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With big prizes from Auto Meter and Mickey Thompson, there are now two ways to get your ride in Popular Hot Rodding
We heard a new term the other day. It's called a "Facebook Vacation." It's when people take a break from living on the Internet, and step outside into the bright light of day. Put your sunglasses on people, because you are about to go on a Facebook Vacation, and this one can actually net you free swag, like a full set of custom gauges from the Auto Meter Custom Shop, or a full set of Mickey Thompson ultra high-performance Street Comp tires.
Frankly, getting in PHR is easier than strapping a holeshot on a Honda. Just fill out the entry form in this story, write a one-page story about your car, take some good digital photos of your ride, and send it all to Popular Hot Rodding headquarters by the prescribed date. This is not some secret ploy to build a mailing list that you'll never be able to get yourself off; The PHR staff promises to keep all this info confidential (code for "We'll never find this stuff in Hunkins' office.") The sole objective of this Facebook Vacation is simple: We want to put your car on the printed pages of Popular Hot Rodding magazine.
Two Contests
We're taking our regular yearly Photo Contest that you know and love, and splitting it into two contests with two big prizes. The first contest is the Popular Hot Rodding Readers' Projects Contest Sponsored By Mickey Thompson. This contest is for guys and gals with projects that aren't completed. When we say not completed, we mean it's not running or driving, but has visible amounts of work already done to it. We want to see all that hard work and find out what your plans are for completion.
The second contest is the Popular Hot Rodding Photo Contest Sponsored By Auto Meter. This is for muscle cars that are finished. You're already driving it to the track, to car shows, and you're terrorizing livestock and small children with the crackle of exhaust and leaving mayhem in your wake. We want you to show us the beauty of your iron horse while telling us exactly why you like it and how it got that way.
My Car Is In Pieces!
If you've got a half-finished carcass of a project, an idea in your head or on a sketch pad, and a pile of parts stacked in a corner, we love it. Does your wife or girlfriend wonder when it's going to be finished, but so far all you've got is a stack of credit card bills to show for it? Did you just have a great parole board hearing and can now resume wrenching on your Mopar? Take heart! Bolt the tires on, roll that sucker into the driveway, and grab some nice high-res digital photos for the Popular Hot Rodding Readers' Projects Contest Sponsored By Mickey Thompson. Grab some pix of the engine, suspension, chassis, and your fabrication/bodywork chops too, and send them to us on a CD with any renderings you've got. Don't forget to send us a shot of you posing with or working on your car. We're going to run all of them in our November Readers' Projects issue, and the one judged by the PHR staff to be the coolest will get a free set of Mickey Thompson UHP Street Comp tires to finish out his or her project! So unless Google is printing pix of your car in a real magazine and sending out a stack of free tires, what's keeping you? Submission deadline for the Popular Hot Rodding Readers' Projects Contest Sponsored By Mickey Thompson is June 17, 2013.
My Ride Is Already Dope!
The long wait is over for guys who already finished their car creations, and now's the time to show it off to more than just the burger joint regulars. We want to pack our Jan. '14 Readers' Rides issue to the brim with your completed homebuilt and pro-built street machines, and to get the best possible photos, we've turned it into the Popular Hot Rodding Photo Contest Sponsored By Auto Meter. Just as in previous years, we need some great-looking high-res digital photos of your ride, along with a one-page cover story, the completed Photo Contest entry form, your photo CD, and color prints of your car.
And as if getting into PHR isn't enough, we'll be giving the winner of our photo contest a free set of Auto Meter Custom Shop gauges up to $800 in value. That's enough to build pretty much any full set of gauges in any color with any look and feel you want! All you gotta do is send us some bitchin pix! Submission deadline for the Popular Hot Rodding Photo Contest Sponsored By Auto Meter is August 2, 2013.
The Rules
We plan on printing every entry that we get for both the Popular Hot Rodding Readers' Projects Contest Sponsored By Mickey Thompson, and the Popular Hot Rodding Photo Contest Sponsored By Auto Meter, but for that to happen entrants need to follow all of these rules:
- You must provide digital photos on a CD. They must be in JPEG format and at least 3,000 x 2,000 pixels. You must provide color prints for all the photos you burn onto your CD.
- All photos must be in focus, well-lit, and the car must not be chopped off or blocked by obstacles. No time/date stamps.
- You must write a one-page story about your project or finished car and include it in your entry package. Please make it interesting—we may quote from it.
- You must completely and legibly fill out all the information and specs in the accompanying entry form, and send it in with your entry. Please note in the check box which contest you're entering and choose just one.
- The owner of the car must be the photographer. You give Source Interlink Media (parent company of PHR), Auto Meter, and Mickey Thompson permission to publish your photos in print and electronically.
- Please observe the entry submission deadlines for the contest you choose—the deadlines are different. Choose one contest only.
- Both the PHR Photo Contest Sponsored By Auto Meter and the PHR Readers' Projects Contest Sponsored By Mickey Thompson are open to all domestic, rear-wheel-drive passenger cars built between 1955 and 1980. No trucks, imports, front-drivers, or late-models.
- Your entry package must be sent physically to our editorial office, and include a photo CD, prints, a one-page cover story, and the completed entry form/tech sheet (a copy is OK).
- We will notify the winner of the PHR Readers' Projects Contest Sponsored By Mickey Thompson by July 22, and the winner of the PHR Photo Contest Sponsored By Auto Meter by September 23.
Auto Meter Custom Shop Gauges
Until very recently, if you wanted custom gauges for your ride, you had to pay dearly for them—if you could even find someone to do them. Only the most lavishly equipped machines on the show car circuit had one-off instrumentation. Then about three years ago, Auto Meter came up with a great idea: set up a custom shop for automotive gauges, much like a custom guitar shop in the style of Fender or Gibson. The Auto Meter Custom Shop lets customers design their own gauges with unique color faces, ticking, pointers, cover glass, fonts, bezels, and lighting. If it's part of a gauge, the Auto Meter Custom Shop can do it for you. After logging on to the Auto Meter Custom Shop website, just download the Custom Shop configurator, and start picking out your gauges with all their features. As you build your dream gauge package, the gauges take shape right on the screen. You can try out several different designs, save them for future reference, or compare them. You can even print them out and try them in your car before ordering. And all while you're building your virtual gauges, the cost is updated and displayed with every revision! You'll also be surprised how affordable it is. Once you order them, they'll show up at your door in a beautiful handcrafted wood box. They'll look so nice, you won't even want to put them in your car!
Auto Meter Custom Shop
Mickey Thompson Street Comp Tires
The winner of our Readers' Projects contest will receive a free set of Mickey Thompson Street Comp tires in the size of his or her choice! These high-performance driving shoes have a sexy asymmetric tread design that works well in both wet and dry. With a UTQG treadwear rating of 300 and traction/temp grades of "AA" and "A" respectively, the Street Comp is a great all-around tire for the street and occasional track use. The Mickey Thompson Street Comp tire is built for ultra high-performance applications, and provides incredible traction, crisp handling, and high-speed cornering ability with the outstanding appearance you'd expect from Mickey Thompson. They also have a great look for muscle cars; they'll complement any hot performer. You'll also be happy to know that Mickey Thompson Street Comp tires are built specifically for our heavier mid and fullsized classics; available in beefy widths, the Street Comp comes in 18 different sizes ranging from 17 inches on up to 20 inches.
Mickey Thompson Tires
Tips For Better Photos
- At the bare minimum, your photos should be well composed, in focus, sharp, and well lit.
- The entire car should be in the photo, other cars should not be in the shot, and you should not be shooting the rear of the car.
- Try shooting from different vantage points in addition to eye level. If your car is driveable, try shooting at twilight for a more dramatic effect.
- If you turn the front tires, don't aim the tread at the camera—show the wheel.
- On completed cars, use reflectors to bounce sunlight into the grille. Reflectors can be bought, or made out of aluminum foil and cardboard. An off-camera flash can also do the same job.
- Use a tripod to steady your camera. You can also use the hood of another car, the ground, or a railing if you don't have a tripod.
- Don't adjust the color, contrast, or brightness of your images with your computer—this will just mess it up and make it difficult to print.
- Find a unique or beautiful background for a driveable car. A park, beach, historical area, fairground, run-down industrial area, empty country road, airfield taxiway, or tarmac can be a great spot. Keep off the grass, dirt, mud, and the gravel. Stay away from painted parking lot lines.
- Experiment with different exposures. Use the exposure compensation feature (look for something labeled "EV" on your camera menu) to increase the exposure if your images are too dark.
- Bring friends to help with reflectors, flashes, to direct traffic, to move extraneous debris, to read the camera owner's manual, and to help you move the car.


