text:
CHICAGO: Transit Developments
Score. The south lakeshore is a long-neglected part of the metro area.
Only 15 more passengers??? Maybe they should just buy a couple more standard cars and increase the headway or attach them to the existing trains. I bet a double decker costs alot more than a single.
This is great news. More variety the better. It might never be like the days of interurban lines and coach lines crisscrossing the midwest again, not to mention the multitude of mainline passenger trains, but this is a start. Any ground transportation options, in addition to rail, that make it easier to travel without a car between cities I applaud. This express bus will be particularly useful for young students and travelers, like is so common in Europe.
This idea is pretty cool, and awesome that it's coming over from the UK to Chicago. I really hope it does well, and if it does they'll introduce double deckers which will be fun to look at.
Images from website http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/224...sengers5lf.jpg http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/461...usfront7jy.jpg http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/589...busback4lb.jpg http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/425...themove7hl.jpg |
Excellent news for both the South Shore and MegaBus!
As for why the South Shore doesn't just add rail cars... On some of their Indiana stops, the trains are already too long. You'll sometimes hear an announcement saying you have to move to the front or back cars if you want to get off at a certain stop. |
i was just checking out megabus' website, and it looks like if you book early enough, you can get a one-way ticket to milwaukee for a buck! that means a daytrip up to milwaukee will set you back 2 measely friggin dollars, how sweet is that? take that amtrak, and your obscene 40 dollar chicago-milwaukee roundtrip train ticket.
when this service starts up, we're gonna have to set-up a chicago invasion forum meet up in brew city. shit, for two bucks, i'm gonna be making daytrips up there once a month. |
I love the idea of the Megabus but I was looking at their time tables and man they are slowwww. Not any slower then Greyhound I am sure but they sure as heck ain't doing 75mph with those times. They go right through and dont make stops right? I can't understand why it would take 3h45m to get to Indy. The 1h45m ride to Milwaukee seems pretty reasonable though.
they've got to factor traffic into their scheduling. sure, if they made all their runs at 3 in the morning, it'd be no sweat to get to indy faster, but sometimes just getting out of chicagoland takes a shitload of time. |
Dude this megabus thing is so fucking cool! I saw the ads on the blue line last night. I will surley be using this for weekend trips to other cities, St. Louis and Cleveland are both on my must see to do list. They just need to add a route up to Rockford for my moma visits and I'll be living on cloud 9. Living in Chicago without a car just got easier! :banana:
^YES. That's a great idea (especially Champaign and Bloomington) which will definitely be used by college kids with luggage who can then board the CTA or Metra to get home once in Chicago.
That's true. Right now between ISU(Bloomington,IL), I think Peoria Charter Coach and a thing called Suburban Express cover most of the "college kids taking the bus home" scene. I don't think either of them go downtown though. I think they go to Scumburg and O'Hare and Midway Airports.
If the double-deckers provide better-quality seating they'd probably be utilized better, allowing more passengers to sit rather than stand. That would be a plus. The existing cars with 3-2 seating should be refitted with more comfortable 2-2 seating. South Shore has added a lot of double track west of Dune Park. It might be a good idea to add some express service during peak hours; say, Randoph, Van Buren, Hammond, East Chicago, Dune Park, Michigan City, with alternate expresses stopping at Hegewisch instead of Hammond and Ogden Dunes instead of Dune Park. I think they'd benefit, too, by installing 4-quadrant crossing gates along the long straightaway west of Michigan City and raising speeds. The cars are capable of 80 - 90 mph (I've seen 90 on the speed indicator in the cab), and much of the track is good for that kind of speed, but typical running speeds are in the 70 mph range. They need to provide better right-of-way protection between Bendix and the South Bend airport so they can make decent speeds between the airport station and the main line. Now, they crawl at car-traffic speeds or slower on that stretch. |
I think its a cool and good Idea. id like to see the dubble deckers more around hear.
Chicago has partnered with a research firm to survey West Loop residents about the proposed Carrol Ave light rail line. They are sliding surveys under doors all over the West Loop...
Anyway... The survey includes a map with the proposed line. I don't have a scanner, so I made a Google map of it: http://www.brianbauer.org/maps/Proposal.html |
The one you made is probably better than just a fixed map :)
Whoa. Now that would be something. Can you imagine all the tourists going from the West Loop transportation centers to Navy Pier/Michigan Ave?
The South Shore needs the development, not to mention a supertall. Does this Megabus really cost a dollar??? It sounds similar to the Chinatown bus in the NE.
Michigan Ave Line Really
But I'm guessing that bridge was fixed years ago, so a new one would be in order. Geez that just sounds like a billion dollars not to mention another loop flood. But getting from the train stations to the Mag Mile via light rail would be much better than that silly trolley currently in use. |
The megabus is cool because the region needs better direction connections, and it's nice to see Chicago recognized as the hub... all part of the plan to absorb the other cities into the empire's hinterland.
They should just double their service fee and say tickets for $2, that asterisk immediately made me think of worse terms than $.50. |
also, that link just takes me to a google map of chicago, with nothing about a train line added to it... |
^Hmm, maybe its your browser? When I view the map I get a blue/purple line marking the route.
--------- This is about CREATE http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...i-business-hed Railroads on track to revival Freight boom benefits Chicago; tie-ups show infrastructure needs By Greg Burns Tribune senior correspondent Published March 27, 2006 As a 1 1/2-mile-long freight train rumbled past a towering stack of green containers marked "China Shipping" last week, Neil Doyle, aboard his CenterPoint Properties helicopter, swooped in for a closer look. "That line right there is L.A. to Chicago," he told a pair of Wal-Mart executives riding with him just above one of the world's busier train yards in far southwest suburban Elwood. After generations of job cuts, consolidation and retrenchment, an old industry is growing anew. Railroads have become hot properties, hauling not only the familiar cargo of coal, grain and domestic products but also the mountain of goods pouring into California ports from Asian factories. Huge investments in tracks, locomotives, electronic switches and sprawling facilities such as the Elwood hub at the former Joliet Arsenal suddenly make good sense as demand surges and railroad stocks soar. Chicago stands to reap benefits. Railroads practically created the city in its early days, and it remains the point where East meets West and all six major freight lines come together before heading off again. An estimated one-third of U.S rail cargo, from corn to clothing, flows through the tangle of track that covers the map of Chicago and its collar counties like spaghetti--creating notorious traffic jams along the way. Trains that take two days to arrive from California might take another two to go a few miles through the Chicago bottleneck. The industry's boom underscores the need for better infrastructure, but it also raises questions about how much taxpayers should chip in. An ambitious public-private plan that targets the worst of Chicago's train-track entanglements got only a fraction of the federal funding its boosters expected in last year's pork-laden transportation bill. While the project would help the public by shortening commuting times, improving safety at intersections and reducing exhaust emissions, the $1.5 billion cost presents a big barrier. "Railroads are the primary economic beneficiaries," said John Gates, retired co-chairman of CenterPoint, which is developing the Joliet Arsenal site. "It's a difficult project for the public sector." For years, the railroads have threatened to divert traffic from the area to avoid its congestion, but those threats ring hollow in the face of recent investments confirming Chicago's status as the centerpiece of the nation's rail system. In a matter of months, CSX Corp. is expected to announce plans for another big hub in southern Cook County, industry sources say. That's on top of Union Pacific's giant new hub in Rochelle, Ill., and less-conspicuous local projects undertaken by other lines as well. At the Joliet Arsenal site run by BNSF Railway Co., which includes the old Burlington Northern and Santa Fe lines, expansion continues on a vast scale. Last week, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez toured the facility, telling a hometown crowd, "You've got a great advantage." He also voiced confidence in the economy despite the loss of manufacturing jobs in the face of overseas competition. "This is the future," said Gutierrez, former chief executive of cereal-maker Kellogg Co. "It's all about trading with the rest of the world. This is the best example I can think of." Construction expands facility Outside the warehouse where he spoke, construction hummed at a 3.4 million-square-foot Wal-Mart distribution center slated to open this summer. At the rail yard surrounding it, BNSF expects to handle 800,000 containers this year, up from 275,000 in 2004. It might do a million next year, said John Clement Jr., the railroad's senior manager of hub operations. "We are ahead of the growth," he said. "We know what's coming. We're going to spend the money so we can be there for ourselves and our customers." The Association of American Railroads expects that this year the major freight lines will invest a record $8.2 billion in new track, buying equipment and improving infrastructure, up more than 20 percent from a strong 2005. It's a historic shift after many decades when railroads couldn't make enough money to cover their cost of borrowing it, which discouraged capital spending in one of the more capital-intensive businesses. "My railroad for the first time in maybe half a century will earn its cost of capital," noted Chicagoan Robert Krebs, retired chief executive of BNSF. "It's a vibrant company now." Though some believe the current railroad boom represents the peak of an economic cycle, others see a longer-term change. After 90 years, the railroads finally have run out of excess capacity. That in turn has restored their ability to raise rates, according to James Valentine, a research analyst for Wall Street giant Morgan Stanley. "These positive trends in pricing and better returns are likely to continue for years, maybe decades," Valentine said. Because "all roads lead to Chicago," he added, the region will get a generous slice. "It should receive a disproportionate benefit from the railroads' resurgence." To a degree, the industry owes today's recovery to a drastic deregulation plan implemented a quarter-century ago. The 1980 Staggers Rail Act came in the midst of severe financial troubles for the industry. The government had prevented railroads from setting their rates, closing unprofitable tracks and consolidating networks. Service was terrible, and long-haul truckers gained market share. Deregulation went hand-in-hand with additional consolidation. Major freight lines once numbering in the dozens combined into the mere half-dozen left today. Employment plunged from 458,000 when Congress approved Staggers to 165,000 as of 2005. That difficult period left scars, including strained relations with workers and ultracautious management. Over time, the railroads have increased efficiency by adopting so-called intermodal systems, which enable freight to move from point of origin to distribution destination without being removed from a trailer or giant container. It is more reliable and cheaper than transport over long stretches of highway. Demand for the coal used to fuel power plants grew as well, and grain shipments remained a steady and important source of railroad profits. The promise of continued growth makes straightening out Chicago's rail network all the more urgent. But the region's $1.5 billion public-private plan lost its political champion with the retirement in January 2005 of Rep. William Lipinski, a Chicago Democrat known for his transit clout. Just recently the plan suffered another blow when Canadian National Railway Co. withdrew from it. Because none of the plan's initial construction projects would benefit its line, CN could not justify putting up money for it, a spokesman said. It might rejoin later, he added. Indeed, the plan is far from dead. The $100 million in federal funding it managed to obtain, coupled with support from the other five railroads, has paid for mapping, surveying and engineering work in anticipation of eventual funding. Yet it could be stuck in neutral for some time. Not a priority "The state has higher priorities, the city has higher priorities, the railroads individually have higher priorities, and it's still needed," said Jim LaBelle, deputy director at Metropolis 2020, a civic group backing the measure. Meantime, out at the Joliet Arsenal site, BNSF's Clement is doing what he can to keep up with demand. He is adopting electronic systems for speeding the flow of some 2,500 trucks that visit the facility each day, using a software program designed specifically for rail-yard management. Also on the way: global positioning system technology for tracking the thousands of containers piled high on the sweeping expanse of blacktop Clement calls "the parking lot." The other railroads are on the move too. CSX expects to add 3,500 to its 30,000-plus workforce this year, said spokeswoman Kim Freely. It is increasing capacity by adding 10,000-foot sidings every 15 miles or so on its Chicago-to-Florida run, which will enable slower trains to pull over as needed. Freely confirmed that CSX is looking for a new intermodal site south of the city but declined to elaborate or comment on timing. It has two such sites in the Chicago area. One emerging threat: Re-regulation. Some coal and chemical shippers, feeling burned as the railroads flex their newfound power to raise freight rates, have started complaining to Congress. It's a struggle that has flared on and off for more than 150 years, and it could flare anew as these old companies continue shifting into a higher gear. |
