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Full profile →'">
The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.
(final update 9-23: verified with those directly involved and there were only three bids--Pegula's winning bid at $1.4 billion; Toronto group $1.05 billion; Trump under $900 million).
(updated 1:55 PM 9-11: using discount rate of 5% for Texans NFL loan puts expansion fee at $600 million)
(Updated 11:32 AM: Pegula bid over $1.2 billion).
Sources are telling me that Terry Pegula has won the bidding for the Buffalo Bills for about $1.2 billion, a record price paid for a professional football team. The deal could be officially announced today by , the banker conducting the sale for the trust of the team's late founder, Ralph Wilson.
There are lots of rumors that the true enterprise value (equity plus net debt) is in the $900s. Recall that when the Houston Texans expansion team was bought by Robert McNair the "announced" expansion price was $700 million. But in fact the true purchase price (enterprise value) was about $600 million because McNair had an agreement with the NFL to pay the league most of the money in five years at zero interest, lowering the cost to McNair by about $100 million depending on the exact discount rate used.
Either way, the owner of the NHL's Buffalo Sabres beat out a Toronto Group and Donald Trump.
My source says the Toronto Group, which included rocker Jon Bon Jovi, Larry Tenenbaum, chairman and 25% owner of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, and the Rogers family, bid "around $1 billion" while Trump's bid did not top $900 million.
Last month we valued the Bills at $935 million, 31 out of the league's 32 teams. The Bills posted revenue and operating income of $252 million and $38 million, respectively, in 2013.
The most recent NFL team to be sold were the Cleveland Browns, who were purchased by Pilot Flying J CEO James Haslam for $987 million two years ago. The highest price paid for an NFL team previously was $1.1 billion for the Miami Dolphins by Stephen Ross. The real estate mogul bought 95% of the team and its stadium in a two-part deal from Wayne Huizenga; $550 million for 50% ownership in 2008 and the remainder the following year.
The 63 year old Pegula, who made his fortune in oil and gas, has a net worth of $3.3 billion.


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Asia's coal markets tighten on Indonesia port probe, Australian cyclone
* North Asia sucks in coal from as far away as U.S., Colombia
ANTIGUA, Guatemala May 13 Guatemala is considering subsidizing alternative crops for poppy farmers in order to curb the production of narcotics and raise funds for social programs, a senior government official said on Tuesday.
The government could offer seeds for potatoes, corn and peas to farmers who grow poppies in northwestern Guatemala along the border with Mexico, where powerful drug cartels buy the plants and convert them into heroin, said Eunice Mendizabal, anti-narcotics deputy minister.
The Central American nation, with tight budget constraints, spends close to $2 million annually eliminating poppy plants. It is struggling to contain cartels that use the isthmus as a transit point to ship drugs to the United States.
"Every time we perform an operation to eradicate poppies, that area becomes more conflictive," Mendizabal told Reuters at a conference to discuss alternatives to the drug war.
"The idea is to bring together all the commissions (studying drug alternatives) and see if we can subsidize alternative crops," said Mendizabal, who added that the government has studied subsidy programs in other countries.
Guatemalan President Otto Perez said in April that the government could present a plan at the end of 2014 to legalize and tax the production of marijuana and of poppies for medicinal use in order to wrest control of the country from organized crime and fund social spending.
Opium poppies are used to make opium and heroin, as well as pharmaceutical drugs such as morphine and codeine.
The plan is part of a broader shift across Latin America away from the huge financial and social costs of the U.S.-backed war on drugs.
Interior Minister Mauricio Lopez Bonilla told Reuters this month Guatemala was considering taxing the sale of opium poppies to help fund drug prevention programs. (Editing by David Alire Garcia, Simon Gardner and Dan Grebler)

subset: commoncrawl


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JadeBalfour |
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A few years ago when it was just me and my boyfriend (now husband) living in our lovely new flat, I went through a spate of waking up in the night having an orgasm. Lucky me, hey?
Now let me clear this up right now. I wasn't touching myself. My fella certainly wasn't touching me, cause he was out cold. I felt no presence, nothing strange, just an absolutely fantastic orgasm after a super sexy dream.
Something else I was surprised by was that I've never had a non-clitorial O, but there I was, not even conscious, climaxing.
Me, looking tired after a long day. There will be no ghost sex tonight.
I'd never discussed this with any of my friends, as it didn't crop up in conversation until now. Then, a friend of mine at work rocked up the other day to tell me about her incredibly hot dream, and when she woke up, she was having an orgasm. Hang on, haven't I heard this somewhere before?
The day after, I went for dinner with another girlfriend of mine who's really spiritual and into chakras, energy and mysticism.
She's a true hippy at heart and she revealed how she had started seeing a spiritual healer to cleanse her of bad energy as she kept waking up having orgasms. "Oh me too!" I said.
Then she dropped the clanger and said "But I could feel a presence on top of me, and INSIDE me. It was probably an entity doing it to you too!".
She was told by a healer that an entity was sucking out her good energy through cracks in her aura, which came in the form of her orgasm.
Auras: I have no idea what anything in this picture means.
Stop. Right. There. The word 'entity' fills me with utter horror and dread. Let me explain.
When I was 12, a friend and I watched the '80s horror movie, supposedly based on a true story, called The Entity starring Barbara Hershey.
It was truly one of the most terrifying films I've ever seen and has stuck with me ever since. It's about an evil, invisible presence which beat and raped this woman repeatedly and basically drove her insane.
As a result, it's mentally scarred for me life and I find any films centred on the devil/paranormal utterly petrifying, because it's not a clear cut mythical nasty, like say a stoopido zombie or werewolf film. Entities could actually exist.
A ghost is touching her breast – see? ARGH!
In fact, check out the trailer for the film that's scarred me for life. You're welcome:
Understandably, I was totally flipping out when my girlfriend was telling me the ins and outs of her regularly occurring sleeping orgasms.
It only got worse though, when she went on to reveal that she went to see a cranial osteopath, and without any prompting whatsoever, the osteo told her "by the way, my spirit guides are telling me your new crystal is letting in the entities".
Herein lies my utter fear of having another sleepy orgasm: sexy dreams, be gone! But then I tell myself, I'm not that person.
I've never felt anything other worldly. I'm not open minded enough to believe it could be true.
I believe, she believes it happened to her, but for me, it was just a period of hot sexy dreams.
I mean how many women orgasm in their sleep? Is it that common? We can't all be getting hooked up with horny ghosts right?
NB: My friend who was having these episodes has since learnt how to strengthen her aura and the episodes have almost stopped completely.
Dani is tweeting about horny ghosts, amongst other things, @danigraph.


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Dr. Mike's Webinar on WED July 24
Join Community Food Centres Canada for a webinar conversation with Dr. Mike Evans and Kathryn Scharf on how to work to help people move from knowledge to action in the area of healthy eating. Referencing research and experience from the doctor's office to community food programs, the webinar will cover topics that include: barriers to healthy eating, motivational interviewing, group goal-setting and using fun, hands-on skill building approaches. Discussion will focus on what a common-sense approach to healthy nutrition looks like, one that helps to empower people to take control of their food, even within socioeconomic constraints and a world full of confusing research, advertising messages and poor food environments. Setting objectives and techniques for creating positive feedback loops by measuring change will also addressed.
When: Wednesday July 24, 2013 11am-12pm EDT
Where: Your Computer
How Much: Free!
Categories: Past Episodes
- Sounds of the Season 2012
- View the slideshow from our event in support of local food banks.
Frequencies Across Ontario
Location | Frequency |
Toronto | 99.1 FM |
Kingston | 107.5 FM |
London | 93.5 FM |
Ottawa | 91.5 FM |
Sudbury | 99.9 FM |
Thunder Bay | 88.3 FM |
Windsor | 97.5 FM |


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J & T Reptiles and ExoticsBrooksville, FLph: email@example.com
Thank you for choosing J & T Reptiles and Exotics.
Please feel free to send us an e-mail if you need additional information or are looking for an animal you do not see listed on our website.
We do not have a store front so any pick up sales will need to notify us in advance.
It is best to reach us by e-mail. We check it daily.


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Red Deer hopes to benefit from ...
March 22, 2017
After today's federal budget announcement, The City of Red Deer awaits details about its effects on Red Deer.
When you need an inspection, you can book it in one of the following ways:
For next business day bookings, requests must be received before 3 p.m.
If you have any special requests, including after-hour inspections, call our Safety Codes Officers directly at 403-342-8190 before 8:15 a.m. on the inspection date to arrange it.
Building Inspection Request Form (pdf)
Electrical Inspection Request Form (pdf)
Mechanical Inspection Request Form (pdf)
For more information, call Inspections & Licensing at 403-342-8190 or visit us on the third floor of City Hall between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
March 22, 2017
After today's federal budget announcement, The City of Red Deer awaits details about its effects on Red Deer.
March 22, 2017
Red Deerians are encouraged to turn off their lights for one hour on Saturday to conserve energy and raise awareness of climate change in celebration of Earth Hour.
March 21, 2017
Red Deer City Council has approved final reading to an amendment to the Chicken Bylaw, which increases the overall number of chicken licenses allowed across the city.


