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Construction Consumer Products Metals & Materials Safety Environment Transportation Chemicals Energy Medical Quality
Keeping Pace with PTP and CCRL
Two, three or four times a year, laboratories around the world check their performance with testing programs from ASTM International's Proficiency Testing Program and the Cement and Concrete Reference Laboratory.
Using samples sent for a particular program cycle, labs run specific methods and submit their results to PTP and CCRL for analysis. Each lab then receives reports that serve as a quality control gauge of their performance and which can fulfill accreditation requirements.
ASTM International's PTP programs - from petroleum and oil (ASTM's largest and longest-running programs) to plastics, textiles, flammability and more - offer statistical quality control tools used by laboratories worldwide. ASTM's customer laboratories take in more than 4,300 units of participation from 89 countries.
For each program, samples are supplied by an outside contractor to participating laboratories according to a predetermined test cycle. The lab performs its regular ASTM methods and sends its results to PTP. After analysis, the data becomes part of statistical summary reports that ASTM prepares and sends out electronically to each and every participant.
Labs can meet accreditation requirements using the information, and participants can also monitor how they're doing internally. The reports contain:
Fred Boldt, TechPlas Consulting, Milford, Ohio, and an ASTM International member since 1993 who works on Committee D20 on Plastics, has been involved in developing PTPs and in oversight for PTP plastics programs, which use methods that characterize materials and yield technical information for producers and users. Boldt says that PTP participation has benefits: "Labs need to have some means of validating their data in comparison to their peers. Participation in a PTP provides a means of benchmarking a lab's performance in this regard; it also provides a means of substantiating results in the event of disputes."
ASTM International's Cement and Concrete Reference Laboratory, based in Frederick, Md., offers proficiency sample and laboratory inspection programs to facilities around the world.
Whether cement or concrete, masonry materials, pozzolan or steel reinforcing bar, CCRL proficiency programs begin with sample distributions for tests that participants run according to ASTM International standards. After the test laboratories run the procedure and submit their data, preliminary and then final reports go to the labs; the reports include average values and standard deviations plus scatter diagrams. As with PTP, the data gives participants a way to monitor performance, and about 1,600 laboratories globally take advantage of the opportunity.
Through the portland cement proficiency sample program, for example, chemical and physical test samples of Portland cement are shipped in July and January. Participating laboratories perform physical tests for air content, fineness, strength, expansion, setting time and more, and chemical tests, including silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, magnesium, sulfur and other oxides, loss on ignition and insoluble residue.
CCRL also offers a Laboratory Inspection Program. Through LIP, an inspector visits a facility to check all aspects of its operation - its procedures and practices, equipment and capabilities - and how the lab stacks up against ASTM International standards requirements. Using what could be considered a mobile measurement lab, the inspector looks at critical equipment dimensions and operations; watches a technician demonstrate test procedures and reviews the quality system. The most recent LIP circuit included inspections at more than 1,300 laboratories.
Visit www.astm.org/STATQA for additional details about current PTP offerings. Custom programs are also available. To learn more about CCRL programs, go to www.ccrl.us. And read the SN feature about CCRL at www.astm.org/standardization-news/features/building-for-the-future-ma12.....
See more on this topic in the video at www.astm.org/so12enroute.


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With a hardcover novelization now in bookstores, Matthew Stover spelled out the screenplay of May's blockbuster, Revenge of the Sith. So what's written about Boba Fett?
Like other novelizations, Stover's book was made possible through close cooperation among the author, the publisher and the filmmakers. Stover began writing the novel in the fall of 2003 and finished the following summer. Revisions were dictated both by the editing process, including a line-by-line review by Lucas, and by changes in the script itself. / Source (CNN International)
Nevertheless, after thumming through the pages, skimming for a couple of unique words...
Was there something missed? Could there be a sentence in there? Will the appearance be visual, or purely cinematographic?
boards.bobafettfanclub.com has discussed, coming to the conclusion the best bet is a walk-thru, ala Mark Austin's portrayal of Boba Fett in A New Hope: Special Edition, alongside Jabba the Hutt in Docking Bay 94.

subset: commoncrawl


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I'm referring to games like Agricola, Puerto Rico, and Settlers of Catan. But a few themes seem to pop up in each game.
One is the importance of brick/stone/wood for building. Without improvements, your farms might not amount to much.
Another is the need to keep a balance between "income" (as measured in money or food), and victory points. A third is to keep a balance between advancing your own interests, and an eye on blocking threats from others.
Also, there is the element that while some commodities are (a little) more valuable than others under "normal" conditions, if "everyone" wants the same "great" commodity (e.g. stone), that becomes less valuable, while an otherwise ok commodity thqt is "neglected" can become "great."
Are these (and other features) common between the games mentioned (and similar ones)? More to the point, if I learn to play one well (or at least to a certain level of skill), will this give me a head start on learning the others?
For instance, although the mechanics are different, knowing how to play either Monopoly or Easy Money will give you a leg up on learning the other.


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Vulgar Baby
Tesla Baby Bodysuit
- Gift wrapping:
- Options available
- Shipping:
- Calculated at Checkout
One of the greatest quotes in science history!
Before electric cars and 80's rock bands, the name Tesla used to really mean something!
- Makes a fantastic baby shower gift!
- Bottom Close - 3 snap button infant bodysuit
- Machine washable.
- Made with 100% Cotton, Love & Humor.
- Soft & Durable.
- Quality, tattoo like print that will hold up to the drool and multitude of washes.
- Funny, Punk Rock, Geeky and Awesome. Show the world that your kid is as cool as you are.
Unique baby clothes perfect for badass parents with badass babies.


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Algorithm Improvement through Performance Measurement: Part 1
Algorithm Improvement through Performance Measurement: Part 2
Algorithm Improvement through Performance Measurement: Part 3
Algorithm Improvement through Performance Measurement: Part 4
Algorithm Improvement through Performance Measurement: Part 5
Algorithm Improvement through Performance Measurement: Part 6
To date, the focus for this series has been on measurement-based performance optimization of various sorting algorithms, such as Counting Sort, several Radix Sorts, Insertion and Selections Sorts, on a single processor. These implementations, while high-performance through careful use of the hybrid algorithm and data type adaptable approach, use only a portion of the available computational resources. On a quad-core hyper-threaded processor such as the Intel i7 860, these single-threaded algorithms utilize somewhere between 12% and 25% of the processor, leaving 75% to 88% of the compute power idle. As the number of cores increases, following Moore's self-fulfilling prophecy, a higher percentage of the CPU will be unutilized by single-threaded algorithm implementations. In this article and ones to come, the previously developed high-performance serial sorting algorithms will be refactored into parallel algorithms to raise the performance even higher by utilizing multicore computational resources.
Several companies have worked tirelessly to create tools to enable parallel programming. Intel has a vested interest in enabling multicore programming, due to silicon shrinking continuing its path while frequency and power density growth is unable to scale at the same rate. Intel, for instance, has developed Threading Building Blocks and Integrated Performance Primitives (IPP) libraries, along with a powerful suite of compiler, multicore/multi-thread development and performance analysis tools. The Intel C++ compiler supports the latest version of the OpenMP standard, which is one of the parallel programming methods. Intel has also acquired Cilk Arts and the Cilk++ parallel compiler, and is developing Ct Technology.
nVidia has developed CUDA programming environment to enable programs to runs on hundreds of cores in graphics processors (GPUs) across many GPUs, enabling supercomputer level of performance. OpenCL is an industry effort at portable parallel programming across CPUs and graphics processors (GPUs). Sieve C++ Parallel programming system offers a portable environment for many CPUs and game systems. Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 has a suite of tools to enable visualization and debug of parallel applications, as well a Parallel Pattern Library (PPL). These are wonderful developments at simplifying the laborious and complex task of parallel programming. I'll explore some of these exciting tools in this series by applying them to the problem of transforming sorting algorithms from serial to parallel.
The first tool to be explored is Intel's Threading Building Blocks (TBB), a thread-pool management library along with sophisticated templates for C++ parallel programming development. With many parallel constructs and a work-stealing thread scheduler, TBB enables the programmer to focus on the parallel problem instead of the mechanics of thread management. TBB works on several operating systems and has support for a variety of parallel programming patterns. Let's dive right in and apply TBB to the fastest sorting algorithm developed so far -- the Counting Sort.
Counting Sort
Counting Sort is a very efficient, in-place, high-performance sorting algorithm that is more than 20X faster than STL sort(). It handles arrays of 8-bit and 16-bit signed and unsigned numbers very well [2]. For arrays of numbers it does not move the array elements, but instead counts the occurrence of each possible value, and then constructs the sorted array from these counts. Counting Sort is a linear-time O(n) algorithm, which performs 2n amount of work -- n for reading/counting, n for writing/constructing.
Listing 1 is an implementation of the Counting Sort algorithm for sorting an array of 8-bit unsigned numbers.
// Copyright(c), Victor J. Duvanenko, 2010 inline void CountingSort( unsigned char* a, unsigned long a_size ) { if ( a_size < 2 ) return; const unsigned long numberOfCounts = 256; // one count for each possible value of an 8-bit element (0-255) unsigned long count[ numberOfCounts ] = { 0 }; // count array is initialized to zero by the compiler // Scan the array and count the number of times each value appears for( unsigned long i = 0; i < a_size; i++ ) count[ a[ i ] ]++; // Fill the array with the number of 0's that were counted, followed by the number of 1's, and then 2's and so on unsigned long n = 0; for( unsigned long i = 0; i < numberOfCounts; i++ ) for( unsigned long j = 0; j < count[ i ]; j++ ) a[ n++ ] = (unsigned char)i; }
The algorithm creates a count array of 256 elements (32-bits each) -- one for each possible value for an 8-bit number -- and initializes the count array to zero. The first for loop counts the occurrence of each 8-bit value by scanning the array from beginning to end. The second for loop creates the sorted array by storing/writing the counted number of each element. For a detailed explanation of the Count Sort algorithm for arrays of unsigned and signed numbers see Part 6 of this series.


