text:
Hey guys,
my Wii acts kinda wierd,
it normally works, i can play games and stuff, original games work too,
but when i play a game from the SD card and then turn the wii off, i can't turn it on afterwards. the green light goes on, but nothing more. black screen, wii remote does not connect, nothing. when playing originals from a disc, this does not happen.
it's not a big problem as i can unplug the power, plug it back in and turn it on without problems, but at times it gets kinda annoying.
Has anyone experienced this yet? Thanks for answers.
P.S. Sorry for my english
You didn't bother to update your wiikey fusion to the latest firmware, that is why you get the sudden wii haltings.
you can use the wiikey guide to update your firmware: http://www.wiikey.com/en/support/wiikey-fusion/updates/
Last edited by trikon000; 06-30-2011 at 10:02 AM.


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Like this beast! http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=6951-1
Lego, gibber gibber! I've got all the Minifig sets except for a couple of the first series (the zombie and another one). Series 9 comes out later this month.
Quote from: JamesC on 04 January, 2013, 05:22:26 pmLike this beast! http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=6951-1Nice! And thanks for that link, JamesC. Id been meaning to track down a dedicated site to see if i could remember what sets i originally had. A couple of potential future purchases have caught my eye now.Hopefully snag 'em as bargains..
I guess the sad truth is that I honestly prefer comics to trades. While collected versions are lovely and I'm very glad they are now so prevalent, having grown up with an industry that seemingly refused to even think about putting consecutive issues together in a 'permanent' edition, I much prefer having a box of bagged and boarded issues. Yes, it's annoying to have to pull out a run and yes, each time there's that moment of terror as you wonder if twenty year old sellotape is this time going to catch the cover of a priceless old comic and scrape the surface off... but I guess, first and foremost I love the format. I love the feel, the smell and the look of old comics more than I love the feel of new trades, however "definitive or absolut" they may be.
There's another site called Let's Build It Again which has loads of scanned instructions free to view online.
Now ive had a good old looksee as to whats out there, im thinking of collecting the sets from '78 to '80/'81 - if i can, as these were the ones i had first time round.Deffo prefer the more basic sets, but thats just my nostalgia at play.SKD was right. This slope aint half slippery,
a zombie version of the space marine they put out in series 7
Are you a collector of these James? Ive been watching related bits and bobs on e-bay for a while, and these three came as one set, and was fairly cheap. Though some Lego Space bits are dear, im happy to play the long game and snag bargains.Used to have no end of these back in the day - late70's/early80's, and i was instantly transported back to that time opening the package today.
There is something seriously wrong with you lot!

subset: commoncrawl


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Two Killings of Israeli Soldiers Not a Trend, Military Chief Says
Chief of Staff Benny Gantz calls the incidents 'a tragic conjunction of events,' not an escalation of Palestinian terror.
The killing of two Israeli soldiers in the West...
Want to enjoy 'Zen' reading - with no ads and just the article? Subscribe todaySubscribe now


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Infinity Reference 1250w
These are some great woofers. I have two of them in ~0.7 cbf cheapo boxes powered by an older Infinity 2-channel amplifier. The amp only puts out 97 watts RMS to each channel, and that is how they are wired. The boxes are behind the seats in a '98 Dakota Regular Cab, so you know I was really pressed on space for subs. Even in undersized boxes and at 1/3 the power they can handle RMS, they still kick ass. They still put out enough power to make my seats, mirrors and even door panels shake! I can hardly hear my highs, I have the treble set to +6 and bass at 0 on my reciever, and I'm using Pioneer components in the doors. The only thing I'm disappointed in in my system is my highs...at high volume when my subs start to distort a liiittle (from not getting enough power), my highs from the components are starting to sound really scratchy. These hit really clean and hard, considering the way I have them set up. They could hit the really low notes a little better, but I think this problem may be solved when I get my new amp in to give them more power. I just can't fit the new amp because I have no room! This is just a great quality sub for a great price. Definitely recommend Infinity to anyone.


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Marilyn Zeldin is sick and tired of the same-sex marriage debate and was happy to see a parliamentary motion to re-open it soundly defeated in the House of Commons yesterday.
"I think we've all moved on and it's a non-issue," said the 49-year-old lesbian, who is a professional dog groomer. "Why Harper is bringing this up now is beyond me and if you can name one gay couple that has had a detrimental affect on his or other MPs' marriages, I want to know."
The Conservative motion was defeated 175-123, ending the emotional, divisive debate.
The question put to MPs had been whether they wanted to see legislation drafted to reinstate the traditional definition of marriage, while respecting the existing marriages of gays and lesbians.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he heard the message and will respect it.
"We made a promise to have a free vote on this issue, we kept that promise, and obviously the vote was decisive and obviously we'll accept the democratic result of the people's representatives," Harper said. "I don't see reopening this question in the future."
Zeldin and her 68-year-old partner of nine years, Lanita Leonard, plan to marry within the year.
"This is a strictly political vote based on a stupid promise Harper made to get re-elected and to get votes," retired schoolteacher Leonard said.
Long-time gay-rights activist Rev. Brent Hawkes of Toronto's Metropolitan Community Church cites recent polls showing that the majority of Canadians, whether for or against same-sex marriage, have tired of the debate and "69% voted against it being re-opened," he said. Hawkes married his partner of 26 years last March.
In the Commons yesterday, some Liberals cheered as prominent Tories voted against the motion, while some Conservatives applauded Liberals who voted for it.
More MPs supported same-sex marriage than in the last vote on the issue, in June 2005, when only three Tories voted in favour of expanding the definition of marriage. Yesterday, 13 were in favour of the status quo, including Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay, Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon and International Development Minister Josee Verner.


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Revenues in Virginia continued to grow in April, marking a sustained period of recovery for state tax collections.
The state took in 1.5 percent more this April than last, the 13th of the last 14 months to show a year-to-year improvement in state revenues. So far this fiscal year, state revenues have grown 4.5 percent, which means the state is doing better than the 3.5 percent growth predicted by budget analysts.
The April numbers were propelled primarily by income tax and sales tax collections.
In a statement, Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) sounded the same note of cautious optimism he has issued at each monthly report of increased revenues.
"While we have a long way to go before every Virginian can find the good-paying and rewarding job they need and deserve, it is clear that progress is being made."


