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Volvo 940 Parts
- Volvo
- 940
- Transmission
Volvo 940 Parts
The Volvo 940 is very similar to the 740 with only cosmetic changes separating the two. The 940 and 740 share the same dashboard, drivetrain choices, and believe it or not some of the same sheet metal. Volvo 940 models were available in three trim levels; the 940GLE used a DOHC version of the 2.3L engine. The 940 Turbo came with a turbocharged 2.3L engine and the 940SE was the top model that also came with a turbo and extra premium features. Regardless of the variations, FCP Euro has an ever-growing Volvo 940 catalog loaded with everything from Volvo 940 original parts to cohesive aftermarket Volvo 940 parts solutions.
Volvo 940 Parts at FCP Euro
Have a Volvo 940 and don't know where to turn to for car parts that meet or exceed OEM Standards? Well you have come to the right place; FCP Euro has a wide selection of Volvo 940 parts online that will restore the power and performance of your Volvo 940. There's no denying that the 940 encompasses durability along with safety. Ask any Volvo enthusiasts and they'll tell you that the Volvo 940 stands out as an unique part of the Volvo lineup. FCP Euro strives to make sure your 940 is running with the type of functionality, power output, and precision handling that Volvo lovers deserve. Our love for Volvos and the Volvo community is evident when you browse our Volvo 940 catalog. As you do so, remember that all of our parts are backed by our signature quality and fitment guarantee, and a one year warranty that will give you the confidence you deserve.


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Kick back and enjoy socialising, family time or me-time with our versatile Winchester range.
This Winchester armchair allows you to really put your feet up in style and offers you a whole range of choices.
As well as a three seater, two seater and armchair, Winchester offers a customisable corner sofa for you to tailor to your space.
Choose from a power recliner, manual recliner or a static sofa.
This range comes in the full selection of La-Z-Boy fabrics and leathers, with something to suit every home.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Topic: Bounty hunter 2-3
For a star wars bounty hunter two I was thinking it would be cool if it went on a time line like from when hes a kid just starting out as a bounty hunter during the clone wars, all the way to hunting the falcon to falling into the sarlacc. Then for Bounty Hunter 3 Dengar rescues fett from the sarlacc. Then fett meets judo kast they do what ever they did in the book...later on solo finds out Fetts alive so on and so forth i dont really know what happend after he got out of the sarlacc.


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The original house was a large open loft with one bedroom. The guest apartment sits atop a garage at the front of the property (unlike most house/guest house set-ups). Daly Genik tackled and reorganized the space to better suit the new family, and their frequently visiting relatives. The overhaul expanded the main house from one to three bedrooms and three baths. An unused back room, adjacent to the kitchen, was opened up into an innovative outdoor dining area by removing the roof.
Perforated metal skins were added in jutting geometric shapes to the façade of the main house and the apartment/garage. Angled and pointed into triangles, the skins are supported by aluminum frames, and almost reach toward each other, creating a relationship with the main and guest houses. Inside the angles, Daly Genik built odd shaped balconies that extend from the master bedroom and the apartment. The perforated metal also acts as a natural shade from the sun, and filters in natural lighting into both structures. The perforation creates a sense of privacy, but also allows the family members to see each other from their respective balconies.
Each building is passively cooled by the metal perforations and cross breezes from the added balconies. The gardens and courtyard have been thickly planted with lush greenery to further cool the interiors. Solar panels were installed on the roof of the main house to collect solar power to heat the water for the buildings and for the radiant heat floor panels.
Daly Genik's overhaul created a housing complex that brings the family together, while allowing the main residence a bit of privacy when the in-laws come around.
Via Design Boom
Images © Benny Chan and © Jason Schmidt


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The week in review
Worst side effect of sniper terror: Police at schools and highway overpasses, and tips on how to avoid getting shot while pumping gas, such as crouching behind the gas tank or walking in a zigzag as you go inside to pay.
Best job opportunities with the county: Firefighter. Twelve have been hired to come on board at the new Monticello Volunteer Fire/Rescue Station, which will start taking calls January 6.
Worst news for state employees: Governor Mark Warner announces on October 9 that 1,000 to 2,500 state workers will lose their jobs because of Virginia's huge budget deficit.
Best credit report: Despite its miserable deficit, Virginia still has a AAA bond rating which will come in handy when the state has to borrow money.
Best news for procrastinators: UVA scrapes together enough money to reinstate later library hours at Alderman and Clemons.
Worst news at the newly named Brown Schools of Virginia: Four new citations, bringing the total to 99 since the former Millmont Center opened in January 2001. State investigators found physical abuse, illegal drug use, and a boy who could open any door in the facility with a fork, spoon, or pen, reports Claudia Pinto in the Daily Progress.
Best showing by a former President: Jimmy Carter wins the Nobel Peace Prize.
Best publicity for Virginia's not-so-elite state colleges: Professors from George Mason University and Virginia Commonwealth University win Nobel prizes.
Best split development decision: The Albemarle County Planning Commission votes unanimously to amend to the county's Comprehensive Plan to allow Albemarle Place, a mammoth mixed-use project at Hydraulic Road and U.S. 29 but restricts the size of buildings to 65,000 square feet.
Worst idea for a pedestrian crossing: The City will place bright orange construction flags on each side of the street at Cabell Hall for pedestrians to carry when crossing the street, presumably to wave and grab motorists' attention at the dangerous crossing. The temporary program will last 60 days or until the four orange flags are swiped, whichever occurs first.
Best way to figure out exactly where Monticello is: A high-accuracy global positioning system (GPS) survey marker is installed on the West Lawn of Monticello October 14 to commemorate the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Best diet soda news: Diet Vanilla Coke hits town October 15.
Best new bumper sticker: Nelson County, Virginia: Where truth is stranger than fiction.
Worst news for golfers: Charlottesville opens the east end of McIntire Park to non-golfers on Sundays.
Best potty news: Charlottesville City Council extends the $100 rebate on low-flow toilets from two per water meter to three per single-family home, and apartment complexes can get a rebate, too.
Best directorial debut at the Virginia Film Festival: Academy Award-winner Nicolas Cage will present his film Sonny on October 26, and then be interviewed by Roger Ebert.
Best tout for Charlottesville tourism: The October 9 Washington Post features "10 Things to do in... Charlottesville," and mentions the legendary Gusburger at the White Spot.


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Cuter than Cupid DIY Kit
Each DIY Kit includes everything you need to make your own sign at home. Along with the supplies that you need, you will find an instructional booklet that will walk you through the process. On the front of this booklet is a web address for a YouTube video if you are more of a visual learner.
Purchasing your kit is easy! Just follow these simple steps:
- Choose your size from the drop down menu.
- Add the item to your cart.
- "Add a note" at checkout if your design includes a customization such as a name, state, or if you'd like a custom scheme. Please be as specific as possible. If your order does not require a customization you can move onto the next step or leave our staff a fun message.
- Once you have checked out please allow 1.5 weeks for your order to arrive.
Free local pick up is available in Milwaukee or White Fish Bay. If you choose this option at check out, you will be contacted by email to arrange pick up.
Please note: Paints used are high quality acrylics. Be sure to protect the surface under your painting as well as the clothing on your body when painting. Paints will wash off your skin with warm water.
Have any questions?
Email us at email@example.com


