text:
By Courtney E. Smith
We learned a few very interesting things about John Newman when he came by. First of all, he's a total audio nerd. In explaining the making of his debut album, Tribute, he told us tales of recording on hand-selected vintage equipment and placing mics in water buckets to get a specific sound. Turns out, that sound he loved was the sound of Motown, which sparked a dialog about everything, from their production methods to the community feel of their music production.
"Being in America is incredible for me at the moment, because all my influences are pretty much American. The history behind American music is incredible. Going back to the audio equipment, I get most of my stuff from America. I think music really is American and it's covered up very well that it is."


text:
OCEAN CITY – Following the lead of elected bodies in the area, resort business leaders on Wednesday agreed to endorse Delmarva Power's proposed Mid-Atlantic Power Pathway (MAPP) project, a billion-dollar plus effort to increase the company's ability to assure stable and affordable electricity for the peninsula.
During the Ocean City Economic Development Committee (EDC) bi-monthly meeting on Wednesday, resort business leaders heard a detailed report on Delmarva's proposed MAPP project, which includes the development of a major electric transmission line from Virginia to Indian River, Del. The high-voltage 500-kilovolt line would extend from Possum Point, Va. underneath the Chesapeake Bay and across the Eastern Shore to its terminus at Indian River.
Currently, the largest transmission line on Delmarva carries 230 kilovolts and lines that size are few and far between on the Eastern Shore. A view of a map showing bulk transmission lines in the eastern half of the United States shows a vast network of 500-kilovolt transmission lines, but the entire Delmarva peninsula is an island of much smaller lines with nothing larger than 230 kilovolts.
Delmarva Power spokesman Jim Smith told EDC members on Wednesday, the proposed MAPP project would transmit safe, reliable and affordable electric service to the entire Eastern Shore including Worcester County and Ocean City. Currently, electric service for the resort area travels on much smaller lines in a north-south direction from the vast PJM grid, but the development of the MAPP transmission line from east to west will allow the lower shore to draw electric power from more reliable, and in some cases greener, sources.
"This is a large-scale transmission project," Smith told EDC members on Wednesday. "This is extremely important to everybody in this room. Everybody on the peninsula will benefit from this."
If approved, the project will span an area of 150-170 miles, depending on the final route, and will cost about $1.2 billion. Once the project has cleared the complex federal, state and local approval process, it could be completed by 2014. The state's Public Service Commission (PSC) will hold sway on the final approval, although other agencies such as the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) will have the opportunity to weigh in on environmental impacts of the project.
Smith told EDC members the project would improve reliability, reduce costs to consumers and provide for greater access to the growing renewable energy networks sprouting up throughout the region. Perhaps more importantly, a completed MAPP project would help avoid total blackouts and rolling brownouts experienced in the area over the years.
"If anything happens up north, the entire Delmarva Peninsula will go dark," said Delmarva Power vice president John Allen. "That's what were trying to avoid with this. The opposition says we're throwing out idle threats, but that's simply not true. If we don't upgrade our transmission system, we'll literally being plugging in extension cords to reach the Eastern Shore."
The only real opposition to the project thus far is coming from Dorchester County. Much of the high-voltage transmission line will be attached to existing infrastructure where possible, eliminating the need for new towers and other conduits. However, new towers will need to be constructed on the section of the MAPP line that transverses Dorchester County, where public officials and private citizens have resisted the project because of the perceived environmental and aesthetic impacts.
"There have been some concerns in Dorchester County," said Allen. "Once it gets to Vienna, it will travel along an easement we've had for 50 years. Dorchester has concerns about aesthetics and tourism and we're working on that, but this is not a Dorchester County project, this is a major regional project."
Smith explained the cost of running the line underground would come in at around $600 million to $700 million, while running the lines above ground as planned would just about $400 million. In addition to cost considerations, running the line above ground makes more sense in terms of the repairs and maintenance.
"With overhead lines, maintenance is so much easier," he said. "We can pinpoint the problem because we can see it. Otherwise, a blackout that might last a couple of hours could last for a couple of days."
One of the main benefits for public and private consumers in Worcester and Ocean City is reliability and lower costs for electric power. Smith said the Eastern Shore consumes more power than it produces, and power customers on the shore pay a substantial amount of congestion charges each year.
"Consumers on the shore paid about $96 million in congestion charges last year, but this will reduce that by about 20 percent in the first year alone," he said.
Satisfied with the presentation, EDC members voted to send a letter of support to the PSC endorsing the MAPP project. The County Commissioners and the Ocean City Mayor and Council have already sent similar endorsement letters.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The 41st Parameter provides highly accurate, non-intrusive Internet fraud solutions for financial institutions and merchants.
KPCB, Norwest
Aster Data is the emerging leader in big data management and big data analysis for data-driven applications.
Sequoia, IVP, Cambrian Ventures, First Round Capital
Attributor's content tracking and programming platform enables publishers to build value with their content across the Internet.
Sigma Partners, Selby Ventures, Draper Richards
Avnera is a provider of high-performance system-on-chip (SoC) solutions for consumer electronics.
Bessemer, Redpoint, Intel Capital
© 2010 Jafco Ventures. All rights reserved.


text:
All of the above
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text:
Kendrick hoped to finish the sixth inning
By Todd Zolecki / MLB.com
PHILADELPHIA -- Every starter wants to pitch at least six innings, and Phillies right-hander Kyle Kendrick felt no differently Friday.
He said he felt fine and hoped to finish the sixth in a 13-4 loss to the Royals. Instead, he intentionally walked pinch-hitter Billy Butler to load the bases and Phillies manager Charlie Manuel had left-hander Jeremy Horst face left-handed-hitting Alex Gordon. But Horst allowed a triple to clear the bases and give the Royals a one-run lead.
The game got much worse from there.
"He can say what he wants to and I'll say to him what I want to," Manuel said about Kendrick. "I'm not going to tell you what I tell him, though. Seriously, that's how I look at it. I don't care what he says, but if I got something to say to him, I'll be able to do that. You won't know unless he tells you."
Manuel not worried about Phillies bullpen
PHILADELPHIA -- It has been an ugly beginning for a supposedly improved Phillies bullpen.
It entered Saturday's game against the Royals at Citizens Bank Park with a 10.50 ERA, the worst mark in baseball. Phillies relievers have allowed 17 hits, 14 runs, seven walks and two home runs in just 12 innings.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel isn't worried.
"We have a chance to have a good bullpen, a real good one," he said. "At the same time, we've got to put people in the game and we've got to see them pitch. I think it might take us a little while. The experience they got last year was really great for them, but also they got that experience when we were 14 games under .500 and we were putting people out there in situations. There's a huge difference. The start of the season is completely different to them now. I'm sure they think about where they're at and what their role is and they're concerned. And maybe they're trying a little bit too hard."
Left-hander Jeremy Horst allowed three hits, three runs and one walk in one-third of an inning Friday. Right-hander Chad Durbin has allowed three hits, three runs and two walks in two appearances. Horst had a 1.15 ERA in 32 appearances last season and left-handers hit just .170 against him. Durbin is a historically slow starter. His career ERA in April is 1.75 earned runs higher than the rest of the season.
Manuel's message: Let it play out a little more.
Phils plan to keep Brown in left field
PHILADELPHIA -- Some have wondered why Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has played Domonic Brown in left field rather than right, which is the position he played coming up through the Minor Leagues.
He said it is because he needs Brown to get comfortable there.
The working theory is Delmon Young, who is out due to right ankle surgery, rejoins the team before the end of the month and plays a competent right field, a position he has not played since 2007. So rather than have Brown play right then move to left, Manuel wants him to start in left and stay there so he isn't suddenly thinking about playing a new position.
"I think he's better off staying in one place right now," Manuel said. "That doesn't mean that he can't play right field, but that's kind of what our plans are."
Phils getting runners on, not knocking them in
PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies entered Saturday's game against Kansas City with 30 runners left on base, which ranked ninth in baseball. They ranked 12th with 12 runners left in scoring position.
Bad sign: They aren't knocking those runners in. They are hitting .200 with runners in scoring position, which is 20th in baseball.
Good sign: They are getting runners on, which is the first step. Their .311 on-base percentage is 12th in baseball and sixth in the National League.
"Sooner or later, we will [knock them in]," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "I don't want to go out here every day and leave guys on base. There are times when we will definitely address it. But also, that's part of the game. They have to be out there for us to knock them in. So being out there for us is the first thing. Now the second thing is to knock them in. It will come and go. When you are playing real good, you will knock them in. When things aren't going so good, more likely than not you will be leaving them out there."
Todd Zolecki is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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|January 14, 2009, 06:55 PM
Junior Member
Join Date: January 14, 2009
Posts: 7
Need some help identifying the maker of this gun
I own a blackpowder .44 caliber percussion European match pistol made in 1983, but there are no identifying maker marks other than a "S" inside of an octagon that's inside of a circle. The gun is nearly identical to the Pedersoli "Mang in Graz" model sold by Davide Pedersoli. I've searched high and low for some information on who made this pistol, but can't seem to locate anyone who knows anything about this gun.
The gun was sold through the Beeman Precision Airgun catalog in 1984, and was sold as the "Pietro Beretta Aristocrat." In their literature, Beeman said it was made by the same small Italian gunmaker who originally made them for Beretta back in 1835, and they were a limited edition of 1000 (I have #0362). I contacted Beeman directly, but they were useless and provided no information. Apparently nobody there remembers anything about it, or would bother to dig around and locate some information on the maker.
Anyone recognize this gun, or could make a guess who the maker is from just the "S" barrel stamp?
I've had it appraised at $1,300 based upon the price of the Pedersoli gun, but the appraiser suggested it would be worth a bit more as it appears to be better quality, plus it's a limited edition that's never been fired.
|January 15, 2009, 10:26 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: June 23, 2004
Location: Ohio
Posts: 5,647
It does appear to be quite high quality and superbly made. I will bet you that the folks down at Dixie Gun Works might have something as far as info if you sent them the picture and info. They have been in the replica and original ML trade for an awful long time and I bet they have seen one of those before and could maybe tell you something. Otherwise someone at National Muzzleloading Rifle Assoc. might know about it. They have experts too. Nice looking pistol! Just make sure that they know it does not say Pedersoli anywhere on it so they don't jump to conclusions! Or even contact Beretta in Italy. They might know about it if their name was used!
Your gun is like your nose, it is just wrong for someone else to pick it for you!
|January 17, 2009, 09:23 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: September 19, 2008
Posts: 4,678
That pistol looks very much like the pic of a repro LePage Dueling Pistol, DGW used to sell @ $259 (finished) in my 1993 DGW catalog.
DGW's description (in part) was: 10" octagon .45 cal bbl, w/12 lands/grooves, set trigger w/adj screw, finger rest TG, European walnut stock w/French-style vertical ribbing on grip, 16" LOA, 2 1/2lbs.
DGW recommended a .445 patched RB over 20gr BP and a #11 cap (sic).
|January 17, 2009, 10:02 AM
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|January 17, 2009, 08:46 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: September 19, 2008
Posts: 4,678
[you seem to have a better memory on spec's.]
Naw - I cheated.
"pistol looks like the pic in my DGW catalog."
"DGW's description was: (etc)"
|January 17, 2009, 09:00 PM
Join Date: March 17, 1999
Posts: 24,310
Like many other European replica guns, it is not a firearm so the laws on marking the manufacturer, etc., don't apply. IIRC, those were sold by Dixie and other importers, but I have no clue to the actual maker.
If it was made in Italy, it would have been proved, although the proof mark might be on the bottom of the barrel.
Jim K
|January 20, 2009, 09:45 AM
Junior Member
Join Date: January 14, 2009
Posts: 7
thanks for the comments...
I think I'll give the product manager at Dixie a try. I've written to both Pedersoli and ArmiSport in Italy and included photos, but neither has replied. The original literature does state that the gun maker is a very small operation, but has been in continuous operation since the early 1800s, which should help narrow it down considerably. I wish the copywriters of the Beeman catalog had just named the maker, but perhaps they were under some sort of contractual obligation not to (although I can't imagine why). The gun is similar to the La Page models, although the La Page guns I've seen vary considerably in architecture. The closest thing I could find to it is the Pedersoli "Mang" Standard model.
Thanks for the tips and commenets.
|January 20, 2009, 09:56 AM
Junior Member
Join Date: January 14, 2009
Posts: 7
One more thing...
I forgot to mention in my other post. I have removed the barrel and checked the proof marks. The barrel is marked only by the standard Gardone proof house marks and date stamp (AL, which dates it 1983). The only other marking is the circled "S" stamp in the top of the barrel, which I am assuming is a maker stamp. I hope that somebody will recognize it eventually.
|barrel proof , black powder pistol , italian , percussion black powder
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text:
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Ever seen a wax builder?
A "real" wax builder?
Bee breeder-geneticist Susan Cobey and beekeeper-research associate Elizabeth Frost of the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at the University of California, Davis, showed us a wax builder last week.
No, two wax builders. Wax-building honey bees.
"The wax reminds me of fish scales," said Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen of the UC Davis Department of Entomology. "I know it has nothing to do with fish scales, but it reminds me of them."
In his excellent book, The Honey Bee Hobbyist: the Care and Keeping of Bees, retired UC Davis professor/apiculturist Norman Gary sheds light on wax.
"When workers are about twelve days old, their wax glands begin to secrete tiny flakes of beeswax," wrote Gary, who is also an internationally known bee wrangler. "They chew the wax and fashion it into the architecturally complex honeycomb that functions as a vertical 'floor' where almost all activities inside the hive take place. Newly constructed combs are light yellow in color and are one of nature's most artistic creations."
"As combs age," Gary pointed out, "they become dark brown, owing to the accumulation of pigments from pollen as well as residual cocoons..."
So, there you have it--the making of beeswax.
Makes us wonder who coined the term, "Mind your own beeswax," doesn't it?


