text:
5.0 Mustang & Super FordsFeatured Vehicles
1991 Ford Mustang LX - Second Half
After a turbo kit gone bad, Ray Blankenship's '91 LX deserved a better ending
Sadly, not every shop or performance manufacturer is on the up and up. Still in this day and age, there are people out there in Mustang-land just looking to make a buck, with no performance return. Many a Mustang enthusiast has dropped off their pride and joy, in the hopes of returning to pick up the car making several hundred more horsepower than when it entered the shop.
Unfortunately, when nothing gets done, you have to go pick up your Mustang. Sometimes the car sits in pieces when you arrive. Such is the position Rossville, Georgia's Ray Blankenship found himself in with the 1991 Ford Mustang LX seen here. As you can see, the car rebounded and Ray had the last laugh.
He purchased the car from his good friend Jon Goff way back in 1994. "I paid $7,500 for it and thought that was not a bad deal at all for a '91 LX," Ray says. He tells us the car was already awesome and in great shape. He drove the car back and forth to work for years, but then he set a goal for the car. "My goal was to some day make it in this magazine," referring to the rag you hold in your hands. To that end, Ray got to work.
"I mainly worked on the induction side, adding parts as I could," Ray said. He thought the story hit its stride when he decided on a power adder. "I decided to do a remote-mounted turbo kit on the car," he adds. He found a manufacturer that had developed a remote-mount turbo kit, sending a cashier's check for $13,800 to said company, then drove the car 13 hours to the shop so the work could be done. Three months later the car still wasn't done. "I finally decided I would finish what he started on the car and went there to get it," Ray tells us.
When he arrived the car was torn apart. Ray had to assemble it to a point to where he could drive it back home. The guy had cut the exhaust system to pieces, so Ray had to drive the car all the way back home—13 ear-splitting hours—with open headers. "He had cut big holes on the rear quarters to mount the turbos," Ray says. The holes just amplified the sound of the open headers, Ray was almost completely deaf by the time he got the car home. "My ears rang for days after that."
Remember when you were a kid, and your mom or dad would be standing out in the driveway or front porch waiting for you to come home? Well, when Ray pulled in the driveway, his wife was standing out there waiting for him, but not in the same manner as a parent waiting to beat your tail. "She about threw up after seeing the car," Ray says.
Finally, sick of the whole situation, Ray aired out his frustrations on the interwebs. "Next thing I knew, I had all kinds of people calling me wondering about their car," he said. Turns out, Ray wasn't the only guy who was fleeced out of a lot of money.
Even after all this, Ray still had a Mustang to finish. He had to decide which direction to go. He could either repair the quarter-panels or do a radical widebody kit. Obviously, you see what he chose. "The repairs were extensive, and it took me three years to develop the kit the way I wanted," Ray says.
In 2010, life dealt Ray another, way more dramatic blow. His wife, Bunny, developed breast cancer. "This rocked my world," he confessed. Still in the process of finishing the car, Ray says had it not been for the project, "I would've gone crazy with worry."
Bunny thought Ray was neglecting her because he was always in the shop working on the car. The truth was that Ray was so scared of losing his wife, the only thing that kept his mind off her illness was working on the car. It was his outlet, the thing that kept his mind busy. It kept him sane during a difficult time in his life. "To some people it's just a car," Ray says, "To me, it is more than that." We're with him on that one.
"Working on my car has also brought me closer to a lot of people that share my passion with Mustangs," he said. Case in point is one of Ray's favorite outlets, www.Ultimatefoxbody.com. "Those guys are great. They are some of the most respected and trustworthy people I know," he said. According to Ray, the site's members are always willing to help fellow enthusiasts. However, Ray is also quick to point out his car wouldn't be done without the help and support of his loving wife, Bunny; daughter, Hayley; son, Anthony; and friends Tim Acuff, Donnie Walker, Bob Flatt, and Lee Lowry.
Regarding his wife's condition, her illness is in remission as of this writing. "I hope and pray I can spend a whole lot more time with her now that she has a second chance," Ray says. "She has been my inspiration to live life to the fullest."
We're also inspired that Ray and his LX got a second chance. His story should inspire you to get out there and finish your Mustang project.
Photo GalleryView Photo Gallery
5.0 Tech Specs
Engine and Drivetrain
Block: '93 Cobra
Crankshaft: Stock
Rods: Stock
Pistons: Stock
Camshaft: FRPP E303 w/ stock lifters
Cylinder heads: Edelbrock Performer w/ 2.02/1.60 valves and Crane Cams 1.6-ratio roller rockers
Intake manifold: Trick Flow R-Series w/ BBK Performance 70mm throttle body, and Cervini's Auto Designs ram air
Fuel system: 190-lph fuel pump w/ FRPP 24-lb/hr injectors, and a Crane Cams adjustable fuel-pressure regulator
Exhaust: BBK Performance 15⁄8-in short-tube headers w/ Magnaflow 21⁄2-in X-shape crossover pipe, and Flowmaster after-cat exhaust
Transmission: Richmond R.O.D. six-speed w/ Centerforce Dual Friction clutch, and Long shifter
Rearend: 8.8-in w/ Yukon differential, Moser Engineering 31-spline axles, and 3.27 gears
Engine management: Stock computer
Ignition: MSD 6AL w/ an MSD Blaster coil, MSD spark plug wires, and Autolite spark plugs
Gauges: Stock w/ Auto Meter Lunar series tach, water temp, air/fuel, vacuum, and oil temp
Suspension and Chassis
Front suspension
K-member: Stock
A-arms: Stock
Struts: Tokico five-way Illumina, Steeda Autosports caster/camber plates
Springs: Steeda Autosports Competition
Brakes: Baer 13-in Track system
Wheels: '93 Cobra replica, 17x81⁄2-in
Tires: Nitto NT01 255/40-17
Rear suspension
Shocks: Tokico five-way Illumina
Springs: Steeda Autosports
Control Arms: Hotchkis uppers and lowers
Brakes: '93 Cobra
Wheels: '93 Cobra replica, Eric Vaughn-widened, 17x91⁄2-in
Tires: Nitto NT01 315/35-17
Horse Sense: Ray fashioned his own dual-gauge A-pillar pod out of fiberglass. He says the A-pillar pods he tried hit the rollcage so he made his own.


text:
The sun came up today and revealed a lovely crisp autumn morning. My husband I went to early Mass and we stopped at the Orange Cat afterward, as is our custom. I hung out with Dorothy, Tim and my other buddies for a while then decided to get a head start on my a thanksgiving preparation.
I headed over to Tops to pick up some of the things that will not perish prior to their use Wednesday and Thursday.
Today I'm going to make my cranberry compote. This year I am going to double the recipe and preserve some for myself and friends. The house will soon smell so good. I walked around the produce department twice and could not locate the cranberries. I was slightly panicked so I asked Mike Fland, one of my favorite grocers if there were any. He jokingly told me no as he walked to the display and revealed many bags. Phew. Crisis averted.One of the key ingredients in the compote are oranges. The pickin's were slim and I asked Mike about that. He said they were expecting some this morning but my time restraints prevented me from waiting. As I was chatting with my friend Annie, Mike wheeled a cart toward us filled with oranges. How cool is that? That is great customer service and why you never lose when you shop locally. Mike has been with the store for 22 years, starting in 1990. Thanks again Mike!
Sometimes it can take an hour to pick up one thing…you see all kinds of people and catch up between aisles. I saw my friend Annie and she told me she was thinking of making the stuffing recipe I posted yesterday. She asked me a few questions and I showed her the stuffing I was talking about. It is croutons seasoned (or not) in bags.
It makes a completely different consistency dressing than one made with bread. It's the one I was raised on so it's what I know.
I am never more flattered than when someone tells me they read my column. What blows me away is when they tell me they use my recipes. Please let me know if you ever have any questions about any of the original (or family) recipes I publish. If you can't make them then what's the point, you know what I mean?
Have a yummy day!!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
This chess set was carved using oak. I stained one set of pieces with a dark walnut stain. The board was outlined with a wood burning pen. Dark stain was applied to half the squares, and the whole thing was then sealed with Mod Podge. I nailed leather to the bottom of each piece and sewed a small pillow to hold everything in place within the box, which was also handcrafted. I love this chess set. I now need challengers for some chess and wine!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Hand Carved Chess Set
Posted by Mario Marchese at 7:51 AM
1 comment:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text: DuPont: Creating Wheat Hybrids Would Boost Yields Up to 20% February 26, 2013 10:23 AM Tweet TAGS: Marketing, Overseas December 18, 2014 By Drovers Editors Email Feb. 26 (Bloomberg) -- DuPont Co., the world's second- largest seed company, said wheat yields would increase 15 percent to 20 percent if it can made a hybrid version of the world's most planted grain. Those yield gains would occur with the first commercial product, expected in a decade or so, John Soper, a vice president of research at Wilmington, Delaware-based DuPont, said today in a telephone interview. The company is using conventional and biotechnology approaches to developing hybrid wheat, Soper said. DuPont, the largest U.S. chemical maker by market value, joins Basel-based Syngenta AG in pursuing ways to create wheat hybrids. About 500 million acres of wheat are planted globally each year, and "a hybrid wheat system would have access to a lot of it," Soper said. Wheat plants are normally self-pollinating, Soper said. So the challenge is creating plants that have no pollen that can then be fertilized with pollen from another plant to create a hybrid of the two, he said. Hybrid wheat technology has been added as the first phase of a five-step research and development pipeline at DuPont's Pioneer seed unit, Jim Borel, a DuPont executive vice president, said today in a webcast from a Goldman Sachs Group Inc. conference in New York. GMO Wheat DuPont, Dow Chemical Co. and Monsanto Co. have previously announced efforts to boost wheat yields through genetic modifications, which may or or may not involve creating hybrids. "Wheat is planted on more acres globally than any other crop but productivity improvements have lagged the other major crops," Borel said in the presentation. Protecting intellectual property in wheat would be easier with hybrids than the inbred varieties currently available, as hybrid seed saved from a prior harvest produce less grain, Soper said. Agriculture accounted for 30 percent of DuPont's 2012 sales, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Monsanto is the largest seed company. Wheat was planted on 215.8 million hectares (533.3 million acres) globally last year, surpassing rice, corn and soybeans, according to data compiled by Bloomberg Industries. --Editors: Steven Frank, Charles Siler To contact the reporter on this story: Jack Kaskey in Houston at firstname.lastname@example.com Back to news


