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With less than six months to go before the 2012 November elections, two results are sadly certain: first, the voting public will be the most ideologically divided ever; second, the 113th Congress (2013–14) will be the most partisan and polarized ever.
Between 1972 and 2008, the percentage of Republican voters who self-identified as "conservative" rose by about 41 percent, and the percentage of Democratic voters that self-identified as "liberal" rose by about 44 percent. Meanwhile, ever more citizens with more moderate views, politically less attentive people and 18- to 29-year-olds either failed to register to vote or voted at anemic rates relative to more ideologically driven citizens.
In national election after national election, voter turnout among independents and other more centrist voters has been lower than voter turnout among their partisan and hyper-partisan neighbors. As Alan I. Abramowitz of Emory University writes in a newly released book, The Polarized Public? Why American Government Is So Dysfunctional, "Republicans have gone from a predominantly conservative electoral base to an overwhelmingly conservative electoral base," and while "conservative Democrats are not as rare as liberal Republicans," the "Democratic electoral base has a decidedly liberal tilt today."
As each party's electoral base has marched ever farther to the right (Republicans) and ever farther to the left (Democrats), each party's respective activists and elected leaders have gone still farther to one or the other extreme. Thus, as successive surveys on a wide range of domestic, economic, cultural and foreign policy issues reveal, at every national convention since 1972, Republican delegates were more conservative, and Democratic delegates more liberal, than their party's rank-and-file voters, and even farther in their respective views from the American public at large.
This electoral polarization did not happen overnight or by accident. In a forthcoming tribute to James Q. Wilson, the award-winning former president of the American Political Science Association who died this past March at the age of 80, the Brookings Institution's Pietro Nivola highlights one of Wilson's 17 books, The Amateur Democrat (1961), and recommends that anyone "contemplating the power of ideologues in both the Democratic and Republican parties today" ought to re-read it.
Amen. As Nivola writes, a half-century ago Wilson predicted that the Progressive "idea of the direct primary as the preferred means of nominating candidates," while breaking the illicit power of urban political machines, would in due course unduly empower "amateur democrats," ideological activists and elected leaders in each party defined by their "willingness to go down in flames over professed principles, and disdain for politics as the art of the possible."
Just one recent example is the rise of the Tea Party as a force in Republican primaries. In the aforementioned new book, Abramowitz analyzes the American National Election Survey data from October 2010. Compared with other Republicans, Tea Party Republicans are more than twice as likely to claim a "strong Republican ideology" (45 percent to 21 percent) and also more likely to "dislike Obama" (90 percent to 55 percent), "oppose health care reform" (88 percent to 58 percent) and "oppose clean energy" (81 percent to 32 percent).
The disproportionate influence of "amateur democrats" in each party's primary election politics has revolutionized and polarized politics on Capitol Hill. In an analysis of "The Polarization of the Congressional Parties," published in March 2012, the political scientists Howard Rosenthal and Keith Poole use various measures to track the level of polarization in Congress dating back to 1879. "Polarization in the House and Senate," they conclude, "is now at the highest level since the end of Reconstruction."
Rosenthal and Poole are number-crunching scholars not given to hyperbole. To doubt the reality that they and other experts have now documented beyond a reasonable doubt, or to pretend that only the "other" party is to blame, is to vote for more of the same.
John J. DiIulio JR.


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tazaspice needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 59 designs submitted by 13 freelance designers.
Need a fully designed uncoded web 2.0 site design for a Professional networking site. Specifically, need front page and 6 other pages redesign.
Only need to submit HOMEPAGE and 1 additional page of site for contest, decisions will be based on that entry. A separate logo contest will be held - please use a place holder.
Will pay $400 upon contest win and $800 upon completion of project.
Please use http://www.ntroduction.com/index.php to view current site.
Only need to submit HOMEPAGE and 1 'introduction' page of site for contest, decisions will be based on that entry. A separate logo contest will be held - please use a place holder.
Will pay $400 upon contest win and $800 upon completion of project. Please try to retain the message and wireframe layout in the home page.
6 pages (other than frontpage) are: Member profile page, Introduction Page, Search Results Page, 'Introduce me' page, Subscription Page, and Generic page (aboutus, faq, contactus, invite a friend, view messages). Please try to keep the current colors and links. Our functionality may not change much. Please feel free to use floating dialog extensively.
Wireframe will be sent on request after obtaining signed copy of NDA. Please use wireframe as our recommendation.
We like linkedin dot com, notchup dot com zkoss dot org experts-exchange.com
- uncoded home page
- uncoded 6 other pages
- web 2.0 looks for professionals (similar to current color pattern)
- Intuitive icons where necessary
- Vector Formats (.eps, .pdf or .ai); Layered Formats (.psd or .tiff)
- We prefer Member attributes and Introduction Attributes as intiutive and 'graphical'
- Nice to have: Designer should have delivered web 2.0 designs
- sidebars (or gutters) should be attractive and eye-catching, as long as it matches with the design
- Consumerish or Corporate type site
- Crowded feeling on the site
- Site designs we did not like: socialpicks dot com

subset: commoncrawl


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I've heard the new Foals song just once on the radio and thought it sounded a bit like Kasabian
Were my senses deceiving me?
Lauren Laverne just played it
definitely channeling Kasabian
Which one's this?
The one that they debuted a couple of months ago sounds like Pop-era U2.robellovich this'd this
Gave it a bit of chance
Over the last few weeks but it is utterly, utterly awful.
I said nowt bad about riffs.
I woudn't dare diss riffs. They'd beat me up.
'Sounds a bit like Kasabian' is the new all purpose insult for any vaguely rocky music
Last used about Tame Impala
Yes, but
Elephant does actually sound quite a bit like Shoot the Runner. Tunes, both.
I thought the song was called Inhaler
I wasn't actually insulting the song. I don't mind Foals. I don't like Kasbabian really, true, but it was a gut impression, not contrived. I find myself very rarely comparing bands to Kasabian. I probably need to hear the song more. But if the shoe fits.....
Don't like it
That 'My Number' track sounded good on Jools Holland though.niallKP this'd this
I've always thought Kasabian had lots of very good bits in a lot of their songs
but generally I can't stand them. Put a few of those bits together and you could make a song as good as Inhaler. I don't love it, but it's better than any Kasabian track.Tiresias42 this'd this
Yeah, I kind of agree with you
Kasabian's laddishness kind of undoes any good they do.
oh thank god
i thought i was the only one for a while who thought inhaler was naffJaguarPirate this'd this
Inhaler is brilliant.
Soz, chaps.shinymcshine and Wasted_Days this'd this
My Number is FUCKING briliant
totally channeling Talking Heads Crosseyed And Painless era.John_Ho this'd this
love it
Love them both. Really looking forward to this album now
fucking hell
It really does
I was in the car yesterday and turned the radio on having no idea and I thought I was listening to Kasabian until they said it was Foals at the end. I did a double take.
My Number is brilliant.
Holy Fire can't come soon enough.
Really like My Number.
what on earth is wrong with you lot?
sounds like kasabian, seriously?
not sure about this Kasabian likeness, can't see it all really. The Song is great though
very excited about the albu
I love the verse of Inhaler
really groovy. Chorus is a bit too nu-metal for me though.
I really liked My Number on Jools Holland (those hi-hat hits reminded me of Shoes by Tiga) and it's full of pop hooks, but i'm not sure of the recorded version, bit too much reverb on everything IMO.
I don't get the Kasabian comparison. Hmm.


