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Soda Blasting Capabilities - Professional Paint RemovalWritten by on August 28, 2012 Soda Blasting Capability for the Home Shop
Over the past few weeks I've been getting requests for information regarding paint-stripping options. A couple years ago I was pondering the same question myself and contacted the folks at the Eastwood Company for some advice. It just so happened that the company was developing a modification that would transform a standard pressurized sandblaster to operate using soda rather than silica.
The advantage of soda is that it's much less aggressive than silica and will remove paint without the surface suffering the damage that coarse abrasives often cause. At the time it was the perfect situation for me as I had some non-metal parts that I needed to strip, so I had them ship me one of the very first soda conversion kits (part number 51360) for testing.
Since that time, Eastwood has refined its soda blasters and conversions, and they now work even better. That's saying a lot since the early unit used in the following story worked great. So, take a look at my introduction to Eastwood's soda blasters, and if you like what ya see, check out the Eastwood website and take a look at its selection of soda/abrasive blaster outfits and/or conversion kits. Take my word for it, either way, they'll pay for themselves in labor savings as well as negating the use of caustic chemical strippers.
Stripping paint from any surface is a pain in the butt to say the least. Over the years I've spent way more time, energy, burned skin, and probably a few hundred-thousand brain cells removing old layers of paint using chemical strippers. Then, a dozen years or so ago, I finally graduated to sandblasting as an option. Sandblasting definitely beat the heck out of caustic chemical stripping, but had its drawbacks – chiefly the dangers of silicosis caused by breathing the airborne silica dust, the detrimental effect of work-hardening sheetmetal, and the aggressive abrasion on non-metallic parts. In these cases my only options were to go back to the old chemical stripper route or farm out the job to a professional media-blasting outfit – a hassle at best.
Then recently I became aware that one of my favorite tool sources (The Eastwood Company) had made a leap in technology that allowed the home (or professional, for that matter) shop dweller to take advantage of an optional stripping media (baking soda) that has the ability to remove paint without harming the substrate. With my curiosity piqued I grabbed the phone and dialed up one of my tech sources for the lowdown.
I got an Eastwood product development engineer on the line and he was more than happy to clue me in on this new development. Here's what he had to say:
"Abrasive blasting is an old and proven technology which uses silica sand as a blast media, hence the term 'sandblasting.' However, with the increased awareness of silicosis dangers since about 1973 or so, several modern alternative media have been in use.
"The most common alternate blasting media (aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, glass bead, coal slag, aluminum or steel pellets and more) are generally used for paint and coating removal, and in some cases, rust removal. All of these media are grains of hard, sharp material, which when propelled at high velocity with blasting equipment, are capable of generating a great deal of heat on the blasted surface resulting in warped panels and etched surfaces. Traditional abrasive blasting is still best for stripping and removing rust from castings or heavy steel parts, but not the best for stripping paint from autobody sheetmetal and certainly not fiberglass.
"There are some less aggressive media including poly, walnut shell, corn husk and others available for the purpose of stripping paint from auto bodies, however, they can require a great deal of work to clean up from the area when the job is done and will leave residual particles in the car body's seams and crevices. Another alternative, rapidly increasing in popularity, is bicarbonate of soda, more commonly known as 'soda blasting.' The technology is fairly recent, having been developed in the mid '80s primarily for the purpose of cleaning the Statue of Liberty inside and out – a delicate task requiring effectiveness without damage.
"Fast forward some 20 years and we now have the benefit of equipment easily obtainable to the average hobbyist who wishes to strip paint from his pride and joy without inflicting damage. In fact, a car can be stripped of its paint while leaving all trim, rubber, and glass IN PLACE with no harm to those components! Additionally, no panel-damaging heat is generated, and the surface is left smooth and texture free, even on aluminum and fiberglass. This occurs because the soda particles completely shatter into dust after striking and removing the paint without harming the base metal or fiberglass. We recently stripped the paint on a classic Chevy pickup using Eastwood's soda blaster and discovered original factory sanding marks on the fender. These were actually left intact, but the paint was gone!
"The soda will also leave a light, dusty protective film on panels helping to prevent surface rust for up to several months. This is simply rinsed away with water prior to painting and you only need to rinse out seams and crevices to remove stray dust particles. Perhaps the best feature of soda is the fact that it is completely inert and water soluble, saving a great deal of cleanup time when the job is done. Of course the proper steps should be taken to recover removed paint particles before getting out the hose and washing the dust away.
"An additional use for soda as a blasting media is the ability to clean and degrease complex mechanical assemblies such as transmissions or rear axles with no harm to internal moving parts. Many folks also use it to clean underhood areas with no removal of or harm to components or wiring."
With this newfound bit of information, and a perfect candidate for a paint-stripping job waiting patiently in my garage, I had Joe ship me one of their soda conversion kits to see just how well it worked. Well, as is always the case with a new piece of Eastwood equipment, I was pleased with just how well it worked. So, with this in mind, I chronicled my Saturday afternoon paint-stripping job so I could share my experience. Take a look and see for yourself how another Eastwood product is making my home shop chores easier, less dangerous, and far less expensive than farming out to a professional shop.
More Photos From This Article View Slideshow
The soda outlet manifold is then installed in place of the original. This time the original manifold is in hand and the soda manifold installed.With the soda manifold in place the next step is to reattach the air-supply hose into the angled section of the soda manifold (using a bit of thread-sealing tape to prevent any air leaks).The blast nozzle hose is attached to the soda manifold and tightened in place with the existing hose clamp. That's it, the conversion's finished!With the conversion completed and the hopper full of soda, next came the moment of truth. I'd recently painted a steering wheel to match the interior color of a friend's car only to find that the wheel didn't fit the car's steering shaft – yet one more example of my lack of forethought. So I wanted to remove the paint and clear to ready it for its next home, and this was a perfect opportunity to see the result and ease of soda blasting.After spreading out a large tarp to capture the majority of the expended soda and to ease in cleanup I proceeded to try out my new soda blaster. Well, it worked just as advertised! A bit slower than sandblasting, as soda is much less aggressive than coarser media, the soda removed the paint without harm to the semi-soft surface of the plastic (?) steering wheel just as well as I'd hoped.Another cool thing about the Eastwood soda blaster is the ability to empty the hopper of unused media. To drain the unused media from the hopper all you do is place the end of the clear purge hose back into a suitable container and open the purge valve under the blaster hopper. The pressure in the hopper forces the leftover media and keeps the soda from caking up in the bottom of the hopper when not in use. And there you have it – another pleasurable experience with an Eastwood product. No more chemical stripper or trips to the local stripper for me! The Eastwood soda blaster is already making my home shop life easier and more productive, but then again, I've never expected or received anything other than success with Eastwood products…and you won't either.


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North Face Men's Oseeno Tee Shirt
The North Face Men's Oseeno Tee Shirt features a stylish asymmetrical design on the front. The lightweight casual men's tee shirt is great to wear around town, plus it's so comfortable that it'll easily become one of your favorites. 50% cotton, 50% polyester heathered jersey.

subset: commoncrawl


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Defraggler  2.11.560
- Added support for Windows 8.
- Added Minimize to Tray.
- Added right-click Move File to end of Drive feature.
- Improvements to Free space calculation.
- Fixed exclusions in df.exe.
- SSD drives are now handled correctly when drives are queued for defrag.
- Improved drive map block calculation for very small drives.
- Shortcuts are now correctly interpreted when calculating fragmentation levels.
- Improved support for /minpercent parameter for df.exe.
- Minor GUI improvements.
- Minor bug fixes.


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Queer Threads
Nathan Vincent, "Locker Room" (detail), 2011, yarn, Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Stephen Miller
Queer Threads: Crafting Identity and Community, an international group show at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art curated by John Chaich, explores notions of aspiration, socialization, and representation within the gay and lesbian community, through artists employing thread-based craft materials, techniques, and processes.
While many of these artists are internationally recognized in the craft and art communities, this exhibition marks the first time these works have been shown together to specifically highlight their personal relationship to their own sexuality and to the gay and lesbian community. Composed of a mix of well-established and emerging talent from across the United States as well as Argentina, Canada, and South Africa, this exhibition will feature artists Chris Bogia (New York), Chiachio & Giannone (Argentina), Liz Collins (New York), Pierre Fouche (South Africa), James Gobel (California), Jesse Harrod (Virginia), Larry Krone (New York), Allyson Mitchell (Canada), Sheila Pepe (New York), L. J. Roberts (New York), Nathan Vincent (New York), and more.
Queer Threads: Crafting Identity and Community; Jan. 17 through March 16, Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, New York City
Nathan Vincent, Locker Room, 2011, yarn, 144 x 228 ft. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Stephen Miller.
>>>Click through for more images from the exhibit
Chiachio & Giannone, Familia Guaraní, 2009, hand embroidery with cotton threads, jewelry threads, and rayon on fabric, 51 x 48 in. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Daniel Kiblisky.
Rebecca Levi, Two Ladies, 2007, cotton floss embroidered on cotton fabric, 20 x 20 in. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Rebecca Levi.
Allyson Mitchel, Queer Un-Nation, 2012, yarn and felt, 36 x 48 in. Work and image courtesy of the artist.
John Thomas Paradiso, Leather Pansy II, 2010, Leather, thread, and plastic hoop on wood panel, 10 x 10 x 1.5 in. Courtesy of Elisabeth Jacobsen. Photo: John Thomas Paradiso.
L.J. Roberts, The Queer Houses of Brooklyn in the Three Towns of Breukelen, Boswyck,and Midwout during the 41st Year of the Stonewall Era, (based on a 2010 drawing by Daniel Rosza Lang/Levitsky with 24 illustrations by Buzz Slutzky on printed pin-back buttons), 2011, poly-fill, acrylic, rayon, Lurex, wool, polyester, cotton lamé, sequins, and blended fabrics, 138 x 114 x 108 in. Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Elaine Reuben. Photo: The Smithsonian American Art Museum.
James Gobel, The Fitting No. 1, 2007, felt, yarn and acrylic on canvas, 84 x 72 in. Collection of Costello & Tagliapietra. Photo: courtesy of Kravits/Wehby.
Aubrey Longley-Cook with 34 community participants, RuPaul Cross Stitch Animation Workshop, front view, 2013, animated cross stitch, frame 17. Courtesy of the Artist. Photo: Aubrey Longley-Cook


