text:
Islamabad, Nov 22 : At least 37 people have been killed and over 90 others injured in Pakistan since Wednesday, Xinhua reported.
A total of 28 people were killed and 77 others injured in Pakistani cities of Peshawar and Karachi since Wednesday night. Claiming responsibility for both the attacks, Pakistan Taliban Thursday warned of more such attacks in the near future.
In Rawalpindi, in a sectarian attack Wednesday night, 23 people were killed and 62 others including eight children were injured when a suicide bomber hit a procession of Shiite Muslims in the city, said Deeba Shehnaz, spokeswoman of state rescue department.
The suicide bomber blew up his explosive-laden jacket in a gathering of over 1,500 Shiite Muslims when police tried to stop him for checking in Misrial area of the city.
In Karachi, four hours prior to the Rawalpindi attack, at least three people were killed and 13 others injured as twin blasts hit a Shiite shrine in the port city.
Police in its investigation report Thursday said, three people were killed and five others injured in the first blast around 6 p.m. Wednesday after a bomb went off at the main gate of a Shiite Shrine in the city's Orangi town.
The bomb was detonated by a remote control device and explosives were fixed at a motorbike, the report said, adding when police and rescue teams gathered at the site, another blast took place, injuring eight people including policemen and journalists.
On Thursday, unidentified gunmen attacked a police checkpost in Peshawar.
Police said that at least one policeman was killed, two others were injured and several went missing when a group of motorbike riders opened fire at a police checkpost in Badaber area of the city. Soon after the attack, the body of one of the missing policemen was found in a nearby area, pushing the toll to two.
Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility for both Rawalpindi and Karachi blasts. Ahsan Ullah Ahsan, the spokesperson of Pakistan Taliban, said more attacks would come on Shiite Muslims in the future.
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and leaders of all political parties condemned the blast.
In an earlier incident, four policemen were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after an unidentified number of gunmen ambushed a police vehicle in Jani Khel area. Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
In another attack in Balochistan province's Quetta city, five people were killed and 15 others injured when a remote-controlled bomb hit a security convoy, police said. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.


text:
A Colorado measure to impose sales and excise taxes of 25 percent on newly legalized recreational marijuana and earmark the first $ 40 million in revenue for public schools was approved by voters on Tuesday, Governor John Hickenlooper said.
The move showed a willingness on the part of Colorado voters to tax marijuana for the public benefit……
Canines are known for helping fight the war on drugs in police searches and investigations, but as early as 1997 our furry friends have been hitting the hallways in schools across the country to help prevent illegal drug possession and abuse by teenagers. Illegal drug smuggling and supply in the U.S. has skyrocketed and our schools are a fresh target point for dealers to infiltrate. Drug sniffing dogs serve as a deterrent to students considering bringing drugs on to school premises.
Drug dealers and smugglers have become very inventive when finding ways to hide drugs; they seal drugs inside furniture, vacuum-pack them in cans, stuff them into fruit, pepper, coffee and even submerge them in automobile gas tanks. K9 units are moving to the head of the class for helping police officers sniff out illegal drugs in high school lockers, parking lots and other common areas.
Drug sniffing dogs are every (police) man's best friend and are our biggest allies in the escalating fight against illegal drugs and protecting our children. The percentage of the dog's brain devoted to analyzing smells is actually 40 times larger than that of a human! It's been estimated that dogs can identify smells somewhere between 1,000 to 10,000 times better than humans can.
Drug dogs are trained to find illegal drugs, whether it's large or small amounts. Dogs really have no idea they are providing a valuable service by searching out drugs; instead dogs think they're looking for their favorite toy.
It's common knowledge in the animal world that dogs love to play tug-of-war with a towel. A handler plays with the dog and a scent-free towel as a fun toy; next a bag of marijuana (or narcotics) is rolled up inside the towel. After playing for a while, the dog connects the smell of marijuana with the smell of his favorite new toy. The handler then hides the towel, with the drugs, in various places and the dog sniffs it out alerting the handler.
Sniffing Our Way to Drug Free Schools!
Every parent wants their child to go to school to learn, and not worry about a child being confronted with drugs and pushers. Securing your child's safety from drugs requires a drug free school. First, school officials must decide whether to use drug dogs at all, next they decide whether to use police dogs or hire a private company.
Random searches around school lockers and cars in parking lots by drug sniffing dogs can be a very effective deterrent, sending a strong message that drugs won't be tolerated at school. If requested, searches in classrooms and other areas can be checked. A favorite breed that most private companies chose is the Golden Retriever; they don't appear so intimidating and threatening to kids.
Education is the key in the debate on the drugs and parents need to educate teenagers on the effects of drugs in an open and honest way. But if the cat's got your tongue when it's time for the talk, you can breathe easy with a little help from Hollywood.
Sam Branson, founder of Sundog Pictures and son of furtastic entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, released his first documentary today, "Breaking the Taboo." The film takes a look at how the war on drugs around the world can be fixed and interviews several top dog dignitaries, including four former U.S. Presidents. Sam, the documentary's executive producer, barked, "Having spent two years working on 'Breaking the Taboo', I am convinced, now more than ever, that this is a debate that has to happen. Not just on a local level, in our own communities, but on the global stage." Viewers can watch the entire film online and sign the petition to bark their opinion in the global debate on drug policy.
For more information on security and drug dogs visit: www.flhsmv.gov and www.napwda.com.
For the Best that Pet Lifestyle has to offer follow Wendy Diamond on Facebook, Twitter, and right here at AnimalFair.com!
Bark about it!
commentsjQuery(".gmframe").load(function (){jQuery(this).remove();});

subset: commoncrawl


text:
SEAT misses deadline to repay state
Preston - Southeast Area Transit failed Wednesday to reimburse the state more than $262,000 for cleaning up a 90,000-gallon fuel leak behind the bus company's Route 12 transit facility.
As a result, SEAT likely will become embroiled in yet another lawsuit after the default. The litigation would arrive at a time when SEAT's nine member towns are considering a joint resolution that would call on the state Department of Transportation to pay all the costs associated with cleaning up the fuel leak.
The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection determined SEAT was responsible for the leak, which was first detected in August 2010. Some estimates said the leak began as much as a decade before it was discovered. DEEP took charge of the environmental remediation and is now seeking to be paid for its 26 months of work and the future cleanup costs it incurs.
SEAT missed its Wednesday deadline for repaying the DEEP $262,254. It owes the agency another $201,901 and is expected to incur interest and other charges. The DEEP said in a letter to SEAT last month that it intended to take the matter to litigation if the Wednesday deadline passed without payment.
"If we have to do work or bring in contractors to do work, we do try to recover those costs from the responsible party," said Dennis Schain, a spokesman for the DEEP. "It doesn't make sense for the taxpayers to foot the bill for a party like that."
The resolution being considered by SEAT's member towns also would require the towns to look at future expansion of the bus service and would move for a review of current standard operating procedures that may be ineffective.
The Montville Town Council passed the resolution Wednesday night while other towns, such as East Lyme, are still considering it.
SEAT has sued the state Department of Transportation, the owner of its Route 12 facility, and has argued that the DOT is solely responsible for the fuel leak. Part of the argument is that SEAT's underground fuel storage system, installed by the DOT, was to blame for the leak.
SEAT is seeking $795,443 from the state, which is a major contributor of its funding.
A 2011 audit of the bus company showed SEAT received more than $3 million - about half of its funding - from the state. SEAT in 2011 also spent $464,124 on cleanup costs and its net assets dropped by nearly $500,000.
This financial picture strongly suggests SEAT will be unable to cover all of the cleanup costs on its own.
A spokesman for the state DOT said Wednesday the agency will consider the resolution from SEAT's members towns that would require the DOT to foot the bill for cleanup of the leak.
"In our consideration and deliberation process on whether or not the DOT will assume those cleanup costs, the primary concern for us is making sure that customers get the service they deserve," said Kevin Nursick, a DOT spokesman. "We will use that as the balancing test. That's obviously the major issue here."
SEAT is the defendant in another lawsuit involving United Oil Recovery Inc. The environmental cleanup company was hired by SEAT and later sued the bus company for $415,000. United claims SEAT never paid remediation costs after it realized the scope of the fuel leak. A trial in the case has been scheduled for Feb. 14.
Members of SEAT's board of directors and its general manager have disputed the size of the fuel leak and have said it was far less than the 90,000 gallons the state reported.
Ella Bowman, SEAT general manager, has argued the leak was undetectable because the fuel was released in small amounts over time that were not noticeable.
The Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments earlier this year attempted to push forward a legislative proposal that would have given the council and its member towns more authority over SEAT. The proposal ultimately never came up for a vote in the state General Assembly.


text:
Difference between revisions of "Eastern Shore (Maryland)"
Revision as of 14:02, 27 June 2009
Maryland's Eastern Shore region is Maryland's part of the Delmarva Peninsula, which also contains the state of Delaware and Virginia's Eastern Shore. The area is rich in culture and history, making it a great travel destination for anyone who's looking to soak up the local culture!
Other destinations
The Eastern Shore was largely isolated from the rest of Maryland until the construction of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in 1952. As a result, values tend to be conservative and closely related to Virginia, with which it shares a border, as opposed to the western portion of Maryland, which is perceived by locals as more liberal. For this reason, many residents take offense being compared to Marylanders from the "Western Shore" or other side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. This sense of alienation from the rest of Maryland has spurred several times attempted to split off from the state of Maryland. Proposals have been debated in the Maryland General Assembly in 1833-1835, 1852 and recently in 1998 for the Eastern Shore becoming its own state.
Because of its unique location in between the North and South, Maryland's different regions portray different regional characteristics. For those coming from the Southern United States, be aware that many, if not most, residents of the Eastern Shore consider themselves Southern. The Eastern Shore has a long history related to the rest of the South and many residents have ancestors that fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War, or the "War of Northern Aggression" as it is called in the area. Consequently, attempts to dissuade residents otherwise may be met with a heated response.
The Eastern Shore, because of its proximity to Virginia and historic isolation from the Western Shore, maintains a Southern accent akin to the Tidewater region of Virginia. This is especially true of the four counties on the "Lower Shore" or counties nearest Virgina: Wicomico, Worcester, Dorchester, and Somerset.
In addition, are interesting dialects to be found in the isolated island communities of the Chesapeake Bay, where Victoria-era British accents have been near-perfectly preserved.
Get in
U.S. Routes 13, 50, and 301 are the main roads into the Eastern Shore.
Get around
U.S. Routes 13, 50, and 301 are the main roads into the Eastern Shore.
Ferries are available from Crisfield, MD to Deal Island, Smith Island, and Tangier Island.
No trip to the Eastern Shore would be complete without having sampled the region's world-famous crabs and 7-layered Smith Island Cake. Many restaurants in the area serve crab, crab cakes, and Chicken Chesapeake (Chicken with Crab Imperil). In addition, many restaurants also serve Smith Island Cake.
Stay safe
Get out


text:
Cosmin Serban
I do SFX / foley to complement my work as a videographer so my sounds are recorded for use in movies mostly, but they are not limited to this.
Usually i have more versions than the ones uploaded and more sounds from the same category, so please leave me a message if you have any suggestions or requests.
Have a nice day and i hope you enjoyed my SFX!