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Forum is very interesting
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Difference between revisions of "Jellyfish"
Revision as of 08:48, 17 June 2013
This article is a travel topic
Jellyfish are found all over the tropical world. The most venomous jellyfish is the box jellyfish, though it is technically not an actual jellyfish, since it has a basic brain and eyes that can navigate to its prey or swim away from danger like humans. It can actually swim faster than humans and prefers to avoid obstacles. The vast majority of jellyfish stings come from one of the other 2000 species of jellyfish and are painful but not life-threatening. Only 100 species of the recorded 2000 species of Jellyfish have any effect on human beings.
Jellyfish can vary from a harmless form of marine life, to a mild nuisance, to a deadly threat. It all depends on where and when you are swimming. Where jellyfish may be a risk always seek expert advice at to the risks, and don't necessarily rely on casual local advice.
At any time you wish to enjoy water activities where there is a risk of jellyfish, you may choose to wear lycra 'protective clothing' (or wet suits when diving) to lessen the risk of a sting.
Chironex Box Jellyfish
Chirodropid, Alata, Fleckeri
Portuguese Man of War
Physalia sp
Sea Nettle
Phyllorhiza, Chrysoara sp1, sp2, sp3, Nemopilema sp1, sp2
Box Jellyfish
Symptoms of the box jellyfish include excruciating pain upon contact and cardiac and respiratory arrest can occur within minutes. There will be many large red welts marks on the body where there has been contact.
Portuguese Man of War
Unidentified Jellyfish


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Gryphon fans, please help
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Location: Brazil
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Points: 142
Topic: Gryphon fans, please help
Posted: July 08 2010 at 12:40
I have a cd-r copy of the Gryphon's Treason original pressing cd (on C-Five label) and find it simply perfect when it comes to audio quality (not to mention it is great musically too), but it is quite difficult to find one of this available for sale nowadays.
I found a recent REMASTERED reissue of this cd, on Talking Elephant/Ieg label (2009), but must confess I'm very afraid of buying this, since the modern philosophy of remastering is of rising the volume of the recording up to very ((((LOUD)))) levels only, not rarely even ruining lots of great original pressings.
So my question is, has anybody here checked this new remastered edition of Gryphon's Treason? How does it sound compared with the original C-Five label pressing?
Thanks for your help.
Edited by Progger58 - July 08 2010 at 12:44
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|Posted: July 14 2010 at 03:16
I didn't knew about this release. I own a C-Five release and it sounds brilliant; the problem is that I don't remember where I purchased (and this is strange enough, since I remember things such these)...
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Location: Finland
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Points: 436
|Posted: July 14 2010 at 11:48
Hmm, I often wonder about the sound quality of different CD releases. I wouldn't be a bad idea to dedicate a forum subgroup on the topic of sound quality in different realeases on PA, in my opinion. :) Can't help about the Gryphon release though.
I have the double CD of "Red Queen to Gryphon Three/Raindance". The first albums sounds good, but the second sounds very muted in the highs. Don't know if the fault is in the mastering, or if the orginal was mixed that way.
Edited by Rottenhat - July 14 2010 at 22:34
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Will There Be Enough Primary-Care Physicians To Treat New Medicaid Patients?
Under the terms of the health-care overhaul law, about 16 million people will join the Medicaid rolls starting in 2014.
But once that happens, will there be enough doctors, particularly those focused on primary care, to treat them?
A study out this week from the Center for Studying Health System Change (CSHSC) comes to a sobering conclusion: in most areas of the country, growth in Medicaid enrollment will "greatly outpace" growth in the number of primary-care doctors who accept the joint federal-state insurance program.
There are a couple of strands to this problem. Physician groups and policy-makers have been warning for years — well before the Affordable Care Act was even a gleam in President Obama's eye — that we are facing a shortage of physicians in general, and particularly of primary-care doctors.
Yesterday was "match day," when U.S. medical students find out where they'll be spending their residencies, and the National Resident Matching Program reported an increase in the popularity of family medicine. But the American College of Physicians warned that despite the "positive sign" of an increased interest in internal medicine residencies, "the U.S. still has to overcome a generational shift that resulted in decreased numbers of students choosing primary care as a career." That's a problem for everyone.
The health-care overhaul is expected to exacerbate the doctor shortage by increasing the number of people, previously uninsured, who can now obtain care. (The law does include provisions intended to boost the overall number of primary-care docs.)
But Medicaid patients have an additional hurdle: in 2008, only 42% of U.S. primary-care doctors accepted new patients covered by the program, due to its low reimbursement rates and other factors. By contrast, 61% of primary-care doctors reported accepting new Medicare patients and 84% accepted all or most privately insured patients, according to CSHSC.
The states that are likely to see the biggest increases in Medicaid enrollment now have the smallest number of primary-care doctors per capita, and vice versa, the study finds. The data come from a 2008 CSHSC survey of physicians.
The health-care overhaul bill includes some sweeteners meant to increase the appeal of accepting Medicaid patients, namely temporarily increasing reimbursement to the same levels as Medicare reimbursement for certain primary-care services.
But, the analysis finds, some states are already reimbursing for Medicaid at 100% or more of Medicare rates — particularly the states that happen to be relatively low on primary-care doctors. So those incentives, which only last for two years in any case, aren't likely to significantly increase the supply of Medicaid-accepting primary-care doctors in the states that need them most.
The report concludes that increases in reimbursement rates alone "cannot increase the supply of Medicaid PCPs to levels necessary for the likely growth in the Medicaid population," so there must be other changes, including a push for more integrated and organized systems of care.
Image: iStockphoto


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Big gas. Big wind. Big telecom. Big electric merger. Big changes are happening in Vermont's utility landscape. What does it say about our state when this past town meeting, one Vermont community authorized spending $50,000 to fight industrial wind in their town, and another community authorized the same amount to fight the natural gas pipeline in theirs? One renewable energy project, one fossil fuel, both carbon reducers. Policy makers and utility regulators have repeatedly found these activities to be "in the public interest," but still, citizens choose to fight. Why is that?
The easy explanation is to dismiss their concerns as NIMBY (not in my back yard). I disagree. Someone needs to look after their "back yard," and when people feel their concerns are not fully represented in the process, they fight — and they should. Informed dissent is essential to civil society. People can agree on a problem and at the same time disagree on the solution. What matters is how they engage in the process to reach consensus or at least compromise. We need to encourage civil debate and give it a full hearing in our structured decision making process — even if it takes more time.
Some readily see an alignment between the public interest and the interest of consumers; others will occasionally see a divergence and tension between the two. For example, if promotion of renewable energy is in the public interest, do consumers have a right to weigh in on who profits from taxpayer subsidies and the higher rates they are required to pay for that energy? If the expansion of the natural gas pipeline is in the public interest, do consumers have a say in who gets gas service, and do they have a right to question the techniques used to produce that gas? If a community will "host" the utility development — perhaps against their wishes — should they share somehow in the profits earned?
As we search for consensus, we need to understand that often, sacrifices must be made for "the common good." And, sacrifices are made by some every time Vermont promotes new utility initiatives. Whether it's the siting of wind machines or a solar array — or the power lines necessary to transmit that energy to markets — or the burying of a natural gas pipeline, people and communities are affected to various degrees.
I do not believe that citizens should abdicate their interests just because a public opinion poll shows the majority believes otherwise. And, I reject as false and counter-productive attempts to bully them into doing so. The principled citizen has a duty to dissent when the rights of a minority are threatened by the majority. If Vermont wants to be a leader in the response to climate change — and I believe we should — Vermont must also show leadership in reconciling legitimate differences of opinion and interest. People naturally want to be part of the solution; and in order to do that, their interests must be considered as part of the process.


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Many consumers know that advertisers and companies are tracking their online footprints. People might not like it but they accept it as part of using the Internet regularly.
Mozilla understands that consumers might want to know whose tracking them. To do so, Mozilla created Lightbeam, a new app that allows consumers to do just that. It's an add-on that can be downloaded onto the Firefox browser. Lightbeam is an updated version of Collusion which is an earlier Firefox add-on.
How does Lightbeam work? Nick Heath has an excellent article that also has a screen shot showing how LIghtbeam works (www.zdnet.com; "Want to know who's spying on you online? There's an app for that"; October 25). In a nutshell, per Mr. Heath, each time a consumer visits a website Lightbeam will log "….every web address that is connecting to your machine, revealing how visiting a single website can result in your computer to (sic) connecting to many different web servers. Each of these servers may be controlled by different companies, and send and collect different information —for example, serving up images and adverts on the site or placing tracking cookies on your computer."
Mr. Heath's screen shot is a visual depiction of what a consumer will be able to see about the tracking.
I went to the Mozilla site to read more about Lightbeam (https://addons.mozilla.org; "Lightbeam for Firefox 1.0.2"). The Mozilla site has more details about Lightbeam and the fact that it will enable consumers who download it to see both first and third party sites with which the consumer is interacting. Consumers will, per the Mozilla article, be able to save a copy of the "connection history" which is the place where a consumer "…can see the specific data collected by the add-on."
Consumers might want to take a look at Lightbeam, if for no other reason, to understand more about the different methods being used for online tracking.


