text:
As it comes from htop's manual page, htop is free (GPL) ncurses-based process viewer, that is similar to top, but allows to scroll the list vertically and horizontally to see all processes and their full command lines. Tasks related to processes (killing, renicing) can be done without entering their PIDs.
I found this utility very useful and powerful in my everyday working process. Here is the comparison between htop and oldie top (taken from htop's site):
1.In 'htop' you can scroll the list vertically and horizontally to see all processes and complete command lines.
2.In 'top' you are subject to a delay for each unassigned key you press (especially annoying when multi-key escape sequences are triggered by accident).
3.'htop' starts faster ('top' seems to collect data for a while before displaying anything).
4.In 'htop' you don't need to type the process number to kill a process, in 'top' you do.
5.In 'htop' you don't need to type the process number or the priority value to renice a process, in 'top' you do.
6.'htop' supports mouse operation, 'top' doesn't
7.'top' is older, hence, more used and tested.
As usual it's possible to install htop in Ubuntu by single command: sudo aptitude install htop.
htop: new generation Linux processes viewer
Saturday, November 3, 2007
As it comes from htop's manual page, htop is free (GPL) ncurses-based process viewer, that is similar to top, but allows to scroll the list vertically and horizontally to see all processes and their full command lines. Tasks related to processes (killing, renicing) can be done without entering their PIDs.
Posted by propulsar at 4:19 AM 1 comments
Labels: htop
Interactive Linux kernel map
As it comes from name of the post, here is interactive Linux kernel map I recently came across. It's available as web application as well as html version. I think you understand who it may be useful for… Good luck in programming...
full pic here
Posted by propulsar at 4:17 AM 0 comments
Labels: LINUX
Linux distro timeline 1992-2007
It was started with Linus' announcement:
Hello everybody out there using minix - I'm doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won't be big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones. This has been brewing since april, and is starting to get ready. I'd like any feedback on things people like/dislike in minix, as my OS resembles it somewhat (same physical layout of the file-system (due to practical reasons) among other things). I've currently ported bash (1.08) and gcc (1.40), and things seem to work. This implies that I'll get something practical within a few months, and I'd like to know what features most people would want. Any suggestions are welcome, but I won't promise I'll implement them Linus (PS. Yes - it's free of any minix code, and it has a multi-threaded fs. It is NOT portable (uses 386 task switching etc.), and it probably never will support anything other than AT-harddisks, as that's all I have :-(."
And today it's timeline is shown at 2003x2841 image…Click on the image for a larger version..
Click here for larger version
Posted by propulsar at 3:49 AM 1 comments
Labels: LINUX
Google phone (GPhone) rumors
Friday, November 2, 2007
"Google's first mobile phone will run a Linux operating system on a Texas Instruments "Edge" chipset, and will likely ship to T-Mobile and Orange customers in the Spring of 2008, according to unconfirmed reports. "GPhone" call minutes and text messages reportedly will be funded by mobile advertising…
News of the so-called "GPhone" or "G-Phone" broke quietly about two weeks ago in the island nation of Singapore, where Jennifer Tan of Reuters subsidiary Anian Research filed a report on July 12.
Tan cited "industry sources," "U.S. sources," and "manufacturing and component supply chain sources" in backing her assertion that after year-long delays finding a manufacturer, Google contracted Taiwan-based smartphone maker High Tech Computer (HTC) to design its phone hardware. HTC is best-known for its Windows Mobile smartphones, however, and Tan offered no conjecture about who might supply the phone's Linux-based operating system.
Additional details reported by Tan include:
* The G-Phone will have a large color screen with a predictive Qwerty keypad to simplify Google searching
* A follow-up 3G-capable model (Edge is considered "2.75G") will use a Qualcomm chipset
* Scheduled for production in Q1 of 2006, the Google phone will hit retail shelves next spring
* Call minutes and text messages are to be funded by "mobile advertising"
* Google originally hoped to launch a phone this year, but was delayed by "difficulties in nailing down a deal with a handset maker"
* T-Mobile will carrier the phone in the U.S., along with (possibly) Orange in other markets
Tan quotes Susquehanna Financial Group analyst Marianne Wolk as having said, "A mobile offering would be consistent with Google's goal to make search accessible. We believe Google would design a solution to facilitate greater use of Google Search and other applications like Google Talk, Gmail, Google Maps, encourage wireless video, and leverage this usage to hasten the market for mobile advertising."
Google itself has declined to comment on rumors it plans to produce a phone, Tan reported."
Posted by propulsar at 6:28 PM 0 comments
Labels: rumors
What is a Linux guy doing at Sun?
As part of Sun Microsystems' first CommunityOne, Ian Murdock, Sun's chief operating system platform strategist and a self-described "Linux guy", hosted a noteworthy session that explored a curious question: How can we make Solaris a better Linux than Linux? Murdock has a storied history in relation to Linux. A Linux user, developer, and advocate since 1993, he founded Debian in 1993, with the goal of creating a complete operating system around the Linux kernel and expanding Linux to a broader audience. In 1999, he co-founded Progeny, a Linux distribution vendor that focused on customization for appliance environments. He was CTO of the Linux Foundation (formerly known as the Free Standards Group) from 2005-2007, and has been chair of the Linux Standards Base from 2005 to the present.
read more
Posted by propulsar at 6:21 PM 0 comments
Labels: LINUX
Linux Halloween! [pic]
our friendly neighbourhood pengiun strikes again!
digg it
Posted by propulsar at 6:18 PM 0 comments
Labels: halloween
Engineering Students Build Next-Generation Bathyscaphe
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering students at the University of Florida have built a fully automated underwater vehicle. Driven by five thrusters and controlled by complex electronics, the bathyscaphe can locate the source of sounds, investigate leaking pipes, and perform other civilian and military tasks that would be too dangerous for manned submergibles, especially during an emergency such as a hurricane .
A Russian submarine is trapped at the bottom of the sea, hurricanes crumble weak levees, and pipes leak. Most of these situations are too dangerous to send in a diver to investigate, but robots are becoming a reality. The military is using them on a daily basis, and now, the newest wave of robots may be diving into the ocean.
"You don't want to put somebody in the water. That's some of the worst, harshest environments. You can instead have a robot do it," says Eric Schwartz, an electrical and computer engineer at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
University of Florida computer, electrical and mechanical engineering students built the future of robotic underwater vehicles, called the SubjuGator. It's a submarine that's completely autonomous, working without any human involvement, and is controlled by 10 microprocessors and one computer. The key components are five thrusters and a highly involved electronics unit.
UF students tested it in a pool and trained it to locate underwater sounds, as well as breaks in pipelines or walls.
"We can go every other way. We can go forward. We can turn this way and that way. We can rotate about this axis..." Schwartz says. "It's programmed. It's basically trained you're trained. We say this is what a pipe looks like. This is what a pipe doesn't look like. This is what a box looks like."
From there, the SubjuGator can track down what it's looking for. And one day a sub like this could help to rescue trapped sailors, repair levees, and find oil leaks before any damage is done.
The applications for a sub like the subjugator are endless. According to Schwartz, they could help tap into oil in the ocean and even run undercover missions for the Navy.
Posted by propulsar at 8:44 PM 0 comments
Labels: The Future of Underwater Robots
MySpace and Google Join Forces to Launch Open Platform for Social Application Development
MySpace, the world's largest social network, and Google, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced that they are joining forces to launch OpenSocial— a set of common APIs for building social applications across the web. The partnership spearheads an initiative to standardize and simplify the development of social applications. Today's announcement underscores MySpace's commitment to supporting standards that foster innovation in an increasingly social Web.
Demo of a MySpace webpage using OpenSocial, a programming model developed at Google
"Our partnership with Google allows developers to gain massive distribution without unnecessary specialized development for every platform," said Chris DeWolfe, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of MySpace. "This is about helping the start-up spend more time building a great product rather than rebuilding it for every social network. We're pleased to collaborate with Google to establish a landmark standard for social applications."
As a founding member of OpenSocial, MySpace will provide critical user mass and platform guidance. The OpenSocial standards are designed to evolve through contribution from the open source community and as new features are developed by various partners. Global members of the OpenSocial community include Engage.com, Friendster, hi5, Hyves, imeem, LinkedIn, Ning, Oracle, orkut, Plaxo, Salesforce.com, Six Apart, Tianji, Viadeo, and XING.
"As the most trafficked website in the country and the most popular social network in the world, MySpace is one of the leading forces in the global social Web," said Dr. Eric Schmidt, Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Executive Officer of Google. "We're thrilled to grow our strategic relationship with MySpace by joining forces on this important initiative."
"As an application developer, we're excited to see MySpace adopting the OpenSocial standard for social application development," said Joe Greenstein, CEO of Flixster. "Application developers have been working with MySpace for a long time—this takes what we can do together to a whole new level. The sheer scale of MySpace makes this extremely exciting for us."
"We're all citizens of a larger Web—no network is an island onto itself," said Aber Whitcomb, CTO of MySpace. "We look forward to continuing to develop great technology with Google and all of the OpenSocial participants. It's exciting that social networks are getting social with each other."
The launch of OpenSocial is the first release of technical details for the forthcoming MySpace Platform. Starting tonight, developers can start writing applications for OpenSocial at http://code.google.com/apis/opensocial which the MySpace Platform will support at launch.
Posted by propulsar at 8:38 PM 0 comments
Labels: GOOGLE
New Software Helps Track the Path of Toxic Spills
Ecological engineers have developed software that can model the path of a toxic spill in waterways anywhere in the United States. The system can predict if and when a contaminant will reach a drinking water intake, and whether its concentration will be high enough to be a threat. The data base covers more than 300 potential water contaminants, and can be used to alert first responders of potential risks.
If our drinking water supply is contaminated, accidentally or intentionally, a spill response team goes to work, getting the situation under control as quickly as possible. Now new computer software is helping make the response even quicker -- all across the country.
"The first thing we want to do is find out how big of a threat it is," Doug Stolz, of Olympia, Washington's, Hazardous Materials Spill Response Team, tells DBIS. "We want to assess the threat, determine what the material is, and what its characteristics are."
Testing the water helps answer those questions. New software will help even more. Ecological engineer Douglas Ryan helped develop the Incident Command (IC) Water Tool. It shows a contaminant moving through water in real time.
"It puts the information that the incident commanders and the first responders need in their hands quickly enough that they can take action to protect the public at times when time is really critical," Ryan, of the USDA Forest Service, tells DBIS.
The IC Water Tool answers these four questions: Where's the contaminant going? Is there a drinking water intake along the path? If there is, when will the contaminant reach it? And will the contaminant's level be high enough to be a threat to people?
Ryan says, "Right now, that sort of information is scattered in many different places. And to pull it together quickly to be of use to incident commanders takes time and they often don't have that time."
The IC Water Tool can get the information to first responders anywhere in the country making our drinking water safer, quicker. The database covers more than 300 types of potential water contaminants. The software has maps of anywhere a contaminant can enter the water system and each location of where drinking water comes from nationwide. The Department of Defense is distributing the tool.
Posted by propulsar at 8:35 PM 0 comments
Labels: software
New Computer Architecture Aids Emergency Response
Princeton researchers have invented a computer architecture that enables the secure transmission of crucial rescue information to first responders during events such as natural disasters, fires or terrorist attacks.
Electrical engineering professor Ruby Lee said the new architecture allows for what she describes as "transient trust" -- the ability to transmit sensitive information to parties on an as-needed basis so that it cannot be intercepted by others and so that access stops as soon as the recipient no longer has a legitimate need for it.
Data provided on a transient-trust basis might include floor plans of a building, medical information about occupants, or satellite maps of a given area.
The new SP (Secret Protection) computer architecture relies on two new elements that are embedded in the hardware of an electronic device: a "device root key" and a "storage root hash."
A trusted authority such as a municipal Fire Department would initialize a device -- for example, a PDA used by a firefighter -- with these features so that during an emergency a firefighter could be given access to relevant floor plans, security codes or other essential information. Once the emergency was over, the access to this sensitive information would end.
This new research emerged from the Princeton Architecture Lab for Multimedia and Security (PALMS) led by Lee, the Forrest G. Hamrick Professor of Engineering. The lab's major focus is "clean-slate" computer architecture design. As chief computer architect at Hewlett-Packard, Lee was a key figure in a revolution in computer architecture that swept through the industry in the 1980s. Since coming to Princeton, Lee has been working to revolutionize computer architecture again.
"Computers were not originally designed with security as a goal," said Lee. "I'm trying to rethink the design of computers so they can be trustworthy while at the same time retain all their original design goals, such as high performance, low cost and energy efficiency."
Lee aims to build fundamental security features directly into the hardware of a device, whether it is a personal computer, cell phone or PDA. Her researchers are working to build "trust anchors" into computer hardware to which different software can be tethered, to provide important security coverage.
Lee said that many researchers do not think it is possible to build security features into computer hardware without slowing the computer down or causing it to consume lots of power. However, research done by her lab demonstrates that this is not the case.
"Our research shows that these hardware 'roots of trust' are actually quite deployable on consumer devices like desktop computers or PDAs, and also in sensor networks and larger servers," said Lee. The work is part of the SecureCore multi-university research project, funded by the NSF Cybertrust program and DARPA, which aims to integrate essential security into the hardware, software and networking at the core of commodity computing and communications devices.
In addition to trust anchors for software, Lee is also researching hardware "safety nets" to defend against software vulnerabilities that remote attackers exploit to gain entry into a computer. The ultimate goal is to inoculate individual computers and electronic devices such as cell phones against threats like viruses, worms and bots so that they cannot infect, or be used to attack, other machines.
A paper describing the new architecture by Lee and her graduate student Jeffrey Dwoskin will be presented Wed., Oct. 31, at the ACM Computer and Communications Security conference in Alexandria, Va.
Lee's students study all aspects of building more secure microprocessors and hardware. In June, at the IEEE Symposium on Computer Arithmetic, Lee and Yedidya Hilewitz, a graduate student at Princeton, published a paper which proposes a revolutionary design of a fundamental functional unit of microprocessors that greatly expands a computer's ability to perform "advanced bit manipulation operations," which are very useful for fast cryptography and cryptanalysis, as well as for many other applications.
Lee is also studying computer architecture that prevents leakage of information through covert channels and side channels. At the International Symposium on Computer Architecture in June, Zhenghong Wang, one of Lee's graduate students, presented a paper describing a hardware approach to preventing so-called "software side-channel attacks" during which attackers exploit the cache memories that are shared between computer programs to leak secret cryptographic keys .
In September, at the Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems conference, Lee's researchers, Reouven Elbaz and David Champagne, presented a hardware memory integrity solution to rebuff memory replay attacks, where attackers try to trick a computer into accepting material as still legitimate even though it has already been officially deleted.
Posted by propulsar at 8:31 PM 0 comments
Labels: COMPUTER
Open-Source 3D Printer Lets Users Make Anything
Picture a 3D inkjet printer that deposits droplets of plastic, layer by layer, gradually building up an object of any shape. Fabbers have been around for two decades, but they've always been the pricey playthings of high-tech labs — and could only use a single material. A Fab at Home kit costs around $2400 and allows users to print anything from Hors d'Oeuvres to flashlights."
Posted by propulsar at 8:20 PM 0 comments
Labels: opensource
Software 'Chipper' Speeds Debugging
Computer scientists at UC Davis have developed a technique to speed up program debugging by automatically "chipping" the software into smaller pieces so that bugs can be isolated more easily.
Computer programs consist of thousands, tens or even hundreds of thousands of lines of code. To isolate a bug in the code, programmers often break it into smaller pieces until they can pin down the error in a smaller stretch that is easier to manage. UC Davis graduate student Chad Sterling and Ron Olsson, professor of computer science, set out to automate that process.
"It's really tedious to go through thousands of lines of code," Olsson said.
The "Chipper" tools developed by Sterling and Olsson chip off pieces of software while preserving the program structure.
"The pieces have to work after they are cut down," Olsson said. "You can't just cut in mid-sentence."
In a recent paper in the journal "Software -- Practice and Experience," Olsson and Sterling describe ChipperJ, a version developed for the Java programming language. ChipperJ was able to reduce large programs to 20 to 35 percent of their former size in under an hour.
Posted by propulsar at 8:08 PM 0 comments
Labels: news
How to Turn your Mac into a Haunted Computer
How would you like to have someone walk by a Mac that no one is touching… and have it scare the beejeebuz out of them? It's quite an easy thing to turn your Mac into a seemingly haunted machine, and I'm going to show you how. Thanks to Wirelesspacket for this tip.
You need to have at least one Mac in the house, of course, in order to do this. First you'll need to prepare the Mac to talk by going into the System Preferences and make your way into Sharing Preferences. This is normally used for screen and file sharing. However, today we're going to go there to enable SSH functionality and turn on Remote Login.
I can now connect to this Mac from any other machine on my network, be it another Mac, a Windows computer or even a Linux box. I'm going to need to open a Terminal Window (Command Prompt in Windows). There, I just type the command say followed by a space, and then whatever text I want the Mac to say out loud. Think about it. Someone could be working on their machine, and suddenly it could say to them "Fatal Error! Please Restart! Contact your System Administrator!".
Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:
Posted by propulsar at 7:48 PM 0 comments
Labels: mac
Learn UNIX in 10 minutes(V-1.3)
This is something that I had given out to students (CAD user training) in years past.
The purpose was to have on one page the basics commands for getting started using
the UNIX shell (so that they didn't call me asking what to do the first time someone
gave them a tape).
This document is copyrighted but freely redistributable under the terms of the GFDL .
Send me patches, comments, corrections, about whatever you think is wrong or should be
included. I am always happy to hear from you. Please include the word "UNIX" in your subject.
Moving around the file system:
Listing directory contents:
Changing file permissions and attributes
Moving, renaming, and copying files:
Viewing and editing files:
Environment variables
Interactive History
Filename Completion
Bash is the way cool shell.
Command Substitution
Searching for strings in files: The grep command
Searching for files : The find command
Reading and writing tapes, backups, and archives: The tar command
File compression: compress, gzip, and bzip2
Looking for help: The man and apropos commands
Basics of the vi editor
Basic UNIX Command Line (shell) navigation : Last revised May 17 2001
File and directory paths in UNIX use the forward slash "/"
to separate directory names in a path.
/ "root" directory
/usr directory usr (sub-directory of / "root" directory)
/usr/STRIM100 STRIM100 is a subdirectory of /usr
Moving around the file system:
pwd Show the "present working directory", or current directory.
cd Change current directory to your HOME directory.
cd /usr/STRIM100 Change current directory to /usr/STRIM100.
cd INIT Change current directory to INIT which is a sub-directory of the current
cd .. Change current directory to the parent directory of the current directory.
cd $STRMWORK Change current directory to the directory defined by the environment
variable 'STRMWORK'.
cd ~bob Change the current directory to the user bob's home directory (if you have permission).
Listing directory contents:
ls list a directory
ls -l list a directory in long ( detailed ) format
for example:
$ ls -l
drwxr-xr-x 4 cliff user 1024 Jun 18 09:40 WAITRON_EARNINGS
-rw-r--r-- 1 cliff user 767392 Jun 6 14:28 scanlib.tar.gz
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | owner group size date time name
| | | | number of links to file or directory contents
| | | permissions for world
| | permissions for members of group
| permissions for owner of file: r = read, w = write, x = execute -=no permission
type of file: - = normal file, d=directory, l = symbolic link, and others...
ls -a List the current directory including hidden files. Hidden files start
with "."
ls -ld * List all the file and directory names in the current directory using
long format. Without the "d" option, ls would list the contents
of any sub-directory of the current. With the "d" option, ls
just lists them like regular files.
Changing file permissions and attributes
chmod 755 file Changes the permissions of file to be rwx for the owner, and rx for
the group and the world. (7 = rwx = 111 binary. 5 = r-x = 101 binary)
chgrp user file Makes file belong to the group user.
chown cliff file Makes cliff the owner of file.
chown -R cliff dir Makes cliff the owner of dir and everything in its directory tree.
You must be the owner of the file/directory or be root before you can do any of these things.
Moving, renaming, and copying files:
cp file1 file2 copy a file
mv file1 newname move or rename a file
mv file1 ~/AAA/ move file1 into sub-directory AAA in your home directory.
rm file1 [file2 ...] remove or delete a file
rm -r dir1 [dir2...] recursivly remove a directory and its contents BE CAREFUL!
mkdir dir1 [dir2...] create directories
mkdir -p dirpath create the directory dirpath, including all implied directories in the path.
rmdir dir1 [dir2...] remove an empty directory
Viewing and editing files:
cat filename Dump a file to the screen in ascii.
more filename Progressively dump a file to the screen: ENTER = one line down
SPACEBAR = page down q=quit
less filename Like more, but you can use Page-Up too. Not on all systems.
vi filename Edit a file using the vi editor. All UNIX systems will have vi in some form.
emacs filename Edit a file using the emacs editor. Not all systems will have emacs.
head filename Show the first few lines of a file.
head -n filename Show the first n lines of a file.
tail filename Show the last few lines of a file.
tail -n filename Show the last n lines of a file.
The behavior of the command line interface will differ slightly depending
on the shell program that is being used.
Depending on the shell used, some extra behaviors can be quite nifty.
