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Manned Spacecraft - The Future Of Crewed Space Flight
station project international iss
The ultimate goal of space programs in both the Soviet Union and the United States has been the construction of an Earth-orbiting space station, with vague hopes of establishing permanent Moon, bases, mounting there-and-back-again expeditions to Mars, or even colonizing Mars. Today, all these goals hang on the fate of the International Space Station.
Planning for the International Space Station began in 1984 as the result of a directive by then-President Ronald Reagan. According to original plans, construction of the space station was to have begun in 1995 and to have been completed four years later. However, budget problems in the United States and recessions in much of the rest of the world raised questions about the cost of the project. The space station design became much smaller when in 1993 President Bill Clinton called for it to be redesigned. The new plan considerably reduced the size of the station, and took on international partners in order to further reduce U.S. costs.
In December, 1993 the countries involved in the space station project invited Russia to join them. The Russians agreed. With Russian participation, the space station project underwent some major changes. Russia's 20-plus years of experience with operating space stations paved the way for the space station to take on a new appearance. The first phase was a series of shuttle-Mir missions. There were nine docking missions between 1995 and 1998, testing the technologies needed to build the space station, examining the space environment, and conducting other experiments. From 1998, the second phase—construction and operation of the station—finally got under way.
The International Space Station (ISS) is NASA's biggest project since Apollo. Since the mid-1990s, however, NASA has been faced with budget cuts and skepticism about the ISS from its European partners, while Russia, too, has struggled economically. To avoid delays and keep reductions in the scale of the space station project to a minimum, international cooperation has become more important than ever, with 16 countries participating. In January 1998, Russian President Boris Yeltsin agreed to allocate more funds to the ISS project, easing fears among other project partner countries that Russia was losing enthusiasm for the project.
Construction of ISS began in November 1998 with the launch of the Zarya cargo block from Russia. In 1999, a total of 44 launches were projected to complete the facility in 2004; after the Columbia disaster of 2003, however, it is an open question as to whether construction will proceed on schedule. If its original design is fulfilled, the ISS will have an end-to-end length of 356 ft (109 m) (longer than a football field), 290 ft (88 m) wide, and 143 ft (44 m) tall. It will have a mass of nearly one million pounds (450,000 kg) and a pressurized living and working space of 46,000 cubic feet (1,300 cubic meters), enough for up to seven astronauts. It will cost about $50–100 billion to build, launch, and operate for a decade.


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Panorama Plaza
Ulucamii Mahallesi Cengiz Topel Caddesi No: 1 Koycegiz, 48800 Koycegiz, Turkey –
|Room Type
Standard Double or Twin Room
Standard Triple Room
Comfort Double Room
Area Info –
Closest Landmarks
- Ancient Rock Tombs 8.9 miles
- Dalyan Rock Tombs 9.2 miles
- Kaunos Ancient Ruins 9.7 miles
- Dalaman River 10.5 miles
- Iztuzu Beach 11.7 miles
- Turtle Beach 12 miles
- Sulungur Lake 12 miles
Restaurants & Markets
- Zorlu Market 0.1 miles
- Kuzey Cafe/Bar 0.2 miles
- Migros Jet Supermarket 0.4 miles
- Yakamoz Restaurant 0.6 miles
Natural Beauty
- Sandıras Mountain 9.3 miles
- Yuvarlakçay River 9.3 miles
- Ekincik Ocean/Sea 24.9 miles
- Köyceğiz Lake 0 miles
Closest Airports
- Dalaman Airport 18.1 miles
- Diagoras Airport 50.3 miles
- Milas Airport 58.9 miles
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Panorama Plaza
Food: British, Italian, Turkish, European, Grill/BBQ
4 Reasons to Choose Panorama Plaza
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Prices you can't beat!
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Facilities of Panorama Plaza Great facilities! Review score, 8.3
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Pets are allowed on request. Charges may apply.
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- Bikes Available (free)
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- Library
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- Snack Bar
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Free! WiFi is available in the hotel rooms and is free of charge.
Free! Free private parking is available on site (reservation is not needed).
- Street Parking
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One older child or adult is charged 50 % of the room stay per night and person in an extra bed.
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The maximum number of cribs in a room is 2.
Any type of extra bed or crib is upon request and needs to be confirmed by management.
Additional fees are not calculated automatically in the total cost and will have to be paid for separately during your stay.
Pets are allowed on request. Charges may apply.
Panorama Plaza accepts these cards and reserves the right to temporarily hold an amount prior to arrival.

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text: Surprised theres not a collective thread already, just individual ones with radio rips Boom release imo http://ramrecords.com/news/197-ramm112 Hamilton's 'Soundboy' was one of the stand out tracks featured on Andy C's 'Nightlife 5' compilation, while the VIP version tore apart clubs from London to Lisbon. Meanwhile last year's 'Brainstorm' / 'Echoes' set Hamilton apart as one of the hottest producers the drum & bass scene has to offer. It's no surprise then that this, his latest single for Ram Records, contains an undeniably epic pair of tracks that are filled with all the hallmarks you'd expect from a producer of Hamilton's calibre. 'Deep In My Heart' leads the way, infused with twinkling melodies, infectious vocal samples and euphoric build ups that will make you fall in love with Hamilton's music. Romance will be the last thing on your mind though when the warping bassline sucks you into another world. Before long your body will respond to the rolling beats and your heart will direct your feet straight to the dance floor. Flip over and 'Rich Kids' builds on that formula as Hamilton displays ever-more musicality as building, enveloping leads and clattering breaks are offset with rib-snapping bassline combinations and grinding end-bar edits. This one is not for the faint hearted and sees Hamilton putting his money where his mouth is to deliver an unquestionably storming track that goes straight for the jugular. This one is an instant rewind track! Hamilton A: Deep In My Heart AA: Rich Kids Date: 26th March 2012 Cat: RAMM112


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Eating these environmental toxins is a real and significant concern, particularly for preschool and elementary-school-age children. Researchers found many in these age groups ate the contaminants at levels have known health effects, including cancer, liver toxicity, and damage to the neurological and reproductive systems. "We have a wide range of contaminants in our food and air and water, and some are of higher concern than others," explains study coauthor Irva Hertz-Picciotto, PhD, MPH, professor of epidemiology at the University of California–Davis School of Medicine. "In some cases the levels are too low—finding it doesn't necessarily mean there's a risk. That said, there are a number of classes of chemicals that do have known toxicities."
In the case of some foods, meal favorites may go through multiple chemical applications and more dangerous transformations before winding up on your dinner plate. For instance, pesticides are deliberately applied to potatoes and grains—sometimes multiple times—fumigants or anti-sprouting agents may be applied after sprouting for storage, and then acrylamide may form when these foods are prepared at high temperatures.
These food threats pose an even greater risk to children because their bodies and brains are still developing and likely to be affected by these harmful contaminants.
Here are simple ways to clean up your food act:
Be smart about seafood. Sometimes even the healthiest foods have high levels of certain things. In the case of seafood, that's often the brain-damaging heavy metal mercury. "Fish is extremely healthy and provides certain molecules that are really important in brain development," explains Hertz-Picciotto. But she's also quick to point out the flipside: While it's clear that consumption of fish provides essential omega-3 fatty acids provide brain-boosting benefits to children of mothers whose diet includes fish, it's important to avoid species known to contain built-up levels of harmful mercury and PCBs. Opt for tuna with lower levels, such as Wild Planet products, or wild-caught Alaskan salmon. For more safer picks, check out The 10 Healthiest Fish on the Planet.
Soak your spuds. Since acrylamide typically occurs when carb-rich foods—especially potatoes—are cooked above 248 degrees Fahrenheit, researchers suggest cutting back on processed, carbohydrate-rich foods, particularly crackers, french fries, chips, cakes, breads, and cereal. The good news is preparing some of these foods at home puts you in control and in a position to lower acrylamide levels. For instance, when making homemade fried potatoes, potato chips, or mashed potatoes, try this trick: Before cooking, soak the raw, sliced potatoes in water for 2 hours before frying, to reduce acrylamide by nearly 50 percent; if you're rushed, a 30-second rinse of the sliced spuds reduces acrylamide by more than 20 percent. Or you can microwave the potatoes for 30 seconds before cooking, which slashes levels of acrylamide by 60 percent. Bonus tip? Since storing potatoes in the refrigerator can result in increased acrylamide during cooking, keep your spuds out of the fridge and instead store in a dark, cool place, like a closet or pantry, to prevent sprouting.
Befriend rosemary. A 2008 Danish study found that adding rosemary, an antioxidant-rich herb, to dough before making wheat buns lowered acrylamide content by up to 60 percent. Even adding just a small amount of rosemary—1 percent of the dough—significantly lowered acrylamide levels. Marinating meat in rosemary also promotes health by lowering levels of the carcinogenic compounds created when meat is cooked at high temps. Another way to lower levels? When toasting bread, go for a lighter toast (not a dark brown one) to reduce acrylamide levels.
Avoid arsenic in food. You may have heard about arsenic in rice and rice-related products like brown rice syrup sweeteners. Indeed, some reports show that arsenic in rice levels are sometimes higher than what's allowed in drinking water. According to Environmental Working Group researchers, you can reduce your exposure to arsenic in food by practicing these methods:
1. If you're preparing rice, rinse it thoroughly. Rinsing your brown rice with water can lower arsenic levels by 30 to 40 percent! (White rice doesn't hold up to cooking when rinsed well, unfortunately.) Try working alternative grains like quinoa into the mix at meals, too.
2. Limit products listing rice syrup as a sweetener. This natural sweetener could contain higher levels of arsenic due to the grain's natural ability to absorb the compound.
3. Instead of rice cereal as baby's first solid food, try sweet potatoes, squash, bananas, and avocados. For older children and adults, opt for real oatmeal or mixed-grain cereals.
4. Limit certain fruit juices to a maximum of one-half to one cup a day. Why? Orchards used to use arsenic as a pesticide, and it lurks in the ground decades later.
Eat organic. Many food labels lack any substance, but organic is not one of them. Strict rules set forth by the United States Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program ban the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, along with human sewage sludge and genetically engineered seeds. And the good news? Eating an organic diet does make a big difference when it comes to keeping pesticides out of kids' bodies. In one study, just a week of switching preschoolers to organic fruits and vegetables caused the metabolites of pesticides in their urine to drop.


