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Cash King Sweeps™ Website Terms and Conditions
Thank you for visiting the Cash King Sweeps™ website located at www.CashKingSweeps.com (the "Website"). The Website is an Internet property of Bohemia Marketing, LLC. ("Cash King Sweeps™," "we" or "us"). By and through the Website, end-users may register to become Cash King Sweeps™ members ("Members," each with a "Membership") which enables end-users to: (a) enter into contests and promotions offered on the Website from time to time ("Promotions"); and (b) pre-select, or have CashKingSweeps™ automatically randomly assign, the requisite entry numbers for certain of the Promotions. Please be advised that Cash King Sweeps™ may feature and display certain third party advertising messages throughout various Promotions ("Third Party Ads").
The following Cash King Sweeps™ Website Terms and Conditions ("Terms and Conditions") hereby expressly incorporate by reference the Cash King Sweeps™ Privacy Policy ("Privacy Policy"), the Official Contest Rules applicable to each Promotion, other operating rules, policies and other supplemental terms and conditions or documents that may be published from time to time (collectively, the "Agreement"). Please review the complete terms of the Agreement carefully. By using, accessing and/or entering, as applicable, the Website, Third Party Ads and/or Promotions (collectively, "Cash King Sweeps™ Offerings"), you agree to comply with and be bound by the Agreement in its entirety. If you do not agree to the Agreement in its entirety, you are not authorized to use the Cash King Sweeps™ Offerings in any manner or form.
Unless explicitly stated otherwise, any future offer(s) made available to you on the Website that augment(s) or otherwise enhance(s) the current features of the Cash King Sweeps™ Offerings shall be subject to the Agreement. You understand and agree that Cash King Sweeps™ shall not be liable to you or any third party for any modification, suspension or discontinuation of any Cash King Sweeps™ Offerings, product, service or promotion offered by Cash King Sweeps™. You understand and agree that refusal to use the Cash King Sweeps™ Offerings is your sole right and remedy with respect to any dispute with Cash King Sweeps™.
1. Scope/Modification of Agreement. The Agreement constitutes the entire and only agreement between you and Cash King Sweeps™ with respect to your use of the Cash King Sweeps™ Offerings and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous agreements, representations, warranties and/or understandings between you and Cash King Sweeps™ with respect to the Cash King Sweeps™ Offerings. We may amend the Agreement from time to time in our sole discretion, without specific notice to you; provided, however, that any amendment or modification to the arbitration provisions, prohibition on class action provisions or any other provisions applicable to dispute resolution (collectively, "Dispute Resolution Provisions") shall not apply to any disputes incurred prior to the applicable amendment or modification. By your continued use of any of the Cash King Sweeps™ Offerings, you hereby agree to comply with, and be bound by, all of the terms and conditions contained within the Agreement effective at that time (other than with respect to disputes arising prior to the amendment or modification of the Dispute Resolution Provisions, which shall be governed by the Dispute Resolution Provisions then in effect at the time of the subject dispute). Therefore, you should regularly check the Website for updates and/or changes.
2. Requirements. The Cash King Sweeps™ Offerings are available only to individuals who are legal residents of the fifty (50) United States including the District of Columbia and Canada (collectively, the "Authorized Territory") and who can enter into legally binding contracts under applicable law. The Cash King Sweeps Offerings are void in Puerto Rico, Quebec and where otherwise prohibited by law. The Website is not intended for use by individuals under eighteen (18) years of age, or the age of majority in your jurisdiction if the age of majority is greater than eighteen (18) years of age. If you are under eighteen (18) years of age, or the age of majority in your jurisdiction if the age of majority is greater than eighteen (18) years of age, and/or not a legal resident of the Authorized Territory, you do not have permission to use and/or access the CashKingSweeps™ Offerings.
3. Cancellation of Membership. You may cancel your Membership at any time by e-mailing us at [email protected] . You understand and agree that cancellation of your Membership is your sole right and remedy with respect to any dispute with CashKingSweeps™ .
4. Registration. In order to register as a Member and/or enter a Promotion, you must first fully complete the applicable registration form located at the Website ("Application"). Depending on which CashKingSweeps™ Offering you are attempting to access, the information that you must supply on the Application may include some or all of the following: (a) full name and title; (b) mailing address; (c) e-mail address; (d) password; and (e) any other information requested on the Application (collectively, "Registration Data").
If CashKingSweeps™ approves your Application, CashKingSweeps™ will set up your Membership account ("Account") and promptly send a confirmation e-mail to the e-mail address that you provided at the time of registration. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your Account and for restricting access to your computer. You agree to accept responsibility for all activities that occur through use of your Account.
5. Rejection/Termination. CashKingSweeps™ may reject your Application and/or terminate your Membership and Account at any time and for any reason, in our sole discretion. Such reasons may include, without limitation, where CashKingSweeps™ believes that you are in any way in breach of the Agreement.
We strictly limit each individual to one (1) CashKingSweeps Membership. Any attempt by an individual to create more than one (1) CashKingSweeps Membership through the use of additional email addresses, will result in the termination of all CashKingSweeps Memberships and the forfeiture of eligibility for any promotions (as defined below) already entered, or any prizes (as defined below), already won.
6. Description of Membership. Upon registration as a Member, if CashKingSweeps™ approves your Application, you will be granted access to the Promotions.
7. Description of Promotions. From time-to-time, the Website offers Members and, if applicable, non-Member end-users the opportunity to qualify for promotional prizes and other awards via Promotions. By providing true and accurate information in connection with the applicable Promotion Application and agreeing to the Official Contest Rules applicable to each Promotion, you can attempt to obtain the promotional prizes and other awards offered through each Promotion. Please be advised that CashKingSweeps™ may feature and display certain Third Party Ads throughout various Promotions.
To enter into the Promotions featured on the Website, you must first fully complete the applicable entry form. You do not need to purchase any products and/or services in order to enter any Promotion. Purchasing products and/or services in no way increases your chances of winning any prizes offered in connection with the Promotions. To access the Official Contest Rules each of the Promotions on the CashKingSweeps™ Website, please go to: https://www.CashKingSweeps.com/sweeps/rules_listing.
8. License Grant. As a Website-user and/or Member, you are granted a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable and limited license to access and use certain portions of the CashKingSweeps™ Offerings and associated content in accordance with the Agreement. CashKingSweeps™ may terminate this license at any time for any reason. You may use the CashKingSweeps™ Offerings on one computer for your own personal, non-commercial use. Other than as expressly authorized, no part of the CashKingSweeps™ Offerings may be reproduced in any form or incorporated into any information retrieval system, electronic or mechanical. You may not use any automated means or form of scraping or data extraction to access, query or otherwise collect content or other information from the Website. You may not use, copy, emulate, clone, rent, lease, sell, modify, decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer or transfer the CashKingSweeps™ Offerings, content or any portion thereof. CashKingSweeps™ reserves any rights not explicitly granted in the Agreement. You may not use any device, software or routine to interfere or attempt to interfere with the proper working of the CashKingSweeps™ Offerings. Your right to use the CashKingSweeps™ Offerings is not transferable.
9. Proprietary Rights. The content, organization, graphics, design, compilation, magnetic translation, digital conversion, software, services and other matters related to the CashKingSweeps™ Offerings are protected under applicable copyrights, trademarks and other proprietary (including, but not limited to, intellectual property) rights. The copying, redistribution, publication or sale by you of any part of the CashKingSweeps™ Offerings is strictly prohibited. You do not acquire ownership rights in or to the CashKingSweeps™ Offerings or any content, document, software, services or other materials viewed at or through the Website or otherwise by and through the CashKingSweeps™ Offerings. The posting of information or material on the Website or otherwise by and through the CashKingSweeps™ Offerings by CashKingSweeps™ does not constitute a waiver of any right in or to such information and/or materials.
10. Editing, Deleting and Modification. We reserve the right in our sole discretion to edit and/or delete any documents, information or other content appearing on the Website or otherwise by and through the CashKingSweeps™ Offerings.
11. Indemnification. You agree to indemnify and hold CashKingSweeps™, its parents, subsidiaries and affiliates, and each of their respective members, officers, directors, employees, agents, co-branders and/or other partners, harmless from and against any and all claims, expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees), damages, suits, costs, demands and/or judgments whatsoever, made by any third party due to or arising out of: (a) your use of the CashKingSweeps™ Offerings; (b) your breach of the Agreement; (c) any dispute between you and any Member or Website-user; and/or (d) your violation of any rights of another individual and/or entity. The provisions of this Section 12 are for the benefit of CashKingSweeps™, its parents, subsidiaries and/or affiliates, and each of their respective members, officers, directors, employees, agents, shareholders, licensors, suppliers and/or attorneys. Each of these individuals and entities shall have the right to assert and enforce these provisions directly against you on its own behalf.
12. Disclaimer of Warranties. THE CASHKINGSWEEPS™ OFFERINGS AND/OR ANY OTHER PRODUCTS AND/OR SERVICES THAT YOU MAY APPLY FOR THROUGH THE WEBSITE ARE PROVIDED TO YOU ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS AND ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS AND IMPLIED, ARE DISCLAIMED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE PURSUANT TO APPLICABLE LAW (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE DISCLAIMER OF ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE). IN PARTICULAR, BUT NOT AS A LIMITATION THEREOF, CASHKINGSWEEPS™ MAKES NO WARRANTY THAT: (A) THE CASHKINGSWEEPS™ OFFERINGS AND/OR ANY OTHER PRODUCTS AND/OR SERVICES THAT YOU MAY APPLY FOR THROUGH THE WEBSITE WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS; (B) THE CASHKINGSWEEPS™ OFFERINGS AND/OR ANY OTHER PRODUCTS AND/OR SERVICES THAT YOU MAY APPLY FOR THROUGH THE WEBSITE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE OR ERROR-FREE; (C) THAT THE PROMOTIONS WILL BE FREE FROM TECHNICAL ERROR, OR OTHER ERROR OF ANY KIND, WHETHER HUMAN, MECHANICAL OR ELECTRONIC; OR (D) THE RESULTS THAT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE USE OF THE CASHKINGSWEEPS™ OFFERINGS AND/OR ANY OTHER PRODUCTS AND/OR SERVICES THAT YOU MAY APPLY FOR THROUGH THE WEBSITE WILL BE ACCURATE OR RELIABLE. THE CASHKINGSWEEPS™ OFFERINGS AND/OR ANY OTHER PRODUCTS AND/OR SERVICES THAT YOU MAY APPLY FOR THROUGH THE WEBSITE MAY CONTAIN BUGS, ERRORS, PROBLEMS OR OTHER LIMITATIONS. WE WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR THE AVAILABILITY OF THE UNDERLYING INTERNET CONNECTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE CASHKINGSWEEPS™ OFFERINGS. NO ADVICE OR INFORMATION, WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, OBTAINED BY YOU FROM CASHKINGSWEEPS™, OR OTHERWISE BY AND THROUGH THE WEBSITE OR OTHER CASHKINGSWEEPS™ OFFERINGS, SHALL CREATE ANY WARRANTY NOT EXPRESSLY STATED IN THE AGREEMENT.
13. Limitation of Liability. YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT CASHKINGSWEEPS™ SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL AND/OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, USE, DATA OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES (EVEN IF CASHKINGSWEEPS™ HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES), TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE BY LAW FOR: (A) THE USE OR THE INABILITY TO USE THE CASHKINGSWEEPS™ OFFERINGS AND/OR ANY OTHER PRODUCTS AND/OR SERVICES THAT YOU MAY APPLY FOR THROUGH THE WEBSITE; (B) THE COST OF PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS AND SERVICES RESULTING FROM ANY GOODS, DATA, INFORMATION AND/OR SERVICES PURCHASED OR OBTAINED FROM, OR TRANSACTIONS ENTERED INTO THROUGH, THE WEBSITE; (C) THE UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO, OR ALTERATION OF, YOUR REGISTRATION DATA; (D) ANY TECHNICAL ERROR OR OTHER ERROR OF ANY KIND, WHETHER HUMAN, MECHANICAL OR ELECTRONIC, ASSOCIATED WITH ANY OF THE PROMOTIONS; (E) ANY POTENTIAL PRIZE AWARD NOTIFICATION DISPLAYED, DISTRIBUTED AND/OR OTHERWISE DELIVERED TO YOU IN ERROR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY PROMOTION, ANY PROSPECTIVE PROMOTION, OR OTHERWISE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES3; AND (F) ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO THE INABILITY TO USE THE CASHKINGSWEEPS™ OFFERINGS AND/OR ANY OTHER PRODUCTS AND/OR SERVICES THAT YOU MAY APPLY FOR THROUGH THE WEBSITE. THIS LIMITATION APPLIES TO ALL CAUSES OF ACTION, IN THE AGGREGATE INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, BREACH OF CONTRACT, BREACH OF WARRANTY, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, MISREPRESENTATIONS AND ANY AND ALL OTHER CAUSES OF ACTION. YOU HEREBY RELEASE CASHKINGSWEEPS™ FROM ANY AND ALL OBLIGATIONS, LIABILITIES AND CLAIMS IN EXCESS OF THE LIMITATION STATED HEREIN. IF APPLICABLE LAW DOES NOT PERMIT SUCH LIMITATION, THE MAXIMUM LIABILITY OF CASHKINGSWEEPS™ TO YOU UNDER ANY AND ALL CIRCUMSTANCES WILL BE FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($500.00). THE NEGATION OF DAMAGES SET FORTH ABOVE IS A FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENT OF THE BASIS OF THE BARGAIN BETWEEN YOU AND CASHKINGSWEEPS™. THE ABILITY TO USE THE CASHKINGSWEEPS™ OFFERINGS AND/OR ANY OTHER PRODUCTS AND/OR SERVICES THAT YOU MAY APPLY FOR THROUGH THE WEBSITE WOULD NOT BE PROVIDED TO YOU WITHOUT SUCH LIMITATIONS.
14. Third Party Websites. The Website and/or CashKingSweeps™ Offerings may provide links to and/or refer you to other Internet websites and/or resources. Because CashKingSweeps™ has no control over such third party websites and/or resources, you hereby acknowledge and agree that CashKingSweeps™ is not responsible for the availability of such third party websites and/or resources. Furthermore, CashKingSweeps™ does not endorse, and is not responsible or liable for, any terms and conditions, privacy policies, content, advertising, services, products and/or other materials at or available from such third party websites or resources, or for any damages and/or losses arising therefrom.
15. Privacy Policy/User Information. Use of the Website, and all comments, feedback, information, Registration Data and/or materials that you submit through or in association with the Website, is subject to our Privacy Policy. We reserve the right to use all information regarding your use of the Website, and any and all other personally identifiable information provided by you, in accordance with the terms of our Privacy Policy. To view our Privacy Policy, please go to: https://www.cashkingsweeps.com/i/cks_pp.
16. Legal Warning. You may not take any action that imposes an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on CashKingSweeps.™ infrastructure. Any attempt by any individual, whether or not a CashKingSweeps™ customer, to damage, destroy, tamper with, vandalize and/or otherwise interfere with the operation of any of the CashKingSweeps™ Offerings is a violation of criminal and civil law and CashKingSweeps™ will diligently pursue any and all remedies in this regard against any offending individual or entity to the fullest extent permissible by law and in equity.
17. Dispute Resolution Provisions. The Agreement shall be treated as though it were executed and performed in New York, New York and shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York (without regard to conflict of law principles). Should a dispute arise concerning the CashKingSweeps™ Offerings, the terms and conditions of the Agreement or the breach of same by any party hereto: (a) the parties agree to submit their dispute for resolution before a reputable arbitration organization; and (b) you agree to first commence a formal dispute proceeding by completing and submitting an Initial Dispute Notice which can be found at https://www.cashkingsweeps.com/i/cks_docs. We may choose to provide you with a final written settlement offer after receiving your Initial Dispute Notice ("Final Settlement Offer"). If we provide you with a Final Settlement Offer and you do not accept it, or we cannot otherwise satisfactorily resolve your dispute, you can submit your dispute for resolution by arbitration before a reputable arbitration organization as mutually agreed upon by the parties, in your county of residence, by filing a separate Demand for Arbitration, which is also available on the Website at https://www.cashkingsweeps.com/i/cks_docs. for claims of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) or less, you can choose whether the arbitration proceeds in person, by telephone or based only on submissions. if the arbitrator awards you relief that is greater than our final settlement offer, then we will pay all filing, administration and arbitrator fees associated with the arbitration and, if you retained an attorney to represent you in connection with the arbitration, we will reimburse any reasonable attorneys' fees that your attorney accrued for investigating, preparing and pursuing the claim in arbitration. any award rendered shall be final and conclusive to the parties and a judgment thereon may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction. nothing contained herein shall be construed to preclude any party from (i) seeking injunctive relief in order to protect its rights pending an outcome in arbitration; and />or (ii) pursuing the matter in small claims court rather than arbitration. Although we may have a right to an award of attorneys' fees and expenses if we prevail in arbitration, we will not seek such an award from you unless the arbitrator determines that your claim was frivolous.
To the extent permitted by law, you agree that you will not bring, join or participate in any class action lawsuit as to any claim, dispute or controversy that you may have against CashKingSweeps™ and/or its employees, officers, directors, members, representatives and/or assigns. You agree to the entry of injunctive relief to stop such a lawsuit or to remove you as a participant in the suit. You agree to pay the attorney's fees and court costs that CashKingSweeps™ incurs in seeking such relief. This provision preventing you from bringing, joining or participating in class action lawsuits: (A) does not constitute a waiver of any of your rights or remedies to pursue a claim individually and not as a class action in binding arbitration as provided above; and (B) is an independent agreement. You may opt-out of these dispute resolution provisions by providing written notice of your decision within thirty (30) days of the date that you first access the Website.
18. Miscellaneous. Should any part of the Agreement be held invalid or unenforceable, that portion shall be construed consistent with applicable law and the remaining portions shall remain in full force and effect. To the extent that anything in or associated with any CashKingSweeps™ Offering is in conflict or inconsistent with the Agreement, the Agreement shall take precedence. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that there is any inconsistency between these Terms and Conditions and any Official Contest Rules, insofar as any applicable Promotion is concerned, the Official Contest Rules shall govern. Our failure to enforce any provision of the Agreement shall not be deemed a waiver of such provision nor of the right to enforce such provision. The parties do not intend that any agency or partnership relationship be created through operation of the Agreement.
19. Contact Us. If you have any questions regarding the Agreement, the CashKingSweeps™ Offerings or would like more information from us, please contact us by calling customer service at: 516-350-8358; email us at: [email protected] or send us mail to: CashKingSweeps, c/o Bohemia Marketing, 606 Johnson Ave, Suite 24, Bohemia, NY 11716.