The link has a line drawn on the map. If you're not getting the line, I don't know what the cause is. It works for me in Safari and Firefox. Are you using IE? |
after visiting with a friend in DC and taking a chinatown bus up the NYC for the weekend I was glad to see an equivilant around here. I'd like to see Madison on the list of cities. |
Yeah, this might be a different project. The Ogden Avenue streetcar starts at Navy Pier, taking Illinois to LaSalle, then taking the old streetcar tunnel to the Carrol Ave right of way, going over the river in the old rail bridge, going down Clinton Ave to Randolph (using the divided side lanes that Randolph has for a short stretch in the West Loop) to Ogden, then using Ogden's divided side lanes all through the west side to Cermak Ave, using Cermak's extra side lanes (used for diagonal parking now) through Cicero and Berwyn, and terminating/turnaround at North Riverside Mall. Very extensive and possible project... but funding never comes through for cool things like this, heh. Quote:
When I was younger I always thought about an express big city downtown to big city downtown bus service but I never thought it would actually happen :banana: . I looked at the schedules and it is possible to go on just a day trip to many of these cities (leaving Chicago in the morning and returning back late at night) specifically Milwaukee, Indianapois, and St. Louis. I have never been to Indianapolis and would like to check it out, also when I lived downstate it was relatively easy to get to St. Louis and always thought that moving back to Chicago would mean I wouldnt be able to go back there but now I can :) , then of course Milwaukee is super close and I will actually go to their much advertised summerfest or just go to Milwaukee for the hell of it.
Summerfest is awesome. Me and some friends got kicked out last year's due to a drunken brawl. I still think the cops were against us because we were from Chicago. Oh well, still had a blast :)
But I doubt Amtrak would have gotten you there for under $2 each way! |
That's a really interesting tidbit about the bridge. I've never seen that bridge in action and I live in the area. I wonder when they do it, and why. |
Verification of my drunken claims :)
http://www.suntimes.com/special_sect...-dtbox29c.html Quote:
Glad to see it wont be going anywhere. It really does add a nice enduring touch of industry in an area rapidly changing to more commercial and residential uses. |
I dont like how the Summerfest venues are permanent in Milwaukee, in that the entire area is gated off along the lake for the entire year except for 2 weeks in the summer. just seems like such a waste of space for most of the year... which is why Lollapalooza is better :) Im glad to see Lolla become Chicago's music festival... just another nice little claim to fame. I mean, hell, they are expecting 225,000 people over 3 days in Grant Park! Imagine how packed South Michigan Avenue is gonna be!
Public Comment Next Step in Federal New Start Process Chicago Transit Authority will hold public meetings next month to receive input on the proposed Circle Line project. The meetings are part of the Alternatives Analysis study—the first step in pursuing federal funding for major transit projects. The Alternatives Analysis study is designed to examine all the transit options available and determine a locally preferred alternative. Meeting dates and venues are: Tuesday, May 2, 2006 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum West Wing Auditorium 1852 W. 19th Street Chicago, IL 60608 Wednesday, May 3, 2006 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Lincoln Park High School Room 103 2001 N. Orchard Street Chicago, IL 60614 Thursday, May 4, 2006 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Molecular Biology Research Building Room 1017 900 S. Ashland Avenue Chicago, IL 60607 All venues are accessible to people with disabilities. The proposed Circle Line would link all of CTA's rail lines and all of Metra's lines in a study area bounded by 39th Street on the south, Fullerton Parkway on the north, Western Avenue on the west and Lake Michigan on the east, creating improved transit connections throughout the six-county region and helping to further ease traffic congestion and improve travel times. DMJM+Harris, A Joint Venture, which specializes in transit/rail, highway and bridge, marine, aviation and energy infrastructures is conducting the Alternatives Analysis study. The Federal Transit Administration's New Starts program requires transit project proposals to proceed through a process of planning, design and construction. The FTA process consists of five formal steps: Alternatives Analysis, Environmental Impact Statement, Preliminary Engineering, Final Design and Construction. |
This is Cool to hear!
I think a subway down Grand Avenue (accessing Navy Pier) would be way more useful than a line down Carroll. I'd extend the line from Navy Pier to the Mart, then a southward turn to service both major train stations on Clinton, then a slight jog west to run south down a booming S. Halsted street, make an eastward turn to join up with the Orange Line Halsted stop, then the Red Line Cermak Stop, with a termination right under McCormick Place.
The name of this line will be: The Most Useful Line Ever Line. |
We've spent 400 billion or so blowing shit up in Iraq for more than three years now. That money would have built about 100 of these lines. Just think about that for a second. Expensive is a relative term. Still, as long as the Carrol Ave ROW goes to Navy Pier, I suppose that'd do also. You'd like to acheive a bit a separation from the Green line on Lake Street though. Carrol's only just across the river. |
I hope just as a first look, they think of building a third subway tunnel to work for this Circle Line, one that travels down Michigan Avenue. Only stopping every 1/2 mile. Or at the very least upgrade the State Street tunnel with Automatic Train Operation and rebuilt Concrete ties for the tracks to replace the rotting wood ones that are over 60 years old!
Because running 3 lines down the State Street Tunnel with the Red Line already running every 2-3 minutes at Rush Hour and discussion of the Purple Line along with this Circle Line using the tunnel, means for a crowded tunnel. |
A Michigan Ave. subway would be duplicating Red Line service I think. I don't believe the Purple Line will need to use the subway. Why not just circle the loop like it does now and connect at North/Cylbourn? |
The practical thing to do would be to build the Clinton Street subway to complete an underground Loop, then have that subway extend almost directly northward to meet up with the red line at North and Clybourn, which will be completely rebuilt with the Circle Line subway anyway.
Doing this would solve the overcrowding problems in two ways. Operating the purple line at normal headways outside rush hour to downtown through a new underground tunnel and loop would ease demand on red line trains using the State Street subway. There would still be plenty of capacity left for ridership along the Dan Ryan if they used 4-car trains operating at the same headways. The second way is that this would free up the State Street subway for Circle Line trains in the future. |
Rest of the idea is cool tho. I especially very much support a Clinton subway. Always have. Tho I would go with an alignment that links it with the Blue Line over linking it with the Red Line further north, both discussed in the Central Area Plan. I like the former plan with the purpose of getting people across the river to their Loop jobs or whatever and back quickly. It would also be a convenient way to get deep into downtown if interurban train service ever goes regionally hi-speed and thus gets popular (or at least useful) again. As much as the coverage of CTA is the envy of so many who don't live here, its still quite flawed and among myriad other things I think its kinda senseless that the L doesn't directly serve the train stations, especially Union Station. The walk to Clinton/Congress from there is just that--a walk. Same with Clinton/Lake from Ogilvie. And it's an outdoor trek; sucks when it's cold. Millennium Station's a bit of a haul from State but at least it has the pedway. LaSalle's really the only one of the four with halfway convenient L access. Norsider, I agree with you. Places like Navy Pier and McCormick Pl are woefully underserved by public tansit that's NOT the slow buses or those silly tourist trolleys. Heavy rail service for these places just ain't happenin' tho. Not for a very long time at least. Not with the financial and political issues surrounding the projects actually on the table. And as you succinctly noted a few posts back, those who control the purse strings don't always use those funds for the most sane purposes... Why not just revive the old Circulator plan to serve these places? Wouldn't that be cheaper as an LRT system, or no? It was a great idea when it was first entertained years ago. Too bad the idiot relevant powers-that-be seemed either cool to the idea or actively opposed to it. Least it looks like this Carroll Av talk is the potential beginning of a revival of that, and perhaps it can snowball from there. It would definitely be a hit with tourists and conventioneers (and may even serve a purpose for those of us who actually live here) and keep em outta my way on the L. :P Another question: Why route the Purple Line to the subways, anyway? Could it not continue to work in its current routing if these additions to the L system came to fruition? Does it have anything to do with this so-called "Pink Line" (:sly: ) routing on the Loop tracks (to me the CTA is playin' themselves if they want me to believe it was ever seriously to be a short-term "experiment;" I've smelled permanece all along...)? Viva, you're always informed and insightful on these sorta things. Whaddaya say? |
Well I've had a change in heart from my recent beliefs.
Do the Circle Line....the current plan is solid, with some changes to their proposed loop routing and some of the station locations. But most importantly...bring back the distributor subway plan! Subway runs east-west under Monroe st from the Metra stations to Michigan Ave., branches north and south. South branch goes to mccormick place. North branch goes up under fairbanks, and eventually terminated in a 1-way loop going counter clockwise along fairbanks, Dewitt, Walton, Rush, Chicago, then back south on Fairbanks. Brilliant in every way, just a tad, um, expensive. But the monroe part could largely be done via cut and cover, except for tunneling under the river, plus the costly transfer points at Dearborn and State. See: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...or_Subways.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:D...tor_Subway.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:P...tor_Subway.jpg |
:previous: Great job on the map; I don't recall ever seeing that before tho I've heard much of it, as well as J. Daley's idea of tunnelling the Loop--something I think is absolutely nuts simply to ever consider. The Distributor plan is cool in concept to me as someone who (for reasons even I don't know) prefers heavy rail. But don't you think it's a somewhat relatively short-ish for the cost in the current US dollar? You don't believe a light-rail method of going most of these places would be just as useful for cheaper?
And the "informed and insightful" :D comment actually pertained to my query on the proposed Evanston Express reroute into State's tunnel. That's something I don't get. |
I'm pretty sure the State Street subway can theoretically operate with headways as low as about 90 seconds, and the red line at its peak has headways of 3-4 minutes, so theres some capacity left. Rerouting the purple down there would ease the rush hour crush the red line currently has (not to mention act as a more traditional "red line express"), and let the CTA play with the loop routing some, eventually running 2 lines out to Kimball on what is now Brown (possibly through-routing some Orange line trains), which would also give the flexibility of coming in and out of the loop in different directions to extend all day. I mean, its not a necessary switch (purple->subway), but its doable operationally especially if CTA has something specific in mind with the added loop capacity. |
All times are GMT. The time now is 10:17 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.


