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Ford to Recall Escapes Again for Oil and Fuel Leaks
DETROIT (AP) — Ford is recalling the Escape small SUV to fix oil and fuel leaks that can cause fires.
The hot-selling SUV has been recalled seven times since it was redesigned and went on sale in the spring of 2012.
The first of two recalls announced Tuesday affects more than 161,000 Escapes worldwide from the 2013 model year with 1.6-liter four-cylinder engines.
Ford says the cylinder heads can overheat and crack, causing oil leaks.
Of those SUVs, fuel lines on about 12,000 may have been installed wrong. They could become chafed and leak gas. Many were repaired under a previous recall.
Ford says the oil leaks caused 13 fires but no injuries.
Dealers will fix cooling and control systems or inspect and replace fuel lines for free. The recalls start in January.


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There have been many frauds of historic proportions – for example, the financial pyramid scheme for which Charles Ponzi was sent to prison in the 1920s, and for which Franklin D. Roosevelt was praised in the 1930s, when he called it Social Security. In our own times, Bernie Madoff's hoax has made headlines.
But the biggest hoax of the past two generations is still going strong – namely, the hoax that statistical differences in outcomes for different groups are due to the way other people treat those groups.
The latest example of this hoax is the joint crusade of the Department of Education and the Department of Justice against schools that discipline black males more often than other students. According to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, this disparity in punishment violates the "promise" of "equity."
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Just who made this promise remains unclear, and why equity should mean equal outcomes despite differences in behavior is even more unclear. This crusade by Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is only the latest in a long line of fraudulent arguments based on statistics.
If black males get punished more often than Asian-American females, does that mean that it is somebody else's fault? That it is impossible that black males are behaving differently from Asian-American females? Nobody in his right mind believes that. But that is the unspoken premise, without which the punishment statistics prove nothing about "equity."
TRENDING: An unaccountable military made in Biden's image?
What is the purpose or effect of this whole exercise by the Department of Education and the Department of Justice? To help black students or to secure the black vote in an election year by seeming to be coming to the rescue of blacks from white oppression?
Among the many serious problems of ghetto schools is the legal difficulty of getting rid of disruptive hoodlums, a mere handful of whom can be enough to destroy the education of a far larger number of other black students – and with it destroy their chances for a better life.
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Judges have already imposed too many legalistic procedures on schools that are more appropriate for a courtroom. "Due process" rules that are essential for courts can readily become "undue process" in a school setting, when letting clowns and thugs run amok, while legalistic procedures to suspend or expel them drag on. It is a formula for educational and social disaster.
Now Secretary Duncan and Attorney General Holder want to play the race card in an election year, at the expense of the education of black students. Make no mistake about it; the black students who go to school to get an education are the main victims of the classroom disrupters whom Duncan and Holder are trying to protect.
What they are more fundamentally trying to protect are the black votes that are essential for Democrats. For that, blacks must be constantly depicted as under siege from whites, so that Democrats can be seen as their rescuers.
Promoting paranoia translates into votes. It is a very cynical political game, despite all the lofty rhetoric used to disguise it.
Whether the current generation of black students get a decent education is infinitely more important than whether the current generation of Democratic politicians hang on to their jobs.
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Too many of the intelligentsia – both black and white – jump on the statistical bandwagon, and see statistical differences as proof of maltreatment, not only in schools but in jobs, in mortgage lending and in many other things.
Some act as if their role is to protect the image of blacks by blaming their problems on whites. But the truth is far more important than racial image.
Wherever we want to go, we can only get there from where we are. Not where we think we are, or wish we are, or where we want others to think we are, but where we are in fact right now.
But political spin and pious euphemisms don't tell us where we are. After a while, such rhetorical exercises don't even fool others.
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If we don't have the truth, we don't have anything to start with and build on. A big start toward the truth would be getting rid of the kinds of statistical hoaxes being promoted by Secretary of Education Duncan and Attorney General Holder.