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It's the full wolf moon today. If you want your hair to grow out slower, wait until tomorrow to get your hair cut. There are all kinds of advice based around the moon and the stage it's in. Some swear by it, others think it's interesting but don't put much stock in it.
The Old Farmer's Almanac has a whole list of things to do, based on the sun, stage of the moon and the alignment of the planets. The list runs the gamut from dental care to castrating animals and many things in between.
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Samuel Zarian v. Elma L. Helgager et al
|Samuel Zarian
|Does, Elma L. Helgager and Nats On Ventura, Inc.
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|February 14, 2018
|California Central District Court
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|John E. McDermott
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Aedificator is an awesome theme with fully responsive and compatible with newest version of WordPress, is easy to customizable, SEO Optimizable, Fast loading and an awesome panel options. Aedificator Theme is perfect for a construction business, but also for various other business or personal blog, The customization of this theme is very easy.
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Dr. McTiernan reviewed issues surrounding cancer.
Because cancer is a common condition and only about 15% is familial,
lifestyle and environmental change are important factors. There most likely will
be significant overlap with other groups, even though other groups may not
realize it. Some mechanisms that may associate physical activity and cancer, if
there is an association, may be related to metabolic factors, hormones, and
immune function.
Because there is a rich body of observational data on cancers the Committee
will have to realize up front that observational data in this area will be the
best source of data. Also, most of the data is on the most common cancers. For
other cancers it is important to understand there many not be much data at all.
For cancers where there may not be an effect of exercise or physical activity
on incidents of cancer, there still may be an important role in prognosis,
either the stage at which a cancer is developed, and one example would be
prostate cancer perhaps, or just once somebody gets the cancer, what's their
prognosis? While we are not talking about acute rehab for this issue, cancer
survivors of some type tend to be long-term cancer survivors with many years of
life left. Therefore, a recommendation for that group for lifestyle changes may
be of benefit.
Phase two of the literature review should include more mechanistic literature
searches, some of which will overlap with other groups. Mechanisms will be very
important to identify in order to come up with a potential prescription for
physical activity or exercise for cancer prevention or risk reduction.
A key question regarding cancer will be whether physical activity alone is
beneficial or whether weight control is an important part. Some of the data
suggest that for some cancers, physical activity may be most beneficial if the
individual keeps the weight down, but other studies may not find that.
Additionally, are there some subgroups that will benefit more from physical
activity than others?
In general, we should be looking at the associations for the main cancers as
well as what data exists on the less common cancers and try to come up with a
recommended prescription. Finally, we also need to address the cancer survivor
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LONDON (Reuters) - The women, fast cars and a glamorous London hotel set the scene for the launch of a new James Bond novel on Wednesday that sees 007 set out on a renegade mission in the pursuit of justice.
British author William Boyd signed copies of "Solo" and sent them off in see-through briefcases with stewardesses riding in vintage sports cars from one of London's poshest hotels to a London airport, just like any 007 adventure begins.
The third officially approved Bond continuation novel - in which Boyd attempts to reconcile the casual racism and misogyny of the original character for a present-day audience - sees Bond ignore spymaster M's orders as he travels from a gritty African civil war in 1969 to Washington at the height of U.S. hegemony.
Boyd, 61, a life-long Bond fan, said he set the novel in 1969 in order to create a character who remains true to type, but recognizes that the world of counterculture, Vietnam and sexual liberation is moving away from acceptance of the prejudiced upper class mores of the British imperial world.
"There is no doubt if you read, particularly the earlier novels of Fleming, they are very reflective of the kind of unthinking attitudes of a man of his class and era and education would have," Boyd said. "So, I haven't set out to make Bond ultra-modern, but there is no doubt he is aware of how the world has changed around him."
The plot of the book focuses on Africa, but spans Europe and the United States as it reveals a realistic, 45-year-old Bond based on the wealth of biographical detail taken from the original Ian Fleming novels.
Along the way, Boyd adds a few of his own touches to the fictional British agent created by Fleming, a military intelligence officer during World War Two.
He introduces his own recipe for Bond's martini and another for vinaigrette. He also eschews the Jaguar and Aston Martin cars that have been Bond-branded by the film franchise in favor of extinct British sports car marque Jensen.
"It wouldn't be a Bond novel if it didn't have these things in it, but they've all got my own particular spin," Boyd said.
"Solo" will be published in Britain on Thursday by Jonathan Cape - Fleming's original publisher - and available from HarperCollins, a subsidiary of News Corp, in the United States and Canada from October 8.
Fleming published his first Bond novel, "Casino Royale" 60 years ago and penned 13 more before he died in 1964 at the age of 56.
But to keep the literary Bond brand alive, his estate has invited various authors to continue the Bond story. The Bond catalogue is one of the most prized in publishing, with global sales of more than 100 million copies.
"Nobody, least of all uncle Ian, could have guessed what would come from that day in early 1952 when he sat at his typewriter in Goldeneye and wrote the first sentence of 'Casino Royale'," Fleming's niece Lucy said at the launch.
Most recently, U.S. thriller writer Jeffery Deaver wrote "Carte Blanche" in 2011, and novelist Sebastian Faulks wrote "Devil May Care" to mark Fleming's 100th birthday in 2008.
Boyd has won acclaim for writing page-turners with complex plots often set in unique historical milieus, from World War One-era East Africa to 1936 Los Angeles.
The author manages to work some of Fleming's own real-life military history into Bond's back-story by placing the younger Bond into a commando unit that was created by Fleming during World War Two.
"There's a nice coincidence but it's rooted in historical fact."
Boyd said he wrote the novel without any thought of a film treatment and was complimentary about current Bond actor Daniel Craig, though he said he would actually select British/Irish actor Daniel Day-Lewis to play his character in "Solo".
"I think Daniel Day-Lewis actually resembles the Bond that Fleming describes."
Editing by Mark Heinrich


