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This week, we installed a beautiful bay window to accent our customers home. Bay windows don't always have to be large windows and because our customers were dealing with a smaller opening, we were able to custom make their window to fit.
New York Sash has been the leader in providing slider windows for Marcy, NY since 1989.
And, New York Sash has the right credentials when it comes to installing slider windows in your Marcy, NY home.
In addition to Marcy, NY, New York Sash proudly serves a number of areas, and provides a range of products and services to meet your needs.


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AV Equipment Dealers near Albertson, North Carolina
Looking for AV Equipment Financing?Get INSTANT Online Quotes from the leading AV Equipment Lenders. Fast, Free and NO SALES REPS!
Local AV Equipment Dealers
near Albertson, North Carolina
North Carolina Sound Of Goldsboro, LLC
3684 Salem Church Rd. Goldsboro , NC 27530
517 N Industrial Dr Zebulon , NC 27597
Draughon Brothers, Inc
127 Maxwell St Fayetteville , NC 28301
Strategic Connections, Inc.
2721 Spring Forest Rd Raleigh , NC 27616
Digital Communications & Display, LLC
521 Uwharrie Ct. Raleigh , NC 27606
AVCON, Inc.
101 Triangle Trade Dr. Cary , NC 27519
Integrated Information Systems, Inc.
460 Boardwalk Dr. Youngsville , NC 27596
A & V Company
100 Southcenter Court Morrisville , NC 27560
Technical Innovation LLC
10404 Chapel Hill Rd. Morrisville , NC 27560
Atlas Production Group
6241 Westgate Rd Ste 100 Raleigh , NC 27617
141 Kitty Hawk Dr Morrisville , NC 27560
The Whitlock Group
4020 Stirrup Creek Drive Durham , NC 27703
3021 E. Cornwallis Road Research Triangle Park , NC 27709
Strategic Connections, Inc.
1335 Enterprise Ave Myrtle Beach , SC 29577
Camcor, Inc.
2273 S Church St. Burlington , NC 27216
Presentations and Displays have never been sexier in Albertson, North Carolina thanks to the latest AV Equipment Dealers.
Today not only does Audio Visual (AV) Equipment save your company money and time by eliminating printing, shipping, travel and other costs but it has never been more affordable or easier to use. Whether you are in Sales, Marketing, Training, or Product Development your local AV Equipment Dealer is ready to help you choose the best AV technology solution to meet your needs.

subset: commoncrawl


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Each Purchase Order placed by Buyer for Goods and/or Services is subject to these standard purchase terms and the terms of the applicable Purchase Order, and is conditional upon Supplier's agreement to such terms. Supplier shall be deemed to have agreed to be bound by such terms by accepting the Purchase Order, delivering the Goods, or performing the Services.
You are leaving the Spin Master Web site and will be entering another Web site, which will have different terms of use and privacy policies. KIDS, please check with an adult before you visit other Web sites and remember to not share any personal information about yourself – including your full name, address and phone number – without your parent or guardian's permission.


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Calories From Fat 320
Dry-Aged USDA Prime Black Angus Standing Rib Roast, Bone-In
Product Description
The Prime Rib, or Standing Rib Roast, is the king of the roasts. Our Prime Ribs are abundantly marbled, wonderfully tender, and absolutely delicious. It's the perfect choice for holiday dinners, special events, and any time you are hosting family or friends. As a rule of thumb, each rib serves two people.
This is the bone-in version of the roast. This is for customers who want to serve large bone-in slices or would like to remove the bone themselves.
Check out our Prime Rib Guide.
Dry-Aged Beef
Dry aging is a process that both tenderizes and adds flavor to beef. Our dry aging rooms are kept below 35°F with a humidity of less than 90% and an ample amount of air flow. We age large primals of beef, short loins for example, anywhere from 14 days to 120 days. During this time, some truly amazing things happen. Water from inside the meat drawn out through evaporation which causes the the meat to shrink and the beef flavors to become more concentrated. Also, natural enzymes inside the beef break down the meat and tenderize it. When the process is complete, our butchers remove the hard exterior crust revealing a beautiful piece of aged beef. Currently, we offer 30-day, 50-day, and 70-day dry-aged beef to our online customers. The 30-day aged beef has a mild to medium aged flavor. The 50-day and 70-day have a medium to strong aged flavor.
- If you have never tasted dry-aged beef before, then we recommend starting with 30-day aged beef and work your way up.
- If you are serving a large group of guests, then it is best to use fresh (no age) or our 30-day aged beef. There may be some guests who do not enjoy the aged flavor.
- If you love aged beef flavor, then go with 50 or 70 days of aging.
Pat LaFrieda Prime Black Angus Beef
We pride ourselves on supplying the absolute best meat in the country. We serve over a thousand of the finest restaurants and steakhouses nationwide. Among our customers are the most famous chefs in the world, such as: Mario Batali, Gordon Ramsay, Emeril Lagasse, Guy Fieri, Todd English, Michael White, Michael Symon, Alex Guarnaschelli, Geoffrey Zakarian, Marc Forgione, Chris Santos … this list can go on forever.
Our Prime Black Angus Beef is sourced from cattle that has been genetically verified as Black Angus and proven to be of superior pedigree. These animals are raised to the highest standards with emphasis placed on humane treatment. They are grass fed for about 85% of their lives and finished on a high quality corn/grain diet to increase tenderness and marbleization. This beef has been grading prime by the USDA. In addition, USDA inspectors are present in our facilities daily and ensure a safe and traceable product.
Shipping & Packaging
We start with the best meat and keep it that way. Our meat has never been frozen and arrives to you fresh. Meat is cut to your specification by our expert butchers alongside orders from some of the most famous chefs in the world. Immediately after your meat is portioned, it is vacuum packed to ensure optimal freshness. Meat is shipped Next Day Air with packaging designed for at least 48 hours of transit in case of delays. Please refrigerate or freeze immediately upon receipt. For best results, we recommend eating within 7 days if kept refrigerated or eating within 30 days if kept frozen.
All of our meat ships with UPS Proactive Response Secure. This is the highest level of service offered by any shipper. All of our packages are tracked and monitored by a special team at UPS. If one of our packages encounters a possible delay, then UPS will do everything possible to ensure on-time delivery. This includes rerouting packages, moving packages to the next commercial flight out, hiring private couriers to hand deliver packages, and making multiple delivery attempts. To add to peace of mind, all packages are insured against all possible transit delays.
Additional Info
Additional Information
|Black Angus
|Individually Vacuum Packed
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Serv. Size 4oz (113g) raw, edible portion
Servings varies
Amount Per Serving
% Daily Value *
|Vitamin A **
|Vitamin C **
|Calcium **
|Iron 11%
|** Contains less than 2 percent of the Daily Value of these nutrients.
Calories per gram:
Fat 9 , carbohydrate 4 , Protein 4
Pat's Take
Our Prime Ribs are incredibly popular. In addition to our superior quality meat, our roasts have never been frozen. Others buy their roasts in the off-season to save money and freeze them. Sometimes they do this 10 months in advance.
Check out our Prime Rib Guide.
I recommend 30 days of aging to customers new to dry-aged beef or those who want more tender meat with only mild aged flavor. The 50 and 70 day aged beef is great for enthusiasts looking for a strong or very strong dry-aged taste.


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Finding Hidden Hotspots in Windows 8
Every app you load in Windows 8 fills the entire screen. That lets you concentrate on the information in front of you. But that also means that you won't see any menus. When you need those menus — to switch between apps, close them, or change their settings — you need to find the hotspots in Windows 8. Each hotspot triggers a different reaction.
The following three tables explain three methods of finding hidden hotspots in Windows 8: using a mouse, using a keyboard, or using your fingers on a touchscreen tablet or monitor.
|To Perform This Action . . .
|. . . Point the Mouse Here
|Return to the Start screen.
|Lower-left corner and then click the miniature Start screen
that appears.
|Choose from currently running apps.
|Upper-left corner and then lower the mouse pointer. Click an
app's thumbnail to return to it.
|Open the Charms bar.
|Lower- or upper-right corners.
|See options for current app.
|Right-click a blank part of the app's screen.
|To Perform This Action . . .
|. . . Press These Keys
|Open the Start screen.
|Windows key.
|Choose from currently running apps.
|Hold down Alt and press Tab repeatedly until you've highlighted
the desired app. Then release both keys.
|Open the Charms bar.
|Windows key and C.
|See the currently viewed app's menus.
|Windows key and Z.
|To Perform This Action . . .
|. . . Do This
|Open the Charms bar.
|Swipe from the right.
|Open the Start screen.
|Open the Charms bar and then tap the Windows icon.
|Cycle through last used apps.
|Swipe from left and then tap the desired app.
|See options for current program.
|Swipe from bottom.
For many people, the new Windows 8 Start screen is a distraction to be avoided. The sooner they move onto the desktop, the better. For moving quickly to the desktop, reposition the Desktop tile to the Start screen's top-left corner so it's the first app listed. Then, whenever you see the Start screen, just press Enter to head straight for the desktop.


