text:
Dec. 6 has always been a magic date in my family's Christmas season. Growing up in the German Catholic Rhineland, my two brothers and I would never fail to put our boots outside our front door on the evening of Dec. 5, Nikolausabend (Nicholas' Eve). The next morning we'd scramble out of bed and, still in our pyjamas, hurry to find what St. Nicholas had left inside the boots. There would be the regular St. Nicholas staples of walnuts, clementine oranges, and Spekulatius windmill cookies, along with some of the popular local seasonal goodies such as Printen, Dominosteine, and Marzipan potatoes. Mixed in might also be a little toy or a little book, or some other small item that fit into the boot.
In Schwester Ludfrieda's Kindergarten (preschool), the annual visit of the tall bearded bishop (and sometimes his not-so-benevolent sidekick, Knecht Ruprecht) was always a grand affair to which the parents were invited. It included the singing of many songs but, most importantly, of the "Lustig, lustig, tralaralala" Nicholas song we'd all belt out with great joy. Some of us would play our recorders or recite a short poem in the saint's honor. Until, finally, the saint himself would make his grand and imposing entrance. But as he started reading from his big book how naughty or nice we had been this past year, I couldn't help noticing that his voice sounded awfully familiar. Wasn't that …, no, it couldn't be … yes, it was… Finally, little Meiny could hold back no longer and yelled out in front of the whole big assembly: "That's not Sankt Nikolaus, that's Herr Kaiser from the electrical store." And right I was, too!
My wife and I have continued the St. Nikolaus traditions with our own children. When they were in kindergarten and later in their German classes, we shared St. Nicholas' story and traditions with their classmates. And even now that they are away at college, St. Nicholas is still scheduled to make a stop-over at their apartment today (with a little help from his friends on the FedEx truck).
Over the past 10 years or so I've been recruited to play St. Nicholas for a group of kids who are learning German in a local parent initiative called Kinderwerkstatt. The way the group has arranged the visit, before I enter the stage to the singing of "Lustig, lustig, tralaralala," I am handed a big folder with write-ups from each of the kids' parents. St. Nicholas then proceeds to publicly applaud potty-training heroics and admonish siblings to tone down their rivalries, to reinforce good study habits, celebrate soccer feats, and of course, you guessed it, urge all the kids to listen to their parents more! I then hand everyone a bag of goodies. Despite some awkward moments and one or two kids being completely intimidated by the whole affair, overall the spirit of the third-century bishop saint of Turkish Myra still always manages to shine through and to continue to encourage generosity, charity, and love among the next generation.
Seems reason enough today to be "froh und munter" (joyful and happy) and to sing out "lustig, lustig, tralaralala." Happy St. Nicholas Day!
Read more blogs about Advent and Christmas traditions at uscatholic.org/advent. Submit a guest blog to firstname.lastname@example.com. We may put this together into a holiday theme Meditation Room for the magazine next year. Any reflections selected for publication will win $50!


text:
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Anniversary beer
Johnny's had one 60th anniversary party in May, complete with commemorative T-shirts. It's planning another one (maybe even two) later this year.
One, planned for September or October, will be a release party for a special anniversary beer, a collaboration with Free State Brewing Co. Details are expected to be announced later.
Ask for favorite stories from Johnny's Tavern and more than a few people chuckle, "Ummm, do they have to be printable?"
In its 60 years, the self-proclaimed "longest runnin' tap in Lawrence" has seen some shenanigans.
With few exceptions (more on one involving the University of Oklahoma football team later), the stories aren't bad, says Rick Renfro, owner of Johnny's in North Lawrence. They're just the results of a lot of people having a good time, usually with a little help from their friend beer.
Longtime customer Greg L. Simms, who has a few stories of his own, says the place hasn't changed much, and he likes it that way.
"It's still a little rough around the edges," Simms says, "and I think people feel comfortable because of that. You can really let your hair down there."
In recent decades Johnny's has expanded to nine locations: two in Lawrence, three in Overland Park, one in Shawnee, one in Olathe, one in Prairie Village and one on the Missouri side, a prime corner across the street from the Sprint Center in Kansas City's Power and Light District.
The original Johnny's, located at 401 N. Second St., isn't the biggest moneymaker these days, says Renfro, who also owns Johnny's in west Lawrence and has part ownership in the others. Crowds — especially college crowds — ebb and flow, but the old Johnny's has maintained a reputation as a workingman's bar and grill, go-to KU game-watching spot and hangout for locals who've put down roots.
There are about 15 to 20 customers who come in every day, Renfro says. He knows many more regulars by name, as evidenced by shouting across the bar during lunch this week, "Hi, Ruth!" "Hi, Tom!" and "Thanks, guys, see ya!"
"The best thing about this place is the people I've gotten to meet," Renfro says.
"It's not like an Applebee's, where they made up a name and came up with a story."
The horse in the bar
No, Johnny's has its own story.
First, the guy in the logo with the bushy beard and old-timey hat? He's a real guy, Johnny's original proprietor and namesake John Wilson. He opened Johnny's Tavern in 1953 and put up the beer sign that still hangs outside.
Renfro, while playing rugby for KU and bartending at the Eagles Lodge, bought the bar in 1978.
He'd barely taken over when the city plunked down big barriers in front of the entrance. Construction on the new bridge was about to begin, and it was going to take a couple of years. Luckily for Renfro's bottom line, those construction workers drank a lot of beer at lunch, he says. The ones that came in early in the morning even left money on the table when they found Renfro dozing on the pool table.
One of Renfro's most memorable (printable) memories was the horse.
"Old Slick" (Renfro doesn't remember his full name) lived by the Flamingo Club in North Lawrence and had a handful of horses. Not long after opening at 7 a.m. one Saturday, Renfro heard clops. There was Slick, bending sideways and removing his hat to clear the low ceiling but nevertheless riding a horse straight into his bar.
Slick didn't stay to drink that day, though, Renfro says. He was just out getting the horse some exercise.
The honor badges
Simms remembers hitting Johnny's as a college student when it used to open first thing in the morning, which at the time would earn you a bumper sticker to prove you were there that early.
"It was like a badge of honor," he says.
An even better Johnny's badge of honor? Simms later met his wife there, when she was tending bar.
A newly minted "Bud man," Simms was headed to the 1982 grand opening of the Up and Under Club on the second floor, now used for special events. After "a few Budweisers were consumed" he asked her out and she turned him down, Simms says. But persistence paid off, and the couple celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary this year.
Kim Schulz, of Linwood, went to Johnny's more often and was probably "less than responsible" before her children were born, she says. Later she and her husband took the family there for meals and, during one, their 3-year-old son suddenly bolted from the table.
"We live in the country and possibly let this fact influence some of our male child-rearing practices," she says. "I jumped up and ran after him, only to find him on the sidewalk right in front of the open front door, peeing a masterful arch into the grass."
Schulz had no choice but to let him finish, then swiftly scooped him up.
"I turned around and the entire bar was laughing," she says.
Schulz says she still eats at Johnny's at least a few times a month.
"There's only so many times a week you can eat the best onion rings in town," she says.
For Renfro, who met his own wife, Nancy, at Johnny's, good times there outnumber the bad 99 to 1, at least.
One of the bad happened in the early '80s when the OU football team came in after (one of the many times) they beat the Jayhawks at home. Fights were breaking out everywhere and Renfro, who described the scene like a brawl from a John Wayne movie, had to shut the place down early.
The floor
Renfro has expanded the bar northward from its original long, narrow space. He's gone through multiple floors and estimates the current one has about two sandings left in it.
While he tries to keep the place clean and well-maintained, Renfro doesn't expect a major, expensive overhaul — much less one that would make it too, you know, shiny.
"The atmosphere is comfortable," he says. "You pretty much know what you're getting when you come here."
thebigspoon 7 years ago
Slick Frasier...
Tammy Copp-Barta 7 years ago
"Old Slick" was Richard Frazier ..
odc213 7 years ago
congrats Rick! to many great years at the Tavern!
Commenting has been disabled for this item.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Return to "Marines Archives"
Issues with your Service Jacket, Ranks, Database Updates? Email the Personnel Team at email@example.com
Issues with anything else? Or website feedback? Let us know by contacting us at UFStarfleet Support!
Host your UFS Event here! We just need a poster image of the event and it will be inserted here linked to the post that you are explaining about the event! Let us know by contacting us at UFStarfleet Support!
Want to add your event here? Contact the CompOps Team at UFStarfleet Support!


