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Time Management Secrets of an Efficient Engineer
Freelancers work flexible hours, but this convenience comes at a price: They have to manage their time better than on-site professionals. However, it also means they're free to optimize their routine and achieve exceptional efficiency.
In this post, software engineer Dmitry Ryazantsev will guide you through the ins and outs of personal time management, leaving little to chance. What good are great rates if you waste hours each week?
Freelancers work flexible hours, but this convenience comes at a price: They have to manage their time better than on-site professionals. However, it also means they're free to optimize their routine and achieve exceptional efficiency.
In this post, software engineer Dmitry Ryazantsev will guide you through the ins and outs of personal time management, leaving little to chance. What good are great rates if you waste hours each week?
Dmitry's Android dev experience includes work on the Yandex browser (10M+ installs) and creating his own game, which has 250,000 installs.
yet he leaves nothing undone.
The ordinary man is always doing things,
yet many more are left to be done."
-- Tao Te Ching
Sometimes I wish I was a vampire, or at least a werewolf. It would probably make this whole work-life balance thing people talk about easier. But unfortunately, I'm only human, which means I have to sleep, and I only get 24 hours per day, just like everyone else.
Subtract six or more hours for sleep, and I'm stuck with a measly 18-ish hours for work and play. Unfortunately, this just isn't enough for an ambitious freelance software engineer, or is it?
Since we can't turn into supernatural beings or warp spacetime as we please, we have to make the most of our time, which is why time management is so important and why I decided to write this post.
The post will cover various methods and tools in my productivity toolbox:
- Why time management is as critical as technical skills, especially for freelancers.
- Key criteria all time management systems must meet.
- Effective time management techniques for freelancers.
- Tools I find effective and use myself.
Every freelancer has an hourly rate but, sometimes, we don't realize that higher hourly rates don't necessarily translate into higher earnings on a monthly or annual basis.
Freelancers usually bill by the hour, so time management also means money management.
With freelancing, there is billable and non-billable time; in terms of control it could be thought of as productive or distracting actions that take time. In order to realize the real value of time (and money) you need to track, calculate and analyze it, and for this purpose we all need a good time management system.
Many freelancers focus on optimizing their hourly billing rate, but they fail to optimize the hours billed. An increase in the amount time you can spend billing is just as important as your rate.
The 3 Components of Good Time Management Systems
Whatever time management system you come up with, whatever tools you decide to use, there are three main characteristics that directly influence the quality of time organization and execution of your professional tasks.
You should trust the system.
When setting a task, you need to be 100 percent sure that you will be notified of the upcoming task at the right time. What's the point of a reminder to "bring print-out to meeting," when you're already standing in the front of the conference room?
The system should be as simple as possible.
When your system makes you jump through hoops just to add a simple reminder to "Call Alice in an hour," it's ineffective.
Inevitably, you'll end up jotting it down on a random piece of paper, setting an alarm on your phone, or using just about anything but your system.
The system should be accessible.
What do you never leave home without? I'm willing to bet your smartphone.
Forget the day planner and notice boards. They aren't useful to you when you're sitting in a cafe, waiting for your check and trying to remember who you need to call.
With today's technology and blazing fast mobile data, you can carry tons of documents, reminders, notes, and sketches all in the cloud, which is just a swipe away.
8 Tried-and-True Time Management Techniques
Schedule the next day.
Since primary school, my parents encouraged me to make a schedule for the following day.
That was probably the first time management method I ever used – a basic list of tasks for the day – something like a daily agenda. It's a sensible idea, especially if you don't have much to do, but I encountered a serious problem: When a task wasn't carried out on time it was put off until the next day.
With this method, just one unfinished task can snowball into a giant one. And after a few days, you'll need to throw the list away, and start a new one because the old one becomes impossible to fulfil, as more important tasks displace those that are less significant. The list gets longer and longer and eventually ends up in the trash.
Correctly utilize your calendar.
Logically, the next step is setting up your calendar. Instead of making a plan for the following day, plan in advance, spreading tasks across different days and, if necessary, moving some to a different, more suitable date.
Maintaining a properly organized calendar is convenient, as it allows you to schedule a particular task for a certain time, but if you try to use it for all sorts of tasks, you'll encounter a number of issues that aren't easy to resolve with a calendar:
- Certain tasks are not linked to a particular date.
- For example, a note reminding you to "buy some milk" isn't tied to a specific time or place. When do I buy milk? Where? Presumably, on the way home, but no-one can say exactly when and where they'll pick up their groceries.
- Different tasks have different contexts such as, for instance, personal plans, work duties, urgent issues, less urgent problems and so on. Fitting all them into one calendar is complicated and might not be helpful at all.
In short, a calendar is an essential tool for time management, but only for tasks to be performed at a set time. If a task is planned for tomorrow, but can be fulfilled the day after tomorrow, or in half an hour, it's not really a task to add to your calendar.
Whatever you don't schedule, add to your to-do lists.
So, what should you do with tasks that aren't a good fit for your calendar?
Well, we can use something that doesn't involve dates at all – to-do lists. Task lists are perfect for this because they're easy to create and maintain.
You can create a list, or separate lists, and label tasks with tags, like: work, home, important, less important, and so on. The main advantage of these lists is that they are simple and are not tied to a certain date or time.
If you have tasks that you don't need to perform within a strict time period, they are still relevant after you return from holiday, whereas if you relied on your calendar, you would have to revise and redistribute the tasks you missed while you were away.
Delegate the work you hate.
The point of time management is to allow you to structure the execution of various tasks, depending on their urgency, importance, and complexity. But I see another important aspect of time management:
It allows me to devote my time to problems I can solve most effectively and that no-one else could solve better or more quickly.
Tasks you carry out should bring joy, which is also important. This leads me to delegation.
Is there a task you dread completing, and people who can quickly and easily do it? (I'm not talking about your work or other activities paid for by your employer). Then outsource that task(s).
It's in your power to avoid work that doesn't interest you. In doing so, you free yourself up for tasks that should be fulfilled only by you, and employ another person simultaneously. I've heard numerous excuses about why people can't delegate, such as:
- It's easier to do it myself than to explain what I want, (even if that means I have to fight my way through a new field).
- I don't want to spend money on stuff I can do without (because nothing is free).
- I'll do it better than anyone else (and even if I do it worse, at least I'll do it myself).
That's why I employ certain criteria to decide whether or not it's sensible to delegate a task:
- If I don't find it interesting, I delegate.
- If another person will find it interesting, I delegate.
- If the task can be done at least 80% as well by someone else, I delegate.
- If it will cost me less than if I did it myself, I delegate.
It's important to note that it's not about comparing hourly rates. It's about the (valuable) time you will have to spend on figuring it all out while another person may already have the required competence to start executing on the task immediately.
Each situation doesn't have to check off every criteria. You should make decisions relying on your feelings toward a particular task. Sometimes you have to go with your gut, which is just another word for experience.
Here are a few examples of tasks I usually delegate:
I'm writing this article in Russian, because it's my native language and having it translated to English.
It's not that I'm incapable of writing in a foreign language, it's just that writing in Russian is easier for me.
This way I can get the task done faster, and I'll enjoy the experience more because I can better express my ideas in my native language. If I were to write it in English, or translate the draft on my own, it would take up significantly more time than if a professional translator did it.
Video Editing
After a trip, I might have a lot of video that I want to make a clip of. I can edit it myself, if I feel like it, or I can have someone do it for me. In this case, it depends on my mood.
Domestic Work
Cleaning the apartment is another simple example because you can do it yourself, or you can call a cleaning service.
Streamline and automate.
In addition to major and obvious tasks that come to mind when you think of time management, don't forget the countless small tasks that take up a lot of time too.
If you notice you're repeating the same task – even the smallest one – it makes sense to streamline or automate it. Even by saving just three seconds on an action (for instance, switching tabs) that you perform 20 times a day will save you a couple of hours a year.
Granted, it doesn't sound like much, but all these small savings add up!
So what about tasks you can't automate or streamline? Well, you should be able to boost your productivity by improving your work environment and limiting distractions to a minimum. You can use your savings to get a fancy chair or better hardware.
Here are a few basic examples of how you can shave time off your daily routine:
- Use hotkeys as much as possible. Pressing three, four, or five keys often takes significantly less time than pointing and clicking with a mouse.
- When possible, try to cut the number of tasks that you work on simultaneously, ideally, to one. When you're doing deep work, interruptions can set you back 15 minutes or more because you have to find your groove again.
- I use my laptop for work, but on my desk I have other hardware to boost productivity, such as a desktop keyboard, big monitors, headphones, and so on. If your primary machine is a laptop, you can simplify the connection of all these peripherals by using a docking station. It gets better; docking stations are becoming obsolete and will soon become a thing of the past. Thanks to emerging technologies, you'll soon be able to connect everything wirelessly.
- At work I use two big monitors and my laptop screen, connected to the dock, which allows me to have more information on the main screen by moving other interface parts to independent, but nearby, devices. I know some people don't like multi-monitor setups, but even if you insist on having a single display on your desk, there's still a lot you can do. Just a few years ago, oversized 4K/UHD monitors were prohibitively expensive, but this is no longer the case. Wide aspect ratio monitors (namely 21:9) are also an alternative worth examining.
- Usually I turn off all unexpected notifications during work chats, as they can be distracting and prevent me from concentrating on the task. You can still receive private messages for urgent matters.
It's important not to over-simplify or automate – otherwise you'll end up designing a robot to make a cup of tea. As with all optimization, the rule is to improve only that that can be improved with minimum effort and maximum results.
Consider the Getting Things Done (GTD) method.
The GTD method, advanced by David Allen in his book, encompasses a number of tools and unifies them in a well-structured and neatly organized system.
It's difficult to condense and fit into one point in a blog article, since the author devotes the approach throughout his book, but if you'd like a quick overview, check out the GTD Workflow Map.
Here are the main concepts, or at least the way I see them.
- When performing a task, or even taking a break, you should be completely immersed in the process, and for this, it is vital to forget all other tasks. You can achieve this by moving everything that's been on your mind to another place – calendar, notes, to-do lists, notifications, etc.
- It's important to be aware of why you are performing this particular task at a specific moment, but it's even more important to understand why you are not doing something else and what other tasks you have in the pipeline.
- When you're thinking about what to do, the system helps you choose the task best suited to various circumstances and time. If you feel like chatting, you can start calling people from your contacts' list. If you have a spare minute in front of the computer, send emails, or make an online purchase.
- It's essential to include everything in your system, otherwise you may start questioning the integrity of the system and won't trust it.
Say "no."
The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything. – Warren Buffett
No matter how cool your system is, it won't let you do more than you are able to.
That's why, however weird it may sound, a crucial element of time management is the ability to give up on one task or another.
Did your friend ask you to help create a simple site because "you're a programmer, aren't you?" Estimate the time that it's likely to take, especially if you're not a web developer, and give an answer based on your system and your own feelings toward the task.
Track your time.
Once you have built a system you trust, it's sometimes necessary to review your efforts. Even if all planned tasks are completed on time, there is a chance you could be spending time on unrelated activities, such as checking news, chatting with friends, and so on.
This will obviously skew results, cheating yourself into thinking that everything is clear. Fortunately, we can get a machine to be our independent supervisor.
The Tools in My Productivity Toolbox
As promised, I'm going to give an overview of the tools that I have chosen after having tested a lot of different programs from different developers. Everything described below is a subjective perception of the product. You may find something else that meets your requirements.
The most important thing to me is a single account. I try to minimize the number of tools whenever possible, bearing in mind the principle of simplicity.
Inbox by Google
The main principle for me is an "empty" Google Inbox (emails fixed as notes don't count). Incoming mail is usually a task that should be done: It could be a notification to perform a code review, a task from the customer, but even if it's a simple conversation - it should be addressed.
The fact that Android equals Google makes its Calendar perfect because it's always with you. People use different devices running different operating systems, and Google is the king of cross-platform apps and services. Google Calendar is just one of them, and it's widely used on all platforms.
Google enables users to add actionable notifications on web apps and mobile devices. Since most people are already familiar with them, as well as the way they're set up in Google Calendar, I won't elaborate.
Since all of my projects are full-time, and I don't need to create detailed reports of what I've done, my choice is to track all possible activities just to be sure that I don't spend time on useless tasks.
RescueTime allows you to record each app and site you use during the day. It defines the status of each activity (productive or distracting) and sets goals, like, "Spend at least N hours on productive tasks."
I assume most readers are already familiar with Toptal's time tracker solution as well, so I won't spend much time introducing it. TopTracker is platform-agnostic and can be used in various settings. It allows users to grab screenshots, measure activity, create reports, and track time, obviously.
Remember The Milk
Finding a good to-do list app was time consuming, as there is a massive amount of apps out there today.
I finally settled on Remember The Milk because it met all of my requirements.
- It has the simplest possible system for adding tasks, featuring priorities, tags, notifications, and so on.
- It is a cross-platform solution for computer and mobile devices.
- You can break tasks into lists and projects.
Smart lines are a blast.
You can create a task, add it to a project, add tags (including new ones), set priorities, and indicate the place where the task is to be carried out, using only your keyboard, without a mouse, clicks, or whatever.
Typical Task Stages
Lastly, let's take a quick look at different stages of tasks in your system.
This is how I sort incoming tasks.
As a result of this simple algorithm, any task, even the easiest, goes to either the calendar (if the time is specified, as in "Call Dad in two hours") or a to-do list, where it waits for its turn.
The to-do list is divided into different projects, and tasks are tagged.
For example:
- wait – the task is waiting for something;
- next – a task that you do when you have time or feel like doing it, or something like that;
- shop – to be fulfilled in a shop: you can go to a supermarket, open the list and see what you need to buy;
- pc – a task at the computer;
- contact – call someone.
This way, all tasks with a deadline are completed on time because you have them in your calendar, and if you feel like doing something else, you can do it, depending on its context and priority.
Let your system lead the way.
Everyone has their own tasks, mentality, and habits. Any system should be tested and modified as needed. Not only does time management allow you to organize your day efficiently, but it also helps you stay aware of tasks by keeping track of progress and reminding you of the goals you've set.
You don't have to waste time and energy on remembering what you have to do and figuring out what you feel like doing at the moment because the system will tell you.
There are countless reasons why you should create and employ an efficient time management system, but if you ultimately break it down, it all boils down to this: It's a great investment, especially if you're a freelancer.
Dmitry Ryazantsev
Budva, Montenegro
Member since April 18, 2016
About the author
Dmitry's Android dev experience includes work on the Yandex browser (10M+ installs) and creating his own game, which has 250,000 installs.