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|low graphics version | feedback | help
|You are in: Talking Point
Monday, 2 July, 2001, 07:14 GMT 08:14 UK
Macedonia: Can the violence be stopped?
Macedonia's fragile coalition government is facing a new crisis after a night of violence in the capital Skopje prompted by a government ceasefire with ethnic Albanian rebels.
In some of the city's biggest protests for years, several thousand nationalists demonstrated outside parliament, angry at what they see as government leniency towards the guerrillas.
Demands for President Boris Trajkovski's resignation followed a deal, brokered by Nato and the European Union, that allowed the rebels to withdraw from positions close to the capital without disarming.
Nato has said it is ready to send troops to Macedonia to support a peace deal, and disarm the ethnic Albanian rebel fighters, but only if a political agreement is reached.
What scope is there for political agreement? Can the violence be stopped? Or is the Balkans heading for another war? Should Nato send troops now?
This Talking Point is now closed. Your comments are posted below.
Nina, USA
Situation in Macedonia is very simple. From one side we have ethnic Albanians who are 23%. On the other side we have the rest of the population 77% (ethnic Macedonian 72%, ethnic Serbs 4% and ethnic Romanians 1%). In the middle of all this we have the international community who the past 10 years put Macedonia as a positive example in the field of human rights and minorities' rights (Albanians have primary education in Albanian, high schools and before five months they have college where they can study in Albanian).
From the sides we have terrorist organisation, so-called ONA, fighting for greater rights for Albanians in Macedonia, but in fact they are fighting for "Greater Albania". And if these terrorists aren't stopped, we can see every day how more and more of this 77% will take guns in their hands and fight for Macedonia to stay as one country and not be divided from Albanian separatists.
The Albanian rebels may
be extremist. But
remember, the
nationalisms of the
Balkans are more
poisonous and
more dangerous.
NATO should have
known this from the very
beginning of the crisis in
Macedonia. Remember
Srebrenica, the
killing fields of Kosova,
and the recent pogroms
against Albanians in
It appears that it may be
too late to find a
negotiated solution now -
the equal rights status of
the Slav Macedonians
and the
Albanian Macedonians.
NATO will probably
have to intervene once
Florin, London, UK
It is precisely Albanians who kept the peace in Macedonia for so long, because they were hoping that the government will see reason one day, a day which never came. It is the Albanians who have been the major tax contributors per capita - tax which never delivered any services for them, except some basic utilities. All this of course backfired. Most of the Albanians having nothing else to do turned to trade and migration which provided income for them and the state itself. The surplus of that income is now being used to put things right. Imagine what could have been done with all the resources, time and will of both sides that are being wasted in this unnecessary war only if the things were put right by the government from the beginning.
I'm a Kosovan but I really envy the Albanians from Macedonia, they are honest and hard working people, and this is surely not the way to treat such people. I'm sure they will prevail in the end. And as far as NATO and EU are concerned, they're only ensuring that Macedonia is not divided into pieces by the true owners of it; Albanians, Bulgarians and Greeks. Therefore they should be embraced and not despised by Macedonians.
Would USA allow Albanians to have a second language in America? No. USA accepted fewer Kosovo refugees than all other countries. Why? Because they don't want Albanians coming to this country. Now how do Macedonians feel living with 500,000 of these people who are stuck in ancient times?
It is really pathetic that the (western) media are portraying the Albanians as victims in this conflict. Let me remind everybody, Albanians started shooting at our troops back in February, with the excuse they want more rights in the country. I want a promotion in my firm. Should I start shooting at my boss?
I'm Albanian from Macedonia, 27-years-old, living in the USA now away from my family, away from my friends. You would say why don't you go back? Because I'm Albanian, because Macedonian Serbs tell us "Albania, that's your land, not Macedonia". I finished school in Macedonian language because in Albanian they don't even consider that you have a diploma, not to mention getting a job. All my family who finished school are without jobs and are waiting for my $300 a week that I take and with which I have to support myself and my family back there - especially to help my Mom with a tumour to have surgery done in some other state because there's no Albanian doctors in Macedonia. So God bless Nato, EU and USA.
Such a great problem the West has now. The West supported the terrorist Muslims up until now, and now we have an ally threatened by them. Do they continue the unjust support of the Muslims in order to appease their oil-rich allies in the Middle-East, or do they support the not so resource-rich Macedonians who have been loyal allies? We'll see. I guess the West's righteous arguments in the past haven't been so righteous after all. Sadly, the media have been so very biased in their reporting of news in this region, unconditionally damning the Serbs without pause.
Peter Haslett, Australia
Freedom is the only thing that Albanians want. Freedom to study in their language, which they have spoken for thousand of years. Freedom to work, so their children do not go hungry, freedom to breathe, freedom to live in their own land which has been filled with the blood that Albanians have shed defending it from Slavs in 1912, when Europe decided to break Albania into pieces.
I served with a Serb paramilitary unit during the conflict in Kosovo. I was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - my parents are both Serbian. I volunteered after we were told about the crimes committed by Albanians to our people. Since I speak Serbian and, of course, American English I was gladly accepted in a unit that also had many other foreign recruits - mostly Russians. If the pro-Albanian media would've reported what really happened in Kosovo - especially to Serbs before and after the NATO bombings - things in Macedonia would not be out of control like they are now. The KLA is a terrorist organisation and until NATO and the West recognise this they will continue to terrorise Slavs until they have a greater Albania.
Alam, USA
What is happening in Macedonia right now is the result of the "divide and rule" policy of the Western powers that has been pursued after the collapse of the Turkish Empire with respect to the Balkans as a whole. This is how an artificial "Macedonian" nation was created after the Second World War from a population that has always been part of the Bulgarian history and nation. It is regrettable that this event, as well as the following 50 years of existence of the so-called Republic of Macedonia within former Communist Yugoslavia, is the main cause for the ethnical imbalances, tension and the current outburst of violence.
N. Khan, UK
First of all, Macedonia has been invaded by Albanian terrorists from Kosovo. Secondly, when Nato troops entered Yugoslav province of Kosovo they have agreed that all Albanian gangs will be disarmed. However, Nato fail to implement this promise to people of the Balkans. On the other hand, they supported Albanian rebels with weapons and logistics the same way like in Serbia a few years ago. It is very clear that Americans want to dominate in Europe through Nato troops in order to achieve their dirty plans, to rule all the world and to tell everyone how to live and what to do. Finally, it is high time for Europeans - when I say Europeans I mean all peaceful people - to stand up and say no to American imperialists before it is too late for all of us!
The EU and NATO have already done irreparable damage in Macedonia. To redeem themselves in the eyes of the world they must immediately stop making threats to the democratically elected government of Macedonia. Since Nato is not interested in attaining peace in this region (they have to stop financing the KLA immediately) they must immediately withdraw totally from the region before it is too late. If they continue in the same vein that they have so far, the Macedonians out of desperation will have to seek the aid of the (God forbid) Russians or worse still the Chinese, if in sheer numbers only! NATO, wake up to yourselves and stop encouraging another war!
Viki, Macedonia
Whether the Albanians are good or bad, it does not really matter. What matters is that Albanians in Macedonia do not feel that Macedonia is their country. For the Macedonian Slavs to say that this is not their problem is naive. The Serbs had only their pride to lose in Kosova, where the Macedonian Slavs can lose their existence as a state. So, is it their problem? Unfortunately, Macedonian governments in the past ten years have not been far-sighted. There is no doubt that Albanians in Macedonia have been treated better than the ones in Kosova, but "better than" cannot be a foundation to build a new state, especially in the Balkans. The Slavs in Macedonia never dared to trust their Albanian citizens. They did not want to risk it. Now they are asked to pay a bigger price than they would have.
In this time of madness in Macedonia, does anybody think about suffering of the Albanian women in Macedonia and the region? Does anybody ask the Albanian women in Macedonia how they feel and, are they happy with this what happen here or we just have to listen to our politicians and our leaders and do what they say? Well, we do not like to do that anymore. We do not want to live different from other women in the world. Albanian women are also willing to participate in the political world and everywhere in the society like every woman in this world. Albanian women want to educate themselves and to be employed in the country, not just staying home and give birth and satisfying our husbands.
It is about time that NATO went into Macedonia properly, or got out of the Balkans altogether, and let the Serbs clear up the situation. After all, the new democratic government in Belgrade has acted with impressive restraint in Southern Serbia, despite constant Albanian attacks. The sooner Yugoslavia is admitted into NATO, as a stabilising force in the region, the better.
NATO, go home from Macedonia!
Chris, US
Is the KLA really "fighting for human rights"? Can they tell us what exactly they want? In Macedonia they have all the rights of other minorities in any other western democracy. Some Albanians complain, they are outvoted any time in the parliament, since they are minority. But, that is how democracy works. They have local government representatives at every level. They have 24 hour TV programs, newspapers, books, schools, clubs, and much more.
I spent one year in Kosovo, and many more in Macedonia. While I was in Kosovo, I was witnessing a systematic harassment of the Serbian population organized by Albanian extremists. Many moved to Belgrade to avoid the problems. Kosovo is now almost 100% populated by ethnic Albanians and they are using the same tactic in Macedonia.
I hope when I (a Macedonian) visit Skopje again, my best friend from high school (Albanian) will still talk to me, and we can have a glass of beer, and a basketball game one-on-one. I was taller, but he was always winning.
As an Albanian who was born in Macedonia, but raised in the USA, I frequently go back to Macedonia to visit my family and every time I go back, I get the same ill-treatment from Macedonians like I always do, especially when they see my Albanian eagle tattoo prominently etched on my body for life. Macedonians think there is no problem. They swear we get a fair shake at everything there, so why did I have to go to the telephone company everyday for a month and then finally bribe someone to put a phone in my house? I think it is prejudice. You may think I'm just paranoid, but that is just one example of the prejudice I get in that "democratic" country.
As for all the people who say that Albanians are terrorists and want a greater Albania, you're just a product of your own ignorance. especially if you have not witnessed it first hand. Why is it so hard for the Macedonian government to give equal rights to Albanians that live there and pay taxes and contribute to the economy and call that land "their" home. If you still think I'm wrong, try being a minority. It's not fun.
I hope that NATO and the EU are very pleased with the fact that I can't sleep because of the gunshots in my neighbourhood.
I just love how people who have never followed what has happened in the Balkans the past 20 years have so many qualms with what is going on. Yugoslavia was made up as a multi-ethnic country and at one point there was an Albanian University, library, and media services sponsored by the government. That all changed in the 1980's, thanks to Milosevic and his friends. Since then there had been non-violent protests that but no one listened. Only when force was used did they get noticed. So whose fault was that.
Albanians want their rights, that is it. They make up about a third of the country but almost half of the Albanians have left to work in other countries where they can have jobs, and they are not counted, neither are the Albanians who had moved to Kosova for school or work, they lost their rights and cannot even get a Macedonian passport even though they were born there. Albanians want peace the Slavs don't want them to have it.
Nick, Balkans
Yeah, yeah. Again everybody is against Albanians. But do they really know the reason why they should be. It's so wrong every time. Can you just for ONCE, for the sake of everybody STOP Slavs killing Albanians or, the other way, Muslims. The same things are happening like they use to happen before in Former Yugoslavia. And yes we know that you will feel bad when I will say that Slavs with the help of Russia are trying to remove Albanians once and for all from Balkans (from their homeland). But they are so wrong. The can fight us, kill us BUT they can never take our freedom. So this is our democratic world, where everybody should have their rights. But what with Albanians?!!!
How can Nato assist the Macedonian Government and people when "they" support the very terrorists "they" trained to fight the Serbs? Balkan problems are deep in the blood and hearts peoples of the region I can inform you of this because I am Macedonian. When an organisation like Nato tries to solve problems with the same method as in Kosovo or as in 1913 they are just making future problems. However In my opinion it would seem this is more a US-EU subject indirectly relating to the issue of continuing the Nato relationship.
Imagine that this was a group of black militants, angry about being treated as "second-class citizens", occupying a town in Virginia and threatening to shell Washington DC. Would the US government negotiate, or bomb the militants to kingdom come? We all know the answer to that one, don't we... There is already an Albanian homeland; it's called Albania. The simple fact is that the ill-conceived intervention in Kosovo by Nato has emboldened the Albanian minorities in the region to take up arms against democratic governments such as that in Macedonia.
Jason, Brit in Boston, USA
Where does Mike, England get the idea that Serbia tried to create a "Greater Serbia"? Serbia never declared independence from Yugoslavia - it only fought to keep areas already vastly populated by Serbs.
Nato be careful!!! Please take care for the lives of yours soldiers. DO NOT let them die on the Macedonian ground as a result of your dirty political games
I wonder how many of those contributing to this discussion have actually set foot in Macedonia and talked to people there? Drank coffee in an Albanian household north of Tetevo? Consumed peanuts and beer with Macedonians in Skopje? Tried to find a convincing answer when asked how you think things will work out? I've been there often enough to know how little I know - most recently in mid-June - but despair of the apparent inability of many contributors to see the situation in anything other than "they're right, they're wrong" terms. The truth is infinitely more complex.
Read the most recent ICG report on Macedonia. Seek out Daniel Serwer's evidence to the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee earlier this month. Go to the US Institute of Peace site and check out their special Balkans reports. You will then understand the grim logic behind Jonathan Eyal's analysis on this site last Friday - the country lurches seemingly inexorably into a confrontation that none but a few extremists on either side want, but none seem able to prevent. Please, spare us the conspiracy theories. There's too much at stake here.
Lana, Australia
Beware, when the Slavic, Orthodox Christians start war it will lead to more ethnic cleansing of Muslim people. European history is a narrative of one war after another. At this moment in history the Slavic people are going through change and are unstable. Get Nato in, like tomorrow, to prevent a repeat of the horrors of Bosnia.
This is the bitter fruit of appeasing virulent nationalist aspirations in the region. From Germany encouraging Croatian "independence" to the Nato assault on behalf of Albanian terrorists in Kosovo to the latest outrage in Macedonia, we in the West have been responsible for accelerating the disintegration of the Yugoslav federation and the resultant bloodshed.
This is only happening because Nato did not disarm the KLA as agreed and now the terrorists have continued on their rampage to create a Greater Albania. The NLA is the KLA. I wouldn't put it past Nato to try and force Macedonia to give in to the terrorists so that Kosovo can be contained - for now. This is not about constitutional rights, it is about land, just as Kosovo was (and is).
When will the Europeans learn. They have had two world wars this century, both starting in the Balkan region. Now again when there is strife they are just preaching and watching...
Is this the kind of leadership we get from the EU. One minute they talk about disarming the Albanian terrorists and the next minute they even carry their arms around the country for them. Shame on them.
Ivan Fetterolf, Serb (living in the UK)
It is too late. The only possible way to stop this was to discredit the rebels, from the very beginning, as the criminals they are (not representative of Albanians in general in Macedonia) and ruin their chances of developing popular sympathies amongst the minority. Unfortunately, Nato, tiptoeing and careful not to become a target in occupied Kosovo, was rather light in its condemnations. The rebels were emboldened and captured territory. Nato assumed a bit of fighting would hold them back. Nato gambled wrong and now blames the Macedonians publicly, fearing that if Macedonia erupts into war with Nato on the Slavic side, extremist Kosovars will attack Nato's troops in Kosovo. This is pathetic and disastrous. The safety and independence of yet another Balkan state is being sacrificed on the altar of photogenic Western good-intentions. And the media will forget about it soon enough, after blood is shed and an indefinite Nato occupation begins in the name of freedom and democracy.
Let's stop fooling ourselves that the European Union and Nato are interested in peace for the Balkan region, in fact they are causing the war. In the end this goes to benefit the Americans who want to create instability in Europe to make the European countries dependent on American military power to resolve (read cause) conflicts. Let me remind you that a lot of wars have been started in Macedonia and unless Nato gets out of Macedonia, with its spies and corrupt politicians there will be a wide war in the Balkans perhaps WW3.
We are living in a war of leftists fighting rightists because of the lucrative drug trade. I can imagine what Macedonia is going through is terrible. Wars can be prevented if intervention is done promptly to avoid any massacre.
In May I was in Macedonia. One day I attended a market for livestock in Bitola and came across some fellows who spoke both Macedonian and Albanian. Curious I asked who they were and was told they were Macedonians from Albania. I knew that there are Macedonians living there but had no idea how many reside there so I asked. He said 300,000 Macedonians live in Albania. What I found interesting was that he said this without any hesitation. In Albania, Macedonians are only permitted education in their language up to grade four. On census forms they can only declare themselves as either Albanian or other minority. And no political freedoms whatsoever.
Steve Ilievski, Canada
If Nato enters Macedonia then we have a repeat of what happened in Kosovo. The Albanians forcing all non-Albanians to leave the territory. That's why the terrorists want Nato to intervene so they can under Nato's nose expel everybody else and in that way create ethically clean states. Nato should under no circumstances be allowed to enter Macedonia.
I think that there is something more behind Nato than just helping countries that don't belong to them. I think that they are the troublemakers and a much larger force is working behind the curtain with all this trouble. Nato is an evil entity that will either soon break up or become a one-world army of control. And I also like the point that no Nato country has been invaded. Of course they wouldn't be when you're part of it. The last world empire is arising and everyone is blind to it and how it works in the world today.
The violence in Macedonia stems from the fact that after the disintegration of Yugoslavia, the world community failed to stop the rise of Serbian nationalism, which is the cause of the entire Balkan conflict. As long as ethnic Serbs continue to demonise the Muslim population of the Balkans, this war in Macedonia will be a long struggle indeed.
The hatred between the Slavs of the Balkans and the Ethnic Albanians is a hatred that goes back hundreds of years to the days when the Ottoman Turks first invaded the region. I don't see how Nato or the EU can think that a few days worth of negotiations can possibly bring about an end to this thing. It seems arrogant and self-righteous of the West to think that way. I'm not saying we should pull out of the peace process altogether: I'm all for an end to bloodshed. I'm just saying we shouldn't feel the need to jump in and take sides in this region, since most of the problems there are problems that will either never be solved or won't be solved for many many years.
Aca Ohrid, Macedonia
I know Americans are better at most things than anybody else. It is pleasing, therefore, to have it confirmed (aka B Doiron) that they still lag the world in modesty, humility, and wit. Does this person not realise that Nato is a vital instrument for promoting US economic power, and that policing the Balkans is its only rational role at the moment. Nato's intervention in the Balkans is preventing destabilisation of the northern Mediterranean. The agreement and participation of the US is essential not to provide military aid, but to reassure the Russians that we silly Europeans are not going to involve them in another war. It's a good job there are those in the US who understand their role in life!
When will the EU learn to stop supporting Albanian expansionism all the time? First in Kosovo the EU gave the Albanian rebels a free hand. In fact, the Rambouillet talks practically invited the Albanians to carry on their terrorist attacks at the expense of the Serbs. Now, the West provides no support to Macedonia to defeat the Albanian terrorists. In fact, the EU is doing all it can to help the Albanians at the expense of Macedonia. If the West wanted to help the situation, they would have sealed the Macedonian border and provided military aid to the Macedonian government with guarantees for political dialogue. Instead, Nato made a half-hearted and belated attempt to seal the border and does everything to hinder the Macedonian government's military efforts against the Albanians.
Last Sunday BBC 2's Correspondent programme demonstrated how the US Army deliberately broke the UN's arms embargo during the Bosnian war by covertly supplying the Bosnian Muslims with weapons and training. This even took place ostensibly without the knowledge or support of Nato. It therefore wouldn't surprise me if some major player in the West was publicly condemning the actions of the rebels while secretly supporting them. It seems very suspicious that Nato polices the border between Kosovo and Macedonia, yet the rebels seem to have a steady supply of weapons and men going between these two places, whereas until very recently the rebel Albanians were a non-existent or non-significant force in Macedonia.
Perhaps someone in the West wants yet another Balkan war for some unknown reason. After all, Nato has become something of an army of occupation in that region of late. Whoever controls a region militarily will also be in a position to control it politically. It should be remembered that the region isn't all that far from the rich oil reserves of the Caspian Sea. Maybe there's a connection here. Who knows? But, while this may seem rather too conspiratorial for some, I doubt whether Senior Machiavelli could have scripted it any better.
The Macedonians are being betrayed and the Western media is playing along. Same old Balkan story.
The EU must send troops to defend Macedonia as a matter of great urgency. Ethnic Albanian nationalism and extremism underlies much of the continued strife in that reason and merits a decisive response from the West. Macedonia is a peaceful country that desperately needs our support before it descends into chaos. The British Government must act NOW.
Nato should either give 100% support to the Macedonian government (ie send in some troops to help) or it should not get involved at all. All this cajoling from Western governments is just political manoeuvring to gain the moral high ground without getting their hands dirty - it's Kosovo all over again.
Asan Salioski, FYROM
Less killing is a good thing. You would have thought that the Macedonians would have learnt from all the carnage that occurred in their neighbouring countries. The diplomacy table may or may not work, but it won't kill anyone to try it.
How would Mr Blair react if Richmond were occupied by IRA terrorists? I'm pretty sure there would be an instant military response to flush them out. The British public would expect nothing less. Yet our European foreign ministers are unanimous in their condemnation of the Macedonian Government's attack on the village occupied by these Albanian terrorists. It must be difficult to portray the Albanians as peace loving people (as they did in Kosovo), only to have them prove that quite the opposite is true. Attacks on Macedonian police and civilians are not a recent occurrance. It's been going on for years. But with Nato's intervention in Kosovo, the Albanians thought they could take it a step further. It's finally time for Nato and the EU to shut up, and let the Macedonians deal with the Albanians once and for all.
Whenever there is a conflict the calls go out for Nato and the EU to become involved. Clearly we cannot allow ethnic cleansing to go on or mass murder to occur but I wonder how many conflicts we can get involved with. How many wars we can try to stop. How many troops and resources can we expend in the pursuit of an unobtainable goal. The Balkans is just another area where deep-rooted religious and ethnic problems have existed and will continue to exist. It is the root of the Great War and the tensions which helped to cause it that remain, and no amount of cultural white-washing will remove it. Neither Nato nor the EU can programme minds.
Rahul Mahajan, UK/India
So Nato sends troops, to do what? When will Blair and his colleagues get the message that they have to stop meddling in everything. Hasn't Bosnia and Kosovo taught us that when we poke our nose in on one side or the other we only make things worse. Macedonians were portrayed as the good guys, yet when their army is used against terrorists just miles from the capital they are vilified.
Like it or not the government in Macedonia is in the right. It is only because it is a small country that the West interferes - would we do the same against Russia (Chechnya) or China (over Tibet). Would the UK appreciate the same meddling over Northern Ireland, the Falklands?
I feel very sorry for the Macedonians. Nato and the EU are demanding total subservience and threatening them with economic isolation. And their crime? Being invaded and occupied by Albanian terrorists (Nato's words, not mine) who have already killed several police and soldiers. And if the Nato/EU dictat of "no military solution to this problem" is true, then why did Nato escort these terrorists to safety without disarming them? If the terrorists had no weapons there would be no problem. Nato's threat to the Macedonian economy should be met with threats to Nato's Kosovo supply route through Macedonia. If that were disrupted then the logistics of Nato's Balkan adventure would collapse. This will be the only language Nato will understand.
No one would like to see an escalation of war in the Balkans, but the intransigence of both parties involved seems to be heading matters that way. In such a crucial time the people of Macedonia should refrain from slogans and chants of war just as the Albanians should give up their war games, which are lasting rather long.
Peter, Netherlands
Kosovo, Macedonia... Unless someone puts their foot down soon (Nato or the EU) the "Ethnic Albanians" will, I am sure, be visiting Northern Greece in the not too distant future. We all were disgusted by talk of a Greater Serb Republic why is there no such dislike of a Greater Albanian one?
Neither Kosovo or Macedonia are Nato countries. No Nato country has been attacked. The Nato charter is to protect Nato members only, not to attack sovereign countries or intervene in another countries domestic affairs. I believe President Bush is correct by not sending Americans into another so-called peacekeeping mission. I also think he should get the rest of the US troops out of the Balkans. The problem is in your (Europe) back yard. Remember, we are those arrogant, power hungry, domineering, know-it-alls from across the pond that only make your life miserable. I'm sure you don't really want our help. I'm sure you have the military might, financial clout, political resolve and enthusiasm to tackle the problem and show us how smart you are without us.
See also:
26 Jun 01 | Europe
Macedonia on brink of chaos
26 Jun 01 | Europe
In pictures: Macedonia's night of anger
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Question: What creates a ghost town? Answer: Rapid population, rapid depopulation. Ghost towns are the residue of booms and busts, expectations of substantial monetary gain that for whatever reason failed to materialize. Wherever resources can be exploited and depleted, there you will find, at some point, ghost towns. In the United States we have ghost towns where the Gold Rush happened, where railroads or interstate highways suddenly diverted opportunities elsewhere.
The modern story of Africa is largely one of exploitation at the hands of the European powers, so it's probably not surprising that they have ghost towns there, too. One of the most remarkable exists in Namibia. It's called Kolmanskop; the Germans who created settlements to mine the diamonds there called it "Kolmanskuppe."
The 1910s were a big decade for Kolmanskop: the Germans created a veritable German Gesellschaft there, complete with a hospital, a ballroom, a power station, a school, a theater, even an ice factory, no small luxury in balmy Namibia. World War I put an end to all that; the town crept along until 1954 before becoming abandoned for good.
At that point, the sands started to take over the town and those sands are transforming Kolmanskop into a haunting, beautiful artifact.
French photographer Romain Veillon has a jaw-dropping series of photographs of Kolmanskop called "Les Sables Du Temps"—"The Sands of Time." The title is a cliché, of course, but something about the material demands a cliché of that sort. In addition to whatever fleeting political point they evoke, the images are really about man's transience in the face of implacable nature.
Veillon is hardly the first artist to discover the aesthetic possibilities of Kolmanskop. Richard Stanley's 1993 horror movie Dust Devil was partially filmed there, as well as parts of Ron Fricke's non-narrative 2011 movie Samsara.
You can see more of these images at Veillon's website.
via The Fox Is Black
Previously on Dangerous Minds:
Breathtakingly beautiful Central African pygmy yodelling
Insane dust storm caught on film in Mali, West Africa


