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Is your car spying on you?
If it's a recent model, has a fancy infotainment system or is equipped with toll-booth transponders or other units you brought into the car that can monitor your driving, your driving habits or destination could be open to the scrutiny of others. If your car is electric, it's almost surely capable of ratting you out.
You may have given your permission, or you may be the last to know.
At present, consumers' privacy is regulated when it comes to banking transactions, medical records, phone and Internet use. But data generated by cars, which these days are basically rolling computers, are not.
All too often, "people don't know it's happening," says Dorothy Glancy, a law professor at Santa Clara University in California who specializes in transportation and privacy. "People should be able to decide whether they want it collected or not."
Try as you may to protect your privacy while driving, it's only going to get harder. The government is about to mandate installation of black-box accident recorders, a dumbed-down version of those found on airliners — that remember all the critical details leading up to a crash, from your car's speed to whether you were wearing a seat belt. The devices are already built into 96 percent of new cars.
Plus, automakers are on their way to developing "connected cars" that constantly crank out information about themselves to make driving easier and collisions preventable.
Privacy becomes an issue when data end up in the hands of outsiders whom motorists don't suspect have access to it, or when the data are repurposed for reasons beyond those for which they were originally intended.
Though the information is being collected with the best of intentions — to make cars safer or to provide drivers with more services and conveniences — there is always the danger it can end up in lawsuits, or in the hands of the government or with marketers looking to drum up business from passing motorists.
Courts have started to grapple with the issues of whether — or when — data from black-box recorders are admissible as evidence, or whether drivers can be tracked from the signals their cars emit. While the law is murky, the issue couldn't be more clear cut for some.
"You do have a right to privacy in your car," says Khaliah Barnes, administrative law counsel for the Electronic Privacy Information Center, at least when it comes to data from automotive black boxes and infotainment systems.
The chief threats:
— Electronic data recorders, or EDRs. Also known as black boxes, the devices have fairly straightforward capabilities. If the car's air bags deploy in a crash, the device snaps into action. It records a vehicle's speed, status of air bags, braking, acceleration. It also detects the severity of an accident and whether passengers had their seat belts buckled.
EDRs make cars safer by providing critical information about crashes, but the data are increasingly being used by attorneys in lawsuits involving drivers. "It's far more reliable than eyewitness accounts," says Wolfgang Mueller, a Berkley, Mich., plaintiff lawyer and former Chrysler engineer. "It's hard for the carmakers to dispute their own data."
Others aren't so sure. California plaintiff lawyer Don Slavik says no one should assume black boxes "are dispassionate and accurate witnesses." He said he's had "numerous downloads that don't comport with physical reality."
Consider the case of Kathryn Niemeyer, a Nevada woman who sued Ford Motor when her husband, Anthony, died after his car crashed into a tree in Las Vegas. Her lawyers argued the air bag should have gone off and saved him, but they didn't want the data downloaded from the car's EDR admitted into evidence. Their contention: The data "constitute unreliable hearsay," contain multiple errors and aren't verifiable. The court agreed, but Niemeyer lost her case anyway in U.S. District Court.
— Infotainment systems and on-board computers.(AT) The latest in-car entertainment systems provide GPS navigation and instant two-way communication to motorists. But they can also be used to relay information about a car's systems to automakers. And that can invade consumers' privacy, as General Motors found out last year.
OnStar, the General Motors unit that provides in-car communication at the push of a button, proposed a change in its customer agreement last year. The move would have allowed GM to sell information that it collects not only from current subscribers but from cars of customers whose subscriptions had ended.
It would have been a sweeping change. Free OnStar — for six months up to three years, depending on the model — comes as standard equipment in most new GM models.
The data would have come from the car's computers, reporting safety and diagnostic information such as fuel economy or the need for oil changes or tire pressure, details that would be shared with dealers or other GM affiliates.
Even though GM says it doesn't sell information to third parties, the proposed change was killed after an outcry. OnStar still can ping batches of cars owned by current subscribers to anonymously look for information about how they are running. That way, GM engineers can monitor the vehicles' systems and remotely tackle issues that arise or find ways to make improvements, the company says.
When customers buy a Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in electric car that also has a gas engine, they are asked to sign an agreement that lets GM anonymously tap the car for info about performance. Four out of five agree, says Larry Nitz, general manager of GM's electrification program.
As part of its Carwings system that lets owners monitor their electric Leaf cars from their smartphones, Nissan says it collects information on the cars. The automaker can find out about GPS and navigation; speed and distance; driving habits; battery use, charging history and deterioration; electrical system functions; software version; "and other spot data to assist in identifying and analyzing the performance of the Nissan Leaf." Owners must give permission. The data are stored on a computer in Japan by vehicle identification number, or VIN, without personal information.
The ability of electric cars to track customers' travels and driving habits was dramatically demonstrated last month when Elon Musk, CEO of electric-car maker Tesla Motors, took issue with a critical review of his company's premiere product, the all-electric Model S sedan, in The New York Times. To refute the review that talked about the angst of running out of electricity and not getting a full recharge on a long trip in cold weather, Musk reconstructed the reporter's journey in a blog post based on data from the car, including cruise control and cabin temperature settings, and how long the car was allowed to charge. In defense of his review, Times reporter John Broder wrote that Tesla told him it did "not store data on exact locations where their cars were driven because of privacy concerns. ... Tesla seemed to know that I had driven six-tenths of a mile 'in a tiny 100-space parking lot.' "
— Transponders and other devices. These days, more commuters have transponders that allow them to use toll roads or bridges without having to stop and pay. But sometimes, they can be used for other purposes.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission not only counts on motorists using FasTrak transponders to pay tolls but also collects data from the devices for traffic studies. If drivers don't want their car to be part of the traffic study, they're offered a Mylar bag that can block signals when the box is not transmitting for tolls.
Some drivers elect to bring other devices into their cars — fully knowing that they spy on their habits — and are rewarded for doing so.
Progressive Insurance says more than 1 million of its auto insurance policy holders now use its Snapshot monitoring device, which plugs into the dashboard to record data from the car's computers for information about hard-braking incidents and time of day that trips are taken.
Drivers save an average 10 percent to 15 percent on premiums, says David Pratt, Progresssive's general manager for usage-based insurance. To protect privacy, the company says it can't track where cars drive and never sells any information to third parties.
Consumers often opt to give away data when it benefits them, so some say privacy issues are no cause for concern. Fears have been "blown out of proportion," says Mukul Verma, a former top GM safety expert who is now a consultant. "I don't think there is any chance of it being used or misused without people's permission."
Jury's still out
There's a mixed record on how data from cars are playing out in court.
On one hand, there's the case of Elva Diaz of Corona, Calif., who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter while drunk. In 2008, her car struck one driven by an 18-year-old college student, who died. Diaz's public defender appealed her conviction, saying the use of data about her speed and braking contained in the vehicle's black box violated her privacy. Last month, an appeals court upheld the conviction.
But privacy advocates point to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year in the case of a Washington, D.C., nightclub owner whose Jeep was monitored for weeks by police who had attached a GPS-based tracking device to it. Based on Antoine Jones' movements, he was convicted on cocaine distribution charges. In overturning Jones' conviction, the high court ruled that police should have obtained a warrant.
Privacy cases could proliferate as technology evolves. Automakers are developing systems that let cars digitally talk to each other or with infrastructure, such as bridges or freeway on-ramps, to avoid accidents.
More than 60 percent of new cars worldwide are expected to have connected capabilities by 2017, up from 11.4 percent last year, says ABI Research. At the same time, those "connected cars" hold the potential of divulging speed and a variety of data that could be used by law enforcement or others.
Aware of privacy concerns, developers of a proposed nationwide system of connected cars say they are trying to build in safeguards.
The system will be designed to let drivers stay anonymous, to constantly change designators for any particular vehicle every few minutes in order to make sure no driver can be tracked, says Tom Schaffnit of the Vehicle Infrastructure Integration Coalition, which is organizing automakers for the project.
If a nationwide system goes forward that will connect cars to each other and the highway, Schaffnit says, he is confident privacy concerns will be addressed. It's logical: If the government is going to require connected cars, "then you need to be worried about privacy," he says.
Watch that lead foot: Your car is watching
Is your car spying on you?