text:
04 January, 2010
Labels: baby gavin, personal
38 comments:
- Jill said...
Go Gavin! Lots of prayers, and speedy healing wishes coming your way :)
- January 4, 2010 at 6:09 PM
- Melissa said...
GO Baby GO!!
- January 4, 2010 at 6:09 PM
- SirEdmundHills said...
Oh Natalie...I'm hoping that everything will be just fine. I'll hope for a lower white blood cell count. I'm sorry you are going through all this...
Hugs and Loves...
Hills - January 4, 2010 at 6:22 PM
- Rachel Clarke said...
Praying for you and sweet little Gavin.
- January 4, 2010 at 6:23 PM
- OUR LOVE FOREVER said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- January 4, 2010 at 6:24 PM
- OUR LOVE FOREVER said...
We would like to help as best we can and would like to be here for what ever you need. Please visit us on twitter http://twitter.com/meganmchapman and facebook if you can...http://www.facebook.com/pages/wesandmegchapman/197682295964?v=wall
Thanks and God bless.
Megan and Wesley Chapman. - January 4, 2010 at 6:26 PM
Hoping Gavin is getting better soon. My thoughts are with you.
- January 4, 2010 at 6:31 PM
- meg said...
I will be praying for you and your family. As well as wisdom for all the nurses and Doctors working with Gavin!
- January 4, 2010 at 6:31 PM
- little miss erika said...
Oh Natalie! You can bet I'm sure praying as hard as I can for the little man!
I love you, all of you! - January 4, 2010 at 7:03 PM
- shannon kelley said...
everytime I read a twitter update from you or come back and read your posts because I can't get Gavin off my mind I get goosebumps. Chills that make me know..like truly know..that there is some deep praying and angels happening in all this. I don't know you except through the lovely invention of the great twitter:) and you have never heard of me but please know that you and your baby boy are in our constant thoughts and prayers. and were getting goosebumps, the good kind:) the kind that make you know that God is up to something.
peace and blessings,
Shannon - January 4, 2010 at 7:09 PM
- Paige Holley said...
Natalie, So sorry about your sweet little Gavin. But let me tell you, being a mother to a Gavin myself, they are little fighters! My Gavin was sick when he was brand new...I know how scary it is to see them sick and to be covered in tubes and wires and seeing them go through test after test...my prayers are with you! That said, your little Gavin is going to be a fighter his whole life.
- January 4, 2010 at 7:18 PM
- {lindy baker cakes} said...
I know I've told you through twitter bits and pieces of our stays at Primary Children's. I know how heart wrenching it can be to be there. I would get in the shower there and just lose it. I would cry until I could barely breathe. You are good to leave crazy in the bathroom because I think I let crazy slip out a few times. You're in good hands there. Thanks for your comments about immunizations. Its been scary deciding what to do with Blake's because of all the trouble he's been through but you helped me make my decision.
Gavin will pull through. Please know that we're praying for you, Gavin, and the rest of your sweet family. - January 4, 2010 at 7:20 PM
- Mindy said...
I'm just one of your many blog followers, but I'm crying for you, and especially praying for your little Gavin.
- January 4, 2010 at 7:26 PM
- j,d and little b said...
you are in our thoughts and prayers Natalie!!! Baby Gavin seems like such a little fighter.... I hope things continue to look up for you and him
- January 4, 2010 at 7:28 PM
- Laura said...
Praying for you, your family, and most of all, for little Gavin to fight-fight-fight! You've got God on your side, and that will carry you when you can't walk on your own.
- January 4, 2010 at 7:32 PM
You are my hero lil G. Things will look up soon!
- January 4, 2010 at 7:36 PM
- angie said...
Gavin has been in our thoughts and prayers this week. Hope You can get some rest soon and hope Gavin has heels quickly!
- January 4, 2010 at 7:55 PM
I'm sending you this angel just in case you don't have enough of them at the hospital.
Take Care,
Linda - January 4, 2010 at 8:17 PM
- echo said...
GO GAVIN, is right. GO GO GO GAVIN!!
- January 4, 2010 at 8:25 PM
- stef j. said...
we love you Gavin!!! fight fight fight!!
and you too, Nat.
and Rich. - January 4, 2010 at 8:31 PM
- Molly Bea said...
Love and prayers to you and baby Gavin.
- January 4, 2010 at 8:34 PM
- Dianne - Bunny Trails said...
Praying for Gavin, the staff, you, and your family.
- January 4, 2010 at 8:44 PM
- Kara's Party Ideas said...
Natalie, I can't get you or Gavin off my mind, I keep checking facebook for updates. It's been forever since beehives & miamaids & high school, but I still feel connected to you through reading what you're going through. I am praying so hard for the miracle you need. I too have a Gavin, & they are fighters!!! Fight sweet Gavin, fight for your family, fight for your amazing mommy, fight for your life, FIGHT. Love you Natalie.
- January 4, 2010 at 9:21 PM
- Nellybelly said...
Praying for you guys. Go little Gavin. You can do it baby!
- January 4, 2010 at 10:23 PM
- Kelli Nicole said...
Wow, I've been pretty absent from the whole blogosphere while I was on vacation, but I am so sorry you're going through this. I'll be praying for your family and Gavin!
- January 4, 2010 at 10:23 PM
- ashley said...
he can do it!
you got our prayers and fasting and love and support. i told richie that he can pawn the boys on me anytime, and i am serious. please please let me know if there is anything i can do for you guys over here. seriously, anything. - January 4, 2010 at 10:39 PM
Hello Natalie!
All the best for you, Gavin and your family!!!!!
You are in our thoughts!!!
XO, AKG - January 4, 2010 at 10:48 PM
- Kathy said...
LOTS of prayers coming from NC
- January 5, 2010 at 1:49 AM
- ihavemostlybeen said...
With you all the way and sending love and prayers
- January 5, 2010 at 3:46 AM
- Tina Vega said...
Praying for a lowered white blood count and continued encouragement for you and your family!!
- January 5, 2010 at 4:00 AM
- James Bamburg said...
Praying for Gavin and your family Natalie. God will provide.
- January 5, 2010 at 4:18 AM
- Justina said...
Sending lots of prayers and positive vibes to you and Gavin!!
- January 5, 2010 at 4:45 AM
- Mali said...
Natalie, we had a miracle happen in our family a few months ago and I pray that the same miracle will bless your family soon. My family and I are sending the most positive and healing thoughts to your baby boy. Hang in there!
- January 5, 2010 at 5:49 AM
- Kelli Radmall said...
Natalie-Our little family will send our prayers your way starting now. You are being very brave-I can't imagine what you are going through. My tears have joined the many that have been shed in your behalf.
- January 5, 2010 at 5:52 AM
I live in GA, but I know that distance is no problem for God. Many prayers & hopes for good news & a speedy recovery!
- January 5, 2010 at 6:59 AM
- Edward Weiland Photography said...
My heart goes out to you and your family. Your words are amazing and your strength is truly inspiring. Gavin sounds like an amazingly strong soul. You have my hopes and prayers for Gavin and your entire family. I think him often through out the day. Keep your faith strong!
Peace and Blessings,
Edward Weiland - January 5, 2010 at 8:35 AM
- liko said...
it's hard not to be a zombie, and sometimes there is no way for doctors to sugarcoat the news. it's hard being in the ICU and seeing all the sick little babies and children yet there is nowhere else you want to be. it can get you down. just keep talking to gavin.
- January 5, 2010 at 8:59 AM
- GossamerJewelBox said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- January 6, 2010 at 1:44 PM