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There are few places in the world with more mystery and majesty than Egypt. The contrast of ancient treasures and modern marvels is what tempts travelers year after year.
The one conundrum travelers find themselves in is this: With over 46 centuries of history, there's so much to see and do in Egypt. That's why we offer more tours to Egypt than any other country. Right now we're discounting all of them.
But don't let the prices fool you. You'll feel like a Pharaoh staying in five-star hotels in the heart of Cairo, and touring the most elaborate pieces of structure built by man.
Here are Friendly Planet's Egypt tours.
Pyramids and Nile Cruise. Stand in the shadow of the Sphinx and gaze at the pyramids of Giza on this $1,699, nine-day tour. Walk the temples at Luxor and Edfu, visit King Tut's tomb, old Cairo, and more. Then relax on a luxury excursion down the Nile River on the Tamr Henna for four nights. If you want more, an optional four-day extension to Petra is available.
Pyramids and Petra. On this eight-day, $1,699 tour, embark on an inspired exploration of the pyramids of Egypt, the oldest and only standing Ancient Wonder of the World. Stroll through the world-famous Khan El Khalili bazaars to try your hand at bargaining for unique jewelry and clothing. Then cast your eyes on the remarkable lost city of Petra in Jordan, one of the Seven New Ancient Wonders of the World.
While you're in the neighborhood, take advantage of the four-day Dead Sea extension. There's no other place in the world where you can float (without a raft!) in the saltiest and lowest body of water on Earth. Even better, it's said that the mineral-filled seawater can take years off your skin. 😉
Treasures of Egypt. And if you want more than a week in Egypt, this 12-day, $2,099 tour will satisfy your appetite. Be mesmerized by Egypt's sweeping natural beauty on land, then board the M/S Tulip for a seven-night Nile River Cruise. You'll dock at Edfu, Aswan, Kom Ombo, and more. While at port, wander the world's greatest open air museum at Luxor and tour Abu Simbel, the site of the Great Temple of Ramses II and one of the most magnificent of all temples in Egypt.
Here's what's include in the prices: roundtrip flights from New York (JFK) via EgyptAir, fuel surcharges, arrival and departure transfers, all intra-Egypt flights and group transportation, superior hotels, many meals, comprehensive sightseeing tour programs, English-speaking tour guides, and much more.
To lock in these prices, book the Pyramids and Nile Cruise by June 16, Pyramids and Petra by June 2, and Treasures of Egypt by June 23. I can assure you of one thing. You'll be itching to return to Egypt after just one visit.
For complete details about the tours, itineraries, and their extensions, visit the website. If you have any lingering questions, write to me directly.


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Cellphones Leave Gaps for Emergency Services
Mobile Tracking Technology Provides Just a Rough Estimate of a 911 Caller's Location
Amid all the privacy concerns about cellphone tracking, one important group is arguing that location data isn't precise enough: emergency responders.
Police and others say 911 dispatchers are having trouble sending help to callers who use cellphones. The reason: unlike a landline, cellphones provide just a rough estimate—with a possible radius of a few hundred yards—of the caller's location.


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Who, Not What, Matters for Investment Barriers
Op-ed in Welt am Sonntag
English version © Peterson Institute
Germans are right to be afraid of Russian government entities using their newfound wealth to buy significant stakes in some companies. The issue, however, is not which companies are at risk of takeover, whether European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS) or something with far less overt national security ties. The issue is the nature of such potential investor entities as Gazprom that have nonmarket motivations and operate under another government's control. In short, Germany and the European Union should respond by focusing more on who is looking to do the investment than what sector they are looking to invest in.
Minister-President Roland Koch of Hesse has usefully sparked the discussion of how to respond to investment in Germany by sovereign wealth funds and similar foreign public entities. Chancellor Angela Merkel has advanced this on both the European and domestic agendas, and given economic integration within Europe it would make more sense to have a common policy for the single European market. Less beneficially, though, the German policy proposals have largely consisted of setting up an entity comparable to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) which would review proposed acquisitions. The American experience is not a model to be emulated.
CFIUS suffers from three problems that should not be replicated in Germany or Europe. First, it is an interagency process, meaning that it involves several different government agencies to make the decision, each of which has its own political motivations to come up with a reason for preventing an investment-but none has an interest in pushing strongly against the other agencies' opposition to an investment, so the framework is biased towards closing things off. Second, it is a very discretionary and thus opaque process, instead of a rules-based process. This allows for too much political interference and creates too much uncertainty for investors at large, rather than just the ones whose motives are suspect.
Third, and most damagingly, the CFIUS process relies on defining which investments would threaten to impair US national security. This is a fruitless pursuit. On the one hand, by the time the Defense Department and various lobbies get involved, it is almost impossible to rule out any sector, be it food distribution, steel production, electrical utilities, or financial services, from claims of national security importance. This leads to the open-ended protectionist possibilities that many have warmed about regarding the current German proposals.
On the other hand, it fails to distinguish between investors who are only looking to make a profit and those who might be motivated to invest in order to gain strategic leverage over (or even do damage to) key Western capabilities. Just because someone wants to get a stake in aircraft production does not make them a threat, but an investor that wants to do harm can do so from almost any industrial sector as a starting point. Making the sector of the investment the primary criterion for decisions on allowing foreign investment thus raises the probability of blocking legitimate investment while allowing potentially dangerous investors in.
A better alternative would be to set up national security barriers to investment on the basis of who is doing the investing. Consider a system whereby the criteria considered are whether the investor comes from an allied democratic country, whether the investor is held to market performance standards, and whether the investor's decisions are subject to government control. All of these criteria can be objectively verified by officials without political interference and are at no risk of being used as an excuse for protectionism, which removes the first two problems with the American CFIUS process. All of these criteria also can easily exclude investors who would have "strategic" or destructive intent, which the CFIUS process sometimes fails to do.
Such an investor-based, rather than investment target-based, regime would have the additional advantage of reinforcing the value of being together in the Western alliance. Governments that clearly placed themselves outside of the alliance's common values and legitimate boundaries would face some economic sanction for being untrustworthy. Meanwhile, Western governments would stop the farce of scrutinizing investments for "national security threats" from countries we are committed by treaty to common defense with. This kind of regime would naturally lead to better coordination and tighter definitions of national security restrictions on trade more broadly, rather than the recurring frictions over sensitive exports that the United States and European Union have with each other.
Some may be fearful of so clearly drawing a line between those entities whose money is welcome in Germany and other European democracies and those whose money is not. Yet, calls for "reciprocity" are even more intrusive and confrontational with the countries in question such as Russia or China and reduce the discussion to much too narrow and simply misguided criteria-do we really believe Gazprom buying a significant share of E.On would be safe for Germany just because RWE could buy into Rosneft? For that matter, would we believe that RWE's investment would be any safer than that of Shell into Sakhalin Island, even if supposedly on similar terms? Asking these questions just emphasizes that we know it is who does the investing, not what the investment would be in, which is what raises legitimate concerns.
Germany has a real opportunity for leadership on this issue of how to deal with foreign investors. Clearly, Merkel and Koch have put this towards the top of the EU agenda without invoking Sarkozy-style nationalism. After the recent overturning of the VW takeover barrier, there is all the more reason for Germany to show that it only wants to opt out of cross-border investment with good reason. Meanwhile, because the US Congress just revisited and reaffirmed its flawed CFIUS legislation, the initiative will not come from there. Time to take the national security aspect of investment seriously and make the approval process match the threat, instead of diverting attention and useful investment.


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Former Phoenixville High and Vanderbilt University football star lineman Rob Lohr has signed as a rookie free agent with the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs.
Lohr, a 6-foot-4, 290-pounder, was a three-year starter at Vanderbilt as a defensive tackle but had some nagging injuries during his senior season in 2012. He did start 38 consecutive games for Vanderbilt, which finished 9-4 in the Southeast Conference and won the 2012 Music City Bowl, the Commodores' second straight bowl appearance.
The three-year starter totaled 30 tackles with 11 tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks during his senior season. He ranks among the all-time Vandy defensive tackles with 31.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks.
At Phoenixville under head coach Bill Furlong, Lohr starred as a defensive end and tight end and was selected as the Pioneer Athletic Conference's Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.


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Katy Perry strikes a sexy pose for the new issue of 'Rolling Stone' magazine. In the cover story, the beautiful 26-year-old singer discusses a variety of topics, from body issues and her breasts to her political awakening, the aim of her music, and seeing the good side in all things. "I see everything in color. When I see road construction and they have those little things on the road, I see them as candy canes. I try and find the cute in all things in life." Katy admits that, "Since the age of nine all I've wanted to do is share my... Read More


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Stay with Us in Schenectady
Near main GE plant and DOT Training Center
Our Days Inn Schenectady/Albany Area hotel is conveniently located near I-87, I-90, and I-890. Check in any time with our friendly front desk staff. Our clean and accommodating guest rooms were designed with your comfort in mind, featuring thoughtful amenities to brighten your stay. Downtown Schenectady and Union College are only a short walk away from our front doors.


