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So, I signed up to do the Great British 10k in London on 14th July - 9 weeks today.... It seemed like a good idea and is to raise money for the charity I work for but I'm now slightly scared that I'm going to struggle to do it or even do the training.
I joined my local gym a few months ago and have been going but struggle to do a lot and have avoided the treadmill as I struggle to even walk 1km without my legs getting tired.
So, I went to the gym yesterday and asked one of the guys that work there what I need to do to build up the strength in my legs. He suggested various weights and then to start running. I did the weights which were easy enough though definitely feeling it today so it must be worth doing. I also went on the treadmill (in the downstairs gym which was almost empty as didn't want to embarrass myself by 'running' in front of anyone. I couldn't even run for 0.25km as my calves got so tired, I walked for a bit then ran 0.2km then walked the rest of the 1km that I wanted to do. It worries me that I only have 9 weeks, I'm running with one of my colleagues which is good in some ways but she did a half marathon last year so is reasonably fit even though she hasn't really run since.
I'm a little scared I'm going to fail and that because of my mixed connective tissue disease I won't be able to run it (although have actually signed up and paid for it so I really need to do it). My colleagues and my boss have been pretty understanding about my illness but I don't think they get what is actually wrong with me and how hard these next 9 weeks will be for me. I did sign up for this and really needed a challenge but I'm just a little worried that I'm not going to be able to do this.
I so want to be able to run the whole 10k but even if I could run half of it I'd be happy but it's going to be a very hard few weeks. I'm trying to remember that I have 2 months and I have a friend who doesn't have this illness who is running a 5k in 4 weeks but can only run about 0.5km which does make me feel a little better so hoping I can strengthen my legs and do this..... x


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Perth Glory face a real test of their credentials this weekend on home soil against a Melbourne Victory side who are far better than their ladder position suggests.
The Glory went on a stunning mid-season winning streak which took them to heady heights near the top of the ladder, however a 1-1 draw against Newcastle Jets last weekend saw them slip to third.
They have a match in hand over leaders Sydney FC and also second-placed Canberra United, thus a win here could leave them flying high, yet defeat could see them slip back into a dogfight for a finals berth.
The Victory are on a high after collecting their first win of the season – a hugely impressive 4-1 win at Brisbane Roar. The Victory are still mathematically in the hunt for a finals berth should they win here.
The last time the two teams met the Glory collected a 2-0 away win. That result edged them ahead 7-6 in the all-time results between the two clubs.
The match notably pits together the league's two top-scorers – Perth's Sam Kerr and Melbourne's Natasha Dowie, both of whom have now scored 8 goals apiece.
Perth Glory v Melbourne Victory
Sunday 8 January 2017
Venue: Dorrien Gardens
Kick-Off: 4:00PM (Local) (7:00PM (AEDT))
Referee: Kate Jacewicz
Join the conversation on Twitter using the hash-tag #WLeague #BeReal
Perth Glory squad: 1. Melissa MAIZELS (gk), 2.Sarah CARROLL, 3.Kim CARROLL, 4.Alyssa MAUTZ, 5.Patricia CHARALAMBOUS, 6. Carla BENNETT, 7.Nicole STANTON, 8.Shawn BILLAM, 9.Rosie SUTTON, 10.Vanessa DIBERNARDO, 13.JAYMEE GIBBONS, 17.Natasha RIGBY, 18.Gabby DAL BUSCO (gk), 20.Samantha KERR (c), 22.Arianna ROMERO
Ins: 6. Carla Bennett (promoted)
Outs: 14. Caitlin DOEGLAS (not selected)
Unavailable: Nil
Melbourne Victory squad: 1.Bianca HENNINGER (gk), 2.Alexandra NATOLI, 3.Alex CHEAL, 5.Alexandra GUMMER, 6.Annabel MARTIN, 7.Lia PRIVITELLI, 8.Ayesha NORRIE, 9.Natasha DOWIE, 10.Christine NAIRN (c), 11.MelindaJ BARBIERI, 13.Laura SPIRANOVIC, 15.Adriana TARANTO, 16.Samantha JOHNSON, 17.Gulcan KOCA, 19.Rachel ALONSO, 20.Bethany MASON-JONES (gk), 25.Kariah WHITE **two to be omitted**
Ins: 3.Alex CHEAL (promoted), 19.Rachel ALONSO (promoted)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 4.Melissa TARANTO (knee – season), 14.Selin KURALAY (knee – season)

subset: commoncrawl


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STL and Advanced C++ Interview Questions
1. How do you link a C++ program to C functions?Ans : By using the extern "C" linkage specification around the C function declarations.
2.Explain the scope resolution operator.Ans: It permits a program to reference an identifier in the global scope that has been hidden by another identifier with the same name in the local scope.
3. What are the differences between a C++ struct and C++ class?Ans: The default member and base-class access specifiers are different.
4. How many ways are there to initialize an int with a constant?Ans: Two.
There are two formats for initializers in C++ as shown in the example that follows. The first format uses the traditional C notation. The second format uses constructor notation.
int foo = 123;
int bar (123);
5. How does throwing and catching exceptions differ from using setjmp and longjmp?Ans: The throw operation calls the destructors for automatic objects instantiated since entry to the try block.
6. What is your reaction to this line of code?delete this;
Ans: It?s not a good practice.
7. What is a default constructor?Ans: A constructor that has no arguments.
8. What is a conversion constructor?Ans: A constructor that accepts one argument of a different type.
9. What is the difference between a copy constructor and an overloaded assignment operator?Ans: A copy constructor constructs a new object by using the content of the argument object. An overloaded assignment operator assigns the contents of an existing object to another existing object of the same class.
10. When should you use multiple inheritance?Ans: There are three acceptable answers: "Never," "Rarely," and "When the problem domain cannot be accurately modeled any other way."
11. What is a virtual destructor?Ans: The simple answer is that a virtual destructor is one that is declared with the virtual attribute.
12.Explain the ISA and HASA class relationships. How would you implement each in a class design?Ans: A specialized class "is" a specialization of another class and, therefore, has the ISA relationship with the other class. An Employee ISA Person. This relationship is best implemented with inheritance. Employee is derived from Person. A class may have an instance of another class. For example, an employee "has" a salary, therefore the Employee class has the HASA relationship with the Salary class. This relationship is best implemented by embedding an object of the Salary class in the Employee class.
13.When is a template a better solution than a base class?Ans: When you are designing a generic class to contain or otherwise manage objects of other types, when the format and behavior of those other types are unimportant to their containment or management, and particularly when those other types are unknown (thus, the genericity) to the designer of the container or manager class.
14. What is a mutable member?Ans. One that can be modified by the class even when the object of the class or the member function doing the modification is const.
16. What is an explicit constructor?Ans: A conversion constructor declared with the explicit keyword. The compiler does not use an explicit constructor to implement an implied conversion of types. It?s purpose is reserved explicitly for construction.
17. What is the Standard Template Library?Ans: A library of container templates approved by the ANSI committee for inclusion in the standard C++ specification.A programmer who then launches into a discussion of the generic programming model, iterators, allocators, algorithms, and such, has a higher than average understanding of the new technology that STL brings to C++ programming.
18. Describe run-time type identification.Ans: The ability to determine at run time the type of an object by using the typeid operator or the dynamic_cast operator.
19. What problem does the namespace feature solve?Ans: Multiple providers of libraries might use common global identifiers causing a name collision when an application tries to link with two or more such libraries. The namespace feature surrounds a library?s external declarations with a unique namespace that eliminates the potential for those collisions.
This solution assumes that two library vendors don?t use the same namespace identifier, of course.
20. Are there any new intrinsic (built-in) data types?A: Yes. The ANSI committee added the bool intrinsic type and its true and false value keywords.


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About Susquehanna Shale Hills CZO
Our research promotes the understanding of how a forested, first-order catchment of shale bedrock evolves over multiple time scales in a temperate climate.
The Shale Hills watershed along with a sister catchment, Leading Ridge watershed, have been the focus of long-term studies since 1958. Originally established to evaluate "best management practices" in forested and managed watersheds, today's Susquehanna Shale Hills CZO is building upon legacy data such as streamflow, precipitation, climate and water quality.
Susquehanna Shale Hills CZO is located in central Pennsylvania. Its primary partner organizations are NSF and The Pennsylvania State University.
Science Questions:
- How does water sculpt a landscape on shale bedrock?
- What controls the hydrologic and elemental budgets of the catchment?
- What are the rates and mechanisms of important hydrological, ecological, and geochemical processes?
Learn more at criticalzone.org/shale-hills.
About Christina River Basin CZO
We integrate knowledge of water, mineral, and carbon cycles to quantify human impact on Critical Zone carbon sequestration — from soils to sea.
The Christina River Basin and its four sub-basins may be one of the best studied watersheds of its size in the nation. Studies include seminal fluvial geomorphology of the Brandywine Creek by Luna Leopold and extensive long-term monitoring efforts by Stroud Water Research Center, EPA, USGS, and others. Our CZO is located in the Piedmont and Atlantic Coastal Plain which provides drinking water to a million people in Delaware and Pennsylvania.
Christina River Basin CZO is located in southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware. Its primary partner organizations are NSF, Stroud Water Research Center, and University of Delaware.
Science Questions:
- Are mineral and carbon mixing processes rate-limiting to watershed-scale carbon sequestration, chemical weathering, and soil production?
- Do humans accelerate carbon-mineral mixing rates, and is this significant to local, regional, and global budgets?


