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The Williams School
The people from the Williams School called me about three weeks ago and wanted to know if they could come to the farm for Earth Day.
They wanted to help us in whatever task we had and desired a tour of the farm as well.
I really didn't know what to expect and quite frankly was a bit concerned about what I was going to do with 30 little kids of middle school age.
My first mistake was thinking that I was going to get 30 kids to help clear sticks, logs and such things from a pasture..
What we got was 30 (+/-) young adults who REALLY worked.
Their Parents should be proud.
Their peers should take note.
They came, they unloaded off the bus and immediately passed out leather gloves that the school had provided (that should have clued me in that these young people were here to work)We did the tour first, I gave my opinions and shared our views of why we farm as we do and why the public needs to get out of the Supermarket and out to the local Farm.
We looked and talked and answered questions, they we went to work.
In 45 minutes 1 1/2 acres of two year old downed brush, trees and stumps were cleared, piled and ready for the next burn.
As they entered the bus to go back to the school I had the pleasure of shaking each students hand and saying a very heartfelt Thank You. When asked if they could come back next year there was no hesitation, of course and we would be honored.
My only regret is that I was so blown away with these young people that I forgot to give the Adult leaders their fresh eggs, maybe next year.
If only there were more teenagers like those who came from the Williams School, what a wonderful world this would be..
See the rest of the pictures at: http://s253.photobucket.com/albums/hh63/footstepsfarm/Earth%20Day/


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When you think about it though if you are trying to automate the generation of password protected Excel files you will need to store somewhere the password you are using to encrypt the workbook (Granted you are supposed to store that encrypted as well) so a workaround for the issue would be to store not only the password but also an empty Excel Workbook protected with that same password. POI does allow to access a Password Protected File so you can load the protected empty workbook and do all manipulations on it. The result will be an Excel file which holds the expected encrypted content.
On the other hand POI supports Write Password Protection. So if that is what you are looking for then this code will do the trick:
package com.nestorurquiza.utils; import java.io.File; import java.io.FileInputStream; import java.io.FileOutputStream; import java.io.IOException; import java.io.InputStream; import java.io.OutputStream; import org.apache.poi.hssf.usermodel.HSSFSheet; import org.apache.poi.hssf.usermodel.HSSFWorkbook; public class XlsUtil { public static void passwordProtect( InputStream is, OutputStream os, String password ) throws IOException { HSSFWorkbook targetWorkbook = new HSSFWorkbook(is); int numberOfSheets = targetWorkbook.getNumberOfSheets(); for (int i = 0; i < numberOfSheets; i++) { HSSFSheet sheet = targetWorkbook.getSheetAt(i); sheet.protectSheet(password); } targetWorkbook.write(os); } public static void main(String arg[]) { try{ InputStream is = (new FileInputStream("/Users/nestor/Downloads/unprotected.xls")); FileOutputStream os =new FileOutputStream(new File("/Users/nestor/Downloads/protected.xls")); passwordProtect(is, os, "testPassword"); os.close(); } catch(Exception e) { e.printStackTrace(); } } }

subset: commoncrawl


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It does not have to do with being humane, it has to do with the animal rights people reaching their goal of "one generation and out".
They would like to see the end of pets in general.
The President of the Humane Society is credited with the above quote.
That means sterilize all the dogs in the world and when they die no more pet dogs.
There is NO MEDICAL REASON to neuter a male dog and a ton of longterm health risks.
The animal rights people wont tell you this. They will talk about testicular cancer, well not only do very few dogs get it , it is extremely treatable. Prostate cancer is almost unheard of in dogs, so there goes their other argument.
What neutering can do is raise your dogs risk of Bone Cancer, Hermangiosarcoma, othropedic problems and many other healh issues.
There is MEDICAL RESEARCH that backs all this up.
The animal rights people only have tlaking points, that they repeat with no research.
Here is an ineteresting and informative article for you to read, and below I will link the actual Mecial Research paper that backs it up.
Summary of health affects of spay/neuter
The full version of the paper summarized below, complete with all references to the veterinary medical research cited, is available. This paper reports some of the adverse behavioral impacts of early spay/neuter.
An objective reading of the veterinary medical literature reveals a complex situation with respect to the long-term health impacts of spay/neuter in dogs. The evidence shows that spay/neuter correlates with both positive and adverse health effects in dogs. It also suggests how much we really do not yet understand about this subject.
On balance, it appears that no compelling case can be made for neutering most male dogs, especially immature male dogs, in order to prevent future health problems. The number of health problems associated with neutering may exceed the associated health benefits in most cases.
On the negative side, neutering male dogs
if done before maturity, increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer) by a factor of 3.8; this is a common cancer in medium/large and larger breeds with a poor prognosis
increases the risk of cardiac hemangiosarcoma by a factor of 1.6; this is a common cancer and major cause of death in some breeds
triples the risk of hypothyroidism
increases the risk of geriatric cognitive impairment
triples the risk of obesity, and with it many of the associated health problems
quadruples the small risk (


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Scientific Committee to Evaluate PseudoSkeptic Criticism of the Paranormal
Churches need to talk about demonic spirits
Discussions Religion and Theology, Scriptures, Bible Debate, etc.
Re: Churches need to talk about demonic spirits
I think in very rare occasion there can be a demonic spirit but it is very rare. I don't know that I would classify TV as a demonic spirit. The church teaches, "I shall fear no evil, for I am with you." If you fully live within God you have nothing to fear therefore this is all that should be talked about. Just try to do God's will and stay in the light. I don't want to go to church and hear about demonic spirits. I think faith should lift you up.
Re: Churches need to talk about demonic spirits
Ok, let me start off by saying "yes" there is a very (VERY) remote possibility that genuine possession can and does happen. You will note however the fact that I did not say "Demonic Possession" and with good reason, much of which I outlined earlier in this thread and too, we have the medical (Psychological & Pathological) explanations that tend to cover a good 98.9% of all such instances. But on the point of Psychological Possession I need to point out one very much ignored ingredient: FAITH or better stated, BELIEF.
When one is raised in an atmosphere in which such things are viewed as being viable and real it only takes a handful of minor deviations (for lack of a better term) within your personality and general habit, to get others involved on the 'gossip' front; that is to say suspicion and conjecture begin to move through one's community group through which assumed possession becomes a catalyst – the mole hill that will be turned into a mountain over a relatively brief period of time because of the "target's" sense of faith or, in a peculiar way, their lack thereof. . . let me explain that part;
Because of education, a child can mature in ways that take them well away from the traditions and beliefs of his/her family & culture even though there remains a funky-after-taste – a subliminal and typically denied sense of belief (and this can be deeply suppressed by the conscious/rational mind) Yet, when you have a rumor mill generating a particular negative, that energy can serve as a catalyst that stimulates that suppressed "belief" and voila! We end-up with the amazing possession of a non-believer – a person that was slowly convinced that something could be afoot, especially if they are under-going a period of depression or unspoken angst. It's the kind of scenario used by the faithful, or more specifically the Clergy/Evangelists, to prove the wickedness of disbelief and rationalism and of course, gain an exceptionally dedicated patron after the fact; an individual that surrenders his/her life's potential because of the psychological triggers set around him in life.
Arrrrgh! This is a difficult post in that I'm trying to not pen an in-depth lecture… this is revision 5
As to the question as to the claim that actual demonic things exist, I personally have to say that the jury is out. While I've experienced mild forms of spirit possession (a.k.a. Channeling. . . which, btw, I didn't enjoy) I have to question this particular idea based on the generally exaggerated sense of drama that surrounds the typically 2nd and 3rd hand accounts tied to such things; I have never found a credible source that has "looked the devil in the face" or those that were supposedly possessed, that didn't fit the niche of emotional & mental disorders.
The majority of biblical tales pertaining to possession were in fact pointing to illnesses like Epilepsy, Turrets, and Downs Syndrome; conditions our ancestors were not yet capable of explaining at the analytical level and thus, it had to be some kind of paranormal manifestation. This is why there were earth quakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, tornadoes and so forth; it was "God's Hand" smiting those that either didn't kiss his divine tukkiss (denouncing all other gods in the process) or else they were a people filled with arrogance, thinking themselves to be above the Gods. In the past decade certain wind-bags of the American Evangelic movement have implied this very mode of primitive assumption when it comes to this or that personality being stricken with certain ills as well as the increase of natural disasters we've seen around the globe in the past few years.
Personally I find the fact that any God bringing death & destruction onto innocent people an excellent reason to avoid it and do all I can to lessen its hold on humankind. We do not need such pettiness in a deity, which is why I prefer to not define my concept of a "Higher Power" via any sort of dogmacy; if "god" is in fact ALL then establishing such limitations and definitions defies the claim and becomes a noose about our necks and shackle around our lives. Which is the next big point I thought I needed to address when it comes to your post Realist, the idea that blind and full dedication/servitude to such a deity will protect you from its savagery and the various evils it literally created. . . well, it's not just a dangerous thing, it's amazingly primitive and falls well short of the logic and rationale of actual believers, such as myself; believing that SOMETHING "MORE" exists that will allude humanities attempts to define and "harness" it, but it is there. It's just NOT what any sacred scripture condemns it to be and yet, it is. . . it has to be everything if the claims of religionists carry any genuine weight. Because of this however, we must learn to open our eyes, ears, minds and hearts and accept the perspectives of other theologies, culture and modes of faith, recognizing the common truths & wisdoms each share rather than allowing a handful of small slivers keep humanity ripped apart.
I should add however, the auspices of Science MUST be included when it comes to such a transition for it too is a form of faith/belief and to my mind, it is the twine that helps bring the rest together in a logical state of cohesion.
Blessed Be!
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The hard drives are wiped using Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN) Then we process them to make accessible, unencumbered open source systems, with the Linux Mint operating system.
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A male contraceptive injection has been invented (huzzah) and early trials have indicated that it could be just as effective as the female contraceptive pill.
Currently, though, the trials have been halted due to reports of some unpleasant side-effects.
The male pill is an idea that has been floated for a few years now - development actually began in the '80s. But a male pill has yet to appear on the market. The concept has been widely panned, mostly because not many women would trust a man to take it with the precision, regularity and timing required for the pill's efficacy to remain intact.
The contraceptive injection could change all of that though, because much like the female contraceptive jab, a one time injection can provide months of pregnancy-free sex.
The contraceptive jab that's hit headlines today is said to work by lowering a man's active sperm count. Or, as The Guardian puts it, by 'switching off the male reproductive system.' A little like the contraceptive pills which stop ovulation in women.
It is reportedly around 96 per cent effective, which puts it much on the same level as the pill.
The current trial, though, was halted early due to some 'unpleasant' side effects - including depression, acne and an inflated libido - which caused 20 men to drop out of the study early.
Sound familiar?
While of course these side effects (any side effects) should be taken seriously, it is interesting that they are the same sorts of side effects women have complained of about the pill since its inception.
The contraceptive pill was approved in 1960 for popular use among women. And while it was being celebrated as a marker of sexual liberation, the adverse side effects involved with regular use were somewhat sidelined.
Most women were supposed to put up with a bit of weight gain, changes to their skin, a few headaches here and there, because the benefit of being in more control over family planning was so brilliant.
Interestingly, if you read Broadly's investigation into the darker history of the pill, they also reference three women dying during the initial trials.
A more grievously widespread issue, though, depression as a side effect was only really fully acknowledged in the mainstream this year, despite women clamouring out for decades that some pills had the capacity to completely alter mood and personality.
It's taken 60 years and a lot of damage to women's lives, for scientists to conclusively look into whether there might legitimately be a link between depression and female contraception.
So while we're looking for a contraceptive solution that doesn't cause any unpleasantness for men, let's hope there is the same level of effort being trained on developing a side-effect free solution for women too.


