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It's no small job to manage technology while traveling; you face challenges like choosing the best machine for your needs, backing up your data, staying connected, and finding the best (free) software to keep it all running smoothly.
I've been traveling for four years now, and in that time I've cycled through numerous different computers, gadgets, software programs, and backup methods. I've trialed through ways to stay connected and other hacks to save money and increase efficiency. (See also: Comparing Online Backup Services)
One of the challenges for travelers is not only protecting your computer and data against hijackers, but also against theft, wear and tear, and even loss. Then there is the added work of finding (inexpensive) ways to phone home, backing up your data (and protecting those backups), and choosing the right tech-gadgets to complement your travel style.
As a full-time traveler with an umbilical cord to my laptop, I am always looking for the best way to manage these facets of my business/social/logistical cyber-life.
That's why I was keen to read fellow full-time traveler and former (white collar) computer hacker Anil Polat's The Ultimate Tech Guide for Travelers. This e-book narrows a lot of learning curves that I've personally navigated (the hard way), as well as a few I still hadn't attempted.
But you don't have to be a full-time traveler to glean knowledge from this e-book; in fact, much of the content is fully applicable even if the only travel you do is out to the local café.
This 40-page e-book is packed with information to help you harness any electronic device to do just about anything you need it to. It is filled with links to complementary online articles and tutorials, which turn this 40-page handbook into something more like a 400-page behemoth.
And in the name of frugality, almost all of the software recommendations are free.
Here are the various chapters, with a few tips I found particularly useful.
Anil sets out the criteria under which you would want a netbook versus a laptop and suggests money-saving tips for buying the right laptop for your needs.
Since my laptop is my only computer, I back up my data both physically and in "the cloud," again protecting against the multi-faceted risks that travel presents. Anil creates a case for why you should do both and makes suggestions for how to do it fairly easily.
You'll find recommendations for office software, photo editing, anti-virus protection, phone services, and translation programs. I was particularly interested to learn that I can make free phone calls to Canada and the US with Google Voice.
This is about where — and how — to find WiFi connections (and even hack your way into a few connections), how to harness paid connections to their full potential, and how to increase efficiency of your online time by using offline programs.
With Anil's background in computer security, this is a beefy section covering password security, protecting information and recovering a stolen laptop, encrypting data, using internet cafes safely, and even using websites in countries that censor access.
You can trick your browser into giving you a discount and use proxies to trick websites into giving you discounts. There's a large subsection on e-book readers and how to access discounted and free e-books.
This section covers things like keeping up with your favorite TV shows, creative ways to access and share internet connections, and harnessing your cell phone in a few different ways.
The last chapter also has a few tips for energy-efficiency that come in handy when access to power points isn't consistent (as does happen while traveling).
As a standalone e-book, there's not enough detail here to get much of anything accomplished; it's more of an overview. An internet connection is essential to either access the programs/websites in question (which is reasonable), or to get further information and more detailed tutorial articles on each subject.
In reading this book offline, I had to make notes of the pages for revisiting so I could click on the links to get the full story. Although all this extra information adds value, I found the internet reliance to be a hassle.
What's bad about it is also what's good about it. If you have unmitigated access to the internet, this e-book is a very detailed and thorough map to research and accomplish a massive series of tasks geared towards harnessing technology to suit your travel needs and preferences.
The Ultimate Tech Guide for Travelers
Anybody who spends time on the road and is remotely reliant on the internet will find this e-book quite useful for safely managing technology.
Note: I received a complimentary review copy of The Ultimate Tech Guide for Travelers for review, and there are affiliate links in this post. I will earn a commission for any purchase made through these links.
Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.
Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.


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Cue up Boyz II Men's "End Of The Road" because the Pentagon announced they're going to stop buying Humvees after this year. A quick look at two of the vehicles set to replace the venerable truck below.
We all knew the military Hummer was on the way out, but not necessarily so soon. According to Lt. Gen. Edgar Stanton, fewer losses and the introduction of new vehicles cut down on the number of new vehicles needed so they're only buying 8,000 this year and then non planned for the future. Also, they've got two good alternatives more suited to the type of warfare.
The first is the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, or, JLTV. Multiple prototypes have been developed, including the one above by BAE Systems, which is a finalist in the joint Humvee military replacement program. These vehicles use a v-shaped hull for mine protection and all have more armor than a basic Humvee so they don't need to be up-armored.
The second, and our favorite, is the M-ATV, the smaller version of the MRAP designed for climbing over even rougher terrain found in places like Afghanistan. With a fully independent suspension, turbocharged V8 diesel, and a powered turret we wouldn't screw with it.
(Photo Credit: PETER MUHLY/AFP/Getty Images)

subset: commoncrawl


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Current UI
Here is a poorly designed panel on a preferences dialog for the open source audio editor 'Audacity'. I'd like to do something about it.
How it got that way
In the past the text beside the radio buttons was short and cryptic. So many users were getting seriously unstuck with these options, we felt we had to put some more text there. Even at the time we made these changes to "Audacity", we were worried that it was becoming "Verbosity".
With the more wordy text it is still not 100% clear what these options do or why you would choose them. More explanation is needed. I want to trim the button text down back down to the short cryptic version, and design a nice way to present the detailed help text for each option.
Context Help in same Window
In line with answers to this question about context sensitive help in general, and my own instincts, pop-ups are out. So standard tooltips on hover, or a 'tell-me-more' link to open a new window aren't acceptable solutions.
I want a solution that is in the same window, and that makes it clear which text applies to which options. There is going to be more text than can fit in, so something is going to have to scroll or concertina...
Below is the preference panel for keyboard preferences. We're more space constrained here:
I want the user to be able to discover what 'Split Cut' means from the preferences panel. I'd like the context sensitive help to work 'in the same way' here.
How can I rearrange things to get the context sensitive help in?


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The IR problem would be unacceptable in a reflex camera, but the M8 is not a reflex camera.[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=84950\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
As is reasonable, for posters who create their accounts only for the apparent purpose of flaming.(These posters are, I hope, free to post again to disprove this appearance.)[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=84714\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Sorry leica owners. Too bad about your crappy cameras. Again.But, if you were foolish enough to purchase a leica for 4800.00 (body only) you are not a photographer, you are a snob. I use a 5 year old Finepix S1 Pro and a 4 year old S2 Pro. Both have over 18000 images and NO PROBLEMS yet. Enjoy your new toys. Maybe you can sit in your armchair and LOOK at your new Leica sit on the shelf.J[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=85870\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Perhaps you were looking for dpr? You might fit in better there.[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
I wouldn't be too dismissive of DPR. [a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=85878\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Great way to introduce yourself with your first post. Now we know what to expect. Perhaps you were looking for dpr? You might fit in better there.- DL[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=85873\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Actually stumbled on a group discussing pros and cons of the M8. Seems they are finding a new "orange cast" on some standard black trash bags.[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=85933\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
No, we haven't overlooked the problem, but it appears that you have, and that you've just had a brutal wake-up call.Welcome to the real world, where you can't expect perfection, but you'll always have to check, double-check and cross-reference multiple sources, if you want to make an even half-informed decision.[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=84855\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


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Recipe Search
Bread for the Journey
14 comments:
I just wanted to stop by and say hello! I visit your site often and have you on my blog as a favorite~ your recipes and words are wonderful and inspire me to get busy!ReplyDelete
♥ Eileen G.
This is beautiful. I was expecting to see a bun or baguette recipe but i found better.ReplyDelete
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing. I look forward to your recipes but even more so your Sunday morning refreshing food for our souls.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 23, 2010 at 6:27 AM
Thanks so much for the awesome recipes, its the first place I look for something NEW to make. Also for the inspirational Bread for the journey...you are a blessing to many women in their kitchens..ReplyDelete
Beautiful thoughts and photos of what God has created for us to enjoy...ReplyDelete
Thanks for sharing this morning. We do have such a wonderful friend in Jesus. Those verses in Psalms are some of my favorte. Love the field of lupins....purple is one of my favorite flower colours.ReplyDelete
How wonderful to know about his everlasting care and hope for the future.ReplyDelete
What a wonderful Saviour..He loves us and that is precious indeed!ReplyDelete
Beautiful field of lupins!
- AnonymousMay 23, 2010 at 4:49 PM
Question: What is the trick to seeing Betty's Obstkuchen - Platz recipe?
Thanks. Petra
- AnonymousMay 23, 2010 at 4:59 PM
Hi again,ReplyDelete
Got it! After sending message, I clicked on photo again, and like magic it came up. Go figure.
Thanks so much. Petra
Love your Sabbath bread for the journey. Also love your recipes. You do an amazing job. Thank you for today.ReplyDelete
You hem me in behind and beforeReplyDelete
you have laid you hand upon me.
This is one of my favorite bible verses.


