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Data flow in a property centric game engine
I stopped taking on contracts about a year ago to focus on building my own indie game. I decided to build my own engine, and I know, I know, indies shouldn't build their own engine, but let's ignore reason for now and instead focus on something else. I wanted to build a property centric engine, using composition for pretty much everything rather than inheritance.
So what does it mean when you say you have a property centric model? In contrast to using inheritance, a game object might no longer be a renderable, physics-simulated, camera-trackable, weapon-carrying, and enemy-discoverable object. Instead it has the corresponding properties.
So what? Potato, pot-ah-to, right?
Well, not really. When a player is playing the game, they see distinct objects, perhaps a couple of monsters, wielding broadswords, strolling down Sunrise Lane or, who knows, maybe a heavyset man in a suit and a hard-hat blocking off the George Washington Bridge. Basically, what the player sees is this:
However, the advantage of having a property centric engine, is that instead of dealing with it this way, we have the option of organizing our things somewhat differently. What if we instead dealt with our entities like this?
That is, we have monsters, we have broadswords, and we have Sunrise Lane. (As a side note, these images makes me think of scatter/gather I/O, am I alone here?) Of course, the analogy is greatly simplified, and -- as I hinted at above -- we'd have a great number of different properties of which only a few are directly related to actual visible objects and their shape. I like this layout and the way it allows us to deal with all instances of a property at once.
The bridge
So how do we create the bridge between the engine's sorted and ordered view of the world, and the player's view? An object is bound to have dependent properties, for example, a rendering geometry property which depends on the physical simulation property, so we need to somehow combine them to give the illusion of being independent objects, rather than independent properties.
Data exchange
My research into a property centric design was driven by a fascination for data oriented design, and specifically the "where there's one there are many" mantra. I got obsessed with arrays of raw data, of lean structures. I wanted this to be the core of my engine.
Each property is handled by a separate manager, which takes care of both memory allocation and 'ticking' or updating the properties each frame, and it's free to move data around and sort it as it sees fit. The data itself is dumb, straight arrays of floats or perhaps structured in groups of vectors or quaternions, or similar smaller groups of data which is generally accessed together.
Raw data in this structure-of-arrays layout can't really do inheritance (in the traditional OOP sense) even if I wanted to, so the property centric model became the natural choice.
Read and write data
With arrays of raw data, the easiest solution to fetch information from, or pass information to, a different component is to simply read or write the data directly using pointers. This also has the advantage that there can be no immediate side-effects as we're not calling any functions, and we're certainly not calling any virtual functions. This approach has several draw-backs, but what it lacks in flexibility, it makes up for in a lack of complexity, so we'll need to be aware of the limitations and work accordingly. I've often found that having to adapt to a simple mechanism has a tendency to make it more robust too, so there's also that aspect.
We're effectively passing messages back and forth, quite similar to a data bus. We don't need to know who receives the data, or who sent it, all we care about is that it is formatted correctly, and how to slap a destination address on it, which is a nice characteristic.
Semi-standardized memory blocks
If we define a set of standard memory blocks, and try to use these as
often as possible in our properties, chances are we don't need to worry about
data formatting very often. If you look closely, you'll notice that data that
you typically would want to pass around is probably already using a small
defined set of data types. For example, I have a type called
f3 which is simply an array of three floats (a not
an all too uncommon type when dealing with three dimensional space), and I use
fixed time steps interpolating between the previous and the current step of
the simulation, thus the most common type in my engine is
f3[2] . I also place the 'current' value first so I
can use the same reference to read both
f3[2] , where I need it. I guess this
could technically be considered a very naive implementation of (multiple)
inheritance, but let's not go there. It does allow us to interact with objects
we know very little about though, so I guess you could call it something
similar to polymorphism if you wanted to, and you're an ad-man with affinity
for buzz-words.
We still need to know the 'interface' or data layout of our components. Assuming we're using standardized data-blocks, this can be extracted out of the manager logic, and into a wiring phase which is done by a higher level game object. The game object code creates the properties, passing references to the appropriate data blocks as input, and all managers can remain completely oblivious to how they're connected.
Wiring it up
It was important to me that each manager would be free to reorganize or sort its data arrays as it saw fit, so I couldn't use raw pointers without forcing every manager to keep track of who's referencing which of the properties it's managing (in order to keep them up to date on the new address). As the number of references can be pretty arbitrary depending on where a specific property is used, I chose to insert an indirection instead, i.e. a lookup table.
Furthermore, I elected to go with a handle scheme instead of straight up pointers into the lookup table. The lookup table still stores pointers into the property data though. Using handles for the lookup has a couple of advantages, the first thing that comes to mind is that we can eliminates the problem of dangling pointers by keeping a version counter in the handle, which is nice. Second, I cut my handles to 32 bits, which is half the size of a pointer on a 64 bit system. And third, I reserve 8 bits of the handle for offsets into the data being pointed to, which lets me store one pointer per property structure, while still allowing a handle to 'point' somewhere within that structure. This is useful when I'm storing, for example, both origin and orientation together, and for a particular case I'm only interested in orientation. The offset handling is hidden in the lookup table functions, so as long as we set it correctly during wiring, the user of the handle doesn't need to worry about it, giving us a bit of flexibility and reducing the sheer number of properties that otherwise would've needed to be registered and kept in sync. The observant reader might notice that this limits the maximum size of the data structure to 256 bytes, but as mentioned earlier, I want these to be as small as possible and only contain the data which is generally accessed together. So really, 256 bytes ought to be enough for everybody...
I don't have graphical UI with little squiggly lines representing wires connecting an input of some property to the output of some other; but in my mind that's what's going on, I arbitrarily connect data 'slots' to one another and the property managers are none the wiser. As an example, this is how I picture what the wiring looks like when setting up the player camera.
The ID of the network entity to track is provided by the server, the camera logic doesn't know what kind of object we're tracking, is only given the origin property. During gameplay, it's not even a server object directly, but a client side prediction property. The rest of the wiring applies an offset (the transformation) to the entity origin before feeding it into a PID controller, controlling a linear momentum property. The output is fed to rendering views as well as ground synthesis (only generate ground mesh where we can actually see it) and directional lighting (the shadow map rendering needs to follow the camera around). Each of these boxes represent separate property managers which, when called, update all the instances of that property, e.g. the PID manager updates all PID controller instances, it doesn't matter if they're being used to control the player camera or moving UI elements around.
Where'd the game logic go?
You'll notice I haven't really talked about game logic. It hasn't magically disappeared just because the game engine has a particular architecture, it's still there. The fact is still that the player will see compound game objects on screen, such as a soldier, and you will need something to keep track of the relevant properties. I still have a soldier game object. The difference is, there's no soldier-update (or -tick, or -think, whatever you want to call it), there's pretty much only a create and destroy for client and server side respectively. The create function initializes the appropriate properties, after that the property managers take over and deal with the frame-to-frame work. I'm sure you can think of other functions you'd want for special game logic stuff, but the important notion is that there's no frame-by-frame update function.
Actually, I lied. I have a soldier-update function. But it is a specialized soldier property which handles animations on the client side, with dependencies on the server object property, if the object starts moving it'll trigger walk cycle animations, do some simple forward kinematics to aim the gun in the right direction, and so on. It does not move the soldier around on screen, that's a redraw property wired to a server object property via a client-side prediction property.
Wrap up
I find this design has a certain charm, it keeps the implementation of each property manager focused on doing a single thing, and doing it efficiently.
Additionally, if you focus on keeping your data in a raw format like this, you'll end up with very lean data. It'll make you think about that and how to organize it. You won't end up with objects where, alongside your couple of vectors worth of data, you have a virtual table pointer, references to a couple of engine sub systems, and so on and so forth. Don't underestimate how objects may balloon thanks to a couple of references, especially if you're on a 64 bit architecture, and you're creating maybe a million instances.
Two problems that stand out are particularly affected by the design choice are concurrent access to lookup tables and shared data, if we run updates of separate property managers simultaneously. Note that this doesn't stop us from dividing the list of properties to update over several threads. Related to this is ordering, if we run property manager updates sequentially, and cannot wait for the next frame to let the value propagate, we'll need to be clever about in what order we run our updates.
All in all, it's a neat set up, and it really appeals to how my brain works. So should I have built my own engine? Probably not. It's been a cool ride though, and I've learned a tremendous amount. It hasn't been without its share of dark moments, but perhaps that's a topic for a different post.
Feel free to let me know what you think, either in the comments below or poke me on Twitter, I'd love to hear it.
Post scriptum - In the works
Concurrency and multi-threading is something close to heart for me, and having a set up that works reliably in parallel without slapping a lock on everything (mind you, that approach to concurrency will bite you in the behind soon enough). I have not yet come around to implementing this part of the system, but this is what I have planned.
I've elected to go for a semi-static directed acyclic graph (DAG) model, where property updates are carried out in a breadth-first manner. Each property can only reference the layers before it, thus all properties in a layer can be updated simultaneously without risking interfering with other properties. I don't want to have a fixed, compile-time, but rather I want it to sort itself appropriately during wiring. This solves both ordering (properties depending on other properties) and concurrent access.
To achieve this, I'll reserve a few bits more bits in the handle to denote the 'graph depth' of the referenced property. Thus when I create a property, passing the appropriate dependencies to it, it'll examine all handles and set its own depth to maximum plus one. I'll keep all instances of the property sorted by graph depth, and during update, I'll update a single depth at a time. During each frame, I'll step through each populated layer of the graph and fire off multithreaded jobs for each property type, synchronizing after each layer.
This implies I cannot let the property change depth without rebuilding the graph, which is non-trivial as we do no keep track of who depends on us, only who we depend on. I doesn't stop me from rewiring the dependencies of a property, but it does stop me having it depend on something in its own layer or something further down the line.


