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15 Combined MPG (13 city / 20 hwy)
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The Edmunds TCO® estimated monthly insurance payment for a Used 2008 Audi S4 in VA is:
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What's a good price on a used 2008 Audi S4 ?
Price comparisons for used 2008 Audi S4 trim styles:
The used 2008 Audi S4 quattro is priced around $14677 with average odometer reading of 76214 miles.
Shop with Edmunds for perks and special offers on used cars, trucks, and SUVs near Ashburn, Virginia. Doing so could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars. Edmunds also provides consumer-driven dealership sales and service reviews to help you make informed decisions about what cars to buy and where to buy them.
What options are available on the 2008 Audi S4?
Available Audi S4 2008 Submodel Types: Convertible, Sedan, Wagon
Available Audi S4 2008 Trims: Premium Plus quattro, Prestige quattro, Avant quattro, quattro
Exterior Colors: Mythos Black Metallic, Brilliant Black, Navarra Blue Metallic, Ibis White, Tango Red Metallic, Florett Silver Metallic, Glacier White Metallic, Ice Silver Metallic, Daytona Gray Pearl Effect, Brilliant Red, Estoril Blue Crystal Effect, Misano Red Pearl Effect, Monsoon Gray Metallic, Aviator Grey Metallic - Audi Exclusive, Deep Sea Blue Pearl Effect, Light Silver Metallic, Meteor Gray Pearl Effect, Moro Blue Pearl Effect, Phantom Black Pearl Effect, Sepang Blue Pearl Effect, Sprint Blue Pearl Effect
Interior Colors: Black leather/sueded microfiber, Rotor Gray leather/sueded microfiber, Black/Silver premium leather, Black/Red Fine Nappa premium leather, Magma Red premium leather, Black premium leather, Black/Brown Fine Nappa premium leather, Black/Red premium leather, Black/Silver leather/sueded microfiber, Ebony, Silver w/Black Piping
Popular Features: Aux Audio Inputs, Post-collision safety system, Navigation, Parking sensors, Blind Spot Monitoring, USB Inputs, Keyless Entry/Start, Electronic Folding Mirrors, Apple Carplay/Android Auto, Automatic Emergency Braking, Pre-collision safety system, Back-up camera, Mobile Internet, 360-degree camera, Heads up display, Adaptive Cruise Control, Upgraded Stereo, Cooled Seats, Soft Top, 2nd Row Bucket Seats, AWD/4WD, Alarm, Audio and cruise controls on steering wheel, Auto Climate Control, Bluetooth, Fold Flat Rear Seats, Heated seats, Leather Seats, Multi-Zone Climate Control, Power Driver Seat, Rear Bench Seats, Stability Control, Sunroof/Moonroof, Tire Pressure Warning, Trip Computer, Upgraded Headlights
Engine/Mechanics: 6, 8 cylinders
Transmission: AUTOMATIC, AUTOMATED_MANUAL, MANUAL
Fuel Types: premium unleaded (recommended), premium unleaded (required)
Drivetrains: all wheel drive
Used 2008 Audi S4 Overview
The used 2008 Audi S4 is offered in the following submodels: Convertible, Sedan, Wagon. Available styles include quattro 4dr Sedan AWD (4.2L 8cyl 6M), quattro 4dr Sedan AWD (4.2L 8cyl 6A), and quattro 2dr Convertible AWD (4.2L 8cyl 6A). Pre-owned S4 models are available with a 0-liter gas engine, with output up to 0 hp, depending on engine type. The used 2008 S4 comes with all wheel drive. Available transmissions include: 6-speed manual, 6-speed shiftable automatic.
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A little bit of everything. And by everything I mean movie reviews, poorly animated cartoons and incoherent ramblings.
- Kieran Pertnav
- Hawaii, United States
- I'm Kieran. I live in Hawaii. I like to watch movies a lot and I make them too. I also play around with flash animation, so you'll see a lot of that in my blog.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
RIP Sheep in the Big City YouTube
As I got my YouTube account yesterday, I decided to add favorites to my account so I searched for Sheep in the Big City, and found to my horror that it was gone, no doubt nabbed by the administration for copyright. The thing that really annoys me, however, is that there is no DVD of Sheep, it hardly runs on TV anymore, if at all, and it is not available on Itunes (although it used to be), which means no money is being lost on these videos. I was too optimistic to think that they would stay on YouTube. Rest in Peace Sheep, at least I got to see all the episodes.
Posted by Kieran Pertnav at 12:13 PM
Labels: sheep in the big city
2 comments:
- Racattack Force said...
Darn it, I should have watched all the episodes while I had the chance.
- June 5, 2008 at 7:19 PM
- MasterK said...
yep, its a good show too.
- June 5, 2008 at 7:29 PM
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subset: commoncrawl


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I guess a name change is in order next
Enjoy the new cdp
Enjoy the new cdp
Esoteric K03
Much appreciated for your replies
I'm aware that my dealer's K03 has been fully broken in. His rig is almost identical to mine except cables. However, the dealer room has been acoustically treated! I'll let the K03 break in for around 1000hrs! and may resource in acoustic treatments at that stage to smooth out some frequencies. Acoustic treament is the last step in my system building project, at least for now!
Bobheinatz, it seems that you've the Shakti Hollowgraphs? Can you please let me know if they work wonder comparing with bass trap, absorbtion and diffusors?
I think you mean me with the Shakti's, Primare. I have stats so I don't really have any first order or side reflections and its a small room so I only have the shaktis in each corner with an echo buster 4/2 behind each shakti. You can actually hear the soundstage diffuse when you swivel the shakti's. I found that it (the shakti's) improves focus when set up correctly. One tweak that stays with these speakers. They actually feel like a sound rudder for the panel(s).
