text:
Today Microsoft confirmed the six flavors of Windows 7—here's the rundown of the packages, plus some insight as to why it's better than the Vista jumble.
At first glance, the version breakdown does look a lot like Windows Vista. There are
five six SKUs of Windows 7: Starter, Home Basic (developing markets only), Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate. But there are a couple reasons it's less horrendous than the Vista situation.
• Consumers are really only picking between Home Premium and Professional. There's no more Home Basic in the civilized world, which was a gimped version of Vista that didn't have Aero or Media Center that a lot of consumers unwittingly got stuck with. Ultimate, for the most part, won't be very visible to the average guy says Microsoft. So you'll only get Ultimate if you know that's what you want from the start (meaning you're likely tech savvy enough to wade through the SKU muck). Regular people won't ever see Starter or Enterprise. Basically, you'll walk into Best Buy and pick either Home Premium or Professional, whether you're buying a new PC or a copy to install. It's a lot more like the Windows XP Home and Professional dichotomy.
• Professional has all the same media and entertainment features as Home Premium. With Vista, if you wanted the pro-class OS and needed media features like Windows Media Center, you had to buy Ultimate. Now, it works more like a true hierarchy—Professional and Enterprise have every feature that's in Home Premium, plus the business-y features. And then Ultimate is a step above them.
The Upgrade Question
Microsoft wouldn't discuss pricing, but the general sense was that there will be full retail packages of Windows 7 alongside upgrade editions for Vista users. While they didn't come out and say it directly that XP would require a full retail package, Microsoft said that, as in the Windows 7 beta, going to Windows 7 from XP will require a clean install and "that will be reflected with the packaging." There will be migration tools and stuff, but it looks like they'll be paying more to upgrade than Vista users. Update: Mary Jo Foley confirms XP users can buy an upgrade license, even though you'll need a full install.
Now for a quick runthrough of every version.
Windows 7 Starter is for emerging markets mostly, but also for some netbooks as an option. It's pretty gimpy, and only runs three apps at a time, though it'll have the new taskbar, Device Stage and jump list. Since Home Premium (and even the Ultimate beta) runs pretty well on netbooks, most of them are probably going to stick with that, so don't worry too much about it.
Windows 7 Home Basic is for developing markets only, and Microsoft didn't even tell me anything about it, so forget about it. [This info was added in an update.]
Windows 7 Home Premium is the standard consumer offering of the OS with Aero Peek, Media Center and all the other cool features we've been talking about, and what most people will be running, whether they're on a desktop or a netbook. It's better at media than Vista Home Premium, since it ships with DVD playback and codecs like DivX out of the box. In case you're wondering why Microsoft kept the "Premium" tack-on despite the extinction of Basic—it's because in market testing, Vista users thought they were getting downgraded, going from Vista Home Premium to Windows 7 Home.
Windows 7 Professional has everything that Home Premium does, but with business and "enthusiast" features like file encryption, location-aware printing and advanced backup.
Windows 7 Enterprise is for businesses buying OS licenses in bulk, so you probably won't have to worry about it (unless you're paid to). It's got everything Professional does, but with a few additions like BitLocker full-disk encryption and direct access capability, so you don't have go through a VPN for remote access.
Windows 7 Ultimate is, as you might have guessed, the ultimate version of Windows. Unlike Vista, where it was the combo of Home and Business with a couple added features, this time, it's like the end user version of Enterprise—in other words, the Enterprise version that regular people can buy. It has BitLocker, notably, and a few other advanced features. It seems like visibility of this will be low, outside of a few "special promotions" from vendors occasionally, to minimize confusion.
Not quite as clean as we'd have liked it, but if Microsoft does a good job with education and people really only have to pick between Home and Professional, it'll be a lot smoother ride this time around. Since they're keeping the upgrade vs. full version setup intact, hopefully they'll follow our advice and sell it to Vista users very cheaply. We'll find out when they reveal pricing in the coming months.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Merkel allies win in Bavaria a week before German election
MUNICH - Reuters
Bavarian State Premier Horst Seehofer of the Christian Social Union (CSU) party celebrates after exit polls of regional elections in Bavaria were published on September 15, 2013 at the Bavarian State Parliament in Munich, southern Germany. AFP PHOTO / CHRISTOF STACHEAngela Merkel's allies swept to victory in a state election in Bavaria Sept.15, regaining the absolute assembly majority they lost in 2008 and providing a show of conservative strength for the chancellor a week before Germany goes to the polls.
The Christian Social Union (CSU), sister party of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), won 49 percent according to TV projections, putting them back more firmly in the saddle of the prosperous southern state they have governed for 56 years.
But the Bavarian ballot also delivered a worrying message for Merkel, as the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), with whom she governs Germany in a centre-right coalition, slumped to just 3 percent, below the 5 percent level needed for assembly seats.
"The CSU is a people's party and we are deeply rooted in the Bavarian population. Every second Bavarian voted for us," state premier Horst Seehofer told elated supporters - fulfilling a pledge to Merkel that his party would help set an upbeat tone for the national poll on Sept. 22.
The FDP sought to put a brave face on Sunday's disastrous result, which thwarted recent upward momentum for the party.
"This is a heavy defeat... but our response now is: let's get going ... Bavaria is different. Now it is about Germany," said party leader Philipp Roesler, calling it a "wake-up call".
Merkel, whose conservative bloc stands at around 40 percent, needs the FDP to do well in the federal vote to avoid having to turn to the opposition Social Democrats (SPD), with whom she governed in her first term from 2005-2009. The FDP stands at around 5 percent nationally.
"Voters like winners. Such a strong signal from Bavaria will mobilise Merkel's supporters. On the other hand, such a bad result for the FDP could activate their voters," said Thomas Jaeger, political scientist at Cologne University.
Its poor showing in Bavaria might scare conservatives into giving their second vote to the FDP, potentially weakening the share of votes for Merkel's CDU. Germans pick a constituency candidate with their first vote, and the second vote determines the relative strength of the parties in the Bundestag.
Senior CDU lawmakers moved quickly on Sunday to dissuade conservatives from splitting their vote next week. "The second vote is the 'Merkel vote', and we want it for our party," said CDU General Secretary Hermann Groehe.
A new anti-euro party, the Alternative fuer Deutschland, (AfD) which may yet upset Merkel's coalition hopes and scrape into parliament, did not stand in Bavaria, which has its own Eurosceptic party the Freie Waehler.
Projections put the SPD on 21 percent in Bavaria, behind their national standing of around 26 percent, and their Greens partners on 8 percent. The Freie Waehler polled 9 percent, making them the third strongest party.
Bavaria is home to 12.5 million of Germany's 80.5 million people and if it were a country, it would have the euro zone's sixth largest population and economy. The state cherishes its strong regional identity and is fiercely proud of its careful state spending and "laptop and lederhosen" economy.
It is the only state with a regional party in the federal parliament, because when other regional conservative parties joined to form the CDU, the CSU chose to remain separate. CSU lawmakers make up nearly a quarter of Merkel's bloc.
The party was dealt a blow in 2008's regional election when it slumped to 43 percent, forcing it into a union with the FDP.