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Death Threats in Jonesboro Mayor's Race?
There are six candidates for Mayor of Jonesboro. The only female candidate, Amanda Dunavant has announced she is filing a police report for a death threat she has received. She has also been the subject of hacking of both her Facebook and campaign E-mail accounts according to this report. I have heard that she has been very outspoken against corruption in city government. If the local police don't handle it, maybe its time to bring in the state police.

subset: commoncrawl


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Here are some important things to know about the verdict given about Oscar Pistorius:
* He was found guilty
* He was found guilty of killing (homicide)
* He was found culpably (blamably) guilty of killing.
Perhaps it is because the South African legal language of culpable homicide is unfamiliar that confounds people abroad's frustration that he was not found guilty of murder – but in truth, he was found guilt of the equivalent of manslaughter, or murder in the 3rd degree (at least).
I understand people's frustration that he was found guilty for something less than murder. Believe me, I do.
And yet, I support the judge's decision and wanted to explain why. Firstly, to be found guilty of murder, there must be evidence not only that the accused actually did the crime, but that they planned to do so. Proving mens rea (or, state of mind) is a necessary component. The rules of evidence require the prosecution to make a case which is beyond reasonable doubt that the accused intended to kill.
Anything less than that: like knowing your actions could possibly kill someone, is something less than full murderous intent. The categories of "lesser murder", like manslaughter, or culpable homicide (depending on your jurisdiction), still hold people responsible for wrongfully taking life, but don't have the intention-to-kill aspect.
Pistorius' defense, flimsy and guilt-ridden as it may have been, pleaded that he did not intend to kill. He thought there might be an intruder in the house, they said. He thought his girlfriend was asleep next to him, they said.
In the handful of articles I have read on this, commentators are aghast that this excuse was considered "reasonable doubt". Here again, I have a little more compassion. Was the threat of an intruder reasonable? Many say not. In an article from The Guardian, the writer commented that the "imaginary body of the paranoid imaginings of suburban South Africa has lurked like a bogeyman at the periphery of this story."
To that, I would just want to say that I don't think it's fair to categorize the fear of a violent intruder as a fear of the "bogeyman", or worse yet, a fear of the "black bogeyman". For in the South Africa I know, the fear of being attacked in one's home is real, it extends beyond class and colour lines, and it is a fear based on knowing first-hand stories of people to whom such things have happened.
My own personal collection of stories is sadly not uncommon in South Africa: I've been mugged twice, my home has been burgled, I have had to call the cops when my sister's roommate called me from her closet to say that people had broken in to her house and she was hiding lest she be found. I have prayed for another friend's elderly aunt and uncle who were beaten and raped in their home at night. I have a colleague whose daughter was murdered. I have a friend who lives in a home with the best security money can by in my mother's neighborhood, and she has told me of the armed robbery in their home one evening just before dinner. I have heard more whispered stories of rape than I can bear. I have felt the desire to murder in response.
A friend of mine posted this status update on social media this past week: "So in the news this evening: woman employee raped while at work at Helen Joseph, woman raped by burglars at Stellenbosch res, woman raped by man wanted by police for 10 years, durban high school employs a known paedophile who continues his abuse at the school and four teenagers convicted of raping a 10 year old boy as part of a game. And that's just tonight's news."
World out there: it's not an unreasonable fear.
Is it plausible to argue that a South African in the middle of the night might fear there was someone in their house wishing them harm? It might be. It might be considered reasonable. In South Africa, perhaps more so than many, many places in the world, it may be enough to raise reasonable doubt as to why someone might respond to a nighttime threat with a gun.
And so, in the tragic case of Reeva Steenkamp and Oscar Pistorius, as much as I also long for justice to be fully realized, I also want to show support for the limits of what the judge could do. For to convict of murder, there needed to be proof of murderous intention, and the proof needed to be beyond reasonable doubt. Not just "he probably meant to kill her". But "I am absolutely persuaded he intended to kill her, in particular."
And given the context, and the fear that every single South African deals with – including the black, female judge who was called to weigh this matter, I am not surprised that the ruling was that there was a smidgen of reasonable doubt. Enough to find him guilty of killing her. Just not enough to find him guilty of doing so premeditatively.
And so, as the world awaits the sentence next month, I too am one hoping that he will be sentenced to the maximum jail time for his offense. And I take comfort in these things:
* He was found guilty
* He was found guilty of killing
* He was found culpably guilty of killing,
and, as a friend rightly pointed out, the most important thing of all is this:
* He still bears the lifelong burden of conscience and the need to be made right before God.
Just a few of my thoughts. For what it's worth. (Since more than a few have asked for my once-upon-a-time-I-went-to-law-school-in-South-Africa opinion.) Holding my breath for sentencing day, and along with you all, hoping for justice.


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What do you consider yourself a "pro" at?
This month's BlogHer theme will be interesting to work with. I am currently making the very hard emotional adjustment of losing my dream job because of my brain injury. I was on sick leave for two years, so knew it was coming, but the final paperwork was not completed until October.
I am not sure what the words 'pro' mean to me, in all honesty. I have a diploma as a Human Service Worker (sort of like a partial social worker diploma -- can do some social work tasks, but not eveything. Takes less than 2 years to complete). Also have considerable training as a mediator, but do not consider myself a professional at it (in comparison to others in the feild) although I did have a private practice for several years. I craft, and have made a living at it, both by teaching at a craft store, and by doing custom work. Again, in comparison to others, I do not see myself as a professional: more as one who did the job I was hired to do to the best of my ability at the time, or who does it for the pure enjoyment of the craft, and may or may not happen to make a few dollars out of it in the process.
Perhaps what I have (or had) the best skill in life was in adapting and learning. And it is one reason I find it so hard now with the brain injury when learning some skills just does not stick in my brain at all. I have never had difficulty learning. Actually it has almost come too easy for me, to the point I did not put enough effort into schooling, when I look back on it. I was the kid who was too bored by my lessons to bother doing them. I had an IQ of 138 (when tested in high school) and was in a lot of honours and excellerated learning classes. Those ones I loved. But the regular classes bored me to tears, and I just would not do the homework. Unfortunatley my mother did not value schooling at all, and was very domineering. I became depressed in high school, and listened to her tell me I was too stupid, fat, sick, short, etc to acheive most of my career goals. I let her convince me that post-secondary education was a waste of time. Something that I have deeply regretted most of my life.
I have been very fortunate that my husband is the total opposite of my mother: he values education and learning, and has encouraged me to pursue whatever path of learning or career choice I wanted, and has helped a lot over the years to help me obtain the credentials that I do have.
Now I just have to learn how to make my adaptation and learning skills find a way for the new me to find purpose as I go forth in a world that may or may not hold "work" in the standard definition for me.


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Clemens "Clem" Anthony Fautsch, age 83, of Delano, died Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013, at the Elim Home in Watertown.
He was born July 27, 1929, in Franklin Township, to Anthony and Theresa (Yorcyk) Fautsch.
Clem worked in construction and on the family farm.
He was united in marriage to Penelope May 19, 2005, and she preceded him in death Dec. 15, 2007.
Clem enjoyed his time with his friends at Elim Home in Watertown.
In addition to his wife, Penelope, Clem was preceded in death by his parents, Anthony and Theresa (Yorcyk) Fautsch; sister Florence Gruba; and twin brother Clarence (Virginia) Fautsch.
Clem is survived by one sister, Rose (Art) Dullinger.
Memorial Mass of Christian Burial took place Saturday, Feb. 23 at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Delano, with a gathering of family and friends one hour prior to the services in the church. Inurnment with military honors followed in the St. Joseph Cemetery in Delano.
Arrangements were by the Iten Funeral Home in Delano.


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Painting pictures with words. Opening a part of the soul. Emotion flowing with the lines. Tapestry skillfully woven. Reflecting thoughts artfully. Yearning to make a difference. --Karen O'Leary--Whispers' Editor
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Haiku--By Chen-ou Liu--Canada
can my words map the contour
of a void?
a trail of scent
paving my way home
Chinese mooncakes
snow on snow ...
an African migrant
frozen in thought
rock music fills
the silence between us
smell of winter
a white butterfly
on a black butterfly...
the weight of silence
Chen-ou Liu is the author of four books, including Following the Moon to the Maple Land (First Prize Winner of the 2011 Haiku Pix Chapbook Contest). His tanka and haiku have been honored with many awards. To read more of his poems, please go to Poetry in the Moment, http://chenouliu.blogspot.com/
9 comments:
These haiku warm my soul. Each more captivating than the next. I looked at your blog site and had great pleasure reading. A brilliant line: If no one reads my poetry, Death will be the review. Your poetry is beautiful.ReplyDelete
Dear Chen-ou,ReplyDelete
Welcome to Whispers! It's so good to see you already have a wonderful comment on your artistic haiku. It's talented writers like you the make this online journal possible. I hope you enjoy your time spent here.
Hello, Chen-ou! Welcome to Whispers! I love your very strong Haiku with impactful imagery and visuals. A joy to read! SheriReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 28, 2014 at 11:11 AM
Loved reading your haiku, Chen, especially the last one. Continued blessings!ReplyDelete
-Maurice J. Reynolds, Owner / Editor
TGBTG! Publications / Creative Inspirations
Some lovely haiku you have posted here. Welcome to the site!
~David Fox
Kathryn, Karen, Sheri, Maurice, and David:ReplyDelete
Many thanks for your kind words.
Lovely pieces of writing. Inspired. Ralph.ReplyDelete
Hi1 Ralph:ReplyDelete
Thanks for your kind words.
Inspired... inspiring... TrryReplyDelete


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The Association controls over seventeen miles of Salmon, Seatrout and Brown Trout fishing on the River Nith and it's major tributary the River Cairn. The Nith, a medium sized river, 45 miles long, flows south through Sanqhuar, Thornhill and the town of Dumfries before emptying into the Solway Firth near Southerness.
Membership of the Association is available, subject to acceptance by the management committee, to persons residing permanently within ten miles of Dumfries. Permits for visitors to fish the Association waters on both Nith and Cairn are available throughout the season. Permits are issued through the online booking system which is on the FISHNITH website.
Day tickets available.


text: The AC401 deluxe plus version will detect baby's slightest movements, even while she sleeps, and sound an alarm if no movement whatsoever is detected for 20 seconds. The angelcare sensor pads with sound monitor has many added features. The nursery unit has a soft nightlight and room thermometer. The temperature is displayed on the parent's units, which can alert you when the temperature falls out of your preset range. Additional features include an out-of-range indicator, a parent's unit locator, optional voice activation and a color LCD on each parent's unit which displays all the data. Both parent's unit comes with 4 AAA rechargeable batteries and a charging base. This monitor continues to offer an optional tic feature. If movement is detected, they will tick. Additional features include sound lights and movement indicator lights. This model operates on both 927 MHz and 2.4 GHz frequencies. The sound monitor operates on the 927 MHz frequency so there is no interference from 2.4 GHz equipment. The monitor has 8 channels and an 820' range.


