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As you can imagine, it wasn't easy.
Negative reviews, untrue comments, and trolls are pushing their way to the top of search rankings so, when someone Googles you, they find all of these negative things said about you online that might be 100 percent false.
Cleaning up your online reputation is now a very real thing—and just one person, or one movie, can ruin for you fairly quickly.
The proper process goes a little like this.
Conduct an online audit
Likely you already know what's there, but it doesn't hurt to do a Google search, see what is being said, and where it lands in search results (second listing, first page or third listing, second page).
Do this both logged into your Google account and logged out (or you can open an incognito window in your browser without having to actually log out; do this in Chrome by going to "file" and then click on "new incognito window").
Logged-in results will show you what your friends, colleagues, peers, and clients will see, and incognito results will show how the rest of the world perceives your online reputation.
It's important to have both.
- Search Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
- Search the social networks.
- Search the review sites, such as Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Google Places.
- Search the Better Business Bureau and Ripoff Report.
- Search employee sites such as Glassdoor.
- Look at sites such as Spokeo that aggregate content from all over the web—including personal information such as a home address—to determine what is out there that you may not like.
Use terms such as "I hate COMPANY NAME" or "COMPANY NAME sucks."
Also, do searches on key employees or executives at your organization.
Create an online reputation strategy
Based on what you learn from the audit and what internal and external implementation resources are in place, put together the company's online reputation strategy—and make sure it's tied to your goals.
The very first thing you should do (if you haven't already) is set up Talkwalker alerts to let you know when someone says something about you online—positive, neutral, or negative.
Then write down what it is you're trying to accomplish (push one review from the first page to the second or fill the first page of search results with positive information about your organization) and get to work.
Create a clean-up list
With the online reputation audit complete and your strategy in place, now comes the clean-up.
As you create the list, read the reviews, read the comments on blogs and in discussion forums, and read all other negative things people are saying about you.
Aggregate all of that information into one place to help you decide if your products need to be tweaked, your customer service needs to be enhanced, or your operations need some work, particularly if there are negative comments about the same things over and over again.
More often than not, people just want you to respond to them. They want to be heard. When they post something and it goes unanswered, their fire is fueled.
As you create the list of things that need to be cleaned up, make a list of sites where your team should respond to complaints.
You will want to create some pre-approved messages for your team to use when responding—such as, "I am so sorry to hear about your troubles with our company. If you'll privately send me your phone number or email address, I'll be glad to help you offline."
What this does is show anyone else who reads the complaints that you are responsive, but takes the conversation offline where you can be helpful.
In the best cases, the person will go back to the site after you've helped them and post how grateful they are for your help.
Assign a person or a team to do the work
They will need usernames and passwords, branding guidelines, sign-off on copy/images, and the power to make changes without a laborious approval process.
The one thing you should think about when you assign a team to do the work, particularly for those who are responding to customer complaints, is that these people are representing your organization in a very public forum.
Just like you'd only send experienced people out to meet with high-profile clients or to close a big sales deal, you want your clean-up representatives to have enough business experience to make informed decisions.
That's not to say an intern or a young professional who has great social media expertise can't help—they can.
You just want those people to be supervised by someone who has the expertise to make the right decisions devoid of emotion and defensiveness.
Begin the clean-up
Some of this is painful because you'll need to work with the social networks' customer service departments to reset login data, delete a profile, or take down an untrue review.
This could take weeks.
According to the social networks, you are guilty until proven innocent. They assume you'll say and do anything to take down negative reviews…especially if they are true. You have the burden of proof on you and they'll make you jump through a gazillion hoops to make sure you're telling the truth.
Be patient. Follow the messaging outlined above. Create compelling content that is written both for humans and robots. The negative reviews will move.
Build your online reputation through social media
There was a time when social media didn't make sense for every organization. Now, though, it is the best and most efficient way to connect with your customers and prospects.
There is one social network every organization should be on, no matter what you sell: Google+.
Not only does Google rank you higher if you use their social network to promote your content, it helps to push down the negative content if it has been shared on Google+.
Google also now allows you to connect your social networks to your analytics so you can see not only the biggest drivers of traffic to your site, but what keywords they used to find you, what conversations (or pictures, or links) drove them to you, and what they did once they arrived.
Content is prince
Like McGinnis, you may find a fictional character has your name. Or you may find untrue reviews, blog posts, or stories.
But many of you will have negative reviews that are, unfortunately, true.
The very best way to manage these is to create content that is interesting and valuable, and something people want to share.
You cannot delete the negative information. The best you can do is push it off of page one results.
Implement the strategy
Once you've cleaned up the organization's online reputation and figured out how you're going to use content to build a strong reputation, it's time to put your strategy into action.
You're about to become transparent.
In the past, we had the perception that we are in control of our reputation even with an issue or crisis.
The curtain has been pulled back now, and the only way to participate in the conversation is by being transparent: You're opening yourself up to criticism and feedback.
- Allow employees to talk about your products or services publicly.
- Establish a one-to-one communication channel where customers can engage and converse with you in real time every day.
- Proactively ask for feedback.
- Don't hide criticism: Address it publicly.
Once you've decided to be transparent, honest, authentic, and human in your online conversations, the content, brand ambassadors, influencer marketing, customer reviews, and a solid product or service will help you cross the marathon finish line.
Warren Buffett famously said: If you lose money for the firm, I will understand. If you lose reputation, I will be ruthless.
An organization's online reputation, today, is only as good as its search results.
This is an excerpt from the newly released "Spin Sucks" by Gini Dietrich, founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, Inc. She also blogs at Spin Sucks, where a version of this article originally appeared.


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Wysong Anergen Lamb and Rice Dry Dog and Cat Food
Anergen™ is a healthy alternative to the nutrient scarce diets often fed to companion animals with allergy problems, and has served as a nutritional lifeline to thousands of pets unable to consume traditional pet foods.
Anergen™ is a food which does not contain many of the allergy-causing protein sources and ingredients in other pet foods, but is equally nutritious with non-allergenic high quality protein sources and whole ingredients.
Anergen™ contains no beef, poultry, beef by-products, dairy or wheat products.
IngredientsLamb Meal, Fish Meal, Peas, Brown Rice, Sweet Potatoes, Flaxseeds, Soybean Oil, Beet Pulp, Eggs, Montmorillonite Clay, Crab Meal, Coconut
Oil, Whey, Salt, Rice Bran Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Tomato Pomace, Calcium Propionate, Taurine, Organic Barley Grass Powder, Blueberry, Kelp, Yogurt, Citric
Acid, Apple Pectin, Fish Oil, Yeast Extract, Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract, Chicory Root, Hemicellulose Extract, Yeast Culture, Carrots, Celery, Beets,
Parsley, Lettuce, Watercress, Spinach, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper
Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Vitamins (Ascorbic Acid [source of Vitamin C], Niacin Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin
A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3
Supplement, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex [source of Vitamin K activity]), Dried Bacillus licheniformis Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus
oryzae Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus niger Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei
Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation
Product, Dried Lactobacillus lactis Fermentation Product, Pepper.
Guaranteed Analysis
|Guaranteed Units
|Crude Protein
|28.0% min
|Crude Fat
|12.0% min
|Crude Fiber
|5.0% max
|10.0% max
|Omega-3 Fatty Acids
|1.4% min
|Omega-6 Fatty Acids
|2.2% min
Choose options

subset: commoncrawl


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Dr. Donald D. Hensrud is chair of the Division of Preventive, Occupational and Aerospace Medicine with a joint appointment in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, & Nutrition at Mayo Clinic. He is an associate professor of preventive medicine and nutrition at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Dr. Hensrud directed the Executive Health Program at Mayo Clinic for more than 10 years.
He received his B.S. from the University of North Dakota, M.D. from the University of Hawaii, M.P.H. from the University of Minnesota and M.S. in nutrition sciences from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He completed residency training in internal medicine and fellowship training in preventive medicine at Mayo Clinic and completed a clinical nutrition fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Dr. Hensrud is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Preventive Medicine and the American Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists, of which he is a past president.
His career interests have combined nutrition, weight management, and prevention. He is the author of many scientific articles and book chapters and was editor of Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for EveryBody; The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook, which won a 2005 James Beard Foundation award; The Mayo Clinic Plan: 10 Essential Steps to a Better Body & Healthier Life; and The Mayo Clinic Diet, published in January 2010.
Dr. Hensrud says healthy lifestyle habits in diet and physical activity are extremely important as evidenced by a large body of scientific evidence. He also says implementing these lifestyle habits is realistic, sustainable and enjoyable. A primary goal of his work is to help people achieve this.
Original article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/expert-biographies/donald-hensrud-m-d/bio-20025126
Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below.
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization and proceeds from Web advertising help support our mission. Mayo Clinic does not endorse any of the third party products and services advertised.
A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.org," "Mayo Clinic Healthy Living," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.


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Dexter Real Estate
Located about 8 miles west of Ann Arbor, Dexter is a charming small town offering convenient access to the area's lakes and metroparks.
A city of about 4,000 located eight miles west of Ann Arbor; Dexter is the unofficial gateway to the area's lakes and metroparks. Dexter's restaurants and pubs are popular gathering points for those who've spent the day engaged in outdoor activity. Founded in 1824, Dexter is another of the county's villages with an agricultural heritage. Although a few farms remain today, most of Dexter's residents are professionals working in Dexter, Ann Arbor or the greater Detroit area.
Dexter features a thriving village center with a number of appealing shops, as well as a downtown park with a large gazebo that is a favorite spot after a visit to the Dairy Queen across the street. During the summer months, a variety of events occur downtown, highlighted in August by the much-anticipated Dexter Daze, which draws thousands of people from all over the county.
Dexter's housing stock is varied, with beautiful examples of Victorian architecture close in, and newer subdivisions around the edges.
Map & Points of Interest
3 bed
3 bath
2,840 sf
5 bed
5 bath
4,991 sf
6 bed
3 bath
7,640 sf
4 bed
3+ bath
2,924 sf
4 bed
3+ bath
3,365 sf
6 bed
5+ bath
3,171 sf
Map & Points of Interest
Select a Point of Interest and Distance from the search form.