TAS has recently published a review of this player:
As I'm seriously considering this player myself (as part of a complete Esoteric-system) and would like to get additional feedback regarding the performance vs. K-01 as well as the Redbook CD performance in general. The conclusion from TAS is as follows:
"In sum, the Esoteric K-03 is a brilliant concept, and delivers in nearly every category. Though its builders went overboard on configuration options, the rest of the design is unassailable, as is its sonic performance in all but one area. CD playback is good, and disappoints primarily compared to the K-03s SACD, DAC, and USB performance, all of which are of reference caliber."
I've had a K-03 for about 6 weeks. I use it mostly for USB and SACD and I am still in awe of how good it is. I didn't really see the complaint from TAS on regular CD's but to be honest I am 60% usb/25% SACD/15% redbook. Again, it's an amazing unit. I don't know what can be improved. I now have one of those stereos I hear at shows. My speakers are outputting details I didn't think they were capable of.
I had k-03 for 5 months. Great player if playing scads, if your most listnening is with red book cds, it is not worth that much money (digital glare still there) and you can find better alternative (ayon cd-5s, marantz s7a).
But k-03 has USB and can be used as a DAC (for $13K!)
Also please make sure that cd tray on k-03 does not make any mechanical noise when playing cds.
I have heard the Ayon 5s in various high end configurations as well as the X03SE, K01 and other high end Esoteric players and i would have to believe the K03 is at least better than the X03SE and approaching the K01 which would make it an outstanding player. I have not heard the K03 but i would be more inclined to trust Esoteric to put out a replacement player that sounds better than its highly regarded predecessor than a reviewers comment. To my ears the Ayon did not quite have the definition, imaging or soundstage of the high end Esoteric players but it has other attributes and is a very nice machine for its price and i can see it having appeal to some tastes in some systems...all in my opinion.
To the Audiophiles point, all esoteric cd players require huge ( mayb 800-1000 hours) amount of braking to hear their true potential. Many people dont beleive in it or getting inpatient (including myself) and making conclusions (hear comes digital glare). My only complaint with esoteric and I saw some other related to this issue posts (form DCS gear owners who use their transports), that their cd mechanisms make audible noise during playback. I had x-03se, x01d2 and k-03. All brand new from dealer. Two of them (x03se and k-03) started making a noise that was audible form my sitting position (11 feet) after about 100 hours of playing. I dont thik it is acceptable for this level of gear.
I have owned 2 Esoterics over the years and they both were absolutely dead quiet. Maybe i was lucky but i have always thought their build quality is second to none. Cant say the same for some other exotic brands in my experience. I think of all components CD players are the most fallible. No surprise there.
Hello ! first please forgive my english, i'm french, nobody 's perfect !
Just my actual experience :
I 'm really surprised of what I just read : I own a K-01 since 3 weeks (300 hours break-in), and I don't hear any noise (before deciding, I tried a dCS Puccini that WAS noisy). And his sound is much more subtile than my previous marantz SA7-s1.
Perhaps it depends on what it's linked with, in my case Jeff Rowland WITH (very important) PC-1 feeding and Tannoy Kingdom Royal speakers, connected by Synergistic research cables.
A friend of mine has got a K-03 and is like me astounished by its musical sound, but hears no disturbing noise.
frenchman here too :)
Anyway, the noise i'm complaining about comes from the machine itself: you can clearly and loudly hear the spinning motor of Esoteric drive on the K03 & MPS5 (and many more).
It has nothing to do with associated equipment or quality of music reproduction. Its a mechanical thing and is a deal breaker for me and others.
If Esoteric makes such noisy mechanisms why do so many manufacturer's buy their transports? I dont doubt the experiences you guys have had at all, and i would be very upset by it myself, but i think maybe it is the exception. I think they are still producing the finest transports probably available and have an amazing reputation. As to the sound -- i have heard Ayon and dCS and others vs various Esoteric models both in and outside my system and my strong preference was Esoteric for its detail, soundstage, and the extra life it breathes into the music (to me anyway) but this is a question of taste i think. I do hear some very small amount of glare when they are new so run them in mercilessly if it offends you. I think they sound great even out the box and the run in time does not offend me.
my MPS5 was sent for a checkup and was deemed as operating in accordance to manufacturer specs (i.e. all MPS5 sound like it).
The same MPS5 was used at a local dealer for a system setup (they had never even seen a MPS5). While playing a Dead can Dance SACD, we could clearly ear the spinning from 15 feet away. To which one of the guys said "thats an insane amount of noise". I could only sadly nod.
I had the same experience with the K03 and the D50.
I have no idea why everyone uses them, but could it be for durability and reliability more than silent operation ?
Badwisdom, that is an awful experience. I conclude you have bad luck in CD players and good taste in music. I also like Dead can Dance and have their sacds :)
You made me paranoid so i again quickly listened to my K01 and it is quiet with my my ear pretty close. My X03SE was also quiet. I have a friend in EU designing this stuff who told me esoteric transports are seen as the very best in the business and i heard other brands want to use them in their machines but esoteric only sells their lesser drives and at very high cost to their competitors. I did lots of back to back tests with them and bought for the sound quality and their reputation for a reliable transport was a bonus. I definitely would buy Esoteric again, but primarily because i think they sound wonderful. Best of luck!
I have an APL NWO-4 Master CD/SACD player, which is a highly modified Esoteric with a UX-1 transport. THERE ARE SEVERAL DISCS I HEAR NOISE ON - ITS NOT THE PLAYER, IT YOUR DIScS!!
BW- If the noise happens on every disc you own, then maybe you have loose bearings in which case Esoteric can replace them. I also thought it was the player at first - glad it wasn't - their transports for the most part are pretty bulletproof. The fact that you are getting the same poor result with multiple players also points to bad discs. Try a friend's discs in your machine and see what happens.... just a thought that could save you a bunch of $$$$ and frustration :-)
Look guys, i appreciate your experience and willingness to defend Esoteric and try and find an explanation...