text:
Berkas Paling Populer
Berkas terbaru
We already resolved this issue peacefully. He removed RGS files.Kamis, 05 Mei 2022
Can you, please, remove files that belong to Realistic Guns Sounds creators? Otherwise, I guess, I will have to file a report.Sabtu, 30 April 2022
Just run "UNINSTALL - RGS.oiv". If you can't find it, here's a screenshot: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/394035186595135488/893095094213836830/unknown.pngKamis, 30 September 2021
@RisingDeep Can you stop lying and accusing everyone of wrongdoing? You only realize your mistake after you got punishment.
You misunderstand the whole "competition" thing. I never compete with you. Don't make any conspiracy theories.
Also, do I need to refresh your memory? Originally, I rated your mod 5 stars (https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/394035186595135488/793365245488922644/bandicam_2020-12-29_09-27-34-279.png), if you don't remember. But then, after you released that fateful 5.0 update I rated your mod with 2 stars (https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/440502557614407711/758284217477627914/bandicam_2020-09-23_14-10-01-843.png), and I actually had a reason for that, as everyone else back then. I accept that I might be too harsh, but my purpose in doing this was to make you fix your mod as soon as possible, because 5.0 was a disaster. I never made any "new" accounts unlike you. When you got caught creating multiple accounts the first time I changed my rating back to 5 stars (everyone can check that even now), because you seemed to care about rating too much.
As for the original game files: that wasn't a mistake. You uploaded these files on purpose. Even in your own preview you can notice that all of the DLC weapons sound like in original game (Perico Pistol is the most easy noticeable): https://youtu.be/dZeiBtIJXys. Yes, they do not sound totally the same, but that's because how GTA 5 sound engine works, it applies some sounds from "weapons.awc" which, of course, is edited by you.Selasa, 29 Desember 2020
I thought we had a conversation about "realistic"... I explained myself pretty clearly back then, it seems like you've forgotten.
I never cared about competition and never will. It seems like you're the one who competing with someone.
"Sounds Only" optional was first created by me in RGS 3.1 (November 13, 2018) and only in 5.2 version of your mod (September 23, 2020) you added the same feature. I just didn't care about adding it to RGS 4.0 because originally there was other purpose of sharing new version. As for the FiveM support: I was asked to make RGS compatible with FiveM for a long period of time (after releasing RGS 4.0 to be exact) and I can prove that FiveM compatibility was worked on one week before you added it to your mod (https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/758335710264164382/793153779549601792/bandicam_2020-12-28_19-27-08-733.png). RGS 4.1 was planned to be released back in september/october but I got really busy (I can prove that too if you need it).
Also, please, stop doing this: https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/758335710264164382/793041297829134336/bandicam_2020-12-28_11-36-05-789.png. And this: https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/758335710264164382/793153835441848360/bandicam_2020-12-28_19-26-28-435.png
This "competition" thing is ruining modding. I release my mods because I want to show what I achieved while I was working on something. I want to make something great, that many people would like to play with. For you it seems like only purpose im modding you see is to ruin someone's mood.
Also, me and moderator can easily prove that you indeed put original game files into 4.6.1. Stop posing yourself as a victim, you're not the victim here.
@Albert_G Well, I thought it's kind of obvious, you know... I can't understand why people don't know how to uninstall the mod. Like, you just need to delete the "mods" folder (if you have other mods installed in that folder, you should have made a backup of "mods" folder before installing, that's a common thing when it comes to installing mods). Is it that hard?
@mito2206 muzzleflash looked better indeed, but it wasn't realistic.Rabu, 11 November 2020
@FluffyPlays22 Um, what? This mod doesn't remove bullet tracers, it doesn't touch any weapon effects at all, except muzzle flash textures.
@hotrodford yes, you can. You don't need to ask me for permission in this case.
@nickaoke It changes sounds for a lot of weapons (Desert Eagle, Advanced Rifle, Assault Rifle, Bullpup Rifle and many others). If you don't install weapons.meta mod will not sound the same.
@Three60Media Mod isn't compatible with FiveM yet.Minggu, 11 Oktober 2020
Do you play on legal copy of the game? Problem like this may occur on cracked game, I'm not sure if it's possible to happen on legal game copy.
Stop promoting your mod here, please.Jumat, 25 September 2020


text:
In Love In Oil
Glasswing Butterfly(Greta Oto) is a brush-footed butterfly where its wings are transparent. The tissue between the veins of its wings looks like glass. They are found in the range which extends throughout Central America into Mexico. 10 more pics after the jump.
To Be A Monarch Butterfly
Here you see several Monarch larvae, or caterpillars, eating milkweed. In the wild you won't find more than 1 or 2 on a plant, but in captivity the population density can become very high. They get along together quite well. Milkweed is the Monarch larva's only food. The plant's thick, glue-like sap is poisonous to most creatures. The Monarch assimilates the poisons into its own tissues, making it an unpleasant mouthful to birds and many other insect eaters.
The caterpillars of many butterflies and moths are commonly known as "worms", even though they really aren't worms at all. For example, the "cabbage worm" is actually the larva of the common white butterflies you see everywhere. The "tomato worm" and "tobacco worm" are the larvae of hawk moths, also known as sphinx moths, which are about the size of hummingbirds and hover similarly when feeding on nectar. "Apple worms" grow up to become small moths. "Corn earworms" become medium-sized moths.
Most varieties of larvae are difficult to raise in captivity. They wander away from their food plants and become lost, or they have difficulty getting along with one another. The Monarch doesn't do those things, so it is one of the easiest caterpillars to raise. The ones you see above aren't in any kind of cage or box; they're on plants that sit openly in a vase on a table.
One female butterfly may lay as many as 500 tiny eggs, one at a time, on the leaves of various milkweed plants. In the wild, the number that survive to become butterflies can be counted on your fingers. Spiders and other predators consume the eggs and young larvae. Parasitic flies lay eggs on larger larvae; their maggots consume the larva from the inside out, usually waiting until after it has become a chrysalis before they bore their way out. People who have the larvae's favorite food growing nearby may find chrysalises on their eaves, gutters, fences, and garden plants; not realizing what these are, they destroy them.
By bringing them indoors, we shield them from their predators, increasing the survival rate to over 90%. This is achieved by collecting them as eggs and raising them indoors throughout their larval and pupal stages. It takes an experienced eye to readily discern a creamy yellowish-white Monarch egg on the underside of a milkweed leaf. Other objects of similar color and size may be found there, but upon close examination with a magnifying glass the Monarch egg is found to be exquisitely beautiful. It is not perfectly round, but is drawn up to a narrow tip on the end away from the leaf's surface. It is not smooth, but is faceted with several rows of indentations, radiating out from the tip and down the sides.
About three days after it is laid, the egg darkens, becoming gray on the sides and black at the tip. The caterpillar's skin has formed and is showing through the translucent shell. Soon it chews its way out, turns around to devour the rest of the shell, and then wanders a short distance away to begin munching milkweed leaves.
Monarch Larvae with the munchies
Local back yard resident Palamedes Swallowtail
Swallowtail Butterfly
Monarch Larvae
1 Inch Butterfly on Oil
Young Monarch
He just hatched today
Sweet Nectar
Beautiful Swallowtail
Taken in our front yard


text:
This sounds like something out of a Dan Brown book, but it isn't: The whole internet is controlled by seven actual, physical keys.
The Guardian's James Ball was recently allowed to observe the highly secure ritual known as a key ceremony.
The people conducting the ceremony are part of an organization called the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). ICANN is responsible for assigning numerical internet addresses to websites and computers and translating them into the normal web addresses that people type into their browsers.
For instance, type 18.104.22.168 into your browser, and you'll be taken to Business Insider's web page. But www.businessinsider.com is easier for people to remember. ICANN maps the numbers (easier for computers to use) with words (easier for humans to use).
If someone were to gain control of ICANN's database, that person would control the internet. For instance, the person could send people to fake bank websites instead of real bank websites.
On the other hand, if a calamity happened, the ICANN database could need to be rebuilt. So ICANN came up with a way to do that without entrusting too much control to any one person. It selected seven people as key holders and gave each one an actual key to internet. It selected seven more people to be backup key holders: 14 people in all.
The physical keys unlock safe deposit boxes stashed around the world. Inside those boxes are smart key cards. Put the seven smartcards together and you have the "master key." The master key is really some computer code, a password of sorts that can access the ICANN database.
Four times a year since 2010 the seven key holders meet for the key ceremony where they generate a new master key, i.e. a new password.
The security to be admitted to the ceremony is intense, Ball reports, and involves passing through a series of locked doors using key codes and hand scanners, until entering a room so secure that no electronic communications can escape it.
The group conducts the ritual, then each person files out of the room one by one, and then they all head to a restaurant and party.
Here's Ball's detailed account of the ceremony that most recently occurred.
Here's a video of the very first key ceremony conducted in 2010. Skip to 1:58 to see the ceremony.


text:
Eastern Philosophy Promises Hope For Western Women With Eating Disorders
A psychological technique based on Buddhist philosophy and practice may provide a solution for women who struggle with binge eating and bulimia. The technique known as 'mindfulness' is being taught to Queensland women to help them understand and deal with the emotions that trigger their binges.
Unlike many therapies for eating disorders, there is less focus on food and controlling eating and more on providing freedom from negative thoughts and emotions. Griffith University psychologists Michelle Hanisch and Angela Morgan said women who binged were often high-achievers and perfectionists. When such women perceived they didn't measure up to self-imposed standards or were not in control of situations, they indulged in secretive eating binges. A typical late-night binge could involve four litres of icecream and a couple of packets of chocolate biscuits, Ms Hanisch said. "Many women develop elaborate methods of hiding the evidence of their binges and some feel so guilty afterwards they also induce vomiting, overuse laxatives or exercise excessively to counteract the effects of the binge," she said. "Binge eating is largely a distraction - a temporary escape from events and emotions that nevertheless can cause long-term physical problems including electrolyte imbalances. Instead, women need to learn how to react in a different way." Mindfulness involves exercises similar to meditation that could help people live more in the moment, develop a healthy acceptance of self and become aware of potentially destructive habitual responses. "Women who have been through the program report less dissatisfaction with their bodies, increased self-esteem and improved personal relationships," Ms Morgan said. "They learn that thoughts and emotions don't have any power over us as they are just passing phenomena and aren't permanent." Mindfulness has already been shown to be effective as a treatment for anxiety and depression, substance abuse, and the stress associated with physical conditions such as trauma, chronic pain or cancer.(Source: Griffith University : February 2007.)
Created by:


text:
Complete Concise
In this chapter we have a law concerning vows, which had been
mentioned in the close of the foregoing chapter. I. Here is a general rule laid
down that all vows must be carefully performed (v. 1, 2). II. Some particular
exceptions to this rule. 1. That the vows of daughters should not be binding
unless allowed by the father (v. 3-5). Nor, 2. The vows of wives unless allowed
by the husband (v. 6, etc.).
Verses 1-2
This law was delivered to the heads of the tribes that they
might instruct those who were under their charge, explain the law to them, give
then necessary cautions, and call them to account, if there were occasion, for
the breach of their vows. Perhaps the heads of the tribes had, upon some
emergency of this kind, consulted Moses, and desired by him to know the mind of
God, and here they are told it: This is the thing which the Lord has
commanded concerning vows, and it is a command still in force.
1. The case supposed is that a person vows a vow unto the Lord,
making God a party to the promise, and designing his honour and glory in it. The
matter of the vow is supposed to be something lawful: no man can be by his own
promise bound to do that which he is already by the divine precept prohibited
from doing. Yet it is supposed to be something which, in such and such measures
and degrees, was not a necessary duty antecedent to the vow. A person might vow
to bring such and such sacrifices at certain times, to give such and such a sum
or such a proportion in alms, to forbear such meats and drinks which the law
allowed, to fast and afflict the soul (which is specified v. 13) at other times
besides the day of atonement. And many similar vows might be made in an
extraordinary heat of holy zeal, in humiliation for some sin committed or for
the prevention of sin, in the pursuit of some mercy desired or in gratitude for
some mercy received. It is of great use to make such vows as these, provided
they be made in sincerity with due caution. Vows (say the Jewish doctors) are the
hedge of separation, that is, a fence to religion. He that vows is here said
to bind his soul with a bond. It is a vow to God, who is a spirit, and to
him the soul, with all its powers, must be bound. A promise to man is a bond
upon the estate, but a promise to God is a bond upon the soul. Our sacramental
vows, by which we are bound to no more than what was before our duty, and which
neither father nor husband can disannul, are bonds upon the soul, and by them we
must feel ourselves bound out from all sin and bound up to the whole will of
God. Our occasional vows concerning that which before was in our own power
(Acts 5:4), when they are made, are bonds upon the soul likewise. 2. The command
given is that these vows be conscientiously performed: He shall not break his
word, though afterwards he may change his mind, but he shall do according to
what he has said. Margin, He shall not profane his word. Vowing is an
ordinance of God; if we vow in hypocrisy we profane that ordinance: it is
plainly determined, Better not vow than vow and not pay, Eccl. 5:5. Be
not deceived, God is not mocked. His promises to us are yea and amen,
let not ours to him be yea and nay.
Verses 3-16
It is here taken for granted that all such persons as are sui
jurisat their own disposal, and are likewise of sound understanding and
memory, are bound to perform whatever they vow that is lawful and possible; but,
if the person vowing be under the dominion and at the disposal of another, the
case is different. Two cases much alike are here put and determined:
I. The case of a daughter in her father's house: and some
think, probably enough, that it extends to a son likewise, while he is at home
with his father, and under tutors and governors. Whether the exception may thus
be stretched I cannot say. Non est distinguendum, ubi lex non distinguitWe
are not allowed to make distinctions which the law does not. The rule is
general, If a man vow, he must pay. But for a daughter it is express: her vow is
nugatory or in suspense till her father knows it, and (it is supposed) knows it
from her; for, when it comes to his knowledge, it is in his power either to
ratify or nullify it. But in favour of the vow, 1. Even his silence shall
suffice to ratify it: If he hold his peace, her vows shall stand, v. 4. Qui
tacet, consentire videturSilence gives consent. Hereby he allows his
daughter the liberty she has assumed, and, as long as he says nothing against
her vow, she shall be bound by it. But, 2. His protestation against it shall
perfectly disannul it, because it is possible that such vow may by prejudicial
to the affairs of the family, break the father's measures, perplex the
provision made for his table if the vow related to meats, or lessen the
provision made for his children if the vow would be more expensive than his
estate would bear; however, it was certain that it was an infringement of his
authority over his child, and therefore, if he disallow it, she is discharged,
and the Lord shall forgive her, that is, she shall not be charged with
the guilt of violating her vow; she showed her good-will in making the vow, and,
if her intentions therein were sincere, she shall be accounted better than
sacrifice. This shows how great a deference children owe to their parents, and
how much they ought to honour them and be obedient to them. It is for the
interest of the public that the paternal authority be supported; for, when
children are countenanced in their disobedience to their parents (as they were
by the tradition of the elders, Mt. 15:5, 6), they soon become in other things children
of Belial. If this law be not to be extended to children's marrying
without their parents' consent so far as to put it in parents' power to
annul the marriage and dissolve the obligation (as some have thought it does),
yet certainly it proves the sinfulness of it, and obliges the children that have
thus done foolishly to repent and humble themselves before God and their
II. The case of a wife is much the same. As for a woman that is
a widow or divorced, she has neither father nor husband to control her, so that,
whatever vows she binds her soul with, they shall stand against her (v.
9), it is at her peril if she run back; but a wife, who has nothing that she can
strictly call her own, but with her husband's allowance, cannot, without that,
make any such vow. 1. The law is plain in case of a wife that continues so long
after the vow. If her husband allow her vow, though only by silence, it must
stand, v. 6, 7. If he disallow it, since her obligation to that which she had
vowed arose purely from her own act, and not from any prior command of God, her
obligation to her husband shall take place of it, for to him she ought to be in
subjection as unto the Lord; and now it is so far from being her duty to
fulfil her vow that it would be her sin to disobey her husband, whose consent
perhaps she ought to have asked before she made the vow; therefore she needs forgiveness,
v. 8. 2. The law is the same in case of a wife that soon after becomes a widow,
or is put away. Though, if she return to her father's house, she does not
therefore so come again under his authority as that he has power to disannul hew
vows (v. 9), yet if the vow was made while she was in the house of her husband,
and her husband disallowed it, it was made void and of no effect for ever, and
she does not return under the law of her vow when she is loosed from the law of
her husband. This seems to be the distinct meaning of v. 10-14, which
otherwise would be but a repetition of v. 6-8. But it is added (v. 15) that, if
the husband make void the vows of his wife, he shall bear her iniquity;
that is, if the thing she had vowed was really good, for the honour of God and
the prosperity of her own soul, and the husband disallowed it out of
covetousness, or humour, or to show his authority, though she be discharged from
the obligation of her vow, yet he will have a great deal to answer for. Now here
it is very observable how carefully the divine law consults the good order of
families, and preserves the power of superior relations, and the duty and
reverence of inferiors. It is fit that every man should bear rule in his own
house, and have his wife and children in subjection with all gravity; and
rather than this great rule should be broken, or any encouragement given to
inferior relations to break those bonds asunder, God himself would quit his
right, and release the obligations even of a solemn vow; so much does religion
strengthen the ties of all relations, and secure the welfare of all societiesd,
that in it the families of the earth are blessed.


text:
There is a new ec2 type of instance with huge memory option : 244G
How this can help you with scaling Firebird ?
There are the cache and memory settings For Firebird but is better to put the main full database on the fastest storage and that is RAM for the moment
On linux i can mount a partition in memory (Install ubuntu/debian)
sudo mkdir /mnt/ram
sudo mount -t ramfs -o size=200G ramfs /mnt/ram
mount to show you the partitions mounted
and then move your database into the ram partition
cp -rp /var/lib/firebird/2.5/data/slowdb.fdb /mnt/ram/fast.db
What about D from the ACID ?
In Firebird we have a nifty feature called Shadow that creates a life snapshots of the active database (Think of it as Replication in real time) so you can activate it and keep a safe database on the SSD/HDD
That large instance could help you with the Firebird cache settings also the extra SSD could do wonders
Inspired by the stack overflow big fat server architecture for the SQL


