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This is what lights the darkness. A chance to make everyone happy!Sora in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.
Keyblades (キーブレード Kīburēdo?) are mysterious weapons that are heavily featured in the Kingdom Hearts series. Wielded by the main character, Sora, as well as a number of other important characters, the Keyblade is a main part of the battle between Darkness and Light.
According to an interview with Tetsuya Nomura, the original weapon shown during development was actually a chainsaw-like weapon. This was eventually scrapped in favor of the Keyblade.
Kingdom Hearts III
Weapons fashioned in ancient times in the image of the χ-blade in order to fight back the darkness and maintain order in the World. Keyblades can only be wielded by chosen individuals who are strong of heart.
Shaped like keys, they operate any lock in existence and are imbued with magic and other unique capabilities. Keyblade wielders may "bequeath" their powers to the next generation upon meeting worthy individuals.
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep features eight people who can wield Keyblades: Ventus, Aqua, Terra, Master Eraqus, Mickey, Master Xehanort, Vanitas, and Yen Sid. Near the end of the game, Master Xehanort explains to Terra, Aqua, and Ventus that the Keyblades at Keyblade Graveyard are the remains of the Keyblade Wielders after the Keyblade War between the battle of Light and Darkness.
Following the game, the only active Keyblade wielders left in the Realm of Light are Yen Sid and King Mickey; Xehanort lost his memory, Aqua fell into the Realm of Darkness, Ventus lost his heart, Eraqus was slain, Vanitas was destroyed, and Terra was possessed by Xehanort.
Terra also performs the Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony on Riku, passing the ability on to him. Aqua also does this accidentally with Kairi. When Ventus's wounded heart seeks a place to rest until it can regain its strength, it merges with Sora's giving the ability to wield a Keyblade of his own.
Kingdom Hearts
When the worlds first started to disappear, King Mickey realized that Kingdom Hearts was going to be opened, and went to the Realm of Darkness to find its Keyblade, with which he could seal the door. However, he would also need someone to use a Keyblade from the Realm of Light in concert with him, so he left a letter for Donald Duck and Goofy, asking them to find the chosen wielder of that Keyblade and assist him in saving the worlds.
When the Heartless invade Destiny Islands, Sora rushes to the small island to save his friends, but finds that Kairi and Riku have already been swallowed by darkness. It is at this point that the Keyblade which Terra had promised Riku finally appears on the island, but because Riku has already given himself to darkness, the Keyblade falls to Sora's ownership. When Sora first arrives at the Traverse Town, he meets Leon which later gives him shelter and some insight about the Keyblade and Heartless. Yuffie and Leon have to get the Keyblade off Sora since it's the only way to "conceal his(Sora's) heart," this is due to the Heartless fear of the Keyblade and they will stop at nothing to eliminate the wielder of the weapon.
On Atlantica, King Triton is enraged when he finds out that Sora is the key bearer and he tells him that as a key bearer, one must not meddle in the affairs of another world and that Sora had violated the principle. He also thinks that the Keyblade and its wielder can only shatter peace and bring ruin.
Sora uses this Keyblade to seal the Keyholes of the worlds he visits, but when he arrives at Hollow Bastion, Riku reveals that the Keyblade was intended for him, and takes it back as Sora's heart falters. However, Sora soon confronts Riku, and the strength of his heart proves greater than Riku's, allowing him to steal the Keyblade back.
Confused and angry, Riku runs off and is found by Ansem, who convinces Riku to give Ansem his body in exchange for more power. This new "Dark Riku" summons the Keyblade of People's Hearts from the Princesses of Heart, in order to unlock the Final Keyhole, but it remains incomplete due to it lacking Kairi's heart.
When Sora tracks down Dark Riku and confronts him, Dark Riku reveals that Kairi's heart is in fact within Sora, and attacks Sora in order to steal it. Sora defeats Dark Riku, but in order to restore Kairi's heart and fully seal the Final Keyhole, he uses the Dark Riku's Keyblade on himself, completing the keyhole and restoring all of the Princess's hearts at the cost of his body and soul.
Later on, after Sora, Donald, and Goofy defeat Ansem and attempt to close the door to Kingdom Hearts, King Mickey finally reappears with the Kingdom Key D, the Keyblade of the Realm of Darkness that he had gone to search for. With their help, as well as that of the restored Riku, they close the door, saving the worlds from the imminent flood of darkness.
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
Marluxia planned to use Naminé to enslave Sora through his memories so he could use the Keyblade against the rest of Organization XIII. This plan was thwarted, however, thanks to the manipulations of Axel.
Though Sora is stuck with the Kingdom Key, the card battle system allows him to use other versions of his weapon he used in his previous adventure for special moves.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
Both Roxas and Xion are used by the Organization to collect hearts from Emblem Heartless using their Keyblades. Riku and Mickey are also seen in cutscenes with their Keyblades.
It is revealed that Xion's Keyblade is a copy of Sora's Keyblade and that it drains Roxas' strength. Xion also lost her ability to summon it for a few days, forcing Axel to manipulate Saix into sending Roxas and Xion to the same mission, so the organization wouldn't punish her for losing the ability. During this mission, Roxas let Xion use his Keyblade while he used a stick instead. Xion eventually regained her Keyblade thanks to this plan.
After Xion's disappearance following the final battle with her and Roxas, Roxas gained the ability to dual-wield two Keyblades.
Kingdom Hearts II
Sora, Riku, Kairi, Roxas, and King Mickey can use the Keyblade. Sora uses the Keyblade to open new paths to new worlds through Gates. While King Mickey comes out occasionally to assist Sora, Riku receives his own Keyblade shortly before reuniting with Sora and Kairi in The World That Never Was.
Kairi's use of the Keyblade is limited to the Heartless surge in the Castle That Never Was.
Kingdom Hearts coded
Data-Sora can use his digital version of the Kingdom Key to fix the World source of Bug Blox and to seal the data Keyholes. His digital Keyblade was destroyed in Episode 5, but gained a new Keyblade in Episode 6. King Mickey explains that this Keyblade is tightly connected to the Power of the Heart, implying that his Keyblade is genuine.
King Mickey also uses his own Keyblade to defeat the Heartless that attack his castle.
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
Master Yen Sid tells a more historical revelation of the Keyblade and its original purpose in this game. Originally, the χ-blade was the counterpart of Kingdom Hearts. However, a group appeared one day and removed the light from the world, causing darkness to be born and swallow the universe. An epic battle was fought and as a result, the χ-blade was split into seven fragments of pure light, which are the hearts of the seven Princesses of Heart; and thirteen shards of darkness. The Keyblades were originally created in the image of the χ-blade by those who intended to use the darkness upon the world, but some chose to use them to protect the worlds of light.[1]
Sora and Riku undergo the Mark of Mastery Exam in order to learn how to use the power of the Keyblade properly and become Keyblade Masters. At the end of the game, only Riku becomes a full-fledged Keyblade Master while Sora decides to retake the test. Lea also obtains a Keyblade of his own, and Kairi is invited by Master Yen Sid to learn how to harness the power of the Keyblade.
The Keyblade. A truly marvelous weapon...were it only in more capable hands.Xemnas during first Hollow Bastion visit in Kingdom Hearts II
As the name implies, in combat, Keyblades are used in a manner similar to swords. Despite the fact that most possess no actual cutting edge, Keyblades still make efficient combat weapons, and are shown to be particularly effective weapons against Heartless, Nobodies, Unversed, and Dream Eaters. However, as a downside to this, the Heartless use the Keyblade as a homing beacon, and thus Keyblade wielders are at constant risk of Heartless attacks at any time.
Most Keyblade wielders are also able to extend their Keyblade's length with Light or Darkness for their ultimate attacks. This has been seen for Sora's Ars Arcanum; Roxas, Xion, and Riku's Limit Break in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days; Sora and Riku's Limit, Eternal Session; and Terra and Aqua's Command Style, Blade Charge.
The main power of the Keyblade, however, is the ability to seal or open the barriers between worlds, as well as to "lock" a world's Keyhole, preventing the Heartless from attacking that world's heart. As an offset of this ability, the Keyblade can also be used to lock or unlock any lock, allowing the user to access any sealed interior, whether it be a locked room, gate, or treasure chest. The Keyblade opens and shuts locks by emitting a bright, thin beam of light; this can also be used as an attack against certain enemies, although it is not featured in general game-play. Keyblade wielders can usually just simply tap the surface of a treasure chest and that will be enough to open it.
In addition to its base powers, it is possible to modify a Keyblade's appearance and powers by attaching various Keychains or Gears in the wielder's inventory. However, there are many Keyblades that do not possess a keychain for reasons unknown. There are other instances of the Keyblade changing form, such as when Riku's Soul Eater becomes the Way to the Dawn and when Roxas's two Kingdom Keys transmute into the Oathkeeper and Oblivion, but the mechanism behind these transformations is uncertain. In addition, Keyblade wielders can also transform their keyblades into other objects, vehicles, and weapons though it is hinted that Keyblade wielders can only do this after a certain amount of training. Terra, Aqua, and Ventus seemingly have this ability as they transformed their keyblades into vehicles they use to travel to other worlds. Sora also acquires this ability after his Mark of Mastery exam as he was shown to transform his Keyblade depending on the type of Keyblade he is using. Sora was shown to be able to transform his Keyblade into dual guns that fire magic bullets, a huge bazooka like weapon, and a chariot with a flying Pegasus.
Inheritance requirement
The Keyblade has a special power that only lets a chosen wielder hold it. This is proven when Sora gives his Keyblade to Jack Sparrow, only to have it come back to his hand. In the final battle with Xemnas, Sora was able to hold Riku's Keyblade, and the same goes for Riku with Sora's Keyblade.
While there are many qualities a Keyblade wielder must have in order to harness the Keyblade's power, the main requirement is for one to have an exceptionally strong heart.
It is implied in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep that it is possible for a Keyblade Master to choose a person as their successor if they have the main qualities that allow them to hold a Keyblade, as Terra chose Riku to be his successor. Kairi inherited the same ability when she accidentally touched Aqua's Keyblade.
Aqua originally considered choosing Sora to be her successor, but decided against it because Terra had already performed the ritual on Riku and she did not want the two to fight as she and Terra would. However, Sora gained the ability to wield the Keyblade anyway when he reached out his heart to Ventus after sensing Ventus's shattered heart. By joining his heart with Ventus's he gained the ability to wield his own Keyblade, as well as Ventus's.
Keyblade Glider
In Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Terra, Ventus, and Aqua have the ability to turn their Keyblades into vehicles and use them to travel to other worlds. This ability has only been demonstrated by the trio, though Master Xehanort explains in his Xehanort's Report that he used them during his own apprenticeship.
