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I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. In a few minutes, we will tell you about a billion dollar settlement, years in the making, between the Justice Department and 41 Native American tribes, over what the tribes have called years of mismanagement of tribal money and resources. We'll have that conversation in a few minutes.
But first we want to talk about one of those stories that, on first look, could come across as inside baseball, you know, one of those disputes among insiders that has nothing to do with anybody but them. But we thought it might be bigger than that. It might be one of those small stories that could have a big impact on the way big issues are debated in this country.
You might have heard of Charles and David Koch. They are the billionaire brothers who have become famous, or infamous, depending on your point of view, for their millions of dollars in investments in think tanks and other organizations, mainly in support of conservative political causes.
Recently, the Koch brothers have filed two lawsuits against the Cato Institute. That's a leading libertarian think tank here in Washington, D.C. Leaders of the Cato Institute said the suit would essentially put the Koch brothers in charge of that respected institution's research operations, and they say that would threaten the institution's identity and independence.
The Koch brothers, for their part, say they aren't attempting a hostile takeover, but simply want to make sure that the Cato Institute remains, true to its, quote, "fundamental principles," unquote.
Michael Cannon is the director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute. He also recently penned an open letter to Charles and David Koch. It was published in Politico and he joins us now to talk about his letter and his concerns and, presumably, the concerns of other scholars at the institute.
Michael Cannon, welcome back. Thanks for joining us once again.
MICHAEL CANNON: Thanks for having me.
MARTIN: I do think it's worth noting that we reached out to the Koch brothers to ask them to participate, in some form, in this conversation. They declined.
So, with that being said, first off, Michael, for people who aren't involved in this kind of work, what does a think tank like Cato do?
CANNON: Well, the Cato Institute's a little different from most of the think tank - or a lot of the think tanks in Washington, D.C. We don't try to affect legislations before Congress. We don't try to affect particular policy outcomes that are being debated right now or proposed.
MARTIN: So you don't draft legislation.
CANNON: Right. We...
MARTIN: You don't sit with lawmakers drafting legislation.
CANNON: We try to change the way they think so they propose better legislation, over the long term. An example of that, is when the Cato Institute was founded in the 1970s, we were talking about social security personal accounts, letting people own what they now pay in social security taxes to the government. And people sort of laughed at that idea.
But, you know, 30 years later, that became a viable political issue, such that a president of the United States was pushing it. So that's the sort of impact that the Cato has. That's how we try to influence public policy and in a direction toward individual liberty, free markets and peace. That's really the libertarian vision or view of a free society.
MARTIN: Well, I was going to ask you - the next question I was going to ask you, is that I think people who follow these matters know that the Koch brothers are known for their extremely conservative political perspective. What's the difference, in your view, between the conservative movement and the libertarian perspective that you feel that - which is what the Cato Institute is dedicated to, explicitly? What's the difference?
CANNON: Well, first, I think that the Kochs are libertarians, first. Keep in mind, Charles Koch founded the Cato Institute with our current president, Ed Crane, because he wanted a libertarian think tank to add to the public debate. He and David Koch have funded the Cato Institute. Over the life of the Cato Institute, their contributions have come to about eight percent of total revenues.
What's really at stake here, I...
MARTIN: That's what - that was my next question. In your view, what is this lawsuit about?
CANNON: The Cato Institute, for a think tank, has a really unique and sort of bizarre governance structure. Instead of being governed solely by members or a board of directors, they're - it's actually owned by shareholders. One of them passed away in October. The Kochs are two of the shareholders. They control 50 percent of the shares and they believe that, with the passing of our late chairman emeritus, Bill Niskanan, that the rules of the shareholder agreement entitle them, effectively, to Bill Niskanan's shares and the board of directors disagree with their interpretation of the shareholders' agreement.
And so they filed one lawsuit in order to have that dispute settled. The reason this matters, is because if the Kochs do prevail, then they will literally own the Cato Institute. That is a problem, because even the perception that a think tank is controlled by a single financial interest, can wreck that think tank's credibility.
MARTIN: I guess I'm wondering - and I think other people might be wondering - how do you know that and is that really true? I mean, isn't sort of - you know, politics is the means by which government happens, so how would this be really any different?
CANNON: Well, there is a lot of concern that that's what the Koch's vision for the Cato Institute is, and I don't see any problem with a think tank that provides intellectual ammunition to groups that are more politically active. For me, I think the issue here is credibility, and we can already see how Cato's credibility will suffer.
As I wrote in that open letter to Charles and David Koch, I had a health policy scholar, a professor who's really at the top of his field, approach the Cato Institute with an idea for a book. And it's a fantastic book proposal and I leapt at the chance to publish it. But on the day that the Kochs filed their lawsuit, that professor backed away from the offer because he said he didn't want - he cited the threat to Cato's credibility the Koch ownership would pose and he didn't want his book to be dismissed.
I also received an email from a reporter who quotes Cato's scholars frequently, and said that, if the Cato Institute were owned by the Kochs or any other single financial interest, it would have no value to him as a reporter.
MARTIN: So is the - say, maybe the analogy here - and if you're just joining us, this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. I'm speaking with Michael Cannon. He's a voice that is familiar to our listeners, if you follow issues in health policy. He's the director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute, the libertarian think tank.
He recently wrote an open letter to Charles and David Koch in Politico, in response to a lawsuit that the Koch brothers have filed against the Cato Institute, and some people say that it's an attempt to take control of the think tank.
Could I just try this as an analogy? Is the analogy something like research that is solely funded by a pharmaceutical company - however worthy the scholarship - people look at that and say, why should I believe that? Because it's funded by a pharmaceutical...
CANNON: Exactly. Because it gives - it - because...
MARTIN: ...company that has an interest in and is known to...
CANNON: Because they don't - right.
MARTIN: ...have an interest in a certain thing.
CANNON: Because those issues are really complicated and that provides a way for people to dismiss it if they don't understand the issues involved. And so, I mean, this issue of credibility is a challenge not just for think tanks. It's a challenge for journalists. It's a challenge for everybody who's trying to either inform the public or persuade the public of a certain point of view.
How does the listener know that what you're telling them is true and unbiased? How do they know that what I'm telling them is what I believe is best for society, and not just what my funders want me to say because it's in their financial interest?
And what the Cato Institute has done, I think, is really remarkable. Over 35 years, the Cato Institute has built up this reputation where even - where Republicans and Democrats and journalists all agree that, you know, even if you don't agree with the Cato Institute, they're not just a front group for some industry or some political party. And we've built up that reputation and it's taken a long time to do that. And that reputation, I think, could vanish very quickly if the Koch's lawsuit is successful.
And this is a very difficult issue and it's a very difficult thing for folks at Cato, because we wouldn't have our jobs without Charles and David Koch. They are billionaires who have funded the libertarian movement. Not just the Cato Institute, but other groups that have - where I've worked and others at Cato have worked. We owe a lot to them, and I'm not sure...
MARTIN: So you've been biting the hand that's fed you?
CANNON: I don't think so. I think we're trying to protect an asset that they and we have tried to - have worked very hard to try to establish. And I can't - I don't understand why it is that they're doing this and so the open letter is part of an effort to try to begin that dialog and try to get some more understanding on both sides.
MARTIN: What's the next step?
CANNON: I don't really know. You mentioned the Koch's have filed two lawsuits against the Cato Institute. Those are going to work their way through the courts and, hopefully, there can be enough dialog from these two sides of the family that we can work toward some sort of compromise that preserves Cato's credibility, preserves that asset that everyone involved has been working to build for 35 years.
MARTIN: Michael Cannon is the director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute. His open letter to Charles and David Koch was recently published in Politico and I do want to say once again, we reached out to the Koch brothers and asked them to participate, in some way, in this conversation and they declined.
Michael Cannon, thanks so much for joining us once again.
CANNON: Anytime.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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College Station Homes
Welcome to CollegeStationHomes.com – Your leading resource to search for College Station homes and BCS real estate in Brazos County, Texas. Designed with buyers, sellers and investors in mind, local College Station real estate and Texaplex real estate expert Michelle Leatham – or 'Myke' as friends call her – developed this website to be a leading resource for folks just like you to learn more about the community, its real estate and the real estate services she provides.
You will also find a wealth of "How To" information including landscaping tips and tricks, buyers and sellers information, common misconceptions, Do's and Don'ts, how to sell quickly in a down market, and staging advice among other topics. Find and compare College Station and Bryan duplexes, 4plexes, and houses for rent or lease.
Are you relocating? Looking for relocation information? Brazos County Realty can help you with that too as well as short sales, foreclosures or rural and urban land for sale! She welcomes you to browse the site at your leisure and encourages you to contact her or her excellent team with any questions you may have.
Bryan/College Station Homes For Sale
College Station homes and Texaplex area real estate offers an array of choices from part-time retreats to permanent homes, investment properties, luxury homes and condos, golfing communities, new construction, single-family homes, student rental properties, multi-family and even retirement communities dedicated to a carefree 55+ lifestyle – there is something for everyone here in College Station and Brazos County.
General Information
Whether you're a retiree ready to return to your roots within the East Central Texas real estate area, a Texas A&M professor, student seeking either a temporary rental, or full time housing, or a family searching for more room to roam, you are sure to find the ideal property within this vivacious community filled with history and school pride.
While College Station TX real estate is conveniently located to the University, it is also located close to cities such as Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas. Other nearby amenities and attractions include museums, the George Bush Presidential Library, Lake Somerville, Opas, A&M Football at Kyle Field and incredible sporting events, as well as restaurants, shopping, camping, golf, and much, much more!
With seemingly endless land to develop, space to spread out, and many opportunities for growth within a highly educated community offering low crime rates and friendly residents, this area continues to be an exciting place to live, work and play!
Still Have Questions or Need Assistance?
If you need help with your financing, she can help you with that, too! To learn more about the College Station homes, financing, mortgage and lending options, and BCS real estate currently available to you or to schedule a consultation with Myke regarding your specific real estate needs, please do not hesitate to connect with her and her team today.
"Let Myke Help You With Your HOMEwork!" She is always just a phone call or email away and looks forward to sharing her knowledge, experience and valuable resources with you before, during, and after the sale. Contact her today to get started!

