text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Jun 27, 2006
|Filing date
|Feb 24, 2004
|Priority date
|Jun 25, 2001
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Alain Aisenberg
|Original Assignee
|Chrono Data Llc.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (16), Referenced by (40), Classifications (15), Legal Events (4)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
The present application is a continuation-in-part application of previously filed, pending patent application having Ser. No. 09/888,357 filed on Jun. 25, 2001, which is set to mature into U.S. Pat. No. 6,697,251 on Feb. 24, 2004 incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a modular computer user interface system assembly specifically, but not exclusively, adaptable for integration with a portable or "lap top" computer and includes one or a plurality of auxiliary modules, each operable independently of one another and of the conventional keyboard. The auxiliary modules may be individually structured for a variety of conventional or specialized functions, such as numerical calculations, video editing, specialized software processing, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
Increasing use of computer technology and substantial advances in computer hardware, compact and/or portable computers, often referred to as laptop computers, are becoming increasingly utilized in a variety of businesses and other activities. To this end, these compact or portable computers are often as powerful as traditional desk top computers, however, their compact nature allows for a degree of portability and transportability, thereby allowing the computer user to effectively make use of their computer at any of a variety locations.
Most traditional lap top computers include a sandwiched type configuration wherein the screen is included on one portion and a keyboard is included on another portion. In an effort to compact the size of these computers, however, and in particular the keyboard portion of the computers, various features and functions normally associated with traditional computer keyboards have been either removed and/or have been overlapped or consolidated into the traditional keyboard. For example, the functions keys and more significantly the numeric keypad typically associated with traditional computer keyboards are often overlapped onto the standard keys operating in a special function which enable utilizing a function type key. To this end, if the user is seeking to utilize the numeric keypad, they are generally prevented from utilizing certain portions of the keyboard, due primarily to the overlapping or combined characteristic of certain alpha and numeric keys. In order to rectify this situation and overcome the disadvantages associated there with, others in the art have attempted to integrate numeric keypad into control items that may be secured to the compact computer. For example, a hand or wrist support structure may be provided and secured to the lap top computer, wherein this auxiliary support structure includes the numeric keypad integrally built therein. Unfortunately, however, such peripheral devices may in some situations defeat the purpose and advantages of the compact portable computing configuration, and users may often find themselves with the need for the numeric keypad, but not the auxiliary support device.
As a result, there is substantial need in the art for a portable computer system which applies the user with the substantial functionality of a traditional desk top computer, including all of the keyboard capabilities and especially the numeric keypad capabilities in a readily usable and always available manner. Moreover, such a keypad integration should be provided in a manner which does not intrude on the normal operation of the keyboard, but rather provides an auxiliary module in an available orientation when needed.
In addition to the above, portable computer users frequently have need for specialized functions in addition to the traditional keypad functions, such as the numeric keypad. As only one example, it is also recognized that certain software programs are sufficiently advanced so as to increase the functionality of the computers, thereby allowing a variety of different functions and applications to be employed utilizing the portable computer. To this end, it would be beneficial to provide a portable computer system wherein a user is able to selectively and adaptively utilize one or a plurality of different selective and specialize keypad configurations that allow for customized use of the software programs in a more efficient and effective manner. For example, the large video editing facilities and specialized controls that include a variety of different functions, such as track pads and other controls, are often provided.
Accordingly, it would be substantially beneficial to provide a portable computer system which enables the user to selectively employ such specialized controls in a manner which does not detract from the normal use of the keyboard and which is effectively expandable within the normal confines of the compact device. Indeed, it is recognized that such adaptability and selectivity of specialized keypad controls would also be effective in the traditional desk top computer environment, while the user is being provided with a substantial advantage of selectivity and adjustability when performing a variety of different tasks, without requiring a multitude of specialized profile devices which must be connected, disconnected, and reconnected to often hidden computer connection ports.
The present invention is directed to a modular computer user interface system which is particularly, but not exclusively, adaptable for use with a portable computer of the type commonly known as a "laptop" computer. As is well recognized by users and manufacturers of such portable computers, the numerical keys are typically placed in a linear array along a top row of the plurality of alpha-numeric keys defining the conventional keyboard assembly used with such portable computers. As set forth above, utilization of the conventional number keys of this linear array is both inconvenient and time consuming even to a practiced typist. Accordingly, the modular computer user interface system of the present invention overcomes the problems and recognized disadvantages associated with the conventional keyboard design and structure associated with portable computers.
More specifically, the modular computer user interface system of the present invention comprises at least one auxiliary module such as a keypad, which may be permanently or removably attached to the platform of the computer on which the conventional keyboard is mounted. In the context of the present invention, the referred to "platform" of the computer is meant to include a substantially conventional structure wherein a palm rest portion is located somewhat below and extends along the lower longitudinal dimension of the keyboard. Typically, the palm rest portion and the keyboard are fixedly secured to one another and movable as a unit, relative to a display screen. The display screen may be pivotally connected to the platform of the computer, such that the platform and display screen are disposed in overlapping relation to one another in a manner similar to a folded book or the like. Therefore, the location of the at least one auxiliary module on the platform of the computer is at a distinctly spaced and therefore segregated position relative to the conventional keyboard. Independent operation and/or manipulation of the plurality of keys defining the auxiliary module is thereby facilitated without interfering with the normal operation of the conventional keyboard.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention a plurality of auxiliary modules may be independently and concurrently mounted on the platform of the computer. Each of the plurality of auxiliary modules are also disposed on the platform, preferably on the palm rest portion thereof, in a distinctly spaced and segregated relation to the conventional keyboard. The implementation of this embodiment also provides for independent operation but substantially concurrent utilization of each of the plurality of modules. By way of example only, one of the auxiliary modules mounted on the palm rest portion or other applicable location on the platform, may include a numerical keypad typically used for calculations and/or the input of numerical data into the processor associated with the computer. At the same time, a second or additional auxiliary module may be mounted on the platform of the computer and be at least partially defined by a plurality of function keys adaptable for the operation or processing of specialized software or data communication with the processor in performing a variety of functions.
Yet another preferred embodiment of the modular computer user interface system of the present invention includes at least one auxiliary module operatively connected to the processor of the computer but specifically structured to be disposed in a detached relation to the platform and/or conventional keyboard. As such, the one auxiliary module may define at least a portion of a peripheral assembly. The peripheral assembly is operatively interconnected to the processor of the computer by a cable, utilizing a uniform serial bus (usb) connection, of the type typically applied in the operative connection of a variety of different peripherals.
This preferred embodiment further includes the provision of an interface assembly which comprises a first adaptor structure, preferably defined by a base to which the usb connection is secured. The interface assembly also includes a second adaptor structure connected to or mounted on the auxiliary module, per se. The first and second adaptor structures include electrical, optical or other communicative connectors for establishing communicative, operative interconnection between the module, the base and when activated, the processor for signal and data communication there between. More specifically the connectors may include any of a variety of different ir, transmitter, male/female, plug/port, multi-pin or other structural type connectors which facilitate, depending upon the specific embodiment utilized, either a substantially permanent communicative connection or a selectively removable connection. Utilizing the latter cooperatively structured, connector components, anyone of the one or more auxiliary modules may be removably but operatively secured to the base of the interface assembly to establish an operative connection with the processor. Greater versatility will therefore be available to the users of portable computers by having a peripherally detached adaptor base usable with anyone of a plurality of different auxiliary modules, each of which are designed and structured to perform different functions and/or operate specialized software, etc., as set forth above.
As with the peripheral assembly embodiment described above, the remaining embodiments of the present invention may all include the utilization of an interface assembly for establishing an operative interconnection between the one or more auxiliary modules and the processor of the portable computer. As related to the various preferred embodiments set forth herein, the interface assembly includes a first adaptor, which may be permanently or removably secured to the platform of the computer and comprises an adaptor base, as set forth above. In addition, the interface assembly also includes a second adaptor structure secured to each of the one or more auxiliary modules. The base, defining the first adaptor and the second adaptor secured to the individual modules are each structured to include the aforementioned type of connectors, or other type of port/plug connector structures, which facilitate either a permanent communicative connection or a removable connection. Therefore, a selective and operative attachment of anyone of the plurality of auxiliary modules may be made with anyone of a plurality of adaptor bases. The greatly increased versatility of the modular computer user interface system of the present invention and its implementation for expanding the operative and functional features of a conventional portable or lap top computer should therefore be apparent.
