations for removal of oil or water-based finishes. The stripping process and possibly pressure washing may bring the boards back to a state where they will allow a stain to soak in. A good test is the water. If a few drops of water soak in, so will the stain. Also, consider this...if the stain is still repelling the water, it's still performing. You may just need to clean the deck this season.


text:
Subscribe to Email Updates:
Space Policy Events for the Week of October 13-19, 2013
With the government shutdown still in place, it is difficult to know precisely what space policy events will take place in the coming week, but here is what we know right now. The House and Senate will be in session trying to find a solution to the situation.
During the Week
As the partial government shutdown enters its third week and the deadline for exceeding the $16.7 trillion debt limit nears -- Thursday is the day according to current estimates -- the good news is that the rhetoric in Washington has cooled even if there is no deal yet.
Here's the state of play as of Sunday afternoon as best as we can tell from a wide variety of news reports.
Despite hopeful signs on Thursday after a meeting with a small group of House Republicans, the President rejected the proposal they ultimately sent him because they were not willing to negotiate over raising revenues (taxes), only on spending cuts and entitlement reform. For the past three years, President Obama has consistently insisted that any discussions of reducing the deficit include both spending cuts and revenue increases. Republicans just as consistently insist that they will not agree to any revenue increases.
The President met with Senate Republicans on Friday, and with the House Republican proposal off the table, attention has shifted to the Senate. A proposal developed under the leadership of Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) looked promising, but Senate Democratic leaders rejected it yesterday, the same day that Republicans defeated a Democratic proposal to extend the debt limit. The debt limit does not permit additional spending; it allows the government to borrow money to pay bills it already owes.
The Democratic proposal, led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), would have raised the debt limit by $1 trillion until December 31, 2014, past next year's mid-term congressional elections. It did not address the issue of reopening the government. A motion to bring to the bill to the floor was rejected on a party line vote 53-45; 60 yes votes were needed.
The Republican proposal did not even get that far before being rejected by Senate Democratic leaders. Collins put forward a draft plan that included funding the government for six months and raising the debt limit until January 31. However, the six months of government funding would have been at a lower spending level than Democrats want. The three important numbers are: $967 billion, how much money the government could spend in FY2014 under the sequester; $986 billion, the amount of money the government could spend in FY2013 under the sequester and, under a typical Continuing Resolution (CR), would be the level at which spending continues until FY2014 appropriations bills are passed; and $1.058 trillion, the funding level approved by the Senate in its Budget Resolution this spring that does not take account of the sequester, which Democrats want to replace with another means of deficit reduction. The Collins proposal was for six months of spending apparently at the $967 billion level, not the current $986 billion level, and Senate Democrats were willing to settle only for the $986 billion figure and for a shorter time period.
The Collins proposal also would have delayed a medical device tax that is part of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) for two years and required income verification to qualify for subsidies under that Act, as well as given agencies more flexibility in applying sequester-related funding cuts and set up a conference committee to work out a long term plan. It was the spending level, however, that reportedly torpedoed the proposal. There was no guarantee that House Republicans would agree with the Collins' plan either, but for a few days it did look like the Senate might reach some sort of consensus with that as its core. Collins told CNN this morning that she remains optimistic that the situation will be resolved this week and some parts of her plan will be included.
Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew says that the debt limit will be reached Thursday and must be raised or suspended by then or the government will default on its debts. House Speaker John Boehner said a week ago that he would not allow the government to default, so perhaps that deadline will force consensus, but it is far from certain. The Senate remains in session today; the House returns tomorrow.
Sunday-Saturday, October 13-19
Monday-Thursday, October 14-17
Tuesday, October 15
Wednesday-Thursday, October 16-17
User Comments
SpacePolicyOnline.com has the right (but not the obligation) to monitor the comments and to remove any materials it deems inappropriate. We do not post comments that include links to other websites since we have no control over that content nor can we verify the security of such links.


