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TigerStop Blog
You Didn't Win the MegaMillions, But You Could Still Take Advantage of $1,000,000 in Tax Deductions
So, you didn't win $1.6 billion dollars. Join the club! But there's still a silver lining. What if we told you that you could buy machinery and software to help your manufacturing business and deduct up to $1,000,000 on your taxes? Well, your wish is […]Read More
Information Technology Will Help With Faster Production Times
With high customer demand, Scott Brode, the Midwest Regional Sales Manager for TigerStop, says the process fromsoftware design to shipment needs to be faster. The issue, he says, is getting the workers with the skill set to thoroughly get through the process. Watch the video to learn […]Read More
You Can't Afford Not to Have One of These
What is the most expensive tool? The answer is simpler than you may think. It's the one you need and don't have. If there is a need, investing in high quality, time-tested equipment to get the job done is invaluable. But sometimes taking the plunge […]Read More
How Alberta Glass Stays Ahead of the Curve
Architects today are sparing no expense in their designs. Beautiful curved glass is all the rage and curtain wall is the sophisticated building envelope of choice. Curtain wall allows the designer to use light and depth to create striking, complex structures with definite shock value. […]Read More
How To Turn Cabinet Parts Into Scrap Without Even Trying
The road to cabinetmaking excellence is littered with part failure. The miscues that can send a part to the reject bin instead of cabinet assembly are many and varied. Sometimes the rush to complete a task leads to a botched part. Other times, not adhering […]Read More
Less Waste And More Haste For Rice Lake Glass
We have all heard the adage "haste makes waste." And typically this sentiment is true. Rushing through projects is often a recipe for disaster causing costly errors in the long run. But not for one of Wisconsin's premier fenestration firms. Rice Lake Glass has adeptly […]Read More
What Makes TigerStop a Market Leader?
Becoming a market leader doesn't happen overnight. It's the result of years of experience, research and development, trials, tribulations, failures, successes, and ongoing feedback from our customers. That, coupled with our brand promise to help manufacturers compete on a global scale, has propelled us forward […]Read More
Take a Load Off with an Automatic Infeed Station
According to a recent Labor Department report, "U.S. manufacturers added 22,000 jobs in March, making the six-month hiring spree the strongest since 1998. A total of 12.6 million people are employed in the sector, the most since 2008." While this is definitely a hip-hip-hooray for […]Read More
Your Suppliers' Secrets Revealed: 10 Ways To Reduce Hardwood Costs
The cat is out of the bag! Your lumber supplier would be horrified if we shared his tricks of the trade, but here at TigerStop we are all about evening out the playing field. Everyone deserves to have a fighting chance. We actually make it our […]Read More
Why Buy A Treadmill? You Already Own A Table Saw.
Why work when you can workout instead? Anything around your shop can function as a dumbbell if you try hard enough. The same goes for your table saw fence. Not only can it rip wood, it can serve as a treadmill. How frequently do you have […]Read More


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Are You Throwing Away Your Time?
Does your car get good gas mileage? Mine does not, so I decided to start checking it every day. It's simple. I just fill-up my car every day on my way home. When I get home I enter the number of gallons and mileage on an excel spread sheet and voila, I have up-to-the-minute gas mileage.*
Now some of you are saying, "What a waste of time! Daily, up-to-the-minute readings are not needed."
My students use the card system. Each Mileage Club Card is worth 5 miles. Each day at Mileage Club I am greeted by students showing me their cards, telling me the number of laps they completed that day and the total number of miles they have walked. They know how they are doing. We've done that and learned that it just takes too much time. It makes the tally process much more cumbersome than it need be. To keep kids moving we use two punchers/markers. The kids keep their Cards in card files in the class room. When a Card is completed they receive a Toe Token and drop their Card in a box.
I only deal Cards when they are completed. I love it. My time spent tallying Cards is minimal. Awards other than Toe Tokens are provided once a week. The kids are fine with that. (Delayed gratification is okay. Anticipation often makes the award sweeter.) The youngest kids may not know exactly to the quarter mile where they stand every day, but they have a good idea, and they are okay with that.
Are you spending your time tallying miles? I'd rather spend my time walking with my kids.
*I really do not fill my gas tank each day. This was just an illustration. I hope you got the point.

subset: commoncrawl


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GREEN BAY, Wisc. (CN) - Sheriff's deputies in full battle gear shot a man to death in his own apartment, believing his roommate had stolen an Xbox, the dead man's estate claims in court.
The Estate of Adam Brown sued Brown County, Sheriff's Sgt. Timothy Thomas, and Deputy Matthew Secor, and Brown County, in Federal Court.
Brown's parents claim Officer Thomas obtained a warrant in December 2006 to search the rental apartment where Brown lived with (nonparty) Stone Moreaux. Thomas believed Moreaux had stolen an Xbox, according to the complaint.
"Despite the warrant simply being related to stolen property, defendant Sergeant Timothy Thomas assembled a large team of officers to execute the warrant," the complaint states. The team included at least seven officers, according to the complaint.
"The team was clothed in body armor and armed with semi-automatic and automatic weapons," the complaint states.
At the apartment, the team "noted that there were two males inside the residence playing video games, and at no time prior to the execution of the search warrant did any of the officers on the team have any reason to believe that any occupant of the apartment posed a risk of harm to any member of the team or any third party," according to the complaint.
The team broke down the door when their knock was not immediately answered, at about 6:20 p.m., the complaint states.
"Upon the officers' entry into the residence, Adam Brown panicked and ran to the upstairs bedroom where he had an unloaded long gun in violation of the terms of his probation in an unrelated, prior prosecution.
"Deputy Matthew Secor followed Adam to the upstairs bedroom and, according to Deputy Matthew Secor, Adam was holding the long gun.
"Deputy Matthew Secor responded by immediately, and without issuing Adam any warning, shooting five or six rounds from his semi-automatic rifle at Adam, hitting Adam four times.
"Adam was taken to the emergency room at St. Vincent's Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
"The investigation that was conducted by the officers after the shooting confirmed that the gun that Adam was allegedly holding at the time of the shooting was not loaded."
Mary Brown, administrator of Adam's estate, seeks punitive damages for unconstitutional practices and unreasonable deadly use of force.
The estate is represented by John Peterson with Peterson, Berk & Cross in Appleton.
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of HTML?
Advantages of HTML:
- HTMl is widely used.
- Every web browser supports HTML language.
- It is easy to use and learn.
- It is by default in every window, so you don't need to purchase extra software.
Disadvantages of HTML:
- HTML is used for a static web page, not for dynamic
- Need to write a lot of code for making a simple webpage.
- Security features are not useful in HTML.
BY Best Interview Question ON 31 Mar 2020


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Thermalright Shaman and GTX 580 are friends now
Thermalright's VGA heat-sinks Shaman and Spitfire are now compatible with can Ge force GTX580 graphic card
GeForce GTX 580 is already available for purchase. There are lot of reviews published already.
As we know, GTX 580 uses an innovative cooling system — vapor chamber, however, even with smaller TDP values this cards still has high operating temps at full loads, for example when running Furmark. Moreover, at full loads GTX 580 automatically lowers the operating voltage and clocks through VGA driver in order to protect the cards from overheating.
Of course, there are ways to turn off that safety feature, though its gives about 8 to 10 degrees temperature difference. Still this is not enough for overclocking fans.
The good news is that Thermalright's VGA heat-sinks Shaman and Spitfire are now compatible with can Ge force GTX580 graphic card.
As manufacturer states:
With Thermalright Shamman installed you will have much lower temperatures and less noise produced compared to stock GTX 580 cooling system. This should satisfy even hard-to-please user.
The following list includes Thermalright products that can be installed on GTX 580:
- Shaman
- Spitfire GF100 BTK
Source: Thermalright


