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Jackson's Mother Files For Guardianship For Kids
Katherine Jackson Files Guardianship Papers
ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer
POSTED: Monday, June 29, 2009
UPDATED: 11:56 am CDT June 29, 2009
LOS ANGELES -- Michael Jackson's mother is caring for the singer's three children and asked the court Monday to declare her their guardian.
The guardianship papers were filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday. A hearing has been set for Aug 3.
Jackson left behind three children: Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., known as Prince Michael, 12; Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11; and Prince Michael II, 7. The youngest son was born to a surrogate mother.
The filings show that Katherine Jackson, 79, is also petitioning to take over the children's estate. Its value is listed as "unknown" in the filing.
The filing lists the children as living at the Jacksons' family compound in the San Fernando Valley, northwest of Los Angeles.
"Minor children are currently residing with paternal grandmother," the filing states in an explanation of why Katherine Jackson should be appointed guardian. "They have a long established relationship with paternal grandmother and are comfortable in her care."
The filings provide no other declarations by Katherine Jackson, nor do they state whether Michael Jackson left a will.
The filings note that Deborah Rowe is the mother of the Jackson's two eldest children, but list her whereabouts as "unknown." An e-mail message sent to Rowe's attorney seeking comment wasn't immediately returned Monday morning.
For Michael Jackson's third child, nicknamed as Blanket, the filing states "None" for the mother.
Londell McMillan, the Jacksons' attorney, said the family hasn't heard from Deborah Rowe, the mother of Jackson's two oldest children, about custody.
"I don't think there will be anybody who thinks that there is someone better" than Katherine Jackson to have custody, McMillan said Monday on NBC's "Today" show. "She is a very loving host of other grandchildren."
McMillan also said on the "Today" show that the family was "quite clearly troubled" about the circumstances surrounding the death, given that Jackson had appeared healthy enough to be rehearsing for his upcoming concerts in London.
Asked whether the family suspected foul play, McMillan said those words were "too strong an indictment."
Edward Chernoff, a lawyer for Michael Jackson's doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, said in an interview Sunday with The Associated Press that Jackson still had a faint pulse and a warm body when Murray found him in bed and not breathing Thursday afternoon.
Chernoff said Murray was at the pop icon's rented mansion when he discovered Jackson. The doctor immediately began administering CPR, Chernoff said.
"He just happened to find him in his bed, and he wasn't breathing," the lawyer said. "Mr. Jackson was still warm and had a pulse."
Chernoff said his client never gave or prescribed Jackson the painkillers Demerol or OxyContin, and denied reports suggesting that the doctor gave the pop star drugs that contributed to his death.
Chernoff said any drugs that Murray gave Jackson were prescribed in response to a specific complaint from Jackson.
"Dr. Murray has never prescribed nor administered Demerol to Michael Jackson," Chernoff said. "Not ever. Not that day. ... Not Oxycontin (either) for that matter."
Los Angeles County coroner's officials said their autopsy found no indication of trauma or foul play. But because of additional tests, an official cause of death could take weeks to determine. Jackson's family has requested a private autopsy.
Chernoff said Monday on the "Today" show that once the full investigation is complete, he expected Murray would be exonerated.
There was no word from the family on funeral plans. Many of Jackson's relatives have gathered at the family's Encino compound, caring there for Jackson's three children.
Given the secrecy surrounding Jackson's children throughout his life, it's no surprise that there are lingering questions about who will care for them. What is almost certain is this: Their fate will be decided in a courtroom.
Experts say the person who has the strongest legal claim to Jackson's two oldest children is Rowe. As for the youngest child, Jackson's wishes will be more influential. It remains unclear who Jackson designated as potential guardians for his children. Those details -- likely contained in the 50-year-old singer's will -- have not been released.
Rowe's attorney, Marta Almli, wrote in a statement Saturday that "Ms. Rowe's only thoughts at this time have been regarding the devastating loss Michael's family has suffered. Ms. Rowe requests that Michael's family, and particularly the children, be spared such harmful, sensationalist speculation and that they be able to say goodbye to their loved one in peace."
Jackson never told his family who he had in place to handle his business affairs, a person close to the family told The Associated Press on Friday. The person, who requested anonymity because of the delicate nature of the situation, said they were told by the singer's phalanx of advisers that he likely had a will, but it may be many years old.
Prince Michael II's mother has never been identified, and while she may surface, it is likely that she signed away her rights, said Stacy Phillips, a Los Angeles divorce attorney who has represented numerous high-profile clients.
Rowe, a former nurse for Jackson's dermatologist, married Jackson in 1996 but filed for divorce in 1999. She later gave up her custody rights to the children, but petitioned to have those rights restored in 2003 after Jackson was arrested on child molestation charges, and an appeals court sided with her.
Jackson and Rowe apparently agreed in 2006 regarding her rights, but the terms have never been disclosed. The couple's divorce case that was heard in Los Angeles Superior Court remains closed.
Phillips said if her parental rights remain intact, she's presumed to be first in line to receive custody of her two children. "That could still be contested," she added.
Rowe would have to undergo an evaluation by the court to determine if she's the best person to care for Jackson's children. So, too, would anyone else who applies to become the children's guardian -- some of whom may have Jackson's blessing.
"If he did indicate a preference, that will be given great weight, but that will not be determinative," said Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred. "Children are not property, they cannot be willed to another person."
Allred agreed that Rowe has better legal standing than others who apply for custody of Jackson's eldest children. "She's definitely going to have an advantage."
But judges in California often take into account who is left in the children's lives with a strong bond, said Charlotte Goldberg, a family law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.
"It's really a balance between continuity and stability and a biological relationship," Goldberg said.
A judge deciding the matter may even seek input in chambers from Jackson's children about who they feel comfortable with, she said.
But a court will also take into account with whom the children have a relationship bond, and that may not work in Rowe's favor. She wrote in a 2001 petition to sever her parental rights that she thought Jackson was doing a good parenting job.
"Michael has been a wonderful father to the children, and I do not wish to share any parenting responsibilities with Michael because he is doing so well without me," Rowe wrote. She also indicated in court filings during the 2006 custody struggle that she had not seen the children since 2005, shortly after his trial ended in acquittal on all charges and Jackson moved the children overseas.
Whoever wins custody of Jackson's children won't automatically gain control of their inheritance, Phillips said.
"For many people, the person or persons who are taking care of their kids are not necessarily taking care of their money," Phillips said. "There's a benefit to that -- a sort of a check-and-balance."
Rowe, or whoever is designated the children's guardian, will receive payments based on Jackson's estate, Phillips said.
More clarity about the fate of Jackson's children will likely come once court proceedings start.
Phillips said the looming custody fight could be unlike any other.
"In all the cases I've read all over the country," she said, "I've never seen a fact pattern like this."
Associated Press writers contributing to this report include Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch; AP writers Sophia Tareen in Chicago, Juan A. Lozano in Houston, David Bauder in New York and Nekesa Mumbi Moody, Gillian Flaccus, Brooke Donald, Beth Harris and Mike Blood in Los Angeles.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Jackson's Mothers Wants Control Of Estate, Kids - Entertainment News Story - KSAT San Antonio
I think Katherine should be granted guardianship of her grandchildren. Rowe had waived her parental rights long ago.
" I am not going to complain. This season I really want to show that I have climbed yet another step. I want to show some regularity and bring something to the team every evening. I am on a mission! " ---T.P.
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More than 250 classic cars roll into Passport to Oldtown
Event celebrates 14 years
More than 250 classic cars roll into Passport to Oldtown
Event celebrates 14 years
SALINAS, Calif. —
Oldtown Salinas hosted the kickoff to Cherry's Jubilee events around the central coast Wednesday for the 14th annual Passport to Oldtown.
Beginning at 4 p.m., several blocks in downtown were filled with classic cars, hot rods, motorcycles and car lovers. More than 250 cars rolled into Oldtown during the event.
Organizers added extra blocks this year to accommodate the record number of classic cars.
"I like to participate in events like this," said Carlos Ramirez, who brought his 1964 Lincoln Continental convertible to the event from Washington. "I think Salinas should have a lot more events like this to bring out the people in the community to talk with each other and get to know each other."