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AS the fracking controversy continues, countryside campaigners are attempting to spur politicians into action with a new charter.
The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE Sussex) has today (July 10) launched a 'Sussex Countryside Charter', calling on MPs and councillors to ensure better protection for the countryside.
The county is seeing an increase in the number of applications for oil and gas exploration – including sites at Fernhurst and between Kirdford and Wisborough Green – which many say could lead to hydraulic fracturing, or 'fracking'.
Actress Sue Jameson is a member of the Keep Kirdford and Wisborough Green (KKWG) group. She said: "We want to leave a legacy of tranquillity for our grandchildren, not one that is fraught with potential for long-term pollution and degradation of our glorious Sussex landscape and its wildlife."
CPRE Sussex has produced the charter to 'send a strong message' to politicians that the countryside is vital to the health and wellbeing of people in Sussex. And now the charity is calling on residents to sign the charter at cpresussex.org.uk
This comes as a study is published into the potential for fracking to contaminate drinking water with methane.
The British Geological Survey and the Environment Agency have mapped where key aquifers in England and Wales coincide with locations of shale. An analysis of the Weald Basin shows the uppermost layer of oil-bearing shale is at least 650m below a major aquifer.
Frack Free Fernhurst campaigner Marcus Adams said: "It is encouraging that, finally, the government is taking action to address some of the concerns many people have about the health and environmental threats from fracking.
"However, this report does little to allay those concerns in respect of the threat to water supplies. Nor does it address the threat of surface water pollution from accidental chemical spillages.
"We should not forget the SDNP provides drinking water, not only for its 100,000 residents, but also for more than one million people who live outside the park."


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Internet Telephony Magazine
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COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- "In the modern world, communication is paramount and our customers need to stay connected utilizing different methodologies," states Tony Bailey, Spirit Aeronautics President & COO. "This project combines advanced Air-to-Ground (ATG) and Air-to-Satellite technologies in addition to Satellite Television to ensure the client remains connected at all times and aware of current world events no matter where they are operating. It is an amazing suite of technology that is being further combined with interior upgrades to make it one of the most advanced Gulfstream G550's in the world!"
About the Spirit Aeronautics Gulfstream G550 Communication Project
The project installs the Gogo ATG-4000 Air-to-Ground communication system, the Honeywell AIS-2000 Satellite Television system and the Honeywell HD-710 Satcom system which will be married up to the existing Satellite-based Broadband Multilink (BBML) system interfaced to an amazing array of network peripherals. In addition, Spirit Aeronautics is installing the Satcom Direct SDR Router, Gogo OnePhones and enhancing the interior to accommodate changes for a more elegant but efficient working environment while on the aircraft.
About Spirit Aeronautics
Spirit Aeronautics, a trade name of Spirit Avionics, Ltd, located in Columbus, Ohio is a growing industry leader offering worldwide aviation services to corporate, military, private, government and commercial aircraft operators. Spirit Aeronautics is primarily engaged in the maintenance, refurbishment, design, development, completion, management, engineering, material supply, integration and sustainment of Business, VIP, VVIP, Military and Government aircraft.
Media Contact: Alyson firstname.lastname@example.com
Press release distributed by PRLog
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/spirit-signs-gulfstream-g550-communication-suite-upgrade-300351221.html
SOURCE Spirit Aeronautics
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ITEXPO: January 28 - 31, 2019 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida
IoT Evolution Expo : January 28 - 31, 2019 | Orlando, Florida


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A fishing scene turned wild and dangerous Sunday aboard the Outer Limits out of Sausalito, when a shark attacked a hooked fish just a rod-length away from the angler and crew.
The incredible story was told to me by Capt. Jacky Douglas of the sportfishing vessel Wacky Jacky out of San Francisco.
Angler Joe Myer of Daly City had the experience of a lifetime while fishing aboard the Outer Limits with Capt. Jim Robinson, near the channel buoys outside the Golden Gate.
Most folks never in their lifetimes go face-to-face with a great white shark (thankfully), but Myer faced an angry white shark no less than three times in rapid succession.
Myer hooked what was estimated to be a 25-pound salmon and had fought it to boatside when the monster shark rose and engulfed the salmon in rows of gleaming teeth. Quick action by angler and crew saved most of the fish — for a moment — and the shark got only the tail and a little more.
Apparently that wasn't enough to satisfy the hungry shark, which made a quick turn and bit down again on the salmon, gnawing off about half the fish. Again the angler and crew pulled the remains free, but the shark turned yet again and bit a third time. When it was over, the angler was left holding only the head of what had been a very large salmon.
The shark swam away mostly victorious. This story underscores the reason for the nickname I have for great white sharks — "The Landlord."
— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need. Visit softininc.blogspot.com to learn more about the organization and how you can help.


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Grand Prairie, TX 75052
Cell: 214-564-2094
Home | About Us | Services | Our Labradoodles | Contact Us
Full Service Grooming & Boarding
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If you love your pet, you probably like to keep it looking as stylish and well groomed as you keep yourself. Unfortunately, keeping your puppy groomed can be a real chore. Even some groomers can't get the look you'd like. That's why you should come to Doggie Do's Spa. We'll help give your pet a sharp new look that'll make it the pride of the park and the talk of the neighborhood.
On top of our fantastic grooming skills, we offer exceptional boarding facilities where our team administers nothing less than personal TLC for each pet that stays with us. Our services extend farther than simple puppy pampering. We can brush teeth, administer custom cuts and even provide aromatherapy to keep your pet at ease.
Give us a call today to check out our all-inclusive great prices! We look forward to speaking with you.


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Smart eVision Demo Video
Posted by admin in MISC, Student's Work, UIS on December 13, 2009
Smart eVision is an Executive Dashboard system written by a Taiwan-based Software Company called Smart eVision Information Technology, Inc. This video is a demo Video created by a group of MBA students from University of Illinois at Springfield. The group members include: Samuel J. Ganci, Chortip Thanaprayotsak, Elizabeth Ann Cline, Andrew C. Cole, Callan Hagen-Stapleton, and Mary Genelle Iocca. Thank you for your great work.
UIS Podcast Tutorial
Clicking the above image will take you to a Flash page containing a short Tutorial about how to create a podcast using UIS resources. This tutorial is use in many curses requiring students to produce podcast as part of their assignments.
MIS424 Sample Project, Spring 2008
This sample project was created by a group working through virtual collaboration technologies. The group members include: Tsui-Li Bowman, Victoria Riggon, Benjamin Kaiser, and Peter Calli. They had visited an online data source, downloaded data, analyzed the data, and present the analysis in a video format. Great Job!
Facebook Membership
Posted by admin in Student's Work, UIS on August 20, 2009
How to cancel your Facebook membership?
This is a podcast example from the MIS424 class. MIS424, End User Systems Development and Implementation is a course offered by the MIS department at University of Illinois Springfield. This course is designed based on the concept called "Community of Learner." Materials in this class are contributed by both Students and Instructors. Contents are gathered from various sources and remixed for learning purposes.
This particular podcast was created by Victoria Riggen. She took the class in Spring 2008. She read and discuss two article on the New York Time web site from Feb 11, 2008 and Feb 13, 2008. The main topic being discuss is about how to remove memberships from the Facebook. This is an interesting topic. Vicky had done a good job in selecting the articles, providing her comments, and editing the recording.


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TV Repair Questions? Ask a TV Technician for Answers ASAP
Hello, I'm Nathan, and I'll be assisting you today. My livelihood depends on your positive feedback, so your satisfaction is my highest priority.
Hi there, sorry to hear you're having trouble,
the short answer is that you can't, at least not directly through the tv. These smart tv's are limited to the "apps" which are developed and provided by Samsung, which are very limited. The tv uses a unique operating system/browser, also a limited samsung product, that mean's that you can't just go to an "app store" like you would on an iphone or android device and install anything you wish. The tv is only capable of working with the purpose made apps provided by the tv maker.
So in short, you can't do it, at least not with the apps currently made available by samsung, through the built in smart tv function.
There are however some other options, such as using an external "smart" device like a Roku or Chromecast (streaming the tv3 player, rte player channel, etc) that can connect to the tv, which have far more "apps" available than what the built in smart service on the tv offers.
Another option would be to connect your computer to the tv, essentially using the tv as a large monitor. That would be done with vga/hdmi cables (depending on your tv model)
If you'd like more info on any of these options, how to hook them up, etc, I'll be happy to advise further.
You can also potentially wait for a future update from samsung that would possibly offer this added content. You might even try contacting samsung to request they add these channels/features. It is not a guarantee, but it won't hurt to try either.