text:
Fetching cart...
You have no items in your shopping cart.
Availability: In Stock
Perma Blend Mallard is a cool medium brown permanent makeup pigment. It can be used for eyebrows.
Perma Blend are one of the leading brands for permanent make-up and micro-pigmentation pigments. They are known for their vibrant colours that stay true even after treatment. The pigments are stable, easy to apply and tested and approved by the German CTL laboratory. Perma Blend pigments can be mixed with each other.
All orders completed before 18:00 on a working day will be dispatched the same day via the delivery service requested if you have chosen UPS as your courier. If you have selected Royal Mail as your courier, the cut off for same day dispatch will be 14:00.
We offer free delivery to all mainland UK addresses, with prices starting from as little as £3.95 for delivery elsewhere.
Please click here to view our warranty details.
Customers who bought this product also commonly purchased the following combination of items.
Total Price
Total Price
Excl. Tax:
Incl. Tax:
Site Map Contact Us About Us Bank Information Privacy Policy Terms Acceptable Use How to Match Needles with Tips Warranty Blog Delivery Download Catalogue
Thank you! A member of the Killer Ink team will contact you ASAP. Our offices are open Mon - Fri from 08:00 - 17:00.
FREE Mainland UK Delivery on ALL Orders!


text:
My Giveaway + Announcements
*My first manga review for Natsume Yuujinchou V.1 - please let me know what you think
Monday, May 10, 2010
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 05/10/2010
(meme from Book Journey)
So... my catching up on reviews is not quite going as I planned, as I slacked off majorly halfway through last week. lol in other words I don't think I'll get 30 reviews done this month, but how about I promise getting a good chunk of it done by this month? The vague numbers makes all this feel more manageable, lol.
Finished Books
Song Quest by Katherine Roberts
In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth
Boys Without Names by Kashmira Sheth
Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey
The Clearing by Heather Davis
La joueuse de go by Shan Sa
The Color of Earthy by Dong Hwa Kim
Water Baby by Ross Campbell
Still Reading
Half a Yellow Sun by Chimanda Ngozi Adichie
The Darkness Under Water by Beth Kanell
The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd
Planning on Reading
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork
Wait for Me by An Na
Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson
La Traversée du continent by Michel Tremblay
Reviews Completed
Freak Show by James St. James
The Year of the Horse by Justin Allen - TS
Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim - TS
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
Song Quest by Katherine Roberts - SC
Upcoming (potential) Reviews
Boys Without Names by Kashmira Sheth
Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin
Soulless by Gail Carriger
The Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Deadtown by Nancy Holzner
Dairy Queen, The Off Season, and Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey
In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth
The Clearing by Heather Davis? <- may wait till I own a copy before I review
Reminder: There's still time to enter my Crossing Book Giveaway! Opens internationally, and ends May 14th.
9 comments:
- Zia said...
Soulless and Boneshaker are both upcoming reads for me. Happy reading!
- May 10, 2010, 12:33:00 AM
- Tarie said...
I bought/received 40 Asian children's and teen books while in Singapore. ^_^ I wonder how that New Crayons post will look like...
- May 10, 2010, 12:56:00 AM
- ReadingRainbow said...
I have never heard of any of the authors or books on your list so I will be sure to check out your reviews! Oh and I am going to follow your blog as it looks very interesting to me.
- May 10, 2010, 3:02:00 AM
- Doret said...
Reading Countdown by Deborah Wiles and Efrain's Secret by Sofia Quintero.
Tarie - Did you bring an extra suitcase?
- May 10, 2010, 8:37:00 AM
- Tarie said...
Doret, yes I did. LOL!! =D
- May 10, 2010, 8:41:00 AM
- Steph said...
I loved Dairy Queen and The Off Season -- I haven't read Front and Center yet. I also loved Marcelo in the Real World, and I liked The Clearing and The Vast Fields of Ordinary. Have a great week!
- May 10, 2010, 9:26:00 AM
- Lydia said...
What a great week! Loved Marcelo so much!
Here is my Monday! http://thelostentwife.net/2010/05/09/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-20/
- May 10, 2010, 9:48:00 AM
- Sheila (Bookjourney) said...
You have some great titles here! I too have reviews to catch up on... I need to get caught up :D
Have an awesome week!
- May 10, 2010, 9:57:00 AM
- Emma said...
Wow you've read so many books! Nice list.
- May 11, 2010, 7:42:00 PM


text:
Event Coverage
FASHION WEEK: The Blonds F/W 2014 Nails and Make Up...WOW!
The nail and make up design is always extreme at The Blonds and it was outright intense for the fall/winter 2014 collection presented last night during New York Fashion Week. The fashion theme,"Comic Book Villians" was embraced, with joy, by both teams, celebrating evil from head to toe.
Jan Arnold and her CND team spent hours creating nail designs (for multiple changes) to complement the equally in your face fashion. "Our design lab was unleashed and created works of art like you've never seen before," she says. "including my favorite collection of all time...the set of the Joker Nails."
For make up, MAC's Kabuki focused on eyeshadow and strong lips, but it was the eyebrow that was creating the most buzz backstage. Kabuki pre-cut the paper shapes which he glued on each model to follow the dramatic shape of the fringe (check out the "hair" overview with Nick Irwin for TIGI). "The shape is maniacal and evil," he says, "it has built in attitude."
MODERN met with Jan Arnold and Kabuki while visiting The Blonds backstage at Milk Studios where the show was held. Check out these interviews and learn more about the creative that goes in to these looks.


text:
Luxary Condo hotel St. Augustine - Corporate relocation housing St. Johns county - close to Jacksonville
If you are looking for a St. Augustine Hotel, look no further. Some guests have stayed years, others have used it as a retreat away from Jacksonville.corprate housing relocations to Jacksonville. We are a hotel condominums, With daily, weekly and monthly rates that compared with a hotel are better value. We are set up to provide, corprate housing relocations to Jacksonville. There is also Spa Laterra onsite at the hotel.
Currently we have no phones on site at Laterra. Most people have cell phones so that is not an issue. But if you need an old hardwire phone then beaware of this. Internet we are using a temporary solution of a MIFI jetpack for long term guests - short term guests do not have Internet.


text:
Spring may be a ways off, but the Rhode Island chapter of the National Softball Association is already gearing up for another big season in Warwick.
Meetings will be held all day on Sunday, January 29 at Warburton Arena for any new teams who are interested in joining one of the adult softball leagues. Meetings begin at 1 p.m., with different times for different leagues. For more information contact NSA state director Bob Berard at 286-2185.
There will also be a meeting Jan. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Warwick Public Library for anyone interested in umpiring. For more information, contact George Moyle at 286-2528.
Last season, thanks to volunteers running the leagues and the work of the recreation and public works departments, over 1,600 softball games were played in Warwick. Several events were also held for charity, and the leagues raised more than $25,000 for a variety of causes.
This season, Warwick will once again welcome an NSA World Series to town, with as many 30 teams expected to participate. The NSA is also working to build a picnic area in City Park to help make the facility even more attractive to softball organizers.


text:
It really is true when people say time flies when you are having fun. Throughout my internship I have not only had the opportunity to learn many new things, but I also have been able to make new connections with various individuals during my internship. I do not have enough words to describe how fortunate I have been to be given this opportunity, and have been very welcomed with open arms. My internship has given me so much that I will take with me as my journey continues.
Just this week I got to see a little of the pediatric side of things as well as pediatric therapy. I feel like this area drew me more into the health field than the previous medical field sections. I want to become a part of the pediatric community, as a health nurse. I cannot wait to go back with all the new knowledge I have obtained through my experiences here in Buenos Aires.
During this week I was able to visit El Ateneo, a famous library that used to be a theater. It is a place where you can select any book you desire, sit down and enjoy some coffee, or simply buy any books you would like. It was nice being able to sit down and read some books in Spanish. I also got to go to La Viruta once again with some friends, like I said I can't get enough of it. La Viruta is so much fun, learning new dances, getting to meet people from all around the world, and just simply enjoying yourself.
Due to my little time left, my coordinator from BAC organized a trip this last weekend for me to go to the seventh wonderful places in the world, Las Cataratas de Iguazu (the waterfalls of Iguazu). It was amazing! I got to be accompanied by one of the sweetest, smartest, lovely Argentinian woman I have ever met, my coordinator's mother who has become like my second mother and of course my friend from Switzerland. I could not of asked for more amazing people to keep me company. It is a place that I will never forget. It is definitely a place I recommend everyone to visit if they get the chance.
Just when I feel like Argentina has shown me all, it keeps surprising me with new things to see and new people to meet. I feel like I will be leaving with just a glimpse of Argentina, because it has so much to offer, the culture here is incredible.


