text:
The Obama administration is driving ahead with a dramatic reduction in sulfur in gasoline and tailpipe emissions, declaring that cleaner air will save thousands of lives per year at little cost to consumers.
Public health groups and automakers cheered the new rules, finalized Monday by the Environmental Protection Agency, with some insisting they could prove to be President Barack Obama's signature environmental accomplishment in his second term. The oil and gas industry, meanwhile, panned the move, calling it gratuitous and accusing the government of grossly underestimating the increased cost at the pump.
"The benefits far outweigh the costs," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, calling it a win for both consumers and automakers. "These standards will reduce pollution, they'll clean the air we breathe and protect the health of American families."
In the works for years, the rules require refineries to cut sulfur levels in the gasoline by about two-thirds by 2017. Less sulfur in gasoline makes it easier for a car's pollution controls to effectively filter out emissions, resulting in cleaner air, the EPA says. For car manufacturers, stricter limits on tailpipe emissions will require engineering changes so that cars weed out more pollution.
More than 2,000 premature deaths and about 50,000 cases of kids with respiratory problems will be avoided by 2030 if the rules go into effect, the EPA said.
The cost to consumers: Less than a penny per gallon of gas, McCarthy said. The EPA also projects the rules will raise the average cost of buying a vehicle by $72 in 2025.
But not everyone agrees.
The American Petroleum Institute, which represents the oil and gas industry, pointed to studies it has commissioned estimating that the limits would add 6 cents to 9 cents a gallon to refiners' manufacturing costs while requiring $10 billion in capital costs. American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, a trade group, called it "the most recent example of the agency's propensity for illogical and counterproductive rulemaking."
"This rule is all pain and no gain," said House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich. "This winter's cold snap underscores just how vulnerable American families and businesses are to any increases in energy costs, and yet the administration is moving forward to raise prices at the pump."
Pushing back on those charges, McCarthy said that API's study constituted an "outdated estimate" that didn't account for changes the EPA made to the rules after receiving public comment — such as a phasing-in that gives some refineries more flexibility to come into compliance.
"We stand behind our estimate," said Bob Greco, API's downstream group director.
The political wrangling over the latest round of regulations to hit the energy industry offered a familiar reprise of a long-running debate over Obama's attempts to use his regulatory power to clean up the nation's sources of fuel.
With just a few years left in his term and no appetite in Congress for major environmental legislation, Obama has vowed to take action unilaterally to tackle climate change and other pollution. Energy advocates have staunchly opposed Obama's proposed emissions limits on new and existing power plants, and accuse him of dallying on approval for the Keystone XL pipeline. The issue promises to play a prominent role in the 2014 midterm elections, as Democrats from energy-dependent states find themselves squeezed between economic and environmental concerns.
Tellingly, there was little pushback from the auto industry, with major automakers like Ford, Toyota and Honda praising the EPA for setting one standard for emissions that will apply nation-wide. California already uses the new sulfur standard, and while the U.S. has tightened sulfur limits twice before, it still lags behind many other countries.
"The EPA has effectively harmonized the federal and state emissions requirements, and that's a big deal for us," said Mike Robinson, a vice president at General Motors Co. "It allows us to engineer, build and calibrate vehicles on a national basis."
Breathing the pollutants that come out of a car's tailpipe leads to coughing and shortness of breath for healthy adults, but for those with underlying conditions like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, the implications can be grave: asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes and ultimately death, said Paul Billings, the American Lung Association's vice president.
The Obama administration already has moved to clean up motor vehicles by adopting rules that will increase fuel efficiency and putting in place standards to reduce the pollution from cars and trucks blamed for global warming.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Adult children of parents who have had same-sex partners sometimes fare measurably worse than adult children from long-term heterosexual married parents. So say the results of a new and sure-to-be-controversial study by Mark Regnerus, a sociologist at the University of Texas at Austin.
The study — the New Family Structures Study (NFSS) — is bound to put the cat among the pigeons, because it counters previous research on the well-being of children of gay and lesbian parents, which has found that these kids don't grow up to be much different from those of married hetero couples and that, in fact, kids of lesbian parents are often better adjusted and emotionally healthier.
(MORE: Modern Family: More Likely to Be Multigenerational, Unmarried or Interracial)
The NFSS, in contrast, found that adult children of people who have had same-sex relationships were more than twice as likely as children from intact straight homes to be in therapy "for a problem connected with anxiety, depression, relationships, etc.," more likely to be on public assistance (but, importantly, also more likely to have been raised with public assistance), less likely to have a full-time job, less likely to have voted in the 2008 elections and tended to have achieved less formal education.
"The empirical claim for no differences [between being raised by heterosexual and homosexual parents] has to go," says Regnerus.
These effects appeared to be more marked for people whose mothers had had a same-sex relationship than those whose fathers had. And this was especially true after controlling for such contributing factors as the respondent's age, gender or race, parental education, perceived wealth, whether they had been bullied and how gay-friendly their state was.
Adult children of lesbian mothers were more likely than children of hetero parents to cheat on their own partners, smoke marijuana and get arrested. Grimly, an eye-opening 23% of respondents whose mother had had a lesbian relationship said they had been abused sexually by a parent or adult caregiver, as opposed to 2% of children of hetero couples. (The study stresses, however, that it would be wrong to conclude from its data that the abuser was necessarily the mother or her partner, or that the abuse had anything to do with the parent's sexual orientation.)
(MORE: Why Families Who Eat Together Are Healthier)
The study is published in the journal Social Science Research in conjunction with several other papers, all more or less dealing with the same topic. In one study reviewing the previous data on children of same-sex couples, Loren Marks of Louisiana State University draws a bead on the American Psychological Association's stated position — which is based on said previous data — that there is "no difference" between being raised by a conventional, straight 'til-death-do-us-part couple or a gay couple. That statement is not supported by robust enough research, Marks contends.
Three other sociologists offer modifying views in the issue, including David J. Eggebeen, associate professor of the department of human development and family studies at Penn State, who writes flatly: "These papers do not prove anything."
Regnerus's study is bigger and more comprehensive than previous studies, but it has a multitude of problems itself. The first major caveat is who paid for it: the Witherspoon Institute and the Bradley Foundation, two organizations with a socially conservative bent. Indeed, Regnerus has previously written for such outlets, including Christianity Today (but also more neutral ones, including the Washington Post).
(MORE: More Unwed Couples Having Children)
The NFSS is based on nationally representative surveys of nearly 15,600 people, including almost 250 who reported having a parent who had had a same-sex partner. Previous studies typically included 70 respondents or fewer who were recruited through same-sex networks and told they were participating in a survey on gay families. Regnerus contends these were not random samples.
However, the NFSS isn't necessarily representative of the current situation either. The survey respondents were adults (aged 18 to 39), and the sweeping changes in public attitudes toward same-sex couples in the last two decades would suggest that these respondents might have faced more stigma than children of gay parents do now.
Moreover, and perhaps more importantly, very few of the respondents lived with a single same-sex couple their entire childhood. Some, it seems, appear to have been the product of a relationship that preceded the parent's realization that he or she was gay, or the product of one of several relationships of various stripes. Meaning that these children are likely to have experienced divorce or "family disruption" — a known predictor of social and behavioral problems in children.
(MORE: Generation X Report: Men Spend More Time in the Kitchen)
Indeed, when the respondents' outcomes were compared to those of adult children of divorced families, adoptive families, stepfamilies and single parents, the differences were less stark. It's likely that the variations observed between kids of gay and straight homes is attributable in part to instability, rather than to the parents' sexual orientation. Further, as Regnerus's colleague at University of Texas, Cynthia Osbourne, observes in her accompanying commentary: "[A]pproximately 43% of the NFSS respondents whose mothers had a same-sex relationship were Black or Hispanic," and faced a whole other set of social and demographic challenges — which, again, are known predictors of problems in children — whereas most of the prior studies' participants were white. Not to mention the high number of NFSS participants whose families had been on public assistance.
Another damning critique: the NFSS compares kids of "any parent who ever 'had a relationship' with someone of the same sex to those who lived with both married biological parents from birth to age 18," says Philip N. Cohen, professor of sociology at University of Maryland, College Park. "It is not about people who were 'raised by' lesbians or gay men." (Only two respondents in the entire survey fit that description.) In other words, the study does not fairly compare apples to apples.
Nevertheless, its methodology was endorsed by well-regarded sociologists, including Paul Amato at Penn State, who wrote in an editorial that Regnerus's study was "better situated than virtually all previous studies to detect differences between these groups in the population." When Amato evaluated NFSS data independently, he found, similarly to Regnerus, that "when averaged across [Amato's] measures of well-being, young adults who grew up with lesbian mothers scored slightly less than half of a standard deviation below young adults who grew up with continuously married heterosexual parents," he writes. "I would describe this is as a moderately large effect size." (Amato notes, for the record, that he was also a paid consultant on the study in its development stage.)
(LIST: Mixed-Race Celebrities on Race, in their Own Words)
Regnerus, for his part, insists that he's not out to demonize gay parents. "This is not a parenting study," he says. "Many gay parents are clearly excellent. I focus on the relationship claim, not the status of the relationship." He also notes also that "the study can't answer political questions."
Both his critics and his supporters echo that statement. "The study makes an important contribution to our understanding of how a variety of childhood family environments are related to outcomes among young adult offspring," writes Amato. "But these findings — and for that matter, any social research findings — should not be used to restrict the civil rights of any group of individuals."
This doesn't mean, of course, that folks aren't going to try.