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1880s New Orleans Streetcar Motorman in Uniform
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1880s New Orleans Streetcar Motorman in Uniform
This is a wonderful old Cabinet Photo of a ca. 1880s New Orleans, LA Streetcar Operator in his Uniform. This is from a box full of old photos that were passed down to my Grandmother from her family in New Orleans w she was born in 1900. Many have been identified and I am keeping those but this one is not and I decided to put it on the market. I have no idea who this man is but he looks to be very much Italian and I do not have any Italian ancestors so he was probably a friend of an ancestor. This photo is in very nice condition with very minor wear around the edges and some light foxing. It measures 7" X 4 1/2" and is signed by the Photographer on the base. Rojas V Connor; 1007 Canal St. New Orleans, LA. Watch my other auctions for more vintage photos from this era in New Orleans. I will also be listing on of a New Orlean Streetcar of this era in the next day or so.
Lucky buyer to pay actual shipping costs. I will send an invoice after auctions end. Payments must be made within 10 days of end of auction. Payments accepted by check, money order or credit cards through Pay-Pal! If payment is by check, t will be a ten day delay in shipping for check to clear. Payments received by Money Order or by Pay-Pal will be shipped on the next buisness day.
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England wonderteen Wilfried Zaha will not be leaving Crystal Palace for anything less than £20million, the club's co-chairman Steve Parish has insisted.
Winger Zaha, 19, has been scouted by Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, and bids are expected in January. But Parish has told the South London Press that the club's prize asset isn't going cheap.
"He is an extraordinary talent," Parish said. "I said at the start of the season that keeping hold of Wilf would be like spending a lot of money on a transfer. Other sides can fly their kites but it would take £20m before we even got interested.
"He has got the lot, provided he keeps his feet on the ground and continues working so hard on his game - then it will all come.
"People would have to compensate us accordingly for losing his talent - that is what a transfer fee is.
"All the teams have got to understand that you get £60m in TV money if you get into the Premier League, which is where we want to get. So we'd need to be compensated for reducing our chances of getting there."