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1965 Chevrolet C10 - Original Patina
Del Uschenko's '65 Chevrolet C10
Related Video
Del Uschenko has been building custom cars and trucks for a long time now, and most of them were built in Canada, where the rides come rusty from the factory. A while back, Del moved down to Southern California, where he and a few buddies started a business named Old Crow Speedshop, where they turn wrenches on a variety of different projects. Although he had some killer customs under his belt, Del wanted to build something different this time. Back in high school he owned an older C10 truck, and those fond memories prompted him to go after something with an original patina that didn't require hours of paint and bodywork to make it cool. That's when he found a dinged and faded '65 C10 on Craigslist, and after some cash was exchanged, he took it home and blew it all apart.
The plan was pretty simple, keep the truck looking exactly the way it was. Just bolt on some big wheels and dump it to the ground. This truck was going to be a full restoration for the chassis and engine, but everything else was status quo, dents and all. Even the giant mirror would stay bolted to the door, just to keep things as original as possible.
The truck was stripped down to the bare frame, and everything was prepared for a short build. The front crossmember was removed and replaced with a Porterbuilt Dropmember, which also brought a Unisteer rack-and-pinion to the table. Tubular Porterbuilt upper and lower control arms mated up to Slam Specialties airbags to drop the frame on the ground. Out back, Del decided to run a Porterbuilt Stage II rear drop kit, which incorporates a large C-notch and adjustable trailing arms with KYB shocks and Slam Specialties bags, bringing the rear down to match the front.
With the suspension worked out, now he needed to get the bags moving up and down. For that, he went with an Accuair kit with a touchpad interface. These kits are relatively new to the market, and they are designed so the user can push one of three buttons to lift or lower the vehicle to a preset height. The kit also comes with a valve manifold that makes installation easier as well. A pair of tanks were mounted to the rear of the bed, and then hidden underneath the raised bed floor made up of the original, partially rotted wood.
For wheels, Del wanted to have something old-school, but dug the big wheel look. To make that happen, he took a set of 22-inch Centerline Smoothies and masked off the polished lip to keep it shiny. Then he had the centers powdercoated charcoal gray by Pacific Coast Powder Coating. To make them look just right, he drilled and tapped holes in the wheel centers, then bolted on some GM hubcap clips so he could put on a set of 1956 Chevrolet hubbies.
Once the chassis was done, he ordered a crate motor from GM and dressed it up with a few goodies here and there to get it looking just right. After fabbing up a bracket for an engine driven compressor to fill the tanks, he bolted up a 700-R4 for cruising comfort. Del really wanted to do something different with the tranny shifter linkage because he's not a fan of column shifters, and he hates floor shifters even more. To remedy that, he ran the shift cable to a hole in the factory parking brake crank mounted to the steering column. Not only is it super stealthy, it's also pretty original.
From there, the truck was blown apart, everything was powdercoated or painted, and then reassembled so it was ready to cruise. It took just under three months to complete, and on its first adventure out into the world, it ended up at a pre-show party for the fall edition of the Goodguys show in Scottsdale, AZ. Del met a guy who dug the truck, and long story short, Del drove home with an empty trailer. Don't think that's going to slow him down though, because when he got home he started looking for another project to wrench on.
Not every project has to have full custom paint and a killer interior. In fact, Del's '65 shows that you can build a cool ride to enjoy and it doesn't matter how many dings or dents it may have. Here's to original patina. CT
Del Uschenko
Sunland, California
1965 Chevrolet C10
Frame: stock
Modifications: Porterbuilt rear bridge notch, frame and all suspension components powdercoated black
Rearend / Ratio: stock / stock w/ Posi
Rear Suspension: Porterbuilt frame notch, Porterbuilt adjustable trailing arms, KYB shocks, Slam Specialties airbags
Rear Brakes: factory GM drum
Front Suspension: Porterbuilt Dropmember, CPP modular spindles, Porterbuilt upper and lower control arms, KYB shocks, Slam Specialties airbags
Front Brakes: CPP disc brake kit
Front Wheels: 22x9 Centerline Smoothies, tapped for 1956 Chevrolet hubcaps and clips
Rear Wheels: 22x9 Centerline Smoothies, tapped for 1956 Chevrolet hubcaps and clips
Front Tires: 265/35ZR22 Decenti
Rear Tires: 265/35ZR22 Decenti
Gas Tank: Brothers Trucks rear-mount gas tank
Engine: crate Chevrolet small-block 350
Heads: stock
Valve Covers: 283 Chevrolet script
Manifold / Induction: Weiand / Edelbrock 650-cfm
Ignition: HEI distributor, Taylor ignition wires
Headers: Hooker block huggers
Exhaust / Mufflers: 2.5-inch tubing w/ crossover pipe / Hushpower stainless-steel
Transmission: '91 GM 700-R4
Modifications: 2,200-stall converter
Style: Chevrolet C10 Fleetside shortbed
Fenders Front: stock
Hood: stock w/ Porterbuilt hood hinges
Grille: aluminum
Bed: raised bed floor, raised and sectioned fenders
Bodywork / Paint: original GM
Paint Type / Color: factory GM / Fawn with white insert
Headlights / Taillights: stock
Bumpers: Brothers Trucks front and rear
Dashboard: stock
Gauges: Auto Meter water temp, voltmeter, oil pressure; stock GM cluster
Air Conditioning: n/a
Stereo: stock
Steering Wheel: stock
Steering Column: stock column with shaved column shifter, modified emergency brake handle to act as the transmission shifter
Seats: stock bench
Upholstery By: GM
Material / Color: GM / Fawn
Carpet: black rubber
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A security breach in the Playstation Network by still unidentified hackers resulted in stolen personal information, Sony confirmed today.
Sony says while personal information was likely stolen they don't believe credit card numbers were and that they hope to have the Playstation Network service back up within a week.
The news comes more than nine days after the intrusion and six days after Sony shut down both the Playstation Network and Qriocity services in reaction to the breach. Sony says they've hired a "recognized security firm" to conduct a complete investigation into what happened and have taken steps to enhance security and strengthen network infrastructure.
"We have discovered that between April 17 and April 19, 2011, certain PlayStation Network and Qriocity service user account information was compromised in connection with an illegal and unauthorized intrusion into our network," Patrick Seybold, senior director of corporate communications for Sony Computer Entertainment of America, wrote on the official Playstation Blog today.
Among the possible information stolen:
- Name
- Address (city, state, zip)
- Country
- Email address
- Birthdate
- PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login and handle/PSN online ID.
"While there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken," writes Seybold, "we cannot rule out the possibility."
"If you have provided your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity, out of an abundance of caution we are advising you that your credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may have been obtained," Seybold continues.
Sony is encouraging users to be especially aware of potential phishing scams from people using email, phone calls and mail to try and extract more personal or sensitive information from you. Sony also is strongly recommending that you change you password once you're able to log back into the Playstation Network.
"To protect against possible identity theft or other financial loss, we encourage you to remain vigilant, to review your account statements and to monitor your credit reports," Seybold wrote
"We thank you for your patience as we complete our investigation of this incident, and we regret any inconvenience. Our teams are working around the clock on this, and services will be restored as soon as possible. Sony takes information protection very seriously and will continue to work to ensure that additional measures are taken to protect personally identifiable information. Providing quality and secure entertainment services to our customers is our utmost priority. Please contact us at 1-800-345-7669 should you have any additional questions."
Update on PlayStation Network and Qriocity [Playstation.com]
See Also
Despite Reports, No Arrest Yet in Playstation Network Outage
No arrests have been made connected to the Playstation outage, Kotaku has confirmed, despite a story making the rounds that claims FBI and others have issues warrants and made arrests.
Speaking to the FBI this morning, Kotaku confirmed there have been no arrests in the U.S.
The story, which seemed... More »
Sony Says It Didn't Know Severity Of PS3 Breach Until Monday
While Sony discovered that hackers had broken into their Playstation Network on April 19, it wasn't until nearly a week later that the company understood the full scope of the breach, a Sony official tells Kotaku.
The company learned that customer data was stolen on Monday, only after an outside... More »
U.S. Senator Demands Answers From Sony Over PlayStation Network Data Breach
United States senator Richard Blumenthal is hopping mad-or in his words, "troubled"-by the lack of clear and timely communication from Sony over last week's PlayStation Network "intrusion." And he's got the sternly worded letter to prove it.
The attack on Sony's PlayStation Network and... More »
Everything You Need To Know About The PlayStation Network Outage
It has been almost a week since Playstation Network went offline because of an external intrusion.
Since Sony's still relatively quiet on the details of what happened and how it will impact us. More »
PlayStation Network Shoplifting May Have Taken PS3 Offline & Other Less Believable Theories
Why is the PlayStation Network still offline? Sony Computer Entertainment America will only cop to an unnervingly vague "external intrusion on our system," leading those affected by and those taking delight in PSN's problems to generate their own theories about the disruption that's now six days... More »
Sony Doesn't Know Yet If Your Credit Card Number Was Stolen
Sony has not yet determined if the personal information or credit card numbers of users on the still-offline Playstation Network have been stolen, according to a Sony spokesman.
Sony Computer Entertainment is conducting "thorough investigation" into the outage, Satoshi Fukuoka, a spokesman for Sony... More »


