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I was so hungry after picking up my Nissan Note 2016 rental. The helpful Enterprise guy Riley suggested Jams Café a few blocks south - but there was a long line. So I decided to head on to Sooke, exited early, and landed in Langford.
To Sooke
A guy in a gas station recommended Floyd's Diner at 10-721 Station Avenue (in Langford tel # 778 440 1200 - there's one in downtown Victoria too). It was quite difficult to find because the right exit is somewhat hidden by a building, not well-marked, and came just a few meters right after a major turn off. Brunch was good but not the best at – CAD$16.60 for fried chicken with waffles.
Oops Metchosin
Then finally off to Sooke but not quite as I perchanced 10 minutes later an intriguing name Metchosin. Made a south detour and entered mostly a farming area. An interesting old school house is now a museum - open only during the summer weekends.
For a village, Metchosin has a nice restaurant MyChosen Café (a play on the name Metchosin) which has a café, a pizza joint, and a coffee corner with sweets called Sugar Shack - all in one big cottage. A server at the café suggested I take a hike at Witty's Lagoon. A lovely 20-minute hike, past Witty's Lagoon the trail ends in Witty's Beach lined with stinking decaying long rubbery seaweeds. Across the San Juan de Fuca Straight, you do get a sight of the Olympic Mountains in Washington State. The name Metchosin is the anglicized version of the native term "Smets-Schosen", which means "place of stinking fish".
If you find yourself in Metchosin on a Saturday, and you have a cooler, drop by the Stillmeadow Farm which in partnership with ParryBay Sheep Farm sells meat (pork, roaster chicken, lamb, sausages, bacon, sometimes eggs) Tel: 1-250-478-9628, 12 N – 3pm Stillmeadow Rd. To get here you make a right on Witty's Beach Road which is off Metchosin road that leads to Witty's Lagoon. See MapQuest.
Metchosin also boasts of its Galloping Goose Sausages. You can buy it in their factory or in other outlets (call 250-474-5788). Open Tues, Wed, Thurs 8 am – 12 N or call the house 250 474 0667 (ask for Mark) for other days/hours so someone can meet you at 4484 Lindholm Road.
Now Sooke
So finally I made my way to Sooke. After paying my camping fee of $25 a night at Sooke Sunny Shores Campground, a grandmotherly Sophie with a charming inflection from Poland said there are cabins for a CAD $100 a night for 2 people with kitchen. The campground toilets needed more cleaning but tolerable.
It was too early to snooze, so on a grey overcast dusk I went to Whiffin Spit. Now I know why it's called a Spit. A sand deposition that is narrow and elongated facing a body of water on both sides like a tongue spitting out.
Early Sunday morning, I was Off to Port Renfrew with several stops.
There are no gas stations in Port Renfrew so make sure you get a full tank at Sooke or Lake Cowichan.
Route 14 (also called the West Coast Road or Juan de Fuca Highway) from Sooke to Port Renfrew (71 km) is one of the most scenic drives in British Columbia. Another one is Highway 7 or Lougheed Highway between Mission and Harrison Hot Springs – rambling through farms and side sweeping the Harrison River and parts of Fraser River. Route 14 hugs the coast with a view most of the time of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and in the far off horizon the Olympic Mountains in Washington State.
There are several trails to the coast from the road. I would do five this day. See Travel Map from Sooke to Port Renfrew.
Right after breakfast at Shirley Delicious (see my article) – a local couple I got to chat with - because of their chubby husky -fox breed called Jawz, a gentle fellow - suggested I see the Sheringham Point Lighthouse just a mile away from Shirley Delicious. This was a short picturesque walk facing postcard-pretty lighthouse. There is something transfixing about lighthouses.
Back to Route 14, a stop at French Beach (www.frenchbeachpark.com) named after local pioneer James French who loved this area. A parking lot precedes a well-mowed grassy picnic table area and the pebbly beach is just right there.
This is where I got to talk to friendly Ed – the Park Ranger who recommended I do next China Beach and Mystic Beach - same entrance – further up Route 14. Do not confuse with China Beach Campground which is more south.
|French Beach
But first Sandcut Beach, a short lovely path to a natural branch and vines O opening to the beach. Alas, there was no sand ins Sandcut – pebbles and stones.
|Sandcut Beach
Nine miles later the entrance led to two parking lots. The lower one on the left leads to China Beach – a ten- minute walk with a view similar to the French.
The upper lot on the right was packed for a reason. You will see serious hikers preparing their gear. This is the location of the zero marker for the 47 km Juan De Fuca Marine Trail which goes through Mystic Beach. I of course will just venture the 2.5 kilometer trek to Mystic Beach and back. This part of the trail has a shaky fun suspension bridge, swaying, bouncing as it hangs high above the Pete Wolf Creek (more like a river). You can look down through the steel mesh with holes enough to swallow ladies shoe heels. Goose bumps!
|Juan De Fuca Trail Suspension Bridge on the way to Mystic Beach - fun!
It took me an hour plus each way because I was taking my time. But it was a good up and down workout on sometimes muddy footpath. The reward was Mystic Beach - another good water view – how can it not be? If you veer left once you hit the sandy (yes sand!) beach, you will see a swing hanging from a tree cantilevered around 50 feet high up a cliff. A short slab of timber tied in the middle wasn't that comfortable to the crotch. But I had to do it. A few feet away from the swing was a light waterfall spraying down the cliff.
Except for Mystic Beach, the coastline along Route 14 is rocky and the water cold in early October – Canadian Thanksgiving Long Weekend. During March and April, you may be able to chance upon the grey whale migration.
On my trek back, I was having a sweet time again with the suspension bridge all to myself. I got back to my car at almost 5 pm. Back to Route 14, and this time it was a more forested highway with occasional glimpses of the water as I drove straight through to Port Renfrew and listening repeatedly reflectively to Kristin Chenoweth's For Good.
Port Renfrew was quiet this October but it is a crowded summer tourist town as I would find out later. The inlet at Port Renfrew is still called by its old name Port San Juan – so don't get confused.
A set turkey plate dinner for CAD$ 22.00, pumpkin pie at an extra CAD$ 10.00 at the Port Renfrew Hotel to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving the following day? Overpriced. I asked the server if there was a room available - and the hefty manager told the server there was none – but based on the way the server looked at me – it wasn't true. The parking lot was quite empty.
Trailhead Resorts has CAD$70 Hikers Huts. I knew they had plenty left because earlier in a restaurant the guy who had the only unit taken told me that every other wooden cabin was unoccupied. Yet the Resorts Lady said no vacancy. To make sure, you better book online at http://www.trailhead-resort.com/ as this is the cheapest place in Port Renfrew you can find short of camping. The huts can only accommodate a max of 12 people. There doesn't seem to be an Airbnb alternative.
So I settled for Camp Pacheedaht (tel 250 647 0090) with spectacular views (two locations actually - one near the bridge on both sides and three miles further east where the office is - also facing the inlet). The campground dirt roads in both locations are studded with deep potholes.
Run by the Pacheedaht First Nation (the Canadian term for North American Indian groups), the camp's shower facilities were soily, cramped and unkempt for CAD$2.00 – unlimited hot water though. Showers close at 7 pm and won't open till 10 am the following day! I saw a microwave near the office. It was $20.00 my tent/car site without a view. Unless you are on a very tight budget or looking for a scenic sight of the inlet, I would avoid these campsites. Wi-Fi for a fee only works if you are near the office and all sites are not. Go figure. Did I mention theft has known to occur?
|Camp Pacheedath
On Canada's Thanksgiving Day, I decided to see the academic-sounding Botanical Beach to Botany Bay 2.8 kilometer loop. I thought I would be there for an hour and that's it. But I was there from 8 am till 11 am past. The juxtaposition of an actual forest sublime quiet with tall trees and the coast-pounding sea with its salty air was a reeling divergence. Botanical Beach was surprisingly and interesting: the tide pools, and the intertidal life: sea stars, chitons, anemones, barnacles, brown algae – that is why it is called Botanical.
Five minutes away is handsome Botany Bay.
The play of light streaming through the forest, the sound of undulating waves, the intertwine of tall cedar and spruce trees standing amidst modules of bush, boardwalks to rock pathways, branches twisting curving at every angle while a look on the other side is the Pacific - made me linger. Then there was Noah's Ark – my own anointed name to a lovely island. It is actually a long boat-like rocky outpost with stately Douglas Firs.
|Botanical Beach
|Botany Bay
I was getting hungry.
For lunch, other than the pricey hotel, only Tomi's was open. Burger at Cad$ 16.00 – nope. Hot Dog without mustard and relish CAD$4.00. Yes. But condiments mustard and relish were an additional CAD$ 2.00!
I had to go to the only store in town - the General Store (tel 250 647 5587) which opens only from 11 am to 7pm with a very limited selection – somewhat like a dimly lit drab 7-11. Get the picture? Thankfully, it has a microwave for public use. I got pre-packaged two "Double Double Cheese Beef Burgers" (named Quality Classics from HQ Fine Foods in Edmonton Alberta) at CAD$ 5.98. It tasted like McDs. Satisfying and at that price!
Then I was off to Lake Cowichan as part of the BC Heritage Circle Route. Took a detour to the Avatar Grove to see Canada's gnarliest tree but the road became severely potholed after crossing the magnificent Gordon River bridge so I had to turn around. You can see salmon returning to their spawning grounds down the river.
I got back on Pacific Marine Road, passed by Fairy Lake – lovely name for a meh meh lake, and began the lookout for old big Harris Creek Spruce tree after passing by Lizard Lake Forest Service Campground. I saw the small signage.
|Easy to Miss Signage
The Spruce Tree is covered with moss and a huge base fenced all around
so you can't touch it. It is just on the banks of the swift Harris Creek.
|Old Big Harris Creek Spruce Tree
I did not drive to the Red Creek Fir, the world's largest Douglas Fir because the logging road I was told was not maintained. For directions, maps and other tree wonders such as the Big Lonely Doug and the San Juan Sitka Spruce, Canada's largest, see the Ancient Forest Alliance website or call its Admin Director Joan Varley at 250 896 4007 or e-mail her at firstname.lastname@example.com. A good blog is Vancouver Island Big Trees.
Then it was non-stop to the town of Lake Cowichan which has one of the best campgrounds I've ever been. Well-maintained, right next to the lake and the showers/toilets are very clean, all part of the off-season $20.00 a night tenting rate. I was ecstatic. See Lakeview Park Campsite
A good place to have a meal even breakfast is the Country Grocer supermarket complete with a sit-down area (tel: 250 749 6335 at 83 Cowichan Lake Road, 7 am – 8:45 pm). I had a grilled Monte Cristo Sandwich with a creamy pea soup for CAD$9.45 (including tax).
|A classic Monte Cristo
The following day I drove back to return the rental car and took the bus back to Swartz Bay for the ferry to Tsawwassen in the mainland. It was a great 4-day holiday.
If you need pictures of any specific area, I will be happy to provide. Just e-mail me at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Hi There! Is this Your First Time?
Did you know if you Register you have access to free search tools including the ability to save listings and property searches? Did you know that you can bypass the search altogether and have listings sent directly to your email address? Check out our how-to page for more info.
- Price$500,000
- Beds3
- Baths Full1
- Baths Half1
- Acres0.47
- Built1908
1109 North Dunton Avenue, ARLINGTON HEIGHTS
Beautiful,well maintained vintage home in the Historic District of highly sought after Arlington Heights.Original character driven detailing such as high ceilings, tall baseboards,window casings & alike have been honored in this home.The ease & flow of the floorpan is immediately apparent.The welcoming enclosed front porch leads to a very spacious foyer,flanked by the sun drenched living room, which is open to the sizable dining room.The custom kitchen was designed with entertaining in mind. Along with stainless appliances & more than ample cabinet & counter workspace, it is open to the eating area & is in close proximity to the screened in porch.The three spacious bedrooms, along with the full bath are all located on the second floor.The slightly under 1/2 acre lot has been professionally landscaped.The oversized 2.5 car garage, which affords great storage, is accessible from Oakton & Dunton.Minutes from library, schools,train,xpressways,downtown Arlington Hgts & all its amenities.
Essential Information
- Price$500,000
- Bedrooms3
- Bathrooms1.50
- Full Baths1
- Half Baths1
- Square Footage2,140
- Acres0.47
- Year Built1908
- TypeResidential
- Sub-TypeDetached Single
- StyleOther
- StatusActive
- AmenitiesCurbs/Gutters, Sidewalks, Street Lights, Street Paved
- Parking Spaces3
- # of Garages3
- GaragesGarage Door Opener(s), Transmitter(s)
- ExteriorFrame
- Exterior FeaturesPorch, Porch Screened
- Lot DescriptionCorner
- RoofAsphalt/Glass (Shingles)
Listing Details
- Listing Office@properties
Community Information
- Address1109 North Dunton Avenue
- AreaArlington Heights
- CityARLINGTON HEIGHTS
- CountyCook
- StateIL
- Zip Code60004
- Interior FeaturesHardwood Floors, 1st Floor Laundry
- AppliancesOven/Range, Microwave, Dishwasher, Refrigerator, Washer, Dryer, Disposal
- HeatingHot Water/Steam
- CoolingSpace Pac
- StoriesC
School Information
- ElementaryOlive-MARY STITT SCHOOL
- MiddleThomas Middle School
- HighJohn Hersey High School
Price Change History for 1109 North Dunton Avenue, ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL (MLS® #10273156)
|Active (from New)
The data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the Broker Reciprocity program of Midwest Real Estate Data LLC. Real Estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Gold Coast Realty are marked with the Broker Reciprocity logo or the Broker Reciprocity thumbnail logo (a little black house) and detailed information about them includes the names of the listing brokers. Some properties which appear for sale on this website may subsequently have sold and may no longer be available. The information being provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Listing information last updated on May 26th, 2019 at 3:36pm CDT.