subset: commoncrawl


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Dynamic and warm, Dame Elisabeth (Elisabeth) Murdoch was one of Australia's best-loved matriarchs.
She may have been mother to one of the world's most enigmatic and energetic deal-makers, Rupert Murdoch, but Dame Elisabeth was adamant in her belief that "making money is not greatness".
She was 103 years old when she died late on Wednesday evening, having left a legacy of philanthropy and generosity.
In a statement, the Murdoch family said she was surrounded by her loved ones and died peacefully at her property, Cruden Farm, in Melbourne's outer southeast.
"We have lost the most wonderful mother but we are all grateful to have had her love and wisdom for so many years," Rupert Murdoch said in a statement on behalf of her extended family.
"Her energy and personal commitment made our country a more hopeful place and she will be missed by many."
Dame Elisabeth was a passionate supporter of child health and welfare, the arts and gardening.
A sign of her tireless work was the legacy of scholarships, institutions and monuments she left behind. A rose, an arboretum, tapestry and several buildings are also named in her honour.
In a newspaper interview in August 2002, Dame Elisabeth described herself as "the busiest old lady in Melbourne".
She described her vigour, reflected in the energy of her son Rupert, as the result of a good constitution, a positive attitude and, above all, her staunch belief in helping others.
"We're not here for ourselves in the world, we're here to help others," Dame Elisabeth once remarked.
In a tribute to his mother in 2005, Rupert summed Dame Elisabeth up as a woman who was "more than a believer, she is a doer".
"Dame Elisabeth Murdoch - or I may call her mum - she really is a big believer in the power of art to enrich our public spaces, our national character and all our lives," Mr Murdoch said as he announced the winner of a $100,000 sculpture prize his mother sponsored.
Her dedication as a philanthropist saw her named Victorian of the Year that same year.
The award humbled Dame Elisabeth, who quipped: "If you live to my age, you've got many obligations" before adding that she fully intended to continue her charity work.
Born on February 8 1909, the daughter of Rupert Greene, Dame Elisabeth was educated at St Catherine's School, in Toorak in Melbourne, and was later a boarder at Clyde School, Woodend.
A volunteer at a kindergarten early on in life, Dame Elisabeth shocked Melbourne society when at just 18 she met and married Keith Murdoch, the most powerful newspaper executive in Australia and 24 years her senior.
"I remember being tremendously attracted because there was something very compelling about his eyes. He had beautiful dark brown eyes and I suppose there was something in the alchemy," Dame Elisabeth once told ABC television.
The marriage lasted 24 solid and happy years until Sir Keith's death in 1952.
Dame Elisabeth took delight in her four children - Helen, Rupert, Anne and Janet - but showed she was no soft touch in their raising.
"I took the slipper to Rupert twice because he was very rude to his governess," Dame Elisabeth told ABC television in 2002.
"Rupert when he wants to tease me says: `You know of course my mother beat me'."
Sometimes she was disappointed by her famous son.
She didn't like him buying the sensational papers like the Sydney Daily Mirror and Britain's News of the World.
And she was hurt when he divorced Anna, his wife of 32 years, and married Wendi Deng, 38 years his junior.
"Rupert had a wonderful marriage to Anna and it was a terrible thing to just end it," she said in an interview on her 100th birthday.
"When you take a vow to be loyal to someone for all your life, you don't hurt other people for your own happiness.
"I'm still so fond of Anna that I find it hard to accept Wendi, but I must, of course."
Tragedy hit the Murdoch family in 2004 when Dame Elisabeth's eldest child Helen Handbury died aged 75 after a battle with cancer.
The family was rocked again a year later when Rupert's eldest son Lachlan decided to quit the upper echelons of his father's media empire, News Corporation.
In an interview with The Bulletin magazine, Dame Elisabeth said she hoped Lachlan would return to the family business one day.
"I was sorry, but I didn't think it would come to this," she said.
It was during her marriage that Dame Elisabeth developed her love of charity work and philanthropy.
She was an active benefactor of many worthy institutions including Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital, the Deafness Foundation, the Victorian Tapestry Workshop board, the Victorian College of the Arts, Opera Australia, Australian Ballet, the McClelland Art Gallery, the Australia Business Arts Foundation and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architecture.
As chair of the planning committee for Melbourne's new children's hospital, she took on Victoria's tough premier Henry Bolte. She wanted it at Royal Park, he at Carlton. She won.
Honoured as a Dame of the British Empire in February 1963, she lived most of her life at Cruden Farm, a 54ha property an hour from central Melbourne, which had been a wedding gift from late husband Keith.
Energetic and strong throughout her life, Dame Elisabeth's first major health scare came at age 93 when she was injured while on holiday in north Queensland.
She was sent to hospital again in September 2012 after a bad fall in her home.
Dame Elisabeth had broken her leg and Rupert visited her for several days before finally returning to his media empire.
"Heading back to US after 2 weeks in Oz, largely just visiting 103 yo Mom after bad fall," he tweeted 10 days after her hospital scare.
"Very depressing, but hoping and praying."
She died at home nearly three months later.
It was her energy that Dame Elisabeth once pointed to as the secret of her longevity.
"I think that's been fortunate but that's something to do with one's nature. I don't waste time," she said.
"I think that's nothing to be highly praised for, but I think it does enable you to fill your life absolutely to the brim."
Accepting the key to the city of Melbourne in honour of her generosity to charity in 2003, Dame Elisabeth said she counted herself fortunate to be able to help so many people.
"I am encouraged to go on living for a very long time so that I can continue to be useful," she said.


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2:00 pm
American Woodshop "Thinking Toys 2" Puzzle Joinery in Furniture designs. D
2:30 pm
Rough Cut - Woodworking with Tommy Mac "Trestle Table" This week on Rough Cut, host Tommy MacDonald tackles a Trestle Table, perfect for any kitchen.G
3:00 pm
MotorWeek "Mazda6" Road Test: 2014 Mazda6. Road Test: 2013 Land Rover Range Rover. Goss' Garage: Fork Maintenance. D
3:30 pm
America's Heartland Take to the range in Wyoming where goats are essential to a cattle ranching operation. Haul in a sweet harvest of sugarcane in Louisiana. Travel back in time to find out about George Washington. D
4:00 pm
NOVA "Venom: Nature's Killer" Venom scientists are in a race against time to learn the secrets of many creatures who have evolved extremely toxic cocktails designed to kill, that now may also yield a new generation of advanced drugs to treat human ailments. NOVA reveals how venom works and follows two scientists on expeditions to track down and capture deadly creatures to collect and study them before the animals become extinct.G
5:00 pm
Antiques Roadshow "Rapid City, Hour Three" Host Mark L. Walberg explores 19th-century Sioux weapons with appraiser John Buxton at beautiful Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park. Notable finds include a 1760s Chester County Pennsylvania spice chest; two sets of Frank Lloyd Wright blueprints; and a Favrile Fabrique Tiffany desk lamp valued at $4,000-$6,000.G
6:00 pm
British Antiques Roadshow "Brighton College 2" During a return visit, objects brought before the cameras are a valuable cup and saucer bought at a boot sale, a portrait of a pig by a famous artist, and surprise treasures found in a safe once owned by Agatha Christie.G
6:30 pm
Rick Steves' Europe "European Travel Skills, Part 2" Rick's travel tips includes planning an itinerary, hurdling the language barrier, traveling by car or train and avoiding scams. Part 2 of 3G
7:00 pm
The Lawrence Welk Show "Mother's Day Show" This black and white classic show from 1956 features Buddy Merrill playing "Blue Suede Shoes" in tribute to the latest rage - Elvis Presley. The very young Lennon Sisters sing an a capella version of "Kentucky Baby" and Rocky Rockwell provides a humor-filled "When I Take My Sugar to Tea."G
8:00 pm
Are You Being Served? "Dear Sexy Knickers" The junior sales staff begins fraternizing. But, Mr. Lucas' note to Miss Brahms is intercepted by Mrs. Slocombe.G
8:30 pm
Keeping Up Appearances - The Memoirs of Hyacinth Bucket "Singing for Emmet" Hyacinth is still eager to impress Emmett with her prowess as a singer, especially now that he is divorced and has moved in next door with his sister Liz.G
8:59 pm
As Time Goes By "An Old Flame" Jean takes a parental interest in Harry, Sandy's policeman boyfriend, until she receives a phone message from an old flame.G
9:30 pm
The Thin Blue Line "Rag Week" When Rag Week begins, members of the Gasforth police deal with university students' pranks and bank robbers.G
10:00 pm
The Red Green Show "The Ghost of Possum Lodge" Mike discovers a ghost in the lodge and gets Red to help him catch it. Then Red uses an arc welder to protect his van from parking lot dents.G
10:30 pm
My Family "Bringing Up Janey" Janey is dating a new secret man and Susan dresses up for a working lunch with her best client James Garrett. Ben's suspicions and jealousy lead to mix-ups and break-ups.G
11:00 pm
Doctor Who Series "Vincent and the Doctor" The TARDIS heads back through time where terror lurks in the cornfields of Provence and only a sad and lonely painter can see it. The Doctor and Amy join forces with Van Gogh to try to defeat a powerful and deadly alien.G


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Classic-Castle.com is proud to announce our latest Administrator, Josh Wedin. Josh has been an active member of CC since 2003. His community contributions include running the annual Battles Contest, moderating the Classic-Castle forums, blogging for The Brothers Brick, and being an active member of SeaLUG.
We are also adding a new moderator to the Classic-Castle team, Darkie. Please welcome Caylin to the CC Brute Squad! Discuss our latest members of the CC Team in this thread.
You can find information on the roles of Administrators and Moderators in the Terms of Service.
The Admins have also created a new area for Admin Alumni. As with all online communities, leaders often are called away due to real life and other interests. Check out all of these admins who helped build our site and community. Without their years of service, Classic-Castle would not be what it is today. Thank you!


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Woodland Pond at New Paltz, the only continuing care retirement community in the Mid-Hudson Valley area, has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report with a five-star rating in its annual Best Nursing Homes issue. The senior living community is excited about the recognition and pledges to provide continued excellence.
"We are delighted to have our inpatient rehabilitation and skilled nursing services be featured in U.S. News & World Report's annual Best Nursing Homes issue," said Michelle Gramoglia, executive director. "We offer high quality, long-term care for seniors with personalized services designed to meet each individual's needs, and it is so fulfilling to receive national recognition for these efforts."
Data gathered from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provides the basis for the ratings. CMS exists to help consumers, families and caregivers assess options for senior care. The data comes from regular health inspections carried out by state agencies and mandatory reporting from the residences. Facilities are evaluated on several categories including health inspections, level of nurse staffing and quality of care. In New York, only 23 percent of all nursing homes received a five-star rating. Woodland Pond is the only 5 star rated facility in the Ulster and Dutchess County region, out of a total of 22 total facilities located in the two counties.
"We are honored to receive the top rating and are excited and engaged in our commitment to continue to provide quality care in all areas of our community," said Michelle Gramoglia. "Continuing care retirement communities feature a broad spectrum of care designed to conveniently support you and your loved ones as they age in place. Woodland Pond at New Paltz offers independent and assisted living options, and offers skilled nursing care, rehabilitation programs and memory care support. This 5 star rating highlights the dedication to high quality care provided in an incredible environment."


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In Defense Of Mobile E-Mail 'Addiction'
from the Best-Use-Of-Your-Time dept
That is all true, but whenever one of these opinion pieces comes out, it ignores the other case: that oftentimes at meetings, our attention simply isn't necessary or productive. In any given multi-person meeting, for what % of the time is each person's participation and attention truly productive? Is every topic related to you? Could a quick check of email be more productive? I would argue that optimal participation is usually less than 100%. Same goes for conferences: Sometimes the conference agenda will include a speaker that is just not very relevant to your individual interests. Yes, you could learn something by listening, but perhaps you could be more productive by responding to your clients, staff, or boss on your mobile device. I've met a few people who take offense at every sighting of a Blackberry, but that's usually attached to a big ego that takes offense too easily. Not every word you say is golden, or even directed at me. In a one on one meeting, obviously one should be focused on the person in front, and one should not feign listening while actually reading. But in multi-party meetings, there are good opportunities to mentally duck out. A blanket Blackberry backlash isn't well-reasoned. As in most debates, a balance needs to be struck.