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DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers agreed to a one-year contract with reliever Jose Valverde, who is expected back with the team Wednesday.
And Manager Jim Leyland said Valverde will be Detroit's closer immediately.
Valverde was the Tigers' closer the last three years, but the team was prepared to let him leave as a free agent after he faltered during the 2012 postseason. But he never signed elsewhere, and Detroit brought him back on a minor league deal.
n Bruce Rondon was recalled from Triple-A Toledo when the Tigers put reliever Octavio Dotel on the 15-day disabled list.
MARINERS: Seattle placed outfielder Franklin Gutierrez on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring.
Outfielder Carlos Peguero was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma to take his spot on the roster.
BRAVES: Right fielder Jason Heyward was placed on the 15-day disabled list after an appendectomy.
The team said late Monday that Heyward had surgery at Rose Medical Center in Denver.
DODGERS: Pitcher Chad Billingsley will have Tommy John surgery this week and miss the rest of the season.
REDS: Reliever Jonathan Broxton had no problems with his pitching hand a day after a line drive knocked him out of the game.
Broxton said the ball hit him by the pinkie, causing the hand to go numb for several minutes. He had good movement a day later and thought he could pitch, although Manager Dusty Baker wanted to be cautious.
NATIONALS: Washington claimed left-handed reliever Xavier Cedeno off waivers from the Houston Astros and optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse.
Cedeno was designated for assignment by the Astros last week. He had an 11.37 ERA in five appearances this season for Houston.


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Belhird History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name reveals that an early member was a person known for their lack of hair. As a point of interest, the name is derived from the Old English word ball-ard, which means a bald headed man. [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6) Another source claims the name was Celtic or Gaelic in origin "from Ball, a place, a round elevation; and ard, high. The Gaelic word Ballart signifies noisy, boasting. Bal also signifies a lord, and ard, high." [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print Yet another source claims the name was "an ancient baptismal name, Balard." [3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Early Origins of the Belhird family
England. Various sources claim different first records of the family. "Ballard is another old Kent name. The Ballards owned Sapinton manor from the time of Henry IV. until that of Philip and Mary. Robert Ballard, butler of Richard II., received from his Sovereign the manor of West Combe. In the reign of Henry VI., Thomas Ballard, of Horton Parva, was one of the sheriffs of Kent." [4]CITATION[CLOSE]
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print. Kirby's Quest notes that the earliest record of the name was temp. Edward III when Richard Balleheved and Petrr Ballard were listed there. [5]CITATION[CLOSE]
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Alurell Balard in Essex, 1273; Dreu Ballard in Huntingdonshire; and Thomas Ballard in Somerset. [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Early History of the Belhird family
Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1615, 1634, 1657, 1630, 1689, 1680, 1682, 1654 and 1710 are included under the topic Early Belhird History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Belhird Spelling Variations
hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Belhird are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Belhird include: Ballard, Bellard, Bellhird, Belhyrd, Bellerd, Bellird, Belard, Balard, Ballird and many more.
Early Notables of the Belhird family (pre 1700)
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Belhird Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Belhird family to Ireland
Some of the Belhird family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Belhird family to the New World and Oceana
Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Belhird or a variant listed above: Mary Ballord, who arrived in Boston in 1635; William Ballord, who came to Boston in 1635; Hester Ballord, who arrived in Boston in 1635; Elizabeth Ballord, who arrived in Lynn, MA in 1635.
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With on-going questions surrounding Marco van Ginkel's Chelsea future, reports now claim that AC Milan are lining up a loan move for the Dutch midfielder.
After Marco van Ginkel's agent revealed this week that he planned to hold talks with Chelsea over his client's future at Stamford Bridge, the midfielder has now been linked with a move to AC Milan.
Arriving from boyhood club Vitesse in July 2013 for around £8 million, the 21-year-old Dutchman made just four appearances during his first season in England before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in a League Cup tie against Swindon Town in September.
Returning to the reserves towards the end of the campaign, the two-time capped international looked impressive in pre-season but, with fierce competition for places in Jose Mourinho's squad, his representatives have conceded that he might have to look elsewhere for regular first-team minutes.
'We are in talks with Chelsea,' Karel Jansen told Algemeen Daglad. 'Of course Marco wants to battle for his chances but there must be a sort of perspective.
'Monday evening wasn't that pretty to see. We are now waiting for an answer on Chelsea and their vision.'
The opportunity of a fresh start could be on the horizon, however, with Sky Italia reporting that Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has enquired about bringing Van Ginkel to Serie A on a season-long loan, with a potential buy-out clause also included in the deal.
Mourinho remains a huge fan of Van Ginkel's all-round midfield skills, even vetoing an earlier loan move to Ajax last August to keep him around the first-team setup, but a spell elsewhere for the 2014-15 campaign at least could just prove the best thing for his development at this point.


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Chilean Huemul
The Temperate Jungle of South America, which covers regions of Southern Chile and Argentina, represents the largest tract of essentially undisturbed temperate forest in the world.
Dominated by southern beeches such as ulmo and laurel, these ancient forests support large numbers of plant and animal species exclusive to this region.
These include the Darwin Frog, the Pudú deer, the Chilote fox and the Chilean pine, or monkey puzzle tree.
"Chile's temperate forests contain at least 50 species of trees used for timber and more than 700 species of vascular plants - half of which do not occur elsewhere." - World Resources Institute, 1997
These forests are also home to indigenous communities such as the Pehuenche community of Chile's Quinquen Valley, the Mapuche Indians of Huitrapulli and other local communities who have long depended on the natural wealth of the forest for their physical, cultural and spiritual way of life.
The Great Chaco and Yungas Rainforests of Argentina
The Yungas Rainforest and the Great Chaco American forest are two neighbouring ecosystems. They are rich in biodiversity and wildlife, such as rare jaguars. However, these forests are being destroyed at one of the fastest rates in the world. The deforestation rate of the Chaco forest of northern Argentina, is up to six times higher than the world average.
The rate of this destruction has accelerated since 1996, when Monsanto introduced genetically engineered soya beans into Argentina. Since then, the country has extended its agricultural frontiers to grow genetically engineered soya for export as animal feed, at the expense of its threatened forests, wildlife and the homes and livelihoods of many people.
The Great Chaco Forest
Over one million square kilometres in size, the Great Chaco forest is the second biggest ecosystem on the American continent, after the Amazon. It stretches across four countries: Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil. It is one of the richest areas of biodiversity on Earth.
Around four million people live in the Chaco forest, most of them indigenous people who depend on the forest for food and water. Losing the forest's resources affects not only local people's diet but their livlihoods as well.
Many varieties of precious hard wood trees grow in the Chaco forestsuch as the Iron Wood tree, used to make 'sleepers' for railways around the world. When the forests are cleared to make way for soya, these trees are often burnt or illegally sold. This leads to huge economic losses. If the forest was properly managed, jobs could be created in sustainable forestry, and the environmental damage caused by deforestation and soya monoculture could be avoided.
The Yungas Rainforest
The Yungas, also known as the 'Clouded Rainforest' or 'Mountain Rainforest', stretches across 70,000 square kilometres of Argentina, towards Venezuela and along the Andes, to the north. The Yungas lies in the western ecological border of the Chaco forest and is much more humid. Several thousand people from over seven different ethnic groups live in the Yungas Rainforest.
The Yungas is considered an international hot spot for biodiversity by international bodies. Rare wildlife, such as jaguars live in the forest. Forty tree species are exclusive to the lower Yungas, 10 of which have a high commercial value, such as cedar and oak.
The Yungas is threatened by illegal logging and increasingly its lowlands are being converted into agricultural land for genetically engineered soya.
In the last seven years, more than 10,000 hectares a year have been lost to soya in the lower Yungas forest alone. It is illegal to log the forest's valuable tree species, but police and local authorities in the region are doing nothing to prevent the biotech industry clear cutting the land.
Wildlife in the Yungas and Chaco Forests
The Yungas and Chaco forests are home to jaguars. Once, the jaguar population of Argentina extended as far as Patagonia but today, these populations have been devastated by hunting and the loss of habitat due to deforestation and are close to extinction.
The Chaco forest is home to the giant armadillo, which is facing extinction. When these forests are destroyed, any wildlife in the bulldozers' path is shot. Armadillos and other, smaller mammals, are frequently burned along with the groups of fallen trees, stacked up along the newly deforested fields.
The solution Greenpeace is campaigning for is a two-year moratorium on forest conversion in Argentina while the problems caused by land conversion are addressed:
1. Land Planning: A New Land Planning Programme must be established so that Argentina's forests can be saved and become productive areas again under sustainable regulations for both people and biodiversity.
2. Land Tenure Regulation: All indigenous people and 'campesinos' must be given the right to legally own sufficient land to enable them to work and feed both themselves and their families.
Congo Rainforest: More protection, less logging needed - International NGOs warn against business as usual, urge government and donors to follow through on forest reform.
Between 1996 and 2006 the area of cattle pastures in the Brazilian Amazon grew by approximately 10 million hectares – an area about the size of Iceland.
This map shows the extent to which cattle pasture is the main use of deforested land in Mato Grosso.
This map shows how the main roads which opened up in the1970s link with extensive networks of unofficial roads (not shown on official charts) has led to cattle ranching expanding into remote areas, hundreds of kilometres from slaughterhouses.
Original vegetation in the state of Mato Grosso. 185, 587km² (an area twice the size of Hungary) of the once lush rainforest in the state of Mato Grosso has so far been destroyed, primarily because of cattle expansion.
This map shows the extent of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.
The Greenpeace Forests for Climate (Tropical Deforestation Emission Reduction Mechanism TDERM) proposal for a hybrid market-linked fund would provide the financing needed to help protect the world's remaining tropical forests by reducing...
In the latest stage of the Esperanza's Forests for Climate tour around south-east Asia, activists have arrived in Dumai, Indonesia to block a palm oil shipment from departing for Europe.
Just as the need to save the world's forests for climate protection is becoming widely recognised, we have discovered that major logging companies - operating in the Congo basin - are increasingly destroying one of the most ecologically important...
A shipping container filled with sawn timber from an eco-forestry project in Lake Murray, Papua New Guinea (PNG) has arrived in Sydney, Australia.
11 - 20 of 440 results.