Keyblades are natural conduits for casting magic, as seen when Sora uses his Keyblade to command his magical attacks. This is not to say, however, that magic cannot be performed by a Keyblade Wielder when they are unable to summon their weapon, as seen when Sora is able to use magic despite having his Keyblade stolen by Riku or when Xion is able to use an array of spells before obtaining her Keyblade. However, in Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, Data-Sora is prevented from using magic when his Keyblade is destroyed by Maleficent. Some Keyblades have the innate ability to enhance specific kinds of magic, and many also augment the user's magical abilities on a more general level. Keyblades can also augment the holder with other powers and abilities that they would not normally be able to use.
Synch Blade
Keyblade wielders are also able to wield a second Keyblade using the Synch Blade ability. After Roxas defeats and absorbs Xion, he uses this ability at almost all times, generally with the Oathkeeper and Oblivion Keychains, while Sora only uses this ability while in his Valor, Master, or Final Drive Forms; however, Tetsuya Nomura has confirmed in interviews that Sora is able to dual-wield Keyblades in his base state, as Sora and Roxas share all of the same abilities.
Riku also exhibits this ability when he and Kairi meet up at The Castle that Never Was, and he hands a second Keyblade to Kairi to allow her to help protect Sora. Keyblade wielders are also able to allow others to wield this second Keyblade, or have it taken by the other wielder. When Roxas encounters Riku at Memory's Skyscraper he throws his Oblivion at Riku. Riku catches it and actually wields it in battle against him; when Roxas and Sora fight within the Awakening, Sora is able to steal Roxas's Keyblades and use them against him, though only temporarily. Also Sora is able to wield Riku's Keyblade in the final fight against Xemnas for a short time.
All Keyblades shown have the same distinguishing features that are modeled after a key: a guard with a handle, a shaft, and a head at the end of the shaft that resembles the teeth of a skeleton key (with the exception of Fenrir, which is instead modeled after a pin tumbler lock key). Most Keyblades also have some theme, usually a world or a person associated with that world, that will reflect in its appearance.
Each Keychain has a unique animation for when the Keyblade is summoned, and these animations usually symbolize a specific aspect of its respective Keyblade. For example, when Oblivion is summoned, a dark aura and violet sparks form around Sora's hands before the Keyblade actually appears. The particle effects that appear when the Keyblade is used to hit something also change with each Keychain. For example, the Keyblade Two Become One conjures black and white checkered crowns when a solid object is hit.
The origins of the Keyblades is, thus far, unclear. Each game references the special qualities of the wielders and some give vague explanations of the Keyblades' power, but none have shown where the Keyblades originated, how they are created, or what their original purpose might have been. One legend mentioned in Kingdom Hearts states that the Keyblade master saved the world, while another said he wrought chaos and destruction upon it.
While these legends may appear to contradict themselves, it can be assumed that the Keyblade master chooses how to use the Keyblade, whether for good or evil. The Keyblade is known throughout the worlds as a unique and powerful weapon. In Atlantica, King Triton and Ursula both knew of the Keyblade and its powers. King Triton did not want Sora to seal the Keyhole because he thought that the Keyblade would send his world into chaos, while Ursula knew that it gave the ability for the one who wields it to travel around the worlds.
One of the pieces of text in the hidden ending video for Kingdom Hearts II, "the Gathering", mentions a Keyblade War. Hundreds of Keyblades can be seen stuck into the ground during this cinematic, as well as the extended "Birth by sleep" cinematic at the end of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix.
It should be noted that none of these seemingly abandoned Keyblades, nor those of protagonists Aqua, Terra, or Ventus, have Keychains, although the significance of this detail is currently unknown as the history of the Keyblades is unknown and the trio have been shown later to have Keychains attached to their Keyblades in Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep. Master Xehanort also stated that the thousands of Keyblades left are the ruins of the Keyblade War.
A Keychain (キーホルダー Kīhorudā?, lit. "Key Holder") is a magical piece of equipment that modifies the appearance and abilities of a Keyblade. In Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, the Gear Panel function replaces Keychains. Likewise, the Card system replaces Keychains in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. Cards, however, do not affect the Keyblade's appearance, only ability.
Sora's Keyblade is known as the "Keyblade of Worlds' Hearts", and nearly all of his Keychain tokens represent some important item from a world he has saved. Usually, Sora is not actually shown to be given the Keychain from one of his many friends, so it is possible that after saving a world, or completing a major step in that direction, the world itself rewards him with the ability to access its power in the form of a unique Keychain.
Keychains that Sora receives from his friends, or from defeating challengers in the Olympus Coliseum, always use a token that is somehow intimately symbolic of that person. While Riku's Keyblade is not specifically a Keyblade of human hearts, like the explicitly named Keyblade of People's Hearts, it is likely that the connections between his heart and those he meets allow him to sometimes access their power as well.
Sora and Roxas' Oathkeeper and Oblivion are said to specifically embody Sora's memories of Kairi and Riku and Roxas's oath to Xion before her death (Oathkeeper) as well as her demise (Oblivion) and so it is extremely likely that for "people-Keyblades" like these, the Keychains act as a physical embodiment of the memories Sora and Roxas have of those that are important to them.
The Keychains have the ability to change a Keyblade's stats, grant it special abilities, and give it a new appearance. While most Keyblades have a basic form, like the Kingdom Key, a Keyblade wielder can upgrade and change the form of the Keyblade with a Keychain. In other words, when Sora or another wielder is equipping a "new" Keyblade, he or she is equipping a different Keychain to the Keyblade, changing its form.
It has not yet been explained exactly what a Keychain is and why it has the power to transform the Keyblade. A wielder usually receives a Keychain after "completing" the events that transpire within a world. These Keychains are often modeled after elements of the world from which they are received in some way.
The Keyblade wielder is not shown receiving the Keychain from anyone, save for when Tifa hands Sora the Fenrir Keychain after defeating Sephiroth, Aladdin gives Sora the Three Wishes Keychain, Jack Skellington gives Sora the Pumpkinhead Keychain, when Ariel gives Sora the Crabclaw Keychain from her collection, when Tarzan gives Sora the Jungle King Keychain after he locks Deep Jungle's keyhole, and when Kairi hands Sora her Wayfinder, which turns out to be the Oathkeeper Keychain. There are also a few Keychains that are found in chests, such as the Gullwings Keychain or the Oblivion Keychain.
Sometimes, a Keyblade does not possess a Keychain. Some examples of this are the Keyblade of People's Hearts, the Keyblade created by gathering seven hearts of pure light, and Soul Eater. The Keyblades Ends of the Earth, Wayward Wind and Stormfall did not possess Keychains in the Kingdom Hearts II secret video Birth by sleep, as they were not designed yet. The broken Keyblades from the Keyblade Graveyard do not possess Keychains either. The actual reason for the lack of a Keychain is unknown.
Prominent Keyblade wielders
- This is a list of the Keyblade wielders most important to the storyline of the series. For a complete list, see List of Keyblade wielders.
The most prominent character in the series to use a Keyblade is Sora, who has used them successfully in the two main games in the series (with one minor incident). His ability to use and possess the Keyblade was a major plot point in the first game. He has used more Keychains than anyone else in the Kingdom Hearts series; the variations are created through various keychains attached to his original blade, the Kingdom Key.
King Mickey
The King of Disney Castle, King Mickey's Keyblade is known as "Kingdom Key D". It looks the same as Kingdom Key, but its colors are inverted compared to the Kingdom Key. In Kingdom Hearts coded and Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, he uses the Star Seeker, the Keyblade he used in his days as an apprentice under Yen Sid.
Sora's best friend and rival, he wields the Way to the Dawn Keyblade, though in Kingdom Hearts he briefly took possession of Sora's Kingdom Key. In Kingdom Hearts, he stayed behind with King Mickey in the Realm of Darkness. In Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, he explores the basement of Castle Oblivion and struggles in resisting the darkness in his heart, Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, while in Kingdom Hearts II, he helped Sora defeat Xemnas. In Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts, he used the Soul Eater as his main weapon until it transformed into the Way to the Dawn Keyblade.
Sora's Nobody and the thirteenth member of Organization XIII, Roxas also possesses the ability to wield the Keyblade, an ability which Xemnas uses to his advantage by ordering Roxas to gather countless hearts to complete Kingdom Hearts itself. Upon the absorption by Roxas of his Replica, Xion, Roxas regains the ability to wield the two Keyblades, Oblivion and Oathkeeper.
Terra, Aqua, and Ventus
Three Keyblade wielders before Sora, apprentices under Master Eraqus. Sharing a common foe, Master Xehanort, they each suffer horrific fates due to Xehanort's doing at the end of the game: Terra is possessed by Master Xehanort and becomes the new Xehanort who becomes Sora's archenemy; Ventus is rendered comatose after his heart is damaged following a victorious confrontation with his dark side, Vanitas; and Aqua is stranded in the realm of darkness. All three currently await for Sora to rescue them from their fates.
The primary antagonist of the entire series. As his original persona, Master Xehanort, Xehanort is a Keyblade Master with plans to unleash the secrets of the Keyblade War onto the worlds and engulf the universe in darkness. To this end, he steals Terra's body by transferring his heart into the latter's body and becomes the new Xehanort, much younger and agile, combined with the ability to wield the Keyblade with both Master Xehanort's and Terra's powers.
However, following confrontations with the Lingering Will and Aqua, he loses his memories, except for his name, thus losing his ability to wield the Keyblade, as his Heartless, "Ansem", is shown using a double-ended version of Riku's Soul Eater, and his Nobody, Xemnas, uses Ethereal Blades in battle, though Nomura hints that Xemnas possibly chose not to use a Keyblade.
- In Kingdom Hearts, the Keyblade disappears until Sora starts attacking, while in Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, it reappears as soon as the player approaches an enemy. In Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, the Keyblade appears when Roxas takes damage. In the manga, Sora keeps his Keyblade behind him, strapped to his belt.
- The Keyblade seems to appear to its chosen wielder for the first time when they are in some kind of danger. Examples are when Sora is being engulfed by darkness in Kingdom Hearts or when Roxas is fighting a Nobody in Kingdom Hearts II.
- The Keyblade has been parodied in many pop culture outlets. For example, in the RoosterTeeth Production Series Red vs. Blue, one of the characters, Private Tucker, obtains a Great Weapon which is a sword that also turns out to be a key, just like the Keyblade.
|Kingdom Hearts • Chain of Memories • Kingdom Hearts II • coded • 358/2 Days • Birth by Sleep • 3D: Dream Drop Distance • χ [chi] • Union χ • 0.2 Birth by Sleep • Back Cover • Kingdom Hearts III
|Other titles
|Remakes and Remasters
|Re:Chain of Memories • Re:coded • Unchained χ • Dream Drop Distance HD
|Trinity Master Pieces • II Final Mix+ • HD 1.5 ReMix • HD 2.5 ReMix • HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue • 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX • The Story So Far
|Final Mixes
|Final Mix • II Final Mix • Birth by Sleep Final Mix
|Non Canon Titles
|V CAST • Mobile • Magical Puzzle Clash • Gummiship Studio
|Plot elements
|Characters | Heartless | Nobodies | Unversed | Dream Eaters | Replicas | Heart | Soul | Body | Memory | Keyhole | Gate | Keyblade | Light | Darkness
|Mark of Mastery | Book of Prophecies | χ-blade | Foreteller
|Game elements
|HP | AP | Munny | Magic | Heart Points | Save Point | Gummi Ship | Cards | Medal | Level | Flowmotion | Jiminy's Journal | Point of No Return


