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This modern Mayan design house with a great location in the Yucatan Coast offers an exquisite quiet neighborhood where you can enjoy the beach, breezes, palm trees, stars, spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Come and feel the "living in Yucatan mode" Surround by Mayan Ruins. This 3 bedrooms, 4 bath makes this a perfect vacation home for a larger group or family, sleeping 6 Adults very comfortably. It is also ideal for couples looking for privacy. The beach provides a unique, romantic setting for special moments or just for relaxing. There is a large terrace for a perfect entertaining, or just admiring the view. The kitchen is fully equipped. * The Kitchen can be stocked with your favorites foods and beverages prior to your arrival: Order your grocery delivery at: ONLINE-STORE
-This property does not currently accepts guests from certain countries.
-Additional safety and sanitation measures are currently in effect at this property.
-Travel International Insurance Available for an extra small fee. Worry free travel.
Payment: Accept credit card for reservation only (Not Refundable). The total rental payment is upon arrival to the property to assure clients complete satisfaction.
Rental agreement take effect once the reservation deposit is sent.
To view AVAILABILITY CALENDAR please SCROLL DOWN at the end of the page.
Bedrooms: 3, Bathrooms: 4
Bedroom 1 - 1 King SizeBedroom 2 - 2 DoubleBedroom 3 - 1 Queen SizeBedroom 3 - 1 Bunk Bed
Groceries Delivery
Book Viator Local Tours
Progreso Vacation Rentals Reserved Rights. Mexico 2020. Sitemap Resources
Mérida Yucatán México Mon-Fri 9 a.m. 3 p.m. Mobile 521 (999) 122 8977 Inquiry receptionist only
Mérida Yucatán México any time Mobile 521 (999) 949 0861 USA & CANADA Reservations Manager
Local: 044 999 122 8977 / 044 999 949 0861
Email: email@example.com


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2009 Featured Stories
In 2009, San José State University honored 248 President's Scholars and 2,493 Dean's Scholars. The students below were nominated by faculty members and are wonderful examples of our "best and brightest" students. Congratulations to ALL 2,741 honorees! We are exceptionally proud of you!
|Erika Deshmukh
|Gabino Lopez
|Luisa Garrett
|Pinar Matles
|Rose Hunter
|Cathie Roeder
|John Kim

subset: commoncrawl


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16-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Friday, January 12, 1912: At least our examinations are over. Took two today and made about ninety in each. We spelt on sides this afternoon. The side I was on was beat. I was the last one to be spelt down. The word was 'nihilism'. I guess that's the way you spell it. If Jake would have pronounced it the way it's spelt, I would have perhaps staid up longer.
Was invited to the book club up at Oakes' this evening, but didn't go as I didn't think I would enjoy it. I would be urged to play cards and that I scarcely know how.
Had my first sleigh ride today.
Her middle-aged granddaughter's comments 100 years later:
What were they reading at book club? Goodreads lists two hundred books published in 1912 that are still in widely read. They probably were not the most popular books at the time, but rather they are the books that have endured –and whose message apparently continues to resonate a hundred years later.
Ten books on the list that I recognized the title or author are listed below:
1. Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
2. The Reef by Edith Wharton
3. The Problems of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell
4. The Financier by Theodore Dreiser
5. The Yosemite by John Muir
6. The Theory of Money and Credit by Ludwig von Mises
7. The Judgment by Franz Kafka
8. Sinking of the Titanic: Eyewitness Accounts by Jay Henry Mowbray
9. Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
10. Son of the Sun: The Adventures of Captain David Grief by Jack London


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It is such an honor to have the French queen of the kitchen ChocolateAndZucchini.com food blogger Clotilde Dusoulier on PatriciaParisienne! Having started a career as a software engineer in California, Clotilde returned to Paris in 2003 and began her blog about … Continue reading
Tag Archives: cooking
Cupcake Camp Paris 2012 Charity Event: A Success!
For all cupcake lovers in France: there is a mecca of incredible cupcake bakers in Paris.
I found many of them at the Cupcake Camp Paris 2012 charity event and was lucky enough to try their baked goods! The event was a Halloween-themed fundraiser, where the best cupcake bakers in the city came together to make over 2000 cupcakes. Entry to the event was free, and all of the proceeds from the cupcake sales, raffle tickets, and other purchases went to Make-A-Wish France.
I was astonished at the fact that this incredible space existed near the Canal Saint Martin, let alone that you could rent it out for an event like this. The line to get in was massive; I counted about one hundred people down the block – and I arrived halfway through the two-hour event! There were countless varieties, styles, and flavors of cupcakes that were displayed at Le Comptoir Général.
Upon entering, I didn't know where to begin; there was so much to see! We ended up going for a counter-clockwise approach to scope out our options, and then we went to find the witch that would sell us our tickets. (She was actually dressed up in a very convincing witch costume.) "Il faut trouver la sorcière!" the vendors would tell us.
After much thought and reflection, Kat decided on the speculoos cupcake, while I went with the spicy chocolate, Dia de los Muertos themed cupcake. Both were amazing! At the end of the event, there were still a few cupcakes left, so we got the "Bartender's Chocolate Delight," which was quite tasty.
Everyone left happy and full. A few lucky people went home with some of the amazing prizes and baskets that were raffled off, like an original Kasia Dietz bag. Click here for more pictures of Cupcake Camp Paris 2012. Can't wait for next year's event!
We were truly impressed with the number of cupcake companies here in Paris. Below are some of the sponsors and participants in this year's Cupcake Camp.
Bryan Pirolli – Lola's Cookies – Paris Insights – Fairy Cooker – Faismoicroquer.com – Cake, Cook and Co. – LaVieMaraisienne – The Kale Project – NOGLU – Mimi's Cupcakes – Sugar Daze – Ô Chateau – Beauty Cakes – CAKE & BAKE accessories – Once Upon a Cake – Paris Pastry App ~ David Lebovitz – COlunching – Sweetly Cakes – Bleekcup's – Context Travel – La Cuisine Paris – Cupcake Lovers in Paris – Wrist Flick – Carolive's Cupcakes – Excuse My French
For those looking for a cool place to grab a drink with friends or for an amazing Sunday brunch in Paris, Le Comptoir General is the place to go. The beers are cheap, the location is incredible, plus the glass roof makes you feel like you're outside enjoying summer in a beer garden. Allez-y!
80, quai de Jemmapes


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FSF News
The Free Software Directory D5000 Contest
Call for nominations for the 2006 FSF Award for the Advancement of Free Software
Nominations are requested by 31 October 2006.
Opinions Published: GPLv3 and LGPLv3 Drafts Open for Comments
Second Discussion Draft of Revised GNU General Public License Released
Six-Month International Review Process Leads to Revisions and Clarifications
SFLC: OpenDocument is safe for free software
Anti-DRM campaign to petition Bono
Campaign calls upon Bono to take a stand against the digital restrictions found in new technology and music.
Meeting between Ségolène Royal and Richard Stallman
Paris, June 28 2006
Call your US Senator about the Broadcast Flag today
Please ask your Senator to support the Sununu Amendment to strike the broadcast and radio flags.
The French bill on 'droits d'auteur' is generating reactions even in the United States
StopDRM.info press release - Paris, June 9th 2006 -- Several events have been slated to take place this weekend throughout the world in protest against the digital padlocking of culture through technical means of protection (DRM or MTP).
Protesters provide a nasty "vista" for Gates
Hazmat Suits Greet Microsoft Developers As They Gather For Annual Conference
Spain to host the 3rd International Conference on GPLv3
Barcelona, Spain - June 22nd & 23rd
First alpha release of Gnash
Sign the EFF petition in favor of music sharing
Please sign the EFF's petition in favor of music sharing.
Streaming video from 2nd GPLv3 Conference
You can listen to and watch online the proceedings of the 2nd International GPLv3 Conference, part of the Seventh International Free Software Forum.
UK public comment on important issues, due April 21
Wikipedia received the FSF award for projects of social benefit
The award was given at the FSF's annual members meeting in Boston, MA
DADVSI Update: Vivendi Universal strikes back
DADVSI code : Vivendi Universal strikes back, fight the Dark Side of copyright with us!
Don't buy HD-DVD or Blu-ray disks
The GPL tested in US courts - Wallace Vs FSF.
The GNU General Public License stands firm.
FSF annual members meeting, Saturday April 1, 2006.
"GPLv3 and the future of the free software movement"


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After God cursed the earth, the war between man and weeds began. And the weeds seem to have the upper hand.
The gifts and talents conferred on each creature, even the tiniest, fit their role in nature and their ecological requirements.
At first glance, it looks like a caterpillar. However, on closer examination the external appearance is more like an annelid (earth) worm.
Fresh (not permineralized, meaning unfossilized) dinosaur bones had been found in Alaska. Such bones could never have lasted 70 million years.
Should you venture into the south-eastern United States, or almost anywhere south of there into South America, you might be treated to the sight of an armadillo.
Have you ever noticed that when one considers two apparently different items, any characteristics they do hold in common can also be found in a wide variety of other things?
Has God left evidence for creation in tiny halos in rocks? A creation scientist believes he has. And his work has never been refuted.
No results found in .
Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.


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Top flight deals to London (LON)*
Fly to London with KLM
Together with our global network, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines offers flights to London, serving London City Airport (LCY) and London Heathrow Airport (LHR). We fly to over 500 destinations across the globe and offer favourable flight schedules, so book your London flights with us so you spend less time waiting around at airports and more time enjoying your travels.
Book a KLM flight to London and experience the best in Dutch hospitality and 24/7 service via social media on Facebook, Messenger, Twitter and WhatsApp! On our intercontinental flights you can sit back and enjoy over 1.000 hours of films, TV series, audiobooks and language courses on your personal screen. Not to mention our complimentary and tasty snacks and drinks.
Top London attractions
- Buckingham Palace: the home of the British royal family and one of London's most iconic buildings.
- Harrods: a world-famous department store filled with luxury goods and a gigantic food hall.
- London Eye: ride the giant Ferris wheel to get unforgettable views of the city.
- Palace of Westminster: officially opened in 1852, the neo-Gothic Houses of Parliament deserve a close look.
- The Tower of London: home to the Crown Jewels and the Beefeaters.
Want to get the low-down on London's best-kept secrets? Check out our travel guide for expert tips on exploring this historic city.
What's the best way to get around London?
Both London buses and the famous underground metro ("the Tube") are relatively easy to navigate. Plan to order a Visitor Oyster Card before you get there to use the public transport services. Alternatively, unmistakable London black cabs are plentiful, but make sure you only hail the ones with the taxi light on.
What's the weather in London?
Be sure to pack a sturdy umbrella if you're travelling in January. With an average of 11 rainy days, it's very likely to be raining "cats and dogs" during your stay. London is busiest during the summer months when the weather is moderate.
Weather in London
Powered by: OpenWeatherMap.org
19 °CSaturday15/08/2020
22 °CSunday16/08/2020
20 °CMonday17/08/2020
22 °CTuesday18/08/2020
22 °CWednesday19/08/2020
22 °CThursday20/08/2020
22 °CFriday21/08/2020
*All amounts are in NAD. Taxes and carrier surcharges included. No booking fee applicable.


