text:
By Jonathan Crouch
The 3 Series has always been the heart of the BMW brand, traditionally responsible for a quarter of the company's global sales and the benchmark against which every mid-sized premium executive car measures itself. At its original launch in 2012, the sixth generation version set the bar higher still, but key competitors responded in kind, necessitating the arrival of this cleverer, more efficient facelifted version in 2015, complete with a rejuvenated range of engines, cutting-edge technology and the option of all-wheel drive. It's a strong proposition for the used market buyer.
4dr Saloon / 5dr Touring Estate (318i, 320i, 330i, M3, M3 CS / 318d, 320d, 330d, 335d)
For over four decades, one car has dominated the segment it first invented. BMW's 3 Series established the market for sporting premium mid-sized executive cars way back in 1975 and it's been a benchmark in this sector ever since. Never though, has the competition been stronger, opposition that back in 2015, this much improved sixth generation version had to be good enough to face down.
What was needed at this time was more than just a wash 'n brush-up - and we duly got just that. For a start, nearly all the powerplants on offer in this revised model were completely new, some of them real headline-makers. Like the three cylinder MINI-derived engine. The Plug-in Hybrid variant capable of nearly 135mpg. And a diesel engine able to return nearly 75mpg and sub-100g/km CO2 emissions. There was stunning performance on offer too: a six cylinder 335d diesel with almost as much torque as a Lamborghini V12. And a petrol 340i variant boasting the kind of power previously limited to BMW's M3 street-racer.
The changes to this updated MK6 model weren't only about performance and efficiency though. There were sharper looks and clever LED headlights, plus this car was the first in its segment to support the much faster data transmission speeds of 4G LTE as part of the class-leading smartphone connectivity that BMW knew its business buyers would want. On top of that, almost countless little tweaks were made in polishing the class-leading handling dynamics, with the classic rear wheel drive configuration joined on selected models by an xDrive 4WD option for those wanting it. On paper then, what was offered here seemed to be a very complete package - and sure enough, it sold well until the car was finally replaced in early 2019.
What You Get
The style and aesthetic proportions of a BMW 3 Series are now familiar to almost every business buyer, with classic cues like the kidney grille at the front, the sharp lines of the flanks and the powerful rear end all present and correct. So too the distinctively sculpted long bonnet and set-back passenger compartment, which combine with short front and rear overhangs and a long wheelbase to create the kind of dynamic proportions you'd expect from a BMW. In their own way, all these things are as much a hallmark of this Munich model as its famed perfect 50:50 weight distribution.
Aesthetic changes were made to this improved sixth generation model though. Mind you, some of the detail tweaks - the broader side air intakes that smarten this more sculptural front bumper for example - will be difficult to spot unless you happened to own the original version of this car. Perhaps more noticeable are the LED 'eyebrows' that sit above headlights now positioned a little further apart.
Take a seat up-front and if you happen to be familiar with the original version of this sixth generation 3 Series model, you might think that relatively little has changed with this post-2015-era revised version. Look at little closer though and it's clear that BMW has poured over the details here, the result being a significant lift in perceived quality - and a classier feel. The dashboard looks smarter and less plasticky and it's harder to find the kind of low-rent, shiny plastics that should have no place on a car of this price. Key areas like the control panel in the centre console are finished in high-gloss black, while chrome accents feature around the air vents, as well as on the re-designed switches provided for window and seat adjustment.
You still get a proper old-school handbrake and, as usual, the low-slung driving position perfectly places you in front of a grippy three-spoke leather-trimmed multi-function steering wheel. Through it can be viewed a familiar set of clear analogue dials. Everything else you might need to know has been packed into the many and varied menus of the iDrive infotainment system you view via a 6.5-inch freestanding control screen that sits on top of the dash and is operable via a circular rotary controller below the gearstick.
As with direct rivals like Audi's A4 and the Mercedes C-Class, the rear of the cabin will feel rather squashed if it's asked to take three passengers, partly because the rear wheel drive layout means you have to have a hefty central transmission tunnel. As for the boot, well it's 480-litres in size - the same as you'd get in a Mercedes C-Class or an Audi A4 but around 25-litres more than is offered by a rival Jaguar XE. A folding rear backrest was optional for original buyers. Of course, if you're regularly going to be carrying bulkier cargo, you'll be wanting to find an example of the Touring estate model, which offers 495-litres with all the seats in place and 1,500-litres with the rear bench folded.
What You Pay
Please fill in the form here for an exact up-to-date information.
What to Look For
Our owner survey did reveal many satisfied users of this car but inevitably, there were a few issues reported. Obviously, a fully-stamped service history is vital. This car uses complex engines and only regular and appropriate maintenance will see them go the distance. The biggest potential for financial grief down the track is the variable valve-timing mechanism (VANOS, in BMW-speak) which is vital to the engine's efficiency and performance but can suffer if that maintenance has not been observed. The tiny oilways that help make up the VANOS system can become clogged with dirty oil and this won't be cheap to put right. In fact, early-build 3-Series with the six-cylinder engine were actually recalled over VANOS issues.
It seems the oil-feed line to the VANOS unit on these engines could become loose, leading to a loss of oil pressure and sending the car into 'limp-home' mode. And you won't see a tell-tale oil leak from the loose fitting, because it was an internal leak that caused the dramas. According to BMW, a lack of lubrication in the booster's vacuum pump could lead to a loss of braking assistance. The brakes would still work, but would require a much bigger push on behalf of the driver. Otherwise, it's just the usual things. Insist on a fully stamped-up service record and check the alloys for scratches and scuffs.
Replacement Parts
[based on a 2015 model 320d diesel auto] Parts prices for a 3 Series from this period can be reasonable if you shop around. We trawled around the internet and found these: An air filter costs around £11-£27. An oil filter is in the £16-£33 bracket. A fuel filter is in the £16-£35 bracket. Front brake discs cost in the £70-£103 bracket, though pricier brands can cost in the £125-£135 bracket. Rear brake discs cost in the £65-£70 bracket, though pricier brands can cost in the £100 bracket. Front brake pads sit in the £36-£60, though pricier brands can cost in the £90-£120 bracket for a set. A set of rear pads is around £31-£80. A headlamp is about £265. A tail lamp is about £88. A front fog lamp is about £88. A radiator can be had for around £200-£227.
On the Road
The basic formula here hasn't changed much. Front engine, rear wheel drive, and near perfect 50:50 weight distribution have defined the 3 Series to date and this one doesn't deviate too far from that script, although BMW has of late been doing rather well in this country with its growing line-up of xDrive all-wheel drive versions. But it's in standard rear- driven guise that this car really seems to shine in comparison to its mid-sized executive segment rivals. Tweaks made to the suspension and steering for the 2015 MK6 model facelift made this car even more rewarding to drive and the manual and automatic gearboxes (also revised at this time) improve your feeling of connectedness still further.
As usual in models from this era, BMW included a 'Drive Performance Control' system across the range allowing you to change steering and throttle settings (plus on automatic models gearshift timings), to suit the way you want to drive. Get a car whose original owner specified the 'Adaptive M Sport suspension' and the DPC set-up will alter the damping too. Under the bonnet, much changed as part of this MK6 model's 2015-era facelift, especially in the petrol line-up that for this improved design starts with a 136bhp three cylinder 1.5-litre MINI-derived engine in the base 318i variant. Next up is an in-line four cylinder 2.0-litre powerplant, developing 184bhp in the 320i and 252bhp in the 330i. Also improved as part of this facelift package was the six cylinder 3.0-litre unit in the potent 340i, which offers 326bhp. Most original buyers though, focused on the 2.0-litre four cylinder diesel models. Their TwinPower Turbo unit comes in 116, 150, 163 or 190bhp states of tune; the 163bhp 320d ED Plus model we'd recommend is capable of up to 74.3mpg on the combined cycle and as little as 99g/km of CO2. This variant sits below a 3.0-ltre six cylinder powerplant offering either 258bhp or 313bhp in the top 330d or 335d variants.
BMW has rarely had to work as hard on a mid-term facelift as was the case with this post-2015-era 3 Series model. The exterior tweaks might be subtle, but they hide the significant engineering changes that were necessary to allow this car to keep pace with rejuvenated premium rivals that by 2015 it was having to compete against.
So this revised model delivered more where more was needed - in areas like power, equipment and technology. And less where less was required - in terms of fuel consumption and emissions. Beyond that, wisely, the winning formula was left largely as it was - which means that if you didn't previously fancy a 3 Series, you still might not be converted by this one. If, on the other hand, you already had it high on your shopping list and come in search of a used mid-sized premium saloon or estate from the 2015-2018 period, its much improved product and efficiency proposition will be more appealing to you than ever. If that's the case, then the class-leading rear-wheel drive handling dynamics will be merely the icing on the cake.
Are there still faults here? You'd have to say that there aren't too many, provided you can afford the premium pricing and you're not looking for copious levels of boot space or rear seat accommodation: both, to be fair, are par for the course in this segment. Beyond that, the only real issues here lie in whether the original owner managed to get the spec of his or her car right. If you find a 3 Series on which too many boxes were ticked, it might be a touch pricey. If on the other hand, you find a more reasonably priced one on which the wrong ones were ticked - for things like the vague 'Variable Sport' steering or the super-stiff non-Adaptive M Sport suspension - then to some extent, those all-important driving dynamics will have been damaged.
The latter issue is one you really want to avoid, given that exemplary handling is still the most compelling argument for this car. In a world where driving can so often be such a mechanical, joyless activity, this BMW remains involving in a way its competitors are struggling to match. In that respect at least, this version remains a benchmark for its period.


