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Nightmare Before Christmas Black Light Village And Figurines
Wonderfully wicked collection of handcrafted buildings from Halloween Town with eerie black light effect. FREE figurines and accessories, a $70 value!
Buildings measure approximately 7" H
From Hawthorne Village
- Price:
- s&s◇
Join the most famous citizen of Halloween Town - the Pumpkin King Jack Skellington - and the rest of its weird and wonderful denizens in Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Black Light Village Collection - the first-ever village with black light effect from The Bradford Exchange, Hawthorne Village Division. Inspired by the critically-acclaimed movie milestone, your fantastical journey begins with Issue One, Jack Skellington's House, a FREE Jack figurine and the 12" black light fixture. Soon, your collection continues with Issue Two, Dr. Finklestein's Lab and FREE Dr. Finklestein figurine. Additional Halloween Town buildings, each a separate issue and some with FREE figurines and accessories, to follow.‡
These spook-tacular Nightmare Before Christmas collectibles are handcrafted and masterfully hand-painted to capture all of the eerie excitement of Halloween Town. Discover even more ghoulish thrills when you flip on the included 12" black light fixtures and the buildings glow! Strong demand is anticipated, so don't delay. Order now!
Fine collectibles, not intended for children under 14.
- Relive the ghoulish delights of Halloween Town with Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas black light village collection, the first-ever from The Bradford Exchange, Hawthorne Village Division
- Included FREE Collectible figurines of Jack Skellington, Zero, Dr. Finklestein, Sally, Mayor & his Car, plus illuminating black light fixtures - together a $70 value
- Each sculpted village building and figurine in your collection is expertly handcrafted in artist's resin in three dimensions, and hand-painted to capture intricate detail
- When flipped on, the 12" black light fixture causes an eerie effect, sure to send shivers up your spine in ghoulish delight
- Certificates authenticating your village buildings and figurines are originals from The Bradford Exchange
- Buildings measure approximately 7" H; 17.8 cm H
- Reserve the collectible Nightmare Before Christmas Black Light Village Collection from The Bradford Exchange in your name so you never risk an increase on the price of other collectibles in this collection
- ‡Each issue will be shipped to you for your review, about one every month or two (pending availability), at the same low issue price and charged to the credit card on which your order was placed. No need to order each one separately
- You may cancel your collection at any time with no obligation
- "Issue One - Jack Skellington's House, a FREE Jack figurine and the 12" black-light fixture," will be followed by "Issue Two - Dr. Finklestein's Lab and FREE Dr. Finklestein figurine," and additional Nightmare Before Christmas black light village collectibles, buildings and accessories as they become available
©2011 The Bradford Exchange


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Situated in the very centre of Barcelona, the Eurostars Cristal Palace exudes the essence of Barcelona from all its pores: contact leads to contagion and, perhaps because of that, our hotel in Barcelona centre has the elegance of the Paseo de Gracia, the personality of the Rambla, the functionality of the Eixample, the liveliness of Plaza de Catalunya, the flavour of the Gothic District, the light of the Mediterranean...
Directions to the Eurostars Cristal Palace Hotel in Barcelona.
Take Highway Castelldefels, follow straight on direction to Barcelona. Straight on you will get Gran Via Corts Catalanes main street. Go straight on until Passeig de Gràcia Street and get second lane up. Turn left on the first street you found, it is Diputació Street (hotel in Barcelona centre).
Find more hotels in Barcelona.

subset: commoncrawl


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Over the years, the restaurant and bar has stood strong at its location along Pacific Beach's main drag, witnessing many neighbors and nearby tenants come and go — all the while reining in a healthy following of regulars who patronized the legendary beach- and surf-themed restaurant day in and day out.
Now, Pacific Beach's beloved neighborhood hub will close its doors and make way for a new generation of restaurateurs to carry on their own successful business at a location overflowing with good memories and steeped in tradition.
Brothers Doug and Craig Trenton — fun-loving, surf-going Pacific Beach natives — first built Longboard to pay tribute to their eldest brother, Ron "RT" Trenton, bringing to fruition a dream of Ron's following his death in 1997.
"We built it in memory of our big brother, who was a senior lifeguard for La Jolla and was killed in a plane crash off Catalina [Island]," said Doug. "It was his dream that year, prior to the accident, to open a restaurant after he retired from the lifeguard service. When he didn't live to do that, my brother and I decided we would do it in his memory."
Doug and Craig had years of experience in the industry, working their way through college in restaurants, then becoming managers at two popular La Jolla establishments.
To reflect the brothers' shared passion for the surf and pay homage to the natural beauty of Pacific Beach's proximity to the ocean, the beach bar was themed in the spirit of the surf, with grass hut-style cabanas dotted throughout the restaurant, old surfboards adorning the rafters, and museum-worthy photographs and surf posters that tell the history of PB's rich surf culture interwoven throughout the restaurant's cedar-plank walls.
"The whole family, — we're all surfers, — and nobody had the surf theme going on at restaurants 14 years ago," said Doug. "Now, you go up and down the block and there's boards hanging all over the place, but back then, no one was doing that.
"We had all this old stuff — old boards, old surfing posters, old pictures. We just started cutting them up, putting them in framing and placing them around the bar," he said. "We just put it together as a beach theme, and it worked."
In addition to signed memorabilia and historic photos from some of Longboards' well-known visitors — like the cast of the reality TV show "Deadliest Catch," where the final show of the season was filmed several years back — RT's memory, too, is ingrained in the restaurant through photographs, trophies and even in the cedar-plank walls, which replicates the décor RT had in his own La Jolla home.
As a testament to the brothers' success at creating an encouraging work environment, many of Longboard's employees have been with the business almost since its inception.
"I actually have employees that go back a decade or more. Some have been with me practically from the start. That's really rare in the business," said Doug. "Incidentally, all of my employees will have the opportunity to work for the new owners, so we're not kicking anybody out."
Doug said the only employee losing a job is himself.
"I turned 65 this year and I'm looking forward to retirement," he said.
In the next chapter of his life, Doug and his wife, a retired teacher, plan to travel around the U.S., visiting with their three grown children and grandchildren in Hawaii, Boston and Colorado.
"[Longboards] has become more successful than our wildest dreams," said Doug. "We've had a good run here. It's been a popular, fun place here all this time. We've been really blessed with all the successes of this business. It's been phenomenal, but retirement is looking pretty good."
Due to its popularity, the Trentons have always received a steady stream of offers from prospective buyers with hopes of moving in to its thriving location. This year, they got an offer from unnamed, established restaurateurs who have had success through a dozen other venues in Southern California.
"We've always been turning offers away — until this year," said Trenton. "We got great tenants. They're really a couple of great guys that promise a healthy future for this business. We gave them a nice long lease, and they look forward to making some changes, some renovations and basically carrying on."
Meanwhile, the Pacific Beach community can look forward to changes at
1466 Garnet Ave. and the blossoming of a new restaurant with some big shoes to fill.
"I want to thank everyone for their support," said Doug. "We really feel like when you open a new business, it's a gamble. But we rolled the dice and won, and we're very grateful for all the patrons over all these many years. It's been a great time."
RT's Longboard has been the local hangout for New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox fans. "PB is a melting pot with all the college kids and we had two managers who were from New England. Several years ago, various bars and restaurants down the strip were picking up teams, and nobody was doing New England," said owner Doug Trenton. Despite being a huge Chargers fan and resisting the New England movement for a long time, he finally succumbed to the pressure and opened the floodgates to the large presence of Pats and Red Sox fans living in San Diego, giving them a place to call home. "I've been teased about being a San Diego boy selling out to the Pats, but I will always be a Chargers fan," emphasized Doug. "The Patriots fans pay for my Chargers tickets, so it works for me." Although the Patriots were just shy of making it to the big game this year, Longboards will remain open through Super Bowl Sunday on Feb. 3 for those hoping to catch the game. The bar will host $3 specials on Budweiser and Bud Light bottles, 20 percent off the entire bill for fans of the winning team, and the usual excitement and friendly rivalry that emanates from the place on football Sunday. "The excitement is at a fever pitch. Everybody is pumped up for the big game and there's an excited crowd here," said Doug. "We look forward to a good, clean game and friendly rivalry among fans, but we share in everyone's excitement because the Super Bowl is obviously the biggest game of the year." Longboards is located at 1466 Garnet Ave. For more information, visit www.longboardgrill.com or call (858) 270-4030.


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Joining FORCES is the FORCE newsletter with news, views and supportive information for individuals concerned about hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.
by Sue Friedman
Presenter: Timothy Rebbeck, PhD
Estimated cancer risks for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers vary substantially between different research studies. Breast cancer risk estimates range from 30 to 85% by age 70, while lifetime ovarian cancer risk ranges from 40 to 60% among BRCA1 mutation carriers, and between 16 to 27% in women with BRCA2 mutations. In part, these variances are the result of specific populations studied (e.g., high-risk hereditary cancer families compared to population-based individuals) and factors that modify risk in mutation carriers. These estimates are based on statistics; they apply to entire populations and may not reflect an individual's cancer risk. This disparity adds to the confusion many BRCA mutation carriers feel when they attempt to make risk-management decisions. A more accurate estimate of personal risk would be helpful as a woman may approach a 30% lifetime risk of breast cancer differently than an 85% risk.
Factors called risk modifiers increase or decrease individual risk. Modifiers for breast cancer risk include exposures to certain environmental chemicals; hormones, pregnancy, and breastfeeding; diet and exercise; and other genes that may affect cancer risk in people with BRCA mutations.
Dr. Timothy Rebbeck and others are researching whether the type and position of specific mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes could explain some cancer risk variations. In previous studies, women with mutations around the exon 11 regions of both BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes appeared to have relatively higher risk for ovarian cancer and relatively lower risk for breast cancer. Researchers refer to this area as the "ovarian cancer cluster region" (OCCR), highlighting that specific mutations confer very different cancer risks. Despite this provocative finding, the mechanism of the OCCR effect is unknown, and the information has not yet translated into more precise risk assessment.
Recently, the worldwide Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 (CIMBA) has begun a systematic evaluation of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. This effort aims to clarify risks associated with specific regions of genes or types of mutations, which may lead to more accurate risk assessment based on a mutation's location or whether a particular protein is abnormal or absent. Improved risk estimates may not eliminate the need for risk-reducing oophorectomy or strategies, but they may allow a tailored approach to the timing and type of these interventions.
We welcome your feedback. Please send your comments to Sue Friedman or fill out our Newsletter Feedback Form.


