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Frequent fliers and sporadic sightseers alike know the woes of air travel. Sure, it gets you there fast but at the price of unavoidable aggravation: You have to deal with the airport and all the lovely little annoyances associated with it.
Luckily, our technology age provides plenty of tools to make your trip go more smoothly. So before you take off, load up your phone with apps to help you do everything from getting to the airport on time to staying entertained while you (inevitably) wait for your flight.
Parking and transportation
Obviously, air travel starts with getting to the airport. But even that simple step can be fraught with delays and frustration. The following apps will help you arrive stress-free and on time, whether by train, bus, or automobile.
Google Maps—Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Windows Phone (free)
Work out your route to the airport with the ubiquitous Google Maps, which uses your device's on-board GPS to guide you to your destination. You can opt for audible navigation if you're driving yourself and need to keep your eyes on the road, and the apps handy traffic stats will warn you of impending bottlenecks so you can devise an alternate route.
Google Maps can also help you plot your trip to the airport on public transportation, with transit directions that show such details as time en route, transfer information, and the cost of the trip
AirportParking—iOS (free)
If you drive your car to the airport, you'll need a place to park it. AirportParking is a free iOS app dedicated to helping you find discount parking at any of more than 100 airports in the United States. It also provides maps, shuttle frequency data, and information on the type of parking available (outdoor, covered, or valet) as well as parking lot locations and contact numbers.
Using Android? Try the free Best Parking, which identifies locations and prices for garages and lots in 80 cities and 115 airports across North America—making it a useful app for nonairport parking, too.
Taxi Magic—Android, iOS (free)
Few things are more stressful than calling a cab to take you to the airport only to have it arrive late or not show up at all. Taxi Magic lets you book your ride directly on your device without sitting on hold; track your cab's location; and pay via credit card stored in your account, so you can hop out as soon as you arrive at your drop-off point.
In San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Seattle? Try Lyft, an on-demand ride-sharing service where the drivers receive ratings (and often offer riders thoughtful extras like bottles of water and gum).
Security lines
MyTSA—Android, iOS (free)
Regrettably, there's no escape from long security lines—but you can make the experience a little less painful (or at least know what you're in for) with MyTSA. This free app for iOS and Android provides real-time operating status updates for U.S. airports, including approximate wait times at security checkpoints.
It also offers information about permitted carry-on items and tips for packing and dressing in ways that will help you get through quickly. Now if only it could help the people ahead of you understand that leaving coins and keys in their pockets will, in fact, set off the metal detector—and that no, this isn't a good time to take an Instagram picture of their socks (yes, that actually happened).
A note about boarding-pass apps: Though digital boarding passes are becoming increasingly common, they typically operate via apps from specific airlines (such as Delta, United Airlines, or Virgin Airlines). Currently, few third-party apps provide universal boarding-pass functionality—but if you're willing to take a risk, you might try, for example, Boarding Pass for iOS, PassWallet for Android, or MyPasses for Windows Phone. If you're looking to avoid potential hassles however, you may be better off sticking with the app for your airline.
Riding on public transit, standing in the security line, and sitting at your gate entail a lot of waiting—and waiting is boring. Avoid the boredom with these diverting apps.
Netflix—Android, iOS, Windows Phone (free app, $8/month subscription)
Few activities make time fly faster than watching streaming video, and the best app for that job is still Netflix. Subscribers to the digital service ($8 per month) can access Netflix's extensive catalog of streaming movies and TV shows from their mobile devices from anyplace that has a network connection. (Just be sure to hop onto the airport's Wi-Fi to avoid exceeding your data limit.)
Netflix is only the tip of the video iceberg here, however. If you have a short attention span, try Vine, Twitter's answer to video; if anime appeals to you, give Crunchyroll a whirl. Another option is to pass the time by creating photo-video hybrids with Cinemagram. And we haven't even gotten to Hulu, Amazon Instant, HBO Go, Vimeo, and dozens of others.
Rhapsody—Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Windows Phone (free app, $10/month subscription)
Music is the perfect complement to a book or a magazine, and Rhapsody provides a seemingly endless library of it—more than 16 million tracks at last count. You can listen to full albums, create custom playlists, or tune in to commercial-free radio. It's a streaming service, so again you need to be aware of your service's data limits (or use Wi-Fi). Rhapsody also allows you to save music to your device for offline playback, which is a particularly handy feature once you're in the air.
Of course, Rhapsody isn't the only option available: Pandora, Rdio, Slacker, and Spotify offer apps with varying features and services. Lesser-known music-streaming services are worth a try, too. For example, Songza selects a mix of music to match your mood. ("Cranky about delayed flight" isn't an option, but you can specify "angsty," "gloomy," or "aggressive.")
Where's My Water?—Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Windows Phone ($1)
Anyone who has ever been hooked on a video game, knows that playing a truly engaging game causes time to pass with almost magical swiftness. Where's My Water is an addictive, physics-based puzzle game starring a fastidious alligator named Swampy. Swampy loves to take long, hot showers, and your goal is to make sure that he gets enough water for the job. This one's great for keeping cranky kids distracted, but it's fun for adults too.
If you're traveling with children, be sure to check out PBS Parents Play & Learn, a full suite of games available for a wide range of devices (including Kindle and Nook) and designed to promote math and literacy skills.
Flight delays and cancellations
In a perfect world, flights would always be on time and you'd never have to deal with unexpected cancellations. You'd also have a lot more leg room, seats that fully recline (though the people in the row in front of you wouldn't), and tasty in-flight meals—but hey, we obviously don't live in a perfect world. These apps will help take the sting out of unanticipated bumps in the road.
FlightTrack—Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Windows Phone ($5)
FlightTrack provides real-time status information for delays and cancellations at more than 3000 airports worldwide. You can view your flights on a zoomable map, and see satellite weather imagery to help you anticipate the likelihood that a flight may be delayed; another a feature provides forecasts of potential delays. And if you have to deal with a cancellation, you can find alternate flights right in the app.
FlightTrack also lets you label your flights, store your flight confirmation number, and save your seat number from within the app. Upgrading to the Pro version of the app ($10) brings you push flight alerts, delay predictions, and the ability to sync your flight itineraries with TripIt.
GateGuru—Android, iOS, Windows Phone (free)
GateGuru's FlightCard feature rolls up every detail pertaining to your flight, including real-time arrival and departure stats, baggage carousel numbers, estimated TSA times, airport weather, and estimated security wait times. In addition, GateGuru includes airport navigation tips and maps.
The app integrates last-minute rental car deals, which may come in handy if your flight is canceled, and a list of nearby stores and restaurants (with ratings) customized to your terminal location to help you endure the wait during a delay or a layover.
Aggravating airlines
TripAdvisor—Android, iOS, Windows Phone (free)
TripAdvisor offers a wealth of travel planning features, but it made the cut here thanks to its airline rating section. You can check star ratings, read reviews, and (maybe) gain the strength not to book flights on problem-prone airlines. The app is equally useful as a pressure valve if you want to lodge a complaint following a particularly exasperating experience.
Other TripAdvisor features help you compare airfares, find deals, ask travel questions (in the forums), book hotels, and find restaurants and entertainment near your destination.
Lost luggage
Trakdot Luggage—Android, iOS ($50 with device)
Airline lost your luggage? There is, of course, an app for that—but you'll need a piece of hardware to go along with it. Trakdot Luggage pairs a location device planted in your luggage with an app that lets you track it. The app will alert you when your luggage has arrived with you upon landing, and will send you an alert when you're within 30 feet of the bag. However, this item doesn't go on sale until June.
In the meantime, you can make do with similar services such as HipKey, FinderCodes, or Bungee Tags, which use either a device or a QR code paired with an app to help you locate lost luggage.
This story, "Apps to help you avoid airport annoyances" was originally published by TechHive.


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Make the most of your time on the pitch by wearing the correct footwear for firm ground surfaces. Featuring moulded studs, our range of firm ground football boots provide great traction and stability on hard ground surfaces such as summer football pitches and can even be used on the latest generation of artificial grass surfaces. Shop from adidas, Nike, Puma, Umbro ranges etc. for adults and kids FG football boots.
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Latest sample galleries
Latest in-depth reviews
While improvements like HyperSmooth 2.0 stabilization are truly impressive, the latest GoPro generation really only offers incremental upgrades – and that's looking like a trend we can count on in the foreseeable future.
The Lume Cube 2.0 is much improved on its predecessor, but we do have concerns about its smartphone app. It's also pretty pricey among its competitors, but its feature set and quality of light may win you over. Find out more in our full review.
The X-T4 brings image stabilization and a larger battery to the X-T series, but dig a bit deeper and you'll find a host of improvements and tweaks. See what we've discovered in the X-T3's sister model.
Nikon's combined the best of its DSLR and mirrorless cameras into one tough-built body, equally well-suited for stills as it is for video. For effectively modernizing one of the brand's all-star camera lines, it receives our silver award.
It's not cheap and the initial setup is time-consuming, but the Loupedeck+ improves on its predecessor in some important ways and makes a lot of sense for those with demanding photo editing needs.