You can find out what shell you are using by the command:
echo $SHELL
Of course you can create a file with a list of shell commands and execute it like
a program to perform a task. This is called a shell script. This is in fact the
primary purpose of most shells, not the interactive command line behavior.
Environment variables
You can teach your shell to remember things for later using environment variables.
For example under the bash shell:
export CASROOT=/usr/local/CAS3.0 Defines the variable CASROOT with the value
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$CASROOT/Linux/lib Defines the variable LD_LIBRARY_PATH with
the value of CASROOT with /Linux/lib appended,
or /usr/local/CAS3.0/Linux/lib
By prefixing $ to the variable name, you can evaluate it in any command:
cd $CASROOT Changes your present working directory to the value of CASROOT
echo $CASROOT Prints out the value of CASROOT, or /usr/local/CAS3.0
printenv CASROOT Does the same thing in bash and some other shells.
Interactive History
A feature of bash and tcsh (and sometimes others) you can use
the up-arrow keys to access your previous commands, edit
them, and re-execute them.
Filename Completion
A feature of bash and tcsh (and possibly others) you can use the
TAB key to complete a partially typed filename. For example if you
have a file called constantine-monks-and-willy-wonka.txt in your
directory and want to edit it you can type 'vi const', hit the TAB key,
and the shell will fill in the rest of the name for you (provided the
completion is unique).
Bash is the way cool shell.
Bash will even complete the name of commands and environment variables.
And if there are multiple completions, if you hit TAB twice bash will show
you all the completions. Bash is the default user shell for most Linux systems.
grep string filename > newfile Redirects the output of the above grep
command to a file 'newfile'.
grep string filename >> existfile Appends the output of the grep command
to the end of 'existfile'.
The redirection directives, > and >> can be used on the output of most commands
to direct their output to a file.
The pipe symbol "|" is used to direct the output of one command to the input
of another.
For example:
ls -l | more This commands takes the output of the long format directory list command
"ls -l" and pipes it through the more command (also known as a filter).
In this case a very long list of files can be viewed a page at a time.
du -sc * | sort -n | tail
The command "du -sc" lists the sizes of all files and directories in the
current working directory. That is piped through "sort -n" which orders the
output from smallest to largest size. Finally, that output is piped through "tail"
which displays only the last few (which just happen to be the largest) results.
Command Substitution
You can use the output of one command as an input to another command in another way
called command substitution. Command substitution is invoked when by enclosing the
substituted command in backwards single quotes. For example:
cat `find . -name aaa.txt`
which will cat ( dump to the screen ) all the files named aaa.txt that exist in the current
directory or in any subdirectory tree.
Searching for strings in files: The grep command
grep string filename prints all the lines in a file that contain the string
Searching for files : The find command
find search_path -name filename
find . -name aaa.txt Finds all the files named aaa.txt in the current directory or
any subdirectory tree.
find / -name vimrc Find all the files named 'vimrc' anywhere on the system.
find /usr/local/games -name "*xpilot*"
Find all files whose names contain the string 'xpilot' which
exist within the '/usr/local/games' directory tree.
Reading and writing tapes, backups, and archives: The tar command
The tar command stands for "tape archive". It is the "standard" way to read
and write archives (collections of files and whole directory trees).
Often you will find archives of stuff with names like stuff.tar, or stuff.tar.gz. This
is stuff in a tar archive, and stuff in a tar archive which has been compressed using the
gzip compression program respectivly.
Chances are that if someone gives you a tape written on a UNIX system, it will be in tar format,
and you will use tar (and your tape drive) to read it.
Likewise, if you want to write a tape to give to someone else, you should probably use
tar as well.
Tar examples:
tar xv Extracts (x) files from the default tape drive while listing (v = verbose)
the file names to the screen.
tar tv Lists the files from the default tape device without extracting them.
tar cv file1 file2
Write files 'file1' and 'file2' to the default tape device.
tar cvf archive.tar file1 [file2...]
Create a tar archive as a file "archive.tar" containing file1,
tar xvf archive.tar extract from the archive file
tar cvfz archive.tar.gz dname
Create a gzip compressed tar archive containing everything in the directory
'dname'. This does not work with all versions of tar.
tar xvfz archive.tar.gz
Extract a gzip compressed tar archive. Does not work with all versions of tar.
tar cvfI archive.tar.bz2 dname
Create a bz2 compressed tar archive. Does not work with all versions of tar
File compression: compress, gzip, and bzip2
The standard UNIX compression commands are compress and uncompress. Compressed files have
a suffix .Z added to their name. For example:
compress part.igs Creates a compressed file part.igs.Z
uncompress part.igs Uncompresseis part.igs from the compressed file part.igs.Z.
Note the .Z is not required.
Another common compression utility is gzip (and gunzip). These are the GNU compress and
uncompress utilities. gzip usually gives better compression than standard compress,
but may not be installed on all systems. The suffix for gzipped files is .gz
gzip part.igs Creates a compressed file part.igs.gz
gunzip part.igs Extracts the original file from part.igs.gz
The bzip2 utility has (in general) even better compression than gzip, but at the cost of longer
times to compress and uncompress the files. It is not as common a utility as gzip, but is
becoming more generally available.
bzip2 part.igs Create a compressed Iges file part.igs.bz2
bunzip2 part.igs.bz2 Uncompress the compressed iges file.
Looking for help: The man and apropos commands
Most of the commands have a manual page which give sometimes useful, often more or less detailed, sometimes cryptic and unfathomable discriptions of their usage. Some say they are called man pages because they are only for real men.
man ls Shows the manual page for the ls command
You can search through the man pages using apropos
apropos build Shows a list of all the man pages whose discriptions contain the word "build"
Do a man apropos for detailed help on apropos.
Basics of the vi editor
Opening a file
vi filename
Creating text
Edit modes: These keys enter editing modes and type in the text
of your document.
i Insert before current cursor position
I Insert at beginning of current line
a Insert (append) after current cursor position
A Append to end of line
r Replace 1 character
R Replace mode
<ESC> Terminate insertion or overwrite mode
Deletion of text
x Delete single character
dd Delete current line and put in buffer
ndd Delete n lines (n is a number) and put them in buffer
J Attaches the next line to the end of the current line (deletes carriage return).
u Undo last command
cut and paste
yy Yank current line into buffer
nyy Yank n lines into buffer
p Put the contents of the buffer after the current line
P Put the contents of the buffer before the current line
cursor positioning
^d Page down
^u Page up
:n Position cursor at line n
:$ Position cursor at end of file
^g Display current line number
h,j,k,l Left,Down,Up, and Right respectivly. Your arrow keys should also work if
if your keyboard mappings are anywhere near sane.
string substitution
:n1,n2:s/string1/string2/[g] Substitute string2 for string1 on lines
n1 to n2. If g is included (meaning global),
all instances of string1 on each line
are substituted. If g is not included,
only the first instance per matching line is
^ matches start of line
. matches any single character
$ matches end of line
These and other "special characters" (like the forward slash) can be "escaped" with \
i.e to match the string "/usr/STRIM100/SOFT" say "\/usr\/STRIM100\/SOFT"
:1,$:s/dog/cat/g Substitute 'cat' for 'dog', every instance
for the entire file - lines 1 to $ (end of file)
:23,25:/frog/bird/ Substitute 'bird' for 'frog' on lines
23 through 25. Only the first instance
on each line is substituted.
Saving and quitting and other "ex" commands
These commands are all prefixed by pressing colon (:) and then entered in the lower
left corner of the window. They are called "ex" commands because they are commands
of the ex text editor - the precursor line editor to the screen editor
vi. You cannot enter an "ex" command when you are in an edit mode (typing text onto the screen)
Press <ESC> to exit from an editing mode.
:w Write the current file.
:w new.file Write the file to the name 'new.file'.
:w! existing.file Overwrite an existing file with the file currently being edited.
:wq Write the file and quit.
:q Quit.
:q! Quit with no changes.
:e filename Open the file 'filename' for editing.
:set number Turns on line numbering
:set nonumber Turns off line numbering
The USENET FAQs should be the first place you look for an answer to specific questions.
You can find most of them at RTFM
The contents of this directory includes vi, bash, and comp.unix.questions FAQs.
Searching USENET archives are very useful too.
google.com has a USENET archive (formerly Deja.com's) .
Advanced Group Search rules.
This document was converted from plain text using Vim and
then hacked. Vim is the best version of the one true text editor: vi.
Posted by propulsar at 1:56 AM 0 comments
why Apple should buy Sony?
When a company becomes as big as Apple is today, acquisitions become a way to grow quickly and increase synergy towards major corporate goals. Apple long ago stated its
target of living room convergence with video, computer and music, all interactive with the Mac. AppleTV is the first element of that convergence. Steve Jobs has publicly stated that he admires Sony. Apple and Sony go way back in minor collaborations. My first laptop was a PowerBook 100, an Apple Mac manufactured by Sony.
Sony represents some great building blocks to make the transformation of Apple Computer into Apple, the electronics company. Owning Sony would combine the strengths of two great companies into a conglomerate that might blow the competition away. Sony has recently lost its way and needs focus to regain its former glory. Its value is down enough to make it a takeover target in the right situation. Look at the intersections of interest between the companies.
Sony of course, owns PlayStation, which would give Apple the game franchise it lacks. Apple could use that block in building the electronic living room of the future. How would you like to run PlayStation games on a Mac or in HDTV format on your Sony theater HD video display? How about a Sony HDTV camcorder with a built-in hard drive built in that records video in a format that would allow your Mac to use that video directly in the camera and then burn to a Blu-Ray disk, without ever transferring the video into the computer. Electronic devices are commonly "close but no cigar" to doing the cool things that are so "Apple." Sony needs that extra "cool factor" that they have lost sight of over the years, that instinct to know what customers really want is what Apple has in spades.
Blu-ray is another Sony property that Apple can help Sony build on. Apple is one of the early adopters of the Blu-ray high definition video format and we will see Blu-ray disk drives in Macs very soon. The "Apple falling on the Blu-ray side of the fence" will help stop HD-DVD (Toshiba) and make Blu-ray the standard HD disk format. Apple is far and away the innovation leader in computer technology and Apple controlling Blu-Ray technology would send a powerful message; and don't forget the revenue stream from licensing Blu-ray.
Sony TV sets are some of the best video displays in the market place. Like Apple, Sony tends to be the quality leader in it's products. Apple could help Sony focus its R&D, spell that "Steve Jobs," Mr. focus himself. The world class product design of Apple combined with Sony could create an entirely new design engine that might revolutionize our living rooms in 5 years time. Sony has been losing ground on it's market share of big screen TV sets, perhaps Apple can help them design wise, especially with user interface and connect-ability.
Sony holds a lot of patents (over 25,000 US Patents) that combined with Apple technology would be a powerful collaboration of synergy. Intellectual property alone, makes the collaboration interesting, let alone the market and manufacturing implications. The international aspect of Sony and Apple would wear out Steve's old jet, and allow him to buy a nicer brand new one. (Steve, you deserve it) This combination might help Apple sell Macs and iPods in Japan. Remember the halo effect.
Sony pictures and music is an additional property that Steve might find useful, since he's Disney's largets individual shareholder anyway. With the entire Disney and Sony film library in the iTunes store, you have instant content, to make the lagging Apple TV device succeed. Content, content content! Sony's music portfolios and recording companies in addition to the extensive movie library are very valuable to Apple for exclusive sale though the iTunes store. Why negotiate a deal when you can just own them?
Some Sony products that are lagging could be discontinued such as Sony's lackluster music players in favor of iPods sold through Sony distribution. Keep in mind the Sony distribution channels are well established and have valuable marketing aspects Apple might well use to its advantage. Sony has a repair system in place to help with electronic repairs across the board. Some Sony assets could be sold off to help pay for the purchase.
Apple has a big fat bank account, a virtual mountain of cash and perhaps it is time to spend some of it to control Sony. There are a lot of creative ways to do it and I wonder if the thought has crossed the mind of Mr. Jobs. I am thinking Wall Street would like the idea. And Sony might even favor a merger as well. As a die hard Mac fan I can only hope that as Apple grows, it never ceases to be the "Apple" that us Mac fans know and love!
Posted by propulsar at 1:32 AM 0 comments
Labels: apple
144,000 Installs of AppSnapp
iPhoneAtlas reports that one click web-based Jailbreak for the iPhone and iPod Touch has seen 144,000 downloads since its release. The programmers estimates that this number represents approximately 100,000 actual devices.
AppSnapp allows iPhone and iPod Touch users to "jailbreak" their device easily to allow installation of 3rd party applications. Using the known TIFF exploit, by simply downloading the image on your device's Safari browser triggers the application to open up the iPhone and install the proper applications.
Posted by propulsar at 1:14 AM 0 comments
Labels: APPS
How ATI's new numbering works
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
THE NEW NAMING scheme for ATI cards is about to see the light of day, and frighteningly enough, this one makes sense. What were those product planners thinking?
Theo told you about the names Monday, but how those names come about is interesting. Take the 3870 for example, or to use the full marketspeak, ATI Radeon HD 3870. The first number, 3, denotes the Generation. Why this is different from the 2x00 line I don't know, but from now on, this should advance generationally, whatever that means.
The second number, in this case x8xx, connotes Family, and the last two digits, xx70 is the Variant. 70 is equivalent to XT, 50 is the new name for Pro, and 13 is the card from that company you never heard of with the Englishish manual and no web site. Don't buy the 3813.
When the next gen variants of the 2400 and 2600 come out, expect to see a 3x50 and 3x70, and likely with a few other variants as well.
Last up, there is a card named ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 on the slides that we have seen, with a release date of 'winter'. The non-X2 line has a price listed as $150-250, while the X2 is in the same price point as the 2900XT, or about $400. I guess that would make the X2 two higher end 3870s on a PCB, but that is not specified.
I suppose all of these questions and more will be answered on the 15th.
Posted by propulsar at 9:17 PM 0 comments
Labels: ati
Why Non-Technical Users Might Find Shell Scripting Useful
You know, I've never found any real use for a shell script. Recently, I found an actual reason to write one for moving and converting audio files using a few less keystrokes.
I admit it, I'm really a desktop user who doesn't mind getting under the hood every now and then. I enjoy playing with the 'big' toys, like RDBMSes because I can afford to. But mostly, using GNU/Linux affords me an opportunity to do what I need and want to do for a price that can't be beat. Much as I've tried, the only shell scripts I've written in the past were pretty contrived, or simply following some tutorial. Now I have a shell script I can actually make use of.
I'm not going to try to teach Bash scripting here. There are plenty of places where you can learn that. LinuxCommand.org is one. The Advanced Bash-Scripting Guide is another. But I do want to make the argument that even non-technical people ought to consider taking a little time to learn something about the Bash shell and how to write a simple script.
For those that don't already know, I'm using gNewSense, a GNU/Linux distribution that aims at being completely libre, on my laptop. But at least one site I use offers some content only in RealMedia or MP3 format. Unfortunately, MP3 is hampered by patent issues, and I prefer to avoid that. So I started downloading the MP3 files and converting them to Ogg-Vorbis, and then deleting the MP3 files. But that requires downloading the files, moving them into the folder I want, and then converting and deleting them.
First, let me explain the need to move the files. Most of the time, I put my downloaded files in one folder, and choose a different folder for multimedia files by choosing "Save link as" from the context menu. In this case, the site uses a dialog that makes this approach impossible. So, after I download the file, it's a matter of dragging it to the right place in Konqueror, or typing the appropriate command at a Bash prompt. Then I have to run mp32ogg using Bash. And, of course, I have to delete the MP3 file when I'm finished. Using a shell script simplifies this task.
The whole command-line sequence to accomplish my task involves three commands: 'mv', 'mp32ogg', and 'rm'. Of course, in the text file I created, I added the standard initial comment lines:
# Move MP3 files from /downloads to /media/mp3 and convert to Ogg-Vorbis format
mv downloads/*.mp3 media/mp3
mp32ogg media/mp3/
rm media/mp3/*.mp3
So then I saved the file and made it executable. Now, instead of typing those commands, I just open a Bash prompt and type the one new command I created, like this, after downloading the file:
So, now I download the file, type the new command, and play it Amarok.
This may seem a bit contrived. After all, why not just download the MP3 codec, or use a distribution that supports MP3 out of the box? I've already answered that - there are legal issues that lead me to avoid MP3. The site I use has not responded yet to my request for Ogg-Vorbis files, and avoiding the site is detrimental to my goals, unfortunately.
The other reason this is a good example, rather than a bad one, is that, in the Free/Open Source Software community, there are numerous ways to do any particular task. So, while some newbies or non-technical folks might prefer the path of least resistance, and choose a distro that supports MP3 out of the box, this example demonstrates that you can make up new commands as you go (within reason, of course) to simplify what might seem like an otherwise daunting task.
A more typical task for shell scripting is automating your back-ups or auto-configuring your wifi card at boot-time, depending on your location. Blue GNU readers will surely be able to offer other examples. But I hope that non-technical people will be able to see better why anyone would even bother trying to write a shell script.
Note:As has been pointed out in the comments, this script needs some error checking and could probably be greatly enhanced.
Posted by propulsar at 8:36 PM 0 comments
Labels: programming
Don't be afraid, Linux isn't just for geeks
Monday, October 29, 2007
It came out earlier this week that Dell will soon offer computers running Linux instead of Windows. Not all of its machines, obviously — the company wants to stay in business — but Linux will be an option on at least two desktops and one laptop models.
It's going to be an interesting experiment. Linux is an incredibly powerful operating system, but it's a tinkerers' OS designed to let you get under the hood. There is also a huge base of developers who are coming up with new features, new software, and better ways to do things.
Older versions of Linux were strictly the province of geeks who wanted to play. But for the past several years there's been a large and growing movement to make it accessible to the non-geek — to make it as user-friendly as Windows, but with the power of the Linux community behind it.
The version of Linux Dell will be offering, Ubuntu (it's pronounced "oo-boon-too"), is one of the most popular, user-friendly, and well-designed versions — or distros —available. It's got all of Linux's power and stability, it's completely free (as is most of the software available for it), it's tweakable, and it's — mostly — easy to use.
But "mostly" is the key.
For me, part of determining whether Linux is ready for primetime is whether it would pass the Minandeli test. That refers to my parents, Min and Eli, who are no longer novice Windows users, but far from experts. Could they use Linux?
That in mind, a few weeks ago I set out to play with the latest versions of some Linux distros. The four at the top of my list were Ubuntu and its sister, Kubuntu, as well as OpenSUSE and PCLinuxOS, all of which were reportedly well designed and easy to use.
Alas, the PCLinuxOS download sites were offline and OpenSUSE didn't like my monitor, so I spent my time with Ubuntu and Kubuntu. (They're based on the same underlying code, but have different desktops, analogous to hatchback and sedan versions of the same car.)
Conveniently, Dell played right into my hands by choosing to offer a Linux distro that I had an opportunity to use.
Smooth operators
Let no one say that Linux — specifically Ubuntu and Kubuntu — isn't a beautiful, mature operating system. It installs quickly and easily.
A Windows or Mac user would feel quickly at home, and would enjoy some of Linux's nicer features, such as my favorite: multiple desktops you can switch among.
And Windows has nothing on Adept, Linux's add and remove programs feature. It doesn't just help you remove unwanted programs. It also gives you access to hundreds of pieces of software — from simple games to powerful office applications — stored in online libraries called repositories. It's like having a huge software store at your fingertips, where everything is free.
And that's where you get the first inkling of Linux's weak spots. There are two facts about Linux that deeply affect the user experience. First, there is a huge and dedicated Linux development community. This is good and bad.
If you thought the amount of software that's preinstalled on a new Windows computer was bad, Ubuntu will knock you over. Sure, it's nice having all those free programs at your disposal (unlike what's on a lot of Windows systems, this stuff isn't trialware). But for someone just getting his feet wet on a new operating system it's what psychology professor Barry Schwartz famously termed " a tyranny of choice."
Want to play music? There are 11 music players to choose from, including Audacious, JuK, and Quark. Need a text editor? Would you prefer GTKedit, Kate, KEdit, KWrite, Leafpad, Mousepad, or xae? All are available with a click or two from the gigantic repository.
If you want to install something that's not in the repositories, though, you might run into another non-Windows-like aspect of Linux. It's much more modular than Windows, so many programs need other software in place in order to work — something called "dependencies."
Thus when I tried to install the Cinelerra video editor, I had to first install some other things, and some of those needed things as well. Had my geek gene not been expressing itself, it would have been impossible.
Linux users are comfortable with this, judging by a comment in an article written earlier this year about Cinelerra: "...installation is simple: I add the correct Cinelerra repository for my CPU, along with the Debian Multimedia repository, to my /etc/apt/sources.list file, then update and install Cinelerra."
Linux folks are some of the best tinkerers on the planet, so this kind of stuff is second nature to them. My parents, not so much.
And while Linux itself — especially the version Dell will offer — is slick, much of the software available for it is not. It lacks the polish of many of the applications you'll find for Windows and the Mac.
The GIMP, the Linux image editor on par with Photoshop, really isn't on par at all. Yes, you can do most of the same things, but if you're coming over from the Adobe product you'll find The GIMP rough around the edges, to say the least.
And if you want to do video editing, forget it. There are a handful of programs available, notably Kino and Cinelerra, but neither works as smoothly as, say, Sony Vegas or even Adobe Premiere.
The best office suite for Linux is OpenOffice.org, which is very, very good ... but, again, a step below Microsoft Office when it comes to smoothness and polish.
Is Linux a viable desktop option if you're buying a Dell computer? Absolutely, as long as you're not interested in video editing (and you image-editing needs are limited), and as long as you're willing to put up with rough edges in exchange for a free operating system, freedom from just about any virus, and the potential to tinker to your heart's content.
Posted by propulsar at 5:12 AM 0 comments
Labels: LINUX