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Below you will find the final presentations of each of the Lean Startup Machine NYC teams, including SnappSchool, who was judged to be the winner. To give a little context, I asked two of the other judges - Brant Cooper and Patrick Vlaskovits (co-authors of the excellent Entrepreneur's Guide to Customer Development) - to add a bit of commentary. You'll find their comments below each presentation.
The thing to keep in mind as you peruse these teams is that they all had the exact same amount of time: 48 hours. All of the teams worked incredibly hard. But only a few made significant progress. Only a few really treated their work as experiments - and adjusted immediately, based on what they learned, to something that worked better. Take a look...
The Winner
Brant: Two things elevated Snappschool: 1) MVP was a functioning product -- as long as you searched for the correct subject! 2) They put it all on the line: if teachers don't click submit, the product is dead. That's optimal learning.
Patrick: "This was a very strong and analytically-minded team which executed very well -- did a great job with their MVP ---- still up here: http://m.airportadventure.com"
Brant: "Love Your Layover" won the "Best MVP" award. They actually built and tested several MVPs, the last of which was a web-based prototype of their mobile app that used real airport data.
Brant: Interesting idea that would only work in a limited number of cities. Email thread in presentation demonstrates potential market. Risk that hosts wouldn't let group of strangers into their apartment was never tested. Great use of airbnb for their source of customer development won them 'Best #CustDev Award."
Patrick: "Great job with MVP and Demo. Smart team that did very well. See their MVP here: http://app.unbrokered.com/view
Brant: It's not often we get to see a demo in the final presentation. Make that never. Until Unbrokered. That was pretty awesome.
Brant: Gotta wonder if the Vision was louder than the Market on this one. They had a great MVP using SMS the 1st night and a little traction, but then moved to Android App without market indication to do so. Seems like they could have crushed it with the SMS app. Co-winner of Best MVP.
Brant: Best Presentation and unannounced winner of the Old Yeller Award. They were forced by the market to take their idea out back and put a cap in it. Leaped to a new idea and accomplished an incredible amount of market validation, as well as overcoming technical risk, in the last few hours of the competition.
Patrick: "IMO a genuine problem worth solving - this team went from having very little knowledge of how professional domainers operate to having a strong knowledge understanding of the economics of domaining."
Brant: This team won the "lean learning" award for the amazing amount of learning they did. There product lives in a huge, messy ecosystem facing genuine problems, but also populated with questionable characters. They successfully used lean startup processes to learn their way toward manageable problems. They still have a ways to go, but a clear(er) path forward.
Patrick: "Did a good job with, very literally, "getting out of the building" ---- however, showed that sometimes it is very difficult to obtain actionable data from CustDev interactions."
Brant: I think this team represents a great demonstration of the "pivot," where one foot is grounded in learning. In this case, the fulcrum is not product, but the pain point that people end up in the wrong jobs. "Best Pivot."
Patrick: "Thought the initial idea was big --- didn't quite understand the pivot to subscription e-commerce handbags."
Brant: Stylestalkr won the "Apply to TechStars Award" because several judges this idea actually might be the one with legs. Pun intended.
Patrick: "Liked this team a lot but unfortunately demonstrated a severe misunderstanding of what an "early adopter" is in the context of Lean Startups. "
Brant: Best MVP would have been to (manually) find pools of users for all the startups inside the same building and charge them for it. You don't need a landing page or an app or a platform to prove some markets.
Brant: There actually might be something there, there. But I'm note sure how close they got to finding out.
Brant: Interesting example of a particular #CustDev dilemma: pain with which customers quickly identify, yet for which, customers are generally unwilling to put up with, let alone pay for a solution. Why? Because no one watches the old videos anyway, and soon the footage will be their children's problem. ; )
Thanks to all of the teams - you're showing the world what entrepreneurship really looks like. And a special thanks to all of the Lean Startup Machine organizers, mentors, and judges.
The next Lean Startup Machine will be an extra special SLLCONF edition. It will take place the weekend before the Startup Lessons Learned conference on May 23 in San Francisco. Stay tuned for details.


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RANCHO PALOS VERDES, California — Microsoft's new CEO, Satya Nadella, just steered the company into exciting and relatively uncharted territory: near real-time speech-to-speech translation.
"It's been a dream of humanity ever since we started to speak and we wanted to cross the language boundary," said Nadella.
Speaking at Re/Code's inaugural Code Conference (formerly the "D Conference") in Southern California, Nadella and Skype Corporate VP Gurdeep Singh Pall made a Skype call to a non-English-speaking German friend. Then both parties spoke to and understood each other thanks to the live translation capabilities of the Skype Translator pre-beta.
"No one else does this," Pall told me, adding, "It's the first time something like this has been attempted." And it's probably something we need.
English is not the most commonly spoken language in the world. By some estimates, it's third behind Chinese (and all its variants) and Hindi. However, our increasingly globalized society all but demands that we find a way to communicate across language barriers. Skype already, by Microsoft's measure, boasts more than 300 million active members and handles roughly one third of international call traffic. Imagine what it could do with built-in voice translation.
Microsoft is not new to the speech recognition game. You'll find the same technology in the recently launched Cortana personal assistant in Windows Phone 8.1 and in the speech recognition that been live on Xbox 360, and now Xbox One, for over a year. Skype Translator, which comes out of Microsoft Research, is actually three technologies: speech recognition, text-to-speech and machine translation.
"The Skype community is big — REALLY big," wrote Peter Lee, Head of Microsoft Research in an email to Mashable."To make Skype Translator a reality, it needed great research to get the science right, and great engineering to make it practical and scalable."
Here's how Skype Translator works: Speaker A starts talking. Skype Translator recognizes the words and actually transcribes them into text. The text transcription of Speaker A is then translated into the language of Speaker B. It's then voice-synthesized into Speaker B's language.
This sounds slow, and Pall told me you do wait a little for the translation to happen. However, he insists that this is not a "tech latency problem." The process can go quite fast, but since there is a video component here, the system works to make it all seem natural.
While Speaker A is talking, Speaker B will actually hear their voice, at a lower volume, even as Skype Translator begins to do its work and starts delivering translated, spoken words. Moreover, the system is looking for natural pauses or, as Pall explained it, "silence detection," in speech to start translating. The length of time it takes to translate is totally dependent on the length of the sentence or phrase. The alternative would have been to have the speaker hold a button while speaking and let it go when they wanted to deliver a sentence or phrase. This approach should be more natural.
As for how Skype Translate knows which languages to use, you'll set your preferred language in preferences. No on-the-fly language detection, for now.
Like other speech systems, Skype Translator will learn over time and its translation and speech may improve. It will, however, be a little while before we're calling our cousins in Italy and saying in their native tongue, "Come stai amico mio?" Skype Translator will appear as a standalone Windows 8.1 app later this year. The goal is to bake it into Skype proper on all platforms, though Microsoft has not set a timetable this full-scale rollout.


