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Early this morning, while most of us were resting peacefully in our beds, everyone's favorite flaming ball of plasma decided to give NASA's cameras a little show. More specifically, the Solar Dynamics Observatory managed to capture our sun's biggest solar flare of the year thus far.
Classified as an M6.5, it's not the hugest solar flare—that honor belongs to the X-class. But it was at least enough to cause a "moderate" radio blackout that has since subsided.
And if it seems like we've been seeing more solar flares than usual these days, it's because we have. The sun's 11-year activity cycle is approaching its maximum, which it should officially hit by the end of the year. So if these incredible images are anything to go by, we're in for a few more treats over the next several months. All of which we can safely enjoy thanks to our lovely, protective atmosphere. [NASA via The Atlantic]
Images: NASA


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Mrinal Jain
Evangelism Webmaker Mentor SUMO FSA lead Mozillian
O Moziljanu
Professionally a Front-End developer. Passionate about Open Source and Web Technologies. Mozilla! I love to Volunteer , Organize and/or Speak at the events. Best source to find or contact me is on Facebook ;) , sharing my knowledge and experience on web design & development.
What I do ? - Creating events to get all other Mozillian together. - Spreading to the world about developer tools , Firefox , WebFwd & Firefox OS - Speaking at events and trying to connect both communities and getting more people involved in Mozilla Project.
I love to speak about Developer tools, Firefox OS, and community evangelism.
Access Groupsnda
Tagssims firefox club, mozilla indore, coding, mozspeakers, famous photo star, army of awesome, mozilla geolocation
Veščinecss3, desigin, html5, javascript, marketing
JezikiAngleščina, Francoščina, Hindujščina
Spletna stran
Zunanji računi
- Facebook: Mr.Imperfect.MJ
- LinkedIn: http://in.linkedin.com/in/mrinaljain/
- Skype: mrinal140
- SlideShare: MrImperfectMJ
- Twitter: mrinal140
April Morone
Mrinal's blog about and dedicated to Mozilla was awesome to see as it shows the work the work he has done not just of WebMaker evets, but of a lot of teaching of code, in general. He inspires me. I am sure that he is inspiring a lot of others, too, out there, with his putgoing personality, with his friendliness, and with his info he teaches. I'm happy to vouch for him.
Vaibhav Bajaj
Mrinal is very good at leading, and also he is active all the time. I found him participated in various projects of Mozilla
Blog : http://mrinal140.wordpress.com/ Webmaker : https://webmaker.org/user/mrinaljain SUMO : https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/user/mrinaljain LinkedIn : in.linkedin.com/in/mrinaljain/ Mozilla Indore Blog (maintained by me) : http://mozillaindore.wordpress.com/
Vouched for being a great support to Mozilla Indore and also a great contributor at support.mozilla.org,Webmaker and also as a FSA.
Faisal Aziz
Mrinal is an active contributor and passionate volunteer from Mozilla Community Indore. He is driving different domain projects/workshops in Indore.
Blog : http://mrinal140.wordpress.com/ Webmaker : https://webmaker.org/user/mrinaljain SUMO : https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/user/mrinaljain LinkedIn : in.linkedin.com/in/mrinaljain/ Mozilla Indore Blog : http://mozillaindore.wordpress.com/
Swarnava Sengupta
Mrinal is an active contributor and Mozillian from Indore and is a member of the Mozilla India Community. He is has hosted & attended quite a few local Mozilla events and has also help user on Twitter..
I have known Mrinal as an active Mozillian who has done a great job in evangelizing for Mozilla. He has participated in several Webmaker events and has contributed significantly to army of awesomeness.Webmaker Mentor,FSA...

subset: commoncrawl


text: The Sad State of Diabetes Technology in 2012 June 17, '12 Comments [118] Posted in Diabetes Sponsored By I've been diabetic for almost two decades. It's tiring, let me tell you. Here's a video of my routine when I change my insulin pump and continuous meter. I'm not looking for pity, sadness or suggestions for herbs and spices that might help me out. I'd just like a day off. Just a single day out of the last 7000 or the next, I'd like to have a single piece of pie and not chase my blood sugar for hours. Every time I visit the doctor (I do every 3 months) and every time I talk to someone in industry (I do a few times a year) I'm told that there will be a breakthrough "in the next 5 years." I've been hearing that line - "it's coming soon" - for twenty. I used to wait a minute for a finger stick test result. Now I wait 5 seconds but we still have blood sugar strips with +-20% accuracy. That means I can check my sugar via finger stick twice and get a number I'd take action on along with one I wouldn't. Blood sugar strip accuracy is appalling and a dirty little secret in the diabetes community. I started with insulin that would reach its peak strength after about 4 hours. Today it takes about an hour. Awesome, but that's not fast enough when a meal can take me to the stratosphere in minutes. We are hurting here and we can't all wait another five years. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, leading cause of kidney failure and leading cause of amputation. I wrote the first Glucose Management system for the PalmPilot in 1998 called GlucoPilot and provided on the go in-depth analysis for the first time. The first thing that struck me was that the PalmPilot and the Blood Sugar Meter were the same size. Why did I need two devices with batteries, screens, buttons and a CPU? Why so many devices? In 2001 I went on a trip across the country with my wife, an insulin pump and 8 PDAs (personal digital assistants, the "iPhones" of the time) and tried to manage my diabetes using all the latest wireless technology. Here's what I had to say 11 years ago: With Bluetooth coming, why couldn't my [PalmPilot] monitor my newly implanted smart-pump? GlucoPilot could generate charts and graphics from information transmitted wirelessly from the pump. For that matter, the pump, implanted in my abdomen, could constantly transmit information to Bluetooth-enabled devices that surround me. The pump might use my cell phone to call in its data into a central server when I'm not using the phone. If I wander near my home computer, the pump or Visor might take the opportunity to upload its data. During a visit to the doctor, Bluetooth's 30-meter range could provide the doctor with my minute-by-minute medical history as I sat in the waiting room. Back in 1998 when I was writing and marketing GlucoPilot I was using a custom cable that connected directly from my PalmPilot to the glucose meter and downloaded my historical glucose data. Fast forward to 2012 and what new technologicals innovation do we have? Yes, that's a custom cable to plug-in to my PDA. Yes, I'm a frustrated diabetic. This a 15 year old solution with no backing standards, no standard interchange format, no central cloud to store the data in. It's vendor lock-in on both sides. Kudos to the Glooko guys for fighting the good fight and shame on the blood sugar meter manufacturers for making their job hard. Fifteen years ago we talked about data standards and interoperability. I was even on a standards board for a while to try and pressure the industry to standardize on data interchange formats. I have personally written multiple blood sugar meter data importers from the very simple (CSV) to the very complex (binary packed and purposely obscured to prevent 3rd party data dumps) and I can tell you that the blood sugar meter manufacturers are not interested in making it easy to move our data around. This is a billion dollar industry. Today I read an article about the iBGStar (a forgettable name) glucose meter that plugs directly into an iPhone 30 pin port. The article came up on Hacker News and one of the designers said this in a comment: I'm one of the designers of the iBGStar and we considered Bluetooth. We actually have another FDA cleared product that uses Bluetooth, but cost, battery life, and a bunch of technical issues led us to favor the 30 pin. This is hugely disappointing especially since Bluetooth 4.0 is said to offer battery life as long as 10 years on some products. Given all the new iPhones have Bluetooth 4.0 just waiting for devices to connect to, you'd think this is a perfect opportunity for a Bluetooth 4.0 glucose meter. I appreciate the attempts and the word that is being done in the space, I truly do, but as an end user when I see products like this that are trying to push the envelope but fail with fundamental usability issues, I'm saddened. Most diabetics check their blood sugar 10 times a day or more. I can't keep this glucose meter attached to my phone. It'll fall off, get bent, mess up the 30 pin connector. It's simply not reasonable for a day to day use coming in and out of pockets. A more reasonable mode of usage would mirror the FitBit. It's tiny, clips to my belt and automatically notices when I pass by my computer then uploads its data wirelessly. That's how wireless is supposed to work. And the battery lasts at least a week. Twenty years and no significant moves. We are still wiring our devices together, translating from one format to another, all the while being hamstrung by the FDA and their processes. When we do start to get something working well, it's attacked and we're told that our insulin pumps can be hacked from a mile away and we can be killed in our sleep. This will no doubt slow progress and make the FDA even more paranoid when approving new technology. I've just this week switched from a Medtronic Continuous Glucose Meter to a DexCom, which is another company. This new CGM gives me more accurate data with less lag time. However, I still have the same insulin pump. This means my meter and pump aren't integrated so I carry another device on my person. This is because while the Animas Vibe, a pump that integrates both the DexCom meter and an insulin pump as well as other features like being waterproof, is available EVERYWHERE but the US. It's in the FDA process. Maybe ready in 6 months? 18? Who knows. When it shows up, the technology will be years old while the iPhone is on generation 6. We've got 3D TVs to watch crappy movies on by my insulin pump's firmware hasn't changed in nearly a decade. The article about the iBGStar is poorly researched and galling. I appreciate what Hacker News commenter lloyd said with emphasis mine, calling out this inane line from the article. "Could this be the beginning of mobile diabetes monitoring?" As so many people above have stated, no, you moron. We've been monitoring blood sugar on the go for the past 30 years. I've got Type 1 diabetes...and my current meter is smaller than the one shown here. I can plug it into my Mac via USB to download and visualize the data (& can control my insulin pump via bluetooth using the meter). The only benefit with this particular iPhone-compatible meter would be enhanced, immediate visualization of results. Which might be easier to get, and might not, given the inconvenience of having to remove an iPhone case and plug in the meter. (Not to mention other issues - what if my iPhone's batteries are dead? Will it still work?) Unfortunately, this product reminds me of 5 years ago, when someone would announce a new toaster, and the tech crowd wouldn't be impressed...unless it was a Bluetooth toaster. We're so focused on it being the hot new thing (it's compatible with iOS! Oooh!!) that we ignore the fact that there's nothing revolutionary being presented here. The way I see it, this doesn't really change anything in terms of treatment. If it's a more accurate meter, great - sell based on that. Not on the bogus "we're taking blood glucose monitoring mobile" claims. You may feel like technology is amazing and it's moving so very fast and it surely is. But as a diabetic who relies on technology to stay alive as along as I possibly can, it feels like nothing has changed in 20 years. Maybe something will happen in just 5 more. Sponsor: I want to thank the folks at DevExpress for sponsoring this week's feed. Check out their DXperience tools, they are amazing. You can create web-based iPad apps with ASP.NET and Web Forms. I was personally genuinely impressed. Introducing DXperience 12.1 by DevExpress - The technology landscape is changing and new platforms are emerging. New tools by DevExpress deliver next-generation user experiences on the desktop, on the Web or across a broad array of Touch-enabled mobile devices. « Hanselminutes Podcast 323 (and more) - O... | Blog Home | Managing the Cloud from the Command Line... » About Scott Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. He is a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author. About Newsletter Sponsored By Hosting By Comments [118] Share on: Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or use the Permalink


