text:
Noel Coward's house, Firefly Hill, on a hill above Port Maria, was being painted the day I visited. There were tousled cushions on the porch, carved out between the bedroom and sitting room and overlooking the view he wrote ''Room With a View'' about. It must be half of Jamaica, an incredible sprawl of coastline, the town, the Blue Mountains, and a little green island in a broad and shimmering sea. A painting of banana leaves leaned against a wall. It was Coward's first, according to his servant Miguel, who, until recently, looked after the house since Coward's passing 10 years ago. There was a jaunty explosion of wide, brilliantly colored Hawaiian shirts in the gentlemanly wood-paneled closet. In the room where the Queen Mother came to lunch, there were heaps of yellowing sheet music on a table by the two pianos, and a romantic black-and-white photograph of Coward on the wall. Downstairs, sprightly water colors Coward painted of Port Maria village life were jumbled against a wall.
But by the time you read this, there are hopes that the cushions will have been plumped, the pictures will be up, and the Jamaica Tourist Board will be collecting a dollar for admission. Work on the house will continue over the next several years, but the Jamaica National Trust Commission plans to allow visitors starting at the end of November.
Even when messy, this little one-person writing, reading, and painting hideaway was all insouciant style, sparkling individuality, and clean lines. Dropcloths, ladders, and jumbled furniture did nothing to muffle its acerbic tang.
The house was, after all, designed for the man who structured the elegant ''Private Lives.'' In that play, a divorced couple meets again on the balconies of the hotel where each is on a honeymoon with a new spouse. By the time they have appeared on the set with its double balconies and wafting music and done their double takes, you know just what's in store. Coward then scattered jokes through this elegant structure like so many glossy magazines and plump pillows on the porch, so that even though the plot holds no surprises, the play is a dazzling romp.
Firefly has the same solid, definite structure as a Coward play - and the same evasive purpose. Just as a Coward play skates around the edges of romance, divorce, love, and hatred - close enough to see what's going on, but distant enough to crack highly polished jokes about it - Firefly Hill was where Coward came to evade the complications of his own life. Complications in the form of bad reviews, cranky actresses, his burgeoning transatlantic social life, and even his Jamaica houseguests, who stayed at Blue Harbour, his other house down the hill. When he arrived here he would sigh, in his diary, ''At last - at last - it is all over and I'm here again in the most perfect weather and utter peace.''
On a lush and bushy Jamaican hilltop, its straight white walls delineate the action just as elegantly as the set of ''Private Lives.'' The broad porch for gazing at the view is carved into the house between his bedroom and the sitting room with its grand piano. Off his bedroom is the other porch for writing. With its photographs of friends like Rudolf Nureyev and Marlene Dietrich and its rows of books, the sitting room could easily be in a London town house.
Rather than an intrusion, this small, low-lying house is a kind of gentle joke, a tiny outpost of urbanity, where Coward concocted his worldly wisecracks and then set them to music.
He wrote and rewrote plays here, composed on the piano, and rarely brought friends up for a look at the numerous fireflies the hill is graced with. He always emerged refreshed, ''teeming with ideas,'' he said in his diary - and determined not to let leading ladies push him around.
Much as he liked to be alone here, when you visit you feel you are being entertained by Coward himself. It's like watching one of his plays. You know the author is firmly in control of the concoction, that you're looking where he expected you to look, and will laugh in the pause he has left for a laugh.
This little house is very focused, too. You find yourself standing at just the right corner of the garden to appreciate the visual buzz of magenta bougainvillea against white walls under blazing sun, which is in rattling dialogue with the blue sea in the distance.
When it gets overwhelming, you retreat again into the lovely little box Noel Coward lined with mementos of a glittering life, just as, in a more urban situation, you might duck into a Coward matinee.
Practical information
Firefly Hill is just west of Port Maria on A3, the coast road. There's a sign on the main road; after that you go up a long, winding drive. There were few signs when I visited, but people along the drive point the direction when you look imploringly out your car window.
For opening hours, call the Jamaica Tourist Board in Kingston: 929-8070.


text:
Anyway, I can't wait to look it over. I presume eventually the new images will be incorporated into Google Maps and Google Earth. According to the map of image coverage, however (see accompanying picture), it doesn't appear that we'll be able to zoom into the South Pole itself just where most people would want to look!
Until the server's back online, you can read more about the project part of the International Polar Year at this NASA article.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Quick Reference
[S] (1630–1714). Mackenzie succeeded his father as baronet in 1654 and joined the royalist rising in Scotland the same year. In 1661–4 he was a lord of Session as Lord Tarbat and, after a period out of favour, lord justice general [S] 1678–80 and again 1705–10, lord clerk register [S] 1681–9 and 1692–5. A competent administrator, he was a vigorous supporter of James VII and II, who created him Viscount Tarbat [S] in 1685, but came to terms with William. During Anne's reign, he was secretary of state [S] 1702–5, was advanced to the earldom of Cromarty [S] 1702, and used his influence in favour of the Union. He subsequently served as a representative peer. His grandson, the 3rd earl, was sentenced to death in 1746 for his part in the '45, but pardoned.
From The Oxford Companion to British History in Oxford Reference.
Subjects: British History.
Related content in Oxford Index
Reference entries
Users without a subscription are not able to see the full content. Please, subscribe or login to access all content.


text:
Welcome to The Costume Land, your No.1 choice for Halloween Costumes
Need Help? Call 559-300-7636
Product code: RM4674
Naughty Ivy Babe Woman Costume - This product Includes Strapless Romper & Sequin Mask. Made up of Nylon/Spandex. Made In USA. Shoes, and leg ties are not included..
Includes: Strapless Romper & Sequin Mask
#RU19839BLPrice: $5.99
#RU19839ORPrice: $5.99
#RM4642Price: $20.99


text:
I believe in complete and total honesty. I believe that one should be honest with themselves, as well as others. Honesty is a vital element in any and all relationships. I believe I must be honest in the way I approach many tasks such as, but not limited to homework, quizzes, and tests. I must be honest with my friends and family about how I feel or even my opinion on a certain subject. I also hold myself responsible for being absolutely open and honest with my significant other.
In family, I also believe. In my eyes, family is my first and foremost priority. My family comes before work, school, and friends. For instance, if one of my three children taking care of them, whether it be taking them to the doctor/ emergency room or simply some tender loving care and treating them with some over the counter medications, would come before going to work or attending school. I am a single mother so if they are sick I am the only person they have. If my brother and my significant other needed my assistance with something at the same time, I would feel obligated to help my brother first.
I also believe in life. You may take this several ways. I believe that abortion is wrong because it terminates a life. I believe that both suicide and homicide are unforgivable acts. I believe euthanasia or physician assisted suicide is unethical. I truly believe that God gives life and that no one other should take a life.
These three things are of the utmost importance to me. Honesty is vital in all forms of communication. Family is the building stone on which I was raised to cherish. Life is the most precious gift that anyone could receive, and a wondrous phenomenon to partake in.
If you enjoyed this essay, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to This I Believe, Inc.


text:
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Once you click on any one of the following links, you will leave this website. Please note that we are not responsible for any content posted on these websites or the design of these websites.
Approved On-line Education Courses Utah State Office of Education and Jordan School District approved on-line educational courses.


