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Instruments & Gear: New Gear
Collings OM1 T
A great vintage-style OM built with torrefied Sitka spruce and Honduran mahogany and delivered in Collings' custom case.
by Teja Gerken
November 30, 2017
Collings Guitars has always found inspiration in vintage American instruments, but while creating the new T Series of guitars the company took a new look at vintage guitars, studying their construction in detail and getting input from players about what they valued in their favorite vintage instruments. The resulting guitars include modified bracing patterns, animal-protein glue construction, and a new, ultrathin nitrocellulose finish. Wood selection is also a factor for these guitars. "We select the woods and voice them to produce a stronger fundamental tone with a warmer, rounder front-end attack and a pronounced midrange response that is characteristic of vintage guitars," says Collings' Alex Rueb. The instruments also come with Collings' new custom cases.
The T Series includes a few dreadnought and OM models, and we had a chance to check out a beautiful mahogany-and-spruce OM1 T generously provided to us by Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto, California. Collings has a well-deserved reputation for exceptional craftsmanship, and with its perfect fit and finish and superb materials throughout, this guitar demonstrated why. The OM1 T we looked at differs from a standard Collings OM1 T in that it has a torrefied Sitka spruce top instead of regular Sitka. The torrefied top has a beautiful, slightly brown look to it, and the Honduran mahogany used for the back and sides is rich in color. The OM1 T's neck has a full, rounded profile with a significant taper from the nut to the heel. It is a great sounding, versatile guitar with a wonderfully complex tone, excellent volume, refined balance, and pleasing sustain, and it's well-suited to a variety of playing styles, as you would expect from a high-quality OM.
The T-series also includes Collings' custom cases, which the company started manufacturing earlier this year. Featuring extremely rigid plywood construction, the cases are form-fitted to each guitar model, offering the look and functionality of the best vintage cases from the 1920s and '30s.
SPECS: 14-fret 000 body. Solid torrefied Sitka spruce top with scalloped X-bracing. Solid Honduran mahogany back and sides. Bolt-on mahogany neck. Ebony fingerboard and bridge. 25.5-inch scale. 1¾-inch nut width. 2⁵/₁₆-inch string spacing at saddle. Waverly tuning machines. Made in USA. $5,100 list as shown. Collingsguitars.com
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Nitrous Oxide: Legal consequences
Last modified: Saturday, 20. June 2009 - 2:18 pm
Legal consequences of Nitrous Oxide
Most states have laws regarding inhalant (or volatile substance) use and abuse on the books. In recent years, laws that are specific to nitrous oxide use and distribution have been written in many states. For example, in Connecticut, Arizona, Texas, and Michigan, it is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to purchase nitrous oxide, even in food grade cartridges. In Arizona, anyone caught selling N20 to minors faces up to 18 months in jail and a $150,000 fine.
In Wisconsin, the minimum age for purchasing nitrous oxide is 21. However, state legislation passed in 1998 makes it illegal for anyone to inhale or even intend to inhale nitrous outside of medical or dental settings. Anyone who distributes or delivers nitrous to someone with the knowledge that they are using it for illicit purposes can also be charged under Wisconsin law. A number of states, including Texas, California, Ohio, and Iowa, have variations on this law.
Illicit use, or possession with intent to use, is typically a misdemeanor in most states, and may be punishable by a small fine. Knowingly selling nitrous for illicit use carries a heftier price tag; it is a felony in many states and can involve significant jail time and cash fines.
Legal history
Nitrous oxide is not a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration controlled substance. Nitrous oxide is regulated at the federal level by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as a food-grade propellant, medical grade gas, and prescription drug. In the 1990s, in an attempt to curb growing abuse of nitrous oxide, a number of states passed laws placing strong safeguards and stricter penalties on its illicit use.
Federal guidelines, regulations, and penalties
Use of the medical grade gas is by prescription only, and regulated by the FDA. Compressed medical gas suppliers must register with FDA, and are subjected to facility inspections from FDA at least once every two years. Licenses required to purchase and administer nitrous oxide in the healthcare setting is regulated on a state level.
Theft of nitrous oxide tanks from medical and other facilities is not uncommon. Some industry trade groups are working with state legislatures to pass stricter regulations on nitrous sales and theft-prevention guidelines in an effort to deter abuse.
Incoming search terms:
- is nitrous oxide a controlled substance
- nitrous oxide controlled substance

subset: commoncrawl


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The Descent is the main quest in the The Descent DLC for Dragon Age: Inquisition.
Earthquakes in the Deep Roads are threatening to collapse lyrium mines and cut off supply of the essential mineral to the surface.
Complete Disaster in the Deep Roads by traveling to the Storm Coast Fissure.
- Speak with Harding at the Storm Coast Fissure
- Reach the seal
- Defend the seal
- Establish an Inquisition camp
- Take the lift into the Deep Roads
- Navigate the Darkspawn Warrens
- Open the Rune-Warded Gate of Segrummar
- Navigate the Darkspawn Warrens
- Follow Valta through the Darkspawn Warrens
- Investigate corpses
- Descend into the Ruins of Heidrun Thaig
- Follow Valta through Heidrun Thaig
- Push the Darkspawn out of their nest
- Follow Valta
- Establish a camp at the Ancient Lift
- Use the ancient Lift
- Explore the Forgotten Caverns
- Defeat the Unknown Assailants
- Speak with Lieutenant Renn
- Follow Valta through the Forgotten Caverns
- Fight through the Sha-Brytol
- Follow Valta into the Unknown
- Approach the Sha-Brytol Shrine
- Defeat The Guardian
- Speak with Valta
Storm Coast Fissure
After speaking with Lead Scout Harding, take the elevator down into the Fissure proper, where the Inquisitor will be greeted by Shaper Valta, whom can be questioned about the situation. After this Valta will join the party as a Temporary Companion. Head north through the fissure, claiming the Landmark on the left along the way. At the entrance to the Deep Roads, the quest A Warm Welcome will activate as an Ogre alpha charges the party. See that quest guide for details.
After the Ogre Alpha has been dealt with, loot the remains and head into the Deep Roads then take a right to find the Legion of the Dead regiment. Renn and the Legionnaires will assist the party in this battle. The Inquisitor must defend the seal for the tunnel from the horde of encroaching Darkspawn until the seal gauge is filled. The first wave of Darkspawn consist of 4 Genlocks which will attack at melee range, a Hurlock which uses sword and shield and two Hurlock archers. Throughout this battle area of effect attacks, particularly Mark of the Rift can be useful to regain control of the field if the darkspawn are about to overrun the defenders. Darkspawn will continue to spawn from a side tunnel on the left and the main tunnel seal entrance. Bringing a mage or two with Barrier will be a great help here both for keeping the party alive but also the legionnaires which help even the number of combatants and divide the darkspawn's attention. Pull of the Abyss can also be useful here for helping keep the darkspawn in a vulernable position.
Once the seal gauge gets to about 40%, additional Hurlocks and Hurloch archers will approach from the back right of the tunnel. At about 50-60% a Hurlock alpha will approach from the main seal entrance. Make the Hurlock Alpha a priority target and focus your attacks on it until it falls, as it will otherwise swiftly knock down most of the party. A second Hurlock Alpha will follow not long after. Once they are slain, this should bring the seal gauge to 100%. Activate both of the Lyrium charges by the door to seal the tunnel. After this withdraw to the main chamber and take cover, picking up any loot the darkspawn dropped on the way out as this sub-tunnel will be blocked off by the explosion afterwards. Establish the camp using the marker in the north east section of the chamber to advance.
After speaking with Renn and Valta, Renn will join as a temporary companion. Various crafting facilities are now available at this camp as well as the Expedition table. Once everything has been taken from the area, head through the north-west door to the elevator to continue the quest.