text:
Can I please go back?: Celebrity Summit Cruise Review by DACmom
Overall Member Rating
Can I please go back?
Destination: Bermuda
Embarkation: Bayonne (Cape Liberty)
Background Information - We are a family of 5 going on our first cruise. 47,46,22,20,and 16. My husband spent many months on an aircraft carrier and wasn't really excited about going on a cruise. He finally agreed to celebrate our 25th anniversary and our oldest daughter's graduation from college. It was my one shot to get him to like cruising.
Travel To Port of Embarkation - We stayed in New York for 2 days before sailing and hired a private car to pick us up and take us to the port.... www.blackexecutivecars.com.... I used them per advise I rec'd here and would highly recommend them again. We asked for a suburban and it fit all 5 of us and our enormous amounts of luggage. It was so nice to not have to worry about More cost of taxi's, etc.
Embarkation - We arrived at the port about 10:45, our luggage was taken very fast and we went right in to check in. No waiting. After checking in to both rooms, we had to wait a short while before boarding. But we had seats and air conditioning and they provided punch and water if you were thirsty. After a short while they started calling boarding to the shuttles by the numbers you were given at check in. The only problem here was that you can not understand the announcement very well as it is muffled. But we just asked what was said of an employee and moved closer to be able to hear. Our number was called and we were shuttled to ship. Easy check in. We had 4 bottles of wine in one bag (we had 2 rooms, so were allowed that). We wondered if we would be stopped as it was in one bag and they didn't know we had 2 rooms. No one ever looked in our bag or questioned it. It went through xray machine no problem. We then ate lunch in the buffet and when we were done, they announced our rooms were ready.
Stateroom - We had originally booked 2 inside rooms as this was our first time and my husband didn't want to spend more as he thought it wouldn't matter. I was lucky enough to grab a military discount and upgrade our room to a veranda room. We were in room 7163 which has a slightly larger veranda than the average, as it is on a curve of the ship. The kids were in an inside stateroom 2139. We are hooked on having a veranda. LOVED being able to look out and see. Spent evenings before supper relaxing out there. The kids would meet us and we would spend a little time together out there before heading to dinner.
The kids actually loved their inside room due to the total darkness when lights were out. My son slept on a pull out couch that blocks the way to the bathroom or door, but they just climbed over it when needed. The stateroom attendant would open and close it evening and morning, so it wasn't a real problem. My 6 foot son was long for it, but he refused to trade with his sisters, saying he curled up anyway. Such a gentleman!
Stateroom was clean and arranged very well for it's 170 square feet. We had plenty of space to put our clothes and put our empty suitcases under the door. I wouldn't have thought twice about the decor except someone else had mentioned the cowboy curtains. Yes, there were cowboy curtains ... a little dated... but it was all very clean and in good condition. I didn't see any rust in our room. Both our attendants were awesome and kept our room very clean. We had clean towels anytime we used one. It was replaced next time we were out of the room, it seemed. Replaced our shampoo before I had to ask for another one. Excellent service. Our attendant was Newton and he knew our first names the first day and always stopped and asked how things were going when he saw us. I asked how many rooms he had and we he said 20, I was shocked he could remember our names.
Service - Service on the ship was awesome. Everyone was very friendly and ready to help at the drop of a hat. I did not experience anything less than excellent. Our table was cleaned as soon as we were finished eating or drinking something. After first night at dinner, when they saw we had 3 soda cards, we always had Diet cokes waiting for us on our arrival. Our waiters were fantastic. We had Wirata and Catalin. We loved going to dinner. Catalin was assistant waiter, but should be a head waiter, he was awesome. At the end of the meals, if they had time, they would do magic tricks or mind games with us. Just the thing my family loves to do. We had 6 PM seating and it was perfect for us.
Entertainment and Activities - We loved going to the shows every evening. They were all good, some great. Don't miss the first night... preview of shows. They brought out the Neptunes whom perform everyday in different venues. They are an a cappella group and are fantastic.. Find them on the ship.Also you need to find John Winters... he plays acoustic guitar and sings great mellow music. Jack Johnson type things. Loved listening to him.
Bermuda - We take the laid back attitude on our trips. We loved Bermuda for this purpose. We got a 2 day bus, ferry pass and it cost $20 for adults and $10 for our 16 year old. We took the bus to Horseshoe Bay the first day and just went to the main beach. Very beautiful. Lots of people, but still easy to find a place to park. Second day we were going to try another beach, but it was easiest to catch the bus to Horseshoe Bay again. When we got off the beach, instead of going straight down to the beach we walked just a little past the stop where there were trails. There was a clean port a potty right at top also (so if you do this.. you don't have to trudge down the long hill to the bathrooms at main beach). We hiked on the trails... beautiful. You end up walking on the cliffs overlooking the beach. Just gorgeous. After a hike, we climbed down to the beach and were able to be all secluded. Just us and the gorgeous beach. Every now and then someone would walk by your little cove, but then they were gone and we were alone again. At end of day we hiked back up where we came down and walked a little farther down and then back to main room and came to a bus stop by Warwick Beach. Excellent day.
Teenagers and Young Adults - There were a few teens on board, but not many. Not many single young adults. If they had been on board, I am sure my kids would have enjoyed it, but this did not stop them from enjoying what we had. We are used to taking secluded vacations where it is just family. My kids enjoyed laying at the pool, hanging with each other and family and just relaxing. We and they did go to the Revelations bar in the evening some. They enjoyed watching some of us old fogies dancing. The most fun night was the night they have the 60's party. We didn't make it every night, so there could have been other very active nights. We were just exhausted and wanted to relax.
Summit - The ship was in fine shape. Was it new? No. Did the decor need updated? Sure Did that impact the trip at all? No It was clean, well kept and beautiful! I wouldn't have thought to even notice the outdated things if I hadn't read about it before. Did I see rust? No... but I wasn't looking. I said something to my husband about the rust comments I had read on hear and he was shocked. Being a Navy man... he said "It's a ship at sea, there WILL be rust.... " I know there was rust, but I didn't go looking for it and didn't notice any. My kids got a laugh in the stairways each day. There were Busts on each floor of females. They took pictures of them as they looked liked female drag queens or something. These will definitely be gone I am sure when the Summit is upgraded. Even with the ship decor being outdated, the ship was beautiful and well kept! Getting on and off ship at Port - This was easy and very nice to have cold towels and drinks waiting when we got back. I did want to put this in here just as a head's up for those traveling with young adult women. Before getting back to the ship, you have to go through the Bermuda Port Authority Check point, where they check your ID and do occasional x rays of bags and random checks. They tend to do this if you are in the line closest to the machine. My daughter was picked as a random check and we walked through waiting for her. It took some time. When she came out, she had tears in her eyes and said she felt "dirty". The man talking to her was looking her over and asking if she wanted to go out that night. My husband wanted to go back, but as we were not in the US, we decided not to push anything. After that we made sure we were ALL in the left lane and knew if one of the girls were picked, we would just stand there before leaving the building. I saw the man eyeing my daughter the next day and I EYED him. He looked away, and left her alone. It was not a Celebrity employee or we would have talked to them. Just wanted to give that heads up. Especially to people traveling with young adults.
Disembarkation - We had been given 2 different disembarkation times, so my husband talked to guest services and they changed us. We requested last call. We were down to breakfast at 8 AM. Ate, went back to room and had to be at meeting room at 9:20. We sat and talked in the lounge chairs until they called for us to disembark. We walked off .. waited about 5 minutes to board a shuttle and were taken to the place where our luggage was. Walked to where our luggage was, walked right to customs, no waiting... and out to cars. Called the car service, told them what "gate" we were at and we were pulling out at 10:30. No problem.
Summary - Excellent first cruise!! Met all our expectations and more. The most telling thing is that my husband is ready to do another cruise!! He was talking Alaska before we got off. Oh, but he is hooked on having a veranda!
So, love Celebrity and loved Summit. Would go again in a heartbeat!! Less
Published 06/23/10
Cabin review: 2A7163 Deluxe Ocean View with Balcony 2ADeluxe Ocean View with Balcony 2A (2A) Reviews >>
Read Cruise Critic's Celebrity Summit Review >>
Not the best, but definitely n...
Five night Bermuda cruise
Do not choose this cruise unle...
Summit – 5th time around nee...
First Time on Celebrity
An overall great cruise
Anniversary get-a-way
Almost perfection!
A wonderful way to celebrate a...
Sponsored Links


text:
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/12/2013 (1305 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A Brandon man's death is being treated as suspicious by police after his body was found inside a Victoria Avenue home.
Firefighters were called to a home in the 600 block of Victoria Avenue just after 1 a.m. Saturday, after smoke was seen. They were able to extinguish a small fire and the body of a male was later found inside the home.
Brandon police have released few details about the death but say they are treating it as suspicious.
Sgt. Mike Melanson of the Brandon Police Service said the body has been identified as a 39-year-old Brandon man. He could not say whether or not the fire caused the man's death.
"We'll release more information earlier this week once the investigation gets going," he said. "The investigation is very young right now.
"To protect the interest of the investigation, that's all we can release."
Police continue to investigate.
Anyone with information on unsolved crimes is asked to call Brandon police at 204-729-2345 or Crime Stoppers at 204-727-8477 (TIPS).
-- Brandon Sun