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Shooting panoramic videos usually requires several cameras and a lot of post-processing to piece the vids together. Those days are over. Kogeto's Dot attachment for the iPhone 4 lets anyone easily capture pano vids without having to break the bank.
Billed as the world's smallest 360-degree panoramic video accessory, the Dot is tinier than the similar Go Pano Micro and only weighs half an ounce. To get started, simply snap the Dot over the iPhone 4's rear camera and from there, just set it flat on any surface with the iPhone 4's screen facing downward and let it start recording everything around it. At first, the Dot seems rather useless, but imagine setting this thing in, say, the middle of a club. It would literally capture everyone's reactions and cheesy dance moves, regardless of where the lens is aimed at.
With the Dot, HD video (records in native 720p) is captured as "cylindrical footage." After the "de-warping" process is applied to the video, it becomes "rectangular footage" that can be viewed in a video player. But since the video is actually "cylindrical," viewers can pan through it at any given point while it's playing. (Check out Kogeto's site for sample 360-degree vids). Sure, the result is still rough around the edges and has that weird skewed look, but for $99, it's comparable to footage shot with Kogeto's $3,000 Lucy pano cam.
Perhaps the strongest selling point of the Dot is that Kogeto is supporting it with popular social networks. Pano vids can be shared to Twitter and Facebook. Because, seriously, what good is a video if you're the only one who gets to see it? Kogeto's own website will also be the host to what CEO Jeff Glasse envisions as "the YouTube for panoramic videos" in that it'll be your one-stop shop for tossing up interactive panoramic video (although such a video sharing website is not up at this time). All uploaded videos will be manipulable in 360-degrees.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
The only downsides we can see for the Dot is that the attachment is 1) not compatible with other camera-equipped mobile device, such as the iPad 2, fourth-gen iPod Touch, Android smartphones and tablets and 2) it needs to be rested on a flat surface. Glasse says that it's possible Kogeto might create different Dot molds in the future, but all focus is currently on the iPhone 4, mainly because its hardware is consistent (camera placement doesn't vary as it does on other devices) and millions of people have snapped one up (and continue to).
Kogeto's currently asking for funding through its Kickstarter page. If you want to pre-order a Dot, you can hit Kogeto up with a donation by July 3. While we're seriously considering using the Dot while skydiving, we're interested in knowing where you would use this attachment. Drop us your ideas in the comments below!
Via Kogeto


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The Hawaii Food & Wine Festival is by far one of the best food events I've ever attended. Not only did I get to enjoy Hawaii's best cuisine (prepared by world-renowened chefs), but I also got to soak up some major island culture (surfing, art, local joints!) as well.
If you're a food lover planning a trip to Hawaii in September (2013), check out all the festival has to offer here. And do NOT miss the Saturday morning farmer's market at Kapiolani Community College! (Links & Details Below)
Photos below from the 2012 Hawaii Food & Wine Festival:
Enter the MODERN Dragon: Morimoto & Friends (9/6/12):
In Chinese Astrology, 2012 is the year of the Dragon – the most powerful and auspicious of the 12 animal signs, bringing high energy and prosperity. Led by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, "Enter the MODERN Dragon" showcased foods prepared by twelve of the most esteemed international chefs from Asia and the Pacific.
Walking into the event at the Modern.
Roy Choi's Chubby Pork Belly Squares.
Looking down from upper level.
Butterfish with Spicy Radish by Sang Yoon.
With the one and only Iron Chef Morimoto!!!
Dragon pool at night. Note: I was born in 1964, Year of the Dragon. Fit right in!
Ming and Morimoto at the "Mix with the Masters" event. Food demos, talks and lunch! (9/7/12)
Morimoto's beautiful sashimi display.
Chef Charles Phan (Slanted Door, San Francisco) brought a pho noodle bar.
Chef Josiah Citrin's Kona Abalone, Grilled Cucumber and Sweet Onion & Squid Ink Puree ~ Sea Asparagus, Thai Basil and Chilled Cucumber Broth. From Farm to Table: A Makahiki Festival (9/8/12)
Ono Kine Malama Farm Berkshire Pork by Chef Ed Kenney
Beautiful evening for the Makahiki Festival!
Dinner at Miso and Ale was a terrific finale to my Honolulu visit! My favorite bite was the braised short rib w Okinawa purple potato!
A few places NOT to miss on your visit to Honolulu:
Rainbow Drive-in for a classic "Plate Lunch". And yes, it comes with BOTH white rice AND macaroni salad!
Feel like experiencing local culture? Have dinner at Side Street Inn, and definitely order the Pan-Fried Island Pork Chops!
KCC Farmer's Market. Eat lunch and buy treats to bring back home.
Surfing lessons… by Honolulu Firefighters!
Need a quick bite before surfing? Spam Musubi! Fort Ruger Market, Oahu
Photos from the opening night Rum Fire party here
All photos from Hawaii Food and Wine Festival 2012
2013 Hawaii Food and Wine Festival is September 1-8!
Many thanks to the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau www.gohawaii.com, Oahu Visitors Bureau www.visit-oahu.com, and Hawaii Food & Wine Festival www.hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com for inviting and hosting me on this trip.


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[[[ I hope this is not completely off-topic on this forum. If it is, just delete the topic please ]]]
Latest release of Sandra (sysinfo tool) seems to implement OpenCL diags and benchmarks:
"SiSoftware Sandra 2009 SP4 (2009.9.15.124) has been released! New features include:
New OpenCL GPGPU benchmarks: complete set of OpenCL benchmarks in addition to the existing CUDA & STREAM versions:
- Computational performance: float (32-bit) and double (64-bit), native and emulated.
- Memory bandwidth performance: internal and transfer to/from card(s).
- Multi-GPU card support, including asymmetric load balancer (e.g. a faster/powerful card and a slow/little card) with different loads distributed to the cards depending on their power."
However, when I try it on a WinXP SP3 32-bit platform with ForceWare 190.62 WHQL drivers and a GeForce 8500 GT video card, it doesn't find any OpenCL devices. I've tried to copy LIBOPENCL32.DLL from "nVIDIA OpenCL 1.0 Conformant Release" package into \Windows\System32, but that didn't work either. I've tried to rename the DLL to OPENCL32.DLL and OPENCL.DLL, but no banana.
BTW, nVIDIA's own OpenCL samples (e.g. oclBandwidthTest.exe and oclDeviceQuery.exe) work well on this setup.
Am I missing something there?


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Jack Halyards in Oyster Bay: First bites
New executive chef John Brill is livening up the cuisine at Jack Halyards in Oyster Bay.
Brill, much-praised for his work at Four Food Studio in Melville and the departed Blue Lagoon in West Babylon, sends out some very good seafood and does equally well with homey American dishes.
Try the grilled Atlantic swordfish finished with avocado relish and a citrus vinaigrette. Or the crisp-skinned pork shank, accompanied by risotto. Brill's trio of sliders also is good, along with a roasted beet salad boosted with crumbled blue cheese.
Jack Halyards in on the former site of Fiddleheads.
Jack Halyards American Bar & Grill, 62 South St., Oyster Bay; 516-922-2999.


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The New York City public schools announced the other day that all students would now be required to have "sex education" classes, including teaching grade school children about sex and how to use contraceptives and condoms. At the heart of the proposal is the unwarranted assumption that teenagers will inevitably be sexually active — and that this cannot be prevented.
There is no question that some teens are already making unwise choices, and are involved in sexual activity. Likewise, some are drinking alcohol, smoking, using pornography and taking illegal drugs. In these cases, society does not hesitate to tell them in a unified voice, "There is a better way. You should not engage in these activities." We would think it absurd to distribute free beer or drugs or porn in schools, or to instruct children to smoke only filtered cigarettes. Yet the schools would be willingly offering a false sense of security by advising them to use condoms or other contraceptive devices or drugs. In doing so, our schools would be implicitly encouraging, facilitating and approving dangerous sexual activity.
This proposal sends a message to our teens — "Your political and educational leaders have no faith in you. They have given up, and assume you will make poor decisions."
At a time of adolescent uncertainty and sexual maturation, our society and our educational system should instead be offering young people clear guidance and strong direction. Rather than accepting teen sexual activity, the schools should instead be courageous enough to speak frankly and unambiguously about the inappropriateness of sexual activity outside of marriage, and the advantages and beauty of chastity.
This mandate is also disrespectful to parents. It assumes that parents lack the ability or motivation to fulfill their roles as the primary educators of their children. Does anyone seriously believe that that our educational system knows better what to say to kids about sex, when it should be said, and how to answer their delicate questions? Are the privacy and innocence of children to be so easily sacrificed? Are the values and morals of parents to be treated as irrelevant? It is hard to believe that we have reached a point where the government feels free to invade the sanctity of the family, especially on such an intimate and important subject.
There is a better way, and it has proven to be successful.
Studies continue to show that when teens are taught about the benefits of chaste behavior, and are offered support and resources that affirm their decision to abstain, they can make good decisions.
Across our nation, education programs in public schools that stress sexual abstinence outside of marriage have a proven track record of helping teens make good, healthy, moral decisions. They encourage open communication between teens and parents, and offer peer encouragement and other resources that reinforce good decision-making. They foster a sense of self-awareness and confidence in young people, so that they can aspire to a better life. And they communicate that adults have confidence in their good judgment and intelligence.
The City's proposal is one of despair, and it invites teens to surrender to the inevitability of failure. But we believe that our young people are better than that, they certainly deserve better than this proposal, and with the right kind of help, they can succeed. We are not defeatists.
Instead of embracing failure, our society should be giving teens a message of hope, faith, self-worth and self-respect. We believe that with proper guidance, with parental involvement, and with programs built upon authentic self-esteem, our youth will respond and will develop healthy sexual attitudes, and live chaste lives.