As also generally stated, the modular computer user interface system of the present invention includes a more simplified embodiment, wherein the interface assembly includes a single first adaptor or base fixedly mounted or secured to the platform of the computer in segregated relation to the conventional keyboard. In this more simplified embodiment, a single module or alternatively a plurality of customized modules may be independently secured to the affixed base by virtue of the second adaptor of the interface assembly connected to each of the one or more auxiliary modules.
Therefore, the modular computer user interface system of the present invention overcomes many if not all of the problems and disadvantages associated with conventional portable or lap top computers, wherein such recognized disadvantages are typically related to the compact nature of the portable computer and the universal structuring thereof which eliminates the provision of a collected array of numerical keys, of the type found on conventional keyboards associated with desk top computers.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more clear when the drawings as well as the detailed description are taken into consideration.
For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
As shown in the accompanying drawings, the present invention is directed to a modular computer user interface system particularly adapted for use in combination with a portable computer, generally indicated as 10. The portable computer 10 may be of substantially conventional design and structure, other than the implementation of the modular computer user interface system, to be described in greater detail hereinafter. Accordingly, the computer 10 includes a support platform generally indicated as 12, which has a somewhat conventional keyboard generally indicated as 14 mounted thereon. The keyboard 14 comprises a plurality of alpha-numeric keys arranged in a universal format. However, in that size is at a premium in structuring portable computers, the numerical keys respectively indicated by the numerals 1 through 0, are collectively disposed in a linear array defining the majority of the top row as at 16 of the keyboard 14 and normally located immediately below the row of function keys, generally indicated as 18. In such location access to the individual numerical keys is generally inconvenient and time consuming and therefore generally undesirable, particularly when the process being performed on the computer 10 involves repeated computation or calculation. Accordingly, in order to save space, conventional portable computers further provides for a plurality of numerical keys disposed in a secondary grouping of a more conventional multi row array. This secondary grouping is represented by numbers 0 through 9, indicated in phantom, on
Accordingly, the modular computer user interface system of the present invention overcomes the disadvantages and problems associated with conventional keyboards 14 particularly, but not exclusively, of the type utilized in combination with portable computers 10. As such, at least one auxiliary module, generally indicated as 20, is integrally or separably mounted on the platform 12 in spaced, distinctly segregated relation from the conventional keyboard 14. In at least one preferred embodiment, the auxiliary module 20 is mounted in a convenient location on a palm rest portion 22, which is fixedly secured to the platform 12 in the conventional fashion.
As will be discussed in greater detail hereinafter, the present invention further includes the incorporation of an interface assembly structured to define an operative interconnection between the auxiliary module 20 and a processor associated with the computer 10 and not shown herein for purposes of clarity. By virtue of such operative connection, the auxiliary module 20 is connected in data and signal communication with the processor, in a manner similar in function but independent in operation to the conventional keyboard 14. Also, as with the conventional keyboard 14 operation or manipulation of the plurality of keys associated with the auxiliary module 20 serves to control specific functions as well as cause the display of data on a display assembly and/or display screen, generally indicated as 25 and also associated with the computer 10. In typical fashion the display assembly or screen 25 is hingedly, pivotally or otherwise movably attached to the platform 12 by appropriate mountings 26. With further reference to the embodiment of
With reference to
Another feature of the additional preferred embodiment of
Yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in
It is also to be noted that the peripheral assembly 40 as disclosed in the embodiment of
Another variation of the present invention defining yet another preferred embodiment is the combining of the peripheral assembly 40 with the embodiment of
With reference to
With reference to
Since many modifications, variations and changes in detail can be made to the described preferred embodiment of the invention, it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Aug 14, 1984
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|Metaphor Computer Systems
|Multiple independent input peripherals
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|Bird Gregory F
|Portable personal computer
|Oct 28, 1993
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|Ast Research, Inc.
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|Compaq Computer Corporation
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|Compaq Computer Corporation
|Portable computer with interchangeable pointing device modules
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|Hewlett-Packard Company
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|Micron Electronics, Inc.
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|Oct 8, 2002
|Dell Products L.P.
|Computer having an integrated gaming control pad
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|Dec 10, 2002
|Dell Products L.P.
|Palm rest with numerical keypad
|Nov 8, 2000
|Mar 25, 2003
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Complementary functional PDA system and apparatus
|Apr 1, 1999
|Aug 12, 2003
|Fujitsu Limited
|Function expansion device for a portable electronic device
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|Sep 28, 2004
|Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
|Portable computer with integrated PDA I/O docking cradle
|May 14, 2001
|Nov 14, 2002
|Yin Memphis Zhihong
|Portable computer system including detachable peripheral device and combined mouse/joystick for use with same
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Sep 1, 2005
|Oct 21, 2008
|Micro-Star Int'l Co., Ltd.
|Keypad and operation method thereof
|Dec 28, 2004
|Feb 3, 2009
|Quanta Computer Inc.
|Electronic device
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|Mar 10, 2009
|Microsoft Corporation
|Multiple-use auxiliary display
|Apr 17, 2002
|Jun 1, 2010
|Synaptics Incorporated
|Touch screen with user interface enhancement
|Jun 29, 2009
|Apr 19, 2011
|Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
|Mar 4, 2010
|Mar 20, 2012
|Quanta Computer Inc.
|Touch pad module assembly structure
|Feb 25, 2009
|Jul 3, 2012
|Fujitsu Limited
|Electronic device
|May 11, 2010
|Mar 19, 2013
|Synaptics Incorporated
|Touch screen with user interface enhancement
|May 11, 2010
|Oct 15, 2013
|Synaptics Incorporated
|Touch screen with user interface enhancement
|Apr 29, 2010
|Oct 22, 2013
|Synaptics Incorporated
|Operating a touch screen control system according to a plurality of rule sets
|Mar 2, 2006
|Apr 8, 2014
|Microsoft Corporation
|State-based auxiliary display operation
|Apr 3, 2014
|Feb 17, 2015
|Microsoft Corporation
|State-based auxiliary display operation
|Oct 9, 2013
|Jun 9, 2015
|Synaptics Incorporated
|Operating a touch screen control system according to a plurality of rule sets
|Dec 27, 2013
|Sep 22, 2015
|Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
|Touch panel assembly
|Jun 6, 2014
|Apr 5, 2016
|Synaptics Incorporated
|Operating a touch screen control system according to a plurality of rule sets
|May 26, 2015
|Jul 5, 2016
|Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc
|State-based auxiliary display operation
|Apr 6, 2015
|Apr 11, 2017
|Google, Inc.
|Systems for enabling chassis-coupled modular mobile electronic devices
|Apr 29, 2010
|Jul 11, 2017
|Synaptics Incorporated
|Reduction in latency between user input and visual feedback
|Apr 17, 2002
|Dec 19, 2002
|Synaptics, Inc.
|Touch screen with user interface enhancement
|May 11, 2004
|Nov 25, 2004
|Wei-Min Chang
|Portable computer
|Dec 28, 2004
|Jul 7, 2005
|Quanta Computer Inc.
|Electronic device
|Mar 2, 2006
|Nov 9, 2006
|Microsoft Corporation
|Multiple-use auxiliary display
|Sep 1, 2005
|Mar 1, 2007
|Li-Tze Jan
|Keypad and operation method thereof
|Sep 15, 2006
|Apr 5, 2007
|Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
|Portable electronic apparatus employing numeric keypad
|Dec 29, 2005
|Jul 26, 2007
|Chung-Hung Lin
|Multimedia video and audio player
|Jul 2, 2008
|Feb 5, 2009
|Asustek Computer Inc.
|Electronic device with game keypad
|Feb 25, 2009
|Dec 10, 2009
|Fujitsu Limited
|Electronic device
|Jun 29, 2009
|Feb 18, 2010
|Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry(Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
|Sep 4, 2009
|Mar 11, 2010
|Ely Tsern
|Method and system for dynamically generating different user environments with secondary devices with displays of various form factors
|Sep 4, 2009
|Mar 11, 2010
|Ely Tsern
|Display device for interfacing with a handheld computer device that dynamically generates a different user environment for the display device
|Sep 4, 2009
|Mar 11, 2010
|Ely Tsern
|Expandable system architecture comprising a handheld computer device that dynamically generates different user environments with secondary devices with displays of various form factors
|Apr 29, 2010
|Nov 4, 2010
|Day Shawn P
|Operating a touch screen control system according to a plurality of rule sets
|Apr 29, 2010
|Nov 4, 2010
|Ludden Christopher A
|Reduction in latency between user input and visual feedback
|Mar 4, 2010
|Mar 31, 2011
|Quanta Computer Inc.
|Touch pad module assembly structure
|Oct 28, 2010
|May 5, 2011
|Chang Nai Heng
|Portable electronic device and tablet personal computer
|Aug 25, 2011
|May 31, 2012
|Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
|Electronic device
|Dec 27, 2013
|Jul 31, 2014
|Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
|Touch panel assembly
|Jan 27, 2014
|Mar 19, 2015
|Acer Incorporated
|Electronic peripheral and electronic device
|Sep 28, 2013
|Apr 2, 2015
|Sai P. Balasundaram
|Electronic device system with an embedded display unit
|Oct 25, 2013
|Oct 20, 2015
|Intel Corporation
|Electronic device with a window
|U.S. Classification
|361/679.56, 345/158
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Oct 13, 2005
Owner name: CHRONO DATA LLC, NEVADA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:AISENBERG, ALAIN;REEL/FRAME:017089/0464
Effective date: 20050228
|Nov 20, 2009
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Nov 26, 2013
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|Oct 23, 2015
Owner name: XYLON LLC, NEVADA
Free format text: MERGER;ASSIGNOR:CHRONO DATA LLC;REEL/FRAME:036942/0397
Effective date: 20150813