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Ted Cruz has had a rough week. First, he was in trouble for calling out Donald Trump for his "New York values." Then, there are people questioning whether Cruz is eligible to run for president, since he was born in Canada. The question is actually more complicated than it seems.
Here's the thing: the Constitution says that "No person except a natural born Citizen . . . shall be eligible to the Office of President." And Cruz is not a natural born citizen. He was born in Canada. But since his mother is an American, he didn't have to go through a long, arduous naturalization process. The Supreme Court has never weighed in with a strict definition of "natural born," so it's up to intrepretation whether or not Cruz can claim that status.
He's obviously an American citizen. But he might not be a natural born one. A Texas lawyer, Newton Schwartz, filed suit this week to get to the bottom of whether or not Cruz could even run. Schwartz writes:
This 229-year question has never been pled, presented to or finally decided by or resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court. Only the U.S. Supreme Court can finally decide, determine judicially and settle this issue now.
For his part, Cruz didn't even know that he still had Canadian citizenship until the Dallas Morning Star looked into a few years ago. In 2014, he renounced his Canadian ties. He's lived in Houston since he was four.
The Daily News introduces Ted Cruz to New York's official bird. pic.twitter.com/QWYXrFr6Px
— David Rocks (@rocks_david) January 15, 2016
This is all comes as Cruz is starting to creep up behind Trump in the polls. And Donald Trump doesn't respond well when he starts losing. In fact, he's been gloating on social media all day about the lawsuit probing into Cruz's eligibility. That battle is heating up, especially after Cruz said that Trump had "New York values." The Daily News responded by running a headline this week saying "Drop Dead, Ted," with the Statue of Liberty giving him the middle finger, telling him to "go back to Canada."
On social media, Cruz has little sympathy for his New York comments, but some feel bad that his citizenship is being questioned:
Cruz's description of "New York values" shows he has no regard for many, many poor, minority, & otherwise non rich-white-liberal ppl there
— Elizabeth N. Brown (@enbrown) January 15, 2016
Worth pointing out that NY has lower gun death rates (murders, suicides, you name it) than TX. #NewYorkValues https://t.co/SfRW8L7TVT
— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) January 15, 2016
I want Cruz to holler, "doesn't matter if I was born in Canada, because I've been born AGAIN!" Throw the base some red meat! #GOPdebate
— Jennifer Weiner (@jenniferweiner) January 15, 2016
Of course, America knows Trump loves birther scandals. He was the one who led the charge into President Barack Obama's ancestry. But this time it feels more personal, since he's directly trying to take down an opponent.
Ted Cruz was born in Canada and was a Canadian citizen until 15 months ago. Lawsuits have just been filed with more to follow. I told you so
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2016
While it's up to the Supreme Court to decide what "natural born" really means, it's probably safe to assume that Cruz, a naturalized citizen since birth, will probably be allowed to run for president. Whether you agree with Cruz or not, you have to feel for anyone in Trump's line of fire. Trump is serious about making him look like a fool. A Canadian fool.
Image: Scott Olson/ Getty Images


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Pergola Guest House B&B
Av. Valbom nº 13, 2750-508 Cascais, Portugal – Excellent location – show map
Excellent location – rated 9.8/10! (score from 567 reviews)
Rated by guests after their stay at Pergola Guest House B&B.
Beautiful property in the centre of Cascais Excellent breakfast Nice and quite: only 12 rooms Warm welcome
This is a delightful oasis in the town centre, I was working in Lisbon and took Partner to Cascais for a weekend escape. This Villa is beautiful, the Staff very friendly, location perfect and the welcome glass of port (or 3) excellent.
United Kingdom
Superb room ,more like a suite ,with a balcony overlooking the garden .Wonderful friendly and helpful staff ,nothing was too much trouble ,they seemed to anticipate our every need .Excellent breakfast .Can't wait to go back .
United Kingdom
I trully liked the people, they're polite and helpful. I also loved the breakfast - Tried almost every thing from sweet to savory fresh products. Obrigado Ana and Angela for your kindness and service!
United Kingdom
A lovely property with charm and class. We had an upgrade as they had a better room free and it was very comfortable. Excellent location
United Kingdom
Very friendly staff, free port at 6pm and always there to answer the door.
United Kingdom
The staff was amazing and really made me feel at home. They where very attentive and caring and it was wonderful to stay with them. The garden and building is very well kept and has an unique feel to it that reminds you of the old days when hotels had allure. It is nothing like most hotels and they make sure to cater to your needs. On top of that the breakfast even offered cava, all included in the very reasonable price. I highly recommend staying here.
Fab food,lovely people, stunning property, can't wait to go back.
United Kingdom
Beatiful house, beautiful garden, friendly and extremely helpful personnel, comfortable, old-fashioned rooms (in the very best sense), feel of a visit with the friends. You can tell it's been a family home for generations. Quiet and peaceful. Much much more than a regular BB.
Beautiful garden. Antiques. Very attentive staff. A glass of port before dinner.
United Kingdom
Great location!
One of our top picks in Cascais. This property is 2 minutes walk from the beach. Surrounded by colorful flower gardens, this Mediterranean-style mansion features uniquely decorated room with antique furniture and historic paintings. Cascais' beach with its many eateries is just 1,000 feet away.
Traditional cupboards and wooden furniture feature in all of the spacious rooms at Pergola B&B. They also have free Wi-Fi and a private bathroom. Some rooms have arched walls and crystal chandeliers.
A wholesome breakfast including traditional Cascais cookies is served daily on the covered terrace or in the old-world dining room with its fireplace. The owners offer guests a free glass of port every evening.
The family-run Pergola House is situated 350 feet from the Cascais Train Station. From here, guests can travel to Lisbon in 30 minutes. The Quinta da Marinha-Oitavos Golf Course is a 10-minute drive away.
This is our guests' favorite part of Cascais, according to independent reviews.
This property also has one of the top-rated locations in Cascais! Guests are happier about it compared to other properties in the area.
This property is also rated for the best value in Cascais! Guests are getting more for their money when compared to other properties in this city.
We speak your language!
Bed and breakfast: 10 roomsMost Popular Facilities
Guests Love It Because...
"beautiful building"
86 related reviews
"wonderful staff"
75 related reviews
"location was great"
47 related reviews
Located in the top-rated area in Cascais, this property has an excellent location score of 9.8!
Breakfast Info
Max | Room Type | |
Economy Single Room | ||
Economy Double Room | ||
Romantic Package - Double or Twin Room | ||
Standard Double/Twin Room | ||
Twin Room with Balcony |
Patricia and her father Manuel are running this Guest House for more than 25 years. They are both passionate about flowers and they provide along the staff a caring service to the guests. That is what makes so special to stay at Pergola House, you feel you are staying at a friends house.
Want to send a special request to Patricia & Manuel, her father? Add in the next step!
Area Info – Great location - show map
Closest Landmarks
- Cascais Train Station 0.1 miles
- Cascais Town Hall 0.2 miles
- Museum of the Sea 0.4 miles
- Nossa Senhora da Luz Fortress 0.4 miles
- Casa das Historias - Paula Rego Museum 0.4 miles
- Marechal Carmona Park 0.5 miles
- Cascais Marina 0.5 miles
- Cascais Hipodrom 0.5 miles
- Condes de Castro Guimaraes Museum - Library 0.5 miles
- Santa Marta Lighthouse 0.6 miles
Most Popular Landmarks
- Boca do Inferno 0.8 miles
- Portuguese Music Museum 1 miles
- Cruz Fort 1.2 miles
- Estoril Casino 1.3 miles
- Pena National Palace 6.3 miles
- Moors Castle 6.6 miles
- Quinta da Regaleira 6.9 miles
- Sintra National Palace 6.9 miles
- NOS Alive 9.9 miles
- Jeronimos Monastery 11.5 miles
Restaurants & Markets
- Flecha Azul Restaurant Restaurant 0 miles
- Luz Mar Restaurant Restaurant 0 miles
- Jumbo Supermarket 0 miles
Closest Airports
- Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport 16.4 miles
What would you like to know?
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Your feedback will help us improve this feature for all of our customers
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Retry7 Reasons to Choose Pergola Guest House B&B
Prices you can't beat!
Manage your bookings online
The staff speaks English
Booking is safe
One of our top picks in Cascais
Guests loved the "boutique" style
Facilities of Pergola Guest House B&B Great facilities! Review score, 8.8
- Sun Deck
- Grounds
Pets are not allowed.
- Bicycle Rental (surcharge)
- Golf Course (within 2 miles)
Food & Drink
- Snack Bar
Free! WiFi is available in the hotel rooms and is free of charge.
No parking available.
Front Desk Services
- Private Check-in/Check-out
- Concierge Service
- Baggage Storage
- Tour Desk
Cleaning Services
- Daily Housekeeping
- Ironing Service
- Laundry
Business Facilities
- Fax/Photocopying
- Airport Shuttle (surcharge)
- Shuttle Service (surcharge)
- Air Conditioning
- Heating
- Car Rental
- Safe
- Non-Smoking Rooms
- Room Service
Languages Spoken
- Portuguese
- French
- Spanish
- English
What would you like to know?
No thanksThank you for your time
Your feedback will help us improve this feature for all of our customers
CloseWe're sorry, but there was an error submitting your comment. Please try again.
Cancellation and prepayment policies vary according to room type. Please enter the dates of your stay and check what conditions apply to your preferred room.
Children and Extra Beds
Children cannot be accommodated at the hotel.
Any additional children or adults are charged EUR 35 per night for extra beds.
The maximum number of extra beds in a room is 1.
Any type of extra bed or crib is upon request and needs to be confirmed by management.
Additional fees are not calculated automatically in the total cost and will have to be paid for separately during your stay.
Pets are not allowed.
When booking more than 5 rooms, different policies and additional supplements may apply.
Cards accepted at this property
Hover over the cards for more info.
For 5 rooms or more, the Guest House will charge a non-refundable prepayment of 50% of the entire reservation on the customer's credit card.
Please note that the property only accepts chldren that are 10 years of age, or older.
Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
Please inform Pergola Guest House B&B of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details provided in your confirmation.


