text:
Archive for the Reptiles and the Law Category
Later this year someone is going to break into your house while you are sleeping. They are there to take things that do not belong to them; things you worked for, things you earned. Awakened by the noise they are making you confront them and are stunned to find that the thief is someone you had thought to be a friend. You toss him a loaded gun and scream, "Please don't shoot me!" A few minutes later, as you lie bleeding on the floor, your precious possessions gone, you cry out, "I was always so nice to him. I can't believe he shot me." For reasons unknown it never computes that you put the gun in the thief's hand. It was you that armed him with the weapon he used to wound you. Who did you vote for in the last congressional election? How about the last presidential election?
As an American I am chronically aware that many of my fellow citizens don't pay much attention to what is going on in other countries. By no means is that an across-the-board statement; it's just something I have made note of in my interactions with others as I travel about the country. It's not unusual for Americans to be so unabashedly and ignorantly ethnocentric that they don't have the slightest idea of what is going in the rest of the world. Who am I kidding? Many don't even know what is going on in this country. Jay Leno is good at pointing this out from time-to-time in his late night talk show antics (and here). Most Americans know that something is going in in Iraq but many don't realize that Iran is different than Iraq and they certainly don't know why Israel is so despised by them. Most of us know that Princess Diana died a while back
The Humane Society of the United States has at least one (that I know of) full-time employee whose sole function is to communicate the organization's message using social media. That's it! Be an evangelist for the cause using the constantly evolving Internet as a tool. The existence of that job represents their commitment to reaching out to a whole new generation of people. They also have an entire division (attorney's included) focused exclusively on advancing their agenda through the courts. Now think about how many people work for your favorite pet owner advocacy group. I'll guess ten. A dozen, maybe. Fifty, tops. I often wonder how many hats people in those organizations must have to wear and how effective they can be when constantly switching back and forth between roles.
As I type my 40th birthday is barely two years away. And I don't know if it's my age combined with the times or if it's the times by themselves but over the past few years I have become keenly aware of a rapidly increasing divide between the people of the United States. I know, I know, every generation laments the passing of the 'good ol' days' and things were always better yesteryear. Time has that sort of scrubbing effect; it distorts the very perception of our own hindsight. But I sense that what is happening now is something more dark and angry. The happy-go-lucky naivety of my youth has passed.
The current state of affairs is that we can break the thinking people in our society into two general groups of people: liberals and conservatives (some people may prefer 'statist' and 'libertarian').
I am not too unlike you, I suspect. I have received the emails, read the blogs, followed the forum threads and participated in the related chatter. Been there. Done that. And yes, I even got a t-shirt.
Like many of you I have repeatedly railed against the unrelenting stream of assaults on reptile ownership. My passion for my position has, to my knowledge, not swayed a single opponent or politician. As is so often the case parties on opposite sides of a debate are uninterested in truly listening to and understanding the differing view. But that makes sense, doesn't it?
For longer than I have been on this planet people have been keeping reptiles as pets. The original reptile keepers were mostly academics, scientists fascinated by their enigmatic subjects of study. As reptiles began to enter into the pet world they were most often the choice of young boys and other people who were more …colorful …than mainstream society typically allows. The keeping of reptiles was often tolerated by the parents of young children who wanted to humor their whims and foster a love of science and nature. Thirty years ago there wasn't a large captive bred trade in reptiles, at least not compared to what it is today. It wasn't unusual for specimens to be either imported or, in the case of native species, self-caught. What better way to get a pet snake than to go out and catch one yourself? Those young herpers are now grown and they brought their once unusual choice in pet along with them. They grew up to enter into every facet of society across all levels of industry and income. Their choice to own a reptile was likely viewed as an oddity by many of their friends, family and co-workers. In fact, it was probably not unusual for them to simply not mention they had a reptile as a pet. Because reptiles were not mainstream and were viewed as a quirky choice in pet it was often easier to simply leave it out of conversations. Fifteen years ago I can say for sure the none of my professional co-workers knew that I kept snakes (I worked for a bank in those days). My banking buddies and I exchanged dog and cat stories often but snakes never came up during discussions about pets. On the few occasions that snakes did come up in conversation I often got the typical reaction that comes from the uninformed: disgust, fear and general discomfort at the idea of creepy crawlies slithering around my house.
Back in high school I sat through more than one government class. In my freshman year of college I went through the motions during a year-long course on the history of the United States. While sitting in those classrooms I wasn't really investing in the information, I was enduring it. I memorized facts, names and dates that would need to later be regurgitated on an exam. Despite the quality of my schooling I must admit that I failed to process the information as anything other than raw data. True internalization of the information didn't really happen for me. Part of the reason I missed so much was (honestly) a general lack of interest. For no good reason I found the history of places like Persia and Greece to be much more intriguing than that of my own country. History is often presented by academia as a string of names, dates, documents and military conflicts, each of which is summed up in a few paraphrased and often opinionated paragraphs. The impacts and long-term meanings of the events are not often taught in a way that encourages students to understand the information as it relates to their own lives. The end result is that many of us fail to fully connect the dots on how the events that occurred before our birth actually impact our existence. Teaching is an art form and most educators who have the ability to regurgitate facts lack the talent to make it relevant and interesting. As a result many students frequently purge the information after its usefulness on a test is complete. I do not fault my teachers for this. I take responsibility for my own actions, including the concerned attention I did not pay to my own nation's history. During my earlier years I never fully took the opportunity to explore how the decisions of the founding fathers were supposed to impact the life I am living more than two hundred years later. The past several years, however, have changed all of that in a way I never expected. If someone had told me many years ago that it would be pythons and boas that suddenly caused the processes of government to be immensely relevant I would have rolled my eyes and wandered off.
I recently received a letter from the office of my representative in the US House of Representatives. The letter reiterates what one of his staffers told me during a face-to-face meeting when I went to his office in Washington DC. While I characterize Mr. Forbes as a delegate who is "on the side" of responsible pet owners I think his opportunity for opposition has been limited. This is, of course, unfortunate. What is more unfortunate is that the limitation stems from one of S373 and HR2811's biggest sources of resistance: USARK.
In Mr. Forbes letter he points out that which we already know: an agreement has been reached between USARK and the HSUS to limit the scope of HR2811 to Burmese and African Rock pythons. That agreement unanimously passed the House Judiciary Committee on 7/29/09. I was at that hearing, I watched it happen. USARK, in what they believed was an effort to save all pythons, offered Burms and Afrocks in the spirit of "we've got to give them something." In reality USARK's compromise didn't give supporters of the bill nearly as much as it took away from its opponents. On July 28th Mr. Forbes was opposed to HR2811. By the time the afternoon of the 29th rolled around he had little choice but to support it. Why? How can he oppose a bill that has been agreed upon by both sides of the issue? He can't. It would be politically silly and a waste of time to do so. This was the exact sentiment shared with me by one of his staffers during our meeting. USARK's decision to agree to a limited scope for HR2811 effectively ensures its passage when sent to the House floor for a vote. I can see delegates saying, "HSUS likes it and the snake people like it, too? All right then! Let's vote on this thing and go grab a burger." What is there to debate? It appears that everybody is happy. Except me. I'm not happy.
If S373 passes the impending full Senate vote and HR2811 passes a House vote the absolute best we can hope for when the two bills are reconciled is the elimination of Burmese and African Rock pythons. It won't be any time soon that I forgive anybody who is responsible for that.
It's a horrifying proposition but plausible to think that one of the best things that could happen at this point is that the HSUS gets one of their Democrat House delegates to introduce a new amendment to HR2811 that makes it mirror the current verbiage of S373 (e.g. all 9 animals in the USGS report). At least that way the venomoid-rendered opposition in the House can have a renewed reason to oppose the bill. How else are they supposed to argue against it? That's not really the kind of gamble I'd like to take but…
Colin Weaver
"Liberty, once seized, is seldom reclaimed." -M. Levin
Many reptiles owners who are concerned about HR2811 and S373 may not realize it but these bills are positioned almost 100% along party lines. Democrats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate are in favor of it. Republicans oppose it. Republicans do not oppose these bills because they love pythons. They oppose the bills because they seek to bypass normal processes that have been in place for a long number of years, a point USARK has been trying to make.
The fundamental nature of the Democratic party is to seize the liberty of individuals in order to provide for the perceived benefit of the masses. According to Democrats, the impacts on individuals are secondary to the needs of the many. The way that state-minded Democrats (state as in "statism") endeavor to do this by taking steps to give government more and more control over the lives of individuals. Easy examples include Social Security, the current health care debacle and the huge ownership stake government has recently taken in both the automotive and financial services industry. Bailouts were given and control was taken to protect the masses. The result: a larger government with reach yet further into the lives of individuals.
Fellow snake owner, you are now poised to be on the receiving end of that same seizure of liberty so often employed by the Democratic party. They want to take away your right to own the snake of your choosing for the betterment of the masses. It is a decidedly Democrat thing to do. What makes it worse is that all of you know that the reasons offered for why your rights are about to be seized are not even based on facts.
Remember this the next time you go to the polls and have to choose Republican or Democrat. Many people in this country are single-issue voters. In our last round of elections many chose to vote Democrat solely because it wasn't "voting for Bush". The result of those elections are that we now have a Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, a Democrat-controlled Senate and a Socialist, er, Democrat President. The Humane Society of the United States swooped into action as soon as that criteria was met (Democrats all-around). The result to the reptile community is the pain we are all feeling today. Never forget that.
Colin Weaver
P.S. – Mid-term elections are about a year away. If we can survive this round we can fix our problems (the reptile problem, that is) at the ballot box next year.
Note: I opened this up to discussion on the ball-pythons.net forum but they moved it to their "Quarantine Room" that is not visible to the general public. I guess it was more direct and to the point than what they like on their site. It's their site, their call. Someone on that site suggested that I was unfairly trying to make this into a partisan issue. Uh, I'm not trying to make it a partisan issue, IT IS A PARTISAN ISSUE. This isn't a secret. Pretty much across the board Democrats appear to be lined up to vote in favor of it and Republicans will oppose it. That is a fact and not a politically motivated attack on the democratic party. It is what it is.
- In June 2008 HR6311 was introduced by a Democrat. This bill had the same aims as HR669. Despite being introduced in a democrat-controlled House, HR6311 never even made it out of committee. Nobody fought too hard for (or against) this bill because George Bush was in office and he would have vetoed it.
- On January 26th, 2009, less than a week after Obama was sworn into office and the Democrat hat-trick was complete, HR669 was introduced by a Democrat. The reptile community had its first unified and loud reaction. The House sub-committee backed off in response.
- On June 10, 2009, HR2811 was introduced by a Democrat. This bill seeks to perform an end-around on the legislative process by adding large constrictors to the Lacey Act.
- On February 3, 2009, barely 2 weeks after Obama's inaguration, S373 was introduced by a Democrat. This is the Senate version of HR2811. This bill also seeks to perform the same end-around on the legislative process by adding large constrictors to the Lacey Act.
There are two themes at work in the timeline above: 1) There have been repeated efforts to take away the rights of pet owners and 2) they have always been introduced by HSUS-sympathetic Democrats.
A ream of paper, a photograph, a young child and a tanned snake skin …this is the sum total of all arguments provided by advocates of a ban on pythons. In a purely technical sense they are wholly and completely inadequate. But the adequacy of arguments is not a prerequisite for buy-in from the misinformed masses. Sound bites and sensationalized overstatements are more than sufficient to convict in the mind of a Congressman or Senator. It is, of course, true (in a purely legal sense) that you are not guilty until convicted. As is often the case, things that exist on paper and in principal struggle to manifest themselves in reality. The practical result of our legal process is not 'innocent until proven guilty'. It is actually this: You are guilty because you are charged. The verdict is irrelevant in the long-term. If you don't believe me ask anyone who was ever legitimately acquitted on charges of rape, murder or child pornography; they never get their lives back. An innocent man set free after mistakenly being accused of doing something horrible to a child is never, ever, going to have a job in a daycare center. Why? Because truth and reality do not matter in the long-term. "Perception, " as I was told in my younger years, "is reality." The subtle irony of using a sound-bite to reinforce my perspective on sound-bites does not elude me. History is remembered by most people as snapshots, impressions and feelings. The stronger the feeling, the stronger the memory is; the longer it remains. Whether the feelings were created by information with a basis in truth is less important than the emotions they elicit. The horror we all felt to hear that a child was killed by a python left a scorch in the minds of most Americans. None of the facts in the case are going to distract people from the initial shock of the claim. All the media had to do was say it and it was forever true in the hearts and minds of our neighbors.
A photo of an alligator exploding out of the belly of a Burmese python…
The militant congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Shultz epitomized the overuse of this fantastical photo during her rude questioning of USARK's Andrew Wyatt at a Congressional hearing on H.R. 2811. In Congress it is generally frowned upon to say things like, "Talk to the hand. I ain't tryin' to hear it." Her position as a congresswoman is supposed to constrain her outbursts so the best she could do was to repeatedly hold up the infamous picture to punctuate her close-minded tirade. As a representative of the rational people of her district in Florida she is completely invalid; a danger to anybody who endeavors to participate in a careful contemplation of facts.
A tanned snake skin unfurled by Senator Bill Nelson during a session in the Senate…
In July of 2009 Senator Bill Nelson unrolled the skin of a 16ft Burmese python to a round of oooh's, aaah's and gasps from those in attendance. The Senator did not precede his dramatic presentation by saying, "This skin is almost twice as long as the animal that used to own it. Tanned skins are always significantly longer than the original animal." Why would he need to say such things? Everybody know this, right? For him to diminish the dramatic effect of such a gesture would have been presumptuous about the intellect of his audience. Leave people to draw their own conclusions; it's better that way. Now is a good time for me to point out that I am often being facetious when I write.
A child killed by a Burmese python…
The logistics of this tragedy have experienced Burmese python keepers around the country scratching their heads. People who keep large snakes are well aware of how they behave and the description of the wounds and the manner of the attack are so incredibly contrary to the actual behavior of these animals that every Burmese python keeper I know is saying, "It just dosen't make sense. Burms don't do that." Maybe it's wishful thinking on behalf of snake owners (myself included); we don't want it to be true. But the confusion remains; the way this snakes is alleged to have killed this child is as unusual as the event itself. But guess what? None of my pondering matters. The Burmese python has been tried and convicted in the court of public opinion. Facts are not relevant. It won't matter if the police come out tomorrow and say that the boyfriend accidentally killed the child and then staged the scene to make it look like the snake did it. The child is dead and the python has been assigned blame. The result is simple: large constrictors are now in the category of things that are a "threat to human safety".
A ream of paper in the form of a report from the USGS…
Several men of science have come out in opposition of this piece of literature and it appears that they are being written off as reptile-loving quacks. This particular writing of mine is not the forum for me to offer a contradiction to the USGS' slanted report. You know what matters about this report? It is thick. Very thick. 300 pages, give or take. I am confident it has been printed and placed in a 3-ring binder by many congressional staffers. How many have actually read it? Very few, I'm sure. How many have read it and then sought professional advice as to the validity of its content? Fewer still. It's 300 pages, after all, and there are more pressing matters in the country. Heck, I haven't even read every word of it. This is the reason for the so-called Executive Summary. Distill this content into something small, please. Twenty pages? No, still too big. Senators and Congressmen are busy people. Let's get this down to something smaller. A few sound bites would be nice. Perhaps a picture or two. It's odd, …I just read a similar distillation of Sleeping Beauty to my daughter tonight as she went to bed. In ten lavishly illustrated pages the entire story of Aurora was told and at no point was an admission made that many relevant facts were being omitted. I am left to wonder if members of the House and Senate are aware that they are being read bedtime stories …stories re-written by special interest groups (HSUS and Nature Conservancy) that are full of canned and baseless drama. But the best stories are the ones that have a villian and an innocent child, are they not? Fairy tales. But the python is not a beautiful princess. No prince is riding to its aid. This time Maleficent may actually win…
Colin Weaver


