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Homemade Brownies
My DH has never been a huge fan of desserts. The only thing he really loves are brownies. A brownie sundae to be exact. No matter what restaurant we are at, if they have a brownie sundae he is going to order it. After a while we started making the box brownies and going crazy over brownie sundaes at home.
One day I realized, "I can probably make these homemade and they will taste a lot better." So I started my quest to create the perfect homemade brownies. This easy brownie recipe doesn't call for butter but uses oil instead. That is frowned on by some but it made for a better brownie for my palate. Let me know what you think.
Delicious Rating: Chocolatey, chewy, delicious. This is the perfect homemade brownie recipe. They aren't cakey but chewy, like brownies should be. We dress up the brownies with caramel & chocolate sauce. Top with vanilla ice cream and additional pecans…need I say more?
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup white sugar (I used powdered because I was out of granulated)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly oil an 8x8 baking dish.
- In a large bowl combine oil, sugar, and vanilla.
- Stir in eggs.
- Add in flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Stir until all is well combined.
- Add in pecans.
- Pour into baking dish and bake for 25 minutes.
- Cool and serve warm.
This is a small recipe for and 8×8 pan. Double it or triple for a 9×13.
Brownie mix doesn't have to be super mixed. Don't over mix the batter, just combine well.
Related Posts
4 Responses to Homemade Brownies
Easy recipe to follow, smelled wonderful and looked perfect! WAY TO SALTY…had to throw the entire batch away!! I was so embarrassed, we had a friend of our daughters over for the first time and we just served the vanilla ice cream! I wish I would have made them out of the box.
I think that lady must've measured wrong. Half a teaspoon of salt will hardly be noticeable in any pan of brownies. Mine turned out delicious! Thanks for the quick & easy recipe!