text:
April 2010, Part 3
Jim Miller on Politics
Pseudo-Random Thoughts
What Kind of Socialist Is Barack Obama? Jonah Goldberg asks, and answers, that question.
Fourteen months into his presidency, in March 2010, Obama succeeded in muscling through Congress a partial government takeover of the national health-care system. That legislative accomplishment followed Obama's decision a year earlier, without congressional approval, to nationalize two of the country's Big Three automobile companies. In the intervening months, he had also imposed specific wage ceilings on employees at banks that had taken federal bailout mone—the first such federal wage controls since an ill-fated experiment by Richard Nixon in 1971. Obama also made the federal government the direct provider of student loans, and did so by putting that significant change in American policy inside the larger health-care bill. In a September 2009 press conference, Obama suggested that a publicly funded health-care system might help "avoid some of the overhead that gets eaten up at private companies by profits and excessive administrative costs" thus mistaking the act of making money, the foundational cornerstone of capitalism itself, with the generation of unnecessary expenses.If you can, take some time this weekend to read Goldberg's answer.
- 3:31 PM, 23 April 2010 [link]
Kirkland's Town Bird Is The Crane: And that hasn't stopped being true just because there is a little recession on.
Will there be buyers and renters for all this commercial and residential construction? I don't know, but I am beginning to wonder, as I see all this construction, and all those TV ads offering modestly-priced apartments to old folks.
Meanwhile, I enjoy watching the cranes at work — and hope they aren't building anything backed by taxpayer guarantees.Cross posted at Sound Politics .
- 1:43 PM, 23 April 2010 [link]
James Carville Wasn't Paying Attention In His Grade School Science Classes: If he had been, he would be able to see that Sarah Palin is a mammal, not a "reptile". (It is especially odd to see a married man make that mistake.)
(No doubt Carville was trying to bring more civility to our politics, as he so often does.)
- 7:34 AM, 23 April 2010 [link]
Iceland Volcano Jokes: Some of them pretty good, such as this one.
4. Iceland goes bankrupt, then it manages to set itself on fire. This has insurance scam written all over it.By way of a post by Eugene Volokh, where commenters have added some jokes of their own.
- 7:13 AM, 23 April 2010 [link]
Hardware First: Now that I have the new computer almost completely set up, I have started the revision of the site that I have long promised. Yesterday, I cleared out most dead or dormant sites, and will be doing similar housekeeping in the next few weeks, getting ready for a complete re-design.
I now plan to do that re-design piece by piece rather than revealing it all at once. That way I can keep posting while I do the re-design, rather than taking a couple of weeks off. (And that will give you a chance to make suggestions and criticisms as I go along.)
(Almost completely set up, because I have yet to set up TV in Linux, though it works well enough for my purposes in Windows 7.
The Hauppauge card I am using for TV provides excellent video in most resolutions. In one, the highest I think, it adds a line of static at the very top of the picture, making me wonder whether a programmer made a small error in their latest driver. I had trouble getting the card to find all the stations in this area with an unamplified antenna, so I bought this amplified antenna to use with it. The antenna has a little switch that lets you turn the amplification on or off, and a quick experiment convinced me that the amplification does help, with some stations, some of the time.
I could not get the remote control to work, which does not matter, since I will be sitting right next to the monitor when I use it as a TV.
If you are thinking of adding one of these cards to an older computer, you may want to get a higher end card with hardware decoding, instead of the 1250.)
- 1:57 PM, 22 April 2010 [link]
On Earth Day, John Tierney Recycles Stewart Brand: And summarizes Brand's latest book in seven lessons.
Here's the fourth:
4. Frankenfood, like Frankenstein, is fiction. The imagined horrors of "frankenfoods" have kept genetically engineered foods out of Europe and poor countries whose farmers want to export food to Europe. Americans, meanwhile, have been fearlessly growing and eating them for more than a decade — and the scare stories seem more unreal than ever.Green superstition, though often amusing, is not always harmless — and the poor in other nations are often the principal victims.
(I agree fully with all the lessons, except the first.
Peter Huber is more skeptical about Brand's book, though he does call it "mostly sensible".)
- 1:05 PM, 22 April 2010 [link]
Medical Care Costs More In New York: This story may help explain why.
Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo filed a civil lawsuit against the Senate majority leader, Pedro Espada Jr., on Tuesday, accusing Mr. Espada, his family and his political aides of siphoning more than $14 million from a network of nonprofit health care clinics he founded — money used for meals, vacations and campaign expenses.(If you aren't from New York and Espada's name seems familiar, that may because you remember him briefly giving control of the New York senate to the Republicans. The Republicans were foolish to make a deal with him, considering his history. Even without that "coup", Cuomo might have filed these charges, but I'm sure the temporary party switch made Cuomo's decision easier.)
It is no secret that fraud drives up medical costs in some areas, but the fraud is usually less spectacular than it appears to be in this case.
(The New York Times helpfullly supplies an answer to a question that will have occurred to many of you: What do you get when you order that much takeout sushi?)
- 9:03 AM, 22 April 2010 [link]
Is The Obama Administration Policy Toward Israel Crazy? Let me begin with a long view of the problem. About three thousand years ago, the Israelites, under King David, captured the city of Jerusalem. Since then, the city has always had Jewish residents, and, for most of those three thousand years, a Jewish majority.
Jews are, to put it mildly, not welcome to settle in any of the countries surrounding Israel.
The Israelis, according to the Obama administration, almost wrecked the chances for peace by — and you will gasp when I mention this iniquitous scheme — planning to build housing for Jews in a Jewish neighborhood in Jerusalem.
If the Obama administration actually believes that, their policy is crazy. (They may have been looking for a reason to quarrel with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, hoping to topple his government. If so, the policy would be disgusting, but might not be literally crazy.)
As far as I know, the Obama administration has not condemned any Palestinian housing projects, even those built on land that is sacred to Jews or Christians.
(According to McEvedy, King David reigned from 990 to 970 BC.)
- 7:31 AM, 22 April 2010 [link]
A Clever Trap For Iran? Perhaps, but only if it works, in my opinion. And David Ignatius, who called it a clever idea, doesn't think it will work.
The Obama administration's strategy as it devises sanctions for Iran is to build a sticky trap -- so that the harder the Iranians try to wriggle out of the sanctions, the more tightly they will be caught in the snare.Actually, I don't know why anyone would expect it to work. Sanctions almost never do, and there are especially strong reasons to think that they won't work to stop Iran from going nuclear.
But I suppose that our State Department has to do something while they wait for Obama to figures that out.
(Ignatius has more on what I am beginning to call Gates' campaign to persuade Obama to get serious about Iran.)
- 4:00 PM, 21 April 2010 [link]
The Far-Left Editor Of Salon Can't Name Any Leftwing Extremists: This is funny — unless you happen to be Joan Walsh. (It's worth watching just for the expression on her face.)
By way of Hot Air.
- 9:37 AM, 21 April 2010
Joan Walsh decides to double down:
Of course, that's stupid. I didn't name anyone not because I was stumped; it was because in my opinion, the violent rhetoric is coming from the right, not the left. It's not Nancy Pelosi who's telling her San Francisco constituents they need to be "armed and dangerous" to fight their political enemies; that's Michele Bachmann. There isn't anyone in liberal media as consistently vicious as Beck or Limbaugh. Now, the lads at Newsbusters are providing their own names, but I wouldn't compare anyone they mention to the two right-wing titans of hate.Does Walsh actually believe that? I don't know enough about her to have an opinion on the question. But you can find many people on the left who do believe such things. You would think, however, that the head of a news organization, even Salon, would know better.
- 8:05 AM, 22 April 2010 [link]
Thoughts On The Goldman Sachs Case: From Sebastian Mallaby.
Let's stipulate that there's a problem with the power of Goldman Sachs. The firm takes vast risks and earns vast profits; then, when it gets into trouble, as it did after the Lehman Brothers failure, it turns to the government for a bailout. But the case the Securities and Exchange Commission has brought against Goldman also involves a problem. Unless the SEC is sitting on more evidence than it has laid out so far, the charge sheet looks flimsy. If Goldman has become a poster child for excessive power on Wall Street, the SEC might become a poster child for government power run amok.There is also a small problem with the timing of these charges. They come at a perfect time for those trying to rush through a new regulatory scheme. You don't have to be a Republican (though it helps) to find the timing suspicious.
More on this subject from William Jacobson and Megan McArdle. Much more from Tom Maguire here, here, here, and here.
(I haven't written much on this subject because I don't think I know enough about it to add anything useful.)
- 9:08 AM, 21 April 2010 [link]
Thoughts On Barack Obama: From a former Cub Scout den leader.
Carol Peracchio believes her experience as a den leader helps her understand our current president — and I wouldn't say that she is entirely wrong.
(Democrats might want to think a little about their nominating process. In 2004, they nominated John Kerry, who often behaved like stereotypical 14 year old.)
- 8:31 AM, 21 April 2010 [link]
Remember Tony Rezko? He's missing, and Barbara Hollingsworth wonders why.
Why is Antoin "Tony" Rezko under lock and key at an undisclosed location, like some sort of CIA-renditioned al Qaeda operative? And why hasn't he been sentenced yet?And that isn't the only puzzle.
The other big question: Why hasn't Rezko been sentenced yet? It's been almost two years since the Chicago restaurant and real estate developer was convicted on bribery, fraud and money laundering charges.I can't resist guessing at answers to these two puzzles: Rezko is being held at a secret place because prosecutors fear for his safety. He hasn't been sentenced because prosecutors still think they can get him to talk.
But those are both just guesses.
- 3:42 PM, 20 April 2010 [link]
It's The Punch Line To An Old Joke: And the fact that the culprits are from Stanford makes the punch line even funnier.
It doesn't get much more humiliating: A charter school run by Stanford 's Education School was denied a renewal of its charter and dubbed a failure for low scores and "ineffective behavior management." Stanford New School, a K-12, is on California's list of lowest-achieving schools, despite spending $3,000 per student more than the state average.Although I feel for the kids in the school, I must admit to being pleased to see such a neat demonstration of an education school's failures.
Incidentally, in my somewhat limited experience, the better the teacher, the more likely they are to dislike schools of education.
- 3:17 PM, 20 April 2010 [link]
Another Spectacular Collection Of Photos of the Eyjafjallajokul eruption.
(I'd like to show you a sample or two, but fear that I would be violating copyrights if I did so.
The Boston Globe seems to do these collections better than any other news organization I know of. Probably they have a very good photo editor. Alan Taylor put together this collection. I'll be looking for more of his work in the future.)
- 7:20 AM, 20 April 2010 [link]
Crying Racism For Political Fun And Profit: This ploy is getting old, but it still works, and so many Democrats (and a few Republicans) continue to use it.
James Taranto explains the profit.
The political left claims to love racial diversity, but it bitterly opposes such diversity on the political right. This is an obvious matter of political self-interest: Since 1964, blacks have voted overwhelmingly Democratic. If Republicans were able to attract black votes, the result would be catastrophic for the Democratic Party. Even in 2008, the Democrats' best presidential year since '64, if the black vote had been evenly split between the parties (and holding the nonblack vote constant), Barack Obama would have gotten about 48% of the vote and John McCain would be president.And anyone who has watched Democratic politicians (or their allies in the "mainstream" media) make those charges of racism can see just how much fun they are having.
- 7:01 AM, 20 April 2010 [link]
Outside Happier, Inside Unhappier: The BBC believes, citing their own poll, that people outside the United States are happier with the United States since Obama became president.
Views of the US around the world have improved sharply over the past year, a BBC World Service poll suggests.I have not analyzed the poll yet, so I am not sure whether that is true, but for the moment it is enough to say that the BBC (and most "mainstream" journalists) almost certainly believe that is true, if only because they are much happier with Obama than they were with Bush.
Meanwhile, back in the United States, the people are unhappier with our government.
By almost every conceivable measure Americans are less positive and more critical of government these days. A new Pew Research Center survey finds a perfect storm of conditions associated with distrust of government — a dismal economy, an unhappy public, bitter partisan-based backlash, and epic discontent with Congress and elected officials. Rather than an activist government to deal with the nation's top problems, the public now wants government reformed and growing numbers want its power curtailed. With the exception of greater regulation of major financial institutions, there is less of an appetite for government solutions to the nation's problems — including more government control over the economy — than there was when Barack Obama first took office.Let me suggest, even if it horrifies any BBC correspondent who happens to be reading this, that those two poll results may be related. Obama actions that make BBC correspondents happy — for instance, actions that would make the United States a less exceptional country — may make most Americans unhappy.
And we Americans should not expect things to be different; at best, we can be the sole super power, and respected. If we want to be liked, we will have to become much weaker. (And we may not be liked, even then.)
- 4:52 PM, 19 April 2010 [link]
Some Kinds Of Pollution May Reduce Global Warming: That's been known for years, but it is still good to see that the news has gotten to the op-ed page of the Los Angeles Times.
Cleaner air, one of the signature achievements of the U.S. environmental movement, is certainly worth celebrating. Scientists estimate that the U.S. Clean Air Act has cut a major air pollutant called sulfate aerosols, for example, by 30% to 50% since the 1980s, helping greatly reduce cases of asthma and other respiratory problems.(The sulfates have also, in some areas, increased crop yields. Plants don't need much sulfur, but they do need a little.)
You don't have to buy his entire argument — I certainly don't — to find his ideas about "geo-engineering" of interest. There are natural processes that could change our climate drastically, and we should be prepared to counteract them, if necessary.
- 12:56 PM, 19 April 2010 [link]
Metaphor Alert: This headline from a Scotsman article made me chuckle: Earthquakes and tsunamis just the tip of the iceberg, say experts
If you can visualize that, you have a better imagination than I do.
(The article, if you are wondering, was another of those let's-blame everything-on-global-warming pieces. With some reluctance I will add that, in extreme circumstances, such as the loss of a mile-thick layer of ice, global warming could, indeed, cause a volcano. And there are similar ways in which global warming could cause a tsunami. Neither is especially likely, even given a two degree Celsius increase in the temperature of the earth's atmosphere.)
- 8:05 AM, 19 April 2010 [link]
Expect Continued High Unemployment: That's the sad lesson of this long Ed Morrissey post.
That's slightly more than a full quarter, and the trendline has almost flattened out. The situation has not improved; the normal run of eliminating the most at-risk jobs took place in a big recession. Job losses always slow down after the most at-risk jobs get terminated, simply because it's tougher to eliminate jobs as layoffs continue. We aren't seeing a rebound in net job creation, at least not yet, and it's at least two quarters overdue, in the context of all other post-WWII recessions.(Emphasis added.)
At some point, it will be fair to blame this stagnation on the policies of President Obama and the majorities supporting Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid.
(Morrissey's post is a good example of how to argue with charts — though the writing could be clearer.)
- 7:46 AM, 19 April 2010 [link]
Is Secretary Gates Getting Nervous About Iran? When Robert Gates stayed on as Secretary of Defense, I wondered why. It was not hard to understand why Obama would want him to stay on; Obama could reassure moderates by keeping Gates in the position.
But it wasn't obvious why Gates would want to stay. He must have known that there were significant policy differences between himself and Obama, and despite the nice things he has said about Obama, there is no reason to think that he believes that Obama is a great leader.
At the time, I wondered if Gates was staying on in part out of simple patriotism, that he was expecting Obama to blunder, and was hoping to prevent some of the blunders or at least minimize the damage from them.
This story, which has drawn a lot of attention, makes me wonder about Gates' motives again.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has warned in a secret three-page memorandum to top White House officials that the United States does not have an effective long-range policy for dealing with Iran's steady progress toward nuclear capability, according to government officials familiar with the document.Let's translate: Gates told Obama, in January, that his plan for controlling Iranian nukes had failed, and that it was time to come up with a new plan.
Why was this leaked now? Most likely because Gates, and his supporters in the Pentagon, are worried because Obama has still not come up with a new plan, and they fear time is getting short.
And if Obama continues to refuse to come up with a new plan? Then Gates may get even more public in his pressure on Obama, may even resign
- 7:45 PM, 18 April 2010 [link]
Spectacular Pictures Of The Eyjafjallajökull Eruption: Here.
(By way of Tigerhawk.)
- 3:21 PM, 17 April 2010 [link]
Intermittent Hardware Problem — Solved: Those who have had to solve such problems for a living will appreciate the aggravation in those first three words — and the pleasure in the fourth word.
As I have mentioned before, I built a a new PC earlier this year. It is based on a Gigabyte motherboard, specifically, this one. (In my semi-informed opinion, it isn't a bad motherboard, but its successor has 3.0 USB and fixes one error in the layout, by moving the auxiliary power connector to the side of the board.) Like most modern motherboards, it has a sound chip on the board.
The system worked well after I had put it together, but then began to have intermittent sound failures. Some days I had sound, some days I didn't. Since I built the new system in part to do some digital video, that was unsatisfactory. The problem started after I bought a new Asus VH222 monitor, which should have been a clue, but wasn't.
To cut a very long story short, I finally realized, day before yesterday, that I had sound when I turned on the monitor after the computer had finished its self test, but not if I turned the monitor on first.
With that clue, I did two more tests, connecting earphones to the monitor, and then an audio cable from the computer. No sound in either case.
So what I think was happening was this: When the computer boots up, it queries the monitor over the DVI cable. The Asus monitor was reporting that it had no sound capabilities, which somehow made the Gigabyte motherboard shut down the sound. (Is that a design error? Probably.) If the monitor isn't on, the motherboard doesn't get that message, and happily puts out sound to the usual places. (In my case an audio cable connected to a receiver, or earphones.)
There are a three lessons in this for those who only try to solve such problems occasionally. (Those who solve them for a living already know them.) 1. After the problem starts, think very hard about what changes, if any, you have made in your system. 2. Make notes while you are trying to solve the problem, so that you can, however slowly, exclude some theories. (For years, I have used a simple spiral notebooks, red of course, for notes on hardware and software. The notebooks have helped me solve or, even better, avoid, problems many times.) 3. If possible, swap out any part that might be causing the problem, for a part that you know is good. I was absolutely certain that the monitor was causing the problem, after I swapped it out for my old monitor, and the problem went away.
And now down to the local Fry's to see if I can get my money back. (I prefer a refund to a replacement monitor, since I distrust product lines after I get a defective product. Asus has some good product lines, motherboards for instance, but I would be cautious about buying one of their monitors, for now.)
- 8:39 AM, 17 April 2010 [link]


