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It has been far too long since I published some of the questions I've been receiving via Twitter, e-mail, blog comments, the Idea Exchange, and elsewhere. Last year at about this time, in preparation for Summit 2010, I published a list of the top 10 things I enjoyed about Omniture Summit 2009. My list for this year looking ahead a few weeks to Summit looks like this:
Ben's Top 10 Personal Highlights from Summit 2010
- Presenting. This was absolutely nuts. When I began attending Summit in 2007, I never imagined I'd be up there presenting someday. It was a blast, and I think we (myself and my co-presenters, including the inimitable Carmen Sutter) were able to give some great tips on advanced SiteCatalyst practices. However, the 2011 version of the session may never be topped.
- Meeting so many of you. 2009 was great because we had just launched the OmnitureCare on Twitter the previous December. By March 2010, the number of folks with whom I had interacted via social media had increased seemingly exponentially. You—the user community—are awesome. As one Twitter user mentioned just today, "#omniture community rocks!! ultra-responsive, diversified and just amazing!" She's right.
- The keynote speakers inspired me, and the quality of the breakouts impressed and taught me things that have proven immensely valuable to me over the past 12 months. A proverbial tip of my cap to the many presenters who put in hundreds of hours to provide tremendous value to attendees.
- The venue. Grand America and Little America are top notch. They take great care of us. It's a beautiful place to learn, network, eat, drink, and party. Being at Summit there makes me feel like I'm at the center of the world.
- This video.
- Brett Error's closing session. Year after year, it always makes me proud to be associated with the Online Marketing Suite.
- Going here with Rudi Shumpert during his first visit to Salt Lake City. What great mole.
- I stumbled into a lunch at one point that had one of the greatest deserts I've ever eaten. It was some sort of a chocolate mousse half-sphere with pistachio mousse on the inside and a rich chocolate ganache on the outside. I did, in fact, eat two of them. That happens a lot at Summit.
- The entertainment. I'm still not sure whether I'm allowed to mention who it was, even a year after the fact, so you'll forgive me if you weren't there and haven't heard who it was. They rocked.
- "Poken." Yep, 12 months later it's still still fun to say.
Now, here are your questions and my answers.
Q: So, will you be presenting at Summit 2011?
BG: Absolutely! My topic this year is implementation health and governance, so attendees will learn how to shore up their own implementation process and manage it despite the struggles and challenges that many organizations face when it comes to deploying, managing, and updating tag-based solutions. The session will not be extremely technical; instead, discussion will focus on process management so that you can educate your colleagues and improve the quality of your web analytics data generally. We'll also discuss how an auditing solution like Adobe DigitalPulse can help ensure the integrity of your analytics data. I will be joined at the front of the room by David Hebel, Senior Consultant here at Adobe, and by Aaron Graham, Senior Manager of Optimization and Analytics at McAfee, Inc., and I am honored and excited to be presenting with them.
A link to the session info is here. Magic will be happening twice: 3:30 PM on Wednesday (3/9) and 11:00 AM Thursday (3/10). See you there!
Q: I am looking at a Custom Conversion report, showing the Instances metric and a Page Views custom event metric. Why is Page Views higher than Instances? Shouldn't they be the same?
BG: SiteCatalyst custom events that occur on your site are associated with a Custom Conversion (eVar) value as long as that value persists for the given visitor, whereas the Instances metric reports the number of times that the eVar received a value. Let's say your eVar expires at the end of the visit, and that this eVar gets populated with a value of "New User" on the first page view of a certain user's visit, but does not get populated thereafter. You would see one Instance for the "New User" value in the associated Custom Conversion report, but you would see a Page View for each of the page views that occurred after the value was set, but before the visit ended.
Keep in mind that Instances is NOT the same thing as Visits. You will see an Instance every time the eVar is set on the site. If you set the eVar on every page view, then you should expect Instances to equal a correctly implemented Page Views custom event. The Visits metric, on the other hand, will be counted once (and only once) per visit for each eVar value that gets set during the visit—even if that same eVar value is passed repeatedly during the visit.
Q: Is IP Exclusion in SiteCatalyst company-specific, or report suite-specific?
BG: It is report suite-specific. If you exclude IP addresses by going to Admin > Exclude by IP in SiteCatalyst, be aware that it will apply only to the selected report suite. Make sure to add IP addresses (or ranges) for each report suite where you want to exclude data.
Q: Does IP Exclusion apply to Data Insertion API requests?
BG: Yes. IP Exclusion is applied after data has been collected, so whatever the IP the request appears to be coming from will either be included or excluded regardless of the data collection method used. However, keep in mind that with the Data Insertion API you have direct control over the IP address that SiteCatalyst sees, using the <ipaddress> element, which you do not have using JavaScript. Whatever you put in that <ipaddress> element is what SiteCatalyst will see as the originating IP address for the server call, and exclusion/inclusion will be based on that address.
Q: What is the entertainment at Summit going to be?
BG: Nice try.
Seriously, though, I don't know.
Q: What options does SiteCatalyst give me for classifying GeoSegmentation data for the United States according to my own needs?
BG: This led to a nice discussion on Twitter this past week. In SiteCatalyst v14.9 we released a feature that allows us to populate the s.zip variable automatically, on our servers, after data has been collected. Using this feature, you don't need to use the s.zip variable in your implementation if you don't want to do so. You'll see this data in the Visitor Profile > Visitor ZIP/Postal Code report. Then, once that has been set up by your Account Manager or ClientCare, you can classify the various zip codes into neighborhoods, cities/towns, counties, regions, areas, DMAs, etc.—whatever you need, including custom groupings that align with your business goals/needs. This approach offers a number of great complements to the basic GeoSegmentation reports in SiteCatalyst:
- Classifications
- Conversion metrics (such as Revenue, Orders, and all custom events)
- Subrelations
There is no cost to use this feature, and it doesn't require any implementation changes.
Q: We are working on tagging an iPhone app. Should we put the data in the same report suite as our web site, or in a different report suite?
BG: There are probably pros and cons to each approach, and it may depend on the app. The first question that I asked myself is this: How different is the app experience from your web experience? In the overwhelming majority of cases, a mobile user is going to interact with your mobile app differently than they interact with your web site. Even if the app is just a front end for your web content, does someone on an iPhone or iPad or Evo or Galaxy Tab do the same things as a web user? Are you going to make the same changes to your site, based on your analysis, that you would make to your mobile app?
The odds are that you're going to be interested in different things about your app. Custom variables will be used differently. Metrics may be different. Certainly the same visitor acquisition channels won't apply to both. And I'm not sure I would want my mobile app traffic inflating my site traffic (and vice versa). While it's true that you can use segmentation in Discover, Data Warehouse, and/or ASI to separate out app traffic from site traffic (probably using a Custom Traffic variable to capture the "app type"), personally I see much more value in using separate report suites in the large majority of cases.
Q: Why does my custom link tracking use the 2o7.net or omtrdc.net data collection domains even though the rest of my implementation uses first-party cookies (e.g. metrics.mysite.com)?
BG: First, some background information.
When first-party cookies are in use, the data collection domain is controlled by the s.trackingServer and s.trackingServerSecure variables. These variables are members of the 's' object that gets created when the page loads, and they are usually contained in the s_code.js include file, which means that they are loaded when the page loads. In most cases, when you implement custom link tracking you include a piece that says
var s=s_gi('my_report_suite_id');
That report suite ID is usually the same as the report suite ID in your s_account variable, but sometimes it isn't. When it isn't, the result of the line of code shown above is the creation of a new 's' object, which doesn't automatically have s.trackingServer and s.trackingServerSecure defined.
So, in short, if you are using a different report suite ID (or set of report suite IDs) when calling your link tracking functions, you will want to make sure to define s.trackingServer (and, where applicable, s.trackingServerSecure) within your link tracking function call. In the example below, let's assume that the s_account value in the s_code.js file was something other than "gainesweblinks."
function linkTracking(obj) {
var s=s_gi('gainesweblinks');
s.eVar1='some value';
s.tl(obj,'o','Custom Link');
And if you're wondering why this matters—why you should care if you're using various data collection domains at different times on your site—check out this post.
As always, if you have any questions about anything in this post, or about anything else related to the Adobe Online Marketing Suite, please leave a comment here or contact me on Twitter and I'll do my best to get you the information that you need.


