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To the web pages of Plymouth Association of Wargamers, a wargames club based in the historic city of Plymouth, on the Devon and Cornwall border in the South West of England.
CLICK HERE for details of where and when we meet
- Details
- Published: 10 February 2011 10 February 2011
- Last Updated: 19 August 2015 19 August 2015
- Hits: 448000 448000
PAW Club Meetings Announcement
This is to inform all members past and present that until further notice there will be NO normal Sunday meetings at Blind Mans Wood.
I will email everyone on our mailing list once we know when we will be resuming regular club meetings. We will also post it on the PAW Facebook page, and on this site.
- Details
- Written by Derek Bartlett Derek Bartlett
- Published: 19 March 2020 19 March 2020
- Last Updated: 19 March 2020 19 March 2020
- Hits: 42779 42779


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Westgate Attack: Western Officials Fear More Terrorism in Kenya Capital
Foreigners' hangouts in Nairobi eyed by militants long before mall attack.
Sept. 26, 2013
WASHINGTON -- Hotels, restaurants, bus stations and a major supermarket popular with expats in Nairobi, Kenya, have been known by western intelligence services for the past year to be under terrorist surveillance, raising fears militants will strike again following the Westgate mall massacre, security officials told ABC News on Thursday.
"That is certainly a very big concern of ours," a U.S. counter-terrorism official in Washington told ABC News. "These targets have received a lot of attention, particularly after Kenya went into Somalia."
The Kenyan military's failure to dislodge the Westgate killers for five days has not inspired confidence among allies in their ability to safeguard other city hangouts frequented by foreign diplomats, security officials, tourists and business travelers alike, several U.S. officials said.
The attack inside the shopping mall -- which began Saturday and lasted through Wednesday, leaving at least 61 killed and dozens still unaccounted for in the rubble of the wrecked retail complex -- was perpetrated by Somali gunmen from al-Shabab likely with help from al Qaeda, officials also said.
Kenyan government forces have been active for more than a year fighting al-Shabab across its border with Somalia. Al-Shabab, which joined al Qaeda officially last year, has been known to operate with an affiliated group inside Kenya once called the Muslim Youth Center and now known as al-Hijrah.
Targets surveilled in Nairobi had included Westgate but also the Nakumatt supermarket, as well as hotels and restaurants popular with westerners in the city, the U.S. counterterrorism official told ABC News.
A former senior western security official who is based in Nairobi said the intelligence "wasn't specific" about a looming attack, but was worrisome to officials trying to anticipate "revenge violence" by a weakened but more dangerous al-Shabab.
"Chatter about commercial targets was picked up by intelligence services," the former security official in Nairobi told ABC News. "Other targets known to have been surveilled were mainly in the city center -- bus stations, the parliament and archives -- not big commercial targets like Westgate."
As a large FBI team of specialists from New York joined Kenyan officials sifting through the rubble-strewn carnage in the shopping mall on Thursday, some experts and officials said that the al-Shabab attack bore hallmarks of a sophisticated al Qaeda operation.
"While al-Shabab has not previously had a reputation for launching overly sophisticated attacks, various other al Qaeda groups certainly have," said Robin Simcox, a terrorism expert at the Henry Jackson Society in London. "It would not be a surprise if al-Shabab was now also embarking on increasingly well planned terrorist operations."
The slaughter of Kenyans and western shoppers in the upscale mall involved meticulous planning and clearly the pre-positioning of light machine guns, AK-type rifles and hand grenades, sources said. One Kenyan source said a retail space had been rented out for several months as a clothing shop to provide a place to stash the weapons in advance, so the attack cells could penetrate the mall without drawing attention.
"You don't just walk into that mall carrying large belt-fed machine guns and laden with grenades. It all had to be stored nearby," the U.S. counterterrorism official told ABC News.
The weapons likely were smuggled in piece by piece "over time," the U.S. official added.
Though al-Shabab, meaning "The Youth," has carried out hundreds of deadly attacks against Somali government and African Union troops and a few attacks inside Kenya -- including suicide bombings perpetrated by several American recruits -- none were comparable to Westgate.
Only a 2010 bombing of civilians watching the World Cup in Kampala, Uganda, which killed one American, rivaled the level of operational planning and security the Westgate attack had to have required, experts said.
Before the Uganda attack, al-Shabaab moved weapons across the border and operated safehouses in both Somalia and Kenya, a retired FBI agent involved in that investigation said.
"This operation [at Westgate] required guns, grenades and people – and lots of planning," the U.S. official said.
Despite Kenyan officials' statements that American recruits may have been involved in al-Shabab's weekend assault on Westgate, U.S. officials have maintained they have nothing to back that up yet.
At a briefing with reporters Wednesday, Attorney General Eric Holder said, "We don't have any verification that any Americans have been involved in the attack as attackers, and so we are still working with our Kenyan colleagues to get granularity and fidelity as to what the truth is to that matter."
A U.S. military expert on al-Shabab said new consideration must be given to al-Shabab as a threat to the West – including the U.S. homeland potentially – because al-Shabab has clearly "crossed the line on external operations" with Westgate, given its brazenness, sophistication and success.
"It's a wakeup call to western intelligence services," the military source told a ABC News.
ABC News' Mike Levine contributed to this report.

subset: commoncrawl


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Play now free mobile games on m.igroflot.ru
Loot the King
The legend of Robin Hood has inspired countless people. Now it is your turn to follow in the footsteps of Robin Hood and steal as much as possible from the King and give it to the poor.
Skill, Puzzle Games
Blue Box 2
Connect two blue blocks together to move to the next level! Remove other objects by clicking them, but dont drop the top blue block on the ground!
Puzzle Games
Fruity Annie
Fruits are blocked by branches. Use tools to help Annie collect fresh fruits! Total of 25 levels and 7 tools, all tools can be placed wherever you want! Just use your imagination to pass different levels!
Games for Girls
Coconut Beach
You are in paradise, enjoying the sun and sitting under a coconut tree. Suddenly you decide to collect coconuts by blowing them of the tree, let them role and bounce until they are finally in your basket. Puzzle your way through many interesting levels at Coconut Beach.
Puzzle Games, Skill


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Scientists Crack Genetic Code for Rare Cancer That Beset Steve Jobs
Jan 20, 2011 12:00 PM PT
Johns Hopkins University scientists have deciphered the genetic code for a rare type of pancreatic cancer -- neuroendocrine or islet cell tumor -- that Apple CEO Steve Jobs told the world he'd been diagnosed with back in 2004.
The discovery explains many of the cancer's troubling, highly variable properties and suggests new treatment approaches.
"This is big news," said Enderle Group Principal Analyst Rob Enderle, who, though he studies Apple, has never entirely understood Jobs' diagnosis. "I suspect that not only could this discovery impact the market for Apple's stock, but that it could also have a very positive impact on genetic and pancreatic tumor research generally."
Described online in the Jan. 20 issue of Science Express, the deciphered genetic code confirms an unusual property of the illness that Jobs himself had a hard time convincing markets and analysts to accept: that with this form of pancreatic cancer, he could still live a long time.
"I had a very rare form of pancreatic cancer called an islet cell neuroendocrine tumor, which represents about one percent of the total cases of pancreatic cancer diagnosed each year," Jobs wrote in an August 2004 email message. "It can be cured by surgical removal if diagnosed in time (mine was)."
Since then, Jobs has left Apple twice for medical leave, and appears unusually thin in public meetings, but is still very much alive and very much the beating heart of Apple innovation.
Unique Code
The newly deciphered genetic code is significant for four major reasons, co-investigator Ralph Hruban, M.D., professor of pathology and oncology and director of the Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center at Johns Hopkins, told TechNewsWorld.
For the first time, it clearly distinguishes between neuroendocrine islet cell pancreatic cancer and its famously fatal brethren, pancreatic adenocarcinoma. "These two cancer types have fundamentally different genetic codes," Hruban said.
The research also provides several so-called "prognostic markers" which can predict which patients and which treatments will fare best.
"One of the most significant things we learned is that each patient with this kind of rare cancer has a unique genetic code that predicts how aggressive the disease is and how sensitive it is to specific treatments," explained co-investigator Nickolas Papadopoulos, Ph.D., associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and director of translational genetics at Hopkins' Ludwig Center.
Thirdly, one of six patients with the rare cancer has genes that contain mutations in a gene called mTOR, making those patients candidates for treatment with mTOR inhibitor drugs, several of which, such as rapamycin and everolimus, are already in use.
It's not known if Jobs' cancer involved such a mutation, but the discovery may prompt his physicians to check.
"This is a great example of the potential for personalized cancer therapy," said Hruban. "The one of six patients who are most likely to benefit from a drug can be identified and treated, while patients whose tumors lack changes in the mTOR pathway could be spared the toxic side effects of drugs that may not be effective in their tumors."
Finally, the discovery has unearthed a "whole new genetic pathway" involved in causing cancer, Hruban told TechNewsWorld. "Cancer is fundamentally the product of genetic errors," he said. "To find such a new genetic pathway through researching a rare cancer is very exciting."
Personalized Therapy
The Johns Hopkins team investigated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in 68 men and women. Patients who had mutations in the MEN-1, DAXX and ATRX genes lived at least 10 years after diagnosis. More than 60 percent of patients whose tumors lacked these mutations, however, died within five years of diagnosis.
In experiments to identify the mutations, the researchers sequenced nearly all protein-encoding genes in 10 of the 68 samples, comparing the sequences with normal DNA from each patient. In other experiments, the researchers studied the remaining 58 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors to determine how often the mutated genes occurred.
Previously linked to many other cancers, the MEN-1 gene occurred in more than 44 percent of the 68 tumors. The DAXX and ATRX, not previously linked to cancer, appeared in 25 percent and 17.6 percent of the 68 study participants, respectively.
Those genes are part of the new genetic pathway Hruban said the researchers found.
All three genes impacted so-called "epigenetic" processes, such as how DNA folds and twists. Unlike genetic processes, epigenetic processes operate outside of genes. They also suggest potential future therapies.
"To effectively detect and kill cancers, it may be important to develop new diagnostics and therapeutics that take aim at both epigenetic and genetic processes," said co-investigator Kenneth Kinzler, Ph.D., professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and co-director of the Ludwig Center at Johns Hopkins.
As a major supporter of the research, the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation (CCF) is pleased with all the new findings. Carcinoids are rare, neuroendocrine tumors that normally arise outside the pancreas, but have many similarities to the cancer Steve Jobs has battled.
"We work very hard for patients with these rare cancers," CCF director Lauren Erb told TechNewsWorld. "If the interest in Steve Jobs can help get the message out, that's good news."