text:
^dead horse point^
^dead horse point^
^mesa arch^
^outside of the visitors center^
Recap of Monday: yesterday we drove to Canyonlands National Park and stopped at a ton of cool spots. It was kind of freaky standing at the edge of rock faces looking down over 1,000 feet but we decided that the experience wouldn't have been the same if the park had placed fences everywhere. We also hiked a few miniature trails and I couldn't believe how rewarding the "hike" was to see such pretty views. I'm falling in love with this place and I'm not sure I ever want to leave!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I turned off the iPhone 3G's assisted GPS feature (Location Services) for the past two days and noticed a huge battery life improvement. My 3G's battery life was not too bad to begin with. It seemed to last all day even with GPS turned on. But, with GPS turned off, battery life looks much better.
{ 2008 12 04 }


text:
Eden of the East – Episode 2
Closer examination of the craters reveal a Fibonacci spiral.
Episode two, and it hasn't gone completely off the track, which is better than what I can said for most of the series in this season. It's also playing out to be one of the most oversubbed shows in history. A quick glance over at fansubwiki reveals some 11 groups doing it. I expect over half of them will perform the mysterious disappearing act by next episode. The show is also just as prevalent in the blogsphere, with a quick glance over at Anime Nano yielding some 80+ entries, and this is only the second episode. I guess this is more a testament of how devoid of creativity the entire anime industry is when we are all willing to sell out to a change in scenery and full frontal nudity. But alas, here I am, selling out to the same rating-grabbing plot devices, and joining the myriad of blogs out there hoping that this won't turn into a complete waste of time.
No waii! Missiles kill people??!!
The one glaring issue I have coming out of this episode is why they would hire proper English voice actor and make the lead character run around Washington if they were going to set the rest of the series in Japan. (Which by the looks of things, is exactly where the rest of the series will take place) Considering how they're still running the how US and Hollywood references; I'm hoping that it will still unfold as part of the plot, and not just a gimmicky first episode to secure some air time. Maybe there isn't a decent supply of home-grown terrorists in Japan, so the producers decided to import one from the US.
Yes, leap into the arms of a man who appeared in front of you nude and waving a gun.
Saki is a little too ditsy to be a heroine for me. Not for a show involving terrorists, government conspiracies and random missile attacks. But alas, she's not the most clueless girl this season, that title will have to go to Yui.
Brazilian reference, this anime is so worldly
Selecao, the only Selecao I've ever heard of is the Brazilian national football team. Therefore, I'm going to assume I'm completely off on this reference. Can someone offer more insight?
I wonder what happens if he runs out
Watch this detective has given me a new business strategy. This is how it works. You borrow a large sum of money for yakuza loan sharks and then pay Juiz to kill them once you the get money. Just make sure you turn a profit in the process. This way you get rid of some violent individuals, while lining your own pocket phone. It's a win win.
Whoever gets merchandising right is going to make billions!
This series, while it's maintaining my interest is really un-screencap friendly. There's just not enough random scene worthy of a comment. Either that or my skills are lacking. It will be interesting to see where this shows goes from here. It can either take the romantic drama/comedy route, or the government conspiracy route. Seeing as how it's only 11 episodes, it's doubtful it can take both and maintain a decent story pace.
"Hello operator? I'd like to order a pepperoni pizza…"
The ugliest collection of supporting characters
New product resulting from a partnership between Ericsson and Visa
Stalking +1
That's one way to dig a hole
He's the organisation's accountant, and like all accountants, they can't manage their own money
7 billion and 1 yen
You can tell he's a real cheapskate
Kate and Leopard? Who the hell watches that and actually remembers? Oh wait, I remember… QQ
"I remeber now, I was the mastermind behind 9/11."
Wouldn't it be funny if she found his stash of cash?
"I'm awesome because I can kill people with my fingers."
Why are you in the line of fire?
One Response to "Eden of the East – Episode 2"
I think I've found my blog for this show. 😀 Luff the commentary. That one line, "As long as you have money, there's no difference between adults and children," and the fact that they started off in DC leads me to believe there's gonna be at least a small amount of globetrotting, which I'm all for.