text:
They are now a battalion of the new Royal Regiment of Scotland and will soon amalgamate with the Royal Scots to form the Royal Scottish Borderers.
The regiment's traditional Glengarry cap is being replaced by the new Tam O Shanter bonnet.
KOSB commanding officer Lt Col Rob Jefferies said it was a sad day but time to embrace the future.
He told troops at a special ceremony in Northern Ireland: "For all of us, without doubt, there will be great sadness as we wear our cap badge for the final time.
"I have no doubt that the Royal Regiment of Scotland will be the finest regiment in the British Army.
'Watering down'
"We must prepare to wear our new cap badge with the same pride that we have worn our own," he said.
However, a former commanding officer of the KOSB, Clive Fairweather, said the day was a "tragedy" for the regiment.
He said: "I can't help thinking that what we are doing is diluting and, if you like, a watering down of standards.
"As a former CO of the KOSB I really do feel we are seeing here a tragedy - and an unnecessary one at that."

subset: commoncrawl


text: EnvironmentFloods spread to Australia's south Floodwaters continue to wreak havoc in Australia, as the south-eastern state of Victoria braces for heavy downpour. 18 Jan 2011 16:16 GMT | Environment, Humanitarian crises, Asia Pacific, Australia, France The Victoria city of Horsham resembled a lake after the Wimmera River overflowed its banks [GALLO/GETTY] Authorities have urged residents to flee more southern Australian towns as swollen rivers worsened a natural disaster that the government says may be its costliest ever. The rivers carried deadly floodwaters deeper into the country's Victoria state on Tuesday, the latest region afflicted in a weeklong flooding crisis that has left 30 people dead.Up to 500 homes were isolated in Victoria as the Wimmera River overflowed its banks, bisecting the city of Horsham before starting to recede in the afternoon. Officials sent three emergency alerts overnight to residents in the path of the high water. "At 5am local time they were out on the megaphone just yelling 'evacuate'," WestHorsham resident Brett Insall said, though he stayed in his home. "I'm not too worried about it. It's only water." Thousands evacuated The state's emergency service incident controller said the water would slowly recede through the day. More than 3,500 people have evacuated their homes across Victoria, with 51 towns and 1,500 properties already affected by rising waters. The flooding in Victoria follows a six-week crisis in Queensland, where floodwaters swallowed an area the size of France and Germany combined, culminating in the swamping last week of Brisbane, Australia's third largest city, and utter devastation of towns to the west. Experts have linked Australia's downpours to an especially strong La Nina weather pattern bringing cooler water temperatures and exacerbating the traditional tropical cyclone season.Task force announced Julia Gillard, Australia's prime minister, announced the formation of a business task force on Tuesday to assist with rebuilding devastated infrastructure in Queensland. She said a day earlier that the floods that ravaged Queensland could be the country's most expensive natural disaster ever. "We don't even know what the price tag is yet because we can't even know what the full flood damage is. So we will work through this a step at a time," she said.Source: Agencies


text:
BS Civil Engineering Technology
BS Computer Science Technology
BS Electronics Engineering Technology
Regents Engineering Pathways Program
Our Mission
To achieve recognition by academia, students, industry, government and community as one among the best committed to:
- Providing high quality educational foundation required for a competent and creative professional career in the area of engineering and technology, and
- Serving as a catalyst for industrial and technological development at the local, regional, national, and global level.
Our Goals
The Department is committed to:
- establishing a culture of academic excellence in the field of engineering technology education, and to foster new and innovative approaches in preparing students to become competent and creative professionals with knowledge and skills needed for fulfilling the employment needs of today and of the future;
- developing and maintaining a faculty dedicated to excellence in teaching, continuously exposed to current developments in technology, and in constant pursuit of improving professional expertise;
- actively contribute to student recruitment efforts, to attract well-qualified high school graduates, to provide advising and supervision, and to promote communication with alumni.
Program Educational Objectives:
As integral components of the Department of Engineering Technology, the Engineering Technology Programs adopt the following educational objectives. The educational objectives for the program are designed to educate and improve the ability of students to become competent and creative professionals contributing effectively for fulfilling the employment needs of today and of the future. Theses objectives are:
Objective 1
"To ensure that the graduates apply their knowledge of mathematics, science, engineering and technology and demonstrate competency in identifying and analyzing technical problems, problem solving, design of systems, application of modern tools, and maintain technical currency and a creative approach in their engineering practice."
Objective 2
"To prepare the graduates with abilities to advance through their professional career by demonstrating their ability to function in multidisciplinary teams, ethical responsibilities, professionalism, and desire for advanced specialization in other technical or non-technical fields."
Objective 3
"To prepare graduates who will be able to express themselves effectively in both oral and written communication, understand social responsibilities, appreciate diversity, commit to continuous improvement, and maintain professional competency through life-long learning."
Program Outcomes:
The educational objectives of the program are prescribed and achieved to ensure the following outcomes:
- The graduate will have the engineering competence with ability to identify and analyze engineering problems and to apply knowledge, techniques and skills in creatively designing and maintaining systems for solving those problems;
- The graduate will have a good understanding of mathematics, science, technology, engineering, and computational methods and an aptitude for life-long learning for continuous improvement and to solve current and future problems at the regional and global level;
- The graduate will develop an ability to conduct experiments, analyze the data for engineering applications, and ensure quality control;
- The graduate will have the ability to function in multidisciplinary teams, assume societal and ethical responsibilities, communicate effectively, and contribute to the advancement of the art and science of engineering technology.