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Verizon Wireless Sued Over V710 Bluetooth Limitations
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EA allegedly considering two ways of re-introducing microtransactions into Star Wars Battlefront 2; Details
Nov 17, 2017 | 18 Comments
June 12, 2009
CyberStep Starts Free-to-Play MMORPG "HolyBeast ONLINE" Official Service
CyberStep is pleased to announce that HolyBeast ONLINE Official Service has begun.
"HolyBeast ONLINE" is MMORPG that you switch back and forth from cute animal form into a human form at will and aim to be a "hero" with other players. You will find versatile contents which include various skills, community function, monsters and pets.
To celebrate this well day, they are going to hold "Item Mall Discount Campaign" from the start of Item Mall to the end of June. Additionally they are planning for more events, and players can look for further information at http://www.getamped.com.


text: I am trying to find the bow (front of the boat) design from each of the cruise ships. I would love to find it in black and white so that i can make a screen for screen printing shirts for this cruise and many more to come. If you can help i would be very appreciative Michael


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Stacey Vanek Smith: And now, for today's Mid-day Extra, Jennifer joins me in the studio now to tell us a little bit more about the wide world of celebrity gossip magazines. Hi Jennifer.
Jennifer Collins: Hi Stacey.
Smith: So Jennifer, what makes American Media think that it can make money off a weekly magazine about reality TV?
Collins: So Stacey, I talked to the editor, Richard Spencer. He says the magazine's not designed to be saved or treasured. It costs a $1.79 and it's printed on thinner paper than you might find with OK! or US Weekly. And there's something else: editorial costs may be a little lower because reality celebrities tend leak their own stories.
Richard Spencer: A reality star will tell you, I haven't had sex with my husband for 6 weeks. It's driving me crazy. He better do something in the next couple of weeks or you know what the marriage is off.
Not that that ever happens!
Smith: So Jennifer what is this magazine like?
Collins: Well, you know, there's lots of splashy pictures. Liberal use of exclamation points. Lots of "OMG," of course. There's a section on the biggest fights of the week. And behind the scenes there's a certain woman infamous for her appearances the Apprentice.
Omarosa Manigault: I didn't come here to make friends. I said that from day one, and if you all stopped being so freakin' sensitive.
Apprentice Contestant: I'm not sensitive honey.
Manigault: You just told me. I'm a good person.
Apprentice Contestant: I am a good person.
Manigault: But what does that have to do with this?
Apprentice Contestant: You know what? You know what. Life's too short to be a b**ch.
Smith: Oh, I know who that is. That's Omarosa.
Collins: Yeah. They've hired her to be the West coast editor.
Smith: Wow. Really. But Jennifer haven't celebrity magazine ad sales been pretty soft this year?
Collins: That is right. People's ad pages are reportedly down 4 percent this year. But Reality Weekly's ad rate may be a bit lower than the OK's or the US Weekly's. And there's another thing Reality Weekly has going for it -- it's highly targeted.
Shari Anne Brill is a media consultant.
Shari Anne Brill: The more involved an audience is with a given piece of content the more receptive they will be to an advertiser's message.
Collins: I also talked to Samir Husni. He tracks the magazine industry and is a professor at the University of Mississippi. He described the magazine another way.
Samir Husni: This is like the newsletter for the club members. They just want to feel the sense of belonging.
They just want to be part of the Kardashian family, Stacey.
Smith: Well, who doesn't? Thanks very much Jennifer.
Collins: Thanks, Stacey.


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Thank you so much for contributing to the fund raiser 🙂 and thank you so much to Cara for her generosity. Hope you enjoy the brownies and cookies!
This is such a wonderful story…it made my day! What a selfless wonderful thing Ashlee did for Mollie, I wish more people were like this. The amount of kindness people can show amazes me and I think it is definitely something that should be celebrated. Thank you for sharing!
Aww this is just the sweetest! I adore Cara. She is one of my favorite bloggers out there! I'm so glad your daughter got to enjoy these.
I love pet rescue stories. So sweet. What a lucky dog to have someone so kind find her.
The sweets look so good. 🙂
Molly is adorable – so glad she found a loving home! 🙂
The brownies look delicious, too, and it was so sweet of Cara to make a special treat to your daughter as well.
What a wonderful story and wonderful treats. There are so many animals that need good homes and care. Molly is such a sweetheart! I want to pick her up and cuddle! I want to try the cookies because I have quite a few friends who can't eat my normal sweets. Thank you for sharing this with us. I hope you are having a relaxing Saturday!
pumpkin spice cheesecake brownies???? yum!!!
I'm so glad you guys enjoyed the brownies and cookies! And that we could all team up to help Molly 🙂


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COLUMBIANA – Ohio (WKBN) – High school football in northeast Ohio is embedded with long lasting traditions and customs. One prime example of that is found in the small village of Columbiana where the Clippers are celebrating 100 years of Clipper football.
The first year of Columbiana football was 1916 when the "Red and White" as they were known then, completed a 2-3 season under head coach and school principal Byron McCready. They practiced and played their games on East Park Avenue, across the street from Firestone Park where the Clippers play today.
It wasn't until the end of World War II that the Columbiana sports teams began using the moniker of the Clippers. The nickname came from Columbiana graduate Dick "Sonny" Fisher who was called the 'Columbiana Clipper' by radio broadcaster Tom Manning when Fisher carried the ball as a halfback on the Ohio State Buckeye football team.
Fisher was an outstanding player for the Buckeyes on both the gridiron and basketball court, being named to the All-Big Ten team in 1941 and leading the basketball team in scoring in the 1941-42 season. After serving in the Navy during the war he returned to finish his collegiate career in 1945. Unfortunately, Fisher passed away in March of 2015 at the age of 95, just short of seeing the 100 year anniversary.
From that humble beginning in 1916, the Clippers have amassed a 454-398-26 record over the years on the gridiron. Current head coach Bob Spaite has the most wins in school history with 153 over 22 years.
"It's been and continues to be an honor to Coach the Clippers. I really feel it's a special thing to mark 100 years of anything, but especially to be a part of a program with the rich history that Columbiana has," Spaite remarked.
On Saturday the Clippers are celebrating their 100 years with an open event for all former Clipper players and alumni to enjoy food and drinks following their scrimmage with Indian Creek at Firestone Park. Time for the event is scheduled for approximately 2pm.
"As far as the players go, it's hard to say. I know they are aware," Spaite said of the current players being aware of the milestone. "I know they feel the pride of representing Clipper football. But being teenagers I don't think they grasp the true significance. None of us as teenagers, or young adults really do. Hopefully it will sink in and add to what they already should know is a special time."
Columbiana will also have a special ceremony recognizing the 100 anniversary during their home game against rival East Palestine on September 9th.
"Right now we are trying to organize a large reunion style gathering. I'm looking to create a 12th man Clipper football alumni group. I would like to see it as much for a way for players to stay in touch as anything else. We will recognize all former players that attend the week 3 game versus East Palestine. Exactly how we do that will depend on the turnout," Spaite added.


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OBR chairman Robert Chote: We write what we want
Public finance watchdog chief Robert Chote has insisted that his Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) resisted attempts from Treasury officials to change the wording of reports.
OBR chairman Mr Chote told MPs that his organisation was "robust" in its response to requests for changes and insisted "we write what we want".
The OBR was established by Chancellor George Osborne to provide independent economic and fiscal forecasts, which are published alongside his budgets and autumn statements.
The independence of the OBR means that the Treasury is only meant to intervene with the OBR if there is a factual inaccuracy.
However, emails published by The Times obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show officials appearing to overstep the rules by asking the OBR to alter "phrasing" in a report.
"It won't come as a surprise I'm sure, but we haven't strictly stuck to the 'factual changes only' requests so we're giving you our full download and suggestions," the Treasury wrote in an email, sent days before the chancellor's autumn statement last December.
"As usual, we would be very grateful if you could consider these and the phrasing around a lot of this."
Mr Chote told MPs at the Treasury Select Committee the OBR did not "fight shy" about using language which would displease the Treasury.
Referring to the December 2014 report, he said that "front and centre" in the executive summary was a reference to the scale of planned cuts in government spending.
"We referred to spending falling to its lowest share of GDP since the 1930s. I suspect that's not phraseology that the Chancellor would have chosen for himself."
Mr Chote added: "Similarly, I don't think they were very pleased with 'rollercoaster' as a description of the path of departmental expenditure limits in March. Some people suggested to me they felt that was inappropriate, I said I thought the language was necessary to create an impression to the wide audience of stakeholders."
Asked about The Times story, Mr Chote said: "Drawing a line between fact and interpretation is a difficult one to do. Personally, I'm relaxed about the idea if particular officials, in this case obviously we are dealing with a relatively junior official, want to offer us unsolicited drafting advice. I think we would be in a pretty weak state if we weren't able to be robust to that.
"Sometimes the things you get are sensible and useful, sometimes they aren't. At the end of the day, we write what we want. I think that the record shows that we don't fight shy of using phraseology that perhaps the Chancellor would rather we didn't."
Mr Chote, a former head of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), was appearing before MPs after being nominated to serve a second term as OBR chairman.
Underlining his independence, he said: "In 20 years as a journalist and at the IFS writing about Treasury policy, I have been treated to the 'we know where you live and you will never work in this town again' routine more times than I care to remember.
"It didn't affect me then, it wouldn't affect me now. If I was being put under serious pressure by the Chancellor, private offices, by senior officials, I would tell them to buzz off and I would tell you what was going on.
"But I'm not going to sit here and beat up on a hard-working grade six (civil servant) for having the temerity to offer us unsolicited drafting advice."
Mr Chote, a constituent of Labour's new leader Jeremy Corbyn, was asked about models to examine "radical" policies.
Labour MP John Mann asked him: "There may be more radical economic solutions floating around. There's going to be more pressure perhaps for people to look at what the majority of economists would conclude are the outcomes from those economic models."
Mr Chote stressed that the OBR was "constrained from looking at policy alternatives" and instead was focused on the Government's plans.
He joked: "As an Islington North resident, I am seized of the importance of considering radical options at all times - some of those things are easier to model than others."
Treasury Select Committee chairman Andrew Tyrie requested further details of any correspondence between the OBR and the Treasury ahead of the December 2014 economic and fiscal outlook report.
The committee supported Mr Chote's reappointment but Mr Tyrie stressed that the OBR's independence had to be respected.
Mr Tyrie said: " The Committee is satisfied that Robert Chote has the professional competence and personal independence to be reappointed as chair of the OBR. His work over the last four years reflects this.
"Evidence emerged this week that the memorandum of understanding between the OBR and government departments might not have been fully respected by Treasury officials. It is extremely important for the OBR's work that its independence from undue pressure be respected, and that it is seen to be respected.
"With this in mind the Committee has requested further evidence from Mr Chote, including correspondence and other contacts between the OBR and Treasury officials over the period between the receipt of the draft Economic and Fiscal Outlook on December 3, 2014 by the Treasury under the exceptional pre-release arrangements, and its final publication."