text:
Townsend, Tennessee - Fly Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, East Tennessee and Western North Carolina
IWelcome to the Fishing Report. It is overcast and 72 degrees in Townsend this morning. Weather.com is saying the high temperatures will be in the 70's starting tomorrow with lows in the 50's for two days. By the weekend, lows will be 61 to 62 degrees according to them. The National Weather Service has a slightly different view. They say it is going to be a little warmer.
We got some rain last night and Little River's level jumped about 7" to 2.5 feet on the gauge. Right now, flow is 230 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.07 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 117 cfs. The water is a little off color in town (good day to catch a big brown trout). The water temperature at 7:50 am is 67.3 degrees.
We may get some heavy rain today. Or, we may not. Then again we may. That's the way it has been. After today, fishing conditions are going to be excellent, unless we do get the heavy rain which could or could not happen. Obviously, I don't know. We should see plenty of cloud cover this week and the water will be cooler. Excellent!
If you encounter turbid water in the Smokies try a dark nymph, maybe a Prince or Bead Head Pheasant Tail. Maybe you should try a Girdle Bug. If the water where you intend to fish is clear, go with a dry fly and a Green Weenie dropper. The dry fly could be a Yellow Stimulator, Neversink Caddis or black foam beetle of some sort. Fishing should continue to be good today like it has been unless your favorite stream gets blown out by heavy rain.
Tomorrow looks awesome. The high temperature is supposed to be 79 degrees. The low should be in the high 50's. It will be partly cloudy with wind from the NNE at 5 mph. Paula and I will be on a lake. I'm hoping the wind will be out of the north and keep that east away from us. An east wind means bad fishing and I don't know why.
I don't think today will be good for wading on the Clinch or Holston. TVA has plans that do not bode well for wading unless you were there at daybreak and are there now.
If you are fly fishing on the lakes I think your best bet is to start fishing below the surface first thing. We are not getting hardly any surface action from smallmouth bass lately, even at first light. Maybe it's me.
Dragons are working for smallmouth bass and bluegill. I like chartreuse or crawfish orange. Frank found the same thing fishing a big pond in Virginia lately. He did well with black dragons. I am placing a picture of these flies that I tie on here again. We sell something similar. They are called Rubber Legged Dragons. You can see them by CLICKING HERE.
These flies were invented to catch big bull bluegill. We have proven over and over that they catch bass too. Tomorrow, we'll have Dragons tied on two rods and Puglisi Threadfin Shad tied on two more.
We got a couple of orders for the new Chota Camo Hippies and Chota Rocky Creek Camo Waders online already. Actually I think the orders were both for Hippies. They are supposed to be here today so we'll start shipping them out. I've got samples set up in our photography studio. I've been taking pictures and sending them to Chota. I'm waiting to hear back from them to see if I need to make changes. I've been doing their photography for a few years.
Waders are not easy to photograph without a person in them. It requires lots of little clips and 20 pound tippet material to secure and position everything just right. That's why they are still setup. It takes a long time to suspend waders in mid air. It is a frustrating experience.
My cameras are also having a hard time understanding the color of camo. I push the button and they say "What?" Color correcting on my Mac is not easy either. This computer has a "dead on color" monitor. Camo is designed to confuse the eyes of the fish, deer, duck, hogs or turkey. My eyes are confused by camo too. I guess that's why it works so well. Confusion leads to mistakes. Mistakes lead to caught fish. Caught fish leads to happy anglers.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
August 13, 2013
Respond to: email@example.com


text:
We use our hands every day, from when we wake up in the morning and brush our teeth, to typing at work, to eating our food – they are without doubt one of the most frequently used and active parts of the human....
Stonebridge College is a distance learning provider that lets students study in their own time, imposing no time constraints.
Great course and course material I would highly recommend ...more
This badge shows that the course provider you are looking at has scored on average 4 or more out of 5 stars from at least 30 other users who have taken the time to post a review on Hotcourses
Realising the value of a well-groomed exterior in enhancing self confidence, this avenue of beauty therapy is becoming of great importance to both...moreFrom £469.99
Hot Courses have partnered with New Skills Academy to offer you fully Accredited online courses in a variety of sectors - Find your perfect course
Online Nail Diploma Level 2 - CPD Certified & IVCAS Accredited Have you ever considered a career working in beauty as a Nail Technician but not...moreFrom
At Open Study College we have not only the right course but more importantly the right study method
I am studying the Child Day Care level 3 course and I am really enjoying it. I l...more
Become an expert in manicure and pedicure in this one day practical course!...moreFrom £649
Here at Oplex Careers we provide a wide range of high quality training courses that help people all over the world to gain new skills, qualifications
I thought it was great. Have always wanted to get into therapy but had no idea o...more
This Nail Technician Course will provide learners with an insight into starting and running a successful nail business. Whether you are currently in...moreFrom
Ed-Next is a leading provider of online learning courses offering students flexible-learning models.
I'm starting my Criminology degree in September and did this course because I th...more
Do you like to spend a lot of time on designing your nails to look good, just to take it off the following day to try out something new? Maybe you...moreFrom £379
I didn't think that such much knowledge can be enclosed in a short training cour...more
This badge shows that the course provider you are looking at has scored on average 4 or more out of 5 stars from at least 30 other users who have taken the time to post a review on Hotcourses
Do you have a profound interest in nail technology? Embark on a new career or enhance your current skills with this valuable qualification from...moreFrom
Caring for nails on a professional basis means learning all about the intricacies of the nail unit, understanding and learning to recognise specific...moreFrom
You'll learn all about the fascinating history and much more – related to present day practices – on this outstanding course. It' s also an ideal...moreFrom