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City Interactive announces Stuart Black-designed Enemy Front
City Interactive has announced Enemy Front, a FPS currently in works with ex-Codemasters developer Stuart Black as lead designer.
Wwii headlines
Gearbox will likely go back to Brothers in Arms
Want to kill some more Nazis? Sure you do. Who doesn't? "I think you can probably expect at some point there'll be another Brothers in Arms game," Gearbox vice president Brian Martel told CBS11tv. "You can probably expect that… If you look at the history of where we've been, where we're going… That'll be in […]
505 and FilePlanet team up for Men of War multiplayer beta
505 Games and FilePlanet are joining forces on the multiplayer beta for Men of War. Registered users at FilePlanet are now able to download the WWII RTS's beta before anyone else. Once in, players can challenge others to 16-player multiplayer matches in four different modes, including Battle Zones, Capture the Flag, Combat and Combat FFA. […]
Pre-order Turning Point, get postcards
Codemasters has revealed details of its US pre-order campaign for Turning Point: Fall of Liberty, the alternative history WWII shooter from developer Spark. US gamers who sign up early will get loads of weirdy Nazi-ish stuff, including post cards featuring game art, acces codes to "enhance the game experience", a behind-the-scenes DVD and a 1931-53 […]
Treyarch gets CoD5, back to WWII?
We can't clarify any of this with Activision, but this sourceless post claims Call of Duty 3 developer Treyarch will be developing the fifth game in the blockbusting shooter series, and that the setting will be back in good ol' World War 2. We'd take this with a pretty large pinch of salt until Activision […]


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Black Tie and Pie 10/11/12 - new and improved
It was already good, but now it's even better...
BTaP is the traditional end-of-year PistonHeads party where guests wear black tie (BT) and we eat pie (aP). This year we'll be enjoying the sumptuous ambience of Tortworth Court Hotel in the heart of Gloucestershire's Cotswolds. It will have all the atmosphere of a Sunday Service and the glamour of the Oscars, and will be a fine opportunity for us all to relax and be merry with the option of not having to worry about driving home.
Here's the plan for the night.
- Pre-dinner drinks in the bar
- Three-course meal featuring pie
- Wine on the table
- After-dinner bar tab
- Dancing to the DJ
- A few words from the PH team
- Charity raffle
- Alcohol breath-testing for the morning after
So, what's new?
- Mind magician Paul Roffman entertaining us in the bar before dinner and between courses at your table. Paul usually works the festival circuit and is far from your average cheesy entertainer. We think you'll like him.
- PistonHeads casino with Roulette and Blackjack
- A central stage to ensure all guests feel a part of the festivities
- Lapel microphones and sound engineer to ensure the speeches are clear for all
- Custom-made raffle tickets in one colour (regulars will understand the importance!)
- Reduced raffle prizes but with an increase in quality
- Better BTaP branding in and around the hotel
We would also like to reintroduce our sponsors, without whom none of this would be possible:
Oracle Finance: Yorkshire- and London-based PistonHeads finance partner, and supplier of sports and prestige cars, Oracle Finance returns for another year of BTaP providing the pre-dinner drinks to get things under way.
HPI: The leading vehicle history check providers, and PistonHeads classifieds partner, steps up once more to provide the wine of the table for dinner.
Adrian Flux Insurance: Insurance experts and long-term BTaP partner Adrian Flux returns to sponsor the after-dinner bar - always a popular addition to the event.
In addition, we would like to welcome a new partner for 2012.
Watchfinder: The online quality watch experts, and PH forum sponsors, will attend their first BTaP, enhancing our bar area with a range of watches in display cases. Their sponsorship will help us to bring quality entertainment to BTaP 2012. In addition, members of the Watchfinder team will be on hand if you have any questions or simply want to try a few pieces for size.
Tickets are priced at the normal rate of £75 per person, which includes your meal, pre and post dinner drinks and table wine in addition to all entertainment. To buy click this link.
Rooms are booked separately by contacting the hotel directly on 01454 263000.
If you plan to come along please email all table requests to us, along with any special dietary requirements (including vegetarian meal requests).
We look forward to seeing you there.
Honestly, the word magician gives the wrong impression. Think more edgy than that, certainly more contemporary. Best of all is the fact he won't be on stage demanding attention, instead he'll be amongst the crowd/ diners entertaining you if you so wish.
Honestly, the word magician gives the wrong impression. Think more edgy than that, certainly more contemporary. Best of all is the fact he won't be on stage demanding attention, instead he'll be amongst the crowd/ diners entertaining you if you so wish.
Still, mine is one opinion - doesn't mean that others wont love him.
Gassing Station | Black Tie & Pie | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff


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Victoria Beckham and Harper on David Beckham's Birthday
What Haircut? Victoria Takes Harper to Paris With a Surprising 'Do
Victoria Beckham and Harper went on a mother-daughter trip to Paris for David Beckham's birthday today. The two entered the Eurostar station in London together, with Harper grinning from ear to ear, and later arrived in the City of Light. Despite hints via Instagram that she had chopped her long hair into a bob, Victoria was still sporting long tresses during her travels with Harper.
David, who turns 38 today, is currently in the City of Light to prepare for another soccer match with his team, Paris Saint-Germain, but he spent the first half of the week with his family in London. While today is a celebratory one for Becks, Victoria had to share some not-so-great news with her fans when she and the rest of the Spice Girls confirmed that their West End musical, Viva Forever!, will be closing in June.


