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Expert's Rating
Our Verdict
While there are plenty of full-featured image-editing programs out there, including Adobe Photoshop, there are times when you want an app that does just one thing, and does it incredibly well. For selective desaturation—removing color from specific parts of a photo while leaving the remainder untouched—that program is MacPhun's Color Splash Studio ( Mac App Store link).
I've seen similar apps for iOS, such as Color Splash for the iPhone and iPad, but Color Splash Studio is one of the few selective-desaturation photography apps available for the Mac, and it takes advantage of the platform by offering more—and more-powerful—features than are available in these iOS apps.
Color Splash Studio's home window offers several options for getting images into the program: You can drag and drop an image into the app, import an image from Aperture or iPhoto, navigate to any image on your computer, or open a recent image you've worked on.
Once you've imported your image, Color Splash Studio automatically displays a black-and-white version of it, along with the program's tools. On the right are most of the color-editing tools, while a toolbar along the top hosts file-related functions (Import, Load Photo, Save, and Share), as well as undo, redo, and tools for zooming in and out. Everything is clean, well-organized, and intuitive.
The color-editing tools include two brush options—Color and Grayscale—and a panning tool. You can adjust the brush size, softness, and opacity, making it easy to color detailed areas; and if you accidentally do too much coloring, the Grayscale brush lets you paint over those areas you want to desaturate again. As you're coloring in areas of your image, you can adjust the color layer's brightness, contrast, blur, saturation, hue, and exposure. You can also use brightness, contrast, and blur sliders to tweak the grayscale areas of the image.
A handy Invert button quickly changes everything that's black and white to color, and vice versa. You can also easily start over by clicking the Clear button. To see how far along a photo has come, Color Splash Studio offers a useful Compare tool, which displays the original image next to the current version of your creation. And if you want to more-clearly see where you've painted, a Show button overlays colored areas with a red mask, making it easier to spot areas you've missed.
Once you're finished, you can save your edited photo, or click Share to easily share it via email, Facebook, Tumblr, Flickr, or Twitter.
I do wish you could have more than one editing window open at a time so, for example, you could work with two images simultaneously. But for those who like to focus on one project at a time, this shouldn't be a problem. Overall, Color Splash Studio is easy and fun to use, and it does exactly what it sets out to do. The "painting" process also brings back memories of childhood coloring within the lines, with the same result: a pretty picture.

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|Examples of items and children's packs being collected by the Anglican Chaplaincy in Athens for a refugee/migrant camp close to Athens
Recently the chaplaincy has started a programme whereby, once a month, a collection of a limited number of easily obtainable things is made among the English-speaking community connected to the Church. These will help to make day to day life in a camp a little more tolerable. This month it is toothpaste, tooth brushes and soap. Next month it will be sun-lotion, insect repellent and simple head gear. Another focus will be packs containing crayons, colouring books, stickers, lined and plain paper and small toys for a substantial child population now existing in the camps.
St Paul's in Athens receives many visitors also, particularly pilgrim groups "walking in the steps of St Paul". These pilgrims are also making contributions to these collections.
|Refugees in Victoria Square Athens


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Golf Clap for Travelzoo
Travelzoo (NAS: TZOO) reported earnings on Oct. 25. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended Sep. 30 (Q3), Travelzoo met expectations on revenues and met expectations on earnings per share.
Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue dropped and GAAP earnings per share shrank significantly.
Margins dropped across the board.
Revenue details
Travelzoo notched revenue of $35.4 million. The two analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ expected a top line of $35.3 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 8.3% lower than the prior-year quarter's $38.7 million.
Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.
EPS details
EPS came in at $0.22. The two earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ forecast $0.22 per share. GAAP EPS of $0.22 for Q3 were 39% lower than the prior-year quarter's $0.36 per share.
Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.
Margin details
For the quarter, gross margin was 88.7%, 40 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 11.8%, 1,210 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 9.7%, 560 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.
Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $36.1 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.26.
Next year's average estimate for revenue is $150.1 million. The average EPS estimate is $1.35.
Investor sentiment
The stock has a two-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 435 members out of 618 rating the stock outperform, and 183 members rating it underperform. Among 166 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 92 give Travelzoo a green thumbs-up, and 74 give it a red thumbs-down.
Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Travelzoo is hold, with an average price target of $25.50.
Internet software and services are being consumed in radically different ways, on new and increasingly mobile devices. Is Travelzoo on the right side of the revolution? Check out the changing landscape and meet the company that Motley Fool analysts expect to lead "The Next Trillion-dollar Revolution." Click here for instant access to this free report.
Add Travelzoo to My Watchlist.
The article Golf Clap for Travelzoo originally appeared on Fool.com.
Seth Jayson had no position in any company mentioned here at the time of publication. You can view his stock holdings here. He is co-advisor ofMotley Fool Hidden Gems, which provides new small-cap ideas every month, backed by a real-money portfolio. The Motley Fool has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend Travelzoo. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2012 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Princess is Sleeping Lined Curtains
Product Description
- Exclusive PriceRightHome design
- Adorable princess themed curtain set
- Two fully lined curtains per pack
- Curtains are pencil-pleat fitting so will fit any standard curtain rail or pole
- Tie backs included
- Size: 66in wide x 72in drop (168cm x 183cm)
- 48% cotton, 52% polyester
- Machine washable
- Main colours: Pale Blue and Green
- Matching duvet cover available in junior (product code DUV426), single (DUV428) and double sizes (DUV427)
Princess Is Sleeping Lined Curtains
These adorable Princess Is Sleeping Curtains feature a collection of cute fairy princesses in their magical kingdom. The curtains are fully lined and come complete with tie backs and are also suitable for machine washing. The design matches our exclusive Princess Is Sleeping junior, single and double duvet covers which are also available to purchase.
Product Reviews
Write Your Own Review
Delivery Costs
Here at Price Right Home we offer a number of shipping services to ensure you get your parcel, when you want it.
- Free UK Delivery for orders above $39.99 available on all UK mainland orders!
- We also offer additional delivery methods including Next Day Delivery (Free on orders over $99.99)* and Standard Delivery (Only $5.99). Please note that all Next Day and Weekend deliveries will need to be placed before 2pm the working day before the desired delivery date. (*exclusions apply)
- Worldwide Shipping available. We ship to the USA, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and many other worldwide countries.
- For more info on all shipping methods and rates, including International Delivery, please see our Delivery section.
Contact Us
Customer Services:
Tel: 0800 161 5444
Int. tel: 0044 1628 627470
Email: email@example.com
Monday - Friday | 8.00am - 5.00pm
Our Address:
Clan House
Denmark Street
United Kingdom


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Microsoft is super-sizing the storage on its Surface Pro tablet. There's a big catch with this upgrade, however: The newly expanded gigs (and a handful of other nifty extras) are only available in Japan—at least for now.
The Surface Pro with a 256 GB solid state drive will launch in Japan on June 7, according to AV Watch (via Engadget). It'll cost roughly $1,175, which is about $200 more expensive than the 128 GB model.
Customers in Japan will also be able to choose from a few special Touch Covers. Microsoft has already offered a few limited edition Touch Covers in other markets, but they aren't quite as bold as these designs, which include a colorful floral pattern and a mech-like "Logistics Conveyor Machine."
Microsoft is also throwing in its pressure-sensitive pen and a copy of Office 2013, which is an interesting addition. Recent rumors have suggested that Microsoft has been offering discounted Windows and Office licenses to manufacturers making sub 10.8-inch, touchscreen Windows devices.
More around the corner?
If you're jealous of the added storage, worry not; the Surface Pro is coming to Japan just before the arrival of Intel's next generation of processors, dubbed Haswell. These chips are expected to offer a 50 percent improvement in battery life for laptops, up to 20 times more standby battery life, and significantly better graphics performance.
Microsoft hasn't said whether the Surface Pro will be getting a Haswell upgrade, but we'd be surprised if it doesn't. Battery life on the existing Surface Pro is on the low end compared to premium laptops, and is much weaker than most tablets at about 5 hours. The Surface could certainly use the upgrade, and we wouldn't see surprised to see the Japanese storage boost comes along for the ride Stateside.
The Verge has reported that Microsoft will continue updating the Surface Pro with the latest chipsets from Intel, and the company may soon announce smaller Surface tablets as well. With Microsoft's Build developer conference scheduled for June 26 through June 28, Japan's roomier Surface Pro could just be a hint at better things to come.