text:
The massive Target breach led to revelations that many companies use Internet-connected heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems without adequate security, giving hackers a potential gateway to key corporate systems, a security firm warned Thursday.
Cloud security service provider Qualys said that its researchers have discovered that most of about 55,000 HVAC systems connected to the Internet over the past two years have flaws that can be easily exploited by hackers. Such a flaw was used by hackers in the Target breach.
HVAC systems connect to networks at various retail companies, government buildings and even hospitals, according to the security firm. HVAC vendors and other third parties often have remote access right to these systems for administrative and support purposes.
Hackers can exploit these systems to gain access to enterprise networks and leapfrog onto other corporate systems, Qualys said.
The recent breach at Target, which resulted in the theft of data on 40-million credit and debit cards, is believed to have occurred in this way. According to security blogger Brian Krebs, who first reported the massive breach, hackers gained access to the Target network using login credentials stolen from a company that provides HVAC services to the retailer.
The HVAC firm apparently had access rights to Target's network for carrying out tasks like remotely monitoring energy consumption and temperatures at various stores. The Target data thieves used the remote access rights to gain a foothold on the retailer's network and subsequently leapfrog onto the company's payment systems.
Most companies have no idea HVAC systems are connected to the Internet and can serve as gateways into the corporate network and sensitive data, said Billy Rios director of intelligence at Qualys, in an email.
"This breach doesn't just affect Target. There are many other control systems for other companies that are exposed," Rios said.
After the disclosure about how attackers accessed the Target network, Qualys did some network scanning and found that that the HVAC system at Target's headquarters is still visible online. So too is the HVAC and energy management systems at the Sochi Olympics arena, he said.
"The Sochi system doesn't even require a password, so if you know the IP address, you're in. We've contacted the integrator to warn them of this problem," Rios noted.
Often, the companies that have remote access to HVAC systems fail to realize that the systems can be used as a gateway to sensitive corporate networks. So they typically tend to have lax security measures, he said. For instance, many HVAC management companies use the same password to access systems belonging to multiple customers, he said.
Qualys has been working with the DHS on this issue for three years, so the threat is not unknown to all, Rios said. "Most people just don't know about it yet," he added.
Boatner Blankenstein, senior director of solutions engineering at Bomgar, a company that provides tools for securing remote access, said the Target breach shows why companies need to implement measures for controlling what third-parties can do on their networks.
Large enterprises often grant remote access rights to software, hardware, and numerous other vendors and external third parties. But few have measures in place for ensuring that the access is properly authenticated and secured.
While many companies might routinely log remote access sessions, few have capabilities to audit the access from a security standpoint, he said.
Jaikumar Vijayan covers data security and privacy issues, financial services security and e-voting for Computerworld. Follow Jaikumar on Twitter at @jaivijayan, or subscribe to Jaikumar's RSS feed . His email address is firstname.lastname@example.com.
Read more about cybercrime and hacking in Computerworld's Cybercrime and Hacking Topic Center.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
190kw 237.5kva MAN natural gas CNG LNG power genset for industrial applications
1. 190kw 237.5kva MAN natural gas CNG LNG power genset Overall Technical Specifications:
Genset Model | 190GT-MT |
Rated Power | 190KW / 237.5KVA |
Rated Speed/ Rated Frequency | 1500 rpm /50Hz |
Rated Voltage | 400/230V |
Power Factor | 0.8 |
Phase/Wire | 3Phase/4Wire |
Rated current (A) | 342 |
Gas Type | natural gas |
Overall Size (mm) | 2900x1100x1600 |
Weight (kg) | 2240 |
Engine Model | MAN E2876LE302 |
Air intake way | Turbo intercooled |
Cooling way | Closed cooling cycle |
Cylinder | 6 |
Displacement (L) | 12.8 |
Bore×Stroke (mm) | 128×166 |
Max. standby power @50Hz | 212kw / 265kva |
Alternator Model | STAMFORD UCD274K |
Rated Power | 200kw / 250kva |
Excitation way | Brushless and self exciting |
Voltage control | AVR |
Insulation class | H |
Protection | IP23 |
1. Fuel requirements :methane content≥92% ( or Gas low heat value ≥ 33 MJ/Nm3 ), sulfur content≤200PPM, impurities size≤5μm, impurities content≤50mg/Nm³, water content≤40 g/Nm3 ; 2. Manufacturing standards:ISO8528-5,GB/T2820.5-2009,GB/T22343-2008; 3. Every gas genset have been pass the test under the load of 0%,25%,50%,75%,100% and the response ability of static, dynamic test, all the protection device and control system are pass strict inspection before they leave factory. |
2.Optional parts for 190kw 237.5kva MAN natural gas CNG LNG power genset
1)Soundproof canopy
2)Parallel cabinet
3)Synchronization cabinet
5)Inlet gas pressure adjusting valve
6)Gas water separator
7)Extra spare parts
3.Warranty policy of 190kw 237.5kva MAN natural gas CNG LNG power genset
1)Since gen-set reached the agreed destination, its main parts will be guaranteed within 12 months or 1000 hours (subject to the earlier mature term).
2)We take charge of all troubles caused by gen-set's fault and repair according to the regulation stipulated by original plants.
3)Factors not accordance with the regulation of original plants such as fragile parts, daily consumed components, wrong operating,lack of maintenance are not include in the quality guarantee.
4. Declaration for 190kw 237.5kva MAN natural gas CNG LNG power genset
The 190kw 237.5kva MAN natural gas CNG LNG power genset 50HZ 400V designed according to environment condition set by ISO 3046: atmospheric pressure 100kPa, sea level height 110m inlet gas temperature 25℃, relative humidity 30% and reference gross heat value of natural gas at minimum 33MJ/NM3(>=92% CH4 ).While using in places which don't meet these conditions, generator rated power and outlet gas temperature parameters will be different more or less.
Feature parameters and technical data provided above was calculated through program with massive natural gas experiments and actual use data based on environment condition and natural gas
heat value and content mentioned above.
All generator parameters of 190GF-MT 190kw 237.5kva MAN natural gas CNG LNG power genset such as output power, heat consumption were rated value under basic load ( 100% load ). Detailed analysis report of 190kw 237.5kva MAN natural gas CNG LNG power genset 190GF-MT in different conditions will be provided by our engineer according to user's actual environments and gas composition conditions if needed. For 60Hz 110V/220V output, please also contact us for detailed technical specification sheet.
Other party are not allowed to use our technical parameters for research and business purpose without our permission. We reserved the rights of changing our design without notify customer or the third party.


text:
I found this awesome tutorial on how to send emails on localhost that will open your Mail showing you the email that was sent from PHP, however this is slightly annoying getting Mail to open when an email is sent - I have some tasks that run in the background which sends an email for development reasons for my site so I can test the emails.
I want to be able to not get annoyed by getting popped up with emails, instead I would like it to pipe it to Mail and show in my inbox when I click "Get new messages" so I can look into the email whenever I want not at the instant when the email is sent.
I've looked into where Mail stores their email ~/Library/Mail/V2
, I was wondering if I could adjust the script to add the email there, but it looks quite complication so I don't want to risk having any confusion or corruption happening.
Is there any possibility to store the mails without any problems so Mail can add it to my inbox list via PHP?


text:
1. O praise ye the Lord
And sing a new song,
Amid all His saints
His praises prolong;
The praise of their Maker
His people shall sing,
And children of Zion
Rejoice in their King.
2. With timbrel and harp
And joyful acclaim,
With gladness and mirth,
Sing praise to His Name;
For God in His people
His pleasure doth seek,
With robes of salvation
He clotheth the meek.
3. In glory exult,
Ye saints of the Lord;
With songs in the night
High praises accord;
Go forth in His service
And strong in His might
To conquer all evil
And stand for the right.
4. For this is His word:
His saints shall not fail,
But over the earth
Their power shall prevail;
All kingdoms and nations
Shall yield to their sway.
To God give the glory
And praise Him for aye.
Additional Info
- Psalter #: 407
- # Stanzas: 5
- Metre: 5s and 6s.
- Video: No
- Psalm: 149
- Type: Normal


text:
Every week, the Comics Page introduces you to brand-new graphic novels by the world's best artists and writers. Manga, superheroes, indie comix — we'll cover them all as our editors select the best the exploding comics world has to offer.
In a world full of dangerous predators, how do simple mice survive? Only through the heroism of the Mouse Guard. Three of the Mouse Guard's finest — Lieam, Saxon and Kenzie — seek to uncover a traitorous plot against the Guard in the difficult chill of Fall 1152.
All week on the Comics Page, we're excerpting David Petersen's Mouse Guard: Fall 1152, the gorgeously illustrated, deceptively simple story of mice fighting to protect their home. This hardcover volume, just published by Archaia Studios Press, is the beginning of an epic that promises to rival The Lord of the Rings in scope — though somewhat smaller in height.
Mouse Guard: Fall 1152, by David Petersen
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five
Tomorrow: A silent search.


text:
- City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
- Dubai 05:22 06:35 12:33 15:53 18:26 19:39
Brendan Rodgers has ruled Liverpool out of the Premier League title race this season, although he believes his side will play a part in deciding where the trophy ends up.
Liverpool sit fourth in the league, eight points behind leaders Arsenal with 14 matches of the season remaining.
"I think for us, as a team, it's too early for that," Rodgers said in an interview with Sky Sports on Wednesday.
"I was at the Manchester City-Chelsea game the other night and I look at the squads they have, which they have built up over the last few years, and it's very difficult for us, even though we have competed right the way through the season.
"So, I wouldn't say for us this year, no. We wouldn't be challengers for it."
Liverpool, who last won England's top flight in the 1989-90 season, host Arsenal on Saturday and have matches to come against title challengers Manchester City and Chelsea, encounters the 41-year-old Northern Irishman is relishing as the Premier League heads towards one of its closest finishes in years.
"Will we play a part in it (the title race)? Yes, we will, because we are professional and we want to fight to finish as high as we possibly can," said Rodgers, who replaced Kenny Dalglish in June 2012.
"We look it and there are six points between us and (second-placed) Chelsea, so there is still a lot to play for and we will be fighting right until the very end.
"But, if I'm asked to give an honest answer, I'd probably say that this year is too soon for us."
Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.


