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InBev and MillerCoors loom over the US beer landscape like…well, like one of those monstrous inflatable Bud Light bottles that spring up at certain football tailgate parties and outdoor concerts. Together, the two global giants own nearly 80 percent of the US beer market. InBev alone, corporate owner of Budweiser, spends a staggering $449 million on US advertising.
But also like those vast blow-up beer bottles, their presence is not-so-faintly ridiculous and always teetering. The industry's signature light beers are suffering a "slow, watery death," BusinessWeek recently reported, their sales declining steadily.
Meanwhile, independent breweries cranking out distinctive product—known as craft breweries—are undergoing an accelerating renaissance. "Sales of craft beers grew 16 percent in volume over the past year versus a 1.7 percent decline for the biggest U.S. beer brands," Bloomberg reported in January. And new craft breweries are budding like hop flowers in spring. Here are the latest numbers, just out from the Brewer's Association. Note that that the number of US craft brewers has nearly doubled since 2010, and grew 20 percent in the past year alone.
Now, here's an historical look at the situation, a chart that I also included the last time I looked at the craft-beer revival, back in 2011. Note that the number of breweries plunged with the coming of Prohibition, surged with the onset of legalization in the 1930s, and then began a long, slow decline as the beer industry consolidated into the hands of giants like Budweiser, Coors, and Miller. By the end of the 1970s, the entire US beer market was being satisfied, if that's the word, by fewer than 100 large brewing facilities.
And then, starting in the early '80s—with the gradual demise of Prohibition-era restrictions like the one that kept breweries from selling beer directly to the public, as well as people's growing distaste for watered-down swill—the craft-brew revival, the one reaching full flower today, emerged.
For its part, Big Beer has responded to the declining popularity of its goods in two ways. The first is relentless cost cutting. When Belgian mega-brewer InBev bought US corporate beer giant Bud in 2008, it very quickly slashed 1,400 jobs, about 6 percent of its US workforce. And the laser-like focus on slashing costs has continued, as this aptly titled 2012 BusinessWeek piece, "The Plot to Destroy America's Beer," shows.
The second is to roll out phony craft beers—brands like Shock Top and Blue Moon—and buy up legit craft brewers like Chicago's Goose Island, which InBev did in 2011. Other ersatz "craft" beers include Leinenkugel, Killian's, Batch 19, and Third Shift. The strategy has been successful, to a point. Bloomberg reports that InBev has seen its Goose Island and Shock Top sales surge.
But there's a catch: These stealth Big Beer brands aren't "putting the microbrewers who started the movement out of business," Bloomberg reports. Rather, "the new labels are taking sales from already-troubled mass-market brands owned by the industry giants peddling these crafty brews." In other words, consumers aren't dropping Sierra Nevada or Dogfish Head and reaching for the Shock Top. Rather, Shock Top sales are being propped up by refugees from Bud Light and the like.
Meanwhile, the beer world is buzzing about what would be the granddaddy of all mergers: rumors are swirling that InBev is preparing a bid to takeover SABMiller, a move that would give the combined company 30 percent of the globe's beer market. The motivation, reports the St. Louis Post Dispatch: "A-B InBev could reap $2 billion in cost-savings through an acquisition of their largest rival, through global procurement and shared services, and eliminating job redundancies."
While Big Beer attempts to solve its problems with crafty marketing and yet more giantism, US craft brewers are trying out innovative business models. Big-name craft brewers Full Sail (Oregon), New Belgium (Colorado), and Harpoon (Boston) are all fully employee-owned. Here in Austin, Black Star Brewery and Pub is cooperatively owned by 3,000 community members and managed by a "workers assembly" as a "democratic self-managed workplace." It may sound like it should be a cluster, but the place is always packed, the service is brisk, the food is good, and the beer is excellent. And the employees proudly refuse tips, citing their living wage as the reason. Meanwhile, a forthcoming worker-owned project, 4thTap Brewing Co-op, is creating excitement among Austin beer nerds with its promise to "bring radical brewing to the forefront of the Texas craft beer scene."
For me, all of this ferment underlines an important point about the US food scene: It may be dominated by a few massive, heavily marketed companies at the top, but that doesn't stop viable alternatives from bubbling from below.


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In recent months we've been especially focused on helping people find high-quality sites in Google's search results. The "Panda" algorithm change has improved rankings for a large number of high-quality websites, so most of you reading have nothing to be concerned about. However, for the sites that may have been affected by Panda we wanted to provide additional guidance on how Google searches for high-quality sites.
Our advice for publishers continues to be to focus on delivering the best possible user experience on your websites and not to focus too much on what they think are Google's current ranking algorithms or signals. Some publishers have fixated on our prior Panda algorithm change, but Panda was just one of roughly 500 search improvements we expect to roll out to search this year. In fact, since we launched Panda, we've rolled out over a dozen additional tweaks to our ranking algorithms, and some sites have incorrectly assumed that changes in their rankings were related to Panda. Search is a complicated and evolving art and science, so rather than focusing on specific algorithmic tweaks, we encourage you to focus on delivering the best possible experience for users.
What counts as a high-quality site?
Our site quality algorithms are aimed at helping people find "high-quality" sites by reducing the rankings of low-quality content. The recent "Panda" change tackles the difficult task of algorithmically assessing website quality. Taking a step back, we wanted to explain some of the ideas and research that drive the development of our algorithms.
Below are some questions that one could use to assess the "quality" of a page or an article. These are the kinds of questions we ask ourselves as we write algorithms that attempt to assess site quality. Think of it as our take at encoding what we think our users want.
Of course, we aren't disclosing the actual ranking signals used in our algorithms because we don't want folks to game our search results; but if you want to step into Google's mindset, the questions below provide some guidance on how we've been looking at the issue:
- Would you trust the information presented in this article?
- Is this article written by an expert or enthusiast who knows the topic well, or is it more shallow in nature?
- Does the site have duplicate, overlapping, or redundant articles on the same or similar topics with slightly different keyword variations?
- Would you be comfortable giving your credit card information to this site?
- Does this article have spelling, stylistic, or factual errors?
- Are the topics driven by genuine interests of readers of the site, or does the site generate content by attempting to guess what might rank well in search engines?
- Does the article provide original content or information, original reporting, original research, or original analysis?
- Does the page provide substantial value when compared to other pages in search results?
- How much quality control is done on content?
- Does the article describe both sides of a story?
- Is the site a recognized authority on its topic?
- Is the content mass-produced by or outsourced to a large number of creators, or spread across a large network of sites, so that individual pages or sites don't get as much attention or care?
- Was the article edited well, or does it appear sloppy or hastily produced?
- For a health related query, would you trust information from this site?
- Would you recognize this site as an authoritative source when mentioned by name?
- Does this article provide a complete or comprehensive description of the topic?
- Does this article contain insightful analysis or interesting information that is beyond obvious?
- Is this the sort of page you'd want to bookmark, share with a friend, or recommend?
- Does this article have an excessive amount of ads that distract from or interfere with the main content?
- Would you expect to see this article in a printed magazine, encyclopedia or book?
- Are the articles short, unsubstantial, or otherwise lacking in helpful specifics?
- Are the pages produced with great care and attention to detail vs. less attention to detail?
- Would users complain when they see pages from this site?
Writing an algorithm to assess page or site quality is a much harder task, but we hope the questions above give some insight into how we try to write algorithms that distinguish higher-quality sites from lower-quality sites.
What you can do
We've been hearing from many of you that you want more guidance on what you can do to improve your rankings on Google, particularly if you think you've been impacted by the Panda update. We encourage you to keep questions like the ones above in mind as you focus on developing high-quality content rather than trying to optimize for any particular Google algorithm.
One other specific piece of guidance we've offered is that low-quality content on some parts of a website can impact the whole site's rankings, and thus removing low quality pages, merging or improving the content of individual shallow pages into more useful pages, or moving low quality pages to a different domain could eventually help the rankings of your higher-quality content.
We're continuing to work on additional algorithmic iterations to help webmasters operating high-quality sites get more traffic from search. As you continue to improve your sites, rather than focusing on one particular algorithmic tweak, we encourage you to ask yourself the same sorts of questions we ask when looking at the big picture. This way your site will be more likely to rank well for the long-term. In the meantime, if you have feedback, please tell us through our Webmaster Forum. We continue to monitor threads on the forum and pass site info on to the search quality team as we work on future iterations of our ranking algorithms.
Written by Amit Singhal, Google Fellow
Courtesy : Google Webmaster Central Blog

