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Big Gay Al is a stereotypical homosexual man who first appeared in the Season One episode, "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride". He known for his flamboyant and positive demeanor and usually responds to the greeting "How are you?" with an upbeat "I'm super! Thanks for asking!"
Gay Animal Sanctuary
In his first appearance in "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride", he ran an animal sanctuary reserved for gay animals who had been rejected by homophobic pet owners. He temporarily adopted Sparky, Stan Marsh's homosexual dog, who had run away from home after Stan had gotten upset with him. Stan then wanted Sparky back, and Big Gay Al agreed to return him, but only after explaining homosexuality to Stan. Later on in the episode, his large shelter transforms into a briefcase and flies away, but the various animals remained, and were taken back by their owners, who had missed them very much.
He had a minor role in South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, where it was revealed he is in fact a celebrity. He was the co-host and an entertainer at the troops' USO show, in which he performed his own musical number, "I'm Super". His singing voice for the song was provided by Trey Parker.
Scouts Leader
He later took up the position of scout master of troop 69, since he had been in the scouts since he was nine years old. However, the parents of the children were uneasy about a gay scout leader, and the club fired him. The boys, however, didn't like their new Scouts Leader, and rallied to get Al back, and Gloria Allred and others forced the Scouts to re-accept him. He rejected this, saying he knows the Scout leaders are still good men, and since the scouts are a private club, they should have the right to exclude people if they choose to, just as he has the right to express himself as a gay man.
He wears a pink Hawaiian shirt, open at the top that exposes his left nipple, a blue neckerchief, and brown corduroy trousers. His skin is heavily tanned. He has brown hair, eyelashes, a mustache, and very red lips.
- To see images of Big Gay Al, visit Big Gay Al/Gallery.
He is a stereotypical homosexual: upbeat, happy, optimistic, and flamboyant. He appears to be very compassionate about things he loves, saving homosexual animals in "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride", being in the scouts since age nine in "Cripple Fight", and etc. In "Cripple Fight" it is shown that he smokes.
Mr. Slave
It "Follow That Egg!", Big Gay Al had started up a relationship with Mr. Slave, the ex-boyfriend/sex slave of Mr. Garrison. Mr. Slave had previously broken up when Mr. Garrison got a sex change. Soon after Mr. Slave explained this to Mrs. Garrison, he and Al became engaged. Mrs. Garrison swore she would stop gay marriage because she wanted Mr. Slave back; when she failed, Al and Mr. Slave got married.
In "The F Word", Mr. Slave and Big Gay Al are the first to see the boy's attempts at getting rid of the local Harley Riders, by writing "Fags Get Out!" Initially they are both pained and horrified by the sign, until realizing that the boys did not mean anything disparaging against gays, but were instead using the term "Fag" in regards to the Harley Riders, stating "You can be gay, and not a fag". Al and Slave both helped to change the definition of "faggot" from a gay person, to an annoying Harley rider.
- "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride" - Al's first appearance. He explains to Stan why it's alright to be homosexual and takes Stan on the eponymous boat ride before disappearing.
- South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut - Al sings "I'm Super" at the USO show to entertain the soldiers, serving as an unintentional distraction.
- "It Hits The Fan" - Cameo in the Excalibur casino.
- "Cripple Fight" - Al is the Scouts Leader, until the club fires him for being gay, causing Stan, Kenny, Cartman, Butters, and Timmy to try to get him back as leader.
- "Red Sleigh Down" - Seen in the crowd.
- "I'm a Little Bit Country" - Cameo in the final crowd.
- "Follow That Egg!" - Al gets engaged to Mr. Slave, against Mrs. Garrison's wishes, and they wed at the end of the episode.
- "The F Word" - Al leads the gay people to help the boys change the definition of "faggot" from gay people, to annoying Harley riders.
- "200" (cameo)
- "201" (cameo)
- "The City Part of Town" - Seen with his husband Mr. Slave holding hands to make the town seem more diverse to the Whole Foods representative.
- "PC Principal Final Justice"- Seen in the crowd of people standing in front of the Whole Foods Market.
South Park: The Stick of Truth
While Big Gay Al doesn't physically appear in the game, he can be added as Facebook friend by answering the cell phone in Mr. Slave's rectum.


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Local payday lender regulations to take shape
Councilman Diego Bernal's proposal to locally regulate payday and auto title lenders advanced Wednesday when a City Council subcommittee directed San Antonio's legal staff to return in August with a draft ordinance that would curtail predatory practices.
Dozens of members of the payday lending industry attended Wednesday's Governance Committee meeting, wearing blue stickers that read: "I serve my customers." They didn't have a chance to speak at the meeting but scoffed audibly at one of Bernal's comments.
"A lot of the folks in this town are working-class, and these businesses prey upon their desperation," Bernal said. "Since I've started this, I'd say I've reviewed at least 110 contracts, and I didn't find one that had an interest rate of less than 230 percent. I have one here that is 616 percent," he said.
"The way these contracts are structured, the way they're explained, and the practical effect — what they do to people's lives and the abyss of poverty and debt they send them to, that they can very rarely get themselves out of — I believe warrant our attention."
Many of the proposal's backers also attended Wednesday's meeting and had no shortage of stories about borrowers who have been unable to pay back small principal amounts after years of payments often amounting to several times the amount of the initial loan.
Bernal said he's hopeful the full council will adopt the ordinance, but he and other city officials expect that the lending industry will immediately file a lawsuit as it has with similar ordinances in Dallas and Austin.
Tim Von Kennel, the executive director of industry group Consumer Service Alliance of Texas, or CSAT, said he's hopeful that a lawsuit could be avoided.
Under his proposal, which City Attorney Michael Bernard said is similar to ordinances in those two cities, Bernal suggests limiting payday loans to 20 percent of the borrower's gross monthly income and limiting auto title loans to the lesser of 3 percent of the borrower's gross annual income or 70 percent of the vehicle value. He's also proposed requiring that the loans be limited to no more than four installments or three rollovers or renewals and that the proceeds from each installment or renewal reduce the loan principal by 25 percent.
Bernard told the committee — which includes Bernal, three other council members and Mayor Julián Castro — that he doesn't intend on "reinventing the wheel." The draft ordinance he'll bring forward likely will look much like the laws in other Texas cities that have enacted regulations.
Texas municipalities have good standing to enforce such ordinances, Bernard said.
Von Kennel said he believes "there's room to improve" on Bernal's proposal. His agency represents 19 payday and auto title lending companies in Texas.
It's unclear exactly what the industry will suggest, but Kennel said his group opposes placing caps on loans and supports statewide legislation. CSAT spokesman Rob Norcross said the problem with the ordinances in Austin and Dallas — and potentially here — is that they don't apply to all of the industry's products. In other words, the rules are too broad.
But Norcross acknowledges that payday lenders face an uphill battle in the court of public opinion. It's not easy, he says, to explain why interest rates in excess of 600 percent aren't as bad as they sound.
It has to do with the short payoff periods that payday lenders initially create and the mathematical equations used to calculate annual percentage rates under the Truth in Lending Act of 1968, he said.
"It sounds unbelievable," he says of the interest rates in the hundreds. "It's the math. It's the formula. We're using a mathematical formula that doesn't fit a 14-day loan."
Even if the payday lending industry were to overcome the federal law that requires it to disclose APRs, it still faces poor public perception that payday lenders are predators.
"That's an old stereotype that we're trying to break," Von Kennel said.
If a recent poll conducted by a statewide alliance of consumer advocacy groups, financial institutions and religious groups is any indication, public sentiment remains quite negative.
Spearheaded by Texas Appleseed, a public-interest law center and member of the alliance, the poll shows registered voters across the political spectrum overwhelmingly believe that interest rates for short-term loans and fees should be capped. Poll results provided by the alliance show that 85 percent of respondents believe the interest rate on short-term loans should be 36 percent or less.
Bernal said he's received overwhelming support to push forward with his initiative. The only opponents he said he's heard from are members of the payday loan industry and their lobbyists.
He joked that he has an open-door policy, for better or worse — another comment that garnered snickering from much of the audience at Wednesday's meeting.
Bernal invited opponents to take part in the forming of the ordinance, because, he said, there's room for nuance.
The question, however, isn't whether or not there will be an ordinance, Bernal said. It's what the local law will look like at the end.