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Databases and the Internet have enabled worldwide collaboration and information sharing by extending the reach of database applications throughout organizations and communities. Both small businesses and global enterprises have users all over the world who require access to data 24 hours a day. Without this data access, revenue and customers can be lost, penalties can be owed, and bad press can have a lasting effect on customers and a company's reputation. The Oracle database provides key data replication and integration features critical to the success and well being of all enterprises in today's fast moving economy.
Oracle GoldenGate is a comprehensive software package enabling the replication of data between both Oracle and non-Oracle datastores. Oracle GoldenGate, a key component of Oracle Fusion Middleware, is Oracle's strategic data replication offering. Click this link for further information on Oracle GoldenGate.
Oracle Streams, a built-in feature of the Oracle database, is a data replication and integration feature. It provides a flexible infrastructure that meets a wide variety of information sharing needs. Oracle Streams enables the propagation of data, transactions and events in a data stream either within a database, or from one database to another. Click on the following links for further details on Oracle Streams.
Oracle Streams
Oracle Database 11g Streams Features Overview
Oracle Database 11g: Oracle Streams (Technical White Paper)
Grid Control 10.2.0.5: Streams Management (Presentation pdf)
Building Highly Scalable Web Applications with XStream
Data Replication
Replication with Oracle Streams
Oracle Streams Configuration Best Practices: Oracle Database 10g Release 10.2
Oracle Streams Performance Tuning Best Practices: Oracle Database 10g Release 10.2
Oracle Advanced Replication
Message Queuing
Oracle Database 11g: Advanced Queuing (Technical Whitepaper)
Streams Advanced Queuing: Best Practices (Technical Whitepaper)
Oracle Streams Advanced Queuing and Real Application Clusters: Scalability and Performance Guidelines (Technical Whitepaper)
Related Technologies
Oracle Database High Availability
Oracle GoldenGate
Grid Computing
Net Services


text:
- Products & Supply
- Atmospheric Gases
- Fuel Gases
- Shielding Gases
- Electronic Gases and Chemicals
- Food Chilling
- Food Freezing
- Food Grade Gases
- Fumigants
- Gas Mixtures
- Helium
- Packaged Chemicals
- Plastics & Rubber Solutions
- Pharmaceutical Solutions
- Refrigerants - landing page
- Welding and Safety Products
- Specialty Gases & Equipment
- Supply Modes
Tools - Overview
CAS Listing
Every chemical substance used by Linde has a unique numerical identifier known as a CAS number. Our CAS directory will give you a list of chemical substances offered by Linde in either pure form, or as a component in a mixture. You may choose to list products by their chemical name, chemical formula, or CAS number. In each case the compounds are listed numerically, then alphabetically...more
Material Compatibility
Select a product and check its compatability with other materials such as Aluminium, Brass, Neoprene, Polyethene and others. Ratings are given in three dimensions: good, fair and to be avoided ...more
Physical Data
View physical data of our products - in either European or US units: Liquid state, Gaseous state, Boiling point, Critical point, Flammability in air, etc. ...more


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We just completed our fairy tale unit this week. We studied a variety of fairy tales and fractured fairy tales and learned quite a lot about the story structure of fairy tales.
By far, our two favorite stories are "The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by A. Wolf" by Jon Scieszka and "The Three Little Wolves and the Big, Bad Pig" by Eugene Trivizas. The kids asked every day to hear them again.
I love to introduce the "Paper Bag Princess" by Robert Munsch. It is such a wonderful story and has an underlying message about the strength and empowerment of women. I dress as Princess Elizabeth to share the story.
After reading a variety of stories and discussing the story elements, we decided to write our own fairy tale using what we'd learned. Here's the finished tale:
I found these fun little fairy tale shapes that expand in the water. I get these often (other brands) and the kids usually have a lot of fun predicting how big they will get and playing with them once they have swelled.A Frog and The Princess: A Story of FriendshipOnce upon a time, a beautiful princess lived in a castle far away. The princess was named Ariel. One day, a frog came to visit the castle. The frog and the princess were special friends. Princess Ariel made the frog a promise. The king told Ariel to keep her promise to the frog. Cinderella came to visit in the wagon with a bunch of stuff like: a pumpkin, a bookbag, and a napkin. They had a big party. The frog ate cake. All the friends lived happily ever after in the castle.The End
This particular type was a bust and turned to thin paper-like mush in the water within a few minutes. There was no discernible shape.
Our culminating activity was a storybook parade. We dressed as our favorite storybook characters and paraded around the school.


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Although the economic context has been robust since the beginning of the year, momentum, as measured by the economic surprises, has slowed somewhat outside the US, as the expansion becomes more mature. Fundamentals remain, nevertheless, solid.
Inflation pressures seem overestimated by the market. Although it is true that inflation is gradually coming back in the US, it remains tame on a global scale, while real yields remain remarkably low. Meanwhile, markets are converging towards the US central bank's progressive monetary tightening.
Geopolitics have, nevertheless, captured investors' attention. In the US, Gary Cohn resigned, while Donald Trump is creating trade war fears. In Europe, Italian elections confirmed the rise of populism. Investors are thus showing signs of anxiety, considering inflation and a possible bond market crash as the main concerns, according to the BofA-ML Fund Managers' Survey. In this context, we have adopted a more cautious short-term view on equities.
For fixed income, expected returns remain slightly negative, except for the emerging-debt and high-yield asset classes, where sovereign rate forecasts are not too far from current levels and spreads have already reached our target.
In this context, our fundamental, technical and quantitative analyses lead us to favour Equities over Bonds.
Economic indicators, as well as technical and quantitative analyses, seem to be converging to make EMU equities less attractive than the US and the emerging markets. The Euro appreciation had an impact on European corporate profits, leading to lower expected returns for this region. In the same way, Japanese equities have been subject to yen appreciation. In the US, expected returns have increased, thanks to strong earnings from the growth that comes with Trump's tax reform. However, this had already been largely priced in by equity markets
Neutral in US equities: Trump's fiscal easing has now been integrated into earnings growth expectations.
We have trimmed EMU equities to neutral: despite solid fundamentals,the market needs new catalysts to accelerate the momentum. As Euro appreciation is impacting European corporate profits, we have lowered our expectations to +8%.
Japanese equities: the visibility on an accommodative policy mix and an above-potential expansion is good news, but the market has suffered from yen appreciation.
Emerging market equities remain a resilient asset class, with an attractive expected return.
We have maintained a negative view on Europe ex-EMU equities. Earnings growth will no longer benefit from GBP depreciation as the year-on-year effect fades. Domestic fundamentals are weakening and downside risks remain.
Negative on government bonds but positive on high-yield and emerging debt
With a tightening Fed and expected upcoming inflation pressures, we assume rates and bond yields will continue their uptrend. We thus continue to diversify out of low-yielding government bonds. Our strongest conviction is emerging debt, as the ongoing monetary easing is highly supportive of this asset class. Also, emerging debt is benefiting from strong global economic growth and the increase in commodity prices. Meanwhile, fundamentals remain solid, with low public debt, an improving current account and a still-attractive carry.


