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And then just walk away like they haven't committed the biggest atrocity any kitchen has ever seen. They probably also make tea in the order: milk, hot water, sugar and then the tea bag.
It creates the perfect precipice of frustration: keep it bottled in and it'll eat away at you, but if you say something you're the overreacting party-pooper who sucks the fun out of everything.
We realise this might seem a little abstract (for context, somebody did this exact thing at the OneDayOnly headquarters at around 4 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon and it's been bugging us since) but it must be addressed on a grand scale so these perpetrators can understand the extent of their heinous crime.
Anyhoo, here are a truckload of great deals and if that doesn't immediately make you forget about all of your problems in the world, you clearly handle stress differently to us.
These Footwork Leighton block heel faux suede heels shoes are a contemporary expression of versatile elegance.
It features a simple buckle and its the only things you need to look anything but average!
Lightning quick and you don't have to remember a thing. You're just one click away.
If you have an account with us, please log in.
We're so sorry for this! A radical increase in sales and customers means that things are taking longer than normal (including responses to your query). We are doing everything we can to work through this backlog - such as hiring more staff - but this will take some time to take effect. Again, we're so sorry for the wait.
Quite possibly. If you paid via EFT, please allow us a little time to process. If your bank sent us proof of payment, you should receive a confirmation email in the next hour or so.
That's easy to find out: go to your account to find out. But keep in mind the next question:
The short version? It's because we don't hold stock. Our partners deliver exactly what we need, after a deal has run. That way we keep our costs down, prices low and everybody (including you) happy.
Standard Bank
OneDayOnly Offers (Pty) Ltd, cheque account 270656502, branch code 051001
OneDayOnly Offers (Pty) Ltd, cheque account 62299139066, branch code 250655
Whilst we'd love to help, you'll probably need to contact your bank on one of the following numbers for further assistance.
Absa - 0860 008 600
Capitec - 0860 10 20 43
Investec - 0860 110 161
Nedbank - 0860 555 111
Standard Bank - 0860 123 000
Never have to wait at home all day for your parcel or miss a delivery again: Pargo delivers your parcels to a store near you.
Having partnered with hundreds of stores in South Africa, there's (almost) always a Pick-up Point near you: often with opening hours of up to 15 hours per day - some (like fuel stations) are even open 24/7!
Why not give it a try today?
Well, because we also have to pay for delivery. And that money needs to come from somewhere.
Shipping costs money and we don't want to go bankrupt.
We have debated the merits of offering free shipping at length but the reality is that – without some magic source of free cash – the only place that money can come from is from our customers.
That leaves us with two options: hide it in the price of the product, or show it. We decided to be transparent and show it. This lets us cut our prices to the bare minimum and show you the best possible savings.
If we had incorporated the shipping cost into the price of an item, you'd pay double whenever you order more than one item but, in reality, the cost of shipping doesn't necessarily go up.
By the way: the actual shipping charge you pay is a best-effort approximation of what shipping is going to cost us. As a result, ordering a 3kg item to Sandton or Cape Town may work out cheaper than a 75g iPhone cover to Springbok. Don't blame us; blame the vast expanse that is our beautiful South Africa.
We'd love to offer free shipping. But we can't, because that means turning our company into a loss-making enterprise.
We rarely hold stock. Our partners deliver exactly what we need, after a deal has run. That way we keep our costs down, prices low and everybody (including you) happy.
We're not like other online shops with a fixed catalogue and tons of stock. Instead, most of our products never come back to our website again. That's how we want it, as it keeps us fresh and unpredictable (win #1).
So, after you (and lots of others) have placed your orders, we go to our suppliers and place a massive, single order. Our suppliers love this, as it keeps things simple and moving along smoothly. Happy suppliers equal low prices (win #2).
Since we don't hold stock, we can work with a cheaper, medium-sized warehouse, instead of a mega-warehouse (win #3) and we're saving lots on not needing any processes involved in handling and returning unsold stock, allowing us to offer better deals (win #4).
The practice of not holding stock is one of the core principles behind OneDayOnly's success. That, and our sparkling personalities of course.


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The Forex world is constantly evolving and during its weekly trading hours there is a wealth of news a trader must keep on top of if they want to make the most money possible. Indeed, because the market can be affected by a number of dynamics, it is essential they know exactly what's happening at all times in order to avoid any unprofitable deals.
For example, let's assume the US Dollar is trading well against the Great British Pound during the first half of the week. This would be a good time to invest some money and reap the benefits of a positive market condition. However, by Wednesday a series of negative news stories emerge from the UK and affect the country's economic performance. These dynamics then adversely affects how well the two currencies are trading. At this point it's important to know what's just happened because it will influence whether or not someone should cease trading this currency pair for a while or continue.
Knowing the value of each currency based on various internal and external factors is crucial and the reason why FXBrokerSearch.com's Forex news centre is a vital resource. Drawing on a number of resources, our information section provides the latest information and data from which users can refine their trading activity.
Beyond shifts in the currency market itself, FXBrokerSearch.com's new section has been designed to give traders an insight into the best offers and promotions. By monitoring each of our 200+ Forex brokers we're able to quickly tell users about the latest updates and bonuses.
By compiling all this current data into one portal we believe investors will be able to make even more money in the Forex market. Indeed, thanks to our dedicated team of analysts and experts, users can find out the latest market developments as well as the best deals in the industry. Putting all this together should help everyone gain a better understanding of the market, which in turn should give them the ability to make even more money.
The battle for the hearts and heads of the Scottish people intensified on Thursday as two banks said they would shift their head offices to London if Scotland votes to break a ..
FINRA, Wall Street's industry-funded watchdog, will replace the retiring chief of its arbitration unit with either Richard Berry, the unit's director of case adminis ..
Despite what the Bond King is doing, don't bet against this bond rally ending anytime soon. ..
Next week Scotland on leaving the United Kingdom and breaking a union that has lasted over 300 years. The move is inspiring hundreds of thousands of Catalans to push for a sim ..
U.S. stocks recovered from early losses on Thursday, with the S&P 500 managing a slight gain as energy prices and oil stocks turned higher and financials lent support. The ..
By Elena Gyldenkerne BARCELONA Spain (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Catalans packed the streets of Barcelona on Thursday to demand the right to vote on a potential split ..
Jordan Belfort explains how to avoid the kinds of scams he used to perpetrate. ..
MasterCard's Sherri Haymond explains why Apple Pay is a safer technology than typical physical credit and debit cards. ..
State attorneys general working to determine whether Comcast Corp's deal to buy Time Warner Cable Inc is legal have expanded their investigation to include AT&T Inc ..
Waste management is a big business because Americans make a lot of waste. According to the EPA Americans generate 251 million tons of garbage in 2012 and recycled about 34.5% ..
Risk Disclosure: fxBrokerSearch.com will not be held liable for any financial loss or damage caused by users acting upon any information contained within this website, not limited to and including: all numerical data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals. Moreover, please be advised that Forex trading is one of the most volatile investment forms in the world and all trades should be placed with full consideration of the risks and costs.
fxBrokerSearch.com does not support nor encourage the execution of any investments. Trading with a margin is high risk endeavour and not suitable for everyone, therefore, each investor should carefully consider all relevant trading conditions, such as experience, risk and cost, before taking part in any type of trading, including Forex.
While every effort has been made to ensure all our data is as accurate as possible, fxBrokerSearch.com cannot be held responsible for any prices that are not in line with real-time data. Indeed, the currency exchange market is constantly changing and all CFDs (stocks, indexes, futures) and Forex prices are set by market makers.
This means advertised prices may not be accurate and could differ from the actual market conditions. For this reason it is not appropriate to rely on any data presented by fxBrokerSearch.com for the purposes of trading.
Based on these conditions, fxBrokerSearch.com will not be held responsible for any losses incurred through trades conducted in light of data presented on this site.

subset: commoncrawl


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Food & Drink
North Korea app opens country to armchair travelers
By Kate Whitehead, for CNN • Published 6th May 2014
Ten years ago, the number of Western visitors to
North Korea
was well below a thousand a year, with Americans permitted by Pyongyang to visit only during the summer
Mass Games
The number of Western visitors has since risen to
5,000 to 6,000 a year
, and Americans, who now make up 25% of Western visitors, are allowed to enter year round.
In response to the surge of interest, London-based website
Uniquely Travel
has recently launched a comprehensive North Korea app.
Part travel guide, part travel booking advisory, it features more than 350 places of interest.
All destinations on the
North Korea Travel App
are open to visitors and have been geo-tagged by Curtis Melvin, a North Korea satellite imagery expert who the company says was banned from the country after widespread news coverage of his work.
The app includes sections detailing the country's history, culture and the ethics of traveling to North Korea, as well as a Tour Guide Tips section offering insights by Koryo Tours manager Simon Cockerell, who has been leading groups into the country for more than 10 years.
"The app appeals to that curiosity a lot of people have about what on Earth it's like to go to a country like North Korea and is designed for armchair travelers as well as people who are actively interested in visiting," says project manager Chad O'Carroll.
A longtime North Korea watcher and founder and managing editor of
NK News
, O'Carroll got involved with the project last year when friends set up Uniquely Travel, a site dedicated to easing travel to countries with difficult relationships with Western governments.
The North Korea Travel App includes sections on the country's history and culture.
North Korea Travel App
The North Korea app, developed by Magora Systems, is the first to launch.
Guides to Iran and Libya are expected to follow.
What can tourists expect when visiting North Korea?
More than just
"Users can compare prices through the app in a similar way to Kayak.com or they can use the unique platform to put together their own itinerary and get companies to compete against each other for a custom (trip)," says O'Carroll.
He's most excited about the work done by Melvin, who's been studying Google Earth images for more than five years to piece together a detailed map of North Korea.
"People think you can only go to Pyongyang and see a bunch of monuments, but that's not the case," says O'Carroll.
"It's interesting that they are opening places like Hoeryong, which is near a prison camp.
"With the increase in new destinations, it increases the chance that people will see more of the real North Korea."
The 99-cent app has an offline mode so it can be used in North Korea, where Internet connectivity is difficult and expensive.
All destinations on the North Korea Travel App are open to visitors and have been geo-tagged.
North Korea Travel App
Though tourists were once forced to hand over their mobile phones for storage when entering the country, widespread reports in early 2013 noted that government officials appear to have
relaxed the rules
For O'Carroll, the app is strictly for armchair use -- he too is banned from North Korea, most likely for his work with NK News, a "privately owned specialist site focused on North Korea."
Based in London, O'Carroll founded NK News in 2010.
The greatest interest for the app is expected to come from the United States -- which is why it's been produced in American English.
If successful, the app may be translated into Chinese, Japanese and Korean, the other markets with strong interest in North Korea.
The project, which started as an idea over a drink in a pub and wasn't expected to cost much money or time, has wound up taking much longer and costing far more than expected, says O'Carroll, noting that the group has spent $20,000 to develop the engine, along with hundreds of hours of writing and editing.
"We just hope a nuclear test -- which is looking increasingly possible at the moment -- doesn't happen to eclipse the launch," he says.
North Korea Travel App
is now available on iTunes and Google Play stores.
O'Carroll says the app's main competition is
, a travel guidebook publishing company that covers non-mainstream destinations such as Sudan, Kazakhstan and Iran.
According to Bradt's website, the company will be publishing a guide to North Korea this year.
More: World's most exotic luxury ski resort? Hitting the slopes at Masik, North Korea
A year of the world's
Best Beaches
There's a perfect beach for every week of the year. Join us on a 12-month journey to see them all
Go to the best beaches