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Do you know what we have to say about not wearing white pants after Labor Day? EFF THAT! And eff all of the other fashion rules that we're supposed to abide by.
Who came up with these restrictions, anyway?
Click through to see what other rebellious decisions we'll be making this summer and fall. You're gonna love 'em.
Fashion Rules You Should Break
Rule # 1: No White Pants After Labor Day—Or Before Memorial Day
No one. NO ONE. follows this rule anymore. Feel free to wear your white pants, any time during the year (seriously). Winter white continues to be a hot trend (especially white wool coats).
Rule # 2: No Pastels Past Easter
No one follows this old school rule as the season for pastels now extends well into summer. In fact, summer is probably the best time to wear pastels, as the lighter nature of the hue makes it a cool option to add a little color to your summer wardrobe.
Rule # 3: No Pattern Mixing
This is one rule we want you to break immediately. Mixing patterns is a great way to extend your wardrobe options as well as creating an interesting story through your outfit. The key is to choose prints that are in the same color family (like black and white) with patterns that have a similar scale.
Rule #4: No Denim on Denim
This is one rule we say break, but with "caution". You don't want to look like the millennial version of the Justin Timberlake-Britney Spears Denim Debacle. DO NOT try and match the denims (which is virtually impossible), but make sure one of the denims is at least 2 to 3 levels darker than the other.
Rule #5: Dressing Your Age
Frankly, we don't even know what "dressing your age" means. Does it mean if your over 40, you can't be on trend? Whatever, we stopped paying attention to this rule when shows like "Hot in Cleveland" showed what it really meant to be a "woman of a certain age."
Catherine Brock
Latest posts by Catherine Brock (see all)
- Cold Weather Date Night Outfit — Under $1555 with Shoes - December 13, 2018
- Over 40 Date Night Outfit — Under $225 with Shoes and Bag - December 13, 2018
- BOGO, GWP & Rewards: 5 Ultimate Budget Gift Ideas - December 12, 2018


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Clippers Shop
LA, rep your beloved Clippers with the freshest basketball gear from the Los Angeles Clippers Team Store at lids.ca! LIDS has a vast selection of officially licensed Clippers hats, jerseys, t-shirts, and more.
LA, lids.ca is your go-to source for the newest basketball apparel in Clippers' red, white, and blue to get you ready for the NBA Playoffs! Coach Doc Rivers has the Clips playing at the top of their game. So head down to the Staples Center to watch the Clippers battle the West as they pursue the 2018 NBA title.
Clippers Players
Current Players
DeAndre Jordan
LA Teams
Los Angeles Dodgers Store
Los Angeles Rams Store
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Clippers History
Having recovered from the longest postseason drought in NBA history (30 years!), the Los Angeles Clippers seek to continue their modest success from previous seasons despite having overhauled their roster. With sixth straight playoff appearances under their belt, the Clips will have to fight hard to grab the eighth seed just to have a shot at taking down a juggernaught. Disappointing first round exits the past two seasons led to much of the roster overhaul, but this team still can bring the defense with DeAndre Jordan and Austin Rivers.


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28 July 2011|
In the dim light of the underworld, there are individuals who seek absolute power and control. Only a few individuals that are highly trained with lethal skills are able to achieve their evil goals. Throughout our history some have called them henchmen, while others call them professional killers, but regardless of one's take we know them as assassins. In a similar fashion, this '92 Mazda RX-7 lurks in the shadows as it sets its mark on the target and finishes the job with a swift strike.
Like any successful assassin on the most wanted list, this unique rotary rocket project began with countless hours of planning and preparation. Fellow Canadian and owner of this gunmetal RX-7, Matthew Desormeaux of Val-de-Monts, Quebec, is no stranger to the scene. Since a young age Desormeaux has been exposed to modified vehicles from his brother-in-law's modified pick-up truck to his father's Corvette C6 and even some JDM-influence from his friends later in life. After eyeing the VeilSide Fortune aero kit on the RX-7 that debuted at the Tokyo Auto Salon, and most recently in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift movie, the desire to build his dream ride took hold. Naturally, the process began by setting a budget and ordering parts. Three years and over $100,000 later, this four-wheeled killer has come to life.
The unique aerodynamics package on this Mazda coupe is thanks to one of Japan's most highly regarded body kit manufactures – VeilSide. The exterior transformation began with the removal of all factory panels and stripping the rotary rocket to the bare essentials. A complete engine wire-tuck, shaved gas door and re-finished engine began the process. For the exterior, the VeilSide Fortune kit was prepped and installed consisting of over 20-pieces including headlights, tail lights, mirrors, door panels, fenders and ultimately increasing the track by 220mm! Once all the pieces were assembled, a custom tri-stage, two-tone black and gunmetal paint job was sprayed and hand blended by fearless customs.
With the Mazda's body changes completed, Desormeaux turned his focus onto the stance of his sinister creation. Providing that gangster-inspired slammed look, the D2 Racing air ride suspension system was installed. The suspension setup allows the RX-7 to cruise low and slow or bump up the ride height during daily commuting – truly, the best of both worlds. A set of 20-inch Forgeline S0-3P custom three-piece wheels sized at a massive 10-inches front and 12-inches rear provide the coveted deep-dish look. The choice of rubber for ultimate handling was a set of P-Zero 245/30s and 295/20s from Pirelli. Tucked just behind the monstrous wheel package is the essential tool of the trade, a big brake system. Desormeaux knew that despite the factory stoppers being capable, the overall esthetics would not be up to par. A complimentary set of D2 Racing 8-pot front, 6-pot rear calipers mated to 13-inch two-piece brake rotors were installed and resolved the concern.
Just like the original VeilSide model debuted at Japan's ultimate show – Tokyo Auto Salon – Desormeaux immediately began overhauling the once mildly tuned turbocharged rotary. From factory the RX-7 came with a 13B engine, which boasts no pistons and rods like a conventional engine. This 1.3-litre power plant was massaged by RPM Motorsports in Kitchener, Ontario to the tune of 464hp @ 7,550rpm at only 15psi. Allowing for more power, the crew at RPM Motorsports gave the rotary an aggressive street port in a new rotor housing and mated a large HKS T04Z turbo to it. Further power adders for the build include an HKS intercooler that feeds a cold charge, a set of Injector Dynamics 1600cc injectors spray the fuel, and HKS Hi-Power ignition system sets the charge. Engine management for the tune was left to the ever-trusted Apex'i Power FC with a variety of selectable boost options depending on the Mazda's strike tactics. Like a war cry, the beautiful exhaust note from this gunmetal assassin begins at the HKS downpipe that feeds into an Apex'i titanium exhaust setup.
Power aside, planting it to the pavement is another issue. It's not every day that one rides around in a supercar-power coupe with massively wide rollers, so ensuring that each click of the gearshift counts, the drivetrain went under the knife. A Spec Stage 2 clutch replaced the OEM setup and a Spec flywheel (weighing in at 12 lbs.) freed up additional ponies from the boosted engine.
In cabin, Desormeaux addressed the office landscape first with a pair of Sparco Sprint race buckets paired with Sparco harnesses and followed with MOMO controls (steering wheel, hub and shift knob). A set of AutoMeter Cobalt-series gauges allow for instant engine feedback as turbocharged engines are known to be temperamental – yes, including rotaries.
No build of this caliber would be complete without an appropriate upgrade to the audio system. Staying the course for innovation, Desormeaux chose the unique Lilliput Carputer with touch screen to act as the head unit. Equipped with audio playback as well as Navigation, Bluetooth, engine management, DVD playback and Wifi connectivity, this is a truly unique source unit solution. Audio signals from the computer are sent to a pair of Audison LRX series amplifiers mounted on a suede covered amp rack just rear of the subwoofer enclosure. An LRx 2.4 provides 130 Watts per channel to drive a set of Kenwood XRS-17P component speakers. An LRx 1.1K offers up just over 1000 Watts to a pair of Alpine Type-R 12-inch subwoofers that are mounted with their motor structure exposed. Ensuring the amps get enough juice to work their magic is a Kinetik HC600 Power Cell.
Having spent the job money for what would be a high profile hit on his dream car, Matthew Desormeaux had his RX-7 FD well-equipped to execute any desire – lawful or not. With much gained success in the show circuit already, the thought of this sub-500hp rotary coupe being anything short of champion is unfathomable. This drive to succeed came to fruition with Desormeaux winning the prestigious Meguiar's 2011 Canada's Best Car Crazy Competition. This will see the awesome RX-7 on display at the 2011 SEMA show in Las Vegas,
Much skill and dedication has gone into the installation of the multi-piece and ultra-rare VeilSide Fortune aero conversion, big turbo 13B engine work, not to mention the wide-lipped 20-inch roller package. Without question, this widebody 1992 Mazda RX-7 is feared even amongst its own in the underworld as the dark veiled assassin.
ESSENTIALS // Owner: Matthew Desormeaux • Location: Val-des-Monts, QC • Vehicle: 1992 Mazda RX7
ENGINE AND DRIVE TRAIN // Aggressive Street Port (RPM Motorsports), New Rotor Housings • HKS TO4Z turbo kit • HKS Intercooler • HKS Twin Core Air Filter • HKS Manifold • HKS Twin Power Ignition • HKS limited edition Blow-Off Valve • HKS Wastegate • HKS Hi-Power Ignition • Custom RPM Air Intake • A'PEXi Power FC (engine management) • Custom twin oil coolers • Custom stainless steel radiator lines • Koyo Radiator • Injector Dynamics 725/1600 • ALS Apex Seals
TRANSMISSION // Spec Light Weight Stage 2 Clutch and light Flywheel • LSD Driveshaft
EXHAUST // A'PEXi Titanium Exhaust • A'PEXi Exhaust Tip • HKS Headers • HKS Up-Pipe and Down-Pipe • HKS Exhaust Mounts
SUSPENSION // D2 Racing Air ride suspension
EXTERIOR // VeilSide Fortune Body (Customized) • VeilSide Spoilers • VeilSide (Hella) Headlights • JDM Taillights • Sparco Fuel Door
INTERIOR // Momo Race 3000 Steering Wheel and Hub • Momo Shift Knob, Boot and E-Brake Boot • Autometer Cobalt Gauges • Black Sparco Sprint Seats • Sparco 3-Point Harness
GAUGES, LIGHTS AND CONTROLS // Custom Autometer Cobalt Gauges • Ignited Switches
WHEELS AND TIRES // Forgeline SO3P Custom 3-Piece Wheel with Diamond Cut Edges on Black Spokes (20x10 Front, 20x12 Rear) • Pirelli P-Zero Tires (245/30Z20 Front, 295/20/ZR20 Rear)
BRAKES // D2 Racing Over-Sized Brake Kit • 300mm 2-Piece Slotted 8-Piston Front Calipers • 300mm 2-Piece Slotted 6-Piston Rear Calipers • Hydraulic Handbrake • Braided Lines
AUDIO, VIDEO AND MULTIMEDIA // Lilliput Touchscreen 7" Head Unit • Kenwood Crossovers • Alpine Type R 12" Subwoofers (x2) • Kenwood XRS17P Mid Bass (x2) • Kenwood XRS17P Mid Range (x2) • Kenwood XRS17P Tweeters (x2) • Audison LRX1.1L Amplifier • Audison LRX2.4K Amplifier • Kenwood XRS17P Front Speakers • Carputer with Touch Screen • Optima Yellow Top Battery • Kinetik KHC600 Power Cell Battery and Capacitor
SPECIAL THANKS // Jody Park (Fearless Customs) • Dan Jackson & Joe Fergusson (RPM Performance) • Ivan Ceccato • Tunerworks • D2 Racing • Autometer • Mike Piecki (Auto Trim Design) • Mom • Dad • Tammy • Michelle