text:
Another threat
- Details
- Category: News
- Published on Wednesday, 15 October 2014 10:35
- Written by Super User
- Hits: 14223
One of our most endangered mammal species is under threat. Play the video produced by Leo Aylen and introduced by Prunella Scales to appreciate the problem facing the water voles and other protected species in the River Wylie.
"In Britain more than 700,00 houses currently stand empty. And how much brownfield lad is there? Enough for 2 million homes."
A 'STOP THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPURT MEAD' petition can be signed by clicking HERE
Good News
- Details
- Category: News
- Published on Sunday, 05 January 2014 15:31
- Written by Super User
- Hits: 16015
t's very early in the year, but already there are a few signs that water voles are about. This latrine was spotted in Broughall, and in the fields off Edgeley Road there are clear water vole tracks.
Water vole prints in the ditch by Grocontinental
These are footprints under the bridge at Greenfields Nature reserve
Latrine at Broughall
August Report 2013
- Details
- Category: News
- Published on Sunday, 08 September 2013 10:49
- Written by Super User
- Hits: 16710
Mostly it seems to have been a stable summer for the Whitchurch water voles. The colonies at Edgeley Road and Grocontinental have held their own, as have the ones at White Lion Meadow car park (near Tesco), at Mossfields and at Black Park Road. There's otter presence at the Black Park Road site, too. Unfortunately the vegetation at Greenfields, the country park, is currently too thick to get anywhere near the banks, so it's hard to tell how the population's going on there. There were certainly water voles at Greenfields Rise in late June because we had a sighting.
Less good is what's happened at the Prees Branch Canal nature reserve, where what used to be a thriving colony now seems dramatically reduced in numbers, with just a few signs near Dobson's Bridge. The most likely explanation is mink predation, as there's been no obvious disturbance to the water quality or banks.
The management of the brook along the back of Wayland's Road is also an issue, as all cover and food has been stripped along the whole length of both sides of this stretch. We're trying to find out who's done this then we can stop it happening again.
It's vital that landowners follow best practice in clearing out ditches and in cutting back riverside plants. If in doubt, ask – there's any amount of advice out there. Water voles are protected by law and it's an offence to damage their habitat.
(Thanks to Kate Long for writing this article)
Autumn and Winter
- Details
- Category: News
- Published on Saturday, 12 October 2013 16:55
- Written by Super User
- Hits: 15076
So we're into Autumn, and I doubt there'll be any more sighting between now and February/March next year.
It's not that water voles hibernate, as such, but they do start to spend a lot more time underground. With food being in shorter supply during the cold months, they have to find ways of conserving energy. Calorie-wise, stores of tubers, bulbs and rhizomes will keep them going, but the voles will still need to pace themselves. Radio tracking suggests that during the deepest winter they spend three or four days at a time in their nest chambers, presumably sleeping, and packed in alongside other, sometimes unrelated water voles for warmth. This might sound surprising for an animal usually so territorial, but during the shortened daylight hours, hormone levels are low and won't be triggered again until February. For now the voles have nothing to do but tick over.
When they do move about it tends to still be underground, between food stores and special galleries they excavate to take compacted waste. Interestingly, Professor Xavier Lambin of Aberdeen's zoology department speculates that these galleries, full of droppings and food scraps, might also be a way of generating extra heat. Derek Gow, specialist in water vole ecology, points out that an additional method of controlling temperature during the colder months is the plugging of some burrow entrances using a mixture of mud and vegetation.
So the general strategy is one of hunkering down. Although individual voles may make brief forays to the surface to nab a few greens, especially if there's a covering of snow under which to hide, they won't be leaving the field signs that punctuate the banks during the spring and summer.
(Thanks to Kate Long for writing this article)


text:
Luke's Lobster Roll Food Truck Van Comes To Roosevelt Island And Gets Kicked Off By Public Safety Department - Hope They Return Soon For Restaurant Starved Roosevelt Islanders
Last Tuesday, I noticed this intriguing tweet from Luke's Lobster:
1 if by F train, 2 if by tram...Nauti (Followed by:
@lukeslobsterny) is on her way to Roosevelt Island for dinner! Grab a roll on your way home!
That is we are in front of Starbucks near the F stop on Roosevelt Island for dinner! Check the map http://lukeslobster.com/nauti!and then:
Bad news, Roosevelt Island Police weren't fans of us, but we were fans of you. Heading towards midtown now, hopefully see you again soon.Luke's Lobster roll is one of New York City's Best Food Truck Offerings. From Luke's Lobster:
New York & DC's freshest, most affordable lobster roll, straight from the docks of Maine. It's the only seafood roll that's traceable from the sea floor to your plate.What happened? Was Luke's Lobster Rolls, kicked off Roosevelt Island? If so, why? I asked Luke's Lobster:
What happened with your Roosevelt Island Police encounter - they're called the Public Safety Department here?Luke's Lobster filled me in:
Also, what brought you to Roosevelt Island. Food trucks don't often make it here but I think it is a great idea. Do you intend to come back to Roosevelt Island? If you wish, happy to post any info about your Roosevelt Island plans.
So it dawned on me one day that something like 12k people live on the island and commute home each night via subway or tram, so why not try our hand at offering our food to the population (also we heard food choices were limited). Anyway, we set up and are selling and things are going fine, until the PSO comes around and said that we had to leave, because Roosevelt Island is a private island and that our NYC city wide permit was not valid on R.I. and that we needed to go down to 591 and see Donna and the Island president? and apply for a permit, and then we'd be able to come back.On Wednesday, I asked Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Vice President of Operations Fernando Martinez:
Not a big confrontation or anything but definitely a let down. Early next week I plan to go back and speak to someone about a permit because it seems like a great place where good food is needed....
Does a Food Vending Truck licensed and operating in NYC need any additional permits or permissions to bring their truck and sell food on Roosevelt Island?Mr. Martinez responded:
Yes, a food vendor will have to provide RIOC with the appropriate NYC licences and copies of insurance. We will then issue a RIOC permit. However, please keep in mind that we are not currently accepting any applications for street food vending.I replied
Have not received a reply back yet.Thanks for the response.
Why is RIOC not currently accepting applications for food truck vending?
When do you anticipate accepting applications.
Does it have anything to do with Master Retail Lease Agreement?
Last summer I was very happy to see a Waffles and Dingles Food Cart on Roosevelt Island
but quickly disappointed to learn that they were here only for a TV production crew.
I think it would be great to have more high quality food trucks coming to Roosevelt Island expanding our take out food options.
Hope to see Luke's Lobster Food Truck here soon!
More on Luke's Lobster restaurant and food truck from Business Insider.
UPDATE 4:50 PM - From the RIOC Board of Directors:
... the Board has placed the issue of mobile food vendors on the agenda for the next Real Estate committee meeting to develop a procedure for handling them in a uniform, and fair way.


text:
The Nutcracker Tickets
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky is known as one of the best composers of his time who developed a reputation for his 'romantic' compositions. Even though he has given several memorable compositions but the Nutcracker, a fairy tale, remains his most popular and widely loved piece of work to date. The Nutcracker is Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's version of E T A Hoffman's popular story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. The plot of the original story is much more complex, with flashbacks whereas for the purpose of this ballet, it has been simplified making it less complicated. There is a magical quality about the magnificent choreography and the theme of this ballet that it has become much more than a mere show. Especially around Christmas time and the holiday season, the show has become more of a tradition.
There are some drastic differences between the original version and the ballet story. Marie, the main character of the both the ballet and the story, is nothing like the somewhat timid character which the ballet portrays her to be. As per the original story, Marie is an adventurous girl who likes to play and have fun with her toy, especially Nutcracker, the Prince. The ballet suggests that some of the adventures of Marie with the Prince were a dream whereas; it was nothing like that in story, where, at the end, Marie also ties the knot with the Nutcracker Prince.In 1927, more than thirty years after the premiere of the show, the show was staged outside Russia. Budapest's Royal Opera House was honored as the host for this first outside Russia performance. This show only presented part of the story. The complete show was not performed until seven years later.
In Europe, the show has become much more than just a ballet. During the Christmas time, it has become sort of a tradition associated with the rest of the Christmas celebrations. That is not the case in the US, however. In the US, the ballet is enjoyed mostly because of the stellar music and the awesome choreography. Whereas in Europe, the whole ballet, including the story as well, is enjoyed as a piece of art. The show was first showcased in New York in 1940 where Ballet Russee de Monte Carlo performed it. Alexandra Fedorova, when staged the show, tried to keep most of the original choreography of the show, since it was simply outstanding. In most of the other areas as well, the New York version of the show was very close to the show produced by Petipa.
United States of America has always been a kind place for great shows. With The Nutcracker, it was no different where the US not only welcomed it but also enjoyed it thoroughly. Years after, not only the show is still around but it is still widely loved and appreciated. Do take your family for this exquisite treat for the eyes by getting your the Nutcracker tickets as soon as possible!
The Nutcracker Ticket Prices
The average price for The Nutcracker Tickets start from $95. The minimum get in price is $52 for The Nutcracker Tickets at the California Theatre Of The Performing Arts, San Bernardino. For a detailed look at ticket prices and amazing discounts, visit our website.
|Average Ticket Price
|Get In Price
(Minimum Price)
|Colorado Ballet: The Nutcracker
|Colorado Ballet: The Nutcracker
|Colorado Ballet: The Nutcracker
|Colorado Ballet: The Nutcracker
|Inland Dance Theatre: The Nutcracker
|San Bernardino
|Colorado Ballet: The Nutcracker
|Inland Dance Theatre: The Nutcracker
|San Bernardino
|Colorado Ballet: The Nutcracker
|Inland Dance Theatre: The Nutcracker
|San Bernardino
|Colorado Ballet: The Nutcracker
* Ticket Prices vary on hourly basis.
Interested in more great content from Excite? Have a look here!
Q:When will you deliver the tickets of the nutcracker play?
A:Your order will be placed once you have completed the transaction process with our brokers. Your package will then be dispatched and you will have The Nutcracker Tickets delivered within five working days via FedEx.
Q:when do the nutcracker tickets go on sale?
A:Everyone's favorite ballet, The Nutcracker is going on tour. The The Nutcracker Tickets will go on sale as soon as the event is announced so don't miss out and get your hands on the tickets by buying it from our brokers as soon as possible.
Q:How can I pay for The Nutcracker 2020 Tickets?
A:The Nutcracker Tickets you see on our website have been put up there by our brokers and they accept payments made through credit cards only.
Q:Can I have the nutcracker ballet tickets refunded?
A:You can have The Nutcracker Tickets refunded but only in case of very special circumstances. Please note that even then the refund will be given according to the terms and conditions mentioned in the "policies" page on our website.
Q:Has anyone ever seen the nutcracker Ballet? I want to buy The nutcracker tickets?
A:Thousands of fans have bought The Nutcracker Tickets to watch one of the most famous ballets of all time live. You can join them too by booking your tickets from us at some of the most amazing prices in the market and that too in not more than just a few minutes.
Q:Can I buy The Nutcracker tickets on same day?
A:The Nutcracker Tickets are being sold on first come first serve basis so they will only be available for you to buy on the day of the event if they are not sold-out by then. There are however some instances where tickets are available on the day of the event. We suggest you call us on the number mentioned in our policies page and get all the relevant information from our customer services department.