subset: commoncrawl


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This posting is updated whenever a new post goes up.
There is a also a Skills-oriented Table Of Contents. It is not as complete as this list, which lists all posts, but it is more centered on links as they relate to skills.
If you want some free analysis, why not submit your schema to the Database Programmer? If you are willing to discuss your issues with a bit of public exposure, I will provide free analysis, and everybody can benefit!
The Application Stack
- A Working Definition of Business Logic, With Implications for CRUD Code
- The Cost of Round Trips To The Server
- Critical Analysis of An Algorithm: Sproc, Embedded SQL, ORM
- Historical Perspective of ORM and Alternatives
- The Framework And The Database
- Data And Code At The Application Level
- Approaches to UPSERT
- Why I Do Not Use ORM
Table Design Basics: Keys, Normalization, Denormalization
The first group of posts introduces the must-know terms and techniques for table design.
It might be a good idea to start with The Relational Model.
- Introduction (spell it out or figure it out)
- Primary Keys
- Foreign Keys
- First Normal Form
- Second Normal Form
- Third Normal Form and Calculated Values
- Of Tables and Constraints (also listed below in Table Design Patterns)
Following up on the normal forms are some basic discussions of normalization and denormalization.
- The Argument For Normalization
- The Argument For Denormalization
- Revisiting Normalization And Denormalization
- Denormalization Patterns
- Keeping Denormalized Values Correct
- The Data Dictionary and Calculations, Part 1
- The Data Dictionary and Calculations, Part 2
Table Design Patterns
The second subseries details commonly occurring patterns in table design, how to recognize them and when to use them.
There is a complete List of Table Design Patterns. The rest of the entries are:
- A Sane Approach To Choosing Primary Keys
- Different Foreign Keys for Different Primary Keys
- Cross Reference Validation Pattern
- Limited Transaction Pattern
- False Patterns and the Reverse Foreign Key
- The Primary Key That Wasn't: Impermanent Primary Keys
- Resolutions (Also listed in Queries below)
- Of Tables And Constraints (Also listed above in keys, normalization, denormalization)
- How the SQL UNION Affects Table Design (Also listed below in Queries)
- History Tables
- Secure Password Resets
- A Case When Table Design is Easy and Predictable (combinatorial and maximum complexity)
SQL SELECT and Queries
- Introduction To Queries
- GROUP BY, HAVING, SUM, AVG and COUNT(*)
- How SQL UNION Affects Table Design
- The JOIN is the Cornerstone of Powerful Queries
- Joins Part Two, The Many Forms of JOIN
- Resolutions (Also listed in Table Designs Above)
- Recursive Queries With Common Table Expressions
- The Really Cool NTILE() Window Function
Algorithms and Processes
Server-Side Code
Development Cycle
- Minimize Code, Maximize Data
- The Quest For The Absolute
- I Am But A Humble Filing Clerk
- Triggers, Encapsulation and Composition (repeated here because there is some philosophy in there)
Data Dictionary
Many of these posts are listed elsewhere in this table of contents, but I wanted to have them altogether in one place as well.
- Using a Data Dictionary
- The Data Dictionary and Calculations, Part 1
- The Data Dictionary and Calculations, Part 2
- Dictionary Based Database Upgrades
- Upgrading Indexes With A Data Dictionary


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Bats were flying creatures of the night that tended to roost in caves or dark forests. Related to bats are also vampires, evil bat-like creatures.
In the late First Age, Thuringwethil was Sauron's messenger and took the form of a giant bat with great fingered wings. Lúthien would take her form when she and Beren journeyed to Thangorodrim.[1]
Bats were apparently quite common in the northern parts of Middle-earth. When Bilbo Baggins was walking alone in the tunnels of the Misty Mountains he heard the whirr of bats by his ears so often that it ceased to startle him.[2] As Bilbo and the dwarves marched through Mirkwood they gave up lighting fires at night because they attracted thousands of moths, followed by huge black bats.[3] Bilbo encountered yet another bat in Smaug's lair after the dragon had gone away. This creature, brushing Bilbo's face, caused the hobbit to stumble and his torch to go out (which brought the dwarves to his rescue with more torches).[4] Bats were most famous in Middle-earth for taking the part of the Goblins during the Battle of Five Armies, in which they flew together over the battlefield so densely that no light could be seen between their wings.[5]
Other names[edit | edit source]
In Gnomish, one of Tolkien's early conceptions of an Elven language, the word for "bat (animal)" is cwildred.[6]
Other fiction[edit | edit source]
In the story Roverandom, the shadowbats are mentioned among the creatures living on the moon.[7]
Portrayal in adaptations[edit | edit source]
2007: The Lord of the Rings Online:
- Bats are found in caves throughout Middle-earth, especially in Moria. They are frequently the pets of the Merrevail.
2014: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor:
- Bats can sometimes be seen flying out of caves when Talion enters or exits them.
2014: The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies:
- Thousands of bats, accompanying a second Orc army, are sent from Gundabad to the Lonely Mountain for the Battle of the Five Armies.
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beren and Lúthien"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Riddles in the Dark"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Flies and Spiders"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Not at Home"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "The Clouds Burst"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "I-Lam na-Ngoldathon: The Grammar and Lexicon of the Gnomish Tongue", in Parma Eldalamberon XI (edited by Christopher Gilson, Arden R. Smith, and Patrick H. Wynne), p. 28
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Christina Scull, Wayne G. Hammond (eds.), Roverandom, "[Chapter] 2"