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Tag: Top Low Residue Diet Foods
Low Residue Diet Foods
By Diet Master on December 4, 2019 in Diet Food Menu Review, Diet Weight Loss Program Reviews, Health Diet Review with 0 Comments
Low residue diet foods can be easily found when you are looking for them. Because less than 10g to 15g of fiber daily will always be contained in the typical low-residue diet. Making your body work harder during the digestive process, leaving more residue with this kind of high fiber food. Of course, when we […]


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Paradise Lost: A Poem in Twelve Books
J.M. Dent, 1903 - Fall of man - 372 pages
Selected pages
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Adam Angels appeared arms beast behold bliss bounds bright bring called cloud created creatures dark death deep delight divine doubt dread dwell Earth equal eternal evil eyes fair faith fall Father fear fell field fire flowers force formed fruit glory gods grace hand happy hast hath head heard heart Heaven Heavenly Hell hill hope King land leave less light live look lost mind morn move Nature night once pain Paradise passed peace perhaps raised reason receive reign rest rise round Satan seat seek seemed Serpent shape side sight sons soon sound spake Spirits stand stars stood sweet taste thee thence things thou thoughts throne till tree turned voice wandering wide winds wings World worse
Popular passages
Page 6 - Fast by the oracle of God, I thence Invoke thy aid to my adventrous song, That with no middle flight intends to soar Above the Aonian mount, while it pursues Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme. And chiefly thou, O Spirit, that dost prefer Before all temples the upright heart and
Page 312 - lost Some natural tears they dropped, but wiped them soon ; The world was all before them, where to choose Their place of rest, and Providence their guide. They, hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow, Through Eden took their solitary way. THE END OF
Page 66 - Not equal, as their sex not equal seemed ; For contemplation he and valour formed, For softness she and sweet attractive grace ; He for God only, she for God in him. His fair large front and eye sublime declared Absolute rule ; and hyacinthine locks Round from his parted forelock manly hung Clustering, but
Page 27 - In bigness to surpass Earth's giant sons, Now less than smallest dwarfs, in narrow room Throng numberless—like that pygmean race 780 Beyond the Indian mount ; or faery elves, Whose midnight revels, by a forest-side Or fountain, some belated peasant sees, Or dreams he sees, while overhead the Moon Sits arbitress, and nearer to the Earth
Page 6 - pregnant : what in me is dark Illumine, what is low raise and support ; That, to the highth of this great argument, I may assert Eternal Providence, And justify the ways of God to men. Say first—for Heaven hides nothing from
Page 64 - Flowers worthy of Paradise, which not nice Art In beds and curious knots, but Nature boon Poured forth profuse on hill, and dale, and plain, Both where the morning sun first warmly smote The open field, and where the unpierced shade Imbrowned the noontide bowers. Thus was A happy
Page 3-15 - Their own revolt, not I. If I foreknew, Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault, Which had no less proved certain .unforeknown. So without least impulse or shadow of fate, 120 Or aught by me immutably foreseen, They trespass, authors to themselves in all, Both what they judge and what they choose ; for
Page 3-15 - So much the rather thou, Celestial Light, Shine inward, and the mind through all her Irradiate ; there plant eyes ; all mist from thence Purge and disperse, that I may see and tell Of things invisible to mortal sight. powers
Page 159 - Again God said, " Let there be firmament Amid the waters, and let it divide The waters from the waters ! " And God made The firmament, expanse of liquid, pure, Transparent, elemental air diffused In circuit to the uttermost convex
Page 121 - maintained 30 Against revolted multitudes the cause Of truth, in word mightier than they in arms, And for the testimony of truth hast borne Universal reproach, far worse to bear Than violence ; for this was all thy care— To stand approved in sight of God, though worlds Judged thee perverse. The easier conquest now


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WASHINGTON – More than half a million toys including key chains, Winnie the Pooh bookmarks and Baby Einstein color blocks are being recalled because of excessive lead levels, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday.
Among the recalled toys, all made in China, were key chains with words like "truth" or "believe" engraved on them that have "high levels" of lead, the commission said in a statement.
Dollar General Merchandising Inc (DG) sold 192,000 of the key chains for $1, the CPSC said.
Lead is toxic in large amounts. A 4-year-old Minneapolis boy died of lead poisoning in 2006 when he swallowed a small charm. In smaller amounts, lead can cause developmental delays and behavioral problems.
This latest round of recalls follows a summer in which millions of toys from Mattel Inc (MAT), RC2 Corp (RCRC) and others were pulled from shelves worldwide due to lead paint.
The latest recalls were announced as the acting head of the CPSC, Nancy Nord, was to testify at a Senate subcommittee hearing on a bill to reform the agency and require it to take tougher measures to protect children.
The recall also affects about 35,000 Baby Einstein Discover and Play Color Blocks, which had excessive lead in the paint.
Also recalled were about 150,000 journals, bookmarks and bracelets made by Antioch Publishing. The bracelets contain high levels of lead, while the paint used on the journal bindings and bookmark clips has excessive lead.
There was also lead in the paint on portions of 79,000 Pirates of the Caribbean Medallion Squeeze Lights imported by Energizer Holdings' Eveready Battery Co. and 63,000 plastic Frankenstein tumblers sold by Dollar General.
Paint on mirrors in about 15,000 children's room decorating sets made by CKI Toys had excessive levels of lead, as did wooden alphabet and math block wagons sold by KB Toys Inc, the safety commission said.


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NASA: How the Sun Caused An Aurora This Week
By NASA.gov // August 21, 2014
auroral display caused by coronal mass ejection
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — On the evening of Aug. 20, 2014, the International Space Station was flying past North America when it flew over the dazzling, green blue lights of an aurora.
On board, astronaut Reid Wiseman captured this image of the aurora, seen from above.
This auroral display was due to a giant cloud of gas from the sun – a coronal mass ejection or CME – that collided with Earth's magnetic fields on Aug. 19, 2014, at 1:57 a.m.
This event set off, as it often does, what's called a geomagnetic storm. This is a kind of space weather event where the magnetic fields surrounding Earth compress and release.
This oscillation is much like a spring moving back and forth, but unlike a spring, moving magnetic fields cause an unstable environment, setting charged particles moving and initiating electric currents.
The geomagnetic storm passed within 24 hours or so but, while it was ongoing, the solar particles and magnetic fields caused the release of particles already trapped near Earth. These, in turn, triggered reactions in the upper atmosphere in which oxygen and nitrogen molecules released photons of light.
The result: an aurora, and a special sight for the astronauts on board the space station.