text:
Dinner Tonight: Green Curry With Lake Trout and Green Beans
Your source for quick recipe every single week day.
Get the Recipe
It's that time of year when my meals are dictated not only by a particular craving, but also by what remarkable fresh produce I can pick up at the farmers' market. That used to mean a whole lot of Italian-inspired creations, which still happens, but I've come to also realize that cooking methods from other cuisines can be used just as dynamic, even if they aren't 100% authentic to the original. While I definitely can't procure all the specific elements of traditional Thai green curry, that doesn't mean I can't show off my local vegetables using Thai techniques.
What this green curry loses in strict authenticity, it gains in freshness, which I think is a fair trade. The only real shortcut is the use of store-bought green curry paste. You could make it yourself, but with a container from a local Asian market and a can of coconut milk, I was able to quickly put this together for an easy weeknight meal.
Plus, then all you have to worry about is what fresh produce to use. Bright and slender green beans seemed like a natural choice. And though I couldn't find any Thai eggplants, I was able to score some tiny baby eggplants, which had almost no bitterness. I also wanted a protein of some sort, and drawing inspiration from some recipes that called for salmon, I substituted Lake Trout—a gorgeous orange-hued fish with a firm texture from Northern Lake Michigan (which, I should point out, is of no relation to Baltimore's own "Lake Trout").
The result had the same dynamic flavor I crave from Thai green curry, with the added bonus of fresh, in season produce.
Get the Recipe
This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.


text:
Remember the case of the San Francisco Bay Area psychiatrist whom the juvenile courts kept sending boys to for at least 16 years after allegations of molestation first surfaced?
Disappointingly for the prosecutor and the alleged victims, the jury trial of 77-year-old William Ayres ended in a mistrial today, after nine days of deliberations.
Ex-patients, now men in their 20s and 30s, had testified that the prominent psychiatrist molested them in his private, soundproof office under the guise of giving them medical exams.
"Much of the testimony during the trial centered on whether Ayres followed acceptable psychiatric practices when he gave the exams, which [the prosecutor] argued were merely a ruse to give the doctor a reason to fondle boys," according to a San Francisco Chronicle report. "While the details varied, Ayres' former patients told authorities similar scenarios: Ayres would direct them to undress, then conduct a physical where he fondled their genitals or masturbated them for several minutes."
Juvenile court judges continued to send new victims to Dr. William Ayres until 2003, long after the first of multiple complaints against him by boys and their parents. Several dozen men accused Ayres of molesting them as boys dating back almost four decades. Economic class disparities between the accusers and the accused likely influenced the failure to prosecute until the chance intervention of a freelance writer from New York.
Although Ayres is elderly and ill, a retrial is likely.
Tuesday postscript: A writer who attended the trial tells me that the jury was leaning 10-2 and 11-1 for guilt; the main holdout was a young woman who recently graduated from law school and who did not believe the alleged victims.
My original blog post is HERE; the blog Psych Watch ("Documenting Psychiatrists Behaving Badly") has a special "William Ayres Watch" page devoted to in-depth coverage of the case.
Lawsuit in forensic psychologist voyeurism case
Meanwhile, in another case involving alleged sexual misconduct by a forensic mental health professional, an employee of Stuart Greenberg has sued the estate of the once-prominent forensic psychologist.
The ex-employee alleges that she was fired after discovering the video camera that Dr. Greenberg allegedly used to spy on women in his office bathroom. A former president of the American Board of Forensic Psychology and a consultant for the Seattle Archdiocese, Dr. Greeberg committed suicide after the voyeurism allegations surfaced. In her civil suit, the woman alleges that Dr. Greenberg confessed to her that he had videotaped her and two other women as they used the bathroom.The Seattle Post-Intelligencer story is HERE.
Sex crimes prosecutor charged with rape
And, finally, back in court today is a prosecutor in Contra Costa County, California, who has been fired pending trial for the alleged gunpoint rape of a female colleague. In one of the more chilling aspects of the case, the woman alleges that the sex crimes unit where she and former supervisor Michael Gressett worked together was a highly sexualized place where prosecutors "bantered about rough sex and directed gallows humor toward the crime victims they represented," according to a San Francisco Chronicle article.
And they wonder why some rape victims balk at reporting the crime. Talk about a perception of revictimization!
Photo credit: Kristopher Skinner, Contra Costa Times


text:
When you visit a mutuel window, state the following information: 1. Name of track 2. Race number 3. Amount you wish to wager 4. Type of wager 5. Program number(s) Remember: Don't use the horses' names when wagering. Say: Monmouth Park, seventh race, two dollars to win on number five. Don't say: "Two dollars to win on Capture the Gold (name of horse).
Advanced Wagers If you are making an advanced wager, which would be a race after the upcoming one, make sure to state the race number before the wager. Minimum Wagers The minimum wager is $2, except for some multiple combination bets with a $1 minimum, which will be described later. Morning Line The morning line odds in the program are set by an oddsmaker before the betting begins. This is an educated guess on how the public will bet on each horse. The odds change as money enters the pool. Odds Win odds are posted on television monitors and the infield tote board. These odds are updated every 45-90 seconds. Note that these odds will fluctuate from the time you wager until the betting ends. When you win, your payoff is determined by the closing odds. Entry A coupled entry in a race is when two or more horses belonging to the same owner, and/or conditioned by the same trainer, are deemed coupled. Therefore, the coupled entry is comprised of two or more horses which are a single betting interest. Example: In a race with a 1 and 1A entry, a bet on #1 is a bet on #1 and #1A."


text:
- Quick Links
- Shop
- About Us
Welcome to our Store!
Do you love board games? Do you love organizing them for quick setup, quick clean-up, and to avoid losing pieces? Do you love using zip-lock baggies? Do you ever wonder which pieces go into which baggie at the end of the game? Do you like having each players' pieces in their own bag so you can leave the players pieces you don't need in the box? We provide coloried baggies for board games... by gamers, for gamers.
- Info
General Info
Useful Links
- Service
Due to the weight of most of our products, and to simply the shipping process, I use flat-rate shipping options whenever possible. Each shipping option holds a certain number of units of product, and each product uses a certain number of units. This allows me to give you the least expensive shipping option that can fit your order. Note that this means that sometimes you can add more to your order without increasing the shipping cost, but other times it will increase your shipping to the next most expensive flat-rate option.
Shop with Confidence
All payments are handled through PayPal, a trusted and secure source for online payments. We do not have access to nor do we store your credit card information.
Home :: Conditions of Use


text:
Mascot Roofing have served the South East area with chimney repairs, pointing and restorations since 1995. Our years of experience handling all aspects of chimney maintenance for customers in and around South East means we have the skills and capability to offer a variety of specialist services including chimney replacement, re-pointing and stack restoration.
With an established reputation for reliability and professionalism we have carried out chimney repairs throughout the South East and on a variety of properties; from new builds to listed buildings.
Specialist Chimney Repair Services for the South East
Thanks to our experience handling chimney repairs, restorations and pointing throughout the South East, we are able to offer customers within the area a service that is second to none. If you live in or nearby South East and require the services of skilled chimney specialists, then do not hesitate to contact Mascot Roofing.
Please feel free to contact us today on 01273 834844, we'll be happy to answer any queries you have about chimney repairs and restorations in the South East area, or regarding any of the other services available from Mascot Roofing.
Areas we Cover