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Dale Earnhardt Jr.: "I feel like I'm the best"
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — In all fairness to Jimmie Johnson's run of five straight championships, if you were to say "the streak" when talking about NASCAR, we all know what's going to pop into the majority of NASCAR fans minds: Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s winless drought.
The streak still lives, by the way. It's at 136 races and counting and has led to every Junior joke and one-liner imaginable. But through it all, Junior still maintains that he's the best. Yes, and that includes the five-time champion.
"No, he's a hell of a race car driver, but I feel like I'm the best," Junior said on Friday. "I think that's the way you have to feel. I feel that I'm smarter than everybody and I can drive better than everybody and I know a lot of people ain't going to agree with that, but I feel pretty strong about it."
Given his performance this year, he should. Junior is tied for second in the points standings, and as we said earlier this year, a win is very very close.
And honestly, it may be more noteworthy if Junior said that he wasn't the best. It's an essential attribute to have for a driver — you can't win a championship, let alone a race, unless you feel you're capable of doing so. Junior does say that there is a hierarchy at Hendrick Motorsports, but that it's about tenure.
"There is a bit of a pecking order and it really comes down to what you've done lately," Junior said. "I think that Jimmie and Jeff [Gordon] will always carry a certain role in that company that I will probably never achieve just due to them being there that long and having that trust build up with Rick [Hendrick] and all the employees there and their accomplishments obviously. I've never felt that was a disadvantage to me. I felt like I have everything they have. I've had the same opportunity and I've never really felt like Jimmie's car was better than mine or his team was better than mine or somebody was getting something I wasn't getting. I've never really had that feeling because everything there is just so good."


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- Advanced Concepts Enterprises12.Jan 2016
- Employee
Support from management
Company leaders are internally focused and have little to no regard for employee comments.
Career Development
Little to no advancement but this was an instructor billet - not the company's fault.
Overall compensation for your work
Pay was okay until pay was cut 20% after winning an under-bid contract renewal. Policy concerning use of vacation time is the WORST I've ever seen and there is no sick time.


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How To Fix The NHL - Here Is The Seven Step By Step ProcessMarch 2, 2010
Let me start by saying I am not a Hockey fan. However, I am a sports fan. I can watch almost any form on competition on TV, even if it is not known as Football, Baseball or Basketball.
These last 2 weeks have shown, again, that I will watch two people dance on ice if it is judged and a winner is rewarded. I will watch old women playing shuffle board on ice with brooms...for hours at a time. I will watch a 50K cross country race where nothing happens until the final 400 meters.
However, I will also watch, and be extremely passionate about Hockey. I do not remember being this passionate about Hockey since playing NHL '94 on Sega and being told I cannot play with the Kings since Gretzky was unstoppable! (I used the Blackhawks because Roenick was equally as unstoppable) - except every four years during the Olympics, with this year, as with most being the most passionate of all.
As I watch these games, I feel as though I like Hockey (begrudgingly) and almost tell myself that maybe I will try watching the NHL. Can this passion for the Olympics carry over? Maybe I can align myself with the local team and try to root for them. I live in the NYC area so I have 3 teams to pick from with a very loyal and passionate fan base for each.
I would argue watching Hockey, when its a big game, is more exciting than watching Baseball or Basketball.
Wait, can Hockey really be third on my list after Football and Baseball? It sure felt that way this past week!
So what can the NHL do to keep me coming back to hockey after these last two weeks.
Well to start, the issue in America is not Hockey, the issue is the NHL itself and how poorly it's run. The NHL needs a complete overhaul in order to get me, and other non hockey/sports fans who felt passionate about the Olympics, come buy its product.
Here are my steps to making the NHL a better product for all of us. (If you listen to Colin Cowherd on ESPN radio, he touched on some of this, however I have broken it down, expanded on it and added my own thoughts on what would make this be a "Watchable" league)
1. Cut down the teams from 30 to 16, maybe 24 MAX! By reducing the teams, you heighten the level of talent, which is what made the Olympics so exciting and WATCHABLE, and you keep it to the regions and cities that care the most. Nashville, Carolina, Phoenix, I am sorry if you live there and are a fan, as a whole, these are not Hockey towns - the list below proves it. The true Hockey fans will follow the sport where ever it goes. The key is to get the casual fan, which the NFL has perfected.
According to Forbes, here is a list of the most profitable NHL teams as of 2009:
Toronto Maple Leafs *
New York Rangers *
Montreal Canadiens *
Detroit Red Wings *
Philadelphia Flyers *
Boston Bruins *
Chicago Blackhawks *
Dallas Stars
Vancouver Canucks *
New Jersey Devils
Pittsburgh Penguins *
Minnesota Wild *
Los Angeles Kings
Anaheim Ducks
Colorado Avalanche
Calgary Flames *
Ottawa Senators *
Tampa Bay Lightning
San Jose Sharks
Washington Capitals
Carolina Hurricanes
St Louis Blues
Buffalo Sabres *
Edmonton Oilers *
Columbus Blue Jackets
Florida Panthers
Nashville Predators
New York Islanders
Atlanta Thrashers
Phoenix Coyotes
Going off the list above, here are the cities/states that get teams in no particular order. The list is based on either cities that have a profitable team, a passionate hockey fan base, or a combo of the two.
New York (1 Team), Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota, Vancouver, Calgary, Quebec (yes they get a team back), Edmonton, Winnipeg.
You may point out the Edmonton and Buffalo are not very profitable so why are they on the list. Well, I have kept them due to their passionate fan bases. Buffalo for example is a city that loves their Sabres (as much as their Bills - maybe more since they are more relevant) and a team that has been winning (while the Bills of the NFL can't even make the playoffs).
2. If you noticed a pattern above, all of my "saved" teams, are evenly distributed between the U.S. and Canada. Yup, you guessed it, make two conferences. One being the USA and one being Canada.
USA: New York (1 Team), Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota
Canada: Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto,Vancouver, Calgary, Quebec (yes they get a team back), Edmonton, Winnipeg
Although this will not be a true USA vs. Canada set up as the players of the NHL are all international and are mixed (Sid the Kid would stay in Pittsburgh - don't worry Pens fans), this still creates a rivalry that fans can get passionate about and support. This will create a USA vs. Canada feel. Years down the line we can discuss what country has won more Stanley Cups over the years. We do this in the NFL with AFC and NFC, it would just be much more relevant here given the regional loyalty.
3. Cut the season down from 82 games to 43 (I'll explain why 43 in step 4) games and make the season go from October through March - 6 month = 2 games a week per team. This will create a greater sense of urgency for each team, and create more of an "EVENT" feel for each game, comparable to the NFL with every week feeling like a holiday - but yes on a much smaller scale since this is still hockey and we are still in America. However, in Canada this could create an NFL feel for their games, since each game will be twice as important.
4. The schedule, now that its cut down, would be similar to the MLB set up where you play your league (or conference in this case) much more often than you play the opposing conference. Thus, you get to 43 games by playing the other 7 teams in your conference 5 times (35 games), creating a best of 5 against every team (not in order but overall for the season you have a 5 game series), and then you play every team in the other conference just ONCE (8 games).
Every team will be somewhat familiar with the opposing conference, however when they meet for the Stanley Cup, there will be a feeling that these teams are not familiar with each others style of play outside of the game tape. Here we bring in the football aspect of breaking down film of two non-familiar opponents and how they match up. Makes for some great TV!
5. The standings will be similar but slightly altered. Every game is worth 3 points. Win in regulation, you get 3 points. Win in overtime, you get 2 points, and the loser gets 1 point. I set it up this way because to me it does not make sense that currently if you win in regulation, you get 2 points and the loser gets 0, however in overtime the winner gets 2 and the loser gets 1. I believe every game should be worth the same number of points, and winning in regulation should be more greatly rewarded than winning in overtime.
6. Regular season games will be 5 on 5, 4 on 4 in OT with a shootout - if necessary. However in the playoffs, it's 5 on 5 all the way through, with unlimited overtimes. That is the fairest way to show who is the best team. Shootouts do not determine the best team.
7. Since the the labour dispute in 2005 where a full season was lost, attendance figures for the NHL has returned. This is because no one can argue that the NHL is great in person. Fans and non-Fans alike enjoy seeing the game live. However, TV audience has dropped off significantly, a lot of that has to do with ESPN's decision to drop the league from its schedule.
The NHL is currently on mostly on Versus and also on NBC. Versus is distributed in 75 Million Households ,while ESPN is in 99.1 Million Households (both as of the end of 2009 - out of a total of 115 Million TV Households per Nielsen Data). This equates to a 21% greater distribution on ESPN than on Versus. This is a major problem for making the sport more visible and easily accessible. Again, this is all about reaching the casual fans. The Hockey fanatic will follow the league and the sport where ever he/she can get it.
As an example of what this means, last June, game three of the Stanley Cup, which matched up two of the most loyal NHL fan bases (Pittsburgh and Detroit - both teams that make my cut) was the highest rated program on the networks history, which was a 2.6 National Household rating. This equates to the percentage of viewers against the total household base.
Now on ESPN, during the same month of June, The College Baseball World Series match up of LSU vs. Texas, (two extremely loyal fan bases, however both smaller markets than the NHL team above) scored a 2.1 National Household rating.
That difference in rating equates to about 20%, which is almost exactly the amount of the difference in households between the two networks.
By being on ESPN, the NHL would naturally expand its viewership, and then by implementing some of the changes I lay out above which would generate more interest in the league. Combine the two and the NHL would expand its viewership due to the greater distribution, and generate more viewership with its new set up. Huge success right off the bat.
As may have noticed, I keep referring to the NHL as the problem, because again, I do not believe Hockey is the problem here.
However, how does the NHL get the attention of the World Wide Leader - ESPN.
What needs to happen is the NHL needs to change its format now while its still on Versus, which will increase its viewership on the current network. This will then allow them to keep setting records ratings on Versus, which will then allow the league to have more leverage during negotiations with ESPN.
Currently, in certain time slots where NHL used to air, ESPN now airs Bowling, which at times has generated better ratings than NHL used to. ESPN has nothing against the league, it is just airing what the viewers want - and the viewers have spoken, they don't want the NHL in its current state.
That does not mean they don't want Hockey, as shown by the Olympics.
I am not old enough to remember the 1980 Olympics, since I was not alive! However, many who were will tell you that was a sports moment that they remember exactly where they were when they heard or saw it happen. It may be the only sports moment that generates that feeling.
Think about the moments that you remember exactly where you were when they happened. Most may be tragic moments like 9/11. As for sports moments, there are not that many, and a Hockey moment may be the most common one for most Americans.
What the NHL needs to do is find a way to replicate that feeling of Olympic Hockey. The overhaul laid out above should be a decent starting point.