subset: commoncrawl


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PoiPlay is an elegant mix of new technology and traditional medium. Poi, Maori for ball, is a traditional form of juggling originating in New Zealand. In poi, a ball at the end of a rope or chain is swung in circular motion to develop visual patterns. Often augmented by flame, and more recently LEDs and glow sticks.
The PoiPlay device has 28 RGB LEDs in a 1 foot long enclosure at the end of a rope. They have a 1mbit per second bidirectional wireless interface, three Atmel processors, a lithium ion battery, and a charger. The base station controls not only the PoiPlay but the music as well. All the control software that resides on the PC was written in Perl and communicates via USB port under Cygwin.
They have built the devices to be individually addressable with the capability of being grouped by subnet. This feature isn't supported by the software yet, but they say it should be done by the next show in 2009.
The site, while pretty offers very little information. Some construction shots would be fantastic. Go check it out though, the pictures are mesmerizing.
[thanks Jm]


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I recently found out that Creek Stewart from Apocabox was offering a few specials and I wanted to let you know about them right away. I am not affiliated with Apocabox or Creek Stewart. I simply believe in his mission to teach others about survival and life skills. I believe in the idea that "if you give a man a fish then he will eat for a day, and if you teach a man to fish then he will eat for a lifetime". I want to encourage other families to check out the life skills and survival skills challenges that he teaches. My family has been blessed to learn from him and all of these skills are useful and could help you in a survival situation someday.
Anyway, the free offer was for a folding survival saw that fits in your back pack. I watched his video about the saw and ordered one to put into my husband's Father's Day gift. The saw is FREE, but you do pay $3.95 for shipping and handling through the offer on his website, and he will send it out to you. If the offer is not posted on the front page of his website, then it is over.
After placing that order, there was another notice for a Special Edition Apocabox ONE TIME OFFER. If you decide you want it too, then both orders will be billed and shipped together. Creek Stewart has loaded a box with almost $200 worth of leftover gear from previous boxes and he will send it out for the standard $50 Apocabox price. He is hoping that after folks get this and try out the gear, they will want to join. But there is no commitment needed, it is a one time offer. One other offer pops up after that for the entire collection of Creek's pocket survival guides at a huge discount.
I watched two of his videos he made, one is about the knife and one is about the gear he included in the One Time Offer Special Edition Apocabox, and I thought both of these would make a nice addition to my husband's Father's Day gift. He will have some really nice items to use for camping, hunting, fishing, and to keep some gear in his vehicle if he ever needs it.
I am waiting for my order to arrive and I am hoping it arrives today or tomorrow so the kids and I can give it to my husband for Father's Day. I was sent an email yesterday that it has shipped.
I wanted to get this note out to other homeschool families and other folks who might be interested. Creek Stewart said this is a One Time Offer. It won't last long and supply will run out soon. It is a first come first serve basis. So once the supplies are gone, the offer will be over. I will post a story about the contents of this box after it arrives.
More about Apocabox:
Apocabox by survival instructor Creek Stewart, is a DIY Survival Skills or you could think of it as a Survival School In A Box. It is shipped bimonthly to your door (Feb, April, June, Aug, Oct, and Dec) for a cost of $50. Each box has a different theme for the skills being taught.
We joined the bimonthly subscription at the beginning of this year and have received the Feb 2018 Mass Exodus and April 2018 Silent Hunter boxes so far. We are waiting for the June 2018 Flat Line box to arrive. Flat Line is a first aid theme and we are looking forward to learning more. I had researched the Apocabox service months before joining and watched several of Creek Stewart's videos. Then we joined when it fit best into our budget.
We are using Apocabox for a life skills curriculum with our kids. There are 8 of us in the family, and we are all learning together. All of us have enjoyed learning, and when you work on these projects together as a family, it draws you closer. I would also say my husband and our teenage boys have been really challenged and motivated with this learning adventure.
Within the boxes we've received so far, there have been around 10-12 skills to learn in a pocket survival guide, one or two special skills that are sent with raw materials and templates and instructions in the main newsletter, plus links to exclusive training videos, and 5-10 survival gear items. To do the other skills in the pocket guide you will need to source your own materials, or the skill being learned might involve practicing with one of the gear items in the box, or it might involve making something like a survival kit for your backpack or vehicle with the gear that is included. For our family the cost equals out to be about $50 box / 10 lessons (average) = $5 per new skill lesson / 8 people = 0.625 per lesson per person every other month. So it has been a very affordable learning program for us so far. However, I don't think his boxes always include the pocket survival guides and when they don't, there is less instruction / guidance to learn from. I do wish he would include a pocket guide in every box, but it is what it is. It is possible to find enough instruction in other places to make up the difference.
Anyway, I have shared 3 stories about these boxes so far, and if you want to learn more about it, see these posts:
Creek Stewart has several services where he shares his knowledge and skills with others:
Outdoor Survival School called Willow Haven
Author of several books and survival guides available on his website and amazon.
Creator of numerous survival skills videos on Youtube
Host of S.O.S. How To Survive (on the weather channel)
Host of Fat Guys In The Woods (on the weather channel)
Apocabox bimonthly service
Wild Edible of the Month Club
Surivival Skill of the Month Club
And he has a couple of online stores where he sells various survival products from books to knives to camping and survival equipment and more. You can find all of this information including the special offers on his main website for CreekStewart.com and also learn more about the Apocabox subscription membership on myapocabox.com
Bottom line: there is a special time limited opportunity to get a Free Folding Survival Saw offer and if you order the saw, there is an additional opportunity that will appear on your computer dashboard to get the One Time Offer Special Edition Apocabox from Creek Stewart if you are interested. I want to encourage homeschool families to check out the services Creek Stewart has to offer and see if it might be a good fit for your family.
Be blessed!


