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The boy wizard takes his final bow
Monitor critic Yvonne Zipp reviews Book 7 of the Harry Potter series.
In the end, no one plays Quidditch.
That's about the only spoiler I'm willing to reveal about the final chapter in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," Book 7 and the close of J.K. Rowling's wonderfully entertaining series. If the review seems a little vague as a result, well, tough. I'm not ruining this for fans who have waited 10 years to learn the outcome of the final showdown between the Boy Who Lived and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and wanted to savor the last time they would ever pick up a new "Harry Potter" book.
Much has been made of whether the books represent cultural infantilism on a mass scale, with some august personages arguing that not only are they not art, they're bad for literature. (I'm guessing Harold Bloom has never read the "Gossip Girl" series.)
While I don't personally believe Harry Potter represents the acme of children's literature, I've had an absolute blast reading the novels and thoroughly enjoyed watching a high-tech generation fall in love with something as old-fashioned and out of date as a book. Cracking open a cover and being so transported to new worlds that I wasn't aware of turning pages was one of my greatest pleasures growing up.
And while some of the Potter fans may never develop a lifelong love of reading, I'm so glad they had that experience at least once.
Picking up where we left off
When last we saw our hero, it was at Professor Dumbledore's funeral, vowing to go on a quest to find and destroy the remaining sources of Voldemort's immortality, seven objects in which he had deposited pieces of his soul. (Ron and Hermione were vowing to go right along with him, of course.)
There were so many plot threads dangling, you easily could have weaved a magic carpet. Happily, in 759 pages, Rowling manages to answer the most nagging questions (is Professor Snape really evil?), and provide at least a moment in the spotlight for most of the players in her vast cast.
Finales are a tricky business, and the higher the expectations, the tougher it can be to stick the landing. Happily, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" is less frustrating than "The Sopranos" and far more satisfying than "The End" of "A Series of Unfortunate Events," to cite two recent high-profile examples.
Harry's quest is made more dangerous – and more imperative – by the fact that, with Dumbledore gone, Voldemort and his Death Eaters have a free hand. Rowling has been clear for years that fighting evil shouldn't be easy and would require sacrifice.
The books really stopped being for younger children sometime around "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," and I can't underscore that point strongly enough with "Deathly Hallows." (Parents, just read the opening chapter: It's chilling.)
As he's matured, the challenges facing Harry have grown correspondingly more terrible. This time he's facing all-out war. The body count hits the double digits (including two of my favorite characters) and the Cruciatus curse is in heavy rotation.
In addition to their search for Voldemort's horcruxes, Harry, Ron, and Hermione find clues that may help in the battle in fairy tales and from a distinctly nonmagical source: the New Testament.
It's the first time that I remember Rowling quoting directly from the Bible, but it's apt, since the central theme of her series can best be summed up by a verse in John: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
That's been true since Book 1, when Harry's mother, Lily, sacrificed her life to save her baby son, thereby giving him a powerful protection against the ultimate embodiment of evil. But Book 7 underlines this several times at various stages in the novel and then adds an exclamation point.
Rowling's worldview has always seemed in tune with the moral outlook of British writers such as Charles Dickens and J.R.R. Tolkien, and the finale confirms her place in that tradition.
Of course, Book 7 is also ready for its Hollywood close-up – with set pieces so cinematic, you almost don't need a camera. For folks craving action, there's plenty of it, and for fans hankering after closure, you'll get that, too.
That's not to say there aren't a few hiccups, such as a falling-out Harry has with one friend that feels manufactured. Romantic moments still aren't Rowling's strong suit and some exposition-heavy passages loom like boulders. More important, I feel as if she gives too short shrift to Severus Snape, the series' most intriguing character. But there's nothing as egregious as in Book 5, when she altered her characterization of Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, in order to kill him off. (Frankly, I'm still a little peeved about that.)
The magic of imagination
Harry and Rowling rally their troops so successfully, it's almost painful to be stuck on the sidelines. As always, Rowling's greatest strength is the ability to whisk readers away to a fully imagined world. As Dumbledore once told the boy wizard, "Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"
For one last time, fans will be longing to grab a wand, hop on their broom, and join the fray.
• Yvonne Zipp regularly reviews fiction for the Monitor.


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Go forth and spend: Call for action closes US climate summit
WASHINGTON (AP) — World leaders shared tales of climate-friendly breakthroughs — and feverish quests for more — to close President Joe Biden's virtual global climate summit on Friday, from Kenyans abandoning kerosene lanterns for solar to Israeli start-ups straining for more efficient storage batteries.
It was an exhortational end to an unusual pandemic-era summit hosted from a specially created TV-style set in the White House East Room. Biden's two-day gathering briefly united the heads of global rivals America, China and Russia — on screens, anyway — long enough to pledge cooperation on climate. It also saw the U.S. and a half-dozen allies commit to significant new efforts and financing to reduce climate-damaging emissions.
Friday's closing message: Go forth and spend, making good on pledges for rapid transitions to cleaner vehicles, power grids and buildings to stave off the worst of global warming.
"The commitments we've made must become real," declared Biden, who is seeking $2.3 trillion from Congress for legislation that would partly go for electric charging stations, for laying out an efficient new national electrical grid and for capping abandoned oil and gas rigs and coal mines. "Commitment without doing anything is a lot of hot air, no pun intended."
"We're gonna do this together," Biden said, speaking live to a final Zoom-style screen of leaders of national governments, unions and business executives around the world.
His closing message echoed the sentiments of Kenyan President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, who told the summit: "We cannot win this fight against climate change unless we go globally to fight it together."
Compared to the United States and other wealthy but carbon-addicted nations, Kenya stands out as a poorer country closing the technology gap despite limited financial resources. It has become a leading user and producer of geothermal and wind power. Small solar panels that charge lights and mobile phones have become cheap enough for some poor households to replace their kerosene lanterns. Opposition has stalled work on what would be its first dirtier-burning coal-fired power plant.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, described scientists at hundreds of Israeli start-ups working to improve crucial battery storage for solar, wind and other renewable energy.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark renewed her country's pledge to end oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, switching from offshore oil and gas rigs to wind farms.
Biden convened the summit showcasing the United States' own high-profile return to international climate efforts after President Donald Trump's withdrawal. Biden used the summit to announce he intended to cut U.S. coal and petroleum emissions in half by 2030, nearly doubling the previous target.
Publicly, there had been no firm word up until this week that Presidents Xi Jinping of China and Vladimir Putin of Russia would accept Biden's summit invite, given disputes with the U.S. over nonclimate issues.
But they did, despite concerns that international isolation and domestic political conflict under Trump had weakened the United States.
"Nations still want to come to the party that the U.S. throws," said Alice Hill, a senior fellow for energy and environment at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Xi, whose country is the world's No. 1 climate polluter, held out the possibility in his summit speech of moving faster to slow China's building of new coal-fired power plants.
He pledged to "strictly control coal power," which sends a strong domestic message to Chinese provincial officials on future coal projects, said Yan Qin, a carbon analyst with the Refinitiv Carbon group.
South Korea's announcement at the summit that it would stop funding new coal-fired power plants abroad increased pressure on China and Japan, which still do, analysts said.
Friday also featured billionaires Bill Gates and Mike Bloomberg, steelworker and electrical union leaders and executives for solar and other renewable energy.
"We can't beat climate change without a historic amount of new investment," said Bloomberg, who has spent heavily to promote replacing coal-fired power plants with increasingly cheaper renewable energy.
It was all in service of an argument officials say will make or break Biden's climate vision: Pouring trillions of dollars into clean-energy technology, research and infrastructure will speed a competitive U.S. economy into the future and create jobs while saving the planet.
While technological development and wider use has helped make wind and solar power strongly competitive against coal and natural gas in the U.S., Biden said investment also would bring forward thriving, clean-energy fields "in things we haven't even thought of so far."
Republicans are sticking to the arguments that Trump made in pulling the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord. They point to China as the world's worst climate polluter and say any transition to clean energy hurts American oil, natural gas and coal workers.
Biden envoy John Kerry stressed the presidential political selling point that rebuilding creaky U.S. infrastructure to run more cleanly would put the U.S. on a better economic footing long-term.
"No one is being asked for a sacrifice," Kerry said. "This is an opportunity."
AP writer Matthew Daly contributed from Washington. Knickmeyer reported from Oklahoma City.
Knickmeyer reported from Oklahoma City. Associated Press writers Ashok Sharma in New Delhi, Joe McDonald in Beijing, Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow, David Biller in Rio de Janeiro, Nicole Winfield in Vatican City, Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Aamer Madhani, Seth Borenstein and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


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What is Galicaster?
Galicaster is a Multistream Recorder and Player designed for mobile equipment without requiring an Internet connexion, allowing us to record, tag and review multistream material, all together in one application.
Galicaster is designed to be compatible with the Opencast Matterhron Project, so we can schedule recordings and ingest them remotely. The Opencast Matterhorn (OC-MH) project, an international, free, open-source effort on educational multimedia content from which we would benefit from, taking advantage of all the tools within to process and distribute educational material. Once Galicaster is settle in, we can record, play, edit and modify metadata of the recordings (all in OC-MH Mediapackage format) and finally ingest them to a Matterhorn Core.
Other important feature of Galicaster is that we can control in realtime the parameters of the capture (proper recording, volume characteristics, video quality...), viewing on place what we are recording.
Galicaster is been developed with GStreamer and Python, designed as a heavy application fully based on free software.
Latest News
September 12th 2011
Galicaster Class almost ready
After a long hard-working summer we are almost ready to install our first Galicaster Class prototype.Two classrooms on either facuties of the University of Vigo will host a GClass capture agent connected to an Opencast Matterhorn server.
As soon as posible some demos would be published for you to have a better idea of what GClass is.
June 13th 2011
Currently on development - working on the beta version
If you want any other information or you are interested on being a beta tester contact us. Keep posted!
May 22nd 2011
First trials - alpha version succeeded
Some raw demos are available on the following links:
Other pages
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text:
Export 6 results:Author Title Type [ Year]
Filters: Keyword is Software architecture and Author is Gianni, D. [Clear All Filters]
Empowering business process simulation through automated model transformations." In Simulation Series, 278-286. Vol. 46. The Society for Modeling and Simulation International, 2014."
A model transformation approach for the development of HLA-based distributed simulation systems." In SIMULTECH 2011 - Proceedings of 1st International Conference on Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications, 155-160., 2011."
A software architecture to ease the development of distributed simulation systems." SIMULATION 87 (2011): 819-836."
A MDA-based approach for the development of DEVS/SOA simulations." In Simulation Series, 4-11. Vol. 42., 2010."
A MDA-based approach for the development of DEVS/SOA simulations." In Spring Simulation Multiconference 2010, SpringSim'10., 2010."
A language to enable distributed simulation of extended queueing networks." Journal of Computers (Finland) 2 (2007): 76-86."