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On one hand I applaud anyone using the iPad in the kitchen—after all, there are plenty of fine recipe apps out there. But spending $5 on a disposable plastic wrap so it doesn't get damaged? C'mon—you're wasting your money, and our planet.
Instead consider a case, or one of those nifty stands. Or even wrap it in cling-film! There are dozens of ways you could save your iPad from being splashed in a bit of oil, without having to fork out big bucks for a glorified bin bag. "Clever" wraps, my ass. [CleverWraps via OhGizmo]


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The Iraq war is over. Buried by the news from Libya, Barack Obama announced late on Friday that all US troops will leave Iraq by 31 December.
The president put a brave face on it, claiming he was fulfilling an election promise to end the war, though he had actually been supporting the Pentagon's effort to make a deal with Iraq's prime minister Nouri al-Maliki to keep US bases and several thousand troops there indefinitely.
The talks broke down because Moqtada al-Sadr's members of parliament and other Iraqi nationalists insisted that US troops be subject to Iraqi law. In every country where they are based the US insists on legal immunity and refuses to let troops be tried by foreigners. In Iraq the issue is especially sensitive after numerous US murders of civilians and the Abu Ghraib scandal in which Iraqi prisoners were sexually humiliated. In almost every case where US courts tried US troops, soldiers were acquitted or received relatively brief prison sentences.
The final troop withdrawal marks a complete defeat for Bush's Iraq project. The neocons' grand plan to use the 2003 invasion to turn the country into a secure pro-western democracy and a garrison for US bases that could put pressure on Syria and Iran lies in tatters.
Their hopes of making Iraq a democratic model for the Middle East have been tipped on their head. The instability and bloodshed which the US unleashed in Iraq were the example that Arabs sought to avoid, not emulate. This year's autonomous surge for democracy in Egypt and Tunisia has done far more to galvanize the region and undermine its dictatorships than anything the US did in Iraq. And when the Arab spring dawned, the Iraqi government found itself on the defensive as demonstrators took to the streets of Baghdad and Basra to protest against Maliki's authoritarianism and his government's US-supported clampdown on trade union activity. Maliki hosted two Syrian government delegations this summer and has refused to criticize Bashar al-Assad's shooting of protesters.
But the neocons' biggest defeat is that, thanks to Bush's toppling of Saddam Hussein, Iran's greatest enemy, Tehran's influence in Iraq is much stronger today than is America's. Iran does not control Iraq but Tehran no longer has anything to fear from its western neighbor now that a Shia-dominated government sits in Baghdad, made up of parties whose leaders spent long years of exile in Iran under Saddam or, like Sadr, have lived there more recently.
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The US Republicans are accusing Obama of giving in to Iran by pulling all US troops out. Their knee-jerk reaction is rich and only shows the bankruptcy of their slogans, since it was Bush who gave Tehran its strategic opening by invading Iraq, just as it was Bush in the dying weeks of his presidency who signed the agreement to withdraw all US troops by the end of 2011, which Obama was hoping to amend. But Senator John McCain was right when he said Obama's announcement would be viewed "as a strategic victory for our enemies in the Middle East, especially the Iranian regime, which has worked relentlessly to ensure a full withdrawal of US troops from Iraq". A pity that he did not pin the blame on Bush (and Tony Blair) who made it all possible.
The two former leaders' memoirs show they have learnt no lessons, even though their reputations in history will never be able to shake the disaster off.
Whether the lessons have been taken on board by the current US and British leaders is more important. NATO's relative success in the Libyan campaign is already being used to draw a veil over the past. Indeed, the fortuitous timing of Gaddafi's death has knocked the news of the US withdrawal from Iraq almost entirely off the media's agenda.
But the past is still with us. A key lesson from Iraq is that putting western boots on the ground in a foreign war, particularly in a Muslim country, is madness. That point seemed to have been learnt when US, British and French officials asked the UN security council in March to authorize its campaign in Libya. They promised there would be no ground troops or occupation.
This should also apply to Afghanistan where Obama claims to be fighting a war of necessity, unlike the war in Iraq which he calls one of choice. The distinction is false, and the question now is whether he will pull all US troops out by 2014.
On the pattern of the aborted deal with Iraq, his officials are trying to negotiate an arrangement with the Karzai government which will authorize the indefinite basing of thousands of US troops, to be described as trainers and advisers, after combat forces leave. This would continue the folly of fueling the country's long-running civil war. Now that al-Qaida has been driven from Afghanistan, Washington should support negotiations for a government of national unity that includes the Taliban and ends the fighting among Afghans. Iraq is no haven of guaranteed stability but, without the presence of US combat troops for the last 15 months, it has achieved an uneasy peace. If talks in Afghanistan are seriously encouraged, it could go the same way once foreign troops at last withdraw.


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For the 24th straight year, California legislators have failed to deliver a state budget to the governor by the constitutionally-required deadline of June 15. This year, the date came and went without so much as whimper.
It's become business as usual in the not-so-golden state.
The danger in this delay will increase dramatically a few days from now, when the new fiscal year begins on July 1.
That's the time when the state starts spending money from the new budget, purportedly in accordance with how much money will be coming in. Meanwhile, the Big 5--the governor and the four major leaders in the legislature--have done nothing to build a balanced state budget. In fact, they have had exactly one meeting on the subject.
The most serious problem is that the state is $19 billion short of what it needs to provide current programs and services at current levels. Given that California now ranks 47th in per capita public school expenditures and 50th in transportation, the state hasn't been spending money like crazy. Still, we're short--very short--of what we need. What to do?
Democrats say that after two years of $64 billion worth of cuts, the state can't afford to pare anything more from its anemic $85 billion budget; we must find new revenues. Republicans counter that Californians are over-taxed and more cuts are in order, especially for the poor, disabled and K-12 public education, and higher education.
The federal courts prevent us from touching prisons, the fast growing expenditure in the state budget.
While the two sides debate the budget issue, some concrete realities will sink in. Without a budget, the state will not know how much to spend for what. That means vendors selling to the state will have to hope that they get paid when the issue finally settles, which could be months from now. State university students counting on state financial aid will not be able to register for classes or purchase books, perhaps costing them a semester or year.
The patchwork-quilt collection of state-funded assisted living homes for the very poor will try not to go out of business as they await state support. And the public schools will not no know how many, if any, of the laid off teachers and support personnel they will be able to bring back. These crises and others occur every year, often harming thousands of innocent lives in the process.
You'd think that the legislature and governor would take this responsibility more seriously--the last time they sent a budget to the governor by the constitutional deadline was in 1986, nearly a quarter century ago. But the gridlock for which California has become so famous goes on with no sign of breakthrough. For the moment, once again the state is held hostage, with the only question being, how long will it last this time and how many innocent Californians will be harmed?
Follow us on Twitter @PropZero. Join the conversation about the future of California's cash, kids and jobs.
To sign up, click here, then choose 'Prop Zero.'


