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Good afternoon, I am Jonathan Fanton, President of the MacArthur Foundation. I am pleased to welcome you to the Foundation and to congratulate you for the innovative proposals you have made to preserve affordable housing in your states, counties and cities.
In 2003, the Foundation launched Window of Opportunity as a ten year, $50 million dollar initiative to demonstrate that preserving and improving affordable rental housing is a smart and cost-effective strategy. Just five months ago, we hosted a dinner in a magnificent hall at Union Station in Washington DC to celebrate real progress toward that goal. That night, I announced that the Foundation was expanding its investment in Window of Opportunity to $150 million dollars.
Why triple our investment? As I will explain in a moment, our increased confidence in this work is based on the strength of our partners, the concrete demonstration of their ability to acquire and preserve affordable housing stock at scale, and now, most important, the promise of changes in practice and policy that will make preservation at a very high volume, across the country, possible. While we recognize the importance of federal policy, we know that real progress also depends on the state and local level where fresh ideas and creative practices often originate. That belief is what brings us together.
As we watch the foreclosure crisis grip the country, we are reaffirmed in our decision to concentrate on affordable rental housing preservation. We said at the start, and now it is painfully clear, that ownership is not for everyone, not a sign of moral value. Rental housing is honorable and essential for almost all of us at some time in our lives. It is an important element in a balanced national housing policy.
So as the foreclosure crisis approaches its peak, affordable rental housing preservation is more important than ever. Our new initiative to help Chicago neighborhoods through this crisis focuses on foreclosure prevention on the front end, but also on getting foreclosed homes back into productive use quickly, for resale of course, but much of it for rent or rent-to-own.
Our choice of affordable rental housing preservation and our new foreclosure initiative tell you two things about MacArthur. We often go against the grain of prevailing orthodoxy and we can move quickly where there is urgent need.
We have also been blessed with a growing endowment, 6.5 billion as we speak, which allows our philanthropy to grow to over 300 million next year, including program related investments.
The public knows us best for the Fellows program — the so-called "genius" grants — and our support for public radio and television. But these are a small share of our annual grantmaking.
We make grants in 60 countries from our headquarters in Chicago and offices in Nigeria, Russia, Mexico, and India, and soon China. We work to defend human rights, advance global conservation and security, make cities better places, and understand how technology is affecting children and society.
About a quarter of our domestic grantmaking supports research, including studies that build the evidence base about policies that work. Based on our early investments in visionary leaders and large-scale housing nonprofits, we saw that investing in existing affordable rental housing is a cost-effective strategy that helps to stabilize the lives of low-income families and revitalize communities. But to reach our goal to preserve one million affordable rental homes in a single decade, we would have to take this work to a larger scale and focus on policy.
Of course, challenges abound. Two million households are projected to join the ranks of renters by 2020, even as the supply of low-cost rental homes continues to fall. To meet this growing demand, we must help unleash widespread and systematic policy reforms that make preserving affordable rental housing much easier, faster and less costly to do. Only then will the successful demonstrations of the last five years deliver on their true potential: preservation at a meaningful scale—a scale that ultimately makes it possible for new construction to add to the overall inventory of affordable housing.
The federal picture has been grim for housing. Subsidized housing's share of federal spending declined 80 percent in the past 30 years. Between 2001 and 2006, federal discretionary spending rose 31 percent but HUD's budget increased only one-half of one percent.
But the news has not been all bad. Increasingly, we see state and local leaders breaking new ground, implementing innovative policies, testing new ways to create livable, vibrant communities. Forty-six states have made it easier for preservation projects to compete for available funds. As a result, over 63,000 at-risk rentals were preserved during 2006 alone. The National Housing Trust estimates this is a five-fold increase compared to just five years ago.
MacArthur has learned about this ingenuity and commitment firsthand. New York City used $8 million of its own resources to spur the creation of a $200-million Acquisition Fund. We invested $5 million in program-related investments in the Fund. To date, ten different developments have received financing through the Acquisition Fund, totaling $58 million in loans, and representing 1,302 affordable homes.
In Chicago, we have committed more than $15 million in grants and program-related investments to The Preservation Compact, a comprehensive initiative. It includes many of the approaches that you have proposed—acquisition funds, a data clearinghouse, and others—with the aim of preserving 75,000 affordable rental homes in Cook County and bringing the loss to zero by 2020.
But good preservation policy takes more than just money. In New York and Chicago, city officials have advocated for change at the Federal level, resulting in a better approach to turning around HUD properties in foreclosure. This afternoon you will hear from members of The Preservation Compact about an innovative approach to identifying at-risk properties. Through an inter-agency coordinating council, they also have taken steps to identify 100 properties with 14,000 affordable units as targets for preservation and have asked tenant rights advocates to focus on these same properties.
The Preservation Compact and other local initiatives remind us that states and localities will likely remain the most powerful engines for change and innovation, even as the federal policy environment may well improve. So, the centerpiece of our expanded commitment to Window of Opportunity is a new Award for State and Local Housing Preservation Leaders. Later this year, we will make awards to ten of you in this room, but today we want to celebrate all of your work. You are a truly impressive group—all of you have demonstrated leadership through commitment and innovation.
We hope your conversations will spark the spread of new ideas. And whatever the outcome of these awards, we hope you all will be part of an informal network of best practices and sensible policies. In fact, the Foundation will ensure that all of you, final awardees and others, will have access to valuable technical assistance through a resource bank with expertise in the development of acquisition funds, systems for collecting and managing preservation data, and the intricacies of laws and regulations governing federally-subsidized housing.
Through these new awards, we have four goals:
In short, we want you to help us drive a national agenda for change that touches every part of our country—cities, suburbs, small rural towns—an agenda that directly preserves at least 300,000 homes and alters the policy landscape to make preservation of one million affordable rental homes in a decade not a noble aspiration but an accomplished reality.
This charge resonates deeply with the nature of America at its best. I am an American historian and one of my favorite periods of history is the Progressive Era, a time of great reform during the early twentieth century. It was during this era that Justice Louis Brandeis described states as laboratories of democracy – venues for testing new ideas and creating model policies. Following the arc of American history, I see a new era of reform on the horizon. States and cities once again will be the sources of policy innovation, pushing and prodding our federal government to do more, and engaging the private market in responsive, responsible, and realistic ways.
One of my favorite presidents, Harry Truman, challenged Congress to strengthen our nation's commitment to affordable housing. He said: "A decent standard of housing for all is one of the irreducible obligations of modern civilization. The people of the United States, so far ahead in wealth and productive capacity, deserve to be the best housed people in the world."
Four years later, the Housing Act of 1949 made this our nation's policy when it declared that every American deserved "a decent home and a suitable housing environment."
The time has come to fulfill that commitment. The window of opportunity is open because of the powerful national demonstration that affordable rental housing can be preserved, because of the research that is beginning to show how housing matters for health, education, jobs, community vitality, and because of the promise of innovative policies and practices so well articulated in your proposals.
The window is open to you—state and local leaders who not only spend federal resources wisely, but continually seek ways to be constructive, strategic, and reliable partners to owners, investors, tenants and advocates working to preserve affordable rental homes for the future.
Real progress often comes in our history at times of great challenge. The public attention is riveted on housing; policy makers know they must act and are open to evidence of what works; and the private sector has been humbled and is in need of partnerships with smart governments and non-profit organizations.
Taken together the 21 jurisdictions represented in the room have fresh ideas, a wealth of wisdom, and a determination to change policy. Working together, I believe that can come close to realizing Harry Truman's vision.
We look forward to working with you.


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School break is near and it's exciting to spend a lot of time with kids on some of STEM projects.
Here I like to introduce the best approach how to introduce kids how to code.
1.Engage with robot kits
Kids love physical engagement. Coding normally stays inside the computer premises. The best strategy is to combine those two. Coding with robot !
Here are a few recommended kits kids can learn coding while tinkering with robot kits.
Gizmos & Gadgets Kit, 2nd Edition
Littlebit kits has great reputation to combine coding with physical invention kids. It transforms passive screen time into a passion for hands-on inventing, problem solving and creativity along with coding.
Codey Rocky is Smart robot for beginner coding and AI learning. And very durable and well built for beginning coding learners. Its predecessor mBot has similar functions/features but it uses old / existing Scratch code. If you are ready to upgrade and keep with Scratch 2.0 to 3.0 skill please go for Codey Rocky since it allows you to code from not just PC, but also tablet/mobile device.
The beauty of this product (Codey Rocky) is that it does use the same programming language you learned (Scratch 3.0 – available from August 2018 from MIT) from Scratch.mit.org (Currently it shows 2.0 but it will be turned into 3.0 in August 2018).
2.Start with Visual Programming
Visual programming is great way to start learning coding.
The most prime example is to learn from Scratch which is developed by MIT.
The Scratch is the best known for its easy way to start learning coding as well as global community to share their works. As I mentioned earlier Scratch 2.0 is getting upgraded to 3.0 and if you are a fresh new student please start with 3.0 (available from August 2018).
Code.org is one of the best entry level coding platform where any kids can learn coding from visually stunning environments. If you are never exposed to programming and if you are afraid where to start your programming please start with Code.org. This is the best place to start.

subset: commoncrawl


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In March 2018, based on its observations of banks' efforts to implement FRTB, the BCBS decided to postpone the deadline for implementation to 2022, acknowledging 'ongoing challenges related to implementation of the standard'. With more time before implementation, banks now have an opportunity to re-evaluate their implementation plans and consider a more strategic approach that may have not been possible under the previous deadline. For those that intend to implement a more strategic approach, time is limited even with the delayed deadline. Although the date of implementation is 1 January 2022, some key steps must occur before this, including the regulatory approval of models, which requires models to be run one year in advance of implementation.
With this in mind, Chartis carried out a series of interviews with 15 individuals (including FRTB program leads, heads of risk technology, and data/analytics team members) from one national regulatory agency and 11 banks (including global universal banks, banks with an investment focus, and retail-oriented banks). The institutions interviewed are located in Europe and North America, and are a mix of global, Tier 1 and Tier 2 organizations. We asked them about their plans regarding FRTB implementation, including:
- Any changes to their approach since the implementation deadline was extended.
- Their intentions regarding the IMA versus the SA.
- Their view on the practicality of assessing the capital impact of FRTB implementation decisions.
- Their plans for sourcing data and using proxy data.
- Their thoughts on outsourcing their FRTB technology requirements.
Based on these interviews, and analysis provided by Chartis, this report aims to provide:
- Insight into how banks plan to comply with FRTB.
- A realistic view of the way that banks have responded to the extension of FRTB's implementation deadline.
- An assessment of the real impact that FRTB is likely to have, and its implications for banks and their technology and service providers.


