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Tuesday, February 9, 2010
When And How To Junk Your Car
I bet you really loved your first car especially if you bought it brand new from a car dealer. You were probably attracted so much to it that you treated it with all the love and attention a good lover could give. However all cars, no matter how much love and attention we put into them, will eventually wear down, and get to the point that the most merciful thing you can do with your beloved car is to either donate it or sell it for scrap. So when should you scrap your car and how do you go about it?
One good reason why even the best cars end up to be scrap is that the present owner just cannot cope with the cost of maintaining the vehicle anymore. The older it gets, the harder it becomes to find spare parts for it to keep in good condition; to find mechanics who know how to treat the peculiar problems that old cars get; and even to find appropriate storage facilities for your aging car. All these problems costs money and of course, you are not getting any younger as well so there might come a time when you have to choose between financing your own needs and that of your car, you opt to scrap your car instead.
If you do choose to lose your car, you are actually doing yourself a favor, and you might also be serving the community in the long run. To scrap your car, you must take into consideration how much your car is worth to others. For example, is your car a vintage vehicle? If so, there might be considerable market or demand for the different car parts that will be produced when you scrap your car. One collector might pay a considerably good amount just for your steering wheel, another might like your hubcaps, and yet another might give you a pretty penny for the body of your aging car. At times like these, you may feel that taking care of your car all these years the way you did is certainly paying off for you.
Some might also get emotional when it's time to scrap a car, because there may still be a feeling of special bond to the vehicle which has served for so long, and faithfully well. Some even have special nicknames for their cars. So you might want to get someone else to scrap your car for you if you feel such a strong bond to your vehicle. There are companies that specialize in the scrap-your-car business. Some of these simply dump the car in a car compacting machine. But if that's not the untimely end you want for your car, be sure you know what type of company in the scrap-your-car business you are trying to contact. You probably want a scrap-your-car company that will take apart your car carefully so that any valuable parts worth selling will retain their market value.
Today, it is no longer a matter of just deciding on your own to scrap your car as government has also made specific rules and instructions for the public to follow regarding how, and when to scrap a motor vehicle. Be sure to learn what these rules are and any benefits that come with following the regulations, like possible tax breaks for you.
Posted by Superb Junk Car Removal at 11:00 PM 112 comments:
Labels: junk car, junk car tips, scrap cars, scrap vehicles
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Car Donation - A noble principle
While Luxury cars may be nice to ride in and to drive around, they can be quite expensive to operate. If you have a luxury vehicle and do not use it as often as is used to and probably because the price of gas has risen or just doesn't seem quite so nice anymore. You might want to consider donating that vehicle.
Some charity organizations, though not all, will accept your used vehicle especially if it's a luxury vehicle and can be re-sold while using the profits to fund the charity's operations.
There are many benefits to donating a vehicle. One is that you get that sense you're helping someone that needs it. You'll also be able to write off the fair market value of the vehicle from your income taxes. And, in addition you could be helping save the environment as well.
For those who may be considering donating, especially a luxury car, the IRS will be informed and that when you donate a vehicle for charity, you will receive a receipt and a copy of that receipt will be sent to the IRS. This receipt will show the fair market value of the vehicle that you have donated. However, take into consideration that there are scams out there that will tell you that you'll receive retail value for your donation; which absolutely is just not true.
Other scam operations promise vacations which will end up costing you money while not allowing you to visit any destination that you choose. Keep in mind that the noble principle of donating used vehicle, or any item for that matter is not to expect anything in return and that the idea of helping others out of that donation should be realized at all times. Receiving a reward for making a donation is not just the way genuine charitable initiatives work.
So next time, consider donating a luxury car and get that excellent feeling of being able to be of help to someone in a less fortunate situation.
Posted by Superb Junk Car Removal at 7:23 PM 38 comments:
Labels: car donate, car donation, junk car removal, junk cars, junk luxury cars, junk vehicles, salvage cars
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Old Cars and Salvage Yards
If you try and familiarize yourself with the concept of salvage yards, you'll recall that these are places where wrecked or abandoned cars are taken. Classic car salvage yards base their business on selling any parts that can be used for functioning vehicles, but also on the selling of scrap metal parts. These are often purchased by specialized companies, which recycle metals of different types. Everyone wins from the situation and the problem with abandoned vehicles is easily solved.
In many situations, as has been known knowledge that an owner usually decides to take his vehicle to the salvage yard on his own. The car is often damaged beyond repair, but there are situations when the repairing costs are too high; the owner will prefer to take it to the car salvage yards and recuperate part of the money invested in the car. If a car has been left abandoned and no one has even bothered to clean it, then chances are the car will be picked up by a specialized company and taken to the junkyard.
If you have ever been to one of the classic car salvage yards, then you know that the cars are arranged to occupy as little space as possible. This is the reason why you will definitely see cars on top of other cars, waiting for their sentences. The mechanics working for the classic car salvage yards will take out any parts that can be used in other vehicles, keeping detailed inventories of the cars that were brought in. These inventories mostly refer to the parts that were taken out of the car, parts that are going to be installed in functioning vehicles in the near future. Today, thanks to the advancements made in the field of personal computers, all these inventories are kept in PCs.
Given the diversity of the vehicles brought in to the classic car salvage yards, it´s no wonder that there is such a high demand for spare parts. Mechanics remove the desired parts from the car and they sell them to interested customers for different prices. There are many salvage yards that even offer to install those spare parts on the customer´s car. However, one might also be interested in more important spare parts, such as the ones needed for the engine or the transmission system. In this case you need to be prepared to pay the requested price.
Not only headlights and parts of the transmission system are removed from old vehicles and sold later on to different customers. Mechanics working for classic car salvage yards might also remove windshields and windows that are not damaged, selling them to car owners that need to replace those parts of the car. A very interesting fact is that one can appeal to car salvage yards in order to restore an old car, bringing it to good condition. The specialists working at the junkyard will provide all the necessary pieces and even help the prospective car owner bring the old vehicle back to life; the rebuilders of classic cars.
Posted by Superb Junk Car Removal at 9:47 PM 50 comments:
Labels: junk car for cause, junk car tips, junk yards, salvage cars, salvage yard guides, salvage yards
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Junk Cars for Cash
Firstly, you may call some auto salvage companies in your area and inquire on how much they pay for junk cars. It usually goes on per pound (lbs) basis as the unit of measure being used for this. You may use the info sticker on the driver's door for weight details about your vehicle as most cars have this for reference purposes. This way you can get an idea of how much cash you will get for your junk car.
Ask the salvage yard about their requirements in buying a junk car. Many places ask that you remove the wheels and tires before bringing them in. They sometimes require that the gas tanks have been removed as well. Some will accept them without the removal of wheels and tires, but you will receive a less amount for your vehicle.
You need to find out if they will pick the car up or if you need to bring it in. Depending on your area they may be willing to pick it up, but most often they will pay more if you bring your junk car to them. You should only have the car towed if it is not in drivable condition. If you do have to tow your junk car be sure to check on the towing laws in your town, you do not want to get a ticket.
Before you commit to any action, you should always call several salvage yards and get price quotes before deciding on a specific yard. You want to sell your car to the one that pays the most. Keep in mind that the price of scrap metal fluctuates. It may sell high today and be considerably less tomorrow.
You might want to check on these tips before deciding to sell your junk car as it would greatly help in determining proper ways on how to economically dispose your junk car, thus, earning some money as well.
Posted by Superb Junk Car Removal at 10:36 PM 33 comments:
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Recycling Junk Car for a Cause
There are number of options for recycling junk car. You can either sell it to a junkyards, scrap metal yards, or donate it to someone who may be in need of junk vehicles or parts.
Recycling a junk car may not only good for ones wallet but is surely good for the environment. One could hit a win-win situation and that which can be done just by flipping through the phone book and making a few calls.
Off to the Junkyard
Someone who wants to recycle a junk car should check out local junkyards that specialize in car replacement parts. This is a great idea if the car owner wants to make a profit. If the car has parts that are still good, the junkyard will pick the car up and pay for it. The car may be delivered by the owner to the junkyard and make the most money out of it as it will eliminate any pick-up fees that would be taken out of the profit.
It is also important to shop around at different junkyards to find the best offer. Many part yards have certain parts needs and will be willing to offer more money for a car with those parts.
Off to a Scrap Metal Yard
Scrap metal yards specialize in taking old metal and selling it to companies to turn into new items. Scrap metal is bought by the pound, so the more metal the junk car has, the more money the owner will make. One word of caution; scrap metal yards don't take tires, usually, owners will have to find a tire recycling area to drop them off at.
Off to Charity
If the owner isn't worried about profit and would rather donate a vehicle for a good cause, checking out charities would be a good choice. Many charities have started tow-away programs for old cars. These programs help to make money for the needy. Car Angles, Cars for Causes, and Give Cars are all good websites for more information on car donations for charity. Local high schools and community colleges should also be contacted. Some will take junk cars as learning tools for the mechanic shop students if the car isn't in total disrepair.
Cash for Rattletrap
Many new car lots will take gas guzzling cars for a trade-in worth up to $4500 dollars thanks to the Cash for Clunkers or CAR Allowance Rebate System (CARS) government program. See the official CARS website at cars.gov for more information.
For City Clean-Up Days
Once a year, many cities have a clean-up day where they will offer to haul away junk cars for free. The owner can call the local city hall for more information.
JunkCar for Free
If all else fails, the owner of the car can offer it to others for free. It can be listed for free on Craigslist or on a Freecycle forum. Others may want the car for parts, or may want to fix the car as a hobby.
No matter where the owner lives, a car can be recycled to help the Earth and humans, alike. It is a creative form of waste managment that benefits everyone.
Posted by Superb Junk Car Removal at 10:09 PM 25 comments:
Monday, December 7, 2009
Should You Or Should You Not Sell Your Junk Car
Most people have a wrong impression about salvage companies. They assume that these companies deal only with completely junk cars. Or if you got a total wreck car; you can call up such a company and they will use it for scrap metal. Truth is, most auto salvage companies do not scrap wrecked cars. They purchase damaged and inoperable cars that can be repaired to be resold in the market or that they can sell off its spare parts.
These services are very different from what a junk yard or a car scrapping service provides you with. It works best for individuals that have a vehicle standing in their porch that doesn't run. In order to get that vehicle running the owner needs to spend a considerable amount of money on repairs. In some cases people are not willing to spend that money in order to get that car running so that it can come into use or to sell it off as a running second hand car in the market. In other cases the owner's do not possess that kind of cash.
But who would buy a car that doesn't run? Of course you may be able to find a car enthusiast willing to pay you some money to have possession of the car and then work upon it. But the chances of this are very slim. This is where car salvage companies step in to provide you with very beneficial service.