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Jericho (city, West Bank)
Jericho (jĕr´Ĭkō) [Heb.,=fragrant, or city of the moon god], Arab. Ariha, town (2003 est. pop. 19,000), West Bank, in the Jordan valley N of the Dead Sea; nearby is the site of the ancient city of Jericho. Jericho is an oasis watered by a number of springs, and the town is surrounded by orchards and intensive market gardening; a large part of the population is engaged in agriculture. Jericho was the first Arab town in the West Bank to become (1994) autonomous under the agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. The town saw increasing development after the agreement; a casino opened in 1998, and the nearby Mount of Temptation (the traditional site of Jesus' temptation by Satan) is now accessible by cable car. The economy suffered, however, when Palestinian-Israeli violence again flared beginning in 2000.
According to the biblical book of Joshua, Jericho was captured from the Canaanites by Joshua and was destroyed, an event several times repeated in its history. One of its conquerors was Herod the Great, who sacked and rebuilt it. Later it was taken by the Muslims. Jericho figures prominently in the Bible. Excavations of the mound of Tell es Sultan, the original site, were begun early in the 20th cent. and have revealed the oldest known settlement in the world, dating perhaps from c.8000 BC Archaeologists have not found evidence of the town of Joshua; ruins identified as such in the 1930s were latter identified as older. At the nearby site of Herodian Jericho, 2 mi (3.2 km) S of Tell es Sultan, a Hellenistic fortress and the palace of Herod have been excavated. Just north of Jericho are the ruins of Hisham's Palace (mid-8th cent.), noted especially for the extensive floor mosiac in the bath house and for the great hall.
See J. Garstang and J. B. E. Garstang, The Story of Jericho (1948); K. M. Kenyon, Digging Up Jericho (1958) and Excavations at Jericho, Vol. 1 (1960).


text: Nice icom model IC-71A shortwave receiver with digital code reader for sale or swap for a uniden bcd-396XT Model handheld scanner, now this shortwave receiver comes with the opinional voice module, it will tell you the freq your on , the opinial rc-11 remote controller, which is hard to find, it is am, cw, ssb, ritty, I have no fm module in it. it has a preamp, and nice digital readout, 32 memory channels, and coverage is from 100 kz to 3000khz, now this receiver is one of the best, I have been using it for quite sometime now and just cant get into sw listening, it does have one problem I have never taken the time to check because it was to me not a big thing, when first turned on it might cut out after a minute, just a gentle tap on the case it will come back on and be ok, from there on, as I said it was not a big deal to me, these sold for over $1,000 new, now the code reader is a aea code reader, I never used it on ritty just copied on cw for a day or so, but, I no cw and do not really have a use for it, very easy to hook up. I will sell both pecies for $385.00 Plus $25.00 for shipping sold only to the US 48 States, or I will swap for a uniden BCD-396xt handheld scanner, Would really like to swap for the scanner, if someone has one, in nice shape, with assesories, beleive me you will love this nice shortwave receiver, very nice and face and cabinet is very nice also, Please either call me at 740-499-2940 or e mail me at email@example.com also please check out these sites, www.universal-radio.com/catalog/commrxyr/r71a.html or www.eham.net/reviews/detail/496 and one other site which is www.dxing.com/rx/r71a.htm thanks and god bless, Bill


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Digital Conversion Resources
Contact OPB
Do you have questions about how to make the switch to digital TV?
Do you need advice on your specific situation? OPB is here to help.
Send us e-mail through our online form, or call the Digital Help Center at 800.241.8123.
The TV broadcast technology all of us have grown up with. Analog signals vary continuously, creating fluctuations in color and brightness.
Aspect Ratio
The ratio of screen width to screen height. For HDTV (high-definition TV), the aspect ratio is 16:9 (16 units wide by 9 units high), much like a movie screen. Older television screens are 4:3, or nearly square.
The range of frequencies over which a TV station is allocated to function. In transmission, the U.S. analog and digital television channel bandwidth is 6 MHz. OPB can use its bandwidth for one analog signal or up to four digital signals and/or data transmission.
The television broadcast frequency. The Federal Communications Commission assigns over-the-air television channels in the VHF (very high frequency) and UHF (ultra high frequency) band.
Compression refers to the reduction of the size of digital data files by removing redundant and/or non-critical information. Digital TV in the U.S. would not be possible without compression.
Digital TV (DTV)
Digital TV is the umbrella term encompassing high-definition television and several other applications, including standard-definition television, datacasting, multicasting and interactivity.
Digital Tuner
A digital tuner serves as the decoder required to receive and display digital broadcasts. It can be included inside TV sets or via a set-top box.
Dolby Digital
This is a digital surround sound technology used in movie theaters and upscale home theater systems that enhances audio. Home theater components with this technology work in conjunction with a "5.1-speaker" system (five speakers plus a low-frequency subwoofer) to produce true-to-life audio that draws the listener into the onscreen action.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
U.S. Government agency charged with regulating radio, television, wire, cable and satellite communications.
HDTV: "High-Definition Television"
This is the most superior video picture available in DTV. In the U.S., the 1080i and 720p formats in a 16:9 aspect ratio are the two acceptable HDTV formats. HDTV is a component of DTV.
Option made possible by digital technology to allow each digital broadcast station to split its bitstream into 2, 3, 4 or more individual channels of programming.
A pixel is the smallest picture element in a TV image. The more pixels in an image, the greater the resolution.
The amount of lines and dots (pixels) that make up a TV image. Typically, the higher the number of lines or pixels, the sharper and more detailed the picture will be.
SDTV: "Standard Definition Television"
Digital formats which do not achieve the video quality of HDTV. SDTV is at least equal, or superior to, current television pictures. It offers the ability to transmit at least four standard-quality programs simultaneously using the digital channel.
Set-Top Converter Box
This unit sits on top of the viewer's analog TV, receives the digital TV signal, converts it to an analog signal, and then sends that signal on to the analog TV.
The broadcast of the same program simultaneously over two or more different systems or channels.
Widescreen generally refers to an aspect ratio of 16:9, which is the optimum viewing ratio for DTV and HDTV broadcasts. Traditional TV sets have an aspect ratio of 4:3.
Helpful Links
- DTV Answers — The National Association of Broadcasters' Consumer Guide to the Digital Transition (in English or Spanish)
- Digital Television — The Federal Government's Web site
- FCC Digital Television Consumer Facts
- Consumer Electronics Association — Connections Guide
- Consumers Union — The Transition to Digital TV
- Antenna Web: Advice About Antenna Placement
- TV Fool: TV Signal Locators, Coverage Maps & More
- HDTV Antenna Labs
- OPB's Digital TV Fact Sheet
- Connecting Converter Box Cables
- Simple Directions for Converter Boxes
- How to Scan for Channels
- Digital TV Troubleshooting Tips
In-Home Support
Elders in Action is offering assistance with coupons and box installation, including in-home set-up assistance to the homebound who are over 60 and live in Multnomah County. Their resources are limited, however.
Call 503.235.5474 or go to www.eldersinaction.org.
Walk-In Help Centers
For the latest list of DTV events and help centers in your area, visit www.dtv.gov/map.htm.
IRCO (Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization)
10301 NE Glisan, Portland
Urban League of Portland
10 N Russell Street, Portland
Recycle your TV
Oregon and Washington offer recycling programs for analog TVs and other electronic products. To locate a program in your area, visit one of the Web sites below. And remember, you can continue to use your analog TV set after the switch to digital TV.
National Support Numbers
Manufacturer Support Numbers
- Access HD 1.800.393.1246
- Digital Stream: 1.866.706.4367
- Insignia: 1.888.229.3889
- Magnavox: 1.800.605.8610
- Philco: 1.800.317.6062
- RCA: 1.866.444.5746 or 1.800.252.6123
- Sansonic: 1.626.433.1333
- Venturer: 1.800.252.6123
- Zenith: 1.877.993.6484
FCC Help Line
- 1.888.CALL.FCC or 1.888.225-5322
- TTY for the hearing impaired: 1.888.835.5322


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Furby Boom Sunny Lightning Bolts
Right for you?
The Furby Boom Sunny Lightning Bolts is perfect for:
- Animal lovers
- Cat and kitten lovers
- Pet lovers
What can you do with the new Furby Boom app?
1. Name your Furby Boom - it will recognise its name!
2. Play lots of games.
3. Hatch, collect and play with virtual Furblings!
4. Give your Furby Boom a shower or take it to the toilet.
5. Translate Furbish Furby Boom Sunny - Lightning Bolts lets you play, chat, dance and interact with an electronic pet like never before!
Featuring a crazy new design, your Furby Boom will react to you and other Furbys, and how you treat it will shape its personality.
Talk to it, feed it, tickle it...the more fun you have with your Furby Boom the better.
The new app unleashes a whole host of new features for you to get to grips with - read about some in the box on the right! Furby Booms are 15cm tall, suitable for children aged six and up and require 4 x AA batteries, which are not included.
The free downloadble app is available on the Apple and Google Play stores for use with the iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and a range of Android devices.
Parents will also be pleased to know that there's a secret off switch!
Furblings if you look after your Furby Boom, it will also give you a virtual egg. Care for it and see it hatch into one of 50+ Furblings that you can interact and play with using the free app.
Keeping playing with your Boom to unlock new Furblings - gift them to friends or accept one as a gift from them!
As you collect Furblings you can wash, treat and play with them.
Build up your Furbling city to keep them all in.
Collect the main 50 Furblings to unlock a special golden Furbling!
A Furby (plural Furbys or Furbies) is an electronic robotic toy resembling a hamster or owl-like creature - most of all they are adorable!
A newly purchased Furby starts out speaking entirely Furbish, the unique language that all Furbies use, but will start to use English words and phrases in place of Furbish as taught and interacted with over time.
The latest Furbies have more advanced features like voice-recognition and more complex facial movements, communication between Furbies and many other changes and improvements.


