text:
Melkorka's Marriage and
Olaf the Peacock's Journey, A.D. 955.
Online Medieval and Classical Library Release #32
Hoskuld now remained quietly at home, and began now to sink into old age, and his sons were now all grown up. Thorleik set up a household of his own. at a place called Combness, and Hoskuld handed over to him his portion. After that he married a woman named Gjaflaug, daughter of Arnbjorn, son of Sleitu Bjorn, and Thorlaug, the daughter of Thord of Headland. It was a noble match, Gjaflaug being a very beautiful and high-minded woman. Thorleik was not an easy man to get on with, but was most warlike. There was not much friendship between the kinsmen Hrut and Thorleik. Bard Hoskuld's son stayed at home with his father, looked after the household affairs no less than Hoskuld himself. The daughters of Hoskuld do not have much to do with this story, yet men are known who are descended from them. Olaf, Hoskuld's son, was now grown up, and was the handsomest of all men that people ever set eyes on. He arrayed himself always well, both as to clothes and weapons. Melkorka, Olaf's mother, lived at Melkorkastead, as has been told before. Hoskuld looked less after Melkorka's household ways than he used to do, saying that that matter concerned Olaf, her son. Olaf said he would give her such help as he had to offer her. Melkorka thought Hoskuld had done shamefully by her, and makes up her mind to do something to him at which he should not be over pleased. Thorbjorn Skrjup had chiefly had on hand the care of Melkorka's household affairs. He had made her an offer of marriage, after she had been an householder for but a little while, but Melkorka refused him flatly. There was a ship up by Board-Ere in Ramfirth, and Orn was the name of the captain. He was one of the bodyguard of King Harald, Gunnhild's son.Melkorka spoke to Olaf, her son, and said that she wished he should journey abroad to find his noble relations, "For I have told the truth that Myrkjartan is really my father, and he is king of the Irish, and it would be easy for you betake you on board the ship that is now at Board-Ere."
Olaf said, "I have spoken about it to my father, but he seemed to want to have but little to do with it; and as to the manner of my foster-father's money affairs, it so happens that his wealth is more in land or cattle than in stores of Icelandic market goods."
Melkorka said, "I cannot bear your being called the son of a slave-woman any longer; and if it stands in the way of the journey, that you think you have not enough money, then I would rather go to the length even of marrying Thorbjorn, if then you should be more willing than before to betake yourself to the journey. For I think he will be willing to hand out to you as much wares as you think you may need, if I give my consent to his marrying me. Above all I look to this, that then Hoskuld will like two things mightily ill when he comes to hear of them, namely, that you have gone out of the land, and that I am married."
Olaf bade his mother follow her own counsel. After that Olaf talked to Thorbjorn as to how he wished to borrow wares of him, and a great deal thereof. Thorbjorn answered, "I will do it on one condition, and that is that I shall marry Melkorka for them; it seems to me, you will be as welcome to my money as to that which you have in your keep."
Olaf said that this should then be settled; whereupon they talked between them of such matters as seemed needful, but all these things they agreed should be kept quiet. Hoskuld wished Olaf to ride with him to the Thing. Olaf said he could not do that on account of household affairs, as he also wanted to fence off a grazing paddock for lambs by Salmon River. Hoskuld was very pleased that he should busy himself with the homestead. Then Hoskuld rode to the Thing; but at Lambstead a wedding feast was arrayed, and Olaf settled the agreement alone. Olaf took out of the undivided estate thirty hundred ells' worth of wares, and should pay no money for them. (1) Bard, Hoskuld's son, was at the wedding, and was a party with them to all these doings. When the feast was ended Olaf rode off to the ship, and found Orn the captain, and took berth with him.
Before Olaf and Melkorka parted she gave him a great gold finger- ring, and said, "This gift my father gave me for a teething gift, and I know he will recognise it when he sees it." She also put into his hands a knife and a belt, and bade him give them to her nurse: "I am sure she will not doubt these tokens." And still further Melkorka spake, "I: have fitted you out from home as best I know how, and taught you to speak Irish, so that it will make no difference to you where you are brought to shore in Ireland."
After that they parted. There arose forthwith a fair wind, when Olaf got on board, and they sailed straightway out to sea.


text:
I was using permanent markers to work on a project over the weekend (more on that later). Over the course of the afternoon I got so fed up with hunting for markers in various drawers and old coffee cups (you know the ones), that I halted the project for ten minutes to create a marker caddy.
I know, sounds nerdy. Marker Caddy. But it's actually pretty handy.
To make it, I just took an empty shoe box and some toilet paper tubes cut to the same height as the box, then stuck them into the box together standing up. No glue, no nothing. They stay up fine on their own and I like that they can move a little to accommodate the pens, pencils and markers that will be coming in and out over the years to come.
Well gosh, don't I feel handy.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Original Price €105.77
Dell Price €53.41
Save €52.36 (50%)
€43.42 excluding VAT
Manufacturer part Y5DFK | Dell part 470-AAVH | Order Code 470-aavh | Dell
The SFP+ 10GbE Twinax Direct attach copper cables provide highly reliable communication links with superior bit error rate (BER) performance. These copper cables are designed as a cost-effective and lower power alternative to optical cable assemblies for short length interconnects between active network equipment.
This product is compatible with the following systems:
From drivers and manuals to diagnostic tools and replacement parts, Dell Product Support has you covered!
Add the products you would like to compare, and quickly determine which is best for your needs.


