text:
It works entirely without requiring the users to install any additional software."
Except, of course, a browser that has Silverlight.
I have an idea, this could be implemented in Flash, too... oh, wait.
Indeed, as been mentioned in this thread, Theora support could be very easily added to any browser supporting NPAPI plugins for Flash, Java or *Light.
Let me know when there's an app for that!
Nah... java applets, trust me, it will WORK! This time...
Reminds me of a comment on a dutch tech site, remarked how much smarter a dutch tv station was, for choosing silverlight over flash, because it was more widely supported, except that particular function just happens to only be available for windows.
Silverlight may or may not be good, but after ActiveX and COM and such, why do people keep building their business model on an MS product? You know that sooner or later they will pull a move that screws you.
It would be like putting a bet on Apple announcing a sensible, non-sexy, non-drool inducing, cheap and essential item. Or IBM doing anything interesting in the consumer market. I don't know about leopards, but I do know companies never change their spots.
I don't know about leopards, but I do know companies never change their spots.
Surely you jest! [apple.com]
So other platforms will have native, hardware-accelerated, high-quality h.264, and the open-source community will be stuck with emulated, software-only, lower-quality Theora. That doesn't sound like a good outcome, despite the solution to compatibility concerns.
it's just as bad as flash only from an even scummier company.
The only video codec that every browser can use at the moment is Ogg Theora. Unlike H.264, there are no costs involved beyond implementing support for it in your browser and there are no licencing issues that prevent distribution. Firefox, Opera, and Chrome currently support Ogg Theora. It's a shame that Safari and IE won't support it by default in the near to medium term.
It will be interesting to see what Google does once they own On2 Technologies. They may choose to open source the VP8 codec so every brow
For now, the Video for Everyone code hack [roysdon.net] is the solution. Works on Firefox, Opera, and Chrome natively with Ogg Theora, and Safari natively with H.264, and Internet Explorer with Flash (loading the H.264 content).
Naturally the best solution would be that everyone implements Ogg Theora as a standard fall-back solution, and use their "better/proprietary" solution when available.
For now, the Video for Everyone code hack is the solution. Works on Firefox, Opera, and Chrome natively with Ogg Theora, and Safari natively with H.264, and Internet Explorer with Flash (loading the H.264 content).
Great, now just go tell YouTube, Vimeo, etc. to convert all their terabytes (probably exabytes) of H.264 content into Theora... I'm sure they wouldn't mind double the work and storage requirements.
Mozilla CAN'T support h264, at least not in countries with broken patent law (US, Germany, UK, Japan).
They sure can. They can buy the license(s).
They choose not to for various reasons.
There's a huge difference.
http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/roc/archives/2010/01/video_freedom_a.html [mozillazine.org]
For now, the Video for Everyone code hack is the solution.
Your solution only solves the problem for users, not for those who wish to host video content, and can still potentially end up in a situation where they have to re-encode all their video in 2016. Any "solution" for today which can cause problems in six years is not a good solution.
Excellent point. Of course, you'd have it all in Ogg Theora format (Video for Everyone has hosts encoding in both Ogg Theora and H.264), and in 2016 you could always just tell all your users to install the Ogg Theora plugin, install Firefox/Chrome/Opera, or take a hike. That's what users get now with all the Flash requirements anyway.
If I understand one of the main arguments of Theora supporters correctly, the problem is that H.264 requires website owners to pay up for a license, eventually. So you can use Flash/Silverlight/Java/... to provide "kinda seamless" H.264 support for the end users, including those with otherwise FOSS browsers, but content publishers are still SOL.
In contrast, doing the same trick for Theora means that those who care about pure FOSS can have it that way (FOSS server, FOSS client, and no patent fees), while peo
In contrast, doing the same trick for Theora means that those who care about pure FOSS can have it that way (FOSS server, FOSS client, and no patent fees), while people at large who don't know the world outside IE can still have access to all that content.
However, the technical inferiority of Theora is a serious counter-argument to that.
Not only that, this is not a solution that works out of the box. If it doesn't work out of the box, then it won't find itself added to all boxes, especially for company desk
Not only that, this is not a solution that works out of the box. If it doesn't work out of the box, then it won't find itself added to all boxes, especially for company desktops.
No solution at present works out of the box, and this won't change anytime soon, as IE doesn't support the HTML5 video element in the first place.
Since all solutions require a browser, there is no such thing as a an "out of the box" solution anyway. Certainly the ability to have a solution that works on all major platforms is important, but it has nothing to do with packaging.
I wish there was a way to mod the original press release as +5, Epic Troll, because that's what it is with respect to Slashdot - it's going to be way more entertaining than the usual (and already somewhat tiresome) Google vs "do no evil" stories. But Microsoft's Silverlight used to enable support for Theora in pretty much all Windows browsers (and specifically IE of all things), while both Google and Apple stand by H.264 - oh my!
Hold on a second, I've got to fetch the popcorn...
"It works entirely without requiring the users to install any additional software."
Other than Silverlight. Gee, that solves the problem.
Likely most people don't install Silverlight any more than they install Windows.
Ogg Theora won't become relevant until there are hardware decode chips available. Why would I install Silverlight to play Ogg when I can use HTML5 and H.264 instead? Because someone might charge to develop with the codec after 2015?
I don't care because the H.264 standard is open even though it's not free.
Ogg Theora won't become relevant until there are hardware decode chips available.
Much like it happened with MP3 and DivX, right? oh, wait, the hardware decoders appeared *after* they became popular. Funny, that.
Why would I install Silverlight to play Ogg when I can use HTML5 and H.264 instead?
Because the owner of the website you're visiting decided he didn't have the money to pay to MPEG-LA for the license, and therefore encoded his videos in Theora only. Remember, the standard doesn't specify both, it specifies *neither*. Some will support both, some will be h.264-only (read: Apple's iTMS), but many others will be Theora-only, and they'll still be HTML5-compliant so
Cool. If it works with Moonlight and has decent performance, I'll be more impressed.
By virtue of the de facto status, it seems like anything that the majority of people use will never be superceded by anything that barely matches or only slightly improves on the de facto standard. From what I've read [reddit.com] Theora is quite bare-bones compared to H.264 and hasn't been designed with hardware decoding in mind.
By virtue of the de facto status, it seems like anything that the majority of people use will never be superceded by anything that barely matches or only slightly improves on the de facto standard. From what I've read [reddit.com] Theora is quite bare-bones compared to H.264 and hasn't been designed with hardware decoding in mind.
And if you actually read what you linked [reddit.com] you'll see it immediately debunked. Theora is up to scratch and has been designed with hardware decoding in mind. It's slightly behind H.
When you say "designed with hardware decoding in mind" do you mean that "it would be fairly simple to burn an FPGA to do it" or do you mean that "it can use the features of 'modern' video hardware to decode on the graphics chip" where 'modern' is some value that includes at least one chip that is either available for sale right now, or definitely in production for sale in the near future.
Because my laptop has a chip that can do h.264, but I'm not buying another laptop just to get theora (although I would lo
On a more technical side, I found this bit in TFA interesting:
We'll be releasing a high-performance decoder for Theora video/Ogg Vorbis audio streams that plugs into the Silverlight 3 streaming media abstraction
I know little about Silverlight, only the most general look and feel, and capabilities. Does this mean that it actually has extensible codec framework, that can be extended from managed code (since any SL code has to be managed, so that it can be properly sandboxed - same as Java applets which cannot e.g. use JNI)?
If so, the next logical question is - can the same thing be done with Flash, architecturally?
As a side note, this also means that Silverlight CLR JIT produces code that's fast (not just "fast enough", but actually "high-performance", at least if the claims are true) for a video codec, which is quite impressive. I'm not sure you could reach the same levels with ActionScript, due to its inherently dynamic nature, even with Adobe's JIT. But perhaps I'm underestimating the ability of modern JS JIT compilers to do static type inference, and consequent optimization based on that type information?
Either way, pragmatically, this means that any browser running on Windows will be able to play Theora after installing Silverlight - which, by the way, pops up in "recommended updates" list in Windows Update as soon as you install Windows. While Silverlight plugin is only officially supported on Windows in IE and Firefox, IIRC, I haven't had any problems using it in Opera regularly, and I've seen it work in Chrome, so it does seem to be mostly browser-agnostic.
It would be very ironic if Chrome running under proprietary Windows and OS X could play Theora, while Chrome on Linux would only support H.264.
But somehow, I don't think that will matter. Ultimately, Google is the 800-pound gorilla here because of YouTube, and most likely whichever they will go with (and they have already said they want H.264) will become the de facto standard. Apple could probably steal the day, but they stand by H.264 as well...
> It would be very ironic if Chrome running under proprietary Windows and OS X could play
> Theora, while Chrome on Linux would only support H.264.
Chrome supports Theora out of the box natively, so I'm not sure what you're talking about...
Thanks for clarification, I didn't know that. Do they use ffmpeg directly, or plug into GStreamer, as latest Opera alphas do?
Also, what do they do on Windows and OS X? Plug into DirectShow and QuickTime?
It's a shame that Firefox refuses to just pick up whatever codecs the OS offers (specifically because they do not want to provide H.264 support, even indirectly)...