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We have been standing in solidarity with our colleagues from the Arctic Sunrise here in Moscow since September 19th. All day, every day for nine days so far. We stand in a one-person picket near the entrance of the Moscow headquarters of Gazprom supporting our friends – the 30 Greenpeace activists arrested during a peaceful protest against the extraction of oil by the Gazprom Arctic platform "Prirazlomnaya" in the Pechora Sea.
It has to be a one-person picket because in Russia you don't need permission from the authorities for one person to protest. In contrast, for a large rally or protest you have to ask for permission in advance from the local authorities, and it is often denied.
We've stopped keeping track of the exact times and dates that our protest receives extra attention from Gazprom. Instead, we keep track of the weather and notable events… "It was the day when it rained and rained all day long that the 'gardener' came", for instance. Or "that morning, when Gazprom headquarters decided to have a renovation", or "the day when the Special Police Force came." That was particularly memorable.
September, this year in Moscow, is particularly cold and rainy. So it's very uncomfortable to stand with poster in hands for a long period. Our activists relieve each other every 1.5-2 hours.
At the very beginning of our picket, the Security service of "Gazprom" called the police every single time an activist replaced another near our protest tent. At the beginning the police claimed they were shown invalid passports from our activists. They tried to make trouble for us, to get us to stop protesting. During these 9 days of protest we have had the chance to teach the police that we will not allow them to infringe on our rights to peaceful protest.
After that, the Gazprom security decided it was their job to try and intimidate us into stopping. They forced our activists out of their spot in front of the Gazprom building by using a sidewalk cleaning machine to push them aside, then even used a mini-bulldozer! They left a parked car running, on the sidewalk just next to our activist, forcing them to inhale terrible exhaust fumes. But the worst weapon employed by Gazprom security was the "drunk gardener", defending his grass from the peaceful Greenpeace activists that wanted to stand on it, one at a time. Of course he didn't care at all about oil production in the Arctic or about our Greenpeace colleagues being detained, the main thing was to scare our activists away. The police got our calls regularly about these problems. The "gardener" was drunk and not interested in listening to the reasons from our activists, only in seeming unpredictable and intimidating. But when the police came he made his way back inside the Gazprom enclosure, watching what the police would do from behind the protection of the fence.
At our solidarity protest we call the police every day, and sometimes more than once a day. And we know that Gazprom is calling the police every day too. Their security officers photograph and film our every step, and we photograph and film theirs. Sometimes they even try to "accompany " our activists to the metro or a waiting car, when their turn protesting is over. This is obviously done to scare them into never coming back.
We wonder what kind of people are watching us: is this just Gazprom security, the Federal Security Agency (FSB), or someone else?
They desperately want our protest day to be short, they hope that when it's raining we will cancel our peaceful protest and go away. But now, even they are beginning to understand that we will only stop supporting our friends, the Arctic 30, when they are free.
Alena Kislitsina is an Online Editor at Greenpeace Russia.


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It's been yet another busy year for travel. Countless new hotels and resorts opened around the world, new domestic and international airlines debuted, and technical innovations further transformed an already shifting industry. We clutched our wallets as the dollar limped forward against the world's other currencies, then cheered as ecotourism came of age.
But that's just the big-ticket items. Plenty of other things went down in 2007. Such as...
To kick off 2007, Cambodia took a big step at grabbing some of its neighbors' tourism bucks: Unused for 40 years, a Soviet-built airport in the port town of Sihanoukville was renovated and re-opened, ready for international service. On Jan. 8, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) went into effect, requiring all passengers flying into U.S. to carry passports upon entry and reentry. (Expect more restrictions to be rolled out in January, 2008.) Also in January, Southwest Airlines nearly killed a hepatitis-C patient awaiting a liver transplant because he refused to purchase an extra ticket (due to his weight). Southwest later apologized and issued a refund.
A team of explorers from Great Britain and Canada reached the geographic center of Antarctica—on foot, unassisted.
In February, JetBlue famously stranded passengers on the runway, instantly catapulting the low-cost airline into the national news cycle as scapegoat for all long-delay airlines. In a video released on YouTube, CEO David G. Neeleman described himself as "humiliated and mortified" by the snafu that left some customers stuck in their seats for 11 hours. Cancelled flights will eventually exceed 1000 for the month, costing JetBlue as much as $30 million in refunds, vouchers and overtime.
In March, Las Vegas strip symbol and erstwhile mafia hangout Stardust Resort & Casino was razed to make room for a new casino. Thai Airways switched nearly all of its flights to Don Muang, the old airport; a flight from Jakarta crashed upon landing, killing 32 of its passengers. Other crashes would make the news throughout the year: In May, 114 perished when a Kenya Airways plane fell in Cameroon; 87 souls were lost when their plane crashed while attempting to land in bad weather in Phuket, Thailand; in November, a Turkish passenger jet crashed in the mountains, killing all 57 aboard.
On a lighter note, Stephen Hawking announced a planned spaceflight—in 2009, with Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic. His goal is to encourage commercial space flight.
April saw the debut of Google's My Map's enhancement, which enables anyone with basic Web-tech skills to create custom maps and embed them on their own Web sites. May and June were big months for Disney, as Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island and the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage were unveiled to the delight of children and stockholders around the world. June saw a relaxation of border controls when the Feds allowed U.S. citizens to come home without their passports—as long as they had already applied for a passport. The Glasgow airport was closed on June 30 due to an incident involving car bombs.
On May 21, car rental company Avis announced Avis Connect, providing Wi-Fi in their vehicles for an additional $10.95 per day.
On 7-7-7 (that's July 7, 2007), the new Seven Wonders of the World were announced. The Great Pyramid at Giza was the only Ancient Wonder to make the cut. On 7-8-7, Boeing introduced its new Dreamliner 787, said to be the most environmentally friendly aircraft in the world. It's made entirely of carbon Fiber and uses 20 percent less fuel than other jet in its class.
In August, billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson's Virgin America finally debuted. He hopes his transcontinental carrier will become America's version of Ryanair, the Irish airliner that shuttles Europeans across their own continent for outrageously cheap fares. A mudslide knocked out Swiss Federal Railroad, causing major delays. In September, the colossal Venetian Macau opened for business in China.
Later that month, the gargantuan Airbus 380 finally took its first commercial flight, from Singapore to Sydney on behalf of Singapore Airlines. Also, a transit strike crippled Paris.
November was the time for European transport-union strikes—Paris and Italy in particular. Japan unveiled new border controls, including new biometric scanning and fingerprinting for all incoming foreigners; their system is based on an existing U.S. program. The dollar caved against the euro, reaching an all-time low against the Old World's new coin. But in a surprising bit of good news, Thanksgiving travel went off without a hitch, thanks in part to President Bush's decision to open up some restricted military airspace to commercial flyers.
Finally, to end the year with a whimper—and please, please, let's forget about that whole runway problem in February, okay?—JetBlue debuted its BetaBlue on-board Wi-Fi service. It's free but limited; reviews thus far have been positive.


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Friday, February 5, 2010
Complete Portrait Retouch Workflow
Of course, when we retouch a portrait we're not exactly saving lives. Egos, maybe, but not lives. Nevertheless, following a checklist (better known as "workflow") can streamline your retouching and help you get the best results possible. This post will tie together some of my tutorials to create a start-to-finish portrait retouch workflow. I will give a brief description of each step, but you will have to click on each step for the full tutorial. [I will come back and add photos to this post, but you don't really need them since each of the links has ample photos]
Step 1. Correct your white balance.
If you work in RAW, you will want to correct not only white balance, but as many other settings as possible. If not, you can open a curves adjustment layer and use the eye dropper from the curves dialog box to sample a white, a black, and a gray (or at least one of those). Correcting your white balance can have a dramatic effect on the overall color and brightness of a photo.
Step 2. Use curves to fine tune skin tone and color.
Even though you created a curves layer to fix white balance in step one, I find it more helpful to create a new curves layer devoted to improving the skin tone.
Step 3. Whiten teeth.
I usually warm up the skin in step 2, which has the side effect of warming up (i.e. yellowing) the teeth. If you were to whiten teeth before warming the skin, you would just have to repeat your work later.
Step 4. Clear up blemishes
Take care of the big problems with the skin first. I prefer the patch tool for most large blemishes, and the clone stamp tool occasionally. Remember to do each step on its own layer. Most people save a version of all the layers in case they need to come back and adjust something later. I have to confess, however, that I usually merge down when I am satisfied with a given step. If a client wants me to change the retouch (and, this sounds vain, but they never do), I can just go from where I left off.
Step 5. Reduce wrinkles (especially around the eyes) as needed.
This step also uses the patch tool, but I do it on a separate layer because my method (as you can see in the tutorial) uses adjustments in opacity. The main point in this step is to reduce larger wrinkles. Save the smaller ones for dodge and burn.
Step 6. Overall skin improvement using either a high-pass technique or dodge and burn.
Your choice of hi-pass softening or dodge and burn retouch will depend on how important visible pores are to you, how much time you have, and the look that you want. If you want a very soft look, a hi-pass softening or even the "foundation method" may fit the bill. It all depends on the style you want.
Step 7. Add sparkle to the eyes.
A little dodge and burn can create better catch lights and help give more interest to the eyes. If you used dodge and burn in Step 6, you can still work on the same D&B layer.
Step 8. Optional contouring with dodge and burn.
If you want to contour the nose, the lips, the cheeks, and so on, you can use dodge and burn to do so. This step is not always necessary.
Finally, don't forget to sharpen!
Maybe one day I'll do my own sharpening tutorial, but until then...
High-pass sharpening is one of the most popular quick techniques.
Adobe has some great recommendations for sharpening and they'll even point you to a long tutorial that covers several methods of sharpening. I use the sharpening programs created by NIK, which I love.
14 comments:
When everything is coming your way, you are in the wrong lane.............................................
- February 9, 2010 at 1:13 AM
- Modern Girl Style said...
Rad checklist! I love reading this blog for jewels of info like this! Thanks again!!!!!
- February 14, 2010 at 6:52 PM
- grace said...
Thanks for the post! Its help me a lot in taking retouch image i want to try it in my own photos.
- March 22, 2010 at 9:13 AM
Looks like manual photo retouch to me.
- July 5, 2010 at 12:24 PM
- marc said...
Ah. Spam comments (except you, modern girl style). At least they're related to the post, I guess.
- July 5, 2010 at 3:33 PM
- Montica Pes said...
Thank you! This is exactly for what I was looking! (I have the skills of retouching, but I've been trying to put them in a correctly ordered list. I think you've given me a great head start!) Many thanks!
- August 22, 2012 at 12:37 AM
- Sandeep S said...
Prologics, India offers HDR image blending, real estate photo editing and image editing services, image clipping, background removal, photo clipping path service, photo editing, color correction, photo retouching & restoration, clipping path, cropping, resizing services, 3d floor design, 2d floor plan services & many more.
- February 22, 2018 at 11:15 PM
- Clipping Solutions said...
Hey Marc, Fantastic writing man. You should keep on writing.
Best Regards
David Henry
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The stylish 253-room hotel, with design by eminent Parisian architect Dominique Perrault, will be the Meliá Hotels International's first property in Austria, adding to a global portfolio of more than 350 city and resort hotels.
Designed by the famous Parisian architect Dominique Perrault, the DC Tower is Austria's tallest skyscraper, rising at an impressive 250 metres over the New Danube River. The exterior offers a glazed, clearly structured, minimalistic monolith resembling a geometric waterfall with its façade's breaking edge directed towards the city. The building combines aesthetic architectural design, modern construction and functionality fulfilling the energy and sustainability requirements of a green building, as defined by the European commission.
The hotel's destination "57 Restaurant & Lounge", headed by chef Siegfried Kröpfl will offer Mediterranean and international food, to a backdrop of 360 degree panoramas of Vienna. Live DJs will provide entertainment for both hotel guests and restaurant visitors, aimed at 'trendsetters' and local party-goers.
Meliá Vienna will comprise 17 of the buildings 58 floors, offering a stylish, design-led hotel operating under the Meliá brand. Behind the spectacular façade, the interior features make visual reference to the waterfall motif, with geometric shapes present in the bedheads, bathroom walls, and stone tiles. The stunning floating spiral staircase in the lobby connects three floors, between "The Flow" lobby restaurant and the grand ballroom on the first floor.
Located between the 4th and 15th floors are 253 state-of-the-art bedrooms, among them the expansive Presidential Suite on the 14th floor, accessible via a private lift. The suite's exceptional design over more than 200 m2 of space is complemented by a stunning 180-degree panoramic view of Vienna. A separate living and sleeping area, a kitchenette, a private boardroom including a lounge for ten people, a home cinema system including a 72-inch LED IP TV, or a lavish bathroom with sauna, infinity bathtub and double rain shower embody luxury at the highest level.
All spacious rooms and suites boast floor-to-ceiling windows with integrated glass elements that can be opened. State-of-the-art furnishings offer maximum comfort and cutting edge technology. DreaMax mattresses in comfortable king-size format, complimentary Wi-Fi, desks with full AV connectivity, large ultra-slim LED IP TVs, media hub HD stations, Nespresso coffee machines, laptop-sized safes with charging capability, rain showers, and individually adjustable air conditioning are all standard features in each guest room.
The hotel boasts approximately 1,080 m2 of flexible meeting space, offering natural daylight as well as state-of-the-art technology. A ballroom and eight partially combinable meeting rooms create an ideal setting for all kinds of events. At the end of a long day, guests are welcome to relax in the hotel's own gym featuring ultra-modern fitness equipment.
General Manager Dorothea Schuster said: "We want Meliá Vienna to become an exciting point of attraction for both visitors and locals of Vienna, offering unique design, excellent service and a taste of the Mediterranean lifestyle."
The location in Vienna's District 1 allows for direct subway connection to Vienna's historic city centre (6 minutes to Stephansplatz), a 20 minute drive to Vienna's international airport, and is in close proximity to Austria's Center Vienna.
Executive Vice President Hotels André Gerondeau, who is responsible for all 350 hotels of Meliá group, is looking forward to the first Meliá in Austria: "This spectacular landmark in Vienna will play a key role when it comes to our dynamic expansion and further increasing our degree of recognition on the German-speaking market, which, with its 24 hotels, is Meliá Hotels International's second biggest market in Europe after Spain."
Rates at Meliá Vienna will start from €99 per room excluding breakfast; Presidential suite: from €3,500.
Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.


