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Artfully drawn characters who are a pleasure to know populate Kaaberbøl and Friis's excellent third thriller featuring nurse Nina Borg (after 2013's Invisible Murder). At a Red Cross crisis center in Copenhagen known as Coal-House Camp, Nina bonds with Natasha Doroshenko, a Ukrainian refuge. Natasha is arrested for the attempted murder of her abusive Danish fiancé, but Nina believes she is innocent, even after Natasha escapes from custody and the fiancé is brutally slain. Meanwhile, two Ukrainian police officers arrive in Copenhagen looking for Natasha to question her about the murder of her husband, Pavel, three years earlier in Kiev. Nina asks for help from Søren Kirkegard, a member of the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, whom she knows slightly and trusts implicitly. Woven in with the present-day narrative are scenes from 1934 Ukraine, where two sisters are starving in a nightmare childhood. The stories eventually link up, of course, with one final clever twist. (Nov.)
Death of a Nightingale (Nina Borg Series #3)by Lene Kaaberbøl, Agnete Friis, Elisabeth Dyssegaard
View All Available Formats & Editions
Nina. Natasha. Olga. Three women united by one terrifying secret. But only one of them has killed to keep it.
Natasha Doroshenko, a Ukrainian woman who has been/b>/i>/i>
From the Nordic noir duo who brought you The New York Times bestseller The Boy in the Suitcase comes a chilling new thriller with a mystery seventy-years in the making.
Nina. Natasha. Olga. Three women united by one terrifying secret. But only one of them has killed to keep it.
Natasha Doroshenko, a Ukrainian woman who has been convicted for the attempted murder of her Danish ex-fiancé, escapes police custody on her way to an interrogation in Copenhagen's police headquarters. That same night, the ex-fiancé's frozen, tortured body is found in a car. It isn't the first time the young Ukrainian woman has lost a partner to violent ends: her first husband was murdered three years earlier in Kiev in the same manner.
Danish Red Cross nurse Nina Borg has followed Natasha's case for years now, ever since Natasha first took refuge at her crisis center. Nina just can't see the young mother as a vicious killer. But in her effort to protect Natasha's daughter and discover the truth, Nina realizes there is much she didn't know about Natasha and her past. The mystery has long and bloody roots, going back to a terrible famine that devastated Stalinist Ukraine in 1934, when a ten-year-old girl with the voice of a nightingale sang her family into shallow graves.
From the Hardcover edition.
Editorial Reviews
Artfully drawn characters who are a pleasure to know populate Kaaberbøl and Friis's excellent third thriller featuring nurse Nina Borg (after 2013's Invisible Murder). At a Red Cross crisis center in Copenhagen known as Coal-House Camp, Nina bonds with Natasha Doroshenko, a Ukrainian refuge. Natasha is arrested for the attempted murder of her abusive Danish fiancé, but Nina believes she is innocent, even after Natasha escapes from custody and the fiancé is brutally slain. Meanwhile, two Ukrainian police officers arrive in Copenhagen looking for Natasha to question her about the murder of her husband, Pavel, three years earlier in Kiev. Nina asks for help from Søren Kirkegard, a member of the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, whom she knows slightly and trusts implicitly. Woven in with the present-day narrative are scenes from 1934 Ukraine, where two sisters are starving in a nightmare childhood. The stories eventually link up, of course, with one final clever twist. (Nov.)
A BBC Front Row Best Crime Novel of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Top 10 Mystery of of the Year
A Book Page Best Mystery & Thriller of the Year
An IndieNext Selection
A Public Library Association LibraryReads Selection
"[Nina] joins the sisterhood of run-amok heroines like Homeland's Carrie Mathison and Lisbeth Salander of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Nina doesn't just have a bee in her bonnet—she has a whole hive. And it's buzzing away in her latest adventure, Death of a Nightingale, an elaborately plotted page-turner that flits from today's liberal-minded Denmark and mobbed-up Ukraine to the starvation-racked Soviet Union of the Stalinist '30s."
—John Powers, NPR's Fresh Air
"Death of a Nightingale is a gripping and elegant tapestry of a novel. A seamless weaving of psychological depth and rocket-paced plotting, the story hooked me in and the strong, complicated, and fascinating women at its center kept me utterly riveted cover-to-cover. Nina Borg is one of my new favorite heroines!"
—Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of In the Blood
"Feminist outrage fuels the politically pointed novels of the Danish writing partners Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis . . . Nina is all heart and her efforts to bring justice to women like Natasha are heroic."
—New York Times Book Review
"A moving story . . . [Kaaberbøl and Friis] tell a socially conscious—and, at times, critical—tale about immigration issues that apply both to Denmark and the U.S. without sacrificing the urgency of the best thrillers."
"Required reading for fans of the burgeoning field of new Nordic suspense."
—Kirkus Reviews
"There are two parallel stories told in this exciting mystery. The main story is about a beautiful young Russian woman, Natasha, accused by the Ukrainian authorities of murdering her husband. She manages to escape with her young daughter to Denmark. Subsequently she is sent to a Danish prison for the murder of her fiancée. There are many clues that seem to demonstrate her innocence, but someone prefers that the truth be left unknown. The second story line takes place around 1934 when Stalin was in power. Oxana, also called the nightingale of the people, and her younger sister Olga are featured. The dreadful circumstances of their lives have tentacles that reach far into the future, and collide with the fate of Natasha and her daughter. The mystery builds and builds in intensity until it is almost impossible to put the book down."
—ABA IndieNext Selection
"Compulsive do-gooder Nina Borg is now involved with Ukrainian detainees seeking asylum in Denmark. Among them are Natasha, an abused refugee and widow of a slain journalist, and her anxious 8-year-old daughter, Katerina. The two are pursued by a mysterious, powerful Ukrainian woman and Danish security forces, who consider Natasha a suspect in her fiance's murder. Two plots gradually merge in a dramatic climax. Recommended for fans of Karin Fossum, Arnaldur Indridison, Colin Cotterill and mystery lovers who prefer plots that explore social justice and morality."
—PLA LibraryReads Selection
"Artfully drawn characters who are a pleasure to know populate Kaaberbøl and Friis's excellent third thriller featuring nurse Nina Borg . . . Woven in with the present-day narrative are scenes from 1934 Ukraine, where two sisters are starving in a nightmare childhood. The stories eventually link up, of course, with one final clever twist."
—Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review
"Nina is an imperfect hero, which makes her all the more appealing."
—The Boston Globe
"[The] latest Nina Borg mystery grips . . . A sense of mystery and threat looms large over the gloomy, ice-bound landscape."
—The Independent (UK)
"The authors follow their 2011 Nordic noir hit The Boy in the Suitcase with this intense murder mystery, once again starring Danish Red Cross nurse Nina Borg. Intricate, compelling and dark."
—The Sacramento Bee
"Explores a different kind of trauma, with deep, twisting roots in the forced famine of Stalin in Eastern Europe of the 1930s . . . This well-crafted book takes us to the inevitable conclusion that, while life can go on after the worst of the worst, the past is always with us."
—Buffalo News
"Scandinavian Crime Aficionados will love this chilling modern thriller."
—Mystery Tribune
"Readers who like historical fiction will nonetheless find themselves intrigued by the emotionally resonant portrayal of the sisters growing up in extraordinary times, and readers who like thrillers that touch on women's issues will appreciate the sketches of two women, one determined to save her child at any cost, the other obsessed with saving the world one person at a time."
"Fascinating and terrifying."
—Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"Fans of the duo's previous books will not be disappointed."
—Library Journal
"The Danish duo just keeps getting better . . . [Death of a Nightingale] is near perfect."
—RT Book Reviews, Top Pick
"One police character in Death of a Nightingale describes Nina Borg as 'hostile to authority and borderline paranoid.' That's one way of looking at our Nina's heroism."
—Toronto Star
"Once again, Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis have constructed an emotional roller coaster ride peopled by characters of marvelous depth and nuance."
—Kittling Books
"Kaaberbøl and Friis have served up a complex, compelling mystery, one that is filled with fascinating characters, provocative themes, and plenty of pulse-pounding action."