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Unsure of what to expect on Day 5 of the O'Neill Kiteboard World Cup, racers arrived to the beach with light wind, not yet suitable for racing. Preparing for the possible wind to come, and starving for more racing action, competitors readied their gear and settled into a several hour waiting period. Hopeful spectators and onlookers began to crowd the beach in anticipation, also taking advantage of the many things to do at the event site, such as the O'Neill/Phillips Mobile Test Lab and the plywood skate ramp.
In time, the winds began to build slightly, and the race director attempted a first starting time of 2:05. Unfortunately, the conditions became highly variable and the race was cancelled before it began. After an hour passed, the winds returned, measuring 10 knots. The racers then took off at the sound of the horn, ferociously fighting for the best placement and strategizing the best line of attack.
Right from the beginning, Adam Koch (USA) and Riccardo Leccese (COL) took very different tacks, one starting on port and the other on starboard. This made for an interesting beginning, with others such as Bryan Lake (USA) and Julien Kerneur (FRA) not far behind. By the first mark, it was clear that Leccese chose the appropriate path, as he rounded the buoy with ease. Koch, on the other hand, was forced to make a short tack back to get around his mark.
As the race progressed, a greater distance was made between Leccese and Rolf Van Der Vlugt (NED), who followed in second. Unfortunately, a collision on the second lap between Bryan Lake (USA) and Van Der Vlugt took these top-riders out of their leading positions, allowing Julien Kerneur and Adam Koch to edge into second and third place (this collision was later protested). At this time, Nuria Goma's (ESP) kite also went down, which forced her to forfeit the 5th race. Later, in recalling the race, Koch commented that it was a challenging competition and revealed that rounding each mark was perhaps the most difficult part, as this transition in light wind can turn out to be all luck – a puff of wind making or breaking one's chance of pulling through with success.
Finally, the competitors crossed the finish line after a hard fought battle in tough conditions and strong current. Leccese completed the race with a sizeable lead, while Koch and Kerneur took part in the closest finish yet – Kerneur just inches ahead of Koch. This race ended in seven knots, and several competitors did not finish. In fact, Katja Roose (NED) turned out to be the only woman to finish the race.
Day 6 looks to promise good wind in the morning, decreasing throughout the day. Competitors will arrive at the event site early on to take advantage of this possible morning blow. In addition, the livestream will also continue to broadcast the action and feature exclusive interviews and insights with host, Dave Tyburski.


text:
|Satellite Receivers, DVRs & Cable Boxes Having firmware issues with your DVR? Does your TiVo always miss the last few minutes of the game? Does your MPEG-4 cable box have issues? Discuss here.
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Super Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Beverly Hills
Posts: 1,423
DirecTV fails with customer service THEN their equipment
DirecTV sucks.
They constantly waste my time and even worse - my money.
I have 5 HR10-250 HD tivos. They CONSTANTLY break. I pay their STUPIDLY HIGH rates for "insurance" and they still work me for 45 minutes on the phone trying to reboot a DEAD unit that wont power up.
Their next move is to try to make one of their contractors come up to your place. No thanks.
Then they MIGHT give in an send you another receiver. I can tell you have received NO LESS THAT 6 dead units in the past year from DirecTV.
When my next receiver arrives a few days later - its an HR-20 DVR NOT A TIVO. Note to the IDIOT in India or whereever he was - I have a programed remote for the TIVO that I PAY your company to replace with $7 per month. Idiots.
I don't care how many JD Power awards or how many Peyton Manning commercials they run - their hardware SUCKS. Outsourcing their customer serive isn't too smart either.
I am thinking about cable after being a client since DAY ONE!!!!!
Jerry Del Colliano
Super Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Southern California
Posts: 395
Re: DirecTV fails with customer service THEN their equipment
I've had similar experience with DirectTV which is why I am no longer a customer. Not only did my HD boxes break the customer service was awful. When I moved I paid a boat load of money to cancel my subscription only to be hit with a bill ONE YEAR later for charges they failed to tally when I canceled. I moved to Time Warner Digital Cable for a year and they were in a dead heat with DirectTV for being totally useless.
I now have Dish and couldn't be happier. They installed my system the next day (Both DirectTV and Time Warner couldn't do it for three weeks) and I have HD in every room in the house for about half what Direct TV and TW would've charged me. They're great to do business with and every time I need someone to come out to the house they're there and on time. I will never use DirectTV or TW again. I don't care how many HD channels they claim to have in the future.
Andrew Robinson
Managing Editor
Super Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Oklahoma (Go Sooners!!)
Posts: 1,243
Re: DirecTV fails with customer service THEN their equipment
Yea, tier 1 CS people there seem to be doing nothing but reading off a script and are of no help, they seem to think everyone is as clueless about the receivers as they are!
Fortunately I don't deal with CS unless one of my receivers has a hardware problem which means it's been over a year since I talked to them.
Both of my HR20-700's are running pre-release software & all the tier levels of CS know only about the national release software. So all my questions go to dbstalk.com where any bugs are addressed in the next pre-release download.
My question to you Jerry is why do you still have the HR10-250's?
Not only are they known for the poor build quality they are I believe Mpeg2 only so you can't get the new HD stations.
Is the TiVo interface that good that you put up with the failures & no new HD stations?
The HR20-700's are of a better build quality than older boxes & they are Mpeg4 receivers so you can get all the new HD channels, but if you get new receivers you get a new 2 year commitment.
My biggest problem with DirecTV is their draconian commitment terms, there is no 30 day trial period, you set up DirecTV & you have a 2 year commitment (is that even legal?), you upgrade your receivers, another 2 year commitment, forcing people to pay to leave is no way to treat customers!
Also why am I paying $299 each for a leased receiver?? That really tick me off but I paid it because I wanted HD-DVR's.
Most companies Customer service is a joke anymore, but believe me I'm way better off with DirecTV than I was with Cox cable!
Super Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: White Plains, New York
Posts: 1,706
Re: DirecTV fails with customer service THEN their equipment
I don`t know guys, I think I mentioned earlier that I worked for Cablevision here in Westchester and heard all the horror stories with DirecTV. Cablevision has its issues as well, but at least you can get a real tech to the house (just make sure you request a house tech, not a contractor, 10% of the installs and service calls done in Westchester are contractors, Jim Dolans idea).
Service does not stop for bad weather, and the picture is decent. Wind and rain will not ruin a movie while you are chilling with the wife, or embarass you when you have friends and family over.
And, they offer no internet and phone. And Optimum is very fast.
Here Andrew, most of the Dish Network and DirecTV customers are the influx of Peruvian, Chile, Mexico, Guatemala, and Brazil customers. Most would get cable, but until recently, had no International channels, which is becoming a very big thing. Especially the people from India. Though they are here now, they still want to watch news and sports from their native countries. Especially soccer. And hardly any of them are into home theater at all!!
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 44
Re: DirecTV fails with customer service THEN their equipment
well, dont think that Dish Network is a hell of alot better. You can sit on hold all day, only to get a tech that says "if it's HD, then you need upper level support" and will throw you back into the hole qeue (sp?). I loathe the days i have to call them but fortunately that is not too often.
New Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 1
Re: DirecTV fails with customer service THEN their equipment
Hello all. I just found this place. I have had directv for 5 months now. They can not fix my problem with my HD. Three receivers, and we went from HDMI cable one to HDMI cable two, then HDMI port 2, and now the blue, green connections. They have been to my house 5-7 times. My case is in the escalation department. Local service just comes out and changes a wire, and then says, well lets see what happens. All while I pay my bill in full each month.
So guess what! I bought the following domain, Directvsupport.com and I will be posting my story there. I will be telling them, every time some one goggles they will see this site for support. I could not believe this site was available. Think they will get the point? I had dish before, and was happy, but wanted HD, and they did not have my locals in HD, but at least with them I had a consistent picture quality. No dropped signal, not sparkles, no searching for signal. Sure I have searching for signal if it rained really heavy, or snowed really heavy, but besides that, Dish was good! I am just tired of getting dumped on by these TV vendors. I pay my money, and I hold up my end of the contract, why not them?? Check the site in a week, it will be up and the hole story will be there.
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text:
Well, if you were not able to get out to Tulsa last week for the 2011 Mid-America Shelby Meet to check out some awesome Ford Mustang specimens, you missed out…really. Along the spectrum of Shelby Mustangs, AC Cobras, and a grab bag mix of late-model & classic customs, there was a fantastic spread to take in. So, we're back from Tulsa to show you but a glimpse of what was seen, heard, and raced…in a breakdown of day-by-day activities as we rolled through the 37th meeting of Team Shelby in Mid-America.
Make sure to keep reading to get the full play-by-play day by day…and also, there's a huge gallery at the bottom to gawk at!
Overall, the meet, venue, and company along the way was world-class. We never hit a single snag, delay, or pain in any part of the entire weekend we spent enjoying the sights and good company which the Mid-America Team Shelby folks put on. From cruises to banquets with good laughs, every single person (part of the actual show or not) enjoyed every aspect of the atmosphere.
Day 1 – Wednesday
The StangNet crew put down some serious road time just to get the Built to Cruise project car from Alabama to Tulsa for the exhibition & events at the Mid-America Shelby meet. 12 hours and an unhealthy dose of fatigue later, the completely restored Fox-body Ford Mustang rolled into the parking lot with a hungered crew at the helm.
The remainder of the day mostly brought in a series of events of setting up and general preparation for the weekend to come. Most of the afternoon was spent funneling in cars, shining and scrubbing, and seeking out the premiere parking spot in order to draw in the masses. And draw them, we all did…
How? Everyone was on the top of their game, both in professional enthusiast level as well as the showmanship effort, keeping all the cars safe 'n clean amidst the masses of people flowing through the busy Tulsa pipeline.
Day 2 – Thursday
The second day of the Team Shelby meet in Tulsa brought upon some more action…the kind of action that makes one grin from ear lobe to ear lobe. Showing off Built to Cruise, visiting the renowned Hallett raceway park, and getting seat time in a few race cars, the 2012 Boss Mustang, and witnessing some pretty awesome racing talent from World Challenge points leader Paul Brown in a Mustang Boss 302S racer, keeping the participants & spectators alike entertained. Other racers included some awesome sponsors and class drivers around the road course…of which Ford Racing, MRT, Late Model Restoration, Classic Design Concepts, and many others were a part of. Those that took the field put up some impressive numbers amongst each other and impressed the crowd in victory and in folly (there were a few that ran off and hit the dirt a few times!).
Members of the StangNet crew were also able to crowd in and get some seat time in the MRT Mustang race car with Scott Hoag, root for Shannon Guderian & Jonathan McDonald in the LateModelResto Mustangs, and beheld a blast of a hot lap session in the 2012 Boss Mustang.
After some rockin' times (and good eats) at the track and being plenty spent from the wonderful humidity & sunny Tulsa heat, we once again got the chance to show off Built to Cruise in the Marriott parking lot, right up front and center.
Later on that night, the entire stream of Ford Mustangs (and many other fast Fords) occupied the entire Marriott parking lot in order to stage up for the show & town stopping cruise from the west end to the downtown Tulsa Brady District (much like a classical old market) where we all enjoyed dinner in typical Tulsa flair.
The Shelby Mustang collection and several other hot Mustangs (and a handful of eclectic Ford customs) took the streets and paved the way for everyone to have a good time relaxing and enjoying downtown Tulsa.
With good food, great company, and hot cars, the night was a completely awesome success. Everyone was in fine spirits and from what we saw, heard, and lived out, with many great Mustang stories from past & present being shared across the streets and tables. It was just awesome camaraderie!
Day 3 – Friday
The third day of action lead us into some more racing action, some photo opportunities, extreme Tulsa heat, and finally a banquet & presentation by Ford Motor Company & Team Shelby. The racing at Hallett was a fantastic experience, as we were able to enjoy some on-site racing action from World Challenge points leader Paul Brown from team Brown/Wellendorf, in his 2012 Boss 302S Mustang.
In fact, here's Brown (below) being chased down and toying with some serious contention at Hallett's challenging road course!
After a few hot skids and dirt scatterings, the teams and cars were all more than ready to take a chance to cool down and enjoy the cool front that was moving in, bringing some clouds and a brisk breeze.
As the afternoon passed, we were able to cool off and prepare ourselves for some good stories and good food at the banquet back in the hotel. After a sweaty day at the track, we were more than ready to hit the showers, prop the sponsor display stand up next to Built to Cruise, and just flat-out chill.
Later on, we jumped into the throngs of people seeking to seat at the Ford and Team Shelby banquet. After taking our seats next to award-winning Mustang historian Donald Farr, we were pumped to find a night full of epicurean foods and fantastic discourse all around us.
Following the gorging upon some good steaks and fine desserts, we were able to witness Ford's global stance on strategy, their financial health, and got some pretty good kicks out of some marketing taglines…all from Steve Ling, of Ford North American Vehicle Marketing. Steve focused upon a macro look at Ford's car lineup and gave a fantastic overview of where Ford sits factually in 2011 and 2012, then also gave us a crystal-ball look at where a typical shareholder might expect Ford to be in the coming years. What we saw looked quite promising!
What's more, is Steve let out some fun tidbits of internal intel at Ford. Here's one cool story for starters: How many 2012 Boss Mustang Laguna Seca editions were stamped out initially? 50? Correct. Numerals 1 through 50, right?
Initially, all 50 in the limited run of Laguna Seca Boss Mustangs were stamped with #1. That's right, even Bill Ford's car would have been etched the same as another collector who would have acquired a Boss 302 from the first series. Let's just say this faux pas was quickly rectified before too many people were let in on the slip.
After hearing that tidbit of intel, we also got to see a series of taglines that failed for the 2012 Mustang promotion campaign. There were definitely some that caught the crowd by the tail and brought a few laughs. Two memorable "failed" ones were:
1) Ford Mustang…because no one ever brags about their first Camry.
2) Your dad bought a brand new 1969 Mustang Boss 302. You were born in 1969…coincidence?
Whether the Ford legal department approved of these or not, these, and a few others, had several grins on the crowd at the least!
As the night moved on, the banquet continued by recognizing several members from the Team Shelby club, including those which have attended every single gathering for 37 years! Seriously, how many people can say they've been dedicated to something for nearly 4 decades? Most people don't even hold the same job for 10 to 15 years, let alone more than 30! What we witnessed this year (as with years past) is a divine dedication to the Ford Mustang spirit. It's one thing to talk it up and another to live it, flat-out, right in front of everyone….and it was amazing to witness.
Amidst all the commotion and fun, there was a serious and reflective note cast out in the form a lifetime Mustang appreciation award. The recipient: none other than faithful Ford journalist Donald Farr. From the stories of his grandpa's classic Ford Mustang to the tales of him restoring & enjoying it still today, the entire crowd was captivated by his humbleness and great charisma. And to think, we sat down with him, just as "one of the guys"!
There was one other comical moment leading up to Donald's award, and it recognized the achievement of Jim Owens (Ford Mustang Brand Manager) at Hallett earlier that day. Jim managed to head out on the track in a 2012 Boss 302 and cruise through the corners up until something went wrong with the car. The engine sputtered & died, leaving Jim stranded alongside the track, giving out point-bys to everyone else. The problem was pretty serious, but later easily solved…
Jim had run out of fuel on the race track.
Needless to say, he caught some serious teasing and heck over it and at the banquet, he was given a shiny red 1-gallon gas tank as his recognition award. It was priceless!
During the latter portions of the banquet dinner and presentations, there were numerous goodies given away from Team Shelby, Ford, and a collection of notable sponsors: Tremec, Classic Design Concepts, Kicker, Gateway Classic Mustang, Baer Brakes, and many, many other respected Mustang supporters.
Ford Racing even put up a very unique set of 2012 Boss Mustang Laguna Seca wheels and tires, signed and certified by the Ford Mustang design & engineering team. This nifty little auction brought out a cool $2500 cash up for charitable purposes designated by Team Shelby!
Day 4 – Saturday
Saturday was all about the 1320ft passes at Tulsa Raceway Park! The heat was on and the grid was packed-up right after breakfast for time trials and for everyone to get their rides dialed-in. After witnessing a barrage of classic Mustangs, Shelby Cobras, late model Mustangs, and even a Ford Raptor (awesome!) pass down the strip, we were ready to check out the paddock to see just what Ford and Team Shelby had in store for us.
Here's a shot of one of the awesome Cobra Jet Mustangs right at launch!
A mixture of the fast cars, a packed paddock, and empty stomachs lead the StangNet team to snap some nice shots of the rides around the drag strip and jet out to find some food in the local Tulsa area. After the intensity of heat encouraged a lot of people to seek respite (ambient temperatures hovered between 101 and 103 that afternoon & evening), many people returned back to the Marriott to relax & chill in the lobby (which was packed with Shelbys and other noteworthy concours classics).
Team Brown/Wellendorf also had their two Boss 302S Mustang racers out on display with some track video playing over the display on the very car we had seen race earlier at Hallett! Check out Paul's (current World Challenge points leader) car, below!
Day 5 – Sunday
On Sunday morning, everyone was up and at 'em early, shining and detailing in preparation for the multi-class car show, which took up nearly all of the Marriott parking lot. Ford and Shelby, along with the rest of the supporting vendors making the entire event possible, had all of their tents and displays set up also.
The only stickler about what came around Sunday morning was two-fold…heavy cloud cover (which was nice to avoid the heat) and droplets of rain scattered throughout the morning (which made it tough for those without tent or garage bay coverage to keep the spots on the paint away & the interiors dry. We finally got to see all of the Mustangs in one place and get some good closing shots from the 2011 Mid-America Shelby Meet.
After the show and some final goodbyes to some great friends, old & new, we packed-out and hit the road for the long drive back home.
Be sure to check out the gallery of all of our images for some impressive shots of Built to Cruise and many other fine Ford Mustang samples!2012 Mustang, Aftermarket, Built to Cruise, Events, Featured, Ford


