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mxODBC™ provides an easy to use, high-performance, reliable and robust Python interface to ODBC compatible databases such as MS SQL Server, Oracle Database, IBM DB2, Informix and Netezza, SAP Sybase ASE and Sybase Anywhere, Teradata, MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SAP MaxDB and many more. It is an extension to our open-source eGenix.com mx Base Distribution.
ODBC refers to Open Database Connectivity and is the industry standard API for connecting applications to databases.
In order to facilitate setting up ODBC connectivity, operating systems typically provide ODBC Managers which help set up the ODBC drivers and manage the binding of the applications against these drivers. On Windows the ODBC Data Source Manager is built into the system. On Mac OS X, the iODBC ODBC Manager is part of the OS, with an optional ODBC manager GUI available as separate download. On Unix platforms, you can choose one of the ODBC managers unixODBC, iODBC or DataDirect, which provide the same ODBC functionality on most Unix systems.
Databases usually ship with ODBC drivers for Windows, so it's
easy to get Python connected to a database on Windows. If you are working on Linux and Mac
OS X, you can typically download drivers from the database vendor. If you have trouble finding a
database driver for your platform, try the ODBC vendor list on SQLSummit.com (web archive copy), or have a look at our mxODBC Connect product:
If you are looking for a platform independent remote database connectivity solution for Python, you may be interested in our mxODBC Connect product, which eliminates the need to have an ODBC driver for the client side of the application. It specializes on remote database connections such as the ones you typically find in web-applications, e.g. where multiple Linux servers need to communicate with a company database running on a Windows server.
The eGenix mxODBC distribution includes the mxODBC package needed to connect Python to an ODBC manager. However, it does not include an ODBC manager or any ODBC drivers. You have to have these installed in order to be able to use mxODBC with Python.
On Windows, the situation is very simple: most databases come with ODBC drivers and register them with the Windows ODBC manager that's part of every Windows system.
Please consult the ODBC driver documentation for details on how to setup ODBC data sources. The mxODBC User Manual also includes a section on this topic and some helpful hints in case you run into problems.
On Unix, you will have to install one of the popular ODBC managers iODBC or unixODBC and then register the ODBC drivers for your database with these ODBC managers.
Linux systems usually come with at least one of these ODBC managers preinstalled. Please see the mxODBC User Manual for setup instructions.
On Mac OS X, you can use the system system ODBC manager (which is a version of the popular iODBC manager).
Please see the mxODBC User Manual for setup instructions.
The eGenix.com mxODBC Distribution is a commercial product and made available under the terms and conditions of the eGenix.com Commercial License Agreement, Version 1.3.0 (PDF file).
When purchasing a license for the mxODBC product, you will receive a digitally signed Proof of Authorization together with a license file authorizing you to install and use the product.
If you would like to evaluate the eGenix.com mxODBC Distribution, please request an evaluation license or send an email to the eGenix.com Sales Team and include the following information: name of the licensee, number of evaluation licenses.
We will then send you the requested number of evaluation licenses for the mxODBC Professional Edition. The evaluation licenses have a built-in timeout of 30 days, but are otherwise fully functional.
If you are satisfied with the product, you can then proceed to the next section.
Production licenses for the mxODBC product can be bought via our eGenix.com Online Shop. Licenses are sold per Python installation. If you are installing the product on a shared server which is accessible over a network, then you have to purchase a separate license for each machine that can access the installation via this server.
For prices and volume discounts please check the mxODBC License Shop Page. We also offer site and corporate licenses. Please write to email@example.com for quotes on these.
After purchase, you will receive the necessary license files from eGenix.com within two business by email to the shipping address you specified in the ordering process.
If you need to buy licenses for third parties (e.g. as contractor or reseller), please consult email@example.com for instructions.
If you have questions about the ordering process, or the needed number of licenses, please write to the eGenix.com Sales Team.
mxODBC licenses are available in different editions to meet your specific needs. The edition features are enabled via the license files that you receive after purchase. The download packages are the same for all editions.
The Professional Edition License
allows installation of mxODBC for use
in one Python installation. There is no limitation on the database
backend, the number of open connections per process, or the platform - you can benefit
from the full mxODBC functionality on all supported platforms.
This edition is ideal for users in professional settings and in situations where the number of connections should not be limited, e.g. in a web server environment.
If you are intending to upgrade from an existing mxODBC license to the new mxODBC 3.3, please contact the eGenix.com Sales Team with your existing license serials for details for an upgrade discount coupon.
We will give out 20% discount coupons for upgrade purchases going from mxODBC 2.x to 3.3 and 50% coupons for upgrades from mxODBC 3.x to 3.3. After upgrade, use of the original license from which you upgraded is no longer permitted.
For developers who want to integrate mxODBC into an application or product, we offer a Product Development Edition License which allows royalty-free redistribution of mxODBC as part of a product built by a developer.
Developer licenses for the mxODBC product can be bought via our eGenix.com Online Shop.
Licenses are sold per developer and product, e.g. if you have one developer
working on two products integrating mxODBC, you will need to purchase
two licenses. If you have three developers working on one product, you
will need to purchase three licenses in order to benefit from the
royalty-free distribution right.
For prices please check the mxODBC Product Development Edition License Shop Page. Volume discounts are available on request. Please contact the eGenix.com Sales Team for quotes.
If you are looking for upgrades to your existing mxODBC Developer CPU Licenses or mxODBC Product Development Edition Licenses, we will provide you with upgrade coupons. Please contact eGenix.com Sales Team with your existing license serials for details for an upgrade discount coupon.
We will give out 20% discount coupons for upgrade purchases going from mxODBC 2.x to 3.3 and 50% coupons for upgrades from mxODBC 3.x to 3.3. After upgrade, use of the original license from which you upgraded is no longer permitted.
Please note that we have changed the licensing scheme for mxODBC development licenses to a per-developer and product based one in 3.1 and later, to better meet our customer's requirements. If you have questions, please contact the eGenix.com Sales Team.
If you want to redistribute mxODBC as part of a product on a per-installation basis (rather than on a per developer and product basis), you can do so by purchasing standard or professional edition licenses in bulk and then redistribute these to your customers.
For larger volumes we also have a special reseller agreement to simplify the process. Please write to the eGenix.com Sales Team for instructions and more information.
The following documentation is available for mxODBC:
mxODBC User Manual and Reference Guide - HTML and PDF
The manual includes an installation guide, a discussion of the design principles behind mxODBC, as well as a reference of the available programming interfaces.
The PDF file is also available as part of the installation and can be found in the mx/ODBC/Doc/
"Python Programming On Win32" by Mark Hammond, Andy Robinson has a section on mxODBC and mxDateTime.
A successful installation of mxODBC requires these three steps:
Redistribution of these files is not allowed. Please contact the eGenix Sales Team for details about redistribution possibilities and terms.
On Unix it is important to know whether you need to download a distribution for a narrow Unicode build of Python (UCS2) or a wide version (UCS4).
Most Unixes ship with wide Python builds these days (including RedHat and SuSE). In order to make sure, please run the following command which will tell you what kind of Python installation you have:
python -c "import sys;print(sys.maxunicode<66000)and'UCS2'or'UCS4'"
If you get errors such as "unresolved symbol PyUnicodeUCS2_AsEncodedString" when trying to load an extension from the distribution, you have likely installed an archive for a wrong Unicode version.
For full details on how to install, setup and configure mxODBC, please see the mxODBC User Manual. It is available as PDF for offline reading and HTML for online reading:
mxODBC User Manual and Reference Guide - HTML and PDF
What follows is a short summary:
The web installer is available for download on the product's Python Package Index (PyPI) page. Installation tools will automatically pick up this installer when used without any extra options or URLs.
The web installer will then determine the installation platform,
select the right binary download package and install the corresponding
prebuilt archive for you. If the web installer fails to find a suitable
binary, please try one of the other methods explained below and report
the problem to our support team.
Note that should still install the eGenix.com mx Base Distribution before proceeding with the following steps as explained in the download section. The egenix-mxodbc package includes a requirement for the egenix-mx-base package, so most installers will attempt to install egenix-mx-base automatically.
setuptools' easy_install:
easy_install egenix-mxodbc
pip installer:
pip install egenix-mxodbc
zc.buildout configuration manager:
eggs += egenix-mxodbc
Download and unzip the installer from PyPI and run:
cd egenix-mxodbc-3.3.2
python setup.py install
Installation using the Windows installers is straight forward: just double-click on the installer EXE or MSI file and follow the instructions.
Both installers register the distribution with the Windows software registry, so you can easily uninstall the distribution should you require to do so.
With the MSI installer you also have the option to run the installer without the GUI or to integrate it into an automatic installation process. Please see the MSI installer documentation on the Python web-site for details.
To uninstall the distribution, please use the standard Windows software registry.
To reduce the number of binaries that we have to create for each release, we have adapted a new generic distribution format that works on all Python platforms: the Prebuilt Distribution Format.
Technically, this format is a standard Python distutils distribution, but with only the build/
directory and without the source tree.
In order to install such a distribution, please follow these instructions:
sudo python setup.py installOn Windows and some other platforms that don't have
, please run the above without sudo
as administrator or root.The distribution will then be installed into the standard directory
for Python extensions of your Python installation (usually the site-packages/
subdirectory of the Python standard library directory).
To uninstall, follow the same steps as above, but use the command uninstall
sudo python setup.py uninstall
You will need to be able to sudo on the target machine or know the
root password for the above to work. If you don't have permission to
install packages as root, you can still install the distribution into a
local directory, e.g. ~/lib/python
by using the following installation command:
python setup.py install --home=/home/user/
This will install the distribution into the directory /home/user/lib/python/
In order to have Python see this directory and make it useable for
import, you have to adjust the PYTHONPATH environment variable to
include this directory, e.g.
export PYTHONPATH /home/user/lib/python
To see all the possible installation options, run the install script using the help options:
python setup.py install --help
To uninstall, follow the same steps as above, but use the command uninstall
sudo python setup.py uninstall --home=/home/user/
The egg archives we provide are made available through two PyPI-style indexes which the egg tools setuptools/easy_install/pip/zc.buildout can access to automatically download and install the right egg archive.
There are two indexes, one for Python UCS2 builds:
and one for Python UCS4 builds:
If you are using a Python UCS2 build, then you can install the egg archives using this command:
easy_install -i https://downloads.egenix.com/python/index/ucs2/ \
For UCS4 builds, please use this command:
easy_install -i https://downloads.egenix.com/python/index/ucs4/ \
The command line parameters for other tools such as pip are similar. Please consult their documentation for details.
In some cases, easy_install and other download tools cannot map the platform name to the name used in the egg archive. If you get errors during the installation, please manually download the right egg archive and then run the command directly on the downloaded egg archive:
easy_install \
The licenses you receive from eGenix after purchase or request of an evaluation license are packaged as ZIP file having one directory per license file set.
In order to install the license file set to a specific Python
installation, please unzip the license ZIP file and copy the two files mxodbc_license.py
and mxodbc_license.txt
from the license directory to a directory on your Python installation's sys.path / PYTHONPATH
, e.g. to the Python installation's site-packages/
mxODBC will then pick up the license files from there during startup.
eGenix offers these support options:
Professional level support for this product as well as all other eGenix products and Python itself is available directly from the developers at eGenix.com.
eGenix.com offers professional consulting services for all questions and tasks around this product, including customized modifications, help with integration and on-site problem solving. Please contact firstname.lastname@example.com for details.
In order for our users to keep in touch and be able to help themselves, we have created the egenix-users user mailing list.
mxODBC is in production use by several Fortune-500 companies, including Intel, IBM, Google and Royal Bank of Scotland.
Several of these have integrated mxODBC into their products, e.g. InfoSeek in the UltraSeek enterprise search engine, which was later sold to Inktomi, Verity, Autonomy and then HP.
Please see the mxODBC References & Quotes page for more details or write to firstname.lastname@example.com for more information.
Please see the change log for details regarding changes to the package between releases.
Older versions of mxODBC, which are still available:


text:
U voted last week in da Face Off between da Bearded Collie and da English Toy Terrier 2 determin wich goggie wud b teh breed ob teh week dis week. An luk!! Teh Bearded Collie wins!!
So wifout furthur ado, heerz ur furst Bearded Collie ob teh week. We hoap u enjoy dese lubbly goggies!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Communication is Key
Communication and cooperation between you and your anesthesia provider are essential to the anesthesia process and its safety. Before surgery, a preoperative interview with the anesthesiologist at Rochelle Community Hospital provides valuable information that helps determine your care. It is equally important to communicate with your anesthesia provider after your surgery. The medications you have been given can remain in your body for 24 hours or more after they have been administered; you won't be "back to your old self" until the anesthetic has been totally eliminated. Of course, you should never hesitate to ask your anesthesiologist any questions you might have – before or after your anesthesia is administered.
There are three basic types of anesthesia:
- General Anesthesia: produces a loss of sensation throughout the entire body. Patients receiving general anesthesia are completely "asleep" throughout the procedure.
- Regional Anesthesia: produces a loss of sensation to a specific region of the body. Types of regional anesthesia include subarachnoid block (spinal) anesthesia, epidural anesthesia and some specialized techniques that can put a specific body part (e.g., arm) to sleep.
- Local Anesthesia: produces a loss of sensation to a small specific area of the body. Patients receiving sutures to close a wound may receive local anesthesia.
A preoperative interview in consultation with your anesthesiologist will determine which anesthetic is best for you. The type of anesthesia administered is based on multiple factors such as your physical condition, the type of surgery being performed, allergies to medications and in some cases, your personal preference. Frank and open discussion with your anesthesiologist is key in the selection of the best anesthetic for you.
In particular, you must speak freely and follow instructions closely regarding your intake of medications (prescription, non-prescription, and herbal medications), food or beverages before anesthesia. Such substances can react negatively with anesthetic agents.
Anesthesia is one of several major components of your surgical procedure. During the procedure, the anesthetic permits you to be free of pain. Your anesthetic will be administered with the highest degree of professionalism including constant monitoring of every important body function. As changes occur with your reactions to anesthesia, the anesthesiologist responds with modifications of the anesthetic to ensure your safety and comfort.
Anesthesia means freedom from pain during surgery. All anesthesia care is provided with the highest degree of professionalism. Sensitive, sophisticated and state-of-the-art equipment monitors every important function of your body. In response to your body's reactions, the anesthesiologist modifies your anesthetic as needed.
But anesthesia care is not confined just to surgery. The process also refers to activities that take place – before and after – an anesthetic is given. Before anesthesia, a preoperative interview with your anesthesiologist supplies valuable information that helps determine your care. Open communication and cooperation are essential during the interview.
What is Conscious Sedation?
This type of sedation induces an altered state of consciousness that minimizes pain and discomfort through the use of pain relievers and sedatives. Conscious sedation provides a safe and effective option for patients undergoing minor surgeries or diagnostic procedures. The number and type of procedures that can be performed using conscious sedation have increased significantly as a result of new technology and state-of-the-art drugs. All Rochelle Community Hospital's anesthesia providers and designated staff RNs are qualified to administer conscious sedation. State-of-the-art monitoring is used regardless of the location that the sedation is administered. Conscious sedation allows patients to recover quickly and resume normal daily activities in a short period of time.
When is Conscious Sedation Administered?
Conscious sedation is administered in hospitals, outpatient facilities, e.g., ambulatory surgery centers, doctors' offices, etc., to facilitate procedures such as the following:
- Breast biopsy
- Vasectomy
- Minor foot surgery
- Minor bone fracture repair
- Plastic/reconstructive surgery
- Dental prosthetic/reconstructive surgery
- Endoscopy (example: diagnostic studies and treatment of stomach, colon, and bladder)
Who Can Administer Conscious Sedation?
Conscious sedation is extremely safe when administered by qualified providers. Anesthesiologists, other physicians, dentists, and oral surgeons are qualified providers of conscious sedation. Specifically trained Registered Nurses may assist in the administration of conscious sedation. At Rochelle Community Hospital, all providers of conscious sedations are either board certified in anesthesia or have specialty training in the administration of conscious sedation.
Who Should Monitor Conscious Sedation?
Because patients can slip into a deep sleep, proper monitoring of conscious sedation is necessary. Your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, oxygen level, and alertness throughout and after the procedure will be monitored by our trained and licensed professionals. The provider monitoring you during your procedure will have no other responsibilities during the procedure. You will have one-on-one care during your procedure.
What are the Side Effects of Conscious Sedation?
A brief period of amnesia after the procedure is not uncommon. Occasional side effects may include headache, hangover, nausea, and vomiting or unpleasant memories of the surgical experience.
What Should Patients Expect Immediately Following the Surgical or Diagnostic Procedure?
One of Rochelle Community Hospital's qualified providers will monitor you following the procedure. Written postoperative care instructions will be provided for you to take home. We ask that you not drive a vehicle, operate dangerous equipment or make any important decisions for at least 24 hours after receiving conscious sedation. A follow-up phone call usually is made by the healthcare provider to check on the patient's condition and answer any remaining questions.
Questions to Ask About Conscious Sedation
The following is a list of questions patients should ask prior to the surgical or diagnostic procedure:
- Will a trained and skilled provider be dedicated to monitoring me during conscious sedation?
- Will my provider monitor my breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure?
- Will oxygen be available and will the oxygen content of my blood be monitored?
- Are personnel trained to perform advanced cardiac life support?
- Is emergency resuscitation equipment available on-site and immediately accessible in the event of an emergency?
- Will a trained and skilled provider stay with me during my recovery period and for how long?
- Should a friend or family member take me home?