text:
- Description
Lightweight mountaineer's backpack fully equipped for alpine use. With its narrow shape and body-hugging fit for great freedom of movement for both climbing and mountain tours.
- V-frame 6 mm aluminum, adjustable
- 2-layer, high-density EVA back padding, hip and shoulder belts with Air-Mesh cover
- 2 lid pockets – external and internal
- Removable hip belt with gear loops
- Ski attachment on the side
- Rope fixing strap
- 2 ice axe carriers
- Daisy chain gear carrier
- Lateral compression straps, can also be tensioned at the front to carry gear
- Hydration system compatible
- Additional Information
Additional Information
Intended Use Alpine & Ice Climbing, Rock Climbing, Winter
- Reviews
You may also be interested in the following product(s)
SealLine - Black Canyon Boundary PackPrice From:
Save: 30%


text:
Looking for Love? Best Cities for Dating
There's someone for everybody, but what if your future beau doesn't live in your city?
Kiplinger.com composed a list of the top 10 best cities for singles by factoring income, living costs, percentage of unmarried households and a date night tab (including the average cost of two movie tickets, and a bottle of wine).
Plan your summer vacation or make your next move in one of these cities filled with the most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes. –Ashley Jeter
1. Ann Arbor, Mich.
Metro population: 343, 947
Unmarried households: 54.4%
Cost of living score: 102.2
Median household income: $59,065
Date night tab: $23.76
Ann Arbor is a trendy college town filled with boutiques, sporting events, golf courses, and beautiful parks. You're sure to find Mr. Right in one of these areas.


text:
Dream Park, the ultimate in amusement parks, was about to embark on the greatest game ever: the California Voodoo Game. Across the world, bets were being placed; fortunes and reputations hung in the balance. Gaming careers would be made - or destroyed. And the most advanced software package ever invented was going to be tested.
But one of the players was a murderer - and worse. Only Alex Griffin, head of Dream Park Security, and Game Master Tony McWhirter guessed the extent of the treachery tainting the Game. Somehow, they had to catch the killer - but above all, the Game must go on....
Dream on! Listen to another Dream Park novel.
©1992 Larry Niven & Steven Barnes (P)2011 Audible, Inc.
There are no listener reviews for this title yet.
"cool details thin storyline"
the novel has really good details okay then the storyline failed to tell you things it would have been good if they are given the actual events and a final conclusion letter saying well maybe you guys could have happened it would have been better.
"voice acting was great! "
I love everything Larry Niven is involved with, the Dream Park series is no exception. the voice acting is amazing. I would get audio books just because Stefan's name was on it.
"Groundbreaking for its time"
The basic idea is novel and the writing style is dynamic and slick. The pacing throughout is just about right. There is a lot to like about this book although the idea is ultimately silly, a little suspension of disbelief is always necessary with SF, While not the strongest book in the series, it is a good read and Stefan Rudnicki does his usual wonderful job of presenting it.
Report Inappropriate Content
If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.


text:
Ashley Eckstein shares a possible new product with us, and is asking for feedback. Would you buy the tote bag in the video? Check it out, then fill out the survey.
12 Replies to "Would you buy this Her Universe tote bag?"
"What's it gonna take to get YOU into this ALL-NEW Her Universe tote bag?"
I LOVE the pattern! I don't usually buy that style of tote (I like messenger bags or backpacks, generally) but I would consider buying that.
I'm not really the target demographic for this line at all, and the pattern is really kind of cool/attractive, but isn't the bag itself kind of gigantic? I just mean that, even for a tote, it seems very large. Or is Ms. Eckstein just a smaller person than I figured?
My wife would recommened a lighter-colored main bag material so the logos are more easily visible. And definitely reduce the size a bit.
Ashley is very tiny, so it's a little hard to tell, but I do think it's kinda big.
I LOVE the pattern, but I'm not sold on the bag. In part that's because I probably have more bags than I need already, but the only one I might buy in the near future is a new computer/messenger bag….that would be awesome. Same pattern with a computer bag. At cons, I try to travel light, so a smaller bag is more appealing and I like my bags to have a little more structure…however I do LOVE pockets. The more the better. I don't like the idea of using a string/ribbon to close the bag. It's awkward and would be the first thing to break. Also I'm a sucker for cute zipper pulls…having one shaped like Republic or Empire symbol would be really cool and could still be subtle.
And…I have a 17″ laptop…so it would double awesome if a computer bag could be adjusted to handle something bigger than 16″….I've another artist friend with the same problem finding a bag, since she got a laptop with a larger screen.
"Let's dive right in to the bag!"
I really like several of the SW symbols so I think the pattern is neat. It totally needs a zipper…the ties are perplexing.
I'll head over to the HU site to do the survey there, too. Reaction:
– Really like the pattern & colors.
– Prefer something a couple inches shorter & narrower. Love the water bottle pocket, but that's a big bottle, & its top doesn't even come up to top of bag. Would want bag to be at least big enough to hold 9″x12″ folder without bending, though.
– Cannot see the ties ever working for much.
– Would pay more for a bag with a zipper.
I'd buy it. It would work well as a gym tote or a knitting bag for me!
Comments are closed.


text:
Astrowars Federation
From Astro Wars
Created in Beta 1 by lrendall, this alliance composed of the following:
Gyllias, Llama (no longer playing), [RSA]Top-Dogg[UK2]*, Rufas, Jimmy, BamIam, Lrendall, Snakepit, Waylon, Yaella.
It was infact a coalition as two members, [RSA]Top-Dogg[UK2]* and Rufas, were Rebel-Student-Alliance (RSA) members but were working with the other AF members.
AF merged with GDoR in Beta 4 to make TGD. AF split away from TGD for Beta 8 to make a stand as a seperate alliance, led by friends both old and new, rekindleing a piece off AW history!
After nearly winning in Beta 9, AF took a break in Beta 10 to come back in Gold 1. Since then, AF has always been amongst the top-ranked alliances, still not winning a round, yet (as of GE7). Alas, by ranking in top-5 consistentently, AF has earned themselves the #1 position in permanent points.
The AF Forum is at http://forum.rebelstudentalliance.co.uk/


text:
The group that oversees patents on the H.264 video format has announced it will not charge royalties for H.264 videos that are freely broadcast on the internet.
The MPEG Licensing Association (MPEG LA) holds patents on AVC/H.264, the most widely-used video format on the web.
The group announced earlier this year that it would extend a moratorium on royalty fees for H.264 videos on the web from 2011 until the end of 2015. Thursday's announcement extends this royalty-free period for "the entire life of [the AVC Patent Portfolio] license."
This means that as long as H.264/AVC videos are around, publishers can post them on web pages and people can watch them in their browsers without having to pay any licensing fees.
The moratorium is only for the Internet Broadcast AVC video patent, which covers videos that are freely available via a web browser. Thursday's announcement basically extends the status quo until the end of time — you don't have to pay MPEG LA royalties to watch H.264 video on the web from free services now, and you won't have to in the future.
The MPEG LA says it will continue to collect fees on AVC/H.264 video that consumers pay for. The video format is used on Blu-Ray discs and on most on-demand and paid video delivery services, such as iTunes. It will also continue to collect fees from software that ships with the coders and decoders required to play H.264 video — even software that's distributed for free, such as web browsers.
Clearly, the MPEG LA is feeling pressure from the WebM Project, a new initiative launched in May that seeks to build a patent-free web video format. The project has created the WebM format as an alternative for H.264 and other patent-encumbered formats. WebM has already gained the support of Mozilla, Google and Opera, all of which are shipping new versions of their browsers with support built in. It has also gained the support of developers passionate about free and open web standards, especially as the web increasingly moves towards HTML5-based video experiences that work without the aid of plug-ins like Flash.
As promising as WebM's advancements are, H.264 remains the dominant format for video on the web by a very wide margin — about two thirds of web video is H.264. By extending the royalty moratorium, the MPEG LA is likely trying to maintain that dominance on the web and encourage content providers to continue to use its format for publishing videos. By doing so, it also guarantees the group a revenue stream of licensing fees from the tools used to create, encode and watch those videos — cameras, editing software, authoring suites and web browsers.
Meanwhile, open web advocates like Mozilla are encouraging the W3C to adopt WebM as a standard for HTML5 video. Right now, the web's governing body doesn't require a web browser to ship with any specific video codecs.
The WebM project was spearheaded by Google after it acquired video company On2 last year, and the WebM format is based on On2's VP8 codec. The MPEG LA has suggested that VP8 does infringe upon some of its patents, though this hasn't been proved. Google says it has thoroughly audited the technology and found no patent complications.
If WebM does run afoul of MPEG LA's patent portfolio in any way, it could zap any momentum the format has gained, as content providers would have no incentive to switch from H.264 to WebM. Also, any patent infringement would torpedo WebM's chances of being adopted as a W3C standard.
Google and MPEG LA did not respond to requests to comment on this story. Mozilla declined to comment on the record.
See Also:
- Mozilla's Popcorn Project Adds Extra Flavor to Web Video
- Vimeo Spreads the HTML5 Love With Web-Native Video Player
- More Cool HTML5/JavaScript Video Players


text:
Editors' Note: The Download Now link will download an installer file to your desktop. Remain online and double-click the installer to proceed with the actual download.
Sponsored Products
|Security Software
|Corporate Security Software
Publisher's Description+
This tool runs over 100 tests to gauge server security against best practices. Some tests include explanations and background information. It also calculates entropy and NIST Special Publication 800-63 compliance. The Windows Configuration Security Analyzer comes with a DOS batch script that system administrators can run on their servers to gather data for the Analyzer. Unlike other tools, the batch script is easy to read and understand so system administrators can be comfortable with the information they will extract from production servers. This tool was designed to help with information systems security audits, but anyone can use it to evaluate their system security. An optional feature allows users to send anonymous statistics.