text:
By buying this product you can collect up to 1 loyalty point. Your cart will total 1 point that can be converted into a voucher of €0.20.
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text:
PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. – When Dawn Taplin saw news reports of police arresting Disney Cruise Line cabin steward Ahmed Sofyan two weeks ago on suspicion of molesting a 13-year-old girl on board the ship, she gasped.
[WATCH: Local 6's original report]
"I just happened to blurt out, 'Wow, they did the right thing'," said Taplin, a former Disney Cruise Line security officer. She was pleased the company immediately reported Sofyan's alleged behavior to U.S. authorities, something that did not occur when she investigated a similar child molestation case on the same ship two years earlier.
In August 2012, an 11-year-old girl reported that a Disney dining server grabbed her breast and kissed her in an elevator on the Disney Dream.
"She was crying. She was still upset," said Taplin, who interviewed the girl shortly after the victim and her grandmother notified Guest Services.
Taplin, a 17-year veteran police officer who had investigated other sex crimes in her prior job at the Palm Bay Police Department, was troubled to watch video of the attack on the ship's surveillance cameras.
"It's not the first time I've cried on cases. But she's literally trying to get away from him. You see her kicking her legs, trying to pull away from him."
The molestation took place at 2:53 p.m., while passengers were still boarding the Disney Dream at Port Canaveral. "We weren't going anywhere for another two hours or so," said Taplin.
After notifying the ship's second-in-command about the molestation, Taplin claims she offered to call her former co-workers at the Port Canaveral Police Department, or her longtime contact with the F.B.I. in Brevard County.
"I was ordered not to make any phone calls, do anything at all. Nothing. Period," said Taplin, believing she would be fired if she disobeyed the instruction. "Just keep your mouth shut," she claims she was told.
"If a crime is committed while you're hooked up anywhere here, it is an American, it is a United States, it is a Florida crime. Period," said Taplin. "And I was ordered not to be making any phone calls to anybody."
The Disney Dream left Port Canaveral at 5:02 p.m. with the victim and the molestation suspect, Milton Braganza, still on board.
"Disney waits on passengers' luggage. And not setting sail on time," said Taplin. "I remember waiting until 6:30 one time on somebody's luggage."
It was not until the next day, after the ship had left U.S. waters, that Disney Cruise Line notified Port Canaveral police, the FBI, and the U.S. Coast Guard. At the time, none of those entities indicated they wished to investigate the matter, according to Disney officials. The company also alerted the Royal Bahamas Police Force, which took over the investigation because the Disney Dream is flagged in the Bahamas.
"In my professional and personal opinion, I think they wanted to get outside the United States limits and get him off the ship in the Bahamas and just leave it alone," said the former Security Officer.
When the ship arrived in Nassau nearly two days after the incident, Braganza admitted to Bahamas Police, "I touched her on her right breast with my left hand."
By then, the victim's grandmother, who is from Brazil, had declined to prosecute. Taplin does not know why the family chose not to cooperate with Bahamas Police.
Braganza, 33, was later taken to an airport, where Disney arranged for his flight back to his home in India. The company said it paid his expenses, honoring a standard contract provision to cover transportation costs of employees returned to their home nations.
"Americans would have caused a ruckus," said Taplin. "Disney wouldn't have gotten away with it if they were Americans."
According to Disney officials, a new policy has been put in place requiring personnel in the ship's bridge to contact the ship's security team and inquire about any issues before leaving port.
"Since our inception, millions of guests have put their trust in Disney Cruise Line to provide safe and secure vacations, and we take that responsibility very seriously," said Disney Cruise Line president Karl Holz in a prepared statement. "We continue to learn from our experiences and make adjustments as required."
About a week after Taplin investigated the molestation, she resigned from Disney Cruise Line, citing her numerous conflicts with the ship's management team. She had been with Disney for about nine months.
Taplin had been working at the Port Canaveral Police Department when Disney Cruise Line hired her to be a Security Officer in November 2011. She was responsible for supervising a team of 8 or 9 security guards on the ships.
"I was the first female security officer at Disney, and the second in the cruise line industry," said Taplin.
But Taplin, 49, says her excitement of sailing on board the Disney Dream was soon spoiled by what she describes as a culture clash between the ship's supervisors and employees like her with prior U.S. law enforcement experience.
"There was always bumping heads," said Taplin.
The former detective said the level of training of the security guards who worked under her was not as tight as she thought it would be. She claims some security guards admitted to being unable to identify drugs and weapons on the security X-ray machines.
"Passengers should have concern," said Taplin.
According to Disney officials, ship security personnel receive approximately 200 hours of security education and training during the first year and ongoing retraining, including courses hosted by government and outside experts. Employees who screen passengers and crew boarding the ships practice techniques similar to those used by the Transportation Security Administration, according to representatives with Cruise Line International Association.
"We have tremendous confidence in our security operations and our security officers, all of whom have significant security-related experience and nearly all of whom have vast law enforcement or military experience," said Disney Cruise Line's president. "We disagree with Dawn Taplin's characterization of our security operation."
"Cruise lines take a number of steps to address passenger security, including the sharing of passenger information with law enforcement prior to a ship's departure from a U.S. port that is checked against criminal databases and terrorism watch lists," said Cruise Lines International Association Public Affairs director David Peikin.
However, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol does not typically share information with the cruise line about other passengers with past criminal records, such as registered sex offenders or violent ex-convicts.
Taplin confirms her security team was never instructed to watch out for any particular passengers on a cruise.
"The crew crime is worse, in my personal opinion, than the passenger crime," said Taplin.
She says she investigated crew members showing up to work intoxicated, getting into fights, and stealing alcohol and personal electronics left behind by passengers.
Disney officials said they have no tolerance for such behavior, which could result in termination. The company points out they conduct random drug and alcohol screening of all crew members.
Following a New Year's Eve party on board the ship, Taplin investigated a crew member who exposed himself to a female crew member.
"This was a rape getting ready to happen," said Taplin.
Disney Cruise Line officials notified Port Canaveral police and the FBI of that January 1, 2012, incident. However, the FBI declined to get involved and the state attorney's office for Brevard and Seminole Counties decided not to prosecute, according to a report.


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When Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPad, many observers (including me) called it a big iPod Touch. We were talking about the similarities in design and functionality. But as time has gone on, I've started to think the iPad and the iPod may share another trait: Invincibility.
Generation after generation of audio players were declared iPod-killers, either by their makers or by the press. And yet the iPod emerged without a scratch. Now, manufacturers are pouring resources into iPad challengers. I suspect, though, that when the dust settles on the tablet market, iPad alternatives like the Xoom may end up like the Zune.
Many people disagree with that analysis. When they speculate on the future of the iPad, they don't look at the iPod experience, but at what happened in personal computers. Apple had a great, user-friendly OS, but it was only available on Apple's hardware. Eventually Macs were swamped by the greater hardware options available with Windows. That's the paradigm that seems to be playing out in smartphones, in which the pioneering iPhone is being eclipsed in market share by the sheer number of phones that run Android.
It's easy to conclude that the same will happen in tablets — as more and more companies produce Android tablets, that Android Army will eventually overrun the iPad's current dominant position.
I don't think so. Why? There are three main reasons:
Tablets aren't Necessary.
Obviously, reasonable people can disagree on this one (unreasonable people do a lot of disagreeing about it as well), but it's my opinion. I've had an iPad since it was first released. There's a lot I like about it, but if it broke tomorrow, I wouldn't replace it and wouldn't miss it (much). If you disagree, I'd ask this: If you had to throw away one device — your notebook, your smartphone, or your tablet — which would it be? I'd wager most people would choose their tablet.
Why is this important? Because if a device is absolutely necessary, you make compromises in order to have one. After the introduction of the original Macintoshes, the personal computer rapidly became a necessity for many people. If they couldn't afford a Mac, they wouldn't hold off on buying a computer, they'd buy a cheaper Windows PC. Same with the smartphone: Lots of people wanted an iPhone, but it was expensive and only available on AT&T. Not having a phone wasn't an option, so they tried Android alternatives.
Few people would say they absolutely have to have an MP3 player (or, I believe, a tablet). That means if they can't afford the one they want now, they can wait a few months until they can. (And, of course, if you can't afford an iPad, you can't afford a legitimate tablet, period. More on that in a moment.)
User Interface is Everything
Lots of MP3 makers tried to compete with the iPod on specs: "Ours has an FM tuner!", "We support more audio formats", etc. The problem: Nobody cared. For audio players and, I'd argue, tablets, specs are meaningless compared to the user interface. You want an interface that's clear, smooth and attractive. (For tablets, you also want lots of app options, another area Apple has a huge advantage in.)
That's not to say that there aren't (or won't be) parts of other tablet interfaces that are better than iOS. But trying to convince large numbers of consumers that your interface is better than Apple's — even when it is — is a tough sell.
The iPad has the Big Mo
Unlike the iPod, the iPad was the first significant tablet in the market and had the field to itself for the better part of a year. No mainstream tablet has managed to undercut the iPad's price and it's unlikely any will, given the contracts Apple is rumored to have lined up for touchscreens.
There are about 65,000 tablet-specific apps for the iPad. The BlackBerry PlayBook is scheduled to launch with 3,000, but my colleague Melissa Perenson says many are embarrassingly primitive and look like old DOS programs. There are more apps that will run on Android tablets, but the number that aren't just blown-up, fuzzy versions of smartphone apps is vanishingly small.
But Apple's app advantage is temporary, right? With more Android tablets, the reasoning goes, there will be lots more Android tablet apps. Maybe. But app developers have an awful lot of choices to make right now: Do they develop smartphone apps for iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7, WebOS? Do they make tablet apps for the PlayBook, the iPad, or Android options? At some point, it just becomes too much and developers are going to opt for the platform that has the users. And among tablets, that's clearly the iPad.
I Hope I'm Wrong
Both personally and professionally, I hope this analysis is wrong. As the editor of PCWorld, it's better for my business to have a spirited, interesting tablet competition to cover. It's more fun to report on and brings in more readers. And as an average technology citizen, I think Apple's got enough power already without completely dominating an important new product category.
But as I look at the tablet market, I feel more and more like I've seen this movie before. It starred the iPod … and a bunch of other actors I've long since forgotten.