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Smitty & Co.
I'm a little confused also. :confused: I didn't see mentioned anywhere that even with the five members of our Advisory team on board that they would be responsible for moderating the website. I think Cameo and Haffy have been doing a mighty fine job and would certainly give them my vote of confidence. Maybe a poll is needed and maybe we should go through the motions like we did with the adivsory members and nominate and vote for website moderators too?? I'd like to see them stay but certainly respect their decisions to step down if they choose to. From the sounds of other posts nobody wants to see them go. :( As far as jeapoardizing (sp?) friendships.........well, if the friendship is true & true, nobody should be faulting you for doing your job as a moderator, especially friends. I think maybe we need some insight and input from our newly elected Advisory board members on this issue. Hey folks....whatdoyathink?? If nominations for moderators are needed then I'll step up and nominate Cameooooo & Haffy :D

subset: commoncrawl


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Space Vehicles and Machines
Starships and their kind are the penultimate in common minifig teknology. These are vehicles and machines that are capable of taking the fight to the very stars themselves. With these ships, entire empires can comb the universe for ever more powerful, strange, and mysterious power sources and weapons. They can invade other worlds and do battle on colossal space stations. They can develop and mount ever larger weaponry and revel in its destructive power. Truly, expansion into space is the stuff of minifig imagination and it allows them to glory in all that they are at heart. Infinite space in which to build...and in which to destroy.
Constant exploration into unknown space and the paradigm shifting discoveries made there, the mercurial circumstances in the social universe combined with the ever more clever development of the Factions and Forces that influence it, and the universe recycling Rekonstruktions banishing teknologies to oblivion and bringing new ones previously unheard of to the fore all contribute to the vast number of starship classifications and designations in the BrikVerse. From escape pods and star fighters to capital ships and starbases and beyond, the BrikVerse knows no creative or destructive bounds and BrikWarriors are ever more inspired (and encouraged) to take to the heavens and do great justice to the inherent nature of the BrikWar.
- 1 Space Teknologies
- 1.1 Starships
- 1.1.1 Fighter Class
- 1.1.2 Tactical Class
- 1.1.3 Battle Class
- 1.1.4 Capital Class
- 1.1.5 Epik Class
- 1.1.6 Mythik Class
- 1.1.7 Starship Designations
- 1.2 SpaceStations
- 1.1 Starships
Space Teknologies
Space Teknologies are organized, at their broadest, into Categories which help to define a teknology's overall function. They are then grouped into general families of designs, or Classifications, for ease of reference. These Classes are not hard and fast, of course. With so many factions in the universe, some are bound to deviate from the standard somewhat. Where this is the case, their classifications will be included with their faction entry. Within some Classifications exist a breakdown of various Specifications, design specs which are divergent from the main design of the Class but which remain highly similar in theme or component. Finally, Space Teknologies are given a variety of descriptor tags called Designations which further define the capabilities and roles of the teknology.
Starships comprise the largest Category of Space Teknologies. There are a great deal of Starship Classes and Specifications, running the gamut from one man craft all the way up through and beyond city sized space craft. All Starships are space worthy and vehicular in nature, capable of movement among the stars. While some are also capable of atmospheric flight, the aforementioned traits are the primary identifiers of Starships.
Fighter Class
Fighter Starships, or Starfighters, are small, self propelled combat space craft, usually armed with an array of heavy weaponry suitable for space combat, shielded or lightly armored, and powered by high energy but short term power sources. These ships are typically designed for fast, short range space combat and are almost always found scrambling from carriers, bases, or stations. Groupings of Fighter Specifications are often given the size designation.
Interceptor Starfighters are the most common fighters, representing a balance of offensive and defensive abilities and self sufficiency. Interceptors are single engagement ships, built for the singular purpose of short range combat. These ships intercept other ships and so may find themselves fulfilling both offensive and defensive roles. They are the cheapest ships, usually, to build being, also usually, the smallest. Their small size combined with their high energy consumption, however, keep them fairly tethered to a fuel source, typically a larger carrier-type ship.
Strike Fighters are slightly more self sufficient than their Interceptor cousins and are typically loaded down with a heavier array of devastatingly offensive weaponry. Strike Fighters are built to be fast, heavy hitting warships capable of ranging out to a mildly distant target. They are also a good deal larger than most Starfighters, in order to compensate for the advanced weapons systems, but aren't usually better shielded or armored. They are described often as "flying guns."
Recon Fighters are extremely long range ships that tend to sacrifice both offensive and defensive capabilities in favor of higher fuel capacity, stealth systems, and staggering amounts of high-end surveillance equipment.
Tactical Class
Tactical Ships fulfill a specific role within a fleet or battlegroup. They are often small to medium sized self propelled space craft armed, armored, and equipped variably to assist their assigned function. Tactical Ships are almost always self sufficient, being the backbone of most operations.
Cutter Starships are the ultimate in practical serviceability, designed to fulfill a variety of support roles from minor escort to transport (ferrying cargo/personnel from ship to ship or base). Cutters are light and fast and, as such, serve well on patrol or in raids.
Sometimes also called sloops-of-war, the term GunBoat is a sort of catchall classification for all smaller warships that don't fulfill a specific function. GunBoats are far and away the single most common Tactical Class Starship in the BrikVerse. They are the filler for most fleets. Usually thick ships with solid armoring or shielding, GunBoats are also often laden with a lot of big guns and tons of transport space (usually reserved for troops). They are, however, typically lumbering and slow.
Corvette Starships are larger and heavily crewed but are also speedy and maneuverable. Corvettes serve almost exclusively as patrol craft, monitoring territorial borders and various zones in space of strategic value. Thanks to their high self sufficiency, large crew compliment, and relative speed, these vessels sometimes serve as exploration ships. These ships are highly prized by minifigs and members of a faction's space corps are always ecstatic to receive posting on one. Corvettes are almost universally equipped with boarding teknology, allowing Minifigs to take the fight to one another even in the depths of space and capture one another's vessels on their own terms.
Carrier Starships are vessels that have been built primarily for transportation, whether of cargo or personnel. They are heavily armored and shielded but typically maintain only defensive weaponry. Carriers are often large creations, the better to hold more cargo space but also to maintain their massive engines. The most effective Carriers are also relatively fast, if not maneuverable, so that they may get into combat or away from it in time. Small Carriers are sometimes called Dropships, whereas large carriers range from Planetary Landers to Starfighter Bases.
Scratch swooshes "The Elodin"
Battle Class
Battle Starships are the big guns of a space fleet, though they are powerful enough to sometimes operate alone during small or limited engagements. They are medium to very large self propelled combat space craft, typically heavily armed and armored, equipped with a vast array of practical systems, extremely self sufficient, and usually capable of extraordinary speeds.
Frigates are vessels that are built for speed and maneuverability, pure and simple. Offensive (as much as it can be) and defensive capabilities are an afterthought in a Frigate's main design. Frigates typically serve as command vessels for escort groups and as tactical lynchpins, outmaneuvering and outflanking enemy formations.
Destroyers are defensive warships, heavily armored and/or shielded and equipped with a battery of anti-everything weaponry. They are the protectors of convoys and the main command ships in a blockade. Destroyers are built to be fast and maneuverable, like their Frigate cousins with whom they share many responsibilities, but tend to sacrifice positioning power for more defensive and tactical weaponry.
Cruisers are some of the more common heavy hitters among Starships. They are often very large vessels which are fully outfitted to operate alone and remain self sufficient for as long as it takes to complete any given mission. Given that these duties may include long range patrol and surveillance, some Cruisers can outlast some Capital Ships. Cruisers also engage lone raids and massive transport (often serving as blockade busters). When they are paired with other ships in a fleet, it is often in an escort position.
Battleships are the penultimate in offensive space combat ships. They are equipped with a bewildering arrangement of really very powerful and very large guns, highly specialized tactical weaponry, and (where they'll fit) broadsides of smaller defensive weapons tek. Battleships are so focused on offensive and tactical systems that they don't care much about defensive capability and only maintain enough power in the engines to get them into a fight. They're big, they're scary, and they're some of the best common ships in any given fleet.
"San Lorenzo"-class EIN Battleship (MicroSpace)
Capital Class
While lesser ships may fight skirmishes for bits and pieces of territory, Capital Ships are the starship monstrosities that vie for whole regions of space and struggle valiantly for control of the most valuable resources the BrikVerse has to offer. Capital Class vessels, typically, can do everything. They're equipped to the gills with everything a faction could possibly need. Vast fuel stores, huge cargo bays, impressive crew and civilian complements, an absurd amount of weaponry, and more mass than many small moons. Capital Ships coordinate Fleet actions and serve as a true measure of a faction's real power in open space. When a Capital Ship appears on the field of battle, the enemy knows that things have gone from whatever they were before to much, much worse and in a hurry.
Dreadnoughts are the biggest, heaviest, nastiest non-unique ships in any given fleet. They cost an astronomical fortune to make and maintain but the serve as tactical lynchpins in securing entire regions of space. They tend to boast more guns and heavier armors and shielding than most other ships that might comprise a fleet and their crews are often handpicked elites who wield the ship's overpowered systems with practiced ease. Dreadnought crews are some of the most loyal and fanatic in the BrikVerse and with the sheer power they can bring to bear, they have very little to fear.
See the Microspace Dreadnought Index for a comprehensive list.
Planet Buster
Also called Planet Killers, these ships are literally just an unthinkably massive gun with an engine strapped to it that is big enough to push it around at a reasonable speed. They are, as the name implies, capable of destroying entire planets and are even sometimes armored or shielded enough to survive the devastation they wreak. Planet Busters are behemoths which are incapable of maneuvering and defending themselves. They require an escort in the face of an enemy strong enough and fast enough to pick it apart before it reaches its "stationary" target.
Colony Ships are usually civilian in nature but they are regularly crewed by paramilitary personnel and often accompanied by a military convoy. These vast ships undergo the long and arduous process of traveling the stars, looking for new planets to inhabit and expand the borders of their respective factions. There are some older, discarded models that have been taken over and occupied by non-allied forces and civilian groups. These repurposed vessels are often without much in the way of operating costs, fuel, and sometimes even whole propulsion systems entirely. They're called Drifter Colonies and they are a pretty frequent sight throughout the BrikVerse. As for the faction oriented vessels, Colony Ships are rarely built to serve in space for an overlong period of time. Instead, they are designed to break apart during colonization procedure on a suitable planet and, once landed, be converted into a viable city structure.