subset: commoncrawl


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Credit: CJESJYJ
JYJ Fantalk Source: youtube
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Credit: CJESJYJ
JYJ Fantalk Source: youtube
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Beautiful and poignant Junsu. You are maturing wonderfully. 🙂
Credit: ColorCodedKpop
JYJ Fantalk Source: youtube
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This is a timeless [well almost 🙂 post] If there is a moment to give support, now is crucial. Jaejoong is living pure reality right now. It's so easy to sit back and wait for our Guys to return. It takes more effort to continue. We must keep praying for strength for us all.
Credit: Letters To Jaejoong
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Credits: leaplis + xia_becky + XIA_Picnic + _WithXIA
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I'm just getting to see this wonderful drama. You're doing a great job, Mickey. You can find it on Drama Fever, Viki, KDrama, and more…
Credit: Good Doctor-Drama Korean
JYJ Fantalk Source: youtube
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Tremendous congratulations Yoochun. You are a fine actor. 🙂
Credit: Nobi Chanel,
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All time favorite!!!
credit:iroha 1215
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Beautiful music and lyrics Hon. 🙂
credit: blackSkyjuiceXia
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Group JYJ Kim Jaejoong will enlist this coming 31st.
On the 4th, his agency C-JeS Entertainment said, "Kim Jaejoong feels a sense of responsibility for the interest from a lot of people which he is taking responsibility by fulfilling his military duty," and, "He will be spending his time having fun with fans and his family for the remaining time".
Following Kim Jaejoong's enlistment, Park Yuchun is also scheduled to enlist this year. Kim Junsu is scheduled to enlist next year.
If Kim Jaejoong enlists as scheduled, the set date for his discharge from active duty will be December 30, 2016.
Netizens who learned of this, reacted: "Kim Jaejoong, go and come back healthy when you enlist on the 31st", "I'm sad Jaejoong will enlist on the 31st"; etc.
Source: MTN News
Translated by: rilanna of JYJ3
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Kim Jae-joong transforms into a man who will stop at nothing to protect his loved ones in the KBS drama "Spy" on Friday.
In the latest episodes Kim's character Kim Seon-woo, an elite National Intelligence Service agent, protects his love, his family and his country in his own way.
In the episodes, he volunteers to become a double agent when his mother is blackmailed into becoming a spy.
And when his girlfriend, played by Ko Sung-hee, is kidnapped, he steals a hard disk for Hwang Ki-chul, a North Korean spy played by Yu Oh-seong.
He even fights off his fellow NIS agents to deliver the information to Hwang.
However, when it is revealed that his girlfriend is a spy planted by Hwang, Kim's character goes on to recover the disk from the North Korean master spy.
Two 50-minute episodes of "Spy" are aired back-to-back every Friday.
Additional Photo Credit: Top Star News
Source: Kpop Herald
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Official (no sub)
English sub
Credits: CJESJYJ + t4rw3n
Translations by: ohmyjunsu of intoXIAcation
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Group JYJ reclaimed the 1st place, recording a reversal with their first single 'Wake Me Tonight' released in Japan.
According to Japan's biggest records-counting site Oricon Chart on the morning of January 27, JYJ's first single 'Wake Me Tonight' –that was released last Jan. 21– climbed up the top of Single Daily Chart, recording sales of 20,609 copies for one day on January 26.
This single had also recorded No. 1 on Tower Records [Japan]'s Daily Chart and HMV 24-hour chart, as well as, No. 2 on Oricon Daily Chart; on its release date. JYJ has proven that there is no change in JYJ's popularity –despite many restrictions all the while–, with this being the first time that they have their album distributed fully in Japan.
JYJ has [already] climbed to No.1 on Tower Records' Monthly Chart and No.2 on Oricon Weekly Chart without an official release in Japan, with their regular album 'JUST US' released prior in Korea last summer.
Source: OSEN
Translated by: rilanna of JYJ3
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Who truly is this versatile talented man? Kim Jaejoong has managed to explore so many artistic and entrepreneurial avenues of the entertainment, styling, culinary, and design markets and industry. You are never able to predict what's coming next down the pike. This last year proved to be a prolific one indeed, with dramas, albums, an Asian tour with his brothers….
Jaejoong is the son of a very close-knit, supportive family. He has been taught to love deeply, to work hard, and to fight for what he perceives as the right causes. A sincerely unique individual who will be an influence in the world for many years to come. His present drama "Spy" is a precursor to that inevitable role of being a South Korean soldier. Time is getting close for this part of Jaejoong's life, and though we may miss him terribly, we also understand that there are some things in life that are duties, not necessarily choices. Jaejoong will do well.
Earlier in the year Jaejoong took on the role of one of three brothers working through the trauma of separation in 'Triangle'. This drama was well received and awarded as has been each drama he has embraced. Jaejoong was able to stretch his 'wings' per se, and he has proved his true versatility as a singer and actor.
What comes next? We cannot predict, we can only pray and hope for the best for Jaejoong. Our affection is genuine for this intriguing young warrior, and I believe he has affection for us as fans all over the world. Keep fighting Kim Jaejoong, and the Happiest Birthday 2015 from all of us at JYJ Fantalk!!
credit: KV Music News
Photos from Yahoo Image Search
Narrative credit: Momma Cha from JYJ Fantalk
(T/N: a long report on finale of JYJ Japan Dome Tour. I thought it would give everyone a good picture of the whole dome performance set-up and what each member said roughly. Hope you enjoy reading!)
Korea's top artists JYJ held their Japan Dome Tour [2014 Japan Dome Tour ~ Ichigo Ichie ~] at Fukuoka Yahoo Auction Dome on 24th December (Wed).
The tour which started on 18th November in Tokyo Dome proceeded to Osaka, and then on 23rd and 24th for 2 days, JYJ decorated their dome tour finale with their first Fukuoka concerts with roaring success.
On 24th Christmas eve, while fans eagerly waited in their Christmas cos-play (T/N: costumer play, meaning wearing a costume to become someone/something else) holding JYJ goods, the dome went into darkness.
Penlights the fans were holding shone red all at once, covering one side of the dome with red waves.
When the screen showed clips of Junsu, Yuchun, Jaejoong one-by-one, voices of the audience flew about shouting out the members' names.
When dancers in black costumes sure to heighten the excitment of the dome came out to show-off their acrobatic dance moves, the screen close up on [JYJ] logo.
When Jaejoong, Yuchun and Junsu appeared on the top stage dressed in black/gold glittering costumes, the place went into a storm of happiness.
When they sang the opening number "Empty" on top of a firery stage, their powerful dance and voices raised the voltage of the place at once but yet during their ballad number "Ayy Girl (R&B ver)" the place was wrapped up in their sweet voices, capturing fans' hearts very early into the concert.
The place was in an uproar reaching the highest climax with their even more passionate performances since its the tour finale.
After receiving fanatic responses, the opening stage ended and MC time starts.
After Jaejoong's "welcome to JYJ Dome Tour in Fukuoka!" and Junsu's call "Good evening everyone~! I'm Junsu of JYJ. 2014 Asia Tour ends today. For this, I will put in all my energy from the start till the end, going with my all strength so everyone! Let's enjoy till the end!", the place shook with roars of cheers.
Fans were nodding in agreement when these words were spoken "good evening this is Jaejoong. Its the last one today right. Although we just started, it feels lonely right (as the final performance)".
When he said "and Merry Christmas everyone!", the audience responded with loud cheers of "Merry Christmas" back.
Jaejoong further continued with "since its Christmas today, let's enjoy with a special performance we prepared only for today. Thank you" and raised expectations towards the performance while passing the baton to Yuchun.
"I'm Yuchun of JYJ!" he greeted and gave out a huge sigh with "today is the last of this tour right. Haaaaaa~" and continued "dome tour, I want to do it one more time you know". At these words, the dome was filled with voices responding in a split second "we want!!"
"But….. JYJ will also try hard so please give us your support till the end!" said Yuchun.
After "until the end, ready to enjoy, OK~!" shouted by Yuchun in his usual style, the second stage started!
"And so please listen to this" said Jaejoong, introducing the number "Let Me See".
After feeling intoxicated with that gem of a harmony created with these 3 beautiful voices, everyone in the dome was then intoxicated with "In Heaven", the masterpiece ballad that stimulates all our 5 senses.
The fans, applauding loudly with all their emotions after each song, complimented the 3 members' performances towards making this the best LIVE.
A clip was shown on screen to look back at their activities as JYJ and as individuals, and when the words [now is the time to show a new look ~…..] appeared, it was time for the special solo performances.
Jaejoong appeared in chic black-base clothes sitting on a chair and sang emotionally to Nakajima Miyuki's [Keshou], while Junsu also sang Nakajima Miyuki's [Kimi to Sora no Aida]. Yuchun then followed with Fukuyama Masaharu's [Sai Ai].
While they delivered these emotional ballads which fit their individual image exactly, everyone was so touched that some fans who even shed tears.
Then the atmosphere took a complete change, and Jaejoong appeared wearing a leather jacket with frills showing off a look mixed with sexiness and charisma singing passionately to [Butterfly].
This was a rock number elegant and bewitching like a butterfly, and the audience was sucked into a vortex of passion. "Everyone, are you ready to go crazy?" shouted Jaejoong and everyone responded with "Yeah~!"
And to further words of "Go crazy? You sure?", fans shouted even louder "Yeah~!"
"Coz today is the finale. We have enjoyed those concerts we did until now too but today everyone please force yourselves a little…. like this [I am normally like this but because its the finale I'll put in more for you] (laugh). Like more crazy then usual….. To the level that will shock even the friend you came with today….. I want you to enjoy today with that kind of tension!" said Jaejoong encouraging the fans and finally "next song, you know what it is right?"
"First floor, second floor Ultra Soul!" (Jaejoong) "Hey!" (fans) "now everybody! Ultra Soul!" (Jaejoong) "Hey!" (fans), the call & response continued like this.
With cheers that filled-up the entire place, "I'm going to ride this tide!" said Jaejoong and went on to do [Ultra Soul] by B'z.
Fans who got excited during the MC where Jaejoong captured their hearts, then screamed his name "Jaejoonggggggg~!" loudly and shook the floor together with Jaejoong.
Next up was Yuchun wearing a greyish jacket.
When he sang the R&B-flavor number [I Love You] with his charismatic high tone and heavy low notes voice, the dome reacted with unbreaking applauses and cheers that sounded like howling. (T/N: can't help it just want to comment here that this use of "howling" by the reporter was just hilarious and so apt!)
While reciprocating to screams of female fans, he also expressed his appreciation to the many male fans' cheers when they said "Yuchun-san, I love you" (T/N: very difficult to translate DAISUKI coz it can mean LOVE it can mean like a lot etc. but I'll go with LOVE coz I believe its closer), prompting him to joke "that's a little (laugh)" (T/N: meaning he CAN'T reciprocate lol) and making everyone laughed.
As today is the tour's final day, Yuchun said with regret "now, I want time to stop. I mean, I think members may do individual LIVE but as JYJ probably 3 years, 4 years later…." and the audience went "eeeeehhhh~!" in shocked.
As if to make it sound better to himself too, Yuchun explained "I mean, we are going for military service right"
After pausing for a breath, he continued "but please wait for us JYJ" and everyone responded back "we'll wait~!!!"
Changing the topic, "its kind of exciting 'cause it's Christmas right? I was excited with Junsu yesterday (laugh) when Junsu said at the side of the stage [what do I do? This really makes me uncomfortable you know]. But sorry Junsu (laugh), I personally want to give fans a Christmas present….. I want our performance today to be a present from us" said Yuchun and went on to perform [30] and after that whispered "everyone, I love you" to huge cheers from fans.
Last from the solo section was Junsu wearing pure-white long coat.
Strong yet beautiful voice singing "because you are not alone, because I will protect you ~" to fans like he is talking to them with AI's [STORY], and was drown with applause.
"It's been a while so my Japanese may not convey my meaning 100% but it's great to be able to communicate in Japanese right? All of you are so kind. Even when I used ridiculous Japanese you will understand me and I feel thankful every time" expressing his gratefulness.
"And so its the same today, are you ready?" he shouted and there were cheers heard from male fans.
In response to those cheers, he said "can I hear the guys' voices today? One – two!" and the male fans cheered "Junsuuuuuuu~!!"
Furthermore, "and from now!" said Junsu, "Junsu Time!" shouted fans as per usual, and an intensive performance started.
To the strong electron sound, Junsu performed [Incredible] with the dancers and overwhelmed the audience with a perfectly-executed dance performance and his predominant singing skill.
The stage started again with 3 of them singing [So So].
As its Christmas eve today and finale of dome tour, Junsu, Jaejoong and Yuchun appeared on the top stage cos-play as snowman, Santa Claus and Tree!
Fans went wild with excitement at how cute the 3 of them looked.
The simple performance, born from 3 of them wanting to make fans happy, brought delight to the audience.
While singing Yuchun's hit-drama [Sungkyunkwang Scandal] theme song [Chajatta], they moved towards the sub-stage.
They were moving slowly towards audience at the back.
When the 3 of them were approaching slowly on the moving stage, everyone was overjoyed!
Junsu said "after debuting 10 years, this is a first cos-play for me (laugh)". "Yes, for Junsu and me (laugh). But Jaejoong is sexy right" quipped Yuchun.
"We are almost turning 30 and frankly this is too embarrassing" Jaejoong said shyly while Junsu quipped "at first there was talk about dressing-up as girls but on a moving stage you can see…..(T/N: erhm, I supposed you can imagine them wearing SKIRTS and hence….) so we gave up on that" bringing continuous laughters from everyone.
In addition, Jaejoong started doing "adult" talk and the place went into an uproar.
In the midst of singing SMAP's popular song [Lion Heart] and [Be My Girl], 3 of them went on separate trams and gifted audience with color balls that included their signatures, toys, and even the costumes they wore, making one round of the dome to the delights of fans.
JYJ appeared again after changing into dark blue outfits and sang the title track [BACK SEAT] in their new album [JUST US], followed by [Be the One] and [Valentine], and finally there remains only 1 song.
"It's time to introduce our final song but….. Time passes so fast right. Its amazing how fast time passed from Yuchun's [are you ready!] just now. I don't want to do the next song. I mean, today is the last time".
In addition, "when the new single release has been confirmed, we shouted BANZAI! (T/N: we did it) It's the same happiness we feel when we first took No 1 on the weekly chart after debut in Japan. So this moment should not be a lonely time for us but a waiting moment for new happiness I think. Because today is Christmas eve, I want to part with you all while smiling", and further "let us introduce the new song to be release on 21 January" before performing [Wake Me Tonight].
After singing [Get Out] during encore, Junsu said "with the next song our [2014 JYJ Japan Dome Tour] ends. When we started off in China, I was also doing musical then and frankly it was tough but today I really feel lonely. Until now even when we couldn't appear on TV or in the midst of various bad situations, we could overcome everything and be here now because of you all. I feel that I can prepare for my next step with your support and love. I will continue to do my best". Jaejoong sighed with deep emotion " after becoming the name JYJ there will be no next, we don't know what will happen next. Everyday we feared what's to come tomorrow. Everytime we performed in Japan we always say [we can meet again] but we don't know when that will be and spent our time while watching over that period of "uncertain future". But this concert I felt the trust with you and the really deep love that is like an assurance that we can certainly keep doing this. Although we talk about going into military service soon, I am coming to Yokohama in January (laugh). We won't be meeting for 2 years but 2 years is short so just wait for us for a while alright".
Yuchun also said "yesterday I was listenig to some good old songs with Jaejoong in the car after a long while. I want to make beautiful memories too from now. This beautiful memories cannot be made without all of you and without Jaejoong and Junsu….. Let's make beautiful memories with JYJ and all of you from now. Thank you today" warm words from his heart.
To Jaejoong who said he didn't want to do the next song, Yuchun proposed "then let's do A Cappella" and the entire dome echoed with a huge roar of roof-penetrating loud cheers.
Everyone was super-excited when their A Capalle harmonized beautifully.
They sang [NINE] written by Jaejoong.
[BEGIN] was sang durng double=encore.
3 of them were filled with deep emotions and couldn't control their crying.
Fans there were also crying, and finally they took a picture with fans behind them and promised to come back again, ending Japan Dome Tour's finale with tears and emotions.
This Japan Dome Tour mobilized 240,000 people starting from November, performing at Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka.
After proving their continuous-poplularity, JYJ will release their first Japan single [Wake Me Tonight] on 21 January.
Source: Korepo
Translated by: Jen_BabyLove of JYJ3
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Fresh Blood
Life after Life
The Longer I Live
She + Loving you Keeps me Alive
I Dreamed a Dream – Jo Jung Eun solo
Those Days
Love that is too painful is not love
Because of Love
Something More
살다보면 – musical Seopyeonje
Genie Time: Too Love
Genie Time: Stand by U
Countdown to 2015
Genie Time: Valentine
A Lover's Concerto
Sakurairo Maukoro – Mika Nakashima
지나간다 – Kim Bumsoo
Musical Medley
Incredible – Encore
엄마(Mom) – Ra. D
Credits: ohmyjun.com + TwinklingJ + 바다바람(@1215xiaonly_jyj)
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We all know that good study habits can make or break your college career but how a professor teaches and conducts a class will also shape your college experience. Large lectures, small classroom discussions or workshop-like environments are all different types of teaching styles that professors employ in their classrooms.
I go to a very small school where there are never more than 25 people in a class so I am used to discussions being an integral part of almost every class I take. My sister, however, goes to Cal State San Bernardino; large lecture halls are the norm here and her classes have anywhere from 30 to 300 people depending on the subject and level.
Classroom discussions are intense: They ensure that every person has done the homework and reading because at any moment, your professor could call on you to discuss the assignment. Larger lecture halls allow for more leeway because there is often very little interaction between the professor and individual students so how hard you prepare for each class depends on your own motivation.
So, what type of teaching style works for you? For me at least, small classroom discussions help me learn best but for my trouble subjects (anything science or math related), lectures tend to be better. What I would recommend for any new college student is to test the educational waters; regardless of where you go to school, you can always find small classes with no more than 25 students that will allow for discussions or classes that are nothing but weekly lectures. Find what works for you and stick to it...your GPA will thank you!
Jacquelene Bennett is a senior at the University of Redlands where her areas of study are creative writing, government and religious studies. When she is not studying or working, you can usually find her eating frozen yogurt or blogging about her day. She has a cactus named Kat and believes that Stephen Colbert is a genius. Jacquelene works hard, laughs hard and knows that one day you'll see her name in lights.


