text:
Tag: Science Fiction
Free Writing #72: Peace (Final Chapter)
by Nojh on May.15, 2013, under Entertainment, Free Write, Writing
Welcome to Free Writing! Quick fiction written for entertainment purposes. This week we have another piece of flash fiction. We're continuing the story from the last few weeks. So if you haven't read the others, click here to see them all. Enjoy!
Well this is the final chapter, guys. I hope you enjoyed it. Like I said above, if you haven't read the series before, I recommend starting on an earlier chapter than this one. Also as I have been warning, Free Write will be retiring for a time while I focus on finishing up my novel.
The next few cycles were very boring for Prime. General White visited several more times with Paul to ask a series of questions, usually related to the Malcontents, or the Form in general. Prime was forthcoming but not always able to answer every question. Occasionally Paul would come alone and they would socialize. Paul had his own questions but they were more scientific in nature and that was a topic Prime was happy to converse about. It also helped it practice its English.
After several cycles, the female ally who had been under the control of the Malcontent recovered and reported to the General. According to Paul, she had very little memory of the prior cycles, perhaps the length of time that she had been under control, but her fuzzy recollections helped corroborate some of Prime's speculation, somewhat. Paul had no idea what was going to happen now but he suspected everything was going to filter up the chain of command to the ruler of the human's social governance system, which was called a president.
Other humans of a caste or profession that was not immediately obvious by their garments were brought to visit. They were likely singulars as they often offered elaborate greetings and titles which Prime only partially comprehended, and often chuckled in a non-affectionate manner when Prime attempted to ask questions. Prime was not fond of these humans but they were yet another aspect of the human race. If Prime was to be held in one place, it could at least attempt its surveying mission by analyzing the humans that were brought to it.
After a decacycle Prime began to grow impatience, requesting information on the human's plans regarding its incarceration. Paul gave him no answers. He hadn't been allowed home either since the incident started and was worried about his cat, which was apparently an organic sub-sentient being that lived with Paul. The General did not visit Prime after he started asking questions, and the humans in the strange garments, which Paul named as suits, were evasive or incomprehensible in their answers.
Prime could have easily gotten out of the containment. Now that it better understood human offensive capabilities and did not have to maintain stealth, Prime felt confident it could simply burn its way through the walls to escape, however it wanted to stay on good terms with the first organic intelligent species ever encountered, and opted for more diplomatic means of getting what it wanted, it began to ignore the suit wearing humans, reconfiguring into its rock form when one refused to answer its questions or was evasive. They attempted to use Paul to get their questions answered and eventually Prime was forced to use the same tactic on him, however Prime apologized before each reconfiguration.
Then came the seven cycles where nothing visited it. Luckily by this point Prime had managed to decipher the wireless traffic humans used to connect their computer devices. Some of it anyway. It was able to decipher text and determine the difference between image, video, and audio streams, but wasn't able to decode those yet. It spent the decacycle working on this problem, intercepting text communication, and monitoring hyperbands. There was a medium to high probability that the Malcontent was not the only one on the planet. Rather than give away its position, Prime had not attempted to use a hyperband but simply listened. If there was another Malcontent it would likely attempt to use a hyperband to communicate with its now deactivated compatriot.
Understanding human behavior required more processing power than Prime had at its disposal. At times they acted without any reasonable stimulus, such as when the General finally visited after the seven cycles, informing Prime that it was being released. This surprised Prime greatly. It fully expected that it might eventually be released but more likely it would be slowly released into decreasing secure facilities while it introduced or the humans had assimilated Prime's capabilities. However the General said it was being released by its request but there would be an envoy to greet it when it was ready to leave the base. Prime asked if it was Paul and was told no. Paul had also been released and was traveling home.
Prime wasted no time to be released. It figured it could track down Paul's home far quicker once it gained proper access to the internet. It was escorted by soldiers out of the building. As it did, it felt a ping in the hyperband. Before it could react, a white light filled its optics.
We interrupt your programming to give you this important news bulletin. There has been a series of explosions at the near by Army base. Authorities have issued a warning for all citizens to stay in their homes or places of business and report any strange activity to the number displayed on the screen. There is no information as to the cause of the explosion at this time but we will bring you up to date coverage as we receive it. I repeat…
It awoke to a hyerband transmission. The source of the transmission identified itself as a Form that it was familiar with. A Form that had been sent on a long distance surveying mission millions of light-years away. That required a significant energy to transfer a hyperband message that far. It took time to wake itself up from its hibernation before it read the message, then it began waking everything up while it also dedicated time to re-broadcast the message. Repeatedly. At high energy.
The message contained one concept, and background locational metadata. The message translated as such.
Malcontent Army. Backup required.
Free Write #71: War
by Nojh on May.08, 2013, under Entertainment, Free Write, Writing
Welcome to Free Writing! Quick fiction written for entertainment purposes. This week we have another piece of flash fiction. We're continuing the story from the last few weeks. So if you haven't read the others, click here to see them all. Enjoy!
We're getting close to the end folks. Just a reminder Free Write will be going on hiatus after this story concludes.
By Nojh Livic
"Complicated," Paul offered, and Prime nodded its head.
"Yes. That is a complicated," Prime corrected. Paul shook his head slightly but didn't offer any further corrections. Prime filed away the statement for further error analysis later.
"Please, just explain as best you can. You can interpret, Doctor," General White said.
So Prime did.
Explaining interstellar politics to a race that had yet to expand beyond its planet was difficult for Prime. Prime was a scientist, not a historian nor a singular. It also quickly became apparent that humans had a limited concept of time, or rather had a hard time comprehending events that scaled well beyond their life spans, which was a significant percentage smaller than that of a Form in good repair. There was also the issue of English, which Prime believed it had grasped a fair competency at including non-verbal cues, but it quickly became apparent that it required more skill than it had to get across certain concepts. Yet with Paul's help, Prime persisted.
Prime's race, for lack of a better word, called itself Form. Like all the other sentient races the Form had encountered, it was an inorganic life form. Form differed from the other races encountered in that the intelligence of a Form was housed in a single body, with some limited variation. The other intelligent races had different chassis configurations, if any at all. The Form called them the Formless. This difference between Prime's race and the others created some conflict, as they did not place as much emphasis on the individual as the Form and as such, many individual Form were lost. The Form retaliated for a time, until it became obvious to a growing faction that the conflict between the Form and the Formless that the war was accomplishing very little other than destroying more Form. (continue reading…)
Free Write #70: Interrogation
by Nojh on May.01, 2013, under Entertainment, Free Write, Writing
Welcome to Free Writing! Quick fiction written for entertainment purposes. This week we have another piece of flash fiction. We're continuing the story from the last few weeks. So if you haven't read the others, click here to see them all. Enjoy!
We're getting close to the end folks. Just a reminder Free Write will be going on hiatus after this story concludes.
By Nojh Livic
"I was sent here to survey your planet," Prime said simply. "Not invade conquer take samples. I was to landing on benign little planet, surveying for scientific and exploit purposes." When General White raised an eyebrow at the word exploit, Prime looked to Paul, who was also expressing anxiety in his facial features. Prime quickly added, "Exploit resources. Elements. Materials. Energy. Benign little planet was not to have life upon it."
"Right," the General said, to which Prime nodded his agreement with the statement, although he wasn't sure how the General really could determine the truthiness of his statement. "Who sent you?"
"Automind survey device," Prime answered immediately, to dull expressions. Human communication was so complex it was almost requiring an entirely dedicated process just to handle the non-verbal aspects. "It visited system approximately 1,125,733 local solar cycles, scan all planets for possible survey attempts and relayed this information. I was in stasis and received the relay and decided to survey. Selects planets with high resource content. It did not report any intelligent life." General White and Paul both frowned but it did not seem to be a hostile frown. It had aspects similar to confusion.
"Do you mean days?" Paul asked. Over a million days ago?" Prime nodded its head in agreement.
"Could you translate that into years please?" the General asked. Prime shook its head to indicate negative. "Why not?"
"I do not know what year is," Prime offered helpfully. This elicited a verbalized grunt that did not match any particular word or prescribed verbal communication. Prime once again glanced to at Paul, however Paul offered no clues as to what this communication meant but instead explained the ratio of days to years.
"Ah. Interesting. That is close approximation to Earth's rotation around the star," Prime noted, to which Paul nodded. "It carries with it discrepancies-"
"Yes, but please calculate i-," the General interrupted.
Prime nodded and answered immediately. "3082.154808 years, approximately."
"Wait. Humans inhabited on this planet three thousand years ago," Paul said, looking at Prime. "But you said your auto.. Your probe did not detect intelligent life." Prime was growing to like Paul. He was more intelligent than some Forms it knew. The General, however, gave Paul another nonverbal communication via facial expression. It looked hostile or at least aggressive and Paul sat back in his chair.
"Yes. It is, deficiency? Of the probe. It can not think organic life to have intelligence," Prime explained, ignoring the communication between the humans. Prime chose to shrug. "It is unknown. No. Unset. Unusual? Unusual." This discussion was starting to stretch Prime's vocabulary. It would like to have access to the information network again but it suspected that would not happen.
"Unusual. Organic intelligent life is unusual?" General White asked. Prime simply nodded. "How unusual?" The General's tone was different for this question and he leaned forward slightly in his chair. Prime was not able to identify the tone but it likely indicated some form of interest beyond the urgency of the usual questions.
"It has never been discovered with credible sources in my existence," Prime stated.
"I don't understand," the General stated. Prime nodded and tried to determine what it mistranslated.
