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Well, if realplayer can't handle it, then SMIL is totally useless. I mean, if it handle just the base things like transitions of slides, then i could use powerpoint for a presentation. The nice thing of SMIL should be the interactivity. After 2 weeks i couldn't handle succesfully to load on same page objects according to what is selected from menu. Use href to link to external .smil files is terrible and senseless, but seems the only thing that works. I would expect to use <excl> group and fix things: no! It just doesn't work, i understood that only the begin event should be described for each excl child and excl will handle to exclusively load the child group. Obviously that doesn't work, and objects from other excl children are still visible for no reason (no, i didn't use the fill="hold"). I tried several tutorial with excl, but only those that load just an image per child works.. If i start from those and add groups as excl child, then all mess up, sooner or late. Is there any template that works on realplayer or any other player where SMIL has sense and interactive presentation works? Please answer, since i'm quite frustrated -----Messaggio originale----- Da: Sjoerd Mullender [mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com] Inviato: domenica 17 giugno 2007 12.40 A: Jack Jansen Cc: ___; 'SMIL List' Oggetto: Re: Urgent please On 06/17/2007 12:47 AM, Jack Jansen wrote: -- Sjoerd Mullender > It is a bit difficult to read your code, but the problem may be that > your mixing up scheduled end and event-based end. > > if bt_A.activateEvent is fired then two things happend immediately: > 1. B_par ends > 2. B_text2 ends > > You're expecting that the end of B_par raises B_par.end which in turn > leads to B_text2 ending. This seems like a reasonable expectation, but > I'm not 100% sure it is correct. "B_par.end" is different from > "B_par.endEvent": the first one is scheduled and the second one is > event-based. > > The exact distinction between those two mechanisms can be found in the > SMIL standard (in the timing section), but the hand-waving explanation > is that scheduled timing is pre-computed into the timegraph (similar > to seq children starting when their predecessor ends, etc) whereas > event-based timing happens on the fly (the timegraph is computed as if > end="indefinite", I think). > > I'm not sure whether the standard specifies what should happen in this > case (a scheduled timing relationship depending on an event-based > timing relationship), maybe Sjoerd or someone else who understands > this better than me can explain? When an element ends because of an event, the end condition is reevaluated and repropagated. > But what I am sure of is that with a construct like this you're > descending into the deep damp cellars of the SMIL timing model, so > you're quite likely to stumble upon a bug. My suggestion would be to > change the "B_par.end" into "B_par.endEvent", thereby making > everything event-based, and hoping that that fixes the problem. > > On 16-Jun-2007, at 23:56 , ___ wrote: > >> >> This situation is extremely easy to understand, please give me a >> reply please. I'm using real player. >> >> <body> >> <par dur="indefinite"> >> <par id="A_par" begin="bt_A.activateEvent" end="bt_B.activateEvent"> >> ...... >> </par> >> <par id="B_par" begin="bt_B.activateEvent" end="bt_A.activateEvent"> >> <par id="B_par_text1" begin="0s;arrow_b.activateEvent" >> end="B_par.end;arrow_f.activateEvent"> >> <textstream id="B_text1" src="..." >> rn:backgroundOpacity="0%" transIn="fade_1" region="text_B_a" >> end="B_par_text1.end;bt_A.activateEvent" fill="freeze"/> <textstream >> id="B_text2" src="..." >> rn:backgroundOpacity="0%" transIn="fade_1" region="text_B_b" >> end="B_par_text1.end;B_par.end" fill="freeze"/> </par> <par >> id="B_par_text2" begin="arrow_f.activateEvent" >> end="B_par.end;arrow_b.activateEvent"> >> ....... >> </par> >> </par> >> </par> >> </body> >> </smil> >> >> Why when B_text1 and B_text2 are visible, and i click on bt_A, only >> B_text1 >> disappear? >> The difference between B_text1 and B_text2 is that the end differ in >> this >> way: >> >> B_text1 --> B_par_text1.end;bt_A.activateEvent >> B_text2 --> B_par_text1.end;B_par.end >> >> BUT, since B_par group has the end attribute set to: >> bt_A.activateEvent, shouldn't B_par.end and bt_A.activateEvent act the SAME way? It seems to me you've uncovered a bug in the RealPlayer. When you click on bt_A, since B_par has an end="bt_A.activateEvent", it ends. It doesn't matter what's inside, but all that is inside should end then as well, so this definitely includes B_text1 and B_text2. There is no two ways about it, and it doesn't matter what their end attributes say, they should end. -- Sjoerd Mullender No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.472 / Virus Database: 269.9.0/851 - Release Date: 16/06/2007 12.50 No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.472 / Virus Database: 269.9.0/851 - Release Date: 16/06/2007 12.50Received on Sunday, 17 June 2007 11:04:29 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 6 January 2015 20:34:26 UTC


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#learning Django
#learning Django
12069 #steps today
Booked ticket for digpensw — so if anyone wants to talk #microformats, #indieweb or #webactions on the day, come and say hello!
I posted Web Action Toolbelt to that hacker news thing. What happens now? #webactions
Margin Marks, a #microformats UI idea. #bookmark
It seems that the dConstruct website no longer weirdly redirects to some advent calendar (puts 6th Sept in calendar) /cc dconstruct
boagworld saw it in Edinburgh 10 years ago. Still sends shivers up my spine :)
boagworld is that the exhibition where they have darth vader in a dark room, with his breathing playing in surround sound?
The single greatest thing about the social web is how it has forced people to overcome their technophobias in order to connect with other humans.
/by Chris Messina (source)
Chris Messina are all your old writings (factoryjoe.com/blog) archived anywhere other than the Internet Archive? (Just reading this, wanting to cite it in indiewebcamp.com and wondering if you have a more canonical version)
4206 #steps today
Wondering if Laura Kalbag and @gigapup have come across @cutefight?
Wondering if @lauralkalbag and @gigapup have come across @cutefight?
Conclusion from today's discussion: #cat owners should be required to eat any small animals their feline pets kill/maim and bring back as gifts.
#php-mf2 0.2.0 update brings API improvements and twitter classname -> mf2 classname conversion so you can bung in markup from twitter.com and get (slightly buggy) mf2 json out #microformats #update #php
Try it out here.
zakkain thanks! Wouldn't have been possible without previous work by Aaron Parecki and Tantek Çelik. So have you got it installed/what publishing software are you using it with?
8704 #steps today
Those last two notes posted using latest Web Action Hero Toolbelt, now with select-to-quote UI #webactions #indieweb #quoting
If content is important to you, keep it close. If your content is important to others, keep it close and well backed up.
by Drew McLellan (source) #indieweb
Empower yourself. Your friends. Your community. But push yourself to go further, because you can.
– Tantek Çelik (source)

subset: commoncrawl


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2014 was the International Year of Family Farming (IYFF). On that occasion, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) joined forces for an awareness campaign on the key role played by family farming and community media in supporting rural development and hunger eradication.
Type: Link
The FAO special "Food for Talks" series aims at highlighting the importance of agriculture, food and nutrition security and sustainable development, raising awareness on these multidisciplinary issues in Geneva, and sharing inspirational ideas for concrete actions.
Family Farming: Feeding the world, caring for earth
The Farm Business School (FBS) which is implemented under the project "Capacity Building of Small Farmers in Entrepreneurship Development and Market Access", through collaboration of the Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI), DA-Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Services (AMAS), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of[...]
Country: Philippines
A Farm Business School (FBS) is a unique educational system designed to help farmers learn and improve their knowledge and skills in entrepreneurship and farm business management. FAO is supporting the efforts of the Department Agriculture (DA) and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to upgrade the capacities of farm-level extension[...]
Country: Philippines
P4P has assisted smallholders in Burkina Faso to improve post-harvest handling, increase yields and improve crop quality. This has enabled farmers' organizations to market their surplus to private sector and institutional markets. Continue reading to learn five facts about progress made in Burkina Faso.
Country: Burkina Faso
Home Grown School Feeding programmes implemented by governments with the support of partners, including the World Food Programme (WFP), are increasingly providing assured markets for smallholder farmers. At least half of the 20 Purchase for Progress (P4P) pilot countries report linking smallholder farmers' organizations to school feeding programmes. By strengthening[...]
In rural areas of Mali, agriculture is the primary source of income. Smallholder farmers contribute toalmost 90 percent of the country's agricultural production, but have historically struggled to access quality markets, generally settling for low farm gate prices. Today, smallholder farmers in Mali are increasingly marketing their crops collectively to WFP[...]
Rural women in developing countries often lack basic literacy skills, making it difficult for women farmers to benefit from training activities which could improve their agricultural production and increase their incomes. Because of this, in many pilot countries, P4P has incorporated basic reading and writing skills into training in order[...]
Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo
In the Nueva Segovia region of Nicaragua, P4P is supporting farmers' organizations to utilize low-cost, environmentally-friendly techniques and technologies. These sustainable practices, which include minimal tillage farming and the use of organic materials in soil enrichment, are enabling smallholders to benefit from increased yields, improved crop quality and reduced production[...]