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Detail Images
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7 Reviews
Make sure your camera's not swimming with the fishes.
When a nasty wipeout knocks your GoPro Hero free, you'd much rather find it bobbing on top of the water than have it sink beneath the waves to Davy Jones' locker. Just peel and stick the buoyant, high-visibility GoPro Floaty Backdoor to your GoPro's housing, and you'll have a much better shot at retrieving your GoPro Hero camera.
- Includes spare waterhousing backdoor
- Not recommended for suction mounts
- Item #GOP002D
Tech Specs
Tech Specs
- Reviews
What do you think about this product?
Have questions about this product?
great to have when you are in the water
I've never had any issues with this, great fit and floats really well. I have surfed with in and gone cliff jumping. not the easiest to find once it gets dropped in the water but I've tie a shoelace around the bottom of the mount and my wrist and it works great. Overall this is a must if you plan on filming out on the water.
Works - if u attach it to the right door
- Familiarity: I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions
I just bought my first GoPro (Hero 4 Silver) in preparation for a surf trip this summer, and ordered the floaty back door along with the camera. I had never owned a GoPro or a floaty back door before, but the instructions seemed simple enough: peel back the sticky, firmly press against back door, attach back door to GoPro, done. Once I had successfully attached the floaty back door, I attached the back door to the GoPro, only to discover that the door was too big. Due to my own lack of knowledge about GoPro's, the earlier versions were slightly larger than the Hero4, and the package came with 2 doors, one for the older, larger models and one for the newer, smaller ones. And unfortunately, once you've stuck the floaty on, it's done. There's only one floaty in the package and there's no re-using it. So I had to drop another $20 for a second floaty. When my second one showed up I didn't make the same mistake. Wish the instructions would have mentioned the different door sizes.
The other thing I will mention is placement of the floaty on the back door. If you are planning to mount your GoPro to a surfboard, be sure not to mount the floaty higher up toward the top of the back door. The lower you mount it, the less you will be able to angle the camera upward from your board as the floaty will prevent it from going higher. Again, a heads up I wish would have been mentioned in the instructions.
So, long story short, it does a great job of keeping your camera afloat. But there's a good chance you might make a mistake that makes your GoPro/floaty rather unusable if you don't read my review or think through these issues ahead of time.
- Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer
I used this everyday over a week while I was in Hawaii. It keeps the GoPro afloat easily and if you use the loops to attach it to your wrist you can let go of the body and swim around without fearing for its loss.
I also feel like the bright orange color would come in handy in spotting the GoPro if you ever did lose track of it in the water somewhere. Just pop your head over the water and look for a bright orange cube floating around.
Piece of Mind
- Familiarity: I've used it several times
This is a great option for a GoPro to keep it safe when near water.I picked this up for snorkeling near Key West. This and a floaty hand hold gave me that extra piece of mind that I'd be able to find my GoPro if I dropped it. I tested it out and it kept my camera afloat. Since Key West I've also taken it to the Yuba River in California and jumped of rocks into the river. The Floaty Backdoor held fast to the case even after multiple jumps into the water. It works and its bright. Its nice to know I wont lose my camera.
Added confidence
- Familiarity: I've used it several times
A great confidence booster when using your Go Pro in any water scenario. Protect your investment and put a floaty on just in case the camera was to become detached from you. Better to have it visible and floating on top...
A Floaty can save a GoPro
If you are in the water a lot with your GoPro you are going to need a Floaty. Once you attack the Floaty to your GoPro Housing you will not be able to get it off, so it's nice to dedicate a Backdoor to your Floaty. I have been on the water so many times and my GoPro popped off and every time I have been able to recover the camera because of this Floaty.
Awesome picture Grete !!!
I selected this image to feature on the Community Hub at the bottom of the Backcountry.com homepage! You are utterly GOATWORTHY !!!
Have used this for scuba diving 20+times
- Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer
I have my gopro tied onto my BC when I dive; however, I'm sometimes worried about it falling off when I enter the water or when I'm just moving around in general. This lets me breathe easy (no pun intended) that at the very least maybe someone on the dive boat will notice the gopro floating around. At least its not at the bottom of the ocean. When using your gopro underwater, make sure to snag a moisture muncher to ensure the camera lens does not fog up. This is a must have for anyone who white water rafts or does any water based action sport with their GoPro.
Dose it can be floated the gopro with 3-way grip ?
This has enough buoyancy to float the camera only, if there is a grip attached then it is not guaranteed to float. I would recommend looking at using the Handler Floating Grip for use in/around water.
Dose it can be floated the gopro with 3-way grip ?
Is the floaty backdoor compatible with the...
Is the floaty backdoor compatible with the gopro hero 2?
Hey Shawn,
This will work well with your Hero 2.


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Airport facilities
Money and Communications:
Terminal 1 has banks, a bureau de change and a post office. Terminal 2 has banks, bureau de change facilities and ATMs, a post box and 24-hour telecommunications services, including fax and telex. Telephones are provided in both terminals; free local dialling is provided in the waiting lounges.
Eating and Drinking:
There are various food outlets in both terminals.
There are numerous shops in Terminal 1. In Terminal 2, there are shops including duty-free, a gift shop, newsagents and bookshop.
Left-luggage is located in Terminal 2 (hall D), while lost property offices are situated in the Arrivals areas of both terminals. A porter service is available.
Other Facilities:
First aid facilities are available at the administrative offices. Terminal 2 also has a baby care room and prayer rooms.


text: THIS WILLIAM and Esther (Garloch) McFeley Family photo was taken on 26th Street in Bellaire, in 1942. Back row, left to right: Cynthia (McFeley) Porter, Bertha (McFeley) Kettlewell, Clyde McFeley, Esther Mae (McFeley) Reeves, deceased. Second row, left to right: Mary (McFeley) Clark, Esther is holding Charlotte (McFeley) Duncan; William McFeley and Donald McFeley, both are deceased. In front are twins: Wilbur and Willard McFeley, both are deceased. Submitted by Charlotte M. Duncan


text: The Florida First District Court of Appeal will hear cases at Florida Coastal on Tuesday, March 19 and Wednesday, March 20 starting at 9:00 a.m. each day. Four cases are on the calendar each day. The panel assigned to hear oral arguments includes Judge Philip J. Padovano, Judge Nikki Ann Clark, and Judge Ronald Swanson. Oral arguments will take place in the Appellate Courtroom, Room 400.


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The Annoy-a-tron for $5 + free shipping
On sale for 50% off and you get free shipping for a limited time. These things are awesome for pranking people. I'm stocking up on a couple.
19 Comments add a comment
For $0.99 more, you can get the 2.0 version which puts out 6 different noises.
Just want to let you guys know that every one of these comes with a free punch to the face from the person you prank.
The gift that keeps on giving.
No free shipping on either deal. No free shipping on sale items.
@waterguy: Free shipping applies to sale items. You have to go through checkout and select the cheap shipping, and it gets taken off.
Free shipping doesn't apply to gifts with purchase, coupon codes, and that kind of promo offer, but these are none of those things.
The description says the battery lasts for a month. At 50% off it'd be worth it to hide one in someone's wall.
My boss frets about his new car all the time,one of these babies is going under his dash or under his seat!
I put one of these under my friend's coffee table and forgot about it...about a month and a half later I was visiting and I heard the beep and asked him innocently what it was. Immediately he went off and started saying it's been driving them crazyfor the last month and explaining how they tore apart the house emptied every cupboard and drawer, unplugged every electronic device in the house and pullled out the batteries out of everything and anything! haha I couldn't contain myself ..his reaction was above and beyond any expectations so after an hour or so I told him what it was..He said whatever you do don't tell the wife she is going to rip your head off!!.friends hada been over and they spent countless hours arguing where it was coming from and trying to figure out where it was! I thought i had put it in an obvious spot to find but as it turned out it echoed on the hardwood floors and it sounded like it could be anywhere..and the battery lasted more than a month easy.pure evil!
Seriously this is the best money ever spent for someone you would like to drive terminally insane.
you can't beat the price of the one @desynergy linked, but i prefer the creepiness of the eviltron ($9.99): http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/c427/
In for two! The first one, just because. The second one, for when someone inevitably finds the first one and either keeps it or smashes it on my face in a fit of rage. Either way, price+free shipping was too good to pass up.
In for two as well.
One for me to hide at work and one for my niece and nephew to torture my brother and sister in law
I've had one of these for a long while. Every so often, I break it out and use it on people. Always fun.
I sent this to my brother whose daughter and son (my niece and nephew) annoy him to death with pranks. He was so thankful for the suggestion. He said it's payback time.
I used the eviltron version of this to prank a coworker, she refused to get back in her car because she swore it was haunted. One of her passengers finally found it and well I am awaiting retribution.
Small enough to fit in the channels and trim pieces of cubicles in the office. NICE
If nothing else, pure evil thoughts are running through my mind... Trip to the car dealer who ticked you off - test drive and leave one behind? Have to help someone move and you have a bunch of options... wonder if you will hear it from inside a desktop PC box?
BTW - free shipping when you complete your order if you choose ECONOMY... In for 3!
I bought one of these before and played around with it using my very limited electrical engineering skills. I was able to put a larger/louder speaker on it by swapping it with one off a computer mother board. I also experimented with running it off of onboard power of a device and ditching the battery.
My experiments didn't last long, I hooked it up to my brother's bedside alarm clock. Within a few hours into the first night he figured out it was coming from his alarm clock and he said he just smashed it against the wall and went to sleep "I use my phone as my alarm anyway" he said. Doh!
i bought one with free shipping and just got a refund from them today.. emailed them asking whats up.. anybody elsw have this happen?