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The Benefits of Communications Technology, Part 3: Communications Respecters
The benefits of communications technology are sometimes difficult to quantify. For the Communications Skeptics out there — a group we discussed in part two of this series — this might be enough to dissuade useful integrations. And, of course, there are the Communications Unaware, who we discussed in part one, who lack a cohesive communications strategy. But that's not so for Communications Respecters, who value communication, and we will meet in this article.
Modern business communication solutions are critical to the success of any organization, but not all organizations are on the same page when it comes to business communications. We can categorize these perspectives into four general levels of communications maturity:
- Communications Unaware (level 1)
- Communications Skeptics (level 2)
- Communications Respecters (level 3)
- Communications Powerbrokers (level 4)
Here is an in-depth look at what being a member of the third group — a Communications Respecter — means for your bottom line, as well as the subtle changes in customer satisfaction, business processes, and key performance indicators that unfold as organizations reach that level.
Knowing Who You Are
What distinguishes a communications respecter from a skeptic? For that matter, what separates them from the highest level of communications technology maturity? Your organization might be a communications respecter if:
- You're not afraid to lean on more technology than the average organization.
- The majority of your organization's technology resides in the cloud.
- You've recognized the importance of automation in your business processes and use it regularly.
Reaching this maturity level as an enterprise involves not only accepting the role of communications technology, but also viewing it as crucial to the overall success of the organization.
If that describes your environment, congratulations. You've already discovered the benefits of communications technology. By leveraging your cloud-based phone system, you can enjoy the convenience of automated call logging, click-to-dial, and a work-from-anywhere empowered infrastructure. You've also at least started your complete digital transformation. This includes integrating these conveniences with other daily processes.
Customer relationship management (CRM) integration can unite the power of your client database with the convenient communication of your cloud-based phone system. This will propel your customer satisfaction to new levels as customer interactions become fueled by information pulled from your CRM and your cloud communications platform.
If the above doesn't quite describe the experience you had in the office today, here's the good news: With a little guidance from the following tips, you'll be well on your way to a more mature communications technology environment.
Shake off any old-school attitudes you might have that if it isn't broken, you don't fix it. That motto may have served your grandparents, but the only clouds they were aware of were the ones in the sky.
Tips for the Growing Respecter
First things first: Shake off any old-school attitudes you might have that if it isn't broken, you don't fix it. Sure, that motto may have served your grandparents, but the only clouds they were aware of were the ones in the sky. In all seriousness, sticking with a technology just because it's working now is not the best decision.
The moment you become complacent with the technology that composes your infrastructure is the moment your organization begins to impede its own innovation. You can't expect to be competitive in any industry without first getting competitive with your infrastructure. Your infrastructure should be in a constant state of competition to always be the latest and greatest. The minute any one piece of your communications technology fails to stack up, it's time to pull the cord.
But don't be a loose cannon. Take the time and energy to plan new communications technology deployments with wisdom and foresight. A good way to do this is to break your infrastructure down into applicable use cases. Look for areas that are underperforming and seek out technology to best meet those shortcomings. Conversely, if new tech has caught your eye, consider its potential benefits within your organization's everyday business processes.
And always remember, the ultimate goal with your communications technology is to empower meaningful interactions with your customers. By taking advantage of the benefits of cloud-based communications infrastructure, you'll be able to connect with your clients wherever they are and however they prefer.
Taking that next step in your communications maturity requires a culture shift — one that embraces a single source of truth. According to an IDC report, one area skeptics and respecters most disagree on is the importance of a common communications platform. If services such as phone systems, instant messages and video conferences include more than one vendor logo at your organization, some work needs to be done.
Embracing the Benefits of Communications Technology
Investing in the modern benefits of communications technology will help you to wrangle disparate systems. Cloud-based platforms can consolidate your communications technology under one roof while enabling seamless integration with neighboring infrastructure, such as your CRM.
At the end of the day, making the next step to become a communications respecter requires embracing change — well-informed, thoughtfully planned change.
Communications respecters are ready for business transformation. Download this ICD report to learn more, and contact Vonage Business to learn more about how cloud-based communications can aid your company.
Stay tuned for the last article in this series, which will examine a fourth group of enterprise professionals: Communications Powerbrokers.