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Lomography Fantôme Kino ISO 8 Black & White Negative 35mm Film, 36 Exposures
Melodrama in Monochrome
Fantôme Kino B&W Film is perfect for pinhole, striking portraits and gritty street scene snaps. With low ISO and a small exposure latitude, this impactful black and white film navigates inter-tonal shifts with ease resulting in rich, low grain depictions with vibrant microcontrast. The Fantôme Kino B&W Film brings scenes to life, capturing life's most evocative moments in show stopping black and white splendor.
A Director's Dream
This panchromatic is perfect for seasoned professionals and creative first time photographers alike. Particularly appropriate for those who like to take full manual control and experiment with flash photography, the Fantôme Kino B&W Film packs drama into the frame with crushed shadows and super high contrast renderings, reminiscent of our favourite Film Noir classics.
Master your Low ISO Monochromes
This film has a slow speed of ISO 8, so we recommend using a camera and lens with manual controls for better control over your exposures. You should be able to manually adjust the shutter speed of your camera and aperture of your lens. Using a fast lens (maximum aperture of at least f/1.4 - f/2.8), is also recommended.
This evocative emulsion can be developed both in the lab or at home with the standard black and white process. Whether you are a dab hand in the darkroom or looking to boost your development skills, we are here to help and have created a bespoke Fantôme Kino B&W Film Guide with everything you need to know including tips, tricks, filters and a development chart.
Here is a quick overview on how your developer of choice will work with the Fantôme Kino film:
This is our recommended developer for Fantôme Kino. Preserving the details in the highlights, but still maintaining the film's signature contrast look.
Kodak HC-110
Kodak HC-110 is one of our favorite developers for developing monochrome film. The Fantôme Kino developed in HC-110 would result in punchy dramatic contrast that makes images "pop".
Ilford Ilfosol 3
This developer produces fine grain and rendering good contrast and impressive shadow detail. Ilfosol is a viable option if you're looking to give your shots a softer and moodier atmosphere.
Compard R09
A good Rodinal substitute, this developer ensures really fine grain preserving much detail and sharpness. This one is for the photographer who has a keen eye and an appreciation for the small things.
Tetenal Ausgleichsentwickler
This developer provides a balanced amount of contrast and is suitable for available light, reportage, and even fine art photography.
Additional Information
- Film Format: 35mm
- Film Type: B&W
- DX code: No
- Exposures: 36
- Pack Size: 1

