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The rarely updated blog of Joel Dixon
Viewing blogs tagged Web
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Mr. Potato Head Mashups# Posted by Joel Dixon at 29/06/2010 21:25:36
(geddit? Mashups)
This is awesome! My brother's girlfriend, Carmen posted a link to some amazing Mr. Potato Head designs, made with modelling clay. Another excellent example of how great the Internet is. The Flickr Set is here - but here are some of my favourites:
Another Futurama one - but Zoidberg is great in this one.
# Posted in the General section and tagged as: Web
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Balls# Posted by Joel Dixon at 12/05/2010 22:58:51
Updated by Joel Dixon at 14/05/2019 02:37:16
I administer a website that is used by high school students in support of their studies. I was looking through the search log tonight and found the following four searches that all occurred within a few seconds of each other:
I sure hope that student found what they were looking for.
# Posted in the General section and tagged as: Funny, Web
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
xkcd Parody# Posted by Joel Dixon at 09/02/2010 23:09:41
Was stopping the mysql service on my laptop when I had an idea for a xkcd-style comic:
Alt Text: sc interrogate ex_girlfriends offers no hints either
Super geeky, crudely copied from a previous xkcd strip, and not very amusing - but it made me chuckle. A little bit.
# Posted in the General section and tagged as: Web
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Literal Music Videos# Posted by Joel Dixon at 02/01/2010 18:29:43
Updated by Joel Dixon at 02/01/2010 18:33:39
The Internet doth provide. Literal Music Videos are classic video clips re-dubbed with more literal lyrics. Here are my favourite examples:
Take on Me
Take on Me: Literal Video Version - watch more funny videos
Total Eclipse of the Heart
# Posted in the General section and tagged as: Funny, Web
Monday, September 21, 2009
Wet Pussy# Posted by Joel Dixon at 21/09/2009 21:34:15
Updated by Joel Dixon at 21/09/2009 21:40:55
I love funny cat videos, and this one is pretty good:
On the site a caption says "This cat successfully figures out the least efficient way to drink from a faucet" which pretty much sums it up. Still - you can't say it's stupid - he does get a lot of water.
http://www.break.com/index/dumb-cat-cant-figure-out-how-to-d rink.html
# Posted in the General section and tagged as: Funny, Web
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
The ol' Client / Server Database# Posted by Joel Dixon at 27/05/2009 23:12:55
The first result in google when searching for "client server database" is quite interesting:
At the time of posting - that result is still number one. Here - let me google that for you.
Firstly - a great use of the word girth. Doesn't get used enough in my opinion. Then again - what's my opinion worth? After all - I used to think client / server was a computing term. The more you know!
# Posted in the General section and tagged as: Funny, Web
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Left at Albuquerque?# Posted by Joel Dixon at 24/02/2009 20:36:04
The devastation of the recent Victorian Bushfires has touched most Australians, with nearly everyone knowing someone that's lost a house or something more devastating. Driving home from the station last night was pretty scary as there was a heap of smoke in the sky around my street. I wouldn't say I'm completely out in the sticks though we do have a lot of trees and bush near our property. Thankfully the Upwey blaze that was causing the smoke wasn't nearly as close as I had feared - but it's still a cause for concern.
As I was not sure how close the fires in Upwey were to us, I did a quick Google Maps search for directions from Upwey to Montrose.
View Larger Map
As you may have noticed, Google had helpfully given me directions from Upwey, Victoria to Montrose, Houston. Just a small mistake in the destination.
Anyway, the directions are fine until I get to the top of the Northern Territory. when I'm given the following:
I assume the kayak across the Pacific will give me the time to learn Japanese for the next few steps:
I get a brief tour of Japan before another short kayak across the Pacific and I start my road trip to Houston. The estimated travel time is only 55 days and 21 hours which might seem like a lot. But when you compare it to the 209 days and 3 hours that is estimated when you set the Google Maps travel method to "walking", it doesn't seem all that bad.
Its always fun to find an example of Google's sense of humor when using their products.
BTW - the distance between Upwey and Montrose, Victoria is only 30 minutes apart by car. Thankfully fire crews worked through the night and the Upwey fires are no longer a threat.
# Posted in the General section and tagged as: Web
Thursday, February 12, 2009
There once was a man named Enus# Posted by Joel Dixon at 12/02/2009 21:45:02
Randall Munroe, author of the hugely popular geek webcomic xkcd, recently posted a link to a limerick site he created - http://limerickdb.com/ (check out the top 150 for the good ones)
Some of my favourites:
Quoting BSOD Limerick:
user.scream("OH, FUCK YOU");}
Quoting Meta Limerick:
There once was a [person] from [place]
Whose [body part] was [special case].
When [event] would occur,
It would cause [him or her]
To violate [law of time/space].
The format of the site reminds me of the Quote Database, a collection of amusing IRC quotes. Must mention a personal favourite from that site:
Quoting QDB:
[Cthon98] hey, if you type in your pw, it will show as stars
[Cthon98] ********* see!
