text:
political commentator * author * publisher * bookseller * radio presenter * blogger * Conservative candidate * former lobbyist * Jack Russell owner * West Ham United fanatic * Email iain AT iaindale DOT com
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Ming Fails to Impress 5 Live Listeners
48 comments:
What was the point in interviewing Rennard the other night? The original self-publicist - can't give credit to anyone else who is instrumental elsewhere and claims credit for things that other people did. I find it amazing that in your interview he even implies and suggests he was in places doing things that other people actually did when he wasn't even there.
Chris Rennard promotes Chris Rennard. Which is actually the only thing he remains capable of. He certainly doesn't have a grip on the party's finances and administration. - April 26, 2007 10:12 am
- Alan Douglas said...
Iain,if I had not been listening in the car,I would have called in with your recent stats about where theFib Dems are or are NOT the "national" party of opposition.
Alan Douglas - April 26, 2007 10:14 am
- James Graham (Quaequam Blog!) said...
Interesting to see that you have managed to keep your usual "the BBC are horribly impartial" bile under control, despite boasting that the interviewer is fundamentally biased.
- April 26, 2007 10:29 am
- Iain Dale said...
James, get out of the wrong side of the bed this morning? And where did I say he was biased?! I said he clearly thinks Ming has passed his sell by date. In my experience, so do most LibDems.
- April 26, 2007 10:41 am
- Phil Whittington said...
I read the headline as "Ming Fails to Impress 5 listeners"
I'm sure this is true also! - April 26, 2007 10:48 am
In other news, Gore Vidal doesn't bowl over Daily Sport readers and Ghandi fails to impress devotees of Men Only.
- April 26, 2007 10:59 am
The interesting thing is that much of the debate has been framed through the prism of David Cameron and his effect on the new politics.
What new politics? Same old self-interested, cowardly claptrap from where I'm sitting.
Or maybe I'm just a cynic. - April 26, 2007 11:02 am
I think most people think Richard Bacon is passed his sell by date. It's a good thing Charlie Kennedy is no longer leader. If Bacon had had him on the programme, he'd have probably tried to snort him.
- April 26, 2007 11:09 am
- Iain Dale said...
James, An addict is an addict, whether they are a LibDem leader or a radio presenter.
- April 26, 2007 11:11 am
"The new politics" - talk about marketing led bollocks.
Next you'll be telling us that "spin" is all labour's fault - April 26, 2007 11:19 am
"What new politics? Same old self-interested, cowardly claptrap from where I'm sitting."
And in what way are Labour not self-interested? "Give us money so we can build more hospitals for our supporters." - April 26, 2007 11:29 am
no longer anonymous, exactly my point!
All political parties are self-interested etc, so to talk of a 'new politics' as if Cameron is any better, I don't agree.
I am yet to be convinced that Cameron and his men will offer anything different from what we have become used to from politicians.
I am thinking here of his quick acceptance of state funding etc. If that is 'new politics', I am the Queen of England. - April 26, 2007 11:49 am
Richard Bacon conducting political interviews for the BBC? We're absolutely fucked aren't we? Time to emigrate.
- April 26, 2007 11:53 am
Personally I'm delighted that the LibDems, who really are a useless bunch taking up valuable space in the Commons, are 'led' by a dear old codger who looks as though he has forgotten where he left his Zimmer frame. Ming is a classic example of someone who has been over-promoted into the wrong job. He was perfectly competent as their Foreign Affairs spokesman, and spoke with some authotity on such matters. Now, as leader, he clearly hasn't a clue: he waffles, stumbles, and looks like he really would rather be somewhere else. Long live Ming, say I; for as long as he is leader the Lib Dems will be a spent force, leaderless, rudderless, directionless; and the nation as a whole will be better off for it. Nature abhors a vacuum, or so the story goes; and that's why God, in his infinite wisdom, invented the Lib Dems.
Mind you, the Tories needn't be too smug. I give you three words:
What a waste of space he turned out to be. Can anyone out there name - or even remember - one thing he did while leader? the only thing that IDS will be remembered for is Betsygate - having his wife on the payroll and then lying about it.
What we really need is a leader. Someone who leads through vision and inspiration. Who belies in something and knows what it is without consulting the people who write the idiot cards. Someone who believes in core conservative principles - low taxes; freedom of action under the law; small government; self-determination. In Cameron I fear we have got ourselves not a leader but a manager. And a middle manager at that.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. - April 26, 2007 11:58 am
- Chris Paul said...
An addict is an addict line: Bacon isn't one is he? Was he ever? Thought you were a libertarian. Why are you suggesting he is Iain?
Charles Kennedy is a bit of a sad drunk we might accept. But why impugn a poor presenter?
IDS ... one thing ... the quiet man ... shhh! - April 26, 2007 12:04 pm
"What we really need is a leader. Someone who leads through vision and inspiration. Who belies in something and knows what it is without consulting the people who write the idiot cards. Someone who believes in core conservative principles - low taxes; freedom of action under the law; small government; self-determination. In Cameron I fear we have got ourselves not a leader but a manager. And a middle manager at that."
Well said, Colin! - April 26, 2007 12:05 pm
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- April 26, 2007 12:30 pm
Does anyone think that Cameroooooooon is, well, a bit wet? He lacks gravitas and as so is someone whom would never get my vote.
- April 26, 2007 12:32 pm
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- April 26, 2007 12:32 pm
Iain - I think a return to comment moderation is on the cards. Far too many small brained children recently with nothing to say.
Kids - back to the play grounds, this site is for adults. - April 26, 2007 12:33 pm
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- April 26, 2007 12:35 pm
When will the wheels come off the wagon for Cameron? I have heard rumours that if the local and regional elections do not go well (i.e. isolating the traditional Tory base and not picking up voters elsewhere) that there will be a bit of a bloody coup with some of the old guard calling for his head and I for one think they have a good chance of getting it.
- April 26, 2007 12:37 pm
Who is Richard Bacon when he's at home ? I've never ever heard of him.
Is he some kind of 'celebrity' that used to be in Big Brother/X Factor/Strictly Love Island Dancing... - April 26, 2007 12:38 pm
Battyman - where the hell did you hear that crap. Cameron is here to stay and he will be the next Conservative PM.
- April 26, 2007 12:40 pm
- Old BE said...
Cameron need only give us one thing to be infinitely more successful than the current Labour "administration":
Competence. - April 26, 2007 12:40 pm
Ricard Bacon doesn't like Pepsi, that's for sure.
- April 26, 2007 12:41 pm
Ed - surely you mean impotence? As Chip n' Dale pointed out he is wet, a haircut in an open necked shirt who talks like he has something stuck in his arse. Cameron can't identify with 80% of the population and I'm pretty sure his popularity stops once you get north of the Watford Gap. Yes, civilization does exist beyond it.
- April 26, 2007 12:43 pm
- Old BE said...
Thanks anonymong!
When he becomes Prime Minister (who could fail to beat Gordon Brown) he will only need to excel in one area to be a massive improvement on the current lot.
As for his image, do you think voters will be more impressed by a man who can't dress himself and is by his own admission "not much good at maths"? - April 26, 2007 12:46 pm
- Victor, NW Kent said...
Please moderate, Iain. Many of these posts are depressing as they show that all the writers learned at school was how to spell some common swear words which constitute all of their vocabulary.
- April 26, 2007 12:47 pm
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- April 26, 2007 1:14 pm
- Iain Dale said...
And if anyone really believes that the above comment is from me, then I can assure you it wasn't. It is now deleted. Looks like Comment moderation will have to go back on.
- April 26, 2007 1:16 pm
Iain posts on Sir Walter Campbell's incompetence and a load of new posters pop up to have a go at Cameron with froth-at-the-mouth "low taxes for the middle class at all costs!" attacks.
Either the Lib Dems very cleverly sock puppeting to wind up the Thatcher-lovers to apoplexies, to detract from Ming's uselessness, and to enable them to point out what a nasty party we are at the grassroots...
...or Mr Noble has too much time on his hands in France. - April 26, 2007 1:27 pm
Iain Dale, you are supposed to be a serious commentator.
New politics ? What is that ? Why is it any good ?
Any idiot in cameron's shoes would be ahead in the polls, giving the current shower in charge.
Cameron is the new Bliar, all style and very little substance. Not exactly new politics. - April 26, 2007 1:31 pm
Chad Noble is always doing that, and the pathetic thing is he thinks nobody knows it's him sockpuppeting. He did it yesterday on the ConHome poll thread as "That's why I vote Tory". He was sad enough to post stuff on ukiphome then troll over to conhome, get a name like Dave For Europe and post the exact same stuff again.
- April 26, 2007 1:37 pm
- Iain Dale said...
- April 26, 2007 1:40 pm
- Roger Thornhill said...
Ming Fails to Impress 5 Live Listeners
p'raps he should try and impress 5 dead ones. - April 26, 2007 2:15 pm
- April 26, 2007 2:20 pm
I think you're being a bit unfair to IDS.
The whole 'social justice' thingy he started pursuing towards the end of his leader stint does contribute to the current 'social responsibility' theme. - April 26, 2007 2:25 pm
As for his image, do you think voters will be more impressed by a man who can't dress himself and is by his own admission "not much good at maths"?
Could Brown become Labour's Michael Foot for the Noughties? - April 26, 2007 2:41 pm
I think Colin's comment about Iain Duncan Smith was very unfair. Maybe he wasn't the best choice for leader after all, but he is a very decent man who's shown a lot of dignity since stepping down and has done more for his country than most of us ever will. I, for one, would love to see him serve in a Cameron cabinet.
- April 26, 2007 3:09 pm
"much of the debate has been framed through the prism of David Cameron and his effect on the new politics."
peering through a transparent toilet bowl then? - April 26, 2007 3:22 pm
"It is now deleted."
Oh NO IT ISN'T!!! - April 26, 2007 3:24 pm
Cameron is not impressing people. He is an opportunist and he will not be about come the general election. Maude for leader then the lib dems can merge with the greenT's - April 26, 2007 3:34 pm
Dave Vartklett na Anonymous (3.09pm) both leap to IDS' defence and accuse me of being 'unfair'. Harsh, yes - unfair, no. IDS' leadership achieved precisely nothing for the party, and in effect cost us two years plus a great deal of credibility. If the most he can be remembered for is the 'Quiet Man' theme the Social Justice commission and being a decent chap,then, frankly, I rest my case. That, however, is not to acknowledge his contribution and his good qualities - just to recognise that he was not a leader. Not everyone is: get over it!
We need a leader of dynamism, vision, real political and ideological convictions. Cameron, for all his good qualities and managerial ability, isn't that person. With regret, I would put money that he will be the fourth conservative leader in a row who won't be Prime Minister. - April 26, 2007 4:04 pm
Better Richard Bacon than Victoria Derbyshire (he's covering for her maternity leave), the drone-voiced, sloppily spoken moron whose every second word is 'Yeah'. I hope she doesn't come back.
As for Ming, he once again tried to 'get down with the kids' by saying he watched lots of TV, then couldn't name a single programme, ending up by lamely saying that he watched the news. - April 26, 2007 8:11 pm
framed through the prism of David Cameron...
I do hope that's a parody of Grauniad-speak. If it isn't, you really ought to look up 'mixed metaphor' sometime. - April 26, 2007 9:20 pm
Ming may be a media novice but he has a bit of political integrity about him which the Newlabcon spivs will never have. It's come to something when what counts in this country is being a media clone with the soundbites and the hairdo. While you are being snooty about Ming's media gaucheness, thanks for IDS and Dracula in recent times.
- April 26, 2007 10:00 pm
Let us be honest with ourselves. Ming IS passed his sell by date. He sounds like it and looks it.
Put him against the 'pretty boy' Cameron and the 'who is a good daddy' Brown, Ming is like the grandfather (not even the hugging type) one feels like telling him to sit down and take it easy.
He is actually a lovely man. A gentleman from the old school very old fashioned but he doesn't impress most younger people.
Many LibDems won't say what they are really feeling about him. It's a case of closing ranks to protect the party's image. He's the leader so one has to live with. - April 29, 2007 9:18 am