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- להאזנה בלבבי-ד 014 כח הרצון
Chapter 14 Revealing Your Ratzon
- להאזנה בלבבי-ד 014 כח הרצון
Bilvavi Part 4 - Chapter 14 Revealing Your Ratzon
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- שלח דף במייל
Nothing Stands In The Way Of Your Inner Will – When You Reveal It
Anyone who lives a little bit with the truth - and who is found within it - will right away arrive at the recognition that there is really not much to do here in this physical world, olam hazeh. Life for everyone is a galgal chozer - a cycle of coming here to this physical world and then returning to the next world.
The only thing we really have on this physical life we are living is that we can have the time now to dedicate our soul for Hashem and use it for Him.
Besides for this, whatever we think we have is all being imagined. It's all fleeting. Anyone who has opened up his real sight at least a little can see that he has already lost any taste for anything on this world. Even if a person does have some enjoyment from this world, it's only momentarily, because our soul considers this world worthless. The only satisfaction we feel in physical pleasure is coming from our body, which gets calmed when it tastes physical pleasure. But our soul doesn't enjoy anything on this world other than the times when we use our soul to search for Hashem. This is all that we truly have in life; the Mesillas Yesharim said that "besides for this, anything else that people think is 'good' is nothing but futile and worthless."
However, the yetzer hora works to make people forget this from their minds, and even when we remember it in our mind, it is nonexistent in our heart. But the truth is that our soul only wants to do what Hashem wants. "Retzoneinu laasos retzoncha" – "It is our will to do Your will." Our soul has a ratzon\will for closeness to Hashem, to be attached to Hashem and to give a nachas ruach (satisfaction) to the Creator. This is the inner will of the soul.
But when the soul is concealed and hidden away, it isn't revealed (and thus it isn't accessed), so a person is left with his outer desires, which are many; each to his own.
Let's think about this. When we begin, why is it so hard to serve Hashem? What is holding us back from growing? What is deterring us?
The answer is clear: our soul is concealed from us, and thus the inner will of our soul is concealed with it. This is what is holding us back from all growth!
There is a famous expression of our Sages, "Nothing stands in the way of the will." What kind of will is this referring to? Can it be referring to our body's desires? This cannot be, because we can all see that many people want various things, yet they don't end up getting what they want.
"Nothing stands in the way of the will" must therefore mean that nothing gets in the way of our true will, our root will, our inner will. All the "retzonos" (desires) in our heart which are not a true ratzon to get close to Hashem are just called "retzonos" as a borrowed terminology, but they are not the real retzonos. They are just imaginary ratzon; they might feel to us like a ratzon, but they are lacking the depth of what a ratzon is. It is only a sliver of a ratzon. The only true ratzon which exists is the ratzon of which nothing stands in its way.
Olam hazeh is called "a world of exchanges" (olam hatemuros), and a "galgal chozer" – a revolving cycle. This applies to us in that all the various, external retzonos which people have are constantly exchanging. One day a person wants money, the next day he wants honor, and the next day he wants something else. The various retzonos that people have are constantly changing.
There is one kind of ratzon, however, of which we can say of it "I am Hashem, and I do not change." This is the G-dly will in a person, the ratzon in a person to do Hashem's will and become close to Him. Other retzonos that we have conceal from us the true ratzon of a person, the ratzon of the soul.
When Shabbos is at its peak, (by Mincha) it is referred to as "raava d'raavon" – "desire of desires." This is the most elevated time of the whole Shabbos, as is well-known. At the tefillah of Mincha on Shabbos, before the Torah is taken out of the ark, we say the possuk, "And I pray to You, Hashem, at this desirable time (eis ratzon)", because it is the time of raava d'raavon. It is the time in which the ultimate ratzon is revealed, the innermost ratzon.
Moshe Rabbeinu has the same gematria (numerical value) as the word ratzon. He left the world at the time of raava d'raavon – Shabbos Mincha. This is because the true ratzon of every Jew was revealed through Moshe Rabbeinu.
As long as the inner ratzon of a Jew hasn't yet been revealed, the other retzonos of a person (which are not the real retzonos, only imagined) are at work and they do not bring a person to the truth. Without revealing the ratzon of the soul, the rule "Nothing stands in the way of the will", cannot be applied because if the will isn't a true will, then of course things can get in its way. For this reason, people do not achieve their goals, because things are getting in the way; they haven't revealed their true ratzon, so many factors can oppose their "retzonos" and get in the way.
The mission of a person is thus to reveal his inner ratzon. After it is revealed, only then will nothing get in his way. It is written, "To man belongs the arrangements of his heart, and from Hashem will come the answer."[1]First, a person needs to arrange what's going on his heart so that he can reveal his true ratzon, and after that Hashem does the rest.
As long as the true ratzon of a person hasn't been revealed, there will definitely be things holding a person back from reaching closeness to Hashem. Only after one has uncovered his true ratzon will he arrive at the truth.
The Test To Uncover Your Ratzon
If you ask any person, "Do you want to be close to Hashem?" the answer will be most definitely "Yes." But we can give a simple test to see if this is true.
Since we just explained that only the ratzon to get close to Hashem is the true ratzon, and that all other retzonos aren't genuine and they are just being fantasized, if so, the strongest ratzon of a person has to express itself in the desire for Hashem. So a person has to check himself out and see if this ratzon has already begun to become revealed a little, or not. How can a person do this?
If a person views his ratzon to become close to Hashem as the strongest ratzon that he knows of in himself, then it is a sign that he has begun to reveal it. But if it's just another ratzon on his list of other retzonos – or if it is less important than his other retzonos (chas v'shalom ), it shows that he hasn't yet begun to reveal his inner ratzon, because he doesn't give it much priority. The ratzon to become close to Hashem is in a whole different league than the other retzonos – it doesn't even compare to the other retzonos. As long as a person doesn't feel that it his strongest ratzon, it is concealed.
Revealing The Inner Ratzon By Being Alone
"And I pray to You, Hashem, at this desirable time." From the "desirable time" (eis ratzon) with the Creator, a person draws forth the ability to awaken his inner ratzon.
How do we awaken the inner ratzon? We can learn it from Moshe Rabbeinu and how he departed from this world.
It is written, "And no man knows of his burial". No one knows where Moshe Rabbeinu is buried. There are many interpretations of this possuk, but the following explanation is relevant to our discussion: Since no one knows where Moshe Rabbeinu is buried, Moshe Rabbeinu is alone. If we would know where he is buried, we would be able to come to his kever and connect to him since visiting the grave is a form of having a connection to the deceased. But Moshe Rabbeinu's kever is unknown to anyone; after he departed, he has become alone.
We also know that Moshe left the world at the time of Shabbos Mincha, which is the time of "raava d'raavon" – the time in which it is revealed the innermost desire of a person. If we put these two facts together – the fact that Moshe is alone, and the fact that he left the world at the time when the inner ratzon is revealed – we can see how we get to the true ratzon: by being "alone."
Yaakov Avinu "fought alone" with the angel, but he was only temporarily alone; after the fight, he went back to civilization. But Moshe Rabbeinu, after he departed, remains alone – in other words, he has totally left any form of connection to this physical world. He was totally connected to the sublime, with not a trace of superficiality.
The words we are saying here are continuing what we have spoken earlier about an hour every day of daily reflection. In order for a person to awaken his inner ratzon, he has to be "alone"; as long as a person only knows of companionship with people and not with Hashem, he falls from his inner ratzon and connects only to superficiality, to various external retzonos.
If a person really wants to get to know who he is – where his soul is at – if he really desires Hashem, he must be "alone." He has to acquire solitude of the soul in which he is alone with Hashem.
These words are not a derasha, and they are not ideas. Anyone who has begun to touch wisdom knows that this concept is a fundamental one in Creation, stemming from the root of Creation. The root of Creation is called keser, "crown", and it represents the inner ratzon; in order to awaken it, one must be "alone."
The Evil Inclination Cannot Defeat Your Inner Ratzon
Herein lies the root of succeeding in serving Hashem (and chas v'shalom, the other way around as well.) As long as a person has revealed his inner ratzon, nothing will get in his way. What is usually preventing people growing in their ruchniyus is because they have begun Avodas Hashem without ever having revealed beforehand that they have a true will to serve Hashem.
Of course, people always have some ratzon for Hashem, in any case; if a person wouldn't have any trace of ratzon to serve Hashem, then he never would be interested in Avodas Hashem in the first place. What we mean is that the ratzon of a person has to become like a raavah d'raavon – a deep desire – and not just to remain a mere desire in you; otherwise, a person is missing the inner point of his ratzon.
One cannot proceed in Avodas Hashem and grow if he's missing the root of Avodas Hashem. The question is, though, what exactly is the root that is causing this problem in us? We will explain this more in detail.
Every person has retzonos; in addition to this, we also have our thoughts.
When a person hears that he needs to change and become more truthful – and he feels inspired to do so, since the inner ratzon within himself wants it – he immediately leaves the point of ratzon and instead gets involved with his thoughts, thinking: "How can I get close to Hashem? What must I do? What are the ways to get there?" The thoughts come and hold back the ratzon! He knows what he wants, and he even feels it – and then he wants to serve Him. But the yetzer hora is very strong, and he comes to a person and convinces him otherwise, as Chazal say; we mentioned this earlier.
The advice to overcome this problem, the Ramchal said, is an hour every day of reflection.
How does this help against the yetzer hora?
The answer is because the yetzer hora cannot destroy your inner ratzon. The yetzer hora can only defeat your ratzon when your ratzon isn't yet real. But when you have a real ratzon, it is such a deep point in your soul that no evil can ever penetrate it, and the yetzer hora can't fight it.
As long as one's ratzon is still only the lower ratzon, it's the ratzon of the yetzer hora versus the ratzon of the yetzer hatov, and they are at war with each other. But when a person awakens his inner ratzon more and more, he has brought his soul to the fore, and the yetzer hora cannot overcome the soul. Evil can overcome your intellect, your feelings, your desires – but it cannot overcome your very soul. Your soul itself is stronger than even the yetzer hora.
Before a person reveals the inner ratzon, it is a difficult war with the yetzer hora, and the tests are very difficult. When a person awakens the innermost point of himself – his deepest ratzon – he has revealed a point which is above the yetzer hora's reach, and the yetzer hora won't be able to overcome his will.
Thus, a person has two choices. Either he can go his whole life "fighting the yetzer hora", trying his hardest to battle evil, using his weak ratzon in his arsenal…or he has another choice, the higher path to take: he can reveal in himself a power that is stronger than the yetzer hora.
Chazal (Sukkah 52a) state that the "evil inclination gets stronger every day, and if not for the help of Hashem, it would be impossible to overcome it." What this means is that there is a deep point in the soul that is G-dly which cannot be defeated by the yetzer hora. Without revealing this point in the soul, a person is left to fight the yetzer hora with his mere physical strength, which of course will be pathetic to fight with, and even his more spiritual powers, such as his intellect, can also be overcome by the yetzer hora. But when a person awakens his inner ratzon, his spirituality will overcome all physical lure, just like how wind can blow away rain.
What a person has to work on, then, is to awaken his power of "retzoneinu laasos retzoncha" – "It is our will to do Your will."
Davening To Reveal Your Inner Ratzon
How do we reach our inner will? How do we awaken our soul to want the truth?
Firstly, as we said earlier, we need an hour every day of reflection. During this time, we should then work to awaken our ratzon. The question is only how to do that.
There will be two parts to this – we need to "do good" as well as "remove ourselves from evil." To "do good", we need to awaken our true desire of closeness to Hashem, and to "remove ourselves from evil", we need to get rid of our various external desires.
In order to awaken "It is our will to do Your will" – the positive aspect here – someone who can reflect deeply with his mind will be able to do it when he reflects on it. But this can only be accomplished by certain rare individuals.
There is another way to do it, and it is more truthful. This is that one should talk to Hashem, and say, "Ribono shel olam, You created me, and the purpose of creation is to become close to You. This is clear to me. It is also clear to me that the true desire of my soul is to become close to You; yet it is also clear to me that my heart doesn't feel this way as of now. My heart wants this thing and that thing. I know that my will to become close to You is what I really want, and that all of my desires in comparison to this are not the real thing. Even though I am aware of this, I still want those externalities. Ribono shel Olam, help me that I should truly want You, that I should actually feel that will to become close to You, that this ratzon of mine should not stay concealed from me. Let it become awakened. Don't just awaken it – let this ratzon always be revealed! I am beseeching You that You help me truly want You."
This is how a person should speak to Hashem – again and again, day after day, week after week, month after month. Daven just for this one point: "Ribono shel olam, I really want to feel the inner ratzon of my soul to become close to You. I know that I don't feel this way, and I am begging You to remove the impurity in me that is holding me back from feeling my true ratzon."
However, make sure that you don't imagine that you already feel the inner ratzon. One has to be very aware of himself and know what he really wants, what level his heart is at; he has to be aware if his heart desires any externalities. One should not deny his human weaknesses; be aware of them, but at the same time, daven to Hashem that your true ratzon should become revealed.
Don't think that this will come to you because you have reached a high level or because of your merits. Rather, daven to Hashem one simple request: "You created me for a certain purpose, and this is Your will. Do this for Your sake, that I be able to serve You. I don't have merits on my own; I am not worthy. But for this I ask: take me as I am and take care of me. Awaken in me a desire for You, for Your sake."
If a person thinks that his inner ratzon will become revealed because of his merits or from reaching high levels, such thoughts are detrimental and they will actually distract him from getting to his inner ratzon, because he will just fall into his ego and have an internal kind of gaavah (arrogance).
A person has to come to Hashem like a simple Jew, as if he was born today anew, and ask Hashem, "You created me for a purpose. Please help me reach that purpose. It is true that I don't always act properly, but just because of this I should be left back in my situation and never reach my goal, which is to become close to You?! I ask of You one thing – please merit me that I should have the true ratzon for You."
These very words awaken the inner ratzon, and in addition to this – and this is the main point – by davening for it day after day, and week after week – Hashem will surely listen to the tefillos.
A lot of patience is required for this. If someone wants to see overnight success, he will be very disappointed.
Knowing Our Direction In Life
A person has to understand the basic point: If one doesn't have a ratzon for the Creator, chas v'shalom, and he doesn't want to become close to Him – there is nothing to live for, and there will be nothing for him to do on this world! This is a world of fantasy. "A generation goes and a generation comes, while the earth stays forever."[2]
Even more so, what does a person take with him from this world? Some food, some sleep, some enjoyment here and there? We only remain with one thing from this world: the desire and yearning for Hashem, for the true closeness to have with Him. That is the single thing we can have from this world.
"At the time a person is about to die, he is not escorted by his silver, by his gold, by his jewels and diamonds, but by his Torah learning and mitzvos alone."[3] Only Torah learning that was spent with attachment to Hashem, and mitzvos that were done with the recognition that the only true good thing on this world is closeness to Hashem, will escort a person into the next world, where a person will attain the innermost closeness.
If a person just lives thinking that Avodas Hashem is just an important thing – even if he knows it's very important – if he's also looking to gratify his worldly desires, he has a big problem. A person in this situation needs to sit alone and beg Hashem that he be helped with this. During these times of quiet, a person needs to beseech Hashem from the depths of his heart that all his various desires which aren't important should be removed.
This avodah can take days and even weeks. One part of it is for a person to feel that he must only have a ratzon for Hashem, and the other part of it is for a person to ask of Hashem, "Ribono shel olam, I know that my true will is to become close to You, but my heart doesn't feel it. Please do me a kindness and take away my untrue desires."
A person has to really agree deep down that he doesn't want anything else besides this. Sometimes a person davens that he doesn't want kavod (honor), but deep down, he wishes that Hashem would grant him some more kavod…a person has to be very honest with himself, and daven many tefillos for this, and then Hashem will surely help him.
The basic point is that a person has to decide: I am ready to give up all worldly interests!
Such a decision will have to be carried out slowly, in steps, and not to work on too many changes at once. But a person has to clear what the central point of his life is, to which direction he is heading towards. We have only one point towards which we should be aiming, and that is retzoinenu laasos retzoncha, "It is our will to do Your will." We need to remove all the "yeast in the sourdough" (a reference to the evil inclination) from us and remain with just one ratzon alone, a desire for Hashem.
If a person isn't prepared for the fact that at the end of his life he will only be left with this one ratzon, then he will be never able to grow in life. First we have to really want it, and then we can daven to Hashem that he remove all our external desires and let us reveal our inner ratzon.
When a person keeps to this, and he davens to Hashem like this with all his heart and he doesn't give up, without a doubt he will be answered, and he will merit that "we have only one heart, toward our Father in heaven."
NOTE: Final english versions are only found in the Rav's printed seforim »


