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Difference between revisions of "SEM"
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=== Specimen Images ===
=== Specimen Images ===
<gallery widths=200px heights=166px
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Image:IMG_0004.jpg|Image of mechanical pencil graphite smudge on an aluminum slug at approximately 20x magnification. The specimen is about 1 mm across. This is prior to repairing the X Stigmator. Magnification was limited. Imaged by Chris Murphy and Mike Kan.
Image:IMG_0004.jpg|Image of mechanical pencil graphite smudge on an aluminum slug at approximately 20x magnification. The specimen is about 1 mm across. This is prior to repairing the X Stigmator. Magnification was limited. Imaged by Chris Murphy and Mike Kan.
Revision as of 09:01, 12 June 2011
The Scanning Electron Microscope at Noisebridge.
- "TV Mini-SEM (R)" by ISI (International Scientific Instruments)
- lives in the "science ghetto" on the west end of the south wall at 2169.
- is tended by Mike Kan and the rest of the SEM mailing list
- If you release the vacuum without venting the pump hose, pump oil will flood the chamber and contaminate the entire mechanism, requiring 10 hours of cleanup.
- If you vent air into the column without powering down the filament, you'll probably destroy the filament ($100).
Startup procedures
- Get the power cord from Mike.
- See PDFs on vacuum start up and operators manual linked below.
Todo list
Short Term:
- Isolate vibration from external sources; buses, people, etc. See Repair and Enhancement notes below. (2010-12-12)
- Create/obtain specimen stage clamp or spring to prevent specimen vibration. (2010-12-12)
- Obtain some sputter coated specimens. (2010-12-12)
Long Term:
- Column liner needs to be replaced. Larry may be able to provide a clean liner. (2010-06-15) (update: Larry has taken column liner to his lab for cleaning)
- Build digital capture stage to replace CRT mechanism (2010-06-15)
- Replace 8.4" slow scan CRT with slow scan XGA LCD? (see above)
- Build sputter coater for specimen preparation (2010-06-15)
- Test repair of X Stigmator circuit. Replaced 741 op amp. (completed, work began 2010-11-20, tested 2010-12-10)
- Adjust vertical overscan of CRT (completed 2010-12-12, including hack sawing access port to overscan potentiometers in the CRT module)
- Fix 2x magnification toggle switch (2010-12-12)
- Diagnose and repair barrel distortion and occlusion at low magnification (2010-12-12)
- Sew dust cover (2010-12-12)
- Rubber grommet around edge of CRT potentiometer port needed
Repair and Enhancement Notes
- Before repair, disable pumps and high voltage then put it into operation mode by placing a magnet on the operation relay.
- schematics framed behind SEM are to a similar, potentially slightly more modern model
- poorly designed wire harness may cause linear op amp and transistor on the J1 board of the power module to fail.
- camera mounting stage and bellows hood for slow-scan exposure. Proposed (2010-06-15), Completed by Mike, Miloh, and Chris (2010-11-06)
- CRT V. scan, V bias, H. frequency potentiometers are located on the underside of the CRT module.
- broken stigmator Y lock tab is in altoids tin in SEM kit box.
How to mitigate vibration:
- Measure and pinpoint vibration sources
- Dampen vibration from the rough pump-line by one of these methods: routing it through a concrete block and adding a hose extension, sandbag the existing line, or utilize water as a mass.
- Hang the column from the ceiling with bungee cord and platform
- Potentially relocate the microscope to the server room to diminish dust and increase distance from Mission St.
- Create spring clamping specimen slug to keep the specimen from moving.
- Made in Japan
- Delivered in September, 1975
- magnifies up to 20,000x
- outputs to a CRT
- non-digital, non-NTSC, non-PAL, analog output signal
Media: Vacuum_System_Operating_Instructions.pdf - How to start the pump
Media: ISI_Mini-TV_SEM_Manual-Troubleshooting-Reference_Guide.pdf - How to use and fix the SEM
Media: Specimen_Stage_Service_Request.pdf - Why the rotating stage is broken
Media: Cards.pdf - Historic docs
Media: Other_Docs.pdf - Repair notes
Media: Packing_Lists.pdf - Original Packing Lists, the contents of the shipping crate
Overall schematics for the TV MINI-SEM (Model: MRS-2-2 WN76-7-01). These schematics are for a model of SEM that is perhaps newer than than the SEM at Noisebridge. It is still an invaluable reference to the technician. Note: This schematic is a mosaic of 9 images stitched together with Hugin 2010.2.0. Some minor alignment issues exist in the content of the schematic. I think alignment can be guessed/interpreted accurately. Available in: LOW RES 1.5MB (4330 x 3109, posterized grayscale, JPEG) and HIGH RES 8MB (8680 x 6217, color, JPEG).
Media: Schematic_of_Photomultiplier.pdf
Media: Polaron_Pirani_Schematics-PE_Pir-SW_Issue_4_E5000.pdf - Polaron Pirani sputter coater schematics
Media: Polaron_Pirani_Gauge_Head_for_Sputter_Coater.pdf


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The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has a long and distinguished tradition of research that has spanned nearly a century. The research breakthroughs at Children's Hospital have improved the lives of countless children throughout the world and put the institution on the course to pediatric research preeminence.
Research at the Hospital had modest beginnings. The Hospital established its first research laboratory in 1922 as a single room in its basement. By 1931, the Hospital founded the "Society of Pediatric Research" for its expanding base of investigators, who conducted their experiments wherever space permitted.
These beginnings gained significant momentum in 1972 when Children's Hospital designated 70,000 square feet to research and established the Research Institute, the first pediatric research department in the country.
Today, the Hospital's entire research enterprise is organized under the aegis of the CHOP Research Institute and constitutes a separate organizational, administrative and financial entity within the Hospital.
While Research Institute investigators have academic homes in one of the Hospital's six departments and hold faculty appointments at the University of Pennsylvania, researchers also belong to designated Centers of Emphasis and interdisciplinary, cross-divisional Research Affinity Groups.
These groups, as well as investigators and their research programs, are supported by more than a dozen Core Facilities that substantially enhance basic and clinical research programs. The cores provide investigators with sophisticated research equipment, knowledgeable advisors and experienced support staff. The Research Institute invests annually in refreshing the cores and acquiring new cutting-edge resources to ensure that investigators have access to the best tools available.
Today, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute is home to one of the largest pediatric research programs in the country with more than $138 million in total federal awards and an annual budget of more than $329 million (FY14).
Innovation to Intervention
Among the historical research breakthroughs that have made Children's Hospital an international pioneer in pediatric medicine are vaccines against measles, mumps and rubella, the development of a balloon catheter for use in cardiology, and the generation of methods for changing sickle-shaped red blood cells.
By fostering collaborations between clinical and basic scientists the Hospital's traditional "bench to bedside" philosophy has resulted in an array of other major scientific achievements.
Building upon its solid foundation in both clinical and laboratory investigation, the Hospital and its Research Institute continue on the course to pediatric research preeminence.
Research today at Children's Hospital reflects the institution's commitment to improve child health and concentrates on basic, translational and clinical research on issues of importance and relevance to child health. With more than 525 investigators and a research staff in the thousands, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute continues its groundbreaking research on diabetes, neonatal seizures, childhood cancer, hemophilia, pediatric heart disease, cystic fibrosis, nutrition disorders, hypercholesterolemia, intellectual disabilities, AIDS, sickle cell disease and numerous other diseases and disorders that affect children. Among its distinguished investigators are numerous members of the Institute of Medicine, Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators, Pew Scholars in Biomedical Sciences, and NIH Merit Scholars.

subset: commoncrawl


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Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel re-team to tell the exciting 2-part, untold tale of Bruce Wayne and his adventures between BATMAN R.I.P. and FINAL CRISIS! What happened to Batman - and Dr. Hurt, for that matter - after the devastating events at the climax of R.I.P.? And what secrets within this story point toward THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE?
One of the Watchmen Just Quietly Joined the Justice League


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codynow necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 113 diseños de 27 diseñadores freelance.
Access GenChurch is a youth ministry for teenagers 6th-12th grade. We have been around for 11 years and are currently going through a whole new face lift that launches in September. We are a trendy youth ministry w/ a mix of all sorts of youth from athletes to skaters to musicians. We have weekly services and also are very involved as volunteers in our community. We are looking to brand the "access" logo throughout the community. We generally like simple branding (like apple) but are open to any suggestions. This logo will be seen on a variety of products like T-shirts to "touchcards" (business card size) that a student could give to a friend to invite them to our weekly programs. the whole name is "Access Generation Church" but we are open to having the "generation church" as part of the logo or separate. there is also more potential work for the designer we choose in the future. Thank you for your time.
Any teenager. Not something so kiddish but a little bit more hip and sophisticated. something that would attract most 16-18 year olds.
Clean, trendy, attractive (cool) to teenagers. memorable. unique. one of a kind. non-traditional to most "youth churches". outside the box.
open to any objects or colors.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Abt celebrated Earth Day on Sunday; it was quite a kick off to Earth Week.
We had so many Earth Friendly activities. Our Glenview neighbors at the Grove brought some cool snakes and turtles for everyone to get to know. Com Ed told us about their environmentally friendly programs. Dan from Garvy's Office Supplies showed us all sorts of recycled office products. Abt gave tours of the recycling center and had Earth Day treats like granola and oatmeal raisin cookies. Kids who visited got to make sun catchers and mouse pads from recycled materials.
Abt's goal is to make everyday Earth Day, according to Abt's President Mike Abt. "Our goal is to have no waste, and we are close," said Mike. "It's a core value of the company and is demonstrated in everything we do."
So on the heels of the Energy Star rebate program and Earth Day 2010, make sure you do your part to make this world a better place. Take a look at https://www.abt.com/green/ for information on how Abt works toward making a small carbon footprint.
To find out how you can make your home more energy efficient, check out these products and learn more: https://www.abt.com/search/search.php?keywords=energy+star.
Check back all week for Earth Week blogs!
-Kelly B.