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The idea would be to help people across the world that are researching their Ballymoney roots and give them an opportunity to meet and share their knowledge and experience.
The "Family History Festival" would be held in Ballymoney Town Hall, which also includes Ballymoney Museum. By the summer of 2009, the museum will have undergone a major re-fit and incorporate a resource area for genealogy researchers.
The format of the Festival would be a series of events that would "educate, entertain and enlighten" the amateur family historian. Visitors would have the opportunity to attend a series of focused activities, for example:
- Talks on the history of Ballymoney and famous people born in the area;
- 'Research workshops' with experienced genealogists available to give advice;
- Bus tours of the region, including graveyards and churches;
- Case studies of prominent Ballymoney families.
Anyone hoping to attend the event would also be given advice and assistance on booking accommodation in the area and public transport.
We want your ideas!
Planning is in its early stages and the Cultural Services Unit are appealing for your suggestions for the Family History Festival. Is this an event that you would be interested in participating in, or contributing to? What would you like to see included in the programme?
The Family History Festival would require funding and it would have to be demonstrated that there was support for the venture - so please, give us your views. Please leave your comments and ideas for workshops, trips, guest speakers or anything else that would appeal to you.
Keith Beattie
Email me!


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Promote your business or event with these nylon feather flags. Our feather flags, or commonly referred to as "sail flags," "bow flags" or "banner flags" are 9-foot tall, 25-inches wide, and rotate freely on an easy-to-install base. They ship in a case for easy storage. Order online today from one of our stock-and-ready to go images, or call 800-545-5505 to customize your own feather flag.
Category: Feather FlagLowen Sign Company is your supplier for custom feather flags, also known as sail flags, banner flags and teardrop flags. Send in your custom art work or allow one of our designers to help you create the message you are looking for. You can also choose from our large variety of message feather flags that include open house, model home, auction and more.Why Feather Flags?At 9' tall and visible to traffic going in either direction, Lowen Sign Company feather flags:


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R.K. Pillai
BSEL Tech Park, B-Wing, 11th Floor,
Sector – 30A, Opp. Vashi Railway Station,
Vashi, Navi Mumbai – 400705
Tel. : +91 22 39646701
Tel. : +91 22 39646722
Fax. : +91 22 27814748
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: www.aimil.com
OROS supports a worldwide network of subsidiaries and distributors, which markets the OROS range in more than 35 countries.
The OROS Group consists of OROS SA, headquartered in Grenoble, France, a business agency based in Paris, two subsidiaries, OROS GmbH (Germany, Koblenz) and OROS Inc. (U.S.A., Washington, DC) and one office in China.


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When it was announced in November 2014 that Sydney was getting six new Inner Harbour ferries, expectations were raised that they would be "some of the fastest on Sydney Harbour", operating on Inner Harbour routes from Watsons Bay to Cockatoo Island.
Unfortunately, fast ferries don't always work well in urban transit systems.
As observed astutely by Kamen and Barry (2006):
"Wheels on steel rails or smooth concrete ... produce negligible resistance compared to the frictional and wavemaking effects of a hull in water. And land vehicles enjoy essentially 100% propulsive efficiency between driveline and useful thrust. Public land vehicles also benefit from an economy of scale: A single operator can drive a train that moves well over a thousand commuters, or a bendy bus or multi-car streetcar holding a hundred or more passengers."
Frictional resistance of a vessel hull in water is significant. As Kamen and Barry noted, "propulsion power is roughly proportional to speed cubed, and most costs are therefore also proportionate to speed cubed or at least squared."
This is why Sydney Ferries' SuperCats, operating at speeds of up to 26 knots to Rose Bay and Watsons Bay, need to be refuelled daily. The more sedate First Fleeters, with a maximum speed of 12 knots, only refuel once a week.
Fuel and maintenance costs are not the only issues. Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) standards are more demanding for a ferry operator when a vessel's propulsion power exceeds 750 kW. Vessels in this category must be driven by a Marine Engineer Driver (MED) Grade 1. Most Sydney Ferry masters are not qualified at this level.
For this reason, I'm guessing that the new Inner Harbour ferries, due to enter service later in 2016, will have a propulsion power of 749 kW. They will then only require an MED 2 at the controls, but reach a modest speed of 20 knots at full throttle. That will be about the limit, given the superstructure and passenger capacity proposed for the new vessels.
There's nothing wrong with 20 knots for most of the Inner Harbour. The geography of Sydney means a slow ferry to Cremorne Point, Kurraba Point or Balmain East competes quite effectively with land transport.
The real problem lies with Watsons Bay and Rose Bay. Even with improvements in passenger loading, the new vessels will not be able to keep the current Eastern Suburbs timetable if their maximum speed is 20 knots.
Why not change the timetable then?
Timetables are constrained by mathematics as much as propulsion systems. It takes about 11 minutes for a SuperCat travelling at up to 26 knots in open water to make the 6.2 km journey from Rose Bay to Circular Quay. After adding time for passenger loading and unloading, the round trip can be completed in 30 minutes. That's tight, but one SuperCat can operate a 30 minute interval service to Rose Bay. With two SuperCats, it could be a 15 minute interval.
If the current Watsons Bay wharf was upgraded to a better design, a round trip to WB, with a stop at Rose Bay in both directions, could be completed in 60 minutes with a speed of 26 knots in open water. This would require two vessels with a 30 minute interval.
This neat scenario falls apart if a slower, 20 knot vessel was to replace the SuperCats. The 11 minutes from Rose Bay to Circular Quay goes up to 13 minutes. Rose Bay round trip goes from 30 to 34 minutes; Watsons Bay round trip goes from 60 to 68 minutes. Result misery.
The 20 knot vessel option does not work for the Eastern Suburbs because, with clockface 30 minute headways, the slower speed will lead to long layovers at either end and an extra vessel added to the runnings: a very wasteful outcome all round.
So what's to be done about the Eastern Suburbs? My guess is that the SuperCats will continue operating on Eastern Suburbs runs for some time - and the new Inner Harbour ferries will probably not venture to either Rose Bay or Watsons Bay.
What this means for Sydney's ferry fleet strategy is unclear. The First Fleet Ferries have plenty of life left in them. With nine First Fleeters and six new Inner Harbour boats to come into service over the next 18 months, there is capacity to expand the Inner Harbour network. This comes at a cost, of course. With the new Inner Harbour ferries, plus the recently announced four new Parramatta River ferries, the complexity of Sydney's diverse ferry fleet could be greater than ever.
Ferry passengers of Sydney must wait with baited breath to see what transpires.
Kamen, P. & Barry, C. (2006). Urban Passenger-Only Ferry Systems: Issues, Opportunities and Technologies. In R. Delpizzo (Ed.), Sustainability in the Maritime Industry: A Collection of Relevant Papers. New York: Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers.


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|Glennon Engleman
Cover to Appointment For Murder, by Susan Bakos. (a book about Glennon Engleman)
|Background information
|Cause of death:
|Natural causes
|Number of victims:
|7+ (Note: Strictly speaking, Engleman was a contract killer)
|Span of killings:
|Date apprehended:
Dr Glennon E. Engleman (c.1928-1999) was a St Louis dentist who moonlighted as a hitman, concocting and carrying out at least seven murders for profit over the course of 30 years.
He was already serving two life sentences in a Missouri jail when he pleaded guilty to the murder of a man and his parents in a separate contract killing.
Engleman was a sociopath; he once stated that his talent was to kill without remorse and he enjoyed planning and carrying out killings and disposing of the remains, in order that it would net him financial rewards.
Methods used to kill his victims included shooting, bludgeoning with a sledgehammer and car-bombing.
Engleman died in prison of a diabetes-related condition in 1999. The exact number of his victims is unknown as he took this information to his grave.
Corbin Bernsen played Engleman in Beyond Suspicion, a 1993 telemovie loosely based on the killings.
One of four children, Engleman graduated in dentistry at Washington University, St Louis, in 1954. He had been admitted under the GI Bill, having previously served in the US Army Air Corps.
1958: James Bullock, 27, clerk. Shot near the St Louis Art Museum. Was married to Engleman's ex-wife Edna Ruth, who upon Bullock's death collected $64,000.
1963: Eric Frey, a business associate of Engleman at Pacific Drag Strip, which was owned by the dentist. Struck him with a rock, pushed him down a well, and used dynamite to blow him up afterwards. He then divided the insurance proceeds with Frey's widow.
1976: Peter J. Halm. Shot in Pacific, Missouri. His wife, Carmen Miranda Halm, a former dental assistant trainee who had worked for Engleman, ordered the hit to collect life insurance on Halm.
1977: Arthur and Vernita Gusewelle at their farmhouse near Edwardsville, Illinois. Arthur shot; Vernita bashed to death. Murdered their son Ronald in East St Louis 17 months later so his widow Barbera could claim the millions in life insurance she had taken out on her husband, the sole heir to his parents' oil business. Barbara Gusewelle Boyle subsequently sentenced to 50 years' jail for the murder of her husband. She was released from the Dwight Correctional Facility on October 10, 2009.
1980: Sophie Marie Barrera, owner of south St Louis dental laboratory. Killed in car bomb explosion. Engleman owed her over $14,000. Accused by her son, Frederick Barrera, of her murder.
Engleman was married twice, first to Edna Ruth and then to Ruth Jolley, with whom he had a son, David Engleman.


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The knob fits Aguilar, Bartolini and Mayones preamps.
* - All visual features of the product including but not limited to colour, finish, tribes, shading, texture of amber, or layout may be different from the samples shown on the website.
All knobs are hand-crafted in Mayones factory to provide both top-notch materials and highest quality build.


