text:
When shopping for new flooring, it's easy to become overwhelmed by the vast number of options available. While it's exciting to browse through different colors, textures, and materials, it's also important to be mindful of some common mistakes that shoppers tend to make. By avoiding these common pitfalls, you can ensure that you make a smart and informed decision that will meet your needs and expectations.
By avoiding these common flooring shopping mistakes, you can choose the best flooring option for your needs, preferences, and budget. Carpet One Floor & Home is here to help you make the most informed decision possible by providing expert guidance and a wide selection of high-quality flooring options. Whether you're looking for hardwood, carpet, tile, laminate, or vinyl flooring, we've got you covered. Contact Us Today!
Thank you for contacting Carpet One Floor & Home. Your local flooring expert will reach out to you regarding your inquiry.


text:
An article appeared today on The Center for Public Integrity (winner of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize) titled "How 'Citizens United' is helping Hillary Clinton win the White House." Above the title, in red, it says "Buying of the President 2016," and under the title, in gray, it says "Reforms wait as Democrat's allies target GOP with super PACs, 'dark money'"
It begins:
"Hillary Clinton fashions herself as the ultimate general in a war against big-money politics."
Read the rest here.
By the way, this comment goes deeper:
"There is just so much going on in this article (which is also on the front page of NBC News' website). One of the things that really jumped out at me, that I had not seen before, was this little tid bit about some guy from Boston named John Fish:
Federal records show Suffolk Construction's John Fish is a major political bankroller, having personally donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to federal candidates and committees over the years. Fish, who the Federal Reserve named chairman of the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, did not return requests for comment. Most of Fish's contributions went to Democrats, including Clinton's presidential campaign. But Fish also last year contributed to the presidential campaigns of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J.
So I went and looked him up on Open Secrets and found this
He was named to be chairman of the Boston Fed on Dec. 4, 2015. What I find really strange, when looking at those donor records from Open Secrets, is that he then contributed $25,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee 2 weeks later on Dec. 18 while listing "Suffolk Construction" as his occupation. Looking further down, I noticed that he also gave monthly donations ranging from $437 – $450 starting January 2015 to as recent as January 2016 (while conspicuously skipping contributing in Dec. 2015). For those contributions, which all went to Reynolds American, Inc. PAC, he lists his occupation as "RAI Services Company," which as far as I can tell is the lobbying arm by the tobacco company (and PAC he is contributing to) Reynolds American, Inc.
Just to add on to this, he maxed out the $2,700 limit to Hillary Clinton, Martin O'Malley, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, and many others. And also gave the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee $33,400 in May 2015.
Finally, and I don't understand how this works, his name is listed 3 different ways. John Fish, John F. Fish, and John H. Fish. The third variation is only used when he is in his lobbying role, along with a D.C. address, while the other two variations are used the other instances and always with a Massachusetts address.
Can anyone tell me if there are rules against giving contributions when sitting on the board of a Fed bank? And is there anything wrong about the name variations? He's listed as John F. Fish on the Boston Fed website."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
You know there is one being in your life that you can always count on. Even when times get tough, you know that he will be there for you if you believe. Jesus Christ is your savior, your everything. This T Shirt lets you wear him on your sleeve no matter what. Even in modern times, you can keep him and Christian strength always through your journey of life. With this T Shirt, you can provide faith even when times get tough.
Key Features:
Heavy Cotton Adult T-Shirt


text:
Adoption of Children
Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), is a statutory body under the Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of India. It functions as the nodal body for adoption of Indian children and is mandated to monitor and regulate in-country and inter-country adoptions. CARA is designated as the Central Authority to deal with inter-country adoptions in accordance with the provisions of The Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoption, 1993, ratified by Government of India in 2003.
CARA primarily deals with adoption of orphan, abandoned and surrendered children through its associated /recognized adoption agencies. In this regard, the Indian Diplomatic Missions perform the following role in inter-country adoption of Indian Children, namely: -
(1) Liaise with Central or public authorities concerned to ensure safeguards of children of Indian origin adopted by Non-Resident Indian, Overseas Citizen of India or foreign parents against neglect, maltreatment, exploitation or abuse;
(2) Interact with the authorized foreign adoption agencies and Central Authorities within their jurisdiction and organize or participate in the get-togethers of the adopted children and their parents;
(3) Recommend proposals for authorization of foreign adoption agencies for the purpose of sponsoring applications for adoption of Indian children;
(4) Issue visa to foreign prospective adoptive parents who wish to see a child in person at a Specialized Adoption Agency in India, before accepting him for adoption, after their adoption application is approved by the Authority, and also for attending the court proceedings as well as for receiving the child thereafter;
(5) Empanel and authorize social workers to complete adoption application formalities including Home Study Report in a foreign country, where there is no Authorized Foreign Adoption Agency or a Government department to deal with adoption;
(6) Register the adoption applications of Non-Residence Indian Prospective Adoptive Parents or Overseas Citizen of India in Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System along with requisite documents as specified in Schedule VI of Adoption Regulations, 2017 and upload post-adoption follow-up reports as in Regulation 19 of Adoption Regulations, 2017;
(7) The Indian diplomatic mission processing the adoption application, either directly or through the authorized organization, shall send progress report of the child on quarterly basis in the first year and on six monthly basis in the second year, from the date of arrival of the child in the receiving country and in case of disruption of adoption, shall take actions as provided in Regulation 19 of Adoption Regulations, 2017;
(8) Contact the Central Authority or other authorities in the receiving countries to ensure safeguards of children of Indian origin adopted by Non-Resident Indian or Overseas Citizen of India or foreign parents and in case of disruption of adoption, a report in this regard shall also be sent to the Authority at the earliest;
Registration and Solemnization of Marriage
Under the Foreign Marriage Act, 1969, the Embassy is authorized to solemnize marriages of citizens of India residing abroad.
Requirements - When One Partner is Indian, and the Other Partner is a Foreigner: -
1) An advertisement in a local newspaper in Qatar and one advertisement in an English newspaper at the native place in India in r/o Indian partner and advertisement in an English newspaper of the foreign country (in case one of the parties is a foreigner), announcing their intention to marry and that if anyone has any objection to the marriage, he/she may contact the Embassy of India, Doha. Original clippings of these newspapers are to be submitted in the Embassy.
2) A letter from the Embassy of the country to which the foreign partner belongs, stating that the Embassy does not have any objection to the marriage of its national.
3) Photocopies of the passports, names, addresses & copies of identity documents of parents of groom & bride. Passport copies and QID copies of three witnesses.
4) Passport copies, QID copies and five passport size recent colour photographs in r/o each partner.
5) Singleness/bachelorhood certificate in r/o the Indian partner from the competent court in India and the appropriate authority of the foreign country in r/o the foreign partner. The Singleness/Bachelorhood certificate from India should be duly attested by the Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India.
6) Marriage Declaration form (Form8B.pdf | Form8B.docx ) to be submitted to the Consular Officer, duly signed by the partners. The Form is to be signed before the Consular Officer who would attest the same.
7) Marriage fees is to be deposited at the time of submission of the Notice of Intended Marriage (Form8C.pdf |Form8C.doc ), and the other documents listed at Sl. 1 to 5 above, at least thirty days prior to the proposed date of marriage.
Requirements - When Both the partners are Indian Citizens:-
1) An advertisement in the newspapers (both in English and in the native language) in India widely read in the hometown of the partners, giving the name/address and other particulars of the boy/girl, announcing their intention to marry and that if anyone has any objection to the marriage, he/she may contact the Embassy of India, Doha. A similar advertisement is also to be got published in one Qatari newspaper, which is widely read, on the same lines. Original clippings of these newspapers are to be submitted at the Embassy.
2) Photocopies of passports & QIDs of both partners & three witnesses. Copies of identity documents (reflecting their addresses) of parents of the groom & bride.
3) Five recent passport size colour photographs in r/o each of the partners.
4) Singleness/bachelorhood certificate in respect of both the partners from a competent court in India. These certificates should be duly attested by the Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India.
5) Marriage Declaration form (Form8B.pdf | Form8B.docx ) to be submitted to the Consular Officer, duly signed by the partners. The Form is to be signed before the Consular Officer who would attest the same.
6) Marriage fees is to be deposited at the time of submission of the Notice of Intended Marriage (Form8C.pdf |Form8C.doc ) and the other documents listed at Sl. 1 to 5 above, at least thirty days prior to the proposed date of marriage.
- An additional surcharge of QR 8 (Qatari Riyal Eight) is levied on each Consular Service as contribution towards the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF). All fees are to be paid in Qatari Riyals in Cash at the Counter along with application. Fees once paid are not refunded, even if the application is withdrawn or the service refused, for whatsoever reason.
Marriage registration by the Embassy of India, Doha is subject to approval of the documents by the competent authority.
Issues Related to Marriage of Indian Nationals to Overseas Indians
Before you are engaged to or marry an overseas Indian, Verify the following details about the overseas Indian through your network of family, friends, relatives, local Indian Associations /Community/Organization/ NGOs etc, in India and in the country where the overseas Indian is residing;
Counseling and legal services are provided through credible Indian Women's Organizations/Indian Community Associations like Indian Community Benevolent Forum(ICBF), Doha. The ICBF helpline is available at +974- 4425 5727.
You may see the guidelines; complete the form available on the website of MEA (http://mea.gov.in/legal-and-financial-assistance.htm). The applications for providing legal aid received by the Indian Missions/Posts are examined by the Mission/Post on case-to-case basis and approved by the Mission/Post, before they are sent to Ministry. The applicant has to submit completed form and relevant documents such as,
You can contact your family, friends, neighbours etc. or Indian Associations/NGOs etc. in the country where overseas Indian resides. The list of such associations is available on the weblink http://www.mea.gov.in/legal-and-financial-assistance.htm . The Indian Embassy/Consulate may be able to help you by approaching the local authorities concerned.
Contact your family, relatives and friends both in India and the foreign country and seek their help, advice or assistance. The Indian Mission, through their empanelled NGOs, local community welfare associations can assist in filing a case approaching NGOs where possible, contacting your family or seeking legal advice, provide shelter for some days, where possible. List of NGOs, lawyers, Indian Associations, in foreign countries registered/empanelled is at the weblink: A Details abraod You may contact them to seek assistance.
Registration of Overseas Electors
Parliament has approved voting rights for non-resident Indians in elections with the Lok Sabha adopting the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2010. The new law will allow an Indian citizen residing abroad to enroll in voter's list and exercise his franchise even if he or she remained away from place of residence in India for more than six months owing to employment, education or otherwise. However, the person will be able to exercise the franchise only if he or she is present in the constituency on the polling day.
Notifications to this effect have been issued by various States / Union Territory and Application form 6A (Application Form 6A and guidelines) for registration is available on the website of Election Commission as well as the State Election Commission.
If the application is sent by post, it should be accompanied by a photo-copy of the relevant pages of the passport containing the photograph and all other particulars of the applicant and the page containing the valid visa endorsement. These photo-copies should be got duly attested by the competent official in the Embassy. Applications without the attested photo-copies of these documents will be liable to be summarily rejected.
If the application is submitted in person before the ERO, the application should be accompanied by a photo-copy of the relevant pages of the passport as mentioned above. The original passport should also be produced along with the application for verification by the registration officer. The passport will be returned immediately after verification.
Particulars and postal address of the EROs are available on the website of Election Commission of India (www.eci.nic.in ) and respective State Election Office websites.
Is there any ID card for emigrant?
We are students of a university abroad. Our university is derecognized by local authorities. What should we do now?
It is advisable that you take admission in a university abroad only after ascertaining whether it is an established university and a recognized one. Information about the authenticity of the foreign educational institution can be ascertained from your contacts/ friends/ relatives abroad, if any. You can also contact the Indian Embassy/Consulate who could help you in ascertaining the genuineness of the university.
NPS FOR NRIs
Kindly refer the following link for any queries:-http://www.mea.gov.in/images/pdf/nps-for-nri.pdf
GENERAL ADVISORY OF TRAFFIC RULES IN QATAR FOR NRIs
The Ministry of Interior, Government of State of Qatar, is tasked with monitoring road safety and ensuring that everyone obeys the law. Here are some the regulations to be followed:
All the proper documents should be in the vehicle at all times. These are important in case of accidents or other similar cases.
Over speeding is also constantly being monitored. MOI has installed speed radars all over the place for this function. Policemen also check the speed of the vehicles on the road. Thus, it is always advisable to observe the allowed speed.
The offenses of the drivers are being tracked. These carry a corresponding point, depending on the kind of offense committed. For instance, 14 points within 12 months will result in suspension of one's license. More major offenses might lead to stiffer penalties including imprisonment or deportation. The list of driving offences and their respective penalties are listed below:-
AADHAR CARD FOR NRIs
As per the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, only a resident who has resided in India continuously for a period amounting in all to 182 days or more in the 12 months immediately preceding the date of application for enrolment.
Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD)
Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on 9th January every year to mark the contribution of the Overseas Indian community to the development of India. January 9 was chosen as the day to celebrate this occasion since it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest Pravasi, returned to India from South Africa, led India's freedom struggle and changed the lives of Indians forever.
PBD conventions are being held every year since 2003. These conventions provide a platform to the overseas Indian community to engage with the government and people of the land of their ancestors for mutually beneficial activities. These conventions are also very useful in networking among the overseas Indian community residing in various parts of the world and enable them to share their experiences in various fields. It was decided in 2016 that PBD conventions would henceforth be held only in alternate years. In the intervening years, a series of PBD Panel Discussions would be held on issues of relevance to India and the Overseas Indian Community. The last PBD Convention was held in Bengaluru in January 2017. The next one is due in January 2019.