text:
Download EBOOK Tilda's Winter Ideas PDF for free
Category: Crafts and Hobbies
The author of the book: Tone Finnanger
Format files: PDF, EPUB, TXT, DOCX
The size of the: 11.39 MB
Language: English
Edition: DAVID & CHARLES
Date of issue: 6 January 2012
Description of the book "Tilda's Winter Ideas":Simple sewing projects and papercraft ideas with Tilda fabrics and embellishments. This is a seasonal collection of projects using the latest Tilda fabrics and embellishments. Choose from a stunning variety of sewing and papercraft designs, including bags, decorations, gifts, cards and soft toys. The colour palette used includes beautiful shades of red, pink, taupe, cream, turquoise and blue. Projects are accompanied by clear instructions, gorgeous photographs and colour illustrations. In this book you will find ideas for decorations and gifts - large and small sewing projects like different Santas, Christmas stockings and angels that you can make with your friends. Other simple projects PDF like homemade ribbons, soaps and chocolate gifts are suitable for a more impromptu workshop. The unique designs include gorgeous paper cornets, sewn purses, Christmas cards, tree decorations, cute angels and luxury stockings, perfect for Christmas.
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Download EBOOK Tilda's Winter Ideas for free
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text:
Hey guys, Reliance Jio launches another best internet offer for all the cricket lovers. Jio known as their best and cheapest internet providing schemes. Reliance Jio Launches Best IPL Offer Reliance Jio announced the launch of a mega 102 GB data pack for only Rs 251 crore for the cricketers on Thursday before the IPL season. Jio has hired comedian Sunil Grover as a host for a live show on his My Jio App. Grover will be the host of Dhan Dhan Live Show. They will discuss cricket with former…Continue Reading...
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text:
My name is Bruce A. Borders, author of criminal fiction books. I guess you could call me a professional dreamer - or a schemer. Either one fits.
As a young boy, books always fascinated me. The stories they told were so captivating, so spellbinding. The further I got into a book, the more absorbed I became - and the more questions I had. I wanted to know the what, where, who, and when, of the entire story. But the question that most intrigued me was the "how." I found it utterly fascinating how everything connected, how seemingly impossible situations were resolved, and especially how things always worked out. With the right explanation, even the strangest puzzle can make sense.
Eventually, I progressed to devising my own conundrums - and then solving them. Things like how to rob a bank, how to gain access to a high-security building or escape from one, or how to get away with murder. This was all hypothetical of course. I never actually wanted to do any of these things. The thrill was in figuring out how they could be done.
Obviously, none of the adults in my life were impressed by my newfound interest. Everyone seemed to agree this "daydreaming" would serve no useful purpose in life. One teacher even told me my pastime was dangerous and unhealthy; that anyone with this sort of mentality would probably end up being a criminal and doing time in prison.
For some people, his prediction could have been right; I can see how it could happen. And, I suppose I could have used his words of warning as an excuse to follow a crooked road to a life of crime. But, I didn't. Instead, I became a writer.