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Employees will be given the choice between Apple's Mac OS and Linux.
Adding insult to injury, Google is also publicly citing Windows security problems for the decision and blaming Windows vulnerabilities for the China hacking incident.
So that's 20,000+ Windows licenses that won't be sold and renewed at Google in future years.
Given that Google is in the process of introducing a competitive platform and operating system (Android/Chrome), this move isn't surprising. The important question for Microsoft is whether other companies will follow suit.
David Gelles and Richard Waters, FT:
Google is phasing out the internal use of Microsoft's ubiquitous Windows operating system because of security concerns, according to several Google employees.
The directive to move to other operating systems began in earnest in January, after Google's Chinese operations were hacked, and could effectively end the use of Windows at Google, which employs more than 10,000 workers internationally.
"We're not doing any more Windows. It is a security effort," said one Google employee.
"Many people have been moved away from [Windows] PCs, mostly towards Mac OS, following the China hacking attacks," said another.
New hires are now given the option of using Apple's Mac computers or PCs running the Linux operating system. "Linux is open source and we feel good about it," said one employee. "Microsoft we don't feel so good about."


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Aff development task list
AFFLIB has been depreciated. As a result, this page is now obsolete.
High Priority
- When afinfo -a is run on a non-AFF file, it notes it is a "Raw" file, but continues to attempt to process segments. It should exit if it does not find valid AFF segments. For example, running it against a raw image of a 40GB disk created with aimage, afinfo -a reported 2,386 segments then finished with the error message "Cannot calculate missing pages."
- The library does not compile on 64-bit versions of Fedora Core 7 Linux.
- Create man pages and/or documentation for AFF toolkit. To wit:
* aimage * ident * afcat * afcompare * afconvert * affix * affuse * afinfo * afstats * afxml * afsegment
- Add a usage description to afcat. When run with no arguments the output should say what the program does.
- Create man pages and/or documentation for AFF library functions (e.g.
- Build library as a shared library using libtool. This will allow developers using the library to just link to the AFF. Without it, developers must link to the static library and the individual libraries necessary on that machine. There is no good way to determine those extra libraries.
- Document that
may not be called without first setting theimage_pagesize
value inside of theAFFILE
structure. Not doing so causes a divide by zero error. Perhaps we should 1. Check thatimage_pagesize
is not zero and 2. Setimage_pagesize
to a known good default value when opening a new AFF file for writing.
- Check aimage ability to write a file of 1,073,741,825 bytes ((2**30)+1). Correctly reported reading/writing a file that was a 1,073,741,824 random byte stream, but did not pick up the extra byte when it was added to the file. ls -la correctly shows the size with the extra byte. Also, added 42 additional bytes which were not apparently read or written. UPDATE - With 511 bytes added, still didn't read/write full file, however, adding 512 bytes did cause the whole file (1,073,742,336 bytes) to be read/written.
Medium Priority
- Is there a set of segment names that must be defined to have a valid AFF file?
- Document that
(when writing a file) does more than a standardfopen
command. The command writes an AFF stub of some kind to the output file. Users should be cautioned not to use this function as a test, lest they overwrite data.
- Does
refuse to open a file for writing if it already exists? If so, what kind of error does it return?
- Document how to programmatically enumerate all segments and values in
a file. That is, explain how to get the output of
$ afinfo -a
Low Priority
- Add library function to open standard input. Perhaps:
AFFILE * af_open_stdin(void);


text:
New XHD Replacement Soft-Tops from Rugged Ridge now available! Each Fabric Soft Top is designed to easily fit the factory original soft top hardware. Simply take off the old top and slip on the new. It s just that easy! These new designs feature reinforced stitching on the heavy pull areas and heavy duty 30 mil thick glass! All XHD Soft Tops boast 20 oz durable vinyl coated polyester and cotton fabric that last the test of time. All sewn seams use marine grade thread to make sure it does not deteriorate or discolor in the sun. Each seam is literally welded shut with durable heat seal tape to keep moisture out while keeping the original look of the top intact. Attaching the Rugged Ridge Top is easy with the factory original belt rail attachment method; simply tuck under the rail and go! All our tops feature 2 choices of door options as Jeep offered the 97-06 Wrangler with upper soft doors or with full hard doors. Rugged Ridge makes a Replacement Top that fits either! Each top is backed by an industry leading 5 year limited warranty against manufacturer defects.
Take your driving experience to the next level with our performance-focused accessories. Explore a range of air filters, exhaust systems, and other upgrades to unleash your vehicle's full potential.


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In Crow, Wiconi Wawokiya means "helping families."
The . shelter — also known as Project SAFE — is on the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation in central South Dakota. It serves more than 350 victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.
"The needs are great," says the program's director Lisa Thompson-Heth. The center provides an array of services, including crisis counseling, medical assistance and legal advocacy.
The reservation spreads into three counties, including Buffalo County, the poorest in the country. According to the center's website, Wiconi Wawokiya, Inc. "has hope for a better tomorrow without violence in our community."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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TaxNo one wants to see an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) auditor show up at his or her door. The IRS can't audit every American's tax return, so it relies on guidelines to select the ones most deserving of its attention.
Here are six flags that may make your tax return prime for an IRS audit.¹
The Chance of an Audit Rises with Income
According to the IRS, less than 1% of all individual taxpayer returns are audited. However, the percent of audits rises to over 2% for those with incomes between $500,000 and $1 million, and is over 4% for those making between $1 million and $5 million.²
Deviations from the Mean
The IRS has a scoring system it calls the Discriminant Information Function that is based on the deduction, credit, and exemption norms for taxpayers in each of the income brackets. The IRS does not disclose its formula for identifying aberrations that trigger an audit, but it helps if your return is within the range of others with similar income.
When a Business is Really a Hobby
Taxpayers who repeatedly report business losses increase their audit risk. In order for the IRS not to consider your business as a hobby, it needs to have earned a profit in three of the last five years.
Non-Reporting of Income
The IRS receives income information from employers and financial institutions. Individuals who overlook reported income are easily identified and may provoke greater scrutiny.
Discrepancies Between Exes
When divorced spouses prepare individual tax returns, the IRS compares the separate submissions to identify instances where alimony payments are reported on one return but alimony income goes unreported on the contra party's return.
Claiming Rental Losses
Passive loss rules prevent deductions of losses on rental real estate, except in the event when an individual is actively participating in the property's management (deduction is limited and phased out), or with real estate professionals who devote greater than 50% of their working hours to this activity. This is a deduction to which the IRS pays keen attention.
- The information in this material is not intended as tax or legal advice. It may not be used for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation.
The content is developed from sources believed to be providing accurate information. The information in this material is not intended as tax or legal advice. It may not be used for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation. This material was developed and produced by FMG Suite to provide information on a topic that may be of interest. FMG Suite is not affiliated with the named broker-dealer, state- or SEC-registered investment advisory firm. The opinions expressed and material provided are for general information, and should not be considered a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. Copyright 2019 FMG Suite.