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Justin Bieber behaved like a spoiled, entitled little brat as he was being grilled in a lawsuit over his bodyguard.
The puny pop star sighed, rolled his eyes and seemed irritated at having to answer any questions about his hired muscle, who allegedly roughed up a photographer, according to footage posted by TMZ today.
- He was combative, telling an opposing lawyer: "I don't have to listen to anything you have to say."
- Bieber was sarcastic: "I don't know if I've ever been to Australia. Have you ever been to Australia?"
- He giggled like a schoolboy after being asked if he had ever "disciplined" his bodyguard: "Disciplined, what kind of question is that? Is he my son?"
- The pop star also came off sexist, calling an opposing lawyer Katie Couric: "Well, I don't know, Katie Couric, you tell me."
But Bieber wasn't laughing when he was asked about former flame Selena Gomez.
Lawyers for the plaintiff asked Bieber if he knows Gomez — and if they ever talked about their dealings with photographers.
Then, with a stone-cold, angry glare, Bieber said: "Don't ask me about her again."
As his lawyers and the photog's attorneys jostled over the question's relevance, Bieber kept repeating the line.
He said, "Don't ask me about her again," six times in total before both sides called for a break.
Bieber and Gomez have been on-again, off-again for years. They were last reported to be off-again early last year.
This videotaped deposition was marked March 6.
Bieber also seemed to resent being asked about the role Usher played in his career. The performer and producer Usher is widely credited with developing Bieber into the mega-star he is today.
When a lawyer asked if he knows Usher, Bieber was oddly nonchalant: "Yeah, Usher. That sounds familiar."
Then, when asked directly if Usher discovered him, Bieber took all that credit himself — with a hilarious vocabulary slip-up.
"I was found on YouTube," he said. "I think I was detrimental to my own career."
One of the pop star's lawyers could be heard in the background saying that he meant to say "instrumental."


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Dec 8, 2011
Dec 7, 2011
Comeback tour
So well Hello lovely people,
WOAH it has been, like, 4 months or so?! yes, well I'm not too good at all this bloggin' and stuff.. I basically keep Tumbln' around lately and therefore this blog got quite sad..
soooo just some random pics :)
1. my absolute Person of affection
2. best style
3. oh well, Nathan
4. Buffalo '66
5. Sox L. Cillian
6. day-dreams
7. what I will be doin' 1 year from now
Jul 18, 2011
I was featured on Overdose.am some time ago, but only saw the picture just some hours ago.
It was at the Grazia VIP evening and I was there with my lovely friend Kitty from Partyonmonday.blogspot.com. We saw some runway shows and bought some lovely stuff, especially the Amercian Vintage sections was all ours!
So thanks Overdose.am for featuring me!
xoxo Soxie Gal
Jul 13, 2011
Jul 8, 2011
Fairytale Love Ball
Natalia's Fairytale Love Ball for the naked heart foundation. She, just as all the other guests, look stunning!
Jul 7, 2011
Summer Vibes
Here are some random inspiration photos I enjoy lately. I really like Tumblr and my computer is starting to hate me for all the billion photos I'm saving. So here are some I wanted to share with you. As the weather sucks in Holland right now, I have to do it with the summer pics from internet!
2. Such a lovely outfit
4. The Best Cats On Earth
6. Eliot Sumner
7. I love the shint-caps
11. This man is awesome
14. This girl is awesome
Jun 4, 2011
Jun 2, 2011
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Go Tigers! In addition to a general attachment to several different animals, Auburn offers 4 great seasons and a vibrant campus culture. At Aspen Heights, it's our pleasure to partner with that historic culture and way of life.
Our goal for every resident is simple – the best possible student housing experience. We help deliver this with spacious, luxury-style homes, unbeatable amenities and concierge service. Watch our video and get a taste of what life is like at Aspen Heights Auburn.


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Extensions Template Manager Styles
From Joomla! Documentation
- 1 Overview
- 2 How to access
- 3 Description
- 4 Screenshot
- 5 Column Headers
- 6 List Filters
- 7 Toolbar
- 8 Options
- 9 Toolbar Links
- 10 Quick Tips
- 11 Related Information
This screen is accessed from the back-end Joomla! administrator panel. It is used to manage templates in your Joomla! website.
How to access
- Select Extensions → Template Manager from the drop-down menu of the Joomla! Administrator Panel. You can also select the 'Styles' menu link from the Template Manager: Templates screen.
The Template Manager: Styles screen is new to Joomla! 1.6. It allows you to manage template styles which you can then apply to your Joomla! installation. You can specify the default style to be applied to web pages in the public and administrator interfaces. You can also configure different styles for the various menu item web pages on your site. Styles allow to you have multiple different configurations of a template saved and then apply them on a site-wide or per-page basis.
Column Headers
Click on the column heading to sort the list by that column's value.
- Checkbox. Check this box to select one or more items. To select all items, check the box in the column heading. After one or more boxes are checked, click a toolbar button to take an action on the selected item or items. Many toolbar actions, such as Publish and Unpublish, can work with multiple items. Others, such as Edit, only work on one item at a time. If multiple items are checked and you press Edit, the first item will be opened for editing.
- Style. The style name. The default style that is installed with a new template will have '-Default' at the end of its name.
- Location. Whether the style is a public front-end or an administrator back-end style. 'Site' means it is a public front-end style. 'Administrator' means it is an administrator back-end style.
- Template. The name of the template which the style was derived from.
- Default. Whether or not the style is the default applied to pages which do not have a specific style configured. A gold star means the style is the default. There can be only one default style set for locations.
- Assigned. Whether or not the template is configured on a web page. A green circle with a white check mark in it means the style is being used on at least one web page of your site.
- ID. This is a unique identification number for this item assigned automatically by Joomla!. It is used to identify the item internally, and you cannot change this number. When creating a new item, this field displays 0 until you save the new entry, at which point a new ID is assigned to it.
List Filters
Filter by Partial Title
You can filter the list of items by typing in part of the Title or the ID number.
Filter. In the upper left corner just above the column headings are a Filter field and two buttons, as shown below:
If you have a large number of items in the list, you can use this filter to find the desired item(s) quickly. Enter either part of the title or an ID number and press 'Search' to display the matching items. You can type in whole words or part of a word. For example, "ooml" will match all titles with the word "Joomla!" in them. Click 'Clear' to reset filtering.
Filter by Location and Template
In the upper right area, above the column headings, there are two drop-down list boxes as shown below:
The selections may be combined. Only items matching all selections will be displayed in the list.
- Select Location. The location the template is used in - Site or Administrator.
- Select Template. The template which the style is derived from.
Number of Items to Display
Below the list you'll find:
- Display #. The number of items to display on one page. If there are more items than this number, you can use the page navigation buttons (Start, Prev, Next, End, and page numbers) to navigate between pages. Note that if you have a large number of items, it may be helpful to use the Filter options, located above the column headings, to limit which items display (where applicable).
At the top right you will see the toolbar:
- Make Default. Makes the selected item the default.
- Edit. Opens the editing screen for the selected item. If more than one item is selected (where applicable), only the first item will be opened. An item can also be opened for editing by clicking on its Title or Name.
- Duplicate. Duplicates the selected item.
- Delete. Deletes the selected item.
- Options. Opens the Options window where settings such as default parameters can be edited. See Options.
- Help. Opens this Help Screen.
Click the Options button to open the Template Manager Options window which lets you configure this component.
Buttons Common to All Tabs
- Save & Close. Saves changes and then closes the Options window.
- Save. Saves changes and keeps the Options window open.
- Cancel. Closes the Options window without applying changes.
Templates Tab
- Preview Module Positions. Enables the preview of the module positions in the template by appending tp=1 to the web address. Also enables the Preview button in the list of templates.
Permissions Tab
The "Permissions" tab, shown below, lets you specify who can perform each type of action on this component:
The tree on the left shows the hierarchy of user groups that are available on your Joomla! site. To view or modify permissions, click on a group in the tree.
The table on the right side of the window contains 3 columns:
- Actions. The various actions for which you can specify permissions for the currently selected user group.
- Component Settings. The permission option set at the component level, which can be changed with the dropdown control. Options are:
- Inherited. The permission for this group/action is inherited from the site's Global Configuration.
- Allowed. Allows this action for this user group and for child groups.
- Locked. Denies this action for this users group and for child groups.
- Calculated Settings. The effective permission, based on current options in the site's Global Configuration. Note: After making changes, Save options and open them again to view updated Calculated Settings.
Actions available in this component are:
- Configure. Grants users the right to edit this component's Options.
- Access Component. Grants users the right to open this component's main screen ("Manager" screen).
- Create. Grants users the right to create new objects (for example: users, menu items, articles, weblinks, and so on).
- Delete. Grants users the right to delete existing objects.
- Edit. Grants users the right to edit existing objects.
- Edit State. Grants users the right to change existing objects state (Publish, Unpublish, Archive, Check In and Trash).
For more information, please refer to:
Toolbar Links
At the top left, above the Filter, you will see the following two links:
- Styles. This link takes you to the screen you are currently on.
- Templates. Click this link to go to the Template Manager: Templates screen.
Quick Tips
- If you want to use the same Style for all of the pages on your site, you just assign one style as the Default. You can also assign different Styles to different pages.
Related Information
- To edit installed templates: Template Manager: Templates