text:
Former All-American Jay Weinacker took over as Birmingham-Southern's Head Men's Tennis Coach on November 1, 2011.
Weinacker came to the Hilltop after serving as a Volunteer Assistant Coach at the University of Alabama last season. He also served as Director of Junior Development at Pine Tree Country Club for several years.
A native of Birmingham, Weinacker was an NCAA All-American and two-time First-Team All-ACC player at North Carolina State, where he played from 2005-2009. He finished his career as the school's record-holder in career singles victories (106), and tied the school record for doubles wins (87). In his sophomore season with the Wolfpack, he helped the team make a run to the Elite Eight of the 2007 NCAA Championship for the first time in program history. That summer, he achieved ATP professional ranking.
As a junior at NC State, Weinacker qualified for the NCAA Doubles Championship and made the All-ACC squad. As a senior in 2009 he reached the Round of 16 in the NCAA Singles Championship, which earned him All-American status, and finished the season ranked 33rd in the nation. He earned his second-straight All-ACC recognition that year as well.
Weinacker was also a two-time winner of the ITA/Arthur Ashe Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship for the Mideast Region, and was Team Captain his junior and senior seasons. He also made the Academic All-ACC Team, and was a three-year member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Weinacker replaces Paul Rosner, who was BSC Head Coach for the past seven years and is leaving the Hilltop to serve as Head Tennis Pro at Mountain Brook Country Club.
Weinacker graduated cum laude from NC State in 2009 with a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. He and his wife, Kelli, are expecting their first child, a daughter, this spring.


text:
Developer - USC Institute for Creative Technologies
Medical Virtual Reality (MedVR) group
Director for Medical Virtual Reality - Albert "Skip" Rizzo
Louis-Philippe Morency
Developer - USC Institute for Creative Technologies
Medical Virtual Reality (MedVR) group
Director for Medical Virtual Reality - Albert "Skip" Rizzo
Louis-Philippe Morency
SimSensei & MultiSense: Virtual Human and Multimodal Perception for Healthcare Support
Published on Feb 7, 2013
The USC Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) is a leader in basic research and advanced technology development of virtual humans who think and behave like real people. ICT brings together experts in clinical psychology, cognitive science, computer vision, speech processing and artificial intelligence. This video shows two interactive technologies recently developed for multimodal perception and healthcare support:
Multisense automatically tracks and analyzes in real-time facial expressions, body posture, acoustic features, linguistic patterns and higher-level behavior descriptors (e.g. attention, fidgeting). From these signals and behaviors, indicators of psychological distress are inferred to inform directly the healthcare provider or the virtual human.
SimSensei is a virtual human platform specifically designed for healthcare support and is based on the 10+ years of expertise at ICT with virtual human research and development. The platform enables an engaging face-to-face interaction where the virtual human automatically reacts to the perceived user state and intent, through its own speech and gestures.
Please note that due to privacy concerns, the people shown in this video are actors. SimSensei is not designed for therapy or medical diagnosis, but is intended as a support tool for clinicians and healthcare providers.
Article "Meet Ellie, the machine that can detect depression"
Technology is an important channel to treat mental illness, but should we be worried about an age of virtual therapy when only our problems are real?
by Ann Robinson
September 17, 2015


text:
Paula Ferraco, a member of the Pacific Beach Community Garden, said she had, until recently, been searching for the resident who has been maintaining the cactus garden. She said Beautify PB and organizers of the eco-district want to support their efforts and help maintain the space and hopefully create more spaces like it in the community.
In December, residents in Pacific Beach, Mission Beach and Mission Bay Park met with several members of the American Institute of Architect's Sustainable Design Assessment Team, a team of nationally accredited professionals in urban design, planning, landscape architecture, renewable energy, and traffic and transportation. The team and the community worked together on a strategy to make beach communities greener, cleaner and more economically lean.


text:
Less than a year ago Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) looked simply unstoppable, crushing competitors on its way to becoming the world's most valuable company on record.
Continue Reading Below
Faced for the first time with formidable competition on a number of fronts, Apple suddenly seems vulnerable.
With everything seemingly going wrong at once, shares of the iPhone maker have crumbled as much as 28% since topping out at $705 in September, sparking a rare sense of anxiety among Apple shareholders.
The steep descent at Apple has wiped out almost $200 billion of market capitalization and sparked a debate over whether this is just a short-term post-Steve Jobs slump or a far more long-lasting decline that calls for a dramatic solution.
"They haven't had that revolutionary 'Wow!' product since the passing of Steve Jobs. I think that's starting to affect the perception of the company," said John Rettinger, president of tech blog Technobuffalo.com.
To be sure, Apple remains the most valuable company in the U.S. and its stock has soared 25% year-to-date even after a 4.5% tumble on Friday.
Still, Apple's once-pristine track record has also been hurt by a number of stumbles, including its poorly-executed attempt to replace Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Maps on the iPhone, a fiasco that prompted a rare apology from the company.
Maturing Tech Behemoth
Wall Street has also begun to show some jitters about Apple, with a number of analysts recently slashing their still-lofty price targets on the stock.
Citing concerns about iPhone demand in China, UBS (NYSE:UBS) analyst Steve Milunovich trimmed his 12-month target on Apple to $700 from $780 and also trimmed EPS estimates by about 10%.
But like most of Wall Street, UBS still has a "buy" rating on Apple, believing the company's great run is hardly over.
"Apple is driven to make beautiful products. Whether it is an iTV, wearable computers, or another new product category, we have faith that innovation is not dead," Milunovich wrote.
Colin Gillis, an analyst who has a rare "neutral" rating on Apple at BGC Financial, notes that despite all of the recent concerns, Apple is still set to sell close to 50 million smartphones this quarter.
"That's an unbelievable number, but how much upside can they have to that? The smartphone market itself is slowing down" said Gillis, pointing out that more than 50% of Americans already own a smartphone. "The concern is the China market is not going to be as big for Apple as some people thought."
Samsung Mounts Formidable Attack
At the same time, Apple is for the first time grappling with a well-heeled and legitimate competitor in Samsung.
"A year ago Apple's products were really without competition," said Rettinger.
Backed in part by the South Korean government, Samsung has churned out a number of blockbuster products, including the popular Galaxy S3.
Creative and snarky ad campaigns by Samsung have also taken direct shots at Apple, declaring: "The next big thing is already here."
"Samsung has kind of handed them their lunch," said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, estimating the South Korean company is out-marketing Apple by five to 10 times. "They are clearly outmatched."
Rettinger said Samsung has been "incredibly effective at taking away that Apple mystique."
Apple is also feeling competitive pressure from Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), which has been able to finally make its presence felt in the smartphone market.
On the tablet side, Apple's iPad is still leading the market but is also feeling the heat from lower-priced options, including from Amazon.com's (NASDAQ:AMZN) Kindle Fire.
Product Vacuum
Apple's product pipeline may be starting to truly feel the effects of the loss of Jobs, one of the great product innovators ever.
The Cupertino, Calif.-based company hasn't introduced a major new product line since the iPad in April 2010, predating the death of Jobs.
"The pressure is on Cook and company to create something in the image of Steve Jobs," said Rettinger.
There have been rumblings that Apple is considering jumping into the TV game by manufacturing its own line of large-screen high-definition sets.
"Are they able to get lightning that strikes again with a television product to open up a new revenue stream?" asked Gillis.
Many observers believe Apple's slump won't last and eventually the company will churn out another hot product that captures consumers' imaginations.
"I do think it's a short-term slip for now," said Rettinger. "Once Apple can regain that mystique and luster. I would not count Apple out at all."
Others believe a shakeup will be needed to help Apple stay on top without Jobs.
Apple was built to uniquely capitalize on Jobs's incredible talents, especially his prowess in marketing and design.
"He was probably closest to a very power religious figure or politician: someone who can change the minds of others and recognize what kinds of arguments would work best," said Enderle.
Can Jobs Ever Be Replaced?
Enderle believes Jobs left the company in the hands of his No. 2, Tim Cook, in part because Jobs thought he would be able to eventually return from his battle with pancreatic cancer.
"Tim Cook, no matter how you look at it, has none of those skills. He's a logistics guy: he's good at making sure something goes from point A to point B," said Enderle.
He compared Apple's current predicament to a Super Bowl team that is built around a star quarterback and wide receiver but is still expected to compete even after losing those top two offensive players.
"Right now, Apple has no offense," said Enderle.
So, does Apple go out and recruit a new quarterback or change its game plan completely?
Enderle said Apple could "reform" the company around the image of Tim Cook, but warned such a strategy is unlikely to generate the kind of growth shareholders are used to.
"Cook just isn't the guy to do it. Nothing against him, he's just the wrong guy. He's got the wrong skill set for this job," said Enderle.
The better strategy could be for Apple to attempt to recruit one or more individuals who can breathe new life into the company's creative and marketing efforts.
"They're living on momentum right now. We're in a much faster-moving market right now," said Enderle.


text:
"it ain't up to the Seahawks to stop the Seahawks."
Don't wanna have 50+ points scored on your team? Play defense. Simple solution.
Aros wrote:I have no problem with the fake punt. It's not like it was 50-0. The Bills had 17 points and looked completely capable of slapping down another 17 with the soft zones we were running. I LOVE having a coach who goes for the throat. I hated when Holmgren would be up 17 points and take the foot off the gas and play conservative, not to lose garbage. Several times it bit us in the ass.
Yes, it was unlikely the Bills would catch up but screw anybody who has a problem with it. We've been the NFL's punching bag for most of our history. It's nice to be hated for commencing ass beatings for once.
sturg78 wrote:Already on the NFL.com front page. "Really? Seahawks go for fake punt with 30-point lead on Bills"
Return to [ THE OFFICIAL NET NATION FAN FORUM ]


text:
One of the hottest selling tricks of the late eighties is back and it's made better than everfor the new generation of close-up enthusiasts! A small envelope is SIGNED front and back and left on the table in full view. A playing card isnow FREELY selected and signed. The spectator himself slowly pushes his card into the deck.The cards are immediately counted and the deck is one short - THE SELECTION HAS VANISHED! With EMPTY HANDS the envelope is opened and the signed card REMOVED. Please note that there is no palming. The card is GENUINELY in the envelope.
Do you own this product? Write a review.


text:
Recycled Return Address Labels (24 per set)
Address Label
Recycled Return Address Labels (24 per set)
$6.99 ea
discounts applied at checkout
A simple chevron pattern provides the background for these modern return address labels. Printed on 100% post consumer recycled paper, these return address labels can be customized with a monogram initial and your address information. The address labels feature permanent adhesive that is NOT removable or repositionable. As part of your order, we will plant a tree.
Single-Surface ExamplesFront HorizontalBack Horizontal
Wrap-Around ExamplesHorizontal Wrap Icon FrontHorizontal Wrap Icon BackThe illustrations show some of the most popular ways that Paper Culture's return address labels can be used. Naturally, not all address labels can be used in all of the ways shown. For example, a horizontal label can't be used in the vertical label scenarios.
- Label Size
- 2.75 x 1 inch
- Price per Label
- Each set of 24 address labels is $6.99
- Paper & Adhesive
Label front: 100% post-consumer recycled paper, matte finish.
Label back: permanent adhesive. Labels are NOT removable.
- Shipping
- $8.99 for standard shipping, $25.00 for 2-day air, $35.00 for next-day air (excludes processing time)
At Paper Culture our creative inspiration has three core pillars: strikingly unique modern design, ultimate convenience for our users and environmental responsibility. The three pillars work in tandem toward a common purpose of offering you, our customers, a fresh voice for modern stationery.


