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Expertise is just the beginning…
Ridge Top Exteriors has been serving customers for more than 17 years, and many of its employees have had more than 30 years' experience in roofing, siding, gutters and windows installation and repair. What brought our team together is the belief that when you treat people right, listen to them, and do high-quality work, business success will follow.
This has been the secret of our success: From our founder to the newest employee, we all care about the people we serve; we don't pinch pennies and we don't cut corners when it comes to making your home look better than ever before. That philosophy has helped our company get a tremendous number of customer referrals, win award after award, and expand to several states—while never forgetting where we came from and who we owe our success to: You, our customer. Whether your home endures the ice and snow of the Wisconsin winter, the destructive winds of tropical storms and hurricanes in Florida, the severe weather and hail in Missouri, or any other elements, Ridge Top has your back.
Nothing But Trust.
We want to earn your trust, and we want to be your contractor of choice not just for one project, but for all your projects; not just for this year, but ten and twenty years into the future. If you'll give us the opportunity to serve you, we promise to make sure you're glad you did.
Get to know us better…
Year of foundation
Missed meetings
Passionate team members
Nails Used


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Men hoodie
General Information
Soft and warming
Soft and warming patent knit hoodie whose voluminous knit is made of extra fine merino wool.
Hannes Roether. Casual, Not Scruffy.
For Hannes Roether from Munich in his collections, two things are essential. First off, the obvious: straightforward designs for a minimalist, uncomplicated style. Inspiration derived from traditional workwear garments gets him to reinterpret authentic patterns in a contemporary way. The second aspect is the material. Roether sets great store by natural materials. The result: timeless everyday garments, functional, durable, and casual, but never scruffy.
Allgemeine Produktinformationen
Product Information
Article Number 202867
Care instructions textile
If you have a question concerning this product you are welcome to contact us. For this your E-Mail program will open.
Contact Us
For advice, spare parts or special requests - our customer centre will take care of your questions and concerns, personally and competently.
You can reach us from Monday to Friday at +49 2309 939095 or anytime at firstname.lastname@example.com
Gift Certificates
It is good for everything: With our PDF gift certificates you can choose from the entire Manufactum selection. Pick a motif which you can send by email or print out and present personally, immediately after submitting your order.Order now

subset: commoncrawl


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Drug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium linked to a wide range of human diseases, are present in meat and poultry from U.S. grocery stores at unexpectedly high rates, according to a nationwide study by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).
Nearly half of the meat and poultry samples -- 47 percent -- were contaminated with S. aureus, and more than half of those bacteria -- 52 percent -- were resistant to at least three classes of antibiotics, according to the study published April 15 in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
This is the first national assessment of antibiotic resistant S. aureus in the U.S. food supply. And, DNA testing suggests that the food animals themselves were the major source of contamination.
Although Staph should be killed with proper cooking, it may still pose a risk to consumers through improper food handling and cross-contamination in the kitchen.
Researchers collected and analyzed 136 samples -- covering 80 brands -- of beef, chicken, pork and turkey from 26 retail grocery stores in five U.S. cities: Los Angeles, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Flagstaff and Washington, D.C.
"For the first time, we know how much of our meat and poultry is contaminated with antibiotic-resistant Staph, and it is substantial," said Lance B. Price, Ph.D., senior author of the study and Director of TGen's Center for Food Microbiology and Environmental Health.
"The fact that drug-resistant S. aureus was so prevalent, and likely came from the food animals themselves, is troubling, and demands attention to how antibiotics are used in food-animal production today," Dr. Price said.
Densely-stocked industrial farms, where food animals are steadily fed low doses of antibiotics, are ideal breeding grounds for drug-resistant bacteria that move from animals to humans, the report says.
"Antibiotics are the most important drugs that we have to treat Staph infections; but when Staph are resistant to three, four, five or even nine different antibiotics -- like we saw in this study -- that leaves physicians few options," Dr. Price said.
"The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria -- including Staph -- remains a major challenge in clinical medicine," said Paul S. Keim, Ph.D., Director of TGen's Pathogen Genomics Division and Director of the Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics at Northern Arizona University (NAU).
"This study shows that much of our meat and poultry is contaminated with multidrug-resistant Staph. Now we need to determine what this means in terms of risk to the consumer," said Dr. Keim, a co-author of the paper.
The U.S. government routinely surveys retail meat and poultry for four types of drug-resistant bacteria, but S. aureus is not among them. The paper suggests that a more comprehensive inspection program is needed.
S. aureus can cause a range of illnesses from minor skin infections to life-threatening diseases, such as pneumonia, endocarditis and sepsis.
The study was supported through a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts as part of The Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming.
Story Source:
Materials provided by The Translational Genomics Research Institute. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
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Abstract Acrylic Painting with Gold Leaf
- 16" × 20" acrylic painting
- 0.75" thick traditional canvas
- Inspired by minimalism
- Abstract art
What is your processing time?
My processing time varies depending on the type of item you're ordering.
- For original art, my usual turn around is 1-2 business days.
- For commissioned original art, my turn around time is at least 30 days to allow time for the paint to cure and be varnished.
- For printed products, my turn around time is based on the fulfillment center's turn around time, which can vary and is listed on each product.
Due to COVID-19, however, turn around times are taking a bit longer than they normally would. For example, turn around times for pillows are now 25-30 business days so please expect delays while ordering during the pandemic.
What materials do you use in your oil paintings?
I use professional grade, archival quality materials for my oil paintings. This means that my artwork is meant to last for hundreds of years and can be passed on from generation to generation. Unlike student or artist grade paints, professional grade paints are highly pigmented, which means that the colors are more vibrant and lightfast.
Wholesale availability
If you're interested in buying pillows, phone cases, prints or magnets in bulk, please send me a message and I'll be happy to offer you a discount.
What makes your pour paintings different?
Most acrylic pour paintings available on the market use student grade or craft paints, water, glue or equivalent as a pouring medium, as well as some additives such as hair products and other oils. This leads to a variety of problems that shorten the life of the artwork. For example, glue causes yellowing, oils may cause the paint to peel off the canvas, the low pigment ratios in craft paints create dull colors that fade with time,... etc. This, however is not often disclosed to the buyer.
I choose to use professional grade acrylic paints and pouring mediums, even though they can be 1600%+ more expensive, because I want to make sure I'm offering my patrons a product that will last and stay beautiful for as long as possible.
What is the process for your paintings?
If you'd like to see my process, I post time-lapse videos on my YouTube channel and my Instagram page.


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Veterans not entitled to mental health care, U.S. lawyers argue
February 5, 2008, San Francisco California - Veterans have no legal right to specific types of medical care, the Bush administration argues in a lawsuit accusing the government of illegally denying mental health treatment to some troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The arguments, filed Wednesday in federal court in San Francisco, strike at the heart of a lawsuit filed on behalf of veterans that claims the health care system for returning troops provides little recourse when the government rejects their medical claims.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is making progress in increasing its staffing and screening veterans for combat-related stress, Justice Department lawyers said. But their central argument is that Congress left decisions about who should get health care, and what type of care, to the VA and not to veterans or the courts.
A federal law providing five years of care for veterans from the date of their discharge establishes "veterans' eligibility for health care, but it does not create an entitlement to any particular medical service," government lawyers said.
They said the law entitles veterans only to "medical care which the secretary (of Veterans Affairs) determines is needed, and only to the extent funds ... are available."
The argument drew a sharp retort from a lawyer for advocacy groups that sued the government in July. The suit is a proposed class action on behalf of 320,000 to 800,000 veterans or their survivors.
"Veterans need to know in this country that the government thinks all their benefits are mere gratuities," attorney Gordon Erspamer said. "They're saying it's completely discretionary, that even if Congress appropriates money for veterans' health care, we can do anything we want with it."
The issue will be joined March 7 at a hearing before U.S. District Judge Samuel Conti, who denied the administration's request last month to dismiss the suit. While the case is pending, the plaintiffs want Conti to order the government to provide immediate mental health treatment for veterans who say they are thinking of killing themselves and to spend another $60 million on health care.
The suit accuses the VA of arbitrarily denying care and benefits to wounded veterans, of forcing them to wait months for treatment and years for benefits, and of failing to provide fair procedures for appealing decisions against them.
The plaintiffs say that the department has a backlog of more than 600,000 disability claims and that 120 veterans a week commit suicide.
In his Jan. 10 ruling that allowed the suit to proceed, Conti said federal law entitles veterans to health care for a specific period after leaving the service, rejecting the government's argument that it was required to provide only as much care as the VA's budget allowed in a given year. A law that President Bush signed last week extended the period from two to five years.
In its latest filing, however, the Justice Department reiterated that Congress had intended "to authorize, but not require, medical care for veterans."
"This court should not interfere with the political branches' design, oversight and modification of VA programs," the government lawyers argued.
They also said the VA "is making great progress in addressing the mental health care needs of combat veterans." Among other things, they cited a law passed in November that required the department to establish a suicide-prevention program that includes making mental health care available around the clock.
The VA has hired nearly 3,800 mental health professionals in the last two years and has at least one specialist in post-traumatic stress disorder at each of its medical centers, the government said.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).