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Someone actually requested me to do a tutorial for a sugar skull. I had never heard of that before so I gave it a shot. She asked me for the tutorial to be easy. Hopefully it is not too hard to follow.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Perhaps humanity has peaked. The signs are all there, right? Like when a search engine is singing lyrics from Shaft, one has to think that maybe, just maybe, there's still something to all that human doomsday talk.
[Reddit via Geekosystem]
You can keep up with Jack Loftus, the author of
this post, on Twitter


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Love Spell Caster in Rhode Island The best Love spell casters are those spell casters that have been practicing since such strong Spells from many years with having a lot of experience & knowledge. But question arise here is that Why do I care how long the best spell caster has been spell casting? The answer is simple: It is totally relate to Experience of spell caster. More the experience of Spell caster, more are the chances of getting success in your desire.These spell casters are going to be the ones that hold the powerful, key and ancient spell books that have been passed down through generations of spell casters. It is the same reason you go to a blacksmith's son when he dies.
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- News
- Business
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- Lifestyle
- Health
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MONTREAL — Most Canadian seniors live at home and want to stay there as long as possible, according to a report released Monday by the Health Council of Canada, which also suggests the home-care landscape is marked by "seniors in need and caregivers in distress."
That landscape in 2007 numbered 2.7 million family caregivers over the age of 45, helping seniors with complex, long-term health problems.
One key finding of the report — which was conducted in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, Yukon and British Columbia — is that seniors with complex health needs are getting, at best, a few more hours of home care a week than seniors with moderate needs to manage daily activities.
About 40 per cent of them are older than 85. At least 20 per cent have dementia, and nearly 98 per cent can't cope with cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping and home maintenance, while up to 41 per cent need help with bathing, eating and toileting.
The bulk of care usually falls on family members, many of whom are elderly and have severe chronic health problems of their own, the report found. It also suggests that if the client is married, the primary caregiver is the spouse, and if the client is single, widowed or divorced, an adult child is most likely to take the caregiver role.
At least one-quarter of the caregivers are seniors themselves — with their own health problems, and nearly 60 per cent are women.
The consequence, council chairman Jack Kitts wrote in his introduction, "is that many family caregivers of these high-needs seniors are stretched beyond their capacity, reporting high levels of stress, depression, and difficulties in continuing to provide care."
The majority of home-care clients are older than age 65 and they are facing chronic illnesses including diabetes, heart failure and cancer.
The report also addresses Alternative Level of Care patients — people who don't need hospital care but still require some aid — who use an average of 5,200 hospital beds every day simply because they're awaiting placement in a long-term care institution or rehabilitation facility.
Montreal Gazette and Postmedia News


text: We know Rihanna and Gucci's tattoo heart campaign is to benefit UNICEF, and it's obviously a good cause, so should we not admit that we find the new ad to be simultaneously the most boring and hilarious thing we've ever seen? For those of you who can't have the pleasure of immediate gratification: it's basically just Rihanna and this purse posturing in front of a camera making significant faces while some weird smooth jam plays. Sometimes she and/or the purse (which is ugly) are kind of suspended in space. It's awesome. [Just Jared]


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Can I use FrontPage 2002 Server Extensions with my Linux Parallels Plesk Panel server?
As of June 30, 2006, the Microsoft FrontPage 2002 Server Extensions for UNIX/Linux have been End-of-Lifed. New installations of Parallels Plesk Panel, since version 8.1, will not have the FrontPage Server Extensions feature. However, if you upgraded from the previous Parallels Plesk Panel version that had FrontPage Server Extensions installed, it will work as before.
For more information see the Parallels website.


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Chris Harris eager to return to field for Broncos
DOVE VALLEY — As long as Chris Harris can remember, when game time rolled around, he was on the field.
Until Monday night, the cornerback had never missed a game because of an injury. Not in high school in Oklahoma, or in college at the University of Kansas, or last year as a rookie for the Broncos.
Harris was listed as questionable for the Falcons game and traveled to Atlanta but was ruled out several hours before kickoff.
"That's how they knew I was really injured, cause otherwise I'd be out there," Harris said.
Harris returned to practice on Thursday and is listed as "probable" on the Broncos' injury report heading into Sunday's game against Houston.
Also listed as probable are tight end Joel Dreessen (ribs), wide receiver Brandon Stokley (shoulder), linebacker Von Miller (hip), safety Quinton Carter (knee) and cornerback Tracy Porter (neck).