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Edit: DINOSAUR is back on the FASTPASS system, meaning they work there just as they do at other attractions. I'm not sure what was going on at the beginning of April – either a fluke or they were trying to send more people than usual to DINOSAUR.
It's been about two months since Disney began enforcing FASTPASS return times and we now have a clearer understanding of what that means. On March 7th, Disney began enforcing FASTPASS return times. Before that, you could enter the FASTPASS return line with your FASTPASS at any time after the return window opened. For example, if you were holding a Space Mountain FASTPASS with a return window of 1:15pm to 2:15pm, you could return any time after 1:15pm. That means you could ride at 9pm with your 1:15pm FASTPASS. That's no longer true. Currently, you must return within your FASTPASS window with a 15 minute grace period attached at the end. In our example above, you would need to return to Space Mountain between 1:15pm and 2:30pm.
Let's take a look at how to maximize your FASTPASS strategy so that you can still tour efficiently, eliminate walking/backtracking as much as possible, and return within the FASTPASS windows at each theme park.
Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom has three attractions where FASTPASS is usually necessary to avoid a long afternoon wait – Kilimanjaro Safaris, Expedition Everest, and Kali River Rapids. Kali River Rapids isn't a priority when temperatures are 75 degrees or lower because fewer people want to ride. Looking to the summer, we can expect Kali to have 60+ minute waits after 11am and FASTPASSes that have return times further into the future than Expedition Everest or Kilimanjaro Safaris. That's a function of a lower capacity and increased demand with higher temperatures. DINOSAUR also offers FASTPASSes, but FASTPASSes almost always have return times 40 minutes in the future, which is the minimum amount of lead time. Wait times at DINOSAUR are also ordinarily 20 minutes or less in the afternoon and the attraction is a virtual walk-on most days before 10:30am. Primeval Whirl also offers FASTPASS, but return times are also just 40 minutes in the future in most scenarios. It's also easy to ride before 10:30am. Because it loads slowly, wait times are usually higher than DINOSAUR, but far lower than the three FASTPASS priorities.
My ideal morning looks like this:
- Arrive at 8:40am and head to the turnstiles furthest to the right. Wait for Disney to convert the two turnstiles used for Tusker House Breakfast to regular turnstiles and get in line first.
- Ride Kilimanjaro Safaris. It usually takes about 30 minutes to wait for and ride Kilimanjaro Safaris. That means it will be 9:30am by the time I disembark.
- Collect FASTPASSes for Kilimanjaro Safaris with a return time of 10:10am to 11:10am.
- Ride Expedition Everest in the standby line. If waits are short, ride again. And if possible, again.
- Ride Primeval Whirl in the standby line.
- Ride DINOSAUR in the standby line.
- If interested, ride TriceraTop Spin in the standby line. It's about 10:30am.
- Walk back to Kilimanjaro Safaris through Asia, pulling a FASTPASS for Expedition Everest on the way. The return time at 10:30am should be about 11:30am – 12:30pm.
- Ride Kilimanjaro Safaris with FASTPASS. It's about 11:15m. Have lunch at Yak & Yeti Quick Service or Flame Tree BBQ. Collect Kali River Rapids FASTPASSes as soon as possible for an afternoon return time. The attraction is next to Yak & Yeti. Ride Expedition Everest with FASTPASS. See a show. Collect another set of FASTPASSes if I'd like to ride something again.
If you collect FASTPASSes for Kilimanjaro Safaris before riding, you're going to be hard pressed to get back there in time to ride it if you're heading to Everest and DinoLand USA immediately after. That's why I collect the FASTPASSes after riding. If you're going to be heading to the Character Greeting Trails, then you may want to pull FASTPASSes first, where the return time will be 9:40am – 10:40am. You can then ride after meeting several of the characters nearby. If you want to ride twice in the morning, you'll want to collect FASTPASSes first, then ride, then find something to do for about ten minutes while you wait for the window to open. Just be aware that Kilimanjaro Safaris is a ways away from any attractions that aren't in the Africa section.
FASTPASS Priority
- Expedition Everest – FASTPASSes run out first and generally have return times further in the future than the other attractions, possibly with the exception of Kali River Rapids.
- Kali River Rapids (When the high is 85+ degrees).
- Kilimanjaro Safaris – Return times are often 40 to 80 minutes out thanks to a healthy capacity and plentiful FASTPASSes offered.
- Primeval Whirl – Return times often 40 to 50 minutes out.
- DINOSAUR – FASTPASSes almost always 40 minutes out and standby waits often max out around 30 minutes, if that.
Collect Before Break For Evening Return?
With the short hours, most people aren't going to be taking an afternoon break. If Animal Kingdom is open until 7pm or 8pm and you are interested in touring from around 9am – 1pm and then returning from 5pm – 8pm, you could collect a set of FASTPASSes for Expedition Everest before your break with a return time that may be far enough out to use after a break. During the summer, Kali River Rapids FASTPASSes should also have return times in the evening by 1pm.
With Test Track closed over the summer, the only real FASTPASS priority is Soarin'. Mission: SPACE and Maelstrom aren't priorities. Both because return times are almost always 40 minutes in the future and because standby waits are short during the first two hours that they operate. Most people will want to head to Soarin' first thing in the morning. Because Soarin' is so far away from attractions other than Living with the Land and Circle of Life, you'll need to take that into consideration. If you're planning to ride Sum of All Thrills and Mission: SPACE in the morning, I recommend collecting FASTPASSes after first riding Soarin'. Soarin' takes at least 25 minutes to complete, even if you're one of the first people to arrive at the Land Pavilion or you use a FASTPASS. With Epcot opening at 8:45am, that means you should be at the Land Pavilion at about 9am. If you pull FASTPASSes immediately upon arriving, the return time will be 9:40am – 10:40am. That's going to be cutting it tight if you're headed to Sum of All Thrills and Mission: Space in the meantime. If you pull a FASTPASS at 9:30am after riding Soarin', the return time will be around 10:50am – 11:50am. Because the Sunshine Seasons quick service is so good, I recommend returning for lunch anyway. At that time, you'll also have an easy opportunity to ride Soarin' with FASTPASS.
If you're not doing Sum of All Thrills or Mission: SPACE, you may want to collect FASTPASSes for Soarin', then ride Soarin', then ride Living with the Land, then collect another set of Soarin' FASTPASSes, and then ride Soarin' withthe first set of FASTPASSes. Head back for lunch at Sunshine Seasons and a ride on Soarin' with FASTPASS. Keep in mind that after you do that, the standby wait for Sum of All Thrills or Mission: Space will be longer.
Another potential wrinkle is Character Spot, where you can meet Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, and Pluto in their classic outfits. Because of their popularity and the limited capacity, wait times are 20+ minutes at 9:20am and 40+ minutes by 10am virtually every day. If Character Spot is a priority, you want to head there first thing in the morning and then proceed to Soarin'. If the wait time for Soarin' is already intolerable, collect FASTPASSes.
My ideal morning looks like this:
- Arrive at Epcot by 8:30am. Walk to the turnstiles down to the right. Get in line furthest to the right where there aren't a lot of people in line (other than the last set of two which are used as an exit). The turnstiles open at 8:47am after a two minute opening message.
- Ride Soarin' in the standby line.
- Collect Soarin' FASTPASSes with a return time around 10:50am – 11:50am.
- Ride Sum of All Thrills in Innoventions East.
- Ride Mission: SPACE Orange.
- Walk back to the Land Pavilion and ride Living with the Land.
- Ride Soarin' with FASTPASSes collected earlier in the day.
- Have lunch at Sunshine Seasons.
- Proceed to World Showcase or other Future World attractions.
The main problem is getting back to the Land Pavilion within the return window. Because there really aren't any other attractions that require an early FASTPASS pull, it isn't a big deal to pull the Soarin' FASTPASS after riding and the return time is more convenient in most situations.
FASTPASS Priority
- Soarin' – With Test Track closed, FASTPASS return times rocket right after opening. By 9:30am, return times can already be out to 11am and be gone by 1pm.
- Mission: Space – For the Green Team, FASTPASSes are often not needed at all. For Orange, you may need a FASTPASS in the afternoon, but return times are usually just 40 minutes in the future and they very rarely run out.
- Maelstrom – Return times are almost always 40 minutes out.
- Living with the Land – Only available when Epcot is very crowded. FASTPASS return time almost always 40 minutes out.
Collect Before Break For Evening Return?
With Test Track closed, Soarin' FASTPASS return times are taking off. Collect a FASTPASS by noon for an evening return. None of the other attractions will have FASTPASSes with return times further than an hour out, if that.
Hollywood Studios
There isn't nearly as much walking in between the major attractions at Hollywood Studios as compared to Animal Kingdom or Epcot. While it's a bit of a walk from Rock 'n' Roller Coaster to Toy Story Midway Mania, it isn't nearly as exhausting as the walk between DINOSAUR and Kilimanjaro Safaris or Soarin' and Mission: SPACE. Because Toy Story Mania FASTPASS return times take off so quickly, I recommend collecting a set first thing in the morning before riding. With the Studios often opening its turnstiles 15 minutes before official open, it's much easier to walk to Toy Story and pick up FASTPASSes than it was when Disney herded everyone together and let as many as a thousand people loose to head to a single queue. If you arrive at Toy Story around 8:55am, FASTPASS return will be around 9:35am – 10:35am. That's enough time to ride Toy Story and then ride Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror before returning to ride Toy Story with FASTPASSes. You may want to collect a second set of FASTPASSes for Toy Story Mania or, more conveniently, pick up a set of FASTPASSes for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster as soon as your Toy Story FASTPASS window opens.
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster is the other major FASTPASS priority, with FASTPASSes that often run out in the late afternoon. However, they are far more plentiful than Toy Story Midway Mania and you'll be able to pull them until at least 3pm most days. Toy Story Midway Mania often runs out of FASTPASSes by noon with return times that are 5pm or later by 11am.
Tower of Terror and Star Tours usually have FASTPASS return times that are 40 to 60 minutes out. If one is going to take off, it's Tower of Terror, especially when it's running at less than full capacity. Problems with the elevators aren't uncommon and it can be running at half capacity, which in turn doubles wait times. Star Tours enjoys a healthy capacity and FASTPASSes are easy to collect all day. They very rarely run out.
My ideal morning looks like this:
Arrive at 8:25am and head to the far right turnstile immediately to the left of the ones that say "Cast Member and Guest Entrance" overhead.
- There may or may not be a line at the Guest and Cast Member entrance. The turnstile immediately to the right of the arrow almost always opens, but the other two may not be staffed first thing in the morning. I like to hedge my bets and get in line at the arrowed turnstile. If the others open, I can either move over quickly myself or watch the line in front of me dissipate as others move over.
- Collect FASTPASSes for Toy Story Mania with a return time of 9:40am – 10:40am.
- Ride Toy Story Mania in the standby line.
- Ride Rock 'n' Roller Coaster.
- Ride Tower of Terror.
- Collect FASTPASSes for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster with a return time around 11am – 12pm.
- Ride Toy Story Mania with FASTPASS.
- Ride Star Tours.
- Do whatever.
- Ride Rock 'n' Roller Coaster with FASTPASS.
- Have lunch.
With a bunch of shows and attractions that easily take 30 to 40 minutes, it's usually easy to find something to do while you wait for a Star Tours or Tower of Terror FASTPASS to become ready for use.
FASTPASS Priority
- Toy Story Midway Mania – Always the top priority. FASTPASSes are often gone by noon with return times that launch forward virtually from Studios' open. Afternoon wait times always hit 60+ minutes and 100+ minute waits aren't uncommon.
- Rock 'n' Roller Coaster – FASTPASS return times are far behind Toy Story, but can still easily be two to three hours out by 2pm. Standby waits are the second longest.
- Tower of Terror – Under normal circumstances, FASTPASS return times are just 40 to 60 minutes in the future. However, they can take off if Tower of Terror goes down or isn't running at full capacity. Since that rarely happens by necessity at Star Tours, Tower of Terror remains your third priority.
- Star Tours – FASTPASSes are almost always just 40 minutes in the future and wait times often peak in the 30 minute range. The actual wait time is often much lower.
Collect Before Break For Evening Return?
Toy Story Mania FASTPASS return times are easily into the late afternoon and evening by 10:30am, making them the easiest to collect for an evening return. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster FASTPASSes are more often two to three hours out. Collect a set right before you leave for a convenient return time. In most scenarios, neither Star Tours or Tower of Terror will have FASTPASS return times far enough out to use after a break.
Magic Kingdom
With abundant "filler" attractions, shows, and diversions, eating up time at Magic Kingdom is easy. Unlike Animal Kingdom, where your choices around Kilimanjaro Safaris are basically Pangani Forest Exploration Trail or the Wildlife Express, it's not uncommon to have six or eight attractions within a two minute walk at Magic Kingdom. On the flip side, there can be a lot of walking if you're backtracking between Tomorrowland and Frontierland, Adventureland and Fantasyland, or Liberty Square and Storybook Circus.
FASTPASS return times at Magic Kingdom really only take off at three attractions, and even then, Peter Pan's Flight is really the only one where FASTPASS return times are always far out in the afternoon. Thanks to healthy capacities, FASTPASS return times at Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain are usually within two hours. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in particular usually has FASTPASS return times that are just 40 to 50 minutes in the future. Splash Mountain's FASTPASS return depends on the temperature, much like Kali River Rapids. Luckily, its capacity is much higher, which translates to FASTPASSes that are still just an hour or two out in most scenarios. Finally, Winnie the Pooh can also see FASTPASSes that have return times further out than one might expect. Unless it's very crowded, FASTPASS return times are usually still within 60 to 90 minutes of when they are collected.
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and Jungle Cruise usually have FASTPASS return times that are 40 minutes in the future. Jungle Cruise is more likely to be slightly further out when it's crowded.
My ideal morning looks like this:
- Arrive by 8:30am. The turnstile doesn't matter because they'll open early and let you into the area in front of the Main Street train station for the opening show. If I want to see the show, I stand in the middle of this area. If I'm in a hurry to meet Rapunzel or another major character, I move to the far left opening and get as close to the rope as possible.
- Ride Dumbo.
- Ride Barnstormer.
- Collect FASTPASSes for Peter Pan's Flight. Return time around 9:20am will be 10am – 11am.
- Ride Peter Pan's Flight.
- Ride Snow White's Scary Adventures.
- Ride The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
- Ride Space Mountain.
- Collect FASTPASS for Space Mountain if dining in Tomorrowland. Return time should be around 10:45am – 11:45am. Otherwise, collect FASTPASS for another attraction.
- Ride Peter Pan's Flight with FASTPASS.
- Ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
- Ride Splash Mountain. If the wait time is too long at either, collect FASTPASSes for later.
- Collect FASTPASS for Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Jungle Cruise, or another attraction.
- Ride Haunted Mansion.
- Have lunch at Columbia Harbour House.
There are a lot of different ways to go at Magic Kingdom depending on what you want to do. Obviously this morning doesn't include any of the major characters. Adding Rapunzel, Merida, Tinker Bell, or Ariel would change the plan significantly and require us to collect FASTPASSes to ride Peter Pan's Flight and possibly a couple of the other attractions because we wouldn't arrive at them until later in the morning, when waits are longer.
FASTPASS Priority
- Peter Pan's Flight – Virtually every day, Pan has FASTPASS return times further into the future and standby waits that build longer than any of the other attractions. This is thanks to a modest capacity and overwhelming popularity with families.
- Space Mountain – Space Mountain usually has wait times longer than the other Mountains with FASTPASS return times further out. The exception is when it's hot out, in which case Splash Mountain will have similar waits/return times. Collect whichever is more convenient. FASTPASSes for both usually last most of the day.
- Splash Mountain – Wait times and FASTPASS return times have a lot to do with the temperature. When it's hot, waits will be much longer and FASTPASSes will be further out.
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – Thanks to constant stops and a low capacity, Pooh may have longer wait times than the Mountain rides with FASTPASSes further out. Still, it's rare to see FASTPASSes with return times more than two hours out and standby waits rarely hit higher than 60 minutes. At Space or Splash Mountain, you can see 100 minute waits when it's busy.
- Jungle Cruise – Jungle Cruise FASTPASSes have been more likely to be more than 40 minutes recently. Still, return times farther than an hour out are uncommon.
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – With a monster capacity and near limitless FASTPASS distribution, return times are almost always 40 to 50 minutes out. This may change if the loading procedure has changed with the refurbishment.
- Town Square Princesses – The Princesses usually have return times just 40 minutes out and the standby wait is often shorter than the major attractions.
- Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin – Even when Magic Kingdom is completely slammed, FASTPASSes are just 40 minutes out. Standby waits can hit 60+ minutes, but when that happens, the standby waits for other attractions will be even more ridiculous.
- Town Square Mickey Mouse – Because the Mickey Mouse FASTPASSes aren't connected to the rest of the system, you can collect them at any time and then collect a set for another attraction immediately after. Standby waits are often 15 minutes or less.
Collect Before Break For Evening Return?
Peter Pan's Flight and Space Mountain are your best bets. Splash Mountain may also be viable if it's hot out. The other attractions are unlikely to have FASTPASS returns far enough out that you'll be able to use them after a three-hour-plus wait. If it's busy, you may be able to pull Peter Pan FASTPASSes around 1pm with a return time around 5pm. For Space or Splash Mountains, you'll most likely want to collect them right before leaving.
Feel free to post a question about a specific situation. I probably glossed over important facts without explaining them fully, so please ask if something isn't clear and I'll do my best to expand the thought. Recommendations on additional sections of the article are also welcomed.