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*free shipping on domestic orders over $250
$12.00 $24.00
The only thing better than a bear hug is a handwritten letter!
A perfect keepsake that fits in standard frames.
Embroidery on 100% natural cotton, stitched to a handmade paper card.
Comes with an envelope and plastic sleeve.
Measures 5″ × 7″.


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Invaluable cannot guarantee the accuracy of translations through Google Translate and disclaims any responsibility for inaccurate translations.
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Lot 402: Chinese Hand-carved Dragon Beast Mask
Antiques, Jewelry, Collectables, Militaria, Art and Antiquities
by Rob Partners LLC
November 27, 2016
Bluffton, SC, USA
Live AuctionSold
Looking for the realized and estimated price?
Description: Vintage hand-carved & painted wooden mask, in the form of a beast, a foo dog, kirin or dragon. Measures 6" X 8".


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Rangers will learn whether or not they will be playing in the Scottish Premier League next season at a meeting on July 4.
The Glasgow outfit could reformed as a newco after falling into liquidation last week but it is not yet known if they will compete in Scotland's top flight or be forced down to the Third Division.
An SPL statement read that 'The Rangers FC' had submitted an application to play in the top competition but will now learn their fate when all the clubs get together to make a vote.
"Consideration of the application will depend on receipt by the SPL Board of all required documentation and verification.
"A general meeting of all 12 member clubs has been convened for 10am on Wednesday 4 July 2012 for members to decide whether to approve the transfer.""An application for registration of transfer of Rangers' SPL share has been received," read the statement.


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First Letter: Ephesus - Rev. 2:1-7 1 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2 "I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. 3 I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this is to your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.
Second Letter: Smyrna - Rev. 2:8-17 8 "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the first and the last, who was dead and came to life: 9 "I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich. I know the slander on the part of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death.
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The age of arcades came anew in the '90s, resurging on the strength of a fighter. Capcom's Street Fighter II wasn't the first game in its genre, but its gameplay refined and defined what one-on-one character combat was all about &#Array; unforgettable foes, uncounterable combos and unbelievable special moves. Unfortunate, though, will be gamers seeking a fully-featured street fight here. This Virtual Console version is as limited an edition of the game as was ever made, an emulation of Street Fighter II's clean and basic SNES debut.
It was 1991, and the arcade scene had long been dormant. American gamers' love affair with coin-op cabinets had faded years earlier, most players having happily adopted a console or computer to continue their habit at home. Those games that were still arriving in quarter slot form were evolving, building up the brawler as the new most popular arcade genre. Capcom was a major player in fueling that evolution, slowly rousing the sleeping scene with titles like Final Fight and the first Street Fighter in the late '80s &#Array; but it wasn't until the release of the sequel, Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, that the arcade craze was truly reawakened.
Street Fighter II was made for competition. A one-on-one fighting game, it encouraged two players to throw down against one another, challenging each other for pride, bragging rights and control of the machine. Few games hold more satisfaction for the winner than Street Fighter II. It's incredibly gratifying to be playing the game, have some random fool walk up and drop a quarter in to challenge you, and then absolutely destroy him with your superior level of skill. Maybe you give him just a slight grin as he retreats from the controls, defeated, his tail between his legs. Maybe you act like you never saw him at all.
Such is the appeal of the Fight, and it's player vs. player interactions like that that led SFII to become one of the most popular fighters of all time. The game presents an array of selectable characters with a variety of looks and abilities, from traditional martial artists Ryu and Ken to the sumo wrestler E. Honda. There's Guile, an American Army man. There's Zangief, the Russian, pile-driving powerhouse. There's high-flying Chun Li and arm-stretching Dhalsim, and Blanka, the electric Oompa-Loompa. Every Street Fighter player finds a favorite, and seeks to master their signature moves.
Button combinations call upon these secret techniques, more powerful and more flashy than the game's otherwise basic punches and kicks. Guile can throw a spinning crescent of energy called the Sonic Boom, activated by holding back on the joystick for two seconds and then hitting forward and punch simultaneously. E. Honda can strike his enemies with a 100-Hand Slap, triggered by repeated mashing of any punch button. Dhalsim can breathe balls of fire, and so on and so forth. It took both conversation with other players and dedicated practice to learn about each characters' maneuvers, and thousands of gamers emptied millions of rolls of quarters trying to master Ryu's quarter-rolls.
When it became obvious that they had a hit on their hands, Capcom capitalized in two ways &#Array; the first was to port their product to a home machine, the Super NES, and the second was to release a vast array of upgraded Street Fighter II versions into the arcades. The later editions of the game made playable more characters, added new moves, and enhanced the balance between the different fighters. But those were the later editions. This VC release isn't them.
This is an emulation of that first-ever port, the July 1992 release that makes available only the first eight fighters. It was a huge boost to the SNES game library to receive this first home conversion of Street Fighter II then, 15 years ago, and gamers of the day flocked to its faithful re-creation of the arcade experience. But in the 15 years since, Street Fighter has evolved. Fighter fans are used to having more now &#Array; more characters, more stages, more options. This first version of SFII feels restricted. It's nostalgic, but limited. You'll want more.
More enhancements, more bells and whistles. More features, like online play. Like the Xbox Live Arcade version. True, the edition of Street Fighter II currently being enjoyed by 360 gamers isn't perfect, plagued as it is by lag and other frustrating failings. And true, a direct comparison is difficult to make &#Array; the Virtual Console has made no promises of enhancing or upgrading its classic games. But Street Fighter II will be a comparison point regardless, especially considering its equivalency in pricepoint. The Xbox download costs 800 Microsoft Points. The Nintendo version, 800 Wii Points. There are even rumors circulating now that the game will come to the PS3, through the PlayStation Store. It seems we may be seeing the beginning of a new resurgence, where a flood of Street Fighters will arrive to once again claim the time and money of nostalgic players. Don't be washed away.
Wait and save your Points for better, more fully-featured versions of this game. Street Fighter II Turbo, Super Street Fighter II and Street Fighter Alpha 2 could all potentially come to the service in the future, and that's just from the SNES back catalog. Any of them would be more worth your while, as you'd likely enjoy playing this version, but would quickly tire of its restricted scope and roster of only the eight original fighters. Street Fighter II: The World Warrior revolutionized the fighting genre and brought arcades back from the dead in the early '90s &#Array; but there are better ways to re-experience that era than this particular download.