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Corning Named One of the Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality
Corning Named One of the Best Places for Equality
The Human Rights Campaign recently recognized Corning Incorporated as one of only 517 businesses in the U.S. that received a perfect score on its 2017 Corporate Equality Index. This distinguishes Corning as one of the "Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality." We have received the top score of 100 percent for 12 consecutive years.
"Receiving a perfect score on the Corporate Equality Index once again is extremely gratifying," said Monica Bankston, talent manager, Office of Global Diversity & Inclusion.
The Human Rights Campaign is the largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization in the U.S. Published every year for 15 years, the Corporate Equality Index rates a company's policies and practices related to LGBT workplace equality. In 2017, the Human Rights Campaign ranked 887 companies in its Corporate Equality Index, up from 851 in 2016.
"It is a testament to the fact that Corning supports an inclusive culture that values the full spectrum of diversity, and provides a safe, accepting environment where every employee can bring his / her whole self to work," Bankston said.
We believe in the fundamental dignity each employee and our network consists of a diverse mixture of people. We value the unique ability of each individual to contribute, and we intend that every employee shall have the opportunity to participate fully, to grow professionally, and to develop to his or her highest potential.


text: Step 8 Applying the small business CGT concessionsWarning: This information may not apply to the current year. Check the content carefully to ensure it is applicable to your circumstances. End of attention If you are a small business owner, you may qualify for one or more of the following small business CGT concessions: the 50% active asset reduction, small business rollover relief or the small business retirement exemption. You can apply these concessions now to the amount of any relevant capital gains remaining after step 7. You may apply the concessions to capital gains calculated using any of the three methods. Note: Businesses with turnover of less than $ 2 million can now access the small business CGT concessions via the small business entity test. This will also apply to: taxpayers that do not carry on a business but own a CGT asset used in a business by a related entity an individual partner who owns a CGT asset used in the partnership business. For more information, see the publication Capital gains tax (CGT) concessions for small business - overview End of further information Last modified: 08 Jul 2013QC 25657


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Bicycle helmets are great pieces of equipment and take the brunt of an impact instead of your head in the unfortunate event of an accident. Most things that a cyclist is likely to hit are pretty hard, whether it's a car, tree or the road itself, and a helmet can genuinely save your life. The sad fact is that in 90% of cycling fatalities the rider was not wearing a helmet.
However, the shape of a helmet means that they're not that convenient to carry round in a bag or rucksack and take up lots of space. All too often the helmet gets left behind for the sake of convenience. In an attempt to solve this problem and save more lives, inventor Jeff Woolf has developed the world's first folding bicycle helmet, the Morpher Helmet.
As you can see from the picture above, the helmet folds flat from front to back making it much easier to carry around in bag with other flat things, like notepads, magazines and tablets. With an emphasis on safety from the start, the helmet exceeds all safety requirements worldwide and will be independently CE tested before the full launch. The inventor Jeff Woolf is no lightweight either having twice been awarded "British Inventor of the Year" and awarded an OBE for services to innovation and business.
To fund the production of the helmets, Morpher is launching an Indiegogo campaign. Early birds will be able to snap up helmet for US$59 (about GB£35) with a second tier at $79. The RRP is expected to be $110 so it's a bargain but you will have to wait until April 2014 before the helmet arrives. The goal is to raise $35,000 over the next 47 days. As with all crowd-funded projects, bear in mind that there is not yet a finished product for you to buy.
Watch the video below to learn more about the Morpher helmet and the man behind it.
Looks like a great idea and I hope the project succeeds, especially as I've contributed myself for a Morpher helmet.


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White Translucent - Glass Glitter - Medium
Packed in 50gram / 1.7oz Bags
Grain Size : Medium 80 Grit
The Original Glass Glitter imported from Europe. Painted glass that is bound to give your project a stunning sparkle & shine!
This finely ground coloured glass is silver coated for extra glitz!
When exposed to air, over time a beautiful patina ages the silver, to give an authentic vintage glass glitter look.
Create Greeting Cards, add to your Scrap booking and make your Ornaments sparkle!
Sprinkle on top of tacky epoxy resin – Perfect for adding extra bling to your Geode inspired projects.
How is the glitter glass made?
The process begins with coating a thin substrate of glass with pure silver. The glass is then fired at high temperatures, and coated in pigments. Followed by additional firings and coats of silver.
After the glitter glass has cooled, it is then ground into different grits, ranging from super fine to super shard.
Keep Out of Reach of Children
Fine glass, wear protection if required, and treat with care.
This product is not solvent resistant – mixing into some mediums can alter the colour of the glass and cause the pigment to bleed
Under extreme heat the patina effect can be accelerated
Produced in Germany in small batches, by fine art glass glitter artisans.
Technical Data Sheet


text:
Major partners of the Paris Opera's 350th anniversary
Major partners of
the Paris Opera's 350th anniversary
Major partners of the Paris Opera's 350th anniversary
Major partners of
the Paris Opera's 350th anniversary
A suivre:
Abbé Perrin (Director of...
Following the assassination of the Duc de Berry at the Opera, the theatre in the Rue de Richelieu was permanently closed and King Louis XVIII ordered the construction of a temporary theatre. Whilst that work was underway, the Opera moved to the Salle Favart for a season. Originally built for the Opéra-Comique in 1783, it had been home to the Théâtre-Italien since 1815.
On April 19, 1820, the Opera opened its new season with Sacchini's Œdipe à Colone and Nina ou la Folle par amour, a ballet in two acts by Milon and Persuis. The repertoire was scarcely different from that of the theatre in the Rue de Richelieu, except for the fact that the Salle Favart was smaller (it could only accommodate an audience of 1,165) and was unable to host major opera and ballet productions.
Two official ceremonies marked the Opera's transfer to the Salle Favart. On September 29, 1820, to celebrate the birth of the Duc de Bordeaux, the Opera's Chorus sang the interludes for Racine's Athalie, performed by the actors of the Comédie Française. Then, for the royal infant's baptism in May 1821, the Opera's troupe performed Blanche de Provence ou La Cour des fées, a work composed by Cherubini, Boieldieu, Berton, Paër and Kreutzer.
In May 1821, the Opera was obliged to vacate the Salle Favart and move temporarily to the Salle Louvois.
Partners of the Paris Opera's 350th anniversary
Sponsor of Crystal Pite's production
Sponsor of Opera's Battle
Sponsor of Les Indes galantes
With the generous support of
Sponsor of La Traviata
Sponsor of the Emperor box restoration
Principal sponsor of the Paris Opera Ballet
IT Mobility & User Experience Partner
Mécène Services IT
Sponsor of the Paris Opera Academy
Institutions associated with the 350th anniversary
Media partners


text:
Serhat Pala
Serhat Pala is chief advisor of Confirm BioSciences.
Moderated by
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The opinions expressed by guest authors do not necessarily reflect the positions of Staffing Industry Analysts.
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March 4, 2020
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6 tips to protect your children from hidden dangers around the home by Brandpoint
18 Aug, 2016, 01:00 ET
HOPKINS, Minn., Aug. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Even in the most safety-minded homes, the most serious hazards for children can be hiding in plain sight. Know which unexpected items can be risky, and what to do to prevent an accident.
Many parents feel they know the top child proofing items to check off to keep kids safe — cover electrical outlets, lock kitchen cabinets and secure baby gates on stairs. However, there are other potential serious child safety hazards in and outside the home that sometimes can be overlooked, including windows coverings.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), corded window coverings are one of the top five hidden hazards in American homes, with infants and young children accidentally becoming entangled in window covering cords. CPSC, the window covering industry and consumer safety advocates all agree that only cordless window coverings or those with inaccessible cords should be used in homes with young children.
The Best for Kids certification program launched last year by the window covering industry makes it easy for parents and caregivers to easily identify which window covering products are best suited for homes with young children.
The Window Covering Safety Council urges parents and caregivers to follow these six simple tips to help protect children from potentially hidden hazards around the home.
1. Install only cordless window coverings or those with inaccessible cords in homes with young children. Replace window blinds, corded shades and draperies with products that are cordless or have inaccessible cords, such as those marked with the Best for Kids label certification which enables you to easily identify products best suited for young children.
2. Know your plants and which are dangerous if ingested. Make sure to keep these common plants off limits to kids: Rhododendron, Lily of the Valley, Hydrangea, Poinsettia, Purple Nightshade, Mountain Laurel, Mistletoe and Water Hemlock. If you suspect your child has ingested any type of garden plant/flower, seek medical attention right away.
3. Keep vehicles locked and keys out of reach of children. According to WebMD, even on a day when it's only 72 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature inside a vehicle can increase by 30 to 40 degrees in an hour, and 70 percent of this increase occurs the first 30 minutes. Teach children that vehicles aren't safe places to play.
Prevent falling accidents from windows. As the summer heat begins to cool, it's time to let fresh that air in the house. To prevent potential falling accidents, open windows from the top instead of from the bottom. Window guards and stoppers are strongly suggested for homes with children under the age of 11. Be sure all are firmly secured and installed properly
Anchor it! Furniture and TV tip-overs are also one of the top hidden hazards in the home, according to the CPSC, which has launched a new safety campaign aimed at reducing the number of deaths and injuries from tipping furniture and TVs.
Check before you play. Playgrounds with slides, swings, and other play items of any material that sit in sunlight can cause burns for children — even when it's not that hot outside. Always check the equipment first and don't let children run around barefoot. If your child does experience a burn, seek medical help immediately.
For more information on window cord safety and the Best for Kids program, visit windowcoverings.org or follow WCSC on Facebook and Twitter.
Contact info: BrandpointContent.com
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160818/399328
SOURCE Brandpoint


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Have you tried the music service Spotify yet? We love it here/ have found so much new music through it and highly reccomend it.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FECAL FACE PLAYLIST <-- We're adding new finds and old gems everyday that we think you're going to like.
Think of Spotify as your new music collection. Your library. Only this time your collection is vast: over 15 million tracks and counting. Spotify comes in all shapes and size, available for your PC, Mac, home audio system and cell phone. Wherever you go, your music follows you... And because the music plays live, there's no need to wait for downloads and no big dent in your hard drive.