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NetBSD/sparc Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
- I'm getting a No supported rate found! error from mpg123
- Serial console displays garbage
- How do I change console options such as colour or font size?
- The mouse on SPARCstation Voyager acts weird in X (ms0: input error (0xc47))
- Framebuffer displays garbage on scrollback
- Using the nell sbus-to-PCMCIA bridge
Hardware Questions
- What CPU modules are capable of running multiprocessor
- How do I hook up a VGA monitor to my Sun
- What does a message similar to "*** U0209 ***" "PMAP 000d5000, Exp = 00000000, Obs = 04000000" from the PROM mean?
- Are hyperSPARC mbus modules supported?
- What is the memory configuration in a Ross sparc 20 clone?
- How do I hook up this strange SCSI connector to a normal device
PROM/Booting Questions
- How to abort to the PROM
- Troubleshooting PROM problems
- Why won't my non-Sun SCSI CD-ROM drive boot the NetBSD/sparc CD-ROM?
- How to speed up the framebuffer on sun4c hosts
- Do I really have to have my partitions start and end on cylinder boundaries?
- The PROM wants a password when I abort booting
- What does the cache chip bug; trap page uncached kernel message mean?
- How do I boot an RDI PowerLite 85 or 100 from a floppy disk?
Serial Port Questions
- Whenever I unplug the serial console, my machine reboots!
- Can I use a Macintosh serial cable on machines that have a MiniDin8 connector?
- Splitting the serial port on a SPARCstation 20 and SPARC classic
- Can I run my built-in serial port faster than 38400 bps?
Ethernet Questions
- All my ethernet interfaces have the same hardware address
- Ethernet address or hostid are all ones
- Tadpole 3GX transceiver does not work if not plugged in at boot
JavaStation Questions
SunOS and Solaris Emulation Questions
Other sources of information
- Sun System Handbook
- Memory Modules
- SunHELP
- Sun Hardware Reference FAQ
- OpenBoot Collection
- Sun NVRAM/Hostid FAQ
- Sun Serial Port & Cable Pinouts
- Frame Buffer FAQ
- The SunShack Data Archive
- Technical SPARC CPU resources
- Information about mixing MBus modules
Other sources of information from NetBSD.org
- NetBSD 10.0 install notes
- port-sparc mailing list
- Diskless NetBSD HOW-TO.
- NetBSD Serial Port Primer
- General NetBSD Documentation
General Questions
I'm getting a No supported rate found!
error from mpg123
If you've gotten this error you'll have to pass arguments to mpg123 for your number of channels and rate of stream. Older systems (such as the sun4c machines and the SPARC Classic) only support an 8 bit 8 kHz mono sampling rate. For these systems, you would specify:
mpg123 -m -r 8000 filename
The -m option is for mixing both channels for mono output, and the -r specifies the rate that the audio card supports.
Serial console displays garbage
Typically this is because the default terminal type for console is sun
and most serial terminals are vt100
(or similar), and they
use different escape codes. The temporary fix is to change your terminal type:
# setenv TERM vt100
The permanent solution is to edit /etc/ttys
and change
the console
line to read:
console "/usr/libexec/getty suncons" vt100 on secure
Then you need to kill -HUP 1
or reboot.
How do I change console options such as colour or font size?
You have to recompile a kernel to do this. For example, to get a white on black console, add the following to your kernel config file:
options RASTERCONSOLE_FGCOL=WSCOL_WHITE options RASTERCONSOLE_BGCOL=WSCOL_BLACK
For a smaller font, add the following:
options FONT_BOLD8x16
Another useful option is
options RASTERCONS_FULLSCREEN
The mouse on SPARCstation Voyager acts weird in X (ms0: input error (0xc47)
Apparently the original mouse that came with the Voyager (the Compact1 370-1865-01 mouse, but not the 370-1865-03) runs at a faster serial speed than every other Sun mouse (4800 bps instead of 1200 bps). You have two options:
- Use another mouse
- Add
options SUN_MS_BPS=4800
to your kernel configuration and recompile
See ms(4) for more information.
Framebuffer displays garbage on scrollback
When exiting vi, and sometimes when scrolling back, the display scrolls back for a few seconds displaying a lot of garbage. There is usually garbage in the non-text portion of the screen as well. This is purported to be caused by a firmware bug on Sbus cgsix boards, and has to date been noticed on all machines in which a cgsix board is installed.
Some options:
- Set your terminal type to
. - Edit your termcap so that the default '
' entry has:tc=sun-cgsix:
instead of:tc=sun-il:
- Edit
and changeconsole "/usr/libexec/getty suncons" sun on secure
toconsole "/usr/libexec/getty suncons" sun-cgsix on secure
Using the nell sbus-to-PCMCIA bridge
NetBSD supports CardBus and PCMCIA cards with the SPARCstation Voyager's on-board interface and with the nell sbus-to-PCMCIA bridge card. All PCMCIA devices listed on the Machine-independent PCMCIA drivers page should work with NetBSD/sparc. Some have been tested, but many have not. The GENERIC kernel has the nell interface disabled by default. You'll need to build a kernel with the nell and various pcmcia interfaces uncommented.
Hardware Questions
What CPU modules are capable of running multiprocessor
The only NetBSD/sparc models capable of SMP are the Sun 4/600, SPARCstation/server 10, SPARCstation/server 20, and clones of these models. Most SuperSPARC-I, SuperSPARC-II, and hyperSPARC MBus CPU modules can be used in an SMP system. Briefly, two modules with the same speed and (non-zero) cache size will have no problems. Modules with different cache sizes and speeds have been reported to work, but you run into trouble when using older (i.e., slower) modules and modules without caches. Check the following references:
You will need to use the GENERIC.MP kernel, or a kernel with the following options enabled:
options MULTIPROCESSOR # include multiprocessor support cpu* at mainbus0 # declare additional CPUs
To boot from a different CPU, run the following commands at the PROM prompt:
<#0> ok N switch-cpu
Where N
is the cpu number you want to switch to. 0 is
the primary CPU on the first mbus module. 1 is the second CPU on the
first module. 2 is the first CPU on the second module. 3 is the second
CPU on the second module. Switching to a non-existent CPU may cause
your system to hang.
You must have already booted NetBSD once to load the CPU code into the
PROM. See Paul Kranenburg's post.
How do I hook up a VGA monitor to my Sun
Well, there are two ways: build your own cable, or purchase an adapter. The adapters can be found for around US$30 and the framebuffer will typically "just work" at its default resolution.
To build your own cable, follow these instructions provided by Izumi Tsutsui.
Don't forget to take a look at the Frame Buffer FAQ for information on your framebuffer, what resolutions it supports, and how to set the default resolution in the prom.
What does a message similar to "*** U0209 ***
" "PMAP 000d5000, Exp = 00000000, Obs = 04000000
" from the PROM mean?
If the page map ram on a sparc2 fails, the PROM will not initialise the framebuffer, but will output a message similar to
*** U0209 *** PMAP = 000d5000, Exp = 00000000, Obs = 04000000
to the serial console. (the U0209 can also be U0208). The only options are to replace the chip, which requires exceptionally delicate soldering work, or replace the entire motherboard.
Are hyperSPARC mbus modules supported?
Yes. All Ross hyperSPARC modules should work. See also What CPU modules are capable of running multiprocessor.
What is the memory configuration in a Ross sparc 20 clone?
Ben Cottrell reports that: "For anyone else who's curious about this, the slots in a Ross sparc 20 clone go like: 0 4 1 5 2 6 3 7, going top to bottom, looking down on the case in its conventional orientation. "
How do I hook up this strange SCSI connector to a normal device
Older sun4 machines might have an old style SCSI connector with three rows of pins. The pins are listed on this page.
PROM/Booting Questions
How to abort to the PROM
There are three ways to abort to the PROM:
- If using a Sun keyboard, Press
, (or[STOP]
) - If using a Tadpole SPARCbook keyboard, press
- If using a serial console, send a BREAK signal (the method may very from terminal to terminal).
Once at the PROM you can continue with 'go
' ('ok' prompt), or
' (> prompt).
Troubleshooting PROM problems
See the troubleshooting guide at
Additionally, if your ethernet address is FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF
, then your
NVRAM is dead and you may have trouble booting. See
Ethernet address or hostid are all ones.
Why won't my non-Sun SCSI CD-ROM drive boot the NetBSD/sparc CD-ROM?
Most UNIX workstations, including Sun's OpenBoot PROM, have a PROM that requires the CD-ROM to support a 512 byte block size. Most OEM Sun CD-ROM drives are set to 512 byte block size by default. Most newer 3rd party drives automatically support both 512 and 2048 byte block sizes. Older 3rd party drives may have a jumper to change the value from 2048 bytes to 512 bytes. Check with your hardware vendor -- those drives that do not support 512 byte sectors will be unusable for booting, but will be useable once the kernel is loaded for normal operations.
See the Sun CD-ROM FAQ.
How to speed up the framebuffer on sun4c hosts
Here is a shellscript provided by email@example.com which speeds up PROM access to the framebuffer on sun4c hosts running OBP version 2 and greater (such as the IPX).
#! /bin/sh - eeprom 'nvramrc=probe-all install-console ramforth : cache-page dup pgmap@ cacheable swap pgmap! ; up@ cache-page here origin do i cache-page pagesize +loop banner' eeprom 'use-nvramrc?=true' exit 0
Do I really have to have my partitions start and end on cylinder boundaries?
Yes and no. The PROM only knows how to load a bootloader from the beginning of a cylinder. This means that your bootable partitions need to start on cylinder boundaries. The cylinder size in your disklabel does not have to bear any relation to the actual physical cylinder size of the disk. You can't just set your cylinder size to 1 (i.e., the number of cylinders = the number of sectors), since the number of cylinders is stored as a 16 bit number (i.e., your disk could only be about 32 MB).
The partitions apparently do not need to end on cylinder boundaries, and there are no bad side-effects of doing so.
The PROM wants a password when I abort booting
You need physical access to the machine to erase the password. Power off,
power on, hold [L1]
(or [STOP]
) until the PROM prompt. This will
reset your PROM to the factory defaults.
Alternatively (this is not for the faint of heart), power on, abort, wait for the password prompt, carefully remove the PROM chip, hit return, carefully replace the PROM, enter a new password.
What does the cache chip bug; trap page uncached
kernel message mean?
If you get this kernel message, nothing has gone wrong. Machines with
"buserr-type" 1 have a bug in the cache chip that affects traps. The
cache chip bug; trap page uncached
message is the kernel
activating a workaround for this bug.
Without this workaround, the cache simply delivers wrong data. Often this turns into an illegal instruction, so that you get a trap during a trap, which causes a reset. This condition can only be caught by the ROM, and by then it is too late to do anything about it. This message, if you happen to get it, just means you'll avoid that problem.
How do I boot an RDI PowerLite 85 or 100 from a floppy disk?
The PowerLite 85 (and 100) seems to have an OpenBoot PROM bug in the floppy driver. Cliff Wright has determined the nvramrc patch to fix this:
: trk0_delay 50 ms 4 ; ['] trk0_delay false ['] 4 false ffd34e90 (patch) 4 true ['] 2 false ffd34f28 (patch)
See his post for more information.
Serial Port Questions
Whenever I unplug the serial console, my machine reboots!
A continuous stream of zeros is equivalent to a "BREAK" command which will enter the prom. This might happen, since the serial lines are floating when you unplug your cable. If you build a special switchbox that uses a pullup resistor, then you can avoid this problem.
Put a 4.7 KOhm resistor between pins 3 and 25.
Can I use a Macintosh serial cable on machines that have a MiniDin8 connector?
Yes and no. Yes, you can use it, but it doesn't support the same hardware handshaking lines so you won't get hardware handshaking.
See the NetBSD Serial Port Primer for more information.
Splitting the serial port on a SPARCstation 20 and SPARC classic
Some sparc machines, such as the SPARCstation 20 and SPARC Classic, have 2 serial ports but use a single DB-25 connector. Serial port A is wired using the standard pin out so that it may be used with a "normal" (whatever that means with serial ports) serial cable. To use serial port B, an adapter cable is required. Dan McMahill has traced the pin out on a Sun P/N 530-1677-01 cable.
Can I run my built-in serial port faster than 38400 bps?
The short answer: No.
The long answer is that you can possibly run it at non-standard speeds (such as 76800 bps and 51200 bps). der Mouse has patched things in the attempt to run the serial chip in an even faster mode, but it is very unreliable (i.e., very error-prone).
Note that some of the sparc64 machines can run their serial ports faster, but they use a different serial chipset.
Ethernet Questions
All my ethernet interfaces have the same hardware address
Yes, that's correct. In general, each machine only has one ethernet hardware address (a.k.a. MAC) for all ethernet interfaces attached to it, since the MAC address is stored in the NVRAM on the motherboard instead of on the ethernet interface.
This means that if you have a sparc box with more than one ethernet interface, no two interfaces can be on the same subnet. In most practical situations, this should not be a problem. For example:
smaug% ifconfig -a le0: flags=8822<BROADCAST,NOTRAILERS,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500 address: 08:00:20:20:e2:54 media: Ethernet autoselect be0: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,NOTRAILERS,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500 address: 08:00:20:20:e2:54 media: Ethernet autoselect (10baseT half-duplex)
Ethernet address or hostid are all ones
If a machine boots up with with an all-ones ethernet address (i.e., ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff) or hostid, it is most likely because the NVRAM has reached the end of its life cycle. This is especially common on sun4c class machines because the NVRAM used in those systems have relatively short life spans, many of which are ending now.
See the Sun NVRAM/Hostid FAQ for information on how to replace and reinitialize the chip and possible workarounds if you cannot find a new NVRAM chip. You may also find this IDPROM/NVRAM Battery Replacement Page useful.
If you don't know your system's original hostid and ethernet address, it may be possible to reconstruct them using the information on the nvram chip's barcode. See this post and this post for more information.
Tadpole 3GX transceiver does not work if not plugged in at boot
The interface may be autosensing to 10BaseT, even though there's no physical 10Base-T port.
Check the media type in the output of "ifconfig le0
It should read 10Base5
to use the external transceiver; if
not, issue a "ifconfig le0 media 10base5
" command.
JavaStation Questions
Which JavaStations are supported?
Read the JavaStation Status page to determine what JavaStation you have, and which hardware is supported.
Hardware information
The Linux on the Sun JavaStation NC HOWTO contains gobs of good info. Section 2 covers the various models and what sorts of guts they've got. Section 3 describes the netboot environment (also see the NetBSD Diskless HOW-TO on how to set up netbooting for these puppies). And Section 10 lists the jumper settings for JavaStations.
What was the Fox?
The Fox is probably best described as a brick sized SS4. Among its features:
- one SBus and one AFX slot side by side so you can only use one
- Crystal Semiconductor 4231 audio (audiocs)
- stp4020 (PCMCIA) (nell)
- the usual onboard serial a/b, SCSI, 10BaseT
This was used in the early versions of the Java car, which later moved to a faster machine.
SunOS and Solaris Emulation Questions
Does NetBSD support the Solaris filesystem?
Kinda. If Solaris 5 or later created a filesystem with access control lists (ACL), NetBSD's fsck(8) will render the superblock unusable to Solaris (i.e., Solaris can't mount the filesystem again).
You should either mount your Solaris filesystem read-only or have created it without ACLs. See this post by Christos Zoulas on this topic.
How do I set up SunOS/Solaris emulation?
Note: Remember, despite Sun's marketing and the misleading output of uname on Solaris, SunOS and Solaris are not the same OS! SunOS 4.x (Solaris 1.x) is BSD, Solaris 2.x is SysV. SunOS uname says `SunOS 4.x', Solaris uname says `SunOS 5.x'.
To setup Solaris emulation, you'll need to compile a kernel with COMPAT_SVR4, and copy the appropriate files from a Solaris system. For more information, please consult compat_svr4(8).
To setup SunOS emulation, you'll need to compile a kernel with COMPAT_SUNOS, and some of SunOS's libraries. They can be found at Sun's support site. You'll need the following libraries:
- This archive contains102545-13/lib/libc.so19
, which should be renamed to/emul/sunos/usr/lib/libc.so.1.9
respectively. -
- This archive contains100257-06/4.1.3c/sun4/ld.so
, which should be renamed to/emul/sunos/usr/lib/ld.so
- Lastly, you'll need to get
from any SunOS machine, and place this file in/emul/sunos/usr/lib
. Please note that thelibdl.so.1.0
from Solaris will not work for SunOS emulation.For more information see compat_sunos(8).