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Brummis - The German Taste
No longer in businessOpened: 2008-07 Closed: 2014-03
3130 State St, Santa Barbara
Phone: (805) 687-5916
But tonight I moved past the crackling roast pork with the wonderful klosse dumplings and on to the sausages and found a new "just gotta have it" love - the smoked bratwust - fat and tasty with the most delicious and satisfying snap to the casing along with just perfect saurkraut that is actually almost sweet like we ran into in Munich, and terrific mustard and creamy balanced potato salad with just the right touch of crisp and tart. The apple fritters to end it all are beyond delicious as just the right touch at the end.
Add the draft Hofbrau beer and enough left overs to take home for a few more meals and you have the best dining bargain in Santa Barbara. And always that special friendly Brummis service. This is a happy place to visit and it won't be long before I just "gotta have it" .... all over again. Thanks for bringing the very satisfying delights of simple German food to Santa Barbara.
Have you eaten here? Write a review of this location!
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Joe Muto, dubbed the "Fox Mole" by the media, has sold a book about his eight-year stint working as a producer at the Fox News Channel to Dutton, an imprint of Penguin. Last month, he wrote anonymous and highly critical blog posts for Gawker about his time working for shows like The O'Reilly Factor before he was quickly found out and fired by his employers.
The publishers are no doubt hoping he saved up his best material. Muto, a self-proclaimed "weasel, a traitor, a sell-out," received just $5,000 for his career-ending Gawker column; now he's nabbed a reported low-six-figure advance for his upcoming book, tentatively titled An Atheist in the Foxhole. He may need a big portion of that if Fox News follows up on its threats to sue.
Read more:
'Fox Mole' identified and fired, but threatens to tell his story
Fox News to sign Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity to multi-year deals


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AMAZING SIGHT: Not every natural wonder has a particular window of time where it makes headlines, year in and year out. But then not every natural wonder is Horsetail Fall in Yosemite Valley. The waterfall is grand and spectacular and toe-curlingly high, like other waterfalls in the national park, but it is positioned juuust so so that, come mid-February, something curious happens. That curious event? Sunset lights up the water as if it were fire, and just for a moment or two. Um, neat, right? Neat x 1000.
2011 DATES: The "firefall" show is supposed to last through Presidents Day Weekend, maaaaybe. It'll end when it ends, you know? Can't tell the sun and Yosemite what to do. Scott Gediman of the National Park Service told us some 60 photographers were out on Tuesday, Feb. 15, shooting the gorgeous sight. Whoa. He also says that "around 5:30 p.m." is about the time it has been happening, but we'd arrive earlier. Of course. But note: It is currently snowing in the valley, as of this typing, and sun is required to make the magic happen. Best call 209-372-0200 to track Yosemite conditions.


text: Why have a regular wall clock when you can have a colorful, ever-changing time piece on your wall? British designer Duncan Shotton creates "products that engage users emotionally, promote happiness and ensure people love what they're doing, wherever they are and whoever they're there with." And the Colour O'Clock is no exception to his rule. It's a fun piece that changes color as time passes by. Love!