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I am not primarily a stock photographer, but I do contribute to a few stock agencies (primarily Stocksy United). Right now, I mostly see stock photography as a way to earn passive income by leveraging leftover photography from paid gigs or personal work into additional revenue streams.
It's pretty sweet to check your stock photography stats and find out that you just earned some extra cash from work that would otherwise just be sitting on a hard drive somewhere.
However, every once in a while I do go out to specifically shoot stock photography.
In this article, I am going to share the anatomy of a recent Christmas stock photography shoot.


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Written by Duana
Previously, Vanessa and Serena put their heads together to talk about how Charlie was crazy, Blair was a dubious princess, Chuck sucked, Charlie's bananaboat, Raina's mom is nutty, and Thorpe got Blair up on a roof.
So anyway, just your average season finale.
S and V in a cab. They exposit that Charlie 'went barefoot through the snow after she SWFed her college roommate." Sounds like just about any undergrad. Where's the crazy?
Of course they bitch about who should tell Dan. Then decide to do everything together.
Band I'm sure I'm supposed to know plays at the Constance ball. Nate wanders alone. No Raina.
Dan proceeds to tell Nate every crazy "Call me Serena" thing Charlie says. Chace manages to laugh like a real boy.
Chuck appears, looks nutty. Nods to them. Nate can only call it a 'long story'.
What a nice effect that is on the ceiling. What is this room when it's not a ballroom, school?
Chuck alerts Mama Waldorf that Blair is missing. Mama doesn't care, calls Chuck the "Big Bad Wolf". Tells him to let her go for good. Chuck observes the prince and his mother.
Dan approaches Eric, who's all "Remember when school wasn't like this?" Isn't he still in school? How old is he?
S and V storm up. Need to talk to Dan. So does Chuck. Everyone yells about looking for Charlie and or Blair. Dan gets to run the show. Hasn't seen Blair, is looking for Charlie.
And then Eric finds Iz (or, Iz the second) who saw Charlie being crazy a half hour ago.
Chuck yells at Nate for telling Raina the truth. Which is fine, because she's there to apologize to him. But he's still in a panic looking for Blair. Ed Westwick is articulating more in the last 10 minutes than ever on this show.
Chuck's phone rings. My smart girl calls Chuck and tells him where she is being kept by Thorpe (which is no longer on a roof). Chuck hears and books.
Thorpe just keeps flicking a lighter, like, way to be a stereotypical villain, Thorpe.
Constance. OMG, remember Georgina? She's got a big rock and a completely mercenary attitude, and tells the nice people she talks to they're horrifically boring.
Her dress is amazing and she asks to help with Dan's scheme, but he's not interested.
Eric shoots the party so Lily can watch on her tablet. Rufus stands over her. Then meddles to find out if they've found Charlie.
Oh, here she is, on the dance floor with a bottle. Oh man, this actress's reedy smoky voice come out when she exerts herself. FYI, her horrible mashed boob is still happening.
Charlie pushes a waiter and runs away, Dan says they need plan B. Georgina smiles.
Serena disappoints her headmistress by not being at Brown. She wishes Serena had gone further.
Two tweens from last week tell Serena she's a disappointment, why didn't she wind up with Dan or Nate? UGH, those are her choices? Please.
Anyway, the tweens now want to be Blair due to: princess. Serena shoes them. Georgina appears. She begs to be in on a scheme. I'm overusing the words 'hysterical' and 'hilarious' lately but it really is that she just wants to be in on a plan.
"Guys, guys, we can't just throw Georgina into an episode". "Sure we can. She just, you know, wants to be there! Loves to scheme!"
Dan and Vanessa lost Charlie. Everyone gets a text. Georgina reads it "I'm sorry, goodbye" and announces "Who is this amateur?" God, I love her. More please!
Several names of plans are rejected. Vanessa gets to tell Georgina to go away – such that she ignores Charlie right there in front of her face.
Blair wonders why Thorpe keeps flicking his lighter. It's because he turned on the gas. Oh shit.
Chuck tries to get B loose when he hears her talking about how she found her way out of loving him. Nobody thinks he won't save her.
Chuck bursts in! Holds Blair! Raina bursts in – steals Thorpe's lighter. Is all 'I know you didn't mean to hurt my mother' then, when he gives it to her, "I'm never coming to visit you in prison.
C and B have a tender moment. She's OK, not going to hospital. He's glad she called him. She just knew to call '1' on her speed dial. He's chuffed he's still #1 and they decide to have (one, quick)drink.
Raina and Nate. Obviously not having a good night. She wants to go home, which of course means 'really home'. Chicago. Well, bye, actress who plays Raina! You had some real highs and lows!
B and C are at a bar mitzvah. I don't think it's worth trying to figure out why. They choose two namecards and assume someone else's identity. Dear Prince, you're gonna get jilted. Mazel Tov, Joseph.
Over at constance, Charlie is trying to jump out a window while still grasping her vodka. Georgina is only so happy to direct her upstairs to a free one.
S appears, Georgina toys with her. Serena, in a monotone: "Everysecondyoudon'ttellmewheresheisiscritical" Then appeals to Georgina's baby. G pretends to help, then sends S in the wrong direction.
Bar Mitzvah. Dance circle. Blair dances to "Rolling In the Deep". Chuck is, of course, entranced.
Vanessa goes to the loft.
B and C dance together. In love.
V noses through people's belongings, because of course she does. Finds a completed and printed-out novel.
B, hoisted on a chair. Louis, waiting impatiently. B & C, both hoisted on chairs. For what it's worth, Leighton and Ed look like they're having a delightful time.
Nosy V reads Dan's novel. Notable: "When Sabrina came back into my life in 11th grade" UGH, eyeroll.
C gives Bar Mitzvah-ee Joseph a cheque for $5000. He tells B it's time to go back to the party – but she drags him to an empty room and grabs at his pants.
Louis, looking distraught. His mother says she's sorry, but of course, isn't. She smirks, tells him to give it up. Louis knows she'll be here –
…as B has Chuck undo her dress.
S searches further for Charlie. Dan thinks to call nosy-face Vanessa.
S walks in on Charlie, standing at an open window. She says 'no', so what do you think Charlie does? She turns back to look out the window again.
Right, so drama queen and her doppelganger therein. Charlie sobs that Serena thinks she's crazy. That she stole S's dress to be like her. "You're Serena Van Der Woodsen". "That doesn't mean what you think it means". Truly, truly awesome response, S. Which of course means that it DOES.
Dan calls V. Is she OK? Has the audacity to tell him she loves his book which he is momentarily flattered by, then mad at, then flattered by. He is a schizophrene. Vanessa tells him he has to be on the outside to write about things. "Get it published, make a stand, be a man". Er, Vanessa?
S texts she found Charlie. More important. Jessica Szohr really eats the scenery as she spits "When are you going to realize you were a better person until you asked Serena out?" "When are you going to realize I had a better life before you climbed up my fire escape?" God, you two. Take it back to grade eight.
Vanessa, needless to say, steals the book.
Chuck and Blair, slightly chastened, in the night air. B thinks she should tell Louis it's over, she doesn't love him like she does Chuck. He makes her happy, but what she has with Chuck is intense and complicated. What's mere happiness in the face of all that, she asks? Chuck drives her to the consulate in a limo. Looks conflicted.
I know you all are rabid to hear it, so: Do I think Chuck is the right person for B? Not necessarily. Do I think his dominating behavior is acceptable? I don't. But I don't look to TV for guidance, I look for a reflection of real life. And Blair seeing Chuck's good as well as his bad? That is, yes it IS, just as real as the things you ignore in your relationship, the things you overlook in a friend or a lover because there are so many good things that outweigh it. I'm not actually concerned if you're judging a TV character, but - I bet money there have been things in your life you've not told friends or family because you'd be embarrassed. Because behavior does get judged on a sliding scale. It's just that B doesn't have that opportunity, thanks to Gossip Girl. (and just like that, the tertiary Voice Of God is relevant again).
Charlie spits that there's nothing wrong with being Serena, "Every girl wants to be you". Nope. S then proceeds to outline what's wrong with her as a character – she never chooses anything. Neither college, nor between Dan and Nate, nor to go to Paris. S's lack of decisions have hurt her. Charlie gets over her crisis and goes to be S's support. Immediately wants to know if S would choose Dan or Nate.
S texts, because that's polite. These girls hold hands.
Chuck walks into Constance, sees Louis. He knows Blair's coming. He knows he loves her. He'll wait for her. Then she comes in, he's appropriately delighted. She takes a deep breath and tells him – tells him –
and then Chuck breaks in and says he's delighted they're getting married, and they have his blessing. Awww. Character redemption!
Surprise, Dan and Nate are both going to see Serena. You'd think they'd be sick of her. "What, does she have beer-flavoured nipples?" (I still love 10 Things I hate About You) Anyway, she apologizes for her lack of continuity last fall, not choosing either of them. Lots of fuss about getting coats and cabs. Charlie slips away from Dan, calls someone to say "It went perfectly, call you soon".
Georgina finds Charlie. Says she doesn't think Charlie was ever on meds. Then gives her what, a calling card? Oh, it's a napkin with her number on it because "It's been getting a little dull around here." Intrigue! ? !
B is now mad at Chuck because "The great loves are the crazy ones". She says nobody writes songs about being happy. But Chuck says Louis waited for her all night, and she deserves her fairytale. Okay, I don't like this intense father-figure stuff hat's going on here, so there's that…
He proves his point by saying they're feeling something they've never felt before – guilt. Over cheating on Louis. B is doing her best to cut something bad out of her life but is relishing her moment of being weak. Chuck's being the strong one. They say "I will always love you". Louis, apparently, is watching. Weird??
Chuck still has that soft smile on his face. But now B kisses Louis, and tries to fake a smile. No No NO, B, you're supposed to be genuinely torn between the two! You have to want Louis too!
Gossip Girl agrees with me.
Sunshine over Manhattan, and – Oh!
We get a title card. Three weeks later….
Nate and Chuck are at Lily and Rufus'. Really? Anyway, Thorpe's getting 20 years. Lily's staying in all summer, Eric is going to Sarah Lawrence. Rufus is happy not to take a cruise with Eleanor and Cyrus.
Blair enters, annoyed that her principality by boat is being referred to as a 'cruise'. Chuck takes this opportunity to book.
Dan tells B to call him if she wants to watch movies from the castle. She has already synced up their computers or playlists or something like that. Eric notes this.
Charlie is going to take the bus back to Florida, because this city isn't for her and 'maybe someday' she'll be able to come back. I don't understand why all this couldn't have happened the next morning.
Charlie and Dan hug. They confess they really did like each other.
Nate says Chuck is hurting. He can tell Chuck's in pain because he isn't drinking. But Chuck maintains Blair needs to be happy with Louis. And pours himself a drink. Nate proposes they basically backpack across the world. "Pick a point and we'll make our way back".
Gossip Girl is actually saying something profound but I can't hear her because B and S swap clothesies. S is going to Montecito. B is going to Monaco. She thinks Serena will be lonely but S actually says "I choose me". They bond over B's November (sweeps!) wedding. Cute.
Dan speaks so damn fast I can't hear what he's saying but I think it means he wants to go to the Hamptons. He's lonely and wants to leave the city. Maybe he's taking Eric with him. Rufus gets all weird about Dan's writing.
And then, of course, V submits a novel by "anonymous". She says it's a He. But she's accepting the cheques. She'll pass them on. They can send them to her in Spain.
Then, irritatingly, S sees a skinny brunette boy reading a book "The Beautiful and Damned" and making notes, and talks to him on the boardwalk . God, S, stop it! Anyway, he's a movie guy, they're turning it into a movie. Something or other.
Then his boss appears, S calls him David Russell. Because she read the book, she's coming to the meeting and it's her job. Sigh. Sure. I do like that she's screwing over some guy though.
Bus. Miami. Charlie gets off the buss. There's Carole. Charlie stole blank cheques. Her 'Mother' calls her Ivy and hands over a pile of cash. Then Carole says at least they won't come looking for her daughter, and "will 'Ivy' be OK going back to her life having been in that world?" Ivy will.
And the reason she will is that in her purse she has Georgina's phone number napkin and a stolen chequebook of her own.
Serena's Empty Room. Blair's Empty Room. Bathroom. Positive pregnancy test.
BOOM. There's a finale for you!
Attached - Chace Crawford texting in a restaurant yesterday.
Photos from JLM/Splashnewsonline.com
See Ya, various actors
Written by Duana