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Foundation (Sticky b2b Scott Garcia) Boiler Room London DJ Set MP3
FOR AUDIO: http://bit.ly/1rdbU45 → SUBSCRIBE TO BOILER ROOM: *http://bit.ly/1bkrHWL* Live from our Garage Nation showcase, here's Scott Garcia and ...
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I don't own this music, it belongs to Scott Garcia. Only uploaded for entertainment purposes.
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Surplus Media does not claim any content uploaded. Twitter: @SurplusMedia Feel free to follow us on twitter & subscribe for the newest music uploads!
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For those of you who like Garage Anthems my London Thing video is finally here. This video was made on the app Splice (bought version). I have also bought ...


text:
Want to see which pics made the cut to be on the Limited Edition SXSW's Brisk Lipton Ice Tea can?! Click here to see Brisk Pics for SXSW.
Also, here's a sneak peak of the actual can, if you spot one at the conference or anywhere else, share it with us. Enjoy your Brisk!


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A new version of Mozilla's Firefox, RC1 (Release Candidate 1), has been released specifically for use with Nokia's N900 or N810 mobile devices.
The new version of Firefox – also known as Fennec – includes a range of interesting features such as the Awesome Bar, Password Manager for security purposes, tabbed browsing, location-aware browsing, one-touch bookmarking, desktop syncing plus other add-ons to modify the browser to your own tastes, according to the Pavlov Blog website.
The arrival of the new Firefox upgrade means you will also see enhanced text rendering and bug fixes that have been directed especially towards the N900 device.
Mozilla Firefox RC1 for Maemo, which supports a range of languages, can be downloaded via Mozilla's official website. If you already have a copy of the Beta 5 version of Firefox browser installed on your device, however, you should receive an upgrade soon.
Click to read the Pavlov Blog story


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Eighty Years of Book Cover Design
There are lurid covers to go with 1930s ghost stories, more austere designs
for the hard-up 1940s and pretty groovy ones from the 1960s. One criticism,
though, is the lack of caption information, making it hard work and a lot of
flicking through indexes to find out who has designed which covers, in some
cases such prominent artists as Rex Whistler and Rowland Emett (Faber and
Faber, £25).
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KTVT Now Has a News Director Who's Also a "Protector of Ethics and Ideals"
KTVT-Channel 11 just sent word: The CBS affiliate, and KTXA-Channel 21, has a new news director and vice president, Adrienne Roark, who comes to Dallas from South Florida. Roark replaces Scott Diener, who was summoned to Cali in January and who, in 2007, replaced the not-well-liked Regent Ducas. The Google Machine tells us Roarke ain't screwin' around:
As a journalist, I am a storyteller, a recorder of history, a link in the world, a protector of ethics and ideals, a defender, and a servant to the people in my community. As you can tell, I take this very seriously. I felt it important to share stories about what we face as journalists. You see many people right now feel they don't need us. They are wrong. Now more than ever, journalists are needed; are critical. We face an ominous time now and ahead. We need people who are advocates for the voiceless, for the down trodden. That is what being a journalist means; to give voice to the voiceless; to fight for what's right; to be an advocate for the people. This all may sound corny. But it's what I believe, and what I live every day.
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text:
because you write, remember
there can only be one nkosi,
themba, marechera, kafka…
we don't need you dead. like that.
what a monstrous verminous bug you've become, Samsa!
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you rhyme broekie with quickie
from braam to bree
toka chodari hadi chasimba
missing step, taking two in the place of one
(we shall sing, sometime in the future: huku nairobi kambi ya utumwa!)
you are still here
dead or dying.
your body has known abuse, friend
she remembers sex only as incest
the circle getting smaller, a dot, a stain.
(remember boys from reke marie used to fuck us for fame?)
you loiter on loita seeking the girl who was with a writer friend, the boy you was with, last night
and in the kasi, they wave at you waiting for the day they steal
your coffin from lang'ata's numbered patch
you, have sex in parking lots, boys hostels and in the office backyard, we hang onto bodaboda riders, dreaming of the redness of thighs of the girl in mtwapa, and calabar, and the baldness of men who wanted us to do things with them,
your body is a poem, left unfinished, no end
his liver like stolen lovers
sits on his face, exploding
ashy feet begging for the magic of water
age takes no particular interest in you,
your eulogy should be brief, incomprehensible and miserable
her funeral hurried, with no tears
and writers have mastered, like this craft,
the art of watching you,
mourning you before you are gone
the next project: a special issue, or an anthology, or a collection
a collector's item
in the future, you shall be our past
your pastness entangled with futures we can no longer imagine
on the morning we find you lying, hands between your legs, dead and shivering, a millipede whose head boys prick with a stick in ol kalou, a hedgehog crosses the road in ahero, the drool foaming on your mouth's left, the whiteness of your nails, your notebook drenched in vodka and pee, we shall record the smells from your toilet bowl, your insides emptied into porcelain
on the morning we find you lying on the floor of a flat you've not paid for,
we shall record in the heaviness of our tongues, poems we shall write
on death and dying
a writer's death is sacred material for a sonnet.


text:
changing theme question
i have made a simple site
web-marketers.org/IT4B/gadgetsfrenzy using 2011 theme. (sorry if it kinda sux ATM). just made it last night.
so i have a question:
lets say i want to change my theme, kinda trial and error. is there a chance that the theme i install will ruin my widget settings as well as other settings? if yes, if i revert back to 2011 theme will the settings also revert?
Viewing 1 replies (of 1 total)
Viewing 1 replies (of 1 total)
- The topic 'changing theme question' is closed to new replies.