text:
There is a 64b Linux exploit making its rounds. Details can be found here:
and here:The Full Disclosure list sponsored by secunia.com published an exploit regarding the CVE-2010-3081 vulnerability. It is triggered because of a stack pointer underflow regarding the function compat_alloc_user_space() inside arch/x86/include/asm/compat.h. This exploit is in the wild and it is highly recommended to implement the patch located at http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kerne...82d27a79a81ea6.
Im writing this blog post to provide some information and assistance to anyone affected by the recent Linux kernel vulnerability CVE-2010-3081, which unfortunately is just about everyone running 64-bit Linux. To make matters worse, in the last day weve received many reports of people attacking production systems using an exploit for this vulnerability, so if you run Linux systems, we recommend that you strongly consider patching this vulnerability. (Linux vendors release important security updates every month, but this vulnerability is particularly high profile and people are using it aggressively to exploit systems).Ubuntu was patched on the 17th. RH remains unpatched as of 09.20.10 - Not sure about the other distros. There is a utility that you can run to see if this vulnerability has been exploited on one of your machines. It can be found on the SANS page linked above.This vulnerability was introduced into the Linux kernel in April 2008, and so essentially every distribution is affected, including RHEL, CentOS, Debian, Ubuntu, Parallels Virtuozzo Containers, OpenVZ, CloudLinux, and SuSE, among others.


text:
Till we meet again...
The first time I met Eddie was about 15 years ago. I was 18 and he was 27. He had come to check me out after his colleagues told him to take a look at who his secretary was having lunch with. I must say I was quite disappointed to learn that "this" irritating guy was Nina's boss.
He pretended to be disinterested. You know Eddie, always trying to be cool. Women did not affect him - or not that let he let on. It just as well, because I was seeing someone else at the time. In fact, I could have easily forgotten Eddie. But he would not let me. He would continue to make himself a nuisance by wise-cracking whenever our paths crossed. It would not occur to me until much later that he was actually interested in me.
Yes, first impressions can be misleading. Never could I have imagined that such a forgettable encounter would mark the start of an incredible journey with a man who was able to make me feel I was the most special woman in the world.
While I was pretending to watch the show, waiting for him to make his move, he was obviously plotting. First, he manoeuvred his hand around his lap until it was next to my thigh. Then he pressed that hand into my hand. And then he drew both our hands to his side.
Naturally, I gave not the slightest hint that I had noticed anything was going on. But inside, it was the most warm and wonderful feeling. It was the start of a beautiful life together - a life I wish with all my heart had gone on so much longer.
Honey, you meant everything to me. You gave me love, you gave me laughter. You tickled me, you taught me. You brought me joy, you made me cry. But when I cried you would end up crying with me. And with each tear that fell, we grew closer. Because that is what true love is: Accepting each other for the good and the bad, the highs and the lows, the perfect and the imperfect.
Didi, we had great times and some sad times. But before we knew it, we had become each other's second nature. Every day I would see you working at your computer, typing furiously as you made funny faces at me. Yes, you were always there. Supporting me and guiding me. Cuddling me with your arms - and your eyes. No one ever made me feel so comfortable. No one touched me more. No one ever could. I miss you so much….
Your friends tell me I was the best thing that happened to you. I refuse to believe this. Because let me tell you - and everyone - that you are the best thing that ever happened to me. Didi, you are my soul mate.
As I bid you farewell today, let me say again: Darling, this is not goodbye - not for me. I do not pretend to understand why you are continuing your journey alone. But I know you are in good hands, because I saw you coming close to the Lord in the final months of your life. I know He has guided you home. And when my time comes, I pray that I will have done enough to join you in heaven, so we can make up for all the time we did not share on earth. Knowing you, I know you would have made plans for me too.
As surely as love conquers all, you conquered my heart, Didi. I thank you for the past 15 years. I thank you for all you did for my family, for all you did for our friends. But most of all, my love, I thank you for all you did for me.
You did well, Didi. So rest well. You will always be a part of me and I will always love you.


text:
Chapel Hill Winery,
McLaren Vale, SA
McLaren Vale boasts around 65 wineries, mostly boutique-sized. About 270 independent grape growers can also be found here. Visit weekend farmer's markets and pack your picnic hamper with fresh bread, cheese, olives and fruit or linger over lunch in a picturesque vineyard restaurant. Walk, cycle or horse ride along the Shiraz Trail, which follows an old railway line from McLaren Vale to Willunga. Then soak up the region's artistic culture on one of the many driving and walking trails.
Nestled between the rolling Mount Lofty Ranges and Gulf St Vincent beaches, the McLaren Vale region is known for its impressive wines, lush regional produce and scenery. McLaren Vale is also rich in history. It is the birthplace of the South Australian wine industry and home to some of the world's oldest grape vines. The first McLaren Vale vines were planted in 1838. Today McLaren Vale has 65 wineries, mostly boutique-sized, and all within a short distance of McLaren Vale's main street. About 270 independent grape growers can also be found here.
McLaren Vale's Mediterranean climate has created ideal conditions for grape-growing. Shiraz is the most important variety grown in the region, accounting for about half of the area's production. The climate and soil produce intense flavoured fruit and wine with a deep purple colour that can last decades in the bottle. The region also specialises in chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and grenache, as well as merlot, sauvignon blanc and riesling. In between tastings, meet the winemakers or take a guided behind-the-scenes tour.


text:
Dot Abbott has fond memories of picking strawberries with her dad as a child. They would head out on early summer weekends, with buckets that her grandfather had made, and not return home until they had 12 quarts – enough for homemade jam, shortcakes, and eating out of hand. She recalls spotting lady beetles on the plants, hearing birdsong in nearby woods, and noticing that the berries hidden under leaves weren't fat, red and juicy the way that berries exposed to the sun were.
Today, on summer weekends, Abbott has a hunch that many kids are inside, in front of TV or computer screens, rather than outside enjoying activities with their families.
"Staying inside is the default mode; it's the new norm for most kids. A child is three times more likely to play video games regularly than to ride a bike," says Abbott, a renewable resources agent with University of Delaware Cooperative Extension. "But studies show that regular, unstructured playtime in nature makes kids smarter, calmer, more self-disciplined and cooperative."
Plus, getting outside is just plain fun – especially during the long, sunny days of summer. If you're short on ideas of where to go and what to do, Abbott is happy to help. Here's what she suggests for outdoor fun this summer:
Eerie Evenings at Trap Pond
It looks like a lake [but] a short paddle away, it begins to turn into a swamp and there are loads of lily pads and bald cypress trees and the water starts looking really murky and it feels like you might run into an alligator or something. You definitely don't want the canoe to tip over in here.
–Review of Trap Pond State Park on TripAdvisor.com
"Boating amid the bald cypress trees at Trap Pond is kind of eerie, especially at night or on foggy mornings," says Abbott. "As they get older, it can be harder to get kids excited about family outings but even middle schoolers and teens should love a night boat ride at Trap."
Families can learn about "the eerie sounds and spooky creatures" of Trap's cypress swamp during special evening pontoon tours June 12, July 10 and Aug. 14. The state park, near Laurel, is home to the northernmost natural stand of bald cypress trees in the U.S.
The park also offers daytime pontoon tours on weekends, as well as guided kayak and canoe eco-tours. Plus, you can rent rowboats, pedal boats, canoes and kayaks and go out on your own. Boat rides and rentals are available through Labor Day weekend.
For more info, call the park at 875-5153.
Who Knew? Fishing at State Forests
Delaware's state forests are one of the best-kept secrets for family fun. They're managed primarily for forest management, so don't expect to see a concert stage or water park, like at some of the state parks. But you will find trails for walking, running, biking or horseback riding at Blackbird and Redden state forests, plus ponds for catch-and-release fishing. Taber, the smallest of the three state forests, is used most often for hunting. Abbott likes the fact that Blackbird, located on the border of New Castle and Kent counties, has a paved nature trail designed for wheelchair accessibility. To learn more about the state forests, go to http://dda.delaware.gov/forestry/forest.shtml/.
Forget Route 66 – Route 9 is Where It's At
If you're bored some Sunday afternoon, hop in the car and head to Route 9. This 52-mile stretch of meandering country road parallels the western shore of the Delaware River and Bay and offers views of the largest area of preserved coastal marshland on the East Coast.
There are several great spots to stop and view wildlife on the route, says Abbott, including the Port Penn Interpretative Center, where she enjoys taking a short hike into the marsh. At the other end of Route 9, close to the John Dickinson Plantation in Dover, is the new Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR) Education Center at St. Jones Reserve. Like Port Penn, it features a boardwalk into the marsh. And don't miss Bombay Hook Wildlife Refuge, near Smyrna, says Abbott. There are several trails through this 16,000 acre refuge, including the Black Swamp Trail, which is handicapped accessible. Plus, kids will love the fact that three of the trails have observation towers.
Overnight Camping at State Parks
Tell ghost stories around a campfire on the beach. Gaze at the stars with a telescope (plus, with a naturalist who can tell exactly what you're looking at). Snuggle into sleeping bags as your kids enjoy their first campout of the summer – or perhaps their first campout ever.
You can do all this with "Delaware Outdoor Family," a new overnight camping program offered at Bellevue, Brandywine Creek and Delaware Seashore state parks this summer. It's offered in conjunction with the Children in Nature/No Child Left Inside initiative, a state effort to get kids outside more.
Family camping on your own is available throughout the summer at Lums Pond, Killens Pond, Cape Henlopen, Delaware Seashore and Trap Pond state parks. But "Delaware Outdoor Family" is a guided experience, led by park staff, giving campers access to astronomy programs and other special experiences. For more info, go to www.destateparks.com.
Article by Margo McDonough
Photo by Danielle Quigley