text:
Illustration, vector graphics,
design, storyboarding &
animation ...
mixed together with some nice ideas.
Anything from an ancient tea ceremony to a map of the burbs, Twist specialises in customised illustrations and graphics that will give your next project that extra lift. Need a dash of humour or perhaps something more meaningful? What about a nicely designed poster with that? It's all about communication, so Brisbane based illustrator and designer Greg Jackson will work with you to create that ideal visual solution, no matter where you live on this planet.
For a wide variety of illustration styles and projects, check out the categories in the illustration section. If you're in the advertising, film or animation fields perhaps you'll be needing some snappy storyboards. I can also professionally design and manage small to medium print promotions and websites. And if your message needs to move and groove, check out the animation section.
"An illustration won't change your life,
but it might change your mind!"

subset: commoncrawl


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- The calendar The calendar of the Ethiopian church came from Egypt and as to methods and dates agrees with the calendar of the Coptic Church. But the two calendars differ with regard to the saints' days and the time of observing them. The year of the Ethiopian calendar contains 365 days to which is added every fourth year an extra day. Each year in this four-year period is dedicated to one of the four Evangelists who come in the following order: Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. The year of Luke is the Ethiopian Leap year and is the year which precedes the western leap year.
Each year is divided into 12 months of 30 days. The extra 5 days are placed at the end of the year and known as Pagumen. In the leap year the extra day is added to these five days making the Pagumen of this year a period of 6 days.
Names of months are as follows:-
- Meskerem (September-October)
- Teqemt (October- November)
- Hedar (November- December)
- Tahsas (December- January)
- Ter (January- February)
- Yekatit (February- March)
- Megabit (March- April)
- Miyazia (April – May)
- Ginbot (May – June)
- Sene( June -July)
- Hamle (July-August)
- Nehase (August- September) As in Julian and Gregorian calendars days are grouped into weeks and are named in order.
Sunday Ehud, Senbete Krestian Monday Sagno [Tuesday Maksagno Wednesday Rabue [Thursday Hamus Friday Sadus, Arb Saturday Qadamit Sanbat
The chronology of the Ethiopian church follows the Era of Incarnation that is it dates from our Lord's birth; there is a difference of 7 or 8 years between the western and Ethiopian systems. Because the Ethiopian church holds that our Lord was born 5500 years after the creation of the world this gives the 7 or 8 years difference between the Gregorian and Ethiopian Chronologies.
The church also uses other systems of chronology. There is the Era of the world which dates from 5493 B.C, which also differs from the western chronology by 7 or 8 years. Then there is a system of chronology called "the years of Mercy or Grace," a system which follows the great lunar cycle.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
The MOVABLE FEASTS are these of Easter and the days which depends upon it. The reckoning of Easter is based upon the system of Ammonius. The dates of Easter and the feast which depends upon it are determined by the Fast of Nineveh which precedes the Easter Lent and in turn the date of the fast of Nineveh has been found according to the given principles, the date of Easter and the dates of the movable feast can easily be calculated.
The Easter Lent always begins on a Monday and can not come before the 1st of Yekatit nor after the 5th of Megabit. The festival of the Mount of Olives always begins upon Sunday and cannot come before the 28th of Yekatit nor after the 2nd of Miyazia. Palm Sunday cannot come before the 19th of Megabit 01 after the 23rd of Miyazia. Easter is on a Sunday and cannot come before the 26th of Megabit nor after 30th of Miyazia. The congress of priests always begins on Wednesday and cannot come before the 20th of Miyazia nor after the 24th of Ginbot. Ascension always begins on Thursday and cannot come before the 5th of Ginbot nor after the 9th of Sene. The Feast of Pentecost always begins on Sunday and cannot come before the 15th of Ginbot nor after the 19th of Sene. -
- FESTIVAL Saints' days and other festivals have not been imposed by any law of God, they were established by the church herself Some go back to apostolic times and others are later origin. There is a prodigious number of feasts in the Ethiopian Church. The principal feasts of the church are nine feasts of the Lord, thirty three feasts of our Lady, the feasts of the Apostles, Sunday, Saturday, the feasts of the Angels, the feasts of the righteous (saints) and the feasts of the martyrs.The feasts of our Lord are divided into 9 major and 9 minor feasts. Major feasts are:
- His conception
- Christmas
- Epiphany
- Transfiguration
- Palm Sunday or hosanna
- Good Friday
- Easter
- Ascension
- Pentecost
Minor feasts are:
Sibket, the feast to commemorate the preaching of the prophets that Messiah will come to redeem His people from bondage; 2. Brahan, the feast to commemorate the fact of our Lord having come into the world for its enlightenment; 3. Nolwae, the feast of our Lord as "Good shepherd"; 4. Gena, the feast to commemorate the reality that our Lord was actually born, not a mythical phenomenon; 5. Gizret, circumcision; 6. Kana ze Galilee, (feast of Kana of Galilee) when the Lord turned water into wine; 7. Debra zeit, it is held that the Second Advent will take place on the Mount of Olives. A day is kept on which the faithful offer special prayers that they may be righteous on that solemn event and on the right side of the Supreme Judge; 8. Megabit Meskel; 9. Ledete Simon, this is the feast to commemorate the event when a woman sinner (Mary Magdalene) washed the feet of the Lord with her tears and anointed them with ointment. Simon who had invited Jesus complained but the Lord made things clear to him.
The 33 feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary are as follows:
- The day in which she was conceived.
- Her Nativity.
- The day when she was taken to the temple there to stay for some time (Her presentation).
- The feast on which she conceived Christ.
- Flight to Egypt.
- Commemoration of the day when she was thirsty, her son commanded the rock and water came forth with which she quenched her thirst.
- The day of promise on which her son assured her that for her sake He would in future have mercy upon sinners.
- The sleeping of Mary (Asterio Mariam)
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church - Assumption (Filseta), which is celebrated for 6 days, counted each as a separate feast.
- The day when after her death she was revealed to all appeared to all for the first time.
- Second time appearance to others.
- Third time appearance.
- Fourth time appearance.
- Fifth time appearance.
- We have twelve feasts a year when once a month on 21st day we commemorate her death or birth in heaven and this makes it 31 feasts in all up to now.
- The 32nd feast is that of the day when a result of infidel with a blow hitting the icon, the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, blood flew copiously from the image.
- The 33rd feast is that of the purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The death of our Lady is commemorated on January 21, Ethiopic Calendar, 16 Jan. in Western reckoning and apparently by reason of this the 21st of each Ethiopian month is dedicated to the Virgin. Nativity is on May 1 (April 26 in Western) Reckoning and September 10 (7 in West. Reckoning); her burial on August 15 (8 in West. Reckoning); Assumption on August 16 (9 west reckoning); her Presentation on December 3 (Nov.29 in West reckoning); her Conception on December 16(12 December in West, reckoning). )We thus have the following as our Lady's major feasts:
- Conception -Nativity
- Presentation
- Conceived of the Lord
- Flight into Egypt
- Death of our Lady
- Assumption
- Appearance
The feast of Kidane Mehret (Covenant of Mercy) is a day which honours the merciful power of St. Mary the blessed Mother. It is kept on Yekatit 16 in Ethiopian Calendar (Feb.24 Gregorian calendar).
The feasts which come each month during the are: Trinity, the 7th of each month; Michael the Archangel, the 12t of each month; the Covenant of Mercy, the 16th of each month; the Holy Virgin Assumption, the 21st of each month; the Death of Our Lord, the 27th of each month; and the birth of Christ, the 29th of each month.
Every Christian has a patron saint and each family has its patron saint whose anniversary is commemorated from father to son. The patron most in vogue are: St. Michael the Archangel, St. Gabriel, St. George, the Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist, Tekla Haimanot, Gebre Menfese Kidus, St. Petros etc.
The book Senksar is the calendar which contains a list of saints to be commemorated daily and their brief history. There are many holy martyrs and confessors who are remembered. The angels hold a high place in the church. They protect homes, Churches, palaces and all places of importance. Chiefs among them are St. Michael and St. Gabriel.
Some feasts are national and religious at the same time. These are:- Christmas – Tahsas 29th E.C (7th January)
- Epiphany – Ter 11th E.C (19th January)
- St. Michael- Ter 12th E.C (20th January)
- Good Friday
- Easter – Feast of Assumption—Nehassie 16th E.C (22nd August)
- Finding of the truth Cross- Maskaram 17th E.C (27th September)