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BERLIN- Stephen Decatur's varsity softball team's dream of a perfect season disappeared with a 3-0 defeat to Mardela on the last day of the regular season on Monday, but the late loss did not prevent the Seahawks from securing the top seed in the state Class 3A East region tournament.
The Seahawks entered Monday's season finale at home against Mardela with a perfect 17-0 record and had barely been tested throughout the season. Decatur pitching had recorded eight shutouts on the year and had given up just one run in a game six other times. Meanwhile, the Seahawks clobbered the ball almost all year long, outscoring their opponents 182-13 in 17 games.
All good things come to an end, however, and the Seahawks' run at a perfect season ended with the 3-0 loss to Mardela on Monday. Decatur starter pitched well, scattering three runs on just three hits and five walks, but Mardela's Jamie Wells was near perfect, allowing just two hits and striking out nine.
Despite the late loss, the Seahawks earned the top seed in the Class 3A-East Region playoffs and a first-round bye. They will play the winner of the first-round game between Aberdeen (8) and Wilde Lake (9) at home on Monday.


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In Windows 8, the new PC Settings interface provides a partial replacement to the old Control Panel, though that older interface continues in the new OS for more advanced configuration settings. Not surprisingly, PC Settings has gotten the once over in the Windows 8 Release Preview. Here are some of the changes you can expect.
You may recall that PC Settings was available as a tile back in the Developer Preview, but that the tile was removed in the Consumer Preview. This, sadly, has not changed, which is too bad: Many users would like such a tile. But what has changed is the link you use to get to PC Settings from the Settings pane (WINKEY + I): In the Consumer Preview, this was called More PC Settings, but in the Release Preview it's changed to Change PC Settings.
The Personalize view in PC Settings provides three separate interfaces: Lock screen, Start screen, and Account picture.
Lock screen gets modest layout changes, with the "Change your picture" text removed and a few new provided background images. The available lock screen apps are the same between releases—Calendar, Mail, Messaging, and Weather—as are the detailed status choices (Calendar and Weather).
The Start screen interface has changed only to accommodate the new color schemes that are available in the Release Preview. (The background patterns are unchanged.) Check out Windows 8 Release Preview: Metro Color Schemes Screenshot Gallery for a full listing of the new color schemes.
Account picture, like Lock screen, has been cleaned up, with the Camera app option moved to the "Create an account picture" section where it belongs.
The Users interface is almost identical to that of the Consumer Preview, but with two changes. A new link titled More account settings online takes you (via IE Metro) to the Windows Live web site. And a new Change button lets you configure whether users need a password to wake the PC.
Notifications has been cleaned up from a layout perspective, but the big news is that many more apps now support notifications in the Release Preview, so they're available from the list of possible apps. These include Calendar, Mail, News, Store, and others.
Aside from some layout cleanup, the Search interface hasn't changed much. But as with Notifications, there are now more apps that take advantage of the Search contract, including News, Sports, and Travel.
Another subtly evolved interface, Share gets a cleanup and one major addition to the list of apps that can accept Share requests: Now you can share via People (and thus over social networks like Twitter, Facebook, and others) in addition to Mail.
No major changes here, but the PC Reset feature, called "Reset your PC and start over" has been renamed to "Remove everything and reinstall Windows", presumably for clarity.
No changes.
No major changes, but the "Metered Internet Connections" section has been renamed to "Download over metered connections" and its descriptive text has been updated.
No changes.
Ease of Access
No changes.
Sync Your Settings
This very important interface gets just a few small changes related to language usage, but nothing worth discussing.
The Metro front-end to Windows' homegroup feature hasn't changed.
Windows Update
This interface receives only very minor changes, mostly related to simpler/clearer language usage. (The "Check for updates" button is now labeled as "Check for updates now", for example.) You can still click links that described pending automatic installs to install them immediately.
But wait, there's more!
Discover much, much more about the Windows 8 Release Preview in Windows 8 Release Preview: The Ultimate Delta Guide, a guide to all of the articles I've published about this milestone build of Microsoft's next OS.


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Tiny Armies v1.7.1 Mod APK for Android.
Control your tiny army with one finger only and defeat smaller armies to grow! But watch out: Bigger armies will try to do the same to you. Survive on the battlefield and become a multiplayer legend.
Use the simple controls and try different tactics, unique hero skills and army upgrades to win the epic multiplayer battles!
Download this unique and fun multiplayer spectacle right now and don't miss any of the numerous future updates!
Tiny Armies is the beginning of a new era in online real time battles on mobile platforms and you can become a part of it right now!
•Easy online multiplayer matches against friends or players from around the world
•Epic battles for up to 8 players simultaneously via WiFi or 3G
•Different heroes with unique skills like lightning strike and protective shield
•Use assault attacks or your ranged combat skill to dominate the action on the battlefield
•Hide your tiny army in the woods and surprise bigger enemies with an attack from behind
•Numerous upgrades for your heroes and armies like new armor or awesome special effects
•Humorous characters and beautiful graphics contribute to the game's action and unique charme
•Be there from the beginning as Tiny Armies conquers the online battlefield of mobile multiplayer games and decide the future of the game together with us
What's New
Massive Update!
Awesome mystery chests, powerful potions, breathtaking new graphics! Forget Pokemon, play Tiny Armies!
Mod info:
– Unlimited Coins "increase".
– Unlimited Gems "increase".
– Cheat detection removed.
Download [Google Play]


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Submitted by braswell on October 18, 2010 – 2:59pm
POPLARVILLE After two straight losses, Pearl River Wildcats hope to get back on a winning track when the arch-rival Hinds Eagles visit here Saturday for a critical MACJC South Division football battle. A 3 p.m. kickoff is set in Dobie Holden Stadium. Itll be Homecoming for The River, which enters the contest off a 42-36 non-division loss to defending state champ East Mississippi in Scooba, which was on the coattail of Oct. 9"s 21-14 defeat to then-undefeated Copiah-Lincoln in Wesson. Hinds, 5-2 overall, trimmed division rival Southwest Mississippi 20-12 in Raymond last week and now boasts a 2-2 division mark behind the 3-1 Wildcats, Mississippi Gulf Coast, and Co-Lin. Obviously, the Wildcats (4-3 overall) remain in the post-season playoff mix, but, says ninth-year head coach Tim Hatten, well need a little help. Weve got to win out (Saturday against Hinds, Oct. 30 at Jones County) the rest of the way, Hatten explained, plus either (South Division leaders) Co-Lin (4-1) or Mississippi Gulf Coast (4-1) will have to lose their final division games. CLCC, which picked up its first 2010 loss with a 23-3 shellacking to Gulf Coast last Saturday, has division foe East Central Thursday before wrapping up its regular season on the road against non-division opponent Northeast Mississippi in Booneville. MGCCC travels to non-division Coahoma in Clarksdale Thursday, then finishes up at Hinds. Who knows? Stranger and wilder things have happened, Hatten added. But we cant control what happens to the rest of the mix. Weve just got to take care of our own business and hope the chips fall our way. The Eagles opened the season with two straight road wins Itawamba 52-31 and East Miss 50-42 before being popped by Co-Lin 30-17 in Wesson. Hinds rebounded with a 37-31 non-division overtime home squeaker over Mississippi Delta then was trimmed by league foe East Central, which celebrated its Homecoming with a 37-35 victory. Homecoming host Jones County fell victim to the Eagles in Week 6 by a 27-23 count in Ellisville. Last week, the Wildcats amassed 583 yards of total offense at East Mississippi with quarterback Melvin German of Fort Myers, Fla., completing 41 (a school record) of 55 (second in school history) pass attempts for 503 yards (second in school history). PRCC fell victim to three critical lost fumbles, while the host Lions had only one turnover a pass interception on the first possession of the game.The Pearl River_Hinds Series Thursday match up marks the 70th time the two football powers have locked horns on the gridiron with the Wildcats leading the rivalry with 37 wins, 31 losses, and two ties. Pearl River has won its last eight match ups with the Eagles, including a 21_13 victory for the 2004 state title, 2005"s 48-26 blowout in Poplarville that marked a record 21 straight wins, 2006"s 36-7 pasting in Raymond, 2007"s season-ending 39-31 triple-OT win at home, 2008"s 27-10 road win, and last year 45-3 splattering at home. PRCC trimmed Hinds 37_30 on the road in 2004 regular_season battle, marking the first of only two losses for the Eagles that year. In 2003, the Wildcats bopped the Eagles 21_17 for its first MACJC title since 1976, but fell 31_27 in their regular_season battle on a controversial, last_minute 90_plus_yard kick off return in Poplarville. Pearl River took a 25_22 OT victory in 2001, marking the first time the Wildcats had beaten the Eagles since the 1992 season (a 21_16 win). PRCC followed with a 31_22 victory in Raymond in 2002. Prior 2001"s OT thriller, Hinds had reeled off eight straight wins over The River, while grabbing five of its 13 state championships. The Eagles have won six state titles in the last 14 seasons. Pearl River took a 53_0 victory in the inaugural meeting, then the series didnt resume until 1941 with Hinds taking an 18_0 shutout, followed by a 30_18 victory in shortened 1942 season due to World War II. Junior college football all over the state resumed in 1944 and the Eagles reeled off six straight wins over PRCC before the Wildcats answered with a lopsided 27_6 victory in 1950 in coach legend Dobie Holden fifth season in Poplarville. The two teams split the ensuing two years, then, in 1953, the rivalry saw its first of two ties (14_14) in the series. The Wildcats and Eagles finished that season as co_champions in the MACJC. After Hinds took a hard_fought 35_32 win in 1957, the Wildcats won four straight, including a 42_0 shutout in 1959 and a 44_6 lopside in 1961. Pearl River took state titles both of those seasons, including its only national championship in 1961. Holden retired following the 1966 season, giving up the reins to assistant John Russell who was perfect against the Eagles in his seven years at the Wildcat helm. Hinds scored only 63 points in seven games against Russell squads. Russell resigned prior to the 1974 season and assistant coach Harvey Seligman was elevated to head coach. Seligman unit fell 17_13 to Hinds. J.C. Arban took over the Wildcat program in 1975 and the former PRCC and Southern Mississippi offensive coordinator won five straight over the Eagles until Hinds took a 28_5 victory in 1980. In all, Arban was 7_4 against Hinds, but his last three losses all in succession were by a combined total of only 14 points. Mike Nelson succeeded Arban in 1986 and was 1-2-1 versus the Eagles until his departure in 1989, while Willie Coats was 2-3 from 1990 to 1994. The late Keith Daniels was winless at 0-6 from 1995 until midway into the 2000 season when he died of a brain hemorrhage five weeks into the 2000 season. Scott Maxfield pulled off the 2001 overtime victory in his only season at the Wildcat helm in 2001.Last Week Action In The MACJCJones County dropped its fourth South Division game to East Central 24-14 in Decatur in the only Thursday game last week, while in other South action on Saturday, Hinds defeated Southwest Mississippi 20-12 in Raymond and 11th-ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast handed eighth-ranked and previously-undefeated Copiah-Lincoln its first loss of the season with a lopsided 23-3 decision in Perkinston. In the North, sixth-ranked and undefeated Northwest Mississippi bombed Mississippi Delta 33-6 in Senatobia, Northeast Mississippi defeated Coahoma 31-17 in Booneville, and Itawamba smacked winless Holmes 33-20 at Goodman.This Week In The MACJCThis Thursday around the MACJC sees Copiah-Lincoln (6-1, 4-1) hosting East Central (2-5, 2-2) in Wesson in the South Division, while in the North, Mississippi Delta (1-6, 1-3) hosts East Mississippi (3-4, 3-2) in Moorhead, Itawamba (4-3, 3-1) hosting Northeast Mississippi (5-2, 4-1) in Fulton, and Northwest Mississippi (7-0, 4-0) hosting Holmes (0-7, 0-4) in Senatobia. Coahoma (2-4, 1-4) hosts Mississippi Gulf Coast (6-1, 4-1) in the week only intra-divisional contest in Clarksdale. Two Homecoming games are set for Saturday with Pearl River (4-3, 3-1) hosting Hinds (5-2, 3-1) in Poplarville and Southwest Mississippi (2-5, 0-4) hosting Jones County (2-5, 0-4) in Summit.Wildcats Over The Airwaves All Pearl River games are broadcast live on WFMM-FM (97.3) in Hattiesburg, WFFF-FM (96.7) in Columbia, WBOX-FM (92.9) and WBOX-AM (920) in Bogalusa, La.; and WRJW-AM (1320) in Picayune. Long-time play-by-play announcer Jason Baker, color commentator Clay Sweet, and sideline reporter Jeff Lossett will handle the broadcast. Airtime for Thursday PRCC-Hinds broadcast is 6:30 p.m. You may also listen to the Wildcats over the internet by logging on to www.prcc.edu. Click on the icon at the bottom left of the screen, and follow the instructions.