text:
Today's young adults missed the blogging boom, with many of them opting to share their thoughts through photos, videos, and short status updates. For businesses, however, blogging is an essential way to keep fresh content on their websites, ensuring they rank well in the search results that often send customers their way.
But those born between the mid-1990s and the mid-2000s are a serious force in the retail landscape. Also known as Generation Z and centennials, post-millennials currently occupy our nation's high schools and colleges, soon to follow millennials into the workplace. For the retailers who have been chasing the $65 billion in yearly buying power that millennials bring, this means it's time to shift focus. How do entrepreneurs reach out to a generation that spends more leisure time on apps like Snapchat and Instagram than conducting Google searches on a computer?
Before you dismiss blogging in favor of sponsored app posts, it's important to take time to consider how blogging might apply to younger generations. They still will visit business websites, so reaching them simply means rethinking your website. A post-millennial might actually be more likely to read one of your blog posts than simply browse through your site, depending on where you share the link. Here are a few ways you can use your blog to find post-millennials on the platforms they use every day.
Go for shares
A surprising number of brands have dismissed platforms like Facebook, based on studies that have stereotyped the generation as preferring image-sharing social media sites. However, when it comes to getting information on brands, they're more likely to spend time on Facebook, where they might easily find a business's operating hours or see pictures of their products. Use this opportunity to create blog posts that will generate shares on sites like Facebook, including tips on how to choose a college or what major is likely to lead to a post-graduation job. Readers will click over and see your brand messaging on the page and determine whether they want to learn more about your business.
Standard blog posts won't work with younger generations. They've grown to expect personalized marketing that targets their unique needs. With your company blog, this means learning as much as possible about your target demographic and creating posts that speak directly to them. Fashion brands use product photos to connect with their own unique audiences as they discuss the latest trends and looks. Not only is this type of blog post sharable, it also creates the type of content that makes customers return on a regular basis.
Combine media
For younger generations, "blogging" is not just a text-based concept. Some post-millennials prefer to head to YouTube or the podcast app on their phone for information. Consider creating a podcast or instructional video series where you cover new topics each week. You can then stretch the information you gather for one project into at least one additional blog post. This can either be done as a straight transcript or a post that summarizes major takeaways from each podcast episode or vlog post. Link to the blog post on social media in a way that hopefully encourages post-millennials to share with their own friends. Best of all, you'll be able to turn your hard work into multiple types of content without investing much additional time and effort.
Become a thought leader
Post-millennials are currently preparing for careers in their chosen fields. This means hours of research, whether for coursework or to make personal decisions about their career choices. Post information specific to your industry and you'll likely attract a generation of students eager to learn about the work you do. If you own a marketing firm, for instance, share advice for marketers on your specialty areas. If you own a lawn supply business, post information that aspiring landscapers can use to inform the work they do. For maximum reach, find guest-posting opportunities that will get your name in front of even more students and twenty-somethings.
Post-millennials are only beginning to enter the consumer market, but the buying decisions they make now will likely inform their purchases moving forward. Find unique ways to reach them through your company blog and you'll likely win them away from your competitors, helping you continue to grow.
This article is published as part of the IDG Contributor Network. Want to Join?
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text:
Electric Contractors Working for Victory Electric in the Dodge City Area
In the coming months, you may notice extra line crews in Dodge City. For the next four to six months, J&J Powerline Contractors will be helping Victory replace aging poles and other infrastructure in Dodge City.
Victory Electric periodically tests pole integrity and strength to ensure the poles are safe and any problems can be addressed before the poles break. A small sample of Victory Electric's poles are tested annually, and this year they tested within the city of Dodge City. J&J Powerline Contractors will be replacing the poles and infrastructure that were identified in the testing as needing repaired or replaced.
J&J Powerline Contractors is based in Dodge City has been in business for more than 30 years. The company has dozens of employees and additional offices located in Ulysses and Wellington, Kansas. J&J Powerline provides contracting services, including storm repair, new construction, pole change-outs, voltage conversions and more, to electric utilities across Kansas and neighboring states.
Trucks will be marked with the J&J Powerline logo (pictured) and the Victory Electric logo. They are also carrying a letter confirming they are employees of J&J Powerline working for Victory Electric. As they move through Dodge City or your neighborhood, please contact Victory Electric at 620.227.2139 if you have questions or concerns.