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Electromagnetic interference (EMI) debugging
When debugging electromagnetic interference (EMI) problems, electronic design engineers face the challenge of identifying the sources of unwanted emissions and developing a solution for them. Repetitive testing at the EMC compliance laboratory to identify and resolve these problems is costly and often significantly delays the product launch. Frequent EMI testing throughout the complete development process reduces the probability of a major redesign, effectively decreasing product launch costs and delays.
Digital oscilloscopes in combination with near-field probe sets are powerful instruments for debugging during design. They allow designers to quickly locate and analyze EMI problems early on. High dynamic range and a high input sensitivity of 1 mV/div ensure that even weak emissions can be analyzed. The R&S®RTO fast Fourier transformation (FFT) implementation provides a fast update rate and the FFT frame overlay processing and persistence display provides insights into the structure of unwanted emissions.
Rohde & Schwarz offers a range of instruments featuring dedicated test modes such as spectrum analyzer mode (combined with zero span), realtime measurement persistence mode and spectrogram view. For EMI test procedures, a stepped scan receiver mode (classic mode) and a time domain (FFT-based) receiver mode are available. While the stepped scan mode offers point-by-point coverage of the complete spectrum, the time domain mode allows parallel handling of numerous frequency points.


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Watch the '47 Ronin' Animated Prequel, and Get a Taste of the Upcoming Film
You've surely seen the trailers for '47 Ronin,' which feature Keanu Reeves teaming up with a bunch of masterless samurai to take on a bunch of supernatural threats. If you saw them and wondered what the heck was going on, you're not alone. Story, at least in the marketing for the film, seems to have taken a back seat to CGI beasties. Thankfully, a new animated prequel to the feature film has arrived to give us a glimpse of what everyone is actually up to in this movie.
The prequel short, told in lovely if simplistic animation, tells the tale of 47 samurai whose quest to rid Japan of all kinds of evil is put to an end when their master dies under violent and mysterious circumstances. Naturally, the only thing for a couple dozen masterless samurai (i.e., ronin) to do is travel the country fighting stuff. And that's presumably where Mr. Reeves will enter the picture.
Here's the official synopsis for the film, which will tell what happens after the events of this animated prequel:
After a treacherous warlord kills their master and banishes their kind, 47 leaderless samurai vow to seek vengeance and restore honor to their people. Driven from their homes and dispersed across the land, this band of Ronin must seek the help of Kai (Reeves)—a half-breed they once rejected—as they fight their way across a savage world of mythic beasts, shape-shifting witchcraft and wondrous terrors. As this exiled, enslaved outcast becomes their most deadly weapon, he will transform into the hero who inspires this band of outnumbered rebels to seize eternity.
'47 Ronin' opens on December 25, so if your family is the kind that enjoys special effects-laden samurai adventures, it will truly be Christmas day in more ways than one.


text: The Cubs are positioned to win their second series in a row after beating the Phillies this afternoon 5-1 behind a dominant Matt Garza. Garza was nasty, going 7 innings, only allowing 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 10. Garza, the victim of some poor run support and tough luck finally got some help to record the victory. Tony Campana was once again the spark plug for the Cubs offense, this time leading off, as he went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and another stolen base. Bryan LaHair and Jeff Baker also had productive days at the plate. LaHair went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored, while Baker went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Joe Mather chipped in with a solo home run which is the only home run hit by a Cubs outfielder on the season, yikes. Full box score, and highlights after the jump.


text: I was reading in another thread about 'conversion kits' for some pistols. How can you convert a .45 caliber 1911 to a .22? It just seems to me like there would be a lot to 'convert'. And would someone as inexperienced with guns as I am be able to do the converting?


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Click to viewFor everyone waiting to see the Riddler show up in the sequel to The Dark Knight, you're probably going to have a long wait coming. But that doesn't mean that he won't get his day in the cinematic sun - He's just one of the supervillains being lined up to appear in Warner Bros' planned Green Arrow Prison Break movie.The movie's writer, Justin Marks, was more than happy to share the names of some of the bad guys that will be appearing in the movie that currently calls itself Green Arrow: Escape From Super Max, and they'll not only include the Riddler, but also Green Lantern villain The Icicle, Superman's Lex Luthor and even an in-name-only cameo from the Joker, amongst many others. And the point of bringing all these villains together? To create a movie universe for DC's characters just like Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk have done for Marvel:
What we wanted to do, and I think we'll continue to do as the studio continues to push the movie forward, is to be able to [put Queen] in the center of a much bigger universe... In the same way that Marvel is starting to do, when you're in the [filmed] DC Universe [where] this world and this world and this world - they all exist in an interrelated web.
Does this mean that we may see a crossover between the Green Lantern movie and Super Max? That a sequel to The Dark Knight might include cameos from Brandon Routh's Man of Steel? Time - and the potential tanking of future Marvel movies like Thor and Captain America, which might scare off Warners from this plan - will tell. Green Arrow to "Escape from Super Max" [MTV Movies]


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Mom and Dad were right a lot of the time: Scratching only makes it worse; high school's not the end of the world; and that style (whatever "that style" was in your day) isn't flattering, even if all the popular girls are wearing it.
But they got a few things wrong, too -- your face didn't stick permanently in that expression, and your eyebrows did grow back. Eventually.
Still, some false kernels of wisdom passed down the family tree could be stunting your financial growth to this day. So settle in for some regression therapy as we identify the little white lies from your tender years that you need to let go of.
"Don't cry at the checkout counter." Actually, go ahead and unleash the tears. When you let yourself feel the physical loss of spending money (actually taking cash from your wallet and handing it over to the clerk), you're more likely to make better decisions about what you buy. Credit cards -- like Vegas gambling chips -- on the other hand, remove the emotion from the transaction. And numb spending leads to dumb spending.
"Money doesn't buy happiness." Oh yes it does. Sorta. You don't need a behavioral economist to tell you that a raise or unexpected windfall puts a kick in your step. But you should consult a scientist to measure your buzz. We consistently overestimate (or don't accurately remember) how joyful something makes us feel. Studies show that once you're financially stable (meaning you can cover your bills and still have some fun money left over), extra financial padding has only a limited or rapidly diminishing effect on your overall happiness. But making the pursuit of wealth one of your top goals in life will more likely lead to depression, anxiety, and stress.
"Everyone is not staring at you." Well, maybe not in that way. But acquaintances and strangers are sizing you up all the time. It's not your jeans or prom date that they're judging, but your banking, driving, renting, and health habits. Employers, insurers, landlords, credit card companies (as well as the IRS, DOJ, FBI, and other acronym-happy entities) regularly pull your consumer files. Luckily, you don't have to read the rumors about yourself on a bathroom wall. You are entitled to see your consumer disclosures (there could be as many as 14) for free once a year. Take a peek into your secret files to see what everyone's saying about you.
"You'll never be sorry if you play it safe." No dad in history ever said, "Let 'er rip!" before handing Junior the keys to the car. But he'd have done his progeny a favor if he gave that advice about money. It's true that gambling and uninformed risk-taking is bad for your bottom line. But so is playing it too safe with your money. If you stash your cash in the mattress, sure, it'll still be there years later (provided mom didn't find your hiding place). But its buying power will be severely hampered. Historically, inflation runs between 3% and 4%, meaning the spending power of that cash kitty you hid your senior year in high school will be cut in half by your 20-year reunion. You'd be better served if your parents warned you that inflation was a silent killer.
"Soda and cigarettes are bad for you." Physically, yes, but the companies behind these products -- PepsiCo
Your parents obviously did a great job raising you. (You're around to read this, right?) Now it's time to fully take the reins of your finances and show Mom and Dad that their kids can teach them a few things, too.