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Colorectal Cancer Health Center
In this article
How Is a Colonoscopy Performed? continued...
The scope bends so the doctor can move it around the curves of your colon. You may be asked to change position occasionally to help the doctor move the scope. The scope also blows air into your colon, which expands the colon and helps the doctor see better.
You may feel mild cramping during the procedure. You can reduce the cramping by taking several slow, deep breaths during the procedure. When the doctor has finished, the colonoscope is slowly withdrawn while the lining of your bowel is carefully examined.
During the colonoscopy, if the doctor sees something that may be abnormal, small amounts of tissue can be removed for analysis (called a biopsy), and abnormal growths, or polyps, can be identified and removed. In many cases, colonoscopy allows accurate diagnosis and treatment without the need for a major operation.
What Happens After a Colonoscopy?
You will stay in a recovery room for about 30 minutes for observation after a colonoscopy.
- You may feel some cramping or a sensation of having gas, but this usually passes quickly.
- You can resume your normal diet.
Read your discharge instructions carefully. Certain drugs, such as blood thinners, may need to be avoided temporarily if biopsies were taken or polyps were removed.
Bleeding and puncture of the colon are rare but possible complications of colonoscopy. Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following:
- Excessive or prolonged rectal bleeding
- Severe abdominal pain, fever, or chills
A noninvasive procedure, the virtual colonoscopy, has been developed. In this procedure, a special diet is given for two days before the procedure. Less intense bowel preparation is performed at home. During a procedure a probe is inserted into the rectum. Air is forced into the colon and images are taken with the use of a CT scan. This procedure is almost equally as effective as a standard colonoscopy, in that the procedure cannot visualize small or flat lesions. If something suspicious is seen on the images performed during this procedure, a regular colonoscopy or a biopsy will be necessary. Routine use of this procedure remains controversial.
WebMD Medical Reference


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Could someone point out some relevant papers or resources (an online DB maybe?) describing the density of neurons (or, more in general, of cells) in different areas of the mouse brain?
The newest and most accurate method (far more accurate than older extrapolating/manual counting methods (Stereology) and yielding some surprising results) to estimate number/density of neurons/cells in brains is Isotropic Fractionator to my knowledge. Using this keyword you find some recent papers, comparing different brain areas (cerebral cortex, cerebellum,...) among rodents:
This article seems to be at least part of what you're looking for (although I can only access the abstract at the moment). They report that:
It would only make sense for the neuron and synapse density of the different areas of the mouse brain to be reported in the full-text article.


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Jamison Kensey McIntosh, 89, of Nebraska City died June 20, 2013 at the Good Samaritan Society in Syracuse. She was born on Sept. 4, 1923 in Pittsburg, Pa., to Bertram and Blanche (Jamieson) Kensey.
After graduating from high school, she attended Pitt University. She married Thomas R. McIntosh on Dec. 24, 1942 in Pittsburg. He preceded her in death in 1978.
She had worked as a receptionist in a dental office and as a real estate broker in both California and Florida.
She moved to Nebraska City in 2008 from Atlanta, Ga., to be near her daughter Lauren. She was a member of the Book Club and volunteered her time at Friends of Faith Store in Nebraska City.
She is survived by children Eric McIntosh and wife Jody of Anchorage, Alaska, Glen McIntosh of Atlanta, and Lauren Cotton and husband Rev. John of Nebraska City; nine grandchildren; numerous great-grandchildren and friends.
In honoring her wishes, no services will be held. Inurnment will be held at a later date in the Wyuka Cemetery in Nebraska City.
Memorials may be given to Habitat for Humanity in her memory.
Remembrances may be left at www.gudefuneralhomes.com.
Gude Mortuary in Nebraska City is in charge of arrangements.
Location, ST | website.com


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We consider the action of $S^{1}$ on $S^{2}$ by rotation respect the vertical axes. We want to integrate the $2-$ equivariant form
$$\alpha(X)= -X\cos(\phi) +\sin(\phi)\,d\phi\,d\theta.$$
We have the localization formula: $$\int_{S^{2}} \alpha(X)= (-2\pi)^{\ell} \sum_{p \in M_{0}(X)} \frac{\alpha(X)(p)}{\det(L_{p})^{1/2}}$$
(where $\ell=\dim(M)/2$, $\alpha(X)(p)$ the value of the function $\alpha(X)_{[0]}$ in the point $p$, $M_{0}(X)$ is the set of zeros of $X$ and for $p \in M_{0}(X)$ $L_{p}$ is a linear automorphism of $T_{p}(M)$ induced by the Lie action $L(X)\xi = [X, \xi]$ ). So we consider $X \in Lie(S^{1})= \mathbb{R}$. How can I explicity integrate this form ($\int_{S^{2}}\alpha(X)$)? (I know that the result is $2 \pi$)


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As temperatures warm up tillage, application of fertilizer and planting will begin in
earnest very soon. If you have fields that were corn in 2013 and will be corn this year
and have not applied nitrogen fertilizer for this year's crop, you may want to soil test for
residual nitrogen. Last year's drought conditions impacted corn yields throughout the
region and several fields had corn grain yields of 60 bushels/ac or less and many fields
were cut for silage or even baled up as forage. If you applied nitrogen fertilizer at rates
ranging from 100 to 200 pounds per acre in 2012 and had very low yields, there is a
good possibility that significant residual nitrogen is available for a 2013 corn crop. You
may even have residual soil nitrate levels as high as 50 to 100 pounds per acre. With
anhydrous ammonia rates at $800 per ton or higher, you could save on your fertilizer
costs from $25-$50 per acre in these fields with high residual nitrogen.
While there is no guarantee your residual nitrogen rates will be high in your fields, the
combination of low yields and dry weather that occurred in some fields are factors that
contribute to less nitrogen use and loss and may lead to significant residual N (nitrogen)
in your soil. Last week there were reports from one of the main soil labs in Nebraska of
high residual nitrogen levels in soil samples of several fields across Nebraska. One thing
is certain, you will not know what your residual nitrogen levels will be unless you sample
your fields. Ideally sampling down to 3 feet would be best, but with the dry weather
we have been experiencing, it will probably be difficult to sample down to this level.
Sampling down to a depth of 2 feet should provide a very good indication of residual
nitrogen in your soil profile. There may be 50 pounds of residual nitrogen in the top 12"
of soil.
If you have fields you were planning on rotating to soybeans and were corn last year,
you may want to soil test these fields, especially if these fields were low yielding.
You may want to contact your ag chemical supplier to see if they can sample your
fields or else you can check out our probe here in the Nemaha County Extension
office. Here is the link to the UNL guide to soil sampling if you have questions, http://
www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/publicationD.jsp?publicationId=831. If you have
questions feel free to contact me at the Nemaha County Extension office at (402) 274-
Page 2 of 2 - 4755.
Location, ST | website.com


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Nike Pro Hypercool Fitted Kids' Tank Top
The Nike Pro Hypercool Fitted Kids' Tank Top keeps you comfortable while you train. The racerback design lets you move freely and Dri-FIT fabric keeps you cool, dry and focused. Rib crew neck and armholes adds durability for long-term wear. The contrast neck and armholes keep you stylish even when you're going hard. Body: 84% polyester, 16% spandex. Insets: 93% polyester, 7% spandex.


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Last thing kids need is another day off from learning
Not a subscriber? You can purchase a single-day subscription for only $0.75 to read this and access all of our content and our E-Edition. CLICK HERE purchase a single day subscription.
Become an electronic subscriber to the Republican-American for only $8 a month. CLICK HERE.


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I'm fed up by spam and would like to have an email address that will only deliver mails signed by users I declared trusted. Some kind of purgatory for mails the signatures of which are trustworthy by a Web of Trust connection would of course also be a nice feature. Is there a either provider that offers this service, or at least a (preferably FOSS) mail server setup for self-hosting?
Any Unix MTA can pipe mail to a script. Run signature checks on the server and if the script returns true, pass the mail on. See your favorite MTA's documentation for an explanation of how. This is the same kind of setup used to create listserves.
We are currently in development of this functionality as a Cloud Application that will run in your private cloud on the Jumpto.com Internet Security platform. Secure Mail will eradicate spam by making your email address unresolvable on the normal Internet by unauthorized users. More information on the product will be released upon roll out in the next few weeks.