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The Madrid Peace Conference (October 1991) brought together representatives of Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and the Palestinians.
Israel and the Palestinians: Following months of intensive behind-the-scenes contacts in Oslo between negotiators for Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), a Declaration of Principles (DOP) was formulated outlining self-government arrangements of the Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Its signing, on 13 September 1993, was preceded by an exchange of letters between PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, in which the PLO renounced the use of terrorism, pledged to invalidate those articles in its covenant which deny Israel's right to exist, and committed itself to a peaceful resolution of the decades-long conflict. In response, Israel recognized the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people.
The DOP contained a set of mutually agreed general principles regarding a five-year interim period of Palestinian self-rule and a framework for the various stages of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. The arrangements for Palestinian self-rule in the Gaza Strip and the Jericho area were implemented in May 1994; transfer of powers and responsibilities in the West Bank in the spheres of education and culture, health, social welfare, direct taxation, and tourism was implemented three months later. The DOP and other agreements signed by Israel and the Palestinians culminated in the signing of the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement of September 1995.
This agreement included a broadening of Palestinian self-government by the means of an elected self-governing authority, the Palestinian Council (elected in January 1996), and continued redeployment of the IDF in the West Bank. The agreement also set out the mechanism governing Israeli-Palestinian relations that would lead to a Final Status Agreement. Under the Interim Agreement, the West Bank was divided into three types of areas:
Area A – comprising the main cities of the West Bank: full Palestinian Council responsibility for internal security and public order, as well as full responsibility for civil affairs. (The city of Hebron was subject to special arrangements set out in the Interim Agreement; the protocol concerning the redeployment in Hebron was signed in January 1997.)
Area B – comprising small towns and villages in the West Bank: Palestinian Council responsibility for civil affairs (as in Area A) and maintenance of public order, while Israel retained overriding security responsibility to safeguard its citizens and to combat terrorism.
Area C – comprising all Jewish settlements, areas of strategic importance to Israel, and largely unpopulated areas of the West Bank: full Israeli responsibility for security and public order, as well as civil responsibilities related to territory (planning and zoning, archeology, etc.). The Palestinian Council assumes responsibility with regard to all other civil spheres of the Palestinian population.
The timetable for the implementation of further redeployment phases, as specified in the Interim Agreement, was revised on a number of occasions by the two sides, most notably in the Wye River Memorandum of October 1998. Following these agreed revisions, Israel completed the first and second phases of the Further Redeployment (FRD) process in March 2000. As a result of the redeployments, over 18% of the West Bank was designated Area A and over 21% was designated Area B, with 98% of the Palestinian population of the West Bank under Palestinian authority.
Final Status negotiations between the parties, to determine the nature of the permanent settlement between Israel and the Palestinian entity, began as scheduled in May 1996. Suicide bomb attacks, perpetrated by Hamas terrorists in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv during 1996, darkened Israel's view of the peace process. A hiatus of three years followed and Final Status talks were resumed only after the Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum (September 1999). Issues to be dealt with included: refugees, settlements, security matters, borders, Jerusalem, and more.
At the invitation of US President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat attended a summit at Camp David in July 2000 to resume negotiations. The summit ended without an agreement being reached due to PA Chairman Arafat's refusal to accept the generous proposal. However, a trilateral statement was issued, defining the agreed principles to guide further negotiations.
In September 2000, the Palestinians initiated an Intifada, a campaign of indiscriminate terror and violence, causing heavy loss of life and suffering to both sides. Numerous efforts to end the violent confrontation and renew the peace process failed due to the ongoing Palestinian terrorism.
Israel accepted the vision presented in the speech by U.S. President George W. Bush on June 24, 2002 for ending Palestinian terrorism, to be followed by the final settlement of all issues and peace.
On May 25, 2003, Israel accepted the Roadmap, accompanied by comments that Israel considers integral to its implementation and a U.S. commitment to address these comments. However, the Palestinians have yet to live up to their obligations under the first phase of the Roadmap, primarily the unconditional cessation of terrorism and end to incitement. Among the measures taken by Israel against terrorism has been the construction of an anti-terrorist fence.
In August 2005, Israel disengaged from the Gaza Strip and from four settlements in northern Samaria (the West Bank) in an effort to end the stalemate in the peace process following five years of Palestinian terrorism. However, Palestinian terrorism continued, following the election of the Hamas government, including Kassam missile attacks from the Gaza Strip on the northern Negev and the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier, necessitating Israeli military action.
The new Israeli government, elected in early 2009, made several concerted attempts to restart the peace process. Unfortunately, these attempts were consistently frustrated by the Palestinians, and their novel demand that the Israelis meet several pre-conditions before negotiations could even begin. It was only in May 2010 that the Palestinians agreed to hold proximity talks.
Israel and Syria: Within the framework of the Madrid formula, talks between Israeli and Syrian delegations began in Washington and were held from time to time at ambassadorial level, with the involvement of high-ranking American officials.
Two rounds of Syrian-Israeli peace talks (December 1995, January 1996) focused on security and other key issues. Highly detailed and comprehensive in scope, the talks identified important areas of conceptual agreement and convergence for future discussion and consideration. Negotiations between Israel and Syria were renewed in January 2000 in Shepherdstown, US, after a standstill of more than three years. However, these negotiations did not bring about a breakthrough, nor did the meeting between President Clinton and President Hafez Assad in Geneva (March 2000) lead to renewed talks.
Syria, along with Iran, backs the most violent and dangerous terrorist organizations, such as Hizbullah and the various Palestinian terrorist groups.
Israel and Lebanon: On May 23, 2000, Israel completed withdrawal of all military forces from the Security Zone in Southern Lebanon, in accordance with the Israeli government's decision to implement UN Security Council resolution 425. Lebanon, unfortunately, has yet to comply fully with UNSC Resolution 425, as well as with UNSC Resolution 1559 (which calls for the dismantling of Hizbullah and the deployment of Lebanon's army in southern Lebanon).
Violence again erupted, following the abduction of two Israel soldiers and the bombardment of Israel's northern cities by the Hizbullah on 12 July 2006. Israel was forced to act to remove the entrenched Hizbullah terrorist presence in Southern Lebanon, which included tens of thousands of heavy artillery rockets provided by Iran and Syria and aimed at millions of Israeli civilians.
In the ensuing conflict, which later become known as the Second Lebanon War, over 4,000 rockets were fired at civilian targets within Israel, causing 44 civilian casualties and extensive damage to civilian infrastructure and property. 119 Israel soldiers were also killed in the conflict during military operations. The fighting concluded with the adoption on 11 August 2006 of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for calls for the unconditional release of the abducted soldiers, calls upon Lebanon and the new UNIFIL to together deploy throughout southern Lebanon and establishes an embargo of weapons to Lebanese groups other than the government of Lebanon.
The multilateral talks were constituted as an integral part of the peace process, aimed at finding solutions for key regional problems, while serving as a confidence-building measure to promote development of normalized relations among the Middle East nations.
Following the Moscow Multilateral Middle East Conference (January 1992), with the participation of 36 countries and international organizations, the delegations broke up into five working groups dealing with specific areas of common regional concern (environment, arms control and regional security, refugees, water resources, and economic development) which meet from time to time in various venues in the region.
The Steering Committee, comprised of representatives of key delegations and chaired by the US and Russia, coordinates the multilateral talks.
Since the outbreak of Palestinian violence in September 2000, most of the activities in the multilateral track have been frozen.