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A collection of scholarly works about individual liberty and free markets. A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.
1937 - —
Historical Period:
The 20th Century and Beyond
George Gerald Reisman (1937- ) is Professor Emeritus of Economics at Pepperdine University. He was born in New York City and earned his Ph.D. from New York University under Ludwig von Mises, whose methodological work The Epistemological Problems of Economics Reisman translated from the German original into English.


text:
Relatives of Marathon bombing suspects worried that older brother was corrupting 'sweet' younger sibling
A relative of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects said he repeatedly warned the 19-year-old fugitive Dzhokhar Tsarnaev about the bad influence of his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who was killed overnight in a shootout with police.
A picture has begun to emerge of 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev as an aggressive, possibly radicalized immigrant who may have ensnared his younger brother Dzhokhar — described almost universally as a smart and sweet kid — into an act of terror that killed three people and injured more than at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday.
"I used to warn Dzhokhar that Tamerlan was up to no good,'' Zaur Tsarnaev, who identified himself as a 26-year-old cousin, said in a phone interview on Friday from Makhachkala. "[Tamerlan] was always getting into trouble. He was never happy, never cheering, never smiling. He used to strike his girlfriend. He hurt her a few times. He was not a nice man. I don't like to speak about him. He caused problems for my family.''
Zaur Tsarnaev said he most recently expressed his concerns about Tamerlan — the alleged bomber pictured in a dark hat in FBI videos released Thursday — to Dzhokhar when Dzhokar visited last summer. He added that Dzhokhar went to mosque sometimes but he was "never an extremist.''
"Dzhokhar is a sweet boy, innocent. He was always smiling, friendly and happy,'' Zaur Tsarnaev said. "I don't know how he is involved in this.''
A YouTube account with Tamerlan Tsarnaev's name includes a playlist that features a video dedicated to the prophecy of the Black Banners of Khurasan, which is apparently embraced by Islamic extremists, including Al Qaeda. It could not be confirmed whether the user is the same person as the dead bombing suspect.
Ruslan Tsarni, an uncle of the suspects living in Maryland, said he has never known the family to have ill will toward the United States but when asked what may have provoked them, he said "being losers, hatred to those who were able to settle themselves. These are the only reasons I can imagine. Anything else to do with religion, to do with Islam, it's a fake.''
Tsarni said the suspects' father, an auto mechanic, has had limited influence on them and recently moved back to Russia. Ruslan said he no longer has anything to do with that family, but would not elaborate on what led to the falling out.
"I just wanted my family away from them,'' Tsarni said.
Dzhokar and Tamarlan Tsarnaev came from southern Russia, near war-torn Chechnya, more than five years ago, and assimilated through school and sports into the Greater Boston community and culture.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the alleged bomber pictured in a dark hat in FBI videos released Thursday, was a talented boxer with hopes of joining the US Olympic team, people who knew him said.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the suspect seen in FBI photos in a white cap, is a student at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, the school confirmed. He was an all-star wrestler and a member of the class of 2011 at Cambridge Rindge & Latin School, and won a Cambridge City Scholarship that year. He was on the run Friday morning and the target of an unprecedented manhunt in Greater Boston.
But within the brothers' ordinariness, there were also subtle signs of alienation.
"I don't have a single American friend,'' Tamerlan said in a photo essay about his love of boxing. "I don't understand them.''
John Allan, owner of Wai Kru Mixed Martial Arts Boston, said the older brother, Tamerlan, was an accomplished amateur boxer, competing in the national Golden Gloves competition.
"He was the best boxer in Boston,'' said Allan, who remembers helping in a competition three years ago. "He smoked all the professionals.''
Allan said Tsarnaev was trained by his father, who was also a skilled boxer. And he was always respectful. "They were an incredible family….This was so shocking to me.''
But Tsarnaev hadn't been to the Wai Kru Mixed Martial Arts center in years, instead going to another nearby boxing gym. Until this month. Allan, who is currently traveling in Thailand, got an e-mail within the past week saying Tsarnaev showed up at the gym acting rude and disrespectful, using other people's equipment, walking on the mats with his shoes.
"It was a clear indication that something was up,'' Allan said, noting that Tsarnaev hadn't even been to his gym before the incident in years. "He was becoming a complete [expletive].
"It was completely out of place of place for him,'' said Allan, who was also contacted by the FBI about Tamerlan.
In the photo essay, called "Will Box for Passport,'' Tamerlan stops to answer a phone call while walking from his Mercedes to the martial arts center. He has a long wool scarf wrapped fashionably around his neck and gleaming white leather slip-on shoes and is carrying an Oceanfly dufflebag.
He said in the essay that he quit smoking and drinking. "God said no alcohol.'' A Muslim, he says, "There are no values any more,'' and worries that "people can't control themselves.''
People who knew the suspects struggled today morning to reconcile the young men they knew, who lived on Norfolk Street in Cambridge, with the acts of terrorism they are accused of committing.
"He was normal,'' said Lulu Emmons, who went to Rindge & Latin, the city's public high school, with Dzhokhar.
"He kind of fit in with everyone. Not really close with anyone, but he was friendly.
"I am just a little shocked. I sat next to this guy. I joked with him. I laughed with him. I had class with him. It is a little crazy,'' she said.
Former teacher and school photographer at Rindge, Larry Aaronson, said he knew Dzhokhar.
"If someone were to ask me what the kid was like, I would say he had a heart of gold,'' he said. "He was as gracious as possible.''
Aaronson knew Dzhokhar came from near a war zone and they had conversations about this. "All of this is just freaking me out.''
Pamala Rolon, a senior at UMass Dartmouth and a resident assistant at the Pine Dale dorms on campus, said she knew Dzhokhar for the past year and finds it incredible that he could have played any role in the bombs at the Boston marathon.
"He studied. He hung out with me and my friends,'' she said in a telephone interview Friday. "I'm in shock.''
Rolon, 22, said the 300 or so students at the dorm were evacuated this morning by school authorities as the campus was shut down.
Rolon said when she returned from class Thursday afternoon, she and her friends watched the television news broadcast showing the images of the suspects, including one that she did think looked faintly like the student she knew on campus.
"We made a joke like – that could be Dzhokhar,'' she said. "But then we thought it just couldn't be him. Dzhokhar? Never.''
Rolon said the 19-year-old studied marine biology, and was quite studious. He was not seen on campus over the past two weeks, though she didn't think much about it because everyone was busy with tests and studying, she said.
Rolon said the finds it impossible to believe he was involved in any zealous religious or political cause, or would turn to violence.
"I think he's Muslim, but not so religious,'' she said. "He's a normal city kid. He never said anything about Russia versus the United States.''
She said Dzhokhar Tsarnaev dressed in sweaters and jeans, fit in easily on campus and spoke English with hardly any accent.
Peter Payack, the assistant wrestling coach at Cambridge Rindge and Latin, said Dzhokhar Tsarnaev wrestled on the team for three years and was captain for two years and a Greater Boston League all-star. Though he graduated from Rindge, he came back to wrestle with the team in February, he said.
"He was a dedicated kid, and all the kids loved him,'' Payack said. "We only name captains who are good, but who also gain respect from his fellow wrestlers. He had to be a leader, and he had all those qualities. He was one of my guys.''
Payack said the wrestling team thinks of itself as a family and there was nothing amiss about Dzhokhar, whose name is pronounced JA-har.
"Everybody loved him,'' Payack said. "He wasn't a loner, the complete opposite. … He seemed like one of the most well-adjusted kids on the team. He seemed like he didn't have any problems. He did his work, came out and became a captain.''
In a high school that prides itself on its diversity, "he got along with all the different groups on the team,'' Payack said.
"He never talked about being a Muslim. We're in Cambridge. We have a completely diverse team. So nobody talked about religion,'' Payack said. "He was just one of us.''
"We never saw his mother or father and never saw his brother,'' Payack said. "He just came back to wrestle with us in February. I mean, he said, he went to UMass and he was studying some sort of engineering and he came back and wrestled, and he was joking with everyone.
"Never in a million years did [we] expect anything like this,'' Payack said. "He never talked about violence or anything. Some of the kids say, 'I'm going to beat you up or something like that.' He just did his work and was a good student.''
Payack, who has run the Boston Marathon 24 times and often wears his blue-and-yellow Marathon jacket, said he was particularly saddened that Dzhokar would target the race.
"It was like a bomb going off in my heart this morning because he's one of our wrestlers. I said 'That guy looks like my guy.' ''
Ashraful Rahman, a Rindge senior and friend of Dzhokhar, described the alleged bomber as "just a normal guy, very chillaxed, and very laid back.''
He and Dzhokhar wrestled on the Rindge team together, hung out together at Dana Park in Cambridge and attended the same mosque, the Islamic Society of Boston, in Cambridge.
"We just chilled out man, just average teenagers,'' Rahman said. "He never stated that he was against the government or for anarchy or anything.''
Rahman said Dzhokhar mentored him on the wrestling team.
"I looked up to Dzhokhar because he won states his second year. Seeing this, it's like seeing one of your heroes and finding a flaw in one of them,'' he said.
Dzhokhar did not have a girlfriend, he said.
Rahman said the last time he saw Dzhokhar was on Ramadan in 2012, at the Islamic Society. "He said 'what's up' to me,'' Rahman said. "He seemed peaceful, actually.''
Essah Chisholm, 17, a senior at Rindge and member of the wrestling team, said the coaches would tell funny stories about how people would mispronounce Dzhokhar name's.
"He seemed pretty nice, pretty normal person; he was always smiling,'' Chisholm said. "Everything is pretty shocking.''
Tamerlan, who boxed at 196 pounds, studied at Bunker Hill Community College and wanted to become an engineer. He attended the school part time for three semesters, from 2006 to 2008, according to the school. Tamerlan has a domestic violence charge which was dismissed following a jury trial in 2010, according to records and was cited by state polcie for obstruction of a motor vehicle in 2008. That case was dismissed after he paid court costs.
The family left the Russian republic of Dagestan — a predominantly Muslim region on the eastern border of Chechnya — and lived for years in Kazakhstan before coming to the United States as a refugee, according to the photo essay.
The state news agency of Kyrgyzstan said the brothers are ethnic Chechens who lived in the Central Asian country until "roughly 2001,'' when they moved to Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim republic in southern Russia that shares a border with Chechnya. A spokesman for School No. 1 in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, told Russian news agencies that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was a pupil in the first and second grade.
The Russian social media website VKontakte has a page of a Dzhokhar Tsarnaev who lists himself as a resident of Boston and a member of the class of 2011 at Cambridge Rindge & Latin School.
The VKontakte page says that Dzhokhar studied at School No. 1 from 1999 to 2001 in Makhachkala. According to the profile, Tsarnayev is a member of the group "Everything About the Chechen Republic.''
The profile lists Dzhokhar's languages as English, Russian, and Chechen, and lists him as a Muslim. The last post was made in 2012. Most of the posts on the site are jokes – one video makes fun of the accented Russian spoken by people from the Caucasus.
One joke is a wry commentary on the status of Russian citizens from the Caucasus. "A Dagestani, a Chechen and an Ingush are riding in a car. Who is driving? The answer: A policeman.''
While the brothers are Chechens, the press secretary of Chechnya's pro-Moscow government told the official Russian news agency Interfax that Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev have no recent connection with Chechnya.
The US embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, said US diplomats in the Central Asian nation were scrambling to learn more about the brothers' roots.
"We are following this issue very closely,'' said Christian Wright, the embassy's public affairs officer.
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Date(s) - 12/02/2020
6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Categories Hypnobirthing Classes, HypnoBirthing Classes for Parents
Do you want to feel empowered and in control of your birthing experience?
Are you feeling a bit nervous?
Book yourself into an antenatal course that will leave you feeling calm, confident & ready for your birth…
The HypnoBirthing – The Mongan Method Antenatal Course is a series of 5 sessions of 2.5 hours duration which is held over the course of 5 weeks.
Group Sessions Available.
Private Sessions Available
2.5 hr x Weekly Classes held over the course of 5 weeks at Inverloch in Victoria
Classes Start on: 12-02-2020 to 11-03-2020
Time: 6.30pm – 9.00pm
Presented by:
Louise Norton
For more information contact Louise: 0409 166 924 or via email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Visit the website: https://www.louisenorton.com.au
What we cover:
- Special breathing techniques to use in pregnancy, during labour and birth.
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- How your body works efficiently and effectively through the different stages of labour
- How stress, fear or tension can alter the course of your birth and how to prevent this
- How to avoid induction and unnecessary or unwanted intervention
- Creating your birth preferences and communicating with your Midwife or Obstetrician
- Practical body and mind techniques such as affirmation, visualisation and deepening.
This course would benefit you if:
- You are pregnant and wanting a natural birth.
- You are pregnant and are booked for a caesarean.
- You have fear about your birthing day.
- You are wanting to have a vaginal birth after a caesarean (VBAC).
- You have had a previous birth that was disappointing or traumatic.
- You are wanting to do an antenatal course that doesn't focus on pain and drugs.
- You are looking for information on birth, your body and how it will all work on the day.
- You feel your partner needs more involvement, and would like some tips on how to properly support you.
- You are wanting to prepare a birth plan or preferences with informed choices.
- You are wanting to connect with your baby and learn about pre and post birth parenting.
- You are interested in learning some life changing techniques on reducing fear, stress and pain.