text:
AIS Inc. Benching Matrix Customized Panel System
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This is a system that can not only improve your office environment's appearance, but also its impact on people. Simply add glass – we offer a range of types – to your Matrix system, and you'll boost the light radiated throughout the office. This can help boost your employees' productivity, health and outlook. The key word with Matrix is, indeed, flexibility. Create a warm, upscale and stunning environment, or design something simple and clean. Matrix allows you to efficiently and easily develop virtually any style and size of workspace. Our full-frame design and tile-mounting system means you'll face fewer challenges when you confront a new footprint or task. Simply choose the tiles you need – they're available in sizes of 8″ to 64″ and 11 different styles.
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The drive to digital design
October 4, 1999
Digital design is here to stay and its implementation is in full swing.
To this end, Ford standardized on the CAD/CAM/CAE software package I-DEAS from SDRC (Milford, OH).
General Motors standardized on Unigraphics from Unigraphics Solutions (St. Louis, MO).
Chrysler standardized on CATIA from Dassault (France).
While the ultimate goals are noble -- save money, get to market quicker, grab a more competitive position in the industry -- the transition has taken time and a lot of "retraining" of design engineers for both manufacturer as well as supplier.
When Ford standardized back in 1994, the process included all their suppliers and manufacturing facilities around the world. The program, dubbed C3P for CAD/CAM/ CAE/PIM (Ford's version of product data management or PDM), is part of Ford's attempt to eliminate the physical prototype.
The first vehicle from Ford's C3P program has yet to roll into a showroom for sale. But cars are coming. For example, the Ford Thunderbird Concept Car debuted at the North American International Auto Show in January. A new recreation vehicle will debut next summer, and a European mid-sized car is scheduled for October 2000.
C3P started in earnest in 1995. But it took time to lay out the whole process, train company engineers, upgrade and train suppliers, as well as integrate every aspect of product development, says Jay Hay, SDRC's vice president of the Ford program office. Hay manages all of Ford's deployment of I-DEAS and its accompanying PDM software, Metaphase, worldwide. After three and a half years, the original five-year plan may stretch into six.
To implement the C3P program, FORD asked all of its suppliers to adopt I-DEAS, Metaphase, and the C3P software internally developed at FORD for communicating designs. By doing this, all four aspects of digital prototype design -- the digital clay where the styling is done, the digital buck or mock-up where all the modules come together, the digital test center where performance is evaluated, and the digital factory where tooling and manufacturing is simulated -- are available for review, inspection, and comment by the parties involved.
"All the major car companies are implementing similar programs," says Hay. "But in my opinion, Ford is advanced in the way they tied the four segments into their C3P program, making the designs available and accessible to their suppliers and designers around the world."
Today's suppliers are part and parcel of the process, says Hay. "Suppliers are now designing 50% or more of today's cars." Having such a direct line of communication between supplier and manufacturer is a real advance, eliminating down time and potential mistakes.
Brad Kuehn, design manager from ADAC Plastics, Inc. (Grand Rapids, MI), agrees. "Metaphase has perhaps the biggest impact in our ability to design parts faster and more accurately from the beginning because we are always sure that we are viewing the most up-to-date designs," he says.
"Metaphase provides an instant data exchange direct with Ford even if they aren't our files," says Kathy Gross, ADAC CAD designer. "We can go into Metaphase for the newest review of glass or sheet metal design. Other suppliers can pull up our part to see how our latch will pick up their rod."
ADAC, a Tier 1 supplier for Ford, most recently designed the new Thunderbird door handles. "Ford considers handles like jewelry," says Timothy Fullmer, manager of engineering services at ADAC. Usually there aren't any flat surfaces or perfectly round ones and they must have a high degree of integrity.
The Thunderbird handle is a standard paddle, a horizontal lift-up style. However, the proprietary design makes it one of the first door handles on the market that does not make a noise when the user releases the flap, says Fullmer.
Designing door handles is more complex than one may think, says Kuehn. Twenty two parts, including pins, springs, housing, latching mechanisms and cables, must fit into the pocket of an increasingly thin door panel and not interfere with opening and closing the window pane. They have to function every time, must be aesthetically pleasing, and ergonomically correct. They must be able to withstand side and rear impact.
"We start from scratch for every design. For example, the sheet metal skin isn't the same for any car design," says Kuehn. The interface with the handle and the crown of the material is always different. Style drives everything at the beginning of the program.
When ADAC first won the door handle contract from Ford, they did not use I-DEAS. ADAC engineers designed with a 3D surfacing and wireframe system. I-DEAS is a solids-based system. "Building parts required a new thought process," says Gross. "Before, I put lines in the computer and put a 'fabric' or surface on the line. Now I'm starting with blocks and cylinders and cut out areas that I want."
"Parametrics are definitely the wave of the future and all product development will involve this process," she says.
"But learning I-DEAS was probably the same as learning any other program," says Gross. "It took me about six months before I felt proficient and about a year before I was really comfortable."
"Training is key," says Kuehn. "There is no substitute for taking the time in the very beginning to understand how a software package works."
Knowing the importance of training, Ford started a Global Supplier Integration program. Thirty people from Ford along with 30 people from SDRC work with engineers from 30 different programs. When a supplier buys a solution seat, the company also is buying training and assistance at the same time.
The training was helpful, says Kuehn, but to ensure a speedy and efficient transition to the new system, he hired engineers with SDRC experience. "I have only top notch people working for me," says Kuehn, "but training on a new system is never easy. We went out and hired people who had five or six years experience with SDRC and these people became our in-house teachers."
In addition to I-DEAS, ADAC uses CATIA from Dassault for surfacing and directly translating the information into I-DEAS. "I-DEAS handles data well if you bring the information from another package," says Kuehn. "But it has a hard time generating the shapes itself."
Originally Ford said that all its suppliers had to use ICEM surfacing, a high-level surfacing package. "Now this was hard to learn," says Fullmer. So six months later, Ford came out and said the supplier could use any CAD program they were comfortable with as long as it was Class A and could be directly translated into I-DEAS.
I-DEAS proved to be helpful for running FEA analysis and for sharing data. Allied Signal, which supplies ADAC with the polymer resin material for the handle, used I-DEAS prior to the C3P program. "Most automotive handles are now made out of nylon," says Kuehn. "Allied Signals performs mold flow and plastic analyses for our designs. These tests help us evaluate any weak areas," he says.
Here again is where communication comes into play, says Kuehn. Allied Signal can pick up ADAC's designs and run the necessary tests without any translation or loss of data. "With C3P's PIM program, we can share data easily and quickly."
Now they can see the light at the end of the tunnel. "In the beginning it was hard. But last year we saw leaps and bounds in our ability to work with the system," Kuehn says. In the long run, the new system will cut door handle design time from the traditional 10 to 12 weeks to six to eight, he believes.
Getting Tier One suppliers on board will make digital prototyping work, says SDRC's Hay. "But we still have lots of work."
Virtual reality for the virtual prototype
Now that we have this digitally designed prototype of a car, how are we going to view it? With virtual reality, of course.
Robert Mehall, Director of the EDS Center (Detroit, MI) and Joseph Shaver, Manger of Business Development, offer services for car manufacturers, suppliers, and potential buyers to do just that.
Using visualization and simulation tools on the market, EDS offers a facility where clients can view and interact with a life-size virtual prototype in real time. "CAD now is all 3D," says Mehall, "but that 3D is still projected on a 2D screen."
EDS provides 3D stereo equipment that displays two images simultaneously. When a user dons a pair of virtual reality glasses that interact with the computer-generated image so that left eye sees one image and the right eye sees the other, the wearer has the impression of depth.
At the EDS Center, clients can view their newest creation either on a 24 x 6 ft power wall or 3D screen, or in the "CAVE." The CAVE is a cube-shaped area where the car is projected onto the floor from the ceiling. "This method makes people feel like they are inside the vehicle. With this greater degree of inversion, they can interact with the interior better," says Mehall.
Engineers can import any CAD file and create a car of bits and bytes with compatible visualization and simulation software. "We offer vender independence," says Shaver. EDS partners with software and hardware companies to customize virtual reality solutions for clients. These include such companies as SGI, Alias Wavefront, PTC, Unigraphics, Dassault, Deneb Robotics, Eon Reality, EDI, and Opti Core.
If a company wants to build such a facility at their plant, consultants from EDS advise what hardware and software is most compatible with their CAD/CAM/CAE systems. Although individual client programs are customized from tools off the shelf, EDI developed priority codes to easily translate data between software packages to the big screen and back to the client.
Who needs a life-sized display of their car? "Virtual reality is great for design reviews," says Mehall. This technique is useful to test consumer preferences, likes and dislikes.
Instead of bringing expensive physical prototypes to auto shows, Shaver suggests that manufacturers can bring a computer-generated vehicle. Potential buyers can test the car style by color, cycling through the rainbow with a keystroke. Designers can view the car on the streets of Detroit, in a showroom, or on an airfield in Colorado.
About the Author(s)
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text:
Sixty-five percent of developers say it's too complicated and time-consuming to get dev-test resources.* It doesn't have to be.
This blog series will provide guidance on setting up dev-test environments with the help of the Microsoft cloud so that you can get the most out of dev-test in minutes—not hours or days.
Creating dev-test environments that mimic production often present challenges due to scalability and complexity, especially for hybrid applications and workloads.
Azure makes it easy to create a cross-premises virtual network that connects to and extends your on-premises network (see our previous blog entry for resources to help you create a cloud-only virtual network).
Azure offers a new set of hybrid cloud test environments for you to create. You can simulate a real hybrid production environment for dev-test in Azure by following the step-by-step instructions to set up a hybrid cloud environment for testing. The hybrid environment uses your local Internet connection and one of your public IP addresses to set up a functioning, cross-premises Azure virtual network. You create the simplified intranet portion of this configuration with three computers on an isolated subnet, which you can host on a single Hyper-V or other virtualization server.
You can expand or adapt this base configuration to create dev-test environments or proof-of-concept configurations for hybrid cloud-based IT workloads. This is a great way to experiment with Azure features, perform application development and testing, experiment with simplified IT workloads, and gauge the performance of a site-to-site VPN connection relative to your location on the Internet.
If you do not have a direct Internet connection or available public IP address, as an alternative, you can also create a simulated hybrid cloud. Follow these step-by-step instructions to set up a simulated hybrid cloud environment for testing. This configuration uses only Azure infrastructure components to create the simplified intranet in an additional Azure virtual network (VNet) and then links the two with a VNet-to-VNet connection. This configuration does not give you the experience of a true cross-premises virtual network, but you can still use it to perform dev-test functions and run simplified IT workloads.
Look for the next post in the Dev-Test Starts with IT series about setting up a SharePoint farm in a hybrid cloud for testing.
Start a free Azure trial.
Learn more about dev-test on Azure.
*Source: Business Case for Test Environment Management Whitepaper, Cognizant