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Saturday, December 08, 2012
This is why recommend Debian instead of Ubuntu
Ubuntu provides specific repositories of nonfree software, and Canonical expressly promotes and recommends nonfree software under the Ubuntu name in some of their distribution channels. Ubuntu offers the option to install only free packages, which means it also offers the option to install nonfree packages too. In addition, the version of Linux, the kernel, included in Ubuntu contains firmware blobs.
Ubuntu's trademark policy prohibits commercial redistribution of exact copies of Ubuntu, denying an important freedom.
As of October 2012, Ubuntu sends personal data about users' searches to a server belonging to Canonical, which sends back ads to buy things from Amazon. This does not, strictly speaking, affect whether Ubuntu is free software, but it is a violation of users' privacy. It also encourages buying from Amazon, a company associated with DRM as well as mistreatment of workers, authors and publishers.
This adware is one of the rare occasions in which a free software developer persists in keeping a malicious feature in its version of a program.
Posted by Popa Adrian Marius at 1:52 AM 0 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


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Little Treasures Toddler Group
December 4 @ 9:30 am - 11:00 am
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every week that begins at 9:30 am on Monday, repeating indefinitely
A Whittlesey & District Childminding Group (during term time only). Everyone is welcome with children from birth to starting school. We have a large selection of toys for all ages and we have a craft each week and finish each session singing a few songs. Our Facebook group is facebook.com/groups/190880329594291


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REPORT: News Networks Ignore Controversial SOPA Legislation
For an updated version of this report, click here.
Controversial legislation that the co-founder of Google has warned "would put us on a par with the most oppressive nations in the world" has received virtually no coverage from major American television news outlets during their evening newscasts and opinion programming. The parent companies of most of these networks, as well as two of the networks themselves, are listed as official "supporters" of this legislation on the U.S. House of Representatives' website.
As the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) makes its way through Congress, most major television news outlets -- MSNBC, Fox News, ABC, CBS, and NBC -- have ignored the bill during their evening broadcasts. One network, CNN, devoted a single evening segment to it. (The data on lack of coverage is based on a search of the Lexis-Nexis database since October 1, 2011. The Nexis database does not include comprehensive daytime coverage, and also does not include Shep Smith's 7pm nightly Fox News program, so both are excluded from the study.)
Over the past few months, debate over SOPA and its companion Senate bill, the PROTECT IP Act (also known as PIPA) has boiled over online. Numerous tech writers, experts, and companies have spoken out against the bills, warning that while they ostensibly target online piracy and "rogue" foreign websites hosting pirated copyrighted content, the bills could severely limit internet freedom and innovation.
NY Times media columnist David Carr, who described the legislation as "alarming in its reach," explained in a column earlier this week that "digitally oriented companies see SOPA as dangerous and potentially destructive to the open Web and a step toward the kind of intrusive Internet regulation that has made China a global villain to citizens of the Web."
The legislation also has powerful supporters. As Carr laid out in his article, "Virtually every traditional media company in the United States loudly and enthusiastically supports SOPA." This includes the parent companies of the TV news outlets now ignoring the fury over the bill during their primetime broadcasts, as well as two of the channels themselves.
ABC and CBS are listed as supporters of the bill on the House Judiciary Committee website, along with Comcast/NBCUniversal (which owns MSNBC and NBC News), News Corporation (Fox News), and Time Warner (CNN).** Disney Publishing Worldwide, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Corporation, which owns ABC, is also listed as a supporter, as are other Disney properties such as ESPN and Hyperion publishing.
To their credit, the online arms of most of these news outlets have posted regular articles about the fight over the legislation, but their primetime TV broadcasts remain mostly silent.
Several major companies, including Google, Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, and eBay published a joint letter to Congress in November expressing serious concerns about the pending legislation and declaring that the measures to combat piracy in the bills "pose a serious risk to our industry's continued track record of innovation and job creation, as well as to our nation's cybersecurity."
In December, users of Reddit, the influential social news website, organized a boycott of major internet domain registrar GoDaddy after that company's support for SOPA was publicized. After customers -- including prominent organizations like Wikipedia -- pledged to start transferring domains to different companies, GoDaddy issued a statement claiming that the company now "opposes SOPA."
Despite all of this, the response from American television news outlets has been to almost completely ignore the story during their evening programming. The lone exception was a segment on CNN's The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer in December, during which CNN parent company Time Warner's support for the legislation was not disclosed. (Though Fox News Channel has apparently not touched the story during evening programming, conservative/libertarian host Andrew Napolitano has run several segments vocally opposing SOPA on his program, which runs on the separate Fox Business Network.)
The fight over SOPA does not fit into the usual left vs. right narrative that occupies so much of the political horserace coverage with which TV news outlets fill their schedules. The cosponsors of SOPA come from both sides of the aisle. Likewise, the most vocal opponents of SOPA in Congress are an ideologically diverse bunch, including Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Ron Paul (R-TX) and Darrel Issa (R-CA).
Online, opposition to SOPA has also come from a wide ideological spectrum. Conservative writer Erick Erickson penned a piece for Red State last month proposing a bipartisan effort to raise funds for candidates to challenge the incumbent cosponsors of the bill.
Note about methodology:
I reviewed Lexis-Nexis transcripts since October 1, 2011 for any references to the Stop Online Piracy Act, the PROTECT IP Act, and related terms. Since the Nexis database does not include comprehensive transcripts for daytime programming on news channels, the search focused on broadcasts at 5pm or later that are available in the database. Shep Smith's nightly 7pm Fox News program is not available in the Nexis database, so it is not included in this study.
I used the following search:
publications (ABC or NBC or CBS or MSNBC or Fox News or Fox or CNN) and (internet or web or website or webpage or rogue websites or rogue sites or pirated or intellectual property or online or piracy or Stop Online Piracy Act or Protect IP or SOPA or PIPA or Lamar Smith)
**CORRECTION: The original version of this report incorrectly referenced Viacom as the parent company of CBS. CBS is currently owned by the CBS Corporation, which split from Viacom in 2005. I regret the error.