text:
American Audio VMS4 Digital DJ Turntable
American Audio VMS4 Digital DJ Turntable – Product Description: The VMS4 (Velocity MIDI station) is a 4-Channel "MIDILOG" controller that fuses both Midi (Midi software) and analog audio control (CD Players, turntables etc.) into one unit. The VMS4 is an open source controller that can be used with any Midi audio software titles (with Midi
- Published in Accessories
ION Audio PIANO APPRENTICE 25-note Lighted Keyboard
ION Audio PIANO APPRENTICE 25-note Lighted Keyboard – Product Description: Ion Audio ICK05 Piano Apprentice with Lighted Keys for iPad, iPod and iPhone is portable and so easy to use that you can learn to play piano virtually anywhere! Piano Apprentice is the ultimate piano teaching tool, providing light up keys that show you where
- Published in Piano
Focusrite Saffire 6 USB Audio Interface Featuring Two Focusrite Pre-Amplifiers, Saffire 6 USB
Focusrite Saffire 6 USB Audio Interface Featuring Two Focusrite Pre-Amplifiers, Saffire 6 USB – Product Description: Focusrite has, over the past two decades, built a reputation as the market leader for high quality recording equipment, with its mic-pre technology as the cornerstone of that enviable reputation. Now Focusrite is proud to present the new Saffire
- Published in Accessories
Boss EBand JS-8 Audio Player
Boss EBand JS-8 Audio Player – Product Description: For "bedroom guitarists" who love jamming along with their favorite songs, the ultimate musical companion has arrived. eBand is a portable all-in-one audio player that's packed with big features. WAV and MP3 files can be loaded and played by eBand, and the tempo and pitch can be
- Published in Accessories
ION Audio Sound Session Complete Electronic Drum Set – Review
ION Audio Sound Session Complete Electronic Drum Set – Product Review: Learn the drums with Ion Audio's Sound Session complete electronic drum set–a great choice for those who don't have room for a traditional set of drums or need to keep practice session on the quiet side. Fitting into a fraction of the space of
- Published in Drums
Recent Articles
A Guide to Planning an Unforgettable Hen PartyAs the maid of honour, you are given the incred...
The Best Software for Artists of All KindsWhen it comes to technology, artists of all kin...
Cool Guitar Customization Ideas You Should ConsiderDo you have an old guitar that could do with a ...
A Beginner's Guide To Buying And Caring For A Nash GuitarIt's no secret that Nash guitars are a fa...
Creating A Wedding PlaylistYou've got a million things to pla...


text:
Supplements Preston - MrSupplement.com.au is the largest online retailer of weight loss & bodybuilding supplements in Preston & Australia and we make multiple deliveries to all of Preston and surrounding suburbs daily. So whether you're located in the heart of Preston, the Eastern suburbs of Heidelberg West, Heidelberg Heights or Bellfield. The Western suburbs of Coburg, Coburg North, Pascoe Vale South or Strathmore. The Northern suburbs of Reservoir, Ruthven, Keon Park or Thomastown or the Southern suburbs of Thornbury, Croxton, Northcote, Merri or Westgarth. Rest assured Mr Supplement shall get your supplements to you super-fast. We use daily multiple freight companies including Couriers & Australia Post & all customers may expect deliveries to be made often the next business day. So whether you're looking to add muscle, lose body fat or maintain an already healthy physique MrSupplement.com.au is the only place to shop.
Sign in to access your Mr Supplement locker room
Reset Password
Enter your e-mail address to reset your password
Create a new account simply by entering your details


text:
You're Invited: Katharine L'Heureux Speaking On Sustainability Panel 4/19
Kahina Giving Beauty founder Katharine L'Heureux will be at Tucker Robbins Gallery at New York Design Center speaking on a panel regarding sustainability and social responsibility on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Fashion Group International has organized the event, including Amy Chender, abc home's COO and director of social responsibility, Tucker Robbins, furniture designer, and John Patrick, the clothing designer behind Organic by John Patrick. You're invited to join us, 6 to 8 PM. Tickets are $30 for members, $45 for guests. Contact email@example.com for more information and to purchase tickets.