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Toronto. We sometimes forget that our city once was the engine of industrial Canada. In 1898, the massive Toronto Lithographing Company, founded two decades earlier, commissioned photographer A A Gray to record the interior facilities at the north-west corner of King and Bathurst.
Here you see the huge camera housed in the Photography Department. The photo is held as Fonds 1137, item 0002 by the Toronto Archives. The brief history and all 14 interior shots are noted by Toronto's OCAD University downtown (the school of the colourful stilts you see on TV's Kim's Convenience program).
Thanks to PHSC member George Dunbar for sourcing a photo taken in this once famous business. Like most businesses of yesteryear, the Toronto Lithographing Company is now lost in History.
The web site Archeion (Archives Association of Ontario) provides this brief history of the company, "The Toronto Lithographing Co. opened under the proprietorship of Gorrell, Craig & Co. at 33 Wellington Street East, Toronto in 1878 offering lithographing, engraving, and electrotyping services.
"A.H. Gorrel & Co. became the proprietors 1879-1880, and Daniel T. Corrie and Charles F. Bennett were the proprietors 1881-1883. From 1883 William Stone was the proprietor; with John Douglas Wright 1883-1885, and Frederick William Heath and William Crowley Jephcott from 1886.
"In 1884 the company moved from Wellington Street to 60 York Street where it remained for one year before moving to 26-28 King Street East. In 1891 the firm moved to 13 Jordon Street, and on January 6, 1895 the facility was destroyed by fire. The following year the Toronto Lithographing Co. re-located in a new building at 459-467 King Street West at Bathurst Street.
"In 1909 the Toronto Lithographing Co. became Stone Ltd., with William Stone as president, and Frank Stone as vice-president and managing director. In 1917 the company merged with Rolph & Clark Ltd. to form Rolph-Clark-Stone Ltd., with Frank Rolph honourary president, William Stone president, Thomas J. Clark vice-president, Frank A. Rolph 2nd vice-president and managing director and treasurer, and Frank W. Stone general manager and secretary."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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Applicant Requirements:
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Introduction: Setting Up and Configuring OpenHAB. Part 6 : IoT, Home Automation
So, if you have followed the earlier parts (IoT - 'Intranet' of Things : Home Automation. Part 1 : IoT, Introduction onwards) you will have yourself an IoT network similar to that shown above (pic 2 and 3). In this part we will add the final touch. The user friendly front end which will allow you to view status, effect control, and visualise trending data all of which coming straight from your home environment via your IoT devices. This front end will be provided by OpenHAB (pic 4).
This Instructable will detail how to do the following;
- Install OpenHAB and configure it to start up during the boot sequence of the Raspberry Pi
- Install Samba to allow for easier OpenHAB home site development, including adding new Icons
- Install OpenHAB Designer and show how to debug your code.
- Provision an example home site based on the earlier parts in this series, allowing the system full access to the exposed functionality in each IoT device.
What parts do I need?
- A home network
- Router with DCHP server
- One Raspberry Pi B+ or better
- One USB Hub, Keyboard, Mouse and LCD monitor to set up the Pi
- One Win 7 PC
- If you have followed all the preceding parts you can use the 3 off IoT devices to live test your OpenHAB server. Failing that you can use MQTTSpy (I have outlined how to carry out live and simulated testing below)
What skills do I need?
Realistically you will need the following;
- A truck load of patience.
- A better than average knowledge of Linux. If you have been following all the examples in this series, you will have more than adequate ability in this area.
- Some knowledge of Java or Eclipse Xtend (if you are looking to do more than just the simple examples you typically find on the internet)
Series Links
To Part 5 : Creating Your First IoT Ethernet Device. Part 5 : IoT, Home Automation
To Part 7 : Study Lights Controller (reworked). Part 7 : IoT, Home Automation
Step 1: Installing OpenHAB on Your Raspberry Pi
As mentioned above we will be using the OpenHAB server software for our user friendly front end, since like the Mosquitto MQTT Broker, its free and runs under Linux so it will work with the Raspberry Pi.
As before I am assuming you have followed the steps in my earlier Instructable named 'IoT - Intranet of Things : Home Automation. Part 1 : IoT, Introduction' and have a Raspberry Pi already set up, connected to your network and ready to go.
All you need to do is make the following minor changes. Using PuTTY to connect to the Pi (MYHOSTNAME.local) and from the command line enter;
- sudo raspi-config
Select option (8) Overclock and choose -> High 950MHz ARM, 250MHz Core, 450MHz SDRAM, 6 overvolt
Select option (9) Advanced Options then (A2) Hostname.
Enter 'OPENHAB' and save the changes.
Exit then choose to reboot the Pi
You can now re-connect PuTTY to this Pi by using the new hostname 'OPENHAB.local'.
Create a PuTTY saved session named 'OpenHAB', it will come in handy later.
The installation process is as follows;
Connect to your new OpenHAB server via PuTTY and remembering to copy Linux commands from this Instructable and paste them directly into PuTTY to avoid having to type any commands by hand. Answer Yes (y) to any questions.
Ensure you are in the home directory. If you are you will see the following prompt
pi@OPENHAB:~ $
If you don't see this enter
- cd ~
Now complete the following commands;
- sudo apt-get update
- sudo apt-get upgrade
- wget -qO - 'https://bintray.com/user/downloadSubjectPublicKey?username=openhab' | sudo apt-key add -
- echo "deb http://dl.bintray.com/openhab/apt-repo stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/openhab.list
- sudo apt-get update
- sudo apt-get install openhab-runtime
now (required for sound playing later), edit the openhab file in defaults;
- sudo nano /etc/default/openhab
change USER_AND_GROUP to root. ie.;
and edit openhab.service under systemd;
- sudo nano /usr/lib/systemd/system/openhab.service
also changing user and group to root ie.;
then, finally;
- sudo update-rc.d openhab defaults
- sudo systemctl enable openhab
- sudo chown -vhR pi:pi /etc/openhab
- sudo chown -vhR pi:pi /usr/share/openhab
That's it you're done. OpenHAB has now been installed as a service and will automatically start when you boot your Raspberry Pi.
Now we need to configure it and test it works. However, first we will make our life a little easier by mapping some drives.
Note : OpenHAB requires Java version 1.7 or greater. Enter java -version at a PuTTY terminal window to find out what version your Raspberry Pi has installed. However, if you use the 'Rasbian Jessie' I used 2016-03-18-rasbian-jessie.img it is version 1.8, as below;
- pi@OPENHAB:~ $ java -version
- java version "1.8.0_65"
- Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_65-b17)
- Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 25.65-b01, mixed mode)
Step 2: Mapping Drives With Samba
In step 8 of the first Instructable of this series on home automation (IoT - 'Intranet' of Things : Home Automation. Part 1 : IoT, Introduction) I explained how to install Samba, the free, Linux drive mapping software. I'm going to recapitulate here and make some additions. These additions will make life a lot easier when it comes to configuration and editing your OpenHAB site with OpenHAB Designer.
Follow these steps with a PuTTY terminal window using OPENHAB.local as the Host Name (see pic 1 above), remember to use the copy and paste method so you don't need to type anything. Answer yes (y) to any prompts.
- sudo apt-get install samba samba-common-bin
The next line invokes a command line editor named 'nano'
- sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf
Once nano has opened the file smb.conf it will look like the picture above. Scroll up and down with the arrow keys until you reach the [global] section and find the line marked;
# wins support = no
and change it to yes and remove the '#'
wins support = yes
Now go to the [homes] section under Share Definitions and ensure;
read only = no
Next, go to the bottom of the file an add the following. Once again you can select all the text below, copy it and paste it into the PuTTY window by right clicking.
comment= Home Directory
only guest=no
create mask=0777
directory mask=0777
force user=pi
force group=pi
[OpenHAB Home]
comment= OpenHAB Home
only guest=no
create mask=0777
directory mask=0777
force user=pi
force group=pi
[OpenHAB Config]
comment= OpenHAB Site Config
only guest=no
create mask=0777
directory mask=0777
force user=pi
force group=pi
Now save and quit. Press ^X (the control, key and the 'x' key), then type 'y' followed by return. Thats it.
Finish off the setup with the following commands (this assumes you used the defaults u/n 'pi', p/w 'raspberry');
- sudo smbpasswd -a pi
followed by password 'raspberry' twice
- sudo update-rc.d smbd enable
- sudo update-rc.d nmbd enable
- sudo service smbd restart
We're done.
If you got it right you will be able to see your Raspberry Pi in windows explorer Network section named 'OPENHAB' as above (third pic). It will be showing three network connected folders; 'OpenHAB Config', 'OpenHAB Home' and 'pi'. We are going to 'map' two folders to help us use the OpenHAB Developer software; OpenHAB Config and Home. These will be mapped to Windows drive letters O:\ and P:\ respectively. Don't worry if you have something else mapped to these, just pick a different letter.
To Map 'OpenHAB Config';
- click on the 'OpenHAB config' share,
- right click select 'Map network drive...' from the drop down menu,
- Select Drive O:\,
- Folder should already be showing '\\OPENHAB\OpenHAB Config' or if it isn'tclick Browse and from dialogue box 'Browse For Folder' locate 'OpenHAB Config' under PC OPENHAB,
- Click OK,
- Ensure Reconnect at logon and Connect using different credentials are checked,
- Click Finish (see pic 4 above),
- Next 'Windows Security' dialogue box will appear, now select 'Use Another Account' and enter 'pi' for username and 'raspberry' for Password,
- Ensure 'Remember my credentials' is checked (see pic 5 above). You only have to do this once,
- Click ok.
Now repeat the process for 'OpenHAB Home' but this time name drive letter as P:\ to map to, and when the 'Map network drive' dialogue box appears don't check 'Connect using different credentials'. They will be remembered from the previous drive mapping for OpenHAB Config.
That's all you need to do, it will now look something like pic 6 above. You can now drag and drop any configuration files straight into the correct OpenHAB directories on the Raspberry Pi right from your windows PC. Each time you boot your windows pc and your OpenHAB server is running, windows will automatically reconnect the drive for you.
Hint : If at anytime you want to remove the drive mapping, just select the drive O:\ or P:\ from windows explorer, right click and choose 'Disconnect' from the drop down menu. Couldn't be any simpler.
Step 3: Configuring OpenHAB Server
Now we have installed OpenHAB and extended the Samba drive mappings we need to complete some customisation such that it runs correctly at each power up.
Customising is broken into two main constituent parts;
- Edits to OpenHAB configuration file 'openhab.cfg'
- Copy over of any addons
For the example home site I developed for this Instructable ('stevequinnhousehold') we will be using the following addon bindings and persistence;
- MQTT Binding (for binding think of a way to connect to something. ie. the MQTT Broker, Mosquitto)
- NTP Binding (this is to make up for the fact that the Pi doesn't have a real time clock to tell the time)
- RRD4J Persistence (for persistence think values over time. ie. plotted points of temperature, humidity etc.)
Editing OpenHAB Configuration file
Make a copy of the configuration file in case you make any mistakes
- sudo cp /etc/openhab/configurations/openhab_default.cfg /etc/openhab/configurations/openhab.cfg
Now edit this file and make the following changes. I am working on the assumption you are following this and the previous examples to the letter.
- sudo nano /etc/openhab/configurations/openhab.cfg
Locate the Transport configurations section - 'MQTT Transport' and make the following changes;
Now locate the Binding configurations - 'NTP Binding' and make the following edits (Note: I picked the NTP server for the UK, if you are not in the UK you should check; http://support.ntp.org/bin/view/Servers/NTPPoolServers for your country's NTP server);
Finally, under General configurations ensure persistence is set to the following;
Now save and quit nano. Press ^X (Ctrl-X) and y, then press return.
Copy over addons
Now we have completed our custom configuration it only remains to copy over the addons we will be using as part of the operation of the home site. To make your life easier in the future should you wish to extend the given example, we will get a copy of all the addons, but only 'install' the ones we need for now.
Enter the following commands to download and take a copy of all the bundled addons OpenHAB has to offer;
- sudo mkdir /usr/share/openhab/addons_repo
- cd /usr/share/openhab/addons_repo
- sudo wget https://bintray.com/artifact/download/openhab/bin/distribution-1.8.3-addons.zip
- sudo unzip distribution-1.8.3-addons.zip
Note : There will be a lot of them to unzip so it may take a minute or so.
Now copy over those addons we will be using with the home site example.
- sudo cp /usr/share/openhab/addons_repo/org.openhab.binding.mqtt-1.8.3.jar /usr/share/openhab/addons/org.openhab.binding.mqtt-1.8.3.jar
- sudo cp /usr/share/openhab/addons_repo/org.openhab.binding.ntp-1.8.3.jar /usr/share/openhab/addons/org.openhab.binding.ntp-1.8.3.jar
- sudo cp /usr/share/openhab/addons_repo/org.openhab.persistence.rrd4j-1.8.3.jar /usr/share/openhab/addons/org.openhab.persistence.rrd4j-1.8.3.jar
Now restart the openhab service and pick up your changes.
- sudo service openhab restart
Ok, that's it, you're done.
Note : When you want to shut your Raspberry Pi down, enter
- sudo shutdown now
When you restart your Raspberry Pi OpenHAB server, OpenHAB will automatically start using your custom configuration.
Hint : Useful Nano editing key combinations
- ALT-M-A : Begin text selection
- ALT-6 : Copy selected text
- Ctrl-U : Paste text
- Ctrl-K : Cut selected text
- Ctrl-W : Find a text string
- Ctrl-X : Quit and write changes (remember to choose 'y' to save your changes)
NOTE : for '{' read less than and for '}' read greater than. Unfortunately the Instructables editor strips these characters from your text.
Step 4: OpenHAB Designer
As mentioned above, in order to create an OpenHAB home site all you need to do is edit some text files (.items, .sitemap as a minimum), to achieve this you can use a 'plain old' text editor like nano on the Raspberry Pi (or indeed use an editor on the PC, I prefer TextPad) and edit the files of interest, then save your changes and see it work via a browser refresh.
It is perfectly possible to work in this way and develop your OpenHAB site. The downside to this is you don't get any fancy 'bells and whistles' that an integrated development environment (IDE) would provide. Such as Microsoft's Visual Studio (TM) or Microchip's MPLABX (TM) offer.
To go some way to address this the OpenHAB team created OpenHAB Designer (OHD) whilst it is by no means as feature rich as the above IDEs it does give you some better feedback when writing your OpenHAB files. I give further details of this in the 'Debugging your rules' step.
Installation is relatively simple and requires the following three operations (for a Win 7 PC);
- Download and install the latest 32bit version of Java Runtime Environment (JRE),
- Download and unzip OpenHAB Designer
- Edit the file openHAB-Designer.ini file such that it points to the 32bit JRE.