I wasted 6 months of my life trying to identify the problem on my MPS5: it wasn't bad discs, it wasn't bad luck, it was just a shitty OEM transport.
I could write a book about how they switched the transport several times over, measured the DB in the room, etc.. My machine made several trips to and from engineers in germany who couldn't find a fault anywhere !
The conclusion was: "normal operation". Nothing to see, move along.
Only explanation is that some people are less sensitive than others to mechanical noise, but then if thats the case, god help us all because all this online talking is like the blind leading the blind.
Well, another person is complaining about transport noise in the "Best Sounding CD / SACD player under 15K" thread.
What player ?
You guessed it, Esoteric (K01).
Never again as far as i am concerned, because even in the most optimist scenario, it shows such inconsistency that you have 50/50 chance getting a noisy version of their transport.
I agree with Audiofeil on this. Did you EVER contact Esoteric about this? I know they don't sell their best transports to other manufacturers, but they sure don't sell them "noisy" transports. I can't speak to the MPS5 because I've never had one, but have had 3 Esoterics and never heard a peep unless I had a noisy disc. Before you condemn an entire manufacturer, try some new discs. If all discs are noisy, you probably should have just returned the player. 6 months? wow.
Mike60, I respect your expertise and opinion, but to my original point, some esoteric players exhibit mechanical noise during playback and it is a fact( I had it on two brand new players x-03se and k-03). One can leave with that or fix it paying some substantial chunk of money for shipping and only having back player praying it will not be damaged during shipping with conclusion that nothing wrong functions according to the specs. But for $13000 player and famous reliability reputation, it should have NONE to sell to customers. Like badwisdom, the noise from k-03 drove me crazy (otherwise a very good player) and it was until my friend who plays violin in Philadelphia orchestra came to listen to the new CD, all of a sudden noticed - were is this annoying noise coming from? I regretfully sold it, bought another brand, and never looked back
No problems Denon and i do trust what you tell me and my best wishes on your new CD which has a good following. I suppose i dont have wide enough experience here but i have a friend who is part of a very large dealer of many high end brands and they do lots of repairs. He does not have or sell Esoteric, but when i asked him awhile ago about CD players he told me he thought they all give trouble but said Esoteric is about the best. He did not like the sound of them, but i do! I really dont have much more to offer on this thread.
I have an Esoteric X03SE and I did need to move it over to the other side of the rack because I did notice the spinning, at times - but by far the best player I have ever had and won't part with it anytime soon.
But, I did send an email to TAS years ago asking them why were their reviews silent on CD Player noise?
I have heard that the Meitners (about 5 years ago) sang like birds but never a mention in a review.
I have an old X-03 and there's no noise when spinning discs.
Perhaps as some suggest, some may need more break in time.
In any event I would take my player to an Esoteric dealer and listen to it in a different setting and see if it has issues with noise.
If it does, have the problem fixed before you pass it along to someonelse.


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Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in 'Rifle Classifieds' started by CJ1089, Nov 23, 2010.
Thanks for looking.
I am intrested in one of these if anyone wants to buy the set with me and split them.
Someone must want one of these beautiful rifles, so I can have the other befoe I spend all my x-nas money on gas bad coffee:thumbup:
Not sure if you got my I.M. but I am interested in both rifles please contact me.
Haven't been good about checking things lately. IM responded to. will be more diligent.
Still up for sale?
Still available. BTT


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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533717770805440813.post8922417639961007620..comments2018-04-24T06:06:31.087-07:00Comments on Nutfield Genealogy: A Yankee at Jamboree - Part 4Heather Wilkinson Rojohttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533717770805440813.post-30086761889513503692011-06-12T09:38:19.985-07:002011-06-12T09:38:19.985-07:00Heather, Thanks for sharing your adventures at Jam...Heather,
Thanks for sharing your adventures at Jamboree. You should definitely make at trip to Fort Wayne to do some research. I've very lucky to live here and get to use all their wonderful resources all the time.Tina Lyonshttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533717770805440813.post-2893154779477189032011-06-12T08:41:55.976-07:002011-06-12T08:41:55.976-07:00Hi Cuz! I was surfing for George Flint this mornin...Hi Cuz!
I was surfing for George Flint this morning and hit upon your blog. I am also a 6th great grandson of George and Jerusha (Pope) Flint, through their grandaughter Hannah, who married William Whittredge. I've visited North Reading as recently as two years ago and seen some of the Flint homes there.
I didn't know we had a Gen. Jamboree in town this weekend, but it sounds like you're having a good time. I live in the L.A. area (Hermosa Beach) and would be pleased to meet you and compare notes, if you like. You can contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Cheers,
Bob email@example.com


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Themes and Meanings
(Critical Guide to British Fiction)
Women are often sad, often lonely. They are afflicted with an inconvenient biological system, which frequently incapacitates them, from puberty to death. Driven to motherhood, they are usually trapped by it. Yet if they deny the instinct, they deny their own completeness. Given these facts, Marjorie, Grace, and Chloe, along with all of their sisters, must find some way to make life worth living.
Obviously, the answer is not in rejecting it, like Grace with heartless sex and frequent abortions, like Marjorie with sexlessness and fascinating hypochondria. Nor is it in timid self-annihilation, the method, says Chloe, of her mother, of Esther, and certainly of herself. Once Chloe realizes that by obeying Oliver and by agreeing with him, she is encouraging his tyrannical puerility, she is able to become a free woman. Oliver's world is illusory. In it, women shop while men work, women prevent men from reaching their goals, women cannot see the world as men can, and women can control the sexual appetites which men are biologically incapable of resisting. Above all, women cannot be real friends. Unfortunately, Chloe has permitted Oliver to live in his illusory world for too long. She cannot change the pattern of their lives. Yet she can refuse to believe him; she can even laugh at him, as she finally does. Above all, she can leave him, secure in the female friendships which sustain her. The novel concludes, "I no longer wait to die.... I put my house... in order.... Oliver says 'But you can't leave me...' and I reply, I can, I can, and I do."