text:
Nektar to Webcast Presentation of Phase 1 Clinical Results for LeadSmall Molecule PEG-Oncolytic Program, NKTR-102 (PEG-irinotecan)
SAN CARLOS, Calif., May 30, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nektar Therapeutics will host a meeting and Webcast on Monday, June 2, 2008 at 6:30 PM Central Time to discuss the company's lead oncology program, NKTR-102 (PEG-irinotecan). The Webcast will include a presentation by featured speaker Dr. Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D., F.A.C.P, the lead investigator for the NKTR-102 Phase 1 trial. Dr. Von Hoff is Physician-in-Chief and Senior Investigator at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), Chief Scientific Officer for the Scottsdale Clinical Research Institute at Scottsdale Healthcare, and Chief Scientific Officer of US Oncology.
About Nektar
Nektar Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and enables differentiated therapeutics with its industry-leading PEGylation and pulmonary drug development platforms. Nektar PEGylation technology has enabled eight approved products for partners, which include leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Nektar also develops its own products by applying its PEGylation and pulmonary technology platforms to existing medicines with the objective to enhance performance, such as improving efficacy, safety and compliance.
Contact: Jennifer Ruddock, +1-650-283-6253, email@example.com
CONTACT: Jennifer Ruddock of Nektar Therapeutics, +1-650-283-6253, email@example.com
Web site: http://www.nektar.com/
Ticker Symbol: (NASDAQ-NMS:NKTR)
Terms and conditions of use apply
Copyright © 2008 PR Newswire Association LLC. All rights reserved.
A United Business Media Company
Posted: May 2008


text:
imperceptible, adj.
We stopped counting our relationship in dates (first date, second date, fifth date, seventh) and started counting it in months. That might have been the first true commitment, this shift in terminology. We never talked about it, but we were at a party and someone asked how long we'd been together, and when you said, "A month and a half," I knew we had gotten there.
– Lover's Dictionary, David Levithan
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text:
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text:
VideoHive Sliding To Luxury Sofa 3731358
Stock Footage \ Lifestyle
Luxury \ Sliding \ SofaSliding
Stock Footage - Sliding To Luxury Sofa 3731358 by Dreamfootage @ VideoHive
Stock Footage \ Lifestyle
Sliding to luxury sofa in the hall.
Looped Video: No; Frame Rate: 25; Resolution: 1920x1080; Video Encoding: Photo JPEG; File Size: 163mb; Total Clip(s) Length: 0:16.
Forest in the Autumn 2; Forest in Autumn 2; Forest 1; Spider Web 2; Spider Web 3; Leaf on the Tree in the Sunset; Autumn Leaves on a Tree.
Keywords: hall, luxury, room, sliding, sofa.


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Recently, there was a tendency much to smooth the concept of genre in the gaming industry, it can be forgiven if the game is really universal, but when the next shooting called action-shooter, it is difficult to forgive. In this case, the developers did not initially hide their creation - a shooting gallery, and in the literal and figurative sense of the word. This game is for those who do not like blood, violence, and zombies, because the shoot, as well as real-dash, will have on the targets, different, but live they just will not. In general, the game immediately focused on those for whom shooting is not a way to survive a zombie apocalypse in the conditions, and the sport that it is, in general, is.
Develop accuracy and reaction, get used to the different features of a weapon, the only way you can achieve heights in this game. Simulator it is not mentioned, but of realism here care. Shoot is quite difficult, it is necessary to aim with the expectation of a return, the target will be difficult at times, too, different weapons have different characteristics and even bullet holes left! Just a nice side of the game is the graphics, the picture is clear and detailed, beautiful scenery will not, but what is done superbly.
Pros and features of the game Shooting Showdown 2:
Cons games Shooting Showdown 2:
Conclusion: This is a rare case when the second part of the game is much better than the first, so if you want to shoot, it's a great option, but if you want to shoot in style, you pay the money;)
✔ Multiplayer friend matches
✔ Support for all device sizes
✔ Performance enhancements
✔ Play Games leaderboards and achievements
|date of download
|The size
| Other languages
Afrikaans, Amharic, Arab, Azerbaijani, Belorussian, Bulgarian, Bengal, Catalan, Czech, Danish, German, Greek, English, Spanish, Estonian, Basque, Persian, Finnish, French, Irish, Galician, Gujarati, House, Hebrew, Hindi, Croatian, Hungarian, Armenian, Indonesian, Igbo, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Georgian, Kazakh, Khmer, Kannada, Korean, Laotian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Macedonian, Malayalam, Mongolian, Marathi, Malay, Norwegian, Dutch, Punjabi, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Serbian, Swedish, Swahili, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Tagalog, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Yoruba, Chinese, Zulu
|The file is checked
| view Wi-Fi connections
Allows the app to view information about Wi-Fi networking, such as whether Wi-Fi is enabled and name of connected Wi-Fi devices.
| modify or delete the contents of your USB storage
Allows the app to write to the USB storage.
| full network access
Allows the app to create network sockets and use custom network protocols. The browser and other applications provide means to send data to the internet, so this permission is not required to send data to the internet.
| view network connections
Allows the app to view information about network connections such as which networks exist and are connected.
| control vibration
Allows the app to control the vibrator.
| read phone status and identity
Allows the app to access the phone features of the device. This permission allows the app to determine the phone number and device IDs, whether a call is active, and the remote number connected by a call.
Attention! All files represented on this site either were found freely distributed on the internet or by their authors' permission. If any of materials on this site violates your rights, report us
Rating:(35) 4.14★ 82.85%
Rate the game:Plot


text:
Angola is a south west African Country with a population of roughly 19 to 20 Million. Angola borders the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Namibia and Zambia. Angola has a coast on the south Atlantic Ocean. Most of Angola is Savannah and Desert.
Angola suffered decades of Civil war fueled by Blood diamonds. There is reconstruction and there appears to be Economic development now but Angola remains one of the poorest nations in the World.
Angola is a major Oil producer but the people remain Poor while the oil companies make a profit. [1] [2]


text:
Saarven is a village in eastern Mortvania near Lupravia.[1]
The name Saarven is of a German-type common in western Mauristatia. Serena the Sorceress was a notable resident of Saarven.[2]
See AlsoEdit
- ↑ Vault of the Vampire - Map; Howl of the Werewolf - 116
- ↑ Howl of the Werewolf - 165


text:
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Tata Communications offers a cost effective and efficient way to secure and protect your organisation as well as your customers with global fraud protection solutions.


text:
What is JotForm?
JotForm is a free online form builder which helps you create online forms without writing a single line of code. No sign-up required.
At JotForm, we want to make sure that you're getting the online form builder help that you need. Our friendly customer support team is available 24/7.
We believe that if one user has a question, there could be more users who may have the same question. This is why many of our support forum threads are public and available to be searched and viewed. If you'd like help immediately, feel free to search for a similar question, or submit your question or concern.
Shortened field data in submissionsAsked by sledger on July 19, 2014 at 04:18 AM
In my form the predefined questions and answers to some fields are quite long to make sure the person filling in the info understands fully. However when we view the submission data in most cases we only need a short title and yes or no answer. Is there a way to have an alternate answer text that appears in the submission data only?
An example:
Do you have competition licence?
1) Yes. I have a current AASA licence
2) Yes. I have a current CAMS LS2 licence
3) No. I wish to get one on the day
Could really be shortened to:
"Licence: AASA, CAMS, No" in the submission data.
JotForm Support
Hi Derek,
I think you must be looking for the Configurable List Widget.
Using this widget, you can have multiple answers combined into one column viewed in submissions data.
You can check here -How-to-Set-Up-the-Configurable-List-Widget
Tell us if this will not work for you and we will find another applicable workaround.


text:
WATCH: Charles Barkley plays first game of beer pong, is completely terrible
Considering Charles Barkley's infamous history with booze, it's a bit of a shock Sir Charles has supposedly never stepped up to the beer pong table. The only saving grace for this disgraceful performance is Barkley's astute realization that he'd rather lose so he can drink. Now you're getting it, Chuck.