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Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes from Polish the Starts
I am still on a donut kick. I thought I would see if I could find another fun pumpkin donut recipe to try now that the weather is cooling down, and boy did I ever. Baked, fried, glazed, or gluten free, there is a recipe for just about any pumpkin donut wish. I am not sure if I should start with the pumpkin spice donut hole recipe from Polish the Stars or the pumpkin donuts with spiced glaze from Annie's Eats:
If you want the taste of a pumpkin donut without the shape, you will want to try these pumpkin donut muffins from The Picky Apple:
Then there are the pumpkin poppers from Sophistimom:
Baked pumpkin donuts from The Craving Chronicles
and Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Donuts from Jules Gluten Free:
I think there is just enough time in October to try them all...if you don't mind eating pumpkin donuts every day!


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http://inkedcreations.thesearemystamps.com/ email@example.com |
Holiday Gift Card Holder |
C reate this quick and festive gift card holder to jazz up your holiday gift giving to friends and family!
Cut your base for the gift card using your Pop N Cuts Base. If you cut your cardstock 4 1/4" by 11" it will just fit over the die. Make sure you position it correctly before cutting it out.
Using your Simply Scored Board, position your card base with the flat side to the left edge of the board and score your piece at 3 1/2", 5 1/2", and 7 1/2".
Fold your base using the valley/mountain fold by folding the first score line down, the second up, and the last score line down again.
Using your Sticky Strip, tape the holder together on the bottom inside. Make sure that when you put your sticky strip on you place it as close to what will be the bottom of your gift card holder. If you place the sticky strip too high you will not be able to slide your gift card in later.
Use your Word Window punch to create the opening for your gift card. Insert your cardstock half way into your word window punch and punch. Make sure to leave a space on either side. It helps to use your punch upside down so you can line it up as you go.
Decorate the front of your gift card holder. I used a 4 1/4" by 2" piece of Designer Series Card Stock from the Winter Frost Paper Pack, Pool Party Seam Binding Ribbon. Add the stamped A Gift For You greeting in Smokey Slate.
Finally add your gift card!