Epik Class
Epik Starships are singularly the most badass ships a fleet generally has to offer. Massive constructions that dwarf all other ships, Epik Ships often serve as mobile headquarters for faction leaders or other important personages. When outfitted for war, which is almost always the case, Epik Ships carry the biggest, most ridiculous guns and are equipped with some serious Epitek. When non-militarily outfitted, Epik Ships might serve as city sized pleasure cruises and the like (keeping in mind that a minifig's idea of pleasure is, well, war). Epik Starships of a particular Specification come in ones, so exorbitant is their cost and their resource demands, especially during operation.
Flagships are the single best ships a faction has to offer. These ships represent the concerted effort of years of work, sometimes involving Human intervention, a truly colossal economic expenditure, and the most bleeding edge tek the group can get their hands on. Flagships are meant to put the fear of god into enemies. There is no such thing as excess where they are concerned. Often, but not always, Flagships will serve as transport for the faction's leaders and they will coordinate governing from there. Flagships always, however, whenever they are deployed, serve as the command ship for a fleet or battle group.
"The Thirteenth Hour" Lux Araphelinus Type Dreadnaught (MS)
Star Juggernaut
These ships are the ultimate in minifig spaceship teknology, capable of destroying stars through exotic Epitek. Only a few of the most advanced factions in the brikverse possess them, and even then serve in very limited numbers and lead the entire navies of these nations. To have one is the mark of a top-tier star empire.
Mythik Class
These MythiTek Human creations typically transcend minifig understanding. They are usually massive storage units that Humans use to transport everything from the smallest stud or minifig to the largest Capital Ship anywhere among the MultiVerses. Sometimes, they are more abstract, taking the form of Representative Concepts.
BOXES are typically cardboard constructions, flimsy and weak but just sturdy enough to do the job of transporting the pieces. They are not highly effective at protecting the components within.
BINS are typically plastic constructions, solid and strong and more than capable of transporting elements while protecting them from outside forces. Their main disadvantage, however, lies in the inability to protect shifting pieces inside the storage space from damaging themselves.
POCKETS are highly flexible constructions, typically made from cloth of denim, and are very often much, much smaller than BOXES or BINS. They are typically capable of carrying a handful of minifigs or briks at one time. Rarely, they are luxurious accommodations for minifigs, soft and clean. Far more often, they are nightmare transports that give minifigs scurvy thanks to all the Cheatos Dust in the air. The conditions are often linty, hot, moist from Human sweat, and cramped thanks to the Human fat which presses tightly against the outer hull of the transport and serves as the conveyance's primary (if usually slow) means of propulsion.
PLOT Vehicles are absurdly huge and absurdly powerful even by Human standards. Why, a miniature scale version of one might take up a Human's whole living room! They're impractical and unrealistic and used only to drive some kind of singular story. Methods of konstruktion and propulsion through space vary wildly from PLOT to PLOT, based on the needs of the their particular stories. Sentient Planets and HomeWorld SHIPS are good examples of PLOT vehicles.
Starship Designations
A designation can be applied to any individual space teknology of any Class. These designations might refer to Epitek upgrades that any space vehicle or machine could be retrofitted to receive or to specific and significant functions any space teknology could be outfitted to perform. Whatever players can imagine applying, as a template, to any space tek (no matter how silly) can serve as a designation. The following are some common examples of Starship Designations.
- Aquatic: Aquatic Starships are capable of movement and maneuverability underwater.
- Atmospheric: This designation denotes a ship that is capable of atmospheric entry and flight.
- Defensive Capability: This designation calls out the types of armor, force fields, or other protective abilities and teknologies the ship possesses.
- Escort: Escort is a designation that can be attached to any vessel, indicating its status as part of a convoy, namely in a protective detail.
- Hybrid: This designation represents the merging of any two or more Space Teknologies into one unit. As Teknology in the BrikVerse advances, this is becoming a more commonplace engineering tactic.
- Infiltrator: An infiltration vessel is a ship equipped with some kind of stealth teknology and is designed to operate behind enemy lines.
- Merchant Vessel: Also called a civilian or private vessel, this designation denotes a Starship that is not prepared for battle, instead serving as a cargo or other such civilian ship only.
- Movement Capability: Fast, slow, interstellar, intergalactic, multi-dimensional, orbital, maneuverable, lumbering, or any number of other such descriptors can be applied to any Space Teknology to determine how it moves.
- Offensive Capability: This designation calls out the weapons the ship carries as well as any other destructive abilities.
- Patrol: Patrol boats are ships designed to engage border patrol or similarly defensive duties. They are often equipped with reserve fuel and supplies and usually try to maintain a balance between armor and speed.
- Raider: A Raider vessel is a ship designed for guerrilla warfare tactics, close quarters combat, and boarding actions. Raider vessels are usually light and fast, sacrificing defensive capabilities for armament and speed.
- Scout: Scout ships are ships designed for exploration and surveillance. They are often equipped with extra fuel reserves, survival supplies, and reconnaissance equipment.
- Size: SuperLight, Light, Heavy, SuperHeavy or any other such descriptors can be applied to any Starship, representing the described variance from the norm listed for that Class, Specification, or similar grouping of that item. Size designations might blur the lines between accepted size categories for ship classifications.
- Warship: A warship designates a Starship as prepared for battle. Civilian vessels that have been converted for war also receive this designation. Almost every ship in the BrikVerse is a warship, however, so this designation is rarely used and almost always assumed.
SpaceStations are a somewhat smaller Category of Space Teknologies, even as they are typically larger in individual scale. There are a handful of various Station Classifications and Specifications. All SpaceStations are built to operate in the vacuum of space and are meant to house personnel and equipment to various purposes. They are typically immobile or exist in a helpless orbit.
WayStation Class
WayStations, sometimes called Outposts, are usually small SpaceStations placed at the outskirts of a territory before some vast expanse or at regular intervals across some otherwise empty distance. They are often restocking locations, carrying reserves of fuel and supplies for Starships and their crews. Sometimes, however, they will serve as early warning invasion detectors or as the first line of defense against such an invasion force.
Reserve WayStations are inventory nervecenters for weary and worn down travellers, like GasStations in space. They carry reserves of various types of fuel, food stuffs for crews and a small handful of entertainment supplies and weaponry (often obtained through barter). Most Reserves are small, but certain factions maintain very large supply centers. Some Reserves are private businesses, catering to the galactic public, but many are military affairs. Very much like their ground based cousins, however, all of them make for spectacular explosions under a heavy amount of directed gunfire.
Staging Outposts are one of the most common types of SpaceStations, serving as forward bases for either defense or attack forces to stage combat maneuvers. They are stocked to the gills with weaponry, are usually either heavily armored or built in scores, and are well populated with warriors of the appropriate stripes. Staging Outposts, due to the very chaotic nature of combat, are rarely permanent affairs lasting only as long as the overall engagement for which they were commissioned.
Surveillance Outposts, also called Listening Posts, are stations that have been placed at the edge of a territory or in deep space to keep watch over an area, sometimes for research and exploration purposes but most often to uncover enemy activity. Listening posts are low on supplies and personnel and very often do their best to mask their presence in the area.
SpaceBase Class
SpaceBases, in stark contrast to WayStations, are more central and permanent stations. They are often significantly larger, usually far less mobile, and often serve as a hub of activity within an empire or the network of some other kind of organization. SpaceBases are also typically inhabited, usually constantly, by workers, troops, or even citizenry. They tend to serve as key points of strategic interest and are often viewed with a similar tactical or astrological significance to habitable planets, moons, and important stellar phenomena.
HQs are often the most strategically placed and sought after SpaceBases. Armed and Armored to the teeth, HeadQuarters serve as a centralized base of location for everything from System based military divisions to resource inventory processors to lofty seats of government. These Bases are where leaders, managers, and administrators reside and do the important work of running and guiding their respective organizations.
Colonies hold that most simultaneously precious and thoroughly expendable of resources: minifigs themselves. Colonies take all sorts of shapes and forms. Military colonies serve as space based barracks and training centers for troops held in reserve. Residential colonies serve as habitats for citizenry invested in some, usually singular, work like agriculture, industrial construction, data processing and analysis, or exploration. While the majority of space aboard a Colony Base is devoted to living quarters for its inhabitants, they are usually fairly well outfitted with tools and supplies that suit the colony's purpose.
StarDocks, also known as ShipYards, are massive, sprawling space based structures devoted entirely to the building, repairing, and supplying of Space Vehicles and Machines. The smallest StarDocks usually have space for a handful of ships in need of their services while the largest span a network of uncountable structures responsible for the creation and maintenance of any given Space Empire's fleet. If Reserve WayStations are the GasStations of space, StarDocks are the manufacturing plants. Most ShipYards are built with efficiency in mind. The accommodations for its workers are bare and spartan and the most valuable resources they tend to have on hand at any given time are the ships docked there in various stages of repair.
SpaceStation Designations
A designation can be applied to any individual space teknology of any Class. These designations might refer to Epitek upgrades that any space vehicle or machine could be retrofitted to receive or to specific and significant functions any space teknology could be outfitted to perform. Whatever players can imagine applying, as a template, to any space tek (no matter how silly) can serve as a designation. The following are some common examples of SpaceStation Designations.
- Atmospheric: This designation denotes a Station that is capable of atmospheric entry and flight. This is exceedingly rare, as most stations are built in space and remain immobile or orbital where they are built. Some factions, particularly large magikal ones, have the ability to move their stations about. Naturally, a station must have the "Mobile" Designation in order to have the Atmospheric Designation.
- Defensive Capability: This designation calls out the types of armor, force fields, or other protective abilities and teknologies the station possesses.
- Hybrid: This designation represents the merging of any two or more Space Teknologies into one unit. As Teknology in the BrikVerse advances, this is becoming a more commonplace engineering tactic.
- Mobile: Fast, slow, interstellar, intergalactic, multi-dimensional, orbital, maneuverable, lumbering, or any number of other such descriptors can be applied to any Space Teknology to determine how it moves.
- Offensive Capability: This designation calls out the weapons the station carries as well as any other destructive abilities.
- Size: SuperLight, Light, Heavy, SuperHeavy or any other such descriptors can be applied to any SpaceStation, representing the described variance from the norm listed for that Class, Specification, or similar grouping of that item. Size designations might blur the lines between accepted size categories for station classifications.