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Enter your zip code for product availability and pickup options at your nearest store or select a store by state.
Our spring-loaded Bamboo Drawer Dividers allow you to create custom organization inside your kitchen or bathroom drawers! Tension keeps them in place, yet they are easy to adjust as your needs change. Use them to create compartments to further organize the contents of your drawers.
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Many classes/ builds allow one to fulfill multiple party roles. For example, a Paladin is a hybrid leader/defender. What classes/builds are a good way to handle striker/controller? I'm looking for a class/build that will allow a character to attack enemies, dealing damage, and applying debuff/status effects.
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Controller/Striker Theory
Edited for heroes of shadow and up to Dragon 404.
Some definitions of terms:
From a general theory point of view, it is the paragon path that changes the role. A combined striker/controller is in many ways a contradiction in terms: a striker wants to apply the best debuff in the game as fast as possible (0 HP) whereas a controller wants to perform hard and soft control at the expense of damage (as a means of damage-mitigation or damage-augmentation).
Now, the tricky part is that these technical definitions do not necessarily correspond with the role definitions. While in heroic, most builds will indeed play according to their generic role, the PP and most paragon tier feats allow shifting of role. Despite this, any given build will have a primary intent, and if built right, a useful secondary intent. Just as paladins are off-leaders, so too can there be off-strikers or off-controllers.
In many ways, high damage is the easiest to achieve by observing two precepts: static-mod is king, multi-attacks are queen. Off-striker damage means that each target will generally be receiving /4 damage over the course of a round (i.e. significantly non-trivial).
Controller effects accumulate through three sources: feats, powers, class features. In short, there are two strategies: enhance a power that will be the character's centrepiece, or choose linked encounter powers to provide the intended effect. Dailies shall never be selected for damage (that's the pure-striker's job), instead they need to be selected for how they enhance the strategy of the character.
The rule of thumb is: it's easier to increase damage then it is to increase control.
Controller/Striker Practice:
Level 1
Here, characters are lucky if they can get a status effect with their attacks. Controllers should be focused on minion popping and setting enemies up for CA or minor debuffs.
In all of these cases the pattern is: damage+effect.
Basic Attackers
The Thief with "Unbalancing trick" is an excellent striker/controller, as she can prone at-will, with remarkable damage.
The Hunter provides excellent control matched with the remarkably large damage dice of bows and crossbows. Rapid Shot is a minion killer, and Clever shot provides very solid control options.
The thief wants damage through Surprising Stab, the Hunter won't say no to weapon focus.
The bladesinger (Neverwinter) is a sword&spell controller. Their MBAs are bog-standard, but because they can slide, slow, prone, etc.. at will after an MBA from their "bladespells" they cna prove surprisingly effective. With feral armor (hide, level 7) they can even provide multi-target control with what (if you blur the image a little) appears to be a striker's nova-round.
The ardent and psion are excellent controller/strikers with demoralizing strike (it'll keep your entire career) for the ardent and dishearten and mind thrust for the psion. Both of these are in a way of soft control, debuffing defense or offense. The ardent actually can have better multi-target control dailies than the psion, due to the sheer amount of zone options she has. The psion's living missle, on the other hand, can shape the course of an encounter and do respectable damage.
The prevalence of psionic options isn't an accident. Due to their weaker class features and stronger at-wills, any given psionic class can be closely tailored to requirements, so long as there is sufficient support from dailies.
Monk provides excellent forced movement and AoE damage, though will be a bit weak on the debuffs.
Accuracy is the name of the game here, featwise.
For all divine classes, the "Power of the X" feats can offer a side benefit of control or damage, though the damage will be expressed more thoroughly later in paragon and epic.
The invoker with her hand of radiance and power of the moon can debuff 3 targets's reflex. Which is awesome in the right party. With mark of storm, she can shift each target one. And with 3 attacks, her contribution to party DPR through her static mod will be very very impressive. At level 1, divine bolts are a trap: enhancing them comes later. The invoker has excellent daily support for specific controller flavours, with some quite damaging options.
The mage has a hard time providing both damage and control, as her options tend to favour one over the other. Despite this, there are a significant number of excellent choices.
Accuracy feats are quite handy here.
Heroes of shadow introduced the executioner assassin. While normally an interesting if not completely stellar striker, Dragon 404 introduced the "Ninja" subclass. The ninja is an exceptional controller/striker: they have a 3 target minion-popping attack (that, with the right effort can turn into a very respectable source of damage on its own (ask a new question for details on that research)) and a proning at-will that provides exceptional soft control due to the shift 1 that it offers after prone. This attack can completely negate an enemy's turn by preventing them from standing and charging. The assassin poisons, especially delivered by the triple-target poisonous shuriken, become an excellent way to apply the status effects of slowed and dazed.
The seeker is a trap. She just doesn't have enough support. Beware of the huge number of choices the wizard gets, it's easy to become distracted. Warlocks and most striker classes will be focusing on damage these first few levels. Warlocks, specifically, are spectacularly easy to mis-build, and a controller focus tends to require looking through many resources.
The Binder, unfortunately, is also a trap. While a controller warlock is nice in theory, the powers are sufficiently lackluster to negate most "controllery" benefits while offering no striker-damage to compensate. If you'd like to play one, apply the changes suggested by square fireballs here.
The Vampire isn't even a trap. While they get forced movement at level 1, their single-target low-damage powers coupled with no meaningful choices suggests that they should be considered only if the player wants to play a vampire, not if they want to play an effective striker or controller. However, they can become far more interesting with hybridization or multiclassing.
Level 6
In the middle of heroic, classes start gaining options with the option of an MC under their belt along with their enhancing feats. The joy of the fighter and seeker MC will come in paragon, but at 6, most classes will be focused on exploring their "core competencies"
Divine characters will want to focus on getting the most mileage out of their at-will. MBA characters will want to focus on damage. Psionic characters have a straightforward upgrade path at this point.
As a special note, Battleminds at level 7 start getting some fantastic striker/control options. Forceful reversal combines out of turn damage (multi-attacks!) with pushes (Forced movement!)
Arcane characters may want to dabble in some of the white-lotus training for debuffs, movement, or hindering terrain. Err on the side of later levels, however. Improve damage for now.
The thief should grab herself a spiked chain, in anticipation of paragon.
Druids are viable here, with Claw Gloves and feats to enhance their beast-form MBA.
Blackguards with access to some of the paladin dailies can become effective off-controllers, providing melee control through superior firepower and slowing effects.
Level 12
First: everyone who wants to do damage takes lasting frost (and wintertouched if they need CA). It's boring, but it provides excellent damage.
The paragon path is where control or striker is really achieved. The best "mixandmatch" PP for role-crossing is Traveler's Harlequin, which allows you to take multiple MC feats along with a delicious cherrypicked level 20. The Level 11 is excellent battlefield rearrangement as well.
Ardent takes Stygian Adept, multiclassed to fighter for hindering shield with a staggering weapon. Then every melee attack with debilitating strike slows and slides, and amortized over the HP of all targeted mobs, does striker level damage.
Psions go with a Tiefling Firestarter.
Arena champion is a solid Rogue single-target control, the arena-fighting requirement lessens the attractiveness for thief.
Strong-arm enforcer is a solid choice for thief and rogue, with disheartening ambush providing the rattling.
Thieves really should go Harlequin though, as that opens up fighter MC on top of their spiked chain MC, which allows them to get the various fighter debuffing on MBA feats. They should also grab lashing flail (for slide) and deft blade (for attacking reflex, therefore acccuracy). That gets them slide 1 and prone, which is an absolutely vicious single-target control, as well as options for fairly trivially getting threatening reach.
Arcane casters suddenly wake up with the white lotus paragon feats, annoying enemies to no-end with difficult terrain around all allies. Warlocks and Mages should therefore look at Academy Master, Feytouched for Warlock Puppeteers, or Nightmare Weavers. Warlocks also love Stygian Adept if they have Dire Radiance and are specced for fear.
Mages or half-elves with illusion at-wills (read:Winged Horde) should absolutely take battleweaver. The trivial damage and AoE optimization of Winged Horde combined with a party-friendly slow (and at this level psychic lock) make it an source of control and damage par excellance. For more details, ask a question about optimizing this specific combo.
Hunters are queens in paragon, due to half-elf versatility.
There are many other half-elf options depending on the amount of damage you want to dial. Hand of Radiance is a valuable addition to almost any character in paragon, offering multi-target damage (and all the rest) with a remarkably small investment. With that said, it's not worth dabbling in half-elf cheese: either commit to the dilliante power being the centrepiece of the build, or don't commit feats to it.
A further half-elf or hybrid option is offered through the archery master feat (suggested here). By taking an RBA focused class and getting rapid shot, you can effectively turn that RBA into something quite exceptional. Special attention should be paid to the once-trapped seekers due to this option.
Level 16
Sorcerers with Lightning Fury gain some impressive battlefield control.
By this point, most strikers can spec for some single-target control and most controllers can spec for damage, based on their choice of multi-class feats and PP.
Level 22
In Epic, the choices open even further, mainly due to some exceptional epic feats for the radiant mafia (Invokers with Hand of radiance and an expanded crit range win here), with hunters still being exceptionally strong, ardents being great controllers (who can dish out damage based on their zones and close bursts), thieves being fantastic due to some trivial ways of getting 2 threatening reaches a day (warden MC through harlequin or barbarian MC, combined with the spiked chain feat series. Warlocks are also solid, though difficult to build to the same damage numbers, and so on and so forth.
Most classes can do single-target control by epic, simply by MCing appropriately, and the build-space is so large that it's difficult to make any specific statements, save that building a character should never be done without the handbooks.
The Essentials Wizard build, known as the Mage, does this rather well. They get at-wills that do a surprising amount of moving the battlefield or apply other status effects, always have Magic Missile for some reliable damage, and have some decently damaging Encounter/Daily powers.
Monk is another good one, the Iron Soul build does a lot of tactical positioning such that enemies are left unable to do certain things on virtually every round.
As Jadasc mentioned, Warlock is ok, but they are lacking in terms of DPR; don't expect to be putting out the same damage a Rogue does.
Seeker is another one, iirc. I haven't looked at them in depth but I seem to recall seeing a lot of status effects on their powers.
The Warlock is built to fulfill that role. Most of its abilities allow you to push, pull, or teleport the enemy, and in the last case, to teleport yourself as well. As a complement, the star pact focuses on manipulating opponents' rolls in your favor or to the detriment of one's enemies.
You also get a fair number of status effects with abilities that can immobilize, weaken or impose a vulnerability.
A two-handed ranger built around the Net Training and World Serpent's Grasp feats can carry a net and trident for his Twin Strike weapons. Hit with the net, target is slowed; follow up with the spear and the target is prone. Choose powers that include a shift, and add the Swift Footwork feat, and now you can shift 3, 4, or sometimes 5 squares between strikes. Your enemies are slowed and/or prone, so they're going to be wasting their move actions getting back up on their feet; you'll be using yours moving to the next target.