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American Indian Endowed Scholarship
A highly educated American Indian population is vital for improving the economic sufficiency and prosperity of Washington's American Indian communities statewide.
To this end, Washington State—in collaboration with the American Indian community and private-sector partners—established the American Indian Endowed Scholarship (AIES).
This program provides educational scholarships on a competitive basis to high-achieving, low-income resident students who have close social and cultural ties to an American Indian tribe or community within the state. Recipients demonstrate academic merit and a commitment to serve American Indian communities in Washington.
Funding is prioritized for upper-division and graduate students. Students can use the scholarships at public colleges and many accredited independent colleges in Washington.
Past recipients have careers in law, medicine, education, business, and resource management. All have returned, or plan to return, to their tribal communities to work on behalf of Indian peoples within the state.
The state initially appropriated just over $292,600. Those funds have been matched and exceeded by private donations. All donations and allotted funds are kept in a permanent endowment trust. The interest earnings of that fund provide for the annual scholarship awards. The current endowment corpus is valued at $617,882.
Representatives of the American Indian community have formed a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, known as the Friends of American Indians in Education (FAIE), to promote and coordinate fundraising activities for the scholarship. The selection committee is composed of American Indian educators, tribal education administrators, and private individuals from the American Indian community in Washington.
Information about how to apply for AIES can be found on our partner site, readysetgrad.wa.gov.


text: Venezuelan soldiers have been sent into a chain of electronics stores in a campaign by President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government to stop an "economic war" of what it says are unjustified spiralling prices. Authorities on Saturday arrested managers of the Daka chain, sent troops to occupy its five shops and forced the company to introduce cheaper prices. That brought crowds to Daka's shops and sparked looting at one store in the central city of Valencia. Maduro, who accuses rich businessmen and right-wing political foes backed by the US of waging an economic war against him, said the occupation of Daka was simply the "tip of the iceberg" in a nationwide drive against speculators. In a speech to the nation on Saturday evening, he said looting in Valencia was an isolated incident and the real criminals were unscrupulous businessmen exploiting Venezuelans with unjustified price rises. "The ones who have looted Venezuela are you, bourgeois parasites," Maduro said, accusing Daka of raising some prices of products beyond 1,000 percent of cost. "We're going to comb the whole nation in the next few days. This robbery of the people has to stop," Maduro said. "You've not seen anything." He showed particular astonishment at a washing-machine on sale for 54,000 bolivars - $8,571 at the official exchange rate of 6.3 bolivars to the US dollar. Maduro's move against Daka, after weeks of warnings of a pre-Christmas push against private businesses to keep prices down, recalled the sweeping takeovers during the 14-year government of his predecessor, Hugo Chavez. Bargain hunters Soldiers organised hundreds of people into queues at Daka's store in Caracas, then called them in one by one. "Inflation's killing us. I'm not sure if this was the right way, but something had to be done," said Carlos Rangel, 37, who was among the shoppers. "I think it's right to make people sell things at fair prices." Venezuela's annual rate of inflation is now 54 percent, the highest since Chavez came to power in 1999. Critics of the government say that is due to economic mismanagement rather than unscrupulous retailers. Opponents say excessive government controls and persecution of the private sector are to blame for shortages of basic goods, and for price distortions caused by a black-market currency rate nearly 10 times higher than the official price. The state sells a limited amount of US dollars at 6.3 bolivars, but given the short supply, some importers complain they are forced into a black market where the price is nearly tenfold higher. "I have to buy goods with black market dollars at about 60 bolivars, so how can I be expected to sell things at a loss?" a businessman, who asked not to be identified, asked the Reuters news agency. SOURCE: Reuters US & Canada Latin America United States Venezuela


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While looking through the Billboard Hot 100 checking to see how Shontelle's highest rising single to date Impossible is doing this week,
I noticed that I hadn't seen Rockstar 101 by Rihanna (ft. Slash).
Usually, before the video even comes out, the song is SOMEWHERE in the Hot 100 but with the video out a couple weeks now, I'm shocked that it's no where to be found. At least I was at first.
Then I gave it some thought… the song which stuck out to me the first time I heard the album when it was released, and in my mind, this would have been a power single, especially the way in which I invisioned the music video. So when I heard this was going to be a single I was all excited thinking oh yay! Another potential number one single, then I saw the video and my jaw dropped.
That video looks like how a ghetto person imagines Rock music to be, as opposed to some artistic representation of being a Rockstar. Then when she suddenly dresses up like an Eastern European dominatrix, I gave up on the video altogether. Sad to say, worst video to date by Rihanna. Colour me disappointed.
Oh by the way- why are they putting her in blackface? Just a question.


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SEATTLE – Washington Mutual's holding company is suing federal regulators for billions of dollars, saying the firesale of the bank's assets to JPMorgan Chase violated its rights.
The lawsuit was filed Friday in federal court against the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which seized the Seattle-based savings and loan in September. It was the largest bank failure in U.S. history.
Lawyers for the holding company, Washington Mutual Inc., argue that the bank was worth more than the $1.9 billion JPMorgan paid for it in a deal arranged by the FDIC. The lawsuit argues that if WaMu's assets had been liquidated prudently, they would have been worth more than that.
U.S. & World
An FDIC spokesman did not immediately return a call seeking comment Saturday.
Copyright AP - Associated Press


