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The Great Divorce
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From the producers of the nationwide hit The Screwtape Letters - The Great Divorce takes
Lewis' quirky, funny, hopelessly-flawed characters on a bus ride from Hell to Paradise.
But the bizarre question the play asks is:
Will they like it?
Will they prefer Hell to Heaven?
Are the doors of Hell really locked from the inside?
Audiences call The Great Divorce: "Simply Breathtaking!" "Absolutely Mesmerizing!" Critics call it "World Class Theater"; "Brilliant...A joy to watch."
To purchase tickets, visit www.CSLewisOnStage.com


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Some days are simply terrible and for some reasons those days seem to last forever. One call from the hospital about an accident and suddenly time stands still. The boss asks you into his office and in a moment a career disappears and just walking out of the office takes an eternity.
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Alaska Railroad Talkeetna to Anchorage - GoldStar Dome Train
Ride the rails in luxury and style with GoldStar Service! Relax and view the scenic beauty of a ride on the Alaska Railroad, the last full-service railroad in the United States. Sit back and enjoy the comfortable seating and large picture windows. Be sure to keep an eye out for wildlife and magnificent views of Mt. Denali. South of Talkeetna, about 3 hours before you reach Anchorage, marks one of the most spectacular views of Mt. Denali. If the weather is good the train will slow to allow passengers to snap a few photos. Keep an eye out for bears, moose, eagles, beavers, wolves and swans.
The GoldStar dome rail cars feature a confirmed seat in the upper level dome car, a special GoldStar pin, and a private upper level outdoor viewing deck - the only one of its kind in the world. GoldStar Service also features all-inclusive meals with priority seating in the lower level dining room, as well as two adult beverages per trip and unlimited soft beverages. Between Talkeetna and Anchorage dinner (soup OR salad + entree + dessert + beverages + gratuity) is included.
Please note that the Alaska Railroad operates only one daily train in each direction between Anchorage and Fairbanks, stopping along the way in Talkeetna and Denali Park. On this train there are three levels of service; Standard (also known as Adventure Class), Private Dome (operated by private companies), and GoldStar Dome. Many people prefer the standard class for its single level stability, generous seating and the ability to easily walk between different cars on the train. The Private Dome service is a good value for those looking for full-time Dome seating for improved viewing from the train. The GoldStar Dome is the top-of-the-line rail service featuring the newest rail cars, the largest picture windows and the finest dining options with all-inclusive meals. Alaska Tour & Travel is happy to offer our guests the choice of all three levels of service on most runs. To find which level of rail service best suits your needs and budget, please click on the "Alaska Train Finder" link below.
You can click on the button below or the following link to add Train Talkeetna to Anchorage Dome to your My Alaska trip planner where you can request a reservation or continue to browse for additional services. For reservations or additional information you can also call 800-208-0200 or contact us online.
Length: 3 hours, 5 minutes
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Monday, March 16, 2009
Gay People, Come To Rails
This one's getting retweeted a lot.
Some people have their own variations.
The link's a video of gay men singing and dancing onstage. Get it? It's funny because they're different and they don't think anything's wrong with that.
The dis isn't even original.
Fuck you all. Yes Leah, that includes you. You're very nice and sweet in person but this is bullshit.
Seriously, you use gay as a synonym for bad or lame or whatever? You suck. DIE. Gay people still get beaten and killed all over the world just for being themselves. You think you're helping to change that?
Get over your ridiculous programming-language prejudices and stop endorsing real prejudices. It's this crazy little microcosm/macrocosm mirror effect. You never find bigotry in people with options. It's true in programming and it's true in real life as well, and it looks as if it's true in both places at the same time and for the same people.
You fucking disgust me, all of you.
Language prejudice, and real prejudice, exist in the Rails community too. We're not perfect here. There's this one guy called quellhorst who I hear is a serious homophobic asshole. But we have a tradition of exploring other languages besides Ruby, even featuring speakers on other languages at our conferences, and this greater tolerance of programming languages finds an echo on a larger scale, in a greater tolerance for people who are different, and a tradition of raising funds for charity at our conferences as well.
I've only met a few gay programmers, and they've mostly been Rails guys. I guess that validates all these jokes. But bear in mind, I'm talking about like three or four guys, tops. And if you want to count guys who seem gay to me without being openly gay, these maybe-gay guys, I've seen a lot more of them in Java, Perl, PHP and Python than in Rails. That's because our gay guys have balls, and your gay guys are cowards.
If you're a gay dude and you see all this bullshit all the fucking time, come to Rails, because we won't judge or dis you, except for the assholes like quellhorst, who will learn the error of their ways soon enough, even if it means I have to get out my big heavy teaching stick.
By all means, let this joke be true. Everybody in the world is going to be friends with gay people in their lives. If you're lucky, the gay people you're friends with are openly gay, because openly gay people are more honest about who they are, which makes them better friends. If you want to be friends with a guy who doesn't even trust you enough to tell you who he really is, that's something homophobes experience all over the world every day. By all means, go for it. Live that way. If we end up the language community with all the out-of-the-closet guys, we'll be better off than you prejudiced scumbags.
Fuck you, you bigoted fucks.
Obie says I owe Quellhorst an apology; I'm going to wait to see if I can dredge up any irc logs proving my case first. However, that's going to take a while. I can say, for what it's worth, that this is hearsay, which I already specified in the rant. It's not something I have actual knowledge of, merely a rumor I heard.
In the meantime, if anybody's seriously upset about my incoherent, profanity-riddled rant, consider the fact that it's an incoherent, profanity-riddled rant. Don't take my temper tantrums more seriously than I do. That's silly.
Also, I see there's a bunch of comments on this; that's awesome but I don't really read the comments on my blog. I mean I do, from time to time, but not consistently, and not quickly. I won't see the comments until any fuss has already blown over, so if you're getting worked up about this, please, take my advice and just handle it slowly or not at all. Makes it a lot easier to deal with.
Update 2:
Good news and bad news. The bad news first: I believe it's probably true of Quellhorst and there's proof out there. But I don't have that proof, and I do have two credible doubters, so, my apologies to Dan Quellhorst, it's very possible the rumors I heard were false.
Update 3:
OK, I admit it, I have no idea who this Quellhorst guy even is, I just heard a rumor and I was mad enough to attack anybody. Total mistake on my part.
28 comments:
I have only one thing to say:
Thank you.
Since the beginning of the 21st century there has been a surge in homophobia and homophobic-related crimes everywhere around the world (including Western countries, even the most enlightened ones like the Netherlands). Part of it is due to a resurgence of religious fundamentalism (especially Christian fundamentalism), but I am convinced that the biggest issue is that homophobia is seen as "safe". You will get in big trouble saying the n-word, you will not get away with anti-semitic remarks, and you will be shunned for sexist comments (unless you stay within your in-group for the rest of your life). But using "gay" as a synonym for "lame" is a pervasive and somehow accepted slur, especially on the Internet (just look at nearly any random comment thread on Digg).
Well, that's not acceptable. And don't even try to rationalise it by saying that people using the word "gay" as "lame" don't mean anything homophobic with it. The hip-hop world finds it perfectly normal to use the word "bitch" to refer to women, and likewise argue that they don't mean anything sexist by it, but that doesn't mean we're to accept this, and indeed most people find it offensive. Well, using the word "gay" as an insult is just as offensive.
And note that I'm no talking about political correctness. I don't want the word "gay" to be banned (another word would take its place. In the Netherlands for instance, teenagers just use the word "homo" to mean "lame"), I want it to be used with respect for the courageous people who dare live the life they are destined to by nature in a society that doesn't approve of them.
What I do not understand is what a dumbfuck one has to be to retweet such absolutely moronic "joke"?ReplyDelete
It's like some grown ups repeating a joke some stupid drunken teenager blurted to save face after throwing up.
I might be underestimating this, but isn't it just a joke? I mean I can stand jokes about kids having their limbs amputated while playing frisbee with landmines, how is this worse?ReplyDelete
It's a joke, taking it seriously will only give it a different nature that pushes the anti-gay agenda forward.
Taking offense every time you have a chance to is just a declaration of insecurity, and it doesn't help in giving an image of maturity.
I have gay friends, just as I have non-caucasian friends, and I live in one of the most bigot countries of the world, and trust me, the best thing there is to accept something, is to joke (without malice) about it.
I really lost my intrest in trying to explain this to you, but everytime you take stuff too seriously, you make it worse.
This said, an old joke is an old joke, and there's not much to it.
It's a joke being thrown around by some fairly smart people, I would think that in that context it is meant as a joke. I think it needs to be taken in the spirit it was meant for and not bent into some kind of anti-gay bashing.ReplyDelete
