text:
Another 464 jobs face the axe at failed music chain HMV after administrators announced the closure of a further 37 stores.
Deloitte said the stores would close over the next four to six weeks and would probably lead to all affected staff being made redundant, although it would try to relocate employees to other stores where possible.
The blow will leave around 116 stores in the HMV chain, after Deloitte said 66 stores would close earlier this month, affecting nearly 1,000 staff.
The store closures come after 60 staff were let go by Deloitte across HMV's head office network at Eastcastle Street in London, Marlow and Solihull nearly two weeks ago - including former HMV boss Trevor Moore. Around 190 jobs had previously been cut by Deloitte in the chain's head offices and distribution centres.
Nick Edwards, joint administrator at Deloitte, said the decision to shut the stores was made to "enhance the prospects of the restructured business continuing as a going concern".
He added: "We are extremely grateful to the staff for their continued strong support and commitment during an understandably difficult period. All other key stakeholders including suppliers and landlords remain supportive and we appreciate their ongoing assistance."
HMV collapsed into administration last month, but Deloitte said last week that sale discussions were "progressing" as it also announced it had secured stock from most of its suppliers that will see it continue to sell the latest blockbusters and music releases. It said trading agreements had been put in place so stock could be replenished and it will be able to sell new hits, including the latest James Bond film Skyfall.
Restructuring firm Hilco - the group behind HMV Canada - has already bought the company's debt in a move that has raised hopes of a rescue deal.
HMV had more than 220 stores and 4,120 staff when it hit the wall in January after failing to keep pace with internet rivals and supermarkets, whose scale has enabled them to offer CDs and DVDs at cheaper prices.
Stores will close in the following locations: Ashford in Kent, Basildon, Bolton, Cheltenham, East Kilbride, Enfield, Folkestone, Glasgow Argyle, Gloucester, Grimsby, Hatfield Galleria, Heathrow T5 Departure Level, Heathrow Terminal 1, Heathrow Terminal 3, Heathrow Terminal 4, Hemel Hempstead, High Wycombe, Isle of Wight, Lancaster, Leadenhall, Mansfield, Middlesbrough, Newbury, Newcastle Silverlink, Newport, Nuneaton, Redditch, Salisbury, Scarborough, Southport, Stafford, Staines, Stockport, Swindon, Taunton, Torquay, Woking.


text:
popped by the Engadget stage to talk about the budget device. The Ainovo Novo7 Paladin is available now in China, so if you actually want to get your hands on the thing here in the US, it will likely cost you a bit more when you actually factor in, you know, air fare and such, but the company assures us that something along the same lines ought to be coming to the States in the near future, with a similar price point.
As expected, this isn't the sexiest tablet we've seen on the show floor -- you're not getting a Galaxy Tab here -- but the build quality is quite solid. The seven-inch screen is 800 x 480 -- again, not high-end specs we're dealing with, but it does the trick for casual gaming and YouTube videos, and the MIPS folks mention to us plans to bump up the res for a US release. Along the top of the device, you'll find three buttons: power, back and menu -- the placement on the latter two are a bit counterintuitive when first picking up the tablet, but you'll get used to it pretty quickly. Along the right side, you'll find a headphone jack, miniUSB port (yes, mini), volume buttons and a microSD slot for expanding the already decent 8GB of storage.
Inside you'll find that MIPS-based 1GHz single core processor and 512MB of RAM -- again, not the greatest, but it should get the job done for most the paces you'd expect to put a $79 tablet through. There's no cameras or GPS on the thing, though we didn't really miss either one. If you're looking for something that can do video and stills, however, $20 more will get you the $99 Novo7 basic.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
How do you find a good caterer?
Reviews, interviews and menu tastings will help you find the right catering choice for your big day. Start by screening possible wedding caterers based on past reviews. If a caterer you are interested in has a review that concerns you, ask them about it; how they respond will be very telling. Next, ask about their availability for your wedding date.
If the wedding caterer is available on your date, it's time to talk about menus and prices. Be clear about what your maximum budget is find out what choices this will allow you. Caterers may custom-create a menu for your event, or they may have menu templates within different price ranges that can guide your decision. A clear budget gives the caterer clear parameters within which to work and offer creative suggestions. Schedule a menu tasting to confirm you love your wedding menu. Once you have a menu and date, and have paid a deposit to reserve the caterer's services, confirm additional details including when the food will be delivered to the site, what kind of service will be provided, how many servers will be onsite and for how long, and who is responsible for setup and cleanup. The more specific your contract, the fewer worries you'll have on your wedding day. Get more smart hiring tips here.
How much does it cost to hire a caterer?
Catering prices depend mainly on how fancy you want the food and service to be and how many guests you'll have. When you're first looking to hire a caterer for your event, consider how many guests you'll have and your total food and drink budget. The national average for event catering is $340, but catering prices can range into the thousands depending on your menu, guest count, and service.
Event catering is a broad term that covers everything from fully prepared, ready-to-eat food that the hosts plate and serve themselves to full-service, multicourse meals, including rental of linens, glassware and other items, with service staff organized by the catering company. Usually a caterer will determine cost based on the type of event you're having, how many guests will attend, the level of service you desire, and what type of menu you'd like to have. For example, if you have a set catering budget, say $1,500, and you plan to have 50 people attend, that means you have $30 per person for food. If you have the same budget with 100 people, you have $15 per person for food. In this way, the number of people you want to attend your event and the level of food you want to serve them determines how much catering will cost.
How much should catering cost per person?
Catering prices can range from about $10 per guest on the low end to $150 or more per person on the high end. Catering costs represent the quality of food, presentation, variety, ingredients and service. But catering prices are more than the cost to cook the food that will be at your party; they also include the cost for the company to do business. Here is a simple breakdown of catering prices:
- Menu: The food you serve your guests will directly affect the price per person. Organic ingredients, complex recipes, elaborate presentations, or high-ticket items like lobster or filet mignon all add to the cost.
- Service: Buffet, family style, plated dinners — how you serve the food affects the cost per person. For example, a true plated meal can cost about twice the price of a staff-assisted buffet because of staffing costs. Hiring waiters, bartenders and cleanup crew will all be calculated into the per-person catering price.
- Drinks: Providing beverages and alcoholic drinks for guests greatly increases your catering budget. Hosting an open bar can cost as much per person as the meal.
- Rentals: Seating, plates, glassware, etc., will all have an effect on the cost per person for catering. For example, a plastic conference table that seats 10 costs about $6 to rent on average, while a wooden farmhouse table is about $80 to rent on average.
- Business costs: Any catering cost will also include the cost for the company to do business such as insurance, employee wages, commercial kitchen space and more.
How much should catering cost for a wedding?
The cost of wedding catering will reflect the level of service, the menu you choose, the luxury you desire and the number of guests you invite. Where you live also plays a major role in your wedding catering costs. The regional cost to do business and local cost of food will affect your catering bill. There is no set price for wedding catering, because each wedding and each menu is different. This is why many caterers provide a per-person price. This allows you to break down what it costs to feed each person based on the menu you want. Working with your caterer, you can adjust menu items, service level and more to accommodate your budget and guest count. Keep in mind that wedding catering costs are not just for the food. The bill reflects all the components that go into commercial food catering: a commercial kitchen, ingredients, staff, insurance, marketing and more. Here are some examples of average costs:
- Three-course plated meal, moderately upscale, for 125 in Los Angeles: $14,000. Because of staffing costs, a true plated meal costs about twice as much as a staff-assisted buffet.
- Buffet meal, standard menu, for 100 in Los Angeles: $5,000.
- Per-person cost for hors d'oeuvres, dinner and nonalcoholic beverages: $24–$37, depending on menu selection, in Southern California.
- Drop off prepared food for 50: $1,000 in North Carolina. Price does not include any service, setup or breakdown.
How do you serve food at a wedding?
Food service at your wedding will affect your catering costs and influence the atmosphere of the reception. Buffet style is more informal; plated meals are a bit fancier; family style encourages sharing. Read about the different food service styles to select your preferred wedding catering choice.
- Buffet: Caterers can drop off prepared foods for a DIY and budget-friendly buffet option where you set everything up and food is entirely self-service. For a fuller-service buffet, the caterers set up food, oversee the buffet throughout the event, and clean up afterwards. For food only, prices per person might average $16-$18, while a service buffet may start around $20-$22 per person. Adding food stations can increase per-person costs by at least $3-$5.
- Family style: Servers bring large platters of food to guest tables in courses. It's less formal (and less expensive) than a plated meal, but more formal and higher-cost than a buffet. You'll need large tables to accommodate the platters, so plan accordingly when renting furniture for the event.
- Plated: A plated event is a formal dining experience; waitstaff serve your seated guests for each course, fill their drinks, and attend to them throughout the dinner. A plated dinner is typically the most expensive option for both food and service.
- Food trucks: Similar to buffets, with food trucks your guests get their own food and bring it to their table. A food truck gives a relaxed and playful vibe to your reception.
- Cocktail reception: If you don't want a formal seated dinner, you can opt for a wide assortment of passed appetizers at an extended cocktail hour reception.