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The Strawberry Valley Project: A History
I published this article to the site on September 16, 2013. To view the article, click this link.
The Confrontational Rhetoric of Earth First!
I published this article to the site on June 1, 2010. To view the article, click this link.
The Killing Zone — A Review
I published this article to the site on September 26, 2012. To view the article, click this link.
Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II — A Review
I published this article to the site on September 17, 2012. To view the article, click this link.
A Response to: Why Liberals Should Think Twice About Net Neutrality
This article is a response to: Why Liberals Should Think Twice About Net Neutrality
As a person who actually understands the technologies in play here, and a strong proponent of net neutrality, I have lots of problems with this article.
You state, "As a card-carrying, knee-jerk, and scarred-in-battle liberal — I was Undersecretary to Ron Brown, Mickey Kantor, and Bill Daley in the Clinton Administration — I can't for the life of me understand why my fellow-travelers want to impose this burden on the burgeoning broadband Internet. Let me use this space to explain why the Left should back off this "neutrality" charade and move on to a better agenda."
Working in the Clinton Administration hardly qualifies you as a liberal. That's like saying you are a moderate Republican because you worked in the Reagan Administration. If you worked to elect Eugene V. Debs or Bernie Sanders, then you might be able to consider yourself a liberal.
You state, "First, "neutrality" means simply that everything on the Internet must travel at the same speed, whether it's the Bluetooth device that connects my cardiac monitor to a hospital or a kid downloading a video of a cat playing the xylophone. It's an awkward proposition, but proponents say it's needed to protect broadband providers from cutting off some sites and content, and to allow "the little guy" to challenge the Big Websites — Google, Facebook, Netflix and the like."
That is not at all what neutrality means. One of the biggest problems with having a clear debate on the subject, is that the broadband providers and their lackeys are constantly trying to skew what net neutrality actually is. This statement does the same thing. Net neutrality is simple. On the internet, all packets are equal. No packet or set of packets should have any priority over any other packet or set of packets.
And it's really the only way that the internet can operate effectively. If people are allowed to pay to make their packets have a higher priority than other packets, those who can't pay as much are immediately squeezed out. If the bandwidth providers would invest in their networks properly, instead of trying to squeeze every penny of their obscene profits, this would not even be an issue. There are lots of countries that already have far better broadband internet services and much better bandwidth. The technology exists today at very reasonable prices to make the internet much faster than it currently is. Lack of investment and capacity planning on the part of US broadband providers has led us to where we are today.
You state, "For one, broadband providers — cable, telco, wireless, and other companies who have paid tens of billions for the privilege of competing for your allegiance — know that their job is to bring you everything the Internet offers. Would you subscribe to an ISP that gave you Fox News but not Olbermann, or gave iTunes an exclusive on music, or only allowed Warner Brothers movies on their system?"
Broadband providers have NOT paid tens of billions for the privilege of competing for my allegiance. They have invested and reaped tens of billions in profit off the back of that investment, all the while failing to properly invest in growing their bandwith capabilities like they should. And if they are competing for allegiance, they are doing a terrible job of it. All the broadband providers are consistently at the top of any survey that lists the most hated and reviled companies in America. Consumers do NOT like ATT, Verizon, Sprint, Comcast, Cox, Charter, or any of these other companies. We use them because we are their hostages. We pay far too much for their services and their profits bear that out.
Now you might argue that if these companies are so profitable, the market ought to provide competition. But it's not that simple. These companies spend billions erecting barriers to competition. They already have billions in sunk costs (which they have already paid for and profit from daily) and giant networks in place. They don't have to compete. If I were to try and build a network to compete with them, it would be impossible. They have first mover advantage and will prevent my efforts at every turn.
And the cable companies are already doing what you describe by limiting my choice. Why can't I have ala carte cable choices? Why do I have to buy my channels in bundles? As a consumer, I should be able to choose exactly which channels I want and which ones I don't want.
You state, "the Internet isn't "neutral" right now! Big websites cache their content in server farms around the world, like squirrels burying nuts for the winter. That way, they reach you faster than the "little guy," even though the net is allegedly "neutral." But this takes the kind of resources only the Big Websites can generate. Want proof? Well, who's funding the "neutrality" push to protect the "little guy?" It's the Big Websites themselves!"
The fact of the matter is that anyone can pay today to cache their content if they choose, it's not very expensive. You are setting this up as a competition between the content providers and the bandwidth providers. This is a false dichotomy, and one that the bandwidth providers want, because it would allow them to charge even more than they already do and be even more profitable than they already are. This argument is a red herring. I am the little guy. I have no dog in this fight. But I want to be able to exchange packets on the internet. And I want my packets to be distributed equally just like every other packet on the the internet. I don't want my packets pushed to the back of the line simply because I can't afford to pay ATT for a delivery premium. Want proof? One of the most efficient methods of moving packets around the internet is bittorrent. Guess which type of packet is the most likely to get throttled on the internet today? Bittorrent. So I pay for bandwidth, but if I actually try to use that bandwith with something like say, peer-to-peer which is actually very efficient, then I am penalized for it.
And don't forget that the carriers are also in the content provision game. Comcast just bought NBC. Do you think that Comcast will be throttling packets that originate from NBC anytime in the near future? But they will probably be happy to throttle packets from competing networks. That's why we need net neutrality. The Big Websites can afford to pay for priority packets if they need to. They just don't want to. But it's me, the little guy who can't afford to pay for this. So I will ultimately get burned. And I like the fact that Google and Netflix are going to bat for me on this one.
You state, "When you get down to it, "neutrality" isn't about "open" versus "closed" Internet or the "big guy" versus the "little guy." It's about one bunch of Big Businesses — Google/YouTube, Netflix, and the other Big Websites, who want to travel the Internet at no cost (even if their videos and other content hog bandwidth) and the infrastructure providers, who are looking for ways to cover the costs of the growing demand for bandwidth."
When you get down to it, you are defending a group of companies (bandwidth providers) who really need to be regulated like public utilities. They also need to be investing much more heavily in the capacity of their networks. If you want fair pricing on bandwidth, then it should be one of two ways,
1. We will provide you with a pipe that is x bits wide for y amount of time at z cost. Since we know that we are providing this and you are paying for it, we ought to be able to plan for this capacity on our network. But if we are greedy bastards and oversell that capacity, then there will be problems. But make no mistake about it, the problem of lack of capacity under this scenario is the fault of the broadband provider, not the fault of the customer or the content provider.
2. We will charge you for every packet that you receive and send at x per packet. This would be true net neutrality. Every packet is paid for and the bandwidth is paid for in a metered fashion. This is the way electricity is paid for. Broadband providers seem to lack the will to impose this type of billing on the net.
You state, "But competition is giving us a burgeoning, innovative broadband network that creates jobs even as it enriches our experience — where was the multi-billion "aps" industry five years ago? The real, progressive broadband agenda is expanding the network into schools, the health care sector, and underserved rural and urban neighborhoods while protecting our privacy, not regulating it to no productive end. There's no good reason for us to get stuck in "neutral."
What makes you think that this broadband network is the result of competition? Why are the networks in Asia and Europe so much faster and cheaper than the networks here in the USA? And exactly what have any of these broadband providers done to expand the network to underserved areas out of the goodness of their hearts? And what is the motivation of the carriers to protect our privacy? I personally wish that all packets on the network would be encrypted. Then there would be no alternative BUT net neutrality, because it would be impossible to prioritize traffic based on content that you can't determine.
Let me finish with a small story from my own experience. When I moved to a rural area in 2000 my only option was 19kbps dial up. I went to the local telco and begged for dsl. They said no. They told me I could have a T-1 for $1500/mo. I went to the local cable company and asked for broadband. They said no. No plans to provide broadband to this rural area. I went to the school district and we wrote up a grant proposal to use the state infrastructure fund to build a broadband wireless network that would serve the entire district and its students. We got the grant, built the network and outsourced the management to a local isp. Things were great and it wasn't very expensive. Now guess who finally decides to provide broadband access? You guessed it. The local telco and the cable company. Nothing but liars and thieves.
It appears to me that the telcos and the cable monopolies don't want to invest in their networks any more than they absolutely have to and they want to squeeze out as much profit as possible without the possibility of healthy competition. So they really DO need a healthy dose of regulation.
Modern Monkeywrenchers
An interesting review of a recent event in Telluride…
When Tragic and Comic Conflict: Burkean Frames and the Environmental Movement
I published this article to the site on May 31, 2010. To view the article, click this link.
The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power–A Review
I published this article to the site on May 9, 2010. To view the article, click this link.
Mormon Fundamentalism and Violence: A Historical Analysis
I published this article to the site on May 9, 2010. To view the article, click this link.


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This is 2 coats of Zoya Trixie with a coat of Nail Polish Paris Crackle #21 on top. Gorgeous!!
My sister, Ashley loves crackle polish over shimmers. She usually prefers creme polish over most everything else, but something about this combination appeals to her. I agree that it's my favorite way to wear crackles too. I know many of you are over the crackle trend but I love them for days when I need a fast fix for a chipped manicure. I just throw a coat of crackle on top and the problem is solved!
|Ashley has the coolest jewelry!