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Taj Mahal Marble Cremation Urn Circular Keepsake Box - Small
- Natural, hand carved white marble cremation circular keepsake box.
- Each marble keepsake is hand carved in Pakistan from one solid piece of marble.
- A discreet genuine marble keepsake circular box with natural variations in the pattern.
Dimensions: 2.5 Inches High x 4.9 Inches Length x 4.9 Inches Wide.
Material: Marble
The Taj Mahal is a world famous architectural marvel that millions of tourists go to visit every year. The grandeur of this structure is partly due to the material used to build it, marble. It was chosen because it is a durable, sophisticated and elegant material. We use it for the same reasons. Marble is a trustworthy and everlasting material that can be crafted to look like a grand palace or a small circular cremation keepsake box, both will be stunning. Let this keepsake box be a companion for years to come, whether you choose to keep it or share it with friends and family, it will provide a sense of comfort in hard times.
Estimated Shipping Time
1- Will the item be engraved?
*You will have the option to choose your preferred shipping speed at checkout. For further questions please visit our shipping page Or contact our caring agents at (651) 493-9105


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This post goes from the late 1760's and early 1770's to 1834.
Monthly Archives: May 2016
Cairy Hudson Wilbourn
This post goes from the 1835 to 1849. Cairy married William Wilbourn. She needs her own post because she had many documents after he died and she moved from South Carolina to Mississippi and passed away.
Champion Wilbourn and Elizabeth Ann Anderson
This post goes from 1795 to about 1850.
Amonet Washington Wilbourn and Nancy Margaret Gray
This post covers the years 1821 to 1904.
William Harvey Wilbourn and Frances Victoria Daniel
This post goes from 1853 to 1927.
Perrins of Edgefield District, South Carolina
These records go from 1770 to 1828.
Perrins of Lunenburg and Charlotte Counties, Virginia
These records go from 1746 to 1784.
Essential Lamkin Records in Northumberland County, Virginia
These records go from 1658 to 1796.
Essential Lamkin Records in Westmoreland County, Virginia
These records go from 1665 to 1795.
Lamkins of Mecklenburg, Lunenburg, and Halifax Counties, Virginia
These records go from 1766 to 1795.


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Good Bones
For every bird there is a stone thrown at a bird.
Light & Darkness: How Sharon Olds brought me back to writing.
Essay by Maggie Smith for Poetry Foundation
When my first child was born eight years ago, I stopped writing. I didn't write a poem for the first year of her life. I was exhausted and anxious, and I held and bounced and swayed a colicky newborn all day. Who had time for poems? But even when my daughter began sleeping and I had some pockets of time, I was stuck. My life had changed completely, and I felt that the poems wanted to change—needed to change—but how?
I remember feeling that the very temperature of my life had risen. There was nothing "cool" about motherhood. It was hot and raw. It was full of blood and shit and milk and tears. It was equal parts light and darkness. I didn't know how to write that. I was wary of writing what might be dismissed as "mommy poems," wary of sentimentality.
I had a model for how to mother—I was lucky that way—but I needed poet models to show me how I might write the experience. I found them in Carrie Fountain, Brenda Shaughnessy, Rita Dove, Deborah Garrison, Beth Ann Fennelly, Arielle Greenberg, and Rachel Zucker. And, just when I needed her work the most, I rediscovered Sharon Olds.
"Prayer During a Time My Son Is Having Seizures" was published in Poetry in September 1983. It's a poem I could have encountered in high school, in college, or in graduate school, long before becoming a mother. And perhaps if I'd read it before having my daughter, I wouldn't have felt so paralyzed as a poet when she was born.
"Finally, I just lean on the door-frame, a / woman without belief, praying," the poem begins. "Please don't let anything happen to him." From the first word, finally, we have a sense of what the mother-speaker and the son have already been through up to the moment of this utterance: the speaker, helpless and overwhelmed, prays despite her lack of faith. She prays because there's nothing else to be done and because—as we say, hedging our bets—"it can't hurt."
I have been that woman. Who am I kidding? I am that woman. I now have two small children, both with asthma, and one whose fevers easily shoot past 105 degrees Fahrenheit when he's fighting a virus. I've slept on the floor beside a crib or bed so I can hear their breathing. I've needed to believe in a god who could help, even though needing to believe is not the same as actually believing.
In "Prayer During a Time My Son Is Having Seizures," as in my experience as a mother, the helplessness is doubled. The son, too, is helpless—falling again and again, sliding, drooling. I admire the momentum Olds generates in this poem, as the speaker names her darkest fears for the child, and I admire the different kinds of metaphors allowed to share space. First we have body and landscape—the jaw, the mountain, the bluff, the brain—but the natural imagery transitions to a suburban street, then to the circus, both play spaces for children. The violence grows from image to image:
Don't let him stand there and his gold / jaw lock while he watches the burning /mountain falling slowly through his mind and / no word comes to him.
… Don't hurt him, I cry out. … / don't go up to his small dazzling / brain in spangles on the high wire / and push it off. There is no net.
Given the seizures, the motif of light and darkness makes perfect sense. We see it throughout: "his gold jaw," the "burning mountain," the "tiny amber cones already darkening," the "dazzling brain in spangles," the "dark holes" in the cereal, "the avenues of light." Olds braids these threads together in the end of the poem, a terrible, beautiful moment that devastates me every time I read it:
I'll change his dark radiant diapers, I'll / scrape the blue mold that collects in the creases of his elbows, / I will sit with him in his room for the rest of my days, / I will have him on any terms.
What I attach to most in this poem isn't its imagery or even its content; it's how the poem is structured to give a sense of order in the face of chaos. The repetition of don't—"don't let him," "don't leave him," "don't hurt him"—ends with the shift "And yet." Here the bargaining and pleading are over, replaced with the repetition of I'll and I will, as we turn from what the speaker doesn't want to have happen—but is helpless to stop—to what she is committed to do: "I will have him on any terms." There is a sense of resignation but also resolve.
After not writing for the first year of my daughter's life, I began again. But I did not write about motherhood directly—not right away. As I wrote the poems that would become my second book, The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison, I did not consider that perhaps I was using myth and persona and third-person narratives to hold that very raw material at arm's length. By writing poems steeped in fairy tales and traditional folktales, I wrote about the anxieties of motherhood—and the dangers of childhood—without writing about my own personal experiences.
Turning to Sharon Olds, to poems such as "Prayer During a Time My Son Is Having Seizures," gave me the permission and the courage to write my most intimate, vulnerable, and direct work yet. My recent poems, such as "Good Bones," "At Your Age, I Wore a Darkness," and "Stitches," deal directly with my experience as a mother, from childbirth to child raising. These poems are full of milk and tears, light and darkness. For this I owe a debt to Sharon Olds.
Maggie Smith is the author of Good Bones (Tupelo Press, 2017), The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison (Tupelo Press, 2015), Lamp of the Body (Red Hen Press, 2005), and three prizewinning chapbooks. The recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ohio Arts Council, and the Sustainable Arts Foundation, Smith is a freelance writer and editor.


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+966 12 676 0000 Ext.2403, 2405, 5557
email: firstname.lastname@example.com
When compared to the 34 Palestinian deaths of the past two Fridays, this week's casualty toll at the Israeli-Gaza border is, though still unacceptable, fortunately much less: one dead and the injury of hundreds more.
Although as many as 10,000 Palestinians massed along the dividing fence, this time the deaths were kept to a minimum. Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman attributed the low body count to "the other side" having understood Israel's resolve. However, it is more likely that the stinging rebuke Israel received from the world community after using live fire against peaceful Palestinian protesters during the first two weeks of the Great March of Return forced Israel to follow, at least a little bit, the proper rules of engagement.
The Israelis could also have been worried by how the events of the past two weeks could lead to the intervention of the International Criminal Court. The world war crimes court's chief prosecutor had called for an end to the ongoing bloodshed in the Gaza Strip, warning that the court could try those who commit gross atrocities.
It is worth mentioning that throughout the Gaza violence, not a single Israeli border guard has been killed, nor has one even suffered a scratch, proof that the Israelis were never in serious jeopardy from Palestinian protesters.
After weeks of indiscriminate shooting, Israeli guns might also have been tempered by the video which recently emerged of an Israel Defense Forces sniper shooting an apparently unarmed Palestinian man standing near the border fence, after which Israeli soldiers are heard cheering in the background. Although the video was filmed in December last year, the incident is a perfect example of the recent wanton killings of Palestinians by all too willing, trigger-happy Israeli soldiers.
The IDF said relevant commanders would conduct a full operation inquiry into the incident, and will do the same after the death of a Palestinian journalist shot and killed last week during the border clashes. That Israel has decided that these are the only two deaths it will investigate while refusing to open any other investigation into the killings of dozens more Palestinians is what is galvanizing Palestinians and world public opinion. Every Palestinian life lost is worthy of an investigation, not just those that Israel feels will tarnish its image.
There will be more Fridays to come. They will culminate on May 15, the 70th annual commemoration of the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the war which followed Israel's creation in 1948. The Palestinian people are holding on to their homeland and their right to return to the homes from which they were driven.
Palestinians are showing that they are not afraid of Israeli bullets in the face of land stolen from them. America's recognition last year of Jerusalem as Israel's capital was supposed to set the occupied territories on fire with the possibility of a third uprising seemingly on the way. But the protests following the Jerusalem announcement were for the most part sporadic and muted. The protests for the right of return have been more consistent, forceful and deadly. This could be because even though Palestinians always envisioned Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state, a state is in the end more important. A state is born first; its capital comes later.
Foreign parties and governments who have been asking those on both sides of the Gaza border to adopt self-restraint have constantly lectured about the necessity of Palestinians forgoing violence when demanding what is theirs. By holding peaceful rallies, the Palestinians have taken the advice. However, the result has been brute force being used against them. Shall we now see these same governments impose any form of sanctions on Israel?