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If you want to talk about your personal paperweight, you've found the right place!
Moderator: Moderators
Post Reply
10 posts • Page 1 of 1
Why is it that nobody brags about wine? or that it usually doesn't come preinstalled? It seems to be stable enough. Is it because of legal issues?
Wine is not noob friendly and although you can eventually get most things to run on it, it takes an aweful lot of trial and error and forum searching. Ive actually never heard of anything to just work by doing "wine autoinstall.exe" or whatever program launches the binary installer. No no no! You've got to follow steps 1 through 457.224423 to the letter and then go back and double check your settings and then pray to whatever entity you call God and then....maaaybe..
- Old Dear Hen
- Posts: 964
- Joined: Mon Nov 27, 2006 9:48
- Location: Land Down Under / Australia
- Contact:
Generally there is no legal issues so long as you have properly purchased any proprietary software. Also, you should read the "terms of service" on your software to ensure that you will not void any agreements by installing your software on Linux or even violate them.davbeck wrote:so no legal issues? thats what I needed to know.
That might be my problem then, as I am using 64 bit Sabayon.navman wrote:wine works a lot better on the 32bit OS than it does the 64bit OS
Well, that and the fact I am trying to run some pretty obscure programs.
And then there is the fact that I don't know what I am doing that might have a bearing on it
Post Reply
10 posts • Page 1 of 1


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Looks like Ridley Scott tried to keep all his FX bases covered when shooting Prometheus. A new batch of never-used effect shots shows off a new look for one of the Prometheus monsters. Spoilers ahead.
Sean Harris, who played the angry geologist with no interest in pursuing science, is eventually sprayed with alien goo that turns him into a super-strong monster who just wants to kill stuff and fold his body up into a crab (for reasons we still really haven't figured out).
But this new crop of CG effects shots over at Cineflex show a whole new look for Harris' character Fifield. This reminds us a little of Senator Robert Kelly's bloated jellyfish look from X-Men .
Cineflex elaborates on how these images came to be:
"To mutate Fifield beyond what was possible using practical makeup effects, Weta Digital generated a digital character with elongated limbs and an engorged, transluscent head, incorporating a semblance of Harris' face. Scott filmed the sequence both with the actor in makeup and without, providing clean plates that would allow for the insertion of the digital character. The final cut featured mostly makeup effects, which Weta enhanced with digital wire removal, bullet hits, and one shot of the digital creature's body blended to the actor."
And of course, here is the actual make-up they used. Yikes.
This is the first time we can honestly say, we're happy with this decision made in Prometheus. The goo monster wouldn't have fit in the very visceral and dirty world Scott created. The images were apparently discovered amongst the caverns of bonus footage on the new Prometheus DVD.


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- 1 Embossing Folder or dry embossing of some sort
- 1 or more die or punch
- 1 ribbon, twine, string or something of the like
- 1 button
- Use glitter or some sort of sparklies
Have a great week!!
DESIGNS BY NINA: Scrapping, Cards, Paper Art, Art, Life - It's just what I do best
This is so adorable, I love the polka dot scarf.
You've colored up the little owl perfectly! I love his polka dot bandana - a really adorable card!
How adorable cute, Nina! Love it! Nilla


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Cards patient with top prospect Taveras' recovery
ST. LOUIS -- Top prospect Oscar Taveras, who continues to rehab from a high right ankle sprain in Florida, is not expected back on the field for at least another week.
The decision to have Taveras halt all running was made after a member of the medical staff read a mid-week MRI taken of Taveras' ankle. Taveras last played on Monday, when he had two plate appearances during a Minor League rehab game with the Gulf Coast League Cardinals.
Taveras has been dealing with this ankle injury since May 12. He missed nearly a month, returned for 15 games with Triple-A Memphis and then landed back on the disabled list as discomfort continued.
"We probably should have been a little bit more patient, not trying to get him back on the field for the sake of getting him back," general manager John Mozeliak said on Saturday. "We probably should have waited until he was 100 percent."
When healthy, Taveras has been productive. In 46 games with Memphis, Taveras hit .306 with 12 doubles, five homers, 32 RBIs, 25 runs scored and five stolen bases. If he incurs no further setbacks with the ankle, Taveras should be able to play at least one more month before the Minor League season ends in September.
Whether or not Taveras will get strong consideration for a September callup to the Majors will depend upon how much longer he is sidelined and how he performs once he returns.
"Obviously, he has lost a lot of at-bats, but when he has played, he has performed," Mozeliak said. "I think the simple way to look at it is just lost playing time. I don't think that diminishes his talent or how we look at him in any way."