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Going to a Sound Bath in Saint Helena
A sound bath is a type of meditation or relaxation session available in Saint Helena that involves being surrounded by and listening to various sounds and vibrations, such as those produced by singing bowls, gongs, chimes, and other instruments. The sounds are believed to help participants relax, reduce stress, and achieve a meditative state. Sound baths in Saint Helena may be led by a facilitator or practitioner, who will guide participants through the session and may also use techniques such as vocal toning to enhance the experience.
Sound baths in Saint Helena are believed to help reduce stress and promote relaxation through the use of sound and vibration. The sounds and vibrations produced by the instruments used in a sound bath, such as singing bowls, gongs, and chimes, are thought to have a calming effect on the body and mind. The relaxation state that sound baths induces can help to release tension and promote feelings of calm and well-being.
Choosing a sound bath practitioner in Saint Helena
- Experience: Look for a practitioner in Saint Helena who has experience leading sound bath sessions and has a deep understanding of the practice.
- Qualifications: While there is no formal certification or licensing required for sound bath practitioners in Saint Helena, it's a good idea to look for someone who has received training or education in sound healing, meditation, or related fields.
- Reviews: Check local online reviews in Saint Helena or ask for recommendations from friends or other practitioners.
- Insurance: Make sure that the practitioner has liability insurance valid in Saint Helena
Once you have found a practitioner in Saint Helena that you feel comfortable with, it's a good idea to have a conversation with them about your goals and any questions or concerns you may have before attending a session. This will help you to determine if the practitioner is a good match for you.
What Does a Sound bath Feel Like?
A sound bath experience in Saint Helena involves lying down or sitting in a comfortable position while being surrounded by various instruments that produce sounds and vibrations. The instruments used in a sound bath may include singing bowls, gongs, chimes, drums, and other instruments. The session is led by a facilitator or practitioner, who will guide participants through the experience and may also use techniques such as vocal toning to enhance the effects of the sounds.
During the sound bath in Saint Helena, participants close their eyes and focus on the sounds and vibrations produced by the instruments. The sounds help participants relax, reduce stress, and achieve a meditative state.
Some people feel physical sensations such as tingling, warmth or vibrations in different parts of their body. The experience can be different for each person, some people feel very relaxed, while others feel a sense of euphoria or a sense of floating. After the sound bath, participants may feel a sense of calm, relaxation, and well-being. They may also feel more refreshed, energized, and focused.
Get a Sound Bath at a Luxury Hotel in Saint Helena
A sound bath at a luxury hotel in Saint Helena is becoming increasingly popular with locals and tourist alike. The process is available only at 5* hotels in the Saint Helena area and refers to a relaxation or meditation session where participants lie down and listen to soothing sounds, such as singing bowls or gongs, that are played by a trained practitioner. The goal of a sound bath is to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being.
Sound Baths at Remedy Wellbeing Saint Helena
Reconnect and reinvigorate your senses in places of incredible natural beauty, with meaningful treatment experiences, empathetic hospitality and pioneering wellness woven into the fabric of every REMEDY property in Saint Helena and worldwide. Experience a layered approach to wellness in Saint Helena that's in tune with your natural flow. Find harmony and balance from the inside out and outside in. Our high-tech and high-touch approach takes you as deep as you would like to go – from core beauty that changes the way you look, to personalized wellness programs that can change your whole outlook on life. Sound Baths are an integral part of our overall wellbeing and wellness approach in Saint Helena and our award winning luxury hotel & spa facilities make the perfect setting for a sound healing session.
Booking Sound Bath Experiences in Saint Helena Online
Booking experiences on Book Direct and Save is similar to booking a traditional rental property on the platform. First, search for an experience such as a Sound Bath that interests you by location (Saint Helena), date, and activity. Once you find an experience that you would like to book, you can view more information about it, including the host's profile, reviews from previous guests, and the schedule for the Sound Bath experience. You can then select the number of guests and the date you would like to book, and proceed to the checkout page to complete your booking.


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Published on Circulatory system.
Hypotension is another word for low blood pressure
Blood pressure - low
Published on Circulatory system.
Blood reflects the identity, the being. The walls of the blood vessels are the frontiers within which our incarnation into human beings takes place. It is natural for us to want to test the limits of these frontiers, the resistance of the blood vessels. The person with low blood pressure never tests these frontiers, never takes it to the limit. He greatly resists who he is and steers away from conflict. So, blood, too, holds back and often causes the patient to pass out. The person renounces his personal power, resigns from his responsibilities, and runs away. He shows lack of enthusiasm and courage. The individual is defeated in face of any challenge. This symptom is common among people who suffered from lack of love as children. They have a defeated attitude. "What good does it do, anyway?" The person who suffers from hypotension has an overly feminine behaviour, is excessively passive. He cancels himself out.
See Fainting.


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Microsoft is preparing to launch in the next few months a Web site called Skymarket to sell Windows Mobile OS applications, a job advertisement suggests.
The clue to the launch is a job advertisement spotted by blogger Long Zheng. Microsoft is looking for a senior product manager who would oversee the marketing and development for the service, intended to complement the eventual release of the next mobile OS, Windows Mobile 7.
Third-party developers have built more than 15,000 applications for Windows Mobile, but the applications are sold through a multitude of vendors on different Web sites.
The advertisement would suggest that Microsoft is aiming for something closer to Apple's one-stop shop approach with its iTunes Store, which also sells applications for the iPhone. Those applications, which now number more than 1,000, are vetted by Apple and are not sold elsewhere.
One of the goals listed in Microsoft's ad for the position is making "the Windows Mobile marketplace 'the place to be' for developers wishing to distribute and monetize their Windows Mobile applications."
Microsoft has already taken a shot at loosely roping its applications under one online roof with its Windows Mobile Catalog.
But the site is a facade, with links leading to vendors such as Pocketland, Handango and MobiHand which handle the transaction and downloads. By contrast, Apple's applications can be purchased and downloaded on its iPhone wirelessly.