subset: commoncrawl


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Mark Devereaux
From Rocklopedia Fakebandica
Composer of TV theme songs from the 1989 sci-fi comedy Martians Go Home. He has the bad luck of accidentally composing a tune that summons millions of sarcastic, smart-alecky Martians to planet Earth who can teleport, read minds, and heckle everybody like the stand-up comedians they are played by.
The film is based on Frederic Brown's 1955 novel of the same name, but in the book, the main character is a science fiction author named Luke Devereaux, and not a composer.


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The Palace Hall, Worli
11 Mar 2019 - 12 Mar 2019
Looking for a perfect one-stop destination to make your occasions special? Well, Jhalak is the perfect answer. Get the best designer wear, beautifully crafted jewelry to team up, Unique home decor, Dupattas, Clutches, Juttis and many more.
Get the hottest trends & events right in your inbox


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5928 N Cosby Avenue $759,900
Listing provided courtesy of: BHG Kansas City Homes: Tradition Home Group
5928 N Cosby Avenue Kansas City, MO 64151
- 4 Beds
- 5 Baths
- 3,723 sq.ft.
- Single-Family
MLS# 2127545 | Active
Days On Market: 261 16 Views
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Go Tour This Home
Sunday 19 May
Monday 20 May
Tuesday 21 May
Wednesday 22 May
Thursday 23 May
Property Details
Julian-Brookridge II, Reverse on wooded walk-out lot. Plan=Flex space! 2 bedrms AND den/office (could be third bedrm) on first floor. GRT RM w/soaring ceiling w/beams, fireplace, & Walls of windows across the back views trees & green space. LRG covered deck w/FP-woods. Kitchen w/jumbo pantry, fab vaulted, wood ceiling w/skylights! Mstr w/laundry Rm(built-ins) off large closet. Drop station & cubbies by back door. Lower level with Rec rm, wet bar, 2 additional bedrooms--lots of space; walks out to patio, trees.
General Features
- Age Under Construction
- Area 115
- Builder Don Julian Builders
- Building Plan Brookridge II
- County Platte
- Floor Plan Reverse 1.5 Story
- Garage Type Attached, Front Entry
- Garage/Parking Spaces 3
- HOA Amount 600
- Sub Property Type Single Family
- Subdivision Forest Ridge Estates
- Total SqFt 3,723
- Total Taxes 10000
- Full Bathrooms 3
- Half Bathrooms 2
- # of Fireplace 2
- Architecture Traditional
- Basement Description Finished, Walk Out
- Construction Stone Trim, Stucco
- Cooling Central Electric, Zoned
- Dining Area Kit/Dining Combo
- Equipment Back Flow Device, Ceiling Fan(s), Dishwasher, Disposal, Hood/Fan, Humidifier, Microwave, Rng/Oven- Gas
- Fireplace Description Great Room, Other
- Heating Forced Air Gas
- Interior Features Kitchen Island, Pantry, Skylight(s), Vaulted Ceiling, Walk-In Closet, Wet Bar, Wood Floor
- Roof Tile
- Utility Room Main Level,Laundry Room
Room Features
- Bedroom 3 Carpet
- Bedroom 4 Carpet
- Den Carpet
- Dining Room Hardwood
- Great Room Fireplace,Hardwood
- Kitchen Hardwood,Kitchen Island,Pantry
- Laundry Room Built Ins
- Master Bathroom Ceramic Tiles,Granite Counter,Separate Shower And Tub
- Master Bedroom Walk-In Closet
- Other Room Type Basement BR, Den/Study, Entry, Great Room, Main Floor BR, Main Floor Master, Recreation Room
- Rec Room Wet Bar
Property Features
- Exterior Features Deck, Patio, Sprinkler-In Ground
- Lot Description Adjoin Greenspace, Treed
- Lot Size 100x151x134x132
- Sewer City/Public
- Water City/Public
- Elementary School Southeast
- High School Park Hill South
- Middle School Lakeview
- School District Park Hill
Leo SebusReal Estate Consultant
RE/MAX ResultsCell: 816-547-1351
64151 (Kansas City) Demographics
38Median Age
1,968Population Density (per sq. mile)
48%College Educated
$66,677 Estimated Median Income
6,378Estimated Total Home Owners
4,323Estimated Total Renters
60% / 40%Estimated Owner / Renter Divide
2Estimated Average Household Size
25,919Total Population
Community data courtesy of LiveBy, Inc.
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$0 Median Sales Price
0 Homes Sold
51 New On Market
Average Days on Market
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|New Value: $759,900
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The information displayed on this page is confidential, proprietary, and copyrighted information of Heartland Multiple Listing Service, Inc.(Heartland MLS). Copyright 2019, Heartland Multiple Listing Service, Inc. Heartland MLS and RE/MAX Kansas-Missouri do not make any warranty or representation concerning the timeliness or accuracy of the information displayed herein. Listing Information last updated 5/19/2019 9:19:06 AM. In consideration for the receipt of the information on this page, the recipient agrees to use the information solely for the private non-commercial purpose of identifying a property in which the recipient has a good faith interest in acquiring. Read Listing Data Terms of Use