text:
Outsourcing Jobs and Taxes
Outsourcing remains a contentious political issue as lawmakers, analysts, and business leaders debate its effect on U.S. job creation and the role of corporate tax policy in shipping jobs overseas, explains this Backgrounder.
Last updated February 11, 2011 7:00 am (EST)
- Backgrounder
- Current political and economic issues succinctly explained.
This publication is now archived.
The current U.S. corporate tax code incentivizes companies to move their business operations overseas, and by extension the offshoring of jobs that would have based in the United States. The debate over outsourcing--the effect it has on U.S. job creation, and the tax regime needed to rein in the practice--has become an important issue on the 2012 presidential campaign trail. Many policymakers and analysts, including President Barack Obama, have repeatedly criticized the outsourcing of jobs abroad by U.S.-based multinational corporations, arguing that it not only reduces job opportunities for U.S. workers at a time of high unemployment, but also hurts U.S. competitiveness in the global economy. The Obama administration has proposed policies to encourage companies to move back to the United States, while closing corporate tax loopholes that make it easier for multinationals to pay limited taxes on their overseas operations. Some Democratic lawmakers, along with union representatives, believe Obama's proposals will help address a weak job market and troubling budget deficits. But Republicans, some Democrats, and industry representatives fear higher taxes on U.S.-based multinationals will lead to an exodus of business, investment, and jobs.
The Role of Multinationals in the U.S. Economy
The influence of U.S.-based multinationals on U.S. jobs and tax revenues has become an increasing concern for U.S. policymakers and the public. A 2006 paper (PDF) by Kenneth Scheve and CFR's Matthew Slaughter noted over two-thirds of Americans think companies sending jobs overseas is a major reason why the economy is ailing. In a March 2009 paper (PDF), Harvard economist Mihir Desai said more recent polling data suggest those feelings have heightened. In September 2010, the U.S. Senate Democrats introduced legislation to eliminate tax breaks that ship jobs overseas (TheHill). The bill was voted down by Republican lawmakers.
More on:
More on:
More on:
More on:
More on:
"A lot of jobs are shifting to developing countries like China because a company doesn't want to pay American wages and benefits or operate under health and safety regulations." -- Thea Lee
More on:
Employment by U.S. firms in emerging economies including China, Malaysia, and Singapore has grown rapidly in recent years, according to the non-partisan Congressional Research Service (PDF). Employment by U.S. firms in China, for example, grew 153 percent between 2003 and 2008, the most recent year available. U.S. jobs in Asia account for about one-fourth of total employment by U.S. firms abroad. However, multinationals' share of U.S. GDP has remained relatively constant (PDF) since the early 1990s, accounting for roughly $3.5 trillion in goods and services in 2006, about 26 percent of U.S. gross domestic product, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (comprehensive data on U.S. multinational companies generally lags current events by several years).
Multinationals' Impact on U.S. Jobs
Obama's tax proposals are based on the idea that multinational tax changes can improve U.S. job growth, with a portion of the tax revenues raised by removing multinationals' overseas tax advantages going to create a permanent tax credit on domestic research and innovation.
But many economists and tax experts see no direct link (PDF) between these issues. "The connection between tax policy and jobs is pretty tenuous. The proposals are more political," says director of New York University's International Tax Program David Rosenbloom. While foreign direct investment may create jobs abroad that substitute for jobs at home, that investment may in turn create more domestic jobs. A 2009 study (PDF) by economists Desai, C. Fritz Foley, and James Hines found that a 10 percent increase in foreign investment was associated with 2.6 percent of additional domestic investment. In a February 2010 Wall Street Journal op-ed, CFR's Slaughter argues that successful foreign operations by U.S. multinationals expand both foreign and domestic employment, since more activity abroad leads companies to provide more domestically based research, development, and management. Slaughter adds that "insourcing" companies (WSJ)--the U.S. operations of multinational firms based abroad--now employ more than twice the number of Americans they employed in 1987, accounting for 4.7 percent of total private-sector employment in 2008.
U.S. labor representatives and some economists, however, argue that increasing investment and jobs abroad often eliminates them at home. Thea Lee, policy director for the AFL-CIO, says much of the economic data supporting the link between overseas investment and domestic job growth fails to distinguish between foreign investment used to serve market demand for U.S. goods and services and foreign investment used to buy cheaper labor abroad. "A big chunk of investment goes to wealthy countries. But a lot of jobs are shifting to developing countries like China because a company doesn't want to pay American wages and benefits or operate under health and safety regulations," she says. Outsourcing is not a major driver of U.S. employment, says the Center for American Progress' Michael Ettlinger, but it does contribute to job losses in some cases. In a March 2010 New York Times op-ed, the U.S. Business and Industry Council's Alan Tonelson and Kevin Kearns argue that--in addition to diminishing U.S. jobs--corporate off-shoring distorts gains in U.S. productivity.
Multinationals' Impact on Public Revenues
Another concern is whether U.S.-based multinationals transfer economic production (as measured by GDP) to other countries. The federal government loses individual and corporate income tax revenue when multinational firms shift profits and income to low-tax countries. Companies like Microsoft and Google, for example, can lower (NYT) their effective tax rates by moving certain operations overseas to countries like Ireland, which has a nearly zero rate on royalty income and a 12.5 percent corporate tax rate, the lowest among OECD countries. The average tax rate on multinational corporations among OECD countries is about 27 percent, compared to 39 percent in the United States. Only Japan has a higher overall corporate tax rate at 39.5 percent. Obama's 2011 State of the Union address echoed these concerns. "Over the years, a parade of lobbyists has rigged the tax code to benefit particular companies and industries. Those with accountants or lawyers to work the system can end up paying no taxes at all. But all the rest are hit with one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world," he said.
More on:
More on:
More on:
More on:
More on:
Many economists argue this discrepancy discourages foreign investment in the United States and incentivizes U.S.-based multinationals to go abroad. A 2008 OECD study (PDF) found that foreign direct investment increases by 3.7 percent for every one percentage point decrease in the corporate tax rate, and that, as cross-border capital flows increase, foreign direct investment is increasingly swayed by countries' tax rules.
"Under the current system, taxes are driving a lot of [corporate] decisions, which creates distortions." -- Rosanne Altshuler
More on:
More on:
However, U.S.-based multinationals typically pay far less than the nominal U.S. tax rate due to various tax credits and incentives that push income overseas. According to the Obama administration (Bloomberg), these tax breaks make the effective corporate tax rate about 2.3 percent. In a June 2009 Illinois Business Journal article, Ettlinger cites data indicating that U.S. corporate income tax collection dropped to 2.9 percent of U.S. GDP in 2006, compared to 4.0 percent of GDP in 1965 due to lower U.S. taxation of debt-financed investments and use of foreign tax shelters. By White House estimates, corporate tax breaks cost (NationalJournal) the federal government $1.1 trillion annually. Others, including the Peterson Institute for International Economics' Gary Hufbauer, argue that estimate is far too high (PDF). A recent New York Times/Capital IQ report found that thirty-nine of five hundred S&P companies paid less than 10 percent of their revenues in taxes last year.
Difficulties in Globally Coordinating Tax Evasion Efforts
Foreign countries and territories that have no or nominal corporate tax rates are considered so-called "tax havens" in that they incentivize multinational corporations to transfer income abroad. The OECD created an initial list of tax havens in 2000, which has changed over time as offending countries pledged increased transparency and political considerations evolved.
A January 2010 Government Accountability Office report (PDF) found eighty-three of the one hundred largest U.S.-based multinationals had subsidiaries in tax havens. The tax-evasion issue has attracted increasing international attention as cash-strapped countries attempt to replenish government revenues and after several prominent international tax evasion scandals (Guardian). A July 2009 Congressional Research Service report (PDF) cites studies suggesting little progress has been made in international efforts to coordinate countries' tax evasion efforts, partly due to the OECD's inability to force compliance.
Obama's Proposed Tax Reforms
President Obama's 2011 State of the Union address called on Congress to "simplify" the system by getting rid of corporate "loopholes" and leveling the playing field, which would aid the country's competitiveness and growth potential. He asked for "revenue neutral" reforms, meaning they would neither increase nor decrease tax revenues. New York University tax expert Daniel Shaviro says that approach may leave some companies paying more at a lowered tax rate even if the tax code is simplified (Bloomberg). Many Republican lawmakers and business groups support comprehensive tax reform but view any tax break closures as "job-destroying taxes."
Obama's 2011 budget proposed similar measures to limit offshore "loopholes" or tax-avoidance techniques, outlined below. These include deducting expenses from tax payments on profits earned abroad, using tax credits to offset the taxes paid to foreign governments for overseas operations, and shifting income from high- to low-tax countries via so-called "transfer payments." The administration said the plan would raise roughly $190 billion in tax revenues over the next ten years.
Tax Deferral: The United States taxes both domestic and foreign earnings of U.S. multinational firms. Firms time the payment of taxes on their foreign profits based on how their parent company organizes its foreign operations. If a parent company is organized through subsidiaries (separately incorporated in the foreign country), the subsidiaries' profits generally are not taxed until they are paid to the U.S.-based parent.
Parent companies do pay U.S. tax immediately on dividends, interest, or royalties paid by one subsidiary to another. But delayed payments, referred to as "tax deferrals," often do not occur for years. According to a May 2009 Bloomberg article, for example, General Electric has deferred tax on a cumulative $75 billion over the past decade; Hewlett-Packard has deferred $12.9 billion since 2005. Once foreign income is sent back to the United States, the U.S. government imposes a residual tax. Obama's reforms would defer the deductions U.S.-based multinationals take on foreign income until the U.S. tax is paid on that income, effectively raising the cost of delaying those tax payments.
Tax Credit: To prevent multinational firms from being taxed twice, the United States allows firms to claim tax credits for income taxes paid to foreign governments. If the foreign tax rate is lower than the U.S. rate, the firm receives a credit to reflect the foreign tax paid. If the foreign tax rate for a subsidiary exceeds the U.S. tax rate, the parent firm has so-called "excess credits," which can sometimes be used to offset U.S. tax payments on income from another subsidiary, a procedure called "cross-crediting."
According to the Obama administration, some multinationals use cross-crediting to glean foreign tax credits for taxes paid on deferred foreign income, before that income is repatriated to the United States. In essence, the tax code allows firms to "blend their repatriations to minimize or avoid U.S. taxes on foreign source income," according to the Urban Institute and Brooking Institution's Tax Policy Center. Obama's proposals would limit "cross-crediting" by requiring firms to account for the foreign tax they pay on foreign earnings in calculating their foreign tax credits. Now they only account for the U.S. tax they pay on foreign earnings.
Transfer Pricing: Transfer pricing is the practice of allocating profits for tax purposes between parts of a multinational corporation. Differences in tax rates between the United States and other countries incentivize multinational companies to alter the prices they charge for goods transferred to their subsidiaries. Multinationals try to set prices at levels that minimize their overall tax liability by, for example, under-pricing sales to their subsidiaries in low-tax countries and overpricing purchases from them. This move effectively shifts reported profits to the lower-tax countries.
Consider this example, based on an OECD observer article: If a profitable U.S. computer company buys microchips from its own subsidiary in a foreign country, the transfer price determines how much profit the subsidiary reports and how much local tax it pays. Most governments require firms to use an "arm's length" standard to set transfer prices equal to what they would pay if the transactions occurred between two separate companies. However, it is still possible to manipulate transfer prices for certain intermediary goods and so-called "intangible properties" such as patents and trademarks, since their value is unique to the firm and thus difficult to quantify. A 2006 study (PDF) by Rutgers University's Rosanne Altshuler and Treasury economist Harry Grubert estimated such abuses may reduce U.S. tax revenues by roughly $7 billion each year.
Obama proposed two measures to prevent inappropriate shifting of income abroad. First, the government would more carefully monitor transfers of "intangibles" such as patents, tax them appropriately upon deeming the transfer price excessive, and not allow deferrals on those taxes. Second, the administration would give more flexibility to the Internal Revenue Service in valuing intangible assets.
Risks and Alternatives to Obama's Proposals
Free-trade advocates and industry representatives argue Obama's tax changes would reduce the competitiveness of U.S.-based multinationals.
IIE's Hufbauer says the increased tax burden would encourage U.S. firms to sell their foreign subsidiaries to foreign-based firms in countries not subject to taxes on foreign income. He proposes lowering the U.S. statutory tax rate to 25 percent or less to compete with other OECD countries, which he argues have been lowering their corporate tax rates for several decades. CFR's Slaughter says passing already negotiated trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea--and stopping trade barriers against key partners like China--would prove more effective at boosting U.S. exports and related investment and jobs to help close fiscal deficits. Tonelson disagrees. U.S.-based multinationals actually increase deficits, he argues, because they are net importers. "And contrary to what multinationals often claim, they are astonishingly meager magnets for U.S. exports," he says.
The AFL-CIO's Lee, who supports Obama's proposals, says there are other ways to attract foreign investment without lowering corporate tax rates. She suggests introducing a so-called "value-add tax" (VAT)--which is levied at each stage of production based on the value added to the product at that stage and rebated at the border. "If you're based in a country with VAT, it's a big advantage, because your exports are tax-free. Unlike most of our competitors, like China and European countries, we don't have a comparable offsetting rebate on exports, which creates a disadvantage for American-based producers," she says.
Rutgers University's Altshuler says the administration should take reforms further by eliminating deferrals and simplifying the tax code, whose complexities compared to other countries cost both multinationals and the government time and money. "Under the current system, taxes are driving a lot of decisions, which creates distortions," she says. Ultimately, corporations "should be making decisions based on economic reasons."
--Eric Gardner contributed to this report.