Paul, however, spoke up. "It means we're unique. Its race has never found another intelligence organic species while exploring space." Prime considered this and then nodded. The General sat back in his chair and crossed his arms, grunting again. Paul looked down at the floor. Neither human seemed to like this information.
"I am not sure I believe you," the General finally said. Prime responded by mimicking a human shrug. "However let us assume you are just a surveyor. Your probe sent you? No leader? Or government? Or group?"
Prime shook its head again but did not wait for another question to explain. "I am not apart of that. I range lonely until I decided to embark home. The Forms are not organized like that. We collective but mobile."
"That made less sense than usual," the General muttered. Prime nodded and would frown but it did not design its face to be able to replicate that level of human detail.
"I am low on vocabulary. Sorry." Prime said, hoping that it modulated its tone to sound apologetic.
"Doctor?" the General prompted.
Paul nodded and thought about it. "I'm not sure. I guess they're just, not as much of a herd animal as humans are? How long were you in stasis?"
"Translated for Earth local, 27,145.120048 years," Prime calculated audibly. Both humans were visibly surprised. Prime realized that it would be considered a relatively long time compared to the average life span of a human. Prime nodded. "It is long time compared to human seeing. Lonely Forms travel slowly."
"Even at approaching the speed of light we couldn't make it to our nearest neighboring star in under a few hundred thousand years," the General stated flatly.
Prime once again shrugged. "Form slow is human fast?" it offered as an explanation. This elicited a chuckle from Paul and from one of the soldiers at the doorway. Prime turned its attention to look at the solider, who quickly tensed and straightened, as if he expected Prime to edit its memory and assume that was the position he had been in all along. The General was slower to turn and look, and only saw the two soldiers standing straight.
"Okay we'll discuss scientific breakthroughs later. I want to know why one of my labs has laser burns all over it and why several of my people are in the medical ward," the White said with force in his tone. Prime could not determine if the human was simply re-living the aggravation of the prior events he was talking about, or if he was aggravated by the levity of the humans around him.
Prime mimicked a sigh. "That is a complication," Prime began.
Free Write #69: Security
by Nojh on Apr.24, 2013, under Entertainment, Free Write, Writing
Welcome to Free Writing! Quick fiction written for entertainment purposes. This week we have another piece of flash fiction. We're continuing the story from the last few weeks. So if you haven't read the others, click here to see them all. Enjoy!
We're getting close to the end folks. Just a reminder Free Write will be going on hiatus after this story concludes.
By Nojh Livic
It was at this point, with at least one human dead, several injured, and Prime standing in a humanoid configuration that several more warriors pushed their way into the room via the metal door wearing more weaponry and armor than the previous warriors had. When the general told them to stand down, they took up defensive positions in the room, with two inserting themselves in the space between the general and Prime, their weapons pointed but not firing.
Paul who was rubbing at his ears and his left wrist, had sat down in his chair and was watching the entire situation with little to no reaction. The general began giving orders. Several of the new warriors were told to escort the assistant and the conscious warrior out of the room while humans that wore slightly different coverings than warriors and scientists arrived to look over the woman and other warrior.
"Prime. Are you capable of making agreements?" the general asked, distracting Prime from its observation of the new type of human.
"I can agree or disagree with concepts, ideas, and courses of actions, yes," Prime stated, turning to face the general.
"Will you agree to not attempt to escape, remain under guard, and answer my questions?" the general asked.
Prime considered this for a moment. "For what period of time?" The general smiled slightly.
"The next few days at least but an indefinite period of time, until I can ascertain if you are a threat and talk to my superiors."
Prime looked over at Paul. "I can agree to these courses of action with a limit of ten cycles. After ten cycles I will want to re-ask the agreement. Additionally I will agree to these courses of action if the Paul remains undisciplined for his actions related to my existence and remains as my interpreter," Prime looked over at the scientist, who was the only non-warrior left in the room. He too was being guarded by two other warriors. "If the Paul agrees."
"Hell yes I agree," Paul said immediately. "I want to know what the fuck is going on." Paul was clearly agitated.
"I believe I can agree to those conditions," the general said, glancing over his shoulder at Paul. "Assuming Paul is willing to agree to answer questions as well, truthfully, about his activities the past few days, and agrees to never point a gun at me ever again."
Paul lifted his hands into the air and shrugged. "Sure. Unless everybody suddenly starts shooting each other randomly again and talking about invasions. Then all bets are off." The general chuckled. Prime was not sure why it was funny but elected to mimic the human, which drew the General's attention. The general's smile faded.
"We need to get you to a secure location," the general stated.
"I agree. I also suggest you only use warriors currently in this room. It is possible any of your warriors could be reconfigured," Prime advised. "Since none of them have attacked, the likelihood that they are is low but not impossible." The general did not seem happy by this suggestion but nodded
"Sir, we need to get both of them to the clinic immediately," the non-warrior human interrupted, standing up from the now prone female human. The general nodded. He ordered several of the warriors in the room to go with them and to keep on the look out for a possible attack from anyone, including the hospital staff. The female was carried out on an expandable table, along with the other unconscious solider. The general began arranging their transfer.
Prime, Paul, and the general White sat in a larger but more secure laboratory about a decicycle later. Two warriors, which were called soldiers according to Paul, stood at the lab's entrance, instead of outside the door. Paul and the general had been brought food. Prime had declined any organic matter.
"Okay. Lets start from the beginning. Why are you here?" White asked.
Free Write #68: Introduction
by Nojh on Apr.17, 2013, under Entertainment, Free Write, Writing
Welcome to Free Writing! Quick fiction written for entertainment purposes. This week we have another piece of flash fiction. We're continuing the story from the last few weeks. So if you haven't read the others, click here to see them all. Enjoy!
We're getting close to the end folks. Just a reminder Free Write will be going on hiatus after this story concludes.
By Nojh Livic
"That is well above your security clearance, doctor. Put the gun down," the general ordered, turning to face Paul, who kept it level on the man. Prime continued to use the female human as a shield against the robotic assassin by holding onto her neck and pointing an arm mounted laser at her ear. The assassin had previously been camouflaged as a fashion accessory around the woman's neck and Prime stifled a laugh as it considered how the two had effectively traded places.
"No. You put your gun down!" Paul shouted, nodding to the two warriors who were sitting on the floor, one of which appeared unconscious, the other reaching for his rifle. Paul was Prime's only human friend on the planet. Right now he was being an incredible asset to Prime's existence by threatening his employers with a weapon, after his boss had brought in another human to replace him and inadvertently smuggled in the assassin. The two warriors sitting on the floor were injured from laser fire that Prime and the assassin had exchanged. Both were obviously suffering from confusion. One put his gun down immediately. The other had no weapon in hand. There was one last human in the room. An assistant to the general, who was only armed with a flat tablet like device. This man was hiding behind the warriors.
The general took a step closer to Paul. "Now son-"
"Please refrain from intimidation maneuvers. Refrain from closing to combat distance with Paul," Prime warned in English. To make its point, it fired a low intensity laser past the general's line of vision, over his shoulder. The general froze mid-step, then took a step back. It seemed the general could not tell the difference in laser intensity. Prime's two lasers was considerably less powerful than the assassin's torso mounted welding laser but they were far more precise.
"I just want to know what is going on. That thin-ahhh!" Paul cried out as the assassin disengaged from its staring contest with Prime and leapt at Paul. While prime only had one blade extended from its alternate arm, the assassin's frame contained numerous sharp edges and spikes. Prime had time to fire its more powerful arm laser but that would impart no force with which to deflect the attacker from its path and Prime was too far across the room to attempt its own interception. It fired its laser anyway, scoring a hit across the robot's shoulder and head. It was an incredibly impressive and lucky shot by Prime's own personal standards, which admittedly were not very high. (continue reading…)
Free Write #67: Tactics
by Nojh on Apr.10, 2013, under Entertainment, Free Write, Writing
Welcome to Free Writing! Quick fiction written for entertainment purposes. This week we have another piece of flash fiction. We're continuing the story from the last few weeks. So if you haven't read the others, click here to see them all. Enjoy!
A small announcement. Free Write will be going on hiatus at the conclusion of this continuous story arc so I can focus on my novel writing. Hopefully this means you'll see more writing times, and possible one or two other new regular posts.
By Nojh Livic
Prime fired its shoulder mounted laser, striking the assassin directly in the head. It wasn't a very powerful laser, a little more powerful than the kind found in the cylindrical container next to Paul's computer, but it was more than powerful enough to blind his attacker mid-leap. The assassin had opted to close the distance between Prime and itself before firing its weaponry and now had to land blind. It would give Prime time to take cover. Simultaneously, Prime also fired an arm mounted laser towards the remaining human warrior. This laser was significantly higher powered and could possibly harm the human but Prime wasn't aiming at the human but across his vision. This provided a distraction from the general who was trying to give orders to the warrior. Then Prime took cover under the table, making full use of the speed the new form provided.
As predicted, the warrior began to fire its weapon, but only the assassin provided a viable target, with Prime hidden. Prime saw the flash of another laser discharge and this time the warrior cried out in pain and from under the table, Prime saw him fall to the ground near his companion. All the humans were talking over each other now but Prime could discern one particular command.
"Damn it, Doctor. Get your fucking robot under control!" the general barked.
That was interesting data as it meant that the humans thought they had its attacker under their control. Prime highly doubted this and evidence presented itself as the welding laser suddenly cut through the table above it very nearly severing one of Prime's arms. Dodging aside, Prime ran towards the group of humans at the front of the room. Prime leapt as soon as it was out from under the table and grappled the front of the general's uniform, extending its right arm up towards the man's throat. From under the limb's armored shell a long sharp blade extended itself.