text: World Fishing Network HowTo : Posted 11-17-2014 Top Ice Fishing Destinations There are lots of great ice fishing lakes out there, but if you want to know you'll catch lots of quality fish, then check out this list for the top ice fishing destinations in North America. Read More HowTo : Posted 11-10-2014 Winter Bass Fishing Lures, Tips and Tactics How important is retrieve speed in cold water? Some anglers may tell you that they fish just as fast in winter as they do in spring. However, most successful cold water anglers will tell you that slowing down the presentation is the best. Read More HowTo : Posted 11-03-2014 7 More Fishing Hacks You Should Know Here are seven more tips gathered from friends and experience to solve some of the little problems that pop up while fishing. Read More Gear : Posted 10-27-2014 Top 7 Mobile Fishing Apps For the angler who's looking for some helpful pointers on-the-go, check out these handy iPhone and Android fishing apps that provide useful tips, tricks and information. Read More HowTo : Posted 10-20-2014 7 Best Lakes to Catch Smallmouth Bass You can find smallmouth bass throughout much of North America, but for the very best lakes, take a look at this list! Read More Story : Posted 10-13-2014 Fall Fishing Tips for Walleye Where do walleye prowl during the fall and how do you catch them? Find out with these great fall fishing tips for walleye! Read More Story : Posted 10-06-2014 Tips to Catching Big Muskies in the Fall The fall is a magical time to catch trophy muskies. Check out these tips and techniques to help you land that muskie of a lifetime! Read More Gear : Posted 10-01-2014 7 Fishing Hacks Everyone Should Know Sometimes a handy little trick can make the difference in getting a job done the quick and easy way. Here are 7 fishing hacks that will make you wonder how you didn't think of these before. Read More HowTo : Posted 07-24-2014 WFN's 7 Summer Bass Fishing Tips Spring may get most of the attention when it comes to bass fishing, but that's no reason to ignore the summer. Get the most out of your summer bass fishing season with these seven tips. Read More Story : Posted 05-01-2014 Is This a World Record Shark? Polk made the catch off a Gulf Coast beach last week with the help of his cousin, Earnie. He says they usually release their catches, but this shark would not have lived and decided to keep the estimated 600 pounds of meat for consumption. Read More Page 2 of 4 Prev 1234 Next Categories News Stories Recipes Tips Gear Videos Photo Galleries Viewer Photo Galleries Features MAP: Find out where the fish are biting in your area Out There Fishing with Keith "Catfish" Sutton Major League Fishing < World Fishing Network Feature Explore the United States. Find information about and activities within your state. Get Started


text: The last hundred meters before signing the contract for their first apartment, Lucía and Marcelo out a hundred thousand dollars from the bank. The seller can not reach the meeting therefore be postponed signing the contract on the day. Dissatisfied, Lucía and Marcelo returning home and hide money. The next 24 hours will reveal the true nature of their love, which is in crisis, and violence in their depths.


text:
Please join us for a community service project and a fun activity day!
Immediately after Divine Liturgy on November 5, we will travel to Seal Beach for a clean-up project and then have some fun with kite flying. Lunch will be provided and all Goyans are welcomed!
This event will be in lieu of our regular monthly meeting. To participate, please RSVP to firstname.lastname@example.com.
About GOYA
The GOYA ministry leads our young people in junior high and high school into experiencing the Holy Orthodox Faith. By developing a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and becoming active sacramental members of the living Church, our young people will be equipped with tools necessary to assist them in their journey toward salvation.
More information about GOYA can be found on their webpage.


text:
The backbone of a business, the support function ensures the rest of the business can run smoothly. Organised and efficient, we know you value a quality working environment with the opportunity for excellent career progression.
Click through the links to learn more about our specialist areas.
Search jobs
Customer Service
We've all had experience of really brilliant customer service and really terrible customer service, how you feel you are dealt with as a customer is often key to whether you return to the business or not. For this reason the customer service team is central to businesses.
If you enjoy dealing with people day-to-day, then customer service is the best department to start your career in within a business. With a huge variety of businesses employing a customer service team there are many different opportunities available. As well as the many different businesses you can work in customer service is also a great career if you want progression, the majority of customer service roles have great career prospects.
We have placed customer service roles at all levels into some of the leading companies across the country. Our business support specialist recruiters know the customer service industry inside out and understand what you're really looking for in that next role. Get in touch to discuss how we can help you take the next step in your career.
Some of the key Customer Service roles we have experience placing include:
- Team Leader
- Supervisor
- Customer Service Advisor
- Customer Service Executive
- Customer Service Assistant
Here are just a few of the companies we have found people their ideal business support role with with recently:
Get in Touch
As well as Customer Service roles we also recruit for PAs, Business Support, Administration and Receptionist roles so whatever your specialism is get in touch to see how we can help.


text:
UGC NET Punjabi Coaching in Chandigarh
Statesman Academy is known as best UGC NET coaching institute that provide best UGC NET Punjabi COACHING IN CHANDIGARH. Our objective is to prepare candidate to score best in UGC NET Panjabi exam. STATESMAN ACADEMY relies on hard work and sincere efforts on the part of teachers as well as on the part of students. We work with honesty, integrity and transparency to accomplish best outcomes in ugc net punjabi coaching.
For more than 7 years, STATESMAN ACADEMY, has been indomitably and persistently producing top ranks in the field of UGC NET Panjabi COACHING in chandigarh. This endeavour is still in progress with every successive year with more top positions at all India levels. All the credit for this immense success goes to our dedicated faculty who with their painstaking efforts guides our students with utmost care and commitment.
UGC-NET July 2018 Result Declared – Check Now
UGC-NET Panjabi Coaching Methodology
- Our teaching methodology strictly focus on the difficulties faced by aspirants in the preparation of this exam such as lack of proper study material, ignorance of crucial aspects, inadequate Test practices and lengthy syllabus.
- Our unique testing scheme designed according to the latest developments in respective subjects. Moreover we put a prime emphasis on time management skills, as many subjects have vast syllabus and students are left with limited time for the preparation of the exam.
- Once the syllabus of specific subject is complete, revision of that topic is done to make it sure that the student is fully confident for the exam and during the exam so that he can perform efficiently.
- Difficult topics are covered multiple times before taking the UGC NET exam so that student do not loose marks in these areas. Difficult topics are the difference making part of the exam between an average student and well prepared student.
- For UGC NET subjects, daily 3 hour class is conducted. One hour for Paper-1, which is common for all students, and two hour class for specific subject. After the completion of the topic, practice worksheet are solved.
- Regular weekly tests help to evaluate and improve the preparation for the exam.
Schedule Of UGC NET Punjabi Coaching
- The UGC-NET is conducted in the months of June and December i.e. twice in a year Notification about the schedule of the test is published in March/September in Employment News.
Fee Structure
- Total fee = Rs. 24000/
Payment Structure
There are two options available for payment that are:
- Option 1 – Total fee payable at the commencement of the program
- Option 2 – Installments (optional)
- Payable at the commencement of the program – Installment 1st – Rs. 16000/-
- After 20 days of the Registration – Installment 2nd – Rs. 8000/-
New Expected Schedue
Eligibility Criteria
- Candidates with 55% marks in Master's Degree from universities/institutions recognised by UGC. The Other Backward Classes(OBC) belonging to non-creamy layer/Scheduled Caste(SC)/Scheduled Tribe(ST)/ persons with disability(PWD) category candidates who have secured at least 50% marks in Master's degree are eligible for this Test.
- Candidates whose result is still awaited may also apply, but, such candidates shall be considered eligible for award of Junior Research Fellowship/eligibility for Assistant professor only after passing their Master's Degree examination. So, these candidates must complete their Master degree examination within two years of the UGC NET result declaration.
- The Ph.D. degree holders having done their Master's examination by 19th September 1991shall be eligible for a relaxation of 5% in total marks for appearing in UGC NET.
- Candidates should appear in the subject of their post graduation only.
Age Limit And Relaxation
- Junior Research Fellowship: Maximum: 28 years. A relaxation up to 5 years is given to women applicants and OBC SC/ST/PWD categories candidates. Three years relaxation is given to the candidates with L.L.M. Degree. Total age relaxation on any ground(s) shall not exceed five years under any circumstances.
- NET/SLET/SET qualified candidates.
- Candidates, who are or have been awarded a Ph. D. Degree in accordance with the University Grants Commission (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of the Ph. D. Degree) Regulations, 2009, shall be exempted from the requirement of the minimum eligibility condition of NET/SELT/SET for recruitment and appointment of Assistant Professor or equivalent positions in Universities.
- JUNIOR RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP: Candidates qualifying for the award of Junior Research fellowship will be eligible to receive fellowship of UGC under various schemes with a validity of two years from the date of issuance of JRF Award letter.
- The Test consists of three objective type papers.
|UGC NET Examination Schedule
|UGC NET Examination Schedule
This will comprise of following steps:
STEP I: Will be updated as soon as CBSE NET 2018 Detailed notofication is out.
Subjects Offered:
We offer specialized UGC NET coaching in following subjects:-
- English
- Computer Sciences
- Mathematics
- Life Sciences
- Chemical Sciences
- Physical Sciences
- Education
- Commerce
- Economics
- Management
- History
- Punjabi
Why Join Our Institute for UGC-NET Punjabi Coaching in Chandigarh;
- Powered by eligible and experienced faculty
- Special doubt sessions for difficult topics
- Innovative approach to solve problem quickly and correctly
- Comprehensive coverage of complete syllabus
- Extensive, updated and quality study material
- Highest success rate in the region
- Library facility
- Special guest lectures by eminent Academicians
- Weekend classes for working professionals
- Fully air conditioned and Wi-Fi premises
- Comfortable batch timing
- Complete coverage and revision of syllabus
- Result oriented teaching with small batch sizes
UGC NET Punjabi Coaching in Chandigarh
Statesman Academy,
SCO: 54-55, 2nd Floor,
Sector 34 A, Chandigarh.
9780040991, 9780097554


text:
QUINCY -- Lynne Scholz doesn't mind taking a pie in the face for a good cause.
And she couldn't think of a better reason to get messy Friday afternoon than to help reveal to students, staff and parents that Berrian School has earned Lighthouse School status -- the highest level of the Seven Habits process.
"We're really excited to share it with our students and have them be part of the excitement," said Scholz, Berrian's prevention educator. "Some of them weren't even born when we began this process."
Students took aim at 10 Berrian staff members with whipped cream pies, and letters inside the pies spelled out L-I-G-H-T-H-O-U-S-E.
"So what does it mean to be a lighthouse school? A lighthouse school is full of students who are a beacon of light for others," Berrian Principal Chrissy Cox said. "Remember to let your light shine every day."
Cox said Berrian is only the ninth school in Illinois to earn the recognition given only to a select number of schools nationwide that stand out as shining examples of what the Seven Habits program is about. In Quincy, Blessed Sacrament School and Ellington School also have earned the recognition.
The process involves gathering at least 144 pieces of evidence showing the school implemented and continually works on activities, processes and practices to help students learn about leadership, the Seven Habits and the practices that go into those habits.
"We've been learning how to be leaders and use the Seven Habits not just at school but at home and everywhere else," third-grader Catori Holford said.
Learning about the habits "is really fun," said third-grader Karedyn Williams, who tipped a pie into the face of staff member Barb Triplett. "Not only do you get to learn, but you get to do fun activities while learning."
Building leadership skills in students spurred Berrian to seek the designation with work launched six years ago. Scholz said Cox devoted a lot of time, effort and resources so the school could start on the journey, and "without a strong leader like Mrs. Cox, this nice award would never have happened," Scholz said.
But the work won't stop even after becoming a lighthouse school.
"We're constantly going to be working on trying to help our students become leaders of themselves and be able to become wonderful community leaders in our future," Scholz said.
"I can't even imagine my life if I would have started in an elementary school and learned some of the skills that our students are learning now," she said. "They can get up and speak in public. They know how to shake hands with eye contact. The stuff they are learning at a very young age -- how to put first things first, begin with the end in mind -- are all wonderful skills that serve us for our whole life."