text:
Sheriff Andy Shock says he expects the probe to be finished this week.
The Log Cabin Democrat reportsed the inmates got out the afternoon of Aug. 17 when they peeled back a recreation yard fence, jumped a barbed wire fence and then stole a vehicle from a nearby business.
The inmates were all caught within several days, one of them in Oklahoma City. They'd been facing drug and theft charges.
Shock said the day of the escape that policies and procedures hadn't been followed by staff members. But the sheriff said no detention staff members were placed on leave as part of the investigation.


text:
9/19/2007 11:06pm, #1
Cage Rage 23: Unbelievable - Sept 22
Don't Miss Cage Rage 23: Unbelievable for free here on ProElite.com this Saturday September 22 10AM/PT 1PM/ET
Main Event
Gary Turner vs. Julius Francis
Light Heavyweight World Title
James Zikic vs. Vitor Belfort
Welterweight World & British Title
Paul Daley vs. Mark Weir
Heavyweight British Title
Tengiz Tedoradze vs. Mustapha Alturk
Middleweight British Title
Matt Ewin vs. Alex Reid
Undercard Bouts
Chris Brennan vs. Jean Silva
Xavier Pokam vs. Pierre Guillet
Domonic Ostich vs. Neil Grove
Ed Smith vs. Roman Webber
Ross Mason vs. Ch'e Mills
Jason Barrett vs. Lee Doski
Free? Did not know that.Surfing Facebook at work? Spread the good word by adding us on Facebook today! https://www.facebook.com/Bullshido
9/20/2007 7:36am, #2
Blimey, that's some Bill. I take it Julius Francis is the Boxer; so it looks like he's switched codes. I know James Zikic was boxing but seems to have given himself over completely to MMA. He was also featured last weekend on a re-run of a past Cage Rage event.
I'll have to check if this is on Extreme (next to Eurosport 2) on Cable, otherwise it might be Setanta (after the football [soccer]). If it's on either, it will be Free(!)
Thanks for the post.