With the this kind of 'economically testing' time that we have, any money is good money. Selling off that damaged inoperable car will get you some cash which can come in very handy in today's times. The important thing for interested individuals to know is when a car attains the title of being a salvage car. Basically when the cost of repairs on the car exceeds the actual worth of the car itself it is termed as being a salvage car. Most of the time, it is the insurance company that gives this title to a car upon which a claim is made. The value of the car is however determined upon its estimated worth in the market. Hence if you wreck up a brand new car it may still be worth it to repair it yourself. Unless it's wrecked up real badly.
In cases where you have a relatively older car that has been damaged either by accident or due to neglect the cost of repair may be more than the actual worth of the car. Therefore, calling upon a car salvage company is the best option that one could have. If you are wondering; should you or should you not sell your car to a car salvage company then the estimated cost of repairs as against the worth of your car will help you to make decision. You can make use of online guides to judge the worth of your car or have a mechanic take a look at it in order to give you an estimate of the car's worth.
Posted by Superb Junk Car Removal at 9:52 PM 48 comments:
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~ George Carlin.
The freak show never stops.
I have not heard anyone complaining about the full-body x-rays that passengers at the Phoenix airport are going to have to undergo in the name of "security" and War on Terror®. As a matter of fact, I should probably start calling it "War on Terror, Inc.," because that's what it is. I wonder how much money the homeland security industry is making off of this, and I wonder how many highly-placed officials in the US government are on the board of directors of the producers of the machines or are lobbying for them. From CNN:
PHOENIX, Arizona (AP) -- Sky Harbor International Airport will test a new federal screening system that takes X-rays of passengers' bodies to detect concealed explosives and other weapons.
The technology, called backscatter, has been around for several years but has not been widely used in the U.S. as an anti-terrorism tool because of privacy concerns.
The Transportation Security Administration said it has found a way to refine the machine's images so that the normally graphic pictures can be blurred in certain areas while still being effective in detecting bombs and other threats.
The agency is expected to provide more information about the technology later this month but said one machine will be up and running at Sky Harbor's Terminal 4 by Christmas.
The security agency's Web site indicates that the technology will be used initially as a secondary screening measure, meaning that only those passengers who first fail the standard screening process will be directed to the X-ray area.
Even then, passengers will have the option of choosing the backscatter or a traditional pat-down search.
So they're still going to do a pat-down? Then why install the machines? What's the difference between this and a strip search for the person who's getting backscattered?
Some say the high-resolution images -- which clearly depict the outline of the passenger's body, plus anything attached to it, such as jewelry -- are too invasive.
But the TSA said the X-rays will be set up so that the image can be viewed only by a security officer in a remote location. Other passengers, and even the agent at the checkpoint, will not have access to the picture.
In addition, the system will be configured so that the X-ray will be deleted as soon as the individual steps away from the machine. It will not be stored or available for printing or transmitting, agency spokesman Nico Melendez said.
You can read more at AZCentral.com, and even see a photo product of the backscatter. Check out some of the comments of airport officials and residents:
"We did have concerns about the privacy issue before this current technology was available," Deputy Aviation Director Deborah Ostreicher said. "But we are assured that passengers will be protected."
Some residents find the idea a little unsettling.
"I know they are going to block out the private areas, but I am not convinced they couldn't keep from saving the pictures," said Tempe resident Genny Vogt, who flew from Sky Harbor to the East Coast several times this year. "I understand that Big Brother has to watch in this day and age, but I hope this doesn't become a necessary evil."
The airport official is "assured." By whom, and why should the "assurer" be trusted? The Tempe resident is on the right track by not being "convinced they couldn't keep from saving the pictures." No kidding. I guess the "assurance" people haven't gotten around to "assuring" the locals. The "assurance" people haven't gotten around to "assuring" the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) either:
Barry Steinhardt, head of the ACLU's technology and liberty program, told USA Today that the machines could lead to widespread abuse.
"It's absolutely predictable that as this technology becomes commonplace, you're going to start seeing those images all over the Internet," Steinhardt said.
Again: No kidding. However, the TSA official in the article is certain that everything will be just swell:
"It's my understanding that this is the latest and best version (of the technology), and it meets our (country's) standards for privacy," Armes said.
The TSA official is correct: This technology does meet America's privacy standard because there is absolutely no privacy in the US. Do YOU believe THEM? I don't. These security people are perverts. Does anyone remember the Department of Homeland Security guy who was busted in the summer for trying to seduce a 14-year-old girl? If you don't, refresh your memory. Maybe the weirdest thing about this whole backscatter-in-the-airport thing is the part about some TSA pervert sitting by himself (or herself)--alone--in some room watching virtually naked people on some kind of monitor. I mean, that is ultra creepy. How'd you like to have that job?
I'm thinking about the 4th Amendment, too, and what is supposed to be a constitutional guarantee of freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures, without a warrant that must be issued "upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." In light of extremely invasive, privacy-violating technology, I think this amendment needs to be interpreted so that the person to be searched must also be described in said warrant.
Another item on the War on Terror, Inc. subject can be found at the NYTimes on the situation of Jose Padilla, the guy who was arrested a few years back and accused of being a "terrorist dirty-bomber." According to the article, the US government admits that it lied about the dirty-bomb charges, the al-Qaeda connection, the "enemy combatant" charge, and the charge to set off natural gas explosions in apartments. The government admits it lied about Padilla being involved with any plot against the US.
Padilla has been moved from a military brig to civilian custody and is now charged with "supporting terrorism," which is probably another crock of government shit.
The guy has been in custody for three years in solitary confinement, twenty-one months of which he was denied access to lawyers.
Andrew Patel, one of his [Padilla's] lawyers, said his isolation was not only severe but compounded by material and sensory deprivations. In an affidavit filed Friday, he alleged that Mr. Padilla was held alone in a 10-cell wing of the brig; that he had little human contact other than with his interrogators; that his cell was electronically monitored and his meals were passed to him through a slot in the door; that windows were blackened, and there was no clock or calendar; and that he slept on a steel platform after a foam mattress was taken from him, along with his copy of the Koran, "as part of an interrogation plan."
[ . . . ]
In his affidavit, Mr. Patel said, "I was told by members of the brig staff that Mr. Padilla's temperament was so docile and inactive that his behavior was like that of 'a piece of furniture."
But a guy who is "docile and inactive" has to be manacled hand and foot, forced to wear "noise-blocking headphones over his ears and blacked-out goggles over his eyes," in order to be taken to the prison dentist? There is something severely wrong with this picture. This kind of prison treatment is what political prisoners in Turkey went on hunger strike about. Political prisoners in Turkey died fighting this kind of treatment. And this is what happens to an American citizen in the US? This is the "civilized" West? But then, the US supported this same kind of thing in Turkey, so I guess there's some kind of consistency somewhere here.
The only thing I see that Padilla did that might have pissed off the establishment was converting to Islam. Now, I have no love for religion, religious people, or even "spiritual" people (those are the cowards who refuse to have anything to do with religion but are hedging their bets anyway), but this detention of Padilla is wrong all the way around.
The last item for tonight is about another American convert to Islam, and the first ever Muslim elected to the US Congress, Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison. Everyone's raising a ruckus because the new congressman wants to be sworn in with his hand on the Quran instead of the Bible. Makes sense to me. Why would a Muslim take an oath on a Bible anyway? From USA Today:
The first Muslim elected to Congress hasn't been sworn into office yet, but his act of allegiance has already been criticized by a conservative commentator.
In a column posted Tuesday on the conservative website Townhall.com, Dennis Prager blasted Minnesota Democrat Keith Ellison's decision to take the oath of office Jan. 4 with his hand on a Quran, the Muslim holy book.
"He should not be allowed to do so," Prager wrote, "not because of any American hostility to the Koran, but because the act undermines American culture."
He said Ellison, a convert from Catholicism, should swear on a Christian Bible — which "America holds as its holiest book. … If you are incapable of taking an oath on that book, don't serve in Congress."
The post generated nearly 800 comments on Townhall.com and sparked a tempest in the conservative blogosphere. Many who posted comments called the United States a Christian country and said Muslims are beginning to gain too much influence. Others wrote about the separation of church and state and said the Constitution protects all religions.
Dave Colling, Ellison's spokesman, said he was unavailable for comment. Earlier, Ellison told the online Minnesota Monitor, "The Constitution guarantees for everyone to take the oath of office on whichever book they prefer. And that's what the freedom of religion is all about."
Colling said Ellison's office has received hundreds of "very bigoted and racist" e-mails and phone calls since Prager's column appeared. "The vast majority said, 'You should resign from office if you're not willing to use the book our country was founded on,' " Colling said.
"Requiring somebody to take an oath of office on a religious text that's not his" violates the Constitution, said Kevin Hasson, president of The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.
If I recall correctly, many of the Founding Fathers did not consider themselves Christians. They considered themselves Deists, and since there is no official religion in the US (separation of church and state, you know), the US is not a Christian country. It's just a country, one that is quickly slipping into fascism, but still just a plain country all the same.
I have found one reasoned approach to the matter at Watching the Watchers:
1. You don't swear the oath of office to the House on anything. You simply raise your hand along with all the other newly elected Representatives, and recite a very short, non-religious oath. Exactly what I did earlier today at the County Court House as a condition of participating in a recount of the vote for State Auditor.
2. After the swearing in, most of these Representatives do employ a Bible in what amounts to an optional photo-op for the family picture album and for the constituents, but this has nothing to do with the required oath of office.
3. As noted in a Knight Ridder piece on this manufactured controversy a full four days ago:
In the National Review, Volokh noted that two former presidents - Franklin Pierce and Herbert Hoover - didn't swear their oaths but chose to affirm them.
He said the Supreme Court long had held that Americans had the right to be treated equally, regardless of their religion, and that forcing Ellison to use the Bible would violate his rights.
"Letting Christians swear the oath of office, while allowing members of other denominations only to swear what ends up being a mockery of an oath - a religious ceremony appealing to a religious belief system that they do not share - would be discriminatory," Volokh wrote.
Taking an oath on the Quran isn't unprecedented.
In 1999, the News-India Times reported that Osman Siddique, a Virginia businessman of Bangladeshi origin, used the Quran to take the oath when he became the U.S. ambassador to Fiji and three other Pacific nations: Nauru, Tonga and Tuvalu. He took the oath on the Bible and the Quran, with the Quran on top, the newspaper reported.
This is not the first round of staged outrage by the establishment weirdos over the first Muslim congressman. The first round came from Glenn Beck, a right-wing freak extraordinaire, on November 14, from MediaMatters:
On the November 14 edition of his CNN Headline News program, Glenn Beck interviewed Rep.-elect Keith Ellison (D-MN), who became the first Muslim ever elected to Congress on November 7, and asked Ellison if he could "have five minutes here where we're just politically incorrect and I play the cards up on the table." After Ellison agreed, Beck said: "I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, 'Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.' " Beck added: "I'm not accusing you of being an enemy, but that's the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way."
You can read the transcript of the interview at the link above. It's pretty embarrassing for Beck and CNN.
Welcome to the freak show.