text:
FDA Bans Import of Ranbaxy Generics
The FDA has prohibited generic drug maker Ranbaxy from making and selling pharmaceutical products for the US market from its facility in Toansa, India, "to prevent substandard quality products from reaching US consumers," according to the director of the FDA's Office of Compliance. The decision was made after an inspection of the facility in question in January 2014. Three of Ranbaxy's other facilities were also barred from making products to be imported to the US in 2012.
How might this affect you? First, Ranbaxy has been planning to launch generic versions of blood pressure med Diovan and proton pump inhibitor Nexium in the US, and this will almost definitely delay those releases.
Other generic drugs currently made by the company may also be unavailable—the most recent ban means that most of Ranbaxy's products are affected. If a generic isn't available from another manufacturer, this will mean at least temporary shortages. Ranbaxy makes generics for many drugs in the US, including several antibiotics, Ambien (zolpidem), Imitrex (sumatriptan), Lipitor, (atorvastatin), Neurontin (gabapentin), Zocor (simvastatin), and Zestril and Prinivil (lisinopril), among others, though in most cases they are not the only generic supplier.
If you're currently taking a generic drug manufactured by Ranbaxy, the FDA recommends continuing to take your medication as prescribed and discussing any concerns with your doctor or pharmacist before making any changes.
For more information, see the FDA news release here.


text:
Two San Diego pit bull owners were convicted Monday of involuntary manslaughter and other crimes after their dogs escaped confinement through a hole in their fence and fatally mauled a 75-year-old woman.
Alba Cornelio, 41, and her daughter Carla Cornelio, 21 were also found guilty of owning a mischievous animal that caused death, according to U-T San Diego ( http://bit.ly/14Otr9J ).
Alba Cornelio cried in the courtroom after hearing the verdict and was removed by paramedics on a gurney.
In 2011, 75-year-old Emako Mendoza was in her backyard when the dogs entered through a gap in a shoddy fence the judge said the Cornelios should have mended.
Mendoza underwent amputations for her left arm and leg as a result of the attack, but died from severe infections and complications. She was 76 when she died.
Defense lawyers unsuccessfully argued that no one could have foreseen the attack, and that both the Cornelios and Mendozas made significant efforts to reinforce the barrier between their yards.
The Cornelios are due for sentencing March 11 and face up to four years in prison.
In a separate matter, a pair of pit bulls mauled a 91-year-old Hemet woman before she died Friday, according to the Riverside Press-Enterprise ( http://bit.ly/WggYIj ).
Elsie Grace, a water colorist who taught painting classes at Copper Canyon College in Joshua Tree, was pronounced dead by paramedics at a Motel 6.
Grace suffered a great deal of trauma to her body, according to Lt. Duane Wisehart. She had been in the room with the pit bulls and her son.


text:
At least one Marine in Afghanistan won't have to worry about dropping morale.
Actress Mila Kunis has agreed to a date with a sergeant after he made a simple request online.
Sgt. Scott Moore of the 3rd Battalion 2nd Marines in Afghanistan took a risk and posted a YouTube video last week to invite the star to the Marine Corps Ball this November.
Kunis learned of the invitation when FOX411 brought it up. Her "Friends With Benefits" costar, Justin Timberlake, encouraged her to agree, saying, "You need to do it for your country."
After Moore's success, prepare to see a deluge of hopeful men asking out Hollywood starlets on YouTube.


text:
At the end of the 13th century, Hugh Bigod 3rd Earl of Norfolk granted Framlingham weekly markets. Over 700 years later, the markets are still bustling, selling top quality local produce.
Fruit and veg, plants, bread, fresh fish, homeware, vintage clothing, dairy goods, kitchen collectables, cakes and pastries.
And the Over the Moon Cafe always stops by to provide scrummy refreshments!
Every Tuesday and Saturday.
Do you want to manage this listing yourself?
Do you want to promote your destination with postings on the front page of this site?
to manage this page through Destination Suffolk please


text:
It's been a really busy week in the Stopover world. Here's what we've been to:
We released the full schedule yesterday! If you haven't already checked it out, what are you waiting for?! We used Sched again this year so you can personalize your own schedule and share it with your friends. Go make your schedule now!
We were also super excited to announce 10 new additions to the lineup. Please check out the newest members to the Stopover '16 family:
We've also released the full list of all our fabulous official venues for this year, where we'll hold one of our signature Stopover In The Yard's on Saturday afternoon, March 12th. We've got a map if you get lost, just visit our Venue page.
Ships of the Sea Museum (North Garden), Trinity United Methodist Church, The Jinx, Club One, Wild Wing Cafe (2nd floor), Congress St. Social Club, Ampersand (2nd floor), The Rail Pub (outside) & Abe's on Lincoln.
Here's what our bands have been up to this past week:
Ra Ra Riot
With Ra Ra Riot's album set to drop a week from today they've released a new track, "Foreign Lovers". More on Stereogum.
We're excited to have SALES back in Savannah as their first stop on their upcoming tour. If you didn't catch the duo at Hang Fire for Stopover '15, Saturday 3/12 is your second chance. They've just released a new song, which may just be their best yet! More at My Old Kentucky Blog.
Ancient Warfare
The lead singer/guitarist, Echo Wilcox, has roots here in Savannah. In 2010, she began this project while attending SCAD for photography and motion graphics. Take a look at their haunting Tiny Desk Concert Audition.
Our Athens' faves did a killer live performance for Oregon Public Broadcasting, and they got it all on video! They also did a Jam In The Van (also sponsored by our favorite beer, Lagunitas!). Check out their sessions:
Blitzen Trapper
With their new album out, All Across The Land, they've been getting some great reviews. Here's a great recent one from Relix Magazine.


text:
|'Through the looking glass' at Kino Border Initiative
(Nogales, Sonora, Mexico) May 22, 2016 — Parochial Vicar Fr. John Michalowsky of St. Peter Catholic Church in Charlotte, N.C. and parishioners Bob Macpherson, Dave Zablotny and Martha Schmitt traveled to the Kino Border Initiative at the Arizona-Mexico border May 2-5, 2016, to see first-hand what it means to accompany the most vulnerable. St. Peter's is a Jesuit parish led by Pastor Jim Shea, a member of the Jesuit Refugee Service Global Education Initiative Steering Committee. Through joint appeals, awareness-raising events and collaborative advocacy, St. Peter's is an important JRS partner in advancing our mission to educate and advocate the forcibly displaced.
KBI is a binational ministry founded in 2009 by six Catholic organizations — including Jesuit Refugee Service/USA — is located in Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. The following is the first of a three-part reflection of the trip written by Macpherson."Through the Looking Glass" Distance may be defined by increments of time and space, but at its foundation, it is fundamentally an emotional passage. It can be fun – "How long 'til we get there, Grandpa " – or filled with a gut fear, like screaming a Hail Mary to yourself over-and-over again under the deafening explosions of mortars and gunfire. Crossing an international border is certainly a distance, but it also begins a journey. On one side you are in America, the land of First World problems associated with the Internet being down, diets and missing a favorite TV program. It is only a few steps to leave the safety and privilege of one's American passport and step through the looking glass into a different world. On the surface, much of it looks the same. This close to the American border it doesn't seem threatening. But within a few steps you know you are in a different place. Clustered around the border are a number of cut-rate dental clinics, pharmacies, bars and hotels that do most of their room rentals by the hour. As we approach the building associated the Kino Border Initiative (KBI), a ministry on the U.S.-Mexico border founded in 2009 by six Catholic organizations, including Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, I am struck with the simplicity of the setting and small size. I had a sense it would be physically larger, though I am not sure if these thoughts came from viewing pictures on its website or from descriptions of how much work they do. I have been "around" JRS for several decades. During my time with CARE, I have worked alongside them – from the genocide in Rwanda to the war in Darfur, Sudan. From my earliest associations, I admired them. They often conducted humanitarian operations in very desperate and dangerous places, including their current work in war-torn Aleppo, Syria. They did so without a lot of media attention and fanfare. Their programing was quiet and productive. The truth is I never associated them with being a faith based humanitarian organization. If I thought about their name, I could deduce they were a Catholic non-governmental organization, but if there was any clergy amongst them, they were not overtly recognizable as priests. While considering a visit to KBI, I was struck by how JRS defines itself. JRS has a remarkably straightforward statement. It is to "Accompany, Serve and Advocate." Once you read the mission and begin to review their programming activities, it is a particularly accurate portrayal of their activities. Through my years with CARE, I quickly learned that the most dangerous part of humanitarian work is to engage in any element of human rights and advocacy. When a non-profit gets too close to speaking for the oppressed and actively witnessing abuse, they begin to upset existing power structures and that can quickly fall into a dangerous encounter with recognized or quasi government authorities.
"Who is in charge?"As we walked across the border we noticed a group of men sitting under a tree on a hill. The group worked for a cartel that controlled this border crossing and were tasked with keeping "watch" of the crossing. Thus, if the men see someone whom they determine is considering an illegal crossing and has not paid a fee to the cartel, the "watchers" notify the cartel, who arrive to deal with the person. The fee for a Mexican to be in the area is $600; for anyone else its $800 – $1000. Later in the day, as we assisted in clean up after the evening meal, I noticed our coordinator having an intense conversation with a young man who appeared to be about 16. When we were finished with the dishes, our coordinator came over and discussed the conversation. The young man was from Honduras who had fled the country to escape the gang he was being forced to join. All he wanted was to live with peace and be able to get an education. Despite his teenage appearance, he was 20. Our coordinator had spoken with him several days earlier about seeking asylum in the United States. She explained that he may be interned for up to 18 months and at the end probably only had a 10 percent chance that his request would be granted. He disappeared for several days to consider the action. When we met him he had decided he would try anything to escape his former life. We were asked to join him as he presented himself to U.S. border control agents. The reason we moved as a group was to ensure he made it to the U.S. border station under the eyes of the watching cartel members. We were his safe passage. Injuring an American within sight of a U.S. border station would force the Mexican authorities to react. Thus, it would be "bad for cartel business." Where do the politics end and our humanity begin? Back at the Kino center, as I made my way around the dining tables refilling gasses of ice tea for the men and women, I began to talk to some of the people as they got used to us. The nun who administers the center had told the group earlier that we had come from St. Peters Catholic Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. There seemed to be a group appreciation that we had come so far to support the Kino Border Initiative. I spoke with a young man who had spent 13 years in the United States and was a graduate of Long Beach Community College with a degree in Business, which he insisted on showing me. He had been a shift manager at a local 7-11 Store but could never rise above that level because he was not documented. He paid taxes and followed the laws of the United States. But he ran afoul of someone who "turned him in," and he was deported in a matter of days. Parts two and three of this series will run on the following consecutive Sundays. Read part two here. Click here for more information about the Kino Border Initiative.