text:
deano6410 necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 47 diseños de 9 diseñadores freelance.
Be as edgy, creative, innovative or different as you wish. There are no boundaries here. Throw the rule book out of the window.
I am looking for a creative and edgy logo and blog header image that I can use at http://deanhunt.com/
The blog is focused on: marketing, success, & internet business
Currently it just uses a plain red background in the header as seen here: http://deanhunt.com/wp-content/them…itlebg.gif
Same dimensions should be kept: 850 x160 I am looking for an image that I can use to replace that as my blog header.
Red is the main colour of my blog, black and white seem to also go fairly well.
I also have this weird branding thing of the "killer bunnies" - http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h…orldbq.gif
Incorporate something killer bunny related if you wish (not required)
Remember, my blog focuses on being edgy, creative and different to the rest. I want people to see the logo/header and NEVER forget it. I want it burned into their minds ;-)
This is your chance to have some fun, there are no boundaries here.
Summary: 850 x160 header image, with the logo incorporated into it. Please also provide the logo image as a separate file.
- 850 x 160 header image (ideally under 40kb)
- Actually, the 850 width is essential, the height is variable.
- Separate logo image (standard size is fine)
- See current blog theme for color palette ideas. But red, white or black may be best suited
- Design MUST be memorable. I don't want to see anything generic. Go wild, honestly, I challenge you to surprise me. Heck, make it a moving image if you want, whatever you think will make it memorable.
- The marketing world has a bit of a dirty image at times, so I don't want anything like a pile of cash, a sports car, or any of the other annoying stuff related to that industry.
- Generic designs or copied designs
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
It was more than Liu Xiaobo's chair that was empty at Thursday's Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. What was also on display to the world was China's lack of a new approach to media that goes beyond its decades-old approach of controlling through denial and suppression.
On the global stage provided in Oslo, China showed itself in 2010 to be no more advanced than China under Mao in the 1950s. And this from a country with more people now online than there are in all of the United States's population, as Chinese journalists increasingly assert their rights to cover news and not fear intimidation, and with new digital platforms like increasingly smart mobile phones that can circumvent censors' controls. That the part of China's bureaucracy committed to controlling news and information could come up with nothing more than a blackout of the award ceremony in Oslo and shrill denunciations shows what level China is playing at, and it's not all that high.
The ideologically hard-line bureaucrats at the Central Propaganda Department had prepared no counter-messages. Despite months of advance warning, they had come up with no way of disarming what was, for their country, an international public relations disaster. Their attempt at launching their own counter-Nobel ceremony--the Confucius Peace Prize, awarded to former Taiwanese Vice President Lien Chan, who declined to show up, and said he hadn't been informed that he had won--was, by all reports, a sad, ad hoc affair with a 6-year-old girl accepting the award. A young girl: Was she supposed to represent the country's hopes and aspirations for a peaceful future? Or was she used as an innocuous innocent, one sure not to say anything that would further distress the government? Given the paucity of the rest of the government's response to Liu's award, it seems safe to assume she represented the level of media awareness at which the government wants to keep the rest of her countrymen.
The people who control China's media and the people who give them the orders to do so came up with nothing broader or wiser than to repeatedly denounce Liu as a criminal, ramp up a crackdown on dissident voices, and denounce the Nobel committee as "clowns" and accuse them of "orchestrating an anti-China farce." China's greatest success in Oslo, for what it was worth, was to put the diplomatic squeeze on a few partners of convenience--19 countries did not attend the ceremony, apparently under pressure from China's Foreign Ministry.
This approach comes from people who are capable of an annual display of national military and economic prowess every May Day. People who control an economy that is bringing increasing wealth to more people at a faster rate than ever seen before anywhere in the world. From a country that has already stepped up to assume a major role in world events.
But they are also the people who could come up with no other response to the criticisms of their country by Liu Xiaobo than to send him to prison for a 11 years and do everything in their power from letting their countrymen know about it. For all its growing power, China is a country that is running out of new ideas.


text:
Q: My stream is already accumulating algae! Is there anything I can use to help clean it up?
Kate – Grove City, OH
A: Yep: It's algae time! As the spring sunshine melts away ice and snow, the sun's warmth and light reach underwater to give algae growth a little nudge along. When combined with all the extra leaves (also known as algae food!) that have blown in on windy days and a filtration system that isn't up to snuff with bacteria, they create a perfect environment for algae accumulation.
So how do you get rid of it when water temps are too cold for bacteria and traditional algaecides?
Step 1: Spring Cleaning
If you haven't already, consider doing a spring cleanout and starting fresh. Check out this blog post for step-by-step instructions for preparing for and giving your pond a thorough spring cleaning. If you've already gotten dirty this season, however, and have found that the algae is unwilling to give up its happy home, move on to step 2.
Step 2: Oxy-Lift™ Defense® to the Rescue
For controlling stubborn algae, pull out your Oxy-Lift™ Defense® pond cleaner. The product's ingredients have no temperature restrictions, so you don't have to wait for warmer weather to treat the green nuisance. Simply turn off your stream and, while the algae-covered rocks are still wet, sprinkle on the Oxy-Lift™ powder. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Before long, you'll see the algae bubble and break free from the rock. Then turn the stream back on, and use a hand net to scoop out the debris or allow your filter to catch it.
Of course, don't forget to stick to the basics—particularly as pond season kicks off! Keep your filter running and add the natural bacteria once temperatures are suitable to keep algae growth under control.
Pond Talk: What's your favorite spring cleaning tool to use in the water garden?
Filed under: Algae Control, Pond Cleanouts, Water Gardens & Features | Tagged: oxy-lift, Oxy-Lift Defense, Pond Logic Oxy-Lift Defense, removing algae from rocks, removing algae from streams, removing algae from waterfalls, stream, string algae, Waterfall |


text:
ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:
For further information please see the
Terms of use are available at http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/studies/4245/terms
AVAILABLE. This study is freely available to ICPSR member institutions.


text:
Some things aren't as they appear
Contractor tip of the month
By Damian Lang
Do you take work from contractors or customers who you know, in the past, have been problematic contractors? We recently have and are now paying the price by currently fighting frivolous back charges from general contractors totaling around $70,000. Mostly this stems from the GCs taking on work too cheap, and then trying to make it up on the backs of their sub-contractors through unfair back charges. I am embarrassed to say that we suspicioned these were problematic contractors up front, and yet, we chose to do their work to keep our people busy. Now, all we can do is file lawsuits, or suffer the losses we set ourselves up to incur.
I recently played a prank on my youngest daughter, Rachel. I realize now it isn't much different than what we deal with in business, only real con artists play for keeps.
On a camping trip, my friend, Wolf Man, and I took Rachel and her friend snipe hunting. As I was told 40 years ago, we explained that a snipe is a little furry bird to catch at night and play with. The girls were excited. We told them to get black trash bags and put a hot dog in them for bait to catch the snipes. It was dusk when we walked them to the nearby woods. We told them to hold the bags open close to the ground and wait for the snipes to run in after the hot dogs. They stood there holding their bags as Wolf Man and I rustled the snipe.
We yelled, "Get out snipes!" When we got back to the girls, they had not caught any. Showing them how much we wanted to help, we checked their bait (secretly tearing pieces of the hot dogs off and even dropping a potato that Wolf Man had chewed on in one bag). We left them and headed back to the camper, believing they would soon come running back.
Thirty minutes and a couple of beers later, these fearless girls remained waiting. Wolf Man and I went back out with sheets over us to scare them back to the campers. When we sneaked around the bank, Rachel asked, "What are the sheets for; you trying to scare us, Dad?"
Wolf Man said, "No, these sheets are so the snipes won't recognize us." The girls became leery, so I told them to check their bags. They saw the hot dogs and a potato were chewed.
"What's this potato doing in here?" Rachel asked. Wolf Man said, "The snipes will take food from campsites and put it in bags." Rachel replied, "Then they have to be out here as they have been in my bag!"
Rachel's friend was ready to give up, so we all went back to the camper, where Rachel tried to recruit her older sisters and another friend to go back out. It was then that all the girls started texting their friends and questioning snipe hunting. Shortly thereafter, the hunt was over! The next time Rachel goes snipe hunting, I figure she will be taking her own prey.
Rachel learned that you can't believe everything you hear, and, before you spend a lot of time on something, it's best to do a little research to see if it's worth your time. I learned something, too. If my business had followed our instincts instead of chasing after something that we doubted, we wouldn't have to go to court to get money that is rightfully ours.
The work we did for the problem customers was just like that sneaky snipe Rachel was trying to catch: fun while it lasted, but a letdown in the end. Rachel trusted what I told her about snipe hunting. My business put more trust in problematic customers than we should have. In business, you should only work for contractors who have proven trustworthy. If not, you are setting yourself up for a loss before the project starts. And now, I have about as good of a chance getting all my money as Rachel did catching that snipe.
About the Author
Damian Lang is a mason contractor in southeast Ohio and inventor of many labor saving masonry systems and products. Lang has served as the Marketing Committee Chairman for the Mason Contractors Association of America. He is also author of the book Rewarding and Challenging Employees for Profits in Masonry. To network with Damian on contractor tips or tips you have and would like published, contact him at email@example.com or 740-749-3512.


text:
Bluebird - Symbol
April 16, 2015
Throughout the world and throughout the ages, the bluebird has been viewed as a beautiful symbol of happiness, cheerfulness and joy. Considered a messenger of love and a harbinger of wonderful things to come, the bluebird seems to be attached to a wealth of uplifting sentiments. This small, delicate bird is a welcome sight, heralding prosperity, good fortune, good health, new birth and springtime's renewal.