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If you're looking for signs of our collective robotic future, it's either terrifyingly near or forever just around the corner.
While debate on military robots heated up this month thanks to UN talks about the development of lethal autonomous robots -- and military robots are evolving quickly thanks to defense budgets -- household robots remain far from ubiquitous. More than a half-century after the world's first industrial robot, Unimate, began work at a General Motors plant, most commercial robots still work in factories.
The ones that are in households, such as the roughly 10 million robot vacuum cleaners led by iRobot's Roomba, have usually been limited to performing one task only, like sucking up dirt.
Computers and robots can beat us at dedicated tasks like chess or painting cars, though humans still have a massive intelligence advantage in terms of general knowledge. That's a good thing if you fear a robot uprising. Not so great if you're waiting for that perfect humanoid robot servant from science fiction films, like a C-3PO.A
While simple real-world tasks like navigating across a room without prior knowledge of it remain very challenging for many robots, researchers are slowly advancing the field, newly fueled by acquisitions and funding coming from tech giants like Google.
Hitachi, for instance, recently announced improvements to its pint-sized humanoid robot Emiew 2 that allow it to banter with humans and tell jokes, as well as have better awareness of its surroundings. About 80 cm tall and weighing 14 kg, Emiew 2 has a bright red outer shell and scoots around on two wheels under its legs. Originally developed in 2005, the platform is designed to be a helper and guide for people in office settings.A
"The technology could be used to help humans and robots coexist in the future," said Keiji Kageyama of Hitachi Research Laboratory. "It's using a laser sensor to detect where people are in busy office settings in real time and plans a path to avoid them."A
Emiew 2 can move at 6 km per hour, about as fast as a person walking briskly. The laser sensor can track people walking around the robot, provide data to plot their expected path, and help Emiew 2 to avoid collisions, especially when it anticipates that people might come out of a blind spot.A
While Hitachi doesn't have plans to commercialize Emiew 2 yet, it believes the technology could be used in machines that provide automated tours of venues like museums or exhibition halls.A
Another humanoid machine that's designed to operate in everyday environments is NAOA from France's Aldebaran Robotics. Engineered to be a "friendly companion around the house," NAO is only 58-cm tall and has a toy-like charm as well as sophisticated sensors such as a sonar rangefinder and face-detection algorithms.
It can chat in 19 languages, sing and dance. Already used by research labs and universities, it has been used to help autistic children improve their social interaction skills. Since NAO is relatively simple and predictable, some autistic children find it easier to interact with than people.A
Thousands of NAO robots are being used in schools and universities in dozens of countries, and it's also a standard platform for RoboCup robot soccer tournaments. But there are several obstacles preventing NAO from becoming a must-have gadget in the consumer market. One is cost. While NAO is already impressively cheap for a sophisticated humanoid, it still costs around US$10,000.
That price will likely fall as more are produced, though NAO's small stature means it may be seen as an expensive plaything or partner rather than something that can perform useful tasks such as housework. Consumers also need to be comfortable with NAO recording what they say and sharing its language queries with a cloud-based database, as Nicolas Rigaud of Aldebaran recently told the RSA Conference in San Francisco.A
So what robot can you call to clean up your messy bedroom? Well, open-source robots can do the job -- when controlled by a human.A
A sped-up video on YouTube shows how the two-armed, wheeled PR1 robot at Stanford University can tidy up a mess, albeit slowly and with a person at the remote controls. Other videos by roboticists have shown how PR1's successor, the celebrated PR2, can autonomously take on drudge work such as folding laundry or even fetching a beer from the fridge.
PR2, though, doesn't come cheap. California-based developer Willow Garage has put a $280,000 price tag on the hulking, Microsoft Kinect-equipped machine.A That's way more than anyone would spend on a housekeeping droid.
"If a robot can save 40 hours of tedious chores per month, then people will be willing to pay $200 to $400 per month for the robot," Satyandra K. Gupta, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland, wrote on his blog. "In my opinion, realizing a home robot is technologically feasible, but it will require billions of dollars of investment in technology development to ensure the high level of reliability and safety for home use."
Some researchers are exploring the middle ground between purely self-contained, autonomous robots and ones that work with humans. Telepresence robots are designed to project a human user's presence into a remote location, eliminating the hassle of travel. They may be little more than glorified webcams on wheels, but telepresence robots are being billed as a richer form of interaction than a phone or conference call. Visiting a factory in China via robot to view a product prototype is one potential application. Others are closer to home.
"Household robots are only held back by our current state-of-the-art in software and AI," said Angelica Lim, a roboticsA post-doc at Kyoto University in Japan. "One interim idea could be a telepresence cleaning robot, where the AI of moving, clicking, cleaning is outsourced to humans at a company (even in another country). This would require that the we re-imagine consumer telepresence robots to be more than talking heads on sticks."
Massachusetts-based iRobot, the maker of Roomba, has moved into the telepresence space along with a host of startups. Its RP-VITA and AVA 500 machines are designed for hospitals and workplaces, respectively.
Both are autonomously navigating wheeled columns topped by HD displays that show the remote human operator's face. Doctors can talk to patients through RP-VITA, which received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year, or direct others during emergencies such as stroke treatment. The AVA 500 can serve as a teleconference vehicle, but equipped with a robot arm or other tools, it could act as a remote security guard, cargo bot or factory inspector, with or without telepresence functions.
Robots have been transforming factories for decades, but to protect workers they've usually been confined to no-go areas for people. Recently developed collaborative robots, or co-robots, are meant to work alongside people, either on the factory floor or in everyday environments.
UBR-1 is a one-armed programmable robot from startup company Unbounded Robotics. It navigates with a laser scanner and runs on ROS, an open-source robot OS with roots in Willow Garage. It can pick up objects weighing up to 1.5 kg and place them on a table. That combination of mobility and manipulation opens up a large field of potential applications, though it will first find work in research and education. But the real breakthrough with UBR-1 is its price: it starts at only $35,000.
"Right now we are working to create applications for deploying our robots in the real world," said Melonee Wise, CEO of Unbounded Robotics. "UBR-1 was designed to work with people and around people in real world environments, which is hopefully a small step towards one day having robots in your home."
One co-robot designed to literally help people take steps comes in an unusual form: a seeing-eye cane for visually impaired people. Developed by Cang Ye, a roboticist at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the robotic cane is equipped with a gyroscope, 3D and Web cameras, and can recognize features in the environment such as stairways, doors and obstacles, warning the user with tactile or auditory cues.
It also has a navigation mode that controls a roller ball at the tip, guiding the user in a certain direction. The project received part of a five-year, $2.4 million National Institutes of Health funding package to develop robots that work cooperatively with people.
"We are still some years away from having a robotic laundry system (from hamper to wash, dry and folding and then back into the hamper), bathroom cleaning system (other than the floors), and general home clean-up robot," Frank Tobe, editor of The Robot Report website, wrote in an email.
"But we are closer to service robots in rehab/nursing/full care centers which provide medical monitoring, physical assistance, physical therapy and remote presence communication. These inventions will take years of trial and improvement funded by agencies and centers before that trickles down for home/personal use, but clunky versions are being field tested in Europe and Japan," Tobe wrote.
Robots are coming out of the factory and moving beyond their beachhead in homes toward hospitals, offices, schools and workplaces. It's essentially a matter of regulations, cost and time.
"Just like cars, the PC and iPhones came down in price after industrialization, so can robots," said Lim. "Almost all robots right now are still custom-made, after all."