Well, open-sourcing Flash wouldn't help the H.264 situation.
What about doing a workaround on the patent? Create an H.264 decoder that doesn't use any of the techniques that are patented? Then again, lawyers aren't exactly known for efficient coding, and you'd basically have to use lawyers as your programmers.
Well, open-sourcing Flash wouldn't help the H.264 situation.
Why not? Mozilla is willing to ship with Flash today, that includes an h.264 encoder. Perhaps they could simply embed a Flash player whenever an HTML 5 video player was encountered...
Would open-sourcing 'Flash' solve the problem? It sounds to be that the codecs are the crucial point.
Most likely you'd get an open-source plugin but the patent-encumbered codecs themselves would be delivered as binary blobs. This is a dilemma similar to that AMD and Nvidia face in graphics drivers and Sun had with areas of OpenJDK.
Nuanti's Highgate Media Suite will enable support for standards-based HTML5 video streaming with Theora in browsers that have Silverlight. It works entirely without requiring the users to install any additional software."
Makes Steve Job's opposition to Flash look prescient...
HTML5 is a markup standard. Where it pertains to video is in the standardization of video-related markup, i.e. the "video" tag, not video formats. W3C has nothing to teach MPEG about video formats. W3C also has nothing to teach MPEG or ISO about standardization, because the Web is a mess of proprietary IE and Flash while MPEG has enabled 20 years of consumer digital video, including the DVD and Blu-Ray. Right now, both QuickTime Player and FlashPlayer play H.264, both iTunes and YouTube are H.264, both Flip
Now, the video is all in ISO MPEG-4 containers, with ISO H.264 video and ISO AAC audio and is playable on Linux in FlashPlayer and WebKit browsers and other players, and the complaining continues. It is disheartening.
The complaining continues because Linux users still cannot play video using FOSS solutions, due to licensing fees associated with implementation of H.264. Given the overall Linux philosophy, it's a perfectly valid complaint.
Lower their prices. Opera moaned about how extortionate they are. It's reasonable that they should charge something, but make it small. They'll get a lot more cash in the long in the run, and everybody will be happy.
http://www.osnews.com/story/22828/MPEG-LA_Will_Not_Change_h264_Licensing [osnews.com]
mpeg-LA seems to be letting broadcasts go free for the next couple of years. Note that is only for the actual broadcast. They can open a can of whoop ass on various licensing fees whenever they feel it gets entrenched.
Theora support will have problems from those who really don't want open solutions (Microsoft,Apple).
So we have an impasse.
mpeg-LA seems to be letting broadcasts go free for the next couple of years. Note that is only for the actual broadcast. They can open a can of whoop ass on various licensing fees whenever they feel it gets entrenched.
They can, but you know they will not until 2017 (expires in December of 2016). You can plan around and to a date.
Meanwhile Theora is an unknown patent quantity that may or may not be challenged at any time. It's the schrodinger cat of codecs, so no-one even wants to hold the box much less look inside.
Except for those of course who can claim to hold patents on AVC and aren't in the MPEG-LA.
Paying off MPEG-LA only protects you from MPEG-LA. Submarine patents can still surface from anyone not in that organization.
Nuanti has produced a high-performance Ogg Theora decoder for Microsoft's Silverlight
Hardware accelerated H.264 is in the 10.1 Flash Beta. Silverlight 4 will support Chrome. The "high performance" H.264 player will be everywhere and in everything in the next few weeks or months.
I guess the title pretty much sums it up, there's now an open source solution for watching videos online and I will most certainly use it. Silverlight or Firefox with flash? Who wants to use closed source software, and Microsoft's EEE plugin or that horrible plugin from Adobe of all things? Not me. At least we're replacing the closed nonfree video with open nonfree video.
The price of admission is sending people to the four times a year MPEG meetings. The chips are the patentable intellectually property. The game is to get your IP into the standard by any means possible. When you are in the standard then you get profit participation in the MPEG-LA revenue stream.
When I was involved, the Japanese had a notorious reputation for sending lots of people and stacking the meetings. They would use procedural methods to extend the meetings into late night and then after others left they would use their numbers to force through their proposals.
Of course other players had other ways of stacking the deck. Remember that big corporations can afford to employ people full time to chair committees and that gives the extra clout (MicroSoft, apple, Sun, Philips,...).
This all means that smaller independent groups, like the one I worked for, had a very difficult time making any headway. No matter how good the technology, political considerations had a lot more impact.
The trick is that while MPEG is an open international body that supports "open standards", MPEG-LA is a foul black pit full of zombies, orcs and lawyers. In fact, the orcs and zombies are at the bottom of the heap, because the lawyer are the bad asses who run the show.
How are licenses fees set? Nobody knows. How are revenues divided? Nobody knows. How much is spent on MPEG-LA costs? Nobody knows. How do they decided to engage in legal action and who do target? Nobody knows.
It is a completely independent body with no oversight by any of the international standards bodies, or any government for that matter. It is only constrained by the software copyright rules in an individual jurisdiction.
It is a closed black box that can charge as much as it wants, and because it is an "international standard", it is almost impossible to compete with it based on cost or quality, and and you can't go after it using the legal system. (This one reason is why Ogg Theodora is not looked at as a meaningful option by the big players; it is not a standard, so it gives big companies headaches. Who is responsible if there is any trouble? What happens if a key person is hit by a bus? Having access to the source does not fully address all these legal issues.)
The reason that this such a bit deal is that large amounts of money are involved. I Googled around and I couldn't get a clue about total amounts, which is suspicious in itself. Remember, from the corporate viewpoint this is "free money", because the initial investment is small; a lab with some computers, some PHDs, a travel buget and some lawyers and the cost of their shark tanks. Very high rate of return over a long period of time.
And a shout out to all you libertarian morons out there: THIS IS A TAX!!! It is a tax collected by corrupt self serving insiders who have subverted the legal system. It restrains trade and stifles innovation. It is not subject to competition. Those who are taxed have no say in the matter. It is arbitrary, and you cannot escape it by taking your business elsewhere. It is all the things you claim to hate about government. How come you this behavior is good when done by business for greed and bad when done by governments, which are more accountable to the people?
Seriously... Vorbis has not even taken over MP3, despite it being far superior.
And you expect Theora to beat H.246??
The fact is, that apart from us few experts, nobody cares what format it is, as long as it works, and has the best quality for its size.
Look at what movies are used on BitTorrent nowadays. It's mostly H.264, since the quality is simply superior. And XviD, since that's what most pre-bluray standalone players can play.
Even though I'm a supporter of open formats, I support H.246 right now. Because there are two groups of sources I have:
1. Commercial video streams (YouTube, Daily Show, South Park, etc), who can handle the legal rights, and usually have a license anyway to distribute physical media etc.
2. P2P-shared movies, that don't care for laws anyway.
(Bonus question: Guess how I would release my work? ^^)
But: Offer me something that has all features of H.246, plus only one single tiny superior property, and I'll be the strongest supporter of that format, that you will be able to find.
Until then, it's no war. Because one side has no teeth at all. (Sadly.)
1) The main point really is that you can now relatively easily deploy Web video in Theora without sacrificing much potential user base. (Cortado can fill in some gaps in native browser support already, but Java applet support is dwindling.)
1a) It might not yet be default(?), but MS is actively pushing Silverlight for Windows users, so the installed base is already fairly large and growing.
1b) Apple I hear has some at least semi-official Moonlight-based support, but this I know less of. Comments?
1c) Though not the best in quality per bit, you can make the quality of any codec better with more bits. Bits are only going to get cheaper. H.264 can potentially get much more expensive.
2) No, H.264 won't die a gruesome death now.
2a) Yes yes, we all know it's better technically, it doesn't matter, it still can't be a baseline Web codec.
2b) Yes, some players, especially those with vested interest in the MPEG-LA racket and excluding smaller competitors, will almost certainly use H.264 on the web for a long time to come.
2c) Isn't it nice though that a widely deployable option exists that probably has already played a hand in how much money the MPEG-LA can squeeze from you if you _do_ decide to go with H.264 anyway?
3) Using H.264 for everything won't be as unified as you think.
3a) Much of the material on the web incidentally doesn't use the very advanced features of H.264, because many decoders are limited in what profile or subset of H.264 they support (thus also reducing the quality advantage to Theora, but I make no claim of its elimination)
3b) Some material (like pirated stuff that doesn't care for copyrights or patents alike) will use all the bells and whistles, but then you may well still be stuck with having to transcode for different devices even if everything does "H.264".
3c) Such conversions can be relatively well automated when needed while keeping the original not to incur generation loss; I don't really see some need for transcoding persisting as a huge deal, except of course to the extent that anything you do with a patented format might be illegal depending on jurisdiction and circumstance.
4) Yep, no "hardware" (DSP) decoders for Theora abound.
4a) Mobile devices have enough oomph to decode it anyway in relevant resolutions (Theora is lighter than H.264, too)
4b) Yes, battery life will probably suffer somewhat, doesn't make it useless.
4c) Some DSP work has already been done on Theora decoding as already previously commented, though even when ready, deploying it would probably require user intervention and sufficient access unless shipped by the OS itself. ("Install this to improve your battery life with this site.")
Hope this summary will clarify things somewhat.
"The one charm of marriage is that it makes a life of deception a neccessity." - Oscar Wilde