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Monday night at 8pm eastern, TCM premieres The Horrors Of Stephen King, the third special in its Dreamworks-produced series, A Night At The Movies. The documentary consists of an hour-long interview with King, and was directed by Laurent Bouzereau, who also made the first two specials in the series, The Suspensful World Of Thrillers, and The Gigantic World Of Epics, each of which aired in 2009. The Stephen King edition will air several times throughout October, and each Monday of the month, TCM will feature a night of classic horror films.
Dread Central posted a few of King's quotes from the upcoming special, including this one regarding the Brian De Palma adaptation of King's novel, Carrie:
Carrie was a terrific piece of work. At the end of the movie comes, when Amy Irving kneels down to put the flowers on Carrie's grave, a hand comes up through the grave and seizes her by the arm. The audience went to the roof, totally to the roof. It was just the most amazing reaction. And I thought, 'We have a monster hit on our hands. Brian De Palma has done something new. He's actually created a shock ending that shocks an audience that was ready for a horror film.' And there were several people who did it after that.
Scott Holleran provides a rundown of some of the things King discusses on the program, including this bit about Carrie: "Discussing Brian De Palma's 1976 version of his novel Carrie, King says he wasn't even invited to attend a screening and, when he did see it, it was a double feature with Norman, Is That You?, a black-themed film, and he was surprised that the predominantly black audience responded to Carrie."
Meanwhile, our old friend John Demetry finds plenty of room for criticism of King's description of De Palma's film as a "terrific piece of work." Demetry writes, "King repeats variations on that term—'piece of work'—throughout, as if horror films were only reaction-making machines, thus limiting the value of all horror films to the level of product. This might explain King's own prolific output. However, De Palma transformed King's 'piece of work' into a work of art." Demetry then elaborates:
King's voice-over lands on a still from John Boorman's Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977): "Even psychologists who've studied the genre don't understand what works and what doesn't work." Boorman takes film audiences way beyond King's conception of how horror "works." The freedom afforded by the horror genre allows Boorman to realize astonishment: primal imagery (tapping the collective unconscious) and mystical social metaphor (the wings of Pazuzu). This visionary (corrective) sequel to William Friedkin's 1973 film contradicts King's thesis. Transcending the realm of "psychologists," the engaged spectator discovers the full terror of The Heretic: Evil exists. But so does Good. It represents a total metaphysical statement. The achievements of De Palma and Boorman suggest an alternative (auteurist) history of horror to the one presented in The Horrors of Stephen King. Carrie and Exorcist II represent high points in film history where the genre market provided the possibility for an artist's personal expression to reach a mass audience.
For his own part, King went into detail about the differences between his novel and De Palma's film in his 1981 book, Danse Macabre, in which King states, "De Palma's approach to the material was lighter and more deft than my own—and a good deal more artistic."
Meanwhile, last month, Fangoria #306 included an interview by Lee Gambin with Sissy Spacek, who discussed what she brought to the movie that was different from King's novel:
I read the book before I knew the film was being made, but then I reread it the day before auditioning. The thing about the novel that really stood out for me was that this girl was so pathetic, she was such a loser, and I believe that what I added when it came time to shoot the movie was to give the character a little bit of hope. I felt, "Here's this girl who has all these special powers, but she doesn't care about that; she just wants to be normal and fit in and have friends, a boyfriend, go to the prom." She was an artist, she wrote poetry in secret up in her room; she had this freak of a mother who destroyed her life, and Carrie just wanted to be happy, and for a moment, she gets to experience happiness—just for a moment.
Asked by Gambin how she channeled the dynamic energy required for the role, Spacek responded:
The script by Lawrence D. Cohen was so good and I was so into the story, and during production I really kept myself away from the rest of the cast. I felt very sorry for myself and isolated and different, just like Carrie did. And I really believe Brian did such a beautiful job directing it; he knew exactly what he wanted, his shots were so planned out. One of the main reasons I love him as a director is that he'd say, "OK, I want you there and then there and I need you to do this, this and this," and anything else you wanted to do, as long as it fit within his framework of the overall piece, you had the freedom to do, and that was great.
Fangoria included Carrie in its special 300th issue earlier this year, in which Ginger Snaps actress Emily Perkins stated that as an actress and a woman, she loves Carrie, "the best horror movie ever." Also in that issue, director Norman J. Warren (Satan's Slave) called Carrie "a perfect picture," and "the best horror movie." "Beautifully constructed and beautifully photographed," Warren told Fangoria, "the film captured me right from the opening scenes."
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Raising Heroes: Keys to Building Character in Your Kids
- Rebecca Hagelin The Heritage Foundation
- 2005 3 Oct
Have you ever met a perfect parent?
Me neither.
Yet book after book, magazine after magazine, could easily lead you to believe otherwise. Oh, they don't literally promise perfection. But the relentless series of easy, multi-step formulas -- designed to stop tantrums, break your kids of junk food, get little ones to sleep through the night and avoid screaming matches -- certainly leave you with the impression that perfection is (more or less) attainable.
Of course, it could be that the publishers of these books and magazines know their audience -- and its hunger for pat answers. "We want guarantees," writes Betsy Hart in her new book, It Takes a Parent. "But the only thing we really know is that we have a duty to as parents to persevere. And in that perseverance lies the best hope for our children."
I recently had the privilege of appearing with Betsy on Michael Medved's nationally syndicated radio show, and as a mother of three teenagers, I can truly appreciate her point. Most parents have solid instincts about what's right and wrong, and they have a pretty good sense of how to raise their children to understand one from the other. These parents make mistakes -- we all do -- but they learn from them. The trick is in sticking with it, day after day, for years.
But as Betsy points out in her wise and readable book, stick with it we must. Why? Because we love our children -- even when they're unlovable. And because, as she puts it in a theme that recurs throughout the book, "we need to be on a rescue mission for our children's hearts." The reason is simple: What we do is a reflection of our character. If we persevere in planting good virtues in our children, we won't have to worry so much about how they will behave under pressure. (Of course, we'll never stop worrying altogether -- we are parents, after all.)
Consider two people that Betsy uses as examples to show that "training can take over when it comes to the heart": Bruce Ismay and Todd Beamer. Ismay was president of the White Star Line, which produced the Titanic and was on the ship when it sank. But unlike hundreds of his passengers, he survived. Why? Because, Betsy says, he was able to board a lifeboat "ahead of other potential male passengers because of his status." Contrast that with Todd Beamer, who was on United Airlines Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001. When it became apparent that terrorists were using the plane on a suicide mission, Beamer rallied his fellow passengers ("Let's roll") to stop their attackers. We know the result: Instead of slamming into the U.S. Capitol or a similar target, the plane crashed into a Pennsylvania field.
Was Bruce Ismay a born coward and was Todd Beamer a born hero? No. But in a moment of supreme peril, both showed their true character. Vice and virtue had no doubt been reinforced time and again during their lifetimes. When the Big Moment came, each acted accordingly.
So how can parents improve their chances of raising a hero? They can start, Betsy says, by recognizing that they have authority simply because they're parents. They don't have to plead with their children to behave. They should make it clear (from a very young age) that they expect to be minded. Sometimes this means (brace yourself, modern parents) saying a well-considered "no" and sticking to it. Despite what many parenting "experts" will say, your child won't be scarred for life. Indeed, he'll be much better off. If you really love him, you're more concerned with shaping his character than with winning a popularity contest.
Having the guts to say "no" when appropriate is also a good way to save your children from what Betsy calls the "It's All About Me" culture that surrounds us. Far too many parents enthrone their children and constantly reinforce the notion that the world revolves around them. In the process, they create monsters who are a terror not only to others but to themselves, if the rising rates of depression are any indication.
Needless to say, these spoiled children are filled with "self-esteem" (or the modern equivalent, at least -- a counterfeit of true self-esteem). The trouble, as Betsy says, is that "it's becoming clear that too much self-esteem can create narcissistic, arrogant, even dangerous people." Parents who truly care about their children are willing to train them to be good people -- not let them wallow in self-love.
Why go to this trouble? Because, Betsy says, "Children are not born with wisdom. Wisdom is gained only through experience or through the experience of watching or learning from others and being able to apply that experience to ourselves. These things require maturity, and they require parents, and other adults, who are willing to properly interpret such experiences for children."
That's why perseverance is crucial. As I say in my own book, Home Invasion: "Seize every minute, find reinforcements, gather all the resources you can, and quickly establish your family in faith, in unconditional love, and in open communication."
It all comes back to that rescue mission. Have you launched one for your children?
Rebecca Hagelin is a vice president of The Heritage Foundation and the author of Home Invasion: Protecting Your Family in a Culture that's Gone Stark Raving Mad.
First appeared on World Net Daily. © 1995 - 2005 The Heritage Foundation. All Rights Reserved.