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What's next for 'tough luck' Clippers? | Walton offers Lakers hope | Wade digs deep, goes deep | Portland's underdog ride blazes on
No. 1: What's next for 'tough luck' Clippers? — One day and two months. That's the latest way to frame this so-called curse that hangs over the Los Angeles Clippers, who failed to push their first-round Western Conference playoff series to a Game 7 Friday night in Portland. For one day – the time between Stephen Curry's sprained right knee and their own calamitous injuries to Chris Paul and Blake Griffin – it looked as if the Clippers might have gotten a fortunate break (admittedly due to Curry's and Golden State's misfortune). But then their own stars went down with even more serious injuries (Paul's hand fracture and Griffin's quad strain). That brought the Clippers' history of lousy luck roaring back, and a team that hoped to be playing into June couldn't even make it out of April. Here are more thoughts on the seemingly snake-bit Clips from ESPN.com's Arash Markazi:
It was another dramatic and heartbreaking close to a season for the Clippers. They have now squandered a 2-0 first-round series lead by losing four straight games twice, and last season blew a 3-1 second-round series lead by losing three straight games. No team in NBA history has ever blown a two-game series lead three times in four years. The last team to do it in consecutive seasons was the Phoenix Suns in 1994 and 1995.
Teams that go up 2-0 in a best-of-seven series are 258-16, and teams that go up 3-1 in a best-of-seven series are 222-9. As good as the Clippers have been recently, they continue to find themselves on the wrong side of history and fate this time of year.
Of course, the way the Clippers' season ended Friday, with Paul and Griffin watching the final game of the season back home in Los Angeles while recovering from surgeries, made the result more understandable. But it doesn't change the end result.
Paul has now been on three of the last four teams to blow a 2-0 series lead, and no player in NBA history has played in more postseason games without getting past the second round than he has. Doc Rivers also becomes only the second coach in NBA history to have his team blow three best-of-seven series when leading either 2-0 or 3-1.
So where do the Clippers go from here? They are the only team other than the San Antonio Spurs to win at least 50 games over the past four seasons, but they have nothing to show for it except for two Pacific Division banners that hang in their training facility along with a handful of game balls from some memorable wins. Even the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets have found a way to sneak into the conference finals during that time.
Paul, Griffin and [DeAndre] Jordan are all under contract for next season, but Paul and Griffin probably will opt out of the final year of their deals and become free agents in the summer of 2017. Jordan can be a free agent the following summer (2018).
Looking at the rest of the roster, J.J. Redick will be a free agent after next season; Jamal Crawford, Jeff Green and Luc Mbah a Moute will be free agents this summer, and Austin Rivers, Cole Aldrich and Wesley Johnson probably will opt out of their deals and become free agents as well.
Paul Pierce, 38, signed a three-year, $10 million contract with the Clippers last year, but said after the game he's "50-50" on whether he will retire following the worst season of his professional career. Pablo Prigioni, who turns 39 next month, probably will retire after also having his worst season.
In short, the Clippers are a team in flux that has hit a ceiling.
By hiring Walton, the Lakers accomplished several feats. They're hiring a young, smart, well-regarded, up-and-coming coach from a successful, forward-thinking organization. They're once again bringing back one of their own, as Walton will become the eighth former Lakers player who went on to coach the team. And the fact that the Lakers are bringing in a beloved familiar face — a Southern California native, no less — will undoubtedly help them not only win the media conference but establish patience from their fans as Walton tries to steer the team out of the depths of rebuilding.
And yet the reality is, for as happy as the Lakers and their fans are now, there's plenty of reason for skepticism. Walton will become the youngest active head coach in the NBA. In fact, at 36 years, 32 days old, Walton is 1 year, 218 days younger than the just-retired Bryant. And Walton's first NBA head coaching job will be leading a rebuilding team that currently offers a few promising young players but little else. Walton will be tasked with developing those fledgling talents and helping lure free agents back to the Lakers after the team has struck out in that arena for three straight offseasons, though it's unclear what kind of sway he'll have with free agents, let alone his own players.
Beyond that, the Lakers aren't considered to be the most modern-minded franchise, so Walton will have to assist in installing a new culture that helps them turn the page from their past (and Kobe) to whatever successful future he hopes to forge.
This is an extremely tall task for someone who two years ago was a part-time assistant with the Lakers' D-League team, the D-Fenders. Though, in an odd way, Walton's experience dealing with those players should come in handy considering the roster he's now taking over.
There will be expectations for Walton to replicate some measure of success that he had when keeping the seat warm for Kerr, and to infuse some of that Warriors' DNA into the Lakers. However, such expectations must be tempered.
[It's] fair to wonder if Walton would've been given this offer a year ago.
It's fair to wonder if his 39-4 mark with the Warriors may have hypnotized some. The Lakers will back him and say that Walton will be a great coach, as they should. But they've said that for their previous three coaches, too, all of whom departed before their contracts expired.
Walton has learned under Phil Jackson and Steve Kerr, as well as Mike Brown and Byron Scott, and now the Lakers have gone back to a familiar well, bringing back one of their own. Walton could be the greatest hire in Lakers coaching history, a perfect fit. But, if we're being honest, no one knows much about Luke Walton as a head coach, as someone who can hire a staff, observe a roster and set a course for success.
The once and future Laker is entering an organization that, on many levels, couldn't be more different than the one he's about to depart. The Warriors are a well-oiled machine with total buy-in, a modern-day top-down philosophy, a confluence of so many good elements that, together, have produced something almost magical — that's truly a joy to watch.
The Lakers are none of that.
Jim Buss, part-owner and executive vice president of basketball operations, could well be gone next summer and so could Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak. Could Phil Jackson return? Such questions loom heavy over the Lakers' future.
"The number one thing is this," said one source familiar with both the Warriors and Lakers. "The Lakers are dysfunctional as an organization. A coach can't change this."
Indeed, but at the very least, Walton will be (or should be) better than Scott, who is one of the worst coaches in recent memory. Walton has a chance to be good if he develops and is given time, which the Lakers should certainly grant him. Walton knows the Los Angeles market, the Lakers organization, their fan base, the expectations and history. He wanted the Lakers and they wanted him.
He has his dream job and now the Lakers have something they haven't had in a while: hope.
No. 3: Wade digs deep, goes deep — Neither Dwyane Wade nor Udonis Haslem was ready to have it end Friday night. They have been together in Miami for 13 years, through five trips to The Finals and three NBA championships, so the idea of falling short in Game 6 in Charlotte held no appeal whatsoever for the veteran Heat players. Wade was the one in position to do the most about it, and that's what he did. In the most unlikely way possible: digging deep and shooting deep. Ethan J. Skolnick of the Miami Herald chronicled the events:
They're not men prone to all that much mistiness, though the years can do something to you, and so can the fears of another ending. And so, after Friday's shootaround, hours before what could have been the final game of the 13th season they've shared together, Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem paused to reflect.
"About how much this meant to us," Haslem said. "About how much this has meant to us. This opportunity, this organization, being able to lead these guys, and be able to pass the torch at some point…"
"Just being here together," Wade said. "For 13 years. We've been a part of making this organization a championship organization. We've been to five (NBA) Finals in 10 years, and we know how hard it was to do that. We just talked about trying to get the guys who have never been here to understand how hard it is to be successful."
And, when the conversation concluded, Haslem understood clearly:
"Not tonight."
Not tonight, because, to secure a 97-90 victory and a 3-3 tie in this first-round series — with Game 7 coming Sunday afternoon — Wade truly did need to use whatever means necessary.
Even the least likely of all.
"I'm Kyle Korver now," Wade joked later.
Well, not really. Not when, before Friday, he hadn't made a three-pointer in the calendar year 2016, missing all 21 attempts since Dec. 16. But he's warning reporters that he can still stroke it — he did make 88 during the 2008-09 season, and reminded Joe Johnson that he "bombed" Johnson's Hawks out of Game 2, with six makes, in the 2009 first round. He's spoken of some sort of mental block, that stops him just as he readies to release.
But, after scoring 13 points in the first half and just two through the first 21 minutes of the second half ("my stroke left me"), Wade did rise up after receiving a pass from a doubled Luol Deng.
And he did rattle it in, off the rear of the rim.
Then, after [Kemba] Walker's dazzling reverse layup in transition cut the Heat lead to two — and both the Heat and Hornets had empty possessions — Wade did take the ball from Haslem after a rebound, dribble to the top of the circle, then bounce away from traffic in the middle, and step back to the left into another steady 26-footer.
Then he did gesture toward a purple-shirted harassing Hornets fan, who had been angrily advising him the entire game to retire.
"Yeah, I was tired of his mouth," Wade said. "I mean, I hadn't said nothing to him."
Nothing was required, as it turned out.
He'd made his point.
With three points. Twice.
"They gave it to me," Wade said. "This is a good defensive team. Courtney Lee is a good defensive player. You're not always gonna get what you want."
But what you get can still be what your team needs.
"He was shooting them yesterday, and I told him, 'Man, we're gonna need you to make some of them [bleep],' " Joe Johnson said. "He was like, 'I'm gonna shoot 'em. I'm gonna shoot 'em.' So we come down the stretch and I was not surprised, because Courtney Lee kept backing off of him, playing him for the drive. I mean, nobody expected D-Wade to shoot the three. And if he does, you're like, OK, I'll live with that. And he made two huge threes."
After not making one since mid-December.
"Man, are you serious?!" Johnson said, before shouting across the room. "Damn, D-Wade!"
Haslem, naturally, had no issue with the shot selection.
"He was working on it," Haslem said. "I didn't know he was going to shoot it, but he was working on it. Clutch situation, that's my guy, man. I trust every decision that he makes, and every shot that he takes."
No. 4: Portland's underdog ride blazes on — The story of the Portland Trail Blazers' overachieving 2015-16 season has been written often and in multiple ways lately. It's evident in the voting results for NBA annual awards that have come out, what with guard C.J. McCollum's triumph as Most Improved Player and Terry Stotts' ballot-love in Coach of the Year voting. But the chapter added Friday night with their dispatching of the Clippers and advancement to the playoffs' conference semifinal round was special enough to earn inclusion here, courtesy of Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com:
There are no asterisks in the NBA postseason — not for abbreviated seasons, and not for series wins over short-handed teams missing two All-Stars. Coaches and players sound this trope all the time: It's so hard to win in the NBA. Hard to win a game, hard to win a series, hard to win a title.
So please excuse the Portland Trail Blazers if they see their 106-103 Game 6 closeout win over the Los Angeles Clippers at the Moda Center on Friday night not as a fluke born out of Chris Paul's fractured hand or Blake Griffin's aggravated quad injury, but as a logical extension of a season-long process.
"Behind closed doors, we felt like we could make the playoffs in September," guard CJ McCollum said. "We felt like we had enough pieces to get there, but it was going to be a process. We needed to get everybody together. We needed to execute. We were going to take some lumps."
Even as the Trail Blazers drained seven consecutive 3-pointers in the third quarter, they still couldn't shake the Clippers. More Rivers' vengeance off the bounce, and Jordan reversed the Blazers' fortunes on the glass. As the game moved into the fourth nip and tuck, the prospect for irony was ripe: The league's most opportunistic underdogs might squander their ready-made ticket to the conference semis.
Ultimately, Portland became their best selves when they needed to in the fourth. A merry-go-round of multiple offensive actions created a drive-and-dish for [Damian] Lillard, who found McCollum for a 3-pointer with a little over four minutes remaining. Same thing a couple of minutes later: Movement, drive, kick, three from McCollum to keep Portland a length ahead of the Clippers
"I was really happy with the way we executed down the stretch," Lillard said. "We didn't panic when they put up a fight for us. We did the things necessary to win the game."
The Trail Blazers had little time to reflect on the closeout win before the departure time for their Saturday afternoon flight to San Francisco was scrawled on the whiteboard. Golden State awaits in 36 hours time, and the Warriors without Steph don't resemble the Clippers' skeleton crew.
The mood following the game was lively, but like a class that finished one exam and has to trek down the hall to the next final, there was a certain focus, even among the relief. "There wasn't no champagne popping or anything," big man Ed Davis said.
While Lillard has the most stage presence, and McCollum might be the most expressive of the core, Davis displays the most unvarnished thoughts in the locker room.
"We have nothing to lose," Davis said. "We go out and [get] swept, that's what everyone is expecting so that's how we have to play it — give it all we got, the whole 48 minutes out there and see what happens. We really have nothing to lose. All of y'all are expecting us to lose and the only people who think we're going to win it are the 15 on the roster and the coaching staff."
As the scrum dispersed, Davis pleasantly added, "All of y'all expect us to lose, don't even lie to me."
SOME RANDOM HEADLINES: It was Indiana's night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse Friday but it was Toronto's nightmare, with pressure shifting back big-time onto the Raptors' heads in Game 7 Sunday night. … Injured Warriors guard and presumptive repeat MVP Stephen Curry is trying to beat his target date of May 9 in recovering from that sprained right knee. … Cleveland's Tyronn Lue apparently hasn't actually signed the contract offered by the Cavaliers when he got promoted from assistant to head coach, taking over upon David Blatt's firing. In a fluid market, it makes one wonder whether the numbers verbally agreed to might change. Maybe something bigger? … The Lakers' gain is the Warriors' loss, with Steve Kerr now faced with replacing another lieutenant on his bench. … Looking like Dallas point guard Deron Williams will be opting out of his deal with the Mavericks, if only as a good business move. … We'll say it again: It's possible that Paul Pierce has played his last NBA game. If so, the memories he made are remarkable ones.