text:
Nicholas Negroponte's One Laptop Per Child initiative has historically been more about promise than fulfillment. But in the $100 XO 3.0 tablet, OLPC may have its first product that's not just practical, capable, or cheap. It's actually… good.
The first thing you need to know about the 8-inch XO 3.0 is this: it's not the paper-thin sci-fi wet dream slate first suggested by OLPC's renders of two years ago. But that's a good thing. That tablet would have been better suited for the Enterprise sick bay than the impoverished international locales the XO 3.0 is destined for.
Today's prototype, the one that actually exists, is thicker than we're used to tablets being, but with that thickness comes sturdiness, a sense of—if not indestructibility—extreme resilience. That durability comes from heft and girth but also from thoughtful touches, like a playfully textured, rubberized, waterproof back, and a glass display that stands up better to harsh UV rays than OLPC's previously preferred plastic screens. There's a waterproof cover, as well, identical to the back, that smoothly slips over the display, protects the tablet's ports, and keeps the XO 3.0 dry in harsh conditions. It's cheap, but it's a survivor.
There's not much to say about the specs other than you wouldn't want to take them home with you—Marvell Armada PXA618 guts, 512MB of RAM, 4GB internal storage—but those ports are worth a second look. There's your standard USB, microUSB, audio in/out, sensor input. But there's also what makes OLPC products so crucial for places where energy comes at a premium: a charging port designed to accept a wide range of DC power inputs and, more importantly, to convert that power far more efficiently than the gadgets we're used to. You could, for instance, plug in a hand crank and get up to 10 minutes of power for every one minute of elbow grease.
In fact, as a piece of hardware the XO 3.0 seems perfectly suited to its target environs. The only possible trip-up may come in the software, which doesn't seem quite fully baked. It'll come with either Android or OLPC's own Sugar OS, and while we weren't able to check the Googleized version, Sugar was noticeably slow and not particularly intuitive. You're met with a swirl of icons, each of which opens a different educational app, but it's difficult to tell which icon does what.
But ultimately, those are complaints that can either be addressed over time or brushed aside with the reminder that this isn't an iPad or a Fire or a Tab. Remember, OLPC's laptop project of several years ago is the progenitor of the netbook as we know it. The XO 3.0 seems inclined to play the same role for tablets. It's a product that recognizes that a healthy degree of compromise is more than worth getting technology in the hands of people who need it most and can afford it least. It's a promise, fulfilled.


text: LinkedIn will make changes to a "social advertising" feature that sparked criticism for using members' names and photographs in advertisements on its website.After a day of mounting criticism, the social networking service said in a blog post Thursday that it had been "listening" to its users and "could have communicated" its intentions with the new ad feature more clearly. As a result, it said, it will change how the advertisements appear.If a LinkedIn user "follows" a company or service on LinkedIn, the ad feature can display the user's name and photo in advertisements for that company. LinkedIn said its goal was to deliver more useful ads, but some LinkedIn users complained it was a privacy violation, particularly because they have to opt out of the feature rather than opt in.In the changes announced Thursday, it appears that users will still need to opt out of the social ads feature, but LinkedIn has made it so people's names and photographs no longer appear. Instead, there is a link in the advertisements that says, for example, "Three people in your network" follow company X. It's difficult to tell from the blog post what happens when members click on the link, but presumably it shows which people in their network follow the company. LinkedIn didn't immediately return a call seeking comment.LinkedIn started to roll out the new feature in June, but it attracted little attention until this week. On Thursday, the Dutch publication WebWereld reported that the feature might violate Europe's tough data privacy laws.LinkedIn stopped short of apologizing for the way social ads works. In a blog post titled "Privacy, Advertising, and Putting Members First," LinkedIn said it had been "gathering feedback" from its users and that it wanted to "clarify a few things."It noted that it published two blog posts and a banner ad in June informing users the feature was being rolled out. It said it never shares personal information with third-party advertisers."Most importantly, what we've learned now, is that, even though our members are happy to have their actions, such as recommendations, be viewable by their network as a public action, some of those same members may not be comfortable with the use of their names and photos associated with those actions used in ads served to their network," says the blog post, attributed to Director of Product Management Ryan Roslansky."So, we will be changing how these types of social ads look," it said, providing "before" and "after" pictures of a sample advertisement. It didn't say when the changes would be made.The ROI Guy website posted instructions on how to opt out of the social ad system for users who want to. (WebWereld is an affiliate of IDG News Service.)James Niccolai covers data centers and general technology news for IDG News Service. Follow James on Twitter at @jniccolai. James's e-mail address is email@example.com