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Certified Facilities
What is the Facility Certification Program?
Seattle Municipal Code 21.36.089 directs Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) to set up criteria to identify Qualified Receiving and Recycling Facilities for recovering targeted construction materials for recycling and beneficial use. Qualified facilities are to:
- comply with State and local permitting requirements,
- report to the City on incoming and outgoing construction materials for reuse, recycling, beneficial use and disposal, and
- meet performance standards for recovering banned materials from residuals bound for landfill disposal.
Qualified Facilities
The lists of Qualified Receiving and Recycling Facilities will be updated quarterly. Two lists are posted – one for Salvage Facilities and Source-Separated Recyclers and the other for Mixed-Waste Recyclers and Disposal Facilities. The lists contain whether or not the facilities are in regulatory and reporting compliance, their material diversion levels, what materials they accept for recycling as well as the facility address and phone contact numbers. Users are urged to contact the facility beforehand to confirm that they are still accepting certain materials and for gate fee information.
Mixed-Waste Recyclers and Disposal Facilities
- 4th Quarter Report 2017 - Update (pdf)
- 4th Quarter Report 2017 (pdf)
- 3rd Quarter Report 2017 (pdf)
- 2nd Quarter Report 2017 (pdf)
- 1st Quarter Report 2017 (pdf)
- 4th Quarter Report 2016 (pdf)
- 3rd Quarter Report 2016 (pdf)
- 2nd Quarter Report 2016 (pdf)
- 1st Quarter Report 2016 (pdf)
SPU Director's Rule for Requirements for Qualified Construction and Demolition Receiving and Processing Facilities
SPU Director's Rule SW-405.1 Rev 1 (pdf) describes the general and specific facility requirements for being classified as a Qualified Facility. The Rule applies to:
- Source-separated recyclers
- Mixed-waste recycling facilities
- Receiving Facilities such as solid waste transfer stations
Other materials referenced in SPU Director's Rule SW-405.1 are:


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Second Skin iPod 5G 30GB Cases are custom fit to provide a super-soft and non-bulky layer of scratch protection for your iPod. The built-in click wheel protection features an extremely thin layer of material that protects against the wear and tear of daily usage without interfering with operation. The included crystal clear screen protector offers the much needed protection to the iPod display yet is 100% translucent. Finally, precision cut openings at the top and bottom of the case allows full access to the hold switch, earphone jack and dock connector while still protecting all surfaces of the iPod.
Compatible with:
30GB 5th generation iPods
Pearl Pink


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Study on Rare Earth Management Game Between Central and Local Governments in China
The interest claim for management of rare earth among central and local governments is not identical. Even in some specific problems they are at variance. So there is a benefit game process. Through establishing a non-cooperative dynamic game theory model, the paper analyzes the strategy selection and game results of Chinese rare earth management among central and local governments, concludes root reasons fort existing problems. And then it offers some specific countermeasures and suggestions.
Key words: Rare earth management; Central government; Local government; Game
Full Text:PDF Indexed/Included/Archived
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/j.ccc.1923670020130901.2817
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Copyright (c) 2013 Huifang LIU, Lei LEI, Changxie YE
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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1. Register yourself in Journal B as an Author
- Find the journal you want to submit to in CATEGORIES, click on "VIEW JOURNAL", "Online Submissions", "GO TO LOGIN" and "Edit My Profile". Check "Author" on the "Edit Profile" page, then "Save".
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- We only use four mailboxes as follows to deal with issues about paper acceptance, payment and submission of electronic versions of our journals to databases: email@example.com; email@example.com; email@example.com; email@example.com
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Washington University of St. Louis is back in familiar territory - playing in the championship game of the NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament.
Washington University of St. Louis is back in familiar territory - playing in the championship game of the NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament.
Using a swarming defense, relentless rebounding and balanced scoring attack, the Bears defeated Amherst (Mass.), 65-49, Friday in a national semifinal contest at DeVos Fieldhouse. Wash U. will face the winner of the second semifinal between George Fox (Ore.) and the College of New Jersey for the national championship at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Wash U. (26-4), which won four consecutive national championships from 1998-2001, advanced to the championship game for the seventh time, the most of any Division III school. Wash U. last reached the title game in 2007, losing to DePauw (Ind.)
"I'm just really proud of our kids, that we were able to withstand their first (run),
and settle into our style of play," Wash U. coach Nancy Fahey said.
Leading 27-22 at halftime, the Bears opened the second half with a 12-3 spurt, capped off by a three-point play by Kathryn Berger, to build a 39-25 lead with 16:15 remaining.
Amherst (29-3), which is playing in its first Final Four, stormed back with a 10-2 run, sparked by six points by Amanda Otieno, to slice the Wash U. lead to 41-35 with 12:22 remaining.
But then the Bears, who won the University Athletic Association championship, pulled away. Wash U. limited the Lord Jeffs to one field goal over the next eight minutes, outscoring Amherst 16-2 to open up a 57-37 lead with five minutes to play.
"They really took us out of our game. We didn't play like we have been playing or are capable of," Amherst coach GP Gromacki said. "But give credit to Wash U. They had a great game plan, and we just couldn't get it going."
The Bears shot 40 percent (21 of 52) from the field, while limiting Amherst a season-low 28 percent (17 of 61). They also sank 22 of 26 from the free-throw line, compared to 9-of-11 for the Lord Jeffs, and controlled the boards by a 45-34 margin.
"It was a women's game. You had to attack inside, you had to be able to be strong," Fahey said.
Amherst jumped out to a 14-7 lead eight minutes into the contest on the strength of four 3-point baskets, including back-to-back triples by Courtney Long. But sparked by reserve forward Kelsey Robb, the Bears came back with runs of 12-1 and 8-2 to take a five-point lead at the half. Robb finished with 12 points in 18 minutes of play, the only player in the game to score in double figures.
"She's our most improved kid from last year," Fahey said of Robb. "Her ability to bury kids inside, to go with the right (or) left hook, was a big difference."
Senior forward Jaimie McFarlin grabbed 15 rebounds for the Bears, while Zoe Unruh scored nine points and Alex Hoover eight.
Long and Lem Atanga McCormick led the Lord Jeffs with eight points apiece. First-team All-American Jaci Daigneault strugged with foul trouble all game long and was limited to four points, to go along with nine rebounds.


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Since the hiphop threads are gettin so many hits and we sometimes talk about our own writin i wanted to start this thread.
Let me start with my cover of "It Ain't Hard to tell"
It Ain't Hard To Tell
There dreams are for real, i conceal
Not reveal, the hate i once had is so surreal
In the game it's life or death, rap till you out of breath
This world, so messed up with the brothas just inhalin the meth
Stay true like a promise, not feelin so obnoxious
I'm doin what i wanna cuz New York is my nirvana
Crack the plates like an earthquake, impact
Let my poetry take over now so you can lay down or sit back
Because of my poems i can express through song
My true love of life and dislike of tempted wrong
I used to dream of fame but now i dont care what i sell
From the street corners the young children dwell
It Ain't hard to tell
The mormon lives with many wives, religious beliefs
Inhale from the cold weed, smoked up by the beasts of the east
Yes the smell of success, not the hefty stress
This ain't a test, cause you're messin with the best of the best
The whole world may not be mine, but like a star i shine
With these words, flows, and freshness new and oh so refined
Plus classic, not extinct like jurassic
Opposed to fascists, keepin hopes alive unlike a loved one's ashes
So hate me, await me, but never suffocate me
You think you're me just cause you try to relate to me
My righteous steps in life might land me a wife
Fate's plan is well, It ain't hard to tell
This lyrical providin, in which your mind is now residin
I'll leave you lustin, yeah, i know you think im bluffin
Speak with urban slang, my word are ridiculous
Locked on, so meticulous, street laws like Leviticus
I dominate this rap game with one golden mic
The shinin' word sparks a strike, givin the fans euphoria
in your cornea, witness the story of a young kid
But God forbid, my life come to a skid
I'm a true fighter, in my book of rhymes im one love writer
Searchin like a mother for a lost child
So wise like the old owl, the haters riled
thought they need not fire
stop the hatin, just focus and aim higher
My art is one that excels,
It ain't hard to tell...
What do yall think? Post yours too if u got any


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Expatica.com - October 1, 2010
Pope must resign: head of Belgian paedophilia probe
Pope Benedict XVI should resign over the Catholic Church's priest paedophilia scandal, the head of a church-backed probe that revealed hundreds of abuse cases in Belgium said Friday.
Child psychologist Peter Adriaenssens was quoted as saying in the Flemish-language newspaper De Morgen that the pope should take responsibility for the crisis.
"The pope should not content himself with just expressing regret," Adriaenssens said. "He should offer his resignation."
"We should be able to say that after everything that has taken place within the Church, one person is taking responsibility," he said. "Since the problem is not just in Belgium but has spread worldwide, the pope must set an example."
Adriaenssens released on September 10 a report by a commission he led which revealed that nearly 500 people reported abuses by priests since the 1950s and 13 victims committed suicide.
Revelations of abuse carried out by priests in Belgium, Ireland, the pope's native Germany and the United States have plunged the Catholic Church into its worst crisis in decades.
The pope expressed sorrow and shame in a meeting with victims of clerical abuse during his four-day visit to Britain last month.
This article was found at:
Belgian Archbishop acknowledges widespread rape and abuse in every church sector throughout the nation
Court says evidence seized in Belgian Catholic church raids can't be used, probe finds hundreds of clergy abuse cases
Belgian law enforcement's aggressive raid of Catholic church explained by cultural forces
Audio tapes reveal Belgian Cardinal pressuring victim to stay silent about serial sex abuse by his uncle, a Belgian Bishop
Belgian bishop says media storm triggered his resignation for sex crimes he committed against boy while bishop
Belgian police raid Catholic headquarters and independent abuse commission over concerns of continuing cover-up by church leaders
Dan Rather exposes Catholic tactics to shield assets from liability in abuse cases, SNAP founder compares Belgium raids to Toledo case
Thousands of children raped by priests is a human rights atrocity, Pope should resign to give survivors more than mere words
Catholic Church ignores Amnesty International's call to comply with international children's rights law
New book by UN judge says Vatican should be treated as a rogue state until it abandons canon law and stops protecting abusers
Christopher Hitchens: holding the Catholic Church accountable for its crimes takes earthly justice
Hitchens says Pope responsible for obstructing justice & enabling the rape & torture of children, an apologist responds
Sinead O'Connor, a survivor of severe child abuse, says Vatican should be subject of criminal investigation for covering up crimes
Prior to papal visit Sinead O'Connor says Pope and Vatican are anti-Christian, UK Cardinal says BBC is anti-Christian
Humanists ask UN to hold Vatican accountable for violating children's rights by shielding abusers & obstructing justice
Pope & Church tested by children's voices crying out for accountability and justice long after childhood
If the Pope is infallibly moral why did he enable and cover-up the systematic rape of children across the globe?
Why should the pope and other church officials get away with violating the rule of law and the rights of children?
Pope's promise to restore the purity of Catholicism almost impossible with scandals implicating entire church hierarchy
Catholic abuse crisis pits Church against society and moral legacies of two popes against each other
New York Times article details Benedict's failures to act sooner against child abuse, Catholic apologists 'shoot the messenger'
New York Times' Public Editor responds to Catholic criticisms of its coverage of clergy crimes scandals
Vatican officials, including future pope, refused to defrock "evil, remorseless sociopath" priest until 9 years after his first conviction for sex crimes
"God's Rottweiler", Ratzinger, punished peaceful priest, but not pedophile priests; turned deaf & dumb to abuse of 200 deaf boys
Unholy week of political spin by church hierarchy shielding pope from personal responsibility for failing to protect children
Pope's passive apology fails to admit personal responsibility for protecting pedophile priests instead of children
Pope is all talk, no action, over Irish clergy abuse and cover-up by Church hierarchy