subset: commoncrawl


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highchairKiwi Living
Evolution white highchair
Introducing 'Evo' (short for 'evolution') This beautiful, wipe-able, height adjustable highchair is the next generation in highchair design. If you are sick of ugly, flimsy plastic highchairs with 'sticky outy' legs then Evo is what you have been waiting for. A giant evolutionary leap forward. Evo's features include:
- Height adjustable foot caps. Adjust from table height 560mm to breakfast bar height 630mm.
- 4 solid wood, screw in legs
- Includes a free harness
- Includes a wooden toddler safety rail
- Comes with a fully detachable tray
- Super easy to clean
- Meets international safety standards
Takes 5 minutes to assemble. Includes assembly instructions (although not necessary)
Ideal in commercial fit outs. Fantastic in cafes, bars and restaurants.
It's the only wooden highchair that has a fully detachable tray (which is reversible for twice the life). Tray has a bigger surface area and can be adjusted to make it more snug for tiny little babies and comfy for bigger bubbas.
The 'little kiwi' is made from sustainable Beech wood & is super easy to clean.
The 'little kiwi' comes complete with machine washable cushions and the harness is included in the price.
The 'little kiwi' meets international safety standards


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Museo del Oro Precolombino (Pre-Columbian Gold Museum)
Price: Adults $9.00, Students $5.00
Can't miss: Media Escudo, Costa Rica's first coin
Culture Trip stands with
Black Lives Matter
Built in 1897, the National Theater has elegant European-style architecture and stages a variety of shows throughout the year. A great source of national pride, the establishment is best explored with the help of a guide, and there's a coffee shop and gift shop within for those looking to relax and collect some souvenirs.
Hours: Monday-Saturday 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (January-April), 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (May-December)
Price: $7.00
Can't miss: The painting Alegoría al café y el banano
Avenida Segunda entre Calles 3 y 5, Centro, San José, Costa Rica, +506 2010 1100
This sprawling park is known as "the lungs of San José." It's a popular and vital space for the city's residents to get some fresh air, and a great stop for travelers to enjoy a refreshing afternoon stroll or lazy picnic. Located in the center of the city, it's also been called San José's equivalent to Central Park in New York City. Although it can get busy on the weekend, it's a great place to observe the locals and enjoy a bit of nature in the middle of a busy city.
Can't miss: Costa Rican Art Museum; it's located right on the grounds and entry is free
Located on the northeast corner of Parque España, this beautiful colonial-style, yellow mansion is home to the ministry of foreign affairs. Although it is closed to the public, it's worth strolling by to admire the elegant outer architecture, as well as the historic ceiba tree in front, which was planted by John F. Kennedy during his visit to Costa Rica in 1963.
Can't miss: A piece of the Berlin Wall can be seen in the rear garden
The Museo de los Niños (the Children's Museum) is one of the best cultural destinations in San José for both its location and content. Situated on a hill in a medieval castle, it offers beautiful views of the city and is a great place to take your family for an afternoon of exploration and education.
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Saturday-Sunday 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Price: Adults $4:00, free for children
Can't miss: The dinosaur exhibit
Union, San José, Costa Rica, +506 2257 1433
For those looking to explore an authentic Costa Rican market, this is the place to go. It sells everything from hammocks to knickknacks, coffee beans to cigars. Just try to avoid the tourist traps because there are better places to get souvenirs (see below for an idea), and don't be afraid to bargain for what you want.
Can't miss: The El Tostador booth sells great coffee beans and cocoa powder
Located on the hills of Bello Horizonte in Escazú, Biesanz Woodworks is a bit of a hike to reach but well worth the effort if you want a truly unique memento that combines sculpture with souvenirs. It is run by the celebrated artisan Barry Biesanz, who uses pre-Columbian techniques in which the shape of the object is determined by the lines of the wood. As a result, you'll find bowls, humidors, and boxes of all shapes and sizes here. The pricing is relatively more expensive than the trinkets you might find at the Mercado Centrale, but the quality of the craftsmanship is truly excellent.
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
33 Calle 110/Calle El Pedrero, Escazùm Costa Rica, +506 2289 4337
First opened in 1887, what was once an abandoned jail now hosts nine vibrant galleries, three or four of which are always temporary. The exhibits at the National Museum range widely from modern art to history, and it's best to have a guide to get the most out of your visit.
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Sunday 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Price: Adults $9:00, ID Student $4:00, Children Free
Can't miss: The indoor butterfly garden
Cuesta de Moras, San José, Costa Rica, +506 2221 4429
For those looking to escape the city for a day and have some adventure, Orosi River Valley is the perfect place to go. Pass by staffee plantations and beautiful Costa Rican countryside to visit Cartago, Costa Rica's first capital, before arriving at the Tapanti National Park, which hosts a range of activities from boat rides to white-water rafting. While exploring the park, be sure to check out the natural hot springs located right on the river, and the oldest standing church in Costa Rica. There are some great hiking trails and beautiful views from the lookout point of Orosi as well, so be sure to pack your camera.
Can't miss: Ujarras Church Ruins National Monument