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Three refreshing words: PED SUMMER SALE!
Friday, June 27th, 2014Remember how a few months ago we were shivering and longing for leafy trees and green grass? Well, happily, we got our wish, but now we're drenched with the sweat that comes along with summer greenery. Oh, for a little sweet relief!
Although we Pedsters can't make the mercury fall or dehumidify the air, we can ice the prices on those summer shoes you've been eying since April. In fact, we're dropping 'em like they're hot!
Here are just a few of the refreshing deals:
One of the prettiest sandals to walk into the Ped warehouse this season is Chie MIhara's Izan:
The ruffles are girly without being twee, and the neutral camel color allows this sweetheart to work with everything in your wardrobe. Lovely at $358, the Izan is gorgeous at $179!
Another feminine neutral that turns heads is the Cydwoq Market:
A sophisticate with a dash of panache, the Market is an all-occasion shoe that strolls comfortably through a day of work before dancing out the door for a night on the town! Impressive at $322, it's a chic treat at $248!
Cydwoq uses the same petal-like knot closure on the easy-going Bobcat sandal:
A new design from Cydwoq, the black nubuck Bobcat is sweet yet tough (just like us). The cupped back securely holds your heel, making this an ideal summer travel shoe since you can sightsee all day and still look well-dressed for dinner. Purr-fect at $248, the Bobcat is the cat's meow at $198!
If you prefer an open back, the Cydwoq Spear is also ready to walk anywhere you want to go:
We love the stand-alone toe ring and the lace-up closing, but we absolutely adore the stellar comfort of the 100% leather construction, which just gets better the more you wear the Spear. Ready for battle at $238, it's a worthy road warrior at $188!
A sandal that takes lacing to a whole new style level is the fantastic Trippen Folly:
What a hot-crossed air-conditioned cutie! Plus it's extremely practical since the lacing lets you adjust the Folly to accommodate the width of your foot. Fun at $328, the Folly is a party at $262!
If you like the wrap-around ankle strap but want to stand a little taller, consider the Trippen Ritzy:
Such a knockout! The window within the wooden heel will set tongues talking and hearts breaking! (Although you can never go wrong with black, the Ritzy is also available in an espresso version with blue edges and blue rubber on the outsole. Super cool.) Flirty at $268, the Ritzy is irresistible at $208!
Another beautiful heel that's a steal is the gleaming Argila Vanessa:
We are gaga over the way Argila contrasts the pinked edges of the platinum leather with the smooth curves of the platinum-piped brown leather! Luminous at $428, the Vanessa sparkles at $214!
"All very nice," you may be thinking, "but I'm a boot gal! What about a refreshing F+B boot deal?" Your wish is our command with the glorious Fiorentini + Baker Pansy:
Fantastic with floaty sundresses, the Pansy will walk you all the way through summer and right into fall! In addition to grey, the Pansy also comes in brown. Delicious at $438, the Pansy is a feast for your feet at $219! (Bet that puts a smile on your face!)
And that's just the chillin' tip of the sale iceberg, so cruise over to Ped's main site and take a dip in the cool prices! Suddenly summer got much more pleasant!
(Also, don't miss this week's Sweet Treat, the terrific Trippen Tough! Click "be sweet to your feet" at the bottom of the box on the left of most Ped pages to land at the Tough with the "Sweet Treat" designation. Then add it to your bag to get an automatic 20% off at checkout!)