text:
Model Type
25 Combined MPG (22 city / 31 hwy)
EPA estimated
Quick Summary The 2016 Fiat 500X is an all-new five-passenger subcompact SUV. Built on the same underpinnings as the new Jeep Renegade, the 500X offers a choice between two engines and either front- or all-wheel drive. Its modern mechanical features and a clean interior design give it a far more refined feel than previous Fiat models and make the 500X a solid contender in the class.
What Is It? Fiat's all-new 2016 500X doesn't share any underpinnings with its Italian-badged brethren. In fact, it's an all-new platform that's mechanically unrelated to other Fiats. This is a very good thing, as the new structure introduces an all-new driving position, packaging and suspension. Though the powertrain options are familiar, this Fiat ushers in an entirely different feel to the brand.
Five trim levels are available: Pop, Easy, Lounge, Trekking and Trekking Plus. Pop models start at $20,900 and come standard with a 160-horsepower 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a six-speed manual transmission. A larger 180-hp four-cylinder engine is optional on the Pop trim and standard on all other trim levels. The 2.4-liter engine comes with a nine-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the front wheels. All-wheel drive is optional on all trim levels except the base Pop. The range-topping all-wheel-drive Trekking Plus 500X equipped with the 180-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder tallies $34,400 when fully loaded.
Our Lounge-trim tester with blind-spot detection and rear parking sensors stickered at $26,100.
How Does It Drive? Though you won't find yourself searching for twisty roads in the 500X, it's certainly a more confident and reliable partner than Fiat's other models. Its steering is weighty and it directs the small SUV with reasonable precision. There's a distinct on-center heft that's harder to overcome than we'd prefer, but the thick-rimmed steering wheel feels good in your hands.
The downside to this responsiveness is a fairly busy ride. It's apparent on less than perfect roads, but only sensitive drivers will notice.
You'll find a Sport mode among the 500X's three drive mode options, but even the most mild on-ramp enthusiasm is quickly dulled by aggressive stability control. Despite this, the 500X provides the most intuitive response and control feedback in the Fiat lineup. An "Auto" drive mode optimizes efficiency across throttle and transmission calibrations, while the "Traction +" mode allows wheel slip in low-grip situations.
The nine-speed automatic can be rough in the first few minutes of operation and often struggles to find the right gear at low speeds. Manual shifting is an option, but with so many gears it's usually more trouble than it's worth to find the cog that provides the desired response. Reaching 60 mph from a standstill requires 9.0 seconds, which is slower than the Mazda CX-3, but likely faster than the Honda HR-V.
Braking from 60 mph requires 121 feet, which is about average for the class. There's considerable nosedive, and our tester required small steering inputs to remain straight during full-ABS stops. Pedal feel in normal driving is firm and responsive.
Bottom line: This is the best-driving Fiat in the lineup, but it's not the best-driving subcompact SUV you can buy. Mazda's CX-3 is both quicker and more rewarding to drive.
What's the Interior Like? Combining brand identity, style and modern utility in a way that minimizes compromises is a challenge for brands seeking to infuse high style like Fiat and Mini. Fortunately, the 500X does a solid job of maximizing all three elements into a competent, attractive package.
A large, easy-to-use touchscreen infotainment interface takes center stage in the presentation. Though small at 6.5 inches across, it's still big enough to be effective thanks to intuitive controls. Dual-zone climate controls offer knobs to adjust temperature, and there are steering wheel buttons to manage cruise control and audio functions.
Materials and assembly quality are better in the 500X than in other Fiats. Secondary controls operate with satisfying precision, and the overall character of the interior approaches that of higher-spec vehicles. Partial leather is optional on Lounge models and standard on top-trim Trekking Plus trims.
A wide range of adjustment accommodates occupants of virtually any size in front seats that offer both compliance and valuable support during long drives. Rear-seat legroom, as with most vehicles in this category, isn't overly accommodating when the front seats are positioned to suit average-size adults. Three passengers across the rear seat is a tight squeeze.
Cargo space, at 32.1 cubic feet total, is less than most already-small competitors. Rear seats are 60/40-split folding but don't lay flat when folded.
What Kind of Fuel Economy Can You Expect? The EPA estimates that our front-drive 2.4-liter tester will manage 25 mpg combined (22 city/31 highway). During our 837-mile test, the 500X produced 22.9 mpg overall. However, on our highway-heavy test loop it managed an impressive 32 mpg, besting the EPA's highway estimate.
What Features Are Offered? Seven airbags are standard, including a driver's knee airbag. Though they're not included across the 500X lineup, a host of safety features are available including a rearview camera, blind-spot warning, lane departure warning and forward collision warning.
Our tester provided a solid array of features given its cost: heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and navigation, plus keyless entry and start. The Easy and Trekking trim levels come standard with a 5.5-inch dashboard display that allows access to the satellite radio and Bluetooth connection. The larger 6.5-inch setup with navigation is an option on the Easy and Trekking and standard on the Lounge and Trekking Plus. A Beats premium audio system is optional on all but the base trim. There are numbered packages for each trim level that add various options like additional convenience and safety features.
What Competing Models Should You Also Consider? There isn't yet an established big player in this new segment. However, Honda's 2016 HR-V offers a roomy, versatile interior and very good fuel economy.
The 2016 Mazda CX-3, which is based on the compact Mazda 2, maintains the brand's identity with responsive handling and adds impressive interior materials and design.
GM's entries into the segment include the base-level Chevy Trax and upscale Buick Encore. Mini's Cooper Countryman offers European flair similar to the 500X.
Why Should You Consider This Car? The 500X is probably the best Fiat ever sold in the U.S., so if you've been attracted to the brand's styling and personality but fearful of its quality, it's worth a look. It's also a good value when you consider the features it offers for the money spent. Materials and assembly quality are at or above the segment standard, and our testing proved that excellent fuel economy isn't out of the question.
Why Should You Think Twice About This Car? There are SUVs in this segment that handle and ride better than the 500X — sometimes in the same package. And even among this very compact group of utility vehicles, this one offers less space than most.
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
A full list of available features and filters for the used 2016 FIAT 500X inventory include but are not limited to: Edmunds Special Offers: Purchase Offers, Lease Offers, Gas Card (6), Used Offers (2). Model Type: SUV (23). Trims: Trekking (8), Easy (7), Pop, Lounge (4), Trekking Plus (4). Features: Alarm (23), Audio and cruise controls on steering wheel (23), Aux Audio Inputs (23), Fold Flat Rear Seats (23), Post-collision safety system (23), Rear Bench Seats (23), Stability Control (23), Tire Pressure Warning (23), USB Inputs (23), Keyless Entry/Start (23), Remote Start (23), Bluetooth (23), AWD/4WD (14), Back-up camera (10), Parking sensors (7), Blind Spot Monitoring (7), Auto Climate Control (10), Multi-Zone Climate Control (10), Power Driver Seat (10), Heated seats (10), Navigation (8), Upgraded Stereo (2), Sunroof/Moonroof (2), Lane Departure Warning (2), Leather Seats (4), Pre-collision safety system. Engine/Mechanics: 4 cylinders (23). Transmission: Automatic (16). Fuel Type: regular unleaded (23). Drivetrain: all wheel drive (14), front wheel drive (9).
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text: Dating back to the 19th Century, the former family palace was completely renovated in 2003 and comprises around 38 rooms spread over 4 floors. The fully air-conditioned hotel features a cosy bar, a salon with lifts, a TV room, hairdressing and beauty salon an à la carte air-conditioned restaurant with a separate non-smoking area as well as a 500 m� garden. Business travellers may make use of the various conference rooms and the public Internet terminal. Furthermore, room service and laundry services are also available. Guests arriving by car may make use of parking facilities offered here.The tastefully decorated come with a bathroom, a hairdryer, a telephone, an Internet connection and satellite/cable TV. Additional fittings include a minibar/fridge, safe, a balcony, air conditioning and central heating.


