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Over the last few years, the provision of wireless broadband internet access has become part of governmental agendas at all levels, and in many different locations (Middleton & Crow, 2008). This inclusion of yet another 'new technology' on the political agenda, however, belies its roots in an old problem and debate: uneven public access to society's technological developments. As the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article XVII, states: "everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits" (UN, 1948).
It is arguable that at this point in time local governments, and by this I mean municipalities working in tandem with state and federal agencies, have a key role to play in the provision of wireless internet, particularly in Brazil. If there is debate, then it should be about the parameters of that role: when and how should public servants and politicians step in?
In Brazil, the role of government in the provision of Wi-Fi services was catapulted to public attention in 2008. The Brazilian federal government issued an announcement on October 10, 2008 (Nº 027/2008-MC), which aimed at hiring the services and equipment needed to provide "the implementation of a basic broadband Internet access communications infrastructure in municipalities, using wireless technologies to transmit data, voice and images, in order to support teleconferences, telemedicine and teleclasses at the national level" (MC, 2008b). Essentially, the idea was to equip 160 cities with corporate, communitarian or peer-to-peer networks, or even to develop a mix of the three. The imperative behind the project was the creation of "digital cities", an expression used in the call's text itself.
In 2008, in Brazil's most important industrial and financial centre of São Paulo city, Marta Suplicy, the Labour Party's (Partido dos Trabalhadores) candidate for City Hall, promised broadband wireless internet for the whole municipality (PT, 2008). Despite having not been elected, Suplicy succeeded in provoking a debate about wireless networks, digital inclusion and related issues. To provide a context for Suplicy's promise, São Paulo's population of 10,886,518 people (as of 2007) inhabit a 1,523 km2 area (IBGE, 2008).
Both projects became targets of strong criticism and the federal government's call was even cancelled by the end of October 2008. The lack of public debate before opening the call and the reliance on a sole technological model, that is, wireless technologies, were among the key objections. Despite the call's cancelation, the government announced a public forum to debate the project – the date for which has yet to be set (MC, 2008a). Suplicy's promise, in turn, garnered accusations of being unfeasible and driven only by political marketing.
What is clear is that broadband, wireless networks and digital cities have become central issues in Brazil at all levels of government. The hype surrounding broadband has produced some unusual outcomes. When he was Brazil's Culture Minister in 2008, Gilberto Gil, who is a major Brazilian singer and Creative Commons advocate, even launched a new album and tour called Banda larga cordel, in English Broadband cordel (a cordel is a pamphlet). For a better understanding of the song's title, see cordel literature at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordel_literature and the Brazilian Cordel Literature Academy at http://www.ablc.com.br.
YouTube: please specify correct url
Video: Gilberto Gil, Banda larga cordel, live in Piraí 2008
Here are some verses:
Quem não vem no cordel da banda larga
Whoever doesn't join in the broadband cordel
Vai viver sem saber que mundo é o seu
Will live without knowing that the world is yours
And further in the song, Gil plays with the meanings of the word "banda"/"band," which in Portuguese and English, indicates both a group of persons and a range of frequencies in radio transmission:
Ou se alarga essa banda e a banda anda
Either this band is broadened and the band moves
Mais ligeiro pras bandas do sertão
Quicker to the backlands' bands [in the sense of a group of people]
Ou então não, não adianta nada
Or else, it doesn't matter
Banda vai, banda fica abandonada
The band goes, the band stays by itself
Deixada para outra encarnação
Left for the next incarnation.
The song did not reach the top of the charts. And although it may carry a great deal of political marketing, as the composer was the Minister of Culture at the time, the lyrics captured some popular sentiment surrounding the key issue of digital inclusion.
While 2008 was an interesting and important year for public discussion of urban wireless networks in Brazil, the digital city debate in Brazil can be traced back to the mid 1990s. To understand the local history of these issues I will now briefly outline three well-known, pioneering cases in Brazil: Piraí, Sud Mennucci, and Tiradentes, located in three different parts of the country.
Back in the mid 1990s, in Piraí, the privatization of a Brazilian power company led to 1,200 job cuts among 22,500 habitants, and forced the municipality to rethink its local development plan. Among the many dreams and projects that were proposed, the community envisaged one key objective: in any and all cases it should go digital. The first infrastructure deployment, aimed at universal access goals, began in 2002. The goal was to provide an infrastructure capable of transmitting data, voice and image.
At first, the Piraí went totally wireless with a public fee for different bands ranging from 128 kbps to 512 kbps, with prices between R$ 39 and R$ 90. The cost of the network and a two-year legal dispute with Anatel, the Brazilian telecom regulatory agency, led the managers to opt, in 2007, for a free public hybrid infrastructure. At the centre of this infrastructure, 13 towers spread all over the city, operating at 5.8 Ghz, were extended by complementary cables that provided access to additional sites depending on geographical and architectural contingencies. After Anatel's ruling, the provision of free internet had to be limited mostly to public facilities, including telecentres, kiosks, and a few hotspots and residences in low-income areas.
YouTube: please specify correct url
Video: "Bandalargar o Brasil" meeting, in Piraí-RJ, produced by Fábrica do Futuro in partinership with Cultura Digital
The second representative case in Brazil is Sud Mennucci, a small city in the North East of São Paulo state, with only 7,714 inhabitants, 85% of whom live in the urban area. The city covers an area of 591 km2 (IBGE, 2008; Okajima, 2007). Agribusiness and the cattle industry are the municipality's main economic activities.
The first studies on the deployment of Sud Mennucci's Muni-Wi project started in 2002. The initial motivation was the need for an Internet connection to supply municipal administrative demands in order to reduce the costs of an interurban dial-up connection. Initial studies were conducted by City Hall's IT technicians and IT managers from the local alcohol industry. From this first evaluation, optical fibre and Wi-Fi appeared to be the best choice; the latter, however, was the cheaper solution.
In 2003, as the local government realized that there was more bandwidth than needed by administrative public services, the signal was opened to the community. The new goal was to bridge the digital divide, as interurban calls to regional Internet Service Providers (ISPs) were too costly for local residents. By September 2003, the city had 10 registered users. These were comprised of business and residential users, and did not include schools, libraries and other public facilities, which already had some form of access. In a turn of events that prompted an agenda-setting study, a 2005 article published in a national newspaper provided a crucial boost to the population's interest in the network (Gaspari, 2005). Now, in 2008, almost a thousand residences and business offices are registered in this municipal network.
The residential and business wireless network uses Wi-Fi at 2.4 GHz, in a point-to-point network design, with 64 kbps access per point. Signals, from a 40 m antenna, reach a radius of 10 km (314 km2), but city managers claim to be ready to expand the networks with new cells. The internet link is provided by Telefônica. The population must acquire antennas from private stores, costing from R$ 200 to R$ 300, and have these installed on their houses or offices in order to access the municipal network. However, if someone is near to the central antenna or to an existing residential antenna, with no physical interference, he or she may have access to the network.
The last important case is that of Tiradentes, a small town in Minas Gerais state, with 6,547 inhabitants spread over 83 km2 (IBGE, 2008). In Brazil, the region is known for its historical architecture, which makes tourism and handicraft products some of its main economic activities alongside agribusiness. Tirandentes's geography is full of hills and mountains, therefore presenting a particular challenge to wireless network deployment.
Thanks to a partnership between the municipality, the Brazilian Ministry of Communications and private companies such as Cisco, Telemar and Metasys, the city launched its project, Tiradentes Digital, in 2006. The federal government invested R$ 560,000, leaving executive functions to the Federal University of Ouro Preto (Gomes, 2006; MC, 2007).
YouTube: please specify correct url
Video: Tiradentes Digital
The official launch date of the Tiradentes Digital project was March 24, 2006. As of April 2008, aside from schools and public buildings, the city had a 0.5 km2 Wi-Mesh public wireless network covering its tourist centre with five antennas, with 2,900 monthly logs. The goal is to expand the network, adding other 11 antennas and covering a 5 km2 area. Users within the network access it freely at 2 Mbps 2.4 Ghz frequencies; only the backhaul operates at 5.8 Ghz. The project uses an internet link provided by Oi/Telemar, a major telecom company in Brazil. Since the network's equipment was provided by Cisco, its software by Metasys, and its funding by the federal government, the municipality did not have to invest. The executive coordination, however, estimates that the cost of network deployment has reached up to R$ 200,000 and that the monthly costs to maintain it are around R$ 30,000, aside from human resources.
Tiradentes Digital faced some specific difficulties in rolling the project out:
- presenting the project to the population, since many local political interests are at stake
- developing a local ICT culture
- creating a sustainable model
- dealing with restrictive telecommunications legislation
The hurdles faced by Tiradentes are neither new nor exclusive. The entry of local governments in the provision of wireless internet is far from reaching a consensus around the world, and Brazil is no exception. Will the municipality be able to sustain the project in the long run? Will the project interfere with local-sector telecom development? Does the local government have what it takes to deploy and operate the network? Despite these lingering questions, recent developments in Brazil illustrate an eager optimism toward the establishment of so-called digital cities.
The three examples above, especially Piraí's case, have set some degree of precedence for Anatel's recent rulings. As the main regulatory body for Brazilian telecom, Anatel (National Telecommunications Agency) approved the creation of a Limited Private Service (LPS or SLP in Portuguese) license in 2007, aimed at covering Brazilian municipalities' needs. The LPS licences demand free access for the population, restricted to municipal services and to the city's territory. Local governments can also opt for a less restricted network and hire a private or public company with a Multimedia Communication Service license working under a market regime. Another regulatory move, under discussion at Anatel, is to clear the 450 MHz to 470 MHz band and make it available for more intense use in small or rural cities.
More recently, on November 3, 2008, Anatel launched a public consultation on the 3,400 MHz to 3,600 MHz bands' regulatory marks. The original text proposes to use the subbands from 3,400 MHz to 3,405 MHz and from 3,500 MHz to 3,505 MHz for public digital inclusion projects. With Anatel's efforts, but also despite some remaining regulatory, technological and possible economic restrictions, local governments across Brazil are launching their projects with more and more optimism. At times, projects are rolled out at state level, such as in Rio de Janeiro, Pará, Bahia or Amazonas states. and the dream of a digital city preoccupies a great number of politicians in Brazil. Not even bad news coming from cities in North America – for instance, Chicago, San Francisco and Philadelphia – reporting difficulties in maintaining their WiFi municipal networks, seems to slow down local ambitions in Brazil (Economist.com, 2007; Gardiner, 2007).
That the Internet's future is wireless is fast becoming fact. The role of local governments in this business, however, remains an open question. As usual, good reasoning calls for a balance between public, market and organized civil society actions. More generally, when the market fails to meet citizens' needs, governments should promote the creation of a new market or even offer solutions themselves. In regard to citizens' access to digital technology, recent research indicates that in 2007 only 17% of the Brazilian population had home Internet access (CETIC.BR, 2007). Such figures should be more than enough to sustain arguments for municipal entry in this business and doubts concerning the municipalities' participation in the provision of wireless internet should not prevent them from doing so in countries like Brazil.
The argument for municipal entry in the provision of wireless internet is rather simple. In the so-called "Knowledge Societies," lack of broadband internet access constitutes part of any possible definition of poverty. In the very near future, this conception of broadband will be framed in terms of wireless broadband internet access. As George Santos precisely remarks, the definition of poverty is, above all, a political one and has to do with the goals a society sets to itself; it is not simply a matter of statistics (Santos, 1979). Although many factors influence poverty, connection to broadband internet seems to be a key issue for any given contemporary society. Since private broadband tends to be provided only where there is a market, that is, money, the government has a role to play in digital inclusion as mentioned earlier in this text, either by promoting the creation of new markets or by acting as an internet provider itself.
Traps, however, are spread across the terrain. Going totally public, which means free in Brazil according to Anatel's ruling, may result in inhibiting the local telecom industry's participation in projects and, consequently, the creation of new jobs in this sector. Critics also highlight the lack of technical expertise in many municipalities, the challenges concerning the network's financial sustainability and upgrade in the long run, not to mention the possibility of slowing down innovation, which would benefit from market competition (Josgrilberg, 2008).
On the other hand, outsourcing a municipal network development or operation through public-private partnerships also carries its risks. The most serious of these threatens to put public values in danger – for instance, access universalization, freedom of access, etc – given existing private interests. In addition, the risk of getting tied up by contract to a single technological or management model could present a serious problem as wireless technologies evolve. Finally, public management may grow distant from the network's performance, and might as a result, miss opportunities and social needs, and even take too long to identify problems (Josgrilberg, 2008).
One should note that in either case, going public or developing public-private partnerships, all potential risks are manageable. It is a matter of reaching the best balance between the government, the market and organized civil society according to contingent situations. Nonetheless in both cases the local government should be held responsible for the project (Minow, 2007).
In conclusion, what is crystal clear is that, in Brazil, promoting, securing and sustaining universal access to technology remains a key problem. This issue is an old one dating back to the UN's 1948 declaration fashioned in the era of radio, television and the landline telephone, and in Brazil it predates the public consciousness of these debates in 2008: only the technical objects have changed. Wireless broadband internet represents yet another challenge to be faced by public managers, servants and politicians alike. Despite possible criticisms, one cannot afford to ignore the central role that local governments do have to play, either as catalysts or as promoters of market-based and civil society initiatives, or in developing and managing their own municipal networks.
CETIC.BR. (2007). TIC domicílios e usuários 2007. Brasília: Centro de Estudos sobre as Tecnologias da Informação e da Comunicação.
Economist.com. (2007). Easier said than done. The Economist.com.
Gardiner, B. (2007). What's Behind the Epidemic of Municipal Wi-Fi Failures?. Wired Maganize.
Gaspari, E. (2005, January 30). Uma história brasileira de sucesso. Folha de São Paulo.
Gomes, M. (2006). Tiradentes Digital.
IBGE. (2008). IBGE Cidades@. www.ibge.gov.br.
Josgrilberg, F. B. (2008). Muni-Wi: an exploratory comparative study of European and Brazilian municipal wireless networks. www.fabio.jor.br.
MC. (2007). Turistas usam internet sem fio gratuita em Tiradentes. Portal do Ministério das Comunicações.
MC. (2008a). Ministério das Comunicações promove audiência pública para ampliar as Cidades Digitais. Portal do Ministério das Comunicações.
Pregão presencial – sistema de registro de preços Nº 027/2008-MC, (2008b).
Middleton, C., & Crow, B. (2008). Building Wi-Fi Networks for Communities: Three Canadian Cases. Canadian Journal of Communication, 33(3), 419-442.
Minow, M. (2007). Public and Private Partnerships: Accounting for the New Religion. In M. Bevir (Ed.), Public Governance (Vol. 4, pp. 177-195). London: Sage.
Okajima, M. I. (2007). Infovia: Uma Rede de Cidadania. Paper presented at the Oficina de Inclusão Digital, Salvador.
PT. (2008). Internet banda larga gratuita. Retrieved 10/10/2008; website is no longer active.
Santos, M. (1979). Pobreza urbana (2nd ed.). São Paulo: Hucitec.
UN. (1948). The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. United Nations Documentation: Research Guide.
Dr. Fabio B. Josgrilberg is a lecturer and researcher at the Methodist University of São Paulo Graduate Social Communications Program, and a member of Wi-Journal of Mobile Media's editorial board. His recent research includes the report, Muni-Wi: an exploratory comparative study of European and Brazilian municipal wireless networks, funded by São Paulo State Research Support Agency (FAPESP).