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Eagle Island State Park Illness Identified as Norovirus, CDHD Urges Healthy Swimming Habits
Central District Health Department Contact: Sarah Correll, DVM, Epidemiologist, 208.327.8624
Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation Contact: Jennifer Okerlund, Communications Manager, 208.841.9198
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality Contact: Lauri Monnot, Watershed Coordinator, 208.373.0461
EAGLE (July 16, 2014) - The Central District Health Department (CDHD), Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR) and Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced today that patient samples from the recent Eagle Island State Park outbreak have tested positive for norovirus.
Norovirus is the most common cause of sudden onset vomiting and diarrhea.
"The virus can spread from person-to-person through recreational water, food, and direct contact with ill people," said Kimberly Link, Program Manager for Communicable Disease Control at CDHD. "Since human stool and vomit are the main sources of norovirus, the likely source was a sick person or party that swam in the water or became ill at the park."
Over 100 cases of vomiting and diarrhea were reported to CDHD on Monday, July 14, 2014, and Tuesday, July 15, 2014.
After receiving reports of illness, IDPR closed the swimming area. Eagle Island State Park staff is now working with CDHD and DEQ to lower lake levels and thoroughly disinfect impacted facilities.
Results of routine water quality monitoring for E. coli bacteria at the swimming area do not show elevated bacteria concentrations and there is no routine approved water test for norovirus.
The swimming areas at Eagle Island will remain closed for two weeks to allow for drainage and refill of the lake. All other areas at the park will remain open for recreational use.
CDHD, DEQ, and IDPR are working closely to prevent further illness, but the public will play a significant role in stopping the outbreak.
"We know the hot weather is driving people to seek relief in area pools, lakes and rivers," said Link. "However, we all have a responsibility to prevent illness in ourselves and keep our waters clean. Avoid swallowing water or getting water in your mouth and never swim when you are ill. This will help keep your family healthy and prevent the spread of disease to others."
Symptoms of norovirus usually begin 12 to 48 hours after exposure. The most frequent symptoms are vomiting and diarrhea, which can be accompanied by stomach cramps and low-grade fever. Most symptoms resolve after 1 or 2 days although people feel very sick and may vomit multiple times before improving. There is no medication to treat norovirus and there are no long-term health effects. In general, children vomit more than adults. Individuals are encouraged to seek medical advice if they become dehydrated.
Norovirus is very hardy and can survive in the environment; CDHD urges everyone to follow these steps to help reduce the spread of recreational water illnesses:
- Never swallow recreational water and avoid getting water in your mouth when swimming.
- Never swim when you have diarrhea and stay out of recreational water for at least three days after symptoms resolve. This is especially important for kids in diapers.
- Change diapers in a bathroom or separate area, not on the beach or poolside.
- Always wash your hands after using the restroom and before eating.
- Take your kids on regular bathroom breaks or change diapers often, and use swim diapers. Waiting to hear "I have to go" may mean it's too late.
CDHD, IDPR and DEQ will continue to work to manage water quality within the park and monitor for new norovirus cases after the swimming area reopens.
For updates and additional information, visit http://cdhd.idaho.gov. For more information about norovirus, visit http://cdc.gov/norovirus.


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Welcome to Kasbah Tebi, our authentic berber kasbah.
Located inside the historic Ksar of Ait BenHaddou, World Heritage site by UNESCO, our guesthouse is an authentic Berber Kasbah (fortified house in pisé with four towers) completely renovated in compliance with traditionnals technicals of construction and materials.
The Kasbah was built and is owned by our family for over 400 years. Tebi was the first name of our grandfather. You'll recognize it easily, it is located at the foot of the door Aït Ougram, one of the three access to the Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou. Look good, a stork's nest sits prominently at the top of a tower.
Discover a view of Aït Benhaddou from our terrace, on the top of our second kasbah
View from one of our Terrace on the top of the Kasbah #kasbahtebi #Guesthouse #aitbenhaddou #Morocco #360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA
The kasbah is distributed on four levels offering Berber lounges where you can enjoy a beautiful view over the valley, natural setting of many great films.
We serve an authentic and refined Moroccan cuisine which is one of the highlights of our house. Salads, briouates, soups, couscous, tagines, grilled meat… All our dishes are prepared with products from the local market, ensuring freshness and quality.
Our breakfasts, typically Moroccan, beings served at your convenience in our dining room or on the terrace, at the top of the kasbah, where you can enjoy a magnificent view over the valley and the Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou.
With us, you will understand why the hospitality and warm welcome were the greatness of the Berbers. If you go through Aït Ben Haddou, you stop for a tea and visit our house, Marhaba, welcome.
Thanks to feedback from our guests, your comments, we have obtained the Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence from 2013 to 2016 that rewards institutions rated by travelers.
Mohamed Ait Ougram
|We are also recommended by the following guides and booking plateforms:
How to find us :
Aït Benhaddou is located 35 km from the international airport of Ouarzazate.
From Ouarzazate (35 km), take the Mohamed V avenue out of Ouarzazate, in the way of Marrakech. Continue 19.4 km on Route 9. At Tabouraght, turn right towards Ait Benhaddou (9 km).
From Marrakesh (190 km), take Route 9 to Ouarzazate by the Tizn' Tichka pass and continue 172 km. At Tabouraght turn left towards Ait Benhaddou (9 km).
When you arrive in Aït Benhaddou (from Ouarzazate), 500 meters after the village's entrance. You will see a big sign "Entrée principale du site d'Aït Benhaddou" which indicate a big parking. You can safely park your car or your motorbike here. There is a keeper. Just give him 10 dirhams when you leave Aït Benhaddou.
If you have heavy luggages, call us when you are on the parking. We will come to take your luggage in charge and show you the way of the kasbah.
Airport transfer (from Marrakech or Ouarzazate to Ait Benhaddou):
On request, we can provide your transfer from the airport of your choice to Aït Benhaddou (classic car or 4×4) with support at your hotel or upon arrival at the airport.


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VOLUNTEERS UNLOADED each carload of rocks into the gully in about 15 minutes. They then laid a 10-foot line of rocks in the gully. The rocks will prevent rushing water from cutting into the rail bed during heavy rain storms. Crew members, from left to right, are Bill Wilde, 47, Shingle Springs; Alex Wilde, 22, Cameron Park; Hank Stiles, Fairmount speeder operator, 62, Rancho Cordova; Keith Berry, EDWRF president and project manager, 62, El Dorado; and Jacob Karoly, 19, Diamond Springs. Photographs by Steven Karoly
On Saturday, Nov. 13, 15 volunteers from two railway organizations joined forces to clear several tons of rock and dirt from the Tunnel No. 1 cut on the historical Placerville Branch rail line.
In an era of austere government budgets, crews from the El Dorado Western Railway Foundation and the Folsom, El Dorado and Sacramento Historical Railroad Association donated over 75 hours of personal labor to ensure safe passage through the cut for pedestrians, bicyclists, equestrians and trains.
"Saturday's work day on the Placerville Branch is a stark reminder of how the railroad was built and how we can overcome the need for tax dollars by using volunteers," said Ed Cunha, EDWRF vice president. "In less than five hours, this small army of volunteers was able to reopen the Tunnel No. 1 cut and reestablish drainage in the cut where standing water had prohibited passage for as many years as anyone can remember."
A key aspect of the project was the reclamation of excavated rock and dirt from the cut.
EDWRF president Keith Berry identified a washout one-half mile west of the cut where the material was used to shore up an eroded drainage ditch. Using the FEDS' large Fairmount speeder and flatcar to transport fill material from the cut, the crew laid a rock foundation over a donated eight-inch steel culvert pipe.
To facilitate passage on the existing unimproved hiking and mountain bike trail adjacent to the tracks, the crew built a trail crossing over the repaired drainage ditch.
This project brought volunteers from two distinct railroad associations together to preserve El Dorado County's rail legacy for current and future generations.
It's a testament of the value these volunteers bring to the project. Using picks and shovels and a backhoe, volunteers cleared an important passage on the rail corridor without spending one dollar from county coffers, the group stgated in a press release.
"This project serves all corridor venues, thereby providing a fine first example of developing a commonly held resource," said Berry. "This project is extended toward the entire community and is only the first step in demonstrating a viable and successful approach within very limited financial times."
The foundation is working in partnership with the County of El Dorado and the El Dorado County Historical Museum to develop the El Dorado County Historical Railroad Park in the Town of El Dorado and to preserve the historical Placerville Branch rail line.