text: Proffesional$29.99 Monthly subscription for unlimited listings and availability Proffesional quantity Add to cart Category: Uncategorized Description Reviews (0) More Products Product Description Unlimited Listings Unlimited Availability Featured In Search Results 24/7 Support Reviews There are no reviews yet. Add Review Add Review Be the first to review "Proffesional" Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Name * Email * Your Rating Rate… Perfect Good Average Not that bad Very Poor Your ReviewSave my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Sale! Add to cart Uncategorized Scented Candle $14.00 $9.00 Add to cart Uncategorized Table Lamp $99.00 Sale! Add to cart Uncategorized Wicker Basket $49.00 $39.00 Sale! Add to cart Uncategorized Organic Bath Towels $49.00 $39.00 Add to cart Uncategorized Wall Clock $79.00


text:
Baby Blue CZ Ring
All of our jewelry is crafted in
925 Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver is one of the best materials for everyday wear.
Perfect for sensitive skin
And it is water resistant
Sterling Silver is not prone to scratches or dents but the beauty of silver is that you are able to polish it with a micro fiber cloth and keep the beautiful shine!
What is Jess Silver's Return Policy?
If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, you may return items that are unused and in original condition within 30 days of purchase.
If the jewelry piece is damaged or worn it can not be returned.
What is Jess Silver Exchange policy?
Items in their unused and original condition purchased from our online store can be exchanged within 30 days of purchase in one of our local pop-ups!
Follow our social media to keep track on where we will be !
IG: Jesssilverjewelry
How do I track my package?
Once you submit your order it you will receive a confirmation email with a tracking number. It takes 2-3 days to process your order. Then we will begin the shipping process. Once it reaches the post office you will get tracking updates through email.
Fast shipping
We ship all of our products through USPS! Once your order is processed the post office takes 3-5 business days to ship out your order!
Order tracking
Once your order is processed we send you a tracking number via email. The tracking will update once the post office scans your package and tracks the updates!
Get in touch
You can contact us through our social media! We are always here to help and make your shopping experience easy!
IG: Jesssilverjewelry
FB: Jesssilverjewelry
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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26 Years Ago: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill Wed
Happy 26th wedding anniversary to Tim McGraw and Faith Hill! The couple wed on this day, Oct. 6, in 1996.
McGraw and Hill began dating while Hill was an opening act on McGraw's Spontaneous Combustion Tour earlier that year. At the time, she was newly engaged to record producer Scott Hendricks, but it didn't take long for sparks to fly between the tourmates instead.
"When we started touring together, I wasn't involved with anyone, but she was," McGraw recalls to Country Weekly. "But you can't be around Faith and not fall in love with her. Things just kind of happened. When two people are meant to be together, there's nothing that's going to keep them apart."
McGraw and Hill didn't waste any time in deciding to spend their lives together. While still on the Spontaneous Combustion Tour, McGraw proposed to Hill, in a decidedly unconventional way.
"We were playing at a country music festival, and we had a trailer that was our dressing room," McGraw says. "I had a big mirror that was in there, and right before I went onstage, I wrote 'Will you be my wife?'... I mean, 'Will you marry me?' and I went onstage, and when I came offstage, she had written 'I am going to be your wife, yes.' And so, we still have that mirror."
With so much of their lives spent in front of a crowd, the country stars opted for a low-key wedding, eloping in a secret ceremony in McGraw's home state of Louisiana, then resuming their tour only four days later.
At the time of their nuptials, Hill was newly pregnant with their first daughter, Gracie Katherine, who was born on May 5, 1997. A very pregnant Hill can be seen in the music video for the couple's first duet, "It's Your Love," which shot straight to No. 1 and became a multi-platinum hit.
McGraw and Hill, who are also parents to Maggie Elizabeth (born in 1998) and Audrey Caroline (born in 2001), have maintained a successful marriage in spite of their busy careers and constant public scrutiny.
"I think, for us, [the key is] being as normal as possible and raising our family and being in a family situation as much as possible ...," McGraw tells EOnline. "Certainly it's different because of what we both do, but we try to keep it as much of a family environment that we can.
"And, most of the time ... we try to make that the priority and the primary time that we spend," McGraw continues. "For us, we leave the front doors when we go to work, but when we're home, we don't talk about none of the music that much … It's a whole different world."
See Faith Hill, Tim McGraw + More Country Stars Then and Now:
WATCH: How Well Do You REALLY Know Tim McGraw?


