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When Stephen King first wrote the short story, "The Colorado Kid," he probably never envisioned that it would inspire a modern day supernatural television series. Syfy's series HAVEN features not only a mysterious town with inhabitants that are stricken with abilities that border on the supernatural and super-freaky, it offers a complex look at a trio of heroes caught up in the story of how to solve the puzzle of what brought these troubles to the little town of Haven. During a recent press call, Eric Balfour shared what makes his character Duke Crocker tick and also provided a few key insights on the upcoming season of HAVEN.
How is the dynamic within the cast change, as the show has progressed?
ERIC: Last season, me and Lucas have had a history together — we worked on a show before and we have a really good rapport, and Emily and Lucas had worked before together — but we hadn't all worked, the three of us together. So we really became friends last year. This season, we really have learned to look after each other and support each other. It really is a really tight bond. Most shows don't have this small of cast. Most shows have seven or six regulars or even sometimes more. It's really the three of us that are permanent fixtures on the show. So we really have become like this little unit and little family in a way. So I think the biggest difference from this season to last is just our camaraderie and our comfort level. I mean I love Emily and Lucas and there isn't anything I wouldn't do for them.
What do you enjoy most about working on HAVEN?
ERIC: I love playing Duke, I really do. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the writers for writing this character because he's so much fun to play. He has no boundaries. He can say what he wants. He can do what he wants. He doesn't have to abide by anyone's rules and I think that's probably something I enjoy in my own life. So I just love playing Duke.
So if there's more to learn about Duke, do you feel you've got a handle on who he really is or is he still somewhat mysterious to you now going into the second season?
ERIC: It's always interesting because the writers are always throwing new little twists at us about the characters that we didn't know. I mean from an emotional standpoint, I feel like I definitely do understand Duke. I love this dude. I just think he's awesome. So in that regard, yes. But there's always – in every episode there's always some little twist the writers are throwing at us and little hints that they're giving us and we find out some new twist about the show. I'm never completely sure of exactly who Duke is, but I think at his core I really do understand who he is and I like him. He's fun.
Since we see more of Reverend Ed when the show returns, can you talk about working with Stephen McHattie and what it's like to play off of his intensity?
ERIC: Stephen McHattie is pretty fricking awesome. He's an odd bird in some ways. He really is an artist. That I appreciate so much — that he takes what he does very seriously and he's very good at it. But he doesn't have sort the normal, linear conversations like the average Joe does, and that kind of makes him fun. But, at the same time, you're always a little unsure of what Stephen McHattie thinks and you're always kind of trying to figure him out. But I think that makes him really fun.
Can you kind of talk about the new character that's kind of coming into your character's life and about her — or are you not allowed to talk about that?
ERIC: Yes, I can talk about it. So Duke has this woman come into this life. And Duke — is sort of, I guess similar to me in that way that he – Duke is attracted to dangerous women. He is one of those guys who doesn't like anything that comes easily. He likes the challenge and he likes a certain amount of danger and game and suspense. So this woman comes into his life and definitely starts to turn things upside down and really is a catalyst for a big part of where Duke is going this season and really in future seasons too.
Are we going to get more of the town's past this season and more about what's going on?
ERIC: Oh, yes. We're going to find out a lot about this town and we're going to find out a lot about how Duke is connected to this town and to the troubles.
Are we going to get see more about how what happened with Duke and Nathan?
ERIC: We are definitely going to start to see Duke and Nathan's relationship evolve. But thus far, we haven't spent a lot of time as we did last year examining their history. I think last season we had a lot of references to sort of what caused their rift and the possibilities of what they once were friends and no longer are. But this season we're really sort of moving forward with their relationship and seeing what it's evolving into.
Over the last year, you have done everything from TV to film. How you felt about doing those gigs and what was so unique about HAVEN that probably stands out for you?
ERIC: Well, as far as HAVEN is concerned, I just loved that this show took place in this very quirky, macabre, funny world. And I love the character. I love that HAVEN, while it has all this mystery and it has all this danger, it also has this very small town warmth and it has this sense of family — and it's strange. I'm always pushing the producers and the writers to actually perpetuate that even more — because I think one of the most interesting things about this show is how sort of odd everyone is in this town. I mean when you think about the characters, Vince and Dave who run the newspaper, I love those guys. They're just funny and weird and goofy. And I'm hoping to really, as the show goes on and we move into further seasons, that we really, really keep pushing that boundary even further.
How was it guest starring on NO ORDINARY FAMILY and how was it different from your HAVEN experience?
ERIC: Obviously, the biggest difference is that HAVEN and the crew and show have become like my family. I mean, we really are lucky. We have an amazing crew and we have a lot of fun together. It's always interesting to go to another show, as a guest, and to sort of be an outsider. But it was a lot of fun. I mean hanging out with Michael Chiklis was really cool. And it was actually cool because the couple of weeks that I was there, he was right in the middle of releasing a song that he had produced and sang. So it was really fun watching the dude from THE SHIELD — this sort of tough guy — actually really being like giddy and like a little kid. He was so excited about this song. So it was really fun to hang out with him. And he was a really cool dude. And I got to hang out with Lucy Lawless, who is just awesome.
Do you know if there's going to be an answer as to why there are "troubles" in HAVEN or why they come back?
ERIC: I do know for a fact that Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn, the creators of the show, definitely 100% know exactly what's going on in this town. So some day, I know they will [tell us], but I think it's probably not going to happen for like Season 5 or 6. They're going to prolong it as long as they can. But they definitely, definitely, definitely have an answer. They know exactly what's going.
Do you have a guess?
ERIC: Do I have a guess? I've always imagined, in my mind, that what's going on in HAVEN is in some ways, it's almost like global warming. As things shift in the universe of HAVEN and the world shifts and humanity shifts, things change. And while at one time, HAVEN, this town, was exactly — as its name ensues — was a safe HAVEN for people that had these supernatural curses or troubles or afflictions. So as nature changes, something happened in the energy of this town that created this Molotov cocktail of supernatural occurrences. And I always felt that it was much more evolutionary versus being one single action.
You're playing this ambiguous character in HAVEN, and you don't exactly know what's going on with him from week to week. How do you get in the mindset to play this part?
ERIC: What it usually entails is a lot of phone calls and emails back and forth from the writers. Because this show is so intricate in its dynamics, you're always having to ask questions and to get questions answered. There's two different schools of thought. Some people like to keep the actors guessing because they want their responses to be honest. For me, as an actor, I like to know what's coming ahead, because I feel like it is my job to paint a palette, and to know that if I'm going from A to B, there's certain hills and valleys that I'll want to hit along the way. So I like to know the answers. So a lot of the time it's me reading the next week's script and then sending like two-page emails to the writers with a thousand questions and they just go, 'Oh, man. Balfour is emailing us again. What are we going to do?' But they're always really cool about it. And they always take the time to answer our questions and talk us through things. I've got to hand it to them. They're amazing in that way that really appreciate and respect how much we have breathed life into these characters. So they really do value our opinions about what our characters do. It's really neat. It's cool.
Other than the fact that you're both attracted to dangerous women, what characteristics do you see in yourself, that your character Duke has?
ERIC: I think the most obvious answer for me is that we both have an aversion to authority. Neither one of us likes rules very much. I think that would be the most obvious thing to me when I think about how me and Duke are similar. It's interesting. There's a lot of similarities. I think Duke is innately more confident than I am in some ways, which has actually been really kind of a blessing for me in my own life. Playing Duke, I have to get outside of myself and really have strong belief in who I am as Duke because that's what makes Duke really kind of awesome is that he has a confidence and a charisma that I've sort of learned a little bit from playing him in my own life. He walks through the world believing that he can do anything and that the rules don't apply to him in that. Anytime somebody said you can't do something, that's just a challenge for him to do it. It's a lesson that I've sort of taken in my own life.
So what have you learned about yourself from working on HAVEN?
ERIC: I would say that's a really good question — a really good question. I think one of the things that I've learned about myself is that in playing the character Duke I realize how many insecurities I have myself, because Duke is so confident and because Duke carries himself with such gallantry and sort of grandiose behavior. It really made me look at my own life and my own insecurities in how, in some ways, I don't live that way. It's really forced me to look at my own life and look at my insecurities and look at the things that I carry around as baggage really, that in some ways holds me back. So that's been one of the biggest things I've learned about myself. And honestly, that is really the thing that most profoundly stands out to me.
It appears that there is a rivalry between Duke and Nathan as they have the same attraction for the same woman. Why do you think Audrey should pick Duke over Nathan?
ERIC: If I was being really honest, I don't know that I would tell the character Audrey to pick Duke. I think in some ways that Duke is Duke — because he is a loner in a way. He does walk to his own drumbeat and I don't know that he is capable of really ever being domesticated. I think it would be a lot of fun to see Audrey try to settle him down, but at the end of the day, I don't know if Duke is capable of it. I think Duke is one of those guys who probably will one day get on his boat and sail around the world and kind of sail into the sunset on his own. And he'll just disappear one day and you'll never know what happened to him.
What are your expectations for your character for Season 2?
ERIC: You know, I think what I was really hoping for this season was to really see Duke evolve. . . I think this season I was really looking forward to Duke being faced with tough questions, where he really had to choose a side finally. Because last season he was able to sort of dance around and play both sides of the fence. It's such a perfect transition for him to have to make these decisions because it's exactly what he doesn't want to do. He's always – he's (painted) himself to be self-serving and to only look out for himself. So I think this season we're going to really get to see Duke have to choose a side — and it's going to be really tough for him.
You film in what must be probably the most beautiful landscape that any sort of science fiction, sort of fantasy show films in. What are some of the pros and cons of filming in a seaside town?
ERIC: Well, the pros of filming where we film are, without a doubt, the visual landscape of the place. We could never recreate this world on a soundstage or in Los Angeles or almost anywhere. It is vital to the visceral energy of the show. I mean, this town is a character in the show and the landscape is a character in the show. So, in that regard, we couldn't do the show with these towns that we shoot in Nova Scotia. The downside is that it's only summer about four days out of the year — that's a little bit of an exaggeration. But I mean, literally in June, we redubbed the month of June, Jun-uary, because it pretty much rained the entire time. So it's a challenge. I mean it gets cold and it gets rainy and it's unpredictable. But we deal with that because it is so beautiful when the sun does come out — and even when it doesn't it definitely has this really neat (macabre) soggy sort of other worldly feel.
What can you tell us about when it was like working with Jason Priestley, who I understand is coming on the show this season?
ERIC: Priestley has got to be the sweetest dude I've ever met. Really. When he was younger he was on one of the most successful shows in the history of television, you know? And he is so not jaded and so excited to come to work. What was my favorite thing was when he directed an episode recently. Because it's just really fun getting directed by other actors who have a sensitivity for what we do. And he's just a really, really sweet, fun guy.
Can you talk about some of the like stunts that you do on the show?
ERIC: This season we've actually been getting to do a lot more. There's been a lot of gunplay this season, which has been really fun. We just finished an episode a couple of weeks ago, where I was getting to fire this like big 12-gauge shotgun with these massive rounds. And it was fun. It's running around, badass with sawed-off shotgun — just really cool.
What's been the favorite scene you've filmed this season?
ERIC: My favorite scene I filmed this season? I think my favorite scene this season, honestly has been really the scenes between me and Lucas and Emily. At the beginning of the season there was so much going on individually in each of our character's lives, that we were sort separated a little bit. And so as the season went on, I started (missing) them. So as the season went on we really got to get back to the three of us being together and the camaraderie and sort of the shorthand that we have with each other. And that's my favorite stuff so far this season. It's just playing Emily and Lucas. I really have a good time with them.
We're starting to figure out a little bit of Emily's past with the cliff of Season 1, how Duke sort of figures into that storyline of Emily's past. My guess is you're going to play some type of significant role in that, yes?
ERIC: Yes, as we're learning that, you know, obviously, Audrey Parker's character, or Lucy or whatever. I can't even keep it straight at this point. But as we are learning how she is connected to HAVEN, we're going to find out that Duke has a really strong significant role to play in what is happening in this town. And actually how, not only Duke, but his entire family is connected to HAVEN and its struggles.
Can you say what was the biggest challenge for you in this new season?
ERIC: I think the biggest challenge this season was because what I love about Duke is his humor and his sort of spontaneity and his wit. And that's, in some ways, the levity that he brings to the show. But because there are some really drastic things going on for Duke this season and some really heavy things happening, it was really challenging to be truthful and honest in the moments that those things are happening with the character, not lose what makes him fun and not lose that sense of play that he has. Because as life gets dramatic it's hard to laugh it off. But that's, in some ways what really makes Duke, Duke. I think like a lot of my favorite movie (anti-heroes), he has the ability to laugh in the face of danger. When you think about like Han Solo or Bruce Willis in Die Hard, Indiana Jones, what makes them great is the ability to crack a joke when they're facing their doom.
Since the show is dealing with supernatural elements, I'm wondering what's your personal opinions on that?
ERIC: Well, there are a lot of things that we don't have proof of in this world. There are a lot of things we don't answers to. We don't know for sure if aliens exist or we don't know if ghosts exist or if there's an afterlife. All these questions, we don't know the answers to. And I don't profess to say that I have a definitive answer either, but I guess I would say it sure does make life more interesting to believe that these things exist. In some ways, whether or not they do, I sure would like to believe that there are crazy little alien men running around on another planet and that ghosts really do exist. And that there are people out there that have super powers and can do things with their mind and we see evidence of it all the time, but obviously we don't have definitive proof. But I sure just think it makes like more interesting to believe that those things do exist.
Have you ever been approached by any (irate) Stephen King fans about HAVEN?
ERIC: No, I haven't. I think for the most part the Stephen King fans have been very supportive of the show. I don't think we were never dishonest, that we said that HAVEN was like a direct copy of a Stephen King novel. HAVEN has always the novella that HAVEN was based off of was always the jumping off point. And we were always really straightforward about that. I mean obviously, if you've ever read it, it's very short and very simple and there's not a lot to base an entire series on. So it was always the jumping off point. And I think because we were honest about that, that the Stephen King fans didn't really have any argument to that or angst.
Having starred in HAVEN and the film Skyline, have you always been drawn to the sci-fi genre?
ERIC: No, not at all. I wouldn't say that I'm not a fan of science fiction. It's not innately in my lifeblood like other people. I've been fortunate this last year or so to get to work on some really fun science fiction projects. But I'm a fan of a lot of different genres. And it was, honestly, as much I'd love to say, with some calculated move and decision. I'm always just happy to be working. So it was a certain amount of just serendipity and coincidence that created that course of events. But there are sci-fi projects that I love. When you think about Blade Runner or Aliens, or even things that cross into sort of fantasy and horror. There's all kinds of projects that I always love, but I not would say that I am innately a science fiction buff.
Do you have a preference for any TV shows from when you were a kid to when you are now, whether it's HAVEN-like or whatever, a really cool sci-fi fantasy or horror show, that you really like?
ERIC: Growing up, one of my favorite sci-fi shows, hands down, was the original BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. That was one of my favorite shows. And then the other one was BUCK ROGERS.
Can you tell us how the difference between — because you got a sci-fi and a horror and a cult following and then I'm sure you've got your normal fans that are more mainstream work — what's the difference, like between the two?
ERIC: The sci-fi fans are way more awesome and crazy and enthusiastic!
To learn more about Duke Crocker and the secrets he is hiding, be sure to tune in when HAVEN returns for its surprising and tantalizing second season on July 15th at 10 p.m. on Syfy (Monday July 18th on Showcase in Canada).
Tiffany Vogt blogs at The TV Addict.
The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of music, film, and television bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by The Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own and they are responsible for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here.