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Sunday, 2 August 2015
1 comment:
really a vry nice blog i really appreciate all your efforts ,thank you so mch for sharing this valuable information with all of us.
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Worst White: Paris Hilton
Where do we begin? At the top? Ok, let's start at the top. Wonky hair matched wonky eye…just a little off centre, a weird little tick and swirl, not quite Gwen Stefani, not quite James Dean, I'm sure she thought she was fashion forwards/backwards 80s but the attempt – it was so bad, I can't even feel happy about it.
And then the dress. The matching leather gloves, the belt, the boots, the hideous FLOWER right at her bellybutton…was this a joke? It must have been a joke. But since when did Paris grow a sense of humour – especially about her looks?
No, gossips. I don't think this was a joke. I think this was a complete miscalculation. Not a very good week for her, is it? Time for Ebola to regroup and refocus, don"t you think?
Ps. Can we finally agree once and for all that Paris is NOT pretty???
Photo source


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Light Chicken Marsala
Recipe by Jessi Garcia
This recipe is a lighter version of the original marsala and it tastes great! Put i over rice or pasta, delicious!
Top Review by puppitypup
Delicious! I made a couple of changes, using double the amount of mushrooms (baby bellas) and an equal amount of sweet onion. Also, I used chardonnay rather than marsala wine, just personal preference. Next time I will reduce the sodium, because even the reduced-sodium broth had quite a bit of salt. This is definitely a keeper, perfect for a quick, healthy week-night meal. Thanks Jessi :)
See Discussion:
2 ReviewsIngredients Nutrition
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, uncooked (4)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1⁄2 teaspoon table salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1⁄2 cup marsala wine
- 1 1⁄4 cups reduced-sodium fat-free beef broth, divided
- 1 1⁄2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Heat oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender and releasing liquid, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place chicken on a plate and season both sides with thyme, salt and pepper. Move mushrooms to outer edge of skillet once cooked. Place chicken in center of skillet and sauté until golden, about 2-3 min per side.
- Add wine to skillet, simmer 1 minute, add 3/4 cup of broth and simmer, uncovered, until chicken is tender and cooked through about 8 minute.
- Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup of broth in small bowl, add to skillet. Simmer until sauce thickens, stirring constantly and incorporating mushrooms into the liquid, about 1 minute.


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Salido's Manager: Politics Killed Roman Fight For Canelo-Chavez
So what's the latest with former world champion Orlando 'Siri' Salido (43-13-4, 30 KOs). The Mexican fan-favorite hasn't been in the ring since his memorable war against Francisco Vargas last June at ...Read More
Orlando Salido Being Considered for Canelo-Chavez Co-Feature
NEW YORK – Orlando Salido might land a high-profile fight after all. Vasyl Lomachenko is fighting Jason Sosa on April 8. And Francisco Vargas is recovering from a brutal beating that eliminated the po...Read More
Lomachenko 'A Little Disappointed' He's Not Fighting Salido Next
Vasyl Lomachenko had hoped to get the opportunity to avenge his lone professional loss in his next fight. There was a time when he thought a rematch against Orlando Salido was basically a done deal. U...Read More
Orlando Salido Ring Return is Being Targeted For April 29
Former multi-division world champion Orlando "Siri" Salido has a tentative return date set for April 29 in his hometown Sonora, against an opponent to be confirmed depending on what his co-promoters G...Read More
Orlando Salido: Me and Francisco Vargas Have Unfinished Business
Orlando "Siri" Salido has always given the fans the fights they want and deserve, and his championship fight against Francisco "Bandido" Vargas last June at the Stub Hub Center continues to gather acc...Read More
Vargas vs. Salido Named as BWAA "Fight of The Year"
It was certainly a week to forget for the staff at Golden Boy Promotions, but one that was already due to end on a high note and now comes with even more reason to smile. The same goes for Francisco V...Read More
Salido Will Be Ringside at Vargas-Berchelt - Wants Rematch
Out of everyone who will be attending this weekend's card at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California - where an HBO doubleheader takes place featuring a pair of super featherweight contests b...Read More
Jason Sosa's Promoter Would Love Orlando Salido Showdown
For the time being WBA 130-pound titlist Jason Sosa (20-1-4, 15 KOs) has a blank 2017 itinerary. "We don't have anything scheduled, right now,''his promoter, Russel Peltz admitted to BoxingScene.com ...Read More
Orlando Salido Targets Francisco Vargas Rematch
There are very few fighters in the world who deliver the type of fights Orlando "Siri" Salido delivers every time he gets into the ring, and his fight with Francisco "Bandido" Vargas this past June wa...Read More
BoxingScene 2016 Fight Of The Year - Yamanaka-Moreno II
By Jake Donovan - Roughly the same time one year ago, Shinsuke Yamanaka and Anselmo Moreno ended their bantamweight title fight with more questions than answers. Their rematch this past September not ...Read More
Salido Leans Away From Lomachenko, Moves in New Direction
As the new year dawns, Orlando Salido - who battled Francisco Vargas to a draw on June 4th in what is considered by many to be the best fight of 2016 - isn't doing all that much....Read More
Orlando Salido Motivated To Fight Harder After FOTY Honors
For the second time in three years, an Orlando "Siri" Salido fight has been selected by Yahoo Sports as the "Fight of the Year". In 2014, it was his all-action battle against Terdsak Kokiegym that was...Read More
Orlando Salido Hopes Vasyl Lomachenko Rematch Gets Finalized
Former world champion Orlando Salido was hoping to get the second opportunity to face WBC super featherweight king Francisco Vargas, but instead his team is putting the finishing touches on an HBO tel...Read More
Arum Believes Lomachenko-Salido Rematch Headed for March
Promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank is optimistic that a rematch between WBO super featherweight titlist Vasyl Lomachenko (7-1, 5KOs) and tough brawler Orlando Salido (43-13-4, 30KOs) will take place in the...Read More
Photos: Mayweather, Golovkin, Klitschko at WBC Convention
GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ recently honored a few of the attendees at the 54th World Boxing Council Convention thanks to their record-breaking achievements in the sport of boxing....Read More
Photos: Francisco Vargas, Orlando Salido - Get WBC FOTY Award
Today, the World Boxing Council (WBC) and Tecate, beer's boldest boxing authority, jointly announced the 2016 Tecate Fight of the Year at the 54th Annual WBC Convention in Hollywood, Fl....Read More
Salido's Manager: We Have Lomachenko's Number, He'll Lose!
The negotiations for a rematch between Vasyl Lomachenko (7-1, 5KOs) and Orlando 'Siri' Salido (43-13-4, 30KOs) will resume this week. But the manager of Salido - Sean Gibbons - is confident that there...Read More
Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Orlando Salido Rematch in March?
Orlando Salido, coming off his 12-round draw versus Francisco Vargas on June 4th, was slated to appear on December 17th against Takashi Miura at the Forum in Los Angeles on HBO. But a back injury knoc...Read More
Arum on Lomachenko vs. Rigondeaux: That's a Sh*t Fight!
In the immediate aftermath of Vasyl Lomachenko's most recent display of boxing, where he made Nicholas Walters quit on his stool after seven rounds, there is a lot of discussions on who the reigning W...Read More
Lomachenko Likes Vargas Fight Next; Arum Prefers Salido
LAS VEGAS – Vasyl Lomachenko mentioned the fighter who drew with Orlando Salido in 2016's probable "Fight of the Year" as the man he'd like to face next. Lomachenko's promoter prefers a rematch agains...Read More


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Green Day cancel gig after Billie Joe taken to hospital
Green Day have cancelled a gig in Italy after front man Billie Joe Armstrong was taken to hospital.
The singer's band-mates, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool, recorded a video apologising for pulling out of the show.
In the video the pair said that the band were extremely upset at having to cancel.
A statement read: "We regretfully must cancel our performance in Bologna, Italy. We are beyond devastated."
Band upset
In the video posted on the band's official website, Mike Dirnt added: "We apologise, this is really unfortunate. Billie got rushed to the hospital last night due to illness. The doctors don't think it's a good idea for him to play.
"This sucks, we were really looking forward to playing Bologna as the highlight of our tour. We'll be back as soon as we can."
There were no further details about the illness that led to Armstrong's hospital admission.
The band recently performed a surprise gig at Reading festival where they performed material from their new album ¡Uno!
This will be the first of three new albums set for release this year.
The band have confirmed a full UK tour for 2013, starting at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium on 1 June.
Billie Joe Armstrong is also due to be a mentor for series three of the US version of The Voice.


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2017 State of the Lateral Law Firm Market