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We offer a Free quote and UK design service, get in touch today.
We supply a wide range of products with regards to EYFS Statutory Framework covering many different skills. These different products are designed to help young kids with mental, physical and social development. Outdoor learning environments have many benefits within the early stages of education, so we offer equipment to maximise this.
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There are plenty of EYFS literacy activities that children can take part in to begin developing this skill. Local outdoor features such as alphabet markings on the playground and phonics games can help the initial stages of reading and writing. By incorporating these things into fun games, the kids are more likely to remember what they have learnt.
Other things which can promote literacy in younger children include reading stories. We supply story time chairs and seating which can be set up in an outside space where teachers can read books to the kids. You can look here - http://www.eyfsplay.co.uk/equipment/classrooms/ to see the range of equipment we have available which can improve your surrounding areas.
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Equipment which is commonly used for this could be creativity tables, painting boards and role play sets. These all allow under 5s to use their imaginations with building and making this or even putting together a role playing scenario with different characters and settings. Role play http://www.eyfsplay.co.uk/learning/role-play/ is a great way to support a child's imagination and development whilst in education.
Speaking and listening are key parts of Early Years communication and language. It's important for young children to learn when to listen and when to speak up and offer their own ideas. Playground features including play boats, trains, activity panels and many other toys teach kids to communicate with each other and share.
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For children in nearby EYFS understanding the world is a crucial part of learning outlines in the Statutory Framework. Specific activities are done to increase awareness of surroundings and the physical world. A range of activities designed to teach about people, places and technology can be incorporated into this learning outcome.
Pretend sets and role play equipment are excellent for developing this knowledge. These are often recommended by OFSTED inspectors as part of the framework for promoting specific skills. For example using make believe shops, mud kitchens, dens http://www.eyfsplay.co.uk/equipment/den/ and post office play panels all help kids to develop and understanding of their local community and life in the world.
Another key outcome which children should learn during Early Years is personal, social and emotional development. Through this, kids should learn to develop positive relationships with others and understand their own emotions and how to manage them. This outcome also focuses on ensuring children know how to behave around others and how to show respect to classmates and teachers.
Playing games in groups and sharing equipment can help in this stage of learning with the EYFS Statutory Framework. The kids should know how to play nicely with others and share toys that they are using, as well as being inclusive to everyone.
Many types of playground equipment can contribute to EYFS physical development in nursery schools. At this age, kids closest to you should be focusing on coordination, control and movement. Features including trim trails, climbing frames and obstacle course near me are designed to help with this stage of learning.
As well as developing strength and agility, children should also be taught about health and food as an aspect of physical development. Making healthy choices when eating from a young age can contribute to healthier lifestyles in the future.
If you would like some more information on each of these different statutory learning outcomes, please don't hesitate to get in contact with us today. There are many pieces of equipment and playground designs which we can supply to help you give pupils the best start in life. Children from birth to age 5 should be learning a number of fundamental skills, and we are here to help with providing this education.
Just fill in our contact box to speak with an expert on the different product we supply for EYFS Statutory Framework and we'll get back to you.


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From one angle, Clint Eastwood's dialogue with an imaginary President Obama — using a tall chair as a prop — at the Republican National Convention in Tampa on Thursday night was sharp-pointed and youthful and edgy and film-schoolish.
From another angle, it could be construed as the meanderings of an older man who is disenchanted by a shaky economy, an ongoing war and the perception of broken promises, but somehow can't put his disgruntlement into words.
In any case, it was for many observers a very odd occurrence. Eastwood's speech, says Stan M. Haynes, a Baltimore attorney who has written about the history of political conventions, "certainly had its strange moments and will likely strengthen the policy of the parties that all appearances from the podium must be tightly scripted, regardless of the status of the speaker."
But it was far from alone among odd moments at political conventions. A few recent examples spring to mind:
-- At the Republican convention in 2008, Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, only eight years removed from being the Democratic candidate for vice president, rallied the party in Minneapolis. "What, after all, is a Democrat like me doing at a Republican convention like this?" he asked. "I'm here to support John McCain because country matters more than party." Things got even weirder when Lieberman praised former President Bill Clinton. "Surreal is the best word," NPR's Ken Rudin observed at the time. "Given the fact that everybody in that hall were members of the vast right-wing conspiracy, and here they are cheering Bill Clinton's name and Bill Clinton's accomplishments."
— At the Democratic convention in 2008, Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower, addressed the crowd in Denver and endorsed Barack Obama, whom she said "has the energy, but more importantly, the temperament, to run this country and provide the leadership we need."
-- At the Republican convention in 2004, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-Calif., attacked people who were pessimistic about the economy as "girlie men" — a reference to a popular Saturday Night Live skit that parodied his bodybuilding past.
The Philadelphia Inquirer noted the oddness: First, Schwarzenegger "used a satire on his own muscle-bound inanity to mock others. Second, how many GOP delegates even got this reference to a late-night show that drips with New York hipness, sexual innuendo, and scorn for family values?"
Not A New Phenomenon
Haynes, author of The First American Political Conventions, Transforming Presidential Nominations, 1832-1872, notes there have been awkward moments in conventions throughout American history — not just in the television era.
He reaches deep into the history books for one memorable and very weird occasion. At the 1868 Democratic convention in New York, Haynes says, the convention was deadlocked ballot after ballot, and there was no obvious front-runner. Convention President Horatio Seymour, a former governor of New York, had vehemently told his party that he was not a candidate and would not accept the nomination. To break the deadlock, however, Seymour's name was introduced — much to his chagrin.
Seymour "took to the podium and pleaded to the delegates, 'God bless you for your kindness to me, but your candidate I cannot be,' " Haynes says.
The delegates ignored his pleas and spirited him out of the convention hall. "Some say he was, in effect, kidnapped," Haynes says, "and was kept away while the voting took place."
Seymour was unanimously nominated.
Known from then on as "The Great Decliner," Haynes adds, "Seymour was persuaded to accept the nomination. ... He ended up losing the 1868 election, to Ulysses Grant."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Higher flow GSP sanitary pumps have a volute type casing, leading to higher efficiency, less turbulence, and 70% average best efficiency for lower operating costs. The compact close-coupled 316L pumps are all mounted to NEMA frame motors and can be purchased with wash down duty or TEFC motors with covers. The GSP pumps are certified to both 3-A 02-10 and 88-00 standards, and are CIP-cleanable.
Two S1 series GSP pumps are available in sizes ranging from ½ to 5 HP with a flow rate of 180 GPM and heads to 130 feet, and eight S2 series sanitary pumps are available from 3-25 HP with flows to 575 GPM and heads to 350 feet. All GSP pumps feature a non-clogging open impeller.


text:
If the breeze from those open windows just isn't cutting it, come by our shop in Bertram, TX 78605 to get an expert opinion on what we can do to fix your auto A/C or heating problems. We offer affordable prices and guaranteed workmanship. Contact us at 737-252-3002 so we can help you drive in comfort.
Why maintaining your AC System is very important:
Heating and A/C systems may break eventually with usage, hose pipes may clog and drip if not serviced, causing reduced efficiency heating and cooling capabilities. Regular maintenance will keep your AC system operating at peak performance!
Indications your A/C system may be having issues:
If your air conditioning blows only slightly cooler air compared to the exterior air
Air that blows in smells damp, musty, or like mildew and mold
Your cabin does not warm up in cold weather, or is just a little warmer than outside
The defroster takes longer than typical to operate, or does not operate
Your heater or A/C only functions when driving, not when idling, or quits blowing when the car is stationary
Your heating system blows cold air, or the air conditioning blows warm air
Low airflow even at the highest fan setting.
A comprehensive evaluation of heating and A/C system includes:
Examining the internal controls and blower
Checking radiator coolant operating temperature, hoses, pressure radiator cap and thermostat
Inspecting the compressor belt
Inspecting system and seals for leaks or various other damages.
A cooling system pressure test
Verifying the A/C pressure meets manufacturer specifications
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Our repair and maintenance services include:
A fan belt, also known as a drive belt, is a belt connecting your car's engine to the front mounted accessories. The fan belt rotates the water pump and engine fan, which maintains a cool environment for the engine and its components. Sooner or later, your vehicle's fan belts will dry out and crack. When you are ready for a replacement you can count on CrossTech Automotive for all your vehicle's repair needs.
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Coolant System Flush
A car's coolant system transfers excess heat from one part of the engine and finally loses it through the radiator fins. With time, the coolant becomes old and dirty. The old coolant will negatively impact the system's performance. To make sure the system is working effectively, consider having a regular coolant system flush. A coolant flush is basic maintenance for your car's cooling system. Call 737-252-3002 or visit CrossTech Automotive for all your coolant system flush and fill needs.
Hoses transfer coolant and antifreeze throughout the engine's cooling system (including the radiator). Sooner or later, your vehicle's hoses will dry out and crack. When you are ready for a replacement you can count on CrossTech Automotive for all your vehicle's repair needs.
You not only have to get the hoses replaced with quality ones but you should have the work done by experts. To have the hoses replaced by auto cooling and heating experts - and get your car driving right - visit CrossTech Automotive today. The mechanics at CrossTech Automotive will thoroughly inspect your car's hoses; replace all worn hoses; and adjust the installed hoses.
Radiator Flush
A radiator is the part of your vehicle that keeps the engine cool and protects it from excessive heating. To be cool, the radiator needs to remain clean - always. With time, sludge, rust and other solid deposits build up inside your car's radiator. These make the cooling system become clogged and less effective. This in effect hurts your vehicle's performance. A regular radiator flush is enough to keep the system in shape. For this reason, make radiator flushing a part of your routine car maintenance schedule. For all your radiator flush needs, call 737-252-3002 or visit CrossTech Automotive today.
Radiators are heat exchangers for cooling your car's internal combustion engine. A radiator cools the engine by circulating an engine coolant through the engine block - it then loses the heat to the atmosphere through radiation. A radiator has a set of tubes through which the engine coolant flows. Fins surround these tubes. When the radiator fails, the excess heat produced by the engine could damage the engine components. To prevent this from happening, have your radiator serviced regularly. To have your radiator needs handled by experts, visit CrossTech Automotive today.
Summerize Your Vehicle
It's important to prepare your car for the perils of summer - heat, dust, traffic jams - which increase the likelihood of a breakdown. At CrossTech Automotive, our technicians can perform the necessary preventive maintenance to get your car ready for summer. These are some of the recommended services:
Check the battery
Change the fluids
Examine the belts and hoses
Check climate and coolant systems
Check wiper blades
Check tires
Check headlights, turn signals, and tail lights
Your car will be ready to handle the hot weather so you can enjoy your summer.
Winterize Your Vehicle
Winter weather can be harsh on you and on your vehicle. Trust the technicians at CrossTech Automotive to get your car ready for the winter. These are some of the recommended services:
Check the battery
Check the tires
Check wiper blades
Check fluids
Check headlights, turn signals, and tail lights
Check the exhaust system for leaks
Check the belts and hoses
Check the heating system
Your car will be ready for the winter weather so you can have driving confidence.