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The most sacred place in Islam is the Ka'ba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Ka'ba is a mosque (built by Abraham according to Muslim tradition) built around a black stone. The Prophet Muhammad designated Mecca as the holy city of Islam and the direction (qibla) in which all Muslims should offer their prayers.
44.722550 8.857209

subset: commoncrawl


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Pink and Main SUMMER SLOTHS Dies PNM275PNM275
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This is a set of high quality steel-rule dies that coordinate with the Summer Sloths stamps. The dies cut the shapes shown and work with many of the popular die cutting machines such as the Big Shot, Spellbinders Platinum, Gemini, and more.
Approximate Measurements:
Sloth on Towel 1.75 x 2.75 inches
Crab .75 x .75 inches
Sandcastle 1.75 x 1.25 inches
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Pink and Main hopes to inspire your creativity with their line of stamps, dies, and more! Michelle Currie, owner, and illustrator for Pink and Main has been designing digital cutting files for the past few years and decided to bring some of my designs to the stamping world! Pink and Main stamps and dies are proudly manufactured in the USA and made of the highest quality clear photo-polymer and steel. Create something that puts a smile on your face!


text:
Butlerville, IN, Indiana business pages
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Welcome to FaveCentral, your local Butlerville business pages. Top categories range from Butlerville Wholesalers to Butlerville Wholesalers. Review businesses in Butlerville, jump to nearby towns in Indiana.
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Former ITV weather presenter Sian Lloyd has apologised for describing a traffic jam as a "holocaust".
The 61-year-old Welsh TV presenter was complaining about the traffic congestion around Swansea and insisted she had not meant to use the word in reference to the historical Holocaust, which saw the murder of 6 million Jews by Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945.
Lloyd wrote in a tweet that has now been deleted: "Yet another traffic holocaust in Swansea today. Probs the worst ever. Over 1 HOUR to get to the Village Hotel from Mumbles. Took sis 1 hr 40 mins to Neath earlier. Everything is wrong about traffic management in Swansea."
In response to a furious backlash she took down the post and apologised.
Read more: Channel 4 apologises after Jon Snow Brexit protest comments
Lloyd said: "Hey guys, it's the noun with a small h. I'm half Jewish myself. Would never want to cause offence. Huge apology if I did."
She added: "I so did not mean it in the historical way, with the big H. Big sorry if it caused offence. Obvs the wrong word to use. So sorry."
Sincere apologies. Not meant in that way at all. I was using the noun with a small h, which is a bona fida word, and certainly not referencing the historical event. Clearly a bad choice of words. Very stupid of me, esp since I am half Jewish— Siân Lloyd (@SianWeather) November 18, 2019
Lloyd admitted she had made a "big mistake" and added: "It was a stupid description. I am mortified and never intended to refer to the actual Holocaust. How naive am I."
Read more: GMB suffers rude onscreen blunder with accidental obscured sign
The dictionary definition of "holocaust" is: "A very large amount of destruction, especially by fire or heat, or the killing of very large numbers of people."
Twitter users called the comment "vile", "disgusting" and "incredibly stupid".
Absolutely disgusting comparing a traffic jam to a holocaust.— 𝖍 𝖆 𝖓 𝖓 𝖆 𝖍 🍂 (@xsuperhan) November 18, 2019
Nobody hates traffic more than me, my commute is often 3+ hours a day, but I would never utter such a heinous comment. You should be ashamed!
It's a bit of traffic ffs. Comparing it to the holocaust is incredibly stupid. https://t.co/MdeiPRbFKh— Paul Jones (@PaulPauljones79) November 18, 2019
What an absolutely vile comment to make.— Steven Bowen-Wilkie (@BowenWilkie) November 18, 2019
Lloyd, who is originally from Maesteg, near Swansea, said she was on her way to her mother's funeral when she made the blunder.
Hi Rob, my mother's funeral was today so you can appreciate that I'm at home with my close family and not able to deal with other things— Siân Lloyd (@SianWeather) November 19, 2019
Lloyd has appeared on reality TV shows I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and Celebrity First Dates and was once engaged to former Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik.