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Topic: Part II: Whence go the Mechanics (Read 6214 times)
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Part II: Whence go the Mechanics
December 27, 2001, 10:45:00 PM »
January 2nd, 2002; Happy New Year! -
At the behest of my friends here on the Forge, I will present Scattershot at the point I have it. Even though this is a work-in-progress and much of the terminology is in a state of flux, I am not trying to present a diary of the progress. Expect the lead component of this thread to undergo changes as Scattershot does. This edition was originally put together on Thursday, December 27th, 2001. This series of articles will detail strictly the mechanics of Scattershot, articles relating to the techniques of 'how to play' will have to wait until I have more of them centralized and organized. The third major component of the game, the setting and genre material is will be addressed once I get a new batch of playtesters.
One deliberate feature of Scattershot has to do with how we handle the complexity of the mechanics. Instead of a long catalog of 'optional' rules, we divided the mechanics into three stages of complexity.
These are for beginners, or for 'on the road' (live-action or driving). This portion will be included with all our 'satellite' products. It's meant to be simple, basic, and easy.[/list:u]Intermediate (Tournament)
These mechanics (which incorporate the basics too) are meant for experienced gamers. Most often played 'at the table,' these mechanics are the expected level of play.[/list:u]Advanced
This is the set of mechanics for completists and are meant to be played 'in the books.' They allow for the most specific derivation of the subtle differences between abilities. This is the esotery not for the minimalists.[/list:u]Certainly people could play 'at only one stage,' but the playtesters not only liked to, but tended to, shift back and forth between these stages as needed by the game they were in. Because we realized this early on, it was important to make the comparisons between the mechanics' stages as transparently compatible as possible. This means the advanced mechanics are what we wrote first, keeping in mind that there would be two succeedingly simpler derivations necessary.
We have also broken the facile use of mechanics into three different 'densities.' These are relative and normal play shifts between these rather easily. One of the most common problems we have seen in playtest with beginners (and from our experiences) is the awkward switching between these 'densities.' Confusion often arises when there is no communication of a 'switch' or when a 'switch' occurs at some point other than an intuitive Breakpoint.
General Play
Most things are either resolved as dialogue and description or simply taken as having happened exactly as the speaker says. All things mechanical are used more as guidelines and almost always only when 'out of the ordinary.'[/list:u]Specific Play
Mechanics are invoked on a sporadic basis, most often to generate detail; how long did it take, how well did it go, what was the specific result. Occasionally the mechanics are invoked to preempt any question regarding impartiality, but this tends to be rare within groups who already know each other quite well.[/list:u]Mechanical Play
This occurs most often when emotions run high or when there is 'a lot on the line.' Impartiality is the most important feature so this is when 'everybody plays by the rules,' or so it is understood. The most common time when this occurs historically is during combat. This does not need to be exclusive, but when you consider dying in those games eliminates you from play, there is clearly 'a lot on the line.' Also combat is when the entities that players have the most emotional investment in, are at risk; they would hardly stand for subjective or casual destruction of their investment.[/list:u]Since the idea behind Scattershot's mechanics is that they are a
formalization of intuitive play
, I should explain how we look at the actual 'flow of play' formally. One thing to remember, while this is a formal breakdown, nobody is perfect (neither yours truly, nor people playing the games) and so this is not a lot more than an approximation. Still, from here all Scattershot springs.
Respect the Speaker
As I said in
the earlier installment
, play bounces from person to person in no particular order. I think this way of looking at play means play is only occurring with the person speaking. Normally there is only one Speaker at any time, but there are a couple of exceptions I can think of; dialogue and question & answer (an interview style of setting description is an example of this). When this aspect of gaming breaks down, it's cacophony; the unconscious formalization in natural response to this is one of the central formations of gaming.[/list:u]The Scenic View
For simplicity's sake, we break all play down into either Scenes, 'Behind the Scenes' (which would be Scenes run 'during' the main Scene), and between sessions (which actually tend to be the bookkeeping done at the beginning and ending of sessions, and the preparatory 'stretching'). I realize this carries a great deal of literary and theatrical baggage with it, but I am open to a better term.
At the beginning of every Scene, someone must 'Set the Stage,' that is making some kind of introductory speech (we often suggest a soliloquy) that describes basically where, when, and who will be involved in a scene. While many game systems suggest this is the practice of the gamemaster, we prefer to call the person who does this the
so that at times, a player can do it as well. This is because there are many occasions that the person most familiar with the setting and circumstance may be someone
than the gamemaster (for example, inside the super
base).[/list:u]When Can I Catch a Break?
The most fundamentally mistaken component of gaming in our experience (outside of
) are the Breakpoints. Changing tone, Switching 'Densities' (or in Scattershot, changing the Stage of the rules), or any other shifts that occur when there aren't any kinds of natural (and unfortunately mostly unconscious) Breakpoints, always seems to throw a wrench into the 'flow of play.' Scattershot goes to some degree talking about the types and uses of Breakpoints (though I am not going to go into too much detail here, because this article is to set up for the mechanics).
The beginnings and endings of scenes are principal Breakpoints (but that doesn't mean to disclude the huge number of other intuitive Breakpoints). One way that a group can easily mishandle a scene is by choosing its parameters badly. Start too soon before the 'meat' of the scene and you risk losing the participants' interest before the 'entree.' End too long after the 'action' and you watch a scene's impact slowly bleed to death. Scattershot's techniques speak plainly about starting a scene so close to the 'meat' that the start sheds blood. These techniques also talk about tying off the endings with tourniquet intensity when they have served their purpose. (It goes hand in hand with most of our advice about pacing and choosing the appropriate stage of mechanics to carry the game forward at the most satisfying rate.)[/list:u]What was the Point, Again?
This may not need suggesting, but I think it needs to be said; every scene has a goal. It might be to show a nifty thing about your character; it might be the discovery of some bit of information. Raising or resolving tension is another goal; so is providing color, atmosphere, warming up and cooling down� (two of the most overlooked and important parts of a session), or even 'filler.' The most important thing about goals, as stated above, is once you have fulfilled the goal (most often supplied by the proprietor of a scene), get out! If it becomes clear that the goal has become unattainable, do the same. Letting a scene meander about in search of a goal (while in some rare cases, it can bear fruit) is a recipe for wrecked context and loss of 'flow.'[/list:u]What's My Cut?
I need to take a moment and return to the issue of
sharing play