text:
Skip To Content
Online Banking & Bill Pay
Our Online Banking service is designed with you in mind.
Northfield's new dashboard style online banking design puts the information you need most at your fingertips. View account balances, recent transactions, a spending summary chart, and pay your bills directly from your online banking home screen.
Online Banking Features
Download a Quick Start Guide to learn about the new Online Banking Features
Getting started is easy. Click here to begin the enrollment process and start banking online today!
Click here for a list of supported browsers for Personal Online Banking & Bill Payment.
Email it. Text it. Pay people with Popmoney.
Popmoney is an innovative personal payment service that eliminates the hassles of checks and cash. Now, sending and receiving money is as easy as emailing and texting. All you need is their name and email address or mobile telephone number to move money from your bank account to theirs. You can send money to your contacts, who will be notified by email or text message that you wish to send money to them. You and your contacts will never need to exchange financial account information.
Use Popmoney to send money to your child at college, send a gift to family and friends, pay back friends for a fun outing, pay your babysitter or lawn care service, or just about anything you can think of.
Get started with Popmoney today by logging in to your online banking account and accessing the Popmoney tab on your online banking home screen.
Download a Quick Start Guide to learn about using Popmoney
Mobile Banking
With the launch of our new Mobile App, Mobile Web, and Text Banking, you have more choices than ever to access your accounts anytime, anywhere!
If you own an iPad, iPhone or Android device, download the new Northfield Bank Mobile App from iTunes or Google Play. If you do not have an iPad, iPhone or Android device, enjoy the same features as our Mobile App directly from your smartphone's web browser with our enhanced Mobile Web platform. Our new Text Banking service allows you to text simple commands to Northfield Bank to receive balance and account information on the go.
Northfield Online Banking
Customer Service - (732) 510-4152
Northfield Bank does not charge a fee for Mobile Banking. However, third party message and data rates may apply. These include fees your wireless carrier may charge you for data usage and text messaging services. Check with your wireless carrier for details regarding your specific wireless plan and any data usage or text messaging charges that may apply. Also, a supported mobile device is needed to use the Mobile Banking App.
Apple, and iPod, and iPad and are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc.
Android is a trademark of Google Inc.


text:
Many lawful permanent residents with a green card assume that after three, perhaps five years of lawful permanent resident status, they should file for U.S. Citizenship by Naturalization. This may be an expensive and unwise idea.
Some should consider filing to preserve continuous physical presence. Others should reconsider decisions to leave the U.S. to live abroad. A decision to leave the U.S. for an extended period can result in the loss of a green card through abandonment. A person must find a way to demonstrate that they have no intent to give up their resident status. Otherwise, they can have trouble not only with naturalization but when they try to return to the U.S.
In deciding whether a person has enough continuous physical presence for naturalization, a potential applicant must be reasonable with themselves and their attorneys. Here are some questions to think about.
How did you qualify for lawful permanent resident status?
Was the adjustment/admission as a lawful permanent resident ("LPR") based upon Asylum/refugee status, employment, or family?
If so, are there concerns about the way that resident status was obtained?
If family, which family member petitioned you?
If marriage, then are you still married? Also, did you remove the condition on your permanent resident status, yet?
Did you return to the U.S. as an LPR while you were working in another country?
Did you file an application to preserve your residence for naturalization purposes? If so, was it granted?
How may days were you actually outside the United States before each return visit?
Did you file an application for a re-entry permit before you left the U.S. for a planned extended period outside the U.S.? If so, was it granted and did you use the permit?
A continuous stay outside of the U.S. of 180 or more days may require an applicant to re-start the three or five year continuous physical presence period for naturalization.
Advanced planning is the best protection. If a lawful permanent resident has the proper situation, then no re-entry permit may be needed. An LPR can seek employment with an organization outside the U.S. where they can file in advance to preserve their continuous physical presence for naturalization.
In most situations where continuous physical presence is a challenge, it is recommended to have an experienced immigration attorney review the situation before departure. The N-400 filing fee is now $675, which makes most appointments at an experienced immigration attorney's office appropriate and reasonable planning.
The above is general information and does not create an attorney client relationship.
Immigration Green cards US citizenship Immigrant status Employment
Post a free question on our public forum.Ask a Question
- or -
Search for lawyers by reviews and ratings.Find a Lawyer


text:
Music Makes A City (Limited Edition 2-disc Set) DVD
Our Price: $34.99
Free Shipping on orders of $59 or more Details >
Item No.: MUMC400
2 DVD Set
In 1948, a small, struggling, semi-professional orchestra in Louisville, Kentucky began a novel project to commission new works from contemporary composers around the world. The Commissioning Project grew far beyond anyone's expectations. In 1953, the orchestra received an unprecedented $400,000 grant from the Rockefeller Foundation to commission 52 compositions a year for three years.More >
AVAILABILITY: In Stock, leaves warehouse in 1 - 2 full bus. days Details >


text:
Apollo Precision Tools DT0773N1 - 135 Piece Household Pink Tool Kit
I wish I knew someone to give this to for Christmas. It is just too cute! I think it would be great for a young woman just off to college or getting a new house, or even for those moms who are crafty. It is currently on sale at Amazon for $22.99 (was $59.99) and eligible for free super saver shipping.
$100 BabiesRUs eGift Card Just $85
27 minutes ago


text:
We drop onto a big field of bright white sand at 40 feet, home to southern stingrays and garden eels. While descending you can spot garden eels slowly dropping into their holes. As you approach the wall running the length of the sandy area it looks like the coral is growing out of the sand bottom in big chunks. Just as you crest the wall the sand appears to be running like small rivers down through the coral into mini canyons. With the usual 100+ feet visibility, the view down the wall gives the impression of limitless space. In reality, the wall is a 2000+ foot drop-off into the deep blue. We follow the top of the wall and explore the sand channels exploding with fish and marine life.
- Departure time: 7:00 AM
- Approx. return time: 4:30 PM
- Number of dives: 3
- Snorkelers: No.
Please note:
- All divers are required to complete a Scuba Diving Liability Release Waiver and sign off on PADI's Safe Diving Standards.
- All divers must have certification cards and all major certifications are accepted. No one is permitted to dive without a valid certification card, unless he participates in a Discover Scuba Diving or Open Water Course.
- Certified divers who have not had the pleasure of diving for over a year are strongly encouraged to complete a short Rusty Diver Course.
- Trip minimums apply! If we do not have enough divers for our trips, especially atoll trips, we will stick to the Barrier Reef. In that unlikely event you will still be able to enjoy excellent diving on a great number of different sites. We try to dive all 3 atolls every week but are not always successful. We dive the Southern Barrier Reef almost every day.
- Gear storage is free of charge and available in our center. Hamanasi staff carries all gear to and from the boats, assists with preparation and washes all equipment in fresh water every day. Our company is not liable for missing or damaged equipment.
- The nearest recompression chamber is on Ambergris Caye. Our company is a paid member of the group managing the chamber. A portion of our dive fees is paid over to the Recompression Chamber. This contribution supports the chamber and reduces your fees in the unlikely event that you would need to use the chamber.
- Water temperature is 78-85 F degrees all year. A 3-mm short or full wetsuit is recommended.
- Prices include tax and service charge of 17%, are in US Dollars and are subject to change without notice
About This Supplier
Also see tour packages in:
Central America and Caribbean Belize Outdoor: Water Drifter Scuba Diving
Email it to a friend:
Click here to email this vacation to a friend