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Santanasto Law Real Estate Practice deals with a wide variety of real property related issues from purchase and development to resolving disputes among co-owners. We can also represent your interest before zoning boards and planning commissions. Whether you are buying your first home or are seeking NNN leasing opportunities we would be happy to meet with you. Attorney Santanasto also owns an independent title insurance company which can meet your title insurance needs.
Areas of our Real Estate practice include:
- Commercial Sales
- Commercial Leasing
- NNN Leasing
- Office Leasing
- Shopping Center Leasing
- Residential Sales
- Residential Leasing
- Land Use
- Zoning
- Development
- Landlord Tenant Disputes and Litigation
- Real Estate Litigation
- Partitions
- Boundary Disputes
- Easements
- Ejectment
- Gas Leasing
- Cell Tower Leasing
- Evictions
- Condominium


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Great British Food & Drink – Curry
These new screen prints from Richard Pendry (Beyond Thrilled) are lots of fun! The one above is part 2 of a 2 piece series. You can actually buy them from his Etsy, if they're to your taste. 🙂
External Link: Great British Food & Drink – Curry


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The process of Pan Card application is very simple and mandatory. However, in order to verify Pan Card online, only certain entities are entitled. Pan Card verification can also be done by someone else apart from the applicant given the fact that he has required necessary documents. The online verification of PAN Card is carried out by NSDLe-governance Infrastructure Limited or UTI Infrastructure Technology And Services Limited. Through this online facility, the applicant can verify their Pan Card by submitting the required details. Verification facility is not available on paper. It is compulsory for the authorised applicant to register themselves online. There are three primary mediums through which Pan Card verification can take place. They are as follows:
- API PAN based verification- This particular mode enables the applicant to verify their Pan Card by using a verification site by taking the help of a software application.
- File based verification- In this mode; the applicant can login in the account and then upload a file which contains as many as 1000 PANs in the given structure that is mentioned by NSDLe-governance. Within 24 hours of uploading and submitting this file, the site offers all the necessary PAN details and if the format of the file uploaded by the user is wrong, then a rejection message will be conveyed to the user.
- Screen based verification- The user must first login and can furnish a maximum of five PANs that is provided to him on the screen. Those PANs details must be submitted and the same are given out as results.
PAN Verification Eligibility
Only certain entities are eligible to enjoy the services of PAN verification. They are as follows:
- Goods and services tax networks.
- Commercial Taxes department.
- Reserve Bank of India.
- Income Tax Projects.
- Central and State Government Agencies.
- Depositories.
- Stock Exchange.
- Commodity Exchange.
- Clearing Corporations.
- Other entities that needs to furnish the Annual Information Return.
- Companies that require furnishing the Annual Information Return.
- Educational Institutions set up by the Regulatory Bodies.
- Credit Card Companies.
- Mutual Funds.
- Companies as well as Government deduct that file TDS and TCS return.
- Insurance Repository.
- Insurance Companies.
- Banks.
- Non-Banking Financial enterprises approved by the Reserve Bank of India.
Documents Required for Pan Card Verification
Authorized persons who undergo the process of Pan Card verification need to submit certain set of details and several supporting documents for a successful verification of Pan. The applicant is required to submit a signed copy of the terms and conditions on the entity's letterhead, an authorization letter and also a demand draft for the fees which is charged from him/her for successful renewal. The required details for online verification are as follows:
- Details related to Organisation- the required details are:
- Entity's name.
- Entity's TAN and PAN.
- Entity's category.
- Entity's personal details.
- Entity's contact details.
- Details related to Payment- the required details are
- Amount of payment.
- Payment mode.
- The number of instrument.
- Details pertaining to Digital Signature Certificate- the required details are:
Certifying authority's name.
Digital Signature Certificate's class.
Serial Number of the Digital Signature Certificate.
Searching the Pan Status and Authorization of Registration
Authorized entities involved in online Pan Verification process can easily track the status of their registration with the help of the authorisation number that is offered to them. Upon successful as well as unsuccessful verification, a message with the ID of the user appears on the screen showing the status of the registration.
On the other hand, the authority to authorise a particular entity for verification is vested to the Income Tax Department. The applicant willing to verify their Pan Card number online must firstly register themselves and then fill the complete form available on the official website of NSDL e along with the supporting documents and payment amount. This authority then transfers the request of verification to the Income Tax Department. Upon successful authorisation, the applicant receives and 8 digit user ID which can be used by him to track the verification status of Pan. If the Income Tax Department rejects the registration plea, the payment made by him gets refunded to him.
Registration for Online PAN Verification
In order to successfully verify the Pan online, the authorised entities must keep in mind certain points. These pointers are as follows:
- The latest version of the SafeNet eToken drivers should be used by the applicant.
- The version should be I.E. browser supported. For this purpose it can be any one from 7, 8, 9 or even 10.
- A proper Client OPERATING System like Windows XP Professional service Pack 3, Windows 7 should be used.
- An updated JRE version should be used like Oracle JAVA (32-bit) 1.6 update 29 or above.
Refilling of Pan Verification
The facility of online Pan Verification can only be utilised for a year by the authorised entity after which this facility expires. For the purpose of annual renewal, a fee of Rs.12,000 is charged from the applicant along with other fees like Swachh Bharat Cess and service tax. When the verification period gets over, the entity receives a system generated e-mail in which the renewal due and procedure to be followed is mentioned. The authorised applicant has a maximum of 60 days before the expiry date of the facility to renew the verification facility.
Steps to Follow for Renewing Pan Verification Facility
In order to renew the verification facility that only lasts a year, several steps needs to be followed by the authorised entity. These steps are as follows:
- Use the Digital Signature Certificate and login with the User ID.
- Select on the option "payment".
- Then click on "Renewal of Facility" option appearing on the screen.
- Properly fill up all the details regarding payment.
- Lastly, click on "Submit" button to complete the renewal procedure.


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Wi-Fi HaLow is an extension of standard Wi-Fi that provides long-range and low consumption Wi-Fi connectivity targeting the internet of things.
According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, Wi-Fi HaLow is pronounced 'halo' and is set to be an extension of standard Wi-Fi 'IEEE 802.11ah'.
Wi-Fi HaLow is said to run frequencies below one gigahertz, providing lower powered connections and a longer range than the Wi-Fi in our homes.
Smart homes, cars, wearables and smart industries such as agriculture and retail are the main focus of Wi-Fi HaLow. With its low power consumption and dip into the 900 MHz band, Wi-Fi HaLow is ideal for applications that require sensors and receivers.
Wi-Fi HaLow nearly doubles the range of standard Wi-Fi connections and claims to provide a more robust connection, making travelling through walls and other objects easier.
President and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance, Edgar Figueroa said: "Wi-Fi HaLow expands the unmatched versatility of Wi-Fi to enable applications from small, battery-operated wearable devices to large-scale industrial facility deployments – and everything in between." [You might also like: What is Microservices?]
Wi-Fi HaLow vs Wi-Fi
Aside from the internet of things, Wi-Fi HaLow will still supply regular Wi-Fi devices and support existing 2.4 and 5GHz bands.
However, in figures released from the Wi-Fi Alliance, Wi-Fi HaLow's data transmissions does not match up to that of traditional Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi HaLow's reported data transfer rate is between 150 kilobits per second and 18 megabits per second, which is considerably lower than standard Wi-Fi.
The initial thought is: 'how can such small data rates equip the internet of things?' Quite easily, it seems.
Internet of things devices that are battery operated, such as wearables or IoT sensors, that transmit only occasional short bursts of data will still be compatible with Wi-Fi HaLow. (See: What is the internet of things?)
Wi-Fi HaLow vs Li-Fi
Li-Fi uses common household LED (light emitting diodes) lightbulbs to enable data transfer and claims to be 100 times faster than traditional Wi-Fi. (See: What is Li-Fi?)
Li-Fi could rival Wi-Fi HaLow's punt for the internet of things market as it transfers data at much higher levels with even more devices able to connect to one another.
However Li-Fi signals cannot pass through walls, so in order to enjoy full connectivity, capable LED bulbs will need to be placed throughout the home. Also Li-Fi requires the lightbulb is on at all times to provide connectivity, meaning that the lights will need to be on during the day.
It's still very early days for Wi-Fi HaLow with no sign of seeing it in common use any time soon. Work is reportedly beginning in 2018, so we'll have to wait to find out if Wi-Fi HaLow will make it big.


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Integrations create bridges between systems
Any company where data is processed via more than one IT system will require bridging the gaps between the various systems as operations expand and the amount of data increases. Large companies in particular may employ dozens, even hundreds, of systems and manually keeping all data up to date within the systems becomes impossible. Smaller companies, as well, often utilise several systems and transferring data between these is simply not feasible. In these cases, system integration is required.
We implement system integrations between the systems you are currently using so that data no longer needs to be transferred from one system to another manually. This will save time for your core business and for serving your customers. Integrations can be used to connect different systems such as ERP, customer management, HR, online store platform, stock management, and financial administration.
Once the data flows from the various systems are combined, the result can, at its best, be completely novel data entities with which you can boost your operations and service your customers even better.
Strong experience of integrations of various fields and functions ensures high-quality implementation
We have carried out system integrations for the needs of, among others, sales, product management, invoicing, and logistics. One of our key strengths as a system integrations provider is, first and foremost, our understanding of the system-specific differences and the architectures of the various systems. We know what it takes to make the different types of system combinations function with one another, and that is why we are able to implement highly functional system integrations extremely effectively.
Agile integration services in customer-specific scopes
We do things rather than just talk about them. We invest in agile operations, in reliable quality assurance, and in working methods that enable us to transfer even the smallest amounts of data between systems in a highly efficient manner. We help our customer to create a functional and durable whole of their systems, with good potential for further development and the possibility of adding new systems as required at a later point. We provide you with integration services in exactly the right scope for your needs – anything from a quick consultation to a complete, ready-to-use integration between multiple systems.
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We have developed a tool with which you can monitor the transfer of data from one system to another: Aino.io tracks the data flow between systems and locates the points where data transfer has issues. It can be used on any integration platform.