- Srdjan PejicMarch 16, 2009 at 7:20:00 AM PDT
@Rich and @Madness,ReplyDelete
This may be a joke, but its undertone IS homophobic, whether you like it or not. Jokes are a way for people to say what they truly want to say, because they think they can say it without getting into too much trouble, since "it's a joke".
If I insulted your mothers and called them the worst things, would you let it go if I qualified it as a joke?
The issue that Giles has here is valid. We're supposed to be a bunch of smart people, yet we perpetuate stereotypes like this in the name of a joke. It's bullshit and it needs to be stopped.
And yes, it is anti-gay bashing. You don't see them saying shit about Jews, now do you?
I think this point is a great one. I only got the 'joke' halfway through this blog post, and I'm not laughing, and the points about some topics being ok to joke about while others will get you a dirty look is completely true. Just the other day someone made a comment about rednecks and I thought, "you know, its not a big deal, but if I said something about ghetto this, or Jewish that, etc, people would (rightfully so) have a problem with it."ReplyDelete
I'm all for open and honest discourse, not treating every little thing as potentially the most hurtful comment ever...but people really need to think about what they say more often, and who it just might hurt.
Until I read the complete thread I didn't realize it was supposed to be a diss.ReplyDelete
Maybe I just hang out with too many gay (homosexual) railsdevs though.
Oh well, if railsdevs have more fun and gay people have more fun, it's a fairly logical extension that gay railsdevs have the most fun. huzzah.
Don't bring a 'teaching stick' to a gun battle :)ReplyDelete
+1. thanks for saying this, giles.ReplyDelete
Except I guess I am not totally clear on what caused Quellhorst to get called out specifically; someone told you something bad? I think part of the problem with your rants, is you often end up totally neutering them by picking some actual person to target, which causes a whole huge derailing tangent when that becomes a personal slap fight (see the Chad thing).ReplyDelete
Telling someone they should not be offended by your joking insult is seriously stupid. You can't control what other people are offended by, but you can control what you say. Being able to predict the reactions of others to your own actions, and then choosing your actions to achieve an outcome based on that knowledge is the essence of being an adult. So grow up.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 16, 2009 at 1:05:00 PM PDT
If telling my parents I'm gay is all it takes to get my employer to switch to rails I'll make the phone call right now and bring random dudes to every family holiday for the rest of the year.ReplyDelete
Giles, great rant EXCEPT for the part where you pick on Dan Quellhorst. He's not a homophobe, but he is a gun nut. I'd watch my back if I were you. :-)ReplyDelete
The first time I saw this meme was on Human Giant:ReplyDelete
"Telling your parents you're gay is the hardest part of roller-blading!"
I love Aziz Ansari, and I find the comedy spot-on. It's done in such a way that the protagonist is simultaneously wearing "the gayest" outfit but has this totally blase attitude about the whole thing. In other words, it's funny.
When people start adapting it to make fun of other things, the context that removed the potentially homophobic stigma is itself gone, and you're just left with gay as a pejorative.
Some of the comments here have suggested that Giles is just being uptight and "it's just a joke" but I completely disagree. The words we choose have real power! To play on a closed topic, "The worst part about Ruby is having to tell my parents I'm Chad Fowler." (To be clear, I'm joking! I don't know Chad Fowler, and can't possibly be making fun of him with Just Words, right?)
I'm not perfect by a long shot! I use "retarded" as an adjective near-constantly. I'm trying to not do that, but it's a word I grew up with. Frankly, it embarrasses me.
This is absurd, seriously, a certain kind of humor thrives on being "offensive", it's what it's meant to be. But sometimes it's ok to offend a category of people and sometimes it's ok to offend a different one, until they come to action and demand respect.ReplyDelete
It's like the politically correct christmas they had in South Park. It's not funny and no one gains anything from it.
My resolution? Stop making "offensive" jokes toward some kind of people, and start making them towards ALL kinds of people. And if you take offence you're a crybaby.
Jesus Christ, what next, "please stop saying telemarketers are annoying, there are some not-annoying one". And why the hell do I say J.C., I'm atheist ffs. George Carlin is probably spinning in its grave thanks to you guys.
ok I finally read the comments. just want to say I agree with Tim, dissing Quellhorst sucked energy out of the rant. I don't have proof, so I shouldn't have gone there. I'm not exactly impressed by a gun nut, though. That shit was funny. Try it. Seriously, bring your machine gun to a tech conference because I dissed you on the Internet. I would pay to see that happen.ReplyDelete
Now that really surprised me, Giles! Normally you're the one insulting people (not that I have anything against it), and now you're agitated about such nonsense?ReplyDelete
I mean saying something is gay is the f**king norm (just like saying something is retarded - this doesn't mean anyone has something against mentally handicapped people)! I say it, a lot of people say it to different kinds of stuff, lots of rappers use it, movies use it, etc.
Sorry but I really absolutely can't understand you this time, this blows the whole thing waaay outta proportion. It was a joke. And it was funny imo. I mean respect for your dedication to our real world problems, but this is the wrong way to get into this imo.
Just my 0.02$, anyways, peace and respect!
What are you talking about? I don't insult people. That's crazy.ReplyDelete
I hope none of you throwing around strong opinions on the offensiveness of words use the words "dumb" or "lame" ;-) In "dumb"'s original sense it only meant "mute" or "lacking the power of speech" and the "stupid" definition only came later. Same goes for "lame."ReplyDelete
Language morphs and words become disconnected with their roots - it will always happen. Real homophobia must be checked and /this/ does appear to be a case where homosexuality is being referenced negatively (rather than just saying "gay" to mean "lame"). But it would be unusual, linguistically, if words like "gay" did not morph into alternate uses that are not homophobic or discriminatory. Language can be dumb, lame, and, heck, one day it might even be considered gay, without even the idea of homosexuality coming to mind, much as with the roots of "dumb" and "lame" now.
And if you don't want to offend Christians, "jeez" or "cripes" are out of bounds too..!
Giles. Thanks man. Those jokes were tasteless and I'm glad you are calling them out on hurtful language.ReplyDelete
As a gay Rails programmer, I have to give massive kudos to the community. Its not even something I bring up because I just don't even think of it most of the time. I'm very lucky to be in such an awesome community including other vagina-loving and boob-having Railsers that will stick by us.
Anyhow, cheers man.
As if needed EVEN MORE reason to hate PHP.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 17, 2009 at 12:25:00 PM PDT
The original joke is one often told by Jimmy Carr:ReplyDelete
What's the hardest thing about rollerblading?
Telling your dad you're gay.
The tone of this joke is much, much different, because it's not making a value judgment on either rollerblading or homosexuality, except to joke about how the two are perhaps correlated.
When the joke is adapted to apply to whomever is on the other side of your silly framework/language war, then it takes on a tone that's a bit meaner and quite a bit stupider.
I understand where you're coming from here, Giles, and I wish the tone were more polite. But the phenomenon you're talking about is prevalent _out there_ (*gestures toward world*); why bother getting mad over a few retweets?
Peter, I tweeted you about this, so this could just be fail because I don't check my comments often enough, but these morphings happen gradually. This is a morphing in progress. I want to prevent it from happening, and until it's actually happened, that's doable. It was big when I was a kid, then it died out, then it came back. I think it's time to kill that fucker again, and this time put a stake through its heart to keep it dead.ReplyDelete
Also (Peter) sorry but your point is completely irrelevant and tangential. It was a very explicitly homophobic joke; nobody has to tell their parents they're dumb. Nobody comes out of the idiot closet. Most idiots never figure out they're idiots; most idiots have idiotic parents; most idiots with normal parents, their parents figure it out before they do. The joke targets gays deliberately, not in passing as a byproduct of language. You could substitute several words for gay and the joke would be the same offensive joke.ReplyDelete
Micro-fame from micro-blogging for micro-douches.ReplyDelete
Soleone, try using "retarded" like that around someone with a sibling or child who is developmentally disabled, and has probably been called a retard by peers, and you may be surprised but they might not take it well. Just because it is thoughtless for most of us to use, doesn't mean it's not offensive.ReplyDelete
I generally don't think about it, but I was made to feel an ass by a friend in a Special Education post grad program.
Also geeks get all high and mighty about the semantics of language morphing etc and sometimes I want to point out they live in an ivory tower of sexism/bigotry. We are in a field filled with people who are pathologically incapable of reading someone's lack of interest/offense, we manage to chase off almost all minorities/women, and we want to quibble about how following through on our right to be offensive shouldn't be taken as offensive. Sorry peeps, that might be your Asperbergers talking: falling back to purely intellectual stronghold with total disregard for other peoples reaction.
- AnonymousMay 5, 2009 at 8:29:00 PM PDT
Could not agree more, and well said, although it would have been better without the "our gay guys are better than yours bit". A little research would have shown certain language communities have very prominent gay members, putting them down without checking your facts is only hurting the people you seem to want to protect.ReplyDelete