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As many of you are aware of the more equipment and upgrades you have in your vehicle the less space you have to fit it all in. This is true when most of the vehicles come from the factory with very little room to begin with. In this article we will be eliminating some of the clutter by building two pods that will hold a total of three gauges apiece for PAS Mags, HIN Scion XD that Installer Institute built this year for the tour.
The Scion was delivered with a total of 9 gauges of which only six really needed to be used. With a vehicle of this caliber we were going to need all the space we could get.
Step 1
The first step was to pull a mold of the area the gauges were going to be located in. We decided to locate three of the gauges directly above the factory gauge cluster and the other three above the radio. We applied tape and foil the entire top of the dash along with the windshield and floor board. When working on any car you can't be too careful.
Step 2
Applying fiberglass is the next step, the idea is to pull a model of the dashes contours so that when we mount the finished product to the dash it will fit perfectly. In this step we applied 4 layers of fiberglass mat.
Step 3
While the glass is curing we started to take apart the gauges. The gauges came apart very easy, we had to remove the mounting bracket and trim off all of the extra tabs so that the gauges would fit together correctly. Once you remove the guts of the gauges make sure you keep them in a safe place so they do not get damaged.
Step 4
With the fiberglass dry we removed all the tape and foil and placed the gauges in place to make sure that everything would look good before we started to fabricate the gauges on to the fiberglass. Once everything checked out and looked good we traced an outline of the gauge pod onto the fiberglass and cut it out.
Step 5
Next step was to secure the plastic gauge housings into place. Super glue was used to attach them to each other as well as the fiberglass base. The gauges were set at a small angle so that they would be in the site of the driver. With the gauge housings mounted to the base they were set back into the vehicle to make sure that everything looked cosmetically appealing.
Step 6
Our next step was to form the shape of the gauge pod, for this we used 2 part expanding foam. Thick construction paper was used to build walls around the base of the gauge pod, this was so the foam could build up and not out.
Step 7
With the foam cured it was time to start shaping the pods. Once the pods were shaped they were placed back into the Scion to see how they look and how everything matched up.
Step 8
Next we fiberglassed the each pod applying 3 layers of fiberglass mat. Once the mat dried it was grinded and body filler was applied to fill in all of the imperfections. With the pods sanded with 80 grit sand paper they again were test fit to the vehicle and then prepped for wrapping.
Step 9
Now it is time to cover the gauge pods. The colors of the cars interior was a combination of black, gray and blue suede. We chose to cover the pods in blue suede so they would stand out and catch everyone eye as they walk by at the Hot Import Night shows. Once the pods were covered they we attached to the dash from the bottom and wired up.
Remember Knowledge is Power
Look for the Scion at all the HIN show this year. If you would like to build your skills as a mobile electronics installer and learn from the best fabricators in the industry log onto our web-site www.installerinstitute.com and see what the Installer Institute can do for you.
Installer Institute
1524 Ridgewood Ave.,
Holly Hill, FL, 32117
Remember doing it right the first time will always save time.


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LOS ANGELES – The 18th hole at Riviera had given up only six birdies to 73 players in the final round of the Northern Trust Open. Bill Haas convinced himself there would be at least one more to force a playoff.
The surprise was how it ended.
Two holes after Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley poured in birdie putts to set up a three-man playoff, Haas won with a birdie on the 10th hole when all he was trying to do was make par.
It was just under 45 feet, all the way across the shallow putting surface, and it provided a stunning conclusion right when thousands of delirious fans — including Jerry West, the tournament's executive director — thought it couldn't get any better.
"If I hit 30 putts, I maybe make five of them," Haas said. "But it just so happens it did right there. I hit it just like I wanted. I hit the line. There was a ball mark about 10 feet in front of me. I was trying to go just around that, and I did that.
"I'm not giving it all to luck," he said. "I felt like I hit a nice putt. But from that length, anything can happen."
On this day, just about everything did.
Haas started the final round two shots behind, making him the fourth consecutive PGA Tour winner rally on Sunday. He holed a 5-foot par putt for a 2-under 69 that looked like a winner when neither Mickelson nor Bradley, who shared the 54-hole lead, birdied the par-5 17th and came to the last hole needing a birdie to keep playing.
Haas was on the practice range at 7-under 277 and a one-shot lead, preparing for a playoff that seemed unlikely. What followed were two putts that even impressed West, the Los Angeles Lakers great known as "Mr. Clutch," who was standing with thousands of fans on the hill below the fabled clubhouse at Riviera.
Mickelson had missed three straight putts inside 10 feet on the back nine — two for par, one for birdie — and just when it looked as though he had lost all hope, he rammed in a birdie putt just outside 25 feet from off the green, pointed his putter toward the cup and slamming down his fist when it fell for an even-par 71.
"I kept fighting, and I was giving away shots and was trying to let it go and move on and see if I could capture one, and I finally got one to go on 18," Mickelson said. "It felt great."
He bumped fists with Bradley and told him, "Join me."
Bradley, the PGA champion, did just that. His putt from about 12 feet took one last, slow turn and disappeared for a 71.
"Even though I didn't win the tournament, to make that putt on the last hole, one of the toughest holes on the PGA Tour, is really awesome," Bradley said.
They started the playoff at the 18th. Haas was short of the green, 80 feet away, and hit a chip-and-run to 3 feet for par. Mickelson two-putted from 35 feet and Bradley's 15-footer from just off the back touched the right side of the cup.
That took them to the 312-yard 10th hole, considered the best short par 4 in America, a hole that can make an argument as the most interesting hole in all of golf. Yes, it can be reached with a tee shot, but this hole is all about position no matter what club is in the hand.
And no one was in good position.
Mickelson came up just short of the bunker, leaving him no angle at the green. As great as he is with the flop shot, a ball that landed near the flag rolled through the green and into the back bunker. Bradley was in the front bunker, and he hit a remarkable shot past the hole that stopped on the fringe about 15 feet away.
Haas went over the green, and the angle was just enough that the back bunker was in his way. To try to chip close could have put him in another bunker, so he chose to play away from the flag to make sure he at least could two-putt for par.
"I was thinking 4 could continue," Haas said. "If Phil holes out of the bunker, or Keegan makes it from off the green, they earned it. They deserve it. Four for me was the goal in the sense that I didn't want to make 5.
"Honestly, that was not as an easy a shot as you might think."
Haas won for the fourth time in his career, and it was his second straight win in a playoff. And while he was in a tough spot behind the 10th green, it's not like he hasn't been there before.
Only five months ago, Haas was in a playoff at the Tour Championship with Hunter Mahan with the FedEx Cup and its $10 million prize riding on the outcome. On the second extra hole, his ball was partially submerged in the lake to the left of the 17th green at East Lake, and he splashed out to 3 feet to save par. He won on the next playoff hole.
His paycheck Sunday was $1.188 million, yet it felt just as sweet.
Riviera is a special place, so meaningful to Haas that he skipped the wedding of a college friend to play.
"To beat a guy like Keegan and also Phil — guys of their caliber — in a playoff, is amazing, something I'll never forget," he said.
Haas moved to No. 12 in the world, and at age 29, should now be looked upon as one of the top young Americans.
Mickelson was trying to become a three-time winner at Riviera, and the first player since Tiger Woods in August 2009 to win PGA Tour events in back-to-back weeks. It was a battle on the back nine for Mickelson, as it was for so many other players on firm, crisp greens that made it difficult to make putts.
"It was very defensive because the greens were so firm, the pins were tough, and although there was no rough, it had kind of a U.S. Open feel," Mickelson said.
Mickelson had control of the tournament twice until he made back-to-back bogeys at the turn, then again with consecutive three-putt bogeys from 50 feet on No. 14 and 70 feet on No. 15.
Sergio Garcia closed with a tournament-best 64, holing out on the 15th with a 4-iron from 207 yards. Luke Donald, the No. 1 player in the world, struggled after the opening round and closed with a 78.