text: Drivers speeding across Missouri on I-70 might not know what they are missing, but authors Ted Cable and LuAnn Cadden do. According to them, untold attractions right along the highway between St. Louis and Kansas City await travelers in Missouri. Driving Across Missouri is packed with fun-filled information, stories, and trivia that helps travelers look beyond the passing blur to …Read More »

subset: commoncrawl


text:
One of Kory Sheets goals this year was to be feared by teams around the Canadian Football League.
With a league-best 919 rushing yards to his name after just seven games — a key part of his Saskatchewan Roughriders' 6-1 record — the tailback should assume that he's a stress-inducer for whichever coaching staff game plans for him every week.
But if he needed affirmation, Kavis Reed had it for him on Friday.
"We feel that a successful day against Kory is he decides (Saturday) morning that he doesn't want to play and he stays in the hotel room," the Edmonton Eskimos head coach wise-cracked ahead of Saturday's kickoff at Commonwealth Stadium.
If there's one team that Sheets should have a Pavlovian reflex against, it's the Eskimos, who have let teams run up and down the field against them for a league-worst 935 yards — a key part of their 1-6 record this season. As he learned the first time he played in Edmonton in an opening week 39-18 win that saw him rip the field up for 131 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, the Eskimos are a potential gold mine for yardage.
Sheets laughed when he heard what Reed had to say about him, but he won't be obliging him.
"No chance," he said. "I need to play this game. Every game counts and I know my team's going to need me and I'm going to need my team."
As disappointing as the Eskimos defence has been this season, allowing 29.3 points against per game, Sheets isn't just their problem. The 28-year-old has torched the CFL this year. His 74-yard effort in last week's win over the Montreal Alouettes was his worst total of the season. He's averaging 131.3 yards per game on the ground this year.
"Kory is arguably on pace to be the MVP of the league," Reed said. "When you watch that young man running with the football, it's beautiful.
"He's very patient when he decides which hole he wants to take. He's very decisive, he's hard to break down and one guy usually doesn't do it. He's very good in protection, something he's improved in the off-season … and that makes him a triple threat.
"We're hopeful that we can be in our gaps and we can get two, three hats to the ball and make tackles."
Sheets has been vocal about his personal goal this year: 2,000 rushing yards and that seems more than attainable at this point. The goal was born out of a simple standard he's holding himself to: Be great.
"One of the first things that I asked coach (Corey) Chamblin and (quarterbacks) coach Khari (Jones) was, 'How do I become feared?' It took them a week before they told me and it basically came back as, 'Be great on a consistent basis.' That's how I'm going to go out there and play."
With middle linebacker J.C. Sherritt still on the mend from a broken thumb, the responsibility of stopping Sheets — or at least being aware of his presence — shifts to backup Rennie Curran, who had six tackles in his first CFL start last week in the Eskimos loss to the Toronto Argonauts.
"It's going to be a huge challenge," Curran said. "Early on we're going to have to establish our presence."
He also points out that it's not just him who can stop Sheets, or any of the running backs who have slipped through the Eskimos defence this year.
"It's timing, not being in the right gaps," he said of the defence's issues against the run. "We have to be on the same page. You could have 11 guys doing their job and if one guy misses that's all it takes."
Sheets is loving the increased attention he's seeing from defences this year.
"It's a testament to your skill and your hard work," he said. "Plus, it makes you go out there and play better when you know everybody in the stadium knows you're going to get the ball, when you're going to get the ball and which way you're going to get it. But you've still got to go out there and make the plays, regardless.
"It's the man in front of you. Are you going to let him stop you or are you going to stop him?"


text:
I see some monster bucks in his future!
I see some monster bucks in his future!
When he's 10 years old start buying him points in Arizona. It's only $26.50 for a non-resident youth license, and $7.50 per specie until they are 21. I have 5 boys and a daughter. My oldest is 22 and he is only a year or two away from a premium elk tag :-)
Last edited by Umpqua Hunter; 01-13-2013 at 08:36 PM.
A bonafide city boy...that calls the Backcountry his "hood!"
Congrats on the new hunting partner! My boys are 9 and 6, and both of them hunt with me regularly. I don't know if Nevada has anything like this, but in MN, we have lifetime licenses for certain things. Both boys will never have to buy a small-game, fishing, or archery deer license ever in their lives. That's the best gift you can give your children. Have fun!
Live to hunt, hunt to live.


text:
Want to remind yourself or a friend about this program? Fill out this simple form and klru will email you a reminder on the day that it will air.
Td And The Steak Tree / Td And Martha Gopher Broke
series: Martha Speaks
air date: 11/07/13 6:30 AM
TD and the Steak Tree - TD gets hoodwinked by Weaselgraft and Pablum into buying a steak tree. He's sure if he takes good care of it, soon he'll be harvesting freshly blossomed steaks. But when the buds open to reveal flowers instead of sirloins, TD has to think fast before he's humiliated in front of his friends. TD and Martha Gopher Broke - Martha, TD, and TD's dad spend the weekend at CK's farm, trying to keep a gopher from eating all the crops. After many failed schemes to catch the gluttonous gopher, they realize the best way to keep him from eating the crops is by offering him a better meal elsewhere!
WARNING: Email reminders for this program have already been sent out. Your reminder may not reach the intended address in time for this program's airing.
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text:
Student or Learner
I would be grateful if someone could help me to correct my e-mail.
Club house of ABC building has been opened on November 2006, lighting and dimmer wiring and control layout drawing for club house are still outstanding handover to us. We would like to seek your assistance in rectifying this problem asap.


text:
Moon Hostel New
We are pleased to invite you to a recently opened hostel, located in the very center of Krakaw, in the fashionable tourist district of Kazimierz which is in close proximity to the Market Square and Wawel (10-min. walk).
We offer our Guests comfortable rooms with bathrooms. The facilities in our hostel will help you, after a day full of new experiences, relax in Kazimierz. the most beautiful district of Krakaw.
- ideal location in the city center;
- hostel open all year round;
- modern private rooms (1 to 6-people);
- all rooms with bathrooms;
- shared and fully equipped kitchens;
- opportunity to buy breakfast, lunches;
- free towels rental at the reception;
- additional excursions for interested guests;
- paid, 24-hour car park (necessary to book in advance).
Facilities included in the price:
- free coffee and tea;
- free bike rental;
- LCD TV sets in rooms;
- living room with satellite TV;
- our Guests can enjoy DVD movies, films, PlayStation, table football, darts and - board games;
- WiFi (wireless Internet);
- free internet access in the lobby;
- access to the laundry;
- checkroom;
- room cleaning during longer
Availability & RatesTo view availability and prices please select dates and click 'Update Dates'
Hostel Facilities & Policies
- 24 Hour Reception
- 24 Hour Security
- Bicycle hire
- Bicycle parking
- Board Games
- Breakfast Not Included
- Cable TV
- Child Friendly
- Credit Cards Accepted
- DVDs
- Free City Maps
- Free Internet Access
- Free WiFi
- Hair Dryers
- Internet Access
- Self-Catering Facilities
- Laundry Facilities
- Luggage Storage
- Parking
- Pet Friendly
- Safe Deposit Box
- Taxes included
- Tea & Coffee Making Facilities
- Towels Included
Cancellation PolicyThis property has a 1 day cancellation policy. Failure to cancel within this time will result in a cancellation charge equal to the first night of your stay.
Must-Read Hostel InfoThis property has specific Terms & Conditions.
Please note:
We have a 24 hours cancellation policy.
We accept Cash and Credit Card payments on arrival.
Check in: 13:00
Check out: 10:30
Breakfast is not included
Taxes are included
DirectionsShow MapHide Map
Step 1: Bus 292, journey time: about 30 minutes
- get off at Przystanek Inwalidow bus stop and change to the tram 13 (direction Biezanow Nowy)
Step 2: tram 13, journey time: about 20 minutes
- get off at Swietego Wawrzynca tram stop
Distance from the tram stop to our hostel is about 100 meters
You can choose between:
tram 13 (direction Biezanow Nowy), journey time: about 10 minutes
- get off at Swietego Wawrzyca tram stop
Distance from the tram stop to our hostel is about 100 meters
tram 50 departs from the Main Railway Station Tunnel, journey time: about 10 minutes
- get off at Swietego Wawrzynca tram stop
Located Near
The Moon Hostel is located at Starowislna Street. It is located in the very heart of Krakow, in the most beautiful district of Krakow: Kazimierz. We guarantee that the stay in this place provides unforgettable impressions!