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Brussels, 14 December 2010
Competition: Commission adopts revised competition rules on horizontal co-operation agreements
The European Commission has revised its rules for the assessment of co-operation agreements between competitors, so called horizontal co-operation agreements. As it is often vital for companies to work together to achieve synergies, there exist a vast number of horizontal co-operation agreements in many industries. The texts update and further clarify the application of competition rules in this area so that companies can better assess whether their co-operation agreements are in line with those rules. Modifications concern mainly the areas of standardisation, information exchange, and research and development (R&D).
Commission Vice President in charge of competition policy Joaquín Almunia stated: 'One of the overarching goals of the new rules is to contribute to the Commission's Europe 2020 strategy, in particular by promoting innovation and competitiveness. The new Guidelines and Block Exemption Regulations will give companies the necessary freedom to co-operate in a globalised market place, while at the same time minimising the risk of agreements that are harmful to industry and to consumers.'
Today the Commission has adopted a revised set of Guidelines and two Regulations which describe how competitors can co-operate without infringing EU competition rules. The 'Horizontal Guidelines' provide a framework for the analysis of the most common forms of horizontal co-operation such as agreements in the areas of R&D, production, purchasing, commercialisation, standardisation, standard terms, and information exchange. The two Regulations exempt from the competition rules certain R&D, specialisation and production agreements that are unlikely to raise competition concerns.
Two key features of the reform are a new chapter on information exchange in the Horizontal Guidelines and a substantial revision of the chapter on standardisation agreements.
The Guidelines promote a standard-setting system that is open and transparent and thereby increases the transparency of licensing costs for intellectual property rights (IPRs) used in standards. The revised standardisation chapter sets out the criteria under which the Commission will not take issue with a standard-setting agreement ('safe harbour'). Moreover, the chapter gives detailed guidance on standardisation agreements that do not fulfil the safe harbour criteria, to allow companies to assess whether they are in line with EU competition law.
Standard-setting organisations may wish to provide for their members to unilaterally disclose, prior to setting a standard, the maximum rate that they would charge for their intellectual property rights (IPRs) if those were to be included in a standard. Such a system could enable a standard-setting organisation and the industry to take an informed choice on quality and price when selecting which technology should be included in a standard. The revised rules clarify that such a system would normally not infringe EU competition rules.
Information exchange can be pro-competitive, for example, when it enables companies to gather market data that allow them to become more efficient and better serve customers. However, there are also situations where the exchange of market information can be harmful for competition, for instance when companies use sensitive information to align their prices. The Guidelines give clear and comprehensive guidance on how to assess the compatibility of information exchanges with EU competition law.
With a view to facilitating innovation in Europe, the Commission has considerably extended the scope of the R&D Block Exemption Regulation, which now not only covers R&D activities carried out jointly but also so-called 'paid-for research" agreements where one party finances the R&D activities carried out by the other party. In addition, the new Regulation gives parties more scope to jointly exploit the R&D results.
The Horizontal Guidelines will enter into force as soon as they have been published in the Official Journal of the EU, which should take place in the coming days. The two Regulations will enter into force on 1 January 2011, with a transitional period of two years, during which the previous Regulations will remain in force for such agreements that fulfil the conditions of those Regulations but do not fall under the new Regulations.
Examples of horizontal agreements recently investigated by the Commission include Oneworld (see IP/10/936), Ship Classification (IP/09/1513) or IPCom (MEMO/09/549).
The issue of 'patent ambush' was investigated by the Commission in Rambus (see IP/09/1897).
The new rules replace the previous Horizontal Guidelines and the two Block Exemption Regulations for R&D and for specialisation and joint production agreements, which entered into force in 2001.
Drafts of the new rules were published in May 2010 for public consultation. Feedback from stakeholders was generally positive. Subsequently, the drafts were revised to take account of stakeholder comments.
The new Horizontal Guidelines and Regulations can be found at:
For further details, please see Q&A MEMO/10/676.
Side Bar


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Tues – Sun, Noon-3pm
Mon – Thurs, 5pm-9:30pm
Fri-Sat, 5pm-10pm
Sun, 5pm-9:30pm
4345 Main St.
Philadelphia, PA 19127
(267) 297-8151
(267) 297 8341
Welcome to Yanako, a multi-sensory Japanese restaurant and sushi bar featuring classic dishes, superior-quality ingredients and a soothing, vibrant interior. Let us transport you away into our garden atrium rich with live plants and warm woods, or our semi-private ozashiki where you can feast on plump gyozas, lightly glazed teriyakis and savory bowls of udon and soba, and pristine selections of fish and shellfish, thoughtfully composed to highlight this dynamic cuisine's natural, simple flavors. A dream come true for chef Moon Krapugthong (also chef-owner of Chabaa Thai), Yanako pays homage to its opening chef de cuisine and inspirator, Haruo Ige.
Ecologically conscientious and anything-but-mundane, this Main Street, Manayunk BYOB aims to deliver a satisfying dose of umami to both body and soul.
We also have second floor seating with a large communal table for private parties, birthdays, or other events.


text:
Benny Devcich
The annual Club Nationals, held in the sunny Hawkes Bay. Bici Vida sent a small team down to race it. Alex Ray, Shem Roger, Mark Langlands, Taylor Gunman, and Colin Cornberg.
The race was 170km in distance. With both the Elite Open Men and the U23 Men racing at the same time.
Small breakaway after the second of six laps saw Shem sitting good for the remainder of the race. A bunch of three til the end, with the rest of the race not able to catch them. Shem was 2nd overall, and won the U23 title.