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Good or Bad Link Building Can Help or Kill Your Website
If you are creating a new website or trying to optimize your current site, link building is one of the most important elements in search engine rankings. The sites you are linking to can either make or break your website. It takes a great deal of "grunt" work to successfully build links of value. Farming out your link building to just anyone can be a dangerous proposition.
Knowing the Right Way to Link build Comes From ExperienceA major objective of effective link building is to increase the page rank of your site and to finding relevant sites to offer as a resource to visitors to your website. The biggest mistake people make in link building is thinking that the quantity of links is the most important factor. This is absolutely incorrect, it's the quality of your links that make a difference.
You should link to sites that are complementary, but not competitive! It is imperative that you stay away from bad sites like porn and gambling, search engines frown on them. For example, if your website is about tennis, you should link to sites related to tennis such as instruction, equipment or tennis associations. If you link to Australian car rentals, poker sites and cheap airfare, you're defeating the purpose of linking. Links from related websites carry more weight with the search engines. It's obviously much more complicated, but this gives you a general idea.
Google developed link measurement as an indicator of search relevance setting them apart from other search engines. They've also been able to take keyword relevance to a new level based on other page and site content. The data roles up into Google's unique Page Rank system which allows them to determine which pages users considered to be most valuable. Google then gives these pages more "weight", which are typically the pages with the best quality of incoming links that are pointing that page and site.
It's best if you can get links placed on .gov or .edu sites. These kinds of sites are what's referred to as trusted authority sites and carry more link weighting. Also get links on you local Chamber of Commerce, City and better business bureau. Relevant links here will add to your link ratings.
Link building has evolved tremendously in the past few years requireing more time and energy to focus attention on building traffic to your site. There are many new platforms and social networking sites you can incorporate into your website link building. Using social media websites, also referred to as Social Media Optimization (SMO), is very effective, we can help you build links on Digg, Blogoria, Facebook, MySpace, del.icio.us and Wikipedia.
Using social media is a quick and effective way to link build and promote online content. Social network linking can provide a huge "jump start" to your website with an initial spike in traffic and a long-lasting bounce via referral visitors. Gaining links through social networks like blogs and portals is an approach that is very search engine friendly, but be carfule, it's easy to become "spam" oriented with linking on social websites.
Link Analysis
Make use link analysis tools for competition and quality analysis. There are tools available that can help to streamline many of the tedious and repetitive tasks associated with link building. Other ones are great for marketing analysis. A good example of one of these tools is an online customer survey. These survey's contain questions to help you discover where visitors go when they're not on your website and what motivates them to buy when they visit your site.
Nothing beats good content to obtain good links so focus on good content. We work with specialists who have been trained in content and link building to help with your site.
You should be very careful if you decide to outsource your link building. Many link building companies are either using outdated methods, trying to cut corners, dishonest or all of the above. Be careful off these promises; "We can procure hundreds of links for your website", you can be certain these are not quality links in good neighborhoods. "Link Farms" are also a problem. The reason for Google algorithm is to replace human editors with a mechanical process of using "spiders" to index and count millions of websites. Google considers paying link farms for links a violation of their terms and services and they may remove your website from their search index completely!
If you see your page ranking goiong down, you should probably check you links. You may think reciprocal linking is working for you so here's a few pointers to look out for. Make sure your agreed to links continue to be functional. Three of the most common frauds are absent back links, hidden links and redirect script for back links.
The bottom line is, proper link building and monitoring should be a continued process at your small business. Don't hire just anyone to do your link building. Proper link building can generate huge rewards; improper link building can get your website banned from search engines.
Leave your link building to the pros, give us a call today and will get our team of specialists working for you.
Return to SEO
Call to discuss your project


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What's Good In SmartMag WordPress Theme From ThemeForest
All sorts of professions have been affected by the creation of the internet, and almost all of them have become much more convenient and widespread over the years. All the reading fanatics have taken up a large chunk of the online community, keeping themselves occupied with all the incredible information various websites have to offer.
Whether you are looking to create an ecstatic audience online, or make a handsome amount of money on affiliate marketing and advertising, an online magazine website can be just the tool you need.
WordPress may once have been the dominating content management platform (and still is), but today the online community of WordPress is packed with extravagant themes and plugins that can help you create any form of website from scratch.
The cutting edge features of the SmartMag Theme by ThemeForest, the power rests in your hands to create an online magazine website, an online newspaper or even an elaborate blog that mesmerizes your audiences.
The SmartMag theme has been developed keeping in mind that the online viewers are looking for a user experience that is neat and clean, is not packed with cluttering elements and offers a layout that suits every device they use to browse the website. The fluidic responsiveness seems even more admirable with the retina-ready support for an ultimate viewing experience.
SmartMag WordPress Theme Features
When it comes to creating an ideal online magazine, an online news portal, a blog or a review website, keeping the layout comfortable, sleek and zippy is fundamentally important. Moreover, these attributes must go hand in hand with heightened readability and the necessary additions such as SEO integration and robust responsiveness.
All of these attributes and many other have been elegantly infused into the SmartMag theme to make sure that you and your visitors get all the power out of your website.
Wide Range Of Choices
While most WordPress magazine themes tend to have a generic layout that can be off-putting, SmartMag provides you with the option to create an entirely new design with the help of an effortless drag and drop page builder tool. Change the way each of your page looks, mix and match different styles to form the right home page with the 12 block variations and the 11 widgets that the page builder provides.
To further personalize your website and give it a look that stands out of the ordinary, SmartMag allows you to change the way the navigation menus look. With the mega menus can be used to create a simple drop-down menu, or you can mix it up with the different layouts available.
The best part is that these navigation menus are mobile ready as well, so you get the same user experience no matter what device you use to view the website.
Enhanced Viewing Experience
While the retina- ready (high definition) compatibility of the SmartMag theme already boosts the visual experience by ten folds, the developers have taken special measures to ensure that the viewing experience on your website is a feast for the eyes. The option to introduce full-width image or boxed images according to your preference is ideal for any content-based sites, whether it is a lifestyle magazine website or a product review website.
When you harness the functionality of SmartMag into your website, you get more than the usual viewing experience that the post-based sliders provide. Beautifully integrated with Slider Revolution, the most efficient WordPress slider plugin there is, you can create static sliders that appeal to the viewers and compel them to click and look further into what your website has to offer.
Extra Features
Other than the usual bells and whistles you would find in the numerous WordPress online magazines available, SmartMag includes features that save you a lot of time and money on plugins and widgets. The review system that has been incorporated into this WordPress theme compliments each aspect of the theme.
Customization is never a thing to worry about when it comes to SmartMag, as the back-end administration offers a wide range of colors, layouts and typography to try out. Also supported by Woo-Commerce, you can always convert your website into an e-Commerce portal and enjoy all the supported Woo commerce plugins.
The Final Verdict
Analyzing all the features and functionality that SmartMag by ThemeForest has to offer, makes it apparent why this WordPress theme has been the most selling magazine theme in the past year.
Keeping all the important features such has the mobile responsiveness and sleek layout in mind, this theme offers much more in terms of enhanced visualization, search engine optimization, e-Commerce integration and much more.
What makes SmartMag the ideal modern day online website theme is the fact that the developers continue to provide extensive updates and support to this theme. With an average of 18 updates every year, the SmartMag theme has been backed by thousands of customer reviews and a dedicated customer support team.


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Dear ones,
It has been awhile since I last did a "My Little Miracles" post. Probably for several reasons, but neither of them being that little miracles vanished from my life.
"My Little Miracles" Vacay
For one, my sweet friend Shaunacey at Simply Shaunacey created the "Monday Moments in Gratitude" and I was just piggy-backing onto her link-up with "My Little Miracles". But Shaunacey isn't doing this series right now and has given me permission to carry on until she returns to it.
My last little miracles post was in September. You can visit it, here. About a month later on October 25, my mother was hospitalized. And much of the rest of the year was very difficult. There were still plenty of little miracles in my life, but some days it was hard to see them. Even right in front of me.
Series CPR and Link-Up?
Want to revive this series now because I tend to be more aware of all there is to be grateful for every.single.day when I am writing "My Little Miracles". Maybe you will share some of the little miracles in your life, too. If you are a blogger and would like to join me, please let me know. We could resuscitate this series and link-up together.
Ok, this is probably, for surely going to sound silly. But I look for little 'miracles' everywhere and will take all of them I can get.
I take vitamins, fiber, things like collagen and magnesium every day. Have two seven-day pill dispensers that I fill up every two weeks. Keep them on the kitchen table to remind me to take them. So, the other day I was filling my containers. I would dump the vitamins from one bottle into my hand and then count out one for each compartment in my dispensers plus one more for that day. Then repeat. I take about 5 or 6 different things so repeated this that many times.
Every single time I dumped the supplements into my hand, I somehow had the exact amount I needed. Which was 14 for my dispensers and 1 more for that morning's dose. It happened once and I was surprised. But then when it happened every time after that, I realized it was a little miracle. Kind of like God was thanking me for taking care of this old body by making it a little easier that day to do so. Silly? Maybe a little but it got my attention and I was thankful.
Coo is in Love
A few days before February 14, I was combing through the shelves of picture books in the library for any with a Valentine's day theme. Juliana, the librarian for whom I was subbing, has little heart stickers on the spine of those books so it was easy to pick them out.
Was tickled when I discovered this little cutie.
I call Cadence, my six-year-old granddaughter, Cady Coo. Often just plain old Coo for short. I had been wanting to Skype and read a story with her so this turned out to be the perfect book. My Coo laughed when she realized that the main character shared her same name. It was fun! Coincidentally, Cady had told my daughter Brennyn that she and her 'boyfriend' Rick had broken up earlier that day. I know, I know. This from a first grader. Must be the hormones in chicken stirring up our kids at a younger age these days. Naturally, I had to name Coo the chicken's love interest Rick. Had to. Rick and Cady have been an item since kinder.
So grateful for the technology that allows me to be more a part of my daughters' and their daughters' lives. Thank goodness for Skype, Facetime, texting and chat.
Simultaneous Spring Break and a Birthday Bash
My next miracle has to be just that. Divine intervention for sure.
When my mom turned a corner and began feeling better the first of 2017, my sister, brother and I started thinking about her 90th birthday on March 21. We wanted to try to all be together with her to celebrate. As I talked about going to visit Mom with my daughters, they both said they wanted to try to go to Kentucky, too. With their baby girls in tow. But when I consulted a calendar, I realized my mom's birthday fell on a Tuesday.
Being in Kentucky in the middle of the week would be difficult because it would mean everyone would have to miss close to a week of work to be able to spend any time with Mom at all. And Cady would miss that much school. I got out the calendar again to try to figure out a Plan B. That's when I realized my school district had spring break from 3/13-3/17, Monday-Friday.
I checked the school calendar online for the district, Tomball ISD, my sister works for in Houston. Lo and behold, Tomball has their spring break the same week. Feeling hopeful, I dashed to check the school calendar for the Harmony charter school Cady attends in Ft. Worth. Guess what?
Can you say little miracle? Or in this case, bigger miracle. Because I have never known our three districts to celebrate spring break at the same time. And it won't even officially be spring until our breaks are over. But we will take it because now we can all go to Kentucky to celebrate my mom's birthday together just a few days early. Thankful to God that my mother is celebrating her 90th birthday and grateful that we will all be together to honor her just a few days before.
Your Turn
I've shared "my little miracles" with you and now it is your turn to share with me. What little miracles have you be blessed with recently? Please leave me a comment below so I can celebrate with you!
Stay tuned for details of my trip to Kentucky and our grand celebration of my mom. It will be the first time she has seen Lucia, who will mark her first birthday just days after we return back home. So this will be a double birthday bash, mom's 90th and Lucia's 1st. Thankful for our birthday girls.
Keep an eye open for little miracles as you go about your day. They are everywhere. We just have to be aware of them and acknowledge them.
Hugs and kisses,