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10 Goldsmith Road, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN4 8LZ, UK
53.500536314456, -1.1377286911011
https://www.facebook.com/groups/125558024132665/Status: Active/Operated
Full regional standard track, tight with some large jumps
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Jānis Grīnvalds 31.03.2015
Jānis Grīnvalds 31.03.2015
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Fancy IMAX at home? Both IMAX and DTS have just announced the launch of the 'IMAX Enhanced' program for residential AV. The certification and licensing program will combine consumer electronics products with IMAX digitally re-mastered 4K HDR content and DTS audio technologies to offer consumers 'a new level of quality' in immersive presentation at home.
The launch partners include Sony Electronics, Sony Pictures, Paramount Pictures, and Sound United (parent company to Denon and Marantz). CEDIA Expo also sees the announcement this week of IMAX Enhanced-ready receivers and preamps from Denon and Marantz, and we'll cover this news in more depth. Meanwhile, IMAX and DTS say they have developed the program to make it easier for consumers to select products and content that will deliver high-quality, sharp 4K HDR images and immersive sound at home. The companies are designing an IMAX Mode for the enhanced devices that will be optimized to play digitally re-mastered content 'as the filmmaker intended' in the home.
Consumers will be able to access content from Hollywood studios as well as certain IMAX documentaries through its IMAX Home Entertainment division. The company will also work with its global studio and other content partners to make available a stream of enhanced versions of blockbuster movies and additional programming.
"While the IMAX theatrical experience continues to be the gold standard in blockbuster movie-going, today we are launching an exciting new program that applies components of IMAX's and DTS' technology and expertise to deliver consumers a level of quality never before experienced at home," said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond. "This is a natural extension of our core business in experiential entertainment. By partnering with a well-established consumer electronics licensing leader, we can leverage both our brand and key technology innovations through DTS' global licensing platform, without having to make the direct investments often necessary to build a new revenue stream. DTS will build that new business and we will share in the benefits from the program. We're encouraged by the strong interest from our launch partner companies and look forward to working with DTS to grow the program further over time."
"DTS has a rich history in delivering premium entertainment experiences to the theater and at home, and the IMAX Enhanced program is an exciting opportunity to stay at the forefront of home entertainment," said Xperi CEO Jon Kirchner. "Through the combined engineering and licensing efforts of the DTS and IMAX teams, as well as support from a number of the world's leading device and content partners, the IMAX Enhanced program will bring a completely new, enhanced experience to the home while also supporting the continued penetration of DTS decoders, bringing premium sound to consumers' devices."
According to the two companies, to be accepted into the program, consumer electronics manufacturers will design top-of-the-line 4K HDR televisions, A/V receivers, sound systems and other home theater equipment to meet a prescribed set of audio and video performance standards, set by a certification committee of IMAX and DTS engineers and Hollywood technical specialists.
The program will use the latest proprietary post-production process developed by IMAX to digitally re-master content to produce 'more vibrant colors, greater contrast and sharper clarity.' The companies will also partner with award-winning Hollywood sound mixers to use a special variant of its DTS:X codec technology integrated in home audio equipment to deliver the 'signature' IMAX sound experience.
The IMAX Enhanced program will launch beginning this fall. For more information about the IMAX Enhanced program, please visit www.IMAXenhanced.com.


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State flowers: Maine's state flower is the white pine cone
We move to the extreme northeastern side of the United States today for our next state flower, that of Maine. The state flower of Maine is not really a flower at all—it's the white pinecone and its tassel. The tree in question is Pinus strobus, or the Eastern white pines, and it's a familiar sight in the woods of this attractive state. The Iroquois nation knows it as the peace tree.


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Rich yet vibrant, mustard bridges the gap between muted earthy browns and sunshine yellow. It's often seen as a tricky colour to wear but in home design it's a different story. Full of warmth, it makes rooms feel cosy and inviting.
In homeware this season, mustard is as hot as the condiment, ranging from the darker browns of French mustard to the more zippy yellows of its English counterpart.
Lighter mustard veering towards custard yellow looks funky and pop paired with fuchsia and turquoise. Teamed with smoky grey or midnight blue, playing up its rich luminosity, mustard looks truly contemporary.
Thanks to their geometric patterns, Welsh Blankets' mustard cushions look crisply modern, while the new Harvest home range from Sainsbury's includes knitted wool cushions and a tray adorned with midcentury-style wheat stalks and poppy seedpods.
Lighting is one area where mustard is much in evidence. Habitat's Tommy light, Hand & Eye Studio's Bright Things pendant lamp and Wild & Wolf's globe and task lights all come in a shade that's as searingly sharp as Colman's mustard.
In flooring, Ben Pentreath's Quirky B carpeting for Alternative Flooring is heavy on the mustard, while La Manufacture Cogolin's Variamen Marelaggi rug comes in a strong, saturated version of the shade. Floors — or walls — can be covered with Tile Trader's La Fayette glazed porcelain tiles in mustard, blue and grey.
Wallpapers with bold prints make a strong statement, from Cole & Son's Delano design to Wayne Hemingway's Do the Stretch paper for Graham & Brown.
The trend also applies to paint colours, from Everlong's chalk paint, Dijon Mustard, in a dinky pot recalling a mustard jar, to Neptune's new Mustard shade. Mustard and grey is a beautiful, very modern coupling.
Mustard also works well as an accent colour in furniture or accessories. Amy Somerville's Marlenaz desk has a mustard leather top, and Jaime Hayón's Favn sofa, from Aram, pays tribute to Fifties Danish design. Used sparingly, mustard still adds pizzazz, as Vanderhurd's mustard and fuchsia Flower Cut Out cushion and Oiva Toikka's glass birds from Iittala prove.


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An original Italian easy reader by Claudia Marulo
Stefano and Chiara have known each other since they were children but, as they live in different places, have to make arrangements if they want to meet. Today they've agreed to see each other. Stefano has something important he wants to ask Chiara…
- pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
- .mobi (Kindle-compatible) and .epub (other ebook readers) available on request at no extra charge – just add a note to the order form or email us
- 8 chapters to read and listen to
- Comprehension questions to check your understanding
- Italian/English glossary of 'difficult' terms for the level
- Suitable for students at elementary level or above
- Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
Your e-book will be e-mailed to you within 24 hours of purchase.


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Maison Escalier by Moussafir Architectes Associés
Via @archdaily, a house in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, "designed as a tree-like structure" delimited on three sides by the original walls of the previous house.
"Even more than that of a tree, the most effective metaphor for the project might be that of a Cyclopean stairway: the house is a stair whose core houses the wet rooms, whose stairwell is defined by the gables of the neighbouring buildings, and whose steps and landings form the various living spaces." More at Moussafir Architectes Associés. Photos: Hervé Abbadie.


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Adirondack 601 American Whiskey 750ML
Adirondack Distilling 601 Bourbon
This unusually smooth Bourbon is born from 100% local corn. A hint of natural sweetness on the nose, it develops a depth on the palette with hints of vanilla, raisin with a spicy peppery finish. You know it's whiskey but without the burn. Try it straight up or with a drop of water to "open up" the fragrances. Enjoy!
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One of the reasons I love speculative fiction is that exploring new worlds can be a great way to get insight into our own. Here are some of my favorite science fiction books and series which use space and the future as a mechanism to tell stories about the human condition.
Contact by Carl Sagan
Beetle is a PAL volunteer and visits the Mt Pleasant Neighborhood Library when his schedule permits.
Here are ten fun facts about Beetle:
Beetle was born in approximately 2003 and he was adopted from the Humane Society.
Three groups of people are trying to survive Purge Night, when their stories intertwine and are left stranded in The Purge trying to survive the chaos and violence that occurs. (via imdb.com)
Purge with us on Halloween at 2:00 pm in the Large Meeting Room.
Leo is a PAL volunteer at the Mt Pleasant Neighborhood Library.
Here are ten fun facts about our furry friend, Leo:
Leo loves to swim in the creek.
Leo doesn't like to chase a stick or ball, but likes to dive for rocks in the water!
Charlotte is a PAL volunteer and visits the Mt Pleasant Neighborhood Library when her schedule permits.
Here are ten fun facts about Princess Charlotte:
Charlotte was born in 2007.
Charlotte's birthday is on July 4th.
Charlotte is a 90lb Great Pyrenees (Note: Males can grow to over 150lbs!).
Mt. Pleasant Library - Sunday, October 4 at 2:30 p.m. The Joe Falero Latin Quartet will perform live music such as: Latin Jazz, Salsa, Merengue, ChaCha, Cumbia, and Bolero. Bandleader, Joe Falero is a veteran percussionist with the ability to blend different styles of Latin music. Come and learn the history of these rhythms and enjoy an afternoon of jazz!
Jump right is when an ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him.
We're watching what happens on Sept. 26 at 2 p.m. in the Large Meeting Room.
Fun fact: Even though he is left-handed, Keanu Reeves learned how to shoot right-handed, specifically for this film.
This list came out of a reference question that I got recently -- a patron I've gotten to know over the years asked for books about people dealing with hard situations -- and doing something about them.
The question bounced around in my head for a few days. She was graciously willing to wait for an emailed list, since it was the end of the day when she asked the question...and it finally hit me. She wanted books about survivors. Not quite Robinson Crusoe, but someone who navigated the mess of the world and came out better for it.
Pablo is a PAL volunteer and visits the Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library when his schedule permits.
Here are ten tidbits about Pablo:
Pablo is a Havanese, the national dog breed of Cuba.
Following in the Mad Max series is Mad Max Fury Road.
In a stark desert landscape where humanity is broken, two rebels just might be able to restore order: Max, a man of action and of few words, and Furiosa, a woman of action who is looking to make it back to her childhood homeland.-taken from imdb.com
Will they succeed? Find out Saturday, Sept. 5 at 2 p.m.