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Helping a Family Member Who Has PTSD
Topic Overview
When someone has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it changes family life. The person with PTSD may act differently and get angry easily. He or she may not want to do things you used to enjoy together.
You may feel scared and frustrated about the changes you see in your loved one. You also may feel angry about what's happening to your family, or wonder if things will ever go back to the way they were. These feelings and worries are common in people who have a family member with PTSD.
It is important to learn about PTSD so you can understand why it happened, how it is treated, and what you can do to help. But you also need to take care of yourself. Changes in family life are stressful, and taking care of yourself will make it easier to cope.
How can I help?
You may feel helpless, but there are many things you can do. Nobody expects you to have all the answers.
Here are ways you can help:
- Learn as much as you can about PTSD. Knowing how PTSD affects people may help you understand what your family member is going through. The more you know, the better you and your family can handle PTSD.
- Offer to go to doctor visits with your family member. You can help keep track of appointments, and you can be there for support.
- Tell your loved one you want to listen and that you also understand if he or she doesn't feel like talking.
- Plan family activities together, like having dinner or going to a movie.
- Take a walk, go for a bike ride, or do some other physical activity together. Exercise is important for health and helps clear your mind.
- Encourage contact with family and close friends. A support system will help your family member get through difficult changes and stressful times.
Your family member may not want your help. If this happens, keep in mind that withdrawal can be a symptom of PTSD. A person who withdraws may not feel like talking, taking part in group activities, or being around other people. Give your loved one space, but tell him or her that you will always be ready to help.
How can I deal with anger or violent behavior?
Your family member may feel angry about many things. Anger is a normal reaction to trauma, but it can hurt relationships and make it hard to think clearly. Anger also can be frightening.
If anger leads to violent behavior or abuse, it's dangerous. Go to a safe place and call for help right away. Make sure children are in a safe place as well.
It's hard to talk to someone who is angry. One thing you can do is set up a time-out system. This helps you find a way to talk even while angry. Here's one way to do this.
- Agree that either of you can call a time-out at any time.
- Agree that when someone calls a time-out, the discussion must stop right then.
- Decide on a signal you will use to call a time-out. The signal can be a word that you say or a hand signal.
- Agree to tell each other where you will be and what you will be doing during the time-out. Tell each other what time you will come back.
While you are taking a time-out, don't focus on how angry you feel. Instead, think calmly about how you will talk things over and solve the problem.
After you come back:
- Take turns talking about solutions to the problem. Listen without interrupting.
- Use statements starting with "I," such as "I think" or "I feel." Using "you" statements can sound accusing.
- Be open to each other's ideas. Don't criticize each other.
- Focus on things you both think will work. It's likely you will both have good ideas.
- Together, agree which solutions you will use.
How can I communicate better?
You and your family may have trouble talking about feelings, worries, and everyday problems. Here are some ways to communicate better:
- Be clear and to the point.
- Be positive. Blame and negative talk won't help the situation.
- Be a good listener. Don't argue or interrupt. Repeat what you hear to make sure you understand, and ask questions if you need to know more.
- Put your feelings into words. Your loved one may not know you are sad or frustrated unless you are clear about your feelings.
- Help your family member put feelings into words. Ask, "Are you feeling angry? Sad? Worried?"
- Ask how you can help.
- Don't give advice unless you are asked.
If your family is having a lot of trouble talking things over, consider trying family therapy. Family therapy is a type of counseling that involves your whole family. A therapist helps you and your family communicate, maintain good relationships, and cope with tough emotions.
During therapy, each person can talk about how a problem is affecting the family. Family therapy can help family members understand and cope with PTSD.
Your health professional or a religious or social services organization can help you find a family therapist who specializes in PTSD.
How can I take care of myself?
Helping a person with PTSD can be hard on you. You may have your own feelings of fear and anger about the trauma. You may feel guilty because you wish your family member would just forget his or her problems and get on with life. You may feel confused or frustrated because your loved one has changed, and you may worry that your family life will never get back to normal.
All of this can drain you. It can affect your health and make it hard for you to help your loved one. If you're not careful, you may get sick yourself, become depressed, or burn out and stop helping your loved one.
To help yourself, you need to take care of yourself and have other people help you.
Care for yourself
- Don't feel guilty or feel that you have to know it all. Remind yourself that nobody has all the answers. It's normal to feel helpless at times.
- Don't feel bad if things change slowly. You cannot change anyone. People have to change themselves.
- Take care of your physical and mental health. If you feel yourself getting sick or often feel sad and hopeless, see your doctor.
- Don't give up your outside life. Make time for activities and hobbies you enjoy. Continue to see your friends.
- Take time to be by yourself. Find a quiet place to gather your thoughts and "recharge."
- Get regular exercise, even just 10 minutes at a time. Exercise is a healthy way to deal with stress.
- Eat healthy foods. When you are busy, it may seem easier to eat fast food than to prepare healthy meals. But healthy foods will give you more energy to carry you through the day.
- Remember the good things. It's easy to get weighed down by worry and stress. But don't forget to see and celebrate the good things that happen to you and your family.
Get help
During difficult times, it is important to have people in your life who you can depend on. These people are your support network. They can help you with everyday jobs, like taking a child to school, or by giving you love and understanding.
You may get support from:
- Family members.
- Friends, coworkers, and neighbors.
- Members of your religious or spiritual group.
- Support groups.
- Doctors and other health professionals.
For more information, see the topic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Related Information
Current as of: May 28, 2019
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Adam Husney MD – Family Medicine & Kathleen Romito MD – Family Medicine & Jessica Hamblen PhD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.


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Pulling out of the Paris agreement on climate change will become one of the greatest economic blunders by a U.S. president in our lifetimes.
People can disagree about the scientific premise behind climate change, but it's an inescapable fact that the world is driving ahead to replace carbon energy with clean energy anyway. That makes advanced energy technologies one of the biggest business opportunities of the next couple of decades. The companies and nations that take the lead will become the next economic superpowers.
President Trump said that he is pulling out of the agreement because it would cost American jobs. But while he might save a relatively small number of coal and oil jobs, he is harming the nation's chances to create vast numbers of advanced energy jobs.
Many coal and oil jobs are eventually doomed anyway — those industries have a limited future as the world leaves carbon behind. Advanced energy jobs will multiply year after year. If the U.S. doesn't capture that work, other nations will.
Companies gain market leadership because they thrive on local markets first and then become global. This is what happened in China with solar panel manufacturing — the government spent heavily to create a local market for the technology.
It pumped $89.5 billion into the industry in 2015 alone, and in January 2017 its National Energy Administration announced it would spend $360 billion through 2020 on renewable energy. As Chinese companies have perfected the process and scaled up manufacturing, they were in position to dominate solar panels around the world. Today the three biggest solar makers are based in China: Trina Solar, JinkoSolar and JA Solar.
If ending our participation in the Paris Accord slows the U.S. advanced energy market, our American companies will be at a huge competitive disadvantage globally. They won't have a robust local market to build on. Before long, we will find ourselves buying energy technology from other countries, just as other countries now soak up our digital tech products.
Worse, the damage can go beyond energy to all U.S. industry. New energy sources aren't getting adopted just because they might stave off climate change — they're getting adopted because they are becoming cheaper than carbon-based energy.
Solar is on a trajectory that echoes Moore's Law, which explained why computers got twice as powerful for the same price every 18 months for decades. The cost of solar has dropped 95 percent since the 1980s while efficiency has rocketed. And solar farms, with acres of solar panels laid out in a sunny climate, can be the most efficient of all.
With today's technology, solar panels covering just a few counties in Texas could supply all the electricity needed for the entire United States. In May, California on some days generated 80 percent of the total power used in the state with renewable sources — because it has become cheaper than carbon.
So if the U.S. falls behind in advanced energy and our companies instead rely on carbon, eventually U.S. business will be operating at a higher cost than competitors around the world that rely on clean sources.
Anticipating Trump's announcement, in early May, 25 major U.S. companies — including Apple, Facebook, Mars Incorporated and Morgan Stanley — published a full-page letter in several newspapers that read: "By expanding markets for innovative clean technologies, the agreement generates jobs and economic growth. U.S. companies are well positioned to lead in these markets. Withdrawing from the agreement will limit our access to them and could expose us to retaliatory measures."
If the U.S. falls behind in advanced energy and our companies instead rely on carbon, eventually U.S. business will be operating at a higher cost than competitors around the world that rely on clean sources. Hemant Taneja
Competing nations already know that Trump's actions spell opportunity. Chinese premier Li Keqiang, visiting Germany, said his country would remain committed to combating climate change.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker declared: "The vacuum that would be created has to be filled, and Europe has aspirations for a natural leadership in this whole process."
At least U.S. companies have pushed ahead despite the Trump Administration's rhetoric. Walmart, which installs solar panels on the rooftops of its stores, announced it intends to operate on 100 percent solar, and Google, which in 2016 consumed as much energy as the whole city of San Francisco, said that by the end of 2017 all its data centers globally will run entirely on renewable energy.
The best news about Trump's action is that it will take four years to get out of the Paris Accord, so the final decision would land about the time of the next presidential election. Between now and then, U.S. industry has to send a clear message: our economic future lies in leading the world away from carbon. Otherwise, we will surely wind up as followers.


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The PatLit weblog covers patent litigation law, practice and strategy, as well as other forms of patent dispute resolution. If you love -- or hate -- patent litigation, this is your blog. You can contact PatLit by emailing Michael here
Thursday, 3 March 2011
LG vs Sony (PS3) - Preliminary injunction
As Mark reports, "LG based its claim on patents (allegedly) covering the Blu-ray playback facility of the PS3".
We don't have much information but I belive the preliminary injunction affects a modification introduced by Sony in its product. Otherwise it would be difficult to understand how a preliminary injunction is granted against a product that has been sold for several years.
On 17 November 2006 the magazine PCWorld made especial reference to PS3's "support for the Blue-Ray Disc format" (here). Furthermore, in the Instruction Manuals express mention is made to the Blue-Ray discs that it can read. The 2006 Instruction Manual can be found here.
Preliminary injunctions are traditionally granted when there is a threat of an irreparable damage or injury. I don't think this would be the case of a product sold for more than three years. If LG failed to request a preliminary injunction in 2006, which irreparable damage or injury can now be claimed?
I'm definitely missing something. Does the injunction affect a modification introduced in the last model of the PS3? We will see.
3 comments:
- Norman said...
You say "Preliminary injunctions are traditionally granted when there is a threat of an irreparable damage or injury." Is that true in the law applied by the District Court of the Hague? I'm afraid that I know very little about European law (outside the EPO). I do know that in English law and related systems (e.g. US and Canada) the "rule" requiring threat of irreparable injury, or, more precisely, inadequacy of remedies at law, for the grant of an interlocutory injunction stems from the days when equity and law were administered in separate courts. The reason for the requirement was to reduce the workload in the courts of equity and to prevent forum shopping between law and equity. This historical justification is no longer relevant, and while Cyanamid did reiterate the rule, my understanding is that it is usually subordinated to the balance of convenience test: see e.g. Series 5 Software Ltd v Clarke [1996] 1 All ER 853 (Ch.), Laddie J. The same is true in most Canadian jurisdictions. Similarly, in the US the irreparable injury rule plays little role: see Douglas Laycock, The Death of the Irreparable Injury Rule (OUP 1991). Given that history and practice, I would find it surprising and very interesting if civilian systems had developed a similar rule.
- 4 March 2011 at 12:37
- Unknown said...
I don't think it needs to be a new modification introduced by Sony. The action is based on the EU Border Seizure Measures under EU Council Regulation No 1383/2003. This does not require an "emergency injunction" but is a provisional measure to enable the goods to be held by customs whilst the IP rights holder has the opportunity to apply for a permanent court order.
- 4 March 2011 at 14:23
I think LG filed for the petition upon recently discovering that there exists a patent infringement, otherwise the Civil Court of Hague would have questioned why such action was not commenced at the earliest possible opportunity. In short, only recently has there been a discovery made by LG that merits a petition for a writ of preliminary injunction as well as a patent suit, which has need duly granted by the Court.
There has been much speculation amongst "tech heads" around the Net that the recent hacking of the PS3 has revealed certain "secrets" within the PS3's software. Perhaps,
LG was tipped off and used such information as its basis for its suit against Sony. This is just speculation, though.
- 6 March 2011 at 09:08


text:
Rue Romantique Oval Antique Brass Small Closed Bezel, 2 pcs. - KR111BP-CLOSED
A creative collaboration between Susan Lenart Kazmer ICE Resin and mixed-media artist Kristen Robinson, Rue Romantique is a beautiful collection of Victorian bezels. While this unique line of jewelry making supplies stays true to the romantic notions rooted in the Victorian era, each has been carefully re-imagined to meet the needs of contemporary jewelry artists.