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Even though I've tested the recipes in my cookbook hundreds of times, sometimes it's necessary to refer back to the text–especially for those dishes that I don't make that often. I'm usually the type who eschews measurements and cooks more by "feel," but in these instances it's good to cook by the book. And it's always gratifying when the dish comes out as expected (or even better) because I know that if I get good results so will you.
Though Fish Ambul Thiyal is one of my favorite dishes, I don't make it that often because I have an Aunty who makes it infinitely better than mine. I think all that has changed after today, however.
I felt a hankering for some Fish Ambul Thiyal, and I had some frozen tuna from Trader Joe's thawing, so I decided to give it a go. One special ingredient that you will need is goraka, which might only be found at a Sri Lankan store. A fitting substitute would be tamarind.
1 lb. (450 g) fish — preferably tuna
5 cloves garlic
2-inch piece ginger
1/2 tsp. black pepper powder
1 tsp. fenugreek
5 pieces goraka (or 2 Tbsp. tamarind)
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove
1 cardamom
1-inch stick cinnamon
1 sprig curry leaves
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
spices for roasting:
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin powder
1/2 tsp. fennel powder
1 tsp. coriander powder
1.) First wash the fish and cut it into 1-inch cubes
2.) Roast the 4 last ingredients in a pan until dark in color (be careful not to burn)
3.) Place the garlic, ginger, roasted spices, black pepper, fenugreek, goraka and salt into a food processor or blender and grind into a thick paste. Add a little water if necessary and coat the fish in this mixture. (Note: If you are using real tamarind fruit, soak the pods in 1/4 cup warm water. Strain and discard seeds and fiber and add to mixture. If you are using tamarind paste, use ony about a teaspoon since it is so concentrated).
4.) Heat oil in pan. Saute onions, clove, cardamom, cinnanmon, and curry leaves until onion is translucent.
5.) Place fish in the pan with water and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until all water has evaporated (about 20 minutes).
(Note: This is considered a 'dry' curry containing little or no gravy)


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Marketing Media Services
Radio and TV are alive and well. Turn The Page Online Marketing's creative team will work with you to create media advertisements that are powerful, captivating and consistent with your branding.
We'll drive customers to your business with stunning visuals and captivating words. All you need to do is provide the quality goods and services your customers have come to expect.
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Ready to hit the air waves? Call our experts today at (816) 527-8371 or (844) 889-5001 for information about our various marketing media services.


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Samsung Note sales show growth in phablet demand
Having broken through the 10m unit sales barrier with the Galaxy Note 3 Samsung has demonstrated a growing demand for phablet products
Samsung has claimed that sales of its Galaxy Note 3 phablet to the channel have broken through the 10m unit barrier in just two months since it was launched making it one of the most successful smart phone launches for the vendor.
The success of the Galaxy Note 3 also indicates that the phablet market, where products are around the 5 to 7 inch size, is also proving to be a hit with customers that are looking for tablet functionality combined with the portability of a phone.
Growth in demand in the Asian market has been driving the growth with IDC earlier this year revealing that phablets had overtaken tablet and portable PC shipments in the territory in the second quarter of this year.
Samsung had kicked off the market with the launch back in 2011 of its Galaxy Note, which at the time gave it a 90% share of the market, but it has since been joined by rivals and now commands less than 50% of the Asian market.
Announcing that the Galaxy Note 3 had become the latest product to break the 10m barrier the firm used an infographic to list its roster of high selling phones and raise the question over what will ship well next year.


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Research Interestscaregivers, healthcare, medical professionals, palliative care
Wei Chieh is a medical doctor in general practice. He joined Lifesteps in 2016 as a mindfulness teacher and has conducted mindfulness training with organizations and the general public. Prior to joining Lifesteps, Wei Chieh worked as a neuroscience researcher. In addition to conducting mindfulness training, Wei Chieh also collaborates with academic researchers studying mindfulness.


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A Touch of Class is proud to offer its clients the ultimate in interactive photo booth services for their special events. While other entertainment companies in the Northeast offer plain old Photo Booths, A Touch of Class's version of the photo booth is interactive, innovative, creative and fun.
The Magic Mirror Photo Booth Experience
- 1 Magic Mirror Booth with choice of 3 custom frames
- 1 Red Carpet
- 2 Velvet Ropes
- 4 Chrome Posts
- 1 Dye Sublimation Printer (with a backup on site)
- 1 LED Color Cube Printer Stand
- 1 Set of Upgraded Photo Booth Props (on a wrapped table and LED lighted to match decor)
- 1 Personable Attendant
starting at $1099/4 hours
High quality prints take a flash to print (11 seconds).
Your guests will receive unlimited 2″x6″ photo strips personalized with your event's information or logo. You will be presented a memory book and a flash drive with all the photos taken.
Your guests will receive unlimited 4″x6″ photos in Lucite desk frames personalized with your event's information or logo, and you will take home a flash drive of all the photos taken.
Social Media Booth
Old Fashioned Photo Booth
For the sentimental clients we offer the Classic Photo Booth. Personalized photo strips will print in 15 seconds, and you will receive a memory book & digital copy of all the photos taken.
starting at $999/4 hours
A Touch of Class | Best Entertainment Company in the Northeast
A Touch Of Class prides itself on being the most innovative Boston Entertainment Company in the entire Northeast. We are dedicated to building long-lasting client relationships and want our clients to be 100% satisfied. You will receive unparalleled client services from the time we conduct our initial event consultation all the way to post-party feedback. No other entertainment company in Massachusetts delivers the full party package the way A Touch Of Class does.
Our DJ & Emcee Boston Entertainment Company combines cutting-edge technology in sound, lighting, and video displays and pair them with highly experienced emcees and event staff to create the perfect storm of fun, entertainment, and memorable moments.
Book your next event with the Nationally Award-Winning, Boston Entertainment Company! Based in Massachusetts and serving all of New England!


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Borders Books Fights For Survival
Borders Books Fights For Survival
Executives at Borders Books have been meeting with vendors to negotiate delayed payments. Borders sales have been down for some time. Borders and Barnes and Noble, Amazon's biggest brick and mortar competitors, have taken starkly different paths to retain market share in the face of Amazon's Kindle e-book dominance.
RENEE MONTAGNE, host:
Barnes and Noble announced, this morning, that it had its strongest holiday sales in a decade - with BarnesandNoble.com up nearly 80 percent compared to last year's holiday season, and its stores were up nearly 10 percent. That dramatic increase was spurred by sales of its popular e-reader, the Nook. And that good news comes as its competitor, Borders, is fighting even to keep its stores open.
NPR's Lynn Neary reports.
LYNN NEARY: Larry Kirshbaum has been watching the growth of superstores since his student days in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the hometown of Borders.
Mr. LARRY KIRSHBAUM: The superstore really changed the whole character of the book business.
NEARY: Kirshbaum should know. He went on to become the head of the Time Warner book group and now has his own literary agency. Kirshbaum says stores like Borders and Barnes and Noble greatly expanded the market for publishers, because they carry so many titles and are located in so many parts of the country.
Mr. KIRSHBAUM: They're so integrally connected to the growth of the business over the past 30, 40 years, that any diminution of their size and scope is going to be painful for the industry.
NEARY: So when Borders announced that it was delaying payments to some of its vendors while it sought refinancing, the book world reeled. Everyone knew Borders was in financial trouble, but the company's statement painted a grim picture of the situation. Borders spokeswoman Mary Davis reads an excerpt from the statement.
Ms. MARY DAVIS (Spokeswoman, Borders Books): Borders stated that there can be no assurance that it will be successful in refinancing its senior credit facilities, or restructuring its vendor financing arrangements.
NEARY: The statement went on to say that it's possible the company could experience a liquidity shortfall. It didn't mention the word bankruptcy, but bankruptcy or worse was on everyone's mind.
No one, says Fordham University marketing Professor Al Greco, wants to see the end of Borders.
Professor AL GRECO (Marketing, Fordham University): This would be a horrendous event for authors and agents who would lose money, for consumers and for the book publishers - not a happy situation for anybody.
NEARY: Among those who would be upset if Borders did not survive is 25-year-old Megan Isaacson, who would hate to lose her Borders store in Meridian, Idaho.
Ms. MEGAN ISAACSON: I would be super disappointed.
(Soundbite of laughter)
Ms. ISAACSON: And then I'd probably have to go find somewhere else. I'd, you know, have to go to, like, Barnes and Noble, which I find is too big.
(Soundbite of laughter)
Ms. ISAACSON: Or I'd have to search out some independent ones. Or go on line.
NEARY: Consumers buying books from online retailers like Amazon is one of the factors that led to Borders' troubles. The retailer has also suffered from frequent changes in management. And unlike Barnes and Noble, which came out with its popular e-reader the Nook, Borders was ill-prepared to compete in the digital book market.
But Michael Norris, a publishing analyst with Simba Information, says even a competitor like Barnes and Noble could be hurt if Borders went under.
Mr. MICHAEL NORRIS (Senior Trade Book Analyst, Simba Information): I don't think that anyone at Barnes and Noble's headquarters is going to be celebrating if Borders goes out of business, because I just don't think that would benefit them at all. And I think that they would benefit, as would all consumers, by having a healthy number of bookstores that are committed to the future of the product in the competition for business.
NEARY: Borders is meeting this week with publishers in an effort to work out new payment terms. And publishers have their own bills to pay, says Al Greco. But in this situation, they may have no choice.
Prof. GRECO: The publishers may have to go along and help Borders out, in order to not create a catastrophic situation in the book business.
NEARY: Barnes and Noble has issued its own statement about Borders meetings with publishers: It says the playing field should be even, and publishers should give the same terms to all booksellers.
Lynn Neary, NPR News, Washington.
INSKEEP: Barnes and Noble's e-reader is selling well, along with Amazon's Kindle and the Sony Reader. Other readers have not succeeded at all. Apple's wildly popular iPad prevented a number of e-readers from even reaching the market last year.
RENEE MONTAGNE, host:
So we say goodbye this morning to the Plastic Logic Que. It was promoted as a business-oriented device with a big screen, the size of a full sheet of paper. Its spring release never happened.
INSKEEP: Bookeen Orizon was a six-inch device that claimed to have a smooth touch and no glare problems. Not really sure if that's true, because it never hit stores in 2010.
MONTAGNE: Then there was the Skiff, with a big touch-screen display that was supposed to appeal to newspaper and magazine readers. But that didn't float.
INSKEEP: None of these disappointments will prevent more companies from diving into the e-reader business in 2011. A Chinese company is unveiling an e-reader with color e-ink, promoting a full-color display without the glare from a screen.
(Soundbite of music)
INSKEEP: It's MORNING EDITION, from NPR News.
Copyright © 2011 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio record.