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Small Group Adventure Holidays and Tours Worldwide
Welcome to Undiscovered Destinations, an award winning, adventure travel company dedicated to providing truly authentic holiday experiences in some of the world's most exciting regions. Offering both small group adventure holidays and tours as well as tailormade itineraries, Undiscovered Destinations focuses on countries and regions that can genuinely be described as off the beaten track.
Travel with us on our small group tours to remote and intriguing destinations. Search for lemurs in Madagascar, explore incredible historical sites and tribal culture in Ethiopia, journey through Oman to climb towering dunes or perhaps marvel at the magical Caucasus mountains in Georgia.
Coronavirus (COVID19)
For the latest advice and guidance please contact us by phone or online.
Our team will be contacting all customers whose travel arrangements have been impacted by the outbreak and they will discuss your options should it be necessary to postpone or cancel your tour.
Please note that we will be in touch as soon as a decision has been made about each tour and this will be no later than 21 days before departure.
We are grateful for your support through this challenging time.
Undiscovered Destinations offers tours in over 60 different countries and with a highly experienced team to assist at all times, we can help you rediscover the meaning of travel.
Speak to one of our expert travel advisors
Call us on +44 (0)191 296 2674 or from the US/Canada on 1-800-614-2967
Or you can book our small group tours online via this website
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Our guaranteed departures give you complete peace of mind. All of these tours are guaranteed to run. Your trip will not be cancelled by us for any reason beyond safety.
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Why travel with us?
As travellers explore further afield and the world becomes more familiar, we are proud to offer small group tours and adventure holidays to regions where local culture is at its most vibrant, where you won't bump into masses of other visitors, and where you can get a real sense of exploration. Undiscovered Destinations is dedicated to providing unique tours which explore countries and areas not on the map of mass tourism.
- Our range of small group adventure tours and tailor made adventure holidays have been carefully researched to provide exciting and groundbreaking travel experiences. Most of our itineraries and even many of our destinations are offered by no other UK companies, meaning that Undiscovered Destinations really does reach the parts that other travel companies don't.
- Our experienced team have unparalleled passion and enthusiasm for adventure travel and are keen to share their love of exploration with curious and discerning clients. As a small and independent company we offer a truly personalised service, and when you call us you can be sure that you will be talking to someone dedicated to helping you get the most from your travels.
- We place enormous importance on making sure that our small group adventure tours and tailor made adventure holidays are designed with the traveller in mind, and don't cut corners to save on a few pounds – you deserve more from your tour. We don't aim to provide the cheapest tours available as we believe that this rarely does justice to the places visited. What we do concentrate on is ensuring that our tours contain the very best elements of the region we're travelling through, whether that be a well known highlight or a hidden gem tucked away that few get to see.
- Added extras. We offer free transfers from the itinerary start and departure points with all of our group tours, when you are arriving on the scheduled dates and whatever flight you are arriving or departing on.
- No local payments. Unlike many group tour operators, we do not ask you to pay anything towards your tour on arrival in the country. In some destinations, your guide may arrange a local 'tips' kitty as this makes tipping easier for all concerned but this is entirely discretionary.
- Fully transferable group tour deposits (excluding any flight payments and package deal deposits which are always non-refundable). You can cancel your group tour booking up to 10 weeks before departure and not lose your deposit - we will put your deposit towards any new group booking as long as you travel within 2 years of the original departure date.
- We are an award winning tour operator. In 2014 we won a silver in the British Travel Awards 'Best Escorted Adventure Holiday Company' category and we have been awarded with a Wanderlust Magazine 'Top Tour Operator' certificate, having come in the top 10 out of over 500 entries in 2014, 2016 and 2018.


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Wheat and corn futures rose sharply Friday, closing out a volatile week. Metals prices were mixed and energy futures ended slightly higher.
The actively traded May contract for wheat rose 13 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $6.0225 a bushel. May corn rose 9 cents, or 2 percent, to $4.635 a bushel. Soybeans increased 24 cents, or 1.7 percent, to $14.14 a bushel.
Wheat has been on a bumpy ride in recent weeks as traders respond to concerns about transportation problems in Canada hindering that country's crop from coming to market, waning demand from commercial buyers and the release of more wheat into the market by Argentina.
In metals trading, gold for April delivery edged down $10.20 to $1,321.60 an ounce and March silver lost 11 cents to $21.20 an ounce. April platinum fell $6.60 to $1,446.80 an ounce.
March palladium rose $1.60 to $743.85 an ounce and March copper edged up less than a cent to $3.24 a pound.
The price of oil rose slightly, finishing the month with a gain of 5 percent. The price of gasoline had the biggest monthly increase since July as refineries prepared for the U.S. driving season.
U.S. crude oil for April delivery rose 19 cents to $102.59 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Natural gas ended a wild month by gaining 10 cents to $4.61 per 1,000 cubic feet. The price soared in the middle of the month as homeowners raised the thermostat amid cold temperatures and supplies fell sharply.
In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose 3 cents to $2.79 per gallon and heating oil was flat at $3.09 per gallon.


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Online Application Forms
All Applications MUST be submitted in person to the Inspections Department. You CAN NOT submit an application online, through e-mail or by fax.
A zoning letter will have to be submitted from the Town of Hertford, Town of Winfall, or County Planning Office, depending on your property location. Also, if you reside in the County area, you will be required to submit your septic approval. These documents will have to be submitted along with your Building Permit Application.
Download Forms


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Military Combat Training with Spyder Paintball Markers
Spyder MRX paintball markers are the preferred choice for combat engineer training
Baldwin Park, CA – Kingman Group recently supplied Spyder MRX™ paintball markers for a military combat engineer training weekend. The request came in as follows, "Can you guys provide a paintball marker that feels realistic to our issued weapons, provides an impact, and operates at an affordable price?" The answer was simple, we offered up the Spyder MRX™, a tactical powerhouse featuring the "DLS" Dual Loading System. This unique patent pending system enabled the soldiers to interchange the loading system with a quick turn of the barrel; allowing them to switch from the traditional hopper fed paintball system to the all new 10-round lower magazine feed system.
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3 thoughts on "He Speaks the Truth"
Dale Prince
I worked in an academic library that allowed any state resident use the library. Once, a young man checked out 20 books and ended up in jail before bringing them back. The books, of course, never came back. Many people then wanted to create a rule limiting the number of books non-faculty, staff, or students could check out. I managed to dissuade them by asking if this was something that happened enough to warrant such a rule. It, of course, did not.
IT departments do this also: create pre-emptive rules: It's not a problem yet, let's keep it from being a problem. Oppressive protectionism.
Diane Chen
Since today is the [unofficial] Blogger Appreciation Day, I wanted to say a quick "THANKS" for writing. I am reading and thinking about what you wrote.
Working in a school environment we see rules created for the most bizarre things. Who writes these? Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror screenwriters?
Matthew Thomas
Why do we create rules where we don't really need them? To cover our butts, I guess. As institutions (schools in particular) become more and more open to criticism from the public, administrators find it much easier to create a rule ahead of time to show people that at least something was done to try to prevent whatever from happening, than it is to defend their apparent unpreparedness after the fact. I blame this on the lack of good education and patience on the part of the public, and laziness or increased workload on the part of the institutions and their administrators.
Just a thought.


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On a recent visit to Hong Kong, I went to brunch with friends at a restaurant called The Square.
The Square serves dim sum, a type of breakfast food oriented around pastries with meats in them and sweet rice confections.
Then I walked back to my hotel, the Courtyard Marriott in the Western district. It was a long, meandering walk.
During my walk, I saw a bright green Lamborghini, stood on an escalator that took me across the city, and walked past a flattened pig face hanging from a storefront. There were also million-dollar antiques and some squid.
I'll never forget any of it.