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Demons (US - DVD R1)
Gabe revisits the movie theater from Hell. Does this scratch look infected?
Take one part Night of the Living Dead, then add any element found in The Evil Dead not already taken from George Romeo's film. Now set it in a German movie theatre. Mix in some definitively '80s Euro-trash youth, some dated heavy metal music, and a rouge's gallery of archetypal horror characters. Bring to a boil and slather with ooey-gooey make-up effects, and what have you got? Demons.
Demons has got to be one of the silliest successful horror films ever made. It's almost depressing to think that anyone involved took the production seriously. The plot is an undisguised attempt to connect the dots between outrageous splatter moments, the acting talent is brutally ill-equipped, and the director spends most of his time recycling images made famous by his more talented father, but somehow the 90 minute debacle ends up a breezy and entertaining gore-fest, and a fine way to waste an evening with friends.
Italian wunderkind Dario Argento took a short break from directing increasingly silly and violent horror features to try his hand at upper management in the mid-'80s. He had been successful in a production capacity when he worked with George Romero on Dawn of the Dead, and had produced some Italian television as well, but Demons was his first attempt at Spielbergian or Lucas-esque creative oversight.
Argento's victim, or rather director would be Lamberto Bava, son of Italian horror cinema's Godfather, and Argento's constant source of inspiration, Mario Bava. Lamberto started his career in 1980 with a low-key and atmospheric thriller called Macabro (or Macabre, depending on release company), but soon lost all artistic credentials with bland clones of more talented director's work (these include Argento, Lucas, and Spielberg). Argento had been using Bava (and the much more talented Michelle Soavi) as a second unit director for some time (since Inferno, which Bava Sr. also worked on), and it seems only logical that he would be utilized as a cipher for Dario's latest experiment in terror.
Demons' most obvious problem is a case of too many hands in the pot. Argento had officially earned the label of 'control freak', and the inexperienced (and frankly barely middling) Bava found his movements dictated and his opinions overruled. Most accounts state that Argento the producer was even more a tyrant that Argento the director. Add to this the fact that it somehow took four people to write such a thin script, a short filming schedule, and meddling studio, and you have a sure fire recipe for disaster.
Even as a compulsive and fervent lover of Italian horror cinema, and gore for gore's sake, I'm shocked at the generally positive opinion concerning Demons. When it was released Fangoria called it the best horror film of the year, and recently the Bravo cable station named it the number fifty-three scariest moment in horror film history (meaning the fifty-third best horror film really, the title of the list was flawed), above Deliverance, The Beyond, Candyman, Re-Animator, Poltergeist, The Tenant, The Birds, and Night of the Hunter. My mind boggles.
I can understand loving the film as a referential work, as it's filled with nods to other Italian horror staples, and is a bit like Kill Bill in terms of loving homage. Demons is a kind of greatest hits package of Italian splatter, though it never achieves the level of genuine disgust found in Fulci's best work, or the level of empathetic pain found in Argento's best work. There is no mistaking the star of the show, however, and his name is Sergio Stivaletti. Considering the fact that Bava was firmly implanted under Argento's thumb, and that both men seemed content to recycle old images, Stivaletti should probably be credited as co-director. His effects are the only invigorating or original thing in the film.
But I'm too harsh, Demons is a fun time, and could've made an excellent short (it originated as part one of a three part anthology). Things only really fall apart when Bava cuts to four extraneous punk rockers, or when motorcycle joyrides go on for a bit too long, but the final thirty minutes are the most interesting, and lead into what might've been a more compelling sequel. More on that later.
Fans of foamy green drool and glowing yellow eyes will be happy to know that Demons has at last been remastered into anamorphic video. Every previous release, in every region, has been marred with a non-anamorphic transfer. I never owned the film on DVD before so I'm unable to compare the transfers on other levels, but will say that this release is probably as good as the film will ever look. The neon glow of Bava and Argento's Berlin is bright, with minimal compression noise and bleeding. Blacks are deep and rich. Highlights are a little too bright in a few cases, and a closer look reveals some slight blocking on white edges, but edge-enhancement is minimal without losing too much detail.
Again, I never owned the previous Anchor Bay release, but based on the sound of other Argento films released at the same time ( Phenomena and Tenebre) I don't think the audio on this new release has been at all altered. Like older Anchor Bay Dolby Digital 5.1 remixes, the sound is clean, but the general volume level is pretty low. Stereo and surround effects are rare, and the centring of dialogue is sometimes awkward. The film's score is made up of part Claudio Simonetti electronic work, part then modern Heavy Metal and Pop, including Mötley Crüe, Billy Idol, and Accept. The electronic elements sound better than the rock elements, which are too bassy and often have an artificial echo quality.
Anchor Bay/Starz and Blue Underground haven't been doing much to update these back catalogue re-releases, and Demons is no exception. The only real extra is a commentary track with Lamberto Bava, Sergio Stivaletti, a translator, and a mediator. The track is pretty painful, due mostly to Bava and Stivaletti's problems with English, not to mention their general lack of interest. The mediator winds up ruling the track and coaxing people into answering 'yes' or 'no' to a series of questions he already knows the answer to. Had the track been recorded in Italian and offered up with subtitles it may've been livelier.
The behind the scenes footage lasts a rousing minute and a half, and achieves next to nothing. Most of the footage is taken from Michelle Soavi's Argento documentary 'World of Horror', which is a more advisable watch. A series of Anchor Bay trailers finishes things off.
I like to think of Demons as 'My First Italian Horror Film'. It's a good stepping-stone into the surreal, often plotless, and often grotesque world of Mario Bava, Dario Argento, and Lucio Fulci's best work. I don't recommend it whole-heartedly, unless it's to those just looking into the era and genre. This DVD re-release is anamorphically enhanced, but otherwise no different from the original Anchor Bay release. Those that already own the DVD will have to decide if it's worth re-buying based on the video credentials alone.
Review by Gabriel Powers
pitdeadite Member Join Date: August 2006 Location: United States Posts: 662
This was one of my favorite movies growing up. Luckily, I stumbled across the 2-pack a couple of years ago. The pimp in this movie, has to be one of the greatest characters of all time.
Dave Brock Banned Join Date: November 2004 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,237
pitdeadite wrote: The pimp in this movie, has to be one of the greatest characters of all time.
Come now Sir Gabe...this is top class Euro trash. There is just SO MUCH in this crazy goodie bag to enjoy it has to be a must see.
Groovy soundtrack too.
Come now Sir Gabe...this is top class Euro trash. There is just SO MUCH in this crazy goodie bag to enjoy it has to be a must see.
Groovy soundtrack too.
Worst Nightmare Senior Member Join Date: July 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 6,716
Pure classic '80s stuff - ta for the review Gabe.
This product has not been rated
Disc Details
Release Date: 25th September 2007
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Single side, dual layer
RCE: No
Video: NTSC
Aspect: 1.66:1
Anamorphic: Yes
Colour: Yes
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 2.0 English
Subtitles: None
Extras: Director Commentary, Behind the Scenes, Trailers
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Lamberto Bava
Cast: Urbano Barberini, Natasha Hovey, Karl Zinny, Fiore Argento, Paola Cozzo
Genre: Horror
Length: 88 minutes
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This year's battle of the budget bike bits is well and truly joined with Lidl set to wade into the fray on April 7. Hot on the heels of their arch rivals Aldi whose products we recently featured ,
A 35 piece tool kit for under £20 caught the eye, as did a rear pannier for £14.99 and Briko look-a-like sunnies with two sets of scratch resistant, shatterproof polycarbonate lenses, lens bag and robust pouch all for the throwaway price of £6.99.
But is this stuff any good you ask? Haven't the foggiest we reply, but we've asked for some samples and will let you know our verdict when and if they arrive. But of course there's the distinct possibility that even if we do manage to get our hands on the kit, the good stuff will have flown off the shelves and sold out before we've had a chance to tell you about it. So perhaps it's best to take a look at the options here and decide for yourself if it's worth a punt.


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- Jena Economic Resea...
- Volume 3
- Accuracy, Unbiasedn...
- Autor
- Erwähnte Institution
- Erschienen
- 16. November 2009
- Nummer des Discussion-Papers
- Schlagwort(e)
Evaluating forecasts
Fixed-Event Forecasts
Macroeconomic Forecasting
Survey Data
- Zusammenfsg.
In this paper, we use survey data to analyze the accuracy, unbiasedness, and the efficiency of professional macroeconomic forecasts. We analyze a large panel of individual forecasts that has not been analyzed in the literature so far. We provide evidence on the properties of forecasts for all G7 counties and for four different macroeconomic variables. Our results show a high degree of dispersion of forecast accuracy across forecasters. We also find that there are large differences in the performance of forecasters not only across countries but also across different macroeconomic variables. In general, forecasts tend to be biased in situations where forecasters have to respond to large structural shocks or gradual changes in the trend of a variable. Furthermore, while a sizable fraction of forecasters seem to smooth their GDP forecasts significantly, this does not apply to forecasts made for other macroeconomic variables.
- article pub. typess JER
- Research article
- article languages JER
- Englisch
- article research fields JER
- economics
- JEL-Classification for JER
- C25 - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models ; E32 - Business Fluctuations; Cycles ; E37 - Forecasting and Simulation