"Kaaberbøl and Friis are among the very best writers in the current crop of Scandinavian crime writers."
—Glenn Harper, International Noir Fiction
"Ultimately a story of families torn apart, both in the present and in the past . . . A welcome addition to an already outstanding panoply of Scandinavian crime novels."
—Crimespree Magazine
"This is the third in the Nina Borg series, and this latest title certainly caters to the mystery (and slightly gory) reader . . . Readers will discover the reason for the gory fable at the beginning, and by the end of the book, they'll be cheering."
—Suspense Magazine
"Intricately woven, utterly compelling."
—Criminal Element
"May be the best of the series."
—Midwest Book Review
"How can I put this? It seems wrong to say it's entertaining or a pleasure to read, because it will make you sad and angry and ache with sympathy. Yet it's a story that you will care about and the plot will propel you forward. Perhaps the most accurate words for it are 'thrilling' and 'unforgettable.' It's a very good book."
—Barbara Fister, Scandinavian Crime Fiction
"The contemporary story alternates with a riveting account of life in Ukraine in the 1930s, first during the famine and the campaign against the kulaks . . . Two little girls are at the center of this story, one eight, the other ten. What they did as children and what was done to them is still reverberating seventy years on."
—Reviewing the Evidence
"Loved this . . . A terrific story of how the past can continue on and spread its tentacles into the future."
—Before It's News
"A stunning indictment of all that was wrong with Stalinist Russia . . . [and] a story that will leave the reader on the edge of the seat until the end."
—Deadly Pleasures
"Suspense that captivates you and characters that quickly become much more than just clever constructions."
—Extra (Ekstra Bladet, Denmark)
"Incredibly well written with both an original and suspenseful plot."
—Politken (Denmark)
"Captivating, fast-paced and moving."
—The Jutland Post (Jyllands-Posten, Denmark)
"Elegantly told and thankfully completely without any of the normal clichés that otherwise rule the genre. A really well composed thriller."
—West Jutland News (JydskeVestkysten, Denmark)
From the Hardcover edition.
In the third book of this Scandinavian crime series (after Invisible Murder), Red Cross nurse Nina Borg is once again involved in the lives of Eastern European immigrants living in Denmark. She has been treating an eight-year-old Ukrainian girl at a Red Cross center while the girl's mother, Natasha Doroshenko, is in police custody. Natasha has been arrested for murdering her Danish fiancé. After Natasha escapes custody on the way to Copenhagen's police headquarters, her only goal is to be reunited with her daughter. However, someone tries to abduct the child from the center. As Nina investigates the attempted abduction, she realizes she knows very little about Natasha's life in the Ukraine and will discover that the secret may lie far in the past—back to the Stalinist 1930s. On a personal level, Nina, now divorced, is trying to keep her relationship with her own two children while attempting to safeguard the other woman's child. VERDICT While the parallel story line describing family life in 1930s Ukraine at times is disruptive to the main plot, fans of the duo's previous books will not be disappointed. The authors maintain similar tension and mood as in their earlier books, and Nina Borg remains determined to protect those whom others might see as outcasts from society.—Jean King, West Hempstead P.L., NY
The third installment of the Nina Borg trilogy (Invisible Murder, 2012, etc.) shuttles back and forth between a nerve-racking present and an unspeakable past. Now that she's been arrested for trying to stab her abusive fiance, Michael Vestergaard, to death, what else can go wrong in Natasha Doroshenko's life? Hours after she escapes the police officers transferring her from her prison cell to a Copenhagen station for questioning, someone succeeds in killing Vestergaard, and police commissioner Mona Heide is convinced it's Natasha. Only Nina Borg, a nurse who observed Natasha and her daughter Katerina, 8, at the Coal-House Camp, believes that she escaped to take her daughter away from the camp, not to finish the job on her former lover. As Natasha, Nina and the police, with the unwanted assistance of a mysterious pair of Ukrainian cops, work at desperate cross-purposes in the present, trouble is brewing in Ukraine during the famine of 1934. Olga Trofimenko's father, Andreij, who has brought his wife and children--Olga, her older sister, Oxana, and their younger brother, Kolja--to Mykolayevka so that he can manage the collective farm there, abandons his family to take up with another woman, throwing them on the dubious mercies of their doctrinaire schoolteacher, Comrade Semienova, and Uncle Stalin. Sooner or later, of course, this grim past will collide with the troubled present, and trying to imagine how they'll come together, and whether their connection will justify all the threatened coincidences and loose ends, is the chief pleasure this ice-cold thriller offers. The most conventionally plotted of Nina's three adventures, and the one in which she has the least to do, is still required reading for fans of the burgeoning field of new Nordic suspense.
Product Details
- 9781616953058
- Publisher:
- Soho Press, Incorporated
- Publication date:
- 11/05/2013
- Series:
- Nina Borg Series , #3
- Sold by:
- Penguin Random House Publisher Services
- Format:
- NOOK Book
- Sales rank:
- 4,833
- File size:
Read an Excerpt
"Go on," says a man's voice.
"I'm tired." An older woman answers, clearly uncomfortable and dismissive.
"But it's so exciting."
"Exciting?" there's a sharp lash of bitterness to her reaction. "A bit of Saturday entertainment. Is that what it is for you?"
"No, I didn't mean it like that."
They are both speaking Ukrainian, he quickly and informally, she more hesitantly.
In the background you can hear occasional beeps from an electronic game.
"It's important for posterity."
The old woman laughs now, a hard and unhappy laughter.
"Posterity," she says. "Do you mean the child? Isn't she better off not knowing?"
"If that's how you see it. We should be getting home anyway."
"No," the word is abrupt. "Not yet. You can stay a little longer."
"You said you were tired," says the man.
"No. Not…. that tired."
"I don't mean to press you."
"No, I know that. You just thought it was exciting."
"Forget that I said that. It was stupid."
"No, no. Children like exciting stories. Fairytales."
"I was thinking more along the lines of something real. Something you experienced yourself."
Again a short pause.
"No, let me tell you a story," the old woman then says suddenly. "A fairytale. A little fairytale from Stalin land. A suitable bedtime story for our little girl. Are you listening, my sweet?"
Beep, beep, beep-beep. An unclear mumbling from the child. Apparently she isn't really paying much attention, but that doesn't stop the old woman.
"Once upon a time there were two sisters, "she begins, clearly as if reciting. "Two sisters who both sang so beautifully that the nightingale had to stop singing when it heard them. First one sang for the emperor and in that way caused many people's undoing. The other one resented that and she began to sing too "
"Who are you talking about?" the man asks. "Is it you? Is it someone we know?"
The old woman ignores him. There's a harsh ring to her voice. As if she is using the story to punish him.
"When the emperor heard her, his heart grew inflamed and he had to own her," she continued. "Come to me," he begged. You can be sure he begged.
"Come to me and be my nightingale. I'll give you gold and beautiful clothes and a servant for every finger."
Here the old woman stops. It's as if she doesn't really feel like going on, and the man no longer presses her. But the story has its own relentless logic, and she has to finish it.
"At first she refused. She rejected the emperor. But he persisted. "What should I give you then?" he asked, because he had learned that everything has a price. "I will not come to you," said the other sister, 'before you give me my evil sister's head on a platter.'"
In the background the beeping sounds from the child's game have ceased. Now there is only an attentive silence.
"When the emperor saw that a heart as black as sin hid behind the beautiful song," the old woman continues, still using her fairytale voice: "He not only killed the first sister, but also the nightingale's father and mother and grandfather and grandmother and whole family. 'That's what you get for your jealousy,' he said and threw her out."
The child utters a sound, a frightened squeak. The old woman doesn't seem to notice.
"Tell me, " she whispers. "Which of them is me?"
"You're both alive," says the man. "So something in the story must be a lie."
"In Stalin land, Stalin decides what is true and what's a lie," says the old woman. "And I said that it was a Stalin fairytale."
"Daddy," says the child. "I want to go home now…"
Natasha started; she had been sitting silently, looking out the window to one side where Copenhagen gliding by in frozen, stiff and gray colors. Dirty house fronts. Dirty snow and a dirty low sky where the sun had barely managed to rise about the rooftops in the course of the day. The car's tires hissed in the soap-like mixture of snow, ice and salt which covered the asphalt. None of it had anything to do with her, and she noted it all without really seeing it.