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Intelligent Design
Physics, Earth & Space
On the 15th Anniversary of The Privileged Planet: An Update
Last month marked 15 years since the publication of The Privileged Planet (TPP hereafter). Since then, scientists have continued to publish research in areas relevant to the book's content. These areas include cosmology, cosmological fine-tuning, exoplanets, Earth's geology, the Moon, and astrobiology. Several books have also come up, overlapping with the content of The Privileged Planet.
Although Jay Richards and I did not write TPP as a sequel to Rare Earth (written by my former University of Washington colleagues Don Brownlee and Peter Ward), the two books are often compared to each other. The basic thesis of Rare Earth is that much must go just right for a planet to be habitable for complex and especially intelligent life, but that simple life might be common. In this sense its authors make a case for Earth's specialness, but they chalk it up to luck of the draw.
"It Worries Me"
A couple of recent books follow the same overall theme as Rare Earth. In Alone in the Universe: Why Our Planet is Unique (2011), John Gribbin not only considers that we might be alone, he says this about solar eclipses:
Just now the Moon is about 400 times smaller than the Sun, but the Sun is 400 times farther away than the Moon, so that they look the same size on the sky. At the present moment of cosmic time, during an eclipse, the disc of the Moon almost exactly covers the disc of the Sun. In the past the Moon would have looked much bigger and would have completely obscured the Sun during eclipses; in the future, the Moon will look much smaller from Earth and a ring of sunlight will be visible even during an eclipse. Nobody has been able to think of a reason why intelligent beings capable of noticing this oddity should have evolved on Earth just at the time that the coincidence was there to be noticed. It worries me, but most people seem to accept it as just one of those things.
If Gribbin had read the first chapter of TPP, he would have known that someone has indeed provided an explanation for this coincidence.
Nothing Special?
In Lucky Planet: Why Earth is Exceptional — And What That Means for Life in the Universe, David Waltham (see here and here) pushes back hard against the view that Earth and its life are nothing special. Waltham's book is more sophisticated than Gribbin's, and it is backed up by several research papers Waltham has written in geology and astronomy. His work especially helps to strengthen the central thesis of the first chapter of TPP. Still, just like Rare Earth, Alone in the Universe and Lucky Planet do not explain our specialness in terms of design.
In principle we could attribute Earth's exceptional habitability to intelligent design if the known probabilistic resources are exhausted. In other words, if you consider each exoplanetary system as a different "roll of the dice," are there enough to overcome the low odds? I don't think we know the probabilities well enough to make this kind of design argument. For this reason, we make a different kind of design argument in TPP.
An Exceptional Platform for Discovery
The basic thesis of TPP is that the best places for intelligent observers are also the best places for observing. A corollary is that Earth is both an exceptionally habitable place and an exceptional platform for discovery. It is an empirical cumulative case argument. If it is a fair statement about reality, then I expect the TPP thesis to strengthen as we gain knowledge in astronomy, physics, and the Earth sciences.
Michael Denton's recent books in his Privileged Species series, Fire-Maker: How Humans Were Designed to Harness Fire and Transform our Planet (2016), The Wonder of Water: Water's Profound Fitness for Life on Earth and Mankind (2017), and Children of the Light: Astonishing Properties of Sunlight that Make us Possible (2018), help to update and expand the content of several chapters in TPP.
Another helpful book is The Story of Earth: The First 4.5 Billion Years, from Stardust to Living Planet (2012), by Robert Hazen (see here and here). Hazen notes that Earth has the greatest diversity of mineral species of any body in the Solar System. Over 4,600 mineral species are known on Earth. Mars probably has about 500 and Venus about 1,000. What's more, Hazen discovered that life processes formed about two-thirds of Earth's mineral species. The accessible, abundant, and diverse minerals and fossil fuels prepared the way for our technological society.
I could go on, but I want to save some new material for the revised edition of TPP.
Photo: The Earth and the Sun, as seen from the International Space Station, by NASA.