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20 U.S. Code § 7223j - Authorization of appropriations
§ 7223j.
Authorization of appropriations
For the purpose of carrying out this subpart, there are authorized to be appropriated $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2003.
(Pub. L. 89–10, title V, § 5231, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title V, § 501, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1803.)
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.

subset: commoncrawl


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Looking at an artist's rendering of an attractive tree-lined walkway presented to the West St. Paul City Council last week, Council Member Dave Napier said: "This is what I want for Robert Street.''
The sketch was presented by SRF engineering consultants after Council Member Jenny Halverson persuaded council members to think some more about the huge Robert Street reconstruction. She saw it as an opportunity to add beauty and character to the city by giving it distinctive landscaping that includes boulevard trees.
But a new urgency has arisen for the project. The cost has gone up again, by $4 million, presenting a new challenge for the city to find more funding.
Because the landscaping also will require millions — and because the City Council is far from agreement on exactly how many trees would be included, where they would be placed and how the city would pay for it — the City Council made a key decision: that the road construction and the landscaping would be split into separate projects.
The road construction will go ahead as scheduled over the next three years so that the city will not risk losing the $7 million it has received in federal funding. The landscaping along on either side of the street will be done — according to an as-yet-unspecified schedule — after the City Council agrees on a plan.
The revised cost estimate came from SRF, which is managing the project for the city. It put the cost of the project now at $26.8 million, up from $22.2 million. That leaves the city with a $4.6 million gap in the money available to pay for the project.
Halverson, who has been the strongest advocate for boulevard trees, said she opposed splitting the landscaping off from the road construction because it is such an important part of the project.
She repeated her view that the Robert Street reconstruction, which is the largest public works project in the city's history, should be done right, with landscaping to make the kind of improvement in the community's appearance that residents expect and that the city needs.
Halverson said after the meeting that the majority of the council members "approved a plan to move forward on a project that has an undefined, and seemingly growing, budget, and they have no idea what the project will look like in the end and no decision as to how or when the 'second phase' of the project will even be undertaken."
The cost of the project was last revised from $10 million to $19 million in 2012.
Some part of the new $4.6 million gap in funding will have to be covered by issuing city bonds that West St. Paul taxpayers would pay off over years, City Manager Matt Fulton told the council.
And the city also has asked the Minnesota Department of Transportation to consider whether it can provide more money for the project.
Robert Street is a state road, and the state is already providing nearly 40 percent of the money for the project, said Sheila Kauppi, MnDOT's south metro engineer. "Only certain elements can qualify for state funding, and we are within a million of that threshold right now. We are going through an exercise to see how much MnDOT would be able to add to the project," she said.
One option MnDOT is considering is turning over Robert Street to Dakota County or to the city, Kauppi said. The state would save money if it no longer was responsible for maintaining Robert, so MnDOT is trying to quantify how much that would be.
If the city or the county wanted to accept jurisdiction over Robert Street and take on its maintenance, that would be money MnDOT could put toward the $4.6 million funding gap.
The rise in the project's cost adds new pressure to the boulevard tree discussion because it could add millions more that the city would have to shoulder.
To line Robert Street with trees in the fashion depicted in the artist's sketch, the city would have to purchase a 3.5-foot strip of land on either side of the street for the full 2.5 miles of the project.
That strip would be used for a sidewalk running along a strip of land closer to the street that would be ornamented with paving stones and reserved for trees, streetlights, benches and signs.
The city has not yet released estimates of how much it might cost to buy land for the landscaping from the many private landowners that line Robert.