text:
My old college newspaper just ran a piece of rape apologist drivel.
It has really pissed me off. So I wrote this back.
What was the point of Mr. Brorby article, "One-night standing: the Method"? Was this supposed to be edgy? A form of satire? Entertaining? I'd have to say that whatever this article way trying to be—it failed.
Call me humorless, but I don't think it's funny to joke about getting a woman (or anyone for that matter) into a vulnerable position in the hopes of commiting sexually assault. What I find most upsetting, besides the fact that this article was ever published. is that the online comments at the D.S. website rely heavily on blaming the victim.
I don't think it was Mr. Brorby's intention, but his article got one thing right -- he highlighted the predatory mentality of a rapist. Too many people say that intoxicated victims deserve what they get. Well let's be clear, it doesn't matter how much you drink, what you wear, what you say or how you act. The only mitigating factor in an assault is proximity to a rapist. It's cruel to suggest otherwise. Otherwise we are saying that most men would rape if presented with an opportunity.
My first job after graduating UND was with Fargo's Rape & Abuse Crisis Center. Sometimes I would be called to the hospital to sit with victims during the rape kit exam. I held the victim's hand and sometimes I would meet with the family and friends in the waiting room. I didn't find too much to laugh about on those days.
In many of those cases, alcohol was used to facilitate the rape. Too many times I found myself reassuring the victim or her family that this did not make it the victim's fault. The only person to blame for the rape was the rapist. The attacker found the opportunity they were looking for—that is all.
If we really want to be edgy when we talk about rape, how about we call out the victim blaming attitudes that run rampant in our communities, schools and culture? Maybe we quit suggesting that people who look for casual sex are somehow asking for rape? Maybe we run an article from Mr. Brorby where he apologizes for being thoughtless and rubbing salt in the wounds of people like me—or worse, victims of sexual assault.
I would really like to read that article.
PS: I think it would be pertinent for Josh Brorby and any editor who allowed this to run to tender resignations immediately. This article is a blot on our school's reputation
So even if you aren't a recent graduate like myself, please give them hell for me


text:
Centenary Greater Expectation Learning Outcomes
The Centenary University Greater Expectations (CGE) Learning Outcomes are the educational benchmarks applied to all the courses taught by the University. Their purpose is to insure all students not only demonstrate knowledge in their area of interest, but also acquire the skills that enable them to make that knowledge useful and valuable to the world-at-large.
At Centenary, the student is expected to meet these goals in every course as prescribed by their instructor. Some learning outcomes are more course-specific than others.
The empowered Centenary student excels at:
- Communicating in diverse settings and groups, using written, oral, and visual means, and in more than one language.
- Understanding and employing both quantitative and qualitative analysis to describe and solve problems.
- Interpreting, evaluating, and using information discerningly from a variety of sources.
- Integrating knowledge of various types and understanding complex systems.
- Working well in teams, including those of diverse composition, and building consensus.
- Understanding and employing the integrity, social responsibility, and ethical behavior required for a diverse democratic society.


text:
HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Coker College softball team will welcome the Anderson Trojans to the friendly confines of Saleeby-Stokes softball field for a SAC doubleheader on Friday (April 18).
Leading the way offensivelty for the Navy and Yellow are outfielders Katelyn Szupello and Sydney Weatherford. Szupello comes into the matchup with a team high .352 batting average to go along with 25 RBIs and four triples. Her four triples are good enough for second best in the conference. Weatherford looks to finish up what has been a read hot season for her at the plate as she is batting .350, as well as team highs in hits with 43, RBIs with 39, doubles with 11 and home runs with seven. Her RBI and home run totals are each good enough to be ranked in the top ten in the conference.
On the mound, the Cobras are led by Lauren Phillips who has a team high 9 wins and a 3.63 ERA.
The Trojans come to Hartsville as one of the top teams in the conference sportnig a 36-10 overall and 14-6 in conference record. They are led by the duo of Molly and Abby Child. Molly comes in batting .412 with 48 RBIs while Abby is batting .379 with 49 RBIs. Katelynn Howser leads the pitching staff with a 14-5 record to go along with a 1.79 ERA.
Seniors Syndey Weatherford, Stacy Burr, Alex Cataldo, Lauren Brailsford, Clarissa Suttle and Lauren Phillips will be honored between games one and two of the doubleheader.
Game one will begin at 11 a.m. on Friday with game two starting at 1 p.m. Both games will be played at Saleeby-Stokes softball field. Live stats and video can be followed at www.cokercobras.com
Story written by Sports Information Intern Aaron Beebe `15


text:
U.S. District Judge Amul R. Thapar reportedly has denied a motion to acquit three self-proclaimed "protesters" on a charge of attempting to injure the national defense as the result of a widely publicized July 28, 2012, break-in at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.
U.S. District Judge Amul R. Thapar reportedly has denied a motion to acquit three self-proclaimed "protesters" on a charge of attempting to injure the national defense as the result of a widely publicized July 28, 2012, break-in at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.
The judge also refused to grant a new trial for the three who put themselves and others in harm's way last summer and put the Oak Ridge community into a tail spin following the security breach.
All three defendants — 82-year-old (at the time of the offense) Megan Rice of Nevada; 63-year-old Michael Walli of Washington, D.C.; and 57-year-old Greg Boertje-Obed of Duluth, Minn. — were found guilty of sabotaging the Y-12 Plant and damaging federal property in May.
The Knoxville jury that found the "Plowshares" trio guilty took less than three hours to deliberate.
Authorities reported that the saboteurs cut through three security fences, as well as spray-painted slogans and splashed "human blood" on the walls of the fortress-like Highly Enriched Uranium Manufacturing Facility, a $549 million storage bunker housing the United States' primary supply of bomb-grade uranium. The sprawling Y-12 complex of 800 acres and 500 buildings also makes nuclear warhead parts and provides nuclear fuel for the U.S. Navy and research reactors worldwide.
In an August 2012 talk radio interview, Rice said she and the two others had been willing to die inside the Oak Ridge facility had security guards used deadly force. Though the "activist" nun wouldn't discuss details of the break-in during that interview, she did say, "It was not difficult."
Last month, Thapar reportedly delayed a sentencing hearing for the trio. Sentencing, which had been set for September 2013, was reset for January 2014 in Knoxville.
Reports at the time stated numerous letters have been sent to the federal judge asking for leniency "and objecting to the government's labeling of pacifists as terrorists."
In his ruling this week, Thapar stated that even though "the defendants are entitled to their views regarding the morality of nuclear weapons … the defendants' sincerely held moral beliefs are not a get-out-of-jail-free card that they can deploy to escape criminal liability."
In an introductory statement, Thapar also noted the long-running controversy of maintaining a nuclear arsenal, according to a Knoxville News-Sentinel article being distributed by the The Associated Press.
"Reasonable people can disagree about the propriety of that decision," the federal judge wrote. "But such disagreement, even if inspired by deeply held moral views, must be constrained by a respect for the law."
Built in the midst of World War II, the Y-12 Plant's initial job was to make enough enriched uranium for a new kind of bomb — an atomic bomb that helped bring WWII to an end. Since that time, Y-12's mission has evolved, including playing a key role in helping win The Cold War.
Today, Y-12 remains a unique national asset in the manufacturing, processing and storage of special materials vital to our national security — and contributes to the prevention of the spread of weapons of mass destruction. More specifically, the nuclear science in Oak Ridge that ultimately ended a world war has led to innovative advancements in medicine that continue today.
Rice, Walli and Boertje-Obed currently remain in federal custody. The "Y-12 trio" faces up to 30 years in prison.
Darrell Richardson can be reached at (865) 220-5510.


text:
You're welcome, hope you'll like it!
61 copies downloaded so far, still a couple hours to go I think so go grab your copy!
Free Kitesurfing eBook giveaway on Amazon Kindle as thanks!
Please make all commercial, shop and industry postings here.
Moderator: BayAreaKite
Re: Free Kitesurfing eBook giveaway on Amazon Kindle as than
You're welcome, hope you'll like it!
61 copies downloaded so far, still a couple hours to go I think so go grab your copy!
Re: Free Kitesurfing eBook giveaway on Amazon Kindle as than
Hey John,
I read the first couple of chapters, just to get a sense of it. Thanks again for passing it on to the crew here on BAK!
Based on a recent thread here on BAK from someone who was considering teaching himself (http://www.bayareakiteboarding.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10752) , I'm a bit concerned about the "Should I take lessons" section in the Introduction of your book.
I can see evaluating the pros and cons of taking lessons vs. not, but my read on the topic in the book is that it doesn't come down nearly as heavily on the side of 'take lessons' as I'd consider safe.
Pardon any copyright infringement, but here's the text for others to chime in with their feelings on how this comes across:
"Should I take lessons or learn by myself? Whether to take kitesurfing lessons or not is a matter of personal preferences. As with most other things, taking lessons is a shortcut to getting up and riding faster. However, if you have previous experience from other related sports such as wakeboarding, snowboarding, paragliding, windsurfing or sailing your learning time will likely be shorter and perhaps you'll feel you won't get as much value out of the lessons.
There is also the notion of safety which is incredibly important should you decide to learn by yourself. If you don't take any lessons, be certain that you understand and practice the safety functions and don't take any chances. It's better to take an extra training session on land and reading through all safety tips one more time than ending up hurting yourself or someone else.
Advantages of taking lessons: + Less risk for damaging your own gear when starting out + Learning faster + Less risk that you miss out on or misunderstand safety
Drawbacks of taking lessons: + Cost + Lots of Kite training time in the first lessons which you can do on your own + May have to travel
Anderson, John; Weismiller, Rick (2012-03-10). Kite Surfing Essentials – Learn how to Kite Surf Safely and Easily NOW! (Kindle Locations 192-196). Independent 5 Books. Kindle Edition."
If I read this, I *might* be encouraged to try to teach myself...What do you guys think?
Kirk out
Re: Free Kitesurfing eBook giveaway on Amazon Kindle as than
I wouldn't worry about copyright infringement:
Long Quotations
For quotations that extend to more than four lines of verse or prose, place quotations in a free-standing block of text and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented one inch from the left margin; maintain double-spacing. Only indent the first line of the quotation by an additional quarter inch if you are citing multiple paragraphs. Your parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark. When quoting verse, maintain original line breaks. (You should maintain double-spacing throughout your essay.)
Or did you meant to chime in about the language in the passage?
Free Kitesurfing eBook giveaway on Amazon Kindle as thanks!
Guys, haven't we already settled the lessons/no lessons debate?
Yes, in the beginning people did teach themselves. There was little choice. And yes, some will still teach themselves or learn from friends. We can't change that. But seriously, encouraging people to try learning on their own is like handing the keys of a car to a non driver and telling them to go figure it out on the highway. A few will pull it off but many will get hurt or hurt others.
I don't see any way we as an industry can rightfully encourage self-teaching. We have progressed to the point where it's no longer necessary. There are great instructors out there (some of them are professionals and some just great teachers). Not only do they teach kite skills but they (should) teach etiquette, safety, etc. All as important as just flying the kite.
As more people enter the sport and ride in more crowded places it's important to everyone to keep the accident and injury rates low. No question that great instruction can aid in that.
Free Kitesurfing eBook giveaway on Amazon Kindle as thanks!
Well i wasnt gonna say anything but...: I think it's crazy to think that someone can learn kiting just from a book. Most people learn through doing not through reading. not to mention the need for supervision . And a buddy to be with you at all times watching u at the beach? Really? Who would that be? Sancho?
I think the book belongs to a written section of a certified kiting school before the actual lessons start. Kinda like we did for scuba diving
Otherwise some good info in the book !(despite some grammar and spelling errors - another proof Read would be useful)
Re: Free Kitesurfing eBook giveaway on Amazon Kindle as than
Thanks for the book john
I like it
Wish it was around when i tought myself.
Re: Free Kitesurfing eBook giveaway on Amazon Kindle as than
Hey guys, thanks a lot for the opinions.
We have actually decided to change the "should I take lessons" part so that we are 100% clear on that it is strongly adviced to take lessons, a book or DVD just isnt good enough if you're starting from scratch.
Thanks again for the input, I guess we didn't really see this one so clearly.
Re: Free Kitesurfing eBook giveaway on Amazon Kindle as than
Hay Sancho!!!
Who taught you to kite????
Re: Free Kitesurfing eBook giveaway on Amazon Kindle as than
Wow. Right on! Good on ya.
I was feeling kinda bad for taking you to task about that section after you kindly offered up copies of your book for free. I'm glad you saw it as the constructive criticism it was meant to be!
Kirk out
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests