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After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster where 3 reactors that were first commissioned over 40 years ago went into full meltdown the future of nuclear power has been lifted from obscurity to the forefront of many news cycles. The world is reacting quickly and decisively for fear of a Fukushima type disaster. Germany has decided to close all nuclear power facilities by 2022 [1]. Switzerland has followed suit with Germany by issuing a nuclear power end date of 2034 [2]. Even China is taking a closer look at the safety of its variety of aging nuclear reactors [3]. The entire history of nuclear power has been plagued by concerns over nuclear waste, catastrophic meltdown, nuclear weapon proliferation, and high costs of new plants. But what if nuclear power plants could use a "magic" fuel that had essentially no chance of melting down, produced an order of magnitude less radioactive waste with a shorter half-life, did not produce national security sensitive plutonium as a by-product, and served as an incinerator for the pesky nuclear waste from older reactors? Thorium may be this "magic" fuel of choice.
Over the near 60 year history of splitting the atom uranium has been used as the primary fuel stock for nuclear fission (typically uranium-235). However, thorium may be posed to assume this throne from Uranium (and incinerate the old king at the same time). Thorium is found naturally in the earth with the United States retaining a significant portion as shown in the table below. There is approximately 550 times more thorium in the earth's crust than uranium[6].
The fission material is not fissile in that it does not react on its own; rather, thorium needs a "catalyst". There are two main methods of thorium fission that have been proposed thus far. One method uses a uranium core, surrounded by a plutonium blanked, and then an outer shell of thorium. This method still relies on the "bad stuff" to get the atoms to split. The second method involves bombarding lead with high-energy protons using a particle accelerator which subsequently releases neutrons that cause the thorium begin its fission process [6]. The advantage of this method is that the process is sub-critical, in other words it won't continue on its own like a uranium or plutonium reaction.
When Thorium (Th-232) absorbs a neutron it transmutes into unstable Th-233 and then protactinium (PA-233) and then into Uranium (U-233). This eventual U-233 is fissile like U-235 but it is lighter and fission using this element results in waste that is less radioactive than products from U-235 [6]. One of the most notable absences in the process is the lack of plutonium production such as in the U-235 process. The waste from a thorium reactor would be just as manageable as coal ash after 500 years [6]. This is in stark contrast to the 10,000 years of U-235 process waste. The thorium process will also incinerate plutonium if it is added to the mixture providing a disposal avenue for the controversial material.
Norway is currently in the planning stages for a four year test of thorium in a heavy water reactor which simply means that the coolant for the reaction is deuterium oxide. Molten salt or pebble bed reactors would be a better match for the thorium reaction but the heavy water reactor serves as a start of potentially revolutionary operational research [7]. It is also worth noting that the first method of thorium fission using a uranium core and plutonium blanket could be retrofitted into currently existing nuclear power plants while the second method using a particle accelerator and lead would require new construction which is often cost prohibitive [6].
Thorium is nowhere near prime time as a replacement for uranium reactors but it holds great promise for more stable, secure, and prolific energy in the future. There is simply not enough in the way of practical research using thorium as a fuel yet [6]. It's possible that one day Lewis Strauss, the first chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, will have his prediction come to fruition of electricity being "too cheap to meter" due to thorium.
<Insert stereotypical space race to the moon analogy>
[1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13592208
[2] http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/25/us-swiss-nuclear-idUSTRE74O4R220110525
[3] http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443675404578060650849619858.html
[4] http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/143437-uranium-killed-the-thorium-star-but-now-its-time-for-round-two
[5] http://www-pub.iaea.org/mtcd/publications/pdf/te_1450_web.pdf
[6] http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/features/new-age-nuclear/
[7] http://singularityhub.com/2012/12/11/norway-begins-four-year-test-of-thorium-nuclear-reactor/


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A tiger is one of the most recognizable animals on Earth; its entire large and powerful body boasts a beautiful coat of orange and black striped fur. But tigers don't have this unique fur pattern just for good looks! The black stripes mimic the shadows of leaves and branches caused by sunlight in a tiger's rain forest home, allowing the tiger to hide easier while hunting. Big, padded paws also help them walk quietly through the underbrush and surprise their prey.
Tigers are patient hunters, and wait quietly for a chance to pounce on their food. When they do decide to spring out of hiding, a long tail helps them "steer" mid-leap. After a tiger has caught something to eat, it uses its two types of teeth. Its front large, pointed canine teeth make it easy to grab and hold meat, while its sharp rear teeth cut it into small, bite-sized pieces.


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Introduction to the Unity Interface This tutorial will introduce the Unity graphical user interface (GUI). No prior knowledge of Unity is assumed. Time to complete: 1 hour. Author: Graham McAllister
Contents 1. Aims of the tutorial 2. Screen layout 3. Finding game objects 4. Creating game objects 5. Navigating the Scene View 6. Moving game objects 7. Game View
1. Aims of this tutorial If you are new to Unity this should be the first tutorial that you read. It will explain the key sections of the interface and describe how to create basic game objects and position them in 3D space. To demonstrate the Unity interface essentials, we'll create a simple scene which will allow a character to walk around on a surface. Note: any text that requires the user to take an action begins with a '-'.
8. Resizing game objects 9. Using assets 10. Adding Components
2. Screen Layout
11. Duplicate
Before we start, let's make sure our screen layout is in 2 Split mode. - To ensure it is, select Window->Layouts->2 Split. Your view is now split into 5 main regions: 1. Scene View - for placing game objects 2. Game View - this is how the game will look when run. 3. Hierarchy View - this is a list of all game objects currently in the scene. 4. Project View - this view shows all assets that are available for use (like a palette) 5. Inspector View - this shows the properties of the currently selected game object.