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By:Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Monday, March 14, 2011
Source: http://www.prisonplanet.com/radiation-from-fukushima-would-take-7-days-to-reach-u-s.html
Prevailing wind conditions would send fallout drifting towards west coast cities
Radioactive particles from the stricken Fukushima nuclear facility would take around a week to reach Alaska and eleven days to reach Los Angeles, according to an Accuweather.com analysis, which highlights the fact that prevailing winds over the region would send any potential fallout from the crisis-hit plant drifting towards west coast cities in the United States.
Given the fact that many analysts believe the Japanese government is grossly understating the amount of radioactive particles released by the two separate explosions to affect the Fukushima plant, one which occurred Saturday and one earlier today, monitoring stations in Alaska will not know if there is a threat from such radiation until Saturday at the earliest.
"Radiation detected at the Fukushima plant on Monday is twice the maximum seen so far," the BBC is reporting, citing Kyodo News.
An Accuweather.com analysis highlights how prevailing wind trajectories would take the radiation from a westerly direction towards the west coast of the United States.
"A typical wind trajectory across the Pacific is westerly, since there is often a large dome of high pressure over the central Pacific and an area of low pressure in the Gulf of Alaska," writes meteorologist Meghan Evans.
Today's localized winds are set to carry any radiation out into the Pacific from a north westerly to south easterly direction. However, "The wind direction will switch to an onshore direction Monday night into Tuesday, threatening to send the radiation toward the population," writes Evans.
"This is not good news, since an onshore direction would blow most of the radiation toward populated areas. An added threat is that with higher elevations just about 4 miles inland from the power plants, if a temperature inversion sets up in the atmosphere, radiation could be trapped."
The worst case scenario is that localized winds could take the fallout south to Tokyo, and the prevailing westerly winds could also carry upper atmosphere particles towards the U.S.
It would take roughly seven days for the radiation to reach Anchorage, eight days until it reached Honolulu, ten days for Seattle and eleven days before it hit Los Angeles, according to figures calculated by Expert Senior Global Meteorologist Jim Andrews.
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Assurances from officials that any radiation would dissipate over the Pacific Ocean before reaching the United States are tenuous given the fact that pollution from Chinese coal factories, traveling significantly greater distances, routinely hits California.
"Previous studies have documented that dust from Asia — especially from deserts and industrial regions of China — routinely crosses the Pacific Ocean on prevailing winds to sully the air over the western U.S.," highlights Massie Santos Ballon, a student in the Science Communication Program at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has also studied how, "About a third of the airborne lead particles recently collected at two sites in the San Francisco Bay Area came from Asia."
Weather conditions will hugely influence where any potential radiation falls. If there is a significant amount of rainfall, which has been forecast for the next few days, the majority of the radiation will fall in a localized area. However, drier conditions will allow any radiation to travel much further.
As we featured in our earlier report, nuclear expert Joe Cirincione also fears that radiation from the Japanese nuclear plant could also reach the west coast.
When Fox News host Chris Wallace questioned whether radioactivity could travel thousands of miles across the Pacific, Cirincione responded, "Oh, absolutely. Chernobyl, which happened about 25 years ago, the radioactivity spread around the entire northern hemisphere. It depends how many of these cores melt down and how successful they are on containing it once this disaster happens."
Concern surrounding the likely path of any radiation is emphasized by the fact that the French embassy is now, "Advising its citizens to leave Tokyo and its surroundings in case a cloud of radiation heads to the city."


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Allocation ProcessCopyright: © RWTH Aachen
How the allocation process works, depends on whether you are pursuing a Bachelor or Master course of study. There is a difference between the various allocation processes.
Local Allocation Process for Bachelor Courses of Study
Some courses of study and subjects at RWTH Aachen have restricted admission. This means that the number of applicants is larger than the number of study spots available. The State of North Rhine-Westphalia determines the number of available spots at the beginning of every semester. Additional study placements are distributed in the local allocation process for Bachelor courses of study. The Student Advice Centres offers annual presentations about this application process.
Allocation via Hochschulstart
Hochschulstart, the Foundation for University Admission, allocates the university placements in medicine and dentistry at RWTH Aachen to applicants for the first semester of a course of study. If you want to switch your study placement in a higher semester, apply for a possibly available university placement directly at RWTH Aachen.
Allocation for International Prospective Students
Are you not a citizen of German or of a country in the EU or EEA? Then participate in the special allocation process for international students at RWTH Aachen in order to get a study spot. You have to apply no matter whether or not the subject you want to study has open or restricted admission. Make sure you apply before the deadline.
Allocation Process for Master
You have the opportunity to pursue a Master course of study at RWTH Aachen that builds on your first career-qualifying degree. While interested students must submit an application for review of their educational background for open admission Master courses of study before they can enroll, restricted admission Master courses of study require an application for a study placement. This takes place through the allocation process for Master courses of study.
Lottery Process
Did you miss the application deadline or turn in your application too late, and were excluded from the allocation process as a result? You have a chance to get any remaining university placements at RWTH Aachen through the lottery process.


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Ash and his friends are on their journey through the Orange Islands—but even this seemingly quiet chain of islands dotted throughout the waters far south of Kanto has its own mysteries, adventures, and Legendary Pokémon! Lawrence III certainly knows it, which is why he's now traveling to the different islands and capturing the three Legendary birds—Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos. But even with all their power, those three are merely a stepping stone to an even greater prize: Lugia, the guardian of the sea! Of course, Ash is completely unaware of all this when he arrives at his latest destination. The islanders have big plans for him, too, but nothing so sinister—they want him to take part in a ceremony to gather three elemental balls from different islands. When the weather across the world goes out of control, this task takes on a new importance, as the capture of the Legendary birds has thrown the environment out of balance. With Lugia's help, can Ash be the "chosen one" that everyone turns to?Show more
Cast: Not available.
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Royal Detective: Queen of Shadows Collector's Edition
Princess made some mistakes in the past, not always using her magic for good. But she's made amends, and that's all forgiven now. She has finally found her mother after five long years. But just as Princess runs to embrace her, a band of thuggish trees kidnap her mother!
You're the royal detective she came to know so well, and you're Princess' only hope. She's still just a girl, and her magic isn't quite strong enough to defeat the villain who's taken her mother. Help reunite them – and uncover a devious plot by an evil king and his brothers!
This is a special Collector's Edition release full of exclusive extras you won't find in the standard version. As a bonus, Collector's Edition purchases count toward three stamps on your Monthly Game Club Punch Card!
The Collector's Edition includes:


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Last night I made a quick and easy adaptation of a classic blueberry pie. I was in an unusual and very fortunate situation: I had a bag of frozen blueberries, some flour, and eggs all on hand, all at the same time! I checked the cupboards for my usual supply of baking/cooking supplies… yes, I had sugar, salt, milk powder and oil, so I thought "why not".
I placed about 2 cups of blueberries with a half cup of water in a little pot on the stove. I cooked this at low temperature until the berries had thawed. I smushed them around a bit, to extract more of the juices. You don't need to do this, though, you actually shouldn't try to extract the juices. You don't need to add this much water, either. I was removing some of the juices and blueberry-dye for more artistic purposes, that I will tell you about another time.
Once the berries are soft, you can add a bit of sugar. I used brown sugar, about a third of a cup or so. You don't need to add sugar at all, but I was feeling decadent. Into this I stirred two eggs (you could use three if you really like a jiggly pie and have enough eggs). I threw in a tiny sprinkle of salt, imagining the salt and sugar contrasting with each other to bring out the blueberry flavour even more. I didn't really cook this any longer, I turned off the heat at this point.
* * * * *
I used a quick little no-cook pie crust recipe:
1.5 Cups flour, 3/4 tsp salt
Sift/stir around in your pie-plate or other pan.
Add: 1/2 Cup oil (I used grape seed that I had on hand, in the past I've used olive oil) + 3 Tbsp milk (I used a dash of milk powder, and a dash of water)
Mix with a fork or your fingers (I use my fingers) 'til it's blended enough to press into the pan firmly. You don't need to pre-bake the crust, though a few minutes in your pre-heated oven before adding the filling can't hurt. (I didn't last night, and it's still a fine and delicious Breakfast-Pie at the moment.)
* * * * *
The next step for this pie is to pour the remaining frozen blueberries (about 2 cups) into this pie crust, then pour the gooey blueberries on top. Put into the oven (preheated to about 300 or 350 F) and bake until the middle of the pie starts to firm up. This is about 30 minutes, I do believe.
You could try this with variations, different frozen berries, cinnamon, vanilla, other flavourings to suit what you have on hand and your taste. I would like to try making the crust with a gluten-free flour. I almost added some almond slivers to the top of the pie, but thought better of it in the end. Maybe next time…
Natasha Henderson, Montreal
(Whipped cream is not necessary, but highly recommended.)