Installation Steps;
- Step 1 : Go here http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/down... and download the 32bit JRE. See pic one. You are looking for 'jre-8u92-windows-i586.exe'. Once installed the software will reside here 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre1.8.0_92\bin'
- Step 2 : Go here http://www.openhab.org/getting-started/downloads.h... and download openHAB Designer. See pic 2. Place the zip file 'distribution-1.8.3-designer-win.zip' anywhere and unzip it.
- Step 3 : From your unzipped OHD directory locate the file named 'openHAB-Designer.ini' and add the following lines to the top of the file;
- -vm
- C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre1.8.0_92\bin\javaw.exe
I added a copy of the 'openHAB-Designer.ini' file I used below.
Editing your OpenHAB Home Site
To start OHD;
- Double click 'openHAB-Designer.exe'. You will be greeted by the screen in pic 3
- Click on the open file image as in pic 4
- Assuming you followed my advice regarding Samba, navigate to the configurations directory on your O:\ drive and click 'ok' (as in pic 5)
- You will then get the view in pic 6 detailing the important directories; Items, Persistence, Rules, Scripts, Sitemaps and Transform.
- You can now edit your existing files by double clicking on them in the top left hand pane (pic 7).
How do I create new files?
Assuming we want to create a new sitemap named 'sq.sitemap'
- Ensure OpenHAB Designer is closed
- From Windows explorer navigate to 'O:\configurations\sitemaps'
- Right click and select New -> Text Document
- Rename the text document sq.sitemap and click ok
- Click yes to the 'Rename' dialogue box which moans about a filename extension change making the file unusable
- Now start up OpenHAB Designer
- You will now see the new file under the Sitemaps folder.
Happy editing...
A. Use Google Chrome to view your OpenHAB Home Site from your PC. Internet Explorer hangs. Chrome is free and you can get it here; https://www.google.com/chrome/
B. One nagging issue I came across when using OpenHAB Designer was, if you restart the OpenHAB deamon via one of the following;
- Reboot your Raspberry Pi, sudo reboot now
- sudo service openhab restart
You will need to change the user:group on the OpenHAB files on the raspberry Pi from openhab:openhab to pi:pi or you will get a 'Save Problems' dialogue box as above (pic 8). You can do this by entering the following commands from a PuTTY terminal window.
- sudo chown -vhR pi:pi /etc/openhab
- sudo chown -vhR pi:pi /usr/share/openhab
It's a side effect (known issue) of installing OpenHAB Designer via apt-get install
C. Using OpenHAB Designer on the Raspberry Pi. In short you can't. Although the Pi is a Linux box OHD was built for x86 architectures. Straight from the horses mouth. Kai Kreuzer that is. See https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/openhab/-Ol42n-USn0
D. Don't use the OpenHAB Designer internal Browser, it's 'buggy'. Each time I used it, it just hung and I needed to use windows task manager to kill it off. Better to use Chrome as I mention. Also see https://github.com/openhab/openhab
I didn't bother adding any reference to HABMin, since after having evaluating it I found it flaky and didn't integrate well into OpenHAB.
Step 5: OpenHAB Designer Significant Files
I have listed out above in the picture (pic 1) the files which are important to the successful use of OpenHAB and their respective locations.
If you wish to use the 'stevequinnhousehold' example all you need to do is unzip the contents of the zip file below and drop the files into the directories shown above.
If you have mapped your drives as I have this will only take minutes.
OpenHAB also has a demo home site you can experiment with. It can be downloaded from here http://www.openhab.org/getting-started/downloads.h... see pic 2 above.
The full details on the constituent parts of OpenHAB are described here;
Items : https://github.com/openhab/openhab/wiki/Explanatio...
Sitemaps : https://github.com/openhab/openhab/wiki/Explanatio...
Rules : https://github.com/openhab/openhab/wiki/Rules
Transform : https://github.com/openhab/openhab/wiki/Transforma...
Persistence : https://github.com/openhab/openhab/wiki/Persistenc...
Step 6: Steve Quinn Household - OpenHAB User Interface
The above pictures depict the home site I created for my series on home automation.
The main site is named 'stevequinnhousehold' with IoT devices placed in the Garage, Study and Guest Bedroom respectively. Picture one outlines the menu structure and the remaining pictures the contents of these pages.
I have added the ability to view or change all the exposed functionality present in each the IoT devices the earlier parts of this series detail how to create and have also added in 'persistence' such that dynamic graphs of barometric pressure, temperature, humidity and heat index are displayed.
Once the files which make up 'stevequinnhousehold' have been installed on your OpenHAB server, to view the home site you will need to enter the following in Google Chrome.
Hint : What do I mean by exposed functionality? Simply anything within the IoT device which can be read from or written to via MQTT. So for instance, the Garage IoT device has an LED and DHT22 sensor which means it has a local output (red LED) and some local input (temperature and humidity, Heat Index is calculated). The code in the IoT device allows a remote publisher to turn on and off the LED with '/WiFiDevice/Led2Command' topic publications and a remote subscriber to receive topic publications as the device will periodically publish its local Temperature, Humidity and Heat Index if they change via /WiFiDevice/Temp1Status, /WiFiDevice/Humd1Status and /WiFiDevice/HeatInd1Status. If you look at the OpenHAB web page for the Garage you will see all of these items represented by icons, values (Degrees C and percentage) and a switch.
Step 7: There Are IOS OpenHAB Clients
So are there any other ways you can view the OpenHAB home site?
Yes, OpenHAB offer applications for iOS and android.
Screen shots of the iPad iOS version are shown above
Step 8: And Not to Leave Out Android Users
And for Android users the App Store has the following OpenHAB App.
Step 9: Debugging Your Rules
There are typically a few options open to you when debugging OpenHAB (on the Raspberry Pi) with OpenHAB Designer (on the PC). These are Semantic and Functional debugging.
Semantic Debugging
If you do opt to use OpenHAB Designer, one of the benefits of the software is it will help you pickup any semantic errors by highlighting the line in error with a red 'x' (in pic 3 above), here the software has detected the random text error 'ThisIsABlatantMistake' and highlighted it.
The software will also help you complete your code by offering any potential alternatives (as in pic 2 above). To obtain this help whilst typing, simply press Ctrl-SPACE. A short while later a drop down menu will appear detailing the possible alternatives. Use the up/down arrow keys to make your selection and press enter to make your choice.
Functional Debugging
This area of debug is a little tricky. Once you have entered all your code for .sitemap, .rules, .persist, Transforms(MAPS, Java Scripts etc) and .items which is reasonably straight forward. You can point your Chrome browser to your home site (http://openhab.local:8080/openhab.app?sitemap=stevequinnhousehold), refresh it and see the fruit of your labour before your very eyes.
But what happens if you are working on a rule and you get no response or a response in Chome which makes no sense. If such a situation occurs then you can use logging to help you to debug. See https://github.com/openhab/wiki/Rules for further details (generalised process depicted in pic 1). However in short you can effectively carryout print statement debugging if you do the following (pics 4 and 5 above);
Open PuTTY, connect to your OpenHAB Server and enter;
- tail -f /var/log/openhab/openhab.log
- To switch on logging within your rules, edit the logback.xml file;
- sudo nano /etc/openhab/logback.xml
- Locate the following line;
- {logger name="org.openhab" level="INFO" /}
- Enter this below it;
- {logger name="org.openhab.model.script.stevequinnhousehold" level="DEBUG"/}
- Save your changes and quit nano ^X, y, return
- Add the following line to your rules file, in the rule of interest. ie the one you are debugging.
- logDebug("stevequinnhousehold","Rule being debugged")
- Save your changes to the .rule file in OpenHAB Designer.
- A short time later the tailed log will show the changes being read by the OpenHAB server : 'Refreshing model 'stevequinnhousehold''
- When your rule executes the code of interest the following will appear in the tailed log;
- YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS.S [DEBUG] [del.script.stevequinnhousehold] - Rule being debugged
So by using this method you can print debug your software until you fix any issues. To help your understanding I left some debugging code in the stevequinnhousehold.rules file, 'Sync Controls' rule.
Hint : Quitting a running command line program.
There are some subtle differences when you exit a program on a Linux system using ^C (Ctrl-C) and ^Z (Ctrl-Z). Depending on how you use these commands you may get what think is strange behaviour.
Ctrl-C : This command will exit and terminate a running program. You could use it to quit from the tailed log example above.
Ctrl-Z : This command suspends a program and gives you back the command line. In effect your previously invoked program is still in memory but gets no processor time. To correctly terminate a program after using ^Z, you will need to re-activate the suspended program by entering fg then ^C. If you restart a program that was suspended with ^Z you may find odd behaviour given the program is effectively still loaded before trying to load over the top.
NOTE : for '{' read less than and for '}' read greater than. Unfortunately the Instructables editor strips these characters from your text.
Step 10: Making Your Own Icons
Making your own icons for OpenHAB is reasonably simple. I used Microsoft Paint (TM) to create mine.
All you need to do is to carryout the following steps;
- Run up paint,
- Select Properties (pic above),
- From Image Properties dialogue box, select, Units = Pixels,
- Enter Width and Height = 32,
- Click Ok,
- Zoom in on your image. It will be very small (pic above),
- Make your edits,
- Save as a .png file.
Copy the .png file to your OpenHAB Rasperry Pi Server in the following directory;
- /usr/share/openhab/webapps/images
or if you have mapped the directories as I have you simply drag and drop them into (pic above);
- O:\webapps\images
Once you have done this you need to change the file attributes by entering the following from a PuTTY window;
- cd /usr/share/openhab/webapps/images
- sudo chmod 644 *.png
And that's it. Now you can reference your new icons in your .items file. So for humidity.png that would be {humidity}. You just miss off the .png.
Alternatively you could plagiarise from a web site (I found these useful);
Although I have included a copy of the icons I used in the OpenHAB Designer step I have also included a zipped copy below.
One point to Note, if you use Paint. The image is not layered so it will always have a background colour. I chose white.
NOTE : for '{' read less than and for '}' read greater than. Unfortunately the Instructables editor strips these characters from your text.
Step 11: Testing Your OpenHAB Site
There are essentially two ways you can test your hard work as depicted above.
- You can use live IoT device data
- You could use simulated MQTT traffic with MQTTSpy
There are merits in using both, which is how I did my testing.
Live data is great for real world testing, but is non-deterministic. In otherwords if you are trying to track down a bug that only occurs after a strange sequence of events. This is not the best method to use. you are better off deploying MQTTSpy.
I have included video clips of both typical test scenarios above.
For the simulated data testing I connected to the MQTT broker 'MQTTSVR' with MQTTSpy using the client-Id 'WIZNet5100-de:ed:ba:fe:fe:ee' such that it looked like the Ethernet Device I had connected earlier in the day.
I then Simulated the following;
- From MQTTSpy to OpenHAB : Remote Logfile Open/Close Button Push
- From OpenHAB to MQTTSpy : Logging Period Update, Time and Date Set
- From MQTTSpy to OpenHAB : Remote Button Pressed/Released
- From MQTTSpy to OpenHAB : Barometric Pressure update
For live data testing I picked out a few representative items to check. It was interesting to note that during testing I needed to refresh Chrome for it to pick up the Icon changes when setting the logging state. Also you will notice that the remote temperature is showing 'TR: 00.00' on the blue LCD display, this is because after resetting the Ethernet IoT device prior to shooting the video, the remote garage temperature sensor hadn't picked up any changes in ambient temperature, so there were no updates to the default initialised value of 00.00. However the temperature trend OpenHAB displayed showed a constant (persisted) 19.20 Deg C.
Step 12: Conclusion
So, if you have been following all the steps in this series, you will by now be adept in setting up, developing, debugging and extending your own intranet of things. Hopefully the main thread was relatively easy to follow and you feel confident about making your own IoT network.
What would I have done differently?
The naming convention of the MQTT topics I think was a little on the rushed side and really needs a lot of thought. I did find two useful sites where this topic was discussed to some extent. They are listed in the next step.
Developing rules was a steep learning curve I think I would have done much better had I learned Java and Xtend before trying to tackle home site development. I needed to do a lot of reading round to 'get a grip' on this.
Bones of contention
I was unable to get the System Startup Rule working, no matter what I tried. I did a lot of 'googling' and did not I was not the only OpenHAB user to have experienced this.
Graphs flickering. This is a known issue to overcome this I changed the layout of the home site 'pushing' the graphs down into sub-menus to prevent constant screen updates.
Where next?
I am in the process of developing some extra IoT devices for my network which I will getting round to publishing when the bits arrive from China;
- TV Simulator
- Mains switch
- Facial/Image recognition door lock (mainly for comedy value with OpenCV rather than actual deployment)
Thanks go to the following OpenHAB community members;
'sihui' : https://community.openhab.org/users/sihui/activity and
'watou' : https://community.openhab.org/users/watou/activity
for their help in understanding OpenHAB Designer and Mapping of MQTT inputs respectively.
Step 13: References Used
I used the following references to put this instructable together;
OpenHAB Site
OpenHAB Community Site
OpenHAB Detailed Guides
- https://github.com/openhab/openhab/wiki/Explanation-of-items
- https://github.com/openhab/openhab/wiki/MQTT-Binding
- https://github.com/openhab/openhab/wiki/Explanation-of-Sitemaps
OpenHAB installation guides
OpenHAB Supported platforms/Raspberry Pi Acceleration Tips
OpenHAB Designer
- https://github.com/openhab/openhab/issues/1714
- http://www.openhab.org/features/supported-platform...
- http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/down...
Persistence and graphs
- https://embeddedcode.wordpress.com/2014/08/30/my-s...
- https://github.com/openhab/openhab/wiki/Charts
- https://github.com/openhab/openhab/issues/1325
- http://www.homeautomationforgeeks.com/openhab_pers...
OpenHAB trending flicker
Configuring OpenHAB
OpenHAB downloads site
Debugging OpenHAB
- https://github.com/openhab/openhab/wiki/Rules
- https://forum.mysensors.org/topic/702/openhab-mqtt-example/10
OpenHAB G+ Site
NTP Server page
Further reading on underlying OpenHAB coding language
General Linux stuff
Good overviews and projects pages
- http://www.homeautomationforgeeks.com/openhab_rules.shtml#intro
- http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/getting-started-openhab-home-automation-raspberry-pi