text:
Back in October, we wrote about some early trends from LADWP's restart of their Solar Incentive Program and we thought it would be worthwhile to see how things have fared in the months since. LADWP had some flaws in the dataset issued in December so we decided to wait until the next revision which came out last week. (You can access the dataset here.) As before, when reporting on project costs/Watt, we used the reported cost and the CSI AC Watts as we believe that is a more reasonable reflection of the value of the projects being proposed.
In our previous post, we predicted that the Residential rebate program would drop from Step 5 (paid at $2.20/Watt) down to Step 6 (paid at $1.62/Watt) on or about November 26, 2011. The last confirmed rebate reservation to be paid under Step 5 was #1120 and it was submitted on December 12 and confirmed on December 30. So our November 26 prediction was not too far off, and a complete application that was submitted by then should have received a Step 5 rebate.
We also previously predicted that the residential sector would run out of rebate funds around April 3 of this year. How has that prediction held up? The chart below summarizes requested rebate amounts by week starting with the program restart on September 1, 2011 up through last week. Also shown is the cumulative amount requested and a linear trendline.
As of the last day in the data, the total rebate amounts requested was $11.2 million out of the available $20 million. It is also apparent from the graph that there has been a significant decline in the requested amounts following week 15 (starting December 8, 2011). Our revised prediction is that the residential sector will run out of money around May 7, 2012.
A program of this size provides some interesting insights into which manufacturers have the "go-to products" in terms of number of projects and total Watts. Here is the data from the Residential sector:
Yingli leads the way thanks to their heavy use by SolarCity which accounted for 144 of the 188 projects using the Chinese panel. Kyocera was a strong second, again benefiting from their use by SolarCity in 137 of their 155 projects. Verengo Solar drove the demand for Suntech panels, accounting for 75 of their 99 projects. Canadian Solar is the true democratic player in this field, its 80 projects were distributed amongst 31 different installers!
Not surprisingly, different panels demand different prices, but the results are not as clear as they might be due in part to how SolarCity includes its accounting/financing costs into its reported costs. As a result, both Yingli and Kyocera are substantially higher on average in the data than one would otherwise expect. For example, Yingli comes in at $8.91/Watt on average whereas Suntech is a mere $6.17/Watt - with both of these being top-tier Chinese panels. The two manufacturers renowned for their high-efficiency, high-cost products - SunPower and Sanyo - came in at $7.60/Watt and $8.07/Watt respectively. No one in the industry believes that Yingli panels outperform those produced by SunPower and Sanyo.
Similarly, it is interesting to see what the distribution looks like in the realm of inverters.
No surprise that SMA leads the way; after all, SMA is the largest manufacturer of solar inverters in the world. Their popularity is driven not only by major players like SolarCity (65 projects with SMA) and Verengo (89), but collectively by 55 different installers. Contrast that with Fronius, which achieved its #2 ranking almost entirely thanks to SolarCity which accounted for 206 of the 231 projects (89.2%).
Coming in at a respectable third place was Enphase Energy with its 74 projects being distributed amongst 31 different installers - clearly the most broadly distributed installer base in the list. None of the Enphase installs were performed by SolarCity or Verengo. Given the sheer volume of installs done by those two companies, surely some of those sites would have benefited from micro-inverters but the leasing giants were not making that technology available to their customers.
Finally, potential clients often ask about the difference in cost between a string inverter system, such as one using SMA inverters, and a micro-inverter system, such as one using Enphase. The average installed cost for the 334 SMA projects was $7.15/W. The average installed cost for the 74 Enphase projects was $7.32/W. That is a negligible difference and given that the two largest players in the data - SolarCity and Verengo - had none of the Enphase projects, we would expect the SMA projects to have a volume pricing advantage from those two companies alone. Bottom line: in the real world, there is very little cost difference between these two technologies.
One of the more disturbing things that we uncovered in our previous analysis was the degree to which some companies were apparently overcharging their customers. In particular, we singled out A.S.E.S Electrical Group (aka American Solar Energy Solutions) for being particularly egregious in this regard. So, after an additional three months of data, how have things changed?
Once again, we restricted the data to only residential projects where the system owner is also listed as residential - a total of 846 projects. Our previous size filter was 20kW; for this expanded data set we increased the size filter to 45kW, meaning that only companies with at least 45kW of projects in the data would be included. As a result, the chart below accounts for 560 out of the 846 projects described in the data.
Sadly, our results are as disappointing as last time - check it out:
What is going on here? While the average system price declined from $8.91/Watt back in September to $8.24 over the entire dataset, the disparity between the most cost-effective performers and the least is as great as it ever was! Indeed, our repeat failure as the biggest gouger of solar consumers in Los Angeles is once again, A.S.E.S. but now their cost is more than three times the cost of the lowest price company, Ronco Solar.
Indeed, while A.S.E.S. did lower their cost somewhat, they apparently did it by replacing the Schuco brand solar panels that they were using before with third-tier Chinese panels from Sopray Energy. (In contrast, Ronco consistently uses Canadian Solar panels, a top-tier Chinese solar panel.)
Certainly caveat emptor applies when purchasing a solar power system, but at some point it seems like the utility should step in and warn its customers about predatory practices. So how about it, LADWP, isn't it time to give your customers a heads-up about what is going on?
Put another way, if you are considering going solar and your installer proposes a system that is more than $8.24/Watt - and indeed, that is a very high number for installations today - we have one word of advice: RUN!
"Data, data, data, I cannot make bricks without clay."
Alone among the municipal utilities, and in a most welcome new development, LADWP has started to publish data from its Solar Incentive Program (SIP) which was restarted on September 1. Although this analysis is clearly preliminary given that there are only three weeks of data available in the 9/21/2011 working dataset, nevertheless some interesting trends are already evident and one clear necessity arises - LADWP needs cost caps even more than does CSI.
In restarting the SIP, LADWP allocated $40 million in new funds, evenly divided between the Residential and non-Residential (Commercial, Governmental, Non-Profit) segments of the market. Although the program is technically a Step-driven program with MW allocations for each step, in reality, it is a budget-limited system - when the annual budget for a given segment is met, the program in that segment will shut down.
As part of their new and improved program, DWP has also started to publish datasets that are similar to, but different from the data gathered and released by the California Solar Initiative (CSI). For example, the CSI data reports on the specific products used on the project whereas the DWP data only identifies the manufacturer. Hopefully future releases of the data will correct this limitation. In addition, neither data set allows analysts to distinguish between costs associated with the actual installation versus lease-based financing costs which apparently a handful of companies - most notably SolarCity - include in their reported costs.
For the purpose of this post we analyzed DWP's most recently released dataset, dated 9/21/2011. That dataset includes data from both the so-called "legacy" program and the newly revised program. As we were only interested in the most recent trends - that is, based on what has happened since the program restarted on September 1 - we excluded all legacy data from our analysis. Also, while system costs are often reported in dollars per DC or Nameplate Watts, we don't believe that provides much insight into the quality of the systems being installed. For that reason, our system costs are based on dollars per CSI AC Watts.
The big news from the non-residential sector of DWP's brand new SIP is that it is already over-subscribed!
Wow - that didn't take long! Indeed, based on the date applications were submitted, the non-residential sector crossed the $20 million limit on September 16 and is now some $2.3 million over-subscribed.
So who got all of that money? A total of 54 projects combined to grab the $20 million - 24 commercial, 24 government and six non-profit. In terms of actual dollars, however, it was the government sector that was the big winner: its 24 projects snagged over $16 million, with commercial set to receive $4.6 million and non-profits picking up the scraps left behind at $1.5 million. (Word to the wise for non-profits that are interested in snagging some solar rebate money from DWP - get your ducks in a row early and be sure that your rebate application hits the stack the day the program re-funds next year.)
The residential side is somewhat more interesting if only because it is still open for business! Indeed, we got stated looking at this data because a potential client was being told by another solar company that they had to get their application on file by October 15th or they would be left out. How accurate is that contention? Well, it is always hard to predict the future, but based on the data so far, that appears to be mostly marketing hype. Here's what the program looks like so far:
That linear trendline seems to fit the data rather nicely. If we use that trendline to predict when the cumulative rebate reservations will hit the $20 million threshold, the answer is - not anytime soon. Indeed, the predicted date is not until April 3 next year. (We will check back next April to see how well this preliminary prediction fared!)
Of course, there is also the step limitation to consider - presently the SIP is on Step 5 with 3.37 MW available (as of 9/15) and is paying residential rebates of $2.20/Watt. When the Step 5 allocation is exhausted, the rebate will decline to $1.62/Watt. What does the data so far suggest about when that will occur?
Here the equation for the trendline does offer some reason for greater urgency - it predicts that Step 5 would be exhausted by November 26. (Of course, if that happens, it will extend the lifetime of the current funding for the residential sector beyond the April 3 target predicted above since rebates after November 26 would be paid out at the lower rebate rate.)
Finally, as we did with the CSI data, it is informative to go hunting for outliers in this early data. This is especially important since these applications are still being reviewed and DWP staff is in a position to push back against any of these applications that appear to grossly exceed expectations.
We filtered the data to only include residential projects from the new program. We additionally excluded any company that did not have 20 or more kilowatts of project applications pending. Finally, to try and isolate sold systems only (as opposed to leased) we required the system owner to also be residential. As filtered, our remaining data accounts for 133 of the 239 total residential projects in the dataset. Here's what we found:
Now what is going on here? A.S.E.S. Electrical Group, Inc., is installing three systems for a total of 35.9 kW at a total cost of $597,500 or $16.66/Watt! (This makes our lead outlier in the CSI data - Galkos Construction, Inc. - look like a real slacker.) From the data, A.S.E.S. (not to be confused with - or was that the intent? - the American Solar Energy Society which is commonly known by the acronym ASES) appears to be planning to use Schuco panels. Although the data does not reveal the precise model Schuco panel they are proposing, a quick search online for Schuco panel pricing suggests that Schuco panels can be purchased for somewhere in the range of $2.00 to $2.28/Nameplate Watt, retail. If we apply the nameplate to CSI derating factor that appears in the data for the A.S.E.S. projects, that works out to a retail price average of $2.61/CSI AC Watt. Where is the remaining $14/W going? And why would any residential customer choose to have an installation performed at a cost nearly twice the local average?
We hope staff at DWP will take notice of these results and give some serious thought to imposing cost caps to protect their customers.
«climate change» cpuc enphase «enphase energy» «feed-in tariff» fit gwp «jim jenal» ladwp «net metering» pg_e pwp «run on sun» sce seia «solar power» «solar rebates» solarcity usc «westridge school for girls»