text:
Dear Reader
I need your help with the title for an upcoming book.
The novel is a second world historical fantasy with strong feminist themes and no dragons.
The Five Rivers Civil War is over and the men are back triumphant.
The naïve Duchess hopes for a new era of equality and the downtrodden slum wife hopes her husband doesn't return at all. But both are shoved back in their place as the men return more oppressive and cruel than ever.
With no resources, the women must resort to the old ways, the Wasp women, to fight back and right the wrongs. But who should have the right to decide who lives and who dies?
Which title do you like best?
- The Wasp Women of Ambrovna (50%, 2 Votes)
- The Sting of Justice (25%, 1 Votes)
- None (25%, 1 Votes)
- Women of Wasps and War (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 4
If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment.
And for news about the 'unnamed' novel in 2019, make sure you're on the mailing list.


text:
Mid-June 2016 brings compatibility level 130 for new Azure SQL databases
Published date: May 09, 2016
Azure SQL Database runs millions of databases under several different T-SQL versions, preserving backward compatibility for applications. SQL Database implements a versioning technique called "compatibility level." The compatibility levels are:
- SQL Server 2008 and SQL Database v11: 100
- SQL Server 2012: 110
- SQL Server 2014 and SQL Database: 120
- SQL Server 2016 and SQL Database v12: 130
Use of compatibility level 130 enables developers to benefit from SQL Server 2016 query processor enhancements. The enhancements can improve your query executions by leveraging new features such as parallel plan execution, serial batch mode execution, and new query plan estimates, to name a few.
Starting in mid-June 2016, the default Azure SQL Database compatibility level will change from 120 to 130 for newly created databases. Databases created before mid-June 2016 will not be affected and will maintain their current compatibility level (100, 110, or 120).
For pre-existing databases, we strongly encourage you to adopt this new compatibility level so you can benefit from the new query processor features and increase your application performance. You can change the compatibility level by running a simple T-SQL statement: "ALTER DATABASE <Your-Database-Name-Here> SET COMPATIBILITY_LEVEL = 130".
Experience shows that most workloads run as-is under compatibility level 130. However, there are always some exceptions, and due diligence is important to determine how much you can benefit from the enhancements. If you want to dive deeper on this matter, you can review the documentation: Improved query performance with compatibility level 130 in Azure SQL Database.


text:
The systrace
command invokes the Systrace tool,
which allows you to collect and inspect timing information across all processes
running on your device at the system level.
This document explains how to generate Systrace reports from the command line. On devices running Android 9 (API level 28) or higher, you can also generate Systrace reports using the System Tracing system app.
In order to run systrace
, complete the following steps:
- From Android Studio, download and install the latest Android SDK Tools.
- Install Python and include it in your
environment variable. - Add
to yourPATH
environment variable. This directory contains the Android Debug Bridge binary (adb), which is called by thesystrace
program. - Connect a device running Android 4.3 (API level 18) or higher to your development system using a USB debugging connection.
The systrace
command is provided in the Android SDK Tools package and is
located in android-sdk/platform-tools/systrace/
To generate the HTML report for app, you need to run systrace
from the
command line using the following syntax:
python systrace.py [options] [categories]
For example, the following command calls systrace
to record device activity
and generate a HTML report named mynewtrace.html
. This list of categories is a
reasonable default list for most devices.
$ python systrace.py -o mynewtrace.html sched freq idle am wm gfx view \
binder_driver hal dalvik camera input res memory
Tip: If you want to see the names of tasks in
the trace output, you must include the sched
category in
your command parameters.
To view the list of categories that your connected device supports, run the following command:
$ python systrace.py --list-categories
If you don't specify any categories or options, systrace
generates a report
that includes all available categories and uses default settings. The categories
available depend on the connected device you're using.
Global options
Global options | Description |
-h | --help |
Show the help message. |
-l | --list-categories |
Lists the tracing categories available to your connected device. |
Commands and command options
Commands and options | Description |
-o file |
Write the HTML trace report to the specified file. If
you don't specify this option, systrace saves your report to the same
directory as systrace.py and names it trace.html .
-t N | --time=N |
Trace device activity for N seconds. If you don't specify
this option, systrace prompts you to end the trace by pressing the
Enter key from the command line.
-b N | --buf-size=N |
Use a trace buffer size of N kilobytes. This option lets you limit the total size of the data collected during a trace. |
-k functions |
Trace the activity of specific kernel functions, specified in a comma-separated list. |
-a app-name |
Enable tracing for apps, specified as a comma-separated list of
process names.
The apps must contain tracing instrumentation calls from the
Trace class. You should specify this option whenever you
profile your app—many libraries, such as
RecyclerView , include tracing
instrumentation calls that provide useful information when you enable
app-level tracing. For more information, see Define custom events.
To trace all apps on a device running Android 9 (API level 28) or higher,
pass the wildcard character |
--from-file=file-path |
Create an interactive HTML report from a file, such as TXT files that include raw trace data, instead of running a live trace. |
-e device-serial |
Conduct the trace on a specific connected device, identified by its device serial number. |
categories |
Include tracing information for the system processes you specify, such
as gfx for system processes that render graphics. You
can run systrace with the -l command to see a
list of services available to your connected device.
Recommended for you
- Note: link text is displayed when JavaScript is off
- Capture a system trace on a device