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Proud Father-Son Traditions You Can Start Too
The 10 Father-Son Traditions That Built The World's Most Successful Families
This article is presented by Autotrader.
This article is part of our Dream StateMENTs feature, providing advice and inspiration to men who are following their dreams, no matter what they may be.
Father's Day is on the horizon, and with it comes the mad scramble to think of something to get dad that he doesn't already have. Sons deal with a special kind of stress, what with having the burden of carrying on our father's legacy as a man. But why confine honoring dad to one day, and why tie it to a gift? In Legendary Father-Son Traditions You Can Start Too, we examine some time-honored traditions — inspired by some of the most notable father-son duos in history — that you can share with your dad. Spending time together beats another necktie every time.
Go Sailing
President John F. Kennedy and Sons.
No matter who you are, there are few better ways to spend a mild afternoon than out on the water. The Kennedy family has a rich sailing tradition, such that it's something most people associate with JFK aside from his time in the White House. Your dad may be an old hand when it comes to navigating the open waters, or you could both be total novices. Heck, there's no shame in piloting a motorboat, either. The point is, getting out on the water is something worth sharing with your dad, and something you can pass down for generations.
Play Catch
Bryce Harper and father Ron Harper
If there's one quintessential father-son tradition, it's playing catch. Most of us learned the game of baseball from our dads, but there's no reason to keep your mit in storage now that you're grown. Washington Nationals phenom Bryce Harper still likes to play soft toss with his dad, and on a big scale — his father Ron is Bryce's go-to when he needs someone to lob balls for the Home Run Derby. You might not be mashing taters with dad in a big league park, but having a catch is still a way to pass time on an afternoon while shooting the breeze with your father.
Cook Together
Chef Curtis Stone and his son Hudson
Cooking is far from "women's work" these days, but in reality it has been for some time — think of all the great chefs that are/were men. Cooking with someone is a great bonding activity involving coordination and teamwork, and it's hard to beat the payoff of a delectable meal you cooked yourself. Just ask celebrity chef Curtis Stone — he's gotten his young son, Hudson, started in the kitchen early, learning skills he'll keep for a lifetime. That kid's going to make a lot of women happy one of these days.
Go Hunting
Country singer Luke Bryan and his Father
To be sure, hunting isn't for everyone. Maybe you live in a city where it's not feasible, or maybe you're just not down with killing animals. That's cool, but if you're open to the idea, there's something incredibly primal about being on a hunt, even if you come home empty-handed. While sitting and waiting silently, it's hard not to appreciate how this is a skill men have passed down to their sons since the dawn of mankind. If you need inspiration, Country megastar Luke Bryan (along with countless others) is a big-time bowhunter. He got started with his father, and it's a tradition he makes time for whenever he can.
Play Golf
Pres. George H.W. Bush and Pres. George W. Bush
The primary appeal of golf is that it can be enjoyed, together, by players of all ages and skill levels thanks to different tee markers and the handicapping system. If you're still in the rat race and dad has retired, chances are he can smoke you on the links — but even if he's lost a step, the game is designed for him to stay competitive. Just ask Presidents George H.W. and George W. Bush, the father-son presidential duo that led the country through a combined three terms. If those two busy men could find time to get out and play, so can you.
Go To Church
Mark Wahlberg and sons
Not all of us are Godly people, and that's perfectly OK, but most people in America still are. If so, it can be easy to lose sight of what worship is all about, what with compressed schedules and kids (and football, for part of the year). In the end, though, church is as much about family and community as it is individual worship, and it's a great way to keep a standing appointment with dad. The very-Catholic Mark Wahlberg tries to take his sons to church twice every Sunday — that may be a little much for you, but it's still a great way to grow closer to your father.
Collect and Trade Wine
Countless family vintners
"Drinking with dad" carries different connotations over the course of your life. When you're young it's having that first beer. As you get older, having a few with dad is about the time when you realize that he's a real person, just like you. As you both get older, though, it's the perfect time to appreciate the finer points of alcohol, particularly wine. The world is awash with vintners passing down the ancient tradition of winemaking to their sons for generations. You and your dad don't have to make wine (in fact, please don't), but you can enjoy it together. Getting into a nice bottle of cab franc, malbec, or whatever you enjoy while you get things off your chest is a fine tradition to share together indeed.
Work Together
Will and Jaden Smith
Now that his son Jaden is roughly of age (and even before then), superstar father Will Smith seems to jump at every opportunity to buddy up with his son in co-starring movie roles. Of course, you and your pop aren't movie stars, but the idea is the same — one of the perks of having kids is seeing them grow up to be adults with whom you can share some passions and interests. Help out with dad at the family business if such a thing exists, or maybe start a woodworking or repair project. Your dad will appreciate the helping hand almost as much as the time he gets to spend with you.
Go On A Camping Trip
Matthew McConaughey and son Levi
Camping, when done properly (that is, in a tent or simple RV, not one of those "glamping" outfits), is an excellent way to get in touch with nature, disconnect and unwind. Chances are dad dragged you on a camping trip or two in your formative years, so now you can return the favor. Matthew McConaughey is so into camping that it was the theme of his wedding, and loves to travel around the country with his wife and son Levi in his Airstream camper. The nomadic lifestyle might not be a fit for you and your dad, but an annual camping trip is still a perfect occasion to get you, your dad and your son (if you have one) together for a multi-generational experience.
Attend Sporting Events
Billy Crystal and father Jack Crystal
Just as playing baseball (or football, or basketball, or whatever your game is) with dad is both a great way to learn and have fun, so is watching the game in person. While taking in the live action sounds of your favorite game, dad can regale you with tales of bygone greats and provide interesting bits of trivia relevant to the game going on in front of you. Watch Ken Burns' documentary Baseball, and it's abundantly clear the impact that attending Yankees games with his father had on a frequent contributor, the actor Billy Crystal.
Father's Day
new dad