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This Warranty is applicable to the initial purchaser only and is nontransferable. If products are procured through authorized Humanscale Dealerships, the end-user customer must be registered with Humanscale for the warranty to be in effect. Humanscale warrants that, at the time of customer's receipt, the product will be in good working order and will be free from defects in material and workmanship. This Warranty does not apply to normal wear and tear or damage caused by accident, neglect, misuse or improper installation or operation. Humanscale will not be responsible for damage due to service, maintenance, modifications or tampering by anyone other than a Humanscale authorized representative. In the event a product is defective and Humanscale receives written notice of the defect within the Warranty period, Humanscale, at its option, will either repair or replace the defective product. This Warranty does not cover damage caused by a carrier or transportation of the product from one location to another, or alterations made by owner.
The Human Solution is an authorized Humanscale reseller. All manufacturers sign a contractual agreement with their dealers that require dealers to uphold a specific code of behavior that provides for quality support both before and after the sale of their products, including warranty support. Humanscale authorized dealers must meet high quality standards for customer service, product selection and business ethics. This policy includes:
What do you lose by purchasing a Humanscale product from a non-authorized source?
Designed by the same innovators who dreamed up the Humanscale Freedom Chair and the Diffrient World Chair, the Humanscale Float Table operates on the same core principles: sound ergonomics blended with simplicity and beautiful aesthetics. The standard pneumatic Humanscale Float Table combines the ease of adjustment and sturdy frame you'd find on an electric height adjustable desk with a hidden crossbar design and the convenience of a electricity-free adjustment. The Float Table is also available with a quick and quiet electric drive for adjustment at the touch of a button, the Humanscale eFloat Electric Standing Desk.
Using a standing desk is a great way to burn calories and stay active and healthy, even while you're working! According to a recent study, you can burn 50 calories per hour just by standing while you work. Standing for part of your work day also lets you fight the harmful long-term health impacts of sitting too much. So what are you waiting for? Get healthy by escaping the sitting cycle for good with the Humanscale Float Table.
Humanscale offers a wide range of seating solutions for the home or office. Unlike many ergonomic chairs, Humanscale Chairs are designed to operate on a principle of simplicity. Humanscale chairs intuitively adjust to fit the user, rather than using knobs and levers. With few mechanisms to adjust, getting a Humanscale to a comfortable position is as simple as sitting in one. Humanscale office and executive chairs feature award-winning technology and combine incredible comfort with sleek, contemporary style. In addition, Humanscale chairs are manufactured in the USA.
There are many reasons why Humanscale Chairs are so popular, including their modern styling and ease of use. But above all, they are known for comfort. Humanscale Chairs are built with a dynamic system of seat and back movement that allows you to change positions while maintaining a proper ergonomic angle. This enables workers to sit for longer, more productive periods and feel better at the end of the day.
Humanscale first entered the height-adjustable desk market with the pneumatic Humanscale Float Table, their sleek, electricity-free sit-stand table with easy, fingertip adjustment. Its crossbar-free design and unique counterbalance mechanism make changing from sitting to standing a breeze. The Humanscale eFloat Electric Standing Desk then took that popular design and added an electric drive, making it even easier to go from sitting to standing. Humanscale products are some of our most popular and well-made ergonomic products, and this excellence continues with their foray into adjustable height desks.
Humanscale keyboard trays are some of the most durable and most configurable articulating keyboard trays we offer. Humanscale keyboard tray systems feature a variety of platform shapes and sizes, mousing platforms, track lengths and mechanisms to fit your body's particular specifications and needs, as well as those of the desk to which you're mounting it and the keyboard and mouse you are using. And since each component of the system works with any other part, you can always replace one component if your needs change, instead of replacing the entire system.
Our most popular Humanscale keyboard tray systems are the Humanscale 900 Tray, with separate keyboard and mouse platforms, and the Humanscale 500 Big Board Tray, with one wide platform for all your input devices. Other models include systems like the Humanscale 100 or Humanscale 300, with platforms for curved or natural-shaped keyboards, as well as corner desk solutions like the Humanscale 700. We even stock standard configurations for same-day or next-day shipment. A keyboard tray is an essential part of an ergonomic workstation, and with this many options, it's a breeze to find a Humanscale keyboard tray that's right for you. Humanscale keyboard trays are Manufactured in the USA.
Your eyes and posture will fare better if your monitor screen is at eye level, and monitor arms allow you to position your monitor while saving valuable desk space. Humanscale Monitor Arms are easily adjustable, very configurable, high quality and aesthetically pleasing. Our own Certified Professional Ergonomist picked the Humanscale M8 Monitor Arm as the best in class for heavy duty monitor arms.
No ergonomic workstation can be considered complete without proper lighting. Lighting isn't only about function; it's also about comfort, style, longevity, and great design. That's why we offer Humanscale's line of ergonomic task lamps. Humanscale LED task lamps are bright, energy efficient, and they last longer than fluorescent and incandescent lights. LEDs lamps also provide spot-specific, one shadow lighting to your work area without the need for a shade.
A foot rest may seem like such a little thing, but studies have shown that 70% of all women and 40% of all men have health issues including blood clots, varicose veins and pressure on the Achilles tendon due to the pooling of fluids in the lower extremities. This is the result of prolonged, inactive sitting. The Humanscale Foot Machines offers a measure of prevention as well as relief for current sufferers by providing a rocking footrest, improving circulation while providing support and relieving pressure on the lower back. No ergonomically healthy workstation is complete without a Humanscale foot machine.
Corner sleeves allow you to reclaim valuable desk space that is lost when two right edges converge, as on an L-shaped desk, and can also provide for a convenient location for your keyboard tray.
If you spend hours each day on your laptop, an ergonomically healthy Humanscale laptop holder is a must. Each Humanscale Laptop Holder allows you to adjust the display to eye level and requires the use of external mouse and keyboard, encouraging a healthy posture and comfort, without compromising the portability of your laptop computer.
Eliminate neck and eye strain by using one of Humanscale's document or copy holders to position your papers directly in front of you. Some models also offer convenient document storage.
Work more comfortably and efficiently, and save yourself some cold hard cash! We're offering big savings to anyone who buys a complete Humanscale workstation. Here's how it works: you order any three Humanscale products, you save $100 on your total purchase. Order four Humanscale products and you save $200. Order a full workstation - five products - and get $400 off!
These items must come from different categories. Categories include: Humanscale Seating, Humanscale Monitor Arms, Humanscale Task Lights, Humanscale Keyboard Trays, and the Humanscale Float Table.
Humanscale ergonomic products have been designed with the human body in mind. When used in conjunction, these products make you healthier, more productive, and more comfortable in the workplace. Call us today for more details on this amazing deal.
We have a large staff of certified ergonomic specialists who can help you find the right solution for you and your organization. Contact Us