text:
Together with his girlfriend, Channing visits Chris' house to find that his high school mate has become a happy family man with his former cheerleader wife and two lovely kids.
Channing Tatum has a sweet reunion with Chris Pratt in a new clip for "10 Years". Released via The Insider, the snippet shows Channing visiting Chris' house with his girlfriend. Channing is surprised since his high school mate now becomes a happy family man with cute kids and a loving wife. There's a funny moment where Chris shows that he's a lazy dad who does nothing when his little son cries loudly.
In the star-studded drama comedy about a high school reunion, Channing plays Jake, who is deeply in love with his girlfriend (Jenna Dewan) and ready to propose to her until he runs into his old flame (Rosario Dawson) for the first time in ten years.
Chris, meanwhile, stars as Jake's friend Cully who's married to his cheerleader girlfriend (Ari Graynor), and has been looking forward to the reunion so he can finally apologize to all the classmates he bullied in school. However, after a few too many drinks, the jock-turned-family man ends up reverting back to his old ways instead.
To open in limited U.S. cinemas on September 14, "10 Years" is directed and written by Jamie Linden. It also stars the likes of Kate Mara, Lynn Collins, Justin Long, Anthony Mackie, Oscar Isaac, Ron Livingston, Scott Porter, Max Minghella, Brian Geraghty and Aaron Yoo.


text:
Now you can add an incredibly posable figure of the batspit-crazy Mass Production Evangelion Unit to your collection! A re-release of the May 2007 figure with updated packaging and more accessories, this figure of the evilly grinning EVA comes with six interchangeable hands, three interchangeable heads (including one with its brain exposed---aaaaaugh!), "ripped-out-arms" shoulder parts (aaaaaaaugh!!), an ejecting dummy-plug part, a big pointy Spear of Longinus, its serious-business double-bladed weapon, and--best of all--those incredible wings! It's wildly posable, of course, for all kinds of rompin' stompin' robot fun, and is about 13cm tall. A stand is also included for airborne attacks. You won't want to miss out on this incredibly detailed figure--order now!
Please note that the photos shown are of a prototype; the production version may vary. Also, figures such as this are mass produced and as a result some inconsistencies in finish and painting may occur; these are not considered manufacturer's defects. If you absolutely must have perfection, prepare to do some touch-up work on your own.


text:
It's all about winning innings for the Laguna Beach High baseball team.
Through all 14 innings played so far during the CIF Southern Section Division 4 playoffs, the Breakers have done just that.
Laguna has reached the quarterfinal round of the playoffs by virtue of two shutout victories to start the postseason. The division's seventh-ranked team has disposed of Nordhoff (8-0) and 10th-ranked Alhambra (2-0), to earn a date Friday at second-ranked La Habra Sonora.
Game time is 3:15 p.m.
"It should be a great game," Laguna Coach Mike Bair said of Friday's matchup.
The Breakers' 2-0 home win Tuesday over Alhambra gave Bair his 70th career victory at the school, the most wins for a head coach in Laguna's baseball history.
Freeway League champ Sonora (22-6-1) has reached the quarterfinals by posting playoff wins against Patriot (2-0) and Century (2-1).
Laguna (25-2), champion of the Orange Coast League, will take a 13-game winning streak into its first playoff road game.
The Breakers are in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
"One thing I know is that [Sonora] will be a really good team," Bair said. "They pitch and play defense well and you need both those facets of the game to get this far.
"I really think the game will come down to timely execution on offense. I think that will be the difference."
The Breakers have had timely execution both offensively and on the mound in their two playoff wins.
Against Almont League champion Alhambra Tuesday, senior Preston GrandPre (3-0) threw a complete-game two-hitter and senior Richie Nunis hit a two-run home run to account for the game's scoring.
Nunis homered in the bottom of the third inning to break a scoreless tie, and GrandPre, who will play at UC Berkeley next year, walked five and struck out seven and shut out the Moors (22-4) who had their win streak end at 15 games and were shut out for only the second time this season.
Junior Callan Cochran singled twice for the Breakers who had eight hits off pitchers James Giambalvo and Marco Briones.
"Preston GrandPre was just a fighter the whole game on the mound," Bair said. "He pitched a great game. Richie [Nunis] was clutch for us with his home run.
"We've been doing that all year, having someone come through for us. This team has been putting it all together."
In Laguna's playoff opener May 22 against Ojai Nordhoff, Grant Wilhelm did a little bit of everything for the Breakers. The senior pitched and hit and drove in runs as the Breakers moved on in the postseason by routing the visiting Rangers, 8-0.
Wilhelm went the distance to get his 12th win of the season. Nordhoff (Tri Valley League No. 3) managed seven hits and put runners in scoring position throughout the game, but the right-hander struck out seven and gave up his only walk in the top of the seventh.
He entered the game with an ERA of 0.93, and ended it with his record staying perfect on the season at 12-0.
Wilhelm holds the Laguna single-season (12) and career (24) records for victories.
"Any time you can throw a complete game and get a shutout in CIF, you've had a pretty good game," Bair said. "Grant was awesome out there. They got some hits off him, but we were able to keep them from scoring."
Wilhelm also figured prominently in Laguna's offense. He went two for four and it was his first hit, a one-out, two-run single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the third, that allowed Laguna to pull out to a 3-0 lead. He lined a 2-2 pitcher over the head of Nordhoff third baseman Luke Boyd into left field. It brought in Cochran, who had reached base on a fielder's choice, from third, and also Nunis who hustled in from second base for the Breakers' third run.
It was part of the six-run inning for Laguna which went into a comfortable lead.
Following Wilhelm's single, Will McInerny hit an opposite field single to right field to load the bases. Designated hitter Garrett Burk then singled to center to score Steven Harrison from third. With bases loaded and two out, Jack Simon ripped a shot into left field that got under the glove of Baylee Rogers and rolled toward the fence. The sophomore ended up with a double that cleared the bases, and the Breakers suddenly had a 7-0 lead.
Simon's big day at the plate continued in the bottom of the fifth when his fly out to right field completed the scoring by bringing in Burk who had singled for the second time in the game.
"It felt good to score some runs," said Bair, whose team entered the postseason averaging 10 runs per game. "We had some clutch hits at the right time. This is a game of momentum and in the fourth, we stomped on the gas."
Laguna took a 1-0 lead in its first at-bat. Lead-off hitter GrandPre reached base on an infield error, stole second and was moved to third on an infield groundout by Cochran. Nunis then sent a shot high off the screen in left field for a double that scored GrandPre from third.
The Rangers (13-9) also committed four errors in the field.
Two impressive postseason wins has Laguna playing again Friday because the Breakers continue to keep their eye on their main goal.
"It was a good win and a great way to start the playoffs," Bair said of the Nordhoff game. "This team believes it can make a good run in CIF. As a team, we talked about winning innings. So far, we are winning innings."
Bair said that Wilhelm will start Friday at Sonora.
The winner of the Laguna-Sonora game moves on to the division semifinals at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday and will face either Valle Vista League champion and third-ranked San Dimas, or Pioneer League runner-up and fourth-ranked Torrance who square off in another quarterfinal game Friday.
The Division 4 championship game is at 7:30 p.m. June 7 at UC Riverside.


text:
Ask an Eye Doctor and Get an Answer ASAP
Hello there
From the symptoms you describe, I think the retinal detachment is progressing. If left untreated, retinal detachment can lead to worsening vision and hypotony (lower eye pressure) and eventual phytsis. Phytsis is the loss of eye pressure and shrinking of a previously healthy eye. This causes disfigurement of the eye. I do indeed think that these signs may be indication for surgery. You will only know for sure if you get the eye examined by a retina specialist. Even chronic retinal detachments can be repaired so that further damage does not occur and the eye maintains its health and healthy shape and appearance. Let me know if there are any other concerns you had about this issue. Regards *****
That will be fine, thank you *****


text:
Uniontown woman dies from stab wounds after bar fight
A birthday party inside a Fayette County bar turned violent on Saturday, resulting in the death of a Uniontown woman and stab wounds to three men, state police at Uniontown said.
Rashaunda Fitzgerald, 21, died at Uniontown Hospital after she was stabbed in the melee about 1:45 a.m. at The Goal Post Lounge on Route 857 in Georges, authorities said.
Trenton Branch, 25, Montaque Wilson, 21, and Cornell Neal, 25, all of Uniontown, suffered non-lethal stab wounds, Trooper Nathaniel Lieberum said.
Authorities were reviewing bar surveillance footage to determine what happened and who was responsible, District Attorney Jack Heneks said Saturday morning.
"We have people in custody," he said. "Whether they're suspects or not, that's what we're sorting out."
He declined to say how many people were detained.
"I understand there was a birthday party at the The Goal Post and, obviously, a fracas ensued and resulted in the death of one person and several other people suffering injuries," Heneks added.
Wilson was flown to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital for further treatment, police said.
Police described Branch, Wilson and Neal as not cooperating in the investigation.
Authorities are asking anyone who was in The Goal Post Friday night or who may have information about what happened there to call them at 724-439-7111.
Bob Stiles is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-836-6622 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Due to the collapse of local tax revenues caused by the national economic downturn, many transit systems may face shortages of money over the next year or two. Assuming this is the case, transit providers will have to either raise fares or reduce services by eliminating bus routes or otherwise reducing transit service.
It seems to me that raising fares is generally the lesser evil, both from the standpoint of an individual rider and from the standpoint of the transit agency itself.