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Top 10 bottlenose dolphin facts
Get the lowdown on these graceful and inquisitive creatures...
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Here in the Bay of Islands we are lucky enough to see wild dolphins at play in our waters virtually every day. The dolphins we see are either common or bottlenose dolphins, and with a resident population of around 400 bottlenose dolphins, they're the ones you're most likely to see.
Our skippers and crew are great at spotting dolphins while out cruising the Bay, but it's always great when our passengers spy them first! Here are some facts about our bottle-nosed friends – take a look so you recognise them when you cruise with us.
1. Bottlenose dolphins are larger than common dolphins. They reach anywhere from 1.9m to 3.9m in length and can weigh from 250–650kg.
2. They have dark or light grey backs, with paler underbellies.
3. Bottlenose dolphins have a relatively short beak (hence its scientific name, Tursiops truncatus, which means "a dolphin like animal with a shortened snout") and a hooked, prominent dorsal fin.
4. They live in pods of up to 60 – not quite as fond of crowds as common dolphins, which sometimes form pods that number in the thousands, but still very sociable animals.
5. Bottlenose dolphins feed mainly on bottom-dwelling fish and invertebrates, unless they're spending time further offshore.
6. They can stay underwater for up to 3-4 minutes when hunting. So if you see one dive during your dolphin-watching cruise, just stay patient and keep your camera ready!
7. Male bottlenose dolphins can live for 40-45 years, while females can live past 50.
8. New Zealand's most famous dolphin, Opo, was a bottlenose dolphin. Opo was a celebrity figure in the small Hokianga town of Opononi in the mid 1950s and liked to follow fishing boats and swim close to shore with local holidaymakers.
9. The bond between mother and child is very strong. Bottlenose dolphins continue to suckle their calves until they reach 2 or 3 years.
10. If you're hoping to swim with dolphins during your time in the Bay of Islands, there are a few ways to make sure it's a success. Check out our tips on swimming with dolphins to make it an unforgettable experience!
Fullers GreatSights Bay of Islands is proud to be licensed by DOC to interact with dolphins and other marine mammals. Find out more about their cruises, or view their wildlife guide.
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Fullers GreatSights Bay of Islands
For over 125 years the local, passionate and knowledgeable team from Fullers GreatSights have been helping visitors explore the Bay of Islands and Far North on our day tours and cruises. Visit our friendly team on Paihia Wharf.


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a summary of shipping options appears below:
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Countries we consider in the Central & South America Region, we ship to for $55 USD. These countries are Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Haiti, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Paraguay, Suriname, El Salvador, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
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If you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase you can return it for a refund, provided it is within 30 days of receipt of your order and the item is as new* and in the original packaging. Online returns are only accepted for items purchased directly from chromeindustries.com. If you purchased your item from our HUBs or one of Chrome's retail partners please contact them directly to arrange for an exchange or refund.
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Still have questions? Email email@example.com
* "As new" condition for Chrome items is unwashed and unworn. Chrome strongly recommends you store your item in its original packaging while you make a decision about the product.


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The following example application starts with the example provided in Chapter 3, WSIT Example Using a Web Container and NetBeans IDE and demonstrates adding security to both the web service and to the web service client.
For this example, the security mechanism of STS Issued Token is used to secure the application. The steps are similar to the ones described in Example: Username Authentication with Symmetric Keys (UA), with the addition of creating and securing an STS.
To add security to the service part of the example, follow these steps.
Create a user on GlassFish if you haven't already done so. (see Adding Users to GlassFish).
Create the CalculatorApplication example by following the steps described in the following sections of Chapter 3, WSIT Example Using a Web Container and NetBeans IDE.
Skip the section on adding Reliable Messaging.
Deploying and Testing a Web Service (first two steps only, do not run the project yet).
Expand CalculatorApplication->Web Services, then right-click the node for the web service, CalculatorWS, and select Edit Web Service Attributes.
Deselect the Reliable Messaging option if it is selected.
Select Secure Service.
From the drop-down list for Security Mechanism, select STS Issued Token.
Select the Configure button. For Algorithm Suite, select Basic128 bit. For Key Size, select 128. Select OK to close the configuration dialog (the algorithm suite value of the service must match the algorithm suite value of the STS.)
If you have configured Unlimited Strength Encryption as described in To Create a Third-Party STS, you can leave the key size at 256. Otherwise, you must set it to 128.
Click OK to exit the WSIT Configuration editor.
A new file is added to the project. To view the WSIT configuration file, expand Web Pages->WEB-INF, then double-click the file wsit-org.me.calculator.CalculatorWS.xml.
Right-click the CalculatorApplication node and select Run Project. This step compiles the application and deploys it onto GlassFish. A browser will open and display the WSDL file for the application.
Follow the steps for creating and securing the Security Token Service as described in To Create and Secure the STS (STS).


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During their recent Thanksgiving vacation, our two children got so bored that they tackled something we can seldom get them to do:
On the day before Thanksgiving, from morning until dusk, our 15-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son cleaned their rooms.
Driven by sibling rivalry, they tried to outdo each other in pitching things they no longer wanted. By evening, two large mounds of clutter formed near the front door – hills of castoff clothing, books, toys, and games destined for donation to charity.
Although they didn't mean to do anything more than fight off the holiday doldrums, my kids got a quick lesson in the limits of consumerism as they cleared closets and shelves of unwanted stuff. The toys, gadgets, and designer outfits so long coveted in previous holiday seasons now seemed, in the dry light of hindsight, not to be so earth-shaking after all. It's a reality I hope our family can keep in mind as another holiday shopping season goes into high gear.
In lightening their load of belongings, our kids gained other benefits, too. Freshly cleared of unwanted possessions, the children's rooms now boast a lot more living space, and our son and daughter love the extra room.
While pitching things, our children also rediscovered long-forgotten treasures. My son is especially excited about using a half-dozen board games that came into our home during previous holidays, yet somehow, were never used. As part of the clean-up effort, he inherited six books from my daughter's shelf, which made him feel richer.
The kids felt even more prosperous when they were able to donate so many items to a neighborhood thrift shop that uses its proceeds to help the needy.
Our daughter and son were graced by this newfound sense of well-being without spending a cent. Watching them smile at the end of their day of room-cleaning, I thought about Henry David Thoreau, who famously observed that "a man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone." Thoreau's point was that after basic needs are met, we can feel wealthier with less rather than more.
That philosophy is sharply at odds with the message that Americans have been getting through festivals of consumption such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Those banner days of the shopping season seem grounded in the notion that happiness comes from buying more and more stuff.
I welcome a healthy retail economy. As a newspaperman, I depend on a strong retail sector to support the advertising that pays my salary. I also know that a rebounding retail market can help advance the economic recovery that so many suffering Americans have been desperately awaiting.
But a recession created by a culture of excess cannot truly be healed by resorting to more excess. Real, sustained economic health comes from knowing what we really need, and what we can afford to do without.
Which is why, before you head to the local mall this season, I'd suggest you do what my kids have already done:
Look around the room you're in, and decide what you truly value.
Danny Heitman, a columnist for The Baton Rouge Advocate, is the author of "A Summer of Birds: John James Audubon at Oakley House."


text: Big Bend National Park is a Land of Borders. Situated on the Boundary of Mexico Along the Rio Grande, it is a Place where Countries and Cultures Meet. It is Also a Place that Merges Natural Environments, from Desert to Mountains. It is a Place where South Meets North and East Meets West, Creating a Great Diversity of Plants and Animals. The Park Covers over 801,000 of West Texas in the Place Where the Rio Grande Makes a Sharp Turn, the "Big Bend." Big Bend National Park was Authorized June 20, 1935, Established June 12, 1944, and was Designated a United States Biosphere Reserve in 1976.


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NMSC is a peer social group that offers friendship and support with other new moms and their babies. It's a great way to share stories and talk about your first time experiences of being a new mom in a fun and relaxing atmosphere, while gaining invaluable insight into the development of your new baby, lead by Luzurne Intermediate Unit 'Parents As Teachers" instructor Lynn Pons, LCSW.
If attending each week, please be sure to register weekly.


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Michelle Williams and Jason Segel Take Matilda to Gymnastics
Michelle Williams and Jason Segel Settle In With Matilda in LA
Michelle Williams and Jason Segel brought her daughter, Matilda Ledger, to a class in LA yesterday. Jason and Michelle smiled at photographers before hopping in their car with Matilda. Michelle, Jason, and Matilda headed to the West Coast last weekend after spending some time together at Michelle's East Coast home base. Their proximity to Hollywood is handy so Jason can work on the upcoming eighth season of How I Met Your Mother. The show's producers have recently dropped hints that they may be planning a ninth season, but it's unclear whether Jason will sign on beyond 2013 just yet. There have been plenty of hints about what's to come in new How I Met Your Mother episodes, including a cameo from comedian Thomas Lennon and True Blood hottie Joe Manganiello.