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Time really does fly by so quick. I always intend to join in and then before I know it the 10th has come and gone.
This month i am setting down my 10 goals for the summer holidays:
- Visit to a National Trust Property every week.
- Finish one of my crochet projects
- Complete at least half of my stash busting challenge (50 LOs)
- Enter a craft challenge every week.
- Go swimming every week.
- Loose 1/2 stone.
- Order 3 albums and file my 2011 &2012 LOs
- Visit the seaside.
- Try a new cake recipe every week.
- Tick one item off my This Year I Will list that relates to the house renovations.
Wish me luck!
Pop on over to Shimelle to take a look at many other 10 things.


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(ARA) - Today's world is smaller than ever - far more connected than anyone could have imagined it would be when we were kids. That is why one of the best things you can do to prepare your kids for the future is to raise them as citizens of the world.
You don't have to travel the globe to give your children a broad perspective of other cultures and world affairs. There are so many things that you can do right at home to encourage their curiosity about, and understanding of, the world.
The first step is to be curious about the world yourself; your kids will pick up on it. Here are some other ways that you can start to bring various cultures into the lives of your children.
* Invite the world into your home by hosting an exchange student.
There are few things that can broaden a child's world view like getting to know someone from another country. Hosting a high school international exchange student goes beyond a brief meeting and forges a lifelong bond between your children and students from abroad. The opportunities for interaction are almost endless, and it's a chance to not only bring the world into your home, but to share the best of America with someone from another country.
Laurie Scott of Nevada has hosted a number of exchange students. "What these kids share with us is enormous," she says. "We have learned as much from them as they have learned from us ... this is more than just a 'neat' program; it really does positively impact global attitudes and increases understanding among families, schools and communities." Families that want to host a student can contact EF Foundation for Foreign Study, which brings more students to the United States than any other exchange program, at www.effoundation.org.
* Explore other cultures right in your own backyard.
In America's melting pot, there are almost endless options for getting a taste of other cultures. Take a trip to a museum where you can find out about other countries and cultures. Art museums are often a great way to learn about cultures from around the globe, through artworks and crafts that have specific uses and meanings.
* Sample cuisine from other countries.
Take the family out for a meal at a restaurant that serves food from different countries or consider preparing world cuisine recipes together at home. Visit ethnic food blogs written by cooks around the globe, or search recipe databases, to find something that you can make in your own kitchen. Whether it's Indian, Mexican, Japanese or German, you can learn a lot about a country from its food.
* Learn another language as a family.
There are a lot of cultural subtleties hidden in foreign languages, and learning to speak one (or more) is a great way to connect with people from around the world. Consider learning a language as a family through a community education course or a local cultural organization - you can even download language instruction podcasts or mp3s from iTunes and other places on the Web.
* Make the most of media.
There are endless opportunities to learn about the world, right at your fingertips. Using the media to gain perspective about the world can take many forms -- from reading a blog written by someone living in another country to signing up at an e-mail pen pal exchange site.
Look for movies that are set in other countries and can provide insight about what has happened or is currently happening there. Search your TV listings for travel programs or history shows that are valuable learning tools, then watch and discuss them as a family. And of course, the simple, transporting experience of reading books about far-off places will always be a great way to learn more about the world.
Learning about the cultures and people of the world really does begin at home. If you host an international exchange student, consider sharing the experience with people that you know - and maybe those who you don't know - by creating a shared blog that includes entries from your family and the student you host. It's a fun way to help others gain global perspective, too. Whether you talk to your kids about current world events or pique their interest through photos of places you've traveled to, by helping them develop a broad worldview, you're giving them a world of possibilities.
Courtesy of ARAcontent


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JACKSONVILLE – The visiting Havelock faithful erupted in cheers as the game momentarily stopped.
Havelock standout junior Aniylah Bryant had just surpassed the 1,000-point mark of her career with a second-quarter layup in a 60-42 Coastal 3A Conference win Friday night at Jacksonville-Northside.
"It was a good feeling hearing the crowd," Bryant said. "It was a good feeling all-around."
The 5-foot-10 Bryant entered just 8 points shy of 1,000. She nearly reached the feat in the first quarter as she scored 7 points in the opening period.
Then after a couple of unsuccessful shots in the second quarter, Bryant grabbed a long rebound, darted across the court and scored on a contested layup.
She was then congratulated by her teammates and coaches for a few moments before the game resumed.
"Whether it's a male game or a female game, it doesn't matter, it's a milestone in a player's career," Havelock coach Anna Spear said. "And it was very considerate for Northside (top stop the game). They are a class school."
For the record, Bryant ended with 25 points and 12 rebounds to help the Rams (9-0, 2-0) stay undefeated entering Monday's game against Holly Springs in the Durham-Jordan MLK Tournament.
Bryant said she was aware how close she was, but added she's simply wanted to play her game and not force the issue. She said she didn't put any pressure on herself.
"Not really," Bryant said. "I just thought of it as just another game."
Last year's Sun Journal area player of the year entered averaging 21.1 points per game. Spear said Bryant gives her all in practice and in games.
"She's a die-hard and she absorbs every moment she's out there," she said. "She pushes herself, which makes it easier for me. She gives it all."
And Bryant wants to continue giving her all as the Rams try to win a conference title this season.
"I always work hard, no matter if it's at practice or a game," she said. "And our team works together and we always pick each other up."
Jacksonville-Northside 66, Havelock 43
Havelock's Anthony Harris had 12 points and 9 rebounds while Josh Reid added 11 points, but it wasn't enough as the Rams fell to Northside, which is now 13-0 overall and 2-0 in the conference.
The Rams fell to 4-7, 0-2. Harris had 10 points in the first half.
Chris Miller can be contacted via email at email@example.com or by calling 910-219-8472


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Alternative Titles
Synonyms: Shoujo-tachi no Kaidan
Japanese: 少女達の怪談
Type: Manga
Volumes: 1
Chapters: 5
Status: Finished
Published: 2011
Genres: Drama, Horror, Shoujo, Supernatural
Authors: Tachibana, Azusa (Story & Art), Hinachi, Nao (Story & Art), Mokoyama, Jin (Story & Art), Ameno, Hirume (Story & Art), Nanami, Sora (Story & Art), Umeno, Hana (Story & Art)
Serialization: Bessatsu Friend Zoukan BetsuFure
Score: 6.851 (scored by 365 users)
1 indicates a weighted score. Please note that 'Not yet published' titles are excluded.
Ranked: #112012
2 based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity: #9875
Members: 768
Favorites: 1


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The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, says Iraqis fleeing violence and persecution are finding fewer avenues of escape and he is appealing to countries to keep borders open to Iraqi asylum seekers. The High Commissioner was speaking to journalists at the conclusion of a one-week refugee conference in Geneva, from where we have this report from Lisa Schlein.
The U.N. refugee agency says Syria has imposed visa restrictions on Iraqis wishing to enter the country. Aid workers report only commercial truck drivers are being issued visas at the border.
Before these new rules went into effect, the agency says up to 2,000 people a day were crossing into Syria. Now the border crossing is practically deserted.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, says this effectively closes the last external refuge for Iraqis.
"The situation now is extremely worrying because Iraqis now find it extremely difficult to go out of the country and more and more difficult to move inside the country as there are internal borders also difficult to overcome between several governorates," he noted. "So, the situation is extremely worrying from our perspective because people are getting more and more trapped in extremely dangerous situations."
Syria, which is hosting nearly 1.5 million Iraqis, says it cannot cope with anymore. Guterres expresses disappointment with Western countries, that he says, are not fulfilling their pledges to provide Syria and Jordan with the financial support they need to assist the Iraqis.
While the situation in Iraq is particularly acute, it is only one of a number of asylum crises. One of the key issues discussed at the refugee conference this week dealt with the difficulty of providing protection for the increasingly large numbers of people on the move.
Guterres says millions of people are forced to flee from persecution or war, but millions of others find they are forced to flee for reasons such as extreme deprivation, climate change and environmental degradation. He says it is becoming more difficult to distinguish these different categories of displacement.
"If one looks at Darfur, it is true that in Darfur we have when a Janjaweed group attacks a village, we have a political problem linked to the political crisis in Darfur," he added. "But, there is also a competition for dwindling water resources between farmers and herders. So, war is many times driven by scarcity of resources. Scarcity of resources can be driven by climate change. All of these things are more and more mixed together."
Guterres says the international community has to find ways to deal with the new forms of displacement that are gaining shape in this century. Unlike refugees, he says people who flee for reasons of hunger or climate change are not protected under international law.
He says one of the burning issues of this century will be to find ways to help the many desperate people who put their lives at risk in search of a better life elsewhere.