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Vacuum tubes were once the active devices of choice in high-frequency systems. With increasing use of solid-state devices, however, vacuum electron devices (VEDs) play less dominant roles in microwave and millimeter- wave systems, although they still offer the most power per device for most applications. Vacuum tubes such as klystrons, crossed-field amplifiers (CFAs), gyrotrons, magnetrons, inductive output tubes (IOTs) and, in particular, traveling wave tubes (TWTs), continue to retain their solid position in defense applications and even in some commercial and industrial applications as well. The fact remains that at high microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies, monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) and RF power transistors can't match the power/bandwidth product that these "mature" devices can deliver.
Of course, this "dollars per watt" scenario changes every year, as devices based on GaAs, silicon and, increasingly, gallium nitride (GaN) offer higher power levels at higher frequencies. These improving performance levels help chip away at vacuum tube bastions such as broadcast transmitters, and electronic warfare (EW), electronic countermeasures (ECM), and radar systems. However, they have a long way to go before they will be able to produce megawatts of power at 40 GHz like a klystron or gyrotron, or 250 kW like a coupled-cavity TWT. The challenge of reducing the staggering losses incurred in power combining networks alone would be enough to scare away even the most ardent supporter of solid-state technology.
The TWT is arguably the most widely used VED for microwave defense, instrumentation, and satellite communications applications. It provides the extremely high output-power density required by these applications at microwave frequencies, with time-tested reliability. Development continues on the devices as well as the amplifiers and transmitters they enable, and the power supplies whose characteristics are critical to ensure the performance and longevity of TWTs. A TWT is an inherently high-gain, low-noise amplifier with wider bandwidth than that of a klystron. The TWT (Fig. 1) uses a slow-wave structure (either a coupled-cavity circuit or for purposes of this discussion, helix) to create interaction between a high-energy electron beam and an RF wave in a vacuum envelope.
In a TWT, electrons are generated by a heated cathode in an electron gun assembly and launched into the interaction region. The electron beam is controlled by an electrode that switches it on and off by changing the control electrode potential (bias) to either positive or negative with respect to the cathode. The switching of bias voltages is performed by the modulator in the transmitter to transition the device from a conduction state to a cutoff state. The electron beam is focused by magnets along the axis of the TWT and the beam is accelerated by a high potential between the cathode and the anode (collector). The RF wave propagates from the input to the output through the slow-wave structure, and the highenergy electron beam gives up energy to the RF wave as it travels along the axis of the tube, providing amplification before the high-frequency signal reaches the RF output port.
Unlike their solid-state counterparts, TWTs require high voltages to be applied to their electrodes, with proportionally higher voltages needed to produce higher RF output levels. For example, an 8-kW, X-band helix TWT requires an input voltage of about 14 kV while a 100-kW coupled-cavity TWT requires about 45 kV input voltage. Physically smaller mini-TWTs operate with input voltages from 3.5 to 7 kV.
A good example of a TWT amplifier (TWTA) application is the radar transmitter shown in Fig. 2, which is typical of transmitters using other types of microwave tubes as well. A pulsed signal from the radar waveform generator is applied to an amplifier that employs RF power transistors to produce an output that drives the TWT. This signal is sent to the input of the TWT where isolators are used to ensure proper input matching and inter-stage isolation, and a PIN-diode switch is present to shut off the driver's output to protect the TWT from overload. In addition to the TWT, the RF output section includes a dual-directional coupler to determine the RF output level as well as the reflected power level to protect the TWT from damage in high VSWR conditions.
Other components include an isolator and often a harmonic suppression filter and waveguide switch that can divert the TWT's output to a dummy load for testing. An arc detector is generally included in very-high-power transmitters, which senses breakdown in the waveguide and turns off the RF drive power to the TWT at high speed to prevent damage to its output port window. Other protective mechanisms cover excessive current in the high-voltage power supply, modulator, and TWT, which are carefully designed to prevent false alarms while providing high levels of safety.
TWTs from various manufacturers vary considerably in many respects, and only through experience can amplifier and transmitter manufacturers such as dB Control determine which one is best suited for a specific application. There is ample reason for this caution since as the core element of the transmitter, which is the TWT, affects nearly every aspect of performance. Key TWT considerations include power supply requirements, operating voltage levels and power consumption, thermal design power dissipation and thermal design, size and weight, temperature, altitude and vibration performance, and demonstrated record of reliability.
TWTs used for transponder amplifiers in satellites, where power is limited, are typical examples for the high efficiency and reliability figures that can be achieved by careful design of TWTs. The RF output power to prime power input ratio that describes real efficiency is greater than 60 percent for these devices, and recent reports show that efficiency of nearly 70 percent has been achieved. These TWTs also have proven to be highly reliable and have long operating lives (greater than 20 years) to provide uninterrupted service in communication and radar applications. Even today, for Ku-band and higher frequencies, TWTs are the only amplification devices used in satellites.
The applications for TWTs include those that pose minimal constraints on size, weight, and power consumption. However, in others such as satellite transponders and most recently military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the RF power generation section must share the available space with massive amounts of signal processing, avionics, power supply, and other hardware. A solution to this problem was the creation of the mini- TWT which, as its name suggests, is a small version of a conventional TWT (typically about 7 in. long) and requires a lower-voltage power supply (to 8 kV). However, it is also limited in RF output power to about 200 W CW (1 kW peak), although retaining its broadband, high-frequency capabilities. These devices are available at frequencies to about 50 GHz.
Impressive though the mini-TWT may be, it has greater potential when incorporated into a microwave power module (MPM). The MPM resulted from a tri-service (United States Air Force, Army, and Navy) vacuum electronics initiative launched in 1990, which had the goal of combining the best characteristics of VED and solid-state technologies to produce common, medium-power building blocks for radar, EW, and ECM systems that could be manufactured in high volume at reasonable cost.
The ultimate goal of the program was to produce extremely small modules but ultimately resulted in modules that were considerably larger. However, they still consume less space than a traditional TWTA, are comparatively light in weight, and operate from power supplies ranging from 28 to 270 VDC. Today, dB Control and other manufacturers offer a wide array of MPMs for operation from S-band to W-band frequencies in CW and pulsed configurations, with RF outputs from less than 20 W to more than 1 kW with a 20 to 40 percent duty cycle, 100 to 400 s pulse width, and variable pulse repetition frequency.
In a classic MPM (Fig. 3), the RF signal path consists of a mini-TWT and a solid-state driver amplifier accompanied by an electronic power conditioner that acts as the high-voltage power supply for the TWT and control circuits. The power produced by the driver amplifier typically negates any reduction in gain resulting from the shortened helix length in the TWT. The MPM fully exploits the power-handling capability, bandwidth, efficiency, and heat-tolerance inherent in TWTs.
MPMs are highly regarded not just for active electronically steered array (AESA) radar applications, but in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems in which long pulse widths are required, EW and ECM suites, and commercial and military satellite communications systems. dB Control MPMs are used in transmitters for radar and ECM applications. These products have exceeded all performance goals and are now in continuous production. The MPMs are employed in many UAVs in which the platforms' prime power, size, and weight are very limited and long failure-free operation is essential.
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The MPM is also useful as a transmitter module in an AESA system because power output can be increased one or more orders of magnitude greater than the power achieved with the solid-state power amplifier in the transmit/ receive (T/R) module. MPMs also have wider bandwidths and greater heat tolerance than solid-state amplifiers. AESA systems using MPMs as transmitter modules have been deployed in octave- bandwidth ECM systems and in airborne data link systems. Complete MPM-based transmitter line replaceable units (LRU) are also available.
An example of a MPM-based transmitter suite for ECM applications developed by dB Control is shown in Figure 4. The suite operates from aircraft three-phase 115 VAC power. It consists of four MPMbased CW and pulsed transmitters covering 2 to 7 GHz and 6 to 18 GHz to produce the total 2-to-18- GHz frequency coverage. The suite was designed for the harsh conditions encountered in airborne environments, and can withstand gunfire vibration, operation at +100o C for short periods, and is compliant with MIL-STD461E.
In addition to the solid-state driver amplifier, the RF input section includes isolators, directional couplers for sampling at various stages, bandpass filters, switches for selecting specific filters, and a TWT gain equalizer. A dual-directional coupler, forward and reflected power monitoring, and high-VSWR protection circuit follow the TWT. In many respects, the power supply is as important to performance, reliability, and longevity as the TWTs themselves. It must deliver the high voltages required by the TWTs, filter and condition the prime power, and generate and regulate all voltages required by the circuits in the ECM suite. The importance of the power supply led dB Control many years ago to begin manufacturing its own power supplies and even many of the individual components for those power supplies in order to ensure quality control.
The ECM suite successfully met demanding requirements for performance over temperature, altitude, vibration, shock acceleration, explosive atmosphere, rain, humidity, and other factors, as well as EMC compliance. The suite delivers RF output power of 250 W under CW or pulsed conditions from 2 to 7 GHz and 100 W from 6 to 18 GHz, 1.5 kW peak (6-percent duty cycle) from 6 to 18 GHz, and to 300 W under CW or pulsed signal conditions from 6.5 to 18 GHz from its dual-transmitter "high-band" section.
Despite the continuous increases in the performance of RF power transistors and MMIC amplifiers, and the use of high-power combining techniques to efficiently add the contributions of numerous high-power transistors into a common output, the TWT remains the power source of choice for a broad range of defense systems and some commercial and industrial applications with RF power outputs to 2.5 kW CW and 25 kW pulse at frequencies to 95 GHz. No single solid-state amplifier can deliver this level of peak-to-average power and bandwidth for most applications. In fact, the vast majority or EW and ECM systems both deployed and in development rely on either TWTs or some type of VED, and this is likely to remain the case for many years to come.


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Clearance Furniture
Encounter accent chairs on sale as well as accent tables and storage furnishings. Our clearance furniture section includes side chairs, upholstered benches, etageres, end tables and so much more.
Clearance Furniture with Upscale Style
Accent chairs on sale will bring an upscale quality to your living area. Discover pedestal tables fit for floral arrangements and vases, or add a trendy ottoman to an array of seating furniture. Dip into our clearance furniture selection for accent tables, upholstered benches, storage furnishings and accent chairs. Clearance prices of at least 40 percent off ensure that you don't go over-budget. Whether you need furniture for your foyer, home office or den, pinpoint a ravishing piece for the room you have in mind.
End Tables, Ottomans & Accent Chairs on Sale
No media room is complete without clearance home theater furniture. Invest in a TV armoire cabinet that stores remotes, a DVD player and of course, your television set. Then, organize your DVD collection with a mod media storage rack. Move on to the living room, where accent chairs and upholstered side chairs provide a formal tone. Ottomans on sale, meanwhile, encourage you to kick up your feet. Choose a black faux leather ottoman or an animal print ottoman to spice up surroundings. A foldable storage ottoman will reduce clutter. Your entryway will appear more inviting with an upholstered bench or metal bench and stool set. Finally, shop our clearance home office furniture for sturdy computer hutches.
Next, browse our clearance bedroom furniture for a five drawer storage chest; perfect at your bedside, this furnishing will hold bed linens and other items. If you're after additional surface space, check out our clearance accent tables. Find clearance end tables, console tables, magazine tables and much more. Inexpensive accent tables will display your belongings, as will clearance accent furniture. Etageres and shelves will showcase photo frames, mementos and books. Last, refresh your backyard with clearance outdoor and patio furniture.
With accent tables, storage solutions and accent chairs, clearance furniture affords a broad selection of pieces to enhance your home.


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In the previous FAQ, you learned how use Notepad to build a simple C# application. This FAQ shows you how to develop a console-based application using Visual C# .NET.
Even though you need to work with Visual C# .NET, you have to launch Visual Studio .NET 2003 from Start | All Programs | Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 | Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003. This is because Visual Studio .NET ships with a single IDE for developing applications with all .NET languages.
Initially, you will be presented with a welcome screen containing a list of recently opened projects. Select New | Project from the File menu. Choose "Visual C# Projects" from the Project Types section on the left-hand side and "Console Application" icon from the templates section, as shown in Figure 2.4.1.
Figure 2.4.1
You would notice from Figure 2.4.1 that I didn't change the project's name. It is set to its default name. But, while developing a real project, you should always give a meaningful name to reflect the project being done so that you can locate the project easily at a later stage of its development.
Upon clicking the OK button, a separate tab titled Class1.cs will be created on the top of the IDE. If you have more than one class file, they will be listed one by one. You also will notice that the code editor automatically creates the required template for writing a C# program, as shown in Listing 2.4.1:
Listing 2.4.1
using System; namespace ConsoleApplication1 { /// <summary> /// Summary description for Class1. /// </summary> class Class1 { /// <summary> /// The main entry point for the application. /// </summary> [STAThread] static void Main(string[] args) { // // TODO: Add code to start application here // } } }
You need not to enter complete code as you have done in FAQ 2.3. The above code calls the program's default namespace named ConsoleApplication1, Main() method and the required documentation comments as discussed in FAQ 2.3. The IDE also creates a class named Class1. This name can be modified from the Solution Explorer window. The STAThread attribute in the code denotes your application's threading model; you will use this attribute when you work with COM Interoperability.
Your next task is to write the required statements for running the application by deleting the TODO comment portion and entering the following code:
Console.WriteLine("Welcome to C-Sharp");
You will also notice that Visual C# .NET automatically colors the syntaxes and also shows Intellisense when entering the code, as shown in Figure 2.4.2.
Figure 2.4.2
The preceding program is now ready to be compiled. Press F5 to build the application. When you build an application using Visual C# .NET, it compiles the program and also automatically executes the program. Alternatively, you can build your project by selecting the Debug | Start menu from the IDE.
For the preceding program, Visual C# .NET displays the command window and closes it instantly. It can be rectified by adding the following code just below the statement you have entered above:
If you build the project now, Visual C# .NET displays the command window, as shown in Figure 2.4.3.
Figure 2.4.3
Visual C# .NET automatically creates the required assembly and manifest files in the background. If there are any errors, it will be displayed on the Task List window on the bottom of the IDE. Double-clicking an entry on the task list takes you to the specified location of an error. For instance, if you remove a semicolon, a red mark will appear in the specified location. The task list reads as "; expected". The entries on the task list will immediately disappear as soon as you rectify the relevant error.