"You speak Danish, don't you?"
The policeman in the passenger seat had turned toward her and offered a little, blue-white pack, and she nodded and took a piece. Said thank you. He smiled at her and turned back into his seat.
This wasn't the "bus" as they called it – the usual transport from Vestre Prison to the court—that Natasha had been on. It was an ordinary patrol car; the police were ordinary Danish policemen. One, the one who had given her the gum, was a young man, thirty at the most. The other was old and fat and seemed nice enough. Danish police had kind eyes. Even that time with Michael and the knife, they had spoken calmly and kindly to her as if she hadn't been a criminal they were arresting but rather a patient going to the hospital.
One day, before too long, two of these kind men would put her and Katerina on a flight back to the Ukraine, but that's not what was happening today. Not yet. It couldn't be. Her asylum case had not yet been decided, and Katerina was not with her. Besides, you didn't need to go through Copenhagen to get to the airport, that much she knew. This was the way to police headquarters.
Natasha placed her hands on her light blue jeans, rubbed them back and forth hard across the rough fabric, opened and closed them quickly. Finally she made an effort to let her fists rest on her knees while she looked out at Copenhagen and tried to figure out if the trip into the city brought her closer to or farther from Katerina. During the last months, the walls and the physical distance that separated them had become an obsession. She was closer to her daughter when she ate in the canteen than when she was in her cell. The trip to the yard was also several meters in the wrong direction, but still felt soothing because it was as if she was breathing the same air as Katerina. On the library computer she had found Google Street View and dragged the flat little man in to the parking lot in front of the prison, further along Copenhagen's streets and up the highway entrance ramp to northern Sealand. It was as if she could walk next to him the whole way and see houses and store fronts and trees and cars, but when he reached Kulhus Camp, he couldn't go any further. Here she had to make do with the grubby satellite image of the camp's flat barrack roofs. She had stared at the pictures until she went nearly insane. She had imagined that one of the tiny dots was Katerina. Dreamed of getting closer. From the prison, it was 23 kilometers to Kulhus Camp. From the center of Copenhagen it was probably a few kilometers more, but on the other hand, there were neither walls nor barbed wire between her and the camp right now. There was only the policemen's thin steel shell, air and wind, kilometers of asphalt and later fields and wet forest floor.
She knew it wouldn't do any good, but still stretched out her hand and let it touch the young policeman's shoulder.
"You still don't know anything?" she asked in English.
His eyes met hers in the rear view mirror. His gaze was apologetic but also indifferent. He shook his head.
"We're just chauffeurs," he said. "We aren't usually told stuff like that."
She leaned back in her seat and started to rub her palms against her jeans. Opened and closed her hands. Neither of the two policemen knew what she was doing at police headquarters. They had nothing for her except chewing gum.
The case with Michael was long finished, so that probably wasn't what it was about, and her asylum case had never yet required interviews interrogations anywhere but Kulhus Camp.
Natasha felt the fear make her stomach contract, so she had to shit and pee at the same time. If she had just had Katerina there. If they had just been together. At night in the prison she had the most terrible nightmares about Katerina alone in the children's barrack, surrounded by flames.
Or Katerina making her way alone into the swamp behind the camp.
It was unnatural for a mother not to be able to reach out and touch her child. Natasha knew she was behaving exactly like the cows when their calves were taken from them in the fall, and they stood, their shrill bellowing lasting for hours,, without knowing which way to direct their sorrow. She had tried to relieve her restlessness with cold logic. She and Katerina were not separated forever, she told herself. She came to visit once in a while with Nina, the lady from Kulhus Camp, who reassured Natasha every time that she would personally take care of Katerina. Rina, the Danes called her. They thought that was her name because that's what the papers said. But Rina wasn't even a name. It was what was left over when a little man in Dublin had done what he could to veil the original text.
Maybe that's why she was here? Had they discovered what the man in Dublin had done?
Her dread of the future rose like the tide. Her jaw muscles tightened painfully, and when she crushed the compact piece of gum between her teeth, everything in her mouth felt sticky and metallic.
Meet the Author
Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis are the Danish duo behind the Nina Borg series. Friis is a journalist by training, while Kaaberbøl has been a professional writer since the age of fifteen, with more than two million books sold worldwide. Their first collaboration, The Boy in the Suitcase, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller, has been translated into thirty languages, and has sold half a million copies worldwide.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis return with their third book - Death of a Nightingale - featuring protagonist Nina Borg. Nina is a Red Cross nurse working in a Danish refugee camp. She's passionate about her work and the people she looks after - to the detriment of her own life. Her marriage has broken down and she's lost custody of her children. Death of a Nightingale continues the story of two of the residents of Coal House Camp - Ukrainian national Natasha and her daughter Katerina. Natasha has been convicted of the attempted murder of her abusive Danish boyfriend, but escapes custody on her way to sentencing, determined to reclaim her child. Alternate chapters tell the story of two little girls in Stalinist Ukraine in 1934. The glimpse into the past is chilling and compelling. Written from a child's viewpoint, I found these chapters fascinating and found myself heading to the 'net to read more about this period in history. Slowly but surely Kaaberbol and Friis meld the two story lines together. I enjoyed the well plotted and slow paced reveal. Friis and Kaaberbol have populated the book with incredibly strong female characters, each with dogged and determined wills. Lines are blurred often - what is right versus what is lawful. And what needs to be done. I think this is why I like Nina so much. She is far from perfect, but tries to do right by everyone in her life. She's failing, but is able to see her shortcomings and indeed acknowledges she may not be able to change - her family may be lost to her. The plot is well crafted and the story moves along quickly, with lots of action and bite your nails moments. The ending is tied up but leaves the door open for the next in the series - one I will be picking up for sure.
I've been a fan since "The Boy in the Suitcase", which I couldn't put down. This one has potential, but falls short in places. The characters, old and new, are as mysterious and conflicted as ever, but they are less defined and therefore less compelling. The storyline is a leftover from the past, and it is missing the urgency and action of past works. The European history lesson this time centers on Ukraine, which makes for some interesting reading considering recent events. All in all, a tame read.
There are protagonists of all kinds, professions, sexes and other attributes, but in this series the protag is a Red Cross nurse, and an unusual one, since she has a compulsion to save the world and mistreated underdogs. So Nina Borg, in this, the third novel in the series, has a Ukrainian refugee, accused of knifing her abusive fiancé (as well as her husband back in the Ukraine), and her young daughter to protect. The plot includes a back story which takes place in the Ukraine during 1934-5 involving two sisters, one of whom is a die-hard Stalinist communist, but both of them sweet singers "like a nightingale. The present-day events, of course, have their roots on what happened to the sisters during the '30's and right up to the time of the present story. This novel may be the best of the series, maybe the co-authors are developing an ability to lessen dependence on Nina's personal problems, such as her divorce, and more on solid plotting. The novel is well-written and the translation is smooth. Recommended.
Nice to get more on Natasha and her child. Won't change your life but will kill time
Ressistance is futile. You will be incinerated.


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Officials had held that seats to be offered to foreign nationals would be additional in nature and would not reduce those available to Indians at the IITs.
Ethnic is in: IIT-Bombay chooses khadi as convocation robe
The institute, has placed an order for 3,500 robes made of khadi cotton, inculcating the feeling of nationalism in students.
IIT-aspirant Prince Kumar Singh commits suicide in Kota, 12th death this year
The deceased boy was also reported to have spoken on phone to his parents in Bihar just minutes before he took the extreme step last night, the ASI added.
Bombay, Madras IITs to develop aero-propulsion tech for DRDO
The DRDO signed an agreement by which a bi-nodal "Centre for Propulsion Technology" (CoPT) will be established at the IIT Bombay and IIT Madras campuses.
Should there be space for more seats at IITs?
When IIT results come out, around two lakh students will know whether they are among the 10,000-odd who have made it to the 23 coveted institutes.