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The "smartphone market" isn't growing. Average phone prices are declining. And brash smartphone startups are going out of business. That's the good news.
Mary Meeker released her well-regarded Internet Trends Report this week. She said smartphone market shipments grew by zero percent, the first time since smartphones existed that the market didn't grow.
And IDC says the smartphone market will remain sluggish into the foreseeable future. Some smartphone hopefuls have even had their hopes dashed in what has become a brutal and unforgiving smartphone market. Android creator Andy Rubin's Essential Products is getting out of the smartphone business. Up-and-coming smartphone maker Maze Mobile has put its website up for sale. (Never a good sign.)
What's going on?
1. China caught up
The smartphone industry got used to high growth, year after year. This was the result in part of China, the world's largest phone market, making a late and aggressive transition from feature phones to smartphones.
Let's look at the numbers.
IDC says global shipments (handset units) declined 2.9% in the first quarter.
Gartner said smartphone sales (money, not unit shipments) experienced growth in Q1, albeit a small 1.3% increase over the same quarter last year.
Because low-end, low-cost smartphones have gotten better, demand for sub-$150 phones rose, according to Gartner.
Apple sales grew by around 4% (thanks in part to its super-expensive iPhone X).
Short Details
The biggest reason for the overall worldwide slump is lower sales in China. Fewer than 100 million smartphones were sold there during the first quarter for the first time in five years, according to IDC.
That means the success of Chinese smartphone makers in Q1 depended entirely on what percentage of their sales were exports versus Chinese domestic sales.
Huawei held on to its No. 3 spot (after Samsung and Apple), but grew an impressive 18.3% during the quarter, according to Gartner. Huawei is a big seller in Europe, and the company reached a global market share of 11.8%, according to IDC.
Xiaomi was the biggest gainer. The company grew a whopping 124% during the same quarter worldwide, and an incredible 330% in the Asia/Pacific region. Xiaomi is a leading smartphone seller in India and Southeast Asia.
Samsung is still No. 1 — and still declining, having won 23.4% of the market in Q1, which is a drop of 2.4 percentage points from the same quarter the previous year, according to IDC.
Apple remains No. 2, posting a small gain in unit sales of 2.8% in Q1.
When you oversimplify the global market picture, you see Apple rising slowly, and the biggest Chinese companies rising at the expense of Samsung.
Outside of China and Europe, the smartphone market is doing OK. But the biggest factor in the global halt to growth is a decline in China. In general, most of the people who are going to get a smartphone in China already got one.
[ Further Read : Mobiles's market returns to growth in 2018 ]
2. Low-end phones are getting high-end features; high-end phones are getting higher prices
In general, smartphone users are getting better phones at lower prices, except for the high end, where they're getting better phones at higher prices.
IDC says that while buyers are upgrading to better phones, fewer are entering the smartphone world for the first time either as first-phone buyers or users upgrading from feature phones to smartphones.
However, the latest flagship phones from Apple, Samsung and Huawei broke records for high prices, and some analysts are saying that it's these prices that are pushing buyers away from the flagship phones. (This may not be the case for Apple, which announced that its flagship iPhone X was the top-selling iPhone every week during the entire quarter. Apple lives in its own universe.)
My opinion
I disagree with those analysts' conclusion, for the most part. Reason suggests that if the better features were worth all that money, consumers would be happy to pay the premium. The reality is that the flagship features are a little better, while the price for those features is a lot higher.
Despite higher prices for the flagships, the average price of smartphones declined.
It's clear to buyers that value exists in the midrange and low end, but not in the flagship stratosphere.
Savvy buyers know you can get a phone with 90% of the features at half the price. So that's where the gravitational pull in the market is.
Another telling data point is the increasing popularity of refurbished phones, a trend that's expected to continue. IDC says the used smartphone market will hit $52.7 billion in the next five years.
The bottom line is that only a tiny number of superfans are willing to pay the $1,000 and more that major phone makers are charging for their flagship phones.
The majority of buyers are suffering from "flagship fatigue" — a loss of enthusiasm for always buying a company's best and most expensive phone — and are instead seeking out great phones at discount prices.
3. We're reaching 'peak smartphone'
The ugly reality is that smartphones aren't all that interesting anymore.
Augmented and virtual reality are interesting. Artificial intelligence is interesting. Virtual assistants showing up everywhere is interesting.
Smartphones? Not as interesting anymore.
There are many shiny objects out there to get giddy about, and smartphones are not among them.
And that's the good news for Smartphone Market
The trends of market saturation in China, flagship fatigue, the popularity of midrange phones and the embrace of refurbished devices all point to a healthy peaking of the incredible smartphone phenomenon.
This is not the end, though. Incredible things are coming to a pocket near you.
I'm predicting a resurgence of smartphone excitement because of a number of upcoming trends.
5G, which will slowly roll out over the next few years, will radically alter how smartphones look and work and how we use them. They could increase download speeds by 100 times. But there's a catch. 5G signals are easy to interfere with. Simply holding your phone wrong can kill performance. So smartphones may have a small antenna in the future — more of a fin or ridge than a pull-out wire.
Fin or no fin, smartphones will soon become blisteringly fast, which will make using them super-enjoyable and will enable unexpected new features.
Also: Smartphones will serve as the central hub for emerging revolutions in virtual assistant technology, smart glasses and other wearables, augmented reality — and all these trends will be accelerated and magnified by artificial intelligence.
In other words, the supertrend is that smartphones will become more useful even as they become much cheaper, and they will be enhanced primarily by external technologies.
Today's flagship phones, with their high prices and extreme features, are the last gasp of an industry desperate to make smartphones the only tech that matters.
Soon, those days will be gone. We'll continue to need smartphones. But they'll inevitably enter a commodity phase where the real differentiation takes place in the cloud, in our wearables, on our virtual assistant appliances and elsewhere.
[ Related : Global phone's market share 2018 ]
Note that in all the doom and gloom about the smartphone market, nobody is saying they're not getting better and more powerful. In fact, the opposite is happening. They're getting ever more powerful and capable even as interest wanes.
So the news is bad only for some smartphone makers. For smartphone buyers, the news is all good. We're getting better phones at lower prices, and a whole lot of external value to go with them.
So don't shed a tear for the smartphone companies struggling in an increasingly brutal market. Instead, celebrate the coming boon to business, to productivity and to human enhancement that more powerful, less expensive smartphones will bring to the world.
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text: How much is it worth to you to cut in line at the airport? You can find out this summer, as several airlines have begun charging passengers a fee (between $10 and $30, depending on the airline) for the privilege of being first in line to board, ahead of that family of four with seven carry-ons. It's just the latest in the airlines' long campaign to boost their bottom line by quietly upping fees, cutting back on services and finding new ways of charging customers for things they used to get for free. Indeed, ever since the 1978 deregulation of the airline industry, the history of air travel has been one long, painful chronicle of nickel-and-diming the consumer to distraction. Here's a brief history, in 20 chapters.


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Microsoft has made its Live Encoding service generally available as part of a slew of updates announced Thursday for the Azure Media Services suite.
Live Encoding is a powerful service that lets broadcasters send one video stream to Microsoft's cloud and get it encoded there into an adaptive bitrate stream that can be sent to different types of devices. That means a video producer can send a single high-quality stream to the cloud that can then be streamed in lower quality to people on slower connections.
It's a tool that has already been used by partners like NBC in high-pressure situations including streaming video from the 2014 Winter Olympics. Microsoft has the potential to draw in both large companies with massive streaming loads and smaller operations that handle far less than an Olympics worth of video.
Media companies that want to quickly take footage from a live stream and turn it into on-demand video can use Azure's Media Encoder Standard service to extract smaller clips from an ongoing live stream.
The updates also include Google's Widevine Modular DRM technology, in addition to the AES 128-bit clear key encryption and Microsoft's PlayReady DRM that Azure Media Services already had. The new feature means the service now allows for playback of files encrypted using Google's DRM in Chrome on desktop computers (including Macs) and Android devices.
It's all part of Microsoft's push to make its cloud platform appealing to companies that want to broadcast video over the Web but don't want to build their own infrastructure to do so. Meanwhile, Amazon announced last week that it will acquire Elemental Technologies to boost the video capabilities of its cloud platform.


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Sony PlayStation Network users are reporting fraud on their credit cards — everything from a flight booked in Germany to purchases in Japanese grocery stores.
On Thursday, a security firm reported hackers are offering for sale what they claim are stolen PSN credit card details, despite the fact Sony is adamant that the data was encrypted and is therefore unusable. Sony also said there's "no evidence that credit card data was taken."
Meanwhile, Congress has gotten involved, with the House Committee on Energy and Commerce sending a list of questions to Sony chairman Kazuo Hirai (PDF link to the letter), and demanding answers by May 6. Additionally, the NextGov website claims the Homeland Security Department is helping Sony with its investigation.
It's hard to argue the credit card frauds are anything other than coincidental. PSN boasts 77 million users worldwide and not all of them will have registered card details on the free service. However, to give an idea of scale, 77 million people is more than the population of France and Belgium combined, or a quarter of the population of the United States.
In other words, a significant percentage of PSN users are likely to be hit by fraud every day via unrelated causes, and it's easy to pin the blame on Sony.
Although it's said that only 2.2 million card details are on sale, there is no indication which of the 77 million users would be affected. Therefore any PSN user who handed over credit card details is probably feeling a little twitchy.
A user with a credit card that's only been used for PSN transactions could provide more rigorous proof, and Ars Technica claims to have found such an individual. One of its readers has an American Express card that "sits in a drawer in my house for emergencies," but which he used to sign up to PSN. It was compromised last weekend, the reader claims, although in this case American Express spotted the fraudulent transactions.
The big question is whether hackers were unable to decrypt the credit card details. If they had full access to the software that runs PSN, then it's possible that they could have used the same mechanism that's ordinarily used to decrypt the card details. Alternatively, the encryption might be weak and easily cracked.
The second big issue relates to whether the hackers have the all-important CVV code that's required to make Internet transactions. Sony initially claimed in its FAQ that it never requests the codes but has since amended the answer to say that it does ask for the codes but they aren't stored in their database.
However, we don't yet know how long the hackers had control of the network. It's possible they could have eavesdropped on transactions while the network was up and running, and gathered the CVS codes and even credit card details themselves. That could explain why only a small number of credit card details are being offered for sale.
Whatever the case, every PSN user should be contacting their credit card company to ask what to do, with the best plan being to ask for a new card.
For more information on the outage, check out PC World's PlayStation Network Hack Timeline. See also "PlayStation Network Security Breach: A Survival Guide."


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Chamtrul Rinpoche Lobsang Gyatso is the recognized reincarnation of the second Chamtrul Rinpoche, Pema Nangsel Dorje, who was one of the heads of the Mardo Tashi Choeling Monastery in Tibet and the holy incarnation of the Kathok Chamtrul Kunzig Dorje.
At fourteen, Chamtrul Rinpoche entered his monastery to study with his first Root Guru, the Dzogchen Master Naljor Yeshe Wangchuk. Under this great master he studied the Preliminary Practices (Ngondro), Heat Yoga, Great Perfection Teachings and more, and completed the Ngondro accumulation three consecutive times.
Rinpoche then joined the Shedra program of philosophical studies, first at the Great Kathok Monastery, and then at Sertha Larung, a highly renowned Buddhist Institute that at its peak could hold around 10,000 students. After many years of rigorous studies of the Five Sciences curriculum under the supervision of his main Root Guru, H.H. Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche, he gained a vast and profound knowledge of the Sutra and Tantra and was conferred the title 'Khenpo' - an equivalent of 'Doctor in Buddhist Philosophy'. Rinpoche again received this title from Kathok Monastery, where he was also honored with the traditional Pandita hat of the Khenpos. Apart from that, Rinpoche received all the cycles of teachings, empowerments and transmissions from more than twenty five different qualified masters and scholars from India and Tibet.
Having completed his studies, Rinpoche returned to his own monastery, opened a Shedra, and stayed there for many years to teach the monks. Since 1996, Chamtrul Rinpoche has been teaching in numerous Buddhist institutes in India and across the Globe. Rinpoche regularly taught at the ZKL Nyingma Monastery in Dharamsala for around 10 years. Today Rinpoche teaches at the Bodhicitta Dharma Centre which has more than 4000 registered members from over 100 different countries. Following invitations from students worldwide, Rinpoche yearly travels to bestow teachings, empowerments, transmissions and lectures in places such as the United States, Europe, South Africa, Israel and most of Asia. His range of subjects includes the Ngondro, Tantric generation and completion stage practices as well as basic Buddhist Sutric and Tantric Philosophy, depending on the students' interests and capacities.
Always ready to give Dharma teachings wherever they are needed, Rinpoche dedicates his life to help people find inner peace. Through his invaluable knowledge and practical advice, Rinpoche compassionately guides his students toward ultimate peace and happiness. In his own words: "Without discriminating against anybody based on their gender, race, creed and so forth, I wish them to enjoy excellent peace and harmony. I try to the best of my ability to promote the view, meditation and conduct of non-violence, which is the indispensable source for the spread and enhancement of the inner peace of mind."
Click HERE for Chamtrul Rinpoche's Teaching Schedule


text: Apartment in Napoli Project details KITCHEN MODEL Incontrada Ask for informations Fill out the form to get in touch with our Marchi Cucine experts who will guide you towards the realization of your project. Complete the calculation: 5+60=? I have read the privacy policy and consent to the storage of my data in your records in accordance with the European Data Protection Regulation No. 67912016, GDPR. (Read the Policy) Find your next kitchen Start your project now Take two minutes to take this short survey and in few steps we will be able to identify, the kitchen that best suits your needs. Fill out the questionnaire and discover your next kitchen. Find your kitchen Related projects Some projects share the same peculiarity but each one has a detail that makes it unique. Discover other projects of the same style, signed Marchi Cucine. Apartment in Moscow Incontrada Villa in Tirol Incontrada