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The Florida Marlins didn't pull off a trade.
Still, they managed to have a little deadline fun Sunday.
After Leo Nunez wrapped up a 3-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves, manager Jack McKeon called the reliever into his office. Nunez froze, believing he had been dealt. Instead, it was just a joke instigated by teammate Hanley Ramirez.
"Having a little fun," McKeon quipped.
Ricky Nolasco scattered 12 hits, Emilio Bonifacio homered and the Marlins avoided a sweep on a day when the Braves made the biggest splash, completing a trade for speedy Houston outfielder Michael Bourn ahead of the deadline for non-waiver deals.
The Braves could've used him right away, especially when fill-in Jose Constanza got thrown out twice on the basepaths.
"As an offense, we should've capitalized a little more," third baseman Brooks Conrad said. "It doesn't feel good to lose a game like that where you have so many opportunities to get runs in."
Florida handed the Braves the 10,000th loss in franchise history.
"We'll go down in the history books for that," McKeon said.
Atlanta outhit the Marlins 13-7 but left 10 runners on base, becoming only the second team in big league history with 10,000 losses. The Phillies reached that mark in 2007.
The Braves picked up their 10,000th win a couple of weeks ago, including their time in Boston and Milwaukee.
"The 10,000th win wasn't a big deal to anyone in this clubhouse," catcher David Ross said. "Same with 10,000 losses. The one thing that tells me is baseball is basically a .500 game over long periods of time. When you have a chance to be good, you need to take advantage of it -- like this year."
That's just what the Braves had in mind when they traded Jordan Schafer and three minor league pitchers to acquire Bourn, a two-time Gold Glove winner who leads the NL in stolen bases.
He had to fly in from Milwaukee and won't join the Braves until they open a series at Washington on Monday.
Struggling on offense and plagued by injuries, Bourn's new teammates can't wait for him to arrive.
"He's a great player," Dan Uggla said. "He's going to create a lot of opportunities for us to score some runs."
As it was, Nolasco (8-7) pitched out of trouble for 6 2-3 innings, retiring the side in order only once. Nunez came on in the ninth for his 30th save in 33 chances.
"I kept getting singled to death," Nolasco said. "A couple big double plays helped. I'd rather give up 12 hits and no walks than eight hits and four walks. I just want to make them put the ball in play."
The Marlins are still 91/2 games behind Atlanta in the wild-card race and 151/2 behind Philadelphia in the NL East. Those two division rivals both made major deals in the last week, the Phillies acquiring Hunter Pence from the Astros.
"It just makes it tougher to catch up with those guys," McKeon acknowledged.
Atlanta starter Tommy Hanson (11-6) gave up all three Florida runs in six innings.
"I expect to go out and do a lot better than that," he said.
The Braves jumped ahead in the first when Constanza led off with a double, moved to third on Martin Prado's single and came home when Freddie Freeman grounded into a double play.
Florida tied it in the second, manufacturing a run after Hanley Ramirez led off with a walk. He stole second, tagged and went to third on a flyout and came home on Mike Stanton's single to center.
In the third, the Marlins went ahead for good. Omar Infante reached on an infield single and sprinted all the way around to score when Greg Dobbs doubled into the right-field corner, the ball sticking against the wall.
Bonifacio provided an insurance run in the fifth, leading off with his second homer of the year.
Constanza, in what was likely his last extensive playing time with the Braves before Bourn arrives, had three hits but a rough day on the basepaths.
In the fifth, he put down a bunt and reached on a throwing error to first. Trying to take a couple of extra bases while the Marlins chased down the loose ball, he was thrown out on a headfirst slide at third.
Then, in the seventh, he made a terrible mental blunder. Constanza led off with a single to left, only to get doubled off on Prado's soft liner to second baseman Infante.
But Constanza was hardly alone. The Braves started the sixth with two straight hits, putting runners at first and third with no outs. Alex Gonzalez popped up -- slamming his bat in disgust -- and Nolasco struck out J.C. Boscan and pinch-hitter Chipper Jones.
Jones, who hasn't started in nearly a week because of a strained quadriceps, received a big cheer from the crowd when he popped out of the dugout. Those quickly turned to groans when he fanned on three pitches.


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Welcome to our website! As we have the ability to list over one million items on our website (our selection changes all of the time), it is not feasible for a company our size to record and playback the descriptions on every item on our website. However, if you have a disability we are here to help you. Please call our disability services phone line at 800-288-5899 during regular business hours and one of our kind and friendly personal shoppers will help you navigate through our website, help conduct advanced searches, help you choose the item you are looking for with the specifications you are seeking, read you the specifications of any item and consult with you about the products themselves. There is no charge for the help of this personal shopper for anyone with a disability. Finally, your personal shopper will explain our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, and help you place an order if you so desire.
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text:
Dallas, TXUSA
September 2, 2019
No introduction yet
Help support your group
How to become the best Photographer you can be! This meetup presents Composition, Practical Experience, Review and Post Processing in a Theme oriented approach.
The objective of this group is to make us all better photographers. We look at the image from the initial concept (gee, that looks like it would be a good picture), the composure of the picture (would it look better if I was a little left, right, higher, lower, cross-ways?), the snapping of the picture (all the mysterious exposure modes, light balance, flash, . . . ) through post processing (now that I have the picture, what can I do to make it better).
We have a variety of members from newbies with point and shoot cameras to serious enthusiasts with thousands of dollars of cameras, lenses and software. We all share a passion for learning how to create even better images. Everyone brings a unique perspective that we all can learn from.
Bring your questions to the meeting to add to the discussion of the subject!
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George Hamilton Brittain (1839-1879)
(→Secondary sources)
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Revision as of 18:07, 17 June 2007
George Hamilton Brittain
Copyright 2007 by Will Johnson, Professional Genealogist. This page has been locked. If you'd like to comment about it, email me at email@example.com. This page has been paid for by a descendent of George Hamilton Brittain.
If you enjoy the research done here, consider making a financial contribution to keep research like this going.
He was born 24 May 1839 in Mississippi (probably Rankin County) to William B "Bill" Brittain (AFN:1H3C-C26) and his first wife Jane Hamilton Cooper. Jane died while George was a baby on 15 Jul 1840 in Jackson County, Mississippi, and Bill married her sister Lucinda A Cooper (AFN:1H3C-C10) on 15 Feb 1848 in Harrison County, Texas. In the 1850 and 1860 census the family is living in Harrison County, Texas.
In Sep 1861, he enlisted as a private in Capt U.V. Hill's Regiment/Gregg's Regiment, Texas Volunteers, for 3 years; this unit was re-organized as Company H, 7th Regiment Texas Infantry, CSA. He served until Lee's surrender in 1865.
Sometime between 1870 and 1872 he married Eliza Texana Reagor, born Jan 11, 1852 in Dallas County, Texas, the daughter of James Jacob Reagor born in Tennessee by his wife Hannah Juliana Frost born in Alabama.
George and Eliza had three children (in 1900 she says "mother of 3, 3 living"):
- Jacob Fernando Brittain, born Sep 1872 probably in Ellis County, Texas. In 1900 he is at Steins Pass, Grant County, New Mexico as "J F Brittain". In 1910 as "John F Brittain" he is living in Terrell County with his mother. He might be the person of that name who died at Sheffield, Pecos County, Texas on 12 Jan 1912.
- Carrie Gettie Brittain, born 15 Mar 1874, Ennis, Ellis County, Texas married a Mr Williams
- William Hamilton Brittain, born 3 Oct 1877, Llano County, Texas (or Eagle Pass, Maverick County, Texas), died 1950. In 1900, he is with his brother Jacob at Steins Pass, Grant County, New Mexico.
George died on 29 Apr 1879 in Ellis County, Texas. Eliza never remarried. She is living in 1900 in Justice Precinct 4, Llano County, Texas as "Eliza T Brittain", with two of her three living children, next door to her brother George Reagor. In 1903 when her son William got married, Eliza was living in Langtry, Val Verde County, Texas. In 1910 she is living in Terrell County as "Mrs Anna T Brittain", with her son "John" (should be Jacob) a Cattle rancher; and next-door to her son "W H" and his wife and children. She died in 1931 age 79 at Eagle Pass, Maverick County, Texas.
Primary documents
- 1850 Census of Harrison County, Texas showing "W B Brittain, 45, Carp[enter], NC; L Brittain 32, female, MS; G W Brittain 11 b MS; J M Brittain 1 b Texas; E A Cooper 28 female, b MS; E Boon 27 male Cook? b TN; A Lewis 22, Lawyer, b GA
- 1860 Census of Harrison County, Texas showing "W Brittain, 45, Carpenter, NC; L 40 female, MS; G 16, male, TX; J 10 female, TX; R M 9 male TX; E 6 female TX; M 4 female TX" [Note that living next door, the Jail Keeper, and the Constable, also have connections to Mississippi.]
- 1880 Census of Llano County, Texas showing "...Eliza Britton, 28, daughter; Jacob F Britton 7, grandson; Jetty C Britton, 6, granddaughter; William H Britton, 2, grandson" living with (previous page) "Jacob Reagor, 64, Farmer, b TN; Juliana 60, wife, b AL" and a number of children.
- World War I Draft Registration Card for William H Brittain of "Donbohis, Cochise, Ariz; 40 years old, born Oct 3, 1877; White; Ranchman, self-employed, nearest relative: wife Lavonia Brittain. Signed W H Brittain. Medium Height, medium build, blue eyes, brown hair, no disabilities. Registered 12 Sep 1918 Cochise County, Arizona."
- Texas Death Index showing "Eliza Texana Brittain, 5 Dec 1931, Maverick County"
Secondary sources
- Mary Eliza Texanna Reagor on Reagor.net
- George Hamilton Brittain on Reagor.net