text:
More http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nubia
that is, ideas and information on Physics, Science, Technology, Archaeology, Arts and Literatures. Physics at http://physics-sparavigna.blogspot.com/
Thursday, May 19, 2011
"In 2300 BC, Nubia was first mentioned in Old Kingdom Egyptian accounts of trade missions. From Aswan, right above the First Cataract, southern limit of Egyptian control at the time, Egyptians imported gold, incense, ebony, ivory, and exotic animals from tropical Africa through Nubia. As trade between Egypt and Nubia increased so did wealth and stability."
More http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nubia
More http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nubia
Pubblicato da Amelia Carolina Sparavigna a 4:26 AM
Etichette: archaeology


text:
Evaluation of the rural palliative care program: fifth progress report
K. Quinsey, M. R. Masso, D. L. Fildes, S. Matete, B. Shorten & J. P. Green (2006). Evaluation of the rural palliative care program: fifth progress report. University of Wollongong: Centre for Health Service Development.
This report is the fifth and final progress report by the National Evaluation Team (NET) and details the progress of the evaluation of the Rural Palliative Care Program (RPCP) between November 2005 and April 2006. Table 1 below summarises the main activities over the course of the evaluation. All eight projects have a detailed base line visit report described in either the first or second progress report. This report includes an update of each project, outlining developments in the last six months.


text:
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- transitive v. To make fruitful or productive.
- intransitive v. To bear fruit.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- v. To bear fruit; to generate useful products or ideas.
- v. To make productive or fruitful.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
- intransitive v. To bear fruit.
- transitive v. To make fruitful; to render productive; to fertilize.
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To bear or produce fruit.
- To make fruitful; render productive; fertilize: as, to fructify the earth.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- v. make productive or fruitful
- v. bear fruit
- v. become productive or fruitful
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Boris, like him or loathe him, is happy to use words like "fructify" and
Politics news, UK and world political comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk
Mumbai-based Mahindra, which already sells its SUVs such as the Scorpio and Bolero in several overseas markets, previously announced plans to sell a compact diesel pickup based on the Scorpio platform in the U.S. but that attempt is yet to fructify.
State-owned steel making company Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd's RINL's plan to go public is unlikely to fructify this year, putting further pressure on the government move to mobilise R40,000 crore from disinvestment proceeds this year.
We should indeed be vigilant and not surrender to the resounding sirens of our unachieved democracy and always remember that elections are only a process that we ought to breath life into and fructify […]
Global Voices in English » Moroccan Elections: The King's Party Triumphs
Gladstone thought that money was best left to fructify in the pockets of the people.
It rains, it pours, it mists, it drips fertilizing fluids from the heavens, which fructify the fields.
He had attended Eton and Oxford, two schools still acquainted with the study of classical antiquity, and it's conceivable that in the media's terms of endearment he recognized the debt owed to the very ancient Greeks, who allowed their sacred kings to rule in Thebes for a single triumphant year before putting them to death in order that their blood might fructify the crops and fields.
Lewis Lapham: Domesticated Deities: About Messiahs Come to Redeem Our Country, Not Govern It
He said that best way to pay tribute to the great leader is to fructify her dream about making India the most advanced and developed country of the world.
J&K Congress Committee celebrates 92nd birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi
Truth that triumphs over all things, which overcomes the king, wine, and women, which it is reckoned holy to honour before friendship, which is the way without turning and the life without end, which holy Boethius considers to be threefold in thought, speech, and writing, seems to remain more usefully and to fructify to greater profit in books.
And those who are acquainted with the history of the wonderful revolution which has been worked in our whole conception of these matters in the last thirty years, will bear me out in saying that the first germ of them, to a very great extent, was made to grow and fructify by the study of the yeast plant, which presents us with living matter in almost its simplest condition.


text:
To send a link to a friend or colleague, simply fill in and submit the form below.
Type the characters you see in the picture below: (Required)
Arts & Leisure>Arts & culture>The Factory Rehearsal Centre for the Arts
The Factory is the premier performing arts rehearsal facility in the south of Casey.
The Factory has several rehearsal and practice rooms, a loud band room and a community workshop facility.
We offer video and music production services at competitive prices.
Find out who regularly uses the Factory and what you can get involved in.


text:
Veneers are thin, semi-translucent laminates that can be bonded to the teeth. They can correct stains, cracks, spacing problems, and crooked teeth. We are proud to offer porcelain veneers from MAC of Las Vegas and Beverly Hills Dental Studio. The porcelain artistry we provide to our patients is of the highest quality, satisfying the most discerning of eyes.
For more infomation visit:
|For more infomation visit:


text:
Welcome to Cuitus! Hold your dicks and get ready for men taking golden showers, bear golden shower, piss party dvd, peeing in public sex offender, watch me pee clips and clipart water sports.
|Figure #3325
Pissinginaction rar, wet my pants, hairy bbw piss, female pee competition and pantie photo wetting.
|Pic #5978
Free female desperation, girls pee in showers, wet panties photo, sex piss tube and peeing in the toilet.
|Figure #3106
Water sports involving sex, piss hunters voyeur community pictures, pissing drinking clips and peeing panties videos.
|Photo #8692
Pee mature, sasha grey pissing, military pissing, piss on me son toilet sex pictures and hypnotize video make you pee yourself online.
|Photo #11410
Pissing orgasms, teen pisses herself, black peeing porn, boot pee babes and free porn wet panties.
|Photo #9659
Girls wetting their jeans, stories of mean desperate to pee, pee ditch, piss on me and tell me it s raining and nude women urinating.
|Image #7374
Golden shower picture, girl public urinating, tickle until you pee, girls swallowing pee and sexy pregnant women peeing.
|Photo #2501
Ppeeing women, anal piss compilation, pictures of women peeing outdoors, wet set pantie and make the girl pee game.
|Figure #2767
Bilder pee, girls peeing them selves, black girls caught pissing and pissed on crazysexlovers.
|Pic #9303
Piss and suck dick, wet pee sex, xxx pissing pic and recruiting a golden shower.
|Photo #9297
Dvd lesbian peeing, piss on my tits, slutload pee squirt and xxx pissing sluts.
|Image #12006
Watch her piss her panties porn, free pics of girls pissing outdoors, piss jeans boots, first time golden shower and wetting the bed on porpoise.
|Figure #7560
2 girls pee in one cup, pissing hairy girls, girls peeing caught by hidden cams, pissing free vids and piss gay blog.
|Figure #7205
Wet pantries, hentai girl peeing pics, lick pissing pussy, gay pissing sex stories and wife pissing in husbands mouth.
|Photo #8533
Wet pantiy movies, amateur uk pissing cunts, girls pissing there pants in public and pantie pissing worn.
|Figure #6946
Piss so bad, pee videos youtube, granny piss thumbs and latinas pissing.
|Figure #7444
Freestreamtv piss, shemales pissing videos, old man pissing, peeing with the neighbor girl and guys pee jeans.
|Figure #8138
Free hidden piss tube, video of outdoor peeing, video of guys pissing, wide open peeing and hetai piss.
|Image #11323
Piss thumbs, bed wetting movies, wet hardcore asian piss, piss streaming video femdom and spy on guys pissing.
|Image #10588
Girl pissing vids, men peeing on men, two young girls being pissed on and lesbiens piss.
men pissing urinal hidden camara
women pee showers
siestas gotta piss vol 02 dvd
mpeg and pee
guys peeing in restroom
pee flow desperate work accident
two girls pee their pants
accident pee video
free fat bbw pissing mpeg
first experience pee story
male pee pants
brooke skye peeing
pissing pornography
teenage pissing sex
lesbian piss drinking videos movies
teen piss movies
|Photo #10337
Pissing pornos, pissing girls free video clips, peeing oublic, talking dirty mmf pissing and lesbian pissing on feet.
|Photo #2397
Accidental female wetting, plump asses pissing, girls golden showers, celebrity wetting pants on tv and chubby girl piss in panties.
|Photo #1937
Women peeing standing up pics, her pee seeing, piss in his mouth, girls stand up peeing pics and free pee pictures.
|Figure #4866
Pisser dvd, couldnt hold it pee, pee piss powered by vbulletin, gay piss toilet and rubber stories with pissing.
|Pic #11492
Public desperation pissing, redhead pee fetish, guy pisses into 2 girls, peeing she powered by phpbb and piss in.
|Pic #8105
Woman who pee standing, golden showers thumbnails, sick golden shower movies and peeing her pants car.
|Pic #4116
Adult men bed wetting, peeing ourside, pic urinating woman, wetting your pants embarassing stories and young piss.
|Pic #11053
Woman peeing caught on tape, u tube pissing girls, free movie piss and gay men porn dvd piss.
|Pic #12045
Pissing hypnosis, pics of girls pissing, peeing buakkake and peeing on her self.
|Figure #6717
Girl pee only best free movies, man pissing in sligo, fanfiction wetting bursting bladder and squat pee powered by phpbb.
|Pic #4732
Pregnant peeing, naked old pic pissing woman, free wet teenage panty thumbs and red heads pissing.
|Figure #12236
Piss sport water, peeing anime, males golden shower sex videos and adlut bed weting.
|Photo #7472
Clip drinking piss, uro pisse, bus peee peeee peeeee peeeeee peeing, girlfriend wets pants basement and her his pants pee.
|Pic #9882
Peeing teen outdoor, pee on the ass, pissing galaries, girls piss pantys and lesbian piss video movies.
|Image #13371
Corean peeing, pisings, pissing in panties and free pee porn video links.