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Terms for Free Pickup
Offer valid on one order made through Instacart of $35 or more per retailer. Offer expires on the date indicated in the user's account settings or displayed in the offer promotion. Orders containing alcohol that qualify for a free pickup promotion will be charged an Alcohol Service Fee per pickup. Deliveries subject to availability. Service fees, special handling fees, and/or taxes may still apply. In order to take advantage of this offer, customers must have a valid account on Instacart.com with a valid form of accepted payment on file. Offer cannot be used retroactively for prior purchase. Offer applies to pickup charges associated with an order of groceries from a single retail location only. Instacart reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time. Only one offer per household. Offer may not be sold, copied, modified, or transferred. Offer has no cash value. Void where restricted or prohibited by law. Instacart is not a retailer or seller. Instacart may not be available in all zip or post codes.


text:
Welcome to Legend Properties, Inc.
Legend Properties was formed in 1990. Today we are a market share leader in commercial real estate brokerage in the Philadelphia Metropolitan area. We are a dynamic full service commercial real estate company, specializing in retail leasing, tenant representation, investment sales, commercial land & building sales and development consulting. The firm provides property management services through our sister company, Legend Management Services, LLC.
Legend operates two offices that field an impressive group of over 15 agents led by a very experienced management team. The firm is headquartered in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, where the offices are supported by professional hardworking experts in our operations, marketing and accounting departments.
We are real estate experts in eastern and central Pennsylvania, the state of Delaware, and central and southern New Jersey. Legend expanded to provide real estate services in Southeast Florida through our affiliate, Legend Florida, LLC.
Legend represents over 20 retail and restaurant chains, providing expert site location services to them. We have long- standing relationships with the leading developers and the ownership community in the region. Legend Properties is committed a team with a common mission . . . to perform as the most effective and professional brokerage office in the region.


text:
595: Android Girlfriend
Android Girlfriend |
Title text: Programming the sexbots to enjoy sex seemed a sensible move at the time, but we didn't realize the consequences of their developing fetishes. |
This is the first (of two) comics in the Android series, which continued directly less than two weeks later in 600: Android Boyfriend.
Cueball shows off his new "android girlfriend" (Megan) to his Cueball-like friend, who asks if the android is a sex bot. The android responds by pulling a cherry stem from the friend's drink and inserting it into her mouth. So far, the action appears to be an emulation of the party trick where someone puts a cherry stem into their mouth and ties it into a knot in order to suggest tongue dexterity that could be put to good use in kissing and oral sex.
However, instead of tying the cherry stem in a knot, the android activates an arc welder built into her mouth, which presumably reduces the stem to ashes. The friend proclaims that that trick is definitely not sexy. But then the android aggressively approaches him, reaching out and saying, "Remove your pants". The friend, not eager to experience close genital contact with the arc welder, sensibly, refuses. (Of course he may also not wish to take of his pants in front of his friend, at a party with drinks and presumably other people; or perhaps he does not wish to admit that he actually does find the arc welding act sexy...)
The title text bounces a few implications around. Developing robots with the capacity to either learn or feel emotions is an ethical factor and practical consideration that is commonly explored in science fiction. Here, it's proposed that robots programmed for sex would have their emotions set to enjoy sex by default, but then use their capacity to learn to develop preferences on what kind of sex they want to have. This is potentially a psychological issue, mainly as to whether or not it would be considered "unhealthy", but more directly it's a customer satisfaction problem: what if a sexbot were to develop sexual fetishes that its owner finds unappealing?
It is also possible that the android shows a level of awareness superior to what is implied by the discussion in the strip. Then using an arc-wielder on that stem could be interpreted as a menace in response to a comment that would be insensitive if referred to a real person.
- [Cueball, holding his hand on Megan's shoulder, talks to his Cueball-like friend, who is holding a drink glass with a cherry.]
- Cueball: Check out my new android girlfriend.
- Friend: Is she a sex bot?
- [The android grabs the cherry out of the friend's drink glass.]
- Grab
- [Zoom in on the cherry as the stem is ripped off.]
- Plink
- [Zoom to the android, who puts the stem into its mouth.]
- Nom
- [The panel is dark gray, except around the android's mouth, where there is a bright flash and then a brighter cross going out from there. Both Cueball and his friend hold up their hands to protect their eyes.]
- Kzzzzt
- [The android takes a step away from Cueball and reaches toward the friend's crotch. The friend holds up his hand protectively in front of him.]
- Friend: I don't think arc-welding a cherry stem counts as sexy.
- Android: Remove your pants.
- Friend: No.
There is a community portal discussion of what to call Cueball and what to do in case with more than one Cueball. I have added this comic to the Category:Multiple Cueballs. Since these two Cueballs both has interesting part in this comic it is not clear which one should be called Cueball. But since this comic is continued in 600 where there is only the Cueball with the Android Girlfriend (making him Cueball of that comic), it makes most sense to call him Cueball here and the other Cueball-like guy for friend. But I changed the explain to make it clear that they are both Cueball-like guys. --Kynde (talk) 21:25, 23 June 2015 (UTC)
Not relevant to the article but I fear the man who sees the arc-welding and still asks for robo-fellatio. 188.8.131.52 13:47, 11 May 2023 (UTC)


text:
In July 2020 NPR highlighted the work of Victor Edalia of Kenya, who turned a trash dump into an urban farm in Kibera, one of the world's largest slums, on the outskirts of Nairobi. When the 32-year-old part-time driver signed a deal with a local chief for a quarter acre of land to farm, he had planned to sell vegetables to hotels. But during the pandemic, he began supplying free produce to struggling families. We returned to the former dump to find out what's cropping up for the new farmer.
Once you open the brown rusted padlock, the inside of Edalia's former garbage dump now has the feel of a commercial farm. Rows of neatly organized greens sprout from hundreds of plastic cups on stacked plastic pipes. The farm has embraced a hydroponic system, a water-based method. Fresh collard greens, spinach, peppers and other vegetables are all mounted above the ground, putting on a show.
"I am still alive and kicking as you can see," Edalia says.
Since we last visited two years ago Edalia has made some strategic alliances. In October 2021 an American nonprofit group called the Human Needs Project, reached out to Edalia when they were surveying small-scale urban farmers within Kibera.
They were impressed by what he had done so far, so the group arranged for Edalia and his team members to do a two-week training with the East African company Hydroponics Africa. They learned how to preserve vegetables after harvest and, crucially, how to increase the farm's yield in a small urban space.
Before he revamped his farm Edalia supplied vegetables to about 20 people a month. Now he can supply about 250 families. With all this new produce to distribute, the American charity provided financial support to help him introduce a voucher system. Community mobilizers from the Human Needs Project identified vegetable vendors at strategic spots in Kibera, who collect vegetables from Edalia's farm and hand them out to eligible families who've obtained a voucher from the charity.
The World Food Programme and the Nairobi City County are official partners with the farm, too — plaques with their names are nailed to the corrugated metal walls.
There's even enough extra produce to sell kale, spinach, tomatoes, and lettuce to primary schools. The new income means Edalia and his team are finally earning money from the vegetables.
But the informal nature of veggie distribution that NPR saw in 2020 hasn't gone away either. If needy families don't want to use the voucher system they can still casually drop by the farm as they did before. "Oh yes," Edalia says, "That approach never died."
One of the new veggie beneficiaries is Soila Amboi, a 33-year-old clothes seller and a mother of three. She says the regular supply of the vegetables has become a relief.
"You know times are tough, my friend, and having someone like Victor here, we call him 'olum' meaning the blessed one," she says in the Luo language, "He is truly blessing us indeed."
Thomas Bwire is a digital and radio journalist from Kibera, Kenya.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
Throughout your vacuum's lifetime, it's bound to stop working at least once or twice. When this happens, you may consider attempting to fix it by yourself or even buying a replacement. However, homeowners should always consider getting professional vacuum repair to keep your vacuum in perfect condition for a longer time. Our experts will ensure that your vacuum repair service will be performed correctly, quickly, and properly the first time. Our vacuum repair specialists can also save you a considerable amount of money in the long run by saving you the hassle of trying to buy a brand new vacuum. For years, our technicians have been offering homeowners affordable and reliable vacuum repair services.
By hiring our technicians to replace the damaged components, you will be able to spend less than buying a brand new cleaning system. Furthermore, disassembling and taking a vacuum apart can be a challenge, especially if you have no experience or training in the matter. You could even cause additional damage to your appliance. Our vacuum repair technicians make use of advanced, specialized tools in order to access the faulty parts of your machine. They do so without causing any damage. Also, our vacuum repair technicians are well-versed in a vacuum cleaner's inner workings. When you hire one of our technicians, your vacuum will be examined thoroughly to pinpoint the sources of problems.
The cost of a professional vacuum repair varies and it will greatly depend on your equipment's repair needs. Most of our repair technicians charge by the hour at around $15 to $55. It is important that you understand that the labor cost does not include the cost to acquire replacement parts. if your vacuum is in need of a new bag, you will be charged by a technician with the hourly flat rate, plus the new bag's cost. A new bag can cost you anywhere between $5 and $50. Most bags on vacuum units have to be replaced after 3 to 6 months, depending on usage.
If your vacuum is unusually loud, you can have a muffler installed on it. Make sure that you only allow one of our professionals to do such task to ensure that the process is done properly. A muffler costs about $10 to $25. For replacement hoses that are made of cloth, you will be charged anywhere between $15 and $30. The motors of central vacuum units last up to 20 years. When it's time for you to replace your burned out motor, it will cost you $100 to $700. There are several reasons as to why your vacuum needs repair. Only an experienced and skilled professional can single out the reasons why a vacuum repair service is needed. Your only task is to look out for the signs that signify you need to have the machine fixed. Once you notice these signs, call a professional immediately especially if your equipment emits a burning smell.
There are homeowners that take pride in their ability to accomplish home improvement projects on their own. However, repairing a central vacuum unit is a task best left to the hands of professionals. Most repairs needed on a faulty vacuum are electrical. If you fail to fix an electrical problem, it can lead to an electrical fire.
Yes, as long as the parts needed are available.
Our repair technicians offer a full service plus cleaning on vacuum units. Give us a call for a free consultation and estimate.