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When to Begin Toilet Training
When to Begin Toilet Training
Before your child is ready to begin potty training, she must progress from spontaneous and uncontrollable urination and defecation to voluntary control over her bowel—and then her bladder. In general, if your child can coordinate the muscles and balance needed to run, then she can control her bowels or bladder. Of course, just because your toddler has the muscle control does not mean she will use it.
Believe it or not, your child will let you know when she's ready to begin toilet training. Until that happens, don't try to force the issue or rush your child into it. If you urge your child to take up potty training too soon, she will fail—and feel anxious for having disappointed you—and the whole process will take longer. Besides, it makes sense to let your child decide when she's ready. The whole objective of the process is to have your child gain control over her bladder and bowel movements. So from the very beginning, it will help if your toddler feels in control of the process.
For most toddlers, the process begins some time between the second and third birthday. But a rare few start even earlier and many more don't start until they are three.
In general, girls tend to gain control over bladder and bowel movements sooner than boys. But regardless of when they start using the potty, few children master this skill until close to their third birthday. Even early starters tend to have at least occasional accidents until age three. And late starters tend to have fewer accidents, perhaps because they're more mature physically by the time they begin. So why be in a hurry to get your child on the potty?
The key to determining when your child is ready for toilet training is your toddler's self-awareness. Your child has to know when she is going to relieve her bladder or bowels before it happens. Toilet training will fail if your child becomes aware of the need to go to the toilet only after the pee or poop is running down her leg.
Don't start toilet training when a younger sibling is about to be born, when day care is just beginning, when a family member is very ill, or when some other monumental life change is occurring. Your child should not have to deal with more than one change at a time.
Watch for these signs that your toddler might be ready:
- Your child's diaper is often still dry a couple of hours after it was changed.
- Your child shows that she understands simple requests or instructions.
- Your child demonstrates the ability to mimic adult behavior.
- Your child has the verbal ability to let you know when she needs to go to the bathroom.
- Your child shows a marked dislike for wet or soiled diapers.
- Your child offers a tip-off when she's about to have a bowel movement. It may be a facial expression; she might stand straight up, as still as a statue; or she might head for a particular location.
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Further Readings
Intangible PERSONAL PROPERTY consisting of mathematical codes, programs, routines, and other functions that controls the functioning and operation of a computer's hardware.
Software instructs a computer what to do. (The computer's physical components are called hardware.) Computer software is the general term for a variety of procedures and routines that harness the computational power of a computer to produce, for example, a general operating system that coordinates the basic workings of the computer or specific applications that produce a database, a financial spreadsheet, a written document, or a game. Computer programmers use different types of programming languages to create the intricate sets of instructions that make computing possible.
Until the personal computer revolution began in the 1980s, software was written mainly for business, government, and the military, which employed large mainframe computers as hardware. With the introduction of personal computers, which have rapidly increased in power and performance, software has emerged as an important commercial product that can be marketed to individuals and small business as well as big business and the government.
Software is, under the law, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY and therefore entitled to protection from persons who seek to exploit it illegally. Software can be protected through the use of trade secrets, COPYRIGHT, PATENTS, and TRADEMARKS.
TRADE SECRET protection may apply to unpublished works and the basic software instructions called source code. Typically trade secrets will be effective if a company develops software and wishes to prevent others from finding out about it. A person who works on developing the software will be required to sign a nondisclosure agreement, which is a contract that obligates the person signing it to keep the project a secret.
Once software is developed and is ready to be sold, it can be copyrighted. Copyright protects the expression of an idea, not the idea itself. For example, a person could not copyright the idea of a computer database management system but could copyright the structure and content of a database software program that expresses the idea of a database system.
Court decisions appear to have limited copyright protection for some features of software. In Apple Computer v. Microsoft Corporation, 35 F.3d 1435 (9th Cir. 1994), the court held that Apple Computer could not copyright the graphical user interface (GUI) it had developed for its Macintosh computer. Microsoft Corporation's Windows software program contained a GUI nearly identical to Apple's. The court stated that Microsoft and other software developers were free to copy the "functional" elements of Apple's GUI because there are only a limited number of ways that the basic GUI can be expressed differently.
In Lotus Development Corp. v. Borland International, 49 F.3d 807 (1st Cir. 1995), Lotus alleged that Borland had copied the hierarchical menu system of the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet program, which contained 469 commands, in its Quattro spreadsheet program. The court of appeals ruled that Borland had not infringed on Lotus's copyright because the menu command hierarchy was a "method of operation," which is not copyrightable under federal copyright law (17 U.S.C.A. § 102(b)).
Patent law supplies another avenue of protection for software companies. A patent protects the idea itself. It is often an unattractive option, however, because it takes a significant amount of time, usually two years, and money to obtain a patent from the U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE. The patent process is complicated and technical, with the applicant required to prove to the Patent and Trademark Office that a patent is deserved. Because the shelf life of a software program is often short, seeking a patent for the program is often impractical.
Trademark law protects the name of the software, not the software itself. Protecting a name from being used by others can be more valuable than other forms of protection.
When software is leased or sold, the purchaser usually must agree to accept a software license. When a business negotiates with a software company, it will sign a license agreement that details how the software is to be used and limits its distribution. A software license is an effective tool in preventing PIRACY.
When consumers buy software from a software company or through a third-party business, they find in the packaging a software license. The license is typically on the sealed envelope that contains the software media, which itself is sealed in plastic wrapping. These "shrink-wrap licenses" describe contractual conditions regarding the purchaser's use of the software. The opening of the shrink-wrap, according to the license, constitutes acceptance of all of the terms contained in the license agreement.
The purchaser is informed that the software is licensed and not sold to the purchaser. By retaining title to the software, the computer software company seeks to impose conditions upon the purchaser, or licensee, that are not otherwise permissible under federal copyright law. The principal terms of the shrink-wrap license include prohibiting the unauthorized copying and renting of the software, prohibiting reverse engineering (figuring out how the software works) and modifications of the software, limiting the use of the software to one computer, disclaiming warranties, and limiting liabilities.
The enforceability of shrink-wrap licenses has been challenged in the courts. The prevailing view is that when mass-market prepackaged software is sold, the transaction is a sale of goods and not a true license agreement. The key issue is whether the license document is part of an enforceable contract. Defenders of shrink-wrap licenses argue that the purchaser agrees to the conditions of the license after breaking the packaging seal and therefore contract law must uphold the written terms of the contract. Opponents argue that the sequence of events in the typical software purchase transaction is skewed. The purchaser is not aware of the license agreement until after the sale is consummated. The purchaser's acceptance of the license agreement is inferred when he or she opens the package or uses the software. However, the purchaser does not sign the license agreement. She may not even read the terms of the license agreement and, in any case, does not expressly agree to them.
In Step-Saver Data Systems v. Wyse Technology, 939 F.2d 91 (1991), the Third Circuit Court of Appeals held that the shrink-wrap license did not become part of the contract and therefore was not a valid modification to a previously existing contractual relationship for the sale of prepackaged computer software. The court concluded that, under the UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE § 2-207, a contract had existed prior to the opening of the package, the license contained new terms that materially altered the contract, and the purchaser did not expressly accept these terms. Because of these conclusions, the license agreement was invalid and unenforceable.
Lawsuits involving the software industry have not been limited to intellectual property disputes. In 1998, the U.S. Justice Department brought an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft Corporation, alleging that the company had illegally taken advantage of its software MONOPOLY to stifle competitors in the software market. A federal district judge in 1999 found Microsoft guilty of violating ANTITRUST LAWS and in 2000 ordered that the company be divided into two separate companies, U.S. v. Microsoft, 253 F.3d 34 (D.C. Cir. 2001). However, a federal appellate court in 2001 overruled the district court's ruling, though it upheld the finding that Microsoft had violated antitrust laws. In 2002, Microsoft and the JUSTICE DEPARTMENT reached a settlement whereby Microsoft agreed to disclose sensitive technology to its competitors and to allow manufacturers and customers to remove Microsoft icons from some of the features in the company's system software.
Software developers have legitimate concerns about software piracy. Counterfeiting is an international problem that results in the sale of millions of dollars of pirated software. The Software Publisher's Association (SPA) and the Business Software Alliance (BSA) are major organizations that combat software piracy. The SPA is the leading international trade association for the personal computer software industry. Both SPA and BSA have collected millions of dollars worldwide from companies that have used pirated software. Most companies using pirated software are reported by former employees.
Piracy can take a number of forms. Computer users can commit piracy by using a single copy of licensed software to install on multiple computers. Similarly, copying disks and swapping disks inside and outside of the workplace can constitute forms of software piracy. The INTERNET has likewise become a major source for illegally pirated software. A number of websites offer full, pirated programs that can be downloaded for free or exchanged with other users. Although the BSA, SPA and other organizations have sought to track these providers and take them offline, such sites still exist.
A number of programs are available to protect software against piracy. Many companies require users to enter special pass codes that correspond to the specific copies purchased by the users. Other software must be registered directly with the company over the Internet. Although piracy still exists at a significant rate, the BSA estimated that software piracy during 2001 cost companies $10.97 billion. Nonetheless, statistics indicate that piracy has been on the decline since the mid-1990s. Among the reasons noted by the BSA for this reduction are the employment of more effective means of distributing legal copies of software and a reduction in the price of software over the previous decade.
Computer-Assisted Legal Research; Computer Crime; E-Mail; Internet; Sales Law.
Additional topics
Law Library - American Law and Legal InformationFree Legal Encyclopedia: Lemuel Shaw Biography to Special plea


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- Publishers
- Harper
- series: Chu's Day
Comic book series : Chu's Day
Artist: Adam Rex
Writer: Gaiman, Neil
Publisher: Harper
Chu's Day
artist: Adam Rex
Writer: Gaiman, Neil
series: Chu's Day
publisher: Harper
publish date: 14-01-2013
language: English
coloring: full color
pages: 40: Hard Cover
A winning new picture book about an unforgettable panda, and the first collaboration between New York Times-bestselling author Neil Gaiman and Adam Rex. Chu is a little panda with a big sneeze. His mother takes him to the library, where it's awfully dusty. His father takes him to lunch at the diner, where there's pepper in the air. Will Chu sneeze today? And what will happen if he does? Beloved storyteller Neil Gaiman has written his youngest picture book yet with this delightful, humorous story of how the smallest child's actions can be very powerful. Engagingly and vibrantly illustrated by acclaimed artist Adam Rex, this is the perfect book to read aloud and share.


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This is a partially developed activity description. It is included in the collection because it contains ideas useful for teaching even though it is incomplete.
Mt St Helens Hazard AssessmentChuck Anderson, Michelle Cooke, Amy Holt Cline, Bob deGroot, Charlie Onasch, Steve Reynolds, Sarah Titus, Jamie Toro, Linda Sohl, and Stuart Wier
Topic: Hazard assessment, geology, seismology, meterology, geophysics
Course Type: introductory
Students will work in teams to answer the following question: Which areas around Mt St Helens are the most dangerous? Student teams will focus on the areas of Geology, Geophysics, Meteorology and population using a variety of data sets including weather data, earthquake data, GPS data, population data of the surrounding communities and more. Students will analyze data in order to answer the above question. Students will be expected to work in small teams to analyze data and then report back to the larger group. All teams will be responsible to write up a report about what the data says about Mt St Helens in order to make better decisions about emergency response.
Storyline: You have just been delegated to run a 3 day trip up and around Mt. St Helens to collect missing data ..... You have been given the sesmelogical data showing where earthquakes have been over the past 25 years. In addition you have been giving climate data that will explain the average weather patterns in the areas.
Goals: students will understand:
- Be able to apply data to a question to find a solution
- How scientists collaborate
- How to explore data
- How geologic and topographic data migh
- Students can use the location of eathquackes to understand igneaous processes.
- To understand how climatic and topographic factors might influence might influence the hazard area relative to a volcano.
- How humans are vulnerable to Mt St. Helens
Skills: students will be well be able to:
- Read topo maps
- Access and read weather maps
- Interpret weather movies
- Use GPS units
- Communicate their findings in clear language
- Submit an emergency action plan to the city
- Write a paper on how to prepare for an earthquake or volcano. How will this influence where the community should or should not build their houses. How do they respond?
Assessment would be based on students understanding of:
- using data to access the location of earthquackes to understand igneous processes.
- understanding of how climatic and topographic factors might influence might influence the hazard area relative to a volcano.
- understanding of how humans are vulnerable to Mt St. Helens and what to do in an emergency.
UNAVCO GEON IDV was the inspiration for this activity. See https://www.unavco.org/projects/past-projects/geon/geon.html