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AMD tweaks 2009 chipset roadmap
Sets Shanghai loose on Shanghai
AMD updated its chipset schedule for 2009, adding plans for a new low-end, integrated graphics processor chipset based on the 780G architecture catering to budget DirectX 10 gaming.
The new IGP chipset, dubbed 760G, will debut in January 2009, according to Japan's Digitimes. It will support DirectX 10 and Shader Model 4.0 — but lacks amenities like AMD's Unified Video Decoder, Hybrid CrossFireX for plugging into a separate graphics card, HDMI, and Display Port connections.
760G should eventually replace the current 740G chipset at the low-end of the product market segment. The IGP will be accompanied by a new SB710 Southbridge.
AMD will also launch upgraded 790FX and 790GX IGP chipsets with AM3-computability, which will be paired with its anticipated SB750 Southbridge. In May or June next year, the company will launch an RS880 IGP chipset paired with the SB710 Southbridge. In July or August, AMD will launch a 770 chipset also paired with SB710 to add support for AM3-based processors, Digitimes reports.
Oh, 'hai there
Meanwhile, AMD China is today celebrating the local release of its Shanghai quad-core Opteron processors in Shanghai - a rare example of codename-launch party symmetry. Here in the States, AMD missed a trick when it failed to hold a release bash in Shanghai, West Virginia.
According to the China business pub SinoCast Daily, AMD took "great pains" in choosing the location for its "royal release conference": the Shanghai Supercomputing Center, home of the Shunguang (Dawning) 5000A, the most powerful system built outside the United States. Yes, it runs on Opteron quad-cores.
Dawning 5000A is also the only Windows-based machine in the Top 10 supercomputers list. We're still waiting for Microsoft to curry local favor by renaming HPC 2008 after the Yangtze River.
(left to right) Shanghai, Shanghai (Not necessarily shown to scale)
AMD's new Opteron chip offers more bang for the buck and less heat dissipation than the four-core "Barcelona" chips it replaces. ®
Sponsored: Detecting cyber attacks as a small to medium business


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Mobile Bike Church
In 2007, the Bike Church created a "Mobile Ministers Unit" to bring the blessings of the Bike Ministry to people that haven't found the location at The Domes. Mounted on a 6' aluminum trailer, the MMU is an attractive "Mission Style" building suitable for carrying all the tools of the clergy to any location in Davis. The tower has alcoves for seven bells, to represent the Seven Virtues of Bicycling. As of yet, pious patrons have brought three bells to the church, and we are eagerly awaiting further donations by the faithful to complete our worship facility. The Church can also be used for napping or as a confessional.
Construction and First Ministration The Mobile Ministers Unit made its debut on campus April 25th, arriving at The Quad at about 3:45PM. While traveling through downtown we drew interested looks from bicyclists and motorists, and the unit handled pretty well, except for an awkward shimmy. After ministering to a few bikes, the ministers made their way over to The Domes, where the MMU was well-received by the Domies and other ministers present.
First Mass and Painting
On April 27th, The Mobile Church participated in its first Mass. All the cars were Very Well Behaved, and The Bikes and The Church got along famously. IO painted the church with a base coat of red and white on April 29th, then it returned to The Domes for outfitting prior to the Whole Earth Festival. On May 10, Elizabeth and Julia painted The Church into a "cottage" style, with cute windows, windowboxes, and a fabulous stained glass window on the rear wall. Siobhan and Pasture Ted finished the painting on May 11, adding some lifelike vegetation, identification signs with inspirational slogans, and another stained glass window at the front wall.
Ministering and Parading at the Whole Earth Festival
The MMU had a busy day at WEF, with workshops scheduled on-the-hour. then the Mobile Minister Unit healed bikes at the Whole Earth Festival on May 12. Two bottom brackets were replaced that day, a new record for the MMU. After ministering, we went on a bike parade around the Quad, showing off the mobile church to all the festival-goers, and circling each traffic circle three times, to honor the trinity of The Wheel, The Chain, and The Hollow Frame.
After a long day of ministering, the MMU and clergy returned to The Domes for a well-earned rest.
Ministering Ministering Ministering
WhymCycleized!!! On Aug 17th, 2007, Peter Wagner transformed the church into a self-propelled WhymCycles. A solid axle with two wheels was added to the rear, and a scooter with a kid's bike drive train was added to the front. It can now move under its own power, handles well, and looks really cool. The only drawback is that the ergonomics aren't so hot, so you can only go about 6 mph and get sore legs after 2 blocks. But, it's a step in the right direction. Thanks, Peter!!!
(Update—Late August—Peter replaced the childs' bike pedals with a handsome one-piece crank set off a Magna. With the added crank length, Minister IO was able to get a 16mph reading on the police radar screen at 3rd and J.)
More Ministering The church later led an entourage of 25 visiting bicyclists from the Buehler Alumni & Visitors Center to Little Prague for the conference pub crawl. One blessed conferencegoer (a small Frenchman) was given a ride in the church itself.
Healing of bikes at Sept 15 Cesar Chavez Elementary Fiesta de la Bicicleta (Bike Fair)
The MMU ministered and participated in in Critical Mass on Oct 26th, 2007, and in the Halloween "Ride of Mayham" ride on Oct 31 with Mark Chang's Piano Car. After the Mayhem ride, Parishoner Sarah piloted the church back to East Davis with a passenger on board. (Photos anyone?)
Transformation into a speedster! On Nov 2nd, 2007, Peter Wagner replaced the kids' bike drivetrain/front end with a snazzy "NEXT" 21-speed front end. The improved geometry and choice of gearing enabled the church to reach a top speed of 20 mph, sustained for as long as the minister's stamina allows (about 2 blocks). Never before have churches been seen operating at such speed in Davis. Under normal exertion it can now operate very comfortably for long distances at about 6 mph. Thanks, Peter!!!
"Recent sightings" This last Winter break, the MMU was yet again upgraded by Peter Wagner, and now sports a rider-friendly conventional driveline..mostly..from 2 salvaged adult tricycle drivelines. Photos to follow!


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Keith Smith, Author of "Men in My Town," Guests with Mike Angley
My guest author today is Keith Smith. Keith is a Vice President with Fiserv, a Fortune 500 technology services company based in Jersey City, New Jersey. He has extensive experience in Capital Markets and Wealth Management, experienced gained from career assignments in Chicago, Dallas, New York, Princeton, London and Zurich.
He was a Vice President with Merrill Lynch Capital Markets, working with institutional investors in the United States and overseas; a Regional Vice President working with Fidelity's institutional clients in Manhattan; a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Global Private Client Group working with individual investors in Princeton; and a First Vice President with Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management overseeing Trading Services for more than 16,000 financial advisors worldwide.
He holds the Investment Management Consultants Association's Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) designation, graduating from the program administered by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He received a BA in Political Science from Providence College. He has completed the Advanced Management Program plus the Securities Industry Institute at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and holds FINRA Series 7, 24 and 65 licenses.
Active in his community, Smith is a Trustee of a Lawrenceville-based social service agency which provides crisis intervention counseling services to children who are victims of sexual assault.
I know by now most of my readers are wondering why someone with your impressive business credentials chose to write a novel. It doesn't seem like a logical fit, but I know there is much more about you that inspired your writing. You have a compelling, personal story that is behind your novel. Tell us in your own words.
KS: Men in My Town is my first novel and I needed to write it for a number of reasons. First, it's a good story worth telling. It's a gripping suspense novel with a storyline that includes characters based on real people, real places and real events. It's a glimpse into the street hustle hiding in the peaceful suburbs of Providence, Rhode Island in the 1970's, complete with gamblers, bookies, car thieves, petty criminals, organized crime, hard-working honest men, a twice-convicted sex offender and a murderer or two.
Secondly, Men in My Town is my personal story. I am the 14-year-old boy in the story and only a few people, very few people, know what really happened to me on that cold winter night in 1974. I wrote Men in My Town to stop keeping this secret from the people closest to me, people I care about, people I love, my long-time friends and my family.
And finally, I wrote the story to raise awareness of male sexual assault, to let other victims know that they're not alone and to help all victims of rape and violent crime understand that the emotion, fear and memories that may still haunt them are not uncommon to those of us who have shared a similar experience.
MA: Tell us about the story.
KS: Men in My Town is a suspense novel based on the true story of the abduction, beating and sexual assault of a 14-year-old boy in Lincoln, Rhode Island in 1974 and the brutal unsolved murder of his attacker in Providence in 1975.
The story focuses on the young boy's relationship with a few men in his town, men who are close to the boy and his family, men who watch over him, men that protect him after he's been assaulted. They're good men with the capacity to do bad things. It's a story that causes the reader to revisit their position on the question, "Does the end ever justify the means?" and vividly juxtaposes the good and evil that can exist simultaneously in every man.
MA: Who are the heroes in the novel?
KS: The hero, and other characters in Men in My Town have been described as Runyonesque, after Damon Runyon's depiction of street life in Brooklyn and midtown Manhattan in the 1930's and 40's. Their strengths and weaknesses? They're moral men with personal flaws, driven by their own sense of right and wrong which at times is at odds with the law.
MA: Obviously your novel is based upon real people and real events. Care to tell us more about how these factors affected the story development?
KS: Absolutely. The plot is based on actual events. I was abducted, beaten and raped by a stranger. It wasn't a neighbor, a coach, a relative, a family friend or teacher. It was a recidivist pedophile predator who spent time in prison for previous sex crimes; an animal hunting for victims in the quiet suburbs of Providence, Rhode Island.
I was able to identify the guy and the car he was driving. He was arrested and indicted but never went to trial. His trial never took place because he was brutally beaten to death in Providence before his court date. 36 years later, no one has ever been charged with the crime. Someone got away with murder.
Men in My Town is my personal story, a story told from my heart, about the emotion, fear, guilt and horror I experienced, and the silence I've maintained since I was abducted, beaten and raped on that dark, cold winter night in 1974.
MA: Yours is such a compelling story. Do you have any writing plans beyond Men in My Town?
KS: I'm not writing right now but I am speaking publicly about what happened to me hoping to help others make the transition from 'victim' to 'survivor.' I've done newspaper interviews, talk radio, college campus events and I'm active in the RAINN Speakers Bureau. RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network is the nation's largest anti-sexual assault organization. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE and the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline at rainn.org. RAINN leads national efforts to prevent sexual assault, improve services to victims and ensure that rapists are brought to justice.
MA: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
KS: Despite what happened that night and the constant reminders that continue to haunt me years later, I wouldn't change what happened. The animal that attacked me was a serial predator, a violent pedophile trolling my neighborhood in Lincoln, Rhode Island looking for young boys. He beat me, raped me, and I stayed alive. I lived to see him arrested, indicted and murdered. It might not have turned out this way if he had grabbed one of my friends or another kid from my neighborhood. Perhaps he'd still be alive. Perhaps there would be dozens of more victims and perhaps he would have progressed to the point of silencing his victims by murdering them.
Out of fear, shame and guilt, I've been silent for over three decades, sharing my story with very few people. No more. The silence has to end. What happened to me wasn't my fault. The fear, the shame, the guilt have to go. It's time to stop keeping this secret from the people closest to me, people I care about, people I love, my long-time friends and my family. It's time to speak out to raise public awareness of male sexual assault, to let other survivors know that they're not alone and to help survivors of rape and violent crime understand that the emotion, fear and memories that may still haunt them are not uncommon to those of us who have shared a similar experience.
MA: Keith, thanks so much for sharing your heartfelt personal story. I wish you the very best with your writing as well as with your advocacy on behalf of victims of sexual assault. My readers can learn more about Keith and Men in My Town at his website: www.MenInMyTown.wordpress.com