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HD Series Indoor/Outdoor LED Flood Light (72W)
aspectLED's HD Series 72W LED flood light is the perfect solution for high power architectural accent lighting, landscape lighting, flag pole lighting, parking lot or other exterior lighting, industrial or commercial lighting, or security lighting solutions.
This flood light is IP65 rated, which means it is suitable for indoor or outdoor use and features an attractively styled body/housing that swivels on an adjustable mounting arm.
Available in 15, 30 and 45 degree beam angles.
Available in either low-voltage (24VDC) or line voltage (110VAC) version.
Physical Dimensions & Specifications
|Part #
|RGB Light Fixture Dimensions
|24" (600mm) Wide
5.75" (146mm) Tall (housing face)
4.3" (110mm) deep
|24" (600mm) Wide
5.75" (146mm) Tall (housing face)
4.3" (110mm) deep
|Single Color
Light Fixture Dimensions
|31.2" (795mm) Wide
8" (206mm) Tall
7.3" (186mm) deep
|31.2" (795mm) Wide
8" (206mm) Tall
7.3" (186mm) deep
|Input Voltage
|Beam Angle
|15, 30 or 45 Degrees
|15, 30 or 45 Degrees
|Yes, RGB Only
|Yes, RGB Only
|Power Consumption
|72 Watts
|72 Watts
|Luminous Flux
|7100 Lumens
RGB=3600 Lumens
|7100 Lumens
RGB=3600 Lumens
|LED Type
|SMD LED Chips
|SMD LED Chips
|LED Quantity
|72 - High Power 1 Watt LEDs
|72 - High Power 1 Watt LEDs
|Fixture Material
|Aluminum Body
|Aluminum Body
|Step-tempered glass
|Step-tempered glass
|IP Rating
|Fixture Weight
|18 pounds
|18 pounds
|Average Lifespan
|50,000 hours
|50,000 hours
|1 Year
|1 Year
|Standards / Certifications
- RGB color mixing (256 Gray Scale) or single color
- Controllable, provided with 4-pin WXD connectors for signal in and out
- Housing constructed of aluminum
- High precision constant current adapter lasts life of LEDs
- Easy to install and mount
- Adjustable mounting arm allows adjustment after fixed mounting
- Maintenance free
- Solid-state construction makes for high shock and vibration resistance
- Ships standard with pre-program loaded. You can request pre-configuration to any DMX channel.
- SMD LEDs are super bright, high intensity and low power consumption
- Extremely long life: up to 50,000 hours with very low time-luminosity decay
- Stage lighting
- Accent lighting for dance floors, bars, restaurants, hotels, and clubs
- High impact lighting for roads and bridges
- Architectural lighting for historical buildings, modern buildings, museums and art galleries
- Excellent for lighting sculptures and landscape features
- Downlighting or uplighting for wall wash applications
- Landscape lighting
- Flag / flagpoles
- Parking lot and security lighting
- Industrial and commercial exterior lighting
- Decorative lighting for holidays, tradeshows, exhibitions
Installation Guide
Click here to download the installation guide for this product.
Cut Sheet/Specifications
Click here to download the cut sheet/specifications for this product.
IES Files/Other Downloads
Have a question and don't see the answer below? Click here to chat with an LED expert.
- How does this fixture install?
- This light comes with a surface mount base that can be mounted on to virtually any surface.
The light is supplied with a power cord for your input power as well as a DMX input cable to control the RGB color changing capability.
- If I choose a low voltage (24VDC) light; how do I know what power supply to purchase?
- The method to calculate your required power source for a low voltage light installation would be to take the watts per light (in the specs section of the product you are interested in), multiply by the number of fixtures you plan to install, and then add 20% to that total. The resulting number is the minimum number of watts your power supply needs to be, so round up to the next available size power supply.It never hurts to go with a larger power supply. Your lights will only consume the number of watts actually being used when they are on.
DMX Controllers/Decoders
Why Choose aspectLED?
Exceptional Service
Our LED experts are always here to help! Whether you need assistance designing your lighting plan or installing your products, we're standing by to assist!
Quality Products
High quality LED products are what we're known for. You can rest assured knowing that our manufacturing facilities are inspected quarterly by Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
Fair Pricing
Sales and gimmicks aren't part of our business model. We've built our business on offering our best value to every customer, every day.
Fast Shipping
We stock all of our most popular products and typically ship the same day or next day. For items that we build just for you, our streamlined production process allows us to build your lights in days or weeks, not months.
Want to get in-touch with us?
Corporate Headquarters
aspectLED, a Wilson Tool Company
4900 Constellation Drive
Saint Paul, MN 55127 USA
Contact Phone
(888) 503-1317
Item has been added to your cart!
HD Series Indoor/Outdoor LED Flood Light (72W)
LED Color: Color
Beam Angle: Beam Angle
Voltage: Voltage
Price Each: $
Quantity In Cart: 1
YOUR CART CONTAINS Item Count ITEMS
Subtotal: $
Orders over $299.99 ship free!
Choosing a color
White Light
Warm White
Warm White is most popular light color for residential applications and has a bit of a gentle/soft warmth/yellowish hue to it. Warm white is the same color as a standard incandescent light bulb, which is 2700K.
Cool White
Cool white is popular for commercial (office/hospital/medical/municipal) applications. It is also very popular in modern-style residential projects. Cool white is a very pure white, it doesn't really have any yellowish or blueish hue. Cool white is the same color as most fluorescent light bulbs, which is 4000K.
Day White (Daylight White)
DayWhite TM is the brightest LED light color that we offer and is popular in industrial and other applications where a high color temperature and high brightness is desired. DayWhite is an ultra-pure white, with a bit of a blue-ish hue, designed to mimic the color of natural sunlight. It is the same color as metal halide bulbs, which is 6000K.
Colored Light
If you're looking for a specific color of light output, we also offer a variety of colored LEDs, including: Blue, Green, Red and Yellow.
We also manufacture many fixtures in an RGB Version. An RGB fixture is capable of producing virtually any color of the rainbow. RGB stands for red/green/blue and this type of light mixes red/blue/green colored LEDs to create an endless variety of color options.
Have questions or need assistance choosing?
Click Close to exit this window and then click Chat Live with an LED Expert to chat with a representative.
Choosing a beam angle
What is beam angle?
The beam angle is the angle at which light exits your light fixture. The larger the number, the wider the beam of light that is emitted from the light fixture. Most standard residential and commercial fixtures are a flood-light (60 degree) beam angle. However, spotlight (15 degree) beam angles are very popular for highlighting art work/sculptures, or for areas where you want to direct light at a specific place or object.
Have questions or need assistance choosing?
Click Close to exit this window and then click Chat Live with an LED Expert to chat with a representative.
Choosing the right voltage
Residential & Commercial Applications
For residential and commercial applications, you typically have the choice between using line voltage (120VAC) lights and low voltage (12 or 24VDC) lights. Whenever possible, most electricians usually try to use line voltage (120VAC) lights, since you don't need to purchase a seperate power supply. If using low voltage, 24VDC (24 volts DC) is the most popular option for residential (under-cabinet, kitchen, cove molding, accent lighting, etc.) and commercial (architectural, signage, safety, accent lighting, etc.) applications. 24VDC is a safe, low voltage and is the most stable and reliable voltage for your LED strip lights.
Automotive, RV, Boat & Battery Applications
12VDC (12 volts DC) is popular for automotive, recreational vehicle, boat/marine applications, or other installations where you are connecting your lights to a 12VDC battery.
Have questions or need assistance choosing?
Click Close to exit this window and then click Chat Live with an LED Expert to chat with a representative.
Need Your Item Fast?
We always stock the most popular items that we sell. However, we also know that sometimes you need a specific product to fit your needs that isn't a stock item. Whether that's a special color LEDs, a special voltage, or other specialty options. As a true manufacturer of LED lighting, we have the flexibility to build products to your exact specifications. You'll always see an indication above the add to cart button, specifying whether the item you're purchasing is an in-stock item, or a built to order product.
We stock this product in these combinations
This product is stocked in many combinations. To determine whether a combination is in-stock, try choosing different options on the product page. (i.e. try clicking on a different voltage/color/waterproofing/etc. option) and watch for the "In Stock" to appear in orange near the Add to Cart button.
The most popular combinations of this item are always stocked:
For assistance locating available inventory, please contact an LED expert by closing this window and clicking Chat Live with an LED Expert. We'll be happy to help you find an in-stock product that meets your needs.
We also stock these similar products
For assistance locating available inventory, please contact an LED expert by closing this window and clicking Chat Live with an LED Expert. We'll be happy to help you find an in-stock product that meets your needs.
Have questions or need assistance choosing?
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text: Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - profi lingua katowice Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today! Job Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in profi lingua katowice Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Poland View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message xanadanJoined: 31 Aug 2004Posts: 1 Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2004 3:06 pm Post subject: profi lingua katowice has anyone got any info on this school? theyre offering a little over 3000 zlotys a month with no accomodation. but more importantly, are they professional and trustworthy? also, with so many universities there, it seems that it should be a pretty lively place. good or bad? from someone who's lived there. thanks, xanadan Back to top ChrisJoined: 28 Jan 2003Posts: 116Location: Melbourne, Australia Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 8:34 pm Post subject: Hi there, I lived in Sosnowiec (next to Katowice) and worked at Profi-Lingua for 2 1/2 years (the first year, partially in their Kat branch). I just left in February to start my job here in Karlsruhe, Germany. The pay is more than enough to live on, and you can even get some add'l pay by doing conv classes, if you have the time.. They also don't put restrictions on outside work, at least when I was working there. They are quite professional and trustworthy--never had to worry about getting paid on time like some other schools in the area. They are also probably the most well-known school in most of the cities they are located. Overall, I enjoyed working there. Also, you'll have some pretty damn cool co-workers in Sosnowiec (15 min bus ride)--Bryan (whose wedding I was just at last weekend in Krakow) and Patrick.. Known them for 2 1/2 - 3 years... Now, they weren't very happy when I decided to leave, but I don't hold it against them. I had signed a contract so it was my problem, but in the end everything was resolved. As for Katowice, hell, many of the people who post here will tell you to not even think about it, but they have never lived there. I completely enjoyed my 6 1/2 years there. It's not the most beautiful place, but there are a lot of things to do and Krakow is just down the road.. Good luck! Chris (of the female persuasion) Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Poland All times are GMT Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Where to Begin----------------General DiscussionNewbie ForumCurrent Events ForumTechnology ForumOnline Teaching Forum Africa Forums----------------General Africa Forum Asia Forums----------------CambodiaChina (Job-related Posts Only)China (Off-Topic)Hong KongIndiaIndonesiaJapanMalaysiaPhilippinesSingaporeTaiwanThailandGeneral Asia ForumVietnam Caribbean Forums----------------General Caribbean Forum Europe Forums----------------Czech RepublicFranceGermanyGreeceItalyMacedonia and the BalkansPolandRomaniaRussia & C.I.S.SpainTurkeyUkraineUnited KingdomGeneral Europe Forum Latin America Forums----------------ArgentinaBrazilChileColombiaCosta RicaMexicoMexico (off-topic)PeruGeneral Latin America Forum The Middle East Forums----------------BahrainEgyptIsraelKuwaitOmanQatarSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesGeneral Middle East Forum North America Forums----------------General North America Forum Oceania----------------Australia/New Zealand You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Contact Dave's ESL Cafe Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved. Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group Teaching Jobs in China