text:
An 18-year-old woman has been charged over the death of a newborn baby found hidden in bushes in Melbourne's west.
The baby was found wrapped in a blanket in St Albans under a tree, not far from a school crossing earlier this month.
Police questioned an 18-year-old about the baby but never confirmed whether she was related to the child or if the newborn was a boy or girl.
It's not known how long the baby had been left on Ruth Street before being found.
The woman, from Deer Park, has now been charged with child homicide, a police spokeswoman said.
The offence is, in effect, equivalent to manslaughter.
She is expected appear in the Melbourne Magistrates Court later on Friday.


text:
Mestanolone (Steroids)
Product name: Mestanolone (Steroids)
Other name: METHYLDIHYDROTESTOSTERONE;MESTALINE;MESTANOLONE
CAS register number: 521-11-9
Molecular formula :C20H32O2
Molecular weight :304.47
Melting point: 224-226°C
Assay: 99%
2. Product description
Usage : For male gonadal dysfunction and reduced sperm infertility, dehydrogenase I intermediate methyl testosterone
Sildenafil citrate, sold as Viagra, Revatio and under various other trade names, is a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
People on antidepressants may experience sexual dysfunction, either as a result of their illness or as a result of their treatment. A 2003 study showed that sildenafil improved sexual function in men in this situation. Following up reports from 1999, the same researchers found that sildenafil improved sexual function in female patients on antidepressants as well.
1.Mestanolone is a steroid that has characteristics similar to those of DHT (dihydrotestosterone), but unlike DHT is orally bioavailable. mestanolone was the second most commonly used steroid by German athletes in decades past, who were among the best in the world largely because of widespread steroid use.
2.Methyl DHT cannot convert to estrogen, but it does bind strongly to SHBG which can displace estrogen into circulation possibly resulting in estrogenic side effects. mestanolone would therefore bind to the AR resulting in quite strong anabolism but it has not been determined scientifically if this is possible and what dose would achieve this effect.
3.Mestanolone is much more androgenic than anabolic and is decent at hardening up one's physique.
Dosages range from 10 mg to 30 mg a day for males. Women should avoid Mestanolone for it is very androgenic. Long term use, more than 12 weeks should be avoided do to hepatoxicity. Since Mestanolone is unable to convert to estrogen, it is very useful during cutting phases or when one wishes to avoid excess weight gain
Tests Analysis Standard Results
Description White Crystalline Powder White Crystalline Powder
Melting Point 190 - 192℃ 191℃
Loss On Drying ≤0.5% 0.15%
Assay ≥98% 99.1%
Conclusion Be Conform With Enterprise Standard
Other supplier products
|Trenbolone Acetate (Steroids)
|Soy Isoflavones
|Toremifene Citrate
|19-Nortestoterone decanoate


text:
- Hot Stamping Foils
- Cold Stamping Foils
- Pouch Laminating Film
- Thermal Laminating Films
- Adhesive Glue & UV Inks
- Flexible Plastic Packaging Films
- Post-press Finishing Supplies
AfterPrinting is a professional manufacturer, supplier of id card laminator machine, we provide id card laminator machine OEM & ODM wholesale, id card laminator machine price and more questions, please contact us and follow our Facebook , We will respond in a timely manner, we are not the lowest price of id card laminator machine, but we will provide you with better service.
id card laminator machine
View: List Showcase
Selected Product
Min. Order: 500 box
Unit Price: US $ 0.87-24.44 / box
PET Polyester Pouch Lamination Film is common lamination process to make simple and smaller laminates.
Contact Person
- Stewart Ren
- Tel:
- 86-135-99537359
- 86-592-5503592
- Email:
- email@example.com
- Address:
- Unit 2505 Building Nengqun, No. 825 Hubin South Road, Siming District, Xiamen, China


text:
George Michael – Unplugged
George Michael – Unplugged
Matching folio to his UNPLUGGED album. This book features many color photos, standard notation (with extra clear engraving) and wonderfully heavy paper stock for the cover as well as the internal pages. A must for any George Michael fan!
List Price: $ 16.95
Price: $ 67.99
Related George Michael Products


text:
I'm not sure, and neither are the experts:
I think we should leave it at 4π -- at least we are on the safe side. --AxelBoldt
I think it's 4π, though it's a while since I did an y QM. Doesn't it come from:
Ok, I will then happily make fun of Britannica now... --AxelBoldt
I think to remember that DrBob is right. The thing is that when you use it to estimate a value, sometimes you say
that is compatible with the previous--AN
Sadly, the source is a bit old, but in Feynman's lectures, Feynman defines the measurements Δx and Δp to be the width of a gaussian distribution, which may be the source of the confusion. He does, however, state precisely:
It was originally published 1963-1965, so I guess it may have changed since then.
Ah, that must be it. They never clearly say what they mean with "uncertainty". Feynman takes thh "width", which is probably twice the standard deviation. We take the standard deviation itself, that's why we get half his number. So we are fine, but EB is still screwed :-) --AxelBoldt
If there are two differing definitions of Δx and Δp we should note this, and that the uncertainity principle takes different forms depending on what definition is chosen. -- SJK
While I'm ranting, I would suggest dropping the stuff at the end about Einstein. First off, he never denied the empirical validity of the HUP, and second even if he did his opinion on the the structure of QM is best left to another page.
--- I'll need to read Ballentine to see what he says, but this seems wrong. The variable t does not commute with the Hamiltonian operator, and mathematically, a wave function of finite time does not have a defined energy and the mathematical relationship between energy and time appears to be the same as momentum and position. -- Chenyu
or that time commutes with energy.
I've found these links on the web
[[:http://www.aip.org/history/heisenberg/p08a.htm|http://www.aip.org/history/heisenberg/p08a.htm]] [[:http://press.web.cern.ch/pdg/cpep/unc_vir|http://press.web.cern.ch/pdg/cpep/unc_vir]]
Granted, these are popular pages, but one presumes that AIP and CERN had someone proofread the pages. There is also the discussion in
which I think we should fold into the article -- Chenyu
I really don't see any reason why t should be treated differently in NR QM than position. -- Chenyu
Never mind - I think I just saw it.
On second thought I don't see it --- Chenyu
AARRGRRHHHHH!!!!! My mind is frying.....
Anyway, I don't have any objection to the article as it stands. I misunderstood the original comment to say that there wasn't an Energy-Time relationship rather than to say that its derviation is tricky. Maybe we need another article just for the energy-time relationship. --- Chenyu
If you mean
then I agree that the statement needs to be clarified. Check out the no cloning theorem. -- CYD
Given a sound signal, you cannot talk about the exact frequencies contained in the signal at a specified point in time. In order to do Fourier analysis, you always need to look at the function over a whole interval; a single point is not enough. And if you make the interval smaller, the uncertainty in the frequencies increases proportionally. It's very much analogous to the uncertainty principle, and in fact, the same theorem underlies both effects. --AxelBoldt
I'd like to put this sentence back in the main article. It's a clear layman-accessible explanation of what the uncertainty principle is all about.
Search Encyclopedia
Featured Article


text:
Uncle John's Sweet / Hot Dipping Sauce for Meat
Recipe by Tiomarrano
This is an attempt to duplicate a sauce sold locally here in my area called "J Lee Roy's Sweet/hot Dipping sauce". I have never been able to find a recipe, and long hours of experimentation has, I think, brought me pretty close. It is very good when you're serving fried pork or chicken I haven't tried it with beef. But it is also good with polish sausage.
Top Review by Lindas Busy Kitchen
I made this sauce to have with chicken, and it was wonderful! Just enough sweet to make you smile, and just enough hot to contrast and make it interesting. There is a great combination of flavors and this a sauce we will try using as a sauce for bbq chicken too. Whether you use it to dip or as a coating on your ribs, pork, beef or chicken, it's all good! Thanks for sharing with us Tiomarrano! Made for My-3-Chefs 2008.
See Discussion:1 Review
Ingredients Nutrition
- 236.59 ml vinegar (taste test at end to determine your taste)
- 473.18 ml sugar
- 709.77 ml tomato sauce
- 354.88 ml catsup
- 29.58 ml molasses
- 236.59 ml water
- 14.79 ml chili powder
- 4.92 ml ground cumin
- 14.79 ml garlic powder
- 4.92 ml salt
- 29.58-44.37 ml dried red pepper flakes (less if your taste runs that way ( I like it hot)
- 2.46 ml liquid smoke flavoring
Directions See How It's Made
- Place water, chili powder, cumin, garlic, sugar, molasses, salt and red pepper flakes into saucepan or in microwave. Heat until the mixture comes to a boil and completely dissolves into like a syrup-like consistency.
- Then, lower heat to medium-low or even simmer.
- Add tomato sauce and catsup, cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture turns a bit darker color. Don't heat on too high of heat or you may burn the tomato component of this sauce. Let simmer very low for long enough to make the sauce thicker (in other words on LOW heat reduce the sauce).
- When done, remove sauce from heat and let cool to almost room temperature.
- Add vinegar and smoke flavor. (Do not add while sauce is too hot as this destroys the vinegar's potency).
- Stir well and test for final balance of
- sweet/hot (sweet component should not be much in evidence, just add a tang to the sauce, the sour should not be pronounced. To adjust sweet, add sugar a tablespoon at a time if needed when you taste test it. To add tang, do the same with vinegar, spices, sweetness and heat. You can add a dash of Tabasco sauce.
- If sauce still isn't hot (spicy) enough, rather than add more red flaked pepper, add a dash or two of Tabasco sauce or Sri Racha Asian hot chili sauce.
- Place sauce in covered container to refrigerate.
- **Note: The amount of heat you like (red pepper heat) varies from person to person. So before using the full amount of the pepper listed in the recipe, you might experiment first on a half batch or quarter batch of this sauce and start out small on hot pepper and increase to where you like it. You should be able to taste the 'bite' of the hot pepper through the sweetness of the sauce.