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Below is our selection of Kenmore Freezer model numbers. Select a model from the list to see an overview of its replacement parts. You can quickly narrow your search by entering your product's model number into the search bar above.
If you don't know how to locate your model number, view our How To Find Your Model Number videos and diagrams here. If our list of models doesn't contain your Kenmore Freezer model number, call our Customer Service team at 1-800-269-2609 or start a Live Chat for help.
Lastly, make sure to check our Repair Help section which gives free troubleshooting advice and step-by-step video instructions for replacing a variety of Kenmore Freezer parts.


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Assembler to C
written by Walter Bright
November 28, 2009
Back in the bad old DOS days, to have a large, capable application meant writing it in assembler because:
- hand written assembler was often more than twice as fast as C
- with very tight memory, the smaller the app the more room there was for data
- compilers in the early days were rather poor
Early successful apps like Lotus 1-2-3 (and of course, DOS itself) were written in assembler.
But, as things got better (especially with the arrival of protected mode) the advantages of assembler started getting outweighed by its disadvantages, i.e. the high cost of developing in it. One was faced with a choice — rewrite the app from scratch, or translate it from assembler to C. Translating had the huge advantage of one didn't lose all the about how things need to work that gets embedded in the code.
I had the job at the time of converting a huge (and very successful) electronic schematic editor, DASH, from assembler into C. In C it could then be recompiled for 32 bits, and even ported to other platforms like the Sun workstations. The conversion took months, but was a big success.
Today, I am faced with the linker, Optlink. It was originally written in 16 bit assembler, and was also very successful. It survived the transition to 32 bits by being recoded, line by line, by its original author Steve Russell. The linker ran like lightning, and still does. No other linker remotely comes close. Every line of it is heavily optimized, and even scheduled. It's a marvel of assembler coding skill. But it being in assembler means its stuck in the past: inflexible, unfixable, unportable. The time has come to do something about it.
It's sort of like keeping a P-51 fighter in flying condition these days — the engineers who designed it are all gone, the manufacturer no longer makes any parts for it, the drawings are gone, and the people who built them are gone. Pretty much, you're all on your own, figuring things out, machining any parts needed, etc. Of course, it's all worth it because a flying P-51 is a pretty sweet machine!
I figure the best thing to do is to translate it to C, as linkers have an awful lot of in them about how things work in the real world rather than how they are documented. I estimated that relearning that lore would take a huge amount of time, and would take an unacceptable toll on the users while they struggled with outlying problems. (Although few will be called upon to convert assembler to C, converting from one language to another often comes up and many of the issues are the same.)
Why use C instead of the D programming language? Certainly, D is usable for such low level coding and, when programming at this level, there isn't a practical difference between the two. The problem is that the system to build Optlink uses some old tools that only work with an old version of the object file format. The D compiler uses newer obj format features, the C compiler still uses the old ones. It was just easier to use the C compiler rather than modify the D one. Once the source is all in C, it will be trivial to shift it over to D and the modern tools.
After a few false starts, I remembered the lessons from converting DASH, which are:
- Convert a small slice at a time, then build and test. If it broke, you can substitute back in the old asm code, and then figure out where you went wrong as the problem area is small.
- Don't try and redesign or fix anything during this process. It's terribly hard sometimes to resist this urge, but it always ends up badly if you succumb. It becomes a hunk o' junk that doesn't work and you've no idea why.
- Doing it a bit at a time means you always have a working version of the app. This is fairly motivating, rather than having a long desert of nothing working and no idea if you've committed some obscure and fundamental error.
- While not fixing the design in the process, it is very helpful to add in comments as you figure things out, for the next guy who has to translate it from C onwards!
Problem areas:
- Optlink did not link with any other library, not even the C standard library. So by using C, it had to be C that used nothing from the library, not even the startup code. This meant I had no printf, which turned out to be so unbearable I grabbed the printf source from the C library and hacked it up to work in Optlink (Optlink didn't have FILE or stdout).
- The C compiler prepends _ to global identifers, so they wouldn't match with Optlink ones. The easiest solution was to hack the C compiler to stop doing that.
- Optlink used specially named sections. Fortunately, the C compiler had a switch to name the code sections to match.
- Function calling sequence. Optlink uses about every function calling sequence imaginable, from registers to stack to even the flags register. Converting any function to C first required figuring out what its (usually undocumented) calling convention was, and what registers it used/destroyed, and recoding it to use the C convention.
- It was usually easiest to use local variable names with the same name as the register they replace. So the conversion has a lot of locals with names like EAX, ESI, etc. This makes it easy to compare the two sets of sources. Once the C version is verified, more useful names can be used.
- Gotos. Of course, assembler has no structured statements. Functions are a rat's nest of goto's. The easy way is just leave the goto's intact in the C source. After it all works, then see about replacing them with structured control flow.
- Accurately typing variables. In particular, C will helpfully multiply the offset to a pointer by the size of the type pointed to. In asm, this is done manually. So one has to figure out the type pointed to, divide the offset by that value, and put that in the C source. This is very easy to get wrong, so I like to verify by compiling then disassembling and comparing the instructions. That's easier than debugging random crashes.
- Macros and conditional assembly. It's been a looong time since I've used MASM, and how that all works has gone out of my head. It's easier to cut through the chaff and just disassemble the output of the assembler to see what the real instructions are. This also helps to verify that you've got the offsets of struct members the same as in the assembler.
- Optlink has no unit tests. Writing them would require understanding what the various functions do, and I won't know precisely what they are supposed to do until most of the program is converted.
Once it is all in C, then the old build system can be scrapped, the special compiler switches and hacks removed, it can be hooked up to the C standard library, and then built as a real C app.
Then, it can be easily converted to a D app and the possibilities are unlimited.
Most people would consider this an exercise in self-flagellation, but I enjoy doing it.
I don't know yet how this is all going to work out, as I am only part way through the process. It'll take a long time. But I'm looking forward to freeing Optlink from its heritage so it will be useful for another 10 years.
Early results, though, are the C source code is about 30% smaller than the corresponding ASM code, and the C object code is about 30% larger than the ASM object code. That's in line with historical experience I've had working with C and assembler.
The difference in object code size is primarily due to the assembler having done register assignments that cross over multiple function calls. There's just a lot less pushing and popping of parameters. There are also a lot of functions with multiple entry points. I don't know of any current compiler that is able to enregister across a flow graph of function calls, or is able to tail merge multiple functions.
Although I have not run any speed tests, I expect the performance of the non-I/O bound code to be about 30% slower. Since a linker tends to be I/O bound, the actual performance loss probably will be about 10%, which I can live with.
Thanks to David Held and Bartosz Milewski for reviewing this.