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The latest data from Millennial Media's Mobile Mix report suggests that a large mix of devices on a variety of carriers is pushing Android to compete with Apple's iOS platform—at least when it comes to serving ads.
With Quattro Wireless snapped up by Apple and AdMob now under Google's wing, Millennial Media is one of the largest independent mobile ad firms. The company's data for October reveals that iPhones and Android-based devices both grabbed 37 percent of ad impressions from its network. BlackBerrys were responsible for another 20 percent, while Windows Mobile, Symbian, and a smattering of other platforms fought for the remaining 6 percent.
Particularly impressive were the growth profiles of both the iOS and Android platforms. While ad impressions on iOS devices grew some 12 percent since September, Android grew 65 percent. Since January, iOS increased 32 percent, while Android grew a whopping 2,182 percent. The iPhone is still the top mobile device in Millennial's ranking, but the impressive growth of Android has been fueled by the release of a number of high-profile devices, including the Droid X, Droid 2, EVO 4G, and Samsung Galaxy S-series smartphones.
Still, with the iPod touch and iPad coming in at number three and number nine in Millennial's device ranking, Apple is the top mobile device maker overall, giving iOS as a whole a lead over Android. For its part, the iPad itself grew 112 percent month-over-month. Apple is launching an aggressive retail push for the iPad this holiday season, selling it at Target, Walmart, Verizon, AT&T, and other retailers. The Samsung Galaxy Tab is just now making its way into consumers' hands, so both devices could materially affect Millennial's results later this year, as well.
It's difficult to say, however, what role confounding factors outside of unit sales have on Millennial's data. For instance, Apple's own iAd service caters strictly to iOS devices, and by some accounts is commanding big money. Analysis by IDC suggests that Apple and Google will each claim 21 percent of all mobile ad dollars for 2010.
Additionally, studies have shown that iPhone users tend to buy more paid or "freemium" apps (supported by in-app purchases) than Android users. More ads may be served to Android handsets of users who are relying on free, ad-supported apps. And the over 4 million iPads out there are usually being served full websites instead of special mobile versions, which wouldn't likely be showing mobile ads.
Still, the takeaway from the Mobile Mix data—combined with reports of large gains in unit sales this past year—is that Android will be a formidable competitor in the mobile ad marketplace. The good news is that it should keep both Apple and Google from resting on their respective laurels when it comes to innovating both platforms.


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- You are here:
- GT Home
- Grad Home
- Home
- Prospective Students
**For the latest information on COVID-19 impacts to graduate program admission, visit grad.gatech.edu/covid19.**
From GRE/GMAT/TOEFL scores to references who will provide a recommendation on your behalf, applying to graduate school requires advanced preparation that can begin months before you submit your application. Take a moment to visit the Before You Apply page to familiarize yourself with what you'll need to apply to a program at Georgia Tech. When you're ready to start the application process, head over to the Apply Now page. For information about how to check your status after you've applied, visit the Status Checking page.
Questions? Please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions page, reach out to the contact for the graduate program you're interested in, or contact the Graduate Studies staff by completing this form, or call 404.894.1610.


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So, Generation Next, presented by Gemma Cairney went out on on Sunday and it's on iPlayer til the end of the week. The idea was to shine a light on the young people coming up with creative responses to the recession but it also required some historical digging. This was a highly enjoyable part of the process.
It was clear to me that grime had a big part to play in this story. I remember seeing what my friend Kevin Braddock once called 'crews with a business plan' right back at the point where UK Garage turned into grime. Acts like So Solid Crew might have seemed like a raggle-taggle bunch of talented MCs but from their perspective, they were an early incarnation of band as brand. They were a business, with a record label, promotions arm, radio station and huge fanbase. They were a Wu Tang Clan, born from a Battersea estate rather than Staten Island projects. To the front and centre of Wu Tang were crews like Ruff Sqwad, More Fire, Pay As U Go, Musical Mobb who were channelling music and business without the former polluting the latter. The old idea that art and money shouldn't mix was being broken down by a new generation of artists with an eye on the future.
I didn't actually cover So Solid in the documentary but that's because you have to make fairly brutal decisions about what to include and what to leave to the side. I did catch up with JME though, who provided a perfect Year Zero for the new generation of grimepreneurs. He was the first person to monetise the impulse sent out by the UKG Wu Tangs in a way that resonated outside of the margins. Boy Better Know became famous within and outside of grime for selling thousands of T Shirts, and built a solid base primarily by being one of the funniest and smartest MCs on the block, but also by making sure his business was on point.
You can't look at grime without looking at hip hop. Dan Charnas wrote The Big Payback: The History Of The Business Of Hip Hop and provided the expert American voice for this section. I read the last part of his book before we spoke but hadn't read the whole thing til afterwards. It's an incredible read and one of the best music books I've ever read. He has a lovely style that fuses a minute attention to the detail of what happened with dialogue that reads like fiction. You don't have artists telling you the boring stuff about what they did, you just hear them talking amongst themselves, as if you're in 1984, hearing Rick Rubin motormouthing across a table somewhere, or as if you're earwigging Damon Dash and Jay-Z shooting the breeze somewhere in the mid '90s.
He placed hip hop firmly at the centre of this trend for a new wave of enterprise that sits comfortably with art: rap, he says, changed everything.
There was one more historical corner to examine. You couldn't normally justify talking about punk on 1Xtra but it's a jubilee year and the parallels were just too compelling to ignore. So I went along and interviewed Pete Donne from Rough Trade East who spelled out the links between the new wave of creatively-inspired entrepreneurs in 2012 and the kids inspired by punk to start record labels, make fanzines and start bands.
It's up til Sunday, if you want a listen.


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Given that we're now in our 4th week, those of you who follow GMG probably know about our Monday series Peter & Vickie's Laws of Life (LOL, for short). Click here, if you missed any of the first 3. In our LOL #2, we introduced the concept of inverse proportions. Today's concept of direct proportions is much simpler and today's law could be stated thus, The vigor with which you fight against change is directly proportional to your need for change.
It won't take you long to think of plenty of examples of this LOL, the most obvious being addiction, but I thought I'd start with a personal one. Back in 1998, when Vickie and I founded Van Ness Group, we built complex, data-driven websites and Web applications for public companies and big financial institutions. We were experts in a niche and that was that. People told us to diversify. We resisted. Local businesses asked us to build websites for them. We refused. Clients wanted us to help with marketing. Forget about it! We had spent 10 years becoming experts in employee stock benefit plans and 15 years in database technology. We were determined to stick with it — and we did! That is, until the niche vanished suddenly in 2001 right before our very eyes like a cheap magic trick. YIKES.
Mayor Kirk alluded to this LOL in her Mayor's Desk column with this gem, "Expansion of the commercial tax base is the antidote to rising taxes for homeowners which most people claim to want relief on but at the same time is fought every step of the way."
Back to addiction. You've probably seen or heard of addicts resisting, with all their vigor, the one thing that is their only hope — to quit. But this applies to lots of things, not just drugs. Before the Civil War, the South was addicted to slavery — they believed their economy depended on it. But in the long run, the best thing for their economy was the abolition of slavery.
Now the one addiction I'll just accept is music. I'll never try and quit. Especially while I live in the middle of the hottest independent music scene north of NYC. Just look at all the music this week — and it's off season!
Here's one of my favorite videos from MTV's heyday about another addiction:


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Work for TESCO! One of the biggest and most successful supermarkets in the UK.
|From time
|To time
Our festive colleagues will have the exciting opportunity to work across a variety of different departments.
If you have previous retail experience you can build on this whilst on the job training is provided so you can learn new skills too.
In your interview we'll go into more detail about the different shifts which you can work around your family and lifestyle commitments.
Should you be successful in your application, your offer will be subject to and conditional upon you providing your bank account details before your agreed start date.
To be someone with great communication skills and works well in a team, while being ready to roll up your sleeves and do what's needed to give our customers their best ever Christmas shopping experience.
To be able to serve Britain's customers a little better every day, we need someone who can:
We're the UK's number one retailer and we pride ourselves on offering a great shopping experience. We are passionate about our food, merchandise and services and will always try to get things right for our customers.
We believe in treating each other with respect and giving everyone an equal opportunities. It's our people that make the difference every day - helping us make a difference for our customers.
Fill in below which area you are searching in for a similar function and don't forget your e-mail address!
Do you want to apply within one click and stay up to date on the newest vacancies that suit you? Signup as a student!Sign up for free


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UPDATE on 11.16.12
The posting below has some misconstrued facts. The fact that the WB went out at the same time I got a new polarizing filter is coincidence. It turns out that there is an internal issue in the camera. Further testing w/o the filter proved that, along with some extensive discussions with Panasonic's help desk.
Polarizing filter, that is. I don't use filters much…don't like much to come between me and the reality of the world. I have always had a clear or skylight filter on my lens for protection though. Less expensive to replace a scratched filter than an entire lens (or camera, since those little prosumer camcorders are permanently affixed to the lens).
But recently I got a polarizing filter…neat little piece of glass that will help cut down on unwanted reflections while increasing saturation of colors. And it does a great job at both.
Actually it is a circular polarizing filter. The circular means there are two elements in the filter…one to polarize light and the other to make corrections so that your camera's automatic iris reads light properly. Here's a link to a pretty good explanation of how they work: http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Polarizer
But the issue that caught me off guard (which I haven't been able to find an online explanation for yet) is loss of the ability to manually white balance. Talk about frustrating. Set the camera to manual…blue. Hit the white balance button. Still blue. Switched from manual to auto – wow, good color. Switched back to manual. Blue. Turned camera off and on again. Blue.
Looks like I have my work cut out for me over the weekend. Or, as I used to tell my students, working with digital video is a lifelong exploration of fixing problems.


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Hi all. I'm dealing with an office with a sort of old fashioned workflow, incoming calls are answered by a receptionist, who then places the call on park and announces the call to the recipient. The SIP phones are set to auto answer internal calls, so the recipient cam either say "OK" and pick up the call from park, or can tell the receptionist "Take a message", "Tell them I'll call back later", etc.
The business would like to outsource this service for call overflow, receptionist off days, etc. Is anyone aware of an answering service that offers direct SIP connection so that the offsite virtual receptionist appears as an extension is Asterisk, and can pick up ringing calls, park them and announce with auto answer?