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Scottish postal workers hope to deliver Yes vote for independence
Members of the Communication Workers Union say leaving the UK is 'the only way forward for workers in Scotland'.
Postal workers have pledged to play an active role in the campaign for Scotland to become independent.
Members of Scotland No 2 branch of the Communication Workers Union backed a motion stating that leaving the UK is "the only way forward for workers in Scotland".
The branch, which pledged to work to secure a Yes vote in next year's independence referendum, includes postal workers in Edinburgh, Lothians, Fife, Falkirk and Stirling.
Pro-independence group Yes Scotland welcomed the vote which took place at the branch's annual general meeting on Sunday.
Communications director Shirley-Anne Somerville said: "The vast majority of what trade unionists want, to help make Scotland a fairer country, cannot be delivered under the current constitutional arrangement."
The motion passed by the branch highlighted that the gap between the rich and poor has increased, leaving the UK as "one of the most unequal societies in the developed nations of the world".
It also pointed out that "round after round of anti-trade union legislation" introduced by Conservative governments in the 1980s and 1090s have not been reversed by either Tony Blair or Gordon Brown's Labour administrations.
"To this end we believe that the only way forward for workers in Scotland is to ensure a Yes vote in the referendum and we agree to do all in our power to secure such an outcome," the motion said.


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Egyptians head to the polls over Islamist constitution
Authorities extend hours due to high turnout; Alexandria women claim judge stopped them voting because they weren't veiled
CAIRO (AP) — With their nation's future at stake, Egyptians lined up Saturday to vote on a draft constitution after weeks of turmoil that have left them deeply divided between Islamist supporters of the charter and those who fear it will usher in religious rule.
The referendum caps a nearly two-year struggle over the post-revolutionary identity of Egypt after the ouster of Hosni Mubarak's authoritarian regime.
Activists on both sides describe it as a battle over Egypt's post-revolutionary identity: whether it will move toward a religious state under President Mohammed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and ultraconservative Salafi allies, with Islamic principles limiting rights and clerics have a say over legislation, or one that retains secular traditions and an Islamic character. But many Egyptians said they were mainly looking for stability.
Monitors from opposition parties and rights groups have so far reported a wide range of irregularities in Saturday's vote. They have not reported any systematic countrywide fraud but reports of violations increased as night fell. In one stark example in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, some 1,500 Egyptian women from a liberal-leaning district blocked a main road claiming a judge prevented them from voting.
Election authorities also extended voting by two hours, to 11 pm because of continued long lines and delays at the polling stations.
Morsi's supporters say the constitution will help end the political instability that has roiled Egypt since the autocratic Mubarak was overthrown. Some proponents say the draft limits presidential powers and protects against torture and police abuse but others, including clerics preaching from the pulpits of mosques, have taken a more strident line, describing it as a document that champions Islam and denouncing its opponents as nonbelievers.
The president's opponents say minority concerns have been ignored and the charter is full of obscurely worded clauses that could allow the ruling Islamists to restrict civil liberties, ignore women's rights and undermine labor unions.
Many also fear the newly empowered Muslim Brotherhood and more ultraconservative Islamists are taking advantage of their current political dominance to adopt a charter that will be nearly impossible to amend.
According to the draft, articles 217 and 218 state that the president and parliament have the right to make a "request" to "amend an article or more," then parliament must discuss the request within 30 days. Two thirds of parliament members are needed to pass the request. Then parliament has 60 days to finalize the amended articles, and a third of parliament is needed to pass the final text before putting them to a national referendum.
Highlighting the tension in the run-up to the vote, nearly 120,000 army troops were deployed on Saturday to protect polling stations. Clashes between Morsi's supporters and opponents over the past three weeks have left at least 10 people dead and about 1,000 wounded.
"I read parts of the constitution and saw no reason to vote against it," said Rania Wafik as she held her newborn baby while waiting in line in Cairo. "We need to move on and I just see no reason to vote against the constitution."
"I am definitely voting no," said Habiba el-Sayed, a 49-year-old house wife who wears the Muslim veil, or hijab, said in Alexandria. "Morsi took wrong decisions and there is no stability. They (Islamists) are going around calling people infidels. How can there be stability?"
Another female voter in Alexandria, 22-year-old English teacher Yomna Hesham, said she was voting 'no' because the draft is "vague" and ignores women's rights.
"I don't know why we have become so divided … Now no one wants to look in the other's face," said Hesham, who also wears the hijab, after voting. "This will not end well either way. It is so sad that we have come to this."
Morsi, whose narrow win in June made him Egypt's first freely elected president, cast his ballot at a school in the upscale Heliopolis district. He did not speak to reporters, but waved to dozens of supporters who were chanting his name outside.
In Cairo's crowded Sayedah Zeinab district, home to a revered Muslim shrine, 23-year-old engineer Mohammed Gamal said he was voting "yes" although he felt the proposed constitution needed more, not less, Islamic content.
"Islam has to be a part of everything," said Gamal, who wore the mustache-less beard that is a hallmark of hard-line Salafi Muslims. "All laws have to be in line with Shariah," he said, referring to Islamic law.
Critics are questioning the charter's legitimacy after the majority of judges said they would not supervise the vote. Rights groups have also warned of opportunities for widespread fraud, and the opposition says a decision to hold the vote on two separate days to make up for the shortage of judges leaves the door open for initial results to sway voter opinion.
The shortage of judges was reflected in the chaos engulfing some polling stations, which by early afternoon had led the election commission to extend voting by two hours until 9 p.m.
The violations reported by monitors included polling centers without judges to oversee the process, civil employees illegally replacing the judges, ballot papers not officially stamped as per regulations, campaigning inside polling stations and Christian voters being turned away.
The protesting women in Alexandria claimed that the supervising judge stalled voting because he suspected that most of the polling station's estimated 7,000 registered voters were "no" voters on the basis of of the district's liberal elections record.
Nada Abdel-Azem, a 23-year-old-teacher, said that the judge "took two hours to pray, another hour to pray and talk on the phone. He tried to make people get fed up so we leave. He even asked one woman what is she voting for. Then he closed the door and left women outside."
Another protesting woman Amira Abdel-Azem, a hospital manager, said the judge was only allowing women wearing a niqab, a veil that covers everything but the eyes, to cast ballots. It was not possible to immediately verify her account or speak to the judge.
Alexandria about 220 kilometers (135 miles) north of Cairo, is a stronghold of ultraconservative Islamists known as Salafis but gave comparatively few votes to Morsi during presidential elections. It has witnessed streets clashes over the disputed charter and it is perceived as one of Egypt's most rebellious cities.
Mohammed Ahmed, a retired army officer from Cairo, said bearded men he suspects of being Muslim Brotherhood members were whispering "vote yes" to men standing in line outside a polling center in Cairo's poor district of Arab el-Maadi.
"The Brotherhood wants to turn Egypt into its own fiefdom," he said. "I have no confidence in the whole process and I know they will be able to forge the results," he said.
In another Cairo district of Darb el-Ahmar, judge Mohammed Ibrahim appeared overwhelmed with the flow of voters, many of whom had to wait for close to two hours to cast their ballots. "I'm trying hard here, but responsibilities could have been better distributed," he said.
Egypt has 51 million eligible voters, half of whom are supposed to cast their ballots Saturday in 10 provinces and the rest next week.
Egypt's latest crisis, the worst since Mubarak was ousted in a popular uprising in February 2011, began when Morsi issued a decree on Nov. 22 giving himself and the assembly writing the draft immunity from judicial oversight so the document could be finalized before an expected court ruling dissolving the panel.
On Nov. 30, the document was passed by an assembly composed mostly of Islamists, in a marathon session despite a walkout by secular activists and Christians from the 100-member panel.
If the constitution is approved by a simple majority of voters, the Islamists empowered when Mubarak was ousted would likely gain even more clout. The current upper house of parliament, dominated by Islamists, would be given the authority to legislate until a new parliament is elected.
If it is defeated, elections would be held within three months for a new panel to write a new constitution. In the meantime, legislative powers would remain with Morsi.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.