text:
Bark Texture 2mm White Gold Band
Rustic hammered texture is applied by hand to this 2mm wide, flat, gold band. Sturdy at 1.3mm thick, but not heavy or bulky. The outside of the ring features even, elongated hammer marks that resemble tree bark, while the inside edge is carefully rounded for your comfort. Available in white, rose, and yellow gold and in 14k or 18k.
- Measures 2mm wide by 1.3mm thick
- Outside of the band is flat, even hammer marks are applied to the surface
- Inside of the band is carefully rounded for your comfort
- Available in a matte or shiny finish
- Need another size? Message me for an estimate
If you are ordering for your wedding or any special event, please indicate the date in the notes section upon check out, or feel free to email me with this information.
I'll do my best to meet your requests, but cannot guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the shipping method and the carrier.
Shipping Options and Delivery Times
Within the United States
Shipping rates and carrier are determined by the final price of your order. An email with tracking information will be sent before the order is shipped.
- Orders $199 and below can ship via USPS First Class Mail for $6.00 with tracking.
Orders $449 and below can ship via USPS Priority Mail for $18 with tracking and signature required.
- Orders $500 to $3,499 must ship via UPS 2 Day Service for $45 with insurance, tracking, signature required at delivery
- Orders $3,499 and up must ship via UPS Next Day Air for $75 with insurance, tracking, signature required at delivery.
If you would like to upgrade to UPS Standard Overnight shipping you may select that option at check out.
International Shipping
All orders ship via FedEx Priority International service, the safest, insured, trackable method. Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. It is the customer's responsibility to know the customs laws in their country and to alert me to any restrictions that may impact delivery. Marilyn Brogan Jewelry is not responsible for delays due to customs.


text:
Steely Dan Start Life Without Walter Becker
Weeks after the death of co-founder Walter Becker, surviving Steely Dan bandleader Donald Fagen has taken the group's new lineup on the road.
Fagen led Steely Dan through their first show of the post-Becker era on Oct. 12, and as he told the Orillia Packet and Times, it's definitely been a period of adjustment. "During the soundcheck, we used to consult on the set list every night," he recalled. "And now, I feel really unprepared. I'm just trying to figure it out myself. I'll ask some of the other players in the band, but he had a certain way of looking at it that I really miss."
Creatively as well as personally, Fagen may struggle for some time to cope with the void left by the absence of his longtime partner, but he sounded a positive note when discussing the idea that after fighting his health woes for the past several years, Becker is at rest. "He was really hurting the last couple of years — especially the last year," said Fagen. "But he soldiered on. All he wanted to do was play; that was his life. It's great that he could do it."
Steely Dan's return to the road Oct. 12 in Tulsa featured a set list heavy with fan favorites — and made room for "Book of Liars," a Becker song that Fagen has added to the show as a tribute. ("I think he sang it better than I do," he insisted, "but I give it my best shot.") Look over the songs from the Tulsa show below, and watch a "Book of Liars" performance above.
Steely Dan, Paradise Cove at River Spirit Casino, Tulsa, OK, 10/12/17
"Black Cow"
"Hey Nineteen"
"New Frontier"
"Rikki Don't Lose That Number"
"Time Out of Mind"
"Book of Liars"
"Black Friday"
"Dirty Work"
"Home at Last"
"I Want To (Do Everything for You)"
"My Old School"
"Reelin' in the Years"
"Kid Charlemagne"
"The Untouchables"
Steely Dan Albums Ranked From Worst to Best


text:
The Bangalore-based startup offers cutting-edge business intelligence solutions, digital marketing, web development, app development, and other services to clients in an array of industries
Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], December 17: Looking for cutting-edge intelligence solutions for your business? Or creating a user-friendly website? Bangalore-based Pragum, a fast-growing technology startup, is an expert in delivering these services and much more.
Pragum was founded in 2019 by Prashant Tank with the vision to help B2B companies achieve a digital makeover, Pragum's offerings include state-of-the-art business intelligence solutions, creating user-friendly and custom-designed websites, and native and hybrid mobile apps to boost online presence.
The young company has been making waves, and in just two years, it has successfully delivered more than 30 projects for clients in a variety of niches, including e-commerce, healthcare, manufacturing, and construction.
Pragum's exhaustive list of services also includes high-quality Web Designing & Development, Digital Marketing, Enterprises Solutions, E-commerce web & app development, Cloud & Cloud Services, and Business Analytics, among others.
"We started with the aim of helping B2B businesses enhance their digital services. Many businesses have plans to boost their digital presence, but hiring an in-house team of analysts, developers, and marketers is an expensive proposition and not feasible for a majority of businesses. We are bridging this gap by providing all these services and more at a fraction of the cost, ensuring a greater return on investment for clients," said Mr. Tank, the founder of Pragum.
Pragum specialises in creating multi-devices that are flawless and supported by high-end technology solutions. Combined with its digital marketing services, the startup opens new doors to the ever-growing digital world for companies and helps them explore new markets.
With the help of digital marketing efforts, the startup's team of developers, designers, marketers, content writers, copywriters, and analysts transforms clients' business digitally and helps them generate and convert leads.
"We cater to companies operating in a multitude of industries, including construction, manufacturing, healthcare, e-commerce, retail, and many more. We aim to have a presence across several companies, which will allow us to reach more businesses and help them grow their business with our unique offerings," he said further.
Pragum's notable clients include real estate players Gopalan Enterprises and Housesites.in, to whom the startup successfully provided digital marketing services.
It has provided web development & SEO services to renewable energy player Solar Hause, lead generation services to Gopalan Engineering College, web development and digital marketing services to healthcare provider Sanjeevini Homoeopathy, and cafe like Dear Bangalore Cafe, and web development services to Artitude Studio.
While Prashant Tank is the driving force behind Pragum, the young startup's success is equally driven by a high-quality and experienced team.
It's a common saying, but it is true in our case: Our team is what makes us successful. Pragum is a great place to work. Each employee is an amazing individual, but they all make Pragum so enjoyable and rewarding. Pragum is a talented, close-knit group that shares a common vision to deliver consistently outstanding results for clients. We also want the agency to be a challenging, fun, inclusive and rewarding place to work.
We are proud of the team that we have built. Although there are more than 10 of us now, it still feels like there were only a few of them. Pragum was founded on the belief that talented people can work together to make Pragum better for their clients. Pragum is not a "one-size fits all" agency. Pragum's employees are all unique individuals united by five core values. These values apply to everything we do in the agency.


text:
The Library is pleased to accept financial contributions for the purchase of books in memory or in honor of a person or for a specific event.
Donors are encouraged to suggest the type and subject of a book(s) that would be appropriate. Library staff will choose specific titles based on the donor's request and our existing selection criteria for the collection.
After the memorial book is purchased, the donor will receive a letter acknowledging the donation of the specific book(s). A book plate is placed in the front of each book listing the name of the honored person and the donor.
For questions regarding memorial book donations, or to have a form mailed to you, please contact the Reference Desk at 330-652-1704 ext. 3.


text: By using DreamProxies.com you can choose proxy extension – Faster proxy servers. So you will get more power and more speed with your servers that is essential for everyone that are using proxies with various software, programs, browsers and tasks. You can order private proxies right now: Buy ProxiesRead more


text:
[ { "name": "Top Stories Video Pair", "insertPoint": "7", "component": "17087298", "parentWrapperClass": "fdn-ads-inline-content-block", "requiredCountToDisplay": "1" } ]
Fruit trees? Cocktails? Of course! It's bare root season, which is to say that you're going to be digging around in a tub of dirt at the garden center pretty soon and pulling out gnarly masses of roots and twigs. They may not look glamorous, but trust me -- bare root plants are both economical and vigorous. Just be ready to plant them as soon as you get home, and keep the roots covered in damp potting soil until they go in the ground.
Apples. If you live in Humboldt County and you don't have an apple tree in your backyard, you are really missing out. Before you head to the garden center, make sure you have a reasonably sunny spot to plant a tree, and take a look around your neighborhood. Are there actually apple trees everywhere now that you're paying attention? Check the alleys, peek over fences, scan for little red blobs still attached to bare branches. If you've got a lot of trees around, you might be able to get away with only planting one tree. Otherwise, apple trees need a mate in order to set fruit. But don't panic! If you're short on space, you can plant two trees in the same hole and they'll grow just fine.
Ask at the garden center for help choosing the right variety. The trick with finding a mate for your apple tree is that it has to be a variety that blooms at the same time in order for the pollen to get transferred from one tree to the other. They'll probably have a handy chart to help you figure this out. If you're looking for a classic Humboldt apple, try one of the varieties bred by legendary breeder Albert Etter, like Waltana, Pink Pearl or Etter's Gold.
Apples do require a little care, but less than you might think: learn a few pruning basics by taking a class at the garden center, or by picking up a book like Michael Phillips' The Apple Grower (OK, you can probably just Google it, too). You can get away with just a few deep, infrequent waterings in summer, and I don't bother with any pest control at all, but a little dormant oil in winter can knock back overwintering pests.
Now, what cocktail-ish thing are you going to do with apples? You could make your own apple cider -- and for that, you really will need a book. Fortunately, Annie Proulx wrote one: It's called Cider, and it's still in print and easy to find.
You can also soak apple slices in vodka to make your own apple liqueur (more on this in a minute), and use fresh-squeezed juice or slices in apple-based cocktails made from applejack, calvados or hard cider. The best use of apples in a cocktail, however, has to be the apple granita my husband made one year. He served a scoop or two of Pink Pearl granita in a martini glass and poured Core Apple Vodka from Harvest Spirits over it. Amazing. Do that. (By the way, Harvest Spirits' Cornelius Applejack is amazing. If you'd rather drink your apples than grow them, this is the spirit to get.)
Apricots. These trees hate cold, rainy springs, which is why you don't see people growing them on the North Coast. But there are two new varieties, Puget Gold and Harglow, that have been bred to tolerate Pacific Northwest weather, so look for those if you are longing for your own apricot tree. Most are self-fertile, so you won't have to buy two.
Apricots soaked in brandy can be a marvelous thing, but even more marvelous is amaretto, made not from almonds but from the almond-like pits of sweet apricots. Most apricots grown in the United States are bitter-pit varieties, and you can't eat those pits -- they're too high in cyanide. But cyanide-free sweet pit varieties like Chinese Montgamet (also called Chinese Golden) and SweetHeart are available from fruit tree nurseries. Homemade amaretto recipes involve brandy, vodka, sweet apricot pits, vanilla beans and sugar; if you've got enough fruit, this would be worth investigating. Again: sweet pit apricots only! Oh, and if you'd rather skip the tree and go straight to the bottle, Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot Liqueur is the thing to try.
Cherries. Our neighbors to the north in Oregon have spent the last century and a half turning cherry growing into an industry. We should take advantage of their expertise and grow our own. Look for dwarf varieties that could easily be covered in bird netting if you find yourself competing for the harvest. Garden centers often sell grafted "combo" trees with three or four varieties growing from the same trunk. Sounds weird, but it's really smart: You'll get a longer harvest season that way. The best cocktail cherries are dark, sour varieties, also called tart or pie cherries. English Morello and Montmorency are good varieties to try.
The easiest way to make use of these in a cocktail is to clean them, pit them, and soak them in Luxardo maraschino liqueur for a couple of weeks. If you're not going to get around to that, you'll be pleased to know that real Luxardo maraschino cherries are available by the jar at better liquor stores.
Plums. Wild, European hedgerow plums are making a comeback in the cocktail world. Averell Damson Gin, made from a blue damson plum like Blues Jam, is a fantastic cocktail ingredient and a very good dessert liqueur all by itself. Greenhook Ginsmiths in Brooklyn makes Beach Plum Gin using Long Island beach plums, probably Prunus maritima. In addition to damsons, Europeans make liqueur from mirabelle and gage plums, all of which are available stateside as well. Don't expect the large, sweet plums we eat in California: These are smaller, more tart and just perfect for soaking in booze. Oh, and if you haven't had plum eau-de-vie, check out Clear Creek Distillery's incredible Blue Plum Brandy, also called slivovitz. Forget whatever you once believed about slivovitz and just go drink some of this. You can thank me later.
About that fruit liqueur. The recipe for making liqueur from any of these fruits goes more or less like this: Slice clean, fresh fruit (minus the pits) into a bottle or jar. Fill the jar with vodka and perhaps a little bit of a spirit made with the fruit: apple brandy or calvados, apricot eau-de-vie, Luxardo cherry liqueur or plum brandy. Let it sit for a week or two, and taste it regularly. Some people let theirs sit for months, but I think you get into diminishing returns after a few weeks. Strain it and mix with whatever amount of simple syrup you think it needs. (Simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water, heated until the sugar melts and then cooled.) Drink it within a few months: This is a seasonal treat, not a family heirloom.