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125g plain flour
pinch of salt
1 egg
200ml Milk
20ml Vegetable oil
In the world of classic accompaniments Yorkshire puddings are to roast beef as R2D2 is to Luke Skywalker. Yeah, Luke is handy enough on his own but with R2D2 around you know it's going to be better.
These are easy to make, once you know what traps to fall into, if you take your time and don't rush, they are easily avoided. The picture above is a perfect example of these kinds of traps, these weren't hand whisked enough so they didn't rise well and were also overdone.
Sieve the flour and salt together in a bowl then add the egg, mixing everything together. Mix the milk and vegetable oil and add half the mixture and beat until smooth.
Then add the rest and whisk until smooth and airy, this is best done by hand, whisking the mixture towards you, so you can raise the whisk a little each stroke to catch more air. Put a small amount of oil in each section of a muffin tray (about 3-4mm) and pre-heat it in the oven at 220C.
Once the tray is hot, pour the batter into each section of the hot tray (roughly 3/4 fill each) and cook for 40-45 minutes until risen and golden brown.


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By Ron Olson
Electrical Technologies and Systems
Niskayuna, NY USA
Originally posted on GE Global Research's blog: Edison's Desk
As the Wide Bandgap Process and Fab manager for the GE Global Research cleanroom, I wanted to take some time to give you the dirt on our clean room over the next few months. In other words, share with you a bit about the technology we're developing right now, that will change the future.
Every day in our cleanroom, our technology teams are dedicated to a specific technology such as MEMS, Wide Band Gap, Advanced Packaging, Photovoltaic (PV) and Nano. Below is a quick update from our Wide Band Gap team. If you'd like to learn more about our space in general and our team, check out the short clip below.
Currently, we're developing Silicon Carbide (SiC) power semiconductor devices, including world-leading SiC MOSFET devices at the 1200V and 3300V rating classes.
These devices are capable of:
- blocking high voltages in the off-state
- conducting current with low resistance in the on-state
- ultra-fast switching speed and high-temperature operation
These advantages over current technology will allow GE to improve energy efficiency while significantly reducing the size and weight of systems for a wide variety of applications including power converters, general controls, and solid state power distribution based products for GE Aviation, Energy and Healthcare.
Look out in the coming weeks for another update!
Ron & team


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- Read the Prompt
- Read the Quote
- Read the Prompt again.
- Think for 1 minute (don't write).
- Brainstorm. Focus, focus, focus your complementary examples and connect these specific examples to BIG CONCEPTS. Organize. (2 minutes)
- Write (20 min)
- Intro Paragraph:
- Thesis plus preview of your examples (Think DEVIL'S ADVOCATE--knock out objection to your thesis in your intro).
- 3 body paragraphs. Topic sentence plus 4-7 sentences of concrete detail.
- 2 body paragraphs is acceptable, but not advisable--write as much as you can to demonstrate the mastery of your tipic.
- Transition between paragraphs.
- Conclusion.
- LAST 2 MINUTES: Fix errors and upgrade vocabulary--(replace to be/to have with stronger verbs).
- Check out The Critical Reader: Essay Tips
Writing Section (multiple choice)
The Fist of No Error (see above and sidebar)
- Subject/Verb agreement (number)
- Tense (verb tense and aspect)
- Pronoun (number, case, antecedent)
- Adjective/Adverb (modifiers; infinitive/gerund)
- Diction (correct word ex: affect/effect;phrasal verb & correct preposition)
- Misplaced Modifiers (modifying phrases and clauses)
- "Patterns": comparison, parallelism, list made of similar parts of speech
- Conjunctions: coordinating, subordinating, correlative ; also relative pronoun clauses
The Critical Reader: Complete SAT Grammar Rules or General Grammar Tips (updated 1/25/2013)
Improving Sentences
Improving Paragraphs
Identifying Sentence Errors


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Live from New York
MacDonald Park, Queens
* * *
Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village
About chess and other things, in Hyde Park, Chicago, and everywhere else
MacDonald Park, Queens
* * *
Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village
Posted by Tom Panelas at 8:23 AM
Labels: chess tourist in new york comments (0)
USCL picks Windy City for expansion
It's a great day for Chicago. IM Greg Shahade, commissioner of the United States Chess League (USCL), has announced today on the league's Web site that the Chicago Blaze will be one of two new expansion teams to join the league next season. Big league chess has come to Chicago at last.
The USCL is a organization of competitive professional chess teams from across the country that play matches during a ten-week season that runs from late August to late October and is then followed by playoffs and a championship. The league currently has twelve teams from New York and Boston to Seattle and San Francisco but until now no team from Chicago. It's the equivalent of Major League Baseball for chess, a fact that the league's logo makes no attempt to disguise.
The difference, of course, is that USCL players aren't pampered and over-paid celebrities; they're just strong chess players who represent their cities for a little bit of money and a lot of civic pride. Their accessibility will make the Blaze a great opportunity to promote chess generally in Chicago.
The team roster includes GM Dmitry Gurevich, IM Angelo Young, FM Mehmed Pasalic, and young experts Adam Strunk and Ilan Meerovich. Glenn Panner, chess expert, tournament director, and organizer extraordinaire will be the team's manager. The Blaze will play their matches on the Internet Chess Club from Angelo's Touch Move Chess Center.
The Blaze is an initiative of the Illinois Chess Association, and thanks must go to ICA President Chris Merli for supporting the project, to ace blogger and chess dad Brad Rosen for proposing the arrangement, and to über-organizer Sevan Muradian for recruiting players and spearheading the discussions with the USCL that led to today's announcement. There would be no Blaze without Sevan. Nor without Evanston chess mom and ICA activist Maret Thorpe, who came up with the team name, and chess mom Andi Rosen, whose ideas and outreach to players at crucial stages were, well . . . crucial.
I'm also proud and honored to be a part of the Blaze supporting cast (no, not as a player, heaven forbid), and I'm looking forward to working with all of these fine people to bring big-league chess to Chicago.
There's more on Glenn's blog, and Brad's site will probably have something on it soon. There will be more in the weeks to come. Stay tuned.
Posted by Tom Panelas at 12:45 PM
Labels: andi rosen, brad rosen, chicago blaze, glenn panner, maret thorpe, sevan muradian, u.s. chess league comments (0)
It's been around for barely a year, but in that time IM Angelo Young's Touch Move Chess Center on North Ashland has become the gathering point for Chicago's top chess players. Now the top junior players will gather there as well, when the center holds its first scholastic chess championship on Saturday, January 5.
The tournament is open to all scholastic players (K-8) with ratings of 500 or better. The entry fee is $30, and it's limited to 28 players.
There will be five trophies awarded, along with chess clocks and chess books for the winners. It appears that this will be a monthly event, leading up to a finale at the end of the year. It looks like a lot of fun, so I'd urge qualified players to come and play.
You can mail in a check or sign up online. Details here.
photo: Sevan Muradian
Posted by Tom Panelas at 9:03 AM
Labels: angelo young, touch move chess center comments (0)
Play at McCormick Place next weekend
The very first post on this blog was about several Ray School kids who became Chicago Public School Chess All Stars by playing at the Mayor's 2006 Holiday Sports Festival, held last year between Christmas and New Year's. Well, here we are a year and 135 blog posts later, and whatayaknow it's time for that blessed event again.
Posted by Tom Panelas at 12:38 AM
Labels: Chicago Public Schools, holiday chess tournament, renaissance knights comments (1)
55%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?
Not bad, compared to some people, inluding one to who I owe a tip of the hat for directing me to this survey. Oy.
P.S. While you're at Boylston, check out their latest caption challenge. Where does he find these things?
Posted by Tom Panelas at 6:04 PM
Labels: boylston chess club comments (0)
By winning the Advanced section of the Youth Chess Foundation of Chicago's meet at Gill Park, Sonam became the tournament's overall champion, following in the footsteps of teammate Phillip Parker-Turner, who won the same honor a month ago at the YCFC's previous meet.
The Bell Squad
However, just as Phillip suffered his only defeat of that day at the hands of Christopher Velazquez, Sonam also lost his fifth-round game on time to the Burbank Elementary School star after going 4.0/4 up to that point.
Ryan Toepfer of Decatur Classical School won the Intermediate division, and the Beginner's section went to Ethan May of Bell. Both kids were playing in their first YCFC tournament. Ray second grader Allen Dai also won a trophy in the Intermediate section. Kenyon Edmond and Gonzalo Higuero represented the school in the Beginners group.
For the team trophy, which goes to the school with the top beginner's section, it was a real donnybrook, only a few points separating the top four teams. Victory went to Bell Elementary, led by Coach Jim Altenbach, which was playing in its first YCFC tournament in several years. Bell inched out Burbank by a point, with Clinton and Disney close behind.
The foundation's network is growing rapidly. Decatur and Darwin were the new arrivals at this tournament, and they followed closely on the heels of Fulton, Clinton, and Cook, which joined the league earlier this year.
YCFC's Saadiq Sajjaad and Disney Magnet School Coach Trevor Scott
Congratulations to the YCFC's Mike Cardinale, John Lee, Saadiq Sajjaad, and their legions of volunteer helpers, for an excellent event. Next tournament: January 19 at Burbank Elementary School. Details to come.
Standings here. More photos here.
Posted by Tom Panelas at 8:20 PM
Labels: Sonam Ford, Youth Chess Foundation of Chicago comments (1)
American GM wins World Cup
Posted by Tom Panelas at 4:28 PM
Labels: gata kamsky comments (0)
Looks like big doings next January 11 out in Barrington, home base of local GM Yury Shulman. Former World Champion Anatoly Karpov will be there, along with some other superstars, and someone, at least, is playing a simul to which the public is invited to enroll. I saw this on Susan Polgar's blog:
It's not entirely clear to me who's playing whom, but you can see a bigger copy of the flyer here, and there's more information at Yury's Web site.
Posted by Tom Panelas at 5:34 PM
Labels: anatoly karpov, yury shulman comments (0)
For any chess coaches who couldn't make it to last week's meetings of the Chicago Public Schools, here is the document they gave out. (I wasn't there myself, so I owe a tip of the hat to Ray School's PE teacher and sports coordinator, Ms. Perez, who kindly picked up a copy for me.)
The 2007 CPS championship tournament
Notice that there are a number of requirements they say you have to meet, and those requirements are cast in fairly inflexible language: failure to meet them "could" result in your kids being banned from the city championship. Whether or not they will enforce this, I don't know; they have generally not done so in the past, at least not consistently, though I understand Whitney Young High School was prevented from playing in a major event last year for lack of one document.
Let me call a few things to your attention:
One clarification: The copy of the document I received was a third- or fourth-generation photocopy that I scanned and cleaned up a bit to produce the one I've posted here online. It may not look exactly like the original CPS piece, though the text should be the same.
Posted by Tom Panelas at 11:13 PM
Patzer vs. Patzer
Kids, take note: Just because you make mistakes, it doesn't mean you lose. I made plenty of blunders and weak moves in this online blitz game (like not playing 11. Bxb7 - ?), but my opponent made more of them.
To err is human, so whenever you're playing one you can expect some errors. When you make one yourself, just take a deep breath, move on, and wait for your adversary to make the next one. (Oh, yes, and don't make any more of them yourself.)
Comments on the game welcome, though please don't be too unkind.
Posted by Tom Panelas at 1:16 PM
Labels: blunders, games comments (1)
This thing (I don't know what else to call it) is supposed to improve your board vision. That is, if it doesn't make you dizzy first. If you have the patience, imagine a chess piece in the (moving) central white square. Red=rook movements; blue=bishops; yellow=knights. I think.
Actually, the first time I saw it I thought it was a flattened-out Rubik's Cube. (People of a certain age will remember what that was.)
The item shown here was created by a guy named Tom Brown, and you can go here for more.
Yes, it's a gimmick, and I'm using it to grab your attention. Give me a break; I have to do something to compete with BCC.
Hat tip: Streatham & Brixton—who else?
Posted by Tom Panelas at 6:23 AM
The tournament room at the Hyde Park Neighborhood Club was jammed yesterday, as about 85 kids from all over town came to play in the second chess tournament of the year by Chess Education Partners.
That's up from 48 players a month earlier and about half that at the first CEP tournament in the neighborhood last June. It looks like the world has discovered this excellent series of chess meets and is beating a path to Hyde Park.
The funny thing is, not many Ray School kids are coming. Allen Dai, Phillip Parker-Turner, and Andy Margulis were the sole Castle Kimbark standard bearers this time. Allen finished second in a field of 13 in the Grades 2-3 division, and Phillip took third place out of 24 players in Grades 4-5. I assume they both got trophies, though, alas, I couldn't be there for the ceremony at the end. For the same reason I don't know which schools won the various team competitions. Sorry. The offical crosstable is here.
Posted by Tom Panelas at 12:18 PM
Labels: allen dai, andy margulis, CEP tournaments, Chess Education Partners, hyde park NC, Phillip Parker-Turner comments (0)