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How to Bluff Effectively in Stud Poker
Perhaps more than in any other poker variation, bluffing is the keystone of successful Stud play.
Perhaps more than in any other poker variation, bluffing is the keystone of successful Stud play.
To bluff effectively you need to understand how to read the boards. And above all, avoid the dark-tunnel bluff - a bluff made without rhyme or reason.
Typically these bluffs are made on a whim after some arbitrary decision or read. Often players make dark-tunnel bluffs simply because they want to feel like they're actively playing poker rather than two-card roulette.
To make a true bluff, you as a player have to understand the current state of mind of your opponents and their table images, the texture of the board, the betting patterns and the odds (both implied and pot).
Is your opponent a math player on a draw? Are they on steaming-mad gorilla tilt? Are they trapping you? Until you know the answer to these plus 101 more questions, you can't make a true bluff.
How to Read a Stud Board
Reading a Stud board is a very different skill than reading the board in a game such as Hold'em. Hold'em is a complex game due mostly to the simplicity of its design. With a five-card community board, the total combination of possible hands, excluding your two cards, is small and obvious.
Here's a quick example of what I'm talking about:
Hold'em: what beats you?
Your Hand:
Obviously, the only thing you lose to here is a set. At any point during this hand, flop, turn or river, the story was the same. You had the nuts, second only to a set (which you had a huge redraw against on the turn).
Stud: what beats you?
Hand 1:
Hand 2:
Your Hand:
You have a strong hand - aces-up. So are you good? What can beat you?
Player one shows three to a straight; should you be afraid?
Note the cards he needs to complete a straight:
- sevens and jacks are most important
- sixes and queens are needed to complete
Accounted-for cards include two jacks, two queens and one seven. Not to mention all the folded show cards, but being new to the game, you don't remember what any of those are.
Player two is showing a pair of jacks. The only way this player can beat you is to have trips. A jack in the hole or on the river beats you. Again, knowing if any jacks were folded would be very helpful here.
As you can see, reading a board in Stud is a much more intensive, demanding feat than in Hold'em. There's more going on, with each player having their own board. The chances of a misread or of missing what should be a strong read are greatly increased.
7-Card Stud Starting Hands
The first thing to know about making a strong bluff in Stud is the odds of players actually having strong hands.
Here are some charts of calculations from MCU. All the following odds calculations are from the brain and pen of Mike Caro.
The Probability of Being Dealt Seven-Stud Starting Hands
(First three cards)
|The probability that you will be dealt this on the first three cards...
|Expressed in % is...
|The odds against it are...
|Number of possible combos
3-jacks through 3-kings
3-sixes through 3-tens
3-twos through 3-fives
2-jacks through 2-kings
2-sixes through 2-tens
2-twos through 2-fives
|Three parts of a straight flush
Three parts of other flush
Three parts of other straight
ANY three of a kind
ANY Pair
The odds against a player having rolled up anything (meaning trips off the deal) are 424-1.
One thing I'd like to point out is that this table can be deceiving to math newbies. You have the exact same odds of being dealt rolled-up fours as you do rolled-up aces. The odds are only 5,524-1 on being dealt any one specific rank.
For the purpose of this article the only worthwhile numbers in this table are the final five. Get a very firm handle on these numbers, as it's important to know how weak the average Stud starting hand typically is.
Some More Numbers
Chance of Improvement for Various Seven-Stud Hands Long Range:
(You hold three cards.)
|If you have A♥ A♦ A♣:
|* Actually 0.0028%
If you have A♣ A♦ 9♥:
|** Actually 0.0042%
If you have T♣ J♣ Q♣:
As you can see from these numbers, the chances of improving are very slim. Once you take into account your cards and other show cards taking away outs, these numbers go down. If you're holding wired nines against the A♣ A♦ 9♥, they're now down to catching a running pair, or the case nine, to make two pair. This will impact the percentage of improvement greatly.
How to Bluff in Stud
What all of this information means to you is that Stud is far more suited to a strong small-ball game than Hold'em. With hands failing to improve past one pair far more often than not in the first four or five streets, players are usually left holding no more than rags and weak draws.
When you do get called, often you're up against a strong draw or combo draw, allowing you to win if they miss. Aggression in the opportune moments is crucial to long-term profit at the game.
The key with Stud bluffing is to truly play the other players, and the other players' hands. You're looking to play off plausibility. If your show cards make it very probable that your hand has theirs beat, it's hard for them to call.
Here are a couple of examples.
Fourth Street
Their Hand:
Your Hand:
In this situation your opponent is, more often than not, sitting on a pair of jacks or less. Assume you completed off the deal, or raised, after your opponent obviously bricking fourth street, it's almost a sure thing that they'll fold to a bet here. Even though you literally have nothing, the fact that you're betting show cards makes it seem probable that you're sitting on a pair of aces at the least.
Sixth Street
Their Hand:
Your Hand:
In this situation you have nothing but a combo draw. Your opponent is showing a pair of kings. There is a very strong chance this player is on a strong two pair, or even trips. You don't believe they have a house (through your knowledge of odds, the cards you've seen folded and your reads in the hand), which means this is the perfect place for a semi-bluff.
Your opponent has no choice but to give you credit for a flush now, or a straight at the least. Almost all players will fold a two pair here, not wanting to draw to four or fewer odds against a made hand. If you do get called, you have a large number of outs to actually hit the hand.
Show Cards in Stud Are Key
People live in fear of the ace. Hold'em players have come to learn that the majority of players are known to play any ace they're dealt under any circumstances.
When a Hold'em-trained player sees an ace as a show card, they almost automatically assume the player is sitting on a pair of aces.
The fear of aces will make players fold anything but a strong draw. A player holding kings will often believe that they have to catch a third king or a second pair to win the hand. Bricks on their board or strong hands (or ones that look strong to you) can almost certainly win you the hand with some aggression.
The same way the flop in Hold'em can make or break any two cards, the show cards in Stud are always more important than the strength of your true hand. Play off the only information your opponents get to see. If you give them a reason to believe they're beat, more often than not they're going to act on it.
If you want to start playing Stud online for free, low or even high stakes, many of the top online poker rooms offer Stud as an option.
More Beginner Poker Strategy Articles:
- Beginners Guide to Simple Prop Bets
- Ace-King Part 1: The Best Drawing Hand
- Ace-Queen Part 1: The Worst Best Hand
View Best Rooms to Play: 7 Card Stud
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Hearing about this module being included in WebWiz@rd 3 was no surprise. Its called default for a reason. Every Essentials suite site we now design and build has the ability to custom tweak their Meta data.
Use this module to strategically setup your sites Keywords and descriptions with a couple clicks.
72 St Leger Street, Unit 2
Kitchener, ON, N2H 6R4
P: 519 884 4111 | TF: 1 866 754 4111 firstname.lastname@example.com


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Imagining Florida: History & Myth in the Sunshine State
Nov. 13, 2018 – Mar. 24, 2019
Boca Raton Museum of Art
Boca Raton, FL
This stunning exhibition is a major anthology of art made in and inspired by Florida and its people, places, flora, and fauna.
On the Steps of History: Florida's Inaugurations
Dec 4, 2018 – Mar 10, 2019
Florida Historic Capitol Museum
Tallahassee, FL
This exhibition showcases the pomp and prestige of Florida's historic inaugurations featuring artifacts, photographs, and film footage from private and public collections.
Lay of the Land: The Art of Florida's Cattle Culture
Dec 11, 2018 – Apr 14, 2019
Albin Polasek Museum
Winter Park, FL
Explore this exhibit focusing on the art of the cowmen and women unique to Florida, who have historically been called "crackers" or "cowboys."
Crossroads: Change in Rural America, Live Oak, FL
Dec 15, 2018 – Jan 26, 2019
Live Oak Public Library
Live Oak, FL
Crossroads: Change in Rural America explores many themes that resonate with Floridians today, including identity, community, persistence and managing change.


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Getting new music from Elle Varner is never a bad thing, and tonight's jam, "Little Do You Know," is just what we needed. Much like her last release, "See Me Tonight," Elle flashes her brilliance on this track over the beautiful guitar-laced production. Listening to this one just gets us even more excited for her upcoming album, 4 Letter Word, which is due out later this year.
If you happen to be with your special someone tonight, you may just want to put this one on repeat, and let Elle serenade your romantic evening. Listen to the song below.
RELATED: 30 Songs To Make Love To
RELATED: Premiere: Elle Varner "See Me Tonight"


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This post is also available in: Slovenian
At editing Joomla configuration settings in file configuration.php you can easly get error Warning: session_start() [function.session-start]:
Warning: session_start() [function.session-start]: Cannot send session cookie – headers already sent by
(output started at ..\\wwwroot\joomla\configuration.php:1) in ..\\wwwroot\joomla\libraries\joomla\session\session.php on line 432
You can get this error at saving changes in configuration file when editing in Notepad, dreamweaver or other app. The file was saved in non ANSI code and some characters appeares in file added by app ( mostly space at the beggining).
How to resolve warning session_start
Simply!. Just reopen file configuration.php and save it in ANSI code.


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Film Nerds Unlimited: Issue 162 – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Spoilers)
Craig Hamilton and Ben Stark return to Hogwarts as they discuss what is considered by many to be the worst of the Harry Potter films, Goblet of Fire! Tune in to hear what the guys think!
Share your thoughts with us on the Film Nerds Facebook page, and please be sure to subscribe to, rate, and review Film Nerds Unlimited on iTunes!


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Pool Services
Click here see our Special Offers.
We provide repairs for all your mechanical & pool needs. Diagnostics, repair and/or replacement of pool equipment.
Physical cleaning and sanitation that includes leaf and debris removal, as well as vacuuming and brushing
Process of chemical testing, balancing and adjusting to ensure healthy water quality and equipment protection
Equipment and pool surface inspection
- Inspection of pool systems and components to ensure proper operation
- Leak detection
Stains, Green Water and Black Algae
We have the experience and equipment needed to eliminate black algae, remediate green pool water and remove stains
Equipment upgrades
Pool system analysis for the addition of accessories to improve efficiency or to comply with changing health and safety codes
First time start ups designed to properly prepare your pool for continuous use
Vacation Monitoring
Short-term, on-call service provided when you are out of town
Salt systems
Maintenance of salt water pools and purification systems
Sanitation and maintenance of your spa's water quality and system components


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Jet Set
by Jason Oliver Nixon
Sky Writing
by Sarah Elbert
In this issue:
Making Waves in LA
Also: The star of next month's Men in Black: International, Tessa Thompson, is as hard to define as her global, vibrant hometown of Los Angeles.
Courtesy of the National Zoo
National Arboretum
Numerous gardens and collections on the 446-acre campus.
View Details
National Building Museum
A beautiful space with innovative, cool exhibitions.
National Portrait Gallery
View the official collection of presidential portraits.
You can review five centuries of news history.
Phillips Collection
A collection of French Impressionist to Modernist works.
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
The largest collection of historic air and spacecraft.
Smithsonian National Zoological Park
Explore the furry and scaly wildlife.
Smithsonian's National Museum of American History
This museum holds a vast array of items from U.S. history.
U.S. Capitol
Learn about Congress through films, exhibits and tours.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
A humbling reminder of a dark time in history.
"Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm." —John F. Kennedy
FEATURED // Smithsonian National Zoological Park
FEATURED // Bar Rouge
FEATURED // Rasika
FEATURED // Timothy Paul Carpets and Textiles
Check Flights to Washington, D.C.
Read the Japanese version of Sky!
Subscribe to our free e-newsletter to get editor tips on Delta destinations and updates on new restaurants, nightlife, attractions, shops, events, contest alerts and more!
Sign up now!
MSP Communications, 220 South 6th Street, Suite 500, Minneapolis, MN, 55402
© 2018 MSP Communications, Inc. All rights reserved


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Mountain Bike Lessons
Not familiar with mountain biking, or just want to be sure you are able to get thye most out of your day of lift-served riding on modern equipment? The Evolution Bike Park offers a daily, 2-hour Learn To Ride lesson, from 10am - noon.
- Adults (13 & up): $99
- Juniors (7-12): $89
Your trail access & lift pass, bike rental and helmet rental are included in the prices above, for the duration of the lesson. At the completion of the lesson, students have the option of buying a half-day (1 - 4pm) Trail Access & Lift Pass at 20% off the regular pricing.