[AzureDiamond] hunter2
[AzureDiamond] doesnt look like stars to me
[Cthon98] [AzureDiamond] *******
[Cthon98] thats what I see
[AzureDiamond] oh, really?
[Cthon98] Absolutely
[AzureDiamond] you can go hunter2 my hunter2-ing hunter2
[AzureDiamond] haha, does that look funny to you?
[Cthon98] lol, yes. See, when YOU type hunter2, it shows to us as *******
[AzureDiamond] thats neat, I didnt know IRC did that
[Cthon98] yep, no matter how many times you type hunter2, it will show to us as *******
[AzureDiamond] awesome!
[AzureDiamond] wait, how do you know my pw?
[Cthon98] er, I just copy pasted YOUR ******'s and it appears to YOU as hunter2 cause its your pw
[AzureDiamond] oh, ok.
While looking into Randall Munroe's wiki page - I found a few other useful sites I didn't know about:
I've really gotten soft since we got kitties - the cutest one was by far my favourite. Probably why I love lolcats so much - cute kitties with funny captions. Bliss!
# Posted in the General section and tagged as: Funny, Web
Thursday, February 05, 2009
"I need to harvest my crops"# Posted by Joel Dixon at 05/02/2009 22:36:42
My mum moved house recently, which meant she has to go 3 weeks without internet access. Two years ago this would have only affected my music sharing brothers. But as a sign of the times, Mum called me yesterday asking what kind of options were available for "short term" internet until they wire up the new place. Like "Can you get pre-paid internet like you can for mobiles?" etc. I asked what she'd mainly be using it for - to better offer suggestions - to which she replied:
Quoting Mum:
I need to harvest my crops!
Turns out Mum is pretty entrenched in some crop harvesting facebook application - and if she doesn't log on for three weeks her crops will die. Oh - but that's not the only reason - she needs to check emails and use internet banking as well
# Posted in the General section and tagged as: Web
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Street Fighter: The Later Years# Posted by Joel Dixon at 05/11/2008 20:25:40
If you're a fan of the old school Street Fighter series of games you may get a kick out of a College Humor video series entitled Street Fighter: The Later Years.
Pretty funny, a nice walk down memory lane and surprisingly good production values considering. Here's the first episode:
Street Fighter: The Later Years
It's a series of 9 short episodes, so it's worth watching a couple so you can see your favourite character.
# Posted in the Gaming section and tagged as: Web
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My name is Nilanjan Bhattacharya. I work as an independent consultant in Pune, Inda. I manage a development team for a U.S. software company. I also work in a business development role for a few companies based in India.
I used to manage a test team in the R&D lab of IBM Security Systems in Singapore. I have worked with software development and testing teams across U.S., India and Singapore, working on both consumer and enterprise products. I have extensive experience with CAD/3D graphics, enterprise security software and text analytics software.
I like working with data and visualization. I expect this blog to have visualizations on a wide range of topics. In addition to visualizations I expect to use this blog as a placeholder for curation.
I'd like to collaborate, barter if you have the following skills:
- javascript
- text analytics, linguistics, NLP
- Ruby
I have another blog on software testing.
I have a blog related to a NGO that I work with.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Friday, October 20, 2017
What Is A Libtard?
I honestly used to think I was a moderate Democrat. I hardly ever voted a straight ticket. Some of my best friends were Republicans.
But since I've been on Facebook and read many of the conservative sites and debate with some of the commenters, I now realize that I am a fascist, communists, socialist, American-hating, treasonous libtard.
This is in spite of that fact that this is how I feel about some the issues that trigger them:
Guns - I have loaded guns in my house. I support the Second Amendment. I have never wanted to confiscate everyone's guns and I don't know anyone else who does either. Having said that, I support certain commonsense gun laws in the hope they might lessen the carnage in America's streets. Background checks for every gun sale. Ban bump stocks and high capacity magazines. Try to keep the mentally ill and perpetrators of violent crime from purchasing guns. Things like that. I see these as compromises, a middle ground, a moderate position if you will.
Free Speech - I believe that universities should be forums for every kind of thought (even high schools, for that matter). I think by the time you are college age, you should be able to listen quietly to every kind of opinion, even those you passionately disagree with. If you think you are not tough enough to listen to Milo Yiannopolous, then skip that particular convocation. Ditto, if Whoopi Goldberg makes you see red. It seems to be mostly more liberal-oriented colleges that get in trouble for booking controversial speakers. On the other hand, I wonder how many "free-thinkers" Liberty University makes available to their students?
Abortion - I am not for abortion on demand at all stages of pregnancy and none of my friends are either. I think the Supreme Court got it about right in distinguishing between trimesters. Anything goes the first three months; society has a right to question your reason the second three months and there must be significant problems the final three months.
I always ask: if your house was on fire and you had a fertilized egg in a petri dish in the frig and a 2-year-old asleep in its' crib, would you even have to give a moment's thought as to which one to save. If you say, you would, I'll say you're lying. A zygote is not the same as a baby.
Hunting . I have nothing against hunting. My own stipulation would be that we monitor it enough to maintain an ecological balance. I don't even care if you don't mean to use it as food.. I assume there are many hungry mouths in the wild. A coyote mother feeding her cubs is more righteous than a hunter who wants to hang a head on his wall. Oops, I think that was a liberal thing to say.