text:
OCEAN CITY – The Mayor and City
Council have voiced a consensus to move forward in creating smoke-free areas on
the beach by next summer.< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office">
Steimer of the local chapter of the Surfrider Foundation and chair of the Ocean
City "Leave Only Your Footprints" campaign received permission this week from
the Mayor and City Council to continue a program to place cigarette butt cans
along the resort's beach and Boardwalk.
the last year, the foundation has initiated a pilot program to place cigarette
butt cans along the beach and Boardwalk to educate smokers in the responsible
areas to smoke.
of the 200 cans that were placed, there are 136 that remain due to being lost
in weather or stolen. Out of those cans 69,000 butts have been collected.
thought the program was successful and we hope to continue with it," Steimer
the council agreed to the continuation of the program, Mayor Rick Meehan
asserted that cigarette butts on the beach have become a bigger issue than what
the collection efforts can solve.
know we have many discussions up here about our beach and Boardwalk and what we
should do and what we shouldn't do but if you really want to look
environmentally at the big picture, and that's what we have always done, right
now we are trying to direct people to certain areas to smoke and its resulting
in minimal success. Any success is good but its minimal," Meehan said.
public hearing was held in December of 2010 when a ban on smoking on Ocean
City's beaches, Boardwalk and public parks was last debated.
handful of speakers spoke for and against the question, but the current council
decided to place butt cans and signage along the beach and the Boardwalk,
providing smokers with smoking stations. It does not mandate smokers do it there,
but it serves as a request for them to smoke within that area. As for public
parks, the council voted to prohibit smoking in those areas.
the only way that you can direct people to certain areas so that they can use
these containers is that if they weren't able to smoke in the other areas, and
I think it is a conversation we need to have again," Meehan said. "Making our
beach a smoke-free beach at some point in time is going to become a reality and
I just think that's the way our country is going and that is probably a good
mayor proposed that between now and next summer the conversation be held and
suggested to perhaps start out with having restrictive smoking areas where the
cigarette butt cans will really come into play.
the long run, it might create some growing pains and some anxiety for some, as
many other things have as we have grown over the years to become what I think
is the best family beach resort anywhere, but I think it is where people expect
us to be at some point in time," he said.
respectfully disagreed with the mayor pointing out that the cigarette butt can
program was only entering its second year and suggested to allow the program to
continue for a few more years before more serious steps are taken.
thought we collected a significant amount of butts for the first year, and I
think it is way too early to make that determination at this point in time," he
to Steimer, St. Petersburg, Fla., as well as the Virginia Natural Resources
Department, researched this area before as far as smoking on the beach and found
that if the town provides smoking areas than it will help those people who are
aggravated with smokers being next to them and the people who smoke because
they are already attuned to restricted to certain areas throughout the United
President Jim Hall agreed with the mayor saying the smoking on the beach has become
a bad example for children as well as offensive to non-smokers.
world has gone a long way to get rid of smoking in restaurants and bars … and I
would hope one day we would try to develop at least very soon some areas that
were smoke free," Jim Hall said using the example of establishing certain
streets on the beach as smoke-free.
Margaret Pillas hoped to have the discussion sooner than later.
would like to put it to the voter actually," she said. "I wouldn't mind it
being a referendum question. Do we want to go smoke free or do we want to do
designated areas?"
Joe Hall also agreed with the mayor's position to hold a future discussion and
suggested the town start by restricting smokers to the west of the lifeguard
stands so that the area in front of the stands, where most of the children play,
could be smoke free.
President Jim Hall asked City Manager David Recor to schedule the discussion
following the summer season, sometime in October, at which time the council
will review other resorts and how they enacted a smoking ban on their beaches.
is time to take the next step," Meehan said. "It is time to move forward
progressively to attack this problem."
Ocean City's neighboring resort town,
Bethany Beach passed a smoking ban on its beaches and Boardwalk in 2008. The
ban lasts from May 15 to Sept. 15 every year. During that time frame, smokers
are provided with designated smoking areas on Bethany's beaches.


text:
My brother has been having some BSOD issues lately and I've been working with him to resolve the problem. He's 6 hours away and has no alternative hardware readily available at this point. I've exhausted all my ideas, so I need yours.
System Specs:
Asus M4A88TD-V Evo (Latest BIOS 2301)
Athlon II X3 450
OCZ Vertex 3 120GB
WD 500GB data drive
Wireless: TP Link N600
Sound: Asus Xonar DG
Graphics: AMD 7770
OS: Windows 7 64-bit
He built the computer about 1.5 years ago. Has been running smoothly up until about a month ago. Graphics card was upgraded to 7770 in late-May. Current wireless card installed not long thereafter, SSD has been in for over a year. (Basically no hardware has changed since June)
About 3 weeks ago he started having frequent BSODs; usually when watching videos from youtube or the hdd (nearly every time he watched a video for almost a week straight). BSOD error code was F4 (registry error?). He asked me for help. I had him run cc cleaner, scanned for viruses, ran MemTest for over an hour with no errors. He mentioned that he was receiving frequent messages on startup and after BSODs about "Could not find correct boot device, please insert a boot device and reboot." I had him reset CMOS, updated BIOS, power-cycled SSD. Still getting the same error until he found that the SSD had somehow been removed from the boot list. Although adding the SSD back into the boot list allowed him to boot into Windows, it didn't resolve the BSODs, so he ended up reinstalling Windows.
After reinstalling Windows and all his programs/drivers/windows updates, the computer worked fine for about a week. Last Thursday, he got another BSOD while watching a YouTube video (same F4 error code). Same symptoms (video stopped, computer froze, BSOD). At that point I was thinking it may have been a graphics driver issue so I had him install the latest 13.10 beta driver (13.4 in May was the last official driver that he was using...c'mon AMD). Oddly enough, games haven't been posing any stability issues.
The same day he installed the 13.10 he started having freezes at other times as well (usually while web browsing). When the computer froze, he could move the mouse, but couldnt click anything. After a few seconds the keyboard would stop working as well. When he was fast enough to ctrl-alt-del, instead of getting the task manager, he got a message saying something like "preparing security options." He let it go and got another BSOD and then a "7a" error code (KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR). This happened frequently in the past couple days, the computer would only run for about 10 minutes before this happened. During this time, a couple of the reboots generated the previous "could not find boot device" message after BIOS posted, but sometimes it restarted fine. He looked up the error code and ran system file checker (sfc.exe) in cmd prompt. It came up with a few errors and reported that it fixed them. He then ran secpol.msc and cleared virtual memory on shutdown. That was last night and it had been working for a couple hours without issue. I'm not convinced the problems are solved yet though.
Any ideas?


text: Leather and cord bracelets from the Sundance collection impart a free-spirited demeanor to your look. Handmade leather bracelets possess rich, earthy hues to dramatically offset gemstones or precious metals; leather and silver cord bracelets showcase beautiful, contrasting elements. From the simplest single cord to the most elaborate wrap bracelet, this collection of leather or cord bracelets includes styles befitting any mood.