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Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba is reportedly slamming the brakes on the planned R1-trillion nuclear project, which he called unaffordable and unnecessary.
The City Press reported that Gigaba plans to mend the South African economy by addressing "senior civil servants' salaries and selling chunks of state-owned enterprises".
"There was a time when it was felt that nuclear is necessary and it must be implemented, and programmes were started," said Gigaba.
"But it became clear, as the economy took a serious dip, that we were not going to afford nuclear, that the country couldn't afford it and the budget couldn't afford it."
He said South Africa can meet its electricity needs, given the current excess electricity supply the country has.
Gigaba at risk
There is speculation that President Jacob Zuma may replace Gigaba as finance minister, due to his reluctance to implement the nuclear programme.
Zuma recently appointed David Mahlobo as energy minister, replacing Mmamoloko Kubayi – who was reportedly not doing enough to push the nuclear deal through.
Mahlobo previously said South Africa's decision to move ahead with plans for nuclear power were based on ensuring the energy supply going forward.
Last week, the Sunday Times reported that a team acting on orders from Russian President Vladimir Putin met Zuma just before he replaced Kubayi.
According to the report, Putin's team told Zuma to "speed up and conclude" a multibillion-dollar nuclear deal with Russia.
The report stated that Mahlobo was chosen by the Russians after Zuma indicated he wanted Faith Muthambi for the energy job.


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Flattummydiet.com is a blog my husband and I created to share tips on what it takes to lose belly fat and get a flat tummy.
My husband, Djohny Alexandre has been a certified personal trainer for over 14 years.
He has helped me lose stubborn belly fat and get a flat, toned stomach almost 10 years ago.
Ever since he has helped me keep it up even after I gave birth to my now seven-year-old daughter.
Over the years, I've learned a lot about belly fat. From what causes it, its risk, to what it takes to lose it.
On this blog, I will share what I learned and tested. I will write everything from belly fat burning recipes to exercises. So feel free to subscribe to my email below so I can keep you up-to-date.
Also, check out our the Recommended section. This is where we share resources from our partners and brands that share our vision, which is helping you get a flat tummy.
Our Mission
Our mission is to help you our reader (s) achieve your flat belly goal.
Our Values
We strive to be accurate, science-based, and current. We are also committed to being always helpful and transparent. You, as our reader is our highest priority and we strive to stay true to that.


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There's a slight difference in spelling between Fortnite, the wildly successful online game, and "fortnight", meaning two weeks. But it can seem as though 14 days is about the time that passes between campaigns targeting the game's huge audience.
The most oft-quoted figure for the total number of Fortnite players is 250 million, although that dates back to last year. More recently, Games Radar suggests that – despite rumours that interest in the game may have peaked – there are still "tens of millions" of active players.
Released in 2017, the game's pitch is that most of the Earth's population has been killed by a mysterious storm, leaving the survivors to battle zombified "husks" – or one another. They can use "basic resources" like wood, brick, and metal to build shelters and defences. Different versions of the game revolve around this central premise.
But which agencies have made the most creative use of Fortnite?
You may remember the campaign for Wendy's that scored a Cannes Grand Prix for VMLY&R in the Social & Influencer category. Having remarked that most of the restaurants in Fortnite were equipped with fridges or freezers – while Wendy's uses only fresh meat – the agency created a warrior named Wendy, who basically destroys a whole lot of fridges. Players weighed in to help.
Meanwhile, We Are Social in Paris focused on the more constructive element of the game in its "No Build Challenge" for the WWF. Reversing one of the game's tropes, the agency defied gamers not to use the planet's natural resources while struggling to survive. The way to win was to become more eco-friendly.
Similarly laudable was Wunderman Thompson's recent initiative for the International Committee of the Red Cross, which awarded points for saving lives, rather than taking them. Players adopted the role of Red Cross workers and embarked on missions to restore health services and drinking water, defuse mines, rebuild infrastructure and re-establish education.
Next up is Samsung, which created a bespoke character – or "skin" – to promote its new Galaxy Note 9. The only way to unlock and play with the skin was to purchase the phone. One famous gamer was literally given "skin in the game" in the form of a free trial. Others went to the mall and tried to access the skin without purchasing the device.
But perhaps our favourite activation was the Fortnite job interview. That's right: French agency Dare.win used the voice-chat feature to interview job candidates while battling with them against enemy teams. After reading their CV, the interviewers scheduled a game. Then, instead of asking the potential employees where they wanted to be in five years' time, interviewers could see if they'd survive the next five minutes.
If the Fortnite phenomenon really is fading, we may see fewer of these campaigns over the coming months. But whether Fortnite bounces back or another fad takes it place, it seems as though agencies have finally developed the knack of reaching gamers.


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This is an experience report on the use of Domain-Driven Design (DDD) in a project about 25000 man-hours size. it shows how DDD promotes a close customer relation. It also presents patterns used in the project as well as some extensions to DDD as described in the book by Eric Evans. Learn how DDD works when it is applied systematically in a project over many years.
Watch this video on oredev.org


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Hylink worked with L'Occitane to open an official WeChat service account to manage Wechat store operations. Our objective was to increase user acquisition, engagement, and followers of the official L'Occitane account.
We created O2O campaigns around Chinese holidays and promoted consumer engagement by building a Chinese New Year red pocket HTML5 page.


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US Senate voted to let ISPs sell customers' web browsing history. VPN usage is skyrocketed!<< All posts31 March 2017 12:19:38
US Congress voted to kill a law that would have stopped Internet Service Providers from selling your web browsing history. CNN, New York Times, Guardian, Wired, Gizmodo and other recommend using a VPN to avoid tracking your activity. Usage of VPN is skyrocketed.
Trust.Zone customers made 10,000+ purchases during a single day - March,30 after US Congress voting. Purchases are still growing. We recommend our affiliates using Trust.Zone VPN banners, popups, popunders, alerts and warning aggressively.
Don't miss a high peak of VPN sales.
See Google Trends graphs on 'VPN' in the US:
Following the vote yesterday, Twitter general counsel Vijaya Gadde took to her company's platform to suggest that citizens should take steps to protect their privacy
Her tweet, which was later retweeted by Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey.
Still thinking?
Tags: vpn, affiliate, webmasters, trust.zone, us, senate
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Landing page is animated map showing LOCATION of the user on the map and the warning that user can be tracked by his ISP or government agencies.
A new map langing page extremely boosts sales - accoring to several tests made with top affiliates. read more >>


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For Blackberry OS earlier than V10, please use the Blackberry version of GS-911.
For Blackberry OS 10.2+ (Z10) please use the Android version of GS-911.
Either side load the Google Play store and have access to all the Android apps including GS-911, or side load the Android version of GS-911 from our servers.
Also see the following FAQs:


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Meaning : Diminutive form of names beginning with kris/Chris, Unknown, Diminutive Form Of Names Beginning With Kris/Chris,
Origin : Danish, Unknown, American, English,
Pronunciation : (Unknown), KRIS (English) ,
If you have information about this name, share it in the comments area below!
Additional information Kris:
Variation of Chris, from Christopher. Kris Kristofferson, singer/songwriter
Short form of KRISTIAN, KRISTOFFER, and other names beginning with Kris.
Definition funny of Kris:
an irrestistable boy who is the best at all sports and gets all the girls and is the best party boyer
(kris)= i just had sex four times in the past 20 hours (another hot girl) = you're such a kris
A man who has unruly talent in flirtatious conversation, or a man who is known as somewhat of an attention whore. Has a high charisma, but usually is thought of as someone undatable, but totally sexable.
"Damn that guy is such a Kris. No wonder all the ladies are on him."
An increasingly charming male. Often caught stealing the hearts of tall women. Witty, speaks some french, plays guitar, sings like a bird and captivates you with his humble nature. He lives within the confines of his mind, and never realizes how much everyone adores him.
Ever hear of Thousand Miles? It's such a Kris song. He's grand! That's so Kris.
Slang for a even bigger cock than a Chris. A person who can get any chick he wants. Someone that everyone likes his name and his body. Some people like for his personality, or his looks.
Songs about Kris:
Blue Jeans (Kris Menace Remix) by Lana Del Rey from the Album Blue Jeans Remixes
The Girl And The Robot (Kris Menace Re-Interpretation) by Röyksopp from the Album The Girl And The Robot
Compliments (feat. T.I. & Kris Stephens) [Clean] by Tank from the Album This Is How I Feel [Clean]
Compliments (feat. T.I. & Kris Stephens) [Explicit] by Tank from the Album This Is How I Feel [Explicit]
Crossroads (Kris O'Neil & Kiholm Remix) by Lange feat. Stine Grove from the Album Crossroads (Remixed)
Wait & See (Kris Menace's Vocal Re-Interpretation) by Holy Ghost! from the Album Wait & See
Compliments (Feat. Kris Stephens) by Tank from the Album Compliments (Feat. Kris Stephens)
Books about Kris:
Kris Longknife: Tenacious by Mike Shepherd (Oct 28, 2014)
In the Kitchen with Kris: A Kollection of Kardashian-Jenner Family Favorites by Kris Jenner (Oct 21, 2014)
Kris Jenner . . . And All Things Kardashian by Kris Jenner and Karen Hunter (Sep 4, 2012)
Mutineer (Kris Longknife) by Mike Shepherd (Jan 27, 2004)
Kris Longknife: Defender by Mike Shepherd (Oct 29, 2013)
Resolute (Kris Longknife) by Mike Shepherd (Oct 31, 2006)
Kris Longknife: Intrepid by Mike Shepherd (Oct 28, 2008)
Movies about Kris:
Kris Kristofferson - His Life and Work 2005 NR - Runtime: 1 hr 30 mins
Kris Kristofferson: Live From Austin TX 2006 NR - Runtime: 57 mins Starring: Kris Kristofferson Directed by: Terry Lickona
Heal Yourself with FOOD with Kris Carr & Lissa Rankin, M.D. -
Kris Kristofferson: Breakthrough 2004 NR - Starring: Kris Kristofferson
The Highwaymen - Willie, Waylon, Cash & Kris - Live 1991 NR - Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins Starring: Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, et al.
Tootsie's Orchid Lounge / Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, Kris Kristofferson 2005 NR - Runtime: 1 hr
121 Killer Appz! Fighting Applications From Goju-Ryu Karate with Kris Wilder 2010 - Runtime: 47 mins Starring: Kris Wilder and Lawrence A. Kane
Wiki information Kris:
The kris is an asymmetrical dagger with distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron. While most strongly associated with the culture of Indonesia the kris is also indigenous to Malaysia, Thailand,...
Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American country music singer, songwriter, musician, and film actor. He is known for writing and recording such hits as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" and "Help Me Make...