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The Pentagon has reduced the number of days civilian workers will be required to take unpaid leave this fiscal year.
The Pentagon has reduced the number of days civilian workers will be required to take unpaid leave this fiscal year.
The unpaid leave, or furlough, will be for up to 14 days instead of the 22 originally planned. It must be taken by the end of September.
The decision was made after President Barack Obama earlier this week signed a bill giving the Department of Defense more flexibility in implementing steep budget cuts by the end of the fiscal year. The DoD said the bill puts $10.4 billion back into this year�s budget.
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said at a press conference Thursday that 14 furlough days will account for about $2.5 billion in cuts, versus about $4.5 billion the 22 days would have cut.
�These numbers are floating as you all know, but it�s good news,� Hagel said.
Watch a video of the press conference. >>
More than 5,000 civilian workers are employed at local bases, and many have expressed concerns about how they will handle the pay cuts resulting from the furlough.
The Defense Department has yet to release 30-day notice of the furloughs, but if it does require the full 14 days and the furlough goes into effect in May � the soonest it could begin � workers will see about a 15 percent reduction in their paychecks over five months.
In comparison, the 22 days would have resulted in about a 20 percent pay cut.
Local workers� representatives had mixed reactions to the announcement Thursday.
Rocky Tasse, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1942, said while the reduction in lost days is positive, it still results in a significant pay cut for defense workers.
�We�re still getting furloughed for 14 days, so that�s almost three work weeks,� he said. �While we�ve stopped the hemorrhaging, we still have a major bleed.�
He and other union representatives pointed out that the $10 billion should be enough to eliminate the need for furloughs altogether.
�If they can cut eight days just imagine what they should be able to do if they really put their nose to the grindstone,� Tasse said. �They should be able to eliminate the furlough completely.�
Meanwhile, civilian employees continue to have questions.
The American Federation of Government Employees Local 1897, which represents almost 4,000 local blue-collar defense workers, has been inundated with calls and concerns about the furlough.
Last week, Alan Cooper, vice president of the union, said they were fielding 150 to 200 inquiries a day.
Many people are concerned about making ends meet, and a lot of uncertainty remains over how and when the furloughs will be implemented weeks after the Defense Department raised the possibility.
The union has boosted staffing at its two offices and tries to have the call centers manned with at least two volunteers eight hours a day.
They refer concerned workers to the Employee Assistance Programs and Airman and Family Readiness Centers at local bases.
They also suggest calling their chaplain for consolation to help them cope with added stress and anxiety over the impending loss in pay.
�The (workers) are using the word stress a lot more than they did two weeks ago,� Cooper said.
Tasse said he is concerned about the well-being of the workers, who already are under financial pressure after taking a pay cut several years ago.
His main priority is getting accurate and up-to-date information to his employees to try to alleviate some of the added anxiety.
�I don�t want people throwing in the towel thinking that the sky is falling,� he said. �There are too many uncertainties. We�re going down this path together.�
Some callers are reporting that their managers already are dictating how they will be able to take their leave, which could be in violation of an agreement the unions signed with the Air Force, Cooper and Tasse said.
The agreement states that after a notice of the furlough is issued, employees will have 30 days to request how they want to take their leave. Options include one day a week, longer chunks or one stretch, whatever works best for them.
Managers must review the request, but will have the final say on how furloughs are implemented.
Tasse and Cooper said dictating how the leave can be taken before the notice even has been issued appears to be in violation of the agreement.
Cooper said he wants workers to know the union is putting groundwork in place so that when the furloughs take effect it will be able to serve as a watchdog to make sure it is implemented legally.
�I want to be able to look (employees) in the eye and say �I understand it hurts. I�m going to get furloughed, too, but in the end the agency got it right,� � he said. �If we can do that I think all parties will be satisfied that we followed the rules and did this the best we could.�
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Lauren Sage Reinlie at 850-315-4440 or email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @LaurenRnwfdn.