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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'Ganache' tag.
How's that for alliteration? Mmhmm!
In honor of Macaron Day (in France), I think it's only fitting to have a post about macarons. I made four varieties, just to test out some new flavours. Some were winners, some were phenomenal!
From left to right: lemon, blueberry pancake, mint chocolate, and chocolate lavender.
I know I didn't quite get the technique right; the macarons don't have that little "foot" that many others have, but I was more interested in getting the flavour combinations down. The mint chocolate was very tasty and classic, the chocolate lavender was both rich and light, the lemon was especially tangy, and the blueberry pancake? Holy crap, it tasted just like a pancake… here's how I put it all together:
Macaron Recipe
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup ground almonds
3 tbsp cocoa powder (or 3 additional tbsp of ground almonds, if you're not making the chocolate macarons)
2 egg whites
5 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon mint extract, or 1/4 cup dried blueberries
Blend the cocoa, powdered sugar, and ground almonds together so they are very fine. Beat the eggs whites to medium stiff consistency, then slowly add the granulated sugar, while beating, until stiff consistency. At this point, add the mint extract, if you're making mint macarons. VERY CAREFULLY fold in the almond mixture, being careful not to overfold. If you're making the blueberry pancake macarons, this is the time to add the dried blueberries. Scoop the entire mixture into a piping bag with a #12 tip. Spray two baking sheets with water, then line with parchment paper. Carefully trace 1.5″ diameter circles all over the paper, and pipe the mixture until it fills each circle. Bake at 375 F for 15-18 minutes, then let them cool completely before removing from baking sheet.
Sandwich the cookies with jam, caramel, or ganache, and let them sit for a day (covered), if at all possible. The flavours really mature after a day, and the texture is much better if they sit and rest!
For the lemon macarons, fill each cookie with a 1:2 ration of lemon curd to vanilla buttercream. For the blueberry pancake macarons, use a small amount of maple flavouring to the vanilla buttercream to get a nice, maple syrup taste.
For the chocolate lavendar macarons, fill each cookie with ganache, and then roll them in dried lavender.
Each mint macaron was filled with plain old rich dark chocolate ganache.
Give the blueberry pancake macarons a try! I know they sound weird, but they were incredible!


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It's been a long time coming, but Patriot has finally released its own SandForce-based SSD, the performance-oriented Patriot Wildfire 120GB.
Like primary school kids vying for peer respect by racing up and down the school field, solid state drives (SSDs) are speed freaks. They're constantly trying to outdo one another at read/write performance, and occasionally falling over and grazing their figurative knees.
We say figurative, because when an actual primary school kid falls over and grazes their knee, parents don't announce a huge recall of nine year olds the way SSD manufacturers had to when it turned out the SandForce 2281 controller had gone awry.
With all that nasty business (hopefully) behind us, and new SSDs sporting a revised version of that particular controller, we can enjoy the speedy stuff without tears.


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ArchiveGrid provides online access to nearly a million descriptions of archival collections held by thousands of libraries, museums, historical societies and archives worldwide. ArchiveGrid is an important destination for searching for historical documents, personal papers and family histories held in archives. Students, faculty, librarians, genealogists, scholars, researchers and authors all can discover primary source information and their locations faster than ever before. Additionally, they can discover important content that may be hidden or hard to find with usual search methods on the open Web.
CQ Researcher
Includes the weekly 44 issues per year of CQ Researcher, which provides a balanced, in-depth analysis of contemporary, controversial topics of the day. Each issue is written by a veteran journalist, and includes pro and con arguments by experts, a chronology, and annotated bibliography. Covers from 1991 present.
European Views of the Americas: 1493-1750
Index only. For libraries, scholars and individuals interested in European works that relate to the Americas. Based on the authoritative bibliography "European Americana: A Chronological Guide to Works Printed in Europe Relating to The Americas, 1493-1750", it contains more than 32,000 entries and is a comprehensive guide to printed records about the Americas written in Europe before 1750. It covers the history of European exploration as well as portrayals of Native American peoples. A wide range of subject areas are covered; from natural disasters to disease outbreaks and slavery. A free database from EBSCO Publishing in collaboration with the John Carter Brown Library.
LexisNexis Academic
Provides full-text access to a wide range of news, business, legal, medical, and reference information. The Business section "Company Information" includes company financial data. The Legal Research section includes full text of laws, regulations, and legislation (state, U.S. federal, Canadian, European Union, other international).
Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts
Index only. LISTA provides coverage on subjects such as librarianship, classification, cataloging, bibliometrics, online information retrieval, information management and more. LISTA indexes nearly 600 periodicals plus books, research reports, and proceedings. With coverage dating back to the mid-1960s, it is the oldest continuously produced database covering the field of information science.
Professional Development Collection
Designed for professional educators, this database provides a highly specialized collection of more than 750 full-text journals, including more than 350 peer-reviewed titles. In addition to full text, indexing and abstracting are provided for more than 900 journals. Dates as far back as 1965.
Contains more than 27,500 searchable full-text articles from 49 peer-reviewed journals published by the American Psychological Association and allied organizations. This database covers general psychology and specialized basic, applied, clinical, and theoretical research in psychology.
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
This database provides coverage of nearly 550 full text journals, including more than 500 peer-reviewed titles. Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection covers topics such as emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry & psychology, mental processes, anthropology, and observational and experimental methods. Nearly every full text title included in this database is indexed in PsycINFO.
Covers the professional and academic literature in psychology and related disciplines including medicine, psychiatry, nursing, sociology, education, pharmacology, physiology, linguistics, anthropology, business, and law. Coverage is worldwide, and includes references and abstracts to over 1,900 journals and dissertations in more than 35 languages, and to book chapters and books in the English language. Some full-text articles are included. Popular literature is excluded. Chapter and book coverage from 1987 - present; journal coverage from 1872 - present. Updated weekly.
Sage Journals Online
The SAGE Full-Text Collections are award-winning, discipline-specific research databases of the most popular peer-reviewed journals in Communication Studies, Criminology, Education, Health Sciences, Management & Organization Studies, Materials Science, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Urban Studies & Planning published by SAGE Publications and participating societies. These comprehensive databases include more than 246 journals, 240,000 articles, book reviews, and editorials, with all the original graphics, tables, and page numbers. The Collections provide researchers and students with a research environment that is easy to use and complete with the most up-to-date content and backfiles back to volume 1, issue 1.
Social Sciences Abstracts
Indexes articles of at least one column in length from English-language periodicals published in the United States and elsewhere. Coverage includes a wide range of interdisciplinary fields covered in a broad array of social sciences journals. Subject covered include addiction studies, anthropology, area studies, community health and medical care, corrections, criminal justice, criminology, economics, environmental studies, ethics, family studies, gender studies, geography, gerontology, international relations, law, minority studies, planning and public administration, policy sciences, political science, psychiatry, psychology, public welfare, social work, sociology, and urban studies.
Wiley InterScience
Wiley InterScience is a leading international resource for quality content promoting discovery across the spectrum of scientific, technical, medical and professional endeavors, featuring content from more than 2,500 journals, books, reference works, databases, laboratory manuals and The Cochrane Library, which is the world's best-known resource for evidence-based medicine. More than half of Wileys journals on Wiley InterScience are digitized back to Volume 1, Issue 1 as part of the development of the journal backfile initiative.


text:
The CHAMBORD® coffee maker impresses with its easy handling and its classic design. The successful series by BODUM was changed in recent years only in minor design details and has always been a classic with great popularity. Quickly and without much effort you can conjure up an aromatic cup of coffee for yourself or your whole family.
• With the French press system typical of BODUM for full-bodied and special coffee pleasure.
• The pot is made of flavor-neutral borosilicate glass.
• With leak protection: the lid has a bayonet closure and is equipped with a silicone seal which holds the coffee in the pot if the CHAMBORD® coffee maker is accidentally knocked over.
• The glass is framed in stainless steel and is therefore even better protected.
• The spout is controlled by simple pressure on the lever in the back.
• Stainless steel filter – no need to buy paper filters anymore.
• Made in Europe As far as coffee making is concerned, manual preparation is more popular than ever. With our coffee makers, the coffee beans develop their fullest aroma. Thus, it is no surprise that manual coffee preparation is the favorite method of all coffee lovers. The simplest way to get a good cup of coffee: coarsely ground coffee, hot water, let stand for 4 minutes and push the plunger down. The latest generation of the CHAMBORD has a hinged mechanism in the lid which keeps the coffee maker tight if it should fall over.