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Fluor Corp. recently announced that Centinela Solar Energy, LLC, a member of LS Power Group, has awarded the company a lump-sum engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract, as well as a separate contract for ongoing operations and maintenance services for its new nominal 170MWt solar photovoltaic (PV) facility located in Southern California. Fluor has been awarded both the 125MW Phase I and the 45MW Phase II of the Centinela project and received full notice-to-proceed for Phase I, which was booked into backlog in the third quarter of 2012. Phase II is expected to be released in the first quarter of 2013.
"This significant new win for Fluor further solidifies our position as a leader in the solar power engineering and construction industry," said Dave Dunning, president of Fluor's Power Group. "We look forward to expanding our solar resume and delivering our second solar PV project for LS Power. Fluor's decades of project management expertise and our financial strength demonstrates our ability to bring a turnkey solution to our clients for their utility-scale solar developments."
The Centinela project is located on approximately 1,600 acres in Imperial County, Calif., approximately 90 miles east of San Diego, and has all major permits secured for the project. This project will help meet the regional need for renewable energy and will be one of the first major projects to tie into the newly constructed Sunrise Powerlink Transmission Line. Centinela Solar Energy has closed financing for the project and has 20-year power purchase agreements with San Diego Gas & Electric for the entire power output from the facility, enough electricity to power more than 60,000 homes.
"We are pleased to be working again with a world-class EPC firm like Fluor for LS Power's largest solar project to date," said John King, executive VP of LS Power. "This project brings many benefits to the State of California and Imperial County including construction and operations jobs with local business opportunities and revenues."
Engineering and procurement is under way from Fluor's Southern California operations center. The facility is expected to achieve full commercial operation by approximately the middle of 2014.


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Suspect Pic Of The Week: Slickem From Pretty Ricky Caught Sitting Down With His Boxers On With Some Dude Laying On His Leg! [Photo]
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Juicy J (Feat. Project Pat & Billy Wes) - Last Piece Of Change
Juicy J & Project Pat Cut Throat 2 (Dinner Thieves) mixtape out now!
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Silent Gliss Metropole hand operated 50mm in Silver with Black Disc Strata finials. The Metropole 6140 is a sophisticated and stylish, hand operated contemporary curtain pole set made from aluminium. The Metropole functions like a curtain track but has the appearance of a curtain pole. The pole features nylon gliders that run in siliconised aluminium channels unhindered by brackets or rings. Silent Gliss Metropole curtain poles are supplied with the new Smart Fix brackets. This new bracket design includes magnetic metal covers which are easy to fit and elegantly hide the screws. The covers are now metal which makes them more robust and ensures a correct colour match across the cover plate, bracket and the system as a whole. * Wall or ceiling fix available. (Ceiling fixing will require an alternative bracket with a downstand to allow for some finials.) * All brackets match the colour of pole. * Available in lengths up to 6 metres. * Suitable for heavy weight curtains. * Suitable for bay windows using the bending service available, see related products. * Suitable for use with Wave curtain heading system, see link below. * Alternative brackets styles are available, please contact us for information and a quote. * Available is a collection of beautifully crafted finials, midials and holdbacks to co-ordinate individual styling and tastes. * 50mm Metropoles can be corded. * Curtain pole can easily be cut to exact length required using a small hacksaw, alternatively we can cut it to length for you at no extra charge, please state at time of ordering. We are not responsible for measurements given to us in error. This product is Made to Measure/Order, (Please See Terms and Conditions). Please allow 5 to 7 days for delivery. If you are unsure of colour or finish please request a sample, this will then be added to the basket.
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Affiliated Acceptance Corp. (AAC) is the leading provider of full service billing solutions with true member follow up and collections past the industry standard, including reporting to all major credit bureaus. Clubs of every size will benefit from AAC's customer service and competitive pricing. AAC's feature rich software program offers detailed personal training tracking (including trainer commissions), member check in, group exercise tracking, martial arts rank management, tanning bed monitoring and control, 24-hour member entry, point-of-sale, extensive inventory management, unsurpassed data security and customizable member and club reports.
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I'm trying out this toolbar for Firefox:
Quite useful, especially if your research is mainly in the US, but it has some non-US links too. I've disabled some of the items – it would be great if you could customise it by adding your favourite items to the relevant drop-down. here's the link if you want to try it out:
The home page has a wide range of genealogy links too, so it's worth a visit even if you don't try the toolbar.


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These plans constitute Germany's first electricity network development plan (NDP 2012), which was rubber-stamped by federal energy regulator the Bundesnetzagentur (BNA) last month.
NDP 2012 comprises 51 grid upgrade measures, including several projects that will be of major importance to the transmission of wind-generated electricity.
One is the west-coast cable project, an alternating current (AC) line comprising five links running from Brunsbuttel to the Danish border. There are also four new direct current (DC) links vital for wind transmission (see map). One, the Combined Grid Solution, will service offshore wind in the Baltic Sea, while the other three are vital for the transmission of onshore wind generation: Corridor A will run from Emden in the north west to Philippsburg in the south west; Corridor C, the longest, is a north-south corridor comprising two parts, one running from Brunsbuettel to Grossgartach, and one from Wilster to Grafenrheinfeld; Corridor D will run from Bad Lauchstadt in central Germany to Meitingen in Bavaria.
The current lack of major north-south links in Germany has led to an excess of wind-generated electricity in the north of the country being routed to the south via neighbouring Poland and Czech Republic, putting a strain on their transmission systems (see map).
However, the final approved version of NDP 2012 contained 24 fewer upgrade measures than earlier drafts of the document. Robert Habeck, the minister responsible for the transformation to widespread renewables use in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, questioned the regulator's decision.
Missing link
Habeck said that the east-coast cable proposed in the draft NDP, but excluded from the final version, is needed to accommodate wind energy expansion in the east Holstein region. Already wind output in the region is curtailed due to a lack of transmission capacity, he said. Habeck added that this could not wait for the next NDP due in 2013, but rather must be decided quickly.
BNA's culling of 24 measures brought the anticipated cost of NDP 2012 down by EUR5 billion, from EUR20 billion to EUR15 billion. After a steady barrage of complaints in 2012 about the costs of switching to a wind and renewables-based energy system, this cost-reduction was announced as good news by BNA president Jochen Homann, who said the amount was considerably less than what the transmission system operators had originally proposed.
The NDP claimed that Germany's four transmission system operators had overestimated transmission needs in their initial scenarios, drawn up in 2011, which fed into the first NDP draft published in May 2012. Their initial estimate was that strengthening and optimising 4,400 kilometres and new build of 1,700 kilometres would be needed over the coming ten years, as well as another 2,100 kilometres of high-voltage direct-current corridors, at an investment of EUR20 billion.
Although the final NDP 2012 still makes it clear that swift completion of some new grid projects is vital, 24 of the total 74 network projects in the initial NDP draft have been placed on the back burner. One of the four high-voltage direct-current overall transmissions systems has also been laid aside for the time being, deemed non-urgent and possibly not necessary.
The NDP is to be updated every year. It could be altered significantly as issues in the coming years are factored in, such as curtailing the output of wind stations during high wind periods to avoid network overload and developments in electricity storage technologies.
The effects of planned rapid expansion of wind energy in southern Germany, where growth has been slow until now, may also have an impact.
These events may speed development of some of the sidelined measures, but demand management may soon become widespread in Germany, reducing network loads and the need for cable-strengthening.
For example, a regulation is planned that will reward Germany's industrial heavy electricity users, such as aluminium smelters, for making their processes more flexible and altering power demand in response to market signals. This is expected to be implemented this year.
The drawing up of national ten-year NDPs is required under the European Commission's third internal market package of measures of 2011. The NDP took on special significance for Germany after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in March 2011, which prompted the federal government to implement a nuclear phase-out strategy and decide on the "Energiewende" policy - the switch to increasing reliance on renewables in electricity and energy supply - with all the changes in electricity network connections and upgrades that this would require.