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Related Suppliers
The use of Swiss-type sliding headstock machines for processing medical parts continues to grow. The work involves very intricate high-precision machining that has been placing an increased emphasis on tooling setups and change-over times.
Swiss-type machine tooling change-overs can take just as long, if not longer, than they do on conventional CNC turning machines. Shops running Swiss-type machines typically contend with full-day change-overs. One machine can include as many as 42 different toolholders, and the tools are much smaller (ER 16 and ER 11). Additionally, a lot more tooling positions need to be filled—on average 36 tooling positions, as compared with the basic 12 positions on a standard-sized CNC turning machine turret.
Featured Content
One way shops running conventional CNC turning machines shorten change-over times, ease tool setups, increase toolholding precision and reduce overall tooling costs is through the use of modular tooling systems. However, for medical shops and others running Swiss-type machines, finding a system that combines the precision benefits of traditional modular tooling systems into a configuration compact enough to work effectively in the small spaces of a Swiss-type machine has been difficult. But the Exsys Eppinger Deco-Flex modular tooling system addresses this exact concern, offering a compact design that allows shops to do full setup change-overs in 20 minutes or less on Swiss-type machines.
The tooling system incorporates a tooling interface designed specifically for the tight spaces within Swiss-type machines. It offers the same benefits as Exsys Eppinger standard-sized modular systems, but for the production of small, high-precision components such as those found in the medical industry.
In addition to its compact size, the system offers shops faster setup change-overs, more precise and rigid toolholding, flexibility and reduced tooling costs. Individual tool change-outs are simple and take only seconds thanks to the system's mounting adapters.
Making the Change
To load a tool, shops simply wipe the particular Deco-Flex mounting adapter's bearing surface and intended spindle surface and insert the adapter. The mounting adapter is then rotated about 30 degrees to a stop and is locked into position with a 3-mm hex wrench turned 45 degrees to either lock or unlock the adapter.
Along with mounting adapters, the system uses holders that are mounted into and dedicated to specific brands of Swiss-type machines as well as to Deco-Flex tooling. These holders provide three stations that accept the various system mounting adapters.
Whole machine setups—full tooling change-over and one part produced—can be done in about 20 minutes, as opposed to the typical 4, 6, or even 8 hours the task usually takes. The system's speed comes from the fact that Deco-Flex system toolholders can remain in the machine, and shops simply use the system mounting adapters for plug-and-play capability. Shops also bypass the time-consuming operation of tool touch-off sequences that otherwise would delay making chips.
The conical and flat-face interfaces guarantee the best possible concentricity and repeatability, no matter how many times tools are installed and removed. Shops can remove and replace tools knowing that tool positioning accuracy will repeat from one to another within 3 microns to centerline and that tool runout will be less than 0.0004 inch at 1.250 inches from system face. Adapters and tools can also be set up off-line, as well as cutter stop lengths, to further slash setup time.
What's Available
Exsys offers Deco-Flex mounting adapters for Weldon-shank tooling diameters from 3 mm to 10 mm, as well as ranges of ER 11 M and ER 16 M standard collet chucks, collet chucks with inside nuts in the ER 8 range, and mounting adapters for press fit tooling, drills, setup fixtures, test mandrels and straight shank interfaces. Setup fixtures are also available to aid off-line toolsetting, as are machine tool interfaces for ISO DIN 69871 (SK) JIS-B 6639 (MAS/BT) DIN 69893 (HSK), and straight shank.
For increased tooling flexibility, specific mounting adapters can be combined with either fixed or rotary toolholders. Additionally, instead of using the standard collets in their Swiss-style machines, shops now have the option to use the Deco-Flex system's adapters to increase both tool rigidity and longevity while adding the capability to take more aggressive cuts without the risk of tool spin or slippage.
However, shops that opt to use standard collets or standard tooling can continue to do so with what they have on hand because the system does not require special collets or any other type of special tooling. Without the need for additional tooling for the system, tooling inventories can remain in check.
Broaching On A Lathe
Producing a keyway, spline or similar longitudinal feature on a turned part usually necessitates an additional, time-consuming, secondary operation on a broaching or slotting machine. That means moving the part to and from a secondary operation, an extra setup, additional labor and hourly machine costs and all of the other headaches that go with secondary operations.
When Thread Milling Makes Sense
Threading a workpiece is a fundamental metalworking process that every manufacturing engineer takes for granted.
Skiving Long, Slender Parts with Tight Tolerances
Here's a look at one of the oldest and most efficient methods of screw machine production for parts that are long and slender, with close-diameter tolerances and finishes, or parts that require truly spherical radii.


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Dr. Drew Pinsky has a reputation for helping celebrities with drug and alcohol issues and he revealed Amy Winehouse attempted to get a hold of him not long before she died.
"I found out also yesterday that, believe it or not, she was trying to contact me which was weird. Janice Dickenson told me that," Dr. Drew told KROQ morning DJs Kevin & Bean on Thursday. "I remember getting calls from Europe and thinking, 'What the hell is this?'"
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Friends & Family Gather For Amy Winehouse's Funeral
U.S. & World
While the two never connected, Dr. Drew does not believe that the Winehouse family is correct in their belief that Amy died of alcohol withdrawal.
"Just this morning, her parents put out some type or news release that suggests that they believe she died of was alcohol withdrawal, which is a very interesting little theory. It's wrong," Dr. Drew said. "It's not what she died of, I can virtually guarantee you but it's an interesting reminder to all of us that alcohol is the only drug from which the withdrawal is commonly fatal.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Sudden Endings: Stars Who Died Too Soon
"It can kill you… but it kills you, it sort of… you go down in a ball of fire," Dr. Drew explained. "You get really, really sick and you cease and you become encephalopathic and confused and your heart becomes erratic and it's not like you just drop dead like her parents are suggesting."
As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com Amy died last Saturday at the age of 27. Her cause of death is not expected for several weeks.
Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: On The Scene: Family & Fans Mourn Amy Winehouse In London
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: A Look Back: Controversial Music Queen Amy Winehouse
PLAY IT NOW: Amy Winehouse's Father Distributes His Daughter's Clothes To Fans
PLAY IT NOW: What Killed Amy Winehouse?
More from Access: [ Amy Winehouse Sting Drew Pinsky ]