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After six months off work, I am finally phasing back in and this is why I have been quiet. Blogging has taken a back seat whilst pain and exhaustion come to the fore. Dubious as I was, I thought I would bounce back in, newly acquired assertiveness to hand, breeze through my shifts and all the work that entails then return home to become a model housewife: laundry sorted, dishes done, homework worked through with munchkin. The reality was far different. Within two hours, my back burns up with pain, my shoulders scream out for a massage, my head hurts, my eyes are rolling with exhaustion my fingers stop working and words are not forming properly.
To questions such as "how are you getting on?" I am reluctant to tell the truth. I don't want to moan or cry or sound lazy. Instead, I offer drinks. A perfect get away from the office, I feel. I hadn't banked on how painful it would be on my hands to carry more then two cups back to my office in one go: a once easy trip is now a mammoth task involving trekking through waiting rooms, dancing around doctors, avoiding patients and trying to cling on to cups which are threatening to drop at any moment.
This week I have been catching the bus in because I am still not able to drive and my poor little car stands neglected under a tree which taunts Bessie (the car), as it changes in accordance to the seasons – blossom, tree sap, autumn leaves have all fallen whilst my car has sat there. Occasionally Bessie has a wash. For the most part, she is home to greenfly, lady birds and Sandy and Scott, the travelling spiders currently residing behind the wing mirrors. (Fine, as long as that's where they stay!)
The bus journey is in itself another task. The walk to the bus stop is all downhill. All good unless, like this morning, it is raining. Cue umbrella, head down and disorientation. I soon learnt that, when looking down, it is always handy to learn where trees are or pavements end. The bus, when it arrives, is full of school children announcing how gay everything is: "I got a new pencil case. It's so gay." "My mum is so gay." "My maths teacher is so gay." I was tempted to point out that they are on their way to an all boys or all girls school (the buildings are next to each other) and maybe the expression used should be rephrased. Once at my stop (the children all get off three stops before mine so five minutes peace is gratefully welcomed), I have a ten minute walk to my office where I instantly land in the morning meeting.
Today I had refresher training. I thought this would be a twenty minute session. It ended up being over two hours. I left feeling unrefreshed! The trainer was brilliant. Patient and funny and somehow, we managed to get Cluedo and Yoda in as a way of helping me remember things. (The brain works in weird and wonderful ways!) Training took me to the end of my shift. My partner picks me up – what a godsend. I instantly crashed on the sofa and slept for two hours.
I always try to see the silver lining in every cloud, but I am struggling to here. Last week I worked two shifts, this week three. None of them consecutive. Next week will be four. I face the consecutive days for the first time in months. I am wondering if I will cope and if I don't, what happens then? The trials of M.E and fybromyalgia are presenting themselves in different guises. For now though, I am settled. Pyjamas on, laptop on, dinner being served. Tomorrow is another day.


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Chessington are offering chocolate covered insects as an alternative snack this week. The idea is not appealing. If it catches on, Chessington plan to offer locusts and other creepy crawlies along side other snacks. That's enough to put me off going there all together.
Eating insects has long been considered a delicacy by some and are said to be highly nutritious … maybe if you're living in a jungle and protein is in short supply, yes but,I can things of a million other nutritious things I'd rather eat.
51.500152 -0.126236


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Posts tagged 'Why B'
Normally, I paint two or three pieces at live art gigs. That way, folks coming and going throughout the night have a chance to see a piece come to completion. (Or close to it, anyway.) Saturday night, I scrapped that, and spent the entire 4 1/2 hours painting one 18″ x 24″ piece instead. It started with the white hand and head above. Then the tiny details started coming in. The rest is history.
(click on the images to see 'em a little bigger!)
Most of the images came straight out of my head, 'cause there's a lot of crap in there just dying to get out. Most of the words, however, are me messing around with the lyrics of the songs that Why B and E.Rich were playing. (Can we all agree that "rap patrol on the cat patrol" is better than "gat patrol?") Did I mention I love painting when those dudes DJ? I do. 'Cause they make your favorite DJ's idea of a party look like a bridge tournament.
This is what happens when you ask E.Rich to play Drake.
Shout-out to my favorite Spike Lee character, and about a thousand other things.
High-five to the guy who got the Slick Rick reference.
Okay. So maybe some of the text is out of my head, too.
The finished piece! All in a day's work. And sold to Eric, who runs one of my favorite shops in the city.
As always, big thanks to Nate and the Rogues Crew, for making Rogues Gallery one of my favorite places in MKE to both drink and paint. Same goes for Why B and E.Rich– two of my favorite DJs to paint to. And high-five to Fred Kaems for painting alongside me. Hassle him to share what he painted that night.
There's a Rick Jameson Experience EVERY month here in Milwaukee. But the one on Saturday, September 3? That one was special. Not only because it was Why B's (a.k.a., "Rick Jameson") annual 21st birthday celebration, but also because we had to bid farewell to one of Milwaukee's absolute best people AND DJs, Kid Cut Up. He decided to move to Los Angeles because he was tired of the reasonable cost of living we have here in the 414.
Why B decided I shouldn't just paint at this event. I should paint Chuck's. Three pairs– one for him, one for Kid Cut Up, and one for Rufio, who takes care of not only us on stage, but also the few hundred drunks who inevitably show up to these things. And who am I to say no to the birthday boy?
These were the first three pairs of shoes I ever customized. Here's hoping they aren't the last.
SKULLS! – Painting #1 happened during both Why B and Chris V's individual sets. Then it sold to DJ E-Rich. Maybe he'll take a better photo of it once it's hanging in his mansion. I only had my phone camera on me, and it apparently didn't want to capture the blue and white properly.
PIANO TEETH! – Painting #2 began before DJ Mighty Thor's video set started, and was finished about an hour and ten minutes after he started, so folks would watch what he was doing, and not stare at my back. The piece stands 4′ tall and 2′ wide, and IS STILL FOR SALE. So, you know, email me if you're interested in it.
BIG THANKS to Jackalope Lounj, Nate Rufio and the other bartender I don't know the name of, Why B, Chris V, DJ E-Rich, birthday-boy Buttertooth, hot*pop for sponsoring the event despite having 9,000 other events over the weekend, and supersonic thanks to everyone who showed up and danced.
This past Saturday marked the two year anniversary of Why B redefining debauchery under the alias Rick Jameson. And fools were OUT for it, too. Or, rather, fools were already there when we all arrived to set up. Two bachelorette parties and an unassociated cluster of already-half-in-the-bag bros, to be exact. But we carried on.
If you missed it, well, tough titty. Time travel still ain't a reality here in the 21st Century, because Apple would rather give us portable, touchable computer screens instead of time machines! Lucky for you, the crappy built-in camera on my phone captured all the magic. All, that is, except the super-bartender that is Nate from Jackalop. Dude is better than Superman. Thanks for the Schlitz.
"Pretty Rickey" himself, kickin' off the night, givin' one of the aforementioned "half-in-the-bag bros" the stink-eye. I know Milwaukee's getting a smoking ban in July, but when are we gonna' get a douchebag ban?
The artsy shot of The Rickster's set. Thanks, five years of art school!
This is what the crowd looked like before 11PM. Didn't know people in Milwaukee came out before 11.
Detail of the night's first live painting, in progress.
DJ Big Once (left) and Kid Cut Up (right), mid-set. Pure greatness. And total devastation to the turntable dreams of any aspiring DJ in the house.
Detail of the second live painting of the night, in progress.
DJ D-Wood (left) and DJ Big Once (right) doing the final set of the night. No, D-Wood wasn't on the bill until that night. And while it's awesome that Big Once did a SECOND set that night, it's even MORE AWESOME that only the first four minutes of their ridiculously good set together was rehearsed. The rest was improvised!
The finished first painting. DJ Big Once took this bad boy home. It'll be hanging next to pieces by Revise CMW and CZR PRZ, which automatically upgrades my credibility! Thanks, yo!
The second painting of the night, finished and ready to head home with Mr. Rick Jameson himself, Why B… who was pretty much a big bottle of Jameson by the end of the night, too.
If you've never been to one of these, you have no idea how much fun you're missing. And I'm always a big fan of seeing a live four-table set.
Like I always say, I'd be nothing without Hip-Hop (& the Muppets).