subset: commoncrawl


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RALEIGH, N.C. – A couple got engaged in the middle of a protest over police brutality in North Carolina last weekend and the beautiful moment was caught on camera by a bystander.
Marjorie Alston told People Magazine that she convinced her then-boyfriend, Xavier Young, to call off work and protest with her in downtown Raleigh on Saturday.
But before the couple left, Young grabbed the ring he had bought for Alston, "just in case the moment presented itself," he told People.
As Young watched Alston make her voice known at the protest over George Floyd's death in police custody, he said he knew she was the right woman for him.
So, Young said he acted like he was going to get bottle of water out of his bag, but instead pulled out the ring and popped the question as fellow demonstrators cheered them on.
In the midst of the chaos, I witnessed a proposal in the middle of a protest. Love conquers all. #GeorgeFloydProtests #riots2020 #RaleighDemandsJustice #BlacklivesMaters #blacklove pic.twitter.com/uSajEfGT8u
— One Sock and Pops (@PopAndSock) May 31, 2020
Young told People that he never expected to propose in the middle of such a pivotal moment in American history, but he wouldn't be surprised if photos of their engagement end up in history books.
The couple, who have been together for two years, say they're also expecting their first child together in November. They plan to tie the knot in September of next year.
The Raleigh protest was just one of many demonstrations that have been held throughout the United States since the killing of Floyd. The 46-year-old died after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes as he said, "I can't breathe."


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March 2013 New Christian Fiction Releases
On these last days of winter, settle in a comfortable chair near the fireplace with one of these new releases:
Catching Her Heart by Carolyne Aarsen — When they fell in love that summer, Jess Schroder never knew the secret Naomi Deacon carried away with her. Eight years later, she's back in Hartley Creek – a nurse's aide devoted to healing others. As she gets to know the good, caring man Jess has become, Naomi realizes they both deserve a second chance. Is Jess ready to let Naomi past his defenses? Romance from Love Inspired
Moonlight Masquerade, A Regency by Ruth Axtell — Lady Celine Wexham seems the model British subject. French by birth but enjoying life in 1813 as a widowed English countess, she is in the unique position of being able to help those in need-or to spy for the notorious Napoleon Bonaparte. When Rees Phillips of the British Foreign Office is sent to pose as the countess's butler and discover where her true loyalties lie, he is confident he will uncover the truth. But the longer he is with her, the more his staunch loyalty to the Crown begins to waver. Historical Romance from Revell
Rekindled Romance by Lorraine Beatty — Back home again to regain her health, Shelby Russell finds herself babysitting for Matt Durrant's adorable kids, but the trouble is, Matt's the man she jilted for her career years ago. Romance from Love Inspired
The Hidden Son by Dianna T. Benson — When U.S. DEA Special Agent Lelisa Desmond refuses to follow an order to bury evidence in a high profile case, her superior inexplicably hires a hit man to kill her. Lelisa barely survives the first attempt on her life, but someone close to her is mistakenly murdered in her place. Lelisa sets off on a daring mission to bring down the man who ordered her execution. A man with powerful friends who will stop at nothing to protect his son. Can she take him down, before he sends someone else to silence her forever? Suspense/Police Procedural from Ellechor Publishing House
Strand of Deception by Robin Caroll — Strand of Deception offers romance, suspense, and a lively debate about the impact of DNA testing, for better or worse, on the United States justice system. Romantic Suspense from B&H Publishing
Swept Away by Mary Connealy — Ruthy MacNeil is rescued from a flood by Luke Stone…who is on his way to fight the man who killed his father…so unfortunately, there are more chances to die in Ruthy's immediate future. Historical Romance from Bethany House
Scorned Justice by Margaret Daley — Texas Ranger Brody Calhoun realizes the attack on his high school sweetheart's brother is more than it seems. Judge Rebecca Morgan is in the midst of a trial involving the Russian Mafia and suddenly her life is in danger. Romantic Suspense from Abingdon Press
When Truth Whispers by Dora Hiers — After a humiliating breakup, best-selling romance author Teal Benning flees to Promise Lake to complete her current novel, minus paparazzi and flashing cameras. Suffering from writer's block and a broken heart, Teal accepts the offer of help from neighbor, Hunter Miciver. Hunter longs to be more than the friend who picks up the shattered pieces of Teal's heart, but when Teal finds out his secret, will she see him for the man he is? Contemporary Romance Novella from White Rose Publishing – Pelican
Journey's Embrace by Dora Hiers — After an injury forces Deputy U.S. Marshal Sage Michaelson off duty, he heads to his hometown with two things on his mind: recuperating and reevaluating, but Sage can't refuse his best friend's plea to keep a protective eye on his little sister after someone ransacks her house.
Flight Medic Delaney Hunt has loved Sage forever. But, he's all about control while she takes risks. She doesn't need Sage looking over her shoulder. But when things go wrong and she finds herself hanging by her fingertips, who does she call to rescue her? (Contemporary Romance from White Rose Publishing – Pelican
Angel Falls by Connie Mann — A fiercely protective Brazilian orphanage director and a burned-out Army Ranger are forced together in a deadly race to save one helpless baby. Romantic Suspense from Abingdon Press
Love Will Find a Way by Pamela S. Meyers — When April Love opens her new eatery and catering business in an old Victorian in the village of Canoga Lake, Wisconsin, trouble is afoot. During renovations, she discovers evidence that the home had once been the hideout of a famous gangster. When several break-ins and an attempted arson fire threaten the grand opening, April and handsome fiancé Marc Thorne wonder if the gangsters still around? Cozy Mystery from OakTara Publishers
The Survivor by DiAnn Mills — Kariss helps a woman involved with a 23 year old cold case and steps into a viper's pit of danger. Romantic Suspense from Zondervan
When Memories Fade (Victory Gospel Series 2) by Tyora Moody — Angel Roberts has embraced her new faith, but past memories remain fresh. After her beloved grandmother suffers a stroke, Angel sets out to investigate a mystery that has lingered since she was five years old. What happened to her mother? She teams up with investigative reporter, Wes Cade, a man obsessed with his Alzheimer stricken grandfather's remaining memories. As Angel lets her guard down with Wes, his determination to get the story could push her to the edge. Is his interest in her or the story? Romantic Suspense from Urban Christian
Love for the Right Reasons by Donna L. Rich — Beverly Lahmeyer falls in love with her new boss, but devastating news brings their relationship to a halt. Contemporary Romance from Heartsong Presents
Mountain Homecoming by Sandra Robbins — In the second book in the Smoky Mountain Dreams series, the Martin family realizes their way of life is changing as the lumber companies begin to invade their remote valley deep in the Smoky Mountains. Romance from Harvest House
The Tempted Soul by Adina Senft — A childless Amish woman is tempted by medical technology to betray her beliefs. Contemporary Women's Fiction from Faith Words – Hachette
Antique Dreams by Amber Stockton — Fulfilling a deathbed promise, Aaron Stone encourages Lillian Bradenton to bring life back to a boarded-up bookstore, but before he can make good on his promise, he is called away to settle a family emergency, leaving Lillian to wonder if she's lost him forever. Historical Romance from Heartsong Presents
Forsaken Dreams by Mary Lu Tyndall — Forsaken Dreams launches readers on a romantic adventure as Colonel Blake Wallace leaves the war-torn South behind to build a utopian society in Brazil. But will unexpected dangers on the ship and the secret of one captivating lady keep him from beginning anew? Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing
Ring of Secrets by Roseanna M. White — Love has no place in a world of spies. Historical Romance from Harvest House
Note: This list is compiled from those books registered by ACFW member authors on Fiction Finder and reprinted with permission of ACFW.
I have received no compensation for this post and have no material connection with any product(s) mentioned. Embedded links are strictly for the convenience of my readers.
No Comments
Dora Hiers
Yay! Waited so long for Journey's Embrace! It's finally here!
Thanks for the feature, Sandy. 🙂
Sandra Ardoin
Ah, let's not forget When Truth Whispers! 🙂