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Costco, a Pizza Chain Hiding in Plain Sight
Costco Food Court
Location reviewed: 32-50 Vernon Boulevard, Long Island City NY 11106 (near Broadway; map); costco.com
Pizza style: Based on New York–style, something else entirely, though
Oven type: Gas-fired conveyor-belt
The skinny: If you're already at Costco, the pizza is weirdly satisfying, filling, and cheap as hell. Don't turn your nose up at it!
Price: $1.99 a slice
Think of high-profile pizza chains and the usual suspects probably come to mind. But what about Costco?
This membership warehouse club is the largest such chain of its kind in the U.S., with 416 domestic locations as of 2010. Most of these locations have a food court, and most of those food courts sell pizza. Even accounting for a handful of Costcos that might not serve pizza, this would make the warehouse club the 15th largest pizza chain in the U.S., just below Round Table Pizza and above Papa Gino's.
Not impressed? OK, I don't blame you, but consider that as of 2008, California Pizza Kitchen had 239 locations and ranked 18th.
The Costco food court I visited, in Queens, sells cheese, pepperoni, and combo slices and whole pies. According to Wikipedia and some googling, it appears that veggie slices are also an option at Costco locations, though I did not see it at my local store. Slices are all $1.99, regardless of topping, making the combo slice (sausage, pepperoni, green pepper, and onion) the value winner. Whole pies, all $9.99, have the same single-pricing structure.
I was hipped to Costco pizza in a 2009 thread on Serious Eats on the merits of the Costco snack bar. A surprising number of people mentioned the pizza:
"I eat the pizza at Costco all the time. It's big, cheesy, and the sauce is good too. I've had better pizza and I've had many worse." —joeqboo
"I used to have a Costco on the way home from work and I would buy a bottle of wine and have a slice of pizza. The pizza is pretty filling for the price." —redfish
"I know so many people that swear by the pizza at Costco. Like, they're not even members, but go there just for the pizza. My parents recently became converts. They buy all of their dog food at Costco and apparently, use that as an excuse to bring home those massive cheese pizzas. I've only had it once; it was good for what it was." --PumpkinBear
"Do I enjoy it? No, not really. Have I grabbed a slice of pizza in the middle of a busy shopping day? Heck yeah." —Kerosena
You'll notice that most folks came up with some variation of "It's good for what it is" or "It's good for the price." I'd agree. There was something sort of satisfying about the slices I tried — in a sort of institutional-pizza-yet-better-than-institutional-pizza way. If that makes any sense.
The crust is heavy and flaccid with almost no crispness, except at the rim — and that seems like an accident.
But the thick layer of melty cheese, dotted with crisp brown spots is somehow primally satisfying. And the sauce really is decent. It avoids the usual mass-food-service pitfall of oversweetness. Sure, it's just sweet enough, but there's some spiciness and some herbiness there beyond the sugar.
My favorite was the cheese slice followed closely by the combo slice (above), which is actually remarkably well balanced. It has what many Americans consider a roundup of classic pizza flavors (these toppings do work well together), but it doesn't go overboard into a MEGA-LOVER'S self-parody of a pie. And, as I said, it's the most bang for your two bucks here.
The pepperoni slice was fine. The topping had a bit of a metallic off flavor to it, as pepperoni often can, but if you've already lowered your pizza standards this far, there's not much to complain about in that respect. Just avoid it next time, unless you're truly a pepperoni fiend.
(You could do worse than Costco food court pizza. Sure, you could do better, but if you're jonesing for a slice after picking up a year's supply of toilet paper, I'd recommend visiting the 15th largest pizza chain in the nation.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Archive for February, 2011
FNL Awards – The Buddies!
For our first "post series" podcast we decided to take a stab our some of the Best & Worst of the entire series. And we decided to call them The Buddies in honor of (maybe) our favorite character, Buddy Garrity. We are sure that we probably left out a few things we should have included. […]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
5×13 :: Always
As the lights finally went down on Dillon, TX our hearts were saddened. But all in all we were satisfied with how things wrapped up. In this episode of The Friday Night Lights Podcast, Lyle and Blake take a look at the final episode and how various story lines concluded. Some expected. Some a surprise. […]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
5×12 :: Texas Whatever + Jeff Rosick (Buddy Jr.)
It's almost done. Only one more episode to go. But before we get to the last one Blake and Lyle discuss the 12th episode of the season called "Texas Whatever".
Podcast: Play in new window | Download


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Sky's Julich gears up for Boswell and Dombrowski mentorship
American Sky coach outlines the future for the Brits' two new U.S. neo-pro signings
Editor's note: Joe Dombrowski is featured in Velo magazine's November 2012 issue, available now at booksellers and bike shops. The issue, headlined by cover-man Tejay van Garderen, focuses on the future of American cycling in the wake of the U.S. Postal Service doping case.
MILAN (VN) — Despite all that is in the news this fall, Bobby Julich is looking ahead to 2013 with a smile. Ian Boswell and Joe Dombrowski will come under his watch at Sky, doubling the number of Americans in the British super team.
"So many of the interesting riders are snatched up by the American teams right away or come through the farm system and go to the pro team so quickly, so you don't have a chance," Julich told VeloNews. "I remember one of the comments that came in when I put these guys on the draft board: 'It will be really tough to keep these guys away from the American teams.'"
Sky announced earlier this month that the 21-year-old Bontrager-Livestrong teammates would join the team for next year, Boswell signing through 2015 and Dombrowski through 2014. They are only the second and third Americans to join as the team enters its fourth year, making four Yankees, with experienced hand Pate and race coach Julich.
"They have a guy like Tim Kerrison, who came from rowing and swimming, who's relatively new to cycling, but he's very much into the numbers and data," Dombrowski told VeloNews. "It's great to have the science and best scientist, but if you don't balance it, it can get a bit one-sided. Bobby complements that nicely."
Dombrowski won the "Baby Giro," or the amateur Giro d'Italia, and Boswell placed second in the U23 Liège-Bastogne-Liège this season — the best-ever American result in the amateurs' classic — but they both have miles to cover before they can win in the pro ranks.
"I've gone through a similar path, kind of chucking the American teams and going to a foreign team, though this is not as foreign as when I went to the French or German team," said Julich, who first raced in Europe as a pro in 1997 with Cofidis. "The best thing is that you can really communicate, and communication when you are young is paramount."
Julich said that Boswell and Dombrowski are both raw talents and that they will only benefit from racing alongside riders like Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins and Edvald Boasson Hagen. And Julich is the man to guide the young Americans into their neo-pro year. After a meeting this week in London and helping them find housing in Nice, France, in December, he will begin his work at a training camp in Mallorca before the end of the year.
"I went back in time and did research to see where they excel and where they are under," said Julich. "The time trial is going to be an area open to huge improvements. They were on a team with great equipment, but it's more the homework behind the art of the time trial: increasing the core strength, doing the training on the time trial bike, getting more comfortable in that position."
In London, Boswell and Dombrowski will receive a rough outline of their race programs. Julich did not rule out a grand tour debut in 2013.
"Joe, even more than Ian, has a huge future in stage races," said Julich. "Once he gets a taste of the WorldTour races, especially if he can climb like he can, I think he will adapt quickly."
Julich said that Dombrowski is tall and skinny, and bound to put on muscle mass. He wants to make sure that it is in the right spots. Dombrowski showed himself this year with solid GC rides at the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and USA Pro Challenge. Boswell, Julich said, impressed with his results in Liège, the Tour de l'Avenir and Amgen Tour of California.
"We need to see where he fits in the team, what races motivate him and compare ideas on race schedules, just going with the flow," said Julich. "But, definitely, when you get second in the amateur Liège-Bastogne-Liège, you obviously have talent in those sort of one-day races."
Julich raced until 2008, placed third in the Tour and won Paris-Nice. Over the telephone, the excitement rang through when he spoke about the duo, nearly 20 years younger.
"You can see with the motors they have and the heads they have on their shoulders that they are going to go far."


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November 2015
November 2015
Do you still have this problem? I would first try restarting your device. If that doesn't help, move those buildings somewhere else temporarily and then move them back.
October 2016
I'm having exactly the same problem. It's all in the NorthWest corner of my city. When new buildings get their first upgrade, the water gets cut off, showing a broken link to the water network. In some cases, it has been both the water and sewage that's cut off. It seems like the location is cursed, not the building. Any new building on the same lot has the problem.
December 2016
A thought would be that not all water pumps are connected to the same roadsystem, I noticed trying to teach my niece and nephew that they built roadways that weren't connected. It's an easy miss...?
January 2019
I'm having a similar issue. I had a shortage and decided to demolish aba doned buildings to bring the demand below the capacity, however it still showed a shortage although the capacity was above the demand. I even tried moving things around and restarting. No luck I even went as far as to demolish all the residential buildings and build new ones. They too became abandoned due to the water shortage. I'm at a loss and frustrated that I pumped some money into this game. Such a waste.
February 2019
February 2019
That is a common bug it seems. I would ensure the following:
I tried all that and since nothing worked, i just closed the app completely and just restarted, didn't see the error anymore.
Hopefully this helps you resolve the issue you are seeing.