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Small moments in time.
We experience many such moments each and every day.
I try to capture these through my words and my pictures. Sometimes it works. And those moments are caught. Their meaning, their essence, and their grace shines through radiantly and perfectly.
While away for Christmas with my family, I saw and I felt and I experienced, so many of these small and wondrous moments.
Here are my pictures of those moments. I hope that they convey the joy, the warmth, the love, the beauty, and the magic of how I am feeling this holiday season.
It isn't necessarily the grand events or big moments that are the most memorable…
Instead, sometimes it is the small moments in time, that warm our hearts and bring us peace.


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Pay any invoice, which accepts BPay payments, from your bitcoin wallet. Our service is Australian owned and operates entirely within the Australian Bitcoin community. Your bitcoin is exchanged and transferred immediately to the biller.
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Security is our highest priority. We are focussed on keeping your information secure and protected from threat. Your bitcoin or fiat currency is not stored within our systems at any point of the transaction.
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Electronic Transfers
Make electronic transfer payments from your bitcoin wallet to Australian bank accounts. Electronic Fund Transfers will allow you to pay those invoices without the Bpay facility.
(Coming Soon)
How it Works
Noghi is much like the bpay facility of your internet banking. You login, add/select the Biller details and pay the bill. In this case when you are paying your bill, you are using bitcoin instead of Australian dollars.
Our Story
Noghi is an Australian owned service dedicated to providing BPAY for bitcoin holders. We understand the benefits of Bitcoin and our service helps extend the acceptance of it within Australian businesses. Bitcoin is a great technology and we'd like to see its adoption taken further and wider.