text:
Call us 9AM to 5PM [Pacific Time] Monday-Friday for expert assistance.
Email us 24/7. We usually reply the same day to all inquiries. We respond to email messages in the order that they are received. We will respond as quickly as possible.
These University of North Dakota wire dangle earrings are made of polished sterling silver. Charm size: 1in x 1/2in. Officially licensed jewelry. Approximate weight: 3.0 grams. Made in the USA.


text:
Book Spotlight: Stryke First by Sandrine Gasq-Dion
Stryke First
(Rock #5)by Sandrine Gasq-Dion
Date Released: October 15, 2017
About Stryke First
Rebel Stryker has had to fight to survive from the moment he was born to a heroin-addicted mother. Raised by his grandparents, his only mission in life was to succeed where his mother had failed. Now, he and his childhood best friends tour the world as a famous heavy metal band. Like any rags-to-riches young man, Rebel definitely enjoys the perks of being in the limelight.
But now something has changed.
Rebel never wanted to fall in love, shying away from relationships and relishing his 'no worries' rock-star persona. But there's something about the band's new manager that catches Rebel's eye. Despite fighting it with everything he has, Rebel finds himself succumbing to man's quiet ways. It doesn't hurt that the guy loves Rebel's grandpa — the one relationship that means the world to him.
Staying true to his name, Rebel fights against the tide of attraction drawing him in. But it's only a matter of time before love finally strikes.
Stan Jackson is hiding a secret. A Very Big Secret. One he prays will never come to light, especially since life is pretty good now. He finally has a good job, and he considers the people around him friends — even if they don't see him the same way. All he's ever wanted in life is to blend in, not make waves, and move on through. Now, as the manager of the internationally famous Skull Blasters rock band, he is put squarely into bassist Rebel Stryker's orbit. He spends a lot of time with Rebel's grandfather, which is not only fun, but rewarding. Another big benefit is that Stan gets to see Rebel all the time. When his past catches up to him, Stan learns that he isn't just the Skull Blasters' manager.
He's a part of their family.
Read my four-starred review of Stryke First.
Add Stryke First on Goodreads.
Find the Rock series on Goodreads.
Series Purchase Links
An Excerpt from Stryke First
I glanced up from my laptop as Rebel's grandfather sauntered by me naked as the day he was born. He was scratching at his ass and mumbling and I cocked my head to the side.
"Grandpa? You forgot to put on underwear."
I got a snort as he continued towards the kitchen. It wasn't the first time—nor would it be the last time—that Augustus Stryker would be without clothing. I was told within five minutes of meeting the man that I had to call him grandpa or Auggie, and then I was told to call him grandpa. I placed my laptop on the table next to the couch and stood up, cracking my back and neck.
I sighed and walked around the coffee table to the kitchen. Grandpa was watching the coffee pot and I stood next to him.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Waiting for it to brew."
"Grandpa, you need water and coffee grounds for that to happen. Go put some pants on and I'll make coffee, okay?"
"You're such a good boy, Stan. Taking care of me. When are you going to find yourself a man with a big dick?"
"Grandpa!" I blushed furiously and ducked my head.
"You know my Rebel is pretty well hung, just like his old man and me."
"Okay, that's wonderful. Could you please put some clothes on?"
"I don't like em'! They itch!"
"All right, I'll make sure the nurse adds fabric softener this time, okay?"
"She left." Grandpa stared at the ceiling and squinted.
"What do you mean she left?"
"I don't know. She just walked out."
"Grandpa." I narrowed my eyes at him. "What did you do?"
"I did nothing!"
"Why don't I believe you?" I sighed as he continued to look at the ceiling. "What are you doing?"
"Waiting for that spider to rappel down."
"What?!" I jerked away and looked up. Sure enough, a huge spider was dangling above us. Call me a pussy, but I hate spiders. I mean I really hate them.
Bestselling author Sandrine Gasq-Dion (Sandy) was born in Inglewood, California. Raised by "old-school" French parents, she later moved to Tucson, AZ. It was there that writing became a hobby. Always told she had a great imagination, Sandy wrote short stories for her friends in high school. In college, she took more writing classes while working on her criminal justice degree, but it wasn't until a soap opera caught her eye that she got involved in male-on-male romances. On the advice of a friend, she dipped her toes into the world of M/M Romance. Sandy took the writing seriously and had countless conversations with gay men as well as hours of research. She was involved with the military in one way or another for over twenty years and had a great deal of respect for our men in uniform. She traveled the world but finally returned to Arizona.
Connect with Sandrine