text:
Basic Specifications | |
Full model name: | Canon PowerShot SD800 IS |
Resolution: | 7.10 Megapixels |
Sensor size: | 1/2.5 inch (5.8mm x 4.3mm) |
Lens: |
3.80x zoom
(28-105mm eq.) |
Viewfinder: | Optical / LCD |
Extended ISO: | 80 - 1600 |
Shutter: | 1/1600 - 15 sec |
Max Aperture: | 2.8 |
Dimensions: |
3.5 x 2.3 x 1.0 in. (90 x 58 x 25 mm) |
Weight: | 5.3 oz (150 g) |
Availability: | 10/2006 |
Manufacturer: | Canon |
Full specs: | Canon SD800 IS specifications |
Your purchases support this site
Buy the Canon SD800 IS
4.5 out of 5.0
Canon PowerShot SD800 IS Digital ELPH Overview
by Mike Pasini
Hands-On Preview: 11/10/06
Full Review: 01/08/07
The Canon SD800 IS Digital ELPH features a compact, stylish case with rounded horizontal edges, and a retracting lens to make it pocket-friendly. The Canon SD800IS includes a 7.1 megapixel imager, and a Canon-branded 3.8x optical zoom lens covers an optimized range of 28-105mm equivalent, a good wide-angle to moderate telephoto.
What's really cool, though, is that the Canon ELPH SD800 IS incorporates Canon's excellent Image Stabilization (hence the "IS" in the model name) technology that drastically reduces the effects of camera shake at slow shutter speeds, or long zoom settings. This means that with the SD800 IS Digital ELPH, you can shoot in low light without having to put the camera on a tripod to avoid the camera shake. IS typically lets you take crisp shots under light conditions four times darker than you could manage without it.
Exposure is fully automatic, but the user can tweak it with 2.0 EV of exposure compensation, and three metering modes to handle difficult lighting, while 10 scene modes keep the camera approachable for beginners. A long-exposure mode in the Canon SD800 ELPH also lets you manually set exposure times up to 15 seconds long, and a large 2.5 inch LCD display plus an optical viewfinder -- rather rare on digicams these days -- gives you a choice when framing images. The Canon SD800 Digital ELPH also sports a rather wide ISO sensitivity range, from 100 to 1,600.
Canon also manufactures a line of photo printers, and prides itself on the level of integration between its cameras and printers. The Canon Digital ELPH SD800 IS is PictBridge capable, so is able to print to any printer that supports PictBridge directly, without the need for a computer in the middle. When connected to a Canon printer, though, you can set paper size, print quality, and a number of other parameters; capabilities lacking in basic PictBridge connections.
Canon SD800 IS
User Report
by Mike Pasini
Intro. The joy of taking pictures has been dampened since the beginning by the same annoying problem. Your eyes can see a lot better than any lens. In dim light, you can see things your camera can't capture.
There have been three technical assaults on that problem. The first was flash, and that worked pretty well when film was black and white. With color captures came red-eye. The second was increased sensitivity of the recording medium. Just as film got faster, sensors have become increasingly more sensitive, achieving ISO equivalents as high as 3,200. But those high ISOs come at a pretty steep price, including high noise, low detail, and desaturated color.
The third approach was image stabilization. By breaking the rigid connection between your grip and the sensor, letting the lens float free, the lazy shutter speeds that inevitably captured camera movement along with the image were able to eliminate camera shake, delivering sharp images up to four stops slower. Without red-eye and with natural color.
Like Canon's A-Series A710 IS, its SD800 IS is an image stabilized solution. But it goes the A710 a stop better with a top ISO of 1,600. There's no reason you can't combine the two, after all.
The flagship Canon SD800 doesn't skimp on other features, either. Its 7.1 megapixel sensor has enough resolution for very large prints and its DIGIC III image processor makes it an unusually responsive camera while delivering exceptional image quality even in difficult situations.
Like the SD900, the Canon SD800 also features Face Detect focusing in any mode. This is one of those gotta-have features. As soon as you try it, you won't want to be without it. Set the AiAF option to Face Detect, and the camera identifies the closest face, focusing on it when you half-press the Shutter button. You can even have the Canon SD800 automatically tag the images with a People category for easy retrieval during playback later.
Face Detect focusing is just one more example of why the SD series is the perfect solution for people who love taking pictures, but don't want to get into the fine points of apertures and shutter speeds. It takes care of that for you. And the Canon SD800 IS does it better than any SD-series Canon yet. Fortunately, its attractively small design means you'll never think twice about taking it with you.
Design. Canon's Perpetual Curve design isn't the trimmest form factor around, but it's more comfortable in your hand than many of the ultra-thin designs I've played with. Part of that comfort is due to the SD800's heft. It isn't heavy but it isn't a feather-weight either. You won't forget you're holding it. It's a blend you grow to appreciate.
There is no obvious grip, but there are sensory clues your hand responds to like the slightly extended chrome edge and the raised lettering on the front that prevent the SD800 IS from slipping out of your grasp. On the back, there's no thumb grip but the Mode dial, with a small raised notch on its sculpted face that functions even better than a grip. You can easily switch from any of the Record modes to Playback without changing your grip.
Like other ELPHs, the SD800 is comfortable not only to carry but to shoot with, easily managed with just your right hand. The Control dial icons are large and clear, and there are just four buttons to learn, two of which do the heavy lifting.
You'll never have to hunt for the large Shutter button or the Zoom lever surrounding it. And I even liked the new, large Power button that lights up green to remind you the Canon SD800 is on.
The SD series is small, relying on a small lithium-ion battery and small SD memory cards to make a compact package you can take anywhere in any pocket. The Canon SD800 is rugged enough you don't need to protect it in a case, but you'll probably want to anyway. And small as it is, it's still large enough for a big 2.5 inch LCD so you can enjoy your photos as soon as you take them.
Display/Viewfinder. That 2.5 inch LCD on the Canon SD800 has a little less resolution than the one on the SD900, but just a little at 207,000 pixels. It's big enough to show you detail even in Wide screen 16:9 shots, and big enough to let you know if image stabilization captured a sharp image even when you're using digital zoom.
But the SD800 IS also includes an optical viewfinder. The advantage of the optical viewfinder is undeniable. In bright sun when you can't see what's on the LCD or in darkened venues where a bright LCD is not welcomed, an optical viewfinder lets you get the shot. As Luke noted when shooting the test shots, the Canon SD800's optical viewfinder offers a quite limited and somewhat distorted view, but having one is better than not. True, it shows about 80 percent of what the sensor will capture, but that's enough to center the subject and get the shot. Just remember there's more to the image than what it shows, and crop later if you like.
If you rotate the camera during playback, the LCD is smart enough to turn the image upright. So if a quick twist of the wrist can fill the screen with a portrait shot instead of displaying it as tall as the screen is wide.
Performance. The SD800 IS ranks above average (and well above) for startup time, shutdown time, autofocus shutter lag, prefocus shutter lag, cycle time, and download speed.
The only categories it ranks average in are its flash cycle time, weight (which I find advantageous), and its 3.8x zoom (which is a bit better than the standard 3x zoom ratio these days). The Canon SD800's 3.8x optical zoom is buttressed with a very useable 4x digital zoom for a 15x total zoom ratio. That got me onto the field at a recent college football game.
And as for the flash, considering how powerful it is, having an average cycle time is a miracle. Luke's flash tests tell the whole story, but my informal shooting around the house impressed me by how well the flash lit up even large rooms.
But with image stabilization available, I avoided flash shots. I left IS on all the time except when I was shooting a comparison test. The only time you really should turn it off is when you have the camera mounted on a tripod. In full sunlight, IS helped stabilize the inevitable camera shake of a 15x digital zoom shot (and I took a lot of them). In dim lighting, it stabilized the slow shutter speeds that let me capture exactly what I was seeing. It did it so well, the Canon SD800 never had to increase ISO sensitivity above 100 when using IS.
The lens tests below speak to the sharpness of this optic, slightly revised from previous ELPHs. The Canon SD800's lens isn't quite as sharp as the lens on the SD900, but it's still sharp. Chromatic aberration was there at wide angle, but this is a real wide angle at 28mm, not the barely wide 35mm or so you usually find. Distortion at wide angle was minimal, too. And at telephoto, neither were noticeable.
Macro performance was a delight, too. You don't have to get right on top of a subject to shoot macro. I engaged it for most of my full frame flower shots to capture the texture of the petals, for example.
Movie mode doesn't offer a 16:9 option (which only captures 15 fps on the SD900 anyway), but it does offer a Fast Frame Rate of 60 fps, twice the broadcast standard of 30 fps. That means you can shoot slow motion with the Canon SD800.