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Field Theory: 65 bottles of beer on the wall...
123 Responses
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john Campbell on tv last night was very excited about the Wales vs Samoa game in Hamilton.
I think the reason everyone is grumpy is becuase the closer we get to the date, we find out how much more it's costing financially, which is the opposite of how it was pitched to NZ
Actually i dont remember it ever being pitched as a financial windfall of any kind. Back when Helen Clark went over and got it, it was pitched more as New Zealand's last chance to hold the Cup, before it became so incredibly expensive that we could ever do it again.
Ps, Wales v Samoa and France v Tonga should be great. Also Japan v Canada.
How many times have I heard people declare they'll be out of the country for the RWC?
To which I must say:
1. No, I bet you won't be.
2. Why go overseas when there will be tens of thousands of foreign folk coming here, not to mention a whole slate of festivals and events, all around the country? No one's going to make you watch the game on television, ffs.
I'm also getting quite sick of the rugby haters. Boo-hoo, you're living in a place that is holding a festival for something you don't like. Just like those Christians living in Sydney during Mardi Gras. That's right; I just compared you to homophobes.
Um, is it OK if I adopt my default position of general indifference with occasional flashes of WTF-ness at the amount of corporate welfare central and local government has been spraying around with gay abandon? Don't want to give anyone's party a plate job by thinking I'm entitled as a citizen-taxpayer to get annoyed at my employees.
How many times have I heard people declare they'll be out of the country for the RWC?
I may have been one of them, until Veolia Transport (my partner's employer) made it quite clear than requests for leave during the RWC would be greeted as follows:
After a great party I never ask "How much did it cost". I see the RWC in that light and I for one can't wait. I know the money could have been spent somewhere else etc but sometimes you just gotta have to have fun.
Is there no one who is actually excited by the fact that we'll be hosting a major sporting event this year?
Not me. I haven't been excited about rugby all year. The Super however-many-we're-up-to-now failed to spark me, and not just because the Canes were so abysmal this year. And I do like rugby. But less is more, and I think we've got too much. It's not a sport any more - it's a business. And I'm kinda meh on big business.
You go ahead and enjoy it, though. Somebody needs to.
Also I have been to Sydney during the Olympics. All I remember is how easy it was not to see anything relating to the Olympics during that time.
isn't this the case with all major sporting events of this kind - initial positive stories around landing the hosting rights... then several years of negative stories (often related to budget and buildings not being ready in time) then just prior to kickoff the positive switch gets turned back on
personally I'm not a fan of the game nor coming event - I hope we do ourselves proud on and off the field
I don't like rugby, but I don't hate it either. It's just a thing that other people do.
I was in Newcastle, NSW in 2001 when the Newcastle Knights won the AFL grand final. The streets were alive with celebrating munters, yelling random shit out of their cars. I know that's league, but it gave me a taste of the worst side of team sports. But I think we'd only see that if - shudder - NZ wins the RWC.
Meanwhile, it's nice to see Courtenay Place looking a bit cleaned up, though I'm not sure about those bollards that have been erected in the middle of the footpath either side of Blair and Allen Streets.
Sandringham Road is nice and smooth now. The power lines are underground. All the cafes have been spruced up and a whole bunch more have opened. We have some (admittedly not awesome, but some) public transport in Auckland directly as a result. So my local infrastructure has improved long term. Hotels, motels and people with a bed in a caravan will make money, which is nice for them. Australians will whinge about us taking money from them, all win.
No I won't try and drive anywhere on game nights, but I don't now anyway. No I don't expect to be able to bowl up to any restaurant and just get a table while the cup is on, but I tend to book usually anyway. Auckland will be crowded and busy for a month of my life, that isn't such a hardship.
I won't go to any games but I will probably watch quite a few on TV. The partisan side of me hope the ABs win, but I fear that means another National government if they do.
I don't think the RWC will make money, my guess is it will lose quite a lot really, but we will have upgraded a lot of infrastructure for the cup that we will use happily for decades.
No I don't hate the RWC. I do dislike the hype, and some of the blatant statistics fails.
There was an interesting look back at the 1987 RWC in the SST last week. It was pointed out in the article that the NZ public were quite ambivalent about that tournament as well (there was still a lot of hostility about the 1981, & proposed 1985 SAf tours). However as it wore on people got more enthusiastic and more into it. Hopefully that will be the case this time as well.
After a great party I never ask "How much did it cost".
You would if it was you paying for it.
What irks people (myself included) is not the rugby or the RWC itself but the NZ media.
Unrelenting doom if we lose, horrible strutting crowing if we win. Both ugly.
Islander, in reply to
And we are paying for it (and will be - e.g.via rates for the FB stadium in DN-for quite some time.)
Wont be watching any of it or attending anything associated with it. Aside from the cost part, it is entirely irrelevant to my life, and most certainly not something to party about. -
Its going to put some much needed dosh in my pocket.
I've no objection to people wanting to play rugby (or soccer, billiards, polo, Papua Rules Lacrosse or any other game).
What I object to is giving our money to Big Sport and bending our laws to accomodate them.
If I might make a suggestion to those keen on rugby, why don't you try and take the game back from the plutocrats (as people are doing world wide in many sports)?
Why does holding the Rugby World Cup need to be a competition for which country can fork out the most dosh, build the biggest stadia and impose the most autocratic laws? Why not have the event held in each rugby nation in turn, by alphabetic rotation? New Zealand, Samoa, Scotland, South Africa, Wales and back to Argentina
You'd have a year with grass roots rugby in the islands, then another year up in Scotland, etc. Everyone would get a turn (over a period of some years). It would be nice.
I, for one, am sick of being told I should be excited by the RWC.
Russell Brown, in reply to
I, for one, am sick of being told I should be excited by the RWC.
I'd settle for everyone holding back on whingeing about it till it starts and there's something to whinge about.
giovanni tiso, in reply to
I'd settle for everyone holding back on whingeing about it till it starts and there's something to whinge about.
There's plenty to whinge about in advance of it, actually, I would have thought.
And a lot of what we're seeing isn't whinging per se but people arguing, using evidence, that the RWC isn't necessarily something we should be celebrating.
Evidence being "large events cost money"? Whoever would've believed that? And tax payer money too, to hold the world's largest sporting event of 2011 in New Zealand.
It does still seem like whinging. The government is spending money on something I don't like (I bet that's something Craig has been hearing 2008).
Grrrr. Rugby has cost the public of Dunedin (and the wider Otago) over $200,000,000.00 recently in benefit of a bankrupt professional sports team in action. It was bad when they were costing us a million a year in "forgiven debts", and more to the Otago and Southland teams. A thousand dollars a head, including the kids.
Hey, never mind the ancient sewers, the crumbling sea wall around South Dunedin, Oamaru's receding coastline, more flooding in the Taieri, the barely drinkable water, and public transport; because there's no money for any of that any more. Let's enjoy the fscking rugby instead.
Sure, there's lots of nice new cars in town. Nice for those who own the construction companies, and pay for their faithful councillors re-election.
giovanni tiso, in reply to
Grrrr. Rugby has cost the public of Dunedin (and the wider Otago) over $200,000,000.00 recently in benefit of a bankrupt professional sports team in action. It was bad when they were costing us a million a year in "forgiven debts", and more to the Otago and Southland teams. A thousand dollars a head, including the kids.
Oh, quit your whingeing! Just enjoy the party we're having at your expense.
Russell Brown, in reply to
Grrrr. Rugby has cost the public of Dunedin (and the wider Otago) over $200,000,000.00 recently in benefit of a bankrupt professional sports team in action. It was bad when they were costing us a million a year in "forgiven debts", and more to the Otago and Southland teams. A thousand dollars a head, including the kids.
Can't argue with you there. I'm more thinking of the people who have convinced themselves that the country will somehow be hell on earth for a couple of months. It won't.
Post your response…
This topic is closed.


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Keeping Your Monitor Awake When Taking Breaks During a Long Piece
The Performance Monitors are designed to power down after a couple of minutes of inactivity. To keep your monitor awake when you're taking a break during a long piece, periodically press Display or Change Display, Units or Change Units on the monitor face. This registers as activity for the monitor and will keep the monitor from shutting down.
Don't press Menu or Menu | Back as that will end your workout.


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Repair Parts
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The second edition of this book is virtually a new book. It is the only comprehensive text on the safety of essential oils, the first review of essential oil/drug interactions, and it provides detailed essential oil constituent data not found in any other text. Much of the existing text has been re-written, and 80% of the text is completely new. There are 400 comprehensive essential oil profiles and almost 4000 references. There are new chapters on the respiratory system, the cardiovascular system, the urinary system, the digestive system and the nervous system.
For each essential oil, there is a full breakdown of constituents, and a clear categorization of hazards and risks, with recommended maximum doses and concentrations. There are also 206 Constituent Profiles.
There is considerable discussion of carcinogens, the human relevance of some of the animal data, the validity of treating an essential oil as if it was a single chemical, and the arbitrary nature of uncertainty factors. There is a critique of current regulations.
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Game Creation with XNA
A Wikibookian suggests that Creating a Simple 3D Game with XNA be merged into this book. Discuss whether or not this merger should happen on the discussion page. |
Status: This class project has finished, a thorough review is needed. This book is a collection of tutorials on game creation with Microsoft's XNA framework. It is a class project, started by students of international media informatics at HTW Berlin. |
Table of Contents
editGame Creation / Game Design
edit- Introduction
- Types of Games
- Story Writing and Character Development
- Project Management
- Marketing, Making money, Licensing
Mathematics and Physics
edit- Introduction
- Vectors and Matrices
- Collision Detection
- Ballistics
- Inverse Kinematics
- Character Animation
- Physics Engines
editAudio and Sound
edit2D Game Development
edit- Introduction
- Texture
- Sprites
- Finding free Textures and Graphics
- Menu and Help
- Heads-Up-Display (HUD)
3D Game Development
edit- Introduction
- Primitive Objects
- 3D Modelling Software
- Finding free Models
- Importing Models
- Camera and Lighting
- Shaders and Effects
- Skybox
- Landscape Modelling
- 3D Engines


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ڈاکٹر عاقب مدثر ایک بے مثال طبیب ہیں جو مستقل طور پر عالی طبی حفاظت کی فراہمی کے لئے محنت کرتے ہیں۔ ان کی گہری علمی تشریفات، توجہ بھرا انداز اور خالص ہمدردی ملازمت کو واقعی نمایاں بناتے ہیں۔ میں بے شک ڈاکٹر عاقب مدثر کی عالی صلاحیتوں اور مہربانی کی تصدیق پورے دل سے کرتا ہوں۔
What days we can chek dr shoab A.kazi?
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If you have a moment, please do leave a review to the plugin.We need your support and motivation to keep developing awesome plugins for you.
Smart Icons For WordPress plugin brings to you 519 icons from Font Awesome. Users can include these icons to posts, pages or custom post types with just a click of a button above wordPress editor (works with tinymce 4).
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Custom shortcode, the default shortcode is [smarticon] but you can customise it to your own [icon] [fonticon] etc.
Options to load fonts from CDN
CSS effects like radius and shadow to customize the icons.
Supports for last two versions of all the major browsers
4K display friendly
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PRO Features
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The plugin comes with FontAwesome which is released under a license that allows commercial usage. Icons are also free for commercial use but just make sure they have creative commons 3.0 license before you import.
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1.0.4 – Sep 28th, 2015
- Bug fix: Fixed the malfunction of toggle switch incase of RTL.
- Compatibilty with version 4.3.2
1.0.3 – June 23rd, 2015
- Addition of 40 new icons to the plugin
- Upgraded to font awesome 4.3
- Compatibilty with version 4.2.2
1.0.2 – March 5th, 2015
- Compatibility release for 4.2.0
- New method to insert shortcode into WordPress editor
1.0.1 – Feb 22nd, 2015
- Fixed a css bug
- Fix for cross origin issue.
1.0.0 – Nov 18th, 2014
- Initial release