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Colorado Mountain College, CMC ArtShare and Alpine Bank will present the Rifle Fall Art
Show, "4 Views of the Contemporary," at a free artists' reception Friday, Oct. 5. The public is invited to attend the free reception at Colorado Mountain College Rifle.
The exhibit features the works of current and past CMC art faculty K Rhynus Cesark, Michael Raaum, Andrew Roberts-Gray and Cynthia Zyzda.
"4 Views of the Contemporary" is diverse in media and artistic inspiration, and features three professional contemporary artists who are on the art faculty at Colorado Mountain College and a fourth who retired from the college to pursue his art full time. An artists' talk will be held opening night at 7:30 for those who wish to learn more about the art and the artists. Refreshments will be served.
The opening reception for "4 Views of the Contemporary" will take place 6-9 p.m. Oct. 5 at CMC Rifle, 3695 Airport Road, The exhibit will remain at the campus through Nov. 28. For more information, contact Alice Beauchamp at 970-309-3106 or firstname.lastname@example.com, or Kim Zant at firstname.lastname@example.com or 625-6943.


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Carling, Coors Light and Caffrey's go aluminium
The aluminium bottles, which are thought to be safer than glass, will be available to independent on-trade outlets in London and Scotland.
Jeremy Gibson, director of innovation at Molson Coors (UK & Ireland), said: "Beer is losing volume in both the on and off-trade, we've recognised an opportunity to protect everyday lager from decline and move towards growth through differentiation, innovation and constant improvement in both our products and their packaging.
"The consumer response to the aluminium bottles has been overwhelmingly positive. Consumers told us that the new packaging offers a better drinking experience by making the beer cold and refreshing and flowing better than a glass bottle and is a perfect size."
The aluminium bottle is also lightweight (with the 450ml bottle weighing 50g, versus a 330ml glass bottle weighing 250g). This means a benefit of reduced load-weight for a full load versus heavier packaging materials, resulting in a reduction in carbon emissions from delivery trucks.
Molson Coors is also engaging with its customers to maximise the recycling of the aluminium bottles, saving up to 95 per cent of the energy needed to make aluminium from its raw materials. This reduces the carbon footprint and increases the availability of recycled aluminium for future uses.


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Eagle Books and Christmas Press invite you to the launch of Jules Verne's Mikhail Strogoff.
Translated by Stephanie Smee
Illustrated by David Allan
Published by Eagle Books, an imprint of Christmas Press
To be launched by Monsieur Nicolas Croizer, Consul-General Of France.
In Sydney, on Wednesday April 13th at 12.30pm
At the Alliance Francaise Sydney, 257 Clarence St Sydney
Stephanie Smee and David Allan will be in attendance to sign books.
Come and celebrate with us and purchase your own signed copy of this superb book, a true collector's item!
For more information: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Search Constraints
Filtering by: Creator Rudolph Van der Merwe Remove constraint Creator: Rudolph Van der Merwe Department Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering Remove constraint Department: Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering Keyword probabilities Remove constraint Keyword: probabilities Keyword bayesian statistical decision theory Remove constraint Keyword: bayesian statistical decision theory


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This extension will help in dealing with some of the functionality related to PDF.
Following Functionality has been added in this extension.
1. JoinPDF (Joining multiple PDF files into a single file)
2. Print Pagenumber (Print page number in given axis to an existing PDF)
3. AddTextWatermark (Add text as an Water Mark to an existing PDF)
4. ReadTextFromPDF (Extract and return text from an existing PDF)
I will be adding some more important functions in it and will be available soon.


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Herman Cain to Reassess Presidential Plans
Political analysts in Iowa start to dismiss Herman Cain as a factor in the state's presidential caucuses, in the aftermath of an Atlanta woman's claim that she had a 13-year extramarital affair with Cain. Neil King has details on The News Hub.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
the ... the ... Neil King of Wall Street ... on ... Washington D C ... on the revelations about a ... all accusations about it that scene the a lot of fat ... with Hamann came out ... the truths of coming out tells about that ... well the word this morning in the Korean Exchange campaign was a reassessment of Herman Cain in the wake of the allegations last night Monday night ... that didn't carry a thirteen year ... long affair with a woman in the Atlanta area ... at a conference call with his campaign aides ... and it was in and think all others thus the transcript of their from this fall ... I can read a little bit from it ... he was talking about how the ... only better friend with this woman was trying to hold her out she was destitute and desperate ... um he was merely a friend in the fall the the the mat into ... what is that that being said obviously this is the cost for reassessment ... this is what sparked a lot of rumours around ... the political world today that he was thinking of essentially ending its campaign which still well maybe that is ... he does go on to say that ... the assessment is that read this assessment as to whether or not ... there's going to ... all the delegations read ... too much of a cloud in some people's minds ... as to whether or not there'll be a will to support us going forward ... he basically said the next couple of days ... is going to make up its mind ... as to whether unfree should continue forward ... from wall that they the same from are saying it's full steam ahead for continuing with the campaign of that is ... so it so is what is people are saying I which is also a bit of a mixed message ... is it about ... this or not or is that the full steam ahead into the Autonomy clan and he's saying it did not have ... been the scene Yanks from Apple to win with a woman in question this time ... that's that's what he sang for ... the Dow has been very firm on the reason they were friends ... is trying to help around this issue ... the Russian Denis kathryn and Walmex my question is this a real nail ... you know when you when you look at this I mean aside from the full steam ahead comments from the the staffers of the Kaine campaign ... is there anything to read between the lines of Ah what Cain said on a conference call ... to me it's another kind of like a pretty fair assessment that mean ... here is another blow to this campaign and it ... probably is a good time ... to reassess whether or not to move forward given the poll numbers ... are given all these allegations that keep coming out ... of it said it sounded to me kind of ... pretty straightforward ... well was that he would say on this call that they've gone through similar real Sussman so ... you know when their money restoring the summer when they have a bad showing in the Iowa straw poll in August ... um and so this is an allocation assessment than that's up for tender was I was that rector ... of the Fed has also ... put out in a note to their various supporters around ARO but you know you make calls around in these early states ... and you talk to people that are part of McCain's campaign ... in it and there are ... oh we're pretty much unanimously is that there's very little life left in this campaign ... um just because it's had so many troubles this month ... it would take a lot to really revive it in to see its numbers turnaround ... from a goal on the other hand you know James numbers to remain strong with them ... than Rick Perry is a lot of the other folks are running well about the power ... budgets can be hard considering that we're now about ... in a less than ... four weeks bid to clear way from the Iowa caucuses this stuff is coming up fast ... I didn't have to turn things around pretty quickly now sunk and seven is that that pointed to racial of the Times about the accusations made against Herman Cain is a standstill because of the posse line at the Cain ... Cain headquarters ... yet I don't hear them really ... bringing out of gold in the ... current standards over the front of a number of times that ... another says Mr. CommVault of women out there want to take that as campaign ... to really see how that makes lot of sense ... um ... but they have been pointing to various things in this particular woman's house that they ... think you know gropes with her comments are good or for what it should have ... been up at various moments of litigation against her including one for a starting phase of ... some kind of a libel action ... um so you know they're pointing to the out and saying that this is a really calls into question what is that you've been saying ... five carries and ... you know he he talked to ... I don't ... I know it's cooler coroner said a vast right-wing conspiracy but he talked about ... you know Liberals I mean is it any hinted that now or is he just ... is he just tried to bail water here and do damage control ... well the one thing that I it's it's over it's a it's been pointed to thirteen Steve Gruss is that I was the tractor is look the other candidates have had similar travails that even a similar moment in the calendar was built by being the most famous of them all even John McCain in no way ... was hit by some allegations from even though the latter weeks of ... some potential affair with somebody and what woman in Washington ... and another visit with and what these other campaigns ... of whether these kinds of things ... and they move forward and ... you know this is a dark moment but but there is ... hope still ... a minute think what they're looking forward to earn try to figure out what is the darkest day ... that you think you know maybe last Friday was the darkest day and ... up comes another day like yesterday ... and now I think they're filling that there are at another predicament dark moments of ... I guess we believe Fortis for all these things that is endemic to move forwards if they can survive ... and now there is still a long time time in Intuit's and mineral me and that's the sort of a campaign that anyone but Romney does he stand a chance he now point to keep even all Romney for the campaign for the Republican presidential nomination ... well yes that is all about this but it's really a minute think the big question is if you were to fall by the wayside where with his supporters go when you look it was like ... what is the fourteen percent so that's not negligible ... um all the indications are right now that if he were to fall by the way for the new Gingrich would really be the biggest ... benefits are in it that is the case ... you know we can see some ... some actual gap store to open up the remitting written Mitt Romney in ways that would be ... pretty interesting particularly of ... if you can see him start to catch up with the risk that of Romney in New Hampshire ... you can imagine putting a bit of a fright in the Romney camp ... now ... summit as somewhat sobering fastening stuff thank you Brian much Neal came with a Wall Street down Washington D C check ... moment story on WSJ's dot com