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I can't believe I'm finally done with this quilt! I started it it over a year ago as a gift for my mom, but it's one of those things that I just kind of put away for a while. I decided to pull it out and finally finish it because I needed something substantial to quilt on the vintage quilting machine I bought in April, which I affectionately call Old Blue.
The pattern I used is Flower Show by Bill Kerr and Weeks Ringle from the Spring 2010 issue of Quilts and More. It's very easy and perfect for a beginner.
I used a variety of fabrics from my stash in shades of moss and olive green, pink, and aqua, using prints from Pat Bravo, Paula Prass, Joel Dewberry, and some Kona and Bella solids. The back is pieced from leftover scraps.
Old Blue makes a chain stitch, and it's easiest to quilt in a meandering pattern on it. It gives it a lot of texture!
I used one layer of Warm & Natural cotton batting and the quilt's been washed and dried once, but I've never been able to achieve texture like this on my standard machine.
I don't think I did too bad of a job on the quilting, considering that it was my first large quilt on Old Blue. Isn't this texture crazy?!
It's been a learning curve to use the machine, because it doesn't have any feed system. Instead, the fabric moves through the machine by using a hand crank, so it's a whole new way of quilting for me!


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text:
The Edge of Destruction was the third serial of season 1 of Doctor Who. The story is unique in the original series in that it is set entirely inside the TARDIS and features only the regular cast members.
The BBC initially committed to four episodes of Doctor Who. Mid-way through the production of An Unearthly Child, this was upped to thirteen. Together, An Unearthly Child and The Daleks only totalled eleven. With a tiny budget, The Edge of Destruction was commissioned to fill the remaining two episodes and fill out the season.
Narratively, the story was crucial as its events bonded the travellers so they were no longer just mismatched people forced together but a group who could trust one another. It also offered the first hint that the Doctor's TARDIS was not his own, shown by his lack of understanding of its abilities. Finally, it was also the first instance of the Doctor namedropping historical figures.
The second episode of this serial, "The Brink of Disaster", is as far as viewers can watch the Hartnell era, and the series itself from the very beginning in televised format, before running into a single missing episode: the following serial, Marco Polo, remains absent in its entirety.
Synopsis Edit
As they slowly recover from the shock of being thrown to the TARDIS floor, the Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara all seem to be acting strangely. Unexplained events occur and suspicions are raised that an alien force may have entered the ship. The Doctor even accuses Ian and Barbara of sabotage.
It gradually dawns on the travellers that what they have been experiencing is an attempt by the TARDIS itself to warn them of something. The Doctor finally realises the fast return switch he used when leaving Skaro has stuck, and the ship has been plunging back to the beginning of time and its own destruction.
Once the problem — a faulty spring — is corrected, the TARDIS returns to normal and the Doctor makes some apologies for his behaviour.
Plot Edit
The Edge of Destruction (1) Edit
The Doctor, while attempting to correct the TARDIS' faulty navigation circuits, causes a small explosion. The Doctor, Barbara, Ian and Susan are all rendered unconscious. Barbara is the first to recover and awakens Ian and Susan, who appear to have slight cases of amnesia. The Doctor lies on the floor with a gash on his head. Susan recovers her senses enough to retrieve a special healing bandage from the ship's first aid kit and water from the food machine for her injured grandfather. Suddenly, Susan becomes convinced that an alien presence is on board and has seized control of the ship.
The TARDIS doors begin to mysteriously open and close whenever Ian moves towards them. When Susan tries to operate the controls, she suddenly faints. As the Doctor revives, Barbara tends to him while Ian carries Susan to her room. There she tries to stab him with a pair of scissors, but suddenly bangs the scissors on the bed multiple times, then collapses.
Later, the Doctor, Barbara, and Ian discuss the situation, each alternating between clarity of mind and paranoid sniping. The Doctor checks the system controls with Ian's assistance, while Barbara checks on Susan. Susan has retrieved the scissors and tries to attack Barbara, but stops herself from doing any real harm, with some force from Barbara.
When the Doctor tries to determine their location with the view scanner, he finds only images which he recognises as records of the TARDIS' earlier trips. The last image, a picture of planets, a solar system and an explosion, puzzles him. By now, Susan is convinced that not only has an alien intelligence entered the ship, but it has also taken over at least one of the people. When the Doctor opens the TARDIS doors, they quickly close themselves when Ian approaches them. Soon, the Doctor begins to accuse their human companions of sabotage to get the TARDIS back to England in 1963. Furious, Barbara refutes the Doctor's suspicions with a recap of their recent adventure on Skaro, where she and Ian risked their lives to save the Doctor and Susan from the Daleks, and cites Ian's bravery in the Cave of Skulls. Her tirade is abruptly ended when she sees the cathedral clock the Doctor keeps in the console room has melted, a sight which horrifies her. The travellers all check their watches and see the same has happened to their timepieces. Barbara, disturbed, takes off her watch and throws it away from her, before breaking down into tears.
The Doctor excuses himself from the room - but returns with a tray of drinks, a "nightcap" which he serves as a peace offering to his companions. Barbara, Susan and Ian retire to their quarters and drink the nightcaps.
After looking in on his companions to confirm they are asleep, the Doctor returns to the console. As he examines it, a pair of hands swing him around and grab him by the throat...
The Brink of Disaster (2) Edit
The Doctor's attacker is none other than Ian. A strange force has overridden the effects of the drug and compelled him to stop the Doctor from operating the TARDIS controls. Ian recognises the Doctor and collapses. Barbara enters and finds Ian and herself accused of sabotage by the Doctor.
As Barbara tries to reason with the Doctor, Susan enters the room and seemingly side with her grandfather, but then believes her teachers' innocence. The Doctor threatens to put the humans off his ship; this is stopped when suddenly an alarm sounds. The fault locator lights up, showing faults in every system. After panic enseeps the travellers, an explosion rocks the ship. The Doctor realises the TARDIS' power source, located beneath the console, is trying to force its way out and they are only minutes from destruction.
Faced with a common peril, the travellers forget their differences and begin to work together. Barbara deduces that the strange events are an attempt by the TARDIS itself to warn the crew that something is wrong. The Doctor traces the problem to a broken spring in the fast return switch.
The malfunction is causing the TARDIS to head back to the creation of a solar system; the strange events were just the TARDIS' attempts to warn its passengers before the ship was destroyed. Fixing the switch returns everything to normal. The Doctor apologises to Ian, who accepts straight away - but Barbara needs more convincing and moves outside, where the Doctor and Ian banter before the TARDIS dematerialises. The Doctor then apologises to Barbara, who accepts his plea. The foursome prepares to explore their new surroundings, this time a snowy planet. When Barbara and Susan go outside, they discover a giant footprint in the snow...
Cast Edit
- Dr. Who - William Hartnell
- Ian Chesterton - William Russell
- Barbara Wright - Jacqueline Hill
- Susan Foreman - Carole Ann Ford
Crew Edit
- Writer - David Whitaker
- Designer - Raymond Cusick
- Associate Producer - Mervyn Pinfield
- Title Music - Ron Grainer, BBC Radiophonic Workshop
- Director - Richard Martin ("The Edge of Destruction"), Frank Cox ("The Brink of Disaster")
- Producer - Verity Lambert
- Assistant Floor Manager - Jeremy Hare (uncredited)[1]
- Costumes - Daphne Dare (uncredited)[2]
- Make-Up - Ann Ferriggi (uncredited)[2]
- Production Assistant - Tony Lightley (uncredited)[1]
- Special Sounds - Brian Hodgson (uncredited)[1]
- Sound Supervisor - Jack Brummitt (uncredited)[2]
- Theme Arrangement - Delia Derbyshire (uncredited) [3]
- Vision Mixer - Clive Doig (uncredited)[1]
- Producer's Secretary - Valerie Speyer (uncredited)[1]
- Secretary - Margaret Allen (uncredited)[2]
- Technical Manager - Mark Lewis (uncredited)[2]
References Edit
Cultural references from the real world Edit
- The coat the Doctor lends Ian was given to him by Gilbert and Sullivan.
Individuals Edit
- Susan and the Doctor share a telepathic link with each other and the TARDIS.
Story notes Edit
- This is the first story — and only full-length story — featuring only the Doctor and his companions. It has the smallest cast of any of Doctor Who's televised stories, strictly limited to the four main characters.
- This is the first (and arguably only) televised Doctor Who story in which, essentially, all action takes place inside the TARDIS.
- The first episode, "The Edge of Destruction", takes place entirely in the TARDIS. The same is true for the second episode, "The Brink of Disaster", except for the final moments leading into the next story.
- This story is also known as Inside the Spaceship (also sometimes The Spaceship) and The Brink of Disaster, and is often wrongly referred to as Beyond the Sun.
- Both episodes exist in 16mm telerecordings.
- Both episodes were recovered from the negative film prints discovered at BBC Enterprises in 1978.
- An Arabic print of "The Brink of Disaster", made for overseas sale to Middle Eastern countries, is also held.
- This story was written to make up the allotted number of episodes and meet the show's commitment to the BBC. The series was initially commissioned for thirteen episodes. An Unearthly Child had four and The Daleks had seven, so an additional two episodes were required in case the show should be cancelled at this point; indeed, during pre-production on Unearthly Child, Donald Baverstock of the BBC did in fact cancel the series, with "The Brink of Disaster" earmarked as the final episode as a result, but he later relented.
- Some of the music from this story was released as Doctor Who at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Volume One - The Early Years, 1963 - 1969.
- This was one of the stories selected to be shown as part of BSB's Doctor Who Weekend in September 1990. The episodes were shown in the wrong order but were repeated in the correct sequence later that weekend.
- This story marks the first time the Doctor indicates on-screen that his TARDIS might be sentient, though in An Unearthly Child, Ian at one point exclaims, "It's alive!" when he first touches its exterior. There is nothing to indicate that the Doctor himself isn't aware of the TARDIS matrix being alive, but as the series progresses, more clues are given to the viewer, with the Third Doctor stating at one point that the TARDIS is alive. A full indication of this for viewers does not occur until The Doctor's Wife, when the conscious entity within the TARDIS assumes a host body and speaks to the Doctor directly, confirming to viewers her sentience (the Doctor is already aware of this, but up to that story had assumed it would be impossible to communicate in traditional fashion with his TARDIS).
- Verity Lambert had to write a letter of apology after the BBC Children's Department made it known they felt it was an unwise decision to show Susan acting out violently with a pair of scissors.
- The director originally assigned to this serial was Paddy Russell, one of the first female directors at the BBC. Russell was not available for the studio dates, however, and associate producer Mervyn Pinfield was suggested as her replacement.
- William Hartnell decided to play a joke on the cast, who often teased him when he messed up his lines. During one take, when he was supposed to say, "The fault locator!", he instead said "The fornicator!"
- During recording, slight changes were made to the adventure's climax, having Barbara alone deducing that the TARDIS was trying to communicate with its passengers (whereas originally this achievement was shared with Ian). In rehearsals, the resolution to this crisis was made more exciting: the script had simply described the Doctor flipping the fast return switch to save the Ship.
- This is the first of very few TV stories in which no characters die or are destroyed; though no characters outside the main cast appear.
Ratings Edit
- "The Edge of Destruction" - 10.4 million viewers
- "The Brink of Disaster" - 9.9 million viewers
Myths Edit
- This story had the working title Beyond the Sun. This was a working title used for The Daleks. (See Disputed story titles)
- This story was written at short notice because the set for Marco Polo was not complete. (See notes for real reason)
Filming locations Edit
Production errors Edit
- There is a shadow visible on the wall when Barbara tries to wake Ian up.
- In the first episode, the studio floor is clearly visible in the "white void" outside the TARDIS. (This could however be intentional as later episodes show "white voids" too, with a visible floor)
- Two floor assistants' shadows can be seen in the first episode, "The Edge of Destruction", against the door leading into the bedroom and food machine area.
- While the Doctor is describing the birth of a new solar system, a cough can be clearly heard.
- Susan is wearing ankle-socks in the reprise, but afterwards, she is not.
Continuity Edit
- The travellers reference their first adventure together. (TV: An Unearthly Child)
- The Daleks and Skaro are mentioned. (TV: The Daleks)
- Susan reminds the Doctor of their visit to Quinnis in the fourth universe, during which they almost lost the TARDIS, prior to travelling to London in 1963. (AUDIO: Quinnis)
- While Ian and Barbara were aboard the TARDIS, Susan slept in a communal room in order to be more sociable. (PROSE: The Rag & Bone Man's Story)
Home video and audio releases Edit
DVD release Edit
This story was released (Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction) together with An Unearthly Child and The Daleks in The Beginning DVD box set.
Special Features:
- Doctor Who: Origins - A 55 minute documentary, detailing the creation of Doctor Who, including a rare interview with creator Sydney Newman, and new interviews with producer Verity Lambert, director Waris Hussein and Richard Martin, actors William Russell and Carole Ann Ford, title sequence designer Bernard Lodge, and TARDIS sound effect creator Brian Hodgson.
- Over the Edge - The cast and crew look back at the production of The Edge of Destruction
- Inside the Spaceship - A look at the Doctor's time and space ship, the TARDIS
- Masters of Sound - A look inside the BBC Radiophonic Workshop which created electronic sounds and music during Doctor Who's early years
- Marco Polo - A 30-minute version of the 'lost' fourth Doctor Who story, created using a recording of the soundtrack, plus off-screen stills and production photographs
- PDF Documents - A selection of Radio Times billings for the first three stories, plus the full script of An Unearthly Child (DVD-ROM - PC/Mac)
- Arabic Soundtrack - Listen to the final episode of this story dubbed into Arabic
- Production Subtitles
- Digitally remastered picture and sound quality
- Region 2 - 30 January 2006
- PAL - Roadshow ????
- NTSC - Warner Video E2489
Box sets Edit
This story was released along with An Unearthly Child and The Daleks in a box set called The Beginning.
Digital releases Edit
This story is available:
Video release Edit
This story was released as Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction and Dr Who: The Pilot Episode as a compilation video. The BBC originally intended to release this story in a box set with An Unearthly Child and The Daleks, but they changed their plans and decided to release each story individually.
- NTSC - Warner Video E1578 (2 tapes)
Notes: This video release includes the full takes of "The Pilot Episode". The US release also included the documentary The Missing Years and episode 3 of The Underwater Menace.
- Editing for the VHS and DVD releases was completed by the Doctor Who Restoration Team.
External links Edit
- The Edge of Destruction at the BBC's official site (with video clips)
- The Edge of Destruction at RadioTimes
- The Edge of Destruction at BroaDWcast
- The Edge of Destruction at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
- The Edge of Destruction at Shannon Sullivan's A Brief History of Time (Travel)
- The Edge of Destruction entry at Encyclopaedia of Fantastic Film and Television
Footnotes Edit