{Cease assault}, Prime modulated towards its attacker in a high-pitched modulation not unlike the one the attacker was using, although modern in comparison. "Cease or the human receives harm," Prime repeated in English at normal human vocal levels. (continue reading…)
Free Write #66: Birth
by Nojh on Apr.03, 2013, under Entertainment, Free Write, Writing
Welcome to Free Writing! Quick fiction written for entertainment purposes. This week we have another piece of flash fiction. We're continuing the story from the last few weeks. So if you haven't read the others, click here to see them all. Enjoy!
By Nojh Livic
Prime didn't really have time to consider attempting to save both itself and Paul so it pushed that variable into the tactical simulator process. In the mean time it needed to deal with more pressing concerns. Its attacker was no longer attacking with its welding laser. Small led slugs fired from the weapons of the two humans had distracted the assassin who had turned to face them, swiping its laser across the lab. The laser's path cut through the laboratory's walls easily, leaving a small, continuous, smoldering hole in a trail along the walls and laboratory equipment until it ended on the giant metal door, which it did not immediately eat through as the assassin turned it off. The guards reacted with surprise, ducking away from the path of the laser, however one was not quick enough and was struck in the arm. He fell to the ground, screaming in surprise and likely anger. Both, however, stopped shooting.
Prime's habitat for the past few cycles was in bad shape. The reflected laser fire had heated and cut scores into the inner shell where it hadn't created an entire hole, while the assassin's digits had clawed gouges to the outer shell. The slugs from the human weapons had further weakened the container's structural integrity. It would no longer buy Prime any more time. It needed to begin maneuvering. Luckily the process designing a new form for Prime was finished and Prime immediately began reconfiguring.
The new form was humanoid like before, but taller and skinnier, save that it still incorporated Prime's outer-shell as armor for the torso, limbs, and head, albeit thinner than the previous form. This form had excellent mobility and speed, a reduced silhouette so as to make harder to hit with projectile weaponry, and a few close and short-range weapon systems. It's reconfiguration time was also still in the millicycles, making it feasible to reconfigure in order to camouflage itself once it was out of line of sight of its attackers. The downsides of the form were that it was not very durable. Strikes by the assassin's laser to unprotected parts of its form could easily lead to heavy damage. It also had reduced overall strength compared to its prior form. (continue reading…)
Free Write #65: Alliances
by Nojh on Mar.27, 2013, under Entertainment, Free Write, Writing
Welcome to Free Writing! Quick fiction written for entertainment purposes. This week we have another piece of flash fiction. We're continuing the story from the last few weeks. So if you haven't read the others, click here to see them all. Enjoy!
By Nojh Livic
Prime's visual sensors began relaying data before any of its other internal systems. It was in mid leap between the female human and Prime's own container. It was also in the middle of reconfiguring its frame, which had previously resembled the female's necklace and now partially resembled a form not unlike Prime's own bipedal configuration, except with sharper edges and what looked to be a sub-plasma tactical welding laser forming in what would be its chest, already beginning to glow.
As Prime's audio sensors activated, it realized that the humans in the room were alarmed. Paul was doing his usual screaming. The warrior cast humans were also emitting disorganized sounds of surprise. Prime could see the female human, who did not at all seem surprised that her adornments were coming to life. Prime did not hear or see the general but there was a high probability he was still in the room.
Tactical and strategic analysis were given processing time almost immediately, along with a separate process for designing a more robust combat form, or at least designing some weaponry that would not lower Prime's defensive capabilities. It didn't need simulations to know that it was at a serious disadvantage and escape was the best option. (continue reading…)
Free Write #64: Warfare
by Nojh on Mar.20, 2013, under Entertainment, Free Write, Writing
Welcome to Free Writing! Quick fiction written for entertainment purposes. This week we have another piece of flash fiction. We're continuing the story from the last few weeks. So if you haven't read the others, click here to see them all. Enjoy!
By Nojh Livic
Prime immediately felt the intrusion and shut down all external inputs, re-tasked all its processing to fighting the intrusion. It was vectoring on three different hyperbands. Each hyperband had a slightly different qualities. The three chosen by the attacker were the fastest. The attacker was obviously hoping to overwhelm Prime and it almost did. Had prime been having to actively interact in the physical world, it would have been at a sever disadvantage, however Prime had been working in an almost purely mental state for cycles. As Paul might at put it, Prime was fresh for the fight.
First game the probe attacks. Prime's own internal processes were perhaps not atypical form a form of its species but no two form's minds were the same. Probe attacks attempted to map a form's internal processes and find a form's core processes. Probe attacks the easy to defend against but also the most devastating if they succeeded. If an attacker knew your internal processes, then they could find exploits in your defenses, steal data, or worse of all, begin taking control of your core processes. If the attacker succeeded with its probe attacks, Prime could find itself literally fighting its own mind.
Human technology suffered from what they called viruses. Automated programs which manipulated systems in order to complete some kind of malicious intent, usually to gain access to or control a system. It was the most analogous thing to the other common form of attack Prime faced. Viral attacks typically attacked a form's body, attempting to take control of internal systems. They were harder to defend against, far more insidious. Unlike probe attacks, they were powered with their own processing power and often the best attackers shared information between different viral attacks, making them adaptive so that no two viral attacks were the same. Anti-viral protection processes therefore had to be far more complicated and just as adaptive.
Millions of probe attacks and viral attacks swarmed through three different hyperbands, all vying to take control of Prime's body and mind. (continue reading…)
Free Write #63: Handshake
by Nojh on Mar.13, 2013, under Entertainment, Free Write, Writing
Welcome to Free Writing! Quick fiction written for entertainment purposes. This week we have another piece of flash fiction. We're continuing the story from the last few weeks. So if you haven't read the others, click here to see them all. Enjoy!
By Nojh Livic
"I- but- what?" Paul asked. The words did not follow any written or conversational grammatical structure, suggesting that Paul was suffering mental distress. "I mean this decision seems premature."
"I understand your feelings, Dr. Nguyen, but other matters have arisen outside of your security clearance which behooves us to move subject A to a more secure facility," the general stated. "I would have liked to include you in this considering your familiarity but it is beyond my control." Paul continued to stare at the general but did not make any further noises, however it was now obvious in his body language that he was in distress of some sort.
The female designated Doctor Wayan had left the general's side and walked over to Prime's container. She was peering through the view port curiously. Like Paul, she wore lenses attached to her face via a metal frame and a white lab coat. She was roughly similar height but less width and obviously had less mass. Her head had longer follicles which were currently bound to extend from behind the head loosely. She held a clipboard in one arm, what was likely a communication device in her right ear, and some metal wrapped loosely around her neck that disappeared under her clothing. The metal had a high lusture but an odd color. Not quiet silver and not quiet gold. It, in fact, looks very similar to the color of Prime's outer shell.
That is when Prime felt a ping. Not on an electromagnetic spectrum where the humans put a majority of their non-organic communications but on a hyperband. Hyperbands were communication channels commonly used by inorganic life over small distances. The different bands could shared information at near instantaneous rate that belied several commonly held human beliefs in physics. Which meant if something was pinging on a hyperband, there was a possibility that assistance had arrived to extract it, and that it was in the building.
Prime returned the acknowledgment ping on the same band. A handshake protocol arrived nearly instantly in response. Prime found itself hesitating. Handshakes opened up instant communication between two forms. It also risky. It gave another access to Prime's own internal processes, to a limited degree. Some species of inorganic life were known to use it to attack. It was far more typical communication to happen on an open hyperband or through physical means in order to declare intent, before a handshake happened.
Obviously this situation was far from typical. Prime could not verify the sender or make physical contact. If the sender was some kind of rescue, handshaking would be the equivalent of whispering to Prime in order not to attract attention. The humans didn't appear to be able to sense hyperbands but Prime had only been observing them for cycles. It did not know the full capabilities of their technologies.
The general was ordering the two warrior humans to fetch Prime's container. Paul was still protesting but obviously not convincing the general. The female doctor continued to visually examine it. Prime needed to make a decision. Prime decided to gamble and accepted the handshake.
And Prime lost.


text:
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who for the last few months has dedicated himself to finding a link between the Obama White House and the Internal Revenue Service's scrutiny of Tea Party groups seeking tax-exempt status, is back in the news.
This time, though, it's not his tax-related tenacity that's getting attention. It's his personal wealth.
Issa is the richest member of Congress, according to The Hill's latest analysis of lawmakers' wealth. Each year, the Capitol Hill newspaper compiles a list of the 50 richest representatives and senators. The lawmakers' minimum net worth is based on financial disclosure forms that members of Congress must file each year. Those reports, however, provide only value ranges instead of exact figures. Still, the documents give us a rough idea of how much each public servant pockets.
In the latest accounting, 37 representatives made the list, with the remaining 13 coming from the Senate. Overall, and for the third consecutive year, more Republicans than Democrats made the wealth cut.
Issa is No. 1
Issa, who serves as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, saw his fortune increase to $355.4 million in 2012, enough to take the crown. Before coming to Washington, D.C., Issa was a co-founder of Directed Electronics, the maker of the Viper anti-auto-theft system. Now, says The Hill, most of Issa's wealth is kept in large investment funds. And his current bottom line was helped by eliminating some debt. According to the newspaper, Issa no longer shows around $100 million in personal notes and loans as liabilities on his financial disclosure forms.