A 16:9 wide aspect ratio is available on the Canon SD800 for still shooting, however; although you can't tap into digital zoom when you're using it. It's somehow a more pleasing aspect ratio to me, more the shape of your two eyes than the 4:3 ratio (or even the traditional 3:2) that frames a print so well.
A full charge on the Canon SD800's battery delivers about 270 shots, according to Canon. If you turn off the LCD (an option since you have an optical viewfinder) that jumps up to 600. So if battery power is running low, turn off the LCD to extend shooting time. Playback is good for six hours, Canon claims. That far exceeds my performance for a day's shooting.
Shooting. With the Canon SD800's image stabilization, you can be a bit bolder about taking pictures than you ever have. For example, there are two dolls in the garage awaiting restoration that are lit only by a small window with diffused glass on the shady side of the house. I can barely see them myself and wouldn't bother turning on most cameras to take their picture.
But the SD800 IS didn't even budge from ISO 100 to capture them at a third of a second at f/2.9. Noise is at a minimum at ISO 100 yet the image is sharp enough at one-third a second shutter speed to show the eyelashes painted on the bottom doll's face. No tripod, remember.
But if you're daring enough to fudge the ISO up a bit yourself (or just set it to ISO High), you can do even better, as our second shot of the dolls shows. ISO High resulted in a 1/15 second shutter speed and very sharp eyelashes. The reported ISO 100 is probably not accurate (I'm guessing ISO 800). When set to ISO 1,600, the shutter speed was just 1/30, but we got more noise.
We took the Canon SD800 IS to the Cal-UCLA football game in Berkeley on a lovely fall afternoon. Game time was 5 p.m. to appease the television gods, which meant I'd be shooting under the dim temporary lighting at Memorial Stadium, which doesn't have a lighting system.
I demonstrated Face Detection to my stadium buddies at Pyramid Brewery. Universal acclaim and delight. A bit of disbelief, too. But everybody's had this problem and everybody appreciated how well the Canon SD800 solved it. I did get tired of posing, but that's life.
I managed to get some blurry shots on the way to the stadium, probably because I was walking pretty fast and shooting away without trying to steady the camera. Where the shutter speed was fast enough, that wasn't a problem.
The real test was in the stadium. The first thing I appreciated was the 28mm view, capturing the rim of Memorial Stadium as I walked down to my seat. The second thing I appreciated was how close the Canon SD800's 15x digital zoom could get. It was as if I was right on the field with the team during warmups. In the dying light of the late afternoon, these shots were taken at 1/60 second or so, not fast enough to stop motion.
But that was my third thrill. Mixing still subjects with blurred moving subjects was fun. The shots of the band dashing onto the field while people watched from the sidelines are just one example. The Cal Bears coming onto the field through a haze of dry ice was another.
I took some short movies with the Canon SD800, too, and was impressed later watching them on the computer. They were sharp with good sound. I'd wished I'd taken more, actually.
The Canon SD800 IS's Category feature seems, at first glance, like something no one needs. It's bad enough to have to keyword images to organize them on your computer (so nobody really does). Why let that nuisance into your camera too? Especially if no other software knows about it.
Well, the advantage -- which can be compelling -- is in organizing playback options in the camera. And those can include slide shows and PictBridge printing as well as image searching (using the Jump feature) and management (like erasing). The preset categories are People, Scenery, Events, Categories 1 to 3, and To Do. An image can be assigned more than one category, too. If you use the Auto Category option in the Record menu, this can happen as you shoot. Otherwise, you can assign categories during playback.
Another favorite feature on the Canon SD800, although an oldie, is Grid display. For some reason my gyroscope is off a bit and I have a hard time taking level shots. Having the grid display on the LCD helps a lot. The dark gray lines are really not obtrusive and help compose images too if you play by the Rule of Thirds.
But if I ever meet the guy who concocted Canon's rotation "feature," I will shake more than his hand. It "suggests" rotation, setting an obscure tag in the header, but doesn't actually do it, so sometimes your images look rotated and mostly they don't. It really wouldn't be a big deal to actually rotate the images. To avoid confusion, I leave this feature off.
And I can't help repeating that I miss a real Manual mode plus Shutter and Aperture Priority on the Canon SD800. But for that, I just have to go to Canon's A-Series. I do wish Canon would enable EV compensation in Auto mode, however. It was surprisingly easy to blow out the highlights even on an overcast day. Adjust EV would have helped.
Appraisal. The Canon SD800 IS is designed for the person who doesn't want to worry about shutter speeds and apertures to get good pictures. If Auto mode doesn't do the trick the Programmed Auto (M) accesses options like White Balance, EV compensation, and Metering. And if that's too much trouble, there's a healthy selection of 10 Scene modes to solve almost any problem.
That ease of use is reflected in the Canon SD800 IS's cleverly sculpted shell, which seems to have an invisible grip, and its simple control layout. And it extends to features like Face Detect autofocus and its excellent image stabilization that helps get sharp shots at its 15x digital zoom limit and in low light situations, too.
The Canon SD800 is an excellent performer no matter what aspect you consider, with superior focusing and low light performance matched with a powerful flash that doesn't make you wait all day to recharge. And with a day-long battery, you couldn't ask for a better companion no matter where you're going.
Basic Features
- 7.1-megapixel CCD
- 2.5-inch color TFT LCD monitor with 207,000 pixels
- 3.8x, 4.6-17.3mm lens, equivalent to a 28-105mm lens on a 35mm camera
- Maximum 4x digital zoom
- Automatic exposure control, with Long Shutter mode for longer exposures
- Shutter speeds from 1/1,600 to 15 seconds
- Maximum aperture of f/2.8 to f/5.8, depending on lens zoom position
- Spot, Center-Weighted, and Evaluative exposure metering
- White balance (color) adjustment with seven modes, including a Custom setting
- Built-in flash with seven modes
- SD memory card storage, 32MB card included
- Power supplied by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack (charger included) or optional AC adapter kit
- Canon Digital Camera Solution Software v29.0
- Print/Share button
Special Features
- Image stabilization
- Face Detect mode
- Category tagging
- Canon's attractive Perpetual Curve design
- DIGIC III image processor with face detection technology
- True 28mm equivalent wide angle focal length on zoom
- Adjustable ISO settings of up to 1600, plus Auto and ISO HI settings
- 16:9 Widescreen still image capture mode
- 10 preset Scene modes
- Five Movie modes with sound up to 640 x 480 at 30 fps or 60 fps at 320 x 240
- Continuous Shooting mode
- Stitch-Assist panorama mode
- Infinity, Macro and Digital Macro focus modes
- Customizable "My Camera" settings
- Two- or 10-second Self-Timer for delayed shutter release, plus custom timer with multi-shot feature
- Sound Memo option for recording captions
- My Colors menus for color adjustment
- Unusual Color Accent and Color Swap features for special effects in still images or movies - DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) and PictBridge compatibility
- USB cable for connection to a computer (driver software included)
- A/V cable for connection to a television set
In the Box
The Canon SD800 IS ships with the following items in the box:
- Canon SD800 IS digicam
- NB-5L lithium-ion battery pack with cover
- Battery charger CB-2LX
- 16MB SD memory card WSDC-16M
- Wrist strap WS-700
- Canon Digital Camera Solution Disk v29.0 software CD
- USB cable IFC-400PCU
- AV cable AVC-DC300
- Operating manuals and registration card
Recommended Accessories
- Large capacity SD/MMC memory card. These days, a 512MB or 1GB card is a good tradeoff between cost and capacity.
- Small camera case for outdoor and in-bag protection
Canon Accessories for the SD800 IS include:
- High Power Flash HF-DC1
- Side Pack PSC-1 carrying case
- Metal Neckstrap 1
Pro: | Con: |
Featuring a 7.1-megapixel CCD, 3.8x optical zoom lens, image stabilization, and well-designed user interface, the Canon PowerShot SD800 IS updates the popular PowerShot line with a compact body style well suited for travel. Exposure remains under automatic control, something novices will appreciate, and the Canon SD800's 10 pre-programmed Scene modes help with more tricky subjects. The SD800 is a very responsive camera, with low shutter lag in daylight conditions, and excellent shot-to-shot speeds. It also sports very good battery life, a very capable Movie mode, and excellent download speed. The bright 2.5-inch color LCD monitor is excellent for framing and reviewing shots, and the overall design and layout of the SD800 IS is user-friendly and hassle-free. If you're looking for a good take anywhere camera with great versatility and good color and tonality, the Canon SD800 IS deserves a close look. No question, a Dave's Pick in its category.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Lift Screen
Elevator for on-ceiling motorized screens, with powder-coated alluminium case in white color (RAL 9016). Casing with flat iron end caps, equipped with 4m long iron cables.
The maximum size of the screen you can install on the Lift Screen is 4.5m overall size for a weight of 60kg.
Create your own screen with PSS (Personal Screen System):
Standard Accessories:
Opzional Accessories:


text:
Sammy Sosa Is Now Pink and the Internet Is Very Amused
Sammy Sosa is rare. No, not because he can hit a ball far. He's rare as in the color of undercooked meat.
The retired slugger, 48, is making the rounds online after he appeared on ESPN Deportes' coverage of the Home Run Derby earlier this week. That's because viewers couldn't help but notice his skin looked pink. Like, really pink.
Sosa and his skin color have been the subject of conjecture before (go ahead and Google "Sammy Sosa skin color" or "Sammy Sosa plastic surgery" and you'll see what we mean), but this week's development in which he looks like a rejected Batman villain couldn't escape the cruel eye of social media.
Twitter went to town on Sosa, hitting him harder than he ever hit a baseball. Maybe next time he should ask someone if looking like he's a in a hologram training program is a good look for him.


text:
In Mass Effect 2's conclusion, you finally go on the suicide mission, but despite the name, it is possible for everyone to survive.
What I am looking for is a method to succeed (i.e., everyone survives) that involves the fewest number of recruited and loyal squadmates.
I know that you need at least 8 squadmates to start the mission (after getting the Reaper IFF). My question is -- "which 8?"
Assumptions -- I want to save the crew of the Normandy as well.
If possible -- include Kasumi and Zaeed among the 8 recruited, and that Kasumi is Loyal (I love the Locust!)


text:
I have just listed this property at 442 RIVER HEIGHTS DR in Cochrane.
YOUR NEXT HOME is in RIVERSONG of Cochrane. Parks, walking Paths and Bow Valley High School are right here!! Awarded to the next owner is a great two storey walkout home with over 2280 sqft of finished living area. PLUS an blank slate unfinished walkout level for your own ideas & lifestyle. Through the Foyer is a Home Office to the right. Enter into the open concept living that is so popular today, all on hardwood. Beautiful angled Kitchen with Stainless appliance package and large island w/breakfast bar. Separate Pantry off to the side. Private half Bath and access to the over sized Garage. The Dining room exits onto the back deck, an extension of your Spring & Summer living space. The Living Room is contemporary with floor to ceiling stone fireplace. The Upper floor features a large bright south Bonus Room with unique side private balcony. Bedroom #2 & Bedroom #3 are on either side of the staircase. Convenient 4 piece main Bathroom is perfect. Laundry room is set aside w/ Washer and Dryer. (more) The Master suite is set all across the back of the house w/bright ensuite, dual sinks, soaker tub, separate shower, and separate private water closet. Huge walk-in closet too! The Lower Level is roughed in perfect for a great finishing choice. Exit onto lower patio and fenced backyard. Have a look at this one, great location and neighborhood. New Bow River Bridge crossing currently under construction for access to all Cochrane has to offer!!
Call, Text or Email me for more detailed information or questions.
Ask me for an Evaluation of your property in this market ! Your referrals are always welcomed.


text:
German scientists see golden future for 'self-driving' cars (Update)
Scientists in Germany unveiling the latest self-driven car Wednesday said the days of humans behind the wheel are numbered and that their technology can slash accidents and help the environment.
"In the future it will be forbidden for safety reasons for people to drive cars," predicted Raul Rojas, professor at Berlin's Free University (FU). "The cars of today are the horses of yesterday."
"In five to 10 years the technology could be applied in private areas like airports, factories or warehouses. On motorways ... in 10-20 years," Rojas told reporters. "In cities the obstacles could be removed in 20-30 years."
The car, dubbed the "Made in Germany (MIG)" by the FU, uses cameras, laser scanners, heat sensors and satellite navigation -- even in tunnels -- to "see" other vehicles and pedestrians and respond to traffic lights.
The technology will sharply reduce the number of cars on the road because people will no longer need their own vehicle so much, using instead driverless cars pooled in car-share schemes, the MIG's developers believe.
"Autonomous cars are the real 'green' cars," Mexican-born Rojas said. "We could use a fraction of the cars that we now have.
"If China and India want the same level of mobility as us, then the world is not big enough. The only real solution when it comes to sustainability and preserving resources is car-sharing."
According to the World Health Organisation, more than a million people are killed in road accidents worldwide every year and 50 million more are injured. Driverless vehicles can slash this, their proponents say.
"Cars that use sensors to recognise other vehicles, pedestrians and bikes will in future drive more safely than people who lose concentration and get tired," the FU said.
"The car has more information at its disposal than a human does now. A person can only see in front. This car can see in all directions at a range of 70 metres (yards)," said Rojas.
Auto industry analyst Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer agreed that the technology could help reduce accidents if it comes to fruition but he is sceptical about the benefits for the environment.
"The various pilot projects around the world look interesting but it remains to be seen whether they will really turn out to be reliable," Dudenhoeffer told AFP, adding: "Climate protection is secondary."
The MIG, which from the outside looks like a regular Volkswagen Passat with a camera on top, was put through its paces at Berlin's disused Tempelhof airport on Thursday but it has already been tested on public roads.
A human being was inside -- but only for if things went wrong. Nothing did, with the car stopping while a couple with a pram crossed the road, or steering around a parked car -- all without human intervention.
It is by no means the first self-driving car, however.
Scientists at Germany's Braunschweig last week demonstrated a driverless car called "Leonie" in real traffic conditions, while other road tests have been conducted in Italy and elsewhere.
US technology giant Google said this week that its driverless cars -- but also with a human inside -- have already travelled 140,000 miles (225,000 kilometres) around the San Francisco Bay area.
Engineers working with both Google and Berlin's FU took part in 2007 in the DARPA Urban Challenge organised by the US government, involving driverless cars developed by 35 teams from around the world.
"Back then it was just a competition in California. Now it's a global race, and this time on real roads with a much greater degree of complexity compared to 2007," Rojas said.
(c) 2010 AFP


text:
DMCA Takedown Notice
C4DDOWNLOAD is an open community, where people around the world can share their files with others. Please note that we do not host any files on our server. All visitors are free to register and share files on our website.
C4DDOWNLOAD is in compliance with 17 U.S.C. § 512 and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA"). It is our policy to respond to any infringement notices and take appropriate actions under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") and other applicable intellectual property laws.
If your copyrighted material has been posted on C4DDOWNLOAD and you want this material removed, you must provide a written communication that details the information listed in the following section.
Please be aware that you will be liable for damages (including costs and attorneys' fees) if you misrepresent information listed on our site that is infringing on your copyrights. We suggest that you first contact an attorney for legal assistance on this matter.
Please allow 1-2 business days for an email response. Note that emailing your complaint to other parties such as our Internet Service Provider will not expedite your request and may result in a delayed response due the complaint not properly being filed.


text:
America spends billions of your tax dollars on war abroad and spying here on our own soil. And while it is all supposed to make us safer, in reality it has fueled terrorism and taken away many of our guaranteed freedoms.
Find out what the experts in local and national organizations have to say about the real effects of national security state. You might be shocked to learn about the deep ties between the weapons industries and our political system.