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Closed | |||
Pub With Brewery Attached | |||
Address | Original Brewing Company (Bracknell) Hollywood Bowl The Point Skimped Hill Lane Bracknell RG12 1EN | ||
County (see footnote) | Ceremonial Berkshire | Shire Berkshire | Local Authority Bracknell Forest |
One of the !1452 outlets opened in early Summer 1997. It ceased brewing along with the rest of the chain in the latter part of 2000.
The information contained above was believed to be correct at the date indicated. However we accept no responsibility for any false, misleading or inaccurate information within this site. We are not Original Brewing Company (Bracknell) and have no connection with them. This is not their official web site. If you believe any of the above information to be wrong, then let us at www.quaffale.org.uk know by contacting us.
All Trademarks and logos are recognized as the property of their owners.
Since the 1974 local government reorganisation there has been much controversy over many county boundaries. The links we provide cover all areas possibilities: Ceremonial Counties which are the counties for which a Lord-Lieutenant has been appointed, Historic Counties (and their allied county boroughs) which represent the position before the 1974 re-organisation and Local Authority which represents the third tear District level.
Last Updated : 15th November 2009


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Leiden University
Kidney transplantation is a major advance of modern medicine which provides high-quality of life for patients with end-stage renal disease. What used to be an experimental, risky, and very limited treatment option more than 50 years ago is now routinely performed in many countries worldwide. The number of renal transplants is expected to rise sharply in the next decade since the proportion of patients with end stage renal disease is increasing.
Are you interested in clinical kidney, pancreas and islet transplantation? If you are a (bio) medical student or a health care professional who works in the (pre) clinical transplant field this might be the course for you. This course is also for anyone interested in the research and knowledge on clinical transplantation. The course will be taught by a multidisciplinary team of transplant professionals and will give you the state of the art updates.
It is divided in 4 modules:
1) Before the transplant
2) The surgical procedures and the challenged patient, including the patient with diabetes
3) Early challenges
4) Late challenges after transplantation.
The offered modules will include lectures, interactive patient cases, 3D movies, interviews with well-known experts and with patients and a donor, a serious game to increase knowledge of the field and of course an active forum. Become an expert and join us!
The course is endorsed by The European Society of Organ Transplantation (ESOT), The International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and The Transplantation Society (TTS).
This MOOC has been accredited for Continuing Medical Education (CME). Health care professionals who works in the (pre) clinical transplant field, other health care professionals and general practitioners can obtain CME credit at 'LUMC-Boerhaave CME' upon passing the course. For more information we like to refer to the "Additional introduction for obtaining CME credit" module in week 1 of the course
For another interesting course on organ donation and transplantation, see Organ Donation: From Death to Life from Cape Town University https://www.coursera.org/learn/organ-donation
Specific details
Category of Education
Medicine and Healthcare


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Greek Specialised Translations in Sheffield
Greek specialised translations provided by professional Greek translators based in Sheffield, UK
Sheffield Translation Services is a professional Greek translation agency in Sheffield with many years of experience translating Greek specialised documents, Greek specialised mobile applications, Greek specialised videos and other specialised materials on behalf of our clients.
Further details about our experienced Greek translators in Sheffield and their experience in handling specialised translations can be found here: Greek Translators
Sheffield Translation Services provides many other types of translation services (not only specialised translation services) from and into Greek. For a full list of these services offered, please see: Greek Translation Services
Greek Specialised Translation Reviews
In the past year, Sheffield Translation Services has been providing quality Greek specialised translation services and we have received 33 reviews for the Greek specialised translator's work. As of the 1st of Jun, 2024, the overall rating for our Greek specialised translation services was 4.5 out of 5 stars. If you have used our Greek specialised translation and would like to leave a review for other would-be clients to see, please see: Review Sheffield Translation Services.
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If you are a qualified Greek translator that has a university degree in translation and are not yet registered with Sheffield Translation Services: a Greek Translation Agency in Sheffield, UK, we would be delighted to hear from you. Simply email your CV and references to firstname.lastname@example.com and our HR department will be in touch with you shortly thereafter.


text:
A Bad Mother Home Companion
For any of you who might still be laboring under the misapprehension that mine is a household characterized by order, sophistication and grace, I offer you this:
The Sunday Morning Music Show, produced and directed by the Girl Formerly Known As Wonderbaby and starring the Girl Formerly Known As Wonderbaby, with guest appearances by Her Bad Father and Her Bad Baby Brother. Note the following:
1) That her father's signature tune is a bastardized blues version of the theme to The Beverly Hillbillies;
2) That the performance requires the wearing of nighties, pajamas and oversized slippers, and must be staged in a badly messed dining room;
3) That Her Bad Mother is in no wise required for the staging of the performance;
4) That the baby plays a mean banjo.
All of which sums up life here pretty neatly, I think.
As you were.
Hey, Toronto peeps: there's a nurse-in at the Ontario provincial legislature this coming Wednesday, to protest the imminent closure of Dr. Jack Newman's breastfeeding clinic and to demand that the province do more to promote and protect breastfeeding rights and support. Anyone care to join me? Leave a comment here and I'll get back to you with details.
UPDATE: Mister Jasper is a very sick little baby, and I simply can't go to this. E-mail me if you want details, to attend yourself. (And? Anyone local who wants to go and do a brief story on it for BlogHers Act Canada? I would LOVE you. E-mail me.)


text:
The former Massachusetts governor and runner-up for the 2008 Republican presidential ticket is poised to seize his party's 2012 nomination for the White House. TIME looks at his vibrant family life, business career and political trials.
More Photography from Time
- State of the Union: Handshakes, Hugs and Photo Ops
- First Lady Fashion: 17 Inaugural Gowns That Stood the Test of Time
- D.C. Horror: Shooting at Navy Yard
- 9/11: The Photographs That Moved Them Most
- Carrying the Weight of Syria, Obama Visits Sweden and Russia
- Thousands March on Washington to Honor MLK's Legacy