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LOS ANGELES, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- The man suspected of killing a security agent at Los Angeles International Airport remained in critical condition Saturday, officials said.
A law enforcement official told the Los Angeles Times the alleged gunman, 23-year-old Paul Ciancia, originally from Pennsville, N.J., was wounded in the head and shoulder in the shootout Friday.
Gerardo I. Hernandez, 39, a Transportation Security Administration officer, was killed and several other people, including two TSA officers, were wounded.
Investigators were trying to determine the motive. Ciancia allegedly had notes in his backpack describing "disappointment in the government" and indicating he had no interest in hurting "innocent people."
Terminal 3 was still closed Saturday, with no information on when it might reopen, CNN reported.
When the shooting started at about 9:20 EDT Friday, many passengers ran out of the terminal leaving their luggage behind. They would be able to retrieve their abandoned belongings at some time yet to be determined Saturday, LAX officials tweeted.
Three terminals were shut down and evacuated, and flights into the airport were restricted for 6 hours, the Times said.
Several planes filled with passengers were forced to park several hours at a remote area of the airport.
Hernandez was the first employee of the 12-year-old TSA to be killed in the line of duty. The union that represents TSA officers said Hernandez was a behavior detection officer who had recently transferred from Montana, KCBS-TV, Los Angeles, reported.
"No words can explain the horror that we experienced today when a shooter took the life of a member of our family and injured two TSA officers at Los Angeles International Airport," the Times quoted TSA Administrator John S. Pistole as saying in a statement.
Airport police Chief Patrick Gannon said Ciancia removed a rifle from a bag outside a TSA screening area, started shooting and moved into the airport with security officers in pursuit.
The gunman pointed his gun at several people as he made his way through the terminal and asked if they "were TSA," then left them unharmed if they answered no, the Times said.
A witness told the newspaper the gunman cursed the TSA repeatedly. The union representing TSA flight screeners said gunman had never been a TSA officer.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, citing a source it did not identify, said Ciancia was carrying a "manifesto" that contained references to the "New World Order," the Federal Reserve and "fiat currency."
KCBS-TV and KNBC-TV said Ciancia sent a text message before he began his attack to a family member in New Jersey saying he felt suicidal. The TV stations said the family called local police in New Jersey, who called Los Angeles police, who went to Ciancia's apartment in an attempt to check on him.
KCBS-TV said Hernandez was taken to the Harbor UCLA hospital where he died. A second victim taken there suffered a minor shoulder wound and was expected to be released soon, the TV station said.
Three other victims were taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Westwood. One was in critical condition, one in fair condition and the third was released.
Authorities found a large box of ammunition in the airport.
"There were more than 100 more rounds that could've literally killed everybody in that terminal today," Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said at a news conference.
A man who said he had been a classmate of Ciancia's at a private high school in Delaware five years ago described him as a loner who had been bullied.
"In four years, I never heard a word out of his mouth," said David Hamilton, who graduated with Ciancia from Salesianum School in Wilmington, Del. "He kept to himself and ate lunch alone a lot. I really don't remember any one person who was close to him."


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action wrote:Elessar wrote:Personally, I dislike a lot of Islamic culture, and find the burkha distasteful and offensive, I find their beliefs laughable and I find their attitude towards Western values concerning. And I would rather have thousands of them here, annoying me, than have them in their home countries, being killed. Because my morals, as dearly as I hold them, fall into complete irrelevance when people are dying overseas. And the same goes for my safety. The chances of being killed by a terrorist in the UK is roughly 1-in-9.3million. I would happily see my own chances go up to 1-in-1million if it saves thousands of others from certain death.
i don't. i don't have a single fucking problem with islamic culture
i can die right this moment if i'm lying.
i've always made it perfectly clear i'm having a problem with salafists. is that islamic culture? thought not!
pull the fucking plug on this site, i say. it's a cancer. it's damaging the Queen legacy
If you only have a problem with the extremists, then I'm not sure why we ever disagree.


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Last week, this newspaper examined the troubles of Southern California's problem with so-called runaway production from a "Rashomon"-like variety of angles. Readers whose livelihoods depend it no doubt scoured the stories for signs of hope that this region might someday dominate the movie and TV industries again. They must have been disappointed.
In a world (as the movie trailers would say) where long-distance communication has gotten so easy, and where profit margin is the primary concern, it may be impossible to hold onto an industry that doesn't want to stay put. It's only natural that, in a worrisome trend more than a decade in the making, other states and countries have been able to use economic incentives to chip away at Hollywood's pedestal, drawing lucrative film and TV shoots out of the area and the state, along with thousands of jobs.
But the thought that the Los Angeles area may never fully regain its status as the be-all and end-all for production studios and shooting locations doesn't mean that nothing can be done to limit the damage. California can improve its response to the incentive programs its rivals have used to lure away producers. And the state can do this without going crazy financially.
At stake is nothing less than the way of life of people employed in what has been the region's signature industry, which is said to directly or indirectly account for a half-million jobs in L.A. County.
First, the state can raise its $100 million annual limit on the four-year-old incentive program that allows some film and TV productions to receive 20 percent to 25 percent tax credits toward expenses.
As leaders of other industries aren't shy about pointing out, the entertainment industry is not the only industry that could benefit from government incentives. But boosting entertainment here doesn't prevent boosting other industries. Production here has ticked back up since the California incentive program began; showing that responding to other states' incentives is effective stokes other industries' arguments.
The tax credits California offers to producers are smaller than those that other states offer — in raw terms in some cases, and in proportionate terms in most. If its incentives took up the same percentage of the state budget as New York's, California would be offering more than $300 million a year; based on Louisiana's proportion, that figure would be $700 million; based on New Mexico's proportion, more than $800 million.
The point is not that California should raise its cap that high, merely that there is room to discuss an increase. The bills being developed by San Fernando Valley-area Assemblymen Raul Bocanegra and Mike Gatto to expand production incentives should start serious discussions.
Second, the state can change how the incentives are administered.
Right now, the list of productions that don't qualify for incentives includes movies with budgets over $75 million, exactly the kind the region should want to keep here. There are ways to include such movies but cap their tax credits so they don't eat up the whole.
Presently, California uses a lottery to choose which productions receive incentives. The uncertainty is "paralyzing" for planners, the producer of "Lone Survivor," which was shot in New Mexico, told our Bob Strauss. This must change.
Third, state residents should encourage local efforts to fight runaway production. While the nonprofit FilmL.A. reports a 50 percent drop in L.A.-area feature production since 1996, those numbers don't include Santa Clarita. That city's own incentives and lower permit fees have spurred a rapid rise in location filming there.
L.A.'s creation of a committee to study local policy options related to film and TV production jobs, chaired by City Councilman Paul Krekorian, is good news.
The Los Angeles News Group's recent examination of the issue showed there are no magic solutions; this is one problem that Hollywood can't overcome with computer-generated imagery. But there are ways for California and its cities to supplement their natural advantages as a place for film and TV production. It's time to say, "Action!"


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Nice work! Enjoy the show!
Link Copied!
Viral hit 'Mini Messi' is finally found
Opening Sequence
Trump pressured Ukraine pres to probe Biden: reports
U.S. to send troops to Saudi after oil attacks
Thunberg headlines NYC event in global climate strike
Flooding in Houston turns deadly
Like oceans rising: green protests sweep the globe
UK negotiator says Brexit deal is possible
Chinese Apple fans wish for 5G
Oil prices jump on Mid-East tensions
World in Pictures
Closing Sequence


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Sunday Sweets: Ode to Dragon*Con
Loyal henchpersons, there are only four days left until Dragon*Con, the big East Coast geek-fest we attend every year in Atlanta, and I AM SO EXCITED.
So let me apologize in advance for the blistering amount of geek glee I'm about to blast you with; I just can't help it. I'll be with you soon, my people! SOOOON!!
Let's start things off with a bang, shall we?
Submitted by Stacey T., made by Bleeding Heart Bakery
Or more like an "EXTERMI-CAKE!" Because yes, it's really cake.
I've had requests for more fondant-free Sweets, so check this old-school Sonic action out:
Sub'd by Elizabeth M., made by SonicTheHedgehawk
Those smooth areas may look like fondant, but they're actually icing. It's a technique called run-out, flooding, or color-flow, depending on who you ask, and it has a glass-smooth texture that I just love - no fondant required!
I've always said I love marshmallow icing:
Sub'd by Crystal Q., made by Cakes That Make You Go Mmm
I see the chocolate and the marshmallow - now where's the giant graham cracker? ;)
Penny Arcade is a video game-centered webcomic that looks almost exactly like this:
...only usually less edible.
Plus, the two guys who produce Penny Arcade are also the creators of PAX, the big gaming convention taking place in Seattle at this very moment. Holla, gamer geeks!
Oh, and check out this detail:
I never thought I'd be in awe of pants pleats before, but there you have it.
And now for a little Battlestar Galactica:
Submitted by Ruth Ann F. and made by Kandy Cakes (link expired - anyone have a new one?)
Think they needed toasters to make that? (Heh. Aheh. Heh.)
Conventions always have lots of Anime which I don't claim to follow or understand, but it all sure looks adorable:
Sub'd by Tammy, made by Baking Obsession
(If you're not familiar, the character in the middle, Pikachu, is what all the hot girls in yellow bikinis dress as.)
Love Star Wars *and* LEGO? Then have I got the cake for you!
Even the figure is edible. Awesome.
Here's a cake from one of my very favorite video games:
Sub'd by Brandi A., made by Mike's Amazing Cakes
So. Cool.
It's the Space Personality Core from Portal.
Which reminds me. Have you seen the Wheatley puppet? Huh? Have you?! I'm hoping to spot him and his creator at D*C. Fingers crossed!
Care to seek out new worlds...hand painted on cake?
Submitted by Sue B. and made by a matter of taste
And finally, you Epbot readers know of my continuing love affair with steampunk, which I hope to see a lot of in Atlanta. Well, check out this beauty:
By Emily of Border City Cakes, photo by NCS Photography
Great gears and leather and pipes, oh my! Even the fabric ruffle and netting are edible - just spectacular.
If any of you fellow geeks will also be at Dragon*Con this weekend, you should know that we'll be playing "Find Jen and win a prize" again this year. Go here for details, and I hope to see you there!
Also, good news! After many, MANY requests, we've finally assembled a Sunday Sweets directory. Now you can see which professional bakers we've featured in your area! (Note that listing in the directory does not indicate our endorsement, and that we've only included pro bakers accepting orders, as opposed to home hobby bakers.)
Happy browsing!