text:
When Americans fret about the performance of public education, we typically focus on big-city schools. This makes sense — millions of children are at risk there — but we habitually overlook the problems of schools in rural areas.
Most readers would be surprised to learn, as I was, that more children — nearly 6.5 million — attend schools in remote rural areas and small towns than in the 20 largest urban school districts combined. But while some rural students score a little better on tests than their counterparts in big-city schools, they are less likely than urban students to enroll in college or stay long enough to get any sort of degree.
Once upon a time, students from America's rural communities and small towns were often the ones who became inventors, captains of industry, and national leaders. That's much less often the case now. Too often, we don't make the most of the talents of rural kids, and that can hurt us in a competitive world economy.
Why have we neglected these areas? Well, we don't really know. Rural education has been a back-burner issue for presidents and Congress, most state governments, and foundations that sponsor research and policy innovation.
A group of solid minds has set out to change this. The J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation in Idaho is sponsoring a serious examination of rural education, the challenges facing rural schools, and the reasons so many rural students don't reach their full potential. Thanks to this charge, the Rural Opportunities Consortium of Idaho, or ROCI — an interdisciplinary task force of educators, policy experts, economists, and experts in technology, which I lead — is taking a fresh look at rural schools, the overall well-being of rural communities, and the ways elected officials and philanthropies can make a difference. Bellwether Education Partners, a nonprofit organization with experience in disadvantaged communities, is supporting the work and producing analyses and recommendations for policymakers.
Though our efforts have just begun, some things are already clear. Many rural communities have stable or growing populations. Decades from now, just like today, millions of bright students will rely on rural schools. Some, though not all, rural economies are evolving, so young people who want to return home after college — especially in engineering, health, and analytical disciplines — may find good jobs waiting. But, as always, there will be even more opportunities for well-prepared rural students in dynamic big-city economies.
Elementary and secondary education in rural areas needs to innovate to broaden children's horizons and options. This innovation will strengthen rural communities and expand the nation's talent pool.
Imaginative rural educators face many challenges, including declining funding because of local taxpayer resistance, sentimentality about the old ways of doing things, reluctance to meet the needs of language-minority students, difficulty attracting able new educators as older ones retire, and problematic state and local policies. For example, rural superintendents often also serve as school principals and bus drivers, while at the same time managing as many state and federal programs and filling out the required reports as do the thousand-person staffs of urban districts. This added load wastes valuable energy and causes many qualified leaders to avoid or leave rural leadership jobs.
Americans can do much better for rural students and educators. The state and federal governments need to recognize the difference between megadistricts and tiny, remote ones. Technical innovators need to develop more options for rural schools, and philanthropies need to pay attention. Universities need to prepare educators for the challenges of rural leadership and teaching.
Our goal is for ROCI to put these issues on the national agenda. But resolving them will require a great deal of work by elected officials, scholars, private funders, and educational innovators. We can get the ball rolling, but others will have to keep it moving.