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Thursday, 26 February 2009
I have a masquerade ball soon and need a mask, what type should I get?
source: urbanoutfitters
16 comments:
- Isa said...
the photos in your blog are so beautiful.
- 26 February 2009 at 11:45
- Joezehh said...
of course i'll trade links with you m'love!
in fact,
i'll put your link up right now :)
x x x
- 26 February 2009 at 11:49
- La Fée said...
that mask is so pretty!!
- 27 February 2009 at 09:04
- Bella said...
That's such a great shot... I have a thing for masks!
Hope you post pics of the masquerade ball! And of course, I'd love to swap links... I'm adding you now babe!
- 27 February 2009 at 13:23
- sarah said...
hey lovely i linked you back. have a good day x
- 28 February 2009 at 03:47
- Later that day said...
Thanx for ure comment! we should trade links, ill add u to my list!
- 28 February 2009 at 04:23
- Call Me Cat said...
no I'm girlier and less punk than knightcat's :) but yeah sort of the same, picture blogs are taking overrr :)
- 28 February 2009 at 08:17
- Sara said...
oh, thank you very much! but what du you mean with 'trade links'? that we should have each other blog-links on our blogs? or? hugs
- 28 February 2009 at 09:29
- lottiegee. said...
ee. im on your loved... :)
i added you onto mine.
i love all the pictures on your blog.
- 28 February 2009 at 13:33
- The Stylish Wanderer said...
Black and sparkly!
- 28 February 2009 at 15:01
- La Fée said...
thank you, I would love to trade links! I'll just add you now :)
- 1 March 2009 at 05:56
- Emily Anne said...
i love that one! Something along those lines for sure...xoxo
- 2 March 2009 at 11:29
- Stephanie said...
I love masquerade balls....one day I'm going to host the biggest one!!
- 8 March 2009 at 08:23
- the golden fairy princess said...
the one she's wearing. or similiar, i absolutely love it.
- 7 May 2009 at 18:01
- AMIT said...
Lovely picture but who she is?
Kings Lingerie
- 28 November 2009 at 00:23
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- 23 March 2010 at 05:05


text:
Wal-Mart Battle Highlights Gap Between Washington and D.C.
Last month, some of us in Washington were captivated by an epic battle on the District of Columbia Council. At the urging of labor and community groups (with backing from local businesses that compete with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. ), the council passed a living-wage law requiring businesses to pay their workers $12.50 an hour ... but only if the business had more than $1 billion in corporate revenue and operated stores with more than 75,000 square feet. The council did everything but specify that the law only applied to companies whose name started with W, and rhymed with "All-Mart." (Though the few other companies who might feasibly get caught up in this net -- Target Corp. , Home Depot Inc., AutoZone Inc. , Macy's Inc. -- also protested.)
Wal-Mart responded by threatening to halt development plans for the stores it had not yet begun constructing -- three out of the original six, including one south of the Anacostia River, a pet project of Mayor Vincent Gray in an area that desperately needs both the retail and the jobs. The measure passed the council, but ultimately, the mayor vetoed it.
Well, Wal-Mart just opened its first two hiring centers, and 11,000 people applied for 1,800 jobs. As City Paper points out, even if no people applied after the first week, that would give Wal-Mart an acceptance rate similar to the University of Chicago.
One way to look at this is to say that this just goes to show how wrong the council was: People want to work at Wal-Mart, and pricing them out of the local market would have made all these workers worse off. This is true. But another way to look at it is to say that this just shows the gap identified by Adam Serwer between "Washington" and "D.C.":
Washington, D.C., has always been two cities. Washington spills out of downtown Metro stations at 8 a.m.; D.C. huddles on crowded buses at 6 a.m. On Sundays, when Washington goes to brunch, D.C. is in church. Washington clinks glasses in bars like Local 16 in its leisure time, while D.C. sweats out its perm at dance clubs like Love or DC Star. Washington has health-insurance benefits, but D.C. is paying out of pocket. Washington just closed on a condo; D.C. is in foreclosure. Washington is making money. D.C. never recovered from the 2001 recession.
Washington, of course, is mostly white and educated; D.C. is much blacker, poorer and less likely to have an Ivy League degree in its pocket.
Looking at it this way is also true. It is lovely that the free market is providing the people who applied with better opportunities to work. But that flood of applications is a measure of the desperation of many longtime D.C. residents.
The long boom in D.C.'s economy doesn't have much place for unskilled or semi-skilled workers. The places that are hiring don't need them (lobbyists, defense contractors and professional services more than the government bureaucracy -- contra the Tea Party, George W. Bush's wars did at least as much to create an employment boom here as did Barack Obama's stimulus). And thanks to various obstacles -- from persnickety regulatory hurdles and landlords who want to rent properties in gentrifying neighborhoods at what they'll eventually be worth instead of what they actually are, to young professionals who do more and more of their shopping on Amazon.com -- the biggest sectors capable of absorbing these workers, which are retail and food services, are not growing as fast as they should be.
One typically closes a piece like this by calling for more education to upskill those stranded workers. And of course, D.C.'s school system does need a whole lot of fixing. But improving the high schools is not going to help a 35-year-old who needs a job. Easing up on the regulatory burdens to opening a business would be a much faster and more effective way to help those workers. As we've just seen, however, the District of Columbia Council prefers to move in the other direction.
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text:
The Schecter Hellraiser Special C-1 FR electric guitar has the looks, playability and tone that will please any metal player. The Floyd Rose Special tremolo bridge will keep you dive-bombing with your... Click To Read More About This Product
Find a similar product below or contact us for a recommendation of a great alternative.
Call: 866-498-7882 Email
The Schecter Hellraiser Special C-1 FR electric guitar has the looks, playability and tone that will please any metal player. The Floyd Rose Special tremolo bridge will keep you dive-bombing with your Schecter Hellraiser Special all night long. Hellraising features include a carved figure maple top, double-cutaway mahogany body, and a 3-piece mahogany neck. A Schecter Ultra-Access neck heel lets you get all the way up the 24-fret rosewood fretboard. Active EMG-81 (bridge) and 85 (neck) pickups deliver the roaring tones needed for today's metal mayhem. Pearloid dagger inlays, multi-ply binding, and black chrome hardware round out the Hellraiser Special's dark, sinister look.
Floyd Rose Special Tremolo
The Floyd Rose Special is the Authentic version of a licensed Floyd Rose tremolo system manufactured in Korea exclusively for Floyd Rose. The Floyd Rose Special maintains the construction parameters and features of an Original Floyd Rose, while utilizing zinc alloy saddles in place of steel and a zinc alloy sustain block in place of brass.
Check the drop-down menu to the right to select colors and/or other options.
Top: Carved figured maple
Body: Mahogany
Binding: Multi-ply
Scale length: 25-1/2"
Neck: Set 3-piece mahogany Ultra Access neck heel
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Nut: GraphTech Tusq
Frets: 24 jumbo
Fingerboard inlays: Pearloid daggers
Bridge pickup: EMG-81 active humbucker
Neck pickup: EMG-85 active humbucker
Bridge: Floyd Rose Special tremolo
Tuners: Schecter precision
Hardware: Black chrome
Origin: Crafted in South Korea
Reviewed by 4 customers
Comments about Schecter Guitar Research Hellraiser Special C-1 FR Electric Guitar:
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Comments about Schecter Guitar Research Hellraiser Special C-1 FR Electric Guitar:
i thought i loved schecter before but once i got this my love was taken to the next level. the playability of the painted neck is amazing, the ebony fretboard has great feel, the emgs can whale with pinch harmonics and heavy distortion, and the fr cannot hold the tuning any better even after banging on it for hours. if you are a metalhead like me this is a musthave.
Comments about Schecter Guitar Research Hellraiser Special C-1 FR Electric Guitar:
I received this guitar for Christmas. I keep it on a stand in my bedroom and I cannot walk past it without picking it up. It is that nice. The sound is great. It is powerful. Great for metal and all types of rock. I didn't think it would be so good for blues or clean playing, and although it is not the best axe for it, it is surprisingly good. The finish is fantastic, the hardware is great. My other guitar has a licensed Floyd, and the Floyd Special on this is exactly the same. As far as my research went is that it is the same hardware manufactured in Korea with the "special" name, and that there are no more "licensed" Floyd's being built anymore (I could be wrong but this is what I looked up). Either way, it is extremely hard to get this thing out of tune. The setup is great. This is my first guitar with a painted neck. It is fast and comfortable, although I'm not quite sure if I like it better than a maple neck. My other guitar has the absolute thinnest and most comfortable neck I've ever seen so I may be spoiled with it. However, this one is not far off from that, and probably better than almost anything out there in the painted neck category. The frets are smooth. I can't say anything bad about this guitar. It is all I need and well worth the money. If you don't care about the coil taps and love the EMG 81/85 setup, then this guitar is for you. I used to always play the bridge pickup on my other guitar but find myself playing both pickups on this. It has such a great sound. If I had any complaint at all it would be that this guitar is just a little bit heavy. I can only really compare it to my other which is a slim guitar. I've weighed them both and the Schecter comes in nearly 2 pounds heavier. Overall this guitar rocks, is a great playing guitar with great sound and excellent craftsmanship and components. If it were stolen I would pick the same exact guitar to replace it.
Comments about Schecter Guitar Research Hellraiser Special C-1 FR Electric Guitar:
I bought this guitar as my fourth guitar, because i was tired of my laguna rock-master, and i just needed something that could wail like no other. But i didn't have to look far for something this outstanding, and at a price that shows, it really isn't giving it justice for what it holds. I's an all mahogany body, flame maple top, floyd rose special trem, emg 81/85, set neck, pretty much everything to get you beyond the barrier. now i've had this guitar for well over a month, and all i really had done to this guitar is get the floyd readjusted. I recommend using ernie ball super slinky 9 gauge strings, just so than the tension is a little less, but i can't walk buy my guitar stand without picking up this beautiful guitar, i love. And i'm sure anyone else who buys it to will love it, straight up awesome guitar. Great job SCHECTER!!!!!!!!!!!
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text: Ring in the New Year with WCQS Ring in 2014 with WCQS! By Michelle Keenan • Dec 29, 2013 Our holiday programming continues this season with offerings to celebrate the New Year. From all of us at WCQS we wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year! Tuesday – 12/31 7 pm – THE PAUL WINTER SOLSTICE CONCERTIt's an encore broadcast on New Year's Eve of The Paul Winter Consort Solstice Concert! A holiday celebration on a spectacular scale -- Music, dance and renewal of spirit at the great turning point of the year.