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, was bumped from the top of the Capitol Hill richest list. McCaul is now second, with a net worth of "only" $101.9 million. While most of us would take that relatively paltry amount in a New York minute, it's a $200 million drop from McCaul's value last year. The reason for the reduction, says The Hill, is that McCaul opted to report his wife and family's holdings differently in 2012.
Coming in third this year is Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va. He's worth $88.5 million. The former Virginia governor co-founded the company that later became Nextel and has continued to invest in tech start-ups. He also had no debts to report.
A familiar name when discussing wealth came in fourth, Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va. The great-grandson of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller is worth $83.8 million. Did refinancing help Rockefeller's bottom line last year? Maybe. The Hill reports that Rockefeller's wealth increased slightly from 2011 after a mortgage held by his wife on their New York condo fell by a half-million dollars.
Taking the fifth spot is newcomer Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. The first-term Democrat from the Constitution State counts trusts and real estate investments, including office buildings, apartments, warehouses and shopping centers, as part of his $76.6 million net worth.
The rest of the rich
Rounding out the top 10 are Rep. John Delaney, D-Md., worth $68.4 million; Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., worth $60.2 million; Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., worth $44.7 million; Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., worth $41.6 million; and Rep. Jim Renacci, R-Ohio, worth $35.9 million.
And who is the poorest, relatively speaking, member of Congress?
Eking onto the list in the 50th spot is Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., with his net worth of $6.5 million.
Want the latest news on taxes, tax reform prospects, filing deadlines, political fights, Internal Revenue Service alerts and tax-saving tips? Subscribe to Bankrate's free Weekly Tax Tip newsletter.
You also can follow me on Twitter @taxtweet.
Veteran contributing editor Kay Bell is the author of the book "The Truth About Paying Fewer Taxes" and a co-author of the e-book "Future Millionaires' Guidebook."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Donated equipment helped defuse Monday standoff
January 24, 2013
Technology paid for by private donations contributed to the safe conclusion of a standoff on Monday evening.
When a Johnson Lane woman with a gun threatened to commit suicide and barricaded herself into the garage on Monday afternoon, authorities cordoned off the neighborhood in preparation for the worst.
But in addition to armed officers, Douglas County also mobilized the Crisis Negotiation Team to try and talk her into giving up.
Using a throw phone, negotiators were able to communicate with her and eventually get her to surrender peacefully.
Sgt. Pat Brooks said the throw phone, which is essentially a phone attached to a cable, and other equipment were purchased by money raised by the Sheriff's Advisory Council.
"The pieces of equipment utilized in this operation were a throw phone (phone attached to a cable, in a box, deployed to allow communication with subject) and the response vehicle that was instrumental in creating a line of communication with the subject," he said. "Without the $30,000 throw phone the line of communication would have been very difficult and put negotiators in a potential dangerous situation."
Recommended Stories For You
Brooks said support from the advisory council has allowed the sheriff's office to purchase, train and ultimately use equipment that it couldn't otherwise afford.
Anyone interested in additional information about the Douglas County Sheriff's Advisory Council is asked to call Ron Alling at 588-6676 or Bill Henderson, 783-6624.Staff Reports


text:
Note: This item is more than 12 years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references.
Print – Plain Text – Permalink
News Release
Media Contact: TPWD News, email@example.com, 512-389-8030
May 2, 2005
Flat Out Fishing in Galveston May 7
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Anheuser-Busch, Coastal Conservation Association Texas are holding a special fishing event on Saturday, May 7 in Galveston to help anglers enjoy and succeed in fishing in and around Galveston Bay. Some of Texas' most recognized fishing experts, outdoors enthusiasts, and scientists will be providing information to all anglers to safely and successfully boat and fish the bay waters of Texas.
Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and presentations begin at 8:15 a.m. at the CLB Auditorium on the Texas A&M Galveston Campus.
Speakers and topics for the event include the following:
- Boats, Trailers & Outboard Maintenance: Mark Price, Reynolds' Marine, Baytown
- Global Positioning System: Kirk Blood, TPWD Sabine,
- Boating Ethics: Jeff Winchester, TPWD Galveston
- Artificial Lures and More: Capt Brent Burdett
- Sport Fish Life Histories: Glenn Sutton & Leslie Williams, TPWD Galveston
- Live Bait Fishing Techniques: Capt. Bob "Mangus" Drisgill
- Preserve the Moment, Capturing Photos that Last: Larry Bozka, Outdoors Writer
Other presenters include Capt. Charles Foster, knot tying, GO TEXAN program, Texas Sea Grant Program, Texas A&M University Galveston and the Coastal Conservation Association Texas.
To participate in the "Flat Out Fishing – Galveston" event, you can pre-register by sending check or money order to: Flat Out Fishing - TPWD Foundation, 1502 FM 517, Dickinson TX 77539
If you pre-register, please include a list of all names in your party.
You may register at the event. Registration is $20 per individual and $10 per additional family member. Children younger than age 17 get in free with an adult. For more information, contact Bobby Miller at (281) 534-011 or Art Morris at (361) 825-3356. All proceeds from Flat Out Fishing will go to the Parks and Wildlife Foundation of Texas to support the Crab Trap Cleanup program.
Publication — Permission is granted to publish, in whole or in part, any news releases on this page.
Print — A print-friendly version of the news release shows only the release with font sizes set to the browser default.
Plain Text — Plain text versions of TPWD news releases are provided for copying and pasting into editing software.
To copy text into an editing software:
- Click a Plain Text link to display the plain text page in your browser.
- Select all.
- Copy.
- Paste in a document in your editing program.
Permalink — This is a direct link to the news release, omitting the navigation context from the URI.
English/Spanish — News releases posted in both English and Spanish have one of these links.
If you have any suggestions for improving these pages, send an e-mail to email@example.com and mention Plain Text Pages.
(5.4.16 i)


text:
Professionals and farmers with disabilities can receive training and learn about issues related to disability in agriculture at the 2013 AgrAbility National Training Workshop.
The workshop will be held April 8-11 at the Doubletree Hotel Bloomington-Minneapolis South, 7800 Normandale Blvd., Minneapolis, Minn. Participants can attend preconference sessions and tours, breakout sessions featuring speakers from around the country and tours of local agricultural enterprises.
Target audiences include AgrAbility staff members; AgrAbility customers and their families; USDA, Extension and rehabilitation professionals; and suppliers of products useful to AgrAbility customers.
"The AgrAbility National Training Workshop is a great opportunity for AgrAbility staff to get together with professionals from other areas as well as our clients and their families," said Kylie Hendress, AgrAbility engagement coordinator. "Our breakout sessions and tours will give them a chance to learn from some great speakers on timely topics."
The workshop's goal is to empower professionals and consumers to fulfill AgrAbility's four priority areas of education, networking, assistance and marketing. Session topics will include assistive technology devices and equipment, agriculture opportunities for people with physical or developmental disabilities, eXtension and social media.
Additionally, participants can attend sessions devoted to agricultural production and learn about financial planning for agribusinesses; funding opportunities, such as Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grants and U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency loans; how to market their products; and estate/succession planning.
Participants can get detailed conference information at workshop.agrability.org/2013 and register with the online registration form at http://www.conf.purdue.edu/agrability . Early-bird registration ends March 15 Registrations after that will be accepted until April 5 but will include a late fee. For more information, contact Hendress at 765-494-6679 or email@example.com


text:
Hotel Kelson
Recreation and Leisure:
Airconditioned rooms
Attached bath with running hot & cold water
All rooms equipped with latest technology TV's
Big Flat screen TV running round the clock in the lobby
10-15 mins walk to Connaught Place
Rickshaw ride tour for Old Delhi cultural experience
Left luggage facility (free of charge)
International & domestice ticketing
Package tours
24 hours generator backup
Free parking
Foreign exchange facility
Reconfirmation of tickets
Hotel booking throughout India
Govt. approved
Elegantly Furnished rooms
Direct Dial telephone
Multi channel colour TV
Refrigerator in Super Deluxe Rooms.
24 Hrs. room service
Laundry & dry cleaning
Tour Travel 24 hrs. Taxi service 24 hrs.
Doctor on call
Multilingual staff
Airport and Railway Station pickup on request
Safety lockers
Telephone with STD/ISD
Ample car parking
Business Center with Internet access, copying and faxing services
Chemist/Pharmacy (Bell desk arranges medicines from 24-hour Pharmacy in the vicinity)
Free Tea & Coffee
Govt. approved
Availability & RatesTo view availability and prices please select dates and click 'Update Dates'
Hotel Facilities & Policies
- 24 Hour Reception
- Airport Transfers
- Credit Cards Accepted
- Currency Exchange
- House Keeping
- Laundry Facilities
- Luggage Storage
- Parking
- Safe Deposit Box
Cancellation PolicyThis property has a 1 day cancellation policy. Failure to cancel within this time will result in a cancellation charge equal to the first night of your stay.
DirectionsShow MapHide Map
10 Minutes walk to new delhi Railway station
Located Near
New Delhi station


text:
We all know that saying about breakfast being the most important meal of the day, right? Well, it's especially true for your little one. Toddlers burn lots of energy throughout the day, and oatmeal is one of those good for you stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal. It's high in fiber, and steel cut oats are a particularly good source of protein too. Add in some fresh fruit and it's a well-balanced meal.
Want more good news? Oatmeal can be topped with more than just fruit. Savory oatmeal is a delicious way to introduce your baby to new flavors, and makes for a perfect grown-up treat too, as you'll see in this recipe for steel cut oats with caramelized onions and fresh ricotta. Sauteed onions have a naturally sweet flavor and the ricotta compliments the already creamy texture of the oatmeal. Experienced eaters will lap this up—my 21 month old grabbed the last lick. And for younger babies, skip the onions and puree it in the food processor with the ricotta cheese.