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On June 24, 1915, young Oswald Boelcke, one of the earliest and best German fighter pilots of World War I, makes the first operational flight of the Fokker Eindecker plane.
The years of the First World War, 1914 to 1918, saw a staggering improvement not only in aircraft production, but also in technology, on both sides of the conflict. The war began just a decade after Orville and Wilbur Wright made their historic 12-second flight at Kittyhawk, North Carolina; by 1918, fighter airplanes had been developed that could serve purposes of observation and reconnaissance, tactical and strategic bombing, direct attack on ground and air targets and use in naval warfare.
The Fokker Eindecker, a plane equipped first with one and eventually with two machine guns that could fire straight ahead through the aircraft's propellers, would have a huge impact on air combat in the Great War and would put the Luftstreitkrafte, the German Air Service, far ahead of the Allied air forces for several months during the summer of 1915. The British referred to this as the Fokker Menace or the Fokker Scourge. The plane's designer, Anton Fokker, had based the concept of synchronization, or the precise timing of the propeller blades to avoid being struck by the machine gun bullets, on an aircraft designed by France's Morane-Saulnier corporation and flown by the famous French ace Roland Garros when he was shot down in April 1915 by the Germans. The Fokker Eindecker, or Fokker E, plane made German pilots like Boelcke and Max Immelmann into national heroes, as the number of their kills increased exponentially.
By the end of the summer of 1915, the Allies had managed to develop their own planes to rival the Fokkers, and balance was restored. Another German air menace reared its head in early 1917, though, as the new German Albatros planes decimated the British Royal Flying Corps in the skies over France. Soon, however, Allied aviation technology and production began to far outstrip the German efforts, as aerial combat became less a question of individual battles by heroic pilots than a matter of mass-production capability. In the last year of the war, Britain, France and the United States jointly produced an average of 11,200 aircraft and 14,500 engines per month, while their financially struggling German counterparts managed below 2,000 of each.
Article Details:
June 24, 1915 : First operational flight of new German fighter plane
History.com StaffWebsite Name
History.comYear Published
June 24, 1915 : First operational flight of new German fighter planeURL
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-operational-flight-of-new-german-fighter-planeAccess Date
June 24, 2015Publisher
A+E Networks


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Another year nears its end, reminding us that there is much about it to reflect on and a lot more to get ready for in the next one. As many of us take this last week to do (just) so (or pretend to, anyway) -- to recover before we resume -- I leave you with these poems by Wislawa Szymborska, as a way to bridge the remainder of the 'holiday' -- this threshold of time lost and anticipation, the intermingling of memory and future in our search for substance and meaning.
La Cenerentola, François Schuiten |
Children Of Our Age
We are children of our age,
it's a political age.
All day long, all through the night,
all affairs--yours, ours, theirs--
are political affairs.
Whether you like it or not,
your genes have a political past,
your skin, a political cast,
your eyes, a political slant.
Whatever you say reverberates,
whatever you don't say speaks for itself.
So either way you're talking politics.
Even when you take to the woods,
you're taking political steps
on political grounds.
Apolitical poems are also political,
and above us shines a moon
no longer purely lunar.
To be or not to be, that is the question.
And though it troubles the digestion
it's a question, as always, of politics.
To acquire a political meaning
you don't even have to be human.
Raw material will do,
or protein feed, or crude oil,
or a conference table whose shape
was quarreled over for months;
Should we arbitrate life and death
at a round table or a square one?
Meanwhile, people perished,
animals died,
houses burned,
and the fields ran wild
just as in times immemorial
and less political.
Une Odeur d'étoile de Mer en Train de Mourir, Enki Bilal (The Hunting Party) |
The End And The Beginning
After every war
someone has to clean up.
Things won't
straighten themselves up, after all.
Someone has to push the rubble
to the side of the road,
so the corpse-filled wagons
can pass.
Someone has to get mired
in scum and ashes,
sofa springs,
splintered glass,
and bloody rags.
Someone has to drag in a girder
to prop up a wall.
Someone has to glaze a window,
rehang a door.
Photogenic it's not,
and takes years.
All the cameras have left
for another war.
We'll need the bridges back,
and new railway stations.
Sleeves will go ragged
from rolling them up.
Someone, broom in hand,
still recalls the way it was.
Someone else listens
and nods with unsevered head.
But already there are those nearby
starting to mill about
who will find it dull.
From out of the bushes
sometimes someone still unearths
rusted-out arguments
and carries them to the garbage pile.
Those who knew
what was going on here
must make way for
those who know little.
And less than little.
And finally as little as nothing.
In the grass that has overgrown
causes and effects,
someone must be stretched out
blade of grass in his mouth
gazing at the clouds.


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This is the staging site. If you came across this site by mistake, click to go to public site.
"Attending SAA meetings starts us on a new way of life. But while the SAA fellowship supports our recovery, the actual work of recovery is described in the Twelve Steps. Meetings are forums for learning how to integrate the steps into our lives. Working the Twelve Steps leads to a spiritual transformation that results in sustainable relief from our addiction."
We admitted we were powerless over addictive sexual behavior - that our lives had become unmanageable.
Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.
Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out.
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other sex addicts and to practice these principles in our lives.
These steps are the heart of our program. They contain a depth that we could hardly have guessed when we started. Over time, we establish a relationship with a Power greater than ourselves, each of us coming to an understanding of a Higher Power that is personal for us.
The SAA program offers a spiritual solution to our addiction, without requiring adherence to any specific set of beliefs or practices.
But the steps are more than a series of exercises. They provide basic principles for living. Most of us find opportunities on a daily basis to apply one or more of the steps to some challenge in our life. Over time, the spiritual principles in the steps become integrated into our thoughts, feelings, and behavior. We find that we are not only working the steps — we are living them.


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The following factors may be relevant in working out whether a dwelling is your main residence:
- the length of time you live there (there is no minimum time a person has to live in a home before it is considered to be their main residence)
- whether your family lives there
- whether you have moved your personal belongings into the home
- the address to which your mail is delivered
- your address on the electoral roll
- the connection of services (for example, phone, gas or electricity)
- your intention in occupying the dwelling.
A mere intention to construct or occupy a dwelling as your main residence, without actually doing so, is not sufficient to get the exemption.
In certain circumstances, you may choose to treat a dwelling as your main residence even though:
- you no longer live in it (for more information, see Continuing main residence status after dwelling ceases to be your main residence), or
- you are yet to live in it, but will do so as soon as practicable after it is constructed, repaired or renovated and you will continue to live in it for at least three months (for more information, see Constructing, renovating or repairing a dwelling on land you already own).