text:
This event happened nearly three weeks ago, but it still haunts me. The event haunts me and my immediate response haunts me because of what each represents.
My parents live just north of Michigan City, Indiana in Long Beach. I grew up and attended elementary school in Long Beach, and all the time I lived there — about 11 years — I never saw the kind of behavior I witnessed August 1st.
My wife and I and our three children visited my parents for a final beach excursion before summer ended and I had to start teaching. As big sister and I tested the shallows of the sandbar I saw a boy on the beach swing a paddle from the ground into the air and run to his friends shouting, "Did you see that?"
Behind him I saw a flash of white.
"Did you see that?" he called again proudly.
The flash of white became a gull. The upswing of the paddle was a return from a downward swing. The boy had clobbered a seagull on the beach with his paddle. The gull stood and stumbled and tested its wings. No luck.
I swam big sister back to her mother and asked if she saw what I'd witnessed. The boy made similar inquiries among his peers as they made their way to a beach house.
My wife had not seen the event, but she watched the wounded bird with me, as I scanned the other families on the shore, looking for another inkling that there was another witness. As I agonized over what I was to do about this, my wife and I watched the bird hobble about the beach. How strange that my decision making probably took longer than the boy who actually hit the gull.
The bird was not going to be flying anytime soon, and I appeared to be the only witness. While gulls can be annoying, this one could no longer care for itself. Escaping a predator would prove as difficult as foraging for food.
Was I to confront the boy? Was I to ask for his guardians at the home? Who was responsible for this boy? Why did I feel so responsible for this gull? What would I do if he actually killed it? Would that be, somehow, better? Should I call Animal Control? The police? Isn't there a law?
Two grown women came down to the beach from the same house and threw rocks into the lake as I imagine they contemplated what to do themselves. They watched the bird, threw rocks, and talked. I felt some relief to believe there was an admission of the crime in the house, but I wanted to know the punishment. This bird was now tied to them. They watched him hop on his one foot and flap his useless wings as they chatted with neighborhood friends. Then two young boys on a walk decided to add injury to injury by throwing stones at the gull. The women said not a word.
I had enough and laid into the two boys who did not necessarily know they were throwing rocks at a wounded animal, but who ought not to throw rocks at animals, period. All this time I felt I was watching the slow development of three sociopaths.
And all this time I was frozen with indecision.
And all this time my children were watching me and learning.
I called the police.
I was told there wasn't anything the officer on patrol could really do.
As I watched the gull hop his way south, I convinced myself I'd done all I could.
I see now there were other options. At the time I knew there were other options.
Why can we see with clarity what we should do, and why can't we always do what's right?
Tags: Bullies, bully, Doubt, parental responsibility, parenting, Raising children


text:
Illustrations by Julia Feng (OhISeeItNow.com)
Over the past decade, many software development teams have switched their development methodology from a waterfall model to something much more agile such as Scrum. Through this transition, their expectations towards other teams such as Localization have changed and these teams have had to improve their agility too.
At Adobe, we have a centralized Localization group that currently supports 135 product and functional teams. Most of these teams have adopted some form of agile development methodologies and have reduced their development cycle from 18-24 months to yearly, quarterly, monthly and, these days, bi-weekly releases. A couple of Adobe product teams and other companies are even releasing updated versions of their product multiple times per day, making it imperative for Localization to keep improving its agility.
Drawn from our experience, this article presents Five Golden Rules that need to be satisfied in order to achieve optimal agile localization.
Rule 1 – "We are one Team!"
Within many companies, Adobe included, Localization is a centralized function serving all product and functional (e.g. Marketing, Sales, Legal, etc.) teams. This structure makes sense because localization is a specialized field, therefore resources (people, tools) and processes can be leveraged across the company. Nonetheless, localization should still be everyone's concern. The Localization team can come up with many solutions, but the best ones originate when there is a true partnership between the product/functional and localization teams.
The most agile teams treat Localization staff as if it were part of their own team.
A core aspect of Scrum is to include all skill sets, including localization, required to deliver a product to users. Therefore, Localization team members must be included in all development aspects – from backlog review to retrospective – so they could plan and address international issues early on. Strong partnerships also need to be established with localization vendors when companies, such as Adobe, engage with partners and vendors for their translation and testing activities.
Customer engagement is a key aspect of agile methodologies as it validates the quality and usefulness of the work performed thus far. We recommend engaging with international customers too, because their issues increase awareness around internationalization.
In summary, all stakeholders (development teams, functional teams including localization, vendors and customers) need to collaborate closely in order to achieve great agility.
Rule 2 – "Internationalization is King"
In our Globalization Myth Series, we defined Internationalization (commonly abbreviated as i18n) as an engineering exercise focused on generalizing a product so that it can handle multiple languages, scripts and cultural conventions (currency, sorting rules, number, date and time formats…) without the need for redesign.
In other words, the better internationalized an application is, the easier it will be to localize.
In the waterfall model, teams could possibly work around some of the internationalization deficiencies because of longer development cycles. Unfortunately, in the agile world, there is not enough time to look for work-around solutions anymore. The code needs to be internationalized from the get-go.
There are various approaches to improve internationalization in a company, which includes the following:
- Education: Training core developers is an effective way to reduce the number of internationalization issues in a product. By exposing engineers to localization and internationalization issues, they gain a broader perspective on the impact of their code and avoid some of the classic internationalization pitfalls.
- Code review: Practicing peer reviews is an effective method to reduce internationalization defects in a product. Since developers know their code will be reviewed, they pay more attention to its quality (peer pressure effect) so it also benefits internationalization. Some companies even automate this review process using tools such as Globalyzer.
- Globalization Report Card: Benchmarking products against an ideal architecture helps to improve internationalization too. As part of our World-Readiness program, we created a Globalization Report Card system to assess the degree of world-readiness in each Adobe product. This scorecard measures products against a set of internationalization criteria (ability to input international characters, display date formats, translate the user interface, and so on…). It is an efficient way to track progress made by each team over time and can even create some healthy competition among product teams. These teams are motivated to be on top of the i18n charts!
Rule 3 – "Integrate Localization into the Development Process"
To release a new product, development teams have many high-priority tasks and usually prefer not to have to worry about localization until necessary. As a consequence, localizability issues are often discovered too late and encounter the risk of being deferred to a future release. Product teams don't always anticipate the impact of a particular task/feature on localization, and quite often, the Localization team isn't able to influence design or development until the feature is already implemented.
In an agile process, features and development tasks are tracked in a backlog and reviewed at the beginning of every sprint. To eliminate the side effects of the "throw-over-the-wall" model described above, it is critical to include Localization representatives during these sprint-planning meetings so more visibility and importance are given to the localization tasks. This also provides great educational value to all stakeholders who can then understand the impact of their decisions on the localization process. Localization or a proxy should also attend the daily sprint meetings to keep up with the development pace and decisions. By attending these meetings, Localization team members can be much more proactive and influent.
Adobe Revel and Photoshop.com are examples of teams that integrate localization into their development process. They also prioritize localization intensive features/tasks upfront – carving enough time for the Localization team to run its process and deliver high-quality localized releases.
In a recent Localization World event, Amrit Singh (International Program Manager for our Installation technologies) presented LocBan (Kanban applied to Localization). Just like in a Toyota factory, the Localization team maintains a board of "To Do", "Work In Progress" and "Done" tasks which provides great visibility on the localization "conveyor belt". Similarly, it would be beneficial to maintain Kanban boards for each translator. In the waterfall model, translators used to receive large localization kits, which they had to scramble to complete within the deadline. In the agile world, translators are now able to "pull" work as their bandwidth opens up.
By using an integrated Kanban board, everyone has a clear understanding of all the various dependencies and accountabilities, resulting in stronger collaboration and higher success rate.
Rule 4 – "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle"
Localization can generate a lot of waste if not planned properly. So, it is key to become "green" in order to become more "agile".
It is clear that reducing the localization effort will have a positive impact on a team's agility. This could be achieved in 2 ways: by validating the localization scope and by reducing the translation waste generated during the localization process.
- Reducing Localization Scope
The Localization Manager's job is to ensure the company localizes the right product and content into the right language set. At Adobe, we have had situations in which we were localizing too much content. For example, using Adobe's Digital Marketing Suite, we discovered that Russian customers prefer reading Development documentation (such as API descriptions) in English rather than in Russian. We were able to save a lot of time and cost by removing this component from our localization requirements.
Similarly, through market research, we discovered that most Middle-Eastern Creative Suite customers prefer to use an English user interface with Arabic or Hebrew documentation. This combination makes English content such as videos and tutorials more accessible to them.
In short, tracking web analytics and engaging with customers, power users, pre-release testers and geos constitute a great way to validate the localization requirements and improve agility.
- Reducing Localization Waste
Once the localization requirements are confirmed, it is key to limit the translation waste generated during the localization process. This obviously impacts the translators' work but also the bandwidth of the localization staff.
An effective way to reduce localization waste is by understanding its root cause. At Adobe, we categorize all localization defects through a common set of keywords, which provides us with a good picture of the issues faced across products. We can then develop solutions to reduce, if not eliminate, these defects.
Localization waste sometimes originates from English strings -assuming English is the source language. Indeed, translations created before English strings get finalized will need to be revisited and will likely generate some waste.
In the agile world, we can't afford that extra time, so it is important to validate the English content before handing it off to the translators. Doing something as simple as spell checking can help to reduce a lot of localization waste. In a product such as InDesign, about 3% of the English user interface strings are updated once they get reviewed for spelling and grammatical mistakes. For a product that is localized into 25 languages, this represents a waste equivalent to 75% of a single language scope!
Also, many of the software localization testing activities are necessary because localization is happening out of context. Solving that problem can tremendously speed up the localization process. In an ideal world, localization should be a product feature that allows translators to translate the user interface in-context. Facebook did a great job in this area by enabling translators (in this case its user community) to translate and provide feedback within the application itself. Alternatively, translators should be provided context information through builds, screenshots or meta-data information (e.g. developer comments, feature name, expected delivery time, etc.).
To reduce waste, it is also recommended that localizers develop glossaries, style guides and tools that leverage previous localizations.
Ultimately, it's critical for translators to validate their work as they translate. That way, activities down the production line can be eliminated or reduced, which makes the entire process more agile.
Reusing strings can sometimes be a source of challenging defects in software localization, so it has to be handled carefully. For example, the English string "none" could be translated as "aucun" or "aucune" in French based on the gender of the noun to which it refers.
That said, reusing strings – in the same context – could also help to improve agility, since these strings won't need to be translated multiple times.
An area where Adobe has experienced positive results with reducing and reusing English content is in our instructional content. In documentation, Adobe relies on Acrolinx to control the quality of the English (source) content. Authors need to use a certain authoring style (e.g. shorter sentences) and are encouraged to leverage existing paragraphs (e.g. legal disclaimers). This improves consistency in the English documentation and has the great benefit of reducing the localization workload too.
Similarly, DITA (read Reduce, Reuse and Recycle: Developing a Reuse Strategy for DITA) and Content Management Systems such as Adobe Experience Manager (formerly known as Day CQ) are designed to reuse/share content across multiple channels and publications.
Recycling is the process of transforming existing materials (or waste) such that they could be reused again – sometimes for a totally different purpose. Creating polar fleeces from used plastic bottles or isolating walls using old denim jeans are classic examples of recycling.
Such transformations can apply to translations too. Translators don't need to translate every sentence from scratch. Translation technologies such as Translation Memories and Machine Translation engines can help translators recycle previous translations and speed up the translation process. At Adobe, we have experienced dramatic productivity gains when we used these technologies. In general, a translator supported by these technologies will deliver in an hour what other translators would deliver in a day. These are impressive gains that contribute to localization agility too.
Rule 5 – Automate, Automate, Automate
The last requirement to achieve agile localization is automation. With agile, you can't afford to send translation requests through e-mails or cut and paste strings from a spreadsheet to a source file. All translation hand-offs should be automated and managed through a centralized system. Over the years, Adobe's Globalization team has developed such a platform. This system is able to connect with various source control systems, manage translation jobs, leverage existing translations across projects and content types and provide machine translation engines. In the Globalization Myth 4 article, Guta Ribeiro introduced Airport, our new system to automatically connect with our vendors and help us march towards our lofty one-hour translation goal.
Beyond translation, it's also important to automate other aspects of the localization process, such as build, quality assurance, bug fixing, screenshots and distribution of the localized releases. We can only go as fast as our slowest component, which is why it's critical to automate all aspects of the localization process.
Localization agility can be achieved as long as all stakeholders work as a unified team. It is critical for core engineers to develop well-internationalized code from the get-go. This can be achieved via training, code reviews, usage of (Open Source) internationalization libraries and globalization report cards.
The localization process should be fully integrated within the overall development process so that all dependencies and accountabilities are clear. We recommend using Kanban boards (via tools such as Trello) to raise this visibility. To become agile, it's also important to act "green" (i.e. reduce, reuse and recycle). Doing so represents an effective way to control waste generation before and during the localization process. Finally, all efforts should be made to automate all parts of the streamlined localization process.
At Adobe, not all localization projects are handled with great agility – yet! Some projects are more agile than others. However, based on our experience, we believe agility can be achieved by adopting these Five Golden Rules:
- "We are One Team!"
- "Internationalization is King"
- "Integrate Localization into the Development Process"
- "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle"
- "Automate, Automate, Automate"
Special thanks to Rob Jaworski, Amrit Pal Singh, Ashish Saxena, Janice Campbell, Leandro Reis, Peter Green, Julia Feng and Quynn Le for their invaluable feedback on this article.