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Combiner boxes are an integral part of many PV installations, serving as the "meeting place" where the wiring from array series strings come together in parallel connections.
In all but the smallest PV systems, modules are wired together in series strings, where the positive leads of one module are connected to the negative leads of the next module. This results in cumulative voltage output, with current (amps) staying the same. The box where the output wires from multiple series strings are joined is the combiner box. Rated for outdoor use, it contains overcurrent protection devices (OCPDs) and the necessary bus bars and terminals for combining the inputs.
Many installers used to build their own combiner boxes for lack of availability, but now there are plenty of commercial products to choose from. Some manufacturers will custom-build combiner boxes to meet specific system requirements. Article 690.4(D) of the 2008 National Electrical Code includes PV combiner boxes as equipment that must be identified for appropriate use and listed by an approved testing laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or ETL labs. The days of "homemade" combiner boxes are quickly disappearing.
If you live in a locale where the 2008 NEC is in effect, your electrical inspector will likely require one that is listed by an approved testing laboratory, as mandated by NEC Article 690.4(D).
Every inverter and charge controller, whether in a utility-interactive or stand-alone system, has a DC input voltage window that must be adhered to. In batteryless grid-tied systems, inverters require relatively high DC input voltages, from 150 to 600 V (typically 7 to 13 modules wired in series).
Small grid-tied PV systems (less than 5 kW) often have only one or two series strings of modules. With few wires and no need for series fusing, a PV combiner box isn't necessary: Strings can be terminated directly in the inverter (see the "Why Series Fusing?" sidebar). However, larger residential systems (between 5 and 10 kW) often have three or more series strings, and will likely need fusing. Systems above 5 kW also typically have more wires to deal with, which can mean more installation time, larger conduit, and increased wire costs if all the wires need to be run to the inverter. A combiner box offers a place to house series fuses and parallel the series string inputs, reducing the number of array output wires needed to run to the inverter location.
Some grid-direct inverter manufacturers include series fusing within the inverter or its attached disconnect box, which may eliminate the need for a separate combiner box. However, using a PV combiner box located close to the PV array gives you easy access to the wires for each series string. This can be handy for troubleshooting a malfunctioning PV array without having to run back and forth to the inverter area.
Let's look at a grid-tied PV system with three series strings of 10 modules each. Three series strings mean three sets of wires—three positives and three negatives, with one ground wire—coming from our PV array. Even though some inverters have multiple DC inputs, they may not include series fusing capability. Then it's likely that series fusing will be needed. Even if all the necessary input fusing is provided within the inverter, a combiner can be used to eliminate running seven wires all the way from the PV array to the inverter—possibly reducing wiring costs and installation time.
Battery-based systems (off-grid and grid-tied with battery backup) have lower DC system voltages than grid-direct systems (although higher-voltage charge controllers are expected to hit the market soon). Historically, this voltage ranged from 12 to 48 V nominal to match battery voltages, but step-up/down MPPT charge controllers now allow arrays with higher voltages to charge lower-voltage battery banks, making higher array voltages more common (with open-circuit voltages usually limited to 150 V). Even with the use of step-up/down charge controllers, typically only one to six modules are placed in a series string, which means combining more strings in parallel to get the desired power output, which necessitates a combiner box.
In addition, charge controllers typically have only a single set of input wire terminals. For off-grid systems, it's often wise to have enough room in the combiner for adding more strings of modules in the future. If the combiner and its output wires are sized accordingly, and the charge controller has been sized to handle the additional amperage, wiring more PV modules into the system can be as easy as terminating the new wires in the PV combiner box.
The "Specifications" table on the following pages summarizes the main features common to most PV combiner boxes. We included products that are currently available to consumers in the U.S. market.
Maximum DC Voltage (Max. VDC)
Each combiner is rated to accommodate up to a specific DC voltage. Residential grid-direct systems generally accommodate DC voltages up to 600 V, while most battery-based PV system DC voltages are lower, typically maxing out at 150 V.
Maximum Number of PV Input Circuits
Combiner boxes come with a certain number of terminals where PV source wires can be attached and an equivalent number of OCPD spaces. Residential PV combiners usually need no more than 12 inputs. Grid-direct systems require fewer inputs, while battery-based systems can require more. Additionally, battery-based PV systems commonly have multiple charge controllers, and each may have its own combiner box.
Maximum OCPD Rating
The overcurrent protection devices (OCPDs—fuses or circuit breakers) chosen for the particular combiner cannot exceed this rating. PV module nameplates list the required series fuse rating.
OCPD Type
Combiner boxes come with OCPDs, usually either a form of "touch-safe" fuse holders or DC-rated circuit breakers. Since grid-tied systems can generate up to 600 VDC—well above the 150 VDC rating of most available circuit breakers—fuses are almost always necessary. OCPDs found in combiner boxes are generally limited to battery-based systems. Most fuse holders are not rated to be opened under load, so they cannot be used as a DC disconnect. This is an especially important consideration for high-voltage DC systems: Trying to open a fuse holder without first opening the circuit (which can be safely done via the main DC disconnect), will likely draw an electrical arc that can cause a fire and burn and/or shock you.
Wire Range: Size of Input & Output Terminals
Wire terminals are rated to fit a range of wire sizes, in both bus bars and the OCPDs. Because the output circuit is carrying the combined ampacity of all the incoming series strings and also may have to be oversized due to voltage drop for longer wire runs in lower-voltage systems, it may be necessary to connect a relatively large-diameter wire to the output terminals.
Maximum Number of Output Circuits.
Sometimes it is appropriate to use multiple inverters or charge controllers with a single array—like two of four strings into one inverter and the other two into a second inverter. For this, you'll need either multiple combiners, or one combiner that can accommodate two separate output circuits. Of all the combiners listed, only a handful offer two output circuits.
Maximum Continuous Output Current
Each combiner has a rating for the amount of output current that it can safely handle. Depending on the size and number of OCPDs in use, it may be possible to overload the combiner's bus bars. For example, in a combiner with sixteen 20 A circuit breakers, 320 A could flow into the output circuit, overloading the bus bar if it is rated at 100 A. To ensure this does not happen, use a combiner with a high enough output rating.
Data Monitoring Capabilities
While individual string monitoring is generally used in commercial, rather than residential-scale, systems, some homeowners are interested in tracking the performance of each string of PV modules to ensure the system is working optimally. Combiner boxes with data monitoring capability are often referred to as "smart" or "intelligent" combiners, and allow easy, quick installation of data monitoring systems.
Weatherproof Rating
Most combiner boxes are installed near their PV arrays (that is, in the weather), and require appropriate outdoor ratings. Installations are expected to last at least the lifetime warranty of PV modules (about 25 years), so installing durable, long-lived equipment that will stand up to the environment in which it is placed is critical.
Every approved electrical enclosure has a National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) rating associated with it. The ratings on PV combiners include NEMA 3 and 3R (rated for outdoor use in limited orientations); and NEMA 4 and 4X (includes additional protection so boxes can be mounted in any orientation, from vertical to horizontal). Wiring must enter the box through a cord grip that will properly seal the penetration and uphold the weatherproof rating of that combiner box.
The NEC requires that all electrical equipment have a valid safety-test listing to ensure safety for the general public. In the United States, most of this testing is performed by UL, an independent nonprofit, although there are other independent laboratories that will test to UL standards. One such lab is Intertek, which offers the ETL-listed mark. All of the PV combiner boxes in the table have a current or pending listing.
Lena Wilensky is co-owner of Nunatak Alternative Energy Solutions in Crested Butte, Colorado. She manages to take time out from playing in the mountains to design and install PV and remote power systems, and instruct PV classes for Solar Energy International.


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All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Properties subject to prior sale or rental.
Site Last Updated January 23, 2019 12:23 AM.


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Jan. 6, 2007
NEW LONDON, Conn. - The U.S. Coast Guard Academy recorded the final six points of regulation and outscored MIT, 20-12, in overtime en route to a 62-54 win in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) opener for both teams on Saturday. The loss dropped the Engineers to 3-8 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
In the first half, MIT used a 13-2 run to take its largest lead of the game (23-11) with 3:53 on the clock. The Engineers' defense held their ground as they allowed one field goal by the Bears during a 10:30 minute span, resulting in a 23-15 lead at the break.
In the second stanza, MIT extended its advantage to 42-36 on a three-pointer from Clara Yuan with two minutes remaining in regulation. Coast Guard evened the contest with back-to-back buckets from Melissa Martinelli and two free throws by Corinne McCormack with 40.4 seconds remaining.
The Engineers posted the first five points of overtime on a pair of free throws by Yuan and a trey by Kimberly Soo Hoo in the opening minute. Natalie Moyer responded by tallying a pair of three-pointers to put the Bears ahead, 48-47, at the 3:09 mark. Aside from an additional field goal, Coast Guard notched the remainder of its points from the charity stripe, connecting on all 12 of its attempts. For the game, the Bears went 24-of-28 at the free throw line despite MIT holding a 48-38 advantage in scoring from the floor.
Sharon Prange paced MIT with 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Christa Margossian collected a game-high 13 boards. Yuan added 12 points, eight caroms, and five steals.


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29th January 2019
see listing for details
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All-in-One Creative Children's Bedroom & Playroom Design
What more could a kid ask for? This complex and creative space has places to play and sleep, a lofted bed on top with many shelves, steps, hidden compartments and passages along the way up.
The interior design challenge here was a complex one: use a very small amount of existing square footage to create a series of spaces ranging from public to private, interactive to comfortable. In short, there was a need to address a range of childhood needs and desires but with a very limited spatial footprint.
The ingenious architectural solution proposed by H2O Architects was to make the child's area serve not only as an interactive play space with plenty of storage, twists and turns, but to also use this as an opportunity to create a spatial divider within the broader room itself – designed to be a point of interaction but also a division for privacy between the family's two children.
The end result is a marvelous, zig-zagging interior structure that is both modern and remarkably playful at the same time. Toys, drawings and other childhood toys and accessories give color to the blank white forms and play off the ever-winding angles of this strange space-filled combination bedroom, playroom and partition wall.


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A couple of days ago I had a phone call from my second cousin Jane Conway in Bristol, quite out of the blue.
We visited her a year ago, and it was the first time we had met her. So it was good to hear from her again. Her grandfather, Cyril Allen Hayes, was the brother of my grandfather Percy Wynn Hayes.
She reported that Derek Scott, husband of another cousin, Gillian Bain, had died a week earlier at the age of 83. Derek was a musician, and wrote the music for the Muppets TV show. Gillian was a ballet dancer, with the stage name Sidonie Darell.
Cousin Jane is going to America soon, to help her daughter, who lives there, move house.
And today is our son Jethro's birthday.
Technorati tags: Hayes genealogy