text:
Awesome Displays used in this theme:http://blog.altibranding.com/post/6701136512/freebie-apple-led-cinema-display-in-vectors
Version 1.6.0 from 8.06.2011
- Added User Management in Synoptic control panel;
- Added Disable/Enable homepage Slider;
- Added Disable/Enable homepage Tours;
- Fixed search results and fancybox for search results.
Version 1.5.0 from 18.05.2011
- Added option to change 'Konnichiwa' text above homepage Tours;
- Added option to set logo height if is more than 30px;
- Added Homepage Widget below the Tours. Works with shortcodes;
- Fixed tabs shortcode;
- Fixed SMTP email.
Version 1.4.1 from 16.05.2011
- Changed send email function;
- Fixed Tabs shortcode.
Version 1.4.0 from 15.05.2011
- Added feature to send contact emails via SMTP;
- Added feature to add free products in Marketplace;
- Added page with sidebar;
- Added widget sidebar for pages;
- Added Flickr for social bar;
- Fixed menu for PHP4.0;
- Fixed user dashboard when marketplace are disabled;
- Fixed sessions temporarily folder.
Version 1.3.0 from 02.04.2011
- Fixed homepage Tours the excerpt;
- Fixed blog template page;
- Fixed marketplace price litle bug;
- Fixed homepage footer.
Version 1.2.0 from 30.04.2011
- Added options in control panel for Nivo slider and now Nivo is fully customizable;
- Added option in control panel to remove borders from Slider images and Static image;
- Added option to show client logo, authors and testimonials for every portfolio page sidebar.
Version 1.1.0 from 28.04.2011
- Added Last Blog Posts on Home Page;
- Added New Color Variation — Dark Red;
- Added New Slider — Nivo Slider;
- Added Static images options instead of the Slider;
- Fixed bug from for Home Page tour Slider;
- Fixed damaget widgets file.


text:
PSA is a not-for-profit (also called a nonprofit) corporation organized under the laws of the State of Illinois, USA, with a Certificate of Authority in the State of Oklahoma, USA, where the PSA Headquarters is located. The Society's mission is outlined in its Bylaws, in brief to promote the art and science of photography, not to make a profit. It is a membership organization, and does not have shareholders. PSA is not a governmental organization and is not connected with any branch of the United States government.
While the majority of PSA's members come from North America, a significant number of members come from outside North America, from over 70 nations around the world, making PSA a truly "global" organization. The Society members (individuals, clubs, and councils of camera clubs) have activities and interests consistent with those of PSA.
To fulfill its nonprofit mission, PSA provides many services which are described in this section:


text:
After a month-long intervention in Somalia, Kenya's military can point to a string of battlefront successes against the Somali militant group Al Shabab.
Shabab strongholds in the southern Somali towns of Dhobley, Tabda, Beles Qoqaani and Ras Kamboni have fallen into Kenyan and Somali government hands over the past 36 days, and the once-impenetrable Shabab-held port city of Kismayu – from which Shabab derives millions of dollars in "taxes" on illegal smuggling syndicates – has begun to look vulnerable. Eyewitnesses have reported seeing convoys of Shabab fighters rushing to defend Kismayu, while aid organizations say displaced Somalis are increasingly flowing north toward the government-held capital of Mogadishu ahead of the advancing Kenyan army.
But while battlefield successes may be good news for the Kenyan military and the Somali government, they are less beneficial to ordinary Somalis who were already faced with one of the worst famines in more than 30 years.
"We are deeply concerned by the impact of the intensification of the conflict in Somalia, which threatens to increase internal displacement and may also reduce the ability of aid organizations to provide life-saving assistance to people coping with famine," said Valerie Amos, the United Nations' emergency relief coordinator, in a statement. "All parties should refrain from actions that disrupt access and respect international humanitarian law."
Kenya's incursion into Somalia is only the latest flare-up in a two-decade long civil war that has sent millions of Somalis from their homes, and forced millions to rely entirely on international food aid for their survival. Somalia's inability to come up with a government that can bring stability is not just a problem for the Somalis themselves; it also creates a safe haven for criminal gangs to engage in high-seas piracy, as well as a haven for small terrorist groups such as Al-Shabab to operate, and to launch terrorist attacks against Somalia's neighbors. On July 10, 2010, Shabab took credit for a pair of suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, that killed 64 people.
Kenya insists that it had planned its incursion into Somalia for months, and that it coordinates its activities with the Somali transitional government in Mogadishu. But the military operation followed swiftly after a string of kidnappings of Western tourists from the coastal town of Lamu, and Spanish aid workers from the border refugee camps in Dadaab.
One British woman, Judith Tebbutt, was kidnapped and her husband murdered on Sept. 10. A French tourist, Marie Dedieu, was kidnapped from her Lamu home a month later, and subsequently died from lack of medicines. Two aid workers for Medecins Sans Frontieres were kidnapped in mid-October. MSF has largely gone silent about its ongoing effort to secure the safe release of its colleagues, noting that press comments might hinder their release.
Roger Middleton, a Horn of Africa specialist at the British think tank Chatham House, says that the Kenyan military operation puts obvious constraints on continued foreign aid operations and on efforts to secure the release of those foreigners who have been kidnapped.
"The access of international NGOs was not particularly great before the Kenyan incursion, and now it's even less so," says Mr. Middleton. With most foreign aid groups now out of southern Somalia, most aid work is being conducted by smaller Somali groups, funded by members of the Somali diaspora, but even these groups are finding difficulty getting clearance to bring in truckloads of food and other goods across the Kenyan border, for fear that they might be supplying Al Shabab, he says.
As for kidnap victims, their situation has become ever more precarious. "The best scenario would be if they have been taken by criminal groups who want money for their release," says Middleton. Given Shabab's silence about the kidnappings, Middleton finds it "unlikely" that they had a role in the matter. "If they had a role, I would have thought they would have made a big show of it."
Far from the battlefield, the Kenyan tourist haven of Lamu – famous for its white sand beaches, warm aquamarine waters, and rich Swahili culture – has been rendered a ghost town by the kidnappings and the conflict.
Usually the months between July and April are peak tourist times in Lamu, with hundreds of Italian, British and German tourists taking charter flights to drink in the Kenyan sunshine. But these days, resorts are empty. Some have shut their doors and gone out of business.
"Most tourists have cancelled their bookings, while others have put their travel to the area on hold," says Mohammed Ali Abubakar, director of Msafini hotel on Lamu's Shella beach. "We have sent most of the workers home since we cannot afford to pay them and there is not much to do. We don't know for how (much) longer this will go on, given that Kenyan soldiers have entered Somalia fighting the militias."
Hamid Mohammed, manager of the nearby Jannatani Hotel, says he is woried.
"For the last three weeks we have had no visitor, apart from yesterday where two guests walked in," he says. Security has been beefed up, he adds, with helicopter patrols and Kenyan navy boats on patrol along the beach. But even so, he's seen his hotel go from 70% capacity to nearly zero. "The beach is almost empty apart from a few local whites who go for a walk during the morning hours."
The patrols actually end up scaring the locals, Mr. Mohammed says. "The locals here almost (all) know each other. We are not used to this kind of police presence."
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text:
A friend shared this article with me and I found it interesting. Thought I would share with my fellow LRO Members if you are interested.
Cite: US Fish & Wildlife Service
- Diana Papoulias, (573) 876-1902
- Tom MacKenzie, (404) 679-7291
Blackside dace are a type of minnow and are found only parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, and western Virginia.
Photo: Conservation Fisheries, Inc.
Hydraulic fracturing fluids are believed to be the cause of the widespread death or distress of aquatic species in Kentuckys Acorn Fork, after spilling from nearby natural gas well sites. These findings are the result of a joint study by the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Acorn Fork, a small Appalachian creek, is habitat for the federally threatened Blackside dace, a small colorful minnow. The Acorn Fork is designated by Kentucky as an Outstanding State Resource Waters.
Our study is a precautionary tale of how entire populations could be put at risk even with small-scale fluid spills, said USGS scientist Diana Papoulias, the studys lead author. This is especially the case if the species is threatened or is only found in limited areas, like the Blackside dace is in the Cumberland.
The Blackside dace typically lives in small, semi-isolated groups, so harmful events run the risk of completely eliminating a local population. The species is primarily threatened with loss of habitat.
After the spill of hydraulic fracturing fluid, state and federal scientists observed a significant die-off of aquatic life in Acorn Fork including the Blackside dace as well as several more common species like the Creek chub and Green sunfish. They had been alerted by a local resident who witnessed the fish die-off. The Service and the Commonwealth of Kentucky are currently working towards restoration of the natural resources that were injured by the release.
To determine the cause of the fish die-off, the researchers collected water and fish samples immediately following the chemical release in 2007.
The samples analyses and results clearly showed that the hydraulic fracturing fluids degraded water quality in Acorn Fork, to the point that the fish developed gill lesions, and suffered liver and spleen damage as well.
This is an example of how the smallest creatures can act as a canary in a coal mine, said Tony Velasco, Ecologist for the Fish and Wildlife office in Kentucky, who coauthored the study, and initiated a multi-agency response when it occurred in 2007. These species use the same water as we do, so it is just as important to keep our waters clean for people and for wildlife.
The gill lesions were consistent with exposure to acidic water and toxic concentrations of heavy metals. These results matched water quality samples from Acorn Fork that were taken after the spill.
After the fracturing fluids entered Acorn Fork Creek, the waters pH dropped from 7.5 to 5.6, and stream conductivity increased from 200 to 35,000 microsiemens per centimeter. A low pH number indicates that the creek had become more acidic, and the stream conductivity indicated that there were higher levels of dissolved elements including iron and aluminum.
Blackside dace are a species of ray-finned fish found only in the Cumberland River basin of Kentucky and Tennessee and the Powell River basin of Virginia. It has been listed as a federally-threatened species by the Service since 1987.
Hydraulic fracturing is the most common method for natural gas well-development in Kentucky.
The report is entitled Histopathological Analysis of Fish from Acorn Fork Creek, Kentucky Exposed to Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid Releases, and is published in the scientific journal Southeastern Naturalist, in a special edition devoted to the Blackside dace.
To learn more about this study and other contaminants research, please visit the USGS Environmental Health webpage, the USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Environmental Contaminants web page.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov/southeast. Connect with us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usfwssoutheast, follow our tweets at www.twitter.com/usfwssoutheast, watch our YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/usfws, and download photos from our Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwssoutheast.