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Well, my phone has been randomly reboot and stuck on a bootloop like crazy after my niece dropped my phone. I went to a repair shop saying that maybe the motherboard damaged due to the impact and they can't repair it. Wanted to send it to Samsung Service Center but is it worth the trouble. If it cost the same or more than when I bought it (I bought the phone secondhand), I think I consider buying a new phone then.
if motherboard prob mayb it will cost d same price or more..since it can still boot, can u try enter recovery mode n flash any rom.any stable rom will do.see if it still give u bootloop n random reboot.try with flashable stock rom (there's a guide in the gen thread bout on how to flash it).if cant enter recovery mode try installing using odin..really sorry if it didnt help.atleast ill try all of this b4 sending my phone to SSC.
maybe u can call SSC(samsung service centre) n ask them how much does it cost for replacing damaged motherboard.will save your time on going there.
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BOSTON - When Marcus Stroman came to his first major-league training camp last February intent on leaving Dunedin as one of the Blue Jays' five starting pitchers, it seemed a bit of a stretch.
Not even two years removed from his collegiate career at Duke University, Stroman had not yet pitched above the Double A level.
Turned out Stroman didn't make the Jays out of spring training but by the time he reported to Buffalo, one thing was clear: pitching at the major-league level in 2014 was not going to be a stretch.
Four months into this season, there is no argument about Stroman as a Blue Jay starter. The only argument - a compelling one - is if he is their best starter.
Stroman made his first start in the middle of May, after getting his feet wet earlier in the month as a reliever.


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There are only 20 spots in the contest, making the prize pool $200. First place will win $100, second place will earn $45, third place will earn $25, and fourth and fifth places will receive $15.
I claimed a spot, so that leaves just 19 more spots for entries. Sign up now, and try to beat me and other listeners.
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If you've never played on DraftKings.com before, we recommend reading our Daily Fantasy Basketball 101: How to Win on DraftKings strategy article.
Users should also reference RotoWire's Daily Games Cheat Sheet article for Friday to see which players RotoWire's experts picked to consider for your Friday lineup.
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Thanks to all of our listeners for supporting us to the point that we were able to get DraftKings to sponsor the podcast!
Good luck tonight, you melon farmers,


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dubai air show delegations' programme largest to date
Next month's Dubai Airshow – the 10th in the biennial series – is to have its largest-ever delegations programme with top civil and military officials from 77 countries having been invited to the world's third largest airshow, which runs at Airport Expo Dubai from November 11-15.
The delegations programme has been devised by the Dubai's Civil Aviation Department, the UAE Defence Ministry and the UAE Airforce.
"The geographic reach of the delegations programme is wider than ever reflecting the growth in the past two years of the Middle East's aviation reach with more carriers from more countries now using the UAE as an arrivals and departure base," said Alison Weller, Director-Aerospace, Fairs & Exhibitions (F&E), which organises the Dubai Airshow.
"This is particularly good news for this year's show, which is the largest to date, as Dubai's delegations programme has also been particularly successful and a key selling point for the event. Through it, exhibitors get to meet the highest level of decision makers in a business setting, something that could take months, if not years, to achieve."
The invited delegates come from all corners of the globe from North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Indian Sub-continent, North Africa, the Mediterranean, Africa, Russia and the Far East. They include: Defence ministers and air force commanders, transport ministers, heads of airlines and civil aviation authorities and chiefs of staff.
In addition to the high-powered delegations due at Dubai Airshow 2007, the event, which is open only to industry visitors, is expected to attract a turnout of up to 40,000 aviation professionals.
"Our industry-only policy has stood the show in good stead over the years and has helped ensure Dubai maintains its ranking as one of the top three global aerospace events," said Weller.
Close to 900 exhibitors from 50 countries are participating in Dubai Airshow 2007 – with 130 of these being new to the region. The show will feature 11 country pavilions and first-time representation from the Cayman Islands, which will see its government registry take part; Afghanistan, represented by Safi Airways; Luxembourg by maintenance service provider CAE Aviation, the Philippines with Beechcraft spares stockist Aerospace Products International and Ethiopia which will be represented by its national carrier.
The Dubai Airshow 2007 static display will host over 140 aircraft including the Airbus A380, the SR22 - the world's fastest-selling, single-engined four-seater aircraft, a Lockheed Martin F-16 and a host of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and business jets. The Russian MIG 29 multi-role fighter aircraft will take to the skies during the show's daily flying display which will also feature performances by three of the world's top aerobatics display team - Britain's Red Arrows, the Patrouille de France, and Spain's Patrulla Aguila which is making its Arabian Gulf debut.
This year's Dubai Airshow will be the last at Airport Expo Dubai, with future growth being accommodated by a move in 2009 to a purpose-built site at Dubai Exhibition World, which is being built at Dubai World Central, the huge urban aviation complex currently underway at Jebel Ali, 30 kilometres outside Dubai city.
The Dubai Airshow is open to industry-linked visitors only. Visitor tickets are available from the box office at Airport Expo Dubai.
About Fairs & Exhibitions' Aerospace Division:
Fairs & Exhibitions (F&E) is one of the most influential names in the aerospace industry's events sector having conceptualized the Dubai Airshow and organised it, in conjunction with the Department of Civil Aviation, Government of Dubai and in collaboration with the UAE Armed Forces, since its inception in 1989. This year marks the 10th anniversary edition of the Dubai Airshow with Dubai 2007 taking place at the Airport Expo in November.
F&E, which maintains offices in London and Dubai, has widespread and long-standing relationships with the global aerospace industry, an in-depth knowledge of the industry it serves and a hard-earned reputation for delivering event excellence.
The company also organises the Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) conference and exhibition on behalf of the Middle East Business Aviation Association. MEBA is now a biennial event with the 2008 edition scheduled for November next year.
Aircraft Interiors Middle East (AIME) is a new event emerging from F&E's dedicated Aerospace Division. It will be held at the Airport Expo Dubai in June 2008 and will service the region's rapidly developing commercial and business aviation fleets.
The Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Middle East Exhibition & Conference is the latest event to be added to F&E's growing portfolio. The event will be organised in conjunction with AVIATION WEEK, which has an excellent track record of organising MRO events. The inaugural event is to be held in the beginning of 2009 to cater to growing regional demand for MRO services.
Top Headlines
- World's best-selling, single-engined, four-seater aircraft heads to the Gulf
- Largest ever boat show to showcase booming global marine industry
- Over 140 aircraft due at Dubai Airshow - Show's highest ever fleet
- Al Ain Air Show Kick Starts First Gulf Bank's Expansive 2007 Community Relations Programme


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In this regular feature, the
Postrounds up odd news from around the globe.
Political candidate offers breast implants as raffle prize
Venezuelan politician Gustavo Rojas is offering breast implants as a raffle prize in a stunt he hopes will help raise money for his election campaign, the
Daily Telegraphreports. Mr. Gustavo is an opposition candidate for a National Assembly position. Venezuelans vote for a new parliament on Sept. 26.
"There are critics but also some people think it's a nice idea," he said. "The raffle is a financing mechanism, nothing else … It's the doctor who will do the operation, not me."
Cosmetic surgery is popular in Venezuela, whose beauty queens have won international pageants. The
Telegraphreports that many women are even taking out loans to finance the operation.
Man robs fast food restaurant with samurai sword
A man robbed an Arby's fast food chain in Texas over the weekend, and his weapon of choice was a samurai sword, KWTX reports.
The man demanded cash and police say at one point, the assailant — get ready for this shocker — poked someone with the sword. No one was seriously injured and there is no word on how much money the wannabe ninja got away with.
Seventh annual World Testicle Cooking Championship kicks off
In a remote village in the mountainous region of Serbia, a ballsy cooking competition is underway: The Seventh Annual World Testicle Cooking Championship! Woo-hoo!
Teams of chefs cooked up testicles from all sorts of animals including kangaroos, boars and camels. The food, euphemistically called "white kidneys" in Serbian, is culturally considered to help men's libido.
"This festival is all about fun, food and bravery,"said Ljubomir Erovic, the Serbian chef and testicles gourmand specialist who organizes the bizarre cooking festival and has published a testicle cookery book.
Some of the dishes offered at this year's competition include bull's testicles in goulash style, testicle pizza, testicles in bechamel sauce and testicle moussaka, an aubergine-based dish.
The organizers also give prizes for ballsy newsmakers. This year, U.S. President Barack Obama won, although he wasn't present to accept the honour.
"He's the bravest man in the world," Mr. Erovic said. "Obama took over the world at the most difficult economic and political times … He showed he has balls."
Who's hungry?!