text:
Amy WineRack
Pure genius. Please double the price of your subscription.
Ladies, if you're not happy with the size of your bust, but your boyfriend won't let you see surgical redress, then retailer Firebox has a solution that'll make you both grin with glee. Tits_wine_rack_02 The WineRack: pour the wine in and suck away The company's unveiled the WineRack bra. As the name suggests, and the …
Pure genius. Please double the price of your subscription.
Almost as good as the beer belly that they do...
Although the advantage with that is as yuo drink it you lose weight and hence look even more fantastic as the night progresses...
I think asking for a sip for the chest may go down, well, like the Hindenburg but hey ho, be amusing :)
Oh, right. Boobs and beer. Nevermind.
...has been done already by Benny Hill.
Too bad he and Graham Chapman aren't around to see this.
"...now, you see those two trophies there? Yes, zoom in on the two trophies!"
My lovely wife Melanie, would like one of these for her birthday
Unfortunatly it only goes up to size 38B
Where is the Extra large model for 44F and above?
Anon because my wife might be watching El Reg
Coat please, it has the hip flask in the pocket
I'll be buying my wife some of these. As for the warm booze I heartily recommend austro-swiss gluhwein or british ales. This'll keep me happy around the house regardless of if the missus is wearing clothes.
Not so much a problem as he will be too drunk to notice by then!
Nah, "Winerack" is sheer genius! (Though I agree, body temperature is a bit too warm for wine)
Of course, if you did market a competing model called the "Bra Bar", It leads naturally to a booze filled merkin called the "Bra Bar Bush"!
-whap- Damn! Why does someone always bring tomatoes?
I would love to see a guy give this to his wife/GF and film the results.
but hey, it's "the reg" so we'll pretend it's cutting edge.
The missus here is ... um, larger than a B cup and she says you can slip a half-bottle under a boob, held to the ribs with the elastic and no-one pats you down that close to the mammage.
Combined with the Winter, would be a good match (for warm tipples/nipples).
How about a pic of the lovely moderatrix modelling said WineRack????
Presumably your wife knows you read The Reg if she reads it. Therefore, if she's reading THIS, do you think she'll think that poster is referring to some OTHER huge-busted Melanie with a birthday coming up? Hmm...
Must be Friday again ..... :-)
Liebfraulmilch at blood temprature!
Even a devout dipsomaniac like myself has limits -- pass the meths.
Paris -- cos she could do with a boost in that area
I might get one for me man boobs...
Hmmm , just the thing to match those across the North Sea sippee undees from the land of the dikes too!
But then again , could be a very good accessory for those cross dressers out there too !
The last time I saw anything like that bottom picture it was under granddad's hospital bed.
And the end of the tube didn't go to his mouth.
But the liquid *was* a similar colour.
You so owe me a new keyboard.
can't help thinking they are missing a trick by not making a preggers one:
1) far far more space for wine storage
2) you will have it all to yourself.. if the wife tries to have a drink she is gonna get dagger looks from everyone around.. pregnant and drinking!
You can either have it dispensing warm beer served at body temperature, or chilled beer and chapel hat pegs.
Uh, huh, I think i have made my choice...
Now finally you *can* go out crossdressing while still drinking warm ale like a real man. Bless this scept'red isle.
... I have nothing more to add.
So start on the *indecent* ones, then.
Mine's the one with the [censored] [censored] [censored, illegal, and probably physically impossible]
"I would love to see a guy give this to his wife/GF and film the results"
Watch out for the Extreme Porn laws - it would probably end up as a snuff film.
Steven R
obviously, go for red wine... absolutely perfect at room/body temperature and considerably more difficult to mistake for urine.
David Wiernicki wrote: "Presumably your wife knows you read The Reg if she reads it. Therefore, if she's reading THIS, do you think she'll think that poster is referring to some OTHER huge-busted Melanie with a birthday coming up? Hmm..."
Surely, such detailed info is intentionally inaccurate and is provided merely to divert suspicion :)
(ahem) now as I was going to say...
kain preacher wrote: "I would love to see a guy give this to his wife/GF and film the results"
To which Steven Raith replied: "Watch out for the Extreme Porn laws - it would probably end up as a snuff film."
Hee! Yeah, possibly right up there with vacuum cleaners as anniversary presents (as wife looks daggers at husband and kills him with her glare). Although personally, as a lady, I value practical useful things far more than things that sit on a shelf and have to be dusted, but that's just me... actually I'd prefer hard-to-find tools (no, not *that* kind) or some useful new software rather than a vacuum cleaner, though :)
Anyway it sounds like something that ought to be popular with the college kids, to sneak booze into places.
I would feel quite averse to sampling from some *other* lady's rack, er I mean booze bra, though... it would just be... weird! 'Cause, you know, I don't swing that way (being hypothetical here, as I don't drink booze anymore either, but I'm just thinking it through). It would be like that date I was on once, well not really, but this involved weird bras too, when the guy, a good-looking man with all the normal manly equipment, comes out of his kitchen wearing a lovely little summer dress (WTF?!) and asks me if I want to squeeze his "realistic-feeling" (so he said) fake boobs. I considered it, thinking maybe I was missing out on something cool, but frankly (ooh, no pun intended) it would have been a little weird. So, for booze bras, I'd have to bring my own :)
Now, back to our regularly scheduled bras, I mean bars, I mean programming ;)
Linux angle? Oh hell I dunno. Why not!
I mean I bet the distributors took this product - that is probably an actual womens aid from Canada or somewhere - and said:
"lets just rebrand it for alcohol and sell it in the UK...they're bound to buy it!"
i hear red wine is best served warm this product seems ideal
for keeping T-it warm
I thought you Brits liked your beer warm.. Oh wait, that's because Lucas makes your refrigerators ;)
These are the "new improved" Bulgarian Airbags. I'm surprised nobody has thought of this. Of course, they aren't filled with air in this case, but it is close.
The biggest problem: Body temperature Booze. Bummer!!
Beer jugs!!! Not so good for lager drinkers as it would end up flatter and warmer than the love-interest in question. Terrible scenario though if the link to the other half got blocked/crimped then you've got a serious imbalance that might need re-adjusting manually. BTW Rick, most of our fridges probably come from china or korea now. The student trick of keeping milk cool in digs by hanging it out the window best not translated to this creation...
For only £10 ($20/€13.50) more, kinky customers can upgrade to the Deluxe model which contains a special Guaranteed Leakproof Valve (TM) where the booze can be sampled from an anatomically-correct nipple area instead of having to fuss with tubes and such.
Somehow that reminded me of Withnail & I (Instructions are enclo-zed)
Paris...could use this enhancement, and pass the bouncer...
well maybe not at the airport...but it would be interesting
to see it (and I know eventually it will) happen!!!!
My wife likes a wine spritizer
Quite fun to open the tap after a bit of boobie shaking on the dance floor.
(Co2 build up for the uninitiated)
has come true...


text:
13 detained, one flown to Houston hospital
June 13, 2013 at 1:13 a.m.
Two separate pursuits in Jackson County on Wednesday led to the detention of more than a dozen people suspected of being in the country illegally and sent one to a Houston hospital.
The first pursuit started about 6:30 a.m., when a Jackson County Sheriff's deputy attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation near Lolita, said Chief Deputy Curt Gabrysch.
The chase ended in a pasture with the driver and several passengers fleeing. Five people were detained, said Gabrysch.
As deputies scoured the area for the other passengers, they received a call about 1 p.m. that a vehicle had been stolen from a Lolita store.
The Chevrolet Cruze was immediately spotted by deputies, and another pursuit began, said the chief deputy.
The chase entered Matagorda County before the truck crashed into a tree, said Gabrysch.
One woman was taken by helicopter to a Houston hospital, and five other passengers were taken to the Jackson County Hospital in Edna.
"We feel like the second driver went around and picked up some of those that had fled the first pursuit," said Gabrysch.
Nine people were detained and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said Gabrysch. The driver was detained Thursday morning in Matagorda County.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Ganado Police Department and the Matagorda County Sheriff's Office.
Emergency medical services from Matagorda County and Jackson County also responded.


text:
Dr. Nefertari Patricia Hilliard-Nunn will speak on Sunday, Feb. 24, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the Auburn Avenue Research Library on the topic "You Can't Steal My African Ba: African Cultural Influences In the USA."
A professor of the humanities at the University of Florida in Gainesville and a Link in the Gainesville Chapter, Hilliard-Nunn has authored several books and is the daughter of Patsy Jo and the late Dr. Asa Hilliard of metro Atlanta.
The event is sponsored by the International Trends and Services facet of the Atlanta Chapter of The Links Inc. and will be held on the 4th floor in the auditorium, located at 101 Auburn Avenue, N.E. in Atlanta.
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Dolan Designs offers some of the finest styles and finishes available in home lighting today, allowing you to create a distinctive look for your home. Simple, clean and classic designs to complement a wide variety of decorating styles are the hallmarks of Dolan Designs.
Our catalog is arranged so you can easily find a variety of styles to extend your decorating theme throughout all the rooms of your home. View by collection, finish, or product.
Dolan Designs Mix & Match Portable Lamps and Shades allow you to choose from over 600 combinations to create the exact look you want. Changing the look of a room is as easy as changing the shade. And in true Dolan fashion, it's the attention to detail that differentiates this exciting line-up.
Dolan Designs Lighting offers a wide selection of Chandeliers, Pendants and Wall Sconces in an array of Finishes including Polished Chrome, Brushed Nickel, and Bronze.
Dolan Designs Lighting also produces a wide variety of Lighting for the Kitchen and Bath including Island Lights, Outdoor Pendants, Outdoor Post Lights, Flush Mounts or Semi-Flush Mounts, Dolan Designs has what you're looking for in styles and finishes that complement any style.


text: Finding a Hawaiian band is quicker than you might think. GigMasters connects you with hundreds of groups all throughout the U.S. and Canada. Need Hawaiian music for a party in Illinois? Want a Hawaiian band for a business gathering in Colorado? Start searching now for local performers in your area!


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SLE304 - Geographic Information Systems: Uses in Aquatic Environments
Unit details
|2018 unit information
|Enrolment modes:
|Trimester 1: Warrnambool
|Credit point(s):
|EFTSL value:
|Previously coded as:
|Unit chair:
Laurie Laurenson
|Any 2 level two science course-grouped units
|Incompatible with:
|Contact hours:
1 x 3 hour seminar per week
SLE304 will allow students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and skills of geographic information systems (GIS) including the GIS software, types of data, database management, geospatial data manipulation, geospatial data interpretation and presentation and critical evaluation of processes and results. Applying the principles of remote sensing and knowledge of GIS software, students will manipulate GIS layers; collect and correct GPS data, querying and presenting GIS data; analyse spatial and temporal patterns; and identify the role, benefits, limitations and applications of GIS in studying aquatic ecosystems and water resources. In this unit, students will be required to acquire significant practical and theoretical knowledge of geospatial systems and analysis through extensive problem solving and practical application in geospatial tasks. This is a level-three unit and students are expected to work independently and as part of collaborative groups to solve problems and present work. The work must provide a synthesis of geospatial and be presented in a coherent, understandable and structured form.
Geospatial remote sensing report 30%, complex geospatial remote sensing report 30%, multivariate geospatial remote sensing applications report 40%
Unit Fee Information
Click on the fee link below which describes you:


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Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute has chosen Life Technologies Chief Executive Gregory T. Lucier as chairman of its board of trustees.
Lucier assumes the role at the institute's board meeting today. Lucier, who has been chairman previously, takes the place of Duane Roth, who died Aug. 3.
As chairman, Lucier will help the institute with its new 10-year plan. It calls for speeding basic biomedical discoveries to patients, and forming more partnerships with health care entities and drug companies.
The nonprofit Sanford-Burnham has a $153 million annual operating budget, making it one of the largest research institutes in San Diego. In addition to its La Jolla headquarters, the institute operates an East Coast location in Orlando, Fla. It employs about 1,200 people.
Independent research institutions like Sanford-Burnham traditionally draw sharp distinctions between themselves and for-profit companies, Lucier said. But with a slowdown in anticipated federal funding from the National Institutes of Health, closer ties to drug companies can help compensate.
"Coupled with pharmaceutical companies facing pretty severe patent cliffs, there's a blurring of the lines where collaborations are starting to happen in ways that are going to be new and novel," Lucier said. "Our goal is to make Sanford-Burnham the best partnering organization in the world."
Lucier said he took the role in honor of Roth, and because he agreed with the institute's new plan, which he helped create.
"I had spent time with Duane prior to his passing about his aspirations for Sanford-Burnham, and I felt when they asked me to rejoin the board that I had a good sense of where they wanted to go, what Duane wanted to achieve," Lucier said. "I deployed some of our strategic planners from Life Technologies to help out."
The plan calls for Sanford-Burnham research to find precise disease causes, and discover potential treatments that target the cause. In large part, this means the use of genomics, he said. Lucier is intimately familiar with that field through Life Technologies, one of the world's biggest suppliers of DNA sequencing equipment.
"I think the vision is right, I think the leadership is solid, and I wanted to do what I could to get us down that 10-year path," Lucier said.
Lucier takes over while Life Technologies is in the middle of its own transition. Life Tech is in the process of being acquired by scientific instrumentation giant Thermo Fisher. The $13.6 billion deal was approved by Life Tech shareholders last month.
It's expected to be completed early in 2014. Lucier said said he would determine his future plans after that time.