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Photo by Adriano Ferreira Borges
The small northern Portuguese city of Braga prides itself on having a hundred ways to prepare cod; it also seems to have at least one church for each recipe. Locals are quick to tell you about their football stadium, a threatening monolith carved into the side of a rock, referred to by Barack Obama when he handed its architect the Pritzker Prize earlier this year. It is the oldest city in the country and was home to the Archbishop who bent a Prince's ear and instigated the state's succession from Spain in the twelth century. And for one weekend in November, Braga was the world capital of electronic music, proclaimed such by one of Portugal's most respected broadsheets.
The reason for the city's brief reign was Semibreve Festival, an acutely programmed audio-visual showcase for some of the finest electronic musicians working today. In the event's first edition, organisers assembled an impressive cast of performers and placed them in a pair of stunning venues. It was an excellent ploy, one garnering an impressive turnout and the beginnings of an exceptional reputation.
A series of discussions and talks in a thousand-year-old monastery on the edge of town acted as a curtain-raising event for the weekend's thrills. In front of a small but engaged audience, Portuguese laptop performer Vitor Joaquim began proceedings by presenting what amounted to a thesis derived from the central paradox of going to see (rather than hear) music. It set off some heating debate, neatly put to bed by electronic pioneer Hans-Joachim Roedelius's assertion that his music speaks for itself.
That is exactly what it did the next night, as Qluster - Roedelius's recent collaboration with analogue whizz Onnen Bock - were first on stage in the beautiful Theatro Circo, a kind of Iberian Carnegie Hall in the town centre. Ambient textures ebbed and flowed, occasional sequenced rhythm patterns undercutting the meandering sense of drift. The sonic palette Roedelius has engaged with since the late-1960s were fully in evidence - glacial murmurs, oceanic pulses, futuristic drones – and he twice added some acoustic force, taking to the venue's extremely grand piano to eek out subtle melodic lines. The performance was well-matched by visuals from Viennese duo Luma.Launisch that built cryptic pictures from the simple situations like seaside holidays and parks in full bloom.
Next up, a duo consisting of American Taylor Deupree and German Stephan Mathieu had steadfastly refused to perform with any visual accompaniment, but nonetheless made a startling visual impact in the downstairs studio space. Each dressed all in black with their bald pates lit by a single spotlight they looked a pair of monastic twins. Their music, a gracious drone gradually bent and shaped while prodded by subtle electronic interventions, was equally singular and equally striking.
Jon Hopkins' schizophrenic set bestrode skittering beats, tumbling basslines and delicate Satie-like miniatures. He was another musician utilise the piano, this time in a manner peculiarly effective in such reverent surrounds. He shifted between full blown banging beats and unaccompanied piano tunes in much the way Aphex Twin did a decade ago with drukQs. Live this would appear an even greater challenge, but the consistence of his output - in a set largely culled from his 2009 album Insides - saw him achieve it with aplomb. His dexterity at the keyboard, demonstrated on gentle harmonies of 'Small Memory', was equally in evidence as his fingers danced balletically across the electronic equipment he had laid out. He built a head of John Carpenter arpeggios, tumultuous rhythms and driving melodies, at times nursing triple threat of bass feeds - no sooner were they all at full health than he alternately muffled each to maintain a perpetually renewed bass rush. Suitably the visuals began with a stream of multicoloured spatters resembling Rorschach tests - I saw bulls, blindfolded ninjas and fedoras, but then again I'm psychologically damaged.
In front of intense walls of light from Portuguese video artist p.ma, Fennesz unfurled a dense cloud of noxious static on the second night, filling the assembled ears with the extraordinary sounds he conjures from guitar, effect boxes and Macbook. A true original, his unique music - guitar processed to the brink of infinity – was a waking dream. When the glorious clear riff from 'Liminal' (from his recent Seven Stars EP) broke through he attained a peak of beauty in a performance that made 45 minutes pass like a blink and left an audience eager for more.
Portuguese act Blac Koyote's had an unusual set up featuring two laptops and two percussionists, but successfully maintained a perfect equilibrium between each. Admirably, the drummers were as happy to remain silent as to produce a fully formed freak out, and the quartet's breezy electronica, reminiscent of late-period FSK, was an unexpected delight over a series of honed post rock workouts concluding in an all out battering of skins.
In the year his label, Raster-Noton, has been celebrating its 15th birthday Carsten Nicolai, aka alva noto, has unleashed perhaps his finest output with the album univrs and its accompanying live show. The visuals - real time manipulated imagery individuated for each track and presented like components on a motherboard - merely confirm the meticulousness with which the whole was created. Exploiting the glitches and elements a nod to sub-bass along with minimal's standard armoury, his sustained assault of manipulated rhythm was alive with ideas. Amongst the many highlights, 'uni acronym' sees Anne-James Chaton's mechanical intonations of an alphabetical list of three-letter acronyms throwing up some unexpected collisions ("KFC, KGB, KLF") as each accompanying logo flickers across the screen. The imminently danceable set may seem more appropriate to an industrial warehouse than a cosmopolitan concert hall, but it is still a stunner.
The final night saw early performances from just two acts. Calling themselves Filament, Vitor Joaquim and Madeiran visual artist Hugo Olim sampled spoken words from John Cage and news reports of French high-wire artist Philippe Petit, and visuals grabbed from an onstage microscope. Lyrical hums gave was to claustrophobic atmospherics and on to frozen warnings. The combination felt occasionally over thought, but a series of light triggers laid across the stage produced a pulsating finale.
Murcof arrived with a well-tested three dimensional light show from AntiVJ: a monochrome projection of lines unfolding into never quite defined monsters. It was an impressive sight which the music - calm sonic flows sometimes bestrode by regulated pulses - seem no more than an accompaniment, a soundtrack. The festival, it seemed, had come full circle: was this music that you couldn't just hear but were also required to see?
All of which is to say that Semibreve is proved cut above the average first time fest. With added installations and series of oddball additional onsite performances (artist Vitor Lago Silva strange robotic act in what he calls a "Wireless Sensitive Suit" the most memorable) showing the inquisitive nature of the programmers, it proved a place to think as well as lapse into musical reverie. Wilfully intellectual, superbly run, and with a passion in everything it did, Semibreve deserves the accolades of the Portuguese press and a regular place in the wider world's musical calendar. Braga now has one more thing to be famous for…


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That's the ladder shelf, a lightweight storage solution that's about as simple as it comes: two uprights and five shelves designed like trays. A ladder shelf can turn a room into a library, transform a cluttered corner into a home office or ease the chaos in a laundry room. Bang it together out of plywood and construction lumber and it suits a garage, workshop or utility room.
What I like best about this project is that it's so easy to build. An experienced person can tackle it in a weekend, a novice over the course of several days. The payoff is about 21 square feet of easily accessible storage space with a remarkably small footprint. Just fasten the shelf to a wall stud and you're ready to turn clutter into order.
Ladder Shelf Plans (PDF, 1.3MB, requires Adobe Reader)
Construction and Materials Notes:
Grooves: Each groove is 3⁄8 inch deep by ½ inch wide. Locate each ¼ inch from the bottom edges of the side splashes and backsplashes. Stop the grooves in the side splashes 5⁄8 inch from the front edges.
Nails, Screws, Brads: Five 1¼-inch finishing nails go through each top, bottom or spacer block into the uprights.
Use three 2-inch finishing nails to nail each rear corner of a side splash to a backsplash. As required: Hammer 1¼-inch finishing nails through the side splashes into the shelf bottoms.
Five 1¼-inch flat-head screws go through each side splash into the upright.
As required: Use ¾-inch brads for the edge banding on the shelves.
Misc.: You'll also need sandpaper, glue, primer and topcoat.
- 2 ¾" x 4" x 76" poplar (upright)
- 2 ¾" x 4" x 14" poplar (top block)
- 8 ¾" x 4" x 9" poplar (spacer block)
- 2 ¾" x 4" x 6" poplar (bottom block)
- 5 ¾" x 6" x 32½" poplar (backsplash)
- 2 ¾" x 4" x 123⁄8" poplar (side splash)
- 2 ¾" x 4" x 153⁄8" poplar (side splash)
- 2 ¾" x 4" x 18" poplar (side splash)
- 2 ¾" x 4" x 21" poplar (side splash)
- 2 ¾" x 4" x 24" poplar (side splash)
- 1 ½" x 113⁄8" x 33¼" birch plywood (shelf bottom)
- 1 ½" x 143⁄8" x 33¼" birch plywood (shelf bottom)
- 1 ½" x 17" x 33¼" birch plywood (shelf bottom)
- 1 ½" x 20" x 33¼" birch plywood (shelf bottom)
- 1 ½" x 23" x 33¼" birch plywood (shelf bottom)
- 5 3⁄8" x ¾" x 32½" poplar (edging)
Step 1: Make the Uprights
Each upright is a continuous piece of lumber with six spacer blocks glued and nailed to it. The shelves fit snugly between these blocks.
Cut 78-degree angles on the bottom of your uprights to allow them to lean against the wall.
Step 2: Make the Uprights
At the top of these pieces, cut 12-degree angles, and then mark and cut the decorative curves.
Step 3: Make the Uprights
Next, use a router and a 3⁄8-inch-radius cove bit to cut the cove on both front edges of the uprights and of the stock you're going to cut into spacer blocks.
Most of these blocks are 9 inches long, but the bottom blocks are 6 inches and the top ones on each side are 14 inches—those top pieces get the same curve as the uprights.
Step 4: Make the Uprights
Once that work is done, crosscut the blocks. Glue and nail them to the uprights using a piece of wood the width of your shelves as a spacer.
Step 5: Build the Shelves
Rip and crosscut the stock for the side and backsplashes of the shelves. Use a router and edge guide or a router table to cut the grooves in these pieces to seat the shelf bottom. Finish the side splashes by cutting the 4-inch-radius curve on their fronts, and cut the eyebrow curve on each backsplash.
Step 6: Build the Shelves
Next, rip and crosscut the bottoms. To assemble a shelf, squeeze glue into the stopped groove in each side splash, push the shelf bottom into the groove and nail through the side splash and into the bottom. Do the same on the opposite side, then slide the back on. Finally, use glue and brads to apply the front edging strip.
Next, prime, sand and apply two coats of paint to the pieces. But leave bare the gaps between the spacer blocks, where the shelves go.
Step 7: Join Shelves and Uprights
To assemble the unit, lay an upright on the floor, and bore pilot holes through the inside of a side splash and into the side of the upright. Turn this subassembly over and repeat the procedure for the opposite upright. Note that you should screw a ½-inch plywood spacer to the back of the top shelf to keep the shelves from touching the wall. That way, a bulge in the wall won't prevent the ladder shelf from being fastened securely. Allow for this ½-inch spacer by offsetting the back of the top shelf ½ inch from the back edge of the uprights. Align the lower shelves with the top shelf.
To install the unit, place it against the wall and check for level. Bore pilot holes through the back of the top shelf and into a wall stud. Drive in a pair of 3-inch drywall or trim-head screws.