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Escape white-washed Summit for the San Luis Valley
summit daily news
On a Colorado topographic map, the San Luis Valley stands out as a vast, vacant area amidst the peaks and troughs of the state.
Bordered by the Sangre de Cristo mountain range, whose red glow at dusk gives its Spanish name "Blood of Christ," it's a spot many Summit County folk drive through but don't take the time to stop. We typically stop somewhere in the Arkansas River Valley or keep going toward Wolf Creek and beyond into New Mexico.
It doesn't seem like much is happening in that vast wide open space that can fit the state of Delaware inside it nearly four times, but once you turn left off Highway 285 and meander along one of the many dirt roads leading back into the mountains, it's otherworldly. Add to that the oasis of Joyful Journey Hot Springs, a lodge and spa set right out in the open with spectacular views of the glowing red mountain sunsets, and you've got a little getaway from frigid Summit County temperatures.
In Summit County, we have the luxury of looking east and west, south and north for escapes from the pre-snow season game of watching blue sky after blue sky roll through the chilly High Country. Moab was an option, and so was Denver, but I decided to head south, toward Salida, and go the little extra distance up and over Poncha Pass to Joyful Journey Hot Springs, a place I'd heard was a serene getaway but had never experienced it.
As a former river rat and current snow bum, I have passed through Salida many a time for everything from stopping for last-minute stores on the way to a river trip in the Southwest to stopping for dinner on the way back from Mammoth Mountain.
My hands-down favorite stop for food is Amicas Pizza and Microbrewery, so that was my first stop after poking around the cute, artsy town of Salida. I do wish more shops and galleries were open when I was there, though! To die for is the simple but delicious insalata spinaci and the alghero pizza. Spice it up with splash of the restaurant's famous pepper-infused oil and a bottle of their green chili beer.
In our foodie satisfaction and as we enjoyed the warming day, we set off for the vast valley without thinking much about the fact that we'd need dinner later on – a mistake for two people accustomed to full markets with fresh produce. Please note: the grocery stores near Joyful Journey meet basic needs, but don't provide a selection of cheeses and crackers, for instance, one might want on a relaxing trip to the hot springs. Buy your food in advance! Particularly so if you arrive at the hot springs near sunset, you can enjoy it using the provided microwave and grill rather than voyaging out for stores.
Before landing down at the hot springs, we'd scoped out a few dirt drives into the canyons of the Sangre de Cristo, so we peeled off Highway 285 and headed east. There, we entered the Orient Land Trust, a naturist organization protecting the land – the "naturist" part meaning one might encounter nude people in the clothing-optional area. The Orient Land Trust houses Valley View hot spring, natural mineral springs tucked away in the hills, as well as the bat cave. We headed toward the bat cave, home to the largest bat colony in Colorado – though the Brazilian free-tailed bats were long gone for winter, as they stick around from early June to September.
At the Glory Hole, a place where the Orient Mine collapsed into itself, these bats make their globally-significant home. Near sunset, they emerge from the gaping hole in the earth in a ribbon and spread out across the valley, eating two to three tons of insects per night, according to plaques in the area. The land trust has established a fenced boundary around the hole to prevent visitors from falling into its 150-foot depths. It has also installed benches, welcoming bat watchers to sit and observe the bats as dusk turns to night and the stars begin to creep out of the dark sky.
Finishing the hike and departing with a fact about Colorado we'd never known before (almost on par with the fact that Colorado has huge sand dunes not far away from where we were), we hopped back in the car to take in the relaxing and healing waters of Joyful Journey.
In a world of yucca and sagebrush, Joyful Journey is an oasis in the San Luis Valley's high desert. It's just two-and-a-half hours from Summit County via Breckenridge, but it's otherworldly. The temperatures are warmer (I sunbathed in 50 degrees after stepping out of the hot baths), and there's typically less snow on the ground, making it an ideal weekend getaway for locals and long-term visitors wanting a break from the ongoing whitewash of winter.
Joyful Journey built its lodge roughly four years ago as a place for conferences to convene and as a more established housing option in winter. It complements existing tent camping and a yurt area (some of which are pet-friendly), and gives a feel of New Mexican charm with its colors and use of bare tile and earth-toned stucco.
The large room with two clean queen beds greeted us with a feeling of simplicity, charm and cleanliness. The tile had a hint of heat running through it, welcome to one who forgot her slippers. Those who stay at the lodge (rates vary by season, day of week, type of amenity and whether its a holiday or not) are given access to the pools two hours before the general public, so a sunrise soak isn't out of the question.
Joyful Journey offers a line of handmade health and spa products along with its mineral waters piped from where they leave the ground through the pool system that's scrubbed nightly. The place has a hint of Native American history, as the valley used to be a resting place for area tribes. There's also a sense of forced disconnectedness, as rooms are void of televisions, phones and radios (though a wireless Internet signal can be picked up in many rooms).
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SummaryThis post will show you how to connect a local office or site to a Windows Azure Virtual Network through the use of a software VPN device. A software VPN device is particularly useful when operating in a prototype mode or building a "dev/test" workflow where you want to burst to the cloud fast. Indeed even in the Windows Azure Virtual Networks team, we use these techniques in an automated way to test our own code in Production (TiP) as the Azure platform is constantly shifting every day beneath us. This post will show how to configure OpenSwan VPN on Linux to connect to a virtual network hosted in Windows Azure.
LinuxFor Linux, we will use a virtual machine created inside Windows Azure to connect to a Virtual Network hosting another Linux Virtual Machine to show how this can be done. The first step is to go ahead and create a new Virtual Machine that will host the OpenSwan VPN. In this case I used the Ubuntu 14.04 platform image with an extra small core but any of the Linux images can be used and you can of course bring your own VHD too.
Once the VM is created, ensure also, that ports 500 and 4500 (both UDP) are opened too as IPSec depends on these. From the portal UI, there are two interesting artifacts to note, those of the public virtual IP (VIP) and the internal IP. We can use these properties to create a local site for a virtual network which we will then connect to a new Virtual Network. Once you have noted these properties, go ahead and create a new local site under the Networks section of the portal.
Configuring the Linux VPNThe first step is to use a secure shell client like PuTTy and connect to your Linux Virtual Machine. Once connected you will want to actually install the OpenSwan software and configure it. This can be done via the apt-get command (distro specific – so choose whatever is appropriate) below: sudo apt-get install openswan Select No if asked about using X509 certs as the authentication method as we will use shared key secrets to secure the IPSec tunnel. If the install is successful a quick check of the local path will show a program called ipsec is installed: which ipsec /usr/sbin/ipsec You can install OpenSwan from sources too should you wish, but you need to install all the necessary build tools (not on Azure platform image by default). To configure the VPN itself, we need to edit the following file sudo vi /etc/ipsec.conf You will see the following:
config setup protostack=netkey virtual_private=%v4:18.104.22.168/24 oe=off # Do not set debug options to debug configuration issues! # plutodebug / klipsdebug = "all", "none" or a combation from below: # "raw crypt parsing emitting control klips pfkey natt x509 dpd private" # eg: # plutodebug="control parsing" # Again: only enable plutodebug or klipsdebug when asked by a developer # # enable to get logs per-peer # plutoopts="--perpeerlog" # # Enable core dumps (might require system changes, like ulimit -C) # This is required for abrtd to work properly # Note: incorrect SElinux policies might prevent pluto writing the core dumpdir=/var/run/pluto/ # # NAT-TRAVERSAL support, see README.NAT-Traversal nat_traversal=yes # exclude networks used on server side by adding %v4:!a.b.c.0/24 # It seems that T-Mobile in the US and Rogers/Fido in Canada are plutostderrlog=~/swan.log include /etc/ipsec.d/*.confChange the config to resemble above, only the subnet created for the local site should change to match what was created for the local site step, in this case 184.108.40.206/24. If you wish to see the local IPSec logs, uncomment the plutodebug option. Below this you need to make changes for connection specific settings:
conn vpn authby=secret auto=start type=tunnel left=220.127.116.11 leftsubnet=18.104.22.168/24 leftnexthop=%defaultroute right=137.117.136.XXX rightsubnet=192.168.0.0/20 ike=3des-sha1-modp1024,aes128-sha1-modp1024 esp=3des-sha1,aes128-sha1 pfs=no
The highlighted represent two properties that are available from the Virtual Networks UI in the portal (see screen shots above). The first entry, "right", is the VIP of the Gateway created whilst the other, "rightsubnet" represents the IP space used in the Virtual Network on creation. You must also configure the crypto settings here too and turn off Perfect Forwarding Secrecy (PFS) option. Note also that the config syntax varies depending on the OpenSwan version used, for the exact reference run the command:
man ipsec.conf
- sudo ipsec secrets
- sudo service ipsec restart
- sudo service ipsec status


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The report found that, "the unaffiliated say they are not looking for a religion that would be right for them. Overwhelmingly, they think that religious organizations are too concerned with money and power, too focused on rules and too involved in politics."
Views: 186
Wonderful news!!
Thank you Lillie for posting this.
Yes, this is very hopeful news. Maybe we are seeing a backlash from religion's involvement in politics.
Well it just follows logic, of course US citizens might gain in knowledge and thus religion will lose.
Neurology is already discovering where god lives (In the Temporal Lobes of Believers) and soon it may be removed from there.
Some of the reasons for a reduction in the religious is a rise in information, as well as religion painting itself to be more sinister and ridiculous with every turn.
Turn on religious radio, television and the mind of new viewers/listeners is bombarded with irrational dialog that to any rational listener comes across as garbage.
It happened in Australia many years ago and now the religious are somewhat of a minority and have no political muscle. Yet we still get the occasional spokesperson stating they want Australia to return to being a Christian nation, they usually just get laughed at and forgotten about.
Yes, religions, especially Christianity are turning people away with stupidity.
Their web presence can be seen as a disaster for them.
Especially their Creationist sites. Creationism, though not truly Christian is bad for Christianity but superb for us and great for humanity,
At least we have something to thank Creationists for.
Forgive them Christians, for they know not what they do! ROFL!
Aye M8z! :-D~
The internet opens up a very broad range of information and people who support non-belief in religion. With books, videos, interviews easily available, people can see there are other people and ways to experience their moral and ethical core. "Good without god!" opens up a new way of being.
© 2019 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: The Nexus Group. Powered by


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The Accounting Historians Journal Vol. 15, No. 2 Fall 1988 Archie Faircloth UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCOUNTING TO THE SHAKERS Abstract: A desire to be self-sustaining and a dedication to com-munal property required the Shakers to place great importance on accounting. This importance was underscored by the fact that the spiritual covenants of the Shakers were revised to require ac-counting procedures and policies including an annual audit. The Shakers circulated manuscripts concerning bookkeeping, and re-corded transactions and events in three types of journals: financial, "family," and spiritual. The Shakers also prepared financial re-ports. Temporal transactions were a means of maintaining the "gospel order" which elevated accounting procedures to a means of creating and protecting consecrated property. The United Society of Believers, better known as the Shak-ers, established various methods of accountability regarding their temporal affairs. Accounting procedures measured the transactions with the "world," provided a measure of a "fam-ily's" and a "Society's" efforts, and provided valuable informa-tion regarding the ability of the society to acquire land, con-struct buildings, or engage in other projects designed to increase the "gospel order." The spiritual importance they attached to these affairs elevated accounting procedures to a means of generating and maintaining consecrated property. The Shakers grew from a religious order founded in Man-chester, England, in 1747 by James and Jane Wardley. In 1758 Ann Lee, the daughter of a blacksmith, joined the order and through her zeal and prophecies became its leader. Eventually her followers believed that she was the female counterpart of Christ. In order to avoid religious persecution, Ann and eight followers immigrated to the United States and arrived in New York in 1774 and settled near Albany. "Mother Ann" died in 1784, but her work was continued by the elders and from 1785 until 1794 nine more communes were founded throughout the northeast, primarily based on the religious fervor and revival that were occurring at that time [Green and Wells, 1848, p. 84]. Just before the close of the eighteenth century a religious revival took place in Kentucky and adjacent states which prompted the Believers to send missionaries to the "west." Eventually societies were established in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.