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Melanie Anderson - Conservation & Environment, Conservation & Spanish in Mexico
One day at the beginning of my summer holiday, my mom suggested I try doing some volunteer work during the break. I started to look online and I found the Projects Abroad website. I read up on all the projects and was really interested in the two-week Conservation and Spanish program in Mexico. Just a few weeks later, there I was standing at Toronto airport waiting to embark on a 9 hour plane journey to Guadalajara, having no idea what experiences were to come.
I was warmly welcomed by the Projects Abroad staff when I arrived at Guadalajara airport, then went straight to Hostel Vallarta where I was to meet the other volunteers, who I now know as amazing friends, before our 4 hour trip to the Conservation Project. I was lucky to get the chance to spend some time in Guadalajara, exploring the city with other volunteers and shopping at the markets.
Once arriving at the Conservation Project, I was ecstatic to find out I'd be living right on the beach! Right away I was shown around the camp, everything from the bathrooms to the turtle pools, and was introduced to all the other volunteers and biologists. The Spanish lessons definitely helped me immerse myself in the culture, and helped with simple conversation at shops in the nearby town of Tecoman to conversations and shared stories with my new Mexican amigos!
Night patrol had to be one of the best experiences I had in Mexico. Whether you go at 12am or 3am, driving down the shore lines with the ocean tide at your feet and searching for turtle nests was an incredible adrenaline rush. I was lucky enough to see a Leatherback turtle in the middle of July (they usually nest from December to January) that was about a metre and a half long, and watching them nest was so cool to see! Burying the turtle eggs and working at the Crocodile Farm was hard work, but rewarding in the end.
Nightly outings to the nearby lagoon for food and drinks was a great way to bond with all the other volunteers and staff, and there were some great times, including salsa dancing, that I'll never forget! My first two weeks went by so quickly it felt as if I had only been there for a few days, so I decided to stay an extra two weeks.
Learning about the turtles, Mexican culture, and meeting volunteers from around the world really opened my eyes to the world around me. I realise now there is so much out there in the world, just waiting to be explored, and so much to learn, both educational and personal. Mexico taught me my independence and helped me to overcome personal fears. Not only did I get a great feeling of self accomplishment from volunteering, I left feeling like I had done something worthwhile.
Memories of Mexico will stay with me always; I only wish I had had more time to spend there. It was a spur of the moment decision I'll never regret!
Melanie Anderson
Dit verhaal is een persoonlijke ervaring van een vrijwilliger op dit project en dus een momentopname. Houd er rekening mee dat jouw ervaring hiervan af kan wijken. Onze projecten veranderen constant, omdat we inspelen op de lokale behoefte en we voortborduren op de behaalde resultaten. Ook verschillende weersomstandigheden kunnen de ervaring beïnvloeden. Lees meer over wat je kunt verwachten van dit project of neem contact met ons op voor meer informatie.


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Lately I have been watching a lot of (for lack of a better word)"big topic" documentaries, "Food Inc." "No Impact Man", "King Corn", and most recently "The Cove." Surprisingly enough they deal with similar topics and themes: cover ups, food, and a great deal of deliberation on ethics to list a few.
The Cove, similar to the Discovery reality show "Whale Wars,"The Cove sheds light on Japans need to pick on a and slaughter another intelligent water dwelling mammals. The Mammal? Dolphins. You know Flipper. The Doc is even lead by activist Richard O'Barry, flippers trainer. Whale Wars sheds light on the slaughter of whales, The Cove shows us the slaughter of dolphins, what's next Japan? Unicorns? Is nothing sacred?
I recommend this film to any and everyone, a bit of a warning though, what you see is very gruesome, not for the faint of heart. But that's the point right? This was not the best documentary I have ever seen, but the topic was very important and informative and for that I give it an easy 4 stars out of five. This film should be mandatory high school viewing.


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Christian World
Studio Track:
I Am Not Alone
As performed by Kari Jobe
Play I Am Not Alone Sample Play Demo
In Stock: Ships next business day.
CD includes a demo track (complete song, with lead vocal) and performance tracks (without lead vocal).
Included Tracks & Keys:
|High: G
|Med: E
|Low: D♭
|Demo vocal track
|Background singers
|Instrumental only
Accompaniment Track Details:
- Range: H-M-L what is this?
- Key: G - E - Db
- Format: CD
- Length: 4:57
Notes: Original key (Medium) both with and without background vocals; other keys with background vocals.
Studio Track:
This is a studio produced track recorded "in the style of" the artist listed. While the instrumental music will be similar, it is not the original recording, and the voice you will hear on the demo is not the original artist.


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Hi Ladies - can I join you again? not sure if anyone remembers me - I certainly have cycled with a fair few of you in the past! Imogen has just turned 16 months (IVF number 4) and we are beginning to think about an FET to try for a sibling.
I look forward to catching up on every ones news - will start reading back now!


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You don't have to be a "person of influence" to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they've taught me.
~Scott Adams
With the rise of Klout, a company that measures influences on social networks which I usually refer as the Social Media Clown, online influencers became the hottest celebrities of the digital age.You have seen these influencers sitting front row at fashion week next to Anna Wintour or walking the red carpet at a movie premiere with George Clooney. Have you ever wondered what they do on daily basis?
This is a normal day of a social media influencer.
9:49 a.m Tweets "just woke up". Googles a hangover cure.
10:05 a.m Checks Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Email. Reads online newspapers and blogs to check last night party photos. Sends the editor an email request to removing a photo where "the influencer" looked too fat.
10:35 a.m Tweets about how beautiful "the influencer" is today. Uploads a picture herself on Instagram. Checks in "the influencer's fabulous office" on Foursquare…..[Incase anyone forgot how important she is].
10:45 a.m Reads a frienemy's blog and finds out ABC PR agency did not invite the influence to a party. Breaks a vase and tweets " _____ party is just for influencer-wanna-be"
10:46 a.m Checks Twitter
10:47 a.m Checks Twitter
10:48 a.m Checks Twitter
10:50 a.m Writes a blog post about last night party.
11:30 am Works on the "next viral" Ebook => "How to party and influence people"
12:45 p.m Checks Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest. Counts new followers and fans.
1:00 p.m Eats lunch with another influencer. Spends 20 minutes tweeting back and forth with the other influencer on Twitter so everyone can see that the influencers are eating together.
2:15 p.m Asks restaurant's manager to cover the bill and promises to write a review. Of course it will be a good one because it was a free meal.
3:00 p.m Pitches to brands and asks for samples…..a lot of samples.
4:00 p.m Takes more pictures and shares them on Instagram.
4:30 p.m Googles "How to gain more Twitter followers", " Cheap Facebook Fans", "How to become influential on social media"
5:00 p.m Drops by ____store to pick up a dress for the many parties of the night. Takes picture and shares on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. [This is what a girl needs to do to borrow a dress!]
6:00 p.m Arrives at party A. Tweets "the influencer has arrived #PartyAbyBCD"
7:00 p.m Open bar => drinks
8:00 p.m Still drinking…it is free
9:00 p.m …..still drinking
10:00 p.m Time to go to party B
11:00 p.m Drinks more
…… Not sure what happens
2:00 a.m Home
This is a joke. Don't take it too seriously. A lot of people claim to be influencers. Partying day and night, and writing about it the next day does not make you an influencer. Having a high Klout score or a big following does not make you an influencer. Popularity is NOT influence. It takes a lot more work to become a true influencer.
True influencers would never call themselves "influencers" because they are too busy adding value to others' lives. They use their powers for good not personal gain. These are the only "influencers" we need to know.
Choosing lighting: Made simple
Reason to be skeptical of Facebook's IPO
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Sort by:
Wireless Network Challenges and Solutions for a Smarter Grid IoT
The Internet of Things (IoT) is now part of the smarter grid through the adoption of IPv6 communications networks. These 6LoWPAN-based networks address key concerns such as standards-based interoperability, reliability, low power, and long-distance connectivity.
Why to prefer using gauge in primary cell and rarely discharged applications over a maintenance cycle?
Webinar - Enabling bidirectional wireless communication between IBM Cloud and Bluetooth Low Energy peripherals through SimpleLink™ Wi-Fi®
Webinar - A deep dive into current sensing architectures and optimizations for Electric Vehicle Service Equipment designers
Universal data concentrator supports Ethernet, 6LoWPAN RF mesh and more
IPv6-based communications are becoming the standard choice in industrial markets such as smart meters and grid automation. The universal data concentrator design provides a complete IPv6-based network solution integrated with Ethernet backbone communication, 6LoWPAN mesh networking and more. The 6LoWPAN mesh networking, which adopts an identical layering architecture to the WI-SUN FAN, addresses key concerns such as standards-based interoperability, reliability, security and long-distance connectivity.
Ultrasonic Sensing for More Accurate and Precise Water Flow Meters
Ultrasonic sensing techniques have been popular in smart water meters because the technology avoids any moving parts which are prone to degrade over the lifetime of the product. The MSP430FR6047 microcontroller (MCU) family takes ultrasonic sensing solutions to next level of performance delivering <25ps of accuracy, detection of low flow rates <1 liter/hour and high precision of <5ps.
Tips and Tricks for Industrial Power Supplies - High Voltage DC/DC
TI Sensor Innovation: Enabling Research in Wireless Patient Monitoring with the University of California
TI and Siemens enabling industry 4.0 with GaN
Texas Instruments Security Webinar Series
In this series, you will gain an understanding of the TI security framework and the various industry-recognized security enablers that TI supports.
Test setup and results for LC-sensing design TIDA-01228
Systems Made Simple: Solar Inverters Part 1
Systems Made Simple Part 4: DSPs in Solar Inverters
Systems Made Simple Part 3: Isolation in Solar Inverters
Systems Made Simple Part 2: Gate Drivers in Solar Inverters
System deep-dive: Universal data concentrator supports Ethernet, 6LoWPAN RF mesh and more
Sub-1 GHz + BLE concurrent networks
Solve smart meter design needs in metrology, backup power, wireless communications & battery monitoring
Single-chip Smart Water meter with Dual-band RF link and InfraRed port
Single-chip Smart Water Meter with Dual-band RF and InfraRed port
Hundreds of millions mechanical water meters are deployed around the world today. Market pressure pushes water utilities to add intelligence and allow for automated readout and billing on top of water waste control. RF-enabled electronic flow measurement modules provide a cost-effective solution without full meter replacement and are the main building block for fully electronic smart water meters with impeller principle.