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The Knight of Darkness confronts ancient evil in two occult mysteries by Walter B. Gibson writing as "Maxwell Grant." First, the gods of Ancient Egypt walk again when murder strikes within the "Temple of Crime." Can The Shadow end the deadly curse before the slaughter becomes too bloody? Then, a violated tomb and "The Curse of Thoth" pits the Dark Avenger against an ancient Egyptian deity! BONUS: "Murder in the Crypt," a classic Walter Gibson script from Radio's Golden Age! This instant collector's item showcases the classic color pulp covers by George Rozen and Golden Age comics artist Charles Coll, the original interior illustrations by Paul Orban and commentary by popular culture historians Anthony Tollin and Will Murray.
Margo Lane has joined a cult. Done, of course, at the instruction of The Shadow. A wealthy American has started up an ancient Egyptian cult, the Cult of Ammon. The Shadow, seeing the potential for crime to rear its ugly head, has sent Margo Lane to infiltrate the group. Rather than try to observe from the outside, he prefers someone on the inside. And that someone is Margo Lane.
Along with several dozen other Ammon worshippers, Margo has come to the great mansion outside New York. The estate is owned by Amru Monak, an extremely wealthy Egyptian who claims to be a direct descendant of the ancient pharaohs. On this estate, Monak has brought the Temple of Ammon. It has been brought from Egypt, carefully moved stone by stone, and set up in a poplar grove located within the high stone walls of his large estate.
The temple building has an interesting history... and a curse attached! Originally, the Ammon temple had been unearthed from the Egyptian sands by the famous Dr. Karl Sterber, chief of an expedition funded by business magnate Uriah Keldon. This was about 1929. Inside the temple, he found the tomb of Mathrax, the keeper of the temple. The mummy case was opened; the mummy itself mysteriously disappeared shortly thereafter. The curse had begun.
Keldon purchased the temple from the Egyptian government and had it moved to America where it sat in a warehouse awaiting reconstruction. But then the curse struck. First to fall under the spell of the curse was Dr. Sterber, head of the expedition. He died mysteriously while still in Egypt. It happened shortly after the mummy of Mathrax had disappeared from its case.
Uriah Keldon was the next to go. Another mysterious death attributed to the curse of Mathrax. He never got to rebuilt his temple. The pieces sitting in storage were auctioned off and were purchased by Amru Monak. They were moved to his huge estate. Located just outside New York inside ten-foot-tall stone walls sat Monak's mansion. On the estate was a large grove of poplar trees. And nestled in the center of the grove, in a small clearing, Monak had the Temple of Ammon rebuilt. Rebuilt to exact specifications, following the blueprints of Dr. Karl Sterber who supervised the original deconstruction.
With the temple completed, Monak decided to revive the ancient cult of Ammon and hold the old rituals once again within the temple. But with the resurrection of the cult, The Shadow has perceived the threat of more death and violence. He knows that the horrors of the alleged curse have not ended. Death will strike again!
Margo Lane is dispatched to join the cult and keep an eye on developments. And in her first visit to the shrine, death strikes again. The cult makes its way slowly through the poplar grove shortly before dawn. The great doors slowly open of their own volition. Lead by Monak, the cult members enter the temple to perform their rites as the moon sets.
As the ceremony reaches its peak, the first rays of Ammon-Ra, the sun god, pierce the small high windows of the stone temple. There is a shriek of anguish. A wild, high prolonged screech reverberates throughout the stone chamber. Before the pedestal that bears the large statue of Ammon lies a robed member of the cult, face down. From his back projects an ancient ceremonial knife, buried to the hilt. The curse has struck again!
The dead man is Hugh Calbot. Calbot was the former secretary to old Uriah Keldon, original purchaser of the temple. It was Calbot who had arranged the final sale of the temple to Amru Monak, and who had joined the Ammon Cult only to find death. Calbot is dead, but he won't be the last to feel the weight of the curse of Mathrax.
The Shadow is present, outside the temple hidden in the poplar grove. It will take all his cunning to discover the secrets of the temple and to dispel the curse that it casts upon the Cult of Ammon. Who is behind it all? Is there truly a curse? Could there be hidden treasures in the temple? Or other secrets of the ancients? By the story's end, The Shadow has discovered the sinister secrets. The Shadow knows!
The entire story takes place within the high stone walls of the Monak estate. The action moves from the mansion to the poplar grove to inside the Temple of Ammon. The only time the story leaves the estate is a brief one-page visit to the local train station as Lamont Cranston fakes his departure, only to return as The Shadow. Other than that, everything happens on the estate. That gives the story a nice tight, suspenseful feeling. We are trapped on the grounds with an ancient curse threatening all. There's no escape.
Margo Lane is the only agent of The Shadow who appears in this story. She only appeared in the pulp stories five months earlier in June 1941. But already, she is a capable agent who The Shadow takes into his confidences. She knows that Lamont Cranston is really The Shadow. He tells her:
"You'll hear from me, Margo, but from now on, I'll be operating as The Shadow."
And he also becomes The Shadow in her presence. In the night, Margo and Lamont talk out onto the verandah. Cranston pulls his black garments from their hiding place beneath the porch rail and puts them on in front of Margo. In the very early "Margo" stories, she didn't know of the Cranston disguise. Shortly after that, she began to suspect Cranston was an agent of The Shadow. But here, only five months after her introduction to the pulp series, she knows that Cranston is The Shadow in disguise.
The only other recurring character who appears in this story is Inspector Joe Cardona of the New York Police. He shows up to help the local authorities with the strange death of Hugh Calbot, and is accompanied by Lamont Cranston. Cranston is there ostensibly to try to talk Margo out of joining the cult. Of course, his real reason for showing up is to receive her reports and to investigate the murder of Calbot.
The Shadow only appears in his Cranston disguise in this story. Although he is an admitted master of disguise, there is no need for that ability here. So no other disguises are used in this story. The Shadow either appears as wealthy world-traveler Lamont Cranston, or as his true self dressed in black.
World War II was raging in Europe when this story was published. The United Sates had not yet entered the war, but would shortly join the war-in-progress. Very shortly; it was only a matter of weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the U.S. into the war. Reference to the war was made in this story, as it was explained that the expedition to Egypt to discover and bring back the temple of Ammon had been years ago, before the war.
"...today such things were out of the question because world conditions made it impossible to carry on such expeditions."
We know from other Shadow novels that The Shadow is known the world over. In Spain, he is known as "El Ombre." In Mexico, he is "La Sombra." And in Egyptian, he is referred to as "Khaibet." Yes, he is known by various names in different parts of the world. The guy gets around! And now we know his Egyptian non-de-plume.
And, adding to The Shadow's list of spoken and written languages, in this story we discover that The Shadow also speaks Egyptian and Greek. A true multi-lingual marvel.
Brief mention is made of The Shadow's ability to become virtually invisible. Not truly invisible, like his radio counterpart. But the ability to be unnoticed by others, so as to be essentially unseen. It was an ability he learned in the Orient, and had seen practiced by Tibetan holy men. As this story explains:
"Often, Lamont had claimed knowledge of the Tibetan system wherein, by becoming immobile and rendering one's thoughts a blank, a human being could put himself out of other minds and often escape notice of passers-by."
This story has plenty of action; plenty of mystery; plenty of suspense. Egyptian mummies. Ancient curses. The Book of Thoth. Masks of Anubis, Hathor, Sobk, Pakht and a pantheon of other Egyptian deities. Stealthy, sinister Egyptian servants. Secret ceremonies. A poplar grove at midnight. Strange secrets of the temples. Stone figure that come to life. Yes, the ways of ancient Egypt are deep and mysterious, like the waters of the Nile.
This is definitely one of the better Shadow mysteries. Especially coming from 1941, when much of the lustre of the earlier Shadow novels was wearing off. It's one that gets my recommendation!
An eccentric professor named Rufus Parrish had probed into the secrets of the Pharaohs and discovered the greatest secret of legendary Egypt. He discovered a bronze alloy that had the hardness that exceeded even steel! Such a secret, now that reconstruction after World War II was underway, would be worth millions to any industrialist.
ABC Industries had acquired the rights to produce this wonder metal from Professor Parrish for the paltry sum of a half-million dollars. They would have paid more for exclusive rights, but as it turned out, there were other researchers and archeologist who had also found information regarding the bronze alloy. So ABC industries must now find those other individuals and negotiate with them, as well.
ABC Industries was formed by three men: Edwin Albersham, Geoffrey Barstow and Arnold Curvin. They are now on the trail of several men who they believe have additional data regarding the bronze alloy. They will pay substantial cash to these men for such information which will enable them to control the rights to the new discovery.
As our story opens, The Shadow's contact man Burbank has sent Harry Vincent out to the Alvara Apartments to join the meeting of the founders of ABC Industries with Hugo Zerland. Zerland is one of those men who know something of the alloy. He was once a Nazi agent who went to Egypt before the war to help plant secret bases for a German invasion. Harry is to interview him and keep an eye on things until The Shadow can take over in person.
But as Harry and representatives of ABC Industries begin talks with Hugo Zerland, a costumed man appears. A weird creature in an ancient costume dressed as the god Thoth. A lush feathered Egyptian robe covers his body; clawed gloves cover his hands; and a mask like a bird's head covers his head. In his right hand he holds a ceremonial bronze dagger made of the super-alloy.
The knife plunges down, killing Hugo Zerland. The strange murderer grabs up a prized papyrus, originally taken from the tome of the high priest El-Taab. The papyrus has valuable information unearthed by Zerland about the methods the Egyptians used in making the super bronze. But the strange ibis-god Thoth now has it, and he makes good his escape out the window and down a cable connected to a neighboring building.
Someone else is out to get the secret of the Egyptian bronze. But who? Who seeks the formula for the valuable bronze alloy? The Shadow enters the picture and begins the trail of the three other men known to have access to the ancient secrets.
Roger Yelvin is one of those men. He's a famous engineer who has made many surveys of the pyramids, hoping to solve the secret of their construction. It was during his investigations that he came across the secret of bronze that some unknown criminal now seeks. He may be that unknown criminal himself. Or he may be an upcoming victim of the hidden mastermind.
Louis Rendorff is another of those men. He also discovered the million-dollar secret while in Egypt. And he now fears the curse of Thoth. Is that why he stays hidden out of sight? Or is it because he is controlling the murders behind the scenes? Could he be the man beneath the ibis mask?
The third man is Professor Rufus Parrish, the man who sold the rights to the bronze formula to ABC Industries. He admitted, when giving them the translation of the formula, that he had removed the sacred slab from the sarcophagus of Amrok, the high priest of Thoth during the reign of Rameses the Second. He, like Rendorff, fears for his life and has been long absent from New York. Or so he claims. Is he running from the curse? Or is he behind it?
Could the strange hooded Thoth character be one of these men? Or could it be someone else? There's Doctor Nilgon Tabrok, curator of the Egyptian Museum and an authority on Egyptian antiquities. Could he be part of a secret Egyptian organization send to America to retrieve items stolen from the ancient tombs? Is he the Thoth impersonator?
Could it be Thelba, the enigmatic Egyptian girl who is keeping an eye on the three Americans who possess the secret of the ages? She is destined to play the role of Isis. Could it also be her figure beneath the cloak and mask of Thoth?
The Shadow will reveal all! The Shadow will brave the sealed room of death at the Yelvin mansion. The Shadow will confront the secret society that dates back to the ancient days of Egypt. The Shadow will take part in the old ritual on the night when "the moon is banished from the Nile." And The Shadow will capture and unmask the fiend who masquerades as the ancient ibis-god Thoth.
The cast of characters in this story is a streamlined one. Commissioner Weston and Inspector Cardona represent New York's finest. They call in Lamont Cranston, since the case has to do with Egypt and Cranston has visited there on his world travels. Although it isn't spelled out exactly, this isn't the real Cranston. This is The Shadow in disguise.
Assisting The Shadow is his long-time agent Harry Vincent and erstwhile taxi-driver Shrevvy. He's only referred to as "Shrevvy" here, not Moe Shrevnitz. Burbank is mentioned several times, but doesn't actually show up. And although Cranston's limousine and New Jersey mansion are mentioned, neither Stanley the chauffeur or Richards the butler appears. There is also mention made of "several capable agents" but they aren't named, so we don't know exactly who they are.
Remember that on the radio show, The Shadow controlled the power of invisibility through hypnotic means. The pulp version of The Shadow never had such powers. In this story, we are told that "Lamont Cranston had a way of rendering himself inconspicuous when he chose." And that "once he became part of surrounding blackness, The Shadow remained so, giving himself the equivalent of invisibility."
What makes this Shadow story unique is that it does mention hypnotic powers, although somewhat vaguely. It doesn't claim that The Shadow actually can become invisible. But it tiptoes around the question, saying it "could be" based on Tibetan training, and "maybe" people could become invisible, and "if" a person knew the trick, it "should" work in America. To quote one paragraph:
"It could be that Cranston's secret - and The Shadow's - was based upon Tibetan training, for Cranston had often visited that land. Maybe people could turn themselves invisible in L'Hassa, the greatest city in Tibet and if someone knew the trick, there was no reason why he couldn't work it in Newark, the largest city in New Jersey."
A lot of "if's" and "maybe's" and "should's" in that paragraph. But it seems to be a bone thrown to radio listeners who were sampling the pulp stories, perhaps for the first time. No need to alienate them completely, I guess. So something like this would probably appease them slightly.
There are a few parts of the story that made me think of the radio version of The Shadow. Hackie Moe Shrevnitz is only referred to as "Shrevvy," which is a nickname originated on the radio show. And Shrevvy is much more chatty here than usual in the pulps. It's definitely more of a "radio" Shrevvy than a "pulp" Moe.
The Shadow of this novel certainly is powerful, although he doesn't pull out his twin .45 caliber automatics and start mowing down the bad guys. He speaks Egyptian, and can read hieroglyphics. And he still blinks signals to his agents with his tiny flashlight.
In all, this is a fun and somewhat short (33,000 words) story to read. Upright mummy cases, images of living mummies, sliding panels, crumbling dust, Egyptian temples, secret formulas - they all add up to adventure, mystery, suspense and intrigue! The Shadow defies the Curse of Thoth, and The Shadow reigns supreme!