subset: commoncrawl


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Edited by LilBambi, 21 May 2003 - 06:05 PM.
When posting a question...
Started by LilBambi , May 15 2003 10:55 AM
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Posted 15 May 2003 - 10:55 AM
When posting a question or problemTo make it easier for folks to get at the heart of your question, it would be very helpful and strongly suggested that you include as much of the following as you can in your initial posting:1. Topic Title/Description (Make efficient use of the Topic Title and Description. Be as descriptive as possible about the type of problem you are experiencing in the space given. NOTE: The Title/Description are very important -- These are what folks will see and will draw in the help you need. Please DO NOT use things like, "Help!" or "Windows problem!" or other non-descriptive Topic Titles/Descriptions.)2. Question/Problem (Please fully describe the question/problem and any steps you may have already tried.)3. Type of computer (examples: Dell Dimension 2350 Intel 2.2Ghz P4 w/128MB RAM; IBM ThinkPad A22e 800mhz Celeron w/128MB RAM; Athlon XP Palomino 2200, with 256MB RAM; PIII 1Ghz w/128MB RAM system)4. Operating system (examples: WinXP Pro w/all MS critical updates; Win98se w/all MS Critical Updates)---Networking and/or Security-Related Questions or Problems(Please submit these questions under Networking and Security)NOTE: For quicker inclusion of your computer's specs in your postings, you might consider putting your specs in the free form text area called Your personal note pad under "Welcome to your control panel" in My Controls for later copy/paste for your questions.* Links to free software to help determine your computer hardware *[*]Aida[*]Belarc AdvisorThanks to the following SFNL Forum Members for sharing their suggestions on how to help folks get the answers they need more quickly; Temmu, inform, SonicDragon. Several other Members also added thoughts to this process. Thank you all!
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Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu SafranRabbi Dr. Eliyahu Safran is a long time educator, author and lecturer. His highly acclaimed "Something Old, Something New - Pearls from the Torah" has recently been published by KTAV. His "Kos Eliyahu - Insights into the Haggadah and Pesach" was translated into Hebrew and published by Mosad Harav Kook. His writings regularly appear on the web.
So many of our young people have been turned off and turned away.
Of all the pressures and stresses that buffet our young people today, the ones that are most discouraging and disquieting are the ones that originate with the very people who should be working diligently to ensure that our young people grow to be healthy, committed and engaged Jews, bound by their heads and their hearts to the Jewish community.
And yet, often I find myself astonished by leaders in the Jewish community who seem, in their absolute focus on piety or purity or Jewish political correctness, to be doing everything in their power to undermine the integrity of the entirety of the Jewish community.
If that sounds like I am being overly dramatic, please consider. Not very long ago, a sixteen year old young man – a boy! – was introduced to me. As part of the introduction, I was informed that the young man had been asked to leave his yeshiva.
"Really?" I asked, concerned now. The young man seemed like a perfectly average young man. Not a trouble maker or a problem. "What happened?"
The young man lowered his eyes. "I am not good enough," he said softly, his emotion choking the words in his throat.
Not good enough? His words cut at my heart. What does that mean, not good enough? Good enough for what? To become the next Gaon of Vilna? To become the next Steipler (a 20th century sage)?
Looking at the young man before me, I could see he was most certainly good enough to be like so many in previous generations had been – a committed Jew, learning mishnayos, kitzur shulchan aruch, reviewing parshat hashavuah (various Torah texts) and, most importantly, feeling the embrace of the Jewish community.
So many of our young people have been turned off and turned away . Have our yeshivos become so much like the Ivy League that they exist only for the metzuyanim, brilliant, and the fin'e (upper-class) bochurim – the crème de la crème? More often than not, the yeshivos seem to take pleasure in sending out the lo niskabel (not accepted) slips in response to the earnest application from students and families.
This saddens me in so many ways. Through elitism and arrogance, we have lost the ability to recognize and honor all who made the effort to learn; who sought to achieve the best they were able to achieve. Have we fallen so far from the shtetl when shoemakers, tailors, carpenters, water carriers – every Jew – had his own shtiebel where he could learn mishnayos and midrash with his neighbor and friend?
Have we grown so strong in America that it is not so important that every Jew be able to daily recite Tehilim (Psalms)? Have we become so insular that we do not value the individual who becomes – God forbid! – nothing more than a sweet (or even not-so-sweet) yid (Jew)?
Do we no longer care about the effort our students make? Do we only judge their accomplishments?
Has the yeshiva community become so much like the secular community that all that counts is the bottom line, not the effort expended? Have we shirked off the genuinely Jewish approach?
And for what?
In Pirkei Avos we are taught to "be diligent in the study of Torah… to know before Whom you toil and to know that your Employer can be relied upon to pay the wage of your labor."
As usual, our Sages have provided a powerful response to those who feel belittled, demeaned and defeated by those who suggest, "you are not good enough"! The answer is, "You are good enough. And we know because Hashem acknowledges your labors"!
Every effort, every posuk of chumash (verse of Torah), every mishna you wrestle with – every ounce of effort you exert – is prized by God, who can be "relied upon to pay the wage of your labor."
Sim lev! Pay attention! God will pay the wage of your labor. That is, for your effort, not necessarily your accomplishment.
The Chofetz Chaim said it best, "Ordinarily, pieceworkers are paid only for the amount they produce. If they must expend greater amounts of time to meet the quota, so be it. That is their problem. They have no claim for greater compensation once the price per item is fixed. Hashem however, most certainly pays man for his effort as well as for the actual production."
A person not blessed with the Gaon of Vilna's intelligence is most certainly not penalized for all the extra time and effort he needs to exert in order to learn and understand. He is rewarded according to his efforts… and as long as he can look in the mirror and acknowledge the efforts invested he is amply rewarded and cherished.
In 2:21 we are reminded, 'You are not required to complete the task,' just be sure that you did not 'withdraw from it.'
This is the message our young people should hear from us. Not, "you are not good enough" but rather, "your efforts are cherished." The Mishna is clear, "your Employer can be relied upon to pay you the wage of your labor."
Why then, can't we?


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First off, you can get VLC here. Windows users can also get this "portable" version, which is nice because you don't have to muck around with any installers. This tutorial was made using Mac OS X, but VLC is available for nearly any operating system under the sun so these directions will work for you no matter which one you're using.
Once you've installed and/or opened the program, select "Open Disc..." from the 'File' pull-down menu:
You should get a dialog box that looks something like this:
Make sure the DVD bubble is selected and the box next to 'Use DVD Menu' is unchecked. Next, check the box labeled 'Streaming/Saving:' and click on the 'Settings' bubble, which will open a new dialog box that looks something like this:
Make sure the 'File' bubble is selected. Then, from the pull-down menu beside 'Encapsulation Method,' select MPEG 4, which is an advanced and efficient container format:
Next, click on the 'Browse' button near the top, then name the file and place it wherever you like; the extension should automatically be set to .mp4. After that, click the 'Save' bubble:
Now, under 'Transcoding options, check the box labeled 'Video' and select 'h264' from the pull-down menu to the right. Do the same thing for 'Audio' but choose 'mp4a' from the list. I would also recommend, in the boxes labeled 'Bitrate', you enter 750 in the one for video and 128 in the one for audio, as well as change the 'Scale' to 0.75 and the 'Channels' to 2 (these will ensure that your resulting file isn't awkwardly large):
If your computer is fast enough, you can also check the box to 'Display the stream locally,' which will allow you to watch the movie as it rips. However, my computer, a G4 PowerBook, is not fast enough and it ruined the rip when I tried it.
Click 'OK' to return to the previous dialog box, and click 'OK' again to finish. Your video should now be ripping into the file you made for it earlier. When it's finished, your rip should be of pretty good quality with a size of approximately 450 to 650 MB, depending on the length of the movie.
Longer movies will obviously create larger files, although you can play with the 'Bitrate' settings to find a compromise between quality and size that best suits your needs.
Copyright notice: using this method to rip commercial DVDs, even if you own them, may be prohibited in your country. It is best to research the laws in your locale before following these steps.