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Here are some domains that sold on NameJet last month that caught my eye.
NameJet sold 141 names for $2,000 or more last month, totaling nearly $860,000 in sales. Some of the better names came courtesy of Tucows' domain portfolio. Tucows is a part owner of NameJet.
Here are some of the notable sales from last month.
Protege.com $52,000 – This will be a great brand for a company at some point and it will sell for a lot more. It's a fair price for a competitive domain investor auction.
Creek.com $39,088 – I'm sure a lot of companies use a name with Creek in them. Not as strong as Protege.com but still good. This domain was sold by Tucows.
Veggies.com $22,088 – At first blush this domain seems limited to produce companies and industry groups that have horrible domain names. That's a pretty long list, though.
MoneySmart.com $21,100 – This 1995 expired domain has lots of potential buyers. Google it and you'll see that both the U.S. and Australian governments have programs called Money Smart, as do many private companies.
Locomotion.com $13,555 – Wow, this was a true deletion from a domain Sony previously owned.
Blocking.com $6,701 – Did the blockchain craze boost the price of this domain? A great domain for a blockchain-focused site.
Aerodynamic.com $4,999 – A solid one-worder with a positive connotation.
Tufts.com $4,988 – This domain came from Tucows' NetIdentity portfolio. The buyer is forwarding it to Tufts.edu.
DrugWar.com $3,499 – This will never be a company brand, but so many journalism and entertainment companies might want to buy this domain.
www.ws $2,600 and ip.ws $2,515 – These are notable for the top level domain and presumably traffic they get.


text:
Blaze Pizza Team Member - Pizza'olo job in Fort Worth, TXEmployer actively reviewing applications
- Company
- Blaze Pizza
- Job Title
- Team Member - Pizza'olo
- Job Type
- Full-time, Part-time
- Est. Wages
- $7.80 to $9.58 per hour (Snag Est. )
- Location
- 5925 Convair Drive, Suite 521
Fort Worth, TX 76109
- Last Active
- today
Apply Now
See all Blaze Pizza jobs
Team Member - Pizza'olo
Blaze Pizza is Now Hiring Pizza'Olo's!
Are you looking for growth, fun and excitement?
We have it all! Blaze Pizza is growing! We are developing our team with only the best in order to build our Brand and become #1 in the market. Exceptional quality is what Blaze Pizza is all about. At Blaze we celebrate individuality by making intelligent choices and exceptional pizza. Be a part of our growing team!
We are looking for Pizza'Olo's to blaze their own trail at our restaurants. We offer "lively, fun interactions", benefits and competitive pay plus tips!
What we are looking for in a Pizza 'Olo:
- Big smiles and energetic interactions while preparing and serving quality food
- Cashier: Basic math and cash handling skills while operating a cash register
- Maintain food safety and sanitation standards
- Ability to keep food items stocked and maintain cleanliness according to Blaze standards
- Maintain and ensure proper food portioning is being adhered to
- Create a unique, fun and exciting experience for guest
- Guest satisfaction
Blaze Perks:
- Competitive hourly wage plus tips
- Employee food discounts
- Paid training
- Growth opportunities
- Valid Driver's License
- Possess strong communication skills
- Maintain high standards
- Ability to work nights and weekends
- Fun, energetic, and friendly
- Must be willing and able to pass a background check and drug screen
Additional Info
Job Industries
Posted: 2018-10-11


text:
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
No Sew Turkey Shirt
Here are the steps for using this stuff, but it really just requires an iron, and this makes fabric stick to fabric. If you wash and the edges lift off a bit, just iron it down again and it's good as new and requires no sewing machines. If you can cut, you can cute-se-fy anything.
I did add some button eyes, but you could color these on with permanant markers, use black fabric and more steam a seam, glue these on, or get mad, call me a liar and refuse to visit my blog ever again. Ever. Because I did say there was no sewing, and here I snuck a little in, but the black button eyes were worth it.
Posted by Christy Robbins at 12:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Baby Gift, Fall, Sewing, Thanksgiving, Turkey
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
DIY Personalized Plates
It's a super simple process. I'm making some kid friendly Thanksgiving plates. I found a pumpkin I liked, and I scribbled pencil all over the back of what I wanted to outline on the plate.
Another cute version, grab plates (from the dollar tree) and let the kiddos draw a picture of the family for serving platters, or individuals for table setting. My pal Gust drew these little jewel for me to show on GMT Thursday.
Posted by Christy Robbins at 12:00 AM 7 comments
Labels: Fall, Pumpkin, Thanksgiving
Monday, October 29, 2012
Pumpkin Soap
All you have to do is shre some soap using a cheese grater. I added about 4 drops of orange coloring (they sell stuff to color soap where you buy soap squares in the craft store, or you can use food color). I also added some cinnamon scent (they also sell scents, but I used the flavoring from my kitchen oils). A little goes a long way!
Posted by Christy Robbins at 12:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Fall, Guest Bathroom, Halloween, Pumpkin, Soap, Thanksgiving
Friday, October 26, 2012
Day to Day Baby Memory Calendar
Posted by Christy Robbins at 12:00 AM 5 comments
Labels: Baby Gift, Baby Shower, Scrapbooking
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Chili Cheese Frito Pot Pie
Posted by Christy Robbins at 12:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Football, Main Dishes, Mini, Pie, Recipes
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Flower Bows
Here is that simple tutorial....I just decided I couldn't house anymore extra fabric in my house, so I bought these flowers with a discount. I sewed the beads in the middle, and then used a piece of felt and hot glue to attach the flower to the band.
Posted by Christy Robbins at 12:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Hair Accessory
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Recycled T-Shirt Bib
Monday, October 22, 2012
Texas State Fair Pecan Pie
Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, lower temp to 325 and bake for another 50 minutes. Cool; serve with whipped cream.
Posted by Christy Robbins at 12:00 AM 7 comments
Labels: Desserts, Pecans, Pie, Recipes, Thanksgiving


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AutoLife – Respecting Human Life
Human life is sacred and valuable. Far too many people lose their lives or get injured on the Indian roads. In 2010, India overtook China in terms of traffic fatalities. Every hour, nearly 19 people die on Indian roads. Our country also enjoys the dubious distinction of occupying the leading position in terms of the number of victims related to traffic accidents. This is despite the low motor vehicle penetration in India compared to worldwide standards.
The Trouble
India is an aspirational country which is trying to improve its shaky infrastructure and its traffic safety record. Several problems such as terrible roads, drinking and driving, ignorance of traffic rules, etc. plague the roads in the country. The need of the hour is for everyone to come together and play their part in improving our country's traffic safety. The toll that traffic accidents extract is all too frightening and costly.
'AutoLife' – A Small Step Towards The Solution
Recognising this, IndiaFirst Life Insurance Co. (a joint venture between Bank of Baroda, Andhra Bank and Legal & General) has undertaken a CSR initiative, 'AutoLife'. 'AutoLife' is an initiative that endorses healthy on road practices. It strives to inculcate good behaviour among drivers so that more people drive safely. Positive reinforcement from peers and interaction will ensure that members keep each other motivated towards safety at all times. This social responsibility project is an on-going initiative. With over 100 automobile dealers across the country already pitching in for the cause of safer roads and with the commitment of approximately 15,000 members, 'AutoLife' is getting geared towards the future.
The 2nd phase of AutoLife initiative of IndiaFirst Life Insurance Co., which is being supported by FADA, was launched on Jan. 12, 2013 at Hotel Taj Krishna, Hyderabad.
Dr P Nandagopal, Managing Director & CEO, IndiaFirst Life Insurance, in the presence of B Venkateswarlu, Joint Transport Commissioner (Enforcement & Road Safety), Government of AP, made the announcement.
Mohan Himatsingka, President, FADA; K V S Prakash Rao, Vice President, FADA; and large number of automobile dealers from Hyderabad and across the country also graced the event.
Dr. Nandagopal shared, "Being in the business of life makes us all the more aware about how precious life is. With stress levels increasing by the day, the patience levels amongst motorists have been decreasing at an alarming rate. 30% of poverty is curable if all the people are insured."
"Life insurance itself being a CSR activity, aims at mitigating pain in case of unfortunate, untimely death and disablement," he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Mohan Himatsingka said, "We, in FADA, do realise that no business can grow in a vacuum. For sustainable growth and development of any business, it is imperative that the business enjoys the goodwill and support of the society at large. This equally applies to the retail automobile trade business. Clean environment and safe roads are pre-requisite for the sustained growth of the auto market in India. It is, therefore, important that automobile dealers work in partnership with other stakeholders to promote the twin objective of clean environment and safe motoring. FADA, would like to assure all stakeholders present here that automobile dealer fraternity stands committed to the promotion of clean environment and road safety. That is precisely the reason that FADA has committed its support to the AutoLife."
The initiative 'AutoLife' will encourage a safe driving culture. It will try to improve good driving manners among road users such as avoiding the use of high beams, horns and unlawful overtaking. 'AutoLife' aims to be a way of life, bringing together like-minded people who believe in safe and responsible driving. The aim of AutoLife will be to generate awareness about safe driving and making drivers realise that being enthusiastic about their vehicles is not enough, more needs to be done towards safety as well.
'AutoLife' is being launched in 3 phases. In the ongoing Phase 1, auto dealers have been included in the initiative. Phase II involves developing an online community consisting of 'AutoLife' members through an exclusive 'AutoLife' microsite. This microsite will help members meet, interact, exchange ideas and organise safe driving initiatives. Phase III will include co-operating with the Regional Transport Office's (RTOs) and setting up interactions between 'AutoLife' members and the RTOs in various fields, which are critical to road safety. Emphasis would be laid on localisation so that members can focus on issues that affect their towns and cities. This active project would be initiated and executed by 'AutoLife members' and overseen by the various RTOs.
Concluding Remarks
As per the National Crime Records Bureau, 2.2 per cent more deaths were recorded in 2011 due to road accidents than in 2010. Equally worrying is the assertion by the World Health Organisation that predicts that road accidents will become India's third biggest killer by 2020. Road safety cannot be achieved overnight. It is a long-term process that requires dedication and perseverance. However, the benefits of safe driving are well worth the efforts. The innumerable precious human lives that could be saved will be a motivating force for 'AutoLife' members. After all, respect for human life is a fundamental right that brings us all together.