text:
First steps
When you first start the application, you will be greeted with a simple wizard allowing you to select the basic settings that will tailor the app to your preference. Any settings you define in this wizard can be changed later so don't worry about making a wrong selection. For more info on that, please see the wizard documentation in the settings section.The main app form is displayed here and is designed to give you easy access to the common functions you may need. On the left side you have the selection of available screens: main, settings, manual graph edit, manual, store, change log and about. If you have a large screen, the selection may be expanded to show you text as well. Beside the selection you're looking at the main app form.
There's a quick display of current sensor readings, a brightness graph, a couple of quick switches and the preset buttons.
To enable Velis Auto Brightness, check the "Automatic brightness" switch or checkbox - depends on your Android version, but functionality is the same in both cases. Also make sure you disable any previous auto brightness apps you may have installed. Enabling automatic brightness will do two things: it will disable system auto brightness routine and start tracking your light sensor while adjusting brightness according to the default brightness curve you see in the graph.
Your next step then is to load presets and see which one may suit your needs best. You will find the presets in the settings screen, which is accessible by pressing the gears icon in the screen selection list. You will find presets towards the end of settings menu.
Menu / screen selector
This is the list you see on left side of the screen. It displays possible screens you can display to work with the application. Additionally, by swiping left or right you can expand or contract the list itself if you need more verbosity or would like to tuck it away.A right swype will expand the list to full size.
One left swype will shrink it to icons display.
Another left swype will hide the list.
Manual graph adjustment / fine tuning
If no preset suits you, you will notice that the graph has two red lines marking current brightness state. Each of these has a slightly bolded handle at its end. You can touch and move these handles to adjust the brightness curve any way you like. When you do so, you will also notice two buttons appearing below the graph. You can either apply or cancel your changes with these buttons. Also, if you accidentally touch a handle and start the adjustment, the app will automatically cancel your change after an adjustable period of time.Presets
Initially there won't be any presets stored in your device. Using the preset buttons gives you the option of saving your custom-made brightness graphs under your own names - just make sure to keep them short :-)Long-pressing any preset button will present a popup menu allowing you to save or delete a preset.
Short-pressing a saved preset button will load the brightness curve for that preset.
Settings explanations
Run settings wizard
The settings wizard will first reset all your settings to default. Then you will follow six simple screens to set the most important aspects of app operation.The wizard offers choice for the foolowing settings:
- Brightness preset: select a rough brightness according to your preference. The selected preset will represent a starting point for your personalised brightness curve and is a very important selection: you want your screen to be appropriately lit so that you can see what is displayed on it, but not lit too much because that would consume too much battery.
- Sensor sensitivity (afects multiple settings): with this setting you tell the app how responsive it should be to environment light changes. You must carefully balance fast response which may introduce some flicker and slow response that tries provide you with a stably lit screen as much as possible.
- Charging brightness: allows your screen to be brighter when the device is charging
- App activation: the last wizard setting alows you to enable the app. The app needs to be enabled to do its magic.
- The last wizard screen makes a brief introduction to the graph on main app screen.
Application language
Allows you to select any of the app-supported languages even if your phone's settings are to a different language. Helpful if you want this app in a language that otherwise isn't well supported on your phone.Excluded apps
Use this setting to select apps that will disable Velis Auto Brightness when on top. Android APK installer is one of such apps which fails to work properly if there's a screen filter active on your phone. Disabling auto brightness when such apps are running ensures their proper operation.Please note that retrieving installed apps list is a fairly time consuming process. The list will update in the background even as it is displayed on screen. You can however work with it even as such updates are performed.
Service activation section
In this section you will find the settings that manage Velis auto brightness operation (whether the app works or not).Automatic brightness
This setting enables or disables the app's automatic brightness handling. Setting it to on will naturally enable the app. This setting is also set by the "automatic brightness" switch in apps main window.Disable system handler
This setting disables the Android OS system auto brightness handler. Setting it to on will disable the OS handler. When using Velis auto brightness it is recommended this setting to be on, otherwise system will interfere with Velis app operation.Optional update system brightness setting
Turning this setting on will update system brightness setting in the settings app. This normally has no functional benefits, but you may enjoy yourself watching the brightness slider move as the light changes :-) This option may have a minor additional impact on battery usage when enabled.However, this setting may actually become necessary if you're on android 4.3+ and you don't want notification. Since Android OS may kill the app at times, turning this setting on at least makes sure that screen brightness doesn't change during the time it takes for the app to restart itself.
Interactive notification
Interactive notification has several functions that allow you to quickly work with Velis Auto Brightness settings.- There's a button for turning service on and off
- Pressing on the progress bar will set brightness appropriate to the spot where you pressed
- The Confirm and Cancel buttons will Confirm or Cancel any manual brightness setting into the current brightness graph. They are only visible once an adjustment in brightness had been made.
- Pressing anywhere else on the notification (the icon) will open main app screen
This functionality does not work on android 2.x since it doesn't support custom areas for press detection. Without this functionality the notification wouldn't be very interactive :) Users of Android 2.x only have the hidden notification which is necessary for the service to stay alive at all times.
Only users of android versions 3.0 and higher will see this option in settings and will be able to choose between hidden notification or interactive one.
Since version 3.55.151 users of android 4.3 and higher can opt out of notification with a workaround that will hopefully keep the service running even though Android would have killed it. See FAQ about how to activate this.
Sensors section
This section contains a list of all supported sensors and allows you to choose which sensors will be used for app operation.Brightness sensor
This setting tells the app whether to use the brightness sensor or not. This sensor is pretty much essential for app operation so at the moment it is not sensible to turn it off - you would lose the auto brightness operation altogether since this sensor is the only source of brightness information for the app right now.Later, maybe, when cameras are also supported, the app will have enough info from cameras and this sensor will be safe to turn off.
Screen touch
This setting detects when you are touching the screen and disables screen brightness updating during such times. This results in screen keeping its brightness constant while you are using the device thus minimising the distractions that would otherwise result from changing screen brightness.Typically you would set this to a large value, say, 30 seconds and this setting will make sure your screen stays rock solid while you are reading a web page or e-mail.
Triple tapping the screen inside 2 seconds will immediately update screen brightness to current sensor reading.
Proximity sensor
This sensor detects whether there is something over your device (e.g. your hand). When this is detected, the app will not adjust brightness according to brightness sensor since the readings are invalid due to additional shade created by your hand.Since proximity sensors have quite limited range, the app cancels brightness adjustments from 3 seconds before the proximity sensor triggers to 3 seconds after proximity sensor releases.
Front / back camera
Enables the respective camera, if available on your device. Cameras should only be used if your light sensor is not functioning properly. They are a lot less precise and consume a lot more battery.If brightness sensor is active, results from camera readings will be ignored, otherwise results from the camera reporting higher environment brightness will be used.
Camera read interval
Consider this interval well because cameras require a lot of power to operate. Additionally, taking a picture from camera is time consuming, so the shortest interval - 1 second - might not even be achievable on your device.In any case using cameras will not be very responsive in comparison to a dedicated light sensor.
Screen-on sensor override
When you frequently move among bright and dim environments, your device will always try to adapt to light conditions in the current environment. This is all fine and dandy if you change the environment with screen turned on so that light changes are tracked in real time. When you turn screen off however, your device will stop tracking sensor changes to conserve battery.So when you turn screen on, the previous brightness value will still be in effect. If you came from a bright environment, your screen will be bright until it adapts to the new light conditions. If you came from a dark environment, the situation will be reversed.
You can counter this with two settings: this one and Smoothing override, which is explained a bit later in this manual.
Screen on override tries to counter the undesired brightness settings by forcing display brightness to match the entered lux reading when you turn display on. So if you like to go from dark to lighter display, you would enter a dark lux reading here, below 100. If on the other hand you like your screen to be bright initially, you would enter an outdors reading, something above 1000. Or you can go down the middle with a setting between 100 and 1000 and expect your display brightness to only correct a bit when you turn the screen on.
Additional brightness
Settings in this section allow setting two modes for additional brightness:- Additional brightness when charging
- Permanent additional brightness
Additional brightness
Set how the additional brightness is applied:- no extra brightness: what is says on the tin - there will be no brightness change when charging
- add percent of calculated brightness: if app calculates the brightness to be set to a certain percent (x), the calculated x will be increased by the set percentage (x = x + x * percentage)
- add percent of full brightness: this will add a constant percent of total brightness (x = x + percentage total)
- combined: calculated and full brightness: this method just adds method 2 and 3 to achieve a combined effect
Additional percent to add
This is the percentage to use in the above methods. Setting this to 10% will result in the following calculations for the above methods:- x = x
- x = x + x * 0.1
- x = x + 100 * 0.1
- x = x + 100 * 0.1 + x * 0.1
Sensitivity section
The sensitivity section regulates app's sensitivity to sensor readings changes. The higher the sensitivity, the more responsive the app, but that may also lead to some unwanted brightness changes. Find the perfect balance between responsiveness and number of changes for your taste.This section is also for handling flickering issues. If you are experiencing flickering, try increasing change sensitivity and smoothing time.
Brightness change sensitivity
The higher the percent, the less sensitive service will be. At 100%, the app wouldn't react even if you put your device under the sun, at 10% a pretty significant sample change will need to be read from sensors and at 0% the service will react to the tiniest change in sensor readings.Smoothing time
When changes are big, the sudden transition may be unpleasant. This setting handles such situations and smooths the transition over the specified time. Note that the time is in milliseconds (1/1000th of a second).Technical explanation: The app will try to smooth the transition in at least 5 steps, but these steps will not take less than 75 ms and no more than 150 ms. A setting of 400 ms will thus make 5 updates in 80ms each while a 2000ms setting would do 13 updates in 150 ms intervals.
Smoothing time downwards
If you want your device to be responsive when brightening up and a bit slower when dimming (or the other way around), you will specify a different smooting time in this setting. This will be helpful when you are driving under street lights, for example. Specifying a relatively long smooting down time will keep the brightness levels appropriate to the lights being driven by.Smoothing override
This setting helps your device adapt faster to sudden light changes such as light turning on in the room or an unexpeded ray of sun in your shade. The setting uses the same scale as the brightness change sensitivity setting, which is the logarithmic lux scale divided into percent sections. Each percent represents one length percent on the graph horizontal axis. The setting translates its percentages directly to graph axis.Smoothing override setting analyzes each light sample to see if it exceeds override threshold. If it does, the new light reading will take effect immediately, as if there was no smoothing in effect.
Superdim threshold
Superdimming turns on an additional screen filter which dims the screen beyond what your display backlight would be capable of.The filter works in a linear fashion dimming the screen proportionaly from the threshold down to zero brightness as specified by the brightness curve. Actually it behaves exactly as the backlight control works (without the filter) only that it does not control the backlight, but dims the screen through a semi-transparent overlay. It is more accurate than the backlight and has the prefect minimum and maximum (the backlight may not respond in perfect grades down to zero brightness).
The end result is that enabling filter at threshold 100% (always active) simply introduces double filtering of screen brightness (once for backlight and once for filter) which produces a quadratic brightness function. Normally though you would enable the superdimming for the lower 15% - 25% of brightness to help achieve the desired low screen brightness.
Warning: This is a pretty strong function which could result in your screen being to dark to work with so the app has a built-in safeguard which prevents you from changing the threshold when such a change would produce screen brightness below 7%. If such a condition is detected, the superdimming functionality will not be activated.
Please note that standard LCD screens with backlight will not save additional battery. Take care to enable superdimming only at brightness level below which the brightness otherwise remains constant. Enabling superdimming at a higher brightness would produce unoptimal results because backlight would produce light only to be cancelled out by the filter.
On AMOLED displays the filter always produces battery savings.
Graph settings section
You will find settings for brightness curves and editing timeout here.Brightness preset
Presents some presets you can choose from to start you up with customising your auto brightness. Each preset provides a different brightness graph so be sure to test it out a little to see how it suits you.Graph abort timeout
Number of seconds of inactivity before app automatically cancels your manual update to graph.Launcher widget parameters
The launcher widget parameters allow you to change operation of the widget. This section only appears if you have Tasker / Launcher premium content purchased. Otherwise the settings are set to default values which you cannot change.Widget graph samples
This setting declares graph horizontal resolution. The higher the number, the smoother the graph will be, but that will also take some device memory. Normally the default setting should be OK for most screens, but if you have an exceptionally high or low resolution screen, you can adjust this parameter so that the graph looks better on your screen.
Allowed values are between 10 and 2000 samples with a default of 400.
Widget graph time period
What's the period (in seconds) to display in the graph? The default is 86400 (one day), but if you're a fast-paced individual, you can decrease this time to monitor light changes in a shorter interval down to the last few seconds. Be aware though that decreasing this parameter too much can have an impact on battery usage because drawing graphs is quite a CPU intensive task.Widget graph stats percentage
Clicking the graph section of the widget will bring up a dialog with brightness statistics for the selected time period. Those statistics will be grouped by this percentage. Entering 20 (default) will create 5 groups, a 10 would create 10 groups and a 50 would only create 2 groups.Transparent widget
The widget will be rendered transparent or opaque on the launcher background.Changelog
Will open app changelog page.Auto brightness blog
Will bring you to app homepage.Manual graph editing
Dragging handles only supports smooth brightness curves with no sudden changes. If you want more advanced curves that use steeper angles, you will need to edit graph data through manual graph edit screen.The graph data is arranged into lines, each line representing one point on the graph. Each line starts with a fixed string "Pt:", followed by a single space, followed by integer sensor reading, another space and finally the brightness to apply at that sensor reading. Any other format than this will be rejected when you push that "OK" button.
Sensible sensor readings range from 0 to 15000. A point with a zero reading must be present at start of the list. A point with >= 15000 reading must be present at end of the list.
Allowed brightness values range from 1 to 255, 1 being darkest and 255 being the brightest screen.
If you want a steep "step" in your curve you will have to define two points with very close sensor readings and much different brightness settings (e.g. Pt: 100 20 Pt: 101 100).
In-app store
The in-app store is where you can purchase premium content or just support the developer because you think this app is nice.There are three items of note on this dialog:
Selection of item for purchase
At this time two items are available: Tasker support and Developer support. Buying Tasker support enables Tasker / Locale conditions and settings to allow for controlling this app from Tasker or Locale or any other compatible manager. In addition to this, the Launcher widget functionality will also be enabled when it is available.Buying developer support allows you to express your enthusiasm over this app to me. It helps fund various expenses I have with development of this app. It doesn't however bring YOU any immediate benefits.
Below these selections there's a short description of what purchasing each item does.
The Buy button
Pressing the buy button will enter the Android Play store where you will be able to securely purchase the selected item. The procedure is similar to any other purchase you make in the Play Store.Note that after purchasing one-time items such as Tasker support, the item will become grayed out - you cannot purchase it again since you already own it.
Purchased items list
Shows items you already purchased. Note that Developer support will not show here since it's not an "owned" item.Tasker plugin / Locale plugin functionality
Velis auto brightness will also function as a plugin for these two popular tools. With the exception of profile selection, this is considered premium functionality which you need to purchase from the in-app store.Conditions supported
Current light reading
Will report current light reading to Tasker / Locale. Note that this is a very frequent event so you may notice increased battery usage when this condition is active. Using this event enables you to react to environment changes as detected and calculated by the app. The sensor value reported will be the same as in the app itself, using all available and active sensors.Current proximity reading
Will report current proximity sensor to Tasker / Locale. Using this event enables you to react to changes in this sensor readings such as turning screen off when sensor triggers.Calculated screen brightness
This is similar to current light reading, but reports the brightness as calculated from detected lux and current brightness graph. This is also a very frequent event which may cause additional battery usage when active.Screen on
This condition reports screen on and off events. This condition is included despite it being in the Locale condition plugins sample - since the app uses this information anyway and this condition is not provided to Locale by default... Will allow you to monitor screen on / off states.Settings supported
The settings supported behave exactly the same as in the app itself so here's just a list of supported settings. If you need to understand how they work, please read the Settings section above.- Automatic brightness
- Brightness sensor
- Proximity sensor
- Change sensitivity
- Smoothing time
- Select profile (free)
For some reason the screen goes very bright when manually installing / uninstalling an APK
This is caused by VAB disabling itself because by default Android APK installer is in the excluded apps list. This is necessary because APK installer refuses to work if there's an overlay window active.In order to not experience this issue (if you're not using the Super dimming feature) is to remove the APK installer from excluded apps list (available in the settings screen) - but then you won't be able to manually install apps or give apps permissions.
I have (insert your phone model) and the brightness changes are extremely noticeable / skipping / not smooth / flickering a lot
Some devices can only adjust display brightness in rather large steps. Examples include flagships like SGS 3, Nexus 4 and Galaxy note 2, but other phones / tablets are also reported to be affected.There is a solution for this issue, but it only makes sense on the AMOLED displays (most of the phones with such issues have those displays):
As of v3.05.122 the app supports only managing screen brightness through its super dimming feature. If you set super dimming to 100%, it will become the only method of adjusting screen brightness and will not try to adjust brightness through backlight (which is non-existent on AMOLED displays).
However, there's a caveat: super dimming has a completely linear brightness function very unlike the backlight method. As a result, screen will be much darker in the lower brightness sections. Using a brighter preset such as "AMOLED bright" is recommended.
My phone alternates light readings in rapid succession (hunting) making the screen change brightness all the time. How can I fix this?
Some phones have pretty bad light sensors. Even flagships such as SGS3 can be affected. To solve this problem, enable "Erratic sensor readings fix" or / and set the "smoothing time downwards" setting to a large value, like 10000 or 15000 milliseconds (10 or 15 secs). Te latter will not solve the problem as such, but will almost entirely eliminate the symptoms.Why is my camera not detected?
Camera detection sometimes fails for various reasons. Currently the solution for that is to open developer options dialog (see below on how to do that), turn off camera support, close the dialog, open it again, enable camera support and close it again. Cameras should be detected now. If not, try again, until successful.Since Android 4.3 I there's this notification. What is it?
The Android developers decided to solve the problem of lackluster API by exposing hacks people have to do in order to achieve certain functionality. In this case, the auto brightness service needs to run uninterrupted in order to provide proper support for the user. Without the service there is no auto brightness. The only way to make Android not kill the service at its leisure is declaring a notification.Hence the notification in the notification area.
Since version 3.15.141, there is an interactive notification option which is quite powerful.
Since version 3.55.151 there is an option to fully eliminate the notification. This latter is still in testing though. It can only be activated through developer options dialog by setting the service keep-alive interval. It is recommended that you not use superdimming and that you turn on optional system brightness updating in settings. If you can meet these conditions, the keep-alive interval can be relatively long, say 5000ms (to make sure auto-brightness is updated at least every 5 seconds). If these conditions cannot be met, the interval must be short, such as 500 ms in order to re-run the service as soon as possible after it being closed..
What's this developer options dialog that is mentioned all over the place?
There are some settings that aren't yet ready for general public and some settings that never will be (because they are only meant for helping me debug, etc.)All these settings are gathered in the developer options dialog which is accessible through long-pressing the proximity sensor reading on app main form (circled red in the picture).
Privacy policy
This privacy policy discloses the privacy practices for Velis Auto Brightness Android app (VAB).
Information Collection, Use, and Sharing
The app does NOT collect nor transmit any (personal) information.
We are the sole owners of the information that you provide voluntarily by e-mail or any other means used by us for communicating with you. We will NOT release this information to anyone
We will use your information to respond to you, regarding the reason you contacted us. We will not share your information with any third party outside of our organization, other than as necessary to fulfill your request, e.g. to help with in-app purchases or to implement a requested feature.
Unless you ask us not to, we may contact you via email in the future to tell you about specials, new products or services, or changes to this privacy policy.
Your Access to and Control Over Information
You may opt out of any future contacts from us at any time. You can do the following at any time by contacting us via any of the means available:- See what data we have about you, if any.
- Change/correct any data we have about you.
- Have us delete any data we have about you.
- Express any concern you have about our use of your data.
We are using third party services to communicate with you, such as online forums, e-mail and similar. As such the information you give us is accessible according to their respective policies.Once your request is fulfilled, the information is discarded, but may remain accessible according to policies of the service you used to contact us, e.g. the forum post will remain visible in the thread, e-mail message will be archived, but not deleted, etc.
Our Privacy Policy may change from time to time and all updates will be posted on this page.If you feel that we are not abiding by this privacy policy, you should contact us immediately via email.