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Wall Street Journal understated MTBE leaks, health risks
Research ››› ››› SIMON MALOY
A July 26 Wall Street Journal editorial (subscription required) understated the extent to which the gasoline additive methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) has leaked into drinking water supplies and downplayed the health risks associated with ingesting MTBE. The Journal attacked "water companies and some cities" that have sued MTBE producers and fuel companies that use MTBE, claiming that only "trace amounts" of MTBE have leaked into water supplies and that "such small contaminations are harmless to public health." In fact, there have been numerous contaminations exceeding acceptable levels set by state governments and recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and MTBE is considered a potential carcinogen, though its low-level toxicity is undetermined.
As fuel additives, MTBE and ethanol are considered "oxygenates," because they raise the oxygen content of gasoline, allowing it to burn more cleanly and efficiently. Since 1992, MTBE has been used in higher concentrations in gasoline, in accordance with 1990 Clean Air Act amendments calling for higher oxygenate content in gasoline to reduce harmful vehicle emissions; as the Journal noted, most fuel companies have used MTBE instead of ethanol because it is less expensive to produce.
Numerous MTBE leaks -- primarily from underground gasoline tanks -- have contaminated drinking water supplies across the nation. The EPA has cited MTBE's effect on water quality as a reason to "significantly reduce or eliminate MTBE" as a fuel additive. The Journal criticized the 2005 Energy Policy Act as a "subsidy-fest that will raise gasoline prices in more places than it reduces them," but defended language written into the House version of the bill providing MTBE producers liability protection, and questioned the merit of lawsuits filed against them:
Fast-forward to the mid-1990s, when ethanol production had grown and gasoline leaks from older, underground tanks had led to trace amounts of MTBE in some water supplies. While such small contaminations are harmless to public health (especially as MTBE is easy to detect and therefore to avoid), water companies and some cities have pounced like trial lawyers on MTBE makers with the deepest pockets.
Refiners and other companies now face more than 100 lawsuits, even as they are striving to meet growing energy demand and more elaborate fuel specifications. Draining cash from these companies to finance trial-lawyer contingency bonanzas will not lower gas prices.
The Journal correctly noted that "trace amounts" of MTBE are harmless, even though "such small contaminations" are enough to imbue water with a taste and odor reminiscent of turpentine -- perhaps the reason why the Journal characterized MTBE as "easy to detect and therefore avoid." But in making this claim, the editorial understated the nature of MTBE leaks nationwide. There have been numerous leaks resulting in MTBE concentrations in drinking water greater than the "trace amounts" the Journal claimed; these concentrations exceed suggested EPA standards as well as acceptable standards set by various states, including California and Pennsylvania.
A 1997 EPA Drinking Water Advisory on MTBE suggested that "keeping levels of contamination in the range of 20 to 40 µg/L [micrograms per liter, or parts per billion (ppb)] or below to protect consumer acceptance of the water resource would also provide a large margin of exposure (safety) from toxic effects." Pennsylvania's acceptable MTBE concentration for drinking water is 20 ppb, while California's is 13 ppb. Higher contaminations are potentially harmful; an EPA document on MTBE notes that "available data are not adequate to estimate potential health risks of MTBE at low exposure levels in drinking water but that the data support the conclusion that MTBE is a potential human carcinogen at high doses."
An EPA document on MTBE water contamination noted that in 1996, two wellfields supplying Santa Monica, California, with half of its drinking water were found to be "contaminated with MTBE at levels as high as 610 ppb and 86 ppb." A November 19, 2003, San Francisco Chronicle article reported that the South Lake Tahoe, California, water utility shut down 12 of its 34 wells after MTBE concentrations exceeding California's acceptable contamination level were discovered.
There are numerous reports of localized, high-dose contaminations as well:
- A December 14, 1998, San Francisco Chronicle article noted that Glennville, California, was spending $5,000 per month to provide fresh water to nine homes and one business "after tests found MTBE levels as high as 20,000 parts per billion (ppb) in one well."
- An October 24, 2000, Philadelphia Inquirer article reported that in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, MTBE contamination from leaking gasoline tanks at two service stations was so extensive that "[s]ome of the seven contaminated wells were found to have MTBE levels as high as 2,090 parts per billion." Pennsylvania's acceptable MTBE limit is 20 ppb.
- A November 4, 2000, Philadelphia Inquirer article reported that five wells in Warminster, Pennsylvania, "showed levels of MTBE between 180 and 525 parts per billion."
- The New York Times reported on February 14, 1995, that of the two MTBE-contaminated wells servicing the Silver Stream Village mobile home park in New Windsor, New York; one "contained 2,900 parts per billion, the other 1,300."
- A June 23, 2004, Baltimore Sun article reported that the MTBE concentration in eight wells near a gasoline station in Fallston, Maryland, exceeded 20 ppb, including one that reached 347 ppb.
The EPA further documented that MTBE "migrates faster and farther in the ground than other gasoline components, thus making it more likely to contaminate public water systems and private drinking water wells."
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Please Note: Excessive Heat Warning – 12PM Friday through 8PM Sunday
The Hudson Valley is currently under a severe heat warning. Storm King does not have air-conditioned spaces. If you are planning to visit, please bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and dress appropriately.
Highlights Tour
Friday, May 4, 2018
1:00pm — 2:00pm
1:00pm — 2:00pm
Storm King offers daily highlights tours at 1 pm. Tours are walking tours and 45 minutes to an hour in length. Tours depart from outside the Museum Building.


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The Parable of the Roommate
Imagine yourself in the following scenario:
You've just returned home from a day at work. While you set your keys on the kitchen counter and remove your coat you can hear the familiar voices of your roommate and her/his S.O. in the other room.
You start to wonder about what you might make yourself for dinner when suddenly you are startled by a loud gunshot, followed by what sounds like a body falling to the floor. Rather than getting the hell out of there you somewhat foolishly run to the other room to see what happened. Once there, you see your roommate standing there, arm outstretched, holding a still-smoking pistol pointed at what is now, apparently, a corpse.
Your roommate looks at you and says "Santa Claus did it."
Do you:
a) Sincerely believe that your roommate is telling the actual truth?
b) Decide that, because you didn't actually see your roommate fire the gun, you just can't know one way or another whether Santa did it?
c) Consider your roommate a murderer, and the claim to be the rationalization of a mind that has snapped?
If my point isn't glaringly obvious, I think that the Christian/Muslim/Jew/whatever ought to take position A, since, according to most religious beliefs, faith is a virtue. The agnostic ought to take position B, because certain knowledge about anything is denied us. That leaves C, the only rational, reasonable, explanation, for the skeptics/atheists.
If you're not a skeptical atheist, but you still chose option C above, well, then I applaud you for being reasonable. But I think you need to explain why you choose the analogous A or B when it comes to the equally dubious claim that there is a God.