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Eiffel Tower skip-the-line tickets with audioguide
- Feel on cloud 9 with a bird's-eye view of the sights
- Bring the whole family - everyone will love it
- Save time and see more with skip-the-line access
Make the most of your visit of Paris with our skip-the-line audioguided tour of the Eiffel Tower!
Originally constructed as a temporary exhibitfor the 1889 World Fair by Gustave Eiffel, the Iron Lady represents nowadays the symbol of France across the world and welcomes nearly 7 million visitors per year.
On the second floor and third floor (optional), enjoy an exceptional panoramic view of Paris and learn about the fascinating history of the Tower, but also those of the famous Parisian monuments such as the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and the Sacré-Coeur.
On the way down, make sure you stop on the 1st floor to feel the thrill of the spectacular glass floor 57 meters from the ground and experience a sensation of stepping out into the void!
Options available at time of booking:
- Audioguided tour up to the 2nd floor
- Audioguided tour up to the 3rd floor
- Audioguided visit of the Eiffel Tower with audioguide or mobile app to download, available in English, Spanish, French, German,Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian and Korean.
- Skip-the-line ticket for faster access to the 2nd (and 3rd floor if you buy the 3rd floor option)
- Access to the 1st, 2nd levels of the Eiffel Tower (and 3rd floor if you buy the 3rd floor option)
- A multilingual tour escort, from the agency to the first security check
- Guided tour
- Pick-up/drop-off
- Child (4-10years): reduced
- Baby (0-3years): free of charge
PARISCityVISION Agency 36, Avenue de la Bourdonnais 75007 PARIS
DO NOT go directly to the Eiffel Tower. Collect your tickets and audioguide 20 minutes before your scheduled time at the PARISCityVISION Agency located on 36 Avenue de la Bourdonnais, 75007 Paris.
- Audioguided visit of the Eiffel Tower with audioguide or mobile app to download, available in English, Spanish, French, German,Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian and Korean
- Besides the priority access to enter the Eiffel Tower, there may still be waitings at the security check and for the lift
- Non-foldable strollers and small suitcases cannot be taken up the Eiffel Tower
- Attention: a 30€ deposit per audioguide is required, refunded when the audioguide is returned to the agency
- Tickets are available on sale around 15 days prior the date
Every day
Several departures everyday at the time of your choice, please check the calendar
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I got to Trader Joe's with the intention of buying ingredients for chicken empanadas, but when I couldn't find a few ingredients, I changed my game plan. I bought puff pastry dough, olive tapenade, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, a red onion, and a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies…with the thought of doing a twist on turnovers. I got home and laid all the ingredients out and once again changed my plan…to little puff pastry pizza pies cause I thought they'd be easier to eat. For appetizer, we had some wine and cheese + charcuteries I also bought.
If I plan on making this again, I'd probably just use regular pizza dough. The puff pastry ended up getting a bit soggy with the toppings.
Photo by Jordan


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With the feeling of romance still in the air, how about a dish cooked with affection? I considered lamb and ox hearts but my wife said they're not to everyone's taste.
Here is an old fashioned recipe that takes a little time to prepare so make it for someone you love.
Serve this tea cake warm with frozen goat's yoghurt to make a smashing dessert or with a mug of tea with the one you adore.
200g dried figs, chopped
100g soft prunes, chopped
225ml water
4 earl grey tea bags
Zest and juice of 1 orange
60ml olive oil
115g soft brown sugar
2 eggs
240g self raising gluten-free flour
Extra tablespoon brown sugar
1. Put the chopped fruit into a saucepan with the water and bring to the boil.
2. Add the teabags and take off the heat. Allow the tea to steep until the water is cold.
3. Take out the teabags and put the fruit and liquid into a food processor.
4. Pulse this for 1 minute.
5. Add the orange juice, zest and brown sugar and pulse until smooth.
6. Add the olive oil, flour and eggs and pulse until incorporated.
7. Pour the mixture into a lined loaf tin and bake in a pre-heated oven 150C gas 3 for 50 to 60 minutes.
Check it is cooked by inserting a skewer which will come out clean. If not, cook for longer.
8. Cool and eat warm.


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This beautiful south hills home sits slightly above the tree line and has impressive views of the mountains in the distance. It is truly turn key and ready for new owners! Enjoy the openness of the living room with the vaulted ceilings, hardwood flooring in most of the home, slate on the stairs, Nest thermostat and the hot tub! Downstairs could be set up for dual living with the 4th bedroom located outside the family room.
Listing courtesy of The Radcliffe Real Estate Team Inc. Selling Office: Hybrid Real Estate.