subset: commoncrawl


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Sony NW-HD5 full review
Rejoice. Sony has finally relented and included MP3 playback on its Network Walkmans. This makes the NW-HD5 much more consumer-friendly, as it doesn't tie the user to Sony's proprietary Atrac format. It's also a tempting proposition because of its small size - for a hard-drive-based player - and 40-hour battery.
The NW-HD5 has a great industrial look, with its manly metallic finish and square buttons - even if the air of macho brutalism is slightly undercut by the scarlet colouring (it also comes in black and silver). And if we're completely honest, looking good is half the battle with an MP3 player. Unfortunately the other half, the 'playing music' bit, isn't as much of a breeze for the HD5. Shame.
You see, to get a tune out of the HD5 we had to load up the company's proprietary SonicStage software and let it marshall the tracks on a PC. This is annoying, because SonicStage isn't a patch on iTunes and made us feel bullied when we just wanted to listen to some songs.
We think the wheel on the iPod is ugly but you soon feel the loss of it when you have a hefty storage capacity, as is the case here. Sifting through hundreds of artists becomes a chore when you can only lean on a single button - it speeds up after a while but with a loss of control.
Sound quality is good but ditch the headphones and buy a decent pair. Battery life is a brilliant selling point, as is the fact that the cell is removable so it can be replaced when it dies. We even managed the promised 40 hours of playback in two tests, one at continuous top volume.
Sony NW-HD5: Specs
- Atrac/MP3 playback
- rechargeable lithium battery
- 40 hours of playback
- 1.5in LCD
- USB connection
- SonicStage 3.1 music management software
- 89x15x56mm
- 135g
Best prices today
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Mayor Norris runs for re-election
Charlottesville's red-headed mayor is looking for another term on City Council.
"I'm running because I have unfinished business to do, in a nutshell," says Dave Norris. "There are a lot of projects in the pipeline."
Top of the list would be a master plan to revitalize public housing. "That's the best opportunity to improve affordable housing and to change the dynamic of poverty in our community," he explains.
Norris is the executive director of PACEM, the organization of churches that provides shelter to the homeless during the winter months.
Kristin Szakos, who served as volunteer coordinator for President Obama's 2008 campaign, has already announced her candidacy for the May 9 Democratic primary, which effectively determines who sits on City Council in Dem-heavy Charlottesville, although voters will go through the motions of formalizing that in the general election in November. Councilor Julian Taliaferro, who ran with Norris in 2006, has not announced whether he'll seek another term.
"They're both friends of mine," says Norris of the possible three-way race for two seats on Council. "Competition is good. I welcome competition."
After more than three years in office, the issue Norris never saw coming when he ran in 2006 was the water supply controversy. "We thought we had that problem fixed," he says. "It never came up in the 2006 campaign. I spent more time on that in the past year than any other issue."
20 comments
I am thrilled that this young man is willing to continue his energies on behalf of all of us on City Council.
Please find us a better candidate than this, someone who won't raise taxes during a depression, someone fiscally responsible, please!
Jeanne, I doubt he has the continued support of those citizens who still saw an 8% to 10% increase in their property values this year.
I have a house for sale in the county that was easily worth $350,000 just three years ago. I would be lucky to get $250,000 for it right now. And the county saw no reason to raise it's value at all. (Yeah, I know... they're simply going to raise the tax rate rather than insult my intelligence by raising it's value this year. But the county is doing it in such a manner so as to at least make me feel a little better!)
Sick, how is the mayor responsible for an increase in property assessments? That is a function of the city's real estate assessor's office and the assessment must hew close to the market according to state law.
Anyone that feels that their assessment should not have gone up can appeal their assessment and, if their claim is legitimate, their assessment will modified in their favor. It happens all the time.
However, absolutely none of that has anything to do with the elected officials of the city government.
Billy Bob, because people think city council is in control, that's why. Most people don't understand the way the government operates on any level. Starting right at the top, I'll bet you less than 1% of the population could tell you who takes over if both the president and vice president were to become disabled or die today. Coming down the ladder, I suspect 10% of he population in Virginia probably can't even tell you who the Lt. Governor is or what he does. And on the local level, they blame City Council for anything that happens.
billy bob, the state allows each locality to choose between two methods of determining fair market value for the purposes of real estate tax valuation, individual inspection or neighborhood flat-rate neighborhood application. Since Charlottesville chooses the latter, many people who took their houses off of the market last year because their homes didn't sell are angry that their valuations went up because a neighbor was able to sell his home. When people are forced to sell their homes for less than they paid for them five years ago yet their assessments have been going up by double digits since they bought the houses, they feel they should get a rebate from the city on all of the taxes they've paid. The neighborhood appiication method doesn't work well in times like these.
Cville eye, even using the individual inspection method, the assessments have to match the market. It doesn't matter which process the city uses to arrive at the market value, but that it does arrive at the market value. The county uses individual inspection and, when the market went up, so did the assessments. Now that the county's market has gone down, so have the assessments.
You point out that the actual sale prices have gone up in the city. The city is following state law by having the assessments match that increase.
It's not the mayor's fault. Regardless, if the property assessments did not go up, they probably would have raised the tax rate so it's kind of a moot point.
I live in C'ville and the assessment of my property went up dramatically. I went through the simple process of having the assessors office reevaluate my taxes, and feel I received a fair reduction in my assessment. I would suggest that if you are unhappy with the RE assessment then contest it. It really is a simple process, and they are very fair.
I believe that Mayor Norris is a sincere man. He has so far lived up to the platform on which he ran.
My assessment went from $24,000 to $32,000...a 33.33333333333333% increase. Ostensibly, it was because I added a porta-potty to my living room along the tracks on East Market. I tried to claim medical reasons, as my voluptuous wife is having some incontinence issues, but the city would not aquiesce. Then I tried a tact that I thought would resonate with the Cville fathers...the "enviro-green" argument. You see, my wife used to do her business behind the Pit Stop (best burgers in town) in a hole I'd dug adjacent to the headstone shop (NOT head shop, you weedheads!); however, with our diet of bear claws and food throwaways from the Mexican market on East Market Street (you know, old salsa, re-re-re-refried beans, etc.), my little hole was becoming a ground water issues. Still no leeway from the city.
I used to think there were too many "S's" in "assessor," but not any more.
I am at a loss, except to vote out Mayor Norris and Julian Toliver..or McTolly...to Talisowicz...or Tolektov...or Talipopolous...gosh, what does he want us to call him this election? He didn't like his Italian name when we was running, so I don't know which sobriquet he wants this year.
"I don't want someone in the White House who has kids at home who desperately need them..."
Just thought I'd point out that Obama is a parent of young children as well.
I don't get the feeling you're a John McCain supporter, but unless you want to tackle the monster of explaining why there's a difference for fathers, or want to come out and blatantly say that parents of special needs children should all stay at home, it sounds like you're ironically making a case for the old guy.
I find it ironic how you want society to legislate standards because someone who will have the resources to provide may not have enough one on one time with their challeneged child.
The problem is if we set up those standards the economy would collapse from all of the kids in foster care.
Look no further than Charlottesville to see neglectful and incompetent parents.
Quit your whinning you high end person of affluence. All person running for office have children so waht makes you so different. It was your choice to have children and your choice to take care of them and operate a business. I don't have a nanny or house manager.
"Here's what I was doing when my kid was five months old: I was at home. Hating it. Telling myself that I was not cut out to be at home." And you've got the gall to talk about somebody else. Maybe you collapsed when you did not have the children you wanted, but that doesn't mean world should stop. Grow up!
There are other reasons families with special needs children may not want Gov. Palin and Sen. McCain in the White House. See the candidates' positions and plans at http://www.specialneeds08.blogspot.com
"I have a nanny, a house manager, (and a cleaning woman who shows up every day)." Sounds rough. News flash: Even the most "perfect" babies are not capable of changing their own diapers and feeding themselves. They aren't all that great at discussing what they just heard on NPR, either. Pay your nanny well ... sounds like the kids really need her. I'm not a fan of Palin's policies, but at least now there is someone in the running for a worse mother.
The Palin's parenting obligations and skills are the least of our worries. I don't choose a surgeon on the basis of his family life and values, I choose him/her on the basis of the highest level of expertise and success.
Parents can opt to raise children at home with or without help (nannie/spouses/relatives), send them to day care, home school them or send them out to schools - public or private. What I object to is their taking the children to work if their elected officials. I think it's too distracting to try to care for children and provide taxpayers full attention to the issues. If they're not public officials, then the arrangements are between them and their employers or between them and them if thy have their own businesses.
I agree that the Palins have a very full plate right now and I really do not like her, but I am surprised by this article. Many of us have had to deal with very harsh realities without benefit of any help.
I really question Ms. Trunk's ability to cope if she feels she has such a tough time with a nanny, a house manager AND a cleaning lady. As much as I dislike Sarah Palin, perhaps she can at least cope with her family situation and work better than Ms. Trunk can cope with hers.
oh my word! what a sore subject...
it would be different if she were indeed the best person for the job. it would be different if it had been her plan to be on the presidential ticket at the time she got pregnant. but it wasn't.
first there was the special needs child. and then there was the dismissal of said child because the republicans wanted to get the female vote - they didn't even pick her because it was the best thing for us, the american people! they only chose her as a ploy to win. and she went for it instead of taking care of her already over-loaded family!! look, if she genuinely were the *best* candidate for the job, then i would be able to look past this hoopla. but she isn't. in the event that john mcain dies (as the elderly are prone to do) is this the person you want representing the united states of america?
oh, my.
I'm by no means a fan of the McCain/Palin ticket, but this article sounds way too much like "a woman's place is in the home".
Besides, with their chinese-scroll worth of platforms, policies, and opinions with which I don't agree, Ms. Palin's competence as a wife and mother is not my chief gripe.