text:
The SW-BOR-075 kit includes all the essential parts you will need to make a powerful excavating tool to bore under a path or driveway. Simply attach a jet nozzle to one end of a piece of PVC pipe and a garden hose to the other end with the components from this kit. The force of the water will create a hole that the pipe can be pushed through to the other side. Large or small areas can be excavated by adjusting the length of pvc pipe. The kit can be reused again and again. The most efficient and cost effective way to excavate under an obstacle! The SW-BOR-075 includes a:
First dig your trenches on either side of the walk to the depth of the rest of your sprinkler system (usually about 6-12 inches minimum). Now using a PVC pipe cutter, cut the piece of schedule 40 PVC pipe about two to four feet longer than the width of your sidewalk or driveway. Following the directions on the can of PVC glue (pvc glue is not included) and glue the male adapters on opposite ends of the pvc pipe. Next, attach the brass 3/4" female hose to 3/4" female pipe swivel to one of the pvc male adapters. Then attach the brass 3/4" male hose to 3/4" pipe fitting to the other pvc male adapter on the opposite side. Connect your garden hose to female pipe swivel adapter. Connect the male hose/female pipe adapter to your 2 inch sweeper nozzle. Your boring tool is now assembled and ready to go.
Turn on the water. Grab hold of the pipe (fitting the pipe into the trench may intitially require some flexing). Keep the pipe level with the bottom of the trench and jab the boring tool into the soil. The dirt will appear to plug the end of the nozzle, just leave the nozzle in place for 15 to 30 seconds to allow the water to loosen the soil. Pull back the pipe 6 inches to a foot and thrust it into the soil again. Keep repeating this pattern until you have completely bored under your driveway/walkway.
Once the pipe has made it through to the other side you can shut off the water and cut the hose end fittings from both ends of the pipe. Tthe pvc pipe tool now becomes your irrigation pipe. Attach your fittings to the pipe and continue to assemble your irrigation pipe. Some people prefer a variation of this method and use a larger pvc pipe to bore the hole. Once they have bored through to the other side, they push the actual pipe being used into and through the boring pipe to the other side of the path or driveway. The boring tool then acts like a sleeve. Then the larger "boring" pipe also can be used to hold irrigation or lighting wire. This method allows you to bore just one hole for multiple purposes.
Brand | SW |
Type | Boring Tool |
Size | 3/4 in. |


text:
Hallelujah! Apple's now working on a Video Stabilization Solution for iOS Cameras on the Move
Apple revealed today via a newly published patent application that they have a video stabilization system in the works. The system will be both hardware and software based and hopefully translate into an iMovie editing function. Now that would be both cool and greatly appreciated. I don't know about you, but I've taken a lot of video with my iPhone and the quality is great …until you start moving that is. Without a solid tripod-like solution for the iPhone, the next best thing will be to have a software editing solution. The good news is that Apple seems to have been working on this solution for about two years now, so hopefully we'll have some relief of video jitters sooner rather than later. While it'll never be perfect, especially when you're on the move, anything will be better than the way it currently stands today.


text:
While working on electronics projects, it's often necessary to test out different capacitance or resistance values as things are moving along. Depending on what you are testing, this can be a tedious process even when using a breadboard. Instructables user [mattthegamer463] recently built a very useful device that would help out in these situations, and would likely be a welcome addition to any Hackaday reader's workbench.
His variable resistor/capacitor box makes it easy to test out any number of different resistance or capacitance values with a simple turn of a knob. He wired up a pair of pots to provide a wide range of resistance values, being sure to add a low-resistance safety as well as safety override switch for those of you who like to have things blow up in your face live dangerously. A set of 22 capacitors were wired up on a piece of perfboard, each of which can be selected using a pair of knobs. He added a simple switch to allow the capacitors to be toggled between parallel and series orientations as well.
[Matt] did a wonderful job here – this is a great project that can be customized in a multitude of ways to fit almost anyone's specific needs.


text:
The video of Page's speech is courtesy The Hollywood Reporter. The story below is courtesy CNN.
By Lateef Mungin
(CNN) — Hollywood actress Ellen Page, known for her role in the movie "Juno," announced she is gay, in a very public way.
Page broke the news during an emotional speech Friday in a crowded conference hall in Las Vegas, her publicist confirmed to CNN.
"I'm here today because I am gay. And because… maybe I can make a difference," Page told a crowd at an event called Time to THRIVE, a conference to promote issues of the gay community.
The Canadian star got a standing ovation during the speech.
"I am tired of hiding and I am tired of lying by omission," Page told the crowd. "I suffered for years, because I was scared to be out."
Page, 26, spoke about football star Michael Sam, a man she called a "hero."
Sam, an All-American defensive lineman from the University of Missouri, also publicly revealed that he's gay this week.
Sam's announcement creates the possibility he'll be the first openly gay player drafted by the National Football League.
Page, who is set to star in an upcoming X-Men movie, said she had learned a lot from others who have publicly announced their sexual orientation.
"We deserve to experience love fully, equally, without shame and without compromise," she told the crowd.
Human Rights Campaign, an organizer of the conference, praised Page on Twitter.
"Congratulations, @EllenPage for taking the steps to live openly and come out as lesbian. #comingout," the organization tweeted.
CNN's Dave Stewart and Rachel Wells contributed to this report.
™ & © 2014 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.