Caramelized Onion & Ricotta Oatmeal
serves 2 adults and 1 baby
Sure, this sounds decadent and like a lot of work, but it comes together pretty quickly if you have leftover oats in the fridge and you can always make a big batch of caramelized onions to store in the fridge—they'll just need a brief reheat in the microwave.
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon molasses
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 cup cooked steel cut oats
2 tablespoons fresh ricotta
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Saute until they begin to soften and become golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in molasses, and a touch more olive oil if necessary. Cover skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, until onions are very tender, about 10 more minutes.
- Divide the cooked oatmeal among three bowls, making baby's portion appropriate for her age and appetite. Top with the caramelized onions and fresh ricotta.


text:
Get an overview of this hotelAdults-only luxury on the beach
Popular property highlights
Nestled on the beach, this Montego Bay resort is within 3 mi (5 km) of Montego Bay Cruise Ship Terminal, Walter Fletcher Beach, and Montego Bay Marine Park. Dump-Up Beach and Events Park and Harbour Street Craft Market are also within 3 mi (5 km).
Resort Features
Catch some rays on Secrets St. James Montego Bay - Luxury All Inclusive's private white sand beach or spend the day relaxing at the full-service spa. Then enjoy a meal at one of the resort's 9 restaurants.
Room Amenities
All 350 rooms boast jetted tubs and offer free WiFi and free minibar items. Balconies and MP3 docks are standard, as are LCD TVs with cable channels.
Guest Highlights
- Beach
- Room service
- Pool
- Helpful staff
- Clean guestrooms
Secrets St. James Montego Bay - Luxury All Inclusive
Resort Amenities
All-Inclusive Details
This resort is all-inclusive. Onsite food and beverages are included in the room price (some restrictions may apply).
Gratuities and taxes
Gratuities and taxes are included.
Food and beverages
- All buffet and à la carte meals, snacks, and beverages included
- 24-hour room service
Resort Amenities
Secrets St. James Montego Bay - Luxury All Inclusive is an all-inclusive resort. Room rates include meals and beverages at onsite restaurants and bars. Other items and amenities, including taxes and gratuities, and access to recreational activities and entertainment may also be included. Additional charges may apply for meals at some restaurants, special dinners and dishes, certain beverages, and other amenities.
Step outside to feel the sun on your face and the sand in your toes on the white sand beach. At Secrets St. James Montego Bay - Luxury All Inclusive you can cool off in one of the 2 outdoor swimming pools and indulge in a pampering afternoon at the full-service spa.
Guests can enjoy a complimentary breakfast each morning. Dining is available at one of the resort's 9 restaurants and guests can grab coffee at the coffee shop/café. The property also has a grocery/convenience store. Guests can unwind with a drink at one of the resort's bars, which include 2 poolside bars, a swim-up bar, and a bar/lounge. Wireless Internet access is complimentary. This all-inclusive resort also offers a spa tub, a steam room, and a fitness center. Onsite self parking is complimentary.
Secrets St. James Montego Bay - Luxury All Inclusive has designated areas for smoking.
- 24-hour front desk
- Arcade/game room
- Total number of rooms - 350
- Number of floors - 5
- Bar/lounge
- Number of poolside bars - 2
- Barbecue grill(s)
- Business center
- Casino
- Coffee shop or café
- Free breakfast
- Concierge services
- Conference space
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Elevator/lift
- Express check-in
- Express check-out
- Fitness facilities
- Full-service spa
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Hair salon
- Designated smoking areas
- Grocery/convenience store
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Free WiFi
- Number of outdoor pools - 2
- Laundry facilities
- Spa treatment room(s)
- Meeting rooms 6
- Multilingual staff
- Nightclub
- Terrace
- Porter/bellhop
- On private beach
- Conference space size (meters) - 749
- Number of meeting rooms - 9
- Year Built 2010
- Number of restaurants - 9
- Conference space size (feet) - 8058
- Free self parking
- Beach sun loungers
- Pool sun loungers
- Beach towels
- Sauna
- Shopping on site
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Spa services on site
- Spa tub
- Steam room
- Swim-up bar
- Wedding services
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Free self parking
Room Amenities
- Premium TV channels
- Separate sitting area
- Balcony
- Ceiling fan
- Air conditioning
- Coffee/tea maker
- Free bottled water
- Minibar (stocked, free items)
- Daily housekeeping
- Turndown service
- Private bathroom
- Designer toiletries
- Bathrobes
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Jetted bathtub
- Separate bathtub and shower
- Slippers
- Iron/ironing board
- Desk
- Cable TV service
- Free WiFi
- In-room safe (laptop compatible)
- MP3 docking station
- Room service (24 hours)
- Separate bedroom
Where to Eat
A complimentary hot/cold buffet breakfast is served each morning between 7 AM and 10 AM.
Seaside Grill - This restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
World Cafe - This buffet restaurant specializes in international cuisine and serves breakfast and lunch.
Himitsu - This theme restaurant specializes in Asian cuisine and serves dinner only.
Blue Mountain - This restaurant specializes in Caribbean cuisine and serves dinner only.
El Patio - This theme restaurant specializes in Mexican cuisine and serves dinner only.
24-hour room service is available.
Nearby Things to Do
2 outdoor swimming pools are on site along with a spa tub. Other recreational amenities include a private beach, a sauna, and a fitness center.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Golfing nearby
- Sailing nearby
- Parasailing nearby
- Golf lessons available nearby
- Fitness classes on site
- Basketball on site
- Bicycle rentals on site
- Horse riding/rental on site
- Kayaking on site
- Pilates classes on site
- Snorkeling on site
- Surfing/boogie boarding on site
- Volleyball on site
- Windsurfing on site
- Yoga classes/instruction on site
Spa Services
Secrets Spa by Pevonia has 10 treatment rooms including rooms for couples and outdoor treatment areas. Massages are available on the beach and in the spa; other services include deep-tissue massages, hot stone massages, and sports massages. The spa is equipped with a sauna. A variety of treatment therapies are provided, including aromatherapy and reflexology.
- Hot stone massage
- Deep tissue massage
- Swedish massage
- Reflexology
- Sports massage
- Number of treatment rooms 10
- Outdoor treatment areas
- Couples treatment rooms
- Massages on beach
- Manicures and pedicures
- Body wraps
- Body scrubs
- Aromatherapy treatments
- Sauna in spa
- Massages
- Body treatments
- Facial treatments
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- Accessible bathroom
- In-room accessibility
- Roll-in shower
Resort Policies
Minimum check-in age is 18
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children 18 and younger are not allowed at this adults-only property. All guests older than 18 are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
- Cribs (infant beds) are not available.
- No pets or service animals allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
- New Year's Eve gala dinner fee
Resort Name
- Montego Bay St. James
- Montego Bay St. James Secrets
- Secrets James Luxury
- Secrets James Luxury All Inclusive
- Secrets Montego Bay St. James
- Secrets St. James Montego Bay Luxury
- Secrets St. James Montego Bay Luxury All Inclusive
- Secrets St. James Luxury All Inclusive
- Secrets St. James Luxury
We should mention
Reservations are required for massage services and spa treatments. Reservations can be made by contacting the resort prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation. A fee for a mandatory New Year's Eve gala dinner is included in the total price displayed for stays on 31 December. Guests under 18 years old are not permitted at this adults-only property. No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property.


text:
'Even if the cap increases this offseason, the Sabres won't have much room to maneuver without sacrificing other parts of their roster. Briere completed a one-year, $5 million contract he received through arbitration — a decision that forced the team to release forward J.P. Dumont. Drury, meanwhile, is projected to double his $3.15 million paycheck. "We've got some time to discuss and think about that one," Sabres owner Tom Golisano said. "It's going to be a while." And it might be a while before Buffalo sports fans embrace a group such as this.'
You are here: Home / SabresBeat / Cup objective dashed, Sabres now face uncertain summer


text:
Baylor welcomes newest class of Alumni by Choice
You've probably seen the bumper stickers: "I wasn't born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could." The same holds true for Baylor; over the years, plenty of graduates of other institutions have, in hindsight, wished they'd gone to Baylor.
But it's never too late to join the Baylor family. For such individuals, the university offers the Alumni by Choice program. Any member of the Baylor family can nominate someone to become an Alumnus/Alumna by Choice; just fill out the form here, describing the individual's love for and commitment to Baylor. Once approved, each new class of Alumni by Choice is recognized on campus with a luncheon and ceremony where they receive an official Alumni by Choice decree.
The 72 members of the 2014 Alumni by Choice class were honored last week (see photos here). This year's class includes President Ken Starr and his wife, Alice, plus three Baylor Regents (Bob Beauchamp, Gary Elliston and Christopher Howard), in addition to a host of others who have come to love Baylor through their connections as parents, Texas Baptists, Waco residents, and other means.
Sic 'em, Baylor Alumni by Choice!


text:
1.1 A key aim of Hampshire Archives and Local Studies is to ensure that the county's archive heritage is preserved for the future and made widely available in the present. Its archives form the heart of the Service's work and in 2006 they were Designated by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council as an outstanding collection of national and international importance.
1.2 Archives are collections of records which have grown up naturally in the course of the life and work of a body or individual. They are generally categorised or defined by their provenance or origin (that is by the body that created them or held them) not by the subject matter of the items they contain. These archive collections, where each item is made more important by its relation to the whole, are our most significant holdings, though we also acquire individual manuscripts as well as printed and pictorial material (see appendix).