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Deal volumes still strong despite market uncertainty
World M&A markets are proving resilient in the face of increased global volatility, with more than 20,000 M&A transactions announced in the first half of 2016.
Global deal volumes are 5% down on last year's all-time high for acquisition activity, according to new data from Thomson Reuters.
The impact of risks such as the UK's decision to leave the European Union, ongoing unrest in the Middle East, and recessions in key emerging markets, have led to a more subdued deal landscape in recent months.
However, the market fundamentals driving deal activity are still in play, and good businesses are still selling across diverse sectors. Current key M&A drivers include the ageing population in developed markets driving healthcare innovations, the greening of the energy sector, and the disruptive role of technology across most industries.
Europe accounted for 34% of deal activity in the first half of 2016, with North America generating 27% share, Asia Pacific 27%, and the rest of the world accounting for 12%.


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Palestinians briefly hold group of Jewish settlers
KARYOUT, West Bank (AP) — Palestinians on Tuesday chased and grabbed more than a dozen Israeli settlers who witnesses said had attacked Palestinian farmers near a West Bank village.
The settlers were held for about two hours at a house under construction before being handed over to the Israeli military. During the standoff, the settlers huddled near a wall of the house, several bleeding from the head, and one was lying on the ground.
By the time Israeli soldiers arrived, the crowd surrounding the settlers had grown to about 200 people, an AP photographer said. People kicked and spit at the settlers as they were led away by soldiers.
Human rights groups have reported an increase in attacks by militant settlers on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank in recent years. However, Tuesday's incident appeared to mark the first time settlers were captured and held by Palestinians.
The Israeli military said it had received word of a stone-throwing clash between settlers and Palestinian farmers and that it later evacuated 11 settlers with light and moderate injuries from the building.
The incident began at about 10:30 a.m. near the West Bank village of Qusra, southeast of the city of Nablus, said Ziad Odeh, the Muslim prayer leader in Qusra and a member of the village council.
He said about 25 to 30 settlers, many of them masked, attacked Qusra farmers in an olive grove with sticks and stones, injuring a Palestinian boy in the head. A clash ensued, farmers called for reinforcements and about 100 youths arrived from the village, Odeh said.
The settlers ran away and the villagers gave chase, said Odeh and another witness, village resident Abdel Hakim Wadi.
They said several of the settlers sought cover in the building under construction, located on the edge of the village of Karyout, about four kilometers (2.5 miles) from Qusra.
Villagers grabbed them however and turned the building into a holding area where they also put other settlers they chased down in the area, Odeh said.
Some of the settlers were tied up, and most had signs of beating injuries, according to an AP photographer at the scene.
Odeh said the beatings stopped after the settlers were seized.
"When they were caught, they were beaten, but after we brought them to the building, we did not let anyone beat them," said Odeh, adding that the captives were given water and bandages for their wounds.
Odeh said the settlers involved in the attack on the Qusra farmers were in their late teens and 20s.
The military said the chain of events apparently began after Israeli authorities removed an illegally built structure in Esh Kodesh, a rogue settlement in the area.
In recent years, militant settlers have often responded to any attempts by the Israeli military to remove parts of dozens of rogue settlements, or outposts, by attacking Palestinians and their property.
The tactic, begun in 2008, is known as "price tag."
Villages in the area have repeatedly come under attack by militant settlers, said Odeh, adding that assailants also set fire to four area mosques in the last three years.
A U.N. monitor says that from 2006 to August 2013, there were 630 settler-related attacks on Palestinians and 1,344 attacks on their property, with the pace of incidents rising since 2008. In all, 10 Palestinians were killed and 1,040 injured in such attacks, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
During the same period, 29 Israeli civilians were killed and 368 injured by Palestinians in the West Bank, OCHA said.
In other developments Tuesday, a key political ally warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would quit the coalition government if Israel recognizes its pre-1967 war frontier as a starting point for border talks with the Palestinians.
Such recognition is expected to be part of a proposed framework for a peace deal to be presented by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in coming weeks. Kerry returned to Washington on Monday after a mediating mission that included meetings with Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in 1967, but are ready to accept some modifications that would enable Israel to keep some of its settlements.
Netanyahu has so far refused to accept the 1967 frontier as a baseline for negotiations or consider a partition of Jerusalem — at least in public.
Naftali Bennett, head of the pro-settler Jewish Home party, a key coalition member, warned Netanyahu against softening his position.
"The lines of '67 mean a partition of Jerusalem," Bennett said in comments carried on Israel TV's Channel Two. "We will not sit in a government that because of international pressure endangers the future of our children and divides our capital."
Earlier, the U.S. ambassador to Israel said Kerry's framework proposal will be presented to both sides in a few weeks.
Dan Shapiro told Israel Radio that the proposal will include security arrangements, borders, Jerusalem and all the other "core issues."
Associated Press writer Mohammed Daraghmeh and Karin Laub in the West Bank contributed to this report.


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Get ready for a doozy I was eatin lunch the other day, when I came up on this little cutie, with a skirt on! I happened to notice, that her skirt was flyin up in the air from the wind, and she had no panites on! Now, thats a girl for me!!! I cruised up on her, and started talking shit she sounded down, so I figured I could bring her up, and she could bring my Johnson up! Wait till u see her work that shit!
Peter Paul, Melanie


text:
Safeway Inc. has named company president Robert Edwards as its new CEO, to succeed Steven Burd when he retires in May.
The supermarket chain announced in January that Burd would retire this spring after more than 20 years with the grocer.
Edwards, 57, has served in a number of leadership positions since joining the company in 2004. Before Safeway, Edwards was a senior executive with Maxtor Corp., Imation Corp. and Santa Fe Pacific Corp.
Burd has been CEO of Safeway since 1993 and was named chairman in 1998. Edwards will join the board upon taking his new position.
Safeway said that T. Gary Rogers, the company's lead independent director, will become non-executive chairman following Burd's retirement.
The company, based in Pleasanton, Calif., operates 1,638 stores in the U.S. and Canada.
Shares of Safeway rose 20 cents to close at $23.51 amid a broad market rally and added three cents in after-hours trading following the announcement.


text:
Morning, Day of the Tentacle fans!
Here's a little something readers David and Sarah Cousens (of the excellent Cool Surface) whipped up to brighten up your Tuesday.
If it brightens it up too much, well, you shouldn't have come this far. It's Day of the Tentacle fan art we're talking about here. It was always going to be a little wacky.
Day of the Tentacle - Animated! [Cool Surface]
You can contact Luke Plunkett, the author of this post, at email@example.com. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and lurking around our #tips page.


text:
Songs on iTunes Top 100 chart had a significant dip in chart position if the price went up to $1.29 last week. This conclusion is based on analysis of chart positions by Billboard immediately following the introduction of multiple pricing tiers in the iTunes Store. Though early analysis suggests that the higher price can mean significant drops in unit sales, many songs may make up the difference in increased revenue due to the higher price.
Industry song-ranking stalwarts Billboard took a look at the iTunes Top 100 chart for the two days following the launch of tiered pricing on the iTunes Store. Over that two-day period, songs priced up to $1.29 tended to drop in chart position, an average of three places. Songs priced at 99� tended to rise two positions.
Of course, with a 30 percent price increase, that means that some songs may be more than making up the difference in the lost sales. For a song to start feeling a negative impact on revenue, it would have to lose 23 percent of unit sales. At the lower end of the chart, differences in chart position rarely account for more than a few percentage points difference in unit sales, so the increase in revenue is mostly a net positive. However, chart positions in the top 10 can have enough of a difference to actually result in a net loss of revenue.
The changes in sales due to pricing suggest to us that the 99� price point is still easy to justify in the mind of a consumer for a casual purchase. If you heard a popular song on the radio, on TV, or in a movie, it's easier to click on "Buy Track" at 99� than $1.29. Further analysis is needed, however, to see if the higher prices affect consumer buying patterns in the long run.