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"I am looking for people who have attended NIGR in the past, who are willing to share their experience and what attending has done for them... Also, who did you meet at NIGR that has assisted or encouraged you to become a better genealogist."Well I think this is a fun topic for the NIGR Alumni Association dinner, and I responded to Chuck with my thoughts. I decided to write a blog post on the same topic as it highlights value of networking at genealogical institutes.
I attended NIGR in 2008 and am still friends with a least 17 of my classmates (attendance is generally limited to 40 people). I love to reconnect with them when I attend other national conferences and genealogy institutes. The institutes are absolutely my favorite type of genealogy education! Here are just a few of the lasting connections I made with classmates at NIGR:
Andrew Brethauer (NARA staff member) attended in 2008 and still assists me with questions when I am researching at NARA.
Joni Kesler and Danielle Batson attended from the Family History Library and I visit them when I am in Salt Lake. Joni occasionally hires me to do work for her at NARA.
Cafi Cohen and Cheryl Storton introduced me to their four-generation heirloom albums complete with photos, charts, maps, stories and original documents. I have created two of these beautiful albums for clients. IN 2010 they brought members of their California genealogy society on a research trip to D.C. and I assisted them with researching at the National Archives.
Cathy Desmarais and I were both in the first ProGen Study Group when we attended NIGR, and now five more of my NIGR classmates are participating in this study program (which I happen to manage).
Deane Dierksen and Jennifer Dondero live in Virginia and I see them at Fairfax Genealogy Society meetings.
I love the connections I make with other genealogists at institutes such as NIGR, SLIG and IGHR and how we continue to support each other in our genealogical endeavors.
My comments to Chuck focused on my classmates, but I really should give appreciation to the NIGR directors and instructors too!
Patty Shawker (director of NIGR) and Claire Bettag (former director and current instructor) have acted as mentors to me and encouraged me in my professional genealogy goals. They are very supportive as I work to develop expertise in federal records, and now both serve as mentors in the ProGen Study Program benefiting many other genealogists.
I wish to express my gratitude to the many genealogists who have had such a positive impact on me and my career! I could write the same type of post for each of the institutes I have attended.
I could go on and on about what NIGR has done for me beyond networking with other genealogists, but I think I will save that for another blog post.


text: All About 'Nature Essence' Just as diamonds provide frosting for your fingers this style will frost your floor and give it a luxurious look and feel. Explore TruAccents Product Specifications Flooring Type Carpet Style EA692 NATURE ESSENCE Color 00504 KNIGHT Collection TruAccents Fiber 100% SD PET Polyester Width 12 ft Style Type Product Specifications Style Type Style Type Loop: Create texture with uneven loops, or choose uncut level loops for high-traffic areas. Pattern: Go for dramatic, unique visuals with loops and cuts of varying heights. Texture: Create a less formal look with the smooth, level finish of twisted yarns. Twist: Go for a soft, comfortable, casual look with this longer cut pile, also known as Frieze. Back to Specs texture Face Weight Product Specifications Face Weight Face Weight Face weight is measured as per unit area of pile yarn floor coverings according to ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials) method D-5848. Due to several processes involved in manufacturing, such as shearing, the actual finished weight may reflect a variance of up to 7%. The weight is determined by compensating for the factor of commercial moisture regain, as defined in ASTM D-1909. The ASTM measurements are accepted industry norms and the most accurate means of determining face weight. Back to Specs 40.90 oz./sq.yd. Backing CLASSICBAC Made in the USA YES Country Of Origin USA


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Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in 'Thumpers' started by onaXR, Jan 18, 2006.
Thanks! Thats what I was thinking about doing. There isn't really anything up there besides that to mount anything too. I'm planning on insulating mine. I'll probably use electrical tape, I think thats what people use right?
I bought an extra set of grips so I'd have two throttle grips.
I got my corbin the other day had some fit issues but got it sorted out. Went for a 50 mi.loop yesterday and I must say it is by far one of the best things I have done to this bike. Happy trails.
Well, I picked up my new XR-l on Saturday, and luckily the weather was good, so I rode from the dealer near my dad's in NJ to my home in Virginia, about 160 miles. Bike ran awesome, and got roughly 150 mpg. It idles a little higher than I would like, so I'll adjust that before the next ride.
Got a call from FMF, they don't make the exhaust I used to have (Ti-4 17" AMA). They only make the Ti-4 in the louder 14" (hard to believe the thing could be louder! :eek1 )
Not sure about mods - the only thing so far is an XRs-Only temp dip stick - which was a great addition the first time. Just happy to be back on an XR-L!
You did mean 150mi per tank?
Welcome back fellow Virginia XRL rider.
Here's the black beast..
Here's Clifford, the big red dog, in the forest of North Carolina. He has a K&N filter and a DG skiplate.
View attachment 66444
that is very badass! in a Mad Max sort of way, makes my DR look kinda girly..
I'm saving the pic and thinking I might get a black IMS and paint my plastics...
BTW, what front fender is that? and what paint did you use on the sidecovers? does it hold up pretty well? thanks, Bill
Any of you XRL'ers have big miles on your bikes? The XRL was a very close 2nd to the DR. I think it's a better bike offroad and if there are mods that enhance the engine longevity, I could see myself on one down the road...I'm a sucka for big thumpa's...
how about a plated 97xr600 r?
It's a Maier Xrl front and a XR600 rear. Been using a lacquer flat black on the panels, just every once in a while I'll take them off and paint them. It holds up the best so far. I don't feel like relocating the battery and going w/ xr600 sides. I need to change out the front, may go with a Yz,crf,ktm. I need to find one that bolts up, I've seen YZ and CRF's used.
I ride with this dude and we tend to freak people out with the color
Only 9300 on mine so far but I plan on seeing ALOT more before this gets retired. I have heard of XRLs with like 30000 or better.
Brutus I like that black I plan on doing mine someday in black, with the ktm front fender.
Not big miles, but a few
Why not - it's pretty much the exact same bike.
I love this bike and have always wanted one, but I've always been afraid to commit. I'm afraid I'll be disappointed by the power. It weighs more than my KLX400SR and has about the same power.
The XR650R and the KTM LC4 are very attractive, but there is something in the L model that does it for me, mabey its simplicity.
The KLX400 is a nice bike, but It's a bit short legged for the longer stretches. I am looking for a dirt oriented bike so the KLR and the DR are out.
Any opinions?
Thanx Dan
Get the XRL if you like it, there are a few ways to improve it for the long trips. The thing about the 650s power is the torque, you can lug it down like a diesel truck. I love mine I wish I would have bought one a long time ago, I will always have one from now on. There are other bikes in the garage but there will be a XRL in there somewhere.
I've been wanting to try exhaust tape on my XRL's pipe in an effort to reduce oil temp, cover rust spots and reduce pant leg burn. Does anyone(Brutus61, Treadmarks) have any feedback? Does it look like crap after it gets muddy?
Oil Temp Survey: Post your observed oil temps please.
250 F highway cruise, 300(!) F aggressive trail riding
Mine cleans right off, whenever I get around to washing it.
Actually about the same temps here,dont use heat tape never really thought about it.


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General manager Ken Williams' comments on Sunday, though, made Jenks' return seem less likely and put the right-hander on the list of possible non-tender candidates.
"That's something we have to evaluate strongly because I've been disappointed on a number of levels," Williams said. "And there are certain things that I'm not going to talk about right now."
… "What I will say is Bobby Jenks has been good for a long time here," Williams said. "He is one of the reasons we got that banner up here and an '08 division as well. As we sit here, two years after winning the division, I'm not going to criticize one of the guys that helped us get there.
"We'll just make the moves necessary for the continuity of the team and the success of the team."
October 3, 2010
Kenny Williams disappointed with Bobby Jenks?
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RICHMOND, Ky. – Senior Erika Moss continued her stellar play this season recording a career high 21 digs, with 33 assists to finish with a double-double, as TSU fell to EKU on the road 3-1 (13-25, 18-25, 25-23, 23-25).
The double-double marked the 11th of her season and the fourth time Moss reached 20 or more digs.
Junior Naomi Wells finished with her ninth double-double of the season, finishing with 14 kills and 10 digs. The double-double was the first for wells since the Tigers match against Jacksonville State on Oct. 25. Wells also put up a strong performance on the block, posting three on the day.
Defensively, Ileanushka Maldonado finished with 20 digs from the libero spot.
In the first set Eastern Kentucky (16-14, 8-6) raced out to a 7-1 start. Tennessee State (10-15, 6-8) used a 3-0 push to close within three at 7-4. The run consisted of two kills and a block from junior Naomi Wells.
EKU extended its lead out to 10 at 14-4. Big Blue rattled off four consecutive points closing within six, 14-8. In the span the Tigers' Jordon Piper and Wells recorded kills.
Tennessee State closed within six on three more occasions but the Colonels closed the set out, winning 25-13 to take a 1-0 set lead.
Eastern Kentucky used another big run to open the second frame, gaining a 5-1 lead. The lead extended out to a seven point advantage at 16-9. TSU connected on the next two points with kills from wells and junior Sherryce Butler, followed by an attack error from EKU closed the gap to four, 16-12.
That was the closest the Tigers would get in the second stanza as the Colonels won the frame 25-18, taking the 2-0 set lead into the locker room.
Out of the break Tennessee State picked up the first three points taking an early 3-0 lead. With the set knotted at 3-3, TSU used another 3-0 run to regain the lead. In the stretch Wells and junior Taylor Swayzer picked up a kill apiece.
EKU took their first lead in the frame at 11-10. Both clubs traded the lead, sharing twelve ties, with the last tie coming at 22-22. Back-to-back kills from Wells put the Tigers within one point of taking their first set of the afternoon, to close within 2-1 in sets.
In the fourth set Tennessee State connected on the first two points, EKU used a 12-6 run to gain a four point advantage, 12-8. The Tigers netted the next four points to level the score at 12 all. Freshman Arijana Anderson picked up two kills in the TSU charge.
Both clubs traded the lead and shared seven ties with the last tie coming at 23-23. EKU connected on the next two points to close the set out 25-23 to win the match 3-1.
Ashley Edmond finished with a double-double for EKU compliling 12 kills and 18 digs.
The Tigers return to Nashville to take on Belmont in the Curb Event Center on Wednesday, first serve for the match is set for 7 p.m.