text:
Specialist suppliers of architectural salvage
[0] Item(s)
Your shopping cart is empty!
Login | Register
Subscribe to mailing list
Product Code: enamel drainer
Click here for related products: belfast
Click here for related products: belfast
British made cast iron drainer coated with vitreous enamel.
A new British made idea to protect wood, marble and granite worktops.
The drainer, which is slightly sloped, sits on the worktop on rubber
pads and lips over the edge of the sink.
Extremely heavy and styrdy and finished in a bright white to match your belfast sink. (photo will be replace shortly.)
SMALL: 495mm l x 450mm w
LARGE: 645mm l x 450mm w
If not in stock, there maybe an extended delivery period as these are made to order.
Write a review
£173.00 + vat
£155.00 + vat
£350.00 + vat


text:
Are there opportunities for me to grow in teaching?
Yes, we have the opportunity to teach medical students from Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, University of Virginia, and Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine as well as PA students from Jefferson College of Health Sciences. Residents are also encouraged to join the TEACH Academy.
What opportunities are there for research?
It is very easy to get involved in research at this program since there are so many opportunities available. Residents are given a month in their intern year which is devoted entirely to research. Residents are paired up with a faculty mentor who serves as an advisor for the resident's research interest. Residents are also given a list of all the faculty's current research projects and are encouraged to get involved with in research that interests them.
What volunteering opportunities are available to residents?
Lots of psychiatry residents volunteer at the Rescue Mission which offers a free outpatient clinic for the homeless. There are also opportunities available at Mental Health America. These are great opportunities for residents to serve in the community as well as get valuable experience in an outpatient setting.
What are the housing options?
There are many housing options available in Roanoke. Generally rent is very cheap and the cost of living is low.
What are things to do during free time?
- There are always events going on during the weekends and the program sends an email to the residents that includes this information every Friday.
- Concerts at the Berglund Center throughout the year.
- Beautiful hiking trails in Blue Ridge Mountains like McAfee's Knob and the Cascades.
- Outdoor activities including kayaking and camping in the area.
- Roanoke is also about a 3-hour drive or train ride to DC if you want to spend the weekend there.
What is it like living in Roanoke?
The Roanoke valley has a large regional medical center and is very cosmopolitan and welcoming of many cultures. There are a huge variety of restaurants in the area. People here are very nice and considerate. Gas and rent are cheap. There are also events in the city almost every weekend varying from celebration of different cultures (Greek, Italian, Indian), Roanoke marathon, as well as many concerts.
Do you get football tickets to Virginia Tech games?
Yes. There is a lottery offered for free tickets to all the residents for every home game. There is a lottery for the Virginia Tech home basketball games as well.


text:
by Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) Sept 13, 2013
Police Friday detained an outspoken Chinese businessman who had called for the release of a prominent lawyer arrested as part of a crackdown on anti-corruption activists, a friend told AFP.
Wang Gongquan was detained at his home in Beijing on suspicion of "assembling a crowd to disrupt order in a public place", writer Xiao Shu said, adding a Wang family member told him of the arrest.
Wang, a wealthy venture capitalist, had publicly called for Xu Zhiyong, a lawyer who had assisted other campaigners arrested for demanding that government officials disclose their assets, to be freed.
Rights groups have reported a crackdown on political activists since President Xi Jinping was formally appointed in March, with at least 30 said to have been detained.
Some of them have been charged with "assembling a crowd to disrupt order in a public place" after they appeared on city streets with banners calling for officials to disclose their wealth.
Corruption is a key issue in China that Xi has said threatens the ruling Communist Party.
Wang has long been an outspoken advocate for political reform, and activists told AFP that he had provided financial backing for Xu. He also started a signature campaign for the release of the lawyer, who was detained in July and has not been seen in public since.
Wang's own arrest was confirmed to AFP by fellow activists Hu Jia and lawyer Teng Biao, who said around 20 police were involved.
Reportedly a billionaire, Wang made waves in 2011 when he announced he was retiring to enjoy life with his mistress, and news of his arrest spread rapidly on Chinese social networking websites Friday.
Political commentator Peng Xiaoyun wrote on Sina Weibo, a social media service similar to Twitter: "Do not think that silence is harmony.
"The greater the pressure limiting people, the more those who are restricted will gain moral and political energy, while the public will lose confidence in the rule of law."
Beijing police were not immediately available to comment to AFP.
Related Links
China News from SinoDaily.com
|The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2012 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement


text:
Today's Lady News: Vigil For Savita On Tuesday At Irish Embassy In NYC
- Pro-choice activists will hold a candelit vigil outside the Irish Consulate in New York City tomorrow evening to remember Savita Halappanavar. The 31-year-old Indian woman died in an Irish hospital last month because doctors refused to provide an abortion while she was miscarrying; she eventually died from blood poisoning. The embassy is located at 345 Park Avenue and will begin at 6:30 p.m. More information about the vigil here.
- Medical facilities (including those who provide abortions) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, will now have a 20-foot buffer zone. It is intended to keep anti-abortion protesters from harassing patients as they enter and leave clinics. [Feminist.org]
- Health care providers for low-income women in Texas are going to appeal directly to the federal government for funding after being shut out by the conservative state legislature. [Texas Observer]
- Six facts about Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the most powerful woman in the House of Representatives. [BuzzFeed]
- The controversy over the contraception mandate in Obamacare rages on with a Christian publishing company. [Think Progress]
- Weird observation about the 2012 election: a state's fertility rate could predict which candidate the state went for. [NYmag.com The Cut]
- Several female Representatives are coming to the defense of UN ambassador Susan Rice, who Sen. John McCain (of Sarah Palin fame) had the audacity to say is "not qualified" to be Secretary of State. [Feministing]
- Meet Tamar-Melissa Higgins, whose business incubator promotes women and minorities in tech. [Madame Noire]
- Actress Geena Davis discusses her latest findings on gender roles in the media from the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. [Ms. Magazine]
- Where are all the single dads of color on TV? Is "Sister, Sister" all we get? [Bitch Magazine]
- India is putting more pressure on Ireland for its abortion laws that lead to the death of Savita (see above). [New York Times]
- Sweden has more than twice as many male prostitutes ages 16 to 25 than female prostitutes of the same age, according to a new study. [AP]
- Cuba has elected its first openly trans woman to public office. [Queerty]
- A Tibetan woman who set herself on fire Saturday afternoon to protest Chinese rule has died. [New York Times]
Contact the author of this post at [email protected] Follow me on Twitter.