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Brussels Airlines Tintin livery
I am really thrilled to write this post.
Many original and beautiful liveries have passed through the pages of this blog...but today's is not just another fancy livery...today's post is about one of my (fictional) heroes: Tintin.
Brussels Airlines has joined forces with Moulinsart, publisher of Hergé's masterworks, to unveil a Tintin-themed Airbus A320.
The fact that this is the first time a Tintin-liveried airliner has taken to the skies kind of amazes me, since, given the constant presence of all sort of flying machines on Hergé's work and the Tintin's predilection for travel, it just feels so natural to have him on a plane!
On this occasion the motive, the shark-shaped mini-submarine in Tintin's "Red Rackham's Treasure", is maritime rather than aeronautic, however the link between Tintin and all sort of aeronautical activity is strong throughout all of Tintin's adventures. And I mean "aeronautical" in a really broad sense, since the Belgian reporter even managed to land on the Moon ahead of Neil Armstrong and the Apollo XI crew!
Even if leave aside military aircraft, private airplanes and spacecraft, the amount of commercial aircraft of all types that appear on Tintin's adventures is remarkable, and always drawn with the outmost attention to detail.
As a curiosity, given the topic of this post, Tintin flew on Sabena, the historical Belgian flag carrier and ancestor of Brussels Airlines, on at least one occasion, when traveling to Geneva in the company of Captain Haddock during "The Calculus Affair"!
It is also remarkable how Tintin's modes of transportation evolved over decades, in parallel with technological advances in the real World. To the delight of tintinologists, many of these details have been skillfully compiled by Michael Farr in its magistral "Tintin: The Complete Companion: The Complete Guide to Tintin's World".
If in its early adventures Tintin traveled mainly by sea, he soon became an early adopter of air travel. The aircraft he travels on reflect the same evolution over the decades. A case in point: in the first edition of "The Black Island", published in 1938, Tintin flies back home on an Italian-made Savoia-Marchetti S73P, whereas later, post-war editions were amended to show him boarding a tri-engined De Havilland DH-121 Trident jet of BEA (British European Airways, one of the airlines that later merged to form British Airways)
On "King's Ottokar Sceptre" the Savoia-Marchetti S73P makes another appearance, together with an unidentified seplane that ressembles a Catalina flying boat, although with some remarkable differences. Judge by yourselves...Anyone can id it?
In addition to Sabena's role, another historical European airline appears on "The Calculus Affair": upon arrival at Geneva Cointrin airport, Tintin and Haddock are shown disembarking their Sabena DC-6 through a Swissair ladder.
When I saw this, I couldn't but remark how the fate of these two airlines would become entangled a few decades later, in the late 90s and early 2000s when Swissair's catastrofic decision to acquire an equity stake in Sabena led to the subsequent bankruptcy of both airlines and the demise of the Qualiflyer alliance. Ironically, the two airlines were salvaged and "re-launched" as Brussels Airlines and Swiss respectively and they find themselves together again, this time under the Lufthansa group umbrella.
Other Tintin albums with noticeable airline presence are "Tintin in Tibet", where Tintin and Haddock are seen first disembarking from an Air India Lockheed Constellation at Delhi airport and, later in the book, rushing to board a DC-3 aircraft of the same airline that takes them to Kathmandu, en route to search for their friend Chang, presumed dead after a DC-3 crash in the Himalayas.
In later albums Tintin fully embraces the jet era.
On "Flight 714" a Qantas Boeing 707 (an aircraft type that the Australian airline indeed operated) is shown, in all its glory, at Djakarta airport, whereas on "Tintin and the Picaros", Tintin and his companions fly to South America on a four-engined jet that ressembles a Boeing 707.
It is remarkable that the very last scence of all of Tintin's albums (leaving aside the unfinished "Tintin and the Alph-Art") is that of a magnificent Boeing 747 flying the hero back home.
This is, by no means, an exhaustive recollection of all airline moments on Tintin's books, I am aware that I have left some behind, for example the occasion, on "The Red Sea Sharks" when Tintin and Haddock find themselves crash-landing on a DC-3 while flying between the imaginary city of Wadesdah and Beirut...Here I just intended to illustrate Tintin's strong connection to air travel and commercial aircraft. It is possibly not an exageration to state that there are few, if any, fictional characters whose presence on an aircraft livery is more deservedly justified.
Brussels Airlines has also put together some videos about the making-off and unveiling of the Tintin #SNRackham Airbus. You have until 2019 to fly on it!


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Fox Exposes Obama's War On Cheese Sauces
Fox Nation has compiled several layoff announcements and is claiming that they were "trigger[ed]" by President Obama's reelection. But most of the companies, which make everything from automotive parts to cheese sauces, cite market factors that have nothing to do with the president, and one even disclosed the layoffs prior to the election.
Many of the companies cited by Fox didn't mention Obama's reelection or his policies at all as a factor in their layoffs. An official for Associated Milk Producers Incorporated announced that it was closing a plant that makes products like cheese sauces and puddings due to the recent sale of that branch of the company. A Kentucky auto parts plant reported that its layoffs were disclosed before the election, and a statement from its parent company indicated that "lower demand in North America and excess global capacity" was the culprit. And an official for Momentive Performance Materials, which makes silicone-based products, cited economic factors for recent layoffs and said "temporary layoffs due to reduced demand are commonplace in manufacturing."
The sole company on the list that explicitly blamed Obama for layoffs was coal giant Murray Energy, whose CEO Robert Murray, a frequent and vocal critic of the president, cited a supposed "war on coal" by the Obama administration. But experts say the increasing popularity of natural gas has more to do with coal's misfortune than any existing or proposed government policy.
In a late 2011 survey of coal-fired power plants by the Associated Press, no respondents said federal air pollution regulations, specifically the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards and Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, were primarily to blame for plant closures. The AP analysis found that "[m]any of those studies [by anti-regulatory groups] inflate the number of plants retiring by counting those shutting down for reasons other than the two EPA rules." The Energy Information Administration has since pointed out that "Relative prices of natural gas and coal as sources of energy" are among the primary reasons for planned coal unit retirements, and even the article Fox Nation promoted about the Utah layoffs noted reduced coal demand was "due in large part to low market prices for natural gas."
It's clear that coal's heyday has passed, but for now there's little indication that coal miners have done all that badly under Obama, as coal mining employment has remained steady in the last four years.


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Today, following the announcement of the official release for ASP.NET Web API , we also released a preview for the ASP.NET Web API Help Page, which is available as a NuGet package. This package automatically generates help page content for Web APIs on your site. Visitors to your help page can use this content to learn how to call your web APIs. Everything generated by the help page is fully customizable using ASP.NET MVC and Razor.
Here is a quick intro video to get you started.
In the next few weeks I'm planning to publish a series of blog posts that will cover the following help page scenarios:
Part 1: Basic Help Page customizations
Changing the help page URI
Providing API documentations
Customizing the view
Part 2: Providing custom samples on the Help Page
Setting custom sample objects
Setting the samples when the action returns an HttpResponseMessage
Part 3: Advanced Help Page customizations
Adding additional information to the HelpPageApiModel
Creating new sample display templates
Give it a try and play with the help page preview package. We would love to hear your comments and feedbacks.


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I knew the idea of crossing the Sahara on a road bike was ambitious, but I had no idea how hard it would actually be.
At the Moroccan border I'm immediately unnerved by some Frenchmen. They look at my bike and shake their heads; "you're taking thison the piste?" The 1,130cc machine still looks box-fresh and ill-prepared for one of the planet's toughest environments.


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You can feel it in the air. Summer's almost over. Don't get me wrong — I'm going to miss the laid-back summer vibe of the city more than the weather itself. And I'd take a cool, crisp fall day over a sticky, 90-degree summer day anytime. I just hate to think about what comes after fall.
I've been trying to keep summer going by making as many light, refreshing meals as possible. Last week I got a serious craving for Vietnamese summer rolls but didn't want to head out to a restaurant just for 2 or 3 appetizer-sized orders (or endure the funny looks I'd receive.) So I decided to make them at home instead, using some recently-purchased mangoes and fresh mint from the market.
To make the filling for mango summer rolls, you'll need mangoes, mint, and fresh vegetables that can be cut into strips such as carrots and cucumbers. (Lettuce works too.) You'll also need rice paper wrappers and some rice vermicelli, both available in any large Asian market. The rice vermicelli noodles get soaked in boiled water to soften, then are laid on top of the soaked rice wrapper along with the fresh ingredients. Check out the photos below for a wrapping visual to go along with the recipe:
Yup, it's that simple! (Well, okay, you can refer to the recipe below again too.) I like to serve the summer rolls with a creamy peanut sauce, accented with just a tiny bit of chili sauce.
If you've made summer rolls before, what do you usually like to put in the filling?
Mango Summer Rolls
Serves 4 to 6
- 4 ounces dried rice vermicelli noodles
- 1 large mango, peeled and cut into strips
- 1 large carrot, julienned
- 1 large cucumber, julienned
- 24 mint leaves
- 1 package round rice paper wrappers
Peanut Dipping Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons white rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chili sauce
- Bring a small pot of water. Place the rice vermicelli noodles in a large heat-proof bowl and pour the just-boiled water over the noodles. Allow the noodles to soak for about 3 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again. Alternatively, soak the noodles in warm water for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Fill a large mixing bowl with room temperature water.
- Dip a sheet of rice paper wrapper in the water for about 30 to 40 seconds, making sure all sides are wet and the wrapper is very softened. Lay the wrapper flat on a cutting board or other clean surface. Lay a small bunch of vermicelli noodles in the bottom 1/3 of the wrapper. Lay strips of carrot, cucumber, and mango horizontally over the noodles. Top with two mint leaves.
- Fold the bottom of the rice paper over the filling and begin rolling tightly. Fold the left and right sides of the wrapper over the filling. (See the photos above.) Finish rolling tightly. Lay the finished summer roll seamside-down on a plate and cover with a slightly damp towel.
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the remaining wrappers and filling.
- Whisk together the ingredients for the peanut dip. Serve the mango summer rolls with the peanut dip on the side.