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Jumper was one of eight Harvard athletes that took part in the Hap Moore trophy helping Harvard place ninth in the event.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard sailing team notched a ninth-place showing at the Hap Moore Team Race, hosted by Coast Guard. The regatta was one of a pair of round-robin team races that the Crimson competed in this weekend, hosting the Horn Trophy.
Harvard was one of 11 schools to participate in the Hap Moore trophy, winning three races on Saturday and six on Sunday. The Crimson had eight players compete during the regatta, as Gram Slattery, Brian Drumm, Michael Drumm, Ried Bergsund, Alexandra Jumper, Emily Lambert, Will White and Brendan Kopp all took part. The Crimson finished with a final record of 6-8. Tufts won the event by recording a 13-2 record. Boston College (12-3) and Roger Williams (11-4) rounded out top-three finishers.
At the Mike Horn Trophy Harvard placed sixth. Roger Williams took top honors with a 12-3 mark with Tufts and Bowdoin coming in second and third with 9-6 records, respectively.


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Naturally, the beaches are the biggest draw in Cancun with their soft, white sand and brilliant turquoise-blue water. Cancun's Hotel Zone is really just one long beach separated from the mainland by a system of lagoons. The dazzling white sand of Cancun's beaches is light in weight and cool underfoot, even in the blazing sun. That's because it is composed not of silica but rather of microscopic plankton fossils called disco-aster (a tiny star-shaped creature). The coolness of the sand has not been lost on Cancun's ingenious promoters, who have dubbed it "air-conditioned."
All of these delightful beaches are open to you because all Mexican beaches are public property. Several of Cancun's beaches are set aside for easy public access, but you should know that you have the right to walk and swim on any beach at all. In practice it may be difficult to approach certain stretches of beach without going through a hotel's property, but few hotels will notice you walking through to the beach in any case.
Cancun's hotel zone is shaped like the number seven, as you can see from the small map below.
At the top of the "7″ is the Bahia de Mujeres – the northern end of the hotel zone. Beaches here are beautiful turquoise-blue with white sand, shallow for some distance out, and have little or no surf, making them great for swimming, snorkeling and other water sports.
To the right of the "7″ is the Caribbean sea. The beaches here also have beautiful turquoise waters, white sand, and surf. Be especially careful on these beaches fronting the open Caribbean, where the undertow can be quite dangerous at times. In general, the best Caribbean-side beaches are found from the Sheraton and south.
To the left of the "7″ is the Nichupté Lagoon. It is a salt-water lagoon, and is generally not good for swimming. During the day, the Nichupté becomes a water sports haven, and many marinas offer jet skiing, sailing, kayaking, parasailing, windsurfing, water-skiing, and jungle tours.
Yes, there are even crocodiles in parts of the lagoon! However, Cancun's crocodiles are a non-aggressive species that feed on fish and other small wildlife. It is estimated that no more than twenty-five adult crocodiles live in the 5,000-hectare lagoon system, most of which are in areas distant from tourist activities; except where they are fed by restaurants as a tourist attraction.
Public Beach Access
While all beaches in Cancun are technically public (owned by the government), you may not be able to access the beach by walking through a hotel, which is private property. Visitors staying in hotels that are not on the beach can access the beaches at any of the 10 public-access entries to the beach.
Playa Ballenas – Public entrance is a sidewalk along the Meridien Hotel wall fence. Incredible views, and peaceful sunbathing. Keep an eye on the warning flags, however, as the currents can be quite dangerous any time of the year. At kilometer 14 in the Hotel Zone, in between Punta Cancun and Punta Nizuc.
Playa Caracol/Playa Las Palmas – Entrance is hard to locate. Go through the small wood gate next to Fiesta Americana Coral Beach. Also accessible through Xcaret bus terminal. Near Punta Cancun, ideal for children or beginner swimmers. One of the nicer beaches because of its flat shallow sand bed. Located at 8.5 km in the Hotel Zone.
Playa Chac Mool – Public entrance is across the street from Señor Frog's. Public beach with changing area, handy restaurants. Be advised however that the currents are strong and it's tempting to wade too far out into the shallow water. Good water sports area – sail-boarding, water skiing and parasailing. Located kilometer 10 in the Hotel Zone, near Punta Cancun.
Playa Delfines – Peaceful sunbathing and breathtaking views. However, this beach also offers dangerous swimming conditions in the strong surf and sometimes treacherous currents. There are some stone benches for sitting and contemplating the sea, but no other facilities. At kilometer 18 in the Hotel Zone, near Punta Nizuc.
Playa Juventud – Here is a nice place for swimming and a good place for water sports. Located off of Kukulcán Boulevard at km. 3 in the Hotel Zone.
Playa Langosta – Excellent swimming. Situated in the middle of the north end of the Hotel Zone and facing Bahia de Mujeres, you can find some of the best swimming that Cancun has to offer at Playa Langosta. Lots of beach restaurants and bars. Located at km. 5 of the Hotel Zone. A dock with shuttles to Isla Mujeres and other tours is located here too!
Playa Tortugas – Public entrance is next to Fat Tuesday's. Good swimming here, and perfect for water sports. A number of restaurants and refreshment bars located here too. Located at kilometer 6.5 in the Hotel Zone. Dock offering shuttles to Isla Mujeres and other tours
Playa Las Perlas – Another nice place for swimming and a good place for water sports. There are restaurants and bars on the beach. It is located at kilometer 2.5 in the Hotel Zone.
Playa Linda – Excellent swimming. Close to downtown and facing Bahia de Mujeres. Some of the best swimming in all of Cancun. Restaurants, changing rooms. Playa Linda's dock is the departure point for submarine and dive tours. Located at kilometer 4 in the Hotel Zone.
Playa Marlin – Public entrance behind Kukulcán Plaza. Sunbather's delight. Well known for its incredible, expansive views and peaceful sunbathing. Keep an eye on the warning flags however, as the currents can be dangerous. Located at kilometer 13 in the Hotel Zone, in between Punta Cancun and Punta Nizuc.