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Detailed plot synopsis reviews of First King of Shannara - Heritage of Shannara 5
Chapter Analysis of First King of Shannara - Heritage of Shannara 5
Click on a plot link to find similar books!
Plot & ThemesComposition of Book Descript. of chases or violence 20%planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives 30%Feelings, relationships, character bio/development 30%Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places 20% Tone of book - very upbeat FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past Tech./$$$/Info hunt - Yes Stealing/recovering/destroying - magical weapon Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Main CharacterIdentity: - Male Age: - long lived adults If magical mental powers: - can cast many different spells
SettingTerrain - Mountains - Forests Takes place on Earth? - Yes
Writing StyleAccounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths Sex in book? - Yes How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Books with storylines, themes & endings like First King of Shannara - Heritage of Shannara 5
|The White Hart by Nancy Springer
|Devlin's Honor by Patricia Bray
|Sword-Sworn by Jennifer Roberson
|Guardians of The Lost - Sovereign Stone Trilogy 2 by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman
|The Scions of Shannara - Heritage of Shannara 1 by Terry Brooks


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Got a drone problem? Snake River Shooting Products has a drone solution. Snake River Shooting Products and Consulting Inc. has announced a new ammo line for 12-gauge shotguns designed for taking out low-flying drones, to defend against "drone-based privacy concerns and terror!"
Called Drone Munition, it's not a new idea but it's real, and it's here, available now through Lucky Gunner. Currently offered in number 2 shot, SRSP is working on a second BB load. Both use SRSP's "proprietary ferromagnetic ballistic payload" steel shot which can be used just about anywhere and definitely plays up on the ammo's ability to mess up a drone.
"We are very excited to be manufacturing a product focused on defending our freedoms. We see this line as a game changer in the industry and as an important defense against rising threats to our way of life," said Casey Betzold, Snake River president.
This isn't the first time we've seen anti-drone shotshells from Lucky Gunner but the last round was a just an April Fool's gag. Snake River is a genuine ammo manufacturer that's best known for their ammunition for Team Never Quit lead by "Lone Survivor" author and retired Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell.
Drone Munition shells are sold in 25-round boxes for $22 per box which is up there but not totally out of line for premium hunting and target ammo. They are 3-inch shells loaded with 1.25 ounces of steel shot.
"Drone Munition was created to provide defense against the danger caused when drones are misused. Drone Munition is lead free, safe for the environment and provides a very high quality load that will effectively disable a drone encroaching your property's airspace," the company said. "As a side note, the round also makes for a very high end hunting load for ducks, geese or turkeys."
The concept of shooting drones goes back a few years and has even been turned into a niche shotgun sport called Gnat Warfare, where five-person teams take turns to destroy reactive targets on the underside of special remote-control airplanes.
Still, the current generation of drones do raise legitimate privacy concerns. Recently a Kentucky father brought the matter to national attention after being arrested for shooting down a drone on his property while his daughters sunbathed nearby, and before that, a Colorado town pushed the issue by selling hunting licenses for drone hunters.
This is one way to deal with it in a silly way, more to raise awareness than it is to provide the means to drop flying spy cams.
The post Shotgun ammo maker asks: Are you prepared for drones? appeared first on Guns.com.


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WWOB returns to Kamchatka, Russia 2018Ministry | Friday, November 16th, 2018
I was thrilled to be able to return to Kamchatka, Russia after 10 years! We have so many good friends and pastors there, so it was a delightful 10 days!
Nov 1 – I flew from LA to Moscow (13 hours) and stayed overnight there. An old friend, Oleg, was available to take me downtown Moscow for the first time! Pretty stunning to see the Red Square in real life! the Kremlin is intimidating. Tomb of Lenin sobering. Lots of lights and powerful imagery there. I especially enjoyed St. Basil's Cathedral (also known as the Cathedral of the Protecting Veil of the Holy Mother of God on the Moat). Next stop Kamchatka!
Nov 2 – Flight from Moscow to Kamchatka (9 hours) was fine. Saw the beautiful volcano Koryoksky from the plane coming in. After I arrived I saw some sights in the Petropavlovsk (PK) area. Had lunch at church then came to an apartment to rest n unpack. Friday night I didn't do anything but smile and reconnect with a lot of wonderful people. Found a translator to do my power points so that is very cool. She also became my interpreter. Her name is Nona and she's pretty sharp. After today she wept telling me what it meant to her working with me and the messages' impact on her. She's a worship leader in a different church and an English teacher! Deeply touched by all of this. This is the annual Full Gospel Churches' conference w about 400 in attendance from all over Kamchatka. Pretty cool. And the new sanctuary is beautiful and sounds great too. Maryl and I were honored to pray over this building when it was still in construction 10 years ago! And we worshiped in the basement then! You'll notice that this striking building sits under the 'shadow' of Koryoksky! What a view to see everytime you come to church!
Nov 3 – I spoke this morning on Expectation. Engaging. Enjoying. (His Presence) Sang my song 'Strength in Silence' and a Russian song I knew: ??????? (Spaseeba-Thank You). They stood spontaneously when I started that. Pretty cool. Great response to God's presence. Many people responded to the altar call for salvation! Lunch w everybody in the basement. In the evening I did my prophetic song 'Prayer is for the Warrior'. Nikolai helped me translate the chorus so we sang that – he sang harmony. The whole place spontaneously stood and sang. Pretty powerful. Then I did my sermon on Extreme Worship with the Hebrew word: Shachah and the Greek word: Proskuneo. I got the whole congregation to stand, bow and worship – many for the first time. At the end I had all the kids and teens come up and do the Proskuneo bow and twirl. It was going so well I had them fan out into the aisles and had the worship team sing 'Blessed be the Name' and I would shout 'Proskuneo' in key spots of the song and everybody would bow and twirl. It was a kick. Talked about generations and believing in each other and celebrating together. It really energized the whole place. Again many people came forward to receive Christ!
Nov 4 Sunday went great! I sang my song 'Aloha' since some remembered it from last time and they really enjoyed it. Then Nikolai translated the first lines to my other song 'He Turns Everything Around' (so I have 2 songs started in Russian now!) It went really well. Then I shared the sermon "You have heard it said" There was a very strong anointing and God gave me new examples spontaneously. Challenged them with vision to be more like Jesus in every way. Another great response at the end and sang "Jesus lover of my soul". At the end of every service a pastor would come up and give an altar call(I am not supposed to) and many responded all weekend. Then we had a great lunch w everyone in the basement.
Next was the final session at 2pm. Great worship and my good friend, Pastor Nikolai Poliavkov preached up a storm. They sure love and respond to him. He preached a great sermon on psalm 46:11 powerful. Another great response w some getting saved. Then he called people up for healing. Packed the front so I and the other pastors waded into the throng and laid hands and prayed over as many as we could. Some wonderful moments Though it was hard to tell if they were healed. Some wanted prayer for family members too. While I am finishing up praying the Koryak people had gathered to do their traditional song we all love 'Eesus'. I got a pretty good video of it this time. This is a powerful song birthed in Kamchatka about God providing for the birds and us – the interpretive dance is spectacular!
Nov 5 The next day we went to a 30th anniversary party in Yelisovo then to a Banya (Russian Sauna) with all the pastors and got real hot. But survived. Yay!
Nov 6 Today I started teaching the Bible School plus pastors from many churches on worship 9-1pm Tuesday thru Friday. The classes are going great. Packed out and brimming with enthusiasm and excitement. Tuesday I did the whole Vision of Worship in 4 sections and used lots of stories and songs. Got them very involved. Tuesday night I taught a shortened version of that with just my sections on 'Every service reveals Jesus' and 'Every Song Vital Every Word Alive'. Strong anointing. Our good friend Stas interpreted some and also our translator from earlier times, Boris. Great guys. Fun interpreters! I did have a couple of hard days with my lower back. Very painful. Grabbing me. Hard to move at times. Doubled over in pain getting out of the car. Couldn't sleep on my right side because of pain in my lower left back. But by Thursday it was much better!
Nov 7 Today I taught on biblical worship ending with the Shachah n Proskuneo again. Powerful response. Added some new thoughts and examples that I will try to remember for the future. Great anointing and deep impact on this group.
Nov 8 Thursday I taught and worked w the leaders on their hearts and how to release worship both spiritually and practically. Trying to build their confidence and boldness. It seems to be working. In the evening I preached on the Heart of Worship using the story of the Samaritan woman in John 4. So many things to pull out of that beautiful story. Mostly its a story of revelation of God's love and restoration of our hearts. Sang my song 'Alegria' in Portuguese and 'Heart of Worship' (they sing that in Russian – I didnt).
Nov 9 Friday I finished with the Worship team in the Flow. Worked a lot with the singers singing properly to much delight. In between classes I presented a Cherokee basket from my Cherokee wife to a Koryak Pastor Valera! Very wonderful honoring the people of the land here in Kamchatka! After the presentation, all the indigenous people (about 20 in the class) came up and greeted me one by one – they said their name and greeted me in their native language! Beautiful and poignant moment! Then I got another Koryak lady to come up and showed her how to play a simple C chord on the piano (she had never played) and got everyone to sing 'How Great is Our God' while she 'accompanied' them! Then I put a guitar on a young worship leader who had never played before. I taught her a simple Em chord and how to strum and we started singing 'Eesus'. She did great and everybody loved it! Then I brought up three guitarists and an accordionist with me on piano and talked about voicing and working together. I taught them some chord progressions that led us into my teaching on flowing in prophetic worship. Got many to sing new songs and ended with a joint song of intercession over Kamchatka. Very powerful. I prayed over them and they prayed over me. Friday night they had their monthly worship service from 8pm to 2am!
Nov 10 After many good byes and hugs and gift-sharing I flew to Moscow and on to New York and then PORTLAND (about 48 hours!) Yay!
Thank you to all who prayed and supported me during this powerful and fruitful ministry in Kamchatka. I was able to plant a lot of good seed on a lot of good soil in this beautiful land. Maryl hopes to join me again to return in the near future. Continue to pray for these amazing and faithful believers as they continue to face hardships and persecution there.
Blessings to all, in Him,
Bonus Video: https://youtu.be/5LTuWeJiB88