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* auto-detection of settings
* auto-detection of settings
* validity checking of server configurations
* validity checking of server configurations
Latest revision as of 21:24, 2 March 2010
24 Feb 2010
I forgot to mention one additional feature in the discussion about LDAP. In the LDAP account settings, we need one more radio button. This button should specify the schema in use on the LDAP server. LDAP servers can provide UNIX users with schema rfc2307 or rfc2307bis, the difference being in how group memberships are looked up.
I recommend we add a radio button that reads:
LDAP server data structure (schema): ( ) Standard (default for OpenLDAP, 389 - RFC2307) (*) Advanced (default for FreeIPA, Active Directory - RFC2307bis)
Internal to the sssd.conf, this is controlled by the "ldap_schema" option in the domain, and should be set to 'rfc2307' or 'rfc2307bis', respectively.
15 Feb 2010
- Need to avoid having nested firstboot screens
- Need to avoid having multiple ways to do the same thing
- UI vs command line vs config files
- Please only use one menu item, not two
- The basic pattern we had come up with was, "Have two paths, and ask the user a question to figure out which path they should go on and put them on it." (e.g., local account only, vs centrally-managed account are the two paths.)
- A better path would be, "Put the users on the most common path (local account only) and offerthem the option to also go on the alternative path."(which is how firstboot works today, but the language in the dialog is confusing to users.) The problem is, having three levels of dialogs is unacceptable from a usability standpoint. The challenge: can we come up with a way to have one dialog to configure both SSSD and the legacy way and have it not suck?
- The intent for the UI changes should be to reduce the complexity, support only those configurations most end-users care about and improve the end-user experience. The authconfig command line functionality will remain as is as to not break existing scripts for customers.
Technology Review
|Identity Technology
|Authentication Technology
|Recommended Implementation
|Misc Notes
|Legacy auth-config
|should not call 'secure' because that's used to mean something else wrt NIS ('usually means you've set things up at the server so that clients can only read from certain maps (for example, 'passwd.adjunct', which is similar in purpose and use to /etc/shadow) if they send their request from privileged ports')
|Legacy auth-config
|far more common than NIS / shadow
|Legacy auth-config
|Historically, Kerberos
|Cut from UI
|iastate / NCSU / MIT potential current users. iastate said it's fine to cut from UI, they don't need UI for it.
|Smart Card (cert-based)
|Smart Card (cert-based)
|too difficult to manage without UI, can't drop.
|will be in SSSD 6-12 months / smartcard/smartcard most common setup
|Smart Card (cert-based)
|too difficult to manage without UI, can't drop.
|Least common setup, smart card enables you to get a krb ticket
|Cut from UI
Anticipated User Complaints
- Have to know how user info maps to password. Legacy UI lets you select all the user info / password methods you want, and tries different combos until it finds something that works. The new way requires you explicitly state the user info + password mapping. (explicit mapping is less prone to accidental configuration thus more secure - less holes that could be broken through)
Suggested Screen Content (Ideal)
Tab 1: Identity & Authentication
- [ ] Secure NIS (uses Kerberos)
- [ ] Winbind (Winbind for both)
[ ] Cache User Info
Tab 2: Advanced Options
- [ ] Homedir creation on login
- [ ] Enable local access control
- [ ] Password hash algorithm [ dropdown goes here | \/]
Review of Current Screens
Tab 1: User Info
- NIS (Should be listed #1)
- Winbind (Should be listed #2)
- Hesiod (Should be listed #3 or pulled. Talk to Nalin)
- Change "User Account Storage" to "User Account Database"
- Use the word password - not just for Kerberos password, but also LDAP password, NIS password, Winbind password
Tab 2: Password
- Kerberos (should be kept for NIS)
- LDAP (should be pulled)
- Smartcard (consider pulling, talk to Nalin, et. al.)
- Fingerprint (consider pulling)
- locally works by just installing the right package. GNOME About Me dialog handles.
- network - nobody reasonable uses this over the network
- Winbind (should be kept for winbind)
Tab 3: Options
- Cache user info KEEP
- uses nscd. Identity, not auth. Requires less nework trips if enabled - otherwise everytime you type 'ls' or 'ps ax' it uses a network trip to identify the username <=> uid mappings. Can't kill it. Has a higher-performance cache even though it gets staler / harder to flush / caches more stuff than SSSD does.
- Use shadow KILL
- this should be enabled. it removes the ability for non-root users to read your password hash.
- password hash login KEEP
- only useful for local users
- controls creation of new passwords
- folks in particular countries with particular regulations (including france?) government workers care about this
- local authorization sufficient KILL
- enable it by default
- auth sys accounts via network KILL
- disable it
- for example, apache accounts are not normally login enabled accounts anyway. this would let you auth it over the network.
- check access.conf during auth KEEP
- reword 'Enable local access control'
- create homedirs on first login KEEP
- 2 ways to do it, pam-make homedirs vs pam make homedirs dbus
- dbus method uses policykit/root, more capabilitity but currently issues with setting proper SELinux user context
- in the Create home directories for centrally-managed users... checkbox, I would drop the "centrally-managed" word because the setting does not differentiate between centrally-managed and local users.
- Instead of "Cache user information", name it "Enable the name service caching daemon" with the helper text of "Speeds up user lookups for NIS, HESIOD and Winbind domains" OR Drop it from the UI completely because with sssd caching and nscd caching there could be unexpected results.
Future Enhancements
- auto-detection of settings
- validity checking of server configurations


text:
John Tesh Biography
John Teshmusician, TV personality
Born: 7/9/1952
Birthplace: Garden City, New York
Hunky yet wholesome, Tesh has had a successful career in sports broadcasting, hosting TV shows such as Entertainment Tonight (cohost, 1986–96), and performing his new age musical compositions in concert and recording studio. He has released nine albums on his own label, including Monterey Nights (1993), and has also written musical themes for sports programming, such as NBC's NFL Live and the Tour de France. The collections Sax on the Beach and Sax by the Fire, produced by the John Tesh Project, feature endearingly corny arrangements of pop songs. He is married to actress Connie Sellecca.
|Klaus Tennstedt
|Twyla Tharp
See also:
Here are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.


text:
Today President Obama used a joint press conference with the Prime Minister of Japan as a campaign opportunity. In response to a friendly question from a reporter–it appeared to be planted, actually–Obama repeated his claim that Mitt Romney would not have authorized the killing of Osama bin Laden:
Romney is right, of course, that even Jimmy Carter would have authorized bin Laden's killing once our military and intelligence agencies had tracked him down. But what is Obama talking about when he refers to something Romney ostensibly once said about not killing bin Laden? If you missed the origin of this controversy, it comes from an Obama campaign commercial that heaps credit on Obama for Seal Team Six's raid on Obama's house, and suggests that Romney wouldn't have authorized the mission. The Romney quote is, "It's not worth moving heaven and Earth, spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person." Of course, Romney didn't say what Obama now claims he did–that, if we knew bin Laden's whereabouts and were prepared to kill him, Romney would decline to authorize the mission. Within a few days after the speech from which the quoted sentence came, Romney was asked about it in a presidential debate:
Romney: Thank you. Of course we get Osama bin Laden and track him wherever he has to go, and make sure he pays for the outrage he exacted upon America.
Moderator: Can we move heaven and earth to do it?
Romney: We'll move everything to get him. But I don't want to buy into the Democratic pitch that this is all about one person — Osama bin Laden — because after we get him, there's going to be another and another.
This is about Shia and Sunni. This is about Hezbollah and Hamas and Al Qaida and the Muslim Brotherhood. This is a worldwide jihadist effort to try and cause the collapse of all moderate Islamic governments and replace them with a caliphate.
They ultimately want to bring down the United States of America.
This is a global effort we're going to have to lead to overcome this jihadist effort. It's more than Osama bin Laden.
But he is going to pay, and he will die.
Not much ambiguity there. Note, too, that it is Romney, not Obama, who is right about the broader issues–in particular, the Muslim brotherhood.
One last observation: the Obama administration is going macho on us now, but remember the early days after the bin Laden mission, when the administration tried to claim that the SEALs were acting in self-defense? Apparently Obama is now willing to forget that embarrassing interlude and acknowledge that we killed bin Laden on purpose. But I think it is safe to assume that if it had been Romney who had given the mission a green light, he wouldn't have tried to claim that the SEALs had to shoot bin Laden because they thought he was reaching for a firearm.
UPDATE: Michael Ramirez is unimpressed by Obama's claim to extraordinary courage:


text:
Chiefs top Blades for 5th straight win
The Spokane Chiefs won their 4th straight game on their Eastern Division road trip as Eric Williams 30 saves lifting Spokane to a 4-1 win at Saskatoon Wednesday night. The Chiefs have now won 5 in a row and 7 of their last 8 as they moved within 4 points of first place Portland in the U.S. Division.
Todd Fiddler scored his league leading 23rd goal of the season just 4:04 into the game from Mike Aviani and Jackson Playfair to give the Chiefs a 1-0 lead. It was the fifth straight game Fiddler has scored a goal for Spokane. Liam Stewart scored off a Connor Chartier feed at 6:53 of the first to give the Chiefs a 2-0 lead after one, as the Spokane put up the first 11 shots of the game to outshoot the Blades 13-4 in the first period.
The Chiefs would extend the lead to 3-0 just 2:08 into the second period, as Blake Gal scored his third goal of the year on a backhander. Saskatoon would spoil Williams shutout with a rebound goal from Matej Stransky at 5:09 of the second, as the Blades outshot the Chiefs 15-3 in the period. Williams would turn away all 12 Saskatoon shots in the third, and Mitch Holmberg would convert a Dylan Walchuk pass for his 16th goal of the year at 10:39 of the period to cap a 4-1 Chiefs win.
Spokane was outshot 31-22 in the game, but Williams 30 saves lifted him to his 17th win of the season. Spokane was a perfect 6-6 on the penalty kill as the Chiefs will look for their 5th straight win on the road trip when they head to Brandon, Manitoba to take on the Wheat Kings Friday night at 5:30pm.