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If you provide more than one service, you may wish to make a detailed list for record. A bill book, or we called as invoice book as well, can help you keep a clear list of items. In addition to ordinary items, you can also provide extra statements on your bill book. For example, you can state your return policy under the bill.
A bill book can come in handy if you need to bill the goods or services that you are selling. Use a carbonless copy paper (CPC) bill book that will help you pass information written on the front to the sheets below. Because of adding a special layer between the original and the intended reproduction, carbonless reproduction paper on the back side of the top sheet has micro-encapsulated dye or ink, which tolerates the copy.
This can allow your customer to keep another bill sheet and thus make record keeping easier for them.
Are you searching for your own custom bill book for your company and business use? We have provide bill book or invoice book design and printing service for our customers at Kapar area. In order to save our customers' time and effort, we also provide courier service to our customer's doorstep.
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KUALA LUMPUR, Kepong, Wangsa Maju, Setiawangsa, Titiwangsa, Cheras, Bandar Tun Razak, Bukit Bintang, Bukit Damansara, Ampang. SELANGOR, Klang, Subang Jaya, Shah Alam, PJ, Petaling Jaya, Putrajaya, Puchong, Cyberjaya, Kajang, Rawang. NEGERI SEMBILAN, Bahau, Kampong Baharu Nilai, Kuala Pilah, Nilai, Pedas, Port Dickson, Senawang, Seremban, Tampin. MELAKA, Ayer Keroh, Aloh Gajah, Jasin, Tampin, Simpang Ampat, Merlimau. JOHOR, Johor Bahru, Muar, Batu Pahat, Kulaijaya, Kota Tinggi, Segamat, Senai, Kluang, Mersing, Tangkak, Pontian, Yong Peng, Labis. PERAK, Bagan Serai, Batu Gajah, Bidur, Gerik, Ipoh, Kampar, Kampong Dungun, Kinta, Kuala Kangsar , Lumut, Manjung , Pangkor Island, Pangkor Laut, Pantai Remis, Parit Buntar, Simpang Empat, Sitiawan, Setiawan, Taiping, Tapah Road, Teluk Intan, Tanjung Malim, Slim River. PENANG, Georgetown, Butterworth, Bukit Mertajam, Prai, Perai,Seberang Perai, Bayan Lepas, Batu Ferringhi, Juru, Seberang Jaya, Batu Kawan, Simpang Ampat. PAHANG, Kuantan, Temerloh, Kuala Lipis, Sungai Lembing, Bukit Tinggi, Genting Highland, Raub, Cameron Highland, Brinchang, Tanah Ratah, Ringlet, Bentong, Jerantut, Maran, Teriang, Rompin, Bera. PERLIS, Arau, Kangar, Kuala Perlis, Padang Besar. KELANTAN, Kampong Kadok, Kampong Lemal, Kampong Pangkal Kalong, Gua Musang, Ketereh, Kota Bharu , Pasir Mas, Pasir Puteh, Peringat, Pulai Chondong, Rantau Panjang, Tanah Merah, Tumpat. KEDAH, Alor Setar, Sungai Petani , Kulim, Kuala Kedah, Kuah, Bukit Kayu Hitam, Baling, Bedong, Lunas, Padang Serai. TERENGGANU, Kuala Terenggan, Dungun, Kuala Besut, Kuala Berang , Marang, Kuala Nerus. SABAH, Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Tawau, SARAWAK, Kuching, Miri, Bintulu, Sibu,
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The Justice System Is Crying Out For Far Bigger Changes Than More Judges
The Chief Justice of India got somewhat emotional the other day. He made a fervent appeal for raising the number of judges in the country from 21,000 to 40,000--the only way, according to him, to tackle the mounting pendency in courts across the country. However, the lack of judges is not the only reason for the backlog of cases. In fact it is not even the most important reason for the huge pendency of cases or the glacial pace at which administration of justice moves in this country.


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Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'screen rot'.
Found 1 result
Current status (31-March-2020): Project is rolling again. For current status, refer to latest post(s) in this thread. Older status (04-June-2018): Received the 5 prototypes. Installed one. Works great, except need to contact supplier to see if they can get the contrast in the correct range. Screenshot here. Inside of Microvision shown here. Initial Post (10-Feb-2018): As many of you are aware, the Microvision by Milton Bradley is notorious for something people have called "screen rot", where the LCD screen becomes dark and unusable. Unfortunately, this effect is all too common. A fix for these would hopefully bring back to life these interesting and (I think) fun handheld systems. It took a few months or so, but I was finally able to get a couple of quotes for replacement LCD screens for the Microvision (unfortunately, minimum order quantities for small LCDs are typically in the thousands). These are intended to be drop-in replacements for existing screens. These would also include the reflecting and polarizing layers, but would not include the rubber "Zebra" connectors that connect the LCD screen to the board (will need to be re-used). Here are the steps in the project: 1. Find out if enough people want these (starts now!) 2. Order prototypes (6 week delay; I pay for that up-front to supplier) 3. Order production run (6 week delay; payment required up-front to supplier) 3. Payment for units (to me) 4. Ship units to you Yes, there are two #3s listed above. The order of these two will depend on how much money I have on hand at the moment. I'm not a big fan of receiving payment prior to items being ready to ship (because life and shit happens, and I don't really want to have your money if I'm not able to ship these out for any reason). If needed at the time, maybe a down-payment or voluntary early payment system could be used. That's all well ahead of us, though... the first step is finding out who all wants one or more of these, so let's concentrate on that... There's a number of costs related to this project. Some are known, such as engineering cost and production cost, and some are unknown, such as customs and duty, and shipping parts to me. Therefore, I've come up with some maximum prices in US dollars (shipping not included): Quantity 1: $22.00 maximum Quantity 2+: $20.50 each, maximum Quantity 4+: $19.00 each, maximum Quantity 8+: $17.50 each, maximum I want to stress that the goal of this initial offering is not to make money, but to get this project going. As an estimate, if about 70 are pre-ordered, which is about the lowest I can go, I'll need to put a fair bit of my own money into the project (but will hopefully be able to sell the extras on an ongoing basis later on, maybe for $25 each, and eventually break even). If about 130 are pre-ordered, that is the break-even point for the prices listed above. If more than about 130 are pre-ordered, then the price will go down accordingly. If I recall correctly from my spreadsheet, if 170 are pre-ordered, your price goes down by about $5 for each unit (at least the lower quantity orders - the higher quantity orders might go down a bit less). The main reason for this is the fixed engineering cost, which would get spread out thinner over a higher quantity of units. If the quantities reach high enough (like 130+), I'll keep you updated with the current maximum price. At some point this pre-order stage will end... I will give at least 2 weeks advance notice for that (open ended for now, until the numbers go up). I should mention that once you've bought and received your replacement screens, they're yours to do whatever you want with them... resell them at any price you see fit, put them in systems and sell those at any price you see fit, keep them on your shelf to look at, etc. So, the first step is to find out if enough people want these. If you do want one or more of these, please reply to this thread with the quantity you're seriously interested in purchasing. That's the simplest for me to keep track of. There may be reasons you don't want to publish the quantity you want - in that case, send me a PM. Either way, I'll post the total number requested here in this thread, to keep everyone updated. Also, reply ideally, or send a PM, if you have any questions. Finally, thanks for everyone who pre-orders. I want this to happen as I have about 10 Microvisions, including only about 1 that works well. As incentive, the plan is that the pre-order price will be the lowest price to get these. Also, any help in spreading the word is appreciated (feel free to post with links, if applicable). Links: 1. Shorter version of initial post at DigitPress: https://forum.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?175968-Microvision-replacement-screen-project-pre-order-amp-purchase-here 2. Much shorter version of initial post at CGCC: http://cgcc.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=31048 3. Dan's post at Hand Held Museum: http://www.handheldmuseum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2275 FAQ: 1. Will the new screens be susceptible to screen rot? They shouldn't be. These will be brand new displays, built to high standards. We're used to the Microvision display being very poor, but most or nearly all other small LCD displays work well for many, many years. 2. What is the operating and storage temperature of the display. Operating Range: 0C to +50C. Storage Range: -10C to +60C. 3. Are the Zebra connectors (that connect the LCD screen to the board) reusable? Yes.They tend to stick a bit when they've been connected for a long time, but they seem to be robust in their ability to connect well with repeated use. 4. Are there installation instructions? Is it easy to install? Note that I'm still working with the supplier to fix the contrast range, so ignoring any potential work that may require, here are some pictures of disassembly of a Microvision (re-assembly is basically the reverse, although the front polarizer is not required). It's fairly easy, although sometimes the wires and other parts like to move around a bit, so plan on 20 minutes for a full upgrade.