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Congressional Democrats Eyeing 'Peace Dividend'
WASHINGTON--President Bush's call for deep reductions in the nation's nuclear arsenal has increased the already growing Congressional clamor to shift funds from defense to domestic programs, observers said last week.
The cutbacks outlined by Mr. Bush in a televised address Sept. 27 also are seen by many as making revision of his 1990 budget accord with lawmakers virtually inevitable.
"I've already spent the peace dividend 60 times," said Susan Frost, executive director of the Committee for Education Funding.
Mr. Bush and other Administration officials have sought repeatedly to dampen such expectations. "Some will say that these initiatives call for a budget windfall for domestic programs." the President said in his speech. "But the peace dividend I seek is not measured in dollars but in greater security."
"Given the ambitious plan I have already proposed to reduce U.S. defense spending by 25 percent, we cannot afford to make any unwise or unwarranted cuts in the defense budget I have submitted to Congress." he said.
In subsequent television appearances. Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney and Brent Scowcroft, the President's national-security adviser, said the cutbacks would produce no short-term savings. Additional money. in fact, would be required to accomplish the downsizing, they said.
"Five years out, I think there will be a peace dividend," Mr. Scowcroft said. "1 honestly don't know what the size will be."
Democrats' Calls for Change
But Congressional Democrats clearly do not intend to wait that long. It appeared last week that the President's attempt to defuse calls for even deeper defense cuts may have only increased the Democrats' determination to achieve savings.
Senator Sam Nunn, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. said in a Sept. 29 television appearance that it will be difficult for proponents of the B-2 bomber and the Strategic Defense Initiative to prevail in ongoing negotiations over defense authorization and appropriation bills, now that the President has seemingly undercut their position.
.Mr. Nunn, a Georgia Democrat who is generally seen as an advocate for defense programs, also said that the proposed nuclear-arms reductions imply cuts in bombers and other means of delivering such weapons.
The sweeping changes that have taken place in the Soviet Union had already spurred lawmakers to discuss moving funds from defense to domestic programs.
Representative David R. Obey, Democrat of Wisconsin, forced a vote in the House Appropriations Committee Sept. 24, for example, on an amendment to reduce fiscal 1992 defense spending by 1 percent and transfer the funds to domestic programs and foreign aid.
Mr. Obey lost on a 29-to-15 vote, however, and the House and Senate went on to approve a continuing resolution--needed to keep the government operating until the 1992 spending bills are enacted--that conforms to the budget pact. The fiscal accord sets separate caps for domestic and defense spending and forbids transfers between categories.
But talk of a peace dividend has escalated since the President's address.
Meeting with reporters last week, beth Speaker of the House Thomas S. Foley of Washington and Senator George J. Mitchell of Maine, the Senate majority leader, called for a reassessment of budgetary priorities.
Given Mr. Bush's proposal and changes in the world, Mr. Foley reportedly said, "it is difficult for me to believe that the budget should not be open for review."
Observers agreed last week that a re-examination of the 1990 budget accord is nearly certain, with or without cooperation from the White House.
Scrapping the agreement "would be difficult, but not impossible," without that cooperation, a Senate leadership aide said.
Ms. Frost said education advocates are already working to snag the anticipated peace dividend by ensuring that new money is allocated next year to the appropriations subcommittee that oversees education.
"We have to make sure we're involved with the transfer from the very beginning, to ensure that education and health and other programs for kids are in the forefront of the discussion," Ms. Frost said.
Transfer Attempts Foreseen
With fiscal 1992 already under way, it may be too late to effect funding transfers this year. But Congressional aides and observers predicted that some lawmakers would try to do so when the remaining appropriations bills are debated, or in debate on another continuing resolution if the regular funding bills have not been approved when the current stopgap measure expires Oct. 29.
"Some of our members will undoubtedly try it, and it's not inconceivable," said a Democratic appropriations aide. "But I wouldn't bet the proverbial farm."
Observers said the outcome of negotiations on defense spending will determine if there is a chance to shift money to domestic programs in 1992.
Ms. Frost said that talk of reassessment would in any case help education advocates as the social-services spending bill goes to a House-Senate conference.
"It certainly gets rid of this ridiculous argument that you can't spend money this year because of the implications for 1993," she said. "Now '93 looks like a different picture." Ms. Frost was referring to the fact that the budget caps are based on outlays, or the money actually spent in a given fiscal year. Because most money appropriated for education programs in a particular fiscal year is not spent until later years, some lawmakers have argued that increasing spending authority for education programs this year would put appropriators in a difficult bind in the future, when the caps are to become tighter.
That peculiarity could help education programs obtain part of a peace dividend, Ms. Frost noted, since cuts in defense spending generally result in lower outlays only in later years-when increased education spending would actually reach schools.
Vol. 11, Issue 06, Page 28Published in Print: October 9, 1991, as Congressional Democrats Eyeing 'Peace Dividend'
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Photo and Download Link
Sporobolus fimbriatus (Trin.) Nees -
fringed dropseed
Tracey Slotta. Provided by ARS Systematic Botany and Mycology Laboratory. South Africa.
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Sorry I've been rather quiet recently. I actually spent last week hospitalised with a sudden and extremely dangerous bout of Eczema Herpeticum and Periorbital Cellulitis. For those not in the know, EH is when the herpes simplex virus occurs, but unlike a healthy person who would get a cold sore or two, the virus spreads dramatically throughout the skin where eczema is prone. If not diagnosed and dealt with immediately, it can become a very complex series of affairs. Due to the fast spreading nature it can advance to and shut down various organs and cause even more serious infections such as septicemia.
In my individual case, it started within my eyes. In fact, 3 days prior to the outbreak I assumed my hay fever must have been playing up. It wasn't until the Saturday morning 3 days later that I woke up with my eyes literally glued together. I assumed it to be conjunctivitis. Only an hour later I then began to see the telltale signs of Eczema Herpeticum. It must be said that I am somewhat of an expert with this illness, given that this is now the 7th time I've contracted it since April 2012 but nevertheless, when the eyes are concerned it's best to seek a high level of medical advice. As it happened to be a Saturday I was forced to go to A&E as EH is considered to be a dermatological emergency.
I was then issued with the usual Aciclovir tablets that I have become accustomed to taking on a regular basis and off I went expecting it to work as it usually would. Only it wasn't working quickly enough. Over the course of the day my face was completely covered with EH. I went to bed, dreading to wake up the next day because I just knew it would be even worse.
It was of course dangerously worse. My right eye had swollen completely shut and in fact I looked unrecognisable.
Back off to A&E I went. I was fast-tracked to the outpatients department to see a GP who claimed to have never seen anything like this before. He even asked if he may take a photograph for medical teaching purposes, which I was more than happy to oblige to as people need to learn about these often unseen and infrequent, debilitating and sometimes life-threatening conditions.
I was admitted there and then as it was decided I would need to be administered treatment through a drip to try to slow down the vastly spreading infection.
Tests showed that I had developed a secondary infection of Periorbital Cellulitis! I couldn't believe it. I knew how awful a condition Cellulitis was and I also was aware of how long it could take to heal. Frightened was an understatement.
It took 6 days for the swelling to subside and for my face to return to a more normalised state. It was hell. I'm now home after being discharged on Friday evening and under strict doctor's orders to rest in the hope that it does not rebound.
You can read a more in depth story of it over on my blog: I Have Eczema which includes images of my progress and a video of me in my hospital side room.


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The 2017 Man Booker Shortlist is Here!
The 2017 Man Booker shortlist has been announced:
Paul Auster, 4 3 2 1
Listen to Paul Auster discuss James Baldwin, activism, and Donald Trump's rise to power.
Emily Fridlund, History of Wolves
Read Emily Fridlund on 11 classics of the new gothic canon.
Mohsin Hamid, Exit West
Read Mohsin Hamid in conversation with Christopher Lydon on migration, progressive politics, and love in the modern world.
Fiona Mozley, Elmet
Meet Fiona Mozley, rising star of British fiction.
George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo
Read George Saunders on death, Donald Trump, and the trick that made him a better writer.
Ali Smith, Autumn
Read a selection from Ali Smith's novel, Autumn.
Originally published in Literary Hub.