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Open Source Dispatch Software
Running a dispatch-based operation of any size requires an effective computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system; nothing less will do. But CADs can be expensive, and not every department has the budget for purchase and annual licensing fees. Too often, mid-sized and smaller departments have to make do with less-effective alternatives.
This is where the Open ISES Project (Open Information Systems for Emergency Services) can help. On the Web at http://openises.sourceforge.net/index.html, the Open ISES project offers fire/EMS departments easy-to-use dispatch software--simply named 'Tickets'--that works with any modern web browser and any operating system. Using Tickets, dispatchers can record incident details, map routes to incidents, capture unit response information, write logs, provide directions to responders, view the incident's physical location online using Google Streetview (where available), generate reports and track responder location in real-time via GPS.
And it's free. Not surprisingly, "We have had possibly 10,000 downloads of the Tickets software since its initial release four years ago," says Robert Austin, a member of the Open ISES team and a retired career paramedic who got his start in volunteer EMS and never forgot how volunteer departments have to struggle to pay their bills. Working with lead software developer Arnie Shore and UK-based Andy Harvey, both volunteers, and other people who flocked to the Open ISES banner, the team has adapted an existing 'open source' software product for fire/EMS use. (Free Open Source refers to software that is made freely available to anyone who wants to use and/or modify it. Users can do anything they want with it--except sell it!)
The latest version of Tickets, v. 2.11, offers a host of new features. A new call is cross-referenced against prior calls, with the results going automatically into the dispatch form, as well as informing the call-taker about possible abusers. Address lookup is used to look up map position as an assist in identifying and dispatching the appropriate response unit. Also included in the latest version is support for pre-scheduled runs, ones between incident and support facilities, as well as other capabilities.
Although any department can deploy Tickets, it is really meant for smaller and volunteer units that do not have the resources suitable to acquire and deploy proprietary CAD software. "I think it's useful to note that there are a LOT of teams participating in emergency response that have zero budget, or what little budget might be available correctly goes to equipment and transport," says Arnie Shore. "While we hear about grant money from federal DHS and the states for worthy projects, many of the smaller teams lack the special skills or interest in cranking out grant application verbiage." Other departments are simply too busy to deal with the bureaucracy behind grant money, or believe that their departments don't stand a chance of winning because they lack official standing.
"Tickets illustrates everything important about open source software," says Robert Austin. "You can take a product like Tickets and modify it to meet any special needs that the commercial packages won't touch because of cost factors. The emphasis on using open, non-proprietary standards tends to ease the otherwise-difficult integration task."
"Where special requirements need to be met without available funds, the development team will be happy to listen," adds Shore. "There's no Marketing Department or Product Planning Committee passing their judgment on new or special capabilities."
Finally, a word about the name. Why would anyone call a CAD program Tickets? "We were going to call it 'Fred'," Shore replies, "but someone had already used that name, so we settled for 'Tickets'."
James Careless is a freelance writer with extensive experience covering computer technologies.


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You may or may not be familiar with the name Ignaz Semmelweis. It's not one that's typically taught to school children, like Koch or Pasteur may be. He even tends to get glossed over in upper-level biology courses. But Semmelweis was an important figure in the history of microbiology (indeed, I picked his work as the greatest experiment in my field). Here's what I wrote about him in that post:
Semmelweis was a physician in Vienna in the 1840s, with an interested in "childbed fever," a leading cause of mortality in women who'd given birth. During this time, he noticed that the mortality rate from this disease in a hospital division where medical students delivered babies was 16%, while in a division where midwives delivered them was ~2%. It was also known that childbed fever was rare when women gave birth at home. Semmelweis thought there was something the med students were doing that served to raise the rates of childbed fever in those divisions.
In 1847, Semmelweis' friend, another physician, died due to a wound acquired while performing an autopsy. Semmelweis examined the tissues of his friend, and noticed the pathology there was similar to those in women who'd died of childbed fever. According to history, this led to his "eureka" moment: medical students performed autopsies, and midwives did not. The students must be bringing some contagious agent from the autopsy room back to the delivery room.
To test this, Semmelweis instituted a procedure, requiring students to wash their hands in a chlorine solution before entering the maternity ward. Mortality dropped dramatically, and Semmelweis extended the procedure to include surgical instruments as well. However, colleagues scoffed. Semmelweis actually lost his job, and took a position in Budapest–where he again instituted his handwashing protocol, with similar incredible results. Sadly, he died in 1865 in an asylum, disgraced.
Of course, many of you realilze that IDers love to tell the stories of scientists who were persecuted and scorned when they first proposed their idea, only to have history vindicate them. They compare their own ID supporters to Galileo, Barry Marshall, and other noted scientists (and, of course, Dembski's been called the "Isaac Newton of information theory,") and like to pretend that, like these esteemed scientists, history will give them the last laugh. Well, it seems that Semmelweis also has become something of an iconic figure to some who support "intelligent design." More after the jump.
I first ran across this comparison in the comments of a quote-mining post at Uncommon Descent. A commenter there suggested that the genius of science is that it is self-correcting, and another commenter noted:
I just got done reading a mini-biographical sketch of Semmelweiss, the physician responsible for identifying the fact that a microscopic pathogen (then considered a fairy-tale by science because we didn't yet have the ability to see them) was responsible for the deaths of millions of women after childbirth. It was nauseating and sad to read the descriptions of the opponents of his theory, who couldn't be troubled to wash their hands after dissecting corpses before delivering babies. Semmelweiss suffered discharge and ignominy but was ultimately vindicated. How many women died while this self-correction took place? It doesn't bear contemplation.
she continues,
What is tragic to me about this example is the way it so perfectly illustrates the stupidity of the arrogance associated with the notion that at any given time, our knowledge of natural processes is practically complete. The students and surgeons whom Semmelweiss took to task, begging them to wash their bloody hands before touching women in childbirth, were outraged at the inconvenience of the called-for measure, and certain that his silly notions of transmissible illness were just fairy stories. After all, everyone knows that…(fill in blanks with certainty of choice) Of course when pressed, scientists always rush to assure us of the deep deep humility and intrinsically provisional nature of scientific knowledge. But in practice, of course, a long history of terrifically wrong and confidently made pronouncements has been precisely recorded.
And, of course, evolution is just the latest in the line of "terrifically wrong and confidently made pronouncements" by scientists.
Doing some googling, I see this isn't the first time the example of Semmelweis was used to suggest that scientists are currently wrong about ID and ID advocates:
Did Semmelweis's peers have scientific justification for their sarcastic dismissal of his work? Hardly. His findings simply did not fit their very limited and naïve view of things. It was only after Louis Pasteur's germ theory of disease received wide acceptance that anyone recognized the brilliance of Semmelweis's insights. Likewise, it might take some time before science comes to an appreciation of a William Dembski.
However, there is a glaring difference in the story of Semmelweis and that of Dembski, Behe, Gonzalez, or any other ID advocate. The treatment that Semmelweis received from many peers was horrible, indeed, but the reason his ideas eventually prevailed is because they were supported by the evidence, and specifically, because he took the time to create and test an intervention (handwashing) that he could document repeatedly as being successful. He had a hypothesis, he tested it, he reported his data, and he was right in the end. His ideas weren't accepted based solely on his own hunches or beliefs, and they weren't accepted due to a massive public relations campaign aimed at getting handwashing into medical school curriculum. Creationists can beat the drum of "scorned" scientists whose ideas were later validated until they turn blue, but it won't change the fact that the only reason the ideas were accepted is because they were followed with evidence. All ID has is a bunch of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Image from http://www.semmelweis-miskolc.hu/507aad40.jpg


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This episode of Captain Stabbin anal adventures is not to be missed. Melanie is surely one of the hottest and most beautiful girls Ive had the pleasure of seeing naked. and even better she loved to get fucked


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Double-A Harrisburg Senators center fielder Michael Taylor has made big steps this season at the plate. Taylor is batting .323 through 88 games with 110 hits. Last season, he hit .263. He has 16 doubles, two triples, 18 homers, 27 stolen bases and 54 RBIs. Last season for high Single-A Potomac, he had 10 homers in 133 games.
Harrisburg batting coach Mark Harris, who has worked with Taylor for a few seasons on his approach and swing, was the hitting coach for Team USA at the Futures Game on Sunday in Minneapolis. Taylor, one of the top prospects in the Nationals organization, led off and went 1-for-4 in the 3-2 Team USA victory before 30,000 at Target Field.
Harris explains why Taylor is so improved this season with the bat.
"(He has made) progress and a couple of mechanical changes, shortening his load up. I think that he's more consistent now in his base to hit from," Harris said. "Therefore, he's able to recognize pitches better, lay off some chase pitches. His percentage of putting the ball in play is much better.
"When Michael puts the ball in play he has a got a chance to get a hit. That was probably the thing that he focused on more than anything in the winter, as far as when he went to Puerto Rico, and into spring. Sort of a different guy, with realization of that, and I think if you look and see his two-strike hits this year compared to last year, I would easily say he's got more this year than he did last year. He's just putting the ball in play."
Taylor must still to reduce his strikeout totals, 116 this season and 131 last year. He is learning not to go after sliders in the dirt, but that is a process even major leaguers still battle with every game.
"He's still striking out some," Harris said. "But he's going to strike out some. But the idea of putting the ball in play and giving himself a chance is going to raise his average immensely."
Already he has pushed his average up 60 points from last season.
Taylor has all the tools to be a very good leadoff hitter and center fielder in the show. His OBP is .404 this season, compared to .340 with Potomac in 2013. As long as he can get on base, his tools can take over from there.
Defensively, he is a joy to watch work the outfield, as Nationals first base coach Tony Tarasco explained, and this season is a clear example of how quickly he can adapt and thrive against some of the best pitching prospects in the nation. His play in the Futures Game allows the rest of baseball to see what the Nationals already knew.