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Turkey shares borders with both Western Asia and Europe. Attractions for tourists consist of stunning shorelines, national parks, ancient mosques, and visually appealing cities. Tourists must acquire a visa in order to enter the country. In order to travel to Turkey for vacation, the majority of foreigners need to acquire a tourist visa beforehand. The Turkey Tourist eVisa is available for the majority of nationalities. It is known as a visa for temporary stays. People from more than 100 countries are eligible to request an electronic visa for Turkey. A digital visa enables entry into Turkey and permits travel within the country. This is available once the necessary information is entered, and online payments are made. This visa allows you to remain in Turkey for up to 30 days. You are not allowed to engage in any paid activities while you are there. An E-Visa is required to obtain this visa. Travelers can get their tourist visa granted in as little as 24 hours by filling out a simple online form with their personal information and passport information.
A valid passport whose validity will exceed the duration of the visa you apply for by six months.
Passport size photos
To get the Turkey e-Visa, travelers also need an email address to receive notifications and the approved permit.
An email address to receive the approved Turkey visa in your Inbox.
You can use a debit or credit card to pay for the visa fee online.
Turkey Visa Application Process
Non-citizens of visa-exempt countries visiting Turkey need to acquire a visa for entry. Nevertheless, travelers who meet the necessary requirements are now able to submit their application for a Turkey e-Visa through the internet, enabling them to enjoy a stay of a maximum of three months in the country. The Turkey e-Visa permits entry into Turkey for citizens of specific countries and is issued by the government. One can obtain it by either completing an online application or going to a border crossing. The e-Visa will take over the old "sticker visa" and "stamp-type" visas. It can be utilized in various ways, such as in transportation, tourism, and commerce. The duration of the stay allowed with an e-Visa depends on the traveler's nationality, offering choices for either a single entry or multiple entry visa valid for 30, 60, or 90 days. All entries must be submitted within 180 days. To complete their Turkey e-Visa application, all eligible travelers must have an internet connection. In Turkey, there are four types of visas: tourist visas, business visas, student visas, and work visas. Determine the type of visa required for your trip. However, to apply for the Turkey e-Visa, the traveler can simply fill in the online form which takes only a few minutes. Please note that it may take 24 hours for the system to process your Turkish e-Visa applications.
Turkey Visa Application Process
Check what type of Turkish visa you need to apply for.
Find out when is the right time to apply.
Check where to submit your Turkey visa application.
Collect the required documents.
Submit the application Wait for processing.
Requirements for Turkey Visa
Have a passport valid for at least 60 days beyond the duration of the stay in Turkey.
A valid email address to receive the approved Turkey eVisa in their Inbox.
You can use a credit or debit card to pay for the Turkey e-Visa fees.
Turkey Visa For South African Citizens
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs introduced the eVisa program in 2013. The government of Turkey is presently providing e-visas to people from more than 100 nations, including South Africa. South Africans can now get a visa for Turkey without visiting the Turkish embassy, as Turkey is a well-liked spot for tourists. They have the option of applying online to receive their e-visas faster instead. South Africans who are planning a trip to Turkey have the option to apply for an electronic visa ahead of time through an online platform. South African natives are required to acquire a Turkish e-visa prior to their arrival in Turkey for tourism, business, transit, or medical purposes. The Turkey e-Visa permits South Africans to remain in Turkey for a period of 30 days with multiple entry access. The Turkey e-Visa is valid for a total of 180 days from the date of issue. It allows South African visitors multiple entries into Türkiye, with each journey lasting up to 90 days. This Turkey e-Visa has been launched to allow visitors to easily obtain their visas online. The process is faster and more convenient than applying for a traditional visa. This can be done in minutes from your home or office without having to visit the local Turkish Embassy or Consulate.
Passport – getting a South African passport is quite easy these days, so you should be able to get one fast. Make sure that it is valid for at least 6 months from the date you plan to enter this country.
Email address – your Turkey e-Visa will be linked to your passport electronically, but you still need a copy to show at the immigration office in Turkey. Make sure that you provide a valid address.
Means of payment – You can use a credit or a debit card to pay for the eVisa fees.
A Turkey Visa grants you permission to go into Turkey and remain for a set period of time. Depending on the visa you have, you have the ability to engage in different activities such as studying and working. Some visas enable applicants to seek a Turkish residence permit and remain in Turkey for a minimum of one year. People who qualify need to submit an application for a Turkey e-Visa prior to arrival in the nation. The Turkey e-Visa launched in 2013 permits individuals of specific nationalities to enter the country for periods of 30 or 90 days, with the option of single or multiple entries. Turkey e-Visas are usually valid for a period of 180 days starting from the date they are issued. The Turkish e-Visa, which replaced the previous "sticker visa," was designed to expedite the visa application process, saving tourists time when applying for a visa and entering the country. Travellers wishing to visit Turkey for other reasons, such as work or study, should apply at a Turkish embassy or consulate. Applicants from Turkey e-Visa approved nations must fill out an online eVisa application form with personal information and passport information in order to visit the country for tourist, business, or transit purposes.
Turkey Tourist Visa
Individuals holding a Turkish Tourist Visa are permitted to enter Turkey for tourism-related purposes such as sightseeing, vacations, visiting friends or family, and so on. The visa is only valid for a set period of time, which is limited to 90 days.
Turkey Student Visa
To pursue education in Turkey, you can request a Turkey Student Visa for a temporary residency. People who are interested in completing an internship, enrolling in a course, or studying at a school or university in Turkey have the option to apply for this visa. After enrolling at a Turkish educational institution and providing a letter from your university or school, you are eligible to seek a Student Visa. In order to acquire a residency, permit in Turkey, you need to sign up with the Foreigner's Branch of your nearby police department within 30 days of reaching the country.
Turkey Work Visa
A Turkey Work Visa allows you to move to Turkey to work. Foreigners are not permitted to work in Turkey unless they have a work visa and a work permit. You must apply for a Work Visa in Turkey two months before your trip. Send the document to Turkey's Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS), which will publish an updated list of these documents on its website in 90 days.
Turkey Transit Visa
A Turkey Transit Visa allows you to travel from one country to another via Turkey. If you intend to utilize Turkey as a transit country to your final destination and must pass through immigration or stay in Turkey overnight, you may need a visa.
Travelers are required to secure a visit visa in advance to enter Libya, as it is not included in the list of countries exempt from visa requirements. People from more than 100 nations are eligible to request a Turkish e-Visa that remains valid for 180 days starting from the entry date. Libya is also another nation where a Turkish e-visa can be acquired. The e-Visa for Turkey, also known as an online visa for Turkey, is a permit that enables foreigners to travel to Turkey. A tourist visa permits Libyans to make a single trip to Turkey and remain for a maximum of 30 days. The Turkish e-Visa, known as the online Turkey visa, is a new travel document that has replaced the old "sticker visa." It was implemented to speed up the visa application process, enabling travelers to save time when applying for and entering the country. Those wishing to visit Turkey for other reasons, such as work or study, must apply through a Turkish embassy or consulate. This Turkey e-Visa was created to make it easier for travellers to obtain visas online. The Turkey visa for Libya consists of a simple online application form that can be completed in a matter of minutes. Libyans can apply for a Turkish e-visa from anywhere in Libya that has an internet connection.
A passport valid for at least 150 days after the date of arrival in Turkey
A valid Email address where notifications and the approved e-Visa will be sent.
You can use a Debit or credit card to pay for the Turkish visa fees.
Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. Binary News Network and this Site make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. If you are affiliated with this page and would like it removed please contact [email protected]


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Since 1993, the Käsmu Maritime Museum has been situated in a historic border-guard station that dates back to Russian Imperial times. The museum's goal is to acquaint visitors with the history of the legendary captain's village that surrounds it. The exhibits cover all aspects associated with the sea: sailing, fishing, smuggling, as well as the sea as a part of nature and an object of photography and other arts. Special themed museum days are held for children, and mainly focus on two topics: the captain's village and the Viking era.
Käsmu Maritime Museum is a private museum that comprises the collections of Aarne Vaik. More than 200 special outings and about 40,000 people visit the museum in a given year.
Entry is 6 €, all donations are kindly welcomed. VAT will be added to the invoice. The museum is located at the address Merekooli 1 in the picturesque captain's village of Käsmu in Lääne-Viru County, and is always open to visitors. It is recommended that groups book in advance with Aarne Vaik mobile at +372 529 7135, or e-mail at email@example.com.


