9/11: Why Weren't U.S. Fighters Scrambled?
Let's look at some possible intercept times... An F-15 strike eagle flies at 1850 nmps. That is Mach 2.5 . This aircraft, according to the USAF's own website, goes from "scramble order" to 29000 feet in 2.5 minutes. New York City is 71 miles from McGuire AFB in NJ . At Mach 2, this plane could travel from the ground in NJ to NYC, in under 7 minutes.
The methodology for intercepting a runaway Lear 35 [golfer Payne Stewart's charter, whose craft crashed on impact] ----the story clearly establishes that F16's were scrambled to intercept this bizjet within 25 minutes of its failure to report to controllers upon its reaching its cleared alttitude of 39,000 ft. These F16's were scrambled ONLY upon the loss of a radio communication: the transponder never ceased to function.
the F16 out of Eglin, 500 miles behind the Lear, traveling at its posted max speed, mach 2 , caught the Lear 35 in 30 minutes.
An F-15 strike eagle flies at 1850 nmps. That is Mach 2.5 . This aircraft, according to the USAF's own website, goes from "scramble order" to 29000 feet in 2.5 minutes. New York City is 71 miles from McGuire AFB in NJ . At Mach 2, this plane could travel from the ground in NJ to NYC, in under 7 minutes.
8:45 a.m.: A large plane, possibly a hijacked airliner, crashes into one of the World Trade Center towers, tearing a gaping hole in the building and setting it afire.
9:03 a.m.: A second plane, apparently a passenger jet, crashes into the second World Trade Center tower and explodes. Both buildings are burning.
9:17 a.m.: The FAA shuts down all New York City area airports.
9:30 a.m.: Bush, speaking in Florida, says the country has suffered an "apparent terrorist attack."
10:10 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 93 crashes in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh.
10.48 a.m.: Police confirm the crash of a large plane in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
11:18 a.m.: American Airlines reports it has lost two aircraft. American Flight 11, a Boeing 767 flying from Boston to Los Angeles, had 81 passengers and 11 crew aboard. Flight 77, a Boeing 757 en route from Washington's Dulles Airport to Los Angeles, had 58 passengers and six crew members aboard. Flight 11 slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center.
11:26 a.m.: United Airlines reports that United Flight 93, en route from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, has crashed in Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh. The airline also says that it is "deeply concerned" about United Flight 175.
11:59 a.m.: United Airlines confirms that Flight 175, from Boston to Los Angeles, has crashed with 56 passengers and nine crew members aboard. Emergency personnel at the scene say there are no survivors.
6 p.m.: Explosions are heard in Kabul, Afghanistan, hours after terrorist attacks targeted financial and military centers in the United States. The attacks occurred at 2:30 a.m. local time. Afghanistan is believed to be the home of Saudi militant Osama bin Laden, who U.S. officials say is possibly behind Tuesday's deadly attacks. U.S. officials say later that the United States had no involvement in the incident whatsoever.
"Ask yourself this: Why were no fighter jets scrambled from Andrews Air Force Base near Washington D.C. to stop a jumbo jet that was tracked on radar that had gone all the way to the Ohio border and turned around and headed back to Washington DC.....which hit the Pentagon 58 MINUTES after the first WTC tower was hit? Why were those jets not scrambled, when all our leaders were in danger? Clearly after the 2nd plane hit the Towers any thinking person knew an attack was underway, so why wouldn't the DC airspace be secured FIRST?"
The Lack of Action doesn't make sense.
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text:
Amavita ist ein  Apothekennetz mit 179 Filialen in der Schweiz (Stand 31. Dezember 2020). Die Apotheken gehören zur Galenica-Gruppe mit Sitz in Bern und werden von der Galenicare Management AG geführt.

Amavita führt die üblichen rezeptpflichtigen und freiverkäuflichen Medikamente. In rund der Hälfte der Apotheken werden zudem Kosmetik-Produkte und Parfüms verkauft. Weiter bietet Amavita Gesundheits-Dienstleistungen wie ein Herz-Check, Allergie-Check, Hörtest, Blutdruckmessung, Impfungen oder Polymedikations-Check an.

Neben den stationären Apotheken führt Amavita auch einen Onlineshop. Die online bestellten Produkte können, neben dem Versand, auch in der Filiale abgeholt werden.

Geschichte

2005 traten GaleniCare und die Victoria Apothekenkette einheitlich unter der Marke Amavita auf. Die Starcard wurde schweizweit eingeführt.