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I for one am getting excited about the new season of Revolution at the Manchester velodrome this autumn/winter. Should be going to quite a few of these with work again hopefully. Here's something I put together last year when we treated a bunch of our clients to a hospitality day at the velodrome: a track taster session with a few Olympic medal winners, and inside seats for the racing… good times.
Dair / FACE hospitality at the Revolution series from Sera Pickering Pick on Vimeo.


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It is well-known that, given a Killing vector $\xi_\mu$ for a metric, this can be dimensionally reduced. This is exactly the case of the Schwarzschild solution due to the rotational symmetry. This procedure is quite general and one can always reformulate a general 2d (or 3d) model, as the Jackiw-Teitelboim model, of general relativity and obtain solutions for the 4d case with the given symmetry properties.A reference about this is this. The effect, as always happens in dimensional reduction, is to introduce another field into the gravity action.
So far, I was not able to see the derivation of the reduced Schwarzschild metric from the dimensionally reduced Einstein equations. This is generally given for granted. So, I would appreciate to see such a derivation or to get some tutorial about this.


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All-Mopar Southern Nationals - Southern HospitalityWritten by on January 23, 2014 Mopar Muscle's All-Mopar Southern Nationals is a weekend to remember
It's Memorial Day, and while it's usually hot in southern Georgia on this weekend, this year the temperature was actually enjoyable. There was a slight breeze all weekend, and we were enjoying ourselves at an event that can only be described as a great time. Where were we you ask? It's Mopar Muscle's All-Mopar Southern Nationals, and every year it's held at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Cecil, Georgia, just north of Valdosta.
This was actually the tenth year this event has taken place, but during the last couple of years, it's been dealt a bad hand. Between the rain, smoke from forest fires, and some unwarranted bad publicity, the event had been having a hard time gaining momentum. Since we really don't like to see Mopar events go away, we decided to see if we could help out this year, so we got together with the track and figured out what needed to be done to make this the Southeast's premier, must-go-to event. Well, if this year's increase in cars, spectators, and vendors is any indication, the event is well on its way.
By the end of the first day, it was evident that the show would definitely be much better than it had been, and I want to personally thank everyone who attended, and wait until you see what we're planning for next year.
Anyway, if you didn't make it to this year's event, you missed out on a great one. The vendors had reasonably priced parts for sale, the show cars were second to none, and the racing action that started on Friday night continued until Sunday afternoon. If you decided not to bring your car to race, someone else got your prize money. If you didn't bring your car to the show portion, you missed out on some great door prizes. With some help from our friends, we were able to give away multiple gift certificates from Summit Racing, Coker Tire, Optima batteries, and AMSOIL gave away enough oil for several oil changes.
Finally, we realize that some of you guys aren't really into car shows where your car gets judged, so this year we set it up so that Saturday was a casual, participant's-choice day, and then on Sunday, the Brat Pack Mopar Club from Tampa, Florida, handled the judging. Heck, if you were wondering what the kids would have to do all weekend, we even had a play area set up next to a shaded area for mom—sorry you missed it.
Don't beat yourself up too bad for not making it, though. Next year promises to be even better, so don't miss it!
More Photos From This Article View Slideshow
Talk about a gorgeous car, Barry Capps of Hendersonville, North Carolina, brought his Moulin Rouge '70 Duster out for a weekend of fun. The Duster is a real 340 car with a four-barrel and a 727.The weather was great, but the racing was hot! Whether you wanted to race in Pro, Super Pro, Street, or with your late-model Hemi-powered ride, there was a racing class for you.If it's racing action you want, the Mopar Muscle All-Mopar Southern Nationals has it. Here, Gary Wilson of Prentiss, Mississippi, ran in eighth-mile Super Pro, and he and his 493-powered Challenger ran a best of 6.084 at 110.92.Pegging the cool meter at a 10 is John and Jennifer Miller's '68 Dart. John had a hard decision to make this year, as he tends to vend, show, and race his car. Whatever he decides to do with his S/S look-a-like, you can bet him and his wife are having fun. Their Dart won the Mopar Muscle pick on Saturday.Our pick for Saturday was this '68 Barracuda Formula S that Peggy Bentley drove. The color is Jade Metallic, and it's powered by a 340 with an automatic. Peggy was representing the Citrus County Mopar Club. Peggy won the Mopar Muscle pick on Sunday.Michael Sexton and his Duster took Best of Show on Saturday. Watch for a full feature on this car in an upcoming issue.Deland, Florida's Marty Nichols powered this '68 Barracuda to a best of 6.392 at 102.99 mph in the Super Pro class, where racing was eighth-mile. In the far lane, Gerry Williams of Snellville, Georgia, and his '73 Challenger says he used a 318 to cover the eighth-mile in 6.855 at 97.31 mph.Norman Brown of Winston, Georgia, brought his Aspen R/T, powered by a 351-inch small-block, and ran a best of 14.279 at 94.98 mph. Meanwhile, in the far lane, the '68 Charger driven by Tony Scaramuzza made the trip from Cary, North Carolina, and ran a best of 12.767 at 105.16 with 440 power.
If you've ever wanted to take your show car down the track, you can at Mopar Muscle's All-Mopar Southern Nationals. We actually set it up as an arm drop race. We even have another idea slated for next year—think grudge races.Kevin Owen (near lane) from Enterprise, Alabama, ran a best of 12.608 at 105.49 with his 360-powered '68 D-100. In the far lane, Jeff Davis' Ram ran a best of 13.089 at 100.01.Jack and Gwen Birchall had one of the coolest cars at the event—a '66 Belvedere II with a big ole Hemi under the hood. Jack ordered the car new in 1965.Josh Hall of Swainsboro, Georgia, has a great looking 440-powered '68 Road Runner. Thanks for bringing it to the show.Making the trek from St. Cloud, Florida, Kent Bowers quite possibly got the best fuel mileage of anyone who entered. Not only is his Slant Six–powered Dart Custom fuel efficient, it looks great too.


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The Top 15 Cracked Videos of 2012
A look back at some of the most popular videos that we ran on Cracked this year mixed in with some of our personal favorites.
#15. 4 Creepy Hidden Truths Behind Popular Scary Stories by After Hours
Our four favorite humorists prove that even vacation can be meaninglessly deconstructed. In a spooky special episode shot in Idyllwild, California, Soren, Michael, Dan, and Katie debate the underlying psychological and social phenomena that create our scary story myths. Also, that scary clown is in the video, we promise. And if you look really closely, you'll notice that's real smoke in their eyes.
#14. Why the Ending of 'Star Wars' Is Secretly Kind of Dumb by Today's Topic
For those of you who think that we only debate useless pop-culture minutia after work, we present our rebuttal. Today's Topic is a series that launched this year in which Cracked Staff revisit observations from previous articles and draw fresh conclusions on a variety of issues ranging from movies to ... other stuff. This episode is an argument between Cody and Mike about whether a TIE Fighter pilot is the true hero of the original Star Wars. And whether Star Wars is dumb. Watch out for prequels.
#13. Sex as Understood by Adolescent Boys by Rachel Bloom
It's always reassuring when an attractive woman on the Internet can seductively articulate the inner workings of the adolescent mind. The fantastic Rachel Bloom sings an original song featuring lots of sexy sex and a special guest appearance by Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. Also, that boob car should really exist, right?
#12. The Dark Secret Behind Quirky Romantic Comedies by The Katie Willert Experience
A recent addition to the wildly successful Katie Willert Experience series, this video is the definitive send up of the Manic Pixie Dreamgirl phenomenon. When Kyle finally realizes that his cute, quirky girlfriend is actually mentally ill, he checks her into the Annie Hall Memorial State Home for Manic Pixie Dreamgirls, where he is exposed to the dark realities of the disease. There may or may not be a Shins montage. Not for the faint of heart.
#11. Why Being a Henchman in the Zelda Universe Would Suck by Those Aren't Muskets
If you're like us (and we know that you are, we have cybermetrics), you've spent a lot of time wondering how all the unlocked treasure chests that litter Hyrule's landscape actually got there. Well, great news! This year, Cracked and Those Aren't Muskets launched 8-Bits, a new series poking fun at the crazy logic of video game universes and answering all those nit-picky questions that our game-addled brains can't ignore. This episode, shot nearly two years ago, is the second installment. Watch for more next year!
#10. 'Game of Thrones': The Board Game by Cracked Staff
The definitive board game for the complex fantasy-based political thriller Game of Thrones. It's as fun as it is comprehensive and tedious. Oh, and it actually exists. We're still trying to finish our first round. We'll let you know how it goes.
#9. The 3 Worst Pieces of Advice on the Internet by Does Not Compute
S.W.A.I.M-bot and Clippy team up again to warn you about the perils of taking advice from the Internet. They're aware of the irony. Part of the ongoing series Does Not Compute, this episode exposes broadsword vendors and vanilla sexperts alike. By the end, you won't be sure whom to trust. Believe us.


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How can I get a Taylor expansion of the Sin[x] function by the power series?
If you're new to Mathematica, then it might make sense to explore these kinds of basic things via the natural language interface. Assuming that you're connected to the internet, so Mathematica can access WolframAlpha's servers, just type
Note that the equals sign will be reformatted to look like it's part of the WolframAlpha input window. The input and output taken together should look like so:
In addition to generating the series, this also shows you the precise Mathematica syntax to get the series - useful for when you graduate to higher level Mathematica usage!
It can be quite good at guessing your intent. In this particular case, we can type in the exact title of your question and get the correct result!