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Christmas is the time of giving. It's the time of year when we put all our brain power and effort into buying presents for our loved ones that they will open with wide-eyed wonder, like smelly candles and celebrity autobiographies. But our dogs and cats don't want or need candles or books so what can we get them? Never fear, our elves have put their heads together and come up with some great Christmas presents for cats and dogs that they're sure to love.
A Christmas collar
Whether you want your pet to be Christmas formal, Christmas casual or to match the rest of your decorations, the right Christmas cat or dog collar is out there. There are fancy handmade options, complete with rhinestones to channel your dog's inner Glen Campbell, or festive bow ties. Our personal favourites are Chelsea Dogs' range of Christmas dog collars that manage to be both very cute and very smart at the same time. Of course, the collar doesn't have to be all snowmen and reindeer, especially if it's for year-round wear. For cats, these geo print collars are incredibly stylish and come with an elastic safety strap in case it gets snagged on a branch while climbing trees.
A new bed
Pet beds have come a long way. They used to be a plastic oval with a blanket inside, but the choices available now are mind-boggling. If your pet's bed has got a bit tired, smelly or tatty, Christmas is the best time to reward them with something new and luxurious to rest on. If you're looking for something practical, we're big fans of this machine-washable donut bed from Mutts and Hounds. But Christmas is the time for indulgence, so why not go all out and buy your dog their own sofa? And not forgetting our feline friends, this Covo cat bed is so stylishly minimal, it's practically Scandinavian.
A new bowl
Just like beds, dog bowls have had something of an upgrade. You can go for something simple and classy, like this Trouva hand-painted dog bowl or you can get something ultra-modern, like the Sure Flap microchip pet feeder. The bowl responds to your dog or cat's microchip and will only open for them, making sure that no other animal can get at their food.
A pet-friendly advent calendar
Seeing as the chocolate in our own advent calendars is a big no-no for our pet friends, it's only fair that someone has created one that they can enjoy over the days leading up to Christmas. Lily's Kitchen are purveyors of quality, nutritious dog and cat food and have crafted this cute calendar that is filled with treats that are both tasty and healthy. Kitties can also get in on the Christmas action, with their own cat advent calendar.
Stocking fillers
Smellies at Christmas are something of a cliché, but Aesop is a different story altogether. The Australian brand makes seriously amazing smelling products in seriously cool packaging and they've even got a shower gel for dogs. And if you want them to work up a sweat before their bath, try the Houndworthy wood chuck toy, a pleasingly retro ball thrower that not only looks very cool, but throws far too.
A new home
Of course, it's still Christmas, even if you're not a dog or a cat, so we couldn't miss out our smaller friends. We love these Rotastak hamster cages and their inventive twists on the standard bit of plastic and bars. Your hamster can become a space explorer or a princess with their very own twisty, turny home full of amusements. Although, this creepy castle one is probably more suited to Halloween, if you're the kind of person who buys their hamster Halloween presents.
Still looking for the perfect present? Why not a Pit Pat activity monitor and pet insurance?


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This live Amsterdam webcam is overlooking the busy street of Overtoon in the heart of the Netherland's capital city, Amsterdam. Great traffic cam in Amsterdam as well as a people watching webcam
The busy Overtoon street in the heart of Amsterdam links Leidseplein, to the Amstelveenseweg in the centre of Holland's capital city, Amsterdam.
This Amsterdam traffic cam in the centre of Amsterdam is provided by Overtoon.tv To view more live Amsterdam web cams visit the Overtoon.tv website - HERE


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Moving truck hire Sydney
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Moving house doesn't just require a truck. You need boxes, ropes, blankets and trolleys for moving everything, securing it all in the truck and making sure your furniture doesn't break on the journey. At Southern Cross Truck Rentals we have a range of equipment to make your move easier, just ask. We have these items for hire:
- Ropes for securing items
- Blankets for protecting your fragile goods
- Trolleys to make the heavy lifting easier
Hire a truck driver
Moving house can be a stressful job, no matter how close or far you're going. If you need to hire a truck that is too large for your driver's licence, we can organise a truck driver to do the work for you.
Emergency roadside assistance
The last thing you want when moving house is for your rental truck to break down. That's why we use late model trucks and vans and ensure they're regularly maintained. If your rental does happen to break down, our 24-hour roadside assistance service is in place so we can get you a replacement or repair your rental as soon as possible, no matter what time it is.
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Do you need a special licence to drive the truck you need? For this information and more, read our FAQs for renting a truck.


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6-12-12 (@ Kansas City)
Before I forget; I taped the re-airing of the Brewers game from Sunday, and recorded with my iPhone the point in the game that I caught the foul ball. Victoria's hand was a little sore after that jacked-up high five I gave her. The other guy I gave a high five to was the one who had said "you just took your glove out!" after I made the catch.
I had a few appointments in Madison on Monday, and I left for Kansas City when I was done at 2 pm. I arrived at Tom at Danielle's place at 10:20 pm, and went to bed shortly thereafter. Tom & Danielle are engaged, and they met while in the dorms freshman year at UW-Madison. They too were Gilman House residents, along with myself, Victoria, Alex, Jess, Katie, and Allison. I stayed with Alex and Jess in Chicago, saw Katie at the game on April 9th at Wrigley, and Victoria and I stayed with Allison in San Francisco in May.
Tom and Danielle live in the Market Station Apartments in downtown Kansas City, and it's a nice complex. The four parter gives a taste of what it's like. Going clockwise from top left:
1) One of the hallways in the complex. I was surprised to see cement floors. It probably makes it easier to clean and it's cheaper, since you don't have to worry about replacing the carpeting.
2) The interior of their apartment, taken from the kitchen area. It's a two bed / two bath so I got my own side of the apartment! I'm sleeping on an air mattress (not at this exact moment) and have had no complaints. Thanks guys!!!
3) The view out of their kitchen window(s), not too shabby.
4) The view of downtown Kansas City from the attached parking garage for the Market Station Apartments.
On Tuesday I ate breakfast, watched some Sportscenter, and then laid by the pool for a bit. At 2:30 I went to get lunch at Oklahoma Joe's. I had asked Tom and Danielle on Monday night where I should go, and they said if I only go to one place it should be Okie Joe's. The three part picture below, again going clockwise from top left:
1) The exterior of the building that Oklahoma Joe's is in. Is that a gas station? It sure is.
2) The interior of the restaurant, behind me and to the left was the gas station side of the store. When I was buying a bottle of the BBQ sauce the lady behind the gas station counter was taking orders for Oklahoma Joe's, so it seems there is a good relationship between the two establishments.
3) My lunch; the Jumbo Pulled Pork sandwich and a side of Spicy Slaw. The pulled pork had just the right amount of smoke, and it was amazalicious. For $2.39 I'd have to give the slaw a solid B. For that price I was expecting to be blown away.
After lunch I went back to Tom and Danielle's place and started getting ready for the game. Danielle got home from work around 5:15, and Tom 5:55. Two of their friends (Ben & Kristen) picked us up at 6:00, and we were parked by 6:20. Kauffman Stadium and Arrowhead Stadium (where the Kansas City Chiefs play) are located right next to each other, and share parking lots. We parked in one that was right in front of Arrowhead.
Ben and Kristen had picked up some fried chicken along with some other items for the tailgate. I ate two pieces of chicken, had a beer, but then had to take off, to make sure I could get my ticket and exterior game number picture prior to the game. Before I left them I had a nearby Brewers fan take a picture of the five of us. Left to right it's Tom, Danielle, myself, Kristin, and Ben.
I was a little disappointed to find out that the Royals don't have exterior Kauffman Stadium signage. I think that should be a law. I explained to a stadium employee what I wanted and she told me I should go to the upper deck and get a picture with the field in the background. I explained that I was planning on doing that for one of the other games, but needed an exterior picture for the first game. I settled with the following for game photo number 61. I know it says "Royals" on the side of the stadium, but most places have the stadium name somewhere on the outside.
I got inside at 7:03 for a 7:10 start time, which is the closest call I've had this season. Outside and inside I took a few pics, but will do a better job of documenting the park at today's game. Going clockwise from top left:
1) The addition to Kauffman Stadium when they did some remodeling from 2007-2009. I was here in 2006, so I hadn't seen any of the upgrades.
2) Just after getting my ticket scanned I took a picture of the home plate entrance. I must admit that it's not too inviting or exciting.
3) The addition on the left, with the original stadium architecture on the right. The addition holds offices, the team store, and other aspects of an MLB team.
4) A giant piggy bank that is sporting Royals colors.
The national anthem had been playing when I was getting my bags checked at the gate, and had to wait there before heading inside. I got to my seat at about 7:09, and the game started one minute later. This was the view from my seat in the last row of section 225.
The Brewers went down in order in the first, and the leadoff hitter for the Royals took Greinke deep to give them a 1-0 lead. The Royals starter (Luis Mendoza) carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, before Ryan Braun singled on a ground ball to the third basemen. I have a four parter to show what happened, clockwise from top left:
1) Braun lining up Mendoza to lead off the seventh.
2) Braun sliding into second base after the third baseman's throw got past the first basemen. This picture doesn't show that the ball had gotten past Escobar who was covering second.
3) Braun arriving at third after the second error of the inning.
4) After an Aramis Ramirez walk Taylor Green lifted a short fly ball to left that was caught by the left fielder. Braun tried tagging up but was thrown out by quite a bit. It wasn't even that good of a throw, but Gordon was so shallow once he caught the ball that there was a large margin for error.
After the double play the Brewers were left with the slow-footed Ramirez at second and Rickie Weeks at the plate. Rickie came through with a bloop single and Ramirez barely beat the throw home to tie the game at one. It remained tied until the bottom of the eighth, when the Royals got a leadoff double from Gordon. He was sacrificed to third by Getz and then Billy Butler drove him in with a single to center. The Brewers had runners on first and third with only one out in the top of the ninth but failed to get a run home. Kottaras struck out swinging and pinch hitter Brooks Conrad grounded into a game ending fielder's choice. Final Score: Royals 2 – Brewers 1.
A few other things from the game. If you didn't know, Kauffman is famous for the fountains that they have beyond the outfield walls. I took a picture of them during an inning when they're off:
I also took a picture between innings, later in the game they turn on lights that make the fountains colorful, but I won't include one of those pictures today. They also turn the fountains on when a Royal hits a home run. So on Tuesday it didn't take long for that fact to be confirmed.
I'll note that while trying to take the first picture (of the fountains while they were off) I missed the 2-1 pitch to Humberto Quintero in the bottom of the fifth inning. I was looking through my camera's viewfinder and had it pointed at the fountains, and my internal clock wasn't working properly. I can usually sense when to look back at the action. I failed to do so on Tuesday but luckily it didn't end a really long streak or anything. If I showed you a picture of two beach balls almost hitting each other in the stands would you forgive me? No? Well here it is anyways. I hate beach balls at baseball games, and the distraction almost caused me to miss another pitch. Documenting such behavior might encourage more usage, so maybe I shouldn't post it…
A friend from Fort Atkinson is joining me at today's (Wednesday's) game. He is currently living and working in Omaha, and is making the trip down to see the Brewers take on the Royals in game two of the series.
In other news: I will be on FS-Wisconsin's telecast tonight during the fourth inning. Craig Coshun just contacted me and informed me of the on-air appearance. Tune in, check it out, laugh at my pathetic "beard". If you haven't joined the bone marrow donor registry yet (and are 18-60), you should seriously consider it. There will be a drive in Madison on Thursday, June 21st at the Central Wisconsin Center on Knutson street from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. There will also be a drive in Milwaukee on Wednesday, June 27th at Kaplan college on West Pleasant street from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm.
Personal Stats:
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1 Comment
Hey Ben, I read about your quest in the Game Day playbill. I was sitting in section 220 and watched you make the great catch on Sunday. Well done. I'm a chicken, when the ball comes my way I duck. Good luck on the rest of the season. Hope to see you at the stadium!