text: Just say no to health insurance By Rachel Alexander Everyone talks about reforming health insurance while ignoring a better alternative: healthcare risk pools. Powerful lobbyists for the healthcare insurance industry have convinced politicians to perpetuate the current system of health insurance, hoping that minor tweaks will solve the escalating crisis. Conservative think tanks have even bought into the system due to heavy funding by insurance companies. Risk pools allow people to buy into health plans of their choosing instead of obtaining health insurance coverage through employers. Health insurance is not a free market creation. It came into existence as the result of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's socialist policies. Roosevelt mandated income caps during World War II, which caused employers to offer health insurance in order to keep jobs attractive. Now the government requires businesses to provide health coverage to employees, giving insurance companies a monopoly on healthcare coverage and ensuring their existence. Risk pools offer healthcare coverage much like insurance, but have much more flexibility and less bureaucracy. Funding comes from premiums. A variety of risk pools are set up based upon various health needs or non-medical criteria such as location and age, although the larger the risk pool, the lower the premiums would be. The administrators of the risk pool could be anyone; a doctor's office, a church, a nonprofit entity. The administrators would determine what levels of coverage would be offered and what types of individuals fit into each pool. Opponents of risk pools claim that risk pools are too costly, pointing to existing risk pools at the state and federal level that are managed primarily by the government. This is comparing apples and oranges. Most of those risk pools are only high-risk pools. The people in those plans have expensive illnesses like cancer, circulatory diseases (such as coronary artery disease), post-surgical care (such as chemotherapy) and degenerative joint diseases, and have been denied coverage or have limitations like a pre-existing condition. These are people who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to pay for traditional health insurance; typically the self-employed. Around 207,000 Americans nationwide are enrolled in one of these pools. Premiums for the existing high-risk pools average several hundred dollars a month, higher than health coverage for healthy individuals. However, if risk pools are broadened to include more than just high-risk people, costs will decrease. Currently government provides part of the funding for high-risk pools. Healthcare risk pools can be managed with very little government involvement, and for optimal efficiency should be administered at the local level. Several of the 35 state-level high-risk pools are managed by nonprofits, not the government. Federal high-risk insurance pools, which were started under the Obama administration in July 2010 through the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Program, have proven to be twice as costly as state-level pools. 18 states have opted to have the federal government run their high-risk pools. Risk pools should be combined with high co-pays, like $50 or so per visit. This would create a disincentive for the type of people who run to the doctor for every little thing. There are some risk pools already in place in the private sector. Tellingly, some of them are managed by doctors. Requiring employers to provide healthcare coverage is driving companies out of business in this dismal economy. It creates a disincentive for Americans to run their own small businesses. Even if small businesses do not have to provide healthcare for their employees, they still need healthcare for themselves. If employers were no longer required to provide healthcare insurance, everyone would buy into a risk pool instead. ObamaCare is expected to terminate healthcare risk pools. In 2014, the ObamaCare provision making insurance mandatory for everyone goes into effect. Sadly, a real system of risk pools will have never been given a chance. Insurance companies will claim victory, confusing the public into thinking that costly high-risk insurance pools were the same thing as insurance pools for everyone. Yet as high as costs are for high-risk insurance pools, even they are lower than we will see under ObamaCare when the inefficient federal government bureaucracy takes over. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative. Rachel practices law and social media political consulting in Phoenix, Arizona. She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, and other publications. |


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.040 Aluminum signs are the longest lasting type of yard sign. It is very durable and guaranteed to last for a minimum of 5 years and will not rust. Our aluminum signs two corner options, straight corner and 3/4-inch rounded corner.
Sizes 12"x18", 18"x24", 24"x36"
High resolution digitally printed at 720 x 720
Double side printing is available
Indoor and outdoor use, waterproof and UV safe


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Last week I discussed about the necessity to define a model for "cyber conflict" to qualify the principal issues related to the use of cyber tools and cyber weapons in an Information Warfare context, today I decided to give more info to the readers on cyber arsenals of governments. Governments consider the use of cyber weapons as a coadiuvant to conventional weapons, these malicious application could be used for sabotage or for cyber espionage, they could be used to hit a specifically designed software (e.g. SCADA within a critical infrastructure) or they could be used for large scale operations infecting thousand of machines exploiting zero-day in common application (e.g. Java platform, Adobe software).
The zero-day flaw are the most important component for the design of an efficient cyber weapon, governments have recently created dedicated cyber units to the discovery and exploitation of unknown vulnerabilities, but in many cases this precious knowledge is sold by private entities on the underground, consider that governments are primary buyers of the growing market of zero-day. But governments aren't unique buyers, exploit kits including zero-day are acquired also by nongovernment actors buying, it has been estimated that the market is able to provide 85 exploits per day, a concerning number for the security industry.
Zero-day hunters are independent hackers but in the majority of cases are structured security firms that analyze every kind of software to discover flaws exploitable during a cyber attack and resell their knowledge to the highest bidder, no matter if it is a private company that will use it against a competitor of a foreign government.
The NSS Labs has recently issued an interesting study study titled "The Known Unknowns", it reports that every day during a period of observation lasted three years, high-paying buyers have had access to at least 60 vulnerabilities targeting common software produced by Adobe, Apple, Microsoft and Oracle.
"NSS Labs has analyzed ten years of data from two major vulnerability purchase programs, and the results reveal that on any given day over the past three years, privileged groups have had access to at least 58 vulnerabilities targeting Microsoft, Apple, Oracle, or Adobe. Further, it has been found that these vulnerabilities remain private for an average of 151 days. These numbers are considered a minimum estimate of the "known unknowns", as it is unlikely that cyber criminals, brokers, or government agencies will ever share data about their operations.
Specialized companies are offering zero-day vulnerabilities for subscription fees that are well within the budget of. A determined attacker (for example, 25 zero-days per year for USD $2.5 million); this has broken the monopoly that nation states historically have held regarding ownership of the latest cyber weapon technology. Jointly, half a dozen boutique exploit providers have the capacity to offer more than 100 exploits per year. "
It has been estimated that every year zero-day hunters develope combined 100 exploits resulting in 85 privately known exploits at the ready on any particular day. Consider that this is a row estimation that not consider the data related to an independent group of hackers which activities are poorly known.
On the black market an exploit for a Windows OS sells for up to $250,000 according the BusinessWeek , a good incentive for hackers to focus their efforts in the discovery of zero-day.
What is very concerning is that in many cases the entity that discovers the zero-day, to maximize the gains offers its knowledge to hostile governments, governments that use it also to persecute dissidents or to attack adversary states.
The zero-day market follows its own rules, the commodities are high deperible, the transactions are instantaneous and the agreement between buyers and sellers is very sensitive.
"According to a recent article in The"New"York"Times, firms such as VUPEN (France), ReVuln (Malta), Netragard, Endgame Systems, and Exodus Intelligence (US) advertise that they sell knowledge of security vulnerabilities for cyber espionage. The average price lies between USD $40,000 and USD $160,000. Although some firms restrict their clientele, either based on country of origin or on decisions to sell to specific governments only, the ability to bypass this restriction through proxies seems entirely possible for determined cyber criminals. Based on service brochures and public reports, these providers can deliver at least 100 exclusive exploits per year." states the report.
In particular the US contractor Endgame Systems reportedly offer customers 25 exploits a year for $2.5 million.
The knowledge on the zero-day vulnerability could be bought on the underground market or it could be acquired through open "bug bounty" processes, following some interesting data on the principal programs:
I've found the report very interesting, but we have to consider the lack of reliable information to further quantify "known unknowns" "that are in the hands of cyber criminals or that are privately developed through consulting contracts, the assertion that there are 100 exploits available to privileged groups on any given day must be considered a reasonable minimum estimate those privileged category.
The uncontrolled and unregulated sale of zero-day pose a real and present threat to the security of government organizations and private corporations and software users, it's quite impossible to imagine a future scenario.
(Security Affairs – zero-day, hacking)


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What's the meaning of Christmas in your household? While it can sometimes feel like spending a small fortune on gifts and food is non-negotiable, it's not the only option. And, if you have kids, the holidays are a great time to teach them about the value of money – while having a heap of fun along the way!
Lavishly decorated homes, piles of presents under the tree and children waiting excitedly for Santa are much-loved Christmas traditions in Australia.
But if the idea of consuming your own bodyweight in food doesn't hold the same excitement for you this year, it could be time to re-evaluate what really matters.
After all, if there ever was a year to embrace the 'true meaning' of Christmas, surely it's this one?
What's the real meaning of Christmas anyway?
From the celebration of Yule and the winter solstice in Scandinavia, to the Roman festival of Saturnalia, and the later Christian tradition, this is one holiday with a rich history.
Many of our traditions are rooted in values like giving to the less fortunate or needy, and giving thanks for what we have.
Are we losing sight of the value of the holidays?
But since the mid-1800s, the focus has shifted sharply onto Santa and the exchange of gifts. So much so that it's become a major economic driver for our economies.
Teaching the value of money at Christmas
There's no two ways about it, Christmas celebrations can get expensive.
For kids, the meaning of Christmas can get lost in the excitement of receiving piles of presents or gorging on Christmas goodies. But there are lots of ways to save your cash and shift the focus back onto healthier values. Here are nine ideas to get you started.
- Include the whole family in your plans
We often leave our kids out of the budgeting, thinking 'they don't need to know' about the finances, or doing the Christmas shopping without them. But there's real value in allowing them to observe and participate in your discussions about the Christmas finances.
Not only do they learn how to apply budgeting skills in a real-world situation, they'll experience the finite nature of money first-hand; and learn to allocate it accordingly.
So make a time to sit down as a family and talk through your Christmas spending. Set a spending limit for each gift recipient to help you stay on track. Remember that spending less on your immediate family means you'll be able to give more generously to others – another valuable Christmas lesson for kids.
- Put the kids in charge
Giving kids control over their finances from a young age can help set them up for better money management down the track.
At Christmas, you can involve your kids by having them write a list of everyone you need to give gifts to, along with the agreed budget. Then brainstorm together to come up with gift ideas and take them shopping. They'll learn how to compare prices, stick to a budget and even save money if you find a good price!
- Get saving
If you start early enough, you can teach your kids the value of saving up for major expenses like Christmas. If they have regular pocket money, get them to put some aside each week or month to spend on special gifts.
Talk about what they'll do with any money they receive as presents. How much will they spend and save? If they don't have a savings account, now is a good time to set one up.
- Start with giving
Giving your time or money without expecting anything in return is the perfect way to embrace the spirit of the holidays. And for kids, this is a chance to switch the focus onto giving, rather than receiving. Here are some options.
Instead of buying gifts for family and friends, you could give the gift of learning to a child in need through The Smith Family's charity gift range. Or volunteer your time to help sort, pack and deliver toys and gifts to kids in need! What could be more Christmassy than playing Santa?
If donating cash is more your thing, The Salvation Army runs an annual Christmas appeal to help families in need.
Or if you're keen to volunteer your time, you could help wrap Christmas gifts in the lead up to the big day, or serve Christmas lunch at a local homeless shelter. Seek Volunteer has lots of opportunities listed, or contact your local charities.
The major retailers also run food drives and in-store Christmas promotions where you can purchase Christmas presents for people in need.
- Prioritise family activities
There's no shortage of great events and activities you can do with your family and friends to really bring Christmas to life. Look out for local Christmas carols or concerts, or take a trip to see the best Christmas lights in town. Have a games night, or movie marathon on Christmas eve, and focus on spending quality time together. Your kids will thank you!
- Make your own gifts
What could embody the spirit of giving more than creating your own beautiful handmade gifts? This is the perfect activity to do with kids (or without!).
If you're feeling keen, try substituting regular gift giving with handmade gifts in your family. It's bound to end in lots of laughter and your kids will be so proud when you open their beautiful presents.
Baked goods, photo albums, scrapbooks, drawings, paintings, jewelry, soaps… even face masks are on the list this year. Not only will you save money, giving will feel more meaningful when you've put time into it.
- Make your own decorations
Making your own decorations helps everyone get into the spirit and celebrate the meaning of the holidays. Again, this activity can be adapted for any age. From paper wreaths to a hand printed Christmas tree, bon bons or a gorgeous front door wreath, there are endless options for all ages and abilities.
- Explore other traditions
Just like Australia, many other countries have developed their own unique Christmas traditions. You can add an element of fun to your preparations by learning about traditions from a different culture. Have your kids choose some to adopt as part of your family celebrations.
- Assign everyone tasks
Much like budgeting, the whole family will benefit from being involved in preparations for the big day. If your kids are old enough, ask them to help with the menu and even cook a special dish or dessert for the big day.
They can also help set or clear the table, wrap gifts and place your handmade decorations around the house. It's all about participation and learning to enjoy the festivities, as much as the presents.
Whatever Christmas means for your family, and how you choose to celebrate (or not), is completely up to you. There's certainly a rich tapestry of traditions to draw from. So why not take a look at your Christmas plans and embrace the spirit of giving and gratitude this year.
Source: Money and Life