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The release date of Patch 4.2 is getting close and I will recap its major features throughout the week to end up with a nice and complete guide to Patch 4.2 for the release, hopefully on June 28th. Let's start with the highly anticipated Encounter Journal!
Road to Patch 4.2
Encounter Journal
The Encounter Journal is an in-game encylopedia listing everything you need to know on instances and raid bosses. Assuming people start using it regularly, it will probably fix a lot of issues people had in pick up groups where people were just too afraid to ask what a boss does and would rather die than look stupid and get kicked.
The encounter journal can be accessed from the bottom menu bar or by hitting CTRL + Shift + J on your keyboard.
You will then access the instance selection menu with a "Dungeons" and "Raids" tabs, allowing you to get details on any raid or dungeon encounter introduced in Cataclysm (including the Firelands raid)
Cataclysm Raids Tab
Firelands Raid Boss Selection
Encounter Journal - Boss Loot Lists
The encounter journal includes a list of items dropped by each boss with a couple of extra features:
- The list can be filtered for 10 and 25-Man encounters. It doesn't really change anything these days but it will probably be useful if an item is only available in 25-Man at some point, or when older raids are supported.
- The "Heroic Mode" filter is also available in the loot list and will display loot from the Heroic version.
- A filter by class, to easily get a list of the gear relevant to your class only. (The Druid filter automatically lists all the items in the instance)
- You can also list the loot from all the bosses in the instance by clicking the Chest icon when at the Boss selection screen.
Boss Loot Table
Class Filter
Paladin Loot!
Instance Loot Table
Boss Information and Abilities
The main objective of the Encounter Journal is to give you all the information you need to engage a boss without being clueless about what's going to happen to you and your raid. The journal provides you with:
- A description of all the abilities used by the boss.
- A description of all abilities used by NPC adds that might spawn during the encounter. (Hostile and Friendly)
- The evolution of the fight over multiple stages.
- A general idea of how mechanics work.
- An "heroic only" filter to display abilities and variations of the fight only happening in Heroic Mode.
You might also notice a couple of icons icons next to some of the spells. Those are alerts used to bring your attention to important point of the fights, 12 Alerts are available in the current version of the Encounter Journal:
For example, this is the journal entry for Beth'tilac, one of the boss of the Firelands raid instance.
Originally Posted by MMO-ChampionBeth'tilac
Matriarch of the Cinderweb Brood, Beth'tilac and her merciless offspring sate their appetites by sucking the magma and fire from the corpses of elementals. To provide her broodlings with added sustenance, Beth'tilac has woven a network of incendiary webs throughout her lair to trap unsuspecting prey.
Stage One: The Cinderweb
Beth'tilac retreats to the top of her web at the beginning of the encounter.
Fire Energy
Beth'tilac slowly loses Fire Energy over time. Cinderweb Drones also siphon some of her energy when their own energy is depleted. Whenever Beth'tilac runs out of Fire Energy, she will set herself ablaze, causing Smoldering Devastation.
- Ember Flare - Intense heat burns enemies near Beth'tilac, inflicting 18500 Fire damage to players at the same level as Beth'tilac.
- Meteor Burn - Meteors crash down onto the web, inflicting 37000 Fire damage to players within yards of the impact. The meteor also burns a hole in the web through which players may fall.
- Consume - Beth'tilac consumes Cinderweb Spiderlings, healing Beth'tilac for 10% of her maximum health.
- Smoldering Devastation - When Beth'tilac's Fire Energy fully depletes, she will set herself ablaze and inflict 380000 Fire damage on all players located at her same level.
Cinderweb Spinner
Cinderweb Spinners dangle from the web above on a filament strand. Using Taunt or a similar ability on a Spinner will cause them to drop to the ground. Once killed, their web filament remains. Players may then interact with the filament and move to the top of the web.
- Burning Acid - The Cinderweb Spinner spits burning venom at a random player, inflicting 18850 Fire damage.
- Fiery Web Spin - The Cinderweb Spinner channels a fiery web onto a random player, stunning them for 25 sec.
Cinderweb Drone
These large spiders climb out of caves below the Cinderweb. When their Fire Energy fully depletes, the Cinderweb Drone climbs up to Beth'tilac and siphons Fire Energy from her.
- Consume - Cinderweb Drones consume a Cinderweb Spiderling, healing itself for 20% of its maximum life, increasing damage dealt by 20%, and increasing movement speed by 20%.
- Boiling Spatter - The Cinderwb Drone spits burning venom in a 20 yard long 60 degree forward cone, inflicting 58967 Fire damage on any enemy within the area.
- Burning Acid - The Cinderwb Drone spits Burning Acid at a random player, inflicting 18850 Fire damage.
- Fixate - The Cinderweb Drone fixates on a random player, ignoring all other targets but decreasing its damage dealt by 75% for 10 sec.
Cinderweb Spiderling
These tiny spiders climb out of caves below the Cinderweb. They instinctively move towards Cinderweb Drones.
- Seeping Venom - The Cinderweb Spiderling leaps onto a random player within 5 yards, injecting them with venom and inflicting 6936 Fire damage every 2 seconds for 10 sec.
Cinderweb Broodling
These unstable spiders fixate on a random player and cast Volatile Burst when they reach their target.
- Volatile Burst - Cinderweb Broodlings explode when they reach a player, inflicting 41624 Fire damage to all enemies within yards.
Stage Two: The Frenzy!
After she has performed Smoldering Devastation three times, Beth'tilac enters a frenzy. She lowers herself from the safety of the top of her Cinderweb and no longer calls for aid from her brood.
- The Widow's Kiss - Beth'tilac's deadly kiss boils the blood of her current target, reducing the healing dealt to the target by % every 2 seconds for 20 sec. The kiss also causes the target to inflict increasing Fire damage to their surrounding allies within 10 yards.
- Ember Flare - Beth'tilac emits a blazing heat, inflicting 18500 Fire damage to enemies on the same level as Beth'tilac.
- Consume - Beth'tilac consumes Cinderweb Spiderlings, healing Beth'tilac for 10% of her maximum health.
- Frenzy - Beth'tilac periodically casts Frenzy, increasing her damage dealt by 5% until the end of the encounter. This effect stacks.
The MMO Report
It's time for your weekly MMO Report, with an E3 2011 special this week.
Dark Legacy Comics #292 and Teh Gladiators #244 + #245 are out. I'm one week late on comics again but if I cover my ears with my hands and close my eyes I can sing "la la la la la la" and pretend I'm not.


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silslendir needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 58 designs submitted by 22 freelance designers.
Logo for exciting new European business covering the specialist market of (healing) crystals and all things spiritual. Font, images and precise colour up to your imagination.
Healings of Atlantis
Desired Color Scheme:
In the range dark blue to purple. The main website will have a dark blue background.
Desired Style:
Eye catching and positive to our impressive range and quality.
(See summary too.)
Accepted File Formats:
We are looking for an attractive logo to compliment our exciting range of products and services. The logo is for the website so needs to be eye catching. We aim to use the same or similar on our stationary so need to be able to edit the results.
We would like the words Healings of Atlantis included in an old style text (our ideas guru suggested Egyptian hieroglyphics but let your imagination run free). It is important that the text remains clearly understandable as it will be the basis of our new brand.
Background to be in the desired colour range of dark blues/purples.
We would like one long or several smaller images of different coloured crystals (our first guess was to appear below the words but let your imagination run free.) At this stage images of real quality crystals would seem the best fit (rather than say rounded stones).
[Our feedback might be difficult over the weekends but we will ensure all entries get responded to.]
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Lynda Clark
Lynda Clark lives in Nottingham, UK and is close to finishing a PhD in interactive narrative at Nottingham Trent University. Her short stories are often described as 'strange' and have appeared in several anthologies from small independent presses. Most recently, her story 'Grandma's Feast Day' was shortlisted for the 2017 Cambridge Short Story Prize.