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A man was publicly beaten and was almost killed after he allegedly stabbed a girl to death in Owerri, Imo state, but policemen intervened to stop the mob attack.
The man, who some say is mentally unstable and other say is a 'Yahoo boy' aiming at carrying out money rituals, was detained by members of the community after he allegedly stabbed the youngster to death with a knife at Douglas market in Owerri.
The man was brutally beaten by an angry mob and was almost lynched before security operatives arrived and brought the situation under control.
Watch video below;


text: They're the conversations Muammar Gaddafi didn't want the world to hear: Al Jazeera's Hoda Hamid obtained more than 12,000 recordings of Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and other high-ranking Libyan officials. Libya on the Line will retell the story of last year's Libyan civil war from a new perspective: through the eyes of the Libyan officials fighting desperately to stay in power. We've posted a taste of the recordings below. In one conversation, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi tells an aide he will 'send people to liquidate' rebel fighters. It's a statement that Luis Moreno Ocampo, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, describes as a "kill order." In another, Muammar Gaddafi and that same aide - Tayeb El Safi - reminisce about how they met, decades ago. The first installment of Libya on the Line will be released, on TV and online, on Friday, May 11, at 1700 GMT, with repeats on Al Jazeera on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday (May 12-15). SOURCE: Al Jazeera Africa Libya


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"Don't try to change the world, find something that you love
And do it every day
Do that for the rest of your life
And eventually, the world will change."
––Growing Up, by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
Millennials get a lot of flack.
We're dubbed lazy, entitled, useless.
Our work ethic is questioned, our desire to live in vans reviled, and our love for the outdoors?
But is it?
I've wrestled with this question late at night with wine in hand, mile 7 of a trail run, and over countless cups of coffee. It's clear that our society, so centrically created around capitalism, values what we produce. In fact, so often, our value is determined solely on what we create.
In terms of money, it's easy to define. As a society, we value wealth, and those of us who choose to claw our way up the corporate ladder will, usually, be rewarded for our time and dedication to the man. Whoever he is.
This idea is something I understand well. Working my way through secondary and higher education, I knew following a specific path would ensure my success. I knew how to do exactly what I was told to do.
I soon realized, though, like many of us do, that continuing to pursue that life would be empty. While the security of money is nice, and up to a certain threshold ($75,000 to be exact), can actually make you happier, sacrificing happiness to get to that point isn't necessarily worth it.
So, when I chose to study creative writing in college, I knew I was setting myself up for societal failure.
When I decided I wanted to focus my efforts on writing in the outdoor industry, I laughed at my silly masochistic self.
Because if writing isn't enough to sustain yourself, or prove your worth in society, playing outdoors is even worse.
My feelings of uselessness increased the more time I spent outside. Days passed without a single thing to show. I hadn't written anything. I hadn't changed anyone's life. I certainly hadn't made any money.
But I felt so much happier.
What came next was an energy for preserving our wild and beautiful places. This energy evolved into passion, which included writing to government officials and advocating for public land.
It still made me wonder if spending all this time outside––climbing, skiing, running, and whatever else––was actually worthwhile.
As it appears, rock climbing is useless. And despite various attempts to justify the sport, many people continue to agree that nothing good comes from climbing rocks.
It might be true for some people. Maybe there is an entire branch of the climbing community that doesn't see the value of public lands, refuses to attend crag clean-ups, and will go on their merry way never giving back to the community.
Beneath their inability and lack of desire to give back, however, lay the seeds of passion.
Although I don't know many (if any) people in the climbing community who do not care about anything and anyone besides themselves, there is something within them that draws them to the sport. This passion, I believe, is exactly what the world needs.
Anger, resentment, jealousy––these emotions often stem from an experience in our lives that told us we couldn't. Whether it was society, our parents, our significant other, or a complete stranger. At some (or many) points, we decided to let someone see the fragile, brilliant dream inside of us, and they laughed, or doubted, or overran us with their sarcasm.
Along the way, so much of our passion died because of doubt.
What I love about the climbing community is that "no" isn't a reasonable answer, and we continually rise to a challenge. We spend our summers waking before the sun, and our autumns climbing in headlamps, because we just want the thing to go. We spend days, weeks, months, sometimes years, climbing the same damn route because we're too stubborn to admit defeat. We suffer flesh wounds, centipede bites, rock fall, numb toes, tendonitis, rolled ankles, broken ankles, whippers, and thirty-foot run-outs.
In climbing, we shape our character, we define what is and isn't possible, and we refuse to back down.
The same is true of any sport. It's in the face of adversity that character and resiliency grow. So maybe, on the surface, climbing seems useless.
After all, we're spending years of our lives hanging off the side of cliffs.
But when you look into the benefits the sport creates, and how the fissures splay throughout our society––the activists it creates, the stories of endurance and the human spirit it tells, the passion it inspires––it's hard to say the sport is futile.


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Everyone is excited for a special night and so is Biggrey. Consumers want to make sure you use only the trusted stores to deliver special gift for a special someone. Biggrey is here to rescue. We make sure our customers are inspired, loved and understood.
According to National Retail Federation's survey, 54.8% of consumers will celebrate Valentine's day and the total spending is expected to reach 19.7 billion. Biggrey stores are ready to satisfy and accommodate our consumers to the fullest. This is just what we do.


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B is from the Balkans.
I know you know it's not a proper country. But who needs an exact location? Is this about geography? Anyway, B. belongs to an ethnic minority in the country his country. And you wouldn't feel satisfied if I started explaining the linguistic and religious mosaic this region happens to be. Again, it is not about geography.
But B. knows this world better than you and I do. Cause he's been places.
He's stayed with people coming from places. Many different places.
He's helped some others of the seven seas to find a new place, putting them at ease. B. does know too well, that some wanderers are not hard to please.
When you leave a place, for a better one, what you seek is peace.
For his current job, B. is often asked to go places. Giving other places necessary spaces, at times in palaces, to address their claims.
B., who represents one place, at a frenetic pace, of those mighty places, always tries to be in the bestest graces.
Always on the move. A damn lot to see. And nothing to prove.
Since B.'s clever moves at any place are goddamn ready. I will take this back. From the beginning, it sure is about geography.
It all seems like exploration has been the focus point of B.'s young existence. Doesn't mean he's an obsessed traveller. But as I was telling you before. B.'s very diverse native landscape, both culturally and linguistically, shaped a sharp outward leaning. So sharp it helped B. make the cut.
High schooler B. partook in an exchange program in the USA. From the old world to a new one. Freshman, sophomore, junior, senior B. all happened in Wisconsin. The more the Midwest gives you, the more likely you are to win.
And winning meant somewhat and somehow applying for immigration. So B. found a way to stay. A safety cushion. And because the Midwest can't fail you, a providential wind brought B. the right thing. In the windy city, B. settled down with a newly earned seat at the table.
And what a table. B., an immigrant himself, started working for an immigration advocacy agency. Dealing with big tech companies. I see innovation. You hear irony. Core of the question is geography.
If it takes a migrant to address migrants' rights. Will it take a trans, a gay, a lesbian to save all from their plight?
Every year, more than 150000 foreigners apply for a work visa in the USA. The acceptance threshold is set at 65000 individuals. The reality is that the government very seldom issues more than 50000 permits. Not everybody asks for asylum. The latter means no turning back. Immigration, on a work basis, allows more flexibility. This is why and how the LGBTI migration topic remains a hot one. Plenty of stakeholders. No single answer.
Now this takes me to B's B side. The side he didn't know he could show until he knew he was.
B loves men. He doesn't love them all. But of them he loves some. And this can be… burdensome. Before, B wasn't dating girls, nor was he dating boys. But in his opinion, he was lying by omission. By closing himself off from love and affection.
A friend of his who was openly gay pushily dared B. to give it a try. The wry "gaydar", well-intentioned. Watching America, step by step, state by state, putting all its efforts into easing gay life. New York, Hawaii, Illinois. Ruling marriage legal. Ended up having B. giving men a try.
Though B. now knows how to be with men. He considers himself halfway into his love path. Coming out is for him an ongoing process. For this to change some day, it'd take fixing a mess. The biggest, the most contagious mess. The one in people's mind.
B. is right. People slow the motion. At the end of the day, coming out is something that becomes a habit. You assume gays are straight, closing off your spirit. Heteronormativity. This is how, with a weary, too often worried smile, your gay counterpart, "announcing" who he loves, tirelessly, ends up playing their part.
B.'s wisdom stings my soul. How come someone who claims to be halfway seems to have it all seen?
B. is self-protective. And why wouldn't he be? In a world that harass, physically attacks people for being gay. Being in the closet, even halfway in, assures one protection. For when you go out of the closet, fully, successfully, your world starts shrinking. You're no longer a clandestine. Your world shrinks so bad you start to realize that the only safe spots are lightyears away. And if you got one handy, well, you lucky.
This sixth sense, the one queer people have, is about reading places. Recognizing the good from the bad, the cool from the harmful. All this, reading faces.
B. says that for queer people, holding hands in public. Or any kind of public display of affection. Anywhere in the world. No matter what. It's a political action.
I agree with B.. LGBTI people, publicly showing love, are unwillingly claiming their identity. Facing consequences you should feel sorry for.
Further down the line, there are consequences that you wouldn't expect. That fucks gay people's minds.
Community internal lack of respect. Internalized homophobia. Certain, yet too many, homosexual men have a hard time accepting those seen as "flamboyant". For flamboyants are gays, they're the most blatant ones. They act effeminate, their very way to be, is seen as a display. They represent one fear. A fear aforementioned.
The fear of being spotted, noticed, exposed to people's conclusions.
I don't mind if B. is right.
I don't care if he hides.
In the most humble way, B. makes things move forward. His job, his friends, his claims, his every right to be. I dare you dear people to call B. a coward.
back to project