text:
General terms and conditions of outdooractive.com
Welcome to Outdooractive, a service for outdoor tourism and leisure information, route planning, social networking, and entertainment.
General terms and conditions of Outdooractive
These are the general terms and conditions of Outdooractive AG, Missener Straße 18, DE-87509 Immenstadt, which regulate the utilisation of the offer, the platform of Ourdooractive, a service for outdoor and leisure information, tour planning, social networking and entertainment.
The platform Outdoorarctive is retrievable under the domain www.outdooractive.com as well as numerous other channels which the user can look up under the following link: https://corporate.outdooractive.com/en/partner/. This is not a final list as the platform continually evolves and new channels are added/removed. The linked list is therefore updated on a regular basis.
§1 Operator and Scope of Application
The operator of this platform and therefore contracting party to the user of this platform is Outdooractive (called provider in the following).
Outdooractive AG
Missener Straße 18
87509 Immenstadt
GermanyEmail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Registry court: District court Kempten
Register number: HRB 15575
Sales tax identification number according to § 27a UStG: DE 261707005Outdooractive Aktiengesellschaft
Chairman of the Supervisory Board: Mathias Pauli
CEO: Hartmut Wimmer -
These general terms and conditions contain the conditions and the rules of conduct for the utilisation of the platform and for all transactions and quasi-contractual actions which are effected between the users and the provider. It is possible that supplementary conditions are applicable for certain special services. Users are provided with them in form of additional conditions before the utilisation. Other terms and conditions or terms of use differing from these terms and conditions have no validity unless the provider explicitly agrees to them.
§ 2 Definitions
"Works" in the sense of our general terms and conditions is every personal intellectual creation according to § 2 UrhG, photos according to § 72 UrhG and other products protected by ancillary copyright. Those are especially "works" in the sense of these general terms and conditions, images, graphics, labels and company logos, videos, audio files and tour geometries.
"Content" in the sense of these general terms and conditions are all works, comments, current reports and other information on the platform.
"Users" in the sense of these general terms and conditions are consumers as well as entrepreneurs. Consumers in the sense of the terms of business are natural persons concluding a legal transaction for a purpose which can neither be attributed to their commercial nor to their professional activity. Entrepreneurs in the sense of the terms of business are natural or legal entities or partnerships with legal capacity which act in the exercise of commercial or self-employed occupational activity.
These general terms and conditions are applicable for the purchase and the redemption of vouchers as far as not explicitly stated otherwise.
§ 3 Performance Specifications
Signing into the platform, using the platform and creating contents including complements and comments to other contents is free of charge (with the exception of the offers stated under §6).
The platform is an internet market place on which the users can plan and look for outdoor activities and have the possibility to book them at the provider's cooperation partners. The provider makes electronic tools available (e.g. Route Planner, Tour Finder, online maps etc.) with which the users can plan, find and even create tours. Moreover, the users have the possibility to get in touch with other Community users, discuss certain topics, send and receive messages, create or participate in groups, to create events, evaluate content and complement them by adding current reports/conditions.
Goods and services of the provider's cooperation partners are offered on the platform which the user can purchase from the cooperation partners. The cooperation partners of the platform have the possibility to present sales offers, the sales transaction, however, is executed on the respective website of the seller. The provider solely transmits the orders between seller and buyer. The provider does not become contractual party to the contracts concluded between the users. The contractual performance is only made between the members. Purchases from cooperation partners are only subject to their general terms and conditions. Offers from cooperation partners are marked as such on the platform.
A free registration of the user is necessary for the utilisation of the platform. The utilisation of the platform is only allowed within the scope of the legal regulations and these general terms and conditions.
Beyond the free utilisation of the platform, it is also possible to purchase an access to the provider's "Premium Tours" as they are called. Those contents are created by professional editors and/or published by specialist publishers.
§ 4 Registration
A prerequisite of the utilisation of the platform is the opening of a user account. With this user account the user can sign into and use every channel of the platform. A list containing all channels can be found under the following link: https://corporate.outdooractive.com/en/platform/#channels.
Within the scope of the registration process the user enters his/her name and surname, gender as well as email address and chooses a password. After that, the provider sends an email to the user containing an activation link for the verification of the email address. With this email the provider makes an offer to the conclusion of a user contract. The user accepts the offer by clicking on the activation link, confirming that he/she has read the general terms and conditions and clicking on [Accept]. After this, his/her user account is activated and can be used to its full extent. The provider reserves the right to reject the registration without stating any reasons.
All information can be amended or added in the profile settings at any given time later on. The stated user information with the exception of the address, email address and contact data is published on the platform and publicly available.
The password chosen by the user has to be kept a secret. The user has to ensure that the access data does not fall into the hands of a third party that can then gain access and use the account. In case of the loss of the password or in case of the suspicion that a third party has gained knowledge of it or that a third party uses the user account, the user is obligated to inform the provider immediately. For the protection from unauthorised access of third parties, the password should be changed on a regular basis.
Natural, fully legally competent persons with a minimum age of 18 as well as legal entities can become members. Legal entities have to register via an authorised representative. It is strictly prohibited to create an account for a third party without the respective authorisation and that one user manages more than one account. The provider reserves the right to predicate the registration on the submission of the respective verification (trade register excerpt, trading license, official approvals or permits).
The data necessary for the registration has to be stated correctly and in full. Any modification to the stated data has to be reported immediately and/or corrected in the profile settings, in particular in case of discontinuation of business or freelancing, as well as insolvency or liquidation of the company. The user account is not transferable.
The provider reserves the right to predicate the usage of the service on certain prerequisites, such as the verification of the registration data or on the number of positive or negative evaluations.
As an alternative, it is possible to register via the Facebook log-in. For that the Facebook Terms of Use are additionally applicable. Under the following link Facebook provides information about the log-in feature: https://de-de.facebook.com/about/login/
§ 5 Contractual Duration
The contract between the user and the provider is concluded for an indefinite period. The contract can be terminated by each party at any given time in written form.
The right of blocking user accounts remains unaffected by this.
§ 6 Special Stipulations for Fee-based Offers
6.1 Purchase of the Provider's "Premium Tours"
Conclusion of contract: If the user wants to purchase premium tours on the platform that are subject to a fee, he/she can place a binding order on the platform within the scope of the tour description or purchase the premium tours in the App Store/Google Play Store via the provider's app. In view of the purchases of a premium tour in the App Store, the general terms and conditions of Apple (http://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/us/terms.html) are applicable in addition to these general terms and conditions. In view of the purchases of premium tours in the Google Play Store, the general terms and conditions of the Google Play Store (https://play.google.com/intl/en_en/about/play-terms.html) are applicable in addition to these general terms and conditions.
For purchases on the provider's platform the following terms apply: By uploading the premium tours the provider makes a binding offer for a conclusion of contract for those services. The user has to be signed-in or registered on the platform in order to purchase them.
As soon as the user has decided on a premium tour he/she can select it by clicking on the button [Unlock Tour] and is then forwarded to an overview of his/her purchases and to the page "Choose payment method". The selection can be cancelled by clicking on the [Return]-button. On the page "Choose payment method" the total price is displayed. To complete the purchase the user has to choose a payment method. Depending on the selected payment method the user either has to enter his/her credit-card data and click on the [Purchase] button by which the sales contract becomes legally binding, or he/she is forwarded to PayPal where the contract becomes legally binding by confirming the payment order.
Saving the order: The provider saves the order and the entered order information. The provider sends an order confirmation/invoice via email containing all order information and the general terms and conditions to the user. The user can view his/her passed orders in his/her profile at any given time.
Statutory warranty rights: For the provider's goods the statutory warranty rights are applicable for the consumer.
Revocation instruction: In case you are an entrepreneur in the sense of § 14 of the German Civil Code [BGB] and act in execution of your commercial or freelancing activity when concluding the contract, the right of revocation does not exist.
6.2 Conclusion of Pro subscriptions
Conclusion of contract: If the user wants to buy a subscription on the platform, he/she can place a binding order on the order page of Pro subscription on the web or buy the subscription in the App Store/Google Play Store via one of the provider's app. In view of purchases in the App Store, the general terms and conditions of Apple (http://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/de/terms.html) are applicable in addition to these general terms and conditions. In view of the purchases of premium tours in the Google Play Store, the general terms and conditions of the Google Play Store (https://play.google.com/intl/de_de/about/playterms.html) are applicable in addition to these general terms and conditions.
For subscriptions on the provider's platform the following terms apply: By uploading the premium tours the provider makes a binding offer for a conclusion of contract for those services. The user has to be signed-in or registered on the platform in order to purchase them.
As soon as the user has decided on a Pro or Pro+ subscription he/she can select it by clicking on the button [Become Pro] / [Become Pro+] and is then forwarded to the page "Choose payment method". On the page "Choose payment method" the subscription price of the order is displayed. The selection can be undone by clicking on the "close" button [X]. To complete the purchase the user has to choose a payment method. Depending on the selected payment method the user either has to enter his/her credit-card data and click on the [Buy] button by which the sales contract becomes legally binding, or he/she is forwarded to PayPal where the contract becomes legally binding by confirming the payment order. Moreover, there is the possibility to redeem a voucher by entering the voucher code and clicking on the button [Redeem] whereby is deducted from the total price. For the possible balance the user has to select a payment method as per the above-mentioned process.
Saving the order: The provider saves the order and the entered order information. The provider sends an order confirmation/invoice via email containing all order information and the general terms and conditions to the user. The user can view his/her passed orders in his/her profile at any given time.
Statutory warranty rights: For the provider's goods the statutory warranty rights are applicable for the consumer.
Revocation instruction: In case you are an entrepreneur in the sense of § 14 of the German Civil Code [BGB] and act in execution of your commercial or freelancing activity when concluding the contract, the right of revocation does not exist.
6.3 Revocation
Cancelation Policy
Every natural person who concludes a legal transaction for the purpose mostly not related to his/her work in a commercial or self-employed capacity is included in the term "consumer".
Right of Revocation
ou have the right to revoke this contract within fourteen days without stating any reasons. The revocation period is fourteen days starting from the day of the conclusion of contract. In order to execute your right of revocation you have to inform us (Outdooractive AG, Missener Straße 18, DE-87509 Immenstadt, email: email@example.com) via an unequivocal declaration (e.g. via a postal letter or email) stating your decision to revoke this contract. You can use the attached revocation-form template. This, however, is not obligatory. In order to comply with revocation period it shall be sufficient to send the message containing the execution of the revocation right before the end of the revocation period.
Consequences of Revocation
In case you revoke the contract we will have to repay all payment which we received from you including the delivery costs (with the exception of additional costs that arise because you chose a different kind of delivery than the standard delivery offered by us) promptly and not later than within fourteen days after the receipt of the revocation message of this contract. For the repayment we use the same payment method that you used with the original transaction, unless we agreed on something different; we will in no way charge you any fees for these repayments.
Revocation-Form Template
(If you want to revoke the contract, please fill out this form and send it back to us.)
Outdooractive AG
Missener Straße 18
87509 Immenstadt
Email: email@example.com
I/We (*) hereby give notice that I/we (*) withdraw from my/our contract of sale of the following goods (*)/provision of the following services (*)
Ordered on (*)/received on (*)
Name of the consumer(s)
E-Mail-Address, with which I/we (*) am/are (*) registered:
Address of the consumer(s)
Signature of the consumer(s) (not necessary on electronic message)
Date (*) Please delete as applicable
The user explicitly agrees that the provider starts with the execution of its services before the end of the revocation period. The user is aware that he/she loses his/her revocation right by agreeing to the start of the execution of the contract.
6.4 Prices and Conditions of payment
Prices: All indicated prices are final prices, i.e. they include all price components including the statutory VAT.