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Scores of activists imprisoned in Bahrain
Court sentences 50 people to between five and 15 years in jail for setting up a group that organises protests.
A Bahraini court has sentenced 50 people to between five and 15 years in jail for setting up a group that organises anti-government protests, and that authorities say is working to topple the government by force, activists say.
Bahrain has seen almost daily protests by members of the Shia Muslim majority since February 2011, when it crushed a Shia-led uprising demanding that the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty give up power.
Activists said the government had accused those convicted on Sunday of membership of the February 14 movement, which has been organising protests against the government since 2011.
Bahrain's head of public prosecution had described the group as a terrorist organisation.
This was a sham trial with a political verdict, they should be released immediately
Asked for comment, an official said a government statement on the matter was being prepared.
The main Shia opposition party Al Wefaq called it a "black day for justice".
Yousif al-Muhafda from the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights said that "a group of February 14 activists were sentenced to between five and 15 years in jail".
The group said there were human rights campaigners among those convicted "under the internationally criticised and vague terrorism law", and that the sentences added up to more than 400 years in jail.
"This was a sham trial with a political verdict, they should be released immediately," the group's acting president, Maryam Al-Khawaja, said in a statement.
Mohammed al-Maskati, head of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights, which describes itself as a local rights group, said a member of the society's board had been given a 15-year sentence.
Some of the suspects were convicted in absentia.
Bahrain's Shia Muslims have long complained of entrenched discrimination in areas such as employment and public services, allegations that the Sunni-led government denies.
The persistent unrest has placed Bahrain on the front line of a struggle for regional influence between Sunni Saudi Arabia, Bahrain's close ally, and Shia Iran, which denies Bahraini accusations of fomenting Shia protests.


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Nuclear-wary Japan restarts another atomic reactor
A Japanese utility switched on another nuclear reactor Tuesday in a small victory for the government's pro-atomic push, despite strong public opposition after the 2011 Fukushima meltdown.
The restart of the No. 3 reactor at the Takahama nuclear plant brings the number of running reactors in Japan to five, while dozens more remain offline.
The plant, operated by Kansai Electric Power (KEPCO), is located in Fukui prefecture, some 350 kilometres (215 miles) west of Tokyo.
Tuesday's restart comes after the utility switched on Takahama's No 4 reactor last month after a court cleared its restart, despite complaints from local residents over safety concerns. The court also gave the green light to switch on the No. 3 reactor.
Japan shut down all of its atomic reactors after a powerful earthquake in March 2011 spawned a huge tsunami that led to meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
It became the world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986.
Since then, just a handful of reactors have come back online due to public opposition and as legal cases work their way through the courts.
However, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has aggressively promoted nuclear energy, calling it essential to powering the world's third-largest economy.
Much of the public remains wary of nuclear power after the disaster at Fukushima spewed radiation over a large area and forced tens of thousands to leave their homes, with some unlikely to ever return.


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Vallejo Surface Primers Light Ghost Gray 60ml BottleManufacture Product Number : VLJ-73615
Available in 17 ml./0.57 fl.oz. bottles (with eyedropper) and in larger sizes of 60 ml./2.02 fl.oz. and 200 ml./6.76 fl.oz. (with flip top and eyedropper).
Surface Primer is available in a range of basic shades most frequently employed to prepare the surface of the model or miniature before starting the painting process. Primers can be applied on all surfaces, resin, PVC, brass, white metal or wood. The primer preserving even the smallest detail of a model, and improves the adherence of the colors applied on this base. It is recommended to apply the Primer in various layers; the product dries rapidly and forms a homogenous film of extraordinary strength and resistance within a few hours after application. Surface Primer can be used directly or diluted with Vallejo Airbrush Thinner of Flow Improver. The recommended compressor settings are around 15-20 PSI or 0.5 to 1 kg. For best maintenance of the airbrush, it is recommended to use the Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner.
Surface Primer is not flammable, and does not contain solvents. Please see also certified safety information of the product on the Safety page.
Type = Paint, Glues and Finishing Supplies
Category = Primers
Material = Acrylic
Date of Release = 2022-04-25
Status = Available
This item is Normally Stocked but may take up to two weeks for delivery if not in stock. We will notify you of any delaysMSRP: $7.99


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According to CougFan, JC placekicker Mike Bowlin is headed to Pullman after signing on Junior College National Letter of Intent Day. Bowlin is a big kid -- 6'4, 204 lbs. -- and has a pretty big leg. He's not without his baggage, though.
Once upon a time, Mike Bowlin was the #3 kicker in the nation. After graduating high school, Bowlin committed to the University of Oregon. After sitting out his first year via redshirt, he left the Oregon program amidst scandal. According to reports, he was possibly intoxicated and harassing a female student. Two males assaulted him, and former Oregon K Rob Beard jumped in to defend Bowlin. Beard was sent to the hospital where he required surgery on his face. After the brawl, Bowlin left the team and transferred to Saddleback JC in Mission Viejo, CA.
I'd like to take this time to plead with everyone: please do not make this personal. No one really knows what happened, and it was almost two years ago. Bowlin has presumably learned from his mistakes, and moved on. The coaching staff is apparently satisfied with how everything turned out, or they wouldn't have signed him.
I can't believe I'm looking at tape of a kicker. It's so weird. It's pretty cut and dry, though. There's not much insight I can provide. He has grown a lot since he graduated high school, which is good because I prefer big kickers anyway. Well, proportionally big. Furney.
It'll be nice to have a kicker who doesn't fail to kick it past the 10 on kickoffs. Furney was a pretty good kicker last year, at least in terms of FGs. I wouldn't be surprised if Leach went to a two kicker system with Bowlin the guy on kickoffs, and Furney the guy on PATs and FGs. Bowlin also punted in high school, so he could take over punting duties if asked.
Overall, I see no harm in bringing in a JC kicker. Our kicking game hasn't been legitimately good since Drew Dunning, and that's sad. Mainly because I hate Drew Dunning with the fire of 1,000 suns, but also because that was a long time ago. Bowlin is a good get for Leach. He's not a great get, but he's a good get which is better than a just-ok-get and definitely better than a bad get. Good get good get good get good get. Get good? Yes, that'll do.
In other recruiting news, RB Terrell Davis has de-committed. He talked to the coaching staff, and much like I figured, his bruising rushing style isn't really a fit with Leach's "I never run the ball" offense. Davis' departure makes him the sixth member of Paul Wulff's recruiting class to do so. Vershad Jackson, Rashad Jackson, Travis Gardner, Fernando Villanueva, Jordan Pulu, and now Davis have all decided to pursue other opportunities. Pulu is the biggest blow, in my estimation, as he was one of my Fave Five from this class. (Yes, that was a Booker T reference for anyone who watches WWE.)
Hope everyone has a fantastic holiday weekend.
Want more? Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Also, check out Recruiting Central


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Navigating the Equity, Fixed Income And Alternatives Markets by LPL Financial
The Portfolio Compass provides a snapshot of LPL Financial Research's views on equity and alternative asset classes, the equity sectors, and fixed income. This biweekly publication illustrates our current views and will change as needed over a 3- to 12-month time horizon.
Reading the Portfolio Compass
- Fundamental, technical, and valuation characteristics for each category are shown by colored squares.
- Negative, neutral, or positive views are illustrated by a solid black bar positioned over the color scale, while an outlined black bar with an arrow indicates change and shows the previous view.
- Rationales for our views are provided beneath each category.
Compass Changes
- Upgraded energy commodities view to neutral/positive from neutral/negative.
- Upgraded energy sector to neutral from negative/neutral.
Investment Takeaways
- Our 2014 stock market return forecast remains for gains of 10 – 15% despite the recent increase in volatility, supported by continued near double-digit earnings gains in the second half.*
- Our recent downgrade to our foreign equities view reflected lackluster growth and structural impediments in Europe, despite bold actions from the European Central Bank (ECB).
- Our upgraded energy commodities view follows oil's bear market decline to the low $80s, providing what we view as attractive valuations for the energy sector.
- A lower than benchmark weighting to bonds may be appropriate, as the yield does not compensate investors for the interest rate risk.
- A growth scare is driving strong demand for high-quality bonds, but a return to focus on fundamental data will likely reveal an economy that remains quite healthy and may reverse the recent surge.
- From a technical perspective, the S&P 500 is testing key support at the 200-day simple moving average; if support holds, there may be an opportunity to buy in on a dip at these levels.
Equity & Alternative Asset Classes
Looking for a Bounce in Stocks and Oil
- Our 2014 stock market forecast remains for gains of 10 – 15%, despite the recent increase in volatility, supported by continued near-double-digit earnings gains in the second half.*
- ??Midterm election year fourth quarters have historically been good for stock market returns, suggesting the potential remains for a late-year rally.
- Small cap underperformance may be overdone, though technical weakness and the aging of the business cycle suggest it is prudent to temper enthusiasm some. ??We maintain a preference for growth over value, based on cyclical sector exposure and relative valuations.
- We favor U.S. over large foreign, primarily due to our cautious view of Europe. Europe is on the verge of another recession and structural impediments to faster growth remain, despite ECB actions.
- Improving fundamentals and supportive valuations are supportive of emerging markets (EM) equities, even as the Federal Reserve (Fed) tapers quantitative easing (QE). We are waiting for technical weakness to subside before potentially becoming more positive.
- The bear market in crude oil provides a more attractive technical opportunity for crude oil exposure, in our view, despite fundamental challenges.
- Our recently upgraded alternatives view reflects our interest in alternative sources of bond-like returns with less interest rate sensitivity.
Equity Sectors
Bear Market in Oil Provides More Attractive Energy Sector Opportunity
- We continue to favor the cyclical sectors for their potential to capture further stock market gains as economic growth improves. As we enter the back half of the business cycle, we have tempered our positive view of consumer discretionary.
- Our positive U.S. business spending view and forecast for improved global growth support industrials (including transports) and technology, where valuations and technicals support our positive view.
- We are big believers in the U.S. energy boom and see the bear market in oil as providing a more attractive opportunity for energy sector exposure.
- Our financials view is neutral, as strong loan demand offsets the tough interest rate and regulatory environment. The U.S. focus and potential for steeper yield curve favor regional banks.
- Our neutral healthcare view reflects our focus on cyclical sectors, though robust product innovation trends, a likely uptick in demand from the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and strong earnings solidify healthcare's place as our favorite defensive sector.
- Cost pressures are easing for consumer staples companies, and valuations have become more reasonable, but we continue to favor the more cyclical sectors.
- We remain cautious on telecom and utilities due to their interest rate sensitivity, though telecom valuations have become attractive and the recent drop in interest rates has helped both sectors during the past month.
Fixed Income
Growth Scare
- A growth scare is driving strong demand for high-quality bonds at the start of the fourth quarter. While fears may persist over the near term, a return to focus on fundamental data will reveal an economy that remains quite healthy and may reverse the recent surge in prices.
- A lower than benchmark weighting to bonds may be appropriate, as low yields and higher valuations suggest very low future returns.
- Municipal bond performance may continue to be driven by Treasury price movements. Valuations have cheapened to start the fourth quarter but overall yields remain very low to compensate for potential longer-term interest rate risks.
- For fixed income allocations, we emphasize a blend of high-quality intermediate bonds coupled with less interest rate–sensitive sectors such as high-yield bonds and bank loans.
- High-yield bonds have remained somewhat volatile, but good credit quality, low defaults, and now more attractive valuations should help support the sector.
- Among high-quality bonds, we favor investment-grade corporate bonds due to their economic sensitivity and good fundamentals.
- Yields are higher on dollar-denominated EM debt compared to several fixed income sectors; and valuations have not cheapened, but have yet to reach a level we find attractive enough.