1.3 This collecting policy, one of several policies relating to the different aspects of our work, gives details of the history and governance of Hampshire Archives and Local Studies and of the statutory framework giving it authority to collect archives. It outlines the scope of its collections, both in terms of geographical area and type of collection, and explains how we develop those collections. It also describes how archives are acquired and processed. A separate Preservation Policy covers the physical care of the collections.
2.1 Hampshire Record Office was established in October 1947 by Hampshire County Council, to preserve and make accessible the archives of the County Council and its predecessor authority Hampshire Quarter Sessions, as well as archives relating to Hampshire organisations and Hampshire families and individuals. In 1987 Wessex Film and Sound Archive was opened, jointly administered by the County Council and Hampshire Archives Trust, to collect moving image and sound recordings from a wider region (see 4.8 below).
2.2 In 1993 Hampshire Record Office moved to its present premises in Sussex Street, Winchester, which were purpose-built to the standards of BS 5454 and are approved by the Historical Manuscripts Commission and Public Record Office (now The National Archives) for the storage of public and private records.
2.3 In April 2008 the Service merged with the county Local Studies Library formerly housed in the Winchester lending library in Jewry Street, Winchester, to form Hampshire Archives and Local Studies (see 4.9 below). Hampshire Record Office remains the name of the building it occupies in Sussex Street.
2.4 Hampshire Archives and Local Studies is funded and managed by Hampshire County Council and sits within the county's Department for Culture, Communities and Rural Affairs.
3.1 A statutory framework for archive care has developed gradually, largely in response to local initiatives to preserve and provide for our archive heritage. Its principal components are outlined below.
3.2 The Local Government (Records) Act 1962 enabled all local authorities to promote adequate use of their own records and empowered county and county borough councils as 'principal archive authorities' to acquire other records by purchase, gift or deposit.
Section 224 of the Local Government Act 1972 effectively continued these provisions:
Without prejudice to the powers of the custos rotulorum to give directions as to the documents of any county, a principal council shall make proper arrangements with respect to any documents that belong to or are in the custody of the council or any of their officers.
The Act limited automatic 'archive powers' in non-metropolitan areas to county councils, though district councils could apply for a special ministerial order to run archive services, and Portsmouth and Southampton were two of only eight district councils in the country to do this. Following the passing of the Act, Winchester City Council entered into a formal agreement with Hampshire Record Office for the provision of an archives service. (Under subsequent local government changes, new unitary authorities may exercise archive powers as 'principal' authorities, though most do so in partnership with the county from which they were taken.)
3.4T he Public Records Act 1958 provides for the deposit of any class of public records, at the Lord Chancellor's discretion, in places other than the Public Record Office (now The National Archives), which have been appointed as places of deposit by him. Appointment depends on the provision of facilities for storage and safe-keeping and for public access as defined in the Act determined by inspection. Hampshire Record Office has been appointed as a place of deposit under the Act for public records including the records of courts, coroners and hospitals (see 4.5 below).
3.5 Manorial and tithe documents, under rules of 1959 and 1960 respectively, are under the superintendence of the Master of the Rolls, and local places of deposit are recognised following inspection on his behalf.
3.6 The Parochial Registers and Records Measure 1978, amended 1992, stipulated the designation of one or more diocesan record office in each diocese and provided for the deposit of all non-current parochial registers and records over 100 years old in these offices unless storage to a specified high standard is provided within the parish church. Under the Measure Hampshire Record Office has been designated as the diocesan record office for the diocese of Winchester (see 4.6 below).
4.1 Geographical area.
Our collecting policy embraces all archives relating to the county of Hampshire, and also archives of Hampshire families and institutions which because of their wider connections or interests may relate to places outside the county (see 4.7 below). We do not seek to acquire archives relating exclusively or primarily to Portsmouth or Southampton which will normally be found in the record offices of those cities; however records of these areas can be found in Hampshire Record Office as part of wider collections. As the diocesan record office for the diocese of Winchester we hold Church of England archives relating to an area wider than the administrative county of Hampshire (see 4.6 below), and the Wessex Film and Sound Archive also collects moving image and sound recordings relating to a wider area (see 4.8 below). In general, we will seek to avoid competition with other repositories within our collecting area, and will work with them to ensure that papers are placed in the most appropriate home.
4.2 Media
We collect archives in all media. The bulk of the Record Office's holdings have so far been received in traditional formats, such as paper or parchment, and as moving image and sound recordings. However, an increasing quantity is now being received in electronic format, and access is being provided to the holdings of WFSA in digital format. Digital copies of hard copy originals are also being created in-house for preservation or access reasons, or deposited at the Record Office in place of the original. A separate Digital Preservation Policy has been developed to cover the management of digital archives. We do not usually collect three dimensional artefacts unless they have a very direct relationship to associated archives held (for example seal matrices or caskets). Any queries relating to artefacts will usually be directed to the relevant museum service.
4.3 Chronological period
We collect all archives within our collecting remit regardless of date.
4.4 Local government records
As Hampshire County Council's Record Office, our holdings include the historic and current administrative records of the County Council and its predecessor bodies. We provide a records management service covering the County Council's current and semi-current records, and through this identify material to be preserved permanently as part of the County Council's archive. Provision is also made for the records of other tiers of local government in Hampshire: district councils and their predecessors (excluding Portsmouth and Southampton), and parish councils. As mentioned in 3.3 above, a separate formal arrangement has been made between the County Council and Winchester City Council for the care and management of Winchester City's archives.
4.5 Public records
Hampshire Record Office has been appointed as a place of deposit under the Public Records Act 1958 and as such has substantial holdings of public records, including the records of Quarter Sessions (this was a court of law as well as a local government and administrative body, and in fact continued the former functions on losing the latter). We also collect magistrates' and coroners' records, hospital records and the records of Winchester prison, as well as a number of other classes of public record.
4.6 Records of the Church of England
Under the Parochial Registers and Records Measure 1978, amended 1992, the office is designated as the diocesan record office for the diocese of Winchester, with responsibility for the central records of the diocese, formerly including Surrey and the Isle of Wight and still including Bournemouth, Christchurch and the Channel Islands; and for the records of parishes within the diocese except Southampton and Channel Island parishes. We are also responsible for records of parishes in the rural deaneries of Bishops Waltham and Petersfield in the diocese of Portsmouth; Portsmouth City Records Office acts for other parishes in this diocese. Responsibility for records of parishes in the diocese of Guildford, including parts of north eastern Hampshire, rests with Surrey History Centre following a decision made many years ago by the diocese of Guildford.
4.7 Other records
As well as these 'official' records, we look after the archives of a wide variety of bodies – nonconformist chapels; societies, charities and other local organisations and institutions; businesses; families and estates, and individuals. In the case of some families, institutions and businesses, their archives may extend beyond the county boundary, for example where they had estates or interests in different parts of the country or abroad. In addition, family members in positions of national or international importance retained records relating to those positions. In general, our policy has always been that the integrity of collections should not be compromised by the division of such an archive between different repositories, on either a territorial or a subject basis.
4.8 Wessex Film and Sound Archive
Hampshire Record Office also houses Wessex Film and Sound Archive (WFSA), jointly administered by Hampshire County Council and Hampshire Archives Trust. WFSA collects moving image and sound material of any age relating to a wider geographical area than other parts of the Record Office – originally the 'Wessex' region, but now mainly the western end of the Government's South East region. We also have facilities for providing public access to this material, thereby meeting the requirement of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts' Standard for Record Repositories that such material should only be collected where it can be accessed.
4.9 Printed and pictorial materials
As an Archives and Local Studies service we also collect printed and pictorial materials relating to the county of Hampshire, including books, pamphlets, periodicals, newspapers, local maps, illustrative topographical material such as prints, drawings and photographs, and printed ephemera. Such material may form part of an archive collection, or appear as single or grouped items separate from an archive, or constitute the growing Local Studies collection. We seek to acquire such material and to develop these collections to maximise their usefulness as a record of the county's history. A separate collecting policy relating to printed and pictorial materials has been produced and is attached as an appendix to this policy.
4.10 Copy material
We also acquire copies of archive material for consultation at the Record Office where an owner does not wish to part with original documents. Copies of archive material relating to Hampshire held in other repositories may also be purchased for the benefit of Record Office visitors as resources permit. Where material is of particular importance, and as resources permit, copies of finding aids relating to the country as a whole may be purchased (e.g. the International Genealogical Index, census indexes, General Register Office indexes to births, marriages and deaths). A separate surrogacy policy has been developed to cover the collecting and management of copy material.
5.1 All these categories of records are important parts of Hampshire's archive heritage, adding to the overall picture of our county's past and present. We will seek to add further collections in all these categories, aiming to cover all parts of the county and as wide a range of institutions and subjects as possible.
5.2 Particular emphasis will be placed on archives at risk, e.g. hospitals facing closure or businesses which have failed, and on archives which may be under-represented in the office's holding, e.g. archives of community groups and other local organisations, and archives reflecting the cultural diversity of the county.
5.3 For such archives, programmes of surveys will be arranged, normally in conjunction with Hampshire Archives Trust. Such surveys will be undertaken whether or not the owners/custodians wish to deposit their archives in the Record Office, since the existence of survey lists provides a measure of protection to a collection and enables its contents to be known. We will also advise owners/custodians on the storage and management of their records.