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July 10, 2002
Mr. Peter J. Karaba [HOME ADDRESS DELETED UNDER 10CFR2.790(a)]
Dear Mr. Karaba:
By letter dated July 8, 2002, Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Exelon) informed the NRC that certain conditions of your reactor operator license were not being met. Specifically, Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10CFR), Part 55, Section 55.53(h), imposes a condition on your license which requires you to complete a requalification program as described by 10CFR55.59. Title 10CFR55.59 (a)(1) and (a)(2) require you to successfully complete a requalification program not to exceed 24 months in duration, and to pass a comprehensive requalification written examination as part of that requalification program. As discussed in the Exelon letter, you have not completed a comprehensive requalification written examination, in accordance with 10CFR55.59, since January/February of 2000, and thus you have exceeded the required 24-month written examination periodicity.
The Exelon letter documented information previously discussed with the NRC in a telephone conference which occurred on July 3, 2002. At the time of the telephone conference, both Dresden units were operating in Mode 1.
Exelon indicated that the Dresden Nuclear Power Station staff identified that you had not completed a required element of the licensed operator requalification program. Exelon, on your behalf, requested enforcement discretion because you had not successfully taken and passed a comprehensive requalification written examination within the requalification training program period, which is required not to exceed 24 months. Exelon indicated that a Dresden Training Department scheduling error resulted in the comprehensive written examination being scheduled at an interval greater than the required 24 months. Specifically, the Dresden Training Department previously administered a comprehensive written examination pursuant to 10CFR55.59 to you during the period of January through February 2000. This examination was to cover the training period from April 1998 to February 2000. The next written examination to meet the requirement of 10CFR55.59 should have occurred during January 2002. However, through a scheduling error, the examination was deferred until July 2002. Because of the rescheduling of the examination, the 24-month time limit was exceeded. Consequently, during the last 24-month training period, you did not complete a comprehensive written examination in accordance with the condition of your license imposed via 10CFR55.53(h).
In a separate letter dated July 2, 2002, Exelon requested the NRC to extend the 24-month interval required by 10CFR55.59(c) to an interval of approximately 30 months. This extension would allow Exelon (the facility licensee) to complete the requirement to administer a comprehensive written examination. To accomplish this within the prescribed time extension Exelon plans to complete examinations for all licensed operators and senior operators on shift by July 17, 2002, and for all other remaining licensed personnel by August 2, 2002, before they are scheduled to resume licensed activities. The NRC Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) will respond to this request for an exemption from the requirements of 10CFR55.59 by separate correspondence.
As detailed in Exelon's July 8, 2002, letter requesting enforcement discretion and during the July 3, 2002, telephone conference, Exelon explained that suspending enforcement of the 10CFR55.53(h) requirement between July 3, 2002, and July 17, 2002, will not endanger life or property, and is otherwise in the public interest. Exelon, on your behalf, indicated that you have demonstrated knowledge and performance capabilities similar to those required by the comprehensive written examinations. Specifically, you have been enrolled in a continuous requalification training program developed through a systems approach to training as defined in 10CFR55.4, "Definitions." During this training program, you were trained and evaluated using dynamic simulator evaluations and periodic written quizzes. These continuous evaluation tools were used to measure your retention and application of skills and knowledge. In general, you have successfully completed the training program and were evaluated as a satisfactory operator.
In addition, Exelon indicated that you satisfactorily completed an annual operating examination in November through December 2001, as required by 10CFR55.59(a)(2). This evaluation included dynamic simulator scenario and job performance measure evaluations. Moreover, you satisfactorily completed a comprehensive written examination between July and September of 2001. Although this examination was not designed or intended to satisfy the requirement of 10 CFR 55.59, it did cover a representative sample of material from August 1998 to August 2000.
Furthermore, the Exelon letter indicated that representatives from Dresden Nuclear Power Station and Exelon Nuclear Oversight performed augmented on-shift oversight at the Dresden Station during the period of June 21 through June 26, 2002. The purpose of the audit was to review operator performance, including operator skills and knowledge. No issues related to your knowledge or skills were identified.
In addition to the noted training program implementation, Exelon indicated that the on-shift staffing at the Dresden Station exceeds the minimum required by 10CFR50.54, "Conditions of License." In accordance with 10CFR50.54 (m), the minimum staffing requirement for a facility with two operating units in a single control room is two Senior Reactor Operators (SROs) and three Reactor Operators (ROs). Each operating crew at Dresden Station has three SROs and four ROs. The extra operators reduced your individual workload and added to the skills and capability of your crew. Exelon has also verified and noted that your operating shift crew has at least one licensed individual that was current in the requalification training program.
Finally, Exelon indicated that due to the expected high electrical power demand during the summer period, Exelon has minimized the number of plant activities that have the potential to cause unplanned unit shutdowns and de-ratings. This action minimizes the potential challenges you face as a licensed operator.
Exelon requested that a Notice of Enforcement Discretion (NOED) be issued pursuant to Section VII.C of the "General Statement of Policy and Procedures for NRC Enforcement Actions" (Enforcement Policy), NUREG-1600. Exelon, on your behalf, requested enforcement discretion for your failure to complete the comprehensive requalification written examination within the 24-month periodicity in accordance with 10CFR55.53(h) and 10CFR55.59 (a)(1) and (a)(2). To accomplish this, Exelon requested that the NRC suspend the enforcement of the requirements of 10CFR55.53(h) until July 17, 2002, to allow sufficient time for you to complete the written examination requirement. This letter documents the telephone conversation on July 3, 2002, between Exelon and the NRC. Regional enforcement discretion was verbally granted at 7 p.m. on July 3, 2002 to suspend the enforcement of the requirements of 10CFR55.53(h) until July 17, 2002, in order to allow you sufficient time to complete the written examination requirement. Should you fail the examination, you would be subject to the requirements of the station's requalification program, i.e. removal from shift, remediation, and re-examination.
Exelon requested this NOED after consideration of the safety significance and potential consequences of such an action. Exelon determined that obtaining enforcement discretion until July 17, 2002, would allow for the Dresden Training Department to administer the written examination to you and would not result in an undue risk to the health and safety of the public. The conclusion was based on risk insights that qualitatively indicated there was no net increase in risk related to allowing the current on-shift licensed operators until July 17, 2002, and all other licensed operators until August 2, 2002, to complete the written examination.
Exelon committed to: 1) administer comprehensive written examinations to on-shift licensed operators by July 17, 2002, and to the remaining licensed personnel by August 2, 2002; 2) ensure on-shift licensed operator staffing exceeds the minimum required by 10CFR50.54 (m); 3) ensure each operating shift crew includes at least one individual that is current with respect to the requirements of the requalification program; and, 4) minimize the number of plant activities that have the potential to cause unplanned unit shutdowns or de-ratings.
The NRC determined that the risk of continued operation with Exelon's compensatory measures for the remaining four week time period of the NOED did not result in an increased risk over shutting down both units. Based on this qualitative evaluation the NRC accepted Exelon's safety rationale.
The NRC's basis for this discretion considered: 1) your continued attendance and past performance in the Dresden Training Department requalification program; 2) Exelon's assurance of expedited administration of the written examinations; 3) the compensatory measures to reduce the probability of a plant transient while ensuring that more than the minimum required shift manning is maintained with at least one individual on shift that has successfully completed the requirements of the requalification program; and, 4) the risk associated with continuing to operate at steady state with crews not meeting 10CFR55.59 was no greater than shutting down, a self-induced transient, with the same crews.
Based on the above considerations, the NRC staff concluded that Criterion B.2.1.1.a and the applicable criteria in Section C.4 to NRC Manual Chapter 9900, "Technical Guidance, Operations - Notices of Enforcement Discretion" were met. Criterion B.2.1.1.a states that for an operating plant, the NOED is intended to avoid unnecessary transients as a result of compliance with the license condition and, thus, minimize potential safety consequences and operational risks.
On the basis of the NRC staff's evaluation of Exelon's request, on your behalf, we have concluded that issuance of this NOED is warranted because we are satisfied that this action involves minimal or no safety impact, is consistent with the Enforcement Policy and staff guidance, and has no adverse impact on public health and safety. Therefore, we exercised discretion at 6:20 p.m. on July 3, 2002, not to enforce compliance with the condition of your license imposed by 10CFR55.53 (h), which requires that you successfully complete a comprehensive requalification written examination within a 24 month period. This NOED is in effect from 6:20 p.m. on July 3, 2002 until 6:20 p.m. on July 17, 2002.
Enforcement action may be taken for violations that occurred prior to granting the NOED.
Docket No. [DELETED UNDER 10CFR2.790(a)] License No. [DELETED UNDER 10CFR2.790(a)]
cc: Site Vice President - Dresden Nuclear Power Station
Page Last Reviewed/Updated Wednesday, March 24, 2021


text:
More than 56,000 Pets Saved During 2012 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K ChallengeContestants saved 14,376 more lives during contest over same period last year
NEW YORK—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced that a total of 56,232 pets found homes during the 2012 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge, a three-month competition where 50 shelters from across the United States worked to increase the number of animals saved—either by adoption, alternative placements or being reunited with their owners—in order to win a portion of the more than $500,000 in prize grants from the ASPCA and Rachael Ray. Contestants saved 14,376 more cats and dogs in August, September and October than they saved in the same three-month period in 2011.
"When we started this contest in 2010, we wanted to help shelters save more lives," said Bert Troughton, vice president of community outreach for the ASPCA. "In the first year of the $100K Challenge, contestants saved 7,362 more lives. And this year, contestants nearly doubled that– saving 14,376 more lives over the same period last year. Each year, these shelters are raising the bar of what's possible."
Contestants worked to save more cats and dogs during the months of August, September and October 2012 than they did during the same period in 2011. The ASPCA and Rachael Ray today awarded the following prizes:
- $100K Grand Prize and South Central Division Prize: City of San Antonio Animal Care Services in San Antonio, Texas
- $25K 2nd Place Prize and $20K West Division Prize: Canyon County Animal Shelter in Caldwell, Idaho
- $25K Community Engagement Award: Animal Rescue League Shelter and Wildlife Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.
- $20K Southeast Division Prize: Humane Society of Charlotte in Charlotte, N.C.
- $20K North Central Division Prize: Toledo Area Humane Society in Maumee, Ohio
- $20K Northeast Division Prize and $10K Most Improved Player: Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) in Baltimore, Md.
- $10K Most Improved Player North Central Division: Medina County SPCA in Medina, OH
- $10K Most Improved Player South Central Division: Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA in Phoenix, AZ
- $10K Most Improved Player West Division: Animal Outreach of the Mother Lode in Diamond Springs, Calif.
- $10K Most Improved Player Southeast Division: Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Wellington, Fla.
All her life, Rachael Ray has been an advocate for animals and a supporter of animal welfare groups. Her love for animals and for her pit bull, Isaboo, inspired her to create a pet food called Nutrish® to raise money for animals in need. Ray donates 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of Nutrish® to organizations like the ASPCA so they can implement programs like the $100K Challenge and support shelters and animal organizations around the country.
The ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge is a groundbreaking contest that challenges animal shelters across the country to come up with innovative ways to engage their communities and get more homeless cats and dogs into loving homes. Applications for the 2013 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge open on January 3, 2013 at www.aspca.org/100kchallenge.