'Top-ranked' IIT Madras is fifth choice for JEE toppers this year
IIT Madras ranks at number 5 for the top rankers in the JEE Advanced with only 103 takers. Last year too, 103 students opted for IIT Madras among the top 1,000 rankers.
IIT-Kharagpur to set up centre for science of happiness
The IIT-Kharagpur has said it will start a 'centre for science of happiness', which will not only help students embrace more happiness.
IIT-Kgp to set up lab in search of formula for happiness, positivity
Space for the centre has been marked out and construction will start soon. Expectedly, it will cost $1 million to set up the centre.
67 out of top 100 students flock to IIT-B again
The JoSAA released results of the first round of allotment of seats in IITs, NITs and other centrally-funded technological institutes on Thursday .
IIT-Kharagpur develops radio frequency tracker for school kids' safety
In a bid to make children's commute to and from schools safe, professors from civil engineering department and computer science and engineering department of IIT Kharagpur have developed an application that tracks school students during while travelling in the school bus.
Revised cost estimate for eight new IITs more than doubled
The Union Cabinet approved the revised cost estimates for setting up eight New IITs at Bhubaneswar, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Indore, Jodhpur, Mandi, Patna and Ropar.
Government to announce launch of free study material for IIT-JEE
"This should reduce stress among students who are aspiring for engineering institutes," said a professor, who is part of this programme.
Government to announce launch of free study material for IIT-JEE
"This should reduce stress among students who are aspiring for engineering institutes," said a professor, who is part of this programme.
Professor hacked to death near his home in Bangladesh
Rajshahi University professor AFM Rezaul Karim Siddiquee, 58, was murdered within 50 metres of his residence in the country's northwestern city of Rajshahi, police said.
Two IIT Roorkee professors held for 2012 bridge collapse, sent to jail
Vipul Prakash and Vijay Kumar Gupta, both professors of the IIT, have been held responsible for the breakdown of an under-construction Tehri bridge.
IIT Bombay's SINE, SBI in pact to promote innovation by financial sector start-ups
SBI has a large network across the country. This will definitely help the startups, especially ones with social relevance, to reach out to the larger community.
SAP partners with IIT-Bombay to run an accelerator program, innovation centre
SAP tied up with the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), a technology and business incubator at the IIT campus to run the startup accelerator.
IIT JEE Main rankings out; boys dominate list
Of the top 1,000 positions, 853 have been secured by boys and 147 by girls. Ryali Gayathri from Telangana has emerged on the top among girls, securing the 11th rank.
Subramanian Swamy seeks details of Arvind Kejriwal's admission into IIT-Kharagpur
In a press release, Swamy cited an RTI reply received from IIT-K to his query asking the institute to provide the basis of Kejriwal's entry into B Tech programme.
Subramanian Swamy seeks details of Arvind Kejriwal's admission into IIT-Kharagpur
In a press release, he cited an RTI reply from IIT-K which was asked to provide the basis of Kejriwal's entry into B Tech programme and his All India Rank in JEE.
AIPC may take action against Stayzilla after firm revokes offers made to nine IIT students
Prof Debasis Deb, chairman of career development centre at IIT Kharagpur, said any action against the company would be taken unanimously by all the IITs.
Mainak Sarkar did not impress in class, says UCLA professor of Indian-origin
Mal said Sarkar was quiet and reserved and would not even greet when the two passed each other, which the professor found odd as both hail from West Bengal.


text:
A look at the newly designed models set to enter service during the next few years.
Flying » New Business Aircraft Preview
April 20, 2015
April 12, 2015
It's no wonder that Embraer has delivered more than 300 of its Phenom 100 entry-level jets since 2009. Fast and spacious for its class–with a top speed of 390 knots and now room for up to eight occupants–the aircraft resonates with smaller companies charter companies and individual owners.
March 3, 2015
The 525 Relentless is Bell Helicopter's most ambitious project in years and its largest civil helicopter ever.
January 12, 2015
Upgrades to popular BBJs deliver more range, better performance.
September 23, 2014
"Other airplanes in this category are like panel trucks. We like to think of ours as a Land Rover," says Lynn Thomas, vice president of Quest Aircraft.
May 15, 2014
The emperor has new clothes. Cessna's latest incarnation of its midsize Sovereign fits advanced technology and improved interior design into a fuselage tube cross section introduced by the Citation III back in 1979.
March 18, 2014
Though its predecessor has been a formidable competitor in the super-midsize market, this new model offers even more.
February 17, 2014
For decades, the Sikorsky S-76 has been the gold standard in corporate helicopters. With more than 800 sold since its introduction in 1979, the model combines futuristic styling with a large cabin, speed and solid all-weather capabilities.
November 21, 2013
It may look like the CJ1, but there's a lot here that's new.
October 4, 2013
Launched with much fanfare two years ago, this executive version of a Russian regional airliner may have a hard time gaining market acceptance.
""Many years ago, our company founder, Al Conklin, sold a new twin-engine business aircraft to a very successful entrepreneur. He had established a bit of a rapport with the individual and, after the sale, asked him straight out, 'How can you justify the cost of this airplane?' His reply? 'What is the cost of a divorce?'"–David Wyndham, president, Conklin & de Decker"
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text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Jul 27, 2004
|Filing date
|Mar 12, 2003
|Priority date
|Mar 12, 2003
|Fee status
|Publication number
|Paul J. Faerber, William C. Phelps, III, Sean N. Davie, Douglas A. Vine
|Original Assignee
|Motorola, Inc.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (8), Referenced by (9), Classifications (9), Legal Events (8)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to power adaptor for a portable electronic device that is mechanically structured so as to fit in the cigarette lighter of a vehicle, and more specifically to a cigarette lighter adaptor having a moveable, mechanical stepper joint to allow movement between the dongle and handle of the cigarette lighter adaptor.
2. Background Art
Many modern vehicles are provided with cigarette/cigar lighters. The lighter usually comprises a circular, socket aperture with a removable lighter cap. When actuated, electrical current flows through a high resistance element in the lighter cap, thereby causing the element to glow red-hot. A cigarette or cigar can then be ignited from the glowing metal.
The lighter socket can also be used to power a large range of portable appliances, for example, mobile phones, car vacuum cleaners, lap-top computers, televisions, chiller cabinets, etc. Recently, the sockets on their own (without the cigarette lighter cap) have been provided in cars, off road and other vehicles. Sockets without cigarette lighter caps are often labeled simply as "power" sockets. While some appliances are powered directly from the socket itself, others may require an adaptor.
The typical cigarette lighter adaptor has a dongle and a handle. The dongle is a plug member that is inserted into the vehicle lighter socket. The dongle is elongate with a first electrical contact at one end. The first electrical contact connects to a co-operating electrical contact at the base of the lighter socket. To ensure a good and reliable connection, it is preferable if the first electrical contact is mounted on the dongle such that the contact is resiliently biased towards the end of the dongle. In prior art adaptors, the first contact is electrically and mechanically connected to the remainder of the adapter via a spring. The dongle also includes a second electrical contact that is generally a pair of curved leaf springs that provide both an electrical connection and a mechanical friction force with/against the lighter socket.
Most prior art adaptors are manufactured in a single, rigid piece. Thus, the angle of the handle—the portion of the adaptor that couples to the portable electronic device—is dependent upon the geometric orientation of the lighter socket. Some designers have attempted to add moveability to the handle (relative to the socket) by adding hinged members. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,628, issued to Ming, teaches an adaptor with a hinged dongle. The problem with adaptors like than in the '628 patent is that their dongle-handle interface comprises a friction-based mechanical connection. In other words, the only thing that keeps the dongle at the proper angle relative to the handle is the friction applied by the handle material (usually plastic) against the dongle material (also usually plastic). After only a few dongle-handle angle adjustments, this joint can wear, thereby causing the handle to sag.
There is thus a need for an improved adaptor with a more robust handle-dongle interface.
FIG. 1 illustrates one preferred embodiment of a cigarette lighter adaptor with a mechanical stepper joint in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of an adaptor in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom, left, isometric, exploded view of the adaptor.
FIG. 4 illustrates a top, right, back, isometric, exploded view of an adaptor in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 5 illustrates a close-up, cut away view of a stepper joint in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 6 is FIG. 5, with perspective rotated approximately 30 degrees.