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Chair, Economics and Finance & Associate Professor of Economics
Palumbo Donahue School of Business
Pittsburgh, PA, 15282
Phone: 412.396.2215 Fax: 412.396.4764
Risa Kumazawa is the Department Chair of Economics and Finance and an Associate Professor of Economics in the School of Business Administration. She is both an econometrician and labor economist who specializes in research on economic development and labor issues. Her research has been published in a number of scholarly journals including Applied Economics, Manchester School and Journal of Economics and Finance. She has also served as the principal investigator of an Office of Naval Research grant. Dr. Kumazawa serves on the Board of Directors of the Economic Club of Pittsburgh and the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of African Business. She is a member of the American Economic Association and the Eastern Economic Association. She makes media appearances locally.
Ph.D., Economics, University of Texas at Austin
M.S., Economics, Illinois State University
B.A., Economics with Research Honors, Illinois Wesleyan University
Articles in Journals
Kumazawa, R. & Gomis Porqueras, P. (2012). An Empirical Analysis of Patent Flows and R&D Flows around the World. Applied Economics, 44 (36), 4755-4763.
Kumazawa, R. & Callaghan, M. S. (2012). The Effect of the Kyoto Protocol On Carbon Dioxide Emissions. Journal of Economics and Finance, 36 (1), 201-210.
Kumazawa, R. & Query, J. T. (2011). Examining the Impact of Issuing Driver's Licenses to Undocumented Immigrants and Other Socioeconomic Factors on the Percentage of Uninsured Motorists. Journal of Insurance Regulation, 30, 261-286.
Kumazawa, R. (2010). Promotion Speed and Its Effect on Attrition of Navy Enlisted Personnel: Addressing Heterogeneity in High School Credentials. Applied Economics, 42 (20), 2563-2576.
Kumazawa, R., Query, J. T., & Yanochik, M. A. (2010). A Real-Options Approach to Post-Hurricane Loss Valuation of Damaged Property: Rebuild or Repair? Asia Pacific Journal of Risk and Insurance, 5 (1), Article 4.
Kumazawa, R. & Yanochik, M. A. (2009). Interest Rate Manipulation, Environmental Damage and Loss Valuation. Journal of Business Valuation and Economic Loss Analysis, 4 (2), Article 8.
Kumazawa, R., Park, J. & Query, J. (2008). Service Quality in Homeowners Insurance. Pravartak Journal of Insurance and Risk Management, (3), 3.
Kumazawa, R. & Payne, J. E. (2006). Capital Mobility and Feldstein-Horioka Puzzle: Re-Examination of LDCs. Manchester School, 74 (5), 610-616.
Kumazawa, R. & Payne, J. E. (2005). Additional Panel Data Evidence on the Savings-Investment Relationship and Foreign Aid in LDCs. Frontiers in Finance and Economics, 2 (2), 58-65.
Kumazawa, R & Payne, J. E. (2005). Capital Mobility, Foreign Aid, and Openness: Panel Data Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of Economics and Finance, 29 (1), 123-127.
Kumazawa, R. & Seeborg, M. C. (1996). Teen Mothers and Their Educational Attainment: Some Evidence from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Journal of Economics, 22 (1), 95-104.
Articles in Proceedings
Kumazawa, R. & Thomassian, J. (2011). Student Feedback towards Media Based Instruction: Improving Student Retention in Introductory Electronics & Network Analysis Courses. 2011 American Association of Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference & Exposition.
Kumazawa, R., Thomassian, J., & Kinnicutt, P. (2007). A Study of Freshmen's Outlook to Media Based Tutorials of MATLAB/ JAVA in Computing for Engineers. 2007 American Association of Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference and Exposition.
Paper Presentations
Kumazawa, R. (2013). The Effects of Heterogeneous Marital Prospects on Welfare Dependence: A Comparison of AFDC to TANF. Eastern Economic Association, New York, New York.
Kumazawa, R., Ho, C., & Query, J. T. (2013). Determinants of Lobbying Activity in the Life and Health Insurance Industry. Asia-Pacific Risk and Insurance Association, New York, New York.
Kumazawa, R. (2012). The Effect of Agricultural Practices on Global Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions. Eastern Economic Association, Boston, Massachusetts.
Kumazawa, R. (2011). The Effect of Mothers' Propensity to Divorce Multiple Times on the Educational Attainment of Children. Bard College Departmental Seminar, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.
Kumazawa, R. & Tsao, T. (2011, July). Marital Instability, Divorce and Educational Attainment of Children. Western Economic Association, San Diego, California.
Kumazawa, R., Gomis Porqueras, P., & Locay, L. (2011, February). Remittances and Economic Growth in Latin America: The Role of Emigration. Eastern Economic Association Annual Conference, New York, New York.
Kumazawa, R. & Query, J. T. (2010, November). Issuing Drivers' Licenses to Illegal Immigrants and the Effect on the Percentage of Uninsured Motorists. Southern Risk and Insurance Association Annual Conference, Charleston, South Carolina.
Kumazawa, R. (2010, June). The Effect of Increasing the Federal Minimum State Wage when State Minimum Wages Were Already Different. Western Economic Association Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon.
Kumazawa, R., Query, J. T., & Yanochik, M. A. (2009, July). Post-Hurricane Loss Valuation of Damaged Property. Asia-Pacific Risk and insurance Association Annual Conference, Beijing, China.
Kumazawa, R., Query, J. T., & Yanochik, M. A. (2009, January). Environmental Damage and Loss Valuation: Further Evidence from Hurricanes Katrina and Ike. Western Risk and Insurance Association Annual Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Kumazawa, R. & Yanochik, M. A. & (2008, February). Union Concentration and Inflationary Expectations in the United States. Academy of Economics and Finance Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee.
Kumazawa, R., Thomassian, J., & Kinnicutt, P. (2007, June). A Study of Freshmen Students' Outlook to Media Based Tutorials of MATLAB/JAVA in Computing for Engineers. American Society of Engineering Education Annual Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Kumazawa, R. (2007, February). The 'Living Wage' of Large Retail Companies versus the Federal Minimum Wage Law. Academy of Economics and Finance Annual Conference, Jacksonville, Florida.
Kumazawa, R. (2006). Promotion Speed of Navy Enlisted Personnel: Comparison of Traditional High School Graduates to Non-Traditional High School Graduates. Illinois State University Departmental Seminar, Normal, Illinois.
Kumazawa, R. & Payne, J. E. (2006, January). A Survey of Duration Models: An Application using Promotions of Navy Enlisted Personnel. American Economic Association, Boston, Massachusetts.
Kumazawa, R. & Payne, J. E. (2006, January). Capital Mobility and Felstein-Horioka Puzzle: A Re-Examination of LDCs. Georgia Southern University Departmental Seminar, Statesboro, Georgia.
Kumazawa, R. (2005). Promotions of Navy Enlisted Personnel Using Duration Models. Southern Industrial Relations and Human Resource Annual Conference. Savannah, GA.
Kumazawa, R., Park, J., & Query, J. (2005). Panel Data Analysis of Service Quality: Evidence from Homeowners Insurance. Association of Financial Services Annual Conference. Chicago, Illinois.
Kumazawa, R. (2003). The Effects of Heterogeneity of Marital Status on Welfare Participation. Illinois State University Departmental Seminar, Normal, Ill.
Kumazawa, R. & Seeborg, M. (2002). Effect of Marriage, Divorce, Separation and Children on the Relative Standard of Living of Young Men and Women. Western Economic Association Annual Conference, Seattle, WA.
Kumazawa, R. (2002). The Quality and Performance of Recent Navy Enlisted Personnel. Western Economic Association Annual Conference, Seattle, WA.
Kumazawa, R. (2017). Patenting in the Pharmaceutical Industry. In Prabu, S.L. and Suriyaprakash, T.N.K. (Eds.), Intellectual Property. InTech.
Kumazawa, R. (2012). The Effect of Organic Farms on Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Greenhouse Gases (Book 1). In Tech.
Kumazawa, R. (2010). Instructor's Manual (2nd edition) Accompanying Economics for Managers (2nd edition) by Paul Farnham: Prentice Hall.


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Cat Ljitter Furniture
Hideen Litter Box
Cat Urinating Indoors On Furniture? What To Do We're all familiar with conventional cat furniture - cat condos, litter boxes and feeders created to make the living effortless for our feline pals. Canines that consume cat litter from a litter pan are at higher danger of significant internal destroy & possibly even death. We are thrilled that the wonderful individuals from New Age Pet are allowing us to host a giveaway for a Litter Loo of your decision (size and color) and a Scoopy the Cat Litter Scoop Holder of your option of color as as portion of our 5th blogoversary celebration. The most essential cause why a cat stops using litter box is that the litter box might not be clean. Finally, just don't forget to keep your kitty's litter box and the area about the litter box, clean and fresh. Spraying can outcome from territorial disputes in between cats in the very same household. But the cat is not becoming poor on purpose and giving the cat away will only anxiety it out much more and could make it a target for abuse or neglect down the road. Hide your cat's litter box perfectly with this hider in the most versatile, white finish. Cats are fairly self-enough, as properly as intelligent, even so they are also curious, and you do not want to give them any effortless method for hurting themselves. It could be achieved, only if an sufficient investment is created in acquiring the necessary pieces of essential cat furnishings, specially contemporary cat furniture, and not just fancy cat furnishings, if they wanted to succeed in maintaining a cat off the furniture. A dirty litter box is not what most individuals want individuals to feel of when entering their residence. A very good tip for receiving your kitten to play with their post is to rub some catnip on it. (Note: The desire for catnip could not establish till they are older than six months.). You will still need to often reduce your kittens nails with a nail clipper made especially for cats. We also make bespoke pet properties such as dog kennels, bespoke garden furniture and offcourse bespoke Rabbit Hutches. Shop Petco's massive selection of the best cat litter boxes and pans to hold your kitty feeling fresh. Our on the internet superstore attributes higher quality cat furniture in every colour size and style Supplying custom created cat trees gyms and condos created to order! Not only is your unsightly litter box hidden ingeniously, but you can show images or books on the prime. As for an proper litter box you can get a doggie litter box at your local pet store or you can improvise. The interior panel and a staggered entrance avert litter from becoming kicked onto the floor. For a number of cats a great concept is to get massive storage bin and location litter inside. Dan believed There's got to be a much better way to deal with this ugly litter box and litter mess everywhere"! If outdoors cats are accountable, motion detectors that trigger sprinklers can be utilized to deter them from coming onto your home. Obtaining a hooded leading within the hideaway box provides so a lot protection and privacy for your cat. The ecoFLEX Habitat N' House Litter Loo is offered in two sizes as seen in the photo above. Your lovely cat will be safely comfort since you provide cat litter box furniture for her. Ikea Hacker has several house produced ones that have been hacked out of normal Ikea benches and cabinets. The kitty entrance doorway can be made on the left or the right of the cat furnishings - your selection. So, prior to purchasing such type of merchandise, make positive that your cat is willing to play or stay in the furnishings you are going to buy her or not. My cats will go from a chair up onto my desk, then climb successively higher from the printer to the leading of the fish tank to the leading of the refrigerator, ending up atop the armoire (I reside in a New York City studio, in case you happen to be asking yourself about the furnishings arrangements). The basic and rather compact traditional cat litter box is getting replaced by much bigger and more complicated automatic litter boxes that require electricity. It would surely amuse you to see your cat chasing the light across the room and over furniture. Accessible in a variety of finishes, the cat litter box enclosure can also double as a side table or nightstand. When you decide to switch out the old litter box, you want to take a handful of items into consideration. This Cat Washroom And Night Stand is an attractive way to hide that kitty litter box from sight, even though providing cat owners with a valuable and nice hunting piece of furnishings.
Refined Electric Litter Box
black litter box furniture litter box funiture
See Also
Litter Cabinet
Cat Litters Sales
Litter Boxe Furniture
Affordable Litter Box Furniture
Cat Hidden Litter Tray House
Cat Litter Box Furniture, Large
Cat Condo Plans
Automatic Cat Litter Box Furniture
Cat Litter Cabinet With Fan
Discount Cat Litter Box Furniture
Cat Litter Damages Furniture
Cat Litter Box Food Cabinet
Little Box Furniture
Cat Litter Box Furniture Enter Underneath
Cat Litter Box Covers Cheap