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Lauren Alaina Debuts New Holiday Single 'My Grown Up Christmas List' [Listen]
At 19 years old, Lauren Alaina may be too old to believe in Santa, but that doesn't stop her from making a Christmas list -- in the form of her new holiday single, 'My Grown Up Christmas List.'
The 'American Idol' songstress lent her crystal clear voice to the classic, which has been recorded by many singers before her -- Natalie Cole, Barbra Steisand and Kelly Clarkson are just a few who have cut the song. But the country cutie has put her own Alaina spin on the tune, telling USA Today, "I wanted to country it up a little."
"I've been singing it since I was little, at karaoke and stuff around Christmas," she adds, recollecting.
The track, produced by Nathan Chapman, will be released on iTunes Tuesday (Dec. 10), in conjunction with the 26th anniversary of the Special Olympics' 'A Very Special Christmas' music series, with proceeds from the single benefiting the organization.
"The song's about wanting equality and a world full of peace," Alaina says. "It fits what I'm doing around Special Olympics perfectly." All of the songstress' fans know that the Special Olympics are near and dear to her heart -- she's also a Special Olympics Ambassador for Project UNIFY, and has been volunteering for the organization since the young age of 11.
While she's super busy with getting ready for her sophomore album and moving to her new home in Nashville, Alaina will still be spending Christmas with her family -- that's non-negotiable. "I always take Christmas off, because that's a very important time for my family. We go all out at Christmastime, so I've got to be there, or they'll disown me," she admits.
Not only will Alaina be making her family very happy by spending time with them this Christmas, but she will also touch lots of lives with her inspirational new single and her deep commitment to the Special Olympics.
Listen to Lauren Alaina, 'My Grown Up Christmas List'


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First Listen: She & Him, 'Volume 3'
She & Him, "Volume 3"
Audio for this feature is no longer available.
For what was once a fairly mysterious project, She & Him has stuck to a straightforward formula. The "She" is actress Zooey Deschanel, the "Him" is M. Ward, and there's a pecking order: The occasional cover aside, these are Deschanel's songs, sung almost entirely in Deschanel's voice, and Ward is no longer viewed as some sort of Svengali. Where he once lent a certain amount of cachet and cover to She & Him — back when Deschanel was often presumed to be a carpetbagging actress slumming in the studio — it's now understood that he functions largely as an arranger. He's crucial to She & Him's sound, but he's a background player.
Volume 3, out May 7, adheres to a few formulas in its own right: Playful, soft, sunnily melancholy and springlike, its songs once again subsist on the strength of their own agreeability. Timelessness has long been key to She & Him's charm, and indeed, Volume 3 seems to be floating through AM speakers at all times. But the album also demonstrates that there's more to Deschanel than her doe-eyed New Girl persona would suggest: She & Him is led by a confident singer-songwriter who, on records and elsewhere, knows exactly what she's doing.


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I think I posted something about Thomas Keeley on my last blog but his work is worth another post and then some. His work is all about the concept and it's refreshing in that regard. There is virtually no information about him on his website other than his work, but his work is worth a browse if you are feeling short on ideas.
I was reminded of his work while browsing Joy Engine this afternoon.
written by Christopher | tags: Art, Concept Art, Thomas Keeley


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Ed. Note: Because of space pressure, Members in the Media has not appeared since the June issue. The quotes below are from May and June; we didn't want to let the good ones slip away even if they are not the most recent.
"There could be wild and crazy solutions to this problem."
- Rick Smalley, Rice University, on using nanotechnology to solve the energy crisis, Houston Chronicle, May 4, 2003
"The issue is not testing or developing new designs; it's deciding if you want to package one so it can penetrate deeper without destroying itself by detonating."
-Sidney Drell, SLAC, on researching low-yield weapons, Washington Post, May 5, 2003
"There are almost no public funds. And because of the condition of the stock market, it's very difficult to come up with private funds."
-Christopher McKee, UC Berkeley, on trying to keep the physics department healthy, San Francisco Chronicle, May 2, 2003
"If you want to be really good at science, if you're really serious, it's a 60- to 80-hour-a-week job. You don't want distractions. You want quiet. This is a good place to do science."
-Rick Nebel, Los Alamos, Mother Jones, May 1, 2003
"Science isn't just another subject. We aren't talking about populating one sector, the high-tech sector [with employees], we are talking about the health of our economy overall."
-Rush Holt, Member of Congress, National Journal, May 7, 2003
"The main message is we have to be a bit modest and listen to what the local people say. We don't seem to be doing very well with modesty lately."
-Freeman Dyson, Institute for Advanced Study, on using technology to help people, Portland Oregonian, May 7, 2003
"It is as surprising as thinking the Earth was round and finding it flat."
- John Ralston, University of Kansas, on the discovery that protons have different shapes, Dallas Morning News, May 3, 2003
"Imagine there's this dance hall that you're not allowed into, but you know that everyone inside is having a great time. You know that inside there's a beautifully elaborate dance going on. It's all choreographed and the dancers are whirling around and switching partners. Now imagine that it's your job to try and figure out what that dance is without going into the dance hall."
-Matthew Fisher, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, on doing physics research, Santa Barbara Daily Nexus, May 16, 2003
"We got a lot of calls from nuclear experts and they said, 'Are you guys nuts? Why did you do that?' But we also got a lot of calls from our relatives and friends, who said, 'I feel so much better after having seen that.' The experts assume that people are starting with a blank slate. But the reality is they are starting with the assumption that tens of thousands of people will die."
-Michael Levi, Federation of American Scientists, on the making of a PBS documentary about dirty bombs that included an estimate of radioactive contamination, USA Today, May 15, 2003
"I have probably thought about physics every day for the past 50 years."
-Marvin Cohen, UC Berkeley, The Economist, June 19, 2003
And finally, some comments by Janet Conrad, of Columbia University, from the profile of her in the New Yorker, June 2, 2003: "I remember standing there and looking at the northern lights, and it was so neat that something so remote, so very far away, could be creating something so beautiful right in front of my eyes."
"Electronics really isn't that different from cooking or sewing. There's a certain set of rules that you follow, a certain set of parameters. You may want to try variations on a theme, but, once you know your patterns, it's pretty easy."
"It's really bad when the waitress at the airport starts to know you." On meeting her husband, who teaches in New Mexico, at Chicago's O'Hare Airport for dinner.
APS encourages the redistribution of the materials included in this newspaper provided that attribution to the source is noted and the materials are not truncated or changed.


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Silverland Bakery, a commercial purveyor of brownies, bakery bars, natural food bars, and cookies, has announced that it will celebrate the company's 30th anniversary—along with the launch of the Blueberry White Chocolate Cookie, Passionate Pomegranate Food Bar, and Gluten-Free Flourless Chocolate Brownie—at the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago, May 18–21.
To kick off the celebration, Athena Uslander, founder and president, and her daughter Leila Uslander, director of marketing, will offer samples of the latest products, which preview the company's soon-to-launch line of retail-ready packaged natural food bars, brownies, cookies, and bakery bars.
Athena Uslander, a, structural engineer, Dove model, and wellness enthusiast, has been crafting handmade brownies, old-fashioned bakery bars, cookies, crispy rice treats, and natural food bars for consumer and wholesale clients for 30 years.
"I started this business baking brownies in a hot, 400-square-foot storefront while I was pregnant with my daughter," she says. "Now that we are approaching our 30th anniversary and Leila is working alongside me, I can't think of anything that I would have rather been doing for the last three decades."
The new product offerings include the Pomegranate Pistachio Passion Food Bar, Gluten-Free Flourless Chocolate Brownie, and White Chocolate Blueberry Cookie.
"The average consumer is looking for a natural indulgence made with local, quality ingredients," Uslander says. "We can offer restaurants, café, and retailers nationwide a taste of the bakery around the corner, even for their most discerning customer."