text:
Courses and Events for Doctors
Bell Leadership – Achievers I
Effingham, IL
(18 CE Credits)
Instructor: Amanda Langhorne
Dr. Leadership Class 1
St. Louis, MO
(8 CE Credits)
Instructors: Heartland Dental Clinical Directors
Dr. Leadership Class 2
St. Louis, MO
(8 CE Credits)
Instructors: Heartland Dental Clinical Directors
Chicago, IL
(12 CE Credits)
Instructor: Dr. Greg Psaltis
Dr. Leadership Class 3
St. Louis, MO
(8 CE Credits)
Instructors: Heartland Dental Clinical Directors
Laser Fundamentals
St. Louis, MO
(12 CE Credits)
Instructor: Tim Larson, Monica Little
WaveOne Endo
(12 CE Credits)
Instructor: George Bruder
A Commitment to Education
Since Heartland Dental was founded, continuing education has been a core fundamental of our organization. It has remained a fundamental to this day. From the start, our organization designed a system to support the non-clinical needs of dentists, so they can focus on patient care.
We wanted to take that support even further. We wanted to offer supported dentists opportunities to hone the clinical knowledge they possessed, gain new knowledge of cutting edge techniques and technology, and discover communication and leadership skills they may never have learned before.
For the past 17 years, Heartland Dental has continually offered these opportunities, which have positively impacted the overall clinical and leadership abilities of supported dentists.
Heartland Dental courses are free for all supported dentists and team members. Visit your online Heartland Dental Events connection for times and locations, or to register.
Learn more from Heartland Dental's own supported doctors attending our Dr. LEADS course series.


text:
Little Mix star Liegh-Anne Pinnock ended up storming out of a radio interview when she was quizzed about ex-boyfriends.
The X Factor band appeared appeared on Capital FM where host Roman Kemp asked them about their new single Shout Out To My Ex.
"If you write a song like this do you have to speak to all exes? Clear that song with them?" he asks.
None of the girls answer, but Leigh-Anne leans over to bandmate Perrie Edwards and whispers something in her ear.
She then turns around and tells Roman, 23, the question was slightly inappropriate.
"Sorry. I didn't mean it like that," he replies nervously.
But when he tries to change the subject, Leigh-Anne fumes, "It just gets on my nerves when people ask things like that. We're not here to talk about exes.
"I know the song is called that, but talk about how it's a positive thing. Do you know what I mean?"
Seconds later, Leigh-Anne then tells the girls to carry on without her as she storms out of the room.
"I think she's having a bad day," Perrie tells a worried-looking Roman who asks if he should apologise.
But at that point, a choir enters the room and Roman realises the girls were just playing a prank on him - set up by fellow Capital DJ Marvin Humes.
It's not the first time the girls have caused a storm when they've pretended to cut an interview short.
This time last year Jade appeared infuriated when she was asked about the battle between the boy band and Justin Bieber over their albums being released on the same day.
Australian radio host Jackie O quizzed: "Your [album] is out on November 6. I think a week later they are doing that whole One Direction versus Justin Bieber thing there on the 13th.
"What do you guys think of the 1D Bieber thing? Have you got any opinion on it?"
"To be honest I'm sick of talking about it, to be fair," Jade raged.
A shocked Jackie responded: "Really? Do you get asked a lot about Justin Bieber?"
"It has actually really p****d us off," she added, asking for back-up from her bandmates.
"We want to talk about our music and then we get asked about him all the time, I mean, what's the point?
"What is your point? I'm serious. I said I didn't want to talk about it."
Perrie appeared completely shocked, raising her hand to her mouth in disbelief.
The drama then escalated when Jade got out of her seat and left the studio, leaving the host staring at her colleagues in disbelief.
She repeatedly said: "No one has told us, I didn't know," when the girls claimed there were underlying issues behind Jade's rant.
The singers then burst back into the room to reveal the drama had been a prank - but it was too late for host Jackie, who was already in tears.


text:
I am trying to draw with my new nib pen in my art journal.
It is pretty awkward. I am used to a Micron, which draws an unchanging narrow straight line, . The nib pen has to be dipped into an ink pot to fill it with ink, sometimes the ink flows nicely from the nib, sometimes not. The paper in my art journal is probably a little rough for pen work.
I plan to persist because the pen is so pretty.
Well, that isn't the only reason. I like the changing width of the line (pretty much why everyone uses a dip pen).
This drawing was a little more successful, but it could be a while before I feel graceful with this pen.
Why is she sitting on a goat? Good question. I thought it was more interesting than a horse.
We used to have goats. They are wonderful affectionate animals. We had a nubian goat like this one. She was a most beautiful goat, and so smart. Intelligence turns out not to be an easy quality in a goat. She would get out of her fenced area and as most people know, goats will eat pretty much anything. Constant trouble but oh so cute.


text:
The basic Canadian passport renewal requires the applicant's most recent passport and two identical government-approved passport photos. Other forms of identification are only required if the applicant doesn't want his birthplace to appear on his passport.
To be eligible to renew a Canadian passport, the applicant's current passport must be valid or expired for no more than one year, not damaged and never have been reported lost or stolen. It must also have been issued when the applicant was at least 16 years old. An applicant needs to apply for a new passport instead of renewing if his name, sex, date of birth or place of birth has changed.


text:
LG Chem Developing Battery to Rival Tesla
In addition to Tesla's forthcoming Model 3, LG Chem says it is preparing a pack for an electric car that is more than double that of most vehicles on the road today, but at a similar price. WSJ's Mike Ramsey joins the News Hub with Sara Murray to discuss.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the ... are you ready for the electric car ay ay ay could be just around the corner she battery powered cars that cost less than forty three and ... a contrite as far as two hundred miles ... again as early as twenty seven ... but he isn't enough to turn the electric car mean strain ... the WSJ's Mike Ramsey is here to tell us more ... my Acer being here how little the more about some of these products that are expected to hit the market in twenty seventeen ... the best known is Tesla Model three which is there for a long time is of the gym three electric vehicle Mrs Tesla's and had ... a a mass market electric car and they announce that ... last year they're going to come out early ... two thousand seventeen this vehicle ... and aam this is also the impetus behind building their massive gigafactory which has been in the news quite a bit ... because they need to build a factory they say in order to ... drive down the price of the battery low enough that they can actually sell a car ... big its two hundred miles of range and costs around thirty five thousand dollars to start ... and in a widely in the battery industry and an Ottoman if it is a lot of skeptics is said to um think you can actually lower the price and not because the ... the size of battery require ... aam is very expensive to get two hundred miles of range ... that said I just ... you know I spoke with someone at LG chem the CEO of their U S based research arm ... and he said they are quite confident that they will produce a similar two hundred mile range ... thirty thousand to thirty five thousand dollar electric vehicle in partnership with an automaker ... to mount a Dow seventeen ... so issues that now is Tesla's belief that they can get there right at other auto makers Saddam see that they're going to do it as well ... and that's really a strong thresholds for ... for adoption aam because turnabout range would really makes it a party use everyday now Alpina saying what automaker there in a partner with you like a pretty strong inclination and it's can it be General Motors whiny think they're eyeing this market ... what is almost funny because there are a GM is you know it's been one of the early movers and electric vehicles the full is ... the best known details of Chevy spark which is actually a very popular small lectured vehicles sold most of the West Coast ... aam ... Dan Akerson the previous CEO last year said that they were working on a two hundred mile range thirty thousand dollar electric vehicle ... was a much ... that he was exposed to make that announcement actually says GM kind of ... sick buried it and they haven't really acknowledge descents and that I spoke with some ... people on Bakrie Jin they say that private still underway they will confirm its LG the LG is their battery supplier for the polls ... it's not hard ... on spike to two together ... LG is also working with another battery ... are another automaker in a day you know there's other people interested in technology and there are a period large battery maker capable of aam supply probably more than one hundred company ... that might have the Tesla model S is the only electric car that has this two hundred mile radius of the plan and history it sells for about seventy one thousand dollars that the pretty pricey Otto ... the speaker does the market for talking about a car that costs thirty five thousand dollars ... well it's it's hard to say that you have a tuna at thirty five thousand dollars if you get a two hundred mile range ... vehicle you know you you would assume the EU it you know test was assumption is that their sales will ... um triple or quadruple with their vehicle ... um ... you know in ... if you if you spread that out over a number of auto makers ... I think that the the idea is that you go from less than one percent of the total auto market to something more like two to three or four percent ... of the total market which doesn't sound like very much that it's actually a cure numbers were talkin bout ... you know ... hundreds of thousands of vehicles even up to million vehicles a year which is ... back and over time has a substantial impact on ... you know behaviors consumer aam use ... infrastructure ... that electricity demand has all kinds of things they can start to happen he had that many vehicles on the road ... and if if ... getting the price down is really achievable ... he might start see a broader aam adoption ... by car companies and consumers ... I will see if this all works out at a twenty seventeen timeline Mike Ramsey thanks for joining us


text:
The Only Office solution has announced availability of a new release of Only Office productivity suite. Only Office is a free and open source, cloud based productivity suite. Only Office includes all kind of applications expected from an office productivity suite including word processor, spread sheet, calender app, project manager ..etc.
Ascensio System SIA has updated its open source full-fledged office and productivity suite that comes with web-based documents editors allowing to co-edit text, spreadsheets and presentations in real time integrated with Mail, Projects, Calendar, CRM, and corporate social network (blogs, forums, news, wiki, etc.).The source code of this project is available on GitHub, delivered under AGPLv3 license. For more information on latest release, see release announcement published in Only Office website.
The ONLYOFFICE new version offers the updated version of document editors (Document Server) with:
Moreover, the ONLYOFFICE developers have updated the set of productivity tools (Community Server) adding:
- two co-editing modes: fast real-time co-editing like in Google Docs and strict when the changes appear after saving,
- commenting and integrated chat,
- reviewing and tracking changes,
- version history,
- text art,
- named ranges,
- adding, removing and modifying the available styles.
- mail and calendar integration,
- address book,
- mail auto-reply,
- granting the review access rights to the document.