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Different, but delicious — Sol Mediterranean Grill
Are your taste buds asking for something different for lunch or dinner? Tired of the same old, same old, day after day, and perhaps really haven't decided what you'd like to try? Or, maybe you have a special date with someone you'd like to impress? May I suggest that you try Sol Mediterranean Grill at 4230 Calder in Beaumont, owned and managed by long-time food guru Dave Jones.
I'll admit that when I was given the assignment to write about really good Mediterranean food, I did not quite know what to expect, and especially so in Beaumont. The last real Mediterranean meal I had eaten personally was in Detroit, Mich., in a little hideaway tucked into a busy business district. A man who was in town organizing large conventions had taken us there, and he had the scoop on all things good to eat. I was favorably impressed and wondered where I could eat that style of food again. I now have the answer right in my own back yard, so to speak.
When I arrived at Sol, the first thing I noticed was that the parking lot was literally full of cars and I had to drive around twice before finding a place to park my vehicle. Inside, there was a mixture of all age groups from young children to grandmothers and grandfathers. There were even a couple of reporters inside chowing down on whatever they had selected. That was a very good sign.
Greeted by manager Brock Neireiter, who comes to Sol with 16 years of experience in the restaurant industry, I quickly scanned the menu and made my selection. I chose an authentic Greek salad, but had wonderful "things" added to it by the waitstaff. I admit I could not pronounce some of the words for the vegetables and toppings I selected, but that was not a problem. I need not fear. Others in the line could not either.
Neireiter suggested that I top the salad off with my choice of lamb, steak or chicken from one of the large spits or shawarma cookers in open view of the customers. Large cone-shaped portions of the various meats were slowly cooking. The juices flowed downward, allowing the meat to marinate and cook on the outer layer inward, creating a one-of-a-kind taste sensation that is difficult to describe. I was told that the juices also provide the perfect concoction for cooking tomatoes, onions and other things that go into the delicious food.
In talking with business owner Jones, who is also involved in seven different Novrozsky's restaurants in the area, the shawarma style of cooking and serving has just gotten a big boost from the popular "The Avengers" movie. It seems that even superheroes enjoy eating shawarma food, and moviegoers can hear and see the evidence. Jones said that you have to stay for the credits after the film to get the full effect, but there has been a run on the shawarma restaurants since the superhero boost.
In the movie, Iron Man asks Captain America, "Have you ever tried shawarma? There's a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don't know what it is, but I want to try it." The filmmakers also snuck in a little footage, following the credits, of the stars hanging out and digging into some meat pita with toppings like hummus, tabbouleh and tahini. According to TMZ, sales of shawarma in L.A. went "through the roof the weekend after the debut of the movie." One shawarma restaurant claimed that sales increased by 80 percent.
Customers did seem intrigued by the cooking of the meat and enjoyed seeing lamb, beef or chicken from the cookers put into a pita wrap, popular pizzas, the Mediterranean plate or the salad, which I had for lunch. Falafel is also served, along with delicious roasted vegetables. Sauces include tzaziki salice, tahini salice, ranch and aioli. The inviting toppings include hummus, coliscolis, tabolili, spinach, mixed greens, red cabbage slaw, sumac onions, sun-dried tomatoes, black bean mango salad, Spanish eggplant, kalamata olives, cucumber, tomatoes, feta cheese and mozzarella cheese.
The grape leaves with feta cheese were popular additions to many orders, as were the hummus and pita chips. Kids' pizzas are available, and little ones delight in them. Desserts include baklava and huge fresh-baked cookies. Soft drinks, bottled water and a good variety of beer and wine await the customers.
Both the manager and the owner agreed that the No. 1 favorite of many customers are the delicious gyros that can be made using the beef, chicken or lamb in a white or wheat wrap and the toppings, which make them so tasty.
Phyllis Jorgensen and granddaughter Emma Permenter, age 9, seemed to be truly enjoying their meal. Emma had a cheese pizza while Jorgensen had chosen the Mediterranean plate. Emma loved her pizza but did sneak several bites of the beef from her grandmother's plate and told me in confidence that she was ordering beef next time she came. "It's really good," said the little lady with a big smile.
Other diners chose the outdoor patio for a different setting for their lunch and were enjoying the bright sunshine and the good food. The restaurant, which has only been open for three weeks, features a drive-through window for those in a hurry and for take-out service. "We also cater," said Jones, "and will work with customers to meet their needs. We are constantly adding to our beer and wine stock and are happy that the long construction on Calder is finally coming to an end." Jones had owned another restaurant in the same location prior to Hurricane Ike, and after the storm decided to do something different.
He flew to Chicago and other places to try new and different foods and to determine what might be a helpful and fun addition to the eateries in Beaumont. Jones has been in the food industry since he was 21 and has enjoyed great successes with his Novrozsky's restaurants both in Southeast Texas and western Louisiana. "It is all about the customer," he said. "We want to offer good, fresh food, cooked well, seasoned with care, using tried-and-true recipes, and served in a comfortable, family atmosphere.Jones is married to Suzanne and has four sons and one daughter. He said that one of his sons actually came up with the name of the new restaurant. "We chose Sol for sun and light, and I think it will catch on big in Beaumont," he said. "Once people get over the idea that they really do not know what Mediterranean cooking might taste like, they'll come in and try it."
And, I might add, don't worry about not being able to pronounce the names of the additions you want. The staff will gladly help you. After all, if shawarma cooking pleases the palettes of the superheroes, what's not to like?
Sol is open from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. seven days a week. Call (409) 898-8688 to pre-order food for take out or drive through orders.
Brenda Cannon Henley can be reached at (409) 781-8788 or at brendacannonhenley [at] yahoo [dot] com.


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The Walking Dead
No surprise here, AMC has renewed its flagship drama 'The Walking Dead' for a fourth season. Glen Mazzara is also stepping down as show runner once production on the final episodes of the third season have wrapped.
The departure of Mazzara was due to a difference of opinion about the direction of the show moving forward. As a result a lot of fans and fellow producers have taken to social media to express their anger. [Source: Deadline]
Just days before the fifth season finale goes to air, TNT has decided not to move forward with another season of "Leverage."
Earlier this month show runner Dean Devlin penned a letter suggesting the upcoming Christmas finale was the episode with which he intended to end the series. [Source: The Live Feed]
How I Met Your Mother
In a last minute turn around, CBS' sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" is being renewed for a ninth season.
The news comes after cast negotiations went to the wire, especially with actor Jason Segel who was set on bailing. [Source: Deadline]