text:
Ku Klux Klan Secrets Exposed
eBook (ePub)
Price: $2.99
The Library of Alexandria is an independent small business publisher. We specialize in bringing back to live rare, historical and ancient books. This includes manuscripts such as: classical fiction, philosophy, science, religion, folklore, mythology, history, literature, politics and sacred texts, in addition to secret and esoteric subjects, such as: occult, freemasonry, alchemy, hermetic, shamanism and ancient knowledge. Our books are available in both print and as digital books. All of our books have been revived by being scanned by people who have passion for knowledge. By purchasing this book you are helping restoring a piece of history for many generations to come to enjoy the fine ancient knowledge that is made available through our modern technology. We sincerely hope you enjoy these treasures in the form of digital books.
Available in ePub Format
Ratings & ReviewsLog in to review this item
There are no reviews for the current version of this product
There are no reviews for previous versions of this product
Product Details
- 9781465500335
- Copyright
- Library of Alexandria (Standard Copyright License)
- Published
- September 20, 2011
- Language
- English
- File Format
- ePub
- File Size
- Product ID
- 17269059
Formats for this Ebook
|Required Software
|Any ePub Reader
|Supported Devices
|Windows PC/PocketPC, Mac OS, Linux OS, Apple iPhone/iPod Touch... (See More)
|# of Devices
|Flowing Text / Pages
|Flowing Text
|Learn more about ebook formats and e-readers
Your notification has been sent
Lulu Staff has been notified of a possible violation of the terms of our Membership Agreement. Our agents will determine if the content reported is inappropriate or not based on the guidelines provided and will then take action where needed.
Thank you for notifying us. We will email you with the results and/or actions taken as a result of the investigation if you chose to receive confirmation.
We were unable to complete your request.
We were unable to complete your request.
Age Verification
The page you are attempting to access contains content that is not intended for underage readers.
Please verify your birth date to continue.


text: At Chimons, we are always on the look out for highly skilled and dedicated people who can share in our vision. We understand that the ability of company to be successful depends to a large extent on human resources. As we are a company positioned for the future, we attract, motivate and retain individuals who have the required skills and knowledge to work with the Chimons team.


text:
U.S. Vice President Biden Visits Pratt & Whitney Facility in Singapore
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visited Eagle Services Asia, Pratt & Whitney's Singapore-based engine overhaul facility, on July 27, while touring the country as part of a six-day trade and diplomatic trip that also included a stop in India earlier in the week.
During his visit, company officials escorted Biden on a tour of the facility, which is the company's center of excellence for PW4000 engine overhaul. Both parties later discussed the Asia-Pacific region's importance in the aviation industry and highlighted how Pratt & Whitney's presence in Singapore enables the company to remain competitive and reinvest in innovative technology.
"Hosting Vice President Biden and showcasing this world-class facility was an honor and a privilege," said William Kircher, vice president, Singapore Overhaul and Repair, and president, UTC Aerospace Singapore. "In addition to demonstrating how we support our growing customer base in the region, this visit allowed us to discuss the significant investments being made throughout the company's global operations as we prepare for the production ramp up of our game-changing PurePower® and F135 engines."
In introducing Vice President Biden to a crowd of 300 employees, dignitaries and local business representatives, Kircher explained how the Asia-Pacific region is a rapidly growing segment in aviation. According to a recent Boeing forecast, airlines in the region will need 12,820 new airplanes, valued at $1.9 trillion, over the next 20 years. The number of airplanes in the Asia Pacific fleet will nearly triple to 14,750 airplanes in 2032.
"Singapore's thriving aerospace industry is mutually beneficial for Singapore, for the United States, and for Pratt & Whitney," said Kircher. "It's good for Singapore because Singapore is a hub for U.S. exports and investment. A presence in this market benefits the United States because companies can compete in the global marketplace and reinvest domestically in innovation and creating new technology."
"And it's good for Pratt & Whitney because it enables us to maintain our competitive stake in the industry by performing the right work in the right places … close to our customers where we can meet their needs conveniently and with cost-effective products and services," he said.
While in Singapore, the vice president spoke about economic opportunities in the region, including the importance of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Singapore's role as a hub for U.S. exports and investment.


text:
Enter the e-mail address associated with the account.
We'll e-mail a link to reset your password.
or continue with
Select User Type
Lariana Cellars is located in Osoyoos, BC, Canada which is a part of the Okanagan Valley.
Member Since 2019
Thoughtful thoughts to your inbox
*We Never Send Spam


text:
Reverse DNS lookups (rdns, revdns), forward DNS lookups (fdns),
mx record lookups, DNS record lookups (dnslookup), IP to country
geolocation, and IP to US city geolocation-- please understand we do
our best to provide accuracy but we can guarantee nothing.
Lookup Server provides these services free of charge with no
expressed or implied warranty as to their accuracy. Reverse DNS
check, forward dns check, and our other services simply request
publicly available network information and relay it to the visitor.
DNS information, in particular, can and does change with time.
Our Geolocation services are provided via a 3rd party database,
we have no knowledge as to its level of accuracy. This product includes
GeoLite data created by MaxMind, available from http://maxmind.com/
Lookup Server


text:
A New Westminster woman and her mother are heading to London today [Wednesday], hoping to see Kate and William in an open carriage for the Royal Wedding next week.
"I'm excited. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity," Victoria Hatch said Tuesday about the wedding, which takes place in eight days [as of Wednesday].
They don't have official invites, but plan to be among the throng lining the streets near Westminster Abbey.
"I want to see the processional," she said. "Then we're going to Buckingham Palace to watch the couple wave off the balcony."
The queen will also appear with the bride and groom on the balcony at 1:30 p.m. London time, according to Hatch, who turned 40 Tuesday.
She and her mother, Elizabeth, began discussing the trip when Prince William and Kate Middleton became engaged last year.
"We're huge royalists," said Hatch, who was born in Scotland and moved to Coquitlam with her family 36 years ago.
She now has three young children, aged 12, seven and three, and works as a behavioural consultant.
Her husband volunteered to look after the kids while she and her mother are in London, where they plan to stay with relatives.
Hatch recalls watching Princess Diana's wedding on TV at 3 a.m. 30 years ago, but the trip to see the wedding of Prince William and Kate will be a dream come true, she said.
"Ever since William was born, I've always said when he gets married I'm going to London," Hatch recalled.
The Royal Wedding on April 29 will begin at 10 a.m. London time and will last four hours.
It will be shown live on the royal YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/TheRoyalChannel
The wedding celebration will include the couple's journey to and from Westminster Abbey, the wedding service, the balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace and the fly past of Royal Air Force and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
Details are on the official Royal Wedding website: www.officialroyalwedding2011.org.
Prince William is the elder son of The Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales. He was born on June 21, 1982, at St Mary's Hospital in London. He is known as William, the Prince of Wales.
Kate Middleton is the daughter of Carole and Michael Middleton, who are self-made millionaires from a mail-order party business.
They are expected to fork out 100,000 pounds sterling for the wedding.
Miss Catherine Middleton, as she is known before the wedding, is considered one of the most beautiful royals in recent history.
A recent Daily Mail survey found she ranked just slightly ahead of William's mother.
Britons who took part in the survey found Prince Harry slightly better looking than William, maybe because he's still a bachelor.


text:
Although Sony's rootkit fiasco was arguably the most harmful bit of DRM to ever come from Big Content, the MediaMax copy protection software deployed on other Sony discs also caused problems for consumers. Sony is looking for closure over the MediaMax ordeal by suing The Amergence Group, Inc., the company responsible for creating MediaMax when it was still known as SunnComm.
Unlike the rootkit, which was designed to be all but undetectable, version 5 of the MediaMax DRM software caused problems for users with a security vulnerability of its own. When installed on users' PCs, it opened a door through which malware writers could compromise a Windows-based PC. After being apprised of the vulnerability by security researchers, Sony and SunnComm released a patch, which was in turn condemned by Princeton computer science professor Ed Felton as also being insecure.
Sony's lawsuit against the The Amergence Group accuses it of violating its licensing agreement with Sony by releasing software that "did not perform as warranted." According to a copy of the complaint seen by The Hollywood Reporter, Amergence also stands accused of unfair business practices and negligence by Sony, which seeks $12 million in damages and court costs.
In the wake of the MediaMax disaster, SunnComm pledged to change some of its business practices. In addition to compiling a "complete list" of all discs released with the faulty versions of MediaMax, SunnComm also pledged to not install its software without the express consent of end users and to provide uninstallers for all versions of the MediaMax software.
The faulty MediaMax DRM was covered by a legal settlement under which Sony agreed to stop using both the XCP rootkit and MediaMax DRM, issue a recall for all affected discs (as many as 4 million discs were shipped with MediaMax during 2005), and of course, pay attorneys' fees. Separate cases brought by the attorneys general of California and Texas were settled late last year.
In addition to giving Sony a giant black eye, the DRM fiascos also cost the entertainment giant tens of millions of dollars in recall-related costs and legal fees. Sony is hoping to recover some of its outlay from The Amergence Group, which described Sony's charges as "unwarranted allegations" in a statement given to the Reporter.
Given SunnComm's actions after the problems with MediaMax surfaced, the company is likely to have a difficult time making the argument that it is not in some way liable for the costs Sony incurred from incorporating the software. Of course, Sony could have avoided the whole problem by foregoing DRM on its discs, but the music industry has demonstrated a steep learning curve when it comes to the effect of DRM.