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HaD Prize 2015 Questions:
What problem does this solve? Just about every hacker in the world needs a good power source. While re-commissioning an ATX supply is a rite of passage, these supplies are somewhat limited in what they can do. They tend to only have 4 fixed voltages (12, 5, 3.3, and -12); futhermore, you need to use multimeters to determine actual voltage / current output. There is no current limiting (if you short the rails the supply will turn off, but it will happily supply multiple amps of current up to that point). This project attempts to solve these problems in an economical fashion.
How does it solve the problem? This design is for a digitally controlled and calibrated multi-channel power supply with current limiting. It lets you set the voltage on each channel independently anywhere from 0 to 12V (or 0 to -12V for the negative channels), with configurable current limiting on each channel, and actual voltage / current display. It supports USB control from a PC (using RawHID packets) for calibration and automated setpoints / logging.
How to use it? Set the voltage / max current setpoints for the circuit under test (e.g. 5v, 500mA if testing a USB powered device). Plug in the device. Watch the voltage / current readouts to see how much current is being drawn.
License: As with all my other projects on HaD, this is released under a Creative Commons Attribution license. Make it, change it, sell it - just have fun while doing it and link back to my project so that others can benefit as well! Everything that I created while designing it - the AVR source code, KiCad source + Gerbers, Enclosure plans (QCad .dxf), simulations, etc are all available on Github.
Project Overview:
Some requirements of this project:
- Modular power supply from 1 to 6 channels (I have implemented 4 channels: 3 positive, and 1 negative)
- Each channel can independently be set from 0-12V (for positive channels) or -12-0V (for negative channels), and the output can go all the way to 0 (which is not the case with most DIY power supplies).
- Configurable set points for voltage and max current for each channel
- Actual readings for voltage and current for each channel
- Low cost - it's not as cheap as scrapping an ATX power supply (which is what I used to use), but the extra features such as current limiting should more than make up the extra cost.
- Active (fan) cooling combined with heat sinks to support sustained high current loads
- USB control (voltage and current set points), logging of actual voltage / current readings, and computer-based calibration.
- The ability to use potentiometers for voltage / current set points instead of a microcontroller, if desired (each channel has four analog I/Os: Voltage and Current setpoints, and Voltage and Current sense outputs. All of these are in the range of 0-5V, allowing easy control from either a potentiometer or a DAC.
The design has two distinct parts: the power channels, which are controlled by an analog value from 0 - 5v for both voltage setpoint and current limit and which output a value from 0 - 5v to indicate the actual voltage / current, and the control board which can generate said setpoints and read the actual values.
The design uses mostly basic components, with each channel based on the TI LM338 / LM337 with op amps for control. The digital control board runs an Atmel ATMega32u4, and generates the analog setpoints via the Microchip MCP4728 I2C DAC. The same board can be used for either positive or negative output depending on which optional components are populated. (For instance, you would use either an LM338 for positive, or an LM337 for negative; you would use a NPN transistor for current limiting on a negative channel, and a PNP for positive channels; there are different arrangements of 0-ohm resistors used as jumpers to configure positive or negative modes). If you choose to not bother with current limiting you can eliminate the transistor plus an op amp with supporting passive components.
The BOM costs break down as...
Read more »