3. Finding game objects in 3D space - Start Unity. We'll begin by creating a new project. - Select File->New Project from the main menu and give the project a name such as "GUI Tutorial" and click Create Project. Unity will now import assets (e.g. audio, textures, 3D models) so they are available for use. Once importing is complete you will be presented with your game world. At present the world only contains a Main Camera (this is default), you can see this listed as the only item in the Hierarchy view. - If you can't see the camera in your Scene View, click on the Main Camera in the Hierarchy View, move your cursor so that it's inside the Scene View, then type F (frame select) on the keyboard. The Main Camera should now be at the centre of the Scene View. This technique can be used to find any game object. - Any game object can be selected by either clicking on it in the Scene View or selecting it in the Hierarchy View. If you click on an object in the Scene View, you can confirm that you've selected the correct object as it will also be highlighted in the Hierarchy view.
4. Creating game objects Let's add some game objects to our world. - Select Game Object->Create Other->Plane, this will create a plane (a 2D surface) to allow our character to walk on. - Add a cube to the game world by selecting Game Object->Create Other->Cube. - Add a point light by selecting Game Object->Create Other->Point Light.
5. Navigating the Scene View You can look around your 3D objects from any angle by using the following: 1. Rotating (Option+LMB) 2. Panning (Option+MMB) 3. Zooming (Option+RMB) NB: The Option key is beside the Command key (the one with the Apple logo on it) on the Mac keyboard, L/M/R MB is Left/Middle/Right Mouse Button. It is recommended that you have a 3 button mouse. If you only have a one-button mouse, or are using a laptop, you can still navigate easily. Firstly, click on the hand-shaped tool in the upper left hand corner of the Unity GUI, then the following can be used: 1. Rotating (Option+LMB) 2. Panning (LMB) 3. Zooming (Command+LMB) - Try this now.
6. Moving game objects You can position any game object in 3D space by using one of the following: 1. Move tool (W on the keyboard). Selecting any game object then typing W will display three arrowheads, one for each axis of 3D space. Red is the x-axis, green is the y-axis, blue is the z-axis, i.e. r,g,b, maps to x,y,z. To move an object, click the LMB on the arrowhead that represents the axis you want to move in and move the mouse as much as appropriate. As you drag the arrowheads notice the object's position values in the Inspector Panel change also. You can enter values directly into these boxes also (3 boxes, 1 each for x,y,z values). You can also re-position a game object by firstly clicking on it, then move the camera to point towards the general direction of where the want the object to move to, then select Game Object->Align with View. The selected game object will move to where the camera now points. 2. Rotate tool (E on the keyboard). Selecting any game object then typing E will display the rotate tool. To rotate around an axis, click the LMB on the axis of choice then move the mouse to rotate the game object. As you rotate the object notice the object's rotation values in the Inspector Panel change also. You can enter values directly into these boxes also. -Let's try a small exercise. Move the cube (move tool) so that it is outside of the Scene View. Use the Frame Select feature (click Cube in the Hierarchy View then press the F key) to find the cube again. Finally move the cube back so it's close to the plane. - Move the point light so that it's above the cube and the plane.
7. Game View The Game View shows how the game will look when run (complete with textures, lighting etc). If you cannot see your game world in the Game View, it's because your camera is not looking in the right direction. - Click on the Main Camera, you will notice an inverted yellow pyramid wireframe coming out from it. This is known as the camera's viewport (what it can see). If the viewport is not pointing in the direction of your game objects, navigate in the scene view so that you are looking at your game objects, select the Main Camera then select Game Object->Align With View. Your Game View should now match your Scene View. You can also manually adjust your camera's settings by either using the move and rotate tools, or changing its transform values in the Inspector View. You may also want to move your light to give better aesthetics.
8. Resizing game objects To resize an object firstly select it then press R on the keyboard (resize or scale tool). You can visually scale an object by dragging the square block at the end of the each axis, or use the Inspector View to type a precise value in. We'll now resize some objects in our game world. - Select the plane and set its x and z scale values to 10 in the Inspector view (the first and third box, as the second box is for the y value). - Select the cube, resize it along the y-axis visually (press R and drag the green square upwards). the cube should now look like a pillar. - Rename the cube Pillar. Do this by selecting it in the Hierarchy View and pressing return to enter the new name. Remember it's best to ensure game objects begin with a capital letter.
9. Using Assets Computer games are created from 3D models, textures, sound files, game code etc., these are called the game's assets. Unity comes with many assets shipped as standard assets (even more in the Pro version). We'll now add a character to our game world from the built-in assets. In the Project View expand the Standard Assets folder, then expand Prefabs. A prefab is collection of game objects that have been pre-assembled into a logical grouping. You should see the First Person Controller (FPS Controller) inside the Prefabs folder. - Drag the FPS Controller prefab into the Scene View. Notice how the Game View has changed, this is because the FPS Controller prefab comes with its own camera which takes precedent over the existing Main Camera. Make sure the FPS Controller is not caught in the plane, move it so that it is above the plane. - Delete the Main Camera as we'll not need it now (Command+delete). The Game View is now what the player can see in-game. - Start the game by clicking the Play button in the lower left hand side of the Unity GUI. Notice the screen stays the same, so you can see the game in the Scene View and the Game View. Use the cursor keys to move the character around (or W,S,A,D), the mouse to look around and space to jump. - Stop the game at any time by clicking on the Play button again. NB: By pressing the space bar while the mouse cursor is inside any of the views (Game View, Scene View etc), this makes that particular view expand to full screen. This is useful when making adjustments in the Scene View, or playing the game (Game View). Pressing space inside the full screen view returns to the previous layout mode. Note that this feature does not work if the game is currently running, either stop or pause the game first.