. There are a couple of prime issues that need to be addressed, if I am formalizing things. The first (and possibly foremost) is commitment; commitment to atmosphere, commitment to plot-arch (as in how a noir story just 'goes,' not as in preplanned conclusions), commitment to ambience, and so on, it's all about 'being on the same page.' If these things are not a shared commitment, it is only a matter of time before things break down. People almost always think about 'what they get' out of sharing without realizing the importance of 'what they give.'
Another point of sharing we suggest in Scattershot is keeping everyone involved; whether by creating riveting play for those whose characters aren't present, or having those 'uninvolved' get drafted into short-term, supporting, non-player character roles, sharing the game means sharing in as much as possible. A little conspiracy now and then is good, so is a little mystery, but when the commitment is shared as above, you should expect participants to only use 'player knowledge' as a role-playing game
. If you suspect cheating, you are not sharing; you are 'hording.' (Mystery good; secrecy bad.)[/list:u]One of the reasons I put all these clusters together is because they will be referred to frequently at many subsequent levels. Unlike many games I have read or played, I think it is important to cover the implications of using basic mechanics during mechanical play of a event not including combat. (This means discussing each new layer of Scattershot's mechanics in terms of how each of these clusters apply.) I think it is important to consider where and when you expect to use a game's mechanics in order to write the mechanics that are necessary to support those situations and I think so is the shared commitment to using them that way.
Next up the nuts and bolts.
Fang Langford
� What we frequently, incorrectly call denouement.
Fang Langford is the creator of
Scattershot presents: Universe 6 - The World of the Modern Fantastic
. Please stop by and help!
Le Joueur
Posts: 1367
Part II: Whence go the Mechanics
Reply #1 on:
December 31, 2001, 10:33:00 PM »
Sorry about this, but I just found one of the missing pages of my notes. The whole section on formalization of 'flow of play' comes from there and is new.
Hope you like it.
Fang Langford
Fang Langford is the creator of
Scattershot presents: Universe 6 - The World of the Modern Fantastic
. Please stop by and help!
joshua neff
Posts: 949
Part II: Whence go the Mechanics
Reply #2 on:
January 02, 2002, 07:33:00 AM »
That's some good stuff there, especially the stuff about taking breaks & respecting the speaker. That's stuff that
be mentioned in RPGs & isn't. As Ron said, "solid".
"You can't ignore a rain of toads!"--Mike Holmes
Le Joueur
Posts: 1367
Part II: Whence go the Mechanics
Reply #3 on:
January 02, 2002, 09:46:00 AM »
joshua neff wrote:
That's some good stuff there, especially the stuff about taking breaks & respecting the speaker. That's stuff that
be mentioned in RPGs & isn't. As Ron said, "solid".
Fang Langford is the creator of
Scattershot presents: Universe 6 - The World of the Modern Fantastic
. Please stop by and help!
joshua neff
Posts: 949
Part II: Whence go the Mechanics
Reply #4 on:
January 02, 2002, 09:53:00 AM »
You know, I did think that. But I don't know why, because that's not really what I meant. I mean, what I liked was the whole idea of "breakpoints" as you described them. But somehow between reading it, thinking about it, & then writing my post, it got mutated in my brain as "taking breaks". Maybe a different name
needed. (Or more ginko for my brain.)
That being said, I
think that one of the most neglected things in RPG rulebooks is how to run a single session--particularly the structure of the session, including when & why to take breaks from the game.
Sorcerer & Sword
has some good stuff about structuring both the narrative as a whole series of sessions & the individual sessions themselves, which has really helped me focus on what I'm trying to do with my next game (which is, oddly enough,
, sans swords). But I'm also thinking about the thread in Actual Play in which we all talked about when to take breaks from the game, & how to work that into the structure of the session. I think that's good stuff for people just getting into RPGs to think about.
"You can't ignore a rain of toads!"--Mike Holmes
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[SLB] MH01M Male Mesh Rigged Avatar
With the introduction of meshes in Second Life I decided to give it a try and ended up with my first rigged mesh avatar. This is a male shape but I'll pair it with a female version.
– Single colour L$600
– Colour Pack L$2000
– Single colour L$660
– Colour Pack L$2200
MH01M is available in four (4) single colours or in pack version:
– Aqua [buy]
– Bronze [buy]
– Purple [buy]
– Silver [buy]
– Pack (all of the above) [buy]
Each colour pack includes eight (8) variations for the body mesh:
– Regular
– Fullbright
– Fullbright + Glow
– Fullbright + Shiny
– Fullbright + Glow + Shiny
– Glow
– Glow + Shiny
– Shiny
Colour pack content:
– 8 Body meshes of the above variations for each colour purchased
– 1 Eyes mesh no-mod with texture applied
– 1 Eyes mesh mod texturable with the standard Second Life eyes template texture (texture not included)
– 1 Body shape mod (note: the shape *must* be of female type, using a male shape would deform your appearance)
– 1 Alpha layer full body (body+eyes) to wear if you want to use the Eyes mesh contained in the product
– 1 Alpha layer body only, to wear if you want to use your own regular Second Life eyes
– 1 This notecard
* this content is based on the MakeHuman mesh
For any questions, please *do not* drop me a notecard, I won't be able to read it thru email. A plain IM will always work.
For the latest info feel free to check the Second Life section of my website http://www.slblabs.com/
Or check my profile to find other ways to contact me or follow me on other networks.
Thank you again for your purchase, have a nice day~
SLB Wirefly
Early tests I recorded before the final version:
[SLB] Orb Avatar
This amazingly customizable Orb Avatar comes with up to 46'656 different custom configurations, featuring 12 seamless textures from Torley Linden, texture scrolling animation enabler or disabled, 4 shininess settings, 6 particle settings, 9*9 particle colour variations, each one available in thousands of colours thanks to the built-in colour cycler function. In practice you actually get a fully customizable orb avatar with almost infinite available custom appearance settings.
The avatar comes along with its body prim, shape, hair and skin; sphere diametre 0.5m.
The Mod/Copy version lets you to use up to 12 favourite textures simply replacing the ones which come along with the avatar already.
Try the demo inworld at the store before buying if you like.
Available with Copy and Mod/Copy permissions.
InWorld: L$150/250
XStreetSL: L$165/275
[SLB] Orb Avatar copy (Boxed) [buy]
[SLB] Orb Avatar modify/copy (Boxed) [buy]
Menu Driven available options:
> (12 preloaded textures)
Trail ON
Trail OFF
Flame ON
Flame OFF
> Red, Green, Blue, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, White, Grey, Black
> Red, Green, Blue, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, White, Grey, Black
> Cycle ON
Cycle OFF
> None
> Scroll ON
Scroll OFF
Reload AO
All the commands are also available through the channel number 548
The texture switching will always need to be done by touching the avatar itself.
Quick help command: /548 help
It will show you the list of the available commands:
Enabling Texture scrolling animation: /548 scroll on
Disabling Texture scrolling animation: /548 scroll off
Enabling switching texture feedback: /548 feedback on
Disabling switching texture feedback: /548 feedback off
Enabling particles: /548 particles on
Disabling particles: /548 particles off
Default particles: /548 particles default
Activate particles trail: /548 trail on
Deactivate particles trail: /548 trail off
Activate particles fire mode: /548 flame on
Deactivate particles fire mode: /548 flame off
Start colour particles: /548 start
End colour particles: /548 end
Particles can be: white, red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, yellow, grey, black.
Animate me: /548 anim start
Stop animating me: /548 anim stop
Reload animation overriding: /548 reload
Enabling colour cycling: /548 cycle on
Disabling colour cycling: /548 cycle off
Shininess OFF: /548 none
Shininess Low: /548 low
Shininess Medium: /548 medium
Shininess High: /548 high
Thanks to Torley who made available the texture packs where the subset of 12 textures included with this avatar come from.