text:
For over two weeks now, this picture's been getting a lot of hits here at Big Other:
364 total page views, and counting. Just the image, mind you—not an actual post. What makes this even funnier is that this JPEG never appeared in a Big Other post (well, until now). Instead, it's a leftover from my discussion with Jeremy M. Davies about X-Men: First Class; there was at one point a part where I said something about Azazel, but it was dumb, so I cut it, and I thought that when I did, I deleted the image. I was wrong.
But since he's here and people are eager to peer at him, let's see if we can't make him earn his keep…
Who is this Azazel? Well, he's a character in X-Men: First Class; we know that. He's played by Jason Flemyng, a personal friend of the director, Matthew Vaughn (his "good luck charm"):
As for his behavior, he's bright bright red and can teleport quickly, and he runs many insignificant soldiers through with curved knives. He also frequents a pretty good tailor.
The masses are curious about him. I understand; I googled him myself, before the X-Men movie came out, because I didn't recognize him in the promo posters and photos. His first appearance occurred in Uncanny X-Men #428, October 2003, which was long after I quit reading that comic book (which I did read, and avidly, between 1985 and 1994—or from issues 197 to 308, roughly speaking). (Nervous laughter.)
Azazel, though, of course, enjoyed a long life well before he entered the X-Men's fold. There was, for instance, in the DC comic The Sandman, another Azazel. That one was a demon who lived in Hell, and who threatened to eat Dream's ex-lover, Nada, if he (Dream) didn't give him (Azazel) the key to Hell. (Don't ask how Dream got it.) But Dream tricked Azazel and made him small and trapped him inside a bottle; before and after that he looked like myriad flashing eyes and sharp teeth gnashing in the darkness:
I don't think that people are googling him; they're looking for the first one.
And there was an Azazel long before that; it's a very old name. Azaz in Hebrew means "rugged, rough, strong"; el means "mighty" (just like in Kal-El). Scholars aren't 100% sure who Azazel was, but with a name like that, he was probably plenty tough. In some traditions, he was a demon, either another name for Satan or a character in his own right, a fallen angel who, after he landed on the Earth, seduced human women and sired monsters. He also taught men how to manufacture weapons, and women the art of wearing cosmetics (I guess that's how he got around). The Lord, displeased with this monkey business (which instruction peeved him more?), had Raphael bind the galoot and trap him in total darkness, where he awaits the day of judgment.
That's one of the versions. In the more interesting set of stories, Azazel was a pagan desert god to whom the Israelites made sacrifices. They would take two goats, both basically the same, and designate one for God, the other for Azazel. The latter they kicked out into the desert; that was, of course, the source of our "scapegoat."
Actually, the ancient ones were much crueler to the goat. More likely, they shoved it off a cliff, or down a very steep incline, leaving the poor beast a bloody wreck before it staggered to the bottom. Either way, its sacrifice—supposedly—bore off sins. (Azazel can also mean "absolute, total removal"—powerful word!)
Some scholars have noted that the "rugged" and "rough" of azaz might in fact designate some particular cliff or mountainside, in some particular section of some desert. And so the name might once have been a place name that, over time, acquired a particular tradition, then came to designate that tradition, then the justification for that tradition—Azazel becoming thus some supernatural monster hungry for goats. I, being a native Pennsylvanian, can understand that; in Punxsutawney, over on the western side of the state, on every February 2nd the folks insist on manhandling a groundhog, asking the chubby creature to predict the weather for them:
They've named that groundhog (a series of groundhogs) "Punxsutawney Phil." And it's probably the case that "Punxsutawney" today refers more to that groundhog, or to that tradition, than to anything else. Even though it was originally a Lenape word that meant "place that's home to many mosquitoes." (Algonquian languages like Lenape have played a large role in my life. I grew up on the Susquehanna River, and now I live in Illinois.)
Back to Azazel. Both the Marvel and DC comics know at least some of this word's ancient history, and reference it. When Neil Gaiman, writer of The Sandman, had Dream trap the demon in a bottle…
…he was making a pointed reference to other desert monsters, the jinn of Arabic folklore, whom the famous King Solomon similarly kept trapped (so they'd do his bidding). (The word shares a root with the Arabic janna, "hidden, concealed," but which also means "garden"—a pairing also expressed in the English: our word's Indo-European root, gher-, means "to grasp, enclose," and was the source of "girdle" and "court." Gardens were once kept hidden behind walls—the first one, Eden, being so well concealed that none today can find it.)
Hey, Kal-El had a city that he kept inside a bottle…
Furthermore, that comic's depiction of Azazel, as "a giant black flame filled with eyes and teeth," might reference the torturous fate that Azazel was said to have suffered at the hands of Raphael. It's possible.
The Marvel Azazel is no less educated. He's an actual demon, too (or claims to be), and is the father of the X-Men hero Nightcrawler, who was the product of his seduction of Mystique (check siring monsters). His curvy knives obliquely reference his past as a dark Prometheus, instructing men in swordcraft (though no word on whether or not he sells cosmetics). And his talent for teleportation might even hint at his origin as the scapegoat, or the scapegoat's motivation—perhaps when he pops off, he takes away other people's sins? (The X-Men storyline that introduced him, "The Draco," revolved around his needing to sacrifice his offspring in order to create a giant portal so he could escape from some dimension ahead some conquering demon army, &c., &c.)
His appearance is somewhat cute as well: the devil, Satan, has been depicted as a goat-man ever since Christians vilified Pan (the god of herders). Azazel loved goats. Put those two together, it equals a red, Satanic Azazel—pretty thrifty. (There's even a neat connection here between Pan and Azazel's respective fondness for the ladies.)
Well, all of this is a lot of fun, but what should we do with this Azazel? I could of course simply delete the image. Perhaps that might cleanse Big Other of its sins? (And what would those sins be? Yes, I'm looking directly at you, Mr. Gerke.) Deleting this image might also allow me to shed certain sins of my misspent childhood, sprawled out on the floor of my bedroom, reading an unhealthy number of comics, learning world history through the X-Men. Which now obliges me, I often feel, to keep ties with that franchise, to watch the new X-Men movies, to write about them online. (Deleting the image would certainly have saved me the trouble of having to write this post.)
But I don't think it's really ever that easy. I don't think the past can or should be escaped. As I've written elsewhere, it's better to keep an eye on wherever it is one hails from, whatever the place. It's sad but true; I am a child of the '80s. As Yahweh put it, "I am what I am." I'd rather admit that, then try to gain some critical understanding of that time and place, that culture, those comics and movies that still sandbag. (Although I can understand the impulse to turn one's back on them. But can one?)
Perhaps that's to be, then, Azazel's fittingly devilish function at Big Other: keeping me honest. Although I've written posts on David Markson and Yuriy Tarnawsky and other lesser known authors and topics in literature and art, not to mention all sorts of critical theory, readers have mainly wanted to read my posts on Inception and Batman comics and X-Men movies—even the Crash Test Dummies! And I understand why. Those things are more popular, and people will always gravitate toward what they know. (I'm guilty of doing that myself, many times a day.) And thoughtful critical writing about such popular things is, perhaps, fun and rare. (That's assuming my writing's thoughtful. And critical. Well, I dare say that it is. Ah, but is that enough?)
As for now, Mr. Azazel, you rugged goat-man, rough and mighty, it looks as though you're welcome to stay. Please don't impale me, or try to seduce me, or sire monsters.
Keep looking dapper.