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I'd suggest a $100 or so USB microscope. You can use it to look at opaque objects, and you can have the picture on your computer screen. That would be a big help when trying to point out what the kid is seeing.
Usually, that means inexpensive and military grade toughness. Two things rarely found in a precision optic
However, depending on your budget, you have a lot of options. First, some clarification.
You mentioned stereo being a plus. This can mean two things. Stereo objective, or stereo eyepieces. Stereo objectives are
typically found on lower power scopes used for close up work on things like circuit boards, coins, stamps, gems, jewelery, insects, etc.
Stereo eyepieces ( binocs ) are can be found on both low and high power ( compound ) scopes and are typically an upgrade ( read that, more $$$ )
Considering the age of your interested viewer, you probably want to start on the low end and work your way up if they continue to express
an interest in the field as the years go by. The internet has many sites that sell scopes, some of which I would consider to be in the budget
range for the average seven year old. Some I've used in the past: ( in no particular order )
Even Amazon and Ebay would probably be valid places to look.
Prices are typically dictated by type, options and manufacturer.
That said, consider the following:
The low end high power setups are going to start around $100 USD for monocular ( single eyepiece ) systems with a 1D stage ( It only moves
up and down ) and LED light source. Probably what you're going to want to look at for a starter scope.
Mid range will get into Binoc ( dual ) eyepieces, better light sources ( variable halogen ), better / more objectives and a multi-dimensional stage.
( stage movement up / down, slide movement forward / back / side )
High end simply builds on the mid range with better quality components and glass.
For a seven year old ? I would start with something along these lines:
or, if you really want the binocs, maybe something like this:
It's certainly an interesting hobby. I have a pair of scopes ( low power and a compound ) on my desk here at home I use to look at whatever
strikes my fancy. Personally, I would rather have the physical scope vs the USB. That's just a personal preference though.
USB versus physical scope is a toss-up. You'll get better image clarity with a physical scope unless you're using a really good USB camera - the less expensive ones tend to be web-cam class.
On the other hand a USB scope makes it easier involve friends in the experience since they can all see what's going on at once, plus with halfway decent software they can easily capture photographs and video. Good digital zoom can actually draw out a surprising amount of detail provided a bicubic or better filter is use
How about living creatures like ants? Also works with Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.
I got a veho USB microscope for cheap to look at small electronics joins (I'm half blind). as always the cd that arrives with new hardware goes in the garbage.
a simple 1 line
vlc.exe dshow://
shortcut to the
I always thought these were "toys" - but having received one as a gift, which can do x400, I'm pretty impressed with it. (Also, just works under Linux, as a v4l device).
You might also consider an SLR camera with a macro lens: you can pick up an Olympus OM1 for about $20 on eBay, and add a 300mm macro lens for perhaps $30.
One of the webcam models works well with kids because its cheap and displays on a big monitor, so you can look at stuff together. Some of the better ones show up as if they're normal webcams so you can have some weird internet chats with friends and family (G+ hangouts?) "Hey grandma, look at this giant ant leg" etc.
The other alternative is ebay. A kid is much better off with a worn out but "real" microscope that's probably cheaper than a hunk of Chinese plastic anyway. Some people are weirdly proud of being completely mechanically inept... they are a bad target market for used scopes.
Another alternative is new chinese steel. At a place like lwscientific.com you can spend about the cost of a good video card and get a new, "real" student grade scope that'll last forever.
Absolute worst case scenario is a cheap hunk of Chinese plastic with "900x" magnification listed on the box right next to ridiculous artists interpretations and electron microscope images. Oddly enough the marketing is just about as misleading and poor for other optical devices like telescopes.
You mentioned "parameciums". Its easy to find samples of plain ole dirt, grass leaves, etc. If you want "real prepared slides of weird or interesting organisms", go somewhere like carolina.com, "life sciences" "microscope slides". Note that a good prepared, preserved, stained slide is gonna be like $5 per slide. There are somewhat dodgier suppliers at a somewhat lower cost, but not as cheap as you'd think. On the other hand, my kids find it infinitely more interesting to run around in the yard, pick something up off the ground, and look at it under the 'scope.
Maybe the best place to start a kid with microscopes is a hand held magnifying glass. Much as you're supposed to "do astronomy" by starting with eyes first, then binocs, then get a scope...
I have no financial connection with any of the above other than spending money on stuff like this.
Get a toy one
At 7, it will be great
Get preferabily one with >= 50x mag, so you can see cells, etc
Later you can think of a better one
I really don't remember how old I was when I got my first (toy) one, but it was a built-it-yourself kit
Then I got one that was 100x-300x-600x (which was 'more real') and it was lots of fun
I got a reasonably decent scope when I was around 7. It was great. Cheap scopes on the other hand are just not worth the bother, they'll barely work and nothing loses kid's interest faster than some cranky finicky thing that won't produce interesting results even if you do fiddle with it for an hour. There's really just no reason to skimp that much either when decent stuff can be had for a couple bills and the cheap worthless junk is still just about the same price.
God, the smell of Canada balsam still take
You're assuming that access to good equipment is equally affordable in all countries.
But well, I could get results from the finicky microscope, good results, I'd say
Apart from the optics, a good source light is essencial
Eh, my experience with finicky 'scopes is that you really never get decent results. Best one I've ever had was a beat up old 50's bio lab scope that the local college dumped when they upgraded their biology building. Cost, nothing. OTOH you can spend $150 on a new 'toy' grade scope and you'll be lucky if you ever manage to focus on anything or get enough light into it to see much. While something like EBay is always a crap shoot you're more likely to get something you can have some real fun with for your mo
Yeah, the one I had didn't even HAVE a built-in light. Still worked reasonably well. Something like this would probably be a good bet:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Leica-E-Leitz-Wetzlar-Lab-Microscope-with-Wood-Case-/320918955069?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab842a43d [ebay.com]
Everything you basically need, good optics. You'll need a light, but honestly a desk clamp and a decent LED light will do fine. Not too pricey and you can get good results without too much fiddling. Should be fairly rugged too.
Yeah, a light source and good optics go a long way
Also, good sample preparation is essential. I guess most of the problems are there.
For a light source, forget about the "built in" methods. Even a desk lamp goes a long way. And if you try different positions you can get great results, or even go for reflected light instead of transmitted light (depending on the sample)
Oh yeah, I still have the desk lamp, lol, though the 'scope itself finally did succumb to curious children with small tools... lol. I can remember all sorts of tricks to lighting. Well slides are a great idea. You can also get plastic cover slips, which are probably not a bad idea for kids, though I'm sure they are generally inferior. Even with my bad childish sample prep though we managed to make some pretty interesting observations. Helps to have a set of prepared slides though. Damn it was fun being a k
I would also suggest that unless the primary goal i to teach how to work a microscope, mount slides, that sort of thing, a less traditional style might be in order. The eyeclop
I remember that in school we were instructed on how to use the microscope, but it's very easy to mishandle it
So, for kids, go for an affordable choice
So.... I'm thinking you're not a parent, and that you are not speaking from actual experience. This is pretty much the exact opposite of advice I gave below. A toy microscope will be nothing but frustration and will kill the child's interest. My daughter had a proper microscope at 7. I had a proper microscope at 8. A toy microscope is nothing but demotivating frustration in a box.
Motor skill considerations are key, though. I'm on the board of a small science education non-profit, we teach kids from ag
I'm not sure of your budget or whether you are looking at this for yourself or your son, but a trinocular scope allows human binary focus on the subject/target as well as a digital imaging output that can be displayed on a dedicated Workstation or PC. These images can then be captured and later analysed.
This is what my techs use at work for FA on PCAs... but YMMV with "bacteria to paramecium's".
I'm a geek and while I love the idea of USB microscoped, the cameras in them aren't all that great. It costs money to do right. I'd think that you can get a beautiful unpowered optical microscope on eBay or Cragislist. Make sure it's got 2 oculars and 3 or 4 objective lenses, with immersion. For use inside, a LED flashlight works quite well as a light source. You'd also be well advised to read up on stains. They make optical microscopy way more fun.
I can't comment on modern microscopes because I haven't used one in years. But whichever one you decide on, be sure to concoct a hay infusion. Get a jar full of pond water and add a handful of hay or even grass clippings. Put it aside somewhere in the garage where it can stink without bothering people too much. It will yield up the most wonderful assortment of one-celled critters for your microscopic viewing pleasure--paramecia, volvox, those wonderful beings called stentors--and lots of other great stuff besides.
I write this with appreciation for the best high school biology teacher of all time, Mr. Ford, whose hay infusion was legendary for the amazing odors that emanated from it. He would periodically add more pond water or hay. A beatific smile would come over his face, and he'd say, "Oh, yeah. That's really ripe!" In all fairness, he also taught me the virtues of meticulous notes and drawings. But I suspect most of his students remember his hay infusions. Enjoy!!
I'm jealous. My high school biology teacher was an ultra-Christian disbeliever of evolution, and because she taught deep in the bible belt in Georgia, she was allowed to impose her stupidity on us in almost every lesson. I'll never forget how she started the chapter on Evolution in our textbooks: "Now, the law requires that I cover this nonsense, but before we begin, let me tell you what really happened [puts down biology text, picks up her ever-present bible] 'In the beginning, God created the heaven an
Ah yes, I have fond memories of my own long-running "pond water" brew. It was all well until I brought it to school, and my friend convinced me to fill a girl's desk with it. The nun wasn't amused...
In 2000 Edmund Scientific was purchased by Science Kit and Boreal Laboratories, a western New York based science supply company. Science Kit and Boreal Laboratories is part of a group of companies that provide science supplies to elementary, middle, and high schools as well as colleges and universities.
Edmund Scientific [wikipedia.org] sells high quality beginner and student microscopes in all price ranges.
Edmund's prepared slide sets [scientificsonline.com] have been in their catalogs for decades. You really can't go wrong here.
Sounds like you want a microscope and want him to get the experience of getting to look through Dads cool microscope. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it justifies a better toy since you aren't woried about him playing with it on his own and destroying it. If that were the case, I would say get a $30 toy...
I bought a cheap "celestron" with webcam. The camera mount came apart when I put it together. I returned it tot he store, the second one had a broken camera. It was a $30 toy.
So my wife, se
I doubt there have been many technology advances so the advice is probably still current [slashdot.org], but it will be interesting if there are.
I have a boom microscope that I use for electronics work which is very popular with my kids for looking at bugs, etc. I got mine from amscope.com for something like $350.
I also have a biological style microscope which is higher power and lit from below. My kids didn't seem to have as much interest in this. Generally, one cell looks pretty much like another unless you really know what you're looking for.
Get a decent microscope. "Child friendly" means "not frustrating" -- good light, smooth focus, good light, real optics, and good light. Mechanical stage for bonus points, because little fingers have a hard time moving the slide around in tiny increments.
Stereo vision isn't a big deal, but with a child of 7, I *strongly* suggest getting a "dual head" microscope. This is designed for teaching, the student has one viewing tube, and the other viewing tube can be used by the teacher or the eyepiece of the second tube can be replaced with a standard microscope video camera eyepiece. That way a parent can help with focusing, which is tricky for kids to learn. You can also talk about what they are seeing and give them a guided tour.
Remember that real optics will give a much, much sharper view than any USB microscope or video eyepiece, so adjust expectations accordingly, but we've found that it is a much more fun family activity when the microscope is set up with video in the second tube so that everyone can see and talk about the video while taking turns looking at the eye-poppingly sharp view through the optic path.
We bought our home microscope here:
http://www.hometrainingtools.com/microscopes/c/10/ [hometrainingtools.com]
they seem to have decent prices on nicer microscopes.
I had the same quandary not too long ago. In the end, I decided to start small and work up. On ebay you can find cheap 60x and 100x pocket scopes which are a good starting point. The resolution and quality sucks, most come with led lights, some come with UV lights, however it is a very good starting point being portable and cheap.
It has a USB ocular which Linux recognised straight away. Feels nice and solid, with only a tiny bit of hysteresis on the adjustment knob. Nothing a child couldn't cope with.
Optics are surprisingly good quality and the light sources use a little mains adapter, which is included. No batteries required!
There are also a few sample slides included with the microscope, but Bresser sells stained slide kits separatel
Don't they still sell the Tasco microscope kits they had when I was a kid?
I had one; it was a fairly decent microscope, and it came with slides, example specimens, cover slips and other stuff you need to mount and observe your own samples. It came with a manual explaining how to look at random things you might find in nature.
I'll be sad if you can't get these anymore! They were fairly well-made, too; real metal construction, the focus control was nicely damped and greased, etc.
I'd make a joke about maxing ou
there are many proffessional microscopes availible on ebay, and they come at a very reasonable price too,
- USB--Scopes: forget the USB-Trash
You can get laboratory grade equitment there for arround 100 US$, binoculars and microscopes as well.
You are operating it ? -> Try it the other way arround, he will learn more quickly from his OWN mistakes, rather than from yours.
You are just a supervisor(to prevent dead serious injuries of course), adviser
Minneapolis I would gladly loan you one, plus slides, cover slips and preserved specimens. Is a well cared for college lab scope. A beautiful old Nikon oil immersion. Just reply to this and we can get in contact.
Made by Russian company Lomo (that also makes good amateur-grade telescopes): tough, cheap, with decent optics and lighting.
There's also a cheaper version called Yunnat (Young Naturalist), but that's a bit weak.
I bought one of these for my niece:
I was very impressed with the quality. I would also recommend a prepared slide kit and
a slide making kit.
Buying a used but well maintained lab microscope gives you solid optics, stability and motivation to use. If it's kept in a visible place, it'll trigger the want to use it.
I think any microscope should work for children. You just need to make sure you slice the children thin enough to fit between the glass slide plates.
Don't worry, kids are pretty tech savvy these days. Just get him an electron microscope and he'll be able to figure it out in a jiffy. Plus he'll think you're the best dad ever!
I got my kids the http://www.magiscope.com/ when they were that age. Has a cool light tube to direct light instead of a mirror or light bulb. Has a nice gear-less mechanism for adjusting focus. Uses easy to find threaded objective lenses. Pretty much indestructible..
We got this one and are pretty happy with it:
http://www.amazon.com/My-First-Lab-Duo-Scope-Microscope/dp/B000NOU54O [amazon.com]
It's not stereo, but is well-made and inexpensive. Definitely a cut above a mere toy. My kids don't use it often, but we've had it a couple years and they still pull it out occasionally when they have something to look at. I would say 7yo is old enough to start operating this kind of microscope too rather than just viewing (isn't he really going to want to do that anyway?), so something inexp
I was about his age when I got my first microscope and a few years later a chem set. Made out of bakelite from the 1940s or 1950s the light source was from a mirror below. Don't go and by the best. You won't get so mad if something happens to it. Get one with a light. Mine was missing slides and had none of the tools with it. I got very resourceful. A local hobby shop had stuff. Expensive though. No internet back then.
Being the scientist that I am today I can fast forward you a bit. You can put two sta
Things equal to nothing else are equal to each other.