text:
Originally posted on NESN.com | Last updated 12/3/12
LeBron James dominated 2012, and he's still adding to his trophy case. Sports Illustrated announced on CNN on Monday morning that James has been named the 2012 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. James owned the sports world in 2012, winning his first NBA title with the Miami Heat in June, before adding a gold medal at the London Olympics a couple of months later for Team USA. "I'm happy and blessed to have been part of this league and at the same time, make an impact," James told SI. "I hope people appreciate that." "I don't think anyone, including LeBron knows what his ceiling is," head coach Erik Spoelstra told SI. "It's fascinating to see when the best is still motivated to improve like he was fighting for a contract. " Click here to see James on the cover of the upcoming issue of Sports Illustrated.
PLAYERS: LeBron James, Erik Spoelstra
TEAMS: Miami Heat
TEAMS: Miami Heat
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Store class HashMap Spring Example
Spring provide many functionality which can be configured and access at run time through beans. Here I will show you how to store classes in HashMap and access it at runtime.
We will use below two classes which will implement same interface:
- TestInterface.java:
- TestInterfaceImpl.java:
- TestInterfaceImpl2.java:
- Now define bean for it and store in HashMap as below:
You could access HashMap and its classes as below:
- AccessClassesHashMap.java:


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|Episode Description
|Thursday, May 2, 2013 - 8:30 PM
"Florida Panthers, Smoky Mountains, Rock Creek Wilderness"
Conservationists race against time to save Florida panthers from extinction. Locals debate whether the Rock Creek area of the Bighorn Mountains deserves federal protection as wilderness. G
Pacific Time
|More on IDAHO (PT)
|No upcoming shows in database


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No TSE? Que?
1 day ago
While it's another gadget, have you considered a set of straight aero bars just for nothing other than extra mounting points for things?
@Steve Fuller: Actually, I have a Minoura Space bar and I have had that clamp going around a Salsa Moto Ace Stem before, so I know it would fit the Ritchey stem as well. If I needed extra bar mount space, I would look at that first before aero bars. (But I do have some carbon aero bars that have been shortened from crash damage in the wings if necessary!)
The ride will start at Prairie Grove Park on the South side side of Waterloo It's time to start thinking about the next Geezer Ride ...


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Full title reads: "VALE ROOSEVELT".
Close up shot of the American flag at half mast.
Several shots of the late American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt seated at desk signing Lease Lend Bill. Close up shot of President Roosevelt signing a document.
Headlines of American newspapers 'Jap War'. President Roosevelt signing declaration of war, a large group of men standing behind him.
Roosevelt talking from dais in Ottawa, Canada (natural sound).
Several shots of Roosevelt, Britain's Prime Minster Winston Churchill and Leader of the Soviet Union Joseph Visarionivich Stalin with several military officials behind at conference in Teheran. Close up shot of President Roosevelt.
Roosevelt speaking in U.S. Congress on when the war will end (natural sound). Several more shots of Roosevelt as he speaks.
Several shots of Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill at Yalta conference. Close up shot of President Roosevelt. More group shots of Jalta conference.
Close up shot of President Roosevelt sitting in front of microphone, talking (natural sound). He blesses all at the end.
(Mute & Track Negs.)
Full title reads: "VALE ROOSEVELT".
- Archive
- British Pathé
- Issue Date:
- 16/04/1945
- Sound:
- Sound
- Media URN:
- 39904
- HD Format:
- Available on request
- Film ID:
- 1151.08
- Stock:
- Black & White
- Duration
- 00:02:27:00
- Time in/Out:
- 01:21:28:00 / 01:23:55:00
- Canister:
- 45/31
- Sort Number:
- 45/031
Appears in...


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Back to Dog Parks in Ohio
This Virtually indestructible ID Tag features a glitter pink pig in the middle of it. Available in 5 colors in 3 sizes including small, for cats and small dogs.
Be sure to check out the pet businesses near you!
Be sure to check out the dog parks near you!
Pet podcast #13 focuses on an interview with Doug Simpson of Tenderfoot Training. In the interview we talk about problems and solutions for dealing with dogs that jump on their owners and guests that come to the door. Doug's training …
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Health Emergency
A film by Anne-Marie Sweeney produced for Keep Our NHS Public and Health Emergency
Sugar Coating the Bitter Bill.
Louise Irvine is a GP in the deprived area of New Cross. She shows how trusted GPs are being used to sugar coat the denationalisation of the NHS, proposed in the government's Health and Social Care Bill.
Dr Irvine explains with care and compassion, how this bitterly unacceptable bill will harm patient care and break up 'the NHS family'.
Simply and without jargon, she makes clear why local GPs will actually have less control over their patients' treatment if it is not scrapped.
Dr Irvine reveals the serious implications that this will have on patient trust.
If you want to know just why so many people in the NHS are in opposition to Lansley's Bill, then take 15 minutes to watch this video. Find out why the bill will be hugely costly to the NHS budget and will seriously damage our health.


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Game 35 Recap: Bucs Move Over .500!
Veras picked up the win in relief.
Some clutch pitching and timely hitting mixed with some defense that was questioned to help the Pirates move one game over .500. Starter Jeff Karstens and four relievers combined to limit Los Angeles to just a single run. Jose Tabata's sliding catch of a drive from Juan Uribe in the eighth tunred into an inning ending double play and some fireworks. The Pirates then connected on three doubles in the home half of the eighth to win it.
Los Angeles got on the board in a hurry. In the first Aaron Miles reached on an infield single and advanced to third on Andre Ethier's hit and run single (on a 3-2 count). He scored when Juan Uribe's grounder avoided Pedro Alvarez' glove. But Karstens settled in after that. He didn't allow anyone past second base until...
To continue reading the rest of this article, subscribe to Pirates Prospects. Subscribers get access to every article on the site, along with all of our exclusive live coverage of the Pirates' minor league system, all for a very low monthly or yearly rate.
If you're already a member, you can log in below. If you think you're receiving this message in error, please e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.
Randy is currently living and thriving in suburban Dayton, OH with his wife and two kids. He was raised in Cincinnati, OH and attended Anderson High School. He went to Miami University (Ohio) and received a degree in Paper Science Engineering from MU. He is a devout Christian and a pop culture buff. He coaches his son's baseball and basketball teams and his daughters softball and basketball teams. Randy has been a Pirates fan since the late 1970s and has fond memories of the 1979 World Series team. He began blogging for Most Valuable Network in 5/2004 after stumbling across a help-wanted sign for a Pirates blogger. He wrote for Pittsburgh Lumber Co. until the site merged with Pirates Prospects in 2/2011.