5.4 To assist in the process of selecting archives for permanent preservation, and to advise and inform owners/custodians and others about the management of their records, we will produce guidelines on the management and selection of different classes of archives, following national guidance where this exists. We will aim to publish this information, both on the web and by circulating it to relevant groups.
5.5 In most circumstances we care for archive collections and records which have accrued naturally as a result of a function or activity, but there are cases where we encourage the creation of records. Through WFSA and our work with local history societies and other community groups we will promote the active recording of community life today (e.g. via oral history recordings, DVDs, photographic collections, community archives etc) to ensure a multi-format record for the future.
6.1 We acquire archive collections on deposit, as a gift or bequest, or by purchase or transfer. We prefer gift or bequest as this ensures that the archive will be permanently preserved and available for consultation. In the case of either deposit or gift we will send a receipt within five working days of arrival in the Record Office.
6.2 The County Council is grateful to owners who place their archives on deposit in the Record Office for use by the public. At the same time the owners receive substantial benefits, and there is therefore a formal agreement between the owner and the County Council setting out the obligations of each. Under this agreement we undertake to store the records appropriately and carry out conservation work according to our resources and priorities (see separate Preservation Policy); to make them accessible through cataloguing; and to make them available without charge to our customers subject to the owner's right to restrict access to sensitive records or to any statutory restriction. To justify the County Council's expenditure in cataloguing and conserving the records, the agreement stipulates that collections should normally remain in the Record Office for at least 20 years.
6.3 We will accept collections on temporary deposit in order to carry out survey or photographic work, to provide access for a searcher, or to provide security for archives at times when they would otherwise be at risk.
6.4 If archive collections or individual records can only be acquired through purchase, and they are considered important in the overall context of our holdings, we will seek to do this, using external funding wherever possible.
6.5 In general, once they have been selected and accessioned, archives will be preserved permanently. However we reserve the right to conduct periodic reviews of archives held, and where necessary in the light of research use of those archives, to recommend the disposal of archives deemed not to be worthy of permanent preservation. Permission of depositors of archives will always be sought before they are disposed of.
1.1Hampshire Archives and Local Studies collects printed and pictorial materials relating to the county of Hampshire, including books, pamphlets, periodicals, newspapers, local maps, illustrative material and printed ephemera. It also collects general reference material for the benefit of Service users and staff, including books on using archive and library sources and national reference works.
1.2 This policy covers the range of printed and pictorial materials collected – in hard copy, electronic format or on microform – but does not include archive materials (manuscript and electronic) which are covered in the Service's archive collecting policy.
1.3 Acquisition of printed and pictorial materials, regardless of format, will usually be by purchase, donation, transfer or bequest, but consideration will be given to taking material on deposit where appropriate. In the latter case, material will be accessioned as an archive collection.
1.4 The purchase of books and pamphlets to maintain and develop the county Local Studies collection will be managed by the Library and Information Service.
1.5 In general, except in the case of books and pamphlets (see below 2.1.1), only one copy of any printed or pictorial item will be acquired for the Service.
1.6Hampshire Archives and Local Studies reserves the right to dispose of surplus stock for the benefit of the service.
2.1.1No more than two copies of each book or pamphlet on a local place, person or subject will be held by the Service unless a good case for this can be made. It will be usual for one copy to be located in the search room; the other will be stored in the strongroom in the reserve collection. Items which are too fragile or rare to be held in the search room will also be located in the strongroom.
2.1.2Consideration will be given to acquiring literary works by local authors where they give an insight into the area or the author themselves, and where they are unlikely to be bought in large numbers for loan.
2.1.3An archive copy of each significant book or pamphlet relating to the County will be acquired by the Library and Information Service and held in their central disaster collection.
2.2The Service will also acquire single copies of general reference material for the benefit of Service users and staff, and provide access to online reference works. These will include works on researching local and family history, works about archive sources, national biographical and topographical reference works and works on archival, records management and library theory and practice.
3.1Where local newspapers, magazines or periodicals are acquired for the Service, ordinarily only one copy of each should be retained.
3.2The Service currently acquires the following local newspapers: the Hampshire Chronicle (as the main county newspaper), and the Winchester Extra. Hard copies of these papers will be retained until microfilm copies are purchased.
3.3Where community, local and parish magazines, newsletters etc. are acquired they will be added to the relevant archive or Periodicals collection (PER).
4.1Printed maps of the local area will continue to be acquired for the Service where they complement the existing collection. These will include Ordnance Survey maps, street maps and other printed maps.
5.1The Service will seek to acquire local pictorial materials, including photographs, postcards and prints, particularly where they show topographical changes and developments, or illustrate particular aspects of local or social history.
5.2Where photographs and other illustrations are acquired as distinct collections with recognisable provenance, either deposited, donated or purchased, they will be accessioned as archive collections. Purchased or donated material may be added to the existing Topographical collection (TOP) if that is more appropriate.
5.3With illustrative material, every attempt will be made to establish the copyright position at the time of acquisition.
6.1The Service will seek to acquire sale particulars relating to historic and architecturally significant houses and a representative sample of other premises. Where these are acquired as distinct collections with recognisable provenance, either donated, deposited or purchased, they will be accessioned as archive collections.
6.2Sale particulars donated individually may be added to the Service's general Sale Particulars collection (200M87).
7.1Printed ephemera such as leaflets, handbills, programmes, posters and newspaper cuttings may be acquired for the Service and should be added to the Topographical collection (TOP) except where it is more appropriate for them to form part of an archive collection.
7.2Press cuttings may be acquired, particularly cuttings from national newspapers and magazines which have local relevance. They will be added to the Service's newspaper cuttings collection.
8.1Copy printed minutes received in the past by the Library and Information Service will be retained until the signed archive copy is received by the Service.
9.1Film, video and sound recordings will continue to be acquired, processed and managed by Wessex Film and Sound Archive.
July 2009


text:
Plans for a new Sainsbury's supermarket and a health centre have been made public.
They will be built on land occupied by Crouch Vale Nursery and Plantworld in Burnham Road, South Woodham Ferrers.
Up to 320 jobs will be created at the store, which will cover 45,000 sq ft and have a petrol station and 479 parking spaces.
Greenwood Surgery, Kingsway Surgery and Brickfields Surgery will move into the purpose built health centre.
A new roundabout will be built on the Burnham Road and Hullbridge Road junction.
Residents can see the plans on Friday, January 24 between 10am to 7pm and Saturday, January 25, from 10am-3pm at South Woodham Ferrers Town Council in Champions Manor Hall, Hullbridge Road.
A planning application has yet to be made to Chelmsford City Council.
Crouch Vale Nursery and Plantworld, which own the land, are currently open as normal.


text:
Sept. 13, 2010: Chad Ochocinco
He's a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals, a reality TV show star on VH1's Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch and the consummate showman. So, what's left for Chad Ochocinco? Guest hosting Raw, of course!
When Raw rolls into his home turf of Cincinnati, Ohio, Ochocinco will be on hand to soak up all the action.
Can't get enough of the charismatic baller? Find out everything there is to know by downloading Ochocinco's phone app here. Still hungry for more? Dive into a box of his new "Ochocinco's" cereal by clicking here.


text:
Keeping Your CMMS Alive
EP Editorial Staff | May 1, 1997
After an organization has implemented a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), a number of issues must be addressed to keep the system alive and well. Most CMMS failures occur during implementation. Yet a surprising number of systems do well during implementation only to die during operations because the system was not maintained properly (ironic given that it is a maintenance system) or because processes were not in place to promote system health.
These issues need to be addressed during the system selection process, revisited after implementation, and periodically reconsidered throughout the system life cycle. Successful management of these factors will not guarantee that a CMMS will succeed, but failure to manage any one of these areas will almost guarantee failure.
Vendor support
Every organization develops resident experts in part or all of the CMMS application. The level of knowledge varies depending on training, employee interest, management commitment, ease of use, and other factors. For a CMMS to stay alive, the resident experts need someone to turn to when they require help in maintaining the system and in adjusting the system to meet changing business needs.
If the system is implemented in phases, support from the CMMS vendor becomes even more important. Most vendors offer some type of application support. Proper support management is absolutely critical to successful CMMS operations. There are many types of support, including the following examples:
|Pre-sale support, what you get before you buy, is sales oriented. Vendors place their best people on pre-sale support teams. If you have problems with demonstrations, prototypes, hardware and software interfaces, and other technical activities before you buy, the pre-sale team takes care of them. If you have trouble with pre-sale support, you can count on it not getting better after you buy. Pre-sale support should always be free.
|Post-sale support kicks in after you buy. Several options are usually available. Vendors give the levels various names showing some incremental progression, for example, bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. The cost goes up as you move up the ladder of options, and the level of service also should go up. The level needed depends on the operation. Frequently the support features vary by when you can call and who will deal with your problem. For example, platinum service may mean that you can call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You also should receive the services of the highest technical experience available.
The level of support must be selected carefully. You may need a high level of support at some point in the system life cycle, such as during implementation, and then only a medium level after the operation is stable. The differences in levels can mean big differences in costs. And you must be sure you get what you pay for. Sometimes the highest level of support means that you get the number of an answering service; someone then calls you back the next day. Frequently the same service is available from the same company for a lot less money.
The best advice is to look carefully at the support options and keep records on support use. You may want to consider testing the support. Can you really reach a person? Can that person answer your questions? Does someone return your calls in a timely manner? Are there third party support options? Are there real differences in the various levels of support or do you just pay more for the same service? Organizations need to revisit support issues as the system's life cycle changes.