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Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors.
It differs from normal household television in that the signal is not openly transmitted, though it may employ point to point wireless links.
Although almost all video cameras fit this definition, the term is most often applied to those used for surveillance in areas that require monitoring such as bars, banks, casinos, schools, hotels, airports, hospitals, restaurants, military installations, convenience stores and other areas where security is a requirement.
In industrial plants, CCTV equipment may be used to observe parts of a process from a central control room, for example when the environment is not suitable for humans. CCTV systems may operate continuously or only as required to monitor a particular event.
A more advanced form of CCTV, utilizing digital video recorders (DVRs), provides recording for possibly many years, with a variety of quality and performance options and extra features (such as motion detection and email alerts).
More recently, decentralized IP cameras, some equipped with megapixel sensors, support recording directly to network-attached storage devices, or internal flash for completely stand-alone operation.
There are about 350 million surveillance cameras worldwide as of 2016. About 65% of these cameras are installed in Asia.
CCTV use is widespread in the UK. According to newspaper reports (Telegraph, Guardian) there is a surveillance camera for every 11 people.
Cameras are widely and overtly deployed every day, they are sited within both over-ground and underground train carriages, above supermarket checkout points almost any place you can think of.
Whatever our own personal views, the irrefutable benefit of CCTV systems are its crime prevention and detection capabilities.
Like it or not, monitored camera surveillance is essential in many businesses, not just for the safety of staff and customers, but also for the security of the premises, property & cash.
System Technologies
When investing in a CCTV solution you are presented with an almost overwhelming number of choices. However, the real consideration will be whether to invest in an Analogue (HD) or IP CCTV cameras.
Recording & Monitoring
CCTV recording cameras are linked to recording devices (DVRs / NVRs) either locally or onto an internet network.
Recorded images can then be monitored efficiently and safely from a remote point, password login can give access even to hand-held devices such as tablets or mobile phones connected to the internet.
Technology has evolved a long way forward since its first use by Siemens back in the 1940s.
Analogue Camera Overview
An Analogue surveillance camera is fitted with a CCD (charge-coupled device) sensor that digitises the light that falls on its surface capturing the image for processing.
Before transmission of the video, the image has to be converted back to an analogue signal so that it can be viewed on video monitor or recorder.
Analogue cameras must be NTSC/PAL compliant and are limited to a maximum resolution that is equivalent of 0.3 megapixels.
Analogue CCTV systems transmit video over coax or UTP (unshielded twisted pair) cabling to a digital video recorder (DVR).
At this point the video is digitised and stored.
Most modern DVRs have network capabilities giving the user the option to access the feed remotely from a local area network and with the proper configuration, from across a wide area network or over the internet.
The benefit of a local area network set-up is that there are no videotapes to change; instead the video is stored on hard drives or a networked drive typically on a FIFO (first-on, first-off) basis so that there is always a rolling video archive over a user defined number of days / months.
Analogue HD
We are currently upgrading existing CCTV systems which are cabled with coaxial cable (traditional analogue wiring) with HD cameras as a good upgrade solution which removes the added cost or re-cabling.
Our CCTV supplier has a large range of high quality HD-SDI cameras, recorders and accessories available. HD-SDI (High Definition Serial Digital Interface) unites the high quality images of IP with the point to point configuration of analogue systems.
This technology is a great way to upgrade an existing analogue system to digital. (*Subject to cable quality)
• Unlike IP, HD-SDI operates over the familiar closed circuit system which eliminates any security threats that could compromise the system and also the need for IT expertise to
support and manage it.
Similar to your HD TV at home HD-SDI can offer impeccable picture quality for your CCTV system giving 720p and 1080p resolution in real time (25fps). This broadcast quality does not have bandwidth issues since it is connected directly to the DVR from point-to-point.
• HD-SDI Digital Video Recorders generally allow remote access via a web browser or mobile phone device to enable the system to be monitored and controlled remotely if required.
IP Camera Overview
"IP" stands for Internet Protocol which is the low-level programming language used to transmit data between computers in your home and the Internet.
This means that an IP camera is like a little computer that you connect to, to access your video and as such you do not require a direct connection to a PC to operate meaning they can be placed anywhere within a network and accessed remotely at any time.
Consequently they do not require a DVR; instead they operate with a NVR (network video recorder), which in most cases is just software that runs on a computer or server as it doesn't need to convert analogue video to digital.
The video footage can then be stored on new or existing network RAID (redundant array of independent disks) drives as directed by the NVR software.
In contrast to an Analogue camera, an IP camera excels in capturing high definition, megapixel images as captured data is digitized directly from the sensor, and because of their increased computing power they can perform more advanced functions such as detecting motion to trigger recording or tampering and act on it by emailing, uploading or recording images or video to an internal storage card external storage device.
Why Analogue and IP Each Have Their Place
With the addition of any new technology there is always a period of adoption and adaptation.
Gemini Security Solutions will still supply & Install Analogue cameras if we feel that they will meet the client's security requirements.
For an impartial look at IP Cameras v Analogue Cameras we have detailed below a list to compare the attributes and limitations of both technologies:
Analogue: Analogue video has been a universal standard for several decades. Virtually any analogue CCTV camera can be plugged into any DVR, regardless of brand.
IP: Each time you add an IP camera, you have to make sure that the NVR supports that particular model. However many IP camera producers now support a large variety of communication protocols.
Analogue: Analogue cameras and peripheral equipment are significantly lower in price to their IP counterparts but in the long-term can be more expensive due to limits on the number of fixed camera per DVR.
IP: Whilst the actual purchase cost for an IP camera is more expensive, in many scenarios it is more cost effective in the long-term. A single IP camera can do the job of several analogue and it is easier to expand in the future.
Analogue: Analogue CCD cameras perform well across a variety of lighting conditions and manage motion well.
Analogue cameras transmit the video image to the DVR uncompressed where it can be viewed live with no latency pre-compression.
IP: IP cameras excel in capturing high definition, with the ability to zoom in. However some IP cameras can introduce latency, which becomes an issue when an operator needs to track something live. For this reason Gemini Security Solutions a very careful in choosing the manufacturers we use.
CCTV Maintenance
Analogue: Analogue cameras are unmanaged devices as they are pretty simple in comparison.
However, at Gemini Security Solutions we would still recommend an annual maintenance contract to ensure the available images are always the best possible.
IP: An IP camera is a network appliance and requires specialist maintenance – this is something that can be covered by an annual support/maintenance contract, which may add to the overall system cost.
See Maintenance for further information.
Expansion & Storage
Analogue: DVR costs are fairly simple to understand. A DVR is a single unit, and has a single cost. However have a fixed number of inputs that cannot be expanded upon.
IP: NVR software is typically licensed on a per camera basis and must be installed on a networked computer. The storage requirements for megapixel cameras are significant, and may require additional network storage.


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For reviews of Bfc Financial Services, Ltd. see below. Reviews. Add.Reviews on Forex Brokers posted in this section are from actual visitors and members of.Our services include products that are. FOREX.com UK Limited and is authorised.Trading Forex and Derivatives. com are owned and operated by Core Liquidity Markets Pty Ltd. not apply to the financial services provided to clients...Cyprus office (via Alpari Financial Services Ltd.). In April 2013, Alpari Group sponsored MENA 11th Forex Show in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) as a strategic partner.Trading Point is an internationally regulated financial institution,. which offers online trading services,.
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- Used for telling someone to be brave and happy even though they are in a difficult situation.
[ --- Keep your chin up! Everything will work out for the best. --- ]
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
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Keep one's chin up (Short video)
Keep one's chin up (Short video)
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Manufacturers:Minebea Intec, Sartorius Intec
Types:High Accuracy Load Cells, High Accuracy Load Cells, Stainless Steel Load Cells, Weighing Assemblies for Tank and Hopper Weighing, Stainless Steel Load Cells, Weighing Assemblies for Tank and Hopper Weighing
Industries:Aerospace & Aviation, Chemical & Petrochemical, Manufacturing, Medical & Pharmaceutical, Plastics & Polymers
Applications:Batching and Blending, Bulk Material Weighing, Tank, Hopper and Vessel Weighing
Minebea Intec PR 6011 Mounting Kit
The Minebea mounting kits of the PR 6011 series are ideal for the PR 6211 load cell family. They allow a simple and fast installation and are prepared for the installation of a lift-off-protection. A full stainless steel version is also available.
The standard version of the mounting kit is available in zinc plated and chromated steel For the chemical and food industries with their high requirements to durability and hygiene, the Mini Flexlock is also available in stainless steel. The built-in constrainer absorbs horizontal forces, while leaving the object free to expand in case of temperature changes. The version with constrainer is equipped with dummies. The mounting kits are 100% maintenance free.
Product formerly listed as Sartorius-Intec PR 6011 Mounting Kit.
Learn more about Minebea's purchase of Sartorius' industrial weighing assets
A load cell is a device that is used to measure weight or force. W hen a force is applied to it in a specific manner, a load cell produces an output signal that is proportional to the applied force. One end of a load cell is typically supported on a rigid structure while the […]Read More...Load Cells for a Portable StructureNovember 1, 2016
During a measurement, weight acts on the load cell's body and causes elastic deformation. The body has some spring constant. This strain (positive or negative) is converted into an electrical signal by a strain gauge installed on load cell. Read more about load cells here.Read More...Tank Weighing Woes: Why Load Cells have a Bad Reputation and What Needs to be Done to Fix itNovember 1, 2016
Many manufacturing facilities currently have load cells installed in tank systems that are no longer operational. Most of the times the load cells are left in place and the electrical cables connecting to the controls are simply cut. Production Managers, QC Managers, and maintenance personnel alike have surely encountered "that tank" or "vessel" which never […]Read More...
- Simple and fast installation
- Proven mounting kits for vessels
- Highest weighing performance due to special adaption of load cell and mounting kit
- Optional with built-in dummy function
- Prepared for the installation of a lift-off-protection
- Full stainless steel version available
- Inclusive constrainer
- Maintenance free
- Compact design
The new Minebea Intec logo looks good on the equipment that was previously branded as Sartorius in their high precision industrial weighing line. The re-branding process is close to being completed, so if you are looking for a high precision Sartorius industrial scale, load cell or indicator, look for a Minebea Intec product instead.Read More...