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Given the recession, it's a safe bet that the focus will be on cost cutting for some time to come. But the smart money will also be on creating more business value with what remains.
To do that, you're going to need to think strategically, even when you are dealing with integration. That can be a bit tricky, since integration is often treated as a "have to do" on the road to accomplishing something else.
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Ensure you leverage the full value of your IT initiatives by avoiding these PfM mistakes.
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Good job Gates!
how many apple computers have you owned throughout time? Cause microsoft fidgeting with free services seems like a drop in the ocean compared to the unholy bullspit I have learned to expect from apple over the decades.
For a 12 year old kid having first computer for school work, win 8 is ok.
My ten year old daughter was in tears because she couldn't figure out her new windows 8 laptop.
I have one of the samsung galaxy tablets.. And two friends have ipads.All I can say is that after using both, the samsung android device is my preference. I honestly only use the desktop PC for applications which simply don't run on a tablet these days.. All the web and things like that are via tablet.. like right now.Considering the price points of an apple tablet, a tablet PC with Win8, or an Android tablet (I have rooted mine and may convert to linux)...if I were buying, I would go Android. Personal preference only of course.
syncing photos among several samsung devices


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Israel News - Stay Informed, Pray Informed
As the thrust of the jet engines launched our Boeing 767-300 down the Heathrow runway at full throttle, a surge of unprecedented excitement swept over me. No, it wasn't my first ever flight. I travelled alone (in the care of an air hostess) in an old four-prop Skymaster plane as a three-year-old way back in 1952.
What made it so special was my destination. And not only was I flying out to Israel on that nation's 66th birthday, but I was also engaged on a mission working towards the spiritual re-birth of the Jewish people.
As a volunteer for CMJ (the Church's Ministry among Jewish people), I will be covering a unique conference witnessing the reconciliation of Arab and Jewish pastors, who will be seeking ways of helping each other.
For example, many of the delegates are from Muslim-run countries where following Jesus is a costly and, in some cases, extremely dangerous pursuit. Syrian Christians have been suffering dreadfully during the current civil war, but believers in Israel have been offering financial and other support.
Called At the Crossroads, the conference is not about politics, but it is about a 'peace process' as those attending will be exploring the degree to which faith in Jesus, the Jew, can break down centuries-old hostility and bring about dramatic harmony, affecting changes politicians and other have found impossible to achieve.
Among the speakers is Canon Andrew White, known as the Vicar of Baghdad, who has been working tirelessly in the field of reconciliation for years despite suffering from debilitating Multiple Sclerosis. In fact he has just returned from the United States where he was honoured with the 2014 William Wilberforce Award, presented by the Chuck Colson Centre for Christian Worldview in recognition of his service to Christianity internationally and, in particular, the Middle East.
Andrew has a huge congregation in the heart of war-torn Iraq and has lost many of his men to kidnapping and execution as the dust kicked up by Saddam Hussein's removal refuses to settle. But he remains passionate about the gospel's ability to heal wounds through the forgiveness and acceptance won for all on the cross.
As we took off on El Al flight 318, I thought of how Israel had been re-born just a year before I came into the world on the slopes of Table Mountain in Cape Town and pondered on the somewhat enigmatic passage of scripture in which Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) seemed to suggest that the generation who witnessed the re-birth of Israel would not pass away "until all these things were accomplished" presumably including the prophesied national recognition of Yeshua as Messiah. It proved to be one of those 'goose-bump' experiences.
The Church, founded almost entirely by Jews, is now starting to re-connect with her roots and is witnessing a resurgence of so-called Messianic Jews (who believe Jesus is their Messiah), with congregations springing up both in Israel and in the rest of the world.
Yes, Israel is just 66 years young, but it is also 5,774 years old. Jewish people have been connected to this land for a very long time but, shortly after Jesus' miraculous, world-changing ministry on earth some 2,000 years ago, the Romans destroyed the country (just as Jesus foretold) which had the affect of dispersing God's chosen people to every corner of the globe – persecuted and bewildered and without a home.
But the prophets of old, like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, promised that a time would come when they would be re-gathered to their ancient land – from the north, south, east and west.
It would be a twofold return, however, for once settled back in the land, they would also return to the Lord. Ezekiel writes about a "new heart" – a heart of flesh replacing a heart of stone. And Zechariah said there would come a time when "they would look on the one they have pierced" and mourn for him as for an only child.
At the Crossroads will witness something of this 'new heart' as Jews reach out to their Arab brothers in love, humility and concord. Here is a peace process that really is working!
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Sometimes an article comes along that makes you embarrassed to think you were ever a good writer. This is one of those articles. The title says it all: Dear Michael Chang, You Ruined My Tennis Career. Thanks for Nothing. By Huan Hsu.
His thesis:
Even if you allow that Chang influenced Chinese-Americans to participate in sports beyond the Academic Decathlon, he still shackled us with another stereotype. Thanks to him, we were all seen as determined counterpunchers, tireless tongue-lolling retrievers who compensated for our lack of physical gifts by outlasting our opponents because we couldn't outplay them.
Before Chang, we were free to dream about becoming Boris Becker, that Teutonic badass who strutted around the baseline, blasting aces, or Edberg, the square-jawed Swede with a stylish attacking game and a hot blond girlfriend. Now we were stuck with the introverted, 5-foot-9 (on his best day) Chang, a devout Christian with a cream-puff serve who scrapped his way to the French Open title with borderline bush-league tricks (moonballing, crowding the service line on returns, the instantly legendary underhand serve). Worst of all, his dragon-lady mother once stuck her hand down his shorts after a practice to check if they were wet. At the Junior Davis Cup! In front of his friends! After Becker retired, he impregnated a woman in a restaurant's cleaning closet; when Chang hung up his sticks, he studied theology at Biola University.
So true. So true.
My favorite part:
As a junior player, I insisted on being as un-Chang-like as possible, hitting one-handed backhands and rushing the net. It worked: Unlike Michael Chang, I lost a lot. My coaches pleaded with me to put two hands on my backhand, stay on the baseline, and stop trying to hit fancy shots. But as long as kids at local tournaments would tell me that I looked like Chang (it had been Bruce Lee, before) or assume I knew him personally (I did not), I refused.
A great article. Check it out. It's on Slate for goodness sake!


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Valentine's Day Wreath--FINISHED!
I am rawther pleased with how this turned out. So pleased that I decided to make another one:
And now I have TWO wreathes hanging by the front door! I think I will keep the first one (Hubby's favorite) and the other will be heading off to Memory Lane today.
To make these, I used a heart shaped grapevine wreath from Michael's and then wrapped it in some tinsel garland bought at Target during their 75% off after Christmas sales:
And of course dipped into my stash of vintage red and silver balls to go with the pink yummies:
And then I fired up that high heat hot glue gun, went into a trance-like state and stayed there until every last ball was glued on...it is never good when you come out of that that trance like state and start thinking about home improvement projects that you might be able to do using a high heat hot glue gun. Just Saying.
I have one more wreath and one more strand of garland and many, many boxes of red vintage balls left...so there will be an all red heart shaped wreath in my future!
31 comments:
- This Thrifted Life said...
Beautiful! Your wreaths are so fun.
- January 14, 2010
- Paige said...
Absolutely gorgeous! I really need to try one.
- January 14, 2010
I love them, great job!
- January 14, 2010
- Jacklom3 said...
So Pretty!!!! You did an awesome job- I wish I had some red and pink ornaments!!!
- January 14, 2010
- Amy Kinser said...
Love the wreaths. Very pretty and fun.
- January 14, 2010
- Sue said...
Wow! Fantastic! Those are absolutely gorgeous. Thanks also for saying how you made them. Should I ever get ambitious and want to try, too... So are you walking around the house with that hot glue gun, looking for things to glue?
- January 14, 2010
- glenda said...
Gorgeous* Gorgeous* Gorgeous*
The wreaths are so bright and pretty...RED is my very favorite color...
Love them...
Watch out on the gluegun tho..
- January 14, 2010
You go, girl! Those wreaths are awesome!!! I'm inspired!
- January 14, 2010
- Linda said...
I've been waiting for you to get this done and share with us. It is beautiful! I want to make one and I did get some red christmas ornaments...now to find that glue gun, a heart shaped wreath and tinsel? Well maybe I will just admire yours.
- January 14, 2010
- Emily said...
So Cute -- You inspire me to unearth my glue gun.
- January 14, 2010
- Amy@TheLemonCottage said...
I love them!
Just love them.
- January 14, 2010
- Wanda @ Just Vintage said...
Oh, wow! It's so very pretty!
- January 14, 2010
- Apron Thrift Girl said...
Great tutorial and kudos for thinking ahead to valentines day.
- January 14, 2010
- Annette Smith said...
OMGoodness.....I love your Valentine wreath....actually love your entire blog!! My mom would kill for that wreath she's a huge color red fan. You are so tallented and I want to thank you
for sharing that tallent with us.
I just added you to my blog favorites list http://kuntrycharms.blogspot.com/
hugs and keep up the good work hehe
- January 15, 2010
- Stanley said...
As always, I am so impressed. That wreath is gorgeous! You know, a lot of people don't think of decorating for Valentine's Day, but it's such a pleasant idea. Seriously, that is one of my favorite things I've seen you post....even though I don't see any glitter on it!
- January 15, 2010
- svelteSTUFF said...
E.X.A.C.T.L.Y. what I had envisioned!
- January 15, 2010
Toooo cute!
Yet another lovely idea from you.....thanks for the inspiration.
- January 15, 2010
Beautiful!! How did you ever exist without a glue gun???
- January 16, 2010
- Sonya --Dime Store Thrift said...
Thanks Everyone for the kind words:) I am just loving these wreathes...I have no idea how I DID exist before my glue gun, haha!
Enjoy your weekend, Sonya
- January 16, 2010
- Mermaids of the Lake said...
I just love them! Great idea!
Mermaid Debbie
- January 17, 2010
- Denise Marie said...
love it!!
- January 17, 2010
- Rosie said...
Sooooo pretty! Thank you for sharing your how-to! But when I used a hot glue gun to replace a vintage ornament on a wreath I bought, the ornament CRACKED. Was the glue too hot? Has that ever happend to you?
- January 17, 2010
- Sonya --Dime Store Thrift said...
Hi Rosie, That hasn't happened to me as of yet and I have made many, MANY of these wreaths in the past couple months:) I don't know why it would have done that! I use a high heat gun and have used all sorts of vintage ornaments from super thin to super old...does anyone else have any tips for her??
- January 17, 2010
- Sewing-Chick said...
Very nice! I've made some of these before too but never for Valentines Day. Great idea! (Here's mine: http://sewing-chick.blogspot.com/2009/12/thrifted-ornament-wreath.html) Anyway, your scarlet and grey bulbs (or as non-Buckeye fans would say, red and silver bulbs) got me thinking... you could do colors based upon sports teams, and I bet they'd sell like hotcakes! We have an OSU Buckeyes wreath that I got as a gift years ago. A Buckeyes ornament wreath would be the bomb!
- January 24, 2010
- TangledEutopia said...
This makes me want to pull my Christmas ornaments back down!!! Go check out the one I made from cupcake liners! tangledeutopia.com
- January 27, 2011
- Casey said...
Very pretty!!
- February 11, 2011
Just shared this on my blog: http://www.partylikepaula.com/2012/01/valentine-wreaths.html. What a great idea I love it!
- January 10, 2012
- Taryn @ Design, Dining + Diapers said...
This is adorable, I love it. I shared it on Design, Dining + Diapers this week: http://designdininganddiapers.com/2012/01/top-10-tuesday-valentines-day-wreaths/
- February 01, 2012
- Ashley Taylor said...
Too cute :) I never do V day crafts and I totally should!
xo Ashley
- January 20, 2014
- Jody and Stan said...
Love the wreaths!! New Follower!
- February 03, 2014
- Helen Wong said...
So Pretty!!!! You did an awesome job- I wish I had some red and pink ornaments.Top Ten Web Hosting Reviews
- February 03, 2014