text:
I came to England and I left my raincoat behind in South Africa. It's true. Dumb move, right? So what's the weather been like since I got here? Miserable. I need a raincoat. Urgently.
A walk around London on Monday left me, erm, damp. What kind of country has this for a summer? No wonder they went to the far reaches of the planet expanding their empire – they needed some sun. It's not the kind of weather in which to play cricket and, of course, everyone here is worried about how it will affect the Olympic Games. The advice to those fortunate enough to have tickets for the Games is: "Get yer winter wellies on."
Locals are stuck between wanting to raise a smile and being friendly to all these visitors from around the world and moping about and complaining at how difficult and uncomfortable it is to get from one place to another. Then there's the crap weather.
Everyone's hoping the cricket won't be affected today. The forecast is reasonable, which probably means it will rain at some point, but not all the time.
Despite all the excitement about the Olympics, the fact that this is a series between Test cricket's best two sides means there's sufficient hype, though probably not as much as there would be had it been five and not three Tests.
Never mind, as several players have said, it's better than no Tests at all, or even a two-match series.
The English – the media and public – are confident of their side's chances, as well they should be. They're No 1, haven't lost a series at home in six years and they want to improve.
The South African team is quietly confident. Outwardly they appear relaxed and, as Allan Donald told me on Monday night, they're very calm and just champing at the bit to get the series started. Everyone realises what's at stake out here, but it is not something that they find over-whelming.
"We want to be the No 1 cricket side in the world. We know we'll be measured by this tour, and we are looking forward to being confronted by that," said Gary Kirsten.
Embracing what's in front of them, is all part of Kirsten's strong emphasis on mental preparation and in that regard, he knows that South Africa are ready.
Come rain or shine, said the South African coach, they won't be using a lack of preparation as an excuse if things don't go their way.
As for me, well, I didn't come properly prepared for the rain, so if I catch cold it'll be entirely my own fault.


text:
Love Songs Live
January 2014
FREE event
Plucking upon the strings of Wellingtonians' hearts is Love Songs Live at Museum of Wellington City & Sea in February. Singing songs of love are local Wellington artists who will court, enchant and romance you with their smooth strumming and singing throughout the evening.
The first set of songs begins at 6pm with a short intermission, and the following set starts at 7.30pm. Bring a gold coin for love song requests and stroll around the Museum with a loved one while being serenaded by a wonderful Wellington artist and learning more about Wellington's rich history. What better way to celebrate love than with Wellington and your true love.
The programme is part of the Love Letters to Wellington month at the Museum. Join us in our Te Upoko o te Ika a Maui exhibition space to write what you love about Wellington. Find letters uploaded to our Blogspot page online this February.


text:
Enter for a Chance to Win Cookbooks Featured in Off the Shelfby Mallory Viscardi in Contests, August 4th, 2014
Nothing takes the burn out of midsummer heat like free cookbooks. FN Dish is giving one lucky reader his or her very own stack of books mentioned in recent Off the Shelf posts.
The books featured in this giveaway include:
Jeni Britton Bauer's Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream Desserts
Marisa McClellan's Preserving by the Pint
David Lebovitz's My Paris Kitchen
Kimberley Hasselbrink's Vibrant Food
Allison Kave's First Prize Pies
To enter: Tell us in the comments what your favorite summer recipe from Food Network is (must include URL in answer). FN Dish is giving away this collection of cookbooks to one lucky, randomly selected commenter.
You may only comment once to be considered, and you don't have to purchase anything to win; a purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Odds depend on total number of entries. Void where prohibited. Only open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. states, D.C. and Puerto Rico, and you must be at least 18 to win. For the first day of the giveaway, all entries (answers) must be entered between 3:00pm EST on Monday, August 4, 2014, and 5pm EST on August 11, 2014. Subject to full official rules. By leaving a comment on the blog, you acknowledge your acceptance of the Official Rules. ARV of prize: approx. $90.00. Sponsor: Scripps Networks, LLC, d/b/a Food Network, 9721 Sherrill Blvd., Knoxville, TN 37932.
So tell us: What's your favorite summer recipe?


text:
Combination of flavors for a unique 'Gummy' experience!
Made in Spain.
Additional Info
Combination of flavors for a unique 'Gummy' experience!
Layers of tangy fruit flavors! Lightly Sugar Sanded.
Fruit flavors of Strawberry, Lemon, Orange and Red Raspberry.
Bear Size: 1" tall.
There are about 83 pieces per pound.
Case contains 8.8 lb. of Vidal Triple Gummy Bears.
Made in Spain.
Also available by the 4.4 Lb. Bag >>
Wholesale! Save Big! Get More for Less!
Additional Info
- g109473b


text:
Located in Hiawassee, Georgia, on 12 acres surrounded by National Forest views, Laurel Mountain Cabins offer comfortable lodging in a natural setting. All of the vacation cabins on Laurel Mountain have fully equipped kitchens, Jacuzzis, stone fireplaces, and breathtaking mountain views. Nearby you'll find plenty of activity: take a ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, hike through scenic hills, or cast a line into one of many local streams to catch some trout!
- Wifi
- Restaurant Onsite
- Pets Allowed
- Property Size N/A
- Conference Facility
- Kids Allowed
- Nearby City N/A
- Nearby Water N/A
- Open Dates All Year
Not only do these spacious cabins offer plenty of room for everyone, but they're near unique family activities: go whitewater rafting with Southeastern Expeditions, visit the Fred Hamilton Rhododendron Gardens, or even take a guided hike with llamas as pack animals!
Cast your line for fantastic trout fishing in streams near your cabin. One of the cabins is even located right on a stocked mountain stream, so you don't have to go more than a few steps to cast your line!
Pet Friendly
Laurel Mountain Cabins does offer pet-friendly accommodations for those who prefer to travel with their four-legged companion. For more information regarding rates and restrictions, please contact Laurel Mountain Cabins or visit the website.
- Air Conditioning
- Microwave
- Horseback Riding
- Fly Fishing
- Hiking
- Wildlife & Nature
- Whitewater Rafting
Nearest Airports
- Athens Ben Epps Airport (AHN) / 66.2 miles
- McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) / 68.2 miles
- Anderson Regional Airport (AND) / 62.4 miles
* Not all airports listed here may be open to public use, or service commercial flights


text:
Blake O'Hare .com
The Abridged History of the Ancient World
I usually don't write about this stuff. In fact, this is the first post in the History section of
The Dry Erase Board
Nerd Paradise. However I have lately become sad at the lack of knowledge the average American has of his/her own country. But similarly, I've also noticed that many people in general (not just Americans) don't know much about the history of the world. Because it would be selfish to just write about America, I will now be writing something that everyone can benefit from: the abridged history of the world!
I will start with the ancient world.
The history below is crash-course style. These are the
Big Facts
that, as a human
You Should Know
. If you payed any attention at all in high school, you are excused.
Mesopotamia - The First Civilization
Roughly in 7000 BC, Civilization started in Iraq. The irony burns. This civilization was called Mesopotamia. Before them, humans were mostly nomadic moving from place to place. The Mesopotamians realized they could sit down and get comfortable. Since they weren't walking around all the time, they found the time to invent the first system of writing (Cuneiform) and the first modern system of laws (Hammurabi's Code). These are important.
Around 3150 BC, the people in the northeast corner of Africa decided to start their own club. Bam. We now have Egyptians. They are best known for (or at least should be) giving us the foundation of mathematics. With math, they could build cool little pyramids and other fancy dancy temples. However, these early math geeks got beaten up by the bigger bully civilizations constantly and spent most of their later years under the control of one civilization or another.
Around 800 BC, people around modern day Iran united together and declared themselves the Persians (aka the bad dudes in the movie 300). They built an empire that stretched from the Middle East all the way to India. That's big. In 331 BC, Alexander the great came in and snatched the empire up with only a few strategic military victories. And that was that. After Alexander the Great died and his empire fell apart, "Persia" still existed in a sense, but this is the end of the period of the Persian Empire that most historians care about.
Around 1100 BC, some nomads wandered onto the Balkan peninsula and set up camp. *POOF!* We now have Greeks. Probably the most well-known contribution of the Greeks (aside from pita bread) is Democracy. Greece was a loose collection of independent city-states. These city states included Sparta (the good guys in the movie 300) and Athens (the guys that came to help the Spartans but weren't as good fighters in the movie 300). Although they seemed like great buddies in the movie, the Greek states did squabble and attack each other frequently. Eventually, a Greek state up north called Macedon took over all of Greece and, under Alexander the Great, kicked everyone's ass on this side of the world.
As I was saying, Macedonia started out as a Greek State of Macedon, but eventually, after unifying all of Greece, Phillip II set out to conquer the world. But he got killed. So his son Alex, gave it a go, and did a great job, so the pompous bastard called himself "Alexander the Great" and renamed all the cities in his path to Alexandria. Understandably irritated, someone poisoned him, after which, the empire fell apart.
In the 700's BC, there was a city called Rome. After getting tired of being ruled over by several kings, they established a republic around 500 BC. This led them to realize they didn't have to take crap from anybody, and so they totally went trigger happy and conquered most of Europe, northern Africa, and bits of the Middle East. In the 3rd century AD, the empire was big but due to the lack of email, it was very unmanageable and began to fall apart into different factions. Most notably was the split of the empire into the Eastern Roman Empire and the Western Roman Empire. The Western Roman empire crumbled on September 4th, 476 AD and is considered the end of the ancient world and the beginning of the Dark Ages...for Euro-centric history at least.
Source: A muddle of what I remember from high school and
for specific dates.