text:
Say hey to rumr, a new messaging app that's vying to draw your attention away from all the other ways to say hey already in play.
Rumr has been in the works for around half a year, raising an $800,000 seed back in October, led by Khosla Ventures' Ben Ling. Google Ventures' MG Siegler also participated in the round (Disclosure: Siegler is a columnist for TechCrunch but he had no input into this article — and, to my knowledge, was not aware I was writing it); along with Greycroft Partners; LA-based angel investor Paige Craig; and Scott Lahman, textPlus founder and CEO.
rumr is launching today as a free download for iOS and Android
Before you say 'yeah, good luck with competing with WhatsApp/Facebook/Snapchat et al' rumr's twist is that it's anonymous group messaging with friends. (Or at least, with people you actively choose to connect with for the purposes of identity-free chatting.)
This is not about anonymously chatting with Internet randoms/digital bottomfeeders, says rumr CEO and founder James Jerlecki, who brings a background in messaging to this startup, having previously worked for textPlus. rumr is about "controlled anonymity" — aka, having a bit of free-flowing fun with your friends.
Instead of having name tags next to them, chats are assigned colours so the conversation can flow without individual speakers being immediately evident.
Why would you even want to talk to your friends without each person knowing who's saying what? Most likely for what my TC colleague Alex Wilhelm would refer to as shiggles. So basically having a bit of fun without everyone having to always be minding their Ps and Qs.
But Jerlecki reckons the rumr concept can also support more serious use-case applications. Conversations that are difficult to have honestly in person, whether that's among family, friends or in a more professional sphere. He posits that rumr could be used by groups of teens to discuss personal issues without risking being singled out for the things they're revealing. Or even, as a way for adult dudes and bros to talk 'feels' with each other.
"We've spent a lot of time thinking about messaging and to us it always seemed there was something missing — as far as a place to let your guard down, a place where you didn't always have to be perfect," Jerlecki tells TechCrunch. "We wanted to create a chat experience that was more open and free-flowing so we thought the way to do that was essentially anonymity — but controlled anonymity.
"Because what's always been missing for me with anonymity is context. It's always been with some sort of broad audience, like if you look at Whisper it's just out to people I have no connection with, I don't really know them. And even Secret, it's a smaller sub-set of that — it's your address book — but who's in your address book? I have thousands of contacts in my address book.. I don't know who most of those people are.
"That to me is not compelling. What is compelling is a group of people that I know, that I trust on some level, that I can truly be myself with, that I can't do on Facebook… I need a private forum to a place where I can let my guard down and that normally is with my friends."
On the professional use-cases front, Jerlecki reckons the app could even work as a tool to aid social work, again to facilitate more honest group discussions. Part of the 100-strong beta trial for rumr has involved his sister using the app with a group of teens she works with, as a way for them to communicate with her without having to attach their identity to all the conversations they have with her.
So, in other words, helping to inject a little more honestly into unequal relationships — between dependents/minions and authority figures.
"What's cool about this is it's actually really flexible as a tool for communication," adds Jerlecki. "It's really good as a tool for saying things that are funny. And it's also really good for conversations that are hard to have in person."
Another possible professional scenario he brings up is for companies to use as an anonymous feedback forum — to, for instance, have a conversation about office culture.
"If I wanted to have a conversation about culture in an office, typically what I would do is I would get 10 people together, we'd go in a conference room and we would try and have that conversation. But everyone in that room has a different agenda… You can't really be honest," adds Jerlecki. "I think there's a perfectly viable use-case [for rumr]."
No smoke without fire
Various rumours have been circulating about rumr prior to today's dual platform launch. Aptly enough, these have been wide of the mark. rumr does not, contrary to what others have previously reported, allow one-way anonymity.
To be clear: all participants in rumr's group messaging conversations are anonymous — identified only to each other by the colour their chats are (randomly) assigned. The use of colour for chats gives users a way to track the flow of conversations without individual identities being disclosed.
Everyone in a rumr chat also knows who all the other chat participants are. But that's all they all know. Identity is not attached to specific chats (although users can of course make guesses as to who's who, based on what's being said).
If there are only three people in a particular rumr conversation it's probably not going to be too tough to figure out identities, hence Jerlecki describing the app as working on a "sliding scale of anonymity"; i.e. the more people you add, the more anonymity everyone gets.
And if people leave or join a chat there is a named notification that that has happened displayed in the chat window. However new colours are simultaneously assigned to all participants in order to continue masking everyone's identities.
One-way anonymity might well have made the service more obviously open to becoming a conduit for bullying. Such problems have caused trouble for Q&A service Ask.fm, for instance, which does allow for one-way anonymity — and has run into problems with teen bullying.
rumr is having none of that. All its users are equally in the dark, so targeted nastiness isn't quite so easy to achieve. Determined bullies will likely always find a way but rumr is not literally giving them a perfect tool. There is still potential for abuse — being as users' identities are masked — but since every rumr participant is on an equal footing, there is at least a level playing field to make it harder for targeted nastiness with no chance for comeback.
(It should be noted that the app does also support one-on-one chats, so it's conceivable that a co-ordinated group of users could end up ganging up on another user in an ongoing group chat by backchannel stealth — messaging each other til they figure out who's who and then turning on the person who's been identified. However pulling that off in practice would require multiple users to be considerably co-ordinated.)
Perhaps to dispel such unpleasant thoughts about its potential to foster nastiness, rumr has a cutesy Panda as its mascot — setting a cuddly, fun tone from the get-go. (The cartoon panda also hints at the stickers Jerlecki says will be coming in a future update.)
How is rumr going to deal with abusive users? To a degree, it has yet to fully figure that out as it wants to work that out with its users, once the service gets up and running. Jerlecki talks about maybe having a 'time out' function, where abusive users aren't able to post for a certain period of time — as a way to ensure that abusive users aren't just immediately unmasked when they're kicked out of conversations.
In the meantime, the basic tools for keeping early rumr users safe from bad behaviour include the ability for users to report problem content (which he says rumr will look at on a "case by case" basis). The owner of the chat also has the power to kick anyone out, and chat participants can voluntarily leave each chat at any time.
Obviously, rumr is hoping for more constructive use — for fostering friendly sports chat, or becoming a sort of messaging meets gaming hybrid; a place where conversations devolve into guessing games as users have fun trying to figure out who's saying what, or try to mask their own identity by mimicking the opinions of others.
Playing up the gamification element is a likely route to monetizing the app in future, with Jerlecki hinting that rumr has plenty of ideas relating to the central role of colour in the app.
Perhaps users could buy a 'power up' that lets them shuffle their own colour to another shade, to spread additional conversational confusion if they feel they are too close to being unmasked.
As mentioned above, stickers are another monetization method in waiting, with Jerlecki arguing that visual media is likely to be even more important for rumr than for a vanilla messaging app, with users needing to find ways to communicate without giving away too many specific clues to their identity.
Photo-sharing will also be coming in future, but it's not in v1 of the app as Jerlecki said the startup wants to be sure that feature is implemented safely, with no risk of it being abused. So, for now, rumr is purely text-based messaging — with its anonymity twist.
First order of business for rumr now is clearly user acquisition — not least because messaging is such a crowded and hyped space. The need to ramp up quickly to a critical mass of users explains the dual launch on iOS and Android. As for whether rumr will soon be looking to raise more funding to keep firing on all cylinders, that depends on how the launch blows up (or doesn't).
"Secret did it in 45 days — maybe we'll do it in 20. I don't know," says Jerlecki, jokily, on the funding point.


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"Man is defined as a human being and a woman as a female – whenever she behaves as a human being she is said to imitate the male." Simone de Beauvoir. As we celebrate International Women's Day, the words of Simone de Beauvoir ring loud in my ears.
As someone who became fiercely politically active as a young woman in a very patriarchal society, I was often 'showered' with the words "You are a man!" It was considered the highest praise you could give a woman for her bravery and courage while referring to a man as a woman is considered a below the belt insult. If only I had a penny for every time I heard these words from my fellow comrades, colleagues and mentors who actually should know better.
Please understand that calling a woman "a man' because of her achievements or courage is NOT A COMPLIMENT. Those words are nothing but an insult to the woman, her achievements and gender identity. You do not honour me by calling me "A Woman like a Man", in fact with such words you deny my gender identity and degrade my biological sex. I am a Woman and Proudly so.
We are all HUMANS irrespective of what the various creation myths say. Women demands recognition and respect as human beings. Brave and courageous women achievers do not need to be called A MAN as a compliment. Being called "A MAN" does not elevate us to the level of human beings; we are already human beings irrespective of our sex or gender identity.
Kindly recognise and respect my gender identity, this I believe is not too much to ask!
As we celebrate more than a decade of International Women's Day, feminisation of poverty continues; Reproductive, Productive and Domestic roles still hold down the working woman from reaching her full potentials. The triple oppression of Racism, Classism and Sexism persistently affect our unity. Let us continue to fight all the Isms and Schisms that jeopardise our strength.
The degree of emancipation of women is the natural measure of general emancipation. Every society's greatness can be measured by the way it treats its most vulnerable members. Every human being is born equal in rights and dignity.
You do not have to be a woman to support woman's rights.
You don't have to be gay, bisexual or Trans to support LGBT rights.
You don't have to be a sex worker to support sex workers' right to organise, unionise and work in a safe environment.
You don't have to be an animal to support animal rights.
And in case the aliens ever invaded, let's hope you don't have to be a human being to support human rights. We all could be in the minority sometime!
Stand up against oppression of women, stand up for equal rights, empower a woman today, emancipate yourself from mental slavery and DEMAND your inalienable human rights! No human being is born subordinate to another. No woman is born to satisfy a man, you are born to create and define your own 'destiny', even in the face of all odds. Your happiness is supreme.
Fellow sisters, assert your right and recognition as human Beings!
Happy International Women's day to you all!


text: Many of these games will run on mobile devices with the VocabularySpellingCity App. Teaching spelling and vocabulary is easy with VocabularySpellingCity! Students can study and learn their word lists using vocabulary and spelling learning activities and games. Students can take final or practice spelling and vocabulary tests right on this engaging site. Premium games and automated student record keeping are available to Premium Members. Animal Hangman Games Reptile Hangmouse Octopus Hangmouse Monkey Hangmouse Marsupial Hangmouse Jellyfish Hangmouse Fish Hangmouse Crustacean Hangmouse Birds Hangmouse Big Cat Hangmouse Arachnid Hangmouse Butterfly Hangmouse Honeybee Hangmouse Amphibian Hangmouse We'd like to thank VocabularySpellingCity for providing so many great games.