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Miss Mykie Silver Statement Necklace
Miss Mykie added a touch of edge to her feminine frock with this silver spike necklace.
Miss Mykie False Eyelashes
Miss Mykie's lashes were so long, they stretched to the sky while on '106 and Park.'
Miss Mykie Nude Lipstick
Miss Mykie's nude lip was a soft and delicate choice for her appearance on '106 and Park.'
Browse: Miss Mykie | Silver Statement Necklace | False Eyelashes | Nude Lipstick
Show Silver Statement Necklace Looks For:


text:
Lil Funny Kid Keeping It Real WIth Heidi Klum On Pau Gasol! "You Need To Get Fouled More. Even Though He Isn't Good Looking, He Is The 2nd Best Player On The Lakers" + Reaction When Pau Comes Out
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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text:
Ann Cryer, the former MP for Keighley has once again spoke out against the widespread grooming of white schoolgirls by gangs of Muslims in West Yorkshire. She has been 1 of the few people in office to have actually had the guts to stand up and tell the truth about these paedo Muslim sex gangs. She points the finger at the authorities constant failure to act for fear of being called racist and upsetting community relations, for the currant situation were now in where the Muslim nonces think they can have a free rein to use and abuse white schoolgirls as they see fit. Her successor as MP for Keighley has also been very vocal against the Muslim grooming gangs which would suggest its been going on for years with nothing done and is still rife in West Yorkshire. Most likely rife in any town with a large amount of Muslims.
See Muslim paedo/grooming map of Britain for an idea of the size of the problem
Scandal of Asian sex gangs left to prey on children in West Yorkshire
Published on Saturday 2 February 2013 18:05
GANGS of Asian men were allowed to prey on vulnerable young white girls for years in Yorkshire because authorities were "terrified of being called racist", a former MP has said in a dramatic committee hearing in Westminster.
Ann Cryer, who was MP for Keighley for 13 years before stepping down in 2010, said there had been a total failure by police, social services, schools and hospitals in West Yorkshire to work together to address evidence of child sex exploitation which emerged a decade ago.
"There has to be inter-agency working – and that wasn't happening then," Ms Cryer told MPs last night.
"The West Yorkshire Police, Bradford local authority, social services, schools, even hospitals – because abortions were taking place – none of them were working together. None of them were giving information.
"I feel pretty convinced that at that time, there was a fear of being called racist."
Child sex exploitation has become a burning issue over the past 12 months following a series of high-profile court cases, many of them involving gangs of British-Pakistani men.
Newspaper reports exposed cases of girls being sexually exploited in Rotherham, while a high-profile ring in Rochdale was found to have links across West Yorkshire.
Parliament's Home Affairs Committee has launched an investigation, and at a hearing last night the scale of the issue was revealed by chairman Keith Vaz.
"We've had figures from the Deputy Children's Commissioner that shows in her view there are 16,500 children at risk, and 2,409 who've been sexually exploited over a 14-month period," Mr Vaz said. "They sound to us to be phenomenally high figures."
Ms Cryer's successor as the MP for Keighley, Kris Hopkins, insisted the issue is now being dealt with properly by the police, and told the committee there are "ongoing cases" of child exploitation in the Bradford district – adding that "30 people have been arrested in the last two months".
But when Ms Cryer first raised the issue back in 2003, having been contacted by several worried mothers in her constituency, she felt something of a lone voice.
"It was one of those things that wasn't really talked about," she said.
The former Labour MP told the committee she always knew it would be a difficult subject to raise because of the sensitivities involved – but felt she had no choice but to speak out.
"If I had a terrific concern of being called racist, I wouldn't have done it," she said.
"I didn't allow it to get in my way of taking care of and doing right by some very vulnerable, very young girls – we're talking about ages 11 to 13."
She added: "I have three grandchildren who are half-Indian, and another grandchild who is half-African. It would have upset me if anyone had called me a racist – but I wasn't going to let that get in the way of protecting children."
But for the local authorities in West Yorkshire 10 years ago, she said, the picture seemed different.
"It didn't make sense, the lack of activity – particularly by Bradford social services and West Yorkshire Police," Ms Cryer said. "I formed the opinion that they were terrified about being called racist."
Committee member David Winnick described older men who exploit young teenage girls for sex as "degenerate and criminal", and said "the sooner they face justice, the better it will be for all concerned." But Ms Cryer said she felt there was a broader cultural issue in the way that some young British-Pakistani men view white girls.
"They take great pride in their girls, and how their girls are very careful in the way they dress and are always covered in some way –and then they see the other side of the situation," she said.
"Young white girls, as young as 12 or 13, where their cleavage is almost meeting their hemline.
"And I don't think these lads understand this is just part and parcel of fashion. It isn't that they're throwing out an invitation to them.
"Somebody, somewhere needs to get this over to them."
She made clear that the vast majority of Bradford's Asian communities are disgusted by such
"It's bringing shame on their community, and they are very embarrassed about it," she said.
"They regard these young men as completely beyond the pale.
"Perhaps it's unfortunate that they're thinking they are also beyond their influence."
Mr Hopkins said local authorities must take action, but that "the most powerful voices" need to be women within the Asian communities. He said he has already spoken with Home Secretary Theresa May about a project to help Asian women find a stronger voice.
"Mums, grandmas, future mums in those families need to be empowered," he said.
"I've spoken to the Home Secretary, I'm about to see (Communities Secretary) Eric Pickles, and what I want to try and do is
get women empowered in that community, and really become the voice in that community and the challenge to these young men."
Mr Hopkins also paid tribute to Ms Cryer's "absolutely rigorous" efforts to expose the issue.
Mr Vaz told her recent events were "almost a total vindication of what you've been saying since 2003".
But Ms Cryer said: "I have mixed emotions. I'm please people are recognising that what I was saying was right. But I'm also very upset that after all these years, we're still getting these cases."


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I recently rediscovered the photo album my parents put together to remember the first two years of my life. Since I was born 11 days before Christmas, I thought I might find some things to document how we spent the holidays. We came from a 'mixed' marriage - Dad was Jewish and Mom was Christian - but we were raised Jewish. I do remember Mom saying that she never wanted to take Santa Claus away from her kids so we became the envy of the neighborhood as we celebrated Hannukah and Christmas - SCORE!
So here we are at what Dad wrote in the album 'Debi's first Christmas'. I guess he didn't count the year of my birth since I was a newborn but this is technically my second Christmas. Aren't we cute?
|Carolyn and Deborah Levy
December, 1955
And the following year may have been the first year Dad took a photo to put on the holiday card. I found several different poses from 1956 but thought this one was the best.
|Deborah and Carolyn Levy
November, 1956
It looks like the same Santa! And I think those stockings are the same ones we used every year. I'll bet at some point we run across those at Mom's house.
My sister and I live in different states now and don't get a chance to see each other very often. But when we do, it takes me back to those early days when we spent every day together. I just wish my memory was better so that I could actually remember some of the details! And Doug, sorry you're not in these photos but you weren't born yet :-)
Merry Christmas - enjoy the past along with the presents!


text:
Car Deals
Hatchback Deals: May 2014
Interested in a new hatchback? You've come to the right place, since we've listed each of today's top hatchback deals on a wide variety of our favorite new models. But if you see a deal you like, we suggest you act quickly, as most of these incentives expire at the end of the month.
Ford Focus
The 2014 Ford Focus is an excellent compact car offered as a 4-door sedan or a 5-door hatchback. We prefer the more practical hatchback -- especially since it's such a great deal in May, with a facelifted 2015 model on the way. The best deal is for qualified shoppers looking to finance, as they can get 0 percent interest for up to 60 months and up to $1,000 cash back. But drivers looking to pay with cash can also get a good deal, as Ford is offering an impressive $3,000 cash back this month, a huge figure for a small car like the Focus.
Kia Rio
The Kia Rio is a subcompact car available as a 4-door sedan or a 5-door hatchback. We prefer the hatchback, given its excellent styling and extra practicality compared to the sedan. This month, the 5-door Rio is an especially good deal thanks to two strong incentives from Kia. For qualified shoppers looking to finance, Kia is touting 1.9 percent interest for up to 36 months, or 3.9 percent for 60 months. Meanwhile, drivers looking to pay with cash can get up to $500 back, which isn't a huge figure but better than nothing. Kia is also offering another $400 cash back to shoppers who are in the U.S. military.
The Mazda3 hatchback is a compact car with handsome new styling, excellent driving characteristics and a long list of available features and equipment. In May, Mazda is offering two great incentives on the popular 2014 Mazda3 hatchback. For qualified drivers looking to finance, Mazda is offering 0.9 percent interest for up to 36 months. Shoppers who would rather lease also get a good deal, as a Mazda3 i Sport with an automatic transmission is available for 36 months with payments from $199 per month after $2,359 down at lease signing.
Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius is a popular hybrid hatchback that returns over 50 miles per gallon in city driving. This month, the Prius is offered with two excellent deals: one for drivers looking to lease, and the other for qualified shoppers who would rather finance. For those interested in financing, Toyota is offering 0 percent interest for up to 72 months, an excellent deal available on all 2014 Prius trim levels. Drivers who would rather lease can put down $2,638 up front and get payments from $239 per month, a deal that's available for either 24 or 36 months.
Volkswagen GTI
The Volkswagen GTI is a sporty hot hatch available in 3- or 5-door hatchback body styles. In May, it's also available with two excellent incentives: one for shoppers looking to finance, and the other for drivers who would rather lease. For lease shoppers, Volkswagen is touting a 36-month term with payments from $279 per month after $2,349 down at lease signing. Qualified drivers looking to finance also get a good deal, as Volkswagen says the 2014 GTI can be had with 0.9 percent interest for up to 60 months.
Find a Volkswagen GTI for sale
What it means to you: Our list of hatchback deals includes excellent incentives and special offers on many of our favorite new hatchbacks.