text:
Halos top Astros, win first series of the year
Trout hits first HR of season; Hamilton homers in back-to-back games
ANAHEIM -- Minutes after Saturday's win, Angels manager Mike Scioscia wanted to seize the moment and make sure his team capitalized on its newfound momentum.
And the Angels did exactly that in Sunday's 4-1 victory over the Astros at Angel Stadium. The win marked the first time the Halos have won consecutive games this season, and also provided them with their first series win.
"Anytime you can build momentum, it's good for a club as you start playing better and building confidence," Scioscia said. "I think we need to start playing on our terms. Last night we came back, but this afternoon we got a lead and we held it."
Although a 29-pitch first inning prevented him from going deep in the game, C.J. Wilson earned his first win of the season, limiting the Astros to five hits in six innings, while Mike Trout and Josh Hamilton provided the Angels with their four runs.
Earlier in the homestand, Scioscia shuffled the lineup because he wanted to connect Trout, Albert Pujols and Hamilton. The day after Pujols drove in Trout and Luis Jimenez with a walk-off double, Trout and Hamilton picked up the slack.
After doubling and scoring in the first, Trout struck again in the third with a solo home run to right-center field. It was his first home run of the season. Hamilton added a two-run shot in the eighth.
"Our club, on the offensive side, has a dimension of power that's important to us," Scioscia said. "If you're struggling a little bit, it only takes one mistake to get a run and you saw it this afternoon, and those guys hit the ball out of the park."
Trout, who entered the game with a .245 batting average, went 2-for-3 with a walk and scored three runs. Trout said his four hits in the past two games have simply been the result of more relaxation at the plate.
"Last couple games I've been jumpy, a little anxious," Trout said. "I just told myself to calm down and got a couple of pitches to hit."
While Trout acknowledged feeling more relaxed, Hamilton -- who has now homered in back-to-back games -- does not feel anything has changed in his at-bats.
"I feel the same as I have the last week, I'm just getting hits now," Hamilton said.
Wilson escaped a few jams in his six innings, but was pleased with his ability to escape them and keep his team in the game.
"Just happy to go out there and shut the other team down," Wilson said. "I had a couple innings there with some guys on base, some of that's my fault for getting behind in the count, some of that is circumstance, but I felt like I made some pretty big pitches today."
Astros center fielder Justin Maxwell agreed.
"I think every one of our batters had at least a 3-2 count a one time or another, so we did our job and saw a lot of pitches," Maxwell said. "We just couldn't muster anything off of him."
However, Wilson was not the only Angels pitcher giving the Astros trouble.
Sean Burnett pitched a scoreless seventh, Scott Downs started the eighth and Ernesto Frieri came in to get the final four outs -- all strikeouts -- recording his second save of the season.
After posting a 6.08 ERA in its previous six outings, the Angels' bullpen has pitched 9 2/3 scoreless innings in the last three games.
"On the pitching side, this game evolved the way we needed it to," Scioscia said. "There's no doubt holding leads is critical to our success."
William Boor is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text: 4. Deferment is a dirty word. Lenders make it seem easy to wait (or defer) paying back your loans, but be careful...it's a choice that has a cost. Deferring your loans (or having them put into forbearance) puts you more deeply in debt, extending the time it will take you to repay your loan. Part of the reason I was unemployed so long is that I was insistent on working in my field, at any level. It would have been wiser to take a part or full-time job to pay the bills and keep paying those loans. If you find yourself in a similar position, look into income-based repayment, which calculates payment as a percentage of your monthly income. 5. Just how long loan repayment takes. So, it's nine years after the fact, and I've honestly barely made a dent in my loans. I accepted the "gift" of deferment right after graduation from benevolent lenders when I was fortunate to be working and earning an amount equal to the total of my loan--which means I definitely should have been making payments and living more frugally. I made no payments while unemployed and very minimal payments the past three years when I was earning very little working at a non-profit. I'm back on track career-wise, but it will still take me another 10 years to pay off my full debt, meaning I'll be well into my 40s by the time I'm debt-free. Borrowing money for higher education isn't the end of the world, but as it can limit your options in the ensuing years, prepare yourself before you take the plunge! Do your research, pay what you can out of pocket and explore as many grants and scholarships as you can. A little planning goes a long way in making the experience less daunting.


text:
We were aware that few new highways are being built today, but we didn't know how little of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) funds have gone for new construction. Thanks to reader Bob Engemann, who is a member of the Washington Area Highway and Transportation Committee, we learned that only 5.2 percent of federal highway funds went for new construction during the fiscal year 2009-2011.
This information was contained in a report from CNS, and referred to us by Bob.
States are building fewer new roads and bridges. Less funding is available from the Feds. That certainly is the case in Missouri. Maintaining what we have in roads and bridges has been the priority of the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). The latter does a good job with what it has. There are many state roads in Franklin and other counties that are outdated, that is, they were built for far less traffic that travels on them today. We have prime examples in Franklin County.
Take Highway 47 from Washington to St. Clair. It's outdated for the traffic it carries. It should be a four-lane highway, at least from Washington to Union. Another example is Highway A between Washington and Union. The state is well aware of the need to do something on 47 and on A. But funds are lacking. A few small (but expensive) improvements are planned that will help, but they are only a temporary solution.
Growth in Franklin County is the reason why so many state roads are outdated. Growth means more traffic. It also limits what can be done due to the building of homes and other structures so close to the roads. Obtaining right-of-way is too costly and it's impossible to reroute most of the roads due to the lack of funds.
The belief here is that residents of the county are going to have to live with what we have on Highway 47 and A for a long time!
The Weekend Missourian had a front page story about work slated by the state on Highway A in 2014. That's welcome news even though the improvements are minor. And, it must be added, costly. Shoulders will be added where it is possible to do so; some guardrails will be added; and stormwater drainage facilities will be constructed. This work is expected to cost a total of about $4 million.
The terrain in Franklin County also poses problems and added expense when improvements are made. Roads were built years ago on ridges to improve stormwater drainage. Fills are necessary even to add shoulders on these winding and narrow roads.
The fact that our automobiles are getting more miles to the gallon of gasoline means there is less funds for gasoline taxes, both federal and state.
We favor a 1-cent state gasoline tax for roads and bridges. It's before the General Assembly now. It would take a favorable vote by citizens to impose this sales tax. Lawmakers and the governor should give Missourians an opportunity to vote on this issue.
We need leadership in Jefferson City to meet the road and bridge challenge in our state. This is an issue that Gov. Jay Nixon should make a priority. We would like for him to be a road and bridge governor in his last four years in Jefferson City.


text:
Jennifer Rose: Babysitter in Love
It looks like you have an ad blocker on. Please disable your ad blocker and refresh to fully enjoy our games.
Thank you.
This beautiful baby sitter loves her job, but she also loves her handsome boyfriend. Although they are both very busy people, they still enjoy to see each other, and since the baby just loves to hang out with dolls and blocks, it's no big deal if your dashing date comes over once in a while. But don't forget about the baby!
Use your mouse to click on and move the baby to the different activities.


text:
Welcome to the TeakDoor.com The Thailand Forum.
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view some discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us
|Farming & Gardening In Thailand Tips on how to achieve a beautiful tropical garden. How to grow those orchids, deter pests from your Fruit and Vegetables, or growing your own Thai Spices & Herbs. Feel free to post your pictures and stories about Thai National parks, or any questions you may have about your pets and animals or even Thai Snakes.
|Thread Tools
|Search this Thread
|Display Modes
|#2 (permalink)
Thailand Expat
Last Online: Yesterday 08:15 PM
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Korat
Posts: 5,202
Curing Snakeskin
Remove the head, if it is a poisonous snake be careful they are dangerous even after the snake is dead.
Cut down the middle of the belly plates with a pair of scissors or snips.
Remove the skin from the carcass. Try to maintain a steady presure, the skin should peel easkil from the neck to the vent.
Remove the skin from the vent, this requires some delicate knife work. You might use a box cutter for this, they are sharp.
Remove any remaining fat or meat from the hide, about the same as you would skin a fish, keeping the blade almost flat and work with a smooth sawing strokes to acoid cuts or tears in the hide.
When the sking is removed and scraped clean, rinse and carefully the inside for any bile or blood stains. Wash them away.
Now to the Curing part:
Fill a gallon jug two-thirds full of water. Dissolve as much plain salt (non-iodized) in the water as possible. Stir the water as you add the salt and when you see the crystals innking to the bottom instead of dessolving, that is enough salt. (It will take about 2 lbs of salt to a gallon of water)
Place the skin in loose fold (not rolled) in the salt water solution.
Seal the jug, and leave a room temperature (70 degrees) for four days. Rotate the jug gently once or twice a day.
Remove from he salt water on the fourth day. Rince for seveal minutes and lightly pat dry on towels.
Mix a solution of equal parts glycerin and water. Pure glycerin is avalable at most drugstores.
Two pints of glycerin mixed with water is sufficient to treat three medium-sized snakeskins.
Place the skin in the glycerin solution, cover and let stand at room temperature for another four days. Rotate but do not shake the jug daily.
After the skin has been in the glycerin solution four days, remove and pat dry with a towel.
Place the dry skin on an unfinished, dry, flat pine board. The boards must be long and wide enought to sandwich the whole skin. Do not stretch the skin to flatten it, just roll it out smoothly on the board. Use the flat of your hand to remove and wrinkles.
Place a second pine board on top of the skin. The skin must be firmly pressed, so weigh down the top board.
Let dry for four days. It may take a little longer in the dead of winter or in humid conditions.
When the skin is dry, it will be soft and pliable. Put a little talcum powder on the dry hide and roll it around on an old paper-towel roll ( one of those cardboard rollers) and it will keep until you are ready to turn it into a hatband or mount it on a display board. http://www.taxidermy.net/forums/Rept...3A8601BE6.html.
Last edited by crippen : 31-03-2010 at 11:36 AM. Reason: Admit it is a copy and paste.
|#3 (permalink)
Last Online: 15-02-2011 12:24 AM
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Bribie Island
Posts: 218
Comprehensive instructions here:
How to Cure Snake Skin | eHow.com
|#8 (permalink)
Last Online: 31-01-2011 08:29 PM
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Rawai Phuket
Posts: 6,183
|Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|Thread Tools
|Search this Thread
|Display Modes
Linear Mode


text:
First look inside iPhone 4
6 comments
At the launch of the iPhone 4 in June, Apple confirmed it was one of the first smartphones to use a MEMS gyro.
The iPhone 4 is the first to use the ST Micro L3G4200D three-axis MEMS gyro. UBM TechInsights confirmed the gyro is an SAT part based on die markings. It offers digital output which eliminates the need for conversion circuits needed for devices that output analog signals.
"Going with the ST device makes a lot of sense since they also use an ST three-axis accelerometer," said Bitton.
The iPhone 4 uses the LIS331DH 3-axis accelerometer, another part in common with the iPad.
The back side of the main logic board in the Apple iPhone 4
Click on image to enlarge.
Apple is driving a new CoreMotion API based on the use of the gyro, accelerometer and a digital compass. It will be interesting to see whether application developers make use of the gyro which is only available on the iPhone 4, forcing them to create different versions of their code for other Apple products, he added.
The phone's front-facing five-Mpixel camera is most likely the Omnivision OV5650 based on specifications and preliminary die photos inspection. It is a relatively modern choice compared to image sensors in past iPhones, and it supports Omnivision's backside illumination technology.
"Typically Apple uses older image sensors to save a few dollars," said Bitton.
The front-facing image sensor is also from Omnivision, the OV7675 a VGA-resolution device.
The use of three Skyworks analog front-end communications modules in the iPhone 4 is more true to Apple's penchant for older, less integrated parts. The three modules support separate GSM/GPRS, WCDMA and Euro-Asia band cellular radios.
UBM TechInsights published initial results of its teardown on its Web site. Apple published a basic list of the iPhone 4's tech specs online.