text:
Dodgers' outfielder Matt Kemp gave his hat to a Dodger fan. And his jersey. And his cleats.
A soon-to-be viral YouTube video of Kemp went live Monday night and shows Kemp giving the shirt off his back to a 19-year-old Dodgers fan sitting in the front row near third base at San Francisco's AT&T Stadium. Joshua Jones has been battling brain cancer for three years.
Kemp sauntered up to the stands after a game against the Giants Sunday, shook the fan's hand and signed his baseball. Kemp took off hat and reached across the fence, then, in quick succession, pulled off his jersey and cleats and handed them to the fan, as a stadium full of San Francisco Giants fans cheered.
U.S. & World
"I didn't even know," Joshua Jones told NBC4. "My dad talked to the third-base coach and he surprised me."
"I'm still kind of amazed by it," Jones added.
The video, embedded below, was uploaded by YouTube user "stayinhigh4209," who wrote:
"Matt Kemp is sucha great person. He came over after the game and made one of my best friends night."
He indicated that the Dodger fan who received Kemp's treasure trove of baseball items was "fighting a tough battle."
Fans of the video left supportive comments after watching the video, many saying it brought them to tears.
"All professional athletes should take a lesson. This is what class looks like!" wrote YouTube user Shawn Dempsey.


text:
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Procrastination, Self-Loathing, Crunch Time
It's not really fair for me to label what's happened here procrastination, though. I've been working on the research for the paper since probably February or March, and I've been thinking about the argument and stuff steadily over the past couple of weeks. The problem is, nothing is written. It's when I end up in predicaments like this that I feel all impostor-y and fraudulent, which then makes me think I suck, which then makes me incapable of doing the writing, which is a real problem.
So. Enough of all that. I must find my confidence to get this freaking thing done. And once it's done, I can unpack some more things. And once I give the paper, I can unpack the rest of my house, which will then mean that I can get into a routine and really embark on the summer's research plans. Which of course is all I want to do in the first place, and this conference paper actually contributes to those research plans so I should embrace it rather than being stuck.
(Note: I believe none of the pep-talk-y stuff at the end, but a girl has to try.)
4 comments:
- Janice said...
While self-loathing runs pretty high for me in the same situation, it sounds as if you have a pretty solid base of material given the research under your belt and the thinking you've been doing all along on this project.
And remember that conference-goers always appreciate the speaker who comes in under the time limit as opposed to the jerk who runs over. So you don't have that much to write, really.
- Notorious Ph.D. said...
You're a published author, so you already know how to trick yourself into writing, so I won't presume to give advice or tips.
Let me just share the fact that I found myself in a similar predicament this year, forced to write a conference paper (on new material) in 3 days, and revise it in 3 more, before delivering it at a conference. It was not a fun feeling. But you've done the research and have the idea!
Go! Write!
- Susan said...
Well, rather than a pep talk, I'll say that at a conference I really appreciate a paper that feels alive, which yours will do. Perhaps more alive than you'd wish, but still...
- helenesch said...
I hope it's been a productive day! I rarely write things at the last minute (mostly b/c the stress of it nearly kills me!), but when I do, the presentation part--at least the Q&A--tends to go really well. Often when I present a paper I wrote a while ago, it feels stale and boring to me during the discussion. At least whatever you come up with will be fresh in your mind!


text:
Catholicgauze writes from Iraqi describing his thoughts on salesmanship
"Hello my friend!" "Yes, yes, yes." "Please come in."
Those words I hear often. Fortunately for me I now have a good reputation so the words now have meaning behind them, but every American who visits an Iraqi shop is likely to hear that. After hearing these words and seeing the various shops many times, I noticed there is a hierarchy of salesmen. This hierarchy correlates with the status of the Iraqi and reflects how the average American will view the seller.
Common Iraqi
Who: Anyone but tendency towards older couple, sometimes women
Goods: General, things found in the household
Where: Anywhere, sometimes along roads
Common Iraqis were the first to sell to Americans. These people simply set up a table and displayed all their stuff on a blanket. They offer nothing fancy but in their supply of plates, homemade blankets, etc. are a few pieces of gold jewelry, small handmade furniture, and old Iraqi army equipment. Common Iraqis speak little to no English but can communicate the necessary "ten dollars" and "thank you."
Iraqi Salesman
Who: Moderately educated person with a supply chain
Goods: Things like flags, blade weaponry, electronics, and ornamental goods.
Where: The skillful ones are found on American bases
The Iraqi salesman has thousands of years of Arab trader culture in his blood, a good supply chain, and a decent command of English. They can be very talkative and friendly if one wants to start a conversation. Iraqi salesmen frequently go on month long trips to American bases and send the money back home. Many have worked with both the American military and Iraqi government to allow shops to be placed on bases. Unfortunately, groups like Al Qaeda in Iraq hate these people as collaborators and I have heard of a few who were murdered in the past.
Iraqi DVD Pirate
Who: Younger males with Internet access and a DVD burner
Goods: DVDs of movies, television shows, and documentaries
Where: American bases
Want to see Twilight but you are over 1,000 miles away from an English movie theater? Need a 2001 National Geographic documentary? Well, if the Iraqi DVD Pirate does not have it, he can go online and burn you a copy for five dollars. These pirates work in groups and will live on bases like Iraqi salesmen. Most have a fair understanding of English but have a great knowledge of [American] pop culture. Trustworthiness is determined by Americans by the basis of the DVD's quality. Some are poor video camera feed while others were produced by professional equipment in a movie theater. The best quality is the straight DVD rip. There are legitimate American DVDs for sale on base but those are full price. The Iraqi DVD pirate is the unchallenged master of his field.
Iraqi Seamster [tailor]
Who: Iraqi (and some Indian) men with knowledge of the sewing machine
Goods: Anything that can be sewn
Where: American bases
Iraqi sewers have broad appeal with a higher priced product. Want an Iraqi flag with your name and dates of service on it? Sure thing! Want backpack with military camouflage and your favorite football team's logo on it? No problem. These men show that there is profit and no shame in male sewing. They work in groups with only one person who needs to know English. Some Indians have come over as well to earn money with their skills. Officers, group leaders, and the memento seeking enlisted man are all primary customers of the Iraqi seamster.
The Turks
Who: Turkish traders
Goods: If it is expensive, they have it
Where: American bases
The Turks are an outsider but they are on top of the hierarchy. Leather coats; $500 handmade marble chess sets; jewelry; and fine carpets are their goods. The Turks occupy a sort of mixed ground. They have the Middle Eastern background but many would be best defined as European based on their clothing (especially the liberated women). Some Turkish stories have Iraqis who help the customers look for things while the Turks handle the money. Every American who is on a base knows that when one goes shopping at the Turkish store, one wants to buy some fine gifts.
The Geography Blog focusing on all things geography: human, physical, technical, space, news, and geopolitics. Also known as Geographic Travels with Catholicgauze! Written by a former National Geographic employee who also proudly served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
The Socio-Economic Hierarchy of Iraqi Salesmen
Posted by Catholicgauzette at 9:30 PM
Labels: Cultural Geography, Economic Geography, Iraq 2008
3 comments:
Fascinating "cultural geography" as well as a view of life in Iraq one does not see in U.S. publications. In hindsight, the trading you describe is what I would have expected based on my experience living in Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia. The Chinese there also seem to have several thousand years of trading and selling in their blood.
- Jay@Soob said...
hımss thanks..
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Nike Wmns Fast 7/8 Printed Running Tights
body: 83% recycled polyester / 17% elastane
gusset lining: 100% recycled polyester
body: 83% recycled polyester / 17% elastane
gusset lining: 100% recycled polyester
This high-performance microfiber polyester fabric actually pulls sweat away from the body and transports it to the fabric surface – where it evaporates and leaves the skin cool and dry. It's all you need for hot days, and a critical base layer for cold days.
it is a strong, durable and resistant to most chemicals fabric. They also resist wrinkles, shrinking, abrasion and mildew. Compared to cotton, polyester withstands wear and tear longer and retains its shape even in harsh climates.
Synthetic fibers are often used in the production of sportswear
Strechy and does not crease
Strong and durable
Is weak against liquids
Spandex or elastane
is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is strong, but less durable than its major non-synthetic competitor, natural latex. It is a polyurethane-polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1959 by chemists C. L. Sandquist and Joseph Shivers at DuPont Benger Laboratory in Waynesboro, Virginia. When first introduced, it revolutionized many areas of the clothing industry.