text:
Turkish (for the European market)
Object Place: Constantinople (for the European market), Turkey
Overall: 14.7 x 25.5cm (5 13/16 x 10 1/16in.)
Accession Number
Medium or Technique
Silk embroidered with silk and metallic threads, metal purl, flat metal strips, chain
Not On View
Asia, Textiles and Fashion Arts
Rectangular envelope-style flat "souvenir" wallet. White satin, embroidered with polychrome silks and gold metallic threads. Design: front: naturalistic flowers and scrolling gold leaves showing influence from Baroque Europe, under flap inscribed: "Constantinople/1775"; back: unidentified coat of arms showing pink and blue shield bearing striding lion, above shield: plumed helmet surmounted by rampant lion. Embroidery stitches include: satin stitch, long and short stitches, French knot, laid and couched, raised work, darning stitch. Salmon silk lining and side panels, two thin cardboard dividers inside covered in same lining. Metallic galloon binding.
Elizabeth Day McCormick collection; Gift to the MFA, October 14, 1943
Credit Line
The Elizabeth Day McCormick Collection


text:
Can cats suffer from agoraphobia? It is a condition where the sufferer becomes anxious in places that are strange and where they don't have control. It usually refers to a fear of wide open spaces. In the case of cats, who might suffer from agoraphobia, I am referring to a fear or dread of going outside.
Some cat behaviorists will say that cats can suffer from agoraphobia. I am not sure. I have seen indoor cats stop at a wide open door to the outside as if there were a glass barrier between them and the enticing garden beyond. They peer out but never cross the invisible barrier.
Also, Cardi, a nervous cat we cared for in her last days, would stop at the wide open door to the room she lived in as if there were a barrier there. There was a barrier, in a way: an anxiety about the unknown spaces in the other rooms.
However, I don't believe Cardi or the other cats I observed were suffering from agoraphobia, which is a medical condition. I believe they were just unsure. Full-time indoor cats will naturally be unsure about the wide open spaces of the outside, but given a chance, and time, will eventually go into it and explore.
However, it is said that an agoraphobic cat can be unwilling to go out because of a loss of confidence due to a traumatic event such as having been terrorized by another cat. Other events that might trigger agoraphobia are:
- an encounter with a dog.
- alterations to the house that cause confusion about how to get back inside.
- being hit by a car.
It seems that if this condition does exist in cats it is caused by associating a traumatic event with a certain environment, usually the outdoors.
Gradual desensitization is the cure. Perhaps a cat enclosure would be the answer. Some cat owners would probably be unperturbed if their cat was agoraphobic because being indoors would not be a problem to the cat; quite the opposite. This would suit many cat owners.
I find my cats like me to go out with them. Not infrequently, they actually ask me to accompany them into the garden. A cure, therefore for the agoraphobic cat might be to do just that: lead your cat into the garden or yard.


text:
on our way to somewhereMonday, January 25th, 2010
Here are some main categories that Seoulist seem to enjoy on the tube,
either sleeping or reading or watching TV through DMB (Digital Multimedia
Broadcasting) or nothing to do.
I found many people who enjoy DMB on the tube or bus are usually watching
soft-drama or TV shows which is kind of killing time and not serious.
It's like a reading TheLondonNews or Lite London in London.
Ok.. let's look at Mr. Someone's everyday journey on the tube.
He goes somewhere by Tube, and somehow feels having an extra time to do
something else on the tube, even if it's short. He presumes "doing nothing" is
the most "wasting time" so decides to watch TV show by mobile phone or read
rubbish newspaper but doesn't notice that he is "killing time" because he believes
that he is actually doing something else. Fortunately he realises that he's killed
his time with worthless stories. But no matter what he realises, it is nevertheless
happening again sometime soon.
Why he is enjoying sort of guilty pleasure such as reading other's pathetic
Is he going to miss them even if he encounters an impossible situation
that he no longer watch or read them in his life?
Why it's kind of difficult to be free from rubbish information through
various channel of media?
Can we get out of kind of pushing information that social inject ?
What is a discrepancy between "doing nothing" and "doing something"?


text:
Shawn on Java
Not a blog for those that want a 'High Level' view of technology. Interesting posts about the finer details of Java in real applications.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Double Checking Locks for Singletons
The issue with lazy loading singletons is that there are times when singletons don't behave as you expect and in my experience, this usually indicates that you may not have a singleton after all. Consider the following code:
public class AFactory
private static final Map<TYPE,ISomething> cache =
new HashMap<TYPE,ISomething>();
public static ISomething getInstance(TYPE type) {
ISomething ret = cache.get(type);
if ( ret == null ) {
ret = new SimpleSomething();
return ret;
The benefits of this pattern are simple. I can now code to the interface instead of the implementation, so if I want to hijack this factory for testing, I can simply add code like:
public static void setInstance(TYPE type, ISomething imp) {
and then I can put a mock in the cache for testing. Other benefits may be to open a single connection and reuse it over and over again, or whatever.
The problem with this type of pattern is that I can get into a spot where two threads might go looking for an instance of ISomething in the cache at the same time...if no instance is there, then two separate instances can get created and the last one put in the map will be persisted. This can cause unexpected results in some cases...especially if your SimpleSomething instance has some initialization that implements a listener, or registers with a management server or some other magic.
We could avoid this simply by synchronizing the call to getInstance, but this is needless in most cases and will cause the system to slow down as threads have to wait in line to get an instance from your cache.
The solution is somewhere in the middle. I've heard the idea referred to in a couple of ways, but I like to call it a double checking lock. Have a look at the slight modification to the factory method:
public static ISomething getInstance(TYPE type) {
ISomething ret = cache.get(type);
if ( ret == null ) {
synchronized(cache) {
ret = cache.get(type);
if ( ret == null ) {
ret = new SimpleSomething();
return ret;
By adding a synchronized block on a cache miss, and then checking again, this forces threads accessing the factory before the cache is initialized with the implementation you are looking for to synchronize and give the application time to populate the cache. Once it is populated, no synchronization is required since subsequent calls will hit the cache for the implementation.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Java SSL Connections
A while back I wrote a post on how to use the apache web client to connect to an SSL server without a globally recognized certificate. The easy way is just to import the certificate authority certificate into your cacerts file in $JAVA_HOME/jre/lib/security but in some cases you can't do this, so I showed how I created a custom socket factory and then registered the socket factory with the Protocol class.
While trying to get an XHTML rendering library to work today, I had an issue with untrusted certificates that I needed to get working, but since the library wasn't using the apache web client, I was a bit stuck. As it turns out, there is much lower level you can get to to make this work:
TrustManagerFactory tmFactory =TrustManagerFactory.getInstance(TrustManagerFactory.getDefaultAlgorithm());KeyStore trustStore = KeyStore.getInstance(KeyStore.getDefaultType());InputStream is = ClassLoader.getSystemResourceAsStream("my.truststore");trustStore.load(is, "password".toCharArray());TrustManager[] tm = tmFactory.getTrustManagers();KeyManagerFactory kmFactory =KeyManagerFactory.getInstance(KeyManagerFactory.getDefaultAlgorithm());KeyStore keyStore = KeyStore.getInstance("pkcs12");InputStream kis = ClassLoader.getSystemResourceAsStream("keystore.p12");keyStore.load(kis, "password".toCharArray());KeyManager[] km = kmFactory.getKeyManagers();SSLContext sc = SSLContext.getInstance("TLS");sc.init(km, tm, null);HttpsURLConnection.setDefaultSSLSocketFactory(sc.getSocketFactory());
I like this way a lot better because it uses classes only from the javax.net.ssl package and work perfectly for all java based network connections. All you have to do is create your keystore/truststore files and make them available to this code somewhere in the classpath.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Mocking Frameworks – Mockito
In order to do any kind of useful testing, you always have to make the odd Simulator or Mock object so that you don't have to worry about the dependencies that are needed by the particular component you are trying to test. As long as you take the time to build your code using best practices, you should be able to put your mock object in place during the test without having to change your code for deployment. I typically use Factory classes to help me do this, but there are other patterns that you can use just as effectively. A good rule of thumb is to always code to the interface and avoid using the 'new' keyword for your implementations in classes that you need to test. A simple way to do this might be:
public final Class SomeThing {private SomeThing() {}private static ISomeThing instance;public static ISomeThing getInstance() {if ( instance == null ) {instance = new SpecificSomeThing();}return instance;}public static void setInstance(ISomeThing someThing) {instance = something;}}
When I want to use an instance of ISomeThing, I just call:
final ISomeThing someThing = SomeThing.getInstance();
Assuming that you are comfortable with this idea, you've now decoupled your dependency ISomeThing from your code and now you can test whatever calls an ISomeThing without having to manipulate the world that your dependant ISomeThing lives in…you can simply Mock it.
Lets assume that your ISomeThing looks like this:
public interface ISomeThing {boolean isTheAnswer(int answer);}
To create a Mock implementation of ISomeThing, you could create something like this:
public class MockSomeThing implements ISomeThing {public boolean isTheAnswer(int answer) {return answer == 64;}}
So now before you test, you just make your factory return your Mock object instead of the regular implementation of the object.
SomeThing.setInstance(new MockSomeThing());
What will happen is that when your class uses the ISomeThing instance declared in the code by the factory class, it will return true if it is supplied with the input of 64, otherwise it will return false…(hitch-hiker metaphor intended)
public void testMock() {SomeThing.setInstance(new MockSomeThing());final ISomeThing s = SomeThing.getInstance();assertTrue(s.isTheAnswer(64));assertFalse(s.isTheAnswer(99));}
The only issue is that now I have a really useless class in my code base that tells me that 64 is the answer. If I use a mocking framework I could do this without actually creating a mock implementation:
import static org.mockito.Mockito.*;public void testMock(){final ISomeThing s = mock(ISomeThing.class);when(s.isTheAnswer(64)).thenReturn(true);assertTrue(s.isTheAnswer(64));assertFalse(s.isTheAnswer(99));}
This gives me the behavior I need without actually implementing the interface. Clean and simple.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
How to avoid Design – The '*.common.util' package
I've seen a lot of code that makes use of a 'util' package; in a limited domain, I guess I don't really have an issue with this. A utility package would likely contain some static classes that do things like parsing strings, formatting, sorting, certain calculations…the list is endless. There are just some things that need to be static and available and rather than think about design, we pop it into a class called 'StringFormatUtils' and pop it into the util package so that we can remember to look for it in six month's time.
The fatal flaw here is that looking for some obscure little function that worked once among a sea of formatters and parsers is just not going to happen. Instead what is likely to happen is that the next developer that needs the function will create another version of the function and pop it into that or another utility package and eventually you end up with an unmanageable pile of odds and ends in the code base.
Instead, the developer needs to take the time to think about the problem they are trying to solve from an abstract point of view. What is it that you are trying to do? Never mind how you intend to do it. If you are parsing data, think about a parsing architecture, ignore the details initially and then see if you have access to someone else's wheel that they've already invented. Moving from how to what is the way to re-use code. If you need to make your own, then build it in the abstract and put it in its own domain that can be expanded and re-used.
I vote for a complete ban on any package named 'util' in favor of software that is written for a specific problem domain. If you have static analysis in your build process, I recommend a rule to root it out and eliminate it…you'll have cleaner code.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Oracle's Strange way of Dealing with LOB's
A LOB is a database term for a data type that is very big; a Large Object so to speak. There are times when you want to create a record that has one of these LOBs but for some reason, Oracle has some strange limitations when it comes to the size of one of these objects when you 'insert' them into the database.
For JDBC calls it looks like there is a max of 4Kbytes. If your insert will never be bigger than this, then stop reading, you're fine. You can get around this limitation by using PL/SQL (wrap your insert in a BEGIN INSERT…; END;) as long as you don't need to insert anything greater than 32Kbytes.
If you need to go higher than this, you need to do something a little strange.
Basically you need to insert a blank LOB into the record, then select the record for update and then write your data to the LOB you selected. Here's how it goes.
InputStream is = new ByteArrayInputStream("hello world".getBytes());PreparedStatement insert =conn.prepareStatement("INSERT INTO test_table (id, data) values (?, empty_blob())");insert.setLong(1, 1L);insert.execute();insert.close();PreparedStatement select =conn.prepareStatement("SELECT * FROM test_table WHERE id = ? FOR UPDATE");select.setLong(1, 1L);ResultSet rs = select.executeQuery();rs.next();Blob blob = rs.getBlob("data");OutputStream os = blob.setBinaryStream(0L);byte[] buf = new byte[1024];int len = 0;while ((len = is.read()) > 0){os.write(buf, 0, len);}is.close();os.flush();os.close();select.close();
Not a whole lot of fun, but it gets the job done. I managed to find a way to get it done in a single statement but it requires PL/SQL
InputStream is = new ByteArrayInputStream("hello world".getBytes());CallableStatement insert =conn.prepareCall(
"BEGININSERT INTO test_table (id, data) values (?, empty_blob())RETURNING data INTO ?;
END;");insert.registerOutParameter(2, Types.BLOB);insert.setLong(1, 1L);insert.execute();Blob blob = insert.getBlob(2);OutputStream os = blob.setBinaryStream(0L);byte[] buf = new byte[1024];int len = 0;while ((len = is.read()) > 0){os.write(buf, 0, len);}is.close();os.flush();os.close();insert.close();
Thursday, October 22, 2009
VarArgs in Java 5
I know this has been around for a while. I've seen it, but didn't really know what it was. Turns out its a short hand for using arrays as an argument to a method.
If you are creating a method that takes variable arguments, it is common to supply the arguments in some sort of array. Take for instance the MessageFormat type classes:
MessageFormat.format(String format, Object[] args);
In order to use this method, the caller would have to make the call something like:
MessageFormat.format("Hello {0}, isn't life {1}", new Object[]{"world","swell"});
VarArgs allows you to shorthand this by declaring your method like:
MessageFormat.format(String format, Object… args);
Which can then be called like:
MessageFormat.format("Hello {0}, isn't life {1}", "world", "swell");
The only stipulation is that your vararg argument is the last in the parameter list. Java then autoboxes your arguments into an Object array for you.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Why Test Driven Bug Fixing is Better #tdd #struts
Its often difficult to convince developers that aren't doing Test Driven Development (TDD) that its worth the little bit of extra effort to write failing tests first before touching the code. Most times, the dissenters complain about tight timelines and lack of end user benefit to 'be bothered' with it.
Although I am relatively new to TDD, I've adopted the method in every aspect of code development I can think of…especially bug fixing.
A Case Study
This is an actual example where I used TDD to fix a bug (the names have been changed to protect the ..um.. innocent).
QA reports a bug in newly developed software. In this case, the application is a struts web application and there is a radio button on a form that doesn't have a default set; the analyst believes that it should be set to value 'x' by default.
The radio button is backed by a form bean class with the property 'theRadioOption' in the class MyFormBean which is scoped to the request for the struts action in question.
public class MyFormBean extends ActionForm{private string theRadioOption;public String getTheRadioOption(){return theRadioOption;}public void setTheRadioOption(String value){theRadioOption = value;}}
Given this snapshot of information, many experienced struts developers would say "OK, so I'll go and set the default value in the bean…its one line of code, no need for a test."
Before touching the code however, I created a test by extending MockStrutsTestCase and coded a very simple test:
public class FormActionTest extends MockStrutsTestCase{public void testFormDefaults(){setRequestPathInfo("/GetForm.do");actionPerform();final MyFormBean form = (MyFormBean) getActionForm();assertEquals("Wrong Default","x", form.getTheRadioOption());}}
Running the test, of course, it fails…perfect…now to fix the code.
private string theRadioOption = "x";
There, that was easy, now before we build the application and deploy the thing, I run the test again to see if it indeed passes. Surprisingly, it fails…so much for my "one line of code."
Upon further examination, I looked in the action class that forwards to the web page. What I found was that the developer that made the form was explicitly clearing the values in the form by setting the property to null. My little 'fix' wasn't seeing the light of day because the action was 'undoing' my default.
public ActionForward execute(ActionMapping mapping, ActionForm form, ...etc){final MyActionform myForm = (MyActionForm) form;form.setTheRadioOption(null);return mapping.findForward("SHOWFORM");}
The real fix is to get rid of the explicit set to null in the action class or set it to the desired default instead of null. After setting the default in the action and running my test again I can then see that the test passes.
This test becomes part of the project now and is run during the build process every night…the issue will never return undetected. How much time did I save here? Developer builds and deploys only once instead of two or three times, QA didn't have to re-open the bug and therefore test the feature three times instead of two, the next developer didn't have to ask "what should this be set to by default anyway" since it is well documented in the test.
My question is how can you justify NOT putting in the little extra effort to do Test Driven Bug Fixing?