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|Women's Leather Shirts - Women's Fashion Auctions on eBay: Guide to Women's Fashion on eBay by Apparel Search
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In this section of the Apparel Search fashion guide, you will find information regarding women's fashion sold on eBay. More specifically, this section will help you learn more about Women's Leather Shirts.
Women's Leather Shirts on eBay
We hope that this section has helped you learn more about women's fashion on eBay. Most importantly, hopefully you have learn more about women's shirts. If you have found what you had been searching for from the link above, you may want to check the following women's shirt categories on eBay.


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Envying Evil Men
Seeing the wicked succeed can be discouraging, especially when we are suffering for the sake of righteousness. Yet what we should never do, today's passage tells us, is envy the wicked and their success. The success of the wicked is ...Read More
The Sorrow That Attends Knowledge
Coming to understand the limitations of our knowledge and wisdom can be deeply sorrowing. At the same time, however, there are senses in which it can be liberating. First, knowing the limits of our own understanding forces us to flee ...Read More
Heeding Godly Authorities
Matthew Henry comments on today's passage, "Those are truly valuable, and shall be valued, who value themselves more by their virtue and piety than by their worldly wealth and dignity." A life of wisdom gained by heeding the godly instruction ...Read More
Vanity of Vanities
As Christians, we know that the life to which Ecclesiastes points, that which is beyond life "under the sun" in this present world, is life in the presence of God Himself. Ultimately, we can find meaning in life only in ...Read More
Greetings From Paul's Associates
Today's passage shows us yet again that even the Apostles had valued coworkers in ministry and depended on others for their efforts. Indeed, this is how the Lord has made us—to rely on each other for fellowship and for assistance ...Read More
The External Call
Sometimes the external call to a particular vocation comes before a man or woman receives an internal call. If several individuals are noticing particular gifts in you or are suggesting that you pursue a certain line of work, it is ...Read More
The Internal Call
Paul said, "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Cor. 9:16b). He had an unquenchable desire to preach the gospel, as God had called Him to the vocation of pastor, church planter, and Apostle, granting him ...Read More
What Christ Did through Paul
We can take godly pride in serving the Lord successfully when we recognize that we have been only instruments in the Lord's hand, instruments of His work and not ultimately the workers ourselves. Because we are God's instruments, our goal ...Read More
Passing Judgment on Ourselves
Though we sometimes feel guilty for things that are not actually sins, we should always pay attention to the voice of our consciences when we experience guilt. When we feel guilt, we must endeavor to understand, according to God's Word, ...Read More
Protecting the Work of God
Christian freedom carries with it the heavy responsibility of never using our freedom in a way that harms tender consciences, and the duty never to impose our personal scruples regarding indifferent matters on others. Besides studying God's Word, one of ...Read More


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AIKEN - The University of South Carolina Beaufort women's soccer team was unable to bring home a victory after its first road trip of the season, falling 2-0 to sister school USC Aiken on Saturday.
The Pacers (1-1) scored an early goal in each half, taking the lead on Megan Smits' goal in the 11th minute and capping the scoring when Smits assisted on Hannah Allison's goal in the 54th minute.
"We settled into the game halfway through the first half and were able to play even with them the rest of the match," USCB coach Ed Heberling said. "Unfortunately, we weren't able to build enough of an attack to pressure them often."
The Sand Sharks (1-3-1) managed only five shots - two on goal - while being shut out for the second time this season. USCB's closest chance came when freshman Megan Benoist blasted a free kick off the crossbar, but the rebound came back too hard for the Sand Sharks to generate a second-chance opportunity.
The performance of the back line was encouraging, as freshmen Poppy Miller and Shannon Blair played strong in the middle and limited the Pacers' scoring chances. Junior goalkeeper Chelsie Mummert stopped eight shots for USCB.
"This was another step up for us to better prepare our girls for conference play," Heberling said. "I feel our improvement will be seen in the next couple of matches, as we are doing great things against some strong teams."
The Sand Sharks return home Thursday, facing Brewton-Parker (Ga.) in a non-conference match at 4 p.m. at Fin Land Field.


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Fast Food: Subway Big Philly Cheesesteak
Would you like fries (or onion rings or chicken tenders) with that?
I don't own a grill, which is nice because it makes me ineligible for copout gifts of redundant meatfire-tending accessories and reduces the odds I'll be cast as a lovably doltish sitcom dad. But along with these benefits, the ungrilled lifestyle comes with the significant downside of limiting my access to red meat.
I'll break out the skillet and the steak and the short attention span to produce a few indoor juice fires a year, but I'm largely dependent on the kindness and competence of others for my beef. In the summer this means I'm reduced to groveling for backyard barbecue invitations, and in the winter it means taking the even less dignified path of searching for credible fast food steak.
The first stop on my winter 2011 cheap-steak hunt was Taco Bell, where the disappointment was predictable but the specific strengths and weaknesses were surprising. The Triple Steak Stack's bread was terrible, but the steak itself was pretty good.
If a noted beef miscreant like Taco Bell can get the steak close to right, then maybe anyone can. And if all that's missing is decent bread, then isn't the Subway Big Philly Cheesesteak the next logical sandwich to investigate?
Subway's bread is iconic for its smell. Of course iconic smells are not necessarily good smells—consider, for example, the telltale aroma of an actual subway—and a vocal minority of the fast food community holds the sweet-weird bread aroma against Subway.
I think the bread is pretty good, even if the smell's a bit overpowering and quite possibly engineered more for nasal marketing than for sandwich-enhancing. But I don't think Subway needs the 10 bread varieties listed on their website, because in my light hopscotching through the options, I haven't found anything better than the basic white Italian, which is what I chose for my Big Philly.
(Let's not get into whether this sandwich has any right to call itself "Philly." I went into this looking to evaluate a fast food steak-and-cheese sandwich, not a Philly cheesesteak.)
My memories of Subway steak are not fond; maybe it was just my preconceived notion that precooked steak is not for me, but I haven't eaten it since noticing years ago that there's no grill at Subway. My recent Taco Bell experience suggests that discount qwiksteak science has come a long way since the 1990s, though, so I was cautiously optimistic about the four ounces of cold, cooked steak that amply lined the six-inch Italian roll.
Subway lets you choose your cheese, and I picked American because it's bred to melt. The sandwich assembler tossed two slices atop the steak and then put the Big Philly into a convection oven for about 30 seconds.
It looked pretty good coming out of the oven. The outside of the roll was lightly toasted, as was the inside on the rare square millimeters not covered with meat and cheese.
The cheese did nothing more than its job: it melted into the steak. It was so lacking in flavor that I didn't even notice the usual fast food oversalting, but it did contribute a surprisingly dairyesque smell.
The steak more than made up for the lack of perceived sodium in the cheese; it would have been too salty to eat by the handful or on a stick, but when tempered by the cushiony bread and the cheese, the flavor was acceptable. It tasted beefier and less adulterated than the Taco Bell version.
The Subway Big Philly Cheesesteak can't compete with a freshly cooked rendition from a good corner sub shop, but I've had worse. The improved steak combined with Subway's good-enough bread makes for a fine fast food steak-and-cheese sandwich before you even get to the customizing (banana pepper rings!!!).


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I've done these same activities with my kids before (you know, preblogging) so I cutesied them up and I wanted to share with you guys!
Download it for free at my TPT Store! I'd love some feedback!
Tomorrow is our Halloween Celebration (turned into full blown party! haha!)
I hope you have a great time with your class during the holiday. For those of you in the path of Sandy, stay safe!


text: I was just curious how testing is going with the latest 0x261e firmware. I really like the new pcm A/V sync routines in it, but the problem with AC3/Dolby just makes it too unstable to test further. When tuned to a dolby pid and opening the OSD in VDR, the following error occurs causing VDR to just shutdown. dvb-ttpci: warning: timeout waiting in LoadBitmap: 0, 1 Thanks for your time.. Best Regards, C.Y.M.


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Wake beats Irish 65-58 to remain perfect at home
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) Devin Thomas scored 21 points and Wake Forest beat Notre Dame 65-58 on Saturday.
Travis McKie finished with 14 points and Codi Miller-McIntyre added six of his eight in the final 2 minutes for the Demon Deacons (14-6, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference).
Garrick Sherman scored 20 points but the Fighting Irish (11-9, 2-5) were denied their first ACC road victory.
Sherman's free throw with 2:24 left put Notre Dame up 54-53 before Miller-McIntyre gave the Demon Deacons the lead for good with an across-the-lane drive with just under 2 minutes left.
After Pat Connaughton missed a 3-pointer, Miller-McIntyre added two free throws with 1:26 left to give Wake Forest a 57-54 lead. The sophomore guard then followed Sherman's layup with a jumper to put the Demon Deacons up 59-56 with 46.4 seconds remaining.