Flags/Anthem - I've got nothing against the flag or the anthem but I don't think either a song or a piece of cloth represent America. It is our principles and values that represent our country. Protest is as American as apple pie, even when you disagree with it.
Religion - Christianity doesn't make me cry and neither does Islam although, in general, I think organized religion of all kinds has done more harm than good, especially radical religion. And I do believe conservative Christianity has gotten more and more radical.
Constitution/Patriotism - Really, you think the Constitution and Patriotism make me cry? So in other words, no one who disagree with the right can possibly be patriotic? Is that really what you think. Because if it is, you're a lunatic.
I think I am willing to compromise on all these issues. It is the right that won't do that. NO gun laws. NO abortion. NO gay marriage. NO taking a knee (what about the free speech you claim to revere?) NO disagreement with the president on any issue whatsoever. No disagreement with fundamentalist Christianity whatsoever. So it seems to me that it is the right that are the snowflakes since they are so rigidly locked into their beliefs and they don't allow anyone to deviate by such as an inch or they are designated a libtard.
Labels: abortion, conservatives., constitution, flag, guns, liberal, libtard, patriotism
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text: This 7,200-year-old cheese stands alone among world's oldestBy Ashley Strickland, CNNUpdated 2:00 PM ET, Wed September 5, 2018 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. Photos: Ancient findsThis illustration compares the jaws and teeth of two predatory dinosaurs, Allosaurus (left) and Majungasaurus (right).Hide Caption 1 of 106 Photos: Ancient findsThis is an artist's illustration of Najash rionegrina in the dunes of the Kokorkom desert that extended across Northern Patagonia during the Late Cretaceous period. The snake is coiled around with its hindlimbs on top of the remains of a jaw bone from a small charcharodontosaurid dinosaur.Hide Caption 2 of 106 Photos: Ancient findsUniversity of South Carolina archaelogist Christopher Moore (second from right) and colleagues collect core samples from White Pond near Elgin, South Carolina, to look for evidence of an impact from an asteroid or comet that may have caused the extinction of large ice-age animals such as sabre-tooth cats and giant sloths and mastodons.Hide Caption 3 of 106 Photos: Ancient findsCore samples from White Pond near Elgin, South Carolina, show evidence of platinum spikes and soot indicative of an impact from an asteroid or comet.Hide Caption 4 of 106 Photos: Ancient findsThe Sosnogorsk lagoon as it likely appeared 372 million years ago just before a deadly storm, according to an artist's rendering. The newly discovered tetrapod can be seen in the left side of the image below the surface.Hide Caption 5 of 106 Photos: Ancient findsBronze goods recovered from a river in northern Germany indicate an ancient toolkit of a Bronze Age warrior.Hide Caption 6 of 106 Photos: Ancient findsMold pigs are a newly discovered family, genus and species of microinvertebrates that lived 30 million years ago. Hide Caption 7 of 106 Photos: Ancient findsFerrodraco lentoni was a pterosaur, or "flying lizard," that lived among dinosaurs 96 million years ago. The fossil was found in Australia.Hide Caption 8 of 106


text:
What You Should Know about Lasers for the Arduino
Laser trip wires are made up of two parts, a laser light source and a light sensor. With an Arduino, you can make a laser trip wire very simply and trigger anything you want from it. As you know from the movies, when the beam is broken an alarm sounds and the henchmen come running. You can build one yourself using a few simple components.
Complexity: Lasers are a difficult subject area because of the potential risks of working with them. But rather than risk your eyesight or spend a few years studying, why not use something that's already been tested, certified, and turned into a product?
Laser pens or laser pointers are widely available and relatively cheap. These are usually Class 1 lasers, the lowest class, and are visible and safe under all conditions of normal use, but you're still advised to check the specifications. Adults are normally sensible enough not to look directly into the laser, but with children, you want to err on the side of caution and find another sensor.
Because a laser beam is so precise, it's best to choose one with a fairly large sensor so that you have a large area to aim for. The only added complexity of this sensor may be powering the laser. A laser pointer is usually battery powered, so you may need to replace the batteries every few days or wire a power supply of equal value to the battery compartment.
To make them useful in the outside world, you should house both the laser and the light sensor in enclosures. A nice touch is to mount the enclosures on mini tripods to give you some flexibility when aligning them.
Cost: For around $15 (£10) you can purchase a small, discreet laser pointer from RadioShack, in the United States, or Maplin in the United Kingdom. Battery life and beam color are the main differences between pointers. The light sensor costs around 75 cents to $2.50, depending on the size. If you opt for an enclosure, it may cost around $6 (£4). A mini tripod is around $9 (£6).
Where: If you have a fixed location for your tripwire, mounting the enclosure on either side of a doorway is simple. The best position is as low to the floor as possible to avoid eye contact with the laser. If you're not sure where you want it or want to try a few ideas, keep it mobile and take your tripod-mounted trip wire with you wherever it's needed.