FIG. 7 illustrates a left, elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the stepper joint.
FIG. 8 illustrates a view of the protruding members disengaged from the détentes.
FIGS. 9-12 illustrate alternate means for coupling the handle to the dongle.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is now described in detail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise: the meaning of "a," "an," and "the" includes plural reference, the meaning of "in" includes "in" and "on."
Referring now to FIG. 1, illustrated therein is one preferred embodiment of a cigarette lighter adaptor 100 with a mechanical stepper joint 101 in accordance with the invention. The adaptor 100 comprises a handle 106 and a dongle 103. The handle 106 and dongle 103 are preferably constructed from a rigid plastic material, like ABS, polycarbonate, or equivalent, and are preferably manufactured by way of an injection molding process. The dongle 103 preferably comprises at least a first 104 and second 105 electrical contacts for coupling to corresponding electrical contacts in an automotive lighter socket.
The stepper joint 101 (recited in detail below) is optionally covered by a rubber casing 102 in FIG. 1. The rubber casing 102 serves to protect any openings in the stepper joint 101 from debris, as well as providing an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
For exemplary purposes, the adaptor 100 of FIG. 1 is shown as a hands-free, speaker phone adaptor comprising a microphone 107 and speaker 108, although the invention is not so limited. The adaptor 100 could equally comprise a power supply, a charger with charging circuitry, a mechanical holder for the electronic device or any combination or equivalent thereof. The adaptor 100 includes an interface 109 for coupling to a portable electronic device (not shown) like a cellular telephone, radio, pager, laptop computer or television. The interface 109 is preferably a cable with a device specific connector mounted thereto, but may equally be a fixed connecter mounted to the handle 106.
Referring now to FIG. 2, illustrated therein is an exploded view of an adaptor in accordance with the invention. In FIG. 2, the details of the stepperjoint are more clearly illustrated. The stepper joint preferably comprises a convex member 201 mounted to the handle 106 having at least one protruding member 202. The protruding members 202 look like "teeth" about the convex member. Note that the handle 106 is preferably comprised of two halves 106A, 106B, thereby allowing circuitry, speakers and the like to be easily disposed within the two halves 106A, 106B.
The convex member 202 mates with a corresponding concave member 204 mounted on the dongle 103. The dongle 103 of FIG. 2 is illustrated in a sectional view so as to better illustrate the interior components. The concave member 204 has at least one détente 203 that corresponds to at least one protruding member 204.
The convex member 201 and concave member 204 are preferably coupled together by way of an elastic member 205 that includes an elongated portion 206. The elastic member is preferably made of a stretchy, rubber material, and is similar in many respects to a robust rubber band or belt. The elongated portion 206 wraps about a pin 207 disposed within the dongle 103, thereby exerting a force against the pin 207 in the direction of the handle 106. In the hands-free speaker phone application, the elastic member 205 may be tailored to match the edges of the upper and lower housings 106A, 106B, so as to serve the dual function of a gasket.
While FIG. 2 is a top, right, back, isometric, exploded view of an adaptor in accordance with the invention, FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom, left, isometric, exploded view of the adaptor. The perspective of FIG. 3 illustrates an optional circuit board 300 having electronic components disposed thereon to be seen. The circuit board 300 may be disposed in either the top 106B or bottom 106A housing. The circuit board 300 is electrically coupled to the first and second electrical contacts (elements 104, 105 of FIG. 1) by current conducting materials.
Referring now to FIG. 4, illustrated therein is a top, right, back, isometric, exploded view of an adaptor in accordance with the invention, similar to the view of FIG. 2. The difference between FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 lies with the elastic member 205. In FIG. 4, the elongated portion 206 of the elastic member 205 has been folded back upon itself. Both the elastic member 205 and the elongated portion 206 include apertures 401 that mechanically couple about a corresponding number of bosses 402 disposed within the handle 106.
The folding of FIG. 4 is shown without the elongated member 206 wrapping around the pin 207 of the dongle 103 for illustrative purposes. The elongated member 206 in practice wraps about the pin 207, although the pin may be inserted into the loop formed by the elongated member 206 after folding as manufacturing procedures require.
Referring now to FIG. 5, illustrated therein is a close-up, cut away view of a stepper joint in accordance with the invention. The elongated member 206 has been folded about the pin of the dongle 103. (Note that the pin is not clearly visible in FIG. 5 due to the fact that the elongated member 206 is wrapped about it. Also note that only half of the pin is shown due to the fact that the dongle 103 has been cut away to expose the interior components.) The elongated member attaches to the bosses 402 disposed within the handle 106. In this preferred embodiment, the elongated member 206 also serves as the gasket 205.
FIG. 5 offers an illustration of the protruding members 202 disposed on the convex member 201 mating with the détentes 203 in the dongle 103. FIG. 6 is the same view as shown in FIG. 5, although the perspective has been rotated by approximately 30 degrees. The rotation allows visibility of the pin 207 seated within the elongated member 206.
Referring now to FIG. 7, illustrated therein is a left, elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the stepper joint. As previously shown, the elongated member wraps 206 about the pin 207. (Note that both the handle 106 and the dongle 103 have been cut away for illustrative purposes.) The pin 207 is inserted into the convex member 201 through a non-circular aperture 208. The non-circular aperture 208 has a diameter that is longer running along a line from handle 106 to dongle 103 than the diameter that is normal to this line. This non-circular shape facilitates engagement of the protruding members 202 and the détentes 203. To disengage the stepper joint, one pulls the handle 106 away from the dongle 103, thereby disengaging the protruding members 202 from the détentes 203. This "pulling" causes the elongated member 206 to stretch, thereby exerting a force that tries to pull the handle 106 and dongle 103 together.
With the protruding members 202 and détentes 203 disengaged, one may rotate the handle 106 relative to the dongle 103 the desired amount. When the appropriate handle-dongle geometric relationship has been established, one releases the handle, thereby allowing the elongated member 206 to relax, causing the protruding members 202 to again engage the détentes 203. The engagement resists angular forces placed upon the stepper joint by way of heavy portable electronic devices being coupled to the handle 106. Note that for exemplary purposes here, the adjustment is recited as occurring when the handle 106 is pulled from the dongle 103. In practice, the adaptor would normally be coupled to a socket, and the second electrical contact (105 of FIG. 1) exerts force against the walls of the socket. This allows one to disengage the protruding members 202 from the détentes 203 simply by pulling the handle 106 away from the socket. FIG. 8 illustrates a view of the protruding members 202 disengaged from the détentes 203.
As stated in the previous paragraph, the stepper joint may be actuated by pulling the handle 106 and dongle 103 away from each other, thereby disengaging the protruding members 202 from the détentes 203. The adaptor may also be adjusted by application of sufficient angular force to the handle 106 relative to the dongle 103. The application of this force causes the protruding members 202 to act as cam members that facilitate stretching of the elongated member 206. When the angular force is removed, the elongated member 206 relaxes, thereby causing the protruding members 202 to seat in their corresponding détentes 203.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is clear that the invention is not so limited. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions, and equivalents will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. For example, while one preferred embodiment provided an elongated member wrapped around the pin, other methods of exerting a coupling force between the handle and dongle could also be used.
Referring now to FIG. 9, illustrated therein is an alternate means for coupling the handle 106 to the dongle 103. The method of FIG. 9 involves a coiled spring 901 coupled between the pin 207 of the dongle 103 and an anchor 902. The anchor is preferably a boss or screw disposed within the handle 106.