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EV with $0.45/kWh energy cost
EV with $0.45/kWh energy cost
A few questions: are you in a position to use solar?
What is the price of gasoline in Denmark?
Any subsidies for an EV?
IIRC in Denmark gas costs about $8/gallon. Usual car gets around 30mpg (less if you go for performance like Model S), so 300 miles would be 10 gallons or $80.
300 miles is 85kWh or around 90kWh measured from the wall, so 90*0.45 = $40.5.
It's still cheaper, just not that much cheaper as some other countries get.
From your own math... maybe I am seeing something different but.....
With gas $80 per 300 miles.
With electricity $40 per 300 miles.
It is half price. I consider that quite a savings.
Most people in Europe drive much smaller cars than the Model S and get closer to 50mpg. The cost savings are therefore not quite as attractive as in the US. Having said that - I'd still buy the Model S :-)
what is other choice than buying Model S?
Folks, remember that you will not be getting 300 miles out of a charge. You would only get this with a range charge (not recommended due to battery degradation when used frequently) AND if you are driving 55mph without heat, A/C, etc etc. I am not even close to 300WH/mile.
Forget my post.... My brain is fried today. I will stop posting. Timo has the info above my post... but yah the actual electricity cost is probably more like $50 or $60 for 300 miles.
I think you shouldn't compare the Tesla with a standard vehicle. It's a large high-performance sedan. For example, a Maserati Quattroporte or BMW M5 are more like 15 mpg.
So a more realistic comparison would be perhaps 60 USD for the Tesla vs 160 USD for a comparable ICE over 300 miles?
fishtank, that was kind of my point. It does not matter that other luxury cars get lousy gas mileage because most Europeans considering a Model S would not buy a Maserati in the first place. The incentives are very different. The good news is that even if you bought an A5 it would not live up to the Tesla in terms of performance and pure fun to drive AND you still save money on gas. Go for it!
@ fish tank. Do you not have off- peak in Denmark? In Sydney Austravlia our peak is the same as yours, but off peak is 12 cents. From 10 pm to 7 am. We also have shoulder at around 18 c from 7 am to 2 pm. Peak is from 2 pm to 7 pm. This is why timed charging in the model s is vital for Austravlia.
If it is more expensive to drive an EV, I am still willing to pay the premium to avoid dirty oil, its smoke, smog, smell, and pollution.
It is well worth the money to pay more for:
instant torque
best technology
Of course, it doesn't hurt to pay more for good look too :)
@dborn. We have no off-peak hours in Denmark - not yet anyway - only for very big consumers there are incentives making power cheaper in off-peak hours.
I have quite a big driving need - doing around 50.000 km per year, and have calculated the driving cost to be less than half in a Model S. Better Place has announced a Flat-Rate subscription service for Model S where unlimited consumption costs dkk 1795 per month - unlimited milage.
At this price the cost per km is less than half compared to my current MB C350 (Diesel).
OK, but even comparing with a very efficient ICE I still believe the Model S will have slightly cheaper energy costs, so I'm not sure why there's a problem? In answer to your original question, absolutely, I'm certainly not buying the Model S to save money, so if it doesn't save much in other circumstances it's still a fantastic car.
TM will be building Supercharger stations throughout Europe, too. So for any long-distance travel you do, the electricity will be free!
Brian H - have you any info as to whether there are also plans for superchargers in Australia? Any idea where to search for such info?
kseitzberg - the idea in Australia is that the base load power has to be produced anyway, and the infrastructure costs so much to build, if they can divert some consumption to lower demand periods they can defer/delay putting in new power stations. We have very little hydro here - some in Tasmania and some around Canberra. Most of our power comes from burning coal. The idea is to run high consuming items like swimming pool pumps and air conditioners during the cheaper periods. It does work - we defer doing dish washing til after 8 pm since that is a "shoulder" period, and i filter my pool after midnight. This has nothing to do with electric cars, but of course, we can take advantage of that as well.
Here's some math for you:
About 200 miles on a standard charge (90%) or roughly 77kWh at 385Wh/mi (real data over 3,000 miles of driving).
Note that it's 77kWh *used*. Your charger is not 100% efficient.
Actually, as measured, it's about 70% efficient, even with reduced losses due to idle loads in 4.1 firmware, so to replenish 77kWh you'll need ~100kWh.
At 0.45c per kWh that's $45.
If you're driving a comparable car like BMW M5 or Jaguar XFR, the average mpg would vary between 17mph and 19mpg, let's say it's 18mpg.
If you're paying $8 per gallon, that's $89 for 200 miles vs $45 for your model S.
Obviously your math will be different if you have a car that can do over 30mpg (not unusual for diesel or hybrids).
If you wanted to break even, your mileage on ICE should be 35mpg or above.
It's next to impossible to achieve this on a high performance ICE sedan though.
Comparing Model S with a VW golf doesn't make much sense, apples and oranges.
Here's how same math works in California:
Tier 4 (the most expensive) electricity price is $0.34 or $34 for 200 miles of driving (see the math above).
The premium gas price today (we're talking a high performance sedan that needs high octane) is $3.80 a gallon.
With 18mpg average you're paying $42 to drive 200 miles or just about 20% more than driving a Tesla S.
Now, if you manage to stay in Tier1 electricity pricing at about $0.11 per kWh, suddenly you're at $11 per 200 miles and that's almost four times (!) cheaper than gas.
Staying in tier1 though normally requires a large enough PV system on your roof to offset anything above 340kWh or so a month (PGE baseline).
That's not easy to achieve, but doable.
My purpose is to make a smaller footprint. The fact that the car is cool happens to be a bonus.
It's all expensive and having spent a lot if time in Denmark I understand you can't win! If you buy a different car you will pay 40% more in Denmark and still $8.50 for a gallon of gas so it is really a moot point paying $.45 kw, comparing all these thing to the US.You can get free healthcare and a free PhD in Denmark because of uou tax system but we cannot us in the US, so it all works out in the end fishtank.
The Model S is not an economic decision IMO. From the strictly cost standpoint, I think the lower cost hybrids (Prius, Ford Energi Cmax) make more sense. That's for cost comparisons in the US - may be different for European costs and gas prices. I'm getting the MS because I want a long range electric car and it's the only realistic option here. The quality, performance and style are very nice bonuses.
You can investigate charging options away from home such as possible free charging at your workplace that may lower your overall cost. If/when Tesla Supercharging comes to Europe, then even better!
Heh. Reminds me of one of my other fave hobby-horses/causes: Focus Fusion ( LPPhysics.com ). If their project succeeds, in 5-10 years their generators will be producing power at 0.3¢/kWh. Try the math on that! About 1% of Tier 4.
The cost of maintenance needs to be calculated into this discussion, not just "fuel" costs, especially when clocking 50K kms/year...
@L8MDL: Totally agree - maintenance costs needs to be included and I have included this into my calculation - assuming this to be 70% compared to my ICE.
@dborn: In Denmark most power is produced from Natural gas, Wind and the amount produced from coal is going down - as more and more windmills are established at sea. However the prices havent yet been differentiated for the consumers in Denmark. For the time being it is a flat rate system, even though prices for buying and selling power in the market varies. The prices for electricity is public available in Denmark - www.energinet.dk (Search for marketdata) - and in some cases you can actually get paid to consume some of the Danish production - however only is you are aither a power operator in Denmark or one of our neighbour contries. Unfortunately we as endusers does not benefit directly from this.. Periods like this is when we are having stormy weather and the wind mills are producing loads of power - perfect for my future Model S..
With regard to maintenance, I thought there was a 600 or $700 a year maintenance contract that basically took care of everything? I believe that also was to cover the 3G that people have been querying about.
Given the cost of the Model S, it isn't really a financial savings regardless of the price of electricity vs gas. You can certainly get cheaper transportation, but can you get everything else?
If I was looking at it at just a financial decision, I would have just kept the LEAF and when my wife's car needed to be replaced bought a Prius or something for long-distance trips.
I know Elon spoke of SC throughout Europe and Asia. I assume that would include Oz. Call ownership and ask.
Wow that sucks. My power rate is about 0.085/kwh.
I know you're in WA. The new Seattle City Light rates are 4.66 cents for the first 10 kWh per day, 10.71 cents thereafter. It's really gone up. Where are you?
Partly the rise is because the distributor is obligated to buy from expensive "green" sources (except hydro) in preference, whenever there's surplus, which forces the regular generators to ramp down, and screws up their finances, so they have to raise prices too. On top of the wind and solar subsidies, of course. Nice work if you can get it.
Nah, City Light is mostly hydro, just like your BC Hydro. It does buy other sources, but not because it is obligated to (again, just like BC Hydro). And like BC Hydro, it's owned by a governmental entity.
@DouglasR I'd rather not say in this public thread, but yeah, I'm in the Puget Sound area.