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I just don't think we are going to get obscure figures like Porkins, Lt Faytonni, Ach Med Beg, etc. However, I can see them still making Admiral Piett, Bossk, AT-AT Driver or even a Dignitary. I am almost sure we'll get Luke in almost every outfilt. Same with Han and Leia.
If they are "rebooting" the line and starting over symbolically with the Luke, Leia, R2 and Chewie - I hope (for sanity's sake), when they do this, it means that they're going to handle the line a bit more like it was handled during the vintage days.There was only ONE Tatooine Luke from ANH - sure he got re-released under the ESB and ROTJ banners, but there was never a second, third, fourth, etc... sculpt of the figure.I would be happy if they use this line to put stakes in the ground and say "This is the ultimate Tatooine Luke and we'll never make another version of Luke in this outfit." If done with the right amount of accessories (long rifle, floppy hat, tan poncho, swappable belts (black vs. Stormtrooper) , binoculars, imperial blaster and lightsaber (lit and unlit)) and a high-level of articulation (at least 15 points) -- then I'd be okay with that.If you think about it this would help the line survive the longest. Constantly re-issue the exact same figure in the exact same packaging and your profit margin goes up....................
http://www.hasbro.com/starwars/pl/page.retailer_promos/sub.wm/dn/default.cfmIt looks like the EB set has vintage reproductions and not new figures if you read this page.
The thing that I find completely ridiculous about all this is that Hasbro hasn't even released a clear statement and/or photos of what these four figures for the Early Bird set look like.
IF the line carries on in 2006 as SA figures that are the definitive versions, I'd stick around for that.
So Hasbro officially announced the Early Bird set, but they still don't tell us what the figures are going to look like. My guess is they haven't even got a clue yet. They threw this together and are going to rely on sales of ROTS figures to determine whether or not the line will keep going.
Also, Luke, Leia, R2 and, at some places, 3PO are still readily available. I was sort of hoping that they will be "classic reproductions of the 1977 figures". I already have them all but it would be cool to get them all in mint condition. However, Hasbro's site said that the line would include all 6 movies so I know they won't do vintage styled PT figures.
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OXO Tot Fork & Spoon Set12289-0342
The perfect introduction to "big kid" utensils, the Fork & Spoon Set from OXO Tot eases the frustrations of learning to self-feed. Child-safe fork tines capture food effectively while the deep spoon head easily scoops and contains food. Generously sized, soft handles prevent sliding and are easy for little hands to grip.
- Soft, non-slip handles are easy for little hands to hold
- Handles are curved to prevent slipping into bowl or plate
- Effective Fork tines, yet no sharp edges
- Deep Spoon shape for easier scooping of food and liquids
- Sturdy stainless steel for durability
- BPA, phthalate and PVC free
Ages: 1 year & up


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The Official DVSA Theory Test for Car Drivers DVD-ROM 2012 Edition
- Author:
- Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA)
Prepare to pass your theory test first time with this best-selling theory test DVD-ROM - the ONLY official software revision guide for PC and Mac.
5 reasons to buy it:
Study - information on all 14 topics to help you understand the theory fully
Practice - answer questions on topics to see how much you've learnt, including practice case studies
Mock tests - includes EVERY official DVSA theory test revision question and answer
Easy to use - it makes revision really simple with a clear 3-step approach: study, practice and mock tests. PC and Mac compatible
Extras - loads of extra features to help you prepare for your test and beyond, including The Official Highway Code, a voiceover option and downloadable audio so you can prepare on the go
More information:
Every official revision question - with the full DVSA explanation to help you fully understand the theory behind each answer. The revision questions on this DVD-ROM are very similar to the questions you will get on your actual test and cover the same topics
Easy to use - clear three-step approach 'study, practise, test yourself' and user-friendly design to help make your revision really simple. Compatible with PC and Mac
Background information on every topic - explains the theory behind each topic in an easy-to-remember way, also included as an audio download so you can listen on the go
Customise your practise - select specific topics to answer questions on and see how much you've learnt
Mock tests - the closest experience to the actual test. Take unlimited practice tests with 57 minutes to answer 50 randomly selected questions, just like the real thing. Review your answers at the end of the test to see how you got on and where you can improve
Extra help to understand the answers - only official DVSA resources include references from every question to the official source material where you can learn more. Highway Code references link directly to a digital version of The Official Highway Code so you can read the background to the questions
Monitor your progress - clearly track your progress through each section. Quickly find out how much of the DVD-ROM you have completed, which topics need a bit more work and how many questions you have answered correctly so you can see when you're ready to pass
Case studies practise - the ONLY software to include official DVSA practice case studies on every topic, for complete test preparation
Extras - loads of extra features to help you prepare for your test and beyond, including a voiceover option to help those with reading difficulties and/or dyslexia. Print out our Theory Test Extra study guide and practice mock tests so you can prepare away from home, watch the official theory test introduction video so you know exactly what to expect on the day, begin to prepare for your practical test with the official 'show me tell me' videos, and join DVSA's growing community of learner drivers on Facebook and Twitter for support throughout your learning to drive experience.
With references throughout to The Official Highway Code (included), plus The Official DVSA Guide to Driving - the essential skills and Know Your Traffic Signs, this DVD-ROM prepares you fully for the multiple choice part of your theory test, and ensures you're on the road to safe driving for life.
Written by the Driving Standards Agency, the people who set the driving tests.
Please note: Adobe Air must be installed on your PC/Mac before the Theory Test application can run. Find out more.
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Tahoe Truckee ~ Live The Lifestyle
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© Copyright 2019. Tahoe Sierra Multiple Listing Service. All rights reserved. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. The data relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the Reciprocity Program of the Tahoe Sierra Multiple Listing Service. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Tahoe City | Truckee are marked with the Broker Reciprocity logo and detailed information about them includes the name of the listing brokers. The information being provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any other purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Some properties which appear for sale on this web site may subsequently have sold and may no longer be available. Listing broker has attempted to offer accurate data, but buyers are advised to confirm all items.Listing information last updated on 2019-09-18.


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MENOMONIE (October 13, 2012) - The UW-Stout football team was unable to get anything going as #5 UW-Whitewater rolled to a 41-7 victory over the Blue Devils during the annual Hall of Fame Game.
The Warhawks took control of the game early, scoring on their first four possesions of the game before the Blue Devil defense was able to force a punt mid-way through the second quarter.
Stout (3-3, 1-2) scored their lone touchdown of the game on the drive following the punt, as quarterback Michael Blizel (Sr, Sturgeon Bay) led the offense 71 yards on five plays, with Eric Brown (Sr, St. Paul, Minn) punching the ball in from three yards out to put the Blue Devils on the board. The touchdown was Brown's first of the year.
Blizel finished with 104 yards on 11-25 passing. Trevor Morning (Jr, Bloomer) was able to come up with four grabs for 58 yards, including a 35 yarder on Stout's touchdown drive with a defender draped all over him.
On offense, Stout was held to 136 yards, with only six total rushing yards for the entire game. Whitewater (5-1, 3-0) gained 410 yards, 175 of which came on the ground.
Time of possesion also was lopsided, as the Warhawks had the ball for 36 minutes compared to just 24 for the Blue Devils.
Through the first three quarters, neither team turned the ball over, despite the misting rain that fell for most of the afternoon. In the fourth though, the teams combined to cough up the ball five times, on three interceptions and two fumbles.
Linebacker Spencer Adler (Jr, Little Chute) forced and recoverd the first fumble of the game with 10 minutes remaining in the game, giving Stout the ball on Whitewater's 28 yard line. Adler also recorded 10 tackles for the Blue Devils, five solo.
Stout was unable to capitolize on the turnover, as quarterback Hank Kujak (So, Blair) was intercepted four plays later.
Billy Rosenthal (Sr, Wyoming, Minn.) forced the Blue Devils other turnover, reaching low to pick off a pass with under five minutes remaining in the game.
The Blue Devils special teams came up with some big plays, as Zak Snell (So, Castaic, Cal.) returned eight kicks for 234 yards, including a 72 yard return in the third quarter.
Safety Collin Laursen (So, Mondovi) led Stout with 12 tackles, four solo, including one for loss. Tyler Naatz (So, Menomonie) chipped in 10 tackles, five solo for the Blue Devils.
Stout will travel to UW-Lacrosse next Saturday to take on the Eagles in a conference match-up. The Blue Devils will return home October 27th when they host UW-River Falls.
Fifth ranked Whitewater knocks off UW-Stout
|UW-Whitewater (5-1)
|UW-Stout (3-3)
MENOMONIE (October 13, 2012) - The UW-Stout football team was unable to get anything going as #5 UW-Whitewater rolled to a 41-7 victory over the Blue Devils during the annual Hall of Fame Game.