text:
Champaign, IL – William E. Mabe, executive director of the State Universities Retirement System announced that he plans to retire effective March 31, 2015.
Mabe said his early notice provides the board ample time to conduct a thorough search for the next executive director. SURS Board Chairperson Lindsay Anderson commented that a search committee has been appointed, and it was moving forward in a diligent and systematic manner.
"Executive Director Mabe is to be commended and praised for his leadership and dedication to SURS' staff, members, and stakeholders," said Anderson. "He will be remembered and held in high esteem by the entire SURS' staff, members, annuitants, and universities and community colleges."
Mabe assumed his current role in June 2010 having a demonstrated track record in turning around large troubled private and public organizations. During his tenure at SURS he has made great strides in improving overall performance by developing and implementing a strategic plan that provides vision and direction enabling SURS to become an even more effective and efficient strategy-focused organization.
Board Chairperson Anderson praised Mabe as a strategic thinker and member-focused leader. "Executive Director Mabe's contribution to SURS has been outstanding," Anderson said. "He has been the right leader at the right time and he brought a new sense of purpose and direction to SURS."


text:
Vacation Rentals
Apartments and villas from around the world!
|Home | Add Property | Advertise | Newsletter | Contact Us
Cumbrian Lake 5 bedrooms villa -
(Click on pictures to see them bigger)
Description Villa in Kissimmee with 5 large double bedrooms including 3 master suites - 2 spacious sitting areas - 2 dining areas , 4 bathrooms and a pool and jacuzzi which is fully screened and has a poolside shower for your convenience.The large family room overlooks the pool and beyond over the natural lake.
The well appointed kitchen with vaulted ceiling is fully fitted with all appliances you are likely to need including a full size electric cooker, microwave, dishwasher, and a large fridge and freezer with ice maker.
1st Master Bedroom - This luxurious master bedroom has a king size double bed and its own private and spacious en-suite bathroom. A 25\" cable television is installed for your enjoyment. There is also a large walk-in wardrobe.
2nd Master Bedroom is equipped with its own luxurious bathroom and a queen size bed. For your entertainment there is a 14\" TV.
3rd Master Bedroomis furnished to a high standard with a queen size bed and luxury bathroom. All bedrooms have ample drawer and wardrobe space. For your entertainment this room is equipped with a 14" TV.
4th & 5th Bedrooms - These Disney themed bedrooms share a bathroom and are delightful twin rooms each equipped with a Combi TV/VCR and Playstation 2.The pool is south/west facing onto a lake.
Large heatable pool & spa fully screened - Luxury poolside furniture - Luxury gas barbecue - All towels and linen provided - Telephones are available in the kitchen and master bedroom (free local calls) - Iron and Ironing board - Fully air conditioned games room - 24 hr access to our excellent local management company - Cooker - Microwave - Large fridge freezer with ice maker - Blender - Toaster - Coffee Maker - Waste disposal unit - Dishwasher - Fire extinguisher - First aid kit - Large selection of Crockery - Cutlery - Cooking utensils - Free cot - Highchair - Pushchair etc. - Large capacity washing machine - Tumble dryer
ContactAddress: Cumbrian Lakes Kissimmee
Reservation PolicyPlease contact for terms and conditions
People have also visited the following:
New Terra Verde Luxury & Executive Villa with private spa, pool and gameroom, close to disney!
Serendipity Villa Luxury home with pool close to Disney
Copyright 2003-2005 EBBM Ltd. Co.
Contact Us | About | Terms of Use | Legal | Privacy


text:
The Up Group took over an extremely difficult C-level search for us. We had already worked with another search firm for over a year to fill the role but without success. I was very impressed by the process The Up Group followed and they delivered a successful candidate within the timeline we had agreed.
CEO, FanDuel
Great professionalism, expertise and a real focus on helping Graze make the best possible choice. The team already have an excellent reputation in the market and I can now see why!
CEO, Graze
The Up Group have developed an unparalleled network of senior leaders in the digital space, and have proved to be extremely effective at identifying highly talented individuals across Europe. They develop a thorough understanding of the company's strategic positioning, its management, the requirements of the position as well as the various candidates' profiles, ambition and cultural fit. This results in a highly effective matching of great companies and great leaders.
SVP International, RetailMeNot