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CNS Experts Quoted on Developments in Iran, Japan, Syria and the U.S.
November has been another busy month for the experts of the Monterey Institute's James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), who were sought out by members of the news media from all over the world for their comments about global security challenges in the news.
Nov. 1 - The Washington Post in the article "Supercomputers offer tools for nuclear testing – and solving nuclear mysteries" quoted Jeffrey Lewis, nuclear weapons expert and director of the CNS East Asia Nonproliferation Program on the importance of computer modeling for better understanding of how thermonuclear weapons work.
Nov, 2 - In an article about an attempt to create a weapon of mass destruction from castor beans ("Alleged ricin plot in Georgia was a long shot"), the Washington Post bases its findings on a quote from Raymond Zilinskas, Monterey Institute professor and director of the CNS Chemical and Biological Weapons Program.
Nov. 4 - The Washington Post again interviews Jeffrey Lewis, this time about global concern regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions, in "Behind anti-Iran rhetoric, fears of nuclear gains."
Nov. 7 – The U.K. Guardian's Julian Borger interviewed CNS senior fellow and MIIS Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies professor Avner Cohen for the article "Iran nuclear report: IAEA claims Tehran working on advanced warhead."
Nov. 8 – CNS Scientist-in-Residence Ferenc Dalnoki-Veress was quoted in the official New Scientist blog "Fukushima scare prompts look at 'criticality' criteria."
Nov. 8 – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's article "Four accused in terror plot appear in court" uses quotes from Raymond Zilinskas to shed a light of the case against four men accused of plotting to create a weapon of mass destruction out of ricin extracted from castor beans.
Nov. 9 - The publication of the International Atomic Energy Agency report about Iran's nuclear program caused a number of additional national and international news outlets to seek out experts from MIIS and CNS:
- Two of India's most prominent publications featured Avner Cohen. India Today quoted him in the article "IAEA report: World stares at Iran-Israel conflict," and his writings about the subject were recommended readings in an opinion column in The Hindu titled "Engaging Iran's nuclear peril."
- An Associated Press news story widely republished in media outlets throughout the United States and beyond, titled "Engineer: suspected Syria nuke site for textiles" cited a Monterey Institute analysis of satellite imagery of a Syrian industrial complex.
- The Guardian's Julian Borger quoted Jeffrey Lewis in his Global Security blog.
Nov. 10 - An opinion column "To Save Our Economy, Ditch Taiwan," in the New York Times by Paul V. Kane prominently features Jeffrey Lewis.
Nov. 11 - Jeffrey Lewis is also featured in the article "There is no nuclear threat - but if we attack Iran there soon will be," published in the New Statesman on Veteran's Day.
Finally, the September issue of the CTBTO Spectrum magazine includes a two-page interview with Patricia Lewis, Deputy Director of CNS.
For More Information
Jason Warburg
Eva Gudbergsdottir


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Friday, March 03, 2017
REVIEW: The Haunted Heist (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries, Book 3) by Angie Fox
Verity Long can see and talk to ghosts. Unfortunately, she also seems to always find herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. This time, she's on the scene when the head of The First Bank of Sugarland is killed. No one saw who shot poor Reggie right through the heart, but the calling card left at the scene points to Handsome Henry, an infamous gangster and hit man gunned down and killed back in 1933.
Teaming up with her sort-of boyfriend, deputy sheriff Ellis Wydell, along with her ghostly gangster buddy Frankie, the three search for answers in a haunted mob speakeasy, as well as a spooky cemetery crawling with wailing ghosts. Can Verity use her medium skills to track down the killer before someone else gets popped?
Like the other books in the Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries, The Haunted Heist was a fun, quick, and quirky read. There were several twists I didn't see coming, and I didn't figure out whodunit until the very end. I was also happy to see the relationship between Verity and Ellis blooming quite nicely. As usual, Verity makes a few stupid decisions along the way, and seems a bit more of a pushover this time around, but fortunately nothing that affected the story line too severely. (Unless you count getting locked in a bank vault.)
This book may not have had all the laughs of the previous two but I found it entertaining nonetheless. The Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries are a witty, action-packed cozy mystery ride that I'd recommend to any fan of the genre. These books can easily be read standalone, though there are a couple ongoing threads going on in the background, like the burgeoning romance between Verity and Ellis, that make reading them in order much more enjoyable as you get to know the characters better.
Thank you to NetGalley and Season Publishing for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Posted by Cherie at 9:00 AM
Tags: cozy mystery, fantasy, mystery/thriller, netgalley, paranormal/occult, romance
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This analysis does not look at areas of interest to investors, but seeks to pull out insights that are relevant to clients and prospects of Forrester Research, the number two advisory analyst firm, as well as communications and IT vendor analyst relations (AR) teams.
Forrester Research (NASDAQ: FORR) Chairman & CEO George Colony (Twitter, blog) and CFO Michael Doyle presented (replay available for approximately 90 days) at the William Blair & Co. Emerging Growth Stock Conference on Tuesday, October 6, 2009. Because the presentation was oriented toward investors that might not know much about Forrester, instead of the usual Wall Street analysts on quarterly earnings calls, there were some tid-bits of intelligence useful for clients and AR.
A large number of diverse data points but spread thin: One of the advantages that a large analyst firm has is that its analysts can – not always – have access to a large number of formal and informal data points to include in research and use with end user clients during inquiries. Forrester revealed that its analysts conduct 3,500 vendor briefings, 16,800 inquiries, 250,000 consumer survey responses, and 10,000 large company survey responses.
Sounds like huge numbers, right? Actually these numbers might not seem so impressive when the average per analyst is calculated. Forrester currently lists 193 analysts, not including research associates and researchers. That means that the average number of inquiries per analyst is only 87 per year or seven (7) per month. Of course that is the average, which means that some analysts will be doing much less than the average, maybe as little as three (3) per month or less than one a week.
Calculating the number of briefings per analyst is a little trickier because a single briefing can have multiple analysts in attendance. For this discussion let's say three analysts per briefing, which then calculates to each analyst getting about six (6) briefings per month. Again, this is not an impressive number when taking into consideration how important vendor information is for advisory analysts.
Of course, inquiry and vendor briefings are not the only sources of the Forresterites' data points. However, they often cite during inquiries and briefings the "large number of" whatever they are doing without giving hard numbers. Perhaps it is time for clients to peel back the onion and get the analysts to quantify the numbers before accepting their recommendations based on what the analysts are "hearing from clients."
Forrester analysts – please feel free to comment on the number and source of your data points.
Mentions Forrester is part of duopoly with Gartner: It was interesting to hear CEO Colony mention, for maybe the first time in public, that Forrester was in a duopoly with Gartner. Colony said that the duopoly was created by the firms acquiring the two largest competitors (META by Gartner and Giga by Forrester). Of course, SageCircle first mentioned this duopoly in a July 2008 post and then reiterated our opinion in a March 2009 post. This is an important point because it shows that Forrester has internalized this status, leading to behaviors such as price increases that would not be possible if there were more competitors in the market.
Lots of green fields: The Forrester executives mentioned that it has penetrated only about 5% of the addressable market (25,000 companies with 4 million potential individual clients, numbers which are in the same range as what Gartner mentions). The implication is that Forrester has plenty of room to grow, which could lead to increased influence. More enterprise clients means more opportunities for Forrester analysts to advise them on vendor sales deals.
Forrester might be getting ready to pull the trigger on another acquisition: During the quarterly earnings call, Colony usually gives a small mention, almost rote, about potential acquisition activity. However, during this investor conference, he had an agenda item with a full slide dedicated to the discussion of acquisitions. He mentioned several times about how acquisition targets are getting to be more realistic (worn down by the recession) and are starting to discuss attractive deal prices.
Colony also pointed out how three of Forrester's four major acquisitions were very successful, which is a higher success rate than normal. He said that Forrester is very careful about M&A and that they "would look at a thousand balls before swinging." The objective of any acquisition would be to fill a gap in geographic coverage, product, or role.
Forrester has $275 million in cash and short term securities as of 6/30/09 so it certainly has the resources to acquire most any firm except Gartner and IDC.
Bottom Line: Public companies like Forrester and Gartner often reveal different information to investors than they do in marketing or sales situations. Savvy enterprise clients and vendors can pick up critical insights by carefully listening to investor presentations and earnings calls.
SageCircle clients are encouraged to contact us for more in depth discussions and possible implications.
Since 2000, SageCircle has helped analyst relations teams to focus on business value by encouraging innovative thinking that leverages insights and drives revenue.


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Financial analysts have opined that the United States is well on the road to recovery. They cite various data points to make the case that the multi-trillion dollar bailouts and stimulus have brought us back from the brink of a collapse so serious that Congressional leaders had been told that should the bailouts fail, there was a real possibility of martial law being declared.
We're doing so well, in fact, that just a couple of years ago President Obama assured the nation of our progress, claiming that we "reversed the recession, avoided a depression, [and] got the economy moving again."
But were one to take a step back from the rhetoric of talking heads, political leaders and so-called Wall Street experts, a completely different picture begins to emerge.
Just this week it was announced that not only are housing starts plummeting, but permit applications reported their "largest miss in history," an indicator that the economy is not as healthy as it has been made out to be. And, while stock markets are hitting all-time record highs, what's curious is that some of the world's largest companies, including Intel, IBM, Google, Ebay and FedEx, are reporting significant consumer pull back and earnings below analyst expectations.
And if that hasn't convinced you, then here is the reality of the situation directly from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, the architect of the most massive economic recovery "plan" ever devised in the history of the world.
"I don't think the Fed can get interest rates up very much, because the economy is weak, inflation rates are low," Bernanke told the House Financial Services Committee.
"If we were to tighten policy, the economy would tank."
What Helicopter Ben is saying, despite his pledge to start pulling back the monthly $85 billion (Over $1 Trillion yearly) in stimulus spending by mid-2014, is that if they stop injecting financial and bond markets with capital, the whole system is going to fall apart, just like it was going to in 2008.
There is no way out for Ben Bernanke's policies. We're toast either way. If we keep printing, we eventually hyperinflate our currency to oblivion, leaving our entire system of commerce at a standstill. If we stop printing the system "tanks," as noted by the Chairman.
The end result, any way you slice it, is complete and total detonation of our financial, economic and monetary systems:
His answer? The economy will tank.
Did that tell you everything you needed to know?
It should have.
He can't exit.
Not now, not ever.
Which paradoxically, means he will exit because if an outcome is inevitable then the longer you wait and the more distortion you pump in before it happens the worse it is and he cannot avoid owning the outcome either way.
Think it through folks.
Then get ready, because it's coming.
Following the 2008 crisis, former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson was quoted as saying that the United States was on the brink of a total collapse, something his successor Tim Geithner echoed in an open letter to Congress.
This is happening, and our Federal Reserve Chairman just confirmed it.
Ignore it at your peril.