The laser trip wire is a refinement of a conventional light sensor. By providing a more intense, controlled light source, you can increase the accuracy of a simple light sensor.


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This set of Microprocessors Interview Questions and Answers for Experienced people focuses on "80286 Minimum System Configuration, Interfacing Memory and I/O Devices With 80286".
1. Which of the following is a supporting chip of 80286?
a) interrupt controller
b) clock generator
c) bus controller
d) all of the mentioned
View Answer
Explanation: The interrupt controller 8259A, clock generator 82C284, and bus controller 82C288 are the unavoidable members of the family, of supporting chips of 80286.
2. In minimum mode, the function of 80286 is
a) data transfers to/from memory or I/O
b) controls the data transfer of 80287
c) controls the instruction execution of 80287
d) all of the mentioned
View Answer
Explanation: In a minimum mode, the 80286 carries out all the data transfers to/from memory or I/O, controls the data transfer, and instruction execution of 80287.
3. The signal that is applied to the decoding logic, to differentiate between interrupt, code fetch and data bus cycles is
a) COD
b) INTA (active low)
c) M/IO (active low)
d) All of the mentioned
View Answer
Explanation: The COD, INTA (active low), M/IO (active low) signals are applied to the decoding logic, to differentiate between interrupt, I/O, code fetch, and data bus cycles.
4. By adding which of the following, the minimum mode of 80286 gives the multibus interface of 80286?
a) bus controller
b) bus arbiter
c) interrupt controller
d) all of the mentioned
View Answer
Explanation: The addition of single chip 82C289 known as bus arbiter, to the configuration of 80286 minimum mode, gives the multibus structure of 80286.
5. The number of bus controllers that are used for interfacing of memory and I/O devices is
a) 1
b) 2
c) 3
d) none of the mentioned
View Answer
Explanation: The interfacing of memory and I/O devices, uses two 82288 bus controllers, one each for local, and system bus.
6. If the 80286 need to use system bus, then the signal that is to be active is
a) SRDY
b) SRDYEN
c) ARDYEN
d) ARDY
View Answer
Explanation: The ARDYEN pin is to be activated if the 80286 is to use the system bus. The SRDYEN pin is to be grounded.
7. If MBYTES input is high, then the pin serves as
a) AEN
b) CEN
c) AEN and CEN
d) None of the mentioned
View Answer
Explanation: The MBYTES input selects the function of AEN/CEN pin. If MBYTES is high, the pin serves as AEN, else it serves as CEN. The CEN pin is used for selecting one of the available 82288s.
8. Latches are used in 80286 to
a) demultiplex the address and data lines
b) latch the address signals
c) decode the select signals
d) latch the address and decode the select signals
View Answer
Explanation: The address and data lines are not multiplexed, hence no latches are required in 80286 system. Rather the addresses of the next bus cycle are displayed in advance, hence the latches are required for latching the address, and decode the signals.
9. The I/O port addresses, that are not used, while designing practical systems around 80286 are
a) 0000H to 00FFH
b) 00FFH to FFFFH
c) 00F8H to 00FFH
d) 0000H to FFFFH
View Answer
Explanation: The I/O port addresses 00F8H to 00FFH are reserved by Intel, hence these should not be used while designing practical systems around 80286.
Sanfoundry Global Education & Learning Series – Microprocessors.
Here's the list of Best Reference Books in Microprocessors.


text:
The Christmas Blue Pages is a resource created to help families and individuals recapture the true "reason for the season" of celebrating the birth of Christ. Today's world is full of distractions that put the emphasis of the Christmas season elsewhere. The Christmas Blue Pages engages the user through the reading and singing of the real Christmas story
This year's Christmas Blue Pages features the music, lyrics and chords to many of your favorite Christ-centered carols. The read-aloud Christmas program called "The Greatest Gift Ever Given" combines 8 speaking roles and 6 songs to create a 30-minute program that sets a wonderful focus for any Christmas celebration. The read-aloud program works well for your family in your living room, on stage at your church, or for your group to bless the residents at a nearby nursing home. Its' message, the celebration of Christ's birth.
This year, celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and go caroling with your family, neighbors and church friends. Share the reason for the season in song. Caroling is simple, fun and a powerful outreach activity. We've made it easy for you with the Christ-centered carols included in the Christmas Blue Pages.
Christmas Blue Pages' is produced by the Christian Blue Pages; an online, in print and mobile directory of Christian owned or operated businesses.
Please support those who support this effort. Pick Up Your Free Christmas Blue Pages. Christmas Blue Pages can be found at local Christian Bookstores, retail locations, churches or click on the link http://www.ChristmasBluePages.com


text:
The Scene
The rain pours down on the weary travelers as they knock at the town gate.
The gatekeeper opens a slot and peers out. "What be yer names and yer bizniss in these parts?"
The leader answers, "The name is Underhill. Our business is our own."
The gatekeeper responds: "All right, little master, I meant no offense. It's my job to ask questions – there's a lot of queer folk about nowadays…"
That little line at the end is an invitation to adventure. Your players now know there's something strange happening. And even if they don't ask, you've made a potentially throwaway scene into something more – a portent.