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It means that from 2004 FirstGroup will no longer run the Great Eastern rail routes in Essex and Suffolk.
FirstGroup, which runs bus services in Norfolk, Northamptonshire and Essex, does not feature in the three-name shortlist bidding for the Greater Anglia franchise.
FirstGroup currently operates the Great Eastern franchise, which will form part of the Greater Anglia franchise from April 2004.
The three shortlisted companies are Arriva Trains, GB Railways and National
Peter Northfield, from First Great Eastern, said the firm was shocked at the decision
'Astonished and amazed'
He said the company intended to take legal advice.
"I was just totally astonished and amazed. We have put a lot of work into running our network," he said.
"When we saw the press release on 1 April we wondered whether it was an April Fool's Day joke."
Martin Helm, a spokesman for FirstGroup, told BBC News Online that he thought Great Eastern staff would be "absolutely staggered" by the news.
"Everybody has worked so hard to gear up for the bid," he said.
The decision not to include FirstGroup was made by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) which has brought in tough new rules.
Richard Bowker, SRA chairman, said: "The qualification threshold was set at a very demanding level indeed to ensure the best possible competition on behalf of passengers and taxpayers."


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D. Robert Pease has done it again. His first MG novel, Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble, was given the very first Bookworm Blather Squeaky Award. His sequel, Cataclysm, is just as good. (Check out my review of Mammoth Trouble and my 5-Q interview with the author.)
In book one, Noah's family had embarked on a scientific mission of repopulating the earth with animals. But Haon Craz had done his best to thwart their efforts. Now, we find out another side of this villain. A visit to Venus shows Noah the horrible squalor the Venetians live in. Haon, he learns, isn't against the ARC project so much as he is for recolonizing the earth with people. But the Poligarchy, in an effort to keep its rigid control over the solar system, won't allow it. Yet we're never quite sure if Haon is really a good guy. In fact, he seems downright suspect. Now Noah is having dreams that link him to Haon and cause him to seek the man out. Only that was Haon's plan all along. Haon needs Noah to fly the ship back in time to implement his plan to prevent the cataclysm that destroyed earth in the first place. But is Haon really preventing it…or causing it?
This is another great mind-bender. The wild time jump details are fabulously thought out and cause some unexpected results. And we are introduced to some cool robot characters with personalities (personhoods, actually) of their own. Noah and James, one of the robots, share a special connection due to the neuro chip implanted in Noah's brain. This gives them a direct mental link that comes in handy. They're like brother, twins, two of the same person, almost. ("I felt like I was actually discovering who I was. And I realized I didn't mind hanging out with me.") Noah can even inhabit James, giving him a physical presence outside his own body and a chance to use his legs for the first time. Noah's handicap gives readers a ready way to identify with him. We may not all be wheelchair- (okay, magchair-) bound, but don't we all live with something we wish we could change? I know I do.
There's so much to praise in this series: family, nobility, sacrifice, friendship, excitement, and imagination, not to mention a complete lack of offensive subjects and language. I also really appreciate the high value Mr. Pease gives to people. Cavemen are intelligent and enterprising, and the world was made for people. This implies intention and purpose, not chance and degradation. That is so refreshing!
In conclusion, this is a fun read with no caution flags. I highly recommend the series. Probably a 10+ independent reading level, but a great read aloud for those a few years younger.
They're a steal on Kindle:
Mammoth Trouble 3.99
Cataclysm 3.99
Declaration 3.99
Noah Zarc: Cataclysm (Noah Zarc, #2), by D. Robert Pease, Book Review


text: Candidate Profile:Feargal HynesOver the last few years, there has been an observable change in the type of person students have voted into the office of SU President. The shift in their priorities has seen two incumbent Welfare Officers get elected to the position of president in the Students' Union for the last two yearsThe last year that no sabbatical officers carried on their roles within the SU was between the 2007/08 academic year and 2008/09 term. Interestingly enough, the latter year is commonly observed as a tipping point for the SU, from which a lot of the financial issues (that came to light in 2011 and 2012) and racking up of debt can be traced back toWhen students do eventually rack their brains for a reason to vote for candidate A or not vote for candidate B, it usually comes down who they feel has the best ideas for the SU. In previous years, that method for picking a candidate has led to many people undeserving of election a role within the UCDSU sabbatical team.The presidential race, and most other races, shouldn't be about the ideas any given candidate running for the position can bring to the table. It should solely focus on the candidate as a person. All students' eyes and attention should be focused on drawing into question Feargal Hynes' character, and not the campaigns he feels the SU will/might get involved with should he be elected.His ideas shouldn't even really factor in. Any candidate could promise that they want to reduce the resit fee, campaign for marriage equality, and demand the provision of better mental health facilities, but until they are actually mandated to do exactly what the students want by a policy referendum, they really don't have to follow through on their promises.This is a Students' Union, and you as students should be bringing ideas to the SU President and not letting them or their sabbatical team decide by themselves what issues affect students and need to be addressed. It isn't rocket science to know that they can't know exactly everything that affects every student.As mentioned, when voting, you shouldn't be giving Hynes a first preference for his ideas. Your preference should be based on breaking down what his experience and credentials are, and based on his character.First and foremost, you want a president that will listen to students' issues and cater for them first, and not simply come into work on a daily basis looking to cross another unrealistic promise off their manifesto.So, solely assessing his character, it is evident that Hynes is somewhat charismatic. He can speak at length about issues that affect students, but then again, you wouldn't expect any less from someone running for office.Another positive aspect of his character is that he is mindful and compassionate to a certain extent. He will admit that he is not well-versed in the intricacies of mental health; proven by the fact that he intends to "tackle mental health", which is akin to saying you'll remove someone's lungs so they can't be affected by second-hand smoke.Similarly, using the term "sufferers" when relating to people who have issues with their mental health is a poor choice of words and something that he has openly apologised for, citing again a lack of knowledge about this issue that affects students greatly.Nevertheless, despite these issues not affecting him personally, he had the compassion to notice that they are worthy enough to include in his manifesto. Equally in this regard, he makes marriage equality a priority of his.Then again, citing these issues and making promises to boost the quality of mental health facilities on campus and get people to register to vote for the referendum on marriage equality could be construed as populist issues to support with empty promises because he knows it will drum up interest in his campaign and more importantly, votes.If this is a tactic to get elected, it is clever tactic, but not a sly one on his part. Hynes appears very genuine when he says that he wants to address these issues. UCDSU will probably march alongside supporters of marriage equality and Hynes will advocate for better mental health facilities on campus, but it is the naivety to feel that it is as simple as making a demand and even loosely saying he will demand such is also shows short-sightedness.Who will he be demanding these mental health facilities from? Who will he demand a more transparent Union from? Who will he demand a lower resit fee from? How could he possibly convince the Gardaí to ignore all the health and safety issues with having a UCD Ball on campus? These demands are very empty in their delivery and specifically relating to the demand about lowering resit fees; this is something that every candidate feels they can change. What makes him different?Those are the sorts of questions voters need to ask. What does actually make him different? How approachable is he? Can you trust him to follow his mandate? This is not saying he is unapproachable or will betray his role, but merely pointing out that students need to exercise more critical thinking and not just vote for the notion of a UCD Ball back on campus. Always vote for a person's character first, and then if you can trust them, you can have more faith in their promises.Looking at his character is so important because it feeds into what kind of president Hynes might be. Based on his manifesto, it looks like he will be an Ents-focused one; he openly admits that "Getting the ball back on campus is #1 for me." This type of president is a stark contrast to the somewhat welfare-focused presidents that Rachel Breslin and Mícheál Gallagher ended up being.Over the last few years, there has been an observable change in the type of person students have voted into the office of SU President. The shift in their priorities has seen two incumbent Welfare Officers get elected to the position of president in the Students' Union for the last two years. Regardless of the fact that Breslin and Gallagher were virtually unopposed, students chose to elect them to the role of SU President.The aforementioned two were Welfare Officers during a time period when finances were a serious issue affecting not just students, but it was also an issue that the SU had to deal with themselves.De Brún, Breslin, and Gallagher to a certain degree, have been forced to put in place strict fiscal measures to cope with the crippling debt the SU was in due to reckless financial behaviour by previous presidents.Meanwhile, it was also crucial that the SU began to make a concerted effort to ensure that the organisation doesn't fall into such a economic mess again by releasing audited accounts and hiring a General Manager to oversee operations and maintain some continuity between the high turnover of sabbatical officers.Objectively, Breslin and Gallagher have come in and wiped the slate clean, putting the SU back on course and also campaigned successfully increase counselling service hours. So, is the SU ready for another ents-type president?That doesn't mean you should vote for RON. It means you should make Hynes convince you that he is capable of financially keeping the SU in check while also taking huge risks to bring the UCD Ball back on campus.Aside from focusing on his character, it is important to assess the continuity that a candidate brings. Hynes admits that he has taken a step back from SU life this year to focus on his studies; and it is a just reason. It must be kept in mind though, that this year there will be no sabbatical officers continuing their current role or seeking election in a different sabbatical role in the SU. Continuity is key in the SU, and although you can say that previous officers will be there to help or lend advice, there will be that lack of experience on a day-to-day basis.The last year that no sabbatical officers carried on their roles within the SU was between the 2007/08 academic year and 2008/09 term. Interestingly enough, the latter year is commonly observed as a tipping point for the SU, from which a lot of the financial issues (that came to light in 2011 and 2012) and racking up of debt can be traced back to.Admittedly, some support structures have been put in place that will hopefully ensure that this won't happen again, some of these structures involve a Board of Directors on which former SU Presidents who are somewhat responsible for the financial mismanagement sit, which is food for thought.Remember to think about who it is you are voting for. Hynes is a genuine candidate and means well, but UCD students have the right to representatives who mean business too. And Hynes could well be that president if you push him to represent you on the matters that you care about.