text:
The war machine is cranking out plenty of ghoulish nightmares, so who really needs costume this year? Which leads to believe why the war propagandists want to destroy the Halloween holiday, cause it reminds them too much of their hellish selves.
Now They Are Waging War On - You Guessed It - Halloween!
Guess they couldn't wait for the war on Christmas, so Fox has decided to declare war on Halloween. Camerota said that several schools were banning costumes and jack o lanterns saying it promotes evil and poor food choices.
On the other side of the planet, we have trick or nuke Iran, whereas President Ahmadinejad has turned himself virtually green in his pursuit of enriched uranium.
Maybe next year we can have a traditional Halloween to amuse the kids, instead of adults behaving like real monsters.
Happy Halloween and have some candy :)


text:
Donita's Vacation Network
About Us
Resort Bulk Rate
About Us
After 32 years in the timeshare industry I find that many people that own timeshare do not fully understand or get the full value from their ownership. lt is with this in mind, that I am starting my Club Management Exchange Program, to assist all owners that are interested to become involved and I will assist them with information, education and the skills that I have built up over the years. My 32 years in this industry has been in customer service and assisting members with their vacations.
Our primary focus with our Club Management Exchange Program will be for timeshare owners to have a better understanding of what they now own, how to use it, how to trade it and how to get the maximum benefit for what you own. DVU does not own, manage or sell timeshare resorts so we are totally independent and are there to be of service to you, the timeshare owner.
You will be able to pledge your weeks to DVU. Your maintenance & other fees to your resort must be paid before you can travel on them. So if you pledge your weeks but do not plan on using for a number of years you will only need to pay each fee as it is due to your resort. If you plan on utilizing the weeks right away your fees for the current year must be paid to your resort before turning them into DVU. DVU will contact your resort or club for confirmation of the status of your week or weeks before entering them into our exchange bank. You must not give the same week you are banking to another person or company a DVU will be giving the week to an exchange guest.
Benefits of working with DVU
Our website
A link so you can ask questions by clicking on ask Donita and be forwarded to
and have Donita answer you or you may call and talk one on one.
You will have the ability to talk to a live person that cares about you, one that will answer your questions truthfully and will assist you in every way possible. We at DVU put the member first.
Years of experience dealing with the industry and assisting members with their vacation plans knowledge of the resorts worldwide and the countries that you plan on visiting.
A good working relationship with industry people worldwide.
A staff that is well trained and versed in this industry and customer service. We understand your frustration, you have purchased the dream and we will assist you in keeping it alive and working for you.
DVU How to make a request
DVU Membership Enrollment
DVU Authorization
Ask Donita