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I am in search of a free, or cheap windows registry locker.
Something that i can install that will stop people to install programs regardless of rights, unless you know the programs password.
any links would be greatly excepted. Thanks.
Results 1 to 10 of 10
Thread: Windows Reg. Lockers


text:
Lehr Propane Eco Blower
Product: Lehr Propane Eco Blower
Price: $206.99
Rating: Recommend*
One local topic making the rounds lately is the ban on gas-powered leaf blowers used by home owners and their gardeners in Los Angeles. Make no mistake, we're no fans of the loud garden tools ourselves; there has been too many early mornings where we've been awoken by their characteristic "rrrrreeeeehrrr" and the fumes of gasoline lingering in the air. But amongst gardeners, ban or no ban, these are standard issue garden tools of convenience and efficiency. So we were intrigued when a LA company reached out with their line of marketed "environmentally friendly technology" garden tools that didn't fall under the ban; their Eco Blower, which forgoes gasoline and uses cleaner propane (the same fuel as your BBQ grill), claimed lower operational cost and quieter performance. We decided we'd give it a go.
Wearing its green cred right there with its green and black plastic construction, the Lehr Eco Blower is different from a typical blower/mulcher, as it uses common propane canisters as fuel. With up to 2 hours of operational use per canister, there's no concern about gasoline fumes, 97% fewer particulates spit out while in use and refueling is simplified to a twist and lock system. The inclusion of propane as a fuel seems a no-brainer improvement, making for safer operations and easier consumer maintenance; no worries about storing or spilling gasoline is a big plus for residential use.
Out of the box, we got the Eco Blower up and running in about 5 minutes, most notably making sure to add a sufficient amount of oil in the crankcase. The clamp didn't lock as easily around the propane canister as we would have liked, but it was noted the "very first time a tank is installed, it may be tight but soon will take a set and latch easier". We primarily tested the unit in blower mode (the unit can also be used as a vacuuming mulcher, with included bag/vacuum attachment, converting leaves, small branches and undoubtedly a few bugs into mulch at a 14:1 ratio); we traveled all the way to my mom's house out in suburbia to give the Eco Blower a real world backyard test. It took six pulls to get the unit started the first time, but once running, I suddenly understood why gardeners love these things: they make quick duty of a tedious task. Both Emily and my mom stood a safe distance, eyeing me suspiciously, as I walked around like Pvt. Vasquez in Aliens with her Gatling gun with the gleeful expression only afforded to the armed.
The Eco Blower might be a nicer, eco-friendly option, but it still performed like it's meaner gasoline powered equivalent from what I could tell. At the pull of a trigger, the hum of the 25-cc, 4-stroke engine would ramp up to a rice-rocket whir and start blowing everything I pointed at it with enough force to dislodge small pebbles (producing up to 150 mph air velocity). Note, I foolishly wasn't donning protective eye gear, let alone shoes (a case of laziness after taking them off in a no-shoe household), while I gave the Eco Blower a test, but I highly recommend you operate anything like this with more common sense.
I was able to clean my mom's backyard wood deck in a matter of a minute, blowing away a considerable amount of dirt and particles from the surface, which warmed her up to the device (albeit, still from a safe distance). But despite its quieter operational volume, it's still loud. Not so loud you have to shout while using it, as it is indeed noticeably quieter, but you're definitely going to drown out any soft musical musings of James Taylor while using the Lehr garden rool. And despite checking the crankcase and the oil levels, the unit did emit a slightly unpleasant smell; it might have been an odor which dissipates after first use and it didn't bother me all too much considering how much fun I was having using it.
Despite a good amount of lighter weight plastic used for parts like the blow tube and exterior housing, the Eco Blower is still heavy enough to require two hands for safe operation. Initially awkward, using it becomes easier with practice, but I cut the test short after realizing I wasn't really doing anything but maniacally looking around for something news I could blow far and fast. With great powers come great responsibility.
The Lehr Eco Blower is approved for use in all 50 States by the EPA, including certified California C.A.R.B. compliant. A 2 year limited warranty for the blower and 3 year limited warranty for the carburetor covers you from any major construction issues. We still believe you should resort to the standard truly-eco friendly and quieter rake for garden duties, but if you're going to tackle large yards and tasks that do require a leaf blower, you wouldn't be doing yourself a disservice by considering this propane powered garden tool. If anything, we wish we could just gift all the local gardening crews one of these each for more peaceful mornings.
Pros: Powerful, zero evaporative emissions, quieter than typical leaf blower, uses affordable propane, reduced odor/no leaks, dual blower/mulcher
Cons: Still loud, propane canister didn't lock easily
Our Ratings:
Strong Recommend
Weak Recommend
Don't Recommend
Apartment Therapy Media makes every effort to test and review products fairly and transparently. The views expressed in this review are the personal views of the reviewer and this particular product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf. However, the manufacturer did give us the product for testing and review purposes.