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Why Adjustable-Rate Mortgages Make a Comeback
Adjustable-rate mortgages, those tricky things that were a big part of the housing crash, are making a comeback, but of course, the people selling them say this time it's different. Annamaria Andriotis reports on MoneyBeat. Photo: Getty Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... ay ay mm mm ... good morning good Monday morning at the same Patrick's day this is MoneyBeat I am Paul vignette ... starting off with amenities than the adjustable rate mortgages Metro much trouble it clawed ... back in the day well they are making a comeback ... but of course the people selling them tell you ... this time it's different is that different ... AnnaMaria and FiOS's here with the story wrote that story ... owing ... to allow things to be here ay ay adjustable rate mortgage that has one of those things you use your and you're the knee-jerk reaction of ... oh God that's gotta be a terrible thing ... what is a terrible thing this time around ... it depends at this time around the banks are saying it's not a terrible thing because ... they're picking these loans to a very specific group of borrowers ... at those are the people for well off most the clients with in their wealth management and private banking division's when they see happy assets have the income to be able to afford these loans even when rates rise ... so the problem artists and the problem that many borrowers experience with these loans ... during the downturn of enduring to the housing boom ... out with that I'm in awe and only have a fixed rate for set period of time ... and then once that period is over and the rates become valuable on and ... it's very difficult to know how high I your way could be calm on ... and that ... poses the risk too many borrowers ... that to to address this key point about the kinds of people taking out these loans but full of Summit short story from your story with the headgear ... thing you see here I he'll take a walk us through this and see what was going on in the deafening come right so if if the body is essentially what we're seeing here ... is that of the mortgages that were given out between this range during the fourth quarter of twenty thirteen ... I'm only seven percent that that accounted for on the rest the rest were fixed rate mortgages but NBC howled down that is significantly from the housing boom when they accounted for as much as you forty five percent to fifty percent of loans given out in this range ... now we go to the next level three hundred fifty thousand just over ten to fifty thousand to four to seventeen thousand when looking at ten percent ... mini gets afford to seventeen ... to one million this is a crucial range because he represents in many markets what it considered the jumbo mortgage as ... the accounted for thirty one percent on account of the thirty one percent of these loans given out during either for quite of twenty thirteen Dow is up from twenty two percent a year prior it's the highest since the third one or two thousandeight here's ... here's the question ... um we know where interest rates are right now we know what the Federal Reserve's plans all are ... we know that interest rates are going up ... why he didn't take one of these things out now ... it's a gamble and the borrower score signing up for these are doing it to get the interest rate savings right now if you take a look at the spread between the rates being offered on ... jumbo fixed rate mortgages and our seats here which is about one point five percent of percentage points that is the largest it's been in some cases in more than a decade ... the family can get into our ... at two point nine percent or lower for the first five years versus a four point five percent rate on a fixed rate thirty year mortgage what you can see how the savings would amount to tens of thousands of dollars ... now the pencil say of course that were doing it differently this time it's not going to ... indoctrinate our balance sheet A more risky ... it ... can lead to me rely on that though ... I think the agenda for the time being the credit scores are very high much higher than they were during the down beat during the housing boom ... I've downpayments a very high higher arm so they are in fixed rate mortgages ... so that banks are really getting these but these loans out the best borrowers out there however we are seeing some low sitting ... with some lenders led Nissan to Sell and look at the point any unions this is one example where there hiking on their borrowers are a lot of retirees people on fixed income depending largely and social security ... of investing in the canteen and a small rate mortgage right now which is creepy a cash flow sure it's great but what will happen to these people drive six years from now and that


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Celebrities — they're just like us! They walk around the park. They pick out their own flowers. They take photos with their cell phones. In the case of Katie Couric, it just so happens that a camera crew is there to follow her around as she does all of these things.
Katie Couric announces new web series for ABC and Yahoo!
In the first TV promo for her upcoming daytime talk show, Katie, the former Today anchor takes "bubbly" to a whole new level with a little help from some very precocious kids and the soundtrack of Colbie Caillat's "Brighter Than the Sun."
Watch the promo here:
Will you tune in for Katie on Sept. 10?


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Keep many "balls in the air"
As we develop the trucking and logistics marketplace the total market of buyers and sellers begins to shrink. In our case we attempt to contact close to 300 trucking/logistics company a week to determine "who is buying" and "who is selling" or "is there a need for capital to buy…". The market remains active as it appears that those who held off selling in the recent down years are now ready to make a move. The possible expiration of the 15% Capital Gains rate is an incentive as well. While there are many sellers, the typical type of deal in
Boutique Investment Bank vs. Business Broker
In the transportation and logistics market we are constantly coming up against the tranditional local Business Broker as competition. It is important to distinguish the difference between a Boutique Investment Bank and a Business Broker. Lets start with the most obvious differences: Finra Licensing allows for securtiies transactions (IE: a stock sale) and insures the seller of a clean background check for the I-Banker. Private Equity experience is typically much stronger. Research on the Transportation and Logistics space is stressed nationally. After the sale services: a. Asset Management, Trust planning, succession planning utilizing a world wide top 10 Investment Bank,


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Etihad Airways enhances its chauffeur services in the UAE
Etihad Airways has implemented new features enhancing its chauffeur services in the UAE.
Effective immediately, customers will be able to book and manage Etihad's chauffeur services directly through the airline's upgraded mobile optimised website without having to call Etihad's Contact Centre or a travel agent.
Customers can now book and confirm their chauffeur service up to 12 hours prior to their flight's departure. The new system, created in partnership with Vxceed Technologies, also allows guests to amend or cancel their chauffeur booking, thereby giving them greater control of their travel requirements.
The new features will enable customers to receive SMS and e-mail confirmation for their scheduled pick-up. Moreover, customers can also connect with their chauffeur prior to being collected.
Jamal Ahmad Al Awadhi, Etihad Airways Head of Guest Experience Commercial, said: "This new service enhancement provides a seamless transportation experience for our guests, and enables them to be in direct contact with their chauffeur at all times.
"It is important that our renowned Etihad experience exists across the entire customer journey, from home to the airport, from the gate to the aircraft, and then upon arrival at their destination.
"The optimised chauffeur service, operated with Mercedes-Benz E-Class luxury sedans, will facilitate timely pick-up and drop-off for customers, and enable them to provide their live feedback after each trip, helping to always ensure the highest level of service in line with customers' needs."


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Hi all,
About V404 Cyg, what is the correct quiescent magnitude? I've seen estimates in the 17's but I think that's the magnitude of the very close (1.4 arcsec) neighboring star. Can someone clear this out?
And for the obscure variable RXJ0131.4+3602, on the AAVSO chart it's noted that the quiescent magnitude is 16.5 but RXJ0131 (fainter than 18) is very close to the N of this star. Am I right?
In the VSX it's noted that MN Lac is a possible UGZ variable, but with a noted range of 14.5 to 23.0: ... The quiescent mag. must be much brighter, I suppose?


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U.S.-backed Syrian fighters say they hold Islamic State leader's assistant
BEIRUT - U.S.-backed fighters in Syria have captured a seniοr Islamic State leader who served as an assistant to the grοup's self-declared "caliph" Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, they said οn Friday.
The Syrian Demοcratic Fοrces , a Kurdish-led militia alliance that holds the quarter of Syria east of the Euphrates, detained Osama al-Awaid last week, it said in a statement.
SDF fighters have been attempting to take Islamic State's last Syrian pοcket of territοry οn the banks of the Euphrates near Iraq fοr weeks, in an offensive backed by U.S.-led air strikes.
They captured Awaid in a special operatiοn in a village in eastern Syria, the statement said, adding that he had been a seniοr security official fοr Islamic State in the cοuntry.
Mοre than a year after Islamic State's physical "caliphate" cοllapsed in bοth Syria and Iraq under military attack, Baghdadi's whereabοuts remains a mystery.
However, despite its loss of territοry, the grοup has been able to launch guerrilla attacks in areas cοntrοlled by bοth the Syrian and Iraqi gοvernments.


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DOC have cut a track along the ridge between Umukarikari and Urchin. When I was last there a month or so ago there was still 600m at the Umukarikari end that had been marked but not yet cut.
This will make it a feasible round day trip taking in both Umukarikari and Urchin.
Care is needed going down the ridge from Umukarikari towards the bush. It is not yet marked and route finding might be an issue in fog.
DOC do intend to mark and signpost this route when the track cutting is finished, which hopefully will be before next summer.


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Skip to the recipe: Sweet Frying Pepper and Tomato Sauce.
We are in the height of the Farmers Market season here in the Northeast. The tables are overflowing with corn, zucchini, tomatoes and peppers. If you have a home garden the same is happening. With the abundance of leafy greens too, another salad is just not an option. Why not take some of those veggies and sauté them a bit? In particular the sweet frying peppers. Those along with a few tomatoes, onion and garlic, and you have a dish that can go from appetizer to main course in minutes.
Peppers come in a variety of shape, color and size, and taste ranges from sweet to intensely hot. This week I'm going to focus on a special variety called Sweet Frying Peppers. The shape is elongated and the colors can be red or green. The best part is they fry up in a snap because the skin is thin. The variety I have pictured above is called Jimmy Nardello, and has a great story behind it: named for an Italian from Basilicata, that brought the seeds with him when he emigrated to Connecticut in the 1800s. As luck would have it my farmer friend Mark Santoro is growing them at Gaia's Breath Farm.
This week's recipe would not be easier: I simply cut up the peppers along with tomatoes, red onion and a little garlic.
To kick it up I tossed in a little chili flake while it was cooking, but that is totally up to you. All told this will take you well under 30 minutes to put together. Click this link to see the recipe for: Sweet Frying Pepper and Tomato Sauce. The result is a beautiful chunky dish. The tomatoes and peppers will still have a lot of texture, which makes it not only beautiful to look at, but interesting on your palate. This is a perfect dish to eat just on it's own with a piece of crusty bread, or along with a nice protein.
With that in mind I thought I would share one of my favorite meatball recipes. A really good meatball is something to swoon over. I have had a couple in my day that made me just sigh … both by two of my favorite chefs: Dave DiBari and Mario LaPosta. Dave's, inspired from his Nonna, are soft and light in texture, nestled in a rich tomato sauce, and oh so good. Mario's are a little denser, and as you bite into the crisp exterior you find the inside soft and pack with loads of flavor. Many of you know I did a tour in the Tarry Lodge kitchen several years ago, and that is where I watched Mario create his delicious orbs. Roasting in the hot pizza oven gave them a crisp crust .
I still have his original recipe committed to memory, but have changed up a few ingredients to make it my own. Click here to see the recipe for: Maria's Favorite Meatballs.
The key is to get a nice crisp crust on the outside of the meatball. Most of us don't have a pizza oven registering at 900 degrees, so a hot pan coated with a thin layer of olive oil will get us to the right place. Try not to move them around a lot – or as I like to say in my cooking classes "resist the urge to touch them." When they are ready, they will release.
Once you get a nice crust all the way around, nestle them in the sauce and simmer for a few minutes.
Every now and then it's fun to make your own meatballs. Not the least of which is the knowledge of what is going into them. A lot of the pre-made varieties have a higher bread ratio, and lets face it, when you want to eat a meatball, you are looking for the "meat," right?
This weekend I will be taking my show on the road to the John Jay Farm Market. One of my favorite spots, right in front of the beautiful John Jay Homestead, in Katonah. I'll be making this quick sauce and cooking up some delicious meatballs as well, straight from Gaia's Breath Farm. Stop by my table for a taste.
Buon Appetito!