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Doctor insights on:
Wubbanub Pacifier
How do I stop the pacifier?
Pacifier problems: Many airway problems develop in children with prolonged pacifier use. The dental arch is not developed normally when there is a malocclusion caused by a pacifier or thumb in place continually. So, stopping this habit early is a benefit. Best is behavior modification with rewards, second is removal of the pacifier from the house. The danger is that a thumb will be substituted. Positive feedback ! ...Read more
See 2 more doctor answers
When to give a baby pacifier?
No rules: There has been much arguing over the years about pacifiers. In the end, though, there are no rules. When you say baby, i assume that you really mean a baby, under a year of age. My rule: if you baby likes sucking on a pacifier, its fine. Eventually, you need to get rid of the pacifier, but that is something to do in the second year of life. ...Read more
When should I stop the pacifier?
When baby tosses it : Some babies show no real interest in pacifiers & will not miss it if you don't bring it along. Others have a tight self soothing bond & should be left alone.Clipping it to an outfit with a ribbon prevents baby from using the mouth as a pocket.More time out of the mouth decreases interest.A ziploc bag can help later.Sudden removal by a parent figure sets up a distrust that can last a lifetime. ...Read more
See 1 more doctor answer
What are the pros and cons of pacifiers?
Few if any cons: In general infants are pacified by sucking and a pacifier can really help infants that are calmed by sucking, in my experience pacifiers rarely interfere with breast feeding and since they can easily be removed when needed are preferable to sucking on fingers/thumbs. ...Read more
See 1 more doctor answer
How often should we change baby's pacifier?
See below: You only need to change it if it looks worn or it is damaged. ...Read more
When can I start giving my baby a pacifier?
Its up to you & babe: Over three decades I have seen consultants pro/con write about pacifiers.We are told babies are to confused if started early, but most will still breast feed well & they will never tell us why if they don't. I find babies put down to sleep with a pacifier will wake in the night and cry until someone puts it back in, not a good scene at 3am. Best use is when alert as a self soothing tool. ...Read more
See 1 more doctor answer
What do I need to know about pacifier safety?
Pacifier safety tips: Pacifiers deteriorate over time. Inspect them periodically and replace them if the rubber is discolored or torn. Never tie a pacifier to your child's crib or around your child's neck or hand. This could cause serious injury or even death. Prolonged pacifier use might lead to dental and speech problems. ...Read more
See 1 more doctor answer
How long is it okay for a child to have a pacifier?
Wean Early: Sooner is better when it comes to weaning from a pacifier. The longer it stays, the harder it is to take away. And the longer it stays, the greater the risk of speech delay, cavities, needing braces... I tell parents, "sometimes, the only way to get rid of the pacifier is to get rid of the pacifier." throwing it away may seem hard in the short run, but it's far easier in the long run. ...Read more
See 2 more doctor answers
Is it normal to chew on a pacifier until around 10?
No.: This is far to old to use a pacifier. The reasons for this are out of my field of practice but you should start by talking to your family physician. ...Read more
What is the best way to clean bottles and pacifiers?
Soap and Water: Hello, good old soap and water will do just fine. Sterilization is unnecessary unless your baby has thrush. Most bottles can be placed in the dishwasher and cleaned as well. ...Read more
See 2 more doctor answers


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QUnit Composite Addon: Running Multiple jQuery Test Files
22 May 2012Introduction
When you start Unit Testing your application with QUnit you'll notice that you'll have lots of different QUnit files that thoroughly test one feature or component of your system.
Instead of opening each one of those test files and running them separately, wouldn't it be nice if you could launch one file that would run all the tests?
Thankfully, there is a addon for that and it's called the Composite addon!
Composite is a QUnit addon that, when handed an array of files, will open each of those files inside of an iframe, run the tests and display the results as a single suite of QUnit tests. -- https://github.com/jquery/qunit-composite
Setting up the Composite addon is pretty easy. All you really need to do is to get the qunit-composite.js
and qunit-composite.css
files from the Composite Addon Repository in GitHub and then tell QUnit what test files are a part of your Test Suite! See the following for an example setup.
Running Example
I've taken the Unit Tests from a couple of blog posts I've done recently (filterByData jQuery Plugin: Select by HTML5 Data Attr Value & jQuery :dataAttr Pseudo Selector) and have decided to bundle them together using the QUnit Composite Addon.
NOTE: Normally your URLs will look much cleaner than these in this example. Since I'm running these tests in jsFiddle the resources are pointed to their jsFiddle hash appended with /show
so that they will render only the result.
Running from the file:// Protocol
In order for this to work you must host your files in a web server because the Composite addon relies on making AJAX calls to pull in the other QUnit files. If you are trying to run the test from the file://
protocol then you will get an error and the tests will not run. If you want to run the tests from Google Chrome you can enable the allow-file-access-from-files
command line parameters.
- Mac:
open /Applications/Google\ Chrome.app --args --allow-file-access-from-files
- Windows:
C:\path\to\chrome.exe --allow-file-access-from-files
- Linux:
/usr/bin/google-chrome --allow-file-access-from-files
Using the QUnit Composite addon is very handy to get a quick high level view of the health of your web application. There is some overhead when running all of the tests at one time, but by making it easier to run all of your tests makes the likelihood of you running them much higher than otherwise.


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Top Definition
The horniest, funniest, greatest time you'll pretty much ever encounter.
Man...I'm really craving a Christianne tonight.
by XXX_tina
February 08, 2009
The Urban Dictionary Mug
One side has the word, one side has the definition. Microwave and dishwasher safe. Lotsa space for your liquids.
Buy the mugThe Urban Dictionary T-Shirt
Smooth, soft, slim fit American Apparel shirt. Custom printed. 100% fine jersey cotton, except for heather grey (90% cotton).
Buy the t-shirt


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Photographer Shawn Mortensen will soon be coming out with his new book, Out Of Mind, and to coincide with the release, FUCT will be putting out two t-shirts. Shawn Mortensen has photographed some of our generations greatest performers. The two t-shirts that FUCT will be releasing feature pictures of Snoop Dogg and The Nororious B.I.G. from the early 90's.
The Hundreds will hold an exhibition of the artists work beginning of November. The FUCT t-shirts will be released 1rst of October at selected FUCT retailers. Via Hypebeast.
Check out the two t-shirts in detail after the jump.
Shawn Mortensen x FUCT T-Shirts
What To Read Next


text:
Friday, November 16, 2012
Fashion Mags Steal the Spotlight in Ad Sales
Digital Experts Tell Us the 7 Biggest Challenges of Advertising on Tablets
68% of Tablet Owners Are More Adventurous with Magazine Choices
Blockbuster Launches Movies Magazine on Tablets
GQ Hosts Men of the Year Party
Counterculture Totem Arthur to Return as a Leaner Magazine
Variety Lays Off Staff, Plans to Reduce Frequency of Publication
Editor Moves at Cosmo, W, Elle
Carmen Borgonovo Leaving Harper's for E-commerce
Health Updates: Prevention, SELF
Obit: Ann Campion, Magazine Editor Who Worked with Irving Penn
Automated Bidding Systems Test Old Ways of Selling Ads
P&G Plans More Cuts in Headcount, Agency Fees, Production
Hostess Is Going Out of Business, Will Lay Off Thousands
What the Multitasking Myth Means for Media Buying
Brands Show Early Enthusiasm for Instagram Web Profiles
Twitter Takes New Steps to Be Even More Like Instagram
Top 4 Tips on How to Run a Pinterest Promotion
Online Content Discovery Heightens Traditional Shopping
The Estee Lauder Mobile Approach
Sony Mobile Chief Acknowledges Its Smartphones Suck, Promises An iPhone, Galaxy S III Competitor Soon
Retailers Beating a Cautious Drum
USPS Looks to Congress for Survival
Postal Service Reports Record Loss of $15 Billion
Response to Buyout Offer Better Than USPS Expected
Celebrating magazine media excellence, the 2013 program will honor both print and digital nominees at the National Magazine Awards Annual Dinner on May 2, NYC.
A memorial for Don Kummerfeld, former head of MPA and international magazine association FIPP, died this summer will be held at the Hearst Tower in NYC on Monday, Jan. 28.
Learn how to leverage social media platforms at MPA Digital: Social Media (Dec. 13), a valuable half-day conference designed exclusively for magazine media.
MPA Washington Newsletter: Election Results Are In - MPA Plans for the Lame Duck and 2013; Privacy Update: MPA Comments on Supplemental Notice of Proposed Changes to COPPA Rule; and more.
November 28, 2012
Keep up with the rapidly changing rules—and learn how to keep your magazine out of court.
Playboy: The sexiest judge in cooking-show history talks about modeling, eating and how she's a truck driver caught in a woman's body.


text:
It's being reported that there are talks of having Hulk Hogan return to the ring once again for TNA Impact Wrestling's 2013 Bound For Glory pay-per-view against the current TNA World Heavyweight Champion and Hogan's storyline son-in-law, Bully Ray.
No word on if this match might be for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
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WIN A Copy of The WWE 'Best of The 2000's' (4-DISC) DVD, Just Give Us Some Website Feedback!