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You don't need to understand the finer points of horseback riding to know you love equestrian style. The clothes and accessories associated with the sport are classics, especially among the prep set. Tailored, herringbone blazers, stirrup pants, and knee-high boots are just some of the offerings you'll find in a quick Google search. And, this week, Spanish label Massimo Dutti added its name to the ranks of retailers fashioning the look in its exclusive, limited-edition collection. Which means your hunt for an affordable take on the trend is over.
Price points max out at just over $200, which means you can score a few pieces of the collection without breaking the bank. Shop delicate pinstripe shirts, silk-twill handkerchiefs, and distinguished travel bags to craft a getup that'll read as perfectly polished. And, if looking as chic as the campaign's models, Carolyn Murphy and Esther Heesch, is part of the deal, well, definitely count us in!
Photo: Courtesy of Massimo Dutti.


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Oil prices jumped above $100 -a-barrel yesterday on reports that Iran plans to hold military maneuvers to practice the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Bloomberg citing the Fars news agency, although the Iranian Foreign Ministry later denied this report sending oil prices lower.
This is a mark of how tense relations between the nations now imposing trade sanctions and Iran have become. It is not as though the ability of the Iranian navy in its home waters to block the Strait is an unknown factor. But this sort of market rumor and the price response shows a very nervous oil market.
Persian Gulf oil supplies
Around 15.5 million barrels of oil travels through these waters each day or about one sixth of global consumption, mostly heading for Europe and China. Iran is the second largest Opec oil producer after Saudi Arabia with an output of 4.25 million barrels per day.
Not all Gulf oil passes via the Strait of Hormuz. The United Arab Emirates has recently opened a pipeline bypassing this natural bottleneck to the Indian Ocean.
However, Iran would not take such a bold decision lightly for it would cut off its only source of foreign exchange, plunging the country into a very serious economic recession. This would not make its government very popular with people who are already suffering from the impact of Western sanctions on external trade.
Oil boycott?
European governments are also mulling a boycott of Iranian oil in anycase after an IAEA report that the country is working on a nuclear weapons program. At the same time the whole Persian Gulf region is in a state of heightened tension because of the departure of the US from Iraq at the end of this month.
On the other hand, with the US to leave 20,000 personnel at its embassy compound in Baghdad, by far the largest US embassy in the world, and thousands at other consulates around the country this withdrawal is mainly symbolic with most of the military machine remaining close at hand in Kuwait.
In these circumstances any real change to the status quo in the region looks highly unlikely. The Iranian military threat remains nothing in comparison to the overwhelming force it would be stacked against.
Via SyndiGate.info
Copyright 2019 Peter John Cooper All rights reserved


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Events Calendar
Tell us about your event in Onehunga and we'll add it to this page! Email details to email@example.com or phone 636 8535.
Nov 23 @ 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Come and watch our annual community parade. Starts on the corner of Onehunga Mall and Arthur Street, travels down to Princes Street before returning back.
Feb 22 @ 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Subscribe to filtered calendar


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Feb. 6 marked the centennial of the birth of our 40th president, Ronald Wilson Reagan. A few years ago I read the then newly released The Reagan Diaries (HarperCollins, 2007), the edited personal daily entries of President Reagan, which he maintained during his eight-year presidency. One of the most interesting entries is the one from March 30, 1981 (the day he was shot by would-be assassin, John Hinckley):
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A set of balloon back chairs had been left to the client but were in very poor condition. The polish has perished along with the leather upholstery. All the joints were consolidated, the surface stripped and refinished and then the chairs were upholstered in leather with decorative stud edging.
Related Works
Low chair (to be caned)This chair had arrived in a broken state with various joints missing and parts detached. New joints were scarfed on and the chair re-assembled. Surface damage was repaired and it was polished.
Dining chair – Broken back slat and upholsteryThis chair had missing sections of the back splat and old upholstery that was badly worn. New shaped sections of the back splat were made and fitted and the seat was removed and upholstered with fresh top cover.
Arne Jacobsen office chairThis was wobbly and the client was unsure of what was causing it. I established that the main pivot was worn and arranged for a new socket to be welded on to provide the main shaft with a tight fit. This resolved the problem. Some while after a further problem was raised as the chair […]
Drop in Seat frameThe client brought this in to be recovered but on closer inspection it was found to have crumbled away. It had previously been re-upholstered with the new webbing tacked over the old. The upholstery was old and filthy. It was disposed of and a new frame made up to fit the chair. It was then […]
Ebonised corner chair with marquetry design in back splatThis chair was in poor condition. There was marquetry missing in the top rail and the polish was in need of rejuvenation. It also need the pin cushion seat upholstered. The marquetry was replaced and it was polished before finally being upholstered with a pin cushion seat and piping on the edges.
ChaiseThe chaise was in very poor condition. The frame was falling apart, the cushions were old or missing and the surface finish perished and badly damaged. The old upholstery was removed, the frame was repaired and consolidated, the surface stripped and refinished and then re-upholstered. As it was to be used as an occasional bed […]
Victorian spoon back 'ladies chair'The chair seat had collapsed and after removal of the old upholstery it was found that the frame had extensive woodworm damage and had crumbled away. The old frame was used as a template and a new one made from beech. The legs were reinstated and it was then upholstered ready for a top cover […]
Broken back splat on Georgian dining chairThis involved the repair of the back splat of an Georgian dining chair. Some of the parts had been saved but many other smaller sections were missing and had to be made and integrated into the back splat. They were then carved to match the various profiles and coloured to match.
Swivel office chairAn old and worn swivel chair was completely transformed with new upholstery and a snazzy new top cover.
Set of 4 1960's Ercol chairsThis is a set of Ercol Quaker style dining chairs from the 1960's. They were finished in a very dark stain and lacquer which had become damaged over time. They were all stripped and prepared for refinishing. They were then lacquered in a clear lacquer that enhanced the figuring of the wood.
Norman Miller 'Eames' dining chairNew shock mounts fitted. More information can be found about these chairs at wikipedia
Pair of upholstered chairsThese chairs had greats sentimental value to the client but the upholstery was old and worn and the client required them to be updated. The existing upholstery was removed, the frame stripped and refinished and the chair was then upholstered in white leather with matching piping.
Japanned chair with broken legThis chair had one of it's leg broken and held together with tape. The old and broken leg was cut off and a new leg turned to match with a dowel integrated into the turning to fix into the front seat rail. The leg was then polished with black shellac to replicate the japanned finish […]
Dining arm chair upholstered in leatherThis chair was in very poor condition and required complete restoration. The old and damaged upholstery was removed and the surface finish stripped. It was then polished and upholstered in leather with studded edges.
Art Deco tub chairsMy client was a fan of art deco furniture and managed to acquire a set of four tub chairs. They were in however quite poor condition. In particular they had been upholstered over the show wood around the side of the seats. The old upholstery was carefully removed. All the old staples and tacks were […]
Dutch Marquetry ArmchairThis lovely armchair had been stored in a garage for many years before being brought in to me for restoration. The old upholstery was removed to discover evidence of old woodworm damage. This had weakened the left rail and destroyed the tenon joints. The front rail and legs were also detached. The surface finish was […]