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Author Comment louie77Posts: 3256(6/9/04 7:37 am)Reply Early Show recap(with names)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ok i'll try to summarize the best I can. First bit of info they are starting off at the Santa Monica Pier. Here are the teams.1.Lance and Marhsall-brothers who own their own pizza resteraunt in Dallas. They talk about how they are oppisites and always fight.2.Bob and Joyce-Internet dating couple3.Ali and Donny-She said how she did some bad things on Big Brother. Phil also mentioned something about her wanting to prolong her fame. She's just as vile as usual.4.Linda and Karen-Bowling Moms5.Chip and Kim-40 year old parents with 3 kids who own their own computer company6.Charla and Mirna-Cousins. Phil used the word little person so I guess thats what we will be hearing this season.7.Christy and Colin-dating, she used to be miss teen Usa or something like that8.Kami and Karly-twins who I cant stand already. Said they will do what they do best, manipulate9.Brandon and Nicole-dating. She used to be miss Texas10.Jim and Marsha-father and daughter. He's a Vietnam vet shes a NFL cheerleader11.Dennis and Erika-Used to be engaged but broke up after he found out she skydives naked. They showed a few seconds of them running from the starting line. Charla and Mirna were already off to a very slow start. I really dont think there is any way for them to keep up.
How do I get you to host them, can I put some kind of lock on them so they are not floating all around the internet after I post them?
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Moderators: Zahru II, Natalya, RedRover
stubby wrote:You were inb4beluga.
lorbaat wrote:Piranha
stubby wrote:omg noob, balrogs are maiars too, don't you know anything
Empire of Luchardsko WIP wiki pageBrikWars 2010 Rules wrote:BrikWars ... stands in pretty direct opposition to many fundamental elements of the LEGO® philosophy, such as "Not Teaching Kids How Funny It Is to Set People on Fire."
Falk wrote:Wouldn't this basically a flying gun horse? I really like the guns and the piranha.
Theblackdog wrote:Holy crap, I didn't realize you had that many. How much do those all cost?
The special weapons and accompanying backpacks look great. I can't wait to see these guys in action.
darkpaladin wrote:I really love all of the backpack designs
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Nov. 15, 2008
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The MIT men's soccer team saw its record-breaking season come to an end following a 3-2 loss to St. Lawrence University in the first round of the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship Tournament on Saturday. The Engineers closed the campaign with a ledger of 16-4-2.
Both sides had several opportunities to open the scoring early in the first half, but neither squad could capitalize on its chances. An hour-long lightning delay with 1:24 left in the frame did not stop MIT's building momentum. Coming out of the break, a foul gave the Engineers the ball at the top of the box. With four seconds on the clock, Christian Therkelsen sent the free kick into the top right corner for his 16th goal of the season and Institute-record 40th point.
The Cardinal and Gray extended its advantage in the 53rd minute when Andrew Bishara converted a penalty kick. The senior midfielder faked St. Lawrence's goalie, who dove left as he sent a low ball to the right side of the net.
The Saints cut their deficit in half eight minutes later on a strike by Brendan Gorman. Paul LaMarca's shot was initially stopped by MIT goalie Tom Caldwell, but Gorman gathered the rebound and converted the open-net opportunity. St. Lawrence continued to attack, tying the game at two in the 74th minute on Ryan Moore's corner kick that was redirected by Gorman. The Saints' Paul LaMarca registered what proved to be the game-winning goal five minutes later, firing a low hard shot from 30 yards out to the right side.
Caldwell collected eight saves for MIT, finishing first all-time in shutouts (19), second in goals against average (1.50), fourth in saves (345), fifth in fewest goals allowed (65), and ninth in save percentage (0.767).


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KVW needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 122 designs submitted by 34 freelance designers.
Simon by Simon Dex
I'm a former top model now trying to establish myself in the fashion industry. I've recently completed a line of men's underwear and am looking for a design that's sexy yet stylish.
My target audience is mostly men between the ages of 18-34 but I'm also trying to appeal to their girlfriends. Think Hollywood! Think a hotel room overlooking Paris, think the beaches of Capri! A nightclub in Shanghai, the casino's of Vegas.
My name is Simon and my last name is Dex. I like "Simon" since it's simple. My intials may be a turn off because when you think of SD many things come to mind and Dex is often associated with other products but I will leave it up to your imagination. I like bold and Sexy not fun or whimsical. I want my line to stand out above other lines - Im more D&G then Ginch Gonch, more Calvin then American Apparel.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Message Board
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Talk about the novels, new and used books that duBarry has written!
Author duBarry's Book Reviews
The Blood Ruby
Amber Quill, 2003, 94 pp. ISBN: 1592799361 Vampyre Abhartach yields the magical ancient sword THE BLOOD RUBY to execute his cousin Quentin Moore of Dun Drac'ola. However, instead of slicing off his head, somehow the sword shatters when contacting Quentin's neck. Vampyre Fairy Queen Lhiannon Sidhe has waited all her life for the mating with the Sun's chosen one that would fulfill the prophecy and form an alliance between the Fae and Drac'olian...