text:
NEW LINE asbl (association sans but lucratif)
174, route de Luxembourg
L- 7241 BERELDANGE (Luxembourg)
registered Mémorial Luxembourg F1703
Editor,owner / Maggy Parries
Spain editorial Urb. Monterrey, 46727 REAL DE GANDIA (10.5.2023) formerly Luxembourg
phone +352 621 186743
email: email@example.com
Photographer: Scott Schilke – F.E.P.A (Florida Excellence in Photographic Arts) Award in 2022
EU new directive applicable from May 25th, 2018
This Privacy Information (the "Privacy Policy") describes how to manage this site, referring to the processing of personal data of users/visitors who consult it. This Policy is provided – also pursuant to art. 13 of Legislative Decree 196/2003 (Personal Data Protection Code) – to those who connect to the company website of NEW LINE asbl, 174, route de Luxembourg
L- 7241 BERELDANGE (Luxembourg) and use the relevant web services (the "Services") starting from https://www.spacenews.lu (the "Web Sites"). The Policy is provided only for the site mentioned above and not for other websites that may be consulted by the user through special and different links.
Users/visitors must read this Privacy Policy carefully before submitting any personal information and/or completing any digital form on the website.
1) Navigation data
The computer systems and software procedures used to operate this website acquire, in common operations, some personal data that are then implicitly transmitted in the use of Internet communication protocols. This is information that is not collected to be associated with identified data subjects, but which by its very nature could, through processing and association with data held by third parties, allow users to be identified. This category of data includes IP addresses or domain names of the computers used by users connecting to the site, the addresses in the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) notation of the requested resources, the time of the request, the method used to submit the request to the server, the size of the file obtained in replies, the numerical code indicating the status of the reply given by the server (success, error, etc.) and other parameters relating to the operating system and the user's computer environment. These data are used for the sole purpose of obtaining anonymous statistical information on the use of the site and to check its correct functioning and are deleted immediately after processing. The data could be used to verify liability in case of possible computer crimes against the website: apart from this possibility, the data on web contacts do not last for more than seven days.
2) Data provided voluntarily by users/visitors
Whenever users/visitors enter to this website and send their personal data to access certain services, or to make requests in e-mail, the acquisition by NEW LINE asbl of the address of the sender and/or other personal data that will be processed exclusively to answer the request, or for the provision of the requested service. Personal data provided by users/visitors will be communicated to third parties only if the communication is necessary to comply with the requests.
NB We choosed to no more send out Newsletters and there is no more space to enter your data!
3) Cookies
The website uses cookies like the following ones:
– C. session: they expire once the user closes his web browser;
– C. persistent: they remain on the user's device for a certain time or until the user deletes them;
– C. technicians: they are essential for browsing the website and make full use of its features, including access to the various protected areas of the website. The presence of these cookies is functional to some requested services that, otherwise, may not be accessible. In relation to these technical cookies, the user does not need to provide consent, precisely because they are required for the operation of the services as requested by the user;
– C. analytical: they are used to obtain information regarding the use of the website, for advertising and e-mails; advise any site application errors; moreover, it allows to obtain detailed technical information such as the last visited page, the number of visited pages, if an email was opened, on which parts of the website or email the user clicked and the time elapsed between the many clicks carried out. This information may be associated with the user's details, such as their IP address, domain or browser, but are nevertheless analyzed in such a way as not to trace the identity of a specific user; to maintain, operate and continuously improve services;
– C. functional: allow the website to remember the choices (for example, the user name) to provide a more personalized and optimized navigation; they are not essential for the operation of the site, but improve the quality and experience of navigation. If the user does not accept these Cookies, the operation of the website may be reduced and access to the contents of the website may be limited;
– C. profiling: they are used to create a user profile that is used to provide contextualized and customized advertising content in line with the preferences of the user during internet browsing. In any case, NEW LINE asbl creates these Cookies without being able to identify any specific user; they are stored on the user's device only with his consent;
– C. targeting: come from third-party advertisers; may be stored on the user's device and used by advertising networks, data exchange services, marketing analysis and other service providers; collect information about your browsing habits from many websites and online services in order to display relevant ads on websites and third-party services. Ad networks can share this information with advertisers through their network. The information collected using these cookies is used for contextualised and personalized advertising, managed by third parties and does not personally identify the user; they are stored on the user's device only with his consent.
Most browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, etc.) are configured to accept cookies; they are stored on the hard disk of the user's device. However, it is possible to deactivate cookies on the main browsers of the site by following the instructions provided at the following links:
• Chrome: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDeskt…
• Firefox: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/enable-and-disable-cookies-website-…
• Internet Explorer: https://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/block-or-allow-cookies
• Opera: http://www.opera.com/help/tutorials/security/privacy/
• Safari: https://support.apple.com/kb/ph19214?locale=en_US.
NEW LINE may or will have to update the Cookies Notice at any time and at its sole discretion. The update date will be available at the top of this page. All changes to the Cookies Notice will take effect from the moment of publication on the Web Site and will be considered accepted by the user if he continues to use the Web Site and Services after the aforementioned publication. The user is invited to frequently check this page for any changes.
4) Consent
By signing up or allowing someone to register on the user's behalf of the Web Site and/or using the Services, you consent to collect, use, disclosure, transfer and storage and/or storage by NEW LINE asbl and process the user's information in accordance with this Privacy Policy of any Personal Data or other Information received from NEW LINE asbl following the user's Registration and/or use of the Services.
Users may browse the Services without providing Personal Data (other than automatic Data, as defined below) or by limiting the aforementioned Personal Data. If the user chooses not to provide Personal Data or to limit its use, he may be limited in whole or in part in the use of all the operations of the Services.
5) Processing methods
Personal Data are processed with automated tools for the strictly time needed to achieve the purposes which they were collected for. Specific security measures are observed to prevent data loss, illegal or false use and unauthorized access. Optional supply of data apart, from that specified for navigation data, are free to provide their personal data. Failure to provide such data may generate the impossibility to obtain what is requested.
6) Minors
The Services provided by NEW LINE are not intended for minors under the age of 18.
NEW LINE does not collect Personal Data from people under the age of 18 or below the applicable age limit in consideration of the national laws and regulations applicable to users (the "Age Limit").
If the user is below the Age Limit, he must not use the Service and must not provide any Personal Data to NEW LINE. If you are a parent of a child below the Age Limit and you know that your child has provided Personal Data to NEW LINE, you must contact NEW LINE at email@example.com. In this case, the user may request the exercise of his access, rectification, cancellation, and/or oppose the processing of Personal Data.
7) Data Retention and Archive
The user's Personal Data will be stored only for the time needed to ensure the correct provision of NEW LINE.
In case of cancellation, exclusion or revocation of the authorization for not using the user's account on the Web Site, the user Data will be archived for the minimum time required by administrative requirements, with the exclusion of any specific obligations related to the archive of accounting documentation or for reasons of public security. After this period, the Data may be transformed into anonymous form, in order not to allow – even indirectly – to identify the interested parties.
8) Right of withdrawal and cancellation of Personal Data
The user has the right to oppose, in whole or in part: a) for legitimate reasons, to the processing of Personal Data concerning him/her, even though they are relevant to the purpose of the collection; b) to the processing of Personal Data concerning him for the purpose of sending advertising or direct sales material or for carrying out market research or commercial communication.
At any time, the user has the right to request to NEW LINE the cancellation or to block Data Processed breacking the applicable law and to oppose their processing for legitimate reasons.
All requests addressed to NEW LINE asbl by writing to: email@example.com
9) Holder and manager of the processing
The Data Controller is NEW LINE asbl, 174, route de Luxembourg
L- 7241 BERELDANGE (Luxembourg)
10) Changes
NEW LINE may and must update this Privacy Policy at any time and at its absolute discretion and for changes requested by the Legislator.
The update date will be available at the top of this page.
All changes to the Privacy Notice will affect the publication on the Web Site and will be deemed accepted by the user if he continues using the Web Site and Services.
The user is invited to frequently check this page for any changes.
"Diese Website benutzt Google Analytics, einen Webanalysedienst der Google Inc. ("Google") Google Analytics verwendet sog. "Cookies", Textdateien, die auf Ihrem Computer gespeichert werden und die eine Analyse der Benutzung der Website durch Sie ermöglicht. Die durch den Cookie erzeugten Informationen über Ihre Benutzung diese Website (einschließlich Ihrer IP-Adresse) wird an einen Server von Google in den USA übertragen und dort gespeichert. Google wird diese Informationen benutzen, um Ihre Nutzung der Website auszuwerten, um Reports über die Websiteaktivitäten für die Websitebetreiber zusammenzustellen und um weitere mit der Websitenutzung und der Internetnutzung verbundene Dienstleistungen zu erbringen. Auch wird Google diese Informationen gegebenenfalls an Dritte übertragen, sofern dies gesetzlich vorgeschrieben oder soweit Dritte diese Daten im Auftrag von Google verarbeiten. Google wird in keinem Fall Ihre IP-Adresse mit anderen Daten der Google in Verbindung bringen. Sie können die Installation der Cookies durch eine entsprechende Einstellung Ihrer Browser Software verhindern; wir weisen Sie jedoch darauf hin, dass Sie in diesem Fall gegebenenfalls nicht sämtliche Funktionen dieser Website voll umfänglich nutzen können. Durch die Nutzung dieser Website erklären Sie sich mit der Bearbeitung der über Sie erhobenen Daten durch Google in der zuvor beschriebenen Art und Weise und zu dem zuvor benannten Zweck einverstanden."
Quelle: GOOGLE ANALYTICS BEDINGUNGEN