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Dallas-Area Tornado Sends Tractor-Trailer FLYING [VIDEO]
Here's just another example why tornadoes are one of the scariest natural disasters on the planet. As the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex was just hammered by tornadoes this afternoon, WFAA Channel 8 in Dallas got some unthinkable footage.
Look closely, and you'll see this tornado in Lancaster flip and toss tractor-trailers like they're nothing. Thoughts and prayers with everyone in the Metroplex, and be careful, East Texas, because the bad weather is headed our way.
Here's the video from WFAA:


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Who doesn't have photographs stored in a computer? Almost everyone who owns a digital camera or mobile phone has photographs stored in virtual memory. And if you are a photography hobbyist or enthusiast, what better way to turn your stored images into fast cash. This is one of the fastest ways to turn your art into a lucrative business. Once you choose your niche, you can start marketing your work to your family and friends, neighborhood establishments and online. Here are a few tips on how to turn your digital images into currency:
1. Make original computer cover designs – with the use of your home printer, you can print out your own images on specialized sticker paper to liven up desktop computers and laptops.
2. Offer your images to web hosting companies and their libraries – there are numerous web companies that offer space in their servers to promote various businesses through the World Wide Web. Images are needed to promote businesses are very much in demand. These web hosting companies offer prospective clients various images that best represent their business.
3. Make car window covers – dashboards ca be damaged with the intense heat of the sun during summer. Print out your images on windscreen covers and offer your product to car accessory stores, gas stations and even online to reach a wider audience. This is also a great way to promote your photography skills to the public.
4. Real estate images for real big money – take advantage of the For Sale sign of properties that are being offered in the market. Show your images to the property owner or developer. Make sure they accentuate the property and is attractive enough to gain the attention of prospective buyers.
5. Travel images for travel agencies – every person who has intentions of traveling for a vacation would like to see what they can expect to enjoy in the place they're travelling to. If you have travelled to any destination, you're sure to have photographs of the place. Offer your images to travel agencies so tat they can show their clients the place they want to travel to, the sights they can expect to see, etc.
6. Restaurants and cafés are the best places to promote and sell your images – approach restaurant and café establishments and offer your photographs to be hung on their walls to decorate and complement their establishment in exchange that they allow you to sell them as well. Make sure your contact details are on every image. You can reassure the restaurant owner that you will be replacing every sold photograph with an original one whenever your work is sold.
7. Calendars are a yearly gig – calendars are a great way to exhibit your versatility and style. The best way to promote tem is to sell them online.
8. Upload your images in microstock sites – one of the best ways, not to mention the easiest way is to have your own library of images in microstock sites. This allows you to earn even when you're asleep. Just make sure you only upload quality images. This will assure your clients that you have excellent quality and standards when uploading images. They will keep coming back for more.
9. Join photography competitions – there are numerous websites that have open photography contests that allow you to win cash prizes as well as make a name for yourself I the world of photography. This is also a great way to generate a client base and promote your work.
10. Sketch your images – there are several photo manipulation software available in the market that allow you to convert your digital images into sketches. This is an excellent way for people who can't draw to be an instant painter.
Start looking through your folders and see what you can turn into cash right away. There is a never ending need for photographs for all types of needs. Your past time can be a fast way to make you earn extra money that you never even expected.
Tags: earn from photos, make money with photography, tips in making money with photos


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The link to each free pattern is within each post, which may involve a free registration at some websites.
To make it easy to find a free pattern you'll enjoy following, all the patterns are ranked by difficulty level; Super-Easy, Easy, Medium & High.
Unfortunately, patterns are forever disappearing or links changing.
Please drop me a note if you have any problems :)
Friday, 31 May 2013
Baby Frank the Goat
Personally, I think he's slightly off-balance because he *is* a baby & hasn't got his legs working properly yet :)
{free knitting pattern here}
Monday, 27 May 2013
The Bunny Bust
Although probably not quite as high tone ;)
Love this little bunny bust, it would be perfect for an Easter gift, or you could even put a weight inside and use him as a paperweight!
{free crochet pattern here}
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For more information about the Borough of Midland Park, please click here.
The Midland Park School District as part of a strong, dedicated community, provides its students with a comprehensive, adaptive education aligned to 21st century knowledge and skills needed for success in college and career. The district maximizes all resources to empower students to realize their individual worth and responsibility, with the expectation they achieve the New Jersey state standards at all grade levels.


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By Judy Reed
It started out like any other Wednesday morning for a rural Sand Lake family. Mom and Dad got ready for work, kids got ready for school, and Mom dropped them at the bus stop. They were all out of the house by 6:15 a.m. But when Mom returned to their house in the 5000 block of Grosvenor about 1:30 p.m. to let the dog out, things were anything but normal.
"She saw the windows were broken and stuff sitting outside the garage," said Yvonne Taylor, the victim's mother.
According to both Taylor and the police, thieves broke in and not only stole numerous items but vandalized the home as well. They reportedly took an axe to all the bedroom doors and the drywall, smashed a big screen television, tipped over the pool table, smashed pool sticks, wine bottles, and various other items. "They damaged property in every room in the house," said Lt. Kevin Kelley of the Kent County Sheriff's Department.
They stole at least 50 items from the home, including Gameboys, a Playstation, Nintendo, DVDs, jewelry, two quads (youth-size ATVs), and at least $4,000 worth of tools. They reportedly gained entry by forcing the door.
Police did receive a description of the suspects from a neighbor who saw a truck but didn't think much about it at the time. According to the neighbor, it was a dark-colored blue or black pickup without a cap, and was not new. They saw one of the stolen yellow four-wheelers in the bed of the pickup. The suspects are two males, with the driver being described as tall and quite thin, and his accomplice being a little smaller.
Police said no other homes in the vicinity have had a break-in or had their home vandalized like this. But according to Lt. Kelley, everyone should be alert and take precautions. "Daytime home invasions are the most common type," he said. "Thieves disguise themselves to blend in and try to appear normal. Although they are sometimes observed, they do not appear unusual because it's during the day. Most people think of it happening at night. But they happen during the day, when people aren't there," he explained.
Anyone with information regarding the break-in should call the Kent County Sheriff Department at (616) 632-6100, or Silent Observer at (616-774-2345) or toll free at 1-866-774-2345. You can also text a tip to CRIMES (274637) and start your message with TIP138.