text:
Israel News - Stay Informed, Pray Informed
In a further demonstration of Palestinian Authority intransigence, the mayor of Bethlehem on Sunday issued an order barring direct contact with Israel.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Mayor Abdel Fattah Hamayel, angered by ongoing efforts by Israeli organizations to open dialogue and cooperation with counterparts on the Palestinian side, declared that all municipal councils, trade institutions and NGOs in the Bethlehem area strictly forbidden from talking to the Israelis.
"In wake of repeated Israeli calls to deal directly with Palestinian municipalities and institutions and hold meetings and conferences with the Israeli side, it is forbidden to have direct contact or coordination with Israel," said Hamayel.
Hamayel and other Palestinian Authority officials want all contact between Palestinians and Israelis to only go through the PA's District Coordinating Office, and has condemned any external contact as "promoting normalization."
This development would seem to further contradict assertions that Israel is to blame for the lack of coexistence in the area.
Want more news from Israel?
Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates
For Information & Reservations:
E-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Israel Today
Free to Your Inbox


text:
Cutting the Cord Part 1: The Assessment
Assessing your Cord Cutting Potential
The first step in assessing whether cutting the cord will be a good fit for you is to write down all the shows you and whoever you're sharing your cable/satellite with watch regularly. Simply documenting the name of the shows, what channels they are on and whether or not you can get them from other sources may make the decision a simple affair.
For example, if you just have to watch Homeland on Showtime when it airs and can't wait the 6-12 months for the DVD to come out, then you can probably assume that cutting the cord isn't going to work for you.
My Experience: When I first started thinking about cutting the cord, there were some shows on our list that we had concerns about not being able to see on 'the day they aired' on cable/satellite. Shows like MythBusters, Burn Notice and The Venture Brothers were things I loved watching when they first aired. While many of them would eventually become available on Netflix, it could be a year or more before we got to see them. We've come to find out that those concerns were unfounded. Since we have so much content available at our fingertips, there's always something available just waiting for us to watch. Over the air content, Netfli, Hulu and even webcasts have more than enough for us to view whenever we feel like 'watching something', that the whole issue became a moot point. Our Netflix Instant Queue alone is over 100 titles. While there are some shows we can't watch as they're released, we have more than enough to keep us occupied until they actually show up somewhere that we can watch.
I'd be remiss if I didn't at least mention the fact that just about anything that airs on cable/satellite can likely be found online within a few hours of its original air time you know where to look. While I won't condone doing that, it's an option for someone who isn't worried about the legal ramifications of getting their content through "other" means.
One thing you can't overlook is what content you can get for free with local 'Over the Air' broadcasts. With a High Definition antenna and a tuner card in your HTPC, you may very well have access to a High Definition signal for all the big networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) that's even better than what you'd get from your cable/satellite company. Your cable/satellite company needs to compress the signal of all its television stations so it can cram them all down the pipe to your house where Over the Air is the opposite. Local stations can broadcast across the air waves in all their High Definition glory and if you can pick them up are an easy way to get all your Network and Local content for no cost.
To see what channels you may be able to pick up "Over the Air" there are a few sites like AntennaWeb and TVFool that are worth a look.
When you supply either of the sites with a few pieces of information such as your Zip Code, Street Address and where the antenna will be located, they will give you a full report of what stations you should be able to pick up.
The map and information will list how many channels/stations you can pick up. Don't be confused when the 'Channels' and 'Over the Air Stations' numbers don't match. With the digital spectrum, stations can broadcast multiple signals and you may likely have 3 'channels' for one station. Often the primary channel shows the station's main content, while others show things like local weather, local events or even syndicated reruns of old shows. The map will also give you detailed information about the distance you are from the transmitter, and its compass heading from you. So if a station is listed as '15 miles at 310⁰', you'll want to point your antenna 310 degrees for the best signal. We'll get more into specific antennas later, but for now, with Antenna Web, you can quickly get a list of what stations you'll have access to for free over the air. Assuming you're within a 40-50 mile radius of a fairly large city, you will likely be able to get all the big networks, some PBS and a perhaps even a few others.
My Experience: In my area, we're anywhere from 20 to 40 miles from most of the transmitters. With a half way decent antenna we've been able to pick up most things without a problem. I've also come to discover that the days of the 'crazy UHF' channels are not dead, and there's a few extra 'antenna only' TV stations we are able to pick up like MeTV and AntennaTV. These stations are chock full of great old TV shows from the 60's through the 80's and I actually find myself pretty frequently sitting down to catch old episodes of MASH, WKRP in Cincinnati, Cheers or even The Twilight Zone.
Video News
Awesome beginning to a truly important scenario in my opinion.
My Experience: I haven't had cable for over a decade or longer if I really think about it. I am probably not the norm but once I was without it for long enough, I didn't miss it a bit. the only thing I have now is Netflix, Amazon Prime streaming (great added value to Prime which I am going to have anyway), and my server with all of my movies. I couldn't imagine going back to $150 monthly bills for so called entertainment when everything I need comes over my $65 a month 27/5 fiber internet connection and Netflix for $17.47 (streaming plus one dvd at a time). And when there isn't anything I really am in the mood for on those, I go outside. Crazy, I know.
We cut the cord 2-1/2 years ago and have saved $2500. I put 2 antennas in our attic (1 pointed towards Boston which is about 45 miles south of us and 1 pointed 45 miles NW toward Manchester, NH mainly for local news/weather). We get about 25 channels. Now we have 3 TVs with HTPCs connected (main HTPC in living room connected to plasma, 2 mini-HTPCs on the HDTVs in the 2 bedrooms for streaming over the home network) and my wife and I have tuner cards in our desktops. Between OTA, downloaded content on our NAS, PlayOn (and some scripts purchased to use with it) we can watch just about anything EXCEPT sports not on OTA. If you are a sports junkie, OTA is not for you. We have an Amazon Prime account as well.
Also the signal gathering capabilities of tuners whether in your TV, tuner card, digital converter box can vary. Each of our 3 TVs (Samsung, Toshiba, Viore) will get 1 or 2 stations that the other TVs don't get or as strong.
A couple sites worth mentioning-- www.TVFool.com (similar to Antenna.web) and www.dtvusaforum.com/forum/ for great info and help to cut the cord.
All 3 of our HTPCs use AMD APU based systems- an A10-5700 in the living room, A6-3500 in our bedroom and an A4-3400 in the spare bedroom. All have 8Gb ram/64Gb SSDs/Win7x64.A10 system has a Blu-Ray drive in it.
I was wondering what type of antennas did you put into your attic? I am in a similar location as you are. Roughly 50 miles to Boston and 26 miles to Manchester, NH.
I am thinking of cutting the cord and am in the beginning stages of planing this out. Making an HTPC (or buying one) and using it with our two tv's. We have an AppleTV and Roku and also use Amazon Prime.
Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Pete
Cable television is basically paying them to shove ads down our throats. I love using Netflix and youtube. (I also spend some of the spare time playing all of the Steam games residing on my hard drive.)
http://www.antennaweb.org/ does not respond when searching on zip code and/or address. Doesn't work in IE, FireFox and Chrome browsers.
Thanks for the feedback! I've added TVFool to the article as another great place to get antenna and local signal info.
You didn't mention Crackle.com - good free (legal) internet site
Crackle is garbage, the same commercial played 10 times in a 1/2hr show is a rip.
You need an adblocker ya dummy
I use Netflix/Amazon Prime, with direct DSL (no phone service, just internet).
No cable TV, No home Phone, or other useless crap I don't need/want.
Just my Internet.
Direct DSL (through AT&T) was 25.00/mo for a year then 48.00/mo after that.(top package) Still a good deal.
Just a tip to anyone reading - do not consider DSL if you do any sort of online gaming, or if you have multiple people wanting to stream content in the house.
The bandwidth is absolutely terrible.
I've never hand any problems with gaming on DSL, you don't need massive bandwidth to game. 6Mb (roughly 640KB down and 128KB up real world on my connection) is plenty, The Ping is the critical part. Depending on server location/game I average 40ms. Which is solid.
BUT as to the multi-people usage, yes DSL would blow if you had to share, I live alone so it's not a problem.
I used to game just fine on my 768Kbps DSL line and my ping was substantially better than it is now with my cable modem.
Great primer for potential cord cutters! Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
- Ryan, Otherwaystowatch.TV
hmmmmmmm, all this talk about cutting the cord and not one mention of "Torrent"..... hmmmmmmmm,
Oh right, there it is
Thanks so much for doing this series. I hope I will be able to cut the cord by the time it is completed.
You can also watch episodes from the channel's own website, such as adultswim.com and comedy central.
Who needs proprietary networks when the Internet can provide all sorts of entertainment. It is getting to the point where computer illiterates can easily access TV media over the Internet and that's bad for Cable
Hehe, it looks like you guys took the advice I had quite awhile back and did an article on dropping cable/satellite. I "cut the cord" back in April of 2011, but I recently signed back up with Directv. Why you ask? They had a deal I couldn't refuse. My bill is only about $10 a month higher than what I was paying just for Tivo standalone service. In 2 years though I'm sure they'll raise my prices again and that's when I'll once again be dropping them.
Yep, I cut the cord almost fifteen years ago. I didn't grow up watching cable and only had it for a couple of years, as an adult. I wasn't impressed. Yes, some of the best television that has ever existed is on these days, but it's not worth $200/mo for it.
So, after a couple of years, I dropped it. Netflix and torrents make up for most of it. I don't use Hulu, because I'm not going to pay $10/mo for a crappy selection of crappy shows from a few crappy networks (and not even get the full archive of the shows!) and then be slammed with as many ads as I'd get from live television, at the same time.
I spend $8/mo for Netflix, $5/mo for MOG (for my music), $115/mo for my 22mbps/10mbps internet connection (business account, so no 250gb limitations -- I tend to do 1-2tb of data a month, easily). Between Netflix and podcasts, I don't really even have time for any other entertainment.
" Yes, some of the best television that has ever existed is on these days,"
Where? I look through the guide and see talent shows, police/detective/csi shows that will be cancelled by the end of the season, comedies that aren't funny, reality trash, and on and on.
I've been thinking about cutting the cord but the options in Canada are not as great as in the USA. Canadian Netflix is nowhere near as good as the USA offering, Hulu isn't available etc. I don't even think you can get OTA HD unless you are near the USA border. If you are into sports then you need to see what the streaming offerings are (which are better for NFL in Canada than in USA). The more casual shows like the HGTV and Food ones don't seem available anywhere, so it looks like I'm stuck with cable. I use enough bandwidth without cutting cable, I'd need a super expensive internet package if I did (glad to see that added on as a point at the end). It's just not worth it for me so I've got basic cable and just added all the HD channels to make it as cheap as I can. I'm sure I'll revisit the decision annually. We watch a lot of TV, so I can justify the expense. If there were better options AND our TV consumption dropped, I'd likely be cutting the cord.
klatch, I just recently cut the cord this month and so far couldn't be happier. I live in Whitby, ON (Canada) and can pick up Fox, CBS, ABC (?), The CW, CityTV, CTV, TVO, Global, occasionally ION, and a slew of others - this is without a pre-amp.
Our bill was approaching $170/mo for Rogers VIP + movies with one PVR. That's over $2000 for what I estimate to be about 6 hrs of TV/week...and I recently received notice that prices were going up a few dollars for each package. This got me thinking. I personally don't watch a lot of TV and the shows that my wife and I watch to chill out (Elementary, Nikita, Supernatural, Vampire Diaries, etc) are all available in HD OTA. My wife can also get Glee, X Factor, etc so that's covered too. I'm not into sports as I'm more into doing than watching (road cycling addict.)
There are a few shows that we're losing like Dexter and The Walking Dead, but the latter is available directly from AMCTV.com, iTunes (ugh - too expensive), or torrent.
CTV, HGTV, Discovery Canada, can all be viewed online. For example, HGTV:
As for Netflix, if you have a Canadian account, you can use a service like Unblock-us.com to access Netflix US content! Unblock-us.com is $4.99/mo CDN and simply requires you to point to their DNS servers which, I assume, send your requests to one or more proxy servers in the US. No need for VPN and the associated overhead (and cost.) Unblock-us also gives you access to free Hulu content (The Simpsons, etc.)
So yeah, the overall experience isn't as completely integrated and smooth as cable, but saving $2000/yr - ~$144/yr for Netflix/Unblock-Us seems worth it to me, especially if you aren't glued to the TV more than an hour or two a day.
I built a PVR for $600 (core components), though spent another $500 on an additional Hauppauge 2250 ATSC tuner + 2nd SSD for recorded content (240gb, we delete TV content immediately after watching.) This HTPC also runs VMWare WS9 and hosts the domain controller and TFS servers for my work lab environment. The PVR cost will pay for itself in a year.
I'm sorry but a SSD for recording television content is a waste of money.
I'm sorry but did you miss the part where I said I also use it for VMs? :)
SSDs are also silent while most fast mechanical drives, capable of recording 4 shows at the same time, are not. Plus mechanical drives suck more power, generate more heat, and take up more space. If I want to store television shows, I'll use my 1TB NAS drive (QNAP TS-239Pro) and schedule a time to copy them...or setup up a iSCSI target and write over the 1Gbps LAN connection I've dedicated for VM traffic; my NAS drive has two ethernet ports, one of which is setup on separate network.
Using Cable over here, and feel screwed with all the Ads, almost every 10 mins. Too expensive:(
Considering "Cutting the cord" for good, really!
Congratulations on cutting your bills (cord) and good job on your article!
In my area I receive NBC,CBS,ABC,FOX,RTV,ThisTV,MeTV,TheCoolTV and 6 different PBS feeds, FREE, as well as another 12 channels.
As mentioned above, I also suggest visiting the DTVUSAForum.
I cut the cord 3 1/2 years ago. I've use OTA TV, internet streaming, and DVDs. Let's face it, the only content you can't get (legally) either OTA, over the internet, or on packaged media (DVD or Blue Ray)is ESPN and the regional sports networks. I really can't see that being worth the money for pay-TV.
Cord-cutter here in Toronto. About 20+ channels. Don't use Netflix and really don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.
Another great resource for cord-cutters looking to go the antenna route is Digitalhome. Don't be scared by the .ca, lots of Americans on there and great sub-forums for specific regions of North America:
After installing XBMC, I will never go back to cable, not a chance!
After installing XBMC, getting it setup, and configuring my remote I will never go back to cable. not only is it cheaper, but I get more content and have the ability to share it throughout my home. Plus I can stream Huli, Netflix, MLB, Pandora and other great stuff.
this is really very simple i just can't wait to try it as i find it great for my pc . . . learn more