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5 Fabulous Whole Grains You Need to Know
It's time to re-connect with whole grains! Grains have had a bad rap since the dawn of the Atkins Diet in the 90's and the recent Wheat Belly craze. Of course, not all grains are created equally! Whole grains (which contain the bran, the germ and the endosperm) can improve your health in a myriad […]
Posted in Blog, Health & Wellness Also tagged amaranth, amino acids, antioxidants, buckwheat, Calcium, celiac disease, copper, Diabetes, gluten free, healthy fats, immune system, Inflammation, iron, kamut, kasha, magnesium, manganese, millet, phosphorous, potassium, Protein, quinoa, Selenium, soluble fiber, thyroid hormons, vitamin C, Whole Grains, zinc Leave a comment


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Euro rescue fund faces hurdle in GermanySeptember 10, 2012: 7:46 AM ET
The fate of Europe's latest rescue fund will be decided this week by a high court in Germany.
At issue is an injunction that would block the German parliament from ratifying the international treaty governing the European Stability Mechanism, or ESM.
The ESM is a key component of the "breakthrough" agreement announced in June by euro area leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, that is aimed at stabilizing financial markets and strengthening the region's banking system. The German Constitutional Court is expected to rule on the issue Wednesday.
The stakes are potentially high for Spain, which is widely expected to tap the ESM in order to qualify for the European Central Bank's new bond buying program. Spain has already requested up to €100 billion in bailout loans to recapitalize its banking sector.
Italy could also come under pressure if the court rules against the ESM, since many investors see the fund as a key backstop for the nation's €1 trillion bond market.
The court was asked earlier this year to issue the injunction by a group of conservative German lawmakers who want to have more say over how Germany's contribution to the ESM is spent. The ESM is also facing legal challenges by German legal scholars, and a class action suit.
German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has said he expects the court to allow the ESM treaty to be ratified. But analysts say the court could demand changes that would potentially hinder the fund's ability to respond quickly to a crisis.
"Any strings that would be attached to the operation of the ESM would be seen as a negative factor by the markets," said Timo Klein, senior economist at IHS Global Insight in Frankfurt.>
The ESM will eventually have €500 billion in capital, paid in by governments over a period of years, to provide loans for troubled members of the 17-nation currency union. It is designed to replace the European Financial Stability Facility, which has backed bailouts for Greece, Portugal and Ireland.
However, many Germans are opposed to the idea of giving more money to nations that have been criticized for lacking fiscal discipline.
The court heard similar arguments last year concerning the EFSF, which ultimately resulted in the German parliament being granted powers that had previously been held by a particular committee.
Related: Europe's unstable hammock
Henning Berger, a Berlin-based lawyer at international law firm White & Case, estimates that there is a 60% probability the court will refuse to grant the injunction, which would be a "green light" for the ESM.
But he also said there's a 40% chance the court will grant the injunction and attach conditions that would give the German parliament "more strict rights to decide certain financing measures by the ESM."
In addition, Berger said the court could insist that the upper limit of the ESM cannot be raised without the consent of the German representative to the fund, giving Germany "an all-time veto power" over the ESM.
"The court must weigh the consequences of what they are doing," said Berger. "But if they see there is a clear breach of constitutional law, that will not -- and should not -- prevent them from granting the injunction."
This week's ruling is on a preliminary injunction. The court will not make a final decision on the ESM's legality until later in the year, but analysts say it is highly unlikely that the court would change course.
Despite political rhetoric to the contrary, Germany has a stake in seeing the ESM ratified and preventing a messy break-up of the euro currency union, said Michelle Gibley, director of international research at Charles Schwab.
"There is incentive for the Germans to keep this intact," she said. "They don't want the euro to break apart because the cost would be very large."


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Fayette Local School District's legal firm recently addressed a pair of concerns lodged by the firm representing DH Holdings, the company charged with cleaning up pollution from the former Fayette Tubular Products.
David Nunn of the Eastman and Smith legal firm responded to a question from DH Holdings regarding the removal of underground storage tanks at the former high school site.
Nunn quoted the Settlement Agreement between DH Holdings and the school that calls for "surface demolition...of all of the buildings located on the property." No provision was made for the removal of storage tanks which may or may not be present, Nunn wrote.
He added that the demolition contractors were unable to verify the presence of a fuel tank despite searching in a likely location.
DH also questioned the presence of asphalt parking lots, but Nunn pointed out that the Declaration of Restrictions does not forbid parking on the property nor does it call for the removal of residual asphalt.
Nunn stated the board will continue to use April 21, 2009 as the starting date for DH Holdings' one-year option to buy the former school property.
Nunn told DH's law firm that the school board appreciates the company's cooperation in the school contamination issue.


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text:
Stark Series
Publisher Description
Sometimes it only takes a moment for your whole world to change. When Captain Kira Riley begins working on base at Fort Carson, she thinks she will be paying back her debt and escape her past. However just as she tries to focus on the mission at hand her path violently collides with the one man who could unearth every wall she has ever built.
Kira had struggled for years to make it to this moment. Finally a physician! But for those from meager backgrounds dreams come at a price. In order to pay for school she would have to serve in the military for 4 years. Just being on base brings back a lifetime of painful memories. Kira has to focus, pull up her big girl panties and make this work. One problem, she never anticipated meeting Owen Stark, a Special Forces sergeant who lives by a strict code. Though Kira tries to avoid any thoughts of this rugged stranger, fate has other plans. After a steamy and awkward physical exam Kira is left breathless and shaken. She has no intention of ever putting herself in a vulnerable situation again yet this soldier stirs feelings she didn't know she had. Beyond fraternization, Kira will have to overcome; a slew of crazy exes, the grips of a BDSM subculture, and jail to find out who Owen Stark really is.
Stark is intrigued from their first encounter but his world is set. After a decade of service to avenge past tragedy, his team was all he needed, until he met her. Her determination, wit and gentle charm captivate him. Now he must choose between the existence he has built and a chance to really live again. Separated by their ranks she is the one woman he can never have. He knows being caught will end both of their careers. Aside from that if he gets too close she will learn about his life before the military or worse how he has spent his free time for the last decade. He knows he should just walk away, but one look in those innocent eyes, and the world stops spinning. Some risks are worth taking even if you lose everything.
This is the first book in the Stark Series by C.D. Bradley.
Customer ReviewsSee All
Stark September Book One by CD Bradley
Enjoyed this book. Not your usual romance where you know what's going to happen. Lots of mystery.
Love this book it was awesome. Stark makes me a little and being wishy washy and not standing up for her. And Kira needs to find her back bone. But I'm still holding out hope he redeems himself and she says something before it's too late.
Stark September by CD Bradley
Good book! Keeps you on the edge wanting to see what happens next.