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İşsiz Baba Oğlunun Ameliyatı İçin İş Arıyor
Oh, it's for you. And the other hamburger will also be made of your lungs. So long, pal. I won't testify on grounds that my organs will be chopped up into a patty. The 67th Amendment. I may be a simple, country chicken, but I know when we're finger-licked. What if we plead insanity? A few months in an insane asylum? I could do it on my head. If you start now, it might help our case. What evidence do you offer to support this new plea of insanity? They done hired me to represent them.
We can do that, too. Who's ready to fight for equality? The devolution revolution has begun! Beautiful mutants, Hello, sewer city. As longtime mutants ourselves, we support your righteous struggle, and we'll do anything we can for you! No. Play the other one. their attention, where they sit by bending the West Side pipeway to return all sewage to the surface. bend such a huge pipe? So lonely. Poor, sad Bender. Bend it! Bend it! Bend it! Bend it! What goes down must back up. I picked the wrong day to wear my new crocses.
Am I the only one who thinks this is all a sham? This isn't heaven. and makes us immortal, which I find suspicious. Allow me to explain. Centuries ago, I sent an image of myself into the minds of your artists. The heavenly clouds they painted depict a vapor I exude. I wish I exuded anything Then what about these angels? Some kind of Scooby Doo-esque flashlight projection? those are mindless jakabirds. They keep my surface free of parasitic larvae. You didn't like Country Bear Jamboree either, Leela.
I'm working on Seymour's doghouse. No one ever asked if Bender would like to live in a tiny little house. A tiny little house that says Benderon it. This is Fry. If you're calling about the used towels for sale… they're still available for $45 each. Phil, it's your father. Where are you? You're holding up New Year's brunch. Your brother can't wait any longer. Hello, first bologna of the new millennium. Here he comes. That's him and Seymour. Well, that's weird. Seymour's here, but- Go! Go! Touchdown! But where's Philip? I'm telling you, the Y2K computers got him.
People already interfered. That planet was mined hollow. By an Order of Planets mining crew. This doesn't make any sense. I don't pretend to understand Brannigan's Law. I enforce it. Fine, we'll save the animals alone. I'm afraid I can't allow that. Guards! What just happened? He's throwing us in prison. Dang! Can I get this wrapped up? hadn't thrown me in prison. You really are too picky. I've got some musing to do. I'm facing a formidable female adversary. Suggestions? I fail to see any problem, sir.
Bite my red-hot glowing ass! Wait a minute. Red-hot glowing ass? I'll be right back. No! Nibbler! Professor? I need another bikini. Okay, I think there's one can left. There. How do I look? Like a cheap French harlot. French? make time with a real man? No. I'm not attracted to bullies, no matter how big… and handsome they are. I got a lot of work to do. Sir, you don't understand. I'm a professional beach bully. I pretend to steal your girl, you punch me, I go down…
Six, seven, eight One, two, three Turn the key My dirty, shifty friend? Hey, Fry, long time. Legion of Madfellows, man. Why'd you bonk me, you idiot? And where are we? This doesn't look like your regular dumpster. All in good time! I guess now is a good time. We are on Mars, in a forgotten cavern abandoned by the native Martians a million years ago. Actually, it was five years ago. I remember'cause they washed my socks. You have done well, Fry. You have ingratiated yourself with Leo Wong.


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Welcome to Nicolas Vizerie website !I am a C++ developer interested in games and computer graphics. |
I have not posted a demo in a long time, and found some occasion to do some new stuffs. This is a simple path tracing demo, it should work on any DX11 GPU, but it requires a fast one, like a nVidia 1080 and it isn't optimized at all yet. Most of the code was done on late 2013, when I wrote a KDTree builder in compute shader, but never had the time to complete it. Once a raytracing primitive is available in a shader it become easier to do some simple raytracing experiment even without a graphic card with raytracing support. In the demo there are 3 ray bounces + 1 primary ray (The result is biased for now), and a simple denoising shader, that can certainly be improved. Of course, because this demo do not use raytracing acceleration through DXR (DX12 would be required for that), it is not representative of the speed that could be achieved with it. For now, most of the GPU cycles go into the 'software' raytracing, implemented as a compute shader.
The whole demo uses the GGX BRDF with some simple fresnel.
I'm aware that some artifacts remains (some motion vectors can get wrong resulting in, spots / acne) and hope to find the occasion to fix them :)Demo downloadable here
Youtube video #2 here
Youtube video #1 here (old video)
Please note that this demo is independant from my workplace, and I wanted to thank them for allowing this publication :)
There is now a new section available, where miscellanous tools and utility will be added. Please check it out here.
MLAA (MorphoLogical AntiAliasing) is a recent technique developped by Intel, that apply antialiasing on a image
by using a shape recognition strategy, after edge detection has been performed on the image. It can compete
with MSAA quality-wise.
The original paper is here : http://visual-computing.intel-research.net/publications/papers/2009/mlaa/mlaa.pdf
The original technique is not very suitable to GPU with pixel shaders alone, so some adaptation was needed.
The reason is that the algorithm scans edges and patches pixel based on the edge length, and the configuration at edge extremities (to sum up).
Edges extremities can be far from the current pixel, so using a pixel shader (pure parallel model) requires each pixel to recompute the distance from itself
to the edge extremities. For an edge of length N, the complexity becomes O(N˛), which can lead to performance problems.
The obvious solution is to compute a bilateral distance texture.
The algorithm in this work unfolds as follow :
- Detect edges of the image based on color difference (could be also Z and Normal deltas if 3D datas are available, this can make
a huge difference in quality), store in a R a boolean to indicate horizontal edges, in G another boolean to indicate vertical edges.
A rgb565 texture is well suited for this. During this operation, set stencil to 1 where edge was found (using a pixel discard)
- scan edges in cardinal directions, until edges end, or an orthogonal edge is found. Do this up to 4 pixel (only for pixel with
stencil = 1, for speedup). store the distance in a RGBA8 texture (each component for a cardinal direction)
- for each direction, propagate distance. if D(x) is the current distance for pixel x (which can be 4 at most for now).
Update the distance 4 time, by doing D'(x) <- D(x) + D(x + D(x)).
The max distance is now 16. If the initial distance was < 3, propagation was complete, and nothing had to be done.
- repeat previous step : the max distance is now 64, unless initial distance is less than 16 (no-op in this case)
- repeat previous step : the max distance is now 255 (max distance that can be stored in a byte), unless initial distance is less than 64 (no-op in this case)
- perform final blend (see mlaa.ps in the .zip for details)
As hinted by www.iryokufx.com/mlaa , bilinear filtering can be use to speed up things. I used it during edge scaning (to test 2 edges in a single
texture fetch, and in final blend)
I borrowed the idea to encode distance as a RGBA8 texture from there (I was initially going to use a float16 texture) : http://igm.univ-mlv.fr/~biri/mlaa-gpu/MLAAGPU.pdf, though the idea
to use a bilateral texture do not come from this paper. I also tried to use a look up table to encode blend weight as they did, but in my case
it was slower (I guess this is because the ALU/TEX ratio on my GPU must be higher).
On a nVidia 8700MGT, for a 800x600 image the time to process is 6,3 ms. I guess a desktop GPU would do much better.
Executable + shaders can be found here
Lately I tried to reproduce the lightmap technique that can be seen in the UDK. This technique encodes the distance of occluders boundaries in a Luminance8 texture, instead of storing the shadow term directly. A simple MAD operation is then used in the pixel shader to retrieve the shadow value from the interpolated distance (so it is essentially free compared to standard shadow masks). In my attempt I used ray tracing to computed the distance of occluder as seen from the receiver. As can be seen on the following screenshots, the accuracy is much better than with usual shadow mask. This is very similar to what Valve did in Half-Life 2 with their vector textures : Improved Alpha-Tested Magnification for Vector Textures and Special Effects
With everyone doing SSAO these days I decided to give it a try too. I developped an extension of the algorithm, that shows how to add high frequency details to the ambient occlusion term. The technique uses 3 color components to store the occlusion over each third of the hemisphere for each sampling position (whereas standard SSAO samples over a 'whole' hemisphere for each pixel in screen space). Each component is then blurred using a 'bilateral filter' as usual. In this work I did a separate edge filter pass before the blur. In the end, the normal map is read, and occlusion is computed by using a weighting of the normal with respect with each sampling direction. This is very similar to the source shading, but applied to screen space. The executable also has additionnal features such as diffuse bleeding. The technique can somewhat enhance environments where baking of the lighting is not possible (dynamic or/and huge worlds ...). The aim of the sample is to demonstates the visual enhancement that normal maps brings, but speed-wise it can certainly be improved :).
This sample requires a recent DirectX 9.0c runtime and a Shader 3.0 capable GPU. It was tested on a nVidia 8700M GT GPU and 8800.
The "Diffuse Bleeding" option was inspired by the following article : Approximating Dynamic Global Illumination in Image Space.
Please see the README.TXT file in the archive for more infos about the implementation.
Lucy model courtesy of Standford University
Thanks to Lionel Vizerie for additionnal testing!
A small demo that demonstrates "volumetric lighting". A shadow map as well as a "gobo" texture are sampled along each view ray in the pixel shader to produce the final color for each pixel. Two techniques are demonstrated. In the first one, dynamic branching is used to know when to stop the sampling. The second technique doesn't rely on dynamic branching, but use occlusion queries and multipass with stencil test to now when to stop the rendering. When hardware shadow maps are activated, percentage-closer filtering is used, which lead to a better quality.
You need a (fast...) GPU supporting Pixel Shaders model 3.0 to run the demo (I tested it on a nVidia 6800 and a 8700M GT, don't know if it works with ATI GPUs ...) The pixel shader is very costly so, it may be necessary to reduce the window size to get something smooth on older GPUs ...
This sample demonstrates the "normal mapped radiosity" technique (also known as "directionnal lightmaps") presented by Valve Software for the Source engine. It is based on the following paper : "Half Life 2 / Source shading". I found it interesting, so I decided to try to code it. Here's my try at implementing what is presented in the article.The sample introduce a slight variation : the lightmaps contain only "indirect lighting", instead of full lighting. This allow to retain shadows and specular for each light, instead of using probes and cubemaps. To achieve this I used the baking system I developed earlier for lightmasks (per-light static shadows mask), and extended it to include this new, better ambient lighting. The result is of course, slower, because it is using multipass lighting rendering instead of a single pass shader (with modulated shadows), but because of the new ambient term, "fill-lights" are less necessary, so it is possible to have each surface hit by one light at most, and still have a good overall lighting, and thus single-pass rendering everywhere if necessary (there are some overlapping lights in the demo, so it is not a single pass render). The program allows to see how using "normal mapped indirect lighting" as the ambient component in a scene can enhance the realism of the rendering. To demonstrate this, sliders allow to control the amount of ambient lighting on static geometry and dynamic geometry. For dynamic geometry I implemented radiance sampling on a regular grid, as described in the paper. Dynamic objects lookup the "light flow" at their center in this grid.
You need a GPU supporting Pixel Shader 2.0 to run the demo (ATI Radeon 9500 or more, nVidia Geforce FX or more)
Click here to download the demo
This is a project that was done during 2004 after having read the paper "soft shadow volumes using penumbra wedges", and its optimized version "An optimized Soft Shadow Volume algorithm with realtime performance". Having started this site only recently, it was the occasion to release it. It uses Direct3D as the rendering API.
This sample only implements the case of a spherical light source. while the
original papers used 2 visibility buffers (one additive and one subtractive),
this sample improves the original algorithm by using a single v-buffer, and
using subtractive blending to account for negative values.
As a result some v-ram is saved, and some bandwidth is saved for the final compositing
shader as well. Moreover, the texture containing object coordinates are computed
in camera space, not in world. This results in increased accuracy for FP16 buffers,
as coordinates are more likely to be in the same small, delimited range.
You need a GPU supporting Pixel Shader 2.0 to run this program (ATI Radeon 9500 or more, nVidia Geforce FX or more)
Click here to download a demo of the thing!
Source code of the demo is also available.
External links :
Deferred Shaded Penumbra Wedges : An innovative DX10 recent soft shadow algorithm by Victor Coda. Very interesting to those wishing to go further!
Here's the PC demo named 'coaxial' we presented at the main party #2, and ranked #2 ! This demo was mostly a learning process, and aims to show nice sci-fi scenes.
System requirements :
Version history :
- Added a new GUI at start
- Added multisampling option
- Added 'no sound' option
- The initial engine was using lua for material animation scripting, but this was causing annoying freezes from times to times (due to the lua garbage collector). In this version all animated part of materials have been rewritten in C++, so the framerate is more steady.
- Initial party version
Downloads :
You can download the demo here
(version 1.1)
If you'd like to interactively fly through some scenes of the demo, some of
them are included here!
A 640x480 video in the avi format is available here
Credits :
Code & GFX : Nicolas Vizerie
Music : Lionel Vizerie
External links :