text:
Modern ethnic long Egyptian design earrings with red and black beads and resin
Click to zoom!
Modern ethnic long Egyptian design earrings with red and black beads and resin - Buy Earrings Online
Pair of Earrings
|Design Type:
Hand Crafted:
Inside Pack:
Pair of Earrings
Styled For:
Women and Girls
Crystal Spec:
Beads and resin
Vintage Jewellery, Functions Special, Party Jewellery, Costume Jewellery
Metal Used:
Pair of Earrings
Jewellery Sets Type:
Vintage Pair of Earrings
Care Instructions
- Keep jewellery dry and clean, moisture fades the plating and stones glittering
- Store your fashion jewellery carefully in air tight box
- Avoid perfumes, deos and sharp blows on jewellery
- Buy Jewellery Online has made every effort to accurately present the look of this product but there might be slight variations or differences in the colours or sizes of the actual product received due to on-screen representation.
- We deal only in brand new and 100% original products and always try to ensure that the information on our website is accurate. If you find any error, please report us.
- The actual sizes may vary with what is shown in the picture, picture is just for reverence of colors and style.


text:
Do you own a 1 bedroom condo or a 24 acre waterfront estate? We all deserve to be treated like royalty.
The Sherlock + Associates Realty home selling systems is comprised of innovative marketing techniques that utilize the most cutting edge technology. Our use of technology allows us to aggressively promote properties on a worldwide stage, coupled with our detailed tracking systems will allow our sellers to view activity reports and detailed traffic reports each and every week.
At Sherlock + Associates Realty we have invested heavily to ensure that our web presence is second to none in our market, utilizing a network in excess of 150 sites and a strong Search Engine Optimization campaign to ensure that our clients listings end up on the computer screens of buyers across the globe.
After all, 9 out of 10 buyers will start their search online when they set out to find the perfect home. Our web presence is supplemented by an aggressive marketing campaign into our network of top agents across Canada and the USA.
Print media is not forgotten, only improved; we offer our clients a comprehensive print media advertising campaign, utilizing the best publications in our marketplace. Our in house marketing department skilfully crafts media for each listing that is specific to its end destination. Always in full colour! Always showcasing professional photos of your property at its absolute best!
Marketing. Service. Client Attention. Full Accountability.
Full Service Real Estate as it should be...