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Further very sad news (following so soon after the death of Bill Lipscomb):
My good friend and longtime collaborator Jerry Lettvin died this week. Jerry was such a huge—in almost every sense—figure that he and his work defied quick description. But I'll try. This is from a book I started writing more than a decade ago, about Jerry and about some of his research and scientific interests.
THIS BOOK germinated over several years of Friday afternoon meetings in a decrepit wooden shack atop the roof of an old, tall physics building at MIT, where an occasional hawk, bat, or world-famous scientist dropped by to join the usual gang of science geezers. The central character — and perhaps "character" is too mild a word — in those meetings, and in some ways in this book, is Jerry Lettvin, who looks like a meld of Zero Mostel and Humpty Dumpty, and sounds like he must be a character actor's character actor from a 1930s gangster film. We meet up on the roof because Jerry loves to smoke, and that shack is the only room at MIT not subject to a smoking ban. To get there you have to take the elevator as high as it goes, then climb a rickety staircase to the roof, and then jimmy the door lock, generally with a credit card. As one of his former students pointed out, Jerry is the only professor you need a credit card to visit.
Jerry is one of the most original and widely accomplished figures in science, and maybe the most entertaining. An MIT professor emeritus of both electrical engineering and biomedical engineering, an MD, a psychiatrist, a protege of mathematician Norbert Wiener, a former free-lance researcher for both the CIA and the Mafia, an original screenwriter on the film "Rebel Without a Cause," an ace designer of electronic circuits, and a raconteur and practical joker with few peers. Jerry is married to the glamorously brilliant Maggie Lettvin, author of several health books and former PBS television star.
Jerry is probably most famous for two things. One is of little import: he was the first man to utter an obscenity on public television (in a one-on-one debate with his friend, Timothy Leary).
Of greater consequence was a research paper Jerry and three colleagues published in 1959. Titled "What the Frog's Eye Tells the Frog's Brain," the paper opened a giant new door in brain research.
Collaborating with a far-flung repertory cast of scientists in many fields, Jerry has been researching and reading and thinking about the brain for some fifty years. He has published extensively and broken new ground on an almost intimidating range of topics.
Jerry has the curse and the gift of speaking in caricature, which can make his stories sound so good they feel apocryphal. In general, his craziest-sounding science stories are based on facts, with documentation aplenty if you're willing to go look it up. Some scientists dismiss the stories, though. One told me: "Half of what Jerry Lettvin says is wrong. The trick is to figure out which half."
Read more about Jerry on Wikipedia, and on the web site built by Jerry's sons David and Jonathan. And there is new blog, where you can put and find stories about Jerry.
You can think of Jerry as being half Falstaff, half Feynman. See video of Jerry in his lab in 1961, hamming it up for a documentary film called "The Thinking Machine". Start watching at about the 21-minute mark.
And here's an episode (circa 1970) of Maggie's PBS TV show:
FURTHER: MIT's official announcement.Obituaries in the Boston Globe, MIT, the Society for Neuroscience.
VIDEO OF JERRY'S IMPROMPTU DEBATE WITH HIS FRIEND TIMOTHY LEARY ABOUT LSD [Jerry was recruited for this at the last minute, after the originally scheduled debater bugged out. Jerry enters the video about halfway through.]:
UPDATE: A memorial event for Jerry is scheduled to happen Sunday, September 25, at MIT.


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Revision as of 17:22, 30 November 2006 by Jlanuti.us.ibm.com (Talk | contribs)
WTP Development Status Meeting 2006-11-30
- Attendees
John L, Nitin D, David W, Carl A, Chuck B, Bob F, Neil H, Bob G, Amy W, Arthur R, Raghu S, Tim W, Dave C, Kosta K, Kathy C
- Announcements and Reminders
- Conferences:
- EclipseCon2007 open for long talks (Dec 1), short talks (Jan 15) submissions.
- ECOOP open for submissions -- Berlin, Germany, July 30 - August 3, 2007.
- Articles:
- Consuming Web services using Eclipse Web Tools in Eclipse Review by Christopher Judd.
- Reminder: Make sure your repository connections are using "cvsroot" and not "home"
- Announcement: Update on committer status for Valentin Baciu - Congratulations and welcome!
- Due: 2007-02-16
- 1.5.3 Guidelines for fixes
- We will be declaring a 1.5.3M build this week so please smoke test the latest M-build to be declared by noon on Friday.
- Build status? David - Some changes were made to the build process, so be sure to do a good sanity check on these builds.
- Bug lists
- Resolved, Unverified (~230)
- Older resolved defects closed out. Minor glitch in closing out those in the remind and later states has been corrected.
- Verified, Not closed (~0)
- 1.5.3 Hot Bug Requests (~1)
- New process, when you reject a hot bug request as a hot bug, change the summary to [hotbug_declined].
- Chuck to decline 132336 as a hot bug, but will fix
- 1.5.3 Hot Bugs (~2)
- 161410 requires IPZilla approval for WSIL4J, Tim W to monitor
- Kosta to open a new hot bug against SSE.
- Blockers, Criticals (~2)
- Integration Build this Friday, 12/01/06
- Build Status? David - There are still failing JUnits. As a reminder to new teams, we should not declare an I build with JUnit failures. JSF to investigate and respin. JPA cannot reproduce on windows, suggest trying on linux.
- In general, if need be and it is appropriate, like a problem with the test itself, you can open a defect against a problematic JUnit, and pull the JUnit from the build.
- We have roughly 200 compiler warnings, which is good progress, but please make this a point of emphasis for next week. David is going to investigate the discouraged access warnings.
- WTP 2.0 now requires a Java5 runtime. However, all components should not assume readiness to start adding hard Java5 dependencies.
- What's the third party jar status? We are going to use Orbit, initial steps done, but to not disrupt builds, David to investigate this later.
- Build process changes - if you are running local builds, there are new environment variables, David to document.
- Please smoke test the latest Integration I-build to be declared by noon on Friday.
- FYI, The 2.0 builds will have a combined zip which includes JPA and JSF, possibly ATF, once these projects are promoted past incubation (1Q2007).
- Need to improve the WTP 2.0 Plan document
- Begin to analyze Adopter Usage Reports to pick the most important API requirements. Let John know about any suggestions or improvements or open a bugzilla defect against the releng component.
- Component leads should analyze for two reasons:
- To ensure no one is using code they should not be using.
- To prioritize which code you plan to make API.
- Component leads should analyze for two reasons:
- John to send out information about how to run an extension point usage scan.
- Bug lists
- Untriaged (~115)
- Resolved, Unverified (~70)
- Verified, Not closed (~0)
- 2.0 Hot Bug Requests (~1)
- Chuck to decline 145376 with info that a hot bug request should not be an enhancement.
- 2.0 Hot Bugs (~0)
- Blockers, Criticals (~7)
- Please investigate these and triage appropriately. We'll start pulling status next week.
- Welcome to JPA (Neil H), JSF (Raghu S), and ATF (Bob G)
- Coordinate with WTP milestone dates and process
- Weekly smoke tests reporting
- The goal of the integration or declared build is to produce a sanity checked target which can be used for development.
- All code should be released by Wednesday night, leaving Thursday to smoke test and declare the build.
- During that period no code should be released unless it is to help declare the build, in which case releasing a map file will trigger a new build and the component lead should send a heads up note discussing the bugzilla, its impact, and why a build was kicked off.
- Component status is reported by updating the weekly meeting agenda with meaningful information and pertinent bugzilla information.
- The agenda for the upcoming week's meeting will be posted by noon, EST, Wednesday.
- Testing Strategies for WTP 2.0
- Smoke Tests
- Each team will have an externally published smoke test scenario.
- A wiki page will be used instead of the mailing list to provide smoke test results.
- Compatibility Tests
- Each team should create a test scenario to load projects or artifacts from WTP 1.5 and attempt to load, display, edit, and run them on a WTP 2.0 workspace.
- John will be asking for your test scenario, link, or test plans so start planning this now.
- Possible coordinated compatibility JUnit which will run as part of the builds where each team can add 1.5 metadata or projects and methods to exercise their function on WTP 2.0. Java EE team has a current JUnit to be used as an example.
- Workspace migration testing will mainly consist of a few workspaces with multiple types of content, settings, and a lot of views and perspectives open.
- Questions remain about what exactly we need to test and we will have to gather feedback from each component team. Be wary of anything written out to settings or extension point changes.
- Each team should create a test scenario to load projects or artifacts from WTP 1.5 and attempt to load, display, edit, and run them on a WTP 2.0 workspace.
- We should support shared projects in a team environment where one user is on WTP 1.5 and one is on WTP 2.0, so we will need some backwards compatibility testing.
- Milestone Test Passes
- Each Milestone should have a real end game process where we take a step back and ensure quality.
- More formalized test phase with planned activities and platforms:
- Compatibility tests will be run as part of milestone shutdown
- Defect verifications from the current milestone and their closure
- Linux, Windows, Mac
- Investigating better ways to collaborate and encourage the collection of test results
- Planning
- Current M4 date is January 4th. We will bump this up to late December and update the mailing list.
- Other business?
- Java EE 5 Update - Chuck - Initial meeting with good attendance, by end of next week should have a real plan in place.
- EclipseCon Update - Tim W - WTP will have a strong showing, we had more than our allotment of tutorials, and will fill our long talk spots. Other ideas to consider are general WTP 2.0 talks, Dali, Java EE 5, etc. Thanks to all for the large number of quality submissions.
- Website Update - Bob F - Incremental migration using transformations underway, no specific delivery dates. Ian Skerritt offered Nathan as a loan from foundation to help conversions.
Teams Status and Focus for Coming Week
- Common Component Team
- Server Component Team
- Datatools (RDB, 1.5.x only)
- XML/JSP Component Team
- Fixing and triaging 1.5.3 defects
- Continuing evaluating and planning for 2.0 items
- Web Services Component Team
- 1.5.3 - Ongoing triaging of bugs in/out of the release (Query)
- 2.0 - Ongoing triaging of RFEs for inclusion in the plan.
- Component Wiki page established.
- The Axis2 integration effort is in progress. See RFE 165664. Bi-weekly meetings are held to discuss progress thru use cases, design and development.
- Java EE Component Team
- Fixing triaging 1.5.3 defects
- Continuing to triage existing bug lists
- Discussing options for continuing EE5 line items - started calls on Thurs mornings
- Dali/JPA
- Refactoring of plugins in progress
- Visual Page designer will be included in the next build
- Investigating Design-time JSP Translation Engine
- Website
- releng
- Execution Environments
- Add versions 1.5.1,1.5.2,1.5.3 to the WTP bugzilla version options list when opening new bugs
- Investigating running and publishing the automated test coverage reports