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Remmina – Remote desktop client
Sponsored Link
Remmina is released with three separated packages:
* "remmina", the main GTK+ application
* "remmina-gnome", the GNOME desktop applet
* "remmina-xfce", the Xfce panel plugin
Remmina is free and open-source software, released under GNU GPL license.
Remmina project comes with two separated packages.
The Remmina main program:
* A pure GTK+ 2.0 application!
* Maintain a list of remote desktop files, organized by groups
* Make quick connections by directly putting in the server name
* Remote desktops with higher resolutions are scrollable/scalable in both window and fullscreen mode
* Viewport fullscreen mode: remote desktop automatically scrolls when the mouse moves over the screen edge.
* Floating toolbar in fullscreen mode, allows you to switch between modes, toggle keyboard grabbing, minimize, etc.
* Tabbed interface, optionally managed by groups
* Supported network protocols: RDP, VNC, XDMCP, SSH, Avahi
The Remmina panel applets:
* Support GNOME and Xfce desktop environment in separated packages
* Open the main program or access preference dialog easily
* Drop-down applet menu to make the connections easily
* Remote desktop files are organized in sub-menu by groups
* Automatic service discovery using Avahi
Install remmina in Ubuntu
For Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic) Users
Open the terminal and run the following commands
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:llyzs/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo aptitude install remmina remmina-gnome
For Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty) Users
First you need to edit /etc/apt/sources.list file
gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list
Add the following line
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/llyzs/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
Save and exit the file
Add gpg key
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 5A0FA8F1
Update source list
sudo apt-get update
Install remmina
sudo aptitude install remmina remmina-gnome


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Hi everyone, welcome at Crafty Sentiments Designs!
Wendy here to host this weeks challenge.
Thank you to everyone that took part in our Easter challenge last week,
We really enjoyed looking at your lovely projects.
Now onto the new challenge.
This week our theme is
'Anything Goes'
3 images if the winner used a Crafty Sentiments Designs image.
1 image only for a winner who has not used a Crafty Sentiments Designs Image.
1 image for our crafty sentiments favourite.
Here are some of the fabulous creations from our Design Team:
Laurigami using "Primrose-Egg painting"
Anet using Josh & Gizmo
Wendy using Spring Breeze
Anet using Josh & Gizmo
Wendy using Spring Breeze
Beatriz using Flower Fairy
Now it's your turn to share your crafty creations.
We can't wait to see what you will create. Good luck!
*Wendy and the Crafty Sentiments Design Team*


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I have just sold a property at 147 CRAWFORD DR in Cochrane.
Wonderful LIFESTYLE PROPERTY at 147 Crawford Drive in Cochrane, Alberta. Very unique apartment with secure 'New York' style elevator (right to your door) and a private oversized heated dbl garage. This top floor, 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit boasts a very welcoming floor plan, with 10 foot ceilings, a lovely large living room with a gas fireplace and built-ins, a bright and functional kitchen with lots of cabinets and ample counter space, as well as a separate dining area. There are tons of windows, providing lots of natural light and beautiful views. A large deck provides a great outdoor space, and is accessible right off the kitchen. The master bedroom offers a serene view of the trees & wildlife behind the property. A large ensuite with soaker tub and separate shower rounds out the master suite. There is also a 2nd bedroom and add'l full bath, plus in suite laundry. Just a hop, skip and jump to the river and walking paths, located in a quiet neighbourhood. A must see!


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Real Winning: My Basketball Redemption Story on CBC's Definitely Not the Opera
I had another story on CBC's Definitely Not the Opera which aired across Canada a few weeks ago. For those of you who don't live in Canada, DNTO is a bit like This American Life, but with shorter stories and more of them. And Canadian towns. This story takes place in Sudbury when I was 12 years old at a Zionist camp. I was obsessed with basketball. And I had a very powerful experience which affected the course of my life as a performer and a person. I learned the power of truth and how a room can change with it. Listen here.


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Man. Part Code | 105-7 |
Brand Name | Addi |
Discipline | Knitting |
Needle Type | Fixed Circular Knitting Needles |
Material Type | Nickel Free |
Material Detail | Nickel Free |
Length | 120cm |
Addi Fixed Circular Knitting Needles - 120cm - Product Description
Two smooth and light needles attached to a soft and pliant cable with a near seamless join - what more could you want from a circular needle? Addi's range of luxury circular needles encompasses all the sizes you could want, with a large selection of needle sizes for all kinds of yarn weights, and lengths varying from 20cm to an extra-long 300cm for those who love a BIG challenge. Whether you're making garments, accessories, or homewares, using delicate yarn or chunky, Addi's circular needle sets put the ease back into your knitting.


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Updated at 1:37 p.m. ET
The Justice Department announced Friday that former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe will not be charged following an allegation by the department's inspector general that he lied to investigators about a leak to the media.
In a letter to McCabe's attorneys, the department said that "based on the totality of the circumstances and all of the information known to the government at this time, we consider the matter closed."
The decision is not likely to sit well with President Trump.
Trump has repeatedly criticized McCabe online and in public remarks. McCabe has long been the target of Republican leaders who allege political bias within the FBI.
McCabe's wife ran for the state legislature in Virginia as a Democrat, prompting early attacks that he might be going easy on Hillary Clinton. Later, McCabe was fired after investigators concluded he lacked candor about an episode involving the release of information to a reporter.
He was relieved of duty in March, hours before he was set to retire.
McCabe always has maintained he has done nothing wrong and called himself the victim of political vengeance.
"At long last, justice has been done in this matter," McCabe's lawyers said on Friday.
"We said at the outset of the criminal investigation, almost two years ago, that if the facts and the law determined the result, no charges would be brought," they said in a statement. "We are pleased that Andrew McCabe and his family can go on with their lives without this cloud hanging over them."
The allegations against McCabe stemmed from a Justice Department Office of Inspector General's report, which found that McCabe "lacked candor" when he told investigators that he did not know who authorized an aide to talk to the Wall Street Journal about the FBI investigation into the Clinton Foundation.
The Justice Department's decision not to pursue charges against McCabe comes a day after Attorney General William Barr publicly lashed out at Trump, saying his tweets "make it impossible for me to do my job."
McCabe has sued the Justice Department, alleging that his March 2018 firing by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions was a politically motivated act of retribution by Trump and "unlawful."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Grass Valley is a trusted partner completely focused on empowering customers to create, control and connect content wherever, however and whenever it is consumed. In this ever-changing media landscape, content remains the most important element. Many of our customers are faced with the need to create and support new workflows while continuing to operate their legacy workflows, simultaneously broadcasting through traditional channels, Over-The-Top platforms, and Video-On-Demand as well as to tablets, PCs, and mobile devices.
We provide the innovative tools and expertise to help customers improve the efficiency of their operations while telling better stories to attract and keep viewers. With Grass Valley's integrated solutions that enable flexibility, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, quality and scalability, broadcasters and content creators have what they need to sustain their businesses.