text:
North Tahoe at Incline baseball | Lakers sweep league doubleheader
Northern Division III standings
1. Battle Mountain 8-0
2. North Tahoe 7-1
3. Yerington 8-3
4. Pershing County 5-3
5. Incline 6-4
6. West Wendover 3-7
7. Silver Stage 0-8
8. White Pine 0-11
The North Tahoe baseball team won both ends of a crucial league doubleheader at rival Incline on Saturday, 7-3 and 12-9, to improve to 7-1 in Division III play.
With the pair of losses Incline fell to 6-4 and into fifth place in the league standings with only two doubleheaders remaining, against 5-3 Pershing County and undefeated Battle Mountain (8-0).
The Highlanders and Lakers, who are in second place with three league series remaining, are battling to finish among the top four seeds in order to advance to the regional postseason.
Senior pitcher and shortstop Wildon DesLauriers helped lift the Lakers to victory with his bat and arm on Saturday.
Support Local Journalism
DesLauriers fanned 15 Incline hitters in a three-hit complete game in the opener and helped his cause with a two-run home run. He followed up the performance with a grand slam and five RBIs in Game 2.
Facing Incline starter Masxsimo Battel, who went the distance in Game 1, the Lakers got off to a hot start with a four-run first inning highlighted by DesLauriers' home run. They added a run in the second to extend the lead to 5-0, then added two more in the top of the fourth before the Highlanders got on the board with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning
North Tahoe senior Alex Tyler finished with two hits, including a double, Shane Christian had a double, single and two RBIs, and Mitchell Myers had an RBI. For Incline, Kenny Savelieff and Tommy Dolan each contributed a hit and RBI, and Nicky Witty drove in a run.
The Lakers carried their momentum into Game 2. After scoring a run in the first off of Dolan, who started and lasted three innings, they added four more runs in the second inning and six in the third, when DesLauriers connected for his grand slam.
The Highlanders did not throw in the towel, as they scored three runs in the third off of Christian to narrow the lead to 11-4. Incline scored once more in the fourth and once in the fifth against Tyler, who pitched three-plus innings in relief.
The hosts made some noise in the seventh, pushing across three runs to pull to within three, but DesLauriers recorded the final two outs to earn the save.
Aside from the damage inflicted by DesLauriers, Tyler drove in two runs with a double, Tyler Olk finished with two hits and two RBIs, and Myers had an RBI. Miles Johansen added two hits and Bourriague one hit.
Dolan led the Highlanders with two home runs and three RBIs, while Tommy Thompson went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Witty had three hits, including a double. Jack Clouthier, who pitched the final four innings, and Savelieff also doubled, and Ben Snyder had two hits.
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text:
Annual Competition Spotlights Innovation in Integrated Hotel Emarketing
TRAVELCLICK®, the leader in hotel ecommerce solutions, is again sponsoring the eMarketer of the Year competition, in partnership with the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) and the Adrian Awards. The eMarketer of the Year Award, now in its tenth year, recognizes hotels that exhibit outstanding use of online channels to market their property and drive reservations. The award winner will have demonstrated the superior ability to attract and convert guests through the most effective electronic channels.
Entries will be judged by a panel of industry experts. Participants will be evaluated on the strength of their web presence and booking performance driven by world-class online marketing, including website design, organic and paid search, and emerging online strategies such as channel extension and social community development.
Awards will be presented January 31, 2011, at the HSMAI Adrian Awards Gala, an exclusive black-tie gala held at the Marriott Marquis in New York. Along with naming the 2010 eMarketer of the Year, TRAVELCLICK will recognize regional winners for the Asia/Pacific, Europe/Middle East/Africa, and Americas regions, as well as the top performer in the chain category.
Call for entries is now open for 2010 nominees. Enter online at www.travelclick.net/about/emarketer-of-the-year or send questions to email@example.com. Entries must be received by November 24, 2010.
About TRAVELCLICK, Inc.
TRAVELCLICK (www.travelclick.net), the leader in hotel ecommerce solutions, provides a continuous flow of high-value online bookings to hotels worldwide. A uniquely comprehensive one-stop solution, TRAVELCLICK offers business intelligence, distribution, and digital marketing solutions delivered with personal attention and local market expertise. With revenue optimization experts in every global market, we help our clients make better business decisions, generate greater demand from the right mix of channels, convert more shoppers to high-value guests, and increase revenue and profitability. Serving the hospitality industry since 1999, TRAVELCLICK has more than 15,000 customers in 140 countries with offices in Baltimore, Barcelona, Chicago, Dubai, Houston, Melbourne, Shanghai, and Tokyo. Follow us on www.twitter.com/TRAVELCLICK and www.facebook.com/TRAVELCLICK.
© 2010 TRAVELCLICK. All rights reserved. TRAVELCLICK is a registered trademark of TRAVELCLICK Inc.


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One of the first things someone told me about business was that you have to run to stand still.
Then the stock markets taught me that anything other than solid growth would be punished severely by the market in terms of valuation of a company.
Then during my tenure at several blue chips and other smaller companies it became clear that growth for a company was mandatory and anything less viewed as failure.
This translates at the individual level as well where people are driven to grow their position on the corporate ladder, their income level, their total wealth and status overall as determined by all of the above. Since, even if you have $100 million in the bank and a Gulfstream jet, you could always get an ocean-going yacht too. Of course, I run a for-profit marketing services company and we too are driven by the need for growth of both topline and bottomline.
Recently, while reading an interesting and compelling book called "Eaarth" by Bill McKibben, I was intrigued by one of the ideas suggested by the author. That growth the way we've always assumed as a given may not be possible or practical going forward given the inability of our planet to sustain our current growth rates and ambitions of six billion people.
If you take a broader view of what's happening around us and for a moment assume the position that unbridled growth the way we've known and desired will indeed not be sustainable over the long run, it begs the question – what is our alternative and how do we deal with it? Is there a way to change the way we've come to think about our success, at an individual and macro level to allow for the possibility of not growing financially? Can long term sustainability over-ride the short-term drivers for growth? Can we stop ravaging our planet to satisfy our immediate needs and make it possible for our children's children to enjoy a lifestyle comparable to ours?
I believe that this should be easiest to do in the developed world where arguably most basic needs are met for the largest sections of our population where it may be feasible to contemplate a world where one won't be 50% richer in five years. But how does one convince those in the developing world that are just beginning to get two square meals a day, a roof over their heads or their first motorized transport? How do you tell them now is a good time to stop and that they should be satisfied having way less materially than people in the developed world, or even the better off segments in their own country?
I would love to hear your thoughts.


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Beastman love Emperor. Give blood to Emperor, Give heads to Emperor. Say sorry."
This is the quote that got my attention in the original 40K Compilation army book.
Beastmen not being soley in the "badguy" forces was one of the coolest parts of Rogue Trader 40K. Beastmen being mutants, should be available to Imperium forces commanders, afterall, Psykers, Ogryn, Ratling and Squats are all tolerated by the Imperium to certain degrees and they are all mutants of varying degrees?
So with sadness it was, that after 2nd Edition, I came back to find that along with deleting my beloved Squats, that Games Workshop had also forced a rather sad and bland state upon the Imperial Guard as a whole.
But not in MY vision of 40K.
So here I present you with the Beastman Mutant Acolyte from the Radical Ordo Malleus team. He has a name, but I'm at work and for the life of me I can't remember it. (Think it was Marvin or Normon or some such.) I'll write a little background info on my next post cos he's a cool and rare character type (I think) for an Inquisitorial Cell to take so a proper job reason for this deserves a little more work.
Took two sessions to paint him, so he's pretty quick and dirty. I felt that a true mutant needed some not-human eyes, so I went for the red, though now I'm thinking I'll go back and add a little watered down orange and a black pupil or something? (And yes, I know the hazard stripes are pants, but after doing and re-doing them, I ended up saying "feck it" and decided he'd painted them himself to explain their rubbishness.)
*if he seems a little shiny, that's cos I've yet to give him a layer of Clear Coat.*


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All right! I've finished writing my latest blog post, my gaming schedule is clear, and it's finally time to play the last chapter of BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea Episode 2!
Or rather, it would be if I wasn't such an obsessive-compulsive goob when it comes to playing my favorite games.
Narration Audio
Here's the deal: Some time back, I heard tell that the story in Burial at Sea Episode 2 depends heavily on characters and events from the original BioShock. That's easy enough to believe, seeing as how Sander Cohen already made a memorable appearance in Episode 1. I fully expect Episode 2 will delve even more deeply into BioShock lore. I can't recall what originally put that idea in my head, but there it is.
That being the case, one thing is clear: I must now play through the original BioShock in its entirety.
Naturally, this is the only way to ensure maximal immersion and enjoyment of BioShock Infinite's final chapter.
So, here we go once more: The plane, the crash, the lighthouse. The descent into the city under the sea. Big daddies and little sisters, Andrew Ryan and Frank Fontaine.
Returning to Rapture feels strange. I've played this series to death. Over the past year or more, I've played BioShock, BioShock 2, and Minerva's Den. I played BioShock Infinite all the way through at least three times, and I've played Burial at Sea Episode 1 twice. I did most of this purely for my own enjoyment, but there were a few playthroughs in there that were more research than recreation.
Minerva's Den was the last BioShock game I played. It wasn't nearly as enjoyable as I'd hoped. Everything in the game felt put-on, contrived. It felt like I was the lone visitor at some sad BioShock reunion that everyone else ignored or forgot. It was the sort of feeling you might get if you went to Disneyland one too many times and found you could suddenly see through all the animatronic facades. It was somewhat enjoyable, but so much of the magic was gone. As the end credits rolled, I sat and stared at the screen like I was waiting for the real game to begin.
So tonight, as my bathysphere sank into the darkness and Andrew Ryan preached his objectivist sermon to a captive audience of one, I expected more of those hollow emotions to set in. True, there was a bit of a lonely, nostalgic vibe, but I'm more surprised at just how well this game has held up over time. Yes, the graphics show their age, but if you play with a modicum of self-imposed perspective, if you make any conscientious effort to see the game as it must have appeared at its first release, it's easy to understand just why it had such a huge impact.
Game designers still have a lot to learn from BioShock. Not once have I felt artificially impeded in my progress. The game allows me to flow smoothly from one encounter to the next, hindered only by enemies and my own incompetence. The narrative is established so quickly and so well you don't notice the game has a strong element of story. It blends seamlessly into the experience.
I thought I might make it all the way through to Dr. Steinman tonight, but no. There was quite a bit more to work through than I remembered. I guess the doctor will have to wait.