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Wednesday, September 22, 2010
"But sad? You? Surely not, Naren!", you ask me censoriously. "Haven't you lived here for the 45 years that you have existed? Doesn't it give you a kind of immunity to disclosure shock that people from other countries don't have. Like you go out with your ABCD cousin eating chaat and where he lies alternately writhing and pooping the next morning, you're tucking into vada pao?"
The answer to all your questions is a shamefaced "Yes". And yet, I AM feeling sad beyond expression. Why this should be so, can't say exactly. I think it's because the shame is now international.
Earlier, you see, we used do all this quietly before our adorably mute domestic audiences who would cheerfully shrug off 1200 crore fodder scams with a cheery "boys will be boys!" and would good naturedly vote in favour of giving them another go. But this time, it's Public. The World Knows! And the World is Laughing! Oh the shame! Even countries like Jersey and Guernsey are planning to pull out it seems. Jersey and Guernsey! Their entire population is less than my housing complex.
Of course India is not silent! No Sir! Everywhere, people are voicing their displeasure. Ranting against Kalmadi. Ridiculing Dixit. Demanding Manmohan Singh's resignation.
And completely missing the point. The reason all this has happened is not that these people are filled with greed and avarice. They are, but if it hadn't been them specifically, it would have been someone else. The point is that our glorious system of benevolent socialistic public service propriety or whatever it is that this country functions under, holds no one accountable. This is endemic to all public institurions large and small. There is no punishment for crime. No one can be sacked for dereliction of duty, for example. And no one has ever served a prison term for abuse of office.
I have no idea why this should be so. Take the case of the toilet paper scam. You know the one. Where toilet paper was bought for Rs. 4000 a roll when it should have cost Rs. 100. The matter 'is still being probed', as far as I know.
Why in freakin hell this should take so much time is beyond me. Here is what you or I would have done.
Step 1. Find out if the toilet rolls have really been bought for Rs. 4000/- each. Clue - See the invoice. You should see a figure which says Rs. 4000/- per roll, or if not, divide the total invoice amount in rupees by the total number of rolls in numbers and see if the answer is Rs. 4000. It is? Good now go to
Step 2. Find out the fair market price for the rolls. Go to the supermarket. Buy a roll. When checking out, see the amount printed on the bill. Does it say Rs. 100? Good. Keep the receipt.
Step 3. Ask the guy who approved the invoice why his ass should not be put into jail.
How complicated can this be? Why should it take a frikkin committee, who, after a month of dedicated scrutiny are still unable to answer in one of two ways
A) Yes, the rolls were purchased for Rs.4000/- per when they are freely available for Rs. 100/- per
B) No, the media is being dishonest. The rolls were bought for Rs. 100/- per and not for Rs. 4000/- per, and please put the said media person into prison
By the way, the news I heard what that the 'probe committe' is 'recommending' that 'Darbari be sacked'. Sacked? SACKED! This is not unlike asking General Dyer to write 100 times "I will not order firing on defenceless people again". The man should be given rigorous imprisonment unless he is able to prove he was acting on superiors' orders, in which case the superiors should be given rigourous imprisonment.
The moral, as far as I can see, is that unless someone is given real punishment, someone nuts are really nailed to the floor, nothing is ever going to change. And to my village idiot mind, it looks the right thing to do, doling out punishment I mean. Compromising the nations honour and all that. But then, that's probably because I'm not a highly trained and skilled bureaucrat.
29 comments:
I agree Naren. Unfortunately the shame is felt only by folks like you and me. The pachyderms occupying high offices say, "Westerners dont like dogs pooping on their beds, Indians we love that" or that the "Bridges for sportsmen are constructed to last, the ones for public have been designed to last only till the last payment cheque is issued - they then self-destruct along with those $1-a-day labourers".
We are a lousy nation. Thats it.
- September 22, 2010 at 5:17 PM
- mdss said...
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world...
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Join the facebook page to boycott the games:
- September 22, 2010 at 5:18 PM
- Satish said...
Heartfelt... reflects how all of us are feeling. Nice to see a post like on this blog.Thanks for posting.
- September 22, 2010 at 5:46 PM
- Karadi said...
i for a moment thought Shenoy saw Ramana..
jokes apart...the shame now will be nothing compared to wen something collapses during the event itself...
- September 22, 2010 at 6:14 PM
I know I sound like a douchebag when I ask this but ...
Was the "toilet paper scam" and "probed" an attempt at pun of Mensa levels?
- September 22, 2010 at 8:14 PM
As an Indian living in a western country and listening to this shameful news every day, I totally cringe and hope/pray the news goes away. A country like China puts forth an amazing show every time and captures the world's admiration. There are just as brilliant minds in India and this is the shoddy stuff they can come up with! Yes, it's truly shameful and much more...I just don't know the words to describe what I am feeling.
- September 22, 2010 at 10:10 PM
- bpuriskabab said...
Naren, every country has its shameful episodes. Just look at the US and how we fucked up the response to Katrina, as well as a whole host of other calamities. Like one of the other commenters said, let's just hope all the bad news comes out now, before the games, rather than during the games with loss of life. Let it go.
- September 23, 2010 at 6:57 AM
- Srinivas said...
Mistakes happens,but this blunder, yes punishments have to be severe, to make such blunders never happen..but who to make such laws??!!..even Tamil Nadu conducted SAF games very successfully.Pity CMW, anyway as Indians we still tell to the world that this is a conspiracy act by other nations to hinder our grow...??maybe pakistan or America or china too...??!!like our politicians>?!!
- September 23, 2010 at 7:39 AM
knock knock!
Who's there?
Kal madi
too late - you need to be aaj madi.
Sorry for the horrible joke....but cwg is the horrible joke being played out with our tax money.
- September 23, 2010 at 7:07 PM
- Adi said...
hi i got an sms today morning...
"Breaking News: SURESH KALMADI just tried to hang himself. But the ROOF COLLAPSED!!!"
i guess this sums it up well :)
- September 23, 2010 at 9:48 PM
- parthicle said...
I skim the channels every day just to catch a glimpse of somebody saying "sorry", but in babudom dictionaries, I guess, the word "sorry" does not exist!!!
- September 23, 2010 at 10:04 PM
V funny, and accurately captures the angst of us Indians.
- September 23, 2010 at 10:48 PM
- Baby Vaijayanti and Puppy Manohar said...
are we?
- September 24, 2010 at 8:28 AM
- Saumya said...
What a coincidence? I just vented about the deplorable state of affairs at the Asian Games too.
I wonder why we can't be brave and call off the Games - put an early end to the fiasco.
- September 24, 2010 at 10:54 AM
- Sharatchandra Bhargav said...
I had got a little out of touch with your blog the last couple of weeks. Very nice heartfelt posting. We have all probably become immune to the 1000 crore scams, but what really irked me was that joker Lalit Bhanot stating that our standards of cleanliness are different from yours. What a horrible horrible thing to say :(. Now the whole world will think this is why India and Indians are filthy. Bhanot and Kalmadi need to go ASAP. They have been in office from my primary school days and have not done squat for sports in the country.
- September 26, 2010 at 10:35 PM
Yeh hai Dilli meri jaan. Had this project been given to any other South Indian city or even Calcutta for that matter, it would have been completed on time. Every time I have been to Delhi, I get more convinced Dilli is a haLLi (village in Kannada) and now this Dilli haLLi has embarrassed the rest of the country.
- September 27, 2010 at 11:09 AM
- Sumedha said...
I just blogged about the CWG too. Yes, it's true that the events are shameful, and yes, I feel worse because everytime I log onto cnn these days, there's YET another story about the disaster that is CWG.
But, on the other hand, the situation might not be AS bad as shown by the media: the Australian team to CWG has put up pictures of the CWG facilities that look shiny and perfect.
But while I think that things have been exaggerated some, the news of corruption, however, is nothing to take ilghtly. 4000 for toilet paper? Seriously?! And yes, it is very hard to understand why it's taking them so long to investigate this and punish the wrongdoers.
I really, really hope the actual Games go smoothly and nothing disastrous happens. It's already embarrassing, I don't want it to get worse!
- September 27, 2010 at 2:10 PM
- Enterprise Mobility Management said...
Now all came calm,Good going CWG,lets enjoy..
- October 4, 2010 at 5:22 PM
- Saahil Dama said...
Your first line says that you feel inexplicably sad. Then proceed to justify. If you are inexplicably sad how can you know the reason? :)
Well, everyone makes mistakes. But keep writing mate.
Also, I have a blog too: http://sadamned.blogspot.com/
- October 4, 2010 at 10:32 PM
- narendra shenoy said...
@ Saahil - Hehe. Good spot. I was talking through my hat there :)
Amended now
- October 4, 2010 at 11:13 PM
- J. Alfred Prufrock said...
I feel sad at the implicit criticism of "highly trained and skilled" bureaucrats. I wonder, why won't he love me?
Then I realise, hey, I'M not "highly trained and skilled"! Fine, he doesn't mean me! Joy!
The main question, comrade, is not "why are we screwing up the Games".
The real question is, why are we screwing around spending [INR x into (10 to the power of infinity)] to organise these Games, when there are several million people to be fed, housed, educated, healed, transported etc. etc. etc.
- October 6, 2010 at 2:34 PM
- Saahil Dama said...
A whack in the face of anti-CWG people.
- October 6, 2010 at 2:59 PM
- monisha mehta said...
hey , nice blog , like it ,
won't be nice if i u can clickover to my blog page too ,
& post some suggestion
- October 6, 2010 at 5:38 PM
- monisha mehta said...
hey , nice blog , like it ,
won't be nice if i u can clickover to my blog page too ,
& post some suggestion
- October 7, 2010 at 10:06 AM
For the toilet paper scam, I would put the guy in a prison cell with no water and no toilet paper or have him buy each roll at Rs 4000.
- October 7, 2010 at 9:59 PM
- The cost of enterprise mobility solutions said...
You greatly expressed your anguishness and i bow my head for this type of activities done our respected officials..
- October 25, 2010 at 1:01 PM
- harimohan said...
the superior factor has a lot to dowith this
kalmadi acts fearlessly becos he knows where to point his finger when caught ,party coffers get filled during rainy times only .
India is a paradox and an enigma becos strangely the games sailed thru pretty well and now all is forgotten till the next one
- November 5, 2010 at 7:48 AM
- Deepak Gopalakrishnan said...
Man, despite the tone, this was a hilarious read!
This line [Their entire population is less than my housing complex.]
Reminds me of something MICA's legendary sociology prof AF Mathew said once, while talking about how India was getting divided into smaller and smaller states: "Coorg. There are all of 3 people in the world who speak Coorgi, and they now want their own state!"
Well written, Naren.
- November 8, 2010 at 8:41 AM
- Saranya said...
Excellently put!
- November 20, 2010 at 10:07 PM


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Super Potato. I've been to the Akihabara branch a whole lot, and I've been to the Osaka branches of this gaming retail chain even more. I've seen lots of Super Potato photos, and I've taken plenty more.
Yet, I've always liked the photos Danny Choo of Culture Japan takes (they're usually quite nice), and this batch of Super Potato pics are no exception. Thus, here you go, more Super Potato pics.
Have a look at some of the retro games and game hardware the Akihabara store houses.
Japanese Retro Games [DannyChoo]
Top photo: Danny Choo