- FASTING AND ABSTINENCEThe Church, in her earliest days, recognized the necessity for her children to "chastise the body and bring it under subjection", as St. Paul advises. The body is ever striving for mastery over the spirit; besides the external sources of temptation, "the world", we have always another source with us which is a part of our nature. This is the reason for mortification. Self denial is in lawful things enables us to turn with great earnestness to spiritual things. It is on these grounds that the Ethiopian church has strictly adhered to the injunctions of the Didascalia and enjoyed on the faithful the longest and most austere fasts in the world.Fasting implies abstention from food and drink. Special days are appointed for fasting. Every Wednesday and Friday are days of fasting because on Wednesday the Jews held a council in which they rejected and condemned our Lord and on Friday they crucified him.The fasts are ordained in the Fetha Negest are:
- Fast for Hudadi or Abiye Tsome (Lent), 56 days.
- Fast of the Apostles, 10-40 days, which the Apostles kept after they had received the Holy Spirit. It begins after Pentecost.
- The fast of Assumption, 16 days.
- The gahad of Christmas (on the eve of Christmas).
- The fast preceding Christmas, 40 days. It begins with Sibket on 15th Hedar and ends on Christmas eve with the feast of Gena and the 28th of Tahsas.
- The fast of Nineveh, commemorating the preaching of Jonah. It comes on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the third week before Lent.
- The gahad of Epiphany, fast on the eve of Epiphany.
In addition to these, there is the fast of repentance which a man keeps after committing sin, it being imposed as a penance by the priest for seven days, forty days or one year. There is a fast which a bishop keeps at the time he is consecrated. There is a fast of desire which a man keeps if he thinks he will increase his value in the sight of God or that he will subdue his body by extra good works. Monks and nuns observe additional fast days not required of the laity. All persons above the age of 13 observe the church fasts. The priest rarely grants dispensations. The man who ignores or neglects any injunction of the church is not considered good Christian. The total number of fasting days amounts to about 250 a year, of which about 180 are obligatory for all, and the rest are only for priests, monks, nuns and other special groups in the church. The longest periods of fasting are those of Lent. Advent and Kweskwam (forty days preceding the fast of the flight to Egypt). Fast generally implies one meal a day to be taken either in the evening or after 2.45 p.m. with total abstention from meat, fats, eggs and diary products. Instead they use cereals, vegetables and other type of food devoid of fats. Smoking is a breach of the fast. There is no fasting while Christmas, Epiphany, and the feast of feast of fifty days are being kept. From Easter to Pentecost a man may eat and drink what he likes on Wednesday and Friday. There is no fast if the Christmas and Epiphany fall on a Wednesday or Friday. On Saturday and Sunday people may take breakfast at 9 or 9:30. Special prayers are conducted during the fasting seasons. In all the churches we have daily services held from morning to 2:45 p.m.. Priests regularly attend night services and they perform the canon, they remain in the churches praying incessantly, and in sadness ponder and read their Psalter from cock-crow by light of a taper, and throughout the day eat dry grain and drink water.
- ADVENT: The aim of the church is to cause her children to reflect. During the year she sets apart two seasons in which she imbues the faithful with a spirit of penitential fervor. One of these seasons, which is called Advent, from the Latin word adventus, (arrival), embraces about five Sundays. The Law and practice of the church is observed strictly, though not so much as in Lent. It is a time for devout and penitential preparation of the soul for the proper and worthy celebration of the great feast of Christmas. In advent (Sibket, in Amharic) a fast is kept, the Christmas fast of 40 days beginning on 15 Hedar and ending on Christmas eve with the Feast of Gena on the 28 of Tahsas.
- CHRISTMAS: Year after year the Christmas season brings to the minds of all Christians the story of the Child in the manger, the shepherds on the Judean hills, the Celestial songs "Glory to God in the highest", and the Angle's message, telling that the Long expected one had come.
Liddet or Gena is the Ethiopian name for Christmas which is marked by special ceremonies. The origin is basically the same as is universally accepted. It is celebrated on 7th January (Tahsas 29 E.C) preceded by a fast of 40 days. The difference of date is due to a calendar of discrepancy since the Ethiopian calendar is based on the year of Grace 7 or 8 years after Anno Domini. The Ethiopian Christmas coincides with the date of this observance in the Eastern Orthodox dispensation.
Qiddus Bale Wold is another name for Christmas in addition to Liddet or Gena. Gena is also a name for a Christmas game;played by boys and grown up men (like hokey). - LENT AND HOLY WEEK – HUDADI AND HIMAMAT: The church has always taught the necessity of penance for justification. She has instituted Lent as a remembrance of the
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
forty days fast of our Blessed Lord in the desert and as a means of sanctification for her children.
To the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Lent means a period of fasting when the faithful undergo a rigorous schedule of prayers and penitence. This fast is observed with greater rigor than any other fast and it is a test of one's Christianity. One who fails to keep it is not considered a good Christian. Properly observed in nullifies the sins committed during the rest of the year. The faithful should abstain from all food except bread, water and salt. It consists of 56 days. All kinds of meat is forbidden, and also diary products. On all the fasting days only one meal is allowed and this is to be taken in the afternoon, at 3 p.m. or in the evening. On Saturdays and Sundays people are allowed to eat in the morning.
Daily Services are conducted in all the churches. Each day services are held from morning to 2.45p.m. Priests regularly attend night services starting at midnight up to 7 a.m.
Qibela is the Sunday — before the opening of Lent, Monday -when the people eat their fill. In lent many grown tired and thin. - HOLY WEEK: ln accordance with the chronology of the Gospel account of the last days of our Lord's mortal life it is natural that the sacred Triduum of Thursday, Friday and Saturday developed. A special "Holy Week" became established in which all the faithful re-lived and received graces from the fundamental mysterious of redemption.Palm Sunday or Hosanna is celebrated with proper ceremonies with palm, processions and special services. Then follows Holy Week, the week of Pains, the Himamat. For some, from Thursday afternoon until Easter morning no morsel of food nor a drop of water enters the mouth and three days are known as "Qanona". The priests neither eat nor drink but remain in the churches singing and praying incessantly. No absolution is given.
MA UNDY THURSDAY: is a special day on which in the Mass unleavened bread is used. For those who can, it is spent out of doors. When the fast is broken late in the afternoon no one eats ordinary bread, a mixture of special flour is compounded and boiled. A solemn Mass is celebrated on that day. The ceremony of washing the feet is conducted the same day in imitation of what our Lord did to the twelve Apostles at the Last Supper. All the faithful with clean souls should communicate on Holy Thursday.
GOOD FRIDAY: The solemn liturgical service of Good Friday is attended by thousands of believers. There is a sense of sorrow and desolation. All the symbols, images and instruments used in the passion of the Saviour are publicly exhibited Jin the church. Men and women go to church to prostrate themselves, remaining there from early morning till 3 p.m. the hour of the death of Jesus Christ. Believers confess their greater and lesser offenses to the confessor or sit reading their Psalter. It is believed that on Good Friday blood fell from Christ on the cross and dripped into the grave of Adam beneath and there rose up from the dead about 500 people; the thief on the left was sent into darkness but the one on the right went before Adam into Paradise. On this Friday the Devil was bound with cords and Christ descending to purgatory (seol) sent forth to paradise all the souls that were in darkness (Seol). Good Friday is a special day for confession.
HOLY SATURDAY: is Qidame shur on which the good news went forth. Everyone who fasts passes the day and night in expectation. On this night before Easter many go to the Church and pass the night in making prayers and in prostration on clenched hands. Confession is heard on that day.
MASTER,The feast of feasts, is celebrated with special solemnity. The church is filled with fragrance of incense and myriad's of lights. The clergy are arrayed in their best vestments. All the people hold lighted tapers. Greetings are Exchanged, drums are beaten, hands are clapped and singing is heard everywhere: "our resurrection has come, hosanna." Men are heard saying "O Lord Christ have mercy upon us." They pray for a blessing "O God make it to be a festival of our good fortune and of our well being! Let us have another threshing floor and another year if thou wilt." Letters or messages are exchanged between friends and the whole day is one of spiritual and physical feasting, a commemoration of the holiest occasion of all history – a truly blessed time when Christ rose from the dead.
Edited by Aymero W and Joachim M., The Ethiopian Orthodox Church, published by the Ethiopian Orthodox mission, Addis Ababa 1970. Virgin Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Cathedral. Los Angles. California.