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Congressman Al Green Introduces Bill to Provide Transition Opportunities For Johnson Space Center Employees
(Washington, DC)--This week, Congressman Al Green (TX-09) has introduced the Johnson Space Center Workforce Stability Act of 2010 (H.R. 5855) in the House of Representatives which aims at allocating $80 million over two years to implement transition programs to assist the employees of the Johnson Space Center (JSC) who are at risk of losing their jobs due to the cancellation of NASA's Constellation Program and other changes with NASA's budget.
The bill directs the Department of Labor to develop training programs for JSC's affected workers who will have to look for new jobs. The bill provides $10 million in FY 2011 and FY 2012 for this initiative.
"I would like the Department of Labor to establish one-stop career centers that will specifically address the professional possibilities that the valuable and skillful JSC workers can bring to the regional and national job market," Congressman Al Green said. "These centers would provide them with training referrals, career counseling, job listings and similar employment-related services."
Since the Administration's proposed changes at NASA would also impact the businesses within the geographical area where JSC is located, the bill requires the Department of Commerce to set up cooperative agreements with eligible state and local recipients to promote new economic growth and stabilize the local workforce. Acting through its Economic Development Administration, the Department would provide financial and technical assistance to implement business ventures and entrepreneurial networks among the businesses and professionals affected by the changes at JSC.
"The Department of Commerce will be able to draw down on its resources to create an economic stability program to promote economic growth in the JSC region and assist the dislocated workers in starting projects based on their specific skill set," Congressman Al Green said.
Congressman Pete Olson (TX-22) has signed on as an original cosponsor for the bill, signaling the bi-partisan spirit of the initiative.
"Congressman Al Green's bill is an important compliment to the NASA authorization bill that my colleagues and I moved through the House Science Committee last week. That bill ensures that the work done at the Johnson Space Center on behalf of Constellation and the future of human space flight will continue, ensuring this highly skilled group of workers remains active and engaged in the aerospace community," Congressman Pete Olsen said. "Congressman Green's bill will provide an additional resource to those who may need it going forward. Most importantly, these funds will not come from NASA's overstretched budget."
Last June, the Administration proposed an amendment to the FY 2011 budget request that would set aside $40 million from NASA's FY 2011 budget on transition efforts for Kennedy Space Center employees who would also be affected by NASA's new direction.
"Our bill provides the JSC workforce the same opportunities that Kennedy Space Center employees will have in terms of getting effective assistance to look for new employment in a very competitive job market," Congressman Al Green said.
The Greater Houston Partnership and the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership estimate that if the Constellation program is not continued in the Administration's FY 2011 budget, the Johnson Space Center could lose up to 7,000 direct and indirect jobs with a resulting loss of income and expenditures reaching $1 billion in the Houston region.
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18) and Congressman Gene Green (TX-29) have also signed as cosponsors of the bill.


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The Vatican has invited Catholics and non-Catholics to contact the investigators Pope Benedict XVI has appointed to examine the fallout here from the child abuse scandals.
Confirming that the investigation team will be available to meet victims and their families, a statement from the Holy See Press Office said the visitation aims to verify how effectively the Church here is responding to cases and helping victims of abuse.
The statement said the nine-strong team - established by the Pope in May - will not investigate individual cases of abuse or judge past events.
Rather, the nine 'Visitators' are tasked with identifying how the Holy See might help the church here.
The statement adds that other individuals, whether Catholic or not, may ask to be received by the visiting prelates.
It emphasises that the process will in no way interfere with statutory authorities charged with protecting children.
Nor will it cut across 'Commissions of Investigation', one of which is still to report on some cases of abuse in Dublin as well as on scandals in the diocese of Cloyne.
The statement says individuals may write to any of the nine investigators using the Papal Nuncio's address.