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Should that happen, this would be a useful feature. It could spell the end of pure XRFVK4TUX wrote: ↑Sun Mar 17, 2019 6:27 amDan I had a chat to Geoff, and he indicated he will request merge into latest ircddbgateway
for the XLX linking feature, so hopefully it shows up in pistar in the near future ;
reflectors as the auto registration method is better than waiting to get added to various
I do have to compliment NO9S who maintains the lists used by the OpenSpot. I emailed
him on Saturday to have XRF020 added to their list and it was done within 2 hours. But
all the different lists with no specific wait times is not helping the hobby. We need to do
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dynamic DNS.


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Bernardo Becerril
OK, so, as the King said very gravely to the White Rabbit, "Begin at the Beginning", I'll begin this entry with the very basics.
First of all, what is business networking?
According to Hubert Österle and Elgar Fleisch, networking is
"… a socioeconomic business activity by which businesspeople and entrepreneurs meet to form business relationships and to recognize, create, or act upon business opportunities".
In this site I found this very useful business networking definition (and a good read on the subject):
"Business networking is an effective low-cost marketing method for developing sales opportunities and contacts, based on referrals and introductions - either face-to-face at meetings and gatherings, or by other contact methods such as phone, email, and increasingly social and business networking websites."
So, all in all, business networking refers to the interactions and relationship-building that occur in an economic environment – physical, virtual, spontaneous or artificial – to create business opportunities.
Then, why is business networking important?
Think of business networking as the business connections a person or an organization has. These connections can be useful, enriching and profitable, for the parts involved, and help them achieve their goals and objectives. Therefore, business networking enhances benefits in multiple areas (Marketing, Sales, Operations, Development… you name it!) since a good, and nourished business network means great customers, suppliers, partners, leads and prospects that contribute to the company's success.
One of the most common tools for fostering business networking, is attending or organizing trade fairs: events of different sectors of the industry and commerce, targeted to a specific segment of customers.
According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), attendance at Trade Shows mostly pursues to look for new products, get insights on industry trends and the unique capability of face-to-face connection with suppliers and colleagues that only exhibitions can provide; while exhibitors primarily participate to generate leads, enhance branding and relationship management with current customers. Then again, business networking.
Trade fairs, (or trade shows, trade exhibitions or expos, as they are also known) provide as well an incredible opportunity to do business networking on an international level, for exhibitors and attendees come to these shows from all around the world.
Imagine having business connections on the other side of the planet, finding better suppliers, or discovering a business opportunity to open a new market sector in your company. Cool, isn't it?
But, another question arises, how is an effective business networking accomplished in a trade fair?
Bernardo Becerril
My experience at ACOB of sending e-mail campaigns for our customers, has been exciting and challenging, due to the multiple details that
have to be taken care of in order to have a successful result.
I have come to learn that one must consider the following aspects:
- Who are we sending the email to?
Segment clearly the campaign, and establish a 1 to 1 dialogue. Despite the campaign segment may be heterogeneous, try to depict a 'base' receptor of the message, and develop the content speaking to this single person, not the whole segment. This way, it is easier to have a more natural, personalized, touching outcome, rather than a generic, impersonal one. Answering questions like 'what does this fictional base consumer looks like?', 'how old is he/she?', 'what does she/he like to do?', 'where does he/she lives, works?', 'what are his/her strengths, weaknesses, desires, fears, pains?', among other queries, will provide insightful information about the segment overall. Use the language your segment uses, one cannot speak to a young audience the same way one speaks to a more professional, older quorum.
- Be daring
Normally, when I have to crystalize a creative project, I want to see what others have done before, that is similar to what I want to create, and think of how to improve it or make my own version, or get inspiration from a whole different source. Work intensely for a period of time, brainstorming, or making sketches, and then, stop suddenly and go do something completely different. Going for a walk or a smoke or a snack works well, since it helps clear out ideas, and refresh the perspective you have. When I go for this walk/smoke/snack with Julio, the awesome designer I work with, ideas develop more fluently, since we are able to share points of view, and come up with a more consistent solution. When switching to another activity, we delegate the unconscious mind the task of working on a creative solution. This creative solution may come at an unexpected moment, for example, the shower, the middle of the night, or when thinking about a totally different subject. The daring part's meaning is that one must not be afraid to be all over the top. A friend of mine, who is an actress once told me that when she goes to an audition, and she is asked to show emotions, she'd rather exaggerate them, and then be told to lower the tone, instead of being mild and give the impression that it's all she's got. The same principle applies here: it's better to be too creative rather than too dull.
- Consider HTML, images/text, devices visualization rules
More often than not, it happened to us that we had a great design and a great campaign message, only to realize that our audience may struggle to visualize the content, due to the fact that their email server blocked the images, or moved the text's position, or the too small screen of the device altered the settings, preventing the astonishing beauty of our mailing piece from shining in all its splendor, reducing it all to a Dadaist piece of… email. One of our genius programmers shared with us this link, and Julio and I were able to adequate our creative ideas to the cybernetic world, and thus, maximizing the impact of the campaign. Some of the most relevant points are:
- The main message must always be text: if it's an image, and the email server blocks it, the campaign is useless, since the message does not reach its receptor.
- The CTA (Call To Action) must be a must in every mailing. It is vital to get people to interact with the campaign, whether it be a click, a download, voting, visiting a link. The CTA link should be as well an hyperlinked text, or in an HTML bulletproof format, and stand out clearly enough. Including several CTAs, reduces the chance of people actually acting upon them. Decide instead what is the key objective of the campaign you're performing, and focus efforts into accomplishing it. Do you want to inform? To get to know something from your consumer? Another important key point that should be taken care of, is a way to track the interaction with the CTA, and the resulting conversions. This can be done with a tracking HTML code.
- Add alternative text to the images. This way, if the images are collapsed, the reader may see what the image is about, and trust better that the email is not spam.
- Making the piece of mailing responsive ensures the piece can be viewed properly in several devices, from a tiny mobile phone screen to the enormous one of an iMac.
- Test!
Us marketers —and psychologists— love testing. A/B tests are charming (I can't find another way to describe them, other than delicious or exquisitely pleasant), for they provide the possibility of experimenting, as well as proving hypothesis regarding the variables of the mailing piece. Test subject lines, test contents, test two different campaigns, test the way you're saying things, test colours, test the position of the CTA, test images, test day and time of sending, test, test, test! Remember to design your experiment consciously and have a neutral control group to which you do not apply the variable you are experimenting with.
- Measure the results
Measuring the email opens, clicks, and conversions of the campaign, is an essential feedback for continuous improvement. People may open the email, but may not follow the CTA, or click the CTA link, but do not conclude the process (complete a registration form, send an email, vote on a poll, buy a product, just to mention a few examples). Imagine this process as a staircase, of which the first step is the first contact you have with your audience through the mailing piece, and the last step is when they complete the action you want them to perform (actually go to the event, download a whitepaper, visit your website, etc.), which is, on first instance, the reason you planned the whole campaign for. Middle steps include opening the content, clicking on CTAs, engaging with your brand, among others. People at different steps, constitute different segments, and future mailings' content has to vary according to these specific groups: someone who has not opened the first email cannot receive an engagement content, in the same way someone who has already engaged, cannot receive an email with a CTA that invites him for the first time to interact with your brand.
- Answer, I repeat, answer your emails
One of the main mistakes marketers make, and that you want to avoid at all cost, is ignoring your audience. Contact with consumers is invaluable: it provides enriching feedback, brand loyalty, and engagement with the contents you are sending. Whether it be that you are receiving answers of complaint, or a query, or acknowledgement, be prompt to reply kindly. Community management is a key function when emitting contents to audiences, and helps to build a good image of your brand, sending off the message it does take care of their clients.
- Try, then send
Do a pilot send of your final campaign, and go over the details as many times as you need to make sure everything is perfectly set to go. Mistakes are human, but many of the ones that occur when sending a mailing campaign can be avoided when having your content sent to several members of your work team, so that typos, omissions or blunders can be tweaked before sending the real campaign.
This is just some piece of advice I can share from my own experience. Do you have some other you think I've missed? What have been some of the best and worst things you've had to deal
with when sending emails?
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Bernardo Becerril
The hidden stories in databases
Data is everywhere. It refers to any piece of information collected for reference or analysis.
The Merriam-Webster English Dictionary defines data as: "factual information (as measurements or statistics) used as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation".
Now, data by itself may not say anything. It is not until it has a been organized, analyzed and studied properly, that it provides useful and valuable information.
Data mining is part of the process of climbing steps in a ladder that leads to informed decision making. The first step being data, or raw-data (unprocessed information), until it becomes mined data or discovered knowledge, the last step. The higher you climb the ladder, the better you can see through information, and better decisions can be made.
Then, 'what do you mean by knowledge discovery?' you may tell me. Knowledge is discovered, in the sense that it is already there, in your information or data. After processing the information adequately, through processes and technology that may include data cleansing, statistical and mathematical methods, algorithms, data tells its stories. One of the most common process for knowledge discovery in data, is data mining.
Data mining, according to this useful UCLA Anderson article, refers to:
"the process of analyzing data from different perspectives and summarizing it into useful information - information that can be used to increase revenue, cuts costs, or both."
Knowledge is power. For companies, knowledge equals business intelligence, revenue increase, more effective barriers against competitors. However, sometimes it is difficult for business and companies to handle their own information in such a way that it actually provides meaningful, updated and valuable information and not just a pile of documents, virtual or physical, that just stack up and gather dust (physical or digital).
I'm going to talk about the main outcomes of Data Mining for Trade Fairs.
One of the (many) stories hidden within your information is Attendance Profiles. Imagine that, after mining your Registration Information, you could have a segmented database, by demographics, behavior, and establish clear clusters of the different people that attended the show. Paradise for the Marketing team, isn't it? With this detailed profiling, they can send specific contents targeted to specific audience, or send specific product brochures, or make a clear hierarchy of hot and less hot leads.
Another (great) story that data wants to tell you is KPI definition. One powerful reason that endangers event growing is the lack of proper Key Performance Indicators (KPI) definition and monitoring for measuring how the show is doing at any specific point in time. KPIs are values selected to indicate if the show is growing in the right path or is at some kind of risk and must be followed up closely in order to take decisions on time before any damage occurs.
When selected correctly and followed closely, KPIs are the eyes and ears of show directives and managers and where strategies must be put in place for gaining advantage or reducing risk.
Do you have other examples of the results of Data Analysis or Data Mining? Do you think I've missed something? Want to learn more of our Data science-based solutions for trade shows?