text:
Moderators: JohnV, Arron, garym
Dennis_dw wrote:I went to the doctor yesterday.
He said that all of the symptoms that are listed above are vague, that it's about every symptom there is. That they all could be from hyperventilation/stress/anxiety/BFS that it is hard to diagnose any of those conditions, that there are a lot of quacks that try to exploit it and claim to have a cure or therapy. That it is going to cost a lot of time and money and probably won't help a thing. That it's probably something I am just am going to have to learn to live with. That I could go and visit every type specialist there is. That an endocrinologist won't be happy to see me if there is absolutely nothing wrong with my blood. So next Wednesday I need to take a sober blood analysis if something is out of the ordinary that I should go and see one. As for the candida he seriously doubts it, he says that I could take a colonoscopy but where will all of this end…
Too be honest I can live with the fasciculation's its irritating but nothing more, the same goes for the muscle cramps and all the other little symptoms. But the heart palpitations and cramps make me paranoid even though a cardiologist said that my heart is perfectly fine and that it has been monitored a whole night while I was feeling them a few months back, I really want to know the source of this problem rather than taking Xanax or any other garbage. For the cramps I'm not even sure that it is even my heart.
If I think about it, it could be that I am under a little stress knowing that my contract at works ends the 10 of June. That I need to move out of my apartment one of these weeks to live with my mom. That I need to save every € because in a few months (probably January) I am leaving everything behind to go backpacking the other side of the world. Still I had these problems when I wasn't under stress like: In the middle of a vacation, I also didn't have them in the Christmas periods when things where crazy at work. Most people say that it is anxiety, hypochondria or an obsession with my heath that it is probably the way of my body saying that I am under pressure. And I wish I could believe them but it's just too random, I can eat healthy for months and be in a low stress situation and still have it…
Sure if you see me explain it like this it looks like I have been going to a doctor every other week but knowing that all of that is in 2 years I wouldn't call it an obsession. It's just that I feel like everyone eighter thinks I am crazy or I'm making things up or want some attention or whatever. It's frustrating if someone could just give me an answer I would leave it alone and move on.
SecretAgentMan wrote:Dennis_dw,
Yes, all of this is fantastic and probably difficult to believe at this point. Furthermore, why am I going into Dr. Popps work and the RV study? My point is that there is more to your health and well-being than the chemistry composition of your blood and the ecosystem of your gut along with a long list of other physical things. There is a very real aspect to the energy system that acupuncture works with. You may want to look into it. There are many various forms of energy based medicine techniques beyond just acupuncture. Acupuncture happens to be one of the most popular, common, and accepted. Unfortunately the field that studies this aspect of our health is far less funded and popular than the pharmaceutical areas. That's where all the money is. So as a result you will have a lot more variety depending on the background of each particular doctor. Good luck.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests


text:
You are about to enter a website that may contain content of an adult nature.
Hello everyone, this is Indian cam girl Violette19 here. I'm 19 year old Female speak English in the Indian live sex chat action. ***** COOL LATVIAN COLLEGE GIRL 19 y/o that loves showing her perfect tits, cool ass and tiny pussy! RATE FOR ME PLS, and ILL SURPRISE U :))). IM COOL AND NAUGHTY COLLEGE GIRL 19 y/o that loves showing her perfect tits, cool ass and tiny pussy!. COME IN AND GET CRAZY WITH ME IN MY SHOW...I CAN GO TO THE LIMITS WITH YOU DEAR... XOXOXO is my expertise and also what I will do in Indian live sex private show. I have Brown eyes, Long Brown hairs and my measurements are 38-26-38. For Turn ons: BE WATCHED WHILE PLAYING WITH MY SELF...mmmmm...JU ST THINKING OF THIS DRIVES ME CRAZY!!!. For TurnsOff: Rude guys:(. If you prefer kinks, then Piercings,Tattoos,Shaved, are mine. I'm just hungry for a HARD cock, can't wait to see u in my Indian webcam sex chat room! :)
Show more models
This website contains indian cams, desi cam, free hindi chat and tamil sex chat related sexually explicit content.
You must be at least 18 years of age to enter this website. © Since 2012 myindiansexcams.com Indian Sex Chat Network All Rights Reserved
AllHosts1 - AllHosts2 - AllHosts3 - AllHosts4 - AllHosts5 - AllHosts6 - AllHosts7 - AllHosts8 - AllHosts9 - AllHosts10 - AllHosts11 - AllHosts12


text:
No storms club 2019 'season'
Another Kent clipper, in Storms & Severe Weather Discussion
Recommended Posts
Latest Weather News
A colder weekend in the north with snow. More gales and unwelcome rain for wet and wild February
Read the full update here
More Rain In The Forecast For Areas That Don't Want It
Staying unsettled for the foreseeable future, with more rain on the way, heavy and persistent at times in the north and west, same areas affected by flooding. Often windy too, with gales possible. Read the full update here
Our picks
Winter Forecast Issued
Netweather forecasts posted a topic in Latest weather updates from Netweather,The Netweather long range forecast for Winter 2019 / 2020 has been issued.
- 0 replies
December 2019 C.E.T. and EWP forecast contests -- start of the 2019-2020 competition year
Roger J Smith posted a topic in Weather Discussion - Winter,Get your entries in for the December CET competition - the first one of the 2019/2020 competition year!
- 327 replies
Teleconnections - Interactions and Impact
Blessed Weather posted a topic in Weather Discussion - Winter,Track the teleconnections, their impacts and their interactions this Autumn and Winter.
- 110 replies
NOAA satellite images decoded. Daily images.
BurntFishTrousers posted a topic in Weather Discussion - Winter,Recently posted in the Hurricane Lorenzo thread some NOAA satellite images I was able to receive with a decent 137Mhz antenna and some decoding software. People were doing this sort of thing way back 15-20 years ago, but you don't see many images posted nowadays. It's still quite cool!
- 48 replies
What are these clouds?
Climate Man posted a question in Weather and Meteorology Q&A,I took the following pictures in the Alps at the end of September. I am not a great expert on clouds and wonder if someone can help with information about the type?
- 1 reply
Recently Browsing 0 members
No registered users viewing this page.


text:
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Tween Craft: Squid Eraser Pencil Toppers
Here is one more quick and easy tween craft to share with you today, also made entirely by my resident tween artist in residence, my now 11-year-old "E." She made these last year when she was 10 but I never got a chance to share them with you here on the blog. "E" loves all things squids and snails. She whipped these up one afternoon and I thought they were so clever. She has the best ideas, I'm sure you'll be reading her blog soon enough, I should just let her take over this one for me!
Labels: Back To School, Colored Pencils, Tween Craft
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Tween Craft: Paper Squid Origami Party Invitations
My resident, 11 year old "tween" daughter, "E" loves squids and ocean life.
She hopes to study Marine Biology someday. She is also an artist and loves Origami.
One of her favorite, go-to websites for Origami is Origami Club.
She found the pattern for her Origami Squids there.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
PaddlePak by Trunki Water Resistant Backpack for Kids Review and Giveaway #LoveTrunki #sponsored #paddlepakUS #TrunkiUS
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.I received compensation for this post. As always, all opinions expressed are my own and truthful.
The girls and I squealed out loud when we opened our brand new
Purple Octopus PaddlePak from our friends at Trunki. How cute is he?! We LOVE it!!!
This ADORABLE water resistant backpack is THE perfect waterproof pack for kids.
It is the perfect size backpack for kids to stuff in their wet swim suits, swim caps, goggles, pool toys,
and damp towels! Bonus, it's so cute, they'll actually want to wear it and carry their own stuff.
No more mom schlepping the gigantic pool bag!
Labels: Giveaway, Outdoor Fun, Preschool, School Age, Sponsors, Summer, Toddler
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Kid's Craft: How to Make Beautiful Flowers with Coffee Filters and Cupcake Liners
Tissue paper flowers are a classic childhood craft.
We made our own flowers for C's recent Fairy Garden-themed birthday party with supplies we had in the house: coffee filters and cupcake liners.
This colorful Spring craft would be perfect for Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day,
a Birthday Party, or Baby Shower celebration.
They are so simple to make that preschoolers can make them
but have enough wow factor that tweens can enjoy the project as well!
Labels: Birthday Parties, Create, Markers, Mother's Day, Paper Crafts, Preschool, School Age, Spring, Tissue Paper Fun, Tween Craft
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Child's Dish Garden Inspired by Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return #LegendsofOz #sponsored
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. As always, all opinions are my own and truthful.
My girls love the story of the Wizard of Oz and can't wait for the new movie,
Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return to come out in theaters on May 9th, 2014.
It is a 3-D animated musical based on the wonderful adventure books by Roger Stanton Baum, the great-grandson of L. Frank Baum. The movie is a continuation of one of the world's most popular and beloved fairy tales. Legends of Oz finds Dorothy (Lea Michele) waking to post-tornado Kansas, only to be whisked back to Oz to try to save her old friends Scarecrow (Dan Aykroyd), the Lion (Jim Belushi), the Tin Man (Kelsey Grammer) and Glinda (Bernadette Peters) from a creepy and devious new villain, the Jester (Martin Short). I have to say that clowns and jesters completely creep me out so kudos to the folks at Oz for picking a good villain!
New characters Wiser the Owl (Oliver Platt), Marshal Mallow (Hugh Dancy), China Princess (Megan Hilty) and Tugg the Tugboat (Patrick Stewart) join Dorothy on her latest magical journey
through the colorful landscape of Oz to restore order and happiness to the Emerald City.
Academy Award nominated singer/songwriter Bryan Adams wrote the songs for this family friendly-film.
The girls and I loved China Country in the new movie, Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return.
So, we used it as inspiration for our latest backyard fun project, a child's dish garden!
Labels: Backyard Fun, Create, Fairy, Play, Recycle Crafts, Sponsors, Spring
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
Blog Archive
- ▼ May (5)
- ► 2013 (74)
- ► 2012 (164)
- ► 2011 (152)
- ► 2010 (172)
- ► 2009 (161)