text:
I decided to make a new version of my Valentine's Day Countdown Calendar that I made two years ago {link to the other one}. This one definitely has more of a Spring-y look to it. I only wanted to use products I had on hand...so this is what I came up with.
I was inspired by Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane Rose fabric and took those colors into my overall design. {I also used a little bit of Amy Butler Ikat fabric} The frame is a cheap-o one from Ikea that is about a 20"x20" size, I think it was around $7. I wrote out "Valentine's Day" and stitched in on some pink felt and then layered fabric, felt and burlap.
I used several items from Canvas Corp: lime mini clothespins, white mini envelopes {I trimmed them down an inch} and burlap. As you can see, it is pretty self-explanatory on how to make it. I also used my go-to glue Beacon Fabri-Tac, I can't do anything without that stuff!! I used a small tipped Sharpie to write out the dates on the envelopes.
You can add love notes or special messages to the inside of the envelopes.


text:
Bankruptcy judge pressures NWA flight attendants
In his ruling, New York bankruptcy judge Allan Gropper makes it clear his patience over nine months of labor negotiations has reached an end. The cuts Northwest needs, he writes, are "necessary," and flight attendants had no "good cause" to reject a deal their union negotiators had reached with the airline this spring.
Flight attendants overwhelmingly voted down that proposal earlier this month, leading Northwest to return to the judge and again ask permission to act on its own. This time, the judge agreed. Saying a negotiated deal is still the best outcome, Gropper stayed his order for two weeks. This will allow for talks to continue, presumably in an atmosphere of much-heightened pressure on the flight attendants.
Airline industry consultant Mike Boyd says after months of labor squabbles, it's no surprise the judge wants to get moving with the rest of Northwest's bankruptcy reorganization.
"The court clearly knows Northwest has a clear plan and has focused on it. And it'll work; the flight attandants have to come to the party," according to Boyd.
Grow the Future of Public Media
MPR News is supported by Members. Gifts from individuals power everything you find here. Make a gift of any amount today to become a Member!
Northwest issued a statement reiterating it had bargained in good faith with flight attendants and the earlier agreement was the result of "substantial compromise" by both airline and union negotiators.
Professional Flight Attendants Association President Guy Meek says negotiators have been meeting regularly, and he expects that will continue. He says the judge has made it clear the union must satisfy the airline's goal of saving $195 million a year.
"I don't think there's ever been a problem with PFAA ever not realizing that the company was in need of some help. But the question had always been that we never believed we owed the 195 million," he said.
The union takes consolation in one major caveat in the judge's ruling: Northwest can not impose a contract any more severe than the agreement flight attendants voted down. That contract would meet Northwest's cost-savings goal by cutting take-home pay of flight attendants by as much as 40 percent and cutting up to 1,300 jobs.
Meek says the union will continue to press for more measures that target management. These include tying management raises and pensions to those of union members, and extending any executive stock awards to union members as well.
"Management continues to get their stock, their profit sharing and their golden parachutes, while employees continue under concessions and end up having hardship with finances, not being able to pay their bills, maybe losing their homes, filing bankruptcy," he said.
The union's ideas have so far gone nowhere with Northwest. U of M industrial relations professor John Remington thinks the union is wasting its energy.
"Clearly Northwest is not going to accept that sort of a condition," according to Remington. "They're going to make a determination on compensation for executive and managerial people based on what they think is appropriate under the circumstances. They're not going to negotiate that with the flight attendants."
Adding to the complexity of the situation, flight attendants are voting right now on whether to switch unions from the PFAA to the AFA, the Association of Flight Attendants. The vote result is due on Thursday. Remington says the AFA's challenge is making it harder for Northwest and the flight attendants to come to a deal.
"Both groups vying for representational rights are trying to be, or appear, as militant as possible, and this makes it really tough for them to make a concession," he said.
In more than 20 years since a major revision of bankruptcy law, no bankrupt airline has ever actually imposed terms after being given permission to do so. Just the possibility of it has been enough to force a deal. In the historic event that no deal emerges between Northwest and its flight attendants, and Northwest does impose, the union says it reserves the right to strike -- though it has promised to give Northwest 15 days notice. Those 15 days would almost surely be filled with a court battle over whether such a strike would be legal.


text: The primary goal of the Military Services Center is to be your Personal Navigator...to help you overcome any hurdle that you might encounter in the course of your university experience. The links in this section provide valuable information for you and your family. If you know of a valuable resource, please share with us. We will either pass the information on through our newsletter or by adding a link.