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Noble Environmental Power is proud to present the winners of its "Art of Wind" children's art contest. To view the amazing photos, click here.
Noble Environmental Power works in partnership with communities to build windparks that live up to the wind energy promise in every way.
We are dedicated to establishing open, transparent communications with community leaders and local elected officials. On October 30, 2008, Noble was one of the first companies to voluntarily sign a Wind Industry Ethics Code, established by New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.
To read the NYS Attorney General's Wind Industry Ethics Code, click here.
To view a list of Noble's existing relationships within our partner communities, click here.


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Introducing "I always look good on Fridays" a section highlighting work from the art/design world which has taken my fancy, both new and old. If there is anything that you like or don't like, or have found a piece of work that you wish to share then please feel free to comment away.
As a kid I dreaded going into Greek Orthodox church each Sunday. The only way to entertain myself was to stare at all the Byzantine artworks throughout the church over and over again. Athens based artist Stelios Faitakis infuses this Byzantinian religious style with temporary issues of today – normally dealing with violence. You can check out more of his work in April's edition of Juxtapoz magazine or his website.
The animation house th1ng has created a promo for the London 2012 Olympics with the brief being that it needs to encapsulate the essence of London. They have used almost every animation/motion graphic technique imaginable and somehow it all flows together. A stunning piece of work.
And lastly, if your in Australia you may have seen the new Sam Kekovich lamb add where they have superimposed his head on a school boy. Although I do like this creepy little add it did remind me of a similar albeit much creepier add, made in 2000. I am of course talking about Chris Cunningham's commercial for the original Playstation. His choice to shoot on mini dv brings a scary realism to the entire scene. I don't want to EVER meet this girl.
More good stuff to see/watch next Friday.


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Space Hulk Review
Space Hulk is the digital version of the classic Warhammer 40k board game of the same name. In the campaign, you take control of a squad of Space Marine Terminators as they start mounting an assault on the Tyranid Genestealers, who have managed to infest the abandoned Space Hulk. It's a turn-based strategy game, so if you've played games like Shining Force, or Final Fantasy Tactics, you'll have a pretty good idea as to what to expect. You take a turn, then the enemy takes a turn, action ensues (albeit slowly).
One thing you'll notice when you first start playing is how nice the game looks. From the details of the Space Marines and Genestealers, whether on the board or close up when the fighting starts, to the lighting of the tight corridors you're fighting through, everything looks great. As you lead your Space Marines through the tight quarters of the Space Hulk, you can give them a series of commands such as move, use a special attack, use a melee attack, or defend themselves, just to name a few examples. Giving your units a command will use up an action point, and once you've used up your action points, that units turn is over.
Despite some of its flaws, Space Hulk does show a lot of promise. The AI is very challenging, even on the normal difficulty, cross platform multiplayer is an addition I hope more games will incorporate down the line. Having the option to play against other people regardless of the platform they use is a nice touch, and it works well too. For fans of strategy games or Warhammer 40k lore, Space Hulk has a lot to offer, with a lengthy single player campaign and multiplayer options, there's plenty of game here. However, for those new to the Warhammer series, the hefty price of admission and the slow pace may not keep your attention for very long.
It's here where some of the flaws of Space Hulk begin to show. Using an action point to fight or move makes sense, but using them just to turn around? That doesn't seem right. I also found the overall pace of the game to be much slower than I was expecting. I could understand a slower pace in a multiplayer game, where both players are thinking between each move, but in a single player campaign? It should feel snappier. On the other hand, there is quite a bit of content available for the single player campaign. The only downside is that expanding your single-player experience means shelling out a lot of dough, as the DLC packs are priced between $2.99 and $4.99 (on top of the initial price of $9.99).


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Boy, I'm on a roll today!! My third recipe for the day...This one's a typical kerala dish, also called comfort food, he he. This combined with the rice and chicken fry recipe below, and my day is made! Moru kachiyathu is a typical dish that you would find almost everyday at all Keralite households. I'm sure most of you'll know how to make this, but many a times, people make this using coconut. This can be a bit tedious especially when you have to grind the coconut. If you're short on time and as lazy as I am, this one's for you. It does not use coconut, yet you manage to get the perfect moru kachiyathu. so, on to the recipe...
Sorry that the pics are not clearer than this, I hope you like them though...
Once again, hope you guys have a great weekend and an even better week ahead! God bless!
- 1 1/2 cups yogurt (not too sour and at room temperature)
- 5 small onions (shallots) crushed
- Small piece of ginger crushed
- 2 green chillies, slit through the centre
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 dried red chillies
- Curry leaves, as many as you like
- Salt to taste
- Heat oil in a saucepan.
- To this add mustard seeds.
- Once they splutter, add fenugreek seeds. Bear in mind to reduce the heat, since fenugreek gets burnt easily leaving a bitter taste.
- Add a few curry leaves (5-6).
- Add dried red chillies.
- Now add the onions and ginger followed by the green chillies.
- Once they emit a nice aroma, add the turmeric powder.
- Now reduce the flame to a complete low and add the yogurt and salt.
- Bear in mind that yogurt should not boil since it will curdle. Once you add the yogurt, keep stirring it quickly till steam comes through your spatula or from the sauce pan. This should take approx 5-7 minutes on a really low flame.
- Switch off the flame, pour a tablespoon of oil over this and garnish with curry leaves.
Sorry that the pics are not clearer than this, I hope you like them though...
Once again, hope you guys have a great weekend and an even better week ahead! God bless!