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PARIS (AP) — President Donald Trump is finally making moves against foreign election meddling - and Russia says it couldn't care less.
Trump's executive order this week authorizing sanctions on foreigners who mess with American elections could herald new headaches for Moscow.
But Russian officialdom shrugged it off as internal U.S. politicking, and analysts say it would barely bruise Russia's economy and do little to deter interference in November's midterms — since Russia denies meddling anyway.
A Russian PR agent who runs a provocative U.S. website says the executive order isn't denting his resolve to expand in the next few months.
"There's such a huge quantity of sanctions, everyone's getting them confused," said Alexander Malkevich, editor of news site USAReally, which is funded by the sponsors of the Russian "troll factory" accused of interference in the 2016 U.S. vote.
"We are not planning to do agitation or propaganda for one candidate (in the midterms) or another," Malkevich told The Associated Press. However, he said the site will focus on coverage of immigration, and policies that he says coddle immigrants. He displays Trump paraphernalia in his Moscow office, and harbors deep disdain for Democrats.
A series of sanctions on Russian officials, oligarchs and companies by the U.S. has progressively deepened Russian resentment, and Russians see Trump's new order as further reducing any remaining chances for detente.
"It's about how we can build any kind of partnership, including on those issues where it is still potentially possible," said Russian senator Oleg Morozov, who sits on the foreign affairs committee, told news agency RIA Novosti after Trump signed the sanctions order Wednesday.
"This window of opportunity is turning into a little slit."
Trump's order came amid bipartisan criticism of his refusal to confront Putin at a joint news conference in Helsinki in July about accusations of Russian hacking, trolling and manipulation during the 2016 presidential campaign.
With a sweeping investigation underway into what Russia did and whether it colluded with the Trump campaign, the White House has imposed some sanctions against Russia and expelled Russian spies. But domestic critics say Trump isn't going far enough.
His new order authorizes sanctions against any individual, company or country that interferes with things like voter databases or tabulation equipment; it also targets activities such as distributing disinformation or propaganda to influence or damage confidence in U.S. elections.
In theory, it could be used to punish those meddling in the midterms. U.S. intelligence officials say they're not now seeing the intensity of Russian intervention registered in 2016 but are particularly concerned about potential midterm-related activity by Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.
Microsoft said it uncovered new Russian hacking efforts targeting U.S. political groups ahead of the November vote. Google warned a Senator that he might have been the target of hackers tied to a "nation-state." And Facebook recently banned hundreds of pages, groups or accounts linked to Russia and Iran for misleading political behavior.
Trump's executive order is vague and doesn't name any particular target, however.
"It's rather lightweight," said independent Russian political scientist Dmitry Oreshkin. "It doesn't bring a serious blow to Putin's position."
If Russia does have a structure in place to interfere in the midterms, Oreshkin said the executive order could prompt this structure to "create an extra layer of isolation to ensure that it will be very hard to follow the path (of hacking or disinformation) to its source."
Russia's leaders are more worried about heavier sanctions already in place over Moscow's interference abroad - and the potential for more. Some speculate that Trump's order was aimed not at scaring Russia but at deflating support for broader sanctions under discussion in Congress.
A bill by Republican and Democratic senators would target entire economic sectors of a country that interferes with elections, and prohibit foreign governments from purchasing election ads or using social media to spread false information.
Separately, the U.S. energy secretary, visiting Moscow this week, threatened energy-related sanctions on Russia that could do deep damage to the oil- and gas-rich country.
Analyst Chris Weafer of consultancy Macro-Advisory said Trump's election meddling sanctions would be too narrow to have much economic impact and would not "themselves cause a crisis in Russia."
However, he said, the "salami-slice approach" of increasing layers of sanctions reinforces the perception of risk, particularly for foreign companies. "As the sanctions get tougher, what we see is companies are delaying investment decisions."
Meanwhile, Russian-run website USAReally - which purports to cover news "hushed up" by the mainstream media, but in fact carries a mix of repackaged articles from freak accidents to recent teachers' strikes in Washington state - is gradually building its following.
Malkevich said it currently has 11,000 unique readers a day, even though it's banned from leading American social networks and is still in a "test version."
Asked when the full-scale site will launch, he said, "by Christmas," at the latest.
James Ellingworth in Moscow contributed.


text: 7/17/15 PUBLIC INTEREST CENTER, (614) 644-2160 MEDIA CONTACT: Dina Pierce CITIZEN CONTACT: Darla Peelle Rossford Pump Station Set for Replacement;Project Receives Funding from Ohio EPA The Northwestern Water and Sewer District will replace the Colony Road pump station with a gravity sewer in the city of Rossford. The project will eliminate sanitary sewer overflows from the pump station into Grassy Creek, which is a Maumee River tributary. The district is funding the project with a low-interest loan from Ohio EPA. The project will improve the water quality in the creek and eliminate a human health risk from exposure to untreated sewage. The project involves removing the Colony Road pump station, which is undersized and outdated, leading to discharges of untreated sewage during wet weather overflows several times a year. A gravity-flow sewer will be installed at a lower cost than replacing and operating a new pump station. Flows will be directed into an existing interceptor sewer. Created in 1989, the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF) provides below-market interest rate loans for communities to improve their wastewater treatment systems. The district is getting a 1.99 percent interest rate on its $2.8 million loan. The reduced interest rate will save the Northwestern Water and Sewer District an estimated $418,767 compared to a conventional, market-rate loan. Besides improvements to publicly owned treatment works, WPCLF loans have been provided for agricultural best management practices, home sewage system improvements, landfill closures and water quality-based storm water projects. The WPCLF provides technical assistance to public wastewater systems in a variety of areas from the planning, design and construction of improvements to enhancing the technical, managerial and financial capacity of these systems. WPCLF loans also make possible the restoration and protection of some of Ohio's highest quality water bodies through the fund's Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program. Ohio EPA's revolving loan funds are partially supported by federal grants and designed to last indefinitely through repayment of loans and investments in bonds. The loan program is managed by Ohio EPA's Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance, with assistance from the Ohio Water Development Authority. Ohio EPA is responsible for program development and implementation, individual project coordination, and environmental and other technical reviews/approvals of projects seeking funds. The Ohio Water Development Authority provides financial management of the fund. More information about the WPCLF is available at: epa.ohio.gov/defa/EnvironmentalandFinancialAssistance.aspx . -30- The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1972 to consolidate efforts to protect and improve air quality, water quality and waste management in Ohio. Since then, air pollutants dropped by as much as 90 percent; large rivers meeting standards improved from 21 percent to 89 percent; and hundreds of polluting, open dumps were replaced with engineered landfills and an increased emphasis on waste reduction and recycling.


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The "All-Time ThisWeek Football Team" wouldn't be complete without recognizing those who helped develop the greatest players of the last 23 seasons.
The "All-Time ThisWeek Football Team" wouldn't be complete without recognizing those who helped develop the greatest players of the last 23 seasons.
In the fifth week of ThisWeek Community News' summer series, we rank the coaches who we believe have been the most successful since 1990 -- from Nos. 10-2.
The No. 1-ranked coach will be released during the sixth and final installment of the series, which also will include the best offensive and defensive players of the ThisWeek era.
The coaches ranked Nos. 10-2 have combined to win seven state championships and 164 playoff games since 1990.
To determine the rankings, the ThisWeek staff considered everything from playoff wins to longevity to the stage each coach amassed those accomplishments.
Below is a list of coaches who just missed the top 10, followed by Nos. 10-2:
•HONORABLE MENTION -- Tom Blake (Independence, Thomas Worthington, Brookhaven), Mike Carter (Johnstown), Brian Cross (Grove City, Olentangy Orange), Tom Dunlap (Beechcroft), Brian Haffele (Marion-Franklin), Jeff Gafford (Worthington Kilbourne, Marysville), Jack Johnson (Pickerington, Harvest Prep), Karl Johnson (Dublin Scioto), Mike Lanza (Whitehall, Gahanna), Gregg Miller (Brookhaven, Mifflin), Jim Miranda (Northland, Eastmoor Academy), Mark Mueller (New Albany), Rocky Pentello (Westerville South), Ed Terwilliger (Olentangy) and Larry Wolf (Columbus Academy, Ready).
Among the coaches listed above, Blake coached Thomas to its last winning season in 1999 and Brookhaven to the only state championship won by a City League program in 2004.
Miranda led Eastmoor to a state runner-up finish in 2008 and Pentello coached Westerville South to a state runner-up in 1994.
Since 1990, Pentello has the fifth-most wins among central Ohio coaches with 151. Dunlap won 148 games during his final 19 seasons, and Terwilliger recently retired from coaching with 138 wins.
10. Dan Bjelac, Watterson (2003-present).
There wasn't a softer landing spot for a new coach than Watterson when Bjelac took over in 2003 considering it was coming off a Division III state title, but Bjelac has more than kept the program going.
He has coached the Eagles to a state championship in 2010, a state semifinal finish in 2004 and eight playoff appearances in 10 seasons.
Bjelac's 15-7 playoff record ranks him seventh among central Ohio coaches since 1990 in postseason wins. He has an 83-38 career record.
9. Bill Franks, Newark (1997-2001) and Newark Catholic (2002-present).
While Newark Catholic has won eight state titles, the only one since 1991 was led by Franks in 2007.
Franks also coached the Green Wave to a state runner-up finish a year ago and to state semifinal appearances in 2002, 2003 and 2005. In ThisWeek's coverage area, only Bob Jacoby and Randy Baughman have coached in more state semifinals and finals than Franks since 1990.
Franks, who has a 19-6 playoff record and is 119-68 overall, also led Newark to a 9-1 finish in 1997, although the Wildcats missed the playoffs.
8. Brad Burchfield, Centerburg (2003-07) and Hartley (2008-present).
Another current coach who could keep climbing up this list is Burchfield, who took over a perennially strong Hartley team when Dick Geyer retired after the 2007 season and led it to new heights.
The Hawks have gone 51-11 since Burchfield took over, winning the Division IV state title in 2010 and losing in a state semifinal last fall.
Burchfield is 82-36 in 10 seasons, including a five-year tenure at Centerburg from 2003-07 that included a state semifinal finish in 2005. He is 14-5 in six playoff appearances.
7. Scott Wetzel, Buckeye Valley (1992-96) and Big Walnut (1998-2008).
One year after Big Walnut left the BAC to join the OCC, Wetzel was handed the reins of a program in need of a strong leader as it adjusted to tougher competition.
Wetzel, who had gone 31-19 in five seasons at Buckeye Valley, broke through with his first playoff appearance in 2000 and led the Golden Eagles to five other postseasons.
Big Walnut reached the pinnacle in 2007 when it won the Division III state championship and also reached a state semifinal in his final season.
Wetzel's teams went 131-47 in 12 seasons, including 100-28 at Big Walnut with a 12-5 playoff record.
6. Randy Baughman, Licking Valley (1990-present).
The only thing missing from Baughman's distinguished resume is a state championship.
Set to begin his 32nd season as Licking Valley's coach, he has gone 197-60 over the past 23 seasons with 12 playoff appearances.
The Panthers have gone 25-12 in the postseason since 1990, were state runners-up in 2001 and 2007 and lost in a state semifinal in 1990, 2000, 2003 and 2008.
He ranks first in overall wins and third in playoff victories among central Ohio coaches since 1990 and has had 10 seasons of at least 10 wins.
5. Jay Sharrett, Pickerington Central (2003-present).
Among the aspects of Sharrett's sparkling resume are his .828 winning percentage (101-21) and nine playoff appearances in 10 seasons.
Under Sharrett, Central earned a Division II state runner-up finish in 2006 and lost in the Division I state championship game in 2011. He also guided the Tigers to a state semifinal in 2008 and has an overall playoff record of 16-9.
A year ago when the Tigers had new starters at almost every position, Central reached the playoffs and won a league title for the seventh consecutive season.
4. Mark Crabtree, Fisher Catholic (1995-98), St. Charles (1999-2000) and Dublin Coffman (2001-present).
Crabtree proved he was ready for something bigger when he led Fisher Catholic to a Division VI state runner-up finish in 1998.
He led St. Charles to one of the four playoff appearances in its history in 2000 and has turned Coffman into a perennial playoff qualifier.
Since 1990, Crabtree is third among central Ohio coaches in playoff appearances with 14 and fourth in wins with 156.
His biggest successes at Coffman, besides turning it into a quarterback factory, have included state semifinal appearances in 2001 and 2007 and 12 postseason wins.
3. Mike Golden, Watterson (1990-2002), New Albany (2004) and Upper Arlington (2005-present).
Although Golden's crowning achievement was the state championship he won during his final season at Watterson in 2002, he also is tied with Jacoby for the most playoff appearances since 1990 with 15 and is second only to Baughman in overall wins since that time with 190. He is second in playoff wins with 26.
While Golden was at Watterson, his teams went 119-43 while earning state runner-up finishes in 1999 and 2001 and reaching a state semifinal in 1997.
He took a year away from coaching before returning in 2004 to lead New Albany to an 11-2 mark that included a Division IV regional runner-up finish.
Since taking over at UA in 2005, the Golden Bears have gone 60-28 and reached the playoffs five times.
2. Bob Jacoby, DeSales (1990-2006), Hamilton Township (2007-09).
For the first time in more than three decades, Jacoby isn't coaching this fall.
That might not last for long, though.
"I think I've got a good 10 years (of coaching) left in me," said Jacoby, who is 56 and recently moved back to central Ohio after leading Hamilton to a 14-17 record with one playoff appearance over the last three seasons.
During Jacoby's tenure at DeSales, the Stallions won state championships in 1997 and 1998 and were state runners-up in 1990, 1996, 2001 and 2005. DeSales made the playoffs every year from 1990-2006 except for in 1992 and 1993, compiling a 157-52 record that included a 25-11 mark in the playoffs.
Jacoby then coached Hamilton Township to a 10-20 record from 2007-09.
Current high school coaches such as Crabtree, Carter, Brian White (Hilliard Davidson), Tim Bahen (Fairfield Union) and Ryan Wiggins (DeSales), as well as first-year Kent State head coach Paul Haynes, all served on DeSales staffs under Jacoby.
"Nobody's got better qualifications than Bob," Crabtree said.