text:
No matter what your situation or reason for selling your home might be, you don't have to wait month after month to sell your home on your own, for sale by owner (FSBO), or through a real estate agent. We are a group of local professional house buyers who buy houses from people like you in situations just like yours in any area, condition or price range in Printer, Kentucky and the surrounding areas. We buy houses in Lexington, Louisville and any of the other cities and counties in Kentucky. We specialize in finding creative real estate solutions to ugly situations that other Realtors® and home buyers won't touch. We can pay all cash, take over your mortgage payments or lease-purchase your Printer home immediately! We will handle all of the paperwork, make all the arrangements and close within a few days if necessary. You'll get a house sale with no hassles so you can put your house selling worries behind you once and for all.
To find out if your Printer home qualifies for our Fast Home Purchase Program, please take a moment to complete our Kentucky Seller Questionnaire on the upper right side of this page. Tell us all about the Printer home you are selling and we will get back to you about buying your house in 7 days or less. If your Printer house qualifies for our Fast Home Purchase Program, we'll schedule an appointment to come out and inspect your house and make you one or more offers to purchase your house on the spot! Selling your Printer, Kentucky home couldn't be any quicker, easier or more convenient!
WeBuyHouses.net of Printer Kentucky
Contact Us Online


text:
Among this year's Oscar Bait options, consider the latest Coen Brothers "art project": The Man Who Wasn't There. Like TV's The Simpsons, the Coen Brothers seem well past their prime, and yet their material is better than the vast majority of their competition.
The latest in a long line of obsessive Coen film noirs, the new film maximizes star Billy Bob Thornton and cinematographer Roger Deakins (here delivering beautiful black-and-white), synthesizing a typically clever and gorgeous Coen concoction. Thornton's sad sack dreamer is indelible, and his hazy, drifting journey through the film—and amongst the cornball eccentrics familiar to Coen fans—is affecting.
Unsatisfied with mastering one tone, the Coens continue to send pathos and screwball comedy careening into each other, but I wouldn't trade Thornton or Tony Shalhoub as his crazily wired lawyer foil. If you're in the mood for something different, strap in and take the ride.


text:
Arkansas Republicans are trying to distance themselves from a Republican state representative's assertion that slavery was a "blessing in disguise" and a Republican state House candidate who advocates deporting all Muslims.
The claims were made in books written, respectively, by Rep. Jon Hubbard of Jonesboro and House candidate Charlie Fuqua of Batesville. Those books received attention on Internet news sites Friday.
On Saturday, state GOP Chairman Doyle Webb called the books "highly offensive." And U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, a Republican who represents northeast Arkansas, called the writings "divisive and racially inflammatory."
Hubbard wrote in his 2009 self-published book, "Letters To The Editor: Confessions Of A Frustrated Conservative," that "the institution of slavery that the black race has long believed to be an abomination upon its people may actually have been a blessing in disguise." He also wrote that African-Americans were better off than they would have been had they not been captured and shipped to the United States.
Fuqua, who served in the Arkansas House from 1996 to 1998, wrote there is "no solution to the Muslim problem short of expelling all followers of the religion from the United States," in his 2012 book, titled "God's Law."
Fuqua said Saturday that he hadn't realized he'd become a target within his own party, which he said surprised him. "I think my views are fairly well-accepted by most people," Fuqua said before hanging up, saying he was busy knocking on voters' doors. The attorney is running against incumbent Democratic Rep. James McLean in House District 63.
The November elections could be a crucial turning point in Arkansas politics. Democrats hold narrow majorities in both chambers, but the GOP has been working hard to swing the Legislature its way for the first time since the end of the Civil War, buoyed by picking up three congressional seats in 2010. Their efforts have also been backed by an influx of money from national conservative groups.
Rep. Crawford said Saturday he was "disappointed and disturbed." "The statements that have been reported portray attitudes and beliefs that would return our state and country to a harmful and regrettable past," Crawford said.
U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Ark., kicked off the GOP's response Saturday by issuing a release, saying the "statements of Hubbard and Fuqua are ridiculous, outrageous and have no place in the civil discourse of either party." "Had I known of these statements, I would not have contributed to their campaigns. I am requesting that they give my contributions to charity," said Griffin, who donated $100 to each candidate.
The Arkansas Republican House Caucus followed, saying the views of Hubbard and Fuqua "are in no way reflective of, or endorsed by, the Republican caucus. The constituencies they are seeking to represent will ultimately judge these statements at the ballot box." Then Webb, who has spearheaded the party's attempt to control the Legislature, said the writings "were highly offensive to many Americans and do not reflect the viewpoints of the Republican Party of Arkansas. While we respect their right to freedom of expression and thought, we strongly disagree with those ideas."
Webb, though, accused state Democrats of using the issue as a distraction. Democrats themselves have been largely silent, aside from the state party's tweet and Facebook post calling attention to the writings. A Democratic Party spokesman didn't immediately return a call for comment Saturday.
Read more at BMS


text:
Read below to find out who took home Fight Night bonuses at UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot...
Eight fighters joined UFC® President Dana White at the UFC® on FX post-fight press conference - Travis Browne, Antonio Silva, Jacob Volkmann, Michael Johnson, John Dodson, Justin Edwards, Jake Ellenberger, and Marcus LeVesseur.
Johnson took home Knockout of the Night for his come-from-behind stoppage of Danny Castillo. After weathering an early storm from Castillo, Johnson landed a left hook in the second round that sent his opponent crashing to the canvas.
Edwards was awarded Submission of the Night for his quick submission of veteran Josh Neer. Edwards blitzed Neer early, then locked in a guillotine choke that put "The Dentist" to sleep early in the first round.
Fight of the Night went to preliminary card fighters Diego Nunes and Bart Palaszewski. The featherweights engaged in a fast-paced battle in which both fighters were wobbled by punches. After three exciting rounds, Nunes received the nod on all three judges' scorecards.
All bonused fighters received $40,000 for their efforts.
Watch the full post-fight press conference
Dana White explains what happened to the Jeremy Stephens vs. Yves Edwards bout
UFC Performance Institute
Dana White On The Opening Of UFC PI Mexico


text:
Diaspora Engagement
Recent Activity
The 2012 Global Diaspora Forum challenged diaspora communities to forge partnerships with the private sector, civil society, and public institutions in order to make their engagements with their countries of origin or ancestry effective, scalable, and sustainable.
A discussion with Dr. Noppawan Tanpipat, Vice President, National Science and Technology Development Agency; Frank Laczko, Head, Migration Research Division, IOM; Dovelyn Rannveig Agunias, Regional Research Officer, IOM, and Policy Analyst, Migration Policy Institute (MPI); and Kathleen Newland, Director of Migrants, Migration, and Development, Migration Policy Institute (MPI).
This discussion highlights the best practices and experiences of different countries in engaging and maximizing the contributions that diasporas can and do make to the development of their country of origin, and more broadly the experience of policymakers in both sending and receiving countries and the related challenges and opportunities they face.
This discussion includes a status of preparation of the 2012 GFMD summit, including a discussion on the possible ideas and projects presently being contemplated that would fully integrate migration into the development framework, with a special focus on Africa.
The launch of the Diaspora handbook and a joint panel discussion that explored the opportunities and challenges that governments face when developing strategies to engage diaspora populations.


text:
First responders in B.C. will now have greater access to services and compensation to treat mental health and trauma, Labour Minister Harry Bains announced Wednesday.
Bains will introduce amendments to the Workers Compensation Act, that, if passed, will add post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental injuries to a list of "presumptive conditions" no longer requiring workers to prove their disease or disorder is work-related.
RELATED: B.C. paramedics focus of PTSD documentary
"These are the people … who are the first at crash sites to save and treat victims, who put their lives on the line to battle raging house and building fires, are the first to respond to all kinds of horrific crimes," Bains said on the steps of the B.C. legislature.
Mental health injuries can be just as devastating as physical ones, he said, and this is especially true for first responders, sheriffs and correctional workers.
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Judy Darcy called the changes "long overdue."
Labour Minister @HarryBainsSN announces province will provide better access to services and compensations for #FirstResponders #MentalHealthMatters #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/h3alsaMHBd
— Victoria News (@VictoriaNews) April 11, 2018
Currently, two types of work-related mental disorders are recognized: a reaction to one or more traumatic events at work, and a reaction primarily caused by significant work-related stressors, such as bullying or harassment.
Workers have to prove their claim is valid by establishing that their injury was caused by their employment, in addition to being diagnosed by a psychiatrist or psychologist.
RELATED: Overdose crisis takes emotional toll on local paramedics
Cameron Eby, provincial president of Ambulance Paramedics of B.C., called the announcement "a great start" adding that he hopes to see dispatchers and emergency call takers included in the new guidelines as well.
"We're involved in transporting the patients so there's a bit of a longer contact and more of an intimate contact with patients in their time of need, and that has a profound effect on the paramedics doing that work," he said.
Eby pointed out legislation like this helps break down the barriers and the stigma around PTSD and other mental health injuries.
The opioid crisis, he said, was likely a contributing factor in the province's move to enhance support.
"I've heard from those paramedics that it's taking a toll on them when they have to see the same patients over and over again," he explained. "There's an additional emotional attachment to those situations."
The proposed amendments will specifically apply to firefighters, police, paramedics, sheriffs, and correctional officers.
Several other provinces already have similar legislation in place, including Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Saskatchewan and the Yukon.