10. Adding Components Game objects can have a number of components (or behaviours) attached to them. By clicking on any game object, you can see the attached components in the Inspector View (e.g. Transform, Box Collider). - Click on Pillar and look at its components in the Inspector View. Let's add another cube and add an extra component. - Add another cube to the scene (Game Object->Create Other->Cube). PhysicsCube in the Hierarchy view.
Rename it
Now we're going to add a Rigidbody component to this cube. The RigidBody component allows the game object to behave as if it's in a world with gravity, i.e. the object will fall downwards until it hits a surface with a collider component attached. - Making sure PhysicsCube is selected, select Component->Physics->Rigidbody. This adds the Rigidbody component to the currently selected game object. Notice that in the Inspector View the Rigidbody component has been added. - Move PhysicsCube so that it is above Pillar but slightly offset (see Figure 1). We want to set the scene up so that when we press play, PhysicsCube will collide with Pillar and fall to the ground. - Press Play, PhysicsCube should collide with Pillar and land on the plane.
Figure 1 - demonstrating Rigidbody
11. Duplicate Duplicating a game object is one of the most powerful features of Unity. When duplicating an object, all features and behaviours of the object are also copied. It's a very fast way to create complex scenes. We'll now add more PhysicsCubes to our scene. - Click on PhysicsCube and press Command+D (or do this from the Edit menu). Notice an extra PhysicsCube entry has appeared in the Hierarchy menu, however you cannot see it as it has been created at the same position as the first PhysicsCube. - Move the new PhysicsCube by selecting the move tool (W) and move it upwards (y-axis). - Repeat this process so there are now PhysicsCube game objects (see Figure 2).
- Run the game and all 3 PhysicsCube game objects should interact and behave naturally.
Figure 2 - using Duplicate.
This tutorial has introduced the fundamentals of the Unity GUI. You should now try the scripting tutorial to look beneath the surface of Unity.
This is just a test.


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Quiz provides insights into future career path
Almost 160,000 students from more than 300 Hong Kong secondary schools will take part in next week's Careers Quiz.
It is the highest number of participants since the quiz - organised by the Labour Department's Careers Advisory Service - was launched in 1982.
Senior labour officer Poon Mei-yen said: 'The quiz is aimed at enhancing students' awareness of the importance of choosing a suitable career, as well as encouraging them to actively look for information on careers and further educational opportunities.' The quiz requires students to complete a multiple-choice 'exam' in which they have 30 minutes to answer 50 questions.
The event runs from Monday through Friday and involves students from Secondary Three to Secondary Seven, including for the first time students attending special schools.
Pupils complete the quiz at their respective schools and the papers are sent to the Labour Department.
They must answer questions on careers, tertiary education opportunities, technical and vocational training, employment legislation, and services offered by the Labour Department.
About 1,800 prizes will be offered to schools and various individuals.
The 16th Careers Quiz is a forerunner to the eighth Education and Careers Expo to be held from February 19 to February 22 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
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Long Island residents Shari and Victor have three messy children and work on opposite schedules. Their hectic lifestyle is reflected in their pigsty of a home, where it seems they've run out of room for anything besides baby clothes. Plus, Victor sees any empty spot in the house as an opportunity to collect another bald eagle statue. Between his obsession with figurines and Shari's fixation on the past, their house has become one big storage unit. And as if Nina and Michael didn't already have their hands full--the yard sale happens to land during a freak rainstorm. Can the team pull it together to overhaul the house and give this couple a chance to live their lives without clutter?
Larry Fisher and his girlfriend, Rachel, have been dating for eight months. They have decided to take the next step by living with each other--but the problem is that Larry has so much clutter that there is no room for Rachel! Due to the recession, Larry closed the doors to his Brooklyn "junk" store called Vortex and moved most of the merchandise from a 2,500 sq. storefront into his apartment and a small nearby garage. Can the team help Larry de-clutter and part with his quirky collections in order to make room for his lady?
A creative New York couple must kick their collecting habits and define their creepy gothic style if they want to pursue their occupational dreams. Pamela and Eric have turned every inch of their suburban home into a gothic house of horrors, which houses Pam's eclectic of horror dolls and medical equipment from the 1940s and Eric's movie memorabilia and vintage video game collection. The couple feels their upstairs work studio is so cluttered that they can't get any work done. Can "Clean House" help jump start them on the road to organization?
New Yorkers Dave and Doreen have allowed their seven kids to take over their lives and their house! Their spacious home looks like a giant playground and less like a place to sleep, eat or lounge. What's worse is their children refuse to take responsibility for the mess. But it doesn't take long for Nina and Michael to realize the house lacks any form of discipline. Can they school Dave and Doreen on how to tame their out-of-control children--and get them to clean up after themselves?
Cast & Details See all »
- Premiered: October 17, 2011
- Rating: TV-PG
- Premise: Cluttered homes in New York City are cleaned up. (more)
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Fringe – one of the best shows currently on television – faced a number of huge hurdles last year: the war with our alternate universe got deadlier; Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) was flung into the far future, then disappeared forever; but worst of all, the show was moved to the so-called FOX "Friday Night Death Slot." Good news, though, the one-time procedural show about all things weird in science made it out of the death slot to run another season, which will launch this fall.