FIG. 10 illustrates another alternative coupling. In FIG. 10, a cantilever arm 903, coupled to the convex member 201 is loaded against the pin 207. When the handle 106 and dongle 103 are pulled apart, the cantilever arm 903 deflects, thereby exerting force against the pin. Other alternative coupling means include a springy metal leaf spring 904 shown in FIG. 11 and a compression rubber block 905 as shown in FIG. 12.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Sep 7, 1990
|Feb 11, 1992
|Giselle Nagy
|Vehicular accessory mounting organization
|Aug 13, 1991
|Jan 12, 1993
|Wang Fore S
|Mobile telephone rack assembly
|Feb 6, 1997
|Nov 24, 1998
|E. Lead Electronic Co., Ltd.
|In-car used mobile phone fixing seat assembly to which other electrical appliances are addible
|Feb 20, 1997
|Dec 8, 1998
|Superior Communication Products Inc.
|Dual A/C and D/C input powered portable battery charger
|Aug 20, 1997
|Oct 19, 1999
|Formosa Electronic Industries Inc.
|AC/DC electric adapter with the large and small plugs
|Sep 19, 2000
|Nov 12, 2002
|Teco Industries Company Limited
|Cigarette lighter socket adapter with improved contact, dual sockets, and/or movable plug
|Feb 28, 2002
|Apr 22, 2003
|United Global Sourcing Incorporated
|Vehicle cigarette lighter connector
|Jun 7, 2001
|Sep 24, 2002
|United Global Sourcing, Inc.
|Flexible electric coupler
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Mar 19, 2004
|Aug 2, 2005
|Lucent Trans Electronic Co. Ltd.
|Rotatable onboard mobile phone charger
|Aug 27, 2004
|Feb 7, 2006
|Hop-On Wireless, Inc.
|Universal charging apparatus
|Dec 18, 2007
|Mar 10, 2009
|Sonnenschein Industry Co., Ltd.
|Adapter for an automobile socket
|Nov 5, 2007
|Jul 7, 2009
|Sheng-Hsin Liao
|Adapter having connecting arms
|May 3, 2011
|Intellectual Solutions, Inc.
|Modulator apparatus having a mechanism for charging electronic devices and/or digital file decoding capabilities
|Aug 27, 2004
|Mar 2, 2006
|Hop-On Wireless, Inc.
|Universal charging apparatus
|Nov 5, 2007
|May 7, 2009
|Sheng-Hsin Liao
|Adapter having connecting arms
|Jun 17, 2008
|Jun 18, 2009
|Dayan Mervin A
|Modulator apparatus having a mechanism for charging electronic devices and/or digital file decoding capabilities
|Jun 9, 2015
|Dec 10, 2015
|Foxconn Interconnect Technology Limited
|Audio jack connector with a sealing assembly assembled on an insulative houseing
|U.S. Classification
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Mar 12, 2003
Owner name: MOTOROLA, INC., ILLINOIS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:FAERBER, PAUL J.;PHELPS, WILLIAM C. III;DAVIE, SEAN N.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:013871/0179
Effective date: 20030306
|Mar 8, 2005
|Certificate of correction
|Jan 4, 2008
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Dec 13, 2010
Owner name: MOTOROLA MOBILITY, INC, ILLINOIS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:MOTOROLA, INC;REEL/FRAME:025673/0558
Effective date: 20100731
|Dec 29, 2011
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|Oct 2, 2012
Owner name: MOTOROLA MOBILITY LLC, ILLINOIS
Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:MOTOROLA MOBILITY, INC.;REEL/FRAME:029216/0282
Effective date: 20120622
|Nov 26, 2014
Owner name: GOOGLE TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS LLC, CALIFORNIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:MOTOROLA MOBILITY LLC;REEL/FRAME:034475/0001
Effective date: 20141028
|Jan 27, 2016
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 12


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Did God create life on other planets? Otherwise why is the universe so big?
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When it comes to the TSA, one thing's for sure: They have no idea how to get the traveling public to like them. Since their creation in 2001, barely a week goes by that we don't hear yet another tale of agency dysfunction.
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Top Definition
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Slang for Asleep or passed out
Dude look at your dog that run made him so tired hes Pastel as fuck
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lacrosse stick
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Make The Best Running Choice
But I will not always do like that, it is of worth to buy a pair of real running shoes, though the price is very different, arrange from 80 dollars to 120 dollars. Youth sports shoes or sneakers to wear after the change in body weight, the uneven distribution of foot forces there will affect the footwork. The first and most important fact you need to know is that you must purchase athletic shoes made specifically for your exercise routine. In addition, training in the fine rain is also good for eliminating the emotional depressed disease that is easy to get for the people in the rainy weather. I bet many of your new year's resolutions involve something about weight.
Trust me not wearing running shoes can sneak up giving you like a snake inside grass. You may try other ways to achieve the function, which is equivalent to play a role in run-up device.asics gt 2170 They contain a mesh air vent system designed to keep your feet cooler - perfect for those late afternoon spring tee times or in the dog days of summer. So enjoy the little things in life that make you happy and you will look forward to your next run even more! They started the Nike Free Run several years ago, and you may find that so many runners wear it for summer running. Positive and cheerful talk keeps one healthy and happy, so pick up the phone and start dialing.
This will help with stability and balance, helping you run comfortable at faster speeds for a longer period of time. Children love to be mentally and physically challenged and summer sports can do just those. Don't get overwhelmed though, there are a lot of ways online to help you narrow down your search. Erika: So at first I did not believe it, after I talked to Andrea's Asics, she said "it was you, you were" I started to believe I had actually been drawn! There are some key features in this model of shoe that makes it perfect to have and wear.asics mens running shoes reviews
The asics shoes should feel comfortable right away. It is not true that you get more done if you don't stop for lunch or other refreshing breaks during the day. Comfort and new technology make this particular model a must have for people everywhere. If any part of your toes are hanging over the end of the insert, your cheap asics are too small. It is important that if you are such a person, you get the right running shoes for yourself.
The authentic Nike Free Run is of lower price compared to other brands such as Asics, New Balance, the price almost be half of Asics running shoes. Creating about 3 customer avatars for your business, will help you understand your customers, and thus you'll be able to anticipate how they behave. This is especially a smart idea if you have certain features of your old shoes that you still want to have on the new one. Every year, the supply for women handbags, women shoes and women clothes always seems to fall short of demand. Either way, you need to make sure that your current pool (or potential pool) will be safe for use.
Unluckly, the running are somehow different from the common walking shoes size. With so many great styles to choose from how can you pick what's right for you? Not only for that, the high quality outsole made from carbon rubber and flexible leather polyester mesh uppers give maximum protection to the feet and make feet into the shoes easily, not sweat any more. Gel material in the cheap asics can be a miracle in the field. Do not limit your shopping to just one online store. However most of the advice was for pretty radical diets and even more radical exercise programs.
It is acknowledged that women take up the largest part in the market. In another word, womens shoes usually adopt softer less density. Hitting the links is one of the first things on the to-do list when the weather is anywhere near at least the 50s. asics kayano 16 for men also have the latest technology built into them. Running shoe is not to let you run faster, not to let you shock the world record either.It protects you from being injured when you are running. There is also a really cool website MapMyRun where runners in a certain area list their favorite runs in their city or others they've visited.Secondly, you need to be aware of how many miles you can get out of a pair of sneakers. It is about getting fit and enjoying the thrill of a run. They should support your ankles, and they should fit properly depending on the sport. So nowadays, Asics stands for healthy and pleasant running instrument. I've even heard some stand up comedians do an entire routine on all the home gym machines they've bought and never used.
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There are just no words for this. Watch the video and tell us we are not crazy for being angry.
We thought we had seen it all. Apparently not!
Watch the below:
We understand the sentiment. This is just a little too far.
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Hero Trying to Save Older Man from Suicide
By: Marlboro_Man | Comments: 59 | Views: 5714 | Votes: 0 | Shared: 0
Location: Russia | Leaked: Jul-9-2013 in Other News
Suicide by Cop Fail!
A car chase in Los Angeles came to an unusual ending when the suspect got out of his vehicle and attacked the police officers who were chasing him. Aerial footage shows the suspect's green Jeep coming
By: vinman90501 | Comments: 84 | Views: 5204 | Votes: 1 | Shared: 0
Location: Los Angeles, California, United States | Leaked: Jul-6-2013 in Regional News
Canadian Police Stand By And Watch As Mentally Ill Girl Commits Suicide In JailCell.
Ooohh Canada.
By: PanchoSaurusRex | Comments: 14 | Views: 3157 | Votes: 1 | Shared: 0
Location: Canada | Leaked: Jun-13-2013 in Other News
Failed Suicide Attempt in Russia
He's in the hospital under critical conditions.