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Whether you want to relive Burning Man or the first time you saw "Friday the 13th," there's something for everyone this weekend. Our list includes an oyster festival, an art night and more pumpkins!
DTLA Oyster Festival
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 14 - Sunday, Oct. 15, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
WHERE: Grand Central Market MAP
COST: Free
Farmers from Alaska to California will descend on Grand Central Market this weekend to shuck and show off their oysters. You can meet the farmers and learn about how the locations of different oyster farms actually give the oysters a distinct taste. Oyster Gourmet is among the food vendors participating in the festival, but there's more. Try the "Po Boy" pizza with fried oyster at Olio or baked oysters with brown butter garlic and parmesan at Horse Thief BBQ.
L.A. Korean Festival
WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 12 - Sunday, Oct. 15, 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. on Sunday
WHERE: Seoul International Park, Los Angeles MAP
COST: Free
The annual L.A. Korean Festival is back with food vendors, shopping stalls and, of course, K-pop headliners every night. Live performances are ongoing throughout each day, and if K-pop isn't your thing, you can also see traditional dance and martial arts. There's a huge parade down Olympic Boulevard and a colorful lantern display.
L.A. Burning Man Decompression
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 14, 1 p.m. - 11 p.m.
WHERE: L.A. State Historic Park, DTLA MAP
COST: $20 at the door
For people who want to relive Burning Man or want to experience it for the first time without trekking to the desert, there's this huge music and arts festival in a recently renovated park in downtown L.A. You can expect four stages with performances, including a fire arts show. There are also several themed art installation areas. You're encouraged to wear costumes and use public transportation or ride-sharing services to get to the festival.
23rd Annual Pumpkin Festival
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 14 - Sunday, Oct. 15, 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
WHERE: Kidspace Children's Museum, Pasadena MAP
COST: Free
Kids will love this fall-themed festival at Brookside Park, right outside the Kidspace Children's Museum. The petting zoo, pony rides and carnival games require tickets, but the performances and some of the other activities are free. There's plenty of photo-ops for children, from participating in the costume parade to perusing the pumpkin patch.
Art Night Pasadena
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 13, 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.
WHERE: Various locations in Pasadena MAP
COST: Free
Last fall, a whopping 28,000 people attended one of the events as part of Art Night Pasadena. This year, the celebration of performing and visual arts is back at 18 different venues across the city. Shuttle buses will take you around to see art installations, dance, music and student displays. There's also free admission to a number of museums.
"Friday the 13th" on Friday the 13th
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 13, 11:30 p.m.
WHERE: Vista Theatre, Los Feliz MAP
COST: $12 per person Get tickets
This weekend is a big one as Halloween events begin. To start your pumpkin picking, haunted hayriding, "Horror Nights"-going for the season, catch this screening of "Friday the 13th" on the unlucky day. There's a costume contest before the movie starts.
How are you spending your weekend? Let us know on Twitter @inkwaves and @LeoHasACat.


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Weed resistance spawns new soybean herbicides
A decade ago, glyphosate was well on its way to becoming the only game in town in the soybean herbicide market. The nonselective herbicide obliterated nearly all weeds while sparing Roundup Ready soybeans. Any glyphosate-resistant weeds were just a gleam in a weed's genome.
That's changed. Today, glyphosate resistance has been confirmed among 10 species in 23 states. Other weeds are requiring higher rates of glyphosate for effective control. Continual use of glyphosate has also shifted weed populations in some areas.
"My observation driving around the state (Iowa) last summer is that we have a boatload of fields becoming increasingly weedy despite the best efforts that we have," says Mike Owen, Iowa State University Extension weed specialist.
It's the same case for other states. "The consistency of glyphosate is not as good as it used to be," adds Aaron Hager, University of Illinois Extension weed specialist.
"My prediction is that glyphosate will be driven to redundancy in large parts of North America and South America," says Stephen Powles, professor and director of the Western Australia Herbicide Resistance Initiative at the University of Western Australia.
Particularly disconcerting are the weeds resistant to multiple modes of action. In Illinois, a quad stack of a common waterhemp biotype has been confirmed with resistance to the following action modes:
- Triazines (atrazine)
- ALS inhibitors (imazethapyr, active ingredient in Pursuit)
- PPO inhibitors (lactofen, the active ingredient in Cobra)
- Glycines (glyphosate)
But, chin up. Sure, resistance to glyphosate and other modes of action exists. Still, glyphosate will remain a cornerstone of row-crop weed control, says Owen.
"Glyphosate is the world's greatest herbicide," adds Powles. "It is a one-in-100-year discovery. It is right up there with penicillin for humans in terms of discovery. We should do everything we can to keep it."
Glyphosate-resistant weeds are spawning several new complementary herbicides and alternative herbicides. Last year, for example, farmers were able to apply glufosinate in a LibertyLink soybean system. New traits and herbicide active ingredients can help squelch any single and multiple mode of action weeds.
It's important, though, to retain proper stewardship for all herbicide modes of action. Powles says if glufosinate-tolerant systems replaced all current glyphosate-tolerant systems across North and South America, weed resistance would eventually develop to glufosinate.
"We have to recognize that herbicides are precious resources," he says.
One new stable of products containing a new active ingredient is Kixor from BASF. This herbicide concept will cover several brand names. This will be the first growing season in which farmers will be able to apply it.
"The active ingredient is saflufenacil," says Owen. "It's a new herbicide family, but it is a PPO inhibitor, an older mode of action."
A decade ago, glyphosate was well on its way to becoming the only game in town in the soybean herbicide market. The nonselective herbicide obliterated nearly all weeds while sparing Roundup Ready soybeans. Any glyphosate-resistant weeds were just a gleam in a weed's genome.
Soybean farmers will have two new herbicide offerings under the Kixor label: Sharpen and OpTill.
Tip of the Day
Galvanized screen squares make great piping barriers
To form barriers for birds and rodents, I use my metal press and PVC pipe caps to mold and shape ¼-inch galvanized screen squares. Pieces... read more


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BI, Symbolic Logic, Bohemian Rhaposdy, and a Moose
Some links from here and there: DevCon 2015: 10 Steps to Implement a FileMaker Business Intelligence Dashboard The power of Symbolic Logic A FileMakerTalk Podcast: The first of several interviews recorded live at the Find Your Moose conference in Chicago. Guests: Molly Connolly and Jason Mundok: http://filemakertalk.com/media/15_fmt117_ElusiveMoose1.mp3 And just for fun: 16 surprising facts about 'Bohemian Rhapsody' […]
tablettes tactiles: This blog was... how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I've found something which helped me. Many thanks!
Don Clark: Glad you liked it!