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Budget Friendly Flooring Options
In this economy, when dollars are not stretching as far as they once did, it's hard to rationalize spending money on anything that isn't absolutely necessary. Although new floors are not usually do-or-die, nor are they the least significant redecorating expense, they do make a big impact and represent a worthwhile investment. So don't worry! There are flooring options that can improve your space without breaking the bank. Keep reading for more details.
If your budget is limited, there are a few things to consider before settling on a material for your floor. If at all possible, using one floor throughout your space will not only cut down on your material cost, but it can also greatly simplify the installation- especially if you are paying someone to do that for you. The installer will only need to bring all the appropriate equipment once and continue to work until the job is done. In addition, using one floor throughout creates a streamlined look to your space, rather than a patchwork, unbalanced effect of using many types of materials.
When operating within a budget, one consideration is cost to value; in simple terms, will the cost of the improvement elevate the value of your home? Hardwood floors are fabulous when it comes to adding value, but they cost much more per square foot to install and finish when compared to other options, making them not necessarily "budget friendly." The following floors are better options, when keeping your budget in mind.
Engineered Wood Floors
If it's wood that you love, consider engineered floors as a more budget friendly option. Available in a wide variety of finishes, they are manufactured by adhering a thin veneer of actual hardwood to a core made of plywood. Excellent throughout living spaces, engineered floors have the look and feel of wood underfoot, and in most cases can even be refinished. As a bonus, they are not difficult to DIY, with some simple tools and know-how, which can save you money on installation costs.
Laminate Flooring
Consider using laminate as another great, budget-friendly option for flooring your living space. Like engineered floors, they are manufactured by adhering an "image layer" of wood floors to a core made from a variety of materials, some of which are wood based. Over the image layer is a wear layer that makes them durable to foot traffic and wear and tear. Laminates are also available in a variety of looks to suit your decor, from upscale to rustic, and are also easy to DIY. They are different from Engineered floors in that they are not real wood and cannot be refinished.
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The sweetheart of today's floors, luxury vinyl is probably the most versatile budget-friendly option on the list. It is available in plank (wood-look) and tile. Like some of the above options, luxury vinyl is made by adhering an image layer, topped with a wear layer to a core. The major difference is that the core of luxury vinyl is made from inorganic materials (not wood). The entire plank or tile is waterproof and will never swell due to moisture or rot.
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Throughout history some people have suffered from a lack of energy and long-term, physical exhaustion. Today these symptoms are classified as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
It is commonly thought that chronic fatigue has mainly psychological causes and that it affects perfectionistic women who cannot live up to their own unreasonably high standards.
This has not always been the case. Just over 100 years ago it was primarily upper class men in intellectual professions who were affected. "Neurasthenia", as the condition was called at the time, was a physical diagnosis with high status.
No longer legitimate
"The medical understanding of long-term exhaustion has changed. Previously the condition was viewed as a typically male disorder; now it is perceived as a typically female disorder. The diagnosis of neurasthenia, which has a male connotation, was changed to the ME diagnosis, which has a female connotation," explains Olaug S. Lian, a sociologist and professor at UiT The Arctic University of Norway.
Together with Hilde Bondevik of the University of Oslo, Lian has studied how the view of women and perceptions of the body, gender and femininity in two different historical periods have been manifested in the medical understanding of long-term chronic fatigue.
"Long-term exhaustion was viewed as a legitimate disorder, a result of the heroic efforts of the upper class male. Today, it is a stigmatizing disorder, understood as an expression of women's lack of ability to cope with their lives, a kind of breach of character," says Lian.
Not only has the fatigued patient changed gender. Previously doctors believed that long-term exhaustion was a neurological, physical disorder, while today it is categorized primarily as psychological in nature. And while in the past, society was thought to be the cause of the disorder, today the individual is supposedly to blame.
What happened to cause this change?
Upper class diagnosis
At the end of the 1800s neurasthenia was the most widespread diagnosis for long-term exhaustion. Neurologists believed the condition was caused by a physical, neurological disease that affected the entire body, causing intense, long-term exhaustion.
Although women were also diagnosed with the disorder, the typical patient was a man, and not just any kind of man. He was "civilized, refined, and educated, rather than of the barbarous and low-born and untrained," according to neurologist George Beard.
Society was to blame
Doctors at the time believed that the cause of the disorder could be found in a rapidly changing society – urbanization, industrialization and women's entry into working life.
Quite simply, modern civilization ran roughshod over the nervous system of upper class men, who were overstimulated by too much pressure and activity and too little sleep and rest.
"It was regarded as both legitimate and understandable that even the 'great men' could fall apart as a result of long-term, difficult intellectual work. It was viewed as positive that the body sent signals when the burden was too great. The body was viewed as an electrical fuse box and the thinking was that it was better for one fuse to burn out rather than for the house to catch on fire," says Lian.
Different genders, different causes
The comments about the diagnosis also revealed past understandings of biological gender differences. Women could get neurasthenia from sexual frustration, while men could get it from excessive sexual activity, including masturbation.
Moreover, there was a connection between gender and class.
"To simplify a bit, we can say that it was mainly middle class men and working class women whose diagnosis of neurasthenia was explained by overwork. For working class men it was due to sexual escapades, and for middle class women the cause given was heredity or 'women's issues'," explains Lian.
The fall of neurasthenia
Neurasthenia lost its popularity as a diagnosis in the early 1900s. One reason for this was that psychiatry became a medical field in its own right.
"Psychiatry took neurasthenia with it and changed its definition from a physical to a psychological condition. Since women were regarded as psychologically weaker and therefore more disposed to mental illness, the disorder became a female problem," says Lian.
Fight over definitions
Today ME is the most common name for the disorder, defined as long-term, intense exhaustion that cannot be directly linked to a well-defined illness and that does not disappear with rest. The condition is chronic, it cannot be cured with medical treatment and there is disagreement as to the cause.
"The lack of scientifically generated findings, medical explanations and effective treatment make ME a diagnosis with low status and low legitimacy within the medical community," says Lian.
Currently the main theory is that ME results from an inability to handle stress and that perfectionistic people – the "good girls" – are especially at risk. The debate about how ME should be understood and explained is highly polarized, between those who believe that it is an illness caused by infections or vaccination and those who believe that ME has mainly psychological causes.
"I would like to see some humility about what we actually know about the disorder and not present value judgments as facts. Doctors must also be honest and acknowledge that we have very little hard-and-fast knowledge about this condition," states Lian.
Blame and shame
The two historical periods have almost identical depictions of the phenomenon of long-term exhaustion, although the names are different. But there is one important difference: the disorder is no longer regarded as a legitimate, anticipated outcome of overwork.
"Today the medical community is searching for explanations of ME at the individual level. The ME patient is depicted as a woman with five-star goals and four-star abilities – with character traits that make it hard for them to cope with their own lives," says Lian.
"When the entire problem is seen as the patient's fault, the person experiences blame and shame because it is the patient, not society, who is the cause of the illness. It is therefore the individual who is responsible for coping with the illness, such as by changing her own thought patterns," says Lian.
Wrong kind of tired
She points out that the ability to cope with one's own life is an important value in Western culture. Mental disorders, however, are associated with weakness. The current understanding of long-term exhaustion is also linked to how we think about tiredness, according to Lian.
"There are strong norms for when you are allowed to be tired and worn out and how you are supposed to show tiredness in daily life. If you have been awake all night with a sick infant, you have a good reason to be tired at work. Other reasons are less legitimate. Workplace reports of absence never state that someone is at the psychologist, while it is completely acceptable to say that someone is at the dentist."
"Being tired for the wrong reasons is seen as a sign of weakness, which must be overcome and hidden. It is in this context that we must understand the medical theories on a lack of coping ability and the objections of ME patients to these theories," says Lian.
She believes such norms often make ME patients feel that the psychological explanation is a burden, although doctors do not necessarily mean for it to have this affect.
"What is it about the ME debate that makes the opposing sides so obstinate?"
"The doctors and patients talk past each other. The doctors think that an ME diagnosis is value neutral, but the patient hears 'it's my fault that I am sick and it's my responsible to get better'. But although most people feel that mental disorders have lower value than somatic disorders, it is not a given that the doctors do," says Lian.
See also: Why are we so obsessed with good girls?
Gendered explanation disappeared?
Although about three of four people who are diagnosed with ME today are women, the explicit, biology-based gendered explanations have disappeared from the debate, according to Lian.
"This may simply be because today we put greater focus on gender equality – which makes it less legitimate to claim that women are naturally inferior to men," says Lian.
However, she believes that the ME diagnosis embodies a view of women that has long historical roots.
"The profile of the upper class woman from the 1800s who cannot cope with pressure and stress both inside and outside the home is still with us today," says Lian.
Cultural bias
"How can your analysis contribute to the current debate about ME?"
"We show how the medical understanding of fatigue and lack of energy is impacted by the norms and values of society at large, for example, that medical knowledge reflects the view of women in our culture. Norms and values combine with biomedical knowledge in a way that makes it difficult to see what is what," says Lian.
Translated by Connie Stultz
- Olaug S. Lian is a professor of medical sociology in the Department of Community Medicine at UiT The Arctic University of Norway.
- Together with Hilde Bondevik, she has written the article Medical constructions of long-term exhaustion, past and present, published in Sociology of Health & Illness.
- The article is part of a larger research project related to ME which is funded by the Research Council of Norway's Programme on Health and Care Services.