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Spotlight on Pujols at Home Run Derby
In 'Albert's town,' Cardinals slugger is favored in contest
By Doug Miller / MLB.com
Heading into Monday night's State Farm Home Run Derby, even the seven other contestants in the field were willing to admit that Albert Pujols will be the man to watch and the man to beat when the lights come on and the fat pitches sail over the heart of the plate.
Pujols, the St. Louis Cardinals first baseman who leads the Major Leagues in home runs with 32, is serving as a sort of hometown hospitality host for the weekend full of festivities, and he was the center of the conversation once again at the midday news conference for the Derby.
"It's to enjoy, have fun," Pujols said when asked about the purpose of the Derby. "Yes, like you say, I've been the centerpiece [of the weekend], but I don't let that get in my head. I'm going to go out there and try to have fun in the Home Run Derby tonight and the game tomorrow, and hopefully we can put on a great show for the fans tonight and the viewers."
Pujols will be expected to win the Derby not only by just about everyone in Busch Stadium, but seemingly by Nelson Cruz, Brandon Inge, Carlos Pena, Joe Mauer, Prince Fielder, Adrian Gonzalez and Ryan Howard, too.
"Growing up here and being a Cardinals fan when I was younger, the one thing about the fans here, obviously they love their teams, but the one thing I can say about the fans here is that they appreciate good players," Howard said.
"If someone were to knock Albert off tonight, I think that the fans would obviously be cool with that. They would appreciate that because they know the kind of level that Albert is at, and for someone to beat him here in St. Louis, they would be very appreciative of that."
Pujols smiled and cracked, "He says that because he hits 10 home runs every time he's here."
Gonzalez echoed the sentiments of quite a few Derby fans when he added, "I think the best thing to do is just [bet on] Albert and you'll be fine."
Two young people will get that chance Monday night, and that also was a topic of discussion in the news conference.
When Pujols steps on the field, he'll be joined by a contestant, Mark Weinberger from Philadelphia, and Mark will point to left field, right field or center field, and Pujols will get one swing to hit the "called shot." If Pujols hits it where Weinberger pointed, Weinberger will win a prize package that includes a new car and a 65-inch flat-screen TV.
Is that even more hype to heap on Pujols' already heavy shoulders?
"Well, yeah, there is pressure," Pujols said. "There's only one swing that you take. I guess you need to be lucky. Hopefully he [doesn't] point to right field. But it's great. I'm glad to be a part of that. It's a great cause, and hopefully I can make that happen tonight. It's awesome and I'm looking forward to it."
So are the rest of the contestants, who seemingly don't buy into the rumor that participating in the Derby can wreak havoc on a player's swing.
Pena, who's leading the American League in homers this year with 24, had a unique outlook on that topic.
"I just don't think that there is [anything] to ruin in my swing, really," he said to laughter. "So I'm just going to go out there and be myself. I guess I've got enough of a loop that it can't get any worse. I'm just going to stay with it. And to me, it's just all about the fun, and obviously, this is a great cause, so I'm just going to enjoy myself as much as possible."
The cause Pena was referring to is the Boys & Girls Clubs. Once again, eight local Boys & Girls Club members were paired with a Derby participant to win a donation toward a new teen center. The club member paired with the winner gets a $50,000 donation for his or her Boys & Girls Clubs, while the remaining children each will receive a $10,000 donation for their respective clubs. Also, four local Boys & Girls Club members will serve as Derby shaggers.
The Derby also includes the "Gold Ball" charitable component, instituted in 2005, in which Rawlings, the official supplier of baseballs to Major League Baseball, has created a specially designed gold baseball that will be used in every round when a player is down to his final out. For every home run hit by a Derby participant after his ninth out, Major League Baseball and State Farm will combine to donate $17,000 (representing State Farm's 17,000 agents) to Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
For Howard, a native of nearby Wildwood, Mo., who attended Missouri State University, it meant a lot that he was paired with a boy from Springfield, Mo.
"That's got an even more special meaning," Howard said. "Being here in the first place and now being teamed up with somebody who is from the same town that I went to school at, it just makes it that much more special. And like I said before, I'm going to go out here and try to have fun and just enjoy myself."
The players will enjoy themselves even more because they brought along hand-picked batting-practice pitchers. Everyone except Pujols, whose personal pitcher, Dave McKay, decided to take a vacation instead.
"I didn't bring anybody," he said to more laughter. "My guy decided to take four days off. ... But I told him that I would love for him to be here tonight. He can't make it. He went to Arizona. So I actually borrowed somebody from Pittsburgh, the bullpen coach, who is going to throw for me. I'm going to try to get used to him, and hopefully he can throw the ball down the middle and I can put good swings on it."
Fielder said he would just try to have fun and help the fans have fun at the Derby and in Tuesday night's 80th All-Star Game, where he and Howard and Gonzalez, all being first basemen, might not get to play much for one obvious reason.
"This is Albert's town," Fielder said.
"So if he needs to play the whole game, I would have no problem with that."
Doug Miller is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Magnetic & Electronic Level / Professional quality level with electronic inclinometer, ideal for carpenters, joiners, kitchen builders, metalworkers, formworkers, construction engineers, pipe fitters and many more. Inclinometer: Dual display for accurate easy reading of inclinations in all positions. A second display located in the upper surface for easier reading of the measured value Angle indication in degrees, percentage, mm/m, in/ft. Accoustic signal for horizontal and vertical measuring. Automatic switch off can


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Science lessons from the Bible
Voucher programs in more than a dozen states draw on the public treasury to help students pay for private schools. Typically, 70 percent or more of participating schools are religious, and among them are creationist schools that train students to reject and refute the cornerstones of modern science. Here's a look at course descriptions, textbooks and assignments from some of those schools.
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Burnett named National League Player of the Week
By Joey Nowak / MLB.com
The right-hander earned his 13th and 14th wins of the season with victories against Chicago and Cincinnati, respectively. He is now tied for the Major League lead with 14 wins, and has 13 victories in his last 14 decisions.
It is Burnett's fourth career weekly award, and first since the week ending on April 17, 2005.
Burnett led the Majors with 17 2/3 innings pitched this week, striking out 15 with a 1.02 ERA in that span. He posted a one-hit gem on Tuesday, when he shut out the Cubs after taking a no-hitter into the eighth before it was broken up by Adrian Cardenas with two outs in the frame.
He struck out eight and walked two in that game, his first complete game shutout since 2006. It was Burnett's lowest-hit game since his May 12, 2001, no-hitter against the Padres.
He followed that performance with an 8 2/3-inning outing on Sunday, scattering just two runs on three hits against the Reds at Great American Ball Park.
Joey Nowak is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @joeynowak. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Avaya and Skype have announced a joint integration that makes Skype services available on a variety of Avaya platforms. Under the terms of the relationship, Avaya customers in the US will be able to make global calls via Skype right from their Avaya communications system. This is good news for enterprises today because the partnership can help them cut costs. In the long term, it may be even better news for contact centers because it will provide greater opportunity for businesses to connect with customers via voice, video, IM and more.
The integration requires Skype Connect, the SIP-to-Skype add-on, to run on an Avaya platform, such as Avaya Aura Session Manager, Avaya Aura SIP Enablement Server, CS1000, Avaya IP Office, or BCM systems. Lots of employees already use Skype; by integrating it with a corporate telephony system, enterprises can ensure that appropriate security and compliance policies are met. The upshot of the integration means Avaya customers can integrate Skype calling with the rest of their business processes. Companies can put Skype Click & Call buttons on their Web sites, enabling visitors to make Skype calls into a call center or business. Skype Online Numbers will allow for inbound calling from landline and mobile phones. Companies will also be able to route inbound calls from a Skype user to an extension phone within the enterprise. Calls are free between Skype users.
Avaya and Skype also have a more ambitious plan: to federate Avaya Aura and Skype communications platforms. This would allow an Avaya user and a Skype user to share presence information and interact via instant messaging, voice and video. Federation with Skype could very well transform the way companies engage with their customers. For instance, customers could use Skype video to show an agent the problem using their Web cam, or share a desktop to get help on a software issue, or engage in an IM chat. Instead of searching a company's Web site for support, customers could reach out to an agent directly from a buddy list.
Multi-modal contact centers aren't new, but such implementations have been limited. There hasn't been an easy way for agents to use all of the modalities - voice, video and chat - to engage with customer because there hasn't been an effective UC client on the consumer's desktop. Instead, customers have had to download an application or an applet. They certainly haven't been able to initiate a video session or IM chat directly with an agent. If the federation plan is implemented, customer service becomes easier, richer and more powerful precisely because users already have the most predominant unified communications client in the world-the Skype client.
Of course, questions remain. What integration, if any, will there be between Flare, Avaya's new unified communications tablet, and Skype? Presumably, the two should work well together. There's also a question about call quality. Skype calling quality is variable depending on the Internet congestion, the PC's capabilities and its application load. Consumers tolerate problems in call quality because of the promise of free calling. Whether businesses will be as tolerant, particularly in an area as sensitive as the call center, remains to be seen.