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Heersche family
Undated photo of Taylor Heersche
What was supposed to be a welcome-home parade instead turned into a somber candlelight vigil for a terminally ill 15-year-old Kansas girl who died hours before she was to return home.
Residents of the town of Mulvane had decorated Main Street with ribbons and signs in orange — the color of leukemia awareness — to welcome Taylor Heersche home Tuesday evening, The Wichita Eagle reported.
Taylor had been terminally ill with cancer and had told her family she wanted to be at home to die. Doctors at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City told the family she had only a few more days to live, so the plan was to release her to be with her family and friends.
But Taylor passed away Tuesday morning at the hospital, with her parents, DeAnne and Dan Heersche, at her side.
Instead of the parade, Mulvane residents gathered for a candlelight vigil late Tuesday to honor the Mulvane High School sophomore, the Eagle reported.
"I'll bet every parent says that their kid was special. But she was a real people person. There were no strangers," DeAnne Heersche said of her daughter, according to the Eagle.
"That kind of kid leaves a huge hole not only in our family, but in the community. We're all going to miss her horribly."
Watch the most-viewed videos on NBCNews.com
"It's still a homecoming in our eyes, it's just a different home that she's going to, a better home that she's going to, so it's more of a celebration than the grief," Maggie Keys, one of Taylor's classmates, was quoted as saying by KWCH-TV.
Taylor, a sophomore at Mulvane High School, was diagnosed with the leukemia in May 2008 when she was 10.
Taylor's leukemia had been in remission for several years following chemotherapy. But last winter the cancer returned aggressively.
Services are Sunday at Central Community Church in Wichita, with a private burial Monday.
More content from NBCNews.com:
- 2 children stabbed to death in Ill. home; victim's mom in custody
- Trial begins for boy who admitted to shooting neo-Nazi father
- Cops: Mom leaves two kids on side of I-90 in Idaho
- Tree toppled by Sandy exposes skeletal remains
- Romney training manual for poll watchers causes stir


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MEMPHIS, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Top-seeded Kirsten Flipkens advanced but No. 2 seed Sofia Arvidsson was upended in second-round matches Wednesday at the U.S. Indoor Championships.
Flipkens, of Belgium, needed three sets to put away Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko 7-5, 3-6, 6-3. Defending champion Arvidsson, of Sweden, fell to New Zealand's Marina Erakovic 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 -- with Erakovic getting retribution for a loss to Arvidsson in last year's Memphis final.
Third-seeded German Sabine Lisicki reached the quarterfinals with a 7-6 (7-0), 4-6, 6-2 win over Hungarian Melinda Czink Wednesday.
Britain's Heather Watson, seeded fourth, moved on with a 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 defeat of Czech Andrea Hlavackova, and No. 8 Kristina Mladenovic of France triumphed over American wild card Victoria Duval 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland gained the quarters with a 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-1 decision over French qualifier Claire Feuerstein.


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i am using scummvm with my HTC Touch Diamond 2(WM6.1). i loaded it to my mobile device and installed it.
i also copied Curse of Monkey Island on it.
(i guess it was the right way - following this manual: viewtopic.php?t=936 , i did compress it so its about 540mb. concerning this: i used the tool uploaded here and chose the 'advanced' section, selected the .san / .bun format + PocketPC for the files and a correct outputfolder. i guess it worked.)
well i got 3 scummvm.exe (scummvm [1/2]) and opened it. i selected the game folder. the game was loaded and its shown.
i pressed start and i had to make up some key-bindings. (i tryed to chose them in a logical way because i only got a few keys, so a physical key opens the keyboard then i bound the alphabet ect.)
but after this (and everytime i start again) the console opens up and says: (running scummvm and scummvm1)
'Console is ready
Debugger started, type 'exit' to return to the game.
Type 'help' to see a little list of commands and variables.
ERROR: FLAC library compiled support needed!'
if i type 'exit' (~> 'return to game'?) scummvm quits
using scummvm2 it doenst show any console. but there is some kind of overlay on the lower end of the scummvm interface (showing a button to disable sound and turn the screen, and a Scummvm-symbol). but there is no game either. (if i punch around the overlayed interface it sometimes shows a popup saying: 'Using SDL driver wingapapi Display 480x800 (real 480x800)'
pls tell me what to do to get this game running!
comi + HTC TD 2
Subforum for discussion and help with ScummVM's PocketPC/HandheldPC port
Moderator: ScummVM Team
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Job Code Number
Job Description
This part time flatbed job offers an even mix of driving and home time - literally about 50% of the year you'll be driving and 50% of the year you'll be home.
The benefits of driving in our Flatbed 7/7 HOMEtime PLUS™ fleet is that you'll drive 7 days and then you'll be home 7 days - that's a set and dependable schedule.
This fleet is very similar to our National Flatbed Fleet.
You'll drive OTR and deliver unique freight across America and Canada. We pay you for services many other companies overlook-like all intermediate pickups and drops, tarping pay, premiums if you go to NYC and Canada.
These all add up to a great overall rate per mile.
Join our Flatbed 7/7 Fleet if you're seeking to work as much as you are home - a pretty great mix!
CDL Truck Driver Flatbed 7/7 HOMEtime PLUS Fleet
US - MI - Milan
Online: https://nlx.jobsyn.org/3811b9f188df4673bb8da6a0c1b6f1b0151
Roehl Transport
Employer Website
Milan, MI 48160
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
High School Diploma/Equivalency
Entry Level


text:
hand made screen print11 x 14 inchessigned & numbered edition
Methane Studios started in 1998 when Mark McDevitt and Robert Lee formed a partnership to produce silk screen posters for the East Atlanta club The Echo Lounge. The Lounge was home to many of the best independent bands of the 1990s.
The roots of their partnership started in the 1980s at Columbus College of Art and Design located in Columbus, Ohio. Robert and Mark both from small Ohio towns, studied illustration and developed a bond that would endure for 25 years of designing things together. Methane has been featured in numerous books on design and illustration- the two have won several awards and design competitions in How, Print magazine, and the Graphics poster annual.
Today Methane Studios operates as a two-man studio creating package designs, logos, and posters for clients such as Turner Broadcasting, Honda, Liberty mutual, Blue Q, Dave Matthews, etc. The goal is always to tell a story, convey a message, and to encourage the audience to thoughtfully engage the design.


text:
Celebrities and athletes living gluten-free are casting a much-needed light on the lifestyle changes that accompany a gluten-free diet. With their openness about their symptoms, dietary changes and more, athletes and celebrities in the spotlight are proving that celiac disease and gluten sensitivity are more prevalent than is currently known, that these conditions affects all kinds of people, and that abiding by a gluten-free diet does not stop them from living the life they love.
Dana Vollmer, U.S. swimmer and 2012 Olympian recently brought home a gold medal and set a world record in Read More »


text:
Immediate To-Do List for CRE8
- Stat out monsters for use in playtests.
- Playtest lots of battles. Adjust rules according to playtest results. Write up playtests for public viewing.
- Write up more Kits, Feats, and Talents. Put them up for public viewing.
More Distant To-Do List
- Write up system rules in a more complete form to put on the Forum.
- Tackle the equipment list. Particularly the rules for weapon proficiencies and the weapons list.
- Stat out a lot more magic items.
- Expand spell descriptions with a lot more Seed and Augment options.
- Probably loads more.