text:
Kapcsolódó témakörök felfedezése
BBC: Broke my heart and ruined my life. ESPECIALLY with the Merlin ending. I know that the Doctor will always love again, and that Sherlock would come back (I read the books) but I also knew Arthur was dead, forever, at the end of Merlin and OH GOD THE LAST TWO EPISODES WERE JUST SOBBING AND HYSTERICAL LAUGHTER. NOT COOL BBC NOT FUCKING COOL. GRR.
The BBC, ladies and gentlemen.<-- Am I the only one that thinks, if there is ever a special where this happens, that Peter NEEDS to play old Sherlock!? <--- Yes. But I would love the Doctor to meet Sherlock
@Kelly Teske Goldsworthy Teske Goldsworthy Fix @Jason Stocks-Young Stocks-Young Perry Sorge
BBC: The official consumer of my free time. My only issue with this is that it should read "Doctor Who" not "Dr. Who."
BBC Because Benedict Cumberbatch
BBC | I've never met anyone who wasn't important before. | You do count. | We all Matter | Doctor Who | BBC Sherlock | BBC Merlin
This isn't true for OUAT cause ya know certain . . . people. . . .die. . . . :'( but stil.
BBC Fangirl Problems. Oh so accurate. | they are all perfect but the one that finished me off was the last
Image result for uther sorcery gif
Oh well, my life has gone into the deep depths of Hell. Apparently it's called 221B. Whoops, there's Sam and Dean. And. Oh? Is that the TARDIS I see?
Why we watch BBC. I don't ship Merlin and Arthur, but this is still funny
...Hey, look. It's the most accurate description of BBC Sherlock ever...
The name's Sherlock Holmes by starrygazer
Sherlock season 4"The Final Problem" DAMN YOU TO THE DEPTHS OF HELL MOFFAT AND GRATISS
I don't give shit if I posted this before or not I FUCKING LOVE THIS (and mark…


text:
Tags: Acquisitions, Bid, BlackBerry, business, founder, Mike Lazaridis, mobile, Phone, Smartphone, smartphones.
Posted 12/26/2013 at 12:51 PM
Posted 4 years ago
BlackBerry company founder, Mike Lazaridis will not be making any attempt at a seat at the top of the beleaguered company, that he once founded. To the contrary, Lazaridis made a public filing on Tuesday, that states implicitly that he won't go making any bid to buy the company. Not at all.
The wind-up is that things are all set at BlackBerry for a return to Blackberry's enterprise founded-upon principles as now set forth by CEO John Chen. A new page for the future has been opened, and it can now be looked upon as news of an old page being turned over for good.
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text:
We ship to over 100 countries, including:
Please select the language that you would like to browse the site in.
Please select the currency you would like to shop in. Your order will be transacted in USD.
Style: 39125638 Color Code:
Handmade exclusively for Free People, this limed edition denim iPhone case features soft suede star accents.
Denim X Leather Star Case styled by the FP Me community
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Read statements Rick Berg made in this general time period.
Stage Details
Legislation - Bill Failed (Senate) (-) - March 12, 2009
Legislation - Bill Passed (House) (66-26) - Feb. 17, 2009(Key vote)
Title: Sales Tax Exemption on Clothing Purchases
Vote Result
Yea Votes
Nay Votes
Vote to pass a bill that exempts clothing purchases from the five per cent sales tax beginning June 30th, 2009, and provides for exceptions.
- - Belt buckles sold separately;
- Clothing accessories or equipment;
- Costume masks sold separately;
- Fur clothing;
- Patches and emblems sold separately;
- Protective equipment, or items designed as protection against injury or disease;
- Sewing equipments and supplies, including knitting needles, patterns, pins, scissors, sewing machines, sewing needles, tapes measures, and thimbles;
- Sewing materials that become part of clothing, including buttons, fabric, lace, thread, yarn, and zippers; and
- Sports and recreational equipment.
Legislation - Introduced (House) - Jan. 9, 2009
Title: Sales Tax Exemption on Clothing Purchases
- Wesley R. Belter (ND - R) (Out Of Office)
- Randy G. Boehning (ND - R)
- Tom Fischer (ND - R) (Out Of Office)


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Essential EPZ accessory
LMAO! A pair of boulders like that should go down a treat here
PS. Baby portraits?! You what?
PS. Baby portraits?! You what?
Oh yes, must rush out and get one now. I did find in Hobbycraft the other day that there are moulds to make your own rocks out of plaster - admittedly for model size, but I'm sure someone enterprising could enlarge them and then you could have all shapes and sizes to suit your landscape...
Quote:I wonder if I could order two pointy ones, two flats and a packet of gravel?
So that's your secret Ade, nice of you to share it with us.
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The Dark Brood is a race that controles a great empire. They are highly advanced and have developed powerful war-machines for use in their conquest. They believe that all other life is inferior and when they conquer a solar system any survivers are taken as slaves.
The Dark Brood appears to be a bipedal insectoid, They have an outer skeleton wich is made out of iron. They have wings that fold and function similar to a bird, but are scaly and are made out of a soft carapace, protected by metal sheets on the outside surface. They have 4 eyes, to larger eyes at the front of their head and 2 smaller eyes at the sides. The larger eyes function similar to those of a mamal. The smaller eyes can detect infra-red light and are usually closed, protected by ligaments on the side of their face which also serve as the creatures ears, when the creature wishes to see infra-red, the ears rais up and the infra-red sencing eyes are uncovered. The creature has no sense of smell but can detect the material make up of any object they touch with there hands. Their mouth consists of 2 very powerful pincers and a jay with a row of steel inforced teeth. The pincers can apply 1000 pounds of pressure, enough to cut through steel. And there jaws can double that, which is necisary to consume metal. The pincers are often used to cut metal and to not have enough speed to be used in combat.
Apart from culture and technology, the Dark Brood often show animalistic behavior under certain circumstances. When 2 male, or 2 female, Dark Brood get into a fight their ears rais, revealing there secondary eyes, and their jaws and pincers become fully extended. They lower their bodies and produce a loud matelic hiss. If one of these Dark Brood backs down they will lower themselves to the ground and spread their wings, putting them at the mercy of the other male/female. If this submission does not occur the Dark Brood will charge at each other and fight, which will result in the death of one of the Dark Brood. Although a sub-mission may result in death if the other Dark Brood feels insulted enough. It is very rare for a male and a female Dark Brood to display agressive behavior towards one another, although when this does occur, it never escelates into a fight and always results in the submission of one or the other.
The Dark Brood have a hierachal, class based society. With the exception of slaves, it is possible to move up and down the hierachy by agressive displays towards a member of the next highest class. If the higher Dark Brood submits or is killed in the fight, the challanging Dark Brood takes their place, and if the result was a submission, the challanged Dark Brood is demoted, to the lower class.
The classes below are ordered from most powerful to the weakest.
There are only 4 overlords. They rule over all the Dark Brood and are considered gods. The first child of the overlords will be the one to take their place once a particular overlord dies. It is also possible for a Member of Conclave to overthrow an Overlord but rather than the usual aggressive chalange, the Member of Conclave must declare war on the Overlord and take their home planet. If this occurs, the Memeber of Conclave is deemed the new Overlord and the Overlord is disgraced.
Anything that an overlord demands must be followed by all Dark Brood if the other Overlords agree with their decision.
Member of Conclave
The Conclave is made up of 80 Dark Brood, they are responsible for ensuring that what the Overlords command is followed through with, they are also responsible for managing the Empire; economicly, civily, and militarily.
Servent of Conclave
Servents of Conclave are the highest class any normal Dark Brood can achieve. They enforce the Overlords' will, and act apon the orders of the Members of Conlave. There is a large number of Servants in every major Dark Brood settlement, and serve as the Dark Brood government.
Masters are the upper class in Dark Brood society, they control everything that the Servents of Conclave don't keep for themselves. Masters are wealthy and powerful, with very few willing to challange their rule. They are often generals and keepers of many slaves. They also control all the wealth.
Drones make up the majority of Dark Brood, with the Exception of the Overlord's first born, all Dark Brood start of as Drones. They are the working class, and always the ones sent to war.
The Slaves are not actually made up of Dark Brood but are prisoners of the Dark Brood conquest. They are considered mindless animals and their owner can do what ever they wish with the slave.


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Welcome, skip to the content .
Ausgrid has constructed a new substation to serve homes and businesses in Lake Munmorah and surrounding areas. The new substation is located on the corner of Carters Road and the Pacific Highway in Lake Munmorah, adjacent to the former zone substation that has been retired from service.
The project is required to allow Ausgrid to maintain a reliable power supply to the area.
Two new 132,000 volt power lines were constructed to power to the new new substation, one from Munmorah bulk supply point and the other from Vales Point bulk supply point.
The new substation was commissioned in November 2012.
1 800 004 971


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I've been learning Python lately, both for my job and just for fun. After all, all the cool kids are learning Python, aren't they? Best of all, I found a great puzzle called Python Challenge, which consists of several cryptic puzzles that require programming to solve.
If you're learning programming, or want to learn, or you already know some and want to expand your realm of expertise, I highly recommend it. Out of the levels I've done so far, there is one that requires Python. The others were designed to be solved in Python, but could probably be done in any other language.
If you get stuck, there is a help forum, but they usually help you more with the concepts rather than how to write the code, so I wouldn't necessarily think of it as "cheating"--but try to do them on your own. It's more fun that way.