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Ideas for the GSoC 2013 on Buildroot
Since 2013 is the first participation of the Buildroot project to the Google Summer of Code program, we are intentionally proposing only one project idea, visible below.
Improve support of ARM SoC multimedia features
Buildroot as an embedded Linux build system, has had support for the ARM architecture pretty much since its creation, and Buildroot is used by a number of companies and hobbyists to build embedded Linux systems that run on ARM platforms.
A number of the modern ARM processors (so called SoC, for System-on-chip) have advanced multimedia features, like OpenGL acceleration, OpenVG acceleration, accelerated video encoding or decoding features (either through dedicated hardware units or DSPs). For example, the OMAP processors from Texas Instruments (used on the BeagleBoard, PandaBoard and BeagleBone), the i.MX processor from Freescale, the BCM2835 from Broadcom (used on Rasberry Pi) all offer such multimedia features. Using those multimedia features require specific libraries provided by the different processor vendors, and Buildroot is currently lacking packages to integrate those specific libraries. They are usually not trivial to integrate, because the libraries provided by the processor vendors often use uncommon build systems, have bizarre dependencies and so on. However, getting the support for those libraries in Buildroot is very important so that Buildroot users can fully benefit from the multimedia features of their hardware.
This project idea is not about doing reverse engineering of multimedia hardware and implementing drivers. It is about creating Buildroot packages for the various multimedia libraries that are needed for the most common ARM processors. We are primarily interested in packaging the official multimedia support provided by the ARM processor vendor (generally in the form of binary-only libraries), but it may also be interesting to package the open-source drivers available (generally implemented by reverse engineering) if any. Our goal is to make it easy for Buildroot users to enable the multimedia features of their hardware. Adding support for multimedia features such as OpenGL or hardware-accelerated video decoding will also involve testing with higher-level libraries such as Qt or GStreamer.
The Buildroot project will use the $500 provided by Google to the mentoring organization to provide 2 or 3 hardware development boards to the student. The GSoC will then be approximately be split in the following steps, for each platform:
- Get used to the platform (get a working kernel and minimal userspace)
- Investigate the libraries provided by the processor vendor to use the multimedia features, and make experiments to get them working
- Create proper Buildroot packages to allow other users to easily integrate those libraries in their embedded Linux systems.
- Get some packages accepted upstream in the official Buildroot Git repository, by going through the traditional patch submission/review process.
Skills suggested/required:
- Basic Embedded Linux knowledge (basics of cross-compilation, building/configuring a kernel, etc.)
- Basic understanding of multimedia features (OpenGL, OpenVG, video acceleration)
- A minimal knowledge of Buildroot is a plus.
Interested in participating? Please contact:
- Thomas Petazzoni, firstname.lastname@example.com, or kos_tom on #buildroot on Freenode.
Interesting platforms to support
- OMAP3, with a BeagleBoard or BeagleBoard XM. Thomas Petazzoni can lend a BeagleBoard if needed, for the duration of the project.
- OMAP4, with a PandaBoard. How to get the hardware?
- i.MX27/28/53/6x. Armadeus Systems may be available to provide some hardware platforms.
- Allwinner A10/A13. Probably with a Olinuxino platform. Either could ask Olimex if they can provide hardware, or Thomas could buy the hardware for the student.
- To be extended.
Other potential ideas for the future
The following ideas are not available for applying to the Google Summer of Code 2013. As explained above, we wanted to restrict ourself to only one project for this first participation of the Buildroot project to the Google Summer of Code program. We may be proposing more projects next year.
Improve Blackfin support
Blackfin is a DSP architecture designed by Analog Devices, and the most powerful Blackfin DSP are capable of running Linux. In the past, Analog Devices was using the uClinux-dist build system, but has now switched to using Buildroot as their official build system, which is a really good thing. Unfortunately, they have done this as a fork of the official Buildroot rather than contributing their changes back to the original project.
While the official Buildroot project has minimal support for Blackfin, the idea of this GSoC is to reintegrate back into the official Buildroot many of the improvements made by Analog Devices. This involves improvements in Buildroot packages (to support their use in non-MMU environments, since the Blackfin DSPs don't have MMUs), but also some more core changes in Buildroot.
The Buildroot fork from Analog Devices is visible at [1].
The $500 provided by Google to the mentoring organization will be used to provide the student with a Blackfin hardware development board.
Skills suggested/required:
- Basic Embedded Linux knowledge (basics of cross-compilation, building/configuring a kernel, etc.)
- A minimal knowledge of Buildroot is a plus.
Improve testing infrastructure
The Buildroot project uses automated build testing of random configurations to help validate that the millions of possible Buildroot configurations build correctly. This automated build testing has been running since about a year (results visibles at [2]) and have helped improved the quality of Buildroot. However, the project would like to bring a number of improvements to this testing infrastructure:
- In addition to the existing testing of random configurations, do regression testing on a set of well-defined configurations. This would involve defining the configurations to be tested, design, implement and deploy the infrastructure to test those configurations. This infrastructure will have to be flexible enough to easily allow the addition of new configurations to be tested, so that the Buildroot community can progressively enrich the number of test cases.
- Add runtime testing. For now, the automated testing is limited to checking that a given Buildroot configuration builds. We would like to add runtime testing, i.e really boot the generated system under Qemu, and verify, for the different packages that are part of the system, that they at least minimally work. For example, if the Python interpreter has been selected to be part of the system, verify that we can run it, and run a simple Python test application on the target. This involves creating an infrastructure to start Qemu, run tests inside Qemu, and integrate the tests in the Buildroot packages themselves.
Skills suggested/requires:
- Basic Embedded Linux knowledge (cross-compilation, kernel configuration/build, etc.)
- Knowledge of the Python scripting language, used for the development of the testing infrastructure.
- Some Web development skills would be a plus.


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All In The Family... Another Trip Down Memory Lane...
I have been thinking today about my great-grandfather Charlie Clark of Ainsworth, Nebraska. I'm ashamed that I don't know more about him. I really need to dig out that geneology packet that my cousin Judy made and try to study it.
Judy has traced the Clark line of the family back to William Clark of "Lewis and Clark" fame. (Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led the party that explored the 1803 Louisiana Purchase). My brother studied Judy's papers once and pointed out that whenever there was a fork in the family tree, Judy followed the branch that led to William Clark. Well, that's how family tree research is done, of course. You choose a branch and see where it leads.
Grandpa Clark must have been born in the 1870's, and I think he died in the late 1960's. He lived to be around 90 years old. It seems to me that my brother was a pallbearer in Grandpa Clark's funeral, along with some of the Davis boys who were great-grandkids from Great-Aunt Goldie's side of the family. I must have been away to school at the time because I don't remember attending the funeral.
Grandpa Clark had a ranch near Ainsworth, Nebraska. He probably homesteaded on it, but I don't know that for sure. He married Virginia Fisher, and their children were my grandmother, Nora (Clark) Hill (born in 1907, I believe), and her sister, Goldie (Clark) Davis who was a year or so younger. Great Aunt Goldie is still living, but
Grandma Nora passed away in 1980.
Since Grandpa Clark had no sons, the Clark name has died out in our family. It would be nice if some of the great-great-grandchildren would name some of their children Clark as a middle name. (Just food for thought, kids.)
When the girls were still little, Virginia left Charlie and the girls and moved away. (To put it plainly, she ran off. She abandoned the family.) So Grandpa Clark brought up the girls, and I think they struggled. Grandma Nora only went to the 4th grade in school and was married by the time she was 16. Grandpa Clark had a second wife, Rachel, but I think that was after the girls were grown. I never knew Rachel; she passed away before my time.
But all that aside, I want to write down a few things that I personally remember about Grandpa Clark. In my earliest memories, probably about 1955 or 1956, he was already in his upper 70's. He lived in a little house on the last street on the west side of Ainsworth, and it had a cherry tree in the back yard. The windows on the west side of the house looked out on someone's pasture.
He had an old car (late 1930's or early 1940's model) that he drove around Ainsworth at an extremely slow speed. He didn't drive well because he couldn't see well, and eventually, he had to give up driving altogether which made the streets of Ainsworth much safer, I'm sure. I remember my dad being horrified once when he saw Grandpa Clark back out right in front of someone on Main Street.
When I think of Grandpa Clark, I see a thin little man with wispy white hair, wearing bib overalls. He was usually sitting in his rocker in the corner of the kitchen. Beside him was a sunny south window and a set of shelves stacked with magazines and plants. He liked to read, and he kept several magnifying glasses handy to help him. Against the wall, he had his little bed. The house had a real bedroom and a real living room, but he mainly lived in his kitchen.
He didn't hear well, and I remember everyone shouting at him. I also remember that his eyes were blue but they looked funny. I think he probably had cataracts. Back in those days, the technology did not exist to remove them.
When we stopped to see him, he would call my brother and me over to him and give us each a dime out of his pocket. That was nice of him. A dime was enough to buy two candy bars, ten pieces of bubble gum, or a bottle of soda pop.
Grandpa Clark is the only one of my great-grandparents whom I knew at all. Six of my eight great grandparents had already passed away. My great-grandmother Virginia (Fisher) Clark was still living and I think I met her one time. We called her "Grandma McGrew" when we talked about her because she had married a man named Walt McGrew. Grandma McGrew and Walt lived in Minneapolis when I was little. Later, they moved back to Ainsworth. They were in poor health and Grandma Nora and Great-Aunt Goldie (Grandma McGrew's daughters) helped care for them until they passed away.
I don't remember going to see Grandma McGrew and Walt after they moved back to Ainsworth but I was away to school a lot through those years. Probably my mother and father visited them because they were good-hearted people. I don't think there was a feeling of strong family ties to her because she had been gone ever since the girls were little, as I understand it.
The Fisher side of the family is kind of interesting. Kingfisher, Oklahoma is named for an ancestor whose name was -- ready for this? -- King Fisher. I think it was named for Virginia Fisher's dad who would have been my great-great grandfather and my children's great-great-great grandfather. My Grandma Nora and my great-aunt Goldie went to a town celebration in Kingfisher as guests of honor because they were descendants of King Fisher, the town's founder. That must have been a lot of fun for them. I hope to visit Kingfisher, Oklahoma, myself one of these days.
If any of my family can straighten me out where I'm mistaken, please let me know and I'll revise this.