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Porta Potty and Portable Toilets Rentals in Valdosta, GA
Ask us how we can save you time and money.
Portable restrooms and hand wash stations will make any event, work site, or location more comfortable for visitors to attend. Whether it's weddings, birthday parties, reunions, hunting camps, golf tournaments, construction jobs, tailgating parties or sporting events, portable restrooms can keep things running smoothly and comfortably. And if you have workers on your site, portable restrooms can keep things running orderly and efficiently. We are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are looking for portable restrooms for rent, call us anytime at 229-375-5380.
Even if a location has restroom facilities, a portable restroom can provide the extra support to avoid any issues and keep guests, employees or visitors comfortable. ASAP Site Services offers a variety of portable restroom rentals and sanitation services, ranging from a standard port a potty rental for use by a few people to high-end flushable units for VIP guests to portable restroom trailers that can serve large crowds.
Don't underestimate your restroom facility needs!
Don't overlook your needs for porta potties when you throw your next event. If people wait too long, or the facility is overused, there will be complaints and issues with your guests. Let ASAP Site help plan one of the most important elements to a successful event: easy access to special event portable toilets.
No matter how much time you spend planning food, music, parking and other elements of your next event, if you overlook offering your guests convenient access to restroom facilities, your event could fall short of expectations. The professionals at ASAP Site can make sure you have the portable toilet solution you need for your next event.
Portable restroom rentals for events of any size
If you're hosting a big event, like a wedding, its recommend that lines for a restroom be no longer than 10 people. If you serve alcohol, increase your restroom access by at least 15 percent. If you have more than 200 guests, you should have at least one restroom facility available for people with disabilities. An ADA handicap toilet is spacious and convenient for elderly guests and parents with children.
What other comforts can I provide guests, staff or visitors?
Any efforts you put towards making your guests comfortable will be noticed and help make your event a success. By adding sinks, showers or trailers, you can make guests feel more at home and improve the overall atmosphere. We can provide a variety of portable sanitation services, including portable shower rental and hand wash station options.
Our handwash stations, eyewash stations, VIP portable restrooms, holding tanks, and other rentals are perfect for the following types of events: weddings, birthdays, outdoor events, festivals, outdoor parties, runs, special events, tailgate parties, sports events, concerts, and even construction sites.
Open Top Construction Portable Toilet
Great for work on the jobsite, open top construction portable toilets are a versatile module that meets all your employees needs while helping to keep productivity high. The open-top constructions are lighter and smooth-rolling casters make it easy to move these units through doorways, up and down floors and into hard-to-reach parts of the jobsite. And the galvanized frame means it will last through the toughest conditions.
ASAP Site Services offers clients two open-top constructions portable restroom rental options:
- Fully-private: Workers will stay closer to the job site with these roomy units that have 60 percent more interior space than other models.
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Portable Restroom Units
Portable restrooms are a great tool to increase productivity and meet the needs of crowds, guests and employees. ASAP Site Services Valdosta, GA Division provides reliable and economical port-o-lets that your business can afford. They can be scaled to meet your needs and service levels can be adjusted. Need more restrooms on Friday than on Monday? Are more visitors waiting in line? Are workers leaving the jobsite or using facilities meant for guests? ASAP Site Services has the solution to keep your site or location accommodating and comfortable.
High End Flushable Portable Restroom
The high end flushable porta potty is a great option for recreation and special events in [city_name]. It's an affordable option and an alternative to a trailer restroom.The flush system, hand washing features and distinctive look give users an upscale restaurant experience. The commercial quality stainless steel flush bowl keeps these units in operation and looking new for ages. And users love the tinted, UV roof.
Standard Portable Unit
This module is a simple and reliable solution that is convenient, durable and scalable to meet the needs of your event or worksite. These high-quality porta potties have fewer parts and require less maintenance. The ASAP Site Services Standard Unit can be configured with different bases and flushing systems to meet the needs of your guests. Our standard portable units have a sturdy build that has been proven under performance, including surviving flood waters, fallen trees, falls from trucks and even tumbles from tornados! A few quick repairs and an ASAP Site Services standard porta potty is back in service.
Flushing Portable Restroom
Keep your port a potty rental cost low with this easy maintenance flushing port-o-let unit. It's strong construction, vandal-proof design and roomy interiors make it a popular choice. It's easy to clean, simple to move, and stays more stable with the help of wind-resistant design.
Handicap Portable Restroom
This ADA (Title 24 Compliant) model is smaller, lighter, sturdier and more affordable than similar handicap portable restrooms in its class. TheASAP Site Services ADA handi-cap toilet is durable, and its lightweight construction is easier for operators to move and handle.
Portable Restroom Trailer Rentals
Hands-free, self-flushing porcelain urinals and toilets will make guests feel that they are in a clean facility. A mobile restroom trailer from ASAP Site Services Valdosta, GA Division can include roof mounted air conditioning and heat, shatterproof mirrors, stainless steel sinks and solid-surface countertops that will provide guests with a quality, comfortable environment.
High Volume Portable Restroom Trailer
This is a great solution for many popular events, including weddings, parties and fundraisers, and makes a great addition to VIP areas. This module includes 1 men's and 2 women's private restrooms and can serve crowds of 300 for up to 8 hours.
Private Portable Restroom Trailer
With its 2 private rooms, large porches and stainless steel hand rails, this model is our most popular. Heavy-duty flooring ensures stability and long-term durability.
Deluxe Public Portable Restroom Trailer
This spacious mobile restroom is one of our most popular options. With a public-style configuration, it accommodates crowds efficiently by offering doors on both sides. It includes 3 toilets and 3 urinals for men and 4 toilets for women.
Deluxe Private Portable Restroom Trailer
With 5 individual private rooms, it can handle 500 guests for more than 8 hours, making it the ultimate crowd pleaser. This comfortable and stylish options offers 2 men's and 3 women's facilities.
Lavender Shower Trailer
Offer your employees, guests or visitors the convenience of an on-site shower facility. The pristine white interiors in these units help reassure users that they are in an ultra-clean environment. A propane-on-demand water heater, time-run cycles, easy sewer tap setup, air conditioning and heating with duct ventilation make this module powerful and convenient. Sizes range from one to 10 units, and offer other amenities like changing areas, benches, lockers, storage and hand wash stations.
Hand Wash Stations
The large, 20 gallon fresh water tank and 22 gallon grey water capacity will give users a clean, satisfying experience.
Hand Sanitizer Stations
The low-cost Hand Sanitizer Station is not only affordable to rent, it also costs less to supply and maintain.
ASAP Site Services Valdosta, GA Division port a potty rentals include:
Portable Restroom Rentals
- Standard Portable Unit
- High End Flushable Portable Restroom
- Flushing Portable Restroom
- Handicap Portable Restroom
Open Top Construction Portable Toilet
- Fully Private
- Semi Private
Restroom Trailers
- Economy Portable Restroom Trailer
- Private Portable Restroom Trailer
- High Volume Portable Restroom Trailer
- Deluxe Private portable restroom trailer
- Deluxe Public Portable Restroom Trailer
- Portable Specialty trailers
Shower and Sinks
- Lavender Shower Trailer
- Hand wash stations
- Multi Person Hand Wash Station
- Hand Sanitizer Stations
Call the experts at the ASAP Site Services Valdosta, GA Division at 229-375-5380 or email [email protected] today for the best port a potty rental prices and more.


text:
That's right. Look at how this Craig Gilbert article in Sunday's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel starts:
You won't find too many Democrats these days attacking their conservative opponents for being soft on gun rights.
But that's exactly what Sen. Russ Feingold did last week in a radio ad, trading fire with GOP challenger Ron Johnson over who's a better friend of the Second Amendment.
"I have been one of the true leaders in fighting for a greater right to bear arms," Feingold said in an interview last week.
My conservative friends are guffawing about now, and although Feingold doesn't get good marks from the NRA, neither does he seem to get good marks from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
It seems mixed enough. he even seems to support concealed carry.
Not good enough for either side.
A maverick?
At least on guns.
Look, I'll never vote for Feingold.
But he does seem to be a moderate on gun control.
A moderate? A DINO?


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100% all-natural Angus beef. No hormones and no antibiotics ever. Served on a non-GMO potato bun.
Cheeseburger topped with lettuce, tomato and ShackSauce
Cheeseburger topped with shredded white cheddar, marinated green chiles and scallions
Cheeseburger topped with Applewood Smoked Bacon, chopped cherry peppers and ShackSauce
Crisp-fried portobello mushroom filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheeses, topped with lettuce, tomato and ShackSauce
Cheeseburger and a 'Shroom Burger topped with lettuce, tomato and ShackSauce
100% all-natural Angus beef hamburger
100% all-natural Angus beef cheeseburger
American cheese melted in a grilled potato bun
100% all-natural cage-free chicken. No hormones and no antibiotics ever.
Crispy chicken breast topped with lettuce, pickles and buttermilk herb mayo
Crispy pieces of hand-breaded antibiotic-free chicken breast, served with BBQ or honey mustard sauce
Yukon potatoes. No artificial ingredients.
Crispy crinkle cut fries
Topped with our special blend of cheddar and American cheese sauce
Topped with Applewood Smoked Bacon and cheese sauce
100% all-natural beef. No hormones and no antibiotics ever. Split and griddled crisp.
100% all-natural Vienna beef dog
Our dense, rich and creamy frozen custard is spun fresh daily.
Handmade frozen custard ice cream, spun fresh daily
Chocolate frozen custard blended with marshmallow sauce and graham cracker crumbs, topped with whipped cream and graham crumbs
Handmade frozen custard ice cream
1% of every bottle sold supports the cleanup of water sources
Honest Kids Appley Ever After (6.75oz.)
Shack-made lemonade with pomegranate and yuzu citrus juices
Sweetened with Shack-made simple syrup
Half lemonade, half organic Harney & Sons iced tea
Organic, fair trade Harney & Sons tea, brewed fresh daily at the Shack
Take your pick: Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Fanta Orange, Fanta Grape, Dr Pepper
*Selections vary by location*


text:
Rock Island County is committed to providing its citizens and website visitors with easier access to information via online services. Below are current online services listed by department. Please email the Web Administrator with any problems, suggestions or comments and thank you for using Rock Island County's online services!
Back to top