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It easy to forget how backward Europe was for so long – thus, for most of its history, Europe was a source of slaves, the scourge of Muslim slaving only really ceasing in the C18th. A mid C9th Muslim geographer (Ibn Khurradadhbeh) described Europe as a source of
eunuchs, slave girls and boys, brocade, beaver skins, glue, sables and swordsand not much else.
Crosby's Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900-1900 looked at the spread of the neo-Europes (countries with majority European settlement populations). In The Measure of Reality: Quantification and Western Society, 1250-1600 he examines the medieval creation of the 'new model' of the universe as something regular, quantifiable and mathematical.
He starts by explaining what he calls The Venerable Model of looking at the world. One completely comfortable with a universe which could be wildly, qualitatively different at different places (such as Dante's placing of Purgatory in the Southern Hemisphere): Dante averred that anyone who believed people lived in the antipodes 'was a fool' while St Augustine thought the notion of circumnavigating the globe absurd (p.39). All allied with an amazing (to us) indifference to mathematical accuracy. Thus, Roger Bacon accurately measured the angle of rainbows (42 degrees), a copyist halved this – and apparently no-one noticed the error for several centuries (Pp68-9).
To explain at how the scientific, abstracting, mathematicising presumption of fundamental uniformity arose – the 'new model' – Crosby looks at the development of conceptions of time, space, mathematics, the arts of visualisation, painting, music and bookkeeping are all examined. Including the weird idea that things in flux can be expressed mathematically. He is a master of the striking observation – such as how bookkeeping has had a pervasive effect on the way we think (p.220). Or the change from reading aloud to reading silently – St Augustine thought it necessary to explain his mentor St Ambrose's habit of reading without speaking aloud (p.134). Or that chronic shortage of specie is probably why the medieval West developed such elaborate forms of abstract money (p.73). Or the military importance of square root tables for new officers organising foot soldiers (p6.). Permanent wage-labour, which we view as the only 'proper' way to be a soldier, only became a serious component of European armies in the mid to late C15th, having disappeared from Western Europe with the collapse of the Roman imperium.
Crosby brings out just how desperate was the loss of knowledge in the Dark Ages (for instance, use of the abacus/counting board completely vanishes from the literary and archaeological record for about five centuries [pp42-5 et al]) and how the provincial philistinism of the West helped Western thinkers (when they moved beyond simple recovery) to put ideas together in new ways and thus onto the very unusual in human history marriage of theory to practical application. Crosby brings out how unique in human history is its persistence in Europe. A sparkling slice of history.
Then there is Throwing Fire: Projectile technology through history, which starts with asking the question What are humans? . What really distinguishes us from other species? Two-legged throwers who start fires is his arresting answer. An eight-year old
homo sapien is a better thrower than any member of any other species on the planet (p.4).He points out cases where gunpowder armed Europeans were greatly discomforted by rock-throwing locals (p.27).
As he writes,
We are Stone Age creatures, lately arrived in a world that is, ironically, both alien and of our making (p.2).Thus our omnivorous diet aided our development, since meat-eating provides transferable packages of nutrition aiding teamwork (pp26-27). Throwing weapons were, early on, a key part of our technological progress as a species.
Crosby's use of striking observation is strong – the WWII V-2 rockets killed less people than died as slave labour constructing them (pp.164-5). But the US welcomed Wernher von Braun and co in 1945 for the same reason Mehmet II hired the infidel Urban – using fire to throw projectiles (p.175). In the former case, it culminated in the Saturn V rocket, the V-2's gargantuan descendant – taller than a 30-story building, 60' taller than the Statue of Liberty on its pedestal, thirteen times heavier as the Statue (p.183). (And the cruise missile, the V-1's very clever offspring). In the latter case, it culminated in the fall of Constantinople.
Another book enlightening to my fellow two-legged-throwers-who-start-fires.


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Bank Of Maharashtra Malewadi IFSC & Branch Info
The IFSC Code of Bank Of Maharashtra Malewadi branch is MAHB0001086. The branch is located in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra. For address and phone numbers, scroll down.
Bank Of Maharashtra Malewadi IFSC Code: MAHB0001086
Bank Of Maharashtra Malewadi MICR & Contact Info
Address, MICR code, branch contact number etc of Bank Of Maharashtra Malewadi branch is given below. You may contact the branch or the Customer Care number of the bank information relating to your Bank Of Maharashtra account.
|Branch Name
|Bank Of Maharashtra Malewadi
Malewadi, Tal Shahuwadi, Kolhapur
City : Malewadi
District : Kolhapur
State : Maharashtra
|Branch Phone Number
|Customer Care Number
|1800-233-4526, 1800-102-2636
Bank Of Maharashtra branches in Kolhapur | Bank Of Maharashtra branches in Maharashtra
Along with your account number, account name and account type (ie., savings or current) the following information about the branch is to be provided for fund transfer:
Bank Name : Bank Of Maharashtra
Branch Name : Malewadi
IFSC Code : MAHB0001086
Location : Malewadi, Kolhapur, Maharashtra - View full address & contact number
To make NEFT or RTGS money transfer to Bank Of Maharashtra Malewadi branch from any other bank in India, IFSC code is necessary. For hustle free payment transfer, share the accurate IFSC, branch name and account number with the transferer.


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Bedford Academy
Created On: 01/12/2019
Bedford Academy is part of HEART Academies Trust and is a great place to study. The BA Way embodies our school vision of being community minded, driven and aspirational. We continually promote high standards and good relationships with all members of our community to ensure…
Mile RoadBedfordMK42 9TR


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CRS: THE EXCHANGE STABILIZATION FUND OF THE U.S. TREASURY DEPARTMENT: PURPOSE, HISTORY, AND LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY, September 20, 1999
From WikiLeaks
About this CRS report
This document was obtained by Wikileaks from the United States Congressional Research Service.
The CRS is a Congressional "think tank" with a staff of around 700. Reports are commissioned by members of Congress on topics relevant to current political events. Despite CRS costs to the tax payer of over $100M a year, its electronic archives are, as a matter of policy, not made available to the public.
Individual members of Congress will release specific CRS reports if they believe it to assist them politically, but CRS archives as a whole are firewalled from public access.
This report was obtained by Wikileaks staff from CRS computers accessible only from Congressional offices.
For other CRS information see: Congressional Research Service.
For press enquiries, consult our media kit.
If you have other confidential material let us know!.
For previous editions of this report, try OpenCRS.
Wikileaks release: February 2, 2009
Publisher: United States Congressional Research Service
Title: THE EXCHANGE STABILIZATION FUND OF THE U.S. TREASURY DEPARTMENT: PURPOSE, HISTORY, AND LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY
CRS report number: RL30125
Author(s): Arlene Wilson, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Date: September 20, 1999
- Abstract
- In 1997 and 1998, as part of international support packages, the United States agreed to provide contingent financing from the U.S. Treasury Department's Exchange Stabilization Fund of $5 billion for Brazil, $3 billion for Indonesia and $5 billion for South Korea. This report provides a history of the ESF (which was established in 1934) as well as the statutory authority (31 U.S.C. 5302) cited by the Treasury Department for making loans to foreign governments from the ESF. To provide perspective, the amounts, loan and repayment dates of all ESF loans to foreign governments since 1980 are given. Recent legislative actions to limit the amount of ESF loans are summarized.
- Download


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Amazon Affiliate Disclosure Notice: It is important to also note that thevacuumhub.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon Services LLC. This content is provided 'as is' and is subject to change or removal at any time


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Dog Wallpapers
Free Animal Dog High Definition quality wallpapers for Desktop and Mobiles in HD, Wide, 4K and 5K resolutions.
Page 6 of 20
Free Download Animal Dog Wallpapers
Free download new Latest Dog HD desktop wallpapers background, Popular unique Wide screen images, 720p High Quality Cute Puppy, Pets, funny doggy photos and pictures, wild animals, wildlife, 1080p pup wallpaper. Collection Of Animal Dog Wallpaper in 4K, 5K and mobile resolutions.


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Editor's note: The following article is reprinted from the Today @ PC World blog at PCWorld.com.
With a handful of new Cyber-shot camera announcements at CES, Sony became the first company to offer TransferJet-capable devices for wireless peer-to-peer sharing between cameras, laptops, and other devices.
The new Cyber-shots are also the first Sony point-and-shoot cameras to (finally) support SD and SDHC cards; today's announced models all offer hybrid storage-card slots that can handle both SD/SDHC and Sony's proprietary Memory Stick format.
Other notable features include full HD video capture in AVCHD format, an improved Sweep Panorama mode, an in-camera high-dynamic range mode, and geotagging capabilities.
TransferJet wireless sharing
The Cyber-shot DSC-HX5V and Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 are the first TransferJet-enabled cameras. TransferJet is a proximity-based, wireless technology that transfers images, video, and other files between compatible devices when you simply hold the gadgets about an inch apart.
From there, the technology creates a link between the compatible devices and allows you to transfer files. It's fast, too: TransferJet supports peer-to-peer file sharing at speeds around 375 megabits per second. Unlike the lower-bandwidth Bluetooth, no device pairing is necessary.
Users will need a TransferJet-capable Memory Stick card to transfer files wirelessly. Though Sony developed the TransferJet technology, the company is just one of several members of the TransferJet Consortium; the group includes companies such as Canon, Casio, Kodak, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, and Samsung.
TransferJet-capable Memory Sticks, available sometime in January, will sell separately for about $100.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5V: MacGyver's pocket megazoom
One of the new TransferJet cameras is also equipped with GPS geotagging features, as well as an internal compass to register the direction of each shot; in addition, the GPS functionality automatically updates the camera's clock when you travel between time zones.
The GPS-capable Cyber-shot HX5V has a 10X-optical-zoom lens (25mm to 250mm) and a 3-inch LCD screen, and it offers the company's low-light-optimized Exmor-R CMOS sensor, G Lens, and Bionz image processor. It also shoots 1980-by-1080-resolution HD video in AVCHD format, captured at 17 megabits per second and 60 interlaced fields per second (60i).
On top of that, the 10-megapixel Cyber-shot HX5V is one of two new Sony cameras with a revamped Intelligent Sweep Panorama mode, which the company says improves on the one-touch Sweep Panorama feature introduced in last year's models. The feature now detects moving subjects in the shot and adjusts capture speed automatically, ideally resulting in a smoother panoramic image.
Also new in the HX5V is an in-camera high dynamic range (HDR) mode, which takes photos in rapid-fire succession at different exposure settings and overlays them to create an image with greater dynamic range.
Additionally, Sony is touting the camera's Optical SteadyShot with Active Mode image stabilization, which it says offers compensation for a much larger range of motion than the feature in last year's models did.
Slated for March and available in black, the DSC-HX5V is priced at about $350.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7: Slim, feature-packed touchscreen camera
The other new TransferJet-capable camera is the fashionable DSC-TX7, which measures less than an inch deep and offers touchscreen controls via its 3.5-inch LCD screen.
The 10-megapixel TX7 doesn't offer the optical zoom range, revamped optical stabilization, or geotagging features of the HX5V, but it does have many of the same in-camera features.
Its 4X-optical-zoom lens reaches from 25mm to 100mm, and the camera provides the same AVCHD video capture, Intelligent Sweep Panorama mode, and HDR capabilities as its sibling does. It also offers optical image stabilization, but not the super-powered version found in the HX5V.
The Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 will be available in blue, red, and silver this February for around $400.
Read more of our coverage of CES 2010 here.