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Table of Contents
- What Is Sofosbuvir?
- Who Should Take It?
- How Is It Taken?
- What Are the Side Effects?
- What About Drug Resistance?
- How Does It React With Other Drugs?
- The Bottom Line
What Is Sofosbuvir?
Sofosbuvir is a drug used as part of antiviral therapy against chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). The trade name is Sovaldi. It is manufactured by Gilead Sciences.
Sofosbuvir is an HCV polymerase inhibitor. These drugs prevent the polymerase enzyme from working. This makes it harder for the virus to multiply. See Step 7 of the HCV life cycle shown in Fact Sheet 670.
Sofosbuvir is the first drug that inhibits HCV polymerase. It is the fourth drug that directly interferes with the virus.
Earlier drugs used to treat HCV were general immune boosters, interferon and ribavirin (IFN and RBV, see Fact Sheet 680) and HCV protease inhibitors (see Fact Sheets 682 and 683). Sofosbuvir must be used in combination with other HCV medications.
The combination of medications depends on the strain (or genotype, see Fact Sheet 674) of HCV. Sofosbuvir should not be used by itself.
Who Should Take It?
Sofosbuvir was approved in 2013 as a direct antiviral drug for people infected with any HCV genotype, with HCV/HIV co-infection or people with liver cancer who are awaiting a transplant.
Sofosbuvir has not been studied in people under the age of 18.
How Is It Taken?
Sofosbuvir is taken by mouth as one 400 milligram (mg) tablet once day, with or without food. Sofosbuvir is taken with other medications depending on the HCV genotype:
Patients with HCV genotype 1 or 4 take sofosbuvir with RBV and pegIFN for 12 weeks.
Patients with HCV genotype 2 take sofosbuvir with RBV for 12 weeks (without interferon).
Patients with HCV genotype 3 take sofosbuvir with RBV for 24 weeks (without interferon).
Interferon is injected under the skin, and ribavirin is taken by mouth. Fact Sheet 680 has more information on these medications.
Sofosbuvir can be taken with or without food. Sofosbuvir should be stored at room temperature (below 86°F or 30°C).
What Are the Side Effects?
The most common side effects of sofosbuvir when taken with RBV are tiredness (fatigue) and headache.
When taken with RBV and peg-IFN, the most common side effects are tiredness, headache, nausea, difficulty sleeping and low red blood cell counts (anemia, see Fact Sheet 552).
These are not the only possible side effects of HCV treatment. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.
Because sofosbuvir is always taken in combination with ribavirin, which can cause serious birth defects, do not take sofosbuvir if you or your sexual partner is pregnant or want to become pregnant. Do not become pregnant for 6 months after you or your partner stop taking sofosbuvir.
See Fact Sheet 680 for more information on the side effects of pegIFN and RBV. Be sure to tell your health care provider about any side effects that you are having.
What About Drug Resistance?
Some new copies of HCV carry mutations, meaning they are slightly different from the original virus. Some mutated virus can keep multiplying even when you are taking anti-HCV medications. When this happens, the drug will stop working. This is called "developing resistance" to the drug.
Resistance can develop quickly. It is very important to take antiviral medications according to instructions, on schedule, and not to skip or reduce doses.
Resistance to other HCV drugs does not mean that the virus is resistant to sofosbuvir.
How Does It React With Other Drugs?
Sofosbuvir can interact with other drugs or supplements that you are taking. These interactions can change the amount of each drug in your bloodstream and cause an under- or overdose.
If sofosbuvir is taken with the boosted HIV protease inhibitor tipranavir (Aptivus), levels of sofosbuvir are reduced. Sofosbuvir is not recommended with tipranavir.
Other drugs to watch out for include some drugs to treat seizures (carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine and phenytoin), and medications used to treat tuberculosis (rifabutin, rifampin and rifapentine).
The herb St. John's wort (see Fact Sheet 729) lowers the blood levels of some HCV medications. Do not take it while taking sofosbuvir.
New drug interactions are being identified all the time. Make sure that your health care provider knows about ALL drugs and supplements you are taking.
The Bottom Line
Sofosbuvir is the first HCV polymerase inhibitor, a new class of direct acting HCV medications. It stops HCV from multiplying. Treatment with sofosbuvir includes other HCV drugs for either 12 or 24 weeks.


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SAB necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 163 diseños de 45 diseñadores freelance.
I am looking for a modern, sophisticated, classic logo for my baby company, "Oliver B." I am not interested in any types of toys, cribs, babies, etc. in the logo. I like gender neutral colors, such as navy and light green. I tend to like classic, patterned looks. Imagine that you are designing this logo for a high end fashion designer rather than a baby store.
Oliver B.
I am looking for a modern, sophisticated, classic logo for my baby company, "Oliver B." I tend to love patterned images, so I am not against having the "B" captured in an insignia either before the company name or above the company name. I am not interested in any type of baby items in the logo that would identify the company as a baby company or look too inexpensive or hoky. Instead, I am looking for a more traditional symbol or design. My ideal logo will have the company name in traditional, plan text with a symbol that can represent the company in front or above the logo. I like patterned, traditional symbols that you would see in traditional wallpaper.
I am interested in gender neutral colors, such as navy, light green, black, white. I am not interested in any primary colors.
- I would like some sort or symbol (possibly with the B incaptured in the symbol) either before "Oliver B." or above it.
- I would like the final design in adobe illustrator format.
- I don't want primary colors, baby items or cartoons in my logo.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Photography Takes Me To Places I've Never Been
One of the fun things about photography is exploring new places and taking time to see new viewpoints. Diving deeper into photography this past year has caused me to view old places in a new way and visit new places that I wish I had seen years ago. An example of the former would be the Texas State Capitol building. I've been there many, many times in the 20 years I've lived in Austin but never took a picture there until 2 months ago. An example of the latter would be the cliffs high above the Pennybacker Bridge (or "Loop 360 Bridge" to most of us locals). What an awesome place and I can't explain why I've never taken the time to visit before January of this year.
My daughter and I have been doing most of the assignments on dailyshoot.com. I approach these in a semi-serious manner. I want to improve my photography both in the technical aspect and the creative aspects therefore I make an attempt to come up with something original that also challenges me from a technical standpoint. However, I have a family and can't devote all my time to the assignments so I often compromise and complete them with a result that I'm not entirely proud of. That's OK though — I'm still learning in the process.
Today's assignment was to "go somewhere today you've never been, even just a different street, and make a photo". I was headed out on a date with one of my daughters tonight and we chose Mangia Pizza on Lake Austin Blvd. Yum. Not quite as good as Giordano's in Chicago but 'yum' nonetheless. While pumping gas at the station next door we were looking at the incredible houses high on the cliffs above Lady Bird Lake. As usual I had the camera stashed in the trunk so we grabbed it and walked down to Eilers Park (or Deep Eddy as many know it) to attempt a capture or two of those houses. I've been to Mangia many times before…never took the time to go down to the park.
Eilers Park was built on a tract of lakefront which the City of Austin purchased from A.J. Eilers in 1935, for a price of $10,000. According to http://www.friendsofeilerspark.org/, "Mr. Eilers and his partners had developed the property as a resort that included a spring-fed pool, a bathhouse, rental cottages, a bandstand, and concession stand. The park had a carnival-like atmosphere with a Ferris wheel, music performances, free movies, and much, much more." Over the years the park deteriorated but over the past several years improvements have been completed and a master plan for new projects has been created.
The image above is an HDR generated from 3 exposures. The light was just right. I wanted to capture a wider scene with several of the houses on the cliff but there are plenty of power lines around. I'm just not that good with photoshop yet and the lines would have seriously detracted from the image. I also had to shoot above some brush in the foreground which is why the house is tight to the bottom of the frame. I'd love to find out more about this house…someday. For now it remains another "place I've never been".


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The Sound and the Fury
The third and final episode of BBC's landmark series
The Sound and the Fury concludes in post-war America. By the 1950s a set of musical innovators in the US were championing simplified forms, clear harmonies and repetitive rhythms.
The episode begins in 'silence' with one of the most notorious conceptualist works of the 20th century, John Cage's 4'33''.
From there we see how minimalism became increasingly popular with audiences throughout the world, eventually lending itself to sacred works in the hands of Arvo Pärt and John Tavener.
Here is a fantastic opportunity to hear first-hand commentaries from the minimalist composers themselves: the story is presented by Philip Glass, Steve Reich and John Adams, as well as Pärt and Tavener themselves.
- Article Type: | TV and Radio |


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《家有儿女》第一季第98集 Home With Kids Season 1 EP. 98
《家有儿女》第一季 Home With Kids Season 1
What are Some Effective Methods of Learning Chinese?ISCBJ, , Blog, 0
As well as learning with experienced professional tutors, using Chinese textbooks and listening materials that are appropriate to your level, you...
The Ultimate Tool List for Learning ChineseISCBJ, , Blog, 0
Vote for your favorite tool and app, or add your own to the list
How to user punctuations in Chinese-Colon, Comma, PeriodISCBJ, , Blog, 0
How to use the colon 怎用使用冒号? A colon usually indicates a pause after a cue or suggestion, or indicates a hint...
How to use Chinese punctuation marks?ISCBJ, , Blog, 0
Chinese punctuation uses a different set of punctuation marks from European languages, although the concept of modern standard punctuation was adapted in the written language during the 20th century from Western punctuation marks. Let's have a look: 。句jù号hào:full stop, used at the end of simple or complex sentence....
120+ Famous Chinese SayingsISCBJ, , Blog, 0
Here's a great collection of Chinese sayings and idioms with Chinese characters, pinyin pronunciation, and English translations and explanations,...
5 Ways to Say I Love You in ChineseISCBJ, , Blog, 0
Have you ever look up the internet to see how to say "I love you" in different languages? Do...