text:
Diseñadores de todas las partes del mundo están proponiendo diseños creativos a tpa_sunshine en la categoría de diseño logotipo - custom.
My blog is going to morph into a tech news website after a redesign of the template and additional content is added. The first step in this endeavor is to come up with a clean, fresh brand/logo for the site. My focus is web 2.0 news right now, but I really don't want the logo/reflection thing because I feel that is overdone and will soon be a dated look. I would prefer vector graphics for the logo.
Accepted File Formats:
vector graphics
My website, sarahintampa.com, is currently just a tech blog. However, over the next few months, I will be hiring a designer to create a new template for the site and I will be adding more content (like articles, reviews, and news) to the site so it becomes more of an online destination. I want "sarahintampa" (or "Sarah in Tampa") to be the text in the logo, which I plan on using throughout the site. I am extremely uncreative, so I'm looking for ideas as to how to make this into a cool logo, maybe even a brand. One of my favorite logos is the logo at GigaOM, just to give you an idea of what I like. My tagline will be "Tampa Girl Talks Tech" but I don't know if I would actually want that in the logo or not. Beyond that, I don't have any suggestions or requirements because I don't want to stifle the creativity out there!
UPDATE: now that I'm starting to see some of the entries, I'm forming some opinions about what I like. Greens & blues are good. Brighter colors. No black. More web 2.0-y. Thanks everyone for all the entries so far!
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
MetroPcs, Nets, Promote Literacy With Boys & Girls Club
Lopez has teamed up with the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem and MetroPCS to promote the importance of literacy and to encourage kids to read.
New Jersey Nets' star center Brook Lopez showed kids just how much fun books can be when he hosted a story hour for the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem to promote the importance of reading. Lopez will did an interactive reading of the children's classic, "Where the Wild Things Are," and then took photos with kids who attend this family literacy event at the MetroPCS Harlem store.
Lopez has teamed up with the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem and MetroPCS to promote the importance of literacy and to encourage kids to read. As part of its literacy programs, MetroPCS donated nearly $5,000 worth of books to Boys and Girls Clubs in Harlem and Queens to benefit the Clubs' Power Hour, an interactive after-school homework assistance program for kids ages six to 18.
The MetroPCS – Harlem store is located at 158-160 West 125th Street, New York, NY 10027.
Dallas-based MetroPCS Communications, Inc. is a provider of unlimited wireless communications service for a flat rate with no signed contract. MetroPCS is the fifth largest facilities-based wireless carrier in the United States based on number of subscribers served and has access to licenses covering a population of approximately 144 million people in many of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States. As of December 31, 2009, MetroPCS had over 6.6 million subscribers.
Please visit www.metropcs.com
Latest comments
- Ann GarrisonFebruary 22,2018 @ 08:03 PM
I think you have "Filtered HTML" turned on here. If you switch to "Full HTML," it will probably...
googletag.pubads().definePassback('6785150/BENN/BlackStarNews', [[300,250]]).setTargeting('fold',['BTF']).display();


text:
What's the difference between them? I found those on most graphics/game engine.
I searched around but still don't get it. Does the Scene Graph, Quadtree and Octtree the same? So what's with the scene manager? Is it the one who manages the Scene Graph, Quadtree, and Octree?
Thank you very much


text: There are many attractions in the Cairngorms National Park catering for all ages and all weathers. If its hot, cold or wet you are sure to find something to get up to, just looking through the range of local attractions and you will find that the area has some of the best known attractions in the Scottish Highlands. For family visitor attractions there is no better place than here in the Cairngorms National Park be it in the Aviemore, Angus Glens, Royal Deeside, Glenlivet or Atholl and Glenshee areas.


text:
H7250A/B-700 RF & Microwave Fundamentals Curriculum
6 Days | Classroom Training | Where & When | Advantages of Keysight Training
Audience: Technicians in the RF and microwave industry who need to learn the basics of RF and microwave technology.
Keysight's RF and Microwave Fundamentals Curriculum provides the basic test and measurement concepts and skills needed for working with RF and microwave technology. The curriculum will include basic connector care through the operation of spectrum and network analyzers and power and transmission theory.
What you will Learn
- Describe the basic concepts of connector care
- Operate Keysight 856x, 859x, or ESA series spectrum analyzers
- Operate 87xx series network analyzers
- Explain the basics of noise processes in devices
- Identify basic oscillator types
- Explain the need to enlarge the concept of simple hook-up wires to the more general theory of transmission lines
- Explain basic technology involved in making a RF and microwave power measurement
- None
- Connector Care
- RF & Microwave Basics
- Signal Generator & Source Basics
- Power Measurement Basics
- Introduction to Spectrum Analysis
- Introduction to Network Analysis
- Analyzer Calibration
- For complete course details, click on the brochure below
Where & When
|For more information
|call for price
|Call to Schedule
|+1 800 829-4444
|How to Enroll
Prices shown are list prices and are subject to change without notice. Terms & Conditions
Training & Event Materials
RF and Microwave Fundamentals Curriculum Overview
Data Sheet 2006-10-19


text:
June 2019
Link to pages
Create links from text to other pages in a page layout document.
Add inline objects
Place images, shapes, and equations inline in text boxes so they move with text.
And more
- Create books using new templates for novels (available in English only).
Get complete step-by-step instructions and information on all the features in Pages for iCloud.
March 2019
- Use the new table of contents view to easily navigate your document or book. Learn more
- View two pages side by side as you work.
- View and recover recently deleted files in the Document Manager.
- Show and hide the ruler using a new option.
November 2018
Offer your books for download or purchase on Apple Books. Learn more
September 2018
- Quickly add links to web pages and email addresses.
- Enhance your documents with a variety of new editable shapes.
June 2018
- Adjust shadows and backgrounds, and use rounded corners in column and bar charts.
- Enhance your documents with a variety of new editable shapes.
March 2018
- Make beautiful digital books using new book templates.
- Easily change paper size, page orientation, document margins, and more in the new document settings sidebar.
- Add an image gallery to view a collection of photos on the same page.
- Use donut charts to visualize data in an engaging new way.
- Enhance your documents with a variety of new editable shapes.
September 2017
- Redesigned document manager: open documents stored anywhere in iCloud Drive, easily find shared documents, and create nested folders.
June 2017
- Enhance your documents using a library of over 500 professionally drawn shapes. Learn more
- Reply to comments and join threaded conversations. Learn more
- Add linked text boxes so text easily flows from one place to another. Learn more
- Support for advanced image fill-in graphics.
- Insert and edit object connection lines.
- Export documents as fixed layout ePub books. Learn more
- The Stock and Currency functions now return data from the previous market day's close. Learn more
March 2017
- A simplified design gives you easy access to the tools you need.
- Open Rich Text Format (RTF) documents. Learn more
- Add gradient and image fills to graphics.
- New align and distribute options make it easier to position objects in your document.
- Use advanced line spacing options to adjust spacing between lines of text.
- Easily format your text by applying character styles.
- Preview older versions of your document before choosing which one to restore. Learn more
- New stock and currency functions provide up-to-date securities data in tables. Learn more
- Set dates, times, and currencies for your language or region when you create a document.
September 2016
- Support for real-time collaboration with Pages on Mac, iPad, and iPhone (feature in beta). Learn more
- Open and edit Pages '05 documents. Learn more