text:
Mobile Friendly Chip Load Calculator - Check Out the New GDP|GUHDO
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new vs used CNC advice4/18
Hey guys,
My business partner and I recently formed our company 4 months ago. We started out in a small 900sq ft shop and have now moved into a 3500sq ft shop. My background is in custom cabinetry while his is in metal work. We have primarily been doing custom desks, tables, built in cabinetry, railings, gates, furniture. Recently we have become linked up with a plastic injection molding company (my business partners father is friends with the owner of the factory).
So we have this job opportunity to finish 5000 plastic models with an end total of 20000 units. That's the finishing portion that we have already been contracted to do in our new finishing booth. Great.
The second part of the job that was offered to us was to machine the same number of display bases. The parts are 1" thick, 20" diameter particle board circles with 2 holes milled for mounting the models.
The thinking is that we buy a cnc to mill all of the circles, get us through the job, I would use it to process the cabinetry jobs that continue to come in, and have a machine for the next display job, and eventually upgrade it when the time is right.
Being that we are 4 months old and have no credit history we can forget about financing a 130-200k system. I contacted SCM, CR Onsrud, KOMO, biesse, stiles/weeke, Thermwood for quotes.
That essentially leaves us with the used market and trying to get a high interest loan for a lower priced machine that will be paid for by the job. We were looking at a used Multicam MG205 and a KOMO I'm waiting to hear back on from the rep at KOMO. Downsides being no warranty, no idea on machine use/abuse other than run time hours, most systems are not operational or they are out of state for inspection, no idea on problems with the machine or what is about to break down, overall quality of the system.
Is it worth it to go the used route to save money?
The only feasibly priced, brand new machine I have been offered was the SCM Pratika300. I won't list the price here, but for the amount on that machine we can secure a loan and pay it off completely with the first order of 5000 units. It is a lot more than I would be paying for the used system we are looking at, but it's also a new machine, comes with warranty, set up/ training, reputable company, ready to ship.
Having never dealt with any of these systems I have no bearing to make a sound decision. My gut tells me pay more and buy the Pratika300. Use it as an entry cnc and continue to for years to come until we outgrow it as a company.
I was hoping someone on here might have had experience using or owning one that could give me some insight on it.
I'll be honest; Purchasing a CNC for 1 job seems like a risky proposition. Even if you think you may use it in the future, there are many other costs to consider than just the initial price.
Electrical, dust collection, tooling, software and training all add up quickly. If I was in your shoes, I wouldn't expect to be fully up and running for at least 3 months, likely longer. I'm speaking of the point where you are confident in your programming and machines ability to take on work.
Also, the difference in productivity between the smaller CNC machines and a large work horse can be substantial.
Have you considered outsourcing such work to a shop with a good CNC already? Several shops take on work like that, ours included. You'll likely still make a good bit on the project, which you'll have in your hand to invest in a CNC later if you still choose to. Good luck in your decision.
Thanks for the input Gary,
The first thing we did was look to outsource this portion of the job. We had responses back that it wasn't worth their time to running $75k for the first 5000 discs to be cut including material ($15 per unit). It was after that that we thought, well hell we might as well get a machine and put it to work. The end total on this is 20,000 units.
We would pay for the machine, bank a good amount of money, I would have a system for running cabinetry, and eliminate the need for some secondary process machines. As well as be set up for the next display job that is coming after this one. That one is being finalized, but its going to be a similar situation of finishing and cutting bases.
I hear you on the lead time for getting a system set up though. Dust collection, pneumatics, electrical, training. It's a lot and not a whole lot of time to get moving on it. It's hard to walk away from that kind of money for relatively easy work.
This is raw 1" PB? A 20" disc with two holes?
If you're willing to email me the specs I'd be happy to quote it. We are pretty good at component work.
Yes, this is raw PB (flake) that will be completely covered (not seen at all). Does not need clean edges. 2 holes milled for mounting.
I've bought three used cnc's with very good luck. The first was a big iron Northwood and the last two are Omnitechs. All were low hour and the price was right. The few times we did need support we went with an independent tech and it worked out great.
As Gary B pointed out there other costs involved.
I like your thinking that the big project will pay for the machine, or in reality maybe a good prtion of it, and still have the cnc for future use.
Gary B,
shoot me an email with your contact info. We are aware we might have to send this work out if we cannot get our own cnc in time.
How did you go about buying your systems? Did you go through one of the auction sites, one of the companies that buy/flip/ or help owners sell their machines?
In the rare instance I come across a machine that is within driving distance and is actually hooked up. Most of the listings the machines are all disconnected. Also, did you get your machines with a computer and software or did you have to purchase that separately? Software expense is a serious kick to the balls, but we square up and take it because it hurts so good.
I should say we do have a CNC plasma cutter for metal fabrication so we are familiar with drawing/nesting sofware. We run SigmaNest for the metal side and it's great and only took us a couple of days to figure out. I have not tried the cabinet based software. I haven't had a need to.
How was your transition? Would you say it was relatively simple to pick up or did you guys do the training courses? Learn as you go sort of thing?
I bought all of my cnc(s) and most all of my other used equipment through a local trusted dealer. They deal in new and used machines. They either rig and move the stuff themselves or arrange it to be done. They deal nation wide. I bought the Northwood, which came from Arizona, (I'm in Iowa) sight unseen except for pictures The Omnitechs were local so I viewed them in action first. Most of my other used equipment (3 head widebelt, ripsaw,edgebander, ect) was bought site unseen except for pictures through my dealer.
Buying used scares some people but has worked out well for me. To me support isn't an issue because the manufacturer will still help out in most cases and there are plenty of very good independent techs to help out also.
Software expense is a kick in the balls and so is the leaning curve. Ours did not come with the cnc. In your case I think you can get by with a minimal understanding of the software to get your discs cut. In the mean time you can play with it and get to know it better for other jobs. We used ours (CV) for almost a year before we took training and that helped out a lot.
The transition for us was not bad but nine years later we are still learning. "Learning" the cnc was easier than leaning the software but they go hand-in-hand.
Gary, I thank you for your insight.
Were you nervous the first time or every time? All I can think about is will this machine truly bring me a return on investment after this job? In your experience with the first machine, did you already have a steady work load coming in that this was the right time for the jump with minimal risk involved?
For us the CNC plasma was a risk and we took it. The machine is bringing in steady work through custom jobs. In between parts and custom jobs we use it to develop our line of standardized designs; from lamps, table bases, chairs, railings, so on.
I was nervous and very hesitant when we bought the first cnc. I knew we could keep it busy about a day a week but that's all.
I am very biased, but I say buy a machine.
Look for good old iron, something with a common control, Fanuc maybe. There are literllay millions of Fanuc controls in the world and service and spare parts are everywhere.
Get a tool changer and a drill block if you can.
Software doesn't have to be expensive. I run a 5X10 Biesse Arrow with 12 position tool changer and drill block with $200.00 CAM software.
I also have a 30HP rotary screw vacuum pump.
Bought them used and have less than $20K US total in machines and software.
Learn how to fix them your self. Save $ and time and be beholden to no one.
Read, read and read some more.
You will have sleepless nights and go through a few bottles of Tylenol, but at the end of it all it will be worth it.
Here is the a quick lesson in the cnc both new and used community.
You can get burned either way, on the used side.
I have gone to pack up at least 4 machines that worked great last week, and now they won't start up, one to the tune of 6000 plus dollars because the control board was missing. Make the sale contingent on the inspection, if all is then pull the trigger.
NO, this will not catch everything but I will catch a vast majority of issue.
On the new side, I have run into a few new companies as well as some old one, that down right suck, when it come down to holding up their side of the warranty on a new machine. In some cases they mfg. has stop responding all together, and not responding to machine issues.
Case in point:
Buyer has held the final payment due to issues, and even with the final payment held mfg. has stopped communicating with buyer to fix issues.
Do your research, these forum out here are full of information some that is downright person, but a vast majority have facts that should be explored.
I don't know if this help, but hopefully it give you something to think about.


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People and Black Bears Can Live Together
Black bears are powerful animals with few natural enemies. They are also very tolerant of humans. Many bears have learned to associate food with people. Unfortunately, this leads to confrontations between humans and bears that can often be detrimental to both. By properly storing or disposing of attractants, the damage and threat of black bears can successfully be avoided.


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Guest houses in town Andorra la Vella, Andorra4 objects
An interesting trip will leave you with the most wonderful memories if you are lucky enough to stay at cozy bed-and-breakfasts that feel just like home. Planning such diversions is simple. All you need to do is to use our site and browse through our catalog of accommodations in in Andorra la Vella, Andorra.
This information is especially important for anyone who is planning a trip, regardless of whether it is domestic or ventures to unexplored places anywhere in the world. Or perhaps you are traveling with children or in the company of friends and loved ones? In just a few minutes our convenient search system will let you choose the best option that meets all of your vacation destination criteria: conditions of stay, range of services and amenities, costs,, available parking, and many other selectable criteria. The description of each facility includes photos, contact phone numbers, addresses (that are pinpointed on a map of the locality), natural sightseeing attractions, and interesting entertainment options.
Use our service to choose a bed-and-breakfast, and make sure that you stay in luxurious comfort while traveling around the country and the world.