It's great to have an NPC who doubles as Local Color and a Plot Device.
When your players arrive in a new place and Lotta Queer Folk Guy is the first person they meet, you've just opened the door to that juicy "what's going on in the world" information you wanted to drop – without being awkward about it. In fact, the party is going to ask you for it.
…And if they don't, just have the guy fumble around with the rusty gate for a while, mumbling about all the "strange goings on" in the country side – and the PCs will have to give in.
The big thing here is that Queer Folk Guy isn't contrived – he's an NPC that the PCs would naturally have interacted with in order to do what they were trying to do – get into town. That makes the scene a lot easier to handle than having some random drunk come up to them at the tavern for no reason, and talk about 'what is the world coming to.'
That being said…
Maybe you're gaming in a world where "please show your ID" is a routine part of entering a new town, this scene would normally be mundane enough to skip over. Or maybe it's unusual for the gate to be shut and guarded in this part of the world. Either way, the fact that you're even doing this scene will subtly alert the players that something's up – and unconsciously they'll be primed to ask questions.
Now, instead of throwing plot info into their path, or dangling an out-of-the-blue plot hook in front of them, their attention is already focused on "what's going on in the world" (like it or not, they're a captive audience until he gets the door open) and this will most likely get the players to take the bait and ask for more info.
Narrow Perspective
Use this character to underscore the difference between the average person and a PC. The gatekeeper has one job: check out new arrivals and keep the really sketchy ones out. He doesn't have any perspective on what's happening at the global level. He just knows that there's been a lot of strange things happening locally, and he doesn't like what it means for the neighborhood. This makes the players feel like PCs – without making the average NPC necessarily seem clueless or inept.
He's seen things himself, and he's heard stories from people passing through. He's the Old, Supserstitious, And Worried type more than the By The Gods I'mma Do Something About This type. Because, for him, the omens of plague/evil/the dead walking the earth are just kind of harder to visualize than the concerns of them shady furreners moving into town, or the increased tax burden that any disaster is likely to bring.
Entertainingly Obnoxious
Players are generally impressed when you get into an NPC enough to make him annoying. The Gatekeepers's lonely out in the gatehouse with only his bottle to keep him company, and because of the nature of his work he's got a lot of stories to tell. He's not going to give up an audience too easily!
Make him talkative enough that the players are sure to give in and ask what he's talking about – either so they can get away from him, or because they're amused by your performance. And if they ask the gatekeeper for directions, keep having him get distracted and tell them more stories.
Remember, an NPC who's just there for players to ask questions to is a boring NPC. As often as you can, give them an NPC who imposes himself in their space.


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Seeking evidence that humor and laughter can be healing, was the reason for the annual meeting of the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor held in San Francisco five years ago (Schorr,2004). Although this growing organization was holding their yearly conference practically in my own backyard, I had scant knowledge of the AATH's prominence in therapeutic humor. But my intense passion for humor and healing –and the lure of a dirt-cheap student rate- later inspired me to become a member in 2008. One of its appeals to me was the myriad resources available for humor research that this organization provides to its members.
Melissa Schorr (2004), then Daily News columnist for the former Alameda News Group Newspapers wrote this about the SF humor conference in my local paper: "Although there is compelling evidence that humor and laughter are effective," (p.1) Schorr explained that "much is still unknown,"(p.1) and further research is indicated (p.1). But Allen Klein, who attended the conference, believed that "We've been laughing for 5,000 years. We know it feels good. Do we need science to tell us that? I'm not going to send it to the lab" (p.1). Way to go, Allen! Let's listen to this wise "jollytologist."
It was a privilege to attend the 2009 AATH humor conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, which was sponsored by the Cancer Treatment Centers of America. "Healthy Humor: Hitting the Wellness Jackpot!" was the name for this latest international conference, and nearly 2000 members of this fun organization gathered from around the globe for the annual chuckle fest. Oh yeah, Las Vegas really rocked with laughter while the AATH was in town! My favorite "Jollytologist," Allen Klein was deservedly given an AATH Lifetime Achievement Award. The world could use more jollytologists like the inspirational Allen Klein.
Klein might consider joining the Hollister Laughter Club, "an organization that promotes fitness and relaxation by combining the ancient practice of yoga with the therapeutic benefits of laughter,"(2004,p.1) as I learned viewing the now- defunct Sunday, April 11th, 2004 SF "Bay Area Backroads" television program, hosted by Doug McConnell. The Clubs instructor, a trained yogic laugher(over 700 in the country), guides participants in each twice/weekly session, "where each laugh works out a different part of the body" (BayAreabackroads.com,p.1).A guru giggling group? To find out, call the Hollister Laughter Club at (831) 637-0949, or find a laughter club in your own area at http://www.laughteryoga.org. I'm glad I did!