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By Chris Wright
Portugal and Holland have both got new away kits, both are supremely smart…
According to the Nike blurb, Portugal's svelte black strip is apparently inspired by the volcanic basalt rock that is used extensively in construction throughout the country while Holland's immaculate white, red and blue kit is inspired by Dutch football's "relationship with geometry and space."
Who could argue with that?
Pies have a penchant for unfussy black-on-black kits so Portugal's new'n is an instant winner with us, and we seriously can't remember the last Holland strip we didn't like. This 2013 effort is no exception. Love it.
Any thoughts folks?


text: At Lexington Medical Center, we are pulling out all the stops when it comes to promoting heart health in 2013. We've produced a new television commercial designed to make a big impact. Within the commercial, the viewer meets his or her future heart attack. The concept for the commercial involves the personification of the heart attack, i.e., the heart attack as a person. It speaks to us and tells several important truths about the bad lifestyle choices many of us make that may lead to a heart attack. We're proud to share our new commercial with you below:


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Videos | August 24, 2007
News From Saturn
How were Saturn's famous rings formed? Cassini is helping scientists look for answers. Plus, upcoming flybys of Saturn's moons Titan and Iapetus.
Transcript:Hello, I'm Powtawche Williams. Welcome to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. I'm a Maneuver Analyst on the Cassini Navigation Team. Here's how you can think of my job. I'm the person in the car with the map, giving the driver directions and estimating how much gas is left in the tank on a road trip. The navigation team plays a similar role for the Cassini spacecraft, as it flies around Saturn.
Cassini scientists are trying to figure out how Saturn's famous rings were formed. The G-ring is one of the outer rings, near the heavily-cratered moon Mimas. Cassini scientists say this G-ring was likely produced by large, icy particles within a bright arc on the inner edge. The large icy particles are stuck by tiny meteoroids to create smaller, finer particles swept out by Saturn's plasma drifting from the arc, filling in the ring.
Cassini flew by Saturn's moon, Titan on July 19. One of the objectives was to determine the nature and surface composition of a location just west of the Huygens landing site. Scientists also checked out seasonal changes on the moon. On August 31 we'll be returning for another flyby of Titan. It'll be an opportunity for us to get images of Titan's surface, near the Huygens landing site.
On September 10th, we'll make our closest flyby ever of one of Saturn's most intriguing moons Iapetus. Half of it looks as dark as asphalt, while the other half appears bright as snow. We'll be taking high-resolution observations, so scientists can study the boundary between the light and dark regions. They'll also check out the mountainous ridge discovered by Cassini in December 2004.
All pretty exciting stuff. I'm Powtawche Williams from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory with your Cassini update.


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I am using Windows 7 x64 and I am installing UltraVNC v126.96.36.199.2 for the first time.
During the install, I am asked if I want to install the 'Optional non-GPL Mirror Driver 1.0.5'? The blurb says:
It works for W2000, XP and Vista.
There is no mention of Windows 7. Is this because no one has updated the installer screens for, like, years? Or is the driver incompatible with Windows 7? Either way, the installer screens are very unclear.
So, should I install it on Windows 7?


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Nearly 20 years ago, O.J. Simpson's lawyer, Johnnie Cochran, famously said of a bloody black glove, "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit." Now a professor says that the defense tampered with the glove, which did not appear to fit. NBC's Diana Alvear reports.
A member of O.J. Simpson's defense team has rebuffed claims that lead defense attorney Johnnie Cochran tampered with a key piece of evidence in order to help Simpson walk away from his Los Angeles murder trial a free man 17 years ago, the Los Angeles Times reported on Saturday.
Former Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Christopher Darden on Thursday accused Simpson's defense lawyer, the late Johnnie Cochran, of "manipulating" one of the infamous gloves that the prosecution said linked Simpson to the grisly double murder of his former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
After Simpson struggled to fit the gloves on his hands -- in one of the defining moments of the racially charged trial that captivated the nation -- Cochran famously admonished the jury, "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit."
On Saturday, attorney Shawn Holley told the Los Angeles Times in a statement:
"As members of the defense team, Carl Douglas and I were present in court on the day that Chris Darden asked O.J. Simpson to try on the glove ... Mr. Darden's self-serving assertion that Johnnie Cochran tampered with the glove -- or any piece of evidence -- is false, malicious and slanderous ... Almost 20 years later, it seems Mr. Darden is still trying to exculpate himself from one of the biggest blunders in the history of jurisprudence."
Msnbc's Thomas Roberts speaks with William Dear, a private investigator who authored the new book "OJ Simpson Is Innocent and I Can Prove It."
'I think Johnnie tore the lining'
On Thursday, during a panel discussion about the trial at Pace Law School in New York City, Darden, a member of the prosecution team, declared: "I think Johnnie tore the lining. There were some additional tears in the lining so that O.J.'s fingers couldn't go all the way up into the glove."
Darden said in a follow-up interview on Friday that he noticed that when Simpson was trying on a glove for the jury its structure appeared to have changed. "A bailiff told me the defense had it during the lunch hour." He said he wasn't specifically accusing anyone, adding: "It's been my suspicion for a long time that the lining has been manipulated."
Related: Ex-prosecutor claims O.J. Simpson attorney tampered with glove
Related: O.J. Simpson appeals verdict to Nevada high court
He said he had previously voiced similar concerns in TV interviews, but could not recall the details.
Darden's charge surprised key participants in the trial and related legal action. Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz, who was a member of Simpson's defense team, and Paul Callan, who represented Nicole Brown Simpson's estate in a successful civil trial against Simpson, said it was the first time they had ever heard the allegation.
A civil jury in 1997 found Simpson liable for the deaths and ordered him to pay $33.5 million in damages to the murder victims' families. Simpson, the former National Football League star and Hollywood actor, is currently serving up to 33 years in prison for a 2007 armed robbery in which he claimed he was trying to recover his own sports memorabilia
On Friday, Dershowitz called the claim that the defense had an opportunity to tamper with the gloves "a total fabrication" and said "the defense doesn't get access to evidence except under controlled circumstances."
TODAY's Professionals — Star Jones, Nancy Snyderman, and Donny Deutsch — discuss controversial topics, including a new book claiming to prove O.J. Simpson's innocence and a study showing women work harder than their male colleagues.
Dershowitz said in a follow-up email that he "was certain" in this case that the defense team did not have access to the glove before it was tried on by Simpson in open court.
"Having made the greatest legal blunder of the 20th century," Dershowitz said of Darden, "he's trying to blame it on the dead man."
Reuters contributed to this report.
More world stories from NBC News:
- Pakistani Christian girl accused of blasphemy released on bail
- Video: Deadly bombing near NATO's Kabul headquarters
- Coral in Caribbean, Florida in sharp decline, 'no signs of slowing,' report finds
- Haqqanis: Terrorist designation adds to captured GI's 'woes'
- The Arab Spring is dead -- and Syria is writing its obituary
Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook


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Former PENTAGRAM Drummer Running For Political Office In Chile
Eduardo "Topo" Topelberg, former drummer of Chile's death metal legends PENTAGRAM, is running for political office. The 45-year-old former musician is hoping to become elected one of ten councilors of Ñuñoa, a commune of Chile located in Santiago Province, on October 28.
Topelberg's campaign jingle, which can be seen below, has had more than twenty thousand views in less than two weeks.
Asked why he stopped drumming, Topelberg told Paniko.cl, "I started to feel a pain in my right leg and I was diagnosed with neuropathy [nerve damage]. I had to stop playing and change some of my habits. I underwent gastric bypass surgery last year and lost 80 kilograms, Now I have two musical projects: OGRE, which performs covers of Camilo Sesto and other songs in Spanish, and my other band is ELECTROPÓNICO, a 'tango trash' project which I began before my trip to Buenos Aires and which I intend to finish mixing soon."
PENTAGRAM earlier in the year announced the addition of drummer Juan Pablo Donoso (SADISM, THORNAFIRE) to the group's ranks. The band's guitarist/vocalist Anton Reisenegger explained at the time, "We all love Eduardo dearly and we wish him nothing but the best, but my impression is that playing drums is just not a priority for him anymore. I sincerely hope he proves me wrong in the future, as he will always be part of the PENTAGRAM family, but we needed a change if we wanted to move forward."