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To help you manage the cost of your call you now have a choice of numbers to contact our Client Service Team.
Call us on 0800 279 6551* or our local number 0141 352 3909*. If you are an Advisory client please contact your Advisor directly.
Our opening hours are:
07.30 – 19:00 Monday to Thursday
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(excluding Bank Holidays)
By post:
Barclays Stockbrokers
Client Service Team
Tay House
300 Bath Street
If you're sending us valuable documents such as share certificates, you may want to consider using registered post.
By fax:
Our fax number is 0845 605 2143.
We may ask you to send copies of documents to us by fax. So we can deal with your query promptly, please ensure that your fax includes the name of the person who has asked you to send the fax.
Please note that we cannot accept dealing instructions by fax.
By SignVideo:
Our service helps you call and talk to us safely using British Sign Language (BSL). We connect you to an interpreter who communicates your sign language to the adviser. More about SignVideo
*Calls to 0800 numbers are free if made from a UK landline and calls to 0141 numbers are charged at local rate, mobile costs may vary - please check with your telecoms provider. Calls may be recorded so that we can monitor the quality of our service and for security purposes. Our opening hours are 7.30am to 7pm Monday to Thursday, 7.30am to 6pm on Friday (excluding bank holidays) and 9.30am to 12.30pm on Saturday.


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A few of you may recall this article, from August of 2008, explaining why "August is the time to buy Odyssey Marine Exploration" (NASDAQ:OMEX). First, a few words on what's right with the article. Odyssey Marine "arrested" some wrecks -- true enough. This means that some token from the vessel (or ostensibly so) was presented to a court of admiralty in connection with a claim on the vessel - a claim in rem against the vessel itself, rather than a claim against its owner. An "arrest" doesn't prove either that the vessels at issue are the property of OMEX, or that OMEX even has properly identified the wrecks; it simply brings the supposed wrecks within the jurisdiction of an admiralty court. This means that the fight over the wreck sites can begin.
A Little History On Historic Wrecks
Let's think back to the famous wreck Atocha, found by Mel Fisher in 1971. Finding the Atocha at a cost of over $2 million didn't immediately enrich the Fishers. It simply embroiled them in a series of law suits over title to the find and to their share, if any, after taxes (try paying timely quarterly taxes on the appraised value of a trove of antiquities without destroying the market for the antiquities by dumping them). Among the claims raised by the government in the suit concluded in 1978 were claims that the government owned the wreck as abandoned property and as an assemblage of antiquities - claims supported by statutes the government had passed. The fact that the Fishers did well in the case decided in 1978 was not based on some immovable pillar of admiralty law, but (if you read the linked case) solely on the language and history of the statutes actually in effect at the time of the suit. The law has changed quite a bit since then.
Under the 1902 treaty between the United States and Spain (described here), the United States must afford Spanish warships not only "the same assistance and protection" as United States warships but also "the same immunities which would have been granted to its own vessels in similar cases." Since modern U.S. law on U.S. warships places the sovereign that launched the warship in absolute control not only of the lost warship but of everything within its debris field, and prohibits courts from determining that they have been abandoned without an express declaration of abandonment, the happy-go-lucky conclusions offered by some wreck enthusiasts regarding the outlook for acquiring title to a lost Spanish warship full of New World treasures require some serious consideration.
At the very minimum, would-be salvors steer themselves into unavoidable litigation with a well-funded government adversary. Even winning, Mel Fisher was tied up in court litigating title to his find until he had been through a trial and successive appeals, including to the Supreme Court, following which the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals (before its area was split, placing Florida in the new Eleventh Circuit) wrote this gem, explaining how so many years of litigation (through the Court's opinion in 1982) still hadn't bought Mel Fisher peace from the claims of the State of Florida. That peace came later.
The State of Florida now holds a huge trove of artifacts from the Atocha, where it sits in bins in a warehouse and on every inventory grows a little smaller as people with access decide that the State of Florida won't miss just this one little bit. At least, according to the sources available to the Jaded Consumer. If you want to see anything from the Atocha, you need to visit the private museum established by Mel Fisher. The State of Florida's zeal for wrecks seems chiefly directed into a dragon-like avarice to hoard gold rather than a desire to educate the public about the history of Florida.
Mel Fisher may have long since joined the captain of the Atocha in the great treasure hunt in the sky, but his family continues to operate his salvage claim - established under prior law - every year. And every year, someone eager to find ancient curios in a proven site spends a small fortune bringing a vessel and divers to the coordinates they license from the Fishers for a season's operations in exchange for a cash payment and a share of the find. So why is it, you wonder, that you have not heard of many wealthy salvage teams?
Modern Salvage Economics
It turns out that competent salvors - people who can search a grid rather than getting lost under the boat, for example - are not a cheap class of worker. They have commercial diving skills that make them extremely valuable in the offshore industry, and thus in demand on every rig and pipeline in the entire Gulf of Mexico. Maybe the greenhorns aren't worth much, but do you want them pretending to map an archaeological site or claiming to have searched your designated block of sea for little green rocks that are just like sand but priced like emeralds from the Atocha? Do you trust them to leave Key West sober in the morning for work?
The Jaded Consumer has had the entertaining opportunity to become involved in some archaeological work - not on a Spanish galleon, but more closely connected with the history of the United States. And I have seen the budget for a few weeks' search in shallow water near shore. And so it is with some experience that I am able to say that British maritime historian Andrew Lambert had it exactly right when he said to CNN, "If you want to stand in a cold shower tearing up £50 notes, go shipwreck hunting."
So let's have a look at the economics of wrecks -- not of near-shore, shallow-water, bathtub-warm Key West finds within striking distance of a grocery store, but at the deep, dark, distant targets sought by Odyssey Marine Exploration. As seen on TV, Odyssey has a ship full of survey gear and a work-class ROV designed to manipulate objects at depths that make diving impractical. Risking a man's life in a 1-atmosphere suit is "impractical" next to sending an ROV that can be salvaged when it is lost. Mel Fisher parted with not only a seven-figure sum hunting the Atocha, but also several divers - including his son Dirk and daughter-in-law Angel -- and they were in a readily diveable depth of water.
But using ROVs has its own class of problems. Attached to the vessel by a lengthy umbilical cord that supplies power and communications lines, the craft can't stay on-target while the ship moves. The ship, therefore, must be a fairly high-dollar dynamically-positioned vessel. The ROV must be piloted competently or it can be tangled and lost at depth, and it must be maintained against the harsh maritime conditions if it is to remain operable. And as video clips of OMEX's tediously slow coin collection operations so plainly depict, it can take a long time to accomplish careful archaeological work at undiveable depths.
This long time is also money: an experienced ROV crew leader commands over a thousand dollars a day in the offshore energy industry. (Let's be honest; what an energy company like Shell (NYSE:RDS.A) pays for an ROV supervisor and what the supervisor receives from an employer like Oceaneering (NYSE:OII) aren't the same. Contractors among top crews may make only $600 per day before they go into overtime, but a crew that includes pilots, arm operators, and technicians will be expensive to keep at sea many days of the year.)
OMEX either pays high wages to its most skilled crew members, or it hires personnel without the expertise to get work in the energy industry, or it promises operators a share of proceeds in lieu of short-term compensation. A share of proceeds is the sort of promise that makes other salvage operations possible to fund: risk-taking workers forgo short-term pay for a shot at the moon. Since OMEX is awash in shareholders' money and wants to keep the proceeds, it presumably doesn't get a discount in exchange for a share of proceeds. (This doesn't mean shareholders aren't at risk of dilution by management's potential decisions to grant options to key employees, and how different is that to a shareholder?)
To illustrate the problem of high cost in the salvage business, consider the vessel U-864. Sunk during the Second World War with a cargo of 74 tons of mercury with a present value exceeding a million dollars, U-864's estimated cost of salvage exceeds $174 million -- and its location is known. Not exactly attractive economics. A permit has been issued, but regulators have postponed salvage again. Some advocate entombing the wreck in concrete and leaving the mercury at the bottom of the ocean. Probably cheaper, despite the seeming wealth of mercury.
Television Is Not A Sustainable Business For Treasure Hunters
A brief look at the programming offered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ:DISCA) and National Geographic suggest that the public thirsts for the excitement of hunting for gold in Alaska, history in the Irish Channel, and the deep wrecks sought by Odyssey Marine. But a look at the economics of the deep-water exploration business reveals that this sort of exposure is merely marketing, not a business itself. Crewing a vessel long enough to find something worth airing costs a fortune, and an episode of television just doesn't pay that much. I've seen fifty grand promised to salvage groups for access to make a video production, but I haven't seen the millions necessary to fund a reasonably sized hunt, or a small deep-water excavation. There's a reason that vessels capable of supporting work-class ROVs rent for six figures a day in the offshore energy field: they're expensive to run.
The Treasure of Odyssey Marine
If the net recovery of Odyssey Marine is consistently negative, what exactly is its treasure? Like Mel Fisher, these folks want to chase the dream of finding the big score, with the romance of searching the unknown, and the possibility of becoming really famous (at least among wreck divers) and of getting on TV a few times to smile for Mom. Unlike Mel Fisher, these guys have figured out how not to get ruined doing it: Every time they run out of money, they ask you to refill their coffers. And that's the real treasure of Odyssey Marine -- they are chasing a romantic dream (and being paid a nice salary to do so) at the expense of investors who are unfamiliar with the outlandishly poor outlook for salvage operations.
The article quoted at the beginning of this piece listed a half-dozen wrecks OMEX had in its sights, described the opportunities they presented, then laid out how the present value of the cash streams to be produced from these wrecks was worth $17 per share, which (according to the article) did not include the additional wrecks OMEX was finding annually, which (it explained) were worth another $22.60 in net present value. The nearly $40 per share in net present value meant that, based on August 2008 share prices, OMEX (according to the article) "could appreciate 10x."
To be worth "net present value," some assumptions need to be made about the time required to produce value from a wreck. In Mel Fisher's case, the answer was not just a few months. It was years. In the case of some of OMEX' targets, the answer may be never. Changes in US law governing US warships means changes in US law governing Spanish warships. US law declares unpermitted salvage illegal, and Spain is so politically opposed to private salvage that it is party to a treaty that criminalizes sale of artifacts that have spent a long time underwater, even if it's by a museum de-accessioning an artifact because it can't afford to maintain it properly.
Don't expect reason from Spain on wrecks. And don't expect under existing law to confidently place a non-negative "net present value" of something like a Spanish warship full of ill-gotten gains looted by Spain from the New World. (On the other hand, the British ship for which OMEX has a salvage license from the UK may be entirely different -- assuming it turns out it isn't located in Spanish waters where it is subject to Spanish law.)
Assuming the authors of the prior article were discussing the supposed prospects for a 10x gain in the price of shares instead of the balance of the corporation's bank account (which swells with each public offering), it'd be hard to see how the 10x gain should be expected. A look at OMEX' financials show that despite the success it has actually achieved in finding things at the bottom of the sea, the only real treasure it's recovered from investors' pockets. A glance at OMEX' heinously negative cash flow quickly assures readers that its negative earnings aren't a result of some sort of tax-motivated accelerated depreciation occurring while money is rolling in the door.
Let's have a quick look at the 10-Q from the period ended 9/2011. The current assets - that's what OMEX owns that has positive value that can be realized within a year - were worth $12 million on 9/30/2011. This, after OMEX raised over $15.6 million in a common stock offering in June of 2011 (at a 2.2% discount to the stock price the day before the pricing was announced). Don't think that OMEX only lost $3.6 million, though: its operating cash flow was a $9 million hemorrhage for the nine months ended September 30, 2011, which was a few million worse than in the year-previous period. And it wasn't making money investing, either: Investment activities lost over half a million bucks. The only place OMEX netted cash was from financing activities -- selling stock.
Meanwhile, OMEX's personnel have the greatest treasure of all: they get to chase their lifelong dreams of finding sunken treasure while being paid a fat salary from someone else's money. What could be better?
If you'd like an investment that makes money employing skilled offshore operators with expensive equipment doing something more financially productive at the bottom of the sea, consider an oil company like Royal Dutch Shell or Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) or an offshore services company like Oceaneering International or Subsea 7 (OTCPK:SUBCY).
Americans don't seem to have heard of Subsea 7, though it's got thousands of employees and ongoing operations in the Gulf, Brazil, the North Sea, and Africa. However, there is a US-traded ADR and solid profits; while its ROI trails Oceaneering, its earnings per share are a lot cheaper at its lower P/E. The fun part is that by picking between XOM, OII, RDS.A, SUBCY, and others of their ilk, you can pick from companies that are doing something loftier than standing in a cold shower tearing up £50 notes while a camera is running.
Hunting Your Own Treasure
Recall Warren Buffett's advice for making money? "The first rule of investing is don't lose money; the second rule is don't forget Rule No. 1." You can't lose short-term and expect long-term excellence. When you see an "opportunity" like OMEX, which is driven by hope rather than math, run. Grab your valuables first, of course, but run.
I'm always hesitant to bet against the idiocy of people inspired by the media, but there's a more attractive way to play this than a straight short. For a long/short idea, consider investing in a company in the energy industry that uses the same (or better) technology as OMEX, but has a strategy that creates profit. Both OMEX and its opposing investment will enjoy a similar asset lifespan, and a similar operating cost for each well-equipped vessel full of costly, skilled personnel. The compliance overhead of the energy business is substantial, but so is the compliance and litigation budget of salvors seeking title to Spanish warships.
The place where the companies will truly diverge is in strategy: OII and SUBCY will thrive with growing energy demand, and will sell services whether oil and gas producers are in the news for disasters (in which case they need experienced contractors) or are in the news for their record profits (in which case business is booming for support companies). Consider one (or both) for the long leg, and pair against an OMEX short. Given the timeline for litigation and OMEX's long track record of going nowhere while burning investors' cash seems unlikely to enjoy a short-term reversal.
Over the long run, what's the likelihood of OMEX producing outstanding returns in comparison to a business with a track record of raking in cash from customers needing essential services provided in an industry the world cannot do without? That's what makes OMEX/OII or OMEX/SUBCY an attractive long/short: even if OMEX goes up a bit for some reason, you only lose if it goes up more than a company that's making lots of money with a strategy that ensures it continues.
Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.
Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.
I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.