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STERLING HEIGHTS, MI—No amount of explanation has been sufficient to make Dylan Rieder, 8, understand why he is not permitted on the roof of his family's two-story home.
"I don't know why I can't play up there," Rieder said Monday. "I'm not gonna fall off. It's way less steep than the slide at the playground. And I never fall off that when I climb up. Plus, I wouldn't ruin anything—there's not even anything to ruin. It's just the roof and the chimney and the TV antenna and the wires that go to the telephone pole, but I know not to touch the wires."
Rieder's remarks came on the heels of his third parental warning in as many weeks not to even think about going on the roof.
"He does this every summer," said Beth Rieder, Dylan's mother. "As soon as it gets warm, he gets it in his head that he needs to get on that roof, and he won't give up until it's covered with snow. If I hadn't been out shopping all afternoon, he would have bugged me about it again today."
While Rieder has been subjected to numerous anti-roof-climbing lectures from his parents, his older brother Stephen, and next-door neighbor Mr. Rutigliano, none of their arguments have struck him as valid. Reasons given for staying off the roof have included the danger of falling off, the fragility of the shingles, and what someone driving by might think.
"He knows he shouldn't be up there," Beth said. "That's that."
Rieder said he recognizes that safety is a concern and promised he would not run, jump, or otherwise conduct himself irresponsibly if let onto the roof.
"I would be really, really careful," Rieder said. "It's not that different from climbing a tree. Mom once said she was going to let me put a treehouse up there. What's the difference?"
Rieder said he could perform many useful tasks if permitted onto the roof.
"I could see if any balls got caught up there and throw them down. And I could make sure the chimney doesn't have anything stuck in it," Rieder said. "Also, I could help get the leaves out of the leavesdrops [sic], then Dad wouldn't have to get all mad at the ladder when it pinches his fingers."
As further evidence that his parents have nothing to fear, Rieder cited several eye-opening statistics.
"People can get killed in a car accident a hundred times more easy than they can on a roof," Rieder said. "Or they can eat poison by accident or get a disease or get bit by a dog and get rabies. So I should get to go on the roof, 'cause it would be a lot safer than that."
Though he would like his parents' permission, Rieder said he has not ruled out a covert roof visit. Without use of his parents' bedroom window, which they keep locked at all times, Rieder's best chance for roof access is via a tree in the backyard. By climbing to the fourth extending branch, Rieder would be able to drop down neatly onto the roof. The tree, however, is visible to anyone looking out the kitchen window, the very place where his mother stands as she does dishes and prepares meals.
"I might try the tree in the back, too, but that's harder," Rieder said. "I can't get caught, 'cause Mom would kill me."
Climbing on the roof is not the only activity forbidden to Rieder. Also verboten are pulling up the loose blacktop at the edge of the driveway, picking leaves off the bushes in the front yard, playing with the rocks in the window wells, writing on the side of the house with chalk, climbing on the water meter, putting anything in the mailbox without prior approval, and opening the chest freezer in the garage.


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June 17, 2010
The Nassau County Police Department has launched its REACH (Return Every Adult and Child Home) Program for Nassau residents. This new and innovative program provides a registry for individuals who suffer from a cognitive disorder (e.g. Alzheimer's disease, Dementia, Autism, etc.) should they go missing.
When law enforcement is notified of a missing loved one, the NCPD will disseminate a photo and pertinent information to the NCPD's Real Time Intel (RTI) system. RTI is designed to deliver timely intelligence into the hands of those in the operational side of law enforcement and it can be viewed in every precinct, squad, patrol car, and many villages.
County Executive Mangano says, "The R.E.A.C.H. Program provides our law enforcement with key information and a visual image to help return our loved ones should they go missing. Register today!"
"Little compares to the heartbreak of a missing loved one. This proactive program is designed to give families additional protection for their loved ones and to save lives", added Legislator Kopel.
Additionally, the media will be notified and the search information will be disseminated through the County's Silver Alert program.
To register a loved one or family member, or to learn more about this program, please call the NCPD Asset Forfeiture Unit at 573-5775, Monday through Friday from 9:00AM to 4:00PM to set up an appointment.


text:
Wi-Fi Camera
Quick Setup Guide
32GB Memory installed in the Camera
Rechargeable Battery
USB Charging Cable
1280x720 Effective Pixels
1/3" digital cmos Image Sensor
125° Field of View
NTSC/PAL Compatible Video System
Operating Temperature 22°F - 158°F
High Power IR's (Night Vision models only)
1280x720 Recording Resolution
H.264 Video Compression
30 FPS (depending on Wi-Fi bandwidth)
32GB card included (Class 10)
MPEG4 Video Playback Files
Operating temperature 32° F - 122° F
Time Setting Via the Internet
Take snap shots and store on your device from anywhere
Motion detection Via PIR
Power DC 5/12 Volts using only provided AC adapter
Overwrite function
PIR Start up time is less than 2 seconds
iPhone 5 or higher iOS 8.0 or higher
Android 4.4 or higher
Remote view from where ever you are
playback recorded video from App
App can be used on multiple devices
Push notifications
32 hours on a 32GB card
5V 10,000 mAh Lithium-ION Rechargeable
90 days standby in PIR mode
Up to 16 hours in Continuous mode
Charge time 10 hours
Extra batteries are available see A1028
Our products are sold NOT for
illegal use and are sold for intended legal use only.
All items for sale by
PIGEAR.COM are designed and intended to be utilized in a lawful manner.
Recording of conversations may be illegal in some states and
localities. Check state and local laws before ordering.
It is the sole responsibility
of the buyer (not the seller) to consult legal counsel for the interpretation
of any laws applicable to the area of intended use of these products.


text:
Title: Family Movie Night Series in the Park- featuring The Lego Movie
Location: Central Park at Uptown Station
Description: Join us every other Saturday night at Central Park for our family movies series in the park! All movies begin at dusk (approximately 7:30 pm) and are FREE and open to the public! Feel free to bring blankets, chairs and cuddle up for a family friendly flick! This week's feature is The Lego Movie- a family fave!
Movies are always dependent on weather! Check the Uptown Station Facebook page for the most current updates!
Start Time: 07:30
Date: 2014-06-28


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Rob's Interview with Bild De. Cosmopolis Berlin Press Junket
Posted by RobStenation at 4:31 PM
Labels: Cosmopolis German Promo, Cosmopolis Promo, Germany
This blog is in no way affiliated with Rob, Kristen, Stephenie Meyer, or their management. All photos and media are copyrighted to their respective owners, no copyright infringement is intended.