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Episode I focus collector Manoah Crane is celebrating the 20th Anniversary of The Phantom Menace by giving away some custom made patches! We think they turned out great, tap on the image to visit his page on Facebook and stay tuned to J.B. for a give-away coming up in the near future!
100% of the net proceeds benefit the Peter Mayhew Foundation
Get your coin on the official website here!
Peter Mayhew passed away on April 30th, 2019. The Peter Mayhew Foundation was Peter's passion for helping others in the form of a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization that helped alleviate suffering in all its forms. From helping families struggling to receive a life saving transplant, to aiding animal rescues with the funds needed to care for abandoned animals and make them ready for adoption. Angie Mayhew, Peter's wife, now takes up the mantle of Executive Director of the Foundation and will continue to deliver on Peter's moral imperative to help those in need.
As a Commemorative Memorial Challenge Coin we have produced an individually numbered coin with artwork by Peter's daughter Katy DeHay, and coin design by Richard Gonzalez. Katy went through hundreds of photos of Peter, from comic convention appearances to Star Wars movie releases to build a portrait of Peter that represented her father at his best. Each step of the coin's design process was supervised and approved by the Mayhew family, and everyone had input on the final artwork and coin design.
Along the edge of the coin is a quote "If I See Further It Is By Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants" and each coin is 2″ in diameter.
Limited Edition Variant Coin
For every $20 donation made to the Peter Mayhew Foundation you will receive one (1) challenge coin made with a black nickel core and an antique bronze face. These coins will be individually numbered with an edition size of 5,000 across all variants. For every $100 donation made to the Peter Mayhew Foundation, you will receive four (4) of the standard antique bronze coins and as a bonus one (1) bronze coin will be replaced with a limited coin with a brushed silver face. [NOTE – The above art is the current artistic rendering and may change slightly in production.] Shipping for this Memorial Coin is set to begin on July 15th. Please allow 8-12 weeks from July 15th for your coin to arrive.
Please Note the Limited Edition brushed silver variant is limited to 499 units and is only available while supplies last.


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Our Review ProcessOur reviews are based on extensive research and, when possible, hands-on testing. Each time you make a purchase through one of our independently-chosen links, we'll receive a percentage of the proceeds. Read more about how we're supported here.
Not many people know or have realized but a lot of people grew up with the British Shorthair cat. Do you remember that Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland? Well, that is the British Shorthair.
This type of cat is a family cat that enjoys spending time around people and absolutely loves affection he gets from families. If this cat is indeed the choice for your family, it is important to make sure the cat's diet is one suited for this breed's needs.
As there are quite a few ready-made foods for cats in general and British Shorthair in particular, it can be a tricky business to choose the right product for your cat. That's why we've reviewed some of the best food choices for this type of feline in this post.
Our Top 3 Recommended Canned, Soft & Wet Cat Food
Nom Nom Chicken Chow Meow
Top Pick
|Check Price
Wellness Complete Health Natural Canned Grain Free Wet Pate
Runner Up
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Purina Fancy Feast Poultry & Beef
Budget Pick
|Check Price
Nom Nom Chicken Chow Meow Review
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First 5 Ingredients: Chicken breast, thigh, and liver, Asparagus, Carrot, Spinach, Cantaloupe
If you're looking for an ultra-convenient way to feed your British Shorthair grain-free food, you might want to try Nom Nom's cat food delivery service. This company delivers homemade-style cat food straight to your door on a monthly or weekly schedule. We've tested Nom Nom and you can read our review here
Their chicken formula is made from chicken as a species-appropriate source of protein, along with small amounts of fruits and vegetables. All ingredients are human-grade and minimally processed.
- Low-carbohydrate
- High-moisture
- Made from highly-digestible protein
- Conveniently shipped to your door
- Human-grade food
- Above average in cost
Wellness Complete Health Natural Canned Grain Free Wet Pate Cat Food
Buy On Chewy
Read Our Full Brand Review
This product is highly recommended in any British Shorthair cat diet plan because it is made of premium meat, fresh vegetables and even some fruit. Altogether, this food will serve as a very well banlanced meal, full of nutrients and perfect for your pet's overall wellness.
- Contains turkey and salmon which means lots of protein.
- All natural. This food does not contain any artificial flavors or colors.
- Provides energy and enhances your cat's immune system.
- Great for thick, silky fur coats.
Hill's Science Diet Adult Tender Dinners Chunks & Gravy Cat Food
Buy On Chewy
Read Our Full Brand Review
This product was made especially for adult cats, from 1 to 6 years old. What makes it great is the fact that your cat will enjoy this great food as it gets older, just as much as it will enjoy it when it's young. We recommend this product because:
- It's Great for keeping healthy body weight.
- Good combination of protein and vitamins, giving your cat a well – balanced meal.
- Great for your cat's digestive system.
- Affordable price.
Purina Fancy Feast Poultry & Beef Feast Collection Cat Food
Buy On Chewy
Read Our Full Brand Review
It is highly important for your cat to have well-balanced nutrition that is also rich in flavors. This collection of wet cat food is rich in essential vitamins and minerals your cat needs to stay healthy. The texture is perfect as it makes for a delicious meal that your cat will be happy to feast on. Why choose Purina Fancy Feast Poultry & Beef Feast Collection Cat Food – (24) 3 oz. Cans?
- British Shorthair cats love the taste of beef, chicken and turkey so you can rest assure your cat will eat up every bit of the food in it's plate.
- High in protein and vitamins.
- Consists of small bites which makes it easy and fun for your cat to chew.
Our Top 3 Recommended Dry Foods
Nature's Variety Instinct
Top Pick
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The Honest Kitchen Grace Grain-Free Turkey Cat Food
Runner Up
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Hill's Ideal Balance Adult Natural Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
Budget Pick
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An important part of British Shorthair cat diet is a dry food as well. Here we have a list of three products.
Nature's Variety Instinct
Buy On Chewy
Read Our Full Brand Review
This product is very popular because it contains 50% protein and very high levels of dried meat. What makes it great is:
- Doesn't contain artificial additives - nothing but the best ingredients.
- Contains natural omega 3 and omega 6, which are great not only for keeping your British Shorthair's fur silky-smooth and healthy, but also for over-all wellness.
- Promotes healthy digestion.
The Honest Kitchen Grace Grain-Free Turkey Cat Food
One of the best things about having an indoor cat is spending more time with them. The Honest Kitchen foods allow you to make the most out of mealtime. This is a dehydrated food, so you'll need to mix in warm water and let it sit for a few minutes before serving it to your cat.
Grace by The Honest Kitchen contains 70% cage-free turkey, making it a nourishing high quality protein choice for your meat-loving cat. The recipe contains pumpkin, which is a good fiber containing food often used as a home remedy for hairballs.
All of the ingredients are human-grade and minimally processed.
- Contains a combination of fibers which helps reduce hairballs and ingested hair issues.
- Highly digestible.
- High in proteins and packed with vitamins.
Hill's Ideal Balance Adult Natural Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Cat Food
Buy On Chewy
Read Our Full Brand Review
If you are looking for a perfect mixture of protein and fiber in one meal, then this is the right product for your British Shorthair cat. This is a great product because:
- Cats seem to love the food's flavor
- Free of vaguely-named animal by-products
- Free of potentially harmful additives
British Shorthair cat food allergies
Even though British Shorthair cats are pretty healthy and are not prone to any serious diseases, they can still suffer from food allergies, similar to humans.
Get 30% OFF + Free Shipping on Cat Food
The most common allergic reactions a British Shorthair cat may exhibit to cat foods are skin conditions. Just like humans, cats can also be intolerant to some foods and it is always best to consult a vet if you notice any changes in your cat's fur, or if your cat is vomiting or has a diarrhea as a result of eating certain foods.
Also Read: Best Cat Food to Prevent Vomiting
Home-made food and raw diet for British Shorthair cats
British Shorthair cats are pretty much into food in general and love trying out different flavors.
Since the British Shorthair are muscular, so their food must be high in protein and very moderate when it comes to fat. Therefore, they should eat meat – either cooked or raw, in order to grow strong and healthy.
Moreover, their food should be low in carbohydrates so it is recommended to avoid potato-based meals. This is also why There are many British Shorthair breeders who prefer home-made and raw food.
It is also important to know that a raw diet makes this breed's fur silkier and smoother and is therefore strongly recommended by specialists.
Also Read: Best Raw Cat Food
British Shorthair cat home food should be based on meat – either beef, chicken, turkey or rabbit. Home-made cat food recipes should be based on boiling the meat or vegetables in water.
It is important to know that fish and shrimps should not be given to your cat more than two times a week. Dairy products are welcome, as long as they are not too rich in fat.
British Shorthair in a nutshell...
British Shorthair cats are becoming more and more popular as they are friendly and playful. During early stages of their life when they are still kittens, they are very active, curious and real goofballs. Usually they become much more mellow after about one year.
As this type of cat can be prone to shedding, you can easily minimize the mess by weekly brushing in order to remove excess hairs. Check out our review of the best cat brushes for shedding here.
Also Read: Best Cat Food for Shedding
Another important thing to mention when it comes to the care of the British Shorthair cat is that you need to trim their nails once in a while and check that their ears for mite on a weekly basis. Long thick hair means that things can get stuck in their ears - dirt, hairs etc... To avoid any ear infections, it would be best to clean them regularly.
British Shorthair cats have an average lifespan of 12-20 years, so regular grooming, taking care of their hygiene and making sure they get the best cat food they can have can ensure they have a long and happy life.