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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex brings to Nintendo fans the intense and cinematic experience of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, winner of 50 combined Editor
You're a highly trained government soldier operating under strict orders to shoot and eliminate anything that moves in this sector. But there's a problem. You can't seem to hit anything. For some reason it's taking you much longer to line up your targets and by the time you do you've sprayed bullets all around them and now have to reload and start the process all over again. Two years ago on nearly a carbon copy of this mission you deftly marched through the city streets and none survived. So what's changed? Oh yeah, the Wii remote. The Nintendo Wii has never really been known for its amazing collection of first-person-shooters. Quite the contrary, in fact. The system is notorious for its horrendous ports of much better FPSes from other consoles. So it was with much trepidation that... Read Review


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China National Regulatory Authority (NRA) for vaccines receives WHO endorsement
BEIJING, 4 July 2014 - China's National Regulatory Authority (NRA) for vaccines, the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), has been evaluated by WHO experts, and assessed as meeting or exceeding all World Health Organization (WHO) standards, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan announced today.
"We are delighted to announce the very strong results of WHO's evaluation of China's NRA for vaccines. This is a significant achievement for the CFDA and its affiliated institutions," Dr Chan said.
"As a result of this evaluation, WHO is confident in the quality, safety and effectiveness of vaccines that are made in China."
"This is a great result for the regulators, but an even better result for the children of China, because it confirms that Chinese vaccines are quality assured to international standards of production, safety, and effectiveness," explained Dr Chan.
Vaccines are among the most effective and cost effective tools available to prevent suffering and death from infectious diseases, especially among children. However, vaccine production is a complex process necessitating the highest standards of safety and quality.
Government regulatory agencies have oversight responsibility for ensuring that vaccines are safe and effective, and are produced following the internationally-recognized Good Manufacturing Practices. This critically important role is carried out by the CFDA and its affiliated institutions.
The WHO periodically evaluates countries' NRAs against international standards to determine the quality of regulatory oversight.
In April of this year, a team of experts from WHO evaluated the China NRA for vaccines, and found that it has met or exceeded all of the WHO criteria for functioning at international standards of excellence.
This evaluation follows by three years the first successful evaluation, which was announced in 2011.
"This second successful evaluation demonstrates the maturity of China's NRA for vaccines. We congratulate the CFDA and its affiliated institutions on this very important achievement," said Dr Bernhard Schwartländer, WHO Representative in China.
"China's NRA passing this re-assessment means the vaccine regulatory capacity of China has met the basic requirements of WHO. We must continuously work hard to address the issues arising in the course of management, set our targets aiming at the international cutting-edge standards, and proactively motivate ourselves to keep moving forward. We will study in-depth the precious comments and suggestions from WHO, develop and implement a reasonable workplan based on both international experience and Chinese context, further improve and strengthen the vaccine regulatory system of China, and continuously promote the healthy development of the vaccine industry," said Zhang Yong, Minister of CFDA.
With an NRA assessed as meeting WHO standards, vaccine manufacturers in China are eligible to apply for prequalification of specific products. This is important because WHO prequalification, a guarantee that a specific products are made to international standards of quality, safety and efficacy, is required for procurement of vaccines by UNICEF with funding from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI).
Last year, WHO announced the successful prequalification of a vaccine for Japanese Encephalitis developed in China.
"Today's announcement gives all of us confidence in the safety and effectiveness of vaccines made and used in China – to the great benefit of the children of China, and the world," Dr Chan concluded.
About the World Health Organization
WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.
For more information, please contact:
Ms WU Linlin E-mail: email@example.com Office Tel: +86 10 6532 7191


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I received the license key.
I received the license key.
First attempt this afternoon failed. It required lots of information. Address, phone ... and it required deselecting 2 products (no big deal).
Here I tried the new user section, but the email address revealed I'm not new.
I tried again few minutes ago. I used my normal mail, the same that reveals I'm not new.
This time it went forward but then asked for credit card information which is pointless, strange, a bit annoying, and obviously something is very wrong.
I guess after few years of paid ZA, then a year of free ZA-AS, and a year of free ZA-Pro my luck ran out. Time to give up. Which I did. An alternative firewall I can use is great. Or back to 5.5 and SSM.
Oh, it's 11:30pm here on the East Coast. The day is over.
Last edited by zaswing; October 13th, 2009 at 07:35 PM.
I got my license key but it seems that I've got an even newer version (9.0.136.000) than what's listed on the version history page (9.0.114.000).
What's new in this version?
ZoneAlarm® Extreme Security
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Soccer / Premier League Hapoel Tel Aviv: A Team in Need of Some Coaching
The team's players aren't good enough; the best they can do is pass back to the center-half.
Ran Ben Shimon isn't doing his job. His profession is a soccer coach, but Hapoel Tel Aviv is an uncoached soccer team. The move most...
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Here are your top deals this week at Bi-Lo, thanks to Time2SaveWorkshops. Watch for cheap Birdseye Veggies, FREE Smithfield Ham Steaks, cheap Jimmy Dean Roll Sausage and more! You can also see the complete Bi-Lo Weekly Ad online.
Here are a few things to remember before you go:
- Bi-Lo has a program that offers eCoupons and Fuelperks
- Also, Bi-Lo now accepts competitor coupons in addition to manufacturer coupons – see their policy
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- Some Bi-Lo's take a limited number of competitor coupons – check with your store for details.
- Bi-Lo has Buy Theirs ~ Get Ours Free coupons on their site, you must login to see them.
- Click boxes of items you'd like and you'll see a list pop up on your bottom right hand screen.
Bi Lo Weekly Ad (10/24/12 – 10/30/12)
Click "display all matchups" to see the complete list of deals.


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Jimmie Åkesson weighed into the ongoing row about whether or not European Union members should leave the group while appearing on Swedish broadcaster SVT's 'Agenda' on Sunday night.
The nationalist, who has long spoken out against Sweden's EU membership, said he backed the Brexit campaign to get Britain to leave the 28-member bloc, which is hotting up as the UK prepares to hold a referendum on the issue.
He also argued that he wants Sweden to follow in its northern European neighbour's footsteps, if it decides to quit the union.
"I really hope we get the opportunity to hold a referendum in Sweden eventually," he told SVT.
"I see nothing negative about leaving," the anti-immigration leader added, arguing that the EU was a "federation" that took too much power away from national governments.
However other senior Swedish politicians are rallying to show their support for the UK remaining in the European Union.
Liberal party leader Jan Björklund said on Sunday that he viewed the EU as "the most successful collaboration project in history" and argued that "more cooperation between countries, not less cooperation" was needed on issues such as fighting terrorism, Russian aggression and avoiding another economic crisis.
Sweden's former Prime Minister and Moderate party leader Fredrik Reinfeldt has warned that a Brexit could have a negative impact on Sweden, which currently shares a similar approach to EU membership as the UK, welcoming the benefits of free trade without signing up to the euro.
"Within the EU, our opinions, which correspond with those of the British, in terms of trade, the EU's internal market, budget issues and the condition to live without having the euro, will sharply lose value," he was quoted as saying by Swedish newspaper Expressen.
Sweden's Social Democrat-Green coalition also backs the campaign to keep Britain in the UK, with Foreign Minister Margot Wallström telling The Local last year that it would be a "very serious blow to the entire EU if they were to leave".
Meanwhile business groups in Sweden are beginning to speak out in fear of the UK giving up its membership of the European Union.
"The UK is one of Sweden's most important trading partners and Brexit would over time erode that relationship to the cost of billions for both parties," Per Tryding, deputy CEO of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Southern Sweden, told The Local last week.
The referendum takes place on June 23rd. British expats who have been living in Sweden or elsewhere for less than 15 years have the right to vote in person, by proxy or by post.