text:
Poor Lance. Now it looks like some unreleased footage from the Oprah Winfrey interview may reveal Lance wasn't telling the truth…gasp.
But seriously, is Lance really as bad as Joe's lies?
After all she wrote 65 songs…all about pain.
Kind of like the pain Lance created by slandering his former massage therapist […]


text:
Brookfield, Wi — The National Business Group on Health (NBGH), a national non-profit organization of large employers, awarded Fiserv Inc., owner of Checkfree, the Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles award for its commitment and dedication to promoting a healthy workplace and encouraging a healthy lifestyle for its employees and their families. Fiserv is one of 52 employers who received the award at the Leadership Summit that was sponsored by the NBGH's Institute on Costs and Health Effects of Obesity. Fiserv launched its wellness initiative in 2003. In 2006 and 2007, the company received a silver award.
Jennipher Shaver


text:
All -> Utilities -> Miscellaneous
advanced shut down utility for KDE
Home Page: http://kshutdown.sourceforge.net/
Interface: Graphical (Qt)
Available deb Repositories (how-to add a respository)
Rating: Not Rated (0 votes)
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I Hate It.
Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 2008-12-28 19:23.
When I want to log out or shut down the machine, it should take no more than two mouse clicks. One on the widget, and one on the option. The display of choices should be uncluttered and it should NOT produce any pop-ups. KShutDown fails on all accounts.
In fact, I got here while doing a google search to try to find a replacement that doesn't suck so much.
If you have such a problem
Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 2009-01-10 18:28.
If you have such a problem with it just turn off the confirmation.
For me it simple doesn't
Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 2009-02-01 07:00.
For me it simple doesn't shut down the machine. I guess this is because I only have bits and pieces of KDE installed while using Fluxbox as window manager, but all package dependencies are met.
Right now I am using sudo shutdown but somehow giving password feels like a hazzle.


text:
UH Hilo held a grand opening ceremony today for it's brand new bookstore today.
The $4 million, 3,500 square foot store is a new addition to the campus center making it much more convenient then the old location.
Filed under: Announcements, Education, Something New?, UH, UH Hilo | Tagged: UH Hilo Bookstore | 1 Comment »


text:
I was working at the Mueller Farmers' Market last Sunday slinging cheese, and got to sneak away from my booth long enough to score some great fresh produce. I got some very nice red cabbage, baby green cabbage, and carrots from Phoenix Farms, some beautiful watermelon radishes from Hairston Creek Farm, and some tasty bell peppers from Bernhardt's Farm. Continue reading
Life Handed Me Some Lemons… I Made Candied Meyer Lemon Rinds
A friend of ours has a Meyer Lemon tree, and it was boomin' this year! We really scored with these. Not only are they great for mixed drinks, lemonade, and lemon curd (post coming soon), the rinds make a beautiful candy. Continue reading
Sweet Cherry Jam with Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Yum. I was a little leery of using black pepper in this jam at first, but the results were nothing short of extraordinary. It turns this nice, sweet jam into a naughty, spicy sauce. I just had some on top of some Pure Luck Chevre. Phenomenal. Continue reading
Katie Mae's Southern Style Skillet Cornbread, Converted to Gluten-Free
For someone who is craving an authentic southern style cornbread, this is the recipe for you. I have been making this one for years with regular all-purpose flour, but I decided to give it a try as a gluten-free version. It was delicious.
Katie Mae was my great-grandfather's maid in Mississippi and she taught my mother how to make this recipe. Growing up, this was the only cornbread we would have at home. This is comfort food at it's best. Continue reading
Strawberry Covered Chocolate. You Heard Me.
While halving and hulling thirty-six pounds of strawberries for an extra large batch of Strawberries and Cream Jam, I had several silly ideas. One of which was a B-Grade horror movie in which the tagline read "To Halve and to Hull", but that's another blog post. The other was to make strawberry covered chocolate. I wanted to take a very familiar dessert and twist it around. The results were delicious.
Gluten-Free Veggie Quiche with a Delicious Crumbly Crust
First off, the crust on this quiche was super crumbly and fantastically tasty. That is all.
I had an abundance of eggs from our chickens, and was looking for something to make for dinner, so I pulled out the deep dish fluted quiche pan, and got to it. I adapted the crust from a blog post I saw here. I have used the recipe for tart shells int he past with great success, and wanted to try it gluten free. It worked like a charm. Continue reading
Homemade Sausage? I say, "Stuff It!"
So finally, we got around to borrowing the equipment and buying some casings to stuff our own sausage. The pork came from the pig we raised last year. This was an adventure, and it took several pairs of hands to get the job done. It truly was a family affair. Continue reading


text:
CAIRO, Egypt — A media representative for Egypt's Catholic bishops echoed concerns that police sided with Islamic extremists who attacked a funeral service en masse at St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo.
"The police must have been aware of the situation, so why were the police not in front of the cathedral?" asked Father Rafik Greiche of the Egyptian Catholic bishops' conference.
He told the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need that the police "only arrived two hours later, and then they protected the attackers." Muslim extremists had previously threatened to disrupt the service, the priest said.
The April 7 funeral was for four Christians killed in a gunfight that followed a dispute in the town of Khusus near Cairo. A Muslim was also killed in that clash.
After the Christians' funeral, mourners left the cathedral and joined sympathetic Muslims in chanting slogans against President Mohammed Morsi and calling for his removal.
At some point, violence broke out for unclear reasons. At its worst, 200 people attacked the Christians, some throwing stones and petrol bombs from the roofs of buildings surrounding the cathedral.
Christians took up the defense of the cathedral and threw fire bombs and brick shards at the riot police, some of whom were injured.
The clash lasted until late in the evening. Two were killed and more than 90 hurt. The New York Times is among the media outlets reporting the apparent alliance between the attackers and the riot police.
Coptic Catholic Bishop Kyrillos William Samaan of Assiut has condemned the attack.
"Nobody could have imagined that anybody would attack such an important symbol for all Egyptians as St. Mark's Cathedral in Cairo," the bishop said. "It is shocking. But we will never learn the real motives for these attacks."
Father Greiche said that other local Muslims have voiced their support and sympathy for the Christian community.
"All of our Muslim friends told us that the events make them feel ashamed," he said.
The priest recently visited Azhar University, a prominent Sunni institution, noting that the sheiks there "assured us that such attacks are not compatible with Islam."
The attack also drew condemnation from President Morsi, who said he regarded any attack on churches as "a personal attack" against him.
Despite the president's words, some Egyptian Christians told Reuters news service that the violence has prompted them to consider leaving their homeland.
Orthodox Coptic leader Pope Tawadros II said the president has not done everything he could to protect the cathedral.
"We want actions, not words," he said.
Father Greiche said the violence comes at a time of improving relations between Egyptian Catholics and other Christians.
The Catholic leadership is in "permanent contact" with the Protestant and Orthodox Churches in Egypt. He said relations with the Coptic Orthodox have "completely transformed" since the election of Pope Tawadros in November 2012.
"Tawadros is very open," he added. The Orthodox Pope attended the enthronement of the new Coptic Catholic Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac.
"That had never happened before," he said.
Another unprecedented event in Egyptian Christian relations is still in development. Pope Tawadros intends to visit Pope Francis in Rome.


text:
This time, it's for real.
Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton has become engaged to her longtime boyfriend.
Matt McKenna, a spokesman for former President Bill Clinton, confirmed that 29-year old Chelsea and 31-year old investment banker Marc Mezvinsky got engaged on Thanksgiving and announced it in an e-mail to friends. The e-mail indicated that they are looking at a possible wedding next summer.
Last spring, the Boston Globe set off a media frenzy when they reported rumors that the two were planning an August wedding on Martha's Vineyard. New York Magazine, the Washington Post, the Daily News and travel section of the New York Times also referenced reports of an August wedding, infuriating members of the Clinton camp who spent four months denying the rumors.
U.S. & World
The couple met as teens in Washington where Mezvinsky's parents worked in politics. They also attended Stanford University together where they studied finance.
In addition to education, they also have the shared experience of being the child of a disgraced politician. Clinton was a teenager during the time her father famously denied sex scandal after sex scandal. Mezvinsky was also a teen when his father, former Iowa Rep. Ed Mezvinsky, was sentenced to time in federal prison on charges of bank and wire fraud. He was released last year.
Ed Mezvinsky and his wife, former Pennsylvania Rep. Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky are longtime friends and supporters of the Clintons. In 1994 Margolies-Mezvinsky lost her seat after she voted in favor of President Clinton's controversial budget in 1993.
Mezvinsky wasn't the only love in Chelsea Clinton's life. While attending Oxford in 2002, Clinton dated Rhodes Scholar Ian Klaus who dedicated his first book to her. The two split after three years together.
Mezvinsky and Clinton both live in New York where he works at G3 Capital, a Manhattan hedge fund and Clinton studies public health at Columbia University.
Clinton aides declined to disclose any details about a ring. Mezvinsky is Jewish and Clinton was raised Methodist. Her father is Southern Baptist.