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British military leads the world in shooting-range safety
Thanks to Leica Geosystems equipment and the tri-services' own modelling software
Tens of millions of small-arms rounds, from pistols, rifles and automatic weapons, are fired on Britain's military training ranges each year. Some of these rounds can travel for kilometres, even after ricocheting. A number of the ranges are small and confined, or have unusual topography. It's essential, therefore, to protect service personnel and the nearby public from stray rounds and ricochets – but it's a very complex task.
The MOD owns 240,000 hectares of land in the UK, comprising 16 major and 104 minor training areas, ranges and camps. Over two-thirds of it, known as the defence training estate, is used solely for preparing the armed forces for service. Around 9,000 tri-service personnel (British Army, Royal Navy and RAF) pass through the estate each day.
Safety on the ranges is co-ordinated by the tri-service Defence Ordnance Safety Group (DOSG), led by Major (Ret'd) Charles Ross, previously of the Royal Artillery. He relies on Leica Geosystems equipment, including a UAV (drone), a multi-station and a GNSS rover, to get the job done.
"I can't commend Leica Geosystems enough for their first-class support. They've given us a tremendous amount of advice and are very quick to come out and solve problems for us. We've been very lucky that they're so interested in what we're doing, and they just never say 'no'."
- Charlie Ross, Defence Ordnance Safety Group
Modelling 'probabilistic solutions'
For each range they're called in to assess, Charlie Ross and his team need to determine the 'weapon danger area'. First, they gather industry-standard 3D point-cloud data, using Leica equipment, to map the area. This creates a very precise and detailed 3D digital model of each range, including the relative height and extent of the range floor.
Next, the team feeds the DFX output from those surveys into triangulation software in their world-leading ballistic modelling software, which they developed in-house. This simulates the effect of firing weapons, using highly complex mathematics to model billions of possible trajectories. It identifies where ricochets could occur, and at which angle and distance. This delivers statistical probabilities which, when merged with the topography of each range, determines the weapon danger area.
"No one else in the world does what we do."
- Charlie Ross, Defence Ordnance Safety Group
Originally developed in 1996, the DOSG's 'probabilistic' model is continually being enhanced to deliver maximum value. That's why it's the engine behind models used by other NATO alliance members, including the USA. DOSG also provides global consultancy services in partnership with the International Range Safety Advisory Group; for example, they recently surveyed and modelled two problematic ranges in New Zealand.
From human subjectivity to extraordinary accuracy
According to Charlie: "Before we had the technology, a General would approve a range as 'safe' if it had been in use for 100 years and no one had ever been shot there! When it became clear that that was too subjective, smaller ranges and those with more complex topography were simply decommissioned. Then we moved into using an engineering contractor to do our surveys, but it wasn't very satisfactory."
Seven years ago, however, DSOG introduced equipment from Leica Geosystems and they haven't looked back since. Their equipment currently includes:
- The Aibot X6 intelligent aerial surveying UAV (drone)
- The Nova MS60 multi-station – the world's first self-learning multi-station
- The GS18T – the world's fastest GNSS RTK rover.
Charlie says the Leica Geosystems kit has enabled the team to calculate risks with an exceptionally high degree of confidence. This means they can hold onto even the smallest and most complicated ranges and still keep everyone safe.
"The UAV delivers precision data very quickly. Where once it would have taken several days to photograph and gather point-cloud data for, say, six to eight hectares, we can now do it ourselves in around six hours, from launch to finished product. We know that our results are 99.99% accurate and crucially, we now gather and store all of our data ourselves. With all of the Leica geospatial survey equipment working together, we've dramatically improved accuracy - certainty from within five metres to just 10 millimetres today."
Which is perhaps why the model has never failed in its calculations; failure would mean death or injury to a member of service personnel, an observer or a member of the public. "Our 3D representations are a major step-change in representing, in our model, the ground on our firing ranges, and they've never failed us," says Charlie Ross.


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Merlin's weekly podcast with Dan Benjamin. We talk about creativity, independence, and making things you love.
Merlin's weekly podcast with Dan Benjamin. We talk about creativity, independence, and making things you love.
"What's 43 Folders?"
43Folders.com is Merlin Mann's website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.
Using a kids' CD filer for organizing index cards
Merlin Mann | Jan 21 2005
Hanging card filer - a photoset on Flickr Yesterday I picked up a neat little item that might appeal to my fellow index card fans. The Pendaflex CD File is a collapsible plastic accordion frame that is designed to hold up to 8 CDs or DVDs in separate, removable colored envelopes. It has a hook that allows the file to hang down, exposing the semi-transparent envelopes and their contents. The hook, in conjunction with an elastic band, allows the file to be closed up, holding your contents in place when you're ready to hit the road. Although this appears to be marketed at students for storing CDs in a school locker, it also works great for storing, organizing, and transporting index cards. Just yesterday, I was talking with a woman who wished it were easier to truck her cards between home and work without a lot of hassle. This might be one way to do that. I've posted a set of unusually crappy pictures on the Flickr if you want to get an idea how it might work for you. Sorry I don't have a better link on where to buy one of these, but you can try Froogle, Office Despot, or the like; Bay area folks can secure theirs, as I did, from San Francisco's great temple of office pr0n, Patrick & Co. (locations). Mmm...Patrick's. POSTED IN:
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About MerlinBio Merlin Mann is an independent writer, speaker, and broadcaster. He's best known for being the guy who created the website you're reading right now. He lives in San Francisco, does lots of public speaking, and helps make cool things like You Look Nice Today, Back to Work, and Kung Fu Grippe. Also? He's writing this book, he lives with this face, he suffers from this hair, he answers these questions, and he's had this life. So far. Merlin's favorite thing he's written in the past few years is an essay entitled, "Cranking." |
EXPLORE 43Folders | THE GOOD STUFF |


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You were woven with purpose.
O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts
even when I'm far away.
You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing
on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful
for me, too great for me to understand!
I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away
from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
but even in darkness
I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.
You made all the delicate,
inner parts of my body
and knit me together
in my mother's womb.
Thank you for making me
so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—
how well I know it.
You watched me
as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together
in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life
was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
How precious are your thoughts
about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!
I can't even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!
Psalm 139:1-18
© 2023 by Rachelle Keng.
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August 8
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August 8
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By Mark Roberts
August 8, 2018
About the Author
Mark is CEO of Conscious Creatives. A passionate believer in global policy supporting local action. His passion is realising the Global Goals. In his spare time, he can be found on the coast walking, swimming or surfing.
Mark Roberts
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text:
Day of Caring
September 16, 2007
TIFFANY SARGENT AND Bob LaFiandra make salsa in the basement of St. Stephen's Church in Middlebury during last week's United Way of Addison County Day of Caring. Sargent and LaFiandra and several other volunteers made the spicy condiment for a monthly dinner for immigrant farm workers in the county.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
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text:
There is no life without movement, at all levels of metazoan organization, from individual cells to the animal form. Cells move using filaments that make up the so-called cytoskeleton. You can learn more about how cells use the cytoskeleton to move in the following tour of images and videos produced in the Vic Small lab in Salzburg and Vienna.
Vic Small and his research group have been engaged in studies on the cytoskeleton and cell motility since the 1970's.
A symposium entitled "Life at the Leading Edge" was organized to pay tribute to Vic Small's contributions to research on the cytoskeleton.
From 2004 on, the Small group was part of the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, in Vienna/Austria.
A number of collaboration partners have contributed to the research projects performed over the last 10 years.