Finally, am I suggesting that humor and laughter are the best way to cure what ails you? Of course, I'm not. As long ago as the seventies, Moody (1978) voiced his concern. Moody believed, "laughter could not replace the medical techniques that we already have … I propose only that it could be used to supplement them" (p.120). If only that were true, because medical techniques have become increasingly high-tech (and more impersonal, as a result) since Moody wrote those words. Don't wait for the scientific community to give you the final word on humor and laughter's healing potential. Be informed regarding your health concerns, and do your own research. You could start with the San Francisco Main Library's Schmulowitz Humor Collection.(Appendix C) The librarian in Special Collections is eager to help. (Her chicken costume was a real gas!)
Humor and laughter won't help in every situation. But I know what humor and laughter do for me. It makes me feel so good I take a mini vacation for awhile. And I personally believe that humor and laughter stimulate my "amuse" system, which may then strengthen my immune system.
See for yourself. Health is about balance, I believe. We need to balance the serious stuff with the silly stuff. I'm convinced there is a laugh force. Let's use it and experience this healing power. Get out there and get your funny bone tickled -and tickle the funny bone of someone you love. This "magical moment of laughter"(Wooten, p.xx) might make you feel so good, you'll find that laughter really is a "best" medicine.
Healing with hilarity works!
"There ain't much fun in medicine, but there's a heck of a lot of medicine in fun." (Josh Billings, 19th Century humorist)


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While the Tesla Roadster did a great job of satisfying our jones for an electric vehicle with great performance and no roof, it was a bit pricey and is now out of production. Into that void steps the three-wheeled Torq Roadster from Epic EV, a team also responsible for that electric-engined DeLorean prototype we saw a couple of years ago. This video shows Translogic's Bradley Hasemeyer behind the wheel of the track-friendly (but also street legal, licensed as a motorcyle) vehicle and talking to the people who built it. It's not quite as fast as the Tesla Roadster, but it's still capable of 0 - 60 in about four seconds and a top speed of 110mph.
You'll notice a Samsung tablet mounted on the dash, and many of the components are sourced from Volkswagen. Unlike most of the daily driver-aimed electric vehicles we're familiar with that are very locked down, founder Chris Anthony claims its design allows owners to tweak and tune many features. Its DC motor means there's no regenerative braking, but he claims it's cheaper and allows owners to rewind the armature or upgrade the brushes. The first Torq Roadster was delivered earlier this month to a former Tesla exec and you can read about his experiences on BoostedGroup. Those of us who haven't paid the $65,000 base price can check it out in the video, which is embedded after the break.


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Join the conversation with sustainability professionals and hobbyists. Enjoy a drink and build your connection with our green community!
Boston Green Drinks builds a community of sustainably-minded Bostonians, provides a forum for exchange of sustainability career resources, and serves as a central point of information about emerging green issues. We support the exchange of ideas and resources about sustainable energy, environment, food, health, education.


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Today the GoldBarReporter.org published that Washington State Supreme Court Justice Barbara Madsen to be sued for gross civil rights violations
The complaint centers around public officials in Gold Bar, Snohomish County Washington, and the Washington State Bar Association conspiring to harm the Gold Bar Reporter's news source because we exposed at least six of Washington State's top corrupt officials including Aaron Reardon, Kevin Hulten, Jon Rudicil, Mark Roe, and John E Pennington.
In the 33-page filing with the Federal U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, Anne Block is seeking, via a WRIT OF MANDAMUS, to "disqualify all Washington State Bar Associates from "hearing, any and all of her cases involving the Washington State Bar Association for the reasons set forth in this petition". Ms. Block bases her disqualification argument upon Federal statute 28 USC 455(a) and (b) stating the issues as follows:
1. Are all Federal Judges and Commissioners in Washington who belong to
the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) required to disqualify pursuant to 28
USC 455(a) and/or 28 USC 455(b)?
2. Under Washington Law, established by Riss v Angel, do members of the
Washington State Bar Association who hold judicial office face individual liability if Petitioner Block prevails in her Civil Rights/RICO/Sherman Anti-Trust suit against the WSBA?
3. Have Judges Richard Jones, Ronald Leighton, and Ricardo Martinez engaged in misconduct mandating their disqualification under either 28 USC 455(a) or 28 USC 455(b)?
4. Under Washington Law, do judges and Washington State Bar Association members who participate in prosecuting in the disciplinary process have any immunities?
5. If in fact the judges should have been disqualified, is the proper remedy to void the orders they issued and remand the case back with an out of state judge appointed to hear the case?


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We're a Cambridge-based development and investment company specialising in residential, commercial and leisure projects both in Cambridgeshire and further afield. Our team of professionals have a wealth of experience built up over 25 years. We deal with all aspects of development, from single bespoke sites through to larger scale developments.
Our investment partners and landowner clients use our planning expertise to develop challenging sites, in greenfield or brownfield locations, and for speculative developments.
Discover more about our new homes developments in Cambridge and surrounding villagesRead More >
Discover more about our commercial portfolio of offices and industrial unitsRead More >
Latest news on our Cambridge residential developmentsRead More >


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Have you met Robyn yet? Now you have, thanks to the pet. Thirteen down and 11 to go. Can you keep up at my show? We shall see what takes place as all day the cat fills this space. Now get ready for posts in mass that will come from my little rhyming ass.