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Biological Sciences
Research Highlights
April 2005
PNNL sponsors seminar at annual AAAS meeting on high-throughput biological data
Karin Rodland, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, organized an seminar titled "Inundated with Data: The '-OMICS' Problem," for the annual American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting held February 17-21, 2005,in Washington, D.C., The seminar was attended by more than 110 people—standing room only. Among those in attendance was Dan Drell, DOE-BER's Life Sciences Division.
The focus of the seminar was on the potential impact of high-throughput biology—the newest technical trend in the life sciences—to change research in the same way as the recombinant biology revolution of the 1970s and 1980s. The "-omics" explosion simply refers to capturing of data on all the different molecules that can now be measured accurately and rapidly: genes, mRNA, proteins, metabolites, sugars, lipids, and more. The seminar explored the questions of what to do with all these data once you have them, the technological challenges of determining the data quality, storing and transmitting data, and integrating data types.
Speakers for the seminar included PNNL's George Michaels with the presentation "Bioinformatics: Making Sense of the Flood of Proteomic Data," and Rodland, whose presentation was entitled "The -OMICS Revolution: How Many Different Things Can you Measure?" The entire list of speakers and topics is at http://www.aaas.org/meetings/Annual_Meeting/
Archive_2005/02_PE_05/PE_07_SemB.shtml. This was the second year in a row that Rodland has organized a seminar on proteomics at AAAS.


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Feb. 24, 2000 -- Soccer at New Mexico Tech is alive and kicking!
SOCORRO, N.M., Feb. 24, 2000 -- Soccer at New Mexico Tech is alive and kicking!
A nationwide resurgence of interest and participation in amateur soccer leagues has also created a niche for the popular sport on the New Mexico Tech campus, as the recent formation of at least three soccer teams at the university vividly attests.
In fact, the two men's teams and one women's team from New Mexico Tech recently competed in the first ever Mark Underwood Memorial Tournament--which took place at several soccer fields throughout Socorro--and all three Tech teams won trophies.
The Tech women's team placed second in the "C" division, while the men's teams placed third in both the "C" and "D" divisions of the 23-team-field tournament, which was sanctioned by the New Mexico State Soccer Association.
Paul A. Fuierer, associate professor of materials and metallurgical engineering at New Mexico Tech, is one of the catalysts behind the current Tech "soccer revival," having organized the initial formation of Tech's soccer teams. Fuierer now coaches the Tech men's soccer teams.
Nouraddine Benalil, a colleague of Fuierer's who works as a computer support specialist at Tech's Petroleum Recovery and Research Center (PRRC), has taken over the coaching duties of the Tech women's soccer team.
"We're hoping to compete in other adult soccer tournaments later this spring," Fuierer says, "and perhaps even get our teams involved in a regular season schedule with the Albuquerque Soccer League."
Since the teams have begun practicing on a regular basis on the Tech Athletic Field, more and more Tech students have begun to ask Fuierer how they can join up.
"Our participation in the recent soccer tournament has generated even more excitement," Fuierer notes, "and we're all hoping this new program turns into a very consistent and long-lasting soccer tradition here at New Mexico Tech."
Fuierer concedes that his aspirations of building a soccer program with more continuity at the university are not limited just to the playing fields.
"My personal hope is that in establishing a strong soccer program here at Tech, we can also use it as a means to recruit and retain more students," he says.
"Youth soccer has become well organized and established here in New Mexico and throughout the rest of the United States," Fuierer points out.
"Just about everywhere, high schools, and even some middle schools, now have both boys and girls' soccer teams as part of their school athletic programs. . . . And now, students who come to New Mexico Tech will be able to continue to play competitive soccer if they'd like to," Fuierer adds.
Fuierer extends his thanks on behalf of Tech's fledgling soccer teams to the New Mexico Tech physical recreation program for helping start the program, local AYSO members for helping set up and paint the fields used in the recent soccer tournament, and the Tech administration for having purchased new uniforms for all the team members.
"We look pretty good playing out there in our new uniforms," Fuierer says, "and that always helps."


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My name is Jason Johnson. I have been a professional artist/illustrator for 21 years. I've drawn comics for Image, DC, Marvel, Zenescope, Lion Forge, etc. I have also worked as a concept artist for Sony Online Entertainment and illustrated for Maxim and Stuff magazines. I currently draw the Rejected Forum for Penthouse magazine, as well as other magazine and comic book work. For work or art commissions, please contact me at email@example.com for rates and availability.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Sonofblackslaw on Indiegogo!
Posted by Jason Johnson at Wednesday, February 13, 2013
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Citations and Other Useful Websites
We recognize that all writers work at their own pace. If you're away from the Writing Center while you're working, feel free to browse these helpful links for support on your own time.
Useful Websites
Note: We highly recommend consulting with the print style guides to answer questions regarding the documentation of sources and formatting of manuscripts--those texts are the most comprehensive and definitive.
Web video walkthroughs:
Documentation Help:
- Purdue OWL - APA
- Purdue OWL - MLA
- Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition
- APA Guide to Citing Electronic Sources
- GVSU Library Guides: Citing Sources (includes help with many styles of documentation)
- College student's guide to citation styles (sciences, humanities, social sciences)
Grammar and Mechanics Assistance:
Discipline-Specific Writing Guides:
- Purdue OWL: Professional, Technical, & Job Search Writing Resources
- GVSU Writing Department's Creative Writing Resources
- Purdue OWL's Subject-Specific Resources (Technical/Professional Writing, Creative Writing, Journalism, the Social Sciences, Engineering, Writing about Literature, and Medical Writing)
- LabWrite (With funds from the National Science Foundation, LabWrite walks through the process of conducting labs & lab reports)
- GVSU Library Guides to Research by Subject
Publishing Opportunities:
- GVSU's Office of Undergraduate Research (maintains a web page of local publication & presentations venues for undergraduates)
- Fishladder (GVSU's undergraduate literary magazine)
- Vinette (An online student publication at GVSU that celebrates good writing and good design)
- Grand Valley Journal of History (a student-run journal that publishes scholarship in history).
- Wake: Great Lakes Thought & Culture (edited at GVSU, this journal publishes articles and creative writing that "evokes the broad culture of the Great Lakes")
- In Our Own Words (Journal published by the GVSU Women's Center)
- Grand Valley Lanthorn (GVSU's student newspaper)
- GVSU's Writing Department (maintains information about how to submit to literary journals, along with a long list of publication outlets)
Have other questions? Stop in and visit! Or call us at 331-2922.


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When to Start Saving
Many people don't begin to think about retirement until they start getting close to retirement age. That's when they realize that they haven't set enough money aside to live comfortably after leaving the workforce and end up having to get part-time jobs to supplement their savings. And those who believe that they can live off Social Security quickly find out that the monthly checks barely cover basic living expenses.
So when should you begin to put money aside for retirement? As soon as possible. In fact, it is never too soon to begin saving. Even a little bit of cash invested monthly is a good start. As life expectancy continues to lengthen, having enough money for your golden years is going to become more of an issue.
It's understandable that people just starting out in the workforce don't think about retiring. It's too far off on the horizon. Instead, they are focused on deciding what to do with their lives, establishing a career and starting a family. But even amid all this, they should consider starting some sort of retirement savings. A great place to begin would be with an employer's 401(k).
Bear in mind that saving shouldn't put you in financial straits. If you're having trouble making ends meet and paying your bills, then you should wait until you are more financially secure. You are ready to start saving for retirement when you can:
- Establish a financial emergency fund. This is cash you have set aside for the unexpected car or home repair, loss of employment or natural disaster.
- You aren't living from paycheck to paycheck.
- You are managing all your long-term debt, such as mortgages, car payments and credit cards.
How Much Money Will You Need?
How do you know if you are saving enough for retirement if you don't know how much you will need?
Here are three simple steps to help you estimate your retirement needs.
1. Figure out your Discretionary Retirement Income (DRI)
To estimate your DRI, take the annual income you think you need to live comfortably on and subtract those expenses you believe you will not have once retired. For example, expenses such as: payroll taxes, the amount you save now for rainy days, college expenses, etc. If you expect your house to be paid for, subtract your mortgage payments, commuting to work expenses, etc.
What is left over is your DRI. This is not an exact science, but it gives you a good idea of what you'll need to live on.
2. Estimate Social Security
Contact the Social Security Administration and request an estimate of your benefits. You can also use the Retirement Estimator (http://www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator/) on their website. Based on your projected retirement date (remember that taking retirement at age 70 increases your benefits), subtract this amount from your DRI.
3. Subtract Pensions and Other Income
Add up the money you will receive from your pensions and any current investments. You can get assistance from a financial advisor for this. Subtract this figure from your DRI. If you have other income sources such as: rental property, trust funds, etc., subtract those from you DRI as well.
What is left is the amount you need to make up – per year. Remember, this is an estimate, but it helps you focus your effort on an identified target DRI. You don't want to be worried about making ends meet after you stop working, so make sure you put away enough money now.
This article is intended to provide accurate and authoritative information on the subject matter covered. It is distributed with the understanding that FBMC is not rendering professional or medical advice and assumes no liability in connection with its use.