text: Australia's government is keeping a tight hold on proposed data breach notification legislation that could become law before a federal election in September.The country does not have a data breach notification law. Instead, the federal government recommends that organizations notify the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) if a breach poses a "real risk of serious harm."Earlier this month, the Attorney-General's Department privately shared a draft bill with some stakeholders that outlines the government's thoughts on data breach notification and what would be required of companies and organizations.A spokesman for the attorney general said Thursday the draft bill hasn't been publicly released. The document, titled "Exposure Draft -- Privacy Amendment (Privacy Alerts) Bill 2013," was obtained by SC Magazine but not published.However, some organizations and companies have publicly published their responses to the draft legislation. Roger Clarke, chairman of the Australian Privacy Foundation (APF), said the attorney general shared the draft bill with the APF on the condition it be held in confidence.Clarke said the draft bill, which he believes should be publicly released, could be stronger and needs some tightening."We think there's a number of things that need to be changed," Clarke said. "I don't think it needs to be rewritten."The APF argued in its April 22 response to the Attorney General that determining when an organization should report a breach -- which it said is defined in the draft bill as a "real risk of serious harm" -- is too high. Any breach should be subject to notification when there is any risk of harm, the APF said.Under the draft bill, "notification would generally remain voluntary, except in the case of some very serious breaches, and the result would be that the bill would "only have a very limited impact on organizations that have inadequate safeguards," the APF wrote.Organizations should be subject to "substantial penalties" for failing to secure their data, he said."We are arguing for criminal, not just civil liability," Clarke said.A spokeswoman for the OAIC said on Thursday that Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim in general supports a data breach notification law.Last November, the OAIC said current data breach notification arrangements are insufficient. New legislation, the OAIC suggested, should be an amendment to the Privacy Act 1988.In December, Australia's Parliament passed a bill that amended the Privacy Act, which included giving Pilgrim the power to seek civil penalties for serious data breaches. But the bill stopped short of mandating that organizations notify consumers of data leaks.Send news tips and comments to firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow me on Twitter: @jeremy_kirk


text:
TEAC CA200 HH 13-1 Card Reader and Windows 7
I recently upgraded to Windows 7 Ultimate on my Dell Dimension E520 and after upgrading, realized that my TEAC CA-200 card reader no longer worked properly. I went to support.dell.com to see if there were any Windows 7 drivers available, and of course they were not. Luckily, there is a fix. Read on…
- Download the Windows Vista drivers from the Dell Support site. (I only tried this with the 32-bit drivers.)
- Extract the drivers to the C:\Dell\Drivers\R176587 folder.
- Go to that folder, right-click on Imgr32b.exe and go to Properties.
- Click on the Compatibility tab and under Compatibility mode, check "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" Then choose "Windows Vista (Service Pack 2)."
- Click OK.
- Now, double-click to run the file and follow the instructions to install. You must put it into compatibility mode or it will not run. (When I installed, it hung near the end of the install process. I killed the program, and everything still worked fine.
- This should do it and everything should be working now.
In my case, it did not work immediately. I had to open up the PC, disconnect the card reader and then reconnect it. Once I did that it was immediately recognized.
Hope this helps.


text:
Carrs Silver – Traditional 3.5″ x 2.5″ Sterling Silver Photo Frame With Grey Velvet Back8 September 2022
Sorry, sold out
Carrs Silver – Traditional 3.5″ x 2.5″ Sterling Silver Photo Frame With Grey Velvet Back
Showcase your favourite photographs with this traditional antique design sterling silver photograph frame with a grey velvet back.
All Carrs sterling silver frames bear a British Hallmark. This guarantees it has been independently tested by the Sheffield Assay office.
Available in photo size 9cm x 6cm, 3½" x 2½". This size relates to the aperture of the window that the photograph fits into. Traditional frames were originally made to non-standard sizes, the nearest recommended photo size for each aperture is 3½" x 2½".
Designed and manufactured by Carrs Silver, Sheffield England.
Care: To prevent tarnishing, clean product regularly with an impregnated polishing cloth.
Sorry, out of stock.


text:
The bond buying will continue until employment improves.
That's the message the Federal Reserve delivered when it announced it will take new steps to boost the sluggish recovery including buying an additional $40 billion of mortgage debt every month for the foreseeable future.
"The employment situation remains a grave concern," Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said at an afternoon news conference to explain the central bank's decisions.
The Fed said the fresh security purchases, which it will start on Friday, would come on top of its so-called Operation Twist program, in which it is selling short-term bonds to buy longer-term Treasury debt.
"These actions, which together will increase the committee's holdings of longer-term securities by about $85 billion each month through the end of the year, should put downward pressure on longer-term interest rates, support mortgage markets, and to help make broader financial conditions more accommodative," the Fed said in a statement.
As if to punctuate its concern about the unemployment rate, which policymakers said "remains elevated," the Fed also asserted it would extend its current monetary policy by keeping interest rates at historic lows until at least mid-2015 from late-2014 previously.
The latest purchases build on the $2.3 trillion in U.S. government and housing-related debt the Fed has already bought.
Investors cheered the Fed's announcement. The Dow Jones industrial average, already at its highest level in nearly five years, jumped after the announcement and was up 184 points in afternoon trading.
"They are definitely stepping up," William Larkin, fixed income portfolio manager at Cabot Money Management in Salem, Massachusetts, said of the central bank's decision.
Some politicians were less than happy, however. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Banking Committee accused Bernanke of politicizing the Fed.
"I'm disappointed in the Federal Reserve's actions today and truly believe Chairman Bernanke is beginning to do serious damage to the Fed as an institution. Open-ended purchases of mortgage-backed securities will politicize the Fed and add substantially to its balance sheet risks, but it will not help our economy's long-term growth prospects," said Corker.
Bernanke addressed some of his critics during his news conference, especially the argument that the Fed's moves are akin to fiscal spending, that the low interest rates hurt savers and that it will spur inflation.
Bernanke said the Fed's spending is not the same as government spending because the Fed buys financial assets and not goods and services. He said that earnings from the securities it buys are remitted to the Treasury and ultimately will help reduce rather than increase the deficit.
He argued that while low interest rates indeed hurt savers, they also support other assets such as homes and businesses. Low rates impose some costs, but Americans will benefit by the jobs that easier monetary policy will create, he said.
Bernanke said the Fed is committed to both sides of its mandate, to achieve maximum employment and to keep inflation in check. He said the Fed has the tools and will to act if inflation begins to rise outside of its average target range of about 2 percent.
He added that while he doesn't think the Fed's moves are a panacea, they could nudge the economy in the right direction. He reiterated that he hoped lawmakers would address the so-called "fiscal cliff" of tax increases and spending cuts that could come in the new year because the Fed doesn't have the tools to address the fiscal shock that could occur if Washington fails.
The Fed's moves come amid signs that hiring has slowed, which could hurt President Barack Obama's chances of re-election in November against his GOP rival, former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney.
The economy created a tepid 96,000 jobs in August, well below the 250,000 jobs economists think are needed to show robust growth. The unemployment rate dropped to 8.1 percent from 8.3 percent but mainly because so many Americans found it futile to continue to look for work.
On Thursday, the Labor Department reported that weekly jobless claims rose by a higher-than-expected 15,000 to 382,000. While the department attributed about 9,000 of those seasonally adjusted new claims to Tropical Storm Isaac, the increase in claims showed a labor market heading in the wrong direction.
"I hate to react negatively to one week's data, but the labor situation in the country is ugly," said Wayne Kaufman, chief market analyst at John Thomas Financial.
U.S. economic growth cooled in the second quarter, coming in at a tepid 1.7 percent annual rate, and forecasters do not believe it is doing much better now.
The Fed's move to purchase more mortgage debt may be partly aimed at aiding the housing sector, which has shown signs recently of renewed health. "The housing sector has shown some further signs of improvement, albeit from a depressed level," the Fed said.
The pace of foreclosures has slowed, according to data released Thursday by RealtyTrac, which tracks home seizures. But banks have turned to short sales, in which a lender agrees to accept less than the full mortgage balance when a home is sold, to avoid the expense of maintaining and then selling a foreclosed home.
The Fed also said inflation remains subdued, although the prices of some key commodities have increased recently. Two of those, food and fuel, helped drive wholesale prices higher last month by the most in three years.
Patrick Rizzo of NBC News and Reuters contributed to this report.
More money and business news:


text:
Volvo sunshade charges with solar power
A portable sunshade designed for the Volvo V60 hybrid electric-diesel car integrates photovoltaic panels for juicing on the go.
There are a little over 6,200 operational electric vehicle charging stations across America, so if you have an electric hybrid car in some parts of the country, getting juice is a little trickier than popping into the nearest gas station.
A new solution designed for Volvo Auto Italia by Synthesis Design + Architecture, Buro Happold, and Fabric Images aims to let the car charge wherever it happens to find a parking spot in the sun. Called "Pure Tension," it's a portable pavilion that unfolds in a series of organic, parabolic curves embedded with photovoltaic panels for harvesting solar energy.
The membrane, made of recyclable high-density polyethylene mesh fabric, is stretched over a lightweight, tubular carbon fiber frame that can be packed down to fit into the trunk of the Volvo V60 hybrid electric-diesel car. The tension of the fabric is what bends the frame into its shape, and it provides a second service: shading the car from the heat of the sun's rays.
A cable connects the pavilion to the car's battery for charging, and it takes a day to fully charge the V60's battery. All you'd have to worry about is finding somewhere to park.
The winner of Volvo's "Switch to Pure" competition, Pure Tension will be on display in Rome starting September 15 as part of the car's premiere.
(Source: CNET Australia)