text: I'm running into a weird issue when trying to restore a site or eventhe entire farm. Normally, the restore process gives you options thatallow you to specify a new database server and database names.However, I don't seem to have those options on a restore that I'mdoing. The backup is a farm level backup. I've tried restoring theentire farm as well as individual sites. But even though I specifythe "new configuration" option, I don't get the options to specify thedatabase information. This results in error messages in the databaserestore section. A check of the log files shows that it's using blanksas the database server name for the connection string during therestore which results in the "cannot connect to server" error message.Any ideas on what could be causing this? I'm trying to to teh restoreto a fresh farm but obviously cannot do a proper one if it doesn'tallow me to specify my database information.


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The percentage of potential college athletes playing multiple sports has consistently decreased over the years but there are still a handful of prospects without off-seasons.
One such prospect comes from Compton (Calif.) Dominguez in Sean Harlston, who is the starting point guard on the basketball team, the starting quarterback on the football team and also runs track.
Harlston is just starting to get noticed in basketball but he claims a San Diego State offer as well as Washington and Florida State interest in football, a sport his father played at Texas A&M.
The 2019 prospect is also well on his way in basketball. He's got good size and length, tremendous lateral quickness and the handle and vision to create for others or get to the basket.
"I see the floor well, I pass, I'm athletic and knock down my jumpers," Harlston said. "I always try to get my teammates involved. "I need to get better at shooting and always making the right play when I get into the paint."
It's early into Harlston's recruitment in both basketball and football but he doesn't plan on giving either up any time soon.
"In college I want to try and play both," Harlston said. "Whatever my coaches allow me to do, I'll do it."