text:
Privacy Policy
Rileys respects your privacy and our website visitors' information, supports consumer privacy on the internet and the principles of disclosure and fair information practices. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and disclose the personal information you may provide while using Rileys' websites: ( rileys.com, bestball.rileys.com, six21creative.com, globecinema.ca (collectively, the "Website"); and the steps we take to ensure your personal information is handled appropriately.
For purposes of this Privacy Policy, "Rileys" means the Rileys Enterprise Solutions Inc. and its family of companies and their affiliates.
Our policies and practices have been designed to comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (Canada) and corresponding provincial privacy acts.
As used in this Privacy Policy, "personal information" means information about an identifiable individual, and which is defined or deemed as such pursuant to any applicable laws or regulations related to privacy or data protection. To the extent permitted by law, the provisions of this Privacy Policy concerning "personal information" do not apply to information (such as your personal name, position or title, business address, business telephone number, business fax number and business email address) which enable you to be contacted at a place of business.
By using the Website or submitting information to Rileys through or in connection with the Website, you signify your consent to Rileys' collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, you may not use the Website or submit information to Rileys through or in connection with the Website.
Collection and Use of Personal Information
We may collect certain personal information such as your name, contact information, billing and shipping address, postal code, email address and any information which you send to us, such as when you make an inquiry through our Website or send us an email. We will only use this information to:
- manage our business relationship with you;
- set-up your user ID and password, provide you with access to your profile areas and to protected private content;
- contact you in order to answers your questions, or to provide you with the information or services which you have requested;
- provide our products and services to you;
- process transactions with you;
- to improve on our services and products; and
- facilitate and enhance your use of the Website,
As is typical with many other Internet websites, when you visit our Website, we may collect certain technical information, including your IP address, the browser you used to view our Website, operating system, screen resolution, language settings in browsers, the site you came from and searched for keywords (if arriving from a search engine). This technical data is aggregated and used to measure and improve the effectiveness of our Website. We do not attempt to combine this technical data with other personal information we collect on our Website.
Personal information submitted to any Rileys owned website, including the Website, or email address is used only for the purposes listed above. For any other purpose, Rileys will obtain your express consent (by verbal, written or electronic agreement) to collect, use or disclose your personal information.
Disclosure of Personal Information
Rileys does not share, sell, rent or provide your personal information to any other third party firm, organization or person, other than as listed below or as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law:
- Disclosure to Affiliates Agents and Suppliers – Rileys may provide your personal information to its affiliates, agents, suppliers and service providers (such as credit card service providers, or postal service providers) for use in connection with matters relating to your use of the Website or the provision of products or services to you. Rileys requires its affiliates, agents, suppliers and service providers to agree to use your personal information only for the purposes for which it is provided to them, and to protect the privacy of your personal information in a manner that is consistent with this Privacy Policy.
- Disclosure in Business Transfers – Rileys may be involved in the sale or transfer of some or all of its business. As part of that sale or transfer, or for due diligence purposes in connection with such proposed transaction, Rileys may disclose your personal information to the acquiring organization or potential acquiring organization, but will require the acquiring organization to agree to protect the privacy of your personal information in a manner that is consistent with this Privacy Policy and in compliance with applicable law. Rileys has no liability for the acquiring organization's use and disclosure of your personal information.
- Law Enforcement and Legal Disclosure – Rileys may disclose your personal information to a government institution that has asserted its lawful authority to obtain the information or where Rileys has reasonable grounds to believe the information could be useful in the investigation of unlawful activity, or to comply with a subpoena or warrant or an order made by a court, person or body with jurisdiction to compel the production of information, or to comply with court rules regarding the production of records and information, or to its legal counsel. Rileys has no control over, or liability for, those persons' use and disclosure of your personal information, and that use and disclosure is not subject to this Privacy Policy.
Security Measures
Rileys protects the personal information you make available to us. Rileys employs reasonable physical and electronic security measures appropriate to the sensitivity of the information, including providing access to your personal information only to those Rileys employees who need it in the course of their duties, maintaining our servers in a secure environment and employing password protection and encryption to safeguard your personal information.
Please be careful whenever sending personal information to us via email. Email is generally not a secure means of transferring information. We therefore cannot guarantee that this information will not be lost or used in a fraudulent manner.
Use of Data Cookies
Cookies are small data (1 KB) entries commonly sent from a web server to a special file on your computer. It contains the name of the site you visited and information about the choices you made while you were there. If you return to that site, the server requests data back from the cookie. The Rileys Website uses "cookies." Cookies help Rileys provide a better user experience by measuring which Website areas are of greatest interest. Rileys can only read cookies placed by the Rileys web server. You may choose to decline cookies if your browser permits, but doing so may affect your use of the Website and your ability to access certain features of the Website.
Accessing, Updating and Retention Personal Information
You may request access to your personal information by sending a request to Rileys. Subject to certain exceptions prescribed by law, and where the identity of the requester can be confirmed, you will be given access to your personal information within a reasonable time (generally 30 days). Rileys uses reasonable efforts to keep its records as accurate and complete as possible. You can help us maintain the accuracy of your information by notifying us of any changes to your personal information.
Personal information will be retained in accordance with this Privacy Policy for as long as may be necessary or relevant for the identified purpose of collection, or as may be required or permitted by applicable law, after which time it will be made non-personally identifying or destroyed unless you further consent to its continued retention. Personal information which has been used to make a decision about an individual will be retained long enough (for at least one year after using it) to reasonably allow the individual access to the information after the decision, and long enough to exhaust any access request or a challenge an individual may bring under applicable privacy laws.
Emails from Rileys
If Rileys has a valid consent available to it at law (including express or implied consent), or if consent is not required at law, then, subject to applicable laws and regulations, Rileys may send to you, from time to time, email or other communications containing information about Rileys and the Website and other matters Rileys believes will interest you.
Opting Out and Unsubscribe
We provide users the opportunity to opt out of receiving any further email communications from Rileys at any time. At the end of each email message from Rileys, instructions on how to unsubscribe and be removed from the mailing list database are included. You may also contact Rileys at any time and request to be removed from our database or to stop receiving future electronic distributions.
Individuals have the right to withdraw their consent to the collection, use, or disclosure of their personal information at any time, except where that withdrawal would frustrate the performance of a legal obligation by Rileys. Upon reasonable written notice given to Rileys, all personal information held by Rileys that is identifiable to that individual will be removed from Rileys' records and a notice of the impact of that removal will be provided to the individual. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if you withdraw consent, Rileys nonetheless reserves the right to retain, collect, use and disclose your personal information without your consent where Rileys is required or permitted to do so by applicable law.
Enter and Win Contests and Promotions
When you enter or participate in a Rileys sponsored online contest, we ask for contact information such as your name, address, telephone number, email address. The information requested will vary depending upon the contest. We will not share any of your personal information collected with any third parties, unless required by law, without your consent. Contest participants must be 18 years of age or older and will be subject to the specific contest rules.
Third Party Website
The Website may contain links to other website or Internet resources, including websites operated by other persons (such as Facebook or Twitter). When you click on one of those links you are contacting another website. Rileys has no responsibility or liability for or control over those other websites or their collection, use and disclosure of your personal information.
Terms of Use Agreement
The Rileys Website Terms of Use contains important provisions, including provisions disclaiming, limiting or excluding Rileys liability for your use of the Website and provisions determining the applicable law and exclusive jurisdiction for the resolution of any disputes regarding the Website. Each of those provisions applies to any disputes that may arise in relation to this Privacy Policy or Rileys' collection, use and disclosure of your personal information, and are of the same force and effect as if they had been reproduced directly in this Privacy Policy.
Privacy Policy Changes
Rileys reviews its privacy practices from time-to-time (i.e. to track technology and/or legal changes), and these practices are subject to change. To accommodate changes in the Website, changing technology, and legal developments, this Privacy Policy may be changed from time to time in Rileys' discretion and without any prior notice or liability to you or any other person. New versions of this Privacy Policy will be posted here. Rileys' collection, use and disclosure of your personal information will be governed by the version of this Privacy Policy in effect at that time. Your continued dealings with Rileys or your use of the Website subsequent to any changes to this Privacy Policy will signify your consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with the changed Privacy Policy. Accordingly, when you use the Website you should check the date of this Privacy Policy and review any changes since the last version. You should also bookmark this page and periodically review this Privacy Policy to ensure that you are familiar with the most current version.
We welcome any and all inquiries regarding our Privacy Policy. If you have any comments or questions about this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact:
Corporate Headquarters
Rileys Enterprise Solutions Inc.
- Address 621 - 8 Avenue SW, Calgary, AB T2P 0W9
- Phone: 1 800 563 1542
- Email: email@example.com
This version in effect since June 6, 2017


text:
With the increasing trend of internet and online business, eCommerce website design & development has become an important part of B2B and B2C businesses. eCommerce is the electronic trade that is carried online and eCommerce websites are the web pages through which online trading is carried on. These eCommerce stores enable the merchants and traders to carry their business around the world. There are several advantages offered by these online eCommerce stores. Some of the benefits are explained as under:
• Traders can add a huge number of products and services to the catalogue. These products can be classified under several categories and sub-categories through which the buyers can easily access to the product or service that they want.
• eCommerce website development enables the businesses to advertise and promote their products and services throughout the globe. Hence, it is not limited to a particular area or region.
• eCommerce development also helps in increasing revenue of the traders by gaining huge traffic to the website. As more and more visitors arrive at your website and buy your products, your revenue will automatically increase.
• By eCommerce website designing, you can also augment to your brand and product awareness over the global market. As your online business reaches to a wider group of users, it automatically increases your brand awareness in the whole world. Further, your unique online identity helps you in gaining a renowned position in the market.
• The online stores also help in delivering more and more information about your company, business and products. With your online presence, the buyers can easily access your catalogue, products and company information easily.
Hence, the advantages of eCommerce development are not limited to the above points. There are a great number of benefits that a businessman can avail from creating his own online store. This is the most advanced and great way of doing business and increasing your profits. You can also avail the benefits of your own online store by creating an informative and unique website for your company.
Either you can hire few qualified designers and developers to do the task for you or you can outsource any offshore eCommerce website design and development company to create your online store. There are various companies available in the market and offering web designing solutions to their clients. To hire the best company, you need to do some online research and take some suggestions to your business partners and friends to recommend a few for your work.


text:
1/4 c. water to saute
2 c. sweet onion, chopped
1 T. canned green chilies
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. dried cilantro
1 T. fresh chopped parsley
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. nutritional yeast
1 t. sesame seeds
2 T. tomato paste
1/2 c. sun-dried tomato garlic polenta*
1 c. walnuts, coarsely ground
1 1/4 c. cooked brown rice (1/2 c. uncooked)**
3 T. ketchup
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. unsweetened applesauce
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Saute onions in water until translucent.
- Add chilies through tomato paste and mix well.
- Add polenta and mix well. Make sure there aren't any lumps.
- Add walnuts and rice. Mix well.
- Press into a loaf pan.
- Top with sauce. (I made extra sauce for dipping.)
- Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.
*This was my first time using polenta. I've looked online, and as far as I can tell, it freezes well. So I plan on just dividing the remaining polenta into 1/2-cup portions and freezing it for next time.
**I knew I would be needing Spanish rice later this week, so that's what I made and used this time. It was great.


text:
Your partner for Origin Services
C2Hosting is back with a new look and
even more services to help your business grow
Your Origin Services Partner, Multi-Petabyte Scalable Storage Systems, CDN Delivery, PCI Compliance, and a Smile.
C2Hosting provides fast reliable, friendly, and superior service. Allowing you to focus on delivering YOUR content
to your customers no matter the platform or device.
Our nonlinear digital service platform Media i/o provides a
centralized data storage and application processing platform that provides bininear control and security
of your
media assets.
We hell businesses connect with their customers.Get Free Quote Today
Network &
Data Center
- High Availability Tier 1 Bandwidth
- 24/7/365 NOC/Engineering Staff Available
- High Performance 40+ POP CDN
- Geo loadbalanced East & West Coast Data Centers
Origin Services
& Storage
- Non-linear based multi-Petabyte Storage
Cluster for Media high speed media delivery - PCI Compliant Security Standards
- 200 X the speed of FTP file ingress
- Delivery through partnerships with all leading Content Delivery Networks