text:
KDE 4.0 Beta 2 Released, Codename "Cartoffel"
The KDE Community proudly presents the second Beta release for KDE
Since the libraries were frozen with the first beta, KDE developers have been adding features and functionality to their applications. Now it is time to start polishing these features; writing and translating documentation, improving the usability, and completing the artwork. As KDE 4.0 is feature-frozen now and going full on into bugfixing mode, major ideas and changes will be held off until KDE 4.1. However, some KDE components, such as Plasma, are exempt from this freeze and will still see significant
The info page has more information, including information on how to obtain KDE 4.0 Beta 2.
And thanks to everybody who helped to get this online ;-)
Those writing the code, obviously. And those who added stuff at http://techbase.kde.org/Schedules/KDE4/4.0_Announcements
A extra tnx! for Wade. Just because he's insane.
Re: THANKS
And I want to mention to everybody that:
And they could use some help. If you have time (no really skills needed, just some time and willingness) you can make a difference here.
Same with some other administrative stuff, we can use some help there as well.
And you want to write articles? magazines often ask us for ppl who want to write (it can even make you money), join [email protected] and offer help to those asking for it ;-)
Boy, there is so much non-coding work to do...
Re: THANKS
Come on, how hard is it to post and approve your article on the dot? There's no embedded images or anything...
By Navindra Umanee at Thu, 2007/09/06 - 5:00am
Re: THANKS
Aaah, indeed, a simple announcement isn't that hard. But a longer article is much more work than it should be -- again, from what I've seen...
Re: THANKS
Wait...is that officially a back-handed compliment, a compliment and an insult, or two compliments?
Irregardlessably, as I've stated in a recent blog entry, Jos did a great job of creating a thoughtful and detailed press release that puts other larger companies to shame.
Side note: We have screenshots and plenty of links; just remember that if you see a press release or story like this pointing to images or URLs on your server, don't be devious and replace the image with an elephant's butt or a goatse image.
Links and images are only useful if they stay up for some amount of time. If you don't want press releases or stories pointing to your images and therefore servers, please let us know. We may not have the Slashdot effect but we have the Dot effect.
By Wade Olson at Thu, 2007/09/06 - 5:00am
What's the quality intended to be for this release? Is it meant to be functional? The last beta, people complained that it was incomplete and non-functional, and they were told to stop whinging and that it wasn't *meant* to be complete or functional.
I'm quite happy to test this if it's actually beta quality, but I don't want to waste my time on something that isn't even supposed to work right yet. I am happy tracking down bugs, but want something that is actually operational. "Time to start polishing" and "significant improvements" could mean absolutely anything in this regard.
By Jim at Thu, 2007/09/06 - 5:00am
Re: Quality?
Some say it's basically usable. I wouldn't use it myself yet, but we're indeed close to usable already. Next beta will most likely be good for daily usage.
Re: Quality?
The quality is actually quite good: most applications don't crash anymore if you start them and the games and kde-edu are both really good.
One problem I have encountered is the "accelerated" bling: performance goes immediately down and I can almost put my finger on the screen to follow the mouse-pointer with my finger.
And I think it's really a pity that they (we?) didn't get raptor out of the door, so that console-challenged users still can get along without kicker: At the moment, there's simply no menu if you kill kicker.
Oh and for the whole fun of it, run
Starting strigidaemon (the same way) starts the indexer, (first time is slow!) which then enables you to search through stuff it has indexed (normally $HOME) using Alt+F2, too.
All in all I think it's a felicitous tech-preview of what can be expected in the next few months.
Stop! Did I say _tech_ preview? Oxygen is almost complete: although the window decorations are nowhere close to what they might become next week, the icon set seem to be almost finished - at least in dolphin and most other obvious places (don't start systemsettings or the window-effects-dialog if you're afraid of questionmark-icons :)
Get it, try it (no: don't use it fulltime, yet) and get busy making it better:
Get it.
By Tom Vollerthun at Thu, 2007/09/06 - 5:00am
Re: Quality?
> I'm quite happy to test this if it's actually beta quality
Applications from kdebase, kdegames, kdeedu, kdegraphics, kdesdk are, on the whole, functional and stable enough to be worth testing. The window manager works, I haven't used it extensively.
The desktop itself (including the panel) is still way behind where it needs to be. The widget style and window decoration still need work, you will probably find it easier to use one of the ported KDE 3 styles for the time being.
By Robert Knight at Thu, 2007/09/06 - 5:00am
Re: Quality?
Sorry, I don't have an answer for you, but your question was very good and just wanted to let you know. I felt exactly the same.
I used the beta-versions of previous releases often long before release in my production environment. And know I downloaded two Live CD and even there, most applications won't even start.
I am very sorry, I could not help test kde4 'til now.
By thorsten at Mon, 2007/09/10 - 5:00am
Why not Kartoffel (german word for potato) ?
By Benoit Jacob at Thu, 2007/09/06 - 5:00am
Re: typo?
because this is what everyone would expect... :-)
By MS at Thu, 2007/09/06 - 5:00am
Re: typo?
it's a joke we came up with in a kartoffelhaus one night over dinner and brainstorming about names for betas. it was suggested that kartoffel was an great name, and the follow up suggestion was to misspell it with a 'c' as a self-referential jab at our historical k-ification.
this is what happens when you get a bunch of geeks together thinking of code names for stuff. ;)
"one night in darmstadt and the world's your kartoffel..."
By Aaron Seigo at Thu, 2007/09/06 - 5:00am
Re: typo?
I love it! Spelling it with a 'c' is going make all the K hating trolls (Slasdot trolls, not the Norwegian trolls ;) go up in flames...or something :p
By Joergen Ramskov at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Re: typo?
I think in Rome C was pronounced K in Latin.
By reihal at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Re: typo?
Uh,well... not really!
By ZIOLele at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Re: typo?
Hmm... What about the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire?
By reihal at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Re: typo?
Hmmm... What about the ruler of Imperial Russia, who saw themselves as the legitimate inheritants of the Eastern Roman Empire? Derived from Caesar, it was the Tsar, not the Kar.
By Emperor at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Re: typo?
Ok... but lets leave Charlemagne out of this.
By reihal at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Re: typo?
No, on second thoughts, lets do the reverse.
May I propose that the last KDE 4 RC be codenamed "Karl" in honor of
By reihal at Mon, 2007/09/10 - 5:00am
Re: typo?
Yes, you spotted the typo! You win a beautiful Lounge Suite!
And they pronounced it Kaisar!
By reihal at Mon, 2007/09/10 - 5:00am
Re: typo?
"The first duty of a man is the seeking after and the investigation of truth."
By reihal at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Re: typo?
It really depends on the dialect. Classical latin (the one I learned in highschool) is always a hard C (like in cake). The other dialect (the name escapes me) has a soft C in some circumstances.
By Soap at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Re: typo?
English perhaps?
By reihal at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Re: typo?
It's quite common in all languages derevied from Latin (+ English, which is just a Nethergerman/Norse mix with fancy words, ironically imported from the always behated French) that c before a, o, u and other consonant is pronounced k, while c before e i and y is pronounced as a what you call "soft" (s/sh-like or guttural). I'd be happy to know about words of latin languages that break this rule, I cant think of any myself.
New desktop
Is that the new desktop?
Definitely have to try it when it's out. :-)
Looks interesting.
By Axl at Thu, 2007/09/06 - 5:00am
You always see this rotated green/grass image on the plasma desktop. I wonder what it is good for. And even more interesting: Can you do that to any plasmoid? That would be really great if I could freely rotate things...
By Michael at Thu, 2007/09/06 - 5:00am
Re: Rotation
> rotated green/grass image on the plasma desktop
we're working on standardized resize and rotate for objects, yes.
By Aaron Seigo at Thu, 2007/09/06 - 5:00am
Re: Rotation
When you say "objects" you mean plasmoids or any kind of object that lies on the desktop. The idea of this rotated/resized image would be great for open windows if they could be rotated on the z axis. Then you have a practical way to leave open windows on the desktop that don't take much space but you can still see what each one of them is.
By Nick L. at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Re: Rotation
Aaron's talking about Plasmoids - rotating windows is not within the area of competence of the Plasma application. That said, kwin could rotate windows on any axis you want right now, it just wouldn't be particularly useful, as X does not yet have generic support for input transformations, i.e. translating input events into a transformed (rotated) windows' reference frame. Work on this is ongoing in the X.org project, and will eventually land on your desktop. And KDE 4 will have the technological infrastructure to make use of it.
Right now, you can look at Mandriva's "Metisse" environment for a case-specific implementation of an OpenGL-based composited desktop with support for input transformations to get a feel for what it enables.
By Eike Hein at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Just a short question:
Which popular icon-themes and widget-themes from kde-look.org etc. will be included into KDE 4 (maybe to replace some not-so-popular and outdated icon- and widget-Themes)?
If the answer is "we do not intend to include any community work from kde-look.org" then the question is "why?".
By Max at Thu, 2007/09/06 - 5:00am
Re: Themes
"If the answer is "we do not intend to include any community work from kde-look.org" then the question is "why?"."
Well most likely the reason would be that none of them are made for KDE4 (as in the widget themes are KDE3 themes and the icons don't use the new FD.o naming spec).
Note: I haven't looked at kde-look.org to check, and I have no clue whether anything from kde-look.org is being included or not so, as well as having nothing to do with any of that stuff.
By Sutoka at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Re: Themes
> Which popular icon-themes and widget-themes from kde-look.org etc. will be included into KDE 4
I can't provide you will a full list, but for one, the very popular "Nuvola" icon set has joined the kdeartwork module.
> If the answer is "we do not intend to include any community work from kde-look.org"
That's definitely not the answer. After all, essentially all of KDE is made up of community contributions, in a way: It's a community-driven project.
By Eike Hein at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Re: Themes
Nuvola has always been my favorite :) Something simple and easy about it.
By Samuel Weber at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Re: Themes
I've actually seen a couple on kde-look myself.
All those styles are KDE4 ones... and I dont see why a couple of them cant be included as "lightweight" alternatives to oxygen. I especially like "float". Its nice a polished, and would be a great addition to the default list.
On the icon side, I think crystal-project has a good case for inclusion. It just doesn't seem like KDE without a crystal icon theme! :)
Oh, and the mockup style on the Crystal Project screenshot looks mad :)
By lexxonnet at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Re: Themes
Float and Bespin both looked pretty nice to me. Apparently Bespin is based off the old Oxygen code that got replaced, so it is somewhat similar.
By matt at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
confusing links to 3.9x info pages
This article's "The _info page_ has more information" links to http://www.kde.org/info/3.93.php. It took me a while to realize that a 3.9x release is in fact a 4.0 beta, I think this will confuse other n00bs. Could the 3.93 info page say in big letters that it's effectively 4.0 beta 2, and maybe explain the numbering scheme?
Also, the Download section of the left-hand navigation on info pages like http://www.kde.org/info/ only has a link for "KDE 4.0 Beta1", maybe replace that with "KDE 40 Beta 2".
By skierpage at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
openSUSE packages
I've tried to install the openSUSE packages from http://en.opensuse.org/KDE4, but many plasma applets don't load. It seams I'm missing the libplasma_*.so libraries. Can someone tell me which package contains those for openSUSE? They sure splitted the packages a lot: http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/KDE:/KDE4/openSUSE_10.2/i586/ :-|
By Diederik van de... at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Re: openSUSE packages
you gotta ask the suse ppl about this...
By Jos Poortvliet at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Re: openSUSE packages
Some mix up with the kdebase split and Plasma and Kicker (not yet completely) being removed happened in Beta 2: some parts of Plasma like the tasks data engine, which is used by the taskbar plasmoid, still depend on Kicker parts (actually Kicker is still started behind Plasma). When you build from SVN kicker gets build but due to a bug it doesn't anymore in the official Beta 2 kdebase-workspace release tarball from which the current openSUSE packages were built. Next week these problems will be fixed in the openSUSE packages.
By Beineri at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
could not start kstartupconfig.check your instal..
hi, i got a mandriva spring (2007.1). i have updated kde from the kde mirror from beta 1 to beta 2, but when i start the session i receive this message and i can't access the desktop. what can i do?
By killer at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Re: could not start kstartupconfig.check your inst
You gotta ask the mandriva ppl about this...
By Jos Poortvliet at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Re: could not start kstartupconfig.check your instal..
I´ve installed KDE4 Beta1 using meta packages from Yast (Suse), and i used the kde4 like a charm. But when i updated to KDE4 Beta 2 i prompted for this error too, when using the same user from beta 1 session. I created a new user too. Did you found any trick for workaround or fix this? thanks in advance.
By Jose Carlos at Fri, 2007/09/21 - 5:00am
broken link in the release announcement
Not sure where to report this but there's a broken link in the release announcement:
"...the KDE Remote Desktop Client is finished as well. Making use of libraries ensures the..."
the 'libraries' link goes to: http://libnvserver.sourceforge.net/ which is broken, I think it should be http://libvncserver.sourceforge.net/
Apologies for this very minor nitpick.
Cheers for all your hard work everyone :-)
By lanroth at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Re: broken link in the release announcement
Fixed, thanks.
By Sebastian Kügler at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Live CD - Beta2
By Cougar at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am
Re: Live CD - Beta2
Thanks a lot for your work. Isn't it possible to make a torrent though? would be great.
By ryukendo000 at Fri, 2007/09/07 - 5:00am