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A Simple Example
Now that you have a conceptual understanding of OpenCL's host applications and kernels, it's time to look at real code. I've provided two source files: add_numbers.c and add_numbers.cl. The first contains code for a simple host application and the second contains code for a kernel that adds a series of numbers together. This discussion won't present the OpenCL API in any depth, but will focus on how the code relates to the material discussed earlier.
Example Host Application
In general, the first step of a host application is to obtain a
cl_device_id for each device that will execute a kernel. The add_numbers application accesses the first GPU device associated with the first platform. This is shown in the following code:
clGetPlatformIDs(1, &platform, NULL); clGetDeviceIDs(platform, CL_DEVICE_TYPE_GPU, 1, &device, NULL);
Here, the
platform structure identifies the first platform identified by the OpenCL runtime. A platform identifies a vendor's installation, so a system may have an NVIDIA platform and an AMD platform. The
device structure corresponds to the first accessible device associated with the platform. Because the second parameter is
CL_DEVICE_TYPE_GPU, this device must be a GPU.
Next, the application creates a context containing only one device the
device structure created earlier.
context = clCreateContext(NULL, 1, &device, NULL, NULL, &err);
After creating the context, the application creates a program from the source code in the add_numbers.cl file. Specifically, the code reads the file's content into a
char array called
program_buffer, and then calls
program = clCreateProgramWithSource(context, 1, (const char**)&program_buffer, &program_size, &err);
Once the program is created, its source code must be compiled for the devices in the context. The function that accomplishes this is
clBuildProgram, and the following code shows how it's used in the add_numbers application:
clBuildProgram(program, 0, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
The fourth parameter accepts options that configure the compilation. These are similar to the flags used by gcc. For example, you can define a macro with the option
-DMACRO=VALUE and turn off optimization with
After a
cl_program has been compiled, kernels can be created from its functions. The following code creates a
cl_kernel from the function called
kernel = clCreateKernel(program, "add_numbers", &err);
Before the application can dispatch this kernel, it needs to create a command queue to a target device. With the right configuration, a command queue can support out-of-order kernel execution and/or profiling, which allows us to measure the time taken for a kernel's execution. The following code, however, creates a
cl_command_queue that does not support profiling or out-of-order-execution:
queue = clCreateCommandQueue(context, device, 0, &err);
At this point, the application has created all the data structures (device, kernel, program, command queue, and context) needed by an OpenCL host application. Now, it deploys the kernel to a device with the following code:
global_size = 8; local_size = 4; clEnqueueNDRangeKernel(queue, kernel, 1, NULL, &global_size, &local_size, 0, NULL, NULL);
Of the OpenCL functions that run on the host,
clEnqueueNDRangeKernel is probably the most important to understand. Not only does it deploy kernels to devices, it also identifies how many work-items should be generated to execute the kernel (
global_size) and the number of work-items in each work-group (
In this example, the kernel is executed by eight work-items divided into two work-groups of four work-items each. Returning to my analogy, this corresponds to a school containing eight students divided into two classrooms of four students each.
Example Kernel
A practical application may generate thousands or even millions of work-items, but for the simple task of adding 64 numbers, eight work-items will suffice. The program file add_numbers.cl contains a function called
add_numbers that performs this operation. Like all kernel functions, it returns
void and its name is preceded by the
__kernel identifier.
The kernel has 64 values to add together and eight work-items with which to add them. After each work-item computes its sum of eight values, these partial results will be added together to form a sum for the entire group. In the end, the kernel will return two sums one for each work-group executing the kernel.
When a work-item starts executing
add_numbers, it begins by determining which region of global memory contains the values it needs to access. This is accomplished with the following code:
global_addr = get_global_id(0) * 2;
The first line of code provides the work-item with its global ID, which distinguishes it from all the other executing work-items. With this ID, it computes
global_addr, the address in global memory from which it should load data.
Next, the work-item loads its global data into private memory. Returning to my analogy, this is like a student going to the school-wide blackboard and copying values into a notebook. The following code shows how this works.
input1 = data[global_addr]; input2 = data[global_addr+1]; sum_vector = input1 + input2;
In the kernel code,
input1, input2, and
sum_vector all have the data type
float4. This is a vector type and it's similar to an array of four
floats, but there's one significant difference: When you operate on a
float4, all four
floats are operated upon in the same clock cycle. If the target device supports vector operations, the last line of this code will have it perform four floating-point additions simultaneously.
Each work-item stores its final sum to local memory, which corresponds to a classroom blackboard in my analogy. This is accomplished as follows:
local_addr = get_local_id(0); local_result[local_addr] = sum_vector.s0 + sum_vector.s1 + sum_vector.s2 + sum_vector.s3;
The first line tells the work-item where it can store the sum of its eight values. The second line computes the sum and places it in local memory.
Each work-group contains four work-items, so each block of local memory contains four partial sums. To add these partial sums together, one work-item is designated to read the values for the group and arrive at a group result by adding them together. This is accomplished with the following code:
if(get_local_id(0) == 0) { sum = 0.0f; for(int i=0; i<get_local_size(0); i++) { sum += local_result[i]; } group_result[get_group_id(0)] = sum; }
group_result data is stored in global memory. This is important because the host application can only read values stored in this address space. In the case of add_numbers, the application reads the two sums in
group_result, adds them together, and checks the kernel's output against the correct answer. The host application completes its operation by printing the result and deallocating the structures it used to perform OpenCL processing.
With great power comes great complexity. OpenCL, with its wealth of features, makes it possible to code routines capable of executing on devices ranging from graphics cards to supercomputers. But to take full advantage of OpenCL, you need to have a thorough understanding of host applications and kernels.
This article has presented two analogies intended to ease the learning process, but in the end, it's the code that matters. The OpenCL API takes time and effort to understand, but once you've ascended the learning curve, you'll be able to tap into computing performance that exceeds anything a regular C/C++ programmer could hope for.
Matthew Scarpino is a software consultant in the San Francisco Bay area. He is the author of the upcoming book OpenCL in Action from Manning Publications. This article was derived from an early draft of the book.


text: I don't know about everyone else, but B.o.B. and Kid Cudi have been two of my favorite new rappers since I discovered their mixtapes in the recent years. However, after both had such strong debut albums I would love to see them do at least one song together. I thought I'd bring it up though, what does everyone thing?


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Posts Taggedsampling
There's no disputing the fact that OS X is a brilliant platform for musicians and music lovers. Apple has invested a huge amount into the music industry and, whether or not they've left a good impression, it has lead to an abundance of useful software on the Mac.
Today we'll be looking at a huge selection of software for musicians and music lovers alike. Whether you produce, record and mix music – or whether you just love listening to it – we'll have something for you. Read on to learn about a few new applications that can fill your life with music!


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What's up at New Ulm Medical Center
Many hospitals and healthcare organizations across the country including Allina Health are adopting the Institute for Healthcare Improvements (IHI) Triple Aim strategy, a framework that describes an approach to optimizing health system performance. It is IHI's and our belief that we must boldly pursue the "Triple Aim": 1) achieve better patient care experiences, 2) reduce the per capita cost of health care, 3) and achieve better health outcomes for the population we serve. Here are some examples of our progress in achieving all three aims at New Ulm Medical Center (NUMC).
Better Care Experiences
Initiatives that New Ulm Medical Center has put into practice to improve our patients' experience include:
Right care at the right time: Improving access to appointments for routine or urgent care has been a top priority. We now have more than 25 primary care providers and an evening and Saturday Walk-in Clinic, making appointments more accessible and convenient than ever.
Care boards: Clear and consistent communications between caregivers and hospitalized patients is of utmost importance to our patients and families. Care boards are dry erase boards in patient rooms that make sure patients know who is on their care team at any given time and what the plan is for their day.
Rounding or visits by leaders: Feedback from our patients is also important. Whether a hospital stay is going well or if there is room for improvement in certain areas, relaying that information is important. That's why most days of the week, one of our leaders makes visits (or "rounds") to hospitalized patients. It's a chance for them to tell our leaders what is going right, where we can improve or just talk about personal matters important to them.
Aromatherapy: Nurses on our inpatient and outpatient units have received training in the use and benefit of aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils to manage physical and emotional health. Common symptoms that can be managed with aromatherapy include anxiety, stress, nausea, headaches and insomnia.
Pain management: Understandably, one of the biggest fears for patients when it comes to any kind of surgery or procedure is how much pain it will cause. In the past two years, we have made great strides in not only improving pain management itself but helping our patients know what to expect. That work has paid off. We've improved to rank within the top 20 percent of all hospitals nationwide in pain management satisfaction.
Per Capita Cost Reduction
In order to reduce the overall cost of healthcare, we must lower prices, utilization of services, or both. At NUMC, we have experienced some early success in reducing the utilization of higher cost services and continue to work on new initiatives to further this work. In addition, we recently implemented a price decrease averaging 13 percent. The price decrease varies by service or department across NUMC, but the reduction will ultimately lower the cost of healthcare by $6 million in 2013 for insurance companies, employers and individual patients.
Better Health Outcomes
As we assess the health of our country, we know the impact of the obesity epidemic could severely challenge our health care system. Excess weight can lead to heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and a host of other medical issues that impact the well-being of the individual and the cost of care incurred by an entire community.
In New Ulm, we are extremely fortunate to have the Heart of New Ulm Project in place and based on data collected nearly 50 percent of the community has experienced weight loss since 2008. A new community health challenge, LOSE IT to WIN IT, will begin in June and we expect to see continued health outcomes improve. With this challenge not only can you improve your health, but if we have strong community engagement there will be grant funds reinvested back in the community for important health related projects.
Feedback is an essential part of improving our services and making sure our patients are getting the health care services they need. If you have feedback at any time please contact me at email@example.com.