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Clashes in Syria between Assad loyalists and the resistance are continuing uninterruptedly. Some 700,000 people have now left Syria, while those who are left face a huge struggle to survive. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees is trying to find the financial resources to cope with the crisis. A great many of the refugees are being housed in camps in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.
The United Nations say they are concerned that the number of people leaving the country because of the fighting that has persisted for 2 years will rise to 1 million within four months, while the UNHCR says that 2-3,000 people are crossing to neighboring countries every day.
According to UN records, more than 20,000 people in Syria have died since the uprising against the government began in March 2011. Innocent women and children are being killed in bombing attacks on city centers every day. Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu revealed the seriousness of the situation by saying, "We will accept the humanitarian responsibility. But let it be known that the political responsibility lies with the UN Security Council, which has refused to take a decision, just like it did with Bosnia-Herzegovina, despite the death of 70,000 people in the Syrian crisis."
Turkish Red Crescent President Ahmet Lütfi Akar stated that the number of people fleeing persecution in Syria and living in camps in Turkey was 180,000, and that they had welcomed 70,000 people on the border making their own arrangements or staying with relatives. The Turkish government is doing all in its power on the Syrian border and working at full capacity trying to meet the food, clothing and accommodation needs of around 200,000 Syrian refugees. As a result of the recent aid campaign right across Turkey, 1000 tons of flour was sent to the border region in 40 lorries.
While the resistance and security forces fight it out, Assad shows no sign of being willing to step down and has declared his determination to the whole world in the words "I am Syrian. I was born here. I will protect my people. And I will die here." But Assad, who has inflicted such persecution on his own people, is ignoring the terrible fates of the Libyan leader Gaddafi and the Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak before him. Everyone knows that Bashar Assad is being maintained on a Russian base. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that "If it is being said there can be no dialogue with Assad without him stepping down, then they need to understand he will not resign. Because we tried to talk him into stepping down, but he has not reached that decision in his own mind." By that statement he shows he is trying to close the subject with a political reply.
The only reason the attacks in Syria, the persecution of the public and detentions are not coming to an end is that the powers watching and supporting the conflict have been unable to find a politician to replace Assad. Their aim is to bring someone to power in Syria whom they can direct, just like Assad, and use as their pawn. Policies of taking power over other countries always end in thousands of people dying.
Turkey has always helped refugees in all the fighting in the Middle East, in the Iran-Iraq War, in the Gulf War and in the fighting between Israel and Palestine. It has always helped innocent people who have fled to Turkey from their own countries and struggled to survive there. It would be unbecoming of Turkey to turn away innocent civilians, women and children, and abandon them to death. Turkey has shown that this policy has not changed by meeting all the needs of refugee camps housing 200,000 refugees who have fled from Syria, despite the $200 billion impact on its own annual budget.
Turkey has made clear its own weight in all the transitions and events taking place in the Middle East as part of the mission that it has for a long time assumed there. Prime Minister Erdoğan is the first foreigner to address the Iraqi Parliament, the first Sunni leader to visit the Hazrat Ali Mausoleum in Najaf, met with the Shiite religious Ayatollah Sistani in Najaf, and his is the first Turkish prime minister to meet with the head of the regional Kurdish administration in Arbil, Barzani. All these actions are a result of the desire to complete that mission. Turkey is currently focused on shaping the future of the Middle East and uniting the whole Muslim world under a single umbrella. Turkey is the only country that takes every opportunity to speak of the dangers of sectarian conflict and division in the region and that warns all the countries of the region at every opportunity. That is because Turkey is the only country that does not benefit from the tensions and conflict among the domestic and external forces in the region.
Whatever Turkey did in the past, it will continue to do with even more sure steps, opening its doors to refugees massing on its border with even more protective behavior and active political policies. But building camps where refugees can be comfortable and providing them with food and housing is only a temporary solution. The important thing is to avoid such temporary solutions and prepare a temporary refuge zone in the wake of every war that breaks out in the Middle East. The important thing is to enable people in Libya, Syria, Egypt, Palestine and other countries to live as they deserve, in a very free, democratic and modern environment, to ensure they are governed democratically and to put a halt to all the bloodshed in the Middle East. That is why Turkey has concentrated on being the leader of a union extending from Palestine in the Middle East to Indonesia in Asia. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu describes how Turkey has been focused on that aim for many years now: "Turkey's aim for 2023 is to be a world state. We want to be a world state in 2023. We want to be a state that never makes do with second best and that puts those who go beyond proper bounds firmly in their place."


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The New Pest Advisory Group (NPAG) assesses exotic plant pests that are new or not yet present in the United States but may pose a risk to U.S. agriculture or the environment and recommends appropriate actions to the Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Deputy Administrator.
What we do:
NPAG evaluates the significance of plant pests through potential economic and environmental impacts and coordinates information sharing and solicitation of expertise from regulatory and subject matter experts. These experts include federal, state, and university personnel that have knowledge of the pest or pest situation. The NPAG evaluation consists of an analysis that results in a brief technical report that provides key information about the pest, and recommendations for how PPQ should respond to a new plant pest or imminent threat.
How we do it:
The following flowchart outlines the NPAG Process. NPAG can be notified of a new pest by a variety of sources, such as any part of PPQ, State Departments of Agriculture, and electronic alerts. When notified, NPAG determines whether to analyze the pest based on its presence or absence in the United States and its quarantine status as a plant pest. NPAG analysts prepare a report by consulting the literature and subject matter experts, and the report goes through a thorough review by NPAG analysts and PPQ representatives (NPAG Liaisons). NPAG forwards pest reports to relevant groups in PPQ, such as National Identification Services, Emergency and Domestic Programs, or others, and consults with the National Plant Board when deregulating pests. When the organism is more urgent, they may forward the report directly to the PPQ Management Team, which includes the Deputy Administrator.
Who we are:
NPAG is part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine program. It operates out of the Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Laboratory (PERAL), which is part of the Center for Plant Health Science and Technology (CPHST). The NPAG team currently consists of 13 members with expertise in the areas of entomology, plant pathology, ecology, and economics. The team is lead by an NPAG Chair and Vice Chairs:
Chair: Tara Holtz
Vice Chair I: Cynthia Landry
Vice Chair II: Betsy Randall-Schadel
Contact Us:
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Mailing Address: USDA, APHIS, PPQ, CPHST, PERAL
1730 Varsity Drive, Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27606
Sample NPAG Reports:
The following are examples of pest reports produced by NPAG.


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Can the hourly backups by Time Machine be stopped? I'm on Lion and if it matters, each hour it tries to backup about 30GB (I don't know where this 30GB comes from, as today I've only modified a few text files and browsed the web). This results in the computer slowing down noticeable and beachballing more often.
Or even better than stopping them completely change the hourlys to every 2-4 hours?
It is backing up to a TimeCapsule, so I think the network might be the reason it is slowing down noticeable, that and it's a late 2008 MacBook Pro.


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Is there a technique to choose the time-frame for a cointegration test (eg Augmented Dickey-Fueller's)?
I have never read about any formal procedure for this. And, I don't remember this issue is even treated in C.Alexander's book Market Risk Analysis, Practical Financial Econometrics that dedicate a whole part to the cointegration of financial time series. One may well find tests for cointegration succeeding (failing) for a certain time frame and failing (succeeding) for a longer (shorter) time length.
This may be of interest to test for integration for different time lengths. And, one may argue the more often it succeed the better it is to take advantage of the paired-behavior of your time series.
Another way around is to consider first the time frame you wish, depending on the issue at stake (is that pure stats observation? do you want to ground trading decisions on these tests?).
Finally, one may wish to choose time frames avoiding known in advance events likely to cause shocks in prices (company earnings season, ....).
Why not use the entire data. But before you do clean the data by checking for structural breaks (t / F statistic of a dummy variable). If there exist a functional break, then you know you have to perform the co-integration tests separately for each time frames.
If you use a preferable time then the question is what criteria will you be choosing this time-frame on.


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Industry News
Is Your Packaging Ready for Vermont GMO Legislation?
Food and beverage packaging departments have just a few months to get ready for the July 1 deadline of Vermont's mandatory GMO labeling law.05/02/2016
Nestle U.S. Ice Creams Cleaning Up Labels
Removing artificial colors and flavors, high-fructose corn syrup and GMOs.05/02/2016
McCormick Buys Australian Herb Company
Pays $114 million for Botanical Food Co., maker of the Gourmet Garden brand of packaged herbs.05/01/2016
Nestle Creates Frozen Food Venture With R&R Ice Cream
Nestlé and ice cream company R&R, based in the U.K. and owned by PAI Partners, agree to set up Froneri, a global ice cream and frozen food joint venture.04/28/2016
Ex-Kraft Guys Shuffle In and Out of Pinnacle Foods
Mondelez's Mark Clouse named CEO to replace Bob Gamgort.04/28/2016
Dannon Will Label for GMOs by 2018
French parent also promises to wean its farmers off GMO corn by 2019.04/27/2016
Hershey Acquires barkTHINS Maker
Hershey purchases Ripple Brand Collective, LLC, a privately held company that owns the barkTHINS snacking chocolate brand.04/27/2016
Chobani Employees Given 10 Percent of Company
Founder Hamdi Ulukaya awards stock to 2,000 employees, averaging $150,000 each.04/26/2016
Searching the Beard Nominees for the Next Solid Trend
A chef examines the nominees for themes with staying power.04/21/2016
Ben and Jerry Arrested in Capitol Demonstration
Part of Democracy Awakening protest of the role of money in politics.04/20/2016
Grocery Manufacturers and Battelle Fight Economically Motivated Adulteration
They jointly launch EMAlert food fraud software tool to manage vulnerability.04/19/2016
Chobani Hires New CFO, Discusses IPO
Chobani appoints Mick Beekhuizen as its new CFO, its second in about two years. Financially, the company continues to explore a potential initial public offering04/19/2016
Mars Plans to Cut Sodium By 20 Percent in Five Years
Mars is pledging to reduce sodium in its produccts by 20 percent over the next five years and cut added sugar in some products by 2018.04/15/2016
GMA/FMI/Deloitte Research Uncovers Consumer Values Influencing Food Decisions
It's not just taste, price and convenience anymore; 'evolving drivers' are health and wellness, safety, social impact, experience and transparency.04/14/2016
States Woo Food Companies with Generous Financial Incentives
Fewer new-plant projects but richer subsidies are offered as states compete for greenfield projects.04/14/2016
McCormick Scraps Takeover of Premier Foods
Spice and herb seller McCormick abandons its takeover plan for British food maker Premier Foods following a review.04/13/2016
Acquisition Fuels Growth Expectations at Monogram Foods
Private-label specialist Monogram Foods anticipates 40 percent sales growth this year as a result of the acquisition of Progressive Gourmet, a Wilmington, Mass., processor of frozen appetizers.04/12/2016
USDA Seeks Nominations for the National Organic Standards Board
Five positions open on organic board for 2017-2021.04/11/2016
Sweets & Snacks Expo Calls For New Product Entries
Do you have a clever, new confection or snack? Find out by entering this competition.04/08/2016
FDA Finalizes Food Safety Rule on Food Transport
The FDA finalized a new food safety rule April 5, under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) that will help to prevent food contamination during transportation.04/07/2016