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Welcome back to my series on blogging that Ruth Feiertag asked me to write late last year. This is the third instalment, and today we're talking about the important of including visual images in your posts. (There are links to the first two instalments at the bottom of this post).
I'm going to be spend the vast majority of my time talking about the two specific types of visual images that I've seen used most often in the blogging world: photos and videos.
If you can master these two options, you'll go a long way in attracting and retaining new readers.
Why Including Visual Aides In Your Work Is So Important
How quickly did it take for you to notice the picture of the sliced citrus fruits I included in the beginning of this post? My attention was immediately drawn to the pink slice. I wondered if it was a dyed piece of lemon or if it was supposed to be part of a small grapefruit instead.
A well-chosen picture or video is eye-catching. Ideally, it will encourage the reader to ask questions about what it is they're seeing and experience your post in ways that wouldn't be as likely if they were only staring at words on a page.
Does this mean that every single post you share must be filled with images? No, not necessarily. You might only find one picture or video that is at all relevant to your subject matter. Sometimes you might not find anything at all! There are times when the topic I've talked about doesn't have many good stock image photos that match it. This brings me to my next point…
Make Sure Your Visual Aides Are Relevant
If you're writing a post about whipping up a batch of your top-secret chili recipe, it wouldn't make any sense to include a photo of elephants alongside the ingredient list.
In my opinion, it's better to publish something that doesn't contain any pictures at all than to shoehorn in images or videos that don't actually fit the topic of conversation. This is something I've been guilty of in the past, and I know it has confused at least one of my readers.
Do your best to avoid my mistake. Take as much time as you can to find pictures or videos that match the topic you're discussing.
Obey the Copyright Laws
Honestly, this shouldn't even need to be said, but be sure to research and obey the copyright laws for your country. I've heard of multiple bloggers who were sued for using photographs and other creative works without permission. If you have any doubts about whether or not you're allowed to use a specific work, find something else to fill that space instead or leave it blank.
Where to Find Free Stock Photos
Assuming you don't know the photographer or creator personally and haven't received special permission to use their work, here are some of the labels you'll want to look for when searching for photographs that you'll be able to use for free on your site.
Look for Public Domain and Creative Commons Licenses
As a general rule of thumb, the copyright on most photos and other works will expire 70 years after the artist's death. Do not assume that every photo published after that date is free to use, however! Each country has their own laws on this topic, and sometimes those laws vary based on when the artist died. Always double-check what the rules are in your country before using any visual aides.
It is also possible for an artist to forfeit their copyright claims if they wish. This means that you can use their work for personal or commercial reasons without needing to seek permission first or pay for the rights to use that photo.
Public domain photos can be used for commercial and personal purposes. You don't have to credit the photographer or provide a link to the site where you found it for this type of photograph.
A Creative Commons License is a little more complicated. In general, photos that have this license can be used for free if you follow the rules the creator made for them. For example, they might ask you to provide a link back to their personal site, include the Creative Commons logo, email them for permission first, and/or take some other step to indicate that you are not the owner of this photo and you do have permission to use it.
There are many free stock photo sites out there. Pexels is my favorite site for public domain photos due to their huge selection and high-quality images. Wikimedia Commons has a smaller and more historical selection of photos that are mixture of public domain and creative commons licenses.
Finally, anyone who writes about TV shows or films should always check the IMDB page for the program they're reviewing or discussing. There are often set photos, film posters, and previews on them that can be used in your review!
I highly recommend all of these sites. No registration is required for any of them, and you are free to use as few or as many photos and other items from them as you wish. In all of my years of including pictures in my posts, I still haven't run out of possibilities from these sites. They're all updated regularly with relevant and interesting content.
Sometimes I've also found wonderful stock photos by googling "public domain X photos," where X stands for whatever topic it is I'm blogging about today. Be careful about double-checking the license for pictures if you go this route, though!
Since I haven't needed to sign up for any paid stock photo sites so far, I won't give recommendations for or against any particular companies. I try to only give advice on topics I'm experienced in.
Where to Find Videos
The copyright for videos is both easier and more difficult than it can be for photos since so many videos out there were either intentionally created to be shared or may have been stolen from the original creator. On the positive side, I am seeing people becoming more diligent about finding the original sources for videos (and forms of art not relevant to today's post like comic strips) than they were even a year ago.
If I can't verify who originally created a video or if the creator's identity is disputed, I don't share it. I work hard on my writing, and it's only fair to give proper credit to other authors and artists, too.
The vast majority of the time, the videos I share come from one of two sources because of how (relatively) easy it is to track down creators on them: Youtube and Vimeo. The other nice thing about them are their share buttons. If a specific video has that option disabled, it's a sign that the creator doesn't actually want you putting it on other sites.
To repeat myself for a third and final time, don't take my word on whether or not you can share something. I'm not a lawyer, and I don't have the copyright laws from every single country on Earth memorized. Always do your due diligence and err on the side of caution if you're not sure what the rules are.
This has been a long post. To thank you for reading it, I'll share one of my all-time favourite Youtube videos with you. As anyone who knows me has probably already guessed, it is rabbit themed!
Cute Bunny Jumping Competition
Additional, non-rabbit-related reading:
15 Things I've Learned From 15 Years of Blogging