text:
Techonomy: Can a Robot Steal Your Job?
In a Techonomy panel titled "Where's My Robot?" moderator John Markoff of The New York Times started by suggesting that a better question might be "Where isn't my robot?" In this session, Rodney Brooks of Rethink Robotics talked about the next generation of robotics, while MIT's Andrew McAfee discussed worries that robotics would take jobs from people.
Markoff noted that Google's self-driving car has already gone 300,000 miles, Volvo has said it will have a driverless car in the market by 2014, robots in the form of drones are in the skies of Iraq and Afghanistan, and robots are used routinely in surgery. He's seen a variety of "lights-out" factories even using the previous generation of robotics.
Brooks, who founded both iRobot and Rethink Robotics described the difference between the two companies. With iRobot, the focus was on a single-purpose robot, the Roomba. In contrast, Rethink Robotics' Baxter is a more general robot designed to work in manufacturing, programmable quickly by a line worker. Baxter has a face so you can know what it is up to without special icons; it glances at something before it reaches for it, and it looks confused when it doesn't know what to do.
Markoff noted that robotics today work better for things like razors that don't change much than for things like iPhones that change every year, and Brooks said that's because of the complexity of programming the robots, which he is trying to change. Brooks said Baxter will be available this year and cost about $25,000.
Also on the panel was MIT's McAfee, who co-wrote Race Against the Machine with Erik Brynjolfsson.
He thinks we are at a tipping point where robots are becoming able to do more and that may have a very positive impact on the economy, but could also have a large negative impact on unskilled workers. Economists have been warning about displaced labor by new technology for years, and it has never happened, but McAfee said he thinks it might this time because robots can do things that we think of as the province of what humans do.
There will be new companies, new industries, and new economic activity coming, he said, but that people aren't developing new skills.
Evidence suggests that automation has hurt employment in the current recession, but there is disagreement as to whether this is a temporary trend (as it has been in the past) or something more permanent. History is on the side of the job optimists, he said, but he is worried that this time is different.
Brooks said Baxter was designed to complement workers, not replace them, but McAfee is skeptical, noting that manufacturing output grows every good year, but employment is going down —not only in the United States but also in China. (He did say, though, that Baxter is very impressive.)
Markoff asked how this might affect where products are manufactured, and both McAfee and Brooks suggested robotics might make it more effective to build products closer to where they are needed, so it might bring manufacturing back to the country. Brooks said Baxter costs about $4 an hour to run, less than low-cost labor in emerging markets.
McAfee said that might be true, but that it wouldn't bring back many jobs because the robots would be doing just the job. "Outsourcing is a weigh station on the way to automation," he said. Brooks said that computers replaced some of the tasks office workers used to do (such as adding up long columns of numbers) but the total number of office workers grew. McAfee argued that the boundary between augmenting and replacing workers was a narrow one now because of the productivity gains.
Robots don't yet have the dexterity of humans because there hasn't yet been the platform for developing this, as there was for mobility (which led to the Google car), Brooks said. He was hopeful that Baxter might be this, and suggested applications letting older people live more autonomous lives for longer.
Asked about the kinds of new jobs this technology might enable, Brooks explained that this technology might enable jobs for much more customized manufacturing, facilitated by 3D printers and the like, calling out MFG for manufacturing.
Both were very optimistic about self-driving cars, saying it goes from being very exciting to very boring very quickly. An audience member asked if the problem in manufacturing was that most people don't want such jobs and that becomes a problem as current manufacturing people retired. Brooks agreed, noting that even in Spain, where unemployment is over 20 percent, about a quarter of the vacuums sold are robotic because people don't want to clean houses.
Within 10 years, we will have humanoid-looking robots, Brooks predicted. He is skeptical of Ray Kurzweil's belief that by 2029 computers will be as intelligent as people, but McAfee said that if Kurzweil is right, there will be no jobs for humans.
For more, read about DARPA's robotics challenge.


text:
News Story
NPR Features Gamera Team
During the latest attempts of the Gamera human-powered helicopter team, NPR sent a crew to record their efforts. The NPR story is available online now. Listen online or watch the video.
More information about the Gamera team.
Related Articles:
October 15, 2012
Prev Next


text:
ajsfuxor needed a new button or icon design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 31 designs submitted by 7 freelance designers.
MotorShout is an entirely new kind of car enthusiast website that delivers you the very best and latest automotive content from around the web...all in one place.
By aggregating hundreds of the most respected websites in the automotive world, and combining that with your individual preferences, MotorShout delivers you the very latest news, hottest photos, slickest videos, up to date car specs and much much more. The best part is that it's all catered to your own tastes, so you get the automotive content that YOU want.
We wanted a website that catered to ALL aspects of our love of cars. We wanted a site where exotics would live side by side with family cars. Where you could get professional video reviews of the Ferrari 458 Italia while researching specs of your soon to be new Ford Fiesta. Where you could read all the coverage of the latest motor shows while talking about it and sharing it with your closest friends. All of this in one place seemed like an idea worth exploring...and that's how MotorShout came to be.
Motoring Enthusiasts
Car lovers
We require 10 Badges\Trophies to be created for MotorShout.com
The design has to match MotorShout.com
We currently have a number of "temp" designs on the site in the trophies section as you can see here: http://www.motorshout.com/trophies/adsy/ These are BAD, do not copy them, they are just a temp design.
You are not limited to any shape or color, just match the existing design. They can be square, circlular or any shape, just follow the design cues of the website, especially our logo.
Here is the badge\trophy list to be created:
First Reviewer
Be the first to review any car.
Staff Writer
Write 10 reviews
Photo Librarian
Tag 20 or more photos
Movie Director
Upload 10 or more videos
Motor Mouth
Agree or Disagree with 20 Reviews
Car Collector
Add 5 cars to your Garage.
Fully Licensed
Fill out all user details.
Auto Club
Make friends with 5 other users
The Badge
Upload an avatar to your user account.
The Preacher
Successfully refer three friends to MotorShout
As we will need ongoing badge designs, there could very well be more work for the successful winner.


text:
Subject: Fiduciary Activities of National Banks
Date: March 27, 2008
To: Chief Executive Officers of National Banks, Department and Division Heads, Examining Personnel, and Other Interested Parties
Description: Annual Reviews of Fiduciary Accounts Pursuant to 12 CFR 9.6 (c)
As of February 12, 2014, this guidance applies to federal savings associations in addition to national banks.*
Background and Purpose
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is providing guidance to national banks on the annual review requirement contained in OCC fiduciary regulation 12 CFR 9.6(c). Under the regulation, at least once during every calendar year, a national bank is required to conduct a review of all assets of each fiduciary account for which the bank has investment discretion to evaluate whether they are appropriate, individually and collectively, for the account. These annual reviews are commonly referred to as "annual investment reviews".
The OCC has developed this guidance to clarify the agency's expectations for the depth and breadth of annual investment reviews. Specifically, the guidance will:
Elements of an Effective Annual Investment Review Process
In addition to being a regulatory requirement, annual investment reviews are among the most useful tools bank fiduciaries have to ensure they meet their fiduciary responsibilities and properly administer their customers' accounts. An annual investment review is a point-in-time evaluation of both account assets and objectives. Regardless of the tools employed by a particular institution, management supervision, information systems, and follow-up are all critical to an effective investment review process. An effective investment review process should be based upon policies and procedures that provide clear standards for scope, documentation, and exception reporting and tracking. The process should:
Exception tracking systems are essential to a strong investment review process. An effective tracking system should provide notification to management of items such as investment reviews coming due, identification of reviews that are past due, and realistic time frames for implementing corrective action. The bank should have a process for reporting and escalating issues/exceptions to appropriate management or committee levels. Exceptions should be properly addressed and corrective action should be implemented in a timely manner. Any waivers granted by administrators or portfolio managers should be based upon clearly defined parameters.
Unique or hard-to-value assets such as real estate, oil, gas and mineral interests, farms and ranches, timberland, closely held businesses, loans, and personal property should be included as part of the annual investment review. The review of these assets should:
Various types of assets, including unique assets, held in a single account may be reviewed at different times. However, the investment review process must ensure that an assessment of the account as a whole is made at least annually. This is particularly important when unique assets make up a substantial portion of the account.
Appropriate document retention policies and procedures should be in place to ensure that the bank maintains adequate documentation of each annual investment review. This will provide evidence of the bank's review process in the event complaints are lodged against the fiduciary, or litigation issues arise.
Automated and Manual Investment Review Processes
The annual investment review process has evolved over time. In an effort to increase efficiencies, many banks are increasing their use of automation to facilitate investment reviews. Some banks have acquired investment review packages from vendors, while others have developed their own in-house systems. Some automated systems have the ability to screen an account's marketable securities on a daily basis. Many banks use hybrid processes that encompass features of both automated and traditional manual investment reviews.
Factors to consider in using a manual review process:
Automated investment reviews can also be a useful investment management and compliance tool. Lower risk accounts, such as those invested in model portfolios comprised of mutual funds or collective investment funds, lend themselves well to an automated process. Automated systems allow marketable securities to be screened efficiently and frequently to identify assets not on an approved list, concentrations, own-bank securities, or accounts with allocations inconsistent with account objectives. While automation can provide efficient identification, reporting, escalation, and ongoing monitoring of many types of exceptions, an automated investment review is not a substitute for good portfolio management or committee oversight and accountability.
Factors to consider in using an automated review process:
Supervisory Considerations
Additional Information
Kerri R. Corn
1 For example, valuation of assets in charitable trusts may require appraisals that comply with IRS rules such as Internal Revenue Code Section 6695A. Other rules addressing valuation of real estate or closely held companies may also apply.
* References in this guidance to national banks or banks generally should be read to include federal savings associations (FSA). If statutes, regulations, or other OCC guidance is referenced herein, please consult those sources to determine applicability to FSAs. If you have questions about how to apply this guidance, please contact your OCC supervisory office.