Conditions of payment: The payment is optionally made by credit card, PayPal or a voucher. Credit card: With the placement of his/her order the user simultaneously transmits his/her credit card data. After the legitimation of the user as legally entitled card owner, the provider demands the initiation of the payment transaction from the credit-card company directly after the placement of the order. The payment transaction is executed automatically and the user's credit-card is debited. PayPal: When the payment method via PayPal is chosen, the invoice amount is paid via the online payment provider PayPal. For this purpose the user is forwarded to the website of PayPal, www.paypal.de. The user has to be registered or has to register, legitimate with his/her access data on PayPal and confirm the payment order to the provider. The payment is effected immediately after the conformation of the user via his/her PayPal account. The "PayPal- Terms of Use" (www.paypal.com) are applicable of PayPal (Europe) S.à r.l. & Cie, S.C.A. in their respective current version. The contents of the premium tours are available directly after the payment confirmation on the part of PayPal. Voucher: As far as the user has a voucher code, he/she can pay by entering the code in the appropriate input box.
Customer Service: If you have questions or complaints, please feel free to contact our customer service via firstname.lastname@example.com.
OS platform: The EU commission has implemented an internet platform for the online-settlements of disputes ("OS platform") between companies and consumers. The OS platform is available via http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/. We are obligated to settle disputes involving consumers in front of a consumer arbitration board. For that purpose, consumers can turn to the Allgemeine Verbraucherschlichtungsstelle des Zentrums für Schlichtung e.V. [General Consumer Arbitration Board], Straßburger Straße 8, DE-77694 Kehl, http://www.verbraucher-schlichter.de.
§ 7 Granting of Rights of Use
The user grants the provider the non-exclusive, textual, spatial and temporal unlimited right to use the works (e.g. texts, images, graphics, brand and company logos, videos, audio files, tour geometries) that were uploaded to the platform on all websites operated by the provider gratuitously, as often as needed as well as textually, spatially and temporally unlimited. The provider is authorised to present, to publish, to duplicate, to distribute, to lease and to digitise the works on online and offline networks. Moreover, the provider has the right to save them electronically, to make them available to internal and external users and to use them for customary advertising purposes.
The provider receives the right to make the works publicly available in its app, RSS feeds, search engines, widgets and via the API (§ 8).
The assignment of rights listed under § 7 N° 1 also contains websites of other providers to which the works are sublicensed by the provider.
The user ensures that he/she is the author of the works or that he/she has the sufficient user and administration rights of the works allowing the utilisation of the platform.
The provider is obligated to attach a customary copyright notice. Moreover, the user has the possibility to choose between different Creative Common licenses for the utilisation of content when uploading images, videos and graphics. The correct tagging is the user's responsibility.
The provider and the user of the platform are authorised to edit, shorten and amend the works under full reserve of the copyrights.
§ 8 License for the Utilisation of Contents
Users are allowed to use the contents for private purposes. The creation of duplicates (print versions of the tours) is only allowed for private purposes. These authorisations are only valid if proprietary notices (Copyright notices, credits to photographers and authors) as well as brands, logos and names remain unchanged.
All further utilisation (e.g. duplication for commercial purposes, archiving, transfer to third parties, utilisation and editing by third parties for own or third-party purposes, public rendition, translation, modification, etc.) especially editorial or commercial utilisation are only allowed with the written consent of the provider.
§ 9 Content Quality
Every published content is supposed to help other users to plan their outdoor activities and have fun on their next trip into nature. In order to ensure that every Community member arrives safely at his/her destination we want all users to comply with certain quality standards when it comes to creating a tour.
On that note, tours should be created with sensible tour descriptions, detailed information as well as with conclusive images. The general rule is that as many pieces of information as you would like to find should be entered.
§ 10 APIs and Widgets
The function for integrating a "widget for my website" enables registered users to integrate the content published on the platform into their own website. For this purpose, the provider makes an HTML code fragment available to the users. The user can copy the HTML code fragment and insert it into the source code of his own website.
If the number of page views for HTML code fragments of Outdooractive exceeds 10,000 per day for a website that embeds the HTML code fragments, Outdooractive reserves the right to restrict access to the HTML code fragments of Outdooractive for this website.
The user shall not be granted any rights other than those listed under § 8 no. 1 with regard to the widget. In particular, the HTML code fragment and the references and links to Outdooractive used therein may not be modified by the user and/or passed on to third parties.
- Third-party service
- The platform may contain links to other independent websites, products or services of third parties ("third party services") or enable you to interact with and use them. Access to Third Party Services is provided solely as a convenience. Third Party Services are not under the control of the Platform and the Platform does not necessarily endorse the content, advertising, products, services or other materials contained on or available from such Third Party Services. Your use of the Third Party Services may be subject to the terms and conditions, intellectual property restrictions and privacy policies of the Third Party Provider and may involve the disclosure or transfer of information from or about you to the Third Party Provider. You must make your own independent decision regarding your use of and interaction with Third Party Providers. You acknowledge and agree that the Platform is not responsible for the availability of any Third Party Services and that the Platform shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with your use of or interaction with any Third Party Services.
- The export to Youtube option is implemented as a Youtube Data API client application. Use of the API client is subject to the Youtube Terms of Service (ToS) (https://www.youtube.com/t/terms) and the Google Privacy Policy (https://policies.google.com/privacy).
§ 11 Illegal contents
The user is obligated not to create any illegal content and post it on the platform. In particular, the user shall not provide contents (notably works), supply, offer or promote content that is against the law of the federal penal code, the narcotics law, the German drug and gun-control law or using content which
is offensive, defamatory, regardless of who is concerned;
is pornographic, glorifying violence, abusive, immoral, or against the German Youth Protection Act;
is an unreasonable harassment to other users, in particular via spam in the sense of § 7 of the German law against unfair competition (UWG);
protected by the copyright, trademark, patent right, utility model or registered design law, without being entitled to do so or;
is promotes anti-competitive action, including advertising on the basis of socalled geometric progression, such as pyramid selling, chain or snowball schemes;
deliberately provoke or at least accept committing offences by other users when published
Moreover, the user is not allowed to distribute or publicly render the contents of the platform or of the users, unless the distribution and public rendition is intended within the scope of the utilisation of the platform or unless other users agreed to the distribution and public rendition. In addition to this, the users are not allowed to put hyperlinks into their offer. The provider reserves the right to delete links of this sort. The creation of sham offers whose only purpose is the promotion of services outside of the provider's platform or to obtain evaluations is prohibited. The user is also not allowed to use the post-contractual communication by email whose purpose is the processing of the contracts that were concluded on the provider's platform, advertising of own goods and services those of a third party. Users are not allowed to use the platform for self-promoting purposes that exceed the depiction of their respective profiles. An exception are commercial users whose advertising is allowed in separate regulations.
§ 12 Warranty
The user ensures that he/she is entitled and capable of granting the rights within the certain, above-mentioned scope of the works posted by him/her. In particular, the user ensures not to post any works with which he/she infringes copyrights, trademark rights or other intellectual property of third parties. Moreover, he ensures that he does not post any anti-competitive contents. The user is obligated to obtain information and to verify them if doubts about an authorisation arise. Doubts arise if
the subjects are works protected by the copyright and/or neighbouring right and the user is not sure if he is the author or owner of sufficient proprietary rights of use and exploitation and other intellectual-property rights;
a third party participated in the creation of the works so that they might have obtained neighbouring rights;
the contents contain personal or sensitive data about individual people or groups, unless the user has the necessary permission/user rights.
The user ensures not to post any contents on the platform which intervene with the right of others or contents which is illegal or which has been declared inadmissible by the provider.
§ 13 Liability of the Provider
The provider is liable in terms of legal provisions with the following exceptions: As far as the damage for the user result from the loss of data, the provider is not liable for it insofar as the damages would have been avoided by the user by saving all of his/her relevant data though a complete data back-up. The provider is not liable for unforeseeable damages atypical for the contract. This does not apply far as the damage concerns life, limb or health, resulting from wilful or gross negligence in the absence of a guaranteed condition or from the culpable infringement of an essential contractual obligation which is imperative for the proper fulfilment of the contract and on which the contractual partner can rely in in normal circumstances ("Cardinal Duty"). The liability according to the product liability law remains unaffected by this.
The provider is not liable for the accuracy, quality, completeness, reliability, type or quality or credibility of the contents posted by the members. Those contents do not represent the opinion of the provider. In particular the provider does not adapt the contents of the members as its own. The provider is not liable for the conclusion, execution and the handling of the contracts between members. It merely provides the members with the platform for the purpose of exchange.
The provider is not liable for the accuracy and the up-to-dateness of the tour information, description, maps, GPS tracks, navigation, weather, risk potentials (e.g. avalanches, thunderstorms, etc.), accessibility, rest stops, etc.. Walking and driving on the tour described and created on the platform happens on one's own risk.
§ 14 Liability of the User
The user is responsible for the entire concessions of user rights, posts, contents of his/her user profile as well as offers.
The user shall indemnify the provider against third-party claims arising against the provider and its legal representatives and/or vicarious agents or due to infringement of personal rights or other illegal contents (posts, comments, contents of user profiles, offers, etc.). The user takes on the judicial and extrajudicial costs for defence in a court arising for the provider and its vicarious agents amounting to the legal fees. He/she will support the provider in fighting those claims. A prerequisite for the indemnity is that the provider immediately informs the user about the assertion of claims and exercises its judicial defence according to the provisions of the user, as far as is does not manifestly lack the prospect of success.
§ 15 Blocking of Users, Deletion of Contents
The provider has the right to block users permanently and to refuse another access to the platform. A permanent blocking by the provider is especially possible when it comes to gross violations against the general terms and conditions, the infringement against the obligation of truthful information about the necessary personal data or gross infringement against the interdiction of the creation and posting of illegal contents. Furthermore, a permanent blocking can be taken into considerations when it comes to another important reason such as the loss of access data or the suspicion of an abusive utilisation of the access data by a third party. The permanent blocking is communicated in written form.
The provider is allowed to block a user temporarily as a more lenient measure, when the user infringes the general terms and conditions. The permanent blocking is communicated in written form. In case of a blocking, the user is not allowed to register once again or open another user account without the explicit consent of the provider.
In addition, the provider can delete those offers which infringe against the legal provisions or the general terms and conditions, as a more lenient measure. When choosing the measure the provider takes the legitimate interests of the user into account. In particular if he/she was responsible for the infringement.
§ 16 Privacy
The survey of the user data serves to offer user friendly, efficient and save internet offer.
All information about privacy and data protection can be found in the provider's privacy policy: https://www.outdooractive.com/en/privacy.html
With the conclusion of the contract the user agrees that he/she has read the privacy policy and accepts it.
§ 17 Feature Amendments, Assumption of Contract
The provider reserves the right to continually edit, update, expand, restrict or delete individual features.
The provider is authorised to transfer its rights and duties resulting from this conclusion of contract in full or in part to a third party with a term of notice of four weeks. The user is authorised to cancel user contract at any given time.
§ 18 Amendments of the General Terms and Conditions
These general terms and conditions are with reservation of the amendment at any given time.
The amendments and the new general terms and conditions are communicated by email. The new general terms and conditions are considered as agreed unless the user objects to their validity within six weeks after the receipt by email. The objection has to be in written form. The provider will indicate the revocation possibility, period, form and consequences of inaction separately in this email.
§ 19 Final Provisions
The contractual relationship between the user and the provider as well as the general terms and conditions are subject to German law. The application of the German international civil law is not possible.
The mandatory consumer protection are also applicable which apply in the state where the user has his/her customary place of residence insofar as this offers the user further protection.
In case the member is an entrepreneur in the terms of the German Civil Code (BGB), a legal entity of the public law or a special fund under public law, it is applicable that for all disputes resulting from the user contract and these general terms and conditions that Kempten shall be the sole place of jurisdiction.