text:
I am not sure why I am venting. I haven't really spoken out much on the SL blogs or forums. But, lately, things seem to be ramping up for the complainers and the whiners. (yes, I said whiners) Anyway, I just took a look at the Q3 for Second Life economy. It's not bad. Seriously. You should all take a look at other industries in the real world. Third quarter is usually a low one. The stability of the numbers is a relief. Ok, so what do the numbers mean… I am not sure, but the barrage of comments that followed was much more interesting to me.
Search is borked, or so "they" all say. Why do people think the search is borked? Because their number one ranking disappeared? Ask Google or Bing why they keep changing their algorithms. Because in the real world, companies game the system so that they are at the top of search. Or, "mom and pop shop" are able to focus on search and create exactly what the search engines want.
Search should be constantly changing. It should be a place where anyone can be on top. And, if you notice in the real world, search does change. It has to because the consumer is always looking for different resources. The return search list is constantly a jockeying of positions. This gives an opportunity for companies, both small and large, to reach consumers. So, why should it be different here? One writer in the forum talked about finding some very cool resources for clothing. Me, too. I have found some incredible designers recently that I have never heard of before.
The big merchants advertise. They make sure that their name is in front of us. That is how it is done in the real world, too. It is usually the smaller guy who has to focus on search or a PPC programs to survive. Okey, enough about search.
Too many con artists and slime are on the grid. Well, when you can figure out how to rid the place of them, please help us do that in the real world, too. The retailer who is unscrupulous is not here for long. The slime dawgs are exposed quite quickly in SL. Word gets out pretty fast. It's like the guy downtown in your community who rips off everyone in car repairs. Everyone knows him and everyone talks about him. He won't last unless he is providing an excellent repair for an esoteric car for a very small market. Otherwise, the market will drive him out.
Cost of Land is too high. This one is a sensitive one for me, too. I got land, and I have to pay tiers. What I resent is the way everyone claims to know how much it cost Linden Labs to maintain it. One writer talked about the cost of hosting the servers. (What about advertising costs, workmans' comp, government fees, employee wages and their benefits, utility bills, web marketing, etc etc are all overhead costs to run the company.) They pointed out that hosting across the internet has dropped in price. And then they pointed out that WordPress and FaceBook were free. Uhhh, no it's not.
If you want a professional WordPress blog with all the widgets available out there in the universe, WP charges incrementally for all those bells and whistles. And, don't get me started on FaceBook where the dangling carrot keeps moving out of reach for business. FB has totally destroyed all free marketing for business unless you are willing to pay for it. If you dare to use real life marketing tactics in FB, they will pull your account. So please, don't believe that writer.
Nothing is free. The free account you have with Flickr is worthless if you have a huge catalogue of photos. You need a pro account that cost money. Free is just for the small user who pops in occassionally. For those of us who are marketing or big users on the internet, there is nothing free (well… except from Google who then uses your accounts and internet properties to run their ads).
Teleporting is really borked. This statement, I totally agree with as I have been having a horrendous time tp'ing anywhere. It's my fault. I am pretty sure about this. (I tested this with my alt; she has no problems with tp) My inventory load is huge. My avatar is wearing so much shiz, that it is ridiculous. Several huds, prims and scripted stuff, and all kinds of fun toys are attached to her. I don't want to streamline anything. I want to wear it, and I want to keep my ridiculously bloated inventory. But, I want that fixed, please… pretty, please?
What I would like to see is a way that us oldies can keep our inventory, wear our shiz and still tp. If there are old scripts out there, disable them or delete them off the grid. If my hud doesn't work anymore then that's the scripter's fault for not keeping the stuff updated. Or, if the creator is gone, then I just won't use my thingy anymore. Time to replace it. Just like we replace worn-out old computers and software.
Driving the Second Life experience to the outside world is making the social experience nil. This one is complicated. I think we need a way to access a "store" on the web. But, I do want the shopping experience in-world. It's more fun. You run into friends or meet new people. You get to test out the furniture or demo the hair. Or, you meet the billboard avi who is sporting a new store in their profile. More resources for me to experience. That is social, not the shopping on the web.
Newbies are scary and probably only alts. Yes, we all have an alt for whatever reason. My friends use their alts to hold groups as we have a limit of 25. And, if you are in here building, scripting; you need an alt to hold your inventory and test your scripts. But, there really are a lot of people coming in all shiny and brand new. Those little noobs are critical to the success of the social experience and to the economy. (Hey, even my alt is driving the economy as I love to dress her in the latest cool clothes.)
The welcome center is very nice. It is clean and informative. Anyone coming in from any gaming platform will learn quickly. Then there are the wonderful learning areas where you can learn to build and script. We need to beef up the noob communities and the rest of us need to welcome them. The new ones will become our loyal customers if we treat them well. So don't assume that they understand about lag issues when they purchase something and they don't receive it. Don't blow them off as if they were stupid. They aren't. They just don't know about the techie problems, yet. Maybe provide them with a "teaching notecard" about this issue. Then, have a redelivery system in place at your store.
Someone mentioned a Ponzi or Pyramid scheme on the forum. Duh. If you have a closed system, there will always be the early risers and the rest of us will falter. This is why it is critically important to have new people come here and stay. It is equally important to have the old guard stay, too. But, the old guard must understand that they must change with the times. This is the way of all worlds, both real or virtual. So, if something doesn't work for you anymore; change it. Do not expect that this virtual place will remain for only your needs. And, if you flee to another place, I think you will be back. With the changes coming to this grid, you will see even more possibilities for both your creativity and your client base.
I am forever here. I love you all!
(If you throw tomatoes, I will gather them up and make the most delicious spaghetti sauce… and then I will open up a little restaurant and sell the dinner to you.)


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Whether you're not sure if we have the right solution for your unique business need, or just not sure who to contact, simply reach out to us and we'll get right in touch to see what makes working with Data Connect so special.
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Operator: (303) 840-7477
Show Support: (303) 840-7477 ext. 1301
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A technique that serves fiction writers, and all writers, well is striving to show and not tell. This technique involves many strategies that activate the senses of the reader and prefer concrete language to the abstract. [REVISE]
Writers can improve the effectiveness of virtually any writing by implementing techniques commonly associated with fiction and poetry. Writers of fiction and poetry primarily are driven to show, and not to tell. While many techniques fulfill that goal, some of the strategies a writer should focus on include:
• Incorporating dialogue instead of telling about conversations.
• Selecting language that appeals to as many of the reader's senses as possible. The focus of the writing should be on creating images with language.
• Avoid abstract words and prefer concrete words.
For on-line help with showing, and not telling, visit:


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For those of you who did not check in yesterday, I asked for suggestions for what to draw today as I was a day short. (NOT my fault!! I triple check! No missed pages...) As a result I had several suggestion (one here in the blog and a few more on FB). Not wanting to leave anyone out, I came up with the this which somehow incorporated all the ideas. And as I did not have a page to actually draw on, I did a time-lapse while sketching on the iPad. A little different but I am quite happy with the result.
So a special thank you to Dave, Patti, Frank, Angela and Siobhain for your suggestions. I hope you like the result.
Tomorrow will be the last posting on this blog and I will shed all my tears then. For now, again, I hope you like my little video that reveals ALL my secrets... And hopefully see you back here tomorrow for Day 642!!
Oh, and here's the day 641: your suggestions!
(All characters © and ™C. A. Aabø 2015)


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Improve Your Business Productivity with VoIP Phone Services
As business computing takes to the cloud, another important component for owners and managers to consider for IT and phone services is VoIP. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provides companies with much greater function and convenience or less money than traditional phone services. It fits seamlessly into business IT and cloud networking plans. More now than ever, companies are adopting VoIP as part of their business resources for the many important benefits it offers, as shown below.
- Cost Effective – Between the number of features available with VoIP phone services, and the way it slashes long distance and international phone call costs, VoIP is much more cost effective than classic phone service. It also alleviates the need for expensive equipment upgrades and repairs, hard wiring for phone service, and the extra charges that traditional phone services charge for some of the many, useful additional features that come standard with VoIP.
- Features – Unlike conventional phone services, which charge extra for every feature, most VoIP phone services packages include many extras at no additional cost. Some of those extras include call forwarding, call waiting, and call blocking, as well as "music-on-hold," which is very important to retain calls placed on hold.
- Unlimited Phone Lines and Extensions – With VoIP-enabled PBX (Private Branch Exchange), companies have the benefit of incoming unlimited calls to the same number answerable by a variety of people. The big perk with this is that callers don't get a busy signal and always ring through for someone to pick up the call. This is a very positive feature for call centers and companies with many incoming calls, allowing them to better serve customers and improve approval ratings. Similarly, VoIP phone services also allow for the easy addition and removal of line extensions, so calls go where needed by simply programming the system.
- Conference Calling – One of the main features for using VoIP phone services is conference calling capabilities. This feature is probably helped make VoIP phone services increasingly popular. VoIP services allow for seamless, low-cost conference calling without the need to use an independent service as a middleman. It allows callers to participate on any device, whether in the office or on the go, and is much more secure than conference calling through a third-party service.
- Go-Anywhere Capability – VoIP can be installed and used on any device, making conference calling and other calls possible, whether in the office or on the road. By connecting to any data connection, mobile users can access VoIP services and make necessary calls while out of the office, increasing job efficiency and decreasing communications costs.
VoIP services are an effective solution for both small and large businesses to achieve necessary function in the most cost-effective way. It provides the important phone services small companies need to continue growing, and the capacity and operation large companies need to smoothly handle all their business operations. When integrated into a company's managed IT plan, VoIP phone services make doing business easier, more efficient, and more profitable than ever!