text:
June is a nice month for treading water — if you happen to be in a swimming pool.
But if you are in the labor pool and trying to make your way toward a job, a stronger current in the right direction would be appreciated.
Unfortunately, the jobs report released Friday by the Labor Department showed that the economy continues to drift along at a languid pace.
"This rate of growth is right in line with the average growth rate of the last year and is a perfect example of the ongoing slog in the labor market," Heidi Shierholz, an economist with the Economic Policy Institute, a research group, said in her written assessment.
Four Years After The Recession
The Labor Department report showed employers added 175,000 jobs in May, a slightly better number than most economists had been forecasting. But the unemployment rate ticked up a tenth of a point to 7.6 percent as more people entered the labor market, seeking paychecks but not finding them.
The latest jobs report was issued at a time when the U.S. economy is marking the fourth anniversary of the official end of the Great Recession. The economy hit bottom in June 2009 and has been growing ever since, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Alan Krueger, head of the White House's Council of Economic Advisers, pointed out that steady improvement.
"The economy has now added private sector jobs every month for 39 straight months, and a total of 6.9 million jobs has been added over that period," he said in a statement. "So far this year, 972,000 private sector jobs have been added."
Digging Out Of A 'Deep Hole'
But he also recognized that, with 11.8 million people still unemployed, things aren't exactly going swimmingly. "We continue to dig our way out of the deep hole that was caused by the severe recession that began in December 2007," Krueger said.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said in a statement that the "modest job growth is a positive sign," but he noted that "millions of Americans have been out of work for more than several months, wages are stagnant, and the unemployment rate is still far higher than the Obama administration promised."
Most economists and Wall Street investors were just glad the economy didn't do a spring swoon, as it has for the past three years. In those previous years, the economy would start the year fairly strong, then lose momentum in the spring. This year, the pace has held steady.
Keeping The Fed On Hold?
That steadiness bolstered confidence among investors, who interpreted the report as good news because it was neither strong enough to push the Federal Reserve to suddenly stop pumping money into the economy, nor weak enough to signal a looming recession. Most stock indexes moved up in the wake of the report.
This latest employment report showed that private employers added 179,000 jobs last month, while the federal government cut 14,000 positions. Local governments added 13,000 jobs.
The U.S. labor force grew by 420,000 in May, and average hourly wages nudged up 1 cent to $23.89. The average workweek held steady at 34.5 hours.
Consumers have been helping the economy with additional spending, and that caused retailers to add 28,000 jobs while restaurants added 38,000. Because of growth in residential housing, construction companies added 7,000 jobs, but manufacturers pulled back, lopping off 8,000 jobs.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
Have you seen The Hunger Games yet? Despite Miss Corene's reservations, I recommend it. It was pretty great.
The Atlantic Book Awards shortlist is out! Check it out here. It has Janet McNaughton on it.
Are you following the School Library Journal's Battle of the Books? Because it's getting pretty intense.
Books from this week's podcast:
- Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien
- I, Coriander by Sally Gardner
- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
- The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
- Everything by John Bellairs
- Lips Touch: Three Times by Taylor Laini
- The Ogre of Oglefort by Eva Ibbotson
- So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading by Sara Nelson
- A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka
- Samantha on a Roll by Linda Ashman
- Dumpling Days by Grace Lin
- In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
- My Name is Mina (Skellig, #2) by David Almond
- The Locked Garden by Gloria Whelan
- Pie by Sarah Weeks
- Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
- Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin


text:
WASHINGTON (AP) — Roughly 650 U.S. troops are expected to remain in Afghanistan to provide security for diplomats after the main American military force completes its withdrawal, which is set to be largely done in the next two weeks, U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Thursday.
In addition, several hundred additional American forces will remain at the Kabul airport, potentially until September, to assist Turkish troops providing security, as a temporary move until a more formal Turkey-led security operation is in place, the officials said. Overall, officials said the U.S. expects to have American and coalition military command, its leadership and most troops out by July Fourth, or shortly after that, meeting an aspirational deadline that commanders developed months ago.
The officials were not authorized to discuss details of the withdrawal and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
The departure of the bulk of the more than 4,000 troops that have been in the country in recent months is unfolding well before President Joe Biden's Sept. 11 deadline for withdrawal. And it comes amid accelerating Taliban battlefield gains, fueling fears that the Afghan government and its military could collapse in a matter of months.
Officials have repeatedly stressed that security at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul is a critical requirement to keeping any U.S. diplomatic staff in Afghanistan. Still, the decision to keep additional troops there for several more months makes it more complicated for the Biden administration to declare a true end to America's longest war until later this fall. And it keeps the embattled country near the forefront of U.S. national security challenges, even as the White House tries to put the 20-year-old war behind it and focus more on threats from China and Russia.
On Friday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, chair of the High Council for National Reconciliation, are meeting with Biden at the White House. The two Afghan leaders also are to meet at the Pentagon with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and possibly other administration officials, the Pentagon announced.
Getting most troops out by early July had been in doubt because of complications including an outbreak of COVID-19 at the U.S. Embassy and the push to get Afghan interpreters and others who helped the U.S. out of the country. Officials said U.S. commanders and NATO allies in Afghanistan have been able to overcome logistical hurdles that might have prolonged the withdrawal process. But they also warned that plans in place for the final stages of the U.S. military withdrawal could change if airport security agreements fall through or there are other major, unforeseen developments.
As recently as last week, there was discussion of possibly extending the U.S. troop presence at Bagram Airfield, north of Kabul, but officials said the U.S. presence at the base is expected to end in the next several days.
The roughly 650 U.S. troops that are planned to be a more permanent force presence in Afghanistan will provide security for the U.S. Embassy and some ongoing support at the airport. Officials said the U.S. has agreed to leave a C-RAM — or Counter-Rocket, Artillery, Mortar system — at the airport, as well as troops to operate it, as part of an agreement with Turkey. The U.S. also plans to leave aircrew for helicopter support at the airport.
According to the officials, Turkey has largely agreed to provide security at the airport as long as it receives support from American forces. U.S. and Turkish military officials are meeting in Ankara this week to finalize arrangements.
On Wednesday, Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said there is not yet a written agreement with Turks on airport security. He said he did not want to speak about specifics before there is a final agreement, but added, "I feel very comfortable that security at the Kabul airport will be maintained and the Turks will be a part of that."
The U.S. troop departure, which began with Biden's announcement in April that he was ending U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan, is ramping up just as the administration moves ahead with plans to evacuate tens of thousands of interpreters and others who worked with American forces during the war and now fear for their safety.
A senior administration official said Thursday that planning has accelerated in recent days to relocate the Afghans and their families to other countries or U.S. territories while their visa applications are processed. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss unannounced plans. The administration intends to carry out the evacuation later this summer, likely in August, according to a second official familiar with the deliberations but not authorized to discuss them publicly.
The Pentagon has said the military is prepared to assist the State Department as needed but indicated that charter flights might be adequate to move the Afghan visa applicants, thus not necessarily requiring a military airlift.
Officials said that NATO allies, such as Germany, are also very close to being completely out of the country.
Senior Pentagon leaders, including Austin, have been cautious in recent weeks when asked about the troop withdrawal, and they have declined to provide any public details on when the last troops would leave, citing security concerns.