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The Pompeii Worm, Alvinella pompejana
Created by Sarah Bordenstein, Marine Biological LaboratoryIn 1997, nearly 21 years after the discovery of the first hydrothermal vent system, marine biologist Craig Cary and colleagues identified the most heat-tolerant animal on Earth—Alvinella pompejana, the Pompeii worm. Pompeii worms were initially discovered by French researchers in the early 1980's and are described as deep-sea polychaetes that reside in tubes near hydrothermal vents along the seafloor. They can reach up to 5 inches in length and are pale gray with red tentacle-like gills on their heads. Perhaps most fascinating, is that their tail end is often resting in temperatures as high as 176º F, while their feather-like head sticks out of the tubes into water that is a much cooler 72º F. Scientists are attempting to understand how Pompeii worms can withstand such extreme temperatures by studying the bacteria that form a "fleece-like" covering on their backs. Living in a symbiotic relationship, the worms secrete mucous from tiny glands on their backs to feed the bacteria, and in return they are protected by some degree of insulation. The bacteria have also been discovered to be chemolithotrophic, contributing to the ecology of the vent community.
General Information For Educators Advanced Resources
Learn More About the Pompeii Worm...
- A Moment of Silence: The Magnificent Pompeii Worm. This two-minute radio program from Indiana University discusses the magnificent Pompeii worm. The Pompeii worm resides in tubes near hydrothermal vents along the seafloor. While in the tube... ( This site may be offline. )
- Hot-Water Worms May Use Bacteria as Shield. This National Geographic news article highlights research being done to study the Pompeii worm (Alvinella pompejana), the most heat tolerant complex organism on... (more info)
- Keeping "Cool" at Deep-Sea Vents. This Astrobiology Magazine article reports that a research team of marine scientists has determined that water chemistry controls the location and distribution of two... (more info)
- Sea Vent Viewer. This web site serves as an educational overview of National Science Foundation (NSF) earth and environmental science research focusing on hydrothermal vent systems... ( This site is likely no longer available. )
- The Worm that Boasts Earth's Hottest Lifestyle. This brief Exploratoriumdispatch reports that the Pompeii worm, an inhabitant of hydrothermal vent ecosystems, can withstand hotter temperatures than any other creature... (more info)
Explore the Pompeii Worm in the Classroom
- Black Smokers: Life Forms. This educational web site features life forms of deep sea hydrothermal systems. Hosted by the American Museum of Natural History, this site offers a brief introduction... (more info)
- C.S.I. on the Deep Reef. In this lesson students discover the factors that are indicative of chemotrophic nutritional strategies. Students will be able to describe at least three... (more info)
Advanced Resources
- Characterization of a Novel Spirochete Associated with the Hydrothermal Vent Polychaete Annelid, Alvinella pompejana . This Applied and Environmental Microbiology journal article reports the characterization of a novel microbe associated with the hydrothermal vent tubeworm Alvinella... (more info)
- Diversity of Dissimilatory Bisulfite Reductase Genes of Bacteria Associated with the Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Polychaete Annelid Alvinella pompejana . This Applied and Environmental Microbiology journal article assesses the presence and diversity of bacteria associated with Alvinella pompejana (Pompeii worm) that... (more info)
- Evidence of Chemolithoautotrophy in the Bacterial Community Associated with Alvinella pompejana, a Hydrothermal Vent Polychaete . This Applied and Environmental Microbiology journal article analyzes the bacterial community associated with Alvinella pompejana (Pompeii worm), suggesting that... (more info)
- Evolution and Biogeography of Deep-Sea Vent and Seep Invertebrates . This Science Magazine article reviews the diversity, evolution, and biogeography of deep-sea vent and seep invertebrates. Beginning with their initial discovery... (more info)
- Metazoans in Extreme Environments: Adaptations of Hydrothermal Vent and Hydrocarbon Seep Fauna. This Gravitational and Space Biology Bulletin article examines the challenges of living on or near a hydrothermal vent or hydrothermal seep system... (more info)
- Phylogenetic characterization of the bacterial assemblage associated with mucous secretions of the hydrothermal vent polychaete Paralvinella palmiformis. This FEMS Microbiology Ecology journal article features a culture-independent molecular analysis of the bacterial assemblage associated with mucous secretions of the... (more info)
- Phylogenetic characterization of the epibiotic bacteria associated with the hydrothermal vent polychaete Alvinella pompejana. This Applied and Environmental Microbiology journal abstract describes the study in which select epibiotic bacteria associated with the polychaete Alvinella ... (more info)
Additional Resources
For additional resources about the Pompeii worm, search the Microbial Life collection.
Back to Marine Symbiosis


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The official poster for The Last Days on Mars has been released.
The movie is described as:
On the last day of the first manned mission to Mars, a crew member of Tantalus Base believes he has made an astounding discovery – fossilized evidence of bacterial life. Unwilling to let the relief crew claim all the glory, he disobeys orders to pack up and goes out on an unauthorized expedition to collect further samples. But a routine excavation turns to disaster when the porous ground collapses, and he falls into a deep crevice and near certain death. His devastated colleagues attempt to recover his body. However, when another vanishes they start to suspect that the life-form they have discovered is not yet dead. As the group begins to fall apart it seems their only hope is the imminent arrival of the relief ship Aurora.


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Channellock 30-inch 830 adjustable wrench
Channellock Inc. is introducing its 30-inch 830 Adjustable Wrench.
The new wrench complements the existing adjustable wrench line and is a full six inches longer than the previous offering from Channellock.
The new 30" 830 Adjustable Wrench provides added power and leverage, as well as a jaw capacity up to three inches. These improvements coupled with the fact that the wrench is forged from Chrome Vanadium Steel for superior durability and performance makes the Channellock 30" 830 Adjustable Wrench capable of handling the biggest and most demanding jobs in any industry.
"As jobs continue to grow increasingly demanding and difficult, we saw the need for a tool that was capable of withstanding the toughest tasks that come from the toughest industries," said Ryan DeArment, vice president of sales and marketing at Channellock Inc. "The Channellock 30" 830 Adjustable Wrench is a tool that goes further than the rest to provide tradesmen and professionals the ability to complete all of their most difficult jobs."
The Channellock 30" 830 Adjustable Wrench provides users with a reinforced joint, with a 1.5" thickness and 6.3" width, as well as premium support behind the wrench's 12 pound steel structure. With such a massive frame the new wrench was designed specifically for professionals from the oil and gas, fleet maintenance, HVAC, rigging, farming, and industrial and commercial industries.


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In this week's TV International English, we respond to some of your comments on this blog and others on the veil with Fariborz Pooya, Sohaila Sharifi and Bahram Soroush. Tell me what you think.
I also interview Fariborz Pooya and Bahram Soroush on religious opposition to the sexual orientation regulations, and the role of faith in society.
To view the programme, click here.