text:
Well folks, if you don't want to be tethered anymore, and prefer something that'll charge the Samsung Galaxy S III on the go, you might want to check out PowerSkin's battery case for the handset. Now we've checked out many other PowerSkin cases before, and following in traditional form, it combines a ruggedized case with the highly desired longevity of an extended battery.
Priced at $79.99, one might simply stop in their tracks to wonder about it for a moment, but then again, considering that dedicated extended batteries can cost just as much, it's nice to know that this offers some level of protection to the smartphone too. Just don't expect the Galaxy S III to have its svelte looks anymore once you've decided to use the PowerSkin.


text:
ED Magedson – Founder
Ripoff Report
ChevroletDetroit, Michigan USA
Chevrolet, Chevy, General Motors, ELCO, ELCO Chevrolet, ELCO Chevrolet Cadillac Chevy loses customer for life over refusal to pay $200 to fix repeat problem! Detroit Michigan
Does your business have a bad reputation?
Fix it the right way.
Corporate Advocacy Program™
After 5 warranty repairs in 5 years to my 2008 Tahoe's defective design rear defroster wires, ELCO Chevrolet & General Motors / Chevrolet have decided they would rather lose my service business, future new business, and accept all the bad publicity I can generate; vs. give in the final $200 that it will take to fix the problem & pay for the recommended glass replacement!...Since I am now 4,000 miles out of the extended warranty plan of course!
Chevrolet knows this is a problem, has at least one service bulletin out to the dealers about it, and there are complaints everywhere online about it!
Good luck finding new customers when you can't keep your current ones! (Reference GM service request # 71-1272418***)
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 02/13/2014 12:50 PM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/chevrolet/detroit-michigan-48232/chevrolet-chevy-general-motors-elco-elco-chevrolet-elco-chevrolet-cadillac-chevy-los-1123365. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content
Click Here to read other Ripoff Reports on Chevrolet
If you would like to see more Rip-off Reports on this company/individual, search here:Search Tips
In order to assure the best results in your search:
Advertisers above have met our
strict standards for business conduct.


text:
Racing into history
Page Tools
She ended on a high and left sport buffs with a new conundrum to debate, writes Charles Happell.
For more than half a century, the pantheon of Australia's sporting greats has tended to roll effortlessly off the tongue: Don Bradman, Phar Lap and Walter Lindrum lined up on the podium, the order depending on your tastes and prejudices.
Rod Laver, Heather McKay, Dawn Fraser, Herb Elliott and Margaret Court generally head the race for the minor placings along with the latter-day saints Ian Thorpe, Cathy Freeman, Shane Warne and Mick Doohan.
But such lists are by no means definitive, just debate starters. And Makybe Diva's third Melbourne Cup win yesterday will give many pause for thought when the subject of sporting greatness next arises at the bar or barbecue.
Stacked up against Phar Lap, long the benchmark for any Australasian horse with a claim to greatness, Makybe Diva's performances clearly measure up - even if comparisons between racehorses, or people, competing 70 years apart are fraught with danger.
Phar Lap and, going further back, the 1890 Cup winner, Carbine, had to contend with much tougher conditions - Carbine won two races in a day on four occasions, Phar Lap four races in eight days over the 1930 carnival - and horse husbandry back then was what might be called an inexact science.
Forged steel shoes have been replaced by featherweight aluminium plates; training facilities, veterinary care and nutritional supplements are light years better than they were in the 1930s.
For all that, perhaps it's time the glass-cabinet makers at the Melbourne Museum thought about building a new exhibit. If Phar Lap's display has long been one of the most popular at the museum, surely one in honour of Makybe Diva would one day rival it as an attraction.
Fittingly, the mare's greatest moment was her last; she went out at the peak of her powers.
Her owner, Tony Santic, startled everyone at the presentation ceremony when he announced: "She is retired as of today."
In the background, an applauding Lee Freedman, Makybe Diva's trainer, was overheard saying to another member of the mare's entourage: "That's the right thing to do."
As sportsmen and women, humans are generally not so inclined to romance. They hang on for the cheering of the crowd, the adulation, the last pay cheque - and only limp towards the exit sign when they are escorted there.
Countless champion footballers and cricketers, Tony Lockett, Wayne Carey and Steve Waugh among them, have also raged against the dying of the light, playing on at the expense of their hard-won reputations.
Certainly, Bradman could not claim as dignified a farewell as the Diva's, infamously being bowled for duck in his last Test appearance.
And Phar Lap was never afforded the luxury of an early retirement, having been poisoned in America as a five-year-old.
So, with the saddle taken off her for the last time, Makybe Diva will head off to her new career as a brood mare, leaving behind a reputation that, as Freedman said, will glitter for many years to come.
What she will also leave behind is a conundrum for those sports buffs propping up bars around the country: is she as good as Phar Lap?
And does she really belong in the pantheon next to Bradman and Lindrum?
Get the SMH delivered for as little as $3 a week - SAVE 21%


text:
Since 1972, Melbourne-based accounting and tax practice, knp Solutions, has earned a reputation for helping clients grow and protect their wealth.
Committed to excellence and integrity, knp Solutions has supported small and medium sized businesses by providing integrated financial, accounting, business and taxation services and advice.
We build enduring relationships and trust with our clients that are based on our vigilant and rigorous approach to helping you build and safeguard your wealth. More than just accountants, tax agents or financial advisers, our personal approach means we are partners in helping you achieve your life and business goals.
We grow and protect your wealth, to give you the freedom to realise your personal goals and ideal lifestyle. knp Solutions: Building and sustaining your wealth and lifestyle


text:
Bok Choy
'Ho Ma. Which means Hello in Cantonese.' So glad you came. My name is Bok Choy, but I'm also called white Chinese cabbage, and I belong to the leafy vegetable pak choi family of Chinese brassicas. My family and our relatives can seem bewildering to some people because we come in many different types, have many names which may even have different spellings depending where we come from. Our other names include Chinese White Cabbage, Chinese Chard, Chinese Mustard Cabbage, Pak Choi - as I said Confuc...no, no, no... confusing!
Let me tell you about my immediate family, so you will recognise us in the shops. We have white or green, thick, crunchy stems with light to dark green wide leaves. All parts of us are eaten.
Did you know?
Why Bok Choy Are Good To Eat
• In many Asian cultures, people believe that food should be their medicine. Bok choy would be a good choice as we're an excellent source of vitamin C
How They are Grown and Harvested
We're a fast-maturing vegetable (which means we grow quickly) ready to harvest 6 to 7 weeks after sowing. We're then harvested by hand in the morning (or in cool weather) to prevent our leaves from wilting.
Choosing Bok Choy
How to Keep Bok Choy
Prime Growing Areas
History of Bok Choy
We were little known in Europe until seeds were sent there in the late 18th century. In Australia Chinese migrants, who arrived during the 1850's Gold Rush, brought their traditional vegetables with them. When the gold petered out, many Chinese became market gardeners growing the pak choi family and other leafy green vegetables. Chinese market gardens still exist around the capital cities today.
We are now grown in Europe, Australia, North and South America and parts of Africa.
Fun Ways to Eat and Cook Bok Choy
Baby bok choy is also available.
Bok Choy And Vegetable Salad
Bok Choy Quiche
Bok Choy Stir-fry
|Home | About Us | Fruit | Vegetable | Teacher | Recipes | Kids Games | Kids Activities | Canteen Info | Events & Promotion | Search
|Site Map