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Here's another Target discount pack, comin' at ya!
The wrapper is pretty much the best part of this set. Baseball was meant to be played by men in overcoats and work pants. This batter/catcher matchup clearly depicts a railroad foreman against a coal miner, both merely thirty minutes removed from their respective "offices." If only the cards inside were so cool.
Let's tear in.
Top to Bottom:
90 Marco Scutaro
38 Kenny Rogers
71 Brent Mayne
129 Khalil Greene
157 David Ortiz
109 Shawn Green
10 of 25 DT Greg Maddux Diamond Tribute
296 Miguel Tejada
275 Roberto Novoa
233 Reed Johnson
Actually, this isn't a horrible set. Had I been collecting cards back in 2005, I may have gone further into this set. The simple, stat-driven backs are alright. The front signatures are a bit too small. And there seems to be a bit of confusion about what constitutes a "typical background." Out of the nine base cards I received...
2 retro, monochrome backgrounds...
4 cloud backgrounds...
and 3 "natural" backgrounds.
This set suffers from multiple personality disorder. I'm left a little disappointed that I failed to snag a card featuring a man attempting to steal second while wearing a pea-coat. Maybe next time.
Friday, September 28, 2007
2005 Fleer Tradition MLB
2 comments:
- Adam Lisonbee said...
I like the retro background, and the natural one is fine... but clouds? Clouds? That is just odd.
- --David said...
Someone at Fleer (were they with UD yet?) discovered an easy way to superimpose images in Photoshop. How, umm... retro?
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Marvel's hit space adventure "Guardians of the Galaxy" returned to win the domestic box office race in its fourth week of release, slaying the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and ending the oversized reptiles' two-week reign at the top of the charts.
"Guardians," which also became the highest-grossing movie of the summer season, sold $17.6 million worth of tickets at U.S. and Canadian theaters for the three days starting on Friday.
"Turtles" took in $16.8 million in its third weekend to take second place. "If I Stay," a new release about a 17-year-old in a coma and clinging to life, was third with $16.4 million.
But "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For," the new, stylized sequel to the 2005 film based on Frank Miller's graphic novel series, landed in a distant No. 8 spot with just $6.5 million.
"Guardians of the Galaxy," which features a machine-gun-shooting raccoon and other extraterrestrial misfits, has now collected $252 million since opening on Aug. 1, according to movie tracking site Rentrak, making it the summer's biggest box-office hit, surpassing "Transformers: Age of Extinction."
"The momentum has been very strong throughout the run," said Walt Disney Studios' head of distribution Dave Hollis, "starting with our opening which was much bigger than we anticipated."
Hollis said positive word-of-mouth and repeat viewership was helping drive the box office for a film that also features "great characters and a spectacular story."
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," which opened on Aug. 8, has taken in more than $145 million at North American (U.S. and Canadian) box offices.
Based on a novel by young adult author Gayle Forman, No. 3 film "If I Stay" stars Chloe Grace Moretz as a girl who has an out of body experience after a catastrophic car accident.
Made for a modest $11 million, the film received mixed reviews from critics, getting only 33 "fresh" reviews out of 81 according to the site Rotten Tomatoes, and fell shy of industry estimates for a $21 million opening weekend.
"We're happy coming in right where we did," said Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution for Warner Brothers, a unit of Time Warner Inc. The movie was financed by Warner Brothers and MGM, which produced the film.
"We're going into the (Labor Day) holiday weekend in good shape," Fellman added, noting the movie received an A- rating from its audience according to CinemaScore and was playing especially well in the South and Midwest.
The R-rated comedy "Lets Be Cops" took in $11 million for fourth place, while "When the Game Stands Tall," a low-budget football film that chronicles De La Salle High School's record-setting 151-game winning streak, opened in fifth with $9.1 million. It follows weak openings by sport-themed films like "Million Dollar Arm" and "Draft Day."
Director Robert Rodriguez' "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" features the same stark black-and-white cinematography as 2005's "Sin City," which generated $74.1 million in sales including $29 million in its opening weekend, according to Box Office Mojo.
The sequel saw mixed reviews with a 44 score from the site Metacritic, with 22 mixed reviews out of 36 tallied, and fell far short of expectations for an opening around $16.5 million.
"Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" was released by The Weinstein Company. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" was distributed by Viacom Inc's Paramount Pictures. TriStar Pictures, a unit of Sony, distributed "When the Game Stands Tall."
SOURCE: Reuters
(Reporting By Ronald Grover and Chris Michaud; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and Andrea Ricci)


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Working from home is becoming the new norm for many industries. According to GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com, the number of regular work-at-home among the non-self-employed has grown by 103 percent since 2005, with 3.7 million employees now working from home at least half the time. Advancements in technology have made for a more flexible and virtual workforce, but many still perceive working from home as less productive and collaborative when compared to being in the office. The shift toward this trend of productive remote working, however, is just beginning and it's gradually proving various work-from-home myths all wrong. Findings from a recent join.me survey bear out the growth of remote workforce collaboration and productivity, and the positive impact of technology.
Related Topics : Box.net, IT Management Automation, SharePoint, Facebook, T-Mobile
Enterprise social collaboration solutions are most successful when they contribute to business value and benefits that address company goals. ... More >>
Chosen carefully, collaboration tools will save time, cut costs and reduce complications associated with storing and retrieving documents throughout a company's operations. ... More >>
With the consumerization of AR, it appears the technology is finally within arm's reach for those savvy enterprises willing to reach out and grab it. ... More >>


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Calculaton Website in C shop language
Rozpočet $30-250 USD
I need to develop a software which will be integrated to an intranet system. I have an excel sheet which is used for calculations. The software will allow different users to input data and calculate results. After successful completion it should print a simple report. The current system has been designed in Visual Basin with C shop language. I need someone to write the programme based on the equations and make interface.
15 freelanceů na tento projekt zveřejnilo nabídku v průměrné hodnotě $149
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Mercyhurst College here in Erie Pennsylvania has a resident ghost: an apparition of a Nun.
I detailed the story here: http://theparanormalpastor.blogspot.com/2008/08/crazed-ghost-of-love-lost-nun_12.html
Part of my seminar at this years Erie Horror Film Festival is a multimedia presentation that includes animated local legends, the Ghost Nun being one of them. The main body of the story is on my Youtube page. Let me know what you think.
More new stories to come by the second week of October, and I can take a breath!!
Until Next Time,
Pastor Swope
Until Next Time,
Pastor Swope


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A Course of Action is a powerful foursome that brings many years of musicianship and a genuine love of music for the sake of music. They are known for incredibly tight live shows, commercial edgy, radio-friendly, hard-rock music that promises to break the cycle of new rock styles and refocuses listeners on solid rock music, with clear influences of Alice in Chains, Tool, Sevendust and current influences such as Alter Bridge and Chevelle.
Lead guitarist, Jonathan Byrd, played on the national scene in a Mercury Records act known as Copperhead in the early 1990s, but when that band met their demise, he and founding member, Tony Hawkins, formed Hybrid in 2000. They recruited for 3 years to find the right singer to solidify their vision for Hybrid, and they found that reality in John Culberson, a South Carolina native who also had regional success in True To One. After a few lineup changes, the band found their stride when they added Florida native, JT Silvestri on drums and Wes Johnson on bass guitar.
The band has been making huge strides month after month since then. The band was honored with an AFE Tour for the troops in 2008 and 2012 brought some label interest, but nothing that was the right fit. 2013 held the first SXSW showcase for the band, and 2014 brought a performance at Rocklahoma and the mainstage at Sturgis, as well as several national opener slots. After much local success and national/international radio airplay from the band's debut album, "Dark Before The Dawn", the band began work ing with award-winning producer, Beau Hill on tracks that would begin the band's second release, titled "Treason". Treason officially released on June 8, 2015.
In early 2015, the band signed with Star 1 Records, and are scheduled to release "Treason" on Universal Music Group's distribution network, INgrooves. The video for "Who We Are", the first single from the new album, was released in January, 2015, on Viacom's network, including MTV.
A Course of Action is a band to watch. Hailing from North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida, the group brings many years of musicianship and a genuine love of music for the sake of music. That coupled with a strong DIY work ethic, the band seems poised for great things.
Once the band was asked, "what is your gimmick?" The answer was, "there is no gimmick. We are just four normal guys from the South making great rock music."
A Course of Action is proudly endorsed by Clayton Guitar Accessories, Soultone Cymbals, DC Axes and Curt Mangan Strings. - See more at: http://star1ent.com/a-course-of-action/.
Source: Star 1 Entertainment.
A Course of Action Tour Information from Pollstar