text:
Before we put the happiness gap to bed, here's a fitting last word: some smoking-smart commentary from Barbara Ehrenreich I found on Mother Jones. The piece is entited "Are Women Getting Sadder? Or are we all just getting a lot more gullible?" That should tip you off.
Ehrenreich's essay echoes a few of the points we've made ourselves, here, here and here, and adds a few more, arguments that should take a hammer to the debate that made the rounds a few weeks back, thanks to a series of posts by Marcus Buckingham on HuffPo.
Whatever you think about the original study — and the epidemic of head-scratching that trailed after — don't blame feminism, she writes:
… it's a little too soon to blame Gloria Steinem for our dependence on SSRIs. For all the high-level head-scratching induced by the Stevenson and Wolfers study, hardly anyone has pointed out (1) that there are some issues with happiness studies in general, (2) that there are some reasons to doubt this study in particular, or (3) that, even if you take this study at face value, it has nothing at all to say about the impact of feminism on anyone's mood.
In case you don't recognize her name, Ehrenreich is a feminist, activist, and journalist — who also has a Ph.D. in cell biology. In two of her most recent books — Nickel and Dimed and Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream — she lived the life: first going undercover as a low-wage worker to investigate poverty-level America, and second as a white-color job seeker. Her latest book is "BRIGHT-SIDED: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America." (Listen to an interview on NPR and read an excerpt here.)
Among the points Ehrenreich makes in her Mother Jones piece: Happiness is a notoriously slippery concept to measure; one of the objective measures of women's happiness (or lack of same) is the suicide rate, which the authors of the study acknowledge has gone down; and finally, the current chat cycle may have been a plank in a marketing platform for Buckingham's new book, Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently, which ends with a pitch for a bunch of related products you can buy:
It's an old story: If you want to sell something, first find the terrible affliction that it cures. In the 1980s, as silicone implants were taking off, the doctors discovered "micromastia"—the "disease" of small-breastedness. More recently, as big pharma searches furiously for a female Viagra, an amazingly high 43% of women have been found to suffer from "Female Sexual Dysfunction," or FSD. Now, it's unhappiness, and the range of potential "cures" is dazzling: Seagrams, Godiva, and Harlequin, take note.
But what struck me most in this short piece was the way Ehrenreich effectively called out those who blame women's unhappiness on feminism — and the choices women now have, largely because of it:
But let's assume the study is sound and that (white) women have become less happy relative to men since 1972. Does that mean that feminism ruined their lives?
Not according to Stevenson and Wolfers, who find that "the relative decline in women's well-being… holds for both working and stay-at-home mothers, for those married and divorced, for the old and the young, and across the education distribution"—as well as for both mothers and the childless. If feminism were the problem, you might expect divorced women to be less happy than married ones and employed women to be less happy than stay-at-homes. As for having children, the presumed premier source of female fulfillment: They actually make women less happy.
And if the women's movement was such a big downer, you'd expect the saddest women to be those who had some direct exposure to the noxious effects of second wave feminism. As the authors report, however, "there is no evidence that women who experienced the protests and enthusiasm in the 1970s have seen their happiness gap widen by more than for those women who were just being born during that period."
All of which reminds me of an op-ed Boston Globe columnist Ellen Goodman wrote a few years back on the occasion of Drew Gilpin Faust being named the first woman president of Harvard University:
… Faust's announcement also came when the story line about feminism itself has taken an odd turn. On college campuses where women take rights for granted, many shy away from the F-word as if it were a dangerous brand. A second narrative has taken hold in many parts of the culture that says one generation's feminism made the next generation unhappy.
There is talk about too many pressures and too many choices. It's as if the success of feminism was to blame rather than its unfinished work. Indeed, it took Mary Cheney to offer bracing words at a recent Barnard College gathering: "This notion that women today are overwhelmed with choices, my God, my grandmother would have killed to have these choices."
"Its unfinished work". Love the sound of that. Whether we're happy, sad, or somewhere stuck in Limbo, who cares? That's irrelevant at best, a distraction at worst. Sure, we've got the options we wanted, but why do we still have trouble navigating them? Which leads to my question: Why did our work stall, and how do we get rolling again?
Your turn.