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Today the weather was gloomy and there was no way I was leaving the house to do anything. I've had enough of Daniel catching colds because of this changing weather. Even though it was cold I couldn't wipe the smile off my face because this summer I'm leaving the festivities of the Olympics and I'm travelling back to my country of birth for a 4 week holiday and I can't wait!! Daniel will be celebrating his first birthday over there and my aunt will be celebrating her 60th, fun times to be had.
I've got so much planning to do, going into town with a baby and a pre-teen is a challenge let alone taking them on a 4 week holiday, I must be crazy.
As my family is there that means I'll have baby sitters galore so I'll need to make a list of all the things I want to do and see while I'm there!
|The last time I took Tianna to Barbados, the family outside Harrison's Cave


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13th Nov keyboard_arrow_right 15th Nov 2020
Grand Prix of the Americas is a Grand Prix motorcycle race hosted at the Circuit of the Americas for the first time in the 2013 season. The Circuit of the Americas is a first purpose built Grand Prix facility in the U.S. near Austin, Texas. A 5.513 Km track with a capacity of 120,000 is host to the F1 United States Grand Prix, a round of the Road Racing World Championship, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the American Le Mans Series amongst others. One of the most varied MotoGP circuit with a mix of fast straights and tight hairpins makes it a must see for an exciting and thrilling race experience.
Winner of Grand Prix of the Americas 2019:
Add this event to your
wishlist and get updates


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Inquiry Based Literacy
Students learn how to:
- Formulate relevant, self-generated questions based on interests and/or needs that can be investigated.
- Transact with texts to formulate questions, propose explanations, and consider alternative views and multiple perspectives.
- Construct knowledge, applying disciplinary concepts and tools, to build deeper understanding of the world through exploration, collaboration, and analysis.
- Synthesize information to share learning and/or take action.
- Reflect throughout the inquiry process to assess metacognition, broaden understanding, and guide actions, both individually and collaboratively.


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My Dad had given my mom tickets for an open-air concert because she's a really big fan and this was truly a dream coming true for her. Sadly he couldn't go, so I was thrilled to take his ticket. :D
The concert was really great! I just hope that Chris knew what he was getting himself into, performing in Northern Germany which is notorious for being rather quite, serious and not easy to excite. For most of the concert the atmosphere was rather awkward but that didn't seem to bother him. He performed mainly songs from his current album Footsteps, consisting mainly of cover versions, such as Without You...
(Ahum... the snippet is very short, the marshals weren't too thrilled that I was filming during the concert... ooops)
However, later he played some of his old gems which certainly helped the people to loosen up a bit. ;)
I was a bit sad that he didn't sing my absolute favorites (Borderline and *omg* The head and the heart which is close to my all time favorite song ever) but it was a wonderful experience nonetheless! :D


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Pond and stream formation
The study of inland waters – ponds, lakes and streams – is called limnology. Ponds form as a result of potholes in glacial debris. These holes fill by seepage and runoff water from the surrounding land. Meadow-stream ponds also develop where a stream widens and the speed of its current drops sharply, or as cutoffs from old stream channels. Streams originate in lakes, springs or in surface runoff, draining the land and taking up elements as they flow along. Constant adjustments and changes in flow or in erosion rates allow the stream to maintain balance and equilibrium. Streams are thus very dynamic, ranging from tumbling brooks in spring to sluggish, meandering waters come late summer and autumn.
Ponds and Streams
Diverse habitats
Four different microhabitats coexist within a relatively small area formed by a pond or stream: the surface film, the open water, the bottom and the littoral habitat.
The surface film is a habitat for air-breathing, floating animals, and those animals that have special devices for walking on the surface without breaking through, such as water striders. Some beetles, water bugs and free-floating plants are adapted to living only on the upper side of the film. The larvae of some beetles, as well as stonefly and mayfly larvae, spend much time hanging on the underside of the film.
The sandy bottom is home to sponges, snails, earthworms and insects. Muddy bottoms house crayfish, the nymphs of mayflies, dragonflies and damselflies, as well as leeches and snails.
The littoral habitat can be divided into three zones. The emergent plant zone is closest to the shore, where grasses, sedges and rushes provide shelter for frogs, birds, mammals, algae, protozoans, worms, insects, snails and small fishes.
Plant life
Algae form pond scums and the green hairy growths on submerged objects. Green algae are the most abundant pond algae. They occur as single cells, as round and flattened colonies, and as filaments. Algae is the base of the pond food pyramid. During photosynthesis, algae release oxygen, increasing the amount of oxygen dissolved in the water. However, the overabundance of decaying algae may deplete the oxygen, causing "summerkill" of aquatic plants and animals.
Freshwater Fish
Ponds and streams provide nesting and feeding grounds for many different fish species. Lampreys are jawless fish that look similar to eels. These primitive fish have a skeleton of cartilage, unlike most other fish, which have a skeleton of bone.
Brown Bullheads, like other catfish, have a smooth, scaleless skin, and chin whiskers, or barbels, that aid them in finding food. They feed mostly at night or in opaque waters. Black Crappies are large, carnivorous sunfish that sometimes grow to four pounds, although they are usually one to two pounds. Another member of the sunfish family, the Bluegill, grows up to eight inches, feeding on insects, crustaceans and other small animals. A similar fish is the Pumpkinseed, which has a bright red spot on each gill cover.
Other Animal life
Amphibians, such as brook salamanders, newts and frogs, live in the vegetation surrounding ponds and streams. The moist skin of an amphibian can absorb both water and oxygen. Frogs have lungs in addition to their breathable skin. Like most amphibians, frogs begin their life cycle in the water, with their long-tailed larvae known as tadpoles or pollywogs.
Dragonflies are graceful insects that hunt for smaller bugs such as black flies as they fly around the pond. Immature dragonflies, or naiads, are waterbound and do not resemble adults. They are dull green or brown, which helps conceal them among pond plants or beneath a film of mud. The naiads undergo a series of molts, getting larger, until the familiar dragonfly form appears at the final molt.
Many bird species nest along ponds or streams and feed on aquatic plants or on fish and other animals. Common Loons spend the summer on inland waters, feeding mainly on fish. You can hear their distinctive song on summer nights. The Great Blue Heron is a long-legged wader with sharp bills for feeding on aquatic animals. Ospreys have a conspicuous bend in their wings in flight, as they dive for fish. Surface-feeding ducks, such as American Black Ducks, Green-winged Teals, Northern Pintails and Mallards feed mainly on aquatic plants and may "tip up" in deep water. Yellow Warblers nest in willow thickets, coming to the pond to drink and to hunt for insects.
Not a fish can leap or an insect fall on the pond but it is thus reported in circling dimples, in lines of beauty, as it were the constant welling up of its fountain, the gentle pulsing of its life, the heaving of its breast.
- Henry David Thoreau, Walden
The Duck
by Ogden Nash
Behold the duck.
It does not cluck.
A cluck it lacks.
It quacks.
It is specially fond
Of a puddle or pond.
When it dines or sups,
It bottoms ups.
To a Little Brook
by Eugene Field
All up and down this reedy place
Where lives the brook,
We angled for the furtive dace;
The redwing-blackbird did his best
To make us think he 'd built his nest
Hard by the stream, when, like as not,
He'd hung it in a secret spot
Far from the brook, the telltale brook!


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It is safe to say that you are on zucchini over-burden? Try not to miss this simple Zucchini Pie, which is the most tasty approach to appreciate crisp summer produce! With just around 15 minutes of planning time, you can have an extravagant and delectable side dish to present with some flame broiled meat, or a vegan fundamental course alternative that will fulfill even the heartiest hungers.
For me, zucchini and yellow squash are synonymous with summer. I get this is on the grounds that there consistently is by all accounts a greater amount of these two veggies than anybody recognizes how to manage!
This pie is heavenly to such an extent that I'm glad to appreciate it as my primary course for a light summer lunch or supper. However, in the event that you have hungry men in your home who hope to see some meat close by, it additionally combines truly well with some barbecued chicken or fish.
Also Try Our Recipe : HOMEMADE VEGAN NUTELLA
- ½ cup canola oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup baking mix such as Bisquick
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 small sweet onion diced
- 3 cups zucchini sliced very thin
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray and set aside.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into prepared dish.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown.
For more detail : bit.ly/2LvZ5Yx
Read More Our Recipe : CHICKEN LO MEIN