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Nikki Haley on Health Care | |
But as a state, and as an elected government, we will not be victims in this process. We rejected the federal government's less than generous offer to run a state exchange, an offer that would have Washington bureaucrats dictating the exchange and South Carolinians paying for it.
And, with your help, we emphatically said no to the central component of ObamaCare, the expansion of a broken Medicaid program that is already cannibalizing our budget, and would completely destroy it in the years to come.
These were not decisions made lightly, without thought or analysis. But I am fully convinced that South Carolina will be better for them, and I pledge to you this: we will continue to fight ObamaCare every step of the way.
I had pledged, as governor, to lead a coalition of governors to fight Obamacare and allow the states to offer real solutions to our health-care crisis. I was dead set against Obamacare, but Sheheen wanted to have it both ways. Pressed on the issue in the debate, he claimed to support some parts of the Obama plan but not others. There were "good and bad" parts of the bill, he insisted.
"Senator, you can't split the cow," I replied. "You can't say you like certain parts of it and not other parts. We're stuck with the whole cow."
Sheheen's answer was petty and insulting, even for him. "We need a governor with the intelligence and the ability to say when things are good and things are bad," he said. He was calling me unintelligent! The crowd got it and booed the cheap shot.
I have been consistent as a candidate and as governor in my position to Obamacare. The president's approach is wrongheaded and unconstitutional. He's pouring more costs into the system through federal mandates instead of taking costs out of the system through transparency and individual responsibility.
But there is one bright side to the president's plan: It has sparked a conversation about health care that is badly needed. Our healthcare problem is real. In South Carolina we have a large Medicaid population, and health care is the main driver of our budget deficit. But our health-care problem is also unique to our state--it's not the same as the health-care challenges in states like MA or NE. Our challenges are mainly poverty and education.
We have good services, but we need to educate people on how to better utilize them and on how to pay more attention to their health.
I told Obama that his health-care plan imposed mandates that South Carolina just couldn't afford. Our annual budget is $5 billion, and we had calculated that his plan would cost us $5 billion over the next 10 years. We expected to see 30% to 40% of our private companies drop their employees' coverage and force their workers into the public system. My question had 2 parts, I told the president. Would he repeal Obamacare? And if not, would he allow South Carolina to opt out of the system?
I ask that we strike the proviso prohibiting the HHS Director from setting rates paid to providers through Medicaid. South Carolina is the only state in the nation that doesn't give our Medicaid director that flexibility, and with all due respect, we can't be the only state that has it right.
As Governors, we are writing to you regarding the excessive constraints placed on us by healthcare-related federal mandates. One of our biggest concerns continues to be the Maintenance of Effort (MOE) provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which prevent states from managing their Medicaid programs for their unique Medicaid populations. We ask for your immediate action to remove these MOE requirements so that states are once again granted the flexibility to control their program costs and make necessary budget decisions.
Every Governor, Republican and Democrat, will face unprecedented budget challenges in the coming months. Efforts to regulate state operations impose greater uncertainty on our budgets for oncoming years and create a perfect storm when coupled with the current state of the economy.
Health and education are the primary cost drivers for most state budgets. Medicaid enrollment is up. Revenues are down. States are unable to afford the current Medicaid program, yet our hands are tied by the MOE requirements. The effect of the federal requirements is unconscionable; the federal requirements force Governors to cut other critical state programs, such as education, in order to fund a "one-size-fits-all" approach to Medicaid. Again, we ask you to lift the MOE requirements so that states may make difficult budget decisions in ways that reflect the needs of their residents.


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The American premiere of the Donmar Warehouse production of Tony nominee Conor McPherson's The Night Alive begins previews off-Broadway on November 30. Directed by the playwright, the show will have a limited nine-week engagement at the Atlantic Theater Company's Linda Gross Theater, playing through January 26, 2014. Opening night is set for December 12.
The complete London cast are on board for the transfer and include Tony winner Jim Norton (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, McPherson's The Seafarer), Broadway vet Ciaran Hinds (The Seafarer, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), Caoilfhionn Dunne, Brian Gleeson and Michael McElhatton. The show is designed by Soutra Gilmour, with lighting by Neil Austin and sound by Gregory Clarke.
The play follows Tommy (Hinds), a man just getting by and renting a room from his Uncle Maurice (Norton) who encounters a woman (Dunne) who is also struggling through life. Their past won't let go easily, but together there's a glimmer of hope they could make something more of their lives.
Atlantic previously presented premiere productions of McPherson's Dublin Carol and Port Authority.


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e-Governance - OPM
Definition of e-Governance
E-Governance is described as a process of reform in the way government works, shares information, engages citizens and delivers services to external and internal clients for the benefit of both government and the clients that they serve. Specifically, Government harnesses information technologies such as Wide Area Network (WAN), Internet, World Wide Web (www) and mobile computing to reach out to citizens, businesses and other arms of the government.View E-Governance Policy for the Public Service of Namibia
Objectives of e-Governance
The objectives are to make government administration more transparent, speedy and accountable, while addressing the society's needs and expectations through efficient public services and effective interaction between the people, businesses and government.
Benefits of e-Governance
E-Governance offers many benefits and advantages for the government, corporate sector and society.
- Reduced cost (Travelling, Administrative in terms of printing documents, controls measures, resources distribution, and Centralised data centres)
- Transparency, anti-corruption and accountability (Less human interactions, Less fraud, and Ease of tracking public procurement contracts)
- Citizens empowerment through access to information (Sharing of knowledge on specific field such farming, and Marketing of products)
- One integrated E-Government portal (Single point for government services, andImproved customer satisfaction)
- More efficient government management
Challeges of e-Governance
- Redefining rules and procedures
- Legal issues (lack of e-law)
- Infrastructure (telecommunication and power)
- Access to right information
- Interdepartmental collaboration (silo effect)
- Change management
- Lack of trained human resources
- Lack of ICT penetration in remote areas
- Standardization and inter-operability
- Better customer services, empowerment through access to information and convenience.
- Ease access to Government services
- Increased ICT literacy
- Enhanced Internet usage
- Cheaper internet rates
- Improved transparency and accountability
- Better collaboration among all stakeholders
GRN e-Governance Project Currrent Status
The project was initiated during February 2010. The consultants assigned to the project are from SILNAM IT Solutions. The first phase of the project was to assess the readiness of the Government of Namibia to embark on the E-Governance journey. To accomplish that, the consultant and the project team had consulted OMAs, businesses and communities as well as conducting surveys through the means of questionnaires.
The survey analysis resulted in the drafting of the Strategic Action Plan which comprises of programmes and projects at high level. It also outlined the required budget figures for the implementation. The strategic areas that have been identified include the following:
- Impact and Visibility – this will include all those activities that will directly impact the lives of citizens and increase effective visibility of the Government services.
- Collaboration and Networking – this will include all activities that will ensure that E-Government in the country is a truly national effort requiring collaboration and sharing among the different OMAs.
- Consistency and Standardization – this will include all activities that will ensure that eGovernment efforts across OMAs are consistent in their approach.
- Training, Education and Research – this will include of all activities required to ensure that adequate capacities are created and enhanced among all stakeholders.
- Foundation Support – this will consist of all activities that are required to ensure that all necessary support structures are put in place for the eGovernment effort to be successfully run in the country.
For Information Contact: Directorate of Quality Assurance Tel: +264 61 205 6203