text:
Tykwer's new film, The Princess and the Warrior (Der Krieger und die Kaiserin), doesn't move quite so fast or rely so much on gimmickry, but it's even more cunning -- a captivating thriller containing an intense love story presented for the most part as a clever visual puzzle. Don't be alarmed, though, not even if you like your movies crystal-clear. Tykwer has the skills to set any audience's nerves deliciously on edge, even as he's challenging the eye and the intellect. At 35, he's become one of the world's most original and inventive directors -- as well as one of the most entertaining.
Lola fans will be happy to see the return here of the beguiling actress Franka Potente, fresh from a Hollywood turn as Johnny Depp's hippie girlfriend in Blow. In Princess she is once more Tykwer's centerpiece, this time as Sissi, a shy psychiatric nurse who becomes fixated on a self-destructive punk who saves her life after she's been mowed down by a truck on a city street.
Rest assured, nothing and no one are quite what they first seem. Ostensibly composed and controlled in her starched white nurse's uniform, Sissi is really a soul adrift, looking for signals and signposts. The vivid schizophrenics and manic-depressives she cares for on her ward are obviously troubled and in agony, but we come to see that Sissi has some deep-seated problems of her own. At the moment the tough hoodlum Bodo (Benno Furmann) crawls under the truck and gives her an emergency tracheotomy with his penknife, blood pours from her throat and major life questions well up in her psyche. Why has this stranger materialized to save her? Is it an accident, or fate? Will nothing be the same as it once was? Or (perhaps even more frightening) will everything remain the same?
It comes as no surprise that Bodo is badly damaged goods himself. A horrible domestic tragedy and some poisonous self-hatred have conspired to wall him off from life. Now he plans to pull a bank job with his glowering brother Walter (Joachim Krol), after which they will run away to oblivion in Australia.
But that scheme doesn't take into account Sissi's determination to find him after she's miraculously recovered from her injuries. Or Bodo's tendency toward bad luck. Or the mysterious twists of fate that link the two of them, physically and emotionally. Tykwer revisits and expands themes he explored in Lola -- destiny, the search for self and the unpredictable power of love. In Sissi's obsession with Bodo, we are reminded of Lola's frenzy, but, if anything, the current heroine is even more persistent: Sour, suspicious Bodo slams doors in her face, knocks her down in the rain and otherwise makes known his reluctance, but Sissi's determinist belief that they must be made for each other survives every obstacle. She tracks Bodo down in his hilltop hovel with the help of a blind mental patient given to convulsions. Fate throws her into the middle of the brothers' ill-considered robbery. She finds herself stepping between a robber and a drawn revolver. Afterward, Sissi and Bodo take refuge in a hideaway that turns out to be perfect in several ways -- the mental hospital where she works.
The real miracle in The Princess and the Warrior, whose fairytale title is clearly meant to be only partly ironic, is not that Sissi recovers from her physical wounds, or even that Bodo can eventually face up to the horrors that haunt him, but that Sissi's will is so formidable that no one can resist it. The other miracle is that Tykwer has made a film that's as tender as it is hip. The spectacle of a grieving lunatic unexpectedly coming to ground in a world of other lunatics is weirdly funny and satisfyingly ironic -- a nice twist on the old One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest trope. The notion that these two misfits, the nurse and the punk, may find salvation in each other -- or die trying -- is refreshingly old-fashioned, a nice twist on the old Bonnie and Clyde trope.
Tykwer may make "serious" films about the treacherous ambiguities of adult life, but he knows exactly how and when to grab the heartstrings and yank for all he's worth. Admirers of cinematic art will likely be thrilled anew by the director's dazzling camera tricks -- most notably Sissi's death's-eye view of walls and ceilings as she's wheeled into the emergency room, and the notion that Bodo can quite literally split into two selves -- and by his nimble juggling of weighty ideas. But the cornerstone of this fascinating film is a peculiar but absolutely solid love story. In terms of intellectual and emotional stimulation, who could ask for more?


text:
A powerful Outlook Add-In, which allows you to extract and save specific or all attachments and emails from Microsoft Outlook in various formats!
This Outlook Add-In processes selected emails, as well as complete Outlook folders, and new incoming emails automatically! The export of emails supports the formats .HTM, .TXT, .EML, .MSG, .RTF and .MHT. Optional you can remove all attachments or let them replace with links to the saved files!
Updated: March 15th, 2012
Read more about this powerful Outlook Add-In or Download and test it!
A high efficient Usenet Newsreader Software, which allows you to download all types of files from the Usenet newsgroups!
This Usenet software has full support of yEnc files, XPAT search, multiple download threads and SSL connections. NZB files, which you may have downloaded from a Usenet search engine or from an NZB search engine, can be processed automatically with News File Grabber. This binaries downloader is provider independent and works with all common Usenet providers!
Read more about this top rated Usenet software or Download and test it!
A special download program for your Yahoo Groups! Easily download complete photo albums and file directories from all of your Yahoo Groups in bulk!
Now you also can save the complete messages in bulk!
Read more about this Yahoo Downloader or Download and test it!
All software products offered here at rsbr.de are guaranteed free of any form of Spyware and do not contain any Adware!


text:
Online church services are a great resource — make sure they don't become your only community
Written by GodLife on 04/09/2018
Series: Weekly Devotional
Tags: Church, Church And Community, Fellowship, Online Church
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24-25
Balancing Online and Physical Church
My husband and I found a great church. This place has excellent, Bible-based teaching, opportunities to serve, with a young, growing membership. The church offers multiple service times and great music. Unfortunately, we ended up moving. "No problem", we both thought. "We can just go online and watch the services. At least that way we can still get great teaching while we look for a church in our new town."
Here's what we discovered. Finding a church can be hard! Especially when the one you attended before was so great. Some weeks it was easy to say, "let's just watch online today." That counts, right?
No matter where you live, you have to decide what to do about church and community, both online and in-person. The reality today is the online church community has so much to offer and may feel like an easier place to fit in. Many people are a part of multiple communities, online and offline. How do you balance them? Can one substitute for the other?
The purpose of going to church
Notice I didn't say "the purpose of church" because 'church' is not a physical place. the church is made up of people who follow Jesus. As Christians, we work together as "the church" to share the love of Jesus with others. Acts 2:42 provides some of the reasons for church. "And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers."
You can do many of the same things online and offline. You can share Jesus' love, learn about Jesus, and read the Bible. With so many sermons and studies online, it is easy to find just about any material you need to help you grow spiritually. Online church allows you to build community fellowship globally and expand your perspective, while your local church may be limiting your connections to people who are just like you. So why go to a physical church rather than bonding and worshipping only in an online community? Physical touch, serving and gathering are just three reasons.
Physical touch
Britain recently appointed its first 'minister for loneliness' acknowledging how isolated many people have become. Part of that isolation is not simply mental loneliness but a lack of connection physically, too. I remember my mom saying several years after my father died that one of the hardest things she faced was not having daily physical contact with anyone — hugging, a touch on the hand, and just close proximity to another person in the room. There were those around Jesus who needed to hear His message in this way because there are people who are best wired to receive communication about love by physical touch. "And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, 'Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.' And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, 'I will; be clean.' And immediately his leprosy was cleansed." (Matthew 8:2–3)
Going to church is a way to physically connect to followers of Jesus and remind ourselves that we are not just mental or spiritual beings but we exist together and have a common purpose.
Serving in your community
Sure, you can give money through your phone to help others — even those in your neighborhood. The community church makes it more personal. As the church opens its doors in times of disaster or through helping local families with specific needs, Jesus can shine through your face when you participate in service. James 1:27 tells us: "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."
We are here to gather with other believers in Christian fellowship, and a smartphone can never completely replace that. The term "church" in Greek (ekklesia) means a called assembly. In ancient times when a city called its people together for a certain purpose, this was always called an ekklesia. My husband and I once had a "Skype dinner" with some friends who had moved away. We just wanted to see their faces and eat together like we did when they lived near us. While it was fun, it wasn't the same as being together.
Balancing your online church practices with your physical ones can be a challenge. Both have so much to offer, it can be tempting to replace one for the other. How you use those resources God provided in a balanced way is a decision you have to make. "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise." (Ephesians 5:15)
Pray this week:
Father, show me how to serve you. Lead me to more fully be a part of the church in all areas, through worship, teaching, giving, fellowship and prayer.
Do you struggle with balancing your life online and offline? Do you view your community church differently than online church?
Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member