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By getting in touch with Dumpsters 4 Cheap at 844-244-0580, it is easy to get all of the facts you'll need about waste removal in Butler, NJ from the area's best dumpster rental company. We've been providing Butler with rental service for many years and have developed a distinction for superior support.
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It isn't necessarily simple to find fair trash dumpsters prices. Dumpsters 4 Cheap gives one of the lowest rental prices in New Jersey so you are sure that you really are finding a reasonable deal when we supply you with a quote. You'll have an understanding of exactly how much you're having to pay for whenever you rent from us. There are no obscure expenses or last minute charges to get anxious about. The cheapest charges, upfront pricing, and high quality service are the things that set us apart from other rental specialists.
There are many different roll off dumpster units currently available in Butler to help you select the right container that can meet the requirements of your project.
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You should call Dumpsters 4 Cheap at 844-244-0580 if you need answers relating to our services or when you're all set to rent a dumpster. We provide service to all of Butler, NJ.
A roll-off dumpster is a wheeled dumpster that's used for waste removal. A number of Butler homeowners book this kind of dumpster if they have a massive amount of debris to dispose of from renovation jobs or related home improvement activities. If you find you need a roll-off for a project, Dumpsters 4 Cheap can bring one to your area of Butler that can help you get started on your clean-up. Dial 844-244-0580 to secure a rental or get more details on whatever you may need. Dumpster rental Bucyrus, OH is another location that we service therefore don't forget to browse the other leading cities.
Instead of wasting precious time moving trash, you can use a roll-off container company to deal with it and you can place your attention on the jobs that are important. Just call a company in your area of New Jersey, schedule a delivery and start filling your unit. Once you have loaded your container with all the debris that will fit, let Dumpsters 4 Cheap come and get rid of it. Your waste will certainly be disposed of properly and in compliance with all local environmental rules and regulations without any additional effort from you.
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In case you're about to rent a dumpster in Butler, NJ, review this safety advice from Dumpsters 4 Cheap first.
There may be additional Butler regulations that restrict the kinds of debris that can be placed in a dumpster. There could be environmental regulations along with other restrictions in place inside your community or neighborhood too. Take time to get familiar with the local laws before your container arrives. In case you have any questions or want to learn more about renting a roll-off container dumpster in New Jersey, Dumpsters 4 Cheap can be reached at 844-244-0580. To acquire more information, find out more about a lot of our locations: Dumpster rental Canastota, NY.