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If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, the way to a dog's is through its ears. That's what Nestlé Purina is banking on with its new advertising campaign, which contains high-pitched noises that only dogs can hear. (Continued below photo...)
Credit: Dreamstime.com
The pet food maker has released the first-ever television commercial made especially for dogs. The commercial, which looks and sounds like any other TV spot to humans, features different sounds — from a squeak similar to that of dog toys and a high-frequency tone like a dog whistle to a soft, high-pitched ping – that are likely to be picked up by canines within earshot.
Georg Sanders, a nutrition expert and consumer consultant at Nestlé Purina PetCare in Germany, said a dog's hearing is twice as sharp as a human's, allowing them to be aware of various frequencies and better differentiate between sounds. While humans can generally hear noises between 64 and 23,000 Hertz (Hz), dogs can hear sounds ranging from 67 to 45,000 Hz, according to research from Louisiana State University.
But, just because the dog can hear the commercial, it doesn't mean that it will make a positive impression on the animal, according to Sanders.
"The reaction of dogs to the sounds in the commercial depends on how the dog and owner play together, and the dog's individual experience," Sanders said in a prepared release. "Dogs who often play with a squeaky duck as they are running around with their owner will certainly react most strongly to this sound."
Created for the Nestlé Purina dog food brand Beneful, the 23- second commercial was first broadcast on German TV channels, national Internet sites and the Beneful website.
It follows the Nestlé Purina "Stop-Sniffing" campaign, where dogs were able to sniff the scent of Beneful dog food from special posters on advertising boards in German towns and cities while out for a walk with their owners.
Nestlé Purina has not said when the commercials will begin airing in the U.S.
Do you know a "funny" business we should write about? Tweet @jeanettebnd.
- 6 Very Weird Businesses
- Toy Company Debuts Breastfeeding Baby Doll Idea
- 10 Things You Didn't Know About Dogs


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WASHINGTON—The Medicare prescription drug benefit has been cursed for its failures and celebrated for its triumphs.
The program's flaws and shortcomings were exposed early and often in the first few months after its January launch. However, recent news of lower-than-expected drug costs, patient satisfaction and a seemingly successful enrollment drive have given the program a new bounce that could help Republicans fend off future Democratic attacks.
The cost of the drug benefit has declined from a projected $737 billion over 10 years to $675 billion. Beneficiary premiums are averaging $25 a month, down from $37 in last July's budget estimates. And the projected net cost to taxpayers for 2006 will be $30.5 billion, 20 percent less than an earlier estimate of $38.1 billion. In addition to increased competition, Medicare officials credit lower-than-expected drug costs and dampened enrollment for the declines.
But a split decision isn't exactly what Republicans were hoping for when the groundbreaking legislation became law in 2004. The largest expansion in Medicare's history was supposed to be a political knockout.
"There's no question the Republicans thought the passage of (the drug benefit) was their best opportunity in years to neutralize the advantage with senior voters that Democrats have traditionally had on health, and it hasn't worked out that way at all," said Drew Altman, the president of the Kaiser Family Foundation.
So how did a program with such strong initial public support turn into a possible election-year albatross?
The answers are as complex the drug benefit itself. And if the first five months are a sign of what's to come, special-interest groups, lawmakers and concerned seniors will continue to seek changes that GOP lawmakers will likely oppose.
The activity reflects the increasing view that the program is a work in progress, rather than a finished product. If Democrats regain control of the House of Representatives or Senate, expect a push for legislation that allows the government to negotiate drug prices for the program, Altman said.
The AARP, whose backing of the program ensured its passage, now supports legislation by a bipartisan group of senators to remove, during the program's first year, the lifetime penalty for people who didn't enroll by the May 15 deadline. Currently, only Hurricane Katrina victims and people with low incomes can sign up now with no penalty.
The bill, sponsored by Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and others, also would provide more funding to encourage enrollments. In the House, Rep. Nancy Johnson. R-Conn., is offering companion legislation.
The Bush administration is urging Congress to delay action on the measure until Medicare analyzes final enrollment data to help determine if the changes are necessary. House Ways and Means Committee Chair Bill Thomas, R-Calif., said he'd conduct hearings on the matter. But Johnson and others are pushing for quick action.
Another proposal with bipartisan support requires Medicare drug plans to reimburse pharmacists promptly for prescription claims filed electronically. A similar Senate proposal also requires paper claims be processed within 30 days.
Pharmacists claim the plans sometimes take more than 45 days to fill claims. It's one of many complaints about the drug benefit.
Another is that with more than 1,200 coverage plans offered nationwide and about 40 offerings per state, selecting a drug plan has been tough for many seniors.
The program's operational problems began almost immediately when Medicare officials ignored the warnings of lawmakers, government watchdogs and patient advocates who said that coverage for 6 million sick, low-income beneficiaries could lapse when their drug coverage switched from Medicaid to Medicare in January.
Computer glitches, inaccurate and incomplete data, and jammed phone lines caused hundreds of thousands of poor seniors to go without their medications when the new benefit began.
About 30 states stepped in to pay for the drugs while the problems were worked out. Medicare agreed to reimburse states for their costs. Drug plans were required to increase from 30 days to 90 days the supply of emergency prescription refills for these and other patients with problems.
Concerns that plans would lure members and then drop coverage of the drugs they used also prompted complaints because members can change plans only once a year. In April, the Bush administration imposed a rule that said plans that stop covering drugs or impose new coverage restrictions must exempt from the changes those people already taking the medications.
A surge of more than 1 million enrollments from May 9 to the enrollment deadline of May 15 helped push the number of people getting some form of Medicare drug coverage to more than 27 million. That includes 8.9 million in stand-alone drug plans, 5.9 million in Medicare managed-care plans, another 5.9 million low-income people who receive full Medicare and Medicaid benefits and 6.9 million people with employer-sponsored retiree coverage that is subsidized by Medicare.
The Bush administration reports a total enrollment of 31.1 billion, but that figure includes 3.5 billion people with drug coverage through other federal government programs.
The drug benefit hasn't packed the political wallop that Republicans expected, but that doesn't mean that Democrats will be able to use it to their advantage in the upcoming elections.
"It isn't emerging as a top voting issue for seniors in this election. Other issues are crowding out health and (the drug benefit) for voters, like Iraq, gas prices and immigration," Altman said.
That could all change, however, if elections draw near and seniors such as Anthony Sakelarios begin to hit the coverage gap, or "doughnut hole." That's when their Medicare drug plans stop paying for prescriptions and require members to pay their prescription-drug costs from $2,250 to $5,100 before their coverage resumes.
Sakelarios, a 55-year-old retired dentist in North Las Vegas, Nev., was disabled 17 years ago by degenerative disc problems that required two operations. He had to dip into his savings to pay and fears he won't be able to do so in the future.
"I'm going to end up depleting my savings. Being on a fixed income, that's a killer," he said.
(c) 2006, Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
GRAPHIC (from KRT Graphics, 202-383-6064): 20060525 MEDICARE
Need to map


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Some of the projects and activities in which WFTO-Europe has been involved have already finished.
A brief summary can be found following the links below:
2013-2015: VOTE4FT: Advocating together for Fairer EU Trade Policies
Vote4FT – Fair Trade producer testimonial #6. Organisation website: pushpanjali.in/
2014-2015: Food Smart Cities for Development – EYD 2015
2015: FT Beyond 2015
2015: "Wear Your Ideas!" Who is behind our clothes?
2015: Anti-Poverty Week
2014: Let's build together the Fair Trade puzzle
2013: Un monde équitable, une personne à la fois


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*Today's blog is not for those under 18. So, go away. Shoo. There, I've done all I can do
So when people ask me what I gave my daughter on her birthday party, I can say with pride, a reason to have a therapist. Not every parent is able to give their child this gift, and I can understand that. I, however, happen to be one of the few lucky ones blessed enough to be able to give this to my daughter even though she's only sixteen.
It kind of started out as her fault, really. That's my story anyway. She was texting her brother – on her new phone, now that it's September – and he asked her if she was going over to her boyfriend's house after the party. She said yes and kids being what they are today, he started making birthday-sex jokes. Now, this would normally freak a parent out, but I don't have a normal teenage daughter. She actually worries me because she isn't into sex or drugs or weird music or drinking or any of the things I was actually prepared to handle. Nope, she's just well behaved and there was nothing in the child psychology books I read when she was little about that. I was prepared for Teenzilla! She's more responsible than I am.
So, anyway, her brother is making birthday-sex jokes about her and her boyfriend, and she's texting back things like, "yeah, you know me, we're going to have a wild night". Then they start up with her needing to wear protection because they don't want to get the boyfriend pregnant, ha ha!" Keep in mind, both her and her boyfriend are virgins and – at this point anyway – intend to stay that way until marriage. So she's tossing crude sexual banter back at her brother and I, being the parent that I am, say "Why don't you ask Keli if you can borrow his strap-on". Now, I know Keli would know what this is, because kids these days just know way more than they are supposed to. They generally know more than adults these days. My kids and I have always had a bizarre sense of humor and we joke about things, that probably should not be joked about between kids and parents, but that's our kind of relationship. So, Alexis looks at me in a perplexed manner and says "Strap-on? What, like a feed sack for donkeys? You have to tie it on?" She still looks confused and I say, "You know, a strap-on." I realize at that point that she is picturing a strap-on condom. I realize this because she says "why would you need to strap a condom on? What, it's gonna come off?" Oh God. Well, now I've stepped in it. She's picturing a feed sack for donkeys, and I'm way off. Now, I have to explain this device to her in a way that won't blow her innocent mind. So I explain it this way: "sometimes when two women love each other... they want to express that love... so they... need something... to... help... feed the donkey". Oh. My. God. She gets it then and sort of – gags.
So, that's what I gave my daughter for her birthday. I gave her a mental picture she can never get out of her head. A lifetime of scarring brought to her by her mother. This is prime Dr. Phil stuff. I can just see it now:
Me: But Dr. Phil, we've always just joked around like that.
Dr. Phil: And how's that working for you?
Me: I didn't mean to, you know – I thought she knew! (I'm sobbing)
Dr. Phil: You though she knew? What kind of mother are you?
Me: A HORRIBLE one. (I run off the stage crying)
So, yeah. Please write in when you see me on the show. I'd like to at least think I made good ratings.