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Katie Couric and Diane Sawyer make newsworthy entrances at the 2014 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner held at the Washington Hilton on Saturday (May 3) in Washington, D.C.
The longtime news reporters were joined by The Today Show anchors Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, and Al Roker.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Katie Couric
"Ready for the prom! #WHCD," Katie tweeted before the event, along with a photo of herself all dolled up.
10+ pictures inside of Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, and more at the White House Correspondents' Dinner…More Here! »


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Veterans Day Activities
Lesson Plans, Activities, and Resources Focus on Wartime Service and Sacrifice
On November 11, we honor the wartime service and sacrifice of men and women in the armed forces. Originally proclaimed Armistice Day in 1919 to commemorate the end of World War I, it was renamed Veterans Day in 1954 to include American veterans of all wars.
The following lessons, activities, games, and resources will help your students celebrate service men and women past and present.
Resources For:
last updated: October 9, 2019


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RSS Feeds
RSS Feeds
Our latest feeds:
You can also access RSS feeds directly from pages on the site - the RSS icon will appear in the footer of an article page when a feed is available.
What are News Feeds?
News feeds allow you to see when websites have added new content. You can get the latest headlines and video in one place, as soon as it's published, without having to visit the websites you have taken the feed from.
Feeds are generally known as RSS ('Really Simple Syndication') which are just web pages, designed to be read by computers rather than people.
How do I start using feeds?
You will need one of the following to read RSS feeds:
Modern web browser
Most modern browsers, including Firefox, Opera, Internet Explorer, Safari and Chrome automatically check for feeds when you visit a website, and display the orange RSS icon when they find one. Many of them allow you to add RSS feeds as a browser favourite or bookmark folder, automatically updating them with the latest content.
Web-based news reader
Web-based news readers check feeds and displays any new articles that have been added. They let you catch up with your RSS feed subscriptions from any computer, making this option useful if you want to access the feeds from multiple computers or devices.
Desktop news reader
Some email software allows you to read RSS feeds. In addition, there is dedicated news reader software available that you can download and install on your computer.
How do I get a news reader?
There is a range of different news readers available and new versions are appearing all the time.
Different news readers work on different operating systems, so you will need to choose one that will work with your computer.
If you click on the RSS button you can subscribe to the feed in various ways, including by dragging the URL of the feed into your news reader or by cutting and pasting the same URL into a new feed in your news reader. Most sites that offer feeds use a similar orange button, but some may just have a normal web link.
Using BCI News feeds on your site
If you run your own website, you can display the latest headlines from other websites on your own site using RSS.
We encourage the use of BCI feeds as part of a website, however, we do require that the proper format and attribution is used when BCI content appears. The attribution text should read "BCI", Bat Conservation International, or "batcon.org" as appropriate. You may not use any BCI logo or other BCI trademark without permisson.
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Our mission is to conserve the world's bats and their ecosystems to ensure a healthy planet.
Please join us or donate so our work can continue.


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STOCKTON - Edison High School wrestling coach Carlos Soto was shot in the leg Tuesday morning while fighting off four intruders during a home-invasion robbery at his family's home in northeast Stockton, police reported.
STOCKTON - Edison High School wrestling coach Carlos Soto was shot in the leg Tuesday morning while fighting off four intruders during a home-invasion robbery at his family's home in northeast Stockton, police reported.
Soto, 24, awoke about 4 a.m. to the sound of someone kicking in a glass door at the front of the home in the 4600 block of Tudor Rose Glen, just south of East Eight Mile Road, he said. Fearing the intruders would hurt his mother, father and sisters, who were sleeping upstairs, Soto came out of his first-floor bedroom and began fighting them in the entryway, he said.
"I didn't have any time to think about anything else except to run out there and fight, because I knew they were coming inside to do harm," said Soto, who was a standout wrestler at Lincoln High School, San Joaquin Delta College and Menlo College in Atherton. "There was no choice but to fight. I just tried to keep my head on a swivel, and anybody who came at me was going to get hit."
Soto said he knocked down the first intruder he encountered and forced the second up against a wall. Yazmin Soto, 22, and Vianca Soto, 20, came out of their bedrooms when they heard the commotion downstairs. From the top of the stairs, Yazmin Soto said she saw her brother surrounded by a number of shadowy figures.
"I heard punching, and it was so crazy, because it sounded like movie punching," she said. "It didn't sound real."
At some point near the end of the skirmish, Carlos Soto was shot just above his right knee, he said. He didn't realize he had sustained a gunshot wound until he felt numbness when he tried to chase the intruders out the front door, he said.
Meanwhile, Yazmin Soto pulled her sister into her second-story bedroom, opened her window, dislodged the screen and started to go out onto the roof of the garage in an attempt to get out of the house, she said. At that point, they saw the intruders leaving their driveway in a car.
"It was probably the scariest thing I've ever experienced," Yazmin Soto said.
Both sisters praised their brother for his heroic actions.
"I'm very happy that my brother was very brave and protected us," Vianca Soto said. "That was his only thought, protecting his sisters and our mom."
Carlos Soto said he knew his life was in danger.
"They could have easily killed me," Soto said. "I could have easily been dead, but I had to fight for my mom, my dad and my sisters, and God was on my side. I fought for my family, and God helped."
Soto was taken to a hospital, where he was treated for a non-life-threatening injury and then released.
Shortly after 6:30 a.m., police spotted the assailants driving near East Swain Road and Tam O'Shanter Drive. Police pursued the vehicle to North Oro Avenue and East Myrtle Street, where three men and one woman attempted to flee on foot, officers said.
The female suspect, 21-year-old Nate Alhaja Jackson of Stockton, gave up quickly and was taken into custody without incident, police said. She was arrested on suspicion of driving with a suspended license, hit-and-run resulting in property damage, resisting arrest and other traffic infractions, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office said. She was also arrested for two felony warrants and one misdemeanor warrant, the Sheriff's Office said.
Police officers and sheriff's deputies deployed canines to locate the three male assailants, who were all found hiding in different locations, authorities said. All three were taken to a hospital for treatment of dog bites before being booked into the San Joaquin County Jail.
James Goodman, 27, Lee Edwards Haggerty, 30, and Christopher Perkins, 22, all of Oakland, were arrested on suspicion of numerous crimes, including robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy and resisting arrest with gang enhancements, authorities said.
Contact reporter Jason Anderson at (209) 546-8279 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/crimeblog and on Twitter @Stockton911.