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Due to technical issues, third release of Medals in the Members Shop will be delayed.
[Drama 2018-2019] Empress Dignity / The Last Empress, 황후의 품격
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Moderators note: Folks , in going forward with our discussions , I would like everyone to refrain from calling out each other's intentions. I'm all for differing opinions & can understand if you have different ships. But it is not part of our culture here on Soompi to say a member is wrong or being judgmental. You can always skip that member's post if it does not agree with your view or perhaps have a more amiable discussion trying to understand where each other is coming from. ChoiceRecommended by triplem
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IBM unveils remarkable progress in EUV lithography
Keywords:IBM? EUV lithography? scanner? wafer? extreme ultraviolet?
IBM has revealed better than expected results on its first full day of testing the latest ASML extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system. According to the company, the NXE3300B scanner produced 637 wafers in 24 hours at a steady rate of 34 wafers/hour with a light source delivering 44W.
EUV is the leading candidate for printing fine patterns needed for next generation chips. But the complex technology has been in the lab for more than a decade. Even with IBM's latest results, it is still not expected to be ready until the 7nm node, which may not start production until nearly 2020.
In its first day of tests, the scanner at IBM's Albany, N.Y., research lab had a 77 per cent uptime and delivered a 20mJ dose across 83 image fields/wafer with full wafer coverage, including partial die. "We did have some interrupts along the way, otherwise we would have produced more than 800 wafers in a day," said Dan Corliss, IBM's EUV development program manager.
Corliss' team has been working on calibrating the scanner for two months. It was delivered in components starting last November, initially with a 25W light source.
The relatively weak light source has been one of the top challenges of EUV systems, holding back throughput of at least 100 wafers/hour needed for high volume manufacturing. Corliss said IBM hopes to get an 80W light source from ASML in about six month
IBM's previous EUV system only exposed seven wafers/day. ASML recently reported the latest system had throughput of 145 wafers/day.
"We were pleasantly surprised by our results," Corliss said. "We've been working on this technology for 12 years and this is a positive moment to share with the industry... [but] it's not like we are in high-volume manufacturing. We have a lot of work to get there," he added.
IBM is investigating why the light source is sometimes not available. It is also working on a laundry basket of other issues with EUV including mask defects.
ASML reported at Semicon West it is developing a pellicle, a kind of filter used in today's immersion scanners. That's been high on the wish list for chip makers for some time.
Corliss is taking a wait-and-see stance on the ASML pellicle. "It's a research project... that's why we have a parallel infrastructure in place, but the industry would embrace a pellicle if it's available, easy to use, long-lived, and has no impact on image quality," he said.
IBM used partial field exposure, shining EUV light beyond the scope of the 300mm wafer in its initial tests. (Source: IBM)
- Rick Merritt
??EE Times
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Are you ready for a power outage?
–To prepare for a power outage you should do the following:
Before a power outage
- To begin preparing, you should build an emergency kit. Go to ready.gov/build-a-kit to learn more about creating a kit. Make a family communications plan, learn more at ready.gov/family-communications.
- Follow energy conservation measures to keep the use of electricity as low as possible, which can help power companies avoid imposing rolling power outages.
- Fill plastic containers with water and place them in the refrigerator and freezer if there's room. Leave about an inch of space inside each one, because water expands as it freezes. This chilled or frozen water will help keep food cold during a temporary power outage, by displacing air that can warm up quickly with water or ice that keeps cold for several hours without additional refrigeration.
- Be aware that most medication that requires refrigeration can be kept in a closed refrigerator for several hours without a problem. If unsure, check with your physician or pharmacist.
- Keep your car tank at least half full because gas stations rely on electricity to power their pumps.
- Know where the manual release lever of your electric garage door opener is located and how to operate it. Garage doors can be heavy, so know that you may need help to lift it.
- Keep a key to your house with you if you regularly use the garage as the primary means of entering your home, in case the garage door will not open.
During a power outage:
- Use only flashlights for emergency lighting; Never use candles during a power outage or power outage due to extreme risk of fire.
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed to keep your food as fresh as possible. If you must eat food that was refrigerated or frozen, check it carefully for signs of spoilage.
- Turn off or disconnect appliances, equipment (like air conditioners) or electronics in use when the power went out. Power may return with momentary "surges" or "spikes" that can damage computers as well as motors in appliances like the air conditioner, refrigerator, washer or furnace.
- Do not run a generator inside a home or garage.
- Do not connect a generator to a home's electrical system. If you use a generator, connect the equipment you want to run directly to the outlets on the generator.
- Listen to local radio and to a battery- or generator-powered television for updated information.
- Leave on one light so that you'll know when your power returns.
- A standard telephone handset, cellular phone, radio or pager all require electricity to work, as do cordless phones and answering machines. Use the phone for emergencies only. Listen to a portable radio for the latest information.
- Do not call 9-1-1 for information—call only to report a life-threatening emergency. Use the phone for life-threatening emergencies only.
- Take steps to remain cool if it is hot outside. In intense heat when the power may be off for a long time, consider going to a movie theater, shopping mall or "cooling shelter" that may be open in your community. If you remain at home, move to the lowest level of your home, since cool air falls. Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. Drink plenty of water, even if you do not feel thirsty.
- Put on layers of warm clothing if it is cold outside. Never burn charcoal for heating or cooking indoors. Never use your oven as a source of heat. If the power may be out for a prolonged period, plan to go to another location (the home of a relative or friend, or a public facility) that has heat to keep warm.
- Provide plenty of fresh, cool water for your pets.
- Eliminate unnecessary travel, especially by car. Traffic signals will stop working during an outage, creating traffic congestion.
- Remember that equipment such as automated teller machines (ATMs) and elevators may not work during a power outage.
After a power outage
- Throw away any food that has been exposed to temperatures 40° F (4° C) for two hours or more or that has an unusual odor, color or texture. When in doubt, throw it out!
- Never taste food or rely on appearance or odor to determine its safety. Some foods may look and smell fine, but if they have been at room temperature too long, bacteria causing food-borne illnesses can start growing quickly. Some types of bacteria produce toxins that cannot be destroyed by cooking.
- If food in the freezer is colder than 40° F and has ice crystals on it, you can refreeze it.
- If you are not sure food is cold enough, take its temperature with the food thermometer. Throw out any foods (meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers) that have been exposed to temperatures higher than 40° F (4° C) for two hours or more, and any food that has an unusual odor, color or texture, or feels warm to touch.
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In the year 2000, a German challenger started to work towards a future challenge called Pinta Racing. An international team of experts for hull form design, sailing aerodynamics, and further technical resources were brought together to support an outstanding crew of internationally renowned sailors to challenge the cup holder.
The independent consulting company, Hamburg Ship Model Basin (HSVA) was asked to join the Pinta Racings expert team and perform the hydrodynamic assessment of the new ship hull. The main activities of HSVA comprised CFD computations and natural experimental tests in their large towing tank. The CFD analysis was based on potential flow results using the CFD code Comet from the CD adapco Group.
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russian-mailorderbride.com is committed to fighting scams.
Please read this article if you want to avoid being scammed in dating.
It is specially written by russian-mailorderbride.com, based on years of experience in helping people to find their match.
This page is dedicated to warn you on possible signs of scams, which is unfortunately present now in the dating industry. Statistically we can say that less than 0.1% of all applicants, who submit their information for dating, are scammers. They are out there, and even if dating agencies do their best in screening all applicants, there is always the possibility that someone who may slip through. Actually you never know what is in the heart of the girl until you begin to correspond and meet her.
Generally there are two type of scamming.
There is a scam "behind the scene", when photos, surname, physical address are usually fake, the girl in most of the cases is not real, all she has is some stolen photos of a model and email address. She attempts to get you into loving conversation and asks for money or gifts in few letters afterwards. Whether you send her money, or refuse to do it - she will mysteriously disappear from the scene after getting your money or after your refusal to send it. Early signs of this letter: the girl has model looks, her data is too perfect, she doesn't care if man is over 30 years older than her. She sends you super sweet and extra loving letters almost from the start (usually the same text written for everybody). Next step, when your heart has melted from being "so special" - she asks for something and you feel like giving it to her. Please report it to us if you run into a situation like this.
Usually it is possible for us to spot these applicants and avoid placing them on the site. When girls send us applications with model type photos, give only email and no phone number, looks for man 20 to 60 years old, and all her data is just perfect, she is not placed on the site. Even if she is true, we won't take a chance. At end of the day, if girl has true intentions, everything is perfect but fails to give us her phone number, we are immediately suspitious of this applicant. Has she something to hide? Suspicious applicants are rejected until we are able to verify that the information she has provided is true. If you see an extremely beautiful and perfect woman on our site, you can be sure, that she was carefully verified by us on being real and sincere, before we place her. We have years of experience in it, but even so, our screening system is not perfect, nobody's screening is 100% perfect, so if you are suspicious of something - send us an inquiry immediately and we will investigate the matter without delay.
There is a second type of scam "on the scene", when everything about the girl, including her beauty and address is real, but her intentions are far from true and sincere. Typical for this scam is for man go all the way to meet the girl, give numerous gifts on her request and be left with a feeling that she is not even going to get into serious relationship. Or he invites her for a holiday where he discovers that she just came for fun and holiday and nothing more than that.
It is easy to recognize early signs of a scam in both scenarios: girl usually asks you for something. Let say she asks you to help her for internet costs, apartment rental, medical problems or family problems or even asks for gifts. Our answer is always the same: do not send money!
Obviously if you want a girl to come to you, you will have to buy her ticket, Russian girls simply cannot afford such high expences. Just be careful with it: do not send money for ticket, rather send her the ticket itself.
Don't take this information completely out of text either. All women love gifts and attention, and it doesn't mean they are all scammers. (Remember, only 0.1% of applicants might be a scammer. The others are fine.) You can send her flowers or gift on her birthday, or romantic cards - this is all ok, it's a natural part of courting a woman and shows your romantic attitude towards relationship. Girls love it, their hearts melt from such attention from your side.
Accepting your gifts by a woman is ok, if you were the one who offered it first. Woman with true intentions for serious relationships and marriage will never give you a hint that she in need of something or wants something from you. Accepting your flowers or gift delivery on her birthday is normal in dating, but asking you to buy her a computer or other things is not ok. If this happens, our advice, report the woman and leave her immediately. Life in Russia might be hard and salaries are low, but women are not poverty stricken, and always have what is the necessary minimum to enjoy life. It's not central Africa where people are hungry indeed, Russia is quite civilized compare to that.
Bottom line is: when a woman seeks love and marriage, she is looking for who you truly are as a person with dreams, interests and certain features of character. In this case she is not supposed to look for what things you have (name of your car or size of your house) and not suppose to look for what you can do for her (help financially with sick relative etc.). Looking for the last two things is abusing the notion of dating, love, honesty and sincere relations.
I am a young Russian woman, who wrote this article. I have worked for 7 years in the marriage industry, have read thousands of letters, investigated complaints about scams and questioned both men and women clients. So, I know most of the tricks scammers play and what can be done to avoid them. I also often spot their applications at the time of submission and delete it without consideration. We do not tolerate scams and fight it as best we can. Its an ongoing battle, as scammers continually try to find new way to penetrate our defences. As a result we have to continually revise our methods for detecting scams.
If you are dating or corresponding with a Russian girl and suspect she might be a scammer, its better to send us a request to investigate the matter before you become a victim of it. I will personally read your request, if necessary - all your correspondence, and evaluate the possibility of scam. I will make sure the girl is questioned and her data is compared to the list on already known scammers. We will not leave you wondering, so please come and ask for help, at the slightest hint of a problem.
If you unfortunately become a victim of a scam, or someone really tried to scam you, report it to us in any case. We have to memorize data of this person to make sure if she ever applies again, she never gets approved for our site or partner sites.
We are here to help you to find your soul mate, start a sincere relationship, get married to a woman that is special to you and live with her happily ever after. It's not a fairy tale. Thousands of couples have done it through marriage agencies and are very happy being together today, and so can you. Trust you heart in searching for her and you will find your love.
Anna Lang.
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"Stansell explodes popular ideas about the women's movement with a history that shows its complexity, and the massive internal and external obstacles women are still trying to overcome."—Chicago Sun-Times
"A unique, elegant, learned sweep through more than two centuries of women's efforts to overcome the most fundamental way that human beings have been wrongly divided into the leaders and the led. It's full of surprises from the past and guiding lights for the future."—Gloria Steinem
"Thrilling . . . a bold, brimming history . . . reminiscent of The Second Sex in its elegant gallop through centuries and cultures."—The Texas Observer
"Magisterial . . . [This book] will be a benchmark."—The Nation