text:
COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- This city plans to invest in wind farms, electric cars, bike paths and energy-efficient buildings in an effort to become the world's first carbon-neutral capital by 2025.
The Danish capital, its inhabitants and its businesses will spend as much as $4.7 billion in the next 13 years to reach this goal, city officials explained as they rolled out their climate plan.
"Copenhageners' daily lives will become better in a greener and healthier city," said Frank Jensen, the city's mayor. "The investments will ensure jobs now, and the new solutions will provide the foundation for a strong green sector."
Extensive retrofitting of buildings, more wind turbines and changing transport habits will lead to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of around 1.2 million tons per year while creating economic growth and improving quality of life, city planners said.
"The goal is realistic and economically viable, but it also needs support and investment from the citizens of Copenhagen and the private sector," said Rikke Houkjær, a spokeswoman for the city.
The plan will require municipal investment of around 2.7 billion Danish crowns, or $450 million, up to 2025. In addition, new private investment of 20 billion to 25 billion crowns will be needed, resulting in employment of about 35,000 man-years until 2025, according to the city. Once the plan's goals are achieved, city dwellers will save 350 crowns per month on their power and heating bills, the municipality estimates.
The plan is scheduled to be discussed and approved in several city committees starting this week before final approval in the City Council on Aug. 23.
The council unanimously decided in 2009 that the city would cut its CO2 emissions by 20 percent by 2015 compared with 2005 levels and become carbon neutral in 2025. Current statistics show the city would meet its 2015 goal, and Copenhagen for the first time presented its plan for how to move forward to the 2025 target.
Building on existing policies
Copenhagen emitted 1.9 million tons of CO2 last year. Even without any new initiatives, this is projected to fall to 1.16 million tons by 2025 because of steps already set in place, such as tighter E.U. emissions standards for cars, an increase in production of renewable energy and replacement of some coal power plants with ones that burn biomass.
Energy efficiency will account for 7 percent of the CO2 reductions needed to get from 1.16 million tons to net zero in 2025, the city said. Renovation of existing buildings and stricter efficiency requirements for new buildings will lead to a 20 percent reduction in heating demand, 20 percent reduction in commercial electricity consumption and 10 percent reduction in residential electricity consumption.
In addition, roof-mounted solar panels, now virtually nonexistent in the city, will produce 1 percent of electricity used locally.
An additional 74 percent of the reduction will come from more use of onshore and offshore wind power, a new biomass power plant, a new geothermal plant, and better sorting of plastic trash so that it doesn't end up in the garbage that's being burned in plants that produce district heating.
More bike paths, the introduction of hybrid and biogas buses, and wider use of electric cars will contribute an additional 11 percent of the reduction, according to the plan. By 2025, 75 percent of all city transportation will take place on foot, by bike or by public transit. Fifty percent of commuting to work will happen by bike, up from 33 percent now. Public transit will have 20 percent more passengers and will be by itself CO2 neutral.
"We will only achieve a carbon-neutral capital with the support and commitment of Copenhageners," said Ayfer Baykal, who heads technical and environmental affairs at Copenhagen City Hall. "We must choose our bikes instead of our cars, sort and recycle more of our waste, and invest in retrofitting our houses and flats. The reward will be clean air, less noise and better quality of life."
'Cycle superhighways' from the suburbs
To encourage even longer commutes to work by bike, Copenhagen opened the first of 26 "cycle superhighways" this year. A 22-kilometer (13.7-mile) bike lane with stoplights synchronized to favor cyclists was opened at a cost of 14.2 million crowns to connect downtown Copenhagen with the suburban town of Albertslund. Two more routes will open later this year.
Copenhagen is big enough that its climate solutions are relevant in an international setting but small enough that it can try out new ideas. The inner city of 537,000 is projected to grow by 100,000 inhabitants by 2025 and will have 20,000 more jobs, which will require 6.8 million square meters of new commercial and residential real estate.
The city will invest 1.4 billion crowns to renovate buildings owned by the municipality as well as replace streetlights with more energy-efficient bulbs. It aims to cut energy use in its own buildings by 40 percent and on-street lighting by 50 percent. All city vehicles will run on electricity, hydrogen or biofuels by 2025.
The city hopes its green plan -- which covers the Copenhagen municipality only, not the greater Copenhagen area of 1.5 million people with suburbs -- will also make it a knowledge hub, with an ambition to attract and keep scientists and high-tech companies from elsewhere.
Since 1990, Copenhagen has reduced its CO2 output by 40 percent while its economy has grown by 50 percent. A large part of the reduction was due to the fact that 98 percent of the city uses district heating. When heat and electricity are produced simultaneously, energy is used almost twice as efficiently while cutting city inhabitants' heating bills.
The green economy employed 11,000 people in Copenhagen in 2009 and had revenues of 24 billion crowns, out of which 10.5 billion crowns was exports, according to the city. The city's economy grew 3 percent in 2010, more than double Denmark's 1.3 percent GDP growth that year.
Becoming carbon-neutral doesn't mean there will not be any CO2 emissions in Copenhagen in 2025. The city acknowledged that at least some private traffic will most likely continue to run on fossil fuels. It plans to compensate for that by being a net "exporter" of renewable energy to other areas in Denmark's energy system, where it would replace coal.
But because Denmark plans to be totally independent of fossil fuels by 2035, this calculation will no longer be valid at that time, so Copenhagen will have to continue efforts to reduce its CO2 output in the 10 years after 2025, city planners acknowledged.
Reprinted from Climatewire with permission from Environment & Energy Publishing, LLC. www.eenews.net, 202-628-6500


text:
- Exclusive Promotions and Discounts
- Official Site 10% Discount
- Direct Clients get 20% off at our Restaurant the Coccodrillo
- Free Use of Swimming Pool June to September
Welcome to the Hotel Croce di Malta Florence!
Hotel Croce di Malta is located only a few steps from both the Arno River and the Santa Maria Novella railway station. The church of the same name makes up one of the corners of an ideal triangle of works of art linking Piazza Santa Maria Novella, the Ponte Vecchio and Piazza Duomo, all of which only a few minutes' walk away.
All 98 rooms are decorated according to the canons of classic elegance...
The three conference rooms are comfortable and unique due to the design and decorations...
Traditional Tuscan cuisine linked to the flavours of the area meets international cuisine...
Check out for discounted rates, special offers & promotions...
Services at a glance
• FREE Internet Wi-Fi Everywhere
• Superb City Centre Location
• 98 Rooms Recently Refurbished
• Swimming Pool Courtyard
• Panoramic Rooftop Terrace
• Restaurant il Coccodrillo
• 3 Modern Meeting Rooms by the hotel
• Restaurant and piano bar
• Cocktail lounge
Our Rooms
The rooms and interior decoration stem from essential, pure geometrical forms where the meticulous play of full and empty shapes creates a special, modern ambience.
Rooftop Views
From here the eyes take in an evocative, sweeping 360-degree vista comprising of the elegant, sophisticated shape of the Duomo against the backdrop of Florentine hills, the red cupola by Brunelleschi, the whiteness of the marble embellished with green of the glorious Santa Maria Novella façade and its soaring Romanic-Gothic bell tower.
At sunset this wondrous view lights up with all the nuances of red, yellow and gold springing forth from rooftops and building façades.
Swimming Pool
The hotel encloses a lovely inner garden with swimming pool, a small jewel rarely found in Florence's centre. Enjoy tranquillity and relax among magnolias and wisterias, sunbathe or take a refreshing dip in the pool. From the last floor you can reach the spacious panoramic terrace, yet another one of the hotel's enviable assets with a bar available for cocktails on sunny days.
Great Location
The hotel is located in what up until the mid 1800's was the old Suore della Carità (Sisters of Charity) convent, which offered hospitality to Florence's "poor, virtuous maidens". The convent was built on a pre-existing building from Roman times. Marble sculptures and reliefs date back from this period, as well as a splendid column decorated with an Ionic capital that can still be admired today in various areas of the hotel. Its structure is a harmonious fusion of Tuscan renaissance forms and contemporary architectural design.