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Easy Related Posts is a WordPress plugin that displays posts related to the one a user is currently reading.
Easy Related Posts can display related posts in main content area or in sidebars through a widget.
Equipped with 3 eye catching fully responsive themes, supports basic modifications on them from admin panel. It also has a theme system that let you modify or write your own themes to match you personal needs.
Through an intuitive algorithm it creates "relations" between posts and rates them based on posts categories and/or tags in a way so these ratings are as much as accurate they can be.
Last but not least in any way, Easy Related Posts uses the best coding standards and practices with mind in security.
If you like this plugin please support the developers. You can do so using the links inside plugin settings page or by purchasing the PRO version.
PRO version can be purchased from here.
To see a full list of features and compare them to the PRO version please visit this page.
Easy Related Posts wont spam your visitors with content from other sites, ads or in any other way.
This plugin requires PHP version 5.3 and above.
- Easy to setup
- Choose displayed content: excerpt length, thumbnail resizing and many more.
- Choose if related posts should be fetched by categories or by tags
- Exclude posts that have certain categories and/or tags from related posts
- Prevent related posts from spawning in certain categories or tags
- Display related posts as an eye-catching pop up block
- Display related posts through a widget or/and in main content area
- Options optimized before activation for most of the cases
- Really fast, not a single database entry (I really love clean DB's)
- Responsive design
Please report any bugs or features you'd like to see in feature releases here
- Search for "Easy Related Posts" through add new plugin menu or upload
to the/wp-content/plugins/
directory and uncompress it - Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress
- Done!
More information here
- Is there a charge for using this plugin
Not at all! But you are free to send any donations to my PayPal account yotisvag at gmail.com
Contributors & Developers
"Easy Related Posts" is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
ContributorsTranslate "Easy Related Posts" into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
- For now on if no featured image is set searches post content to pick the first.
- Fixed bug 0000014. No conflicts with Jetpack Photon plugin anymore.
- Fixed bug 0000022
- Fixed bug 0000023
- Support for PHP version < 5.3 dropped. This was affecting bugs 15,16 and 18
- New related posts algorithm, fast and accurate
- Theme support
- Redesigned admin panel, Easy is my first name
- New thumbnailer, this should resolve some issues
- Text mods in main plugin
- New thumbnailer. Faster, safer.
- Post excerpt is now properly showing
- Fixed no tags related bugs
- You can now exclude post types from ERP.
- Added minified js and CSS files for faster loading
- Fixed a bug described here.
- Added option to exclude categories or tags from displaying related posts.
- Added ability to choose how the posts should be fetched (categories or tags) in widget options
- Added ability to choose how the posts should be fetched (categories or tags) for main content area
- Added options for the pop up block
- Added help for settings page
- Urgent fix of a bug breaking down widget page
- Pop up block now also appears when bottom of page is reached.
- New display option, pop up block.
- Fixed some minor bugs
- Cleaned up some code
Initial release


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First thing you need to do is find out if your washing machine actually has a lint filter. My HE machine didn't, my new machine does, so check your handbook to find out if your machine has a lint filter.
If your washing machine is a top loader it should have a lint filter in the agitator. Pull out the top of the agitator and it should have some kind of little bag or basket attached to it.
Gently take it off and give it a good clean. You may need to empty the lint out of it first. Then rinse it under hot water. If you use fabric softener then you will also need to soak it for a few minutes in white vinegar. Fabric softeners leave a film over the mesh that actually stops the water from getting through. You need to get rid of this build up.
Front loaders have different lint filters - check your handbook to find out where it is and how to get to it.
If you empty and rinse the lint filter after every wash you'll stop those black flakes of gunk that sometimes appear on your washing - that's the old muck out of the lint filter flowing back up into the bowl. Yuk!
While the lint filter is soaking, get a cloth and a bucket of warm water and add a splash of vinegar (about 1 cup). Use this to wipe around the top of the bowl, under the lid, over the outside of the cabinet etc. Don't forget the inside of the agitator and the fabric softener dispenser. If it's particularly grungy, sprinkle with bi-carb and use this as a scouring powder. Just watch your fingers - the edges of all those ridges and rims can be sharp (guess how I know!).
Put the lint filter back together and replace the top of the agitator. Then run your washing machine through a full cycle on the longest and hottest wash cycle (this is the only time I use a hot wash) and add a full 2 litre bottle of vinegar to it. Don't add any clothes or other detergents; let the vinegar work its magic. The vinegar will remove the scum and gunk and any hard-water build up in the bowl and hoses.
Wipe over the outside of the machine with a damp cloth and dry.
You washing machine will sparkle inside and out. Do this on a regular basis and you'll extend the life of your machine and save on costly maintenance calls.
My handbook suggests every 100 washes, for me that's about every two months because of the amount of washing I do. For my mother it's every six months or so as she only does two loads a week. If your family is larger you may need to do this more often. It may seem like a tedious chore but it is worth taking care of this most useful household appliance.
Think about what you'd do if you couldn't use your washing machine for a week - hand-washing, paying for the laundromat -and you'll see the benefit quickly.