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Property to rent Fuengirola long lets
Fuengirola is a popular and buzzing resort in the Costa del Sol, in Spain. This is a favourite holiday destination for British and Spanish people alike. It is a bustling area with high-rise developments and caters for all types of groups, families and couples in particular. In fact, it is the third largest resort in the Costa del Sol. The town has come a long way from the start of the 1960's when it was a small fishing village with a population of just under nine thousand people.
Main Tourist Attractions
The main attraction of Fuengirola is its wide expanse of sandy beaches. As well as taking a well earned rest, there are a variety of watersports including diving, sailing, jet skiing and fishing. There is also a waterpark for the children to enjoy. Fuengirola is a perfect location for animal lovers; as well as its own zoo that houses over one hundred and forty species of animals, keen horse riders can take a trek or lesson at the nearby ranch. For history buffs, Fuengirola offers Solhail Castle, which is a magnificently preserved 12th century construction. Golfers will not be disappointed with the range of courses available at this resort. As well as this there are a number of sporting facilities and gyms. The shopping centre also houses a cinema.
Shopping Opportunities
As a popular resort, Fuengirola is filled to the brim with shopping opportunities. The town centre is reserved for the more traditional boutiques and shops for buying that authentic Spanish souvenir and arts and crafts. There is also the Miramar Shopping Centre which has a wide variety of shops selling perfumes, designer clothing, electrical goods and hardware. There are a number of charity shops in the town as well as the opportunity to pick up a bargain at one of the markets. Tuesday and Saturday morning markets offer goods such as bric-a-brac, furniture, antiques and second-hand clothing. A vibrant and enjoyable market is also held every Sunday offering items such as jewellery, local pottery and novelty items.
Eating out and Nightlife
Being one of the largest tourist destinations in the Cost del Sol, Fuengirola has no shortage of cafés, bars and restaurants to choose from. As well as the traditional Spanish dishes such as paella and tapas, you can dine on British, Chinese, Mexican and Italian cuisine. As many British ex-pats reside in the area you will find an abundance of British bars and pubs serving the all important Full English Breakfast or Sunday Roast.
Nightclubs and discos are a staple part of the Fuengirola nightlife; several clubs are open until the early hours of the morning. Discos and bars provide a mixture of live music and karaoke.
4 rentals found in Fuengirola, Costa Del Sol, Spain
Apartment in Fuengirola
Price: €900 (p/m)
Ref: R3406816
Town: Fuengirola
Type: Apartment
Beds: 3
Baths: 2
Very spacious and bright apartment in the notorius plaza de la hispanidad. 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms. great location close to all kinds of shops. few....
Apartment in Fuengirola
Price: €950 (p/m)
Ref: R3411445
Town: Fuengirola
Type: Apartment
Beds: 2
Baths: 1
Beachfront apartmet for sale in fuengirola. top loction for this apartment in fuengirola. 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. indipendent kitchen and living....
Townhouse in Fuengirola
Price: €1,600 (p/m)
Ref: R3340681
Town: Fuengirola
Type: Townhouse
Beds: 4
Baths: 2
In the area of torreblanca you can find this luxurious home for rent. if you want to spend an unforgettable vacation with all the comforts this is the....
Villa in Fuengirola
Price: €3,500 (p/m)
Ref: R2373365
Town: Fuengirola
Type: Villa
Beds: 6
Baths: 4
Detached villa with panoramic sea views, and views to the port of fuengirola. totally refurbished on the terrace there is a spectacular sea view,....
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text: Harrington Buy Back Centre (HBBC) is a hyper-localised recycling collections hub that provides a high-tech, professional and socially responsible recycling collection service. Simply put, we create opportunities for people in need through collecting recyclables from people like you. Our partnerships with organisations like K & C Waste, The Salvation Army, The Service Dining Room and TrashBack allow us to ensure a professional and reliable recycling service. Our technology provides a development tool for driven people who need income opportunities. It allows us to monitor all activity to ensure that a reliable service is provided to the organisations. This guarantees that the rewards go to those who deserve them.


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For untold aeons he searched and looked hither and thither, high and low... driven by the primeval, urgent, elemental urge to Seek. Seek what? Doesn't matter. Shaddup.
Lost, the Seeker sought.
Out of time, outside of time, high upon a craggy crag the Seeker encountered an elderly guru of dubious provenance, indeterminate gender and reproachable demeanour. Gnarled and nut-brown ze wast, perched cross-legged upon a shit-stained boulder, the smell of an oily rag emanating from zer ambiguous loins.
Jubilation rose within the Seeker's throbberous heart. Humbly on chafed knees approached he the Nut-brown. Then eyes downcast spake he demurely, saying:
"Oh wise one, wizened with wizdom, Mastress of the peaceful and wrathful deities, blessings upon thee to outnumber the very stars themselves. May thy radiance irradiate the very blackest corners of the Kosmos. Verily I quoth unto thee..."
"Oh fer Shiva-sake get on with it," spake the Guru, "or I'll quoth thee in thy blackest corners, where the sun never shines!"
"A trillion pardons, o' Lamp of the World" wailed the Seeker, "please forgive the inadequacies of he who abaseth himself before thee, asking for naught but that thee hearken unto he who beggeth to know how one unworthy even to suck the smegma from thy holy lingam, how such a rank and foul impurity might sully the righteousness of thine presence, and re-emerge, answered and yet invalidated, in the hithertude of transgression?"
Thus enquireth the Seeker of the creased and marbled Mastress, the garrulous guru, the sun-baked samurai of truth, of whom wast previously writ.
"Oh get a life!" responded the Gnarled One querulously, "How can I answer thee when thy very words throttle the very life out of their own meaning itself? Verily! Cease and desist. Thy earnest visage maketh me want to puke! Thy mewling bewilderment poisoneth mine spirit, maketh the magic to winketh out: one moment glittering and alive, the next dull and devoid of spark, unquickened as a rotting dodo. Mine soul shivereth in desiccation. Mine mind wreathed in miasma. Wreaths are mired in mine asthma," quoth the Nut-brown.
"Jeez, sorry for aksing," spake the Seeker unto the Gnarled One, then turned and ran down the highest mountain screaming, then dived into the deepest sea sobbing, then wondered the endless desert moaning.
The Mastress watched his departure…
eBooks by Cosmic Rapture
(for kindle, tablet, smartphone or e-reader.)
NIGHTMERRIES: THE LIGHTER SIDE OF DARKNESS. This so-called "book" will chew you up, spit you out, and leave you twitching and frothing on the carpet. More than 60 dark and feculent fictions (read 'em and weep) copiously and grotesquely illustrated.AWAREWOLF & OTHER CRHYMES AGAINST HUMANITY (Vot could be Verse?). We all hate poetry, right? But we might make an exception for this sick and twisted stuff. This devil's banquet of adults-only offal features more than 50 satanic sonnets, vitriolic verses and odious odes. MANIC MEMES & OTHER MINDSPACE INVADERS. A disturbing repository of quirky quotes, sayings, proverbs, maxims, ponderances, adages and aphorisms. This menagerie holds no fewer than 184 memes from eight meme-species perfectly adapted to their respective environments.MASTRESS & OTHER TWISTED TAILS. An unholy corpus of oddities, strangelings, bizarritudes and peculiaritisms, including but not limited to barbaric episodes of herring-flinging and kipper-kissing. A cacklingly bizarre read that may induce fatal hysteria. Not Recommended! FIENDS & FREAKS and serpents, dragons, devils, lobsters, anguished spirits, hungry ghosts, hell-beings, zombies, organ-grinders, anti-gods, gods and other horse-thieves you wouldn't want to meet in a dark cosmos. Immature Content! Adults Maybe.HAGS TO HAGGIS. An obnoxious folio featuring a puke of whiskey-soaked war-nags, witches, maniacs, manticores and escapegoats. Not to mention (please don't!) debottlenecking and desilofication, illustrated. Take your brain for a walk on the wild side. Leave your guts behind.


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Can you be in love with a paint? Because I might need to get married to the gilding paint I used for this necklace. It's silky and metallic, plus it comes in gold, silver, and brass, so you can make this necklace in your favorite metal finish. The only caveat is that it's not water soluble, and it's pretty smelly, so make sure to use plenty of ventilation and to have xylene paint thinner on hand for cleanup. Or you can do what I did and use 100% acetone nail polish remover to clean your brush–it does the job. Aside from the tricky clean-up, making your own copper bead necklace couldn't be easier.
Supplies & Tools:
Large wooden beads, 5 (I used some similar to these)
Suede leather cord (I used 3 feet)
Copper gilding paint (I used Martha Stewart Liquid Gilding)
Glossy sealer (I used Martha Stewart High Gloss Finish)
White acrylic paint or primer
Paint brush/foam brush
Screws that fit securely in the holes in your beads
Acetone nailpolish remover for paint cleanup (or xylene, another paint thinner)
1. Use a screw to hold each wooden bead while you paint it with a coat of primer, or plain white acrylic craft paint. Let the beads dry.
2. Paint the beads with a layer of copper gilding paint. Let it dry, then paint a second coat.
3. After your gilding paint is dry, seal the beads with a glossy clear sealer. Let the sealer dry.
4. Remove the dry beads from the screws, and string them onto the suede cord. Tie a knot near the end. Try on your necklace and adjust the location of the knot if necessary.
That's it! Now I'm off to find a way to use this gilding paint in every project from now on (kidding!).


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Jewelry Cleaning and Care
Makeup, lotions, and hand soap can all cause buildup on your jewelry over time. Products such as perfumes and hairspray can be damaging to pearls and other soft gemstones.
Home Cleaning of Gemstones
- Try a toothbrush and mild soap. This works well for most gemstones.
- Ammonia can be used on diamonds, sapphires and rubies.
- Pearls can be cleaned with a soft, lint-free cloth either dry or damp.
- Softer gems such as opals, lapis and coral can be cleaned with mild soap. They may lose luster over time but can be resurfaced.
If you have any questions about the cleaning and care of your jewelry feel free to contact us. Bring your jewelry by Skylight any time for a thorough cleaning.