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Filming has commenced on Disney's star-studded real life drama Saving Mr. Banks. The film chronicles Walt Disney's twenty-year pursuit of the film rights to author P.L. Travers' novel Mary Poppins, and the rocky relationship that formed between the two. Tom Hanks will take on the daunting task of portraying Disney (the first time he's ever been portrayed in a dramatic film), while Emma Thompson is set as Travers. Director John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) has assembled a killer cast that includes Colin Farrell and Ruth Wilson (Anna Karenina) as Travers' parents, Rachel Griffiths (Six Feet Under) as Travers' aunt who was the inspiration for the character of Mary Poppins, Bradley Whitford (The West Wing) as screenwriter Don Dagradi, and Jason Schwartzman and B.J. Novak as the songwriting Sherman Brothers. Moreover, Paul Giamatti and Kathy Baker also appear in supporting roles.
Hit the jump for more on the project, including the film's full synopsis.
Travers was hesitant to sell the Mary Poppins rights to Disney, as the book was highly personal and reflected hardships in her own life as well as her relationship with her father. As can be gleaned from the cast of characters, we'll likely be seeing a number of flashbacks from the author's childhood.
Though Disney is behind the feature, I'm hoping the film doesn't shy away from some of the tougher aspects of Walt and Travers' relationship. This ensemble rather fantastic, and I can't wait to see Hanks' iteration of the iconic Walt Disney. Production is scheduled to wrap up around Thanksgiving of this year for an unspecified 2013 release date.
Here's the full press release, with the film's synopsis in bold:
Los Angeles, Calif., September 19, 2012—Disney began production today on "Saving Mr. Banks," the account of Walt Disney's twenty-year pursuit of the film rights to P.L. Travers' popular novel, Mary Poppins, and the testy partnership the upbeat filmmaker develops with the uptight author during the project's pre-production in 1961.
Two-time Academy Award®-winner Tom Hanks ("Philadelphia," "Forrest Gump") will essay the role of the legendary Disney (the first time the entrepreneur has ever been depicted in a dramatic film) alongside fellow double Oscar®-winner Emma Thompson ("Howard's End," "Sense and Sensibility") in the role of the prickly novelist. Before actually signing away the book's rights, Travers' demands for contractual script and character control circumvent not only Disney's vision for the film adaptation, but also those of the creative team of screenwriter Don DaGradi and sibling composers Richard and Robert Sherman, whose original score and song (Chim-Chim-Cher-ee) would go on to win Oscars® at the 1965 ceremonies (the film won five awards of its thirteen nominations).
When Travers travels from London to Hollywood in 1961 to finally discuss Disney's desire to bring her beloved character to the motion picture screen (a quest he began in the 1940s as a promise to his two daughters), Disney meets a prim, uncompromising sexagenarian not only suspect of the impresario's concept for the film, but a woman struggling with her own past. During her stay in California, Travers' reflects back on her childhood in 1906 Australia, a trying time for her family which not only molded her aspirations to write, but one that also inspired the characters in her 1934 book.
None more so than the one person whom she loved and admired more than any other—her caring father, Travers Goff, a tormented banker who, before his untimely death that same year, instills the youngster with both affection and enlightenment (and would be the muse for the story's patriarch, Mr. Banks, the sole character that the famous nanny comes to aide). While reluctant to grant Disney the film rights, Travers comes to realize that the acclaimed Hollywood storyteller has his own motives for wanting to make the film—which, like the author, hints at the relationship he shared with his own father in the early 20th Century Midwest.
Colin Farrell ("Minority Report," "Total Recall") co-stars as Travers' doting dad, Goff, along with British actress Ruth Wilson (the forthcoming films "The Lone Ranger" and "Anna Karenina") as his long-suffering wife, Margaret; Oscar® and Emmy® nominee Rachel Griffiths ("Six Feet Under," "Hilary and Jackie," "The Rookie") as Margaret's sister, Aunt Ellie (who inspired the title character of Travers' novel); and a screen newcomer—11-year-old Aussie native Annie Buckley as the young, blossoming writer, nicknamed "Ginty" in the flashback sequences.
The cast also includes Emmy® winner Bradley Whitford ("The West Wing," "The Cabin in the Woods") as screenwriter Don DaGradi; Jason Schwartzman ("Rushmore," "Moonrise Kingdom") and B.J. Novak ("NBC's "The Office," "Inglourious Basterds") as the songwriting Sherman Brothers (Richard and Robert, respectively); Oscar® nominee and Emmy winner Paul Giamatti ("Sideways," "Cinderella Man," HBO's "John Adams") as Ralph, the kindly limousine driver who escorts Travers during her two-week stay in Hollywood; and multi-Emmy winner Kathy Baker ("Picket Fences," "Edward Scissorhands") as Tommie, one of Disney's trusted studio associates.
"Saving Mr. Banks" will be directed by John Lee Hancock ("The Blind Side," "The Rookie") based on a screenplay by Kelly Marcel (creator of FOX-TV's "Terra Nova"), from a story by Sue Smith ("Brides of Christ," "Bastard Boys") and Kelly Marcel. The film is being produced by Alison Owen of Ruby Films (the Oscar®-nominated "Elizabeth," HBO's Emmy®-winning "Temple Grandin"), Ian Collie of Essential Media (the Aussie TV documentary "The Shadow of Mary Poppins," DirecTV's "Rake") and longtime Hancock collaborator Philip Steuer ("The Rookie," "The Chronicles of Narnia" trilogy). The film's executive producers are Ruby Films' Paul Trijbits ("Lay the Favorite," "Jane Eyre"), Hopscotch Features' Andrew Mason ("The Matrix" trilogy, "Dark City") and Troy Lum ("Mao's Last Dancer," "I, Frankenstein") and BBC Films' Christine Langan (Oscar® nominee for "The Queen," "We Need to Talk About Kevin").
Hancock's filmmaking team includes a trio of artists with whom he worked on his 2009 Best Picture Oscar® nominee, "The Blind Side"—two-time Oscar® nominated production designer Michael Corenblith ("How The Grinch Stole Christmas," "Apollo 13"), Emmy®-winning costume designer Daniel Orlandi (HBO's "Game Change," "Frost/Nixon") and film editor Mark Livolsi, A.C.E. ("Wedding Crashers" "The Devil Wears Prada"). Hancock also reunites with Academy Award®-nominated cinematographer John Schwartzman ("Seabiscuit," "Pearl Harbor"), with whom he first worked on his inspiring 2002 sports drama, "The Rookie."
"Saving Mr. Banks" will film entirely in the Los Angeles area, with key locations to include Disneyland in Anaheim and the Disney Studios in Burbank. Filming will conclude around Thanksgiving, 2012, with no specific 2013 release date yet set.


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Understanding Meter Readings
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Smart-meter energy data now online
CPS Energy is interested in how customers use the statistics.
The 40,000 CPS Energy customers who've had "smart meters" installed now can check their energy use in near real-time on CPS' website.
The new online feature allows customers to see how much energy their homes have consumed from as recently as the previous day, broken down by day, hour and 15-minute increments.
Letters arrive in mailboxes this week alerting those customers with the meters, part of a pilot program, to check out the new "my energy" tab after logging into their account at cpsenergy.com
CPS also has begun billing those customers using the electronically collected data, said Anthony Hawkins, who's overseeing the program. He says he's seeing a higher accuracy rate than on routes where meters still are read manually.
These are the latest incremental steps the utility has taken in its $125 million plan to install smart meters on every home and business. Doing so will increase the system's efficiency and reliability, utility officials say, ideally saving everyone money in the process.
The new meters alone won't lower bills. To encourage savings, CPS eventually will offer incentives that would, say, give customers rebates in exchange for voluntarily reducing power at certain times.
But first, CPS wants feedback on the new feature.
"We want to know, 'How are you using it? How can we help you analyze the data to help you?'" said Anthony Hawkins, who oversees the program for CPS.
Smart meters often are confused with CPS' Peak Saver program, which offers a free programmable thermostat in exchange for allowing the utility to cycle an air conditioner compressor off for a few minutes every hour during peak demand times.
The smart meters, which are outside the home, don't allow the utility to control anything, another common misperception, Hawkins said.
Educating customers about what the meters, and CPS, can and cannot do, he said, has been one of the program's biggest challenges — and is another reason CPS has started so small, with the pilot program of just 40,000 homes.
Other utilities already have installed millions of the new meters, but they've also been plagued by complaints of inaccuracy.
A study commissioned by the Public Utility Commission of Texas last year found the meters are largely accurate, but also that some utilities had done a poor job of communicating the changes.
More Information
How smart meters work
Data are collected every 15 minutes and sent to CPS Energy once every 24 hours via a fiber optic network. The meters do not allow the utility to control electricity consumption.
The system is ripe for an upgrade. Traditional electromagnetic meters are read manually, just once a month, by a person who must gain physical access to the meter — difficult with gated communities and backyard dogs.
With smart meters, data is collected every 15 minutes and sent to CPS once every 24 hours via its own fiber optic network.