text:
MATH-1314-73 - College Algebra
Lamar State College - Port Arthur
House Bill 2504
Summer I 2015 Course Syllabus
Faculty Information | |||||||||||||
Semester | Summer I 2015 | ||||||||||||
Instructor | Askew, Michelle L. | ||||||||||||
Phone | (409) 984-6419 | ||||||||||||
firstname.lastname@example.com | |||||||||||||
Department |
Office |
MyLamarPA | Be sure to check your campus E-mail and Course Homepage using MyLamarPA campus web portal (My.LamarPA.edu). When youÆve logged in, click the email icon in the upper right-hand corner to check email, or click on the ōMy Coursesö tab to get to your Course Homepage. Click the link to your course and review the information presented. It is important that you check your email and Course Homepage regularly. You can also access your grades, transcripts, and determine who your academic advisor is by using MyLamarPA. | ||||||||||||
Course Information | |||||||||||||
Course Number | 60421 | ||||||||||||
Course Description | In-depth study and applications of polynomial, rational, radical, exponential and logarithmic functions, and systems of equations using matrices. Additional topics such as sequences, series, probability, and conics may be included. | ||||||||||||
Course Prerequisites | Successful completion of MATH 0332 satisfactory score on approved test. | ||||||||||||
Required Textbooks | COLLEGE ALGEBRA, Beecher, Penna, & Bittinger, 4th Edition, Pearson Education, Inc., 2016. ISBN: 1323109145 (MyLabsPlus Student Access Kit ISBN: 0558926800 if not purchasing textbook) | ||||||||||||
Attendance Policy | Research has shown a cause and effect relationship between participation and college success. There will not be any makeup quizzes or makeup tests. A studentÆs lowest test grade will replace a first missed test. A student will receive a zero for any missed quiz, a second missed test or missing the final exam. The final exam is required. | ||||||||||||
Course Grading Scale | 90 - 100 = A 80 - 89 = B 70 - 79 = C 60 - 69 = D Below 59 = F | ||||||||||||
Determination of Final Grade |
Tests: 60% Quizzes: 25% Homework: 15% (All homework will be done on computers using MyLabs+. ) Free temporary access is available until June 11, 2014. Login at www.lamarpa.mylabsplus.com using your Lamar State College Port Arthur user name. The password is your birthday. Example: June 2, 1985 would be Jun021985. There are no spaces. |
Final Exam Date | July 24, 2015 - 8:00 AM | ||||||||||||
Major Assignments |
Section Page/Problems 1.1 Introduction to Graphing 72/5,7,9,13,19,21,27,31,37,43,45,49,55,61,65,69,75,83,85,89 1.2 Functions & Graphs 87/3,5,7,11,17,19,21,25,29,31,35,39,41,45,49,51,59,63,67,69,71 1.3 Linear Functions, Slopes, & Applications 103/7,9,11,13,15,17,19,25,29,31,33,37,39,43,45,51,53,55,57,63,67,77 1.4 Equations of Lines & Modeling 118/5,7,9,15,17,19,23,29,31,35,37,39,43,47,49,53,55,57,59 1.5 Linear Equations, Functions, Zeros and App. 133/3,9,11,15,25,29,33,35,39,43,47,51,55,57,63,73,83,87,91 1.6 Solving Linear Inequalities 142/3,13,15,19,25,27,35,39,41,45 2.1 Increasing, Decreasing, and Piecewise Functions; Applications 166/1,5,7,11,13,15,17,19,23,35,37,59,63 2.2 The Algebra of Functions 177/1,7,11,13,15,17,33,39,45,47 2.3 The Composition of Functions 185/1,5,9,13,17,19,25,29,31,39 2.4 Symmetry and Transformations 206/1,3,5,9,11,13,15,17,19,27,31,35,37,39,41,45,49,51,53,57,61,79,97,99,103,121,125,129,131 2.5 Variation and Applications 217/1,3,5,7,11,13,17,19,25,27,29,31,33,35,37,39 3.1 Complex Numbers 239/7,9,17,27,33,35,39,43,47,49,51,55,65,69, 3.2 Quadratic Equations, Functions, Zeros, and Models 253/1,3,5,7,9,13,17,23,37,41,43,57,59,69,71,81,89, 105 3.3 Analyzing Graphs of Quadratic Functions 267/1,3,9,11,15,17,19,21,23,25,27,29,31,35,41,45,49,51 3.4 Solving Rational Equations and Radical Equations 278/1,5,7,11,13,15,17,21,23,35,37,41,47,53,57,75,79,81 3.5 Solving Equations and Inequalities with Absolute Value 283/3,5,7,11,13,17,23,31,33,35,37,43,45,47,55,61 4.1 Polynomial Functions and Models 306/3,7,9,11,13,15,17,21,25,27,33,43,45,49 4.2 Graphing Polynomial Functions 318/1,3,7,9,11,15,17,21,25,27,31,39,41,43,49,53 4.3 Polynomial Division; The Remainder Theorem 326/7,9,11,17,19,21,23,25,29,31,37,39 4.4 Theorems about Zeros of Polynomial Functions 337/11,13,17,23,29,39,45,51,53,55,61,65,73,75,81,85 5.1 Inverse Functions 396/1,5,9,11,17,23,25,35,39,47,57,59 5.2 Exponential Functions and Graphs 408/3,5,7,9,11,15,25,27,29,51,55,59,61,63,73,75 5.3 Logarithmic Functions and Graphs 426/3,5,13,17,23,33,37,41,47,49,53,55,61,65,73,75 5.4 The Properties of Logarithmic Functions 437/3,7,13,19,25,27,31,39,41,47,49,55,61,71,75 5.5 Solving Exponential Equations and Logarithmic Equations 448/3,9,15,19,25,33,37,39,43,45,47,51,55,57,59 5.6 Applications and Models: Growth and Decay; Compound Interest 459/1,3,5,7,9,11 6.1 Systems of Equations in Two Variables 490/7,21,23,33,35,37,45,47,49,53,57,59,71 6.3 Matrices and Systems of Equations 510/7,9,11,15,19,23,29,43 |
Calendar of Lecture Topics and Major Assignment Due Dates |
Assignment sheet attached. June 15, 2015* Test 1 June 18, 2015 Last day to drop or withdraw without academic penalty June 30, 2015* Test 2 July 12, 2015* Test 3 June 13, 2015 Last day to drop or withdraw July 24, 2015 Final exam/Last Class Day *Indicates an approximate date. |
General Education/Core Curriculum Student Learning Outcomes |
Program Student Learning Outcomes |
PSLO ALPHA: Reading skills ¢ Demonstrate comprehension of content-area material. PSLO 1: Critical Thinking Skills ¢ Uses creative thinking, innovation, inquiry and analysis. PSLO 2: Communication Skills - Demonstrates effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and/or visual communication. PSLO 3: Empirical and Quantitative Skills - Applies the manipulation and/or analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions. |
Course Student Learning Outcomes |
Upon successful completion of this course, students will: 1. Demonstrate and apply knowledge of properties of functions, including domain and range, operations, compositions, and inverses. (PSLO 1, 3, ALPHA) Measured by embedded questions in tests, quizzes, or homework labs as well as pretest and post-test. 2. Recognize and apply polynomial, rational, radical, exponential and logarithmic functions and solve related equations. (PSLO 1, 3, ALPHA) Measured by embedded questions in tests, quizzes, or homework labs and pretest and post-test. 3. Apply graphing techniques. (PSLO 3) Measured by embedded questions in tests, quizzes, or homework labs. 4. Evaluate all roots of higher degree polynomial and rational functions. (PSLO 1, 2,3) Measured by embedded questions in tests, quizzes, homework labs and group discussion. 5. Recognize, solve and apply systems of linear equations using matrices. (PSLO 3)Measured by embedded questions in tests, quizzes or homework labs. |
Academic Honesty | Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSC-PA policies (Section IX, subsection A, in the Faculty Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty. | ||||||||||||
Facility Policies |
Additional Information | Students will be required to use a scientific calculator of their choice-this will not include a cell phone. | ||||||||||||
Important Information | |||||||||||||
ADA Considerations | The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator, Room 231, in the Madison Monroe Building. The phone number is (409) 984-6241. | ||||||||||||
Copyright Violations |
Some material in this course may be copyrighted. They may be used only for instructional purposes this semester,
by students enrolled in this course. These materials are being used fairly and legally.
No one may distribute or share these copyrighted materials in any medium or format with anyone outside this class,
including publishing essays with copyrighted material, uploading copyrighted material to Facebook or YouTube, or
painting or performing copyrighted material for public display.
Copyright violation is not the same thing as plagiarism. Plagiarism is intellectual dishonesty. Offenses of plagiarism result in lower grades or failing scores, and professors and the college strictly enforce plagiarism rules. There is never any acceptable use of plagiarism. Copyright violation is a legal offense, punishable by large fines and penalties. Copyrighted material can be used if permission from the materialÆs creator is obtained, or if its use meets the standards of fair use in an educational setting. For example, a student can quote a line from ShakespeareÆs Hamlet in a report without violating copyright but still be guilty of plagiarism if the quotation is not properly documented. If you are in doubt about what material can be freely used, ask your professor or contact the Dean of Library Services, at (409) 984-6216. |
Assessment Statement |
Assessment is a process by which LSCPA can help you learn better and gauge the level of progress you have made to
attain knowledge, skills, beliefs, and values. It also helps your professors understand how to improve teaching
and testing methods in your classes, and it helps each department understand and improve degree and certificate
Periodically LSC-PA will collect assessment data for research and reporting purposes, including statistical data and sometimes copies of your work. Be assured that all material the college uses for assessment purposes will be kept confidential. To ensure anonymity, your name will be removed from any material we use for assessment purposes, including video-recorded performances, speeches, and projects. If you object to allowing LSC-PA to use your material for assessment purposes, submit a letter stating so to your professor by the 12th class day. You will still be required to participate in whatever assessments are being done; we just wonÆt use your data. WhatÆs the difference between assessment and grades? The grades you get on papers, projects, speeches, and assignments are specific types of focused assessment. LSC-PAÆs assessment efforts include class grades, surveys, standardized tests, and other tools. |
Privacy Notice |
Federal privacy laws apply to college students. This means that college employees, including instructors, cannot
divulge information to third parties, including parents and legal guardians of students. Even if the students are
minors, information about their college work cannot be shared with anyone except in very limited circumstances.
Anyone requesting information about a student should be referred to the Registrar. Instructors will be notified in writing by that Office about what information may be released and to whom. Please remember that releasing private information about a student, however innocuous it may seem, can be a violation of federal law, with very serious consequences. Circumstances under which information may be released:
An adult student may submit, to the Registrar, a handwritten, signed note granting permission for release of
information. The note must specify what information may be divulged, and it must specify the name of the person
to whom the information may be given.
The RegistrarÆs office is located in the Student Center room 303B, and can be reached at (409) 984-6165. |
College-Level Perspectives |
This course helps add to the studentsÆ overall collegiate experience in the following ways:
Degree Plan Evaluation |
A Degree Plan Evaluation will help you determine which classes you need to complete your program.
All of the classes that you have taken that apply to your declared major will be listed on the right. If you have a class that still needs to be completed, a ōNOö will be listed on the right next to the required class. |
HB 2504 | This syllabus is part of LSC-PAÆs efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504. | ||||||||||||
Copyright ©2011 Lamar State College - Port Arthur. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Showing 1-50 of 257 records
A multi-year and multi-institution collaboration standardizing and synthesizing archaeological data for important sites in the Potomac River Valley during the period 1500-1720.
How we gathered and organized the data, details about the databases, information for those who want to download and work with the data.
Browse the 34 archaeological sites included in the project. These site summaries include links to images, maps, GIS data, and artifact collections.
See All...
Content on this site is meant to be used!
Copyright © 2014-22 Colonial Encounters Project Team Design by: Gregory J. Brown, based on template from www.html5templatesdreamweaver.com