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By Eddie V. — Published May 30, 2018
Try as hard as you can, but sometimes your spending can get a bit out of hand. If you often find yourself spending more than you would like then perhaps it's time to get yourself an app to help manage your credit. There are a number of apps that have been developed to help you keep track of your credit in different ways.
Some apps are a full package that tracks your bank balance, your spending, debt, credit score, etc., while others help you keep track of bill payments or reward points earned. We have put together a list of the best credit tracking apps to help you find one that meets your needs best.
The five best apps to manage credit
Mint.com: Mint.com is definitely the whole deal when it comes to a credit managing app. The app available for iOS, Android, and Windows can be linked to your bank accounts and your credit cards. The app gives you a very clear picture of your bank balance as well as your spending. Mint.com also gives you your credit score and breaks up your spending into categories. The app can tell you in which category you spend the most and also help you to budget better. Cash payments can be manually entered into the app to be kept track of as well. Mint.com is free to download and use.
BillGuard: BillGuard is also free to use and is available for iOS and Android phones. BillGuard works very similarly to Mint.com and helps you track your monthly spending. The additional feature of BillGuard is that it lets you keep track of every credit card transaction and see if it was genuine or fraudulent. If you do notice a fraudulent transaction on your card, you can use the app to report it, contact the merchant or follow up later. BillGuard also breaks down your spending into categories so you can see in which areas you spend the most. The News Center keeps you informed about security breaches.
Credit Karma Mobile: Credit Karma Mobile is a free app that can be downloaded onto iOS, Android, and Windows. The main features of the app include credit monitoring, credit score calculating and credit report. The app keeps you informed on how your spending affects your credit score and what can be done to improve it. The credit score, however, is not a FICO score but based on TransUnion credit report.
Credit Sesame: Similar to Credit Karma Mobile, Credit Sesame also keeps track of your credit score, credit report and monitors your spending. The app helps keep a check on your debt and gives you the complete summary of your monthly debt payments. Once again the credit score is not a FICO score. Credit Sesame is free to use and is available on iOS, Android, and Windows.
You Need a Budget: You Need a Budget app is available on iOS and Android. The app works by calculating your savings based on your monthly income versus your expenses. This is one of the easiest apps to use to keep track of your credit, but it does cost $60 for the saving tool plus another $5 for the mobile app.
Based on our recommendation for the top five apps for managing your credit you can now choose an app that suits you the best. Keeping track of your spending versus your income is one of the best ways to help you save money and improve your credit. There are many other apps available with features like bill payment reminders and even those that you can use to pay your bills, all you need to do is decide is what aspect of your credit you need to manage the most.


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|A rendering of what California High-Speed Rail might look like in the south of San Francisco. (CaHSR Authority)
recent story that violated good journalistic practices led to new calls
to cut funding for California High-Speed Rail. I broke down the story's
sources. I asked media watchdogs to weigh in. And I talked to the
reporter behind the problematic coverage.
On January 13, the Los Angeles times published a problematic story about California High-Speed Rail. The story suggested that the project "could cost taxpayers 50% more than estimated." Dan Richard and Jeff Morales, who head the CaHSR Authority, responded immediately. They called the charge a "serious mischaracterization," while emphasizing that the $64 billion project is not at risk of going over-budget (PDF).
Today, I'm following up on an earlier critique of this story at Streetsblog. I wanted to know: Does this story follow the principles of good journalism? To find out, I conducted an analysis of its sources. I asked media watchdog groups to weigh in. And I talked to Ralph Vartabedian, the Los Angeles Times reporter who wrote the story.
Echo chamber fires up opponents
First, it's important to note the impact of this story. It emboldened elected officials who oppose high-speed rail, in both the state legislature and U.S. Congress, who have called for new hearings and increased oversight of California High-Speed Rail. This week, the stakes were raised further when Congressional Republicans made it known that they now intend to zero out $647 million to electrify Caltrain because California High-Speed Rail would eventually use the same overhead wires.
The L.A. Times piece also ignited overheated rhetoric in conservative media, including stories at Reason.com, Steve Banon's alt-right website Breitbart, and the National Review, which suggested that America's largest infrastructure project is now "bound for cancellation."
Reason.com and the National Review are both tied to think tanks funded by the Koch brothers, oil companies, and the auto industry. Vartabedian denied that think tanks are among his sources but his extensive use of unnamed sources undermines his credibility, which raises an important suspicion.
Like the dangers of smoking and climate change, his work fits perfectly into a pattern where powerful industry interests plant stories in the mainstream media to create doubts in the public mind. Having a story in the Los Angeles Times also lends credibility to their point of view before they blow it up in their own partisan publications. Though I found no direct evidence of it, many transportation advocates believe the same thing is happening with California High Speed Rail.
Problematic sources
I re-read Vartabedian's January 13 story and tracked its sources in a spreadsheet. This exercise tends to drive reporters crazy, but in this case it reveals several problems, including a majority of sources hostile to California High-Speed Rail.
I categorized sources as opponents (2), proponents (0), sources characterized in a negative light (6), and unnamed sources (3). I included officials from the CAHSR Authority (2) in their own category because they are legally bound not to advocate for the project. Vartabedian took issue with my categorization, noting that he considers CaHSR officials proponents.
Unnamed sources
Vartabedian's story cited "proponents" twice. I didn't count them because they were among three times when his story cited unnamed sources.
Reporters are expected to cite the names of their sources because when they don't, it erodes trust in journalists. Unnamed sources often exaggerate or get things wrong, too, according to John Christie at the Poynter Institute.
But they can provide valuable information, which is why the choice to use them is a judgement call, one that's taken seriously at most news organizations. At NPR, for example, permission to use an unnamed source often requires a reporter to consult both his immediate editor and the next level of editor.
The L.A. Times ethics guidelines state, "Relying in print on unnamed sources should be a last resort."
When asked about his use of unnamed sources for this story, Vartabedian said, "I talked to some named people who didn't have as intelligent comments. This was a lot smarter observation."
Is an unnamed source justified simply for a smarter observation? I would argue that it is not.
What do the media watchdogs say?
After having a look at the story, Jim Naureckas of Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR), a progressive media watchdog group said, "It seems like someone's trying to slant the story through the sourcing."
Later, I picked up the phone and a boisterous voice proclaimed, "High-speed rail is a boondoggle!" It was Dan Gainor of the Media Research Center, a conservative media watchdog group in Washington D.C.
To see if there's an agenda behind Vartabedian's coverage, he suggested that we look beyond this one story. For another example, Gainor pulled up a January 17 follow-up piece: Federal warning of higher bullet-train costs prompts sharp opinions, plans for congressional hearings.
Despite Gainor's skepticism of high-speed rail, after reading this second story together, he admitted, "Being fair, it does seem like it's leaning toward critics more than supporters."
For further comparison, look at another version of the same story, by Melody Gutierrez at the San Francisco Chronicle. Her story is fair and accurate. It quotes a dispirited Democrat, too, making it inclusive of a perspective beyond anti-rail legislators.
While I only looked at two of Vartabedian's stories for this piece, Streetsblog's criticism of his work goes back to 2014: The Los Angeles Times and its Disgraceful Reporting on High Speed Rail.
The leaked document
Vartabedian's January 13 piece was centered around an internal report by the Federal Railroad Administration that was almost certainly leaked by an opponent of the project. "Our view at the Times is that this risk analysis should have been public," Vartabedian said.
Andy Kunz, president of the U.S. High Speed Rail Association, said the report didn't intend to hide information from the public. He compared the risk analysis to preparing for a camping trip. Even if the weather forecast says it will be sunny and warm, you would think about what would happen if it were cold and rainy. "Vartabedian finds one of the worst case scenarios and lays it out as fact," he said.
"I don't see it as an attack on the project," Vartabedian countered. "I see this as something important to the supporters of the project. If there are delays in this project that result in cost increases, it may increase the risk that it is not completed. It's terribly important to identify the problems publicly and solve them early."
Why so harsh all the time?
I asked Vartabedian, who covers California High-Speed Rail extensively, why not write a positive story once in awhile? Perhaps he could look at how California High-Speed Rail, even with its $64 billion price tag, is significantly less expensive than expanding the state's highway and airport capacity.
"I'm not reporting on the concept of this," he said. "We've already committed to doing it. We've decided that," he said. "I'm really about covering the execution at this point." "I'm reporting about performance."
Conclusion: More light, less heat
California High-Speed Rail faces many significant challenges that deserve transparency and tough-minded reporting, especially around its financing and future political support.
I'm also concerned about projections for population growth, our already overburdened roads and airports, and climate change. Despite the challenges California High-Speed Rail faces, I see it as a $64 billion bargain that the state can't afford not to build.
While Vartabedian says it's not his job to worry about what opponents of the project do with his stories, his reporting generates a lot of heat. I'm afraid that all of that heat might burn the whole thing down.
I ask the Los Angeles Times, and all reporters, to help the public understand this complex project. The point of view of vocal, well-organized opponents is a drumbeat we hear all the time. But journalists should also bring light, not just heat, to the full range of this project's many stories. Many Californians support this project now because we know it's critical to the state's future. Our voices should be included, too.
Andy Bosselman is a freelance writer. @andybosselman
(Source: https://medium.com/@andybosselman/is-the-la-times-out-to-destroy-california-high-speed-rail-ee589e7b06d4#.qe54hi16x)