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We invite you to our online support community where you can restore, renew, refresh, and connect. Pink Link is a support service of Here for the Girls, Inc.
After hearing the words "you have breast cancer," you abruptly and unexpectedly begin a new chapter of your life. If you're here on our website, you're probably looking for people to help you figure out what this new chapter looks like and how you're going to write it. That's what you'll find on Pink Link Connect - sisters who know what you're going through and know what challenges – and opportunities – lay before you. Need someone to laugh with or cry with? Someone to answer a question or just listen? It's right here. All you have to do is Connect!
A retreat is somewhere you go to relax and regroup. It's a place where you can be yourself, where you can just take a breath and figure things out, where you feel safe. It's your place to run to when you're stressed out or scared or just need to recharge. Here you can restore your strength, your courage, your hope, and return to daily living with renewed energy and enthusiasm. You'll find all that when you join Pink Link Connect – think of it as your virtual retreat full of other women who are looking for the same experience. All you have to do is Connect!
When you start a new chapter in your life, sometimes you feel like you don't have all the knowledge you need to make the right decisions. A lot of fear comes from the unknown, and we want to help take away some of that worry by giving you information you need to guide your life in the right direction, on your own terms. Knowledge is power! At Pink Link, we have ways to share knowledge with you - visit our resource directory to find other organizations that will help you and your supporters navigate survivorship, or join Pink Link Connect and you'll get regular Q&A sessions with health, well-being, and nutrition experts to help you live your best life after diagnosis. All you have to do is Connect!


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Clyde Cook still remembers helping his dad farm with a team of horses as a young boy. Today, he harnesses more than 500 hp with a Case Quadtrac 535 pulling the wheat drill and fertilizer applicator he built in his shop.
Cook builds equipment to suit his needs. "Manufacturers don't build a tow cart that will carry anhydrous ammonia, liquid fertilizer and seed," he says. "We wanted a compact unit to pull between the tractor and the drill that was heavy enough to do a lot of acres."
Cook is a partner in Lovell and Cook Partnership, which includes his son Brigham and brother-in-law Ron Lovell. The Ririe, ID, farm includes 6,000 acres of dryland wheat, irrigated wheat and potatoes. They no-till the dryland, continuous wheat acres, but the residue of 125- to 150-bu. irrigated wheat still requires some tillage.
Rig construction
"We used an old Yielder drill frame for the cart," Cook explains. "First we extended the axle so we could mount four 30.5 × 32 diamond tread flotation tires to reduce compaction. We also ran a 6 × 6 tube from just behind the ball hitch on the front of the Yielder frame to the back of the frame where a John Deere 1895 drill attaches with a pin hitch. Since the cart was going to carry more weight than the drill was originally designed for, we added some bridge trusses to reinforce it.
"It all tows very nicely," Cook says. "We can make 90-degree turns with no problems."
Cook mounted a 3,000-gal. anhydrous tank in the center of the cart and straddled it with two 700-gal. poly tanks for liquid fertilizer. AgPro custom-built a 10,000-lb. seed tank with individual tubes for each row unit. "It's a little more cumbersome than using a seed manifold and it doesn't look quite as tidy," Cook says. "But it has a lot less variability in the seed row.
"The tank sizes were calculated based on how much product we needed to cover 165 to 170 acres using our standard fertilizer and seed rates," he adds.
An Exactrix TAPPS system delivers anhydrous and liquid fertilizer to brackets mounted on the front gang of fertilizer units on Cook's drill. "When we fall seed, we leave the front gang of openers mounted on 20-in. centers, like the factory set them," he explains. "We move the rear two gangs of seed openers to create a 7-13 paired row pattern that straddles the band of fertilizer. When we top-dress wheat in the spring, we add eight additional fertilizer openers to the front gang and narrow the spacing to 15 in."
The efficiency of dual banding with the Exactrix system has allowed Cook to cut fertilizer rates. "In the past we applied 180 to 200 units of nitrogen/acre and we've been able to reduce that to 130 units of nitrogen/acre without sacrificing yield. We may still reduce it some more," he says. "That was the driving force behind this new system. We used to use dry fertilizer. With the switch to anhydrous and reduced rates with dual banding, we're saving $75/acre on input costs."
It takes about 65 gpm of hydraulic fluid to power the two hydraulic motors on the Exactrix system, the hydraulic motor for the seed fan, and the hydraulic power that maintains down pressure on all three gangs of openers on the drill. Cook special-ordered his Quadtrac with the TwinFlow option the company offers. With a second hydraulic pump installed on the tractor's hydraulic system, flow capacity increases to 94 gpm.
Better traction
In addition to the hydraulic capacity, Cook wanted the Quadtrac for its ability to handle "compaction and traction." "It has more horsepower than we really use most of the time," he says. "But when we start seeding on fields with 12- to 15-degree slopes, that's when we need the power. The tracks give us the ability to plant steep slopes without losing traction. That tractor can pull the drill in places where a combine should never go."
Inside the tractor cab is a large bank of monitors and controllers to run all the technology Cook built into his drill. That includes an EZ-Steer unit to keep the train on the tracks. "We don't have good enough signals to use RTK in our hills," Cook says. "But this keeps us within less than a foot, which is adequate. We added an AgLeader monitor this year so we could map our fields and record our fertilizer application. This fall we'll move the monitor to the combine to create yield maps."
Of course it's easier to describe a machine like Cook's than to build it. The design and fabrication come with headaches. But, Cook admits, if he wasn't farming, he'd probably be designing farm equipment as a career. "Building this drill was a fun challenge," he says. "It's the kind of thing I like to do."


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Leeks are common in European kitchens and often the star of French soups, tarts and starters, yet in North America, they're not used nearly as often.
That's a shame, because leeks are so good for you. They're a good source of everything from calcium and iron to potassium and vitamin A, high in folate and in antioxidant polyphenols.
And leeks have such a lovely, subtle flavour. They're related to garlic, onions, shallots and green onions -- indeed, they look like large green onions -- but their flavour is much more delicate.
Look for specimens that are firm and straight, with white necks and dark green leaves that are not withered or yellowed. Look for a diameter of no more than an inch and a half because the larger ones tend to be fibrous.
Store leeks, unwashed and untrimmed, in the refrigerator, wrapped loosely in plastic, for seven to 10 days.
To use, cut away the coarse outer leaves, the dark green end of the leek and the hairy root end: use only the white and light green parts.
A fair bit of dirt and grit accumulate inside leeks: halve them lengthwise and soak in a bowl of water for five or 10 minutes to loosen the dirt and let it sink to the bottom of the bowl. Rinse and drain on paper towels.
A classic French way to serve leeks is with a vinaigrette, and in Around My French Table (Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt, 2010) Dorie Greenspan includes a wonderful riff on the classic. The version served at Le Verre Vole, near the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris, features walnut oil. Yum. Good walnut oil is expensive, but worth it: it can transform a dish -- as it does this one.
Leeks Vinaigrette with Mimosa
16 young leeks
½ teaspoon (2 mL) Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon (15 mL) sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons (30 mL) walnut oil
1 tablespoon (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 hard-boiled egg, chilled or at room temperature
Trim leeks and clean. Divide into two piles and tie each with kitchen twine.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and drop in the leeks. Lower heat so water bubbles steadily but gently and cook 10 to 20 minutes, until leeks can be pierced easily with a knife tip.
Meanwhile, place the mustard, vinegar and walnut and olive oils in a small jar that has a lid, close the jar and shake to emulsify.
Season with salt and pepper. Lift the leeks out of the water, snip the twine and pat the leeks dry. If they're on the thick side, cut them in half lengthwise and, if desired, crosswise into 1-to 2-inch (2.5-to 5-cm) pieces. Place leeks on a serving platter, pour vinaigrette over and let cool slightly.
Grate the hard-boiled egg over the leeks -- the yellow specks of yolk resemble mimosa flowers; hence the name -- and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings


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It's another warm, humid midwest day and what a perfect day for strolling through the amazing flower beds at Shaw Garden. One can get lost for hours just meandering, taking pictures, watching people, relaxing and enjoying those wonderful cooling breezes - when they come.
When I turned the corner and saw this, I immediately reverted to my childhood and
thought of a Dairy Queen Swirl Ice Cream Cone.
Come on, use your imagination...or was it just me?
Or perhaps the heat and wishful thinking!


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I am new to video editing and trying to decide which software I should buy.
I need the editing software to only work on wedding photography.
I have found Adobe Premiere Pro CS3, Ulead VideoStudio 11 and MediaStudio pro 8.
I am not planning to work deeply as those professional users doing work for advertisements and film producers. As I mentioned, I want it for wedding photography.
I have downloaded VideoStudio 11 and as a start, I found the lack of writing right-to-left such as Arabic language.
I then found MediaStudio pro 8 and I download it 2 times but failed to be installed.
Which software I should go with?
Please help.