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MAKE is organizing its first international maker meetup Nov. 15. The idea is to help makers find each other in their communities, spark conversations, and get people making.
So far there are 65 meetups happening around the world. We want to get to 100. Like to make? Organize a meetup! We suggest getting together at hackerspaces, coffee shops, community centers, libraries, restaurants, or in the comfort of your own home. Bring your laptops, tablets, or smartphones to access the internet.
The first 25 meetup organizers will receive a MAKE meetup welcome kit that includes: 12 copies of the MAKE Ultimate Guide to 3D Printing, MAKE T-shirts, notebooks, stickers, and buttons. The top three organizers with the highest number of RSVPs will get $200 for food and drinks. Everyone who attends a meetup gets a free PDF of the 3D printing issue. So far Columbus, Ohio is out in front with 23 RSVPs. Way to go, Ohio!
To coincide with the meetup, MAKE editors will be holding a live Google+ hangout on air at 6pm PST/9 EST to welcome maker meetups and celebrate the release of our Ultimate Guide to 3D Printing, a special issue that will tell all there is to know about this emerging technology. The heart of the issue is a review of 15 of the hottest printers on the market. Whether you're new to 3D printing or an old pro, this is the issue for you. During the hangout we will also be unveiling a very special 3D printer giveaway!
During the G+ hangout you'll be able to engage in a live chat with MAKE editors and 3D printing experts, ask questions about 3D printing and design, and share your own experiences. If you'd like to join MAKE on air, add MAKE your Google+ circles and send us a comment during the broadcast. We'll do our best to get as many meetups online with us. If you're joining in from a meetup, be sure to use the hashtag #MAKEMeetup in your comment. And feel free to upload any photos or videos of stuff you've 3D printed to our G+ page.
See you Thursday!
Join Make: Community Today