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ROSSBURG, Ohio – Ken Schrader has become the oldest pole winner in a NASCAR series when he turned the fastest lap for Wednesday night's Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway.
The 58-year-old Schrader had a lap of 91.329 mph on the half-mile dirt track. Dick Trickle was 57 years old when he won the pole for the June 1999 Nationwide Series race at Dover.
Schrader hadn't won a Truck Series pole since 2004 and a race since 1995. He's officially the pole winner, though he may not start first. There are five qualifying races and a last-chance race that will set the starting order.
The last time one of NASCAR's top touring series competed on dirt was Sept. 30, 1970, when Richard Petty won a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (called the Grand National Division at that time) race at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh.
The dirt drought ends at Tony Stewart-owned Eldora.


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Couple more items:
- Got the video from Deadspin
- Dan Shanoff has a few good points about the airing. In fact he live-blogged it, which I joked about doing to my roommates. He gets points there.
- His voice wasn't that bad as I remembered. It really has no barring on how I feel about him as a writer, but interesting that it didn't bother me this time (also I made the nasaly voice sexy, so I can't make too much fun).
- Here are few comments on the video from Deadspinners:
- gamenotes says:
That deer-in-the-headlights look on Simmons at the beginning: eerily similar to the Peyton Manning Face.
- wes mantooth says:
bill simmons wrote a book? he never mentioned this in his columns before, did he?
- thirdstringjd said… I've said it before and I'll say it again – for loyalists to Simmons from the Digital City Boston days he has become our Brett Favre.
Seriously I make apologies for him all the time but the truth of the matter is – he lost his fastball about 4 or 5 years ago and everytime I'm about to give up on him I remember the good old days and I keep crawling back for more.
Yep…..that about sums it up Third String JD.


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text: Artist: Devin the Dude Album: Just Tryna Live Song: Go Somewhere Typed by: firstname.lastname@example.com Intro: Shit, what you mean I had enough? Kinda shit is this? Verse One: I ain't as think as you drunk I am And I'ma still keep drinkin' and I wouldn't give a damn Now, do any beer want another body? I thought this was a motherfuckin' party? Wine, 12 ounces and 40s Y'all, let's put our ends together and call up Why the hell you got your forehead balled up? Boy you need to smile once in awhile it even uses less muscle Mad at the world when all you gots to do is just hustle But, for the time being Pitch in the hat Let's play Dominos, spades or somethin', where the bitches at? We got the weed? Fuck it I be the square roller Roll the bitch so big you swear I was a share holder Cause you see, weed and wine It ease my mind And if you ever feel like me sometimes You gots to Escape When you need a break You gotta get away Chorus: And just go somewhere Got to get the fuck away from here You need to go somewhere Get the fuck away from here Verse Two: I go out to the clubs I try to fit in The bouncer at the door think I gotta lie to get in "You Devin" "Who Devin?" Man you know I be rhymin' "You ain't no motherfuckin' rapper, where's you gold and your diamonds?" I'm just chillin' Me and my third leg is tryin' to kick it Stick it in ya gal Have her walkin' knock kneed and conflicted Yeah, my dick is Jimminy Cricket but it do make room I put it in her pussy, stir it like a Kool-Aid spoon Until it's sour About a half an hour, shower Take a shit and wipe my ass with your favorite bath towel Cause I was Just tryin' to have a good time But if you don't like my head and my shoes never mind A lady sitin' on a stool see me and screams, "Yeah he rap! He come here twice a week and rubs his nuts across my knee caps!" But they still at the door goin' through club house rules I'm havin' the odd ball blues Fuck it, I guess me and my shoes will just... Chorus Verse Three: I had nothing planned today, fuck I guess I'll stay home And get a whole day's rest and get my head in a zone But From out of nowhere Another argument You blamin' me, I'm blamin' you, don't know who started shit We squabble, now the Law's at my door cause I touched my wife But they didn't see her chasin' me with a butcher knife So I slide out the back door calmly Don't try to find me, cause ain't no tellin' where I'ma be But, I ain't gonna let you get the best of me baby I'm gonna go somewhere that's cool Cause this is not the way my head's supposed to be baby You got me feelin' like some silly fool Chorus


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The video-games-writin' set has an odd set of preoccupations, and many of them hinge on the question of legitimacy. The is-games-art debate, the Citizen Kane o' games question, they're all about the stature of games in the cultural marketplace, where they stand in the artistic pecking order. (Here's a hint: pretty fucking low. It's lonely at the bottom. Hence the contest between video game and comic book enthusiasts, the "Saddest Fight on the Internet.")
One of the major problems with this discourse is that the are-games-art conversation almost never goes anywhere. I'm not denying that some good work has been done in this line (N'Gai Croal's reply to Roger Ebert is maybe his finest piece), but I've never felt the conversation produces much. As soon as you pose the question the whole issue becomes a definitional wrangle over what art is; one party or another begins lobbing stipulations at the other and a substantive issue becomes a semantical one. Comment threads allover the internet are overstuffed with useless arguments of this very form.
The pervasive error here, which Wittgenstein warned against, is the presumption that there is one or more properties-- authorial intent, emotional depth etc.-- the possession of which unerringly discriminates art from nonart. The Philosophical Investigations (supposing you try to understand it, which I cannot in good conscience recommend), will disabuse you of this misguided idea that there's a criterion to be had when it comes to applying concepts like "art." There's a wealth of interesting historical and anthropological observations to be made about how we use the concept of art-- what it means for us to treat some portion of our culture the way we treat Pride and Prejudice, say-- but we're not going to unearth a metaphysical truth, an occult rule, that will magically decide the question for us.
Leigh Alexander, in partnership with games-crit mandarin Ian Bogsot, recently launched a salvo in a neighboring dispute, the Citizen Kane o' Games question. Their point is that we should put the whole issue to bed, as the dynamics of cultural legitimacy presupposed by the question are outdated and irrelevant in the new-media landscape. "we think that having a Citizen Kane will prove our artistic legitimacy," Bogost remarks, "but masterworks are not how artistic legitimacy is proven anymore." There's a lot of truth to this; the critical discourse on games, like all other cultural discourse, has become more and more fragmented and specialized since the advent of the internet. The scattered condition of our critical polis is ill-suited to king-making. Artistic legitimacy is a social phenomenon, something that we create ourselves-- a fiction, as Bogost says. It's necessarily bound to the forms of media that sustain and disseminate it.
The problem with all this is that we're asking the wrong question. The "are games art?" question is boring. The "will there be a Citizen Kane of games question?" is equally so. While we can make some more-or-less intelligent prognostications about the the new economics of cultural capital in the internet era, even this is a purely speculative.
The interesting question, to me, is what kind of art games are. That is, we should be asking ourselves what kind of formal dynamics and pleasures are inherent in the medium, and be able to identify when these formal capacities are used well. (This is another way of posing the question: how are games fun?)
And this is one area where thinking about what Citizen Kane achieved (rather than what it represents) is genuinely important. The reason that Kane has the kind of cachet it does is because it displayed such a consummate command of the formal capacities of cinema, as a medium. (I think Alexander and Bogost do Kane something of an injustice; the article reads as if its cultural status is an accident of history, and underplay the role of its superb artistry in its achievement of that status) It wrought a novel marriage of form and content by creating a visual language that complimented its thematic preoccupations.
There's a brilliant bit in Michael Chabon's Kavalier and Clay that captures this. They've just come from the movie, and Joe is trying to explain to Sammy that Welles' masterpiece holds the key to their own nascent, illegitimate medium:
It was that Citizen Kane represented, more than any other movie Joe had seen, the total blending of narration and image... Without the witty, potent dialogue and the puzzling shape of the story, the movie would have been merely an American version of the kind of brooding, shadow-filled Ufa-style expressionist stuff that Joe had grown up watching in Prague. Without the brooding shadows and bold adventuring of the camera, it would have been merely a clever movie about a rich bastard. It was much more, than any move really needed to be. In this one crucial regard-- its inextricable braiding of image and narrative-- Citizen Kane was like a comic book
Now, cinema is much more akin to comic books than games. Let's lay this aside. It's this braiding we should be thinking about. We should ask ourselves whether a game can achieve a relevantly similar kind of synthesis.
To tip my hand a bit, I think this would involve exploiting the fact that games are both rules and fiction, form and content. The game creates a certain space of possibilities for the player to inhabit and the fiction invests those choices with meaning. The genius of Bioshock, for instance, was the way that the game's upgrade-mechanics (acquiring ADAM, a scarce and morally hazardous resource) played off against its thematic concerns with the costs of untrammeled self-interest. It lost its way on this point, but Bioshock offers (along with Portal, and maybe Braid) something of genuine use: not a cultural monolith, but an example of what videogame art might look like.