text:
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Milky, Cloudy or White Water
Cloudy water is usually caused by tiny air bubbles in the water similar to gas bubbles in carbonated drinks. This usually happens during winter months when air gets mixed into the cold water and then the water is warmed as it sits in household plumbing or hot water heaters. Cold water can hold more air than warm water. When the warmed water is released from a faucet into a glass, the air bubbles rise to the top and the water clears. There is no health risk associated with air in water.
Air can also occur in water after routine repairs to waterlines. If the air does not clear up or if it seems excessive, contact your Water Resources Department.
Chlorine Taste and Odor
We are required by law to provide disinfectant (chlorine) residuals to the taps of our customers to protect the water from harmful bacteria. This may mean that you encounter chlorine-type tastes and odors from time to time. If you find these objectionable, fill a container with water and store it in the refrigerator for drinking. Leave the cap slightly loose and most of the chlorine smell should dissipate.
You can also use a hand-held pitcher with an activated carbon filter to remove chlorine, or install a point-of-use water treatment device on a faucet for your cooking and drinking water. Be certain that the device has been tested by an independent organization for aesthetic (non-health) use. ANSI/NSF Standard 42 establishes minimum requirements for materials, design and construction, and performance of drinking water devices that reduce specific aesthetic-related contaminants in public or private water supplies. These products usually contain activated carbon that can remove many chemicals that affect taste and odor, including chlorine.
Point of use devices contain filter cartridges that must be changed out periodically. Be sure to follow manufacturer's recommendations to replace the cartridges. If you plan to store water from these devices, treat the water as a food product, and use clean, airtight containers and refrigerate, as the water is no longer protected from bacteriological contamination.
Discolored Water
Yellow, rusty, or brownish colored water is usually due to flow changes in the system that stir up iron and manganese-containing sediments. There are no health-related limits for iron or manganese in drinking water. These minerals, however, can result in staining of white laundry. Items stained by washing in discolored water should not be bleached (this will set the color into the fabric). They should be washed again in clear water. Using a laundry cleaner specifically manufactured for iron removal may be helpful as well. These products are available at most laundry product retailers.
Discolored water can also be the result of in-house plumbing problems, such as the attachment of dissimilar metals like copper and galvanized pipes, or to cracked glass liners in hot water tanks. In general, these in-house discolored water problems will be characterized by a spurt of discolored water when the water is first turned on or will be limited to the hot water.
Rusty water can also occur in the system if there is a change or increase in water flow caused by water main breaks, valve operation, or fire hydrant activation. These activities dislodge small particles of rust and stir up sediments in pipes. It is a temporary condition and should clear up in a couple of hours. The Water Resources Department should be aware of what is happening at any particular time and how long the condition should last. If possible, avoid dish washing or laundry until the condition clears up.
If you experience ongoing discolored water for which you can find no in-house remedy, call your Water Resources Department.
Musty, moldy, or earthy taste or odor in the water
Earthy/musty tastes and odors that occur in drinking water can be related to several factors. These taste and odor causing substances can be very difficult to detect at the treatment facility. There are two common causes of a musty, moldy, or earthy taste or odor in the water: bacteria growing in your drain, or certain types of organisms growing in the City's water supply.
By far, the most common cause of this type of problem is the drain. Over time organic matter (such as hair, soap, and food waste) can accumulate on the walls of the drain. Bacteria can grow on these organic deposits. As the bacteria grow and multiply, they produce gases that can smell musty or moldy. These gases accumulate in the drain until the water is turned on. As the water runs down the drain, the gases are expelled into the air around the sink. It is natural to assume the bad odor is coming from the water because the smell is noticeable only when the water is on. However there is nothing wrong with the water, but the drain may need to be disinfected.
The other cause of this type of taste or odor in the water is much less common and results from certain types of algae, fungi, and bacteria growing in the water supply reservoirs. As these organisms grow and multiply, they excrete small amounts of harmless chemicals into the water that cause a musty, moldy, or earthy taste and odor. The two most common chemicals are geosmin and methylisoborneal (MIB). Although these chemicals are harmless, the human senses of taste and smell are extremely sensitive to them and can detect them in the water at concentrations as low as 5 parts per trillion (nanograms per liter).
Similar "stale" tastes and odors may also occur in distribution lines related to low flow situations. The remedy in this case usually involves flushing out of the affected lines by City crews. Also, anytime plumbing has been unused for a long time, the water can develop an unpleasant taste, so faucets should be run a short time to bring in fresh water. There are no adverse health effects associated with earthy/musty taste and odor substances.
Most Water Resources departments fluoridate the water in all of its treatment facilities. Fluoride is provided at a level of about 1 milligram per liter which provides an optimal level of fluoride for protection against tooth decay.
Pink or black residues on surfaces in contact with water
Such residues may occur in showers, toilet bowls or tanks, pet bowls, bath tub toys, coffee reservoirs, cold air humidifiers—on any surface that stays moist and is not cleaned thoroughly and regularly. These are generally the result of biological growth—molds, fungus, bacteria or algae that have originated from the air or the surfaces themselves. These microbes grow well in moist areas and the water that remains in these areas has typically lost its chlorine (disinfectant) through natural reaction or volatilization. The simple remedy is to keep such areas dry and to clean them regularly with a disinfectant solution.
White or black particles
These can occur as a result of degradation of hot water tank dip tubes (white) or degradation of faucet gaskets, supply tubing or pipe coatings (black). If the particles are occurring due to these causes, some basic trouble-shooting may help isolate the problem: determine whether the problem occurs only in hot water piping or certain faucets.
My water is cloudy and/or tastes bad. Who should I contact?
Contact your Water Resources Department to report concerns about the taste, smell, or appearance of your water. Hydrant flushing may be required to clear lines of cloudy water due to construction or maintenance of water mains.
Is my water safe? Do I need to boil my water or seek an alternate source due to specialized medical needs?
Drinking water as provided by public water suppliers is clarified and disinfected. It is not sterile, however. Those with severely compromised immune systems—advanced AIDS, organ transplant patients, cancer patients on chemotherapy, or those with other conditions that greatly impair the natural immune response may wish to take special precautions regarding the water they consume, such as boiling the water prior to use. To completely eliminate the possibility of any microbial exposure from water are advised, bring water to a full rolling boil for one minute, allow it to cool, and store it in clean, refrigerated conditions. Persons with these concerns are encouraged to seek advice from their physicians.
In the event of a major interruption in water service, such as a water main break, customers may be advised to boil their water. This can happen even in properly treated public water supplies like Greensboro's. When water service is interrupted and mains are depressurized, there is an increased risk that substances might be drawn into mains through seepage or cross-connections. As a result, in larger outages, systems are required to issue "boil water advisories" until bacteriological sampling shows that the water has not been contaminated. Such sampling usually takes 24 to 48 hours to be completed once water service is restored. The Water Resources Department's monitoring of the water in such depressurization instances has consistently shown that the water has not been contaminated.
My family has been sick. How can I be sure my water is not the cause?
With increased public awareness on issues related to health and infectious diseases, the Water Resources Department is occasionally asked whether City water could be the cause of illness. This is highly unlikely, since the City provides water that is treated to high quality standards, uses utmost care in maintaining its distribution system, and adds chlorine at booster stations where needed. In response to such inquiries, however, most Water Resources Department schedules on-site water testing for bacteria and chlorine (disinfectant) residuals, as well as other basic water quality parameters if the customer so desires.
Source: © City of Greensboro


text: Play Curtain from Hoppekids from different series, that matches other interior parts such as beanbag, tower, pillows etc. in various colors and designs. The good colors in the play curtain will definitely give an energetic look to your kids room.The play curtain fits well into the stylish furniture from Hoppekids where you place the curtain at the bed and other funiture as dressers, bookcases, desks, beds, etc. can complement the room, which also can be purchased at Coolshop.Details on Play Curtain to bed:Dimensions: 70x160 cmAll mattreses and ther meter fabrics which is used in Hoppekids' textil collection is Oeko Tex 100- certifiedNOTE! Furniture, interior items ect. on the pictures are NOT includedHoppekidsHoppekids is a Danish furniture company with the mission to create secure and flexible solutions for any children's room. As the father of three, owner and founder, René Stenvang, has experienced the differences in need and unique personalities of children. It is with this knowledge that he created Hoppekids' wide selection of modular and multi-functional furniture. The result is furniture, which can match any need and room and can change with your child's development and ever-changing needs.