text:
Which turkey is the fairest of all?
Turkey testing is a never-ending quest, it seems. Brining, basting, stuffing, roasting, deep-frying - you name it, and we've done it here at The Chronicle's Food & Wine headquarters.
But what haven't we checked on lately? The turkey itself.
Head to your local store, and you'll find the choices overwhelming. Frozen turkeys. Fresh turkeys. Free-range turkeys. Organic turkeys. Even heritage turkeys are increasingly available at Bay Area markets.
Prices range from less than $1 per pound to upward of $7 per pound, which certainly adds up when you're talking about a 15-pound bird.
So Taster's Choice wanted to know: Do premium prices result in premium-tasting turkeys?
We put five representative types to the test, cooking the birds according to our time-tested Chronicle Best Way method, which calls for brining and air-chilling prior to roasting (See recipe, Page G8).
The contenders:
-- O Organics frozen, non-injected, free-range turkey ($3.29 or less/pound at Safeway).
-- Heidi's Hens (Diestel) fresh range-grown, certified organic turkey ($3.99/pound at Whole Foods and other markets).
-- Safeway Select fresh non-free-range turkey ($1.99 or less/pound at Safeway).
-- Original Diestel fresh range-grown turkey ($2.69/pound at Whole Foods and other markets).
-- Safeway frozen, non-free-range turkey ($1.29 or less/pound Safeway) that had been injected with a salt solution to enhance juiciness. As this was essentially pre-brined, this was the only turkey we did not brine ourselves.
We didn't include a heritage turkey since these smaller-breasted birds require cooking at lower temperatures.
On tasting day, we took a field trip to the culinary school at the Art Institute of California on Market Street in San Francisco; the staff had generously agreed to let us use their kitchen, which had enough ovens so we could roast all the turkeys at the same time.
Once the birds were done cooking, we let them rest for at least 30 minutes before carving. The turkey was tasted blind, with everyone served a slice of plain breast meat and dark meat from each turkey.
Most tasters worried that they wouldn't be able to taste a difference. Then came a different panic - that the one they liked best would be the cheapest, mass-produced, juiced-up turkey.
Turns out, they needn't have worried. That turkey was by far the worst of the bunch.
As for the best and the rest? Here's what we discovered:
Robust brined flavor
If you love brined meat, a frozen and non-injected turkey is the way to go - at least according to our tasters who liked the O Organics entry best.
"Very moist and delicious," as one panelist described it, this turkey was the saltiest and "most flavorful" in the field. One taster even gave it a perfect score.
"It's the only one I'd eat without gravy," another added.
Why the flavor difference? Chefs at the art institute confirmed our hunch that frozen turkeys absorb the brine better because freezing breaks down the cell walls.
The trade-off, they said, is texture. The meat generally becomes tackier.
Taste of turkey
If you prefer clear turkey flavor and a firmer texture, then fresh range-grown turkeys are for you.
Our pair came from Diestel Turkey Ranch in Sonora, where each flock is grown outdoors and allowed reach to its natural peak size, according to Joan Diestel.
We found these birds "a little gamier than the others" - a taste that several panelists preferred.
"Tastes like a turkey should," one wrote of the Original Diestel bird.
One staffer also noted that both turkeys had "very firm textures - chewy, but not too tough," which seemingly reflects their longer lives and more active lifestyles.
As for the difference between the two - the Original Diestel and the Heidi's Hens certified organic turkey - the Heidi's scored a tad higher. Tasters generally noted a "richer" flavor in the organic bird, and one staffer also deemed it "the prettiest" of all.
On the cheap
Meanwhile, the cheapest turkey turned out to be, well, a turkey.
The Safeway frozen and injected bird was the lowest scoring of the five. This juiced-up turkey had a distinctly pink hue before it went into the oven, and came out "dry" and "mealy," with one taster likening it to "sawdust."
Price, it turns out, does matter. But so, too, does preference, philosophy and budget.
Joan Diestel believes that her range-grown birds are better off unbrined to best showcase their natural flavors, although Whole Foods offers them pre-brined in three different flavors, as well as unbrined.
Meanwhile, Jeff Anderson, executive chef of Safeway's Culinary Center, likes alternative cooking methods such as spatchcocking (splitting and grilling) for fresh turkeys, and a two-hour, high-heat roast for cheaper, frozen birds.
"There's a right time and place for all turkeys," Anderson says.
We couldn't agree more.
For a video of the tasting, see this story on www.sfgate.com or on The Chronicle's iPad app.
O Organics (Safeway), frozen, free-range 66
Heidi's Hens (Diestel), fresh, range-grown and organic 64
Safeway Select, fresh 62
Original Diestel, fresh and range-grown 58
Safeway, frozen, injected 34
All products are tasted blind; a perfect score would be 100. .
Janny Hu is a Chronicle staff writer. E-mail her at email@example.com.


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Print from Wireless Capable computer
Without connecting to a wireless network, one can print wirelessly with the use of HP wireless direct in their HP Officejet Pro printer.
How to print from a wireless-capable computer (Windows)?
- Ensure that the HP Wireless Direct option is switched on.
- Now, the Wi-Fi connection on your printer needs to be switched on.
- From your computer, connect to a new network as you usually do.
- Choose the wireless network you would to connect to. (NOTE: Select the name of your printer which will be listed as Hp-Print0**-Officejet Pro XXXX.)
- When prompted, enter the security code for the network.
- If your printer uses the network through an USB connection, then do the following.
- Based on the operating system you use, do the following,
- Windows 8: Start – – > app bar – – > All Apps – – > Printer Name – – > Utilities.
- Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP: Start – – > All Programs – – > HP – – > Printer Folder.
- Choose Printer Setup & Software and then tap on Connect a new printer.
- Select Wireless option in the Connection Option dialog box. From the list displayed, choose the HP printer software.
- Now, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
- Based on the operating system you use, do the following,
- Print the document that you need to.
How to print from a wireless-capable computer (OS X)?
- Ensure that your HP wireless direct is switched on.
- Switch on AirPort.
- On clicking the AirPort icon, select the HP wireless direct name which is listed as HP-Print-**-Officejet Pro XXXX.)
- Add your HP printer.
- Under the System Preferences section, choose Print & Fax or Print & Scan, depending on the operating system you use.
- Select the + (plus) symbol on the left hand corner where the printers are listed.
- Tap on the printer you want to use and then click Add.


text:
Read the full press release.
Kolkata, India, 24 April 2010: The Climate Group and The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) have unveiled an extensive LED pilot project this weekend. The trial will see LED streetlights installed in nine arterial roads across Kolkata with 270 lights being tested in total. The project will evaluate the performance of LED luminaries with respect to illuminance, uniformity, color temperature, durability, longevity, and color shift over 2-3 years.
In launching the pilot, Kolkata is teaming up with 10 other cities around the world including New York, London and Hong Kong, which are all participating in the first phase of The Climate Group's LightSavers program. The installation of LEDs, which use substantially less power than conventional light bulbs, is an important step towards making street-lighting more energy efficient, greener and cheaper to run.
Pilot projects internationally have so far shown a reduction of 40-50 per cent in electricity use when LEDs replace high efficiency sodium vapour lamps, and savings of up to 70 per cent when LEDS are used with smart controls. With lighting accounting for around nine per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions with total operating costs of $19 billion per year, the technology has huge potential to lower emissions and save money. In addition, LEDs have demonstrated a variety of additional co-benefits, including better quality lighting, lower maintenance costs, enhanced public safety, and improved public satisfaction.
The project is being carried out in joint collaboration with the Government of India's Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (WBSEDCL), and the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB), with overall facilitation by The Climate Group.
LightSavers is funded by the HSBC Climate Partnership which supports The Climate Group's pioneering work to create cleaner, greener, more prosperous cities. These global LED testing projects will provide data, independent from manufacturers, to demonstrate the performance of LEDs which will help develop a framework for considering wider use of the technology.
Mayor of KMC, Mr Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, said this pilot will go a long way in inculcating energy conservation efforts in the rapidly growing city. "We have been trying to change for some time now and attitudes take a long time to change" he said, thanking The Climate Group for their role.
Mr Sushil Kumar Sharma, Member, Mayor-in-Council, KMC, also complimented The Climate Group and praised the efforts of Ms Aditi Dass who spent many hours at KMC working alongside officials to see the project through.
Sandipan Mukherjee of WBPCB complimented the participating organizations for the "path-breaking project" saying, "the project means a lot to our society as it will lay the foundation for future energy management strategies in the urban sector, especially in Kolkata." He was pleased to see the administrators, regulators, manufacturers and NGOs working in partnership to reduce carbon emissions.
Mr Anirban Guha of WBSEDCL, said the pilot had made "our role easier by taking the lead."
Mr Yenten Lama, HSBC India's CEO's Representative stressed that climate change is an economic, as well as a social challenge which HSBC has pledged to address. "Our role as trusted advisors was to make clients understand the risks," he said. He highlighted HSBC's commitment to promoting low carbon growth pathways around the world and especially in rapidly growing countries like India.
Mr. Sushil Kumar Sharma, Member, Mayor-in-Council, Lighting and Electricity, Kolkata Municipal Corporation, said: "Kolkata has always been at the forefront in adopting the latest global trends, especially in the provision of services to the public at large. I am confident this pilot, in promoting energy efficient street LED lighting, will be a beacon to guide green practices for times to come."
The Climate Group's Aditi Dass said: "This groundbreaking LED trial holds huge potential for Kolkata, and puts them among a group of global cities that are leading the world in the demonstration of this key technology. Not only do LEDs have the potential to substantially cut emissions and reduce costs, but they can also bring with them a range of other important benefits that will make Kolkata more livable, improving people's lives. We are delighted to be working with The Kolkata Municipal Corporation and our other forward thinking partners on this exciting project."