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Our choice on architecture was guided by the following requirements:
- Configuration and building of virtual machines should be subject to automation without human intervention, with full integration of payment frameworks and the like.
- Configuration and building of virtual machines should be such that virtual machines can be fully rebuilt in the event of disaster recovery requirements.
- Configuration changes should be able to be automated and retriable.
- This can be specific to hosted clouds for specific applications (we only host LedgerSMB as an ERP solution).
The Basic Structure and Role of PostgreSQL
Our approach is relatively simple. Data comes in through either an administrative or customer portal, transmitted to a limited API which then goes into our configuration database. Information can be requests for new virtual machines, configuration changes and the like. Additionally payment notifications can come in through these interfaces as well.
PostgreSQL is then attached to the configuration system which picks up notifications of needed configuration changes and orchestrates these on the system. This also allows us to pull information on our service deployments into our financial system for billing purposes (we use LedgerSMB beta versions of 1.4 internally, eating our own dogfood so to speak).
In this regard PostgreSQL acts as an information backplane. It allows our software to talk to eachother and allows messages to be sent between components with both transitory and permanent information being recorded in the database for later record-keeping (transitory information can be periodically truncated).
Information Flow
The system is still developing with various components coming together. Nonetheless, the idea is that the customer or administrator enters information into a front-end tool, which, through a limited API, inserts the data into the database.
On database commit, triggers are fired which queue a message for reading by the configuration system. We use pg_message_queue for this, in part because it supports both NOTIFY and periodic polling and we intend to add much better multiple listener support as we need it.
From there the listener gets information about what portions of the system need to be changed, makes the changes, and on success commits the transaction that dequeued the notification. On a failure, a system alert is raised and the system goes on to the next request (the item returned back to the queue for later processing on the next polling cycle).
What this means is that to a large extent this is a hands-off system. We provide configuration options, customers select them, and once every aspect is running, the customer can control the software configuration of their vm's within limits, but without root access. We do offer root access but only if the customer is willing to set up the ssl key and certificate (we can't give root access if our wildcard cert is on the vm!).


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WEDDING- Pre-Prop 8 proposals: Couples wed to beat California election
For most couples, choosing the date for their wedding is a matter of convenience and preference. But for these two local couples, the timing of their weddings was a necessity. With Proposition 8 on the California ballot– stripping same-sex couples of the right to legally wed– and with pre-election polling pointing to the possibility that it would pass, there was no time to lose.
Virginia Evans and Natalie Easterly
When Virginia Evans and Natalie Easterly were introduced by mutual friends a year and a half ago, each woman says she quickly knew she'd found a life partner.
"She's my cup of tea," says Easterly, who describes Evans as a "quiet, level-headed person," while she considers herself "more of an artist, a little ADD, always shaking something around."
"We don't argue, we don't fight," she adds. "It's just a supportive, loving relationship."
As the election loomed, "We decided to go ahead and do the civil ceremony, just to make sure we could get the license in California," says 46-year-old Evans. In September, the pair flew to San Francisco to wed in front of a justice of the peace, and in November, their speed proved prescient, as California voters narrowly approved the measure.
Now, says Evans, with California courts considering the legality of the law banning gay marriage, "the jury's still out on the 18,000 people who'd already gotten married" in that state.
To Evans and Easterly– and the thousands, if not millions, of Americans fighting for marriage equality for gays– the ban is a violation of basic civil rights. Civil unions– which typically offer fewer legal rights than marriage– is no substitute, says Evans. Virginia doesn't offer even that option, and Evans notes the uncertainty many same-sex couples face when it comes to estate planning, healthcare, even joint home ownership.
"If a gay couple owns a house together and one dies, the surviving spouse only owns half of the house, and the other half goes to their partner's family who may or may not be supportive," says Evans, who notes that Virginia– which only officially did away with laws banning interracial marriage in the 1980s– is among the worst in the nation for gay rights.
Easterly says she and Evans wish they could have tied the knot closer to home, but she's grateful to have had the chance in California– and they'll return there at the end of January for a formal Episcopal Church wedding surrounded by their family and friends.
"All we're looking for is somewhere, someplace, someone recognizes that we're married," says Easterly, who hopes one day their marriage will be recognized in all 50 states just as heterosexual marriages are.
In fact, this is not the first marriage for either woman; both were married to men at earlier points in their lives.
"It didn't work out cause it wasn't the right thing for me," says Easterly, now 55, who came out to friends and family at age 29. "I about killed myself trying to be what I was supposed to be," she says.
Evans, who works in IT at UVA and has two teenage children from her first marriage, says both families have been supportive. Her own 85-year-old mother is flying to California for the church ceremony, and Easterly's sister threw them an engagement party.
"It's been lovely, having dreams come true about how you want your life to be," says Easterly, "and not feeling like you're hiding."
Still, both women say that even close friends can have a hard time understanding their plight.
"People are surprised" says Easterly. "They ask, 'Why do you want to get married?' Why wouldn't I? I've always wanted to get married."
Chris Gilman and Chad Thorne
For Chris Gilman and Chad Thorne, getting married meant more than just becoming a legally recognized couple; it meant becoming a family. The pair, who met in August 2006 through a summer volleyball group called "Come Out and Play Volleyball" at Washington Park, flew to California this past June to be legally wed in the San Francisco courthouse– and a big reason for the wedding, says Gilman, was to provide a stable home life to Thorne's niece and nephew, who Thorne had been fostering.
"We wanted to get married," says Gilman, "so we could offer what every child should have: two loving parents."
In fact, once the couple had moved in together, they were a step closer to making that dream a reality.
"There wasn't anything holding us back anymore," says Thorne, citing the double income and the support that comes with having a life partner and co-parent.
"The most important part was I was their legal and physical guardian," says Thorne, but without official adoption papers, "there was nothing that protected them from anyone coming in to muck with that."
With Gilman in his life, "the timing was right, the family situation was right. That was a huge relief, to know that we were 'officially a family,'" explains Thorne, who finalized the adoption process in August 2007.
Gilman and Thorne agree that Kaleb and Emily– in third and fourth grade at Johnson Elementary School– were a major impetus for tying the knot.
"The kids started pressuring me about when we were going to get married," laughs Gilman, who says when the topic first came up, there wasn't much he and Chad could do about it.
"We bandied it about, but because marriage wasn't legal, it was more conceptual," he explains. But in May, when California legalized gay marriage, says Gilman, a California native, he and Thorne leapt at the opportunity– while fearing Proposition 8.
"We were pragmatic enough to know if it did pass," says Gilman, "we would have missed an opportunity."
In June, they jetted to San Francisco where they wed in the courthouse surrounded by friends and family. And in August, the newlyweds hosted a cocktail reception at Charlottesville LiveArts theatrical complex for about 75 local friends and family.
Both Gilman and Thorne, a Waynesboro native, say not much has changed since they made the ultimate relationship commitment.
"One of the things that's struck me is how normal it all is," says Gilman, describing "making dinners, doing chores, going on family vacations, visiting the in-laws."
Thorne serves as president of the PTO at Johnson Elementary, where the kids– and their two dads– have been "embraced," says Thorne, expressing gratitude for the acceptance the family has received from the community.
"We're just like any couple with kids trying to make it through," says Thorne.
But even though much of any married life is focused on mundane tasks, the impact of getting married, Gilman and Thorne agree, has been deeper.
"There's something exciting about being able to wear a ring," says Gilman. "The lasting commitment piece has been powerful to me."
3 comments
I think the information about home ownership is incorrect. My partner of 24+ years (We also married in California in October) and I own our home with rights of survivorship, which means if one of us dies, the other owns the home. HOWEVER, because of Virginia's HB751, this contract is challengeable because it "purports to confer a benefit of marriage", and therefore could be interpreted to be null and void, along with our wills and power of attorney documents.
I believe HB751 was overridden by the state constitutional amendment, which I think has slightly different language re: contractual agreements, due to proponents realizing that the 751 wording could put a pinch on unmarried het contracts as well. Best we all check the VA Bill of Rights (or equalityvirginia.org) to be certain.


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Conditions of Use
A) Technical
- On the previous pages we describe our standard products. In addition, we offer custom products to your own specifications.
- In the data sheets of the speed control units, the indication ± means that both voltage potentials or both directions of rotation can be produced at the motor shaft. Depending on the set value, any output voltage can be achieved over the whole voltage range.
- Please make sure that the tachogenerator voltage at the amplifier's input has the correct polarity. In case of wrong wiring, the motor works irregularly at full torque and the adjustment potentiometer has no influence on the speed. In this case, you have to change the connections in order to achieve a correct functioning of the installation. Please check the wiring i.e. polarity before the initial operation with the load.
- The cables have to be screened. Neither input cables nor output cables may be separated from the amplifier during service.
- Unless indicated differently in our descriptions, the components are constructed in such a manner that they have to be mounted into protecting cases, racks etc. by an expert in order to comply with the safety regulations of the VDE (association of German electronic technicians). They may have voltages that are above the supply voltage. They must be protected against contact under all circumstances.
- The toroidal transformers supplied by us are designed for 80% of the drives performance.
- The ambient temperature is the temperature which is measured at a distance of 20mm from the amplifier with optimum convection.
- All our information covering the voltage of the mains refer to either 230V AC single-phase or 400V AC three-phase supply. In case only different voltages are available we will propose intermediate transformers or modified appliances upon demand.
B) Commercial / Judicial
- If delivery has been made before payment of the whole sum payable under the Contract, Plant delivered shall, to the extent permitted by the law of the country where the Plant is situated after delivery, remain the property of the Vendor until such payment has been effected. If such law does not permit the Vendor to retain the property in the Plant, the Vendor shall be entitled to the benefit of such other rights in respect thereof as such law permits him to retain. The Purchaser shall give the Vendor every assistance in taking any measures required to protect the Vendor's right of property or such other rights as aforesaid.Deliveries on account only against a written acceptance of our delivery and payment conditions.
- Our components can be configured to complete systems by our customers. However, we only guarantee for the functioning of the components. Our components are only meant for usage in industry or trade as they have to be installed by trained specialists.
- Repairs or eventually necessary improvements/repairs under guarantee are only effected in our works in Freiburg. The appliances in question have to be delivered to us cif., duty-paid. If the goods that are to be repaired are found to be faultless, we reserve the right to charge a flat rate of Euro 60,--. Services/visits of technicians in our customer's works which had been demanded explicitly have to be paid for. We reserve the right to authorize one of our partner companies to execute the services.
- If the credit enquiry about a customer which we receive before the delivery is unsatisfactory, we reserve the right to demand payment in advance or to withdraw from the contract. In case of delay we reserve the right to cancel all deliveries, no matter whether they are part of the same contract or not.
- Subject to modifications serving the technical progress without prior notice, errors excepted. The mentioned technical data are taken from the manufacturers' indications and they are only nominal values. We pass on this information to our customers but we cannot guarantee their correctness.
- We advise you to examine our manuals with regard to your application before planning your drive unit because they supply you with all the necessary technical information.
- Our appliances are supply parts meant for processing by industry, trade or other factories specialised in electronics. Please take note of our safety precautions which you find in our manuals.
- After the publication of this catalogue all previous information becomes invalid.
C) General
This documentation was created very conscientiously. No liability is assumed for possible errors or misleading descriptions. The information contained in this documentation is informative and in no way guarantees the characteristics of the product. The right is reserved to make technical changes according to technical progres.