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Kim Martin
Assigned to: Athlete Ambassador – Czech RepublicTeam Sweden – 2000-2011 (National Team) Medals won: Olympic Winter Games (2006 Silver, 2002 Bronze)…IIHF World Women's Championship (2007 Bronze, 2005 Bronze)…European Championship (2006 Gold, 2005 Gold)Awards: Best goalie at the Olympic 2006…Best goalie at the European Women's Champions Cup 2005/2006…Eurosport awards 2002 and 2006…Best female hockey player in Sweden 2003/2004Other Hockey Experience: Played for Tornado Moscow Region in 2011-12 and won the EWCC Championship…Played at University of Minnesota-Duluth 2006-2009 & 2010-11 and won NCAA Championship in 2008…SWISH Hockey School 2003-2010…Has played for 16 years to datePersonal Information: Recently graduated from University of Minnesota-Duluth and has returned home to Sweden to play for the 2012-13 season…Hometown Stockholm, SwedenWhy have you joined AMP? Because I like to try to help people/players to become better and share my experience with them. I love hockey and would like to keep being involved with hockey after the day I quit playing so this is a great opportunity for me.


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On another note, did you see this on the news the other night?
|Photo: Pinterest
|Photo: Pinterest
The Ides of March has been ingrained in our brains from high school and Julius Caesar. hahaah
So you are to write a bad ass sentence for your opener eh? Sounds fun. For all the blogging I have never considered myself a writer. Funny our impressions of ourselves.
good luck!!
Yes we saw this on the news. Even before then, we have been making plans for one of our own. It's a great concept.ReplyDelete
Dear Grace ~ How awful for a town to lose its library. But what a sweet, wonderful idea for those little libraries on the honor system.
I love that quote.
Before reading your post this morning, I read one by Robin of Beadlust. She's just sending off a book to be published. She wrote several posts about writing and this latest one was about self-publishing which I thought might interest and encourage you.
Love, hugs and best wishes to you,
Grace I love the quote. Good luck with the contest. Sounds fun!ReplyDelete
With all this rain I'm sitting here with my library books, not gardening, but Nordic Noir. So, lucky to have the Portland library...ReplyDelete
I like the little library in the photo, but how tragic for the library to lose funding.ReplyDelete
I did see that on the news a few nights ago about the library and the book boxes. People still like to read a real book. Have a nice day.ReplyDelete
Oh my gosh, I couldn't believe I was not following you already Grace, fixed that!! I love your blog and always love seeing you stop by PolkaDotGaloshes for a visit!! I'll see you around on pinterest too ;) Cheers Julia
ps, love that quote!
The little libraries are a wonderful idea. Could you imagine over the years they will expand by kind strangers leaving extra books in them....
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams


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Tuesday, December 29, 2009
What A Value
Taking a cue from this sweet blog post by my home slice, Nancy at A Musing Mother, I made a plan to let Bob do some of his own holiday shopping this year. I let him loose at the .99 Cent Store and he did the rest. The results were spectacular.
For Bajan (Bajan is short for "Grandma Jan," Jeff's mom):
ceramic sheep, chia pet-ish in style
foot long pink princess pen
"silver" chain with a pearl, rose and filigree circle pendant
(The necklace was very nearly a pair of yellow tie-dyed bikini panties but Bob had a change of heart.)
For Pops (Bajan's husband, Bob's grandpa):
blue ceramic box with dog figurine on lid, Bob instructed me to fill it with candy
"Pops likes dogs… and candy."
Mee Mee (My mom):
black gloves
lighthouse figurine with flashing light
2 pink, plastic Dora the Explorer cups
"For having drinks at her house."
Aunt Jen (Bob's Godmother):
jade plant
"Like in her backyard."
yellow ceramic cup
Virgin de Guadalupe coffee mug (Will look great on the shelf next to her menorah.)
Black gloves
Silly Putty
"You're good at making it into a ball and doing the bouncing."
heart on fire Jesus coffee mug (Jesus is one of our favorite Jews.)
And my favorite...
Rudy Guliani '08 for President bobble-head figurine
"Because it looks like daddy."
And it so does.
I can safely say our new holiday tradition will be repeated next year.
11 comments:
Can Bob shop for me next year? I didn't manage to find anything as fabulous as that bobnble head.ReplyDelete
What an awesome selection of presents. I think I may have to let my kids try it next year to see what they come up with.ReplyDelete
brillz brillz brilliant!ReplyDelete
That is such a great idea! I will have to remember this next year with my daughter. She has a wallet full of coins, and would just love this.ReplyDelete
I think Bob has a bright future as Paris Hilton's personal shopper.ReplyDelete
I also believe the same way that Bob has got a high potential in his talent area....really Awesome in many aspects...just feeling blessed to be here..ReplyDelete
Great info.I like all your post.I will keep visiting this blog very often.It is good to see you verbalise from the heart and your clarity on this important subject can be easily observed. Thanks againReplyDelete
Thesis writing involves several processes which makes the entirety of the experience both exciting and challenging. From choosing a researchable topic that has not been done by other students and eventually narrowing it down to become a uniquely original work to soliciting the help of a research supervisor and in embarking on data collection and writing the paper, these are some of the tasks that almost all undergraduate and graduate students working on a thesis consider as stressful. In spite of the many challenges that students have to put up with, undeniably, the thesis project is an important project-based and challenge-based educational experience that helps in building character and in preparing students for their chosen career. One particular skill that is indispensable and which perhaps is unknowingly cultivated among students as they work on a thesis is the ability to work with a group of superiors.ReplyDelete
Have you ever considered adding more videos to your blog posts to keep the readers more entertained? I mean I just read through the entire article of yours and it was quite good but since Im more of a visual learner,I found that to be more helpful well let me know how it turns out! I love what you guys are always up too. Such clever work and reporting! Keep up the great works guys Ive added you guys to my blogroll. This is a great article thanks for sharing this informative information.. I will visit your blog regularly for some latest post.ReplyDelete
too high, as for meReplyDelete


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Calling all first- through fifth-graders: Wilson First Baptist Church is pumped, excited and ecstatic to invite you to visit "Harbortown," its newest ministry designed just for young kids. This new youth program will take place on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m., beginning Sept. 11.
First- through fifth-graders are encouraged to come and hang out with the "cool" people of "Harbortown" who love wild games, great crafts, fun music and, best of all, really great stories. True stories! Stories of adventure, mystery, friendship, villains, heroes and love. "Harbortown" Program Director Tammy Rohring would be happy to provide more information. She can be reached at 716-940-6447. Also, a special "Harbortown" website has been set up to help families register at: http://www.wilsonfbc.org/harbortown.php.
So, bring the whole family out to Wilson FBC, 265 Pettit St., Wilson, at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 11 to see what it's all about.


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In issuing their findings, the researchers said their analysis indicates that "consumers may be misled by the promised healthfulness that the (Whole Grain Stamp) symbol implies."
But in a lengthy rebuttal on the organization's website (www.wholegrainscouncil.org), the WGC stressed the stamp is reliable and truthful.
"We believe so passionately in the reliability and value of the Whole Grain Stamp that we feel compelled to point out several issues with this study," the WGC said. "The Whole Grain Stamp reliably and truthfully labels products containing a significant amount of whole grain. When the Whole Grain Stamp was created in 2005, our intent was to promote truth in whole grain labeling and that is what we are still doing today. The stamp was designed to denote the whole grain content of products and nothing more, and it has always been represented as such.
"The Whole Grain Stamp has been the cornerstone of one of the most successful public health and food campaigns of our time. Consumption of whole grains rose 20% in the three years following the introduction of the stamp. This success came from the combination of a new 'rule' (2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines urging Americans to 'make at least half your grains whole') and a new 'tool' (The Whole Grain Stamp). Other foods recommended in the Dietary Guidelines did not show the same success."
The WGC pointed to several inaccuracies in the study, including the fact the study's definition of a "whole grain ingredient" was based on an outdated and inaccurate list of 29 ingredients (including bran, psyllium husk etc.) that is no longer supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or in line with Food and Drug Administration policy.
The study also states that it collected data on 545 grain products, but the WGC pointed out that supplemental materials list only 543 products, including four of which (Cape Cod Sweet Mesquite Potato Chips, Great Value BBQ Potato Chips, Great Value Ripple Cut Potato Chips, and Great Value Sour Cream and Onion Potato Chips) that contain no grain ingredients whatsoever (beyond a trace of modified cornstarch).
Another concern was that the study was skewed toward products high in sugar and calories, especially when it came to the selection of products using the Whole Grain Stamp.
The study also was not representative of whole grain products with the stamp, the WGC said.
"The 113 stamped products in the study represent only 1.7% of the products using the stamp in the United States," the WGC said. "The study covered only chips, breads, cereals, bars, crackers — foods in 10 of the 49 categories in the stamped products database. Fifty-seven percent using the stamp fall in categories not included in the study. Rice and other 'plain grains,' pasta, flours, oatmeal, tortillas and many other important categories are not included in the study."
The researchers' study suggested using a different criterion for labeling whole grain products — a ratio of 10:1 or better of carbohydrates to fiber. The WGC called the criterion "an interesting concept," but said that when applied "may have severe drawbacks and unintended consequences."
According to the WGC, four (sorghum, wild rice, brown rice and whole cornmeal) of 14 whole grains commonly eaten would not qualify under 10:1 even in their most basic unprocessed state. Additionally, many other manufactured whole grain foods — even some that are 100% whole grain and low in sugars — would not qualify under 10:1, and many products that are 10:1 are not whole grain foods and in fact may contain no whole grain ingredients, the WGC said.
"It's possible to add isolated fibers to a product full of refined grains and sugars to reach the 10:1 ratio," the WGC said. "Our experience suggests FDA would find this approach misleading and unacceptable and would not allow use of the 10:1 ratio, if used on products that would not otherwise qualify as whole grains."
The WGC said the only program that may potentially improve public health is one that is widely adopted and used. The Whole Grain Stamp is now used on more than 8,000 products in 36 countries.
The group said it has worked for the past 10 years to create a whole grain labeling program that satisfies four conditions:
• It is scientifically sound;
• Resonates with consumers;
• Meets regulatory requirements; and
• Is used on a wide variety of products by most manufacturers.
"We encourage a follow up study that more accurately reflects the actual makeup of the Whole Grain Stamp program and includes the pros and cons of all approaches to whole grain labeling — including the major drawbacks of the 10:1 ratio," the WGC said.