text:
Key Points
In hemodynamically stable patients, the history and physical are insufficiently accurate to either rule in or rule out ectopic pregnancy. The threshold should be very low to enter a patient with early pregnancy and symptoms or signs potentially referable to ectopic pregnancy into a rule out ectopic process.
In contrast to what most of us were taught, the index beta HCG measurement does not discriminate among ectopic pregnancy, failed/failing intrauterine pregnancy, and early/healthy intrauterine pregnancy with sufficient accuracy to guide decision-making. Put more simply, the beta does not help you. If the ultrasound shows no IUP or ectopic, do not be reassured by a low beta and do not be alarmed by a high beta. The patient may have a healthy IUP, she may have a nonviable IUP that is miscarrying or will miscarry, or she may have an ectopic pregnancy; the beta doesn't make any of these three diagnoses more or less likely enough to be a useful test to us, on the index visit. This is not controversial, the evidence is plentiful [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7], and ACEP's recent clinical policy states at a Level B recommendation, "Do not use the beta-hCG value to exclude the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy in patients who have an indeterminate ultrasound." If the beta is a million zillion, feel free to diagnose molar pregnancy.
If IUP is confirmed by ultrasound, measurement of quantitative beta is unnecessary. If ultrasound shows no evidence of IUP or ectopic, a quantitative HCG level should be sent but the result is not important for this visit–it is useful in comparison to the beta drawn in followup. A low beta should never be used as a reason to forgo pelvic ultrasound, and a high beta should never be used as a reason to initiate treatment for ectopic pregnancy (in a stable patient). The concept of the discriminatory zone is obsolete and has no value to emergency clinicians [1, 2, 3].
There are a variety of abnormal early pregnancy conditions, and the terminology is confusing. Threatened abortion refers to a patient with a confirmed IUP who has bleeding or pain; these patients are not at risk for ectopic pregnancy and threatened abortion should not be used as a diagnosis for patients with pregnancy of undetermined location. Similarly, patients with missed, inevitable, incomplete, and complete abortion by definition to do not have ectopic pregnancy, and, like threatened abortion, these conditions are generally not dangerous to mom. Often, these diagnoses can only be made after repeat ultrasound and beta measurements. I liken these diagnoses to migraine, tension, cluster, and other primary headaches: the role of the emergency clinician is not to diagnose a benign headache syndrome, it is to exclude dangerous causes of headaches. Confident as you may be that your patient without a sonographic IUP is having some variant of miscarriage and not an ectopic, to make that diagnosis prior to the beta falling to zero (or the passing of what is unequivocally products of conception, i.e. has a human form or characteristic features under a microscope) is unwise. Septic abortion, while not an ectopic pregnancy, is dangerous, and patients with early pregnancy and fever, unwell appearance, or significant uterine tenderness should be managed with this condition–which generally requires prompt surgical uterine evacuation in addition to parenteral antibiotics–in mind.
Most patients who present to the ED with bleeding or pain in early pregnancy are primarily concerned about the viability of their pregnancy, while the emergency clinician's priority is excluding the presence of a dangerous condition–in this case, mainly ectopic pregnancy. It is important to recognize and address this discordance. Attempting to determine if the pregnancy is likely to succeed or fail on the index visit is imprudent in most cases, but not acknowledging your patient's concerns is equally imprudent.
"Using the ultrasound, I don't see where your pregnancy is. Most likely, you have either a normal pregnancy that I can't see, or you're having a miscarriage; we can't tell, and there's nothing you or anyone can do to change your course other than having a healthy lifestyle and taking care of yourself. But neither of these situations is dangerous to you and our role in the emergency department is to make sure that your symptoms aren't caused by a problem that is dangerous to you, most importantly, a pregnancy in the wrong location such as the fallopian tubes. And since I don't see where your pregnancy is today, we need to repeat the ultrasound the day after tomorrow. If you have more bleeding, or more pain, or feel faint or pass out, or develop a fever, come back immediately, we're here 24/7."
Who does the ultrasound?
Much practice variability exists around who performs the ultrasound–the emergency clinician, obstetrician, or radiologist–in different rule out ectopic scenarios. Emergency physician-performed ultrasound has been demonstrated to be accurate in this context, and it is reasonable and appropriate for emergency physician-performed ultrasound to be used as the primary imaging modality in a rule out ectopic paradigm, especially when the emergency physician has demonstrated proficiency in pelvic ultrasound and the study is performed under a structured departmental ultrasound QA process. But sometimes an ectopic pregnancy can look like an IUP, and calling what isn't an IUP an IUP is a very dangerous mistake (don't neglect to evaluate the myometrial mantle all around what you think is an IUP). Also, we generally rule out ectopic by ruling in IUP, and when an IUP is definitively identified in a patient not at high risk for ectopic or heterotopic pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy has been reasonably excluded. However, in a patient without sonographic IUP, the second goal of imaging is to look for evidence of ectopic pregnancy, and these findings, often in the adnexa, require more ultrasound skill.
As usual, the most important strategy to manage physician risk is to decide as a department and institution how these patients will be managed. Reasonable approaches include, in order of decreasing emergency clinician risk (and increasing patient inconvenience):
a. Discharge the patient after emergency physician-performed ultrasound either with a diagnosis of intrauterine pregnancy and routine followup, or with a diagnosis of pregnancy of undetermined location, strict ectopic precautions and urgent followup, based on the results of the emergency physician-performed ultrasound.
b. Discharge patients who do not have ectopic risk factors and have PUL after emergency physician-performed ultrasound with ectopic precautions and urgent followup; arrange immediate specialist-performed ultrasound for patients with ectopic risk factors who do not have an IUP identified by the emergency clinician. This is the strategy I use.
c. Arrange immediate specialist-performed ultrasound for all patients who do not have IUP identified by the emergency clinician.
d. Arrange immediate specialist-performed ultrasound for all patients who enter into the rule out ectopic flow.
There are other approaches and gradations within these approaches; for example, if you usually discharge a rule out ectopic patient after your bedside ultrasound but have a patient you are more concerned about than usual, but don't have access to specialist ultrasound or assessment, have the patient return for repeat assessment not in 48 hours but in 24 or 12 hours.
The use of Anti-D rhesus prophylaxis in early pregnancy is controversial, because "There are insufficient data available to evaluate the practice of anti-D administration in an unsensitised Rh-negative mother after spontaneous miscarriage. Thus, until high-quality evidence becomes available, the practice of anti-D Immunoglobulin prophylaxis after spontaneous miscarriage for preventing Rh alloimmunisation cannot be generalised and should be based on the standard practice guidelines of each country."
The use of Rhogam for threatened abortion or pregnancy of undetermined location is even less likely to be beneficial than in cases of diagnosed miscarriage, which was the subject of the quoted Cochrane review. ACOG recommends it "after a first-trimester pregnancy loss" and suggests it "be considered" in cases of threatened abortion, while British guidelines state, "Do not offer anti-D rhesus prophylaxis to women who receive solely medical management for an ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage, or have a threatened miscarriage, or have a complete miscarriage, or have a pregnancy of unknown location." ACEP chimes in with their Level B recommendation "Administer 50 μg of anti-D immunoglobulin to Rh-negative women in all cases of documented first trimester loss of established pregnancy" and Level C "Consider administration of anti-D immunoglobulin in cases of minor trauma in Rh-negative patients." See SMART-EM's treatment of the subject for details. If you don't use Rhogam routinely in threatened abortion, most of these patients can return home to their loved ones immediately if IUP is identified, without bloodwork, and even, some say, without a pelvic exam [1, 2].
Ideally all patients with pregnancy of undetermined location would be seen by an obstetrician within 48 hours for repeat exam, ultrasound, and serum beta. If the only option in your environment is for the patient to return to the ED, if IUP is not identified on the repeat visit, have a low threshold to at least discuss the case with an obstetrician. Interpreting beta trends and deciding on therapies like methotrexate, or uterotonic agents, or dilation and curettage, is ideally in the domain of obstetrics and not emergency medicine.
Rule Out Ectopic Algorithm (Screen Version)
Rule Out Ectopic Algorithm (Print Version)
Audio Comment on the role of the index beta from this episode of ERcast
Thanks to Sigrid Hahn and Phil Andrus for their erudition.
Bonus: amazing/bewildering vaginal bleeding algorithm I created as a medical student many years ago, demonstrating outdated strategies for rule out ectopic, among many other outdated strategies.


text:
FSE Listings: Unleash the potential of your Equity Line Of Credit with Equity Partners Fund SPC by listing fast on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange with FSE Listings Inc!
FSE Listings: Unleash the potential of your Equity Line Of Credit with Renaissance Financial Holdings Limited by listing fast on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange with FSE Listings Inc
FSE Listings Inc, www.fselistings.com, has been working in partnership with several firms who give Equity Lines of Credit to private companies subject to them going public. Our listing fees of 60,000 euro have made us very popular with the persons and companies holding these credit lines, as they often require public company shares on an acceptable exchange to trade. Most of the firms within the industry resell our services as a listing company. We also get paid on performance, so there are no upfront payments, the funds go into escrow based on delivery of milestones. Many firms ask for 50% upfront for listings, these firms take their time, we put 100% of the funds in escrow and its released as we list you. This motivates our team to do it faster and faster, our last listing was 17 days, or fastest was 10 days.
Within Australia, firms charge 150,000 euro for listing, within Germany, most are between 70,000 euro and 80,000 euro. FSE Listings lists more often and faster at our current rate, with each listing taking between 3-6 weeks for 60,000 euro. Our last listing on March 21st, just 5 days ago from when this post was written, took 17 days. Our examples are current, and give references.
There are several firms that offer equity lines of credit, such as Equity Partners Fund, Prime Capital Fund, Zimbabwes RENAISSANCE Financial Holdings Limited, Deutsche Capital Partners, Lead Dog Capital, etc. Some of the common names involved on contracts is Joespeh B. LaRocco, Chris Messalas, Nasir Mogul, Alvin Donovan, Robert Russell, Mark Bragg, Ryan Gibson, Csurgo,Julius .etc.
As mentioned before, it could be as much as 90% of the FSE Listings go through at some point FSE Listings Inc's consortium. Go direct and go faster, and come to email@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com
The Equity Line of Credit is based on the potential market your firm will make upon going public, it also relies greatly on the volume of your shares trading under a VWAP, Volume Weight Average Pricing, of your shares traded based most generally on the lowest bid, not sale prices. If you would like the equity line of credit explained in plain terms, please contact us. In addition, enjoy a free consultation from our team to discuss the timeframe for listing your firm on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
If you are looking to list your firm quickly to begin your draw downs with any of the above firms, you should contact email@example.com and begin the process immediately and today. Our record for listing firms per annum exceeds any other industry professional, we recommend you begin by contacting us before you commit to any other listing services contracts.
Please be aware that several firms have tried to impersonate us, please only try to reach us through this contact information below, the real FSE Listings:
Contact Robert Russell or Mark Bragg today!
- Robert Russell email@example.com
- Mark Bragg email@example.com
- New York: +1-914-613-3889
- Hong Kong: 81753591
- South Africa: +27110836116
- www.fselistings.com
FSE Listings Inc guarantees the success of your listing! www.fselistings.com
Contact us with your information!
Please include:
- Company Name
- Contact Name
- Contact Number
- Contact Email
- Amount of Capital invested to date
- Amount of Capital required
- Reasons for wanting to list
- Description of Business
- Website if available
Contact www.fselistings.com today! FSE Listings is a leader in listing firms the fastest, the most affordable, the most honest!


text:
Leica Viva GNSS Smart Antenna
Professional reliability when you need the most demanding accuracy
The Leica Viva GNSS Smart Antenna is a compact and powerful GNSS smart antenna, suited for any measuring task with integrated mobile communications and UHF modem. The Leica Viva GNSS Smart Antenna is easy-to-use with its convenient and integrated design.
This smart antenna is your all-around GNSS instrument for professional reliability when you need the most demanding accuracy. The Leica Viva GNSS Smart Antenna is designed to perform wherever, whenever you need.
The Leica Viva GNSS Smart Antenna also delivers with:
Easy-to-use software
The Leica Viva GNSS Smart Antenna is equipped with the intuitive Leica SmartWorx Viva software. With clear graphics, practical menu structures, understandable terminology and simplified workflows, save time and effort on any site. SmartWorx Viva is incredibly easy to learn and use.
Infinite possibilities
While SmartWorx Viva captures data in the field, Leica Infinity software processes the information back in the office. A smooth data transfer ensures the project stays on track. SmartWorx Viva and Infinity work in conjunction to join previous survey data and edit projects faster and more efficiently.
Customer care at a click
Through Active Customer Care, a global network of experienced professionals is only a click away to expertly guide you through any problem.
Eliminate delays with superior technical service
Finish jobs faster with excellent consultancy support
Avoid costly site revisits with online service to send and receive data directly from the field
Control your costs with a tailored Customer Care Package, giving you peace of mind you're covered anywhere, anytime.
Powerful handheld devices
In a controller or a tablet, take your entire office on the go when you discover the power to overcome any environment from the palm of your hand. The Leica CS10 and CS15 controller provide the ultimate in control and convenience with complete mobility.