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The Obamas returned to the White House today for the unveiling of their official portraits, and the paintings are a bit unconventional. Former President Barack Obama, wearing a dark suit, stands against a white background, looking straight ahead. And in her portrait, former first lady Michelle Obama is seated on a couch in the red room wearing an off-the-shoulder, pale blue gown. As NPR's Tamara Keith reports, it was a warm homecoming.
TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: Obama's portrait is hyper realistic, so detailed it almost looks like a photograph. He said that makes a statement.
BARACK OBAMA: Presidents so often get airbrushed, even take on a mythical status, especially after you've gone.
KEITH: But he said presidents and first ladies are human. They're flawed.
B OBAMA: When future generations walk these halls and look up at these portraits, I hope they get a better, honest sense of who Michelle and I were. And I hope they leave with a deeper understanding that if we could make it here, maybe they can, too.
KEITH: Obama hosted George W. Bush for his portrait unveiling in 2012, but this tradition didn't happen during the Trump presidency. It's not clear why. But that meant Biden, who served as Obama's vice president, got to honor his friend.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: For eight years we grew to be a family for each other, through our highs and our lows, a family from different backgrounds, brought together by a shared value set.
KEITH: The Bidens and Obamas were mostly earnest as they spoke to a packed room of friends and former aides. But there was humor, too, like the former president's complaint that his portrait by Robert McCurdy was maybe a little bit too realistic.
B OBAMA: You'll note that he refused to hide any of my gray hairs, refused my request to make my ears smaller.
KEITH: Michelle Obama's voice broke with emotion as she talked about how unlikely it felt that her husband, a biracial kid with a funny name, and a girl who grew up on the south side of Chicago would find their way to the White House.
MICHELLE OBAMA: It is still a bit odd for me to stand in this historic space, see this big, beautiful painting staring back at me.
KEITH: That portrait was painted by Sharon Sprung. It joins a continuum of history that began with George and Martha Washington. And though it may feel awkward, Michelle Obama said moments like these are important.
M OBAMA: Traditions like this matter not just for those of us who hold these positions but for everyone participating in and watching our democracy.
KEITH: When this tradition began, the portraits were a way for the American people to know what their leaders looked like. Now, they show the president and first lady as they see themselves, says Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association.
STEWART MCLAURIN: To some people they will be a surprise and different because they are nontraditional. To others, they will be very affirming. And yes, that's him. Yes, that's her. And I think 50 years from now, 75 years from now, when people walk through the White House and they see these portraits of President and Mrs. Obama, they will see them as President and Mrs. Obama wanted to be depicted. And I think that's what's important.
KEITH: Or, as Michelle Obama said, once our time is up, we move on. And all the remains in this hallowed place are our good efforts and these portraits. Tamara Keith, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Rabbi Geoffrey Mitelman: It's inherently challenging for believers and atheists to have productive conversations. Discussing topics such as belief and nonbelief, the potential irrationality of religion, or the limits of scientific knowledge is difficult since each side often ends up more firmly entrenched in their own worldview.
But one bright person interested in broadening the conversation is Sam McNerney, a science writer who focuses on cognitive science and an atheist interested in religion from a psychological point of view.
I found Sam through his writing on ScientificAmerican.com, and started reading his blog Why We Reason and his posts on BigThink.com. We discovered that even though we approached religion from different perspectives, we had great respect for each other.
So as two people with different religious outlooks we wondered: what can we learn from each other?
Sam McNerney: There are many things we can learn. Let's take one: the role of authority.
A recent New York Times article points out that secular liberal atheists tend to conflate authority, loyalty and sanctity with racism, sexism and homophobia. It's not difficult to see why. Societies suffer when authority figures, being motivated by sacred values and religious beliefs, forbid their citizens from challenging the status quo. But a respect for authority and the principles they uphold to some degree is necessary if societies seek to maintain order and justice and function properly. The primatologist Frans de Waal explains it this way: "Without agreement on rank and a certain respect for authority there can be no great sensitivity to social rules, as anyone who has tried to teach simple house rules to a cat will agree." (Haidt, 106)
Ironically, atheists' steadfast allegiance to rationality, secular thinking and the importance of open-mindedness blinds them to important religious values including respect for authority. As a result, atheists tend to confuse authority with exploitation and evil and undervalue the vital role authority plays in a healthy society.
Geoff: You accurately bring up one aspect of why organized religion can be so complicated: it is intertwined with power. And I'm glad you note that authority and power are not inherently bad when it comes to religion. In fact, as you also say, a certain degree of authority is necessary.
To me, the real problem arises when religion adds another element into the mix: certainty. It's a toxic combination to have religious authorities with the power to influence others claiming to "know" with 100% certainty that they're right and everyone else is wrong.
One thing I learned from several atheists is the importance of skepticism and doubt. Indeed, while certainty leads to arrogance, uncertainty leads to humility. We open up the conversation and value diverse experiences when we approach the world with a perspective of "I'm not sure" or "I could be wrong."
Recently, astrophysicist Adam Frank wrote a beautiful piece on NPR's blog 13.7 about how valuable uncertainty can be:
Dig around in most of the world's great religious traditions and you find people finding their sense of grace by embracing uncertainty rather than trying to bury it in codified dogmas…
Though I am an atheist, some of the wisest people I have met are those whose spiritual lives (some explicitly religious, some not) have forced them to continually confront uncertainty. This daily act has made them patient and forgiving, generous and inclusive. Likewise, the atheists I have met who most embody the ideals of free inquiry seem to best understand the limitations of every perspective, including their own. They encounter the ever shifting ground of their lives with humor, good will and compassion.
Certainty can be seductive, but it hurts our ability to engage with others in constructive ways. Thus when religious people talk about God, belief or faith, we have to approach the conversation with a little humility and recognize that we don't have a monopoly on the truth. In the words of Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, we need to realize that another person doesn't have to be wrong for us to be right.
This doesn't mean believers and atheists will agree on the role of religion in society, the validity of a particular belief system, or even the very existence of God. In fact, believers and atheists will almost certainly continue to vehemently disagree about these questions. But we have to remember that not all disagreements are bad. Some arguments are quite beneficial because they help us gain a deeper understanding of reality, encourage clearer thinking, and broaden people's perspectives.
The Rabbis even draw a distinction between two different kinds of arguments. Arguments they call "for the sake of Heaven" will always be valuable, while arguments that are only for self-aggrandizement will never be productive (Avot 5:20). So I'm not interested in arguments that devolve into mocking, ridicule, name-calling or one-upmanship. But I'd gladly participate in any discussion if we are arguing about how we make ourselves and this world better, and would actively strive to involve whoever wants to be part of that endeavor, regardless of what they may or may not believe.
Sam: You are right to point out that both atheists and believers under the illusion of certainty smother potentially productive dialogue with disrespectful rhetoric. What's alarming is that atheism in the United States is now more than non-belief. It's an intense and widely shared sentiment where a belief in God is not only false, but also ridiculous. Pointing out how irrational religion can be is entertaining for too many.
There's no doubt that religious beliefs influence negative behavioral consequences, so atheists are right to criticize religion on many epistemological claims. But I've learned from believers and my background in cognitive psychology that faith-based beliefs are not necessarily irrational.
Consider a clever study recently conducted by Kevin Rounding of Queen's University in Ontario that demonstrates how religion helps increase self-control. In two experiments participants (many of whom identified as atheists) were primed with a religious mindset – they unscrambled short sentences containing words such as "God," "divine" and "Bible." Compared to a control group, they were able to drink more sour juice and were more willing to accept $6 in a week instead of $5 immediately. Similar lines of research show that religious people are less likely to develop unhealthy habits like drinking, taking drugs, smoking and engaging in risky sex.
Studies also suggest that religious and spiritual people, especially those living in the developing world, are happier and live longer, on average, than non-believers. Religious people also tend to feel more connected to something beyond themselves; a sentiment that contributes to well-being significantly.
It's unclear if these findings are correlative or causal – it's likely that many of the benefits that come from believing in God arise not from beliefs per se but from strong social ties that religious communities do such a good job of fostering. Whatever the case, this research should make atheists pause before they dismiss all religious beliefs as irrational or ridiculous.
Geoff: It's interesting — that actually leads to another area where atheists have pushed believers in important ways, namely, to focus less on the beliefs themselves, and more on how those beliefs manifest themselves in actions. And to paraphrase Steven Pinker, the actions that religious people need to focus on are less about "saving souls," and more about "improving lives."
For much of human history the goal of religion was to get people to believe a certain ideology or join a certain community. "Being religious" was a value in and of itself, and was often simply a given, but today, we live in a world where people are free to choose what they believe in. So now, the goal of religion should be to help people find more fulfillment in their own lives and to help people make a positive impact on others' lives.
It's important to note that people certainly do not need religion to act morally or find fulfillment. But as Jonathan Haidt writes in his new book The Righteous Mind, religion can certainly make it easier.
Haidt argues that our mind is like a rider who sits atop an elephant to suggest that our moral deliberations (the rider) are post-hoc rationalizations of our moral intuitions (the elephant). The key to his metaphor is that intuitions comes first (and are much more powerful) and strategic reason comes afterwards.
We need our rider because it allows us to think critically. But our elephant is also important because it motivates us to connect with others who share a moral vision. Ultimately, if we are striving to build communities and strengthen our morals, we cannot rely exclusively on either the rider or the elephant; we need both. As Haidt explains:
If you live in a religious community, you are enmeshed in a set of norms, institutions and relationships that work primarily on the elephant to influence your behavior. But if you are an atheist living in a looser community with a less binding moral matrix, you might have to rely somewhat more on an internal moral compass, read by the rider. That might sound appealing to rationalists, but it is also a recipe for…a society that no longer has a shared moral order. [And w]e evolved to live, trade and trust within shared moral matrices. (Haidt, 269)
Since religion is a human construct, with its "norms, institutions and relationships," it can be used in a variety of different ways. It can obviously be used to shut down critical thinking and oppress others. But as you mention, religion has positive effects on well-being, and religious beliefs correlate with a sense of fulfillment. Perhaps the job of religion, then, should be giving us a common language, rituals, and communities that reinforce and strengthen our ability to become better human beings and find joy and meaning in our lives.
Ultimately, we don't have to agree with someone in order to learn from them. As Ben Zoma, a 2nd century Jewish sage, reminds us: "Who is wise? The person who learns from all people." (Avot 4:1) When we are willing to open ourselves up to others, we open ourselves up to new ideas and different perspectives.
Indeed, I have come to believe that our purpose as human beings – whether we identify as a believer, an atheist, or anything in between – is to better ourselves and our world. And any source of knowledge that leads us to that goal is worth pursuing.


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1Corinthians 12
1. Now concerning spiritual [gifts], brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and [that] no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another [divers] kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also [is] Christ.
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
For the body is not one member, but many.
If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
If the whole body [were] an eye, where [were] the hearing? If the whole [were] hearing, where [were] the smelling?
But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
And if they were all one member, where [were] the body?
But now [are they] many members, yet but one body.
And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
And those [members] of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely [parts] have more abundant comeliness.
For our comely [parts] have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that [part] which lacked:
That there should be no schism in the body; but [that] the members should have the same care one for another.
And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
[Are] all apostles? [are] all prophets? [are] all teachers? [are] all workers of miracles?
Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
Go to
I Corinthians 13
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