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March 3, 1993 - January 22, 2013
Pine Bush, NY
Michael Ramos of Scotchtown, NY had unexpectedly passed away on Tuesday night, January 22, 2013. He was 19 years old. He was born on March 3, 1993 to Raymond and Magdalena Lopez Ramos.
Michael was a 2011 graduate of Pine Bush High Sschool and had attended SUNY Cortland. As a gifted track athlete, Mike had the Olympics in sight while winning many trophies and medals in city, state and national competitions.
He had always pursued happiness for his family and friends as he was always concerned about the well-being of others, even before himself. He was smart, witty and cool, all at the same time. Mike struck balances in everyone's life by always questioning both sides of the coin as he was never afraid to live life according to his convictions. His love for family, friends, children, music and his eternal zest for laughter will live forever. We were all fortunate enough to have been a part of his life in the 19 years he was on this earth.
Michael is survived by his loving parents: Raymond and Maggie; his brother and best friend, Adam; grandmothers: Carmen Iris Ramos, Margarita Maldonado; grandfather, Harry Lopez and his wife, Daisy; uncles: Wilson Ramos and Smitty Ramos, Carlos Ramos and his wife, Monina, Harry Lopez and his wife, Maria, Jay Maldonado and his wife, Allie; aunts: Janet Maldonado, Denise Fong and her husband, Vernon; cousins: Melanie and Alyson and Harry Lopez; Adrianna, Smitty, Jr., Isaac, and Joshua Ramos; Riley and Ari Maldonado; Leo, Ryan, and Max Fong; Mike's brothers' and the countless people that will miss him. Rest in Peace Michael. God bless you.
Visitation is from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, January 28, at Christian Faith Fellowship, 510 M & M Road, Middletown, NY 10940. A Funeral Service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, January 29, at the church. Burial will be in the family plot in Bloomingburg Rural Cemetery.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Applebee-McPhillips Funeral Home, Inc.


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? Software Engineer
Which of these events is implemented in the Ipad version of Safari?
- double click
- right mouse click
- drag and drop
Just wanted to add a link to a blog post that show the implementation of iScroll in ExtJS App with only 10 lines of code :
It works well for me on my iPad (Ext 3.4), we just need to find a way to make it work with the rowselectionmodel on grids.