text:
The Patriot Box Office Review: A Portent of Great Things to Come
by Alan Lueke on February 16, 2010 12:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Gadgets
- Home Theater
- Media Streamer
- Patriot
Delving Deeper - Chipset & GUI
Styling is merely icing on the cake, the greater question is, does it work? According to Patriot, the Box Office supports the following formats:
WMA, MP3, Real Audio (RA)
[DviX 3/4/5/6, Xvid] AVI/MKV
[Real Video 8/9/10] RM/RMVB
That's quite the list. The Box Office also states that it will operate at full 1080p resolution thanks to its Realtek RTD1073DD chipset. The RTD1073 is the third generation media processing chipset from Realtek, adding features such as DNR (Digital Noise Reduction), Blu-ray HD including AVCHD and VC-1 at a 1.25X decoding/playback rate to ensure a seamless viewing experience, as well as support for wireless 802.11b/g/n USB adapters. This chipset has been quite popular, and is also utilized by the Mede8er MED500X, and the Ariva HDplayer 110. The RTD1073DD handles all video and audio decoding for the Box Office. It lets Patriot build a fairly capable box without using a powerful CPU.
After I took the time to rip all my movies to my PC, download virtual clone drive, the MyMovies database, purchased an ATI 5000 series video card and Cyberlink PowerDVD 9 to get full Blu-ray playback on my home theater through Windows Media Center without having to change discs or have a massive media rack filled with CDs and DVD/Blu-rays... well, I scoffed at the idea that this little box could work just as well. And I was partially right straight out of the gate, as the Patriot Box Office currently does not support any of the hi-def audio codecs (Dolby True HD or DTS-Master) but support is coming in the form of a firmware update slated for March release.
Patriot was kind enough to send me the wireless 802.11g USB adapter that is normally sold separately. If you're thinking that you can just throw an old USB wireless adapter into this box, think again. The Realtek RTD1073 chipset is somewhat picky with the chipsets it will recognize. Those Linksys adapters based on Ralink chipsets? They won't work, so just a heads up there.
Plugging the box into my power strip as well as into the receiver via HDMI, I powered it up for the first time. It has a nice hardware power switch in back to prevent power seepage while in standby. The GUI is much like the product itself with function being emphasized over form, nothing flashy here. A plain black background with simple icons greets the user upon starting up the box. The initial menu is easy enough to understand, displaying only three options. There is the option to transfer files between attached storage devices, browse your media storage for files, or enter setup.
I entered the setup menu and set my display out to 1080p60 and set the audio to HDMI Raw, which will send the audio to my receiver for decoding.
Entering the browser, there are a few options to choose from, including USB, HDD (the internal HDD), UPnP streaming, Net, and playlist. I selected Net first and found my PC promptly displayed. Upon selecting the PC however, no files appeared within! After doing some reading in the forums, it seems a few registry tweaks are needed to facilitate streaming from a windows 7 based system. Again, a sign that this product is not quite ready for the average consumer.
There are three main registry tweaks required to allow this box to stream on a Windows 7 system. First requires the user to go to HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\ and double click on "everyoneincludesanonymous" and set the value from 0 to 1. This adds anonymous users to the "Everyone" sharing group in Windows 7, allowing anonymous users, in this case the Box office to access your shared media folders. Now make sure that when you right click a media folder to share with the Box Office, you set the share group to "everyone". Next double click on NoLmHash and set it from 1 to 0. Windows 7 does not store a LAN Manger Hash of your user password by default, and the absence of said encypted password prevents proper operation of the Box Office. From here, access HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanManSe and double click on "restrictnullsessaccess" and change the value from 1 to 0. Left at one, Windows 7 limits the shared folders accessible to unauthorized users, in this case the Box Office. These issues with the Patriot Box office being properly recognized are slated to be addressed in the next firmware update for the unit.
I made the necessary adjustments and was off and running. Browsing through the folder structure is okay, if you can remember where you saved various movie files on your system. When a file is selected, a preview opens up in an adjacent window.
79 Comments
View All Comments
VideoGrabber - Friday, March 12, 2010 - link
I'm confused. The review says,
> As long as both my source PC and the Box Office were on wired ethernet I could play _full bitrate Blu-ray on the Box Office over the network_. <
Then, in two other spots, it refers to a need to transcode the BR material down to 720p, to be able to play over the network. So, which is it? Thanks. -
BCarr - Tuesday, February 23, 2010 - link
Just recieved mine, won't play my itunes .m4v, which is disappointing, because I bought mostly for that reason. I guess I'll buy the overpriced AppleTV that does less. -
ajlueke - Friday, February 26, 2010 - link
Strange. I tried playing a video that came with one of my albums off itunes also in the .m4v format and it played fine. It will of course, not play protected files. The digital copy of Zombieland for example is protected and only plays on my PC and synced iPhone, when I try to play the file over the box office I do get the "invalid format". But it should play any unprotected .m4v videos you have. -
Bloodx - Saturday, February 20, 2010 - link
HDI Dune player is the only streamer that works. Unless you can play ISO bluray rips with the real menus and hd bitstreming audio the box is useless. -
Sanctusx2 - Thursday, February 18, 2010 - link
The device sounds interesting, particularly after the promised firmware updates hit. I had one lingering question though: it was tested it with mkvs, but I'd like to know if it handles mkvs/avis with subtitles included(either externally or embedded). I've always found this to be a challenge with media playing devices and even transcoders like TVersity/Windows Media Sharing usually choke, necessitating a manual encode to embed the subtitles. -
QChronoD - Tuesday, February 16, 2010 - link
Alan, I loved your write up.
Are there any plans for putting together a roundup of different boxes? I've never been able to find a place that has a good comparison of which ones are better for people who primarily want to serve their own media.
OT, When you're using My Movies in WMC, do you ever have the extra info (cast, synopsis, etc) not show up for random movies? Some of my movies it's blank, and I can't figure out how to fix it w/o deleting and rescanning everything. -
scoobymich - Tuesday, March 9, 2010 - link
I'd recommend this site for reviews of media players / NMT's. It has a ton of information and a great community. I hope it helps you with your decision!
bobbozzo - Wednesday, February 17, 2010 - link
I'd also be interested in seeing a budget-htpc article... I think you guys started some mini-itx articles but never finished.
I know there are lots of little pc's around $300 that can do 1080p h.264 playback and use very little power.
ajlueke - Thursday, February 18, 2010 - link
I am interested in doing a media box roundup myself. As for budget HTPCs, d you have a model from a vendor as an example? Is $300 the limit of what would be consider "budget"? I have a HTPC as my main source of TV and movies, but it is anything but budget as I play a fair amount of games as well. Let me know which sorts of products you are most interested in. -
scboley - Monday, March 1, 2010 - link
This one is the most impressive looking I've found yet based on the same realtek chipset. I have a patriot and love it but this menu and net support on this version blows the patriots functions away and hopefully the next firmware from patriot will address and add these functions. http://www.xtreamerusa.net/index.html">http://www.xtreamerusa.net/index.html


text:
Available to 15 million homes, Xfinity xFi Advanced Security monitors, blocks and informs customers of online threats and provides seamless protection.
Comcast today announced the national launch of Xfinity xFi Advanced Security, a new artificial-intelligence-powered service that monitors, blocks and informs customers of online threats to connected devices, and provides seamless digital protection for those devices when connected to their home network.
By 2022, Cisco estimates that there will be more than 13 connected devices per person in North America, and many consumers don't have access to the expertise or the tools to keep those devices secure, especially when many of these technologies don't have keyboards or screens. In addition, Symantec reported that the number of attacks against Internet-of-things devices is growing exponentially, increasing 600 percent between 2016 and 2017, alone, creating new concerns for connected home users.
xFi Advanced Security was developed to protect devices in this new hyper-connected reality. It uses AI and machine learning technology to monitor and analyze WiFi traffic in the home, and will automatically block identified suspicious activity in real time. Using a simple, intuitive user interface, the technology informs customers of blocked threats, and when necessary, provides instructions on how to further secure affected devices.
"As the digital world gets more complex, we wanted to make it simple and easy for our customers to protect their home networks. That's why we developed xFi Advanced Security," said Fraser Stirling, Senior Vice President of Digital Home, Devices and AI, Comcast Cable. "We want to give customers digital peace of mind for the devices they already own and the confidence to expand and evolve their connected homes knowing that every new camera, voice-assisted speaker or smart thermostat they add will be protected."
The xFi Advanced Security service protects all of the devices in a customer's home that are connected to the Xfinity Advanced Gateway with no set-up required, other than turning the device on. There's nothing for the customer to install or configure, and once the device is turned on, the xFi Advanced Security service starts working immediately. Protection is automatically extended to any device that is connected to the home network wirelessly or by ethernet. Customers can review a list of digital security-related actions that were taken each day right from the xFi dashboard – accessible from the mobile app or online. This seamless experience is possible because the technology behind xFi Advanced Security is fully integrated into xFi Gateways.
While traditional security products are effective at protecting individual devices like laptops and tablets, there's a growing need for technologies that can protect all the devices on a network at once. xFi Advanced Security bridges that gap, automatically protecting any device that connects to an xFi gateway.
xFi Advanced Security is the latest addition to Comcast's Xfinity xFi platform, which gives customers a simple, digital dashboard to set up and manage their home WiFi networks and allows users to see what devices are connected to the network, troubleshoot issues, set parental controls, get notifications about activities on the home network, and even pause WiFi access to certain devices during dinner or bedtime. xFi users can also ensure whole-home WiFi coverage by adding xFi Pods, small, easy to install devices that plug into any electrical outlet and extend connectivity to hard to reach areas of their home.
Xfinity xFi Advanced Security is available to Comcast customers who rent an xFi Gateway. The service is available for $5.99 per month, and is also available as part of a package in some markets. Customers can add it directly from the xFi app.
xFi Advanced Security is powered in part by an advanced AI platform developed by AI security leader Cujo AI.


text:
Product Description
Feminine, luxurious and rich, this Classic 14K White Gold Oval White Sapphire Aquamarine Ring evokes elegance and eternal style. Translucent beauty of natural white sapphire is the focal point of this classic ring.
* 1 x 5 grams TW of cast solid 14K white gold mounting ring size 7 (sizable)
* 26 x round 0.01 carat (0.26 CTW) natural aquamarine stones
* 1 x oval 0.90 ~ 1.15 carat natural white sapphire center stone
* Deluxe jewelry box
Natural White Sapphire Info:
Origin: Thailand
Cut: Expert Oval
Color: D ~ E, colorless, exceptional white
Clarity: VS ~ VVS
Physical Properties:
Hardness: 9 (Diamond is 10)
Refractive Index: 1.768 ~ 1.772
Dispersion: 0.018 (Little lower than Diamonds)
Species: Corundum
* Occasion: Engagement, wedding, anniversary, special gift
* Style: Classic, Modern Edwardian, Modern Antique, Classic French
* Also available in yellow gold, rose gold, black gold and platinum
* Sapphire is a September birthstone
** 2, 3 and 4 month flexible payment plans available
* Designer direct guaranteed savings towards suggested retail
* Free USPS insured delivery within United States
* All metal and stone measurement totals are approximated by production manufacturing computers in CAM and may differ slightly on 0.005 fraction levels.
* Stone settings in pave, prongs, bezel, channel or invisible may differ slightly from an image as the stones are set by a master hand.
* All jewelry images are professional catalog renderings generated by production imaging computer in 3d and are not real photographs, it's visual perceptions may differ slightly from monitor type and resolution.
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
Art Masters Jewelry


text:
Manhattan Jewish Funeral Home
43 2nd Ave
New York, New York
In the event that there is an error
in the information presented,
please contact the funeral
home by clicking here.
Connect with families at their time of loss.
By subscribing to email updates, you will receive two daily updates containing all new stories, photos, candle lightings, condolences, and more. You will also receive a one-time email, one week prior to the anniversary of death. The email will only serve as a reminder should you choose to connect with the family at what will no doubt be a difficult time.
Please select your relationship to the deceased and add your email address before submitting.
The following fields are required.