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Featuring Federal's Triple Plus wad technology, Power-Shok buckshot is proven to give you better shot alignment and hard-hitting performance in the field. Combined with Federal's reputation for quality and awesome stopping power, you'll get the results you've been looking for in a buckshot round. Recommended for use with medium sized game like deer and antelope.
Ballistics Information:
- Muzzle Velocity: 1210 fps


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When we reported last month that a study noted a decline in the obesity rate of 2- to 5-year-olds, we hoped we were seeing a new trend after years of rising obesity rates. It seemed odd that the rates had remained steady for all other groups (except one age group in which the rate increased) but had dropped for this group of youngsters. We may have had reason to wonder. The decrease might not be an actual decrease, if this article by Reuters is correct.
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Washington, DC, showed a decline in obesity rates among 2- to 5-year-olds from more than 12 percent in 2009-2010 to more than 8 percent in 2011-2012.
However, the story by Reuters says that this study was based on a small number of children, which may have caused a fluke fluctuation in the rate, especially since other studies show no decline in this segment of the population during the same period. Perhaps only more studies and time will tell whether this data is correct.
Read the Reuters story, and share with us what you think.


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Guides A-Z
Guide describing repair and reconfiguration of air handler closet and platform when replacing air handler.
Guide describing how to properly test the air barrier between the garage and house, and how to ensure the air barrier is tight enough to prevent garage air from entering the home.
Guide describing ways to air seal an attached garage in new and existing homes.
Guide describing how to create an air barrier between the garage and the conditioned space above it to prohibit pollutants from entering a home's interior.
Guide describing the air sealing of rim joists on walls connecting homes and attached garages.
Guide with information about how to upgrade a garage ceiling when a portion of the interior of the house is located directly above the attached garage by adding insulation and air sealing.
Guide describing how to install an exhaust fan in an attached garage to pull fumes out of the garage and to depressurize the garage with reference to the home.
Guide describing how to design HVAC systems to be located within the conditioned space of the home, either in a utility closet or in an air sealed conditioned attic, basement, or crawl space.
Guide describing how to upgrade walls that separate the garage from the house by providing a continuous air control layer on the garage side of the wall and adding rigid foam insulation.


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GOOD LORD. What the hell's gotten into Greg Oden? First he's spotted in a bright orange novelty T-shirt and now, he's one of the many too-proud athletes to snap a naked photo of himself in the bathroom. ABSOLUTELYNSFWORYOURMASCULINITYAFTERTHEJUMP.
No, Oden is not riding on the back of Snuffleupagus in this photo. Poor Grady Sizemore.
More photos at WorldStarHipHop.


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Harston Competes in Senior British Open Championship
Lipscomb golf coach Buddy Harston completed the first round of the Senior Open Championship Thursday at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland.
Harston, who teed off at 7:40 a.m. Scotland time, 1:40 a.m. local time, shot a 79 and was tied for 120th with several golfers still on the course.
Harston qualified for the tournament by shooting a 76 at the Glasgow Gailes Course in Scotland, one of three qualifying courses.


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In my last column I asked "is bike innovation chasing its tail?" Probably so, but that doesn't mean engineers have given up trying to make improvements. New materials and technologies will continue to be discovered and benefit cycling.
Here's my technology wish list, and some that were invented, then abandoned.
Flat-free tires. OK, they're already here (also tubeless) but the rub is reduced performance. I'm not sacrificing rolling resistance for flat-free riding, at least not on my performance bike. I once met an elderly fellow retracing the route of Thomas Stevens and he had his tires filled with expanding foam. No flats, but a bumpy ride.
36-spoke rims. Wait, didn't we used to have these? And weren't they so reliable that if you broke a spoke it was no big deal? And didn't Mavic make the reliable MA2? (a rim that I still ride and has 100,000 miles). Leave those 16-spoke wheels for the pros.
Direct drive. Chains are a filthy nuisance. We have the elegant direct drive today, popular for a short time in the 1890s. Belt drive is another option, from Trek. These technologies have their issues, but they work reasonably well for around-town riding.
Biometric handlebars. I'm thinking of monitoring heart rate, oxygen uptake, etc. I'd also like to see speed, distance, grade, etc., built into the handlebar.
Safe cranks. They break all too often at the pedal eye. A tapered pedal opening (like car lug nuts) will fix this.
Light, strong frame. Of course I want my frame to be supple, as strong as steel, and to weigh two pounds. That would be unobtanium. Carbon fiber comes close but doesn't last.
We all want our bikes to work flawlessly and without maintenance. It's a pipe dream, like unobtanium, so enjoy your rides with what's available now.


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Marker Sets
by Prismacolor
Prismacolor Art Markers feature an innovative double-ended design – chisel tip on one end and fine tip on the other. Ink color matches perfectly from end to end, and each permanent art marker has a smooth, intense color laydown.
The markers provide permanent ink coverage without fading or feathering. Their flexible design and intense rich color makes them perfect for architectural, fashion, and color layouts.
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Average User Rating: Based on (37 Reviews)
Bailey E. from New York, NY says:
The markers are great. I bought the 152-marker set and it lays down smooth, rich color. However, the Periwinkle marker was already completely dried out when I got it and I had to go buy a replacement.
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Going To Court
Magistrates' courts – what they do
If you have been charged with a crime, the process to decide whether you're guilty or not guilty begins in a magistrates' court. Find out about the types of crime magistrates courts deal with and what happens if your case is moved to the High Court.
Magistrates' courts – where your case begins
All criminal court cases start in a magistrates' court. Depending on the crime you have been charged with, your case will either:
- start and finish in a magistrates' court
- start in a magistrates' court but finish in a 'higher' court – normally the Crown Court
There are some offences – for example, rape – that are so serious that a magistrates' court is not allowed to deal with them.
If you're charged with a serious offence you are either bailed or remanded in custody by the magistrates' court. Your case is sent to the High Court straight away.
Magistrates' court – how they work
magistrates' court has either:
- three magistrates – they don't have formal legal qualifications but are volunteers trained for the role
- a district judge – who is legally trained and normally deals with more complicated cases
There is also a court legal adviser who makes sure that the right court procedures are followed.
A magistrates' court is less formal than a High Court – for example, magistrates and judges do not wear gowns or wigs.
There is no jury (members of the public who decide whether you are guilty or not guilty) but the court is open to the public.
Types of cases magistrates' courts deal with
Some offences (known as 'summary offences') are dealt with only by magistrates' courts. These include:
- most motoring offences
- minor theft – like stealing from a shop
- minor 'public order' offences (like being drunk and disorderly)
It's possible to get a prison sentence of more than 12 months if you're found guilty of more than one summary offence.
More serious cases magistrates' courts deal with
Magistrates' courts can deal with more serious crimes, known as 'either way' offences. This means they can be dealt with by either a magistrates' court or a Crown Court. More serious crimes include:
- burglary
- drugs offences
- handling stolen goods
It's possible to get a prison sentence of more than 12 months if you're found guilty of more than one either way offence.
High Court – what it does
The High Court deals with serious crimes – like murder, robbery and rape. Find out what happens before and during your High Court trial, how to get legal advice and what happens if your sentence is delayed.
Representing yourself in court
You have the right to speak for yourself in court without a solicitor or legal professional. Find out what you need to consider if you decide that representing yourself in court or a tribunal is the best thing to do.
The advantages and disadvantages of representing yourself
Many people choose to represent themselves because they would have difficulty paying a solicitor's or barrister's fees.
There are good reasons not to represent yourself in court, however, for example, you might be eligible for legal aid to help you pay your legal costs. You can find out more about legal aid using the link below.
Also, if you hire a legal professional and you win the case, the other side may have to pay all or some of your costs.
Another reason people sometimes choose to represent themselves is so that they can talk directly to the judge, jury or magistrates. People sometimes choose to do this rather than communicating through a solicitor or barrister.
However, it is likely that the other side in the case will use a trained barrister or solicitor. This means they will have legal knowledge and experience to use against you. You should always consider getting legal advice if you have to go to court.
Young people (Minors): going to court after being charged with a crime
If you are charged with a crime you will have to go to a youth court, which is less formal than an adult court. The court will decide if you are guilty or not guilty and decide on a sentence. Find out what happens at a youth court.
If you have to appear in court
you are charged with a crime and have to go to court, your parents will get a 'summons'.
This is a formal document, which gives the date and time that you must be there. You must turn up at court when you are told to. If you don't, you will get into serious trouble and the police will be sent to come and find you.
If you can't make it for any reason you, or someone you know, must tell the court as soon as possible.
you go to court
If you have to wait for your court appearance the police will have either:
- let you go home on 'bail'
- kept you in custody
Deciding whether to admit or deny the offence
You'll need to decide whether or not you will admit doing what you've been accused of. This is called a 'plea'. In youth courts, your plea is either to 'deny' or 'admit' the crime.
You or your parents may want to get advice from a lawyer before you decide.