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111. In High Places by Harry Turtledove
I just read this book this weekend and I enjoyed it a lot. It's a science-fiction novel for young adults (notably YA only in that the main characters are teenagers and there's no bad language – it's a good book with some really big issues in it) set 100/150 years in our future where a means of transferring between alternate realities has been found. A teenage girl and her parents (completely secular Jews) go to an alternate where the Black Death killed off far more of Christian Europe's population, and thus the Muslims were never pushed out of Spain and now hold southern France as well. Europe is only now getting towards the beginning of a Renaissance and technologically is medieval. Since Jews are as badly considered in that world as they were in our medieval Europe, this family is acting as Muslim traders, and to fit into that world they are fully covered, with the women including face veils.
There are lots of different issues in the book, with slavery, tolerance and whistle-blowing some of the big ones, and covering only a minor one, but it's fairly sympathetically covered at that.
Annette/Khadijia accepts her veil as a costume that she's not especially fond of, but she realises quickly that her face covering is the only real difference from what the local Christian women are wearing, and that for a trader it can be quite useful to have her face covered in negociations, and that it's not so terrible or derogatory as she'd previously have thought. Then when she and others are taken prisoner and forced to remove their veils she doesn't mind the removal all that much, but the other women are shown as being horrified, and feeling practically stripped naked by the loss of something they've worn for years/life.
All in all I thought the book addressed the negatives and positives of its various issues well, and in a way to provoke thought. Those who are careful about what their kids read may well want to read it themselves first, but I doubt it's one for anyone to reject out of hand.
Related articles
- How did Black Death effect the population (wiki.answers.com)
- Fiction Affliction: Diagnosing August Releases in Science Fiction (tor.com)
- Rats not to blame for the Black Death (politics.ie)
- Did people have warning of the black death (wiki.answers.com)
- What place didnt get the black death (wiki.answers.com)
Tags: books, children's books, Crosstime Traffic, Harry Turtledove, historical fiction, In High Places, Medieval demography, Middle Ages, Novels, Science Fiction


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Mobile application development, Part 1
PhoneGap and Dojo Mobile on Android
Content series:
This content is part # of # in the series: Mobile application development, Part 1
This content is part of the series:Mobile application development, Part 1
Stay tuned for additional content in this series.
Everywhere you go, people are using mobile devices to keep in touch with family and friends, take a picture to post on a social website, find the location of a restaurant, or check the latest news headlines. Mobile devices come in many different shapes and styles. Mobile phones run a variety of different operating systems such as Apple's iOS, Google's Android, and Research In Motion's Blackberry. Some have large displays, physical keyboards, and run on 3G, 4G, or WiFi networks. Mobile phones may also have sensors for acceleration, location, or even payments. Some of these devices aren't even phones; they're tablets with larger displays and a data-only network connection.
Despite their differences, mobile devices are similar in that they all run mobile applications. Mobile applications can be divided into two types:
- Native applications
Installed on the device, native applications are binary executable programs created using a software development kit (SDK) and distributed through an app store. There is an SDK for each mobile operating system, which unfortunately is different from the SDKs of other operating systems.
For example, to create an application for iOS, you must download and install the iOS SDK and development tools, and you must code your application using the Objective-C programming language. An Android application is developed using the Android SDK and written in Java. Thus, to create a mobile application, you must learn each SDK and write your application using the supported programming language. There's a steep learning curve for each platform's SDK, so mobile application development is quite complex.
- Web applications
To "run" a web application, the user enters a URL into the mobile web browser. This loads the web page, which is the entry point into a web application. Web applications are not distributed through an app store; they are simply links that can be included in other web pages, e-mails, or even hard copy.
Native and web applications both have advantages and disadvantages, and many arguments have been waged over which is better. In an effort to resolve this battle, a new hybrid application tries to combine the advantages from both native and web applications.
Hybrid applications are programmed using web technologies, like web applications, but are packaged as a native application. A hybrid application can be written once for multiple device operating systems using a programming language familiar to many developers. Since a hybrid application is really a native application, you have access to device features from JavaScript that are not currently available to web applications. Hybrid applications can also be distributed and installed using app stores, just like a native application.
PhoneGap is a popular toolkit for building hybrid applications. It's an open source mobile framework that includes a JavaScript API for access to device features, such as the accelerometer and camera.
This article shows you how to develop a hybrid mobile Android application using the PhoneGap and Dojo Mobile toolkits. Learn how to use the Android emulator and tools for testing applications, and see how to run your application on an Android device or tablet.
- Windows, OSX, or Linux operating system
- Java Development Kit (JDK) 5 or JDK 6 (a JRE is not sufficient)
- An Eclipse development environment, such as Eclipse Helios V3.6 or later, or IBM Rational Application Developer V8
- Android SDK and platforms (r12 or later)
- Android Development Toolkit (ADT) plugin for Eclipse
- PhoneGap SDK (V1.0.0 or later)
- Dojo Toolkit (V1.6 or later)
See Related topics for links to download the software.
Set up your development environment
To set up the development environment, you need to perform the following steps:
- Install the JDK and Eclipse or Rational Application Developer.
- Download the Android SDK.
- Download and install the ADT plugin for Eclipse.
- Configure Eclipse for Android.
- Install the required Android platforms.
- Create a new Android Virtual Device (AVD).
- Download the PhoneGap SDK.
- Download the Dojo Toolkit.
Install the JDK and Eclipse or Rational Application Developer
The first task is to verify that JDK 5 or greater is installed. If not, download Java SE JDK (see Related topics).
You can use either Eclipse or IBM Rational Application Developer (RAD) for this article. Windows or Linux is supported by RAD. OSX developers can use Eclipse.
RAD consists of IBM's version of Eclipse with additional IBM tools to support Java EE, including IBM's Web 2.0 Feature Pack. To use RAD, you will need Version 8 or later. RAD includes IBM's JDK, which is used by default. However, this JDK does not contain the Java packages needed to create and sign an Android application. To use the Java SE JDK instead, you need to replace C:/Program Files/IBM/SDP/eclipse.ini (or the location you installed RAD) with the information in Listing 1.
Listing 1. Content of eclipse.ini for RAD on Windows
-startup plugins/org.eclipse.equinox.launcher_1.1.1.R36x_v20101122_1400.jar --launcher.library plugins/org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.win32.win32.x86_1.1.2.R36x_v20101222 --launcher.defaultAction openFile --launcher.XXMaxPermSize 256M -showsplash org.eclipse.platform --launcher.XXMaxPermSize 256m --launcher.defaultAction openFile -install C:/Program Files/IBM/SDP -vmargs -Dosgi.requiredJavaVersion=1.5 -Xms40m -Xmx512m
If you want to use Eclipse, you will need Version 3.6 or later. Since you'll be writing web services later in this series, download the Eclipse IDE for Java EE Developers (see Related topics). However, if you only want to write an Android application, you can get by with using the Eclipse IDE for Java Developers.
Eclipse and RAD are very similar. In this article, when Eclipse is mentioned it implies either Eclipse or RAD. However, figures of screens are from RAD running on Windows.
Download the Android SDK
The Android SDK (see Related topics) must be used to make Android applications. It is a collection of command line programs that are used to compile, build, emulate, and debug Android applications.
If you are installing on Windows, it's easiest to download the zip package and extract it into your C:\ root directory. There are a couple of issues with the r12 installer not being able to detect Java or install into a directory with spaces in it's name.
Download and install the ADT plugin
Android provides an Eclipse plugin that greatly simplifies application development. It integrates with Eclipse to provide a rapid development environment. To install the Android Development Toolkit (ADT) plugin (see Related topics), follow the steps below:
- From Eclipse, select the menu items Help > Install New Software… > Add…
- Enter the name and URL location of the software, as shown in Figure 1. Name: Android ADT Eclipse plugin; location:
Figure 1. Installing Android ADT plugin
- Select Developer Tools, verify that all check boxes are selected, as shown in Figure 1, and then select Next.
- As shown in Figure 2, select Next to accept
license agreements and install the items.
Figure 2. Install details
After installation is complete, restart Eclipse.
Configure Eclipse for Android
To configure Eclipse for Android, display the Preferences dialog.
- For Windows, select Window > Preferences > Android.
- For OSX, select Eclipse > Preferences > Android.
For the SDK location, select Browse…, and then choose the directory where the Android SDK is located, as shown in Figure 3:
Figure 3. Specify SDK location to Eclipse
Select Apply and OK.
Add the Android LogCat view to the Eclipse IDE to aid with debugging:
- Window > Show View > Other…
- Android > LogCat
Figure 4. LogCat view
Install an Android platform
To compile an Android application for a particular version, one or more Android platforms must be downloaded and installed. The platforms include the library files and emulators.
From Eclipse, open the Android SDK and AVD Manager, which is used to manage the Android SDK versions and emulators used with your applications.
Select Window > Android SDK and AVD Manager, as shown in Figure 5:
Figure 5. Menu item for Android configuration
Install the SDK platforms required for the versions of Android on which you wish to run your applications.
The example application will be using GPS location services, so you should select and install a platform based upon the Google APIs. For example, select Google APIs by Google Inc., Android API 8, revision 2, as shown in Figure 6. If you are not using GPS, then you can install platforms listed under the Android Repository category.
For Windows installations, select the Google USB Driver package to provide support for connecting your Android phone.
Select Install Selected.
Figure 6. Android SDK and AVD Manager
Accept the licence agreement for each package, and then select Install, as shown in Figure 7:
Figure 7. Android packages to install
The manager will download and install the selected packages.
Create a virtual Android device
The Android SDK and AVD Manager are also used to create and manage the emulator instances to be used with your applications.
From the Virtual Devices page, select New… to create a new AVD. As shown in Figure 8, enter a name, target, SD card size, and HVGA skin:
Figure 8. Creating a new AVD
Select Create AVD.
Download PhoneGap SDK
PhoneGap is an open source hybrid mobile application framework that supports multiple platforms, including Android, iOS, Blackberry, Palm, Symbian, and Windows Phone. With PhoneGap you can easily write a cross-platform mobile application using standard web technologies (HTML, JavaScript, and CSS) and access device features such as the accelerometer or camera from JavaScript. See Related topics for a link to information for the supported features, which provides the latest details about PhoneGap.
Features included as part of the PhoneGap API enable access to a device's accelerometer, audio and video capture, camera, compass, contacts, file, geolocation, network, notification, and storage. The PhoneGap API documentation (see Related topics) has more details and examples.
After you download PhoneGap (see Related topics), you'll later copy the code into your Android project (in the "Create a new Android project" section).
Download Dojo
Since mobile web browsers are not as capable as desktop browsers, Dojo includes a mobile version, called Dojo Mobile. It is optimized for mobile web browsers, and it provides many UI widgets and themes you can use to style your mobile application to mimic a native application.
Some key features of Dojo Mobile include:
- Lightweight loading of widgets due to the Dojo Mobile parser
- CSS3 animations and transitions for native-like application experience on high-end iOS and Android devices
- Themes included for both iOS and Android look and feel
- Compatibility with non-CSS3-compatible devices and browsers
- Full declarative syntax, allowing for an easy learning curve
- A large suite of widgets, with even more in the upcoming Dojo Mobile 1.7
For this article, you will need to download Dojo 1.6 (see Related topics).
Create a new Android project
Now that the development environment is set up, let's start by creating a simple Android application.
From Eclipse, select File > New > Other…, then Android > Android project. You should see the dialog shown in Figure 9.
Figure 9. New Android project
As shown in Figure 9, enter a project name, select a build target, and enter the application name, package name, and activity name. Click on Finish to create the project.
Add the PhoneGap library
You now have a simple Android application. Before you can write a PhoneGap application, you need to add the PhoneGap library. There are two files: a JavaScript file that contains the PhoneGap API called by our application, and a native JAR file containing the native implementation for the PhoneGap API.
- Expand the AndroidPhoneGap project tree view, as shown in
Figure 10:
Figure 10. Android project with PhoneGap library
- Create the directory \assets\www. Also create the directory \libs if it doesn't already exist.
- Unzip the PhoneGap download and locate the Android subdirectory.
- Copy the three PhoneGap library files for Android to the following
Eclipse project folders:
- Copy phonegap-1.0.0.jar to \libs\phonegap-1.0.0.jar
- Copy phonegap-1.0.0.js to \assets\www\phonegap-1.0.0.js
- Copy xml/plugins.xml to \res\xml\plugins.xml
Even though the PhoneGap JAR file is copied into the project, you also need to add it to the project's build path.
- Select Project > Properties > Java Build Path > Libraries > Add JARs….
- Add phonegap-1.0.0.jar by navigating to it in the project, as shown in Figure 11:
Figure 11. Adding PhoneGap JAR
The final step in preparing the example Android application to use PhoneGap
is to modify App.java. Because a PhoneGap application is written in HTML
and JavaScript, you need to change App.java to load your HTML file using
loadUrl(), as shown in Listing 2. You can edit App.java by double-clicking on App.java in the tree view
shown in Figure 10.
Listing 2. App.java
Package com.ibm.swgs; import android.os.Bundle; import com.phonegap.*; public class App extends DroidGap //Activity { /** Called when the activity is first created. */ @Override public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) { super.onCreate(savedInstanceState); //setContentView(R.layout.main); super.loadUrl("file:///android_asset/www/index.html"); } }
Write the PhoneGap application
You're now ready to start writing the PhoneGap application. For Android,
files under the asset directory are referenced using
file:///android_asset. As specified in
loadUrl() in Listing 2, you need
to create an index.html file under assets/www.
After creating index.hml, enter the contents of Listing 3 below.
Listing 3. index.html
<!DOCTYPE HTML>   <title>PhoneGap</title>
A brief explanation of index.html is in order. Before calling any PhoneGap
APIs, we must wait for the
deviceready event,
which indicates that the native portion of PhoneGap has been initialized
and is ready. In Listing 3, the
onload callback registers for
deviceready. When it fires, we write out the
device's OS and version.
Since PhoneGap uses native features that are protected by permissions, you
need to modify AndroidManifest.xml to include these
uses-permission tags. You also need to specify
support-screens tag, the
android:configChanges property, and the
com.phonegap.DroidGap activity tag, as shown in
Listing 4:
Listing 4. AndroidManifest.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" package="com.ibm.swgs" android:versionCode="1" android:versionName="1.0"> <supports-screens android:largeScreens="true" android:normalScreens="true" android:smallScreens="true" android:resizeable="true" android:anyDensity="true" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_LOCATION_EXTRA_COMMANDS" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" /> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" /> <application android:icon="@drawable/icon" android:label="@string/app_name"> <activity android:name=".App" android:label="@string/app_name" android:configChanges="orientation|keyboardHidden"> <intent-filter> <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" /> <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" /> </intent-filter> </activity> <activity android:name="com.phonegap.DroidGap" android:label="@string/app_name" android:configChanges="orientation|keyboardHidden"> <intent-filter> </intent-filter> </activity> </application> </manifest>
Run the application in the Android emulator
The PhoneGap application is now ready to run. Select Run > Run As > Android Application, and you should see something similar to Figure 12
Figure 12. Android emulator
Eclipse automatically builds the application, launches the emulator, and installs and runs it on the emulator.
The emulator can take several minutes to start up. To speed development, keep the emulator running until you are done with your development session. Eclipse will automatically use a running emulator instead of launching a new one.
Run the application on an Android phone
If you have an Android phone, you can run the PhoneGap application on your device. However, before you can use your phone for development, you need to turn on USB debugging, as follows:
- Go to the Home screen and select Menu.
- Select Settings > Applications > Development.
- Enable USB debugging.
- You also need to declare the application as debuggable in the Android
Manifest. Edit the AndroidManifest.xml file to add
android:debuggable="true"to the
- Attach an Android phone to your development machine with USB.
- To run the application, select Run As > Android
You will be prompted to choose between the emulator or real device as the target. Select the Android phone, as shown in Figure 13:
Figure 13. Select the device
Once the application has been downloaded and installed on your phone, it will be launched, as shown in Figure 14:
Figure 14. Application running on device
Use the Dalvik Debug Monitor Server (DDMS)
The ADT plugin includes a Dalvik Debug Monitor Server (DDMS) perspective for debugging. DDMS, which can be used to track and debug the application flow, can be used with the emulator or a real device.
The DDMS perspective can be started from Eclipse by selecting Window > Open Perspective > Other... > DDMS. Figure 15 shows an example.
Figure 15. DDMS window inside Eclipse
The DDMS can also be started using command line from the location of the Android SDK.
- For Windows: C:\android-sdk-windows\tools\ddms.bat
- For OSX: .../android-sdk-mac-86/tools/ddms
Figure 16. Standalone debugger
From DDMS, you can:
- View the log console
- Show the status of processes on the device
- Examine thread information
- View heap usage of a process
- Force garbage collection
- Track memory allocation of objects
- Perform method profiling
- Work with a device's file system
- Perform screen captures of the device
- Emulate phone operations
See the DDMS documentation (in Resource) for more information.
Extend the project with Dojo
Dojo is a JavaScript toolkit that offers several benefits to mobile applications. It provides themes that mimic native mobile applications, and it has user interface (UI) containers and widgets that simplify development of your application UI.
Setup for Dojo
To use Dojo, you need to copy it into the example project.
Create the following directories, as shown in Figure 17.
- \assets\www\libs
- \assets\www\libs\dojo
- \assets\www\libs\dojo\dojo
- \assets\www\libs\dojo\dojox
Copy the following Dojo files:
- dojox\mobile.js to \assets\www\libs\dojo\dojox directory
- dojox\mobile directory to \assets\www\libs\dojo\dojox directory
- dojo\dojo.js to \assets\www\libs\dojo\dojo directory
Figure 17. Android project tree with Dojo added
To load Dojo, you need to edit index.html and include the lines in Listing 5 in the
section before the phonegap-1.0.0.js script tag.
Listing 5. Adding Dojo to index.html
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1,maximum-scale=1, minimum-scale=1,user-scalable=no"/> <link rel="stylesheet" href="libs/dojo/dojox/mobile/themes/android/android.css" type="text/css" media="screen" title="no title" charset="utf-8">
After the phonegap-1.0.0.js script tag, include the
require statements, as shown in Listing 6, for the Dojo mobile parser.
Listing 6. Modify index.html to load mobile Dojo
Updating the application
Replace the existing
 tag in
index.html with a new
 tag that
contains two simple
 sections, as shown in Listing 7:
Listing 7. Modify body of index.html