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Commercial Truck Insurance Companies in Anaheim, CA
Did you know that the city your truck is garaged in will impact your insurance prices? Rural areas usually result in less expensive premiums than larger cities.
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Top 10 Truck Insurance Companies in Anaheim
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Anaheim, CA Resources
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"AnaheimPanorama" by mtungate – http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtungate/4361957552/sizes/o/. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
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Clinical Trial Terminology
There are several terms that are commonly used when discussing clinical trials. Here are some that come up often:1,2
Adverse event: an undesirable experience associated with the use of a medical product in a participant.
Arm: a grouping of study participants who receive a specific intervention, or no intervention, according to the study protocol.
Baseline characteristics: data collected at the beginning of the study for each participant, including demographics like age, gender, and race. Data for study-specific characteristics like prior treatment, weight, etc., will also be collected.
ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): the unique identification code assigned to each clinical trial that is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Controlled Trial: A type of clinical trial that examines an intervention compared with a standard (called the control).
Double Blind Trial: A clinical trial where at least 2 parties involved, usually the patient and the investigator, do not know what intervention the patient is receiving. This is to avoid potential bias.
Exclusion Criteria: Factors that would prevent a person from participating in a study.
FDA: Food and Drug Administration.
Inclusion Criteria: Factors that allow a person to participate in a study.
Intervention: The focus of the clinical study. This could be a drug, a medical device, a medical procedure, other investigational products, as well as surveys, education, or interviews.
Investigator: A person who is conducting research of a clinical study.
Open Label: A term describing a clinical trial where blinding is not used. All parties involved know which study participants have been assigned to which interventions.
Outcome Measure: A measurement that is outlined in the study protocol that is used to determine the effect of the intervention.
Placebo: A substance that does not contain active ingredients and is designed to appear the same as the intervention being examined.
Primary Outcome Measure: The main outcome measure that is evaluating the effect of the study intervention.


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This eggless lemon curd is definitely an interesting, mildly tangy fruit curd to use as fillings in cake, unlike custards this curd cant be eaten on their own. Its better to have this curd as filling in pies or tarts.Initially i was planning to make this lemon curd as vegan,but finally i ended up as eggless coz of the vegan butter. I couldnt able to find it out in my nearby grocery shop, thats why i simply prepared this lemon curd as eggless version.This eggless lemon curd goes to this week's blogging marathon as i picked Lemon recipes as this week's blogging marathon..Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#46.
1cup Fresh lemon juice
1+1/4cup Sugar
Lemon zest of 2 lemonds
2tbsp Milk
3tbsp Cornstarch
4tbsp Butter
3tbsp Cold water
1/4tsp Salt
Heat the lemon juice, sugar, lemon zest, salt in a small saucepan and stir cook until the sugar gets dissolved.
Mix the cornstarch, milk,cold water together, keep aside.
Now add corn starch mixture to the lemon juice-sugar mixture and cook in simmer until the mixture starts thicken.
Once the bubbles appear on the surface, add the butter and cook by stirring constantly until the mixture resembles like a thick spread.
Transfer this mixture to a bowl, cover it with a plastic wrap and let it cool completely.
Chill it for an hour in fridge before using.


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From D&D Wiki
This material is published under the OGL 1.0a. |
Evocation | |
Level: | Clr 9, Luck 9 |
Components: | V, S, XP; see text |
Casting time: | 1 standard action |
Range: | See text |
Target, Effect, or Area: | See text |
Duration: | See text |
Saving Throw: | See text |
Spell Resistance: | Yes |
You don't so much cast a miracle as request one. You state what you would like to have happen and request that your deity (or the power you pray to for spells) intercede.
A miracle can do any of the following things.
- Duplicate any cleric spell of 8th level or lower (including spells to which you have access because of your domains).
- Duplicate any other spell of 7th level or lower.
- Undo the harmful effects of certain spells, such as feeblemind or insanity.
- Have any effect whose power level is in line with the above effects.
If the miracle has any of the above effects, casting it has no experience point cost.
Alternatively, a cleric can make a very powerful request. Casting such a miracle costs the cleric 5,000 XP because of the powerful divine energies involved. Examples of especially powerful miracles of this sort could include the following.
- Swinging the tide of a battle in your favor by raising fallen allies to continue fighting.
- Moving you and your allies, with all your and their gear, from one plane to another through planar barriers to a specific locale with no chance of error.
- Protecting a city from an earthquake, volcanic eruption, flood, or other major natural disaster.
In any event, a request that is out of line with the deity's (or alignment's) nature is refused.
A duplicated spell allows saving throws and spell resistance as normal, but the save DCs are as for a 9th-level spell. When a miracle duplicates a spell that has an XP cost, you must pay that cost. When a miracle spell duplicates a spell with a material component that costs more than 100 gp, you must provide that component.
XP Cost: 5,000 XP (for some uses of the miracle spell; see above).
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Open Game Content → System Reference Document → Spells