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Attaining Clarity By Quickly Finding An Excellent Dui Defense AttorneyIf you wish to save money on legal costs and per hour billing, make sure that your driving under the influence defense lawyer understands precisely what you require him or her to do. The legal representative you deal with should comprehend how to resolve your case effectively. What follows are elements you need to consider in your search for the right attorney.
Meeting in person with a DUI defense attorney you're considering working with to represent you will help you make the ideal decision. Throughout the conference, listen carefully to the responses the lawyer provides, however likewise take notice of his intonation and how steadily he preserves eye contact. If you notice a potential attorney makes consistent eye contact with you throughout your meeting, it's a sign that she'll be deeply bought your case as the procedure unfolds. If you've spoken with a number of prospects, select the one that finest satisfies these criteria.
David H. Johnson, Attorney at Law
419 Canyon Ave #226, Fort Collins, CO 80521
(970) 829-1221
A driving under the influence defense lawyer who is ethical and accountable understands to keep an examine his mood. Maybe in some cases, the lawyer will not resolve your concern the method you believe they will or it is typically done. In Colorado Dui Sentencing may have some troubles throughout your case and it is very important for him or her to keep keep calm to prevent making error during representation of your case. To know how your legal agent deals with tension and surprise, talk with a few of his previous customers prior to signing a contract.
Unethical DUI defense lawyer won't have an interest in remedying your circumstance; they are just interested in the cash they can make from your case. However Lawyers In Fort Collins Co are unscrupulous, and numerous pride themselves on their respectable and trusted track records. Initially, the thing you should be searching for in a driving under the influence defense attorney is that they listen to the fulfillment of their clients and the results of their cases, and not the cash. An attorney who is of the highest quality will make sure that they do whatever they can for you and your case.
Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed After FedEx Employee Dies - Law Firm Newswire
According to the attorney for the plaintiffs, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and FedEx were seriously remiss in communicating with the deceased's daughters as to why and how their father died. The plaintiffs also want to make sure what happened to their father does not happen to anyone else. Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed After FedEx Employee Dies - Law Firm Newswire
DUI legal representatives will have to hang around dealing with numerous cases frequently. The case time should not be decided by which case came first. You might have to advise your driving under the influence defense attorney to provide your legal case the time it needs. Learn as much as you could about a lawyer prior to you choose to employ them.
There're private legal consultants and law centers that offer free legal services for individuals who can't manage the legal representation they require. You might be eligible for legal help through a certified organization. There're law office out there who have to give legal aid to people who're having loan associated problems. A couple of legal counselors will likewise use to go up against a customer who can't pay on the off possibility that they're provided grant utilize the customer's case in their publicizing.


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Carpet Stores in San Diego, CA
Comprehensive list of San Diego, California based carpet & rug stores, dealers and manufacturers. Read reviews of local carpet shops.
Business Listings
LP Wholesale is the finest flooring store choice for home owners, realtors, builders as well as designers searching for the right service, range, and value in flooring in San diego. We provide a complete range of the latest hardwood flooring, carpet flooring, laminate floors, tile and natural stone. Thousands of square feet of quality carpet and flooring left over from last year.
N Park Rug & Carpet has been a family run business for 59 years. We have one of San Diego's biggest and friendliest showrooms, providing everyday low prices. We supply carpet, vinyl, and area rugs in a huge range of brands in selective styles, patterns, and colors of your choice. You may choose to visit these manufacturer Web sites! Shaw Area Rugs Hundreds of styles and colors.
- North Park Carpet is family owned. They are competive in price but beyond the competition
Delivering carpet and floor covering to residents, rental property managers and businesses of San Diego County. For over 42 years, San Diego residents and businesses have put their trust in Diversified Carpet for reasonable prices and quality workmanship. Our experience combined with our unsurpassed client service will guarantee you that you have made the best choice with Diversified Carpet.
We are the family's carpet store. I say that because in the 30+ years I've had the pleasure of serving the San Diego community in the flooring business, I have found that time and time again, once given the chance to furnish the flooring for one family member, the rest of the family follows. i am proud to say word of mouth is my very finest advertising tool.
After a several years, they started selling best quality furniture, mattresses and carpeting, mostly from catalogs and manufacturer's samples. The store became well-know in Southern California as The place to go to for ordering great home furnishings at substantially reduced prices. In 1980, their son Bob launched Mattress World, a specialty store within Al Davis Furniture.
Abbey Carpet Corner, situated on Miramar road in San Diego, has the finest prices and quality on carpet, hardwood, vinyl and tile floors. Our experience and knowledge in best quality carpets and hardwood floors will be the most appropriate for any condo or house in San Diego or surrounding areas of San Diego County. Our clients are always satisfied with our outstanding service and quality.
- I love carpet! Walking on it! Sitting on it! Laying on it! But because I love carpet,


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Factors to Consider When Selecting a Paving Company
The beauty of a home is greatly enhanced when the driveway and the outside yard is paved appropriately and maintained in good condition. You should never ignore the impact of the pavement to the general look of your home; hence you should take action to restore the roadways immediately you notice damages and degradations. But since most people buy a ready-made house, they might not have any experience with paving companies. The following is the necessary knowledge you require for you to select the best paving contractor.
The insurance of the paving company should be the primary concern when choosing a paving company. Any worker accident of the pavement company employees working on your pavement without insurance could be directed to your homeowner's insurance policy. The company is also not responsible for any damages which they might cause to your property during the project if they are not insured.
Secondly, you should also ask for a price quote of the job before hiring a paving contractor. Clients are likely to get the best value of their money by going through the price quotes of several contractors to select the best. Some companies which have a services payment methods after the project is completed expose the clients to the risk of being overcharged. A malicious paving company may intentionally extend the paving services so that they can charge the client more. The price quotes of several companies are essential to choosing the best company for the job.
Thirdly, you should research the equipment and crew of paving company before you hire them. It is possible that a specific paving contractor cannot be able to work on your large scale project because they might have a small crew. In other cases, the inadequacy of a company to fail in taking on large-scale projects might be due to lack of essential equipment for such projects. Contractors with few employees or inadequate equipment are likely to result to products and services of a low quality which would not last long. To ensure that the job is finished in time and is done using the appropriate equipment you should select a fully equipped company.
Finally, you should not work with paving contractors who request for deposits before they start on the project. Such companies are likely to be new in the industry thus lack in experience and suppliers to work with the contractor. It is also likely that the company could ask for more funds from the client in case they run out of funds due to misappropriation. An excellent paving company has trusted creditors and product suppliers who have cultivated a good relationship with the contractors hence providing the contractor with funds and materials when the need arises.
What Almost No One Knows About Pavement