Experience spring, have a fling.


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Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate research - original work done by students and mentored by faculty - allows students to develop creativity, analysis, problem-solving, communication skills, and independent thought. These are the same skills that employers say that they want from college graduates, and are the reason why undergraduate research is considered a "high-impact practice" in higher education.
At Fort Lewis College, students can learn by doing at many stages of their college career. Most seniors complete capstone projects that might include working with a faculty member to understand the ancient volcanoes of the San Juan Mountains, exploring the relationship between history of uranium mining and the establishment of Canyonlands National Park, or writing and producing a new theatrical performance. Students can receive academic credit for independent work during the school year, or may work with a faculty member on summer research. Every spring, a selection of students present their work at the Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities Symposium, and can submit their work to be published through the online journal, Metamorphosis. Many students present their work at professional conferences within their majors.
On these pages, you can find information about grants for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (awarded each fall and spring), about summer research opportunities, and about the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. More information about faculty/student research can be found on departmental web pages.


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Elektron announces the Analog Four–a four-voice hardware analog synthesizer and sequencer with a design approach similar to their coveted Machinedrum, Monomachine and Octatrack devices. The Analog Four hits streets on December 3 with an estimated price of $1099.
If you follow music technology blogs, you're bound to have seen The Demon Who Wears Me, a mini-movie that has been floating around for a month or so now that works as a bizarre (yet intriguing) teaser advertisement for a new product from Swedish boutique hardware designers Elektron. The company has built a steadily growing reputation for quality and innovation with their popular Monomachine, Machinedrum, and Octatrack devices featuring tight sequencing, unique routing options and clever user interface design. Their user community has been abuzz with rumors about "a new Elektron box" and the company has recently revealed that the Analog Four, "a four voice analog synthesizer with state of the art digital controls," will be released to the public on December 3, 2012.
Why the excitement about another analog synth for 2012? For starters, Elektron don't make just average hardware. This boutique design and development firm creates high quality instruments that stretch our assumptions about what these machines are supposed to do. With the Analog Four, Elektron have combined four analog oscillators and filters with effects and a comprehensive digital sequencer that offers features like parameter locks, variable length per track, and arpeggiators, all in a portable box that can be used for studio or live performance use. With the addition of MIDI, CV/Gate, and DIN sync outputs, the Analog Four integrates nicely with new and old hardware alike.
"The Analog Four is the best of two worlds. The power of analog synthesis is enhanced with precise Elektron sequencing for a machine par excellence. This is an analog synthesizer for the modern age. Analog oscillators and filters ensure the most organic sounds imaginable and the Elektron step sequencer caters for the innovative sound control." - Elektron
For more information on the Elektron Analog Four, Monomachine, Machinedrum, and Octatrack, head to Elektron's website and YouTube channel for a plethora of strange and wonderful media. For a comprehensive look at the Elektron Analog Four's capabilities, check out our friend Peter Kirn's nice writeup at Create Digital Music. You can check out what the Analog Four sounds like from the Soundcloud links below.


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4th of July
I finally did it! After eleven long years, I finally attended a fireworks display with my kids! Guess what?! I survived not only the fireworks, but navigating the crowds with three little ones…by myself!
All in all, I actually enjoyed myself! The girls were able to play on the bouncy houses, get their face painted, and even stood in line for patriotically over-priced snow cones! The girls were able to get those twisted balloon things that end up being made into all kinds of things (one had an alien that rode on her shoulders, one had a sword, and one had a flower). Granted, none of the balloon characters made it home, but they were free, so I wasn't terribly heart broken (especially since I'm allergic to the stupid things).
I had originally decided to attend because my teen invited me. I figured with her there, I'd be able to get through the fireworks. Well, she went AWOL with her friends and I only saw her once the entire evening. Thankfully, my best friend and her family showed up just minutes before the show started. Between her and Chauncey, they got me through. I purposely sat far enough away that I couldn't hear them launching, and I enjoyed all but the absolutely largest shells. Those were the ones that I could feel the repercussion of their explosion in my chest and that would trigger me, but as I said, my service dog Chauncey (who did amazingly well with the fireworks) and my best friend saw me through.
I definitely think we will do it again next year. Perhaps I will be able to convince a couple of my fellow veterans to attend with me. Just showing up was a huge step for me and I hope I can share that with others next year.
Moral of this story: don't be afraid to face your fears…you may be pleasantly surprised at the results. If they aren't what you expected them to be, you will at least know that you tried. Perform an after action and see if there is anything you could do differently next time to improve the outcome!
Music – my coping mechanism
Throughout the last year I have found myself in very deep, dark places. It's hard to get out of bed and it's hard to put one foot in front of the other, everyday. And my spouse is the one with PTSD, not me. But, as you'll find reading this blog from the different perspectives, PTSD affects the entire family. Day in and day out. We all wake up not quite knowing "what kind of day it will be".