text:
workforce restructuring and redundancies
Whether in a recession or economic boom, workforce transformations are a normal part of doing business. Results-oriented, talent mobility solutions help organisations promote overall positive employee sentiment, establish positive long-term employee relationships, and maintain a positive employer brand.
we can help:
talent retention
When the hiring market is tight – and even when it's not – keeping your most valuable talent is critical to keeping costs down, performance and productivity high, and workplace morale positive. Well-established and effective talent mobility programs are key to successfully reducing churn.
we can help:
productivity and employee engagement
Lower absenteeism and turnover, better customer relations, and superior products and services are the result of higher employee engagement and productivity. When people want to come to work and have a sense of purpose and value, businesses and employees thrive.
we can help:
modern workforce dynamics
For the first time in history, there are five generations of people working together to achieve organisational goals. Amid workplace culture and brand image challenges, organisations are looking for ways to engage every individual they employ.
we can help:
tailored solutions for organisations of all sizes
global and scalable solutions for large enterprises.
Global talent mobility: solutions for large organisations with distributed workforces concerned about the long-term implications of current business decisions on future success.
expert solutions for SMB.
Industry-leading layoff support to help you take care of your employees, who have come to feel more like family, and to meet your financial needs.
industry expertise
financial services
Blockchain, FinTech, and non-bank mortgages are changing the industry. We're there with solutions designed specifically for financial services companies.
The cyclical nature of technology and the need to remain competitive continue to motivate companies in this industry to look for contemporary, innovative solutions to workforce challenges.
Mergers, acquisitions, and an ever-changing federal policy have taken their toll on the healthcare industry. Leaders in healthcare trust us to care for their employees and HR teams.
From brick and mortar to E-commerce, we help the retail industry maintain a positive brand image.
HR resources.


text:
Charlie Chaplin was woken up on the morning 17 September 1921 while in his bed at the Ritz Hotel on Piccadilly. "Visitors from Hoxton" he was told, and from outside the window he could hear children singing a song over and over again:
When the moon shines bright on Charlie Chaplin
His boots are cracking, for want of blacking
And his little baggy trousers need mending
Before we send him to the Dardanelles
The song had originally been written in protest about Chaplin not enlisting during WW1 (it was said that he had tried, but at 5 feet 4 inches tall and not much more than 126 pounds was told he was too small) but by 1921 the song had lost its original connotation or at least it had to the group of children from Hoxton School that had walked across London to see him.
Chaplin had arrived in England from America only a week earlier, disembarking at Southampton after a pleasant and sunny voyage. He had sailed across the Atlantic on the RMS Olympic, the elder sister ship of the Titanic but now, of course, complete with the requisite number of lifeboats and luxuriously re-fitted after life as a troopship during WW1. The comedian had come back to England mainly to promote his new and first full-length (six-reeler) film called 'The Kid'. Already a huge success in America it eventually became the second highest grossing film of 1921.
The Manchester Guardian, in rather a gushing style – although not that dissimilar to most other newspapers describing the event – wrote of the first glimpse of the homecoming Hollywood star:
Mr Chaplin just bubbled over with good nature and good humour. He poured out smiles and laughter and merry jokes in bumper measure, and all with the utmost simplicity and perfect freedom from affectation.
The Mayor of Southampton greeted Chaplin and began speaking rather nervously, with an apology about the weather, "It does not always rain in England…" Chaplin quickly interrupted, "I am an Englishman, Mr Mayor," he said, "and English weather, whatever it is, is good to see. It was raining, I remember, when I went away nine years ago.
Chaplin was now an incredibly rich man but his childhood in Walworth had been a desperately poor one. Both his parents, Charles and Hannah Chaplin, were music hall performers but of no great fame. When Charlie was just three, Charles Snr left the family home after his wife gave birth to a boy whose father was Leo Dryden – another music hall performer. Not long after the birth Dryden came and forcibly took his child, Charlie's half-brother, away from Hannah.
Struggling financially, Hannah Chaplin had a breakdown in 1895 and the following year, along with Charlie and his brother Sydney, entered the Lambeth Workhouse. Although within a few weeks, however, the two boys were sent to Hanwell School for Orphans and Destitute Children.
In 1903, after further breakdowns, Hannah was placed in the Cane Hill Lunatic Asylum in Surrey. Chaplin later wrote about a visit to see her in 1912, just before he left to live in America:
It was a depressing day, for she was not well. She had just got over an obstreperous phase of singing hymns, and had been confined to a padded room. The nurse had warned us of this beforehand. Sydney saw her, but I had not the courage, so I waited. He came back upset, and said that she had been given shock treatment of icy cold showers and that her face was quite blue. That made us decide to put her into a private institution – we could afford it now.
The brothers took their mother from Cane Hill and placed her at Peckham House – a private asylum in south London that cost 30 shillings a week. Not an inconsiderable sum in 1912.
Chaplin had been performing to audiences from the age of five – it was said that he was literally pushed on to a stage when an audience started jeering after his mother when she suddenly lost her voice half way through a song. By the age of 19 he had become a member of Fred Karno's prestigious music hall troupe, and it was with them that he first took him to America in 1910 (one of the other members of Karno's company was Stanley Jefferson who would later become known as Stan Laurel). On a second visit in 1912 Chaplin caught the eye of Mack Sennett and he began to work in the still very young film business. Within a few years he had appeared in more than sixty films, most of which he had directed himself. By 1918 Charlie Chaplin was one of the most famous men on the planet.
When Chaplin stepped off the train onto platform 14 at Waterloo Station, just a mile or so away from where he had grown up as a child, he was visibly shocked at the thousands and thousands of people waiting ready to greet him. "A fierce roar of the great crowd smote his ears," wrote one newspaper, while the Times wrote, "At Waterloo the stage might have been set for the homecoming of Julius Caesar, Napoleon, and Lord Haig rolled into one."
The police managed to get Chaplin into a waiting car which then drove down to the Ritz on Piccadilly. Another enormous crowd was waiting and 'Everybody – including the police – went mad,' reported the Manchester Guardian. Chaplin, his hair dishevelled, but bronzed by his voyage and dressed immaculately in a grey overcoat stood up in the car and shouted:
Thank you, very much, for this generous, kind and affectionate welcome. This is a great moment for me. I cannot say much. Words are absolutely inadequate.
The police were almost overpowered by the boisterous and excited crowd and there was a struggle on the steps of the hotel before they managed to get Chaplin inside. The crowd continued cheering until he appeared at a first-floor window where be broke up a huge bunch of carnations and threw them down to the crowd. A few days later he received a letter (one of thousands, many of them begging), "My boy," it read, "tried to get one of your carnations and his hat was smashed. I enclose you a bill of 7s. 6d. for a new one."
Chaplin told the press that he was tired and needed to rest but actually soon slipped out of the Arlington entrance of he hotel and took a taxi to Waterloo Bridge and then, on his own, he walked to Lambeth Walk an old haunt of his childhood. A few days later, on another trip to south London, he visited 3 Pownall Terrace in Kennington (the street would be demolished in 1968) where he had lived in a little room at the top of the house.
It was now occupied by a Mrs Reynolds, "many's the time I've banged my head on that sloping ceiling," he said to her after she had taken him to see his old room. Mr Charles Robinson, described as Chaplin's manager by the Daily Mirror, told the newspaper in an interview in 1921, that the attic scenes in The Kid were based on a replica of that room in Charlie's old 'diggings' in Kennington.
Back at the Ritz, on the morning of the 17th of September, Chaplin got dressed and walked into the sitting room of his suite to meet the young visitors from Hoxton. He found fifty excited boys and girls from the Hoxton school. One boy, called Charles Loughton, stepped forward and handed him a box of cigars and a letter. It read:
You were one of us. You are now famous over the world. But we like to think you were once a poor boy in London as we are. You are now a gentleman, and all gentlemen smoke cigars. So we have chosen a box as a little gift to 'Our Charlie.'
A young girl, Lettie Westbrook aged thirteen, gave Charlie a bouquet with a note saying, "with our thanks for all the fun you give to us."
After Chaplin had given each child a package of "candy," he impersonated an old man in a picture gallery. By a skilful use of his overcoat, hat, and stick, he appeared to grow gradually to a height of some nine feet in order to look at the highest pictures, and the children screamed with laughter.
Three weeks after Chaplin met the boys and girls from Hoxton School he left London, via Waterloo again, for New York, this time on the Cunard liner Berengaria. He had also decided, along with his brother Sydney, to bring his mother back with him to California. After a particularly harsh and tragic life much of which had been spent in workhouses and mental institutions Hannah Chaplin was being properly looked after in a home in Los Angeles.
During the production of 'The Kid' Chaplin had met a 12 year old girl called Lita Grey who appeared as the flirtatious angel in the dream sequence at the end of the film. Three years later he cast her again, this time as the female lead, in 'The Gold Rush'. During the early stages of the production the 35 year old Chaplin became 'romantically' involved despite Lita being only 15. It wasn't long before Lita discovered she was pregnant and was quickly replaced in the film by another of Chaplin's lovers Georgia Hale.
Grey and Chaplin were wed on November 25th 1924 in Empalme, Mexico. The New York Times, reporting on the event, listed her age as 17. They had two children, Charles Jnr born in 1925 and Sydney born the following year. On August 27th they were divorced due to 'extreme cruelty'. Chaplin was ordered to pay $600,000 and $100,000 in trust for each child – the world's largest divorce settlement at the time.
Exactly a year after the divorce Chaplin's mother, the woman whose life he had based so many of his female characters, and who had probably been suffering from the symptoms of Syphilis for over twenty years, died at the Physicians' and Surgeons' Hospital in Glendale in August 1928.