By: dcmfox | Comments: 58 | Views: 4684 | Votes: 5 | Shared: 0
Leaked: Nov-4-2012 in Other
Suicide attempt fail.
I dont think that he would've killed himself if he jumped. Bogota D.C, Colombia.
By: harryk | Comments: 179 | Views: 55470 | Votes: 6 | Shared: 29
Location: Bogot�, Cundinamarca, Colombia | Leaked: Oct-20-2012 in WTF
Get off it! (Fox news suicide video)
Get it off ged it off ged it off get it off get it off get off it... Get off it * epic sigh *
By: lulzybabe | Comments: 25 | Views: 3896 | Votes: 1 | Shared: 0
Leaked: Oct-2-2012 in Creative
Suicide attempt FAIL
LMFAO WTF??..I howled after seeing this
By: Wyseguy67 | Comments: 48 | Views: 13685 | Votes: 3 | Shared: 76
Leaked: Aug-15-2012 in WTF, Creative, Other Entertainment
Over 170 Killed In Day Of Coordinated Suicide Bombs By 'Free Syrian Army' Allies In Iraq
Extremists are using the upsurge in violence in Syria to strengthen the call to a false 'jihad' in Iraq. The pan-regional 'jihad' is developing beyond the borders of Syria. The Iraqi government has se
By: C-A-T-000p | Comments: 46 | Views: 10592 | Votes: 0 | Shared: 0
Location: Iraq | Leaked: Jul-23-2012 in Other Middle East
Syrian Vandal And Terrorist Fail- Civilians Drive Through Road Block
Human Rights Watch report "Syria: Armed Opposition Groups Committing Abuses" http://www.hrw.org/node/105885 This is why the majority of the Syrian people do not support violent overthrow of the gov
By: C-A-T-000p | Comments: 21 | Views: 6567 | Votes: 1 | Shared: 0
Location: Syria | Leaked: Mar-24-2012 in Other Middle East
Insurgents On Suicide Mission Fail
Another great extended version of a familiar video. Many of you will recognize the beginning, but this version includes the aftermath.
By: DMartyr | Comments: 63 | Views: 8659 | Votes: 2 | Shared: 21
Leaked: Oct-24-2011 in Iraq, Other
Suicide Bomber Epic Fail! (GRAPHIC)
"Hope you're having fun you fucking bastards". http://www.apacheclips.com/
By: Mondhaut | Comments: 113 | Views: 18853 | Votes: 20 | Shared: 574
Location: Afghanistan | Leaked: Oct-10-2011 in Afghanistan, Other Entertainment, Citizen Journalism
PKK suicide bomber Fail
Bomb exploded too early...LOL 22.April Istanbul/Turky
By: nefes02 | Comments: 57 | Views: 15143 | Votes: 2 | Shared: 2
Location: Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey | Leaked: Apr-22-2011 in World News, Regional News, Other Middle East
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Tom K.
Lives in Tulsa, United States
Joined on Mar 6, 2002
About me:
Feb 2000 - Canon A50 (Sold Aug 2000)
|Total: 15, showing: 1 – 15
Where's the viewfinder and lens mount?
Tom K.: "Using the viewfinder pulls the battery life down to 240 shots per charge from the otherwise pretty typical 300 shots per charge."
Wait, what? The EVF uses more power than the rear screen?? Sounds unlikely.
Does the EVF use more power when you are using it exclusively, or does it use more power because both the EVF and rear screen are enabled?. I don't bother with the eye-switch sensor setting because I hardly ever want to use the rear screen (as someone who needs to put on reading glasses to see it.) I can believe more power being used if you have both enabled, but not just the EVF by itself.
"Using the viewfinder pulls the battery life down to 240 shots per charge from the otherwise pretty typical 300 shots per charge."
Wait, what? The EVF uses more power than the rear screen?? Sounds unlikely.
Discounting the exaggerated size of the moon (which was part of the challenge), looks fakety fake fake. The lighting on the landscape is coming from the left, as indicated by the prominent shadow of the tall column. Any light would be from a setting sun which would have to be directly behind the viewer/photographer. A full moon is always directly opposite the sun. Besides being the wrong direction, the light has the wrong color for sunset. Likewise as SamTrekker pointed out, the moon's color looks wrong as well. Much too white for this low in the sky.
The landscape lighting itself appears to be from moonlight, from the left. That would account for the light's muted appearance as well as the deep blue of the sky combined with visible stars. A rising moon plus a landscape moonlit from a different direction just looks jarringly wrong.
Shiranai: So far this technology as well as light field technology is still inferior to real bokeh captured by a lens.
Afterward bokeh calculations always struggle when it comes to difficult and detailed objects like branches or semi-transparent objects. Light field bokeh has still problems with artifacts, resolution and IQ is rather low.
I'm looking forward to Panasonics approach but I think there has yet to flow a lot of water down the river till we see any major breaktroughs. And even then, people will still prefer lenses for their analogue and retro look.
"Light field bokeh has still problems with artifacts, resolution and IQ is rather low."
Aren't resolution and IQ inherently low on anything that's out of focus??
Frank_BR: Those guys seem to believe in "Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door".
If they really think they have a good idea, it would be much simpler to sell this idea to Leica than trying to design a camera from scratch.
"And optical rangefinders are easy to focus." Autofocus cameras are easier, and faster. But it puts a damper on pretending to be an artiste.
RichRMA: No idea if an ND is that safe (or good quality enough) for solar shooting. Consider using Baader Solar Film or glass filters from Thousand Oaks Optical. Both are metallized to screen out UV and IR.
So you'd never view a solar eclipse through a telescope? Too bad for you, especially come August 21, 2017.
captura: At least this selfie-cam has a touchscreen, (which the Lumix X-A2 doesn't.)
And those who have never used a touchscreen can go back to the cave where they hide old Nikons....which never had touchscreens (until last month.)
A touchscreen can be useful...for quick menu-diving to touch-focus.
Believe it!
I tried the ZS19 with a touchscreen and it was infuriating, because it could not be deactivated. Any accidental touch would produce an unwanted result. Perhaps that has been fixed in subsequent cameras but as it was implemented then, it was far more trouble than it was worth.
"The team has made somewhere in the vicinity of 100 full-size sensors with their bending machine."
Bite my shiny metal ass.
showmeyourpics: I like and own Panasonic camera gear but this one is an absurd design straight out of marketing genius. Let's use a really small 1/2.3 sensor to reduce size and weight and then let's pack it up with 18MP (= noise fiesta). Let's add an EVF, which is a really good idea, but let's make it miniscule with only 200K dot (the Nikon P7800 EVF needs 921K dot to be just decent). And, dulcis in fundo, let's slap on a 24-720mm nice and dark (f/3.3-6.4) zoom lens on a very small body that weighs nothing and will probably be a stability nightmare (at 720mm and f/6.4, one will have to crank up the ISO setting through the roof to get a workable exposure time, but the noise will turn the picture into mush). There are MUCH better balanced compacts out there for the enthusiast photographer, everyone else is better off sticking with a good smart phone camera.
A 200K EVF is stupid when the 1.3M EVF from the FZ200 could've been used. Of course it's got its own problems with its small size but still, c'mon! I guess they have to hold something back for the ZS50....
At least they dropped the infuriating touch screen.
Next week on "Hoarders"....
So anyone who uses Photoshop to convert a color image to B&W is a Philistine barbarian, descrating the true original? Do I have that right?
I like the shot pretty well, BUT... a hard-boiled dick of the era would hold the gun one-handed. You never saw anyone shoot with two hands in movies back then, or much in real life for that matter. You'd have to figure out what to have him do with his left arm then, though.
And it wouldn't be a BB gun with a relatively long barrel, it'd be a snubby .38, or maybe a 1911 .45. (Realistic looking airsoft guns can be had for $30 or so.)
Also the position of the rear view mirror make it look like he's resting his arm on it. Moving just a few inches to his left would show a definite gap and eliminate the confusion.
There's a slight crease in the right side of his hat brim that throws a triangular shadow, that looks in the small pic like hair sticking out from under his hat.