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Alabama Representative Cam Ward (R-Alabaster) has agreed to introduce a bill to lower the number of signatures needed for minor parties and non-presidential independent candidates. He has been in the legislature since 2003. Thanks to Steven Gordon for this news.
Posted to IPR by Paulie.
Disclosure: I am a member of the executive committee of the Libertarian Party of Alabama. I have also personally gathered tens of thousands of signatures to get the Libertarian Party of Alabama on the ballot in 1998-2000, 2004, 2006 and 2008, as well as recruited and managed other petitioners. As a result of our work in 1998-2000, LPA was able to overcome the highest retention requirements in the nation (20% in a statewide race) and run 58 candidates for office in 2002. I have also personally lobbied legislators for ballot access reform in our state.
In other news discussed at the LPA exec comm meeting yesterday:
Cam Ward's bill mentioned above also has a possible sponsor in the Senate, Trip Pittman (R-Baldwin County).
In addition to the ballot access bill, Independent Alabama is working on a proportional representation bill with Rep. Demetrius Newton, (D-Jefferson County). Proportional representation would move the state from a winner-take-all system for electoral votes to a proportional allocation of the statewide presidential vote. Currently, the state has nine electoral votes, so any party or independent presidential candidate that gets one ninth of the statewide vote would get a presidential elector. It would also help the Democrats, since Alabama is currently a solidly reliable Republican state in presidential elections – as well as help the entire state of Alabama, since currently, with the state's electoral votes being a foregone conclusion, national candidates and national media have little incentive to pay attention to Alabama.
Independent Alabama will meet at 6 PM this Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 2330 Highland Ave. in Birmingham (the LPA headquarters and the law firm of Cleveland and Cleveland building). Directions.
Also this Tuesday, at 7:30 pm, there will be a meeting of the UAB (Birmingham) Students for Liberty. Heritage Hall room 124 at UAB. LPA Vice Chair Mike Rster will be attending (and possibly speaking – I'm not sure on the latter). I will try to attend both meetings if possible.
Also on the LPA legislative agenda, No2REAL ID and no to National Animal Identification System (NAIS). It was reported that Liberty House in Madison, Alabama is working on this issue. We are also hoping that Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC), an opponent of "REAL ID," will address it in his keynote speech to the Alabama Republicans.
The Alabama Homebrewers Association and Free The Hops are working on getting legislation introduced and passed, and have several meetings coming up in different parts of the state.
We also heard from Jesse Adkinson, who is working with Alabamians for Tax Free Food, a new organization that is working to repeal grocery sales taxes in Alabama. Currently, the group only has a web presence on LinkedIn, a social networking site.
Jesse explained that the current bill in the legislature is less than ideal from the group's perspective, since it offsets cuts in grocery taxes by making federal taxes non-deductible on state income tax forms. The bill has support from the legislature's Black Caucus. We discussed the possibility of friendly amendments, as well as ideas about working on repealing grocery taxes at the county and city levels, including an effort already being organized in Birmingham. Additionally, we floated the idea of also working to repeal sales taxes on medicine, although no concrete action on that has yet taken place.
Members of the LPA are working with Project HOPE and the Alabama Committee to Abolish the Death Penalty.
We are also helping start a new group, Alabamians for Transparent Government. Among the issues we hope to work on: Putting itemized state and local government expenditures online. An Alabama Right to Know bill is being introduced by State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) and Rep. Mike Ball (R-Madison) that will include:
1) Transparency in government spending. A searchable database of all state expenditures; contracts; legislative grants; and state grants.
2) Requiring electronic filing of campaign contributions and expenditures.
3) Disclosure of all public officials or family members of public officials who are employed by the state, or who have a contract with the state, county or a municipality.
Further innovations could include live web casts of the public's business so that any citizen could view key legislative budget-writing committees at work, key public boards and commissions, perhaps even the governor's cabinet meetings.
In the past, Alabama Arise and coalitions of the state's newspapers have worked on pushing for open meetings and enforcement of state sunshine (open meeting) laws.
We heard from several candidates who are interested in getting on the ballot as Libertarian candidates: Scott Glennon in US House District 5, Jason Granholm in US House District 3, Leo McDermott in US House District 1, and our previous write-in Governor candidate, Loretta Nall, who is planning to run in Alabama House District 81. Loretta reports that current incumbent, Democrat Betty Carol Graham, has not had a challenger for her seat in over a decade. More information about these candidates in a separate upcoming post.
Loretta also updated us on legislation. Alabama compassionate care (medical marijuana) legislation will be introduced this term by Jefferson County Democrat Patricia Todd, who Loretta believes will be more proactive in pushing the legislation than the bill's previous sponsor, Democrat Laura Hall of Madison County.
Our next Compassionate Care meeting will take place on Jan. 31 from 1-3 pm at the Prince Hall Masonic Lodge (same place as last time) located at 4th Ave N and 17 st. This will be our last meeting before the legislative session starts so it is important that y'all be there with as many people as you can round up.
Pass this invite along to everyone you know and I hope to see you on Saturday Jan. 31.
If anyone needs further info I can be reached at 256-625-9599 or firstname.lastname@example.com
Loretta Nall
The address above is in Birmingham. The meeting will focus on citizen legislative lobbying training.
Among other legislation she has been monitoring, Loretta pointed out HB 59, by Democrat Chris England (District 70 – Tuscaloosa), which would allow for expunging drug arrests from arrestee's records, a bill to introduce Initiative and Referendum by Republican Mike Ball of Madison County, and a bill to stop police from disarming citizens during emergencies by Democrat Marc Keahey of District 65 (Choctaw, Clarke and Washington counties) as legislation to support.
On the flip side, Loretta recommended that we work to stop Republican Attorney General Troy King's crime package, which includes a proposal to mandatorily test all pregnant women in Alabama for illegal drugs, and put them in prison as well as take away their children if they test positive. Additionally, King's legislative would make parole application more difficult, further worsening the state's prison overcrowding crisis.
Loretta's report on King's package:
Here is the 2009 legislative package of bills that Attorney General Troy King wishes to pass this session. There are some very bad bills here that we need to KILL until they are DEAD! DEAD! DEAD! The ones that need killing the quickest are in bold.
AG King's 2009 legislative package to fight crime
* Revisions to the Community Notification Act, known as the Adam Walsh Act, sponsored by Representative Ken Guin and Senator Wendell Mitchell.
This bill provides greater protection to the public by providing for more effective monitoring of convicted sex offenders, including their online activities. There would be greater information sharing between all levels of government, so that sex offenders could be more effectively tracked and monitored. The bill adds YMCAs and Boys and Girls Clubs to those facilities of which a sex offender may not live within 2000 feet. It updates Alabama law to cover technological crimes such as video voyeurism. It makes it a crime for someone else to help a sex offender circumvent the notification and registration law. Numerous additional safeguards and restrictions are included. Most of these changes in this proposed legislation are required by federal law, and noncompliance would cost Alabama loss of certain federal funding.
* Online Solicitation Bill, sponsored by Representative Steve McMillan and Senator Myron Penn.
This bill moves the law forward in two important ways. First, it specifies that attempted solicitation of a child victim is a crime, regardless of whether an actual child is involved. Currently, the law is not clear that a person can be charged with soliciting a child by computer if the person being solicited is, in fact, a law enforcement officer, and not a child. Second, it expands the law to make clear that it is a crime to solicit a child not just by computer, but by any online method to ensure that new technologies are covered. The class B felony of soliciting a child by computer could be charged if a person who is at least three years older than his victim believes he or she is soliciting a child less than 16.
* Chemical Endangerment of an Unborn Child Bill, sponsored by Representative Frank McDaniel and Senator Lowell Barron.
Currently, unborn children whose mothers abuse drugs have no protection of the law. This bill redefines the crime of possession of a controlled substance, to include also the presence of a controlled substance in a person's body. Therefore, pregnant women who test positive for a controlled substance would be subject to a class B felony. The sentencing judge could suspend the sentence and order a drug treatment program upon a first offense.
* Notoriety Bill, sponsored by Representative Cam Ward and Senator Zeb Little.
This bill also has two primary goals: to provide better opportunities and enforcement of restitution for victims of crime, and to prevent criminals, particularly those on death row, from profiting from the notoriety of their crimes. If felons created artwork or any thing of value and attempted to sell it, the profits would be seized to compensate their victims. The bill would establish mandatory minimum compensation for capital murder at $50 thousand, and for a second or more rape conviction at $10 thousand. The Attorney General could ask a court to seize the offender's assets to satisfy the restitution order, and prison officials could seize any outgoing mail to search for anything of value that could be used to satisfy restitution to victims.
* DUI Revisions, sponsored by Representatives Marc Keahey and Spencer Collier and Senator Rusty Glover.
This toughens penalties for DUI offenders, especially the very worst, and closes a loophole that kept courts from considering DUI convictions that were older than five years when they were sentencing repeat offenders. Penalties would be increased for all offenders, and those who repeatedly drive while drunk–with four or more convictions–would be sentenced to serve at least six months in jail. Penalties would also be enhanced for the "extremely intoxicated" driver, whose blood alcohol content is more than double the legal limit.
* Nolo Contendere Bill, sponsored by Representative Jamie Ison.
This bill helps keep criminals from hiding their out-of-state criminal records from Alabama Courts. Alabama law currently does not recognize "nolo contendere" or no contest pleas made in other states, where the defendant does not actually plead guilty to the crime but accepts a conviction by not contesting the charge. For example, during the 2005 trial of Jeremy Jones for a brutal rape and murder, prosecutors were barred from informing the jury of his evil past, which included three separate nolo contendere pleas to sexual assault. Attorney General King has named this The Lisa Marie Nichols Justice for Victims Act, in honor of the victim that his office convicted Jones for killing. The proposed law treats allows the State to use the nolo contendere plea to impeach the testimony of a witness, to count as an aggravating circumstance in sentencing for a capital murder, and for enhanced penalties under the Habitual Offender Act.
* Families to be Present at Executions, sponsored by Representative Billy Beasley.
Under current law, only two immediate family members of the victim may be present at an execution. This bill would increase that number to eight immediate family members. It would also allow for the presence of the prosecuting district attorney or his or her representative, and one officer from the arresting branch of law enforcement.
* Concurrent/Consecutive Sentencing and Parole Eligibility Reform, sponsored by Representative Cam Ward and Senator Ted Little.
This law would give real meaning to each consecutive sentence, in determining when an inmate becomes eligible for parole consideration. Currently, the law treats consecutive and concurrent sentences the same if the sentence is more than 30 years. Under Attorney General King's proposal, each sentence would be measured separately and for each sentence, the inmate could not be considered for parole until he or she had served one-third of the sentence or ten years, whichever is shortest.
* Photo Voter ID, sponsored by Representative Greg Canfield and Senator Larry Dixon.
Voter fraud continues to be a serious problem throughout Alabama, and this bill is designed to stop the fraud and corruption that plague Alabama elections. Any person voting in person or by absentee ballot would have to submit valid photo identification. The photo ID would have to be a driver's license or state ID card from the Department of Public Safety, passports, or other photo ID cards issued by the federal or state governments.
* Felon Voting Bill, sponsored by Representative Randy Wood.
This legislation would resolve any confusion over which convicted felons are ineligible to vote because their crimes may have involved moral turpitude. Attorney General King proposes the simple remedy that all convicted felons lose their civil and political rights-including the right to vote-and sets aside any question of whether the particular felonies involved moral turpitude. Convicted felons would not be able to vote unless and until they successfully applied to have their rights restored by the Board of Pardons and Paroles. This is a proposed amendment to the Constitution of Alabama, and would have to be ratified by the voters of Alabama.
* Reporting of Gunshot Wounds to Law Enforcement, sponsored by Representative Billy Beasley.
Under existing law, except under limited circumstances, health care providers in Alabama may not initiate reports to law enforcement about gunshot wounds and stabbings without written consent of the patient. This bill would mandate reporting by health care providers, and would supersede any privilege under state law such as doctor/patient privilege.
* Cock fighting Legislation, sponsored by Representative Cam Ward.
Cock fighting is one of the most serious forms of animal cruelty and Alabama law in this area is antiquated and inadequate, providing at most a $50 fine. This bill would make it a class C felony to fight cocks, own, train or keep cocks for fighting, keep a cockpit, or promote cock fighting. There would be a stiff fine of up to $1,000 a day for the owner or operator of the cockpit, or, up to three times the gross receipts derived from cock fighting. Property purchased with profits from cock fighting, or used in connection with cock fighting, would be subject to forfeiture. Furthermore, it would be a class A misdemeanor to be knowingly present at a cock fight.
* Bid Law Reform.
This bill would provide more transparency and accountability in governmental transactions. Current law allows certain municipalities to make purchases from elected officials, employees or board member. As a safeguard, this law adds a requirement that two items be filed with the State Ethics Commission: a written finding that conditions of the law had been followed, and a copy of the contract. Any contract that was in violation of the law would be voided, and any public official who knowingly authorized such a contract would be subject to a class C felony. Current law provides certain exemptions to bid law; if a governmental body entered into a contract without submitting it for bid, it would have to clearly state in writing what exemption was used and the report would be open to public inspection. Additional reforms would help to ensure honesty and integrity in Alabama's public contracts.
* Attempting to Elude Law Enforcement, sponsored by Representative Spencer Collier and Senator Rusty Glover.
This legislation seeks to reduce the number of individuals who flee from law enforcement, particularly by means of a vehicle. Intentional flight from law enforcement would start as a class B misdemeanor, but it would become a class C felony if a motor vehicle is used, and it would be a class B felony if the flight created a risk of injury or death to bystanders. This bill is a high priority for law enforcement and would keep our streets safer for the citizens of Alabama. Attorney General King has named this bill in honor of Montgomery police officer Keith E. Houts who was shot and killed in 2006 while making a traffic stop.
* Civil recovery for Illegal Gambling, sponsored by Representative Randy Wood.
Under existing law, there is no specific provision for a civil cause of action to recover monetary penalties for illegal gambling devices. In the past, owners and operators and others who profit from illegal gambling activities have considered the payment of criminal fines as a cost of doing business. This law provides a strict liability that would make their costs much higher than the potential profits. These new penalties would be used in conjunction with existing criminal and civil causes of action.
Loretta reported that King has stopped his efforts to put teeth into Alabama's Sex Toy ban since she sent him a blow up pig. Many LPA members believe that now is the time to get on the offensive and work to repeal the sex toy ban completely. Loretta reports that she has more blow up pigs to send to members of the legislature, and other props ready to go.
One additional issue some LPA members are working on is to help stop and repeal mandatory smoking bans on businesses.
In other business, we approved Leo McDermott as interim District Chair for the Mobile area, which previously seceded from the state party several years ago. A concern was raised that Mr. McDermott disagrees with the Libertarian Party's official non-interventionist foreign policy position. I asked Mr. McDermott if, as the party's regional representative, he will be able to separate his personal views on foreign policy issues from those of the party. He said he would. Given his answer, I made a motion to accept Mr. McDermott as the interim Mobile District chair, and it passed unanimously.
Ballot access report from Andy Jacobs:
I recently finished a fundraising letter which I e-mailed to a bunch of Libertarians around the country. George Phillies posted this letter on one of his websites and is going to feature it in the next issue of his newsletter.
We have an agreement with a woman named Christy whom we have worked on campaigns with in the past to help us with our fundraising efforts. Christy moved to Tennessee a few months ago and is also planning to come down to Alabama to gather signatures after the fundraising bears more fruit. Christy is in the midst of a move to another apartment and plans to start working on the fundraising after she gets settled. She also recently ordered one of those Magic Jack internet phones which will help with her fundraising efforts.
Here are some pictures of Christy and me at a third party debate that
was held in Nashville, Tennessee last year. Note that neither of us
supported the views of all of the candidates in the debate, but we
did support the concept of having an open debate with candidates that held a variety of views.
I recently finished organizing a big fundraising list from which Jake,
Christy, and I will be making calls. We have one or two other
people who may join us in the telephone fundraising effort. We may
also put together a fundraising letter to send to potential donors via
regular mail.
Gaining full party status in Alabama is a major undertaking and will
prbably take a while to complete. Keep in mind that in the last
election cycle it took the Libertarian Party of North Carolina 3 1/2
years to gather the 69,000 (and something) valid signatures for them
to regain ballot status. Alabama requires around 40,000 valid
signatures for full party status, but keep in mind North Carolina has
almost double the population of Alabama and that the Libertarian Party
of North Carolina is bigger than the Libertarian Party of Alabama.
Note that we are also trying to raise enough money to get ballot
access efforts going in some of the other states were we can legally
start ballot access petitioning this early. For far too many years
the Libertarian Party has been doing ballot access in an inefficient
manner and we are trying to change this. The way that I see it the
Libertarian Party can either start now and do things in an efficient
and intelligent manner, or the Libertarian Party can put it off and
pay more later and do things in an inefficient and stupid manner
(which is more likely to end in failure).
If anyone here has not done so yet, I encourage you to make a
donation to get ballot access going in your own state. Here's the link…
Be sure to type ballot access in the box for how you want your
donation to be spent.
If everyone in the Libertarian Party of Alabama could kick in say
$25-$100 each it would help jumpstart the Alabama LP ballot access
drive as it would show Libertarian Party members outside of Alabama
that Alabama Libertarians are serious about getting back on the
ballot. If anyone out there is going through financial hard times
even kicking in just $10 or $20 would help.
Every member of the Alabama LP should also be given copies of the
ballot access petition for 2010 and 2012. Contact Paulie as he has copies of them. Sign the petitions yourself and at the very least get your family and friends to sign them.
I outlined the framework of a business plan for LPA ballot access and field organizing:
> It will cost $180,000 over 3.5 years for field organizers and fund raisers, plus about $20,000 in overhead such as maintaining the HQ (over 3.5 years). [Total $200,000]
This is far more than we have raised previously; it will get us statewide ballot access for all races in 2010 and 2012.
In addition to getting about 40,000 valid signatures for each year
(about 60,000 raw) we want to:
- Database contacts and give out thousands of brochures/fliers/business cards for the party.
- Get thousands of voters to sign postcards to their state
legislators to improve our state's ballot access laws, and for the other legislative issues we are pushing.
- Start county chapters in all 67 counties, or as many as we can.
- Start campus groups at every college in the state, or as many as we can.
- Hand out fully informed jury rights information in every county.
- Register thousands of voters and spread information about restoring ex-felons voting rights to as many people as possible.
- Help organize and build single issue lobbying groups in every county on issues such as: compassionate care (medical marijuana), No to REAL ID and National Animal Identification Systems (NAIS), Proportional representation, Government transparency, Repealing the grocery sales tax, Free the Hops, ending the death penalty, Ending mandatory smoking bans for businesses, Ending the ban on sex toys, and other issues we identify in the course of field organizing throughout the state.
- Identify and recruit teams of candidates to run as a slate of Libertarian candidates for local and state office in each and every county.
- Market the Libertarian Party door to door to small businesses
throughout every single county in the state.
Let's take the lemons that the state legislature has handed us in the form of prohibitive ballot access barriers and turn them into lemonade!
This business plan needs a lot of work; if anyone reading has experience with writing business plans and would like to help, please let me know how to get a hold of you in the comments.
We would like to turn it into a presentation-quality business plan folder which we will distribute to attendees at the upcoming LSLA/LNC in Charleston, SC, Feb 27-Mar. 1st.
We would also like to send an email fundraising letter based on this plan to the thousands of opt-in subscribers to LPA chair Steve Gordon's company, LibertarianLists. We are also interested in finding out more about other lists we can borrow, rent or purchase to raise money for implementing this plan as it progresses.
During the course of the meeting, Steve had to turn the gavel over to Vice Chair Mike Rster because for a portion of the meeting because he was being interviewed by CNN.
After the meeting ended, Steve was just starting to help me with writing the business plan when he had to leave unexpectedly, due to his grandfather having his feeding tube pulled. Condolences and best wishes to Steve Gordon and his family.