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The city referred to as "Muscat" is in fact three smaller towns which have grown together over time. They are:
This tripartite division will sometimes cause the visitor an inconvenience, as distances between sites can be very long.
As an alternative to the main CBD area that is considered as these three areas there is plently of places to go and things to see along the main highway that heads North East out of these areas. This main road, The Sultan Qaboos Highway, goes past many areas on its way out to the Airport and further still to Seeb, Sohar and eventually the northern most tip of Oman.
Heading along this road you pass the districts of Qurum, Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos, Al Khuwair, Bausher, Al-Hail and Seeb. Each one has a range of sights to see and places to stay.
There is also a very long beach road from Qurum to Seeb, some 50km. Situated along this are some of the large international hotel chains but more importantly you discover the true beauty of the Oman coast-line. Km's of beaches, fisherman with drag nets and open space to walk for hours.
The climate is tropical, with very hot and generally humid weather year-round.
Get in[edit]
Historically, certain nationalities holding a Qatar or UAE tourist visas did not need to purchase an Omani visa if entering directly from Doha or Dubai. While this may no longer fully work, the Common Visa Facility (CVF) between Dubai and Oman still works when tried in Jan 2019. If you land in Dubai airport and go to Oman via Hatta border within one week from your arrival, and your country is eligible for visa on arrival arrangments, you may be able to use CVF and obtain a 3 weeks visa on arrival free of charge, by showing your Dubai arrival stamp to the officers in Hatta border. Full details are explained here
Visas upon arrival for eligible countries are quick and easy to obtain cost 20 OR for a 30 day validity. 10-day visas are now (2018 July) available again, it cost 5 OR.
Always check the length of visa granted: people have reported being incorrectly granted a 10 day visa at land border crossing and inadvertently overstaying their visas. Penalties for overstaying visas are extremely high: 10 OR per person per day, payable at the border where you entered Oman.
By plane[edit]
Numerous air services arrive to Muscat International Airport, located only 15 - 20 minutes from the city (depending which part of Muscat you are staying). Taxis are abundant and generally use meters.
The number of airlines flying to Muscat increases each year, although the Omani sale of their part of Gulf Air has meant a temporary decrease in passengers.
Domestically, Oman Air also flies from Salalah to Muscat at least twice weekly.
By bus[edit]
Oman National Transport Company [27], now called Mwasalat (https://mwasalat.om/en-us/), runs busses to Muscat from Dubai (duration of journey: 6 hrs) and Abu Dhabi (via Buraimi). al-Khanjry Transport runs a bus from al-Rigga in Dubai to Muscat, leaving every day at 7:00am and 3:00pm (55 dirhams one way, 90 return). Within Oman there are daily busses to Muscat from Buraimi (via Sohar), Nizwa (2hrs 20min), Salalah (13 hrs, reservation required), Sanaw and Sur (4hrs 15 min). Long distance busses arrive at the Oman National Transport Company at Ruwi, Al-Jaame Street (near Sultan Qaboos Mosque).
Scheduled departures with ONTC from Ruwi included: Ibri (08:00, 14:30), Sur (07:30, 14:30), Burimi (06:30, 13:00, 16:00), Salalah (07:00, 10:00, 18:00), Dubai (06:00, 15:00, 23:00). More departures (particularly to Salalah) are available through the Gulf Transport Company (GTC).
By car[edit]
You can reach Muscat by road from the United Arab Emirates. The journey takes about 5h by crossing the border in Hatta/Al Ain.
You can drive from Al Ghaydah in Yemen.naimu The journey is about 6 hours via the border crossing at Sarfeit to Salalah and then another 10 to Muscat.
Get around[edit]
By taxi[edit]
Maxi taxis (vans, known throughout the expat community as baisa busses) ply the highway from Seeb to the corniche area. The charge is 100 baisa from corniche area to the church round about and another 100 baisa from the church round about to Wadi Adai.
On arrival at the airport, situated approximately 40km from the main Muscat CBD, you can get a baisa bus down the main highway in either direction.
The (mostly orange and white) taxis are a bit pricier, and they hang around the hotels where they get juicy fares from unwary travellers. They will charge 8 Rials for an airport trip if you don't haggle, but you should be able to barter for 5 Rials. They always say they will give you "good price" but its best to figure out what you want to spend then agree before you get in.
The Maxi Taxis ply the main routes through town, and they go where they want so you might have to find one going your direction, once you are on one, they will make sure you get there. THe place to wait for them is on the on-ramps of most of the main highway junctions, you'll usually see a few people waiting around for one. A journey within the Muscat area should not cost more than 300 Baisa each, but if you look like an experienced traveller and hand them 200 baisa then you can usually get away with that.
By car[edit]
There are many rent-a-car services available in the city. There is much conflicting information as to whether an international driving licence is required for renting out a car. According to the Royal Omani Police website, a valid license from your home country is sufficient for up to 90 days. It is best to verify this with the rental company. Most of the Car Rentals have offices at the airport arrivals terminal.
The cheapest car hire is about 11 OMR (22 GBP) for a day which will get you an economy car with manual transmission and sometimes no air-conditioning. To get yourself properly equipped, you should hire a 4WD which will be around 30 OMR (38 GBP). Make sure that you will get a proper induction on driving in Oman.
Road signs in Muscat can be quite confusing, particularly when having to decide which exit to take to reach your destination. Best to ask a local to provide you with directions if you haven't been to your destination previously.
See[edit][add listing]
Do[edit][add listing]
Buy[edit][add listing]
There are numerous Indian run tailors. You may pay RO 5 to have 2 Italian suits tailored for sleeve length, trouser length and waist. There is a Raymond store in Ruwi that will make custom suits in the RO 50-500 range, depending on quality. In fact they have excellent fabrics from pure wool to wool blended with exotic fibers like Cashmere, Mohair or Angora and linen. Even Super 230s crafted out of 11.8 micron wool are found there. Ask them for their catalogue - you will find the latest Italian designs and styles in there and a really good suit can be really light on the pocket. Be aware that a custom suit will take up to 2 weeks to finish, therefore there is no use going to this store if you are staying for vacation for just one week.
Money Changers[edit]
Oman-UAE Exchange Centres- LuLu Hypermarkets, Ghala and Ruwi Global Money Exchange - Ruwi travelex - Seeb International Airport Purshottam Kanji - Ruwi Mustafa Sultan Exchange - Many outlets throughout Oman
Eat[edit][add listing]
Food can be cheap in Muscat and for about 1-3 Rials you'll get a meal per person, depending on where you eat.
"Chili's" a few in central Muscat, good fast food.
"Left bank" one of only two places in Muscat where you can eat and enjoy a beer or a glass of wine. Great setting on top of a hill. Non smokers sit in side, as many of the wannabe's and smokers sit outside. Food is good.
Drink[edit][add listing]
Every road, street corner or little collection houses, huts or businesses has a 'Coffee-Shop' Basic but worth a go.
Fresh fruit juices are delicious and available from a number of stalls and cafes in Muscat. Some well-known ones are Fast Food 'n' Juice Centre on the Corniche at Mutrah (where you can watch the world go by from the outside tables) and Al Ahli Coffeeshop inside the Mutrah Souq. Expect to pay between RO 0.500 and 1.500 for these juices depending on type and size.
There is a Starbucks located on the beach road that goes between the Crown Plaza Hotel and the Intercontinental Hotel. It is so close that if you cross the road, you are on the beach. The larger drinks are about RO 2-2.2, but the view through the glass wall of the waves coming into the beach is excellent.
Sleep[edit][add listing]
Muscat offers a considerable range of luxury hotels, among them are:
Stay healthy[edit]
It is advisable to drink bottled water while in Muscat. Oman Oasis, Tanuf, Arwa, Salsabeel, and Aquafina are the most recognisable brands of mineral water and is available in most convenience shops. "Masafi" and "Darbat" are also brands at reasonable rates - RO 1 for 12*1.5 lts. Tap water is generally not safe so use bottled water.
Global calling card 'Global One' does not work in Muscat. Though the global one website lists the rates for calls from Oman there are no numbers listed along side. The nearest 'Global One' help line is in Dubai.
Pre-paid telephone cards called Jibreen Cards are available at most stores. It's available in denominations of 5 Rials and 1.5 Rials. A 5 Rial card gets you 11 minutes of talk time.
A good prepaid SIM card for cell phones is Omantel's Hayyak. It's available at the typical corner phone shops and costs about 1–2 RO, with an equivalent amount of credit inside (dial *100# to see your remaining balance). You'll need your passport to register the line. SMS to Europe are 50 Baisa, and there is a number of internet packages available; for example if you have 3 RO of credit, you can get 1GB – to be used up within 7 days – by dialling *141*7#. You can check your remaining balance of that package by dialling *141*7*0# (and similarly for the other packages). One can book multiple different packages simultaneously. A list of available packages can be obtained by sending 141 to the number 90000 (free). Note: It appears that Android devices cannot be configured remotely by the provider for internet access; instead, you can try to call the toll-free hotline (Nr.: 1234), or do it yourself: Go to the Mobile Networks Settings, create a new AP (Access Point) and select it for use: User name, password and APN (Access Point Name) must be set to taif.
ATMs are very common now, especially in the Embassy district and near most shopping malls, larger hotels, petrol stations and supermarkets. Also, every little neighbourhood has a several bank branches.
Bank Muscat is by far the largest bank in Oman and one of the largest in Gulf. It has over 230 ATMs all around Muscat.
There are some very good gymnasiums in the 4 to 5 star hotels and some privately run gyms in other places like Millennium Gym, Horizon Gym etc. You may pay money for that extra with the number of days you stay in Muscat.
If you are in a 4 star hotel, they will charge a lot for laundry. If you take a short walk to any of the numerous Indian run laundry stores, your money will go a lot farther. Keep in mind that if you drop off your clothes on a Monday, they typically won't be ready until Wednesday.
A number of many Indian and Gulf newspapers are also available.
Get out[edit]