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What happens during a chemical reaction? How do atoms move to break and form bonds? Why is one outcome more likely than another? These are some of the questions we seek to answer. Experimentally, we undertake very detailed measurements of reactive collisions between atoms and molecules. We use laser spectroscopic techniques to determine both the quantum state and the scattering angle of the products. Theoretically, we model these processes to reproduce and explain the experimental findings and to gain greater insight into their nature.
We have close links to and joint projects with other groups within the Chemistry and Physics Departments at Durham. External collaborations include groups at the University of Bristol, the University of Cambridge, and the Universidad Complutense, Madrid.
We are currently working on the following projects:


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The mother of a Chinese baby boy who survived after becoming trapped in a sewage pipe has claimed she kept her pregnancy secret after the father refused to stand by her but insisted that the child had accidentally slipped into the lavatory.
The 22-year-old woman, who is from Zhejiang province in eastern China but has not been named, told police she realised she was carrying a baby three months into her pregnancy and had not told her parents.
She attempted to conceal her pregnancy by using loose-fitting clothes and confronted the baby's father but he rejected her appeals for help, the state-run Zhejiang News website reported.
With insufficient money for an abortion, the mother said she had been forced to deliver the baby secretly last Saturday inside a lavatory at her home in the city of Jinhua.
The baby had accidentally slipped down the lavatory, she reportedly claimed. Police are not convinced by that version of events. It is not clear what charges, if any, the woman will face.
A police official warned yesterday that the public outcry over the case had left the mother in emotional tatters. "It will not help anyone if the mother becomes so depressed that she ends up committing suicide," said the official, who gave his name as Mr Fang.
Police are still looking for the father, who is reported to have refused to acknowledge paternity.
The fireman who led the rescue said yesterday he had feared that the trapped baby would die. Zheng Yuzheng, 31, told The Daily Telegraph that on reaching a fourth-floor lavatory he had "heard noises coming from inside [a pipe]… [that] sounded like a baby crying".
His team eventually managed to remove a portion of piping from the third floor with the two-day-old baby still cocooned inside. But there were no celebrations. "When we took out the pipe the ambulance workers and doctors were already waiting there and I showed them the pipe and asked whether the boy might be able to survive," he said. "The doctor said, 'Probably not'. I saw his little feet were turning purple and I thought to myself that he wouldn't make it. We almost gave up."
Paramedics rushed the 6lb boy – named Baby 59 after the number of his incubator in which he was treated – to a nearby hospital and began the painstaking task of extricating him using a small handsaw bought from a nearby shop.
Almost two hours after the emergency call, the baby was freed and placed in incubator 59.
"I felt huge relief and really happy. We had saved this newborn baby's life," said Mr Zheng. "[But] this is our job – this is our responsibility as firefighters.
"I didn't think too much at the time about how the baby ended up in there.
"But he is a really strong-willed baby and he was making noises as if he wanted us to know he was there and that he wanted to survive."


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Friday's HIGHLIGHTS
Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 3: Boston clinched the A.L. East title, getting seven strong innings from Jon Lester to beat Toronto and eliminate Tampa Bay from the division race. One night after securing their first playoff appearance since 2009, the Red Sox added their first division title since '07.
Tigers 12, White Sox 5: Max Scherzer became baseball's first 20-game winner, pitching through bad weather for six innings.
Reds 6, Pirates 5: Joey Votto homered off Kyle Farnsworth in the 10th inning and Cincinnati edged Pittsburgh to pull even with the Pirates for the top wild-card spot in the National League.
Royals 2, Rangers 1: Neftali Feliz walked Alcides Escobar on four pitches with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth inning, giving Kansas City the win. Texas dropped a half-game behind the Indians for the second A.L. wild-card spot with the loss.
Braves 9, Cubs 5: Atlanta's victory reduced its magic number to one and ensured it of at least a tie in the N.L. East.
Cardinals 7, Brewers 6: Carlos Beltran's 10th-inning sacrifice fly lifted St. Louis to victory and kept the Cardinals in sole possession of first place in the N.L. Central.
Yankees: Andy Pettitte, 41, will retire after this season. Pettitte is set to pitch against the Giants on Sunday.


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Current Newswire:
IDG.au: Linux stands to rescue the channelSep 30, 1999, 05:10 (0 Talkback[s])
(Other stories by Rebecca Munro)
WEBINAR: On-Demand
No-Size-Fits-All! An Application-Down Approach for Your Cloud Transformation REGISTER >
"Describing the current IT channel as a "closed shop for all but the big shop fronts", Interweb director Steve O'Connor perceives Linux as an opportunity to work in the international arena. "The broad reach of the Internet, combined with the network capabilities of Unix in general, place you a lot closer to your customers. Linux can really open up your market," said O'Connor..."
""This new world demands a higher level of skill and speed. It will mercilessly devour those organisations that don't measure up technically, while offering much greater rewards for those that do." Interweb's call comes as a growing number of channel companies begin to seriously investigate Linux..."
"In addition, the Linux interest coincides with news last week
of Gateway's plan to join the throng of PC vendors supporting the
platform. The direct vendor said it will provide Red Hat Software's
version of Linux 6.0 on its Advanced Logic Research Gateway servers
when asked by customers."
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Copyright © University of Cambridge. All rights reserved.
'Swimming Pool' printed from http://nrich.maths.org/
Show menu
Swimming Pool
Have you been to a swimming pool lately?
When you start learning about swimming it may be that you will go down the steps carefully to reach the bottom, or use the ladder from the side of the pool.
Here's a picture of a set of steps and the ladder.
You'll probably notice that I've coloured the steps.
The first step into the water is light green, the second step is purple, the third red and so on.
The same is true of the ladder.
Later, I'll be thinking about numbering these coloured steps.
1. Suppose your friend puts you on step $4$ and you only want to go a little way into the water so you head for the red step. Stepping down carefully, one step at a time, how many steps will you have to take?
2. Now the next time you want to go into the water your friend takes you to step $2$ and you're going to step down carefully to the blue step at the bottom. How many steps down do you have to take?
3. When you have finished swimming you take yourself to the yellow step and meet your friend on step $5$. How many steps, one at a time, do you have to take?
Maybe it's time to number these coloured steps.
I think I'll go for numbering them down from the water surface.
Can you invent your own way of numbering the steps which go under the water?
When you've numbered your steps in some way perhaps you'd like to send in the pictures?
Why do this problem?
can be used as a starting point for introducing, and raising children's awareness of, negative numbers.
Possible approach
The first part of the problem is effectively counting along a number line in different directions, but in this case it is vertical rather than the more usual horizontal orientation, so that we are moving up and down rather than right and left. The final part of the activity encourages children to be creative and invent their own way of numbering the steps below the water level. This will undoubtedly provide some interesting points for discussion amongst the whole class. You may want to share a few of their ways with everyone, asking the relevant children to explain why they think their way works well. There could be some debate about which ways might work best.
At this stage, you could specifically introduce the idea of negative numbers. One way to do this is to ask children whether they know of any number scales which are vertical and this might make them think of a thermometer. It would be great to have a thermometer to hand and then you could look together at the negative parts of the scale, talking about what they mean. You could then transfer this negative number scale to the swimming pool. At a higher level, the next stage would be to revisit the swimming pool problem here and discuss numerical differences between negative and positive numbers.
Key questions
Can you tell me about how you are working these out?
Possible extension
Some pupils could move away from the swimming pool situation and be given other situations to find the numerical difference between two numbers - one positive and one negative.
Possible support
Pupils may find it helpful to have a small vertical number line going from the negative to the positive. It may be necessary to have some discussion about the place of zero.


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Beloit school referendum asking for $70 million
The district says the plan addresses the challenge of maintaining aging facilities, eliminates crowding, saves the district $2.3 million annually, addresses current and future educational needs of students and lessens student transitions between schools.
The referendum would add about $68 a year to the property taxes of an average Beloit home valued at $75,000.
The referendum seeks approval of general obligation bonds not to exceed $70 million for a plan that includes:
-- Renovating and adding on to six grade schools to include pre-kindergarten.
-- Creating four intermediate schools, including one new school on the southeast side of town, for grades 4 to 8. Grades 4 to 6 would be separate from grades 7 and 8 within the schools.
-- Constructing a new pool at Beloit Memorial High School, relocating the fitness center to the current pool and building eight new tennis courts.
-- Closing and possibly selling five buildings in addition to another former elementary school not in use.
The new and renovated buildings likely would be ready for school in fall 2014.
Click here for more details on the referendum.
Last updated: 7:54 pm Thursday, December 13, 2012


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A former Prince George's County Police officer accused of ordering an accomplice to break into a bank pleaded guilty in the case on Tuesday.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland said former officer Eddie Lee Smith Jr. entered the plea as part of a deal with prosecutors.
According the the plea bargain, Smith met with an accomplice named Earl Blake on June 9, 2009, and drove Blake to a SunTrust Bank branch in Temple Hills in his police cruiser. Smith reportedly gave Blake a power saw and other tools to break into the bank's ATM safe, which contained about $40,500.
Smith waited in his cruiser, in uniform, near the bank, while Blake started to cut the safe open, according to the plea agreement. A fire alarm went off during the attempted heist, and when firefighters responded, then-Officer Smith allegedly tried to assure firefighters that the building was secure. Smith ended up leaving the scene without any further contact with fire officials or his dispatcher, according to authorities.
Prince George's County Chief of Police Roberto Hylton on Tuesday said he's looking forward to Smith's swift prosecution.
"Bad cops have no place in our profession," Hylton said. "I absolutely will not tolerate wrongdoing by any member of this agency."
Both Blake and Smith were eventually arrested in the robbery attempt. Smith, 42, pleaded guilty to breaking into a bank with intent to commit felony bank larceny. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for October. Blake, 53, pleaded guilty to the same charge and will be sentenced in August.