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YouTube Video Production
BizBOXTV – A Canadian YouTube Video Production Company — Serving: Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto + more! Get your YouTube Video Production, today! Broadcast Your Brand™ Brand Journalism™ BizBOXTV's YouTube video ad clients & partners include major media networks, large corporations as well as small-medium businesses in all cities & industries across Canada and North
- Published in Video Advertising, Video Marketing, Video Production, YouTube
Our clients are the most innovative.
BizBOXTV has been thrilled to work with some of the most forward thinking and innovative businesses in their respective industries. What types of companies do we work with for their online video production and advertising needs? All types. All sizes. All industries. From online video profiles to branded web TV series, BizBOXTV video clients are
- Published in BizBOXTV News
Behind The Scenes…. with BizBOXTV
Here are some behind the scenes snapshots from some of our recent video shoots! [wzslider autoplay="true" interval="2500″ lightbox="true"]
- Published in BizBOXTV News
Old Strathcona Business Association
http://oldstrathcona.ca/ Edmonton Video Old Strathcona Business Association strives to enhance, to promote and to protect the businesses of the Old Strathcona community. "We achieve this by supporting projects and campaigns that maximize Old Strathcona's aesthetic appeal and by working with everyone concerned to ensure the well-being of our members, their staff, their customers and their
- Published in Business Profiles, Edmonton, New Releases
Old Strathcona Antique Mall
www.oldstrathconamall.com Edmonton Video : Welcome to the Old Strathcona Antique Mall, now celebrating over 16 years operating in the historic Old Strathcona area of Edmonton. We host over 150 antique dealers offering the area's finest antiques & collectibles. Check our our online antique webstore or come on down to Old Strathcona and visit us! We
- Published in Business Profiles, Edmonton, New Releases
Bella Maas Boutique
www.BellaMaas.com Edmonton Video: Bella Maas Boutique offers the hottest styles & fashion trends, oversized change rooms, a comfortable shopping atmosphere and award winning customer service; discover what shopping should be like! Nearly 7 years, 2 locations, 1 New Small Business of the Year award, another nomination for Business of the year and hundreds of satisfied
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Underground Tap & Grill
www.undergroundtapandgrill.com Edmonton Online Video : Underground Tap and Grill – Edmonton's First Authentic Craft Beer Lounge Right in the heart of downtown Edmonton, 'The Underground Tap & Grill' boasts Edmonton's most eclectic draft selection with a menu that compliments the wide range of craft beer on offer. When you have 72 craft beers on tap,
- Published in Business Profiles, Edmonton, New Releases
Sumo Sumo Sushi
sumosumosushi.com Edmonton Online Video – Sumo Sumo Sushi: Welcome to Sumo Sumo! The staff here have dedicated themselves to provide you with warm service and a friendly attitude. At Sumo Sumo, we will make every effort to serve you the freshest seafood, meat, and vegetables. We will be happy to accommodate your selection to satisfy
- Published in Business Profiles, Edmonton, New Releases
Resonate Music – Music School & Studio
resonatemusic.ca Edmonton Online Video – Resonate Music School & Studio : Everyone has a song. Let us help you create it.™ Resonate Music School & Studio is taking a new approach to teaching and recording music in the Edmonton Area. With our multiple sound-treated classrooms and affordable yet professional recording studio, we strive to bring
- Published in Business Profiles, Edmonton, New Releases
Green Drop
Green Drop is in the landscape enhancement business realizing that a well maintained and healthy landscape is good for our
- Published in Business Profiles, Calgary, Edmonton, New Releases
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Chris Soder and Thomas Gartland Strengthen Motorcycle Rental and
Tour Company's Strategic Growth
LOS ANGELES, CA – September 9, 2016 – (Motor Sports Newswire) – EagleRider, the world's largest motorcycle rental and tour company, today announced the appointment of Chris Soder and Thomas Gartland to the company's Board of Directors.
"We're thrilled to have these two seasoned leaders on board, sharing their knowledge of customer experience, eCommerce and tourism to elevate our global business," said Chris McIntyre, CEO and Co-Founder of EagleRider. "We think Chris and Tom are a natural fit and will ensure EagleRider remains the innovative experience brand built on a passion for motorcycle travel."
Soder recently retired as CEO of priceline.com, an operating business of The Priceline Group, having spent more than 15 years with the leading online travel agency. After joining Priceline as President of hotel service, he led various business units within the company, including the development and launch of priceline.com's cruise and package offerings.
"I'm excited to be part of a company where, first and foremost, the focus is on delivering an incredible customer experience," Soder said. "EagleRider brings a unique element of liberation and adventure to traditional motorcycle tourism. I'm excited to contribute to this groundbreaking company."
Gartland previously served as president of North America for the Avis Budget Group, which includes the company's U.S. and Canadian operations of the Avis, Budget Trucks, Payless and Zipcar brands. Prior to that, he led the sales, marketing and customer care division of the group as Executive Vice President, overseeing revenue-generating activities and senior-level customer interactions. He currently serves on the board of directors for ABM Industries and Xenia Hotels. Gartland brings revenue generation and profit enhancement expertise to EagleRider.
"I'm glad to be lending my industry perspectives to a great vehicle experience company like EagleRider," said Gartland.
Soder and Gartland each bring extensive leadership portfolios and an in-depth understanding of the travel industry to the EagleRider brand. Having been instrumental to the success of major travel brands, both have unique insights of the online travel business and how to succeed in an increasingly competitive landscape with growing global consumer demand.
"Priceline changed the way Americans book online travel. Avis Budget Group is one of the world's leading car rental companies that built its brand on delivering exceptional customer experiences. Soder and Gartland bring to EagleRider that same pioneering spirit and entrepreneurial vision to the world of two-wheels," said Chris McIntyre, CEO and Co-Founder of EagleRider.
About EagleRider
Pioneering the motorcycle rental concept in 1992, EagleRider has since grown to become a motorcycle experience industry leader, fulfilling dreams of thousands of motorcyclists worldwide. EagleRider's vast network of locations allows the company to offer a variety of motorcycle travel options and a Club EagleRider membership program – the first of its kind in the motorcycle industry. With EagleRider, motorcyclists have the option to select from a fleet of Harley-Davidson®, Indian Motorcycle®, Honda®, Triumph®, BMW® motorcycles and Polaris® Slingshot. EagleRider has grown from four bikes in a home garage to a global company with thousands of motorcycles for rent, hundreds of tour options (guided, self-drive or custom), motorcycle sales and servicing and exclusive apparel lines. www.eaglerider.com
Follow EagleRider on social media: www.facebook.com/EagleRider, www.instagram.com/EagleRiderMotorcycles, www.twitter.com/EagleRider
Source: EagleRider


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By School Improvement Team on 28 Apr 2017
On 26 April, the Public Accounts Committee published their most recent report on 'Capital Funding for Schools'. The report's remit was to evaluate the Department for Education's use of funding for new schools and the creation of additional places in existing educational settings.
Within the report, the committee makes a number of conclusions and recommendations:
The committee is not convinced that the DfE is using funding coherently or in a way that provides best value for money, in order to provide the right amount of school places. Between 2010 and 2015, 600,000 new places were created at a cost of £7.5 billion. 420,000 further places need to be created by 2021. The location of new school places is of tantamount importance, with some local areas having only 2% spare capacity and others 20%. Schools with large amounts of spare capacity are not financially sustainable, yet free schools are being set up in areas with no shortage of places.
Recommendation: The DfE should demonstrate how it will work with local authorities to understand the demand for school places and define the surplus capacity that needs to be maintained.
It is not clear how the DfE is providing parents with choice, whilst keeping this fair and cost-effective. Whilst free schools are supposed to provide parents with choice, it is not clear how much spare capacity will be needed to make this effective. Furthermore, due to the purchase of land, the creation of free school places is expensive, with a secondary free school place costing 51% more than a local authority place.
Recommendation: The DfE should quantify how each successful free school application will meet local needs for additional places, parental choice and improved standards. In addition, the DfE should set out how it assesses the costs and benefits of choice in the assessment of applications.
The DfE has spent almost 20% more on average than official valuations for land purchased for free schools. Due to the location of new schools, the DfE is often forced to pay above market values as landlords know they have few sites to choose from. On average, it has paid 19% over the official valuation, however, at twenty sites it has paid over 60% more. In order to manage land purchases in the future, the DfE has set up a company called LocatED which hopes to attract specialist property expertise.
Recommendation: The DfE should set out how it will assess the effectiveness of LocatED and how it will assess whether LocatED is ensuring value for money.
Housing developers may not be paying their fair share towards the cost of new school places.
In 2015, a restriction was placed on the number of 'section 106 contributions' that can be pooled together towards a single project. This has meant that local authorities are receiving reduced contributions from developers.
Recommendation: The DfE should work to crack down on loopholes within the system.
The DfE does not know enough about the state of the school estate which means it cannot make well-informed decisions about how to use its resources.
After completing a survey of the school estate in 2014, the DfE has more of an understanding, however, the survey did not assess the safety of buildings with regards to asbestos. The DfE is undertaking another property survey, which should help to assess how the school estate is changing and how effective funding has been in improving the condition of school buildings.
Recommendation: By December 2017, the DfE should set out a plan to fill in gaps in its knowledge of the school estate, especially concerning asbestos and the suitability of school buildings.
Insufficient focus is being kept on routine maintenance which will prevent more extensive problems in the future.
Capital funding is used by the DfE to address urgent needs, with the cost of preventative maintenance and smaller defects having to be met by schools themselves. Schools are under increasing budgetary pressure, which may mean that preventative maintenance is not undertaken.
Recommendation: The DfE should develop a system for holding local authorities and academy trusts to account for the maintenance of school buildings. It should also assess whether schools are able to afford the maintenance necessary given the decrease in real-terms funding per pupil.
The DfE does not know enough about the quality and suitability of new school buildings. Many new school buildings are based on standard models and do not necessarily fit schools' needs, including those for outdoor and communal space. Likewise, where temporary accommodation is used for free schools, it often does not meet schools' needs.
Recommendation: By December 2017, the DfE should report back to the committee on the suitability of new school buildings. It should also review its criteria for new school facilities.
It is clear from the report that the Public Accounts Committee is critical of the DfE's current handling of capital funding for schools. However, with the recommendations comes the hope that the DfE will provide a clearer and more sustainable model of funding for the future.
Please get in touch or visit this page for more information.