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Welcome to the Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center
We provide adult education and literacy resources, publications, and training for teachers of adults in Virginia.
The Literacy Institute @ VCU | Contact Us | © 2012 VALRC. All rights reserved. Updated: 06-13-16
The VALRC, located at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU School of Education), is funded primarily through the VA Department of Education.


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6 Real Museums Straight Out of Your Nightmares
When you're a kid, museums tend to range from mildly boring to incredibly boring vacation ruiners. Well, as part of our continuing mission to prove that things could always be worse, here are some museums that will have you sleeping with a nightlight for the next few years.
#6. The Hair Cave
Those people are standing in a cave, but those aren't stalactites. That, dear readers, is human hair.
You are looking at the personal collection of Turkish potter Chez Galip. And not only is he not a serial killer, as far as anyone knows, but he happily shares his collection of 16,000 locks of hair with the world.
In his cave.
His human hair cave.
Via Odditycentral.com
No, that's not a metaphor.
The "collecting" began in 1979, when Galip thought he might boost participation in the pottery courses he taught in his shop above the cave ... by collecting hair samples from participants and hanging them on the cave wall beneath the studio. We can only take his word that this was actually how he procured all those samples and that there aren't 16,000 shriveled heads silently screaming for release from their cavernous coffins.
Via Travelphotoreport.com
Colored note cards would have looked a lot less like dessicated scalp.
Undaunted by the lack of escape routes, women apparently continue to shed a lock for Galip's collection to this day. And if a visitor sees a tress that tickles his creep fancy, he might be able to find the owner. For you see, Galip thoughtfully COLLECTED ADDRESSES WITH EACH LOCK OF HAIR.
#5. Seodaemun Prison History Museum
Via Lovekorea89
If there's one building that has every right to be haunted, it's the Seodaemun Prison complex in Seoul.
From 1908 to 1945, the colonial Japanese government used Seodaemun to hold and torture dissenters. And then following Japan's defeat in WWII, the South Korean government used the buildings to hold their own inmates before reopening the building as a museum in 1992. So with every step you take at Seodaemun, you are literally walking across the collective agony of almost a century's worth of damned souls. Seodaemun's curators apparently found that palpable human anguish to be underwhelming, which is why they went one step further and put together elaborate displays like this one:
Via Lovekorea89
That man's torturing those women by staining their dresses with ketchup!
It's like they reimagined torture through the eyes of Team America: World Police. The museum is chock-full of life-size wax figure displays, such as red hot chili water being forced down an inmate's nose, bamboo shoots being thrust under prisoners' fingernails and old fashioned hangings.
Via Lovekorea89
"We call this the gravitea bong."
Oh, and don't imagine for one second that this is a strictly 18 and up venue just because of all the explicit torture dioramas. Kids are more than welcome to experience South Korea's past, warts and all!
Via Itthing.com
Yeah, we had the same reaction as the girl on the left when we noticed the fucking blood stains.
#4. Gallery of Paleontology and Compared Anatomy
Via Ancientshore.com
Have you ever wondered what Noah's Ark would have looked like if it got nuked on Judgement Day? Well, there's your answer.
The Gallery of Paleontology and Compared Anatomy is part of the family of museums that make up the French Natural History Museum. Seen from a distance or its balcony, the Gallery looks like a mundane, orderly collection of fossils chronicling evolution's march through time. Nothing too outrageous until -- GOOD LORD. Is that an inter-primate rape scene?!
OK, who gave Stanley Kubrick modeling clay?
Sure is! Notice the lusty glee of the little one on the right. But also the orangutan strangling the human to death. Notice that this unfortunate human's last horrific moments are ending with every terrible circumstance possible: strangled by an orangutan while his kid watched? Check. Naked? Check. Frozen in stone for all eternity to be gawked at by children? Check.
We're just getting started. We have to imagine it's the "Compared Anatomy" portion of the gallery that is responsible for things like this:
Via Ancientshore.com
"Rub your face in that. You can really feel a similarity to the mutilated dog display."
Because how can you properly compare animals unless they've been flayed of all their skin and sprawled out like a uptown lady waiting for her Brazilian wax? Oh, and just to keep things from getting weird, you might as well replace internal organs with wax fruit so the orangutan is a cornucopia of sorts.
Like many of us, the creators of the the museum wondered what underdeveloped human fetuses looked like if they were ripped from their mother's bodies, decomposed, then propped up for our entertainment. Especially if the open-skulled trio could be made to look like they're having a GREAT time, like we just caught them mid-guffaw.
"Man, that 'you've really lost weight' joke never gets old!"
Meanwhile, here's a happy pod of skeletonized whales, that appear to be about to feast on Han Solo frozen in carbonite:
Above: The best idea George Lucas ever cut.
There's a reason why we mentioned Noah's Ark in the beginning. Have you ever wondered what happens to zoo animals when they die? Well, in the 1890s, the French used the Jardin des Plantes Zoo's pile of dead animal remains for many of the exhibits in The Gallery of Paleontology and Compared Anatomy. Then they decided the only leader for such a parade of the undead is a man who has shed his skin like an annoying fleshy, pink encumbrance.
Via Hominides.com
"Chad, we need to talk to you about your circumcision technique."


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Our Products – Guaranteed 'Til Graduation
|We are confident the items you find here will fit
properly and hold up to the rigors of college life. If at any time from the first
day of school until graduation you are not satisfied, you can return any item for a replacement, or a full refund of
the price of the item.
If you have received an item that does not meet your expectations, please return it to us for exchange or refund. If you are returning more than 1 box, please make sure each box is labeled with your name, address, order number and a list of items returned. All returned merchandise must be sent via UPS, FEDEX or Post Office Insured. Except in the case of a defective item, customers are responsible for return shipping costs. For your records, please make note of the UPS or FEDEX tracking number for your return package or, if you choose to send your package by post office insured mail, please retain your postage receipt. Please retain these documents until your return is verified as received. There is no need to call us for return approval, simply follow the instructions on the back of your packing slip before returning or exchanging products and include this form with your return.
Return/Exchange Address:
Residence Hall Linens
305 West Commerce Street
Chambersburg, PA 17201
|Safe Shopping Guarantee
|When you place orders we offer the use of a secure
server. The secure server software (SSL) encrypts all information you input
before it is sent to us. Furthermore, all of the customer data we collect is
protected against unauthorized access.
If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of this site, or your dealings with this Web site, you can contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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|Our Guarantee
|Shopping with Residence Hall Linens or one of our educational partners is absolutely safe -- you never have to worry about credit-card safety when you are shopping at our site. We guarantee that each purchase you make is protected and safe. If fraudulent charges are ever made, you will not have to pay for them. See guarantee details below.
|Credit Card Security
|1. Is it safe to place a credit card order over the net?
|Yes. In a 1996 Washington Post article by Rob Pegoraro, David Medine of the Federal Trade Commission suggested that it is much safer to transmit your credit card number over the Internet than to give it to read it aloud over a cordless phone. Amazon.com reports on their site that none of their 17 million+ customers have reported any fraudulent use of their credit card as a result of shopping on-line.
|2. What security measures does Residence Hall Linens take to protect my credit card information?
|Our e-commerce shopping program uses Secure Server Technology. When in secure server mode, all information being sent to us is safely encrypted, unreadable by anyone else.
|Still Prefer to Order by Phone?
|We gladly accept orders via phone or fax. Call us toll-free at 800-957-4338.