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I heard that a taxidermist somewhere around raystown was shut down by the game commission and the guy is suing the game commission. I also heard that the game commission may not be licenseing taxidermists anymore that it may be turned over to the state. Does anyone know if this is trueor is it just a rumer?
Return to The Taxidermy Industry Category Menu
Ron there was talk of it all being turned over to the state, but according to my WCO it ain't gonna happen, to much opposition.
As far as the Raytown taxidermist, didn't hear anything.
The best news is that someone is sueing the the DNR. If a license is required, (which I think is wrong) then when the DNR causes you harm, you should be able to make those thugs pay the price just like anyone else.


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By Dr. Brian McDonough
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – New research finds women who live in areas with poor air quality could be at higher risk of having a baby with health problems.
Researchers at the journal Environmental Health Perspectives looked three billion births across nine countries and what they found is that women exposed to high levels of air pollution are at greater risk of having unhealthy babies or at least babies with low birth weight.
Low birth weight is associated with increased infant mortality and other health risks.


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2017-2018 Catalog
2017-2018 Catalog > Courses > MAT - Mathematics > 100 > MAT 156
Furthering MAT 155 concepts, the course will include fundamentals of probability, statistics, and Euclidean geometry. Mathematical problem-solving, reasoning, critical thinking and communication will continue to be an integral part of this sequence.
MAT 155 & MAT 156 are intended for Early Childhood Education & Elementary Education Students ONLY. Students who take MAT 155 & MAT 156 and who later change to a major outside Early Childhood Teacher Education & Elementary Teacher Education may not receive the guaranteed completion of lower division general education at the receiving 4-yr institution, as MAT 155 & MAT 156 are not gtPathways approved courses.


text: Our rushing D looks stout so far this season. we are currently the number 2 ranked rushing D and have held teams to 61 yards per game. This stat appears so far to be pretty solid considering we have been up against some pretty good RB's with different styles including Turner, Sproles and Jackson. So I am curious what you guys think we will/should do with Matt Roth assuming he is healthy when get gets off the PUP list? (which I believe will be week 7@NO) We also have 2 proven vets with Porter and Taylor and a promising rookie with Cam Wake. I guess we could just use Roth on obvious rushing downs? What do you guys think? ---On another note I think if we stop the run again next week vs the jets we have a good chance to win. Sanchez has had for the most part a great rushing attack all year except for this week.


text: Posted May 2, 2012 (edited) V-LF-14E One of the reasons that made me hesitate to buy the Fire Brigade (unlike the other modular buildings that I bought directly) was the old-style truck that comes with it. So I made a new one. I was a little inspired by Triborough's truck: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=55206 but in the end mine looks completely different, except the pipes taken from the original old truck. The width & height is just the right size to fit in the building... but the truck is a little too long by one or two studs (it fits in the building but the garage door can't be closed) More on http://mocpages.com/moc.php/321665 Edited May 3, 2012 by Phred Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Over the years the cinema has given us plenty of bumbling idiots on the big screen but arguably none are ever as likeable as the ones played by Simon Pegg.
Returning this week in How to Lose Friends And Alienate People, Pegg, riding high on his popularity, plays the pretentious tit Sidney Young who manages to get a job at a prestigious New York magazine. It's like The Devil Wears Prada but with transvestites!
With a recent surge of great comedies, this effort is disappointingly neither consistently hilarious or has anything new to say. Pegg is a likeable lead but presents the character as a more of a loveable idiot who never really irritates, even those within the film. His characters charm instantly sets you into a light hearted predictable romp while although entertaining in its own way, is also somewhat a letdown.
Underneath it all is a standard romantic comedy with delusions of grandeur, which is fitting given the story. Sidney enters his new job making mistake after mistake as he tries to go against the grain and attract the attention of his new boss Clayton Harding (Jeff Bridges) and also the new Hollywood starlet Sophie Maes (Megan Fox). Meanwhile he manages to befriend his co-worker Alison (Kirsten Dunst) and get on the wrong side of one of his superior Maddox (Danny Huston).
The film works well when it looks down at the media world, who buzz around showbiz and suck up to new 'talent' but fails to stay focused on it long enough to gain any momentum and big laughs. As usual, models are represented as airheads and young directors are pretentious recluse types – this doesn't stop the film milking some laughs from the old cow, though.
Heading this side is Bridges' Clayton who runs away with some of the films best lines. He represents Sidney's possible future and when Bridges is sharing the screen with Pegg it makes for some standout scenes and it is a shame there isn't more of him.
Credit to the film though, the actors all give good performances and surprisingly Kirsten Dunst, who was one villainous kidnap on the wrong side of annoying, manages to come across sweet and charming as Sidney's love interest. Some of the characters verge on the wrong side of cliché (Dunst is the only one who can see Sidney for who he really is. Asshole boyfriend alert!), but these are little niggles.
The laughs are varied from your usual physical pratfalls to fish out of water scenarios and also some more raunchy scenes. When the film turns to witty banter, though, is where the film stands out – if it wasn't aiming for such a broad audience, the film would have the potential to become a great comedy. The latter half of the film becomes more serious with its attention firmly on Sidney reluctantly conforming and compromising his values, in turn making a deal with the devil in the form of Gillian Anderson's conceited pile of breasts so he can get a chance with the sexual weapon Megan Fox.
Things all end for the better as you can imagine but without the true bite of any message against the industry, certain characters' motivations for their actions remain vague. The film aims to provide something for everyone and although it certainly isn't the funniest film this year, it manages to be a sweet story that again puts Pegg out there as one of the funniest actors around today. A sharper, edgier story may be buried underneath but it remains a fluffy enjoyable evening at the multiplex.
[Story by David Scarborough]