Post-sale support can be obtained in two ways: planned or emergency. With planned support you have an action plan and procedures to obtain needed support:
- 1. You have planned for the support
- 2. You have negotiated a contract for service and price
- 3. The vendor recognizes that your account is current
- 4. The people needing support know how to obtain it.
Under emergency support, when nothing else works you call someone about a CMMS product problem:
- 1. You call the company support number given when you purchased the product
- 2. You give a credit card number
- 3. You pray you can get someone who can help you.
The method you choose depends on your situation. You may want to ask, "How much can we afford to have the system down?" Late nights and weekends are times when you usually cannot get emergency help no matter how much you are willing to pay. During the day you may get some help, but during the business hours of the vendor, who will want to bill the service to a credit card. Frequently, the person supposedly providing the support is a trainee who may not be able to help you without support from others.
Planned support provides the security of receiving help at specified times and usually provides an avenue to receive off-hours support. It also offers a better chance of reaching someone who can solve the problem.
There is a real difference between support and training. Too often management confuses the two. Support is the capability to answer questions about how a product works, not how you are using it. Training shows users how to use the product and can frequently be tailored to particular situations. Support gets you out of a bind. Training is an investment in smooth and well-run operations. Training gives long-term rewards. If you try to use support as a training vehicle, the vendor may cut off your service.
Data collection
Data collection is "the gathering of information for your CMMS." Data must be collected correctly and input into the system in a timely manner. For a CMMS to remain alive and be of value, data collection and input must be kept current. A system is useless unless data collection is a well-defined process. A CMMS lives on data.
Too frequently, closed work orders pile up to be entered later. This situation produces erroneous results on team performance and can cause inventory shortages and a host of other problems. Automated tools such as bar-coding and radio frequency portable data collectors can assist with data collection but cannot work on their own unless good processes are in place.
Data quality
The problem of garbage in, garbage out applies to all systems, including CMMS. Many CMMSs have died because bad data gave bad results and dissatisfied organizational team members then scuttled the system. Data quality must be constantly reviewed. Too frequently this issue is never addressed after implementation. Successful systems have some process to review and improve data quality throughout the system life cycle. This process can take many forms, including user pride, user groups, total quality maintenance metrics, committees, system manager's thinking about it on his day off, use of consultants, system performance results, audits, and process improvement initiatives.
A company should use whatever combination works best for its circumstances and budget constraints. It is important to address data quality throughout the system's life.
Hardware, communications, and system level software support
Hardware, communications, and system level software make up the platform or automated foundation that a CMMS must have to operate. Failure in any of the parts that make up the platform will halt operation of the CMMS. A company must have a plan of action to follow when servers, operating systems, workstations, or other vital components fail. In large organizations there is usually a support group to perform hardware repair and maintenance. Most organizations subcontract technically complicated activities like big server repair to specialists. This support usually comes in the form of a service contract with options of service such as response times and service times. These companies also take on the burden of costly spare inventories.
With the advent of client/server technology and the growing interest in personal computing, many organizations are developing a hybrid approach to system maintenance. They may subcontract maintenance of critical, highly technical components and use internal resources to fix or replace the less technically complex components. This rationale is particularly true for workstation and printer components. Internal resources may consist of a spare personal computer, or the systems administrator or resident computer person may fix the less technically complex components.
The best guide to determine what options will work best for your organization is to consider the following: How critical is the system? What are the options? What can be budgeted? What skills are available? These issues must be considered throughout the life of the system, and your needs may change during the system life cycle.
The need for system level software support greatly depends on the compatibility of the operating system, database, CMMS application, and general hardware platform. Support is often needed when the version of the CMMS, database, or operation system is upgraded. When versions change, configuration files must be adjusted at many levels. If the changes are not made correctly, the system may work but perform poorly. CMMS vendors usually include instructions on what to change when upgrading their products. The skills, tools, and parts must be available to handle the needed maintenance or repair tasks.
CMMS administration
CMMSs need constant care and attention. Tasks required to keep a CMMS alive are listed in the accompanying section, "CMMS Administration."
Training cannot be limited to the implementation phase. Refresher training maintains proper use of the system and keeps employee confidence high. Training also can promote process improvements and system functionality enhancements. Release of a new CMMS version requires training at all levels of the user population and support groups. Training is frequently a budget problem. However, for a system to succeed you must have an active and long-term training program, whether it is a computer system or a paper system.
Staff buy-in is the most important component of a successful CMMS. Of all the considerations this one is the most tricky to manage. The support of management and of staff members in every affected department is very important. To manage buy-in you must communicate what is happening with the system, when it is going to happen, and what benefits it has for the department and each person. Above all else the schedule must be realistic.
In summary, these areas can be of risk to the life of your CMMS . Effective management of these risks can prolong and enhance the life of the CMMS and the benefits to the organization. Careful management of these factors will not guarantee a successful CMMS, but neglect in managing any one of these areas can almost guarantee failure. MT
Cullen Tilman is a partner in Enterprise Management Systems, 8033 Sudley Rd., Suite 155, Manassas, VA 22110; telephone (703) 437-7414; e-mail email@example.com.
User and general security systems can sometimes be difficult to design and implement. The proper balance must be struck between protecting the system and its data and providing users with maximum assess to system functions. As the system life cycle changes, so do the needs of the system security setup. The system must be updated when new users need access, when the ability of users to access parts of the system changes, and when former users need to be restricted from the system.
The security system is always set up during implementation. During operations you need the capability to make adjustments quickly. If you rely on someone outside your organization to provide this function, be sure you obtain the service level required. If your organization performs this function, always have a backup. More than one person should have the passwords and capabilities to administer the system.
Archival and retrieval procedures are of paramount importance. System disaster recovery procedures should be performed and followed rigorously during the CMMS implementation phase until the system is declared dead. Backup frequency depends on how much you wish to risk data loss and user wrath. Heavily used systems should be backed up daily or have built-in redundancy (mirroring). Some systems can get by on a weekly backup. It is important to test the process before you need it.
A host of technical ghosts can allow archive procedures to work perfectly yet prevent successful retrievals. Bad media, incorrect file formats, and hardware device errors are only a few of the things that can happen. The archival and retrieval process should be tested each time a major hardware or software component changes. Even installing a software package that has nothing to do with the CMMS can affect the hardware and software platform the system relies on.
Offsite storage is the most frequently overlooked item in disaster recovery plans. It can protect the company from damage to the system and tape storage caused by fire, water, lightning, and employee vandalism. Without offsite storage there is always a risk.
Data administration is a maintenance function that must be performed periodically. The frequency depends on the complexity and size of the system. Very large systems employ a staff of database engineers to make adjustments to database structure, tuning, performance, and data content. Small and infrequently used systems may require data administration once a year.
Data volume limits are part of every system. Data archiving can be the sleeping dog that can easily awake and bite you. As you use the system, the record volume can increase until it collides with the maximum limits of system disk space, the application, or the database engine. The CMMS can come to a complete halt if these limits are reached and corrective action is not taken. You must have a plan of action to follow before these limits become a problem. It is important to know what the record volume thresholds are for system disk space, database system free space, database table space, table utilization, application record limits, and data obsolescence, and where you are in relation to those limits.


text:
When it comes to oneg Shabbos and Yom Tov, there's nothing like having light when you need it and the absence of light when you want the lights off. That's why we created KosherLamp--it lets you adjust the light without breaking the laws of Shabbos.
Now we're introducing the Shabbos Smart Switch, a device that will give you additional control of your home's lighting.
Shabbos Smart Switch is a digital timer that controls your light switch. It's built-in motor "flicks" the light switch up or down according to your schedule. There are Nine Program slots (plus 1 Random Program Timer) that allow you to tell Shabbos Smart Switch the Day(s) and Time(s) you want the light switch turned on and off, any day of the week.
All the convenience of a timer...for your light switch!
You're not limited to turning lights on or off. Some light switches also control devices like ceiling fans while other switches may control the power to electrical outlets. If a crock pot was plugged into one such outlet, it could be turned off automatically to save electricity! (Consult with your local Rav for uses such as this for Shabbos and Yom Tov.)
The best thing about Shabbos Smart Switch is that it is so easy to install and requires no wiring. It mounts directly on top of an existing light switch with just one screw and won't damage the wall.
1 screwdriver
1 long screw
1 installation and programming manual
- Width: 5" (12.75cm)
- Height: 5 1/8" (13 cm)
- Depth: 1 1/16" (2.75 cm)
Requires 2x AA Batteries
Toggle Light Switch ONLY
(see image above)
- 9 ON/OFF Programs
- 1 Random Night-time Program
- Glow in the Dark Buttons
- Temperature display
- Mounts directly over existing light switch
- Low battery indicator
- Sturdy plastic body
Additional Information
|Ships Free?
|Eligible for Free Shipping
|List Price
|Width: 5" (12.75cm) Height: 5 1/8" (13 cm) Depth: 1 1/16" (2.75 cm)


text:
Panik day to day after dislocating left pinkie
SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants second baseman Joe Panik dislocated his left pinkie finger after sliding headfirst into second base in the eighth inning Sunday. He stayed in the game to eventually score despite the pain, but was removed for the next half-inning.
After the Giants' 5-2 victory over the Phillies, Panik said X-rays were "fine" and that he views the injury as day to day.
"We'll see how it feels tomorrow," Panik said.
Head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner relocated the finger.
"I'm too much of a chicken to do that," Panik joked after the game.
It's easy to see why he'd be jovial: He's hitting .439 (18-for-41) in his last 12 games.
Ryan Hood is an associate reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanhood19. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.