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Daily News Reports »
Marketline Report for Monday, February 12th
by Bob Larson, click here for bio
Program: Market Line
Date: February 12, 2018
Click on the play button to listen to report.
Download Report: Marketline_Report_for_Monday,_February_12th.mp3
GEORGY ... "We did see yesterday's USDA's supply and demand report showing a significant increase for beans, as far as carry out. So, 530-million, they increased bean carry out by 60-million bushel, most of that due to export sales. We've been telling you guys for a long time that that could end up changing. Finally seeing USDA do that, but might be the first of probably a couple adjustments that need to be made unless we get these exports to pick up. One of the other surprises on the USDA report was the decline for corn ending stocks, but yet corn still struggling to gain a lot of legs from here. There's a lot of corn out there even at 2.3-billion carry out, that's still a lot of corn. So, we'll see how that all plays out here today."
Chicago March Wheat prices closed yesterday dn 7 ¼ at 449 ¼
March corn was dn 3 ¾ at 362
Portland prices for soft white wheat of Ordinary Protein for February ended the day unch ranging from 5-30 to 5-44 Hard Red Winter wheat with 11 ½ % protein, prices for February were dn 9 ranging from 6-10 ½ to 6-30 ½ DNS wheat with 14 % protein, prices for February were dn 9 ½ ranging from 7-18 ½ to 7-33 ½
Live Cattle for February were up $.75 at 126.50 March Feeder cattle are dn $1.05 to 146.75 February Class III milk was unch cents at 13.47
Recent Reports from Market Line
- Marketline Report for Tuesday, February 20th
- Marketline Report for Tuesday, February 19th
- Marketline Report for Monday, February 18th
- Marketline Report for Friday, February 15th
- Marketline Report for Thursday, February 14th
Click here to see Archived Reports


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When I began writing my 12th book, I didn't know if it would be literary fiction or chick lit. I knew only it would be about four troubled women on a healing journey to Florence, Italy.
My husband accompanied me on two research trips, and I enjoyed visiting a cooking school and a spa — all the places my crazy ladies would go.
These first two trips gave me plenty of atmosphere, but I was completely blinded by the art and countryside. I failed to see Italy's true treasure.
Then, in the middle of the winter, I had a strong desire to go back to Florence, this time on my own, and for three weeks. The first week, I raced around in a frenzy, exhausting myself and not really learning anything new. Finally, I stopped and made plans.
Extraordinary things began to happen. This is how I described the first episode in my blog:
"Scarcely was I out the door this morning than I tripped and fell FLAT on my face. I sustained a real whack to my right hand, shoulder and knee. The wind was knocked out of me, and despite the wonderful Florentines who instantly surrounded me with solicitude, I couldn't get up right away, though I kept reassuring them that I was fine.
"A young man stayed by me, gathered my scattered belongings and coaxed me off the sidewalk a little at a time, finally hoisting me all the way. Then, he put my hand through his arm and insisted on getting me to the corner cafe where I could sit down. Overcome by his kindness, I was further amazed when he asked me what I would like to drink. I asked for a Coke, for which he insisted on paying. For himself, he bought espresso. Realizing I was still shaking, he sat down to chat.
"We were soon talking about the genius of Brunelleschi (who invented the first dome, seemingly brick by brick) and how it gives him such joy every time he passes the Duomo. He expounded on all the different views of it, drawing me a map to help find them. We talked for about 45 minutes. Then, he went to pay the bill. To my surprise, he returned with a ticket for four bus rides. I thanked him over and over in English and Italian. The thing that is beautiful about this encounter is that he is not alone. The Italians are just like that. I realize that this kind of selfless love will heal my characters in the book I came here to write. This young man reminded me why I had to come to Italy to write it."
Vague remembrances of my Western Civilizations class stirred, and I recalled Plato's word for this amazing kind of caring: agape. I looked it up online and found many definitions, which boiled down to "selfless love." I had to fall on my face before I understood the theme of my book — agape, or charity, is the ultimate healer.
There were too many instances of agape to count. Perhaps the most amazing experience with these Italian angels came the night I thought I was going to the opera. Again, here is an excerpt from my blog:
"This blog has been full of posts about the kindness of strangers that I have met with in Florence, but I think that last night must take the cake.
"It started with the opera that didn't happen. I was feeling unwell, and when the program still hadn't begun by 9:30, I went out to the lobby to ask for someone to call a taxi. You never saw such a furor. Italians: 'Why do you want to leave the opera?' Me: 'I'm not feeling well.' Italians: 'Ah! You need a doctor! We will call a doctor.' Me: 'No, no, please no. I just need to sleep.' Reluctant promise to call a taxi. A few moments later, beaming Italian approaches me. 'You go outside to wait! I get for you Milano 25!' 'Milano 25?' I repeat. 'Si Si! Go. Go.'
Milano 25 is apparently the most famous taxi in the world. My latest Florentine angel, Caterina, bowled me over with her enormous pink hat with flowers that looked like something from 'Alice in Wonderland' when combined with her purple cape and gracious bow. I really thought I'd gone through the looking glass when I entered her cab: plush pink upholstery, video screens on the seat backs showing Bugs Bunny cartoons in Italian, an overpowering smell of roses and at least a dozen foot-long pink rubber pigs. Caterina spoke to me in soothing, if sparse English. 'We will get you to your home. You will lie down on your bed. In the morning, you will feel all better.' The fare was half what my government-controlled taxi fare had been on the way."
I told my Italian "son," Cosimo, about the experience.
"Oh, you have been very lucky," he said. "Caterina is on TV, on the Internet, they even made a movie about her. She got the taxi from her fiancé when he died of the cancer. She uses it all the time, every day to help people, children who are sick with cancer and must go to the hospital for treatment. Anyone with a problem, Caterina makes them feel better."
I went to bed with my mind in a whirl. The theme of my book slapped me upside the head: Agape is the balm that would be applied to the weary souls of my crazy ladies. Slowly, they would transform while embracing this virtue. It would bind them together and put them on the road to recovery.
That night, I decided on a title: "The Only Way to Paradise."
There is only one way there, and that is love. I found love in Italy.
G.G. Vandagriff is the author of 12 books. Her website is www.ggvandagriff.com.


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The Public Works Administration (PWA) was a New Deal agency in the United States headed by Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was created by the National Industrial Recovery Act in June 1933 in response to the Great Depression. It concentrated on the construction of large-scale public works such as dams and bridges, with the goal of providing employment, stabilizing purchasing power, and contributing to a revival of American industry. Most of the spending came in two waves in 1933-35, and again in 1938. The PWA was closed down in 1939.
The PWA spent over $6 billion, and, its defenders claim, helped to push industry back toward pre-Depression levels. It lowered unemployment and created an infrastructure that generated local pride in the 1930s and remains vital seven decades later. It was much less controversial than its rival agency the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which focused on hiring the unemployed.[1]
Frances Perkins had first suggested a federally financed public works program, and the idea received considerable support from Harold L. Ickes, James Farley, and Henry Wallace. After having scaled back the initial cost of the PWA, Franklin Delano Roosevelt agreed to include the PWA as part of his New Deal proposals in the "Hundred Days" of spring 1933.[2]
The PWA headquarters in Washington planned projects, which were built by private construction companies hiring workers on the open market. Unlike the WPA, it did not hire the unemployed directly.
More than any other New Deal program, the PWA epitomized the progressive notion of "priming the pump" to encourage economic recovery. Between July 1933 and March 1939 the PWA funded and administered the construction of more than 34,000 projects including airports, large electricity-generating dams, major warships for the Navy, and bridges, as well as 70% of the new schools and one-third of the hospitals built between 1933–1939.
Streets and highways were the most common PWA projects, as 11,428 road projects, or 33% of all PWA projects, accounted for over 15% of its total budget. School buildings, 7,488 in all, came in second at 14% of spending. PWA functioned chiefly by making allotments to the various Federal agencies; making loans and grants to state and other public bodies; and making loans without grants (for a brief time) to the railroads. For example it provided funds for the Indian Division of the CCC to build roads, bridges and other public works on and near Indian reservations.
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Celtic Gown means "that which is stitched".
Our Gowns are 3/4 length dresses with a keyhole neck and fitted, sewn-in long sleeves.
Worn in many time periods and in many places.
Typically worn over an Underdress, the gown is proper attire for a Medieval Norman woman.
Made from medium weight cotton or cotton blend fabric.
Trim can be added to the neck, sleeve hems and bottom hem.
This is a Medieval dress, faire dress, dark age dress.
We can also add (non-period) side-seam pockets - 1 deep pocket on either hip. These pockets can fit large hands and are deep enough to carry wallets, cell phones, keys, etc.
Design your own Gown
Starting at $75