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Due to staffing shortages, The Museum and Showroom are closed. Please place orders online.
Due to staffing shortages, The Museum and Showroom are closed.Please place orders online.
546-SC1-GE Butterscotch Art Glass Option Chain Design Shade Transitional Mission Sconce
546-SC2-GE Green Art Glass Option Chain Design Shade Transitional Mission Sconce
546-SC3-GE White Art Glass Option (shown) Chain Design Shade Transitional Mission Sconce
The late Victorian era had wider flame burners for gas, as seen by our 4" glass "up" shade fitter on this classic transitional lighting fixture. Electricity wasn't always reliable when it was introduced, however. Many fixtures offered both, and this is a particularly practical design.
This chain design originated with Sechrist of Colorado, between 1910 - 1920. In addition to Mission style homes, it looks great in Arts & Crafts, Bungalow, and contemporary homes. This would be a great hall light or bathroom light now, as it was then.
Our Mission fixtures are made of solid brass, darkened to an "aged" finish.
The glass shade for the "up", or gas fixture, is sold separately. We offer 27 styles of 4" glass shades, including a short and a tall version of our simple Mission style frosted shade.
If you'd like to add an on/off switch to the mounting canopy, we offer custom installation of the switch for only $25.00. Please click the "Yes" option on the "Add Switch?" menu above to add the switch to your cart.
The "down" art glass shade is included in the purchase price. Please use the menu to select your favorite shade of art glass. Although the socket is rated well over 100 watts, we recommend a 60 - 75 watt incandescent bulb to protect the valuable art glass. Turn of the century bulbs weren't available in the higher wattage and thus heat. If you are using Compact Fluorescent bulbs, or our LED bulbs, you may use a higher wattage as they are cooler to the touch.
Up to 175 watts total: 100 watts "up", and 75 watts "down" if incandescent.
These art glass shade holders are put together by hand; some slight imperfections may be noticed. This is how original Arts & Crafts fixtures were made.
These products are related to this one.
Vintage Hardware & Lighting ~ 2000 W Sims Way ~ Port Townsend, WA 98368 ~ 360-379-9030
Vintage Hardware, Vintage Lighting, and Vintage Hardware and Lighting are Registered Trademarks. - All rights reserved.
© Vintage Hardware & Lighting 1999-2023
We reserve the right to change or modify policies, prices, sizes, and/or designs at anytime, without prior notification.


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Do you love insects and puzzles? This is your chance to make entomology history. We need help matching thousands of specimens to their records from three handwritten books by New Zealand entomologist George Hudson. Curator Terrestrial Invertebrates Julia Kasper explains the details.
What is the Hudson Collection?
The Hudson Collection consists of several thousand dry mounted insects collected between the years 1881 and 1946 by George Hudson, and is perhaps the best private insect collection ever made in New Zealand.
It's housed in nine beautiful kauri cabinets, which altogether hold 162 glass-topped wooden drawers, scientific letters, and original insect drawings.
The collection is extremely valuable not only as a research and reference collection, but as an early record of the New Zealand insect fauna, especially of the Wellington region.
The task at hand
We're looking for enthusiastic code crackers to decipher Hudson's handwritten collection records.
Inputted into a database, the data you collect will be used by conservation entomologists to compare the status of present day fauna with that of a century ago, and to discover changes due to modification of the environment.
Hudson's three registers are the only way we can understand the collection. However, they can be very hard to read.
Hudson invented his own coding system for labeling his specimens. This, combined with his idiosyncratic handwriting, tendency to change names, and delete numbers of specimens, makes for quite the challenge when capturing data. In short, his registers were living documents that changed with the collection.
Crowdsourcing in museums
Museums in New Zealand and overseas are already benefiting from the help of digital volunteers.
At the Smithsonian, 11,710 'volunpeers' have helped transcribe a total of 386,567pages of field notes, diaries, ledgers, logbooks, currency proof sheets, photo albums, manuscripts, biodiversity specimens labels since June 2013.
Auckland War Memorial Museum also have their public helpers, and maybe you've already helped Te Papa to bring the Atkins diaries to life.
How to help
We've scanned every page of these fragile aging registers in high resolution.
In doing so, it's now possible to share and magnify the writing and transfer the data into a database without touching the vulnerable originals.
The three registers consist of approximately 350 handwritten double-pages each:
Volume 1: Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), Neuroptera (net-winged flies e.g. lacewings)
Volume 2: Coleoptera (beetles)
Volume 3: Diptera (flies), Orthoptera (grasshoppers and wetas), Hemiptera (e.g.cicadas), Hymenoptera (e.g. wasps)
You can decipher as much or as little as you like. For instance you might like to pick your favourite insect group.
The pictures of the registers as well as your transcriptions won't have any copyrights and once the transcription is completed, the data will be available to access via Te Papa's Collections Online website.
To help, contact firstname.lastname@example.com I'll let you know what's entailed and we can discuss which pages you'd like to decipher.
Be part of this unique joint venture of New Zealand scientific history and future research.


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On the planks, read, Goooo !!!
A tailor-made program for your darlings?
Technical, fun but also positive direction for your kids? We think that's a particularly good idea. That's why only our elite private instructors accompany your children. Because we want to take the very best care of your little ones.
However, not all children enjoy the same things. Some like it wild, others don't. Some like repetitions, others don't. A few need breaks, others don't.
Some need an adult caregiver and someone to lean on.
Our private instructors for children can give individual attention. Simply because they have time for it and don't have to look after 11 others.
Let's be honest. If the right group comes together, it sounds great:
Children from the same nation, one language, similar needs, the same learning speed at a similar age.
In the large group ski courses, however, there can be up to a maximum of 12 children. Would you prefer that your child gets a lot of individual attention?
We say: impossible in a large group. As it just doesn't work like that with 12 ski mice.
Playful and focused at the same time
Ski lessons with a private instructor for your children, are taught in a playful way. We value fun, direction and safety.
In addition, the enthusiasm for this beautiful winter sport is awakened in your offspring. So it won't take long for you to enjoy the slopes together as a family.
Are your kids raring to go in the morning?
Are your children already knocking at your bedroom door, trying to wake you up? Then maybe the perfect start at 9 a.m. would be something for your little ones.
Or do you want to take it easy for once and give yourselves a lesiurely start to the day?
Then we can offer the relaxed start at 11.00 a.m.
You can find more information about the start times for lessons with a private instructor for your children here.
individual Children Ski Course
Meeting Place
Ski School Hut Habeler or on agreement
Beginner to Advanced
on agreement
from 3 years
2 hours per Day
1 – 2 Children
additional Child + € 20.-
4 hours per Day
1 – 2 Children
additional Child + € 35.-
Ski School Mayrhofen Habeler
Hauptstrasse 458
6290 Mayrhofen
+43 5285 62829
Sunday - Friday: 08:00 - 12.00
and 15:30 - 18:00
Saturday: 09:00 - 12:00
and 13:00 - 19:00