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Aachen is a city that lives and breathes Europe. It is practically Europe in miniature. Aachen, on the border with Belgium and the Netherlands, has encapsulated the spirit, values and ideals of Europe since the days of Charlemagne. Indeed the Charlemagne Prize for services to European unity has been awarded at Aachen's town hall since 1950.
Aachen Cathedral is both a local landmark and a monument to Europe's illustrious past. After starting out life as the imperial palace's chapel in 800 AD (the year of Charlemagne's coronation), the completed building became the first cathedral in northern Europe and for many centuries served as the church of coronation for nearly every German king. The term 'completed' is open to interpretation, however, since the cathedral has been extended numerous times, including the addition of the great chancel in 1414 – a Gothic masterpiece whose windows reach an impressive 27 metres in height, making them the tallest ever at that time. The cathedral's treasury is the most important north of the Alps and features precious artefacts such as the Cross of Lothair, a silver and gold bust of Charlemagne and the shrine in which Charlemagne was supposedly interred in 814 AD. Both the cathedral and its treasury are among the highlights on the Charlemagne Route, the historical path that winds through Aachen. The route takes in a series of eye-catching buildings, including Haus Löwenstein (a former residence and inn) and the Büchelpalais, which until 1752 served as the local corn exchange. Every checkpoint on the route focuses on a different topic: history, science, Europe, religion, power, business and media. It's a wonder there's not an equestrian-themed checkpoint, given how passionate the locals are for this noble sport. The annual Concours Hippique International Officiel is among the leading equestrian tournaments worldwide. It's just one of numerous major events in the city, many of which are held in the equestrian arena before a crowd of 50,000 enthusiastic spectators.
Aachen is also renowned for its relaxed atmosphere, best experienced on a stroll through the historical streets. There's a charming contrast between the grand old buildings dotted along the Charlemagne Route and the lively buzz supplied by 45,000 students from all corners of the globe. They give the city a vibrant yet laid-back character that everyone seems to be enjoying wherever you look – evidence of Aachen's cosmopolitan flair and yet another reason to wander around the city centre, walking back through the centuries. Aachen Town Hall, built on the site of the old imperial palace in the 14th century, is another firm favourite for sightseers. It was later converted into a grand baroque palace during the city's prosperous heyday. Just next door is the Postwagen, a refined restaurant that has been welcoming visitors through its doors for centuries. Over on Pontstrasse, inside the Grosses Haus – believed to be the oldest residential block in Aachen – you'll find the International Newspaper Museum featuring many fascinating exhibits. The museum now explores the wider media and its collection includes more than 200,000 newspapers and other printed matter from all over the world and in (almost) every language, demonstrating the transience of history and how today's headlines become tomorrow's chip papers. Whereas at the Ludwig Forum for International Art, the works on display are always contemporary, with genres ranging from pop art to photorealism. Throughout the ages, however, one thing has remained constant in Aachen: its European ethos. You can't fail to notice that when you arrive in Aachen, you arrive in Europe.
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This chapter describes tasks that you must perform after you have installed the database software. It includes information about the following topics:
You must perform the tasks listed in "Required Postinstallation Tasks". Oracle recommends that you perform the tasks listed in "Recommended Postinstallation Tasks" after all installations.
If you install and intend to use any of the products listed in "Required Product-Specific Postinstallation Tasks", then you must perform the tasks listed in the product-specific sections.
Note:This chapter describes basic configuration only. See Oracle Database Administrator's Guide, Oracle Database Administrator's Reference for Linux and UNIX-Based Operating Systems and product-specific administration and tuning guides for more detailed configuration and tuning information.
See Also:"Post-installation Database Configuration" section in Oracle Configuration Manager Installation and Administration Guide
Perform the following task after completing the Oracle Database installation:
Check the My Oracle Support website for required patch updates for your installation.
To download required patches:
Use a web browser to view the My Oracle Support website:
Log in to My Oracle Support.
Note:If you are not a My Oracle Support registered user, click Register here and follow the registration instructions.
On the main My Oracle Support page, click the Patches and Updates tab.
In the Patch Search group, select Product or Family (Advanced).
In the Product field, select Oracle Database.
In the Release field select the release number. For example, Oracle 18.104.22.168.1.
Click Search.
Any available patch updates are displayed in the Patch Search page.
Select the patch number and click ReadMe. The README page is displayed and contains information about the patch set and how to apply the patches to your installation.
Return to the Patch Search page, click Download, and save the file on your system.
Use the unzip utility provided with Oracle Database 11g release 1 (11.1) to uncompress the Oracle patch updates that you downloaded from My Oracle Support. The unzip utility is located in the
$ORACLE_HOME/bin directory.
Oracle recommends that you perform the tasks described in the following section after completing an installation:
Creating and Configuring Additional Operating System Accounts
Oracle recommends that you back up the
root.sh script after you complete an installation. If you install other products in the same Oracle home directory, then Oracle Universal Installer updates the contents of the existing
root.sh script during the installation. If you require information contained in the original
root.sh script, then you can recover it from the backed up
root.sh file.
Oracle recommends that you run the
utlrp.sql script after creating or upgrading a database. This script recompiles all PL/SQL modules that might be in an invalid state, including packages, procedures, and types. This is an optional step but Oracle recommends that you do it during installation and not at a later date.
See Also:Oracle Database Upgrade Guide
To run the
utlrp.sql script, follow these steps:
Switch the user to
Use the
oraenv or
coraenv script to set the environment for the database where you want to run the
utlrp.sql script:
Bourne, Bash, or Korn shell:
$ . /usr/local/bin/oraenv
C shell:
% source /usr/local/bin/coraenv
When prompted, provide the
SID for the database.
Start SQL*Plus, as follows:
$ sqlplus / AS SYSDBA
Start the database in restricted mode and run the
utlrp.sql script:
SQL> @?/rdbms/admin/utlrp.sql
If required, create additional operating system accounts. Users must be members of the OSDBA or OSOPER groups to connect to the database with administrator privileges.
Update the startup files of the
oracle user and the operating system accounts of Oracle users, specifying the appropriate environment variables in the environment file.
For the Bourne, Bash, or Korn shell, add the environment variables to the
.profile file, or the
.bash_profile file for the Bash shell .
For the C shell, add the environment variables to the
.login file.
Note:You can use the
oraenv or
coraenv script to ensure that Oracle user accounts are updated.
NLS_LANG is an environment variable that specifies the locale behavior for Oracle software. This variable sets the language and territory used by the client application and the database server. It also declares the character set of the client, which is the character set of data entered or displayed by an Oracle client program, such as SQL*Plus.
See Also:Appendix F, "Configuring Oracle Database Globalization Support" for more information about the
NLS_LANG environment variable
The client static library (
libclntst11.a) is not generated during installation. To link the applications to the client static library, you must first generate it as follows:
Switch the user to
Set the
ORACLE_HOME environment variable to specify the Oracle home directory used by the Oracle Database installation, for example:
Bourne, Bash, or Korn shell:
$ ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1 $ export ORACLE_HOME
C shell:
% setenv ORACLE_HOME /u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1
Enter the following command:
$ $ORACLE_HOME/bin/genclntst
Use the following guidelines only if the default semaphore parameter values are too low to accommodate all Oracle processes:
Note:Oracle recommends that you see the operating system documentation for more information about setting semaphore parameters.
Calculate the minimum total semaphore requirements using the following formula:
sum (process parameters of all database instances on the system) + overhead for background processes + system and other application requirements
semmns (total semaphores systemwide) to this total.
semmsl (semaphores per set) to 250.
semmni (total semaphores sets) to
semmsl rounded up to the nearest multiple of 1024.
During installation, by default you can create one disk group. If you plan to add an Oracle Database for a standalone server, then you should create the fast recovery area for database files.
The fast recovery area is a unified storage location for all Oracle Database files related to recovery. Database administrators can define the
DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST parameter to the path for the fast recovery area to enable on-disk backups and rapid recovery of data. Enabling rapid backups for recent data can reduce requests to system administrators to retrieve backup tapes for recovery operations.
When you enable fast recovery in the
init.ora file, Oracle Database writes all RMAN backups, archive logs, control file automatic backups, and database copies to the fast recovery area. RMAN automatically manages files in the fast recovery area by deleting obsolete backups and archiving files no longer required for recovery.
Oracle recommends that you create a fast recovery area disk group. Oracle Clusterware files and Oracle Database files can be placed on the same disk group, and you can also place fast recovery files in the same disk group. However, Oracle recommends that you create a separate fast recovery disk group to reduce storage device contention.
The fast recovery area is enabled by setting the
DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST parameter. The size of the fast recovery area is set with
_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST_SIZE. As a general rule, the larger the fast recovery area, the more useful it becomes. For ease of use, Oracle recommends that you create a fast recovery area disk group on storage devices that can contain at least three days of recovery information. Ideally, the fast recovery area is large enough to hold a copy of all of your data files and control files, the online redo logs, and the archived redo log files needed to recover your database using the data file backups kept under your retention policy.
Multiple databases can use the same fast recovery area. For example, assume you have created a fast recovery area disk group on disks with 150 GB of storage, shared by 3 different databases. You can set the size of the fast recovery for each database depending on the importance of each database. For example, if
database1 is your least important database,
database2 is of greater importance and
database3 is of greatest importance, then you can set different
DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST_SIZE settings for each database to meet your retention target for each database: 30 GB for
database1, 50 GB for
database2, and 70 GB for
To create a fast recovery file disk group:
Go to the Grid home bin directory, and start ASM Configuration Assistant (ASMCA), for example:
$ cd /u01/grid/bin $ ./asmca
ASMCA opens at the Disk Groups tab. Click Create to create a new disk group.
The Create Disk Groups window opens.
In the Disk Group Name field, enter a descriptive name for the fast recovery area group. For example:
In the Redundancy section, select the level of redundancy you want to use.
In the Select Member Disks field, select eligible disks to be added to the fast recovery area, and click OK.
The Diskgroup Creation window opens to inform you when disk group creation is complete. Click OK.
Click Exit.
When you install Oracle Database, some options are enabled and others are disabled. To enable or disable a particular database feature for an Oracle home, shut down the database and use the
chopt tool. See Example 5-1.
chopt tool is a command-line utility that is located in the
bin directory. The syntax for
chopt is:
chopt [ enable | disable] db_option
The possible values for
db_option are described in the following table:
|Oracle Data Mining RDBMS Files
|Oracle Database Vault
|Oracle Label Security
|Oracle OLAP
|Oracle Partitioning
|Oracle Real Application Testing
|Oracle Database Extensions for .NET 1.x
|Oracle Database Extensions for .NET 2.0
Oracle recommends that you run the Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) Configuration Audit Tool (RACcheck) to check your Oracle Database installation. RACcheck is an Oracle RAC auditing tool that checks various important configuration settings within Oracle Real Application Clusters, Oracle Clusterware, Oracle Automatic Storage Management, Oracle Database single instance, Oracle Restart and the Oracle Grid Infrastructure environment.
Oracle recommends that you download and run the latest version of RACcheck from My Oracle Support. For information about downloading, configuring and running RACcheck utility, refer to My Oracle Support note 1268927.1:
The following sections describe product-specific postinstallation tasks that you must perform if you install and intend to use the products mentioned:
Note:You need only perform postinstallation tasks for products that you intend to use.
If you have an earlier release of Oracle software installed on this system, you might want to copy information from the Oracle Net
tnsnames.ora and
listener.ora configuration files from the earlier release to the corresponding files for the new release.
The following sections describe about how to configure the Oracle Net Services:
Note:The default location for the
tnsnames.ora and
listener.ora files is the
$ORACLE_HOME/network/admin/ directory. However, you can also use a central location for these files.
Modifying the listener.ora File
If you are upgrading from a previous release of Oracle Database, Oracle recommends that you use the current release of Oracle Net listener instead of the listener from the previous release.
If you have referenced the previous Oracle home directory names in the static listener information, then these directory names must be modified before the
listener.ora file can be used in the 11.2 environment.
To use the listener from the current release, copy the static service information from the
listener.ora file from the previous release to the version of that file used by the new release.
For any database instances earlier than release 8.0.3, add static service information to the
listener.ora file. Oracle Database releases later than release 8.0.3 do not require static service information.
Modifying the tnsnames.ora File
Unless you are using a central
tnsnames.ora file, copy Oracle Net Services names and connect descriptors from the earlier release
tnsnames.ora file to the version of that file used by the new release.
If necessary, you can also add connection information for additional database instances to the new file.
If you installed Oracle Label Security, you must configure it in a database before you use it. You can configure Oracle Label Security in two ways; with Oracle Internet Directory integration and without Oracle Internet Directory integration. If you configure Oracle Label Security without Oracle Internet Directory integration, you cannot configure it to use Oracle Internet Directory at a later stage.
Note:To configure Oracle Label Security with Oracle Internet Directory integration, Oracle Internet Directory must be installed in your environment and the Oracle database must be registered in the directory.
See Also:Oracle Label Security Administrator's Guide for more information about Oracle Label Security enabled with Oracle Internet Directory
If you install Oracle Database Vault, then you must register it in a database. Ensure that you create the Database Vault Owner and, optionally, Database Vault Account Manager administrative accounts before you can use it.
See Also:Oracle Database Vault Administrator's Guide for information about registering Oracle Database Vault
Oracle Messaging Gateway, an Oracle Database Advanced Queuing feature, requires additional configuration after you install Oracle Database if you plan to use Oracle Database Advanced Queuing.
See Also:Oracle Streams Advanced Queuing User's Guide to configure Oracle Messaging Gateway and for additional instructions about configuring the
tnsnames.ora, and
mgw.ora files
This section describes postinstallation tasks for Oracle precompilers:
Note:All precompiler configuration files are located in the
$ORACLE_HOME/precomp/admin directory.
Verify that the
PATH environment variable setting includes the directory that contains the C compiler executable.
The following table shows the default directories and the appropriate command to verify the path setting of the compiler.
Verify that the PATH environment variable setting includes the directory that contains the FORTRAN compiler executable. You can verify the path setting by using the
whichf95 command. The path for the FORTRAN executable is
Oracle recommends that you configure and use a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to ensure that passwords and other sensitive data are not transmitted in clear text in HTTP requests.
See Also:Oracle Database Advanced Security Administrator's Guide for more information about configuring and using SSL
An Oracle Text knowledge base is a hierarchical tree of concepts used for theme indexing, ABOUT queries, and deriving themes for document services. If you plan to use any of these Oracle Text features, then you can install two supplied knowledge bases (English and French).
See Also:
Oracle Text Reference for information about creating and extending knowledge bases, such as extending the supplied knowledge bases to accommodate your requirements, or creating your own knowledge bases in languages other than English and French
See Oracle XML DB Developer's Guide for more information about the following tasks:
Reinstalling Oracle XML DB
Configuring or customizing the Oracle XML DB tablespace
Configuring FTP, HTTP/WebDAV port numbers
See Also:Appendix A of Oracle XML DB Developer's Guide
Many Oracle products and options must be configured before you use them for the first time. Before using individual Oracle products or options, see the appropriate guide in the product documentation library.
See Also:
With Oracle Database 11g, instead of using the operating system kernel NFS client, you can configure Oracle Database to access NFS V3 servers directly using an Oracle internal Direct NFS Client. If Oracle Database cannot open an NFS server using Direct NFS Client, then Oracle Database uses the platform operating system kernel NFS client. In this case, the kernel NFS mount options must be set up as defined in "Checking NFS Buffer Size Parameters". Additionally, an informational message is logged in the Oracle alert and trace files indicating that Direct NFS Client could not be established.
The Oracle files available on the NFS server that are served by the Direct NFS Client are also accessible through the operating system kernel NFS client. The usual considerations for maintaining integrity of the Oracle files apply in this situation.
Some NFS file servers require NFS clients to connect using reserved ports. If your filer is running with reserved port checking, then you must disable it for Direct NFS Client to operate. To disable reserved port checking, see your NFS file server documentation.
For NFS servers that restrict port range, you can use the insecure option to enable clients other than root to connect to the NFS server. Alternatively, you can disable Direct NFS Client as described in "Disabling Direct NFS Client."
Direct NFS Client may require up to four network paths defined for an NFS server. The Direct NFS Client performs load balancing across all specified paths. If a specified path fails, then Direct NFS Client reissues I/O commands over any remaining paths.
The following sections elaborate on enabling, disabling, checking the buffer size for a Direct NFS Client:
By default Direct NFS Client serves mount entries found in
/etc/mnttab. No other configuration is required. You can use
oranfstab to specify additional Oracle Database specific options to Direct NFS Client. For example, you can use
oranfstab to specify additional paths for a mount point.
A new Oracle Database specific file
oranfstab can be added to either
/var/opt/oracle or to
$ORACLE_HOME/dbs. When
oranfstab is placed in
$ORACLE_HOME/dbs, its entries are specific to a single database. However, when
oranfstab is placed in
/var/opt/oracle, then it is global to all Oracle databases, and hence can contain mount points for all Oracle databases.
Note:Direct NFS Client does not work and falls back to the traditional kernel NFS path if the back-end NFS server does not support a write size (
wtmax) of 32768 or larger.
Direct NFS Client determines mount point settings to NFS storage devices based on the configurations in
/etc/mnttab. Direct NFS Client looks for the mount point entries in the following order:
It uses the first matched entry as the mount point.
Oracle Database requires that mount points be mounted by the kernel NFS system even when served through Direct NFS Client.
Complete the following procedure to enable Direct NFS Client:
You can optionally create an
oranfstab file with the following attributes for each NFS server to be accessed using Direct NFS Client:
Server: The NFS server name.
Path: Up to four network paths to the NFS server, specified either by IP address, or by name, as displayed using the
ifconfig command on the filer.
Local: Up to four local paths on the database host, specified by IP address or by name, as displayed using the
ifconfig command run on the database host.
Export: The exported path from the NFS server.
Mount: The corresponding local mount point for the exported volume.
Dontroute: Specifies that outgoing messages should not be routed by the operating system, but sent using the IP address they are bound to. Please note that this attribute does not work on Linux with multiple paths in the same subnet.
mnt_timeout: Specifies (in seconds) the time for which Direct NFS Client should wait for a successful mount before timing out. This parameter is optional and the default timeout is 10 minutes.
management: Enables Direct NFS Client to use the management interface for SNMP queries. You can use this parameter if SNMP is running on separate management interfaces on the NFS server. The default value is the server parameter value.
community: Specifies the community string for use in SNMP queries. The default value is
The following is an example of an
oranfstab file with two NFS server entries:
server: MyDataServer1 local: 184.108.40.206 path: 22.214.171.124 local: 220.127.116.11 path: 22.214.171.124 dontroute export: /vol/oradata1 mount: /mnt/oradata1
server: MyDataServer2 local: LocalPath1 path: NfsPath1 local: LocalPath2 path: NfsPath2 local: LocalPath3 path: NfsPath3 local: LocalPath4 path: NfsPath4 dontroute export: /vol/oradata2 mount: /mnt/oradata2 export: /vol/oradata3 mount: /mnt/oradata3 export: /vol/oradata4 mount: /mnt/oradata4 export: /vol/oradata5 mount: /mnt/oradata5 management: MgmtPath1 community: private
Oracle Database is not shipped with Direct NFS Client enabled by default. To enable Direct NFS Client, complete the following steps:
Change the directory to
Enter the following command:
make -f ins_rdbms.mk dnfs_on
Complete the following steps to disable the Direct NFS Client:
Log in as the Oracle software installation owner, and disable Direct NFS Client using the following commands:
cd $ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/lib
make -f ins_rdbms.mk dnfs_off
Remove the
oranfstab file.
Note:If you remove an NFS path that Oracle Database is using, then you must restart the database for the change to take effect.
To enable Hybrid Columnar Compression (HCC) on Direct NFS Client, perform the following steps:
Ensure that SNMP is enabled on the ZFS storage server. For example:
$ snmpget -v1 -c public server_name .188.8.131.52.22.214.171.124.18.104.22.168.0
SNMPv2-SMI::enterprises.184.108.40.206.4.2.0 = STRING: "Sun Storage 7410"
If SNMP is enabled on an interface other than the NFS server, then configure
oranfstab using the
management parameter.
If SNMP is configured using a community string other than
public, then configure
oranfstab file using the
community parameter.
Ensure that
libnetsnmp.so is installed by checking if
snmpget is available.
If you are using NFS, then you must set the values for the NFS buffer size parameters
rsize and
wsize to at least 16384. Oracle recommends that you use the value 32768.
Direct NFS Client issues writes at
wtmax granularity to the NFS server.
For example, to use
rsize and
wsize buffer settings with the value 32768, then update the
/etc/vfstab file on each node with an entry similar to the following:
nfs_server:/vol/DATA/oradata /home/oracle/netapp nfs\ rw,bg,hard,nointr,rsize=32768,wsize=32768,tcp,actimeo=0,vers=3,timeo=600
Note:If you use NFS servers that restrict port range, you may need to mount the file system using the
insecure option:
(rw,no_root_squash, insecure)
Alternatively, see "Disabling Direct NFS Client".
Note:See your storage vendor documentation for additional information about mount options.