text:
|This material is published under the OGL
|Black Skeleton
|Medium Undead
|Hit Dice:
|6d12 (39 hp)
|40 ft.
|Armor Class:
|20 (+4 Dex, +6 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 16
|Base Attack/Grapple:
|Short sword +8 melee (1d6, 19-20/x2 plus 1d3 Strength) or claw +7 melee (1d4 plus 1d3 Strength)
|Full Attack:
|2 short swords +8 melee (1d6, 19-20/x2 plus 1d3 Strength) or 2 claws +8 melee (1d4 plus 1d3 Strength)
|5 ft./5 ft.
|Special Attacks:
|Frightful Presence, Strength Damage
|Special Qualities:
|Damage Reduction 10/bludgeoning and Good, Darkvision 60 ft., Turn Resistance +4, Undead Traits
|Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +5
|Str 11, Dex 19, Con —, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 14
|Climb +6, Escape Artist +10, Hide +10, Jump +9, Listen +5, Move Silently +10, Search +7, Spot +6
|Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (short sword)
|Challenge Rating:
|Always chaotic evil
|7-9 HD (Medium); 10-18 HD (Large)
|Level Adjustment:
This creature looks like a skeleton with glistening black bones, seemingly constructed of blackened steel. Small red pinpoints of light burn in its hollowed eye sockets.
Black skeletons are intelligent monsters and are not subject to the mindless commands that can be given to such undead as skeletons or zombies. They have a clear mind, and sometimes go against the commands and wishes of those they serve, if it benefits the black skeleton in question. Such treachery is rare, however, since the skeletons know that betrayal likely means a quick demise at the hands of spellcasting masters.
Black skeletons are the remnants of living creatures slain in an area where the ground is soaked with evil. The bodies of fallen humanoids are contaminated and polluted by such evil and within days after their death, the slain creatures rise as black skeletons, leaving their former lives and bodies behind. Black skeletons are intelligent and do maintain some memories of their former lives.
Black skeletons wear any clothes or armor they had in life, and some still carry their gear or weapons (most discard their weapons in favor of two short swords as soon as they can). Black skeletons speak Common and Abyssal.
Combat Edit
Black skeletons attack with two short swords in battle with little more than the intention of cutting their foes to pieces. They are intelligent opponents and will use tactics during battle, often sending several of their number against a foe's front, while the others move into position to flank their adversaries. Black skeletons are smart enough to know when the battle is lost and withdraw from combat, though rarely. Most simply fight to the death, driven by some unseen hatred for the living.
Frightful Presence (Ex): The mere presence of a black skeleton is unsettling to foes, especially when the skeleton shrieks. Creatures within 60 feet and with less HD than the black skeleton that hear it must succeed on a Will save (DC 15) or become panicked for 4d6 rounds. Creatures that successfully save are immune to the frightful presence of the same black skeleton for one day. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Strength Damage (Su): Good-aligned creatures hit by a black skeleton (either by a weapon or natural attack) must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 15) or take 1d3 points of Strength damage. The save DC is Charisma-based. This effect is a function of the black skeleton itself, not its short swords.
Feats: Because of the black skeleton's magical nature, its Two-Weapon Fighting feat allows it to attack with both weapons at no penalty.
Treasure Edit
Like persistent soldiers, the treasure of black skeletons is found carried by the undead not because of usefulness, but because of an instinctive need to possess a part of their former lives. Loose coin and gems are kept in a belt pouch.
- Alexandrite [800 gp]
- Moss agate [10 gp]
- Elixir of love [150 gp]
- Feather token, fan [200 gp]
- 400 gp
- 4 pp
In Your Campaign Edit
The efficient, if bland, explanation of the black skeleton's origins above leaves little room for expansion. Monsters become far more intriguing with good backstories. Let's explore some possibilities you can mull before introducing these undead into your game.
- Black skeletons are patterned after the evil dark elves because of that race's distinctive two-handed fighting style (not to mention the black bones). But when drow society becomes aware of these undead, will they see the monsters as flattery, insult, or the source of a myth that should be propagated?
- Shock troops of a deity of fear and/or darkness, black skeletons are forbidden to be created by any but this deity's clergy. Sometimes a "face" is needed for a religion to be properly noticed and such monsters make for the perfect identifier.
- After a fighter wielding two blades fell in battle, an enterprising necromancer attempted to add the fighter to his undead force. But the necromancy became somehow contaminated and the fallen fighter rose as a free-willed skeleton, its bones blackened by the evil which birthed it. The two-handed fighting style was retained and passed to all victims of this original black skeleton. For this backstory, those humanoids slain by a black skeleton become black skeletons themselves within 1d4 days unless their corpses are burned.
- In numerous prophecies, the End Times are heralded by the appearance of "coal black bones wielding the twin blades of pestilence and fear." When a planar portal opens not far from a major city and pours forth dozens of black skeletons at irregular intervals, could prophecy be coming true? More likely it is just a plot by a necromancer using the prophecies and black skeletons to his advantage. But using the skeletons as harbingers of Armageddon makes for a more arresting hook!
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Open Game Content → Monsters
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Open Game Content → Sourcebooks → Dread Codex → Monsters


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Brass Accents I08-P7540-627 Address Plaque for 4 Numbers (Aluminum)
Out of stock
Address Markers & Numerals are made from aluminum material. Finished with a Lifetime coating for lasting beauty. Numerals are pre-assembled on Plaque. Concealed installation hardware is included, making it quick and easy to install. Enhances the overall appearance of any Entryway.
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Thursday, August 25, 2011
Failed Slogans
Nabisco Triscuits - "We promise you it doesn't taste like cardboard."
Hoover - "We suck."
IHOP - "At least we aren't Denny's."
Jack Daniels - "Whiskey so smooth you'll want to drink it for breakfast."
Nike - "We make sneakers."
Old Spice - "Smelling like your grandpa since 1934."
Poland Spring - "Contains only 7% deer urine."
Coca-Cola - "Pepsi is our bitch."
Jelly Belly - "2 out of 5 dentists recommend it."
United Airlines - "Your safety is our #3 concern."
Mcdonalds - "We'll show you where the beef is."
Sears - "If we don't carry it, K-mart probably has it."
Viagra - "Giving elderly men a reason to get up in the morning."
Red Bull - "Crack in a can."
Trojan Condoms - "Cheaper than an abortion."
Don't miss out on The Mating Game created by Rawknrobyn, PTM, Oilfield Trash and Al Penwasser. A post included us four just has to be good.
29 comments:
- Alex J. Cavanaugh said...
Are you sure that's not UA's real slogan?
- August 25, 2011 at 7:04 AM
- DEZMOND said...
Hoover - "We suck."
I like the ambiguity of it ... there are at least three possible meanings hiding there :)
- August 25, 2011 at 8:24 AM
- Tony Van Helsing said...
Mountain Dew - Rotting teeth and adding fat since the '80s.
- August 25, 2011 at 8:47 AM
That Red Bull one is real, no matter who denies it.
- August 25, 2011 at 9:03 AM
- themajessty said...
These are awesome.
Starbucks - "We help you think you're in control of your life."
- August 25, 2011 at 9:43 AM
- TS Hendrik said...
That last one was just... wow.
- August 25, 2011 at 10:17 AM
- Jeff Beesler said...
Or how about a very violent version of AT&T? "Reach out and punch someone!"
- August 25, 2011 at 1:43 PM
- Ms. A said...
- August 25, 2011 at 2:15 PM
- Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...
IHOP's is the best. I can't believe that one failed. I think they'd do well.
Thanks for the plugs. Send Danny over when he's ready. I'll find a third.
- August 25, 2011 at 2:51 PM
- Workingdan said...
Well I certainly don't want a singing telegram from Justin Bieber. "Pepsi is our bitch." Love it!
- August 25, 2011 at 5:07 PM
- Sylar said...
nice nice :D
- August 25, 2011 at 7:55 PM
- Missed Periods said...
I think the Jack Daniels slogan is doing the company a disservice. It also makes a great brunch, lunch, snack and dinner.
- August 26, 2011 at 3:00 AM
- AllenTesch said...
Depends-Be(very) young again.
- August 26, 2011 at 3:42 AM
- Birgit said...
I Love the "Pepsi is our bitch"...Actually a few yrs ago there was an actual ad from K-Mart, which was pulled off almost right away. I think I ws one of the few who saw it. They were giving out African Ameican dolls (I ca't remember why) but the tune in the background to this ad was ...ready..."ennie, meenie, minie moe...) The person was fired...I am not kidding. That guy should have been slapped upside the head to try to find a brain cell
- August 26, 2011 at 11:34 AM
- mjunta said...
- August 26, 2011 at 12:03 PM
- DWei said...
I don't know, half of these were pretty good. Like the Coke, Jack Daniels and the Viagra one.
- August 26, 2011 at 7:04 PM
- W.C.Camp said...
I never knew that you must have worked for an advertising agency! HA - fun stuff! W.C.C.
- August 26, 2011 at 11:21 PM
- Ting Kubby said...
It's good of sears to give you an alternative i guess lol
- August 27, 2011 at 8:44 AM
- A Beer for the Shower said...
Dude, the Trojan line cracked me up. Hmmm...How about a slogan for Penthouse?
- August 27, 2011 at 11:43 AM
- Chuck said...
I used to live in North Canton, Ohio...home of Hoover vacuum. In fact I was only two blocks from the Hoover Mansion (as we called it). Actually had a three hole golf course on the property! Everything was sayings about Hoover and sweeping or any related material. Best saying, "That's the breaks of the sweeper city." Of course "you suck" was a close second at high school sporting events!
- August 27, 2011 at 8:05 PM
- Al Penwasser said...
How 'bout:
Taco Bell: "Don't See No Cats Around Here"
- August 27, 2011 at 9:12 PM
- Unknown said...
My favorite was Coca-Cola's!
- August 28, 2011 at 12:49 AM
- Shockgrubz said...
You put me in stitches with these.
- August 28, 2011 at 8:55 PM
- julie fedderson said...
Oh, I love the Coca-Cola one! Although from a historical perspective, "crack in a can" could be an interchangeable motto, too.
- August 29, 2011 at 8:06 PM
- dirtycowgirl said...
Missed Periods actually stole my comment.
- August 29, 2011 at 11:03 PM
- Pat Tillett said...
I think the Red Bull one would be closer to the truth than anything they are using now!
They are all good...
I was at Robyn's place earlier. Good job by all of you!
- August 30, 2011 at 1:41 AM
- Baby Sister said...
That Coke slogan is so wrong. No wonder why it failed. However, "we suck" was hilarious.
- September 14, 2011 at 12:00 AM
- Osama Zain said...
Good post and Smart Blog
Thanks for your good information and i hope to subscribe and visit my blog STD Symptoms and more Scabies Epidemiology thanks again admin
- June 11, 2012 at 5:59 AM
- Blogger said...
Do you drink Coke or Pepsi?
ANSWER THE POLL and you could receive a prepaid VISA gift card!
- September 10, 2016 at 9:26 PM