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Shipping to: România
Angled eye contour brush for eyeliner, ideal for outlining the eye contour and creating clean, precise lines.
The slim, angled tip enables incredibly precise lines to be drawn extremely easily.
The synthetic bristles provide flexibility, resistance and superior performance in the application of different textures.
Precise, controlled application of eyeliners. Flawless eye makeup, the eyes are emphasised.
To apply eyeliner, use the tip of the brush and draw a thin or thick line from the outer corner to the inner corner of the eye. The brush can additionally be used to blend a pencil line or to overlap pencil and eyeshadow. Also useful for outlining and filling in the eyebrows.
Clean the brush with KIKO Brush Cleanser and leave to dry horizontally.
The synthetic fibres tend to remain closed and not open up during use, leaving an even finish.
The cost varies depending on the delivery service and the destination country of the order. For more details see the "Delivery information and costs" page.
More information
Shipping times may vary depending on the service chosen. In the countries served by Swiss Post (Asendia) only, delivery takes an average of 6-7 working days (up to a maximum of 10) from the order being dispatched. In countries where the Skynet service is also available, the shipping time is 2-4 days after being dispatched by courier. More information
Purchases made on KIKO are secure and guaranteed. All information relating to payments, including personal information and credit card information, is protected through an advanced encrypted data transmission system. Under no circumstances will KIKO file your credit card number, nor will it use or keep the information you provided on its own systems.
You have 14 business days from the date you receive the items in which to exercise your right to return the goods. Please let Customer Service know about any problems relating to the goods received.
To use a promotional code, select "Have you got a promotional code?" on the shopping cart page and insert the characters indicated in the appropriate field. If your code is inserted correctly, the amount and/or content of the Shopping Cart will be recalculated based on the promotion applied.
Eye contour brush with synthetic fibres for defined smoky blending
Flat eye contour brush with synthetic fibres for shading
Angled eye contour brush with synthetic fibres for blending
J'adore !
Ottimo prodotto!
Davvero smart
un des meilleurs !


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Bruins vs. Maple Leafs Series Previewby Staff Writer / Toronto Maple Leafs
The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs have been exchanging shots, goals and big hits since the start of the NHL. This week, they'll be at it again.
The Bruins' loss Sunday dropped them to fourth in the Eastern Conference, where they'll open a Stanley CUp Playoff series against their Original Six rival, the fifth-seeded Maple Leafs. It's the 14th time they're facing off in the postseason, the first time since 1974.
The teams were separated by five points in the standings -- coincidentally, the same number of goals that separated them in four meetings this season.
The Bruins won three of the four regular-season games, but two wins were by one goal, with one coming in a shootout. Boston swept the two games at TD Garden: a 1-0 win Feb. 2 and the shootout win March 25. The Bruins' other victory, March 7 at home, was a one-goal game until an empty-net goal with 15 seconds remaining.
The Maple Leafs' one victory in the series was, of course, by one-goal March 23 in Toronto.
The teams enter looking for postseason redemption. The Bruins, one season after winning the Stanley Cup, were eliminated in the first round by the Washington Capitals.
For the Maple Leafs, it's their first time in the postseason since losing to the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round of the 2004 playoffs. That's nearly a decade's worth of pent-up energy waiting to be let loose.
Nazem Kadri has been one of the League's most pleasant surprises of the season, as he finally made good on the potential the Maple Leafs saw when they selected him with the No. 7 pick in the 2009 NHL Draft.
Kadri has been shown the ability this season to be consistent (save for a scoring slump earlier this month) and handle the pressure of being a difference-maker on a team that was fighting the demons of a long Stanley Cup Playoff drought.
Kadri has helped Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk pace an offense that was among the best during the regular season, even without Joffrey Lupul for an extended period of time because of a fractured forearm. Now he's healthy, making their offense even stronger.
Kessel and van Riemsdyk have flanked Tyler Bozak on the Maple Leafs' top line for most of the season. Kadri has centered the second line, now between Lupul and Nikolai Kulemin.
The Maple Leafs could use more production from Mikhail Grabovski and Clarke MacArthur, and if they get going the Maple Leafs will create even more matchup problems.
Leo Komarov has played a physical role, and the fourth line of Jay McClement, Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren is one of the more physical, in-your-face, pugilistic fourth lines in hockey.
Matt Frattin has the potential to be a scorer but has struggled since the middle of March.
The Boston Bruins possess one of the deepest and most well-balanced fleet of forwards in the NHL. As a result, they can provide matchup nightmares for teams that are constructed similarly.
You want scoring lines? Boston has two of them, featuring elite offensive players Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Milan Lucic, Tyler Seguin, Brad Marchand and the aging, but still potent, Jaromir Jagr, who had nine points in 11 games after arriving at the NHL Trade Deadline from the Dallas Stars.
You want a checking line? Boston has one of those, anchored ably by Daniel Paille, which combines speed and tenacity in the defensive zone with the ability to turn up the heat on the attack in the right circumstances.
Energy? Boston has one of the best tempo-changing lines in hockey when Shawn Thornton and Gregory Campbell climb over the boards and start playing the body in all three zones. Coach Claude Julien loves to use this line when he feels a game is getting away from his team.
Boston's strength at forward is up the middle, which often can be an integral part of Stanley Cup Playoff success. Bergeron and Krejci are among the best two-way centers in the game.
The depth is so pronounced that 15 forwards scored at least one goal during the regular season, and seven topped double digits.
Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf has been one of the more dynamic blueliners in the League this season.
Phaneuf, who pairs with Carl Gunnarsson, plays more than 25 minutes a game, including more than three minutes each on the penalty kill and the power play. These hardly are wasted minutes by Phaneuf, who plays against the opposition's best forwards for most of his time and is dangerous on both ends of the ice, particularly from the point on the power play because of his heavy, accurate shot.
Gunnarsson plays well next to Phaneuf, but the Maple Leafs do have some leaks on their blue line, which is why general manager Dave Nonis addressed it at the NHL Trade Deadline by acquiring stay-at-home defenseman Ryan O'Byrne.
The Maple Leafs need O'Byrne to be consistent and Cody Franson and John-Michael Liles, offensive players, to be a bit more careful. Toronto gives up a lot of shots on goal, but the true measure will be if it can keep the scoring chances down. Avoiding unnecessary risk will be important.
Mark Fraser had a solid season, and Jake Gardiner always is interesting to watch because he's under the microscope when he plays and the organization is questioned when he doesn't.
Any time a team can roll out a perennial Norris Trophy candidate for close to 25 minutes a game, much of the defensive game plan will take care of itself. The Bruins have just such a luxury, captain Zdeno Chara, a 15-season veteran with more than 100 games of experience in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
However, the Bruins' blue line goes much deeper than that. Veteran Dennis Seidenberg is one of the most underrated defenders in the game today, able to mesh well with different partners and eat up a ton of high-impact minutes. Johnny Boychuk and Andrew Ference provide a fair bit of physicality and are veterans of Boston's taxing march to a title in 2011.
A veteran-heavy group, the Bruins injected some youth into the rotation this season with prized prospect Dougie Hamilton, who is 19 years old. Hamilton has proven to be a quick learner on the offensive side of the puck, but the questions surrounding his ability to handle the increased skill level and intensity of playoff hockey may well shape Boston's postseason.
The Bruins have had trouble scoring goals at times, but their defense has done its part. Every defenseman who played at least 20 games this season has at least one goal.
Nonis unofficially anointed James Reimer as the Maple Leafs' No. 1 goalie when he chose not to trade for a veteran (Roberto Luongo) at the deadline.
Reimer, who is backed up by Ben Scrivens, has answered well. He recently gave up five goals to the New York Islanders, but overall Reimer was at his best while helping the Maple Leafs secure a playoff berth with a week to spare in the season.
He seems comfortable in his role and in handling a large amount of shots, which he gets on almost a game-to-game basis.
In addition, it appears at least for now that Reimer, a small-town guy from Manitoba, has the proper makeup to deal with being the No. 1 goalie in the No. 1 position of scrutiny in the NHL's most media-driven market.
However, Reimer has not played a postseason game since 2009, with the South Carolina Stingrays in the ECHL.
Tim Thomas backstopped the Bruins to their Stanley Cup in 2011. Now, his backup during that run, Tuukka Rask, will be counted on to be the team's backbone this spring
Rask, 26, played 13 postseason games in 2010 -- while Thomas was sidelined with an injury -- and showed he was ready for the bright spotlight of the playoffs. Now he gets his chance to be the No. 1 in Boston.
His body of work this season -- worthy of Vezina Trophy consideration for sure -- suggests he is again prepared to assume that mantle. In 14 games before the playoffs, Rask allowed more than two goals six times.
Boston's backup, Anton Khubodin is a rookie without any NHL playoff experience. He has been good in a relief role this season, posting a 2.32 goals-against average and .920 save percentage.
Randy Carlyle was hired to do exactly what he's done so far with the Maple Leafs: Get them into the playoffs. Now Carlyle's experience comes into play -- he won the Stanley Cup in 2007 and went to the playoffs in five of his six full seasons with the Anaheim Ducks.
Carlyle is demanding, but the Maple Leafs have responded, and resemble their coach with their tough, physical and in-your-face style of play.
Toronto's most dramatic area of improvement under Carlyle has been on the penalty kill, which went from one of the worst in the League last season to one of the best this season.
Julien is one of the more accomplished coaches in the NHL, and has a Stanley Cup championship on his resume.
During that run, Julien seemingly made all the right decisions and used his preternatural calmness to guide the Bruins through three Game 7s, as well as an improbable comeback from an 0-2 deficit against the Vancouver Canucks in the Final.
Julien has an incredible feel for his roster, and the core remains virtually intact from the Stanley Cup run two years ago.
The Maple Leafs' penalty kill has been exceptional this season after finishing 28th in the NHL last season at 77 percent. When Toronto went 9-1-4 from March 16 through April 15, its penalty kill was 42-for-44 and didn't allow any power-play goals in seven straight games (5-1-1).
McClement has excelled in his role as the Maple Leafs' top penalty-killing forward, averaging more than 3:30 per game.
Toronto has done enough damage on the power play to win the special teams battle this season by a landslide. The power play finished in the middle of the pack, converting at over 18 percent.
Kessel in particular has been dangerous, and Phaneuf and Franson have provided a dangerous offensive threat from the point.
Boston won the Cup two years ago with an anemic power play -- its 11.4 percent conversion rate was the worst of any of the teams that advanced past the first round. It looks like the Bruins will have to navigate the playoffs again without the ability to exploit disciplinary lapses of opponents -- their power play finished 26th in the League.
The Bruins, however, believe the acquisition of Jagr will lead to an improvement.
But as bad as the power play has been this season -- and really for the past few seasons -- the team's prowess on the penalty kill has eased some of that pain. It is more of the same this season; Boston finished fourth in the League at 87.1 percent.
Mikhail Grabovski: It might be asking too much from Grabovski to turn his season around in the playoffs considering this is his first visit to the NHL postseason. However, there's no denying the talent Grabovski has, and if he can find some confidence early in the series he could become a dangerous player. It's all going to depend on the trust Carlyle has in him and how Grabovski plays in Game 1. Grabovski has to give Carlyle a reason to want to play him and to want to trust him.
Jaromir Jagr: Jagr may not have been Boston's first choice as savior; the Bruins thought they had a deal for Jarome Iginla, who instead went from the Calgary Flames to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Now, though, the Bruins feel Jagr is the ideal fit. His offensive skill allows Julien to balance his lines and put forwards in the slots to match their skills. But the proof will come in the games. For a team that struggles to score goals, it will need Jagr to be the offensive dynamo that has defined much of his NHL career.
Maple Leafs will win if … Reimer is on his game and the Maple Leafs continue to give him some goals to work with. As solid as Reimer has been down the stretch, Toronto doesn't want to rely on him to save the day in the playoffs. That might be too much for him at this stage of his career. Kessel, Kadri, van Riemsdyk and Lupul have to score, and the Maple Leafs likely will need MacArthur and Grabovski to contribute at some point if they're going to win the series.
Bruins will win if … They win the special-teams showdown. Boston doesn't need to get a ton of power-play goals, but the Bruins need to limit such goals from the opposition. Simply, during 5-on-5 play, perhaps only the Penguins in the East are deep enough to compete with the Bruins across a long series.
Author: NHL.com Staff