text:
The Charles Bridge of Prague
The Charles bridge is located in Prague, Czech Republic. Finished in the XV century, it is a medieval gothic bridge crossing the Vltava river. Its pillars are decorated with baroque statues of saints.
The Old Town Hall
The Old Town Hall, Prague, Czech Republic, is one of the most famous attractions in the city. It is located in Old Town Square, and holds third-oldest astronomical clock in the world.
The Castle of Prague
Constructed in the IX century, the castle of Prague is the largest ancient castle in the world and serves as the official residence of the President of the Czech Republic.
The arcches of the Charles Bridge
The cityscape of Prague
Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic. It is the largest city of the country and has founded during the Romanesque era. It is crossed by the Vltava river.
Back Windows of the St. Vitus Cathedral
The St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague, is a beautiful example of Gothic architecture and is the biggest and most important church in the Czech Republic.
The Charles Bridge Entrance
The Charles Bridge gateway
Little Quarter Bridge Tower is a beautiful gothic gateway. The gateway, the tower, along with Charles Bridge, were built by Emperor Charles IV in Prague, Czech Republic.
The Charles Bridge walkway
Entrance of the Castle of Prague
The Charles Bridge Statues
The bridge to the castle
The Charles bridge is located in Prague, Czech Republic. Finished in the XV century, it crosses the Vltava river, leading the castle of Prague.
On the Charles Bridge
The Old Town Square
The Old Town Square is the biggest square in Prague, Czech Republic. It hosts some of the local famous attractions: the Old Town Hall, the astronomical clock, and the Church of Our Lady before Tyn.