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All 23 Proposed Executive Orders Pertaining to Gun Violence
There will undoubtedly be a lot of misinformation on what President Obama's proposed legislation and executive orders concerning gun violence actually are. The Presidents plan is published and accessible. To read the information unfiltered, check out these official White House press releases:
The following list is a collection of the 23 proposed executive orders. These were not readily accessible (at least not by this author) on the White House website and are copied from an article titled Read President Obama's New, Proposed Executive Orders and Legislation on Guns on Slate.com by author David Wiegel. Weigel claims the list is from a White House fact sheet and it appears to be legitimate.
1. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system.
2. Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system.
3. Improve incentives for states to share information with the background check system.
4. Direct the Attorney General to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks.
5. Propose rulemaking to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun.
6. Publish a letter from ATF to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers.
7. Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign.
8. Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission).
9. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations.
10. Release a DOJ report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement.
11. Nominate an ATF director.
12. Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations.
13. Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime.
14. Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence.
15. Direct the Attorney General to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative technologies
16. Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes.
17. Release a letter to health care providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities.
18. Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers.
19. Develop model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education.
20. Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover.
21. Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within ACA exchanges.
22. Commit to finalizing mental health parity regulations.
23. Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health.


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This article is more than 1 year old
Diplomats questioned Microsoft deal with Tunisian regime
Local Microsoftie feared to meet Bill Gates empty handed
Microsoft sold software and training to the armed forces of Tunisia's repressive former regime six years ago, a leaked WikiLeaks cable has revealed. The deal alarmed even the normally flag-waving trade patriots in the US government, according to the cable.
The leaked cable, sent from the US embassy in Tunis in 2006, reports that Microsoft sold 12,000 licences for its software, along with requisite training, to officials running Tunisia's Ministries of Justice and Interior who wished to learn how to use computers and the internet as part of a "fight on crime":
Through a program on cyber criminality, Microsoft will train government officials in the Ministries of Justice and Interior on how to use computers and the internet to fight crime.
Both ministries were instruments of repression under the regime of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, the prime minister who stepped down in January this year after 24 years in power following a wave of protests and deaths. The Ministry of Justice ran the courts and prisons under the Ben-Ali regime while the Interior Ministry was in charge of its police.
It seems Microsoft Tunisia's director general Salwa Smaoui was due to attend the Government Leaders Forum Africa in Cape Town, South Africa, where she was expected to present Bill Gates with the 2006 Tunisia deal. She was apparently concerned about confronting Gates at the event without a government agreement in hand.
Microsoft's co-founder was due to speak at the company's event. At the Government Leaders Forum Africa, also attended by former US president Bill Clinton, Gates expanded at great length about the power of computing to change the lives of people in Africa.
The agreement between Tunisia and Microsoft was eventually signed at the South African forum in July 2006. The deal Smaoui brokered was sold as a "co-operation agreement on e-governance, cybersecurity, intellectual property rights, to help expand the Tunisian IT sector", with Microsoft pledging training for handicapped Tunisians to help them find work in the sector.
Smaoui called it a "win-win" for Microsoft and the government of Tunisia.
However, The US embassy in Tunisia was not as positive. It pointed out that president Ben Ali's wife Leila Ben Ali ran a charity for handicapped Tunisians. The unhappy diplomats said: "In theory, increasing GOT [Government of Tunisia] law enforcement capability through IT training is positive, but given heavy-handed GOT interference in the internet, [the] Post questions whether this will expand GOT capacity to monitor its own citizens. Ultimately, for Microsoft the benefits outweigh the costs."
Microsoft's negotiators also faced flak from the regime over the company's perceived "American-ness", Smaoui said. She claimed she "felt suspicion bordering on hostility during the negotiations" because she was "working for the Americans." ®


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Key House and Senate lawmakers who have called for the U.S. to intervene in the Syrian civil war used Thursday afternoon's announcement that chemical weapons had been used to urge the White House to step it up.
Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham said President Barack Obama should establish a no-fly zone to opponents of Bashar al-Assad.
"This isn't just a bunch of demonstrators being beaten up. This a regional conflict. It spilled over … Jordan is destabilized, Lebanon is about to erupt into sectarian violence, jihadists are falling in from all over the Middle East. This is erupting," McCain said on CNN.
"Vital national security interests are at stake," he added. "No we don't want boots on the ground and yes we should be able to establish a no-fly zone relatively easily."
The White House didn't say it would be providing weapons to the rebels, but announced it would "increase the scope and scale of assistance that we provide to the opposition."
The Syrian issue has been an important one to the two senators — McCain has met with opposition leaders in Syria — and they pushed Obama to go even further. They want a no-fly zone and Patriot missiles to ensure the civil war in Syria doesn't spread to other areas of the Middle East.
Graham (R-S.C.) called it a "big day" in the conflict.
"The goal is to end the war. And the only way this war is going to end quickly and on our terms is to neutralize the air assets that Assad enjoys," Graham said. "We can crater the runways. There are four air bases he uses. We can stop the planes from flying. We can shoot planes down without having one boot on the ground."
Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) said he spoke with General Salim Idris, the leader of the Syrian opposition, "and he reported that the situation inside the country is dire. Thousands of Assad's troops and Hezbollah fighters are assembling outside Aleppo for a ground assault. If the U.S. is not prepared to provide more robust assistance then I fear that the moderate opposition forces will be defeated."
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) praised the White House for saying Assad crossed the so-called red line and called for additional U.S. action.
"The United States should assist the Turks and our Arab League partners to create safe zones in Syria from which the U.S. and our allies can train, arm, and equip vetted opposition forces," he said in a statement. "These efforts have the potential of turning the tide once and for all against the Assad regime to deliver a peace negotiation. Then the United States would have the credibility it needs for a seat at the table during the transition to a post-Assad Syria."
The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee hoped that the U.S. moved quickly to arm the opposition.
"What more does the civilized world need in order to come to the aid of the Syrian people who want to rid themselves of this monster?" said Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) of Assad. "The President's 'red line' has clearly been crossed, and it is crystal clear that the United States must provide appropriate arms to those in Syria fighting for their lives and freedom. Further delay is not an option."
Several House members leaving the floor shortly after the announcement said they were unaware of the news in Syria. Rep. Jon Runyan (R-N.J.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, declined to endorse the Graham-McCain position.
"I'm not there yet. But we'll see what happens," Runyan said. "Some people around here jump to conclusions."
Informed that the White House had decided the chemical weapon "red line" had been crossed, Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) wondered of the president "what planet he's been on?"
But Mica too said he wasn't sure a no-fly zone would help – he said during his visits to the Middle East he discovered ground munitions, like mortars, were a bigger problem.
"It's a day late and a dollar short. Hezbollah and others have joined," Mica said of the Syria conflict. "We lost a tremendous advantage to go in early to stop some of what was going on … it's a lead from behind, and we are behind."