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I am fairly new to Indian movies. I started watching them in 2007, and almost got into the habit of devouring them. Today, I watch fewer movies but only because I have seen all the movies of my favourite actors. So now, I wait until something new comes up with the actors I like, or with a topic that interests me. Besides Bollywood, I very much enjoy watching American TV shows. I'm especially addicted to Supernatural and the new Hawaii 5-0. But now to the main subject of this post.
When I first heard about Lagaan I did not know anything about the movie. Only that Aamir Khan was playing the lead. Up until then I only knew him from Fanaa (2006) and Rang De Basanti (2006). Actually, I bought Fanaa because of Kajol, as it was her comeback film. I stumbled into a forum where my attention was called to Aamir Khan and then I remembered that I had Fanaa in my DVD rack. I put the DVD in and when this guy was shown the first time I thought to myself that he looked weird and was absolutely not my type. But the more scenes I saw with him, the better I liked him and at the end of the movie I was keen to know what other movies he did.
I remembered that I had Rang De Basanti, too. I watched RDB a few days after Fanaa. And after seeing Aamir only a few minutes in it, I was totally impressed. The characters of Rehan and DJ were so very different from each other and he did both really good. Okay, so he did not pass as a student because he looked older (which was different in 3 Idiots (2009)). But this is another topic. When Rang De Basanti was over I was interested more in the actor behind these characters. In the forum, where my attention to Aamir was called, they recommended Lagaan to me.
I tried to buy it but it was sold out in Germany. One could only get a hold of it on eBay. I tried my luck at a video rental shop and taraaaaaaa I was lucky! They even gifted me the DVD which had subtitles in German. Without any more information I played the DVD one quiet evening and started to watch the movie with full concentration and with extreme tension. At the end, I sat there with my nerves wracked, an open mouth, and all because I was totally thrilled.
When the movie starts and the story begins, I feel like transfered into another world. When I hear Amitabh Bachchan's voice I listen very closely because he radiates quiet and calm like none else. You get the feeling that you are in the middle of those ancient times and take part in the life of the farmers. At least I felt that way. It is fascinating how amazingly good the actors do their parts and literally become the people they portray. It was sort of strange to see for instance a Raj Zutshi, a Raghuvir Yadav or an Aditya Lakhia in regular clothes. And when I heard Amin Hajee speak, that was interesting, too. The sounds he makes in the movie were so very simple!
I like the complete cast but Rachel Shelley. I simply don't like her and I guess this will never change. To me, she is the only minus point of the movie, which I can get over with a sort of selective viewing.
By now I have seen Lagaan almost 200 times and this, every time with tension and lots of fun. Lagaan is the most timeless movie I know. Who needs Avatar, Star Wars or any other new movie? Of course I watch them but no other movie comes even close to the qualities, Lagaan has. Everything fits so well – other than the British uniforms and Rachel Shelley. I thank God, that Ashutosh Gowariker could win Aamir Khan for this project. All the work they put into the making of the movie has paid off. Each time I watch Lagaan, I feel transferred into a different world from which I come back to my everyday life at the end. It usually does not take very long before I feel the need to go back to that special world and enjoy every minute.
I was asked about my most favourite scene. You will not be surprised to hear that the entire movie is my most favorite scene. It is very difficult for me to name special moments. But there are two that give me goosebumps every time.
The first one is the first time you see Aamir on the screen. When he looks direct into the camera you have the feeling that he is really looking directly at you. When I saw this scene in a movie theatre on the big screen for the first time, I sat there with big eyes and couldn't close my mouth anymore!
My second very special moment is when Bhuvan sinks down at the end of the match, takes some soil in his hands and the sand trickles through his fingers. This is the moment I, like almost everyone else watching it, feel very relieved and satisfied.
I'd like to say a word or two about the music. I love every single note, A.R. Rahman composed. For me, he is the best composer in the Indian movie paradise. Especially with "Mitwa", he captured my heart. Javed Akhtar did the rest with his lyrics. The choreographer have done amazing work and made the actors dance really wonderful. Even Aamir showed great swiveling hips even though he is not really a good dancer.
Lagaan is a movie that gets under the skin and is absolutely exciting. I envy everybody who sees Lagaan for the first time and I envy everybody for the feeling they have after watching it for the very first time.


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One of the biggest complaints around electric cars these days is that their batteries just aren't good enough for going on long trips.
People have suggested solutions like bringing an extra battery on board, or even attaching a trailer with a motor that pushes the car from behind.
But the Volvo Group and Swedish power company Alstom have another solution in mind. They teamed up to create a road that charges vehicles as they drive over it.
Last year, Volvo and Alstom built a quarter-mile long track with two power lines at Volvo's testing facility in Sweden. The idea is to keep cars continuously supplied with electricity.
So far, they have only tested the road with a diesel truck, but plan to test the road with electric cars in the future.
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text: The Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) provides imaging capabilities in broad, medium, and narrow band filters, broad-band imaging polarimetry, coronographic imaging, and slitless grism spectroscopy, in the wavelength range 0.8-2.5 microns. NICMOS has three adjacent but not contiguous cameras, designed to operate independently, each with a dedicated array at a different magnification scale. (See the Instrument Handbook for more details).


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"We work mobile-first, we don't even have to think about it anymore it's so second nature," Jean Sini, chief technology officer at flash-sale furniture and home decor e-retailer One Kings Lane, told me in July. "We think about a new feature and immediately the question is, is this something that can work on mobile."
Any retailer that still wants its online business turning a profit five years from now better adopt that strategy, because consumers are quickly and permanently changing to mobile-first.
63% of U.S. adult mobile phone owners now use their phones to go online, double the percentage from 2009, according to August 2013 data from the Pew Research Center. Significantly, 34% of these consumers say they mostly access the web from their phones, Pew finds.
And that's just smartphones. The other mobile device, the tablet, accounts for 8% of total U.S. web traffic, according to March 2013 data from Adobe.
Dig this: Worldwide PC shipments dropped 11% year over year in Q2 2013, Gartner Inc. finds. This marks the fifth consecutive quarter of declining shipments, which is the longest duration of decline in the PC market's history, Gartner says. Meanwhile, tablet sales worldwide are growing at an annual rate of 25%, says Forrester Research, which also predicts that 60% of U.S. online consumers will own a tablet by 2017.
The proliferation of lower-priced tablets and their growing capability is accelerating the shift from PCs to tablets, says Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner.
"While there will be some individuals who retain both a personal PC and a tablet, most will be satisfied with the experience they get from a tablet as their main computing device," Milanesi says.
So how is all of this affecting web retailing? Profoundly, that's how. 48% of the time U.S. consumers spend with e-retail occurs on a mobile device: 34% on a smartphone and 14% on a tablet, according to March 2013 data from comScore Inc. It's fair to say that in 2014, the predominant way consumers will spend time with e-retail is via mobile.
And that is why you, the retailer, need to adopt the mobile-first approach to web commerce. Like One Kings Lane, which to date this year is seeing 178% growth in mobile sales. The merchant offers an m-commerce site and earlier this year replaced its iPhone app with a universal Apple iOS app, which runs on iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and iPad Mini devices, rendering the shopping interface to perfectly fit each device.
Retailers can take that path, creating sites specially optimized for smartphones and tablets and developing an app or two. Or they can choose to go with a responsive web design site, a single site based on a single set of web content and a single code base that renders to perfectly fit the size of a screen. And perhaps add an app to the mix.
And I haven't even gotten into the next stage of mobile devices, wearable computers. Smartwatches are poised to take off. And there's Google Glass, the eyewear computer. In fact, eBay already has a smartwatch app.
Mobile-first is inevitable. We're smack in the middle of a technological sea change led by consumers hungry for mobile devices. The earlier retailers adopt the mobile-first approach, the quicker they'll be able to better serve consumers where consumers like to shop. And as retailers innovate and create better and better mobile shopping experiences, and as mobile technology evolves (like the iPhone now offering biometric fingerprint scanning security, a boon for m-commerce), mobile conversion rates will jump.
"We're not far from the point in time where half of our revenue comes from mobile," says One Kings Lane's Sini. "To say mobile is not a second-class citizen for us is such an understatement."Favorite


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The red carpet sizzled at the 2011 MTV Movie awards on Sunday, in sunny California and people all over the world watched them celebs flaunt the latest trends in hair and makeup. Image is everything for celebrities, so no wonder they turn their attention towards the newest and hottest styles in fashion and beauty. Check out the hottest celebrity hairstyles from the 2011 MTV Movie Awards. Nina DobrevLeighton MeesterKristen StewartNicki Minaj Simple, yet perfectly groomed waves, but also silky straight tresses were the most popular choices at ... Read More