text:
To promote durability and performance of the building enclosure and its components and systems through appropriate design, materials selection, and construction practices.
Meet the requirements of the ENERGY STAR for Homes, version 3, water management system builder checklist (with the exceptions for existing homes listed in EA Prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance). Midrise projects are exempt from this requirement.
Install all the applicable indoor moisture control measures listed in Table 1.
Table 1. Required interior moisture control measures for homes
|Location or equipment
|Required measure
|Area directly above bathtub, spa, or shower (extending to ceiling), exposed wall or area behind fiberglass enclosure if wallboard is installed
|Use nonpaper-faced backer board or paper-faced product or coating over wallboard that meets standard ASTM D 3273 standard
|Kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, spa area
|Use water-resistant flooring; do not install carpet
|Entryway within 3 feet (900 mm) of exterior door accessible from ground
|Use water-resistant flooring; do not install carpet (carpet tiles are permitted)
|Tank water heater in or over living space
|Install drain and drain pan, drain pan and automatic water shut-off or flow restrictor, or floor drain with floor sloped to drain
|Clothes washer (or condensing clothes dryer) in or over living space
|Install drain and drain pan, drain pan and automatic water shut-off or flow restrictor, or floor drain with floor sloped to drain
|Conventional clothes dryer
|Exhaust directly to outdoors
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text:
NH congressional candidates face lengthy 'job interviews' at New England College
HENNIKER, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire's congressional candidates will face mock job interviews instead of the traditional debate format at New England College.
The college's Center for Civic Engagement is hosting Monday's event featuring Republican Reps. Charlie Bass and Frank Guinta, and Bass's challenger, Democrat Ann McLane Kuster. Guinta's challenger, Carol Shea-Porter, declined to participate.
The candidates will take turns facing a panel of journalists who will ask questions about current events and the candidates' individual qualifications.
They'll have 45 minutes total to make their case, and there will be no time limit for each question.


text:
Among the people who wrote to the judge in the public corruption trial of Sal DiMasi, who was asking for leniency for the convicted House Speaker? None other than former Springfield Mayor Mike Albano, reports Channel 22.
Given the number of Albano's pals and former employees who've done their own stints in federal prison —Gerry Phillips, Anthony and Chester Ardolino, Jimmy Asselin—we suspect Mayor Mike probably has drafted a form letter by this point, to spare himself writers' cramp.
By the way, DiMasi—the third consecutive House speaker convicted on corruption charges—ended up with an eight-year sentence.


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Socket.SendTo Method (Byte[], SocketFlags, EndPoint)
The .NET API Reference documentation has a new home. Visit the .NET API Browser on docs.microsoft.com to see the new experience.
Sends data to a specific endpoint using the specified SocketFlags.
Assembly: System (in System.dll)
- buffer
An array of type Byte that contains the data to be sent.
- socketFlags
A bitwise combination of the SocketFlags values.
- remoteEP
The EndPoint that represents the destination location for the data.
Return ValueType: System.Int32
The number of bytes sent.
buffer is null.
remoteEP is null.
An error occurred when attempting to access the socket. See the Remarks section for more information.
The Socket has been closed.
In this overload, the buffer offset defaults to 0, and the number of bytes to send defaults to the size of the buffer. If you specify the DontRoute flag as the socketflags parameter, the data you are sending will not be routed.
If you are using a connectionless protocol, you do not need to establish a default remote host with the Connect method prior to calling SendTo. You only need to do this if you intend to call the Send method. If you do call the Connect method prior to calling SendTo, the remoteEP parameter will override the specified default remote host for that send operation only. You are also not required to call the Bind method, because the underlying service provider will assign the most appropriate local network address and port number. If you need to identify the assigned local network address and port number, you can use the LocalEndPoint property after the SendTo method successfully completes.
Although intended for connectionless protocols, SendTo also works with connection-oriented protocols. If you are using a connection-oriented protocol, you must first establish a remote host connection by calling the Connect method or accept an incoming connection request using the Accept method. If you do not establish or accept a remote host connection, SendTo will throw a SocketException. You can also establish a default remote host for a connectionless protocol prior to calling the SendTo method. In either of these cases, SendTo will ignore the remoteEP parameter and only send data to the connected or default remote host.
Blocking sockets will block until the requested all of the bytes in the buffer are sent. Since a nonblockingSocket completes immediately, it might not send all of the bytes in the buffer. It is your application's responsibility to keep track of the number of bytes sent and to retry the operation until the application sends all of the bytes in the buffer. There is also no guarantee that the data you send will appear on the network immediately. To increase network efficiency, the underlying system may delay transmission until a significant amount of out-going data is collected. A successful completion of the SendTo method means that the underlying system has had room to buffer your data for a network send.
If you are using a connectionless protocol in blocking mode, SendTo will block until the datagram is sent. If you want to send data to a broadcast address, you must first call the SetSocketOption method and set the socket option to SocketOptionName.Broadcast. You must also be sure that the number of bytes sent does not exceed the maximum packet size of the underlying service provider. If it does, the datagram will not be sent and SendTo will throw a SocketException.
If you receive a SocketException, use the SocketException.ErrorCode property to obtain the specific error code. After you have obtained this code, refer to the Windows Sockets version 2 API error code documentation in the MSDN library for a detailed description of the error.
This member outputs trace information when you enable network tracing in your application. For more information, see Network Tracing in the .NET Framework.
The following code example sends a connectionless datagram to the specified remote host. SocketFlags are passed to theSendTo method.
public static void SendTo2() { IPHostEntry hostEntry = Dns.GetHostEntry(Dns.GetHostName()); IPEndPoint endPoint = new IPEndPoint(hostEntry.AddressList[0], 11000); Socket s = new Socket(endPoint.Address.AddressFamily, SocketType.Dgram, ProtocolType.Udp); byte[] msg = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes("This is a test"); Console.WriteLine("Sending data."); // This call blocks. s.SendTo(msg, SocketFlags.None, endPoint); s.Close(); }
Available since 1.1


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Lola the Baby Platypus - 18th January 2013
« Return to Patient of the Week Home
Age: Juvenile Sex: Female Weight: 330g
Found: Emaciated at Eumundi, with no sign of her parents nearby.
Transported to: The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital by a concerned member of the public.
Veterinary Assessment: Dr Bec found Lola to be dehydrated and with signs of infection. No ticks were present, and Lola was alert and responsive.
Treatment: Lola was prescribed antibiotics and fluids, and stayed in care under close observation. She loved her swims and ate lots of mealworms and earthworms, which aided her quick recovery.
Outcome: Lola was released back into the wild after three days in care at the Hospital.
AZWH Fact: Lola is our fourth platypus admitted to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital so far this year! Recent hot weather has had these monotremes on the move.
Patient of the Week Archive
24 Hour Wildlife Emergency Phone: 1300 369 652
Rescue vehicles and staff are on call seven days a week. Please don't let wildlife suffer – give us a call, we'll take care of it!