text:
San Antonio International Airport has been reopened after it was evacuated Wednesday afternoon after officials received a bomb threat.
Airport spokesman Rich Johnson said Wednesday that someone called the airport making a "very specific" threat but did not elaborate. He said passengers inside the terminal were herded onto the tarmac and that arriving planes were parked away from the gates.
Passengers and planes were able to return to the airport after 4 p.m. as the airport reopened.
U.S. & World
Johnson says the evacuation order was called at 2:35 p.m. CST. He didn't immediately know how many flights are affected or how many passengers were inside the terminal at the time.
San Antonio police and several federal agencies are investigating the threat.
Dallas-based Southwest Airlines says six flights were held on the tarmac in San Antonio waiting for clearance to go the gates to deplane.
Airline officials weren't sure if any of those flights were from Dallas Love Field airport.
The airline said they had no delays or cancelations as of 3:56 p.m., but warned passengers that if the situation continued into the evening, delays may become an issue.
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport reported cancelations of one departing flight and one arriving flight due to the incident in San Antonio around 4 p.m. The airport also warned of delays in the evening.


text: Christopher Piper Wines Ltd. will not sell to anyone under the UK legal drinking age of 18 years. To purchase products on the site you must be eighteen years of age or more. You must ensure that the details provided by you on ordering or at any time are correct and complete.


text:
Double feature is the new DVD from the mind of Patrick Redford that combines 2 very strong effects performed with any cell phone.
Cellular Oracle- Divine the Past Divine the name of a thought of person recently spoke with by phone and exactly what that person looks like. Then that thought of person is called and a person from your personal phone book is called. Both are asked to name any single digit on a telephone's dial pad. Mysteriously, they both name the exact same digits proving a mysterious connection between strangers.
AND Prophesy Voice - Predict the Future Play an audio prediction recorded days ahead of time on your cell phone that details events that came to be moments before it's heard. With the Prophesy Voice technique you can predict virtually anything on your cell phone's recorder. Best of all it's Impromptu.
Do you own this product? Write a review.


text:
It's not that the "great rotation" isn't happening; it's just that it's not happening as most investors expected. That's the idea put forth by Sanford Bernstein analyst Luke Montgomery, one he says will result in a lot disappointment for those expecting a boost in equity prices as a result.
The great rotation, a term almost as ubiquitous as the "New Normal" in the years since the economic crisis and rebound, describes the exit from bonds as yields scrape bottom and interest rate risk rises.
"A rotation mental model may stem from incomplete notions of supply, demand, pricing and flows in capital markets," Luke Montgomery, an analyst at the New York-based firm covering asset managers, wrote Friday in a note to clients.
Montgomery cited "misconceptions over what happens when one investment type appears to win favor at the expense of another, saying there's no automatic correlation between the migration of money and asset prices," according to Bloomberg, who received a copy of the report. He also disputed the notion that individual investors are holding less in stocks than they have historically, supposedly setting up a major shift.
In the report, Montgomery questioned how much of a rotation can occur and what its impact would be. According to the news service, "he took aim at the argument that high levels of bank deposits and bond mutual fund assets created by the U.S. Federal Reserve's stimulus efforts might suddenly pour into stocks.
"While quantitative easing floods investors with liquid financial assets and can inflate other asset values, this does not mean deposits in aggregate then become a latent source of funds for risk assets," Montgomery wrote.
What's more, he said, bonds can drop in value without money flowing into other assets.
"Wealth destruction in bonds can be an independent event — bond wealth can simply evaporate and need not be offset by wealth created in equities, or any other asset class," he added, according to Bloomberg. "Once the rate hike cycle begins, there is a far wider range of possibilities for the future market values of (and allocations to) cash, bonds and equities than may be envisioned by the great rotation mental model."
Money managers and related industry experts have debated the timing and severity of the great rotation since the term was first introduced by Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts in 2011.
"The great rotation is a ridiculous notion. It's utterly illogical," DoubleLine's Jeffrey Gundlach said in April. "You could also call it a great rotation into bonds from stocks."
More recently, however, TrimTabs Investment Research said indicators were "very strong" the great rotation has begun, citing U.S. equity mutual funds and exchange-traded funds received a record $40.3 billion in July, easily surpassing the previous record of $34.6 billion in February 2000.
"We're really only a few months of these heavy flows, but yes, the 'great rotation' so many pundits have been expecting may finally be starting," David Santschi, TrimTabs CEO, told ThinkAdvisor over the summer. "In June and July, U.S. equity funds posted an inflow of $39.9 billion, while bond funds redeemed $90.1 billion."
Check out DoubleLine's Gundlach Crushes Notion of Great Rotation, Bond Bubble on ThinkAdvisor.


text:
Dalebocanyc brauchte ein neues Logo Design und hat einen Wettbewerb auf 99designs gestartet.
Aus 79 Designs von 13 Designern wurde eine Gewinner gewählt.
This is a cool, sexy, entertaining sports blog covering the New York Mets baseball team, blog also covers other topics but the focus is the Mets. Content is provided from a New York hard core sports fan point of view with attitude, sometimes funny, though always witty and intellectual.
I'm looking for a cool, catchy, sexy logo for blog covering New York Mets called MetsAreBetterThenSex. I like the idea of a logo using the name of the blog (matsarebetterthansex) and somehow incorporating a sexy girl silhouette. I'd like to explore that, but I am also open to other cool, fun, hip ideas for this Mets blog. I'd like to pursue both these angles and open to other ideas designers may have for this.
Logo needs to be super cool, and have a sexy appeal but not lose site that it's a mets baseball blog.
- make it too serious
- make it too silly
- not looking for perverted or slutty, needs to be respectably sexy.
-appeal to men
Colors should be blue and orange (Mets colors). Will consider other colors if it makes sense (ie. black, white, etc)
This design will be mainly used as the identity for the blog online, possibly creating promotional merchandise later on such as tee shirts.
Blog URL: http://metsarebetterthansex.blogspot.com/
It would be helpful to look over the blog and it's content as reference for the design process.
Competitors blogs for reference:
Mets site: http://www.mets.com
Primary: mostly men, some women. demo is mostly mets fans
Secondary: baseball fans, sports fans, pop culture fans, new york baseball fans, new yorkers
Finden Sie heraus, wie ein Designwettbewerb funktioniert, oder lernen Sie mehr über unsere Logo-Design-Angebote.


text:
Wattbike Atom
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Ultimate realism. Unrivalled connectivity.
Cutting-edge accuracy and analysis.
Wattbike Atom is the most realistic, intelligent and effective smart trainer on Earth.
And did we mention award winning too?
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Bring the outside inside
Real Ride Feel technology replicates the resistance and sensation of riding on the road. Perfected over 10 years working alongside British Cycling, Olympic Cyclists and world-leading sports scientists, it's the most authentic ride feel in the world. So all the pain you put yourself through indoors translates directly to performance improvement where it really matters.
Unrivalled Connectivity
Connect to everything
Atom is the smartest indoor bike on the planet. Whether you want to ride with friends on Zwift, upload your Garmin data, or test your mettle with a Sufferfest challenge, Atom makes it simple and seamless.
Unrivalled Improvement
Perfect your technique
Improving technique radically improves your pedal efficiency and power output. Our innovative analysis tools, Polar View and Pedalling Effectiveness Score, visualise how you apply force through each stroke so you can optimise your technique. Even the most experienced cyclists can make minor adjustments that can have a major impact on overall speed, endurance and performance.
Unrivalled Climbing
Climb any mountain
Tackle bucket-list climbs without leaving your house. Using Strava GPS and simulations from VeloViewer, Wattbike Atom comes pre-loaded with epic climbs including Ventoux and Alpe d'Huez. In Climb Mode Atom's resistance changes automatically to map precisely to the gradient on your virtual ride, so taking on a legendary climb is exactly as tough as it should be.
Unrivalled Intelligence
Leave nothing to chance
Targeted, effective training requires precise, accurate data. Atom's power measurement is more accurate than any other smart trainer and the new Wattbike Hub makes it more visible and useful too. Thousands of data points from every session you ride are uploaded to your personal Wattbike Hub page — where you can evaluate your performance and track your cycling goals.
Unrivalled Engineering
Where beauty meets beast
Constructed from tough yet lightweight aluminium, Wattbike Atom is built to withstand the immense power of elite athletes — with independent gold standard reliability to prove it.