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The other day, we told you about watching new footage from Silent Hill: Revelation 3-D, the sequel to Silent Hill, which many people seem to consider the best video-game adaptation ever filmed. And now you can watch a bit of that footage for yourself — here's a piece of the scene where Kit Harrington (Jon Snow from Game of Thrones) is strapped to a table and menaced by knife-wielding nurses.
And yes, when Heather (Adelaide Clemens) asks about her father, she's referring to Harry Mason — played by Sean Bean, who also played the role in the first movie. So this is a Game of Thrones reunion. At the press conference for Silent Hill: Revelation 3-D, we asked how that came to pass. And writer-director Michael J. Bassett told us:
I didn't know at the time. Kit came in to audition for me, and Game of Thrones hadn't been shown yet. Nobody knew who he was. He came in as a talented young actor, for the role. And he was fantastic in the room. He was one of the first guys I met. I knew it was going to be him... And then Game of Thrones came out, and suddenly we've got Jon Snow. I said to Kit, "Sean Bean's in the movie. Dude, that's weird." It's actually quite a small industry — everybody knows everybody else. And I said to Sean, "Oh, are you doing season two of Game of Thrones?" And he went, "Nope." [Does funny imitation of Sean Bean's deep voice.] And now I know why."
Bassett promises that you won't need to know anything about the first movie to enjoy this one — but it does continue the story of Sharon Da Silva, who becomes Heather Mason for reasons that are explained in the movie. And this is an adaptation of the third Silent Hill game. But Bassett says his number one goal was to make a strong movie that stands on its own and requires no prior knowledge. "If you know nothing about Silent Hill and you're not interested in the mythlogy and you've never played the games, this story works for you, because it's basically about a strong young heroine who has to learn the truth of herself. So it works, hopefully — fingers crossed — on every level."
And yes, this film is all practical effects. Says Bassett: "We didn't do a lot of greenscreen stuff at all. We built the world as much as we possibly could, or we found an environment which we could retrofit or apply that Silent Hill aesthetic to." They actually had a ton of props and set dressings from the first movie in storage, and they unloaded truck after truck to help give the movie a lot of the touchstones of the first movie, like the board of Silent Hill and all the displays from the town. There are also creatures from the first movie in this one, along with some new creatures.
Adds Bassett: "Technically, I like people in costumes on the set. I like the real aesthetic. I like to see it and cover it in gel and KY and make it slimy. I like the physical hands-on approach. We did some CG enhancement, because you can do that these days. You can rub out join-marks on the skin. But the intention was always to create a real world, and to put the monsters as far as we could... in front of the actors." And in the game, the monsters exist because they represent something in the minds of the characters, so Bassett came up with a justification for why Heather is seeing all of these particular monsters.
And yes, this film was shot in 3-D (not post-converted.) And Bassett says this makes the rain of ashes look amazing. "3-D really works when things are slow, and the drifting of the ash... you just watch it on screen and you're a little bit hypnotized by it." The other thing about 3-D, says Bassett is, "you can make it more or less 3-D. It's like pulling focus now. You can say, 'As this scene changes, we can psychologically just draw the audience in a little bit by just changing the parallax of the 3-D, the inter-ocular.' And nobody's played with that, and we did that a little bit in this."
Also, Bassett promised you'll hear the iconic music of Akira Yamaoka — "It's not Silent Hill without Akira." Yamaoka did both music and sound design for the games, and it was "massively unique" and "a singular audio identity." The first movie "took that and ran with it. There was no way I was doing Silent Hill without Akira being involved, and he has been." Not only did Akira help with reworking his old themes, but he also contributed some new stuff as well. "It's all there, and it's a really, really good score."
Bassett is the first to admit that almost all video game adaptations, apart from the first Silent Hill, have been "disastrously poor." As a gamer, "there's nothing that I've gone, 'Wow, they really nailed it.'" But at the same time, he approached this as a piece of storytelling first and foremost — not as a game adaptation or a sequel. "To make a video game adaptation work, it's got to not be a video game adaptation — it's just got to be a good movie that tells a good story. And I think that's possibly the mistake that other people are making. But listen, it's hard to make any movie, let alone a good movie."
Silent Hill: Revelation 3-D comes out on October 26.


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Home Page Chess Life Online 2010 March Dean Sweeps the Dean of Chess Academy FIDE Invitational
|Dean Sweeps the Dean of Chess Academy FIDE Invitational
|By Aaron Kiedes
|August 24, 2010
The second annual Dean of Chess Academy FIDE Invitational was held from August 13-22nd. The idea is to give several types of often overlooked players the opportunity to achieve a FIDE rating. Academy members, long-time experts and masters, and up-and-coming nationally ranked scholastic players are the three groups meant to have this opportunity.
This year there were three FIDE hopefuls. All of them were successful in obtaining a FIDE rating. IM Dean Ippolito won the event with a 9/9
score. For the second year in a row National Master David Grasso finished second, this year with 5.5/9. Life Master James West and Rahul Swaminathan finished tied for third with 5/9 points. All of the games can be found at deanofchess.com.
Here is one of Dean's key wins from the tournament:
Final Standings
1st-IM Dean Ippolito 9.0
2nd-NM David Grasso 5.5
3rd-4th- LM James West, Rahul Swaminathan 5.0
5th-Andrew Walker 4.5
6th-8th- FM Stephen Stoyko, Steve Ferrero, Daniel Zhu 4.0
9th-10th- Kevin Chen, Mattew O'Brien 2.0
For a complete list of standings and pairings see www.deanofchess.com.
This writer (Aaron Kiedes) directed the event. More such events are planned as the second Dean of Chess Academy is opening next month in Flemington, NJ. Between both centers, more than 50 monthly events and weekly Grand Prix events will be run in the 5,000+ square feet available.


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Glossary - Z
Click on letter to jump to the list of terms starting with that letter. Click on a term to jump to the full definition. The excerpts on this page show the first line of each definition.
- ZBT — Zeta Beta Tau
- Z-Center — The Zesiger Sports and Fitness Center
- ZLC — Zaragoza Logistics Center (affiliated with the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics)
- ZMIT — The main SAP menu for MIT's financial system
- ZP — Zeta Psi


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If you do a search on Google Video, which now is a video search engine and returns content from YouTube and Google Video, you'll notice an option to watch each video result on the same page, in a small player. This is a good way to preview the content before watching it in full view.
If you have a slow or unreliable Internet connection, you can open more videos at the same time and pause all of them, so that you can watch the videos without interruptions.
Google tested the video PlusBox in the web results, but probably realized that it's more appropriate to use it in Google Video.
Sony confirms the Xperia 5 V is not coming to the US
59 minutes ago