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"preggo". Is it really that hard to say pregnant?
Quote"preggo". Is it really that hard to say pregnant?"preggers" is even worse
"Scrabble" as a euphemism for sex. Sorry e-hellions, I love you all, but it drives. me. crazy. I'm sure I say a lot of things that annoy someof you, too, though, so it's all good. lol
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One of the most fascinating things I deal with as a middle man between the Dolphins and their fans is how sometimes the team and the folks rooting for that team share a common goal and common thinking. And sometimes they really do not.
Sometimes the disconnect in the team's agenda and the fans' agenda is startling.
And I perceive there is some disconnect here.
Correct me if I am wrong, but judging from some of your comments on this blog and the comments of fans I talk to on the radio or meet on the street, some fans are walking around with a happy-to-be-here attitude. It is as if some of you have believe 2008 was a wonderful foundation-building year and the reconstruction project won't be complete for another year or two so whatever happens this season is fine with you.
Some of you see a fine season in your rear view mirror and a championship on the horizon and whatever happens in between is perfectly acceptable. You see 2009 as another year of building, not of winning or competing for a championship.
That, frankly, is a loser's mentality.
And these Dolphins, being quite far removed from being losers, are not thinking that way at all.
When coach Tony Sparano gathered his players recently, he congratulated them on a great 2008 season. He told them how wonderful it was to turn things around and "change the culture" of losing he encountered when he took over the team.
But, he reminded the players, the job is not complete so he wants, hopes, expects, this team to strive to complete the job. He didn't say, this is a transition team. He didn't say, we'll complete the job in a year or two.
Sparano, Jeff Ireland, Bill Parcells and every player on the Dolphins want to win the Super Bowl this coming season. Owner Stephen Ross wants to host his team in Super Bowl XLIV in Miami. No one is thinking about championships in 2010. This is not the NBA. They are not thinking about completing a four- or five-year program in 2010 or 2011.
2009 is the focus.
Winning Super Bowl XLIV in Miami is the goal. Today is the time, not tomorrow ... and definitely not yesterday. The Dolphins aren't thinking about a five-year plan any more than they are resting on what happened last year.
"We are excited about what happened in the offseason with all the new faces that we have in free agency and with the draft," quarterback Chad Pennington said. "We are excited to bring all of these guys in and that is why every year is different. What we did in 2008 has no bearing in 2009. We have a big challenge ahead of us -- to learn each other and to build team chemistry and to work together."
When I talk to Dolphins players or people within the organization, they never say we're in the second year of a plan that will take X-number of years. All the players know they might not be around next year -- or next game with this bunch -- so now is the most important time.
Folks atop the organization such as Sparano and Ireland recognize they must look out into the future as they build the team. But they have one eye on that future and the other eye on today.
That's why the team signed Jason Taylor back.
That's the reason the team signed Chad Pennington last year.
That's the reason if the right veteran that can upgrade the team now comes available at some point before the October trading deadline, the Dolphins will consider making the move.
One more thing that has become plainly clear to me in talking about this team with sources, coaches and personnel people. They all recognize there is no promise of success tomorrow.
They talk about a looming "quarterback transition" and how there can be serious bumps on that road to Chad Henne. They talk about losing four or five valuable free agents after this season and having to replace those known players with God knows who. They talk of there being no ironclad certainty in the direction Ross is pointing the organization. They talk of not knowing whether Parcells will be with the team next year or the year after.
They talk of doing everything in their power to make the 2009 Dolphins the best they can be so that the 2009 season is better than 2008.
And they leave the conversation about fanciful 2010 or '11 championships to some fans who don't understand what's most important.


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- Cancer fears for Essendon players
- Essendon players determined to protect anonymity
- ASADA declares: "We want the trial"
- Stephen Dank withdraws appeal
Aurora Andruska's work for the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority is over, with the CEO-turned-consultant making a unannounced departure from the organisation on Monday.
Retained – since May 9 – to assist her successor, Ben McDevitt, Andruska was involved for a further seven weeks in the unprecedented drug probes she launched 17 months ago into Australia's richest and most popular football codes, the AFL and NRL.
In a one-line written statement provided to Fairfax Media on Wednesday, the government-funded anti-doping body confirmed: ''Aurora Andruska concluded her role as a consultant to the ASADA CEO, Ben McDevitt on 30 June 2014.''
On the day McDevitt took over, federal Minister for Sport, Peter Dutton, said Andruska – who he termed an ''effective'' CEO in ''turbulent times'' – would stay on ''for a short period of time'' to ensure a smooth handover.
ASADA indicated that Andruska would remain at the organisation to help McDevitt for as long as he required her assistance. The move was viewed, by some insiders, as a gesture of respect for the work Andruska had overseen and a clear sign that ASADA's anti-doping cases were reaching their conclusion.
Since then, ASADA has issued 34 show-cause notices to current and former Essendon players, with McDevitt personally authorising every one. The move triggered Essendon, and the club's coach-in-exile James Hird, to launch Federal Court proceedings designed to render the anti-doping authority's investigation – conducted in conjunction with the AFL – invalid. At a minimum, the outcome of that action would appear to be seven weeks away.
While praised by former World Anti-Doping Agency boss, John Fahey, for standing up to what he termed ''bully boys in the system'' in backroom dealings over the past year, Andruska was also criticised during the saga for leading an organisation deemed cumbersome by some. During Andruska's time as boss, her predecessor, Richard Ings, also consistently lamented the scarcity of communication from ASADA about the biggest doping probe in the history of Australian sport.
Andruska gained a one-year contract extension with ASADA in May 2013, a matter of months after the AFL-NRL probes were launched. She did not, however, have her tenure extended further. In an interview with Fairfax Media when Andruska's imminent departure was announced, ex-WADA head Fahey alluded to some of the high-level, behind-the-scenes dealings she had been involved in.
''I believe she was gutsy and stood up to some bully boys in the system. And her prime objective, her only objective, was to achieve clean sport,'' Fahey said of the career public servant who was boss of Centrelink before she was installed at ASADA. ''I have the upmost respect for her integrity.''
From his first day as the new chief McDevitt made his position clear, saying in his opening media appearance that ''each professional athlete is personally responsible for what substances enter their body''.
When show-cause notices were issued to the current and former Essendon players, McDevitt was again on the front foot, and outlined – in media interviews – how Bombers footballers could have potential two-year bans reduced to six-month suspensions if they took a certain route with authorities. The comments raised the ire of Essendon chairman Paul Little and were subsequently described as ''insulting'' by Bombers player, Brendon Goddard, who was not at the club when its supplements program was running.
Samantha Lane joined The Age in 2005 and has specialised in the coverage of Australian Rules football, cycling, Olympic sports and drugs in sport. A Quill award winner and part of the Fairfax team that won a Walkley award in 2014 for its coverage of the AFL's doping scandal, Sam has rich multimedia experience. She is part of the Seven network's Saturday night AFL television coverage and was previously a panellist on network Ten's Before the Game. Sam was The Age's Olympics reporter for the 2012 London Olympics, and covered the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games for Fairfax. Her work has won awards from the Australian Sports Commission, the Victorian Institute of Sport, the AFL Players Association and the AFL Coaches Association.
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GREENVILLE, Ill. – GC Softball collided with SLIAC top-seed Fontbonne on Thursday night and found themselves on the losing end of a 17-0, 6-4 evening twinbill at Lady Panther Field.
The Lady Griffins of Fontbonne University outpaced Greenville 23-4 on the day, and took the first contest 17-0 while edging out a 6-4 win in the capper.
Greenville sophomore Sarah Gerig was the Black & Orange's lead contributor in the slugfest. Gerig delivered a towering two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of game two's fifth inning that inched the Panther squad within one run of the visitors.
However, Greenville failed to capitalize on the close margin and FU added an insurance run in the sixth to close the 6-4 battle.
Defensively the home club struggled from the outset, as pitching issues and a flurry of untimely errors cost GC valuable opportunities. The Panthers called on all four members of their pitching staff in game one's 17-0 debacle, with senior Lindsey Schuberth picking up the loss. Freshman Jessica Laubecher was given the start in game two and went seven innings full and allowed only four runs. Despite Laubecher's efforts she was charged the loss in the 6-4 decision.
With the sweep Greenville College softball drops to 12-16 (6-4 SLIAC) and slides down to the fifth spot in the conference standings. Play for the Panthers will resume on Saturday, April 14 as they travel to Carlinville, Ill. for a double-header against Blackburn College.


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Kill or be killed, no sH*t.
"Here is the secret about football. If you don't play it with all your energy then you don't have time for too much else. That might even mean talking. Its way too physical there is no gun. So you have to fight, it is PRISON RULES. Now if you know what that means then you understand why football is so tough. See inmates have little control on what goes on outside the prison, unless they have help. Same with football, the inmates need a different kind of help. After time served they are free to go."
Kill or be killed, no sH*t.
Prison - rape = football
Kris played a total of 23 games out of 48 in his time with the Jets and made millions.. I'm sure inmates would jump at the chance to do that..
That guy was an absolute f*cking animal when he was healthy. If he could have stayed healthy for his career? I think he would have had a larger impact than Revis ever could have.
We could only be so lucky to get a player of his caliber. And if we do sometime soon? I'm requesting that the Jets FO move heaven and earth to keep him on this team for his entire career.
Now I know why he's not exactly making it as a broadcaster. Just another loudmouth with rocks for brains.
English, mother****er. Do you speak it?
Wow. That is an amazing picture. THAT is how you beat a double-team. And one of those guys is the best blocking FB in NFL history. Think I might have to get that one made up in hopes of getting it signed by him one day.
I miss big Jenks. When he was healthy he was a dominant player. Shame his body betrayed him.
I don't like when people equate him to other players that made millions and under-performed. Jenks had legitimate injuries and he worked his a$$ off to get back on the field after his first ACL with the Jets.
The ONLY points the Texans scored was on pick 6 by Mark Sanchez.
Jenkins in particular played one of the best games I have ever seen a NT play. He was on fire. I still think back to that moment when Phil Simms was replaying a 4th quarter running play. He said, "OH KRIS JENKINS!!". He said "That looked like Reggie White in his hayday".
On the play that I am thinking of, Jenks got singled up with the Texans center. He made one straight up push and blew the Center right AIR BORN.
He absolutely annihilated and OWNED the Texans OL that day. Truly a performance that any football fan could forever hold in high regard.