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The Lyric™ C1 Wi-Fi Security Camera helps you keep a watchful eye on the things that matter most. Versatile and easy to install, it notifies you on your smartphone or tablet if it detects unusual movement or sounds. So you can take comfort, knowing that a global leader in professional security is helping you monitor your home, pets and family yourself – anytime, anywhere.$119.00
Honeywell's indoor Lyric™ C2 Wi-Fi Security Camera can recognize the difference between a crying baby and a smoke alarm, and sends a notification to your smart device if it hears either. It also lets you watch what's happening at home, anytime, anywhere, and can detect other unusual movements and sounds. Versatile and easy to install, you can combine multiple cameras through the same Lyric app to keep an eye on your whole home yourself. Now you can see more and hear more.$169.99
Honeywell Smart Home Security Base StationITEM# 1045Honeywell's all-in-one system with facial recognition* and Amazon Alexa built in sends smart alerts to your mobile device. Easy to set up and use, the system grows with your needs thanks to a range of sensors and services.
List Price: $349.99
Your Savings: $0.99
Allow the Indoor MotionViewer to extend your system so you can keep an eye on more rooms in the house. It's unique; totally wireless and battery powered so you can put it virtually anywhere.$149.99
Allow the Outdoor MotionViewer™ to extend your system so that you can keep an eye on the front door, back yard or garage.$199.99
Totally wireless and battery operated, the Outdoor MotionViewer comes with night vision and infrared.$39.99
Honeywell Smart Home Security System KeyfobITEM# 43190Honeywell Smart Home Security Key Fob provides a one-click means of controlling your Smart Home Security System.$29.99
Honeywell Smart Home Security Motion SensorITEM# 30400Your Smart Home Security System covers more square footage when you add Indoor Motion Sensors to other rooms. Receive an alert when motion is detected, so you can know if someone is in the house when it should be empty.$49.99
This Second Generation Wi-Fi Smart Color Thermostat is ideally suited for the connected home. It's packed with smart features, a customizable touch screen and our simple setup. Did we mention it's also colorful? You can change the screen's background color to match wall color, mood or favorite team.$199.99


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Plus One Lap used to be all about cyclocross, now it's my dumping grounds for anything cycling.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Lightweight and Custom: Owen's Kelly
My new Kelly, comes in just under 18lbs.
Frame: 50cm Kelly Knobby X, 1-1/8" Head Tube, True Temper Platinum Ox
Wheels: Planet X Pro Carbon 50 Tubular, with American Classic Hubs, bladed spokes.
Tires: Challenge Grifos, 32mm
Drivetrain: Campagnolo Record QS 10spd Shifters/Campagnolo Record Rear Derailleur/ Campagnolo Record Front Derailleur/Campagnolo Record UT CT Crankset /Campagnolo Record Bottom Bracket
Front: Paul Neo Retro w/ SwissStop Yellow King
Rear: Paul Touring w/ SwissStop Yellow King
Seatpost: Campagnolo Record Carbon
Saddle: Selle San Marco Racing Replica (Ti)
Stem: Ritchey WCS
Bar: 3T Prima 199
Tape: Cinelli
Headset: Cane Creek 110
Extras: Deda Dog Fang chain watcher
1 comment:
- Unknown said...
Need to repair your bike? Then why not visit www.smbbearings.com/BB_BRGS.htm for a great article about replacing your bike's bottom bracket bearings, the photos are a real help too.
To help you get a better understanding of bearings & their performance on/in bikes, check out www.smbbearings.com/SMBtechdata.htm for loads of technical information & help on bearings.
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2 fatally shot, 1 officer injured in separate incidents
Police say officer accidentally discharged weapon at headquarters
Baltimore City police are investigating two new fatal shootings that happened Sunday night, as well as an incident involving one of their own at police headquarters.
Officers were first called to the rear of the 2200 block of Barclay Street in the eastern part of the city around 9 p.m., where they found a 16-year-old boy who had been shot multiple times in the head.
The boy was pronounced dead at the scene.
About half an hour later, officers were called to the 500 block of North Calhoun Street in the western part of the city after getting reports of another person being shot in the head.
Police said they found Tremaine Johnson, 34, in front of a house with gunshot wounds. He was taken to Shock Trauma, where he died. Detectives said Johnson had been out walking when someone approached and shot him, then ran away.
Investigators are still looking for suspects and motives in both cases. The slayings put the city's homicide number over 200.
Meanwhile, police said they are also investigating an accidental shooting that happened inside police headquarters on East Baltimore Street on Sunday night. Officials said an officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries as a result of an accidental discharge.


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After Monday night's 126-105 loss to the Orlando Magic, a source close to the team claimed that "the Answer" is no, Allen Iverson will not suit up for the 76ers again this season, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
And now, the organization has confirmed that information in a statement released Tuesday morning.
"After discussing the situation with Allen, we have come to the conclusion that he will not return to the Sixers for the remainder of the season, as he no longer wishes to be a distraction to the organization and teammates that he loves very deeply," 76ers President and General Manager Ed Stefanski said. "It has been very difficult for Allen and the team to maintain any consistency as he tries to balance his career with his personal life."
Iverson has not been with the Sixers since Feb. 20 when he took a second leave to care for his sick daughter Messiah. The organization felt it best for A.I. to "deal with a very serious issue far greater than the game of basketball."
Iverson signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Sixers in December 2009 and soon after, his contract was extended to keep him with the team through the 2009/2010 season.
This move seems to officially end round two of the A.I. experiment. In total he suited up 25 times for the Sixers averaging 12.3 points and 3.7 assists per game -- a far cry from his numbers during first stint in Philly.
Sports Connection
Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.
It's likely that Iverson has played his final game for the Sixers and now the question is if he has played his final game in the NBA.


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What can I say? I am very chuffed, delighted and honoured that my fellow geneabloggers like my blog enough to give me the One Lovely Blog Award.
Thank you so very much to Dee at Shakin' the Family Tree and to Ginger at Brooks and Williams Families of North Carolina for both giving me this Award on the same day! It follows the same Award given to me by Aillin at Australian Genealogy Journeys just a week or so ago!! I passed the Award on to 15 other great blogs then, and now I shall have to pass the Award on to some more deserving blogs. 🙂 Should be fun but will probably take me a few days before I actually get it all sorted and post it here.
This is such a great way to "meet" some of my other geneabloggers, when maybe I have just visited their blogs but not actually had contact with the authors. Thank you again Dee and Ginger. I'm thrilled to bits.


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3/4-27 Chasers for 1"-D Die Head
Model #: DHC-3/4-27-1
Price: $223.00
Description: 3/4-27 Chasers for 1"-D Die Head
- Diameter: 3/4
- Thread: 27
Special Sizes chasers for 1-D, DJ, and DD Geometric Die Heads or their equivalent. Note that these will NOT fit 1"-DS heads. While we have hundreds of chasers in stock, our listing here includes sizes that may take up to a week to ship. Please call or e-mail if immediate delivery is required. Also contact us for projection style chasers, and sizes and styles not listed here. All prices shown for chasers are subject to availability.


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AC-DC wrote:baseball18 wrote:Now back to the topic, I will be voting for John McCain this Nov... don't get me wrong Obama is a good guy and a great politican and speaker... but he is not qualified to be president yet, he has no experience, his tax policy will implode the debt even more, he wants universal health care, his foreign policy is that of a pacifist, he's for bigger government... that's why I'm voting for McCain.
Pretty well sums that up, except for the "great politician" and "yet" part (should be "ever").
Why should he never be president?


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- Process plants
- Air separation plants
- LNG and natural gas processing plants
- Hydrogen and synthesis gas plants
- Petrochemical plants
- Adsorption and membrane plants
- Cryogenic plants
- CO₂ plants
- Furnaces, fired heaters and incinerators
- Linde Hydrogen
Ethylene and propylene are converted to bulk intermediates such as ethylene oxide, acrylic acid and different derivatives. Building the production plants that do this is a complex task that involves a range of issues such as reactive products and special construction materials. Engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors therefore require in-depth technological know-how.
We have a wealth of experience in the construction of these kinds of petrochemical plants, combining both the technology know-how and EPC expertise to seamlessly execute complex petrochemical projects.


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Republicans in the legislature are putting new heat on Gov. Jerry Brown to reject a controversial measure that would move voting on initiatives from the June primary to the November ballot only.
In unusually blunt language, Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway (R-Tulare) warned Brown in a letter, obtained by Prop Zero, that future negotiations on his proposals are at stake.
Calling the ballot shift a "raw political move", Conway said further, "If you seek to restore any modicum of trust in the political process and improve the overall political climate in Sacramento, we urge you to veto Senate Bill 202."
U.S. & World
The bill was hatched in the closing hours of the legislative session.
Backed by labor unions, it would move all future initiatives to the November ballot. Unions are concerned about a pending measure that would limit their ability to collect membership dues for political campaigns. Voting in November, when turnout is greater, would benefit labor's efforts to defeat the measure.
Democrats who crafted the bill say it makes sense to put a measure on the ballot when the most voters plan to turn out.
But Conway said the measure only heightens partisan warfare and distrust at the Capitol. In her letter to the governor, she issued a veiled warning about the prospects for any future GOP support for Brown's proposals.
"At a time when partisanship is at an all-time high in Sacramento, it is essential that we preserve what remaining trust remains between lawmakers." Conway wrote.
It could be argued that there's very little trust left to lose. Brown is angry with Republicans for failing to support his recent jobs package and his efforts to put a tax vote on the ballot.
Let us know what you think. Comment below, send us your thoughts via Twitter @PropZero or add your comment to our Facebook page.