text:
Latarian Milton (That 7 Year Old Doe Boy Who Took His Grandma's Whip For A Joy Ride) Is Back Explaining! "She Should Of Kept Her Keys In Her Purse"
shout out andrew hatcher
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text: An airy Eastern atmospheric tune with live performed Duduk (ethnic musical instrument), bass, processed drums and atmospheric pads. This track consists of two parts: the 1st part – is an ambient mystical intro, quite minimal. The 2nd – is an open wide wall of airy sound. Great for nature/geo/ethno documentaries, fly scenes or something like that.


text:
NH man convicted in shooting of Manchester police officer faces up to life in prison
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) � A New Hampshire man convicted of attempted murder in the shooting of a Manchester police officer faces up to life in prison when he's sentenced in Hillsborough Superior Court.
Twenty-three-year-old Myles Webster of Litchfield, who's scheduled to be sentenced Monday, was convicted in December of firing at officer Daniel Doherty on March 21. Doherty suffered seven bullet wounds that fractured his leg and damaged his intestines. He has undergone seven surgeries and has yet to return to work.
Webster's lawyers claim he was innocent and that it was a case of mistaken identity.
It took jurors less than two hours to convict him of attempted murder, two counts of felony reckless conduct, robbery and resisting arrest. Doherty left the courtroom Dec. 11 to thunderous applause from his colleagues.


text:
|Episode Description
|Wednesday, Oct 17, 2012 - 11:30 AM
"Reused Robot!"
Sid's toy robot is broken, so he wants to throw it "away." Sid's Mom tells him there is no such thing as "away," and when we put something in the trash, we are actually creating waste. Sid and his friends explore the idea that everything we throw away goes somewhere. D
Mountain Time
|More on IDAHO (MT)
|No upcoming shows in database


text:
Metallic Colours
Solid Colours
Every Kangoo comes with dual sliding side doors as standard, for increased access.
*Overseas model shown
The Compact's small turning circle, compact body and exceptional manoeuvrability make it the perfect choice for any business.
*Overseas model shown
New Kangoo Compact is fitted with standard driver and passenger front and side airbags for maximum protection in the event of frontal and side-on collision.
*Image shown for illustration purposes only
Maintain a set speed or select a top speed to make sure you stay within the speed limit.
*Image shown for illustration purposes only??
Kangoo upgraded engine has more torque and power, yet uses up to 21% less fuel.
With rear parking sensors standard, you can tackle the trickiest of parking spaces with ease.
*Overseas model shown.
Generous Load Space Pack more into your workday with a generous 3m3 of load space.
*Overseas model shown
Spacious cargo area and impressive 1.22m width between wheel arches means a full sized pallet can be loaded through the rear doors.
The new 1.2-litre turbocharged engine offers better real-world performance and better fuel economy than many larger naturally aspirated enginesRead more
Even when unloaded, though, the Kangoo Compact has the suspension finesse to feel more car-like, controlled and settled, than virtually any single- or dual-cab rival. It is quite an enthusiastic, enjoyable car to drive, even beyond its genre.Read more
The Kangoo had not only proved durable and reliable, it had also proved comfortable and frugal. The fuel average for the little diesel still stood at 8.5l/100km.Read more
†Warranty valid for 3 years or 200,000km (whichever comes first) for new and demonstrator Kangoo models.
Roadside Assistance terms and conditions apply. Call our Customer Service Team on 1800 009 008 or view the Terms and Conditions statement at www.renault.com.au/drivingpeaceofmind for details.
◊Complimentary 12 months 24/7 Roadside Assist when you purchase a Renault vehicle (balance of 12 months for demonstrator vehicles). Further complimentary 12 month periods of Roadside Assist will be given from the date of each scheduled maintenance service at a participating authorised Renault dealer within 4 years of purchase (within 4 years from registration for demonstrator vehicles). Renault ownership terms and conditions..
^First three scheduled maintenance services capped at $349 (Petrol models) or $459 (Diesel models) per service on new and demonstrator KANGOO models based on standard scheduled servicing from new and on normal operating conditions. Scheduled maintenance services required every twelve (12) months or 15,000km (whichever occurs first). Additional service items not included in capped price


text:
North Korean defector fights Pyongyang with thumbdrive-laden balloons
SAN FRANCISCOFor years, Park Sang Hak has fought the North Korean government with balloons.
The long, thin, translucent, 36-foot-long (12-meter) balloons are loaded up with USB sticks with Wikipedia entries, DVDs of popular TV shows, anti-government leaflets, and even single American dollar bills. (The last is included so starving North Koreans can buy rice on the black market.) While the balloons typically make it over the border by only a few kilometers or so (often dropping inside the Demilitarized Zone), sometimes they can land as far away as Pyongyang, about 125 miles from the border.
I believe that if we can get 100 times more balloons, then we will make [North Korean dictator] Kim Jong Un paranoidsending more and more balloons to North Korea is more effective than sending a bomb on North Korea, Park added. The thing is that if South Korea or the United States Air Force dropped a bomb, there's a way that [North Korea] would react to it, but the thing is with leaflets there's no way to react.
Custom printed balloons:
Custom printed USB drives:
LED firefly flashers:
See where I'm going with this...?
Balloons filled with helium gas usually last less than a day, and need to be inflated on the day of your function. If you are DIY, always do a test inflation the day before to determine the flying time of the balloons under your conditions. Flying times will depend on the size and quality of the balloons, and the conditions on the day you inflate them. A standard size helium balloon is 28cm (11") and should fly for 12-18 hours. Balloons are adversely affected by heat, wind and sun, so keep them in a cool, dark place until needed. Australia is a hot country, so I am always conservative with balloon flying times, and any extra is a bonus. Dont leave helium filled balloons in your car while you shop for the party pay the extra for delivery or DIY at the venue just before the function. (1)
Mathematically, it depends on several variables m = PVM/RT where: m = mass of the gas in grams P = pressure inside the balloon, in atmospheres V = volume in liters M = Molecular weight of the gas R = a constant = 0.082 T = Absolute temperature, Kelvin At sea-level, the air pressure is 1 atmosphere and say we are at room temperature. Then P = 1 and T = 293K.'
The balloon bible:
Temperature will effect how long they stay airborne, as will weight of payload. You want them to fly low enough to be caught come night...
pondering, muscle wire (kinda expensive) or relays/electromagnets could be used for time release of flyers or better yet, paper airplanes made of our flyers - but this would require a higher altitude for release. Paper airplanes could be painted with the liquid from an activated glow light or other luminescent material. This is likely to lead to an impromptu
foodpaper airplane fight. Think of an unusual design for the flyer with shorter messages corresponding to visible areas post fold and revealing more upon unfold...
Sky Lanterns - Case of 40, Multi-Colored
40 colored tissue-paper lanterns, fire retardant, bio-degradable
40 Sky Lanterns in various colors. These lanterns are on sale because they have slightly rusty crosswires. This does not affect their performance at all, nor how they look in the air.
Order now at for shipment to you in early March 2014.
Sale Ends When New Shipment Arrives
These Sky Lanterns are made of flame-resistant tissue paper, a bamboo ring at the bottom and two thin cross-wires supporting a square of wax-impregnated cardboard, the fuel for the lantern. Unlike other fuel sources, the fuel pad on these lanterns is already attached, and will not drip flaming liquid.
Sky Lanterns are simple hot air balloons. Once they are lit and fill with hot air, they will rise and fly for 4 to 5 minutes. They will continue to stay aloft and rise, as long as the fuel pad is burning. Only when the fuel pad burns out, do the lanterns float harmlessly back to the ground. The materials used are non-toxic and 100% biodegradable.
Each lantern is packed folded flat. No shipping restrictions.
Site Information
About Us
- RonPaulForums.com is an independent grassroots outfit not officially connected to Ron Paul but dedicated to his mission. For more information see our Mission Statement.