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California Solar Success Stories
San Diego Homeowner Shares Helpful Advice for Installing Your Own Solar System
Installer Name: David L.
System Owner: David L.
System Size: 3.78 kW
Project Date: May 4, 2009
City: San Diego
David's Story:
My neighbor leases his solar array. His leasing company provided him with a copy of the schematic, wind loading, component specifications, and permit requirements. When I saw this I realized it was a road map to installing my own system - with a few unforeseen glitches. When I was installing the stanchions I realized the roof work was more difficult than I had expected. The roofer I called said the composite shingles were pretty beaten up and that I should let him install a new roof and that he would find the rafters and put in the stanchions in a straight line. This unexpected cost was worth it. Now I don't have worry about taking up the array to fix a leaky roof. The paper work was hard but would be easy the second time. The City permit people made it harder than it should have been. My calculations showed I needed a 25 amp breaker in my main panel. 25 amp breakers are really scarce. I offered to be safer and use a 20 amp breaker, but the City said no. I finally found a 25 amp breaker that I will bet had been on the vendor's shelf since World War II. However the City inspector was very helpful and made some good suggestions. The SDGE inspector came and left when I was not here. I worried that the CSI inspectors were going to pull a "gotcha" on me to reduce my rebate. They came with some sophisticated measuring equipment and actually improved my rebate number a little bit. I worried about the wrong things. The hardest part was stringing the conduits. This technology is about where plumbing was 40 years ago. There are compression rings and nuts on each end and they have to be in the proper order. You struggle to get the wire through only to find you have the parts on backward. On the second try the wire is harder to push through because you bent it on the first try. The good news is that when I finally got my system passed off and turned on it worked as predicted with no problems so far.
Couple Finds Their Perfect Solar Dream Home
Mudit & Shweta S.
Community: Carsten Crossings at Whitney Ranch
Builder: Grupe Homes
City: Rocklin, CA
PV Provider: SunPower
After seeing solar panels on a friend's home in Sacramento, architect Mudit and his software developer wife, Shweta, became intrigued by both the monthly savings and the positive impact solar panels could have on the environment. When the couple decided to move from their apartment in Citrus Heights, CA and began looking for a new home in the Sacramento area, they were pleased to learn that Grupe Homes offered solar panels. "I looked initially and found only a couple of builders offering solar in locations where I was not interested," says Mudit. "So when I came across this development, it was a pleasant surprise for me."
The couple learned more about solar panels and the benefits to both their wallet and the world from a Grupe sales agent. "When I came across Grupe, I was very happy to see their efforts to make this a truly green development. It made the choice easier for me," says Mudit.
The couple chose a 2,400 square foot home in Carsten Crossings with four bedrooms, three bathrooms and solar panels as a standard feature. The couple estimates they save about $40-$60 a month on their electricity bill. Mudit is such a fan of the solar panels that if presented with a comparable home for $20,000 less and no solar panels, he would still choose the home he has. "It not only helped reduce my monthly bills, added resale value and helps the environment, but it's a cool technology to show my friends and family when they come over to visit," says Mudit.
Executive Goes Eco-Friendly with New Solar Home
Janene R.
Community: Madeira at Del Sur
Builder: Shea Homes
City: San Diego, CA
PV Provider: SunPower
Advertising executive Janene was eager to enjoy all the benefits of a newly constructed home and really concerned with finding one that was eco-friendly. "I lived near where the new Del Sur community was being built in San Diego and really enjoyed the idea of the environmental approach and attention to detail that they were providing," says Janene. "I wanted to do as much as I could for the environment while still enjoying a new home."
Packaged as an option by Shea Homes, Janene was happy to add solar panels to her house. Her only concern was that they might be an eyesore on her beautiful new home. Once she learned of the integrated panels offered by SunPower she wanted to do her part to save energy. "I'm just happy to do something that is helping to contribute to a better quality of life for everyone," says Janene.
While she hasn't done extensive cost savings analysis, Janene estimates her monthly electricity savings to be about $50 per month.
Family Uses Internet to Check Home's Solar Power Production
David N.
Community: Laureate at WestPark
Builder: Lennar
City: Roseville, CA
PV Provider: SunPower
David, a consultant to the Food and Drug Administration and his fiancé Shelly and nine-year-old son Michael moved into their solar home in April, 2007. A loyal Lennar customer, David is no stranger to home ownership. "This is my second Lennar home, the third new home and the sixth home I've owned," he explains. In addition to the community's proximity to the airport, the family was very happy to find a community that offered solar panels. "I wanted to do something good. I'm an electrical engineer and very into the solar power concept," said David.
Although they were not initially in the market for a solar home, the couple was impressed by their previous experience with Lennar and pleased to learn that solar was included in the price of the home. "The cost was the same as other builders without the panels," notes David.
The family's 2,600 square foot, single-story home has four bedrooms, three bathrooms,10-foot ceilings and is part of Lennar's SOLARplus program. SOLARplus combines energy efficient design with on-site solar electricity which generates up to 60 percent of the home's total household energy. David's first electricity bill in his new home was just $10.
"I love that the power box is connected to the Internet and I can check my home's power output from a website," says David.


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Small Form Factor
SparkLAN WUBT-134GN, embedded with Realtek RTL88188CUS chipset, is a small sized 802.11b/g/n USB module. With 1T1R (1-stream) technology, it delivers reliable wireless data rate up to 150Mbps.
Low Power Consumption
Developers can choose between 5V power input and 3.3V (optional). While in operation, WUBT-134GN USB module consumes power as low as 125mA.
Secure Wireless Connection
This USB module WUBT-134GN incorporates advanced security encryption, such as 64/128-bits WEP, WPA, and WPA2, which helps prevent from malicious attacks.
*If you are not sure what you want, please speak to our sales at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Rex Ryan's fun-lovin' Jets are in Foxboro to take on Bill Belichick's down-to-business New England Patriots. Here's a reminder of what every pre-game report has already reminded you of: these coaches have one thing in common — dramatic pause — winning.
But everyone loves a contrast, right? And beyond their other uniting bond — their very good and very good-looking starting QBs, of course — these coaches always respond to that need. In interviews this week, Ryan was quoted as saying he hoped to "kick Bill Belichick's ass.'' Belichick responded, "Is that a big news story? That something we didn't know?'' Hearty gamesmanship vs. sarcastic bitesmanship and a built-in headline! I love it!
But really, the stage has not been set until a reference to Belichick's sweatshirt has been made. So: both teams are 9-2. They are tied for first in the AFC East. The winner will take first place in the overall conference standings and earn a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the playoffs — crucial for the Pats, who are 5-0 at home this year. In Week 2, the Jets beat the Patriots 28-14 in the Meadowlands. A New England win tonight would even the all-time series record at 51-51-1, which will up the symbolic ante for their next match-up even more.
Save coaching changes, of course, the drama here is fundamental. As ESPN's Jackie MacMullan reminds us, "Ryan is garrulous, profane and perpetually entertaining. Belichick is taciturn, profane and eternally uncommunicative. " And NESN's Eric Ortiz helpfully writes that Jets-Pats is "Brash vs. measured. Free-spirited vs. no-nonsense. Blunt vs. close to the sweatshirt."
Ah, the sweatshirt reference. Game on.


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Mahogany Wood Egg Shaker - Love Design - Jamtown World Instruments
Frequently Asked Questions
This romantically-inspired wooden egg shaker measures 2.5 inches by 1.5 inches.
Meet the Artisans
The Jamtown vision sees people in North America creating music with friends and family. Not fancy rock songs or orchestra performances, just a little music. Starting with our motto "Play A Beat You Can Repeat" we make it easy and fun for kids AND adults to join the band. Our instruments are special, authentic, and beautifully crafted. Each is handmade ~ from countries all over the world. Artisans utilize ancient knowledge and natural, sustainable materials like bamboo, gourds, and seeds. For the cost of a single cheap guitar, which no one will use, pass out cool instruments to a group of friends and expect to sound good,and feel good! As a member of the Fair Trade Federation we work with small producer groups from developing countries and provide important support to low-income families through fair wages and other valuable assistance.
Q - How do I qualify for free shipping?
A - All orders over $50 that are shipped to the United States qualify for free shipping and will arrive in 3-4 days.
Q - How long before I receive my order?
A - If you live in the United States your order will deliver in 3-4 days if you selected Priority Mail or you qualified for free shipping. International orders vary by country. The most common international countries are: England, Australia, New Zealand and western Europe take 7 to 10 days. This does not apply to custom printed orders.
Q - What are Memory Cross cards made of and how durable are they?
A - The small Memory Cross cards are printed on 10 point coated board (think playing cards). The larger cards which measure 6 x 6 inches are printed on 100 lb. uncoated cover (think Hallmark card). We've tested each size and they hold up to hundreds of folds. The larger cards hold up longer because the "hinges" that allow them to fold are larger. We've tested the larger cards to fold over 500 times. That being said it is still important for the cards to be folded properly. Most children can figure it out on their own but if you are giving them to 4 or 4 year olds we recommend that you show them how it works. If you do not know how they work, we've created a video that you can watch by clicking here.
Q - What guarantee do you offer?
A - Memory Cross offers a 100% money back guarantee if you are not happy for any reason. We even pick up the cost of shipping the product back. Here is the link to our full return policy.
Q - Can cards be customized?
A - Yes cards can be customized for churches and businesses. The minimum order for churches is 250 and for business is 500.


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One of the hot topics discussed at this year's Bio-Link Summer Fellows was the increasing number of programs that are starting contract research organizations (CROs) in order to meet the internship needs of students and at the same time, help companies with projects; especially start-ups.
Based on discussions at this meeting, it became obvious that programs have, and are, establishing CROs and other related programs, with and without the benefit of funding and not disseminating this information. As such, Tami Goetz and I (Linnea Fletcher) volunteered to collect this information and write at least one article about this activity in Biotechnology Programs at community colleges. To this end, we would appreciate any information, articles, etc that you have in order for us to prepare a more informed article.
If you have files (e.g. articles or description of programs), please send this information to Linnea Fletcher at email@example.com; if you are interested in being another author on this paper please contact me; or, if you have thoughts or ideas and would like to provide comments, do so to this blog. Also,drafts of this article will be posted while it is being written so that you can provide comments.
Remember, the saying that we tell our students to get them to write in their lab notebooks, "if it is not written down, it does not exist!" --well this is also true for what we do at the community colleges ---so let's publish more.
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