text:
Black History Month: Aneesa Folds Recognizes Stage Manager Cody Renard Richard
In honor of Black History Month, Broadway.com is once again inviting Broadway artists to celebrate the Black theatermakers who inspire them. Stars are taking this chance to honor their friends, mentors, co-stars and idols for this year's edition. Continue reading to read about the incredible stage manager Freestyle Love Supreme's Aneesa Folds is honoring, and click here to stay up to date on the series.
Aneesa Folds (a.k.a. Young Nees) made her Broadway debut in Lin-Manuel Miranda and Anthony Veneziale's high-energy improvisational show Freestyle Love Supreme. Folds joined the crew for the Broadway run at the Booth Theater after impressing cast members with her improv and rap skills while taking classes at the Freestyle Love Academy. She can be seen in Hulu's documentary We Are Freestyle Love Supreme and continues to work with the troupe that has become a second family. One person that Folds connected with off-stage during her Broadway run was the show's stage manager, Cody Renard Richard, whom she honors below.
Cody Renard Richard has been a Broadway stage manager for 10 years and has the stacked resume to prove it. Not only is he the assistant stage manager for Hamilton, but he also served as the production stage manager for Freestyle Love Supreme. His past assistant stage managing jobs include Dear Evan Hansen, The Lion King, Kinky Boots, If/Then and more. Richard has been one of the Director's Guild Association's stage managers for the 2019 Tony Awards and 2019 MTV Video Music Awards. He also worked with NBC as a stage manager for Jesus Christ Superstar Live!, Hairspray Live! and The Wiz Live! During the Broadway shutdown, Richard has been vocal about equality and equity in the industry and founded The Cody Renard Richard Scholarship Program for aspiring BIPOC theatermakers. He was named one of Variety's 2020 Broadway Players to Watch, making him the first stage manager to be recognized in the category.
Folds on Richard: "The person I would like to shout-out and celebrate this month is my stage manager, my friend, my president—Cody Renard Richard. He is a prime example of standing in your power and asking for what you want, because if you want something enough you shall receive it. He's using his voice in ways that he didn't even think imaginable by getting the word out there about Black issues and Black issues in theater. He's creating space for young Black people and young POC to see themselves. I know he didn't see himself when he was trying to become a stage manager, so he's created that space. He is part of the small amount of Black stage managers that we have in this community, and he's created a scholarship program. I'm so proud of the way he continues to pave the way and give back to young people. I hope he will be an inspiration to more people. I am so proud to have him in my life."


text:
Caked in dust and bristling with weaponry, the Tuareg rebels smiled at Neil Whitehead and Diane English. "It's O.K., we're here for your protection," one of the veiled warriors grinned at the nervous couple. Caught up in the middle of a war after Tuareg separatists advanced hundreds of miles in a matter of hours, the hotel owners had tried twice already to leave their adopted home of Timbuktu, Mali. At first, retreating army columns blocked their way. Then, when the road eventually cleared, English and Whitehead ran straight into a firefight. "There were guns going off all around us and tracer going past the cab windows, and we thought, 'This isn't good,'" English says, with a flash of understatement.
Yet the real threat came not from the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (known by its French acronym, MNLA) — the 1,000 or so secular Tuareg separatists who on Friday declared independence — but Islamist militants and al-Qaeda emirs busy hijacking its campaign. As Timbuktu fell, French diplomats brokered a deal to spirit English, Whitehead, their "leggy Saharan desert dog" Lily and a French citizen also trapped in the fabled city to safety. Wearing turbans to disguise themselves and taking only those belongings they could carry, the fugitives piled into Tuareg pickups — and then camped and drove, camped and drove, "belting through the desert hell for leather," English says. The rebels "really were fantastic … From the time we put ourselves in their hands … although I knew we weren't yet safe, I wasn't really concerned."
(MORE: Gaddafi's Gift to Mali: The Tuareg Seize Timbuktu)
Two days and 850 miles (1,370 km) of hard driving later, they arrived in Mauritania's seaside capital of Nouakchott, dusty, tired, rattled — and relieved. "Having a shower and a change of clothes was an absolute luxury," says English. Yet happy ending aside, the flight through the desert underscores one of the most unsettling aspects of Mali's Tuareg revolt: how al-Qaeda's regional franchise has been able to exploit the instability in northern Mali much more, and much faster, than almost anyone anticipated. The first worrying signs emerged Monday with reports that Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the Algerian-born leader of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), had been spotted in Timbuktu, alongside two other prominent AQIM commanders, Abou Zeid and Yahya Abou al-Hammam. "It's extremely difficult to evaluate the claims and reports coming out of Timbuktu," says to Andrew Lebovich, an analyst with the Navanti Group who focuses on Sahelian issues. But "multiple sources cite eyewitnesses who say they saw one or several AQIM leaders." As civilians fleeing Timbuktu impart fresh accounts of what is happening in the desert city, the number of claims are steadily growing.
What is more certain is that at the same time as the purported sightings, a Salafi group called Ansar Eddine drove the mainstream Tuareg rebels out of Timbuktu with a show of force — and promptly set about briefing those civilians who have not fled on the dictates of Shari'a, which they say they plan to impose. "Our war is a holy war," Omar Hamaha, one of the group's commanders said to inhabitants this week. "It's a legal war in the name of Islam." As for 120 prisoners Hamaha claimed the militants had taken, "We have tied them up and taken their weapons. We beat them well, and it's likely we will slit their throats." In another northern Malian town called Gao, meanwhile, fighters from the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa, which is linked to al-Qaeda, have taken a visible role in the fighting.
The big question is why the more numerous rebels of the MNLA have allowed smaller groups of religious militants to hijack their explicitly secular campaign. According to a Tuareg source close to the MNLA, the conventional wisdom is that though "the MNLA is stronger and better equipped than Ansar Eddine and AQIM," it cannot conduct "two wars at once" and must concentrate on its struggle against the Malian state before purging the Islamists in its midst. With the Islamists growing bolder by the day, it's a dangerous decision.
(MORE: Terror Stalks Timbuktu's Historic Treasures)
Citing international law and precedent and echoing the language of the U.S. constitution, the MNLA declared independence on Friday, saying, "We, the people of Azawad … proclaim irrevocably the independent state of Azawad from this day forth." The U.S., France, Algeria, the African Union and the E.U. have all dismissed the move, with the African Union calling it "null and of no value whatsoever" and a French minister saying the unilateral declaration "which is not recognized by African states [had no] meaning for us." A U.S. diplomat in Bamako said the priority in Mali remained "the regional threat posed by AQIM, a transborder criminal-terrorist organization," and that the country had to move toward a "constitutionally appropriate" way of tackling this.
Amnesty International, meanwhile, warned that Mali was on the brink of a "major humanitarian disaster" in the wake of the rebellion, as looting, kidnappings and rapes go unchecked. In the town of Gao, sacked a week ago, one inhabitant told TIME of a descent into chaos as Islamist militants trashed an evangelical church near his house, a nightclub and the Algerian consulate. "I saw someone [from al-Qaeda] driving the consul's car," he said. "They have big beards and their flag … their black flag with white writing." In Gao, as in every town the rebels have taken, food and medicine are running out. "We can't drink [river water] all the time," the man said. "People are saying they're killing us without [firing their guns]. I don't think the electricity and water will last for long. People are getting hungry and hungrier."