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I have a major moisture problem with a home that is one block from Lake Michigan in South Haven, MI. I have a working sump pump below ground level and am still having rotting problems with the floor joists. A local contractor wants to staple plastic to the joists or lay it on the ground. Would you recommend either of these as a solution?
Moisture management typically involves several solutions working together. Adding plastic sheathing over the soil as a crawl space vapor barrier is a good start. Also check your outside drainage conditions. Gutters must be clean, free-flowing and discharging four to six feet from the foundation. Grading also has to slope away. (See our article on wet basement and crawl space tips.) If the crawlspace moisture problem is severe, another step might be to install a crawl space foundation vent fan, wired into a humidistat. The fan can be set to kick on whenever humidity gets high enough and pull drier outside air through the space to minimize condensation on the floor joists and the potential rot, mold and insect problems that could ensue.
I am buying a 3 story, built in 2012 detached house in California. Just got a phone call from my agent today (4 days before closing) that the house was flooded! The seller's mover uninstalled the washer and accidentally turned on the water so the whole second floor is flooded and into the garage on the first floor. My agent said that seller's insurance company will take care all that and will repair everything. He assured me that the flooring and drywall will be repaired and everything will be dry.
Would you say think after the repair, everything can be 100% back to normal? Or are there things that just will not be repaired completely? Or could this is all be a good thing and I will be better off after the repair?
Thank you very much in advance for your response. I got hooked on listening to your show and hoped you could help!
Wow, that's one heck of a story! And, its not the first time I've heard of this same scenario. I spent years as a profesional home inspector and was asked once to recheck a house before closing. Well, it was winter, and the water was left ON and the heat was left OFF so you can guess what happened next. This was a bi-level home that had 6 feet of water in the lower level, and the high humidity had also caused doors, floors and walls to swell all the way up to the 2nd floor.
As a first step, I'd immediately consult an attorney and put the closing on-hold, because you will need a lot more than the assurances of your commission-hungry real estate agent to move this deal forward. This much water in a house is a huge issue. At the least, the lower level will need to be completely gutted, dried out, treated with mildewcides and then rebuilt including insulation, wiring, heating or other mechanical systems and appliances, doors, maybe even windows. Mold is a serious possibility as well, especially if there is any delay in getting those walls torn open so the drying process can begin.
You'll also need to have a licensed structural engineer examine the home and its foundation. All that flooding can disturb the soil under the home and cause shifts in the foundation that can potentially lead to cracks and instability.
Realistically, you are looking at month's worth of work here, which means you can't enjoy the home in peace and quiet. Issues could also show up months or even years later that are not apparent now but could be the result of this damage.
If you do go forward, I'd recommend you hire your own licensed structural engineer to supervise the repair and remodeling every step of the way. I'd make the seller reimburse you for that cost, and make it super clear that the engineer works for you, and NOT the seller. He or she will be your trained eyes and ears to make sure this home is put back together better than what it was when you found it.
What's a safe way to hang heavier art pieces on drywall? I've done a bit of unintentional damage before, and don't want to repeat the performance.
There is a wide array of hardware available to help hang a heavy picture on drywall. One gadget I really like is The Monkey Hook, an easy-to-install wall hanger that supports art weighing up to 50 pounds and can be doubled up for even heavier pieces. It was created with both residential and commercial drywall in mind, and designed to work in wall locations where there is no wall stud to latch into.
The Monkey Hook looks is a hook shaped piece of strong wire. One end is sharpened and can be easily driven into the drywall with a few twists. It then is locked in place and this heavy-duty helper is ready to display your favorite framed art and photos.
The other nice feature is that when you change your mind and decide to move your art around (and you KNOW that will happen!), The Monkey Hook leaves only a very small hole in the wall that's easily covered with just a dab of spackling compound.
First of all - I adore you guys! I've been listening to the podcast and find it incredibly helpful; you both are so generous with your talents.
I purchased a "starter home" type house when I was single, but got married and moved in with my husband. We rented the house out, keeping in mind we wanted to move back after retiring. Now we're retired and back in my original "Money Pit", and we want to get serious about improvements!
Our house isn't in complete shambles, but we know there's probably a LONG list of things that need to be done. We're overwhelmed and frozen in place. What is the best way to prioritize home repairs? Should we hire a professional who could evaluate the house and give us a game plan?
Thank you for the kind words! Great question, and we totally understand what you're feeling. Lots of people suffer from "analysis paralysis" when faced with so many things to do because they do not know what to do first! There is a great option, however, which you actually brought up in your question. What I would do is hire a professional home inspector to evaluate your home first. Home inspectors are terrific because they are not in the business of selling you repairs. If you were to ask a contractor to do such an inspection, you are guaranteed to be presented with quotes for all the things they would love to fix on your house.
On the other hand, with a home inspector, you'll just be getting a report that gives you the facts. He will tell you what needs to be fixed and in what order. Generally speaking, safety items need to be fixed first. For example, wiring problems that could cause a fire or uneven steps that could cause a fall. Next, you will want to tackle the structural issues that could cause the building to deteriorate. Finally, you will work toward the cosmetics - updating a kitchen, painting a room, or installing new faucets or fixtures. If you would like, you can take a look at this blog where we list out the most popular home improvement projects we're asked about on the national radio show. This may come in handy when you are completing your projects!
All in all, if you use a home inspector you will get that impartial expert advice. The best way to find a home inspector is to find one here, at the American Society of Home Inspectors. Thank you for reaching out, and please let us know if we can help with anything else!
Mice and rats are coming into my home via the street sewer system. I thought I had fixed the problem eight years ago by cementing a certain area, but there seems to be another opening somewhere. Do you have any suggestions?
If you've ever thought you could mouse-proof or rat-proof your house by sealing up small gaps around the outside, forget it. Mice can squeeze through spaces as small as a nickel, and rats need a space only twice that size to find their way into your home. Mice and rats are great climbers and jumpers, too: mice can leap 12 inches into the air and hop down from the same height without injury, and rats can leap 36 inches vertically and jump off of a 50-foot-tall building without a scratch.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can make your house a much less welcoming place for mice and rats:
Do you know of any options in accessible design patio doors? My daughter is in a wheelchair and I need to replace the sliding glass door from the house to the patio/deck. I've looked around and all the patio doors I've found have a 1-inch area at the bottom with rail slots. I need an accessible patio door that is relatively smooth at the bottom so that my daughter can use it without all the trauma of rolling over the sill area.
Accessible patio doors and overall Accessible Design are very important not only for those who are handicapped but for everyone who appreciates ease of access. Whether it is a low door threshold, a cabinet with sliding shelves or even a light switch with a paddle verses a toggle switch, simple changes in design make access easier, safer and more comfortable for all.
AARP has done a great job of identifying many of these areas via a special section of their website devoted to Livable Communities. As to your specific situation, yes, there are low-threshold, accessible patio door designs for just this purpose. Instead of the traditional sliding patio door, they are available in the more accessible hinged patio door format.
For example, door manufacturer Therma-Tru makes something called a public access sill option for a hinged patio door. Instead of the standard 1-9/16-inch-high sill, the public access sill has a height of only half an inch. Moreover, the sill is sloped, making it easier to roll over with a wheelchair or baby carriage. You can check out a profile of the sill in Therma-Tru's product guide; see page 11 for more details on this feature for accessible patio doors.
Hey, I live in southern Kentucky. During the summer months I have condensation dripping off the HVAC in the crawl space. What can I do about that? The crawl space is concrete block with vents on all sides of house and has black plastic on the ground.
The condensation is the result of warm moist air in the crawlspace striking the cold air conditioning duct. As the air is chilled, it releases moisture resulting in the dripping you are reporting. It's like what happens when you bring an ice cold glass outside in the summer, the outside gets wet because the warm moist summer air is being chilled, releasing that moisture.
Two things can help:
It sound's like you already have a crawl space vapor barrier, which is good. You can further reduce the amount of moisture in the crawlspace by improving the grading and drainage at the foundation perimeter, as explained in this article about preventing a wet basement. The approach is exactly the same when you need to reduce the moisture levels in a crawl space.
Second, you can insulate the ducts. Once insulated, the warm air will no longer be able to contact the cold duct surface. No contact, no sweating!
I love your show! I live in "the house that Jack built" - it's colonial and the entire upstairs has no return vents for Heating and Cooling. What's the most economical way to rectify this?
Thanks for listening to the show, glad you're enjoying it! It sounds like your heating system is very uncomfortable because there are no return vents installed. This is a real issue because the way a forced-air heating system works is that the air is heated or cooled at the furnace or air conditioner, and then supplied to the rooms. But, that same air must be returned to be heated and cooled over and over again for that to be efficient. If no return duct was ever installed, I imagine you're very uncomfortable in this place. (And probably wasting a lot of energy, too!)
There are a couple of ways to fix this, one of which is to install returns directly to the room itself. This is the most common, but also the most expensive and hardest to do as a retrofit. A better way is to install one large central return near the upstairs bedrooms and then undercut each bedroom door so the air has a way to get out. By undercut, I mean you would actually physically cut the bottom of the door so there's an inch to an inch-and-a-half of space when the door is closed. This way, air will be drawn from under the door back into the heating system to be reconditioned, then sent back to the rooms. Those are really the only two options that come to mind. I would suggest finding a good-quality heating and cooling contractor to visit the home and give you an additional opinion. The best way to do that is by searching on HomeAdvisor.com!
When purchasing my house, my inspector suggested adding a moisture barrier to the floor of my crawlspace. Looking around, there are many different thicknesses to choose from. How thick does a typical crawlspace moisture barrier need to be? Also, does it have to be rolled out as one large sheet, or could it be just as effective if it was made up of several smaller sections?
Your inspector was very smart to recommend a vapor barrier in the crawlspace. Moisture that is allowed to evaporate up into the floor structure can cause the insulation to become ineffective, and allow it to rot and mold. Moisture gets into a crawlspace A vapor barrier is essentially a plastic sheet that lays across the floor of the crawl space. Before you start this project, it's important that you clean out anything on the crawlspace floor that could pierce the plastic barrier like rocks or wood.
When choosing the plastic barrier, many folks will use polyethylene sheeting, but a better option is to use cross-laminated sheeting. It's about six millimeters thick, making it much stronger and less likely to let moisture pass through. A reinforced cross-laminated product like Tu-Tuf #4 would be best. It will be more expensive, but worth it. This is the kind of project you want to do once, you want to do right, and not have to do again for a long time.
When you lay down the plastic, you want to do so with as few seams as possible. You can purchase special tape that will allow you to seal the seams together, or you can overlap the seams by as much as four feet. Make sure you go end-to-end or inside-to-inside on the foundation wall so you have continuous coverage. In addition to the crawlspace vapor barrier, if you want to reduce moisture in that space you really should pay attention to a few more things.
Starting on the outside of the house, the most important thing to maintain is the grading and the gutters. We wrote an article with more on that here. The gutters must be clean, free-flowing, and the downspout should charge at least four to six feet from the house. The grading, or angle of soil around the house, should also slope away. It should drop about 4 inches over the first 6 feet, and it shouldn't be soil that will absorb and hold a lot of water. For example, topsoil is a bad idea because it's so organic it's like laying sponges around your house. You'd be better off improving the grade with clean fill-dirt, then once the grade is established, cover it with topsoil, mulch, stone, or whatever type of material you choose. Just make sure the grade is established first, and don't put any landscape edging at the outside edge of it that could hold water toward the house. That would be like building a moat around your building, which is something you definitely don't want to do. Combining these efforts together, you will have a crawlspace that will remain dry for many years to come!
I had my cabinets refaced about 8 years ago and now the glue has come loose. I've talked with new cabinet refacing companies who claim refacing has been improved and this won't happen again. (The contractor through Home Depot only guarantees them for 5 years.) Would you recommend refacing or is there a better option?
Refacing cabinets is a process that is often half the cost of replacing your cabinets. Not only that, but you're stuck with your current layout; if you ever want to add cabinets, they will have to be built from scratch and then refaced to match the others. For this reason, we usually recommend looking into other options that give you a great look but are not as pricey.
You'll first have to take a look at your cabinets. If they were installed in the 70's or later, they were likely installed with solid fronts and paper-thin veneers that you won't be able to sand or stain. Your best option there will be painting, which can be done using these helpful tips!
Painting is a great option even for older, solid-wood cabinets. You'll want to clean them out and remove all doors/drawers/hardware. Then, prepare them further by sanding. You can do this by hand or with a liquid sandpaper product. Then, prime the surfaces with an oil-based primer and get started on painting! In order to provide a better wear protection, we recommend painting with an oil-based glossy paint for the finish coat.
Overall, the fact that the veneer is not sticking is unusual. If you decide to go with refacing, make sure you carefully research the contractor. Ask if he will supply a list of past clients, and spend time talking to customers he worked with years ago to see how the cabinets held up. If he will not supply a list, it might be a good sign you should move down the list.
We recently moved into a house next to a road that produces more noise than we expected and I'm considering putting something up to help with the noise.
One option considered is a masonry wall. It's attractive, low-maintenance, and likely the most effective against noise but it's also (roughly) triple the cost of the fence option.
The fence would be a tongue and groove double sided privacy fence with a layer of mass loaded vinyl (MLV) hung between the facing panels to help with sound attenuation. I'd never heard of MLV before I started looking into this, and the only material I can find on is from the guys who sell it, who obviously claim it's the bee's knees.
My question is whether the MLV sandwich fence is going to do a "good enough job" with the road noise to make it a viable option against masonry. Or is the fence without the MLV going to be effective enough?
As the saying goes, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Whether an MLV fence will be quiet enough for you is dependent on your tolerance. However, MLV is a very high-tech product that's had a great success record of quieting machines, road noise, and even the occasional garage band! (Here's more information on MLV and its uses.)
To make it effective, however, it has to float. It cannot be stapled directly to the inside of the fence with no way for the material to move back and forth. This is because when those sound waves hit it, they need the flexibility to diffuse. It's kind of like when you throw a rock into the lake. The lake initially absorbs the force of the rock, but then the waves diffuse the force that follows. If you were to make this MLV so tight that it couldn't flex, it wouldn't have as strong of an ability to diffuse that sound. The best approach would be to hang it loosely between the sections of the fence. As to whether or not this will be "good enough," the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You may find that it's fine. Or, if you have a low tolerance for noise, you may find that it's not. Given the fact that it's one-third of the cost of a concrete barrier, it is certainly worth an effort.
Another thing you could do is to add landscaping on the roadside of the wood fence. This would also help break up the sounds before it gets to the fence, making the MLV assembly even more effective. As this article says, adding a water fountain could be a good idea as well. Good luck with your project and send us a photo when you're done!
I'm renovating a home I just purchased. I want to know if it is ok to tile on plywood. The previous tile in the bathroom was set directly on the plywood and it looked fine. I am reading that tiling on plywood should be avoided, while others are claiming it is okay to do. What do I do?
The bottom line is that you should not apply tile directly to a plywood sub-floor. Tile always needs an underlayment or layer of cement backer to lay on top of, especially in the case of plywood. This is because plywood will expand and contract over time, causing your tile to crack or become loose. It may be cheaper to lay the tile on the plywood sub-floor but best to do the job effectively and prevent paying for the cracked tile as time goes on.
We recommend using a thin-set adhesive to bind the plywood sub-floor with a 1/2" or 1/4" cement backer board. You will then need to use the right screws to secure the cement backer to the plywood. You can also use an underlayment membrane, but just be aware of how high the floor will be off the subfloor. We wish you luck on this project, and look forward to seeing a photo when it's complete!
I am putting butcher block in for the bar top and countertops. What do you recommend as a sealer?
Butcher block is a beautiful addition to any kitchen but can require a lifetime of maintenance to keep it that way! Keep in in mind that as a tree, this same wood was constantly absorbing natural materials. Now that its in the form of your countertop, it'll be sucking in food oils, fats, and become a breeding ground for dangerous bacteria like E-Coli that could cause your family harm if not cared for properly.
You have two options to maintain butcher block: stain the wood and apply a clear finish, or apply food-safe oils regularly instead. If you apply a clear finish, you'll have a lot less on-going maintenance but it's possible that some of the finish can chip off into your food. If you did decide to go this route, make sure the surface and edges are sanded down and wipe the dust away with a damp cloth. Apply the finish in a well-ventilated area, and let it dry for a few days before using it. Please keep in mind that urethane finish usually reeks, so it might be best to open windows and doors or wait until bedtime so it's less of an issue. Then, wait 24 hours (or more if the weather is damp) and repeat those steps.
You'll need to apply oils regularly for the life of the counter. A good rule of thumb to maintain butcher block is to apply them once a day for the first week, once a week for the first month, and once a month for the life of the counter. When you're choosing your oil or conditioner, you must remember that it needs to be food-safe. (Mineral oil is a great choice and you can find it at your local drugstore!) Check labels and read reviews before making your final decision. Once you have your oil or conditioner, take a rag and apply a good amount of it to the counter. As time goes on, you should notice that the wood soaks up less and less oil each time. This means it's working! You might even hit a point where pouring water on the counter results in beading instead of absorption.
We wish you luck with this project, and be sure to send us a picture when you're done!
I have a small cafe and have a small refrigerated display case that works great, but the rubber-coated refrigerator shelves are rusting on the ends. Last year, I cleaned them all, used rust remover on rusty areas, dried them, and painted with epoxy spray paint. Within a few months, it started rusting again. Is there a solution to this problem?
It looks like you did everything right, except for one thing: you did not prime the metal shelves first. The primer has adhesive qualities and is the "glue" that makes the paint stick. It is especially important when the surface is not optimal, like when it's rusted. The good news is, you can fix it!
First, you will need to smooth the shelves by using a material like sandpaper and removing all rust or other unwanted filth. This is also the time to sand any cracking or peeling paint. Then, take time to clean the surfaces. Just make sure you avoid solvent because it could soften the old paint and cause problems with the new paint adhering correctly. Make sure everything is clean and dry.
If the rust has become serious and you could not sand it all down, you'll need a primer that will make it smooth and easy to paint on. If it's at a medium or lower level after being cleaned, you can use a rust primer or preventative primer. You'll want to read the directions on the primer you choose, but commonly, you'll apply several thin coats of primer, let it dry, and add a top coat. You might consider adding another layer of preventative rust product after the top coat.
Then, you'll be good to go. Let us know how this project goes!
Is there any way to match the texture sprayed on drywall when getting the wall ready to paint? I have small nail holes in sections of the texture falling off that need to be retextured.
There are a number of textured surface repair products out for just this situation. For example, Wall Textured Spray Patch in Orange Peel White for Ceilings, Drywall is made by Homax and should do a fine job.