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The Turkish Coalition of America leads an effort with members of the Congressional Black Caucus to pay tribute to the contributions by the late Ahmet Ertegun to breaking down racial barriers and for his life-long dedication to promoting African American music.
TCA would like to thank Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) for paying tribute to this great Turkish American in the United States Congress and including the following in the Congressional Record:
Hon. Alcee L. Hastings of Florida
in the House of Representatives
May 24, 2007
" Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a man who, without exaggeration, was called "the greatest record man of all time'' and whose great character and spirit made indelible contributions to the worldwide promotion of African-American music and American popular culture while also standing for racial equality and social justice.
Unfortunately, we lost Ahmet Ertegun, the founder of Atlantic Records and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 2006. His legacy will live on in the music he promoted, and the legendary careers--from Ray Charles to the Rolling Stones--he helped create and develop over 60 years.
PBS recently ran a documentary titled "Atlantic Records: The House that Ahmet Built.'' This 2-hour sensation chronicled the life of Ertegun from his birth in 1923 through his childhood, career, and success. We witnessed America change through his eyes, and the emergence of African-American music into popular culture with his guidance.
I urge all Members of Congress to watch this documentary if they have not had the opportunity to do so. The son of the first Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to the United States, Ertegun, through music and entertainment, was instrumental in breaking down the racial barriers that so divided our country during the years of Jim Crow laws and segregation. In the 1940s at a time when Washington was segregated, he frequented African-American nightclubs and realized that "all popular music stems from black music, be it jazz or rock n' roll or rap.'' Ertegun is often credited for coining the phrase, "jazz is America's music.''
At every turn, Ertegun and his brother, Nesuhi, challenged the prevailing racial bigotry, stereotypes and discrimination. Despite being initially denied by the National Press Club and the segregation policies of the day, they organized the first integrated jazz concert before a white and black audience in Washington, DC at the Jewish Community Center in the 1940s. They even brought hostility to themselves in hosting the now famous integrated jazz sessions at their home of the Turkish embassy residence, again, challenging the practice of segregation. While not directly following in his father's footsteps with a diplomatic career, he practiced a true diplomacy in bringing people together.
Ertegun's love of American black music led him to found Atlantic Records in 1947. For nearly five decades, Ertegun wrote and produced music, defined careers and changed the lives of household names such as Ruth Brown, Big Joe Turner, Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack, and others and brought African American music and soul into the American mainstream.
It was a young Turk who prominently recognized, promoted and honored the contributions of black America in the entertainment and recording industries. In a February 2005 interview in Slate Magazine, Ertegun was asked what he considered to be his legacy. His answer: "I'd be happy if people said that I did a little bit to raise the dignity and recognition of the greatness of African-American music.''
Ertegun also became a trustee of several charitable organizations, including the Rhythm & Blues Foundation, which sought to ensure that singers and artists received their share of royalties that they had for so long been denied. As mentioned earlier, he was a contributing founder of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, whose main exhibition hall now bears his name.
Ahmet Ertegun's leadership is reflected in the inspirational careers of other Turkish Americans who continue the legacy of contributing to what makes America great. I hope that my colleagues, this great institution and the American people will join me in paying tribute to the life and accomplishments of a great American icon and a proud and talented Turk."
[Congressional Record: May 25, 2007 (Extensions)]
[Page E1178-E1179]
In March, Senator George V.Voinovich (R-OH) also paid tribute to Ahmet Ertegun in the Senate by recognizing his leadership in building the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in the Senator's home town of Cleveland, as follows:
Hon. Senator George V.Voinovich
In the United States Senate
March 6, 2007
"Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, I wish to honor a celebrated American pioneer, a legendary entrepreneur, a devotee, an integral cultivator of uniquely American music, and a great benefactor both to my home State of Ohio and my hometown of Cleveland, the late music executive Ahmet Ertegun.
The son of a Turkish Ambassador to the United States, Ertegun arrived in this county in 1935 as a young boy destined for diplomatic service. Yet at an early age he developed a profound love for music, especially jazz and blues, that blossomed into a lifelong, remarkable career.
At the age of 24, he cofounded the independent Atlantic Records label, mounting a historic and formidable challenge to contemporary industry giants by his keen ability to scout and develop talent. In other words, he knew a winner when he met one. John Coltrane, Ray Charles, and the Rolling Stones are among those in his repertoire.
An exemplary immigrant, Ahmet was well known for his "culturally triangular'' relationships: He was a Turkish Muslim; many of his fellow executives were Jewish, and many of the artists they produced were African-American Christians. David Geffen, the acclaimed entertainment mogul whom Ertegun introduced to the record business, noted that fewer people have had a greater impact on the music industry and that no one loved music more than he did.
Ahmet's deep appreciation and respect for musical roots and history prompted him to establish a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame Foundation was created in 1983, and soon after, its board of trustees began searching for a suitable home for the museum. At that time, about the midpoint of my decade as mayor of Cleveland, a regional renaissance was in full bloom, and Cleveland was making a comeback. The city had a clear vision of our new destiny and knew where we were headed.
The great people of my city had a dream: to land that Hall of Fame at home, in the heart of rock 'n' roll, right where it belonged. Moved by the undaunted initiative of Greater Cleveland civic and business leaders, I joined their determined effort, boarded on a plane to New York, and pitched the idea to Ahmet and his board of trustees.
Our team's stunning case suddenly made Cleveland a top contender. The news of our heavy impression galvanized the city and evoked a flood of public spirit and support that greeted Ahmet and his board upon their subsequent visit to scout the town.
Well, Ahmet never lost his ability to recognize a winner, and when he stepped off the plane in Cleveland, he met one. I had the honor of presenting him with a key to our city and leading him on a local tour, showcasing what we had to offer.
A few months later, Ahmet and his board reached a decision, and in their good judgment, they selected Cleveland, where the term "rock 'n' roll'' had been coined. We in Cleveland were both proud and humbled.
I am pleased to report, for more than a decade, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland has been a popular global destination and a success for my hometown, for the State of Ohio, and for America.
I am fortunate that for a time, my duties in public services dovetailed with Ahmet's vision for the future of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He has been recognized many times throughout his life. In 1987, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2000, our own U.S. Library of Congress honored him as a living legend. And today, just a few weeks after his death, I recognize him for his indelible contribution to the fabric of our great Nation
[Congressional Record: March 6, 2007 (Senate)][Page S2691]


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ICMP(4) NetBSD Kernel Interfaces Manual ICMP(4)Powered by man-cgi (2024-03-20). Maintained for NetBSD by Kimmo Suominen. Based on man-cgi by Panagiotis Christias.
icmp -- Internet Control Message Protocol
#include <sys/socket.h> #include <netinet/in.h> int socket(AF_INET, SOCK_RAW, proto);
ICMP is the error and control message protocol used by IP and the Inter- net protocol family. It may be accessed through a ``raw socket'' for network monitoring and diagnostic functions. The proto parameter to the socket call to create an ICMP socket is obtained from getprotobyname(3). ICMP sockets are connectionless, and are normally used with the sendto(2) and recvfrom(2) calls, though the connect(2) call may also be used to fix the destination for future packets (in which case the read(2) or recv(2) and write(2) or send(2) system calls may be used). Outgoing packets automatically have an IP header prepended to them (based on the destination address). Incoming packets are received with the IP header and options intact.
A socket operation may fail with one of the following errors returned: [EISCONN] when trying to establish a connection on a socket which already has one, or when trying to send a datagram with the destination address specified and the socket is already connected; [ENOTCONN] when trying to send a datagram, but no destination address is specified, and the socket hasn't been con- nected; [ENOBUFS] when the system runs out of memory for an internal data structure; [EADDRNOTAVAIL] when an attempt is made to create a socket with a net- work address for which no network interface exists.
recv(2), send(2), inet(4), intro(4), ip(4) Internet Control Message Protocol, RFC, 792, September 1981. Requirements for Internet Hosts -- Communication Layers, RFC, 1122, October 1989.
The icmp protocol appeared in 4.3BSD. NetBSD 8.0 June 5, 1993 NetBSD 8.0


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Minis make it fun for the kids! Dipped in honey crunchy batter, these plump and juicy corn dogs are great for parties, too
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 (16-ounce) package beef hot dogs, each cut crosswise into 3 pieces
- 1 1/2 cups self-rising cornmeal mix
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
- Special Equipment: 40 (6-inch) wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
- In a large Dutch oven, pour the vegetable oil to a depth of 4 inches. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F.
- Place the cornstarch in a small bowl. Place 1 hot dog piece on the end of each skewer. Dredge the hot dogs in cornstarch, gently tapping off the excess.
- In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal mix, flour, and sugar. Add the buttermilk, whisking until smooth.
- Holding the ends of the skewers, dip the hot dogs into the cornmeal batter to completely cover the hot dog. Holding the ends of the skewers, carefully place the battered hot dogs into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Repeat procedure with remaining skewered hotdogs and cornmeal batter.
[hcshort id="5″]


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It is Project Everyone's (PE) policy to conduct all of our work in an honest and ethical manner. We take a zero-tolerance approach to bribery and corruption and are committed to acting professionally, fairly and with integrity in all our business dealings and relationships and in the promotion of the Global Goals.
Any PE employee who breaches this policy will face disciplinary action, which could result in dismissal for gross misconduct. Any non-employee who breaches this policy (or we have reasonable suspicion to believe this is the case) may have their contract terminated with immediate effect.
This policy does not form part of any employee's contract of employment and we may amend it at any time.
This policy applies to all persons working for us or on our behalf in any capacity, including employees at all levels, directors, officers, agency workers, seconded workers, volunteers, interns, agents, contractors, external consultants, third-party representatives and business partners.
Bribery means a financial or other inducement or reward for action which is illegal, unethical, a breach of trust or improper in any way. Bribes can take the form of money, gifts, loans, fees, hospitality, services, discounts, the award of a contract or any other advantage or benefit.
Bribery includes offering, promising, giving, accepting or seeking a bribe.
All forms of bribery are strictly prohibited. If you are unsure about whether a particular act constitutes bribery, raise it with your manager.
Specifically, you must not:
a. give or offer any payment, gift, hospitality or other benefit in the expectation that a business advantage will be received in return, or to reward any business received;
b. accept any offer from a third party that you know or suspect is made with the expectation that we will provide a business advantage for them or anyone else; or
c. give or offer any payment (sometimes called a facilitation payment) to a government official in any country to facilitate or speed up a routine or necessary procedure;
d. threaten or retaliate against another person who has refused to offer or accept a bribe or who has raised concerns about possible bribery or corruption.
This policy does not prohibit the giving or accepting of reasonable and appropriate hospitality for legitimate purposes such as building relationships, maintaining PE's image or reputation, or promoting the Global Goals.
A gift or hospitality will not be appropriate if it is unduly lavish or extravagant, or could be seen as an inducement or reward for any preferential treatment (for example, during contractual negotiations or a tender process).
Gifts must be of an appropriate type and value depending on the circumstances and taking account of the reason for the gift. Gifts must not include cash or cash equivalent (such as vouchers), or be given in secret. Gifts must be given in the name of PE – not your own name.
Promotional gifts of low value such as Global Goals merchandise may be given to our existing suppliers and business partners and we can accept equivalent gifts from them.
You must declare and keep a written record of all hospitality or gifts given or received. You must also submit all expenses claims relating to hospitality, gifts or payments to third parties in accordance with our expenses policy and record the reason for expenditure.
All accounts, invoices, and other records relating to dealings with third parties including suppliers should be prepared with strict accuracy and completeness. Accounts must not be kept "off-book" to facilitate or conceal improper payments.
If you are offered a bribe, or are asked to make one, or if you suspect that any bribery, corruption or other breach of this policy has occurred or may occur, you must notify your MANAGER as soon as possible.