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Are We About To See A Rumble? Okwerdz Responds To T-Rex! "Guess What Pu55y. I Got $5K. Come To Cali. Well Battle For 10K" + Clowns On T-Rex's Ear
Okwerdz response to T-Rex's $5,000 Challenge for a battle.
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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Understanding how fluorescent and HID lamps work makes problem solving and corrective maintenance easier.
If you work with arc discharge lamps, you know troubleshooting can be tricky. It never fails: Your ingenious idea that solved yesterday's problem doesn't work today. So how do you predict the unpredictable? You must get to know these fluorescent and high-intensity-discharge (HID) light sources inside and out to truly understand their behavior.
Arc discharge lamps produce light by an electric arc struck between two main electrodes or cathodes. With few exceptions, they must operate with a ballast, designed to provide the proper starting and operating voltage for the lamp. A ballast changes the voltage of power supply to what the lamp needs to start reliably (provide the open circuit voltage), regulate the current (ampere flow) to the lamp, and maintain the proper voltage to the lamp during operation. Usually, you know there's a problem with a discharge fixture when the lamp (or lamps) shows one the following conditions: nonstart, cycle on and off, extra bright light output, or low light output. Any one of these is reason enough to deenergize the fixture and take a closer look. To help you troubleshoot, we'll look at the fluorescent source first and then the HID source.
Fluorescent lamp characteristics. Fluorescent lamps can be divided into the rapid-start and instant-start type (Slimline lamps that do not have cathode heating).
Rapid-start (RS), high output (HO), and 1500mA T12 lamps all have similar characteristics. They depend on the proper heating of the cathodes to start up and operate properly.
Slimline lamps do not use cathode heating. They use the ballast open circuit voltage (which can be about three times the normal lamp operating supply voltage) to start operation.
When fluorescent lamps don't operate, the ballast may not be the culprit. Therefore, before replacing the ballast, examine all components.
Change or check lamps to ensure proper operation. As you remove them, examine sockets to ensure proper and positive contact with lamp pins.
If you used starters, check and replace each as necessary.
Examine the ballast leads to make sure the connection matches the diagram on the ballast label.
Examine and test the ballast. Leaking compound (except for a normal small amount at the lead holes), cracking or brittle insulation, or discoloration on the can may indicate the ballast (especially an electromagnetic type) is approaching, or has reached, the end of its life.
The Table (in the original article) offers general instructions for troubleshooting when fluorescent lamps do not start.
At the outset, we'll discuss two specific problems found in any type of fluorescent system. We call the first cycling. The National Electrical Code (NEC) requires most indoor ballasts to have a cutout device that protects them from overheating. If high ambient conditions cause the ballast to overheat, the thermal protection device's switch disconnects it from the power supply; if the temperature at the ballast is reduced, the cutout device closes, reactivating the ballast, thus restarting the lamps. If such a cycling condition persists, you must find the cause of the high temperature and correct it.
We call the second condition swirling, where the light appears to swirl or spiral inside the tube during operation. This normal occurrence can last for a few hours with some new lamps when first energized. However, a cold ambient temperature or low input voltage can also cause the problem.
Rapid-start (RS) systems. To measure the starting voltage of an RS ballast, connect a voltmeter between the highest reading Red lead and Blue lead with the lamp removed. See Fig. 2 (in the original article). Consider the following example: For an F 40 T12 two-lamp ballast, the minimum starting voltage is 256V. The minimum starting voltage for F96T12HO two lamp ballast is 466V. For a F96T12VHO ballast, it's 470V. All numbers are for minimum ambient temperature of 50DegrF. You should find these open circuit voltages on the ballast's label. (Note: Electronic ballasts generally provide starting voltages higher than their electromagnetic counterparts. You can also find their open circuit voltages on the ballast's label.)
To measure the filament voltage on a single lamp unit, read voltage between Red-Red and Blue-Blue leads. For two lamp units, read voltage between Red-Red, Blue-Blue, and Yellow-Yellow leads. For all 4-ft and longer RS lamps, the filament voltage should be between 3.5V and 4.5V. Sometimes with a two-lamp, RS series ballast only one lamp will light to full brilliance. Refer to Fig 2 again (in the original article). If the lamp between the Red and Yellow leads is lit and the other lamp is out, look for a pinched Yellow lead. If the lamp between the Red and Yellow leads does not light and the other one does, the cause is probably a short.
Why is good contact of lamp pins with their sockets so important? When an RS lamp circuit first energizes, the low-voltage winding of the ballast provides the cathode heating. Shortly afterward, the open-circuit voltage is applied across the lamp, or lamps, to begin arc conduction.
If only one cathode heats up, either the lamp will fail to start or it will be slow in starting. Heavy premature end-darkening, usually at only one end, usually indicates one cathode is not getting proper heat. Therefore, the heater circuit is incomplete. This is not the same as gray or brownish bands occurring about 2 in. from the lamp base, with the edge of each band on the side nearer to the base being sharper. These bands occur when the cathode coating wears out. While they may detract from the appearance of the lamp, moderately dark bands have no significance concerning either life or performance of the lamp. However, you should replace failed RS lamps promptly to avoid any possible ballast damage.
The lack of cathode heating voltage can come from a poor connection, either between the lamp pins and lampholder contacts, or between the ballast leads and lampholder terminals. Improper lampholder spacing in the lengthwise direction, with the lamp end held either too tightly or too loosely, can also cause poor contact at the lamp pins. Measure the voltage at the socket terminals to determine if adequate heater voltage is present.
Sometimes, in high-humidity conditions, RS lamps may start slowly or not at all, even though the cathodes are heated properly. This can result from dirt on the lamps, which makes the silicon coating ineffective. It can also be due to a poor silicon coating. If a new installation experiences random starting under high-humidity conditions, low supply voltage or poor silicon coating on the lamps is generally the cause. If you see the same poor starting in high-humidity conditions on an older installation, the cause is usually an accumulation of dirt on the lamps. In this case, just wash the lamps.
Why is the RS lamp surface condition so important? For the lamp to start within the voltage range of the ballast, it is necessary to excite the gas fill inside the lamp by means of an external voltage; thus the excitation ionizes the gas fill. The capacitance between the lamp and reflector or fixture channel assists this external excitation. Of course, you must bond (connect) the metal fixture to the equipment grounding circuit, and operate the ballast from a grounded electrical system. Any dirt or moisture coating on the lamp can reduce this capacitance.
If you experience random starting of RS lamps, check the fixture for proper grounding. As previously stated, for completely reliable starting in RS circuits, you must have a starting aid, defined as an electrically grounded metal strip at least 1 in. wide extending the full length of the lamp. The lamp should be within half in. of the grounded metal strip for 40W lamps and smaller (three-fourths in. for T8 lamps) and 1 in. for higher output lamps.
The modified RS ballast, a version of the RS ballast, reduces power consumption by a few watts, and operates the lamps similar to the standard RS ballast. The only difference is: You reduce or eliminate filament heating, after the lamps ignite, so the 3V to 4V cathode heating voltage reading will not be measured during normal operation.
Slimline fluorescent systems. We use two types of electromagnetic ballast circuits for two-lamp operation of Slimline lamps. The Lead Lag Slimline circuit has two sections: one called the lead section, consisting of an inductive coil and capacitor in series with the lamp; the other section consists only of an inductive coil. The ballast operates one lamp independently. So if one lamp becomes inoperative, the other will still light. You measure starting voltage between Red and White and Blue and White leads.
A Series Sequence Slimline circuit is smaller and lighter than the lead lag type and operates two lamps in series, with the lamps starting in sequence. Measure starting voltage between Red and White leads. Insert lamp in Red and White position, then read the voltage between Blue and Black. For an F48T12 Slimline lamp, the starting voltage is 385V.
The open circuit voltage of a Slimline ballast is high enough to start a lamp with one lamp filament deactivated. The lamp will flicker and become very black at one end. If you don't replace the lamp, the ballast will overheat and fail. If one lamp of an electromagnetic Slimline ballast is operating and the other is not, the temperature of the coil will rise and possibly fail. This problem does not occur with an electronic Slimline ballast, which operates the lamps in parallel.
HID lamp characteristics. The electric arc of HID lamps is much shorter and has a higher photometric brightness than a fluorescent arc. The lamps are also often higher in wattage ratings, and they may require a specific operating position; base-up, base-down, or base-horizontal. Because the precise size of the arc tube and mixture of materials in the tube differ, each type has its own operating and end-of-life characteristics, which often directly relate to maintenance/ troubleshooting concerns. The family of HID sources includes:
Mercury-vapor lamp (MV). With the lowest efficacy of any of the HID sources, most of these lamps in the 100V to 1000W ratings have an average rated life of 24,000 hrs. Because of this relatively long life, coupled with a slow reduction in lumen output, you should replace them well before reaching their average-rated life. Normal end-of-life (EOL) is a nonstart condition or very low light output caused by blackening of the arc tube from electrode deterioration.
Metal-halide lamp (MH). Operating conditions, such as lamp burning position and normal variations in supply voltage or ballast characteristics, can affect lamp color and light output of MH lamps. Normally, at its end-of-life, an MH lamp won't start because the mix of materials in the arc tube changes. Therefore, the ballast can no longer sustain an arc.
High-pressure-sodium lamp (HPS). Normal end of life indication is on/off cycling, since the aging lamp requires a higher voltage for operation than the ballast can supply. This cycling sequence is normal, but not desirable, since the cycling can damage or destroy the starting circuit and/or ballast. Thus, you should check a cycling HPS fixture without delay. Other conditions that cause cycling include: a loose electrical connection, faulty internal electrical connection to the lamp or at an outdoor installation, and severe fixture vibration, causing lamp voltage to rise above operating limits.
Low-pressure-sodium (LPS). This lamp, which features high efficacy but somewhat limited applications because of its monochromatic yellow color, uses a U shaped arc tube and a two-pin bayonet base. During its burning hours, the lamp's wattage increases. For example, at 20,000 hrs, a 180W lamp draws 247W, so any ampere reading will reflect this increase in wattage consumption because of aging. When troubleshooting, look at the lamp, ballast, capacitor, ignitor (if used), socket, and perhaps the entire fixture for indications of excessive heat.
Let's look at each fixture component separately:
Lamp. Any cracks or holes in a lamp's outer jacket usually indicate a defective lamp. The presence of some form of foreign coating or material on the inside of the lamp's outer jacket can also indicate trouble. This can appear as a light yellow (with an MH lamp) or a silver mirrored appearance (with an HPS lamp). Remember, an HPS lamp will have some normal silver appearance around the lamp base. But, if all, or most, of an HPS lamp's outer jacket has that coating, there's usually a defect. Check the metal parts making up the mount or support for the arc tube for separation or damage. Also observe if the arc tube is cracked or broken. Another procedure is to put an ohmmeter (at the highest setting) across the lamp's center base contact and the base's screw shell. There should be no continuity (it should be open). If the ohmmeter shows continuity, there's a short in the base or mount, and the lamp will not operate. If these procedures don't help you uncover the problem, you can confirm the lamp is defective by putting it in a fixture known to be operational.
Ballast. An HID ballast typically steps up the incoming line voltage to a higher voltage to start the lamp. Thus, a common problem with a multiple-tap ballast can be an incorrect tap connection for the line voltage available. A defective core and coil ballast will usually show signs of its condition, such as darkening of the case or cracked or crumbling insulation, which definitely indicates excessive current flow or excessive heat buildup. Because of its construction, an F-can or encapsulated ballast does not allow you to see the winding. However, these two types often give off a strong odor if they have burned or melted ballast windings. You can make voltage measurements on an HID ballast, similar to a fluorescent ballast, using a multimeter. When you replace a defective ballast, also consider replacing the capacitor, ignitor (if used), and lamp.
Capacitor. Generally, a capacitor fails by either shorting or opening. When a capacitor shorts, it can damage the ballast, lamp, and/or cause excessive current flow, which may cause a breaker to trip. This type of failure is more typical in the older oil-filled (metal oval can) capacitor type than with the dry metalized film (round plastic can) type or the non-PCB oil-filled capacitors, which typically have an integral interrupter. A metal can type capacitor may bulge when it fails, particularly if it doesn't have an integral interrupter.
Usually, you use a single capacitor in a ballast circuit. However, sometimes a fixture has a pair of capacitors in the ballast compartment, wired in parallel to increase the capacitance. Thus, a common error in the field is the incorrect wiring of dual capacitors, which should operate in parallel, as seen in Fig. 3, in the original article. Verify the rating marked on the capacitor matches that on the ballast. Then, verify the actual capacitance in microfarads (mf), by taking a measurement. If low light output is the problem, the third rating to check is the mf tolerance (5) percentage. Some capacitors have a tolerance of 510%. A 110% would lower the wattage at which the lamps are operating. In applications where assurance of light level is vital, capacitors with a tight tolerances, such as 51%, are used (e.g. sports lighting applications).
You can test a capacitor with an ohmmeter set at a high resistance scale, after you turn off the branch circuit power and disconnect the capacitor from the circuit. Of course, always safely discharge the capacitor first. If the ohmmeter measures a very high resistance, the capacitor is open, so replac e it. If the reading is zero or a low resistance, the capacitor has a short. You should also replace it. If the reading is zero, or if a very low resistance shows initially, and the resistance slowly increases, the capacitor is good.
Ignitor. Some HID lamps require a high-voltage pulse, provided by an external starting aid, to excite mercury ions in the arc tube initially. This ignitor circuit produces a sharp impulse typically with a rating of 2500V to 4000V. The ignitor emits this pulse for one millionth of a second, at a minimum of once per half cycle, until the lamp starts, and then shuts off when it senses a current draw. It will also pulse when a lamp fails or the socket is empty. You can partially base ignitor life on the number of times the unit pulses. For that reason, you should repair or deenergize a nonoperating fixture as soon as possible. An oscilloscope with a proper high-voltage probe can show the pulse. HPS and some newer MH lamps use an ignitor as part of the ballast. We'll discuss this factor, because it can cause a maintenance person to troubleshoot problems that don't exist.
Socket. Because of the higher voltages carried and heat generated in its vicinity, you should check the socket carefully for cracking of the ceramic housing or discoloring of the metal parts. One note of caution: Manufacturers configure many MH lamp sockets specifically for a particular type of lamp. Thus, they should not accept any other type of MH lamp. MH sockets can produce the following confusing situations:
Position-oriented mogul base (POMB) socket for MH lamps. This type of socket fits a horizontal-burning lamp only, which has a bowed arc tube. When operated with that orientation, it offers increased light output. The lamp's screw-shell base has a protruding pin, about 1/4 in. in length. This configuration allows you to install the lamp in a POMB socket that has a slot to accept the pin, thereby ensuring proper burning position. For easy identification, the POMB socket is yellow. Thus, a POMB lamp will not screw all the way into a standard mogul base socket. Do not attempt to cut, grind, or bend the pin to make the lamp fit. Altering the pin may allow the lamp to descend further into the socket.
Extended husk medium-base socket. You can use this type of socket for a special MH lamp in an open fixture; one without a cover lens. Generally, you must use an MH lamp in a fixture with a cover lens. This requirement is a safety measure in the rare event a lamp ruptures or explodes at the end of its life. Over the past 10 years, lamp manufacturers introduced medium-base MH lamps that have additional protection inside the bulb, so you can use them in an open fixture. To ensure proper lamp usage, the open fixture has a special socket that accepts only an open-rated MH lamp. This socket is longer, and the opening is narrower than a standard socket.
Open-rated mogul base socket. In the last five years, certain MH lamps have required the use of a higher voltage rated socket we call open-rated. An open-rated, mogul-base MH lamp has an extended center contact on its base to fit into the cavity of a corresponding open-rated socket. For easy identification, this pulse-start socket, rated to withstand the up to 4000V pulse (open voltage) needed to start to start the lamp, is pink.
What is the purpose of an open-rated mogul base socket and an open-rated lamp? Recently, MH lamp manufacturers extended "pulse-start" technology, already used in metal-halide lamps 150W and smaller, to other portions of their product line. Superior to the older pinched arc tube design, a pulse-start lamp offers impressive improvements. It can operate at lower ambient temperatures; about 10DegrF lower than the pinched body lamps (140DegrF instead of 130DegrF), higher lamp efficacy (up to 110 lumens per watt), improved lumen maintenance (up to 80%), and consistent lamp-to-lamp color (within 100 degrees K). Smaller than a pinched arc tube, a pulse-start lamp's arc tube uses an ignitor to create a high-voltage starting pulse, as does an HPS lamp. While both types of lamps use a mogul base, a pulse-start lamp's socket (and ballast) is incompatible with a pinched tube MH lamp's socket (and ballast), and visa-versa. (See Fig.4, in the original article.)
Heat. Excessive temperatures can cause lamps, ballasts, capacitors, and ignitors to fail prematurely. This condition can also affect light output. In particular, high-wattage, compact fixtures using reduced jacket MH lamps can have elevated temperatures. Good indicators of excessive heat include: continual short life of components, cover lens with a discolored appearance, defective ballast with charred windings, internal arc tube that looks black, and bulged or bluish outer bulb of the lamp. Placing construction material around an HID fixture may cause excessive temperature, or create a condition that restricts air flow and traps heat.
Test measurements. When troubleshooting, check the line voltage at the fixture, not at the panel, to account for any voltage drop. In most cases, the supply voltage should be within 10% of the rating for best operation. Some reactor ballasts require the voltage to be 55% for proper operation. If the line voltage exceeds the recommended range, erratic lamp and ballast operation may result. Identify and correct the external cause of the low or high voltage by running a larger gauge wire (if you find voltage drop to be the problem), changing taps on a distribution transformer, or balancing/adjusting the loads on multiphase power systems. Next, check the open circuit voltage (OCV). OCV is the voltage potential across the lamp socket and is higher than normal lamp operating voltage. This is because you need a high peak-to-peak voltage to strike an arc for starting the lamp. Read the OCV of an energized HID ballast by removing the lamp and placing one alligator clip of a true rms voltmeter on the lamp socket's center contact, and the other alligator clip on the screw shell of the socket. Using a meter other than a true-RMS reading tester can lead you incorrectly identify a ballast problem. If the OCV reading for the specific ballast is not within range, check to see if the ballast is receiving the correct line (input) voltage, and for a good connection of the correct ballast tap. If both are correct, the problem is usually a defective/marginal ballast or capacitor or an incorrect ballast/lamp combination.
Make sure you take specific safety precautions when working on an HPS ballast or some MH units, since they use a high-voltage starting circuit (the ignitor) to initiate arc conduction. Disconnect this starter circuit, since its high-voltage starting pulse can damage a multimeter. The voltage on 50W through 400W lamps is at least 2500V, and for the 1000W lamps at least 3000V. Therefore, determine if an ignitor is part of the circuit, and disconnect it before taking an OCV reading. A short-circuit current measurement gives you the highest current the lamp could see. It can also indicate if the ballast/capacitor combination is correct (or if the ballast/capacitor is defective).
To do the SCCM test, deenergize the fixture. Then, use a jumper lead with alligator clips at each end to create a dead short on the secondary side of the ballast; directly at the socket (the ballast acts as a choke and limits the current). One end of the of the jumper clips to the center contact; the other end clips to the screw shell. For maximum safety, use an HLR fuse holder with a 10A GLR fuse in the test wire, because the ballast could have an internal short. Although the fuse could blow, it usually doesn't. But for the few times it might, this precaution could save you from serious injury. While making sure your ammeter is not close to the ballast's magnetic field, since it could distort readings, clip the ammeter around the jumper wire. Next, energize the circuit, and take the reading. If the reading doesn't fall within the specified range, check the ballast input voltage and ballast wiring. If both are correct, the problem is probably a defective/marginal ballast or capacitor or the incorrect ballast/lamp combination.