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Loading Map....
Date/TimeDate(s) - September 20, 2018
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
LocationIntegral Health Studio
Event Notes
TRE® Open Group Classes provide a rich, shared TRE® experience that deepens your learning, practice, and process.
TRE® Classes are held at the Integral Health Studio in Constantia every Thursday evening from 6 to 7.30pm.
Who can attend a TRE® Open Group Class?
- These classes are open to people who have attended a TRE®Introductory session (either a private session or a TRE®introductory workshop).
- Classes are a more cost effective way to learn how to do TRE® in a supportive environment.
- Newcomers are encouraged to sign on for the 6-week program.
- Suitable for those that have been doing TRE® for a while and need further support in self-regulating their practice (especially if they are experiencing discomfort with the emotions or physical sensations that arise as they do TRE®).
- Classes are supportive for people who feel ready to deepen their TRE® experience or to explore ways of encouraging the tremors moving up and through the body.
- Classes also provide the opportunity for individuals to ask questions, share experiences, and support the development of a TRE community.
- Beginners – R 1,250.00 for 6 consecutive weekly sessions – payable in advance.
- Participants who have completed the beginner's programme R150.00 per class
- For those who want to attend occasionally, R250.00.
- TRE® Providers – R100.00 per class.
- TRE® Certification Trainees – R50.00 .
Classes are small so booking is essential.


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1967-1969 Camaro (1st Generation)
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This is a short review of the Brunotti Onyx board 136x40.
By no means expert but i'll try to share some light here.
Kitting for 1 year in mostly choppy / gusty conditions.
Weight 90kg.
Boards: now Brunotti Onyx 136x40 and waiting for the Mako wide 140x40.
First impresions:
Just got this board and right out of the box is definetly a looker. It's a woody with some very nice black graphics on it (looks like tribal or maori, i don't know). Nice abs sidewalls, nice and comfy straps with mid soft deck pads and G10 fins. The overall feeling is that this board is a touch too soft. The weight of the board is actually quite light, maybe one of the lightest boards i've ever seen.
On the water.
16-20knots and quite messy chop (as usual). The board might feel too soft in land but on the water it's actually not that much soft. i would say mid soft (like the 555 i had) and definetly a chop eater, very comfortable on the knees and the pop is not that bad at all. I found the upwind drive off this board quite good , maybe helped by the small concave on the bottom.
Overall a quite nice allround board.


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Let Dawn Realtors help you with purchasing and selling properties in Sherwood Commons and assist you with navigating the current Real Estate market in Smyrna Georgia. With low inventory in many if the major markets in Atlanta, our services help buyers with locating and submitting offers on homes in Cobb county and have the experience to prepare our buyers for a successful transaction. Call us at (404)410-6636 for more information on properties in Sherwood Commons or for questions on selling your home in Cobb county.
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Ron Bacardi & Cuba – Turbulent Times
Ron Bacardi & Cuba – Turbulent Times
By Chip Dykstra
I find it impossible to introduce my first review of a Ron Bacardi rum without speaking to the history of, and controversy surrounding this amazing company. Business acumen and savvy political skill have helped Ron Bacardi endure and prosper for almost 150 years. From very ordinary beginnings the company has become a giant of industry.
It started in 1862 when Facundo Bacardi and his brother José bought the Santiago de Cuba distillery and began to distill what would become the most popular commercial rum in the world. Using a method of charcoal filtering, and oak barrel aging along with a still of copper and cast iron, Facundo Bacardi (who was prone to experimentation) created a smoother more refined version of the locally made rum. Over time, his smoother version of the spirit became first a local favourite, and over time, an international sensation.
In the early 1900's the company opened new bottling plants in Barcelona and New York City. At this time, Cuba was popular with US tourists and opening these plants marked the beginning of Bacardi's international expansion. Capitalizing on the influx of US tourists in Cuba during Prohibition, Bacardi branded Cuba as the 'home of rum', and Bacardi as the 'king of rums.'
After Prohibition, the company moved a substantial proportion of the production to Puerto Rico, which allowed the rum to be sold tariff-free in the US. That partial move to Puerto Rico was extremely fortunate for Bacardi's survival. In the 1960's, the Castro revolution changed the commercial landscape of Cuba, changes that endure to this day.
I am not qualified to speak of the rights and wrongs of the Castro Revolution, but perhaps no other company in the world has the unique and controversial relationship with Cuba that Bacardi has. The Ron Bacardi Company left Cuba in the wake of Castro's plans to nationalize all private property and privately held bank accounts on the Island. The Bacardi family moved all important trademarks out of Cuba, and using the plant built-in Puerto Rico, was able to continue to build their company in spite of the loss of massive assets. All of the Bacardi assets which were left in Cuba were lost including the distillery in Santiago.
It is no wonder the Bacardi family and hence the Ron Bacardi Company has had such a turbulent and antagonistic relationship with Cuba ever since. It has even been speculated that the Bacardi family tried to help the CIA assassinate Fidel Castro, and it is well-known that the (1960's) President of Bacardi, Jose Pepin Bosch, purchased a B-26 bomber, with the alleged intention of bombing Cuban Oil fields.
Nowadays, it is popular to consider Bacardi a bully which uses its large political influence in the United States to promote its company's interests. After all, Bacardi has grown to become one of the largest privately held liquor companies in the world, and most probably the largest rum producer in the world. But considering the history between the Ron Bacardi Company and the Cuban Government, I think it is fair to say that this story definitely has two very different perspectives.
Note No. 1: The research for this article draws on material gathered from the Bacardi website, and other mainstream media outlets. Readers should be advised that although I used other sources to fact check, the main sources are not necessarily impartial.
Note No 2: This is a republication of an article I wrote for Rumconnection.com. As stated in the article it serves as an introduction to my first review of a Bacardi Rum, in this case the Bacardi 8 Year Old rum, which will be published here shortly.
(I am a frequent writer for Rum Connection, and it is my policy to republish the articles I write for third-party sites upon my blog to maintain my intellectual property under copyright. Other third parties may contact myself on this blog if they are interested in publishing my material.)


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The PCM has detected a malfunction in the electrical circuit of the downshift switch circuit. The switch, system wiring and connectors, and mode actuator are all included in this circuit. The upshift/downshift switch is located near the shifter in the passenger compartment. Upshift/downshift switches are used on vehicles with manually shiftable automatic transmissions.
If the PCM detects a voltage or resistance signal (in the downshift switch circuit) that is not within the manufacturer's recommended specifications, a code will be stored and a malfunction indicator lamp may be illuminated. Some vehicles will require multiple failure cycles in order for the malfunction indicator lamp to be illuminated. Some vehicles will never illuminate the service engine soon lamp for this code.
It is very likely that there will be no distinguishable symptoms aside from the manual shifter function being disabled. The transmission controller may place the transmission in limp-in mode. In this mode, the transmission will shift harshly and torque converter lockup will normally be eliminated. A code will be stored and a service engine lamp may be illuminated after multiple failures. In some applications, the overdrive light may flash, as well.
The most common cause for this type of failure is due to liquids spilled on the upshift/downshift switch. Open or shorted electrical wiring, damaged, corroded, or disconnected wiring or connectors are also a viable possibility.
Techs report that liquids spilled onto switches are often overlooked in preference of transmission wiring malfunctions.


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Quotey Odds and Ends
One. [When you're going through losing streaks, what do you tell your guys?] Jerry Sloan: Who are we? Who are we gonna be? We gonna be a team if you're getting beat, just accept it? It's about as nasty a feeling as you can have, as far as basketball is concerned. If you acquire a taste for losing, I think you enjoy it, end up trying to say it's OK to lose. [It's never been] one of those things that I could ever enjoy doing; I still can't do it at my age now. I think it's one of the worst feelings in your mouth to lose. (KFAN audio)
Two. Paul Millsap: [Do you play with a chip on your shoulder, and do you still feel like you have to prove people wrong?] I don't feel like that anymore. Now [I'm] just out there trying to win, playing my game. My first few years, I tried to prove everybody wrong. I tried to show everybody I was able to play at this level, but now, I'm calm, I'm more stable, so I feel another level of confidence that I can just get out there and just play my game. (KSL)
Three. Jazz guard C.J. Miles said that only Raja Bell rivals AK as being the "glue" that connects Utah's team. (sltrib)
Four. Jeff Hornacek, on playing time and specifically in regards to more minutes at the 4 going to AK lately: The one big thing is the players have to accept the fact that they have a deep team and there's a lot of guys that can play, and they can't concern themselves with, 'Hey, I need to play my 35, 36 minutes' or 'I need to be in there in the fourth quarter.' They gotta put all that ego aside and be a team, and say, 'If Memo's rolling, he's gonna stay in there and I might be sitting on the bench tonight, but tomorrow night it might be me.' And when you have that attitude, that's the chemistry that people talk about. I believe our guys are like that. (Locked on Jazz podcast)
Five. Fan to Fes: Dude, come down to Orem and party with us.
Fes: Party in Orem. [pause; stares incredulously at fan] Let's go swim in ocean in Nevada. (Facebook; don't know if this is publicly viewable)
(Let me just say, I don't know the first thing about Orem and what it has, or, more to the point(?) what it lacks, but Fes just makes me laugh.)