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Asian Games 2018: PV Sindhu Enters Women's Singles Final, Saina Nehwal Wins Bronze
Unseeded Saina Nehwal bagged a bronze medal after going down to World no.1 Tai Tzu Ying in straight games.
Saina Nehwal bagged a bronze medal
PV Sindhu overcame a stern test
PV Sindhu, seeded third defeated second seeded Akane Yamaguchi
PV Sindhu overcame a stern test against Japan's Akane Yamaguchi to enter the women's singles final at the Asian Games 2018. PV Sindhu, seeded third, defeated second seeded Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 15-21, 21-10 in the semi-final which lasted for 66 minutes. Sindhu, thus became the first Indian shuttler to reach the badminton final at the Asian Games. In the first game, Sindhu won a closely-fought contest. However, Yamaguchi came from behind to outplay Sindhu in the second game to level the match. The final game saw Sindhu dominating from the onset to defeat her superior seed.
PV Sindhu had finished as runner-up at the World Championships, held earlier this year. She had lost to her arch-rival Carolina Marin from Spain 19-21, 10-21 in the final.
Unseeded Saina Nehwal, on the other hand, bagged a bronze medal after going down to World no.1 Tai Tzu Ying in straight games in the semi-finals.
Saina Nehwal looked out of touch from the beginning of the game. She lost the first game 17-21 in 19 minutes.
Saina failed to find any respite in the second game, as she went down 14-21 in 17 minutes to add a bronze medal to Indian contingent's medal tally.
Saina Nehwal had clinched a gold medal in the Commonwealth Games 2018. She had outplayed her Indian counter-part PV Sindhu 21-18, 23-21 to clinch the summit podium spot.
India, are currently placed seventh in the medal tally which is led by China. The Indian contingent has accumulated a total of 37 medals so far which includes 7 gold, 10 silver and 20 bronze.
In Asian Games 2014, India had a total of 57 medals to finish eighth on the medal tally.


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Sophia's First Model Portfolio
Here are examples of Sophia's first model portfolio. Sophia is the niece of a very close friend of mine, Jojo. For sometime now she has been trying to convince her sister to bring her in for a model portfolio. I am so happy we finally were able to work together.
Google Review:
"Kristine is truly an artist! We are confident that these unique photos are going to grab attention and launch Sophia into the world of modeling." – Deb Campbell


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Dr. Farsalinos Once Again Rebukes Poor Research Design Of An Anti-Vaping Study
The renowned tobacco control expert recently called a study connecting vaping with COPD pure "science fiction"
One of the biggest fights for vaping, on its long journey for public acceptance, has been fighting against misinformation. Whether it's from lobbyists or the media, the general public has been fed masses of misinformation about these harm reduction products. Rumors and conspiracy theories have abounded from e-liquids being laced with formaldehyde and antifreeze, to false statistics about vaping increasing risk of COPD and a condition called wet lung. The claims are outrageous and have no scientific evidence behind them.
The damage each of these rumors does to the reputation of vaping is very detrimental, and in turn is damaging to vaping as a smoking cessation and harm reduction tool. Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos, of the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center in Greece, is well versed in this topic, having done almost a decade of research on the true effects of vaping and e-cigarettes. He is once again standing up against false claims, hoping to slow the spread of misinformation that could do further damage to vaping's reputation.
The ATS Study
The study that Farsalinos is speaking out against was published on the American Thoracic Society's website. The report, entitled E-Cigarette Use Is Associated with Emphysema, Chronic Bronchitis and COPD, aimed to connect COPD with vaping. The researchers worked with the analyzed medical history of 17 participants, including how they came to be diagnosed with COPD and when they became e-cigarette users. As the title suggests, the researchers heavily implied the use of e-cigarettes was the cause or at the very least a significant contributor to the diagnosis of the patients.
That's where Dr. Farsalinos' came in. He's gained a respected reputation in the vaping community over the last ten years by conducting replication studies on potentially misleading research. His results, along with many other notable and peer-reviewed scientists, is that vaping is substantially safer than smoking. In fact, a now famous study by the UK's Public Health England concluded that vaping is at least 95% safer than smoking.
Farsalinos' Objections
One of the most significant examples of misleading research from this study brought forward by Farsalinos was that of a 64-year-old retired naval mechanic. According to the researchers, he smoked between three and four packs of cigarettes every day from the time he was 16 years old. To be clear, that is between 60 and 80 cigarettes a day, every day, for almost 50 years.
In 2001 this gentleman was diagnosed with COPD but he did not quit smoking. In 2011 he was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer. He continued to smoke during the cancer treatments, though he did cut back to 3 cigarettes a day. However, once the treatments were over, he returned to his three packs a day habit. In 2013, 12 years after the COPD diagnosis and two years after cancer, he attempted to switch to a 2nd generation e-cigarette but found no success with it. The patient's health continued to decline, and he was put on oxygen therapy. It was at this time that the gentleman found success quitting smoking by switching to a 3rd generation e-cigarette. From that point on the patient's health improved a great deal.
"The above," said Dr. Farsalinos, "is a real case of a smoker who developed serious medical conditions BEFORE he initiated e-cigarette use" Somehow the authors of this study still implied throughout the article there is a link between the illnesses and the use of e-cigarettes. "People who smoke and develop smoking-related disease at some point become desperate and try e-cigarettes as an aid to quit smoking." says Farsalinos, but this does not constitute "proof of a 'link' between e-cigarettes and disease."
Farsalinos points to one sentence, buried in the study, which appears to roll back the original claims: "Due to the fact that the data is cross-sectional, it is unknown whether E-cigs could contribute to COPD development, or if people who have COPD are more likely to use E-cigs (possibly as a harm reduction method)." This sentence appears to contradict much of the ATS study's findings. The statistics clearly show that the switch to vaping and e-cigarettes helps with several severe symptoms related to COPD. But rather than share this information, which is supported by a plethora of other studies, these particular authors chose to bury it.
Improved public perception of vaping and e-cigarettes is crucial, especially when so many countries are currently working out how to treat these products legally. Dr. Farsalinos is an excellent ally in that fight, bringing to light the biased nature of many anti-vaping studies. Shining the light on biased and unsupported information will ultimately help vaping become more accepted as a harm reduction and cessation tool. After all, research shows that not only is vaping at least 95% safer than smoking, but it's actually the best smoking cessation tool we currently have at our disposal, even beating out prescription drugs. So if we as a society truly value the end of the smoking epidemic, we need to be supporting vaping, not using poor research design to make it look dangerous.
Is Dr. Farsalinos doing good work by calling into question poorly constructed research? Why do you think some are trying to hurt the image of vaping? How can we support vaping as a harm reduction and smoking cessation tool? Let us know what you think in the comments, and don't forget to check back here or join our Facebook and Twitter communities for more news and articles.


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Was thinking about unzipping a file on the Pi - using Flowcode.. That would be a big project and madness unless you had )a lots of time and b) someone was paying big bucks and c) lots of (hard) work.
So the easy way is to use someone else's code. The good news is that this is straightforward.
Use the 'system' command in a C macro.
So for example:
Code: Select all
system("mkdir test"); // Create a new directory 'test'
This only works for Pi users (at present) - where the underlying OS has commands available. To make things more general - build and use a string variable and then: (take a peek at the C code to get the variable names FC has used)
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system("gunzip file.gz"); // Unzip file.gz
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system(FCV_S); // Use global string S as a command....