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Invisalign® Costs
You Are Your Best Investment
It's true. No matter what you've believed in the past, a confident, radiant smile can be within reach. And if you think about it, improving your smile is a vital investment, because you're doing it for yourself.
How much does Invisalign treatment cost?
Many factors determine the cost of your Invisalign treatment: the extent of the issues you want corrected, how long your treatment plan will last, and the specific treatment details prescribed by the doctor.
We strive to make Invisalign treatment affordable to everyone. You can get a beautiful, healthy, and straight smile for as low as your monthly cell phone bill.
Payment Options
- Courtesy discount applied for payment in full by cash or check
- Payment arrangements to coincide with your Flex Plan needs
- Most major credit cards accepted
If your dental plan covers orthodontic treatment, you may also qualify for Invisalign treatment. Talk to your insurance provider to determine the extent of coverage for your treatment.
To schedule a free consultation to determine whether the Invisalign system is right for you, contact us today.
Invisalign and the Invisalign logo, among others, are trademarks of Align Technology, Inc., and are registered in the U.S. and other countries.


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DeFi Connect, the African DeFi startup, is excited to announce the coming launch of its payment platform. According to a recent announcement made by its CEO at a conference, DefiPay will be rolling out in the coming weeks.
The project is claiming the attention of the blockchain space with its various real-world use cases. DefiPay will be a pathway for merchants to efficiently run their e-commerce businesses. According to the platform's team, it works similar to Paystack but runs solely on cryptocurrency payments.
Furthermore, other users can leverage the platform to pay for several services, including shopping, hospital bills, and transport, among others. It will release a mobile application that users can scan goods for the pricing. DefiPay will be usable across the DeFi Connect network to increase the usability of its platform.
DefiPay is the tip of the icing as DeFi Connect has other features on its platform for user convenience. Other exciting news is Hotbit's upcoming listing of DeFi Connect's token, DFC, set for September 29. According to the recent announcement made by Hotbit, the DFC/USDT deposit function will launch at 5.00 am. while the trading function starts at 7.00 am. UTC on the same day. Hobbit stands as the third platform listing DFC besides Latoken and PancakeSwap.
Revamping Blockchain Technology
The DeFi Connect platform prides itself as a uniting power for users while offering lucrative opportunities for businesses. It leverages the positive characteristics of blockchain technology, including safety, scalability, decentralization, and real-life use cases.
The platform hopes to shift the dynamics of the global financial sector through innovation. However, finance is not the only sector the platform wishes to revamp. Its extensive usability is spreading into logistics, transport, and health. In the future, it hopes to explore more possibilities through its straightforward implementation capabilities.
One advantage that the platform offers its users is indiscriminate participation. It favors different people within society, including business people, civil servants, and social workers. Networking is at the center of its objectives, providing users with the services they need and businesses with clientele. It targets the unemployed and underemployed, hoping to create progress within African countries.
Moreover, DeFi Connect believes that its platform can extend transparency into businesses and the political arena. In turn, this factor will save time and additional costs incurred with the traditional systems.
DeFi has been a competitive sector within the crypto community, expanding the services that crypto could offer in the past. DeFi Connect's integration of yield farming on its platform allows users to earn passive income while remaining incentivized.
DeFi Connect Tokenomics
At the core of DeFi Connect's ecosystem is the DeFi Connect Coin, acting as a bridge between digital currencies and traditional finance. The coin has an initial supply of 200 trillion, with 20% dedicated to its presale, which ended in July.
The rest of the coins are distributed as follows: 60% to yield farming rewards, 10% to promotion, 3% to contest, 5% to development, and 2% to airdrops. DeFi Connect hopes that its coin will receive listings on top exchanges to diversify where it is tradeable.
DFC yield farming is a lucrative opportunity offering users up to 190% APY on your held tokens. As time goes by, the platform will cut down the percentage by increasing DFC's circulating supply. The coin has earned a listing on CoinMarketCap and Coingecko, making it easier for users to follow its progress.
A Special Focus on Health
As mentioned earlier, DeFi Connect targets different sectors, including transport, digital marketing, and logistics. However, the platform has dedicated a considerable amount of its resources to the health sector. The vision is to provide access to decentralized health-related services on one platform.
DEHIM healthcare is a feature aiming at making health record storage easier for both users and healthcare providers. The only step you need to be automatically enrolled in the system is purchasing the DFC token. You can then monitor your health situation wherever you are while accessing personalized health plans. Furthermore, it strives to protect user health records by leveraging blockchain technology.
One of them is a health insurance marketplace enabling insurance packages providers to list their services on the platform. Furthermore, users can search for whatever plan suiting their health needs. On the other hand, the DeFi Connect health app helps you monitor your vitals and health data. In turn, you can easily keep track of your health conditions and fitness.
The above is a glimpse of the vast array of activities the platform hopes to implement in the long run. To be a part of its growing community and get updates on when some of these features will launch, join DeFi Connect's Telegram page!
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One young woman who shares my last name (but unrelated) was teaching in a college in US. One day she saw the college president to tell him that she was quitting to return to Dhaka. The president could not believe it, but she meant what she had said. I can give a long list of people who could break the temptation of overseas living and returned home. Others stayed but their hearts were in Bangladesh, their bodies were overseas. As globalisation deepens, people will live in multiple localities. And they will have multiple jobs. A friend of fine, a Kolkata-born economist educated in US has worked his way up to be a professor in a mid-sized US university and now helping set up a private university in Bangladesh (Chittagong) using his experience of setting up one in Venezuela.
I was born in Erie, live near Denver, and my heart is in Pittsburgh. Many people struggle to understand my Pittsburgh obsession, but the Nomads of Globalization all share a similar experience. What might this growing class of cosmopolites mean for the future of cities?
We can easily overstate the novelties of a more deeply interconnected world. Kenichi Ohmae heralded the End of the Nation State and Salman Rushdie spelled out the threat of transnationalism in The Satanic Verses. But the agents of change are still a small vanguard and The Order of Things is far from transformed. But we shouldn't dismiss a new understanding of home because of a lack of overwhelming evidence.
In 2008, the Burgh Diaspora will become an important part of shaping the latest incarnation of New Pittsburgh. The region shall emerge as an innovation hub for urban policy and serve as an economic development model for shrinking cities around the world. Pittsburgh's great strength is the exodus of talent, forever vexed by the potential of the city. Pittsburgh inspires great passion, both love and hate (often at the same time). Does anyone quietly leave without a trail of drama?
Pittsburghers are not unique living in economic exile and we can find impressive urban nationalism in some unexpected corners. However, any attempt to network a diaspora is beholden to the context. The motivation to help one's homeland must overcome the comforts of success in a new location. I believe that the gravity of Pittsburgh is such that expatriates will seek the opportunities that their struggling home currently presents. All the Burgh Diaspora needs is an invitation to do so and we at IntoPittsburgh intend to provide it.
Happy 250th birthday, Pittsburgh. To the city's future and its great Diaspora. Cheers.


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Race Could Affect the Disparity in Certain Eye Diseases
Eye disease does not affect all races equally. Studies show that Black individuals may be at increased risk for chronic eye conditions like diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.
November Is National Diabetes Month
Diabetic eye disease is a family of eye conditions affecting people with diabetes. These include the following:
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Diabetic macular edema
- Glaucoma
- Cataracts
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes affects 11.7 percent of non-Hispanic Black Americans compared to 7.5 percent of non-Hispanic white Americans.
Diabetic eye disease is a leading cause of vision loss, so it's important to detect it early. Unfortunately, in many cases, diabetic eye disease has no early warning signs, so getting treatment as soon as possible is essential.
Black Patients Are at Increased Risk for Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) often occurs with long-term diabetes. It affects blood vessels in the retina and can cause vision loss and blindness.
Although there are few symptoms of DR in the early stages, people may experience floaters, blurred vision, fluctuating vision, shadows and missing areas of sight. Data from the Salisbury Eye Evaluation (SEE) study found that Black individuals were four times as likely as white individuals to have vision loss from diabetic retinopathy. Additionally, DR causes 17 percent of vision loss among Black individuals.
Black Individuals Are More Likely to Develop Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that affects the optic nerve, which transmits visual signals to the brain. Black individuals are five times more likely to develop glaucoma than white individuals and are six times more likely to go blind from glaucoma. The disease also typically strikes Black patients 10 years earlier than other ethnicities.
Often known as the "sneak thief of sight," glaucoma usually has no symptoms in the early stages. However, once the condition is diagnosed, it often has already caused permanent vision loss. Black individuals with a family history of glaucoma should be especially vigilant, as they are at a 20 percent higher risk for glaucoma than those with no family history of the disease.
Importance of Annual Comprehensive Eye Exams
The most effective way to prevent eye diseases like diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration is by scheduling annual comprehensive eye exams.
"Being that Black patients do not get eye exams as early or frequently, this increases risk for or prevalence of conditions like glaucoma and diabetic or hypertensive retinopathy going undetected," said Darryl Glover, OD, a private practitioner from Durham, North Carolina. "This puts Black patients in a disadvantaged position by setting off a cascade of events that negatively impact how they function in life. Overall, we need to see all walks of life earlier and more frequently, especially in the Black community" (Healio).
Call Your Ophthalmologist for a Comprehensive Eye Exam
When was the last time you had a comprehensive eye exam? Call your ophthalmologist to verify the date of your last eye exam with dilation. Individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes or hypertension must be especially vigilant, as they may be at increased risk for eye disease. Your eyes offer a window into your overall health, so contact your eye care center today.


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Watch out! If you pass imagesetstyle() an empty array as the second argument, it will crash your server!
I was messing with it just earlier and accidentally did so, and the page took a good minute to process, when my Apache server came up with the good ol' Windows 'Send Error Report' window.