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A Sterling Silver Rope Chain
you can own one
Fashion changes nearly as often as the seasons do. However, the sterling silver chain has remained a timeless piece of jewelry for both men and women. The silver chain is flexible in use, works for both sexes, and can be worn both formally and casually. What more could you want in a piece of jewelry.
Perhaps the best characteristic of the silver chain is that it can be used in a number of ways. You will often see men and some women wear the chains plain. This is a great look, but there are other options. Sterling silver chains can be used to hold lockets, pendants, and even meaningful rings as well. They are truly versatile pieces.
Secondly, you will see both men and women wearing sterling silver chains. Men wear them by themselves in most cases. However, women will wear them by themselves, or as an accessory to hold another piece of jewelry. No matter if you are a man or a woman, you can wear a sterling silver chain.
Finally, you will find that sterling silver chains can be worn on all occasions. Many people who wear them, in fact, simply never take them off. Your silver chain may be worn when you are out on the town, at a formal function, at work, or having dinner with friends and it will always be appropriate.
A sterling silver chain is a great addition to any jewelry box. You will find that they can be worn by either sex, are a versatile piece of jewelry to own, and may be worn both formally and casually. So no matter who you are or what you do, you may want to consider a sterling silver chain for your accessory collection. If you do, you will be glad and will soon see it is one of the most used pieces you have.


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Complaints Manager contact details
Name: Richard Marks
Telephone: 0113 831 3108
Address: AMT Specialist Cars, 4 Bingley Street (off Kirkstall Road), Leeds, LS3 1LX
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Complaints Manager contact details
Name: Alex McGawley
Telephone: 0113 387 4241
Address: AMT Contract Hire & Leasing Ltd, 174 Armley Road, Leeds, LS12 2QH
E-mail: email@example.com
Any complaint verbal or written will be referred to our complaint's manager at the earliest opportunity or to a member of the senior management if the complaints manager is unavailable. We will also:
You will receive contact from us advising on progress if we cannot respond immediately. We will let you have our final response as soon as possible and not later than eight weeks.
Clients often express dissatisfaction to their adviser about the product provider. We will need to establish whether or not your complaint relates to the advice given, the adviser service or the service or performance of the product provider. If unclear, this must not delay investigation and we will proceed with our own investigation. The complaints manager will review this matter and take the complaint to the provider if appropriate in consultation with you.
The complaints manager will establish the nature and scope of your complaint having due regards to the Financial Conduct Authority's direction:
It is the firm's policy to treat all complainants the same, however, eligible complainants are legally defined and have additional rights in law that we must acknowledge and adhere to. The Financial Conduct Authority complaints rules apply to complaints:
This will set out clearly the firm's decision and the reasons for it. If any compensation is offered a clear method of calculation will be shown.
We must include details of the Financial Ombudsman Service in the final response if dealing with an eligible complainant and a regulated activity, we will:
Complaints that can be settled to your satisfaction within three business days can be recorded and communicated differently.
Where we consider a complaint to be resolved to your satisfaction under this section, we will promptly send you a 'Summary Resolution Communication', being a written communication from us which:
In addition to sending you a Summary Resolution Communication, we may also use other methods to communicate the information where:
We will consider a complaint closed when we have made our final response to you. This does not prevent you from exercising any rights you may have to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
We will co-operate fully with the Ombudsman in resolving any complaints made against us and agree to be bound by any awards made by the Ombudsman. The firm undertakes to pay promptly any fees levied by the Ombudsman.
The Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower, London E14 9SR
Tel:0800 023 4567 (free for most people ringing from a fixed line) or 0300 123 9123 (cheaper for those calling using a mobile) or 020 7964 0500 (if calling from abroad)
Making a complaint (ADR) The BVRLA runs a Trading Standards Institute-approved alternative dispute resolution (ADR) service which is available in those rare circumstances where you have exhausted our member's complaints procedure and still remain dissatisfied. See the BVRLA's website for more details.
We use essential cookies to make our site work. By clicking 'Accept', you agree to our website's cookie use as described in our Cookie Policy.


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5-Minute Film Festival: Learn to Use Web 2.0 Tools
Ready to start exploring some new technology tools to help your students be better creators and collaborators? VideoAmy hunted down the best video tutorials for many of the most popular free Web 2.0 tools.
While many of you may be heading for the beach this week, it won't be long before you're ready to start exploring some new tools to help your students be better creators and collaborators when you go back to school in the fall. This week we published a new video on Nicole Dalesio, a fifth-grade teacher who uses all kinds of free technology tools in her class to keep her kids engaged, and it inspired me to go hunt down the best tutorials for all these great, free Web 2.0 tools. Did I mention most of them are free?
While screen-cast tutorials may not be the most edge-of-your-seat viewing, once you've got the basics, you can start digging in to the tool itself. And the best part is, learning to use these tools is as fun for you as it is for your students. What are you waiting for? Try something new in ten minutes or less!
Web 2.0 Tools Tutorials for Teachers
Watch the first video below, or watch the whole playlist on YouTube.
- Super Storytelling with StoryBird (04:31)
StoryBird is a collaborative, web-based storytelling tool. Very little teacher prep time and lots of fun! Check out this Edutopia blog post by Lisa Dabbs on using StoryBird for beginners.
- VoiceThread - Simply Speaking (02:21)
Want to create an online discussion with your students, based on media assets like images or videos? VoiceThread lets you do that. Even cooler, the comments themselves can be text, video, or audio. A collaborative multimedia explosion! This video is a great overview in just two minutes. We have another Lisa Dabbs how-to blog post for VoiceThread, too.
- Edudemic Uses Pinterest (05:32)
Pinterest is one of the latest darlings of the internet, and teachers were quick to find classroom uses for this visually appealing and engaging social bookmarking website. Edudemic shows us how. You can also read a blog post by Eric Sheninger on the topic.
- Dropbox (05:25)
Easily the coolest web-based cloud storage solution out there, Dropbox makes it easy to share and access any kind of files from any device with a connection. Adam Bellow from EduTecher walks us through the joys of Dropbox. Nicholas Provenzano also wrote a blog post about the benefits of cloud-based storage.
- How to Use Animoto for Education (04:17)
Animoto makes it easy for you and your kids to build a professional-looking video using images, video clips, and audio of your choice. You can upload your own, use their library, or gather from around the web. Blogger Ron Peck shares ways to use Animoto and other video-production tools in the classroom.
- Twitter for Educators (07:51)
The education community has really embraced micro-blogging site Twitter -- both for classroom use and for DIY professional development. This how-to vid is produced by an ed tech company, but it's fairly recent and quite comprehensive. Joe Mazza shares twelve reasons to start tweeting this summer in this blog post.
- Evernote Tutorial (09:33)
Evernote is like a virtual junk drawer -- you can save images, links, text, voice memos, etc. -- and then access them all from multiple devices or share them with other users. Power users say they can't live without it!
- Prezi Tutorial (03:16)
Linear slide presentations are so last decade! Check out Prezi, a non-linear storytelling tool that lets you share your ideas from a virtual canvas. This tutorial is aimed towards students, but has all the basics.
- Edmodo Made Easy (05:02)
Edmodo is a popular social network application designed for educators and students to connect and share information -- like a safe and secure Facebook for schools.
- Google Docs - The Basics (07:56)
Google Docs is not really about whistles and bells so much as filling basic needs -- it's a great way for teachers and students to back up, access, and collaborate on spreadsheets, word processing documents, and presentations. Then, this Edutopia article on Google for educators takes you beyond Google Docs.
- Detailed Tutorial on Glogster EDU (05:04)
Use images, audio, and video to create a fantastic interactive poster with your students using Glogster -- an online tool to create "graphic blogs."
- You Suck at Photoshop (03:47)
If you've really made it through watching all those dry tutorials, you deserve a good laugh. This is an ENTIRE SERIES of parody tutorials on Photoshop. Definitely not safe for work -- but hey, it's summer! Laughing Squid has the full story on this hilarious series.
More on Free Web 2.0 Tools
It's easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of tools out there, and even finding the best support resources can have you tearing your hair out in no time. My suggestion? Pick two or three new tools you want to focus on this summer and put your energy into getting comfortable with just those tools. Don't spread yourself too thin -- there's always next summer.
In the meantime, here are a few resource guides to help you in your search for which fun tool you want to use first -- some include brief descriptions or reviews. Most of the tools featured in the playlist have special websites just to support educators, I've linked to them in the descriptions above. And if you're really jazzed about a tool not featured here, I've listed a few of my favorite tech tutorial sites for educators, where you can find videos to teach you how to use nearly any tool you can find. Happy learning!
Guides for Web 2.0 Tools
- Provenzano's GPS Tech Guide by Nicholas Provenzano
- Free Online Resources to Spark Creativity by Nicole Dalesio