text:
We have increased oil production to the highest levels in 16 years. Natural gas production is the highest it's been in decades. We have seen increases in coal production and coal employment.
Look, I want to make sure we use our oil, our coal, our gas, our nuclear, our renewables. I believe very much in our renewable capabilities; ethanol, wind, solar will be an important part of our energy mix.
Number three, we've got to control our own energy. Now, not only oil and natural gas, which we've been investing in; but also, we've got to make sure we're building the energy source of the future, not just thinking about next year, but ten years from now, 20 years from now. That's why we've invested in solar and wind and biofuels, energy efficient cars.
Let's take advantage of the energy resources we have, as well as the energy sources for the future. And if we do that, if we do what I'm planning on doing, which is getting us energy independent, North America energy independence within eight years, you're going to see manufacturing jobs come back. Because our energy is low cost, that are already beginning to come back because of our abundant energy.In order: Obama, Romney, Obama, Romney. Most notably, while the word "energy" showed up 40 times during last Tuesday's debate, "nuclear" showed up only twice (and only once in the context of energy, within the throwaway line given by Governor Romney above). Compare and contrast with coal (22 appearances), natural gas (8 appearances), oil (26 times), wind (7 times), and solar (3 times).
It is consistently puzzling how an energy source which supplies about 20% of U.S. baseload electricity and the overwhelming share of its carbon-free energy portfolio manages scarce mention in debates over energy. Instead we have two candidates practically tripping over themselves to extol the virtues of increased fossil fuel production (which, depending on your constituency, will sometimes include a nod to chimerical "clean coal" or carbon sequestration technology) but who can barely suffer more than an obligatory mention of nuclear.
It isn't because either candidate seems particularly hostile to nuclear (at least, not openly); both have quietly supported nuclear, generally in the context of "all of the above" energy policies which differ primarily in the respective weight given to fossil exploration and renewables. It would seem, as I have often asserted, in a world both where energy scarcity and environmental impacts of energy are at the forefront, opposition to nuclear is a self-marginalizing position. So why it is exactly that it fails to merit more than passing mention? Consensus doesn't seem to be it; if the above ideological Turing test is any indication, both Obama and Romney seem intent upon defying traditional expectations by endorsing (however insincerely) traditionally-favored energy resources of their opponents. (As a result, we have such scintillating "debates" as to which candidate really loves fossil exploration more...)
The superficial answer commonly given in response to this of course would be that fossil interests (and perhaps, by proxy, renewables, if one is the conspiratorial type) represent tremendous financial interests, and thus, political interests. But this explanation only goes so far - particularly when one looks to polling data as to how energy preferences break down within the public.
Rather, I am inclined to wonder if this is a case of where nuclear, unlike fossil and rewnewables, lacks a well-defined constituency - being relegated to a tepid, forgotten center (where it enjoys broad, lukewarm support by many and hot, focused opposition at the fringe). It is perhaps progress (and a keen awareness of the urgency brought on both by the need for action on climate change and developing abundant future energy resources) that nuclear is no longer seen as ideologically confined to the rightward end of the political spectrum; but instead I am forced to once again go back to the hypothesis that we are seeing energy as a marker for pre-existing cultural affinities.
To wit - for all of the talk by both Romney and Obama on developing coal resources, does either seriously expect to see any significant new developments in coal-fired electrical capacity? (A telling example of the direction of things to come is TVA's shuttering of the John Sevier coal plant, which was recently replaced by a combined-cycle natural gas facility. In a single year, TVA's coal portfolio has shifted down from around 50% to 30% - with the gap entirely being made up for by gas.) Even if one does believe new coal-fired generation will emerge, does either seriously believe this will emerge when projected costs for so-called "clean coal" outstrip the production costs of new nuclear?
Or, more importantly, if support for nuclear was more than token for both candidates, why is it exactly than in Romney's 21-page energy plan, the proposals for nuclear come down to a single bullet point: "Revitalize nuclear power by equipping the NRC to approve new designs and to license approved reactor designs on approved sites within two years." (How this will be accomplished is left as an exercise for the reader). Note the striking absence of any mention of small modular reactors and their potential to revitalize export-driven manufacturing in the U.S., or even such basic measures as reforming antiquated laws restricting vitally-needed foreign investment in new domestic nuclear capacity - nuclear, it would seem, is an afterthought. Nor is it any better with Obama, where his campaign's "issues" site for energy lists oil exploration and (inexplicably) clean coal (one gets the feeling we're actually back in the Bush years), but fails to even mention nuclear.
The very fact that the Romney campaign would speak effusively of renewables as an improbable part of a vague, "all-of-the-above" energy strategy while Obama bafflingly promotes both fossil exploration and dubious "clean coal" technology (see also, vaporware) point to an effort to reach voters not on the rational basis of carefully-considered energy policy, but rather, in a word, pandering. (Yes, quel surprise indeed coming from a political campaign).
So why is this? Because again, by and large for the public, I am largely convinced that support for particular energy sources comes not from their practical value but from what these represent. It is immaterial as to whether availability and diffusivity inherently limit the ability of renewables to produce electricity at the large, consistent scales required to power modern civilization - because these sources, at their core, represent aspirational goods which somehow magically disconnect environmental consequences from energy. Fossil resources represent abundance - an energy abundance which can be found here at home, supporting an economic fantasy of "energy independence" powered by domestic, low-cost energy sources (to which environmental concerns are ancillary).
What brings this charade crashing down is the dissonance with how each of these sides deals with the issue of nuclear. If the latter camp truly cared about abundance, nuclear would plausibly be of co-equal priority - uranium resources are relatively abundant in the U.S., and most of the uranium it imports are from friendly countries like our neighbors to the north. Further, nuclear is relatively cheap - particularly once plants are built - and those plants can supply energy for entire generations at tiny marginal costs. Thus, if it was simply about energy abundance, one would expect more than simple tepid support - one should see more folks like Lamar Alexander exhorting the country to double our current fleet by building a hundred new nuclear reactors. But they don't. Instead we are given platitudes extolling the virtues of abundant natural gas and coal - not uranium.
Meanwhile, as to the former crowd that values minimizing environmental impacts, it is immaterial as to what backs up intermittent sources (i.e., it's the same resources in which they claim they are attempting to displace). If the plausible goal were to eliminate CO2 and air pollution as much as possible, one would think that nuclear, given its high capacity and availability, would be at the vanguard of the movement. And yet it is shockingly absent - instead, once again, natural gas and ephemeral promises of "clean coal" (which, in fairness, is probably more about a cynical electoral sop to coal-producing states than it is a serious policy proposal) take the fore. Constantly we hear from these same people theoretically devoted to the cause of creating a clean energy future about the virtue and necessity of natural gas as a "bridge" fuel - as if carbon-free nuclear energy simply did not exist. (Or as if natural gas did not pose a far more substantial risk in terms of deaths per unit energy produced).
What nuclear seems to lack here is the existence of a natural constituency Again, look at what a rational examination of the expressed interests of our two major constituencies above should theoretically produce - nuclear, by all accounts, should be a hands-down consensus winner. Yet instead it is relegated to scarcely a mention in high-profile debates.
Again, it is far better for nuclear not to exist solely in the thrall of one ideological pole, given the ease at which it can be marginalized on a partisan basis. But perhaps the bigger issue now is that nuclear, enjoying a broad but shallow public consensus, finds itself politically homeless.


text:
I think it's about time, that we had a special thread for a special soccer (football) player Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Mirror, UKDec 1 2016Henrikh Mkhitaryan opens up about loss of father - who wanted him to be a lawyer or doctor The Armenian has enjoyed an emotional rise to the top and he has revealed how playing football helped him get over the heartbreak of his father Hamlet's death
Henrikh Mkhitaryan and his dad (Photo: Twitter/@HenrikhMkh)
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has opened up about the loss of his father and admitted he would not be a footballer if he was still alive.
The 27-year-old has had a remarkable rise to the top, having fled war-torn Armenia as a baby in 1989.
After starting his career at Pyunik, Mkhitaryan enjoyed spells in Ukraine and Germany before joining Manchester United in the summer.Things could have worked out very differently for the Armenian skipper had his father Hamlet, also a footballer, not passed away due to a brain tumour when he was very young.
While he admits his father would be "very proud" of his achievements, the United man concedes he would instead be a lawyer or doctor, were he still alive.
"Everything happened very fast. Within a year, he was gone. Because I was so young, I didn't completely understand the concept of death," he told The Players' Tribune.
"The year after my father died, I started football training. He was the drive for me, he was my idol. I said to myself, I have to run just like him. I have to shoot just like him."
Just seven years ago, Mkhitaryan was plying his trade with Armenian side Pyunik, who he helped win four titles.
Similar success followed with Shakhtar Donetsk and Borussia Dortmund before United came calling.
The decision was an easy one for Mkhitaryan, who concedes he didn't want to have any regrets later in life had he snubbed the Red Devils.
"I will never forget that moment, nor will I forget the time I put on the red Manchester United shirt before my first training session with the club," he added.
Despite his joy at the move, Mkhitaryan has endured a frustrating time under Jose Moutinho.
The Armenian has started just one Premier League game for the Red Devils but turned in his most impressive display against West Ham on Wednesday night.
United fans have called for the Armenian to retain his spot for the weekend trip to Everton and he has vowed to "never give up" as he bids to make his mark in England.
"It would be fair to say that the start of my life in Manchester was not perfect. I will continue working every day so that I can help the team succeed," he added.


text: This is a normal fetal ultrasound performed at 17 weeks gestation. The development of the brain and nervous system begins early in fetal development. During an ultrasound, the technician usually looks for the presence of brain ventricles. Ventricles are spaces in the brain that are filled with fluid. In this early ultrasound, the ventricles can be seen as light lines extending through the skull, seen in the upper right side of the image.


text:
An encouraging, revealing, and fascinating new study finds women don't like beards. In honor of that money well-spent, I've tracked down a website dedicated to the most famous beards of all time. I knew it was legit as soon as I saw Uncle Jesse from the Dukes of Hazzard on the list. Click here to see the rest.
If I can find it, I'll post a picture of me when I had a beard ten years ago. Of course, I've also rocked the goatee, the soul patch, and the 'stache over the years. But they're not allowed on TV.


text:
A recent article on car spoilers from Quora ("The best answer to any question") was reposted on Oppositelock and its author called the Superbird wing "idiotically-ineffective" and "dumb" because he does not understand how it works. His answer was dumb.
I have never read anything before by Ryan Carlyle and he might very well be the best "subsea hydraulics engineer" alive. But he answers questions on Quora and does not limit himself to topics in which he is an expert. Someone asked how effective spoilers and wings are on street cars and he answered that they are really not all that effective. He explained the differences between wings and spoilers and noted that major strides have been made in automotive aerodynamics in the last few years - much of it in the field of racing.
He then wrote:
This is where people's intuitive grasp of aerodynamics is wrong. Most folks think airflow exactly follows the surface contour. Even many auto-designers used to think that, until computational fluid dynamics and rigorous smoke-trace wind tunnel testing improved our understanding of airstream behavior. This is why so many older vehicles had idiotically-ineffective spoilers or wings. Like this dumb beauty:
The "dumb beauty" he points to is a 1970 Plymouth Superbird. His caption for the photo is sarcastic: "The Plymouth Superbird —because cars that look like rocket ships are awesome."
But is the wing "idiotically-ineffective"? Was it based on flawed prehistoric thinking on the part of its designers? No.
I am currently finishing a book on the winged car project at Chrysler - covering both the Charger Daytona and the Plymouth Superbird. In my research on this subject (which I have been working on periodically for more than ten years) I have interviewed dozens of people who were involved in designing, testing, building, and racing the winged cars. A great number of them were engineers. Many had backgrounds in aerodynamics. Their "understanding of airstream behavior" was much greater than Carlyle gave them credit for.
Before 1969, Chrysler had a major problem in NASCAR. As their Hemi-powered cars pushed through the air faster they became unstable. The cars had gotten to the point where aerodynamics became just as important as horsepower.
Chrysler racing called in some engineers, including a few recent transplants from their missile division, and asked what they could do to make the cars go faster and handle better at higher speeds. At least two engineers suggested putting a nosecone on the front of the car (to solve problems with the flat grille and too much air getting under the cars) and a huge wing in the back to push the back end down and hold the car to the track at speeds necessary to win in NASCAR. The two engineers were working independently of each other when they pitched the solution. I interviewed one of them later.
Despite the obviously outlandish nature of the proposed features, Chrysler racing gave the go-ahead. Engineers and technicians mocked up nosecones and wings and tested them at the Chelsea Proving Grounds. When they found combinations and shapes they liked, they sent them out for wind tunnel testing at two facilities. At one they used scale models and at the other they used full-sized cars lowered in through the roof. After extensive testing, they developed the shapes that ended up being on the Charger Daytona which debuted at Talladega in the Fall of 1969. One of these cars had the fastest qualifying time NASCAR had seen to date; another won the race.
A winged car was the first to run a documented 200 MPH lap on a NASCAR track. Later, Bobby Isaac took a Daytona to Bonneville and set more than two dozen land speed records for a stock-bodied car. All of those races and records were run with that "idiotically-ineffective" wing on the back. In 1970, Plymouth would add the aerodynamic treatments to a Road Runner, calling it the "Superbird." That would be the car that Carlyle disparaged.
But was the wing functional? Or was it just a "dumb" appendage that Chrysler stuck on the back of the car because American car buyers are stupid and think cars that "look like rocket ships are awesome"?
Two engineers who worked on the program wrote a paper for the Society of Automotive Engineers and presented it to a packed house at Cobo Hall in Detroit in January, 1970. I admit, I am not an engineer. So I don't know what some of this means.
But there are pages and pages of technical jargon about "incremental axial force coefficients," "freestream dynamic pressure," "reynolds number corrections," and "boundary layer simulations."
That big, "dumb" wing is described in the paper: "The horizontal stabilizer is an aerodynamic surface of 3 sq ft in area with a geometric aspect ratio of 7.75. The cross-sectional shape is an inverted Clark Y airfoil which is a highly efficient negative force generator within the 12 deg adjustment range provided." (Bold is mine.)
And all of the cool schematics you see here are from that SAE article. There are more - many more - along with charts and graphs that probably mean something to engineers. But I think it is safe to assume that the wing did something and it was not "idiotically-ineffective" or "dumb." The wind tunnel testing predicted the effectiveness of the wing and the real-world results proved it. And that would be the same wind tunnel testing Carlyle touts as being partly responsible for the current field of knowledge in automotive aerodynamics. In fact, one of the paper's authors, Gary Romberg, would later be granted US Patent #6588287, "Multiple stage system for aerodynamic testing of a vehicle on a static surface and related method." That system is used in a wind tunnel.
The Charger Daytona first raced in the Fall of 1969 and was joined in 1970 by the Plymouth Superbird. By the end of that year, NASCAR outlawed the cars, more or less, and the winged car era was over in NASCAR. Carlyle might not like the way the car looks but don't blame the stylists for that. Blame the engineers. They put that nosecone and "dumb" wing on for a reason: They helped the car go really fast and handle really well at high speeds. And that is not something to describe as "idiotically-ineffective." To say otherwise is dumb.
Follow me on Twitter: @stevelehto
Hear my podcast on iTunes: Lehto's Law
Steve Lehto has been practicing law for 23 years, almost exclusively in consumer protection and Michigan lemon law. He wrote The Lemon Law Bible and Chrysler's Turbine Car: The Rise and Fall of Detroit's Coolest Creation.
This website may supply general information about the law but it is for informational purposes only. This does not create an attorney-client relationship and is not meant to constitute legal advice, so the good news is we're not billing you by the hour for reading this. The bad news is that you shouldn't act upon any of the information without consulting a qualified professional attorney who will, probably, bill you by the hour.
Top photo by author; all other illustrations and the wing quote are from The Aerodynamic Development of the Charger Daytona for Stock Car Competition, Society of Automotive Engineers, paper no. 700036, by R.P. Marcell and G.F. Romberg (1970).