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I apparated directly in to the waiting room where we had met Eric for Oliver's last appointment. The woman at the desk took one look at the two of us and paged Healer McCoy immediately. I cradled Oliver's head in my lap as I slumped against the nearest wall. I whispered his name over and over again until Eric and his assistants rushed out with a stretcher, lifted Oliver on to it, and rushed off, leaving me dripping wet, stunned, and terrified in the waiting room.
I climbed off of the floor and on to one of the couches. The woman who had paged Eric brought me a blanket and a warm cup of tea. I tried to form a smile, but I'm not sure my mouth formed one. My head was throbbing now, even as I laid it against the wall softly so I closed my eyes. I tried to force sleep, but it refused to come, and instead I sat, thinking and hoping for the best, for two hours.
When Eric finally came out from behind the doors, he was flipping through a chart. His face looked grim and his eyes were circled with dark rings. He looked to the woman who had brought me the blanket expectantly. I wasn't sure what he had asked her, but she shook her head and simply pointed to me. Eric sighed, nodded, and walked over to sit down across from me.
"Usually we would not be able to tell you anything about Oliver's condition, but we were unable to reach his family, and when he was here last he listed you as his emergency contact. That, combined with the fact that he's been asking for you since he woke up, means that I can fill you in on what is happening."
I pulled my eyes from their trained spot on the wall so that I was at least looking at Eric. I couldn't speak, all of my words were caught in my throat, but I nodded to tell him to continue.
"All of the progress Oliver made over these last months has been completely reversed. He didn't feel much pain as he was practicing due to high levels of adrenaline running through his body, but I assure you, he is dealing with pain like he has never felt before now that it has worn off. We've got him set up with several pain potions, but I'm afraid they are barely dulling the pain." Eric's eyes looked heavy and I could tell he hadn't even reached the bad part yet.
"The surgery we had scheduled in three days is no longer an option. When Oliver was simultaneously hit by both the bludger and the quaffle, the impact not only set his recovery back to square one, it also shattered his collarbone and his impact with the ground combined with all of the trauma and stress tore several vital muscles. There is far too much damage to complete the operation now."
I found my voice, although I wasn't sure it could really be called more than a whisper, "So what does that mean. Is it over? Can he ever play again?"
"I don't want to get his hopes up, or yours. His chances of playing professional quidditch again are dismal at best, but there is a new potion on the market. It is still in the experimental phases, and results have varied drastically from patient to patient. We haven't presented this option to Oliver yet. We thought it best that someone close to him brought it up and then discussed this with him."
"He'll do whatever it takes. You know that."
"I do, but he has to be made aware of the side effects and the pain. This potion combines mending bones with mending muscles and it is being marketed to athletes only because of the strain the potion itself puts on the body. The person who takes it needs to be in top physical condition, or else their body will not be able to handle the speed at which the potion progresses recovery. It is painful, like growing pains maximized by a thousand, and this potion would only mend the bones and muscles back to the point where we would be able to complete a successful operation. If both the potion and the surgery are successful, Oliver still only has a 75 percent chance of playing at his previous level."
"That is a lot to take in at once. Are you sure I'm the best person to tell Oliver all of this?" my voice was stronger now and I was leaning forward trying my best to be engaged in the conversation.
"He trusts you, even now. Yes, Ellie sent me a letter about the fight, to let me know to possible expect Oliver. He needs to hear this from someone who has his best interests in mind and will be there for him during this whole ordeal."
I hesitated for a moment, running over all of the hurtful things that we both said to each other. There was nothing I could do but agree. I would be there for Oliver, no matter what decision he made.
"You need to make a decision within the next hour. That's the window for administering the potion under such extreme circumstances. After that, the body will become unresponsive as it tries to mend itself."
He squeezed my arm for support and then wandered off looking over charts and talking seriously with the other healers and assistants that were in the corridor with us. It was then that I realized I was behind those solid double doors that had previously separated Oliver in the wings of the hospital and myself in the waiting room. I must have absently let Eric lead me in as he was explaining the potion and its effect to me. I was now standing outside of room 109 and staring at the slip of paper that had been placed in the slot on the door telling me that "OLIVER WOOD" was in that particular room.
I tried to inhale deeply, but I took in air so sharply it gave me a slight cramp in my side. I brushed my hair from my face, feeling the tangled mess that had never been brushed that morning and then endured a rainstorm and apparition. I didn't think Oliver would care, but I didn't want to look frazzled and risk him reading the sheer terror all over my face. I pulled the hair tie out and smoothed it down as best I could before twisting it in to a bun and securing it again. I felt a little better, and I hoped the small effort would make me appear more confident as I spelled out all the details of the new potion to Oliver.
"Would you get in here? Your hair looks fine and I'm sick of being alone with all of this beeping and whirring!"
Apparently Oliver's door had been cracked just far enough that he could see me from his bed.
He was smiling at me, but his eyes looked heavy and he was gritting his teeth slightly. Eric said he was in pretty intense pain. I did my best to pull a smile on to my face. I'm not sure if it worked, but Oliver's eyes seemed to brighten slightly.
"So what's the news?"
I pulled one of the guest chairs as close to the bed as possible and rested my hands on the bed. He grabbed the one closest to his hand and gripped it tightly, preparing for the information the healers had told him to be expecting. I rubbed his hand lightly with my thumb and then went through all of the information I had received.
Oliver listened to every syllable as if it was going to be the last thing he was ever going to hear. I did what I could to explain the information slowly, and really give everything ample time to sink in before moving on to the next piece of the puzzle. By the time I was finished, I was exhausted, and through with talking, but I looked up to gauge Oliver's reaction.
His brow was furrowed, his teeth were clenched and I could tell he was putting almost all of his effort in to not squeezing my hand as a relief from the pain. He was clearly letting everything settle and then he shocked me.
"What do you think I should do?" He asked softly.
"I really don't think I can make that kind of decision for you."
"That's what I thought you were going to say." He sighed heavily, "I want to do it."
"Are you sure. A lot of things can go poorly, and this may not even work."
"I know, but I don't think I could live with it if I didn't at least try. Quidditch means everything to me. I have to at least attempt to get back to it."
I tried to sit back in the chair but he gripped my hand, keeping me next to him. He looked down at me, and his eyes were serious, decided. He was not going to change his mind. He was not looking at me for permission this time; he was looking to me for support. This time, I was not going to let my brain over run my heart. I was going to stay beside Oliver until all of this was over.
"Then I'm not going anywhere." I said firmly.
"What about your offer? It really is a fantastic career move, and I don't want to hold you back from something like that."
"Sometimes there are things that are more important than my career, and you are one of them. You were there for me during the New Year's event, which was one of the hardest things I've ever done, and now I'm going to be here for you during this." I smiled slightly, "Like it or not, you are my friend now, and my friends have the hardest time getting rid of me. Just ask Ellie."
He smiled a real smile and then squeezed his eyes tight, taking his hand from mine and moving it to the shoulder that was in a hard cast. He took several deep breaths and trained his eyes on the ceiling, obviously trying not to complain about the pain.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
He looked at me and did his best to smirk, although the gritted teeth and squinted eyes didn't produce the normal effect.
"You can kiss it and make it better." He managed.
I stood, and leaned over the bed, my face just inches from his. Surprise replaced some of the pain in his eyes, and his jaw relaxed slightly. I kept moving forward, thankful that he didn't have his wits about him. If he had he may have leaned forward to kiss me, but that would have ruined the dramatic effect I was going for. I bent merely centimeters from his lips and then placed mine on his cheek.
"Tell you what, you make it out of this alive and we will see about that kiss."
"I'm holding you to that."
"Please do." I added with a wink.
He was smiling again, obviously having braced himself for the gesture this time because he grabbed my hand again instead of his shoulder. I looked up at the clock and realized that we had been missing for almost 6 hours to our friends and Oliver's family. I had to contact everyone and tell them we were alright before Ellie organized a search party. I told you, she is the best in the business for parties and I meant it. We would have hundreds of people scouring every nook and cranny of Western Europe if I didn't tell someone where we were soon.
I pulled my hand away from Oliver's and started towards the door.
"Stay." He whispered, barely audible, as I was about to open the door.
With a hand on the door knob, I let a small smile play on my lips before turning around and pacing towards him.
This time, I put my hand gently behind his head, and kissed his forehead before saying, "I need to let your family know you are safe and what is going on. You're going to need as many people as possible by your side, but I promise, I'm not going to leave. I'm here, no matter what."
He smiled, and closed his eyes as his most recent potion settled in to mask the pain. He would need his rest. Now I just needed to gather the strength to help him through either outcome.
Author's Note: Sorry about any typos. I tried to read it quickly before posting, but I only had limited time!
What do you think will happen with Oliver's potion and surgery? Do you like where Adelynn and Oliver are heading? Let me know everything you're thinking! I love hearing it!
Also, NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow. I will do my best to update this story once a week until it is finished, but my NaNo story has to be my priority. Only a few more chapters for this one though, so don't worry!
As Always, thanks for reading!
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Roasted chestnut & herb pesto pasta with mushrooms
Nutrition and extra info
- Vegetarian
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal582
- fat29g
- saturates4g
- carbs70g
- sugars3g
- fibre4g
- protein14g
- salt0.2g
- 100g cooked chestnut
'Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...' that kitsch old Nat King Cole song perfectly…
- handful each basil, parsley and mint, leaves only
There are several types of mint, each with its own subtle difference in flavour and appearance.…
- 50g parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve (optional)
Parmesan is a straw-coloured hard cheese with a natural yellow rind and rich, fruity flavour. It…
- 2 garlic cloves
- 150ml rapeseed oil
Rapeseed oil
If you want a light alternative to other cooking oils, rapeseed is a great choice and has…
- 500g dried pasta
Pasta is the Italian name for Italy's version of a basic foodstuff which is made in many…
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Olive oilol-iv oyl
Probably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It's…
- 250g pack chestnut mushroom, quartered
Put the chestnuts in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Throw in the herbs, Parmesan and garlic, then pulse again until chopped (not too finely). Pour in the rapeseed oil, mix together and season to taste.
Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water, according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the mushrooms with some seasoning for 6-8 mins until tender and starting to brown. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, return to the pan, then stir through the pesto and the mushrooms. Serve with some extra Parmesan on top, if you like.
Recipe Tip
Roasting fresh chestnutsFor this recipe, either buy a pack of vacuum-packed ready-cooked chestnuts, or roast them yourself. Cut a small cross in each whole chestnut and roast at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 30 mins. Remove and allow to cool slightly before crushing with the flat side of a knife.


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One of the most important issues in the derivatives title of Dodd-Frank is who qualifies as a "major swap participant" (MSP). These are supposed to be entities that aren't swap dealers, but are still big enough players in the swap markets that their failure could cause serious problems. In other words, the major buy-side players (AIG, Blackrock, etc.). The reason this is so important is that MSPs are subject to much more stringent regulation by the CFTC, including — significantly — capital and margin requirements.
The CFTC has now published a proposed rule (pdf) defining "major swap participant," and it's safe to say that I'm not a fan. It's a mess: not well drafted, and way too easy to evade (i.e., underinclusive). Or, I should say, it's probably too easy to evade — it's not entirely clear, due to the serious drafting issues. I know this isn't a very sexy issue, but this is the important stuff, so bear with me.
Dodd-Frank creates three tests for determining whether an entity qualifies as a MSP, though only the first two are important for our purposes. The first test states that a MSP is anyone who isn't a swap dealer and who:
(i) "maintains a substantial position in swaps for any of the major swap categories," excluding "positions held for hedging or mitigating commercial risk" and certain employee benefit plans.The second test states that a MSP is anyone who isn't a swap dealer and:
(ii) "whose outstanding swaps create substantial counterparty exposure that could have serious adverse effects on the financial stability of the United States banking system or financial markets."1. "Substantial Position" Test
The CFTC's first task, which I think they did reasonably well, was to determine what constitutes a "substantial position in swaps for any of the major swap categories." To do this, they created two "substantial position" thresholds. The first threshold is based on an entity's current uncollateralized exposure, and the CFTC's proposed rule sets the threshold at a daily average of $1bn for credit, equity, or commodity swaps, and $3bn for rate swaps. The second, broader, threshold is based on an entity's potential future exposure, and is set at a daily average of $2bn for credit, equity, or commodity swaps, and $6bn for rate swaps.
This part is largely fine. Current uncollateralized exposure is, intuitively, a good measure of the risk that an entity poses to the broader market, and creating a second, broader threshold as a fail-safe is probably a prudent move. I would, however, object to the CFTC's decision to rely on "industry practices" for the valuation of posted collateral. Those standards aren't exactly rigorous, even now, and would be ripe for abuse.
Where the wheels really start to come off the wagon is in the CFTC's definition of "positions held for hedging or mitigating commercial risk" — which, remember, are excluded from the "substantial position" calculations. Ideally, this term should be defined as narrowly as possible, because current uncollateralized exposure is already a good measure for whether an entity poses a systemic risk.
Unfortunately, the CFTC defines this term by first creating a cartoonishly broad list of transactions that are included in the definition, and then creating an almost-as-broad (but horribly drafted) list of transactions that are excluded from the definition of "hedging or mitigating commercial risk." For example, the list of transactions that qualify as "hedging or mitigating commercial risk" includes any transaction that is "economically appropriate to the reduction of risks" arising from:
(A) The potential change in the value of assets that a person owns ... or reasonably anticipates owning ... in the ordinary course of business of the enterprise;That describes virtually every single swap that has ever been written — and that's only part of the list! Then comes the list of transactions that are excluded from the definition of "hedging or mitigating commercial risk," which is defined as transactions that are:
(B) The potential change in the value of liabilities that a person has incurred or reasonably anticipates incurring in the ordinary course of business of the enterprise;
(F) Any fluctuation in interest, currency, or foreign exchange rate exposures arising from a person's current or anticipated assets or liabilities.
(i) Not held for a purpose that is in the nature of speculation, investing or trading; [AND or OR? It doesn't say]Gee, it's a good thing that "held for a purpose that is in the nature of speculation, investing or trading" isn't broad or ambiguous at all... But seriously, while this phrase is clearly intended to be broad, in order to counteract the cartoonishly broad list of included transactions, I think it's highly likely that, due to the way it's drafted, it will only end up encompassing a relatively narrow band of trades that are obviously speculative. Any swaps that an entity can claim are being held for the "purpose" of hedging non-swaps — which would pretty clearly distinguish them from swaps held for the "purpose" trading — will likely fall outside this definition.
(ii) Not held to hedge or mitigate the risk of another swap or securities-based swap position, unless that other position itself is held for the purpose of hedging or mitigating commercial risk.
Since swaps are frequently used to hedge fixed-income instruments, as opposed to hedging other swaps, the end result is that a large class of swaps will be able to claim the "hedging or mitigating commercial risk" exemption — and will thus be excluded from the "substantial position" calculation.
In short, the CFTC's "substantial position" test creates enormous ambiguities, and will likely be relatively easy to evade.
2. "Substantial Counterparty Exposure" Test
The "substantial counterparty exposure" test is supposed to make up for this, by calculating current uncollateralized exposure and potential future exposure without any exclusion for "hedging or mitigating commercial risk." (Or, at least, that's how the CFTC explains it in the Federal Register.) The first problem is that, based on the language of the proposed rule, it doesn't do what it's intended to do. The rule states:
(2) Calculation methodology. For these purposes, the terms "daily average aggregate uncollateralized outward exposure" and "daily average aggregate potential outward exposure" have the same meaning as in § 1.3(sss) [the "substantial position" test], except that these amounts shall be calculated by reference to all of the person's swap positions, rather than by reference to a specific major swap category.Well, if the terms have the same meaning as they do in § 1.3(sss), which is the provision establishing the "substantial position" test, then they do still include the exemption for hedging/mitigating commercial risk. Section 1.3(sss) states that "the term 'substantial position' means swap positions, other than positions that are excluded from consideration, that equal or exceed [the two] thresholds." The rule needs to explicitly state that it doesn't include the exemption for hedging/mitigating commercial risk. As it stands right now, the hedging/mitigating commercial risk exemption is still included the "substantial counterparty exposure" test — making it just as useless as the "substantial position" test.
The second problem is that the "substantial counterparty exposure" test raises the thresholds for current uncollateralized exposure and potential future exposure to $5bn and $8bn, respectively. That strikes me as clearly too high. I mean, $5bn in current uncollateralized exposure isn't exactly chump change, especially when you consider that we're only talking about an entity's swap book. Any entity that has $5bn in current uncollateralized exposure just in its swap is likely going to have significant uncollateralized exposure in other products too. I realize that the statute only refers to swaps, but the CFTC can get around this by simply adjusting the threshold down.
Incidentally, the SEC published a nearly identical proposed rule for "major security-based swap participants." However, the SEC's rule appears to be much cleaner and tighter than the CFTC's rule.
I certainly understand that the CFTC has an absurd amount on their plate right now, and still doesn't have adequate funding, so I think drafting issues like the ones in this proposed rule are entirely understandable. But hey, someone has to pick the proposed rules apart, and it might as well be me.