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Training Loose Fit Shorts Aqua Blue
Gymshark Womens99,60 kr.249 kr.
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The collection full of colour pop pieces and mix and match designs, Training is your go-to whatever your session. Rely on the simple, sleek designs to carry you through your workout, gym commute and anywhere in between. Go bold and mix and match your favourite colours or build your wardrobe around the basics.
- Loose fit shorts
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- Stretch fabric side panel
- Curved, bound hem
- Contrast logo on Left side
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- We've cut down on our use of swing tags, so this product comes without one
- Model is 5'6" and wears a size S
Delivery & Returns
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Click below to see the vote description.
Find your Member of
Congress' votes
Select by Score
Click below to see the vote description.
|Corporate Subsidies—Nuclear Energy Industry
Progressive Position
Progressive Result
(win or loss)
|2011 House of Representatives
|Roll Call 552. (H.R. 2354) On an amendment that would have required the Energy Department to set aside $10 million for the production of Plutonium 238, a radioactive isotope that can be used for the production of nuclear energy Jul 12, 2011.
|2007 Senate
|Roll Call 211. CLEAN Energy Act (H.R. 6), Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) second-degree amendment to Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) amendment to require electric utilities to produce 15 percent of their power from sources such as solar and wind by 2020; Domenici's amendment would have upped the requirement to 20 percent but allowed nuclear and "clean" coal to fulfill the mandate/Motion to table (kill) the Domenici amendment Jun 14, 2007.
|2005 House of Representatives
|Roll Call 207. H.R. 2419. Appropriations/Energy/Vote on Amendment to Transfer $15.5 Million in Spending from Nuclear Waste Disposal to Energy Efficiency. May 24, 2005.
|Roll Call 132. H.R. 6. Energy/Vote on Passage of The Energy Policy Act of 2005, a Comprehensive Bill Dealing with Research and Development of Numerous Sources of Energy Apr 21, 2005.
|Roll Call 124. H.R. 6. Energy/Vote on Amendment to Strike from Energy Bill Section Creating a Federally Funded Research and Development Program for Uranium Mining. Apr 21, 2005.
|2004 Senate
|Roll Call 107. A vote on passage of a Democratic amendment that would strike from the fiscal year 2005 Defense Authorization Act (S. 2400) a provision allowing the Energy Department to take high-level nuclear waste at a government site in South Carolina and reclassify it as less harmful waste that could be left where it is. Jun 03, 2004.
|2003 Senate
|Roll Call 214. S. 14. Energy Policy/Vote to Revoke Federal Loan Guarantees for the Construction of Additional Nuclear Power Plants. Jun 10, 2003.
|2003 House of Representatives
|Roll Call 138. H.R. 6. Energy Plan/Vote to Eliminate Funding for Environmentally-Damaging Methods of Uranium Extraction. Apr 10, 2003.
|2002 Senate
Find your Member of
Congress' votes


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You need to make some extra cash so you become the newest Valet Parking attendant at the local country club. Ensure you park the members cars carefully otherwise the cost of the damages will come out of your pocket! Bash the cars too much and you'll get fired too, so be careful. You must collect their cars from the correct parking space once they come back too!
Use the arrow keys to walk around the parking lots as well as drive the cars. Use the Spacebar to enter and exit the cars.


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Yellowstone Super-Eruptions More Numerous Than Thought?
Giant blasts consumed much of what's now Yellowstone National Park.
The huge volcanic crater that makes up much of Yellowstone may have seen more so-called super-eruptions than previously thought, a new study says.
What's more, Yellowstone's super eruptions may be slightly less super than suspected—but still strong enough to destroy all of Yellowstone and more, researchers say.
Much of Yellowstone National Park—which covers parts of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming—lies in a roughly 40-mile-wide (70-kilometer-wide) crater formed by the collapse of a massive volcanic cone during the area's most recent super-eruption, some 640,000 years ago.
Before then, Yellowstone had seen two other super-eruptions: one about a million years ago and another about two million years ago. Now, however, it seems the earliest blast might actually have been two cataclysmic explosions, thousands of years apart.
(Related: "Yellowstone Has Bulged as Magma Pocket Swells.")
Double Blast
Among geologists, it's no secret that the two-million-year-old Yellowstone lava deposit has three layers.
"That got us thinking whether these things were representing different magma batches [from a single eruption] or different events," study leader Ben Ellis, a volcanologist and postdoctoral researcher at Washington State University, told National Geographic News.
Ellis's team examined rock samples from all three layers using the latest isotope dating techniques, which rely on the known rates of decay of certain elements to date objects.
It turns out that the uppermost layer of the roughly two-million-year-old lava deposit—about 12 percent—was laid down about 6,000 years later than the other two layers, according to the study.
This suggests that the supervolcano's active periods may span thousands of years and feature multiple, slightly weaker eruptions—that "explosive volcanism from Yellowstone is more frequent than previously thought," Ellis said in a statement.
The findings also raise the question of whether the other two layers represent separate eruptions, currently an unsolvable mystery, since even the latest dating techniques have relatively wide margins of error.
"Right now plus or minus 4,000 years is about as good as we can do [when dating] rocks of this age," Ellis said.
(Find out what's really going on under Yellowstone and how the next super-eruption could unfold in "When Yellowstone Explodes" [National Geographic magazine, August 2009].)
Supervolcano Eruption Still "Definitely Big"
Though the team's findings split that first Yellowstone super-eruption into two smaller blasts, Ellis points out that even the second, smaller eruption would have been an explosion for the ages.
"We just recognized an eruption 300 times the size of Mount St. Helens'," said Ellis, referring to the Washington State volcano's 1980 eruption. (See pictures of Mount St. Helens before and after the blast.)
The larger of the two proposed blasts would still rank as the fourth largest eruption known to science. "It's definitely big," Ellis said. "We're not taking that away."
The new findings have no bearing on the spacing of the millennia-long active periods, and Ellis refused to speculate about when the next super-eruption might occur.
But if such a blast were to happen today, he said, all of Yellowstone National Park would probably be devastated. What's more, "the ashfall would likely be all over the continental U.S.," he said.
One thing's for sure: Yellowstone—rising on a bulging magma pocket, seething with volcanically heated geysers and hot springs—is still very much alive.
The new Yellowstone-supervolcano study will appear in the June issue of the journal Quaternary Geochronology.


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StreamMyGame launches Linux player ; Play PC games on your PS3
Story by Farid - Monday 14th January 2008, 09:09:00 AM
Press Release 14th January 2008 London UK
StreamMyGame.com announced today the release of its free Linux Player, an application that enables you to play any PC game via a PlayStation 3 running Linux.
The free StreamMyGame Server enables PC games to be played remotely by converting the game's video and audio into a Game Stream and sending it over a home network to a second computer where you can view and play the game with the free StreamMyGame Player. The second computer can be a PC, laptop, PS3 or Linux device. The game can be played on the second computer without any lag and the second computer does not need to have the game installed.
The StreamMyGame Server is compatible with Windows XP, Vista and all computer games based on Microsoft's DirectX8, DirectX9, DirectX10 including the latest games such as PES 2008 and Crysis and OpenGL standards.
The StreamMyGame Player is compatible with Windows XP, Vista and Linux with resolutions up to Super HDTV 3200 x 2400. Compatible Linux installations include Ubuntu and Yellow Dog Linux, recommended by Sony for the PS3.
"Playing the latest PC game on the PS3 is now a reality at HD resolution and fast frame-rates," said Richard Faria CEO. "I have a PS3 in my living room and PC in my office and my two kids both have old PCs in their bedrooms," he said. "Now we can play games anywhere around the home. StreamMyGame's technology networks the power of a main PC so it can be used to play high end games on other PCs, PS3s and Linux devices".
StreamMyGame will extend its services in March 2008 to enable games to be played remotely over broadband networks that have sufficient capacity such as Verizon's FiOS, Comcast's Wideband and British Telecom's FTTP. Publishers will be able to use StreamMyGame to establish Pay-for-Play services to existing PCs, PS3s and STBs.
"We believe our new Linux player will enable many new devices to connect to the StreamMyGame service. We would like to see STBs and DMAs using our technology and we have already begun development for mobile OS such as Windows Mobile and Android," said Richard.
StreamMyGame ia available free by simply registering at http://www.StreamMyGame.com/
About StreamMyGame
http://www.StreamMyGame.com/ is a community website that incorporates a new online technology called Game Streaming. StreamMyGame is the world leader in the combination of 3D games technology and online video formats. The company creates innovative, industry-changing products for the PC, Video and Games industries. For more info please visit http://www.StreamMyGame.com/


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Rosewitha playing guitar and singing carols.
Arayana and Ellie
Abby knitting.
Bailey and his best friend.
Baily and Kumar.
Rosewitha playing guitar.
Mom and Ellie looking through the book of Christmas Carols.
Michelle and Arayana.
Arayana and Claudia.
Phil and Lisa.
Niranjan and Kumar.
Lisa and Phil.
Arayana showing off her new mittens.
Mittens knit by Abby
Claudia and Arayana. I don't remember why Claudia switched to shorts...
Claudia's hand warmers and hat.
Ellie's hand warmers.
Claudia and Arayana.
Claudia's hat.
The purple wearing group: Michelle, Mom, Ellie, and Arayana.
Silly posing.
Maasai Bracelet (gift from Dad) on Abby.
Bracelet (gift from Mom) on Abby.
Deviled eggs in the making.
Claudia and Arayana reading.
Ellie knitting.
Michelle and Niranjan.
Ellie playing.
Claudia knitting
Claudia had to fix Ellie's hair for a portrait.
Ready for a concert program bio...
Lisa peeling eggs for deviling.
Ellie fiddling.
Claudia fiddling.