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There are advantages to being a big fish in a small pond, but there are inevitable problems, too. Take the case of Hungarian rock and pop artists of the communist era: when there are relatively few people competing for the opportunities to gain national recognition, perhaps your route to the top is, if not easier to navigate, then at least a little simpler than for your contemporaries in the capitalist world. But when your language in effect cuts off your nation from everyone else, and your government largely prevents you from proving your worth in the decadent west, your chances of being recognised for the consistent high quality of your work are automatically reduced.
Never mind her extraordinary music: even Sarolta Zalatnay's name needs a note of explanation. Hungarian convention is to place the surname and first name in reverse order to how they appear in the English-speaking world. So when you track down references to her online, you're as likely to find Zalatnay Sarolta as Sarolta Zalatnay. She was born Charlotte Sacher, but her family adopted more traditional Hungarian names during the 1960s, when Hungary's brand of communism was somewhat liberalised. You'll also find her referred to as "the Hungarian Janis Joplin", and not without good reason.
If she'd been born just a few miles to the west, maybe Zalatnay would've become an internationally feted superstar. Then again, maybe she'd never have made records that could touch the heights she reached in the 1970s, which seem to depend for their singularity and magnetism on the very particular restrictions that would have faced anyone who was part of a countercultural pop scene while recording for a state-run record label in a nation cut adrift from its continent by a language unrelated to any other on the face of the planet.
In a sense, her career followed a surprisingly contemporary trajectory. Discovered and attaining national prominence as a teenager via a TV talent show, the singer worked with folk-pop-jazz band Bergendy Együttes, acquired the nickname "Cini", and became a major star. Her first solo album – … Ha Fiú Lehetnék (… If I Could Be a Boy) – arrived in 1970, and found Zalatnay backed by the psych-pop band Metro.
It set a pattern: the singer's strident yet diffident vocals riding tracks modelled after cutting-edge British or European pop-rock styles of two or three years earlier. Her range, and an aggressive-sounding rasp when really attacking a note, were apparently the result of a tonsillectomy in her mid-teens: her family had to give up their wish to see Sarolta sing opera, but she instead took possession of one of the great rock voices. Her debut album was produced in a way that gave the drums the kind of skittish rattle that probably made them sound thin at the time but which, heard through the lens of hip-hop and four decades of sonic adventurism, seem to today's ear to retain a crisp perfection and a sense of reined-in aggression.
Hungary's rock scene was small but the key, formidably talented figures kept reconfiguring themselves in new line-ups, the changing blends helping to push their music forward. Zalatnay's collaboration with one man in particular – bassist and songwriter Károly Frenreisz – was key. Frenreisz was a co-writer and musician on Zalatnay's debut and their relationship deepened when he left Metro and co-founded the proggishly inclined Locomotiv GT with former members of another psych-rock outfit, Omega.
Locomotiv GT were the band she used for her second and third LPs, Zalatnay and Álmodj Velem (Dream with Me) – her image changing from the 60s starlet look of the debut to a leather-clad rocker on the cover of the second album and a floaty, hippyish vibe for Álmodj Velem. Somehow, between making these records and a string of non-LP 45s, she also found the time to become a significant Hungarian movie star. Frenreisz departed Locomotiv GT in 1973 and set up the heavier, harder Skorpio – a sort of Hungarian Deep Purple – who worked on Zalatnay's superb fourth album, Hadd Mondjam El (Let Me Tell You).
This music – characterised by spare (though never sparse) arrangements, instinctive and inspired incorporation of folk melodies and atmospheres, driven by musicians of great skill and technique adept at reimagining western styles and giving them their own unique spin – was huge in Hungary but remained all but unknown elsewhere. The Pepita label put some of these records out in other communist bloc countries, and a 1975 album released in Czechoslovakia found Zalatnay singing English-language versions of some of her signature songs, alongside covers of I Heard It Through the Grapevine and Janis Joplin's Move Over. There was even a surprisingly straight Hungarian-language cover of Abba's Eurovision-winning Waterloo on a 1974 single.
International acclaim had seemed tantalisingly close to falling within her grasp. Hungarian musicians were allowed rather more generous opportunities for international travel than many of their cold war contemporaries in communist countries, and Zalatnay spent two years in Britain at the end of the 60s on scholarship and educational trips. She was introduced to various British musicians and it became part of the Cini legend that she'd turned down a marriage proposal from Maurice Gibb. Yet it wasn't until British DJ and record-label head Andy Votel released a fine best-of on his Finders Keepers label in 2007 that many music fans in the English-speaking world ever got a chance to hear her classic 70s records.
By the time Votel's compilation appeared, Zalatnay had acquired a distinctly western tabloid image that had little to do with her music. During her third marriage, to a porn baron, she posed for Hungarian Playboy, showing off newly enlarged breasts. Several salacious autobiographies presaged an appearance on Hungary's Big Brother, which came just before she served a jail term for tax evasion. Her preoccupations since seem to have been characterised by a determination to set the record straight, and work on animal rights and for charities supporting orphans and the elderly. She continues to perform, but those brilliant 70s albums – all obtainable at almost offensively tiny prices on the online secondhand market – remain stubbornly unknown throughout most of the rest of the world.


text: StyleInk is now pleased to offer you a personal shopping experience. We shop internationally and a variety of brands. We even make our own accessories. We understand some of the items you see here are not available for sale online, so simply let us know which item and size you would like to purchase and we can help you source for the item. Have fun shopping!


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The 50 Shades of Grey movie casting rumors continue with more talk about Emma Watson playing Anastasia Steele. But will the former witch really try to get in touch with her inner goddess while bewitching kinky billionaire Christian Grey?
Oh wow, now THIS is a juicy bitta casting news for the upcoming Fifty Shades Of Grey movie; fashionista Emma Watson is reportedly "in talks" with producers for the role of Ana Steele.
And, according to New York Daily News, she's got a very good chance of nabbing the role, as producers Mike De Luca and Dana Brunetti have already singled her out as their favorite for the part.
Emma Watson shot to fame in the Harry Potter series, playing the clever witch Hermione Granger, complete with big hair and terrible uniform. However, as the years went by, she blossomed into a beauty and has, since the franchise ended, been busy taking on more grown up roles.
We've seen her (albeit briefly) falling into first love in My Week With Marilyn, playing a teen criminal in Bling Ring and as a misfit teen in The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (complete with lingerie-clad dance routine).
We also know that Emma has been taking poledancing lessons to keep in shape AND we know that she's now 22 - time to leave the high school roles behind and move onto something a little more... adult?
Nothing could be more adult than Ana Steele!
Of course, it's just a rumour at this point and Emma Watson is set to join the likes of Mila Kunis, Kristen Stewart, and Elizabeth Olsen in the running for the hugely-coveted movie role.And, with Elizabeth Olsen getting some serious experience in on-screen nudity during filming of Very Good Girls, it seems as if she could be Emma's biggest competition so far.
We think Emma Watson might just be PERFECT for the role; she's sweet, she's naive and she's fiercely intelligent. But what do you think - is Emma how you imagined Ana Steele to look?


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Have you heard about Esports? It's a term used for competitive gaming (usually in the RTS, FPS and fighter genres), and it's starting to become a pretty big deal!
Most of you will have heard of games like League of Legends and DOTA 2 by now. They're MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) games. They high-paced, team-based, and require a thorough understanding of the game and any available strategies if you want to play professionally. They aren't just fun to play, they also make for great spectator sports! (League more so than DOTA because of its relative shallow complexity, which makes it more accessible, resulting in a much wider audience.) This has helped them grow as games that go big in Esports. Tournaments here, tournaments there, big wads of cash for the winners and a huge world-wide audience.
And I think that's really cool. Sure, most people uneducated about the subject will think you're either some shitty YouTuber or simply insane when you tell them you make your living playing video games. A large part of those folks will be of the older generation, where the younger ones will be more likely to nod and say "hey, that's cool! What do you play? What team are you on?" A couple of years ago the concept of esports was only known in very small circles, and look at it now!
There's no denying it's a risky job to have though. More often than not players (financially) live from game to game, and often need to win that match if they want to actually make anything close to decent money. But that's also kind of admirable. They're putting everything on the line to do something they are good at and love doing. I love seeing that!
Esports is still rapidly growing though. Hell, in Korea Starcraft tournaments are already available on nation-wide television! I don't know how long it'll take before that carries over into western countries, but it won't be a hundred years!
~ Fang


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Does it matter if I change the water in my kettle each time I boil it?
If you want to make the most flavorful brew, using fresh water every time you boil is important. Water contains dissolved oxygen, which helps bring out flavors from tea and coffee. When it's brought to a boil, oxygen is released and minerals are concentrated.
Barry Swanson, PhD, a food science expert with the Institute of Food Technologists, explains that the oxygen in the water reacts with the aromatic compounds in tea and coffee to produce flavor. A greater concentration of minerals can give your drink a metallic tang.
"The ultimate reason is taste," says Rich Avella, production manager, coffee and tea, for Peet's Coffee & Tea. When you boil water over and over, "you lose some of the complex aromatics and details in flavor. When you get into quality teas and coffees—like food—you really enjoy those nuances."
Lisa Boalt Richardson, president of the Southern Association of Tea Businesses, agrees that tea will taste flat if there isn't enough oxygen in the water. She says when brewing tea to avoid distilled water, because it's already been boiled to remove impurities.
Avella suggests an easy test, especially if you use very high-quality tea or coffee: Just brew two identical cups, one with freshly boiled water and another using twice-boiled water. Then do a side-by-side comparison, paying attention to the contrasts in flavor and aroma. "It's easy to see the difference," he says.


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Anyone seen an ac adapter like this?
averagepower64 posted a topic in Atari 2600I recently ordered this ac adapter off of ebay for my 2600. I was looking for an oem one, because those are the best to use. Anyways, I got this in the mail and I just haven't ever seen anything like this one before. The two things that I thought were odd was that first: It was was made in China. And second: the box has rounded edges. Do you guys know if this is oem, or have you ever seen any like this. (I don't have a camera so here's the ebay ad. It looks just like the picture on the box, except it has voltage specs etc. on the front too. It's also ended so just scroll down a little.) Thanks in advance! eBay Auction -- Item Number: 390458752431
Is this an OEM ac adapter?
averagepower64 posted a topic in Atari 2600I got one of these and it doesn't really seem legit. Have you guys ever seen one that looks like this? (I don't have a camera so here's the ebay ad. It looks about the same on the box, except it has voltage specs. etc.) I just question it because of the rounded edges.eBay Auction -- Item Number: 390458752431


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Ábhair Ghaolmhara:
Draft planning frameworks in support of new Language Curriculum
From September 2018, all strands of the language curriculum will be implemented for pupils in infants to second classes. Until then, there is an opportunity for teachers to explore and engage with the new language curriculum. This time is given so that teachers can become familiar with the new curriculum (DES Circular 0061/2015). The draft planning frameworks are presented in this context.
Primary Language Curriculum Webinar (PDST)
You will need your school's roll number to view the webinar


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Green-Up / Green-Down
Students will use a GLOBE Plant Color Guide to monitor the change in color of selected leaves of trees, shrubs or grasses.
Students will monitor the budburst and growth of leaves of selected trees, shrubs or grasses.
Field Guides
Step-by-step instructions for collection data according to the protocols.
Data Sheets
Sheets to be filled out during data collection
Learning Activities
Activities to help students learn more about the instruments and protocols
Students learn about plant response to light by setting up simple investigations in the classroom.
Students learn what to look for during budburst by observing variations in timing and appearance of leaves of different local plant species.
Students learn about the timing of spring budburst, develop multiple working hypotheses about why timing differs year to year, and test hypotheses using environmental data collected by GLOBE students in Alaska to come to a conclusion about the factors that most impact timing of budburst on paper birch trees. **This activity has an option to get students analyzing data in spreadsheets. The spreadsheet file (and answer key) can be found here: https://www.globe.gov/do-globe/globe-teachers-guide/atmosphere/data-exploration-learning-activities
Students observe and classify local plants based on their patterns of change other than growth.
Students will analyze visualizations and graphs that show the annual cycle of plant growth and decline.
Students participate in a preparatory activity that will help them identify green-up progression in their local plants and this activity also introduces the idea of spatial scale related to plant observations.
Students learn about plant pigmentation and photosynthesis while conducting simple investigations to demonstrate the presence of pigments other than chlorophyll in leaves.