text:
Confessions of a Sinner
A version of this article appears in the March/April 2009 issue of Home Energy Magazine.
March 09, 2009
Good intentions abound worldwide for improvements in energy efficiency in efforts to curb the effects of global warming, with governments mandating enormous cuts in C02 emissions. In Europe, where I live, the buildings sector is the center of great policy attention because of the significant potential for energy efficiency improvements, and, thus, carbon reductions. Yet the means for achieving those goals seem out of reach, given the lack of an infrastructure to bring about the changes that are needed. More and more policies are being put in place, but all too often they are inadequately resourced. I've been working in this field since the late 1970s and we still don't have a way to bring about the kind of widespread energy efficiency improvements in buildings that we need to achieve energy security and fight global warming. This has gotten personal. I am selling my house in London, England, where you are not allowed to put a building on the market until it has undergone an energy performance audit and received the obligatory certificate stating its energy efficiency rating. This certificate is required under the European Union's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, and I was ...
To read complete online articles, you need to sign up for an Online Subscription.
Once an order has been placed there is an automatic $10 processing fee that will be deducted with any cancellation.
The Home Energy Online articles are for personal use only and may not be printed for distribution. For permission to reprint, please send an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Why do people build water gardens? Amanda – Clearwater, FL
More Than Just A Pretty Face
Maybe you've entertained the idea of constructing a water garden in your yard, but feel you are not quite up to the task. Perhaps you are one of those people who don't understand what all of the "hype" is about when it comes to back yard waterfalls and pricey Koi. To those of you who have yet to experience the triumphs and challenges of owning your very own water garden, there really is more to pond ownership than fish, water, and rocks.
Thanks to the progression of the pond industry, both the process of selecting an appropriate type of water feature and the installation procedures associated with each style have been dramatically simplified. This broadens your selection to a wide range of water features from small pre-formed ponds for beginners, low maintenance and space saving Pondless Waterfalls, or large water gardens equipped with intricate streams and waterfalls for those of you with more experience or are daring. You can also take advantage of the cost savings of purchasing a complete Pond Kit which can save you the time and trouble of trying to purchase each component independently. Regardless of which type of pond you decide is best for you, remember to take your time and do your Homework. Being prepared will ensure that the entire pond process from design to finished product is an enjoyable experience.
When done properly, a water feature can become an outdoor retreat, providing soothing sounds and sights to create a calm and relaxed atmosphere. Your water feature will accent your home and the surrounding landscape creating an inviting appearance and an increased curb appeal. Implementing Aquatic Plants and Koi into your water feature is a great way to further increase its value. Having fish present in your water feature creates fun activities that you can do with friends and family. Witnessing a few fish antics alone provides a great source of entertainment, while feeding your fish is an excellent group activity that can create a little extra "together" time with friends and family. If you have children it is also a great way to teach them about the responsibilities of pet ownership.
Every person has their own unique story about how their water feature came to exist. For some it may just seem like a logical step and for others it starts with the gift of one small goldfish. Intentional or not, it is easy to fall in love with your water feature. While there is some time and expense associated with any water feature, it all seems trivial once you see the results of such a rewarding investment.
POND TALK: How has your water garden changed your lifestyle?
Filed under: Aquatic Plants, Benefits of Owning, Feeding Fish, Koi & Goldfish, Pondless Waterfall, Water Gardens & Features, Waterfall | Tagged: backyard watergarden, benefits of owning a water garden, easy water gardending, pond kit, underw, water lilies, water lily, waterfalls |


text:
An easy, free to use service that loops Youtube videos on a infinite way. We just use public Youtube tools as documented on their website.
This site is not intended to harm or attack Youtube servers or intelectual property.
Also view count on Youtube website is not affected by looped content on this site.
Some say that meanwhile you read this lines, others loops Katy Perry clips to the infinite and further.
Please use with caution. Use speakers instead of headphones and always repeat carefully.
You want to know more? Send us an email to firstname.lastname@example.com
The website BeOnRepeat.com, beyond this point called "the site" guaranties total transparency on user's personal data.
The site does not store any personal data related to user personal information.
The site is not related anyway to Youtube LLC, provider who hosts all video content displayed on the site. Intelectual right of every single content hosted on Youtube LLC servers is property of their respective owners.
The site does not assure total or partial disponibility of the service, either way the site doesn't assume any responsability produced by fraudulent use of the the service. Anyway, we can't guess any fraudulent use of our service. Looped views doesn't affect Youtube records.
The site uses traffic analysis tools provided by Google Analytics. You just accept that condicion by browsing on the site. Leave if you don't agree.
More information? Contact us by email: email@example.com
Questions about YoutubeOnLoop.com? Site has been created acording to Youtube API, wich are free to use.
If you have any inquiry just send us an email to firstname.lastname@example.com
Would you like to have even more fun? Join us on Facebook!
Hey!! So much repeat worth a share. Tell everyone you like our page!
First find the video you want to loop. Check your address bar.
Then change the address to beonrepeat.com. Now you are on repeat !!!


text:
been a quad for close to 25 years and I am having trouble keeping things going. I am just so depressed and would like to die. Money and some success haven't changed things..
It's so hard to live in a world where there are so many things to do but yet you cannot participate.. I know there are a few people who want me here. But how about my quality of life?
The happiest news I could receive is a doctor saying you have 3 months to live. Sorry for complaining I just am tired of this and want to know how others can stay positive.. Any feedback would be great!


text:
'Django Unchained': Teaser trailer serves up revenge with style
The teaser trailer for "Django Unchained" has been released, offering a first glimpse of Quentin Tarantino's upcoming film about a freed slave-turned-bounty hunter (Jamie Foxx) trying to save his wife from a vicious plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio).
True to Tarantino's genre-bending tendencies, the film is styled as a sort of "spaghetti Southern," a revenge tale set in the Deep South but inspired by the westerns of Sergio Leone and Sergio Corbucci (the latter directed 1966's "Django"). From the looks of the teaser, the film promises heaps of violence, striking set pieces and snappy wordplay.
At one point Foxx, taking up the lead role Will Smith reportedly passed on, spouts a catchphrase that's sure to blow up on Twitter: "The D is silent." He's joined by "Inglourious Basterds" star Christoph Waltz, who plays the German doctor responsible for buying Django's freedom and mentoring him in his new line of work. ("How do you like the bounty-hunting business?" Django is asked at one point. "Kill white folks and they pay you for it? What's not to like?" he replies.)
As with "Basterds," "Django" demonstrates that Tarantino isn't afraid to play in the darker corners of history. Neither, it appears, is DiCaprio. His character, the villain Calvin Candie, is said to be a truly despicable one who gets a kick out of watching slaves fight to the death. Viewers who think of DiCaprio primarily as a heartthrob might be in for a surprise, but his talent could go a long way toward making a vile character compelling.
The film, which opens Christmas Day, also stars Kerry Washington, Don Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson.
See the teaser trailer below.
'Django Unchained': Are you ready to see Leo play a bad guy?
Tarantino's 'Django Unchained' close to landing Jamie Foxx as lead
Santa Clarita movie ranches corral Tarantino and other filmmakers
— Oliver Gettell
Photo: Christoph Waltz and Jamie Foxx in "Django Unchained." Credit: Andrew Cooper / The Weinstein Co.