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Best Burger
We spent a month eating our way through Honolulu's burger joints, putting our cholesterol levels on the line in the pursuit of the Island's best burger. We weren't looking for towering, fork-and-knife restaurant concoctions, we wanted a burger burger. After repeated comparisons (just to be sure), Teddy's Bigger Burger emerged as the best in a crowded field. It marries a hand-formed, 100-percent ground chuck patty with a soft potato bun, photogenic toppings and a secret sauce that's so good it should really be bottled. Partners Rich Stula and Teddy Tsakiris founded Teddy's in 1998, because no one in Hawaii was making a burger they really loved. "A lot of businesses are started based on the bottom line. Rich and I simply created a burger joint from our stomachs, selling a burger exactly how we liked it," says Tsakiris. They've since expanded to four locations, each consistently great. 134 Kapahulu Ave., Waikiki, 735-9411; Koko Marina Center, 7192 Kalanianaole Highway, 394-9100; 801 Alakea St., downtown. 599-8770; 539 Kailua Road, Kailua, 262-0820.
Best supermarket for local foods
Supermarkets have been gussying up their displays and adding specialty foods to entice shoppers looking for such items as cheeses, pates, pastas and olives. But what about us local gourmets, looking for foods and flavors produced by businesses here in Hawaii? For variety and depth in local food products, shop at Times. Bought by California-based PAQ Inc. three years ago, Times has focused on buying from local producers. "It's part strategy, part necessity," explained Times president Roger Godfrey. "Our original base of customers demand these products. We started in the produce section and we looked for more products because we think it's good business." We couldn't agree more. Various locations.
Best Kalua Pig
In a blind taste test, Young's Fish Market blew all of its competition away. Even after we warmed up the container of kalua pig we picked up from the Kalihi shop, we could've sworn it had come straight from the imu. We were pretty darn close. "We make real imu pig," says owner Alan Young, whose family founded Young's 54 years ago. "We have somebody who kaluas the pig for us in an underground stone pit, wrapped in banana leaves and everything. Once it's delivered to us, we package it in containers for retail." City Square, 1286 Kalani St., Suite 101. 841-4885.
Best Chocolate Chip Cookie
It's not hard to find a good chocolate chip cookie on Oahu. But we wanted ours to be awesome. We didn't care if it was crispy or chewy, nutty or plain, bite-size or gigantic. It simply needed to make us want to fall to our knees and thank the dessert deities for their generosity. We found exactly what we were looking for at the front desk of the Alana Doubletree Hotel. For years, guests at any Doubletree Hotel in the country have enjoyed these cookies upon check-in, and customers can even order them from its bakery in Nashville (1-800-916-0097). But nothing beats buying them directly from the hotel itself, where cookies are baked daily every afternoon. When we first tasted this chewy, walnut-filled, Ghiradelli-chocolate-chip-laden delight, we couldn't have asked for more. Except maybe a giant glass of milk. 1956 Ala Moana Blvd, 941-7275. Order at least 24 hours in advance.
Best Haupia Ice Cream
The best haupia ice cream isn't even ice cream. It's a sorbet. But one taste of Tropilicious' Haupialani sorbet, and we could've sworn someone had simply frozen a batch of the Hawaiian dessert and packed it into pint-size cartons. "We use as few ingredients as possible, so it's as pure as it can be," says Tropilicious general manager Christopher Mattei. "We make all of our ice cream and sorbets by hand. They're made in small batches, about nine gallons at a time. It maintains the integrity of the flavor." Available at most local supermarkets and at Tropilicious' factory at 206 Mokauea St., Kalihi, 847-1750, www.tropilicious.com.
Best Lomi Lomi Salmon
HPC Foods' Taro Brand may be better known for producing the most poi in the Islands, but it's their lomi lomi salmon we're ono for. We picked up our Taro Brand lomi lomi salmon from the supermarket, but the tomatoes were fresh, crisp. The onions didn't overpower. And the amount of salmon was perfect. "Each container has a strict shelf life of 10 days, so it's as fresh as possible," says HPC's sales and marketing director, Charin Tomomitsu. "The best part about it is the recipe for the lomi salmon came from one of the aunties in the Tottori family, which still runs the company today. So it had already proven successful over many family dinners before we started to sell it." Available at most local supermarkets.
Best Omiyage from Maui
Krispy Kreme took Hawaii by storm last year, filling the cabins of interisland flights from Maui with doughnut boxes. It's a fad, we think, because the best doughnut on Maui since the 1950s been the one made by Komoda Store and Bakery, in Makawao. They're huge, fried to dark-brown perfection and glazed to within an inch of their lives. General manager Calvin Shibuya says the store's sales have actually increased since Krispy Kreme opened. "For some reason, when people started comparing doughnuts, ours became the basis on which others are judged," he says. If you're picking some up, it's a good idea to call ahead to reserve an order; Komoda's hand-made treats generally sell out by lunchtime, sometimes by 10 a.m. 3674 Baldwin Ave. 572-7261.
Best Kim Chee
After sampling nine different brands of locally produced kim chee—and downing countless cups of water, mind you—we found the best: Joe Kim's Kim Chee. Fresh, crisp cabbage with a delicate balance of salty, sour and spice. Founded in 1938, Joe Kim's was the first kim chee factory in Hawaii. "One thing my father taught me—and it might sound corny—was to make the kim chee with love," Kim says. "My grandmother also taught me not to measure things out with a measuring cup. You gotta feel it by hand." Kim uses the same basic recipe his grandfather developed more than 60 years ago. He uses only fresh cabbage. He doesn't add preservatives, relying only on a natural two-day fermentation process instead. With a family legacy like that to uphold, Kim wouldn't have it any other way. Available at most local supermarkets.
Best Tofu
Tofu is a subtle thing. You could be forgiven for thinking that all bean curd is interchangeable. But when pitted head to head against four other local brands, Mrs. Cheng's tofu emerges as a cut above the rest. The texture is smooth and firm, the taste is clean and full, with an aftertaste of spring water. It's a joy to eat even plain, dipped in a bit of shoyu. Such a delicate product requires careful preparation: Owner Mao Tzeng pays obsessive attention to the little details, such as how long the soybeans soak before they are cooked. "If the soaking time is too long, the flavor will not be good," Tzeng says. "Same thing if it's too short." He has become so precise that the soaking time varies slightly from winter to summer, because of the temperature change. Available at most local supermarkets.
Best Portuguese Sausage
We've never met a Portuguese sausage we didn't like. If we had to choose a favorite, though, Rego's Purity sausage has the best mix of garlic and spices, and fries up beautifully. One measure of the company's popularity: Rego's supplies the sausage used by Zippy's and Jack in the Box restaurants in Hawaii. Rego's Purity Foods recently moved its production from the Mainland back to Palama Meat Co.'s Kapolei facility. By the time you read this, the Purity sausage on local store shelves will all be locally made. Available at most local supermarkets. 947-9005, www.regospurity.com.
Best Tomato
Great tomatoes should have a little acidity, a dollop of sweetness and genuine tomato-y flavor—encased in bright red flesh. Hamakua Springs Country Farms, a new variety that surfaced in Oahu supermarkets last year, fits the bill to a tee. Richard Ha, a longtime banana farmer on the Big Island, harvests about 5,000 pounds of these tomatoes weekly. Packaged in clear plastic boxes, these tasty cocktail tomatoes—larger than cherry tomatoes, but smaller than beefsteaks—are grown hydroponically in sterile media under plastic at Ha's farm in Hamakua. Ha is proud that Alan Wong now serves his tomatoes, dressed up in li hing mui vinaigrette. We like them peeled, spiked in vodka and lemon zest. Or, just plain, straight from the carton. Available at Foodland and Safeway.
Best Mochi
Our favorite mochi comes from Kansai Yamoto. The chichidango is wonderfully tender and just sweet enough. The azuki filling in the daifuku is chunky, and retains more bean flavor than the candylike pastes in the other daifuku we tried. Owner Hidemi Matsukawa learned to make mochi in Japan from his mother, who owned a small noodle shop. When he moved to Oahu in 1993, he concocted a secret recipe in an attempt to match his childhood memories. He succeeded, and now sells more than 2,600 pieces a day of both traditional favorites and more new-wave creations. Strawberry and chocolate with fruit are favorites, but Matsukawa also sells such novel delicacies as Oreo cookie mochi and Coca-cola mochi. You can pick up Kansai Yamato mochi at Costco, Sam's Club, Longs, and most supermarkets, as well as its main location next to Ala Moana Center. 1471 Kapiolani Blvd., 955-9588.
Best Korean Plate Lunch
After sampling nine different Korean plate lunches (all including barbecue chicken, kalbi, rice and various sides), we picked Peppa's Korean BBQ in Makiki. It contained two pieces of tasty kalbi, one mandoo, one freshly fried zucchini, rice and four sides—we especially liked their mac salad, which had a nice, slightly pickle-y taste. But it was their savory, perfectly cooked, ginger-flavored chicken that clinched it for us. Just so happened that Peppa's also made the biggest plate lunch of the bunch, with its combination plate weighing in at 2 pounds and 12 ounces. All for just $6.95. 1249 Wilder Ave. 528-4988. Although Dong Yang's didn't win our overall Korean plate lunch test, we'd be remiss in not recognizing this Wahiawa- establishment's incredible kalbi. We're talking giant, chuck rib steak kalbi—not your typical Korean short rib variety—grilled to perfection, still slightly rare on the inside. Trust us, you've never seen kalbi like this. 546 Olive Ave. 621-5031.
Best Erotic Cake
For a good time, call Leonard's Bakery. They don't advertise this particular service. They didn't even want to talk to us about it. But should there ever be an occasion where you need a naughty cake—you know, a bachelorette party, a buddy's birthday or a lackluster Tuesday afternoon—Leonard's is the place to go. If you visit the store, don't just ask for their cake catalog. You'll need to ask specifically about their adult cakes. Trust us, this Kapahulu malasada-maker can do anything. And we mean an-y-thaaang. 933 Kapahulu Ave., 737-5591.
Best Gourmet Bargains
Sure, you like to eat well, but items from the gourmet section can add up to a pretty penny. However, if you're willing to make the drive and dodge the trucks in the parking lot, Y. Hata, food wholesaler, has a Value Store at its Sand Island headquarters. There you can buy 64-ounce cans of roasted peppers and 48-packs of frozen precooked omelets. The real bargains, though, come from the wood racks of high-end products like Italian olive oils, Spanish olives and Dijon mustard that's really from Dijon, instead of New Jersey. 285 Sand Island Access Road, 845-4492.