text:
|René Nyffenegger's collection of things on the web
René Nyffenegger on Oracle - Most wanted - Feedback
- Follow @renenyffenegger
Query and current in tkprof
Be sure to also take a look at Basics of tkprof.
Setting up a demonstration environment
A table is created to demonstrate the use of TKPROF. This PL/SQL Script will take care of this.
Ok, now let's give it a try:
alter session set sql_trace=true; alter session set timed_statistics=true; select id, ob from test_for_tk_1 where nm='elit magna wisi nulla praesent possim';
When the statement returns, we go to the directory pointed to by user_dump_dest and do a:
tkprof ora01676.trc perf
Then, we open the file perf.prf which was created by tkprof and search for the statement:
select id, ob from test_for_tk_1 where nm='elit magna wisi nulla praesent possim' call count cpu elapsed disk query current rows ------- ------ -------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Parse 1 0.00 0.00 0 0 1 0 Execute 1 0.00 0.00 0 0 0 0 Fetch 2 2.49 30.56 37355 75405 4 1 ------- ------ -------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- total 4 2.49 30.56 37355 75405 5 1 Misses in library cache during parse: 1 Optimizer goal: CHOOSE Parsing user id: 18 Rows Row Source Operation ------- --------------------------------------------------- 1 TABLE ACCESS FULL TEST_FOR_TK_1
How is this table to be interpreted? First, the statement was parsed and executed once.
Query: also known as consistent gets
The TKPROF output includes in his header the following explanation:
query = number of buffers gotten for consistent read
query means: blocks gotten in consistent mode. That could possibly entail reading the rollback segment to reconstruct the data.
current: also known as db block gets.
The TKPROF output includes in his header the following explanation:
current = number of buffers gotten in current mode (usually for update)
current mode means: the blocks are read as they are (either in the datafile or still in the buffer cache). Current gets might entail waiting for some data.


text:
Maria Shriver and husband Arnold Schwarzenegger helped carry the casket of Sargent Shriver today at a funeral Mass at Our Lady of Mercy Parish, the Shriver family's church in Potomac, Md.
President Bill Clinton, first lady Michelle Obama, U2's Bono and Oprah Winfrey attended the funeral. Others on the guest list included Muhammad Ali, Clint Eastwood and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., reports AP. Wyclef Jean played piano and sang All the Ends of the Earth as guests including the Shriver family clapped along. Later, Vanessa Williams sang Soon and Very Soon.
At a wake held for Shriver on Friday, some of Washington's most notable figures extended condolences to the family. Shriver, the husband of Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver, died Tuesday at age 95.
Sign up for Lifeline Live e-mail alerts


text:
Biennial and Perennial Weed Control is Best in the Fall
Posted: September 25, 2012
Fall is an excellent time to manage biennial and perennial weeds. In particular, biennials such as common burdock, wild carrot, and bull, musk, and plumeless thistles are much easier to kill while they are in the rosette stage of growth and prior to surviving a winter. Once they start growth in the spring, they rapidly develop with the goal of reproducing and it becomes more difficult to control them. As you have heard many times before, late summer and fall is the best time to control most perennials with a systemic herbicide because herbicides are moved into the root systems allowing better control. In general, the application window runs from early September through October depending on where you are in the state and what weeds you are targeting. Applications to perennial species like horsenettle, smooth groundcherry, and woody species like multiflora rose should be on the early side of this window, while cool-season perennials like Canada thistle, quackgrass, and dandelion can be effectively controlled after several light frosts. With both biennial and perennials species, adequate leaf tissue must be present and it should be reasonably healthy to absorb the herbicide. For grass pastures, check the 2011-12 Penn State Agronomy Guide for specific herbicide performance by weed species information and a current product label for use recommendations and restrictions.
The most common herbicides used for broad-spectrum control of many weeds in the fall is glyphosate for grasses and broadleaves and 2,4-D or dicamba (Banvel, Clarity, etc.) for broadleaves. A combination of these products may be the best solution for a mixture of different perennial weeds. For most perennials including hemp dogbane, horsenettle, common milkweed, pokeweed, hedge bindweed, multiflora rose, poison ivy, and wild blackberry, make applications from September 1 through October 15 or before a hard frost. In general, applications by October 1 may be more effective. In northern areas of Pennsylvania, consider making the application before October 1. An additional two week application window can exist for Canada thistle and quackgrass, because of their cool-season habit of growth.
Important considerations:
- Make sure that the foliage on the weeds appears relatively healthy and capable of absorbing the herbicide spray. Plants that have been damaged by insect feeding, drought, harvest equipment, frost, or autumn leaf senescence are not good candidates for fall applications. So, if that pokeweed you have been dealing with during season is still standing and the leaves and stems are not too tattered after harvest, then there is still a great chance to control it yet this fall. Make sure to use adequate herbicide rates, high spray volumes, and get good spray coverage over the plant for effective kill.
- Favorable air temperatures should be a consideration immediately before, during, and after application. In general, the warmer the better, with daytime high temperatures in the mid 50s at a minimum. Cold nights and cool, cloudy days will reduce and slow the effectiveness of the applications. The more active the weeds are growing, the better the herbicide performance.
On another note: Fall is the best time to kill declining sod stands (i.e., pure stand alfalfa or mixtures). Although glyphosate is better at controlling alfalfa in the fall than the spring, an additional herbicide application (e.g. 2,4-D/Banvel) or tillage will be required to completely control the alfalfa/mixture. Unless, you plan to get one last spring cutting, now is the time to control that old hay field; don't wait until spring when it's more difficult to get an effective burndown kill prior to planting.
Contact Information
- Professor of Weed Science
- Program Development Specialist