text:
WOLVES & JACKALS Atlanta, Georgia
Wolves & Jackals is a destructive, unrelenting force preparing for the apocalypse that will consume us all. Patrons of God's left hand, they incite the legacy of pain and suffering onto mere mortals. Words spoken through them. The gospel of death.
Streaming and Download help


text:
user functions
Current Ithaca College community members may contribute stories and comments as well as view additional topics by logging in.
related links
Buddhism in Asia
Contributed by Kevin Walker on 03/30/14
Every wonder what Buddhism is like in Mongolia? Or Myanmar (Burma)?
This Tuesday night (4/1/14) at 7 pm in Muller Chapel the Ithaca College Buddhist Community's service will have a guest speaker sharing their experiences in studying Buddhism in various regions of Asia. For example, Japan, Nepal, Myanmar, and Mongolia. Feel free to come to the Chapel with questions!
This ICBC service is free of charge and open to all who are interested.
Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Kevin Walker at firstname.lastname@example.com. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.
© Copyright Ithaca College. All rights reserved; unauthorized use prohibited. All material on this server is produced by our community but, except for designated pages, is neither approved nor verified by Ithaca College.


text:
Prices, specials, features and availability subject to change.
Contact for details
Residences range in size two and three bedroom units with a host of appointments including 9 foot ceilings, ceramic tiled kitchens and baths, fully applianced stainless steel kitchens with microwave, gas oven and range, built in dishwasher, frost free refrigerator with ice maker, living room with private balcony or patio, fullsize basement, garage, washer and dryer in every apartment. Residents enjoy the wide variety of on-site amenities including a swimming pool, tennis court, walking trails and picnic area. This building's many conveniences also include a full time maintenance staff and close proximity to a variety of public transportation options, recreation facilities and a wide array of retail shopping.
One Month FREE Rent...Limited Time Offer...Call for Details!
Lease terms are variable. Please inquire with property staff.
Call for Policy. Call for service animal policy.
60 units
Check Availabilityor call
It is very difficult to get management to respond to maintenance or repair requests. We had to wait almost a f Read Moreull month to get the kitchen sink repaired when it actually fell out. Neighbors have had difficulty when moving out. Renters are made to feel second class and undesired by owner occupants.
January 14, 2014
Monday: 11:00am-6:00pm
Tuesday-Wednesday: Closed
Thursday-Friday: 11:00am-6:00pm
Saturday-Sunday: 11:00am-5:00pm
Garden Communities
Your message has been sent. This property will be saved on My Rent.
Don't have a Rent.com account? Create one.
Creating an account allows you to acccess your saved and contacted properties on any device. Already have an account?
Log In
We are experiencing technical difficulties at the moment. Please try again later.


text:
The Spider People were a fictional race of arachnids within The Adventures of Captain Proton holoprogram. Their leader was Queen Arachnia.
Part of the program's story was Doctor Chaotica's efforts to form an alliance with Arachnia and her people in order to defeat his enemies, including Captain Proton. (VOY: "Bride of Chaotica!")


text:
GWEN IFILL: A teenaged girl was rescued alive in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, today, 15 days after the earthquake. She had been trapped in the rubble of a house.
And U.N. officials estimated up to one million Haitian children lost their parents in the earthquake. Relief workers warned, many could be abducted and sold as domestic servants. Meanwhile, U.S. and French troops worked to reopen the Port-au-Prince seaport. That would relieve the overload at the clogged airport.
Ray Suarez is in Haiti, where hundreds of thousands are still struggling to simply exist.
Margaret Warner spoke with him earlier today.
MARGARET WARNER: Hi, Ray. It's good to see you.
We're two weeks into this crisis. Where do things stand for ordinary Haitians when it comes to the basics of life, let's say food, for example?
RAY SUAREZ: There is food. There's a lot of aid flowing in, but a lot of people are living on short rations. It's not like people are going days without eating. But the food that might normally feed a family of six is instead feeding 12 or 14 people.
You meet a lot of people who are hungry. They will come right up to you on the street and tell you that. So, while there is food aid, there's food in evidence being sold on the streets, there are markets sort of springing up on corners and at intersections, but it's not sufficient. And people are not eating in a way that's optimal.
MARGARET WARNER: We're hearing reports that the food distribution is somewhat chaotic and many people are being left out. Have you seen that?
RAY SUAREZ: Today, our "NewsHour" crew was near a warehouse that was bringing in aid. And, often, in a situation like this, word moves very quickly by informal bush telegraph. And there was a large crowd waiting to get into an industrial park to try to get work today.
Word spread through the crowd that that warehouse was about to start distributing food, and the crowd, en masse, ran to that place, and jammed the entrance, and tried to mob the trucks. And the police pushed everybody aside, got them to wait in a line. In fact, all they were doing was transporting goods to get them ready for distribution. There wasn't going to be any distribution.
But the police controlled the crowd by getting them into line as if there was going to be. There's a lot of waiting on line going on in this country right now.
MARGARET WARNER: Is that also the case with the money that's started flowing back into Haitians from their relatives abroad, that is, it's coming in, but they're having trouble getting access to it?
RAY SUAREZ: It is a problem because the banking system in the capital is in a shambles. And the businesses that handle those wire transfers, like Western Union, are in many cases not open, or, if they are open, only able to handle a few customers at a time.
So, when you approach these wire transfer places everywhere around Port-au-Prince, if you can find them open, there's a multihour line stretching out the door, and a crowd that goes way down the block.
There is very little money moving through the economy right now. People can't get their hands on the money that's meant for them from their relatives overseas. And because so many people are out of work, there's no wages being paid. So, it's like the circulatory system seizing up. There's just not enough money moving through an economy that's ready to spring into life.
MARGARET WARNER: And what about shelter, Ray? President Preval issued an international appeal earlier this week for 200,000 family-sized tents. Is that going to be enough?
RAY SUAREZ: Well, there's already complaints from people on the ground that those hundreds of thousands of tents aren't going to be enough.
And if you accept the figure of some one million people right now out of shelter, either because their homes have been destroyed outright, or because they have sustained enough damage, or because, in the aftershocks, people will not occupy them, yes, that number is short.
But the more disturbing part is that, as you mentioned, more than two weeks into this tragedy, the tents are very little in evidence. You can get antibiotics from halfway around the world, the syringes, gauze pad, sneakers, T-shirts, but the tents that are said to be on their way are just not here.
And what's happening in that space of time, that delay, is that the temporary shelters that people are cobbling together out of the scraps they can find on the street are becoming semipermanent. They're getting corrugated tin roofs and wooden walls. And once that happens, you get the worst kind of sanitation, the worst kind of water supply, the worst kind of drainage.
Instead of a formal settlement, a tent camp, a tent city, if you will, being set up, you get something that's a little bit more handmade and homemade, and much harder to keep healthy, clean, and disease-free. And it's going to start raining here in a couple of weeks. And those places, those places where people are camping out in the public parks and plazas of this city are going to be cities of misery when that heavy rain begins.
MARGARET WARNER: Finally, with the government so overwhelmed, and it seems the U.N. even overwhelmed, how are ordinary Haitians making do?
RAY SUAREZ: Well, people know people who know people.
We were covering a leader of a local business organization trying to get his factory back up and running. And he relies on the roads that head out of Haiti. Because the ports are so damaged, he's trying to get his goods east into the Dominican Republic to have them shipped out by a Dominican freighter.
What's happening is that, in contact with the people who run the heavy earth-moving equipment, that earth-moving equipment that is usually used for road repair is right now being used to clear debris. They're finding a lot of bodies in the debris, so he was asked to locate body bags. He located body bags from a U.S. government source and had to get a flatbed truck to head over to the airport to get to the body bags to give to the road crews.
And he's going to get some scratch back in the other direction, get some help getting his stuff east out of here on the roads. It's a network of connections being made by cell phones, people you know who can help you through people they know. That's what you do when there's no government around.
MARGARET WARNER: A lot of ingenuity.
Ray Suarez, our man in Haiti, thanks.
RAY SUAREZ: Good to talk to you, Margaret.


text:
Starting in December, the Merrimack Valley Sandbox will host a 12-week accelerator program for start-ups in the region. This program will have mentors, workshops, and meeting space for entrepreneurs to work in. It will culminate in a business-plan competition for $25,000 in cash prizes.
If you are an early-stage entrepreneur, do not miss out on this opportunity to help launch your business!
If you are an executive, investor, entrepreneur, or technical expert looking to support and guide start-ups, apply to become a mentor!
The deadline to apply is November 1, 2012 at midnight.
For more information and to apply, visit our website by clicking here.


text: Atoll is an independent record label with an established reputation for quality recordings featuring leading ensembles, composers and soloists from New Zealand, South-East Asia and further afield. Founded in 1997, it has appeared consistently in the New Zealand music awards since 2006 presenting a diverse catalogue which harnesses a broad mix of work within the "classical" genre. Productions include re-mastered significant historical tracks, and high quality modern recordings of outstanding musicians - choirs, orchestras, chamber ensembles, soloists and composers.