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Free Standing Corridor
When the highest amount of flexibility is required, the Minkels Free Standing Corridor is the most optimal solution. The Free Standing Corridor is a fully self-supporting aisle containment system, with which closed off aisles can be created independent from the IT-racks –which is not usual in the data centre market.
'Pay-as-you-grow' solution
Immediately after implementation, the Free Standing corridor reaches the same energy-efficiency as a regular aisle containment system with IT-racks would. The Free Standing Cold corridor can be used for both cold isle containment and hot isle containment. The system –a modular design consisting only of a carrying construction, wall panels, roof panels and sliding doors- offer corporate and commercial data centres a cost-efficient 'pay-as-you-grow' solution in order to create energy-efficiency at low initial investments (CAPEX).
Minimal initial investments
The Free Standing Corridor can be used in combination with an existing infrastructure and already fitted racks, and drastically improves the airtightness and with this the energy-efficiency. The Free Standing Corridor can also be used for a new room where the end user will fill the corridor themselves based on their own demands and requirements, or those of a customer. This allows for a start with a minimal initial investment. Depending on the length of the corridor, racks can be added stepwise while the required airtightness is maintained.
Free standing frame
The free standing frame carries the sliding door systems, roof systems, corridor walls and vertical panels/chimneys, without any support other than the floor onto which the entire construction is installed. The frame consists of two sheet metal rigid door portals at the beginning and end of the construction and modular, plate steel beam sections. The minimum length of the free standing frame is 1800 mm and can be added onto with 600 mm sections. The maximum length of the free standing frame is 26400 mm. You can choose between a light grey (RAL 7047) or black (RAL 9011) Free Standing Corridor. The standard walkways are enclosed by the containment system, and have a width of either 1200 or 1800 mm.
With the Next Generation Corridor and the Free Standing Corridor, Minkels offers the best scenario for every situation. Which scenario is eventually preferred depends highly on the demands placed on the aisle containment. A Next Generation Corridor, for example, might be preferred if busbars and cable management systems are used on top of the racks. If there is much uncertainty surrounding the number of racks which are to be placed and a high diversity of systems, the Free Standing Corridor might be preferred.


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Test Automation Principles July 19, 2011
Several years ago, when I started with Test Automation, I hadn't read, or wasn't even aware that there were any, principles of Test Automation. Initially I couldn't get the tests to run reliably release over release. With a small number of tests it wasn't too bad. But as the tests grew I would pretty much baby sit the execution. I would watch the execution and as soon as it would fail I would start investigating that failure. Once the problem was determined, whether it was a product bug or test issue, I would resume running the tests from that point onwards. I also would find myself running the tests in a certain order and worried about removing a test because something else could fail as a result of that. It didn't feel very fulfilling even though I had my tests "automated".
Over time I found that building tests in a certain way made the tests more reliable. I also started discussing with others what they did to keep their test suite robust to validate what I had learnt the hard way. Unfortunately searching for test automation principles on the internet wasn't as useful as I hoped. Some of those principles, like "minimize untestable code" seemed like it was a product development principle as opposed to a test automation principle. Some others like "verify one condition per test" are good for unit testing but impractical for functional/ system tests. I also found some key principles missing in some of those lists. So, I am taking a stab here at describing what I think should be the Principles of Test Automation.
Choose the right type of test automation methodology
I broadly categorize automated testing as Unit, Component and System testing.
Unit testing
Unit testing is validation of the smallest part of the application. This smallest part in procedural languages is a function and in object oriented languages is a method in a class.
Since the focus of the unit test is very small, these tests can cover the entire code base, even if it's not exercised by user flows. Also, they need the least amount of setup and teardown, so fewer things can go wrong … making them the least brittle. A combination of fewest assertions and least setup and teardown, make them the fastest as well. For these reasons, you should strive to have as much coverage as possible using unit tests.
There are several unit testing frameworks. In Java for instance, the commonly used ones are JUnit and TestNG. What causes confusion sometimes is that people use these frameworks to write tests that test a lot more than a function or a method. For example you could write a UI test using JUnit. That does not mean this is a unit test though. What advantages I described earlier about unit testing pertains to those tests that validate whether a function or method works correctly.
Component testing
When there are several components in the system, testing each component in isolation is called component testing. Most people are aware of the design practice of separating the Model View and Controller in the system. If you were to test the entire system integrated together, you would not be able to test capabilities in the Controller, for instance, that the Model and View weren't utilizing. So, to test the Controller thoroughly, you would have to write component tests without Model and View.
The problem with writing tests against a component is that you need some system to provide the input to the component and/ or consume and validate the output of the component. In the real world, that would be what other dependent components would do. But for component testing, you have to add mocks or simulators for these dependent components that would mimic their expected behavior. The other big benefit of this is that it removes the possibility of failures due to bugs in those components.
As you can tell, component testing gives you more coverage of various execution paths than functional testing but not as much statement level coverage as unit testing.
System or Functional testing
The purpose of System testing, also called as Functional testing, is that it tests the entire system interacting with each other from an end user's perspective.
When designing System tests and frameworks to execute system tests, you should be thinking black box testing. If the end user never interacts with the database the application uses for instance, ideally the system tests should not be validating data in the database. It should validate what the users see. This prevents the possibility of a false positive when the internals of the application is undergoing change even when the end user shouldn't notice a change.
When running reliably, these tests tend to have the highest ROI. Especially so when you are running the use cases that bring the highest value to the end user or generates revenue for the application/ service. The challenge though is to keep Functional tests reliable. Besides being brittle, they are slow, making it hard to scale these tests. So the cost of running these tests are also high. For these reasons it's best to begin automating the high value flows, and as you add more tests over time, understand what the point of diminishing returns is for these types of tests.
Keep the tests short
Most of the times people write a unit test that tests one function. But frequently people forget that a unit test should contain a single assertion. They add multiple assertions for a single function, each time passing different input data combinations to the function under test. In this case when any assertion fails, it does not run the rest of the assertions and so the results don't provide the granularity into all possible failures that exist.
For the same reason, keep the number of assertions as less as possible in component and system tests as well. Also, the longer the test, the more brittle it gets. The main reason why people tend to write long tests is because they want to cover an entire use case. Also they think while we are at this step, we can validate a few other things you normally would with manual testing. Don't fall for these temptations and break your scripts into multiple tests with as few steps as possible in each of them.
Keep tests independent
No test should be dependent on another.
This isn't very hard to follow but is one of the most common mistakes people make. When a use case has several steps, often people write every step as a separate test and then make the tests dependent on each other. The problem with this approach is ofcourse that you need to cannot run any one test in isolation, or you can't easily choose a category of tests based on which area of the product is changing. Also, you need to track dependencies between them. One of the ways, I have seen people achieve time and time again, is by simply naming them in alphabetical order. This then leads to several problems when the workflow changes and the tests have to be reworked, or if your tests scale and you realize you can't easily run the tests concurrently.
The right solution is to ensure that each test is independent and validates one step. Several times you can avoid the previous steps in the workflow by setting up the dependent data in the database baseline. When that is not possible, you can make them part of the setup of the test.
If you make it part of the setup, I prefer that the reports don't show them as test failures. If I can't show them as "not run" for any reason, I prefer to not have them in the report at all. This way you can avoid analysis paralysis and steps that really have failures are the only ones that are investigated.
Tests should be idempotent
If the tests can be executed over and over again and with the same results, they are considered idempotent. If the tests aren't designed to be idempotent, then you have to take a lot of measures to ensure they are executed just once and then the test environment is rebuilt. This makes it cumbersome to reproduce failures while debugging and can lead to undesired inefficiency and/or inflexibility in the way tests are executed.
Tests should be deterministic
Having indeterminacy in tests undermines any test automation effort because no body trusts the results. One of the easy ways to tell if a test is indeterminant is if it fails because of a false positive. A false positive is when a test case fails not because of a bug in the System Under Test (SUT) or Application Under Test (AUT) but because of a problem in the test or the framework/ tools it is built upon.
What most people don't realize is that tests that never fail dues to false positives can also be indeterminant. Imagine the AUT is an application that allows you to make purchases using credit cards or reward points. If the tests were written in such a way that you would use the reward points on a test credit card to make a purchase if you had enough points and use credit if not, the test wouldn't fail because one or the other scenario would work. But, you wouldn't know for sure if both the code paths were covered. If you had a million points before running the suite, it could be that every test ran using the rewards code path and it would fail to catch potential bugs in the credit code path. A determinant test on the other hand would always test one code path or the other no matter how many times you ran the test.
Minimize incidental test coverage
Incidental test coverage means that you are exercising code of the SUT that you aren't intending to test. This happens when you essentially cover code by performing necessary steps to reach the validation point (assertion) that you really want to test. If you use code coverage tools, this gives you a false feeling of confidence that you have good coverage. In such situations, you should add tests for those areas of your product that you are covering as part of setup or teardown steps.Concepts