text:
An ambitious private manned mission to Mars aims to launch a two-person crew to fly around the Red Planet and return to Earth in 501 days, starting in January 2018.
This bold undertaking is planned by the Inspiration Mars Foundation, a non-profit company founded by millionaire and space tourist Dennis Tito that was officially unveiled on Feb. 27 after early details leaked. Though the spacecraft would not land humans on Mars or even put them in orbit, it would bring people within a few hundred kilometers of the Martian surface – roughly the same distance between the International Space Station and Earth – and represent a major milestone in human spaceflight. If successful, the mission would go down in history as the first time a private company accomplished something government agencies were unable to do in space.
The mission is extremely ambitious, well beyond anything previously accomplished by the private sector and it faces plenty of obstacles. The company has an aggressive schedule to keep if it wants to hit its 2018 mark and needs to make sure the necessary technology is developed and well-tested. Despite its deep-pocketed backer, the mission has nowhere near the funding it needs to launch and will require raising greater sums than have ever been done for a private space endeavor. Its designers also need to figure out exactly how to keep the crew healthy, both physically and psychologically, for the 501-day duration of the flight as they face dangers from radiation, bone and muscle loss, fatigue, and depression. Mission designers will have to ensure they can get the crew safely to the ground when the capsule returns to Earth at a screaming 30,000 mph.
Yet despite these hurdles, of all the bold announcements from private spaceflight companies in recent years, this one seems the most achievable.
"The reason this entire thing is possible is because it's actually a very simple mission," said Jane Poynter, president of the Paragon Space Development Corporation, which makes life-support systems and has partnered with Inspiration Mars. "We're not trying to land, we're going to fly by and we're using extant technologies that NASA and the space industry have been developing for years."
Inspiration Mars isn't looking to sell a product in an unknown market, like the asteroid-mining Planetary Resources or the national-moon-ferrying Golden Spike Company, and doesn't have incredibly aspirational aims, like the planet-colonizing Mars One. It hopes to undertake a straightforward mission that could spur innovation, inspire young scientists and engineers, and move human spaceflight forward.
"You have to have a reasonable degree of skepticism and realism," said Taber MacCallum, who co-founded Paragon with Poynter (and is also her husband). "We might run into some insurmountable obstacle 18 months in. But with proper engineering, support, and a good mess of luck, we could see this done."
Now all they have to do is actually fly to Mars.
As currently outlined, the Inspiration Mars mission would be departing on what's known as a "fast free return trajectory," which both minimizes the amount of time spent in space and the amount of fuel required. A spacecraft would fire its rockets for a single burn to set off to Mars, make a few course corrections on the way, circumnavigate the Red Planet, and then slingshot back home using Mars' gravity, negating the need for another burn. Because of the positions of Earth and Mars, opportunities for such quick flybys happen only every 15 years and, if they miss the 2018 deadline, the next chance won't come until 2031.
Paragon estimates that the mission would need to launch a 10-ton spacecraft with roughly 33 cubic meters of volume, equivalent to the space in the back of a large moving van. About half that volume would be taken up with water tanks, food, and life support, leaving a cramped living space with an area barely bigger than a parking space. That means putting two people in a room for 1.4 years that's probably smaller than your bathroom.
The crew would process urine and flush water to recycle about 75 percent of it as drinkable water. They would carry the bare minimum of personal provisions, such as clothing and hygiene items. An initial feasibility study co-authored by Poynter, MacCallum, Dennis Tito, and others didn't make allowances for privacy, separate sleeping quarters, or even showers (just sponge baths) in the habitat, but it remains to be seen how these ideas would evolve for a real mission.
No existing launch vehicle is large enough to get such a mass into space, though SpaceX plans to have its Falcon Heavy rocket ready within a few years. If SpaceX is unable to meet that deadline, the mission could use two smaller existing launch vehicles, one to bring the tank carrying the rocket engines and necessary fuel and another to launch the crew habitat, which complicates the mission and could make it more expensive.
The number one danger during the journey will be radiation. Whether charged particles streaming from the sun or galactic cosmic rays accelerated by distant sources, space is chock full of radiation. Humans on Earth are protected from this fallout by our magnetic field, which also shields astronauts on the ISS. But out in deep space, the crew of a 500-day trip would be exposed to total radiation roughly equal to the dose an astronaut that flew five or six times to the ISS would expect to receive over their career.
Among other things, radiation damages DNA thereby raising the risk of cancer, and lowers blood cell counts. The effect would be like smoking a pack of cigarettes a day during the whole mission, MacCallum said.
The most severe event to watch out for would be a solar flare or mass ejection, where the roiling surface of the sun produces a burst of charged particles and radiation. If exposed to such an occurrence, a crew might experience nausea, vomiting, blistering, and potentially death. Apollo astronauts were spared a potentially fatal flare in 1972 that occurred between Apollo 16 and 17 but the Inspiration Mars mission would be out in space for a long time, raising the odds of getting hit.
Solar particle events like these happen randomly, though in 2018 the sun will be closer to the minimum part of its activity cycle, lessening the chances of a large event. In the case of a major event, sun-observing satellites would provide some warning and the crew could retire to a storm shelter built from vehicle hardware. But a large event or even several smaller ones could weaken astronauts' immune systems, said radiobiologist Ann Kennedy of the University of Pennsylvania, who works on the effects of radiation for the National Space Biomedical Research Institute.
With the sun at minimum the crew would be exposed to a higher rate of galactic cosmic rays than normal, and the chronic low-dose of ionizing radiation "can not be shielded against with current technology," said radiation physicist Jeff Chancellor, also of the NSBRI.
Even surrounding the spacecraft with a huge, thick shield, something like five or six times what the ISS has, would not significantly lower galactic cosmic ray exposure, he added. In fact the more shielding you have, the worse, because the charged particles can interact with molecules in the material to produce further harmful radiation.
The crew can help counteract some of the radiation's effects with drugs for nausea and vomiting and pills or supplements to provide the daily recommended doses of vitamins.
"My gut feeling is there's a good chance they can do this mission, but there's a lot left to be seen," Chancellor said. Space travel is always risky, he added, though there is hope that further research can provide a crew with effective radiation countermeasures before 2018.
Beyond radiation, the main biomedical problem will be muscle and bone deterioration, which occurs to the human body during extended stays in microgravity. To counteract this, Poynter said it would be of the utmost importance for the crew to have an exercise machine that they use daily for several hours.
The other main crew danger will come from themselves. The tight accommodations coupled with being so far from Earth with no hope of aborting the mission once started, as well as an ever-increasing time delay could put tremendous strain on the crew psychologically. Similarly extreme isolation is rare but has occurred in overwinter crews in Antarctic base stations or simulations such as Mars500.
"In cases like that, they managed to successfully complete their mission, but it wasn't all roses," said Poynter. Some training could be given to handle the conditions, but the crew selection would require individuals to be resilient and upbeat for the duration of their flight.
MacCallum and Poynter favor sending a man and woman as the pair, possibly to balance out personalities but also because the crew will have a symbolic value as representatives of humanity. Given the cramped quarters, the lack of privacy, the need for cooperation and experience under similar conditions, and the dangers from radiation, the ideal crew would be "an older married couple," said MacCallum.
When I pointed out that, with their previous experience in the Biosphere-2 experiment, he and Poynter happened to fit that description to a T, they both laughed.
"We have talked about it," said Poynter. "And when the right time comes, I think we'll put our hat in the ring." But she and MacCallum added that they would be happy to be part of the mission in any way, even as ground support.
As it stands, Inspiration Mars is looking to work with NASA on their undertaking. The agency can provide a great deal of information and experience from decades of spaceflight. The company has already signed a partnership with NASA to research development of the mission's heat shield and reentry strategy. Given that Inspiration Mars sees its mission as an important stepping stone for NASA's long-term goals, the agency might even be able to help the mission financially, if there was enough support from the public and Congress. (Though the effects of the sequester later this week could constrain NASA's finances.)
Currently, Tito is committed to funding the first two years of putting the Mars trip together no matter what. But even he doesn't have unlimited money and is in talks with other potential backers. Yet so far, donors haven't been quick to open their checkbooks and put money in private space ventures.
Though plans have yet to be finalized, MacCallum said that given the mission's relative simplicity, he expected it would cost less than NASA's $2.5 billion Curiosity rover, possibly putting it in the hundreds of millions or even billion-dollar range. Raising that kind of money for a private space mission has never been done before and that figure might be somewhat optimistic.
With its seven minutes of terror and Rube Goldberg landing sequence, getting Curiosity to the surface of Mars was one of the hardest engineering feats over done in space. Having humans land would be harder by an order of magnitude or more, said engineer Bobby Braun of the Georgia Institute of Technology, who was formerly NASA's chief technologist.
"I'd say having humans circumnavigate Mars and return safely to Earth is somewhere in between what Curiosity already did and having humans walk on Mars," he said.
Braun thinks that the Inspiration Mars idea is great, and he accepts that the private sector can accomplish things for less money than governments. But "it's also a very bold plan, particularly doing it in the timeline they want, and there's a good deal of challenges," he said. "I would love to see them make that 2018 launch date, but it's pretty darn quick."
As is continuously pointed out in articles regarding different private company plans, space is hard. Initial estimates tend to be hopeful and delays can almost always be expected. Historically, there have been many ambitious space announcements – both from public and private organizations – that were unable to deliver on their huge promises.
New ideas are always welcome. "I think this announcement is going to stop and make people reconsider the possibilities," said Braun, but the question is whether "they will be able to have the proper follow through."
Braun added that Inspiration Mars need not confine itself to their 2018 deadline. With slightly more fuel, the company could try for missions at many of the two-year intervals where Earth and Mars get closer.
The main goal of Inspiration Mars is to inspire a younger generation. Taber and MacCallum sound like they are hoping to create a new "Kennedy moment" that would encourage people to think big. The mission would provide scientific data sorely lacking on long-term human spaceflight. If the company were somehow able to pull it off, independent researchers would be particularly interested in the information generated from this undertaking.
"As a professor, surrounded by undergrad and graduate engineering students, something like this would light their fire," said Braun. "It would be very exciting for science and engineering students around the country and around the world."