While at San Diego Comic-Con, we got to chat with the stars of the show, Anna Torv (Olivia Dunham), John Noble (Walter Bishop), Lance Reddick (Broyles), Jasika Nicole (Astrid), Blair Brown (Nina), and new full-time player Seth Gabel (Lincoln Lee). Oh, and also Joshua Jackson, who was there even though he clearly was gone forever in the cliffhanger. Hmmm…
First up were Torv and Noble, who may or may not have made your faithful reporter blush nervously when they turned the interview back on him, asking "who he was wearing," and what it's like to be on Fringe. Luckily, that wasn't caught on camera, but we did chat with the actors about what it's like to play three, entirely different roles on the series. For those of you who haven't been watching so far, Noble plays the daffy Walter Bishop, the evil Walternate, and sometimes Walter before he had a piece of his brain sliced out; while Torv plays hard-nosed Olivia Dunham, her alternate universe double who's a little bit looser, and – seriously – the spirit of Leonard Nimoy inhabiting Olivia's body. It's that kind of show, folks:
SDCC 2011: Anna Torv and John Noble Discuss Their 'Fringe' Alternates
Next up was Jackson, who, of course, was coy about what's coming up with Peter – a video shown at the top of the Fringe panel teased that he may come back as one of the all seeing, all knowing Observers who robotically manipulate events behind the scenes. He did talk about how far his character has come… And how great it was to be back at PaceyCon, the annual festival celebrating all things great about his character from Dawson's Creek:
SDCC 2011: Joshua Jackson On The Mystery Of Peter Bishop
Then there's Lance Reddick who is really, really tall. Like, super tall. But also much friendly and more jovial than any of the hard-nosed bosses he's played on TV. After Broyles loosened up two seasons ago by singing, and last year by getting just a little high on LSD, we asked what he hoped would be coming up in Season Four:
SDCC 2011: Lance Reddick On 'Playing' In 'Fringe'
On the, er, fringe of Fringe are Jasika Nicole and Blair Brown, two excellent actresses who mainly get relegated to the sidelines. But they're cool with that, and have even worked up a surprising back-story for Astrid and Nina, that they're actually… Mother and Daughter. Beyond that, though, the two have a few ideas about how they can get more involved in the new season:
SDCC 2011: Jasika Nicole and Blair Brown Want Action
And lastly is newcomer Seth Gabel, who plays Fringe team leader Lincoln Lee… At least in Fringe's alternate, slightly eviler universe. Gabel also played his double with glasses and a different haircut in one episode, which confused your faithful reporter. But Gabel gamely chatted about this, and what it's like to play multiple versions of himself.
SDCC 2011: Seth Gabel On Being The New Guy On 'Fringe'
The new season of Fringe kicks off on FOX on Friday, September 23rd.
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Friday, October 7, 2011
The subtle difference between predicted and desired results
To make my standpoint clear - I'll be closing at least one of my Bank of America account shortly as well. I considering another 5 dollar fee for using a debit card to be excessive, and will either use a credit card, or cash, or go to a bank with lower fees.
Many of the things the bank is doing are being done without a thought for the customer. Yes, the bank "has a right to make a profit", it's the whole purpose of starting a company. But when a company chooses to make a profit regardless of the needs of the customer, that can become an issue. And if enough people choose to stop working with said company, they will either choose to amend their practices, or choose to pile MORE fees upon the remaining customers, which will only make the snowball bigger.
In fairness, from what I see, the bank was not preventing people from closing their accounts, as much as they were preventing angry bullhorn and sign-carrying protesters from entering the building. There's no guarantees that tempers wouldn't flare in such a situation, and result in an incident. That seems reasonable to me.
What's more I will lay odds that the people who organized this protest knew DAMN well that's what would happen. They woudn't get as many views of a video titled "Bank of America ALLOWS customers to close accounts. It's the implication that BoA won't give these people their money that they want to show. These people were not here to close their accounts, they were there to make noise. Yes, the bank played into their hands by keeping them out, but I don't think they had THAT much choice. Indeed, I'll bet they TOLD the bank they were coming, so they could be ready with the security they clearly had.
I am WHOLLY positive that if these people showed up in ones or twos, or even greater numbers, but not carrying bullhorns and provocative signs, they'd have been allowed in the bank. I'm sure the bank folks would do anything they could to keep them from closing the account, be it discussion or maybe a free calendar, but they wouldn't be "prevented" from closing them.
Heck, you can, I believe, close your accounts online. But that wasn't going to get them on the news.
(But fair warning, banks (not just BoA) often keep closed accounts open for a period of time after you ask it to be closed, to "ensure that any automatic transfers are responded to properly". In other words, if you forget to switch an automatic debit, you'll get hit with another bounced check fee, even though the account was closed. So keep an eye out.)
Now let's listen to rthe things people were saying (from prepared statements, you'll notice)... "Bank of America has foreclosed on more homes than any other bank" - that may well be true, but that would be because Bank of America is one of, if not THE biggest housing lenders in the US. So with all the homes defaulting, it makes sense that the bank with the most loans would have the most defaults. But the implication the statement is supposed to give is they're somehow doing it on purpose, just taking homes from random people, as opposed to people who haven't been able to make the payments, for whatever reasons.
I've no clue if the statement that BoA paid no taxes is true or not. It certainly wouldn't surprise me, considering the tales you hear today, but my knee jerk reaction isn't "That ain't right!" but "Really? can you prove that? If so, It certainly doesn't seem proper and correct." It's just too easy to throw those wildly provocative statements into the crowd and let them get chewed on like raw steak at a dog fight, but if they are proven incorrect, they only serve to undermine your cause. So too does the yelling and screaming.
Make your points reasonably, use facts, and people will pay attention to you. Sit in Wall Street and dress up like zombies, and you'll get a few seconds on the news. You'll get some eyeballs, but not too many ears.
Maybe the problem is I'm too damn old to get outraged over much of anything anymore. Maybe I'm just too tired of standing in the rain and chanting and rhyming. Perhaps I still have too much faith in people, and I actually believe that eventually companies will realize that people no longer have the free and ready cash that allow them to buy things willy-willy, or not pay attention to all the recurring fees their cards are racking up. So when people start cancelling services, or notice that they haven't actually PLAYED Warcraft in months, or that they're not actually USING the DVD-rental part of their netflix Account and cancel that bit, the companies will think "Well, you know what, if THEY have to get by with less, maybe WE'LL have to get by with less, at least until things turn around a bit."