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Top Leagues
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Watch Ferreira vs FC Porto 0 - 1
Start date: 29 Jun 20 at 20:15
Ferreira and FC Porto were in action in tonight's football match in the Primeira Liga but if you missed it, you can watch the match highlights on nowgoal.eu in high quality. Watch all the important events for this football match in HD and don't forget to leave your comments in the commentary section below the video!
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What will the current fibre roll-out achieve?
This note (corrected 3/3/2014[1]) is an attempt to quantify the impact of the Scottish Government's Step Change[2] programme on the availability of superfast broadband across Scotland. It is born out of frustration at the inadequacy of information in the public domain.
Our main conclusion is that the claim[3] that the current investment in Scotland's infrastructure "will ensure that 95 per cent of premises in Scotland will have access to superfast broadband by the end of 2017-18" is not credible.
According to our calculations, less than 85% of Scottish households will have access to superfast broadband, and the long-term prospects for rural Scotland are dismal:
These claims are made on the basis of the available data, and it is possible that we are wrong, but – as scientists – we want to see the full evidence that refutes them.
Most people in Scotland are connected to a cabinet or an exchange by copper wire. If that copper connection is more than 1.3km long, it will not carry the > 24Mb/s required for the "Step Change" programme[5]. The current plans are mostly to bring fibre to existing exchanges and cabinet locations. The data available to us[6] suggests that around 84% of Scotland's households are served from cabinets, and that at most 79% of households are connected to a cabinet by less than 1.3 km of copper. If every cabinet is upgraded, these homes should get a superfast connection provided the copper is in good condition.
For those on exchange-only lines, we can only estimate the copper lengths based on the distance to the exchange. On the positive side, we estimate that one third of the exchange only lines may be short enough to deliver superfast speeds. Our optimistic estimate is that up to 85% of households in Scotland might be able to access superfast speeds over their existing copper lines, if every exchange and every cabinet were converted.[7]
Households in Scotland
Line to cabinet
Exchange only line
Less than 1.2 km of copper
More than 1.2km of copper
On the negative side, not all exchanges and cabinets will be converted, our speed estimates are based on the copper wiring being in good condition, and our estimates are conservative (they assume that the lengths of exchange-only lines are similar to those of lines that go via cabinets, but we believe that many will be longer). We therefore expect that the real situation will be much worse. For the final 16% – over a third of a million households – there is no upgrade path in sight: those on long copper lines will be left behind, not able to enjoy superfast speeds using the technologies currently being deployed.
If we apply our analysis to the different geographies of Scotland, using the Scottish Government's 8-fold Urban-Rural classification, the rural picture looks much worse.
Upper limits for copper-based superfast
Households left behind
Large Urban Areas
Other Urban Areas
Accessible small Towns
Remote Small Towns
Very Remote Small Towns
Accessible Rural
Remote Rural
Very Remote Rural
The table shows our optimistic estimates of the maximum reach of copper-based superfast in each of the eight urban-rural classifications, either via cabinets (FTTC) or by a combination of cabinets and exchange-only lines (FTTC+EO).
These numbers do not take account of households receiving Virgin broadband via cable, but few, if any, of these are in the isolated postcodes far from an exchange.
The heart of the Step Change programme is an extended fibre network. However being close to that network does not guarantee access to it. An analogy with a road system may be useful. Think of the fibre network – the information superhighway – as a motorway system. You can only get on to the motorway of you have access to an off-ramp; living next to the motorway is not enough. Similarly, fibre that just passes by is useless, unless there is a point of presence (PoP) nearby where local network traffic can join and exit the superhighway.
In the last two years there have been a significant efforts by several communities to install their own networks (using wireless or local fibre) for fast broadband distribution. Such solutions to the problem of remote rural areas have recently been recognised by SG in its investment in community broadband, through Community Broadband Scotland. However, the funding available is limited, compared to the scale of the problem. Furthermore, such networks cannot realise their potential unless there is affordable access to a PoP. At present several hundreds of households are connected to local networks that could deliver superfast broadband, but there is no PoP for them to connect to.
The fibre that will soon pass through remote and rural Scotland will have been subsided from the public purse, but it will belong to BT. Currently there are no published details of the locations of points of presence, nor of any contractual obligations on BT to provide access on competitive terms–and where there is public subsidy, there is no competition.
The Scottish Government must ensure that communities, and third parties, can use this fibre to carry their traffic on transparent, fair and reasonable terms.
The state aid approval[8] for the BDUK programme requires BDUK to publish details of "the wholesale products on offer and the pricing of those products." However, the information published to date, is entirely inadequate. There are no details of points of presence, not even their positions, nor of the products that will be offered, nor their pricing.
In 2001 the Scottish Government published a report[9] correctly identifying the need for rural Internet and suggesting a good strategy for delivering it. At present Scotland has no plans that will achieve the EU target of 30 Mb/s to all by 2020. It has no plans for delivering it to the final 15% of its population, which includes almost half of its rural households. Rather than assuming that a virtual monopoly of the telecommunications infrastructure will solve the problem if given enough money, the Scottish Government needs to act quickly, decisively and independently in order to avert the likelihood that yet another generation of rural inhabitants will miss out on the opportunities for social, political, and economic development afforded by the Internet.
Without regulated open access to the publicly subsidised core infrastructure, sufficient to enable communities and third-parties to develop and maintain alternatives to the too-long copper connections – alternatives that must support both domestic and business connections – we see no way forward for those left behind by Step Change.
Peter Buneman
Michael Fourman
The University of Edinburgh, February 2014
[1] There was a bug in the programme used to calculate the figures given in an earlier version of this note. The situation in urban areas is significantly better than we had said; the rural situation marginally worse.
[4] Codes (6, 7, 8) of the Scottish Government 8-fold Urban Rural Classification
[5] It is important to undesrstand that the figure of 24Mb/s is neither necessary nor sufficient for satisfactory broadband. There are other issues such as symmetry, latency and download volumes that need to be considered. Satellite connections, for example, may provide 24Mb/s but fail on these other issues; moreover, they are not cost-effective compared with fibre or terrestrial wireless for households with normal levels of data consumption. For more details see Analysys Mason report.The costs and capabilities of wireless and satellite technologies. p90 ff 90(2010) http://www.broadbanduk.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/analysys_mason_bsg_cost_and_capabilites_of_wireless_and_satellite3.pdf
[6] Line-length data, courtesy of GreySky consulting, locations of BT exchanges, and census data.
[7] We have also published interactive maps giving more details of our results .