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Guest post by Chelsea Green's Makenna Goodman:
Behold the classic domestic duos of the past: Ricki and Lucy. Ozzie and Harriet. Bennifer. Tom and Jerry. Bush and Cheney. And most important of all, not to mention the most seriously detrimental to human society—um, make that second most serious—the washer and the dryer. Readers may doubt the importance of separating the latter, but a divorce must be arranged. The dryer, as it were, is an energy-sucking, money-vaporizing, obsolete object that has served its last purpose. Feel free to recycle it, make better use of it, or fill it with water and use as a pleasant place for baby ducks to frolic in your yard. But seriously, if you want to save money this summer, you may have to part with your Maytag and those handy BounceTM sheets, and embrace other ways to dry your clothes.
According to Stephen and Rebekah Hren, authors of The Carbon-Free Home: 36 Remodeling Projects to Help Kick the Fossil-Fuel Habit, throwing out your dryer is a wicked way to save money this summer.
Electric clothes dryers are a colossal waste of energy. They often draw around 6,000 watts. Six thousand! This is more than a typical heat pump or electric water heater, usually thought of as the hogs of the household. Simply put, you should not use this appliance. Gas dryers are more efficient because they use no electric-resistant heat, but they can still draw around 720 watts. That's a lot, equivalent to about 60 compact fluorescents (not to mention the energy of the gas). You should plan on getting rid of electric heat dryers and hopefully gas-fired dryers as well if your climate allows.
Solar clothes drying shows this energy source at its finest. It's a great example of simplicity combined with effectiveness. Hang up something wet in the sun, come back in a few hours, and voilà, it's dry, clean, and fresh smelling. Like everything, having the proper tools to access this resource goes a very long way in making sure it's effective and easy to do. Some of this depends on your climate and your own personal habits. We realize some parts of the country have very little sun in the winter, but if you set aside a bit of room, even in a closet or a spare bedroom, clothes hung on racks will dry fairly quickly in a heated house.
Just for the record, I am not an eco-psycho. I am a recent convert to the drying rack, and I choose to keep it covered in wet clothes, by a breezy window facing the sun. Actually, to be honest, I was sort of forced to shun the electric dryer—my boyfriend won't let me turn the damn thing on. He's a better man than I, with weightier morals. So yesterday while he was out of town, I cheated. I gathered together a bundle of cut-offs, sweatpants, and dirty socks and thought, Oh yes. Now's my time. I'm gonna get my clothes real warm and dry. But as I began to open our dryer (which I'm about to get rid of), I caught sight of the indoor drying rack, waiting in the sun. I remembered the last batch of laundry, and how it smelled like clean grass. I thought of my electric bill. About my rapidly depleting checking account. The choice, in the end, is actually pretty obvious, and after a couple times using solar drying techniques (clotheslines included), my lazy reflex wore off. I now see it as meditating and investing in my solvent future. Out it goes!
- Retractable clothesline: An excellent tool for the space-constrained. These come in a variety of lengths and are very simple to install indoors or out. Consider putting these inside near a passive solar wall. The sun will dry the clothes and raise the humidity of the room in wintertime, making it more comfortable inside.
- Indoor drying rack: Avoid the cheaper models, as they can fall apart rather quickly. These are generally collapsible and can stand alone or be wall-mounted. I recommend having at least two. Being able to place these in sun or near a woodstove will greatly speed up drying time in the winter.
- Outdoor drying rack: If you've got the room outdoors, a permanent outdoor rack is a very effective method for drying clothes, even when the temperatures barely get above freezing. It requires some time to mount properly, but it should function well for decades.
- Clothespins: These are a necessity and come in two varieties: split or spring. Determine your preference and make sure you have plenty. Hanging clothes from pins rather than folding them over the line greatly speeds drying time and greatly reduces the odds that any clothing will fall off and get dirty. Folding clothes generally means two sides of the clothing are not exposed to the air at all. This more than doubles drying times.
Makenna Goodman works and blogs for Chelsea Green Publishing, a leading community providing books and dialogue on the politics and practice of sustainable living.