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Department of Management Services
Human Resource Management
Serving the State Personnel System and Impacting the Lives of the People of Florida
Florida's state employees are our most valuable resource. They are the face of state government and they provide the necessary services to address the needs of the State of Florida.
The Division of Human Resource Management (HRM) supports the state and its employees by providing effective and efficient human resource programs and services that attract, develop, retain and reward a high performance workforce. HRM establishes the policies, practices and strategies for the State Personnel System (SPS), the largest of the six primary personnel systems in Florida's state government (excluding the 12 state universities, the Justice Administration System, the State Courts System, the Florida Legislature and the Florida Lottery). The State Personnel System is the system of personnel administration for authorized Career Service, Selected Exempt Service, and Senior Management Service positions and Other Personal Services employment within 31 Executive branch agencies and includes over 98,000 employees. In addition, HRM represents the Governor as the Chief Labor Negotiator for the SPS, negotiating wages, hours and terms and conditions of employment with five labor unions representing 13 collective bargaining units covered by 10 contracts.
HRM provides a variety of services and performs a variety of functions in its role as the administrator of the State Personnel System. These services and functions support the needs of the SPS agencies and assist them in the administration of their human resource management responsibilities. Summary of services include:
- Providing technical assistance and consultative services
- Establishing and maintaining human resource programs
- Reviewing and approving changes to agency human resource programs for legal compliance
- Maintaining classification and compensation plans
- Developing administrative rules, manuals, guidelines, forms and templates
- Developing and approving business requirements for the human resource information system
- Researching, compiling and analyzing workforce statistical information
- Completing federal and state reporting requirements
- Providing training and professional development opportunities
It is our goal to make the State Personnel System the model human resource system for the public sector. Through partnerships with entities from the private and public sectors, Human Resource Management researches and analyzes trends, innovations and best practices to incorporate these into human resource policies, practices and strategies to ensure the effective management of the state's most valuable resource – its' Employees.


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Used cars for sale in Saltburn-By-The-Sea
Browse out inventory of used cars for sale in and around Saltburn-By-The-Sea supplied by local Saltburn-By-The-Sea car dealers and car supermarkets. We have 14,701 used cars for sale within 50 miles of Saltburn-By-The-Sea.
Sorry no results matched your criteria.
Choose a manufacturer to find cars near you...
Other cars for sale in the North Yorkshire area...
As well as searching for cars for sale in Saltburn-By-The-Sea, you may also be interested in looking further a field for used cars in other areas of North Yorkshire.
Telephone numbers starting with 08XX will cost you 7p per minute plus your phone company's access charge. Calls to other telephone numbers will only cost your phone company's access charge


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Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Meet Your Neighbor
Won't you be my neighbor? Hi, neighbor!
In an effort to better understand what makes Packers' fans tick in our Packer Neighborhood, I have come up with a list of questions that, in my humble opinion, will tell you everything you'll ever need to know about the people behind the scenes of the numerous and exceptional Packers' blogs. These are the guys Robert and I read on a daily basis and you should too if you call yourself a fan.
First up, I present to you, Alex, from Packers Lounge. Good humor, a critical eye, and intense passion for all things Green Bay fuel this blog. Without further ado, I give you the Packer Ranter Neighborhood Interview:
1) If you woke up in the middle of the night, and Ted Thompson was standing over your bed watching you sleep, what would you offer him to drink? (that's the polite thing to do) Why?
First off, let me make it abundantly clear that I want Ted nowhere near my bed at anytime. Secondly, if he was watching me sleep it would be hard to offer him anything. This being said, I would approach the situation Santa Claus style by making sure to leave out something every night lest I miss him.
Instead of the traditional glass of milk, I think Ted would appreciate a bottle of True Blood. You know, the stuff the vampires drink in the HBO series. I don't know if Ted is a vampire, but I do know the guy looks like something straight out of Revenge of the Zombies. Ted Thompson is the living dead at the very least. This is yet another reason for him to stay the hell out of my bedroom.
2) What's your favorite '80s hair band, and how do you relate them to the Packers? (this is relative, you may hate 80's hair bands, but if you had to choose one, who would it be)
Everybody knows that the greatest 80's hair band is a tossup between Warrant and Winger. With classics like "She's only Seventeen" and "The Down Boys" both bands reek of spandex and Aqua Net. Granted, Motley Crue, RATT, Tesla, Autograph, Cinderella, Fire House, Poison, Def Leppard, and Whitesnake all deserve high marks, Warrant and Winger simply are unmatched in their ultra lameness.
How does this relate to the Packers? How the hell is anyone supposed to answer that? If I had to take a stretch, Rick Allen, the drummer from Def Leppard had one arm. This immediately makes me think of Justin Harrell, except Rick Allen was good.
3) Which cheddar is beddar: mild, medium, or sharp? Subquestion: How the hell does California think they can make cheese?
Sharp cheddar is the best cheese there is. I should know I eat a ton of it. Little known fact, I drink two gallons of milk every week and eat a block of cheese. Milk is my favorite drink of all time. Being partial to that product, and its production in my home state of Wisconsin, California can take a flying $%^# at a rolling cheese log.
4) If John Rambo, in his prime of First Blood Part II, played for the Packers, which position would he play? Is he Pro Bowl material, or just a serviceable player?
Rambo would never make the Packers squad because he is not Packer people. I mean the guy is tough but he can't take direction. I mean how many times did Rambo ignore orders from John Murdock? Ted Thompson would never have any of that, look at Anthony Smith. Rambo would most likely be in the secondary somewhere, but due to his height disadvantage he might only be a special teamer. Regardless, after he gutted out a couple players in week one with his big ass serrated Bowie knife, he would probably be cut.
5) Ty Webb or Jeffrey Lebowski?
Caddy Shack is classic of course, but basic cable is ruining the #$%& out of it. I like the dude in The Big Lebowski, but I think bowling is schwag. I will have to go with golf on this one.
6) If you woke up tomorrow and the Packers ceased to exist and no one but you remembered them, how would you convince everyone they are the greatest organization in sports?
If no one knew the Packers existed, they would also not know that I wasn't President of the World. So, before I addressed the Packers I would make sure world domination was intact first. After that, I could pretty much tell people whatever I wanted as the sovereign leader. I wouldn't have to do much convincing, but I would leave out the whole Joe Johnson part, and probably omit Favre for the addition that included the lengthy career of Don Majkowksi.
7) Don Hutson basically invented the receiver position, what's your favorite invention: the Cheesehead, the truck-bed tailgate, or the Green Bay Sweep?
For the record, I think Cheeseheads are lame as hell. Being from Wisconsin, whenever you go anywhere else all people do is identifying with that stupid orange foam atrocity. It's a travesty. Who ever invented that S.O.B. should be tarred and feathered. Dumbass.
I'm not a big fan of the other two either. Best invention in my mind… the Packer Potato Head.
Wow, Alex, I don't know what I expected, but I have to admit you far exceeded any subconscious expectations I may have had in regards to your responses to these questions. It's good to know you're out there sharing your views on the Packers.
RE: the 80's hair band relation to the Packers, if you want to talk sometime about 80's hair bands, I would be more than willing to relate them to anything.
4 comments:
Nice interview Alex.ReplyDelete
Rick Allen, the drummer from Def Leppard had one arm. This immediately makes me think of Justin Harrell, except Rick Allen was good.ReplyDelete
FYI: Scorpions is the greates 80's hair band ever.ReplyDelete
Gotta say I loved the: "I would approach it Santa Claus stye...lest I miss him."ReplyDelete
That's fantastic.
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Tamron announces development of F/2.8 fast ultra-wideangle zoom lens with VC*1 (Vibration Compensation), world's first* in its category
Watching the sun set over the ocean is a really special experience. And of course you want to take some magnificent photographs to capture these impressions. Yet the photographic equipment is not so easy to master. Without a stand and the correct exposure setting, the results are usually less spectacular than one would hope. Here are four tips from our Tamron expert to enable you to easily capture fantastic photographs.
August 15, 2014, Saitama, Japan – Tamron Co., Ltd. (President & CEO: Morio Ono), a leading manufacturer of precision optics, has announced that the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) has presented its European Lens 2014-2015 awards to two Tamron lenses; 16-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD MACRO (Model B016) for "European DSLR Zoom Lens 2014-2015" and SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD (Model A011) for "European DSLR Telephoto Zoom Lens 2014-2015."
Photographer Peter van Bohemen would never have imagined that he would one day go travelling with a 600mm telephoto lens. But he has now done just that twice: He flew to America with the new Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5.6-6.3 Di VC USD in the spring – and then managed to even smuggle it along with him on a family holiday in the summer.
Do you still stick to the old rule of always taking photos standing with your back to the sun? It's high time to break this habit as quickly as you can! To take really good pictures you actually need to confront the light quite often.