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If you're having dinner guests over during the holidays, especially if there are children involved, this is a fun craft to use as a place setting, propping up a name card, or as a craft for busy hands while dinner is cooking. These Native American clothespin dolls aren't fancy but they're cute and they go together quickly.
If you just don't have time to make some of your own, I have the ones I made here for sale in my Etsy shop, I'll ship them right to your door.
For each doll you'll need:
1 old-fashioned wooden clothespin (body)
1 circular wooden clothespin stand
1 large wooden bead (head)
2 small wooden beads (hands)
1 pipe cleaner
black acrylic craft paint
straight pin with a large head
9 yards brown yarn
wood glue
craft glue
For each girl doll you'll need:
5X7-inch piece of felt for dress
For each boy doll you'll need:
5X5-inch piece of felt for shirt
2 1 1/2 X 2-inch pieces of felt for pants
1/2 X 5-inch piece of felt for headband
small feathers
1. Cut the top off of the clothespin, glue the bottom of the clothespin into the stand and glue the large bead in place as the head. Dip the head of the straight pin in black paint and touch to the spots where the eyes should be, making two small dots. Using the q-tip, apply two spots of blush where the cheeks should be (see the picture at left). *Note, if you are making boy dolls make sure that the slit in the clothespin faces forward (so the two halves of the pin look like his legs) as that's where you're going to form his pants. I forgot to do this for the dolls you see pictured there at right and it caused me some trouble later on.
2. Fold the pipe cleaner in half then measure about 2 and 3/4 inches from each end and fold the ends toward the middle. Twist the ends around the pipe cleaner to make the arms then string the small beads on the end as hands (see the picture at left).
3. Once the heads are dry, lay the arms over the dolls neck in the front and wrap the arms around to the back, twisting once to secure. Bend the arms downward so that they appear to come more from the body than from the neck.
4. For the boys, cut fringe along the short edges of each rectangular pant piece then slide both pieces through the large clothespin slit, gluing each piece in place along the outside of the "leg" where the fringe is, to close the legs and form his pants.
5. Using the pattern for the shirt and dress at left (click to enlarge it and print it out) cut out each shirt or dress by placing the shoulders along the fold and cutting it out so that the shirt or dress looks rather like a large "plus" sound when you've unfolded it. Cut the neck opening. Cut the fringe along the sleeve openings and around the bottom then squeeze it over the dolls' head, it will be open all along the bottom. Tie securely around the waist with a piece of yard or jute or rafia to make a belt.
6. Using the brown yarn make the hair by wrapping it around your hands then tying it securely in the middle. Glue it on the dolls head, add the headband and feather for the boys, and you're done.
If you wanted to you could make pretty little beaded necklaces for the girls, or put tiny flowers in their hair.
You could also make some Pilgrim dolls to accompany these if you wanted to, little black and white hats would be pretty cute!
Have you entered this month's Write-Away Contest yet? The theme is about making a difference . . .
Technorati tags: Thanksgiving, Native American, holidays, dolls


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We all know how stressful life can be. Between balancing home and work life, the increased congestion on our roads and the overall hectic schedule of our day to day lives can cause even the easiest going person to feel some stress. But how you let stress impact you is within your
While a certain amount of stress is considered normal, stress that is frequent or long lasting can adversely affect your health, from headaches, to upset stomach, to weakening your immune system. Stress can also make your heart race and cause rapid breathing.
You CAN choose to have less stress in your life. I started thinking about the ways I control stress in my life, and here are my top 10:
- Make a list of things you are thankful for, when you're stressed think about all of the wonderful things in your life already.
- Talk it out and put it in perspective. Sometimes sharing your feelings of stress with a confidant can allow you to gain a different perspective. A good friend can sometimes help you see the positives, even if it seems there are none.
- Keep a realistic schedule. Try not to say "yes" to every opportunity that comes your way, allow for some free time every day.
- Get enough rest. Being tired makes everything seem worse.
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet. Keeping your body nourished can positively impact your state of mind. Also try to drink more water and less caffeine.
- Write it down. Take time to journal about the stress you're feeling.
- Go for a walk. A change of scenery could be just what you need. Walk at a comfortable pace, and take good deep breaths. Even 5 minutes around the block can boost your mood.
- Volunteer at a local animal shelter. There is nothing better than giving affection to a pet waiting for its forever family. Better yet, just get out and volunteer! There are so many organizations that need and will greatly appreciate your time. Visit with a local senior who is housebound and spend time listening to their journey, you'll learn something new and provide companionship.
- Reflect. Think about what causes you the greatest stress in your life. Is there something you can change or modify to reduce your level of stress? Do you find your commute to work particularly stressful? Perhaps changing your route could help.
- Find something to look forward to. Book yourself a massage, or plan a weekend getaway. Having an enjoyable activity on the horizon, and planning for it can be enough to change your mindset.
If you feel that you are unable to control the stress in your life or feelings of overwhelm are constant for you, make an appointment to see your health care provider and discuss your feelings – don't feel like you need to do it alone.