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Tomato probs
Aaggh. Newbie here growing greenhouse Alicante tomato's. Whole branches of each of my plants are dying and the ripening friut is rotting. Obviously no good this year but any ideas on how I can prevent further happenings pls.
Any chance of a photo, Colin? It sounds like a fungal problem. If the spread from foliage to stems to fruit has been rapid, it could be Late Blight. If not rapid, it could be a number of things. There are even fungal problems specific to greenhouses that are rarely found with outdoor toms.
Anyway, given that it's probably fungal, you can never guarantee against it ever happening. Fungal spores are airborne, they travel on the breeze, they're everywhere in the air, and invisible to the naked eye.
One option is preventive spraying, which means spraying before the spores arrive. Once they have arrived - when the symptoms are starting to show - it's too late. It means spraying about once a week from not long after the toms are planted out.
If you don't fancy spraying, you have to concentrate on a housekeeping routine that aims to minimise the fungal spores' chances of getting a grip.
In a greenhouse, ensure as much air circulation as you possibly can. The closed environment can be an incubator for disease.
Keep as much space between plants as you can for air circulation purposes.
Try to avoid great clumps of dense foliage developing on plants by judicious pruning of excess foliage and branches. Again, for air circulation purposes.
Keep a gap of at least a foot between the lowest foliage and the soil. Fungal spores can and will fall from the foliage to the soil and can be splashed back up again when watering causing re-infection. The gap will help against this.
The bottom line is that you can't avoid fungal spores. All you can do is try to minimise their impact.0
Really grateful for the trouble u have taken Italophile. All relevant and useful information. Really rapid spread os symptoms but, thanks again.0
Colin, do the symptoms look like this?
If so, it's Late Blight.0
Exactly like that + mouldy fruit. Sorry, new camera and haven't worked out how to load pics onto laptop0
I have found with my outdoor tomatoes that they have been much better for the last couple of years when i started using chimney pots filled with compost placed on top of the soil. So the roots can still get into the soil, but they are elevated awy from the soil.0
Colin7 wrote (see)
Exactly like that + mouldy fruit. Sorry, new camera and haven't worked out how to load pics onto laptop
Mouldy fruit a bit like this?
Late Blight is one of the ugliest, most virulent fungal diseases. It can demolish an entire tomato plant inside a week.
Sparkle - I can't picture what you're describing. The plants are planted into the chimney pots but grow down into the soil underneath?0
Think of the chimney pot as a large bottomless flower pot, filled with compost and placed on top of the soil, eventually the roots will grow through the compost into the soil beneath.
my toms in the chimney pots are taller then I am now, really good strong plants. I have now cut off the tops and all the flowers and even picked off some of the tiny toms, desperatly hoping that the trusses left on will ripen. The yeild had been well down this year as it was so cold for so long
I am still waiting for the blight to strick and feel it will be a when rather then if, (the allotment 1 mile away was devistated this year) but so far so good.
The toms just in normal pots are not nearly s healthy and might have the first signs of blight.0
Ah, now I get the picture.
The chimney-pot plants have a big advantage over those in containers. By the time they get down into the soil they've developed very good root structure. Plants in containers will always have hindered root structure. But the blight difference is a matter of luck. All plants are susceptible, no matter how they're planted.
Taking off the tops, flowers, small fruit, etc, doesn't hasten the ripening process. Ripening is purely down to temperature. Optimum ripening temperatures are anything above low-20sC. The lower you go, the longer it takes. And, as soon as the toms start to turn from their very darkest green, the plant pretty much shuts off moisture to the fruit anyway.0
Hello, I have some tomato plants with the dreaded blight next to sweetcorn which also looks sick. Please could you let me know if it is transferable to the other plants in my garden and if any blight treatments are ok for them, I know it is likely that my potatoes will succumb but am worried about courgettes and the sweetcorn. Thanks very much.0
sotongeoff Posts: 9,806
Tomato and potato blights are transferable to each other as I understand it but not to other plants
However that is not say other plants are not susceptible to other fungal diseases-it has been yet another poor and troublesome season
Onwards and upwards0
Mia's grandma wrote (see)
Hello, I have some tomato plants with the dreaded blight next to sweetcorn which also looks sick. Please could you let me know if it is transferable to the other plants in my garden and if any blight treatments are ok for them, I know it is likely that my potatoes will succumb but am worried about courgettes and the sweetcorn. Thanks very much.
When you say "the dreaded blight" it depends exactly which fungal problem you have on the toms. It might not even be fungal. It could be bacterial. Can you post a photo?
As Geoff says, toms and spuds are both prone to a couple of the same fungal diseases. One is Late Blight. If you have Late Blight, the tomato plant will be wiped out within a week or ten days. If your plants have been coping for that or longer it's probably not Late Blight. Early Blight, another common tomato fungal problem, can also affect spuds, though, as with toms, it's nowhere near as destructive.
I've never heard of any of the tomato/potato fungal diseases affecting sweet corn. Sweet corn only has one fungal threat that I know of. It's called "smut" and you'd know whether your plants are affected. The kernels expand to three or four times their size and are a dark grey/purple colour. It looks hideous, though, in some parts of the world, it's a delicacy. I get it a lot on my sweet corn here in Italy.
In terms of dealing with your disease problem now, it's too late for prevention. Once the spores are in place, you can't kill them, per se. You can only try to minimise the impact by removing affected foliage to try to stop the spread.0
Thank you both for your help, I have been working today in the garden, removing the worst affected tomato plants and will have a closer look at the sweetcorn tomorrow. It is disheartening when you put so much work into growing and nurturing these plants, sometimes I wonder if it is all worth it, but I'm sure I will try again next year.0
Having done some internet research, Italophile is spot on. This is Late Blight, the same that caused the Irish potato famine in the 19c. It thrives in the damp conditions that we have experienced this year. As suggested, prevention is better than cure (If indeed there is a cure) Italophile's measures have been endorsed by a number of sites. Hope no-one has suffered as badly as I have in losing the whole crop.0
There's no cure, Colin, not just for Late Blight but for any of the other fungal diseases. Once the spores have arrived and settled in - when the symptoms are showing - you can't kill them off. The same applies to most fungal garden problems - Black Spot on roses, etc.
All you can do is try to mimimise their effects after arrival or take preventive measures - prior to their arrival - by either spraying or undertaking the basic housekeeping procedures I've mentioned here so many times.0


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SOD Off! Law Enforcement Using NSA Spying To Go After Ordinary Crimes
Thanks to our longtime reader Damen for directing us to alarming new revelations about the National Security Agency surveillance programs first exposed in June by Edward Snowden.
This news reveals three things that ought to shock Americans silly:
1. NSA electronic surveillance under the FISA Amendments Act is being used to target investigation of Americans for activities conducted solely within the borders of the United States.
2. NSA electronic surveillance is being used by the federal government to spy on Americans in cases that have nothing to do with national security.
3. NSA electronic surveillance is collecting not only metadata, but is gathering the content of emails or telephone calls, and then allowing other government agents to examine that content, without a search warrant, in order to begin criminal prosecutions.
Reporters at Reuters have obtained documents showing that the Drug Enforcement Administration has been given access to the gigantic databases of Americans' telephone and Internet communications seized by the National Security Agency. The DEA is being allowed to search through the surveillance records, without obtaining any search warrant, in order to launch investigations of Americans involving illegal drugs.
Furthermore, the DEA is directing its investigators to cover their tracks. DEA agents are told to find additional evidence, once an investigation has begun, so that the original source of the criminal investigation can be kept secret, withheld not just from defense attorneys, but from prosecutors as well. Courts aren't being given truthful information about how these criminal investigations are being conducted.
The program is called SOD. That stands for Special Operations Division.
Here's some very special about SOD: A former agent, interviewed by Reuters, tried to defend the program by saying, "You'd be told only, 'Be at a certain truck stop at a certain time and look for a certain vehicle.' And so we'd alert the state police to find an excuse to stop that vehicle, and then have a drug dog search it."
Here we have evidence that the military surveillance by the NSA is leading to physical searches of Americans' by local law enforcement, and that it's all being done without a proper search warrant.
This statement also shows that the surveillance done by the NSA is not limited to metadata, such as the time of a telephone call, or the subject line of an email. No one would write an email with subject line stating, "Meet Me At The Truck Stop At Exit 20 On Route 350 To Buy Cocaine. I Will Be In A Green Ford Taurus".
The Obama Administration kept the NSA spying secret from us, lying about what the FISA Amendments Act was being used for. Then, when the NSA surveillance program was exposed, the Obama Administration lied to us about how the spying was conducted.
What reason do we have to trust anything that the Obama Administration has to say about its Big Brother spying programs? Why should we allow these programs to continue, when they been conducted in repeated violation of the Constitution?


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Studio Studies 6
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Bottom Slider v3.12.12 APK
SLK "Bottom Slider" is a lock screen for Smart Launcher!
Bottom Slider
To enable it follow these steps:
Open Smart Launcher → Preferences → Lockscreen, then select the new lockscreen and choose "select as lockscreen";
– Now press the standby button 2 time, the new lockscreen should be active.
- Security PIN;
- Torch;
- Music control;
- Customizable background;
- Rotation;
- Notifications on screen;
- Double tap to turn off the screen.
What's in this version :
- updated translations
Requires :Android 2.2 and Up
Mirror:APK 2 MB
Google Play Links For Info
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.