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|Dog City
|Air Date
|November 21, 1992
|Written by
|Mark Saraceni, Peter Sauder
Eliot's suspicions and fears about Colleen's new friend result in a madcap adventure that has Dog City howling in fear. A vampire is loose in Dog City, and Ace has to find him before everyone goes to the dogs.
Chief Rosie O'Gravy, Ace and Eddie each work in their own inimitable way to solve the mystery of the "Bloodhound." Ace, skeptical, puts his nose to the ground to pick up every clue, but Eddie's belief in the vampire begins to cloud his judgment. Can they find the fiend before he bites another dog? Ace, Eddie and Rosie race against time to solve this Ace Hart mystery.
While the episode originally debuted in November, it was repeated in October 1993 as part of a FOX Halloween-themed block.
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Updated 4:44 p.m.
• Could This Be the Design of the iPhone 5? – An iPhone 5 "clone" out of China may have been created after an early iPhone 5 escaped from Apple's control. Or not.
• Meet Comex, The 19-Year-Old iPhone Uber-Hacker Who Keeps Outsmarting Apple – He's created a quick-and-easy way to jailbreak iPhones, getting around sophisticated barriers set up by the company.
Updated 12:25 p.m.
• How Facial Recognition Technology Can Be Used To Get Your Social Security Number – It turns out that, if you know enough about a person, an SSN can be predicted.
• Apple Launching New iPhone in October, Not September – Latest iPhone 5 rumor-du-jour has the device coming out in October, probably later in the month.
• Apple Suit Puts Samsung Tablet Sales in Australia on Hold – Samsung agrees not to sell its Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia until the dispute is settled.
• Apple TV update introduces show streaming, Vimeo support – Only on the latest-generation Apple TV.
Original post
• Windows XP PCs breed rootkit infections – Three-fourths of all rootkit infections are on Windows XP PCs.
• What You Need to Know About the Internet Snooping Bill (and How You Can Protect Yourself) – Congress has passed a bill that requires ISPs to keep records on your online activities for a year. Now what?
• Researchers Say Vulnerabilities Could Let Hackers Spring Prisoners From Cells – Planting a worm similar to Stuxnet, which attacked Iran's nuclear program, could do the trick.
• The end of easy growth in smartphones – The decline of RIM and Nokia means it's now a two-horse race between Apple and Google's Android. Is it too late for a player like Microsoft to make an impact with its Windows Phone 7 devices?
• Another Airbnb Victim Tells His Story: "There Were Meth Pipes Everywhere" – Another tale of woe from a homeowner who rented out a house via Airbnb.
• With the Bing Search Engine, Microsoft Plays the Underdog and If Microsoft Bing is Muhammad Ali, this is its best punch – The NYTimes examines Microsoft's strategy regarding Bing, and it's about a lot more than just search.
• Microsoft's Windows Phone revenue: $613 million, at the very most – Based on removing the overall figures for Xbox from the Entertainment and Devices division's overall sales.
• Google Chrome overtakes Firefox to become UK's second most popular web browser
• Farewell Flash? Adobe Launches HTML5 Web Animations Tool "Adobe Edge" – The tool lets Web designers make animations and Web apps similar to those rendered in Flash.
• Jake Davis named as suspected hacker Topiary by UK police – He was arrested last week and named as the spokesman for LulzSec.
• Best Buy moves into the connected TV business with Tivo's user interface – The retailer's Insignia house brand offers two HDTV models that connect to the Net and have TiVo's interface built-in.
• Inside Match.com – Financial Times takes a fascinating look at the Web's biggest dating site.
• Former Bush NSA director calls for 'digital Blackwater' – It's time for mercenaries to help out with cybersecurity.
• IEEE Standards Association announces really long range Wi-Fi – How about 22 Mbps at a 60-mile range?


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In Illinois secondary schools in districts with enrollments between 3,000 and 5,999 students, the salary range for beginning teachers with bachelor's degrees is $40,032 to $47,694. Source: "Illinois Teacher Salary Study 2008-2009," Illinois State Board of Education
Letter PerfectEnglish teachers guide their students into the world of words to explore the joys and struggles of life and humanity.
Outstanding PreparationAt Governors State University, the undergraduate major in English with a teacher education concentration prepares you to teach 21st century language proficiency on the secondary school level. You can also obtain an endorsement for teaching middle school. In addition to a strong academic background, you gain the knowledge you will need to be a teacher who can discuss both classic and modern literature, passing on a love of language and writing skills to a new generation of learners.
Teacher education at GSU is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and approved by the Illinois State Board of Education. It has also been recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English.
To be recommended for an Illinois State Board of Education teaching license, you must present evidence of having passed the Test of Academic Proficiency (formerly Basic Skills), Subject Matter Knowledge and Assessment of Professional Teaching examinations of the Illinois Certification Testing System. You must complete a student teaching requirement in English and must meet other requirements for certification through approved programs in the Teacher Education and Certification section of the GSU catalog.
Program Fact Sheet
Admission, Degree, and Graduation Requirements
Student Handbook
Please see the Student Handbook in Secondary Education and Secondary Education Programs in Biology, Chemistry, English and Mathematics page for additional information.
Rashidah Jaami' firstname.lastname@example.com
Bachelor of Arts in English Teacher Education Faculty


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CZW Cage of Death 12/9: Page-Strickland-Gacy; Tremont-Lloyd 10,000 Tack Pits
CZWrestling.com – Combat Zone Wrestling's largest event of the year, "Cage of Death" returns Saturday, December 9 at Rastelli's Complex, 1855 Hurffville RD in Sewell, NJ at 8 pm!
As announced on Saturday:
After Joe Gacy unveiled Alex Reynolds to be one of his revolutionaries, the chaos led him to become the new CZW World Heavyweight champion! Rickey Shane Page then cashes in his Ultimate Opportunity Coin, leading him to become the NEW CZW World Heavyweight champion and giving a rematch to Gacy and Strickland at Cage of Death.
Inside the Cage of Death on December 9, champion Rickey Shane Page vs. Shane Strickland vs. Joe Gacy!
Also, after Jimmy Lloyd defeated Brandon Kirk in the Squared Circle of Sacrifice, Jimmy Lloyd then challenged Matt Tremont.
At Cage of Death, it's a 10,000 Thumbtack Pits Match between Jimmy Lloyd and "The Bulldozer" Matt Tremont!
More to be announced soon!
(See full results from Saturday's Night of Infamy at CZWrestling.com. Catch up on CZW and more at CZWstudios.com.)
Tickets: CZWtickets.ticketfly.com or, day of, at the door. Show support on Facebook at facebook.com/events/1130059623773230.
Follow CZW online: facebook.com/officialczw - twitter.com/combatzone - instagram.com/combatzone
Category: Wrestling.
Tags: Combat Zone Wrestling, CZW.


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With this brownie recipe, you won't miss gluten one bit. The rich chocolate flavor is enhanced by the addition of chocolate chips, making this dessert pretty much irresistible.
So, I discovered last week why you should always make brownies from a packaged mix. (Sounds like the start of a joke doesn't it. I wish!) It allows you to remain in the delusion that brownies do not have just as much sugar as flour! And a whole entire cup of oil!
I had lost almost all of my baby weight before I made these brownies and the Hershey Pie that I posted last week. But after eating 95% of the pie, and at least half of the brownies, I gained 5 lbs. back. That's what happens when you reward yourself with dessert every time you have to get up with the baby! I've been eating salads like crazy this week trying to get over my sweet tooth.
It finally was beginning to work when a coworker was able to get me samples of the new Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devil's Food Cake and Chocolate Chip cookies mixes (in stores this summer).I'm sure that I'll break down and bake the cake and cookies this weekend, so I'll write a review of both of those next week. In the meantime, these brownies should keep you high on sugar =)
I started working on this recipe after a friend raved about her grandmother's brownies. Unfortunately, her grandmother makes the brownies without the aid of a recipe or measuring tools, so the written recipe that they did have doesn't taste exactly like the real thing. Knowing this, I felt free to adjust the recipe a bit once I'd made it a few times. I've replaced some of the oil with water, added chocolate chips (because you always need more chocolate) and made the recipe gluten free. I think you'll really enjoy these brownies, especially if you like your brownies to have a really deep chocolaty taste. But beware feeding them to your children – my sweet boy is now addicted to brownies (or "yannis" as he pronounces it) which makes it very difficult to go down the baking aisle of the grocery store now!