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This article is more than 1 year old
Apple finally purges Mac OS of disgraced DigiNotar certs
iPhone and iPad users still wide open
Apple has finally purged the imprimatur of disgraced web authentication authority DigiNotar from its Mac operating system.
In an update released Friday, Apple removed multiple DigiNotar root certificates from the Lion and Snow Leopard versions of Mac OS X. The move came nine days after the discovery that the Netherlands-based authority issued a counterfeit SSL certificate for Google.com that was used to spy on people in Iran. An investigation later revealed that DigiNotar had failed to warn browser makers that it issued at least 531 bogus credentials following a security breach that gave attackers free rein over its certificate issuance system for weeks.
Within hours of the discovery, Google and Mozilla issued updates that caused their browsers and email programs to reject most SSL certificates issued by DigiNotar. Users of Windows Vista and later versions of the Microsoft operating system were also protected, although it wasn't until earlier this week that Windows XP users received the same defense.
Apple's delayed response comes in sharp contrast. Not only has it taken longer to issue the update, but it didn't utter a peep of warning to its users in the intervening time. At time of writing, there were no updates available that purged the untrustworthy DigiNotar root certificates from iOS, meaning iPhone and iPad users are still vulnerable to fraudulent DigiNotar certificates.
Users of Google's Android OS for smartphones also remain wide open.
The threats Apple and Google have failed to protect their users against are by no means theoretical. At least one of the certificates has already been encountered by at least 300,000 people, mostly in Iran, as they accessed Gmail or other protected Google services. Trend Micro has more details about the certificate here. ®


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
A Zoning Change Application from Future Development "FD" to Manufactured Home "MH" has been submitted by Jim Glasgow on behalf of Palace Way Partners LLC for approximately 44.69 acres, more or less, out of the Thomas G. McGehee Survey, Abstract No. 11, Hays County, located at 4087 Hwy 21. This property is located within a Low Intensity Zone on the Comprehensive Plan and a neighborhood presentation meeting is not required. To track this case, please click on this link: ZC-20-08.


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I used one of my wonderful Hutterite chickens. I cut it into pieces leaving the legs and thighs with the bone in and skin on and the breasts both boneless and skinless. Cut into serving size pieces. Reserve the bones for chicken stock. After cooking, I removed the skin from the thighs and legs.
I also had tried making my own chipotles in adobo sauce from a recipe on Mangio da Sola. They worked great. I also had my own clementine marmalade and chopped it a little finer. You can make a lot of substitutions with this recipe and it will turn out great.
What I like about this recipe is that you do not have to pre-brown the chicken pieces. That saves a bit of kitchen cleanup.
- 2 tablespoons of finely chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 1/3 cup sweet clementine marmalade
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon oil
- Dash pepper
- Dash salt
- 1 chicken, cut into serving size pieces
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
In the last hour of the cooking, combine the cornstarch with cold water until smooth; stir into the sauce and continue cooking. Serve the chicken with steamed rice and vegetables of your choice.
Serves 4.