text:
Adding Text to Your Print Layouts in Lightroom
It's pretty easy to add text to your photo layouts. Photoshop Lightroom can automatically pull metadata info from your photos and have it appear on the photo print, or you can add your own custom text (and/or Identity Plate). Here's what you can add, and how you can add it.
Step 1
First, a little setup: We're going to use U.S. letter paper size, but go ahead and click a wide photo in the filmstrip. Make sure that the Auto-Rotate to Fit checkbox is turned off; then grab the bottom cell margin and drag upward as shown in Figure 1 to move the photo higher up on the frame.


text:
Hi everyone. My personal assistant hasn't been posting a lot here about my exploits, because she's sort of sick. She's tired a lot, but that doesn't stop her from devising all kinds of rules for me to follow. Like these:
1.) Don't stick your paws in mom's glass when she's drinking soda or ice water
2.) Don't stick your paws in the toilet water when it flushes
3.) Don't tear covers off of magazines
4.) Don't try to jump on the birds' cages
5.) Don't try to kill the birds
6.) Don't steal mom's scrunchies, eye drops, bras, panties, or credit cards and hide them under the sofa
7.) Don't pee on Mom's computer


text:
Table of Contents
For Constitution Day, FIRE and Bill of Rights Institute Launch High School Curriculum
PHILADELPHIA, September 17, 2013—The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) is celebrating Constitution Day by launching a new high school curriculum to teach students about their individual rights before they head to college. Written in collaboration with the Bill of Rights Institute, the lesson plan, entitled The College Bill of Rights (PDF), supplies teachers with everything they need to engage high school students while educating them about the rights they have when they arrive on campus—and what to do if those rights are denied.
"Too many American students are entering and leaving college with no real idea of how their First Amendment rights protect them every day and in nearly every field of endeavor," said FIRE Senior Vice President Robert Shibley. "As FIRE co-founder Alan Charles Kors says, 'A nation that does not educate in liberty will not long preserve it, and will not even know when it is lost.' Today, FIRE and the Bill of Rights Institute are taking another step towards ensuring that the United States will not become such a nation."
To help reach high school students, FIRE and the Bill of Rights Institute have launched a mobile-optimized website, collegebillofrights.org, to accompany the lesson plan. Teachers, parents, and students may access the website and sign up for updates via smartphone by texting RIGHTS to 31996. Educators interested in using the lesson plan in their classrooms can download it for free and see related materials and resources. History and civics teachers are also encouraged to sign up to receive further free Bill of Rights Institute lesson plans or acquire FIRE's Guides to Student Rights on Campus for their classrooms.
FIRE is a nonprofit educational foundation that unites civil rights and civil liberties leaders, scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals from across the political and ideological spectrum on behalf of individual rights, freedom of expression, academic freedom, due process, and rights of conscience at our nation's colleges and universities. FIRE's efforts to preserve liberty on campuses across America can be viewed atthefire.org.
The Bill of Rights Institute is a not for profit charity focused on providing educational resources on America's Founding documents and principles for teachers and students of American History and Civics. The mission of the Bill of Rights Institute is to educate young people about the words and ideas of America's Founders, the liberties guaranteed in our Founding documents, and how our Founding principles continue to affect and shape a free society.
Robert Shibley, Senior Vice President, FIRE: 215-717-3473; firstname.lastname@example.com
Michelle Griffes, Director for Education, Bill of Rights Institute: 703-894-1776 x15;firstname.lastname@example.com
Recent Articles
FIRE's award-winning Newsdesk covers the free speech news you need to stay informed.


text:
Any page can be presented as a modal dialog by adding the data-rel="dialog"
attribute to the page anchor link. When the "dialog" attribute is applied, the framework adds styles to add rounded corners, margins around the page and a dark background to make the "dialog" appear to be suspended above the page.
Open dialog
By default, the dialog will open with a 'pop' transition. Like all pages, you can specify any page transition you want on the dialog by adding the data-transition
attribute to the link. To make it feel more dialog-like, we recommend specifying a transition of "pop", "slideup" or "flip".
Open dialog
When any link is clicked within in a dialog, the framework will automatically close the dialog and transition to the requested page, just as if the dialog were a normal page. To create a "cancel" button in a dialog, just link to the page that triggered the dialog to open and add the data-rel="back"
attribute to your link. This pattern of linking to the previous page is also usable in non-JS devices as well.
For JavaScript-generated links, you can simply set the href attribute to "#" and use the data-rel="back"
attribute. You can also call the dialog's close()
method to programmatically close dialogs, for example: $('.ui-dialog').dialog('close')
Just like the page plugin, you can set a dialog's close button text through an option or data attribute. The option can be configured for all dialogs by binding to the mobileinit
event and setting the $.mobile.dialog.prototype.options.closeBtnText
property to a string of your choosing, or you can place the data attribute data-close-btn-text
to configure the text from your markup.
Since dialogs are typically used to support actions within a page, the framework does not include dialogs in the hash state history tracking. This means that dialogs will not appear in your browsing history chronology when the Back button is clicked. For example, if you are on a page, click a link to open a dialog, close the dialog, then navigate to another page, if you were to click the browser's Back button at that point you will navigate back to the first page, not the dialog.
Dialogs can be styled with different theme swatches, just like any page by adding data-theme
attributes to the header, content, or footer containers. Here is an example of a different dialog design:
Dialogs appear to be floating above an overlay layer. This overlay adopts the swatch A content color by default, but the data-overlay-theme
attribute can be added to the page wrapper to set the overlay to any swatch letter. Here is an example of a dialog with the overlay set to swatch e:
Dialogs can also be used more like a control sheet to offer multiple buttons if you simply remove the top margin from the dialog's inner container element. For example, if your dialog page had a class of my-dialog
, you could add this CSS to pin that dialog to the top: .ui-dialog.my-dialog .ui-dialog-contain { margin-top: 0 }
, or you could just apply that style to all dialogs with .ui-dialog .ui-dialog-contain { margin-top: 0 }
For the sake of readability, dialogs have a default max-width
of 500 pixels (plus 15px padding on each side). There is also a 10% top margin
to give dialogs larger top margin on larger screens, but collapse to a small margin on smartphones. To override these styles, add the following CSS override rule to your stylesheet and tweak as needed:
.ui-dialog .ui-header,
.ui-dialog .ui-content,
.ui-dialog .ui-footer {
max-width: 500px;
margin: 10% auto 15px auto;