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YouTube Bans Dangerous Prank Videos
(AP) — YouTube is trying to prevent otherwise bright people from doing dangerous things.
The video-sharing network owned by Google is cracking down on harmful or dangerous pranks.
Updated policies no longer allow challenges that present "an apparent risk of death" and ban content featuring children "participating in dangerous challenges that pose an imminent risk of injury or bodily harm."
YouTube also said it is drawing the line on content that "intends to incite violence or encourage dangerous or illegal activities" that have a risk of serious harm or death. They include bomb making or pranks that put people in physical danger.
A recent "Bird Box challenge" featured videos of people engaging in activities while blindfolded.
People also were sickened in a challenge that involved eating Tide detergent pods.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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DAYTON, Ohio – Vee Sanford scored a career-high 23 points and Kevin Dillard had 18 points and 10 assists as Dayton defeated Murray State 77-68 Saturday.
The Flyers (9-3) outscored Murray State 41-27 in the second half to snap a nation's-best streak of 16 consecutive wins for the Racers (9-2) on opponents' home courts. Their only other defeat this season came against Colorado in Charleston, S.C.
Dillard, whose status had been doubt after he suffered back spasms in Dayton's loss to Illinois State on Wednesday, logged a team-high 37 minutes and scored 13 of Dayton's final 20 points.
A layup by Dillard gave Dayton a 59-57 lead with 6:17 left. Dexter Fields answered with a 3-pointer to give Murray State its final lead, but Khari Price's 3-pointer put the Flyers back on top to stay.
Isaiah Canaan scored 20 points and Ed Daniel 17 for Murray State.
Matt Derenbecker added 14 for Dayton.


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Crizzy Santaiga is back with his 4th mixtape and final chapter of the W.S.I.E trilogy, "Legendary."
The title track Legendary, produced by Pilsbury, glides in with smooths synths and sets the tone for the this whole mixtape. While it takes many twists and turns in style and content, the production quality of the album is very high. The hook on Legendary will get stuck in your head and the head-nodding beat will make you come back for more. The album, "Legendary" brings an innovative, modern and sometimes futuristic style of hip-hop beats with confident, but not over-the-top flows. The energy level of the emcees is perfectly balanced against the excellent production of the numerous beat-smiths behind the music for "Legendary."


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Top budgeting tips for January and beyond
Let's make this month all about money management
Gabrielle um January 8, 2023
So, the festive period is boxed away and we're embarking on another year. There's lots of bad we could talk about, but here at Monese we're using the reset as a chance to get wise with our money management. Let's make this year's goals a reality, whether it's saving for something special or finally feeling confident with our finances, we'll get there by kicking off the year with #dryspendjan.
Buddy up with your budget
Our budgeting feature is your new best friend. If you don't get your Monese salary paid into your account (find out how to do that here!), then deduct all your direct debits and known outgoings before moving the rest to your Monese account. Now you've got your disposable income and you can set a budget on each spending category with live transaction alerts.
We let you know when you're at 80% of your budget, as well as a notification for when you've overspent, so you'll know for sure that unfortunately buying lunch out multiple days this week is not viable at this moment in time…At the end of January, you'll see your spending habits and can adjust your budget accordingly for Feb.
Believe second(hand) is the best
Don't just think of charity shops for clothes - although a great place to start if you've realised a raincoat should have been on the Christmas list! If you need to buy presents this month, they're brilliant treasure troves to discover homeware or vintage books and records. A unique gift for someone else that saves you money, donates to charity and avoids buying new -what's not to love?
Consider holding a clothes swap party with friends too. It clears those unworn and unloved clothes in return for clothing that's new to you, without relying on the fast fashion cycle.
Food for less
Shake up the way you food shop. Maybe not the sentence ending you were expecting, but just making a couple of changes could help you keep spending to a minimum. Plan your meals using online recipes, stick to a shopping list and don't turn your nose up at the reduced section. Make a cheat code for yourself by buying easy meals to make when you can feel the takeaway temptation beckoning.
Top the Pots
Hopefully you're already using our Pots feature as it's an easy way to save by rounding-up transactions and keeping your savings right where you can see them. Hold a (friendly!) saving competition with someone else that's on Monese and see who can reach £100 first. Not invited anyone yet? Get a referral bonus of up to £30 for each friend you invite using your link under the Invite tab on your app.
Kiss social media ads goodbye
Social media seems to know exactly when you are most vulnerable to bombard you with targeted ads. Like we suggested in our post Covid spending control blog, hit the 'x' on ads as much as possible. Not only will it help against impulse spending (no, you do not need an electric pencil sharpener), but it also protects against purchase scams which are on the rise.
Step up
For the less active amongst us, another 2-4-1 is more moving and less spending on small transport trips by making the most of walkable journeys wherever possible. You could download an exercise tracker -if you don't have one already -and see how the little choices can add towards your activity for the day. If you've just joined a gym or want to start a new hobby, how about popping a pound in a Pot every time you go? Reward your motivation and grow your savings too!
Lay foundations
If being more financially savvy is on the vision board for 2023, this one's for you. We've lowered our Credit Builder to only £2.50 a month, less than a cup of coffee. You choose the amount you can afford to put away each month, and using it for a year could give you a glowing credit score which equals better deals on credit cards, payment plans and even mortgages. Building a better life can start here!
The final tip is to make sure to keep one treat that you know is good for you -body, mind or soul. If that's your gym membership, a meal at your fave pasta restaurant, or an extra large coffee on a Monday then keep it! This month it's just about thinking before we buy, keeping spending at a minimum, and making the most of things that don't cost the world.
Got another tip to share with the community? Share with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or write to us at firstname.lastname@example.com. We'll post our favourite ones!
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- Tipps & Tricks
Top budgeting tips for January and beyond
We know the cost of living in 2023 is going to be tricky to manage, but with these tips and tricks, we'll make it through a month at a time - and have better saving and spending habits too! 💪
- Tipps & Tricks
Happy Black Friday!
It's the most wonderful time of the year for deal hunters (*airhorn*)! The last Friday of November brings bargains aplenty, but it can cost not to be cautious (*slightly deflated airhorn*). Read on for our shopping dos and don'ts to avoid any blues from Black Friday.
- Tipps & Tricks
Lohnt sich eine Einkommensabsicherung?
Wir befassen uns mit einigen grundlegenden Fragen zur Einkommensschutzversicherung für Arbeitnehmer und untersuchen, ob sich eine Einkommensschutzversicherung wirklich lohnt.


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It's easy to forget how much drama surrounded the Constitution before it became the law of the land. The ratification debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists gives us insight into the ideas behind both sides and a better understanding of how our government developed in its early years. Students will analyze parts of Federalist 84 and Anti-Federalist 46. We also provide a template so you can bring in additional excerpts as your state standards require.
iCivics en español! Student and class materials for this lesson are available in Spanish.
Pedagogy Tags
I find the materials so engaging, relevant, and easy to understand – I now use iCivics as a central resource, and use the textbook as a supplemental tool. The games are invaluable for applying the concepts we learn in class. My seniors LOVE iCivics.
Lynna Landry , AP US History & Government / Economics Teacher and Department Chair, California