text:
At Sony Europe's Gamers Day event, the company took care to emphasize the "social gaming" angle it's pursuing. The company focused on "games where players of all ages socialize through gaming," pointing out EyeToy products, puzzle titles and Buzz!: Quiz TV, where groups can play trivia games on a variety of topics over PlayStation Network.
The overall message seems to highlight the PS3's diversity as an entertainment device, with the aim of appealing to an all-ages audience.
Full release follows the jump:
06/05/2008 17:30
Get closer to friends and family with PlayStation
London, 6th May 2008- With PlayStation, games have never been more family-friendly. We've created up the genre of 'social gaming': games where players of all ages socialise through gaming. For the kids and the young-at-heart, there are EyeToy® games that burn physical as well as mental energy. We've got puzzle games that everyone will want to try- whether at home or in the car - and we're also allowing you to take TV on the move. You can even team up as a family to challenge your overseas relatives to a round of online quizzing over PLAYSTATION®Network (PSN) - and when it comes to keeping in touch further, we've just given PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) video and voice chat capabilities.
PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™): the next generation system that brings you High Definition gaming, Blu-ray movies, internet browsing, music, TV and entry into the online community of PLAYSTATION Network.
Buzz!™: Quiz TV (PS3)
Buzz!: Quiz TV for PS3™ is the next-gen game that takes the Buzz! experience into the future and across the world via the online PLAYSTATION Network. Arriving this June, it'll give you instant access to quizzes on almost any subject you can think of, and will be supported by vast downloadable and user-generated content. The game's Blu-ray disc comes with wireless buzzers and contains a whopping 5000 questions, divided into five selectable channels to suit every quiz fanatic - it's a quiz where you choose the content. Not enough questions on your subject of choice? Write your own. New online quiz community MyBuzz!™ links directly from the internet to the game and allows players to write and upload personalised quizzes plus download quizzes created by other online players which suit their questioning needs. The disc is also your gateway to online gaming and content, connecting you to Sofa vs Sofa mode, in which you can team up with everyone at home to challenge up to three other teams of gamers online, as well as to extra downloadable quiz packs and quizzes written by other Buzz! users.
echochrome (PSP and PS3)
In echochrome, it's not what you see, it's the way that you see it - and the more pairs of eyes involved, the better your chances of solving the dozens of fiendish puzzles ahead. The world of echochrome consists of a series of crazy mazes inhabited by the endlessly wandering Walker, and your goal is to help him get where he wants to go - despite being faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles and hazards. The trick is to open your mind and let your imagination run riot: by rotating each maze and changing your perspective on the action, you might just be able to change reality... A brand new and brain-busting puzzle experience, echochrome will have you asking everyone you know: "Can you see the answer?"
PlayTV™ (PS3)
Television how, when and where you want it; Play TV lets you pause, rewind and record free-to-air digital television using your PS3 and, best of all - after a one-off payment for the peripheral, the service is completely free. End family squabbles as you watch one channel while recording another through a dual TV tuner, stream television anywhere using a wi-fi connected PSP or pause television should household events demand your attention - Play TV offers access to great TV without the pocket-punching bills this later this year.
Folding@home (PS3)
Developed by Stanford University, Folding@home uses the combined power of interlinked computers around the world to perform mathematical calculations that help with research into protein folding - research that could lead to breakthroughs in the fight against diseases such as Alzheimer's, CJD, Parkinson's and various forms of cancer. In 2006, it was realised that a network of interlinked PS3 processors could boost the project's output to unprecedented levels thanks to the power of the PS3's Cell processor. All you need to do to play a part in Folding@home is to select the project's icon in the Network column of the Cross-Media Bar (XMB), then leave your machine running.
PLAYSTATION®Network (PSN)
The online home of PS3, PLAYSTATION®Network is where you'll find some of PlayStation's most innovative and fun games for you to download at wallet-friendly prices. You'll also find downloadable extras, free online gaming, voice chat, video chat, web surfing and more.
Elefunk™ (PSN for PS3)
A herd of elephants needing safe guidance through a series of perilous levels requires a guide, so help steer the jungle giants to safety this May. Across 20 levels, create safe passage across ravines, rivers, fires, pits and swamps with the materials available to you. Plus, swap construction for Deconstruction in a specially designed multiplayer game where players must disassemble a structure as carefully as possible without letting the structure, or imperilled elephants, fall...
Buzz! Junior™ (PSN for PS3)
This summer, we're bringing the fun of the children's Buzz! Junior range to PSN with bundles of mini-games for PS3 owners to download at pocket money prices. Buzz! Junior titles offer all the fun, easy play of Buzz! controllers, but with wacky mini-games of skill and speed rather than trivia-based play - they're perfect for youngsters to play with friends and family. Buzz! Junior: Jungle Party will be the first to arrive on PSN in a download featuring five great mini-games from the original PS2 version - now in 720p High Definition; it'll be followed by similar downloads from Buzz! Junior: RoboJam and Buzz! Junior: Monster Rumble.
PixelJunk™ Eden (PSN for PS3)
After sowing seeds with its Racers and Monsters, PixelJunk puts down roots on PLAYSTATION®Network with PixelJunk Eden. Leap and swing between lush alien vegetation in a truly innovative platform game which constantly evolves over time as you move through the perfectly realised undergrowth, hunting treasures and smashing enemies from his path. Destroyed enemies scatter pollen across the landscape, which the player must collect and use to pollinate seed pods before using the new growth to progress further.
PlayStation®2 (PS2™): the world's best-selling entertainment system that offers you great gameplay and the biggest social gaming brands
EyeToy® Play: PomPom Party (PS2)
Limber-up for the first cheerleading game for PS2, which comes bundled with real pompoms to help every wannabe-cheerleader pull off some groovy moves. As you follow the directions on-screen and shake your pompoms to the music, the EyeToy Camera will detect your movements and score your routines. So keep that rhythm going, and soon the whole block will be bouncing to your cheers in EyeToy Play: PomPom Party - it's arriving in time for Christmas in late 2008.
EyeToy® Play: Hero (PS2)
The ultimate quest for all budding adventurers - embark on a fantastic journey through a colourful, exciting fantasy world. EyeToy Play: Hero includes its own toy sword for you to wield; the EyeToy Camera will detect your sword's movements as you perform feats of bravery throughout the land. Watch your adventure unfold on-screen, hone your swordplay, and maybe one day you'll be considered a true hero of the kingdom! It's arriving in time for Christmas in late 2008.
PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable): the handheld entertainment system that offers games, music, film, TV, communications, GPS mapping and more
Buzz!™: Master Quiz (PSP)
Turning PSP into the ultimate social gaming experience, Buzz! makes his handheld debut in Buzz!: Master Quiz. Keep friends and family amused and entertained on the move, on holiday or on the bus as Buzz! hits the road, free from its front-room beginnings. Play solo or get involved with new multiplayer rounds such as Pass Around (which enables six players to play Buzz! with just one PSP!). The ultimate PlayStation quiz experience has hit the road - are you along for the ride this July?
Go!Messenger™ (PSP)
Keep in touch using your PSP with a revolutionary new addition, which turns your handheld system into a wireless communication tool featuring video chat, voice chat and instant messaging. It allows PSP owners to instant message each other- then, just add a headset and voice messaging and voice calls become possible. Add Go!Cam, the USB camera for PSP, and video calls and video messaging become a possibility. Go!Messenger is out now - it's another reason why PSP is becoming a travel essential.
Skype, the online communication software that allows Internet users to call each other free of charge*, has now arrived on the new Slim and Light PSP. Talk to any one of the hundred million Skype users worldwide with free voice calls, managing your contacts list and checking which of your friends are online via your PSP. You can opt into the SkypeOut and SkypeIn features, which connect Skype callers with landline and mobile users - and you can do all of this from any wireless hotspot - anywhere in the world.