text:
Bryon Rees
Big things are happening at Ogier. Change is embedded in everything we do. It is redefining our talent, our ways of working, our platforms of delivery, our culture.
We have the expertise to handle the most demanding transactions. Our commercial understanding and experience of working with leading financial institutions, professional advisers and regulatory bodies means we add real value to clients' businesses.
Our sector approach relies on smart collaboration between teams who have a deep understanding of related businesses and industry dynamics. The specific combination of our highly informed experts helps our clients to see around corners.
We have the expertise to handle the most demanding transactions. Our commercial understanding and experience of working with leading financial institutions, professional advisers and regulatory bodies means we add real value to clients' businesses.
Corporate and Fiduciary
Ogier provides practical advice on a unique combination of six laws: BVI, Cayman, Guernsey, Irish, Jersey and Luxembourg. Our global network covers Asian, European and US time zones.
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Providing exceptional and efficient service, our Corporate, Funds, Private Wealth and Capital Markets teams offer clients integrated legal and corporate administration services with a strong reputation in governance and regulatory compliance.
Accounting and Financial Reporting Services - Ogier Global
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Our sector approach relies on smart collaboration between teams who have a deep understanding of related businesses and industry dynamics. The specific combination of our highly informed experts helps our clients to see around corners.
Ogier provides practical advice on BVI, Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Irish, Jersey and Luxembourg law through our global network of offices across the Asian, Caribbean and European timezones. Ogier is the only firm to advise on this unique combination of laws.
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05 October 2023
The Landmark, London
Add to calendar10/05/2023 00:00 10/05/2023 00:00 BVCA Summit 2023 The Landmark, London
For more than ten years, the BVCA Summit has been a key event for the UK private equity and venture capital community. It is attended by over 800 attendees with keynote speakers, proactive panel discussions and networking.
Bryon Rees (Partner, Guernsey) and Oisin McClenaghan (Partner, Ireland) will be attending along with Matt McManus and Alexandra O'Grady (Managing Associates, Jersey).
Contact us if you would like to talk to us at the event.
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text:
Invariably simple to produce and devastatingly delicious, pesto is almost certainly the last word in quick, easy and frugal meals. Of course, it has applications outside the world of fusilli (basil pesto is, for instance, a rather delicious addition to soup), but that's where its heart shall forever rest. For example, take this roasted red pepper pesto – in order for one's pasta to obtain a satisfactory demise, all one need do is roast some fruit along with a little garlic, blitz it up with a few added extras and yell "Bob's my uncle" at the top of one's lungs. You'll be glad to hear that the last step is not, and hopefully never will be, obligatory.
The number of different types of pesto one could dream up could, quite possibly, stretch on into eternity. However, this recipe has become a stand-out favourite since, unlike this rocket pesto, it deviates firmly from the norm. Indeed, most pesto is decidedly green, though it can be made from pretty much every herb under the sun.
As you might imagine, the flavour attained by this recipe also differs from the norm somewhat – rather than being on the fragrant side, it is rich and almost caramel. Roasted garlic is, no doubt, responsible for the presence of that particular culinary facet – and a most welcome one it is too! Enjoy!
Roasted Red Pepper Pesto {recipe}
Serves 3-4
• Two red peppers
• Two cloves of garlic
• 1 red chilli
• A few walnut halves
• Juice of half a lemon
• A small handful of parmesan cheese
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt
1. Pop the peppers, garlic and chilli on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and bake in the oven at 150C for 30-40 minutes until slightly charred. Remove the skin and seeds from the peppers
2. Throw everything in a food processor and whiz until it has become a paste – you may need to add another tbsp of olive oil, just to loosen it up a bit.
Cost: If one is committed to being frugal it is possible to find peppers at an extremely reasonable price – two for 70p isn't that much of a stretch. As such, this very flavourful pesto can be made for around £1.30 – a most tempting price!


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Kids love to play with clay. It gives them the freedom to build anything they want, squash it and start all over again to make something new. Plus, they love the way cool, soft clay feels in their hands. They're allowed to get messy and let their imaginations soar.
In addition to being fun, there are several other benefits to clay-play as well, such as:
Kids can make a shape and continuously reshape the clay to their heart's content. They can create their favorite cartoon characters or pretend they own a bakery — there is no limit to what a child can imagine and create with polymer clay.
Our polymer clay is non-toxic and safe for children to use. However, we don't recommend polymer clay for children under age eight, because the clay can stain surfaces so tables and work areas should be protected at all times.
So, what exactly is polymer clay? It's basically a bendable plastic. More specifically, polymer clay is composed of polyvinyl chloride polymers, plasticizers and coloring agents. Our polymer clays can safely be baked in the oven between 250 and 285 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the product. None of our products contain wheat, gluten, dairy, sulfur or latex.
Our Sculpey brand products are approved by the Art and Creative Materials Institute, which ensures only the highest-quality materials are used. Our children's products also comply with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.
To ensure greater safety, we recommend:
Besides being non-toxic, polymer clay is great for kids because it's soft and easy to shape, and there are lots of bright, stimulating colors to choose from. Every child, no matter what their skill level is, can enjoy playing and exploring with polymer clay.
Polymer clay, in general, is an excellent toy for kids. However, some types of polymer clay are better for detailed work like jewelry-making, rather than play. Here are our recommendations for products that are the most kid-friendly, spark creativity and are more flexible for tiny fingers:
Once you've picked out clay, it's good to have a few tools handy to encourage creativity further. However, your child can be just as inventive with their own two hands, so tools might not be necessary. Here are a few suggestions:
Children can use pretty much anything to stamp clay with or to help them form or cut out shapes. However, we don't recommend sharp or metal tools without supervision because of safety risks.
There's no limit to polymer clay activities kids can engage in. You can join them in their fun, too, and help them try out new ideas. For example, you can work with your child to create an educational clay project, like a model of the solar system or one that explains different animal species. Or you can work on holiday-themed projects together, to help create a unique gifts for friends and family!
Want to preserve memories? You can create pieces that feature handprints or make picture frames. Anything you can think of, you and your child can make it a reality with polymer clay. Here are just a few kids' polymer clay ideas to help inspire fun clay creating with kids.
You can add sparkle, paint or other elements to projects, too. Some additional items you might use with polymer clay include:
With the right materials and a little bit of imagination, anything is possible with polymer clay.
Are you excited to play with clay? It's great for a child to explore clay possibilities on their own, but it's also important for kids to spend quality time with parents and other family members. Engaging in an activity with your child is important because:
Here are five polymer clay projects you and your child can do together. Kids may have so much fun with these projects, they might become clayers for life. Who knows — you might join them!
Kids will have a blast transferring their own hand-drawn images to clay and then turning them into magnets using Sculpey Bake Shop. They'll be amazed by the process, and they can create entire magnetic worlds and characters to play with. It's easy, and it makes hanging homework assignments on the fridge a lot more fun. This project is great for the classroom or at home. Here's what you'll need:
Here's what you'll do:
A Sculpey Keepsake Handprint Ornament is the perfect project for Mother's Day, Father's Day or any day of the year. A handprint ornament makes a wonderful gift, and it is also something your child can cherish for many years. All you need to get started is our Sculpey Keepsake Deluxe Handprint Kit. Once you have the kit, here is what you will do:
You can add all kinds of creative details when the ornament is finished baking and has cooled. For example, you can use acrylic paint to add more color or add glitter to make the ornament sparkle and shine.
Get your child excited to write with a pen that looks like an ice cream cone. Just try not to make it too realistic, or they might be tempted to take a bite.
An ice cream cone pen is fun, easy and turns an ordinary old pen into a sweet treasure. Kids will love to add their own "toppings" or use their favorite flavors.
If your child doesn't want an ice cream pen, that's no problem, either. Lightweight Pluffy makes it easy to turn a pen into anything your child wants, whether it be animal-shaped or decorated like a slice of pizza. With Pluffy, anything their heart desires is within their reach. Here's what you'll need to get started:
Here's what you and your child can work on together:
A Bake Shop Light Pencil Cup is super easy to make and is a great choice for the beginning clay-crafter. Kids can familiarize themselves with Bake Shop Light when they make this pencil cup. Once they realize how fun and easy polymer clay is to use, they'll want to move onto the next project. Maybe they'll want to make an ice cream cone pen next to go with their new colorful pencil cup. Just make sure you're around when it comes time to trim the clay with the craft knife. All you need to get started is:
Here's what you'll do:
Kids love special boxes to store their tiny treasures. Whether a child wants a box to hold jewelry or to hide magical stones they find on a nature hike, a box keeps beloved objects all in one place.
We are are going to show you how to make a Sculpey III Dino Treasure Keeper Box. This personalized box is perfect for both girls and boys who love dinosaurs and even features a window to peek in on the adorable clay dinosaur inside. You can easily customize the instructions to suit the tastes of your little clayer. If they wish to have a butterfly box instead, for example — no problem! Have fun, play around and enjoy this neat little treasure box. Here's what you'll need to get started:
Here's how to prepare the box:
Next, take these steps to make the dinosaur figure:
Now, prepare your child's name for the box and other decorations:
To make clouds for the box:
To make birds:
To make hills:
To make palm trees:
To make decorative leaves:
To make the volcano:
With all your pieces shaped and ready, it's time to create the clay scene for the outside of your box and get ready for baking. Here's how:
To finish the treasure box:
Before you get started on one of the above projects or any polymer clay crafts for kids, we suggest keeping the following tips in mind.
There are so many clay-making ideas out there that there are entire books written on the subject. Children love to play, explore and create their own masterpieces without instruction, too, and we highly encourage that.
If you're inspired by these clay ideas for kids and are wondering where to get Sculpey brand polymer clay, you've come to the right place. From Sculpey Original to Sculpey Pluffy, we have the polymer clay kits and products you need to get started.
For more than 50 years, Polyform Products Company has helped bring innovation and creation to homes and communities all over America, by delivering the latest and greatest Sculpey polymer clay products. We know our stuff and would love to answer any questions you have about polymer clay or Sculpey products.
We hope we inspired you and your child to jump into the world of polymer clay with kids' Sculpey projects. You'll create great memories together, build new skills and have lots of cool mementos as souvenirs of your polymer clay adventures.