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Get An Inflatable Kayak - Find a Seller Near You
If you are looking for a place to buy a canoe or kayak we can help. Our canoe and kayak directory lists all the best stores with canoes and kayaks for sale. Our listings include canoes and kayaks of all sizes for a variety of purposes and made from a variety of materials. So whether you are looking for a good plastic solo fishing kayak or a three man aluminum canoe you will surely find what you are looking for in our directory. Just browse through our listings and quickly quickly locate the best sellers in your area.


text:
- News
- Business
- Sports
- Entertainment
- Lifestyle
- Health
- Travel
- Technology
It's the season of skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing.
Or, if you're more like me, it's the season of soups, stews and casseroles bubbling away in the oven.
I had set aside Fireside Feasts and Snow Day Treats (Ryland Peters & Small, $34.95) a few months ago, knowing when the mercury sank well below the zero mark on the thermometer that it would be perfect for winter fare.
I may not have a fireside to nestle up next to, but a blanket and bowl of something hearty and warm will suffice when snow is tumbling down.
So, on Thursday, when the weather was doing just that, I cracked it open to try a Spicy Pork Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Beans.
This book is incredibly picturesque; almost every picture of a dish had me contemplating that recipe. Puzzling, though, were the occasional shots of children frolicking in sleeveless outfits, and trees with autumnally coloured leaves. I know Calgary is colder than other places, but some of those images didn't really say winter to me.
And a very minor quibble: the book's pages are matte.
I liked the number of cuisines the book covers - from Moroccan tagines to Hungarian goulash and Vietnamese pho - and that the skill level of some of the recipes would be good for even a beginner. (Yes, Cheesy Toasts, I'm looking at you.)
Stews are not my forte - I don't have a lot of practice with them - so I was tempted by this pork version because it would bulk my skill in that area and because I liked the spice combination of cumin, cinnamon and the heat of chili.
The browning process took about twice as long as suggested because I did it in batches; too many cubes and the meat will steam instead of browning nicely, creating that tasty fond on the bottom of the pot. Resist the urge to throw it all in at once.
Also, I let it simmer for an additional 30 minutes to get the pork meltingly soft because I feel the point of the stew is that the meat should be tender. This could be a function of cutting cubes that were too big (the recipe didn't specify), the pot wasn't the right size or the recipe just needs some tinkering. I didn't mind waiting the extra time because I think it was worth it, but it's something to keep in mind.
Despite these minor hiccups, the resulting stew, warm from the Mexican-influenced spices and chili, was soothing and flavourful.
I topped it with a dollop of yogurt, as suggested, and mopped up the last bits with a crusty piece of baguette.
Cookbook highlights:
- Chapters divided by theme, with titles like "a cup of cheer" for drinks and "indulgent treats" for desserts
- Numerous photos of dishes and pastoral scenes
- Includes recipes from various cuisines
Spicy Pork Stew with Sweet Potato and Beans
Like most stews, this is even better on the second day. Make it the day before you want to hit the slopes and then reheat for a warming and satisfying dinner after a day at the hill. Make this a vegetarian dish by substituting butternut squash for the pork, adding it with the sweet potatoes, and cutting the cooking time to 15 minutes instead of 40.
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsp (10 mL) ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) dried oregano
1 1/2 lb (750 g) pork shoulder, cubed
1 tsp (5 mL) clear honey
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 fresh red chili, sliced
1 398-mL can chopped tomatoes
2 cups (500 mL) chicken or vegetable stock
2 to 3 sweet potatoes (about 1 3/4 lb/800 g), peeled and cubed
1 bay leaf
1 398-mL can kidney beans, drained
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
plain yogurt, to serve (optional)
Preheat the oven to 300F (150C).
Heat 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of the oil in a large heatproof casserole dish. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until soft. Stir in 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of the cumin and the oregano and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant. Remove from the casserole dish and set aside.
Add the pork and the remaining oil and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until browned. Stir in the honey, the remaining cumin, the cinnamon, garlic and chili. Season with salt and mix well. Return the onions to the pan and add the tomatoes, stock, sweet potatoes and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, then cover and transfer to the preheated oven. Cook for 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and stir in the beans. Cover and return to the oven to cook for a further 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with yogurt on the side, if liked and crusty bread.


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How to create your own repository on patch-tag.com to host your branch of Gerris
From Gerris
←Older revision | Newer revision→
Patch-Tag.com is a website that offers free hosting for Darcs repositories for Open-Source projects. There are many reasons to have your own branch of Gerris on patch-tag.com. It notably allows you to access your code from any computer that has an Internet connection, have another backup of your code and eventually to distribute it easily.
To create a new patch-tag repository, first, go on the patch-tag website and create an account.
Then, go to the "user profile and ssh keys" section. If you want to be able to push your darcs patches to your patch-tag repository, you need to add your public ssh key to the list of authorized keys. You can find your public ssh key on your own computer, in the id_rsa.pub file that is in the .ssh directory of your home directory. If you don't have one, you can generate one using the command line ssh-keygen. When you have generated your key, open the id_rsa.pub file using a text editor and copy the content on the website (be careful not to add any newline character), then press the "add ssh key" button and that should be done.
Now you need to create a new repository. For that go to the "view repositories" section and fill up the "Create new repo:" form. Your new repository should appear at the top of the page in the "Repos started:" section.
If you go to the page dedicated to your new repository, you will see a set of instruction explaining how to interact with your patch-tag repository.
For a start, you probably want to push an existing repository to your new patch-tag repository. For that, on your computer, go into the repository you want to push to patch-tag and do
darcs push email@example.com:/r/yourlogin/name-of-your-new-repository
Now your patch-tag repository is synchronized with the darcs repository on your computer and you can start using it.
You can keep developing Gerris on your computer and record any changes you want as patches using the "darcs record" command. Then, to save or distribute your branch of the code, you can push those new patches to your patch-tag repository using
darcs push email@example.com:/r/yourlogin/name-of-your-new-repository
If you move to a different computer, you can download your code from the patch-tag repository. You can get the whole repository using
darcs get firstname.lastname@example.com:/r/yourlogin/name-of-your-new-repository
or just the new patches using
darcs pull email@example.com:/r/yourlogin/name-of-your-new-repository
If you do some development from that other computer, you can also record them as patches using "darcs record" and push your new patches to your patch-tag repository. Don't forget that you will need to authorize the public key of that other computer before being able to push patches.
The patch-tag web page of your repository also allows you to browse your code from your Internet browser and look at the patch history of your code.
It is a good idea to keep your repositories synchronized with Stephane's stable branch of Gerris. To do that download the latest patches from the gerris-stable repository regularly and fix conflicts if there are any. To do this just use:
cd name-of-your-new-repository darcs pull http://patch-tag.com/r/popinet/gerris-stable


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These are the kind of political games invented by one Thomas Joseph Mboya, ironically the man who drove and old VW Beetle all the way to Makerere University to fetch highly educated Mwai Kibaki to help change the image of Kanu and bolster its' intellectual credentials. Mboya was a master schemer and when he operated there were frequent petitions from the public that would always support his position and intentions. But alas that is a story for another day.
Expect the Waki list to be made public very soon.
Why Kibaki is the main target of the ICC


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I'll help you write it but I won't write it for you.
Student or Learner
Please help me to write a letter to principal of my son school to asking log in process to school website. Website is asking password to access student details
I'll help you write it but I won't write it for you.
I am Alba and my son Hani (6th Standard) and Manhal (UKG) is studying your school. I went through your school website and I find an option to loggin for students details. But it is asking password and there is no any option to create a password. I send message through website feed back and until now not replied yet.
Could you please asist me in this regard.
* Have you one son or two?Sir,
I am Alba and my son Hani (6th Standard) [and Manhal (UKG)]* is studying at your school.
I went to your school website and I found an option to log in for students' details, but it is asking for a password and there is no
anyoption to create one.
I sent a message through the website feedback and until now have not had a reply.
Could you please assist me in this regard.
Thank you,


text:
Diwali: Festival of lights
By By Jessica Noël Flohr
As the days get shorter throughout autumn, cultures around the world begin their fall celebrations. Several religions and cultures have festivals in late fall and early winter that focus on the theme of light: pagan groups celebrate Yule, Christians have Christmas, and Judaism brings us Hanukah. Leading off the season is Diwali, a grand festival of lights observed by Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Jains.
The significance of Diwali varies according to culture and religion, but the overarching theme is good versus evil. Deepavali, the Sanskrit word from which Diwali originates, means row of lamps. This refers to the small, earthen oil lamps lit during the five-day festival symbolizing the triumph of goodness. Similar to preparations for Chinese New Year, Diwali is a time for dressing up in nice, new clothes, thoroughly cleaning the home, and giving gifts. Fireworks light up the night sky and children feast on sweet treats.
Among Hindu communities, Diwali, also called Dipawali, was once a festival of the final harvest of the year. Devotees sought blessings from the goddess of prosperity, Lakshmi. Brightly lit lamps and freshly cleaned homes welcome the goddess.
There is some variation in the Diwali mythology among Hindu communities. Northern India focuses on the legend of King Ramas triumphant return to his kingdom after defeating the evil King Ravana. In southern India, the story is similar, with the victory of Lord Krishna over the demon Naraka. Lord Vishnu and King Bali comprise yet another legend for the holidays history. Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists each offer their own interpretation of legend and history.
Diwali is one of the most significant holy days in South Asia. The Bay Area, home to a large, diverse population, is host to several Diwali festivals. The Fremont Hindu Temple has expanded its celebration this year. Together with the Federation of Indian Associations, the Fremont Hindu Temple will be holding its Diwali Mela at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton on Saturday, October 27. This will be a full day of food, fun, music, and crafts along with a kids corner and camel rides. A cultural program extends throughout the day, followed by an evening concert and fireworks show after sundown. Several competitions, divided by age group, will be held for fancy dress, décor, and rangoli, a unique Indian folk art consisting of elaborate designs, usually on the floor or in courtyards.
The India Community Center in Milpitas has its own Diwali celebration from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. on October 27 as well. The evening opens with a dinner and karaoke performance, followed by a dance display and entertainment. From 8 p.m. on, a DJ will open the floor to attendees for a night of dancing. Tickets are available on the India Community Center website and range from $35 to $ 250. Group tickets for tables of ten range from $350 to $2,500. Childcare is available for children ages 2 to 10, at a rate of $15 per child. All proceeds support the India Community Center Senior Program.
India Community
Centers Diwali Celebration
Saturday, October 27
5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
525 Los Coches St., Milpitas
(408) 934-1130
Tickets: $35 - $250
Festival of Lights
Saturday, October 27
11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Alameda County Fairgrounds
4501 Pleasanton Ave.,
(510) 659-0655
Entry Fee: $5 per person