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Automotive Tips
Tips for managing spring allergies from behind the wheel of your vehicle
Staying focused while driving can be difficult for the 40 million Americans who suffer from spring allergies experiencing symptoms like sneezing, headaches, coughing, itchy eyes, and a runny nose. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), 80% of traffic accidents result from some form of driver distraction. Your Greater Los Angeles area Jiffy Lube provides the following tips for controlling allergy symptoms, staying comfortable, and keeping your eyes on the road no matter what's in bloom:
- Air filter replacement: regularly change your vehicle's cabin air filter to keep pollen, dust and other airborne contaminants from entering the vehicle. The National Car Care Council recommends a new filter every 12,000 to 15,000 miles. Exact replacement intervals for your vehicle may be found in your owner's manual.
- Spring cleaning: remove all trash and vacuum the interior including the floor mats and seats. Consider using plastic floor mats for easier cleaning. Dust the dashboard and wipe down or wash the exterior of your vehicle to remove excess pollen.
- Insulation: make sure your windows are properly sealed with weather stripping and drive with them rolled up. If possible, use the air-conditioning system and set it to "re-circulate" to avoid letting in outside air.
- Daily pollen count check: consider asking someone else to drive for you or postpone your trip altogether during high-risk days when the pollen count is especially high.
- Eye protection: wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from pollen.
- Tissue boxes: keep tissue boxes close at hand to avoid reaching while driving.
In addition to the above tips, exercise caution when taking allergy medications as many contain ingredients that cause drowsiness and, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), drowsy driving accounts for around 16.5% of fatal car crashes each year.
Your neighborhood Southern California Jiffy Lube wishes you a safe and enjoyable spring—we offer air filtration services as needed and include interior vacuuming with every oil change to help allergy proof your vehicle so you stay alert and safe behind the wheel. Look to Jiffy Lube on Facebook and Twitter for vehicle maintenance and safe driving tips throughout the year.
Save today with
Jiffy Lube Coupons
Sign up for email deals from your local Jiffy Lube


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Women - head to Starbucks before you read the rest of this: Coffee is linked to lower rates of depression for you.
New evidence that an apple a day is in fact solid advice - apples and pears reduce the risk of stroke. And just in time for apple picking season! Our school lunch program is great about serving both in season.
If you have been following our posts calling for Meatless Mondays, you may be interested in the evidence posted on the Small Bites blog in an article about 'cultured' meat on the terrible impact of meat production on animals, humans and the environment.
Slow Food has been running the $5 Challenge Campaign to focus on how to make real food on a budget. Mark Bittman has seconded this idea with his Op-Ed that real food is cheaper than junk food. But still, a $3 lunch at our school still sometimes - not always but sometimes - means Tyson fried chicken patties.
Finally, everyone is talking okra - Bittman as recipes here and the Times here.
September is Hunger Action Month as mentioned here. It's not too late for one final act. From Feeding America:
Bring a Voice to Hunger This September
As the federal government continues to wrestle with the national deficit and debt, very difficult decisions will have to be made in the coming months on budget priorities that will undoubtedly affect the lives of 49 million Americans struggling with hunger. As these discussions are happening right now in DC, Hunger Action Month is an incredible platform to leverage the scale of our collective voice in Washington, DC. Together we can work to ensure Congress does not balance the federal budget on the backs of our clients. Many of our food banks are engaging in a national Paper Plate campaign during Hunger Action Month to bring the voices of our clients to elected officials in DC. By collecting plates around the country, we will send Congress the message that hunger is in every district in America and demands their attention.
You can join in this campaign or other Hunger Action Month events at your local food bank! Visit HungerActionMonth.org to see how you can get involved.
Local Fun
Sunday is Mini Mart here in Sea Cliff! Don't miss it!
Plus, Saturday marks the start of the Pumpkin Patch at the Methodist Church on Downing.
The Queens County Farm will also have its annual Apple Fest on Sunday and Hicks Nurseries will hold their annual Giant Pumpkin weigh off on Sunday at 11am.
Next Wednesday, WNYC is hosting another in their series of Lopate and Locavores in the Green Space.


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FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Commerzbank is nearing a deal with labour representatives on its restructuring plan that includes 10,000 job cuts globally, people close to the matter said.
Management of Germany's second-biggest listed lender and the bank's works council have already reached an agreement in principle, they said, adding that the deal could be officially signed by the end of the week.
Spokespeople for Commerzbank and the works council declined to comment.
Commerzbank Chief Executive Manfred Knof said earlier this year that the turnaround plan would do without forced redundancies in Germany. The restructuring is instead focussing on early retirement programs.
As part of its restructuring, Commerzbank is shuttering 350 of its 800 branches in Germany and retreating from several countries.
Commerzbank hopes the revamp will revive its fortunes, as it struggles to restore profits after management reshuffles and strategy flip-flops. It has never fully recovered after a state bailout during the last financial crisis more than a decade ago and lost 2.9 billion euros ($3.5 billion) in 2020.
($1 = 0.8306 euros)
(Reporting by Patricia Uhlig; Writing by Arno Schuetze; Editing by Maria Sheahan)


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Circuit Mania Set of 3
Product Details
Circuit Mania™ – the fun, exciting and engaging way for kids to learn about conductivity, circuits and LED lights. Circuit Mania™ brings STEAM concepts into playtime. These paper projects help cultivate a host of important skills: problem solving, trial and error, following instructions, and the basics of circuitry and conductivity. It is ideal for any child looking to hang up some eye-catching paper projects around the room or parents searching for a way to mix arts and education. The included step-by-step instructions walk anyone through the process of creating their very own light-up Circuit Mania project. Each pack includes two sheets of different colored paper with outlines, a battery, an LED, strips of conductive tape and a clip. Each Kit Includes everything you need to create fun, scientific art.


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This roller in red polypropylene 30 mm diameter with 4 mm bore enables silent movement on smooth and even floors. It is suitable for example for small furniture.
It is in red polypropylene with a 4 mm diameter smooth hub.
This roller is available in different diameters and is classed as a furniture castor wheel.


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Burnt. Simply Spa
Hand poured pure soy wax candles made in WA, three different sizes available.
Mini burns for 8 hours - $8
Small burns for 32 hours - $17
Large burns for 78 hours - $27
Simply Spa scent: If you can't get away for a holiday then a relaxing spa is the next best thing.
Simply Spa is a gorgeous, vibrant but relaxing blend with topnotes of bergamot and thyme,
Middle notes of clove, white flower, lilac and ylang ylang and dry notes of light musk, vanilla bean and white cedar


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El Tres Inn!
The proprietors of local Silverlake wateringhole and delectable Mexican restaurant have spread their wings in the hospitality world and opened El Tres Inn upstairs of their restaurant location.
The Inn features only 3 rooms and a "salon". Uno, Dos, and Tres are all unique rooms with a funky vibe. Not a bad place to crash after a few too many margaritas downstairs!


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What You Need To Know
28 Jan 2018 10:22
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The book says to look at the enclosed How to on the cd-rom for information on the mounting cdroms.Now we come to the suggestions that call for shutting down some of the operating system's bling. Windows 7 ditched the actual visual sidebar of Vista, but there's still a sidebar process operating. Turn it off by typing "gadgets" in the begin menu search bar, selecting "View list of running gadgets" and select each and every in turn and click Take away to shut any gadgets you can live without having.Windows eight allows you to produce a begin screen that you can tailor as needed. This consists of a selection of backgrounds and colour schemes, an integrated app shop, some preinstalled apps and in depth customisation, which is enabled by means of ' pinning ' - Microsoft's term for shortcuts.We get it: reading about a fancy new app or setting isn't as enjoyable as fiddling around with it your self. 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SAN FRANCISCO — Microsoft has acknowledged the influence of the Linux operating program by striking a deal with Novell, a longtime rival, to make certain that Novell's version of Linux can operate with each other with Windows in corporate information centers. Press and hold the Energy button on your personal computer till it powers off, then press the Energy button once again to restart your computer. The Automatic Repair window will display on-screen.You may possibly meet with numerous interviewers at a firm, some less prepared and knowledgeable than other individuals. Be patient with every single successive meeting, even when the exact same questions are getting asked a number of times. Your calm demeanour will count in your favour in the final selection.Distros such as Ubuntu will set a advised partition automatically. You can then adjust this manually your self. Most Linux installations demand at least 20 GB, so be confident to set aside adequate area for each the Linux operating technique and any other programs you could set up and files you could produce. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Microsoft mentioned Wednesday that its new Windows ten software is operating on more than 75 million computer systems, tablets and other devices — in just under a month since the operating program was released. Learn the new gestures for touchpads. Swipe three fingers up to open activity view, swipe 3 fingers down to expose the desktop and swipe 3 fingers to a side to switch in between apps. Red Hat Inc., which won investments by major data technology organizations in search of to build a software program challenger to the Microsoft Corporation, says it will go public with a $96.6 million stock supplying.
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