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Anodised or powder coated aluminium lamp with brushed bronze or black finish, textile cord and mobile app technology that controls both light temperature and level, as well as group control for multiple lamps.
Designed in 2018
Anodised or powder coated aluminium lamp with brushed bronze or black finish, textile cord and mobile app technology that controls both light temperature and level, as well as group control for multiple lamps. Read more here
Made for you in just three to four weeks
In a hurry? Check if we can get this piece quicker for you!
We plant a tree with every purchase made!
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Trade Discount Available
Anodised or powder coated aluminium lamp with brushed bronze or black finish, textile cord and mobile app technology that controls both light temperature and level, as well as group control for multiple lamps.
Designed in 2018
Height: 23cm Width: Ø55cm
dised or powder coated aluminium lamp with
brushed bronze or black finish, textile cord and mobile
app technology that controls both light temperature and
level, as well as group control for multiple lamps.
Powder-coated steel: Durable and easy to clean, wipe with a soft dry cloth to clean. Do not use chemical cleaners or harsh abrasives and avoid using water.
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Our experienced team of design consultants can help you in planning your dream space. From colour and upholstery advice on free standing pieces to installation and finish tips on fitted furniture. Furthermore to help you visualise your new space we'll produce 3D models to demonstrate how our products can be best used in your living space. Send our space planning team a quick message here.
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From Dubai to Tokyo, the US to Italy we supply high-end furniture and lighting to trade and private clients all over the world, planning the logistics around you. Contact us for more information.
Wendy Legro and Maarten Collignon are the founders of Studio WM - a design studio based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The two started working together right after graduation at the.... read more
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Menu furniture merges functional design with a minimal aesthetic, frequently working with wood and marble in their pieces. They work hard to produce clever and functional products for.... read more
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Night Words
after Juan Ramon
A child wakens in a cold apartment.
The windows are frosted. Outside he hears
words rising from the streets, words he cannot
understand, and then the semis gear down
for the traffic light on Houston. He sleeps
again and dreams of another city
on a high hill above a wide river
bathed in sunlight, and the dream is his life
as he will live it twenty years from now.
No, no, you say, dreams do not work that way,
they function otherwise. Perhaps in the world
you're right, but on Houston tonight two men
are trying to change a tire as snow gathers
on their shoulders and scalds their ungloved hands.
The older one, the father, is close to tears,
for he's sure his son, who's drunk, is laughing
secretly at him for all his failures
as a man and a father, and he is
laughing to himself but because he's happy
to be alone with his father as he was
years ago in another life where snow
never fell. At last he slips the tire iron
gently from his father's grip and kneels
down in the unstained snow and unbolts the wheel
while he sings of drinking a glass of wine,
the black common wine of Alicante,
in raw sunlight. Now the father joins in,
and the words rise between the falling flakes
only to be transformed into the music
spreading slowly over the oiled surface
of the river that runs through every child's dreams.
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Less Toxic Home & Garden
Our Water Our World and Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Union Sanitary District in partnership with the City of Fremont supports Our Water Our World, a Bay Area program that aims to raise public awareness about the effects that pesticide use has on human health and local water quality.
Many of the chemicals we use to control pests in the garden, clean around the house and help make our garden look and grow bigger and better contain chemicals that have negative impacts when they enter the environment. Some of these chemicals also pose a risk to our pets and children. When we water the lawn or rinse down surfaces these chemicals wash off and often enter the stormdrains. The storm drains carry rain and excess water down to local creeks and out to the San Francisco Bay with no treatment whatsoever.
Our Water Our World is a partnership between water quality agencies, hardware stores and nurseries to provide consumers with information about what products are less toxic to enable them to make better decisions about the chemicals they use around the home and garden.
One of the ways to address water pollution resulting from pesticides is with Integrated Pest Management (IPM), also known as less-toxic pest management. IPM is a strategy that emphasizes less toxic controls for keeping pests at acceptable, low levels. Currently, there are 174 partner stores throughout the Bay Area available to help you choose pest control products that reduce the amount of pesticides reaching our waterways. These hardware stores and nurseries have committed to providing the most up-to- date information to their customers by sending their garden and nursery employees to training annually.
In the Tri-Cities, you may talk to one of these IPM experts at the following Our Water, Our World stores:
- Home Depot Union City 30055 Industrial Pkwy, Union City (510) 489-9400
- Home Depot Newark 5401 Thornton Ave, Newark (510) 494-1205
- Home Depot Fremont 43900 Ice House Terrace, Fremont (510) 490-0191
- Dale Hardware 37100 Post Street, Fremont (510) 797-3700
- Regan Nursery 4268 Decoto Rd, Fremont (510) 797-3222
Click on the banner below or click on the Our Water Our World (OWOW) homepage to find out more information about how to manage various pests using less toxic options.


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Pixar Teases Their Upcoming Releases
Though 'Brave' was a welcome respite, Pixar has gone sequel crazy, as their previous two films were sequels and this summer we're getting a prequel in 'Monsters University.' But the studio is also working on three non-sequels for the future, and have released images from each of them.
These stills come courtesy of Coming Soon, who got a Pixar gift card for the end of the year. The studio offered them a look at their next three original projects, though no glimpse at the in-development 'Finding Nemo 2' (yeah, that's happening).
First up is 'The Good Dinosaur' which is scheduled to hit theaters May 30, 2014:
The premise of the film is that it takes place in a world where dinosaurs weren't wiped out and live alongside humans. This image suggests that it's about a boy and his pet dinosaur, and we're on board with that.
Next up is an image from Pete Docter's film 'Untitled Pixar Movie That Takes You Inside the Mind.'
This one is scheduled for June 19, 2015, and it sounds like the end segment from Woody Allen's 'Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask),' but -- you know -- for kids.
And finally there's an image for ' The Untitled Pixar Movie About Dia de los Muertos' which is scheduled to hit the big screens in 2016:
This isn't much to go on, but the studio seems to have taken some licks, and we're looking forward to where they go in the future. Even if they haven't been hitting consistent home runs, they're still one of the best animation studios ever.


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When it's cold outside, cooling equipment is likely the last thing on your mind. However, winter can be a great time to upgrade, repair, or reset your cooling system.
Scheduling cooling adjustments during the heating season offers two advantages: HVAC technicians have more time available outside their peak season, and better wintertime maintenance helps you avoid the need for summertime emergency service.
To keep your system at peak efficiency, consider these tips.
Stick to Preventive Maintenance Schedules
Routine cleaning, a frequently deferred maintenance task, can have a significant impact on energy efficiency, according to the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)'s O&M Center of Excellence.
A 1997 study by Pacific Gas & Electric in California found that a dirty condenser coil can increase compressor energy consumption by up to 30%. In addition, dirty filters allow unfiltered air to bypass the clogged filter altogether and deposit grime on the evaporator coil, which is much harder to clean than a filter is to replace.
"You should check the filters at least once a month. Depending on the type of filter you're using, it may only need to be changed every 90 days or even every six months," says Wes Brookover, service manager for HVAC firm McClintock Heating & Cooling. "The condenser coil is easy enough to clean – you can buy coil cleaner, spray it on the coil, and hose it off – but the evaporator coil is inside and you need to remove panels to access and clean it, so I recommend using a licensed contractor."
Does your property utilize a cooling tower? The same principle of regular cleaning applies there too, says Tom Ryder, customer support and business development tech at Delta Cooling Towers, a manufacturer of cooling towers, systems, and air strippers.
"Efficiency-related preventive maintenance applies to changing the packing, much like the oil or gas filter in your car. This way the car engine – or in this case, the cooling tower – doesn't have to work harder in order to maintain proper cooling temperatures," Ryder notes. "Also make sure the cooling tower's air intake louvers are free of build-up and debris."
Check and Correct Settings
Preventive maintenance for cooling equipment should include periodic inspection of settings that can affect its performance and efficiency. Chief among your HVAC system's energy consumers is the compressor, Brookover notes, so it pays to make sure the compressor can operate at peak efficiency.
You should also periodically measure the refrigerant charge and correct it if necessary. Fixing an incorrect refrigerant charge can save 5-10% on cooling costs, FEMP says.
Using the manufacturer's chart, look up the evaporating temperature that corresponds with the measured suction line pressure, then measure the actual suction line temperature. The difference between these two numbers is called the superheat temperature, FEMP notes. In most direct pressure systems, this usually falls between 10-20 degrees F.
If your system has a thermal expansion valve, FEMP recommends that you also check the degree of subcooling against the manufacturer's recommendations.
Changing the thermostat settings can also lower your energy spend, particularly if the previous setpoints were overridden in response to a thermal comfort complaint. If your facility has programmable thermostats, make sure you've arranged for a temperature setback during off-hours, Brookover says.
"I would recommend a setback of no more than 4 degrees F.," Brookover explains. "If you want it to be 72 degrees when the building is occupied, I wouldn't let it go above 76 when it's unoccupied. You'll spend more to cool back down than you would save by keeping the air conditioning shut off all day." PageBreak
Fix Leaks and Malfunctions
Leaks and poorly performing equipment can stymie your best efforts to shore up cooling efficiency, so as you give the rest of the system a tune-up, keep an eye out for components that need repairs.
Ductwork leaks, for example, are fairly common, Brookover notes. Unfortunately, this problem is also frequently overlooked unless a sudden leak triggers a significant spike in energy consumption. Sealing duct leaks and restoring the integrity of the unit cabinet can save around 20% of your annual cooling consumption, FEMP advises.
Common corrective actions including simple screw or latch replacements, patching or replacing gaskets, and replacing missing screws on any loose access panels. The condensate drain pipe may also leak air, so be sure to recharge P-traps or U-bend water traps for condensate drain pans.
If you have an economizer, also check it for malfunctions, which FEMP notes can include a jammed outside air damper; jammed, broken, or disconnected linkage; a nonfunctioning actuator; or inaccurate air temperature sensors. These issues impair the economizer's ability to sense and respond to the temperature of the outside air vs. return air.
Additionally, an economizer that's not operating properly can actually waste energy. If the outside air damper is stuck open, the HVAC system has to work harder to heat or cool the excess outdoor air.
FEMP recommends a twice-yearly test of economizer function using the following three steps:
- When the system is mechanically cooling, make sure the economizer is using minimum outdoor air settings.
- Cycle the minimum position potentiometer from 0 to full open. Watch the damper to make sure it can operate freely and without obstruction the entire time.
- On a cool day when the damper is open, warm the outdoor air temperature sensor with your hands or an electric hair dryer to see if the damper moves to its minimum position. If it doesn't, you might need to recalibrate the sensor or deal with malfunctioning economizer controls.
Got another tip? Email it to [email protected] – your advice could end up in a future issue.
Janelle Penny [email protected] is associate editor of BUILDINGS.