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Pressure Cooking Quick Start Guide
You Bought An Instant Pot! Now What?
Or maybe you're considering buying one. Not sure which model to buy? Have you tried different forums or Facebook groups online and come away even more confused? Not quite sure about pressure cooking lingo? Want to create wonderful real food meals for your family–fast? But are unsure you're doing it right? If these are the questions rolling around in your head then this quick start guide is for you!
Hi, I'm Jennifer from Self Reliant School…..
I've been pressure cooking for over 10 years, and my husband and I teach growing your own food, cooking from scratch and preserving online. I've been fortunate and blessed to teach hundreds of people to pressure cook safely and how to cook under pressure free from frustration. I'm so happy you're here, and I'm happy to help you in any way I can when it comes to pressure cooking food for you and your family. There's nothing like providing tasteful nutritious food for your family with this fast and economical method of cooking.


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I would like to thank the Holden Board of Selectmen for taking time out of its packed agenda Monday, July 9, to interview me and the other candidate for the town's open seat on the Wachusett Regional School District Committee.
The questions posed to me and Dr. Mills were thoughtful and reflected the Holden selectmen's willingness to work in partnership with the WRSDC. Even though I was not the candidate appointed to the open position, I deeply appreciate the board's encouragement that we both consider running in the town election in May.
Christina Smith Jefferson


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Niles Nursing & Rehab Center
Despite high ranks in quality measures at Niles Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, notable deficiencies have, in the past, earned it a "below average" rating as determined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This rating is determined as part of a comprehensive survey reported by Medicare and Medicaid, both of which help fund this center.
Inspections and Complaints
According to findings published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, this nursing home has been reported for both environmental safety hazards and various treatment/incident-related complaints. For example, in the past, this nursing home has been cited for failing to develop policies that would protect its residents from issues like theft, mistreatment, abuse and neglect. It has also been cited for failing to give residents the care they needed to prevent or heal bedsores. In the past, this nursing home was cited for a variety of environmental hazards, including automatic sprinklers that had not been properly maintained, exits that were not always accessible, a lack of portable fire extinguishers and other deficiencies.
Nursing homes should always strive to protect their residents from the threat of abuse, neglect and mistreatment. If you learn that a loved one has suffered such treatment while entrusted to a home, contact a nursing home negligence lawyer to learn more about your rights.
Staffing Reports
Studies published in the past by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have also reported Niles Nursing & Rehab Center as having a "below average" staffing rating. In past reports, residents of the center received less time with the staff than the national and Illinois averages. For example, the amount of time spent with LPN/LVN staff members was half of the Illinois average and less than a third of the national average. The time spent with a CNA staff member was more than a full hour a day less than the national average. At the time of this report, the number of residents at this center was more than three times the national average.
No nursing home resident should ever be hurt as a result of inadequate care. If you suspect that a sick or injured loved one wasn't getting the attention they needed, a nursing home negligence lawyer can help.
About Niles Nursing & Rehab Center
This nursing center is home to more than 300 beds, and features programs designed to help Korean residents, as well at residents with dementia or behavioral programs. It participates in both Medicare and Medicaid.
Contact Information
9777 Greenwood Ave.
Niles, IL 60714
Phone: (847) 967-7000
Fax: (847) 967-5462
Neglect Resources
Nursing home neglect lawyers are trained to identify and hold accountable those responsible for mistreatment.Contact Malman Law for a free consultation.


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- BFUHS Faridkot Vacancy 2015
- Vacancy - Secretary to Vice-Chancellor, Controller of Examinations, Senior Resident, Assistant Professor Posts
- Total no. of Posts - 17 Posts
- Last Date - 03 Aug, 2015
- Requirement - MBBS Degree/MDS/ MS/MD
- Place of Posting - Faridkot, Punjab
BFUHS Faridkot (Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot) is seeking applicants for the vacancy of Secretary to Vice-Chancellor, Controller of Examinations, Senior Resident, Assistant Professor on its portal http://www.bfuhs.ac.in for post graduate, MBBS Degree/MDS/ MS/MD. This is a great opportunity for those aspirants who want to work in BFUHS Faridkot. This vacancy is located at Punjab. The last date for applying is 03-08-2015. For more details like eligibility criteria, age limit and salary read further.
|Name of Post
|No. of Vacancy
|Secretary to Vice-Chancellor
|01 Posts
|Post Graduation
|Controller of Examinations
|01 Posts
|MBBS Degree/MDS/ MS/MD
|Senior Resident
|09 Posts
|Assistant Professor
|06 Posts
Selection Process : Mode of selection of the candidates will be Written Test and Interview.
Fee : The Fee for this recruitment is Rs. 1500/-.The Fee for SC/ST/PWD is Rs. 750/-.
How to Pay Application Fee : Payment through Bank Demand Draft drawn in favour of The Registrar, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot payable at Faridkot.
- Application Mode : offline
- Advertisement No. for the Vacancy - 07/2015
Application Procedure : Candidates who are interested to apply for this post should take a printout of the form from official website http://www.bfuhs.ac.in, affix a passport size photo and fill the given application form in all respect and send it to address in the notification on or before 03-08-2015.
Last Date for this recruitment :
- Application end Date - 03-08-2015
- For full Details click here- Click here for BFUHS Faridkot Advertisement
Looking for others Govt Jobs below Link :
- DBSKKV Dapoli 02 Posts Subject Matter Specialists Recruitment 2015
- Bargarh District 23 Posts Pharmacist Recruitment 2015
- RNSB Rajkot Brach Manager & Senior Executive Recruitment 2015
- CSIR-CLRI Chennai 19 Posts Jr. Research Fellow Recruitment 2015
- East Kameng District 37 Posts Jr.Teacher Recruitment 2015


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Definition - What does Svapna mean?
Svapna is a Sanskrit term referring to a state of being asleep and dreaming while also being conscious, or simply a state of dreaming. It is one of the four main states of consciousness, together with jagrat (waking), sushupti (deep sleep) and turiya (witness consciousness), as defined in the Upanishads and other yogic texts.
Yogapedia explains Svapna
The state of svapna is one where the yogi can perceive objects based on experiences from their waking state. It can be compared to human subconsciousness, individual mind and remembrance. It is the first stage in the practice of yoga nidra, where the yogi begins to explore his subconsciousness.
According to yogic texts, it is a state of meditation, a two dimensional experience and a perception of experiences gained in the waking state in the subconscious inner world.