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The Doppler effect (or Doppler shift) is the change in frequency of a wave (or other periodic event) for an observer moving relative to its source. It is named after the Austrian physicist Christian Doppler, who proposed it in 1842 in Prague. It is commonly heard when a vehicle sounding a siren or horn approaches, passes, and recedes from an observer. Compared to the emitted frequency, the received frequency is higher during the approach, identical at the instant of passing by, and lower during the recession.
When the source of the waves is moving toward the observer, each successive wave crest is emitted from a position closer to the observer than the previous wave. Therefore, each wave takes slightly less time to reach the observer than the previous wave. Hence, the time between the arrival of successive wave crests at the observer is reduced, causing an increase in the frequency. While they are travelling, the distance between successive wave fronts is reduced, so the waves "bunch together". Conversely, if the source of waves is moving away from the observer, each wave is emitted from a position farther from the observer than the previous wave, so the arrival time between successive waves is increased, reducing the frequency. The distance between successive wave fronts is then increased, so the waves "spread out".
For waves that propagate in a medium, such as sound waves, the velocity of the observer and of the source are relative to the medium in which the waves are transmitted. The total Doppler effect may therefore result from motion of the source, motion of the observer, or motion of the medium. Each of these effects is analyzed separately. For waves which do not require a medium, such as light or gravity in general relativity, only the relative difference in velocity between the observer and the source needs to be considered.
Doppler first proposed this effect in 1842 in his treatise "Über das farbige Licht der Doppelsterne und einiger anderer Gestirne des Himmels" (On the coloured light of the binary stars and some other stars of the heavens).[1] The hypothesis was tested for sound waves by Buys Ballot in 1845.[2] He confirmed that the sound's pitch was higher than the emitted frequency when the sound source approached him, and lower than the emitted frequency when the sound source receded from him. Hippolyte Fizeau discovered independently the same phenomenon on electromagnetic waves in 1848 (in France, the effect is sometimes called "effet Doppler-Fizeau" but that name was not adopted by the rest of the world as Fizeau's discovery was six years after Doppler's proposal).[3] In Britain, John Scott Russell made an experimental study of the Doppler effect (1848).[4]
In classical physics, where the speeds of source and the receiver relative to the medium are lower than the velocity of waves in the medium, the relationship between observed frequency f and emitted frequency f_\text{0} is given by:[5]
The frequency is decreased if either is moving away from the other.
The above formula assumes that the source is either directly approaching or receding from the observer. If the source approaches the observer at an angle (but still with a constant velocity), the observed frequency that is first heard is higher than the object's emitted frequency. Thereafter, there is a monotonic decrease in the observed frequency as it gets closer to the observer, through equality when it is coming from a direction perpendicular to the relative motion (and was emitted at the point of closest approach; but when the wave is received, the source and observer will no longer be at their closest), and a continued monotonic decrease as it recedes from the observer. When the observer is very close to the path of the object, the transition from high to low frequency is very abrupt. When the observer is far from the path of the object, the transition from high to low frequency is gradual.
Given f = \left( \frac{c + v_\text{r}}{c + v_\text{s}} \right) f_0 \,
we divide for c
f = \left( \frac{1 + \frac{v_\text{r}} {c}} {1 + \frac{v_\text{s}} {c}} \right) f_0 = \left( 1 + \frac{v_\text{r}}{c} \right) \left( \frac{1}{1 + \frac{v_\text{s}} {c}} \right) f_0 \,
Since \frac{v_\text{s}}{c} \ll 1 we can substitute the geometric expansion:
\frac{1} {1 + \frac{v_\text{s}}{c}} \approx 1 - \frac{v_\text{s}}{c}
f = c + 0/c - 0.7c f0 = 3.33 f0 and an observer behind the source will hear a lower frequency
f = c + 0/c - c f0 = ∞ and an observer behind the source will hear a lower frequency
f = c + 0/c - 1.4c f0 = -2.5 f0 and an observer behind the source will hear a lower frequency
The frequency of the sounds that the source emits does not actually change. To understand what happens, consider the following analogy. Someone throws one ball every second in a man's direction. Assume that balls travel with constant velocity. If the thrower is stationary, the man will receive one ball every second. However, if the thrower is moving towards the man, he will receive balls more frequently because the balls will be less spaced out. The inverse is true if the thrower is moving away from the man. So it is actually the wavelength which is affected; as a consequence, the received frequency is also affected. It may also be said that the velocity of the wave remains constant whereas wavelength changes; hence frequency also changes. Note that in the ball analogy, the speed of the balls is dependent on the speeds of the thrower and receiver which is not the case of the wavefront velocity which remains constant.
With an observer stationary relative to the medium, if a moving source is emitting waves with an actual frequency f_\text{0} (in this case, the wavelength is changed, the transmission velocity of the wave keeps constant \text{--} note that the transmission velocity of the wave does not depend on the velocity of the source), then the observer detects waves with a frequency f given by
A similar analysis for a moving observer and a stationary source (in this case, the wavelength keeps constant, but due to the motion, the rate at which the observer receives waves \text{--} and hence the transmission velocity of the wave [with respect to the observer] \text{--} is changed) yields the observed frequency:
These can be generalized into the equation that was presented in the previous section.
An interesting effect was predicted by Lord Rayleigh in his classic book on sound: if the source is moving at twice the speed of sound, a musical piece emitted by that source would be heard in correct time and tune, but backwards.[6]
The siren on a passing emergency vehicle will start out higher than its stationary pitch, slide down as it passes, and continue lower than its stationary pitch as it recedes from the observer. Astronomer John Dobson explained the effect thus:
In other words, if the siren approached the observer directly, the pitch would remain constant until the vehicle hit him, and then immediately jump to a new lower pitch. Because the vehicle passes by the observer, the radial velocity does not remain constant, but instead varies as a function of the angle between his line of sight and the siren's velocity:
where \theta is the angle between the object's forward velocity and the line of sight from the object to the observer.
The Doppler effect for electromagnetic waves such as light is of great use in astronomy and results in either a so-called redshift or blueshift. It has been used to measure the speed at which stars and galaxies are approaching or receding from us, that is, the radial velocity. This is used to detect if an apparently single star is, in reality, a close binary and even to measure the rotational speed of stars and galaxies.
The use of the Doppler effect for light in astronomy depends on our knowledge that the spectra of stars are not homogeneous. They exhibit absorption lines at well defined frequencies that are correlated with the energies required to excite electrons in various elements from one level to another. The Doppler effect is recognizable in the fact that the absorption lines are not always at the frequencies that are obtained from the spectrum of a stationary light source. Since blue light has a higher frequency than red light, the spectral lines of an approaching astronomical light source exhibit a blueshift and those of a receding astronomical light source exhibit a redshift.
Among the nearby stars, the largest radial velocities with respect to the Sun are +308 km/s (BD-15°4041, also known as LHS 52, 81.7 light-years away) and -260 km/s (Woolley 9722, also known as Wolf 1106 and LHS 64, 78.2 light-years away). Positive radial velocity means the star is receding from the Sun, negative that it is approaching.
The Doppler effect is used in some types of radar, to measure the velocity of detected objects. A radar beam is fired at a moving target — e.g. a motor car, as police use radar to detect speeding motorists — as it approaches or recedes from the radar source. Each successive radar wave has to travel farther to reach the car, before being reflected and re-detected near the source. As each wave has to move farther, the gap between each wave increases, increasing the wavelength. In some situations, the radar beam is fired at the moving car as it approaches, in which case each successive wave travels a lesser distance, decreasing the wavelength. In either situation, calculations from the Doppler effect accurately determine the car's velocity taking into account wind speed and direction relative to the car. Moreover, the proximity fuze, developed during World War II, relies upon Doppler radar to detonate explosives at the correct time, height, distance, etc.
An echocardiogram can, within certain limits, produce an accurate assessment of the direction of blood flow and the velocity of blood and cardiac tissue at any arbitrary point using the Doppler effect. One of the limitations is that the ultrasound beam should be as parallel to the blood flow as possible. Velocity measurements allow assessment of cardiac valve areas and function, any abnormal communications between the left and right side of the heart, any leaking of blood through the valves (valvular regurgitation), and calculation of the cardiac output. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound using gas-filled microbubble contrast media can be used to improve velocity or other flow-related medical measurements.
Although "Doppler" has become synonymous with "velocity measurement" in medical imaging, in many cases it is not the frequency shift (Doppler shift) of the received signal that is measured, but the phase shift (when the received signal arrives).
Velocity measurements of blood flow are also used in other fields of medical ultrasonography, such as obstetric ultrasonography and neurology. Velocity measurement of blood flow in arteries and veins based on Doppler effect is an effective tool for diagnosis of vascular problems like stenosis.[7]
Instruments such as the laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV), and acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) have been developed to measure velocities in a fluid flow. The LDV emits a light beam and the ADV emits an ultrasonic acoustic burst, and measure the Doppler shift in wavelengths of reflections from particles moving with the flow. The actual flow is computed as a function of the water velocity and phase. This technique allows non-intrusive flow measurements, at high precision and high frequency.
Developed originally for velocity measurements in medical applications (blood flow), Ultrasonic Doppler Velocimetry (UDV) can measure in real time complete velocity profile in almost any liquids containing particles in suspension such as dust, gas bubbles, emulsions. Flows can be pulsating, oscillating, laminar or turbulent, stationary or transient. This technique is fully non-invasive.
Fast moving satellites can have a Doppler shift of dozens of kilohertz relative to a ground station. The speed, thus magnitude of Doppler effect, changes due to earth curvature. Dynamic Doppler compensation, where the frequency of a signal is changed multiple times during transmission, is used so the satellite receives a constant frequency signal.[8]
The laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) is a non-contact method for measuring vibration. The laser beam from the LDV is directed at the surface of interest, and the vibration amplitude and frequency are extracted from the Doppler shift of the laser beam frequency due to the motion of the surface.
Since 1968 Scientists such as Victor Veselago have speculated about the possibility of an Inverse Doppler effect. An experiment that claimed to have detected this effect was conducted by Nigel Seddon and Trevor Bearpark in Bristol, United Kingdom in 2003.[9]
Researchers from Swinburne University of Technology and the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology showed that this effect can be observed in optical frequencies as well. This was made possible by growing a photonic crystal and projecting a laser beam into the crystal. This made the crystal act like a super prism and the Inverse Doppler Effect could be observed.[10]
Solar System, Physical cosmology, Star, Dark matter, Mars
Isle of Man, India, Canada, European Union, British Overseas Territories
Vienna, Lower Austria, Hungary, Upper Austria, Styria
Red dwarf, Galaxy, Nova, Sun, White dwarf
Berlin, Germany, Amsterdam, Czech Republic, Brussels
Mass, General relativity, Big Bang, Scattering, Universe
Austria, Venice, University of Vienna, Prague, Authority control
Glonass, Gps, Iridium, United States Coast Guard, Hexadecimal
Goes, Telecommunication, Internet, Rescue Coordination Centre, Global Positioning System
Helium, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Calcium, Nickel


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MRSA Infections: Hospital Or Community?
Before antibiotics many infections were fatal. When antibiotics were introduced in the 1940s, many believed they were the definitive answer to curing bacterial infections. But within a few years some microbes had begun to develop resistance to these life-saving medicines. To some extent, developing resistance was an evolutionary survival response the microbes had to adapt to new their environment, one with antibiotics.
Over the next couple of decades the problem with antibiotic-resistance continued to grow. With the discovery of more antibiotic types and greater use, more resistance developed.
Staphylococcus aureus, referred to as staph, is a type of bacteria with which most people are familiar. Staph is also a bacteria that has developed resistance to some antibiotics. Although commonly carried on the skin or in the nose of healthy people, staph can also cause infection. The staph bacteria can cause simple skin infections (such as pimples or boils) but can also cause more serious infections (such as wound infections or pneumonia). Antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is referred to as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA. Methicillin is one of a group of antibiotics that is no longer effective when treating infections caused by MRSA
Until recent years, infections caused by antibiotic-resistant organisms, including MRSA, were mostly associated with infections resulting from care in hospitals and other health care facilities (such as nursing homes and dialysis centers), and are referred to as hospital-acquired MRSA (HA-MRSA) infections. Despite their growing prevalence, however, these strains have been uncommon in the community. But just as bacteria adapted to antibiotics by developing resistance, MRSA changed again in another way. People outside of hospitals now get a strain of MRSA referred to as community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA). CA-MRSA has emerged as a growing public health concern.
CA-MRSA infections occur in persons who have not been recently (within the past year) hospitalized or had a medical procedure. They usually involve infections of the skin or soft tissue (such as pimples, boils and abscesses) and occur in otherwise healthy people.
So how can you tell if the infection is caused by the community- or hospital-acquired version of MRSA? You cant without some very specialized genetic testing of the bacteria. However, there are some clues that help distinguish between CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA. Persons with
MRSA that meet all of the following criteria likely have CA-MRSA infection:
- No medical history of MRSA
- No medical history in the past year of:
- Hospitalization
- Admission to a nursing home, skilled nursing facility or hospice
- Dialysis
- Surgery
- Hospitalization
- Diagnosis of MRSA was made in the outpatient setting or within 48 hours of admission to the hospital
- No permanent catheters or medical devices that pass through the skin
In addition to these clues, other factors have been linked to the spread of CA-MRSA infections. Factors include close skin-to-skin contact, openings in the skin such as cuts or abrasions, crowded living conditions and poor hygiene. Related to these risk factors, clusters of CA-MRSA infections have occurred among athletes, military recruits, children, prisoners and other groups.
Although methicillin and other antibiotics wont be effective, others will. Wound care alone may adequately treat some simple skin infections and antibiotics may not be necessary. Its important to not over-treat infections, contributing to further development of microbial resistance.
Prevention is always the best medicine against infection. The following tips will help decrease the chance of developing a Staph or MRSA skin infection.
- Keep your hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed.
- Avoid contact with other peoples wounds, bandages or other items that may have had contact with the wound.
- Avoid sharing personal items such as towels or razors.
Marlene Stetson is the infection control coordinator at Mount Nittany Medical Center.