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Showcase result
Coldham World War I plaque
Town or City: Friday Bridge
County: Cambridgeshire
Country: England
WMT Reference Number: WM3251
Value of grant: £33.33
Type of memorial: Non-Freestanding
Type of work: Relocation
Grant scheme: Small Grants Scheme
Year: 2000
UKNIWM reference number: 3481
St Mark's Church in Friday Bridge is now home to the Coldham World War I plaque which was previously on display in St Ethelreda's Church in Coldham. The Church stands on the main road in the village. The plaque is constructed of brass on a wood backboard.
In 2000 St Ethelreda's was made redundant and a new home for the 3 plaques on display in the Church needed to be found. They were moved to St Mark's Church in the neighbouring village of Friday Bridge. War Memorials Trust gave a grant of £100 towards the costs of moving the memorials and was involved in encouraging the work to take place through one of its Regional Volunteers.
The memorials were re-dedicated on Remembrance Sunday 9th November 2003.
The Coldham World War I memorial records 9 dead of that conflict. The other two memorials moved were Chain Bridge Chapel (WM186) and the Coldham World War II (WM3252) plaques.
Further information
War Memorials Trust reference WM3251
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 3481
If you have a concern about this memorial please contact the Trust on firstname.lastname@example.com


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Posted on August 23, 2014 by Charles Miles
Chapter 2.1 This is an unedited preview of Chapter 2, part 1 of Girl of Vengeance. It contains spoilers. Girl of Vengeance releases September 15, 2014. Pre-order links: Amazon Kobo iBooks Google Adelina. May 4. "Mrs. Thompson? I'm Liam Tremblay, I'm the immigration officer assigned to your case." Adelina came to her feet. Tremblay was an unprepossessing, Read More


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Balblair 1997 2nd Release
Posted by Tom
Tasted as part of the Balblair Twitter Tasting this is a cracker of a dram
First up was the Balblair 1997, this is the 2nd release of this vintage, and i was really impressed, price wise it's available from Master of Malt for just over £50 and it's well worth it, a cracker of a dram.
lovely clean and fresh nose here, sweet fresh golden delicious apples and candy floss with fresh garden herbs and vanilla pods, a slight hint of milky coffee also.
Creamy mouthfeel with vanilla cream coated summer berries and a touch of oak sweetness.
creamy and sweet raspberry
Bottle Name: Balblair 1997 2nd Release
Age: NAS
Distiller: Balblair
Bottler: Balblair
Type: Single Malt
From: Scotland, Highland
Related Articles
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Balblair 1990 Vintage
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A Balblair Whisky Tasting
Balblair 1978


text: Our baseball caps include the Beechfield trucker caps to the low profile twill cap from Anvil. The Musto fast dry has been designed for on the boat with a handy clip to attach to your collar to stop you loosing it over board. Please enquire what caps are best suited to embroidery or print


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University of Rochester SEIU Patient Care Technician in Rochester, New York
Full Time 36 hours Grade 026 ED Observation-Emerg Nurs/SMH
Delivers patient care by performing specialized interventions, straightens belongings, participates in Quality Assurance activities, orients patients and families, performs technical procedures, collects specimens and data, maintains a clean and safe environment, utilizes unit equipment, and assists others in unit activities.
High School Diploma and two years of experience in health care delivery in positions such as: Nursing Assistant, Home Health Aide, EMT, Medic/Corps Person; or two clinical semesters completed as a Nursing Student; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
EOE Minorities/Females/Protected Veterans/Disabled
SEIU Disclaimer
SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION (SEIU): How to request consideration for Transfer/Promotion after contractual posting period: Employees represented by SEIU must electronically apply in HRMS each time they wish to be considered for a vacancy beyond the contractual posting period. On-time qualified bidders for SEIU positions must be considered prior to any other candidates.
Job Title: SEIU Patient Care Technician
Location: Strong Memorial Hospital
Job ID: 212456
Regular/Temporary: Regular
Full/Part Time: Full-Time


text: Make colorful, unique wood decorations to celebrate Valentine's Day with this 3.75 x 3.5-inch spring ornament kit. It comes with vibrant markers for personalizing both the butterfly and hedgehog, and the attached short string is useful for hanging from a window or wall. This spring ornament kit keeps young crafters busy for hours. Ages 3 & over.


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Online Booking for Hotels, Motels and more
Your website's job is to sell
- no hassles, no fuss, no delays.
Today, hundreds of websites give customers live availability, instant price quotes and online bookings with immediate confirmation. If your website can't provide the basics - customers will click on to the next website that can.
Adding Online Booking to your website is not expensive and it's easy to manage. You'll save time and your customers like the service. Some guests want to ring you by phone. Many want the convenience of online bookings. Either way, everyone appreciates the ability to see availability with a seasonally correct price quotes.
You have total control over everything: price, availability, terms and conditions. The Online Bookings are safe and secure. Guests can confidently give you credit cards for advance payments.
Like you, we are service providers. We take an active and ongoing interest in helping you get more bookings.
Learn more about Professional Websites that You Can Manage.
Web Reservation Systems


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Multi-Unit Take advantage of low market competition and position yourself for growth through multi-unit franchise ownership. Details
Single-Unit Put your small business acumen to work and be backed by a strong national brand through our franchise opportunities. Details
Contractors Capitalize on your skills and experience as a contractor to become an owner/operator of your own restoration franchise. Details