I keep hoping that companies will notice that the more things they choose to make overseas, the less people that can afford to BUY the things here, and make the connection that a child of four could.
In short, Like Anne Frank, I still believe that people are inherently good. And considering what happened to her, it sounds just as naive coming out of my mouth...
5 comments:
Great post, Vin, with a great last line. I think a lot of people leave things be simply out of inertia. Goodness knows we ourselves have, for example, allowed Netflix DVDs to sit around for months without being watched. We're all so distracted by life's little obligations that we're not even noticing things like accruing fees. Maybe "If THEY have to get by with less, maybe WE'LL have to get by with less until things turn around" should be tattooed to our foreheads to make us pay attention, and not unwittingly nickel-and-dime ourselves into the poorhouse!ReplyDelete
I seem to be the opposite -- the older I get the more outraged I get. I just don't have the energy I used to have to foment insurrection! I think that most individual people are good at heart, but put them together into corporations, boards, institutes and they become unfeeling lackies of greed. I don't think any big corporation is ever going to wake up and think "Maybe we should have a conscience." Boy would I love to be able to think that could happen, but I don't.ReplyDelete
Two completely different Presidents did the same thing -- hand over billions to the banks who are now sitting on it without stricture. Where is the outrage from our Congress and President? We can be upset all we want, but until our supposed representatives give a damn, nothing will be fixed. History seems to teach us that it's the hopeless poor that really make revolutions, with some exceptions. We need a Bastille Day for the middle class. But I have the same problem most people have -- how do we start it? The middle class (what there is left of us) never starts revolutions -- we are all too busy working and raising our children, we have a lot to lose with our families, and you have to be ready to lose it to really create a revolt. I wish I had the courage, the know-how and the 20-year-old energy I took for granted then.
I agree completely about the protest in the video. Of course it was going to go that way, but it was a good way to get publicity. That's not altogether bad. Vinnie, I left you a 2 minute video on your Facebook page that my sister sent me -- it is more street language eloquent than anything I've heard. thought you might like it if you haven't seen it already. If you don't like something with language like that, just erase it - it won't hurt my feelings! LOL!
LOVE this article -- just right for ITRD!
Hey, Becky, Dorian here, speaking on behalf of Vinnie in praise of your comments. No worries about language; we can be pottymouths when the situation calls for it! :-) Looking forward to checking out your sister's video. Like you, I wish I'd used my youthful energy to be more of a rabble-rouser when I had the time and sass! It's not too late, people!ReplyDelete
Ah, well. Yes, the protesters in the video were engaging in a little street theater. BoA is, in fact, pretty infamous for its bad foreclosure practices (a lot of their loans, admittedly, came from Countrywide, but BoA has been, shall we say, considerably less than stellar in addressing these loans, especially the bushels of forged documentation). The Mem-sahib could give you chapter and verse, but BoA is not, as Buffy Summers might say, of the good.ReplyDelete
I'm not coming to the defense of BoA, I assure you. I just can't stand it when such blatant theatrics stand in place of actual productive discourse.ReplyDelete
Many have said that Republicans think, and Democrats feel. I know I'd much rather convince someone of an argument with facts than just saying it "shouldn't be, cause..."


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Week of March 20, 2017
Dear Neighborhood School Families,
In recent years, TNS students who opted out of the state tests took alternative assessments created by our 3rd, 4th and 5th grade teachers. The work on these assessments was very similar to what students do throughout the year, but as with the state tests, students only had 3 days to complete it. We are doing something different this year. As part of our work with a coalition of progressive public elementary schools, we are piloting Performance Based Assessments (called "PBAs") with our 5th graders. Students will present their learning to a panel, who will ask probing questions and carefully listen as students express their understandings and reflect on what they have learned. I look forward to sharing more about this exciting work with you soon.
This year, we will not give alternative assessments; students who do not take the state tests will continue the important and meaningful work they engage in everyday. Please let me or your child's classroom teacher(s) know as soon as possible if your child is going to take the NYS Tests this year so we can organize staffing and materials accordingly.
We will have a testing forum to discuss the role that state tests play in the middle school application process on Wednesday (right after Sing). This is an opportunity for families to learn about the process and hear from TNS families who have been through it and have children in middle school.
There is
Our 3rd Grade Camp Speers Presentation is Monday at 5:30 p.m. in the Library.
The Diversity Committee will meet on Tuesday at drop-off in the PTA Room.
What is "Sounds in Motion"?! Come join us Tuesday at 3 p.m. in Room 303 for a fun, informational session about the literacy intervention program implemented in our early childhood classrooms to promote phonemic awareness and early reading skills. This workshop will be led by our Speech teachers, Amanda and Rebecca. Please bring the "experts" - your children, for support!
SING is Wednesday at 8:45 a.m. in the auditorium.
We will have a test forum to discuss the role that state tests play in the Middle School Application process on Wednesday after Sing in the auditorium.
SLT (School Leadership Team) will meet on Friday at 8 a.m. in room 301. This meeting is open to all and is a make-up for our missed meeting due to the snow day.
Join us on Friday for Family Movie Night! Not only are we are screening the hit "Sing" but you and your child have an opportunity to make your own music! There will be pre-movie karaoke starting at 5:30 p.m. The movie begins at 6:30 p.m. Pizza, Popcorn, Juice and Cupcakes are available. Admission is $2 per Child. Adults are Free.
Only 15% of our families have completed their Department of Education (DOE) Parent Survey. The DOE survey gathers information about your overall satisfaction with our school and the results are published and used to determine our official rating. Completion rates are also important as they reflect the level of parent involvement to the DOE. Please complete your family survey! The deadline for completing parent surveys is Friday, March 31st. Thank you!
Happy first day of Spring!
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