Accident

If you are in an accident, you should first move to a safe location. Below are some additional actions you can take:

Call the Police

Call for a Tow Truck

Exchange Driver Info

Record Accident Location

Take Photos of Accident

Driver

Other Driver Info

As shown in Listing 8, add a simple JavaScript function,
itemClicked() after the last

 tag to log to the console.
Listing 8. Onclick handler

Running on an emulator
Run the application as an Android application by right-clicking on the project and selecting Run as > Android Application.
Figure 18. Application running on emulator
Each screen in a Dojo application is defined by a
div element with
dojoType='dojox.mobile.View', as shown in Listing 9. The initial screen is identified with the
The title of the screen is defined by a
Listing 9. Defining screen and title

Accident

Notice the
> on the last three list items. It
is an indicator that another Dojo screen will be loaded.
A list item tag with
dojoType='dojox.mobile.ListItem' is used to
display a list of items that can be selected, as shown in Listing 10. It is rendered as a native selection list. The
moveTo attribute specifies which
div to display, and the
transition attribute specifies how it is to be
moved into view.
Listing 10. List item to load a new screen

Exchange Driver Info

Select Exchange Driver Info, which will hide the current
div and show the target div with
id='accInfo'. You should see the Driver screen
slide into view, as shown in Figure 19
Figure 19. Driver information screen
The list items can be used for more than loading other screens. For
example, the
onclick handler can be used to
display a Google map with a search for the nearest police station. Listing 11 shows the code.
To return back to the previous screen, select the Accident button in the title.
Listing 11. List item to load a Google map

Call the Police

Many mobile devices support the geo: protocol. By loading a URI of the form
geo:lat,lng?q=query, the native Google map
service will be displayed.
Select Call the Police on the emulator, which will display a map of the nearest police station, as shown in Figure 20:
Figure 20. Search for nearest police station
Your location may be different, depending on the latitude and longitude entered under the Emulator Control in DDMS. Figure 21 shows the location settings.
Figure 21. Location settings in DDMS
Run on a device
If you have an Android phone connected, run the application on your device as described in the "Run the application on an Android phone" section. As shown in Figure 22, the screens will look similar to those on the emulator. The police search should return a police station near your current location.
Figure 22. Application running on device
In this article, you learned how to combine PhoneGap and Mobile Dojo to rapidly create a hybrid mobile application for Android that looks and behaves like a typical Android application. You could write it quickly because we used HTML and JavaScript instead of Java. Given that the web code remains the same across all mobile operating systems, this hybrid application could be easily built for iOS and Blackberry with minimal effort.
Stay tuned for Part 2 in this series, which will cover writing a mobile insurance application using Dojo and PhoneGap.
Downloadable resources
Related topics
- Download Eclipse.
- Get Dojo 1.6.
- Download IBM Rational Application Developer 8.0.3 (Trial version).
- Download Java SE JDK.
- Get the Android SDK download and installation guide.
- Download the ADT Plugin for Eclipse and installation guide.
- Try out IBM software for free. Download a trial version, log into an online trial, work with a product in a sandbox environment, or access it through the cloud. Choose from over 100 IBM product trials.
- Using DDMS for Android debugging explains how DDMS interacts with a debugger.
- Get DDMS documentation on the Android developer's site.
- Explore the PhoneGap:
- The PhoneGap Get Started Guide covers installation, setup, and deployment.
- Learn about the Mobile Dojo features.
- Access all the Dojo documentation.
- "Get started with Dojo Mobile 1.6" (developerWorks, Jun 2011) shows how to include and use Dojo Mobile widgets and components in your applications. Also learn how to wrap your web application in a native application using PhoneGap.