text:
On this we can agree with President Obama: Everything he stands for is at stake in 2012.
Obama told 500 fawning sycophants in Chicago that he is unrepentant about his policy agenda and intends to treat us to more of the same, much more, in a second term.
Obama said, "Everything that we fought for is now at stake in this election." Lest there be no mistake, he repeated the message in the smaller settings of private homes.
We can endlessly debate whether he is such a devoted ideologue that he's blind to his policy failures, whether he's willing to sacrifice the economy and the fiscal integrity of the United States for his perceived higher good of radical redistribution, or whether he really intends to do harm, but these are moot questions anymore. Under any of these possibilities, the fact remains that he is hellbent on accelerating his present course, not reversing it, on dictating, not working within his constitutional constraints, much less building a bipartisan consensus.
Hubris and defiance are his trademarks, not humility. He said, "If you're willing to work even harder in this election than you did in the last election, I promise you, change will come."
This should send cold chills up our spines. By "change," he means more of his unpopular, failed agenda. He has repeatedly indicated that he is frustrated with the process of republican government and that he would be much more comfortable as a dictator.
He has also said many times that he believes his goals are so important that he intends to implement them with or without Congress, through executive or administrative usurpations. He has done more than talk; he has acted in contravention of the Constitution and intends to continue in that vein.
What he might do in a second term is frightening to those who believe in freedom and equality of opportunity, that our current pattern of discretionary and entitlement spending is not just unsustainable but also guaranteed to destroy the country, and that we cannot preserve our freedom if we persist on a course of unilateral disarmament.
Just consider how brazenly Obama has pursued his unpopular agenda even while facing re-election. Think how he joked about having made a hollow promise of shovel-ready jobs when there is no such thing and how he is unchastened by the colossal waste of Solyndra and pursuing more of the same. Consider how he cavalierly refuses to account for his promise to keep unemployment capped at 8 percent and how he assured us, on his honor, that his designated stimulus cop, Vice President Joe Biden, wouldn't allow a dollar of waste to go unpunished in his stimulus plan. Chew on his refusal to listen to the public when it resoundingly rejected Obamacare, rebuffing his agenda in the U.S. Senate election in Massachusetts and again in the 2010 congressional elections. Ponder his petty partisanship, bullying, demonizing and class warfare and his frequent invocation of the race card. Can you conceive of how he'd act as a four-year lame duck?
You all surely heard Obama, thinking he was speaking only to friends, boast that he was for a single-payer plan but that it might take 15 years to implement it. Remember this when his supporters tell you Obamacare won't degenerate into socialized medicine. Those waivers he unilaterally issued to buy off companies now won't be available next time around when the full force of Obamacare rains down its dark waters.
Think about his Independent Payment Advisory Board, which will have 15 bureaucrats once Obamacare is up and running, when he won't have to worry about 2016. Before you pooh-pooh this, you'd better do your research on his health care mentors' (e.g., Tom Daschle, Donald Berwick) philosophy about the macabre rationing of health care for the aged.
So, call me an alarmist if you will, but I think it's almost irrational not to be very concerned about an Obama second term. Even if you don't subscribe to some of the horror scenarios of death panels and the like, how about his intention to continue to press forward with his radical green agenda despite the fact that it won't work to reduce global temperatures and despite the public's opposition to it?
More importantly, how about his absolute refusal to restructure entitlements or his refusal to lead his party's Senate to pass a budget after 1,000 days? Or his insistence on another stimulus package when unemployment — even using the distorted metrics the administration is now using — is still at 8.5 percent and it would add another half-trillion dollars to the national debt?
By rights, Obama shouldn't get 10 percent of the vote in November. Even those who want to punish the "wealthy" should understand that once you completely gnaw off the hand that feeds you, you will starve, too.


text:
Thursday, December 3, 2009
OK Folks, It's Time for a A Game....
Below you'll see nine images of nine different orange kittens we've had in our care. Lets see if you can identify them. Post you guesses in the comment section, and tomorrow the answers will be revealed. Good luck!!
Orangie # 1
Orangie # 2
Orangie # 3
Orangie # 4
Orangie # 5
Orangie # 6
Orangie # 7
Orangie # 8
Orangie # 9
33 comments:
- Sarah in T-townDecember 3, 2009 at 9:02 AM
Ummm....Cutie-pie 1-9? The orange ones always confuse me! I think I am overwhelmed by the cute :)ReplyDelete
- Willow & Peanut's MommyDecember 3, 2009 at 9:05 AM
Ikkle cute peanut #1-9ReplyDelete
But for real: I think Millie Draper is #5
Awww Orangey #7 just kills me with the cute. Who am I kidding? They're all killing me with the cute!ReplyDelete
Sigh - I can see why Orange may be Charlene's fave...ReplyDelete
My mind goes numb - like an Orange Haze (Sorry Jimi Hendrix)
#1 is Rhoda Darling, #7 is Francine Darling. I think #4 & #9 are Perry and Millie Draper.ReplyDelete
I have always been partial to orange kities, and the above pictures are a fine representation of why. so cute...couldn't wager a guess as to who's who, tho.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 3, 2009 at 9:48 AM
I think number 2 is MillieReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 3, 2009 at 9:57 AM
1. Rhoda DarlingReplyDelete
2. Millie Draper
4.Neville Lovejoy
7. Francies Darling
9. Lovell Pickett
- Kodiak and Kenai's momDecember 3, 2009 at 10:01 AM
Kodiak (who is orange) won't let me look through your archives to try and figure out this puzzle. He's jealous. Says he's the only orange cat I need to be looking at and I should just turn off the computer and pet him. But before I go.....Millie is number 2! The sweetie!ReplyDelete
Oh there's no way I'm going to get any of these -- I surrender to the cute. Laurie, I think a prize is in order for the person who gets the most correct guesses! This one's a toughie.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 3, 2009 at 10:15 AM
i got nothin' i never could keep them straight.ReplyDelete
... but you left out my favorite - Carmine (now in the Witness Protection Program as Henry)!ReplyDelete
OK, I think I got it..... (Gordon and Perry were the hardest to figure out for me, even though they are the most recent!!)ReplyDelete
1-Rhoda Darling
2-Millie Draper
3-Harlan Lovejoy
4-Neville Lovejoy
5-Gordon Draper
6-Perry Draper
7-Francine Darling
8-Nelson Lovejoy
9-Carmine Pettibone
Oh darn... didn't go back far enough. 9 might be Lovell instead of Carmine.... I was thinking Carmine was a little light (dilute) to be an orangie, but wasn't sure!ReplyDelete
Katherine,,, Carmine (and Alvie) were more buff than orange.ReplyDelete
- lemurlandDecember 3, 2009 at 12:11 PM
I know #1 is my all time favorite little orange boy, Lovell Pickett. I love his little demanding face. He is (fantasy) king of my world (as opposed to the "real" king of my world, Xaviar cat.) So much orangie goodness!ReplyDelete
I've only read this blog for the last couple of litters so I don't recognize most of them... but I KNOW #2 is my little Miss Millie. She is just too precious, I love her to death.ReplyDelete
There's no way I can tell any of these sweeties apart! All that orange goodness is mesmerizing, though.ReplyDelete
lemurland, I'm almost sure #1 is Rhoda Darling, she's got much darker eyes than Lovell. I think Lovell is #9.ReplyDelete
And it's so nice to see the Lovejoys and the Darlings again!
Look at all the creamsicles! Love them!ReplyDelete
I always make a point of really trying to figure out who's who (looking at the markings just above the eyes), so I may be able to nail this. Here's my guess:ReplyDelete
1. Rhoda Darling
2. Millie Draper
3. Harlan Lovejoy
4. Neville Lovejoy
5. Gordon Draper
6. Perry Draper
7. Francine Darling
8. Nelson Lovejoy
9. Lovell Pickett
- AnonymousDecember 3, 2009 at 2:19 PM
Millie is so my favorite, she has the sweetest little faceReplyDelete
They're all my boyfriends and girlfriends. :)ReplyDelete
- Kodiak and Kenai's momDecember 3, 2009 at 3:34 PM
When we get done with this, can someone please name the kitties in the masthead? I'm relatively new here, and I don't recognize any of them!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 3, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Masthead kitties are the Fortunato five:ReplyDelete
Pippy (Phillipa Allegra), Gaetano, Dominick (or Warren), Luigi, and Warren (or Dominick).
- AnonymousDecember 3, 2009 at 5:36 PM
#8 is the only one I knew for sure, with his little fox face..ReplyDelete
Love them marmies.
Rhoda! Be still my heart. She is still my favorite. Hubie is second.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 3, 2009 at 8:57 PM
The only ones I know for certain are the Lovejoy boys. Harlan, Neville and Nelson, three creamsicle kittens who I'd have scooped up in a heartbeat (along with sister Tressa!). Alas, I'm on the wrong side of the country...ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 3, 2009 at 9:02 PM
All I know is that #7 is FRANCIIIINNNEEE!!!! (Darling). Oh how I miss that little mug!ReplyDelete
We're noo to visiting yoor blog so we can't name the kittens BUT one thing is for sure ... they are ALL adorable! We hope they are all all happy and have wonderful forever homes.ReplyDelete
- Anne BoleynDecember 4, 2009 at 3:37 AM
This is like comparing oranges to oranges and I can't do it. Too hard!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 4, 2009 at 8:28 AM
Scientific Chick has nailed it. I came up witht the same list.ReplyDelete
Too much orangey goodness! I love them all even though I don't know who they are.ReplyDelete