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Newsletter Issue #579January 3rd, 2011
It's fair to say that I do not always agree with the guests who appear on The Tech Night Owl LIVE. But when someone has an interesting point of view, I'm happy to let them have their say, while at the same time I reserve the right to express my disagreements.
That takes us to an occasional guest on the show, outspoken commentator Joe Wilcox, with whom I've sparred on several occasions. Joe tends to express viewpoints that are on the opposite end of not just conventional wisdom, but what other commentators, even those highly respected, have expressed.
Take, for example, the Logitech Revue, one of the first set top box wannabes to use Google TV. Now this product has earned (if you can call it that) the rating as one of the worst products to be examined in 2010 by Walt Mossberg, of the Wall Street Journal. While I don't always agree with Mossberg, this is one product that does appear to have its teething problems. Indeed, there's already some controversy, witness Logitech's recent denial of a published report that Google has asked them to stop shipping the Revue until some serious software bugs are ironed out. Despite that, Joe says he loves it, and he's entitled to his opinion. But you can see where he tends to take positions with which one can readily disagree.
In another segment, we featured industry analyst Stephen Baker, of the NPD Group, who looked at the hits and misses of 2010. Does 3D TV even have a chance of succeeding in the near future?
Consumer technology columnist Rob Pegoraro, of the Washington Post, joined us to attempt to separate the fact from the fiction on the controversial net neutrality issue. Depending on your political persuasion, it's either a decent set of consumer protections, or an insidious attempt by the FCC to take over the Internet.
Rob also examined other top tech industry topics for 2010.
On this week's episode of our other radio show, The Paracast, co-host Christopher O'Brien joins Gene to present plasma physicist Dr. John Brandenburg, author of the forthcoming book, "Life and Death on Mars: The New Mars Synthesis." Discover fascinating facts and theories about the amazing history of the Red Planet.
Coming January 9, 2011: Co-host Christopher O'Brien joins Gene to present the return of nuclear physicist and UFO authority Stanton T. Friedman, who will cover not just the history of research into the enigma, but the possibilities that, at long last, we might be finding the evidence needed to convince mainstream science that they are real.
Now Shipping! The Official Paracast T-Shirt. We're taking orders direct from our new Official Paracast Store, where you can place your order and pay with a major credit card or PayPal. The shirts come in white, 100% cotton, and feature The Paracast logo on the front. The rear emblem states: "Separating Signal From Noise." We've also added a selection of additional special custom-imprinted merchandise for fans of our show.
In one of this cute and funny Mac versus PC ads, which are sadly no longer being produced, the Mac personification, as portrayed by actor Justin Long, reminded the PC (as portrayed by John Hodgman), that there are over 100,000 Windows viruses, but not on the Mac.
Now this particular phrase became controversial, because you could take away different interpretations. Did he mean that the Mac simply didn't have over 100,000 viruses, or that it had no viruses? If the latter, Apple's ad agency was giving out erroneous information. Even though the number of Mac OS X viruses are small, there have been some, although there's no evidence of any widespread outbreak.
At least not yet!
Therein lies the issue. The Mac OS X Public Beta came out over a decade ago. As the Mac platform has become more popular over the years, security experts, and representatives from security software companies, have reminded us again and again that serious malware outbreaks will come real soon now. Maybe so, but that largely depends on your definition of what "soon" really means.
If they are simply trying to be realistic, I suppose they might have a point. The sky may not be falling, but surely more and more attention is being paid by Internet criminals on the Mac platform. If Mac users are careless, or remain oblivious to potential threats, I suppose infections can occur.
But not yet!
Yes, there have been various and sundry proofs of concept, quite often confined to the test labs of a security software company, or an independent security researcher. What's more, Apple periodically releases security fixes for Mac OS X and the iOS, often bundled in a regular maintenance update. This clearly means that they do not regard Macs and iOS gear as immune to malware.
Indeed, Apple has been known to recommend that Mac users consider running security software to provide the added ounce of protection. Certainly, if there was a widespread malware outbreak, you could be infected before you get around to installing software to protect you, since the damage might already have been done.
But security software has earned a nasty reputation of using excessive system resources, or perhaps creating incompatibilities that cause endless irritation at the price of gaining protection. Perhaps, though the products I've tried, such as Intego's VirusBarrier, seem pretty benign when it comes to their impact on my various Macs. In saying that, however, the real question is whether what it does can provide some useful benefits right here and now.
The real answer is that I'm not yet certain. Aside from those lab tests, there have been Trojan Horse infections, which accomplish their dirty work by social engineering. You have to download and run some sort of app for them to do their thing. If you are simply cautious about downloading files from unknown sources, and skeptical about files that may be unwittingly forwarded by a friend or relative, you'll probably be safe from any unsavory symptoms.
Yet another possible source of infection might result if someone gains control of your Mac or iOS device. But usually this would require hands-on hacking, although I suppose someone can break in via your Wi-Fi network and then login to your Mac. However, using smart passwords for both will generally make that task extremely difficult. A "smart password" is simply one that contains a mixture of upper and lower case letters and random numbers. Don't even think of using your birth date, or the name of a relative or pet. Those are the passwords that are most easily cracked.
When it comes to devising passwords, Cisco has it right with the Cisco Connect app used to interface with some of their routers, such as the Linksys E3000 I acquired last week. Not only do they create a friendly network name, but they generate random but extremely powerful passwords for you to use. Indeed, if you stick with these defaults, your Wi-Fi network ought to be pretty secure. Apple should do as well with the default setup for your AirPort or Time Capsule.
The limitation in Cisco's setup comes to play when you select their "Advanced" option for more sophisticated settings, which takes you to the old fashioned and supremely obtuse Web-based interface they've used for years on their products. I had to go there twice; the first time when I needed to switch the channel from "Auto" to Channel 11 to get decent Wi-Fi coverage in my new apartment. The second was to set up Port Forwarding to allow the adapter for the Internet phone company I use, Phone Power, to function reliably behind the router. Were it not for the simple instructions the provider offers on their site, I imagine customers will find the process to be unduly complicated.
But returning to the issue of Mac security, yes the sky may be falling some day, but crying wolf too often will only end up making Apple's customers too complacent, and thus vulnerable when and if the real outbreak arrives.
Should you use virus protection software? I suppose there's no harm, and if things get really nasty on the Mac platform, you'll be reasonably safe. That is, assuming that the security companies catch the infection early on and devise strong protection against it.
After moving to a new apartment, I began to wonder about home security. Don't forget those frequent stories about burglary rings described in lurid headlines in the local papers and local TV newscasters. There are also those ubiquitous ads that employ fear and suspicion to get you to sign up with a security company.
They don't use very much imagination in their promotions either. You see someone at home, usually a woman — which raises the sexist specter — who is doing her routine chores when someone breaks into her home. The alarm goes off, the friendly security monitoring service calls up, and calms the frightened person by assuring her that help is on the way.
The message is clear. If your home is invaded by burglars, you want to be safe and secure, which means buying that company's product.
Now I'm not about to attack a company's legitimate efforts to generate business, but some of the ads you see can be downright deceptive, and I'll give you an example.
Upon moving to our new residence, I contacted ADT, perhaps the largest burglar alarm company in the U.S., and asked about a wireless package, so I wouldn't have to contend with someone installing wires in the walls, and then having to pay to remove them upon moving. Indeed, the rental office strongly recommended a wireless solution.
The typical offer, $99 installation, plus a monthly monitoring fee, didn't apply to wireless systems. Suddenly I was quoted fees of up to $499 "installation," which merely involved plugging in a main control console, and using double-sided tape to attach sensors to the doors and windows. Clearly there had to be a more affordable solution.
I was also not pleased with ADT when, after telling them I wasn't about to accept their offer, they kept making unsolicited phone calls for several days until I told them I would report them to the appropriate authorities. The calls stopped real fast.
After doing a little online sleuthing — which is what I should have done at the outset — I ran across LifeShield Security, a Pennsylvania-based company that seemed particularly savvy about wireless security systems and online access. The fact that LifeShield had been written up on such places as PCWorld, The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal seemed doubly encouraging.
LifeShield's hardware relies on your broadband connection for communication between their servers and your system. There's also a provision for a backup hookup to a landline telephone, in case your Internet or power goes down. You don't have to damage the walls, and, in theory, the sensors connected by tape are readily removed when it comes time for you to move to another home.
Their ordering scheme is relatively simple. You can choose from an "Essentials" kit, retailing at $199 as of this writing, or a more comprehensive "Home" kit, at $299, which ads a Keychain Remote, extra sensors, and a Grid Extender to expand the reach of the wireless system.
LifeShield's sends you the bundle of your choice on a 30-day free trial. If you decide to keep the package, the credit card you use during the initial ordering process is charged. For standard 24/7 monitoring, you also pay $29.99 a month, compared to ADT's fee of $43.99. This monitoring service comes without a contract, meaning you're not stuck with a bill for the next 12 or 24 months if the system doesn't suit your needs on the long haul.
The initial setup process was fairly simple, with a few glitches along the way. For one thing, LifeShield sent me the "Essentials" kit rather than the "Home" package I selected by mistake, but they sent me the missing components via overnight carrier. I also needed to talk to their friendly telephone support people to handle a few complications in installing the sensors on the front door and windows.
Of course, the proof will be in the pudding, but I hope I never have to confront that situation. At least I get a discount on my tenant's insurance because I installed a security system, and I hope I'll won't have to take that phone call from the monitoring service.
The Tech Night Owl Newsletter is a weekly information service of Making The Impossible, Inc.
Publisher/Editor: Gene Steinberg
Managing Editor: Grayson Steinberg
Marketing and Public Relations: Barbara Kaplan
Business Development: Gil James Bavel
Worldwide Licensing: Sharon Jarvis
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5 ways to save some pennies this half-term
Keeping the kids entertained during school holidays can be a nightmare for any mum, but staying on budget while you do so can be almost impossible. Never fear though, we've got a raft of ideas to keep boredom at bay and budgets in check.
1. A night at the movies
No, not at the actual movies – you'd probably have to re-mortgage the house to take the whole family to the cinema! Grab a cheap DVD in the supermarket and stock up on snacks, then set the mood with the lights off and lots of "shh"-ing. Homemade nachos and popcorn will be tastier and cheaper than at your local multiplex.
2. Get your nose in a book
Check out what activities your local library has going on over half-term, they're often cheap or free and your kiddiewinks might even learn something! Make sure you borrow some books while you're there, your little ones will love having 'new' books around the house, and borrowing rather than buying keeps clutter to a minimum too.
3. Blanket fort challenge
Challenge your kids to build the best blanket fort out of sofa cushions, throws, duvets and any other soft furnishings they can get their hands on. Serve up snacks inside when they're done, or you could even let them have a sleepover in their forts.
4. Bake a cake
Baking ingredients aren't always cheap, so keep costs down with a kit or a very basic recipe – flapjacks and decorating biscuits make good budget options. If your kids are a bit older, why not ask them to make tea one day? Set them a budget and take them shopping, then leave them to it – they'll love the responsibility, even if you don't love the mess they make!
5. Decorate a T-shirt
Probably not a great option for fashion-conscious teens and pre-teens, but your little ones will love the chance to decorate their own clothes. Find something they don't wear any more, then round up any felt pens and craft supplies you have lying around and let them get stuck in!