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May 1, 2008
Download Google's Help Files
Did you ever want to get a help file for Gmail, Google Docs or for Google Desktop so you can print it or save it on your computer? All Google services have help centers that include information about features, tutorials, troubleshooting guides, but you need to find the information in a complicated hierarchy of topics or use the search box.
Fortunately, there's a way to save all the information related to a Google service: append ?fulldump=1 to the address of a Google help center. This doesn't work for all Google services, but here's a list of addresses that dump all the information from a help center (note that the pages are very large and are frequently updated):
Gmail Help: http://mail.google.com/support/?fulldump=1
Google Calendar Help: http://www.google.com/support/calendar/?fulldump=1
Google Docs Help: http://docs.google.com/support/?fulldump=1
Google Spreadsheets: http://docs.google.com/support/spreadsheets/?fulldump=1
Google Presentations: http://docs.google.com/support/presentations/?fulldump=1
Google Reader Help: http://www.google.com/support/reader/?fulldump=1
Google Video Help: http://video.google.com/support/?fulldump=1
YouTube Help: http://help.youtube.com/support/youtube/?fulldump=1
AdSense Help: https://www.google.com/adsense/support/?fulldump=1
Analytics Help: http://www.google.com/support/googleanalytics?fulldump=1
Google Desktop Help: http://desktop.google.com/support/?fulldump=1
Picasa Help: http://picasa.google.com/support/?fulldump=1
Google Toolbar for IE: http://www.google.com/support/toolbar/?fulldump=1
Google Toolbar for Firefox: http://www.google.com/support/firefox/?fulldump=1
Google Earth (PDF): http://earth.google.com/userguide/v4/google_earth_user_guide.pdf
To convert the HTML pages to PDF, try doPDF for Windows or any other free PDF printer. This Wikipedia article also has a list of PDF converters.
15 comments:
Here's another for SketchUp: http://sketchup.google.com/support/?fulldump=1ReplyDelete
...or convert to PDF online using http://media-convert.comReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 1, 2008 at 9:09 AM
That is one of the most useful tips ever. Seriously.ReplyDelete
Good stuff!
- AnonymousMay 1, 2008 at 12:11 PM
Very nice idea. Thanks a lot Google:)ReplyDelete
Anyone know what tool does Google use the edit / authorize Online Help?
Thanks Ionut. How did you happen upon this?ReplyDelete
This is not something new. Some help centers (e.g.: Google AdSense) have a link to "print the entire FAQ" and I realized that this option is available for most of them (some notable exceptions: Google Maps, Google Earth).
Great tip! This has always annoyed the hell outa me. Thanks.ReplyDelete
Alex, the option is not available for the majority of Google sites.
O GOOG gods, are ye listening? How 'bout a little link icon for a single-page view of all Help pages, please?
I'm kinda amazed they haven't noticed how much time is wasted loading and re-loading pages!
- AnonymousMay 4, 2008 at 3:26 PM
Wow, this is way cool !ReplyDelete
I love how Google is organizing the world information.
It makes me so wet.
@ anonymous So Mr. Balmer, that's what thrills ya. Who knew!ReplyDelete
That was a nice idea of bringing together all help files at one source. Good job done!ReplyDelete
good thought by googleReplyDelete
before this we are searching for tips for google
Great, it was a real tip. Soon I will post a Persian edition of it in my blog. I hope the Persian edition of helps come soon too. Thanks again.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 29, 2008 at 5:40 PM
Please tell me how to get the Google sidebar to appear ans STAY PUT on my desktop. Please keep it simple. Thank youReplyDelete
New comments are not allowed.


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As the U.S. government draws up plans to use surveillance drones in domestic airspace, opposition to what many consider an unwarranted and significant invasion of privacy is mounting across the country, from rural Virginia to techopolis Seattle. Although officials debate anti-drone legislation at federal, state and local levels, one man is fighting back with high-tech apparel.
A New York City privacy advocate-turned-urban-guerilla fashion designer is selling garments designed to make their wearers invisible to infrared surveillance cameras, particularly those on drones. And although Adam Harvey admits that his three-item Stealth Wear line of scarves and capes is more of a political statement than a money-making venture, the science behind the fashion is quite sound.
"Fighting drones is not my full-time job, but it could be," says Harvey, an instructor of physical computing at Manhattan's School of Visual Arts and the creator of the CV Dazzle project, which seeks to develop makeup and hairstyles that camouflage people from face-recognition cameras and software.
Harvey's newest medium, metalized fabric, has been around for more than 20 years. It holds in body heat that would burn bright for infrared cameras—a characteristic that could prove attractive to those who do not want unmanned aerial vehicles spying on them.
Metalized fabric
Metal is very good at absorbing and scattering infrared light, says Cheng Sun, a Northwestern University assistant professor of mechanical engineering. In that sense there is nothing exotic in how metalized fabric works—it "would strongly attenuate the [infrared] light," he says. The metal would dissipate heat to surroundings as well, making the wearer harder to pinpoint.
To date, the fabric has primarily been used in tape and gaskets to protect electronics and communications equipment from static electricity and electromagnetic interference, according to Larry Creasy, director of technology for metalized fabric-maker Laird Technologies, based in Saint Louis.
Here's how metalizing works, at least at Laird: Woven fabric, commonly nylon or polyester, is coated with a special catalyst—a precious metal Creasy declined to specify—that helps copper bind to the fiber. Once dry, the fabric is submerged in a copper sulfate–plating bath and dried. A nickel sulfamate bath follows to help the finished fabric withstand the elements and abrasions. The result is a flexible, breathable fabric that can be cut with ordinary tools but that protects against electromagnetic interference and masks infrared radiation, Creasy says. The process adds weight to the original fabric. An untreated square yard of nylon weighs about 42.5 grams. Treated, the same patch weighs more than 70 grams.
The fashion
Harvey's fabric is coated with copper, nickel and silver, a combination that gives his scarves, head-and-shoulders cloak and thigh-length "burqa" a silvery and "luxurious" feel. The material blocks cell signals, as well, adding an element of risk to tweeting, texting and other mobile activities, as the wearer must break cover to communicate.
Stealth Wear is sold only via a U.K. Web site. The burqa goes for about $2,300, the "hoodie" is $481 and the scarf is $565—luxury items, but so, too, is privacy today, Harvey says.
The impetus
The high cost and limited availability are significant drawbacks—Harvey says he's only sold one Stealth Wear item online, a scarf. But the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) predicts 10,000 commercial drones will ply domestic airspace by 2017—almost twice the that of the U.S. Air Force's current fleet of unmanned aircraft. The number of drones flying in the U.S. today is hard to pin down because not every company and agency that gets FAA approval to fly a drone actually puts one in the air. In fact, 1,428 private-sector and government requests have been approved since 2007, according to the FAA. A Los Angeles Times report states that 327 of those permits are still active. Meanwhile, President Obama signed a law in February 2012 that gives the FAA until September 2015 to draw up rules that dictate how law enforcement, the military and other entities may use drones in U.S. airspace.
As of October 2012, 81 law agencies, universities, an Indian tribal agency and other entities had applied to the FAA to fly drones, according to documents released by the FAA to the Electronic Freedom Frontier following a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. Government entities as diverse as the U.S. Department of State and Otter Tail County, Minn., are among them.
Discomfort rising
Although Harvey's anti-drone fashions are not currently flying off the shelves, he could soon find himself leading a seller's market if recent events are any metric:
- The Charlottesville, Va., city council has passed a watered-down ordinance that asks the federal and commonwealth governments not to use drone-derived information in court. Proponents had sought to make the city drone-free (pdf).
- Virginia, Minnesota, Oregon, Montana, Arizona (pdf) and Idaho legislators are trying to at least regulate or even prohibit, drones in their skies.
- Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn returned the city's two surveillance drones after a hostile public reception.
- A bipartisan pair of U.S. Representatives has introduced legislation to limit information-gathering by government-operated drones as well as prohibit weapons on law-enforcement and privately owned unmanned aerial vehicles.
Drone advocates defend the use of the technology as a surveillance tool. "We clearly need to do a better job of educating people about the domestic use of drones," says Ben Gielow, government relations manager for the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. Gielow says U.S. voters must decide the acceptability of data collection from all sources, adding, "Ultimately, an unmanned aircraft is no different than gathering data from the GPS on your phone or from satellites."
GPS does not use infrared cameras, however, and satellites are not at the center the current privacy debate brewing in Washington—factors that could make Harvey's designs all the more fashionable.