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This successfully operating resort is located at the most eastern point of Antigua just 30 minutes from V.C Bird International airport outside of Freetown. Nonsuch Bay Resort is on a 161,874 m2 private peninsula surrounded by water on three sides.
Guests of the resort and owners benefit from three infinity-edge swimming pools, a white-sand beach, a resort shop, a private boat dock and various water sports facilities including sailing, paddle boarding and kitesurfing, childcare facilities and beautifully kept tropical gardens. There is also an award-winning restaurant on-site aptly named The Bay @ Nonsuch, as well as in-room dining and spa facilities.
The resort offers a range of properties for sale and approved for the citizenship-by-investment programme including apartments with 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms, beach cottages, townhouses, large villas and land plots. Owners are free to join the resort's rental pool and enjoy the convenience of the resort's range of property management services.
Property and plot summary
|1 to 3 bedroom / 1 to 3.5 bathroom
|Beach Cottages
|2 bedroom / 2 bathroom
|Ayers Creek Residences
|3 bedroom / 3 bathroom / plunge pool
|Hilltop Villa
|3 bedroom / 3 bathroom / swimming pool
|Villa Plots
|1,700 to 4,500m2 / 0.4 to 1 acre


text:
Geneva Talks on Syria Mark Big Test for U.S., Russia
Moscow Hopes to Reassert Itself as a Diplomatic Superpower, While Washington Hopes to Defuse a Showdown at Home
WASHINGTON—The decisions of the U.S. Congress and the United Nations on how to handle Syria's chemical weapons now hinge on two days of meetings starting Thursday between Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The meetings, to be held in Geneva, will represent Moscow's effort to reclaim a superpower's role on the world stage, while the Obama administration is looking for a way to defuse a showdown without being embarrassed either by losing a vote in Congress or the U.N. on action in Syria.
Stakes are high for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who vowed this week to force the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to disarm, and President Barack Obama, who delayed his vow of a military strike first to ask for a congressional blessing and then to seek a complicated agreement with Mr. Putin following months of tension and mistrust between the two governments.
The Obama administration has cautiously embraced the Russian initiative as a last-ditch effort to stave off direct American military involvement in Syria's civil war. But senior U.S. officials and other Western allies said they remain wary about Russian's intentions and whether Mr. Putin is simply seeking to buy time for his close ally in Damascus.
"Our goal here is to test the seriousness of this proposal, to talk about the specifics of how this would get done, what are the mechanics of identifying, verifying, securing and ultimately destroying the chemical weapons," said State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki. "And, this requires, of course, a willingness from both sides."
Mr. Kerry's meetings with Mr. Lavrov will occur after a feverish three weeks in which a chemical attack U.S. officials blame on the Syrian government prompted Mr. Obama to vow to retaliate with missile strikes.
After criticism, Mr. Obama asked for congressional approval of a resolution authorizing the use of force. As that effort sagged under congressional resistance and public opposition, Mr. Kerry inadvertently invited a diplomatic overture from Moscow by saying in an offhand comment in London on Monday that Syria could avoid a military strike by surrendering its chemical weapons to international control.
That same day, Syrian officials acknowledged for the first time that they had chemical weapons and agreed to hand them over.
France, the U.K. and the U.S. began drafting a U.N. Security Council resolution that would require Syria's compliance under the threat of force, but Russia objected.
On Wednesday, the three presented their proposals. Russian and U.S. chemical-weapons experts will help "the two ministers sketch out a possible scenario of a regime of inspections," a Western diplomat said.
The diplomat added that "if the Russians can be taken at their word and get the Syrians to disarm and dismantle these chemical weapons…everything else will follow from that."
Messrs. Kerry and Lavrov have forged an unlikely diplomatic partnership this year, meeting nearly a dozen times in a bid to end the Syrian conflict. Mr. Kerry has said Russia is a crucial partner in trying to stabilize Syria and the broader Middle East.
Syrian opposition leaders, though, have repeatedly warned that the Russians are manipulating Mr. Kerry.
They said Moscow's interest in the Geneva peace process has been largely driven by a desire to buy more time for Mr. Assad to crack down on his political and military opponents. And they said they had little hope that Russia's disarmament initiative will go anywhere.
"After more than two years of Russia aiding the Assad regime, the coalition doubts it would be able to bring about a peaceful, democratic conclusion to the Syrian civil war, said Farah Al-Atassi, a member of Syria's main political opposition group. "How can we trust them? They've become part of the problem. They are not a part of the solution," she said.
Mr. Kerry was to be accompanied by a team of U.S. experts who were set to meet with similar specialists from Russia to evaluate the details of the proposal.
However, U.S. officials made clear that they aren't trying to settle a key point of disagreement that has emerged between Moscow and Western powers: whether the effort to take control of Syria's chemical weapons should be accompanied by a threat of force.
Moscow argues that the Syrian regime's quick agreement to the proposal was enough of a concession and that further consequences should be considered only after any compliance problems arise.
The State Department and White House said any resolution should be credible and "binding," but appeared to leave open the possibility that the U.S. would accept a Security Council resolution that didn't include the threat of force. White House officials said they are seeking a diplomatic proposal that includes specific benchmarks for success.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney also said Russia now has "put its prestige on the line" by trying to broker a deal for Syria. Administration officials also suggested Moscow's involvement would deter Syria from using chemical weapons again.
"I think this whole process will test the seriousness of all participants," Mr. Carney said.
The White House continued Wednesday to reserve the option of military force. "Absent the success of a diplomatic initiative like this that verifiably removes chemical weapons from Assad's control, the right course of action is to engage in a limited operation," Mr. Carney said.
The diplomatic initiative could help Mr. Obama eventually gain approval from Congress for some type of resolution regarding Syria.
"There's the potential for more support, but it's hard to predict," a senior administration official said. "And we are under no illusions about the resistance to supporting a strike, among the public and therefore in Congress."
Before delivering a prime-time address Tuesday, Mr. Obama encouraged lawmakers to continue working on a resolution—but one that is tweaked to include a diplomatic ultimatum, officials said.
Administration officials privately acknowledge that the vote in Congress this week was headed for failure before a surprise last-ditch diplomatic effort, led by Russia, inadvertently emerged, prompting Mr. Obama to tell Americans Tuesday that he had asked congressional leaders to postpone voting on a resolution authorizing military force.
"A number of members have begun looking at resolutions that might take into account the diplomatic avenues that are being pursued, and that is certainly worthy of pursuit," Mr. Carney said. "We're in consultations with Congress about that."
Another senior administration official said the U.S. legislative pause to pursue diplomacy could also elicit another vote in the British Parliament, a move the White House believes could turn out positively this time and strengthen Mr. Obama's hand on Capitol Hill.
In Moscow, Russian officials touted Moscow's initiative as a triumph for Kremlin diplomacy.
"Russia's breakthrough initiative to put Syrian chemical weapons under international control for later destruction left the U.S. administration and President Obama no choice," said Vladimir Kuroyedov, chairman of the Defense Committee in the State Duma, the lower house of parliament.
In the Duma on Tuesday, legislators overwhelmingly backed a nonbinding resolution calling on the U.S. to give up its "plans for aggression" against Syria.
—Gregory L. White, Julian E. Barnes, Rebecca Ballhaus and Joe Lauria contributed to this article.
Write to Jay Solomon at email@example.com and Carol E. Lee at email@example.com


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Used to be, double click on a #!/bin/bash execute script had the choices:
execute display cancel ...
Now double click on an execute script does not start it but just does display.
I don't see anything under any of the choices I've found.
How under Nautilus do I start an execute?
Is this a bug or I fear a new "feeture"?
Thanks, Jerry


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Consider a charged particle (electron or proton) at rest. It is surrounded by its own electric field.
Now consider an electron moving with certain velocity (less than speed of light), Still is there electric field around it?
i. If it has electric field around it, why is it that when electrons are moving in a conductor (i.e.. current if flowing in a conductor) there is no electric field outside the conductor?
ii. Now, when a current is flowing in a conductor (I'm not sure what happens if the motion is not inside conductor) it produces magnetic field around it. I'm lost. What happened to the electric field? Is it still there? Are there both electric field & magnetic field? Why don't we discuss about it?
Hypothetically, If the electron is moving with speed more than that of light. What happens now?
I'm totally lost. Kindly some one clarify these issues.


text:
Rescuers hone their skills during training at DuPont
Published: Thursday, November 8, 2012 at 9:50 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, November 8, 2012 at 9:50 p.m.
Rescue personnel took part in the seventh annual DuPont Rescue Experience at the DuPont State Recreational Forest last weekend.
Photo Galleries
The event was sponsored by N.C. Emergency Management in conjunction with Blue Ridge Community College and numerous local rescue agencies.
The training exercise provided rescuers with an opportunity to participate in search and rescue operations in a wilderness environment. The training consisted of rope rescue techniques, wilderness medical techniques, search theory, canine search, communications and land navigation.
More than 150 rescuers from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia used ground teams, K9 teams, ATVs and mountain bikes to complete simulated missions throughout the forest's 10,000 acres.
Training scenarios included a simulated rescue from a waterfall as well as a search for a missing woman last seen on a mountain bike.
The exercise also provided training for members of Incident Management Teams, providing essential planning and logistical processes for the event.
"This training provides a tremendous chance for rescuers to apply their skills in a controlled real-world environment; it's all about improving skills and providing a better service to the communities they serve," said Jimmy Brissie, a member of the exercise planning committee.
For more information visit www.dupontrescue.com.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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Home > Food > Recipe Slideshows > 12 Berry-licious Dessert Recipes
12 Berry-licious Dessert Recipesby Erin Dower
Make the most of the spring and summer berry season by whipping up some delicious berry desserts. Enjoy these recipes for strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, and mixed berry treats at your next party or picnic. Many of them are lower in fat than most rich desserts, and some are no-cook recipes.
Strawberry Yogurt Mousse
Mousse sounds decadent, but it doesn't have to be high-maintenance — or high-calorie. This strawberry mousse is made with just four simple ingredients, including popular Greek yogurt.
Get the recipe for Strawberry Yogurt Mousse
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I have a sample $S(x)$ containing $n$ elements:
$$S(x)=\{ s_1 x, s_2 x, \ldots, s_n x \},\qquad s_i \in \mathbb{R}, x\in \mathbb{R^{+}}$$
Every element in the sample is multiplied by $x$. Now median of this sample is
$$\tilde{S}(x)=y,\qquad y\in \mathbb{R^{+}}$$
When $y$ is given, how to find $x$?
In other words: If I know median of a sample whose every element is multiplied by a certain factor, how to find this factor? The original sample elements $s_{i}$ are also known.
I think it would be possible to find the value with a search algorithm (to some degree of precision), but maybe there is a simple closed solution.
Note that there may be more that one $x$ satisfying the above equation, since $s_i$ come from $\mathbb{N}$. The solution will more likely be an interval of values.