text:
Sure, the Nokia Lumia 810 will go down as one of the fastest "blink and you'll miss it" devices on T-Mobile, but that doesn't it's not worth having—maybe even for a backup. Luckily, Groupon, that bastion for smartphone fire sales, has a special going for the next 4 days for the device, completely unlocked.
Featuring GSM (850/900/1800/1900) and HSDPA (850/1700/1900/2100), users on T-Mobile and even AT&T can get in on the action. Sure, there's no 4G LTE but as a world phone? Not a bad deal.
To refresh, the Lumia 810 was Nokia's "custom" variant of the Lumia 820. It features a dazzling, borderline neon, 4.3" OLED WVGA display with ClearBlack/Gorilla Glass 2, 8GB internal storage expandable with 64GB microSD card (optional), 8MP rear shoot with Carl Zeiss lens and a 1.5GHz dual core Snapdragon CPU to power it all.
Although the phone is rather square-ish, coming in matte black (though you can buy wireless rechargeable back plate for it), the Lumia 810 falls into the conservative design category by Nokia. Having said that, it's a solid phone and worth considering at $310 for an unlocked, non-contract device with free shipping.
Head to Groupon here for more information and remember, you only have 4 days to deicide! Thanks, Jonathan, for the tip!
This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for more details.


text:
Noah Jones (Feat. Knoc-Turn'al) - Crack Of Dawn [In Studio Performance]
"Crack of Dawn" Noah Jones featuring Knoc-Turn'al studio footage edited by K-Solo.
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
Pushing the Envelope
Giving Cash Unconditionally in Fragile States
There have been many recent press articles, a couple of potentially seminal journal papers, and some great blogs from leading economists at the World Bank on the topic of Unconditional Cash Transfers (UCTs). It remains a widely debated subject, and one with perhaps a couple of myths associated with it. For example, what is cash from UCTs used for? Do the transfers lead to permanent increases in income? Does it matter how the transfers are labelled or promoted? I am particularly interested in whether UCTs could be a useful instrument in countries with low institutional capacity, such as fragile and conflict-affected states (FCS).
Why UCTs in FCS? UCTs present a new approach to reducing poverty, stimulating growth and improving social welfare, that may be the most efficient and feasible mechanism in FCS. A recent evaluation of the World Bank's work on FCS recognized, "where government responsiveness to citizens has been relatively weak, finding the right modality for reaching people with services is vital to avoiding further fragility and conflict". Plus there is always the risk of desperately needed finances being "spirited away" when channeled through central governments. UCTs may present a mechanism for stimulating the provision of quality services, which are often lacking, while directly reducing poverty at the same time. As Shanta Devarajan's blog puts it, "But when they (the poor) are given cash with which to "buy" these services, poor people can demand quality—and the provider must meet it or he won't get paid." We should explore more about this approach to tackling poverty: where and when it has worked, what made it work, and whether we can predict whether it will work in different contexts.
- Tags:
- unconditional cash transfers
- Cast Transfers
- Fragile and Conflict Afflicted States
- Social Development
- Public Sector and Governance
- Poverty
- Gender
- Education
- South Asia
- Middle East and North Africa
- Latin America & Caribbean
- Europe and Central Asia
- East Asia and Pacific
- Africa
- Syrian Arab Republic
- Malawi
- Lebanon
- Kenya
- Indonesia


text:
With a pre-season roster that includes 28 returning letterwinners, the Flying Dutchmen look to build on a successful 2010 season in which they finished third in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) and sixth among 33 teams in the Great Lakes Region of NCAA Division III.
Hope has a long history of competitiveness in the MIAA and NCAA. Under coach Mark Northuis the past 22 season, the team has finished third or higher every year in the conference standings and has been in the top ten in the Great Lakes NCAA Division III Region eight of the last 10 seasons.
The pre-season roster of returning letterwinners is one of the largest in recent years and consists of 15 sophomores, seven juniors and eight seniors.
The co-captains of the team are senior Nathan Love of Midland (Midland HS) and Andrew McKeachie of Milford (Milford HS).
A year ago Love qualified for the Division III national championships by finishing eighth in a field of 240 runners at the Great Lakes championships which were hosted by Hope. He finished 61st among 279 runners at nationals with a career best time over the 8K course. McKeachie received All-MIAA honors in track and field after finishing second in the 1,500 meter run at the conference championships.
Senior Kyle Gibson of Alma (Alma HS) was voted the team's most improved runner in 2010 while sophomore Sam Pederson of Mt. Prospect (Mt. Prospect HS) was named rookie of the year. Senior Brian Hernandez of Saline (Saline HS) received All-MIAA honors in 2009 and junior Elliott Barney was an All-MIAA performer in track and field in 2010.
Seven of Hope's eight entries in the 2010 MIAA and NCAA Regional championships return -- Kyle Gibson, Brian Hernandez of Saline, Nathan Love, Samuel Pederson, junior Blake Rottschafer of Spring Lake (Spring Lake HS), junior Chris Ryan of Vicksburg (Vicksburg HS) and sophomore Tom Smeltzer of Frankfort (Benzie Central HS).
Other returning senior letterwinners are Ben Fineout of Zeeland and Bruce Kraay, both from Zeeland (Zeeland East HS), Returning junior letterwinners are Will Hewitt of Grand Haven (Grand Haven HS), Kyle Mireles of Livonia (Churchill HS), Joel Rietsma of Rockford (Rockford HS), and Andrew Wiersum of Minnetonka, Minn. (Minnetonka HS).


text:
Think of Rajasthan and the rainbow colors of turbans and sari is inevitably conjured up in the canvas of imagination. Although a harsh land when it comes to weather and geography, its association with numerous maharajas of erstwhile Rajputana has ensured that the allure of Rajasthan is indelibly itched in the popular consciousness and folklore. Countless stories of valor, romance, intrigues and sacrifices have lent a unique stature to the state and various journals and annals of the British Raj era have only added to that appeal.
Owing to its royal legacy, Rajasthan is dotted with multitudes of fortresses, palaces, temples which form the major attractions of Rajasthan. Then there are vast stretches of deserts and diversity of wildlife which have become intrinsic part of Rajasthan tourism. Further, globally renowned Pushkar fair along with Ajmer Sharif attracts millions of devotees and pilgrims alike from around the globe.
With the 'things to do' list in Rajasthan as varied and vast as it is, even a month's time is too short for a fussy traveler to explore and uncover the treasure troves of this desert state. Although conditions are harsh, traveling is quite easy as the destinations are well connected by road, rail and air with railroad being the best option.
Owing to huge tourist influx, hospitality industry in the state has developed in leaps and bounds. Hotels, guest houses, lodges and homestays have come up across destinations to suit every taste and budget of the travelers. Best time to visit this vibrant state is from October till February when sun is not harsh. Mentioned below are some of the most famous destinations which should be included to make for a memorable Rajasthan trip.
Jaipur also known as the Pink City is the capital and the largest city in Rajasthan. A young Bengali architect Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya designed the city in accordance with the Shilp Shastra - an ancient Hindu treatise on architecture. Today's Jaipur is pink, visually described as the city shaded with the autumn colors of the sunset. Major attractions here include Amber Fort, City Palace, ethnic bazaars and Chokhi Dhani, an ethnic resort in the outskirts of the city.
One of the few places with temples dedicated to Hindu creator god Bramha, Pushkar is no more a sleepy little hamlet thronged by domestic and international tourists and pilgrims alike. It is said that when Bramha hit a demon with his weapon – which ironically was lotus flower – it fell to three places and one of them happens to be Pushkar where a lake sprang up. According to the legends a dip in the holy waters of the lake here ensures salvation especially when performed on Karthik Purnima (fteenth lunar day of Kartik month November–December).
Udaipur is another major tourist destination in the colorful state of Rajasthan. Udaipur is popular around the world for its Lake Palace which is considered one of the best honeymoons hotel in the world and which also featured in the James Bond movie Octopussy. There are many attractions in and around Lake Pichola including Jagdish temple, Puppet Museum, City Palace, Monsoon Palace among others. Apart from this, Udaipur is also famous for its festivals, which include Teej, Mewar festival and Shilpgram festival.
Jodhpur, also known as "the Sun City" and "the Blue City", is famous for its historical monuments, palaces, forts and temples. This desert city is one of the favorite destinations of tourists coming from various parts of the country and the world. Some of the well-known sites to visit in the city are Mehrangarh Fort, Balsamand Lake, Osiyan temple, Umaid Bhawan Palace, Ganesha temple, etc. The festivals of the city also have a huge impact on tourists, which include Teej, Nag Panchami fair, Gangaur and Mahaveer Jayanti.
Ranthambore National Park
Ranthambore, located in Sawai Madhopur, is one of the most visited national parks in India. Tourists and wildlife lovers from all across the globe are attracted by the fascination of this tiger reserve in Rajasthan. The major attractions of the park are wild animals and numerous species of birds. It includes tigers, panthers, chinkara, sambhar, nilgai, leopards, peafowl, Bonelli's eagle, jacanas, black storks, etc. Ranthambore National Park is considered to be the best bet in India when it comes to tiger spotting due to its sparse vegetation.