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>> www.athena-innovation.gr The Institute for the Management of Information Systems (ATHENA RC/IMIS) is the newest institute of the Research and Innovation Centre in Information, Communication and Knowledge Technologies "Athena", and started operating in March 2007. ATHENA RC/IMIS conducts research and participates in R&D projects in the area of data management and large-scale information systems. The current focus of research at ATHENA RC is on the following areas:
• Workflows for data integration and system interoperability. Focus is on Digital Libraries, Ontology Engineering and Data Warehouses.
• Large Scale Distributed Information Systems. Focus is on Real-Time Information Systems, like sensor networks, and p2p networks/Grid-based systems.
• Web Information Systems. Focus is on Web data management issues and Semantic Web technologies.
• Geographic information systems. Focus is on data integration and user contributed information.
The key personnel of ATHENA RC have a long and pertinent experience in participating and leading European funded projects. They are partners in a large number of projects of National and
International scale. More particularly, the ATHENA RC people have a rich and long experience in several topics of computer Science such as Software Engineering, Databases and Knowledge Bases, Experiment Management Systems, Workflow Management Systems, Digital Libraries, User Interfaces, Personalization, Data Warehouses, Data Mining, and Distributed Systems, and have
participated in several relevant research and development projects. Those funded during the last five years include the DILIGENT Integrated Project (IST FP6), DIAS (eContent), DELOS Network of Excellence (IST FP6), DRIVER Targeted Project (IST FP6), BRICKS Integrated Project (IST FP6), KATOPTRON, DIAVION (under Greek initiatives), HEALTH-e-CHILD Integrated Project (IST FP6), TELplus Targeted Project (ECP FP6), DRIVER II CP/CSA (INFRA FP7), BELIEF II Coordination Action (INFRA FP7), D4Science CP/CSA (INFRA FP7), D4Science II CP/CSA (IP FP7), PAPYRUS Collaborative Project (ICT FP7), DL.org (ICT FP7), OpenAIRE (IP ICT FP7), CHESS (ICT FP7), and eNVENTORY Coordination Action (INFRA FP7). The ARC team's expertise with respect to the above projects includes:
(i) In OpenAIRE14, the D-NET based infrastructure supporting the EU and ERC OA initiatives: deposition and access of EU and ERC funded publications – The 24x7 services are to be officially launched and go live on Dec 2nd, 201015;
(ii) Supporting framework architectures in DRIVER (D-NET powered)16, DILIGENT, D4Science, D4Science-II, HEALTH-e-CHILD17;
(iii) Participation in projects promoting the further development
and interoperability of digital libraries in DELOS, DL.ORG, BELIEF18 and scientific GRDI202019;
(iv) Providing services in digital libraries projects in TELplus20 and PAPYRUS21.
Role in EFG1914 project: WP7 lead. Conceptualization and implementation of the EFG1914 virtual exhibition site.


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Please visit our Open House at 856 51A ST in Tsawwassen.
Open House on Sunday, April 3, 2011 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Families or investors wanted! Central location and 1st time on the market. This original owner 2450 sq ft home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and sits on a large fenced 9500 sq ft close to schools, parks, town center and transit. Newerroof, gutters, furnace and hot water tank. Loads of privacy and suite potential make this a great opportunity for a family or investor looking for a solid well kept home on a great street in Tsawwassen.


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Home Page Chess Life Online 2008 April Amateur Team Champs Face Off on Saturday
Amateur Team Champs Face Off on Saturday |
April 10, 2008 | |
East: 1.d4 Daniel Yeager, Victor Shen, Scott Low and Jared Defibaugh. South: The Foreclosure Doctors Bruci Lopez, Jeffrey Haskel, Javier Gonzales and Gilberto Luna MidWest/North: WI Chess Academy's Surprise Alex Betaneli, Ashish Vaja, Erik Santarius and Trevor Magness West: We Have Cox Robby Adamson, Landon Bronwnell, Jonathan Cox, Bern Marmont In the first round, which begins at 1 PM EST on Saturday, 1.d4 of the East will play The Foreclosure Doctors of the South, while the MidWest champs Wi Chess Academy's surprise will play We Have Cox from the West. The two winners will meet in the finals at 6 PM EST. Carol Jarecki is the Chief TD. Tune in live on the Internet Chess Club , check CLO for a post-game report and watch for FM Mike Klein's in-depth piece in your July Chess Life Magazine. |
On Saturday, April 12, the four Amateur championship teams will
face-off in a two-round Internet Chess Club knockout for the 2008 Amateur Team title. The time control is G/90 with a five second increment. The four qualifying teams follow, with team composition listed in board order:


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Title: When the Storm Ends
Author: Jillian Anselmi
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 24, 2016
When the storm ends, there's a calm in the air that shows you everything is going to be all right.
But nothing may ever be right again.
Delani Delvecchio has weathered storm after storm throughout her life, but this one may have the potential to break her. After what is supposed to be an anniversary celebration with her friends and boyfriend, Delani gets pulled into her own personal hell.
Taken. Beaten. Tormented.
Delani fights and makes it out, only to realize she's not safe at home—she's no longer safe in New York at all. With an untraceable phone, clothes that aren't her own, and enough money to get her by, she gets on a train and heads to the last place she felt she would be looked for.
What she didn't expect to find when she got there was him.
Cocky. Charismatic. Safe.
Brody Russell, small town cop, quickly becomes the calm during Delani's storm.
His presence makes her forget and his southern charm works its way into her heart.
Brody promises to protect her, to be right by her side when the storm ends.
But what if this storm is only the beginning?
Author Bio
Jillian Anselmi resides on Long Island, (not in Long Island), with her husband and teenage daughter. She studied pharmacy, but decided it wasn't the right fit for her and instead pursued a degree in chemistry. After receiving her masters in education she pursued a career in teaching, but there was always something missing. As a young girl she read an incredible amount of books, reading over a hundred during the summer of her third grade year. After that she would write poetry or dabble in short stories. Now, she writes romantic fiction, with some small amount of truth hiding behind her words. If you want to make her happy, surprise her with dark chocolate, a Starbucks Caramel Macchiato, or a good Sauvignon Blanc.
Author Links


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Three teams of astronomers have made use of SPHERE, an advanced exoplanet-hunting instrument on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) at ESO's Paranal Observatory, in order to shed light on the enigmatic evolution of fledgling planetary systems. The explosion in the number of known exoplanets in recent years has made the study of them one of the most dynamic fields in modern astronomy.
Today it is known that planets form from vast discs of gas and dust encircling newborn stars, known as protoplanetary discs. These can extend for thousands of millions of kilometres. Over time, the particles in these protoplanetary discs collide, combine and eventually build up into planet-sized bodies. However, the finer details of the evolution of these planet-forming discs remain mysterious.
SPHERE is a recent addition to the VLT's array of instruments and with its combination of novel technologies, it provides a powerful method to directly image the fine details of protoplanetary discs [1]. The interaction between protoplanetary discs and growing planets can shape the discs into various forms: vast rings, spiral arms or shadowed voids. These are of special interest as an unambiguous link between these structures and the sculpting planets is yet to be found; a mystery astronomers are keen to solve. Fortunately, SPHERE's specialised capabilities make it possible for research teams to observe these striking features of protoplanetary discs directly.
For example, RX J1615 is a young star, which lies in the constellation of Scorpius, 600 light-years from Earth. A team led by the Jos de Boer, of Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands, found a complex system of concentric rings surrounding the young star, forming a shape resembling a titanic version of the rings that encircle Saturn. Such an intricate sculpting of rings in a protoplanetary disc has only been imaged a handful of times before, and even more excitingly, the entire system seems to be only 1.8 million years old. The disc shows hints of being shaped by planets still in the process of formation.
The age of the newly detected protoplanetary disc makes RX J1615 an outstanding system, as most other examples of protoplanetary discs detected so far are relatively old or evolved. De Boer's unexpected result was quickly echoed by the findings of a team led by Christian Ginski, also of Leiden Observatory. They observed the young star HD 97048, located in the constellation of Chamaeleon, about 500 light-years from Earth. Through painstaking analysis, they found that the juvenile disc around this star has also formed into concentric rings. The symmetry of these two systems is a surprising result, as most protoplanetary systems contain a multitude of asymmetrical spiral arms, voids and vortexes. These discoveries significantly raise the number of known systems with multiple highly symmetrical rings.
A particularly spectacular example of the more common asymmetric disc was captured by a group of astronomers led by Tomas Stolker of the Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, the Netherlands. This disc surrounds the star HD 135344B, about 450 light-years away. Although this star has been well-studied in the past, SPHERE allowed the team to see the star's protoplanetary disc in more detail than ever before. The large central cavity and two prominent spiral arm-like structures are thought to have been created by one or multiple massive protoplanets, destined to become Jupiter-like worlds.
In addition, four dark streaks, apparently shadows thrown by the movement of material within HD 135344B's disc, were observed. Remarkably, one of the streaks noticeably changed in the months between observing periods: a rare example of observing planetary evolution occur in real time, hinting at changes occurring in the inner disc regions that can not be directly detected by SPHERE. As well as producing beautiful images, these flickering shadows provide a unique way of probing the dynamics of innermost disc regions.
As with the concentric rings found by de Boer and Ginski, these observations by Stolker's team prove that the complex and changing environment of the discs surrounding young stars are still capable of producing surprising new discoveries. By building an impressive body of knowledge about these protoplanetary discs, these teams are stepping closer to understanding how planets shape the discs that form them — and therefore understanding planet formation itself.