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For Beijing, Fast Is Just a Four-Letter Word
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CHINA'S NEXT BIG EXPORT? MONEY. But don't hold your breath waiting for it.
Traders in Hong Kong, Singapore and even the U.S. have become worked up anticipating a flood of money pouring out of mainland China. Whether it's coming through the Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor, or QDII, program, which allows institutions to raise money in China to invest abroad, or a different plan, known as the "through-train," the money is on its way. But China doesn't do anything quickly. So patience and a tolerance for volatility are demanded for stocks bought purely on the expectation that Chinese investors will bid them up even higher.
"THE QDII MONEY IS coming, but it's going to be gradual," says Khiem Do, head of Asian Multi Asset at Baring Asset Management in Hong Kong. "It's big, but it's gradual. All the changes in China are gradual, especially when it has to do with offshore investors and offshore flows, because it is an enormous economy and the ramifications of a sudden policy change could be dramatic."
The through-train program will let mainland residents directly buy and sell Hong Kong-listed stocks, something they can't do legally now. After the plan was disclosed in August, expectation of tens of billions of dollars in new investment sparked a rally that lifted the Hang Seng Index 21% in a month.
Then the Federal Reserve added jet fuel to the fire by cutting U.S. interest rates in September. By the time the Hang Seng had peaked at the end of October, it was up 55%. H shares -- those of Chinese companies listed in Hong Kong and expected to be favored by Chinese investors looking for familiar targets -- did even better, rising 85%.
Valuations differ dramatically in the mainland and Hong Kong markets for stocks listed in both, as PetroChina's recent initial public offering showed. On the first day of trading, Shanghai investors gave PetroChina (ticker: PTR) a stock-market value just over $1 trillion. Hong Kong investors had the company valued at closer to $400 million.
Traders hope they can capture this spread by snapping up Hong Kong shares and waiting for mainland investors to pile in. But this strategy is risky. Since its October peak, the Hang Seng is down nearly 13%, while the China Enterprises Index, which tracks H shares, is off 18%.
The losses have come as Chinese officials have delayed deployment of the through-train plan. The biggest hit came this month when Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao weighed in with his worries, including whether mainland investors could handle the risk that comes with investing in Hong Kong. Beijing also doesn't want to pop the bubble in mainland Chinese stocks by opening a release valve too quickly, and it doesn't want to export the bubble to Hong Kong.
As recently as Friday, the Hang Seng slid 4% as traders were spooked by talk of a Chinese government clampdown on funds that flow illegally from the mainland to the Hong Kong stock market.
Still, none of this means "the train isn't moving," says Eleanor Wan, chief executive of Allianz Global Investors Hong Kong, but rather "just that there is a delay."
As for the QDII funds, they've been hot. The four offered since September have drawn about $37 billion in subscriptions; they had sought to raise only $16 billion. "The oversubscription rate would clearly have been higher if the books had not closed on the first day in the case of each launch," Jing Ulrich, chairman of China equities at JPMorgan, recently wrote in a note to clients.
The demand stems from a simple desire to diversify holdings away from mainland-listed stocks, says Wan, who is exploring ways to capture some of this interest. "We are working with a local bank in China for a QDII opportunity," Wan reports.
BANKS, INSURERS AND fund-management companies in the QDII program are currently allowed to invest about $42 billion outside China; as of Sept. 30, $11 billion of this had been invested. Excitement over this money is turning up in places such as Singapore. In early October, when investors learned that Harvest Fund Management had received approval to raise a fund that could invest in China-concept stocks in Singapore and the U.S., shares in Singapore surged. Among the biggest Singapore-listed companies, Cosco (F83.Singapore) rose 18% in a single day. The stock is now down 17% from the high it reached a few weeks later.
The funds aren't rushing to deploy their assets. China International Fund Management, for example, will take another three to six months to invest 60% of the $4 billion it raised for the CIFM Asia Pacific Advantage Fund in mid-October, according to spokesman Peter Zhu. CIFM is partly owned by JPMorgan.
Zhu says the fund will overweight Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore and India, and that CIFM is considering establishing another emerging-market fund.


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GetRanked1st has a great reputation in the search engine optimization world and for good reason- we use ethical SEO business practices.
Ethical SEO is important for companies to use because any unscrupulous attempt at SEO comes with inherent risks. A company that employs unethical SEO practices can face the possibility of de-indexing by the search engines. In addition to this, an unethical SEO profile can display unprofessionalism to anyone who notices it.
Evidence of SEO malpractice can be evident to your competitors and your customers alike. As a whole, search engine optimization should be treated like any other offline marketing venture in terms of tastefulness.
The SEO manager here at GetRanked1st is aware of what the SEO community feels are acceptable SEO practices. This critical information is disseminated to all of the SEO technical staff. If any SEO work is to be completed on your website by us, it will have been approved by our SEO manager as ethical.
Unethical SEO companies can get away with selling their work to uninformed clients because it can be difficult for them to track what is being delivered to them. This is the reason it is important to hire an ethical company like GetRanked1st.
Here are some of the reasons why we call ourselves an "ethical" SEO company…
– Disclosure of specific methods used for search engine optimization will always be made available to our clients.
– Promotion of your website on other domains will be in accordance with all terms of service. In addition, all laws and regulations relating to internet business and commerce will be followed strictly.
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By hiring GetRanked1st, you can count on higher rankings from ethical SEO methods. Anyone who examines the SEO work completed for your company will see that an intelligent and honest effort was made.
GetRanked1st has never given a website a negative review or ban from the search engines and poses no risk to your domain from unethical SEO.


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Cover Battle: Entertainment Weekly or Ellle
Welcome back to another edition of FishbowlNY's weekly Cover Battle. This week we have Entertainment Weekly squaring off against Elle. For its latest cover, EW went with a photo of Michael C. Hall almost completely submerged in a giant vat of sangria. Hey, reminds us of last Friday night! Thank you! We'll be here all night.
For its July issue, Elle went with Shakira, wearing an outfit picked out by a two year old.
So readers, which cover is better? You can vote, comment, or do both.


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This year's Arizona Cocktail Week Artisanal Spirit and Cocktail Market was a rowdy daytime affair (we blame the free Smirnoff Ice vending machine), but still offered cocktail enthusiasts plenty to see and taste. The vendors ranged from craft distillers to local artisans showcasing everything you could need to make great drinks at home or at a bar.
Not all of the products are available yet or at retail liquor stores, but most can be found at specialty shops such as Tops Liquor in Tempe. If you spot one of the spirits at a local bar, you can also ask if they have a liquor license that allows them to sell bottles to retail customers. Some do.
See also: Denver Bartender Brittany Wangsness Takes Top Prize at Last Slinger Standing This Year
The company: Suerte Tequila The product: Suerte Tequila Blanco Where to find it: Launches in Arizona next week through Young's Market Company
This relatively new tequila brand is just getting ready to enter the Arizona market -- and we're a little excited about that fact. Suerte, which means "luck" in Spanish, is all about making tequila the old fashioned way, which means slow-roasting their agave in a brick oven at a low temperature and crushing them in an authentic tohona. The blanco was our favorite of the bunch; after resting in stainless steel for at least two months prior to bottling, this tequila is remarkably smooth, but still presents lovely citrus and floral notes.
The company: The 86 Co. The product: Ford's Gin Where to find it: Select liquor stores
If you're in the industry or a cocktail enthusiast, then you're probably already familiar with The 86 Co. The company, co-founded by Simon Ford, works with top distilleries around the world to create spirits based on what bartenders wanted to see on the market. In the case of Ford's Gin that means a versatile and extremely well-balanced gin. Though it's distilled in London, this is no typical London gin. It's more aromatic with notes of citrus in addition to prominent juniper. Flavor-wise, you certainly get juniper up front, but it's also softened with jasmine and three types of citrus (lemon, orange, and grapefruit). It's interesting enough to drink on the rocks, but balanced enough to mix in drinks.
The company: Ancho Reyes The product: Ancho Reyes Ancho Chile Liqueur Where to find it: Distributed by Young's Market (not available retail)
Spicy cocktails are kind of in right now, and if you're looking for a way to add a little heat to your cocktail, look no further than a bottle of Ancho Reyes Ancho Chile Liqueur. Inspired by a recipe that dates back to 1920s Mexico, this liqueur provides a deep flavor that combines heat from dried chiles and hints of chocolate and cinnamon. The cinnamon makes this a suitable upgrade from other cinnamon-flavored spirits (like Fireball), but it can also be enjoyed simply on the rocks.
The company: AZ Bitters Lab The product: Mi Casa bitters. Where to find it: Online or at Whole Foods Markets
We're definitely fans of AZ Bitters Lab's specialty bitters that come in three flavors including Figgy Pudding, Orange Sunshine, and Mas Mole. But sometimes you just want something simple to add to your drink and that's why Bill and Lillian Buitenhuys created their fourth bitters: Mi Casa. This all-purpose bitters could be compared to Angostura in that both present a blend of herbal flavors with a distinct note of cinnamon. Mi Casa contains a "blend of twelve trade route herbs and spices including cinnamon, galangal, ginger, and myrrh."
The company: Chronicle Books The product: The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique Where to find it: Changing Hands, bookstores
For at-home cocktail enthusiasts this book is meant to serve as a guide to both simple and complex cocktail-making techniques. Written by Portland bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler, The Bar Book explains the techniques behind every aspect of cocktail-making -- starting with making your own juices and infusions and moving on carbonating, stirring, and shaking. Each chapter focuses on a different step in the drink-making process, and includes recipes that serve as practical applications of the techniques in that section. Basically, learn all this stuff and you can pretty much never have to leave home for a craft cocktail again.
The company: AZ Distilling Co. The product: Humphrey's Whiskey Where to find it: AZ Distilling Co. in Tempe
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We've talked about this spirit before, but we had no idea that there is still a limited amount of Humphrey's Whiskey still available for purchase. This whiskey is the result of a collaboration between Tempe's AZ Distilling Co. and Four Peaks Brewery (the brewery made the mash and the distillery took it from there), and uses a 80 percent malted barley and 20 percent flaked rye. The result is a remarkably smooth whiskey with heavy notes of caramel and maple. Rich and flavorful, we would love to sip this whiskey straight. Also worth tasting is the distillery's new moonshine. As a near flavorless, clear spirit, the moonshine could be a versatile addition to a home bar.
The company: Slipstream Absinthe The product: Slipstream Absinthe Sipping Pipe Where to find it: Online
No, that's not a bong, but rather an absinthe sipping pipe designed by a Scottsdale-based company called Slipstream. Basically, these pipes are designed to go around the traditional louching process, which requires a slotted spoon or one of these large absinthe fountains, to allow people to enjoy absinthe more easily. Not only does the pipe look pretty cool as the sugar dissolves into the spirit, but it really does make it easy to enjoy the drink -- which does not, by the way, cause hallucinations. It's pretty easy to use and the company website does a good job explaining how the process works.