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Immerse yourself in the enchanting scent of the Eight & Bob Original 100% Vegetable Wax Candle. This luxurious candle will fragrance your home with the same intoxicating scent as the Eight & Bob original perfume – a heady mix of citrus, spicy and warm notes that hail straight from the original 1930's formula. Presented in an eye-catching striped box, the Eight & Bob Original 100% Vegetable Wax Candle is the perfect gift for any lover of this elegant fragrance. The complex notes of ginger, lemon, cedar wood, nuts, sandalwood and vanilla combine to create an alluring fragrance that will infuse your home leaving it smelling wonderful.
Standard Delivery: £4.95
Next Day Delivery: £9.95
Saturday Delivery: £9.95
Overseas BFPO and Non Mainland UK
Non-Mainland UK - £9.95 per delivery address
Europe - £14.95 per delivery address
Worldwide - £19.95 per delivery address
We are extending the returns period until 07 January for all items purchased between 15 November and 24 December.
We hope that you will like your Sue Parkinson purchase, but if you find it unsuitable or you are not entirely satisfied, please ensure that you return products to us unused and undamaged in their original packaging*, within 14 days, to enable us to accept them for a refund. Refunds timescales may vary so please allow 10 working days for the refund to appear on your credit card or bank statement. Some products are no-refundable for hygiene reasons*.
Why you can feel secure shopping with us
When you shop with us, our secure server encrypts all of your personal information, including name, address and credit card information. We use SagePay which are an industry leader in secure internet transactions. SagePay are used by thousands of other UK businesses for transaction security.
Industry leading transaction security
All transaction information passed between our website and the SagePay Payment System is encrypted using 128-bit SSL certificates. No cardholder information is ever passed unencrypted and all messages from SagePay are signed using MD5 hashing to prevent tampering. You can be completely secure in the knowledge that nothing passed to SagePay can be examined, used or modified by any third parties attempting to gain access to sensitive information.
Internationally recognised encryption and data storage
Once on the SagePay system, all sensitive data is secured using the same internationally recognised 256-bit encryption standards used by, among others, the US Government. The encryption keys are held on state-of-the-art, tamper proof systems in the same family as those used to secure VeriSign's Global Root certificate, making them all but impossible to extract. The data they hold is extremely secure and they are regularly audited by the banks and banking authorities to ensure it remains so.
Private network links to banks
SagePay has multiple private links into the banking network that are completely separate from the Internet and which do not cross any publicly accessible networks. Any cardholder information sent to the banks and any authorisation message coming back is secure and cannot be tampered with.
Employee access
No individuals within our company or SagePay are able to decrypt transaction information or cardholder data. Their systems only allow access to our most senior staff and only in extenuating circumstances (such as investigations of Card Fraud by the Police). Your card information is secure even from their own employees because the systems never display the full card numbers, even on administration screens.


text:
Pay-Per-Minute Viewing
You can now enjoy this movie on your iPhone®, iPad®, or compatible Smart TV & Android devices.
Purchase Options
Streaming Rentals
Available MP4 sizes:
SD 480p (2.2 GB) DRM-free downloads offer content that is not limited by standard Digital Rights Management (DRM) access technologies. These technologies allow hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals to limit the usage of digital content.
When you purchase DRM-free downloadable content, that content is available for you to download on any computer and save to a disk whenever you like. You can also download to multiple computers. There is no timeframe associated with your purchase and the content will not expire.
Running Time:
143 minutes
Studio Name:
All Out Anal
The Abattoir Brothers
Who's ready for a whole lotta backdoor action? Our butthole invaders are ganging up this time around and tag-teaming our willingly nasty nymphets, who just so happen to have the sweetest, tightest asses just ready and ripe for the fucking!
5 Scenes from All Out Anal 2
Mischa McKinnon
... More Details
Sex Acts:
Breast Play, Anal Sex, Fingercuffing - Anal, Masturbation, Handjob, Vaginal Sex, Oral Sex, 3-Way, Fondling, Fingercuffing - Vaginal
Standing Missionary, Standing Doggy Style, Doggy Style, Spoons position, Sitting, Laying, Standing
Essy Moore
... More Details
Sex Acts:
Breast Play, Fingercuffing - Anal, Anal Sex, GangBang, Jousting, Masturbation, Handjob, Vaginal Sex, Oral Sex, Fingercuffing - Vaginal
Cowgirl, Piledriver, Reverse Piledriver, Missionary, Doggy Style, Spoons position, Kneeling, Sitting, Laying, Standing
Donna Marie
... More Details
Sex Acts:
Fingercuffing - Anal, Anal Sex, Masturbation, Handjob, Vaginal Sex, Oral Sex, 3-Way, Fingercuffing - Vaginal
Sex Acts:
Breast Play, Anal Sex, Fingercuffing - Anal, GangBang, Lactation, Masturbation, Double Penetration, Ass To Mouth, Vaginal Sex, Fingercuffing - DP, Oral Sex, Gapes, Fingercuffing - Vaginal, Blowjob
Cowgirl, Reverse Cowgirl, Crouching/Squatting, Missionary, Doggy Style, Spoons position, Kneeling, Sitting, Side Saddle, Laying, Standing
Jazz Duro Angie George
... More Details
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DIY: Do It Yourself
Post here to share or improve your wrench turning skills! All BMW E46 DIY tips, tales, and projects discussed inside. Learn to work on your car and know the right BMW parts you will need! |
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: San Jose, CA & Dallas, TX
Posts: 20,209
My Ride: 330cic & R6
DIY: Ugly washer fluid tank painted black.
Well, this isn't really a DIY, and I don't know if anyone cares enough about how it looks, but it really bugged me.
My windshield washer fluid tank was this ugly yellow faded color and just a big eye sore in the engine bay, so I wanted to do something about it. SO UGLY!!! Took it out: Cleaned and sanded down the whole thing, then taped up the holes: There was some slimy sludge at the holes, near the pumps, and on the filter screen, so cleaned and rinsed those off really well: Primered and sprayed several coats of Flat Black: On the side that is most exposed when in the car, I put a thin strip of tape, so that when it was painted and I peeled it off, it would leave an exposed line so I can see what the fluid level is at: Before and after!!! Thanks for looking!
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Unless you are comfortable with handling your own arrangements directly with travel operators over their websites or your travel selection is just a simple selection from a brochure you should consider finding an expert travel agent for your travel destination or activity requirements. This is not as simple as it sounds as many travel agents are designated as 'specialists' which often does not mean too much, except that they specialize in selling certain destinations, activities or named tour operators.
To obtain a 'specialist' designation can also be a very simple test set by a tourism office or tour operator and does not necessarily require an actual visit or experience. Travelers should beware of specialists, simply find out if they are experts by asking "have your been there, have you done that, did you buy the t-shirt?" or some more exacting questions, as you are investing hard earned money in your trip or vacation.
In our lifetimes we hopefully spend more on our travel wants and needs than on any other professional or expert in their chosen fields such as lawyers, accountants, plumbers, electricians, builders, dentists, doctors and we certainly choose them very carefully, so why not use the same quality control when choosing a travel agent. Also, as with our other experts, there may be different agents needed for different destinations and activities, so do not necessary stay with one agent for all of your travel requirements unless of course the agency has different experts for different products and services.
There is an understandable element of extra costs when using these experts called commissions and fees but the extra cost is often worth the investment if you really need travel knowledge, experience and expertise. Many travel experts are dedicated professionals who have spent years gaining knowledge of their products and services, gaining experience by visiting destinations, taking part in activities and gaining expertise in the reservation and search systems for better itinerary planning.
They are out there, but not necessarily in your town, region or even country. With the Internet we have the ability to find experts for anything and to compare and check credentials and product quality before committing our investment.
If you, as a traveler, do not need to use an expert travel agent and are comfortable with handling your own arrangements over the internet you have unlimited choices but not unlimited time to do your searches. You also have probably questioned why, if you do your own bookings directly with the operator, that you have to pay the commissions that are normally built in to travel prices to allow for retailer or wholesaler percentages, and rightly so. Are you getting a fair fare price when you go directly to operators and if not why not?
Not as simple an answer as it seems. Travel Wholesalers and Retailers are needed to market, promote and represent travel products so that travelers have the opportunity to view the myriad travel choices around the world. Without them many of us would never know the choices available to us so, when you have found your expert you should be loyal to them for yourself and also recommend and refer their expertise to others.
Travel Operators often have a predicament that if they show a two-tier price on their websites, one for buying from travel agents and a lesser price for direct bookers, that this could cause a rift in the supply chain and should therefore be protected for the benefit of the industry and the consumer in order to ensure that certain travel selections are available.
To overcome this predicament needed a new and completely different approach to both protect the traditional supply chain and to ensure that direct booking travelers get fairer fare prices and protection from unnecessary costs. The new innovation is Top Travel Vouchers from Top Travel Sites, a system whereby the operator still incurs the payment of a commission but most of that commission is then rebated to the direct-booking traveler.
At present there are hundreds of these vouchers available for purchase from operators around the world and each purchaser is offered a 100% money back guarantee, with some restrictions, but there is also a refund if the traveler is unhappy upon completion of their travel.
This service is in the early days of building a voucher inventory but with the growth of travel by direct bookings it does offer travel operators who want to encourage direct bookings and also to protect their relationships with wholesalers and retailers a new opportunity and method of representation for their products.
For the many thousands of travel providers and operators around the world who are not large enough to get representation by wholesalers and retailers there is now an opportunity to use this service by building an attractive savings incentive into voucher offers to encourage travelers to handle their own arrangements directly with the operator.
You can see the selections now available for direct-bookers together with a selection of expert travel agents by destination and activity at top travel sites.
A UK Chartered Accountant with over 40yrs of international travel and over 25yrs in the travel industry. Editor of [http://www.thetravelinsider.net] and developer of the TopTravelVoucher service at http://www.toptravelsites.com
Travel by thumb, boot, bike, hike, Lambretta, cars from a '54 Ford Prefect to a 348 Spider, planes from a '46 Fleet Canuck to The Concorde, trains from The Tube to The Orient Express, boats from canoes on the Nahanni to The QE2 and still needing to visit Newfoundland, Easter and Christmas Islands and a few more traditional English Pubs with real ale and close to a trout stream.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Anthony_Francis/119855