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-Features Online-
Ecco 2
Golden Axe
Golden Axe 2
Sonic 2
Sonic 3
Sonic & Knuckles
Streets of Rage
Wiz 'N' Liz
SVP Info (VR)
Mega Drive/Genesis Models Gallery
The Mega Drive or Genesis was without a doubt the best 16-Bit console of its time. It was the console that managed to break Nintendos monopolies on the console industry by inspiring the first great console war and winning a substantial market share.
It was this battle that brought the status of console games out from its somewhat limited audience out to the masses where it is today.
The Mega Drive was the platform in which the world was introduced to the phenomenon that is Sonic The Hedgehog.
Segas first foray into a home games console - the Master System did very little to dent the massive market share that Nintendo had. Their grip of 8-Bit machines was solid but these machines were fast becoming way of the dinosaur. For Sega to be successful they could not simply try again to steal Nintendos market. They needed to create a new market of their own. The time was right to create a new console based upon 16-Bit technology.
Newer computers of the day like the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST were of new 16-Bit design and the potential for them to play games and recreate the arcade machines of the time were bringing a new experience in gaming. Nowhere at the time a console could compete. Segas edge was to provide quality arcade conversions on a cheap, fast loading cartridge system based on newer 16-BIT technology.
Sega had already a rich arcade heritage thanks to the System 16 cabinets which drove titles like Afterburner 2, Space Harrier and Shinobi. As the name System 16 implies these were 16-BIT arcade machines. The plan was to being these games straight from the arcades into the home.
The internals of the system was basically derived straight from a System 16 arcade board. The CPU was slowed down from 10 Mhz to 7.87Mhz presumably to keep the price down, the ROMs were moved to a plugable medium - i.e cartridges rather than being burned into ROMs on the board and the monitor outputs were replaced with standard AV connectors for connecting to a TV. There was a little more tweaking inside but essentially that was it. The design was then encased in a sleek black case and the Mega Drive emerged. Its official in house name at that time was MK-1601. The name Mega Drive was derived from the use of the word mega to denote superiority of the newer games Sega were making compared to their old ones and drive conjured up images of an engine.
The advantage to this design was that System 16 games could be ported to the Mega Drive very easily since there were very similar in design getting some games for the new console relatively quickly and easily. The second inherent advantage to this design came from Segas engineering approach. Sega developed arcade boards by including newer components and technology to the already existing designs. Once the newer components had been proven a new board was derived entirely from the new components only removing the legacy built within them. The System 16 Arcade board contained remnants of the Master System design and thus the Mega Drive inherited an 8-Bit compatibility mode. With the Master System BIOS ROM that then instantly made available the entire software library of the Master System, Segas previous console. The ROM was put on an oversized cartridge and the first Mega Drive accessory was done.
The half moon controller design was the first of its time. Until that point controllers had usually been rectangular and generally had two buttons for character actions. Arcades machines already had more than 2 buttons. As the Mega Drive was to essentially be a home arcade machine 3 buttons were a must. In the future this would go onto 6. The pad design and its inherent curves made playing for hours much better.
There were other planned accessories such as keyboard, disk drive and graphics drawing tablet which eventually never came to market.
The design of the Mega Drive was to be then go on to become 3 more arcade boards, these being MegaJet, MegaTech and System C. These would be the platforms for taking some Mega Drive titles back into the arcades.
The core system itself managed to survive the two upgrade plans for it. Both the Mega CD and 32X were add-on units for the original Mega Drive design. You can read about them here. Needless to say these were in no way as successful as their base machine.
The system was in retail for 10 years in total and may well be the most remodelled and redesigned system ever. Check out the model gallery for more.
The Mega Drive launched in Japan 28th October 1988 for an initial price of 21000 yen. Titles available on launch on were Alex Kidd: The Enchanted Castle, Altered Beast, Space Harrier 2 and Super Thunder blade which were both ports of arcade games. Punters were initially amazed by the high definition graphics and stereo sound.
The system was received well but consumers soon went back to Nintendo who still had loads of third party developers making games for them locked into exclusive contracts.
The Mega Drive ultimately went on to achieve reasonable sales across Japan. Although never matching the runaway popularity as the western markets enough consoles were sold to make sure Sega were a serious threat to Nintendo.
The Mega Drive was renamed to Genesis for the launch in the US. This was because the name Mega Drive had already been trademarked by another company and in Hebrew the word genesis meant in the beginning which is what exactly were doing with their new console.
The system launched 15th September 1989 for an asking price of $190 which included the packaged title Altered Beast. The system launched with the titles Tommy Lasdora Baseball, Space Harrier 2, Thunder Force, Super Thunder Blade and Last Battle.
The system was well received and gamers instantly could tell the difference between Sega and Nintendo. The system did receive a little dent when the shortness of the games began to show through. This was soon rectified but the main driver behind the Genesis was sports games.
Titles from Sega Sports and EA kept the system riding high and the arrival of Sonic marked explosive success for the console ranking sales up further and managing to fight off the SNES which was expected to own the market.
The US was the main battlefield between Sega and Nintendo.
Sega were already popular in Europe thanks to the Master System with Britain being the stronghold. Nintendo were busy marketing their newly arrived Game Boy at the time.
The Mega Drive launched November 1990 with an initial price of 190 which included Altered Beast. Other titles available on launch were Alex Kidd: The Enchanted Castle, Space Harrier 2 and Super Thunder Blade.
The Mega Drive sold well initially and sales continued as more games came. The Sonic Boom also ripped through Europe driving sales up further and further.
The Mega Drive went on to be extremely popular and become the dominant console. It was still popular even after the launch of the Saturn and it continued in retail up until 1998 where it could be picked up with 6 games for around 60 in most high street stores.
| Specifications |
Motorola M68000 16 bit processor @ 7.67MHz
Sega Custom VDP
Z80A running at 3.58 MHz
Work RAM 64Kbit
1Mbyte (8Mbit)
Outputs and Ports
Seperate RF and R.G.B output jacks. Also supports composite video
The design of the Mega Drive was taken almost straight from Segas System 16 arcade boards. It is also a reasonably simplistic design being a CPU and VDP so programmers were not faced with daunting complexities.
The main CPU of the Mega Drive is a Motorola 68000 running at 7.67 Mhz which was the same as the original Apple Mac. This sounds like nothing today but consider that a ZX Spectrum and even the Super Nintendo only ran at 3.5Mhz!. The 68000s were some of the best performing chips of the time and were widely used.
The 68000 had a dedicated 64K of memory available to it for storage of variables and execution.
The VDP is Sega custom design. It is designed mainly for sprite functions. It can manage 64 onscreen colours at once from a colour palette of 512. Later programming techniques evolved that would allow for more colours on screen at once. It provides a standard operating resolution of 320 x 224 and can handle 80 sprites on screen at once. It has 64K of memory for its own work and 64x9Kbit of dedicated colour RAM.
Onscreen the VDP can create a total of 6 layers. 3 graphics planes, 2 scrolling playfields and a sprite layer.
The sound system consists of a Yamaha YM-2612, a PSG (programmable sound generator) from Texas Instruments controlled by a Zilog Z80 cpu (which was used almost everywhere in those days) with dedicated 8K of RAM. This CPU is mostly used for control of the sound system but can be programmed for other tasks.
The Mega Drive has territorial lock outs. Some of the early games, however, were not protected. The lockout code was introduced as part of a method of preventing unlicensed games being made for the machine. A change to some of the proprietary code in the boot up ROM was made.
The original system had a 9 pin RS232 serial connector on the back for connection of a modem.
The Mega Drive is also probably the most redesigned and remodelled console ever. There are about 10 designs for the system some of which include the Mega CD. For some of these models check out the Models Gallery for some pics.
Power Base Converter - Play all Master System titles on your Mega Drive with this converter. The original model allows you to use both cartridges and card games. This was redesigned with the advent of the Mega drive 2 and had the card slot dropped.
Menacer - The very bulky Menacer light gun for he Mega Drive. Came packaged with 6 Games.
6 Button Pad - Highly recommended yet essential for the best beat em ups for the system. Street Fighter is not the same as the arcade without 6 buttons.
Multi Tap - Increase the competition for those sports games. Expand your pad potential for your Mega Drive and host a joy pad party if you wanted to. EA made their own version of the multi tap for use with their titles.