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Delving Into the Molecular Mechanism Behind Deep-Sea Bacteria's Pressure Tolerance
Article ID: 591879
Released: 26-Jul-2012 9:05 AM EDT
Source Newsroom: American Crystallographic Association (ACA)
Newswise — The Mariana Trench is the deepest feature of the Earth's surface. The water column there exerts a pressure of more than one thousand times normal atmospheric pressure at sea level, enough pressure to crush an SUV. Yet many organisms thrive in this seemingly inhospitable environment. A Japanese research team has been investigating how deep-sea bacteria adapt to such high-pressure conditions. They have identified a structural change that confers pressure-resistant properties on a particular protein found in bacteria. The findings, which the team will present at the meeting of the American Crystallographic Association (ACA), held July 28-Aug. 1, in Boston, Mass., may one day help guide the design of enzymes for use in high-pressure chemical industrial processes.
In general, pressure, like that caused by a water column thousands of feet deep, deforms proteins. As the proteins change shape, water can penetrate the protein's interior. Some proteins are better able to resist this incursion of water, but the molecular mechanisms of the pressure resistance aren't yet well understood.
"Our group is focusing on high-pressure protein crystallography, using 3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase (IPMDH) as a model protein. The goal is to delve into the principles of the molecular mechanism of the pressure tolerance of proteins by comparing the structures of IPMDHs from organisms that thrive in high-pressure environments and those that are sensitive to high-pressure pressure environments," explains Nobuhisa Watanabe, a professor at the Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Nagoya University.
To create the high pressures necessary for their studies, the team uses a diamond anvil cell (DAC), which consists of two opposing diamonds with a gasket compressed between the culets (the small, flat facet at the bottom of the diamonds).
The team's big discovery so far is that the initial water penetration at the molecular surface of the side opposite to the active site of IPMDH is unique.
"At the site of the penetration, there is a difference of amino acid between IPMDHs from bacteria that thrive in high-pressure environments and those that are sensitive to it. Based on this data, we substituted one amino acid at the site of the IPMDH from pressure-sensitive bacteria and checked its activity under pressure," says Watanabe. "And as we expected, only this one residue-substituted IPMDH, which has 364 amino acids in total, achieved pressure resistance comparable to the bacteria that thrive in high-pressure environments."
This means that it may soon be possible to synthesize designer pressure-resistant proteins. The team plans to continue their high-pressure studies of several other proteins to try to discover the physical principles behind pressure resistance mechanisms that enable bacteria to thrive in high-pressure conditions.
This news release was prepared for the American Crystallographic Association (ACA) by the American Institute of Physics (AIP).
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE 2012 ACA MEETINGThe ACA is the largest professional society for crystallography in the United States, and this is its main meeting. All scientific sessions, workshops, poster sessions, and events will be held at the Westin Waterfront Hotel in Boston, Mass.
USEFUL LINKS:Main meeting website: http://www.amercrystalassn.org/2012-meeting-homepageMeeting program: http://www.amercrystalassn.org/2012-tentative-programMeeting abstracts: http://www.amercrystalassn.org/app/sessionsExhibits: http://www.amercrystalassn.org/2012-exhibits
ABOUT ACAThe American Crystallographic Association (ACA) was founded in 1949 through a merger of the American Society for X-Ray and Electron Diffraction (ASXRED) and the Crystallographic Society of America (CSA). The objective of the ACA is to promote interactions among scientists who study the structure of matter at atomic (or near atomic) resolution. These interactions will advance experimental and computational aspects of crystallography and diffraction. They will also promote the study of the arrangements of atoms and molecules in matter and the nature of the forces that both control and result from them.


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|Episode Description
|Monday, Mar 11, 2013 - 3:00 PM
"Dinner for Two"
Shopping and cooking for two has its own challenges, but Sara has tips and tricks to make these intimate dinners both easy and romantic. Chicken Saltimbocca with Artichoke Sauce is so elegant yet so easy - thin strips of chicken, sage and prosciutto enveloped in a creamy Marsala-based artichoke sauce. Eggs Baked in Red Wine is a cozy, classic French recipe, perfect for dinner by the fireplace. D
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The accused are suspected of:
Being Multis
Conducting Secret Diplomacy
Game number(s):
Game 12144559
Game 12466573
Game 12392819
Game 12261253
Comments:Out of the last 17 games "Prozipps" has been in, so was "Freebyrd1977". Looking at the round log(s) in these games you can clearly see neither of them has taken a continent from the other until one of them has killed off the last remaining player besides themselves. They only attack each other when it is a country holding 1 army so they may gain a card.
prozipps created a new game 12466573 and Freebryd1977 join immediately. The game has fill and is just starting. I suggest you watch this game very closely so you can see for yourself.


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Seabass poached in soy, chilli and ginger
Thai style trio of desserts - Mango sorbet (amazing how everyone loves sorbet - so refreshing), black rice pudding and pinepple pastries - see links to recipes here.
Benson's Catering Limited. Quality catering across the Cotswolds and Midlands. We bring the restaurant to you. A chef in your home. Dinner party chef. Personal chef. Holiday chef. Private chef. Caterers. England. UK. Hire. Christmas lunch & dinner in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire
A personal chef for your holiday at www.bensonscateringltd.co.uk/holiday-chef - all or some of your meals taken care of; breakfast, lunch, children's and evening meals are all possible - you decide how much you want us to do. It's like being in a hotel but with the comfort and flexibility of your own home. No taxis to restaurants to organise and no baby sitter needed for the children - and it doesn't cost as much as you think!
Eat for under £30 in the Cotswolds! Staying in is the new going out - our bistro menu delivered chilled, or cooked and served exclusively in your home by chef and waiting staff throughout Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, West Oxfordshire and the Midlands: Benson's Catering Limited - Our Menus
Wedding catering in the Cotswolds - see some of our previous events right here
Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! I think you've accomplished an Important Thing here!
And I think you've accomplished an important piece of almost-spam here!


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Jack Valenti's Lies
from the let's-try-that-again dept
For a while now, I've been wondering why no one ever seems to confront Jack Valenti about his claim many years ago that the VCR would be the "Boston Strangler of the movie industry", when just the opposite came true. Finally, someone has done the right thing - and then let Valenti slip right through. This interview at Harvard (yes, found over at Slashdot) confronted Valenti about his strangler claim, and Valenti proceeds to lie his way out of it, by saying that everything he predicted about the VCR has come true. He conveniently ignores the fact that the movie industry is doing many many many times better than it was at the time - in large part due to the VCR. If that's what it's like to be a victim of the Boston Strangler, sign me up. He also denies that "fair use" actually exists (before giving an example of fair use). He also says that DVDs are indestructable (not true), and so no one would ever need to make a backup copy. It's funny because he almost trips himself up here. He points out that no one should ever need to make a backup of a digital copy because it will last forever (though, plenty of articles on data extinction prove this isn't true). What he seems to be missing is the reason digital can last forever is because you can make a perfect copy of it. However, by denying people the right to make the copy, he's guaranteeing that it won't last forever. Though, he has a perfect solution for this: if your DVD breaks, you just buy a new one.


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Korn Release 'Way Too Far' Music Video
Korn have just released an official music video for 'Way Too Far' from their dubstep-infused album 'The Path of Totality.' The track, which features contributions from electronic artists 12th Planet, Flinch and Downlink, portrays Korn racing cars, jamming in their practice room and… getting face tattoos?
'Way Too Far' is the band's third single from 'The Path of Totality,' after the successful tracks 'Get Up!' and 'Narcissistic Cannibal.' Vocalist Jonathan Davis drives a huge army truck around in a deserted area to shoot some guns at a TV, before his alter-ego J-Devil steps in, while guitarist Munky takes a racing car for a spin around a track.
Drummer Ray Luzier gets the glamorous task of driving around a van with his massive drum kit in the back, while bassist Fieldy gets a new batch of face tattoos courtesy of some product placement from Monster Energy Drink. That's right kids, when you've just gotta get some ink stabbed into your face, you'd better grab yourself a Monster!
Korn recently surprised their fans during their performance at the Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina as former guitarist Brian 'Head' Welch stepping onto the stage with Korn for a one-off reunion performance of 'Blind.' Check out video footage of the reunion here.
The band has also revealed even more worldwide dates to their 2012 itinerary — click here for more info, and check out Korn's new video for 'Way Too Far' below.