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Shorty is a WordPress plugin for creating a minimalistic URL shortener service.
- Can embed an URL shortener form into pages or posts, including custom post types.
- Adds an URL shortener to the admin area.
- You can use a shortcode, PHP API or a widget.
- 5 styles – Basic, Minimal, Metro, Plastic, Goo.
- Stores different users' shortened urls and stats privately.
- Users don't need to be logged in to track their shortened URLs.
- Auto-updatable.
- You can use a separate short domain separate from your usual one.
- Feel free to ask for new features!
- Custom URLs available from 1.0.2 release.
- Automatic post's URL shortening on publishing (domain.com/month/day/postname can become d.com/s3d4). Available from 1.0.2 release.
- Configurable REFERER tracking available from 1.0.3
- You can redirect users to an advertisement page before showing shortened URLs to earn some cash. Minimal efforts required to do that (changing one option and using a shortcode).
A problem with HTTPS
Recently, a lot of people are reporting problems when using Shorty with HTTPS. That happens because the CodeCanyon download is somehow broken. If you've faced with such an issue – just drop me a private message and I'll send you a correct version.
Shorty was only released a couple of days ago. I am doing my best to make it flawless, but bugs happen. If you faced one – feel free to ask at the Comments tab or contacting me directly. I mostly respond within the same day and fix problems pretty fast.
System requirements
- WordPress 3.1. WordPress 3.3 or above is recommended.
- Minimum required PHP version is 5.2.
- IE8+, modern versions of Firefox, Safari, Chrome, Opera supported.
- Shorty adds an "URL shortener" widget that can shorten current page url and allows to copy it. You can add it to the widgetized area using Appearance -> Widgets section of the admin area.
- use [shorty] shortcode to show a full url shortener form at any page or post. Parameters available are: skin – one of "basic", "minimal", "plastic", "metro" or "goo" – selects a skin used. Default value is set at the settings page. table – "true" to show a table with previous urls shortened, false to hide it. use_current_url – if the form should default to current page url button_text – "Shorten" button alternate text url_placeholder – a placeholder for URL field. "http://" by default
- use [short_url] shortcode to show a shortened url for the current page.
- use [shorty_this] shortcode to show a "shorten this page url" link skin – one of "basic", "minimal", "plastic", "metro" or "goo" – selects a skin used. Default value is set at the settings page. stats – "true" to show a table with previous urls shortened, false to hide it. button_text – "Shorten" button alternate text
- use [shortlink] shortcode to create a shortlink. It will work pretty much the same way as A tag does:
is a shortlink to Google[/google]
The result will look the next way:
This is a shortlink to Google
- use <?php $shortened = sho_shorten('your url') ?> to receive a shortened version of any url.
= Installation =
- Unzip the archive (probably, you have already done that :)).
- Copy `shorty` directory to wp-content/plugins subdirectory at your wordpress installation.
- Activate Shorty plugin from the WordPress admin panel by clicking Plugins, then "activate" next to Shorty plugin.
- The plugin is active! You probably will want to change some settings.
- Log in as admin (probably you already are).
- Go to Settings -> Shorty, change what you need to be changed.
- Feel free to ask for support! My email is firstname.lastname@example.com and usually I respond on the same day.


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CineXpress 48HFP was created to connect, inspire, educate and enrich the experience of the Ibero-American filmmakers of The 48 Hour Film Project with topics related to cinema in Ibero America and the world. more info
The Ibero America 48HFP Festival IberoÀ presents a Brand New Crowdfunding System to make this event not only a Festival with a huge diffusion but also the bearer of a great financial opportunity!
The 2nd edition of IberoÀ 48hfp will be held Online and starts with a Virtual Cinema to promote and collect funds for the short films in competence. The Festival will present the Awards on the 12th of November 2020. Three of the best short films of each Ibero-American 48HFP city will compete for Best Short Film Award of the Ibero America 48HFP. This is a festival you can not miss! more info


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That being the case, it seemed odd to me that I hadn't created a fun CANDY themed Halloween card. So, I fixed that little problem by creating this fun little card! That Cosmo Cricket Matilda 6x6 paper pack arrived in the mail yesterday from Shelly over at ScrapGirlz and I love it! So cute! So, I combined that with my Samantha Walker for Unity Bones About Halloween stamp set and a bit of ingenuity for this cute little card!
I dyed the ribbon with Maya Road Sunflower Yellow spray ink. I love it! And just CHECK OUT that double bow! That was just a crazy idea I had while I was tying the ribbon so I decided to give it a shot and I love it! Totally going to be doing more of those!
I created the little piece of candy by freehand cutting the base from patterned paper and then adding just a strip down the middle with another color. I wrapped the candy in cello and tied up the ends with twine from The Twinery! YAY! for candy cuteness!!!!
In other news...the fall season decided to last a whopping three weeks this year. This was my front yard last night.
Sad. Day. Just say'n. We got a couple of inches. In October. Hmph! HA!
I guess there is a storm coming in on Saturday that plans to bring more. yay. note my intense enthusiasm for that. Oh, well. At least it is pretty!
Also, just in case I don't get around over the weekend - I have a SUPER FABULOUS AMAZING giveaway coming your way on Monday!!! I've joined up with Kathy over at Bliss Habits and we are going to kick start your holiday shopping. That's all I'm say'n. K? K. Be there. You're worth it. (*Said in my best Gwen Stephani voice.)
Jingle Out.


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Key Specifications
- Review Price: £499.99
- Dual mid drivers, single tweeter per speaker
- Coaxial/optical digital inputs
- Phono/aux 3.5mm analogue inputs
- DLNA wireless streaming
- Free companion app
Last year, the Philips Fidelio range came out with some real corkers. The Fidelio DS9000 and DS9 were two of our favourite docks, and the more recent Fidelio L1 headphones are a must-audition if you have two hundred or so quid to spend. However, a whole new line has now been unveiled – the Fidelio AW speakers are wireless boxes designed for use with primarily iPhones and Android devices. And right up top sits the Philips Fidelio AW9000, a pair of large bookshelf-sized speakers that will sell for £500.
These are wireless speakers, but they do not use the popular AirPlay standard. This is so that devices other than Apple's can get in on the action. The Philips Fidelio AW9000 speakers use the DLNA streaming standard, which works in a pretty similar fashion, all told.
But first, the hardware. These speakers are roughly the height of Hi-Fi bookshelf units, but with significantly less depth to the cabinets. They're not exactly square, either – more diamond-shaped, and a single flat side is not meant to end up facing the listener. This is because of the particular arrangement of the d'appolito speaker array.
A d'appolito arrangement is where a tweeter is hemmed-in above and below by larger mid-range drivers. In the Philips Fidelio AW9000, each of the mid-range drivers sits on one of the angled sides, while the tweeter sits in the middle, firing straight forward. However, there's a non-removable grill on the front that stops this arrangement from being too obvious, visually.
The driver arrangement makes more sense in the smaller AW-series speakers, which have just a single housing – firing off at an angle increases sound dispersion, mitigating for a one-box design – but it has its benefits here too. It lets the Fidelio AW9000 sit happily in corners and makes the sound less directional, and hence less picky about placement.
Shoved against a wall, you'll mostly just see the off-black grills and a hint of the slightly-sloped brushed metal-finish top. The backsides are pretty attractive too, though, topped with wood veneer. It should be noted that with a rear ported design, jamming them fully into a corner may make the sound boomy.
Although sold primarily as wireless speakers, the Philips Fidelio AW9000 also offer a good spread of wired connections. The speaker terminals are of the standard screw – rather than springclip – type and the back panel to one of the speakers houses the quartet of wired inputs. These connections sit on just the one speaker because one box is the master, containing the class-D digital amplifier, and the other a slave – hence the need for speaker connections.
Connectivity? Two thumbs up
There are coaxial and optical digital sockets, a stereo phono pair and a 3.5mm auxiliary jack input. If you're wireless internet is unreliable, an Ethernet port is ready and waiting too.
In use
Unlike many wireless speakers, the Philips Fidelio AW9000 feature an array of buttons discreetly lined-up down one side. They switch between sources and control volume.
However, if you're using these speakers as-intended, you'll spend most time controlling them using the Airstudio app. Made by Philips, it lets you control several boxes from the AW series at once, as well as choosing what tunes you want to play.
Using the DLNA standard makes them surprisingly versatile. In the connections part of the app, music sources show up at the bottom of the screen, and connected speakers up top. Just a line from one to the other to get music piped-over to the right place. In this respect, the AW9000 is a pretty direct rival to the Play:3 and Play:5 streaming speakers from Sonos.
Although app is a huge improvement over the shonky Fidelio app we've used reviews other products in the series, it did demonstrate a few teething problems. And as thanks to the way these speakers work, we doubt whether you'll be able to use them outside of this bespoke app. We'll check this out in the full review.
Sound quality
The noisy environs of Philips's demo were not a great place to check out sound quality, but the Philips Fidelio AW9000 clearly provide sound that's not compromised by form in the way many compact iPod docks are. Sounding beefy and with enough volume to fill most lounges, they seem a solid alternative to docks like the B&W Zeppelin Air – especially if you're out for something to melt into the room rather than become its centre point.
However, we'll be back with our full verdict on sound quality in our review, coming soon.
Unlike other sites, we thoroughly test every product we review. We use industry standard tests in order to compare features properly. We'll always tell you what we find. We never, ever accept money to review a product. Tell us what you think - send your emails to the Editor.