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Autism and the Closure Response: A Discussion of Brain Evolution and Future Treatments
October 3rd, 2013 by Robert DePaolo | Posted in Psychology | No Comments » | 215 views | Send article |
By Robert DePaolo
This article discusses the phenomenon of closure seeking as a mechanism for modulating brain arousal, superimposing structure on the aversive, chaotic dispersion of brain activity and how that process might have influenced the evolution of human language and of mind itself. This concept of mind is used to explain certain behavioral and developmental features of autism.
Internal/External Evolution
One ostensible drawback of Darwin's theory of natural selection is that it focuses almost exclusively on the interaction between organisms and the environment. That is clearly an important aspect of evolution, particularly in a biological sense, since all creatures must adapt to the climate, terrain, food resources and the competition arising within its ecology.
Yet there is another side to evolution, which is perhaps more in the domain of physics than biology; specifically that all organisms are also systems that can only remain functional and intact through internal biochemical, intra-cellular and intercellular regulatory configurations and interactions. The second law of thermodynamics mandates that all system will ultimately be prone to entropy, but also that the duration of their existence depends in large part on the capacity of their sub-parts to operate in integrative, complementary fashion so that each organ system and each component of singular organ systems are in sync. In simple terms, the organism must have an effective noise-reducing capacity, i.e. a functional means of assuring that messages sent between brain and heart, brain and lungs, hormones and various muscles and bones are not blurred – irrespective of what's going on in the outside world.
In a sense the dichotomy between the biology and physics of natural selection can be described as a duality involving trait vs. behavioral evolution. Traits have to with skin color, size, musculature, anatomy and other features. Behavior has to do with both external and internal interactions and reactions. Both are equally important. For example having large canines and a strong bite capacity enables hyenas to be proficient hunters. But using the muscles of the jaw to focus the bite on specific anatomical targets of prey requires that several internal systems work together in fluid manner.
The internal component of behavior is of course anchored by memory. Drawing once again on the hyena analogy; while having well coordinated, large canines and jaw muscles would make possible a successful kill, the lack of a pre-set strategy regarding when and whom to prey on as well as how to coordinate the behaviors of the pack would turn the hunt into a trial and error process. Such a blank slate strategy would not favor survival.
Memory is by definition an internal neural representation of events. It operates not just by mere recall but by a gauge function, whereby it provides an anticipatory (feed-forward) trace or outcome-template to a responder to guide its behavior toward the correct anticipated outcome. In other words, to an extent, the organism has to "know" what it's supposed to do beforehand in order to enact a successful response. (Manan, Zaslayer et al 2003)
The first prerequisite in that process is synchrony among neural circuits so as to make those internal traces discernible (Mahas, Monto et al 2010). Thus one crucial internal adaptation in the evolutionary process had to be synchrony – the capacity for the neuronal rhythms in one system to augment, but not overlap or interfere with others in setting gauges, thereby making possible memory itself.
That synchronizing mechanism was quintessentially important with regard to human brain evolution. With a mass of 1500 centimeters and some 25 billion neural connections the brain of Homo sapiens absolutely requires an inter-coordinated, noise reducing, stimulus and response selection mechanism to function. In a sense, despite our penchant for homo-hubris, a massive brain can be both strength and a weakness, depending on its internal fluidity – or, in other words its noise-reducing, encoding capacity.
Language in the broadest sense
There are several ways by which to utilize an encoding process as a noise-reducer. Two of the most prominent are parsing and closure. Parsing is nothing more than a discriminatory mechanism by which the neurons differentiate between and among inputs. Differing colors, names of people, scientific taxonomies, emotional labels etc are examples of this. Whether it be a toddler pointing at a specific object and calling out its name or a scientist applying different labels to the Specific and General Theories of Relativity, parsing is one of the primary functions of language. It is both external and internal (Luria & Vinogradova 1959) and it narrows down the focus and enables humans to think categorically. Some aspects of that have been beneficial (for example in the domains of math, science, literature and religion). Others have been problematic – as seen in bigotry, the promulgation of false beliefs, and propaganda.
The benefits of parsing are two fold. It not only facilitates the categorical organization of knowledge. It also reduces noise in the central nervous system by preventing diffuse pan-arousal that typically accompanies confusion and psycho-physiological upheaval, (Berlyne, 1960). In that sense the internal-physiological and the external-epistemological coincide. They depend on one another, and are in fact two sides of the same coin.
Confusion produces an aversive feeling. Parsing overturns confusion and terminates an unpleasant feeling. In that context, knowledge-seeking is supported by a negative reinforcement process.
The second mechanism is closure. This process depends more on task termination than on labeling and semantic capabilities. While confusion-fomented aversions can be avoided by assigning names to things in the parsing process, they can also be avoided by finding ways to terminate – or close out – the task. Closure is a central characteristic in human perception and has been shown to underlie the relief factor that drives human curiosity (Jepma, Verdenschot et al 2012) and it encompasses both perception and language.
Beyond Verbal Language
Whereas language is typically discussed as a symbolic, communicative function others have viewed it in a broader context – as a kind of meta-linguistic, encoding system that governs not only how people communicate within and amongst one another but how organ systems and mind inter-coordinate in maintaining homeostasis (Luria, 1973). In either case, meta-language is a short cut that operates not just through the Broca and Wernicke language centers but in many other brain centers and for that matter all systems of the body to provide synchrony and reduce noise.
Autism and the Evolution of Language
If language is a broad phenomenon encompassing not just interpersonal and intrapersonal interactions but also signals conveyed back and forth between brain and body then its implications for autism are rather interesting.
One question to ask is whether autism is most essentially an expressive/receptive disorder or whether it involves a broader mind-body encoding problem. In other words, can autism be described as an inability to reduce noise per se – language dysfunction being a by product of more general dyspraxia? There is evidence to support that conclusion. For example (Belmonte and Yurgelun (2003) and Belmonte (2000) have shown that lack of synchrony and selective, inhibitory perceptual capacities forces the autistic person to over and under process inputs (which would explain the stimulus aversion typical of the syndrome).
If so, then since a verbal language deficit would make parsing quite difficult the closure strategy might come to the fore as a means of controlling arousal levels and reducing internal noise. In that case one would see an obsession with task-terminating behaviors. More generally, the autistic individual would have a difficult time "enjoying" experiences (which requires some degree of task immersion) and his motivation would be predominantly relief-driven His would be an avoidant take on life fueled by aversive mind-body arousal diffusion and the need to reduce noise through various sensory, vocal and motor behaviors.
While this may sound extremely pessimistic, it should be noted that many non-autistic people not only function in a negative reinforcement context but learn to take pleasure from aversion termination. Indeed according to Freud, even the most primary of hedonistic functions (sex and hunger) are driven by a termination of uncomfortable tension levels. While Sheffield and Roby's classic research study showed drive induction can serve as a motivator (Dorman, Gaudiano 1989) tension reduction remains a viable motivator in many circumstances.
With respect to autistic behavior patterns that raises questions. For example while finger play, noise making, tearing objects and various forms of self stimulation have been variously described as para-linguistic communicative behaviors (hand movements substituting for vocalizations), sensory-orienting and priming mechanisms and inconsequential repetitive activities, they might actually provide an aversion-terminating sensation resulting from the noise reduction created by closure-driven beginning-to-end behavioral sequences.
In Search of Solutions
That has implications for treatment and education. In fact if it is a valid point, then the existential barrier separating instructor from autistic student would seem quite imposing. For example in setting up a behavioral or skills teaching format the instructor might ask what rewards the student prefers (implying that the student derives pleasure from reinforcers provided for a desired response sequence. Words like "enjoy" and "prefer" might be inherent in the teaching plan. On the other hand the autistic student might speak an entirely different language. For him there is no "prefer," only the cold, singular question of when the task begins and ends – with emphasis on the latter. For him termination is the reward (particularly for the less verbal students. who cannot parse) and nothing inherent in the task itself is necessarily pleasurable. While the instructor might reinforce the student with comments like "Good job" or "That's great work" the real music to the student's ears might be more like "you're almost finished – a little more to go – great, you're done. No more to do." Such closure-reinforcement comments might be encouraging because they signal not just the end of the task but also provide closure-related resolution to the asynchrony and accompanying diffuse, noisy arousal levels that are a pervasive element of autism (Iversen, 2006).
In that context, one might expect the use of synchrony, i.e rhythm-based teaching methods to be successful, due to the fact that externally provided rhythm and synchrony serving could serve as a kind of "neural prosthetic" for the highly dyspraxic autistic individual. In that regard, some studies have shown that a rhythm teaching method can not only be effective with autism but is often used by the autistic person himself as a coping device (See 2012) Body swaying, speaking in musical tones, hand play and other measures could well be a way of creating self imposed neural synchrony – especially during high states of arousal and neural cacophony.
If noise-reducing and closure-inducing behaviors serve negative reinforcement purposes then one might expect these patterns to be resistant to extinction or redirected learning. Some research suggests that is indeed the case. For example when attempts are made to extinguish such behavior substitutions often recur in other forms. (Edelson 2010)
Treatment Considerations
In that context the ultimate question would revolve around future treatment possibilities. Theoretically any method that converted a rhythm deficiency within the brain and body (dyspraxia) into synchrony would go a long way toward ameliorating autistic symptoms. No single biochemical process or modality seems up to the task, though it is known that the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) does play a role in modulating the activity between inhibitory and excitatory neuronal activity in the brain and has some role in orchestrating internal rhythm in the central nervous system.
Another interesting possibility could be that autistic dyspraxia is itself a secondary process dependent on a prior mechanism to utilize its parsing capacities. That "something" might a preparatory state of basal arousal strong enough to meet, cushion and diminish inputs – as a kind of filtering or shielding mechanism Such a neural shield could hold in abeyance the impingement of inputs long enough so that neural parsing and rhythmic dispersion could then occur. This is of course speculative and the question of whether a shield, a post-input parsing deficiency (or both) are involved might be difficult to ascertain with currently available technology.
In either case autism could be viewed an overly "tender" brain capable of seeing tunnels but not horizons, making noise reduction, mind-body encoding, self awareness and linguistic ability difficult if not impossible and requiring compulsive closure-inducing behavior patterns and rhythmic behavioral compensations for perceptual and social adaptation.
Given the above assumptions, futuristic projections seem appropriate. It does not appear biochemical treatments would suffice to re-create the internal synchrony needed to ameliorate autistic symptoms. The neurochemistry in the brain is more sword than scalpel and while certain neurotransmitters target (broadly) specific brain circuits, it seems they have to be orchestrated by some para-chemical agent to work their magic. On the other hand the brain mechanism that does the orchestrating might well be neuro-computational, i.e. an algorithmic/mathematical encoding process determining which inputs go here and which go there. As a para-organic mechanism it might be subject to modification.
The superimposition of rhythmic prosthetics over brain activity – with perhaps an artificial shield device operating on the senses to stop and parse inputs might be something to look forward to as information technology (and particularly AI) developments move forward. One can hope that in the future it might be possible for mini-computers to brace and alter initial inputs, superimpose (silently – to avoid the same overload it purports to prevent) a cadence over diffuse sensory inputs and provide a synchronous umbrella over seemingly nonsensical autistic vocalizations (which might in many instances be potentially appropriate language mangled by a chunked, closure-driven, topography – in other words an overly rapid beginning-to-end expressive format which we patient, grammatical types are unable to decode).
While this might not be out of the realm of possibility, it would require a highly meticulous methodology. The first step might be to determine what signal frequencies and/or degrees of noise are typical for each autistic individual, i.e. what the sequence delays are between, say stimulus A and stimulus B, what massing (vs parsing) proportion exists as inputs are received, how quickly inputs impinge on the brain and sensory systems and what basal arousal levels are needed to produce the shield mechanism. These would be daunting tasks for the scientist but nonetheless comprise interesting food for thought.
Belmonte, M. Abnormal Attention in Autism Shown by Steady-State Visual Evoked Potentials. Autism 4 (3): 269-285 Sept. 2000
Belmonte, M. Yurgelun-Todd. Functional Anatomy of Impaired Selective Attention and Compensatory Processing in Autism. Cognitive Brain Research 17 (3) 651-664 Oct. 2003
Berlyne, D.E. (1960) Conflict, Arousal and Curiosity. McGraw-Hill
Edelson, S. (2010) Self Stimulation in Autism. Article Published by Autism Research Institute.
Iversen, P. Strange Son. The Sensory Impact of Neural Levels on Attention in Autistic Children. Riverside Books, Penguin Group. 2006
Jepma, M. Verdenschot, RG, van Sherbegin, H. Rombouts, S & Nieuwebuis, S. Neural Mechanisms Underlying The Induction and Relief of Perceptual Curiosity. Frontiers of Behavioral Neuroscience. Vol. 6 Feb. 2012
Luria, A. (1973) The Working Brain. Basic Books
Luria, A. Vinogradova, OS. (1959) An Objective Investigation of the Dynamics of Sensory Systems. British Journal of Psychology (50).
Mahas, J. Monto, S. & Palva, S. (2010) Neural Synchrony Reveals Working Memory Network and Predicts Individual Memory Capacity. Proceeds of the National Academy of Science. 107 (16) 7580-7588
Mangan, S. Zaslayer, A. & Alon, U. (2003) The Coherent Feed-forward Loop Serves As a Sign-Sensitive Delay Element in Transcription Method. Journal of Molecular Biology. 334: 197-204
See,. CM (2012) The Use of Music and Movement Therapy to Modify Behavior of Children with Autism. Pertanika J Social Science and Hum. 20 (4) 1103-1116