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The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has announced its 2008 winners. The grand prize goes to Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall of Brisbane, Australia for their song "Caught In The Crowd," a pop song with a message about schoolyard bullying and peer pressure. The Grand Prize winners take home $25,000 and over $20,000 in prizes – the largest Grand Prize of any songwriting competition. With judges including Tom Waits, Rob Thomas, Ray Davies, Chaka Khan, McCoy Tyner, Jerry Lee Lewis, and The Cure's Robert Smith , the ISC Grand Prize recognizes excellence in the craft of songwriting. In its seventh year, ISC received over 15,500 songs from amateur and professional songwriters from 100 countries worldwide, confirming ISC's status as the leading global songwriting event. In all, ISC bestows prizes on 62 winners, awarding more than $150,000 in cash and prizes. For a complete list of 2008 ISC winners and to hear the winning songs, click here.
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Your home is probably the biggest asset you own. This is why you should hire a professional REALTOR® to guide you. I help 24 to 28 families each year buy or sell a home. I have been a financial & real estate consultant for the past 30 years and specialized in loan loss mitigation, short sale negotiation and REO marketing. I know how to negotiate contracts & navigate through the most difficult transactions. Chris B Johnson CalBRE 01501699-Allison James Estates & Homes CalBRE 01885684
Thursday, May 10, 2018
Ventura County Home Price Just Keep Going UP!
Ventura County Home Price Just Keep Going UP!: #TimeToSell #ChrisBJohnsonRealtor #SellersPayZEROCommission #ListYourHomeandPayNoCommission,Number 1 Realtor in Moorpark*, Top Three Realtor's in Ventura C
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Sheffield United will launch a shoebox appeal at Bramall Lane to support the Armed Forces.
The appeal, called 'Shoeboxes for Our Heroes', encourages supporters and the general public to donate a shoebox full of items such as food, men's and women's toiletries, travel games and magazines to the Club, which will in turn be sent out to British troops.
The boxes will be sent to the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, the Army and the RAF as a show of support to British servicemen and women on foreign soil.
People who wish to take part in the appeal should drop their shoeboxes off at the Blades Superstore at the ground.
The appeal itself was set up more than four years ago by ex-Territorial Army serviceman Chris Webster and his wife, Sherian, and the couple still coordinate the appeal today.
The list of items which are encouraged also includes biscuits, cereal boxes, chewing gum, cake bars, chocolate, coffee sachets, shaving cream, toothpaste and toothbrushes.
Items such as aerosols, glass jars and loose razors cannot be accepted.
Lisa Crossland, Head of Retail at Sheffield United, said: "We feel this is a great way of supporting our troops and loved ones who spend a great deal of time away from home.
"Being thousands of miles from home is one thing, but being in a war zone is something completely different, when a few home comforts are so valued.
For more information visit www.shoeboxesforourheroes.uk or call Chris Webster on 0780 381 4119.


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Steps lead up to this delightful 19th century cottage, one of a pair, which enjoys the most glorious position overlooking the Gann Estuary and seashore only a quarter of a mile outside the village of Dale. From your sunny paved terrace enjoy an alfresco meal as you gaze over the tidal waterway, be amazed by the varied wildlife, French doors lead into the cosy living space with practical tiled floor, fitted kitchen and comfy leather chairs where you can relax and enjoy the view or snuggle up around the open fire. Comfortably furnished in a mix of antique and contemporary pieces it reflects a nautical and seaside tone. The delightful double bedroom looks out over the water so you can truly soak up the ever changing scene.
Spend your days exploring this magical waterway, designated an SSSI* area which teems with birdlife and unique flora and fauna. The village pub, yacht club with restaurant in Dale itself is within walking distance. The area is popular with sailing and boating enthusiasts due to the sheltered nature of its harbour, there is even a water sports hire centre and school for the energetic. Join the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path which will take you to the beautiful West Dale beach, while there is a selection of other fine sandy beaches to choose from in the area.
A lovely holiday cottage for just a couple or a family alike all year round.
NB. Care needed, steps and some unfenced drops.
Shares the same location as 33221 Sunray.
No cot supplied, you are welcome to bring your own. Highchair available on request.
* Special site of scientific interest.
This property sleeps 2 adults & 2 children.
Ground Floor: Open plan lounge/kitchen/diner, double room/ensuite bathroom/whb/wc, children's bunk room/5ft 8in long bunks/whb, shower room/wc.
Parking: 1 space in pull-in across road from cottage.
Facilities: Electric hob and oven, microwave, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, washing machine, TV, DVD player, patio furniture.
Pets: 1
Heating: Oil central heating, open fire - starter pack provided.
Fuel Charges: Electricity & Oil: £15 per week Sept - May, free June - August.
This Access Statement has been prepared by the owner for your information; it is the most recent version that we have received. This statement has been prepared as objectively as possible, however with such a wide remit oversights may be made.
Please ensure all crucial requirements for a safe and enjoyable holiday are present so if you have any queries whatsoever, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01437 767600.
Cliff cottage is situated on a B-road. It is 400 metres short of the village with its pub and limited shop. There is a small car park adjacent to the road opposite the front gate. There is a drop to the beach beyond the car park wall (hence Cliff Cottage). There are 6 steps from the road to the front gate and then a further 12 to the patio and area in front of the house. There are a further 3 steps from the patio to the front door and then another 3 steps to the concrete path and back door. All steps have a 7 inch rise. There are just 2 steps down to the small front garden. Care needed, as there are some unfenced drops. Toddlers should be supervised at all times. The house is all on one level and consists of a double bedroom, an ensuite bathroom, bedroom with children's bunk room/5ft 8in long bunks/whb and shower/wc. The main living area consists of sitting area, dining area and kitchen. The house is centrally heated and has an open fireplace. There is a TV/DVD player with remote control. There is an interrupted view across the estuary and a sitting area on the terrace in front of the house. External lighting and street lighting. Public transport is available from the village.
There are currently no reviews for this property.


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So, we are providing $20 off the exam fee* when you bring your pet to Small Animal Medicine and Surgery for an exam.
Who wouldn't want to spend as many quality years with their pet as possible?
To ensure you receive the $20 off exam fee, mention the code "SPECIAL" when you call 704-636-6613 to schedule an appointment. You can also choose to print the coupon on this page, or show it to us on your smartphone at checkout.
We look forward to meeting you and your furry family member and helping you spend as many healthy and happy years together as possible.
So don't wait. Call 704-636-6613 now and mention the offer code "SPECIAL" to receive the $20 off the exam fee special offer! We look forward to serving you and your pet soon!
The pet "crazy" team at Small Animal Medicine and surgery.
*Includes all pets, limit 2 per household.
*Excludes emergencies and surgical appointments and cannot be combined with any other offer.
Call (704) 636-6613 to reserve your
$20 Off Exam Fee
$20 Off
Exam Fee
*Limited spots that fill very quickly.
Call immediately to check availability. Includes all pets, limit 2 per household, must call with offer code SPECIAL beforehand. Excludes emergencies and surgical appointments and cannot be combined with any other offer.


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Hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden the lads of Avatar grew up in the eye of a storm of local musicians made up of metal greats and legends who conquered the world and redrew the map of heavy metal on a monthly basis. This was the measuring stick, and the group have proudly taken on the challenge ever since. The band released Black Waltz in 2012 and found their voice in the madness and started to truly forge their own path in the music they were making. "Our take on playing in a band is that it's concept art," says vocalist Johannes Eckerström. "Everything has to carry the same idea and emotion. You have to be able to see what it sounds like, hear what it smells like and read how it feels." As such, it is only natural that a group creating music with such strong imagery have become so visually striking, a trait that only became stronger with their 2014 release, Hail the Apocalypse. In 2016, Avatar released their latest endeavor Feathers & Flesh , with the promise that nothing will be the same ever again. We are beyond excited to witness one artistically kick ass performance from the band when they hit the main stage at Rock Fest July 14th. Are you?
- New Land
- Night Never Ending
- The Eagle Has Landed
Are you ready for a performance to remember?Click the photo take get a sense of what Avatar is going to bring to the stage this summer at Rock Fest.