text:
Artisan Beer: A Complete Guide to Savoring the World's Finest BeersSeptember 1, 2012 - Win Bassett
Gary Monterosso throws around a lot of terms for the same subject of his latest book. He discusses "microbrews," "these 'new' beers," "craft beer" and "boutique beer," and he ultimately settles on "Artisan Beer," a phrase rarely found in the vocabulary of today's beverage world, for the title of his new guide. But the term... View Article


text:
Compact controller extends to larger robots, bringing small footprint functionality
ABB Robotics has extended the functionality of its IRC5 Compact controller to six additional ABB robot families. ABB's smallest controller was introduced in 2009 along with the introduction of the IRB 120, ABB's smallest 6-axis robot. The compact controller will now support the IRB 120, IRB 140, IRB 260, IRB 360 FlexPicker, IRB 1410 and IRB 1600 robot families, offering the benefits of a greatly reduced controller footprint and simplified commissioning to a wider range of applications.
The desktop sized IRC5 Compact is fully compatible with the standard and panel mount IRC-5 controllers, providing the same industry leading functionality in a portable model. This includes superior motion control, user friendly FlexPendant programming, flexible RAPID language and powerful communication capabilities.
With the line extensions the IRC5 Compact will be frequently paired with the IRB 140, IRB 1410 and IRB 1600, ABB's smaller 6-axis, articulated arm robots. The IRB 1410 is especially designed and equipped for arc welding applications, while the IRB 140 and IRB 1600 bring powerful performance to arc welding, material handling, assembly and machine tending applications. The IRB 360 FlexPicker will now be available with the IRC5 Compact meeting demands of varying requirements in the food, pharmaceutical, biotech and solar markets. The IRB 260 is a 4-axis robot designed for packing applications. The IRC5 Compact will be especially valuable where the available workspace is limited.
"Our system integrators and end-users have been asking for the IRC5 Compact to be available on a wider range of robots, and this is obviously a big step in that direction," said Joe Campbell, vice president of the ABB Robot Products Group in the US. "The IRC5 has the most cabinet variations in the industry, and now our smaller robot customers will have more controller options to match their specific application and system requirements."
The IRC5 Compact controller also enables easy commissioning through the one-phase power input, external connectors for all signals and a built-in, expandable 16 in, 16 out I/O system. The system also supports the use of RobotStudio for offline programming and Remote Service for on-line condition monitoring. This allows manufacturers and integrators to optimize cell design and helps prevent costly downtime or production delays.


text:
Von Teese, whose real name is Heather Sweet, filed the suit against Erotica Limited on March 13, claiming they owed her half of the $50,000 fee she was promised for performing her burlesque act. On March 14, Erotica Limited paid in full.
Von Teese then filed documents in the L.A. County Superior Court earlier this week asking that the suit be dismissed.


text:
Difference between revisions of "Kumarakom"
Revision as of 14:59, 22 March 2010
Kumarakom is a tourist village in Kerala in India. It is a cluster of small islands on the Vembanad backwaters. It houses the popular Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary.
The history of this exotic backwater village revolves around the Baker House (also known as the History House), which was built by the British missionary Alfred George Baker, whom the locals called Kari Saipu (possibly an elision from Baker Sahib). Four generations of Bakers lived in the house until 1962. It is reported that they spoke Malayalam, the local language, and even wore the "mundu", which is the traditional formal wear of the people of [Kerala] (a plain white dhoti, with golden silk lining). The Baker Memorial School in Kottayam, was started around 1825, by members of the same family. The Baker House itself was in ruins, until it was taken over by the Taj Group and restored into a luxury heritage hotel.
Situated in the Kottayam district of Kerala, which is already known for its lush greenery, this exotic backwater village adds more than a sparkle to it. The landscape basically consists of a cluster of island villages in and around the large "Vembanad Kayal" backwater body (which is also, incidentally the largest in Kerala), with a plethora of branched bodies all lined by beautiful, thick, lush and peaceful greenery. A large number of coconut trees line the horizon to add the perfect tropical touch to the landscape.
With the onset of the monsoon rains, some time around June, the little streams and lagoons break their flow beds and irrigate the fertile land to an overwhelming cover of green. Shrubs, grass and bushes cover every available inch of land to provide a fantastic treat to the eyes with the morning dew and surface mist on the water bodies, spotted in colors with blooms of algae and lillies.
Flora and fauna
Kumarakom is home to a wide variety of tropical flora and fauna. An important point of interest is the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, where a significant number of bird species are known to make migratory visits. The park area covers around 15 acres and functions under the aegis of the government of Kerala. Originally, developed as a rubber estate by the English colonial enterpreneurs, it was formerly known as the Baker estate. One of the important migratory species is the Siberian crane. Other tropical species such as the egret, heron, waterfoul, ducks, moorhens and kingfisher are commonly found.
The Vembanad Lake, is home to many marine and freshwater fish. Varieties of shrimp, prawn and fresh water fish are boutiful. The "Pearl spot" fish is found in relatively lower numbers, and is a local delicacy.
Kumarakom enjoys a well-balanced tropical climate.The lowest and highest temperatures recorded are 60.8 F and 100 F. There is always a cool, fresh breeze, which makes even the warmest weather readily agreeable after sundown. The South West monsoon is from early June to early August. However, slight drizzles persist till early November. Average rainfall is 1100 mm per year.
Get in
By car
Approximately 2 hours from Cochin International Airport.
By bus
Buses and taxis are easily available at all times of the day from Kottayam and Cochin.
By train
via Kottayam (16km)
By plane
via Cochin International Airport (75 km)
By boat
From Muhamma (near Alappuzha) to Kumarakom Jetty.
Get around
Ayurvedic Packages
Kerala is the Ayurveda treatment paradise.Visit http://www.keralabackwaterresorts.com/ for more information on massages like Shirodhara.
The local cuisine of Kerala is a large variety of lesser known delicacies of the most exotic genre. It is markedly different from cuisines from other parts of india, in its emphasis on non-vegetarian culinary and liberal use of a wide variety of spices. It is heavily influenced by the Syrian Christian taste buds.
Some of the popular items are listed below:
Sip tender coconut. Refresh yourself with a sip of cool tender coconut and a scoop of its soft white flesh. Ask your tour guide to arrange for fresh madhura kallu (sweet toddy extracted from the coconut palm) and have it the Kerala way with exotic karimeen pollichathu (baked fresh water fish), spicy pickles or kappa (cassava) and fish curry. Optionally, a visit to a toddy shop (locally known as a kallu shappu) can be a good experience. Toddy shops across the state are known to serve excellent spicy seafood, fish and all kinds of meat with matured alcoholic kallu.
Houseboats are good for camping and cruise.Visit the following websites for more information on houseboats and reservation.
Stay safe
Get out


text:
|Issue #
|% Completed
|Last updated at
|NL-E5-SSD-OVZ-1 - CPU kernel patch
|2018-01-06 19:19:15
Node has been rebooted.
Kernel installed.
Many of you may have heard over the past week of a CPU related bug, this issue is known to affect many modern processors, including processors by Intel, AMD and ARM CPUs since the past decade, this affects servers, desktop computers and many common computing devices, a Linux kernel patch has been made available in the past day which we are applying to all our nodes to protect you from the security issue. Additional information regarding this issue can be found at https://access.redhat.com/security/vulnerabilities/speculativeexecution
To complete this patching process we will need to reboot all servers into the newer kernel which includes the patch/fix in it. We will post a status of each node as we complete this process and reboot into the newer kernel at our status area, http://status.crowncloud.net/
Please note,
If you are running a KVM based VPS,
You will need to update your operating system's kernel and reboot the VPS as well, as each KVM VPS run's its own kernel. You can refer to this simple guide on how to update your operating system, http://wiki.crowncloud.net/?update_centos_and_ubuntu_and_debian


text:
The quest for MPC (that's My Perfect Cheesecake) has resumed. Regular readers will recall that I have had a couple of near misses but am yet to find The One. For cheesecake escapades to date, click here.
What made me hope that this could be MPC? A couple of things: I liked the idea of a shortbread biscuit base and I liked the mix of cream cheese and sour cream. The recipe as written scattered raspberries on top but I fancied cherries. I also put a line of cherries though the cheesecake in homage to those fascinatingly long, rectangular pork pies with boiled eggs in that you used to see on supermarket deli counters.
A change is as good as a rest so the cliché goes, thus I decided to make the cheesecake in my new toy – a springform terrine/loaf tin, apart from just looking a bit different, it gives lovely even slices:
I had a dilemma in Tesco this morning (in truth, it wasn't much of a dilemma – the outcome was easily guessable if you had only a passing knowledge of me). When browsing the shortbread biscuits I had two options: firstly, a packet weighing 200g i.e. EXACTLY the right amount for this recipe or secondly, a packet weighing 150g. So of course, I bought two packets of the 150g and ate the leftovers!
Look at how the cherry juice bleeds into the cheesecake – it's a lovely colour combination:
If there was a cheesecake equivalent of the Man from Del Monte (I'd forgotten how naff these adverts were) what would he be saying, on tasting this attempt at MPC? He'd be saying yes!
For the base:
200g shortbread biscuits (you can use digestives if you prefer)
5og unsalted butter, melted
For the cheesecake:
600g cream cheese (I used Philadelphia)
2 tablespoons plain flour
175g caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
142ml soured cream
For the topping:
425g tin of black cherries in syrup (this weight includes the syrup)
How to make:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
- You will need either a 20cm round springform tin or a 30cm x 10cm springform terrine tin. I never grease a tin when making cheesecake, but you can if you wish.
- Start by making the base. Place the biscuits in a food processor and whizz until you have fine crumbs. If you don't have a processor put the biscuits in a tightly sealed bag and hit with a rolling pin.
- Add the melted butter and mix until the base resembles smooth peanut butter.
- Spread into the base of your tin. If using shortbread biscuits, you do not have to bake the base in advance; if using digestives you should pop the tin into the oven for 5 minutes.
- Now make the cheesecake: put all the ingredients into a large bowl and beat until smooth, thick and well combined.
- Pour half onto the base and place some cherries on top. You don't have to do this but it looks pretty when you cut slices. Pour the remainder of the cheesecake mix on top and smooth the surface.
- Bake in the oven for approximately 45 minutes or until the cheesecake is set but still has a wobble in the middle. I used the terrine tin and mine took 45 minutes – it puffed up on baking and levelled as it cooled.
- Leave to cool in the tin. You can either cool on a wire rack, or in the oven with the door ajar.
- Just before serving the cheesecake add the topping. I used the remainder of my cherries and boiled the syrup that came in the tin until it reduced to a thick, luscious sauce.
- Bask in glory at the wonderful thing you have made.
- Eat.