text:
Session:kernel.org development and the embedded world
Session Details
- Event
- ELC 2008 (Mountain View)
- Date
- April 16 2008
- Presenter
- Andrew Morton
- Organization
- Slides
- Media:Morton-elc-08.ppt, Media:Morton-elc-08.pdf
- Video
- http://free-electrons.com/pub/video/2008/elc/elc2008-andrew-morton-keynote.ogg
- Duration
- 55 minutes
Andrew will summarize the kernel.org development and decision-making processes. Special focus will be placed upon how they impact the developers of Linux for embedded products, including the economics of using a modern kernel versus staying on a frozen older kernel version, and the economics of maintaining private patchsets versus merging work back into the public kernel. For those who choose to work with the kernel.org team, Andrew will look at how that can most effectively be done. Andrew works with Linus Torvalds and other members of the Linux development community (including open source developers and distribution vendors and industry contributors) to shepherd new features and quality improvements into the Linux kernel.
Andrew has worked at Nortel Networks' R&D labs, and Digeo Interactive, a maker of digital home entertainment products. He is currently employed by Google, working fulltime on the Linux kernel. His long experience with Linux development, and experience in the embedded realm, give Andrew a unique and valuable perspective on the issues facing embedded Liux developers.
Reports on this talk are at: http://lwn.net/Articles/278647/ and http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/Linux-kernel-maintainer-calls-for-embedded-specialist/
- Transcribed by
- Tim Bird
- Verified by
- 1 -
0:00 - 1:00:
[Introduction by Tim Bird]
1:00 - 2:00:
[Introduction continues...]
2:00 - 3:00:
[Introduction continues...]
Thanks, Tim. Yeah I actually go back in embedded a long way. I started my career as a hardware designer and I'm actually an electrical engineer.
3:00 - 4:00:
I used to do a lot of board level design, and do the operating system, the firmware, and the bringup, and device drivers, and all that sort of stuff. And it was sort-of mid-career that I started actually seriously programming these big machines.
Anybody here who was at the Monta Vista conference last year will find what I have to say today eerily familiar. And I'm sorry about that, but it bears repeating. I know my kids need to be told the same thing more than once before they'll do it.
[Slide 1 Overview] So what I was going to talk about today - I'm going to assume that the audience here are people who don't actually work on Linux for Linux' sake, per se. You in fact use Linux as part of developing some other product. It's just a tool which you use to deliver something to your customers.
What I won't be addressing today is the ongoing day-to-day interaction which contributors such as yourselves should make with the kernel.org team.
4:00 - 5:00:
That's the subject of another presentation, that I won't be covering that topic.
Certainly, we can get on with that during question and answer session. How long do we have in here, is it a full 60 minutes? ... 50 minutes. OK. There's probably about 35 or 40 minutes worth of material. I would encourage people to think of, and save up questions at the end. Generally I don't like these things to be a me-to-you. It's important that they're also you-to-me, because I am here to serve you people. You are my customers. You need to tell me how I'm going.
I'll do a bit of amateur economics about what I believe to be the economics which is unique to embedded development, and how and why that impacts the interaction that embedded developers have with the kernel.org team;
5:00 - 6:00:
Discuss what we'd like to call "patch hoarding", sitting on a pile of patches and why this can be a bad thing to do; Look at the reasons why you might be ... to merge your features into the upstream kernel rather than maintain them yourself; Look at which kernel version you might choose to use in your product development; Discuss what level of support the public kernel developers can give to you, and why they will support you in your product development; and then I'll spend a bit of time talking about how we, or more specifically I, make decisions about what things should be merged into the upstream kernel, and what the criteria are for making that decision.
[Slide 2 - The economics of Linux-for-embedded]
So looking at the economics of Linux on embedded systems, I think the key difference with embedded is that usually there is no plan to upgrade the version of the kernel running on the product.
6:00 - 7:00:
You develop the product, you build the software, the application stack, the kernel. And you bundle it all together, and mostly push it out. You may, maybe will update the kernel sometimes, but you don't expect your customer to do it. It's an embedded product.
This is radically different from the desktop and server world where upgrades are expected. In fact you don't even know what kernel your customer will be running in the first place. He might be running a RedHat Enterprise kernel, or an OpenSuse kernel, or Mandriva or anything. And also the kernel will be upgraded across the lifetime of the hardware. That's a critical difference because then you need to plan for that upgrade.
Another difference between embedded and the server/desktop world is that the software for embedded is delivered directly from the hardware manufacturer.
7:00 - 8:00: It doesn't come from some other 3rd party.
Now one exceptional case in all of this thinking is the case of the hardware manufacturer. ... that's the Intel, ARM, Atmel, Analog, people like that, who make hardware which they then sell to other customers, and those customers will then deliver embedded products using that hardware.
Those companies are in a similar position to the desktop and server hardware manufacturers, in that they are motivated to make Linux run as well as possible on their particular hardware, so that they'll pick up more customers.
So what we're seeing at present in the kernel world is a lot of contributions coming from companies such as those, who sell hardware into embedded developers, rather than actually developing embedded products themselves.
8:00 - 9:00: So that is for similar logic as you would see with the desktop and server world.
Another thing we see - and I don't really know why it is - the embedded segment just doesn't seem to have as much money. They tend to be smaller companies, with shorter time to market, and quicker turn-around times. So they can't really afford the luxury of having people who are dedicated to working on the open source software. They have to get product out the door.
The net effect of all this is that, I believe, that the embedded segment is under-represented in the development of the kernel.org kernel, compared to the overall importance of embedded in the Linux world. It's still the case that most of the people who are paid to work on Linux are really keyed towards the server products.
9:00 - 10:00:
Things have improved, mainly from the contributions from the embedded chip manufacturers. And sometimes that's indirect. For example, two of our entire embedded architectures are in fact maintained by David Howels, who's at RedHat. I expect that's on a contract basis with the companies who actually make those chips.
[Slide 4 - Effects of embedded's under-representation]
Now if my theory is correct, and embedded is in fact under-represented in kernel.org development, that will obviously have a few effects.
One is, that there will be a risk that it will tilt development to be excessively focused on the server and desktop side, and not sufficiently focused on the embedded side. And we regularly get accused of being excessively focused on servers, and not focused enough on desktop. Which, there's some truth to that, but not as much as one might think.
10:00 - 11:00:
The fact is that the people who work on kernel.org - particularly those people who you might like to call the leaders of the project - we do care a lot about Linux on the embedded system, even though we really don't have a business case for doing so. We want Linux to run as well as possible on embedded. We think it's cool. So we care about it a lot.
So a strong part of kernel development culture is any change which comes into the kernel does need to be scrutinized for its impact on small systems. That's laptops down to very small embedded devices. And if we decide a feature is too heavily oriented towards multi-processor systems, or uses too much memory, or whatever, it will need to be re-worked.
Now, we generally do this by code inspection. We don't actually do it by testing and measuring its memory footprint effects. Things can and do slip through. We could always do with some help there, reviewing and testing changes to make sure that their impact upon embedded is either zero or beneficial.
11:00 - 12:00: But, as I say, we mainly - most of the work we do looking after embedded is making sure that the work which is really geared towards server doesn't damage embedded too much. We don't actually spend much of our time overtly trying to improve embedded systems. It's just, "Let's work on server stuff, and not damage embedded too much".
And that's unfortunate.
I can't really identify anybody who sits there and works on the Linux kernel specifically to make it better for embedded systems. There're a lot of people who work down in the architecture code, and devices drivers, and all sorts of things, that are keyed towards embedded. But there is no single person I can go to who is *the* embedded maintainer.
12:00 - 13:00: Now a number of the embedded guys do work on embedded peripherally. David Howells who looks after two of the embedded architectures, for example, does a bit of work on the no-MMU port, and on various executable file formats, and things. But there's no single person sitting there on top of the Linux kernel who is the go-to person to look after embedded, to add new embedded features to the core kernel, etc.
Matt Mackall was doing it for a while, I believe under contract with CELF. But that's certainly not a full-time effort.
So, I think if we did have one person who was the embedded top level person, not oriented towards any particular architecture, that person would be pretty effective. There's a lot of work they could do to make significant benefit for the overall embedded users of the kernel.
13:00 - 14:00: [Slide 5 - How you can help kernel.org development]
Now if you are, for example, a person who is developing an embedded product for a company, that's based on Linux; If you're generally interested that Linux will run as well as possible on your product - We need your help.
And generally people think help means sitting down until 2:00 o'clock in the morning writing kernel patches and sending them to Andrew. But that's not necessarily the case. There are a lot of things that people can do which are [???] than sitting down and writing patches.
One is simply telling us what your pain points are - what the Linux kernel is not doing for you as well as you would like it to do. Often we just don't know. Some people know, for example, that boot-up time is a problem.
14:00 - 15:00: But people don't really think about it a lot while they're coding. Nobody actually sits there and tries to optimize bootup time.
We know about memory footprint - always careful about that. But we're not particularly sophisticated in addressing the needs of embedded. So it would really help if we had some people - some more senior, sophisticated people - who have experience in the embedded world, simply to tell us when we're doing things wrong. To tell us what features are important to them and what aren't. Simply so we can prioritize our work in a way that optimizes the kernel for embedded platforms.
Tell us what we're missing - I mean, I don't think I've seen anybody come up and say, "Look WindRiver, or PSOS or whatever does this, that and that, and Linux doesn't. And it's a gap."
If you think there are things that Linux should do which competitive operating systems do, well, let us know. We might not do anything about it, but at least we'd know about it and over time, people will help prioritize people's work.
15:00 - 16:00:
And, help people understand what things are beneficial to the most number of users as they work on the Linux kernel.
I find there are a lot of people who are monitoring the mailing lists, the websites, the release announcements and that sort of thing. And often I come to conferences and people tell me things I didn't know.
That's bad.
I shouldn't not know anything. If you know something which is potentially of use to the kernel team, to help guide in their development, for heaven's sake tell us. And a way to tell us is by sending an e-mail to you-know-which mailing list.
Tell us what you need.
Because there's no way that we can do it if we don't know that it's a need.
Another way in which a person can contribute to kernel.org development is to review the patches as they go past.
16:00 - 17:00:
You can help us to check that a change will not damaging to embedded in any way. You may see a feature which is close to what you need, but it needs a few tweaks to be more useful. Please tell us!
Reviewing the patches, checking them for correctness and suitability for your application is direct contribution and it's not a lot of work.
"The Squeaky gate get the oil" is an old English phrase in that the person who makes the most noise, is the one who gets the most attention. And I'm afraid that's how kernel work happens.
There's historically been a group of people who were very good at making a lot of fuss about, for example, latency on the desktop. And as a consequence, quite a lot of developers and resources have been devoted to improving latency on desktops for multimedia applications and gaming.
17:00 - 18:00:
And that wouldn't have happened if those people hadn't come on the mailing list and made us look bad. So if you want something done, come on the mailing list and make us look bad. Chances are, it will happen.
[Slide 7 - Patch hoarding]
What I see quite frequently is embedded groups and others mainly at companies working on embedded products, will tend to sit - and probably you all do this, you tend to sit on your own little pile of patches which you think are only relevant to your product, and you will maintain them out of tree. Consequently, those patches get larger and larger and uglier and uglier and older and older and they become harder and harder to merge up, and they basically never get merged into the mainline tree.
18:00 - 19:00:
It's quite a bit of work to merge a patch to into the mainline tree. I hope the main reason why people sit on their work without sending it upstream is because it's quite a lot of work to get it upstream. But I've also heard of companies who like to keep the patches to themselves because they believe they will be beneficial to their competitors.
Sorry, that's not a good reason.
This is an open source product. Yes, it will potentially be some small damage if your software becomes available to your competitors. But I think you have to see that as the price of admission to using Linux. It's an open source product. Everybody else is contributing into it. You have at the very least a moral, if not a legal obligation to contribute to it yourself.
Another problem of course with patch hoarding is that it gets increasingly expensive over time, particularly as you roll forward through kernel versions.
19:00 - 20:00: And so I would encourage people to make a big effort to get these patches merged up. And I'll be talking about that quite a bit, later on.
[Slide 8 - Why merge upstream, The pros]
Now look at the logic for what might be your reasons for merging you code up in the kernel.
We do have - it's variable, but normally we do have very strong review, integration, testing, and releasing process. So your code will be gone through with a tooth comb, and as a consequence of that, the code will be better, by the time we merge it - unless it was already very good.
A big advantage, of course, is once your code is merged with the public kernel your cost for maintaining that code falls close to zero. You no longer have to maintain a patch set. You no longer have to re-merge it and re-test it each time you have to roll forward to a new kernel version.
20:00 - 21:00:
You will find that others will add new features to it, and they will improve its performance. Other will fix bugs in it. Others will test it, and it will generally improve as time goes by. And of course when people make changes to the core kernel, rather than breaking your code, they will fix it on the fly and you will never see a difference.
A major reason for merging, particularly if it's a significant feature - another reason for merging with the mainline kernel, is that once you've merged you have won. If there are any other competing implementations of a similar feature out there, they will die. Because if you have, say, it's a particular block-based filesystem, or something like that, if you merge that, and it's a good enough block based file system, all the other ones are eventually going to wither.
21:00 - 22:00:
Now if you happen to not merge your code upstream, and somebody else merges their code, then it's your code that going to wither as well. So you're then looking at either having to maintain your alternative implementation for all time, or you'll need to migrate your existing users and applications, from your own implementation over to the one which is in the kernel, which can be quite expensive in terms of re-work and migration costs, backporting, etc.
It's not a thing which people normally think about when considering merging upstream - but being the first to merge a feature can make it easier for yourself, and harder for your competitor.
[Slide 9 - Why merge upstream? The cons]
On the other hand.
22:00 - 23:00: Just going back to that. One thing I like to do when I see somebody merging a feature is to sort of run around the industry and find out who else is interested in this feature. Who are the other stakeholders? You may find that if you and another company have a feature which do pretty similar things, but in a different way, I will try to identify that other guy. And get them to comment on your work, and find out what their take on it is. Get their input. And as a result, that feature may become more generalized, so it will address their requirements as well. That way we can possibly get them working on it also.
This has happened a number of times in the past.
Now, what might be the problems with merging your code upstream?
Obviously, it does require work. It requires a considerable body of work. Often what we see is some company will sit there in cathedral mode, and they'll develop their feature and it's all beautiful and it's ready and they'll send it off to Andrew.
23:00 - 24:00: Then the world comes tumbling down, because all sorts of things are found wrong with it. Large amounts of re-work need to be done. That's because they made the mistake of not releasing it sufficiently early - trying to get it too complete before they released it.
You should solicit feedback at the earliest possible stage so that you can get some estimate of how much work will need to be done - whether it's just completely un-viable or unacceptable, find out if somebody else has another implementation coming down the pike, etc. When looking to merge upstream you should, even if the code is not ready, get it out there for people to look at and comment on and provide you some guidance.
What can happen, I think, is people have a certain time and dollar amount set towards merging the code upstream. They budget it. They send the code, and then suddenly find that they have a couple months more work to do.
24:00 - 25:00: And they haven't budgeted for that, because it was unexpected. But, code doesn't have to be complete before we'll look at it. So get it out earlier please. It will help all parties.
Another problem with merging the code upstream can be that significant changes might be asked, or you might be asked to make significant changes to it. One thing we particularly look closely at is the user-space to kernel interfaces. We really care about interfaces. Because, the internals, you know, we can change them. We can do absolutely anything we like with the internals of the implementation. But once we've released it, one thing we cannot change is the kernel/user-space interfaces. We have to get that right.
Consequently, you may find that when you submit a significant feature into the public kernel, people will zoom in on the kernel/user interface and request that it be changed.
25:00 - 26:00: Of course this is rather nasty if you're already running that code with the particular user interface. Because you've already got all sorts of migration added to all your other problems.
Sorry. There's no real fix for that. Except for getting your code out as early as possible, so you're not too far committed to existing code before you submit ...
Another downside is, of course, a feature becomes more easily available to your competitors. I don't have a fix for that. Sorry. Except to say that's just part of the cost of doing business with Linux. It is not BSD. It's a GPL product. And, view that contribution as the price of admission.
26:00 - 27:00: [Slide 10 -
27:00 - 28:00:
28:00 - 29:00:
29:00 - 30:00:
30:00 - 31:00:
31:00 - 32:00:
32:00 - 33:00:
33:00 - 34:00:
34:00 - 35:00:
35:00 - 36:00:
36:00 - 37:00:
37:00 - 38:00:
38:00 - 39:00:
39:00 - 40:00:
40:00 - 41:00:
41:00 - 42:00:
42:00 - 43:00:
43:00 - 44:00:
44:00 - 45:00:
45:00 - 46:00:
46:00 - 47:00:
47:00 - 48:00:
48:00 - 49:00:
49:00 - 50:00:
50:00 - 51:00:
51:00 - 52:00:
52:00 - 53:00:
53:00 - 54:00:
54:00 - 55:00:
55:00 - 56:00:
56:00 - 57:00:
57:00 - 58:00:
58:00 - 59:00:
59:00 - 60:00:


text:
Cracked Round-Up: A Message to New Graduates
It's March once more, and a whole sampler platter of new college graduates are within sight of graduation. We'd like to speak to those bright, hopeful young souls now. You've probably heard a lot about how horrible the job market is right now, but don't get disheartened! With enough hard work and dogged vigilance, you can succeed.
But hard work and dogged vigilance don't put food on the table. So, as a public service, we'd like to give you some advice:
1. You can usually get two good knifes from one bar of soap.
2. Vodka disinfects knife wounds and acts as a painkiller.
3. California's homeless shelters are pretty boss.
Good luck out there!
If there's one thing TV in the '90s taught us, it's that people falling down is hilarious. Seanbaby proved that trend alive and well in the 21st century. David Wong got real with an open letter to the rich people of the world. Soren Bowie looked at feuds between the craziest of the crazy people and Luke McKinney proved that life can find a way anywhere. Christina took on the lies we tell to the Internet while Brockway separated the House's of the world from the regular, non-genius douchebags. John Cheese brightened the mood with a look at why today won't suck. Chris Bucholz capped our week with a sobering look into the world of journalism.
5 Ridiculous Cold War Myths You Learned in History Class
Just think. In another few decades, we'll be able to write a follow-up article of all the myths we believe right now!
Notable Comment: "This is one of the most insulting, mind-numbingly stupid articles I've ever read at this site. Guys, stick to your usual funny crap and stay away from things you do not comprehend, OK? Millions of victims of communism, lying in unmarked graves, don't weigh on your conscience even a tiny bit? Morons."
Holy shit, ArikElman. We must have been super drunk (er than usual) because we so don't remember the vast majority of those murders.
7 Deadly Things You Won't Believe Most People Survive
But hey, don't take our word for it. Test everything in this article yourself.
Notable Comment: "They forgot one major, MAJOR one: Having sex with someone with HIV. Your chances of catching HIV/AIDS by sex with an HIV-positive person is less than one-tenth of one-percent. AIDS is usually transmitted through sharing needles."
Way to go, Egarrett. One more piece of anti-needle-sharing propaganda for the needle-hating media.
6 Ridiculous First Drafts of Famous Movie Monsters
Creativity is more of a numbers game than anything.
Notable Comment: "I kinda like the first take green goblin"
Rorschach82 apparently has a box of lemons where his soul should be.
6 Terrifying New Creatures Science Just Discovered
Thanks for this, science. We really couldn't have done without knowing about these monsters.
Notable Comment: "Red eyes, lethargy and apathy? Sounds like pot."
Good Lord, cornflakes, the whole west coast might already be infected!
6 Insect Predators That Go Out of Their Way to be Evil
And we think to ourselves, what a wonderful world. Filled with murderous insects.
Notable Comment: "Thanks Cracked. Now I'm going to go to sleep with all the lights on, curled up in the corner and shivering."
That's a good plan, gec. But insects love the light.
Natural Disastronaut
3 Energy-Saving Tips for the Complete Lunatic
Check out more from Natural Disastronauts.
23 Tiny Changes That Would've Turned Good Ideas to Disasters
We're practically giving money away! Wait, not practically. Totally. We're totally giving away money to people, people with mediocre to decent Photoshop skills. People like you. Wouldn't you like to be a person like you? This week, you can be by entering our latest contests, If Movie Posters Were Sarcastic, Video Game Side Characters: Where Are They Now, Current Events as Understood by a 5-Year-Old and Worst Plans in History: Charted.


text:
Tucked into a pocket of his workout sweats, Steve Rogers -- aka Captain America, the serum-enhanced Yankee Doodle Dynamo who's spent six decades in deep freeze -- keeps a notebook of cultural beats he's missed: Star Wars, Marvin Gaye, Thai food. If only he'd added '70s conspiracy thrillers to his list. First, so he could tell his boss's boss, Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), "Hey, anyone ever tell you you look like that guy from Three Days of the Whatchamalit?" And second, so he'd realize sooner that he's been plunged into one.
Under the watch of S.H.I.E.L.D., the government agency at which he reservedly works, the planet's nearly been destroyed six times in four years. No wonder bigwig Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is rushing the launch of three massive drones programmed to neutralize threats before they attack. Fury warns that the 21st century's battle lines are no longer as obvious as WWII's. Cap's either with S.H.I.E.L.D. or against it, and soon, some of S.H.I.E.L.D. decides its against him.
The script is solid, and the fight scenes are excellent. The Winter Soldier is the first Marvel film in forever that doesn't climax with heroes mowing down a horde of non-human nobodies. This is bone on bone on that vibranium shield, which thwangs satisfyingly as it ricochets around before conking a villain — Cap's like a pool shark plunking the eight-ball. Meanwhile, Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow seduces him, only half-successfully, to join the modern age. Marvel doesn't consider her important or male enough to earn a love interest herself, but even if she never gets to have any sex, the camera certainly makes love to her.


text:
US Senate Approves Two-year Budget
The U.S. Senate has voted 64 to 36 to approve a two-year federal budget that eases automatic spending cuts and averts the threat of another government shutdown. As VOA's Michael Bowman reports, the measure received bipartisan support - a rarity in an otherwise politically fractured body. It now goes to the White House for President Barack Obama's signature.