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Welcome back dance lovers to the latest episode of spray tans, sparkly outfits and snarky judges. Last week Rick Fox was voted off. This week the last five couples would do two dances. The second dance was called an "instant dance" because they would pick the music for it only after their first performance and have less than an hour to prepare.
Kyle Massey and Lacey Schwimmer
First Dance: Viennese Waltz
Lacey criticized Kyle hard during rehearsals and it paid off. Kyle's posture was spot on and his footwork improved. Len even called him a "gorgeous orchid." Bruno said Kyle charmed him. Carrie Ann proclaimed her crush back on. All judges broke out their 9 paddles.
Score: 27
Instant Dance: Jive – Lionel Richie "Good Golly Miss Molly"
Kyle really got into the song and did a superb job. He even remembered to keep his feet pointed. Carrie Ann said it was the most fun dance she'd seen all season. Bruno loved it for its entertainment value. Kyle got two 10 paddles and one 9 from Len.
Score: 29
Total Score: 56
Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough
First Dance: Quick Step
During rehearsals Jen had knee problems. The doctor said it was inflamed and could go either way. But Jen decided to take her father's advice to keep on dancin'. It also possibly looked like she took his advice to go to his same rhinoplasty surgeon since their noses looked suspiciously similar. Anywhoo. Jen-Hough-er looked gorgeous as usual. Bruno compared them to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. 9 paddles all around.
Score: 27
Instant Dance: Rumba – Foreigner "Waiting For a Girl Like You"
They wowed everyone when Jen balanced her leg on Derek's shoulder; I thought she wobbled a bit but apparently that didn't matter. Her legwork also seemed off at one point. This music seemed a little bit slow for a latin dance but the judges gave them praise and a perfect score.
Score: 30
Total Score: 57
Kurt Warner and Anna Trebunskaya
First Dance: Waltz
Kurt really tried with this dance but he just wasn't on the same level as Jen Grey or Kyle so it was still a bit painful to watch. The judges were nice and said he was really making an effort. So they leniently gave them all 8 paddles.
Score: 24
Instant Dance: Cha Cha – No Doubt "Hella Good"
Kurt was more relaxed and had fun with this dance. Len liked it but just reminded him about his foot placement. Carrie Ann said he had sex appeal. So Kurt was a bit disappointed at getting all 8's again from the judges.
Score: 24
Total Score: 48
Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas
First Dance: Argentine Tango
Bristol and Mark flew to Alaska to show off the dance to Sarah Palin. Brist was a bit embarrassed because she thought the beginning was too racy, but as long as it wasn't "lap-dance scandalous" the former governor thought it was great. She even told Bristol to dominate! Bristol still can't manage facial expressions but overall it was a good effort. The judges said she lacked intensity and wanted to see more power in her leg flicks. Another round of 8 paddles.
Score: 24
Instant Dance: Samba – Sergio Mendes "Mas Que Nada"
Mark tried to infuse some fun into the dance by incorporating some of the faux dance moves from the Bruno dance DVD commercial a few weeks back. The "pencil sharpener" was in there but Bristol seemed to only be able to shimmy her shoulders a bazillion times. Mark tried to dance for both of them by shaking his booty super intensely. But the judges said Bristol wasn't in time to the music and she looked lost.
Score: 23
Total Score: 47
Brandy and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
First Dance: Waltz
Brandy seemed a bit like a brat at the beginning of the show but suddenly she's connecting with Maks and the dances are definitely improving. The judges praised this dance as beautiful. Carrie Ann said she could see Brandy in the finals so she just has to watch her neck. Two 10's from Len and Bruno, and a 9 from Carrie Ann because of the neck issue.
Score: 29
Instant Dance: Cha Cha – Katy Perry "Teenage Dream"
Another fun dance to watch especially since the two really connected and played off each other. Carrie Ann said they started the dance too late and Maks got into a bit of a fight with her. But Bruno and Len liked it even though after some prodding Len agreed with Carrie Ann about the late start. So they got two 9's and a 10 from Bruno.
Score: 28
Total Score: 57
The Results show is Tuesday at 9 pm on ABC.
Israel's Dancing with the Stars debuted a same-sex dance pairing this week. Will the American version have a same-sex pairing? Click here to read about the speculation.
More DWTS 11:
For a recap of Week 7 elimination click here
For a recap of Week 7 click here
For a recap of Week 6 elimination click here
For a recap of Week 6 click here
For a recap of Week 5 elimination click here
For a recap of Week 5 click here


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Panic Attack was a robot that competed in the British television game show Robot Wars. It was a short, box-shaped robot painted yellow (gold in series 6) with a large black spider on the top of the machine. Its main weapons were lifting spikes located on the front of the robot, capable of overturning another robot. However, these weapons were not used extensively until series 3. A top-mounted self-righting mechanism was added to Panic Attack in Series 3, although this proved to be unreliable, and was eventually removed. Added in Series 4 were a set of side "skirts" to prevent all but the lowest of robots from getting underneath it. The robot competed in series 2-7 of Robot Wars, winning the second series.
The team captain of the robot was Kim Davies, who was originally joined by Kevin Pritchard and Lee Wicombe. In series 3, Pritchard left the team to create a similar robot named Evil Weevil and Davies was joined by his son Michael and Simon Rosen. Christian Bridge won a competition in Robot Wars Magazine to join the team for series 4. In series 7, Davies quit the team to work as a technical assistant on the show, so the team was entirely changed. Pritchard returned and took over the controls with teammates Paul Wier and then-webmaster of the official Panic Attack website, Jamie McGarry.
Series 2
- Gauntlet: Qualified
- Trial (Sumo): Qualified
- Arena Semi-Final vs Whirling Dervish: Won
- Arena Final vs Disruptor: Won
- Gauntlet: Qualified
- Trial (Pinball): Qualified
- Arena vs Mortis: Won
Grand Final
- Eliminator vs Killertron: Won
- Final vs Cassius: Won
Series 3
- Round 1 vs Axios: Won
- Round 2 vs Toe Cutter: Won
- Round 3 vs X-Terminator: Won
- Round 1 vs Thing 2: Won
- Round 2 vs Firestorm: Lost
The First World Championship
- Eliminator vs 101: Lost
Series 4
- Eliminator vs Overkill GTI vs SMIDSY: Qualified
- Semi-Final vs Saw Point: Won
- Final vs SMIDSY: Won
- Round 1 vs Spawn of Scutter: Won
- Round 2 vs Stinger: Lost
War of Independence
- Round 1 vs Rammstein: Won
- Round 2 vs Mortis: Lost
Extreme Series 1
- Round 1 vs Firestorm 3: Lost
Mayhem vs Diotoir vs Shear Khan: Won
Annihilator 2
- Round 1: Qualified
- Round 2: Qualified
- Round 3: Qualified
- Round 4: Eliminated
Wild Card Warriors vs Axe Awe: Won
Vengeance vs X-Terminator: Won
International Inferno vs Flensburger Power vs Manta vs Maximill: Won
Series 5
- Eliminator vs Barber-ous: Won
- Semi-Final vs Tiberius 2: Won
- Final vs Kat 3: Won
- Round 1 vs Pussycat: Lost
- Losers Melee vs Wheely Big Cheese vs Firestorm 3: Lost
Series 6
- Round 1 vs R.O.C.S. vs Corkscrew vs Kronic 2: Qualified
- Round 2 vs A-Kill: Won
- Final vs Terrorhurtz: Lost
Extreme Series 2
Commonwealth Carnage
- Round 1 vs Terror Turtle vs Cerberus vs Crushtacean: Qualified
- Round 2 vs Firestorm 4: Lost
Series 7
- Round 1 vs Mega Morg vs Edge Hog vs Spin Doctor: Qualified
- Round 2 vs Tough As Nails: Lost
All-Stars Championship
- Round 1 vs Bigger Brother vs Kat 3 vs Firestorm 5: Qualified
- Semi-Final vs Dantomkia: Lost
Series Record
- Series 1: Did not enter
- Series 2: Grand Champion
- Series 3: Semi-Finals
- Series 4: Semi-Finals
- Series 5: Semi-Finals
- Series 6: Heats (Final)
- Series 7: Heats (Round 2)
Series 2
- Second Wars Grand Champion
Series 4
- Sumo Champion


text:
Cape Town - Late wickets by the Titans fast bowlers helped restrict the Dolphins to 357 all out on the opening day of their Sunfoil Series clash at Sahara Park Willowmoore on Thursday.
Ethy Mbhalati and Marchant de Lange shared seven wickets for the hosts, but half-centuries by Imraan Khan, Khaya Zondo and Daryn Smit ensured the visitors held the slight advantage in Benoni.
Wicketkeeper Smit top-scored with a fluent 85 from 111 deliveries, while opener Khan anchored a solid start with 83.
Zondo, meanwhile, made 65 before he was out on the stroke of tea.
But the Dolphins may rue the fact that they lost their last six wickets for less than 100. They had progressed nicely through to 244 for four during the afternoon, but the Titans' opening bowlers struck some telling blows.
Mbhalati, the pick of the bowlers with four for 48, accounted for Khan, Vaughn van Jaarsveld (30), Sibonelo Makhanya (one) and Craig Alexander (two).
De Lange took three for 79 - his wickets being captain Divan van Wyk (nought), David Miller (26), both bowled, and Keshav Maharaj (13).
The Titans, who won the toss and chose to bowl, faced two overs in their reply to reach stumps on two without loss.