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Apparently the DL's are upset that the RL's are attempting to send out a mass email to their "base" that shows a chart, developed by Kevin Brady (RL-Texas), depicting the tangled web that the new health care plan
could will become.
So let me get this straight…one side is attempting to block a mass email so that people won't be "mislead" by a chart. Never mind that the press (via Drudge) on this story is likely to be read by at least as many, if not more people, than the original mass email would have garnered. Not to mention that even before this story broke, the chart was ALREADY going viral.
Finally, to add insult to injury, do these lying bastards we call representatives actually believe that the final result of whatever screwed up health care system they end up non-voting on will actually be simple, easy to understand, efficient and cost effective? Uh huh.
So cheers to our elected REPRESSentatives for spending time on a non-issue, yet again.


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Lately, I've been putting together some ideas for a party full of bright colors.
Here are some of the things I've found.
This is probably my favorite inspiration! Love the bright tangerine table runner!! I also LOVE the bright flower arrangement and the colorful serving dish. Love the colorful cups, too.
A great and easy way to make a party bright is to add bright flowers.
Loving the bright green table runner in this shot and the bunches of different bright flowers.
Just loving the use of the bright green and pink.
Thought this was a cute and easy idea for a drink. Just different bright colors.
However, this drink is probably my favorite party drink. It's just raspberry sherbet in your choice of soda. You could throw in a few raspberries to make it super yummy.
Fruit is a great bright party food - look at those colors! I love the pieces of cheese mixed in to these kababs.
Of course, you could also serve sherbet as a food, too.
Another great way to make the food seem bright, is to set it out on bright pieces of tissue paper.
And one last bit of inspiration... Love the party poofs, as usual.


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36 Comments on "Finding that Balance"
October 2, 2010 at 5:09 am
"Then I consoled myself with the fact that I always show to parties held by people I genuinely enjoy spending time with."
I went through the same "OMG WoW is killing my social life phase!" until some (real) friends asked me to go out. I ditched the raid in no time and I had a blast. When I visit with my guildies I have no problem chatting, drinking, joking, and I don't remember any awkward pauses.
For me, the truth was that I didn't want to go out with the people that were inviting me. My coworkers annoy me, so it's not WoW, it's my dislike of them. I'd rather be home sleeping that spend more hours than necessary with them.
(And about your guildie? I was having similar thoughts regarding someone, until I actually met them and realized that, even though they were logged in the game all weekend, they actually spent a lot of time away from the computer and with the kid.)
October 2, 2010 at 6:15 am
Hugs. I too have MS. I am 45. I was officially diagnosed 3 years ago, but they believe that I have 'had it' since I was 25 or so. In those 20 odd years of not knowing that I had it, I didn't have any bad attacks. I got tired a fair bit, I ached from time to time, but I just thought it was my lot in life. Now I recognise these things I can take action and help myself. I recently starting working again. Full time, from home. I take 15 minute breaks every so often, lie down and regenerate. Or I log in WOW and do a daily. Depends on how I feel but the release helps me carry on.
I would recommend the following book. It is a bit scary, but I am a true believer of the power of positive thinking. My hands are not as numb now that I do some thought reinforcement of messages getting through.
I absolutely REFUSE to be beaten by this disease. Good luck to you beating and controlling yours – by what ever means works best for YOU.
Oh – food allergy stuff helped me a lot too. Gosh I could talk for hours about this – please contact me if you want to talk to someone who has the disease AND plays a healer in WOW 🙂
All the best, Seph xxx
October 2, 2010 at 12:24 pm
And the MS people come out of the woodwork. 🙂 Me too.
About raiding and how you feel afterward… I had a long talk with my neurologist. Avoiding activities that use a lot of energy is actually counter-productive in the long term. I have to exercise to keep myself in shape if I want to still be walking in 20 years, even though it exhausts me now.
Giving up social interactions leads to depression, which in turn leads to worsening symptoms. Think of raiding as exercise for your social muscles.
October 3, 2010 at 7:31 pm
Depends on the person. I feel it is about balance. You have to find the balance between keeping fit, and resting and recouping. It is about knowing your limits and what you want to do with your life right now and balancing that with what might happen in the future.
That said, I cant say enough that if you can stay fit and can exercise, do it! From personal experience, I can say that it is amazing and really helps with all aspects of your life, from depression to energy levels to self confidence in every day tasks.
Which reminds me, it is time for me to get back on the treadmill and wii fit this week.
October 2, 2010 at 1:26 pm
Fantastic post. As I was reading this, it took me a few minutes to think back to last winter when I first met you and didn't realize that the shy healer in our guild was none-other than the Bossy Pally herself. Such a dichotomy; guess we know which way the pendulum has swung now!
I'd equate the social topic like this. You're a kid with an invitation to two birthday parties on the same day, but can only go to one. You either pick the kid you've known longer, spend more time with, think will have a better magician at their party, etc. It's human nature to go with whatever option seems the most beneficial. It's "addiction" to keep doing something you know you don't want to do.
I'm certain that there are people in my guild who believe I sign out of raid or show up late more than I should, but I don't feel guilty taking nights off when I know there's an activity that I'd rather do, or that means more to me. (Especially the ones where I can combine giving to charity and imbibing adult beverages!)
Everything in moderation…including moderation.
October 3, 2010 at 7:38 pm
*Hi five*
PwMS unite!
There are a lot of us out there in WoW land, because WoW and MMOs are great for helping find social interaction and mental stimulation when we physically are unable to find things another way. Personally, if I am having a bad day (HA like yesterday), I prefer to play computer games than watch TV!
I totally owned those internet dragons yesterday, but the kitchen wasn't very clean, nor did I see my friends like I planned or sit in the sun. *sigh* MS is random like that.
October 3, 2010 at 7:47 pm
Hi Ophelie!
I am another person who has bad fatigue problems (mine stem from sleep disorders… did we talk about this on Twitter?) and I really enjoyed your post. It's nice to know that I am not the only person who worries about the balance in my life while at the same time appreciating WoW for the positives it has.
I know I have mentioned worries like that in front of non-gaming people (my mother for one, a counselor for two) and gotten looked at like I was a two-headed alien. But I'm certain I wouldn't get the same response from them if I spent the same amount of time watching TV. I'd probably get comments on it being unhealthy, and I'm sure my life could be healthier. But I'm definitely healthier spending my bad days doing something social than isolating myself with a book or in front of the television like I used to before I started playing games.
October 4, 2010 at 11:31 am
Great Ill probably feel bad now when I yell at you
October 4, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Great post. I too have a (chronic) medical condition, which isn't MS but one of the side effects can be fatigue/extra tiredness. I'm also prone to a lil' bit of shyness on occasion 😉
But I think so long as one finds a balance, WoW is a great activity. It can help fulfill so many needs from relaxation, to social, to challenge and achievement – and I think that's true for anyone. Shame gaming's stigmatized, really.
October 5, 2010 at 9:24 pm
This game and its community continue to surprise and delight me. So much reality hiding in that virtual reality.
Thanks for the awesome post and for sharing the connection some of you seemed to have made up there.
October 7, 2010 at 10:07 am
I think MMOs are a great way to socialise for shy people and those who don't feel they fit in or are uncomfortable in groups.
As with anything though, doing one activity and only one activity is not good for you. If you mix things up, you are more likely to have a happier life.