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Is a television OK in a child's room?
Our son, who turns 5 on Monday, just asked my husband when he can have a TV in his room. I am not really for it seeing my son loves to be outside and play. But my nephew and my...
Started by Kimberly on 08/03/2010 in Welcome To Circle Of Moms!!
Last update on 08/08/2010 by Carola


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Company Name:Swachh Bharat Mission - Govt. of India (https://swachhbharat.mygov.in/)
Duration:3 Weeks
Target Audience:Undergrad Students
Number of openings:30 (Students are required to work in Groups of 2. Click the yellow tab above 'Click here to Apply'. Both Members of the Team need to Apply Here individually. You are also required to Register your Team using this Link - http://goo.gl/forms/Np1VO5KQ8V)
Completed Date:13th May, 2017
Start Date :Selected Students Will be Expected to Start Work Within 7 Days of Applying
About the company
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Also known as "Clean India Mission" or "Swachh Bharat Mission") is a national campaign by the Government of India, covering 4,041 statutory cities and towns, to clean the streets, roads and infrastructure of the country. The campaign was officially launched on 2nd October 2014 with the objective of achieving a "Clean India" by 2019, Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary. It is India's biggest ever cleanliness drive and 3 million government employees and school and college students of India participated in this event. The Ministry of Urban Development is pleased to announce a program for students from all colleges across the country - Via OysterConnect.com. The intent of the program is to involve the College Student Community in a proactive manner to participate and contribute to the Swachh Bharat Mission.
Skills you will Learn
- Creative Writing
- Social Media
Project Steps
- Your First Task is to Find a Team Member and Register your Team using this Form Link
- Make sure that your Team Member has also applied to this project.
- If either of the Team Members has not applied to this project, your selection will be cancelled.
- Once you have done the above, you will be sent more details on the next level project tasks (mentioned below) on the day of project initiation.
- Click Here to Register Your Team
- Create a List of 12 Schools in your Locality whom you will target for conducting the Pledge Program. Your target is to cover 10 schools under the Pledge Program. However, keep a buffer of 2 or more schools in case you don't receive a positive response from everybody.
- Contact the Top Management (Principals/ Assistants & Secretaries of Principals) of these schools to finalize the Date & Time to conduct Swachh Bharat Pledge Program in their schools (Via a Phone Call followed by an Email). Follow up via Phone & Email as required.
- On the scheduled Date, go to the schools and complete the following activities as part of the Pledge Program:
- Get students from the schools to take a verbal Pledge on cleanliness,
- Get the Principal to Fill out and Sign the pledge form,
- Take Pictures & Videos of the Pledge Taking & Form Signing,
- Before leaving, note down the Email Address/ Physical Address of the Schools where a Swachh Bharat Pledge Certificate will be either emailed or couriered to them later.
- After the visit to the school, submit the pledge forms and Activity Pictures/ Videos on the website - https://swachhbharat.mygov.in/
- Register or Log In on the Website - https://swachhbharat.mygov.in/
- Click on "Mass Pledge" and fill up the form for each school you have visited. Take a screenshot before submitting it.
- Click on "Submit Activity" and fill up the form for each school you have visited. Take a screenshot before submitting it.
- Submit the Screenshots & the Pictures you have uploaded to OysterConnect Team (Email them to the Project Manager)
- Create a Project Document containing the following items:
- Brief Project Report outlining the work you have done as a part of this program (Mention Numbers in a Table or Chart Format) - Not more than 2 Pages
- An Idea Essay: In the next part of the Students will be asked to present their ideas and solutions for Swachh Bharat in 3000 word essay. The idea note will necessarily have to articulate the impact and execution details. The solution provided will have to assume a real time problem in an area within 5 km of where a student resides. The most innovative and well detailed out idea will get a special recognition certificate from the Jury.
Project Pre-SelectionIf you have applied to this project, click here to fill the Pre-Selection form.
Expected Project OutputCover 10 Schools in & around your locality to conduct the Pledge Program.
Upload the Pledges & Activity Media on Website via the 2 forms mentioned.
Submit a Project Document containing your Work Report & 1 Idea Essay of 3000 words.
Type of Interaction
Virtual with Field Work, with flexible work hours. Student will be expected to spend 20-25 hours/week. Student will be required to do field work in the specified location. All interaction will happen over email/Group Chat/phone. No need to visit the office.
Any Additional Information
- Students will be provided the following by the Mentor/ Ministry:
- An Authorization Letter for visiting schools,
- Pledge Text (In English & Hindi) to be read out during the verbal pledge taking,
- Pledge Form which the Principals on each school need to fill & sign.
- Other supporting documents such as FAQs, Process Guidelines, Pledge Schedule, Phone & Email Pitch for contacting schools, etc.


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Support for Common Core
A Resource for Assessment & Instruction
New! This online resource provides teachers with open-ended math tasks specifically designed to support the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Content and Mathematical Practice.
Our authentic problem solving engages students and develops their abilities to reason and communicate mathematically as well as to formulate mathematical connections.
K–5 Material Features:
500+ open-ended tasks created for CCSSM.
Our real world, problem-solving material is designed to engage students and develop their abilities to reason and communicate mathematically. Exemplars tasks encourage the Mathematical Practices.
Differentiated tasks for instruction, exploration and formative assessment.
The instructional tasks in this program are differentiated to include a 'more accessible' and 'more challenging' version. There are 4 or more instructional tasks provided for each applicable Common Core standard.
Summative assessments with student anchor papers and scoring rationales.
Summative assessments are provided for each applicable Common Core standard. Anchor papers and scoring rationales are included that demonstrate what student work meets and does not meet the standard in accordance with the Exemplars assessment rubric. These are effective learning tools for students, teachers and PLCs.
Preliminary Planning Sheets.
Rubrics for teachers and students.
Exemplars math assessment rubric offers teachers clear guidelines for evaluating student work and providing meaningful feedback. Our assessment rubric strongly supports the Standards for Mathematical Practice. Student rubrics are also included, which provide a tool for self- and peer-assessment.
Each task is uniquely designed for the Common Core. Alignments are included for both the Standards for Mathematical Content and Mathematical Practice.


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The Vatican today accepted an apology from the British Foreign Office for an internal "prank" memo written by a 23-year-old diplomat that satirized Pope Benedict XVI ahead of his UK visit.
British Foreign Secretary David Milliband said he was "appalled" by the leaked spoof memo written by an Oxford graduate that caused a minor media storm by suggesting the pope open abortion clinics and bless a gay marriage while in Britain.
But beyond such juvenalia and other late-night TV humor, the global pedophile priest scandal is causing disaffection among a young generation of Catholics.
With waning trust in church institutions and a turn toward "spirituality" among Catholic youths, many German Catholics under 30 have turned away from the pope. While saying they respect Benedict's learning, young German Catholics don't identify with Bavarian-born Benedict or with an institution seen as closed, hierarchical, and absolute.
"Benedict is not communicating openly, and that means the church is not addressing its core problems during this [abuse] crisis," says Geoff Steigler, a 25-year old graduate student in Munich and a believing Catholic. "But the church will have to adjust, since no young people are in the church anymore."
Polls reflect this sentiment. A March survey showed that only 24 percent of Germans expressed trust in Pope Benedict, compared with 38 percent in January. Overall trust in the Roman Catholic Church was even lower, at 17 percent in March compared with 29 percent in January, the poll showed. And according to the Forsa Institute's April poll of more than 1,000 German Catholics, 23 percent of all church members are considering leaving.
The greatest disillusionment is felt among youths, the poll found, with more than one-third of Catholics aged 18 to 29 considering leaving the church.
Fading euphoria
Initially, church participation soared when Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict in 2005. One press headline read, "We are Pope." Euphoric rallies of a million youths in Cologne,Germany, and a 2008 youth meeting with Benedict in Australia suggested a pending "Benedict generation." The pope was expected to capture young imaginations, and young Germans thought Benedict would erase old stigmas associated with Germany's past.
But that was then.
"In 2005, there could have been a Benedict generation, but we are not that convinced of Benedict anymore. It's not because of the sex scandal … he's just moved himself off our radar," says Niklas Ebel, a Catholic theology student in Tubingen, Germany. "We want a church that is more open, self-critical, and lively – that means a message of participation that reaches people."
Dirk Tanzler, head of the German Catholic youth department, conceded in a recent interview with Der Spiegel that Benedict is more of a professor than the charismatic Pope John Paul II, and "that's a world foreign to many young people.... Not all Catholic youth see the pope as an example…. Most have a different idea of how to live their lives than the pope might imagine for them."
To be sure, the pope retains strong backing among a small but devout minority of youths – a new and powerful conservative "clerical" movement in the US and Europe. The sex abuse scandal has also brought sympathy for a pope who is viewed as being under attack.
The president of the Catholic chapel at Sciences Po in Paris, Alix Prevost, a French representative at the 2008 youth meeting in Sydney, has "nothing but respect for Benedict." But as a young Catholic, she says she trusts the church and doesn't focus on the pope currently in power.
"I've had a wonderful experience, and I've found a lot of good in the church that doesn't get mentioned," she says.
Too conservative?
Yet Ms. Prevost disagreed with Pope Benedict's move to bring ultraconservative Bishop Richard Williamson, a Holocaust denier, back into the fold. Mr. Williamson has said: "I believe that the historical evidence is strongly against, hugely against, 6 million Jews having been deliberately gassed in gas chambers as a deliberate policy of Adolf Hitler."
The global priest abuse and coverup scandal ground forward on Monday, with reports that a retired Belgian cardinal, Godfried Danneels, ignored complaints that Bishop Roger Vangheluwe molested a young man in the late 1990s. Benedict accepted Mr. Vangheluwe's resignation over the weekend, and on Sunday made an elliptical reference to the scandal by saying that priests should ensure congregations do not come to harm.
In a dozen informal interviews with young Catholics in Bavaria and Tubingen, Catholics under 30 generally disagreed with the church's absolute positions on contraception, abortion, celibacy, and the ordination of women.
"The Lutheran church has women ministers, and they seem to be working out," says a young Catholic representative at a local Munich lay Catholic meeting. "I'm not closed to the idea."
Analysts say youth views reflect the very kind of modern values – some secular, some democratic – that are seen by Vatican bishops and the pope as merely mirroring popular culture, or being simply "un-Catholic." Some analysts say young Europeans sound more like American Catholics.
"We respect Benedict but are not fond of him. We think he comes up with strange sayings and ideas," says a young Catholic from central Germany who sports a scraggly beard and gives his name as Benoit. "When he went to Africa, he talked about not using condoms and abstinence."
Nor is the Bavarian countryside, the traditional seed-corn for the German church, necessarily retaining small-village values. Students now move from small towns to the city, study overseas, go to rock concerts, vacation abroad, and surf the Web.
Stephan, a research assistant at Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, says he identifies strongly as a Catholic though he thinks the church is not adapting to modern problems.
"If people would obey the rules and love thy neighbor we would have fewer problems in the world," he says. "The core values of the church shouldn't change, but the institution should change."
Without such change, the Catholic church could face growing rows of empty pews. More than a mere revision of the old system, young Catholics want to see a permanent and significant transformation, according to theologian Tom Beaudoin of Jesuit-run Fordham University in New York City.
"[Young people] are leaving," Mr. Beaudoin says. "Unless something changes, the church will go its way, and they will go their way."
Further reading:


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Stonehenge is baffling: it's not well understood why the Neolithic people would have spent their time heaving giant stones into a precarious-looking formation that doesn't appear to have any other purpose besides aligning with the rising solstice sun. But we can imagine that the sun was somehow very important to them.
And for more evidence that the summer solstice was a big deal to the world's ancients, take a brief tour of all the places and ways in which the moment was commemorated around the globe: with massive monuments that caught the solstice light, with festivals and food and fun, and with bonfires that leaped skyward in proud imitation of the sun they honored.
In Africa, Egypt's pyramids are built so that on the summer solstice the sun will sit smartly between two of the pyramids, when viewed from the Sphinx. Just northward, the Greeks would celebrate the festival Kronia in honor of the Greek god Cronus, god of agriculture, at about the time of summer solstice. And westward, in the Roman Empire, the ancient Romans also threw a summertime festival called Vestalia, in honor of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth. During that festival, married women were permitted to enter the goddess' shrine, otherwise restricted to virgins.
Dipping over to South America, in what it now Peru, the Inca celebrated Inti Raymi to honor the winter solstice. The Mayans' temples – in what is now Guatemala – are also built to align with the sun on what for them would have been the winter solstice.
In Asia, the ancient Chinese commemorated the summer solstice as a celebration of femininity and the earth, as the sun rose to give life to summer crops. Come winter, the Chinese would, fairly, celebrate the December solstice as honoring masculinity and the heavens. In India, the ancient Ajanta caves are thought to align with the sun on the summer and winter solstices, so that the stone Buddhas within are lit up during the ethereal moment.
Generally, the summer solstice becomes more important with increasing latitude – for civilizations close to the broiling equator, after all, summer weather was not particularly novel, nor was the demarcation of seasons so important to agriculture. In North America, Wyoming's Bighorn medicine wheel – a Native American-made stone arrangement some several hundred years old – is believed to have been deliberately built to align with the solstice sunrise and sunset. And in northern Europe, Celtic, Slavic, and Germanic couples would leap over bonfires, in hopes of giving a magical jolt to the sun's fertile powers – their crops that summer would grow as high as the lovers had jumped, it was thought.
Since those midsummer festivals have pagan origins, the new Christian governments rolling into northern Europe attempted to put a stop to them as they consolidated political control there. When that failed – the conquered people turned out to be reasonably stubborn about their inherited traditions – the summer rituals were incorporated into the Christian tradition as St. John's Eve on June 24th , the feast day of St. John the Baptist.
Today through June 24th , the solstice will still be celebrated around the world, all in appreciation of the same sun. In Times Square, thousands of people on yoga mats will do a collective sun salutation, Portuguese commemorators will parade through their cities, and Russian girls will float their flower garlands down their rivers.
At Stonehenge, upwards of 30,000 modern Druids will dance at the fabled monument as the sun comes up, Austrian celebrants will send a procession of candle-lit ships down the Danube River, and Latvian runners will race nude through the town of Kuldīga. Across northern Europe, friends and family will ignite bonfires and do as their ancestors did, leaping over them in a gesture of optimism for warm months to come.


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The decision came after a two-day hearing that included a 94-minute classroom video, as well as testimony from school administrators, the boy's mother, and the teacher herself.
The School Board on Tuesday overturned Superintendent of Schools George Tomyn's recommendation to fire a teacher accused of tussling with, dragging and grabbing a 10-year-old autistic child to get him to follow class rules.
The board found that Maplewood Elementary School teacher Tracey Newton did not violate the School Board policy that says teachers cannot touch a student without assistance from a second trained adult.
The decision came after a two-day hearing that included the viewing of a 94-minute classroom video of the incident, as well as testimony from school administrators, the boy's mother, and the teacher herself.
Newton has been suspended without pay since late November. She will be on paid leave until administrators review all options for where she might be placed in the district. The boy will not be allowed in her classroom.
On Friday, district administrators presented to the board their case to fire Newton, a 10-year veteran in what's called self-contained Exceptional Student Education.
On Tuesday, Newton spoke to the board about her actions and said she did nothing wrong.
At issue was what happened on Sept. 5, three days after the "functioning" autistic fifth-grader arrived at Maplewood Elementary from North Carolina.
Newton's room is equipped with a video camera that records class sessions. The video from that day shows Newton grabbing the boy's wrists, dragging him across the classroom, and videotaping the boy with her cellphone. Newton can also be seen kicking the boy's backpack three times across the room.
Tomyn said Newton violated the teacher code of ethics by failing to protect the child's health and safety; intentionally exposing the child to embarrassment; and videotaping the child with her cellphone.
Carol Ely and Ron Crawford supported the move to fire Newton. But Nancy Stacy, Angela Boynton and Bobby James voted to exonerate her.
Stacy noted that the district replaced all of the Maplewood administration at the end of last school year. Therefore, 100 percent of the administration was new, and the teacher was not getting the expert support she needed.
Stacy likened this case to a driver caught going 70 mph in a 55 mph zone. "She was not going 130 mph. We need to keep our good teachers," she said.
Boynton said the evidence was clear that Maplewood administrators purposely placed unruly autistic students in Newton's classroom because of her proven discipline techniques.
Boynton said that fact offsets Newton's admission that she violated a district policy by not calling for a second adult in the room before using restraint techniques — in this case, grabbing the boy's wrists.
James said when he viewed the video he did not see a teacher who was out of control. He saw a teacher trying to get an unruly child to follow class procedure.
Ely, on the other hand, said Newton clearly was out of control.
"I think it would be a travesty to keep her in the classroom," Ely said.
Newton's attorney, Mark Herdman of Clearwater, said Newton was in control and that she was engaged in a "battle of wills." He said Newton was trying to get the child, who had to been at the school for only three days, to follow the rules.
The school district's attorney, Gary Sanders, said the video speaks for itself. The district moved to fire Newton because she violated teacher ethics.
Herdman said the ruling pleased him.
"She's a great teacher and will always be a great teacher," he said.
Newton, who declined to comment, cried when she heard the board's decision. Moments after the hearing ended, she hugged each of the three board members who supported her.
The mother of the child, Uronda Lassiter, also cried after the ruling, stating the district did everything it could to remove Newton from the classroom.
"The School Board let me down," she said. "I feel like there is no justice for my son or for all the other children in Marion County."
Tomyn said the district thoroughly investigated the incident. Officials viewed the video and it was clear that Newton "jeopardized this student's safety."
"Parents can rest assured that I will continue to take this stance to maintain a safe and orderly environment for our students," Tomyn said.
On Tuesday, Newton told the board she felt it was necessary to calm the student's behavior so his actions did not affect the behavior of the six or so other autistic children in the classroom.
Newton said she was trying to make the child, who had been documented as having violent tendencies, "follow directions."
"He would hit, he would spit and he would kick," Newton said.
Newton said she felt her actions were appropriate and would have handled the situation the same way again.
"It was well calculated, well thought out," she said of her discipline tactics.
Newton said she told the administration that the boy should be placed in a more specialized classroom because of his documented violent tendencies. Instead, he was placed in her room by administrators because she was known for her expertise in successful discipline tactics, she maintained.
Also on Tuesday, a parent of an autistic child testified that Newton was a great teacher who turned her unruly son into a polite child in three years.
During the Friday hearing, the board viewed the video and heard from the child's mom.
The video showed Newton ordering the boy to stand in front of the room in what is called "timeout." When the boy wouldn't obey her demands, Newton is seen off and on trying to force the boy to comply, often getting physical.
The video showed Newton holding the boy's wrists for five minutes. She was also seen pulling the child by his jacket, trying to get that item off him. The mother said her son's jacket was his "security blanket" and that he wore it all year, even in bed.
Because the boy was known for his "extreme violence," Newton said it made her nervous that the boy always had his hands in his jacket pockets. She was concerned there may have been something dangerous in his pocket.
The video also showed Newton grabbing the boy by his wrists and releasing her grip. When she released, the boy fell into a cardboard box.
The video also showed Newton grabbing the boy under both arms and dragging him across the floor.
Assistant Principal Brian Greene said at Friday's hearing that he viewed a recorded video feed linked to his office computer and felt Newton's actions rose to a concerning level.
Greene contacted the district office, the Marion County Sheriff's Office and the Department of Children and Families. All agencies found there were no criminal violations.
Herdman said Maplewood administrators often ask Newton to "fix" unruly autistic children, and that his client was trying to let the child know his behavior would not be accepted.
"It was a battle of the wills," Herdman told the board.
Adrienne Ellers, a school district behavioral specialist who trains teachers on how to handle unruly students, testified that Newton did not follow protocol, which requires teachers to use verbal de-escalation techniques and keep children at arm's length.
This is to keep both the student and the teacher safe.
When such incidents begin to escalate, teachers should also call for help, Ellers said. The second person can also be used as a witness, she noted.
Ellers said under no circumstance should a teacher drag a student around a classroom by his sweatshirt or hold his wrists. She said students should only be touched if they are in danger of hurting themselves or damaging property.
Not until the end of the hourlong episode did Newton ask for help, officials noted.
The incident ended when the school dean, Doris Tucker, removed the child from the classroom.
Contact Joe Callahan at 867-4113 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter at JoeOcalaNews.