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Sensors 2013, 13(12), 15954-15967; doi:10.3390/s131215954
: The paper presents the application of an electronic nose instrument to fast evaluation of agricultural distillates differing in quality. The investigations were carried out using a prototype of electronic nose equipped with a set of six semiconductor sensors by FIGARO Co., an electronic circuit converting signal into digital form and a set of thermostats able to provide gradient temperature characteristics to a gas mixture. A volatile fraction of the agricultural distillate samples differing in quality was obtained by barbotage. Interpretation of the results involved three data analysis techniques: principal component analysis, single-linkage cluster analysis and cluster analysis with spheres method. The investigations prove the usefulness of the presented technique in the quality control of agricultural distillates. Optimum measurements conditions were also defined, including volumetric flow rate of carrier gas (15 L/h), thermostat temperature during the barbotage process (15 °C) and time of sensor signal acquisition from the onset of the barbotage process (60 s).1. Introduction
The quality of agricultural distillates depend on their composition and due to their complexity some problems can be encountered during their purification (rectification). Thus, an important stage of rectified alcohol production is the quality control and classification of the agricultural distillates [1]. In a number of industrial alcohol plants quality control and classification of raw material is done using organoleptic analysis characterized by many shortcomings originating from the limitations of the human senses. As a consequence, alcohol industry representatives report that distillery plants collect agricultural distillates of low quality. In fact there are still no unequivocal methods of differentiation between high quality agricultural distillates and those produced from worse quality raw materials or using improper technology. Processing of raw alcohol of low quality results in high costs for further processing, causing financial losses to the manufacturer.
Currently recognized manufacturers of alcohols tend to label their products in a detailed way following the requirements of the European Union, which are contained in the Regulation (EC) No. 110/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2008 on the definition, description, presentation, labeling and the protection of geographical indications of spirit drinks and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1576/89. In this way the manufacturers want to assure potential clients that their products are of the highest quality and are produced from the finest, single raw materials. Sensory quality is primarily driven by the volatile organic compounds contained in a volatile fraction of the agricultural distillates. Quality and type of starch and other raw materials as well as hygiene and conditions of the fermentation and distillation process influence substantially the aroma of the raw alcohol supplied to the distillery plant. Earlier studies reveal that utilization of non-rectified ethyl alcohol in industrial conditions yields a number of by-products: carbonyl compounds, alcohols, esters, acids and acetals [1]. These compounds are present in a very wide concentration range. Some of them have a beneficial influence on sensory features (for instance esters), while others impart a negative impact even when present in only trace amounts (for example aldehydes).
Application of electronic nose instruments in the alcohol industry has already been investigated [2–11]. However, the literature does not report on analysis of agricultural distillates using electronic noses as far as their quality is concerned. What is most frequently described is testing of final alcohol products—whisky, brandy, vodka, wine, beer—their classification, storage conditions, degree of ripening of the fruits they are made of as well as their botanic and geographic origin [3,8,11–20]. Moreover, the application of electronic noses can substantially reduce the time necessary for a single analysis of the raw material supplied to a distillery plant. This approach has an advantage over chromatographic techniques (frequently utilized in industrial investigations of agricultural distillate quality). A single gas chromatography analysis takes about 30–50 min [21–34], whereas a typical electronic nose analysis lasts a few minutes [19,35–38]. This difference can be a milestone in industrial analytics of raw alcohol.
This paper presents our investigations using an electronic nose prototype of equipped with six low-cost, semiconductor sensors by FIGARO Co. (Osaka, Japan). The aim of the research was to verify the usefulness of this device in differentiating between high class agricultural distillates fulfilling the requirements of the Polish standard and medium and low class ones. The intention of the authors was also to verify whether this type of device, dedicated exclusively to agricultural distillate evaluation and several times cheaper than commercially available electronic nose devices, is capable of finding future application in the industry. Moreover, the authors hope the presented results could contribute in the future to the wider application and development of fast, non-invasive electronic nose techniques in the field of industrial investigations of alcohol products.
2. Experimental Section
2.1. Measurement Set-Up
The measurement set-up consisted of a bottle with carrier gas, a Tecfluid 2150 series flow meter (Tecfluid S.A., Barcelona, Spain), an electronic nose prototype and a PC class computer. Compressed air of N5.0 purity (Linde Gaz Polska Ltd., Gdańsk, Poland) was the carrier gas. All elements of the measurement set-up, from the bottle with carrier gas to the prototype of electronic nose, were connected with Teflon tubes of 4 mm diameter. The measurement set-up also contained a bottle reducer with a metal membrane dedicated for non-corrosive gases (IHW Group, Berlin, Germany) mounted in order to provide a chemically inert environment for the carrier gas all the way from the bottle to the electronic nose. The above-mentioned measurement set-up has already been described in the literature [35] and is presented in Figure 1.
2.2. Electronic Nose Prototype
The prototype consisted of a set of six commercial semiconductor sensors by FIGARO Co. (TGS 880, TGS 825, TGS 826, TGS 822, TGS 2610, TGS 2602). Relative humidity of the gas mixture flowing through a module with the sensors depended on the thermostats' temperature as well as the volumetric flow rate of the carrier gas and ranged from 70% to 90%. A dedicated miniaturized electronic circuit conditioned the output signal from the sensor set of the prototype. Application of this circuit enabled lowering the limit of detection of the semiconductor sensors by one order of magnitude. Utilization of a set of thermostating modules providing gradient temperature characteristics to the investigated gas mixtures obtained via a barbotage process [39] made it possible to acquire stable, reproducible sensor response signals. Four thermostating modules contained within the electronic nose prototype allowed for a constant temperature gradient preventing condensation of the gaseous agricultural distillate samples of all the way from the sample chamber to the exit from the electronic nose system. It enabled performing a number of successive measurements (eliminating the so-called 'wall memory effect'). Reproducibility of 93% of the results obtained from the e-nose prototype was within 5.8%–9.2% Coefficient of Variation (CV). In order to calculate CV coefficients five analyses were conducted for a sample of distillate (each point in the multidimensional data space subjected to further statistical analysis was a mean of five measurement points).
2.3. Software for Chemometric Data Analysis
Chemometric data analysis was performed with the commercially available software SAS Enterprise 4.3 (SAS Co., Cary, NC, USA) with the implemented PRINCOMP algorithm (for principal component analysis) and STATISTICA 10 (StatSoft Co., Tulsa, OK, USA) software (for the single-linkage cluster analysis and for the spheres method).
2.4. Object of Investigation
The investigations were conducted on agricultural distillates of different raw material origin: triticale, corn, wheat, barley, bread rye, diamond rye and golden rye. The agricultural distillate samples originated from local distilleries of the Pomeranian voivodship. The results of organoleptic evaluations performed in a laboratory of Sobieski Distillery S.A. in Starogard Gdański (Poland) allowed classification of the agricultural distillates into three quality classes: high quality class: six distillates, which earned very high marks during sensory analysis according to the Polish standard PN-A-79528-2:2002, medium quality class: six distillates, for which there was a discrepancy between testers during the sensory analysis—some testers classified them as compliant with the standard, some rejected them as incompliant, low quality class: six distillates, which were unanimously classified as incompliant.
2.5. Preparation of Samples for Analysis
Preparation of the agricultural distillate samples consisted in dilution with deionized water (Mili-Q A10 device by Millipore Co., Billerica, MA, USA) in 1:1,000 ratio. Then 5 mL of diluted sample was collected and transferred to a 15 mL vial. The total number of prepared samples was 990. The investigations were performed over 2 months.
3. Results and Discussion
Figure 2 shows exemplary response signals of the sensors versus time. They are presented as a ratio of the signal (expressed in bits, analogue-to-digital converter changed the voltage signal into digital one) to the maximum signal (a complete range of changes of digital signal, which was 14 bits). For each dependency between sensor response signal and time, the response signal was recorded at selected time instants of 20, 60, 90, 120 and 180 s. These measurements were repeated four times for every sample of a particular quality class at a given volumetric flow rate of carrier gas and for a given thermostating temperature of the sample subjected to the barbotage process. Colour lines designate the averaged (over five measurements) dependence between sensor signals and time. Data analysis using PCA and cluster analysis was performed for selected time instants on averaged sensor characteristic signals.
In order to assess optimum barbotage conditions and optimum operation parameters of the electronic nose a series of investigations was carried out aimed at determination of the influence of barbotage process temperature, carrier gas volumetric flow rate and time of sensor signal acquisition since the onset of the barbotage process.
3.1. Investigation of the Barbotage Temperature Influence