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Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, Members of the Congress:
It is with a heavy heart that I stand before you, my friends and colleagues, in the Congress of the United States.
Only yesterday, we laid to rest the mortal remains of our beloved President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. At a time like this, words are inadequate. The most eloquent tribute would be a reverent silence.
Yet, in this decisive hour, when world events are moving so rapidly, our silence might be misunderstood and might give comfort to our enemies.
In His infinite wisdom, Almighty God has seen fit to take from us a great man who loved, and was beloved by, all humanity.
No man could possibly fill the tremendous void left by the passing of that noble soul. No words can ease the aching hearts of untold millions of every race, creed and color. The world knows it has lost a heroic champion of justice and freedom.
Tragic fate has thrust upon us grave responsibilities. We must carry on. Our departed leader never looked backward. He looked forward and moved forward. That is what he would want us to do. That is what America will do.
So much blood has already been shed for the ideals which we cherish, and for which Franklin Delano Roosevelt lived and died, that we dare not permit even a momentary pause in the hard fight for victory.
Today, the entire world is looking to America for enlightened leadership to peace and progress. Such a leadership requires vision, courage and tolerance. It can be provided only by a united nation deeply devoted to the highest ideals.
With great humility I call upon all Americans to help me keep our nation united in defense of those ideals which have been so eloquently proclaimed by Franklin Roosevelt.
I want in turn to assure my fellow Americans and all of those who love peace and liberty throughout the world that I will support and defend those ideals with all my strength and all my heart. That is my duty and I shall not shirk it.
So that there can be no possible misunderstanding, both Germany and Japan can be certain, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that America will continue the fight for freedom until no vestige of resistance remains!
We are deeply conscious of the fact that much hard fighting is still ahead of us.
Having to pay such a heavy price to make complete victory certain, America will never become a party to any plan for partial victory!
To settle for merely another temporary respite would surely jeopardize the future security of all the world.
Our demand has been, and it remains--Unconditional Surrender!
We will not traffic with the breakers of the peace on the terms of the peace.
The responsibility for making of the peace--and it is a very grave responsibility--must rest with the defenders of the peace. We are not unconscious of the dictates of humanity. We do not wish to see unnecessary or unjustified suffering. But the laws of God and of man have been violated and the guilty must not go unpunished. Nothing shall shake our determination to punish the war criminals even though we must pursue them to the ends of the earth.
Lasting peace can never be secured if we permit our dangerous opponents to plot future wars with impunity at any mountain retreat-however distant.
In this shrinking world, it is futile to seek safety behind geographical barriers. Real security will be found only in law and in justice.
Here in America, we have labored long and hard to achieve a social order worthy of our great heritage. In our time, tremendous progress has been made toward a really democratic way of life. Let me assure the forward-looking people of America that there will be no relaxation in our efforts to improve the lot of the common people.
In the difficult days ahead, unquestionably we shall face problems of staggering proportions. However, with the faith of our fathers in our hearts, we do not fear the future.
On the battlefields, we have frequently faced overwhelming odds-and won! At home, Americans will not be less resolute!
We shall never cease our struggle to preserve and maintain our American way of life.
At this moment, America, along with her brave Allies, is paying again a heavy price for the defense of our freedom. With characteristic energy, we are assisting in the liberation of entire nations. Gradually, the shackles of slavery are being broken by the forces of freedom.
All of us are praying for a speedy victory. Every day peace is delayed costs a terrible toll.
The armies of liberation today are bringing to an end Hitler's ghastly threat to dominate the world. Tokyo rocks under the weight of our bombs.
The grand strategy of the United Nations' war has been determined-due in no small measure to the vision of our departed Commander in Chief. We are now carrying out our part of that strategy under the able direction of Admiral Leahy, General Marshall, Admiral King, General Arnold, General Eisenhower, Admiral Nimitz and General MacArthur.
I want the entire world to know that this direction must and will remain--unchanged and unhampered!
Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices. Because of these sacrifices, the dawn of justice and freedom throughout the world slowly casts its gleam across the horizon.
Our forefathers came to our rugged shores in search of religious tolerance, political freedom and economic opportunity. For those fundamental rights, they risked their lives. We well know today that such rights can be preserved only by constant vigilance, the eternal price of liberty!
Within an hour after I took the oath of office, I announced that the San Francisco Conference would proceed.1 We will face the problems of peace with the same courage that we have faced and mastered the problems of war.
1See note to Item 1.
In the memory of those who have made the supreme sacrifice--in the memory of our fallen President--we shall not fail!
It is not enough to yearn for peace. We must work, and if necessary, fight for it. The task of creating a sound international organization is complicated and difficult. Yet, without such organization, the rights of man on earth cannot be protected. Machinery for the just settlement of international differences must be found. Without such machinery, the entire world will have to remain an armed camp. The world will be doomed to deadly conflict, devoid of hope for real peace.
Fortunately, people have retained hope for a durable peace. Thoughtful people have always had faith that ultimately justice must triumph. Past experience surely indicates that, without justice, an enduring peace becomes impossible.
In bitter despair, some people have come to believe that wars are inevitable. With tragic fatalism, they insist that wars have always been, of necessity, and of necessity wars always will be. To such defeatism, men and women of good will must not and can not yield. The outlook for humanity is not so hopeless.
During the dark hours of this horrible war, entire nations were kept going by something intangible--hope! When warned that abject submission offered the only salvation against overwhelming power, hope showed the way to victory.
Hope has become the secret weapon of the forces of liberation!
Aggressors could not dominate the human mind. As long as hope remains, the spirit of man will never be crushed.
But hope alone was not and is not sufficient to avert war. We must not only have hope but we must have faith enough to work with other peace-loving nations to maintain the peace. Hope was not enough to beat back the aggressors as long as the peace-loving nations were unwilling to come to each other's defense. The aggressors were beaten back only when the peace-loving nations united to defend themselves.
If wars in the future are to be prevented the nations must be united in their determination to keep the peace under law.
Nothing is more essential to the future peace of the world than continued cooperation of the nations which had to muster the force necessary to defeat the conspiracy of the Axis powers to dominate the world.
While these great states have a special responsibility to enforce the peace, their responsibility is based upon the obligations resting upon all states, large and small, not to use force in international relations except in the defense of law. The responsibility of the great states is to serve and not to dominate the world.
To build a foundation of enduring peace we must not only work in harmony with our friends abroad, but we must have the united support of our own people.
Even the most experienced pilot cannot bring a ship safely into harbor, unless he has the full cooperation of the crew. For the benefit of all, every individual must do his duty.
I appeal to every American, regardless of party, race, creed, or color, to support our efforts to build a strong and lasting United Nations Organization.
You, the Members of the Congress, surely know how I feel. Only with your help can I hope to complete one of the greatest tasks ever assigned to a public servant. With Divine guidance, and your help, we will find the new passage to a far better world, a kindly and friendly world, with just and lasting peace.
With confidence, I am depending upon all of you.
To destroy greedy tyrants with dreams of world domination, we cannot continue in successive generations to sacrifice our finest youth.
In the name of human decency and civilization, a more rational method of deciding national differences must and will be found!
America must assist suffering humanity back along the path of peaceful progress. This will require time and tolerance. We shall need also an abiding faith in the people, the kind of faith and courage which Franklin Delano Roosevelt always had!
Today, America has become one of the most powerful forces for good on earth. We must keep it so. We have achieved a world leadership which does not depend solely upon our military and naval might.
We have learned to fight with other nations in common defense of our freedom. We must now learn to live with other nations for our mutual good. We must learn to trade more with other nations so that there may be for our mutual advantage--increased production, increased employment and better standards of living throughout the world.
May we Americans all live up to our glorious heritage.
In that way, America may well lead the world to peace and prosperity.
At this moment, I have in my heart a prayer. As I have assumed my heavy duties, I humbly pray Almighty God, in the words of King Solomon:
"Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad; for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?"
I ask only to be a good and faithful servant of my Lord and my people.
Note: The President spoke in the House chamber shortly after 1 p.m. The address was broadcast over the major radio networks.
Harry S Truman, Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/230621


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Temperature transmitters are essential for reliable and accurate insight into pulp and paper processes.
Accuracy is important as some measurements are wired directly from the sensor, creating issues with signal reliability over longer distances. Several process areas in the mill have temperature points within close proximity which would normally require a transmitter for each point and can add incremental cost.


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This set contains 46 vectorized vintage engravings of various farm animals. It's all vector so you can easily change color or scale it to any size you need.
These illustrations will be perfect for any animal breeding, farming or food related desings, restaurant logos or menus, packaging, retro emblems and badges etc. It's also very suitable for decoupage and scrapbooking purposes.


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Home Teen and Children's Courses
Parents/Guardians do not have to be meditators. These courses have been specifically designed for children and teens, and the schedule and activities crafted to embrace the dynamics of the particular age group. To apply visit the Course Schedule page.
Vipassana means to see things as they really are through self-observation. It is a tool that supports children as they face the challenges of growing up. This mental training is best learned when young. Many come to Vipassana later in their lives wishing they had found this technique sooner because it is so effective. Anapana is the first step in the practice of Vipassana meditation. It is the observation of natural breath as it comes in and as it goes out. It is a simple technique that helps develop concentration of the mind. Besides helping them calm and concentrate their minds, Anapana helps children to better understand themselves and how their minds work. They develop an inner strength that helps them to choose right and appropriate actions over wrong actions. For this reason Anapana provides them with a tool to deal with fears, anxieties, and pressures of childhood and adolescence. Learning Anapana meditation plants a wholesome interest in introspection and meditation, which may open an entirely new dimension of life for them later on as well as providing them with a tool that will be of immense value to them for the rest of their lives.
Visit the International Children's Site for in depth information