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Konya - Basel flight ticket
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Transportation form City Center to Konya Airport
Things you need to know to reach from city centre to Konya Airport
Konya Airport
Konya Airport is in Konya, Selçuklu district and offers domestic and international flights. Located 20 minutes away from city centre, you can reach other destinations like Niğde, Aksaray, and Karaman from this airport. There are three alternative transportation methods from city centre and these destinations to Konya Airport.
Aerobilet transfer services
Cheapest and most comfortable way to reach from Konya city centre to airport is becoming Aerobilet customer. As you plan your holiday and benefit from cheapest flight and luxurious hotels on Aerobilet, you can also plan Aerobilet transfer services. Book your seat now and check individual and group transfer prices of Aerobilet transfer services. You can reach Konya city centre or Selçuklu or learn more about destinations like Niğde, Karaman, Aksaray from Aerobilet transfer services.
Another economic way to reach Konya Airport is Havaş bus. You can take monument, fair, Zafer, Alaaddin, Konya Metropolitan Municipality, Sille Crossroad, Kulesite, Aydınlıkevler, Bus station route to reach from city centre to Konya Airport.
You can also reach from city centre or districts of Konya to Konya Airport with taxi. Konya Airport will take 20 minutes from city centre, 2 hours 45 minutes from Niğde, one and a half hour from Seydişehir, and one hour and 40 minutes from Karaman and Aksaray. You can use taxi and directly transfer to airport.
Transportation from Basel Airport to City Center
Things you need to know about transport from the Freiburg Airport to the city center
EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg
Switzerland is one of the countries in Western Europe, located in Schengen Region. The first human traces in this land date back 150,000 years. In the following years, the geography of Julius Caesar's armies, the Kingdom of Burgundy and the Holy Roman German Empire continue to liven up the glorious history of the Middle Ages in their cities. Basel, one of the leading cities in the cultural tourism of the country, is also known as one of the biggest cities of the country at the same time. The River Rhine is dividing Basel into two. The city is divided into two regions as Great Basel and Little Basel. It offers dazzling scenes that combine natural and historical beauties. The city serves EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg Airport. A few different transportation options can be preferred from the airport to the city center.


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Israel began deporting activists from the Rachel Corrie on Sunday after boarding the ship trying to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza and forcing it to the Israeli port of Ashdod.
The Rachel Corrie set out for Gaza after nine activists were killed Monday when Israel raided an aid-laden flotilla headed for the impoverished Palestinian territory.
This time, no one was killed or injured when Israeli commandos boarded the ship and took its crew and activists into custody. But last week's incident continues to have far-reaching consequences as thousands protest Israel's actions across the world, and Turkey threatens to cut relations with Israel.
Al Jazeera reports that Israel has begun deporting the 19 activists and crew members arrested on the Rachel Corrie Saturday. Six of the Malaysian crew members were released into Jordan, and a Cuban activist injured in the boarding of the Mavi Mamara last week was also released.
The Rachel Corrie, named for an American activist killed by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza in 2003 while protesting, was taken to the port of Ashdod, where Israel is inspecting its cargo.
The Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reports that its cargo included concrete needed for reconstruction in Gaza after Israel's devastating offensive there last year, medical equipment, wheelchairs, and school supplies. An Israeli naval commander said that any cargo that could not be used by Hamas for weapons or defense would be sent into Gaza by land.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the commandos who boarded the Rachel Corrie used the same techniques as those who raided the Mavi Mamara, and said the differing outcomes were a result of the different responses of the activists on board each ship.
"Today we saw the difference between a flotilla of peace activists – with whom we disagree, but whose right to a different opinion we respect – and a flotilla of hate organized by violent, terrorism-supporting extremists," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday following the takeover.
Even as the Rachel Corrie was intercepted, the wave of vessels attempting to break Israel's blockade on Gaza will apparently continue.
Israeli news site YNet reports that two Lebanese organizations have announced they will send another ship as early as next weekend. The effort is organized by the Free Palestine Movement and Reporters without Borders. The organizations said the ship would attempt to carry aid and reporters to the Gaza strip.
Meanwhile, a preliminary autopsy report released by Turkey on Saturday shows that all but one of those killed in the May 31 raid had multiple gunshot wounds.
The nine were shot a total of 30 times, reports the Associated Press. Israel says the activists attacked commandos as they boarded the ship, and has released video of them beating the soldiers as they descended ropes from helicopters onto the ship.
The AP also reports that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will move to launch an international investigation of the raid, despite Israel's protests. His move comes as the incident has provoked renewed criticism of the Gaza blockade around the world.
Israel closed the borders to Gaza when the Islamist group Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007. But The Christian Science Monitor reports that Israel is now considering relaxing the siege as pressure mounts from all corners.
[T]he intensified foreign calls against the blockade in the wake of Israel's flotilla raid has strengthened domestic critics who had already been arguing for a rethink of Israel's three-year-old policy. Under the policy, only humanitarian food and medical supplies – less than what the UN recommends – are allowed into Gaza.
Yossi Alpher, former adviser to Prime Minister Ehud Barak, says that Monday's raid takeover is evidence of his claim that Israel needs to define a new strategy for dealing with Gaza's Hamas-controlled government. He says the blockade is backfiring, and the so-called quartet of peace process mediators – the US, Britain, Russia, and the United Nations – need to realize that.


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At 10.25 square miles, Zone 3 is the largest zone. It has a population of approximately 9,436 and includes a significant amount of retail and commercial properties, such as the Haywood Road and Woodruff Road corridors.
Nineteen patrol officers are assigned to Zone 3. Officers work varying shifts and provide 24-hour coverage.
Among the priorities for Zone 3 are addressing the increase in autobreakings along the Woodruff Road corridor; working with human service providers to identify and assist the homeless population; collaborating with major retailers to reduce shoplifting calls and patrolling major shopping areas and apartment complexes to prevent recurring crimes.