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May 1, 2013
Testimony in Support of FY 2014 Funding for the United States Geological Survey, United States Forest Service, and Environmental Protection Agency
Submitted by:
Julie Palakovich Carr
Senior Public Policy Associate
Richard O'Grady, Ph.D.
Executive Director
American Institute of Biological Sciences
1444 I Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-628-1500
Submitted to:
Senate Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies
The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) appreciates the opportunity to provide testimony in support of appropriations for the United States Geological Survey (USGS), United States Forest Service (USFS), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for fiscal year (FY) 2014. AIBS encourages Congress to provide the USGS with at least $1.167 billion in FY 2014, with at least $180.8 million for the Ecosystems activity. We further request that Congress provide the USFS Forest and Rangeland Research program with at least $310.2 million, and EPA's Office of Research and Development with at least $600 million.
The AIBS is a nonprofit scientific association dedicated to advancing biological research and education for the welfare of society. AIBS works to ensure that the public, legislators, funders, and the community of biologists have access to and use information that will guide them in making informed decisions about matters that require biological knowledge. Founded in 1947 as a part of the National Academy of Sciences, AIBS became an independent, member-governed organization in the 1950s. Today, AIBS has nearly 160 member organizations and is headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with a Public Policy Office in Washington, DC.
U.S. Geological Survey
The USGS provides unbiased, independent research, data, and assessments that are needed by public and private sector decision-makers. Data generated by the USGS save taxpayers money by reducing economic losses from natural disasters, allowing more effective management of water and natural resources, and providing essential geospatial information that is needed for commercial activity and natural resource management. The data collected by the USGS are not available from other sources and our nation cannot afford to sacrifice this information.
The Ecosystems activity within USGS underpins the agency's other science mission areas by providing information needed for understanding the impacts of water use, energy exploration and production, and natural hazards on natural systems. The USGS conducts research on and monitoring of fish, wildlife, and vegetation - data that informs management decisions by other Interior bureaus regarding protected species and land use. Biological science programs within the USGS gather long-term data not available from other sources. The knowledge generated by USGS programs is used by federal and state natural resource managers to maintain healthy and diverse ecosystems while balancing the needs of public use.
Other examples of successful USGS Ecosystem initiatives include:
The requested FY 2014 budget would support several important ecosystem science priorities at USGS. The budget would implement a recommendation by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology to integrate information on the condition of U.S. ecosystems. The budget request would also enable the USGS to develop methodologies to better prevent, detect, and control Asian carp and other invasive species. USGS would be able to provide enhanced surveillance and diagnostic tools, and develop management tools for white-nose syndrome and other ecologically and economically costly wildlife diseases. Additionally, USGS would be able to study and better inform decisions about new energy sources.
The request also includes additional funding for water quality research, including in the areas of fisheries and contaminant biology. The budget would support development of a new system for access and use of water budget information. A central part of this new initiative is streamflow information collected by USGS' national network of streamgages.
Through the Cooperative Research Units, the USGS and their partners address pressing issues facing natural resource managers at the local, state, and federal levels. Examples of recent research initiatives include studying the effects of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill on wildlife and fisheries, and improving management of elk and waterfowl. In addition to providing research expertise, these partnerships at 40 universities in 38 states serve as important training centers for America's next generation of scientists and resource managers. More than 500 graduate students each year receive training at Cooperative Research Units. The program is also an efficient use of resources: each federal dollar invested in the program is leveraged more than three-fold. A modest increase is proposed for FY 2014.
Although the proposed budget supports many USGS priorities, the requested funding level would result in $36.6 million in cuts to programs that support agency core missions. The agency proposed these reductions to offset increases in fixed costs and to attain greater cost efficiencies.
In summary, the USGS is uniquely positioned to provide a scientific context for many of the nation's biological and environmental challenges, including water quality and use, energy independence, and conservation of biological diversity. This array of research expertise not only serves the core missions of the Department of the Interior, but also contributes to management decisions made by other agencies and private sector organizations. USGS science is also cost-effective, as the agency's activities help to identify the most effective management actions. In short, increased investments in these important research activities will yield dividends.
U.S. Forest Service
United States Forest Service research provides scientific information and new technologies to support sustainable management of the nation's forests and rangelands. These products and services increase the basic biological and physical knowledge of the composition, structure, and function of forest, rangeland, and aquatic ecosystems.
The FY 2014 budget request would support key areas of scientific research, the outcomes of which will inform sustainable management of the nation's forests and rangelands. USFS' research on wildland fire and fuels evaluates the effectiveness of hazardous fuels treatments and helps managers as they protect life and property and restore fire-adapted ecosystems. Research would also continue on priority invasive species, such as emerald ash borer and hemlock wooly adelgid, which have caused extensive damage to forests and local economies.
Environmental Protection Agency
The Office of Research and Development (ORD) supports valuable extramural and intramural research that is used to identify and mitigate environmental problems facing our nation. ORD research informs decisions made by public health and safety managers, natural resource managers, businesses, and other stakeholders concerned about air and water pollution, human health, and land management and restoration. In short, ORD provides the scientific basis upon which EPA monitoring and enforcement programs are built.
Despite the important role played by ORD, its funding has declined by 28.5 percent in Gross Domestic Product-indexed dollars since FY 2004, when it peaked at $646.5 million. "This long-term decline has limited and will continue to limit the research that can be conducted to support the agency's effort to protect human health and the environment," according to the EPA's Science Advisory Board. "These limitations pose a vulnerability for EPA at a time when the agency faces significant science questions with long-term implications for protecting the environment and public health."
At $554.1 million, the budget request for FY 2014 falls far short of addressing past and current shortfalls. We ask that Congress restore funding for ORD to at least the FY 2010 enacted level.
The Ecosystem Services Research program within ORD is responsible for enhancing, protecting, and restoring ecosystem services, such as clean air and water, rich soil for crop production, pollination, and flood control. The program has been long underfunded, according to the EPA Science Advisory Board, with a 58 percent budget decline over the last decade. We ask that Congress address the chronic underfunding of the program.
The Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program supports valuable research on human health and the environment through competitively awarded research grants. The program enables EPA to fill information gaps that are not addressed by intramural EPA research programs or by other federal agencies.
Two valuable training opportunities for the next generation of scientists will be removed from EPA as part of a proposed government-wide consolidation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education programs. Funding would be zeroed out for EPA STAR graduate fellowships and Greater Research Opportunities undergraduate fellowships. The Science Advisory Board "considers it a priority to increase STAR fellowships, if possible, because support for environmental scientists at an early stage in their careers is a cost-effective way to advance ORD's strategic goals." The National Academy of Sciences called the fellowship "a valuable mechanism for enabling a continuing supply of graduate students in environmental sciences and engineering." We are concerned that the consolidation of these programs at the National Science Foundation will be detrimental to preparation of the next generation of environmental scientists and engineers. We ask for the program to remain at EPA and to be supported at an adequate funding level.
ORD's Safe and Sustainable Water Resources program supports research that underpins safe drinking water for society. The program's research also focuses on better understanding resiliency of watersheds to stressors and factors that affect watershed restoration. The budget request would allow the program to pursue research that will inform decisions about water safety and to ensure the sustainability of our wetlands.
In conclusion, we urge Congress to restore funding for the ORD to the FY 2010 enacted level. These appropriation levels would allow ORD to address a backlog of research needs.
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this request.
Read more AIBS Position Statements


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Visit a Courthouse
by Allison Leotta
Are you writing a crime story? Go visit a courthouse!
Trials are free and open to the public. And they can provide a wealth of information for novelists. You can go to watch a specific trial, or simply visit on any given day and poke your head into a bunch of different courtrooms. It's your right as a citizen to be able to sit down in the spectator section and watch for as long as you'd like.
Each courtroom will have its own ambiance. Some courtrooms are cattle calls of dozens of misdemeanor cases, while others may be holding a major homicide trial or a multi-defendant racketeering case. The federal courthouse (big courtrooms, quiet hallways, $1000 briefcases) will feel very different than your local courthouse (crowded lobby, peeling formica, scuffed shoes).
You'll get a sense for how lawyers ask questions, how witnesses answer, and how each courtroom feels. You might see families arguing in the corridors, prosecutors having last-minute witness conferences, clients huddling with their lawyers. Take in the sights and the smells.
And chat with people while you're there; strike up conversations. The guards who work the x-ray machines, for example, can be a treasury of what's going on in the courthouse. Or just talk to the lady sitting next to you. You might be amazed at the stories you hear. Everyone in the courthouse is there for a reason – and by going out of your comfort zone, asking questions, and really listening, you can find priceless details to include in your story.


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Medina Kilim Rugs - PET Yarn
GoodWeave® began in 1995 as a grassroots campaign in India by Kailash Satyarthi, then Chairman of the South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude. GoodWeave's mission is to end child labour in the rug industry and to replicate its market- based approach in other sectors. Satyarthi was presented with the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for his work.
The GoodWeave® label is the best assurance that no child labour was used in the making of your rug. In order to earn the GoodWeave label, rug producers and importers must be licensed under the GoodWeave certification programme and sign a legally binding contract to adhere to GoodWeave's no child labour and no bonded labour Standard.
Buying a GoodWeave® certified rug at Namaste supports educational opportunities for children who otherwise might be required to work. Handcrafted by adult artisans, these rugs make a beautiful statement at home & make the world a better place. For further information visit www.goodweave.org
(Total Products 3, Showing: 1 to 3) Sort By: Price Low to High | Price High to Low


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- Conference Call Scheduled for August 8th, 2007 at 09:00 EST –
Givat Shmuel, Israel , July 30th, 2007 - Cimatron Limited (NASDAQ: CIMT), a leading provider of integrated CAD/CAM solutions for the toolmaking and manufacturing industries, announced today that it will be releasing its second quarter 2007 results on Tuesday, August 7th, 2007, after markets close.
The Company will also be hosting a conference call on August 8th, 2007, at 09:00 EST,
16:00 Israel time. On the call, management will review and discuss the results, and will also be available to answer questions by investors.
To participate, please call one of the following teleconferencing numbers. Please begin placing your calls at least 5 minutes before the conference call commences.
Israel: 03-9180688
International: +972-3-9180688
For those unable to listen to the live call, a replay of the call will be available from the day after the call under the investor relations section of Cimatron's website, at: http://www.cimatron.com/
About Cimatron
With more than 20,000 installations worldwide, Cimatron is a leading provider of integrated, CAD/CAM solutions for mold, tool and die makers as well as manufacturers of discrete parts. Cimatron is committed to providing comprehensive, cost-effective solutions that streamline manufacturing cycles, enable collaboration with outside vendors, and ultimately shorten product delivery time. Cimatron's cutting-edge CAD/CAM solutions are widely used in the automotive, medical, consumer plastics, electronics, and other industries.
Founded in 1982, Cimatron is publicly traded on the NASDAQ exchange under the symbol CIMT. Cimatron's subsidiaries and extensive distributor network are located in over 35 countries to serve customers worldwide with complete pre- and post-sales support. For more information, please visit http://www.cimatron.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release includes forward looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act Of 1995, which are subject to risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Such statements may relate to the company's plans, objectives and expected financial and operating results. The words "may," "could," "would," "will," "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," and similar expressions or variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of the future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's ability to control. The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward looking statements include, but are not limited to: currency fluctuations, global economic and political conditions, marketing demand for Cimatron products and services, long sales cycle, new product development, assimilating future acquisitions, maintaining relationships with customers and partners, and increased competition. For more details about the risks and uncertainties of the business, refer to the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchanges Commission. The company cannot assess the impact of or the extent to which any single factor or risk, or combination of them, may cause. Cimatron undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.