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I suppose this is what you might call the thick end of the wedge - first insist that women cover their hair and chest, then the whole body, then the face. Now, it seems, the guardians of 'virtue and morality' in Saudi Arabia are considering forcing women to keep their tempting eyes covered up.
"Riyadh (AsiaNews) – Saudi women with attractive eyes may be forced to cover them up, said Sheikh Motlab al Nabet, a spokesman for Saudi Arabia's Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (CPVPV), better known as the religious police or Mutaween.
"The report appeared on the news website Bikya Masr. In it, al Nabet is quoted as saying the committee had the right to stop women revealing 'tempting' eyes in public.
"The decision was taken after a man was reportedly hospitalised after a fight with a committee member who told his wife to cover her eyes."
Views: 424
I think their time is just about over. Those that spent the oil wealth wisely, knowing it would eventually dry up, are few. I saw an encouraging IAEA report that indicates we're close to space-based power generation.
"Scientists from around the world have completed a study that says harvesting the sun's energy in space can turn out to be a cost effective way of delivering the world's needs for power in as little as 30 years. As important, the report says that orbiting power plants capable of collecting energy from the sun and beaming it to earth are technically feasible within a decade or so based on technologies now in the laboratory."
And I just watched a documentary about using e.coli to produce diesel. Still in the lab, but they've already produced usable fuel.
It's such a shame, though, that so much of the stupendous wealth of the oil countries in the middle east has been squandered by various 'royal families'. They could have used it to drive real progress in their countries and instead they've pissed most of it up against the wall.
Well, pissing against the wall is straight out of the Bible, after all.
Already womens are wearing hijabs.Some likes to wear and sure some dont like also.Only eyes is seen and now they have to cover up the eyes as well ??? So when they go out, how they will see ????????????? They have to act as blind ??
Is this some kind of joke ? I mean...seriously, there is a limit to anything..this is too much. Only one more rule is left and that is to make womens wont come out of home at all.Seems they may bring this rule as well someday...
There is no one who can help those womens.I remember, once i chatted with a morroccan girl.She said..the morroccan streets are filled with saudi mens. Those guys gets attracted by morroccan womens as she told me.They divorce their wife and marries morrocan women.Ive read somewhere that some saudi mens divorce their wife without giving any notice.Mens can do anything....If womens does anything like this...Its wrong and they will get severe punishment. Whoever those guys, who are making rules like these and controlling womens are not human beings.There are some mens like these in many countries who treats their wife like servant.I wish they die badly.
So, burqas with sunglasses then?
What about that sexy piece of skin above the nose and between the eyes?
I guess that makes more sense than asking men to control their sex drive when around strangers.
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This is a guest post by Adam Seldow, Executive Director of Technology at Chesterfield County Public Schools. If you are interested in contributing to the Edmodo Blog, please complete this form.
Connect with Adam on Edmodo or follow him on Twitter @aseldow
1. Establish routines
Take control of your time by scheduling when and how long you will sift through the various bits of information you receive on both Edmodo and your school email. To stay current with Ed Tech trends, I start my day at 5 am by scrolling quickly (15 min. or so) through my Twitter feed, adding interesting posts to my Buffer account. After a quick workout, I head to work where I read and respond to email occasionally (20-45 min.). Finally, at lunch I scan the latest posts using Edmodo's filtering options.
2. Learn how to use Edmodo's filters
Filtering in Edmodo is critical to seeing what you want to see down the middle of the screen. Visit this link to learn more about filtering the Edmodo stream: http://help.edmodo.com/search-and-filter-posts/.
You can filter posts that you sent to your students or other people ("by me" filtering), or you can choose to only view assignments, polls, etc. I also pay attention to my notifications in Edmodo, but I turn off email notifications in some groups because the notifications sometimes become overwhelming. You can learn how to manage email notifications here: http://help.edmodo.com/account-settings/
3. Divide and conquer
You are not alone (cue Michael Jackson…). It may feel like it in the classroom sometimes, but you're not. You have a PLC or other team members who experience many of the same challenges–like how to consume all of the information you're expected to consume. So why not split up the responsibilities? Truth be told, the expectation that you stay current with the various content areas and your curriculum staff is not new. What's changed is their ability to reach out to you via a content stream in Edmodo. This is a challenge, particularly for elementary teachers who may be part of many different content communities. Why not assign different members of your grade-level or PLC team to stay on top of each of the content areas and report out highlights during your PLC meetings? In essence, you're using "human filtering."
4. Use the "attached to posts" and "shared with me" features in your Edmodo library
If you click into your library in Edmodo, there are several options at the top left to filter what content you see in the middle of the screen. Most people overlook two cool features in the library:
"Attached to posts:" Quite simply, any resource (website link, pdf file, movie, etc.) that a member of any of your groups or communities attaches to their posts is available right here rather than scrolling through all of their posts. This is a quick way to view the resources members of your groups share. Once you click "attached to posts," you can use the search bar on the top to search for key words. If you find something you want to use as a resource, you can click it and add it to one of your existing folders, or create a new folder to store it.
"Shared with me:" Displays the folders that any member of any of the groups you've joined have shared with you. These folders often have collections of materials that you can then re-share to your own groups or classes. There are excellent directions on using Edmodo's library here: http://help.edmodo.com/library/
5. Accept the fact that some information will pass you by
Alas, despite our best efforts, the sheer amount of information being fire hosed at us will sometimes slip through our fingers. Some days you will be out sick and your routines will fall by the wayside. Other days, you might just have a case of the Mondays. It's my opinion that this is OK. It used to fill me with anxiety if I missed a day or two checking my Twitter feed, and it grew to a point where I couldn't scroll through every article. Now, I just skip to the top when I must and figure that if the information is that important, I'll hear about it one way or another. While I do not recommend that this become a "standard practice," I think we need to cut ourselves some slack and realize that humans are not computers. We are not programmed to receive and interpret constant streams of web-based information 24/7.
4 comments. Leave new
Interesting app! I especially like the analytics.
Thanks for the post. Your 5th point really hit home with me. "Fire-hosed" is right. It is impossible to keep up with everything out there, especially if you want to have a balanced life.
Nice post Adam. I don't know how you keep up with things outside of Twitter but would love for you to checkout Skim.Me (http://skim.me) when we release.
We want to help people keep up with digital information in a better way. We're rethinking how information is organized and consumed through a more effective experience and a more efficient interface for you to process all the updates.
Thanks Adam! I too, had overlooked those two cool features – Attached to Posts and Shared with Me. Knowing about them just saved me some time!