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This is a keyboard alternative that [Sebastian] is building from two Apple Magic Trackpads. The multitouch devices are a good platform for this because they're designed to pick up several events at the same time. To prototype the locations of the keys he's using printable transparency sheets. He gives you a sense of where the home row is with a dab of clear fingernail polish that you can feel with your digits.
He may laser etch these pads once the key location is just right. This should give a bit of texture in itself and do away with the need for nail polish but we still like the ingenuity of that solution. The device is being developed in Linux, with some kernel hacking to handle the devices. We asked about source code and [Sebastian] is hesitant to post it because he's been getting a lot of kernel panics. It sounds like once he cleans things up a bit he'll share his work.
Don't forget, there's an easy hack to do away with the batteries in these things.


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Simpson Suicide?
Simpson Suicide?
In his book, "If I Did It," Simpson describes a scene during his infamous Bronco chase where he debated killing himself with a Magnum:
A.C. drove another half-mile or so and pulled into an orange grove, where no one could spot us, not even from the sky. He got out to take a leak, and the moment he left the Bronco I reached for my grip. I unzipped it and pulled out the Magnum. I was in tremendous pain, and I saw nothing but more pain ahead of me, and I decided to end it. I realized, I can make this stop. One shot to the flicking [sic] head and it's over.


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Get the latest and most functional accessories at our online headshop. Whatever you need to make your smoking experience more efficient and convenient, we're sure to have exactly what you're looking for.
Within this collection, you will find an expansive selection of both smoking and vaping accessories. First and foremost, this collection contains all of the standard accessories that you have come across before: glass bowls, dab nails, rolling papers, pipe screens, grinders, ashcatchers, filter tips, dabbers, carb caps, and more. We have a huge amount of these standard accessories, and recommend perusing through this collection whenever you need a standard replacement. However, there are also some very unique and original accessories that you may have never seen or heard of. These unique accessories are revolutionizing the industry by solving common problems with no solid solution. For instance, downstems are common water pipe part that cracks or breaks. They just so happen to be of longer length, and have more weak points. But the Titan-Stem Metal Downstem is the latest solution. Created by Ace-Labz, these downstems are adjustable in size. So, you can use them on different sizes water pipes. They even come with interchangeable percolators. Another cutting-edge innovation, within this collection, is the Wrapper by Hemplights. They took the idea of a lighter holder and took it to the next step. They engineered it to hold hemp wick around its base. Additionally, Hemplights added a feature so the hemp wick is easy to extinguish. You can just pull it through a metal tunnel, which immediately puts out the hemp wick flame.
These accessories aren't just accessories, but they are also making the smoking experience as easy as can be. Even if you don't have a particular accessory in mind, it is still worth taking a look at the products in this collection. You are likely to find something you've never seen, and you might be inspired be these creative solutions to common smoking peeves.


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We have daily planning meetings in the Operation Center (Ops Center for short), which is a big conference room at the hotel where most of us are staying. Some people are at the Ops Center all day, while others work out at the airplane or in their hotel room when not flying. Some people have even set up miniature laboratories in their hotel room to analyze samples they have collected! I often wonder what the maids think when they come to clean. We arent the typical tourists, thats for sure!
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First there was Crosby, Stills and Nash. Then there was Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Perhaps, it's time for a new supergroup. A diplomatic supergroup. Please welcome to the stage Bildt, Davutoglu and Patriota.
The foreign ministers of Sweden, Turkey and Brazil may not have much musical talent but as a diplomatic dream team they have the potential to be far more influential than any collection of aging rock stars.
We're living in a fractured world. The one remaining superpower is in economic straits, its military is overstretched and the role of peacemaker and policeman is not one it has ever felt comfortable with. The European Union is preoccupied with rescuing its currency and saving the union, while China, regardless of what happens following its bizarre leadership battle, will continue to follow a purely mercantilist foreign policy.
As a result the formal multilateral organisations that have helped to run the world since the end of the Second World War are all struggling for legitimacy. Instead, smaller diplomatic players and – to borrow a phrase – coalitions of the willing have an opportunity to take advantage of the lack of coherent leadership.
Individually Sweden, Turkey and Brazil can all talk to different parts of the world that traditional superpowers struggle to engage with. Importantly, all three have interesting, engaging, charismatic foreign ministers. Carl Bildt is widely respected in Europe and beyond and as a former prime minister he also brings leadership experience. Ahmet Davutoglu, who has racked up more air miles than any other foreign minister, is a one-man diplomatic dervish, constantly on the road, packing more side-room bilaterals into summits than most foreign ministers have luxurious five-course hot banquets. He sometimes talks a better game than he plays but he's certainly become an influential player during the Arab uprisings. Finally, there's Antonio Patriota, a career diplomat who – under President Dilma Rousseff – has been able to bring Brazilian foreign policy back to Itamaraty after the diplomatic grandstanding of President Lula.
Were these three men to combine their talents and their contacts they could form an impressive diplomatic trio. The three all appear to like each other too, suggesting it wouldn't be a stretch for the trio to work together on a more formal basis.
Brazil and Turkey have admittedly tried this before and it was not a happy experience. President Lula and Prime Minister Erdogan tried to strike a deal with Iran on uranium enrichment but the US quickly distanced itself from the agreement, leaving the Brazilians and Turks embarrassed.
That experience shouldn't necessarily leave them scarred though. The fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was willing to meet Lula and Erdogan shows how effective a diplomatic super group could be. The addition of Bildt, so tightly plugged-in to the EU, would only increase its effectiveness.
Such an arrangement would have to be handled carefully and would probably need the tacit support of the US but on certain occasions a performance by Bildt, Davutoglu and Patriota could be just what the crowd is after.


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Welcome to Dragon Cave! Dragon Cave is an online adoptables game. Collect eggs, raise them to adulthood, and then breed them to create interesting lineages. New dragons are added regularly!
Avatars of Change are unpredictable, exuberant dragons whose unique connection to magic has saturated their entire bodies. It is said that possessing one of their iridescent scales can change one's fate, and many have sought the favor of these dragons hoping to receive a scale as a gift.
Dragons are highly-intelligent reptilian creatures that—from a human perspective, at least—appear to live forever. Many different varieties of dragon exist, each with their own unique qualities, habitats, and behavior. Adolescence in dragons is usually marked by the growth of a hatchling's wings, although not all breeds of dragons grow wings and some breeds have other traits that indicate the beginning of maturation. In Galsreim, dragons and humans coexist peacefully.


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The Tor Project is fortifying its software so that it can quickly detect if its network is tampered with for surveillance purposes, a top developer for the volunteer project wrote on Monday.
There are worries that Tor could either be technically subverted or subject to court orders, which could force the project to turn over critical information that would undermine its security, similar to the standoff between Apple and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Tor developers are now designing the system in such a way that many people can verify if code has been changed and "eliminate single points of failure," wrote Mike Perry, lead developer of the Tor Browser, on Monday.
Over the last few years, Tor has concentrated on enabling users to take its source code and create their "deterministic builds" of Tor that can be verified using the organization's public cryptographic keys and other public copies of the application.
"Even if a government or a criminal obtains our cryptographic keys, our distributed network and its users would be able to detect this fact and report it to us as a security issue," Perry wrote. "From an engineering perspective, our code review and open source development processes make it likely that such a backdoor would be quickly discovered."
Two cryptographic keys would be required for a tampered version of the Tor Browser to be distributed without at least initially tripping security checks: the SSL/TLS key that secures the connection between a user and Tor Project servers plus the key used to sign a software update.
"Right now, two keys are required, and those keys are not accessible by the same people," Perry wrote in a Q&A near the end of the post. "They are also secured in different ways."
Even if an attacker obtained the keys, in theory people would be able to check the software's hash and figure out if it may have been tampered with.
Apple is fighting a federal court's order to create a special version of iOS 9 that would remove security protections on an iPhone 5c used by Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the San Bernardino mass shooters.
A ruling against Apple is widely feared by technology companies, as it could give the government wider leverage to order companies to undermine encryption systems in their products.
On Monday, the Justice Department indicated it is investigating an alternative method to crack Farook's iPhone, which if successful would not require Apple's assistance.
Perry wrote that the Tor Project stands "with Apple to defend strong encryption and to oppose government pressure to weaken it. We will never backdoor our software."
Tor, short for The Onion Router, is a network that provides more anonymous browsing across the Internet using a customized Firefox Web browser. The project was started by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory but is now maintained by the nonprofit Tor Project.
Web browsing traffic is encrypted and routed through random proxy servers, making it harder to figure out the true IP address of a computer. Tor is a critical tool for activists and dissidents, as it provides a stronger layer of privacy and anonymity.
But some functions of Tor have also been embraced by cybercriminals, which has prompted interest from law enforcement. Thousands of websites run as Tor "hidden" services, which have a special ".onion" URL and are only accessible using the customized browser.
The Silk Road, the underground market shut down by the FBI in October 2013, is one of the most famous sites to use the hidden services feature.