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In 2013, eleven donor-funded projects were completed, two of which have already been externally evaluated. An external evaluation of a third project in Uganda, which finished at the end of 2013, has been planned for the first quarter of 2014. Another five projects in Sudan that were completed in 2013 have not yet been evaluated externally, but are scheduled to be evaluated as part of the country programme evaluation that will be conducted before the closure of the Sudan programme in May 2014. Three other projects completed in 2013 will be internally evaluated. Overall, 73 percent of finalised donor-funded projects will be externally evaluated, representing 83 percent of the total budget for donor-funded projects.
As planned, War Child also commissioned external evaluations on eight projects implemented by our partner organisations in 2013. Four projects were evaluated in Colombia, all of which are part of the broader firstname.lastname@example.com! programme, and two in the occupied Palestinian territory. In some cases projects were evaluated to assess the quality of new partner organisations, in other cases to assess the alignment of the projects with War Child's recalibrated strategy. In addition, the planned external evaluation of the programme in Sri Lanka began in December 2013; the report is expected in March 2014. The internal evaluation of the Performing for Peace methodology used in two projects in Lebanon also started in December, but has been delayed for security reasons. You can find these two evaluations here.
Short-term donor grants for the emergency projects in Lebanon ended in 2013, but the projects will continue through funding by additional grants in 2014. An internal evaluation of the emergency projects was started by War Child's Lebanon team in December 2013, but has been delayed for security reasons.
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There is a bug in your comment system: subject lines containing certain characters (like this one) are liable to be deleted when you try to preview your comment.
Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt
from the i-need-a-coffee dept
The item that got the most attention this week was the news that Keurig plans to include what is essentially DRM in their upcoming line of "2.0" brewers. After the firestorm that post ignited, Keurig raced to put out a weak response discussing all the wonderful reasons that this technology is necessary. Arsik Vek won most insightful comment of the week for catching one of the many flaws in their message:
"It's critical for performance and safety reasons that our new system includes this technology."
So, are they admitting that current Keurig coffee machines are both improperly performing and dangerous? I mean, they lack this feature, right?
When Australian broadcasters complained that Netflix hadn't blocked VPN users, thus giving all those Australian viewers choice and freedom, DB won second place for insightful with an excellent comparison, and exposure of the underlying hypocrisy:
I see this as the same situation as importing low-cost textbooks licensed for foreign markets.
Large companies want the benefits of an open world economy, moving production freely to optimize costs. But they don't want their customers to have the have same freedom to buy where the prices are lower, or the selection is better.
In this case the media companies want to buy their content on the worldwide market, while restricting their customers from doing the same. They want the government to effectively grant them a distribution monopoly.
For editor's choice on the insightful side, we'll start with one more comment on that post, in which edpo underlined just how dumb it is to hate and fear VPNs:
Anyone attempting to criticize VPN's in this day and age is clueless. I am on a VPN all day, for my privacy *and* because that is how my business is set up to work. I can be anywhere in the world and be sitting at my desk, working as I normally do and being productive. My personal interests (privacy and productivity) trump what some technophobe entertainment-industry lawyer thinks I should be doing to maximize his employer's revenue. It's absurd. If I were advocating for changes in *his* industry to help maximize my income at the expense of his employer's interests, the absurdity would be even more obvious.
Next, we've got a response to the post about Homeland Security detaining US citizen Christine Von Der Haar and quizzing her about her sex life and relationship with Greek national Dimitris Papatheodoropoulos. The incident, and the explanation, gave silverscarcat an idea for a new rule for the government:
Any time a government agency says "national security", an immediate investigation by reporters and non-government officials is to be launched to see why it's considered that.
Over on the funny side, we start out by returning to the Keurig post, where sorrykb won first place by making the connection to an incredibly appropriate quote from Douglas Adams:
"When the 'Drink' button is pressed it makes an instant but highly detailed examination of the subject's taste buds, a spectroscopic analysis of the subject's metabolism, and then sends tiny experimental signals down the neural pathways to the taste centres of the subject's brain to see what is likely to be well received. However, no-one knows quite why it does this because it then invariably delivers a cupful of liquid that is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea."
For second place, we head back to the homeland security detainment post, where Michael offered a theory about the government's motives:
They were doing this for the children!
Just think, if these two were married and hyphenated their names, their children would have to learn to spell Von Der Haar-Papatheodoropoulos and forever be unable to fill out government forms because there are not nearly enough boxes for all of those letters.
For editor's choice on the funny side, we start out on the post about the UK's porn filter architect being arrested on child porn charges. Quinn Wilde offered a funny and informative reply, putting this latest embarrassment in the context of the David Cameron government:
We need a Minister for Hypocrisy
For those who need a recap on David Cameron's government:
His Chief Secretary to the Treasury had to resign after fiddling his expenses.
His Director of Communications had to resigned after being implicated in the phone hacking scandal.
His Secretary of State for Defence had to resign after giving his close friend unauthorised access to the Ministry of Defence.
His Immigration Minister had to resign after it emerged his cleaner did not have permission to work in the UK.
And now the architect of the UK porn filter has had to resign having been arrested on suspicion of possession of child pornography.
If only Cameron had a Minister for Hypocrisy this could be the most successful government of all time. Although, given form, he'd probably have to resign after being discovered telling the unequivocal truth about everything and, you know, holding himself to his own standards.
And finally, we've got a short and sweet anonymous comment, pointing out that the accusation that the CIA has been spying on the Senate Intelligence Committee has (unsatisfactorily) answered an old question:
I guess now we know who's watching the watchers.
That's all for this week, folks!


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If there is one type of boating safety equipment you are unlikely to use until you need it in an emergency, it's pyrotechnic/visual distress signals: flares, rockets, smoke signals, and other attention-getting devices that burn, sputter, smoke, or explode. The Coast Guard requires boaters to carry approved visual distress signals, and approves two types: pyrotechnic and non-pyrotechnic devices. The non-pyrotechnic approved device is a three foot orange flag for day use only. (Dye markers and signal mirrors, though useful to attract attention and often carried by boaters, are not Coast Guard approved.)
In the pyrotechnic category, the regulations are broad and how you fill the requirements for your particular type of boating is fairly flexible. The choices include a variety of red handheld or aerial flares for day and/or night use, and devices that emit orange smoke for daytime use. The Coast Guard sets a 42-month service life and expiration dates are stamped on the devices. The International Maritime Organization approves signals for commercial use on the high seas with a SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) rating. These devices far exceed Coast Guard standards for luminosity and many boaters use the more expensive SOLAS devices for the added margin of safety they provide. If you opt for pyrotechnics, you must carry three devices approved for day and/or night use, but beyond that, you have the choice to mix and match what you wish to carry. By far, pyrotechnics are the popular choice and the majority of boaters opt to meet minimum Coast Guard requirements with handheld flares or gun-launched meteors that are approved for day/night use.
But is that the best choice for you? And with the variety of pyrotechnic devices on the market, are there others that would be better for the kind of boating you do?
Since few boaters get the chance to actually use pyrotechnics visual distress signals prior to an emergency, the BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety decided to test a range of commonly available Coast Guard approved devices. We hope this vicarious visit with visual distress signals will help you think through your options in making what could be life-saving decisions.
Don't Try This at Home
We conducted our tests on the Chesapeake Bay off Sandy Point State Park in cooperation with the Maryland Natural Resources Police, Maryland State Police, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Our technicians established two stations for the test boat, one at a quarter-mile off the beach and the other at a half-mile. On shore they set up equipment to gauge the approximate altitude above the water attained by aerial flares, measure burn time for all devices, and to document each test photographically.
The crew, comprised of experienced boaters and landlubbers alike, recorded subjective assessments for brilliance and overall visibility as well. The crew afloat, using a 29′ powerboat as the anchored test platform, launched flares with the help of a gunwale-mounted fixed trajectory launching rail. They also confirmed burn times with a stopwatch and took notes on "user friendliness" and safety values.
The Cold Light of Day
Since so many boaters carry handheld and aerial flares that are approved for day/night use, we wanted to see just how effective these are in daytime conditions. They aren't. Our shore crew found the Coast Guard-approved hand-helds very poor at attracting attention. SOLAS flares were only marginally better in daylight but burned only half as long. Luminosity ratings range from 500 candle power (c.p.) to 15,000 c.p. We found the lowest-rated flares virtually invisible in daylight and the highest rated flares only slightly more visible.
While all handhelds exceeded manufacturer specifications for burn time, beware: These devices generate considerable slag as they burn (hold them well overboard) and they get hot, especially SOLAS flares which burn inside a metal tube that gets really hot.
Aerial flares are also not very visible or attention-getting in daytime, either, and except for the parachute types, burn time is a scant five to six seconds, on average. Real-world conditions of wind, vessel motion, and the angle of the shooter's arm at firing moment can dramatically affect height. Remember, these devices are like firearms and should be treated with equal respect. In fact, we found that aerial flares with self-contained launchers can deliver a strong recoil, posing a risk of injury.
For daytime use, we found the orange smoke devices to be, by far, the most effective at attracting attention. All smoke devices exceeded manufacturer's specifications for burn time and the "hang time" of the brilliant orange plume, even in a moderate breeze, makes smoke our choice for day signaling. Save the flares for after dark.
Rockets' Red Glare
For nighttime distress signaling there are three factors to consider: brightness, burn time, and with aerials, altitude. In the textbook night rescue, your aerial flare, be it meteor or parachute, gets attention and the handheld flare is then used to guide the assisting vessel or aircraft to you.
Unless you are quite a distance from shore or from other help, altitude may not be as critical a factor as luminosity and burn time. In our tests, we found that the Coast Guard-approved parachute flares burned for an average of 25 seconds, while the SOLAS parachute burned for 43 seconds. Yet depending on where you go boating, on rivers, lakes, or other confined waters, for example, meteor flares could be just as effective. Remember they have a short (5-6 second) burn time but cost considerably less so you can stock up accordingly.
Expiration Counts
When it comes to buying visual distress signals, let's face it, you are spending money on something you may never use. If you've been a boater for any length of time, you've probably got a pile of out-of-date hand-held flares and signal rockets aboard your boat. But to be in compliance, you must have unexpired units. Many boaters, however keep expired units aboard as back-up. Since this is such a common practice, we decided to test a variety of expired devices-some long out of date-to see if their performance had diminished.
The answer is yes. There really is a reason for those expiration dates. These devices use a variety of chemicals, all of which can deteriorate over time, either limiting burn time or altitude, or causing the device to fail altogether. We found expired hand-held flares that were very hard to ignite or didn't seem to burn as brightly as they should, and meteor flares that didn't fly as high or burn as long as advertised claims. A few failed to fire at all. However, we still think (and the Coast Guard does, too) that expired pyrotechnic devices are good for backup; just don't depend on them.
In considering which pyrotechnic devices to equip your boat with, remember the two-fold purpose of visual distress signals: to signal that you're in trouble and to direct help to your location. From our experience, small boats in daylight near shore and with heavy boat traffic should consider carrying three hand-held smoke flares to guide assistance to them. Big boats on large bodies of water and night boaters may be best advised to carry aerial meteors or parachute flares to attract attention and handheld flares for help to home-in on. Think of it this way: Aerials give height (that is visibility from a greater distance) while handhelds give duration. Smoke is the best option for day only signaling.
Also consider that exposure justifies expenditure. While SOLAS flares and aerials can be three to four times more expensive, in offshore or remote locations that could be money well spent. As a compromise, however, you may want to carry extra non-SOLAS devices.
You and your crew should be thoroughly familiar with how each device operates, even if you can't discharge them (it's against the law in non-emergency situations). Attending demonstrations of proper handling and use of these devices that are offered by many U.S. Power Squadrons and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary flotillas is a great way to gain firsthand knowledge. Store your pyrotechnics in a red or orange watertight container marked "Distress Signals" and store in a dry, but readily accessible place.
A Note About Disposal
The U.S. Coast Guard no longer accepts old pyrotechnics for disposal, but check with local Coast Guard Auxiliary flotillas; they may be able to use them for safety demonstrations. However, the devices must be Coast Guard-approved, U.S. made, and less than five years old. Failing that, the Coast Guard recommends you take them to your local hazardous waste facility.