Mega CD - This is a CDROM drive add-on for the Mega Drive and was the second only CDROM system on the market when it launched. Check it out here...
32X - The ill fated 32-Bit upgrade for your Mega Drive bringing you Virtua Racing Deluxe, Virtua Fighter and Doom. Check it out here....
The Mega Drive has an outstanding library of games. There are 500+ made for the US market alone. There have been estimations of around 900+ games in total. A game of almost every conceivable genre exists on Segas 16-Bitter.
From the start there are Segas arcade conversions. There were pulled almost straight of the arcade during the system conception. These were proven popular in the arcades but the criticism from the home gamers were that they were too short for a console game. This was quickly rectified as games that were in development specifically for the console were beginning to be released.
| Afterburner 2 |
| Altered Beast |
Games like Streets of Rage and Revenge of Shinobi had the arcade feel to them but were made specifically for a console game experience. Streets of Rage 2 was the first ever 16Mbit cartridge - thats 2MB for PC people.
Other original titles from Sega included Ecco the Dolphin - the first ever swim-em-up. Ecco embarks on a mission to save his pod from an alien invasion.
Perhaps the ultimate conversion from the arcades was Virtua Racing. Although it needed an extra chip to drive the game it was still mighty impressive. Check out the SVP Page for more info.
EA had great success with their games for the Mega Drive predominantly sports based. They were the first to use real sports people in their games.
| Urban Strike |
| Fifa 97 |
The strike series were very popular and when they debuted were a revolution in graphics and gameplay. This went on to improve as the series went on. Eventually 3 games existed; Desert Strike, Jungle Strike and Urban Strike. Other classics from EA included Road Rash and James Pond.
| Street Fighter 2 CE |
| Mortal Kombat 2 |
Capcoms infamous Street Fighter II came to the Mega Drive after first appearing from the arcades on SNES. The arcade version had 6 buttons for the fighters to perform their moves. As such the Mega Drive was commissioned with a 6 button controller also. The game was upgraded to Special Champion Edition for the Mega Drive adding new modes of play, ability to play as the bosses and the infamous Turbo option. Ultimately this was upgraded to Super Street Fighter II which was a mammoth 40Mbit cartridge and the biggest game for the Mega Drive ever.
Plenty of other games included support for the 6 button pad ultimately almost phasing out the standard 3 button controller.
Another beat-em-up famous for another reason caused quite a stir when it arrived. Mortal Kombat from Midway was one of the first beat em up games to feature gore - blood and body parts. The characters in the game were digitised sprites of real people - real people, real blood!. Well the best for 16-BIT anyway. Coupled with this the infamous fatalities and you have one of the most controversial games ever released. The Sega version was straight port from the arcade whereas the Nintendo version had all the offending graphics taken out siding with outraged parents and going for the clean image. The original Mortal Kombat was only out done by the future games in the series which became even more bloody.
Other games of note include those from UK developer Zyrinx whos games demonstrate
incredible graphical skills. Also in this category are Blue Sky with the visually stunning
Vectorman series. Hardcore game developer Treasure had some excellent titles. Gunstar
Heroes was an outstanding title and Alien Soldier amongst others. Both titles are pretty
rare to find these days.
| Gunstar Hereos |
| Alien Soldier |
Without a doubt the most famous games on the Mega Drive are the Sonic Series. From the original all the games are packed with excellent graphics, sound and speed. It was these games especially when they became packaged with the console that made the system popular. These were the games to have when the Mega Drive was popular - that is if you liked Sonic.
As the life of the system went on there is a very noticeable improvement in the graphical quality of the games from the beginning of the machines life towards the end. The newer techniques for creating onscreen effects seemed to be no problem for the Mega Drive to handle. Excellent examples are from the afore mentioned Blue Sky and Zyrinx.
Without a doubt one of the best consoles ever made. Many people will be upset by this statement claiming that the SNES was better. That may be so but without the competition of the Mega Drive the SNES may not have been as good as it actually was. The competition between Sega and Nintendo at the time bought out the best in both companies. The two attempts to upgrade the system did dents Segas reputation but for people who stuck with just the Mega Drive there were no complaints.
The Mega Drive is an essential part of gaming history and has so many great games that are still playable today. That is probably why it was one of the first consoles to be emulated.
Whilst the Mega Drive may not be instantly viewable in shops it is still very much with us in a variety of forms. It has since been remodelled into a 52-in-1 games machine. It is one of those control pad designs which plug directly into a TV with a set of games built in which can not be changed.
Shinco 868 DVD player has a built in Mega Drive emulator and pads. The unit comes with a set of CDs containing Mega Drives ROMS. This can be picked up from online retailers like Twocom for around 230.
The latest incarnation from Sega was the Genesis Nomad. A fully portable system with a colour LCD screen about the size of a VHS tape. The final official version although not actually made by Sega themselves but licensed to a company called Majesco Sales, was the Genesis 3. A smaller, more squarer version that plugged into a TV. Check both out on the Models Gallery.
For those people wanting a real life piece of gaming history then a Mega Drive is still relatively easy to obtain. You can find a machine for as little as 10 and sometimes thats with a game. Opt for an original style unit rather than the remodelled Mega Drive 2 because you have the extra ports and the country and video switches are very to easy to fit making it universal.
For the real enthusiast like myself then you may want to keep a watch out for the original style jap unit which runs in PAL. Ascetic changes are the badge with the power led in the centre is burgundy and the raised 16-Bit characters are twice the size and are in gold. On the bottom of the case will be Model No MK-1601-11 and PAL-1.
Expect to pay anywhere between 5 and 10 for a game. Typical titles in this category will be Sonic, Sonic 2, Road Rash, Eternal Champions and Ecco 2. The later and rarer titles such as Mega Bomberman, Streets of Rage 3 and Sonic and Knuckles will cost around 15. These are typical prices for games boxed in mint with instructions.
A 6 button controller is a must. The smaller Sega versions are so much better to play with and some of the best games need 6 buttons.
If you have a CEX in your area then they are well worth checking out. They usually have great range of Mega Drive titles.
Also Check out Funhouse and Kart Klub for some great prices.
With the arrival of the Game Boy Advance many Mega Drives titles are set to make a return. Confirmed titles are so far
Emulation of the Mega Drivehas been around for years yet there are always little improvements that programmers are putting into their emulators. With the advent of Mega CD and 32X emulation it is more and more important that the core Mega Drive system is emulated as closely as possible.
In addition to emulators of the Mega Drive for a PC there are now emulators on
Dreamcast. Sega also have wrote and emulator.
Dos Emulators
Dos Emulators
Full speed Mega Drive emulation can be achieved in DOS with a little as a Pentium 133 and a decent PCI video card.
Kgen and Kgen 98 by Steve Snake
Currently the best DOS emulator and possibly the best ever. Simple to use with excellent speed. Best used with a VESA 2 video card and a genuine Sound Blaster 16.
Genecyst by Bloodlust Software
Not as fast as Kgen but has tons more options to play with such as WAV logging and
dumping individual parts of the system to a file.
Windows Emulators
Windows Emulators
Emulation of consoles under Windows seems to be the natural development of these programs as DOS is gradually phased out. These tend to require a substantially more powerful system usually a Pentium III class cpu and a good video card to achieve decent frame rates. All emulators require Direct X.
An excellent emulator. This emulator started off as Mega Drive only yet overtime has come to include both Mega CD and 32X! The speed is good as well as compatibility.
Kega - By Steve Snake
From the author of KGEN now comes this excellent Windows based emulator which not only emulates a Mega Drive but also Mega CD, Master System and Game Gear.
Dreamcast Emulators
There are a few emulators for the Mega Drive on Dreamcast. Some are written by programmers in the emulation scene but one is written by Sega themselves. For all Dreamcast emulators check out DC Emulation.Excellent site.
Sega Smash Pack
This was a package sold by Sega of America. It included an emulator written by Sega and a number of ROMs. These were Streets of Rage 2, Golden Axe, Shining Force, Vectorman, Altered Beast, Sonic the Hedgehog, Revenge of Shinobi, Phantasy Star 2 and Wrestle War. Not exactly the core of the Mega Drives best times but some classics in there. Unfortunately the emulator its self is not the best which is ironic considering the programming talent they must have as well as all the documentation of the consoles that was ever needed.
This was packed with the Dreamcast for a short period of time. It was planned that future edition would include more classic Mega Drive titles but the idea was never taken any further. Perhaps the emulator would have improved also.
The Sega Smash Emulator is capable of running other ROMs. Distributions on the net can be found with no ROMS allowing you own to be placed on the CD along with the program.
DC Generator
This is a currently in progress Mega Drive emulator written by Atani Software. Looks very promising.