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Sharchen Dzong Film Society
The Sharchen Dzong Film Society is dedicated to bringing great film to our community for free. We present films that examine themes such as devotion, intention, transformation, happiness, healing, suffering, connection, impermanence and the illusory nature of experience.
Consider movie night an opportunity to try one of the many nearby restaurants before joining us for the film. If there is a film you'd like us to show, send an email to film [at] sharchendzong [dot] org.
Special Note:
Thank you to all who have attended movie night. Brilliant Moon marks the final screening in this recent five-year cycle of movie nights. May other explorers of the phenomenal world be inspired to make a regular and manageable offering of their time and passion to our community. It was good at the beginning, good in the middle, and good at the end.
Films We Show
Dharma Films
There are many films that explore contemplative themes from a variety wisdom traditions. Films such as these offer the general audience an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the many diverse forms of buddhism.
The film society regularly presents a selection of exceptional and hard-to-find dharma films.
Mainstream Films
Mainstream film can be described as commercial films that have a wide release and play in first run theaters. The boundary is vague. Mainstream suggests middle-of-the-road and implies commercial viability, sometimes implying that the commercial viability is tantamount to a loss of artistic creativity.
The film society presents a wide selection of mainstream films that provide though-provoking and inspiring stories which some may consider dharmic.
Experimental Films
Experimental film is often characterized by the absence of linear narrative, the use of various abstracting techniques (out of focus, painting or scratching on film, rapid editing), the use of asynchronous sound or even the absence of any sound track.
The goal is often to place the viewer in a more active and thoughtful relationship to the film. The terms avant-garde and undergroundhave been used to describe films that today are commonly called experimental cinema.
The film society presents a selection of experimental films that provide our audience the opportunity to experience beginner's mind.
Guest Speakers
Our community includes a diverse and extraordinary group of filmmakers making films that examine issues both personal and universal in a wide range of styles and genres, including: animation, experimental, drama, documentaries and others.
Contact: For more information, please send an email to:
film [at] sharchendzong [dot] org.


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Some Good to know Facts about the island of the Gods.
Bali Map
Agriculture & Economy
As one of the most vivacious place in Indonesia, Bali's economy is highly fuelled by the tourism sector. In fact, the island is one of the vital economy components for this developing country. Being one of the world-class tourist destinations; Bali's economic growth reaches 9% each year with their export value of more than $100 millions.
South Bali (Legian, Sanur, Kuta and Nusa Dua) is the most developed area for tourism. The rest of the parts rely mainly on agriculture sectors. However, South Bali contributes the biggest economic growth more than 50%. It gives constant flow of income as the tourism sector supports 60,000 jobs.
Particularly in this south area, tourism sector grows vibrantly alongside other trade revenues which the Balineses obtain from garment productions, crafts exports, and more.
Bali agriculture
The fertile soil is an excellent place to grow crops, raise cattle, sheep and buffaloes. In the rain forest, cajuput extract produces export-quality oil that do wonders for aromatherapy and healing ailments. Bali coffee plantations with the traditional farming system, produce finest beans of Robusta and Arabica. Today, even Bali agriculture sector seems to also shift its function. Ubud, for instance, is now filled with expat community as the place is home to Bali native plants – perfect for agriculture walk.
Bali is known for its countless Upacara Adat, traditional ceremonies, where Balinese families would participate. They strictly follow the traditions, thus, you will see many of the locals snaking with their attributes, walking to the temples for a ceremonial event.
Bali is perhaps the only part of Indonesia with the most festival processions conducted in mass. In many occasions, you will notice that the paths you cross are closed for ceremonial purpose. What's quite impressive is during the Day of Silence, Nyepi, Ngurah Rai international airport is also closed with no outgoing or incoming flight at all. Bali has succeeded in retaining its cultural events. Even without any effort to make it any more attractive, these festivals and ceremonies have become a magnet that draw visitors from around the globe.
From the moment a woman gives birth to her child, there are ceremonies to 'mark' the stage of life that a person goes through; such as three-month baby ceremony, puberty ceremony, weddings, cremation and many more ceremonials to follow after the funeral.
At certain rituals, it requires bigger crowds. For instance, the Full Moon or Bulan Purnama, is a special event for Balinese that they go to temples, preparing the offerings for their gods and ask for blessings. In between the rituals, there are dance performances and other symbolic acts that celebrate god's grace to the land.
Other annual event like Galungan and Ogoh-Ogoh are also celebrated by the whole island that almost any temple would be filled with colorful offerings, and visitors who wish to witness the processions. During these particular days, the morning starts with temple visits and worships and in the afternoon, they would march to the streets to the location of the parade. This often causes serious traffic jam or a traffic re-routed.


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Our specialists use technology to turn data into knowledge. That knowledge can help you manage and monitor your business. Providing the right information to the right people at the right time enables you to turn knowledge into value–and ultimately, revenue.
With customized analytics and easily accessible reporting tools, like dashboards and scorecards, you can see up-to-the-minute results, spot opportunities for growth, and make better decisions. We are a proud partner of MicroStrategy, which enables us to provide you with world-class integrated reporting and analysis.
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The University of South Carolina Foundation intends on placing Prince George tract on the market in order to sell it to developers. Prince George tract is located north, and within the watershed, of an important estuary, the Belle W. Baruch Foundation estuary. We need to save it!
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A productive junior season is drawing attention from BCS Conference programs for Fort Wayne (Ind.) Homestead wide receiver Isaac Griffith and the 6-0, 185-pound prospect is reciprocating the interest with junior day visits this winter.
Indiana has been showing steady interest in Griffith since the fall, and he was in Bloomington on Jan. 29 for a junior day.
"I had been there previously," Griffith noted. "I went on a game day visit for the Purdue game and that was a great experience. That was my first time meeting Coach [Kevin] Wilson.
Article Continues Below
"When I went back to the junior day I got a better feel for them. I was really excited with what they had to offer and what they showed me at IU. I got a chance to meet the new OC, and he's a real nice guy, real straightforward. He already knew who I was when I went down and he actually compared me to one his former players, Wes Welker. He said I could fill the shoes of what he did at Texas Tech for Indiana."
Griffith does not yet hold an offer from the Hoosiers, but the topic was broached during his visit to the campus last month.
"They said they would touch base with me after Signing Day and let me know what the numbers are," Griffith said. "They said they'd definitely have me up in the spring for spring practice and get a little bit better feel for the campus and the players."
Other Big Ten schools have been in contact with Griffith in recent weeks, including Minnesota and Iowa. At Minnesota Griffith has been in contact with assistant coach Jeff Phelps.
"Coach Phelps did mention to me that they love my film and he wants me to come up to campus for an unofficial visit," Griffith said. "I probably am going to call them next week.
"My dad talked with Coach [Erik] Campbell from Iowa, I believe Monday. He wanted me to come up for a visit, but I had just missed their junior day. I don't know if they are having another junior day, but I'm going to get in contact with them again."
Griffith also attended a junior day at Western Michigan in January and he is considering possible junior day visits to Miami (Ohio) and Buffalo. He plans to return to Indiana for a spring practice next month, and is lining up several more spring practice visits.
"If I can get up to Minnesota I will and I'll definitely go to Northwestern," Griffith said. "I talked to Coach [Dennis] Springer and he said they are going to have me up in the spring because they don't do the junior day stuff."
As a junior, Griffith 60 passes for 1,112 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also returned four kickoffs for touchdowns.


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MiFID II
The Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II) entered into force on 2 July 2014, and must generally apply within Member States by 3 January 2017. It is the cornerstone of the EU financial regulatory landscape and will drive fundamental changes in the EU securities markets across the full lifecycle of products and services. It is expected that no business or operating model of relevant financial firms will remain unaffected. Through Kinetic Partners' detailed knowledge in MiFID II/R, we can guide you safely through the challenges and opportunities this far reaching regulation presents.
Organisations such as investment banks, retail and private banks, asset managers and commodity trading firms will face key challenges in areas including:
Transparency in wholesale markets
It is intended that the existing transparency regime will be extended to the debt and derivative markets at both the pre- and post-trade stages of a transaction with the intention to improve price discovery and liquidity in markets.
The equity transparency regime will be extended from shares to other equity-like instruments, such as certificates, GDRs and ETFs.
The granularity of application of the rules, the calibration of thresholds for "large in scale" when delaying publication and the definition of 'liquid' instruments are issues that both regulators and firms will need to come to terms with.
Firms should be examining how the changes will affect their business model and seeking regulatory consulting advice as required.
Commodity markets
As well as bringing new firms into the scope of regulation, including extending regulation to emission allowances, MiFID II will also include pre- and post-trade transparency, position reporting requirements, and a system of position limits. The aim is to ensure that underlying supply and demand in physical commodity markets which sets the prices there is not distorted by financial speculation.
There will be enhanced scrutiny by regulators of High Frequency Trading including the direct regulation of firms engaged in such activities. Key areas that will come into force are:
- subjecting market making strategies to market making obligations
- testing of algorithms before their execution
- the formalisation of the ESMA automated trading guidelines
The aim here is that markets are safe for all market users.
Best execution
The aim here is to improve firms' execution policies and disclosures to ensure that clients can analyse execution quality. Challenges exist in developing methodologies for measuring execution quality across a diverse range of financial instruments and market models.
Dealing Commission
MiFID II takes steps to remove the incentives for asset managers to trade, against the interest of their clients, when purchasing research from dealing commission generated by that trading. The proposal would lead to a market in which all valuable research must be paid for by fund managers themselves, rather than paid unseen by their clients within transaction fees.
Retail investor protection
Suitability and appropriateness will be a big issue here as well as processes around the distribution of manufactured financial products. The requirements when disclosing costs and charges to customers will be a lot more prescriptive. The FCA is already operating some of the proposals by making use of its ability to ban the sale of certain high risk products to retail investors.
How can we help?
Our highly qualified compliance and regulatory consulting team can provide assistance with:
- authorisations under the new regulatory regime for commodity firms and firms dealing in emissions, and provide regulatory experience as required relating to transparency
- authorisations and regulatory consultancy services specifically relating to processes and procedures around HFT
- advising on Best Execution, dealing commission and the procedures around retail investor protection
- advising on strategic and customer-related challenges generated as a result of MiFID II
- developing enhanced data infrastructure, systems and controls, as well as documentation and compliance infrastructure
For further information about MiFID II and our services please contact Richard Crannis or Peter Ray.
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Video Conferencing Installations
Let us know your Video Conferencing needs!
A meeting unlike any other, video conferencing and telepresence has set a new standard for visual communication. Walk into a telepresence room and you will be immersed in a video collaboration so life-like, you may not realize the participants are actually in different cities or continents. An effective alternative to in-person meetings, telepresence reduces the need for costly and time consuming business travel. Many companies use telepresence for executive and high-level management meetings, and for collaboration that includes participants at multiple locations.
A video conferencing system is usually a turnkey solution that is integrated into a dedicated room. However, sometimes telepresence systems are needed to meet unique meeting requirements. For example, it may be necessary for a telepresence system to accommodate a large number of participants and a wide array of applications, including training sessions, high-impact presentations, and board meetings. The demand for innovative telepresence and video conferencing solutions continues to grow as more users discover its value.