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Nascar Plans To Be A Box-Office Smash
January 30, 2010: People may be talking about football and thinking about baseball spring training, but Nascar is putting its marketing pedal to the medal to get its share of attention. This weekend, Nascar launched its partnership with cinema advertising company Screenvision to place content and activate programs in more than 2,400 movie theaters and on 15,000 screens nationwide.
Activation is anchored by a 90-second long-form content piece, produced by Nascar Media Group, that will air as part of each theater's pre-movie ad package. In addition, lobby kiosks and concessions are being made available to Nascar's corporate partners for sponsorship. The racing circuit could not have picked a better time for its in-theater launch as total box-office results are up this year versus 2009, thanks largely to Avatar and such crowd favorites as Edge of Darkness, The Book of Eli and Tooth Fairy.
Screenvision said that its studies show that 52% of peope remember the ads they see in-theater versus 36% who see ads on TV. Nascar's 2010 season officially begins Feb. 14 with the Daytona 500, but several top Nascar drivers are participating Jan. 30-31 in the Grand-Am Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in Florida, including four-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya and Bobby Labonte.
The 90-second commercial begins with driver Kyle Busch, decked in his M&M-sponsored race gear, talking to theater-goers. "If you're looking for a story about love-struck vampires, teenage wizards or, hey, even a Vegas bachelor party, then you're in the right seat. But if you want to be part of intense drama that starts with 3,500 lbs. of angry metal hurtling down straightaways at 200 MPH, where success is decided by a fraction of a second, then you want the Nascar Sprint Cup Series."
The mini-film then takes viewers on a fast-paced, quick-cut journey of race day highlights, including what seems to be a bevy of crashes, burns and blowouts. In addition to Busch, there are cameo appearances by Johnson, Tony Stewart, Mark Martin and other top drivers. It ends with a promo for Nascar programming available for Web-enabled Sprint mobile devices.
Nascar said the 90-second reel would run through Feb. 25 and estimated that it would be shown 1.1 million times. When the partnership was unveiled this past October, Nascar and Screenvision said it was prompted "in large part to the success of such movies as Days of Thunder, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Herbie: Fully Loaded, Cars and Nascar 3-D: The Imax Experience."
"At the end of the day, this is all about celebrating the Nascar fans through our nationwide network of passionate consumers – and creating new in-cinema advertising platforms for Nascar sponsors," Andy Blacker, svp-marketing and research for Screenvision, said in a statement. "With this partnership, Screenvision is recognizing the tremendous potential of Nascar, and we are creating the first ever in-cinema platform for partners to wrap their brands around."
According to Steve Phelps, CMO for Nascar, the deal epitomizes the effort that the racing circuit is putting into growing its fan base while offering new opportunities for its marketing partners. "Screenvision will bring the excitement and drama of Nascar to a half billion moviegoers each year, including some who are avid fans and some who have yet to attend or watch a race on television. Fans want to experience our sport in every way possible, and we can't wait for them to see and hear their favorite drivers running flat out on 40-foot screens with surround sound."
Coming To A Theater Near You: Nascar Pedal To The Metal Marketing


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Officials determined Thursday that the 140,000-acre Station Fire was intentionally set by an arsonist.
Investigators said today the Station Fire, the largest fire ever in Los Angeles County history, has been ruled arson.
At an evening briefing, officials said they made the determination after a forensic examination of the origin of the fire.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's department homicide bureau has initiated a homicide investigation, officials said.
Homicide was called because two firefighters died in the blaze.


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The Complete Course of Tung's Acupuncture
- Furama Bukit Bintang, 136 Jalan Changkat Thambi Dollah Kuala Lumpur, 55100 Malaysia (map)
Besides invitations to speak at conferences, local TCM associations, and TCM colleges, Dr. Young holds a special seminars series 2-3 times a year at his home-base in Southern California. He also have direct disciples teaching The Complete Course of Tung's Acupuncture in Canada and Israel: courses that fulfill the pre-requisite of this seminar series. If you are interested in these courses or in Dr. Young's scheduled events, please sign up for our newsletter.
For more information about these seminars, please refer to the individual events pages.
This is a 4-day foundation course appropriate for TCM practitioners with many years to no experience in Tung's Acupuncture. This class will start with an explanation of the theory behind Tung's acupuncture using Nei Jing and Yi Jing. Then we will go into depth about each point: its location, indication, and theory. The goal of this course is to come away with a clear comprehension of the theory, location, and application of Tung's points. This course will also be supplemented by many clinical case stories as well as demonstrations.
PREREQUISITE: This is the prerequisite for other advanced courses held by Dr. Young. This course is held typically once a year in June, given in Mandarin and translated to English.
This is a 4-day advanced seminar in Tung's Acupuncture. This course will offer advanced theory and look at therapeutic systems.
PREREQUISITE: You MUST HAVE completed the "Complete Course in Tung's Acupuncture." This course is typically held every other year around the second week of October. It is given in Mandarin by Dr. Young and translated to English.
This is a 4-day advanced course that deals with various common diseases and the one point especially effective for them. This seminar will give you the theory and application of these especially effective "one-point", enabling you to know how to freely select and apply the points in the clinic.
PREREQUISITE: You MUST HAVE completed the "Complete Course in Tung's Acupuncture." This course is typically held once every other year around the second week of October. It is given in Mandarin by Dr. Young and translated to English.
This is a special seminar on the application of commonly used herbal formulas in Shang Han Lun. Dr. Young taught on this topic only in PhD courses prior. This seminar was initiated after many requests this year and future scheduling for this course is indefinite. Though this is a three-day seminar, attendees will receive course handouts a month in advance to study at home. The home-study material will supplement a day's worth of material to the three-day seminar to ensure grasp of the material. Dr. Young typically focuses on concept, proficiency and experience when teaching in schools; but this seminar will provide on technique, insights and innovations. PREREQUISITE: This course is held in Mandarin only at this time.
This is a new class added this year (2014) due to the request from students seeking more instruction in the locating and needling of Tung's points. In this class, the focus will be entirely on the practice of locating and needling points. Therefore students must have completed the Complete Course of Tung's Acupuncture prior to attending this course.
For inquiries to bring the Special Seminar Lecture series to your area or invitations for other speaking engagement formats, please contact us.
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Avian 2 is an Online RPG focusing on a dynamic storyline and survival. Avian aims to force the player to find their own way around the expansive world and make their own choices. Moreover, Avian also aims to be an unrestrictive experience and not constrain or limit players due to their levels or stats but instead dynamically scale the player to the environment.
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Gilmore Girls
"Let Me Hear Your Balalaikas Ringing Out" - (TV-PG, D, L) (HDTV)
Tuesday , March 07 2006 (R)
JESS RETURNS WITH A SURPRISE FOR RORY - Rory (Alexis Bledel) is pleasantly surprised when her old flame Jess (guest star Milo Ventimiglia) appears at her grandparents' house and reveals an amazing development in his life. Rory agrees to go to dinner with Jess, and when Logan (Matt Czuchry) unexpectedly joins them, an ugly confrontation develops, leaving both Rory and Logan to face the choices they have made. Emily (Kelly Bishop) is concerned about Rory's sudden evasiveness and tries to exert some parental discipline. Meanwhile, Luke (Scott Patterson) agrees to sponsor a local girls' soccer team and Lorelai (Lauren Graham) channels all her concerns about Rory into caring for her dog, Paul Anka. Keiko Agena also stars. Kenny Ortega directed the episode written by Dan Palladino (#2T6308).