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A new ad attacking Hillary Clinton by the super PAC supporting Donald Trump will begin airing Monday, NBC News reported.
The ad accuses Clinton of profiting from decades of political connections.
"A foundation was created and money started to roll," a narrator says in the ad, part of a $3 million buy by pro-Trump group Rebuilding America Now. "The Clintons are now worth an excess of $100 million dollars," the ad continues.
The ad capitalizes on Clinton's own comments when she promoted her memoir in 2014, in which she said she and former President Bill Clinton left the White House nearly broke at the end of his presidency.
This summer, the super PAC released an ad juxtaposing Clinton's defense of her private email server with her husband's infamous denial of infidelity with then-White House intern Monica Lewinsky.


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Showcasing the finest examples of Design/Build in the commercial HVAC market, Contracting Business is proud to present the 2003 Design/Build Awards. Now in their 13th year, the Design/Build Awards honor the boldest, most creative, most innovative work being done by commercial HVAC contractors across the nation.
Congratulations to this year's winners:
(Click on the company name to view the article in .pdf format.)
- L.C. Anderson, Inc., Boston, MA
- Monsen Engineering Co., Fairfield, NJ
- Aircond Corporation, Atlanta, GA
- Critchfield Mechanical, Inc., Menlo Park, CA
If you'd like our judges to take a look at the best work your company has to offer, see the 2004 Design/Build Awards entry form on page 69 of the December, 2003 issue or, click here to download the form.
Click here to view summaries of the four projects selected as runners-up in this year's competition in .pdf format.
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World History
Progressives like John Kenneth Galbraith no longer heap praise on China, given that it long ago abandoned Mao's austere communism. Instead, modern progressive economists like Joe Stiglitz save their acclaim for the economies of places like Cuba and Venezuela.
Cronyism and CorporatismLabor and WagesPoverty
The dominant immigration narrative in France ignores the importance of free trade, freedom in employment, and the importance of voluntary charity.
Labor and WagesCapital and Interest Theory