text:
Our Chloe turned one last week, and it's been sort of a bittersweet occasion. Sweet because we survived a year; she's blossoming into an incredibly headstrong yet intelligent child and it's been a joy to witness her her daily transition from a baby to a tottering toddler with opinions. She seems to be turning (for better or worse) into a mini version of my judgmental self. And somehow bitter, because of everything else going on in the world today that has left me constantly betrayed and worried about her future.
I never intended to extend this blog into motherhood territory, but I feel that there is now more to be said then ever about the changes I've gone through. I've come full circle into understanding finally what it means to be living consciously; and it doesn't involve curating anything or buying anything. It involves actually learning to be spontaneous and to take things in stride and to just inhale the moment. I've discovered infinite patience and flexibility that I never knew I had in me even as I've become more and more disillusioned and anxious about the world. I find myself remembering that I never wanted to be a mother for the longest time, and now I cannot fathom a world without my child. I find myself looking respectfully at other parents these days, with an understanding and kindly pity for those without partners, families and resources to navigate them through parenthood.
As a childless working woman, I never understood why anyone would subject themselves to 3am feedings, embarrassing tantrums at grocery stores and paychecks that went to paying for diapers instead of vacations. Now as a working mother, I finally understand that sometimes you choose paths you never intend to take and they end up being some of the most rewarding.
I'm still regretful sometimes especially when things like gestational diabetes and hemorrhoids and the inability to enjoy a night out unencumbered wade into my life. Motherhood is probably a joy for some, but for most, I suspect we do it because we're systematically and culturally programmed to. I already know that one is more than enough for me; I neither have the strength nor the selflessness to afford another. And perhaps, the world doesn't need one more person to drain its resources. There are so many other things that seem so much more selfless that I'd imagined myself doing e.g. running an animal sanctuary, adopting one of the millions of abandoned children, working at a food security non-profit, spending my energy overhauling politics and education and welfare. Being a mother and choosing to bring a child up in a world that is so uncertain and scary, and taxing an already fucked environment certainly seems like the most selfish thing I could have done.
And yet somehow my justification (just or not) is this: I will bring my child up to make a difference. That if I could try my damnedest to raise a kind, courageous and thoughtful child who changes the world in her own way it wouldn't just have been a selfish, biological urge. It's the reason I wake each day and trudge along, trying to live and trying to carve meaning; I finally have some end goal to work towards even as hope remains but a distant glimmer for the fate of the earth.


text:
Please note: This is NOT the most current catalog.
Social Studies Education
Director, 2014-15: Robert McClure (Education), K-12 foundations and methods, human geography
Faculty, 2014-15: Courtney Humm (Education), social studies; Sarah Swan-McDonald (Education), social studies methods
The purpose of teaching social studies in middle and high school (grades 5-12) is three-fold: 1) to provide middle and high school students a broad foundation in what is known about human social experience, interaction, and behavior; 2) to provide students with perspectives that will assist them in understanding self and others; and 3) to provide students a foundation for appreciating and critically evaluating claims of knowledge about human social experience, interaction, and behavior.
overview of the major
Social studies education is an interdisciplinary major involving seven disciplines: economics, education, history, geography, political science, psychology, and sociology/anthropology. It is a necessary component for a license to teach social studies in middle school and high school.
The field of social studies education demands reflective practitioners with a broad foundation in the liberal arts and specific knowledge in each of the seven disciplines. The social studies education major equips students with this core content knowledge while also providing multiple opportunities for critical thinking about the various ways we construct knowledge and communicate the human experience. Students may consider a double major with one of the seven disciplines or combine the major with a concentration in racial and ethnic studies or other interdisciplinary concentration. Students may graduate with a social studies education major without completing requirements leading to a license to teach (see additional requirements below).
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE majors
Special Note: All prospective students should read the material in the Education Department section of this catalog and must meet with an Education Department faculty advisor.
Social studies education MAJOR
Social studies education is a 12-course major consisting of 10 prescribed courses and two electives. Students may graduate with a social studies education major without completing requirements leading to a license to teach (see additional requirements below).
Courses include:
History 191: Europe from the Reformation to Modern Times or
History 195: Global Histories from 1500 to the Present
History 199: American History Since 1865
and a level II history area course on Africa, Asia, or Latin America (not from electives lists);
Economics 121: Principles of Economics
Interdisciplinary 234: Human Geography of the Middle East
Political Science 111: American Politics
Psychology 125: Principles of Psychology
Sociology/Anthropology 128: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology or
Sociology/Anthropology 242: Contemporary Native American Issues or
Sociology/Anthropology 264: Race and Class in American Culture
and Education 290: Educational Psychology
and Education 334: Social Studies Perspectives
The remaining required courses are electives selected from two areas--(a) global environmental and (b) multicultural--see department for course choices.
Social Studies major with 5-12 Teaching Licensure
Students must take all twelve courses required for the major described above plus History 198: American History to 1865 and a prescribed set of education courses and experiences required for licensure. Students must meet with Robert McClure, education faculty, to plan their program. Students are encouraged to double major and/or take additional coursework in economics, history, political science, psychology, and sociology.
The licensure program extends student development in disciplinary content and in pedagogy, which meets or exceeds Minnesota Board of Teaching Rules 8710.4800: Standards for Teachers of Social Studies. In addition to courses and student teaching, requirements include passing MTLE standardized tests and observations and teaching in classroom settings, including one in a setting of diversity. For complete information about the teaching license, see EDUCATION, page 125.
special programs
Students may choose from a wide number of domestic and international off-campus study opportunities within each of the various disciplines to complement the major. They can also participate in various off-campus Interims offered through the Education Department provided they meet all prerequisites. Students who pursue a teaching license may consider student teaching in an international setting at one of our partner schools in India. Further information on field experiences, mentoring and tutoring opportunities, and independent study options are available in the Education Center.
334 Social Studies Perspectives
This course examines basic assumptions about social science, primal thought, feminism, humanities, history, post-modernism, and thematic social studies. Students pursue methodologies of structuring knowledge and means of advancing knowledge in each discipline. Students learn how to relate their social studies subject matter to the total social studies curriculum. Offered annually in the spring semester.


text:
Articles in this section
- Do you have restrooms?
- Can I take food or drink into Madame Tussauds Hollywood?
- Do you have baby-changing facilities?
- Can I pay by check?
- Do you have lockers?
- Is there anywhere for me to leave my valuables?
- Are there security checks in place?
- Can I access Wi-Fi within Madame Tussauds Hollywood?
- Is there an ATM machine at Madame Tussauds?
- Can I take large bags or luggage into Madame Tussauds?


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The Places fields
opening_hours.open_now and
utc_offset are deprecated as
of November 20, 2019, and will be turned off on
February 20, 2021. These fields are deprecated ONLY in the
Places Library, Maps JavaScript API. This guide shows you how to update your code to
stop using these fields.
opening_hours.open_now field
This section shows how to update this functionality for each type of Places request.
Place Details requests
opening_hours.open_now field is replaced by the
For Place Details requests,
instead of requesting
opening_hours.open_now in the
fields request
parameter, include
opening_hours and
utc_offset_minutes in the
request parameter, then call the
opening_hours.isOpen() method on the returned
google.maps.places.PlaceResult object to check whether the place is open. The
following example shows a Place Details request that determines whether a place
is open:
new google.maps.places.PlacesService(attrContainer).getDetails({
placeId: '...',
fields: ['opening_hours','utc_offset_minutes'],
}, function (place, status) {
if (status !== 'OK') return; // something went wrong
const isOpenAtTime = place.opening_hours.isOpen(new Date('December 17, 2020 03:24:00'));
if (isOpenAtTime) {
// We know it's open.
const isOpenNow = place.opening_hours.isOpen();
if (isOpenNow) {
// We know it's open.
Find Place requests
For Find Place requests,
there is no replacement for the
opening_hours.open_now field. We recommend
making a Place Details request
to get
opening_hours information.
Nearby Search & Text Search requests
For Nearby Search and Text Search requests, you can use the
request parameter, which has the effect of filtering results to include only
places that are currently open.
openNow:falsereturns all places.
openNow:truereturns only places that are currently open.
To list all places AND indicate
openNow status, first make a request using
openNow:false to get all places, then make a request using
openNow:true to
get open places only. Then, merge the responses.
utc_offset field
In Place Details requests, the
utc_offset field is replaced by the
utc_offset_minutes field. Simply replace occurrences of
utc_offset with
utc_offset_minutes in the
fields request parameter, and when reading this
information from