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For Immediate Release, May 3, 2013
Contact: Jay Lininger, (928) 853-9929
Proposed Endangered Species Act Protection for Rare Bird Weakened
Lesser Prairie Chicken Habitat Threatened in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and
Texas by Feds' Use of Legal Loophole
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service revised its proposed listing rule today for the lesser prairie chicken — a rare grouse — to include a special rule that would weaken protections for the bird once it is listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act. The prairie chicken was proposed for Endangered Species Act protection in December, but under a special rule added to the proposal today, habitat-destroying activities would be allowed to continue in the bird's range.
"We're disappointed the Service is using a rule that is supposed to enhance wildlife conservation to lock the lesser prairie chicken into small areas of habitat, preclude their recovery, and give blanket approval to industrial activities that are pushing them to extinction," said Jay Lininger with the Center for Biological Diversity.
The Service amended the proposed listing to include a "4(d)" rule that will decrease the Endangered Species Act's normal protections. Similar rules weakened protection for polar bears and have been proposed for wolverines; federal reliance on the 4(d) loophole appears to be increasing. Under the proposal, certain activities that kill prairie chickens will be allowed to continue, agriculture-related in particular.
Lesser prairie chickens have been on the waiting list for federal protection since 1998. The species was proposed for listing as a result of a 2011 settlement between conservation groups and the Fish and Wildlife Service to speed protections for hundreds of species around the country.
An indicator species for the southern Great Plains, these medium-sized, gray-brown grouse live in shinnery oak and sand-sagebrush grasslands in parts of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Their range has been reduced by more than 90 percent, and their population has declined by approximately 85 percent, since the 1800s. The Fish and Wildlife Service identified continued population declines and myriad land uses as threats to the species' persistence.
The lesser prairie chicken is threatened by habitat loss and degradation from livestock grazing, agriculture, oil and gas extraction, herbicides and unnatural fire. Habitat fragmentation from fences and power lines and disturbance from roads, mining and wind-energy production also affect the species. Climate change and drought are increasingly important threats. Purely voluntary protection efforts on private lands comprising most of the chicken's occupied range may not do enough to prevent extinction.
Like other western grouse, male lesser prairie chickens engage in a unique, elaborate, and comical communal breeding display each spring to attract females. Both males and females congregate at breeding grounds (leks), where the males strut ("dance"), vocalize ("boom") and physically confront other males to defend their territories and court females. The male repertoire includes displaying bright yellow eye combs, inflating red air sacs, flutter-jumping, cackling and foot-stamping.
Lesser prairie chickens live in southeastern Colorado; the southwestern quarter of Kansas; and in patchy areas in the panhandle and northwestern counties of Oklahoma. The species also occurs in east-central New Mexico and in small areas in the northeastern and southwestern corners of the Texas Panhandle. Kansas has the largest population of lesser prairie chickens, where the species relies heavily on habitat on private lands enrolled in the conservation reserve program.
"Lesser prairie chickens are amazing birds — funny and beautiful. We should do everything we can to protect them and their prairie home for our children and grandchildren to see," said Lininger.
The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 500,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
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wall decor
clocks + calendars
frames + mirrors
objets d'art
art gallery
vitra miniatures
wall decor
friendly forest wallpaper
owls wallpaper
what's your type wallpaper
penguin wallpaper
camouflage wall art
owl wall mural
tree hugger wall mural
birch trees accent mural
birch trees wall mural
birch trees wall mural
birch trees wall mural
birch trees wall mural
apples surface graphics
dazzle wall decals
socket wall decals
baby wall decals
wall decor
friendly forest wallpaper
Loboloup is a boutique design company, specializing in contemporary wallpaper for the modern child. Loboloup's signature is fresh, innovative illustrations and typography, and a commitment to creating child and eco-friendly products. Our unique and bold designs are conceived and painted by hand, then hand silk-screened using water-based inks and sustainable paper. Loboloup wallpaper, pillows and prints are made locally in the USA in small batches, making it possible to accommodate custom requests for the creative family.
Founded by New York City-based aunt and niece Nancy Wolff and Elizabeth Wolff, Loboloup is about bringing the highest standards of design and illustration to interior environments.
Nancy Wolff is the author/illustrator of two children's books Tallulah in the Kitchen and It's Time for School with Tallulah and the creator of All Aboard, an animated short for Nick Jr., which received the Parents Choice Gold Award. Her work has been included in The Society of Illustrators The Original Art and she has been a featured artist at the Contemporary Textile Show at the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York City. Elizabeth Wolff has written lifestyle, design and human interest pieces for the New York Post, New York magazine, Interview and The Guardian and has produced lifestyle programming for Bravo.
Our traditional screen-printing technique ensures durability while looking hand painted. Our inks are water-based and we only use clay-coated paper of the highest quality. Wallpaper can be gently wiped clean once hung.
A single roll measures 27" wide x 15' long (71.1 cm x 4.5 meters). Unless otherwise specified, repeat is straight match. Since every order is custom, please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery on items not in stock or custom designs.
All Loboloup wallpaper comes untrimmed and unpasted. Wherever possible, we print and ship in double and triple rolls to minimize waste for installation. We recommend professional installation for your wallpaper. If you would like to find a paperhanger in your area, we recommend National Guild of Professional Paperhangers.
Loboloup hand prints all designs in small batches, making it possible to customize your own ink and ground colors. Email us to order a custom color or to discuss your custom project.
Please note that colors vary from computer screen to computer screen. We have tried our best to accurately represent colors in our photos, but the best way to view the true color and scale of a paper is by ordering a sample.
• screen-printing technique ensures durability while looking hand painted
• inks are water-based on clay-coated paper of the highest quality
• can be gently wiped clean once hung
• unless otherwise specified, repeat is straight match
• hand prints all designs in small batches, making it possible to customize your own ink and ground colors
• single roll measures 27w inches x 15 feet or 71.1 cm x 4.5 meters
• 2 roll minimum
Usually ships in 1-2 weeks
friendly forest wallpaper