text:
NRA promises to help prevent school shootings
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 19, 2012
WASHINGTON (AP) — After four days of self-imposed silence on the shooting that killed 26 people inside a Newtown, Conn., elementary school, the nation's largest gun rights lobby emerged Tuesday and promised "to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again."
The National Rifle Association explained its unusual absence "out of respect for the families and as a matter of common decency" after Friday's shooting that left dead 20 children, all ages 6 or 7.
The group — typically outspoken about its positions even after shooting deaths — went all but silent since the rampage. As it faced public scrutiny online and in person, the group left many wondering how — if at all — it would respond to one of the most shocking slayings in the nation's history.
"The National Rifle Association of America is made up of 4 million moms and dads, sons and daughters, and we were shocked, saddened and heartbroken by the news of the horrific and senseless murders in Newtown," the organization said in a statement. "The NRA is prepared to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again."
The group said it would have a news conference to answer questions Friday, the one-week anniversary of the shootings.
Almost immediately after it became clear the extent of carnage, the group's Facebook page disappeared. It posted no tweets. It made no mention of the shooting on its website. None of its leaders hit the media circuit Sunday to promote its support of the Second Amendment right to bear arms as the nation mourns the latest shooting victims and opens a new debate over gun restrictions. On Monday, the NRA offered no rebuttal as 300 antigun protesters marched to its Capitol Hill office.
Yet on Tuesday, the NRA re-emerged, albeit more slowly than normal and with its somber statement.
After previous mass shootings — such as in Oregon and Wisconsin — the group was quick to both send its condolences and defend gun owners' constitutional rights, popular among millions of Americans. There's no indication that the National Rifle Association is prepared to weaken its ardent opposition to gun restrictions but it did hint it was open to being part of a dialogue that already has begun.
Its deep-pocketed efforts to oppose gun control laws have proven resilient. Firearms are in a third or more of U.S. households and suspicion runs deep of an overbearing government whenever it proposes expanding federal authority. The argument of gun-rights advocates that firearm ownership is a bedrock freedom as well as a necessary option for self-defense has proved persuasive enough to dampen political enthusiasm for substantial change.
Seldom had the NRA gone so long after a fatal shooting without a public presence. It resumed tweeting just one day after a gunman killed two people and then himself at an Oregon shopping mall last Tuesday, and one day after six people were fatally shot at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin in August.
The Connecticut shootings occurred three days after the incident in Oregon.
Since the Connecticut shootings, the NRA has been taunted and criticized at length, vitriol that may have prompted the shuttering of its Facebook page just a day after the association boasted about reaching 1.7 million supporters on the social media network.
Twitter users have been relentless, protesting the organization with hashtags like NoWayNRA.
The NRA has not responded to them. Its last tweets, sent Friday, offered a chance to win an auto flashlight.
Offline, some 300 protesters gathered outside the NRA's lobbying headquarters on Capitol Hill on Monday chanting, "Shame on the NRA" and waving signs declaring "Kill the 2nd Amendment, Not Children" and "Protect Children, Not Guns."
"I had to be here," said Gayle Fleming, 65, a real estate agent from Arlington, Va., saying she was attending her first antigun rally. "These were 20 babies. I will be at every rally, will sign every letter, call every congressman going forward."
Retired attorney Kathleen Buffon of Chevy Chase, Md., reflected on earlier mass shootings, saying: "All of the other ones, they've been terrible. This is the last straw. These were children."
"The NRA has had a stranglehold on Congress," she added as she marched toward the NRA's unmarked office. "It's time to call them out."
The group's reach on Capitol Hill is wide as it wields its deep pockets to defeat lawmakers, many of them Democrats, who push for restrictions on gun ownership.
The NRA outspent its chief opponent by a 73-1 margin to lobby the outgoing Congress, according to the nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation, which tracks such spending. It spent more than 4,000 times its biggest opponents during the 2012 election.
In all, the group spent at least $24 million this election cycle — $16.8 million through its political action committee and nearly $7.5 million through its affiliated Institute for Legislative Action. Its chief foil, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, spent just $5,816.
On direct lobbying, the NRA also was mismatched. Through July 1, the NRA spent $4.4 million to lobby Congress to the Brady Campaign's $60,000.