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On June 3rd, 2017, Alex Honnold became the first person to free solo Yosemite's El Capitan--to scale the wall without rope, a partner, or any protective gear--completing what was described as "the greatest feat of pure rock climbing in the history of the sport" (National Geographic) and "one of the great athletic feats of any kind, ever" (New York Times). Already one of the most famous adventure athletes in the world, Honnold has now been hailed as "the greatest climber of all time" (Vertical magazine).
Alone on the Wall recounts the most astonishing achievements of Honnold's extraordinary life and career, brimming with lessons on living fearlessly, taking risks, and maintaining focus even in the face of extreme danger. Now Honnold tells, for the first time and in his own words, the story of his 3 hours and 56 minutes on the sheer face of El Cap, which Outside called "the moon landing of free soloing...a generation-defining climb. Bad ass and beyond words...one of the pinnacle sporting moments of all time."
- Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
- Publish Date: October 2018
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It is not quite going back to the horse, even if the bicycle was the first contraption to replace beasts as a means of personal transport.
This is a new two-wheeled animal, though, that millions of consumers in Beijing, Taipei, Singapore and cities across Asia are renting via phone apps to cover the last mile of journeys, leaving cars and motorcycles at home, and forgoing taxis.
The two-year bike-share boom has put over 16 million bikes in China alone, according to its Ministry of Transport, with more than 100 million riders registered, eating into car use and gasoline demand growth already expected to stagnate by 2025.
"I often use bike-sharing services because it's very convenient. I can find it anywhere and will not worry about losing the bike," said life-long Beijing native Wei Zhang, 36, who uses a shared bike several times a week on her commute, riding 5 km or more.
Analysts can't keep up with bike numbers, let alone estimate how much gasoline consumption growth has dropped off due to the rapid rise in bike-sharing. But it is clear from industry estimates, government reports and a Reuters survey that bike services are resulting in fewer trips by motor vehicles.
"Bike-sharing has been crazy since late last year. ... The general belief is that [it] boosts the utilization of public transport as shared bikes help to complete the journey," said Harry Liu, downstream consultant with IHS Markit.
Even before the number of bike-share units began growing by multiples, analysts had already been saying greater fuel efficiency in autos and the rising use of electric cars meant gasoline's big growth story was over.
China's gasoline demand growth is expected to slow to nearly 4 percent this year, compared with 6.5 percent growth last year, said Sri Paravaikkarasu, head of East of Suez oil at FGE.
And Chinese demand for gasoline is expected to peak as early as 2025, according to state-owned China National Petroleum Corp.
"There used to be long queues of taxis waiting for customers outside train stations, but I don't see them anymore," said a Beijing analyst, who took part in a Reuters survey of bike-share users and wanted to be known only by her surname Wang.
Just in the past month, Chinese bike-sharing startup Mobike introduced its services in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Bangkok, Thailand, as well as in U.S. capital Washington, D.C. Mobike, which launched in April 2016, and China-owned rival Ofo have attracted combined funding of more than $2 billion from venture capital and private equity firms that include Temasek Holdings, Tencent Holdings, DST Global and Ant Financial.
Ofo — which has more than 10 million bikes globally to Mobike's 7 million — says it is on track to increase its global bike units to 20 million over the next three months.
The investments "demonstrate investors' confidence in the global bike-sharing industry," said Lawrence Cao, head of Asia Pacific business for Ofo.
Consultancy Roland Berger said the "unforeseeable" amounts of venture capital put into bike schemes made it almost impossible to estimate the growth potential of bike operators, particularly in China, over the last two years.
Taiwan, where the government backs a bike-sharing scheme, is aiming to have bikes account for a 12 percent share in trips to work by 2020, up from about 5 percent now.
The Taipei city government is expanding bike-sharing program Youbike — which uses docking stations — to have a bike station within a 10-minute walk of every citizen by 2018.
Singapore-owned Obike and U.S.-based VBikes — both free-range systems — are also operating in Taiwan.
Four wheels bad
A survey done by Mobike of 100,000 customers across 36 cities in China found that car trips among the respondents had more than halved since its service was introduced.
A report from the Transport Commission of Shenzhen, one of China's richest cities, said more than 500,000 bike-share units there had replaced nearly 10 percent of travel by private car or 13 percent of gasoline consumption.
Bike-sharing could pose a risk to gasoline consumption "if a stronger state push to reduce carbon intensity and improve air quality translates to more drivers replacing shorter-distance driving with bike rides," said Peter Lee, an oil and gas analyst at BMI research.
Chinese growth of passenger car sales, which grew an average annual rate of 10.1 percent over 2011 to 2016, is expected to slow to 2.5 percent over the next five years, said BMI's Lee.
Still, mismanagement of bike numbers and misuse of some bicycles may attract legislation that could curb their use. New shared bikes were recently banned in some areas in the Chinese cities of Wuhan, Shanghai and Guangzhou, because of bicycles being discarded in public spaces.


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Polycom® CX Series of Microsoft® Lync™ Optimized IP Phones Now Available on the GSA Schedule
Polycom® CX Series of Microsoft® Lync™ Optimized IP Phones Now Available on the GSA Schedule
U.S. Federal government agencies can empower employees and contractors to connect and collaborate in a secure, unified voice and video environment on the Lync platform with Polycom
HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Polycom, Inc. (NAS: PLCM) , the global leader in open standards-based unified communications and collaboration (UC&C), today announced that select solutions from the Polycom® CX Series of IP phones, optimized for Microsoft® Lync™, are now available for Federal government agencies on the GSA Schedule, on the GS-35F-0511T GSA vehicle through EC America, Inc.
The Polycom CX Series of IP phones takes the simplicity and familiarity of the Lync interface to government agencies to better and more securely connect their voice and collaboration platforms into one UC&C environment. Polycom's Lync-optimized solutions simplify deployment, streamline communications, encourage collaboration, and lower total cost of ownership through native integration and plug-and-play functionality for easy deployment, management, and provisioning versus traditional PBX and IP PBX voice systems.
"Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Lync are being adopted quickly by customers seeking cost savings and greater productivity," said Greg Myers, Vice President of Microsoft Federal Sales. "Polycom CX phones availability on the GSA Schedule makes it easier for our customers to order and benefit from a full unified communications solution. Polycom delivers innovative voice and video end points and infrastructure that deliver to customers a great Lync experience and value."
"The Federal government is under increasing pressure to improve communication and collaboration, both within and between agencies, to streamline operations, reduce costs, and better serve citizens," said Tony D'Angelo, Vice President of Federal Operations, Polycom. "The Microsoft Lync environment is ideal for rapidly connecting employees and contractors across government agencies, and Polycom offers the broadest portfolio of Lync-optimized solutions, spanning desktop, common areas and conference rooms, and builds on its legacy of high-quality audio and conferencing by delivering the only conference phone designed for Lync."
Federal government customers can now purchase the following Polycom CX Series of IP phones optimized for Microsoft Lync:
Polycom® CX500 IP Desktop Phone: Ideal for common areas such as hallways, break rooms or lobbies
Polycom® CX600 IP Desktop Phone: Mainstream IP desktop phone featuring Polycom HD Voice
Polycom® CX3000 IP Conference Phone: The first and only conference phone optimized for Microsoft Lync
About Polycom Public Sector
Polycom's collaborative video and voice conferencing technologies securely extend the reach of government, education and healthcare services to improve performance and mission success so that Public Sector organizations can thrive in the 21st century. Public Sector organizations depend on Polycom to provide rich, interactive, collaboration solutions that impact all facets of government, education and healthcare so information can be shared, decisions accelerated, and services delivered when and where they are needed most. Polycom's interoperable solutions address the major certifications, security requirements and regulations required to service Public Sector organizations, including FIPS 140-2 validation, IPv6 and Unified Capabilities Approved Product List (UC APL) certifications, FDA Medical Device Data Systems (MDDS) Class 1 and Embedded Encryption Enabling HIPAA Compliance.
About Polycom
Polycom is the global leader in open standards-based unified communications and collaboration (UC&C) solutions for voice and video collaboration, trusted by more than 415,000 customers around the world. Polycom solutions are powered by the Polycom® RealPresence® Platform, comprehensive software infrastructure and rich APIs that interoperate with the broadest set of communication, business, mobile and cloud applications and devices to deliver secure face-to-face video collaboration in any environment. Polycom and its ecosystem of over 7,000 partners provide truly unified communications solutions that deliver the best user experience, highest multi-vendor interoperability, and lowest TCO. Visit www.polycom.com or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to learn how we're pushing the greatness of human collaboration forward.
NOTE: The product plans, specifications, and descriptions herein are provided for information only and subject to change without notice, and are provided without warranty of any kind, express or implied. Polycom reserves the right to modify future product plans at any time. Products and related specifications referenced herein are not guaranteed and will be delivered on a when and if available basis.
© 2013 Polycom, Inc. All rights reserved. POLYCOM®, the Polycom logo, and the names and marks associated with Polycom's products are trademarks and/or service marks of Polycom, Inc. and are registered and/or common law marks in the United States and various other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
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- Short stories
South Sea Tales: "I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them."Author: Jack London E-book
John Griffith "Jack" London was born John Griffith Chaney on January 12th, 1876 in San Francisco. His father, William Chaney, was living with his mother Flora Wellman when she became pregnant. Chaney insisted she have an abortion. Flora's response was to turn a gun on herself. Although her wounds were not severe the trauma made her temporarily deranged.
In late 1876 his mother married John London and the young child was brought to live with them as they moved around the Bay area, eventually settling in Oakland where Jack completed grade school. Jack also worked hard at several jobs, sometimes 12-18 hours a day, but his dream was university. He was lent money for that and after intense studying enrolled in the summer of 1896 at the University of California in Berkeley.
In 1897, at 21 , Jack searched out newspaper accounts of his mother's suicide attempt and the name of his biological father. He wrote to William Chaney, then living in Chicago. Chaney said he could not be London's father because he was impotent; and casually asserted that London's mother had relations with other men. Jack, devastated by the response, quit Berkeley and went to the Klondike. Though equally because of his continuing dire finances Jack might have taken that as the excuse he needed to leave. In the Klondike Jack began to gather material for his writing but also accumulated many health problems, including scurvy, hip and leg problems many of which he then carried for life.
By the late 1890's Jack was regularly publishing short stories and by the turn of the century full blown novels. By 1904 Jack had married, fathered two children and was now in the process of divorcing. A stint as a reporter on the Russo-Japanese war of 1904 was equal amounts trouble and experience. But that experience was always put to good use in a remarkable output of work. Twelve years later Jack had amassed a wealth of writings many of which remain world classics. He had a reputation as a social activist and a tireless friend of the workers.
And yet on November 22nd 1916 Jack London died in a cottage on his ranch at the age of only 40. Here we present South Sea Tales.