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6. Drafting
With your outline ready to go, it's time to start drafting.
But drafting means different things for different content.
In text-based content, it means writing out your idea in its entirety. From start to finish, you want to have everything on paper that you want to say about a topic.
In graphic-based content, drafting is about creating the final product so you can review it and tweak it to perfection.
In audio-based content, it refers to recording whatever you need and getting that raw "footage" ready for editing.
In video-based content, it's about getting your raw video footage to prep for editing.
We'll take a more in-depth look at these below.
1. Text-based content drafting
Text-based content — articles, blogs, downloads, and any accompanying text — requires you to write out your entire content piece, word for word.
This is basically the process of copywriting.
Using your outline, write out explanations to your customers' most pressing questions and give as much detail as is appropriate.
You'll probably have a few new ideas as you write. Many writers modify their outline as they write their first drafts because they think of new ideas they want to add or old ones that don't quite fit.
This is called self-editing, and it can either help or hurt your writing depending on you, personally.
Other writers choose to save self-editing until they have all of their ideas on paper. That lets them write out a first draft and move to the editing phase in an organized fashion.
On top of that, a small percentage of writers edit themselves both as they write and after they write. This isn't 100% necessary for everyone — it's just how some people work.
Last, some writers don't self-edit at all. This is not recommended since it's easy to write typos, insert extra words, and just communicate poorly in general without looking at your content a second time.
Thankfully, you don't have to rely on your own two eyes to self-edit.
Copywriting tools
Online, you can find a whole suite of copywriting tools that'll help you get your first draft written down.
That doesn't mean your first draft will be perfect — but it'll definitely be on the right path.
These tools all serve different purposes. Some will help you identify complicated words, others will just help you get organized.
Some, like Google Docs, will just let you write.
But regardless of their purpose, they all contribute to good copywriting.
Plus, you can't beat the price!
Copywriting models
As you're writing, you'll probably learn that you're writing a certain way.
Most people write conversationally, like they're talking to a friend. They also write informatively, like they're explaining a concept.
But those aren't your only options.
While it's definitely smart to write with simple words, you can change the tone of your copywriting depending on what you want to achieve.
These unconventional copywriting models include four major styles:
- Humor
- Empathy
- Awe
- Creativity
Humor is adding a splash of comedy to whatever you write. Typically, this only works if an entire piece is funny or if you add a clear joke at select points in your content.
But humor is a little dangerous. It's always possible that your joke will fall flat and nobody will appreciate it.
Empathy demonstrates your ability to relate to your customers. Showing that you stand with them creates a whole different feel compared to talking at them.
Awe creates a sense of excitement by making something fantastic sound attainable. This is also called altercasting, where readers project new identities onto themselves (like superheroes).
Last, creativity is a general writing style that can be goofy, informative, or just generally different.
Creativity is a little risky to use, kind of like humor. It's always possible that someone will interpret your offbeat, fun-loving text as unprofessional, uneducated, or misinformed.
With all of that in mind, drafting your text-based content requires you to make a few key decisions.
But once you've made them, you can write (or learn to write) fantastic content.
2. Graphic-based content drafting
Graphic-based content — infographics, interactives, and other static visuals — are often created with cutting-edge software like Adobe InDesign or Adobe Photoshop.
These programs are arguably the best graphics programs on the market. They're used frequently by graphic designers, web designers, and web developers, though they tend to be expensive.
Regardless, creating graphics is more involved and requires a lot more technical knowledge than writing text.
That means unless you have a background in graphics, you may not see much of the work that goes into your graphics.
But some free marketing programs allow you to make simple designs that still look professional.
Canva is one of the most popular because it's so easy to use and the best functionality is all free.
With Canva, you can draft simple graphics with templates or images that you've found.
They won't be 100% unique or have the charm of a from-scratch graphic, but they're great for any small business that doesn't have a budget for a designer.
Whether you want blog headings or full-fledged infographics, you can create them on Canva.
But the best part is that it's so easy to learn. Everything is laid out in a common-sense dashboard, and it only takes a few minutes to get started.
The Internet has other alternatives available, but none of them can quite match the simplicity, ease, and results of Canva.
If you're drafting graphics for the first time, Canva is the best place to start.
3. Audio-based content drafting
Audio-based content — like podcasts — is done by getting everyone in the same area and recording their conversations.
These conversations can be about anything related to your industry. The important parts are your equipment and recording software.
You can prepare your company for audio content by spending about $135 on affordable equipment and downloading free recording and editing software.
Audacity is the most popular audio recording and editing software by far. It's available for download without ads, and you never have to pay to keep using it.
Like our other DIY-type software, Audacity functions well and lays out all of your options in simple menus.
It also creates an easy-to-understand interface as you're recording, allowing you to watch sound levels, stop recording, and perform other tasks as needed.
While it's smart to have an experienced audio editor on your team, anyone can pick up Audacity and learn it in a few minutes. It has its own help forums, and you can find a ton of tutorials online if you want to learn something new.
When you're done, you can easily export the final audio file, upload it to your website or podcast distribution network, and move onto your next task.
4. Video-based content drafting
Finally, you draft video-based content by filming the scenes you need for a completed product.
Videos require a decent camera (a DSLR is usually fine), compatible microphones, memory card storage, tripods, lighting, and any other bells and whistles you might want.
That gives video an unusually high cost of entry. But it's possible to create great videos without spending thousands of dollars.
Plus, the benefits of video marketing are huge. It has a profound effect on your SEO, and site visitors love them.
When you're "drafting" (or filming) your video, it's smart to follow three key best practices.
1. Choose a quiet place
First, you need a quiet place to film your video.
Book a conference room, use an employee's home, or even book shooting space at a local studio to make sure you get the best possible results for your investment.
Videos take a long time to make, and the last thing you want is ambient noise in the background when you're editing everything together.
In the event you do pick up background noise, it's always safer to assume that someone will be able to hear it than risk an imperfect scene in your final product.
And speaking of scenes…
2. Shoot in scenes, not all at once
When you're filming, it's tempting to let the camera run and just dice one video file in post-production.
Unfortunately, that takes a lot of time.
Don't be afraid to flex your — or encourage someone else to flex their — director muscle to shoot in short, crisp scenes that you can easily splice together.
Chopping up your video into portions also makes it easier for your talent to prepare for each scene and get through it without any foul-ups.
15 to 45 seconds is a good length for a scene.
That may sound short, but in front of the camera, it's almost a lifetime. But this helps make sure you get the best performance so you don't have to reshoot later or rely on a bad scene.
But even if you get a bad scene once, you can solve that problem easily with our last best practice.
3. Get two takes
It's essential to get more than one take of every scene in your video.
Even if you think someone nailed a performance, you may see or hear something in your final product that you didn't notice when filming.
That happens more often than you'd think, too. If only one person is filming and manning the audio equipment, it's so easy to miss a fly zipping on screen, shadows from people walking near a window, and a whole range of other mishaps that you can't notice until it's too late.
So even if your talent gets it right on the first try every time, get at least two takes.
You'll be happy you did once you start editing.


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The latest additions to the Robot Hall of Fame don't fit the usual industrial mold for mechanical manipulators - and one of them would strongly object to being included in the club. Nevertheless, there he is: Lieutenant Commander Data from "Star Trek: The Next Generation," a fictional character who said, "I am an android, not a robot."
CBS Paramount
|Commander Data was
portrayed by Brent Spiner
in "Star Trek: The Next
Generation." Photo
courtesy of CBS
Paramount Network
Television, a division of
CBS Studios.
The other inductees, announced today at the RoboBusiness Conference and Exposition in Boston, include the Raibert Hopper, a one-legged research robot; the NavLab 5 self-steering minivan; and the LEGO Mindstorms robotic toy kit.
The four fictional and real-life creations join an august group ranging from R2-D2 and C-3PO of "Star Wars" to the Mars Pathfinder robot and Sony's Aibo robotic dog. The program was created at Carnegie Mellon University in 2003 and has continued with fresh inductees in 2004 and 2006.
Every addition to the Hall of Fame has sparked discussions over what exactly it means to be a robot. Is a robot any gizmo that can move things around? Do vacuum cleaners, computers and cars count? Could some machines become too humanlike to be called robots?
In today's news release, Matt Mason, director of Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute, says this year's crop is notable because the real machines outnumber the fictional creations for the first time. "As much as we love fictional robots such as Data, those of us in the robotics field take heart when the real accomplishments of our colleagues get this well-deserved recognition," Mason said.
Not one of the real robots, however, conforms to the usual image of an assembly-line carmaker or even a life-size android:
Leg Lab / Marc Raibert
The Raibert Hopper, developed by roboticist Marc Raibert in the 1980s, was an experimental contraption that shed light on the mechanics of dynamic balance. Unlike your typical robot, the Hopper had to keep moving to stay upright - just like humans. "The Raibert Hopper was the visionary effort that set the entire field of robotic locomotion in motion," Mason said. Researchers are still working on robots that walk like humans, but the payoffs from the Raibert Hopper aren't just limited to the robotic tribe: Just last week, a former colleague of Raibert's announced the creation of the first powered robotic ankle, which could make life a whole lot easier for people with prosthetic legs.
NavLab 5 was one of a series of autonomous vehicles developed at Carnegie Mellon, and had its turn in the spotlight during the "No Hands Across America" cross-country tour in 1995. NavLab, a modified GM minivan, did 98 percent of the driving itself while the human driver sat idle. "This was the first time that any autonomous vehicle had traversed so much different terrain," said Hall of Fame juror Chuck Thorpe, a NavLab pioneer who is now dean of Carnegie Mellon's Qatar campus. NavLab's heirs include the autonomous vehicles that competed in the DARPA Grand Challenge and will compete in this fall's DARPA Urban Challenge. Just this week, the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announced that it has narrowed down the Urban Challenge field to 53 teams (PDF file).
LEGO Mindstorms kits first went on sale in 1998, and since then, legions of robot fans have geeked out by combining the LEGO bricks with motors, sensors and other structures. "This kit did more to take creative robotics to the masses than just about any other retail product," said juror Illah Nourbakhsh, a robotics professor at Carnegie Mellon. The next-generation LEGO Mindstorms NXT was released last year, complete with dovetailing curriculum packages. And just this week, some of the researchers who pioneered Mindstorms released a free software tool for kids, called Scratch, which aims to make multimedia programming as easy as playing with LEGO blocks.
Now, back to Data: Every time we've considered potential nominees to the Robot Hall of Fame, someone brings up the "Star Trek" character's famous "not a robot" quote. This year, the jurors felt that Data's robot-or-not dilemma was part of his (its?) appeal.
"The great robots of science fiction, such as Gort, have a powerful hold on people's imaginations, which is why we honor them and their creators," said Don Marinelli, executive producer of Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center. "It's precisely because Data was not confined by real-world limitations that he could address philosophical questions, such as whether a machine can have rights."
In fact, in the fictional "Star Trek" universe, Data won the legal right to self-determination and the freedom to veto his own disassembly. His long, Pinocchio-style struggle to indulge in human emotion, humor (and even sex) was a running theme in the TV show and movies. Today, the issues that troubled the fictional Data still trouble real-life philosophers - in the form of the "zombie problem" and the debate over the roots of true consciousness.
Marinelli told me the Hall of Fame jurors didn't agonize too much over the "android vs. robot" distinction. "There is currently no Android Hall of Fame, so he's either going to get recognized in the Robot Hall of Fame or he's going to have to wait," he joked.
Speaking seriously, Marinelli felt Data richly deserved the honor because he "spurred on the philosophical dynamic of artificial life making us reflect upon what life is in general." And we're not just talking about science fiction. Marinelli pointed out that the effort to have an Austrian chimpanzee declared a person covers much of the same philosophical ground.
"That's a pretty damn good discussion to have. ... And if anything, Data led the way," Marinelli told me.
Even Brent Spiner, the actor who played Data, weighed in on the subject during a "Star Trek" chat:
[Question:] "What is your opinion on artificial consciousness? Is Data a robot, or is every human some kind of robot? Is consciousness something special ... or are we all robots with consciousness?"
Brent: "Uh, let me give that a sort of blanket yes."
Here's your chance to give a blanket yes or no to this year's additions to the Robot Hall of Fame. In the comments section, weigh in on the robot-or-not question - and feel free to discuss which contraptions should or shouldn't be on the list.
We've traditionally held a "People's Choice" contest to vote on the most deserving robot that hasn't yet entered the Hall of Fame - so be sure to add your nominations and your votes in the comments section below. To refresh your memory, the honorees already include the Mars Pathfinder robot, R2-D2 and C-3PO, HAL 9000, Unimate, Asimo, Shakey, Astro Boy, Robby the Robot, Gort, Aibo, SCARA, David (from "A.I.") and Maria (from "Metropolis").
I'll tally up the votes and ordain a "People's Choice" winner later this week.