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PHP 5 OOP: Delegation and Custom Exceptions
This article continues a series on PHP5 OOP. In the first article, PHP 5 OOP: Interfaces Abstract Classes and the Adapter Pattern, I presented an interface for abstracting database access from the actual database. In the second article, PHP 5 OOP: Protecting Data With Visibility , I showed how to expand upon the functionality built in the first article in order to show how to protect your data using visibility modifiers. In this article you will learn how delegation can mirror the query related DB interface to work on a specific query result.
The DBQuery Object
At present our DBQuery object simply mimics (all be it - rather simply) a stored procedure. Once executed a result resource is returned which you must store and pass the MySqlDB object if you wish to use functions such as num_rows() or fetch_row() on the result set. Would it not be nice if the DBQuery object were able to implement the functions which the MySqlDB object implements; that are designed to work on the result of an executed query? Take the code in your previous example and let us assume that the DBQuery object now manages the result resource for us:
Listing 1: Using the DBQuery class.
require 'mysql_db.php'; require_once 'query.php'; $db = new MySqlDb; $db->connect('host', 'username', 'pass'); $db->query('use content_management_system'); $query = new DBQuery($db); $query->prepare('SELECT fname,sname FROM users WHERE username=:1S AND pword=:2S AND expire_time<:3I'); try { if($query->execute("visualad", "apron", time()))->num_rows() == 1) { echo('Correct Credentials'); } else { echo('Incorrect Credentials / Session Expired'); } } catch (QueryException $e) { echo('Error executing query: ' . $e); }
The main lines of interest in the modified code are the catch statement and the execute statement.
- The execute statement no longer returns a result resource, it now returns the DBQuery object itself.
- The DBQuery object now implements the num_rows() function which we are familiar with from the DB interface.
- If the query fails to execute, it throws an exception of type QueryException. Which when converted to a string returns details of the error which occurred.
To implement this, you need to use delegation. You have already been using delegation in our DBQuery object, but will now use it to a greater extent to tie it in completely with the MySqlDB object. The DBQuery object is already initialized with an object which implements the DB interface and it already contains a member function called execute, which, invokes the query() method of the DB object to execute the query. The DBQuery object its self does not actually query the database, it leaves that to the DB object. This is delegation - a process by which one object implements a particular behavior by sending messages to another object which implements the same or a similar behavior.
You are going to modify the DBQuery object to include all functions which work on a result resource from the DB object. You will use the result stored when the query is executed to invoke the corresponding function of the DB object and return its result. The following functions will be added:
Listing 2: Extending the DBQuery class with delegation.
class DBQuery { ..... public function fetch_array() { if (! is_resource($this->result)) { throw new Exception('Query not executed.'); } return $this->db->fetch_array($this->result); } public function fetch_row() { if (! is_resource($this->result)) { throw new Exception('Query not executed.'); } return $this->db->fetch_row($this->result); } public function fetch_assoc() { if (! is_resource($this->result)) { throw new Exception('Query not executed.'); } return $this->db->fetch_assoc($this->result); } public function fetch_object() { if (! is_resource($this->result)) { throw new Exception('Query not executed.'); } return $this->db->fetch_object($this->result); } public function num_rows() { if (! is_resource($this->result)) { throw new Exception('Query not executed.'); } return $this->db->num_rows($this->result); } }
The implementation of each function is quite simple. It first checks to ensure the query has been executed, then, delegates the task to the DB object, returning its result as if it were the query object itself called the underlying database function.
Type Hinting
For delegation to work, we need to ensure that the $db variable of the DBQuery object is an instance of an object that implements the DB interface. Type Hinting is a new facility in PHP 5, which enables you to force function arguments to be objects of specific types. Before PHP 5 the only way to ensure that function arguments were of a specific object type was to use the type checking functions provided PHP (i.e: is_a() ). Now you can simply enforce the object type by preceding the function argument with type name. You have already seen type hinting in our DBQuery object, to ensure that an object which implements the DB interface is passed to the objects constructor.
public function __construct(DB $db) { $this->db = $db; }
Not only can you specify object types, you may also specify abstract classes and interfaces when using type hinting too.
Throwing Exceptions
You may have noticed from the above code that you are catching an exception called, QueryException (we will implement this object later). An exception is similar to an error, however, more generic. The best way to describe an exception is an emergency. While an emergency might not necessarily be fatal, it must be dealt with. When an exception is thrown in PHP, the current scope of execution is immediately terminated, whether it be a function, try..catch block or the script itself. The exception then travels up the calling stack terminating each execution scope until it is either caught in try..catch block or it reaches the top of the calling stack where it will generate a fatal error.
Exception handling is another new feature in PHP 5 which, when used in conjunction with OOP, allows for fine control over error handling and reporting. A try..catch block acts as a mechanism to deal with an exception. Once caught, execution of the script continues from the next line of the scope from which the exception was caught and handled.
You need to change your execute function to throw an exception if the query fails. You will throw a custom exception object called QueryException, which is passed the DBQuery object that caused the error.
Listing 3: Throwing an exception.
/** * Executes the current Query * * Executes the current query replacing any place holders with the supplied * parameters. * * @param mixed $queryParams,... Query parameter * @return resource A reference to the resource representing the executed query. */ public function execute($queryParams = '') { //example: SELECT * FROM table WHERE name=:1S AND type=:2I AND level=:3N $args = func_get_args(); if ($this->stored_procedure) { /* call the compile function to get the query */ $query = call_user_func_array(array($this, 'compile'), $args); } else { /* a stored procedure was not initialized, so execute this as a standard query */ $query = $queryParams; } $result = $this->db->query($query); if (! $result) { throw new QueryException($this); } $this->result = $result; /* notice how we now return the object itself, this enables us to us to call member function from the return result of this function */ return $this; }
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Monica L. Van Wegen
April 20, 1979-Dec. 25, 2011
Pleasanton, California
Monica L. Van Wegen, an Amador Valley High School track star who motivated countless others, died on Christmas morning after a five-year battle with brain cancer. She was 32.
Monica was able to live an inspirational and fully functioning life until her final weeks. Her life was always filled with tremendous energy and enthusiasm to enjoy every day to its fullest. The enthusiasm was very contagious and fun to be around.
Her energy found an outlet in running. She started by winning the 400-yard rabbit run at Valley View School and the 400-yard race at the Hershey Nor Cal Meet in San Jose, both while in the fourth grade. She ran competitively with great success for 11 years. She ran for fun and fitness for her entire life. Through running, she discovered her life?s work and passion as a fitness trainer and physical therapist.
The running, school and work took Monica to Eugene, Ore., San Diego, Chico, Los Angeles, Tiburon and Sun Valley, Idaho.
Monica recorded many accomplishments at Amador Valley, including: 1997 NCS 800 meter champion; 1996 Amador HS 4x400m relay team that was 8th fastest in the nation, 3:45.94; 1996 Amador HS NCS Championship Cross Country team; EBAL 200m record holder, Three time EBAL Cross Country Individual Champion; and a member of eight Amador HS Track and Cross Country teams that were EBAL Champions or Co-Champions.
Monica?s humor, hard work and example have been an inspiration to many, many people, and she will be greatly missed and always remembered.
Monica is survived by her father Gary, mother Loretta, sister Jennifer, boyfriend A.J. Denton and many aunts, uncles and cousins.
Services will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012, at Valley Community Church, 4455 Del Valle Parkway, Pleasanton, Calif.
11:30 a.m. - Service at Valley Community Church, 2:30 p.m. - Burial at St. Augustine?s Cemetery, Pleasanton, 3:00 p.m. - Reception at Valley Community Church
Donations in memory of Monica can be made through PayPal to: Monica Van Wegen, at the email address: firstname.lastname@example.com
The family would love for all who knew and loved Moe to attend.