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The Congressional Budget Office has just released an excellent analysis prepared by CBO economist Ben Page on the "Economic Effects of Reducing the Fiscal Restraint That Is Scheduled to Occur in 2013″ (in typically dry CBO-speak). I prefer to think of it as an economics version of the story "The Little Engine That Could." You see, the "engine" is the U.S. economy, and this so-called "fiscal cliff" is, rather than something we are in danger of falling off of, something we are about to ram straight into–like a huge wall just ahead on the tracks, at January 2013. When economists and policymakers fret about this fiscal cliff, it's not the usual worrying about the unsustainable deficits we are projected to run over the next several decades; it's concern that our economy, still in "recovery," can't handle the amount of deficit reduction that is scheduled to be forced upon us in just a matter of months.
The CBO analysis validates this worry, first defining the scale of the cliff as $607 billion worth of deficit reduction in one year (or $560 billion net of economic feedback, cutting the deficit nearly in half between fiscal years 2012 and 2013), then explaining that letting our economy run head onto this cliff will in fact, slow it down and perhaps even cause the "double-dip recession" economists have been fearing. From the summary (emphasis added):
Under those fiscal conditions, which will occur under current law, growth in real (inflation-adjusted) GDP in calendar year 2013 will be just 0.5 percent, CBO expects—with the economy projected to contract at an annual rate of 1.3 percent in the first half of the year and expand at an annual rate of 2.3 percent in the second half. Given the pattern of past recessions as identified by the National Bureau of Economic Research, such a contraction in output in the first half of 2013 would probably be judged to be a recession.
So CBO then looks at the question: what if we could avoid the cliff entirely–by sort of going around it? Well, going around it would indeed keep us going in 2013:
CBO analyzed what would happen if lawmakers changed fiscal policy in late 2012 to remove or offset all of the policies that are scheduled to reduce the federal budget deficit by 5.1 percent of GDP between calendar years 2012 and 2013. In that case, CBO estimates, the growth of real GDP in calendar year 2013 would lie in a broad range around 4.4 percent, well above the 0.5 percent projected for 2013 under current law.
So that sounds, good: if we can't go through the fiscal cliff, just go around it (or just say "poof" and imagine it away). OK, I'll take that ticket… Except, as CBO next explains, then the inevitable (real) "cliffs" ahead just get taller and steeper:
However, eliminating or reducing the fiscal restraint scheduled to occur next year without imposing comparable restraint in future years would reduce output and income in the longer run relative to what would occur if the scheduled fiscal restraint remained in place. If all current policies were extended for a prolonged period, federal debt held by the public—currently about 70 percent of GDP, its highest mark since 1950—would continue to rise much faster than GDP.
Such a path for federal debt could not be sustained indefinitely, and policy changes would be required at some point. The more that debt increased before policies were changed, the greater would be the negative consequences—for the nation's future output and income, for the burden imposed by interest payments on the federal debt, for policymakers' ability to use tax and spending policies to respond to unexpected challenges, and for the likelihood of a sudden fiscal crisis. And the longer the necessary adjustments in policies were delayed, the more uncertain individuals and businesses would be about future government policies, and the more drastic the ultimate changes in policy would need to be.
You see, even over the longer term, the "fiscal cliff" is more like one we will have to climb rather than one we're in danger of falling off of. And the higher the cliff gets, the harder it will be in the future to ignore it or continue to go around it, or actually get up it. So going around and avoiding the cliff entirely isn't a long-term option, nor necessarily the best option even now. CBO explains the policy options, which I'm labeling as different strategies for driving the train called the U.S. economy toward the 2013 fiscal train stop. The CBO concludes that there are three basic options (my labels and emphasis added):
What Might Policymakers Do Under These Circumstances?
[1: "Going Around the Cliff, For Now"] They could address the short-term economic challenge by eliminating or reducing the fiscal restraint scheduled to occur next year without imposing comparable restraint in future years—but that would have substantial economic costs over the longer run.
[2: "Running Head-On Into the Cliff"] Alternatively, they could move rapidly to address the longer-run budgetary problem by allowing the full measure of fiscal restraint now embodied in current law to take effect next year—but that would have substantial economic costs in the short run. Or,
[3: "Grading the Cliff Into a Climbable Hill"] if policymakers wanted to minimize the short-run costs of narrowing the deficit very quickly while also minimizing the longer-run costs of allowing large deficits to persist, they could enact a combination of policies: changes in taxes and spending that would widen the deficit in 2013 relative to what would occur under current law but that would reduce deficits later in the decade relative to what would occur if current policies were extended for a prolonged period.
In other words, the U.S. economy does face an "uphill battle" in terms of the fiscal outlook; heading to higher ground (meaning lower deficits), eventually, is unavoidable. But to quote from a particularly wise engine, "I think [we] can" do it. The 2013 fiscal cliff is at least an opportunity to take a constructive attitude toward climbing that hill, and hopefully our policymakers, after the election, might have the wisdom and courage and work ethic needed to start turning that fiscal cliff into something our economy can more easily and successfully climb.


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Pirates selling illegal software in online auctions such as eBay taken to court worldwide.
The legal actions are the latest in a broad effort Microsoft has taken to curb widespread piracy of programs including the Windows operating system and Office suite. The moves come as Microsoft is seeing the market for its software become more saturated, leaving the company eager to add revenue by curbing illegal distribution.
Microsoft also is gearing up to release new versions of Windows and Office, which remain Microsoft's biggest cash cows despite the company's many other lines of business.
The legal actions were being filed Friday, Monday and Tuesday in the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Korea, Poland and several other countries.
Matt Lundy, a senior attorney with Microsoft's antipiracy group, said Microsoft works with auction sites including eBay to remove listings for software it believes is pirated, and only takes legal action if the merchants continue to sell the software after that.
EBay Inc. spokesman Hani Durzy said he couldn't comment specifically on these cases because he hadn't seen the particulars. But in general, he said, eBay works closely with Microsoft and others to remove listings for products that are believed to be pirated.
Still, legal actions aren't uncommon for the world's largest software maker. Between July 1 and Sept. 30, Microsoft took legal action about 275 times against various groups it believed were dealing in counterfeit software.
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In stock.
To purchase bulk quantities, Please contact our Sales Department (+1-416-494-8999) or email email@example.com
To purchase bulk quantities, Please contact our Sales Department (+1-416-494-8999) or email email@example.com
MFR. No. : 0400
STOCK No. : QYE-9199
No more soldering!
Carbon is one of our favorite elements. It makes diamonds it makes all known life possible and it makes pencils (and who doesn't love pencils?) Also it seems that carbon fullerenes (buckeyballs nanotubes etc) are going to do a lot in our future. Time to bring a little of that microcarbon goodness into your home and make it work for you now. ''Wire Glue'' Conductive Glue uses microcarbon technology to make a glue that also conducts electricity.
That's right - no need for solder anymore; now you have Wire Glue! It acts like a glue it acts like a wire it tastes like . . . just kidding - don't eat it and it's stupendously-awesome-incredible. Put simply it sticks bits together and allows electricity to flow between them. Wire Glue is great for repairing wires gluing together electronic kits and really is a great safe (i.e. no heat) way of introducing children to electrical engineering. Get some now and get in on the microcarbon revolution early.
''Wire Glue'' Conductive Glue Features:
- Using the latest advances in microcarbon technology this glue actually conducts electricity.
- Lead free.
- For both AC and DC low voltage circuits.
(There is no known voltage limitation and ''Wire Glue'' has been used for 20 000 volts DC without problems. BUT there is the issue of a potential hazard if a wire breaks off due to Wire Glue connections being brittle. Please keep safety in mind when you glue. Twist all wires together.)
- Drying Time: To touch: 2 hours; Through: 12 to 48 hours (Depending upon temperature relative humidity coating thickness and substrate).
- Density: 0.6 grams per cubic centimeter.
- Application Temperature Range: 40°F (4°C) to 110°F (43°C)
- Service Temperature Range: 0°F (-17.8°C) to 180°F (82.2°C) constant; -20°F (-29°C ) to 200°F (93°C) intermittent.
- Wet Flammability Information: No flash to boiling (212°F) closed cup.
- Conductivity: 13.16 Ohms per cubic centimeter.
- Net Wt.: 0.3 fl oz of Wire Glue.
Note: No SDS available at this time!