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Greetings 'Creeps and 'Caskettes! This is the Mighty Moloch here. I like dead things, such as the art of letter writing! Strange has offered to make sure you receive this transmission in a timely manner on PhantomCreep.com.
In-between Midnite Monster Hops, we travel throughout all of space and time in our Bucket o'Blood. Did you know there are more wonders of the universe than you can shake a stick of dynamite at? That's right, there are countless sights to behold to inspire the young and the old: Artists, dreamers, and creators, have struggled and fought not just throughout time on your own planet, but on infinite spheres throughout the inky, infinite, blackness of space!
Throw out your Hallmark holidays! Today is important!
As we collectively race towards our inevitable doom, the Midnite Monster Hop marks the births and beginnings of those that really rate! Invest time and energy into the existence of Dig Me Later, Vampira, aka the Vampira Show, that premiered on this date in 1954!
Stay in the know! Grab the newly expanded 2016 calendar at the next Midnite Monster Hop TODAY with the Undead, the Omega Men, and the Mondellos!


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I saw this as I was trying to understand routers and the myriad bits and bobs that go along with them. I thought it a clever idea and wanted to keep track of it, and I reckoned some of you might think so too, so here it is.
A Jig for Precision Trimming by Nick Engler
From The Ultimate Router Guide: Jigs, Joinery, Projects & More from Popular Woodworking,
David Thiel (ed.) http://bookzz.org/md5/cac43aff6807bd5e1f0b967890121057
Once upon a time I had the brilliant idea to use a strip of hardwood to trim out the edge of a
laminate countertop. And not just any laminate, either. This stuff was so expensive that if you asked
how much it cost, the salesperson presumed you could not afford it. So scratching it during
installation was not an option.
The challenge, I realized the moment the glue set upon the wood trim, was that I had to plane the
top surface of the trim flush with the laminate without touching the laminate itself. If the blade
touched the laminate, I would remove the thin layer that held the color, revealing the dull substrate
(which the manufacturer thoughtfully made a flat white to provide maximum contrast and advertise
my slip-up to the world).
I searched the 40 billion tool catalogs I receive each month (give or take), looking for something
that would shave the wood without touching the laminate. I found nothing that would do the trick.
Now, we all know what happens when you have a perfectly good excuse to buy an expensive
new tool and you can't find anything suitable – you buy something that's unsuitable and make it
work. As a result, I bought a small laminate trimmer and built the jig shown here to turn it into a
tool that I hoped would not mar the laminate.
Making a Router Cut Like a Hand Plane
What I made is sometimes called a "router plane," although it does something quite different from
the hand tool of the same name.
An old-time router plane rides on the surface and reaches down into a recess to trim the bottom.
This jig lets you adjust the depth of the router bit to cut adjacent surfaces flush to or higher than the
surface on which the router is riding.
In my case, I wanted the tool to ride on the laminate and shave the top surface of the wood trim
ever-so-slightly higher than the laminate it was attached to.
The first thing to do is to make a mounting plate from clear acrylic. (This lets you see what you
are planing.) The plate should be rectangular and about twice as long as the laminate trimmer's
base is wide.
Mount the router at one end of this plate, centered over a 1"-diameter opening for a bit. On the
end of the plate, mount a 3⁄8"-thick wooden base and a handle, as shown in the drawing at right. The
base rests on one surface and lets you cantilever the router over another surface that you want to
shave parallel to the first.
The handle not only helps you control the router, it lets you counterbalance the router's weight
and keep the base flat on the reference surface as you work.
The fasteners you use to assemble the plate, base and handle must not protrude below the bottom
surface of the base – after all, you don't want metal hardware dragging over the surface you're
trying not to cut.
Using the Jig
Mount a straight bit in the router. I commonly use a 3⁄4 "-diameter bit, but any bit smaller than the
plate opening will do.
Adjust the depth of cut to the level you want to rout. If you want to trim one surface flush to
another, raise or lower the bit until the tip barely touches the surface on which the base rests. If you
want to cut slightly above a surface, as I did, simply raise the bit to the proper height.
I used a piece of paper as a feeler gauge to position the tip of the bit about .003" above the
surface – close enough to look flush, but far enough away to make sure it wouldn't cut the laminate
on which the jig rested.
Then make a test cut to check your setup.
As you cut, pay close attention to the direction of rotation and the direction you move the
trimmer. I cut with the router so the bit rotation pulled the router through the wood trim and away
from the laminate surface I was trying to protect.
If you have to "back-feed" (where you move the router so the bit pulls in a direction you don't
want to go), move the router very slowly and keep the base pressed firmly against the guiding
surface. For delicate work, cut the wood in several passes, lowering the router a tiny fraction of an
inch between each pass.
-- Show us a man who never makes a mistake and we will show a man who never makes anything. The capacity for occasional blundering is inseparable from the capacity to bring things to pass.


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Ceremonial killamajig
|Ceremonial killamajig
|First appearance
|"Fear of a Bot Planet" (1ACV05)
The ceremonial killamajig is a device used by the Robot Elders for killing humans. Bender was briefly introduced to it in order to kill his friends, Leela and Fry.
Given its form, it is likely that it is intended to be a slow and painful death for the humans.


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An Indestructible Soccer Ball is Helping the World's Children [VIDEO]
There are so many charity groups and non profit organizations around the world working hard to help the world's children. Food, clean water, education, and health care are very important. But, a child's need to play is also important to their childhood. One man decided to do his part to help these children in need.
Tim Jahnigen watched a video of children living in a third world country playing soccer with a ball they made out of trash wrapped with twine. This broke his heart and inspired him to change thousands of children's lives.
He developed a soccer ball that is indestructible and ways to improve the way these kids could play.
This video will break your heart and then lift you back up. Watching someone take changing the world upon his shoulders will encourage you to help make another child's life a little bit better.


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Welcome to AdaptiveAccess.com!
Adaptive Access Company is proud to offer the finest in accessible construction and safety equipment available!
Our products are distributed throughout the U.S. to homes, business, hotels, hospitals and government facilities. We invite you to visit our Online Sales Catalog for products that include:
- Wheelchair ramps
- Grab bars and handrails
- Folding shower and tub seats
- Special offset swing clear hinges
- Commercial washroom accessories
It is important to us to give you excellent service combined with competitive pricing, and that is exactly what you get! Our goal is to provide you with outstanding, top-quality safety and accessibility products for your home or business at the lowest possible prices.
Our Accessible Construction services:
Due to the nature of construction, our accessible building compliance, renovation and remodeling service is limited to Houston, Texas and the surrounding area.
- Do you have a disability and use a wheelchair or walker?
- Are you elderly or have trouble getting around and need home modifications to make life a little easier?
- Do you want professional help with accessibility products and safety equipment?
We can help! We are adaptive equipment and accessibility products specialists and offer wheelchair accessible home modifications, remodeling and construction. We can:
- Make it easier to carry out your daily activities if you have trouble getting around.
- Create a safer environment and help prevent accidents for the elderly and those that have a disability or use a wheelchair.
- We offer a wide range of accessibility and safety products to increase your independence at home and make it more comfortable.
We can help your business meet the building codes of the ADA and Texas Accessibility Standards. We will:
- Make your business wheelchair accessible to seniors and people with disabilities.
- Help you meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Texas Accessibility Standards.
- Make your company compliant with all handicap accessibility laws and building codes to insure that everyone, including the disabled and elderly, can enjoy the benefits of your business.
Why Choose Us?
Finding a contractor familiar with accessible construction and design can be a real challenge. We think we're the right remodeling contractor for you for several reasons!
- We make it easy to get what you need! That's because we specialize in wheelchair access remodeling projects, accessible design and products. We have experience and solutions to the obstacles that seniors and the physically challenged face.
- All the work we do and products we provide are of high quality! You won't find anything tougher than our work, and you'll be hard pressed to find someone that can even compete in our price range.
- We really want to help you! We're truly dedicated to helping you be more comfortable and productive. So, if you're interested in how we can improve your style of living, contact us. We'll be delighted to answer your questions.
Helpful Advice To Get You Started
Not everyone can live in Houston and benefit from our experience and professional remodeling services. We still want to help out as much as we can, so we're building up a great resource on this site to help get you started. Check out the toolbox for some great tips and information that you can use to comply with the handicap accessible building codes or to make your home a better place to live.
Contact us today to see how our experience can work for you. Our Houston Texas area remodeling and ADA compliance service begins with a free assessment. We have the accessible solutions for you and make recommendations with your current and future needs taken into consideration so we can make your life easier!


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Kenneth Cole Awearness AWEAR-TECH Black Woven Pattern Short Sleeve Sport Shirt
Made with AWEAR-TECH 37.5 technology this non-iron cotton-blend shirt features fabric that is triggered by your body temperature to either warm or cool itself depending on the situation. The active particles permanently embedded in the yarn capture heat from your body's infrared energy to speed evaporation and cool itself if there is moisture vapor (sweat) present or retain that heat to keep you warm when no moisture is present.
Browse all deals at Men's Wearhouse
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