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Luxembourg & The Beautiful Moselle - Sun 1st July 2018
- Kesto: 6 Päivät
- Tuotekoodi: PC0LQF
Surrounded by Belgium, France and Germany, the picturesque Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is one of Europe's most picturesque countries. Our holiday is based in the beautiful Luxembourg Ardenne, surrounded by beautiful wooded valleys, rivers and vineyards. Our hotel is in the historic medieval town of Vianden, lovely to explore on foot and overlooked by a magnificent Castle - one of the largest fortified castles west of the River Rhine. With a remarkable history, Luxembourg has now become a financial powerhouse and offers the visitor much to explore. During our stay we visit the sophisticated Capital, with its mix of skyscrapers and ancient fortifications and pop over the border to visit one of Germany's oldest cities, Trier.
After being collected from your local pick up point (6.30am approx.) we board the Eurotunnel and arrive in France early afternoon. We continue through France & Belgium in to Luxembourg, arriving early evening.
Morning at leisure to enjoy our lovely host town. Explore the medieval streets and head for the fairytale castle by chair lift for spectacular scenery. In the afternoon we make the short journey to the town of Clervaux - lovely to explore with a Castle full of history, magnificent Abbey and historic houses.
In the morning we head to Luxembourg City where we are joined by a local guide for a tour of the city exploring the 'old town' and the modern downtown. City highlights include the Grand Ducal Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and the amazing historic fortifications - a UNESCO classed world heritage site. Free time to explore and relax in one of the many pavement cafes before returning to Vianden.
Great excursion today as we enjoy lovely scenery on the way to picturesque Echternach where we are joined by a local guide for a tour through the stunning Mullerthal Valley - known as Little Switzerland, including the villages of Berdorf, Mullerthal and Beaufort. Afterwards we head to Trier - Germany's oldest city. This beautiful town on the Moselle River has a number of UNESCO World Heritage sites to enjoy. We shall be joined by a guide for a 1 hour walking tour to see some of the best city sights including the famous Porta Nigra, one of the finest preserved Roman city gates in Europe, the Main Market, the Cathedral and the Church of Our Lady, the Roman Imperial Throne Room and Electoral Palace.
In the morning we shall be joined by a local guide for an excursion to discover the beautiful scenery of The Ardennes before returning to relax with free time in Vianden.
We head for the mid afternoon Eurotunnel with comfort breaks as required. Arriving back in the local area around 7.00/8.00pm.
Meal Plan - DINNER BED & BREAKFAST
Hotel Belle Vue
This modern 3 star hotel is well situated within an easy walk of the town centre and enjoys views of the castle from many of the rooms and the terrace. The staff are very friendly and English speaking.The extensive Buffet Breakfast is served in the brightly lit breakfast room and in the evening there is a 3 course evening meal. The menu is set - but if you wish to have something different the chef will offer an alternative. No problem! Don't be shy!
Facilities in the hotel include a heated indoor swimming pool, a welcoming bar and a large sun terrace where you can enjoy a drink, unwind and discuss the day. The comfortable bedrooms all have en-suite bathroom with shower or bath, Flat screen TV and Free Wi-Fi.
Luxury Rooms available with Balcony from £50 per person


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Season 46
Discover why scientists and entrepreneurs alike have their sights set on the Moon again.
Back to the Moon
Bioarchaeologists investigate a 9th-century mass grave thought to hold a lost Viking army.
Lost Viking Army
The advent of horse riding changed the course of human history and our genetic makeup.
First Horse Warriors
Scientists investigate the deadly megafires that swept through California in 2018.
Inside the Megafire
Can a daring water engineering project revive the Dead Sea without altering its chemistry?
Saving the Dead Sea
In the shadow of Vesuvius and Pompeii, a lesser-known volcano puts Naples at risk.
The Next Pompeii
New technologies are promising a new renaissance in space travel.
Rise of the Rockets
New archeological evidence shows the stunning engineering of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Decoding the Great Pyramid
Journey to Kīlauea volcano to investigate the eruptions that shook Hawaiʻi in 2018.
Kīlauea: Hawaiʻi on Fire
Join scientists as they grab light from across the universe to prove quantum entanglement.
Einstein's Quantum Riddle
The New Horizons spacecraft zooms toward an object 4 billion miles from Earth.


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Oak Park, MI's Best Choice For Commercial Cleaners
Commercial Cleaners For Your Property With Stay Clean Solutions in Oak Park!
When it comes to a cleaning company you can trust, Stay Clean Solutions is SE Michigan's #1 choice. Our skilled team is dedicated to serving you and your business, giving you a variety of commercial cleaning options to choose from. We want you to get the cleaning services you deserve, which is why we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Our customer's happiness and satisfaction are our top priority.
Our team provides the best interior cleaning services such as carpet cleaning, floor care, tile and grout cleaning, strip and wax, just to name a few! We clean offices, car dealerships, restaurants, schools, industrial buildings and other businesses around the Metro Detroit area. This is why a lot of Stay Clean Solutions customers prefer our company to clean their facilities.
Here at Stay Clean Solutions, our mission statement is simple: "To provide the most reliable and the highest quality cleaning service in the Metro Detroit area." And we do just that - and beyond!
Office, Commercial & Industrial Cleaning Experts serving Oak Park
Whether it's office cleaning, janitorial services, floor cleaning or building maintenance, Stay Clean Solutions does it best. We provide cleaning services for virtually any type of facility or building. Our team understands clean, which is why we offer a plethora of services to keep our new and existing customers happy. A building's cleanliness speaks volumes and is a big part of what attracts people to keep coming back. We are Southeast Michigan's cleaner of choice for many area businesses - and with good reason!
General Office Cleaning
A clean office is what keeps employees and customers coming back every day. Stay Clean Solutions provides a wide range of services to keep your office looking clean, organized and inviting. We will:
- Empty all trash containers, replace liners, and remove trash to designated area
- Dust and clean all partitions, ledges, telephones, desk accessories, desks, tables, credenzas, bookshelves, file cabinets, countertops, and more
- Detail clean conference rooms and reception areas
- Clean and sanitize bathrooms and kitchens
- Disinfect bathroom floors and drains, sinks, bathroom countertops, and bathroom fixtures
- Replenish paper and soap supplies
- Sweep and damp mop all VCT and hard surface floors and vacuum all carpet floor coverings
- Dry mop and damp mop all hard surface floors
- Window washing
Commercial Carpet Cleaning Services
Provide the deepest clean possible to your carpets without damaging them with Stay Clean Solutions. A clean space is welcoming, and dirty carpet or upholstery can deter just about anyone, which is why we offer the solution to this problem. Stay Clean Solutions provides thorough and effective deep cleanings to get even the toughest of stains out of your carpet or upholstery. We can provide any commercial business in the Southeast Michigan area with the right help to make office spaces look wonderful, fresh and welcoming.
The Benefits of a Clean Carpet
Dirty carpets have dust particles, pollen, and other irritants that undermine air quality, trigger allergies, and harm respiratory health. While you can remove some of these particles with a vacuum, only a deep cleaning can eliminate them entirely. With Stay Clean Solutions on your side, those who visit your building can breathe easier.
Never underestimate the impact of upholstery in your building or office space. Not only do couches, chairs, and other furnishings offer a place for people to sit, but they can also affect the look and air quality of the room they're in. From removing dust to deep stains, Stay Clean Solutions can keep your upholstery looking like new.


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Clay Jenkinson has a deep love for North Dakota, his home state. An award winning writer and a distinguished humanities scholar at Bismarck State College, he may be best known for portraying Thomas Jefferson in The Jefferson Hour. That's why his thoughts on the recent protests gave me some pause. It's not a a clear-cut situation, with mountains of historical context that can't be ignored, including past broken treaties, corruption, and continued racism that's still prevalent across our great state (and elsewhere). And while Jenkinson's final conclusions about the pipeline don't say that we shouldn't build the pipeline, it does indeed make us think twice about how we handle the situation.
Some think "the Indian Wars" ended at Wounded Knee on the last day of December 1890, but that is not so. There has merely been a Clauswitzean morphing from Gatling Guns to bureaucratic findings or bribes or corruption in the BIA or high pressure industrial emplacements, like the Dakota Access Pipeline.
This is a must read for anyone who is involved in the Dakota Access pipeline discussion, even if it's just over meat and potatoes after work. It may not change your mind, which is okay, but it may help deepen our understanding for why, as Jenkinson notes in his Facebook post, that "We need to keep this moment peaceful. That is going to require extraordinary forbearance on all sides. This must be ratcheted down not up."
Read Clay Jenkinson's entire article here on his website.