text:
Commercial, Military, Personal/Corporate, Products, Public Service, Services
By R&W Staff | June 1, 2008
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The 60th anniversary show brings some things old, many things new.
In its 60th anniversary year, the Farnborough Air Show will have visitors reminiscing of the old and embracing the new.
This year's biennial show coincides with two other significant anniversaries: the 100th anniversary of the first officially recorded powered, heavier-than-air flight in the United Kingdom and the start of the Berlin Airlift.
Click here for Farnborough activities and exhibitors.
The week-long event that begins July 14 brings a number of new elements.
Bell/Agusta Aerospace has reserved a spot in the flying demonstration line-up for its BA609 civil tilt-rotor, according to the show's organizers. Bell plans to exhibit its new light twin Model 429, which will be shown in an emergency medical service configuration. Sikorsky Aircraft plans to bring the militarized version of its S-92, the H-92, to Farnborough to kick off a worldwide tour of that aircraft. Eurocopter will be presenting the 7-9-ton EC175 it is developing with Aviation Industries of China 2 (AVIC 2) for the offshore-support and other markets and highlighting the EC725, which it is proposing for the U.K. Search and Rescue Harmonization (SAR-H) program.
This year's show will see a number of improvements in exhibition facilities, the centerpiece of which is Farnborough's new Crystal Palace, a four-story, glass-enclosed facility that this year will be home to Thales and Kallman Worldwide.
In what could be the most important development for all exhibitors and visitors at Farnborough — and in what may be a nod to those clamoring about global warming — the show's organizers are upgrading the air conditioning in all of the exhibition halls.
The last show was held during a stifling heat wave. July 2006 was, up to that point, the hottest July and the hottest month on record in the United Kingdom. July 19, the midpoint of Farnborough's trade days in 2006, set the record for the U.K.'s hottest July day; the high was 97.3F (36.5C) at Wisley, just south of Woking about 14 mi (23 km) east of Farnborough on the train line back to London. Air conditioning quit numerous times in the exhibit halls, and electricity supplied was inadequate for air conditioning to overcome the heat in some chalets. (Show organizers also are boosting the electrical-power grid throughout the show site as part of what they say is a $1.95-million (£1-million) investment in infrastructure.)
The air show is organized by Farnborough International Ltd, a subsidiary of the U.K.'s aerospace trade association the Society of British Aerospace Companies.
The organizers say this year's event is on schedule to be the biggest Farnborough Air Show ever in the exhibition's history, both in terms of exhibition space used and the number of exhibitors present. Exhibition sales have been at record levels, they said, with the final figure running 20 percent higher than for the show in 2006. The total number of exhibitors is expected to be more than 1,500, or roughly 5 percent higher than the last show.
According to organizers, Russian companies have show great interest in exhibiting at the show. The Russian industry is going through a major consolidation and reorganization under Vertolety Rossii (Helicopters of Russia).
They also said the contingent of exhibitors from China has increased threefold since the 2006 show. Countries scheduled to exhibit for the first time include Colombia and Bahrain, and others, such as India and the helicopter exhibits of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., are returning with bigger presences than at previous shows, the organizers said.
Reflecting the growing importance of this new class of aircraft, this year's show will include a greater unmanned aerial systems presence in the enhanced Assn for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International Pavilion.
Demand for space in the exhibition halls has been unprecedented, according to the organizers. As an example of that, they have had to extend Hall 4 for the first time ever to accommodate the exhibitors wishing to display there.
In another first, Farnborough International is offering exhibitors and trade visitors an online service for booking appointments during the show. The service is designed to allow visitors to search Farnborough's exhibitors list for companies of interest and file requests via the Internet to meet representatives of those companies. The service was set to go live on the Farnborough Web site (www.farnborough.com) last month.
To celebrate 60 years of the air show at Farnborough, the flying demonstrations of exhibited aircraft on Friday, July 19 will be supplemented by historic aircraft and iconic aircraft from Farnboroughs of the past. Organizers expect a highlight of this will be the flight of the Avro Vulcan, making its first Farnborough appearance following its restoration.
Show organizers also are extending the flying demonstrations on the public days, July 19-20. These planned 4.5-hr displays are to include key aircraft from the preceding trade days and a parade of historic aircraft that include 14 types that flew at Farnborough at the inaugural show and notable aircraft from the subsequent six decades.
The flying displays are to be opened each day by the Shooting Stars, an Italian women's parachute team performing for the Italian company Aero Sekur, which makes helicopter fuel cells and floats, among other products.
The celebration of the Farnborough and Berlin Airlift anniversaries will, among other things, highlight the ties between the British and American aviation communities. So, too, will the commemoration of the centennial of powered, heavier-than-air U.K. flight. That flight, whose anniversary is Oct. 16, was flown by an American cowboy and Wild West showman. Samuel Cody (not to be confused with showman Buffalo Bill Cody) was a proponent of kites as flight vehicles who teamed up with Col. John Capper, then superintendent of the Balloon Factory. They developed British Army Aeroplane No. 1, in which Cody made that first flight, which covered 1,390 ft before the aircraft crashed. With a new aircraft, Cody went on to win the Michelin Cup in 1910 and the 1912 British Military Trials.
As for rotorcraft participation, Bell/Agusta executives are assessing whether modifications to their prototype BA609s based on flight test results and the current schedule of flight tests in the U.S. and Italy will permit one of the prototypes to be brought to the show. The civil tilt-rotor performed at the Paris Air Show last year, and Bell Helicopter and Boeing flew demonstrations of the military tilt-rotor V-22 at the last Farnborough.
Bell will be exhibiting at a new chalet at Farnborough, built in front of the chalet it shared with other Textron companies at the 2006 show. According to Bell, it is designed to give guests inside an excellent view of the show outside while they relax in a comfortable, air-conditioned environment. It again will be joined by Textron's Cessna, E-Z-Go golf cart manufacturer and Textron Systems.
Bell's exhibit will feature the EMS-configured 429, the type targeted for certification this year, as well as other Bell aircraft. It plans various update briefings on both its commercial and military helicopter programs, including one on the V-22 and its ongoing combat deployment in Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps. Bell will be explaining its decision to end production of the Model 206B3, 427, 430 and 210 and focus commercial production on the 407, 412 and 429. It also will be discussing with customers its plans for a new medium twin.
Sikorsky will be at Farnborough along with the United Technologies divisions Pratt & Whitney and Hamilton Sundstrand. It will be displaying a full range of products information from its commercial product, featuring the S-76, the S-92 that is proving successful in offshore support and other markets and the lighter products of its Schweizer Aircraft subsidiary. Sikorsky also will be highlighting its military products, particularly the U.S. Army's latest Black Hawk, the UH-60M, as well as the International Black Hawk.
Sikorsky will update Farnborough visitors on its development efforts, including the high-speed X2 Technology Demonstrator.
"With the X2, we're trying to prove that technology is now feasible for helicopters to fly at 250 kt with the hover effectiveness of the helicopter," said Bruce McKinney, vice president of Sikorsky Europe. "None of the other hybrid or tilt-rotor aircraft have the hover efficiency. Once we've demonstrated the technology we'll be looking to orders."
Sikorsky also is expected to brief on the CH-53K replacement for the U.S. Marines' CH-53E heavy lifter, the status of the S-76D, the introduction of the S-92 to search and rescue operations in the United Kingdom with CHC Helicopter and the U.S. Navy's MH-60R that is scheduled to make its first deployment early next year.
But the focus of Sikorsky's Farnborough visit is to introduce the H-92. The manufacturer has been discussing this military variant of the S-92 since it launched that program in the early 1990s, and has proposed several versions for military competitions, including the Canadian Maritime Helicopter program (which is running behind schedule). Like most helicopter makers, Sikorsky sees most opportunities for military sales as lying outside the United States. A marketing focus on the military potential of the S-92 is aimed at helping it win those opportunities.
"Our plan is to bring an H-92 to Farnborough that's in a SAR configuration," said McKinney. "This is a prototype used in previous demonstrations and will be showing the military capabilities of the -92 product line." After Farnborough, the H-92 will go, "on a worldwide tour that includes stops throughout Europe, with a focus on Central and Eastern Europe, and will go to several stops in Egypt and Asia for demos, and Mid-East."
Sikorsky executives plan to work with customers through the rest of the year working with potential customers to develop specification sets for the H-92, McKinney said. "The desire to demo the aircraft is higher than the amount of time we have."
Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry is one customer that has ordered militarized versions of the S-92 for border-protection and other missions. Canada's CH-148 Cyclone version includes a folding main-rotor blade and a folding tail to permit its storage in hangars onboard Canadian ships and mission equipment that includes antisubmarine or anti-surface warfare systems, as well as a deck-capture system to support shipboard landings.
Eurocopter will be updating attendees on the EC175, which it is developing on a 50-50 basis with AVIC 2's Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corp. The aircraft features a five-bladed Spheriflex main rotor and three-bladed tail rotor, a four-axis, duplex autopilot and five flat-panel displays in the cockpit. Its first flight is set for next year.
Eurocopter also will be featuring the EC725. It is promoting that aircraft for the U.K.'s SAR-H requirement and for search and rescue and combat SAR (CSAR) missions internationally. The French air force is flying CSAR missions with the EC725 in Afghanistan and Lebanon.
NHIndustries, the partnership of Eurocopter, AgustaWestland and Stork Aerospace, will have its own chalet and will be exhibiting a Tactical Transport Helicopter variant of the NH90, which is being to delivered to the first of 14 nations to order. Nineteen of the 507 ordered have been delivered to five customers. Like Sikorsky, Eurocopter is targeting the international military market at Farnborough.
AgustaWestland also will have much to talk about, including upgrades to its A119 Koala and work to gain certification of an 882-lb. (400-kg) increase in the AW139's max gross weight of 14,991 lb (6,800 kg).
With Sikorsky, it also will be able to discuss CHC's introduction of its aircraft into the high-profile SAR market in the United Kingdom. CHC beat out Bristow Group in the first phase of the U.K. SAR-H initiative, a five-year contract from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to provide SAR services offshore and supplement the capabilities of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. Bristow had provided those services for more than 20 years.
Under the contract, CHC provides SAR services from four bases around the country: Sumburgh in the Shetlands, Stornoway in the Western Isles, and Lee-on-Solent and Portland on the south coast of England.
The £100-million ($197-million) contract has been an ongoing program of transition from the previous service and involves the introduction of new-technology aircraft. Two new Sikorsky S-92s are now fully operation operational from both Stornoway and Sumburgh. The service at Lee-on-Solent and Portland relies on AW139s, which are to be fully operational this summer.


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Since graduating from RISD, Hadley has worked as a professional designer at Malcolm Grear Designers, Rykodisc Records, and Razorfish and is currently an interactive creative director at Fidelity Investments. He has worked on corporate identity projects, CD packages, web sites, Flash banner advertising, and a wide variety of print collateral. His personal site is www.hadleystern.com.
Hadley has written for WebMonkey, American Photo magazine, iPodLounge.com, and O'Reilly Media, and is the publisher and editor in chief of AppleMatters (www.applematters.com). AppleMatters is a serious yet irreverent look at all things Apple. Covering opinions, news, and interviews, AppleMatters has done tremendously well since its launch more than a year ago.
iPod and iTunes Hacks
by Hadley Stern
October 2004
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SSH Add Server To known_hosts Automatically
If you ever need to write a shell script that uses either SSH or SCP to unknown hosts then you will likely have run across the issue of adding the remote host/server to the known_hosts file when automating either of the two commands are called within the script. You can easily get around this either by modifying the client computers ssh_config file or by using the -o switch available for both SSH (Secure Shell) and SCP (Secure Copy). Below we show how to modify the ssh_config file as well as an example of using each with the -o switch.