text:
Royal Caribbean is a Norwegian-American cruise company founded in 1968.
The first ship, Song of Norway,was launched in 1970 and gradually the fleet expanded. Some ships were renovated and became even bigger.
It is the 80's that mark Royal Caribbean's success. In 1986 the company takes control of a part of Haiti's coast and this zone becomes a destination of the ships.
Royal Caribbean's ships are divided into seven classes: Sovereign, Vision, Radiance, Voyager, Freedom, Oasis and Quantum.
In 2012 Royal reach the European ports, taking 12 of its ships in the ports of the Mediterranean Sea and to Northern Europe. The fleet is composed of 25 ships currently in service. They revolutionized the concept of cruise: they took on the sea the first free-climbing wall, the first ice-skating track, the first Royal Promenade and the first Surf Park. Never been on a Royal Caribbean ship? You don't know that you'll go crazy in front of the selection of restaurants, bars and lounges that the fleet has to offer. In the restaurants on the Royal's ships, you can try dishes arriving from all over the world and interpreted by our super-skilled chefs, as well as a wide range of gastronomic styles. From the Italian, continental or American breakfast to the classic hamburger and fries. You can also have a walk in Central Park on Allure of the Seas and admire the more than 12.000 living plants feeling immerged into nature, while the children have fun in the Mini Club Adventure Ocean. The mini club entertains kids and teenagers from 3 to 14 years old with costume parties, pool parties to stimulate their fantast and make new friends.
The H2O Zone is a super-fun area for kids and grown-ups to have the top-fun aboard. This aqua park is aboard of the Oasis-class ships - Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and the brand-new Harmony of the Seas arriving in 2016 – and the Freedom-class ships - Independence of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas e Freedom of the Seas. If you're tired of choosing a set dining time and you want to enjoy your holiday without looking at your watch, you can choose the My Time Dining and My Family Time Dining: you just have to tell the maître when you want to have dinner, without scheduling it before. With the Dynamic Dining, latest news on the Quantum-class ships Anthem of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas - the main restaurants is divided into three different areas and have different menus. You don't have to think about what to wear: there are no formal nights, nor set dining time! Royal Caribbean is one the most desired cruise companies and once you've tried, you'll leave it.
The company also offers an incredibly wide range of itineraries. Royal Caribbean's ships reach every place in the world! Dreaming of tropical landscapes with wild nature and stretches of white sand? With Navigator of the Seas, Majesty of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas, you'll reach the Caribbean Islands, the perfect choice to escape from rain and the cold of winter. Feeling like an intrepid high-maintenance traveler? The idea of knowing Oceania electrifies you? Many ships reach Australia, such as Explorer of the Seas and Legend of the Seas. Voyager of the Seas takes you even to New Zealand, where you'll discover a triumph of uncontaminated nature as far as the eye can see. If you dream of the Far East, with Mariner of the Seas you'll reach Singapore, discovering its meltin' pot of languages and culture, passing through Malaysia and Thailand. Or you can go to Japan and South Korea, to discover antique cultures of the Eastern world. If you're scared of flying and you love livable travels, you can choose to reach the Mediterranean Sea, Royal Caribbean is just what you need. You can spend unforgettable days in Greece departing from Venice or discovering the most important places of our culture departing from Civitavecchia and touching the Western area. The Mediterranean Sea will never let you down on board of Royal Caribbean's ships, and you have all the right ingredients to make your cruise different from the others. The international environment on Royal Caribbean's ships will make you feel a real cosmopolitan, leaving behind the tourist's guises and becoming an authentic globetrotter! Embrace modernity and get on board of Royal Caribbean's ships, they'll just leave you speechless.
The company offers a wide range of staterooms according to what you are looking for. Do you prefer enjoying the ship and meeting new people? You can choose an internal or sea-view stateroom, they are spacious and furnished with taste and elegance. If you love luxury and comfort, the wealth of options is embarrassing: the balcony staterooms and Suites allow you to live your cruise following your rhythms and needs and it will feel just like home. Royal Caribbean love being up-to-date. They offer the guests the best they can even imagine and take care of everyone, kids and grown-ups.


text:
Storage units near St Marys University
Find cheap storage near you.
Reserve now, pay later
Cancel for free anytime
Pricing for self-storage in San Antonio, Texas
The biggest factor when it comes to self-storage prices in San Antonio, Texas is size. Below are some monthly price ranges you can expect to see in San Antonio, Texas based on different storage unit sizes.
|Unit Size
|Average Price
|Lowest Price
|5 x 5
|5 x 10
|10 x 10
|10 x 15
|10 x 20
The overall average price of a self-storage unit booked in San Antonio, Texas over the past 180 days is $73.38.
Data for the cheapest self-storage unit is updated every 15 minutes.
San Antonio Self-Storage: At A Glance
Does San Antonio student population affect self-storage prices?
Colleges and universities located in or nearby San Antonio include Our Lady of The Lake University San Antonio, St Marys University, Trinity University, University of Texas At San Antonio, University of Texas Health Science Center At San Antonio, University of The Incarnate Word. College students often need self-storage during summer and winter breaks and can drive prices up during these seasons.
How does seasonality affect San Antonio self-storage prices?
Storage prices in San Antonio tend to be somewhat volatile when compared to other cities. Prices can vary by about $23.24 monthly depending on the time of year. San Antonio self-storage prices are highest inAugust, and lowest in January.
Browse San Antonio Storage by Amenity
Browse San Antonio Storage by Type
Browse Self-Storage Units in Nearby Cities
275 facilities
Leon Valley, TX
5' x 10' starting around $30.00
245 facilities
5' x 10' starting around $30.00
252 facilities
Elmendorf, TX
5' x 10' starting around $30.00
346 facilities
Garden Ridge, TX
5' x 10' starting around $29.00
329 facilities
Cibolo, TX
5' x 10' starting around $29.00
173 facilities
Lytle, TX
5' x 10' starting around $31.85
64 facilities
5' x 10' starting around $31.85
189 facilities
Seguin, TX
5' x 10' starting around $29.00
68 facilities
Stockdale, TX
5' x 10' starting around $39.00
Moving To San Antonio, Texas: Helpful Tips
The San Antonio metropolitan economy saw the fourth-highest rate of growth among the 100 largest US metros between 2011 and 2016 according to an analysis of recently released economic data conducted by SpareFoot. In 2011 the...Read more
Every city has its shortcomings about which locals love to whine, and San Antonio is no exception. Using those gripes as clues, here's what might give you cause for pause when contemplating a move to...Read more
There are plenty of great things to see and do in the Alamo City, hence our reputation as a tourism and conference hotspot. Last year Travel + Leisure named us the "friendliest city in America,"...Read more
Unit size


text:
Description: Align-N-Drive™ is a driving safety aid that provides visible reference points for the driver to view the exact location of the front tires of the vehicle. Align-N-Drive contains two removable strips that are placed onto a vehicle's windshield in front of the steering wheel. The Align-N-Drive Kit provides simple instructions on DVD to ensure that the strips are applied correctly.
Price: $29.95
Published on Dec 06, 2013