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Technical Director for The Breadwinner Mark Mullery will deliver our first artists talk of The Breadwinner exhibition.
The Making of The Breadwinner will be an audio visual exploration of the making of the film, in a talk which Mark has delivered all over the world.
Join us at The Parade Tower on Wednesday 20th June at 1pm for this spectacular lunchtime talk. This is a free event, no booking is necessary.
This is the first of four artists talks by Cartoon Saloon artists and directors during The Breadwinner exhibition! Join us on Wednesday 4th July, Wednesday 11th July and Wednesday 18th July for further Cartoon Saloon artists talks. This is an exclusive look behind the scenes of the making of the film for Kilkenny audiences!
← Return to calendar


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How To Cook & Shop Sustainably From A Celebrity Chef
When chef Marcus Samuelsson started cooking, the delicious ingredient was the best ingredient. No questions asked. But today, in an age of conscious consumerism and everyday environmentalism, selecting the food we eat, from produce to dairy to meat, is an exercise in activism. "As a chef, I can get to delicious, but what's right is really important." The owner of seven restaurants including the acclaimed Red Rooster in Harlem, Samuelsson is also the youngest chef to receive a 3-star review from the New York Times and a recipient of the James Beard "Best Chef" award—which is all to say, he knows food and the ethics surrounding it.
Ethopian-born and Sweden-raised, Samuelsson spent his childhood summers catching crayfish and lobsters with his father and pickling fresh vegetables with his grandmother. Even now between his hosting gigs on Food Network and the demands of international expansion, he still plays a hands-on role in sourcing his restaurants' supplies. " Before it lands on my menu there are numerous questions I need answered," Samuelsson explained. "I want to know, where does it come from? How did it get here? How did the purveyor treat it?" Serving a meal made from responsibly grown or raised ingredients is part of being a great chef these days. "To be a good restaurant today is much more holistic, 360, than it once was." A meal is only great when its components are sustainable.
What can the home cook learn from Samuelsson's approach? "Actually a consumer at home with their family can do the same thing we do," says the chef. "You can ask your local restaurants are you using a local purveyor? You can ask your favorite store, your farmer's market, where did you get this? How did you grow this?" Informing ourselves and supporting local and sustainable businesses is a way we can strengthen ethical practices. "With the beauty of the internet you can ask more questions, even while you're watching T.V. As a consumer you have the power of being informed."
Embolden yourself to speak up the next time you dine out or grocery shop, then exercise your purchasing power for good.
Ready to learn more about how to unlock the power of food to heal your body, prevent disease & achieve optimal health? Register now for our FREE Functional Nutrition Webinar with Kelly LeVeque.


text: On Sat, 12 Apr 1997, Galen Hazelwood wrote: > Jason Gunthorpe wrote: > > Of course I'd much rather write Object Oriented C++ with clear evidence of > > communication and control than write Object Oriented C with nothing but > > comments to act as a guide. (I've long since given up on procedural C) > > You seem to be suffering from the delusion that C++ is an > object-oriented language. It's not. It's a _parody_ of an > object-oriented language. The only object-oriented dialect of C is > Objective-C, a beautiful and elegant language nobody knows about except > NeXT programmers. :( Java might be interesting, but until the gcc > front-end which turns Java into native binaries appears, it's not > practical for this sort of thing. Languages only help in the expression of object oriented programs, true OO design has to be created by the programmer and written into source code. I can do this in C, assembly, whatever. If C++ is OO or not is irrelavent because it makes expressing my OO creations easier than C. I'm sure some other language could do a better job though. As you said below, the linux kernel is a C program, but yet I would consider it OO to a fairly high degree simply because of the designs used in it. So with that said we could write our OO library in any language. However right now C++ is the one most of us are most familiar with and is also the language that I personally have a large base of source to get things started with. Jason


text: Hamilton Yu 0 Posted September 3, 2013 I'm currently studying film at NYU with a concentration in cinematography. I am very serious and passionate about it but I'm just not sure how I go down the path. My end goal would be to be a feature and commercial DP and I understand that it will take time and I am ready to work my way up but how do I get there? Right now I'm just shooting/gaffing/AC projects for others at Tisch and looking for freelance jobs and fashion films. Should I be working to join the Local 600 union? If so, as what? 1st AC? Does anyone have tips on getting more jobs? Finally, does anyone have any advice as to what equipment I should get. Currently, I have a DSLR with lenses, a shoulder rig, follow focus, and an 8" monitor. Thanks a lot for your answers Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Mount Evelyn fire brigade has celebrated over 70 years of protecting the community. We are now looking towards the future by building on the last 70 years with up to date appliances and equipment and training.
We are working in partnership with the community to make Mt Evelyn a safer place to live.
ABC Melbournelive streaming radio


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Hey, there.
I'm going to assume that if you're reading this, you're the sort of person who blogs. You write to survive. You write to sort the things out that are all jumbled and muddled in your mind.
I mean, it's possible that you write because you're a blissfully happy person. I know some people who write from the joy in their souls not every so often, but all the time. I love reading writing by such people.
The truth is that such is not the case for all of us. Most of us write because we are trying to sort things out.
So you, fellow writer. Or you, late-night surfer of the internet. Or you, subscriber–and you too, twitter followers. All of you writing wanderers like me. I have a message for you.
Whatever it is that does not make sense at the moment will one day resolve itself in perfect clarity.
Whatever thorn you've got in your foot on your journey will be removed.
And one day the pain will make sense. You'll see why. And the freedom that comes with the clarity is breathtaking.
If nothing else, learn from what has happened. Write because of it. Grow because of it.
Just wait. I can assure you, fellow wanderer, that it will all make sense.


text:
A1 Lonely Avenue 2:56
A2 Don't Even Kick It Around 4:26
A3 Salute To Ray Charles 5:51
A4 Barefoot Sunday Blues 3:35
A5 Island Blues 2:47
B1 I Spend My Life 3:42
B2 Act Like You Mean 2:23
B3 Sarah Jane 5:20
B4 The Train Won't Wait 3:02
B5 Come On Baby 2:30
Bass – Christopher White (tracks: A1, B2)
Bass, Cello – Eldee Young
Drums – Red Holt
Piano – Ramsey Lewis
Supervised By – Esmond Edwards
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Recorded At Rudy Van Gelder's Studio Englewood Cliffs. N.J. 8/20/63
Label: Cadet Records – LP-723, Cadet Records – LPS 723
This file is intended only for preview!
I ask you to delete the file from your hard drive after reading it.


text: China has warned the international community it had "no right to interfere" in the case of outspoken artist Ai Weiwei, who has been detained for investigation of unspecified economic crimes. Hong Lei, a foreign ministry spokesman, confirmed a state media report on Thursday that Ai was the subject of a police probe, and claimed that Ai's arrest was not a human rights issue. Ai, who helped design the Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium for the 2008 Beijing Games, was detained in Beijing on Sunday while trying to board a flight to Hong Kong and has not been heard from since. Western governments and rights groups have lined up in support of Ai but Beijing signalled it would not tolerate criticism from abroad. "Ai Weiwei is under investigation on suspicion of economic crimes," Hong told reporters during a briefing, refusing to comment on the nature of the alleged crimes. "It has nothing to do with human rights or freedom of expression," he said, in the first official Chinese comment on Ai's case. "Other countries have no right to interfere," added Hong, who later refused to answer further queries on Ai and abruptly cut the briefing short when the questions continued. Ai, who was born in 1957, is the latest of dozens of activists and government critics rounded up following online calls for demonstrations in China to emulate the "Jasmine" protests that have rocked the Arab world. The United States, France, Germany and Britain have joined Amnesty International and other groups in calling for Ai's release, with Jon Huntsman, the US ambassador, defending the artist in a Shanghai speech on Wednesday. In unusually blunt public comments, Huntsman - who will soon leave his post - saluted Ai, jailed Nobel peace laureate Liu Xiaobo and others who "challenge the Chinese government to serve the public in all cases and at all times". China typically uses charges such as subversion to put away government critics, as it did in Liu's case, but has also previously levelled accusations of various economic crimes such as tax-related offences to silence others. Police on Sunday also raided the Beijing studio run by Ai - a burly man with a distinctive wispy beard whose work is currently on display in London's Tate Modern gallery. The son of a poet revered by China's early Communist leaders, Ai has become a thorn in the government's side. He probed the collapse of schools in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, looked into a Shanghai high-rise fire last November that killed dozens, and says police beat him when he tried to testify on behalf of another activist in 2009. SOURCE: Agencies Asia Pacific US & Canada China France Germany


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I am happy to report that Sterolab continue to hold my attention after all these years. Fab Four Suture is a collection of 7"s and the b-sides from the last year. It shows the band continuing it's unique style, but IMO in a tougher fashion - more edge, a harded sound. This tune has all of their lovely trademarks - melody, vocal harmonies, horns, buzzing keys, and a boogie-riffic disco breakdown in the middle.
The Flaming Lips - The Wizard Turns On...
Here's a bit of instrumental psychedelic space boogie in slow motion from the Lips' latest, At War With The Mystics. Despite mediocre reviews I like it's assortment of new sounds and directions (I feel the spirit of Queen on several of the songs) and the fact that it doesn't sound like Yoshimi... part 2.
ZZ Top - Waitin' For The Bus
I was at the record store a few weeks ago and came across a remastered/expanded edition of ZZ's 1973 album Tres Hombres for cheap. I have always dug the tunes Jesus Just Left Chicago and La Grange, and this song kicks off the LP in spectacularly boogie-fied fashion. Just plain smokin' from start to finish.
News Item
The Rip It Up and Start Again compilation is released May 15th on V2.
Here's the tracklist:
* THE FALL — Fiery Jack
* DEVO — Praying Hands
* PULSALLAMA — The Devil Lives In My Husband's Body
* CABARET VOLTAIRE — Sluggin' For Jesus Part 1
* JOSEF K — Sense of Guilt
* SCRITTI POLITTI — PAs
* THE SLITS — Spend Spend Spend
* FATAL MICROBES — Violence Grows
* ROBERT WYATT — Grass
* SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES — Slowdive
* THE RAINCOATS — Only Loved At Night
* YOUNG MARBLE GIANTS — Choci Loni
* THE HUMAN LEAGUE — Dancevision
* THOMAS LEER — Tight As A Drum
* THE ASSOCIATES — White Car In Germany
* THE B-52s — Give Me Back My Man
* JOHN COOPER CLARKE — Beasley Street
* THE SPECIALS — Friday Night, Saturday Morning
* HEAVEN 17 — I'm Your Money
* THE BLUE ORCHIDS — Dumb Magician
Happy to see a few things I don't have here - all in all a damn cool sounding set of tunes!