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Find out more
FREE DELIVERY until 21 AUG Ts&Cs Apply
1. The sale runs from 29 Mar 2017 to 19 Apr 2017, 3pm.
2. This offer is only valid for orders placed online.
3. This offer applies to selected items only.
4. The updated discounted price is shown on the product page.
5. Offer excludes unwrapped and bridal.
6. Oxfam offers a standard UK delivery charge of £3.95 on all orders containing donated products sent by Royal Mail, with the exception of wedding dresses and other high-value or bulky items, which incur a mandatory courier charge.
7. Oxfam reserves the right to end this promotion at any time.
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With around 650 Oxfam shops, you're sure to find one close by. Whether it's to drop off unwanted items or to browse the rails - we'd love to see you. Enter your town or postcode in the shop finder below to find your nearest shop. We also have donation banks in car parks around the country - easy to find and open 24/7!
As well as our standard Oxfam shops, we have departments and dedicated shops specialising in:
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© 2015. Oxfam is a registered charity in England and Wales (no 202918) and Scotland (SC039042).
Oxfam GB is a member of Oxfam International.


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Not satisfied with one iconic facial hair design, Johnny Depp is serving up a new mustache that's sure to attract some attention.
In the first teaser for his upcoming movie "Mortdecai," Depp combs that bad boy and also runs through a whirlwind of silly British-spy activity.
The "Pink Panther"-style comedy, which features Depp as the titular art dealer-turned-tracker, also stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Aubrey Plaza, Ewan McGregor, Olivia Munn, Paul Bettany and Oliver Platt.
"Mortdecai" opens in theaters Feb. 6, 2015.


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The St. Augustine Rod and Gun Club was the setting at 6 p.m. June 21 for the marriage of Crystal Lynn Worley and James King Gatchell III. Major John Detlefs officiated at the double ring nuptials.
The bride is the daughter of Daniel Worley, St. Augustine, and Tina Hodges, Hazelhurst, Ga., and the bridegroom is the son of Mitzi Ann Martinez, Palm Coast, and the late James Gatchell Jr.
Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore a white gown fashioned with open back and short train. Her veil was handmade by the mother of the bridegroom, and she carried a bouquet of Gerber daisies.
Ashley Rayfield was honor attendant. She wore a clover green strapless gown, and she carried a bouquet of Gerber daisies.
Junior bridesmaids were Ashley Willis and Anissa Martinez. They wore yellow gowns handmade by the bride's grandmother, Maryneil Worley, and they carried white and yellow Greek wedding balls.
Taylor Worley and Haleigh Roberts were flower girls.
Ryan Bennett was best man, and groomsmen were Kenneth Worley and Christopher Martinez.
A reception followed at the Rod and Gun Club.
After a wedding trip to Tennessee, the newlyweds are now residing in St. Augustine.
Among the parties honoring the bridal couple were bridal showers hosted by Frankie Watts, with Mexican food served; and a second shower hosted by Freida McMillan and Dianne Platt in a garden setting.
© 2017. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us


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During the course of last year there were many important Texas energy news events. Now that 2012 has officially drawn to a close, it's worth taking a few minutes to look back at the major electricity events that took place during the year. Surprisingly to some, the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas has found that the overall electricity use in Texas actually fell 2.7 percent during 2012 in comparison to 2011, though some of that is surely due to the fact that 2011 was the hottest year on record in Texas.
There were a few concerns voiced throughout 2012 about the strength of the Texas power grid, a problem that hasn't been adequately addressed, thanks in part to the falling demand statewide. Still, the most talked about news story of 2012 for the electricity industry was the continuation of the smart meter installation project taking place in many of the utility service territories.
Introducing the smart meter
Since 2009, utilities in the competitive areas of the Texas electricity market have been installing smart meters at customers' homes and businesses. It's estimated that as of December 2012, 90% of consumers have had smart meters installed on their property, but during 2012 there were a growing number of complaints being filed with the Public Utilities Commission over the implementation of smart meters.
In general, smart meters are touted as the next big thing in the electricity market because they allow consumers, utilities and retailers to keep better tabs on electricity use. Smart meters enable utilities, retailers and consumers to take a reading on a much shorter period than a traditional monthly reading done by a service technician. In fact, some smart meters take readings every 15 minutes.
The regularity of readings afforded by smart meters allows retailers to offer new plans with rates that vary based on the time of day electricity is used. Many industry officials feel that these plans, which charge higher rates during peak usage times, are ideal for helping encourage the public to change their usage patterns. If more consumers use more electricity during non-peak periods, it will be much easier to reduce the overall stress on the Texas electricity grid.
The problem with smart meters in some consumers' eyes revolves around the same concept. Some people don't like the idea that their energy consumption will be followed so closely, likening it to an invasion of privacy. In one case during 2012, a resident actually drew a firearm on a utility worker who was attempting to install a smart meter on her property.
In response to all the controversy surrounding the blanket installation of smart meters, the PUC announced in December 2012 that it was exploring a new program to allow residents to opt out of the push for smart meter installation. Although details have yet to be hammered out, there will likely be a surcharge involved for those consumers who refuse to have a smart meter installed, but the option will be back on the table.


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Psychology has undergone a profound shift over the last 50 years. In 1960, women received only a small minority of doctorates in the field. Today, in many parts of the world, women receive the majority. To understand this shift and the role feminists have played in it, we need to collect the first-hand accounts of feminist psychologists who were instrumental in bringing about these changes and of the men and women who continue to enrich psychology with feminism. We also need to be aware of our history. Who were the women who came before us? How did their work lay the foundation for feminist psychology? This site highlights important women in psychology's past and amplifies the diverse voices of contemporary feminist psychologists.
NEW! Standpoints Blog
For many years, only a small minority of psychologists were women. Despite their small numbers, their contributions and experiences helped shaped what we came to know in psychology. They paved the way for other women by serving as examples of what was possible. Discover their stories in the Women Past section of this site.
By the late 1960s, women psychologists were still in the minority but their voices were getting louder. Many of these voices were feminist voices. Many expressed radically different ways to approach and theorize psychology. Others critiqued existing methods and worked to improve them. Discover their stories and those of today's feminist psychologists in the Feminist Presence section of this site.
Psychology's Feminist Voices is a project directed by Alexandra Rutherford at York University in Toronto, Canada. She is a professor of psychology and a faculty member in the History and Theory of Psychology graduate program. This project has been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.


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Local entrepreneurs are in the final stages of getting their portable medical clinic repurposed from a steel shipping container sent to Kenya.
"To see the support of our network has been amazing," said Susanna Young, one of the four founders of G3Box.
A week ago, G3Box, a non-profit founded by four Arizona State students, created an website at IndieGoGo.com to help finance the final stages of their mobile maternity clinic. As of Tuesday, the team had already raised more than $11,000 of their $17,650 goal.
"We're so astounded by the response," Young said.
The fundraising goal for the group was aimed at 32 percent for the first week, but instead is nearly two-thirds complete after little more than a week. More than three weeks remain in the campaign.
"It means so much (to be this close to the goal). ... We've put in so much in the last couple of years," Young said.
Originally a class project, the actual transition from hypothetical answer to a physical solution occurred when Young and classmate Clay Tyler teamed up with fellow students Gabrielle Palermo and John Walters. Building of the clinic involved a lot of effort, including support from DPR Construction and engineering firm SmithGroupJJR, both of Phoenix.
Originally, the team envisioned sending their clinic to Malawi after Young and Tyler took a trip to the country, but the maternity clinic will be sent to Kenya where the group hopes it will lower the high maternal mortality rates.
Once the money has been raised, the container will be sent to Boston to get outfitted with the medical equipment, Young said. From there, it will be shipped to Kenya and become a functioning clinic.
In one case of generosity, a local company matched its own employees' donations, raising $5,000 in total toward the goal.
Hamid Shojaee, the CEO of Axosoft, a Scottsdale-based software company, agreed to match his employee's donations, Young said.
To learn more about the project or donate to the IndieGoGo online campaign, visit evtnow.com/5er.
• Contact writer: (480) 898-5645 or firstname.lastname@example.com