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(CNN) -- For most of American history, a Supreme Court with no Protestant Christian judges would have been unthinkable. Nearly three-quarters of all justices who've ever served on the nation's high court have been Protestant. And roughly half of all Americans today identify themselves as Protestant.
But since Justice John Paul Stevens announced his retirement last month, legal and religious scholars have begun entertaining the unprecedented prospect of a Supreme Court without a single Protestant justice.
Besides Stevens, who is Protestant, the current Supreme Court counts six Catholics and two Jews.
"It's an amazing irony, given how central Protestantism has been to American culture," said Stephen Prothero, a religion scholar at Boston University. "For most of the 19th century, Protestants were trying to turn America into their own heaven on Earth, which included keeping Jews and Catholics from virtually all positions of power."
Many religion scholars attribute the decline of Protestant representation on the high court to the breakdown of a mainline Protestant identity and to the absence of a strong tradition of lawyering among evangelical Protestants.
"Mainline Protestantism isn't a pressure group," said Prothero, "It's not like the National Council of Churches is lobbying Obama to get a Lutheran appointed to the Supreme Court."
And while Judaism and Catholicism have their own sets of religious laws that date back millennia, many branches of Protestant Christianity do not. For much of the last 150 years, evangelical Christianity has stressed an emotional theology of heart over head -- not a recipe for producing legal scholars with eyes fixed on the Supreme Court.
"Evangelicals have put more effort into getting elected than in getting onto the bench," said Michael Lindsay, a Rice University professor who has studied evangelical elites. "Electoral politics is more similar to the style of rallying of around revival campaign than it is to the arduous journey of producing intellectual giants that could be eligible for the Supreme Court."
President Obama plans to name Solicitor General Elena Kagan on Monday as his nominee to replace Stevens, two sources close to the process told CNN. Kagan is Jewish.
Obama's first Supreme Court appointee, Sonia Sotomayor, is Catholic.
One explanation of Catholics' and Jews' high court hegemony is that members of both traditions have long pursued legal degrees as a way to assimilate into a majority Protestant country.
"Most American Catholic law schools were not formed to be elite institutions of lofty legal scholarship, but as a way to respond to the fact that other law schools were excluding Catholics," said Richard Garnett, a professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School. "It was a vehicle to get Catholics into the middle class."
"Early on, those schools admitted a lot of Jewish students who were being discriminated against," Garnett said.
Today, Catholic law schools at Georgetown University, Fordham University and Notre Dame are considered among the best in the country.
Evangelical Protestant colleges, meanwhile -- including Regent University and Liberty University, founded by Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell respectively -- have had law schools only since the 1980s.
And law schools with Protestant roots, like Harvard and Yale, shed their religious identities a long time ago, part of the broader fading of a distinct mainline Protestant identity in the U.S..
Some legal and religious scholars say the dearth of qualified evangelical candidates for the Supreme Court came into sharp relief in 2005, when President George W. Bush nominated White House counsel Harriet Miers to the high court.
An evangelical Christian whom the White House promoted strenuously among evangelicals, Miers had her nomination brought down largely by conservatives -- nonevangelicals, mostly -- who said she was not qualified for the position.
In the last couple of decades, however, more evangelicals have begun pursuing legal degrees, some at elite colleges. "There are now vibrant Christian fellowships at Harvard and Yale," said Lindsay. "Ten years from now, it will be entirely possible to see an evangelical Protestant on the Supreme Court."
Rachel Heflin, a senior at Patrick Henry College -- a Virginia school whose students are mostly evangelicals from homeschooling backgrounds -- said many of her friends are heading to law school next year.
"When your circle of friends is comprised of aspiring lawyers, the joke is about who's going to make it to the high court first," said Heflin, an evangelical Christian who will be attending George Washington University Law School on scholarship.
Which means that a Protestant Supreme Court resurgence may not be too far off.


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According to Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, a lot of people want to work at the tech company.
Speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt, Mayer said the company now gets 12,000 resumes a week -- up dramatically by a factor of five or six.
Since Mayer took the reins of the struggling company in 2012, the former Google (GOOG) executive has hired back a number of ex-Yahoo employees. Over the course of a year, Mayer said 10% of the hires have been ex-Yahoo employees, or "boomerangs," as she called them.
Mayer, who described the company as "the world's largest startup," outlined her strategy to get the company back on the road to success.
Related: Yahoo struggles to find its place online
She emphasized four major factors for the company: People, products, traffic and revenue.
"You have to get the right people before you can build the right products," Mayer stressed. Apart from hiring ex-Yahoo employees, she has also overseen more than a dozen acquisitions, and says much of Yahoo's (YHOO) focus will be on mobile growth.
According to Mayer, the company just passed 800 million monthly users, an increase of 20%. Of those, she said 350 million came from mobile.
But don't expect a quick turnaround. When asked about growth strategy, Mayer said the company is focused on investing in the long term.
Related: How Yahoo's acquisitions fit into Mayer's master plan
"When I look at the state of what we're doing inside the company, it's going to take multiple years -- three or more to see the company going in the direction we want it to go to," she said.
Mayer also said it wouldn't be an easy road.
"It's a big challenge but I've got a great group of people that are rising to the challenge."


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Dutch Passion - White Widow X The Ultimate ® - Regular
45-60 days Happy Hybrid 600+ grams per m2 Regular Hot, Temperate
This superb and long-awaited cross of two of our most respected varieties delivers great yields of very strong, highly resinous, buds. We offer this variety only in regular seeds; she will be popular with new growers, old-school connoisseurs and home-breeders looking for a reliably potent variety which is easy and robust to grow. For many years we have had repeat requests for a White Widow cross, she is one of the original iconic breeds and the strongest indicadominant in our collection. The Ultimate is perhaps our heaviest yielder, but also very powerful. A male White Widow and female 'Ultimate' were put together to produce this mixed indica/sativa. The high is strong and intense yet allows you to remain active. The plants are very oily with a noticeable Haze taste together with earthy/citrus flavours which are twisted together with pine. She grows up to 1.5m tall with very good yields and does well in all mediums with the best results in DWC (deep water culture). Plants can be harvested as early as 8 weeks but some will prefer to wait 10 weeks for full bud production and ripeness.
Dutch Passion - White Widow X The Ultimate ® - Regular
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Dutch Passion White Widow X The Ultimate ® Regular - Specifications
80 - 120 cm
45-60 days
600+ grams per m2
Dutch Passion
Hot, Temperate


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Venezuela pets go hungry as economic crisis deepens
Carlos Parra used to love waking up to see his pet albino boxer, Nina. Now, seeing her skeletal body on the floor next to his bed has become a daily reminder of the economic crisis engulfing Venezuela.
His other dog's thick fur barely hides her ribcage as Parra struggles to feed his pets after losing his job at a shoe store.
"It's terrible to sit and eat, see them watching me with hunger, and not be able to do anything," said the 30-year-old.
As Venezuela's economic crunch worsens, food shortages and rising poverty are forcing once middle-class Venezuelans to do the unthinkable: let their pets starve or abandon them in the streets.
No figures are available, but activists and veterinarians say they are seeing a growing number of dogs and cats abandoned at parks, shelters, and private clinics.
In Caracas it has become common to see purebred dogs rummaging in the trash or lying outdoors, filthy and gaunt, in posh neighborhoods.
The animal protection and control center in the capital's Baruta neighborhood saw as many as 10 animals abandoned each day this summer, head veterinarian Russer Rios said. Up to about a year ago there were almost none.
"Now people just leave them here because they can't take care of them," Rios said.
Shelters are running classes teaching pet owners to look for food substitutes in the hopes of helping them maintain their pets through the crisis. At one private shelter in the working-class Caracas neighborhood of El Junquito, a popular alternative for dogs that would never have been considered in better times is chickenfeed.
"We have to give it to them because there's nothing else," Katty Quintas, a part owner of the Funasissi shelter, said as three skinny cats looked on hungrily from the top of a refrigerator. The shelter is now home to more than 200 cats and dogs.
One of the country's largest animal shelters is run by Mission Nevado, a government program set up by socialist President Nicolas Maduro and named in honor of independence hero Simon Bolivar's four-legged sidekick, dubbed "Nevado" for its white, snow-like fur. Program veterinarian Angel Mancilla said the shelter, which currently houses about 100 cats and dogs, has collapsed under the influx.
"We're crying every day. You leave each day feeling traumatized," Mancilla said.
Pet owners say the price of dog food has more than doubled in recent months to $2 a pound, more than a day's pay for those earning the minimum wage.
In August, as Parra and his parents in the central city of Barquisimeto struggled to get by on his father's $23 monthly pension, he turned in desperation to a Facebook group that donates dog food to families that cannot afford it. But he received just one bag of food, enough to last a few weeks. He said he feels like he's choosing each day between feeding himself and his parents, or his beloved pets.
"Sometimes we go to bed with empty stomachs," he said. "It's really hard."
The problem is also affecting zoos and racetracks. Zoo workers in Caracas say they do not have enough food for large mammals like tigers and tapirs.
This spring 72 horses died from starvation or malnutrition at the Santa Rita racetrack in the western city of Maracaibo, which was closed due to problems with criminal gangs.
The National Institute of Racetracks said the horses died because owners and trainers were not feeding them.
Some pet owners who can't bear to watch their animals waste away are looking for others to take them in.
Caracas homemaker Maria Galindo is offering Princess, her 5-year-old golden retriever, for adoption. So far the dog has survived on scraps the neighbors give her.
"We're very sad to have to give her up, but the crisis is not giving us another option," Galindo said, looking at Princess' bones sticking out from her yellow fur. "You're thinking, 'If I give the dog something to eat, what will I feed the children?'"
Fabiola Sanchez on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fisanchezn . Her stories can also be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/fabiola-sanchez .


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Very motivational and uplifting track based on a sound of rock, and delay guitars . Track consists of drums, bass ,organ and guitar playing very nice melody. I included also a shorter version of this piece. Third version is has sound effects on and is designed for a VIDEO made by ZHENJUEYIMEN .
1. All About You (2:59)
2. All About You-Short (1:47)
3. All About You- Zhenjueyimen (1:22)
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