text:
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The Litsch is back
Err...maybe. We suppose that would be a nice thought, and were we the type who could write off Litsch's 8.18 ERA and 34 hits in 22 innings over a four game stretch through the Pacific Coast League, we could start to think about how nice it is to have a solid fourth/fifth starter back in the rotation. Unfortunately, we're not able to convince ourselves that young Jesse's AAA beatings were completely the result of thin, dry air in deserts at altitudes.
(Although it would be really nice if we could, because then we could explain away the brutal ERAs being posted by Brad Mills, Ray Gonzalez, Marc Rzepczynski and most everyone in Las Vegas other than Zack Jackson and Bobby Ray. And even their averages in the high-3.00's aren't exactly the stats of which championship dreams are made.)
It could be that the Jays have decided to give Litsch the same treatment that Brian Tallet received when coming back from his injury: The courtesy of a couple of starts, with a decision on his rotation spot to follow. But where Tallet's lopey/gangly/junky/lefty stuff might make him a useful LOOGY or swingman in the suddenly porous an pitiable bullpen, Litsch's sub-90's fastball and crafty cutter might mean that he's a man without a role or a future in these parts if he can't prove himself to be useful from the start of his new beginning with the team.
It's not to say that we're rooting for Jesse to fail, because nothing would make us happier than to see him come in and post a sub-3.70 ERA by pounding the strike zone and mixing his pitches well. We're just not confidant that, post-surgery, he's going to be willing to toss his cutter more than 40% of the time, as he did when he was successful.
Moreover, we're not sure that now is the right time to move him into the rotation when the aforementioned Bobby Ray is pitching better (UPDATE: Oops...Bobby Ray is hurt, and hasn't pitched since mid-May) and Litsch seems to need more time to get his stuff correct.
15 comments:
- GCM1979 said...
1. Bobby Ray is injured.
2. Litsch's cutter is sub 90, not his fastball.
E3. veryone said the same thing about Marcum pre season.
aye aye aye, no faith, I tell ya!
- June 10, 2010 at 2:04 PM
- Tao of Stieb said...
Okay, fine. I'm an idiot. But I still think they could call up Ray and see if they can winch his arm clear off his torso...just to help toughen him up.
Litsch's fastball averages 89-point-something. So it might get up over 90 here and there, but let's not assume that he could launch it past kids in the late innings.
- June 10, 2010 at 2:33 PM
- Alex said...
He might end up doing okay, remember rehab starts are just that.. and a fat dude isn't going to fare well pitching in the desert.
- June 10, 2010 at 2:45 PM
- The Ack said...
I'd say that unless he blows the doors off, he's probably just keeping a seat warm for Drabek's Aug/Sept recall. Though I suppose Drabek's innings could come when Cecil/Marcum/Morrow are shutdown when they hit their Verducci IP limits.
Unless the Jays are in contention. Then Cito will pitch their goddamned arms off.
- June 10, 2010 at 2:50 PM
I think keeping Litsch away from eating options in Vegas is a wise organizational move.
I'm going to predict he'll be just fine one start, awful the next. Hopefully he can co-ordinate these starts with Morrow.
Actually, screw that, the ginger's going to be awesome!
- June 10, 2010 at 3:26 PM
By the way Tao, you should look up what you said in January 2009 about one Jose Bautista.
It will warm the cockles of your heart.
Why I'm reading a baseball blog from Jan 2009 when I should be productive at work, I have no idea.
- June 10, 2010 at 3:35 PM
- Ty said...
Man, has everybody forgotten about the 2nd half of 2008 when Litsch came back from AAA throwing 93-94 with his fastball on a pretty consistent basis? He was also completely nails over that stretch, posting a 2.06 ERA over his last 9 starts of the season.
Given his AAA stats though, I'm gonna assume he can't do that anymore.
- June 10, 2010 at 4:27 PM
- Navin Vaswani (@eyebleaf) said...
- June 10, 2010 at 6:37 PM
- plain_g said...
i'm so excited for a serviceable 5th starter that i'm going to overlook the 900th usage of 'the litsch is back' in a post about our portly ball-boy.
- June 10, 2010 at 7:44 PM
I enjoy you're blog,
but proposing to make someone a starter, who is injured makes you look weak..
- June 10, 2010 at 10:42 PM
- Tao of Stieb said...
I know. I suck.
But at least give me partial credit for knowing that Bobby Ray was doing okayish at some point this year.
Am I right?
- June 10, 2010 at 11:07 PM
I don't come here for injury reports. I come for the pie and black coffee.
Damn fine coffee - and hot!
- June 11, 2010 at 6:12 AM
Stop tweeting crap and start writing blogs. The Jays and Rays just finished a series and there hasn't been a word on this blog about it all week! Pathetic.
- June 11, 2010 at 9:12 AM
Time for Tao and Ack to fill the Jays blog void while the Drunks are absorbed by the World Cup of Homos.
What's the deal with Ack? Is he allowed to post whenever he wants or only when Tao let's him out of the basement on weekends?
- June 11, 2010 at 12:49 PM
- The Ack said...
the padlock comes off the basement door on weekends and during Tao's self-imposed exiles.
Believe me, that's all you need from me.
- June 11, 2010 at 1:24 PM


text:
Financial Benchmarking Report - Distributors, September 2009
About this product:
Data in this report is based on responses from the SEMA Industry Benchmarking Program questionnaire for September 2009. The data is presented as a rolling average and includes responses from August 2009 and July 2009 questionnaires. The data was tabulated and tracked from a total of 208 questionnaires, with a margin of error +/- 4 ½%.
There are a total of three Financial Benchmarking reports published each month, representing manufacturers, retailers and distributors, respectively.


text:
Why sell VIN-Limited interfaces?
Because it allows us to charge for the product in a manner that's somewhat commensurate with how the product is used. A professional workshop that's in and out of several vehicles a day with their VCDS gets considerably more value from the product than a private individual who only uses it occasionally one one or two of his own cars. When the previous generation of interfaces was designed 10-12 years ago, most VW/Audi cars on the road did not yet know their own VIN, so it was not really practical to restrict usage that way. Hence the pricing on our universal interfaces (interfaces that worked with all the cars available at that point) had always something of a compromise. Plenty of workshops told us that VCDS was the best value for the money of any tool they'd ever bought and that we could/should charge more, but we were already at or close to the limit of what an enthusiast would pay, and enthusiasts were (and still are!) a very important part of our business. In fact, the reason this product exists is that I got frustrated that I couldn't trouble-shoot my own cars anymore in the late 1990s. Some pros suggested that we make a less expensive version for enthusiasts by restricting what the enthusiast version could do, but that was not an approach that was palatable to me. So now a decade later, most of the cars people are working on do know their VINs and restricting the number of cars an enthusiast can perform certain functions on seems like a reasonable way of differentiating between a "pro" and a private individual.
Will VCDS count a car's VIN as toward the license limit as soon as I plug into a particular car?
No! VCDS will never count a VIN toward the license limit without the user's explicit permission. It will always ask you first, thereby giving you the opportunity to decline to "register" a VIN in the interface. Besides, there are a lot of useful things you can do on an unlimited number of cars.
What functions are not VIN-Restricted?
A VIN-Limited interface can do Auto-Scans, Clear DTCs, and look at Measuring Values on an unlimited number of cars. I think this is important because I wouldn't want to keep an enthusiast from doing basic diagnostics on his friends' cars, or to use his VCDS when evaluating used cars he's contemplating buying. You wouldn't buy a used car without doing an Auto-Scan on it first, right? In addition, you can make channel maps on an unlimited number of cars because sending us those maps helps us improve the product.
What functions are VIN-Restricted?
In essence, it's those functions that actually change things in the car:
- Adaptation
- Basic Settings
- Changing Codings
- Changing the Gateway Installation List
- Login or Security Access
- Output Tests
- Optical Bus Diagnostic
- Readiness
- Resetting SRI
- Turning Transport Mode on or off
In addition, directly accessing a control module outside of an Auto-Scan will prompt the user whether he wants to "register" that car's VIN, but declining to do so at that point will not prevent access to the module. The same is true for the "Clear All DTCs" function. It will ask whether you wish to register a VIN, but declining to do so will not prevent the function from working.
What about older cars that do not know their VIN?
Simple: They are free. You can do anything and everything on those cars without them counting toward the license limit.
Which cars do and don't know their VIN?
Virtually all model year 2002 and newer do know their VINs -- basically those cars with Immo-3 and up. I believe the only model year 2000 car that had Immo-3 was the Audi A8, but a few others got Immo-3 in model year 2001.
If I sell one of my cars, can I de-register and free up that VIN slot?
No, it doesn't work that way. VINs are stored permanently. They cannot be erased.
Can I upgrade a 3-VIN license to 10 VINs, or a 10-VIN license to Unlimited?
Yes, absolutely. There's a provision for that in our store.
What if I'm swapping components from different cars?
If you're swapping components like instrument clusters or ECUs that have different VINs stored in them, you may have to register each of the different VINs.
PS: If you have additional questions, please feel free to ask right here.


text:
I don't know what it is about Alberta (other than having a significant part of my family living there) but I'm kinda hooked on the place and have been since my first trip there (on my own) in 1997 when I was 8 years old.
I've visited every few years since, my previous trip before this year was in 2006 and still I can't get the idea of spending a few years really living there out of my head.
Anyway, on this trip other than spending time catching up with family before heading off to Mexico to begin this big trip I still got to catch an FC Edmonton 'soccer' game, head to Banff for a quick view of the Rocky Mountains and enjoy spending time in Edmonton, probably one of the world's most underated cities – after all it still has some attractive architecture, formerly the world's biggest shopping mall and events such as the Edmonton International Beer Festival (a big plus for me)!
I think I might be back at least in time for a Tim Hortons when I finish my this trip of a lifetime I've just embarked on through Central and South America – more to come on that soon!