One of the things that I like to do to deal (or not deal as it maybe) is to listen to music. Really loud music. Either in the car, or on headphones. However, it works best. Some people like loud, crazy, drowning music. I like country. I like self reflecting songs that make me think. My husband calls it sappy crap. And yes, it makes me cry (they aren't all sappy!). But, it's what I need to get through that day or moment. Some of these songs have gotten me through some really bad days and reminded me why I'm still here. I think each of us needs that "something" that gets them through the dark moments. What you have to understand is being on the spouse side of a military marriage is sometimes overwhelming. Sometimes we have to keep our feelings, our pain, our emotions to ourselves – because our spouse cannot deal with it. I know in my situation Jason has/had so much pain inside of him that he can't deal with mine. He can't watch me cry, he can't listen to what hurts me, and he alot of the time he can't comfort me. All of this is getting better, each day. But, learning to self soothe and to "deal" on my own through music has helped me alot. It gives me that release of negative feelings that I think we all need.
Some of my favorite lines, ever. And yes, I play these songs over, over and over. So much so that my 3-year old knows the words to all of them (and sings along!).
Remember When – Alan Jackson (my all-time fave! so so true)
I was young and so were you. Time stood still. Love was all we knew. You were the first, so was I. Made love and then you cried. Remember when. We vowed the vows and walked the walk, gave our hearts. Made a start, it was hard. Lived and learned, life threw curves. There was joy and their was pain. Remember when. Old ones died, new were born. Life was changed. Disassembled, rearragened. We came together, fell apart. Broke each other's hearts, remember when. The sound of little feet was amusing, we danced to week to week. Brought back the love, we found trust, we vowed to never give it up. Remember when. Thirty seemed so old, now looking back it was just a stepping stone to where we are and where we've been. Said we'd do it all again. Remember when. We said when we turned grey, when the children grow up and move away. We won't be sad, we'll be glad for all the life we've had. And we'll remember when.
I Won't Let Go – Rascal Flatts
You think your lost, but your not lost on your own. Your not alone. I will stand by you, I will help you through. When you've done all you can do and you can't cope. I will dry your eyes, I will fight your fight. I will hold you tight and I won't let go.
I'll Be There for You – Bon Jovi
I'll be there for you, these 5 words I swear to you. When you breathe, I wanna be the air for you. I'll be there for you. I'd live and I'd die for you. I'd steal the sun from the sky for you. Words can't say what love can do, I'll be there for you.
Unanswered Prayers – Garth Brooks
And if he'd only grant me this wish I'd wish back then, I'd never ask for anything again. Sometimes, I thank God for unanswered prayers. Remember when your talking to the man upstairs just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care, some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.
I'm Gonna Love You Through It – Martina McBride
When your weak I'll be strong, when you let go I'll hold on. Take my hand and together we can do it, I'm gonna love you through it.
HelpMe Hold On – Travis Tritt
Help me to hold on to what we have, once our love was strong . It can be again. You said it takes two to make love last. You were right all along, so help me hold on.
I Drive Your Truck- Lee Brice
People got their ways of coping and I've got mine. I drive your truck, I roll every window down and I burn up every back road in this town. I find a field, I tear it up till all the pains a cloud of dust. Yes, sometimes I drive your truck.
What Hurts the Most – Rascal Flatts
What hurts the most was being so close. And having so much to say and watching you walk away. Never knowing, what could've been and not seeing that loving you is what I was trying to do. It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you, everywhere I go. But I'm doing it. It's hard to see our old friends and I'm alone.
Shattered – OAR
But, I'm good without you. And I'm good without you. Yea, yea, yea. How many times can I break till I shatter? Over the line can't define what I'm after. I always turn the car around. Give me a break, let me make my own pattern. All that it takes is some time and I'm shattered, but I always turn the car around.


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SEATTLE — Microsoft Corp. says the next version of Windows will go on sale in time for the holiday shopping season. (Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.)
The software maker published an almost-final version of Windows 7 last week, a sign it would be ready before the official January 2010 deadline.
Windows 7 will replace the much-maligned Vista, which launched too late for the 2006 holiday season.
Microsoft had guaranteed free Vista upgrades to people who bought new XP computers for the holidays. But Microsoft was criticized when it turned out some of those PCs weren't powerful enough to run a full version of Vista.
Having Windows 7 in time for the holidays may help boost PC sales, which have been stalled by the recession.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Sage 200 / WooCommerce
Sage 200
Sage 200 is an ERP solution suitable for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) across a broad range of verticals. It is scalable, adaptable and simple to implement, enabling effective management of all business processes within a single system- from finance to CRM.
WooCommerce is an open source e-commerce plugin for WordPress. It is designed for small to large-sized online merchants using WordPress.
Rixxo is deeply curious, innovative and inventive when it comes to custom integrations. We believe automation and integration are key to a smoother user experience whether for customer or administrator.
As an experienced team of developers and strategists, we are able to advise on existing Sage 200 and WooCommerce extensions or build a custom Sage 200 / WooCommerce integration.
Let's talk about Sage 200 working with WooCommerce
Looking to integrate Sage 200 with WooCommerce we'd love to talk. We may already have a solution, can offer advice and provide a quotation for your Sage 200 custom extension.