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*1804 (Janov by Sloup in Bohemia), †1855 (Prague)
Czech sculptor of German origin, member of a family of wood-carvers and sculptors, brother of E.Max. Typical representative of academism of the 19th century. He studied at Prague academy and then he founded a successful sculpture atelier in Prague. Besides two works for the Charles Bridge, he created a lot of church sculptures, tombstones, a sculpture of a Student in the Clementinum courtyard (1863), 25 allegories of Czech districts on the monument of Emperor Franz I (Smetana´s embankment in Prague) or sculpture of Charles IV in Karlsbad.
Works in Prague (selection):
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057 International Federation o...
Representing over 1 million social workers world wide, IFSW has NGO status at the UN and represents the different ways that the...read more
Representing over 1 million social workers world wide, IFSW has NGO status at the UN and represents the different ways that the...read more
Following the general election I thought it interesting to hear about what's happening in these two countries.read more
Subtitled "Reflections from practice"a new book by Bill McKitterick that offers a fresh and innovative view on leadership for social workers and managers.read more
John Devaney MBE, Director of Social Work Education at Queens University , Belfast who Chaired the Congress gives his thoughts on the success of the event. Then, to follow, Sue Berelowitz, the Deputy Children's Commissioner for England, talks about new initiatives and improved chances to hear the voice of the child.read more
BASPCAN (British Association for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect) Congress opens with emotional reminder of the...read more
Bharti's passion to challenge the root causes of child exploitation and abuse underpins her leadership role with ECPAT UK, where she has overseen important changes to law and policy in the area of child protection and trafficking prevention.read more
It certainly has been child protection week! With the Prime Minister announcing his ideas for professionals in child protection to be charged with 'wilful neglect'read more
We should look to the person not the party when the dust has settled and the real work on the historic child abuse inquiry starts.read more
With the announcement of the new Chair of the Historic Abuse Inquiry this is a story that should be referred to that inquiry as I...read more
She talks of initiatives, political support, policy priorities and hopes for the future in a wide ranging interview.read more


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Web Site Privacy Notice
It is important to protect your privacy in the online world, and to insist that the Web sites you deal with respect your privacy.
This means, among other things, that Web sites should fully and accurately inform you about what personal information they collect, why they collect it, and what they intend to do with it. They should always seek your voluntary, informed consent before they collect, use or disclose your personal data, and they should provide you with meaningful options for resolving privacy issues and complaints.
This page summarizes our privacy policy and information practices for this Web site. It is intended to provide you with a complete and accurate basis for making informed decisions when choosing to communicate with this site.
During a visit to our Web site, your privacy is respected. We do not collect personal information about you unless you choose to send us an e-mail, in which you voluntarily provide your name and contact information. The nature of the Internet is such that it passively and automatically collects certain information about a user's traffic patterns, linked to their Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. These are unique Internet "addresses" assigned to all Web users by their Internet Service Providers (ISP). IP addresses are automatically logged by Web servers. While the IP address does not identify an individual on its face, it may with the cooperation of the ISP be used to locate and identify an individual using the Web. The IP address is considered personal information because it is an identifying number, and IP addresses are therefore protected by most privacy legislation. The privacy issues surrounding IP addresses are explained further below.
Visitors' personal information received via e-mail is provided only to Simply British Foods personnel, who require the information to respond to inquiries. We do not use this information for any other purpose. We protect all personal information in our custody with strong security safeguards, including strict access controls.
Our Web site is hosted on servers owned and managed by a third-party, Cirrus Hosting. Any personal information collected on our behalf by Cirrus Hosting, such as server log data (see below), is managed in accordance with this privacy policy, and is protected by applicable law.
Server logs: Our servers automatically log information about visits to our Web site in the normal course of establishing and maintaining Web connections. Server logs record statistical information, such as visitors' IP addresses, type of operating systems, time and duration of visit, Web pages requested, and identify categories of visitors by items such as domains and browser types. These statistics are reported in aggregate form to our Web and communications staff, and are used to improve our Web site and ensure that it provides the optimal Web experience for visitors.
We do not link server log information to any other data in a way that would enable us to identify individual visitors. However, we may review server logs for security purposes, for example, to detect intrusions into our network. The possibility therefore exists that server log data, which contains visitors' IP addresses, could in instances of criminal malfeasance be used to trace and identify individuals. In such instances, raw data logs would be shared with appropriate investigative bodies authorized to investigate such breaches of security. Under normal circumstances, these logs are retained for a maximum period of 45 days.
Cookies: Our site makes use of "per-session" cookies. Cookies are small text files offered to your computer by Web servers in order to keep track of your browser as you navigate the site. Unlike "persistent" cookies, which are stored on your hard drive and can last for years, even decades, "per-session" cookies are stored only in your browser's temporary (cache) memory and are deleted when you shut down your browser.
Here is how our session cookies work: Each time you visit our site, our Web server offers your browser a temporary session cookie containing only a randomly-generated alphanumeric string. As you navigate the site, this unique alphanumeric text string is read back to our Web server, allowing us to generate an anonymous "click trail" profile of your visit. From the aggregated information on unique visits, we learn how visitors interact with our site, how we can improve our site design and content, and how to improve visitors' experiences.
Our use of session cookies ensures your online privacy and security. Here's why:
- The contents of our session cookie are not linked, shared or associated in any way with personal information that you may have supplied to us or made available elsewhere.
- A new and unique session cookie is randomly generated for each visit. This means that we cannot track or link together multiple visits by any single user over time.
- Our session cookies cannot be "read" by any other Web servers, meaning that you cannot be tracked or profiled using our cookie when you surf across multiple sites on the Web.
NOTE: Visiting our Web site with cookies disabled will have no significant impact on your browsing experience. You can set your browser to detect and reject cookies. Please consult your browser's Help Menu for instructions.
Other sites to which we provide links may be governed by different policies. The Simply British Foods does not assume responsibility for the information practices of these other Web sites, and we strongly encourage all Web visitors to review the privacy policies and statements of all externally-linked sites.
Please do not make complaints or provide sensitive personal information by e-mail, as security cannot be ensured.
Hyperlinking Notice
Links to Web sites not under the control of Simply British Foods are provided solely for the convenience of users. Simply British Foods is not responsible for the accuracy, currency or the reliability of the content. Simply British Foods does not offer any guarantee in that regard and is not responsible for the information found through these links, nor does it endorse the sites and their content.
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The material on this site is covered by the provisions of the Copyright Act, by Canadian laws, policies, regulations and international agreements. Such provisions serve to identify the information source and, in specific instances, to prohibit reproduction of materials without written permission.
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Information on this site has been posted with the intent that it be readily available for personal and public non-commercial use and may be reproduced, in part or in whole and by any means, without charge or further permission from Simply British Foods. We ask only that:
- Users exercise due diligence in ensuring the accuracy of the materials reproduced;
- Simply British Foods be identified as the source department; and,
- The reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made, in affiliation with or with the endorsement of Simply British Foods.
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Reproduction of multiple copies of materials on this site, in whole or in part, for the purposes of commercial redistribution is prohibited except with written permission from Simply British Foods. Anyone wishing to reproduce Simply British Foods materials for commercial purposes have access to the most accurate, up-to-date versions. To obtain permission to reproduce materials on this site for commercial purposes, please go to the Contact page.
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Some of the materials and graphical elements found on Simply British Foods Web sites are subject to copyrights held by other organizations. This is particularly true of sites that are jointly operated by Simply British Foods and an external organization as part of a collaborative arrangement. In such cases, some restrictions on the reproduction of materials or graphical elements may apply and it may be necessary to seek permission from the rights holder prior to reproducing the material.
To obtain information concerning copyright ownership and restrictions on reproduction on this site, please got to the Contact page.