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Indonesia's towering Puncak Jaya mountain straddles one of the world's richest and most inaccessible gold and copper mines. But the scientists currently prospecting on the 16,000-ft peak are digging for a different kind of treasure: fragile ice cores that can yield clues to the climatic past and give pointers on the future.
Jutting up from the island of New Guinea, which is split between the Indonesian province of Papua and the independent nation of Papua New Guinea, the mountain's slopes hold some of the only tropical glaciers in the world. Scientists study ice cores as a proxy for climatic data stretching back thousands of years. The data can be used for climate modeling to understand how natural cycles work and to predict the impact on manmade warming on temperature and precipitation.
In pictures: Disappearing glaciers
For Lonnie Thompson, an alpine glaciologist at Ohio State University and a leading authority in the field, climbing Puncak Jaya completes a longtime ambition. Speaking Friday by phone from the expedition's campsite 120 meters below the peak, he said it was a race against time as a warming planet was already taking its toll on the ice.
"It's melting and retreating very quickly. We want to capture its history while it's still possible," he says.
The six-person expedition team includes Indonesian oceanographer Dwi Susanto of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO), who studies the Pacific Ocean and the El Nino system that brings either drought or rainfall to Indonesia. The ice-core data can complement other proxies of oceanic temperature oscillations such as seabed samples and tree rings.
Thompson says the team, which arrived last month in Indonesia and scaled the peak earlier this week, had drilled down 16 meters on the first day. Over the weekend they hoped to dig as deep as 40 meters, using extendable drill bits only 100 mm thick, and to wrap up their expedition by the end of the month. (Follow the team's expedition on its blog.)
The extracted ice cores are laid flat in three customized freezers, to be airlifted out later by helicopters provided by Freeport McMoRan, the US-based company that operates the nearby Grasberg mine and is assisting the team. The expedition is also supported by Indonesia's Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency. The expedition was delayed for a week when several pieces of equipment were left behind at customs in Jakarta, including essential drill bits.
The final challenge for Mr. Thompson, who led a similar expedition last year to the Peruvian Andes, will be to ship them back from equatorial Indonesia to Ohio State where they will be stored at -30 degrees C. His other samples include ice from peaks in China, Peru, and Kenya's Mount Kilimanjaro, another tropical glacier.
Puncak Jaya is blanketed daily in fog and rain, as well as lightning storms that pose a risk to the drillers. Thompson says he wanted to stay as long as it takes to get the best samples, probably a few more days. The cores extracted Friday contain compacted animal and plant matter and other substances that record atmospheric changes, as well as the isotopes of the frozen water, all essential to reconstructing the complex climatic patterns of the western Pacific.
"This is the first time [drilling Puncak Jaya], and I guess it will be the last time," he says, referring to the shrinking ice cover.


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Embarrassing: Girl Can't Hold It In Any Longer.. So She's Starts Peeing On Herself & Takes A Shower On The Train!
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Glenn Beck sounded the wing-nut alarm after sharing disclaimer text from Cars.gov, the official Cash For Clunkers website, claiming the government's taking over computers. It's not true, but it does make us wonder what files are on Beck's laptop.
The whole segment is a four minute scare tactic about the Department of Transportation's CARS Act "Cash For Clunkers" dealer website. In order to process rebates, a dealer must sign on to the DoT system and then, according to "Prosecutor Kim," the government can "basically track you, basically forever." Yeah. not quite. Here is the, admittedly, scary sounding verbiage:
"This application provides access to the DoT CARS system. When logged on to the CARS system, your computer is considered a Federal computer system and is the property of the U.S. Government. Any or all uses of this system and all files on this system may be intercepted, monitored, recorded, copied, audited, inspected, and disclosed to authorized CARS, Dot, and law enforcement personnel, as well as authorized officials of other agencies, both domestic and foreign."
If you watch the Glenn Beck show, or read various websites, they're exclaiming this is the end of the world.
So does this mean dealer computers are being taken over? No. For starters, this is only seen on the dealer side of the CARS website, so it isn't for everyday consumers. Secondly, it's a carelessly written statement created by some bureaucrat to say any uses of the CARS system can and will be recorded and monitored. This is to help prevent against crime and abuse. Unfortunately, as written, it sounds like the dealer's computer is going to be taken over.
Beck called the people behind this system "evil, wicked, crazy, frightening people," but, according to Rae Tyson, spokesman for the National Highway Safety Transportation Agency, this was just a boiler plate statement regarding the secure portion of the site used on many other government websites. To avoid more confusion it's been removed.
"It's nothing sinister and it's not related to the general public," said Tyson. "People who log into Cars.gov don't need to worry, dealers who log into Cars.gov don't need to worry."
Of course, that's exactly what they would say. Mwwhhahahahahhah! (H/T to Richard!)


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Seoul – One city, two faces
The world's second-largest city, Seoul is a sprawling conurbation and home to 26 million people. So it's a monster of a metropolis, tumultuously noisy? Yes and no. We show you both sides of the South Korean capital
Head for the hills
Every year a million people turn their hiking boots south and head out of Seoul to Gwanaksan Mountain to climb to the top of its 632-meter slopes.
Try a different pitch
Book a hotel room? Boring! Instead, put up a tent on one of Seoul's five urban campsites and enjoy a good night's sleep (almost) beneath the open sky.
Glorious way to glow
A jimjilbang is rarely truly peaceful, but the classic Korean version of a bathhouse is an institution no guest departs without a deep sense of relaxation.
Sip tip
Switching off with a refreshing cup of tea is an art form in Seoul. The Korean tea ceremony goes back more than a thousand years and is now experiencing a revival.
Lovers' lane
Or rather, bridge. In Seoul, young couples often head for Banpo Bridge to see the nightly Moonlight Rainbow Show, a shimmering water feature 1140 meters long.
Buy, buy, buy!
Everything must go? Nope, this is just business as usual. Every day, around one million people jostle through Myeongdong, Seoul's favorite shopping district.
Reaching for the sky
The din of construction is still grinding on today, but by 2016, the Lotte World Tower, at 555 meters, should have become one of the world's tallest skyscrapers.
Legendary nightlife
Seoul is famous for its clubs. Some of the largest, veritable dance temples, are located in the Gangnam district. Most popular music style: electro.
Fish for all
The stallholders at Noryangjin fish market create a cacophony of sound as they vie for custom – and offer passersby delicious sashimi tidbits to sample. Open: 24/7.
Fun unlimited
quiet day out? Not at Lotte World, the largest indoor theme park on the planet. One truly unmissable ride is the breathtaking French Revolution rollercoaster.


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Is Energy Storage a Near Reality or a Pipe Dream?
The inability to store electricity on the scale of a regional grid has led to the inefficient power industry that we know today. The fundamental nature of electricity requires that a regional electrical grid have sufficient generating capacity available to meet peak demand even if that demand is only reached for an instant. While base load power plants have capacity factors up to 90%, peaker plants have capacity factors around 10%. This means that over the course of a year, peakers may only operate at full capacity for a total of 3 days. The consequence is a considerable number of power assets that sit unutilized for most of their operational lives. Having idled assets establishes an inefficient economic model for grid operators. Energy storage, in theory, would level load across the grid by storing electricity through troughs in demand (at night) and release the stored electricity back onto the grid during peaks (during the day, particularly hot summer days). A large scale, grid-connected energy storage system could create a more level day-to-day load and reduce the need for inefficient peakers. If realized, electrical energy storage would revolutionize the power sector, including the biomass power sector. Today's DataPoints will offer a brief overview of where battery storage technology lies by looking at their current break even costs associated with these technologies.
Energy storage is not anything new. Pumped hydro, flywheels, and compressed air have long been used and investigated as modes of energy storage. Though each of these technologies have strong niche applicability, the scale of energy storage needed to effect grid-wide change on regional loads cannot be filled completely by pumped hydro, flywheels, and compressed air. For that reason, significant research and effort has been put into battery systems that, if deployed on broad enough scale, could meet society's demands on the grid.
Much of the data in my blog has been condensed from an article by Schalk Cloete where he analyzes the three predominant battery technologies: lead-acid, lithium-ion, and flow. The principle metric that Cloete uses to compare battery technologies is the spread between the prices of what you could buy the power (to store in the battery) and then sell back to the grid. For example, if you buy power at $30 MWh, say at night, and sell it at $80 MWh at 3pm the next day the spread would be $50 MWh. Cloete offers what the breakeven spread would be given the current estimates of capital cost, O&M, project lifetime, efficiency, purchase price, and discount rate of the three battery technologies: lead-acid, lithium-ion, and flow batteries. The analysis is based off work by Duke University and simply offers insight into where the current cost these battery technologies lie.
Lead-acid Batteries
Lead-acid batteries have a relatively short life-span when compared to the other battery options. After 2000 cycled (a single charge and discharge = 1 cycle), the efficiency of a lead-acid battery issignificantly reduced. Along with a shorter lifetime, lead-acid battery should only be discharged to 50% to preserve a 2000 cycle life. Fully discharging a lead-acid battery significantly reduces its life. Despite a lower cost in producing lead-acid batteries, the shorter life and lower depth of discharge of lead-acid batteries leads Cloete to conclude that even under the lowest cost scenario the breakeven spread would be $800/MWh, meaning that wholesale electricity price would need to be $10 MWh at night and $810 during the day, an unlikely day-to-day scenario.
Li-Ion Batteries
Lithium-ion batteries have longer lifetimes (5000 cycles) and have a higher efficiency than lead-acid batteries, which makes the economics slightly better than lead-acid batteries. Li-ion batteries also suffer from the inability to fully discharge if the battery life is be maintained. Though economically better than lead-acid batteries, Cloete acknowledges that Li-ions are far from market ready. Given that the current spread in the whole sale electricity market is predominantly below $100 (except for on rare occasion), both Li-ion and lead-acid batteries are far from becoming an economically wise option for energy storage.
Flow Batteries
Flow batteries, Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries (VRB) in particular, differ from Li-ion and lead-acid batteries with long lifetimes and ability to be fully discharges. They are also durable and more easily scalable. As you move the right in the chart below the economics of VRBs starts to look a bit better than Li-ion and lead-acid batteries. None-the-less, the breakeven spread of VRB technology is still on an order of magnitude greater than the current spread of the wholesale electricity market.
Innovation around energy storage will see it through to commercial scale applications, but when is not known. The wind and solar industry look to energy storage to solve their intermittency issue. However, energy storage should not only be seen as an opening for pairing with wind and solar. The biomass power industry should consider energy storage as an opportunity to augment its base load nature. Significant efficiency is lost in throttling gensets and ramping of boilers. If production loads could be maintained regardless of demand and the excess electricity stored, biomass power producers would get the most out of their fuels and assets. Biomass installations prosper when they are incorporated into diverse systems that have multiple revenue streams. A dynamic system that incorporates energy storage into a biomass power installation would strongly augment the resiliency and capabilities of biomass installations and the industry.