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Mmm, dollar store loot!
Maybelline Bolt of Blue
This one I loved in the bottle but not so much on the nail. It's a light blue shimmer that is chock full of blue and silver shimmer. Actually, quite glittery but very gritty in both appearance and texture. (It might be helped by topcoat but this is just a swatch, hence, no topcoat.) Two coats, could've used three.
Maybelline Mediterranean Coral
I actually really love this color in theory: a gorgeous rich coral with gold shimmer. But I don't like it as much on my nail: as much as I enjoy corals and oranges, many of them don't really seem to flatter my skintone. I always feel like my hands look old and grey with these types of colors. Very easy application. Again, two coats, could've used three...
I wish there were all sorts of awesome dollar stores around me that were easily accessible by me (i.e. without a car). I just LOVE finding cheap polishes... and, you know, having store clerks look at me like I'm stupid when I'm trying to buy 16 blue polishes. (Hey, just because they all look the same to you, doesn't mean they are the same!!)
...anyway, I feel awkward about asking but are there any readers in Germany who can buy the new Agnes B striped magnetic polishes for me? (Obviously, I will pay you for it and for related expenses!) I read on Nail Board that it was only available in Germany. :( They just look too cool not to put some effort into finding!
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Middlebury, Connecticut -- Australian Mirinda Carfrae scored a big win in Connecticut over the weekend, coming from behind to take the Rev3 Quassy triathlon and the lion's share of the $125,000 pro purse. Carfrae, the 2010 Ironman World Champion, battled rivals Heather Jackson, winner of the recent Wildflower Triathlon in California, along with Canadians Heather Wurtele and Angela Naeth, to win a hard-fought battle that went down to the wire.
With two previous wins and a second-place finish at previous editions of the Rev3 Quassy, Carfrae came into the race as one of the favorites. Riding her Felt DA bike, Carfrae has shown big improvements on the bike this year.
Carfrae came out of the water two minutes behind early leader Laurel Wassner, then hammered her DA to the fourth-fastest split, within striking range of Wurtele. The Aussie chased down Wurtele in the run, winning the final dash to the Quassy Amusement Park by a narrow margin of just 17 seconds to take the win.


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Donate to The Daily Orange
Donate today!
The Daily Orange remains Syracuse University's premier journalistic voice. But like all newspapers, it has spent the past few years experimenting with just how little it can survive on. Long gone are the days of traveling to journalism conferences, increasing page counts without consequence and expensing travel to all away games. The paper's photography equipment is several generations behind and slows down production. While some computers were recently replaced, there are currently no computers for editing in the feature office. The paper's archives, AP Stylebooks and computer software are also in need of updates. Still, dozens of aspiring writers, photographers and ad representatives call The Daily Orange home, and it would not be possible without your generous contributions.
Whether it was where you started your career or it's the first thing you read in the morning, one thing is for sure: The Daily Orange needs you right now as much as you need it. Please consider a tax-deductible gift.
Brittney Davies '10
DOAA Board Member
p.s. If you would like to donate directly to The D.O. without using the Press Plus system (which will pop up when you hit the donate button below), please make out a check to"Daily Orange" and mail it to 744 Ostrom Ave., Syracuse, NY 13210 or call (315) 443-2315 to pay with a credit card over the phone.


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As-salām 'alaykum to all Lebanese in Jeddah! Searching for other Lebanese in Jeddah? Looking for reliable and useful insider tips from fellow Lebanese for example, where in Jeddah can I find a Lebanese restaurant? Or where in Jeddah can I find some kibbe?
Join InterNations today and become a member of our Jeddah community. By becoming a member, you will join our active group of Lebanese expats, coming from all corners of Lebanon, from Beirut, Sidon, Jounieh, and many more.
Attend our monthly events and activities and join various interest-based groups to get to know like-minded expatriates and fellow Lebanese in Jeddah.
Get trustworthy advice and local insights from fellow Lebanese in our Jeddah expat forums.
InterNations is the perfect place for Lebanese expats in Jeddah to find the help and resources they have been looking for. The "Bride Of The Red Sea" and the principal gateway to Islam'S Holiest City will soon become your new home with our InterNations community - we help you to take full advantage of your new life here!
Our Jeddah community is also very active offline. Our members get to enjoy a range of events and activities on monthly and weekly basis, e.g. a great dinner at Jeddah's fanciest restaurant organized by our InterNations Ambassadors, or a weekend trip to explore Saudi Arabia's unique vibe. These events and activities are a perfect and casual way to get in touch with fellow Lebanese expats in your city and Lebanese in Saudi Arabia. Interested? Simply sign up for membership and join the ranks of our Lebanese living in Jeddah.


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School improvement policy for the past few decades has been characterized by mandated lists of activities designed to stimulate a dramatic turnaround in student achievement. In the long run, this policy approach did not engender the necessary school-level changes. This brief demonstrates why new policies must aim to get the right people in our schools and to create district and state systems that retain those people and build their knowledge and skills.
Our Work
Find specific work or narrow your results by type, topic, program, project, or service by selecting your criteria from the choices at right.


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Mega Buzz: How Will Gotham Handle Two Classic Comic Book Villains?
Jan 26, 2016 10:31 PM EST
The upcoming second half of Gotham's second season will feature the "rise" of two more iconic Batman villains. Viewers already got a peak at Mr. Freeze (guest star Nathan Darrow) in the midseason finale, but he will figure heavily in the next couple… Read more


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Surface-mount SMD reflow soldering doesn't have to be difficult. All you need is a solder paste stencil, a hot air gun, and a little know-how. No reflow oven necessary!
Dave Jones, of EEVblog.com, covers everything you need to know in the following easy-to-understand SMD stencil reflow soldering tutorial.
The kit is available via Elektor's partner, Eurocircuits.
For SMT info and additional projects, refer to Vincent Himpe's book, Mastering Surface Mount Technology (Elektor).
CircuitCellar.com is an KCK Media website.


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Set of 3 PVC mini sports balls for kids (volleyball, basketball, soccer)
Eco-friendly PVC
Red, yellow, blue, green or customized color
100g*3 or customized as you need
CE,EN71,ASTM,CPSIA,EN60825, EN62115 and other international safety standard
Sample time
Stock Sample:1days;OEM Sample:12-15 days.
Delivery time
20-30 days after order confirmed for MOQ or above quantity
Master carton 58*40*26cm
Detail image:
Factory information:
1. Q: Are you a factory or a trading company?
A: We are a factory specialized in PVC inflatable play balls and fitness products.
2. Q: What is your MOQ ?
A: Usually our MOQ is 3000pcs.
But we accept lower quantity for your trial order. Please feel free to tell us how many pieces you need, we will calculate the cost correspondingly.
3. Q: Can we do printing on all products?
A: Yes, you can. We have two printing was: pad-printing and heat transfer printing.
4. Q: Can I get samples?
A: Sure. We usually provide existing sample for free. But a little sample chargefor custom designs. Sample charge is refundable when order is up to certainquantity.We usually send samples by FEDEX,UPS,TNT or DHL. If you have carrieraccount, it will be fine to ship with your account, if not, you can pay the freight chargeto our paypal, we will ship with our account. It takes about 2-4 days to reach
5. Q: How long is the sample lead time?
A:For existing samples, it takes 2-3 days. They are free. If you want your owndesigns, it takes 5-7 days, subject to your designs whether they need newprinting screen, etc. Anyway, we will response fast to your request.
6. Q: How long is the production lead time?
A: It takes 20-30 days for MOQ. We have large production capacity, which canensure fast delivery time even for large quantity.
7. Q: How many colors are available?
A: We match colors with Pantone Matching System. So you can just tell us thepantone color code you need. We will match the colors. Or we will recommend some popular colors to you.
8. Q: What is your payment term?
A: 30% T/T in advance, balance the payment before shipment.


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The countdown is on, and SOPA is expected to pass through the Senate on January 24th. (*UPDATE 1/19/2012 : Key Supporters of the bill have backed down after Wednesday's protest)
Tomorrow, January 18th, 2012, many of the most popular sites on the internet will be taking part in a 'blackout' of their sites to protest this bill.
While none of our sites are equal to Mozilla (Firefox), WordPress.org or Wikipedia's traffic (<<< those links will take you to posts on their stance on this bill), we are taking part, to show our disapproval of this bill in its current state.
Our own sites will be blacked-out.
While we sympathize with those who have their work stolen from piracy sites online, this bill is not a good compromise.
It will change the internet as you know it.
Please educate yourself on this topic (in addition to the links above):
Stop American Censorship
Strike Against SOPA
WIRED.com – Black out your site the Google friendly way
SOPA Blackout rebuffed by bill authors (*duh…)
and on…
and on…
and on…
and at this point of my list [not trying to be rude] but, I say, just do your own Google search on SOPA Blackout (see how there are currently more than 2600 (!!) news stories on this?)… There is so much info out there…
And if you are so inclined, please add these plugins to your WordPress sites:
SOPA Strike (you will see out black-out tomorrow, January 18th, 2012)
Stop SOPA Ribbon (you can see this in the upper right-side of this site)
On that note — all of our sites will be on 'blackout' tomorrow.
Educate yourself.
(*this post is being cross-posted on all of our sites: Archer Creative, Living The Life Fantastic, Karla Archer )
as always — please feel free to include your own links on this issue…


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Microsoft fonts
zh-CN:MS Fonts Template:Article summary start Template:Article summary text Template:Article summary heading Template:Article summary wiki: Information on adding fonts and font recommendations Template:Article summary wiki: Font setup and beautification Template:Article summary wiki: Fonts specific to Sun's Java virtual machine Template:Article summary end
Current Packages
Available in the AUR:
- ttf-win7-fontsAUR — Windows 7 fonts
- ttf-office-2007-fontsAUR — Microsoft Office 2007 fonts
- ttf-ms-win8AUR — Windows 8 fonts
Legacy Packages
ttf-ms-fontsAUR is available in the AUR.
According to original Microsoft's End User License Agreement, there are some legal limitations when using the fonts.
The package includes:
- Andalé Mono
- Arial
- Arial Black
- Comic Sans
- Courier New
- Georgia
- Impact
- Lucida Sans
- Lucida Console
- Microsoft Sans Serif
- Times New Roman
- Trebuchet
- Verdana
- Webdings
- Wingdings
You can also obtain ttf-tahomaAUR from the AUR, which as you might expect contains Tahoma.
ttf-vista-fontsAUR is also available in the AUR and include:
Sharp fonts resembling Windows XP
A complete guide on how to make the MS Fonts look as in Windows XP is found at http://www.sharpfonts.co.cc/ (site down, try sharpfontsAUR in the AUR). In short, install the fonts as described above and use the author's modified XML files.
Smooth fonts resembling Windows 7
Use Infinality's patched freetype2 package, and use the Windows 7 profile in the provided