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Each year, the Association of Illinois Senior Centers recognizes one senior center that demonstrates an outstanding commitment to helping seniors maintain and improve their mental, physical and emotional health.
This year, Ela Township's "55 Plus" program received the association's highest honor, the "Mind, Body and Spirit" award.
Susan Dillon, Director of Adult and Senior Services for Ela Township, accepted the prestigious award at the association's 2016 conference in Joliet last month on behalf of her dedicated staff, which includes Connie Bellio, Jim Dalbec, Lisa Gaggiano, Lynn Neumaier, Kim Piers and Laura Zickuhr.
"I always knew that our senior center was exceptional and Susan Dillon has done nothing but increased all our programs and made them the top in the state. Ela Township is so proud to have this honor," Supervisor Lucy A. Prouty said.
The Ela Township Community Center in Lake Zurich, which houses the Ela 55 Plus program in addition to youth programs, opened just four years ago in the former post office building. Prior to that, the township operated a one-room community center at the Foglia YMCA.
In the past five years Dillon has served as director, Ela 55 Plus has grown exponentially in relation to services, programs and membership. The inclusive program truly embodies the mind, body and spirit philosophy.
Ela 55 Plus offers health and wellness programs, educational classes, recreational activities, special events, men's only programming, lunch cooked on-site, day and long distance trips, a salon/barber shop and so much more. The staff also includes a senior resource specialist and a registered dietician/nutritionist.
"None of this would be possible if I did not have the support of the Ela Township Board," Dillon said. "They have really given me my wings. I have yet to hear them say 'Nah, that's not such a good idea, let's pull back.' We're changing the face of what a senior center looks like, not just from a staff standpoint but a membership standpoint. I've had situations where I've had to say, sorry, you can't join, you're not 55 yet!"
Tracey Colagrassi, President of the Association of Illinois Senior Centers stated, "What the township and the program has done for the residents in and around this area in such a short time has been remarkable. That's giving credit to Susan and the staff in the development of the program and how they take the feedback of the participants to heart. That's the element of a good, holistic program and that's what mind, body and spirit truly is."
"They're addressing the needs of residents holistically through enrichment, lifelong learning and nutrition. Because they've been so innovative in such a short period of time, that's why we wanted to award them," she continued.
These are my peeps!
Dillon has always identified with seniors and enjoys talking with them about their lives, catching up on their families and learning their histories. "These are my peeps!" she said.
"When I was a kid, I grew up in the city, and we were on a street that had a bunch of elderly couples. Every day I was playing cards with Mr. Callahan or sitting on Mrs. Kay's front porch because she baked unbelievable Polish things. When I went to college I lived in my grandma's apartment building, which was all seniors. It was a hoot. My parents were pretty comfortable because they knew there were eyes on me day and night. My grandma was an absolute riot, very active. She was quite a role model."
The senior center's cheerleader, Dillon encourages members to try something new and not be afraid to look silly. "It's a fun dynamic," she said. They know they're in a safe environment and I am the first to laugh at myself. I will laugh first and I will laugh loudest."
When it comes to potential members who may have recently moved in with their adult children and are new to the area or have never experienced the strong network of friendship and support Ela 55 Plus offers, Dillon is the first to invite them into the fold and make them feel like family.
"If we just get them in for one thing, we've got them," she said. "They're hooked and we know we'll be seeing a lot of them. When they finally make the plunge, then we see them every day."
Senior Howard Parker said he and his wife love Ela 55 Plus because there are activities they can do together and separately, such as the men's only "Real Men of Genius" social hour on Friday mornings.
"It's nice to just get out of the house and meet a different circle of people," he said. "My wife and I both enjoy the exercise classes and the trips are great."
Senior Diane English, who regularly participates in the center's fitness classes. lunches and trips, tears up when talking about the staff. "They rock! The personnel is attuned to everything. They really know you and you learn so much about them. They're not just employees, they're your friends."
Stellar staff
The multigenerational staff members of Ela 55 Plus are beloved by the seniors, Dillon said. Her right hand man Jim Dalbec, who teaches classes, leads the men's only discussion group and is the go-to techie, is like class president around the center.
"One of our members said, 'I don't know what made you think to bring a young guy (Dalbec is 30) into this place, but it is phenomenal.' The guys want to be his best friend and the ladies all love him. Just seeing him around brings back so many memories of when they were starting out."
I think Jim is a great asset to the center," Parker said. "Before he came, I think it was dominated by the fairer sex and now there's a good group of guys here."
Every day at the center is different for Dalbec, who joined the staff in 2003.
"I have friends who'll ask me what I do and it's really tough to sum up. It's so hands-on. It's the relationships, it's the people. Without people coming in to the building there's nothing for us to do, there's no senior center. We get to know everyone. We all have an idea of what's going on in each other's lives, even if it's meeting for an hour on Friday or having breakfast. The relationships are what makes this place what it is," he said.
Senior Resource Specialist Lisa Gaggiano, who has been on staff for over nine years, assists seniors with everything from figuring out Medicare and transportation to providing referrals for assisted living and dementia support.
"Lisa is a wealth of information and help," Dillon said. "Every week someone will come into my office and say 'I can't believe what she's done for us.' She's had a huge impact not only on this center but on the community. I hear this every day about one of our staff members."
Fitness Coordinator Kim Piers has been with Ela 55 Plus for 15 years, having started out as a volunteer when the center operated out of the YMCA.
"It's the most rewarding thing I can do, to have everyone come up to me and tell me how much stronger they feel. They can sit up better, get up out of a chair better, walk longer."
Piers credits Dillon with making the center a wonderful environment for seniors. "Everybody wants to be here," she said.
In addition to the dedicated staff, Dillon said their spouses and families are also very involved in the senior center, whether it's supporting their chaotic schedules or volunteering to help at events, trips and programs.
"They definitely have played a key support role for Ela 55 Plus."
If you're an Ela Township resident 55 or older, stop by the community center at 380 Surryse Road, in Lake Zurich, and see what Ela 55 Plus is all about! Learn more at www.elatownship.org/seniors or call (847) 438-9160.


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BPG - BioProtection Global
BioProtection Global (BPG) is the new name that has been adopted by the Federation of the world's leading Biocontrol and Biopesticide Associations, established in fall 2014. The new name was approved and Board members were elected at the Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting (ABIM) 2015 in Basel, Switzerland.
The objective of BPG is to achieve international harmonization for regulation of biological pest control solutions and to be the central contact for governmental and non-governmental stakeholders worldwide related to biocontrol and biopesticides.
BPG's members: the Associscao Brasileira das Empresas de Controle Biologica (ABCBio), the Association of Natural Biocontrol Producers (ANBP), the Associacio Colombian de Bioinsumos (Assobiocol), the Biopesticide Industry Alliance (BPIA), the International Biocontrol Manufacturers (IBMA), the Japan BioControl Association (JBCA), PMFAI, and the South African Bioproducts Organisation (SABO), elected Tom Mason as BPG President for 2018. You may read more about it in BPG Press Release.
"The key to achieving international harmonization is having a global body representing our industry and speaking with one voice to government policy makers and regulators all over the planet," said Ravensberg. "The biocontrol and biopesticides industries are rapidly growing because of demands from consumers everywhere, and there needs to be consistent regulation in all parts of the world to allow our member companies to satisfy these demands."


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Sharing data on the web
As I was doing some reading for a project I'm working on, I happened to come across a decade-and-a-half old Antiquity review of a few survey volumes, mostly dealing with the Mediterranean world (Alcock and Cherry 1996). One of the last points Alcock and Cherry tackle is the dissemination of data – specifically, rather large sets of artifact data – from surveys. A lot of ELRAP team members have recently been involved in discussions of how to do just that, and it's instructive to look back and see what's changed in the past 15 years. They present these options: publish the artifact data as a separate hardcover volume; include the artifact data with the survey volume on microfiche (I'm so glad this never really caught on); publish the artifact data in a separate, but inexpensive, paperback volume; publish the data on a CD-ROM included with the survey volume; or publish the data on the web (Alcock and Cherry 1996:211).
Again, it's worth keeping in mind that this review is rather old. Perhaps my perspective is skewed by my age of scarcely more than a quarter of a century and, worse, my academic focus in the first half of the second millennium AD (practically yesterday by archaeological standards), but I think it's important to consider just how long ago this really was in terms of technology. This Wikipedia illustration demonstrates what I'm getting at rather nicely. At the time the review was written, web browsers had only been available to the public for five years, and it had only been three years since the release of a web browser anyone actually used (I'm thinking of Mosaic). Internet Explorer was less than a year old. Surely, in the fifteen years since, web publication has become the obvious choice, even if it wasn't then.
Yet, this isn't really the case. To single out one example, only three years ago the Wadi Faynan Landscape Survey publication was released, which included a CD-ROM with supplementary data (Barker et al. 2007). I'm not saying this approach is necessarily bad (though one might object to their decision to include the site gazetteer as a 530 MB PDF), but it still seems strange that web publishing isn't the obvious choice for this sort of data. I can understand the appeal of media – like CD-ROM or, heaven forbid, microfiche – that are directly associated with the survey publication, and I appreciate when artifact data are made available in any form, but I still think web publishing is preferable, not least because it opens up our results to people who are neither associated with large institutional libraries nor able to justify the cost of a large survey volume or subscriptions to all the journals in which preliminary reports may have appeared. (Of course, that's another argument in favor of so-called "Green Open Access", or self-archiving and sharing of publications in non-open journals and books. ELRAP actually does a fairly good job of this; you can download many, though not all, of the recent publications from our lab here.)
Alcock and Cherry (1996) mention the Pylos Regional Archaeological Project as an example of a project that was already moving in this direction in 1996. It's still, despite a few flaws, a good example of what data sharing on the web should look like. In part, though, this may be because there don't seem to be that many other examples, or at least examples that I'm aware of, of other projects that share this much data online. ELRAP is, of course, just as guilty of this as any other project, although we're at least currently discussing ways to make our data available to others. Still, it's a bit more complicated than just saying, "OK, I agree to share. Put it all up on the web." I can understand why there would be projects whose members just don't want to deal with it. All things considered, I wonder how close we are to this type of data sharing becoming the norm. It's only been 15 years. . .
1996 Alcock, Susan, and John Cherry Survey at any price? Antiquity 70(267):207-211.
2007 Barker, Graeme, David Gilberston, and David Mattingly Archaeology and Desertification: The Wadi Faynan Landscape Survey, Southern Jordan. Oxford: Oxbow.