text:
Growth VS Value: Assessing Stock Worth
In the heady world of investing, one can observe many different trading styles. Both individuals and companies will tend to build portfolios based on their own personal stock preferences; picking and choosing a mixture of stocks based on both their present and anticipated values.
Explaining Growth and Value
Within the field are two distinct types of stock; growth and value. Surprisingly, many investors are unaware of the actual difference between the two. This may well be because the terms 'growth' and 'value' don't technically refer to the immediate value or behaviour of a stock. Neither do they refer to the value of ownership which the buyer will receive upon purchase. Instead, 'growth' and 'value' refer to a style of investment which is based upon the anticipated risk of purchase.
Which Stock Type is Preferable?
Growth stock tends to be associated with high-yield, profitable companies whose growth is expected to continue rising at an above-average rate. Growth stock is rarely a risky move, and generally tends to yield return over time. By contrast, value stock may have low value at present, and can be bought for rock bottom prices. However, value stock is generally bought because the investor believes that the true worth of the company has yet to be recognised in the global market, and that share prices will, in the future, increase exponentially. Value stock is more risky than growth stock, but it's worth remembering that, at one point, even shares in Google would have been considered value stock.
Put simply, it's impossible to determine whether or not growth stocks are intrinsically 'better' or more valuable than value stocks. Investment purchasing decisions should always be made in conjunction with a thorough assessment of the market, company, and of your own portfolio requirements.
Earning Driven VS Value Driven Analysis
Despite the ease at which many investors tend to divide stock into either growth or investment, one individual prefers to step away from this classification. According to Forbes, US investment billionaire Warren Buffet is known for assessing stock value on company growth and earning over time, including return on equity and retained earnings, free cash flow and debt. For Buffet, earnings can be both quantified and qualified.
Other Investment Types
Growth and value investment styles are not particular to any one market, but purchasing decisions must be amended to reflect the specifics of the particular market you are dealing in.
There is, however, one trading market in which growth and value stock investment styles cannot be fully replicated; Forex. Currencies, freely traded, cannot be described in the same way that company stock can, and therefore investment style must be developed in accordance with Forex principles. For investors without prior knowledge of Forex, it's advisable that learning be undertaken in conjunction with an array of readily available research tools, which will allow you to develop a style suitable for this market.


text:
A woman was waiting at an airport one night
There were several long hours to wait for her flight.
She hunted for reading in the airport's gift shop
bought a big bag of cookies — found a place she could drop.
She was engrossed in her book, but she happened to see
a man sat beside her — as bold as can be
and grabbed up a cookie from the bag in between
which she tried to ignore — and not make a scene.
She munched at her cookies and glanced at the clock
as the masculine cookie-thief diminished her stock!
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by
Thinking, "If I wasn't a lady, I'd blacken his eye!"
With each cookie she took, he took one or two.
With only one left, she watched what he'd do
With a grin on his face, and a nice nervous laugh
He took the last cookie and broke it in half!
He offered her half as he munched on the other
She snatched from him and murmured "Oh Brother!
This guy has some nerve, and he's also quite rude
He never showed even polite gratitude."
She had never known when she had been quite so galled
She smiled with relief when her flight — it was called.
She gathered her stuff and marched to the gate.
(With not even a glance at the thieving ingrate.)
She boarded the plane and sank in her seat,
Then sought out her book which was almost complete.
As she reached in her bag, she gasped with surprise,
Her bag of cookies were in front of her eyes!
"If mine are right here," she moaned in despair,
then the others were his and he was trying to share!
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief!
Author Valerie Cox – From the book: A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul


text:
Quality Made Cabinets
Express & Colonial Cabinet Features
Our selection of 8 different door styles can transport you from Country to Traditional. We have a style that will perfectly match your personality or complement any decorating theme, while adding value to your home.
To highlight the rich grains and characteristics of each species, we use the finest solid wood and wood veneers for the construction of our doors. To enhance and protect the beauty of the wood we use a multi-step finishing process that includes hand sanding, baking ovens and hand applied techniques.
Dye Stains
Dye Stains offer a more even coat when selecting two tone woods They are dark and rich in color.
Wiping Stains
Wiping stain is sprayed over the wood surface and then hand wiped off for consistent coverage.
Natural wood with a furniture finish.
Koch and Company offers cabinets unfinished so that you can apply a finish of your choice.
Our tinted conversion varnish paints are smooth and durable, an excellent choice for a kitchen or as an accent piece.
Trace is achieved by using a flow pen instrument to apply the color to the detail in profiled areas of painted cabinets.
Pencil Glaze
Pencil Glaze is achieved by using a flow pen instrument to apply glaze to the detail in profiled areas.
Drawer Fronts
Drawer Front Options
Miter door styles will come with a 5 piece drawer front. Stile and Rail door styles will come with a slab front with an edge profile that matches your cabinets.
Door Mod
Add a touch of elegance to your cabinetry with glass front doors that will show off your display items.


text:
So, read on for the details!
Leave a comment telling us what you will make if you win.
(1 entry)
Help spread the word by blogging about our giveaway & leaving a comment telling us you did!
(2 extra entries)
Make a donation here of any amount and tell us you did.
(3 extra entries, 100% goes to the charity)
Thanks in advance everyone!


text:
PORTO VECCHIO, Corsica – The dirty past of the Tour de France came back on Friday to haunt the 100th edition of cycling's showcase race, with Lance Armstrong telling a newspaper he couldn't have won without doping.
Armstrong's comments to Le Monde were surprising on many levels, not least because of his long-antagonistic relationship with the respected French daily that first reported in 1999 that corticosteroids were found in the American's urine as he was riding to the first of his seven Tour wins. In response, Armstrong complained he was being persecuted by "vulture journalism, desperate journalism."
Now seemingly prepared to let bygones be bygones, Armstrong told Le Monde he still considers himself the record-holder for Tour victories, even though all seven of his titles were stripped from him last year for doping. He also said his life has been ruined by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency investigation that exposed as lies his years of denials that he and his teammates doped. And Armstrong took another swipe at cycling's top administrators, darkly suggesting they could be brought down by other skeletons in the sport's closet.
The interview was the latest blast from cycling's doping-tainted recent history to rain on the 100th Tour.
Recently, Armstrong's former rival on French roads, 1997 Tour winner Jan Ullrich, confessed to blood-doping for the first time with a Spanish doctor. French media also reported that a Senate investigation into the effectiveness of anti-doping controls pieced together evidence of drug use at the 1998 Tour by Laurent Jalabert, a former star of the race now turned broadcaster.
Not surprising in Armstrong's interview was his claim that it was "impossible" to win the Tour without doping when he was racing. Armstrong already told U.S. television talk show host Oprah Winfrey when he finally confessed in January that doping was just "part of the job" of being a pro cyclist.
The banned hormone erythropoietin, or EPO, wasn't detectable by cycling's doping controls until 2001 and so was widely abused because it prompts the body to produce oxygen-carrying red blood cells, giving a big performance boost to endurance athletes.
Armstrong was clearly talking about his own era, rather than the Tour today. Le Monde reported that he was responding to the question: "When you raced, was it possible to perform without doping?"
"That depends on which races you wanted to win. The Tour de France? No. Impossible to win without doping. Because the Tour is a test of endurance where oxygen is decisive," Le Monde quoted Armstrong as saying. It published the interview in French.
Some subsequent media reports about Le Monde's interview concluded that Armstrong was saying doping is still necessary now, rather than when he was winning the Tour from 1999-2005. That suggestion provoked dismay from current riders, race organizers and the sport's governing body, the International Cycling Union or UCI. Five-time champion Bernard Hinault, who works for Tour organizer ASO, said: "We have to stop thinking that all riders are thugs and druggies and all that."
Asked later by The Associated Press to clarify his comments, Armstrong said on Twitter he was talking about the period from 1999-2005. He indicated that doping might not be necessary now.
"Today? I have no idea. I'm hopeful it's possible," Armstrong tweeted.
In a statement issued before that clarification, UCI President Pat McQuaid called the timing of Armstrong's comments "very sad."
"I can tell him categorically that he is wrong. His comments do absolutely nothing to help cycling," McQuaid said in a statement. "The culture within cycling has changed since the Armstrong era and it is now possible to race and win clean.
"Riders and teams owners have been forthright in saying that it is possible to win clean — and I agree with them."
After Armstrong retired for the first time in 2005, cycling pioneered a so-called "biological passport" program, introduced in 2008, that monitors riders' blood readings for tell-tale signs of doping. Riders in the top tier of teams were tested an average of nearly 12 times in 2012. Yet the pre-Tour drip-drip-drip of doping confessions and revelations about the Armstrong era have overshadowed cycling's work to break its culture of drug use.
That, in turn, has led to renewed appeals from some involved in the sport for cycling to have a "truth and reconciliation" process — where all those involved in doping past and present could air what they know and did once and for all, so cycling can then move forward.
"Having it come out in dribs and drabs: You know, Laurent Jalabert this week, this guy (another week) — is ridiculous and painful and unnecessary," Jonathan Vaughters, a former Armstrong teammate and manager of the Garmin-Sharp team, said this week before Le Monde's interview. "I really wish that we could get on with the truth and reconciliation committee. ... Let's just move the sport forward, let's get it out, let's deal with it, let's recognize it, let's own it, let's learn from it."
Armstrong told Le Monde he would be prepared to appear before such a committee.
"The whole story has still not been told," he was quoted as saying. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency investigation that unmasked him as a serial doper "did not paint a faithful picture of cycling from the end of the 1980s to today. It succeeded perfectly in destroying one man's life but did not benefit cycling at all."
He argued that doping would never be eradicated.
"I did not invent doping," Le Monde quoted Armstrong as saying. "And nor did it end with me."
AP Sports Writer Jerome Pugmire and AP writer Jamey Keaten contributed from Porto Vecchio.


text:
Muse Records London 2012 Official Olympics Song
LONDON (AP) — Olympics organizers have chosen British rock trio Muse to write the official song for the 2012 London Games.
The song, "Survival," will have its first broadcast on BBC radio on Wednesday. It will be played during the July 27-Aug. 12 games as athletes enter the venues and before medal ceremonies.
Muse frontman Matt Bellamy says the song was written with the Olympics in mind and "expresses a sense of conviction and determination to win."
Muse formed in 1994 and has sold 15 million copies of five studio albums.
Last month the trio carried the Olympic torch through their hometown of Teignmouth in southwest England as part of the flame's 8,000-mile (12,900-kilometer) journey to the games.