Investigation of the temperature influence on the barbotage process consisted in changes of the temperature of a heating jacket with the samples inside and their subsequent analysis. The temperature influence was investigated within a 15 °C–35 °C range with 5 °C steps. Figure 3 presents the results of principal component analysis of the agricultural distillates versus barbotage temperature changes. The remaining parameters of the barbotage process and electronic nose operation were kept constant during every analysis and were as follows: sample volume 5 mL, volumetric flow rate of carrier gas 15 L/h, time of sensor signal acquisition since barbotage process onset 60 s. Looking at the PCA results in Figure 3 one can notice that as the barbotage temperature decreases from 35 °C to 15 °C in 5 °C steps there is an improvement in the separation of the points group associated with high class agricultural distillates from the medium and low class points on the PC1PC2 plane. Analyzing the points groups representing medium and low class distillates only, the following dependences can be found: the smallest separation of the points groups is in the case of the PCA results presented in Figure 3A and 3B, relatively larger separation of the points groups occurs for the PCA results shown in Figure 3C and Figure 3D as compared to the PCA results illustrated in Figure 3A and 3B. A separation of the points groups in case of the PCA results presented in Figure 3C and Figure 3D is similar to the PCA results in Figure 3E, however the distance of the point no. 11 and the point no. 12 from the nearest points representing low class distillates is the largest for the analysis result presented in Figure 3E. The PCA result presented in Figure 3E has been concluded the best as far as separation of the points groups is concerned.
3.2. Investigation of Volumetric Flow Rate Influence
Investigation was carried out for the following volumetric flow rates: 5, 10 and 15 L/h. The remaining parameters of the barbotage process and electronic nose operation were kept constant during every analysis and were as follows: sample volume 5 mL, barbotage temperature 15 °C, time of sensor signal acquisition since barbotage process onset 60 s. PCA results showing the influence of volumetric flow rate of carrier gas are presented in Figure 4. It can be seen on the PCA plot that for the flow rates of 5, 10 and 15 L/h the points group representing high class distillates is relatively distant from the points groups of medium and low class distillates, which allows differentiation of the high class products from the remaining ones.
In the case of analysis for the carrier gas volumetric flow rate of 5 L/h there is an overlap of the regions engulfing the points groups representing medium and low class distillates. A change of volumetric flow rate to 10 L/h results in a separation of these two points groups, nevertheless they remain relatively close to each other on the PCA plot. There is particularly small distance between the point no. 11 (belonging to a medium class distillate) and the point no. 18 (assigned to a low class distillate). This distance is smaller than some of the distances between the points belonging to the same group. An increase in the carrier gas volumetric flow rate to 15 L/h results in an increase in the distance between these two groups of points. The coordinates of the point no. 11 (the point closest to the neighboring points group) differ substantially from the coordinates of the points belonging to low class distillates. The dependences described above can be explained by the fact that for higher volumetric flow rate there is better dispersion of the carrier gas in liquid sample and more effective transfer of the analytes from liquid to gas phase during barbotage.
3.3. Determination of the Optimum Time of Sensor Signal Acquisition
Figure 5 presents the PCA results for the samples of agricultural distillates depending on time of sensor signal acquisition since the onset of the barbotage process. Also in this case the remaining parameters of the barbotage process and electronic nose operation were kept constant during every analysis and were as follows: sample volume 5 mL, volumetric flow rate of carrier gas 15 L/h, barbotage temperature 15 °C.
Figure 5A presents the PCA results obtained when the measurement started 20 s after barbotage onset. Such a short time enabled the separation of the points group belonging to the high class distillates from the points groups representing medium and low quality distillates. On the other hand a distance between the point no. 5 and the closest neighboring point of high class distillates is comparable to the distance between the point no. 5 and the closest point belonging to the medium class distillates group (point no. 7). Moreover, the regions of the points representing medium and low class distillates overlap. Accordingly, proper classification of the samples of medium and low class distillates is not possible and classification of high quality agricultural distillates is burdened with relatively high uncertainty. Such a situation can be caused by insufficient extraction of the analytes from the liquid to the gas phase, so the profiles of the volatile fractions are less differentiated. Elongation of the time of sensor signal acquisition to 60 s makes complete differentiation of the aforementioned points groups possible. Additionally, the profiles of the volatile fractions are more differentiated than in the previous case. For the following PCA results presented in Figure 5C–E there is a deterioration of the points groups separation. In case of the PCA results presented in Figure 5D and 5E the regions of points representing medium and low class distillates overlap. The reason could be the fact that for the time of sensor signal acquisition equal or greater than 120 s since the barbotage onset there was earlier that extraction of more volatile analytes from the sample, so the volatile compounds profiles were less differentiated.
3.4. Final Outcome of the Optimization Investigations
Figure 6 illustrates the final PCA result, which was already presented earlier together with other results in the previous chapters of this paper, characterized by the best separation of three groups of points.
The distances between particular groups are big enough to differentiate between the points belonging to given groups. This result enables differentiation of high class agricultural distillates from medium and low quality ones.
Figure 7 presents the cluster diagram obtained using single-linkage cluster analysis. A measure of distance between objects is the Euclidean distance. In this method a distance between two clusters is defined by a distance between two closest objects (the nearest neighbors) belonging to different clusters. Following this rule the objects form clusters by combining into series and the resultant clusters form long 'chains'. Cluster analysis belongs to a group of graphical representations of information contained in a distance matrix. This method presents hierarchical grouping of the objects in the form of a suitable diagram (tree). The horizontal axis of the diagram is completely arbitrary and does not possess the character of number axis. On the vertical axis one denotes distance or probability, for which two objects create a cluster. Looking at the diagram in Figure 7 it can be stated that the analyzed features are divided into three clear clusters. The first one engulfs the features from 1 to 6, the second one gathers the features from 7 to 10 and the third one contains the features from 11 to 18. This analysis confirms an ability to differentiate high class agricultural distillates from the remaining ones.
Another method of cluster analysis is a direct method called the spheres method. It is based on an assumption that the objects within a group focus around certain central point. The first step of analysis is a selection of the object within the group, which is the closest to the central point. Inside a hypersphere of radius R, for every object one calculates a number of other objects located within R distance from the selected object. The radius R is determined using the following relation:
The analysis with spheres method yields that the features 1–6 belong to the first sphere, 7–10 belong to the second sphere, 11–13, 15 and 17 belong to the third sphere, whereas the features 14, 16 and 18 belong to the fourth sphere. Similarly to the single-linkage cluster analysis the spheres method makes it possible to differentiate between high class agricultural distillates and other ones.
Summarizing, application of the electronic nose prototype allows differentiation of the samples of high class agricultural distillates from the remaining two quality classes. The results obtained with three methods of data analysis, principal component analysis, single-linkage cluster analysis, cluster analysis with spheres method are convergent. The authors believe that added concentration of volatile fraction components of the agricultural distillates could have the main influence on sample differentiation.
4. Summary
The aim of the conducted research was quality evaluation of agricultural distillates using an electronic nose instrument. An electronic nose prototype was designed and built in order to achieve that goal. The prototype was equipped with a set of six semiconductor sensors by FIGARO Co. Moreover, it contained the electronic circuits enabling conversion of voltage signals to digital form. Analytical signals were expressed in bits. Such an approach to signal processing allowed lowering the limit of detection of the semiconductor sensors by one order of magnitude [35]. Application of a set of thermostating modules in the electronic nose structure allowed for control of the gradient temperature characteristics of gas mixtures obtained via barbotage [39], thus providing stable and reproducible signals (93% of the obtained results were within the 5.8%–9.2% CV range). An additional advantage of the electronic nose prototype was the time of a single analysis, which together with data analysis lasted three minutes. In order to generate the gas phase of the agricultural distillates subjected to analysis with the electronic nose instrument, a barbotage process was employed consisting in extraction of volatile analytes from an alcohol-water matrix using a carrier gas.
5. Conclusions
The investigations proved an ability of differentiation between agricultural distillates of various quality classes. However, only for high quality class distillates identification of the class was feasible with all three methods of data analysis: principal component analysis, single-linkage cluster analysis and cluster analysis with spheres method. In the case of medium and low class distillates both cluster methods did not provide sufficient certainty of differentiation. The PCA method also only supplied some information allowing differentiation of medium and low class distillates. Such a situation is due to the still too high limit of detection of semiconductor sensors, and differing volatility and concentration levels of the components of agricultural distillates of medium and low quality, which do not make it possible to obtain high certainty via the aforementioned analytical methods. It was revealed that for this particular prototype of electronic nose the best (optimum) measurement conditions were as follows: sample volume 5 mL, volumetric flow rate of carrier gas 15 L/h, temperature of thermostat with sample subjected to barbotage 15 °C, time of sensor signal acquisition since bargotage process onset 60 s. Nevertheless, it seems that the electronic nose is a promising technique and there is high probability of its successful application to distillate quality evaluation.
The authors acknowledge the financial support for this study by the Grant No. 2012/05/B/ST4/01984 from National Science Centre of Poland.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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