text:
Hi all,
I am pleased to release a very experimental LLE graphics plugins for N64 that I started to develop about a month ago. I've called it Z64. It is originally based on the excellent work of Ville Linde in Mame/Mess, even though there isn't much of his own code left, it was the starting point of this project without which it wouln't exist today. Also , thanks for other plugin authors that released their source code, as it provided a lot of valuable informations (in particular but not limited to : glN64, Rivevideo, Glide64)
What is it exactly : it is mainly an RDP emulator implemented in OpenGL. Contrary to usual graphics plugins, it doesn't emulate the RSP part, so it requires a functionnal RSP emulator plugin to give any results. I'm providing two solutions to emulate the RSP, one that is based on the plugin from Project64 v1.4 with a few fixes, and another one slower based again on the work of Ville Linde in Mame/Mess. The first is much faster , but still has a few problems. My suggestion is to use the first one by default, and use the second one if the game freezes or crashes.
The advantage of emulating the RDP and RSP separately is that it is more direct and thus more accurate. It is also, in a way, much simpler, because you don't have to reverse engineer the RSP ucode of each specific games. The drawback is that it's pretty CPU intensive, because the RSP is quite heavy to emulate (and this even though the RSP emulator from Project64 is very well optimized)
What it is not ? Well , this project at the moment doesn't aim at competing with existing mature video plugins like for example Glide64. They have years of development behind them, and as said before , also are much faster. The aim instead is rather to possibly emulate those rare games that no other plugins could emulate fully yet, because the ucode wasn't reversed engineered. And of course, for me to have fun developing it.
Instructions to use it
You need to install in your core emulator plugins directory a few files :
- z64gl.dll the RDP emulator
- z64gl.conf the configuration file
- z64-rsp.dll the slow RSP emulator
- RSPcomp-pj64.dll the much faster RSP emulator based on Project64
To select the RSP plugin, it depends on which core emulator you're using :
- with mupen64, simply select it just like you would select an audio or video plugin
- with Project64, you need to rename the plugin "RSP.dll". Don't forget to backup your original RSP.dll plugin (that is the one provided by the core emulator) before doing that Indeed, the RSP plugins I'm providing won't work with other standard HLE video plugins.
Under Linux, it's similar, but you'll need before that to compile it, just type "make" in the source directory for both Z64 and the RSP emulator.
I am not looking yet for feedbacks about emulation inacuracies. There are still many problems, and they are pretty obvious. However I'm interested in feedbacks related to compatibility with hardware as well as "success stories", that is if you find a game that is actually better emulated with Z64 than with other plugins.
Regarding hardware requirement, you'll need a graphics card with GLSL extensions as well as Framebuffer Objects extension. That means mainly a decent nVidia or ATI card. You'll also need a pretty fast CPU because of the RSP emulation part. Regarding multicore CPU, in the future I plan to emulate the RSP in a separate thread, meaning that multicore CPUs will greatly benefit from it. This is not done yet however.
Finally, it is early development, so in particular there aren't yet any configuration dialog. There is now a configuration file though.
Well, have fun
Below a screenshot of Goldeneye showing the sky, one effect that uses a "non standard" ucode.
EDIT : forgot to include glew32 dll that is required for z64gl.dll. Just install this dll either in your windows installation path, either in the core emulator directory (not in the plugin directory)
EDIT : release R2 that write debug messages into a file called z64log.txt, fix black border texels and possibly crash on exit
EDIT : release R3 (now R4) that should fix crash on exit in Pj64. However, you should toggle windowed mode before exiting a game, otherwise the screen resolution isn't going to be restored until you run a new ROM.
EDIT : release R5 that should fix part of the slowness issues on ATI cards
EDIT : R6 that should fix depth issue introduced in R5 . Now R7 that fixes a second depth issue.
EDIT : R8 possibly fixing another slowness issue on ATI when using certain clamping mode on non power of two sized textures.
EDIT : R9 another attempt at fixing slowness issue for ATI (based on the idea in the test tp2), seems to also speed a bit things on nVidia. Also fix black screen issue in Shadowgate
EDIT : R10 with again more ATI slowness fixes, plus a configuration file called z64gl.conf. This file should be copied into your Plugin/ directory, it allows to select screen resolution as well as other options.
EDIT : R11 with some framebuffer effects, multitexturing and screen setup fixes.
EDIT : R12 fixes in combiner/blender, 2d mapping, zbuffer for triangles in no Z mode, mapping in non perspective mode
EDIT : new version of the modified pj64 rsp plugin (R3). It fixes most differences with the z64-rsp plugin, games that now work fine with it include : Jet Force Gemini, Mario Party, Yoshi's Story , Zelda (these two had not visible problems because there was a hack in the rdp emulator), Telefoot. EDIT now R4 to get rid of a dialog box that pop up in Telefoot.
EDIT : z64 R13 with some texture formats fixes, a new option for video cards that do not support non power of two textures, the hack for the RSP plugin bug is now removed (make sure you use latest rsp plugin) EDIT now R14 to fix stupid bug in the z64-rsp plugin (some leftover debug code causing problems under windows)
EDIT : R15 more combiners improvements and fixes usage of tile #7.
EDIT : R17 now support asynchronous RDP emulation (try it preferably on dual core processors). To use it, set both "threaded" and "async" to 1 in the config file. It's a bit unstable, though once a game is booted successfully it should work well enough. Plus other various improvements.
Source code (r12 - r18) - http://adf.ly/HnLIM
Binary r12 - http://adf.ly/HnLVF
Binary r15 - http://adf.ly/HnLk0
Binary r17 - http://adf.ly/HnLrk
Binary r17(Angrylion custom build, may fix texture glitches in some games) - http://adf.ly/HnMQb
Glew32 - http://adf.ly/HnLwx