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This week editors at Merriam Webster noticed an enormous spike in "look-ups" for one particular word: furlough. For the thousands of people who want to know what in the Sam Hill that term means and for others interested in shutdown buzzwords, TIME has put together a vocabulary cheat sheet for your reference during this political snafu:
blame game (n.): the ready or vociferous apportioning of blame.
This morning CNN anchor Chris Cuomo used one of the moment's more popular metaphors: "The blame game," he said. "Will day two be any different as the president stands firm and Republicans scramble for a new strategy?" Battling over whether Obamacare should be defunded, Democrats and Republicans have both proved intrepid players in what might be America's least favorite pastime. The Oxford English Dictionary added this cutesy phrase in 2004, dating its usage back to the 1950s when theater critic Kenneth Tynan referred to "the Blame Game" as "the worst of domestic rituals."
blink first (v.): to give in during a high-tension standoff between fierce rivals.
Cable commentators have returned time and again to the same cliché: Who will blink first, Republicans or Democrats? The phrase is derived from a kids game in which children stare at each other and whoever blinks first is deemed the loser. The winner of the current blinking contest may end up with a Pyrrhic victory, one gained at great cost. That phrase gets its name from King Pyrrhus, who defeated the Romans in 279 BCE but sustained such heavy losses that he declared, "Such another victory and we are ruined."
brinkmanship (n.): the art of advancing to the very brink of war but not engaging in it.
This word has been used in more than a thousand news stories in the last month—like this one from the Chicago Tribune—to describe the back-and-forth between politicians in Washington. And you're likely only going to hear it more as the budget fight bleeds into the debt ceiling brawl. Brink is a Middle English word for the edge or border of a steep place, like, say, a potential economic abyss.
continuing resolution (n.): a measure to fund the government at existing levels without debating a new spending bill.
For years, Congress has used so-called CRs to fund the government rather than passing new appropriations bills. It's a bit like the government is filling up its car by the thimble, giving itself only enough fuel to get to the next station—and not doing the engine any favors in the process. Lawmakers are currently arguing over a CR. When Democrats say they want a "clean" one, that means that they want a bill that deals with government funding without making big changes to other legislation, like the Affordable Care Act. (The above definition comes from this spiffy Washington Post video on government jargon.)
furlough (v.): to force an employee not to come to work and often dock his or her pay accordingly.
When used as a verb—when one is furloughed—the word is essentially an invitation to stay home and take a pay cut, whether you like it or not. More than an estimated 800,000 federal workers have been furloughed because of the shutdown. Centuries ago, a furlough was more commonly a permit or license given to a soldier to be absent from duty.
shutdown (n.): the cessation of operation.
Etymologists at Merriam Webster say that in the early 20th century, government shutdowns typically referred the government ordering non-governmental entities, like a horse track or a communist-leaning newspaper, to close up shop. In the 1960s, the phrase was used to refer to the feds enjoying paid holidays. Only in the 1970s, when the first government shutdowns like this one occurred, was there a need for the meaning everyone is using right now.
shutstorm (n.): a government shutdown marked by confusion and controversy.
The hashtag #shutstorm is currently making the rounds on Twitter, as veterans are being kept out of national war memorials and closed national parks are hemorrhaging revenue. This term is obviously a play on an excrement-based slang word which Green's Dictionary of Slang defines as "a very confused or frightening situation."
slimdown (n.): a nickname for a partial government shutdown, emphasizing that many parts of the government are still in operation.
Fox News started referring to the current shutdown as a "slimdown" on its website this week, with editors saying that despite the furloughs, "hundreds of thousands of other workers are reporting for work, and a patchwork of services remains open to the public." Ben Zimmer, executive producer of Vocabulary.com, points out that using dieting metaphors to describe government cutbacks is an old trick. He tracked down a 1958 headline from the Christian Science Monitor to make his point: "Defense Department Holds Firm on Army Slimdown." It's also a good reminder that arguments about money are as old as the American government itself.
This is an edition of Wednesday Words, a weekly feature on language. For the previous post, click here.


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June 6, 2012
Dear Mr. Ochocinco,
I hope this letter finds you well. Our company, Pornhub.com, (the premier destination for online adult entertainment) would like to offer you an opportunity to solidify your support for the work we do here. Given your continued endorsement of our brand on your widely followed Twitter account, we feel it would only be appropriate to ask you, in the spirit of fun, to take your fandom for us to the next level.
In short, we would like to extend a proposal for you to legally change your name to Chad Seisnueve on the day of June 9, 2012 for the subsequent 24 hours. As proof, all we require from you is a twitpic of the approved name change registration form accompanied by a @Pornhub hashtag mention. We believe that this partnership can be beneficial to both parties.
In return for your cooperation and willingness, we will compensate you $69,000.
We truly appreciate your consideration of our offer and look forward to the possibility of working together soon. Meanwhile, please feel free to continue enjoying the fruits of our labor at Pornhub.com.
All the best,
Corey Price


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Transition Culture has moved
I no longer blog on this site. You can now find me, my general blogs, and the work I am doing researching my forthcoming book on imagination, on my new blog.
Come find me at robhopkins.net
**Review of CPULs – Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes. Designing Urban Agriculture for Sustainable Cities. Andre Viljoen (ed) 2005. Architectural Press.**
Great book, terrible title. Andre Viljoen has put together a book of the most profound importance at this point in history. How will we feed our cities beyond the age of cheap oil? Does the old concept that the cities are for people to live in and the countryside is for growing food in still have any relevance when our cheap transport system is no longer able to function? Viljon argues not. We should view our cities as much in terms of being productive spaces as we view our rural areas.
'The city as a farm' may appear a fanciful notion in our 21st century industrialised society, yet if we look to the only country thus far to have experienced peak oil, Cuba, we can gain some insight into how we too will have to rethink some basic assumptions. This book contains some of the best literature on the Cuban experience I have yet read. In essence, when the Soviet Union collapsed, Cuba's oil imports were reduced practically to zero almost overnight. It had, up to that point, developed a Western style intensive agriculture model, which became rapidly unworkable. Agriculture was redesigned, and is now more than 80% organic. What is perhaps more exciting was the explosion in urban agriculture. Havana now produces half of its fresh vegetables within the city, from a series of community gardens, as well as on balconies and rooftops.
These gardens bring fresh affordable food into the city, improve the climate, create work, and look, as can be seen in some of the pictures here, quite amazing. 'CPULs' sets out in detail how the transition to this way of feeding people was managed. There is much we can learn from the Cuban example. Perhaps one of the most important things when we consider some of the more lurid and apocalyptic peak oil scenarios we encounter, is that despite the fact that food became scarce and much of industry closed, there was no societal breakdown, no riots, no collapse. People adapted and they responded with creativity and imagination (some counter this by arguing that Cuba is by nature a more co-operative society, and point to New Orleans as a more relevant example of societal breakdown).
So what does all this mean for the UK? This book is written by an architect for other architects. In spite of this (many such books are utterly incomprehensible to the lay reader, and, one suspects, to many other architects) it is a hugely readable, passionate and visionary book. It aims to put productive land use at the centre of urban design. Our cities, Viljoen argues, should be farms. He has coined the dreadful term 'Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes' (I kinda prefer 'permaculture', don't know why, it trips off the tongue a bit easier…) to describe his approach. He advocates creating networks of green spaces throughout the city (he takes London as his case study), which are connected by cycle paths and walkways, which combine urban agriculture, recreation and a wealth of other uses.
He argues the case for urban food growing compellingly, although his context is more rooted in issues of embodied energy and food miles than in disruption of supply and relocalisation caused by peak oil. 'CPULs' contains the best history of urban agriculture in the UK I have yet read. The authors have found some great old photos of Clapham Common dug up for allotments, and people growing food on the rooftops of London during World War Two. The UK has a long and rich history of urban agriculture, during the War 10% of the national diet came from allotments and gardens. The decline and recent revival of allotments is also chronicled.
This book's importance is in its communicating to those (architects and designers) who shape our built environments on a daily basis, a profoundly different way of seeing urban space. It is only in the last 30 or so years that we have perfected the art of creating totally useless landscapes. New industrial estates and business parks typify this, planted with 'low maintenance' shrubs, specifically bred to be entirely unproductive. I could never see the use of flowering cherries, fruiting cherries do make flowers too. CPULs offers a profoundly radical vision of how such space could be used. It also offers a glimpse into the near future, where local food is produced in diverse and abundant landscapes and where cities become net producers of food rather than importers.
I cannot recommend this book too highly. It is practical, deeply rooted in the experience and history of allotment holders, community gardeners and urban market gardeners around the world, and it offers a radiant new vision for our cities. At the same time it uses language and a format that makes it accessible to those who design such spaces. It represents a quantuum leap forward for architecture and landscape design.
Despite not calling its approach permaculture, the book has a substantial section on permaculture, and is clearly deeply informed by its principles. It is interesting to reflect upon why it is, therefore, that the editor felt that he needed to come up with a different (and not very good) name for his approach. This is exactly the area where permaculture needs to be, as it offers a complete design approach for addressing the challenge of designing 'edible' cities. Why do so few professional landscape designers call their work permaculture, and apply these principles? Might it be that coining a new terms, albeit a clumsy one, these ideas might make more of an impact? I don't know the answer, but it is interesting to chew it over, and to consider why, more than 25 years after its inception, permaculture design is still little reflected in mainstream architecture and design.
In the video 'In Grave Danger of Falling Food', Bill Mollison makes the point that as the environmental crisis bites, those in the South will be increasingly in demand in the North, coming to teach us how to grow things. 'CPULs' shows that this is closer to becoming a reality, and that food security is becoming seen as as much of an issue for the developed West as for the rest of the world.


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I research information & technology policy. I advocate for making data open and accessible for the betterment of all.
Published Papers
- The use of Twitter by the U.S. Congress (PDF)
- Using ICTs to create a culture of transparency: e-government and social media as openness and anti-corruption tools for society
- The values of computational modelers and professional codes of ethics: Results from a field study
- Where is the Cloud? Geography, economics, environment, and jurisdiction in cloud computing
- Reconciling government documents and e-government: Government information in policy, librarianship, and education
- Cloud computing and information policy: Computing in a policy cloud? (PDF)
- Obfuscatocracy: Contractual frameworks in the governance of virtual worlds
- Virtual guinea pigs: Ethical implications of researching people in virtual worlds (PDF)