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UPDATE: ADT Posts 1.1% Rise In FQ4 Profit, Declares Dividend
ADT (NYSE: ADT) reported a 1.1% rise in its fiscal fourth-quarter profit.
ADT's quarterly profit increased to $94 million, or $0.40 per share, from $93 million, or $0.39 per share, in the year-ago period. Excluding one-time items, ADT earned $0.43 per share.
Its revenue climbed 2.3% to $812 million. However, analysts were expecting earnings of $0.43 per share on revenue of $818 million.
Its gross margin rose to 58.6% from 55.9%. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of 12.5 cents per share.
ADT shares gained 4.29% to $44.95 in pre-market trading.
Posted-In: profitEarnings News Dividends
© 2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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When you first take up running, the idea of limbering up on a race start line on a wintry Sunday morning may be far from your thoughts. But over time, you may find yourself strangely lured by the prospect of putting your newfound fitness to the test, not to mention the joy of crossing a finish line and being handed a medal.
Entering a race gives you a goal to work towards, helping you stay motivated and committed to regular training. "I plan my races to ensure that I have short- and long-term goals," says Olympic 5,000m runner Mo Farah. "When I run well in a race, it motivates me to try even harder for the next one."
Going for goals
Even if you don't fancy racing, you can still set yourself attainable goals. "Goals don't have to be races," says Paula Radcliffe. "It might be that you want to complete a particular route two minutes faster in eight weeks' time, for example. Setting yourself a realistic but challenging target gives you something to aim for."
If you're a first-timer, choose a distance that is achievable but challenging, and ensure you have sufficient time to get race-fit. But don't go for something in the too-distant future or you may lose interest.
You can find out about races throughout the UK on running websites such as Runner's World (runnersworld.co.uk), or search for national fundraising events via specific charity websites, such as Cancer Research UK (cancerresearch.org). Local gyms and running clubs will also have information on races in your area.
Race day preparation
Once you've chosen and entered your race, work back from that date to plan your training schedule, so that you don't end up trying to cram it all into the last fortnight.
Sort out practicalities, such as how you're going to get to the race venue, what you are going to wear, and what you are going to eat and drink the night before and on race morning.
In the days leading up to your race, take it easy so that you're on top form on the day. If all has gone well, you will have been training hard, so a "taper period, during which you significantly reduce the amount of running you do, gives your body a chance to recover. For example, for a 5km or 10km race, allow two to three days, for a half marathon allow five to 10 days, and for a marathon allow 14 to 20 days.
Arrive at the race venue allowing plenty of time to queue for the toilet, warm up and take off any extra kit (bigger races often have baggage storage or transportation to the finish). Keep out of the cold and rain and try to stay positive and relaxed.
Nervous? Don't worry. According to the professionals, nerves are a good thing. "You need some level of pre-race nerves to get the adrenaline going, but it is crucial to keep it under control," says gold medallist Christine Ohuruogu.
Liz Yelling agrees: "Nerves are a good sign that you are up for a race, so I try to embrace them, rather than fight them. It's all about harnessing your nervous energy and channelling it directly into your running.
"Having a routine helps you focus and stay in control. I get up four hours before I race, have a light breakfast of brown toast and jam, and a cup of coffee. I then have a bath to warm and loosen my muscles from the night's sleep and shave my legs to make me feel fast! I dress in my race kit, attach my number to my vest and pack my kit bag. I like to be organised and on time. It's better that way than leaving things to a last-minute panic."
Lastly, don't make the mistake of sprinting from the start line the second the gun goes, even if everyone else does. Start at a comfortable pace and you'll soon be passing those that set off too fast.


text: Surprised Fox has not restored this film for Blu-Ray here in the States. It was released by Magnetic Video on VHS and Betamax in 1977 as one of the 50 original titles from Fox, and has pretty much never been released on video again. At least not here in the States. More importantly, this film marked the English-language debut of Italian sex symbol Sophia Loren. With Loren turning 80 this year, wouldn't now be a good time to release the film on Blu-Ray here in the states in a restored form? When this film was released by Magnetic Video in 1977, it was severely cropped from the original 2.35:1 negative.


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Recent Advancements in Polymer Characterization
A collaborative effort brings forth a new era in chromatography.
Innovation in liquid chromatography instrument design and column technology over the last decade has led to substantial improvements in chromatographic throughput and resolution. This has been achieved by enabling the system to achieve pressures up to 15,000 psi, reducing the system contributions to peak broadening, and utilizing well-packed columns containing sub-2-micron particles. These advances now allow chromatographers to routinely perform faster separations with improved resolution compared to those previously achieved.
Until now, these benefits had not been realized for one important application area: characterization of synthetic polymers by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). Polymer SEC technology has seen minimal technological developments since its inception fifty years ago by J. C. Moore of The Dow Chemical Corp., Torrance, Calif.
At that time, 7.8-by-3,650-mm-packed beds of porous crosslinked styrene-divinylbenzene particles were used to separate polymers in 2.5 hours. To this day, similar styrene-divinylbenzene particles are still employed as the primary chromatographic media for polymer separations, albeit with a reduction in particle size and column length. However, the physical properties of these materials limits further improvements in chromatographic performance.
The low tensile strength of porous styrene-divinylbenzene prevents their use at pressures greater than 2,000 psi. The low chromatographic efficiencies and low flow rates needed typically require banks of columns, and can result in run times greater than 30 minutes. Additionally, these polymeric columns are unforgiving if one wants to optimize the method by varying the mobile phase. The resin volume changes that occur when switching solvents can lead to rapid column failure. Typically, manufacturers provide columns packed in several different solvents, and the user purchases the appropriate column pre-filled with the mobile phase to be used for the intended application.
Because there is no adsorption occurring in SEC, analytes elute within one column volume; resulting peak widths can be substantially narrower compared to adsorption chromatography. However, traditional high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) instrumentation can deleteriously impact the observed chromatographic efficiency. This is because the injector, tubing, connections, and detector all contribute to band broadening. Typically, SEC columns are 8 mm in diameter, significantly larger than column dimensions used in other chromatographic modes. By increasing the column diameter, the system contribution to band broadening is reduced. However, one tradeoff is the need to use larger quantities of mobile phase for a given separation.
Recently, researchers at Waters Corp., Milford, Mass., have developed the ACQUITY UPLC advanced polymer chromatography (APC) system to address some of these challenges and limitations of existing SEC technology for polymer characterization. The materials used in the construction of the system were chosen to enable robust usage of a wide range of compatible organic mobile phases, while still enabling operation at pressures up to 15,000 psi. A new low-dispersion ACQUITY refractive index detector complements the existing ACQUITY tunable UV detector, photodiode array detector, and evaporative light scattering detectors. The low system dispersion enables the use of smaller 4.6-mm-diameter columns without any tradeoffs in chromatographic performance. This reduces solvent usage, which is particularly important when using expensive mobile phases that are often used for polymer characterization.
Additionally, ACQUITY APC columns are comprised of a new type of high-strength packing media, which was developed to meet the needs of SEC separations under UPLC conditions. SEC is a separation technique that requires no adsorption between analyte and stationary phase surface. Separation occurs as analytes are physically prevented from probing certain regions of the pore volume due to their differences in hydrodynamic size. Separation thus requires that the pore size distribution within the pores be sufficient to distinguish between the different size analytes.
The chromatographic media used in ACQUITY APC columns is comprised of inert bridged-ethyl hybrid (BEH) particles, similar in composition to the standard ACQUITY BEH columns used today. By modifying the surface of the particles with a trimethylsilane reagent, residual surface silanols are masked, and thus provide an inert and non-retentive chromatographic surface for use with organic mobile phases. In the case where aqueous mobile phases are employed, unbonded materials provide the best chromatographic media due to the inherent low surface acidity of BEH particles. To achieve the desired selectivity, the pore volume of the media was increased by almost two-fold compared to the traditional ACQUITY UPLC media. Despite the significantly greater pore volume, particles still maintain the mechanical stability necessary for operation under UPLC conditions.
Furthermore, the ACQUITY APC columns comprise well-packed beds of sub-3-micron, high-pore-volume particles, with mean pore sizes of 45 Å, 125 Å, 200 Å, and 450 Å. This range of pore sizes enables separation of a broad range of molecular weights. Combining the column/particle technology with the ability to operate at higher flow rates, run times can be up to 10 times shorter than traditional SEC, without any sacrifice in chromatographic resolution.
A challenging application is the separation of low molecular weight oligomers. Synthetic oligomers are used for numerous applications: lubricants, plasticizers, coatings, and as intermediate prepolymers. The goal in oligomeric SEC is to resolve the individual components from each other, typically to quantitate the total oligomeric species. The quality of the oligomer separation can be impacted by both the bandspread of the chromatographic system as well as the efficiency of the liquid chromatography (LC) column.
One practical limitation of traditional SEC columns is their sensitivity to changes in mobile phase composition. The volume of styrene-divinylbenzene particles change when exposed to different solvents. If one desires to use a different mobile phase for an application, a long, tedious equilibration process is required to ensure the chromatographic bed remains intact. Often the bed will collapse and render the column useless despite the best attempts to prevent this from happening. BEH particles do not undergo a similar volume change when exposed to different solvents. This means that solvent switching can be easily performed, and thus a single chromatographic system can readily be used to characterize a diversity of polymers with different mobile phases. Additionally, the same column can be readily used for method development to identify the most appropriate choice of mobile phase for a given separation.
The ACQUITY APC system provides improvements over conventional SEC systems for polymer characterization, due to the improved system components and columns with BEH particles.