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Divya Bhaskar for iPad
About Divya Bhaskar for iPadThe largest media group in ndia, Dainik Bhaskar presents Gujarati News App for your iPad. Divya Bhaskar's App covers latest news in Gujarati language from all around the world giving you a complete uptodate coverage of Gujarat, National, nternational, Sports, Bollywood, Politics & Business news anytime and anywhere. This app brings you unrivalled coverage of Gujarat and its major cities and an extensive section on life management and spirituality from a dedicated team out of Ujjain. Features Breaking News, latest news stories with indepth analysis Customize and create your own paper Extensive Coverage of Gujarat Live Cricket scores Daily rashifal astro and numerology updates Photogallery with vast collection of pictures Userfriendly Navigation Post Comment and Share Articles Save articles to read later Share articles, photos and videos via email, Facebook or Twitter Live Weather updates Available in Portrait and Landscape modes App Available Free About Media Corp Ltd. ( www.divyabhaskar.com) Media Corp. Ltd. (MCL) is the digital arm of Dainik Bhaskar group (a wholly owned subsidiary of Corp Ltd.) which is responsible for building the digital reach and in process have been successfully able to build world's largest Hindi and Gujarati news websites dainikbhaskar.com and divyabhaskar.com. We also own English (dailybhaskar.com) and Marathi (divyamarathi.com) news portals. Established in 2003, www.divyabhaskar.com is the Largest Gujarati News Portal reflecting the intrinsic dynamism of the bestselling Divya Bhaskar daily newspaper. The Website presents real time news, articles and Viewers views on all the national and international issues. The website is very popular among Gujarati Speaking people. Send your comments and suggestions to email@example.com
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text:
I'm afraid I think much of this as it stands, and even with Christian's suggested edits, is completely wrong. The values of the directionality dc don't rely on CSS properties - the expected behaviour might. Note that dir="rtl" or dir="ltr" doesn't express the specific directionality of character sequences - it just provides the directional *context* for the bidi algorithm to go to work. I would suggest the following rewrite for this section: The Directionality data category allows the user to specify the base writing direction of blocks, embeddings and overrides for the Unicode bidirectional algorithm. It has four values: "ltr", "rtl", "lro" and "rlo". Note: ITS defines only the values of the Directionality data category and their inheritance. The behavior of text labelled in this way may vary, according to the implementation. Implementors are encouraged, however, to model the behavior on that described in the CSS 2.1 specification or its successor. In such a case, the effect of the data category's values would correspond to the following CSS rules: * Data category value: "ltr" (left-to-right text) CSS rule: [dir="ltr"] { unicode-bidi: embed; direction: ltr} * Data category value: "rtl" (right-to-left text) CSS rule: [dir="rtl"] { unicode-bidi: embed; direction: rtl} * Data category value: "lro" (left-to-right override) CSS rule: [dir="lro"] { unicode-bidi: bidi-override; direction: ltr} * Data category value: "rlo" (right-to-left override) CSS rule: [dir="rlo"] { unicode-bidi: bidi-override; direction: rtl} More information about how to use this data category is provided by [Bidi Article]. > Hi all, > > I implemented issue 3466, which includes: > - action item > http://www.w3.org/2006/09/20-i18nits-minutes.html#action02 > Felix to draft a text for the CSS issue. See > http://www.w3.org/International/its/itstagset/itstagset.html#d > irectionality-definition > for the text. > - action item > http://www.w3.org/2006/09/20-i18nits-minutes.html#action11 > Felix to implement http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=3466. > This encompasses a subsection 3.5 on "Usage of > Internationalized Resource Identifiers in ITS", the delition > of conformance clause 2-2 for ruby / directionality , and the > change of references (Ruby and directionality are only > non-normative referenced now). > > Cheers, > > Felix > > >Received on Tuesday, 26 September 2006 12:01:09 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Friday, 17 January 2020 16:04:11 UTC


text: Bovis ISSN 2398-2993 Leptospira spp Contributor(s): Veronica Fowler, Vetstream Ltd , Tammy Hassel Introduction Active Forms Clinical Effects Diagnosis Introduction ClassificationTaxonomy Order: spirochaetales. Family: leptospiraceae. Genus: leptospira. Etymology Gk: lepto- thin, narrow; spira- a coil; leptospira- a fine coil. Active Forms This article is available in full to registered subscribers Sign up now to purchase a 30 day trial, or Login Clinical Effects EpidemiologyHabitat Leptospires can survive in rivers, surface water, mud and moist soil when environmental temperature is moderate. As such Leptospirosis is spread most often during the spring and summer months while cattle are at pasture. Mixed grazing with sheep is not advised as sheep can carry and excrete Leptospires. Lifecycle The most likely sites of entry of Leptospires are the mucosa and broken skin and a generalized infection follows. The host responds by producing antibodies that result in clearance of the bacteria from all tissues except the brain, eyes, and kidneys. Leptospires surviving in the brain and eyes multiply slowly, if at all; however, in the kidneys they multiply and cause persistent infection (for weeks or even months) in the convoluted tubules and are shed in the urine. Transmission Leptospirosis can be transmitted both directly (animal to animal) and indirectly (from the environment). Direct transmission can be through contaminated urine. Leptospire Hardjo serovars often produce a carrier state in the kidneys causing long term shedding of the bacteria in the urine. Indirect transmission is usually through contaminated water sources or soil. Pathological effects The clinical presentation of infection with Leptospires differs depending on whether the particular serovar is 'host adapted' or 'non-host adapted'. Host adapted serovars (Hardjo) readily infect cattle and the disease symptoms are relatively mild or even subclinical. These serovars also produce a carrier state in the kidneys causing long term shedding of the bacteria in the urine. Clinical signs include: Raised temperature. Lethargy and loss of appetite. Agalactia and the udder appear soft and flabby. Persistent infection of the oviducts results in reduced fertility. For non-host adapted serovars (grippotyphosa, pomona, icterohemorrhagia) cattle exhibit a low susceptibility to infection with these serovars with transmission to other animals being inefficient. In contrast the disease symptoms can be much more severe. In calves: High fever. Anemia. Red urine. Jaundice. Sometimes death occurs within three to five days. In older cattle: Fever. Lethargy. Agalactia Agalactiae. Thick, discolored milk. In pregnant cows: Embryonic death, abortions, stillbirths Abortion & Stillbirths, retained Placenta Placenta, and the birth of weak calves. Abortions usually occur three to ten weeks after infection. ControlControl via animal Isolate any affected animals. Before introducing new animals to the herd consider treatment with Streptomycin Streptomycin 25mg/kg on two occasions 10-14 days. Control via chemotherapies A single intramuscular injection of Streptomycin Streptomycin/Dihydrostreptomycin Dihydrostreptomycin at 25mg/kg will eliminate infection from most cattle. Streptomycin is added to semen from bulls held at artificial insemination centres. Control via environment Avoid co-grazing cattle with sheep. If sheep have previously been grazing on a pasture leave a period of approx 4 weeks before introducing cattle. Prevent cattle accessing potentially contaminated watercourses. Vaccination The use of vaccines containing inactivated bacterial cells to stimulate an immune response is effective in the prevention of the disease circulating. Two doses are given 4-6 weeks apart initially followed by annual boosters, usually in the spring, prior to turnout. Diagnosis This article is available in full to registered subscribers Sign up now to purchase a 30 day trial, or Login Further ReadingPublicationsRefereed Papers Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource. Ellis W A (2015) Animal leptospirosis. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 387, 99-137. Williams D & Winden S V (2014) Risk factors associated with high bulk milk antibody levels to common pathogens in UK dairies. Vet Rec 174 (23), 580 PubMed. Hamond C, Martins G, Loureiro A P, Pestana C, Lawson-Ferreira R, Medeiros M A & Lilenbaum W (2014) Urinary PCR as an increasingly useful tool for an accurate diagnosis of leptospirosis in livestock. Vet Res Commun 38 (1), 81-5 PubMed. Koizumi N & Yasutomi I (2012) Prevalence of leptospirosis in farm animals. Jpn J Vet Res 60, 55-8 Otaka D Y, Martins G, Hamond C, Penna B, Medeiros M A & Lilenbaum W (2012) Serology and PCR for bovine leptospirosis: herd and individual approaches. Vet Rec 170 (13), 338 PubMed. Other sources of information OIE Manual chapter 2.1.12 Leptospirosis www.oie.int.


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Welcome to Hotel Palacio Chico 1940
La Antigua Guatemala Hotel
Our main interest is that you enjoy an unforgettable experience, transporting the colonial era through the colors, smells and shapes, perfectly preserved in our facilities, coupled with our exceptional personalized service that will make you feel at home.
This property is a typical Antiguan house, and within it we adapted all the amenities you need at a very affordable price
Our facilities are at your disposal 7 comfortable rooms in the heart of the city and we are just 350 meters from the central square, we hope to live this amazing experience.
Among the facilities this property offers the service are shared kitchen, salon and spa.
Our communication is most important for us, we'd love to hear from you, your suggestions, questions or any concerns in general, please contact us via our email or phone number
2 day adventure, boat ride on Lake Atitlán, discover Mayan villages and visit the market of Chichicastenango
Play a game of Smashballs with family and friends!
Extreme canopy experience at the canyon
Airplane Tour Guatemala of Pacaya, Agua and Acatenango Volcanos!