text:
Lucky Clover Personalized Tote Bags - 3 Sizes to Choose From
Regular price
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Heavy Duty Custom Tote Bags - Double-Lined with Black Handles
- This heavy-duty and lined tote bag features great durability for on-the-go storage.
- This shopping bag is made with a 100% polyester canvas exterior and inside is lined with a fused black polyester interlock fabric
- Finished with soft and sturdy woven black cotton straps
- The front and the back is decorated with the same image and is customizable with your text or initials as the design allows.
- Perfect as a beach bag, toy storage tote, large cosmetic bag or fast on the go shopping bag. Stop ruining the environment by using plastic shopping bags.
- Available in three convenient sizes of approximately 13" x 13" - Small, 16" x 16" - Medium, and 18" x 18" - Large
Sizes are only approximate and will vary slightly from one bag to another as these bags are hand made with Heart!


text:
Columns Retired Columns & Blogs |
Benz-Micro MC20E2-L MC phono cartridge
The ceiling remains, but the floor has changed: Benz-Micro continues to offer a selection of rather expensive phono cartridges, including their well-established LP Ebony ($4700) and Ruby 3 ($3000) models. But in recent years, my attention has been drawn by the succession of budget Benzes: first, the Gliders ($795), then the ACEs ($550), and now the MC20E2-L ($199).
Actually, this particular Benz has been here before, but never with such a low output: The enduring MC20EII ($199) puts out a generous 2.5mV. But those who think of sub-millivolt cartridges as purer, quicker, and altogether better than their louder counterparts, and who don't mind having an extra gain stage between their phonographs and their preamps, will greet the MC20E2-L as an especially welcome newcomer.
And why not? Until recently, and apart from the long-legged Denon 103 and Signet OC9, virtually every inexpensive moving-coil cartridge has also been a high-output moving-coil cartridge. It's reasonable for the industry to try to attract new consumers to the genre by sparing them the expense of a transformer or pre-preamp; but in 2007, with sales of LPs and playback gear on a continuing upswing, one assumes there are a number of record lovers who are interested in buying a first—or perhaps even a spare—moving-coil cartridge, yet who have all the gain they need.
The MC20E2-L doesn't resemble much of anything else in the current Benz-Micro line. If anything, it bears a striking if coincidental resemblance to the Ortofon X-MC high-output cartridges of the late 1980s, if somewhat more plasticky and a good deal more pink. The newest Benz weighs a scant 3.26gm without its stylus guard, and I was surprised to discover that it could be made even smaller and lighter by pulling its black plastic mounting block away from the rest of the body, into which it's otherwise snugly pressed.
The Benz uses a V-shaped coil former rather than the more common cross, with just a single coil per channel, wound generously with exceedingly fine copper wire: At 32 ohms, the MC20E2-L is a source of somewhat higher impedance than most low-output cartridges. The damper is shiny black rubber, and the cantilever is a good old-fashioned aluminum tube, flattened and creased at its business end. A square-shank diamond with an elliptical tip is punched into place from above, and secured with what appears to be a tiny drop of Loc-Tite or similar adhesive. In my sample, the alignment of the coil and pole-piece was acceptably good, while the centering of the cantilever and alignment of the stylus were excellent: Apparently, the most painstaking work was applied to those aspects of construction that directly affect record and stylus wear—the best approach to making a budget phono cartridge.
Installation and setup
I wound up trying the Benz MC20E2-L in three different tonearms, at least two of which are germane to this price point: the Naim Aro ($3050), the current basic version of the Well-Tempered Arm ($1007), and the perennially recommendable Rega RB300 ($395).
Owners of the Naim, which is not adjustable for overhang, will be pleased to know that the Benz's stylus-to-mounting-hole distance is extremely close to the "Linn standard" around which their favorite arm was designed: In my sample of the Aro, the MC20E2-L exhibited only a bit too much (about 1mm) overhang, which could surely be adjusted out with extra care during turntable setup. While I'm on the subject of the Aro, I'll also mention that the Benz performed best with that arm's azimuth weight at its innermost position (ie, closest to the unipivot bearing), and that it responded well to having the bias weight at its next-to-highest setting. The best downforce was 2gm on the nose, which was also true with the Well Tempered Arm; for its part, the Rega did the job at a hair under 2gm. (All tracking forces were measured with a Technics SH-50P1 electronic stylus-pressure gauge.)
All of the above can be thought of as medium-mass tonearms, the first two falling squarely on the low side of medium. And here's the thing: Given its medium-low compliance, one might expect the MC20E2-L to perform slightly better in a tonearm that's on the high side of medium—a concern that, if anything, is sharpened by the cartridge body's own extremely low mass. The solution is a 3gm spacer that's supplied with the MC20E2-L, intended to be used between it and the headshell.
I tried it both ways, and was left with no doubt that the spacer is mandatory. Without the spacer, using the Benz in my Naim Aro tonearm, the cartridge-arm combination exhibited undesirably high resonant frequencies, according to the test record (HFN 001) created by UK magazine Hi-Fi News & Record Review: 13Hz in the lateral plane, and an eyebrow-raising 16Hz in the vertical plane. With the 3gm spacer in place, those numbers dropped to an almost ideal 11Hz and 12Hz, respectively.
Shoppers who wish to use the Benz MC20E2-L in a Rega RB300 or variant should note that the 3gm spacer is approximately 0.05" thick; if you use it, as you probably should, you'll also want to shim the arm itself by a similar amount, to maintain acceptable arm height and thus vertical tracking angle.
Having done all of the above and more in recent weeks, I can assure you: None of it is very difficult. In any event, cartridge loading was even more straightforward: The Benz MC20E2-L spent all of its time playing through step-up transformers, and most of that time playing through the standard transformers in the Shindo Masseto preamplifier (see July's "Listening" p.39).
I don't recall whether Musical Surroundings, Benz-Micro's US distributor, had run in the MC20E2-L before shipping it to me, but its sound didn't change very drastically during its time here. If anything, the cartridge exhibited slightly better tracking behavior toward the end of its stay—but that may have had more to do with increasing ambient temperatures than anything else. (The Benz arrived in late April and went back home in mid-June, and so coped with daytime temps ranging from the 40s to the 80s.)