text:
El Rojo
March 8, 2001, 01:41 PM
My new Volquartsen trigger group for the 10/22 is pretty nice. The only problem is there is a ton of creep in the otherwise nice trigger. They advertise a factory preset pretravel screw, but how do you adjust it? Thanks for your help.


text:
Katyusha rocket in Safed
Photo: Niv Calderon
As we sit in our homes glued to our television screens, listening and watching as our little country fights a war we have no choice but to win, we are being warned, courted, informed, praised, and admonished. Minute by minute, television newsmen shove microphones in
our mouths, and stick headphones in our ears, urging us to reveal if we are afraid, in despair, planning to run, or angry at the government.
Who can forget Gadi Sukenic, who asked a policeman who came home to find his house bombed and his two babies in their mother's arms: "Are you planning to leave? Are you terrified?" And when the policeman said in a steady voice that although he was understandably upset, he had no plans to leave, Sukenic turned to the woman standing next to him: "I understand you are terrified and planning to leave."
Heaven forbid, we might miss an opportunity to lose heart and run.
Weak journalists, politicians
And when the mayor of Safed, with great bravery and patriotism, spoke about his full backing for our soldiers, there was the gallant television journalist who kept asking him: "But what are your complaints about the government? What are you missing? What are you angry about?"
And then there is the direct, real time broadcasting of Hezbollah attacks, allowing the enemy not only to rejoice, but to adjust their sights and send a few more rockets in the same direction. In which country in the world does the military spokesperson have to beg the press, on live TV during a war, not to do such things? Where are the military censors?
And then there are the MK's who again and again tell the public "to be strong. That "victory in this war depends on the public's stamina, it's steadfastness."
Home front is fine. What about gov't?
I am not worried about the home front's stamina, thank you very much. But I do worry about the stamina and steadfastness of the government. Look at Ami Ayalon, a former head of the Shin Bet, who in his secret service wisdom convinced us that leaving Gaza would "improve Israel's security."
Now, he's on TV, only four days into a war, already saying that the Israeli government should get international bodies to rescue us. Thanks very much for sharing your far-reaching and proven wisdom, Mr. MK, for showing us, the home front, just how strong a stance our government is taking.
The other worrisome reports are that the IDF is not taking out Beirut's electricity grid that allows Hizbullah to aim and direct their rocket attacks, because of the Israeli government's slavish desire not to put out President Bush. I sincerely hope that is not the case.
A word to the government
I have this to say to my government. You made the right, the only, decision. We are proud of your stance, and we support your actions. We have no choice but to defend ourselves and respond to an act of war with a war.
This decision, however, asks many of us to put our lives and families in peril. If we uncomplainingly stay in our shelters, suffer the horror of rocket attacks, bury our dead, then let it be for a reason. Let us feel at the end that our sacrifice wasn't in vain, and that our government is also strong, also patient, also steadfast. And let our journalists and our MK's exercise the same stamina that they are asking of the public.
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