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I found a totally cool way to support MADD Canada AND bring awareness to impaired driving; the IPromise campaign. This is a campaign dedicated to raising money and awareness for MADD Canada along with spreading the word among drivers about the potential consequences of drinking and driving.
Easy. Visit the website and purchase your I Promise bracelet for $5 ($2 goes directly to MADD Canada). Then wear it.
By wearing the I Promise bracelet, you demonstrate to your Mom and the world around you your commitment to safe and sober driving now and always.
I got hubby and I each a black and white one AND of course, for special occasions, got me a hot pink one. I wonder if I can bedazzle it?!?! Hmmmm!!!
Their promotional video really brought the campaign message home to me. Total wow factor. I can't wait to get my bracelets and wear them with pride.
Be sure to follow the campaign on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
I Promise! Do you?
Two years ago, my beautiful mother-in-law's life was cut tragically short by an impaired driver and my stepson's life changed forever. In honor of Donna and Jordan Kennie, please don't drink and drive. Impaired driving is 100% preventable. Think about it.
Support MADD Canada and follow them on Facebook, Twitter (@maddcanada), YouTube, and on the Web.
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Code with SAPUI5
You will learn
You will add some modifications to the application using SAPUI5. Add some conditional logic to the Demand field to quickly understand if there are enough parts available to create the product.
In your SAP Web IDE, expand the
webapp > view folders.
In the View folder, locate the
XXXXX_SO.view.xml and
XXXXX_S1.view.xml files. These are your Master and Detail views.
S0 is the master, or view 0, and
S1 is the detail, or view 1.
Double click on the
S1 view to open it.
In the Detail view (
XXXX_S1), locate the
ColumnListItem control. This control sets the template for all items in the list bound to the table you added earlier in Build. Each row in the table contains a Label, Image, Identifier, Text, and Object Number control.
You are going to update the
ObjectNumber control to add some formatting to the number.
In the
ObjectNumber control definition, locate the state property. Instead of using a default state, you can calculate the state at runtime. You'll create an
IF statement inside of the property definition. You can compare the Available and Demand fields to see if your need is greater than your supply. If the availability is less than 60% of the demand, you can set the state to Error so the issue is highly visible. To do this, replace none with the following expression:
{= ${Available} > ${Demand}*.6 ? 'None' : 'Error'}
This is called Expression Binding. Learn more about expression binding.
SAVE your changes.
Run you application. Right-click on the
te2017frontend folder, and select
Run > Run as > Web Application.
When clicking around on different toys, you will notice that the Demand column in the Parts table will either be red or grey depending on how much availability there is. If the demand is a lot higher than the availability, the Demand will be red. If the Demand is red, you might want to order some more!
In your running application, locate the Robot toy and click it. On the Part detail page, look at the parts table. Answer the following question below.
In the table, the Description field doesn't add a lot of value, so you want to combine the Part Name column and the Part ID column to save space. Back in the Detail view (
S1), locate the
ColumnListItem control again. You will combine the
Label and
ObjectIdentifier controls.
Locate the
Label control. Delete the Label control.
In the
ObjectIdentifier control, change the text property from Description to ID.
Because you removed a control from the row template, you need to remove the corresponding header from
columns control.
Locate the
<m:columns> control under the Table control.
The first
Column control contains the header information for the Part ID column that you removed. Delete the whole first
<m:Column> control.
The first Column control should now be Image.
SAVE your changes.
Run your application.
In the Parts table, there should be only 4 columns with the Part ID under the Part name.
Copy the URL from your running application. Paste your application URL in the box below.


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Dim and control the lights of a larger stage professionally and at the touch of a button.
The Elation Scene Setter 48 is a stage lighting controller and conventional dimming console meant for larger stages that includes 48 total DMX channels. Try your hand at 4200 easy-to-program, password-protected scenes and 96 recordable, password-protected program chases that can contain up to 4600 steps. The Scene Setter 48 console's power failure memory automatically recovers your information after a power loss when you turn it on again, and standard MIDI and DMX ports allow you to conveniently connect with other units and machines for the ideal stage lighting setup. This Elation light controller has various running types so you can run the scene with audio, speed slider, or standard beats, and more programs (than the original Scene Setter) can run in single mode or mix mode simultaneously.
- 48 channels DMX
- 48 individual channel faders
- 48 bump buttons
- A/B master faders
- Tap Sync button for speed/fade override
- Independent speed & fade control
- Full-on button for 100% momentary output for all
- Bright LCD display
- Easy programmability
- 96 recordable programs with 4200 scenes
- Midi in/out/through
- Standard 2-scene operation (2 x 24)
- USITT DMX 512 standard protocol with 3-pin XLR connector
- Fade and speed control
- Independent fog output button for Vaporizer, Stallion, MB-700 & MB-1000 models
- Blind function override chases on-the-fly
- Audio input & built-in microphone for music sync functions
- Sound-active through built-in microphone or line in
- Single & mix chase functions
- Dark and blackout buttons
- Use in conjunction with DP-DMX20, DP-DMX20L or DP-DMX620 controllers
- Optional foot controller for dark or full-on
Buy this dimming console today to enhance your stage effects and make lighting a big stage a breeze.
Scene Setter 48 Specifications:
- Power Input: DC 1220V, 500 mA minimum
- DMX Output: 3-pin female XLR
- MIDI Signal: 5-pin standard interface
- Audio Input: 100 mV1Vpp
- Fuse (internal): F0.5A 250V 0.20" x 0.79"
- Dimensions: 4"H x 28"W x 10-1/2" D
- Weight (approximate): 15lb.


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With Joel Rosario in the irons, the daughter of First Defence raced in fourth, just off the favorite, as long shot Toasting led the field of five 3-year-old fillies through the opening quarter-mile.
As Dreaming of Julia dropped back to last with a half-mile to go, Close Hatches began picking up the pace, snatched the lead approaching the quarter-pole, and straightened for home with a commanding lead.
She crossed the wire in 1:41.36 under mild encouragement, with Dreaming of Julia coming on to edge Marathon Lady by a half-length for place. Toasting and Sister Slate completed the order of finish.
"It was easy and I think it was only a one-horse race turning for home," said Rosario of Close Hatches. "She ran very good."
Owned by Juddmonte Farms and trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Close Hatches extended her record to 4-1-0 from six starts, including a victory in the Grade 2 Gazelle at Aqueduct Racetrack.
"It's one of those things that's hard to explain, why all of a sudden they start to really round into form," Mott said. "She was good before, but she really went into this one very nicely."
Dreaming of Julia had less than an ideal trip, said Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.
"Now she's between horses and getting shy in there," said Velazquez. "It's hard for her to get in there, and she didn't want to take it at all. That was it."
The next start for Close Hatches could be the Grade 1, $300,000 TVG Coaching Club American Oaks on July 20 at Saratoga Race Course.
(Jenny Kellner) Brooklyn man wins handicap challenge
Brooklyn resident Kevin Cox, 42, won the 2013 Belmont Park Handicapping Challenge, earning a $40,000 cash prize and a seat at the 2014 Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship in January in Las Vegas.
Cox finished with a final bankroll of $1,400, edging runner-up Joe Scanio ($1,274) and third-place finisher Jamaal Barnett ($1,262). Scanio and Barnett earned $15,600 and $10,000, respectively, for their finishes.
The top three all won seats at the DRF/NTRA tournament. Paul Buttafuoco earned the fourth seat and a $7,500 prize, courtesy of NYRA Rewards.
In addition to the $40,000 grand prize, Cox won a $1,500 bonus for leading after the first day of the tournament.
"I've seen so many people have a great first day and then go 0-10," said Cox. "I prepared my wife and told people, 'It could happen. The back of the pack will catch up and the top 20 will stay stagnant.' So I expected to be passed and make a late push, and that was part of the plan."
Cox is former policeman and jockey agent who now wagers on horse races and plays in handicapping tournaments full time.
With the prize money, Cox plans to go on vacation with his wife, Nicole, who also participated in the Belmont Park Handicapping Challenge.
"We're going to Hawaii or Plymouth, Mass.," said Cox. "One coast or the other. Or maybe both! We could get the best of both worlds."


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This one-day update course, copyrighted by The Appraisal Foundation, focuses on recent changes to USPAP requirements for ethical behavior and competent performance by appraisers. The course, which clarifies several commonly misunderstood aspects of USPAP, will aid participants in all areas of appraisal practice seeking updated competency in USPAP, including those subject to state licensing or certification and continuing education requirements imposed by professional organizations, client groups, or employers.
NOTE: Appraisers must successfully complete the 7-hour USPAP Update Course every two years to meet the USPAP continuing education requirement.
Participants can take the 15-hour USPAP course, but it will only count for hours toward his or her state's continuing education requirement; the 15-hour program will not meet the USPAP continuing education requirement.
Course price does not include a copy of the current USPAP edition, which is required for course credit. Participants must bring their own copy of the USPAP edition to class.
To purchase a copy of the 2018/19 USPAP publication, please visit The Appraisal Foundation.