text:
You may know about Comic-Con, the massive comic convention in San Diego. But there's another world out there, filled with characters created by Latino artists. And it's a group that's coming more into its own, to the extent that conferences dedicated just to their work are happening in California. The World's Monica Campbell reports on the artists and their creations.
Growing up in Los Angeles, Javier Hernandez worshiped superheroes like any other kid. But he went a bit further.
"When I was a kid my brother gave me his collection of comics, and I started just drawing," he says. "And then at one point, after college, I go you know I've got to make my own comic. You know, I want to see stuff that maybe you don't see a lot."
Like characters called Weapon Tex-Mex, El Muerto or Sonámbulo, a Mexican wrestler turned private eye. One of Hernandez's latest comics teams up a young Aztec boy and a dinosaur.
"It's basically about a boy who during the Spanish conquest of Mexico realizes there's a Tyrannosaurus Rex embedded in a block of amber in a cave," Hernandez says. So, the T-Rex gets released and the boy rides him to battle the conquistadors.
"Of course we know how the story ends unfortunately," says Hernandez.
The comic can get bloody, but it is also offbeat "because I grew up watching The Addams Family on TV," Hernandez says. "You know, it's not horrific, but it's quirky and odd and kind of dark and macabre."
I met Hernandez at San Francisco's Cartoon Museum for the Latino Comics Expo. It is the third time he has co-organized this event and it's still pretty new, but the number of fans and Latino creators is growing—enough for another event like this in Southern California next month.
People of all ages stream in to see the cartoonists' work, including Ben. He is 11-years-old and Mexican American. "It's pretty cool," he says. "A lot of the comic books I read, they are never really Mexican superheros. They're usually, like, white, black or Asian."
Cartoonist José Cabrera noticed that gap too. He is from New York, but his parents are from the Dominican Republic. The absence of Latinocomic characters struck him as a kid early on. So, he started developing his own characters. One of his early comics is called "Crying Macho Man," and it became an underground hit. Now, Cabreraa has put it on hold while he taps other cultures.
"I'm exploring a lot of the mythology of Latino art and Japanese art, Asian art," he says.
I ask Cabrera and another artist here, Jim Lujan, who is their inspiration. At once, they both said, "Sergio Aragonés!" The veteran Mad Magazine illustrator, who was born in Spain but grew up in Mexico, is known for his quick style and for the cartoons that appeared in the magazine's margins for years.
"His art style is just flawless," says Cabrera, who now lives in Los Angeles. "He draws so fast and it's so accurate and so fun."
But some artists here go beyond superheroes. Illustrator and writer Liz Mayorga, 31, drew as a kid growing up in Los Angeles and then saw art as a way to connect to her Mexican roots. One of her newest stories is called "A Caxcan Guerrilla Takes Over the Awkward Girl."
"Caxcan is a tribe of indigenous people that were in my mom and dad's hometown of El Teul, Zacatecas," Mayorga says. "I always asked my parents about our indigenous background and they could never give me any answers. And it made me really angry to know that my parents had no concept of that."
One of her favorite cartoonists, Mario Hernandez, is also here and he stops by Mayorga's table. Hernandez and his brothers pioneered the comic "Love and Rockets." The cult favorite broke ground in the early 80s with its smart Latino characters, steeped in California's punk rock scene.
"The stories would just tell stories about everyday people who happened to be gay, or happened to be Hispanic or they happened black," says Hernandez. "At the time there was no other Hispanic names that were putting out original things like that."
Then the two artists talk technique.
"Mario's style in cartooning specifically, he does a lot of really heavy lines," says Mayorga. "And they just seem so well mastered, just, you know, a little brushstroke and it's there."
"That's hard to do, to make things like you just whipped it off with a whim," says Hernadnez. "But I'm sweating bullets doing that kind of thing, to make it look just knocked off.
After a bit, Hernandez leaves and Mayorga pulls out her sketchpad. She's swept away, filling it with fine black lines and new worlds.
Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.


text:
Our parts department specialises in Suzuki, Mitsubishi and Kia parts. We ensure that you and your car receive the highest level of care and attention.
Genuine parts play a vital role in securing the pleasure of being behind the wheel of your vehicle. At Ray Crofton Motors we stock a full range of genuine manufactured parts. This ensures superb quality and dependability, guaranteeing the level of dynamic performance and comfort for you and your vehicle.


text:
What's making the floods worse in Manila?
MANILA, Philippines — Lashed each year by typhoons and stuck with outdated drainage systems, the Philippine capital has been hit by ever-worsening floods. Population growth, inadequate infrastructure, corruption, deforestation and even trash build-up combine to exacerbate the impact. It's a trend experts expect to continue.
Here's why:
Manila is located in a catch basin sandwiched between Manila Bay and Lake Laguna to the southeast. The city was built on waterways, canals and creeks that have for centuries channeled floodwaters into the sea.
But half the 40 kilometers (25 miles) of narrow waterways and canals that would drain rainwater — constructed and modified during the Spanish colonial period — have been lost, cemented or paved over, said architect and urban planner Paulo Alcazaren. Many of the remaining ones are clogged with garbage and ill-maintained, teeming with squatter colonies occupying riverbanks and coastal areas.
Much of Manila, once known as the "Pearl of the Orient," was lost in heavy bombardment at the end of World War II. The haphazard, poorly planned urban reconstruction coupled with the 10-fold jump in population to nearly 12 million today has severely strained the city's ability to cope with flooding.
The capital's flood control system is outdated, incomplete and poorly designed, said Felino Palafox, Jr., another urban architect who has closely studied flooding in Manila.
He said that starting in the 1970s, he and international development agencies had unsuccessfully called for the construction of a major spillway that would drain excess water during the typhoon season from Lake Laguna to Manila Bay. The lake has become heavily silted, decreasing its capacity to hold water and often overflows and floods outlying towns and cities, including Manila.
"There's no exit for water," Palafox said.
Each year, about 20 typhoons hit the country, and they have become stronger over the past decade, said Edna Juanillo, head of the Philippine government weather agency's climatology division. That prompted the agency about a decade ago to add a fourth category to public storm warning system for typhoons with sustained winds of more than 185 kilometers per hour (115 mph).
"It has not been concluded if this is caused by global warming and climate change, but we've been seeing more powerful tropical cyclones with winds of 150 kph and above in the last decade," Juanillo said.
Four of the strongest typhoons that hit between 2008 and 2012 caused damage of $2.2 billion compared to $828 million for the four of the most devastating typhoons between 1990-1998.
The most ferocious storm to ever hit Manila was Typhoon Ketsana in 2009, which dumped more than a month's worth of rain in 12 hours with floodwaters reaching 7 meters (23 feet). That and a second typhoon on its heels killed about 1,000 people and caused more than $1 billion in damage.
Last year, the annual monsoon and thunderstorms unleashed nonstop rains over eight days, flooding the same areas again, destroying thousands of homes, roads and submerging about 90 percent of Manila.
This week's deluge, brought by a monsoon and a tropical storm, dumped about the same amount rain as Ketsana but over 24 hours and wider area, submerging half of the city and shutting it down for two days. About a million people were affected.
Excessive logging on the Sierra Madre mountains north of the city has also made things worse. The rainwater rushes down the denuded slopes into the Pasig River, which runs through Manila and typically overflows.
Several proposals to dredge Lake Laguna failed to materialize. One such $430 million contract was signed by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's government and a Belgian company but was shelved by her successor, Benigno Aquino III, on suspicion of corruption and irregularities.
Aquino has authorized a plan to relocate slums from the city's waterways to ease flooding. Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson revealed in June that local politicians sought the delay of the operation ahead of the May congressional elections, making it too late for the onset of this year's rainy season.
The governing structure of Metro Manila also makes it difficult to get decisions covering the whole area. The metropolis is made up of 16 cities and one municipality, each headed by a separately elected mayor and city councilors.
The increasing volume of trash is also a problem. Most of the garbage ends up in landfills, but a substantial amount is discarded into drainage. One estimate by Metro Manila Development Authority is that the city dumps daily 3,000 cubic meters (equivalent to 600 trucks) of garbage and other solid materials in rivers, drains and waterways.
- Latest
- Trending


text:
April 30, 1975: The Fall of Saigon
For many in America, the Vietnam War ended in 1973 with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords and the subsequent withdrawal of the U.S. military from Vietnam a few months later. The United States' involvement in South Vietnam, however, lasted for two more years. Many believed that with continued American financial support and guidance, South Vietnam could maintain its status as an independent state. To help pursue this goal, a token force of 159 U.S. Marines were left behind to secure the U.S. embassy and Consul General's offices in Da Nang, Nha Trang, Bien Hoa, and Can Tho; another 50 military officers remained to create the new Defense Attache's Office (DAO). The DAO monitored the situation in South Vietnam, managed U.S. aid and the distribution of munitions and weapons to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), and provided support to the U.S. contractors remaining in Vietnam.
The new status quo held in Vietnam until the end of 1974 when several factors led to the demise of South Vietnam. The Arab-Israeli War of 1973 triggered an economic crisis with rising inflation and soaring petroleum prices causing problems all over the world, and, more significantly, angered American consumers. The political environment in America had changed drastically: President Richard Nixon resigned from office in August of 1974 and the American people were becoming increasingly vocal against continuing aid for a war that had supposedly ended in 1973. Eventually, Congress bowed to the pressure and significantly cut Vietnam's military and financial aid. Faced with a money shortage and high inflation, South Vietnam was suddenly unable to purchase the weapons necessary to engage the North Vietnamese army. During this time of crisis, the North Vietnamese secretly planned a major offensive meant to push deeply into South Vietnam's territory in early 1975.
Vietnam Center & Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive
Texas Tech University, Box 41041, Lubbock, TX 79409 -
(806)742-9010 -