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Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Kuroko is a member from the legendary middle school basketball team known as "The Generation of Miracles", and while nobody seems to know about him, the main 5 players of the team all admit that he is a better player. When he joins the high school basketball team, everyone is surprised to find out that he is small, weak, and easy to miss. What is the secret that makes him so strong, and how will he help his high school team?
Main Characters
Tetsuya Kuroko
(Voiced by Kensho Ono)
The protagonist. He is the sixth and the phantom member of the "Generation of Miracles", Kuroko is Seirin's new secret weapon. All his abilities (power, speed and flexibility) seem to be below average, but e can be a dangerous opponent. Despite being apparently bad at dribbling and shooting, he's specialized in circulating passes without being seen thanks to his lack of presence. However, after being defeated by Daiki Aomine, Kuroko trains himself to evolve his play style. Given the absolute presence and importance of the ball in play, it had been previously thought impossible for Kuroko to maintain his misdirection while in possession of the ball; as such the time he spends handling the ball on court is extremely minimal. He has overcome this previous limitation, and has developed the ability to imperceptibly move past players while dribbling the ball, creating his own 'invisible' drive. Because of his largely complementary skill set, Kuroko considers himself a "Shadow", whose goal is to help his "Light" achieve greatness.
Taiga Kagami
(Voiced by Yuuki Ono)
Kagami was in America until second year of middle school and has recently come back to Japan. He is determined to surpass "The Generation of Miracles" and become the number 1. Along with Kuroko, they're the only two freshmen allowed to play in matches.
Other Information Saturdays @ 2:30 PM EDT / 11:30 AM PDT
Number of Episodes: Unknown
Genres: Comedy, School, Shounen, Sports
Animation Production: Production I.G
Premiered: Saturday, April 7, 2012
Primary network: Tokyo MX
Official Website: 黒子のバスケ アニメ公式サイト
Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?
Glad you made the thread for this series. I'm keen in checking it out as Area no Kishi is kinda dropping the ball right now compared to the manga.
After I read a good review on ANN, I'll start for sure
Animanga hunter extraordinaire
First episode.
I love Kuroko.
He was so cute and funny in the episode.
The other characters were okay too. (hopefully we'll get to know them more.)
Very good first episode! I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I hope they don't fuck it up because this looks promising!
Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?
This anime is great. I hope it gives some feeling similar to Slam Dunk since that was my favourite sport anime. Nonetheless Kuroko is awesome and I can't to wait to see more.
I'm back baby
i have developed a hate for sports animes minus slam dunk and the old soccer ones.
His Holiness Optimus Maximus Decimus Meridius Colossus Nemesis Nexus Genesis
I wasn't sure about it because as far a sports anime goes I try to stay clear of them because they always have some sort of awesome powers or something. But I think I'll keep my eye on this one if for no other reason than Kurokos blue hair/eyes.
I hated slam dunk....
Who the hell made dear boys should jump off a mountain and kill themselves
Kuroko no Basuke seems to be good i really hope its better than the first 2 shitty animes ive mentioned
I'm up for a NAFTA
Love this manga so much, gonna start the anime soon XD
I love this show. Kuroko does remind me of my friend. Not the ALL OF A SUDDEN POPPING OUT OF NOWHERE stuff, but how he his presence is not that powerful. He sucks at dribbling and passing but a great rebounder and putback player. He'll just show up and get that putback in. That's why i can sort've relate to Kuroko cause his presence is almost nothing on the court yet he'll show up when you stop paying attention to him. I don't think it'll happen in a nba or college game but in a high school game, probably.
i honestly don't like basketball as an anime, but i have high expectations from this series. sleight of hand, lol all i think of the OP vid and i thought kuroko could play basketball. but that was a disappointment. basketball wise, i am a lil disappointed but storyline looks good.
on my way to my DREAMS- your smile - through food
Episode 2.
Loved this episode.
And there's a new character introduced already! I can't wait to see the rest of the Generation of Miracles.
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
Kuroko was, again, so cute!
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
I loved how he said that with a straight face.
Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?
This series could actually be the next Slam Dunk!
viva_cmpunker wrote:
This series could actually be the next Slam Dunk!
I haven't seen Slam Dunk yet but I'm hearing good things about it.
Hopefully Kuroko no Basuke will do as good or better!
Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?
I just realised the relevence of the name Kuroko
A "Kuroko" in Japanese, is the people in puppet shows and stuff that wear all black. They're never seen, but are actually doing most of work in the background.
Yeah, I'm awesome.
Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?


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"We had two diametrically opposed years from 2001 to 2002," says Ron Heiniger, North Carolina State University Extension corn specialist. North Carolina growers set a record average yield of 134 bushels per acre in 2001. The statewide average yield will be right at 100 bushels per acre this year. He had been expecting average yields as low as 50 bushels per acre due to the drought. "I'm not totally disappointed with that. In some areas you couldn't buy a rain to save your soul."
Severe drought in the Piedmont forced some growers to abandon acreage. Aflatoxin was a problem in the Piedmont. Farmers in other drought-affected areas "got in early and got the harvest completed," Heiniger says.
Along the coast, it was a different story. "This year shows the value of a timely rain," Heiniger says. Benefiting from one or two timely rains from the Gulf Stream moisture, corn farmers in the Tidewater area of the state had yields of 240 bushels to 280 bushels per acre. Farther to the south in Onslow and Duplin counties, producers also had good yields.
Heiniger says management practices statewide helped mitigate the damage from the drought.
"There are two things I'm seeing farmers doing right," he says. "More farmers are calibrating their planters and going slower when they plant. The other issue is I'm seeing farmers putting at least 50 pounds of nitrogen per acre on early. This year they got the early growth before the (drought) stress started to hurt."
Growers also increased plant populations and got good results. "With the new hybrids and good management, we can push plant populations and reduce the risk."
"Given the weather, it would have not been unusual to expect 50 bushels per acre," Heiniger says. "Farmers did a good job and that's why we saw better statewide yields than we would have expected."
As for 2003, Heiniger expects to see a slight increase in corn acreage in North Carolina, despite the disappointing season in 2002. "The market looks strong for corn and a lot of growers were disappointed with cotton yields. My prediction is that we could see an additional 50,000 acres of corn in the state for the coming year." In 2002, North Carolina farmers planted 700,000 acres of corn.


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IT'ers tend to be task-driven. This makes it hard for many to see the end business strategies and how their IT work fits in. But it's vital for CIOs and key IT managers to incorporate business goals into daily technology work, because a better understanding of the business drivers produces better IT work. How do you do this with a naturally resistant staff?
It's not easy—because many IT staff members are focused on critical technical areas that demand most of their focus. They find it difficult to get out of these mindsets and focus on the "big picture"-especially when they are up against tight deadlines. For many of these IT staffers, meetings are perceived as unwelcome introductions to the "real" work that needs to be done. This perception will likely always be a "fact of life" for folks in the trenches-but it doesn't mean that they can't be educated about the business enough so they can understand and explain how their work delivers value to the company.
How do you facilitate this as a CIO or as an IT manager?
#1 Talk about the business in your staff meetings.
Attendance is "required" in IT staff meetings, so you have a captive audience. This is an opportunity for CIOs and key managers to discuss the needs of the business, and how IT projects support those. But CIOs and managers also need to take a page out of every entertainer's notebook: be careful not to lose the room! Be succinct in your business discussions, and avoid long-winded presentations.
#2 Get IT'ers out into the business.
This practice works with IT staff members who are business analysts or application developers, but not with more technical members of the staff, such as systems programmers, database administrators, etc. The goal is to let user-facing IT members directly experience the areas (and pain points) of the business that they support so they better understand the operations and the workflows that they are designing applications for. During this process, there is also an opportunity for IT staff to become better acquainted with end users. This fosters teamwork and ongoing collaboration.
#3 Define SLAs and incorporate business goals into salary and performance reviews.
Once of the fundamental values IT delivers to the business is keeping systems running. Accordingly, service level agreements should be established for system uptime and performance, and also for problem response and time to problem resolution. These goals are measurable with today's automated infrastructure software and can be directly incorporated into staff personal goals and salary reviews. Business-directed projects (like a new Manufacturing system) can also be incorporated into performance and salary review goals. These are ways to embed business impact into IT personal reward systems.
#4 Develop "workload" teams.
More and more, applications are being organized and monitored on IT infrastructures as integrated business "workloads" that combine different computing platforms, networks, CPU and disk. IT staff needs to be "integrated" into business workload thinking as well. For instance, if the workload is identified as an Accounting system that supports the business financial functions and there is a problem with the workload, the database administrator, the network guy, the applications people, QA and the help desk all have to work together as a "workload team" to deliver value to the business. Working in different "silos" of IT expertise isn't going to get the job done and will only delay IT staff from the end business objective-to get that system running. This is a fertile area for CIO and IT manager work-because many IT staff members are accustomed to (and prefer!) working in isolated technical silos where they only have to answer for "their" area. When this is their focus, they fail to extend their concern for the overall health of the system and the business. This is traditional IT thinking that has to change.
#5 Trace all IT goals/achievements back to the end business.
At the end of the year and in periodic updates, most CIOs hold full IT staff meetings to recap the strategic IT roadmap and what has been accomplished. In this forum, the CIO should also plan to extend discussion to the areas of the end business, and how specific IT deliverables have made contributions. This is an opportunity to reinforce "business thinking" in IT.
#6 Let the business drive IT.
There are some companies (Caterpillar comes to mind) that have gone so far as to not take on IT projects unless they are endorsed and supported by the end business first. The strategy ensures that IT work resonates with the business. It is also a way to build in immediate accountability in IT to the end business for projects and services.
Full Bio
Mary E. Shacklett is president of Transworld Data, a technology research and market development firm. Prior to founding the company, Mary was Senior Vice President of Marketing and Technology at TCCU, Inc., a financial services firm; Vice President of Product Research and Software Development for Summit Information Systems, a computer software company; and Vice President of Strategic Planning and Technology at FSI International, a multinational manufacturing company in the semiconductor industry. Mary is a keynote speaker and has more than 1,000 articles, research studies, and technology publications in print.