text:
Cordless Blinds, Shades, & Window Treatments
- The safest bet in blinds and shades
- Child and pet friendly without cords
- Clean, elegant look without cord clutter
- Gentle push/pull lift from bottom rail
- Simple, convenient operation
Cordless blinds and shades offer a convenient and safe option now available on most styles of window treatments. Instead of a traditional lift cord, the shade is operated with a gentle push or pull on the bottom rail to position the shade at any height. With no dangling cords, shades are safer for children and pets and have a clean, uncluttered look. Simply select the cordless option when customizing your shade and be sure you can reach the window at the maximum height you would raise the shade - if not, consider a motorized window treatment.
2 results
Sort By:
Comfortex® Honeycomb Cellular Shades: Light Filtering
33% off retail $111.94 $75.00 + an extra 10% off
Levolor® Designer Cellular Shades: Light Filtering
33% off retail $119.28 $79.92 + an extra 10% off
Customizeback to products
Size24" x 36"
Cell Style
- Double Cell (2)
- Single Cell (1)
- apply
Pleat Size
- 3/8" Pleat (1)
- 9/16" Pleat (1)
- apply
Popular Features
- Alexa Compatible (1)
- Black Blinds Shades (1)
- Cordless (2)
- Cordless Top Down/Bottom Up (2)
- Easy Cleaning (1)
- Graber Comparable (1)
- Hunter Douglas Comparable (1)
- Remote Control / Motorized (1)
- Smart Home Compatible (1)
- Cordless (2)
- Top Down/Bottom Up (2)
- apply
- Top Seller (1)
- apply
Product Line
customer reviews for cordless
"Perfect for my French doors"
By Allie from
I wanted shades that would fit French doors and block a view of a house directly across from mine while still allowing a view of the sorroundind landscape. These are perfect! The up/ down feature is just what I needed. They are a beautiful fit on the doors and look great. Delivery was amazingly fast after I placed the order and installation was quick and easy. Wonderful product and great service.View this product
"Perfect Fit"
By cathy from Portland, ME
Great price on these Bali Shades. The color enhances the room and makes it cozy when the shades are drawn. When the shades go up they are thin and almost go away. Great product and have recommended them for years.View this product


text:
Kindergarten to Grade 12
Education is vital to a healthy and successful life. Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12) programs help build a solid foundation for our children's future. Explore a variety of educational tools designed to support learning.
A great teacher has always been the key to outstanding learning experiences. As our education system continues to evolve, the teacher's role is shifting from information provider to facilitator – a professional who helps each student learn how to learn.
At one time or another, every student needs support to achieve their learning goals. Whether it comes from parents, our education system or other students, this support can make all the difference in succeeding in education and in life. Check out these areas where you can provide support:


text:
SALT LAKE CITY — It's a showcase of technology for everything from socks that can take a beating to water bottles equipped with battery-powered ultraviolet purifiers.
At the world's largest trade show for outdoor gear, one trend this year is lighter or more powerful equipment. The makers of a pint-sized hydrogen battery say it can give a cellphone five complete charges before it needs a recharge itself. Others are showcasing solar cells that roll up for easy packing.
Also on display was a $2,000 kayak from Wenonah Canoe that weighs only 32 pounds. "The hard part about making it light is making it strong," said Michael Looman of the Winona, Minn.-based company.
The Outdoor Retailer Summer Market opens for a four-day run Wednesday. More than 1,300 manufacturers and suppliers are packing the floor of a Salt Lake City convention hall, plus three outdoor canopy tents. The summer and winter trade shows have been a mainstay in Utah since 1996, drawing consistently larger crowds, although attendance leveled off this year.
More than 25,000 people are expected at the trade show this week, many of them retailers, who are placing bulk orders for specialty outdoor shops around the world. Exhibitors were unpacking crates Tuesday, displaying a merchandise bazaar that would make a consumer drool — except the public isn't allowed inside.
"This show has morphed into a mecca for the outdoor action-sports world," says Peter Kray, publisher of the Gear Institute of Santa Fe, N.M., a network of outdoor gear testers and experts who try out and promote the best gear.
A number of magazines and websites, including gearjunkie.com, also rate the gear and fashions to come out of the Salt Lake show before the new products hit the mainstream. Kray's picks include Smith Chroma Pop lenses — "awesome color" — and an improvement on Easton tent poles that nearly doubles their strength and flexibility in heavy winds.
Kray also is celebrating a hydration bladder not for water, but whisky or tequila — "perfect," he says.
Even socks have come a long way, with more than 100 companies in a foot race to stich the finest wool blends. A pair can cost $25, but makers say they last practically a lifetime. Cabot Hosiery Mills Inc. says its Darn Tough Vermont socks can withstand 30,000 machine rubs before wearing thin.
The trade show brought out a dozen sock makers. At an exhibit for SmartWool, product manager Robert Thomas showed off his most expensive socks, $27 a pair. "These will outlast your hiking shoes," he said.
The jam-packed expo underscores a thriving corner of the economy. Outdoor-gear sales have grown at 5 percent or more annually through recent years of recession, analysts said.
"The industry is doing well. Patagonia has weathered the storm," said Tania Bjornlie, a trade-show manager for the Ventura, Calif.-based industry giant long known for its sleek outdoor clothing.
Patagonia is showing off a new line of day packs. "Everything at the show is getting more technical, lighter, faster," Bjornlie said.
Utah has become a cottage industry for innovators and established brands including Petzl, best known for its headlamps and climbing gear. Petzl says business is growing steadily: It's opening a new factory in a Salt Lake City suburb.
Outdoor sports "is a passion for a lot of people," said John Evans, a Petzl marketing director. "Even if the economy is not running at full steam, people still pursue their passions."
A hydrogen battery pack the size of a deck of cards can be found at an exhibit for Brunton, a subsidiary of Stockholm-based Fenix Outdoor AB., which specializes in navigation, optics and now, "portable power."
At $150, Brunton's hydrogen battery pack can be recharged at retail shops for $8 a pop. Brunton says the battery takes hydrogen out of water and mixes ambient oxygen when it's time to charge a cellphone or other electronic device.
"It's the lightest, toughest, most portable hydrogen reactor," said Walter Kaihatu, vice president for sales and marketing at Boulder, Colo.-based Brunton. "It has really high capacity. It can charge a cellphone five times from dead, and works in a range of temperatures."


text:
A Reboot for Windows 8; What's Next for Microsoft?
Last fall's launch of Windows 8 was supposed to be a milestone for Microsoft, but just a few months in, the company announces a reboot is on the way. George Stahl reports. Photo: Microsoft.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... it is Micra soft you all know about my default Windows eight write ... the big product this was going to be the one that bridge the gap between the PC the touchscreen ... will we not so much just a few months after launching a Microsoft is already come and said ... that they're going to upgrade to Windows eight what is that mean why the upgrading its so soon ... George stall here to talk about this one ... is getting a lot of attention visits Micra soft obviously ... but they made a big bet on Windows eight ... and that that is not paying off and was a just and as a whole PC industry that debt was excited about when to say when we heard about PC sales slowing down last summer earlier this fall the thought was people are just gearing up for Windows eight ... and what's happened is that yes they have a hundred million licenses that they've sold a window seat in the first six months ... but that is at a slower pace than what they had four for Windows seven ... and ... AG's skies he suggested ... the Windows eight outbreak Systems Mama under a lot of criticism especially by people who use it when a traditional PC a bright people use it on a touchscreen whether to touchscreen tablet laptop ... seemed to that weekend although that easier than with those who are using the traditional keyboard and mouse I had a tougher time wonders is that the real problem that they tried to make an operating system that ... operate on both those platforms ... at was was that a mistake or is that just you know what to have a difficult thing most operating systems are singing time toward the ball ... in time will tell them that they obviously Apple has made a point of having a separate operating system for its cash grab for each touchscreens ... versus one for its max and they're very powerful than in and had to have been found dead whatever the teacher right right ... from Micra soft is trying to do something and she said trying to find and one so that people will have that same experience with a using a touchscreen or a PC ... so far they haven't got a ride that doesn't mean that it was in future right now what are we expecting and then be in the future and I'd have I think it's ... two separate ... announ releases Ray will would explode there there are two windows there are two different when Dylan operates this is a Windows eight which is the one that's for for a hat that aam ... for PC senators Windows RT which is more for the tablet ... and for ... devices that use on base to which is which if I'm Moshi mobile devices so ... they will be updating both bite of it but starting with Windows eight and then that they will come later this year we don't know that with the details are here to read on where to find out that over time to own an exact was going to happen ... ah but you know the the it's the thing is that as in dealing with all this in as are dealing with all this talk about PC sales slowing and the time that ... the stock is NLT or how nice it well you know its ... stock was stagnant for decades writing a multi year highs ... to let the malty and ... consider them all the years your thoughts ... what does this take the PC world ... I think it says that they are still fighting ... to get to re energize that space at the in the hope that Windows eight coming into it what didn't work out but having said that but ... its PC shipments were down fourteen percent for square and that's not a good trend and and it's gonna continue to to feel that way to having said that the still sold seventy six million PCs ... that someone of three hundred million PCs this year so there's still a lot of PCs being sold ... to stock the same rate as before and that trend is going to continue going down there I Forstall excellent stuff think you're in luck


text:
IRONMAN Nice Sells Out in Record Time
Set in the heart of the Cote d'Azur with its gorgeous views of the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea, it comes as no surprise that IRONMAN Nice has sold out once again. The 2,800 entries available for the 2014 race were scooped up three months earlier than a year ago.
Over 60 percent athletes who will run along the prestigious "Promenade des Anglais" next June are from outside of France, confirming the event's status as one of IRONMAN's most popular destination races.
After a two-loop swim, athletes take on one of the most famous bike rides in the sport. The route passes through many mountain villages during the 5,000 feet of climbing and includes numerous stunning panoramic views. The four-loop run course follows a path alongside the beach and is jam-packed with spectators.
For those still looking for an IRONMAN event in France, we look forward to seeing you on May 18th, 2014 for the fourth edition of IRONMAN 70.3 Aix en Provence, or in Marseille on July 27th for the second edition of 5150 Triathlon Marseille.