text:
New Zealand: never been there and never particularly wanted to go. However, my reason for holding such a view - that you have to cross Australia and then the Tasman Sea to get there - was not very sound.
So I was persuaded to give it a fair go and now have to admit New Zealand is a wonderful holiday destination. Cruise ship Celebrity Solstice gave me a chance to see the fringes of New Zealand and I liked what I saw.
Like almost every cruise, you get a sample of what's on offer - dip your toe in the water, so to speak. We visited several towns and cities on New Zealand's coastline and I enjoyed every moment of it.
We boarded the Celebrity Solstice at Circular Quay in Sydney and, from our balcony, the Opera House seemed almost within touching distance. The Solstice is a giant of a ship - 314m long with 2850 passengers and 1500 crew.
After a couple of pleasant days at sea, our first taste of New Zealand came as we edged into the spectacular fjord country in the south-west of South Island.
Predictably, it was wet and windy - it rains every second day on average - but that helped to make Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound and Dusky Sound even more eye-catching. Thick clouds covered the high peaks and waterfalls poured down the mountainsides into the sea.
First stop the next day was the university city of Dunedin. It was established by Scottish migrants in 1848 and the name Dunedin means Edinburgh in Scots Gaelic.
Dunedin shows off its Scottish connections with a statue of famous poet Robert Burns at the upper end of the cleverly designed city centre, known as the Octagon. The weather, too, was just like Edinburgh - cold and windy with a maximum of 12C. There was also a piper playing the bagpipes as we stepped off the bus.
Within easy walking distance are the impressive railway station buildings, the Otago Museum and Baldwin Street - recognised as the world's steepest residential street with a gradient of 19 degrees. Part of the street is covered with concrete as, on a warm day, bitumen would simply run down the slope.
A two-hour walking tour of Dunedin was well worth the $30 while a bit further afield is Larnach Castle - New Zealand's only castle. Overlooking Otago Harbour, the castle was built in 1871 by banker and government minister William Larnach. And, like most castles, it has seen its share of controversy, scandal and tragedy.
What we couldn't resist in Dunedin was the tour of the Cadbury chocolate factory in Cumberland Street. For $22, you get to wear a silly plastic hat and see the chocolate- making process.
We then sailed north overnight and the next morning moored in the waters off the small town of Akaroa. If there is a more beautiful spot stretched around a picture-perfect bay, I've yet to see it.
In 1840, a French whaling captain planned to establish a French colony at Akaroa and claim the South Island for France. But the British beat him to it and he found a Union Jack blowing in the wind. However, the French decided to stay, creating a township that remains a quaint mix of British and French.
Akaroa has a population of only about 700 but that increases greatly in summer. There are a host of arts and crafts shops, jewellery shops and spots selling Maori carvings. Fudge and honey are local specialities and all the shops rely greatly on the regular arrival of cruise ships.
There's no shortage of boats for tours around waters full of penguins, seals and dolphins.
If you want to travel further afield, Christchurch is only 75km away but another way to spend the day is journeying to the Middle Earth - the Mt Potts high country station in the Southern Alps, where part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed.
The next day it was time to visit New Zealand's capital, Wellington. The cruise ship terminal is only a stone's throw from Westpac Stadium, home of Wellington Phoenix Soccer Club and recognised for its banks of bright yellow seating (usually empty).
Wellington is both windy and hilly, and boasts a cable car which is listed as one of the city's must-visit attractions. Unfortunately, it had broken down, so we had to hire a taxi to get us to the top, from where we enjoyed wonderful views of the city and harbour.
We spent the next few hours strolling through the impressive Wellington Botanic Garden, which was established in 1868 and covers some 25ha. Walking on what is described as the "downhill path" takes you past an observatory, an Australian garden area, a playground and a threatened species garden.
The final part of the walk back into town goes through an old cemetery which, sadly, has been sliced in two by a motorway, and then past the modern parliament building known as the Beehive because of its unusual design.
After a full day at sea it was on to the penultimate stop at Tauranga, in the Bay of Plenty region. We gave the city a miss in favour of exploring Mt Maunganui across the harbour to the north - a wise choice with the sun shining brightly.
On one side of the peninsula, there is a quiet promenade walk and the sheltered beaches of Tauranga Harbour, and on the other side is the main beach. The sand is soft and white and the Pacific Ocean waves are perfect for surfing and diving.
At the point of the peninsula is an extinct volcano known as Mauao. A slow stroll around the base takes no more than an hour, while the more energetic can try climbing to the 232m summit in about the same amount of time.
Then, after sampling the shops and restaurants, if you still have some energy left, it is a short walk across a bridge to Moturiki Island. Wander its gentle trails and climb some rocks to find spectacular views of the bay and Mauao.
Hopefully, we will get another chance to make the day trip to Rotorua, famous for its hot springs, geysers and bubbling mud. Those who saw it for themselves said it was a wonderful experience.
Our final stop was Auckland, where we spent a weekend before returning to Perth.
You can't come to Auckland and not visit the impressive Sky Tower, 328m high and in the central business district. For $28, you can zoom up in a lift which has a glass-bottomed floor.
If you want an alternative way to get back to the ground, you can try sky jumping. We didn't - it was frightening enough watching people plummeting past, attached to wires and spread-eagled like bats.
Much more relaxing was the 15-minute ferry trip across the harbour to the small town of Devonport - considered to be Auckland's crown jewel.
Jump on a tour bus and see the twin volcanic cones of Mt Victoria and North Head, where there are still military bunkers and tunnels to be explored. Devonport also has no shortage of shops, restaurants and boutiques.


text:
The Muslim Brotherhood, a dominant political force in Egypt and around the Arab world, is notorious for saying one thing to Western media and something else to local media. That was the case today, when leading member Essam al-Erian gave Reuters a strong but measured statement on the killing of Osama bin Laden — but left out key details from the group's reaction on its Arabic-language website.
On Bin Laden, Muslim Brotherhood Makes Different Statements in English and in Arabic
Current Status: Blessed (1)
Seeded on Mon May 2, 2011 4:31 PM
keyboard shortcuts: V vote up article J next comment K previous comment


text:
Experiments with the Fixed-Parameter Approach for Two-Layer Planarization
Suderman, Matthew and Whitesides, Sue (2004) Experiments with the Fixed-Parameter Approach for Two-Layer Planarization. In: Graph Drawing 11th International Symposium, GD 2003, September 21-24, 2003, Perugia, Italy , pp. 345-356 (Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-24595-7_32).
Full text not available from this repository.
We present computational results of an implementation based on the fixed parameter tractability (FPT) approach for biplanarizing graphs. These results show that the implementation can efficiently minimum biplanarizing sets containing up to about 18 edges, thus making it comparable to previous integer linear programming approaches. We show how our implementation slightly improves the theoretical running time to O(6^{bpr(G)}+|G|). Finally, we explain how our experimental work predicts how performance on sparse graphs may be improved.
Repository Staff Only: item control page