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I wonder if the Dead had any idea what they were starting when they created an alternative world that professionals, politicians and other generally upright types could escape to periodically without much fear of recrimination. The Deadhead sticker on the Cadillac doesn't draw a second thought these days.
Carrying on that tradition of gentile temporary bohemia is Jam Cruise, soon to be bookng its third incarnation:
- THE JAM BAND GENRE'S ORIGINAL FESTIVAL CRUISE WILL SET SAIL ON JANUARY 6, 2005. TICKETS ON SALE ON WEDNESDAY MAY 19 AT 11:00 am MST.
Jam Cruise 1 and 2 were crowning achievements within the changing face of music festivals and cruise travel. Now, the original Jam Cruise announces Jam Cruise 3, leaving port in Jacksonville, Florida on January 6, 2005 for 4 days aboard Carnival Cruiselines' Celebration.
Jam Cruise 3 will stop in Freeport, Bahamas and, fulfilling a popular request on a questionnaire filled out by last year's cruisers, will offer passengers two full days at sea. The Celebration accommodates 1500 passengers (double the size of the Regal Empress cruise liner used for 1 and 2), and boasts such luxury amenities as 3 pools, nine passenger decks, ten lounges, a twenty-four-hour pizza bar and dinnertime sushi bar, a health spa, and large and comfortable lodging facilities. The fans spoke up and Jam Cruise organizers have listened.
Jam Cruise 3 will host over thirty music performances, featuring fifteen bands from one of today's most thriving music communities – that of improvisational music. The current line up includes Galactic, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9), Col Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit (1st show in 10 years!), Ozomatli, North Mississippi Allstars, Peter Rowan & Tony Rice, Robert Walter's 20th Congress, Umphrey's McGee, MOFRO, Benevento/Russo Duo, DJ Logic , with more artists to be announced soon. In addition to incredible performances by many of the genre's most celebrated musical pioneers, the Jam Cruise experience promises once-in-a-lifetime artist collaborations and opportunities for hang time with the musicians who are so often inaccessible backstage.
The musicians and the audience who were on board for Jam Cruise 1 and 2 remember the festival fondly. Billy Nershi of The String Cheese Incident, who performed on Jam Cruise 1 with his side project, Billy and Liza, commented, "I was at first hesitant. I thought I'd get claustrophobic. But it turns out it was an absolutely amazing experience. It was really intimate and relaxed. Even the artists, who were there to work, felt like we were on vacation, and absolutely everyone on board that boat knew they were part of something really special.
Cloud 9 Adventure's Mark Brown, a partner in the vision and execution of Jam Cruise, recollects, "The whole event exceeded even our highest expectations. We were thrilled to hear from feedback that the artists and the fans held the same sentiment. Jam Cruise 3 should be even better." The next step in summer festivals and cruise travel is here.
Tickets are expected to go quickly. On sale begins Wednesday, May 19 at 11:00 am MST. Cabin prices range from $550 to $1125.00 per person, plus port charges, service fees and gratuities. Call 303.544.0191 or go to the Jam Cruise site.
That's taking the "booze cruise" theme to its farthest extension – sounds absolutely wild. That's tremendous musical variety as well: from the bluegrass of Peter Rowan and Tony Rice, to the jammy jazz of Robert Walter and Karl Denson, to the true jam band groove of Galactic, to the electro beats of DJ Logic, to the Southern blues 'n' roll of the great North Mississippi Allstars – it's a Bonnaroo in a box! This I would attend.


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NASA finally talks Mars budget, and it's not enough
On Thursday NASA released a glossy 35-page report on its "Journey to Mars," reaffirming its intent to put human boots in the planet's red, dusty soil by the 2030s.
But the plan did not address the specific cost of a human mission to the Red Planet, which has been standard practice for the space agency in the five years it has been talking about it.
Special Section: Adrift: NASA's future in human spaceflight
To get some idea of how NASA intends to pay for its Martian dream, one would have had to be in attendance at a Space Transportation Association luncheon on Capitol Hill earlier in the week where Robert Lightfoot, NASA's associate administrator, essentially declared it could be done without raising the agency's current budget.
That may have been the analysis Congress, which has more or less held NASA's human exploration budget steady at $8 billion annually and is disinclined to raise it, wanted to hear. But it also probably means NASA isn't going to Mars any time soon.
The National Research Council has studied this budget scenario in depth and concluded in its 2014 Pathways to Exploration report that "With current flat or even inflation-adjusted budget projections for human spaceflight, there are no viable pathways to Mars."
At the Capitol Hill luncheon, Lightfoot said a Mars program would have to be accomplished with a budget that is one-tenth of the budget that sent Apollo astronauts to the moon.
"From a NASA perspective it'll be done for about one-tenth of the budget that we were doing back then," Lightfoot said, according to Space News.
Congress frustrated
A NASA spokeswoman said after Lightfoot's speech that he was comparing the Apollo budget and the agency's current budget based on percentages of the overall federal budget. NASA received 4 percent of the total federal budget during the height of the Apollo Program, and today NASA has 0.4 percent.
"We intend to carry out our current ambitious exploration plans within current budget levels, with modest increases aligned to economic growth," NASA's Lauren Worley said.
The release of the "Journey to Mars" report that contained no specific budget for a Mars mission frustrated some members of Congress.
"Regrettably, this proposal contains no budget," Lamar Smith, a San Antonio Republican who chairs the House Science Committee, said Friday. "It contains no schedule, no deadlines. It's just some real pretty photographs and some nice words. That is … not going to get us to Mars."
Another Republican, Dana Rohrabacher, of California, was more blunt: "We don't even have a budget? This is insane."
In declaring that with the current budget there are no "viable pathways to Mars," the National Research Council cited several reasons. Among them are the high costs of developing Mars hardware, low flight rates - if NASA doesn't fly often stakeholders wonder what it is doing, and it's difficult to keep employees engaged - and maintaining a program across multiple presidential administrations.
With its current human exploration budget, plus inflation, the influential Pathways report found that the agency would only accumulate about $100 billion between now and 2040 for Mars-related work.
Without a clearly defined plan or the types of rockets, spacecraft and landers needed to pull it off, it is impossible to estimate how much it would cost to land astronauts on Mars. But industry sources offer rough estimates that, using NASA's current practices, the cost is likely between $200 billion and $400 billion.
A daunting task
Last year Mitch Daniels, the former Indiana Governor and current Purdue University president who co-led the Pathways report, said what struck him most during the process of researching and writing was how incredibly daunting it would be to reach Mars, both from an engineering and political standpoint.
"The nation's approach will have to be fundamentally changed if we are to succeed," Daniels said. "I don't think most amateurs like me understand how steep those challenges are."
Mark Albrecht, an aerospace executive and principal space adviser to President George H.W. Bush, does. He was part of Bush's team that, in 1990, tried to set NASA on a course to Mars.
That effort failed when NASA submitted a report that called for a tripling of its budget to eventually land humans on Mars.
Albrecht said NASA, now with a total annual budget of more than $18 billion, has enough funds to pull off a Mars mission.
"NASA has enough money, more than enough money," he said. "The problem is it is spent on a jillion different things."
When it comes to setting the budget, the agency spends billions on space science, Earth science, airplane technology and education. All may be worthy investments, but if NASA set Mars as its core goal and turned all of its field centers toward that aim, it could reach the red planet by the 2030s, Albrecht said.
But NASA's leaders, Albrecht said, are worried that if they go all in for a human mission to Mars the next president could come in, cancel that program, and there would be nothing left of the agency.
"The problem with that attitude is, essentially, NASA's leaders are saying the existence and sustainability of the organization is their number one priority," he said.
Leadership needed
Breaking that mold would require strong, committed presidential leadership. NASA has really only had that kind of sustained direction from a president once, under John F. Kennedy, who propelled the agency to the moon.
A couple of years ago the JFK Library released some tapes from 1962 in which Kennedy confronted NASA's administrator at the time, James Webb. This was a month after Kennedy's "We Choose to go to the Moon" speech.
During the exchange Kennedy makes clear to Webb that the primary goal is to safely send men to the moon and back.
Webb replies that there's a lot of science that goes along with that, and that the scientific community isn't going to be happy if this is simply an engineering exercise. The scientists want to learn a lot more about space and other things.
"If I go out and say this is the number one priority and everything else must give way to it, I'm going to lose an important element of support," Webb says.
"By whom? Who? Who?" Kennedy asks.
Particularly the "brainy people," Webb replies.
Kennedy is having none of it. "We ought to be clear," Kennedy says. "Otherwise we shouldn't be spending this money because I'm not that interested in space."


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I love history but never studied it at school. Why? Because I love seeing, touching, smelling…….and BEING THERE. I don't like having to read long, formal recounts or be tested on dates and names.
I wasn't too familiar with the history of New England before visiting Boston, so it was exciting to be learning so much in a short amount of time. Not being a fan of organised tours I decided to walk part of The Freedom Trail myself with the companionship of a $7 guide book. The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile red-brick walking path that shows you very significant sites that were heavily involved in the years surrounding America's break from Britain (a.k.a. the American Revolution).
In a tiny, wee nutshell, and in very, very laymen's terms, it goes something like this:
1630: Puritans arrive in Massachusetts and settle in Boston
1756 – 1763: The French and Indian War (Seven Years' War) renders Britain broke so they decide to raise money by taxing the colonies
Over the next few years: The British impose several taxes (including The Stamp Act and The Townshend Act) which really upsets the Americans so they get angry and riot. In 1770 the Boston Massacre occurs and a few civilians die at the hands of British troops.
1773: The Tea Act is passed, the Americans are more angered at getting taxed so highly on items so they throw a bunch of tea into Boston Harbour. This is known as The Boston Tea Party. The British get touchy about this so they impose even more taxes and restrictions.
1775: Lots of fighting between Britain and America.
1776: Representatives from each of the original thirteen colonies vote to adopt a Declaration of Independence to reject the British Monarchy and its Parliament. Key players ("Founding Fathers") included George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.
The 4th of July, Independence Day, is the celebration of those thirteen states becoming independent and no longer being a part of the British Empire. Learning about this rich history from a textbook is one thing. Being there to see the buildings it happened in is a whole different experience.
The photos below are:
- A sign indicating the direction of the Freedom Trail.
- King's Chapel – "A symbol of what the Puritans fled". The Puritans that settled in Boston were religious rebels fleeing the corruption they saw in the official Church of England (Anglican Church). Half a century later, King James II ordered for an Anglican parish to be established in Boston.
- Old South Meeting House – where Boston's citizens met repeatedly with English officials to demand their rights.
- The inside of Old South Meeting House.
- Old State House – United States' oldest public building and originally the centre of British authority.
All images appearing on this blog (solange.posterous.com) may not be reproduced, copied or manipulated without the written permission of Solange Francois. © 2010