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State Secretary Winkler at a meeting of Amnesty International on the human rights responsibility of the EU
Vienna, 2 December 2005 - "The question of human rights is a cornerstone of Austrian foreign policy and will also play an essential role during our Presidency of the Council," said State Secretary Hans Winkler in his speech at an Amnesty International conference on the human rights responsibility of the EU. "Human rights are not a separate element but an integral component of all actions by the EU," stressed the State Secretary.
In his speech, Winkler discussed the human rights priorities during Austria's Presidency of the Council. "In spite of the many positive developments, we still face great challenges. Specific improvements and reforms in legislation and action must bring a tangible amelioration for people." Particular focuses according to Winkler will be the continued support of the worldwide abolition of the death penalty, the prohibition of torture and abuse, and greater cooperation between the EU and the United Nations in protecting and supporting children and women during and after the termination of armed conflicts. In this context, the State Secretary mentioned the increasing commitment and responsibility of the EU in worldwide peace missions.
As part of its Common Foreign and Security Policy, the EU has held numerous discussions and consultations with non-member states, which are reflected in various agreements and treaties. "This is one way in which the EU asserts its right to stand up for human rights in the international arena," continued Winkler.
The State Secretary also mentioned the establishment of the European Human Rights Agency in Vienna. "This Agency will help considerably in creating synergies in the field of human rights," said Winkler, at the same time refuting the concern that it would compete with the Council of Europe or other existing institutions.
Winkler also pointed to the importance of implementing the results of the UN summit by setting up a human rights council to replace the existing Commission on Human Rights. "We need a powerful and credible UN body to protect human rights throughout the world," said the State Security, expressing the hope that the negotiations currently underway concerning a resolution on the establishment of a human rights council would be completed by the end of the year.
Contact for further enquiries: Ministry for Foreign Affairs Press Department From Austria: 050 1150-3262, 4549, 4550 From abroad: ++43 50 1150-3262, 4549, 4550 Fax: 050 1159 213 and/or ++43 50 1159 213 abti3(at)bmaa.gv.at


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STANFORD, Calif. – LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena held no punches following LA's disappointing 3-2 defeat to the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday evening.
Arena's thoughts are below…
(On what happened in stoppage time…)
ARENA: "Poor play [and] lack of intelligence by our team. To have a team of players and coaches that is that poor and stupid in the last five minutes of the game that's my responsibility. That can't be on anybody else but me. I'm absolutely embarrassed by that performance. Give our opponents credit, but our performance was embarrassing.
(On whether LA could have done something differently…)
ARENA: "I don't even want to go into that. If you have an IQ of 50, you can figure that out. That game, we should win that going away at the end of the game. It's embarrassing, our performance at the end of the game. That's all on me. That's my responsibility with this team."
(On the offensive struggles…)
ARENA: "It's pretty obvious."
(On whether the loss was devastating…)
ARENA: "It's a bad loss and it's a bad one. This is pro sports. We don't walk around like other people in life. We get on with the business of getting ready for the next game."
(On what is special about Stanford Stadium since LA lost two straight games there…)
ARENA: "The stadium had nothing to do with it."
(On whether the team should have parked the bus late rather than go up another goal…)
ARENA: "Were you watching the game at all? Were there any other chances on our part? The bus should have been parked probably."
(On whether the game got too stretched toward the end…)
ARENA: "No, we were too stupid. The game didn't get too stretched. We were too stupid. That's my responsibility. Our team performed poorly and that's my responsibility. "


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5 Tech Trends for '08
Personal hovercraft. Jet-propelled backpacks. Robots that automatically prepare your meals and clean up afterwards. And everyone's favorite - weekend junkets to the orbting Hilton space station. Back in the optimistic 1950s, technology writers were confident that by the 21st century, such things would be a part of daily life. In hindsight, their predictions proved, more than anything, just how hard it is to predict the future.
Undeterred by the difficulty of the task (or the prospect of being profoundly embarrassed in the 22nd century), the editors and I sat down and picked five consumer-electronics technologies that we guarantee . . . um, think maybe will emerge as being significant over the next few years. Some of them are already for sale - albeit only in expensive, early-adopter form - while others are still incubating in the lab. Either way, all five have the potential to raise the technology bar dramatically.
After making our choices, we realized that all of them have to do with video. Does this mean that audio is a done deal? Not at all. Audio is still very much a work in progress, but we do believe that video has the steepest growth curve right now. So, engage the autopilot in your personal rocket car, turn on the heads-up display, and see what's on the road ahead.
OLED TVs If you think your LCD TV is keen or your plasma rocks, check out OLED. Organic Light-Emitting Diode TVs might become the ultimate winner of the LCD vs. plasma war. Like a conventional LED, an OLED is a solid-state device that emits light. But unlike LEDs, OLEDs use organic compounds for the emissive layer; these compounds can be deposited on substrates in dense rows and columns, making them ideal for displays.
OLED technology offers a number of advantages over other screen types. Most strikingly, because it doesn't require backlighting (like LCD), an OLED screen can be built on a single glass substrate and thus can be extremely thin - perhaps 3 millimeters, or about the thickness of three credit cards. Can your LCD do that?
OLED can also provide faster response times than standard LCD screens (perhaps 0.01 millisecond vs. 10 milliseconds), greatly reducing motion blur. Because there's no backlight, there's no light output when displaying black - and this helps deliver a very high contrast ratio. Although current-generation OLEDs are relatively expensive, they're fundamentally simpler to manufacture than LCD or plasma screens and might eventually cost considerably less.
Finally, OLED is a green technology. Ditching the backlight saves on power consumption, so OLED can be 40% more efficient than LCD, and it also avoids the mercury content of backlights. On the downside, at least for now, the organic materials in OLEDs have a relatively short lifetime. In particular, blue OLEDs last for about 5,000 hours, compared with 60,000 hours for LCD or plasma screens. But considerable effort is being made to improve endurance.
OLED is already available in small-screen devices like cellphones and personal media players. Sony is the first to offer an OLED TV in the U.S. market. With an 11-inch screen and an advertised contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, the XEL-1 retails at Sony Style stores for $2,500. (No, that price isn't a typo.) Even if you're not ready to trade in your 65-incher for it, check out its thin screen, deep blacks, brilliant brightness, and wide viewing angle. Meanwhile, Samsung has shown a number of large OLED prototypes, and Toshiba and Panasonic are among other companies anxious to maintain their reputations as display-technology innovators.
Prognosis OLED is a slam dunk for small-screen applications, but it's not ready to be a contender in the big leagues. Because companies have invested billions to ramp up the manufacture of LCD and plasma, they'll think carefully before retooling for big OLED TVs, which require radically different manufacturing techniques.
Also, although OLED's relatively short life isn't a problem in intermittently used devices like cellphones, it's a serious limitation in big screens that are meant to run for years. Short-term, OLED's impact will be big in small screens, but relatively small in big screens. Look for portables and even laptops, but don't expect to see family-size TVs for another few years.


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Inquest told of 'emotional decline'
A retired police inspector was found dead with his ex-girlfriend after experiencing a sharp emotional decline, an inquest heard.
Bill Dowling, 59, and Victoria Rose, 58, who had both suffered gunshot wounds, were found in the porch of his home on March 2 2013.
Salisbury Coroner's Court heard Mr Dowling suffered a sudden decline in his mental health in the three weeks leading up to the incident.
Mr Dowling, a keen shooter, was struggling to cope with the grief of losing his mother in 2011 as the second anniversary of her death approached, the inquest heard.
Concerns had also been raised about Mr Dowling's performance as one of the "highest paid" civil servants working in the Ministry of Defence in Upavon.
The relationship between Mr Dowling and Mrs Rose, a divorcee from Devizes, had broken down several months before, in May 2012, though the pair remained friends.
Mrs Rose, an assistant at the MoD, supported Mr Dowling when he began to experience depressive symptoms and was signed off work in February 2013.
The inquest heard Mrs Rose frequently accompanied Mr Dowling to the doctor and confiscated the keys to his shotgun cabinet.
However, she had not realised that he had access to a second gun cabinet in his property.
Giving evidence, Mrs Rose's mother, Sheila Enyon told the inquest how her daughter had left to visit Mr Dowling on March 2 and failed to return.
"Victoria and Bill had known each other since childhood, they attended the same school," Mrs Enyon said.
"I felt he had a bit of a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde personality. There was something I found unpleasant about him and my husband and I did not think he was the right man for her.
"Victoria told me that she and Bill had finished. I believe he never accepted it. Bill kept pressuring Victoria to get back together with him,"
Mrs Enyon had stayed at her daughters on the evening of March 1, as they were due to visit friends in South Cerney, Gloucestershire, the following morning.
But after they had dressed and had breakfast, Mrs Rose received a phone call from Mr Dowling asking her to visit because he was coughing up blood, her mother said.
"Victoria asked me if she should go round and we talked about it. Victoria told me she would not be long," Mrs Enyon said.
Later that day, police forced entry to Mr Dowling's home after being alerted by neighbours and discovered the bodies of Mrs Rose and Mr Dowling.
Brigadier Piers Hankinson, Mr Dowling's line manager at the MoD's 243 (Wessex) Brigade, said he had spoken to Mr Dowling about his performance on February 4.
"I remember saying 'Bill, you need to be aware that there are perceptions among some of the Brigade staff that you are not fully pulling your weight within HQ'.
"Bill agreed with me entirely, he was his normal jolly self throughout."
But a few weeks later, on February 12, Mr Dowling was signed off work with insomnia and depression, Brigadier Hankinson said.
In a text message sent to the Brigadier Hankinson, Mr Dowling told him "I rarely go sick but I have never felt so bad'.
Joan Plume, Brigadier Hankinson's secretary, told the inquest: "I felt Bill was a really nice man, however I know he had a lot of work and his workload was increasing.
"He always seemed to be having work related meetings in the evenings."
The inquest heard evidence from members of both Mr Dowling and Mrs Rose's families, who said he had been under an "increasing" workload.
Jonathan Rose, Mrs Rose's son, said Mr Dowling had spoken about the meeting with Brigadier Hankinson.
"He found the job stressful and he told me he would take calls relating to work on his personal mobile at silly times," Mr Rose said.
"I was led to believe he felt bullied by his Brigadier at work."
Mr Rose said his mother and Mr Dowling had started a relationship with each other in 2003.
The inquest, expected to last for two days, continues.