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The concept of a Digital Copy in the home video market has always interested me, but it wasn't until recently that the format has really stepped forward as a serious essential for movie fans and home video collectors. I will get into the rise of UltraViolet and VUDU and why they should become very important to movie lovers shortly, but I think a quick trip through the hurdles the Digital Copy has taken sets a nice frame of reference for how far we have come and where we are going.
Where Digital Copy Started and Why It Became "Pointless":
Since 2009/2010 studios began adding Digital Copies to their Blu-ray and DVD releases. This novelty was exciting as the iPad had just been released by Apple. Apple was firmly behind the format as the majority of Digital Copies were redeemed through iTunes. After downloading you could easily load it on to your iWhatever and watch the movies on the go. Great for trips, distracting the kids in the car, ect…
There were some drawbacks to this setup, the biggest being picture quality. By no means terrible, the SD picture was just that, SD leaving anyone hoping to watch their Digital Copy in HD hung out to dry. The problem of storage, if you were buying Blu-rays as frequently as me, quickly became a problem as well and my HD was filling up in a hurry; TB of storage weren't as readily available as they are now.
Data loss was also a serious problem with this setup. What happened if your HD crashed or you needed to delete some of those movies to make space for all your new movies? Getting a new Digital Copy (of a title you already redeemed) wasn't an easy process and re-downloading through iTunes was never an easy guarantee until recently.
Lastly, and most importantly, you were stuck watching Digital Copies on the small screens of your computer, iPads and iPods. There wasn't an intuitive way to watch them on your big screen TV at home and Digital Copies were regulated, and predominantly sold, as a movie to watch on-the-go. Where was our digital movie locker of the future? This is where UltraViolet (UV) enters our story.
A Rough Start:
Late in 2011 almost every major studio (Sony, Paramount, Warner Bros., Universal, DreamWorks, Lionsgate) got together and launched UV. UV is an online digital locker that lets you store your Digital Copies online; no local HD needed.
UV got off to a terrible start. My personal experience with it was miserable, slow customer service, password retrieval/loss was painful, and it was difficult to watch/download your movies. I was quickly ready to give up on the format after the first few UV bundled releases lead to a number of frustrations.
After six months or so, it was impossible to avoid UV any longer. Universal was giving out iTunes and UV codes with their releases, but all the other studies had gone strictly UV, meaning I had to get my UV account straightened away. After a couple weeks of back and forth with customer service, account consolidating and password resetting, I finally was able to access my UV account and appropriately link it up with Flixster. Flixster is the only way to download UV titles to your devices currently (more on that later) and while not being the most intuitive app it got the job done. I could now get my UV movies on my mobile device in a manageable manner; this was progress.
VUDU, UltraViolet and Big Steps in the Right Direction:
It's when I discovered VUDU and their partnership with UV that the potential of the format really began to burn bright. VUDU is an HD VOD service that is standard on most TV's & Blu-ray players. Alternatively, VUDU apps can be downloaded on PS3 and Xbox360 or you can access it through the web. I had messed around with VUDU before (their HD trailer section looked great), but it was their new relationship with UV that spurred this article. I linked my VUDU and UV accounts and magically most of my titles with UV were available in 1080p, 5.1, through VUDU on my PS3. Finally my digital copy is actually worth something, and in full 1080p!
You might be asking, "Yeah, but how good does it really look?" and my answer is that my Digital Copies look pretty damn good via streaming through VUDU. Streaming not your thing? You can also download the movies to your device to watch offline.
So now that your Digital Copies are available in full 1080p on any TV device with VUDU (after a quick sign in of your account) the access to your titles anywhere makes that Digital Copy sticker worth a lot more than it used to. Just looking ahead in the coming months of releases and I will have movies like Jaws, E.T., Cabin in the Woods, The Amazing Spider-Man, Magic Mike and The Dark Knight Rises available on any of my devices and at any location in 1080p. TV is getting into the game as well as HBO and other networks are now putting UV copies of full seasons on many releases including True Blood, Boardwalk Empire, and Game of Thrones.
Disc to Digital – Preserving Your Past:
However, the biggest breakthrough of the VUDU/UV partnership is Disc to Digital. VUDU has created a partnership with UV's studios to allow anyone who owns an existing movie on a disc currently in VUDU's select catalog to "unlock" a 1080p Digital Copy to watch through VUDU. To add a Digital Copy to your VUDU/UV locker in HD, it costs $2 to unlock if you own the Blu-ray, $5 if you own the DVD. The title will show up in your collection on VUDU and you get to keep your disc too. Not a bad deal. You do this by verifying your discs at your local Wal-Mart (only location offered so far) and after you check out your Digital Copies will be ready and waiting for you to view, immediately, just as if you entered a UV code from a new release.
Now this service is great for a few reasons. First, being able to backup and create a digital locker for your existing library for an extremely reasonable price is essential in this growing digital age. Having bought plenty of Blu-rays pre-UV, I can add a Digital Copy of my favorite films to VUDU for a minimal charge and access them anywhere. Adding Digital Copies of films you already have in 1080p might seem redundant to some, but the really exciting feature is that there are a lot of titles only available on DVD that you can upgrade and get a 1080p copy of for a couple bucks. Just the other day I was able to get Soderbergh's Solaris, Junet's A Very Long Engagement, Jonathan Glazer's Birth, Rian Johnson's Brick, James Gunn's Slither and a few more titles that will never have the audience to get a Blu-ray release, as HD Digital Copies in my VUDU locker.
Making Things Even Easier and Righting the Wrongs:
All this isn't without a few issues in the new VUDU/UV relationship still need to be ironed out. First and foremost, VUDU needs to release their own app. Streaming through VUDU.com works great, but there isn't an option to download to your tablet. The only way to download UV movies to your portable device is through the aforementioned Flixster app and a number of older releases through Disc to Digital, including all of Paramount's (new & old), aren't available to stream or download on Flixster. I am sure VUDU can create an app that easily out functions the current setup on Flixster and will be able to avoid these licensing hurdles.
The HD streaming/downloading is also currently only available on TV devices, not your computer and other devices. Most monitors, lap or desktop, can do at least 720p HD easily and the new retina iPads even go beyond 1080p. VUDU needs to provide HD options for these formats ASAP, but there are most likely pirating concerns that are holding up this breakthrough.
VUDU also needs expand their Disc to Digital system from just existing at Wal-Mart. Expanding this will only help boost brand awareness. Wal-Mart also has a reputation that doesn't please a lot of people and there are a number of knowledgeable, potential customers that won't even step foot in their stores.
This next one is a major stretch, but all of the studios in UV's camp should allow people to redeem their existing Digital Copy codes to unlock a copy in their VUDU/UV locker. I know I am not the only one that still has all of those inserts sitting in all of my cases; I would gladly plug in all those long codes if they honored them to unlock those films in VUDU/UV. A couple of early UV releases are also currently locked into SD only on all devices and VUDU needs to unlock all formats for viewing as this has become the standard for UV (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, The Thing (2011), Contagion and Crazy Stupid Love are all currently SD only on TV & portable devices in my collection).
Bringing It All Under One Roof:
Lastly, VUDU needs to sign Fox and Disney. Disney has their own locker system that they recently re-launched as Disney Movies Online. VUDU should allow customers access to the titles they have already unlocked through Disney. Disney's locker saves all Magic Codes you have entered and grants you online access to all the movies you have bought either free of charge or after you pay a $5.99 unlocking fee. VUDU already has a large Disney catalog and it shouldn't be too much of a hassle to link accounts and unlock the titles already in your Disney locker in Voodoo. This would also be a great way for consumers to get all digital copies in the same location while allowing Disney to stay out of the UV party. And as for Fox, my Digital Copy for Shame was a .wmv file that I could not get to play on any device I own.
VUDU and UV are on to something and with a little more time, and more awareness, Digital Copies could become an essential piece of the home video market. If the public became more aware that a UV Digital Copy is a 1080p copy available to watch from any location from your VUDU account, it will become essential for every new release. I personally love my discs, but with the studio's desires to go full digital in the not so distant future this current VUDU/UV model is a huge step in the right direction to help movie fans get their current collection in the digital space; making this inevitable transition a lot harder to swallow.
Follow Me… @Indy7Solo


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For this edition Shadows of Film Noir, we take a look at Otto Preminger's Laura, produced by Twentieth Century Fox in 1944. It was a glossy, high-class production that was well regarded, and it was a hit, even though it was not one of the year's top grossers. It won an Oscar for its black-and-white cinematography, and received nominations for directing, screenplay, art direction, and supporting actor. Since then, it has come to be known as one of Preminger's greatest films, along with Anatomy of a Murder (1959). It's an odd combination of class and back-alley emotions, all coming together in a bizarre, brilliant way.
What It's About
Police detective Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) is investigating the murder of Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney), a beautiful advertising executive. His first stop is powerful newspaper columnist Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb), who first appears in his bathtub, perched at his typewriter (which rests on a kind of marble shelf across the tub). Lydecker tells the story of how he came to meet and befriend Laura -- with flashbacks -- and accompanies McPherson on his other interviews. He meets Laura's would-be fiancé, the milquetoast Shelby Carpenter (Vincent Price), Laura's wealthy aunt, Ann Treadwell (Judith Anderson), and her housekeeper, Bessie Clary (Dorothy Adams). The more McPherson learns about Laura, the more he begins to obsess over her, not helped by a haunting portrait that hangs in her apartment. He falls asleep beneath the portrait and awakes to a startling new twist in the case.
categories Cinematical