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Deploying J2EE (EJB) Applications
EJB modules depend on deployment descriptors to specify the runtime attributes of the enterprise beans. Deployment descriptors are saved in ejb-jar.xml files. EJBs are packaged and shipped along with their deployment descriptors (contained in the ejb-jar.xml file) in a standard format, in the form of a .jar (dot jar) file. When you deploy an EJB application, the deployment tool first reads the deployment descriptors specified in the ejb-jar.xml file. From this, the deployment tool gets information about the EJB, such as the type of beans packed in the .jar file, their transaction attributes, and their access permissions.
on the job: The ejb-jar.xml file specifies the run-time behavior of EJBs.
Using the Application Server Control to Deploy J2EE Applications
It is very easy to deploy J2EE applications through the Application Server Control. Here are the steps:
- Go to the OC4J home page and click the Applications tab.
- In the Deployed Applications section, click the Deploy EAR file.
- The Deploy Application Wizard—Select Application page appears next. The Deploy Application Wizard will deploy the selected EAR file and apply any configuration changes you may make. Select the J2EE application you wish to deploy by providing the name and the location of the application's EAR file. You must also select the parent application here. Click Continue.
- The URL Mapping for Web Modules page is next. You map a Web module to a URL pattern on your Web site and click Next.
- On the Resource References Mapping page, you do the following:
- Select the JNDI location.
- Select the data source.
- Select the JNDI location.
- For each CMP entity bean, select a data source location and the tables.
- Click Next.
- Select the JNDI location.
- On the User Manager page, select the User Manager you want to use for security. The JAZN XML User Manager provides complete security; to do this, you must set up a default realm and the jazn-data.xml file. The XML User Manager requires you to additionally configure the principals.xml file. Click Next.
- In the Security Role Mappings page, assign security roles to the users and groups that are part of the OC4J container.
- In the Publish Web Services page, click the Publish button if you want to publish and Web services has defined your application. Click Next.
- In the Summary page, review your selections and click Deploy.
Using dcmctl to Deploy EJBs
You can use the dcmctl deployApplication command, explained previously to show how to deploy Web application modules (WAR files), to deploy J2EE applications as well. Here's an example:
$ dcmctl deployapplication -file /test/testEAR.ear -a testEAR -co OC4J_Test
The dcmctl deployApplication command is similar to the command you use to deploy Web applications, with the difference that you don't have to specify the -rc option in the case of J2EE application deployment. If you use the -co (component name) option to specify a particular OC4J instance, the operation applies to only that OC4J instance within an OracleAS instance. In our example, the EAR module will be deployed to the OC4J instance named OC4J_Test. If you don't specify the -co target option, the operation applies by default to the OC4J instance named home.
The following things happen when you execute the deployApplication command:
- The WAR or EAR file is copied to the server.
- The WAR or EAR Zip file is then expanded into runtime directories.
- If necessary, the context root in the httpd.conf file and the mount points in the oc4j.conf file and server.xml are modified. A new mount point is added to the oc4j. conf file to match the root context.
- All files are copied to the DCM repository.
Changes in Configuration Files
When you deploy applications, either by using the dcmctl utility or through the Application Server Control, several changes are made in the OC4J configuration. The following text gives a brief summary of the changes made in the main configuration files.
The application name is added to the server.xml file:
<application name="testapp"
The context root for your new application (testapp) is added to the default-web-site.xml file, as shown here:
<web-app application=XXXX;testapp" name="testapp"
The application.xml file, located in the $ORACLE_HOME/applications/testapp/META-INF/ testapp directory is modified by adding the application module definitions to it:
In addition, a new Oc4jMount command line is added to the oc4j.conf file to match the root context /testapp.
{mospagebreak title=Maintaining and Monitoring Applications}
The OC4J home page shows all the deployed Web and EJB modules for an OC4J instance. The same page also shows a summary of application performance statistics, such as request processing time and method execution time. You can perform various management tasks by clicking the appropriate links which are grouped under the properties, resources, and security groups.
If you want to drill down into an individual application, click the link to the relevant application on the OC4J home page to get to the OC4J Application home page. Figure 8-8 shows the OC4J Application home page. From an application's
Figure 8-8. The OC4J Application Home Page
home page, you can monitor the status and performance metrics in the General section, right at the top of the page.
The two important sections in the Application home page are the Web Module and EJB Modules sections, which show the status and performance details about these two types of modules. You can drill down to the home pages of the various components of the two types of modules such as servlets, JSPs, and EJBs from the Web Module and EJB Module home pages.
Deploying and Registering Web Providers
You use Web providers to provide content to OracleAS Portal. Chapter 7 explains how Web and database providers work. Deploying Web providers is similar to deploying J2EE applications, because Web providers are regular J2EE applications. Portlet developers can use EAR files to deploy Web providers to the OracleAS Middle Tier. After you deploy a Web provider, you test the deployment using the URL of the provider adapter server, as shown here:
http://hostname:port/context_root/ providers
If your deployment is successful, you'll see the test page. If you disable the test page, client browsers will get a "403 Forbidden" response.
All Web providers must be registered with the OracleAS Portal, using the OracleAS Portal Web user interface. Registering the providers lets OracleAS Portal know how to access the providers. The portlet developer must provide the portal administrator the necessary deployment and registration instructions.
{mospagebreak title=TWO-MINUTE DRILL}
Introduction to J2EE
- J2EE is used to build and deploy Web-based applications.
- JTI is used by applications deployed in the OracleAS to demarcate transactions.
- JNDI is an independent directory service that enables Java applications to access various naming and directory services.
- JMS provides a standard messaging API that enables application components to pass data among themselves.
- RMI helps distributed applications communicate by invoking procedure calls.
- Data sources encapsulate database connections and help provide database connectivity to J2EE applications.
- The J2EE Connector Architecture (J2CA) provides a standard architecture for connecting the J2EE platform to non-Java-based enterprise systems.
- Servlets are small programs that run on the server and are used to enable dynamic content in Web pages and JSP documents.
- JavaBeans are reusable components that implement the functionality needed in J2EE applications.
- A J2EE container contains the framework for running EJBs, such as starting an EJB, and provides necessary support services for EJBs.
- Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs) are Java components that implement business logic.
- Session EJBs support clients during the execution of their tasks and last for the duration of a session.
- Entity EJBs represent an object of data, usually of a persistent nature, such as the table rows in a database.
- Entity EJBs can reflect two types of persistence: container-managed persistence (CMP) and bean-managed persistence (BMP).
- Message-driven EJBs represent the integration between the JMS (Java Message Service) and EJBs.
- J2EE applications can have three types of application deployment files, also called archives: JAR files, WAR files, and EAR files.
Oracle Containers for Java
- OC4J is a set of containers that enable J2EE application deployment.
- When you create a new OracleAS instance, you automatically install a set of default OC4J instances, to support the various OracleAS components.
- You must use the Oracle Application Server to manage OC4J.
- The two command-line tools you can use to manage OC4J instances are the familiar opmnctl and dcmctl utilities.
Creating an OC4J Instance
- The name of the default OC4J instance is home.
- You can create new OC4J instances with either the dcmctl utility or the Application Server Control.
- The dcmctl createComponent command helps you create a new OC4J instance.
- The ListComponents command helps you view all OC4J components.
- You must start a newly created OC4J instance using the Application Server Control or the opmnctl utility.
- You use the destroyInstance command to clear repository information about a removed OracleAS instance.
Managing the OC4J Instance
- The recommended way to manage the OC4J instance is to use the Application Server Control.
- To start or stop a single OC4J instance, use the opmnctl command with the ias-component option.
- To start or stop all the OC4J instances in an OracleAS instance, use the opmnctl command with the process-type option.
- Every OC4J instance has a separate OC4J home page in the Application Server Control Console.
- You can start and stop an OC4J instance either from the Application Server Control home page or from the OC4J home page.
- You can edit the server.xml file either by using the Server Properties link on the Administration page or by clicking the Advanced Properties link.
- The Website Properties home page lets you specify which Web applications are loaded when you start an OC4J instance.
- You can deploy a .ear file to a single OC4J instance or to all OC4J instances in a cluster.
- You can't directly redeploy an application; you must first undeploy and then deploy the application again.
- You use the dcmctl updateConfig command to let the OracleAS instance know that you have manually updated the configuration files using the standalone tool admin.jar.
Configuring OC4J
- An OC4J instance has three types of
configuration files: mod_oc4j files, server
configuration files, and application deployment files.
- The default port for the Oracle Web Cache on a UNIX system is 7777.
- The mod_oc4j module facilitates communication between the Oracle HTTP Server and the OC4J instance.
- The mod_oc4j module helps to provide transparent failover for clustered OracleAS instances.
- The server.xml file is the key OC4J server
configuration file.
- The server.xml contains references to other
configuration files, including J2EE configuration
- The server.xml, application.xml, and the default-web-site.xml files together define an application's configuration.
- The default-web-site.xml file contains the default Web site configuration details.
- The jazn.xml and jazn-data.xml files are used for security configuration, if you're using the Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS).
- Logical data source objects are published in the JNDI tree.
- Applications retrieve database connections through the java.sql.DataSource objects and look up the objects through the JNDI.
- The java.sql.DataSource object specifies the properties and methods of the data source objects.
- You use the data-sources.xml file to configure the OC4J database sources used by various applications.
- An application can also specify data sources at the application level, using the <data-sources> tag in the application.xml file.
- Each application has a separate JNDI namespace.
- Managed data sources are directly managed by OC4J, whereas native data sources are provided by vendors and implement the java.sql.dataSource interface but aren't wrapped by OC4J.
- The principals.xml file contains user, group, and other security-related information.
- Web application modules are contained in WAR files and include servlets and JSP pages.
- EJB applications are contained in EAR files and include EJBs.
- Client applications (JSPs) are contained in JAR files.
- To deploy an application to OC4J, you archive the JAR and WAR files into an EAR file.
- Each J2EE application type has two types of OC4J application configuration files: an OC4J specific file (Orion files) and a J2EE deployment descriptor file.
- If you don't explicitly create the OC4J-specific deployment file, they'll be automatically created at deployment time.
- The J2EE application.xml file is the global configuration file for all applications.
- Each application has its own local application.xml file.
- The orion-application.xml file is the OC4J-specific global configuration file for all applications.
- The autocreate-tables and autodelete-tables attributes determine whether to automatically create and delete tables for CMP beans.
- You must set autocreate-tables to false if you want to bind EJBs to existing tables.
- The orion-ejb-jar.xml file contains the mapping of EJBs to the OC4J server environment.
The OC4J Server Configuration Files
- The OC4J server configuration files help configure the OC4J server.
- The configuration settings in the OC4J configuration files apply directly to the OC4J server and not to the deployed J2EE applications.
- The server.xml file is the key OC4J server configuration file; it contains references to most of the files used by the OC4J server.
- The jazn-data.xml and the jazn.xml files are used for security configuration if you're using the Java Authentication and Authorization (JAAS) Service.
- The data-sources.xml file lets you configure OC4J database sources used by the various applications hosted by the OC4J instance.
- The principals.xml file contains user and group information as well as permissions and certificates.
- The rmi.xml file contains Remote Method Invocation (RMI) configuration information.
- The jms.xml file contains the OC4J Java Messaging Service (JMS) implementation configuration information.
- The web-site.xml file contains Web site configuration information.
- There are two basic types of application configuration XML files: J2EE deployment (configuration) files and an OC4J-specific configuration file.
- There are four J2EE application types: EJB, Servlet (Web Modules), JSP, and Client.
- Each J2EE application has a J2EE deployment descriptor XML file and an OC4J-specific deployment descriptor XML file.
- In addition to the different J2EE deployment XML files, there is also a set of four common global configuration files for all types of applications.
Deploying J2EE Applications
- Application directory naming conventions must be consistent with the appropriate directory structure for creating necessary JAR, WAR, and EAR files.
- You can deploy applications through dcmctl or the Application Server Control.
- You can also deploy applications by manually editing the configuration files and if you do so, you must run the dcmctl updateconfig command to record, in the Metadata Repository, the changes you made.
- When you are specifying JNDI locations as part of a data source creation, you must specify the XA and EJB locations only if you plan on having the EJBs use the database for CMP. Otherwise, specify only the Location attribute.
- The default data source (OracleDS) is emulated, which means you can connect only to a specific database.
- You must use a non-emulated data source if the application must access multiple databases.
- When you deploy a WAR file for the first time, it's wrapped inside an EAR file.
- EJB deployment descriptors are saved in the ejb-jar.xml files.
- Web providers are regular J2EE applications.
- All Web providers must be registered with the OracleAS Portal, using the OracleAS Portal Web user interface.
{mospagebreak title=SELF TEST}
- What is the name of the default OC4J instance?
A. Home
B. Default OC4J
C. OC4J Home
- Which two of the following statements are true, regarding a data source for a J2EE application?
A. For an emulated data source, you must specify only the ejb-location attribute to look up the data source in the JNDI space.
B. For a non-emulated data source, you must specify only the value for the location attribute to look up the data source in the JNDI space.
C. For an emulated data source, you must specify the location, the xa-location, and the ejb-location attributes to look up the data source in the JNDI space.
D. For a non-emulated data source, you must specify the location, the xa-location, and the ejb-location attributes to look up the data source in the JNDI space.
- Which of the following opmnctl commands would you use to start all the OC4J instances?
A. $ opmnctl startproc ias-component=OC4J_HOME
B. $ opmnctl startproc process-type=OC4J_HOME
C. $ opmnctl startproc process-type=OC4J
D. $ opmnctl startproc ias-component=OC4J
- Which of the following is the main OC4J configuration file?
A. server.xml
B. web.xml
C. oc4j_module
D. application.xml
- Which of the following would you use to deploy J2EE applications?
A. A WAR file
B. An EAR file
C. A JAR file
D. An APP file
- What is the mod_oc4j?
A. A key configuration file that facilitates communication between the Oracle HTTP Server and the OC4J instance.
B. A key configuration file that helps configure the Web server.
C. A module that's a part of the HTTP server and facilitates communication between the HTTP server and the OC4J instance.
D. A module that's a part of the HTTP server that determines the OC4J configuration settings.
- Where are data sources published?
A. Java Naming and Directory Interface
B. Java.sql.dataSource object
C. httpd.conf file
D. server.xml file
- Which of the following is the OC4J-specific global configuration file?
A. orion-application.xml
B. server.xml
C. application.xml
D. global-application.xml
- What happens when you deploy a Web application for the first time?
A. Its EAR file is wrapped into a JAR file.
B. Its JAR file is wrapped into a WAR file.
C. Its WAR file is wrapped into a JAR file.
D. Its WAR file is wrapped into an EAR file.
- Which of the following must you do to connect an application to multiple databases?
A. You must use an emulated data source.
B. You must use a non-emulated data source.
C. You must use the default data source.
D. You must not use the data-sources file at all.
- {mospagebreak title=SELF TEST ANSWERS}
- A is correct. The default OC4J instance is named home.
B, C, and D are wrong because there are no such default OC4J instances.
- B and C are correct. B is correct because you must only specify the location attribute when looking up a non-emulated data source in the JNDI tree. C is correct because you must specify all three attributes for emulated data sources, although only the ejb-location attribute is used by the applications, servlets, JSPs, and EJBs.
A is wrong because you must specify all three attributes for emulated data sources, and D is wrong because you must specify only the location attribute for a non-emulated data source.
- C is correct. The opmnctl startproc process-type=OC4J command will start all OC4J instances in an OracleAS instance.
A is wrong because the ias-component option starts only the specified OC4J instance, not all OC4J instances. B is wrong because the process-type option can't be used to start a single instance of OC4J. C is wrong because the command is missing the process-type option.
- A is correct. The server.xml file is the main OC4J configuration file.
B is wrong because the web.xml file contains the Web configuration information. C is wrong because the oc4j_module is part of the Oracle HTTP Server configuration, not the OC4J configuration. D is wrong because the application.xml is the key configuration file for an application, not the OC4J instance.
- B is correct. You use EAR files to deploy J2EE applications.
A is wrong because WAR files are used to deploy Web applications, not J2EE applications. C is wrong because JAR files are used to deploy client applications only. D is wrong because it refers to a nonexistent type of file.
- C is correct. The mod_oc4j module is part of the Oracle HTTP Server, and it is instrumental in facilitating communications between the Web server and the OC4J instance.
A and B are wrong because the oc4j_module isn't a configuration file but an HTTP module. D is wrong because the oc4j_module has nothing to do with the OC4J configuration.
- A is correct. Data sources are published in the Java Naming and Directory Interface ( JNDI).
B, C, and D are the wrong locations for publishing the data sources.
- A is correct. The OC4J-specific global configuration file is named orion-application.xml (all OC4J-specific files have the orion prefix in the XML files).
B is wrong because the server.xml file is the main configuration file for the OC4J instance. C is wrong because the application.xml file is the main J2EE-specific application configuration file. D is wrong because it refers to a nonexistent configuration file.
- D is correct. When you deploy a Web application for the first time, its WAR file is wrapped into an EAR file.
A, B, and C are wrong because they provide the wrong filenames.
- B is correct. You must use a non-emulated data source to access multiple databases.
A is wrong because an emulated data source will let you connect only to a single database instance. C is wrong because the default data source (OracleDS) is an emulated data source that allows you to connect to just a single Oracle database. D is wrong because you must use a datasource file when you're using data sources.