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Preschool math activities are exploring the world paying attention to numbers. Kids Activities Blog is completely head-over-heels when these things can be done with stuff you already have at home. We just feel like life is too short to have to make another trip to the store.
Digging around in a forgotten cupboard drawer, I found a dusty old box of dominoes. My preschooler had never seen dominoes before and I realized that even though she wasn't ready to play the actual game, that didn't mean she couldn't use the tiles as a fun math learning tool.
Just taking each one out and counting how many she had in her pile was fun enough for her.
After a while, she discovered she could count the black dots and match up tiles with the same number of dots – both lying flat and standing upright.
We also snuck in some letter and shape building, to work on our fine motor and spatial skills.
The best thing about this activity was that we were able to use something we already owned and there was no prep time required. Plus, we're on our way to learning a new game!
Ideas for Introducing Preschool Math Concepts With Dominoes
- Count the number of dots on each tile
- Find matching tiles and stack them together
- Line up tiles end to end by matching up the number of dots on each tile
- Form stacks of a set number of tiles (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.)
- Write numbers on pieces of paper and ask your preschooler to place the correct number of tiles on the corresponding piece of paper
- Create shapes or letters with the tiles
- Construct 3-dimensional shapes or towers with the dominoes
More Preschool Math Activities
The Quirky Mommas love to make learning fun. Check out these other fun math ideas for preschoolers:
- Introduction to Geometry for Preschoolers – Use some simple pattern blocks to show your preschooler how some basic shapes are formed from other shapes.
- Watch this video of human dominoes topple over!
- Fraction Game: Cookie Math – Cookies aren't just a tasty treat. Slice them up and sneak in a little math lesson on fractions.
- Play with Math and Play Dough – Ten fun math ideas that use play dough. There is even a link with easy-to-make play dough recipes.


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For those who dream of a better life, science has bad news: this is the best it is going to get. Our species has reached its biological pinnacle and is no longer capable of changing.
Is human evolution finally over?Scientists are split over the theory that natural selection
has come to a standstill in the West.
Robin McKie reports
That is the stark, controversial view of a group of biologists who believe a Western lifestyle now protects humanity from the forces that used to shape Homo sapiens.
'If you want to know what Utopia is like, just look around - this is it,' said Professor Steve Jones, of University College London, who is to present his argument at a Royal Society Edinburgh debate, 'Is Evolution Over?', next week. 'Things have simply stopped getting better, or worse, for our species.'
This view is controversial, however. Other scientists argue that mankind is still being influenced by the evolutionary forces that created the myriad species which have inhabited Earth over the past three billion years.
'If you had looked at Stone Age people in Europe a mere 50,000 years ago, you would assume the trend was for people to get bigger and stronger all the time,' said Prof Chris Stringer, of the Natural History Museum, London. 'Then, quite abruptly, these people were replaced by light, tall, highly intelligent people who arrived from Africa and took over the world. You simply cannot predict evolutionary events like this. Who knows where we are headed?'
Some scientists believe humans are becoming less brainy and more neurotic; others see signs of growing intelligence and decreasing robustness, while some, like Jones, see evidence of us having reached a standstill. All base their arguments on the same tenets of natural selection.
According to Darwin's theory, individual animals best suited to their environments live longer and have more children, and so spread their genes through populations. This produces evolutionary changes. For example, hoofed animals with longer necks could reach the juiciest leaves on tall trees and therefore tended to eat well, live longer, and have more offspring. Eventually, they evolved into giraffes. Those with shorter necks died out.
Similar processes led to the evolution of mankind, but this has now stopped because virtually everybody's genes are making it to the next generation, not only those who are best adapted to their environments.
'Until recently, there were massive differences between individuals' lifespans and fecundity,' said Jones. 'In London, the death rate outstripped the birth rate for most of the city's history. If you look at graveyards from ancient to Victorian times, you can see that a half of all children died before adolescence, probably because they lacked genetic protection against disease. Now, children's chances of reaching the age of 25 have reached 98 per cent. Nothing is changing. We have reached stagnation.'
In addition, human populations are now being constantly mixed, again producing a blending that blocks evolutionary change. This increased mixing can be gauged by calculating the number of miles between a person's birthplace and his or her partner's, then between their parents' birthplaces, and finally, between their grandparents'.
In virtually every case, you will find that the number of miles drops dramatically the more that you head back into the past. Now people are going to universities and colleges where they meet and marry people from other continents. A generation ago, men and women rarely mated with anyone from a different town or city. Hence, the blending of our genes which will soon produce a uniformly brown-skinned population. Apart from that, there will be little change in the species.
However, such arguments affect only the Western world - where food, hygiene and medical advances are keeping virtually every member of society alive and able to pass on their genes. In the developing world, no such protection exists.
'Just consider Aids, and then look at chimpanzees,' says Jones. 'You find they all carry a version of HIV but are unaffected by it.
'But a few thousand years ago, when the first chimps became infected, things would have been very different. Millions of chimps probably died as the virus spread through them, and only a small number, which possessed genes that conferred immunity, survived to become the ancestors of all chimps today.
'Something very similar could soon happen to humans. In a thousand years, Africa will be populated only by the descendants of those few individuals who are currently immune to the Aids virus. They will carry the virus but will be unaffected by it. So yes, there will be change there all right - but only where the forces of evolution are not being suppressed.'
However, other scientists believe evolutionary pressures are still taking their toll on humanity, despite the protection afforded by Western life. For example, the biologist Christopher Wills, of the University of California, San Diego, argues that ideas are now driving our evolution. 'There is a premium on sharpness of mind and the ability to accumulate money. Such people tend to have more children and have a better chance of survival,' he says. In other words, intellect - the defining characteristic of our species - is still driving our evolution.
This view is countered by Peter Ward, of the University of Washington in Seattle. In his book, Future Evolution, recently published in the US by Henry Holt, Ward also argues that modern Western life protects people from the effects of evolution. 'I don't think we are going to see any changes - apart from ones we deliberately introduce ourselves, when we start to bio-engineer people, by introducing genes into their bodies, so they live longer or are stronger and healthier.'
If people start to live to 150, and are capable of producing children for more than 100 of those years, the effects could be dramatic, he says. 'People will start to produce dozens of children in their lifetimes, and that will certainly start to skew our evolution. These people will also have more chance to accumulate wealth as well. So we will have created a new race of fecund, productive individuals and that could have dramatic consequences.
'However, that will only come about when we directly intervene in our own evolution, using cloning and gene therapy. Without that, nothing will happen.'
Stringer disagrees, however. 'Evolution goes on all the time. You don't have to intervene. It is just that it is highly unpredictable. For example, brain size has decreased over the past 10,000 years. A similar reduction has also affected our physiques. We are punier and smaller-brained compared with our ancestors only a few millennia ago. So even though we might be influenced by evolution, that does not automatically mean an improvement in our lot.'
Prof Steve Jones (Wikipedia)
Steve Jones
BLTC Research
Liberal Eugenics
Utopian Surgery?
The End of Suffering
Wirehead Hedonism
The Good Drug Guide
The Abolitionist Project
The Hedonistic Imperative
The Reproductive Revolution
MDMA: Utopian Pharmacology
Critique of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World


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'True Blood' Season 6 Adds 'Friday Night Lights' and '90210' Stars
As 'True Blood's sixth season prepares to burst forth this summer on HBO, we've heard some impressive casting announcements for the show's upcoming year. HBO has yet to issue any kind of official teaser or photos of the sixth season, likely picking up after the finale moments of 'True Blood' season 5 finale "Save Yourself," but today has given away two new casting snippets. Joining the 'True Blood' cast for season 6 are 'Friday Night Lights' star Jurnee Smollett and one-time '90210' player Amelia Rose Blaire, but who will the lovely ladies be playing?
'True Blood' season 6 has added even more blood to splatter for its HBO summer 2013 premiere, bringing 'Friday Night Lights' star Jurnee Smollett and '90210' actress Amelia Rose Blaire for new recurring roles. Per TVLine, Smollett will play Nicole, an altruistic, moral and "rosy-outlooked" do-gooder who isn't concerned with money.
Meanwhile, Blaire will take the role of Willa, daughter to Louisiana Governor Truman Burrell ('Rubicon's Arliss Howard), who disagrees with her father over vampire rights.Smollett's role is said to be that of a series regular, while Blaire's has the potential to turn regular as well.
Along with the recent upgrade of season 5 guest star and former 'Last Resort' star Robert Patrick to series regular, 'True Blood' season 6 has also cast 'Eastenders' star Robert Kazinsky as a series regular and new Fae love interest to Sookie, along with Rutger Hauer's sinister Macklyn.
Few other details are available on the sixth season of HBO's fang-banging hit, though it's known that 'True Blood' season 6 will be the first run by writer Mark Hudis, following series creator and showrunner Alan Ball's departure. The season will also take place over 10 episodes, down from the usual 12, largely to accommodate series star Anna Paquin's pregnancy with co-star Stephen Moyer.
Well, what say you? Are you excited for a bit of fresh meat in 'True Blood' season 6? What do you most hope to see from the new season?


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text: I've just purchased a house with an old Genie garage door opener that uses the simple dip-switch remote configuration system (no rolling code, in other words). The garage has two doors, each with its own opener. Given that the size of each opener is roughly the size of a box of cheap cigars, the range is terrible (need to be within ~10 feet), and the remote generally feels like you're going to break it when you push the button, I'd like to replace the two remotes with a single smaller remote. There are a bunch of different options on sites like Amazon, Lowe's, Home Depot, etc., but most of these seem to be geared toward openers with rolling code systems. Will these remotes work with the sort of opener I have? FWIW, the current remote I have is a Genie GT90-1.