text:
After three years of intending to make a website, I finally got around to doing it. It links back to Moveable Beast, of course (where it all began), but also directs interested parties to my other writing endeavors. Whether or not those interested parties will remain interested is anyone's guess.
Anyway, enjoy: toryhoen.com


text:
Nov. 9, 2006
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - For the second year in a row, the MIT women's volleyball team defeated Bridgewater State College to advance to the semifinal of the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball New England Regional. This year, the No. 2 Engineers swept the No. 7 Bears, 30-26, 32-30, 30-21, on Thursday night. MIT will host No. 3 Amherst College at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 10 while Bridgewater State ends its season with a record of 19-17.
Despite trailing 3-1 to open the match, the Bears tallied four consecutive points for their first lead of the game. The frame remained closely played as neither team was able to go ahead by more than one point. With the contest tied at nine, the Engineers (32-5) tallied five of the next six points for a 14-10 advantage. MIT maintained the small cushion until Bridgewater State cut a six-point deficit down to two (19-17). Following a Tech timeout, the Engineers scored six consecutive points. Each side posted a trio of points that resulted in a score of 28-20. The Bears continued to attack as they outscored MIT, 6-1, but it would not be enough as the Engineers took the next point after coming out of their own timeout.
In the second stanza, MIT raced out to a 14-5 lead that later resulted in a 26-16 advantage. Bridgewater State generated another late rally, this time winning nine out of the next 10 points. After trading points, MIT held a 29-26 edge. The Bears went on to tie the game, which forced a timeout by the Engineers. Tech took the next point, but Bridgewater State evened the frame on a service error. MIT captured the last two points, with senior co-captain Frances Rogoz recording the final kill.
The Bears' 5-3 advantage in the third game would be their last of the night as Tech went on to outscore the visitors, 14-3. MIT maintained a double-digit cushion for most of the frame as it cruised to the victory.
Rogoz powered the Engineers' offense with 16 kills while Alex May added 12 kills and 11 digs. Amanda Morris finished with 37 assists and 12 digs while Carrie Buchanan paced MIT with 16 digs. Alexandra Huston-Carico led the blocking corps with three stops.
Kelsey Collasius led all attackers with 17 kills as Shannon Desmond notched a match-high 28 digs. Kassie Moore and Elsa Apostoli each registered 12 digs while Desmond distributed 33 assists. Erica Kelley rounded Bridgewater State's defense with 10 digs while tallying three aces.


text:
- Options
- Detail Images
Item # PRD0020Item # PRD0020
Fully-adjustable for full comfort.
Unlike how many create base bars and extensions as a one-piece-deal, Profile Design has an option for those who need to customize their time trial position. So, whether you use one of Profile's base bars for a complete setup, or you just need to use your drop bars as a base, the T4+ Carbon Clip-On TT Bars will fit the bill.
Profile Design's T4 Carbon Clip-on TT bars feature a traditional ski-bend shape with a rather shallow angle between the extension and the shifters. To customize the fit, the bars include Profile Design's J4 bracket. With this bracket, the armrests are set back 20mm from the center of the base bar, and they're reversible for a more forward armrest position. It's compatible with aftermarket risers in order to elevate the armrest, while also maintaining the desired wrist angle. Even better, these bars aren't difficult to adjust -- it's all done with a single bolt.
In terms of comfort, the T4 bars are finished with Profile's F-35 armrests. These are adjustable for width and reach, meaning that you're able to place them exactly where you need them.
The Profile Design T4 Plus Carbon Clip-on TT Bars are compatible with both 31.8mm and 26.0mm bars (with included shim). They're available in one size and in the color Black. Also, the complete rig tips the scales around 600 grams.
- Shallow ski-bend extension
- J4 Bracket
- F-35 armrests with 3x fore/aft positioning
- Compatible with both 31.8mm and 26.0mm bars (with included shim)
View more Aerobars
Reviews & Community
Can shifters be attached to the end and cables routed through them?
They are not designed for it. But it may be a possibility.


text:
Bombardier on Wednesday signed a letter of intent to authorize Ethiopian Airlines as an authorized service facility (ASF) for its Q400 and Q400 NextGen turboprop aircraft.
The national Ethiopian carrier operates a fleet of 13 Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft along with its affiliate, ASKY Airlines of Togo. The announcement follows Bombardier's recent establishment of a full service regional support office at Lanseria Airport in South Africa, which it says will "complement" the airline's maintenance services.
"We are enthusiastic about the many new opportunities for commercial aviation in Africa and, through sustained investment and focus, we are expanding our support services on the continent at an accelerated pace," said Eric Martel, president of specialized and amphibious aircraft at Bombardier.
The maintenance authorization is expected to be finalized in late August.
Home > Media Center > Regional Aviation News >


text:
ForumsQuestionsWeb interface not displaying all tasks and quicksearch failure
Web interface not displaying all tasks and quicksearch failure
Over the past few days I have been experiencing problems using IE 7.0 and Firefox 3.5.7 on a PC, though it may have occurred from home on my Mac using Safari.
The web interface does not appear to display all items, and quicksearch is failing to find items, which I know are present in specific folders if I select the appropriate folder. When I get an email report ?#today I see all items for today, but some tasks are just not showing up in the web interface. I've checked filters and don't think I'm filtering anything out. This is very frustrating. Suggestions?
Have you tried double-checking the context filter? I sometimes forget that I've left it on, and then can't find my tasks.
Another possibility is if you're in indented view and the task you're looking for has a parent that doesn't match the folder you're in. Flattening the tasks should make your task appear.
I'm not using contexts (long-time Palm Pilot user and it didn't have them...), and I've checked the filters multiple times. I discovered that if I go to the calendar view, I can actually see all of today's items. However, in the main view, the problem persists. If I locate an item due 'today' but which is not showing in the main view, then 'touch' it, specifically, set it's due date to 'today' (again), it then seems to appear in the main view. I only rely on the due date, and don't use start date. Also, I'm not using sub-tasks.
Hmm. It certainly sounds like you've covered the basics. I'd recommend submitting a bug report with a screenshot so Toodledo can dig into it for you.
Toodledo Founder
It sounds like a filter to me. Please create a support ticket and we'll take a look.
You cannot reply yet
U Back to topic home
R Post a reply
To participate in these forums, you must be signed in.


text:
Versa Gripps: Support for Sore/Fatigued Wrists & Hands
Weight training gloves traditionally provide relief for the skin of your hands when coming in contact with the typically abrasive surface of strength training equipment. Of course this helps prevent blisters and calluses, but these basic gloves really do little to actually support your hands and wrist during the act of heavy pulling and pushing.
Enter Versa Gripps. These cool weight-lifting tools are designed with a unique stand up grip, which wraps around a bar to relieve the stress placed on both your hands and wrists. I recently allowed one of my female clients with arthritic wrists to use the Versa Gripps and she was instantly able to lift more and do more overall. The Versa Gripps allowed her to hold each weight without squeezing her hands too tightly which eliminated grip and and also took a great amount of stress off of her wrists. Success!
Versa Gripps are ideal for and used by the most successful heavy-lifters and bodybuilders in the world. They're also a smart choice for anyone who believes their workouts are suffering due to weakness or pain in their hands and wrists. Check them out at VersaGripps.com


text: Jean-Paul Calderone wrote: > On Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:13:56 +0200, Gabriel Rossetti > <gabriel.rossetti at arimaz.com> wrote: >> Gabriel Rossetti wrote: >>> Hello, >>> >>> I'm needing to send small packets to update a progress bar. My >>> update msgs were all being sent in big packets, so I tried setting >>> setTcpNoDelay() in connectionMade() but it doesn't change anything, >>> is it broken? >>> >>> Thank you, >>> Gabriel >> I an using code that I wrote using threads.deferToThread(), I >> wondered if it was blocking the reactor maybe, so I tried just using >> a plain deferToThread() call. Here's the code (without all the >> protocol stuff, it's executed when data come in. >> >> def loop(self): >> import time >> m = utils.createMessage("toto", "hello") >> while(True): >> print "Sending %s" % m.toXml() >> self.sendMessage(m) >> print "Sent!" >> time.sleep(2) >> >> >> threads.deferToThread(self.loop) >> >> the TCP no delay option is turned on like I said before, the weird >> thing is that I have the same thing, all my msgs get sent in big >> blocks. Either the TCP no delay doesn't work, or the reactor is >> getting tied up. I don' t get it since I'm running the blocking code >> in a thread, the reactor should have nothing to do. >> > > Since you didn't include the definition of `sendMessage´, it's hard to > say > what's really going on here. However, my guess is that you're calling > the > transport.write method in a non-reactor thread, which is not allowed. > > If this isn't the case, including a full, minimal example in your next > message would be a good idea. :) > > Jean-Paul > > Yes, self.sendMessage() calls transport.write. So there's no way of sending msgs from a non-reactor thread, even if it has a reference to the protocol? Gabriel