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ōChamber music is the only true form of music and the most authentic expression of a personality,ö insisted Gabriel Faurķ. Having taken its eponymÆs guiding principle to heart, the Faurķ Quartet is now widely regarded as one of the leading chamber groups in the world.
Within a short space of time it has conquered the great concert halls of London, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, Geneva, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Milan, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and elsewhere. ōThey attract superlatives wherever they go,ö wrote The Strad following a concert at LondonÆs Wigmore Hall, while the S³ddeutsche Zeitung praised them for a performance that ōbrought tremendous pleasure by highlighting interpretative details that had scarcely ever been heard beforeö.
Among the many international festivals at which the Faurķ Quartet has appeared are the Rheingau, Schleswig-Holstein, Ludwigsburg, Schwetzingen, Montpellier, Sceaux and Kuhmo Festivals. The ensemble was formed in Karlsruhe in 1995 to mark the sesquicentenary of FaurķÆs birth and was soon winning national and international awards, including the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb and LondonÆs Parkhouse Award. Among their teachers are the Alban Berg Quartet and Misha Katz. The Karlsruhe Musikhochschule has appointed the group its quartet-in-residence, an appointment that had not been made in Karlsruhe for thirty years and that was a new departure for a piano quartet. The present recording of MozartÆs two piano quartets is the Faurķ QuartetÆs dķbut release on the Deutsche Grammophon label.


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Bryant Park's public restrooms were recently voted number one in the world by travel website Virtual Tourist. We are honored to be recognized, as we take a great amount of pride in our efforts to maintain the facilities. We aim to keep them clean, smelling fresh, and in good working order with flowers and an attendant on-duty at all times. Here's what the site had to say about our public toilets:
1. Bryant Park; New York City, NY
Who would have thought that a loo in the middle of such a dirty, noisy, frenetic city would have classical music, fresh flowers, and even an attendant! Visitors report that it's also spotlessly clean.


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The elevators in my building, like all elevators everywhere, have a little plaque saying "Capacity 2600 lbs." The other day, I noticed that in the far lefthand elevator, someone had scratched this out and written "PIGGY MOO."
I can't really imagine what was going on here. Did they think 2600 pounds was the weight recommendation for a single person? Were they offended by the very idea that human cargo could have weight? Or did they just see "lbs" and go a little berserk? Maybe I'm naive, but it still staggers me that people have so much pent-up hostility about fat. I mean, being so inflamed about it that you have to insult an elevator sign? That's damage.
Then yesterday, I got an email at the Shapely Prose account from a charmer named Rick, who is now the Douchehound of the Day:
"I spent yesterday covering a political rally, which meant sitting on my ass for four hours" An obese chick sitting on her ass for hours? Why doesn't that surprise me cunt? I can't wait til that magical day when Kate posts your obituary and tries her damndest to blame it on something else besides your obesity. I rule!
Oh my god, you guys, I'm fat because I sit down while I'm at work! It all becomes clear — thin people are thin because they never work as journalists, or for that matter accountants or editors or receptionists or novelists or CEOs. Honestly, have you ever seen a thin person sit down for FOUR HOURS? Certainly all the thin people waiting with me at the rally were doing jumping jacks the entire time.
Also, Rick, I don't know exactly why that doesn't surprise your cunt, but please stop talking like a pirate. P.S. punctuation is free.
Obviously it's a little harsh for someone to tell you they can't wait until you die, but I'm flattered that Rick hopes I'll be blogging for the next 60 or 70 years (though a little suspicious that he thinks blogs will actually be around that long — rethink that one, Ricky). Since he knows so much about me, even giving me a magic 8-ball diagnosis of "fat because sat for four hours in a row while working," he surely knows that my habits and family history indicate a pretty long lifespan. Unless I get hit by a truck, in which case I'm sure Kate will have a terrifically difficult time blaming it on something besides my obesity.
Things like this don't really bother me, because these people are clearly very, very fucked up. Supposedly otherwise intelligent and perceptive progressives saying "body acceptance is all well and good but if you're really fat you should diet," or "I'd be okay with FA if it wasn't all about dumping on skinny chicks all the time" — that bothers me, because those people could conceivably know better. Inveterate douchehounds aren't really capable of being anything more than miserable fucks, so it's not like my expectations have been dashed here. But I am curious and concerned about these vast reserves of hostility that people have built up.
So indulge me in a little speculation here. The message, especially the puerile "I rule!" coda, puts Ricky in a particular category for me, and that's the category of unhappy straight white guys who are obsessed with scatology and complain about how they're expected to be "PC" all the time. Complaints about "PC," of course, being code for "what the fuck is the point of privilege if you don't get to be blatantly bigoted and hateful." These guys feel genuinely oppressed by the fact that they aren't roundly applauded when they openly use racial slurs, demean women, or mock the disabled, unless of course they do it in a specially selected environment. They believe it's their god-given right to be total shits to the rest of the universe. It's not really about fat for them, or about sexism or racism or ableism, though it's a little bit about all of those things. (Rick also helpfully attached a photo of what "all women should look like" — you can imagine — lest I fail to note his raging misogyny.) Rather, it's about fear that the inability to hate, demean, and do violence will threaten their incredibly tenuous superiority. These guys know that they're the ruling class through an accident of birth, not through merits that they know on some level they don't have. And they're terrified that they're going to be knocked off that serendipitous pedestal the moment they stop shitting on those beneath them.
I'm not into the idea that fat is "the last socially acceptable prejudice" — though, as Meowser so powerfully put it, it may be the last form of prejudice whose victims believe they deserve it. But it's hard to deny that fat-bashing is hot now, well-represented in both news and entertainment media. It is, basically, a fad. Not that there wasn't anti-fat sentiment back in the day, but it was less virulent, because — and this is going to sound terrifically cynical — people had other outlets for their need to bolster themselves through hatred, judgment, and condemnation of others. Now that there are social penalties for being openly racist, and to a lesser extent for being openly misogynistic, ableist, or homophobic, more energy is funneled into body-related bigotry (except, of course, in those circles in which racism, misogyny, and homophobia are still A-okay). Certain people — not all people — have a basic need to discriminate and condemn, stemming from basic insecurity and fear. Push it down in one place, and it crops up in another.
Basically, what I'm saying is that Ricky doesn't hate me — he hates himself, and he transfers that hate onto anyone he sees, and right now fat targets are de rigeur. Is this facile pop psych? Oh hell yes. But the archetypal "bully who hates to mask the pain" trope is actually a pretty decent window into the bully mindset. Nobody — well, nobody but a sociopath — harbors that much hostility for no reason besides righteous hatred. Focused anger, okay, maybe; I know anti-racist activists who can shock and dismay people with the purity of their rage, and certainly that rage is righteous. But an unfocused, seething disdain for everyone, expressed as ugly attempts at humor, and coupled with the idea that this ugliness is their birthright? Something's usually rotten from the inside on that one.
So Rick, and anonymous elevator defacer: I'm sorry, and I hope you find out what's wrong with you, and I hope you can fix it. Possibly it would help your self-respect if you stopped acting like pathetic poisonous little shitbags. Just an idea.


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This is an old paper folded reliquary for Saint Mary Magdalen de Pazzi.She became a Carmelite at age 16 and was considered a mystic, healer and miracle worker. She was canonized in 1669. She is patron Saint for protection from illness and healing and also sexual temptation. Please not this is not the same Mary Magdalen of the crucifixion era. This reliquary came to us in a box of many similar pieces from a French convent, where they were stored waiting to be given out of placed in larger more permanent reliquaries. It has not seal and is folded. It is labeled "Velo di S. M. Madd. de' Pazzi". three is a tiny red wax seal on the back, although not sealed shut, but has not been opened. There is veil fabric inside. The box containing all these is labeled "Ste Madelaine de pazzi, Vierge, authentique", as the French sisters would have had each of their boxes of relics labeled for their use. Box not included of course. The folded paper reliquary measures 1 & 1/2" by 3/4" and in good condition, having been in our personal collection and good care since arriving from France
Please note we are selling the reliquary as a work of art and devotion; the Holy relics it may contain are a gift to the purchaser.
St Mary Magdalen De Pazzi Paper Reliquary
since 2005


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Character Appearances
Your little pups will love meeting The Great Wolf Kids.
The Great Wolf Kids can often be spotted hanging out around the lodge. Be in the right place at the right time and you may get the chance to get a high-paw from Wiley, a hug from Violet or snap a picture with Sammy!
Wake Up with Wiley and Friends
Enjoy Yoga Tails where you can find your inner zen, watch The Great Clock Tower Show as it comes to life or become an expert on Northwood's animals during Wolf Walk. Be sure to have your camera ready, a Great Wolf Kid might join in on the fun at any time!
Lunchtime Lineup
Have a balloon twisted into the shape of your favorite little critter, let your face be transformed during face painting or create a one of a kind masterpiece during Paws-On Projects. Make sure to stay picture perfect, a Great Wolf Kid may want a selfie with you!
A PJ Party with the Great Wolf Kids
An evening at Great Wolf Lodge is always full of excitement. You'll have the chance to play games, let loose at a dance party and listen to a bedtime story, a nightly tradition for us at Great Wolf Lodge. Stick around afterwards to say hi to our special guest of honor- one of the Great Wolf Kids!