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This post was written by Adam Heward, a member of the BuddyPress community and ICT Manager at Newham Bridge Primary School.
Facebook is an endemic problem for UK schools. Issues from outside of the classroom are being brought into school as a result of Facebook interactions and schools are powerless to do anything about it. I found out on my first day in my new job as ICT manager in a primary school in Middlesbrough, UK when I was asked "What can we do about Facebook?"
Our school had experienced everything from name calling to death threats, doctored pictures to stolen identities; all of this from users who were still at least 4 years short of Facebook's (all too easy to avoid) minimum age requirement of 13 years old. We needed to steer our students away from Facebook and toward something the school could police, and make sure we catch the others before opening Facebook accounts.
That's where BuddyPress came in.
BuddyPress enabled us to start our own school-oriented social network, where children can communicate with their classmates in a safe and monitored environment. Every child was given a username and password as well as training on how to use the platform. We encourage responsible use of the Internet through teaching our children how to be good e-citizens. Our social network is treated like the children's school books where the children should produce their best work at all times. This is imposed to produce an environment of high quality writing (typing) which in turn breeds good writing habits both online and in the rest of their school work.
Our social network is hosted on the Internet rather than any internal school server and so it is easily accessible to the children at home which has further encouraged participation. The children have really enjoyed engaging with their classmates, and even their teachers, on the school social network; sharing brief conversations about both in school and out of school matters. Teachers are able to set tasks for whole class groups or give encouragement to individual learners. It's a valuable tool to enhance communication between teaching staff, reminding colleagues of events, sharing resources for lessons, and taking care of administrative and social notices.
The basic functionality of BuddyPress can be further extended through the use of the ever expanding Plugins library. We use BuddyPress Docs where children can collaborate on a shared piece of work and teachers can make comments and suggestions to help the children to enhance it. We also have the CubePoints for BuddyPress plugin to encourage participation on our social network. Children are awarded points for logging in daily and posting comments and a chart showing to top users is displayed in the sidebar. Points can also be deducted for any issues both online and offline.
In addition to the masses of free plugins that are available, we have a paid subscription to WPMUDEV's BuddyPress Calendar Plugin to help us to plan events in the school calendar such as Sports Day and Summer Fairs, or for individual groups such as fixtures for the school football team.
BuddyPress is the perfect fit for our school. The flexibility and extensibility of the WordPress platform, the continually updated plug-in environment, well documented support, and the fact it's all free, leads me to the conclusion that it can be just as successful in all other schools as it has been with ours. Thank you for the opportunity to share our story!


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|Llewellyn's 2019 Daily Planetary Guide
|Yoga for the Creative Soul
|The Pure Heart of Yoga
Today's home and office buildings have become so energy efficient that very little outdoor air circulation occurs within their walls at any time of the year. Windows in many newer structures cannot be opened at all. Although that is not the case in most residences, homeowners have been extremely diligent about installing airtight windows and doors in houses to cut down on energy costs. Residents opt for the highest-rated insulation package to keep out drafts and maximize the savings in the operation of heating and cooling systems. While that's great for the environment, the result is that homes and offices harbor trapped pollutants and chemicals that can make you ill. Over the last thirty years, the indoor environment has become much more sealed off and filled with synthetic materials that leach chemicals called VOCs—volatile organic compounds. Recognizing which of the many possible VOCs are in the air is a daunting task; VOCs are in every manufactured substance, from caulking to computers.
Among the most notorious culprits are benzene, trichloroethylene (TCE), and formaldehyde, which are found in common products in industrial and household settings. Benzene is a solvent present in numerous items, such as inks, oils, paints, plastics, rubber, gasoline, detergents, pharmaceuticals, and dyes, as well as explosives. This substance has been known to irritate skin and eyes. Acute inhalation of benzene causes dizziness, nausea, headaches, respiratory diseases, liver and kidney damage, irregular heartbeat, and lymphatic system diseases. External contact with skin may cause dermatitis, drying, patchiness, swelling, inflammation, and blistering.
Dry cleaning services overwhelmingly use TCE, which can also be found in paints, lacquers, adhesives, inks, and varnishes. Repeated exposure to TCE contributes to toxic air quality and might lead to a high incidence of carcinomas and liver damage.
Most indoor environments have considerable levels of formaldehyde, commonly found in the particle board or pressed wood products that manufacturers use in office furniture, shelving, and foam insulation. The most publicized form of this substance is urea-formaldehyde, whose resins appear in many paper products, grocery bags, facial tissues, paper towels, and cleaning products. Side effects of prolonged exposure to formaldehyde include headaches; irritation of the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, throat; contact dermatitis; and asthmatic conditions. Some readers may have worked in structures that were tested and diagnosed with "Sick Building Syndrome" after significant numbers of employees became ill and missed work. This diagnosis calls for remedial action to restore indoor air to a healthy state.
To combat the escalating effects of exposure to these chemicals and to raise air quality levels in our indoor spaces, environmental experts recommend the use of plants that mitigate the toxicity. In most buildings identified with sick symptoms, management employs office plant services to strategically place a variety of toxin-absorbing plants in the workplace. Likewise, homeowners who suspect high levels of impure air can hire environmental firms to test the air quality and take action to rid the home of pollutants. Common indoor plants are one of the most effective ways of combating the stagnant, unhealthy air that lingers in our environment. For detailed information about studies that address clean air and the use of plants, contact NASA, the Associated Landscape Contractors of America, and/or the National Cancer Institute.
Live Trees and Plants for Health and Beauty
For best air-cleansing results, place two or three plants in each average-size room; add another plant or two for larger rooms. Cluster plants in bigger rooms according to specified growing conditions for maximum benefit. Horticultural experts recommend having fifteen to twenty plants strategically located in a two-thousand-square-foot home. Be sure to find a space for at least one live plant in each sleeping area. You'll find that these plants help to eliminate formaldehyde, benzene, carbon monoxide, TCE, and most toxins that lurk in building and household materials.
Gerbera Daisies will grow indoors and out. They love the sunshine and come in bright, cheerful shades of red, yellow, orange, and pink. Deadhead their spent blossoms, keep the soil moist but well-drained, and fill a sunny corner with these beauties. Mature clumps are the best bloomers and give you the option to move your plants outdoors next spring to fill your deck boxes with amazing color.
Weeping Fig, also known as Ficus, is a tree with shiny leaves that needs bright light and adequate space. Ficus grows best in an established location, doesn't like to be moved, requires less water in winter, and actually prefers the pot-bound state. If the air is too dry, leaves turn yellow and drop. Feed quarterly.
Bamboo Palm and Butterfly Palm are medium-to-large plants that look like trees, especially the bamboo variety, which can grow over 5 feet tall. Its canopy-like growth is especially attractive when used to fill a corner. Realtors often use them strategically in sale properties to attract buyers. They like light, but not direct sunshine. The bamboo variety requires little watering, but if brown leaves appear, you haven't watered enough. The graceful butterfly palm has a fountain-like form and needs evenly moistened soil. Mist it with water, keep it clear of drafts, and clean the leaves to keep it dust-free. An excellent air purifier, butterfly palm removes formaldehyde and xylene from the atmosphere.
Golden Pothos is a cascading plant that looks attractive on a shelf or ledge. This plant does well in all but direct sunlight and needs watering only when the soil becomes dry. Some gardeners place this plant at the base of a tall indoor tree, such as corn plant, a member of the Dracaena family. Pothos are very robust and last a long time with proper care.
Jade plants remind me of little trees. They have thick, fleshy leaves on thick, fleshy stems with clusters of small white flowers; over time they may grow a massive trunk. Jade prefers moderate light levels. Placing this houseplant in an east-facing or west-facing window or within 2 to 3 feet of a south-facing window gives it the required three to five hours of bright, direct sunlight each day. If the stems become spindly, your plant doesn't get enough light.
Dracaena plants, good for reducing all toxins, are African in origin and come in many varieties and sizes. Some Dracaena, such as the Marginata, Variegated, and Janet Craig resemble small trees, reaching a height of approximately 5 feet. Characteristics vary in that Marginata (also referred to as "tri-color") has creamy white stripes edged in red; Janet Craig has dark-green lance leaves banded in white or yellow; and Variegated has long, 24-inch leaves with a green center stripe. These plants love good light and evenly moist soil, but they don't tolerate water on the leaves, which causes spotting. Dracena are excellent decorative plants that grow best in large pots. They add dramatic accents to your tabletop, desk, or favorite niche.
Houseplants are especially beneficial in winter, when they emit water vapor and help to maintain humidity levels. Environmental horticulturists also favor Boston Fern, Peace Lilies, Schefflera, and Snake Plant to purify your space. Test your healthy green thumb and discover how plants make a difference in the air you breathe.


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If you plan to take courses at another school, they must be approved in advance.
For summer school courses, view the policies by the Academic Advising and Support Center (AASC) before it will be considered by the political science department. If additional information is required beyond that requested on the AASC form, you may be asked to provide a syllabus for the course you would like to take.
This former Teacher of the Year teaches American politics, with a focus on interest groups and the executive branch of government