I like that his face looks like its been smoothed a bit, as if he's wearing actor's makeup. (Although I might be seeing something that isn't there.) The lighting, overall composition and B&W tone look good
The viewfinder is still a low-res POS. Stupid.
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Tried out Evolve, or Evolve Stage 2 as its now It was decent enough, and the weapons felt good to use on the character I tried I could see it being a lot of fun if a group of friends all got together to
Body horror aliens that arent worms, a crusade fleet, alien geometries and dark gods all in one? Sign me up!
I think I am at the sad relization that even if I played Natural Selection 2 at the abysmal resolutions (sub 800x600) that there simply no way to play that game on my ONLY THEY WOULD CONSIDER OPTIMIZATION
Hit me up on MHX! 3DS Alien Name: 0473-7886-2264
Kromlech is REALLY dedicated to their WWII Orks/WAAAAGHmacht
Gotta look for a part-time job tomorrow, since either I dont have enough experience for a video production assistant or theres no open position for said job Kinda heartbreaking as I almost got that job last year, except without my own :(
Played Quake again for me I LOVE the shit out of
Okay now that I got to the seaside it got MUCH better, no more Shiva on my way, bigger spaces The inventory is a bit small but this game is more FUN than I remember playing only parts of introduction is unfair to the rest of the game, Id sa
Since I have a new phone, I had to do the Steam mobile authenticator thing Thankfully this time my hold is only 3 days before I can use the Market, but its still a terribly-inconvenient
This is some pretty stunning difficulty this early in the game (maybe third or so Guess I get to learn how to beat a really hard boss when Im barely level


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Marissa Mayer May Get Booted From Yahoo After Being Brought In To Engineer A Miracle Turnaround
CREDIT: AP Photo/Julie Jacobson
When Marissa Mayer was snapped up from an executive role at Google to become Yahoo's seventh CEO in less than five years, she was explicitly brought on to turn around the internet giant that has been struggling for the last decade.
Now, three years into her efforts to engineer that miracle, the critics seem to be calling her efforts a failure despite her repeated warnings that it would take years.
On Wednesday the company announced that it's abandoning Mayer's attempt to spin off its stake in the online Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and instead will try to sell the company's core business. The news came after an activist investor, Starboard Value, had started signaling doubt about her original plan and pushing for the larger sale out of fear that the Alibaba spinoff wouldn't actually secure the tax benefits everyone hoped for.
It's a huge rebuke to the way Mayer has tried to turn the company around. Even as investors began asking about the idea of selling off the core business back in September, she stayed focused on making Yahoo great again. "We believe deeply in the future potential of Yahoo and the transformation we are pursing to bring an iconic company back to greatness," she said at the time.
The pressure from an activist investor isn't new for the company — it faced such a challenge from Carl Icahn in 2008 — but it's an issue female CEOs are more likely to grapple with. According to an analysis by Bloomberg, just one of the companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 index that have female CEOs has any of the most common defenses against hostile takeovers, compared to 23 percent of those with a male CEO.
The move might lead to Mayer losing her job. Investors have already started whispering that they'd like to see her go. One analyst said many of his investor clients have questioned whether her job is "stable," while another went so far as to draw up a list of potential replacements for her.
Certainly Mayer has made questionable decisions in her attempt to right Yahoo's ship. Acquisitions and new initiatives in search, mobile, and online video have cost the company hundreds of millions of dollars without generating growth in revenue or users. It spent $100 million on original video content, $42 million of which it has said it will write off. Executives have started leaving for other places. Sales and shares have both been falling this year. It's expected to earn less than half of what it did the year she came on board.
Yet she may have been set up for failure from the start. The company grew to a multi-billion corporation by, as Nicholas Carlson wrote in an in-depth profile of its history, "solving a problem that no longer exists" for internet users, and getting it back to that kind of growth may have been impossible for anyone. She did manage to stabilize a company that had been in rapid decline and even notched a win in 2013 — Yahoo sites got the most monthly visitors out of other internet rivals for the first time since 2011. That was all after six other chief executives couldn't figure out how to turn the company around. But she may have been doomed from the start. "History shows that struggling teach companies rarely regain momentum," wrote Robert Cyran earlier this month. "Top engineers flee, new technologies and rivals are ignored and sclerosis sets in."
As a female executive, this isn't surprising. She seems to have faced down a phenomenon that has become familiar to the business world's women. By being brought in to clean up a declining, messy company, she was perched on top what has become known as the "glass cliff." Researchers have repeatedly found that women, as well as people of color, are more likely to be put in charge of a company when it is already experiencing troubling results, rather than in times of good performance. Difficult periods tend to make companies feel they need to try something new, like a CEO who isn't white and male. It's not impossible for these outsiders to engineer turnarounds, but the job is even more difficult than taking the helm of a healthy company. So women are also more likely to end up pushed out of leadership roles.
The people brought in to replace them are more likely than not white men. The story has played out for many other women. And it's part of why there are so few women executives to begin with — particularly if women keep getting reputations for being bad managers when they were handed nearly impossible tasks to begin with.
If Mayer loses her job over Yahoo's failure to retake its position as an internet giant, some of her own actions will certainly be partly to blame. But the biggest mistake she may have made was accepting the job in the first place. She will be another example of the many women who were asked to clean up a mess and then canned when they couldn't.


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A look at five key issues facing the Patriots into the offseason (with an interesting Welker twist)
The Patriots were rudely sent into the offseason on Sunday with a 21-17 loss to the Giants, who are having their parade right now. Cruel.
Still, it is time to look at the offseason, and colleague Karen Guregian broke down five key issues for the Patriots with an eye toward 2012.
The most interesting part, I thought, was the discussion of WR Wes Welker, who is a free agent. The expectation is that he'll get the franchise tag, and there's a slim chance he doesn't return. But how it happens may be interesting.
Karen wrote, "Maybe they'd hold back on the tag and see what Welker commands on the open market. The Pats may be willing to gamble he'd get less on a long-term deal. Then, they'd use that to work out something at a much friendlier cost than the tag rate."
I would agree this is a possibility. The team wants him back, but at his age, with how many shots he's taken, it may want to be prudent with a long-term deal. Handing him a franchise tag worth more than $9 million a year may not be what they want, especially if his free agent market doesn't explode.
Again, I'll say I do believe he'll be back. I don't think the Super Bowl drop will matter. But how they get there may not be pleasant.
Anyway, here are the five issues she answered in this article:
The Wes Welker decision
Locking in Devin McCourty's position
Restocking the receivers
The futures of Matt Light and Brian Waters:
Who is Brady's backup?


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Julianna Morris started writing when she was twelve years old and wanted to share the stories her imagination kept conjuring. Since then she's had over seventeen books published and been a Romantic Times magazine Top Pick. Her books have been praised for their emotional content, humorous touches, and strong characters. Julianna lives in the United States, where she enjoys creating satisfying romances with happy endings.
Former reporter Patricia Potter is the bestselling and award-winning author of more than sixty books including suspense, romance and contemporary romance. Many of her books have made the USA Today, Waldenbooks and Barnes & Noble Bestseller lists and have been selected for the Literary Guild, Mystery Book Club and Doubleday Book Club. She has won numerous awards, including Story Teller of the Year by RT Book Reviews and has received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly.
Lenora Worth writes for Harlequin's Love Inspired and Superromance. Her books have won national and regional awards. Her Love Inspired Suspense Body of Evidence made the New York Times Bestseller List.With over 55 books published, she writes Southern stories set in places she loves such as Atlanta, Georgia, the North Georgia and Arkansas mountains, Texas and Louisiana, including Dallas and New Orleans. Lenora is married and has two grown children.


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$675. $800. This is a one owner pre-pro that has not seen a great deal of use. I had it in my main HT until I bought an Anthem in 2010. Used it as a backup for several weeks while Anthem was in for repairs and it is still an impressive piece of equipment. I'm going to rate it an 8/10 because if you look hard enough I'm sure you'll find light cosmetics. It includes everything in the pictures. Payment can be made via PayPal(+3%), USPSMO and/or gold and silver.
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