2006 eröffnete die 100. Amavita Apotheke im Bahnhof Chur und das Amavita Magazin wurde lanciert. 2007 vergrösserte sich das Apothekennetz durch das Amavita-Partnerschaftsmodell. 2008 wurden im Flughafen Zürich drei Standorte und im Bahnhof Bern eine Filiale eröffnet, die alle 7 Tage pro Woche für die Kunden geöffnet sind. 2009 eröffneten im Tessin in Lugano und Morbio Inferiore die ersten Amavita Verkaufspunkte.

2010 eröffnete Amavita die erste Apotheke an der Zürcher Bahnhofstrasse. Im Tessin war Amavita nach kurzer Zeit mit neun Apotheken vertreten. Auch wurden Eigenmarkenprodukte im Medikamentenbereich eingeführt. 2014 wurde Amalino, als Amavita-Maskottchen, geschaffen  und der AllergieCheck wurde schweizweit eingeführt. 2015 wurde der Amavita-Onlineshop eröffnet und seit 2016 erscheint das Amavita Magazin monatlich. 2018 wurde die App eMediplan eingeführt. 2019 brachte Amavita zum ersten Mal ihr Magazin Meine Haut heraus. Zu dieser Zeit waren 189 Standorte in der Schweiz aktiv. 2020 wurde die Versandapotheke Amavita gestartet.

Weblinks

 Offizielle Website von Amavita

Einzelnachweise

Apotheke in der Schweiz
Gegründet 2005

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
package com.google.android.gms.samples.wallet;

/**
 * Hard coded info about items for sale.
 */
public class ItemInfo {

    public final String name;
    public final String description;
    // Micros are used for prices to avoid rounding errors when converting between currencies
    public final long priceMicros;
    // The estimated tax used to calculate the estimated total price for a Masked Wallet request.
    public final long estimatedTaxMicros;
    // The estimated shipping price used with a Masked Wallet request.
    public final long estimatedShippingPriceMicros;
    // Actual tax and shipping price that should be calculated based on the shipping address
    // received in a MaskedWallet and used when fetching a Full Wallet.
    public final long taxMicros;
    public final long shippingPriceMicros;
    public final String currencyCode;
    public final String sellerData;
    public final int imageResourceId;

    public ItemInfo(String name, String description, long price, long shippingPrice,
            String currencyCode, String sellerData, int imageResourceId) {
        this.name = name;
        this.description = description;
        this.priceMicros = price;
        this.estimatedTaxMicros = (int) (price * 0.10);
        this.taxMicros = (int) (price * 0.10);
        // put in an estimated shipping price
        this.estimatedShippingPriceMicros = 10000000L;
        this.shippingPriceMicros = shippingPrice;
        this.currencyCode = currencyCode;
        this.sellerData = sellerData;
        this.imageResourceId = imageResourceId;
    }

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return name;
    }

    public long getTotalPrice() {
        return priceMicros + taxMicros + shippingPriceMicros;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Everyone is of the view that there is nothing to worry about... Interest rates going up is a big risk. Historically in the US, when the Fed raised interest rates four times, it was the end—the markets and the economy would then go down. Now, there are people who argue that it historically was correct, but it is different now as interest rates are zero; so maybe we can have a couple of interest rate hikes before the end.
The problem is when the markets start going down, it doesn't matter if they are cheap, or expensive—all of them will go down.


According to Aristotle, the speed with which an objects falls is proportional to its weight, i.e., he said heavy objects fall faster than light ones. The Italian Renaissance philosopher Galileo Galilei is widely believed to have tested this claim when he was a professor in Pisa by dropping different weight balls from its Leaning Tower. However, many historians doubt this because there is no supporting historical evidence. These skeptics further object that though Galileo reported the results of such an experiment, he did not say how he knew this. And since the two outcomes Galileo reported are both physically impossible, these historians conclude Galileo's account could only be a speculation. The present paper reports a demonstration of a dropping test done in the way which someone in Galileo's time likely would have conducted such an experiment. Both questionable results were observed. They are not physically impossible because they are not physics phenomena. One is neurological and the other a perceptual illusion. Thus it appears likely that Galileo either actually did a similar test or knew of the results which others found from such an experiment.
Did He Really Drop Them?


text:
Ad orientem (lat. ad orientem solem' "in Richtung der aufgehende Sonne") bezeichnet in der christlichen Liturgie eine Gebetsrichtung, die speziell vom Zelebranten am Altar eingenommen wird.  Gegebenenfalls wird diese Ausrichtung auch ad apsidem oder versus apsidem genannt.

Geschichtliche Entwicklung
Der Brauch des Betens nach Osten ist in allen christlichen Liturgiefamilien früh bezeugt. Martin Wallraff erklärt, dass dieses Prinzip schon im frühen Christentum galt: "Christen beten nach Osten. Dieser Grundsatz war der gesamten Alten Kirche eine Selbstverständlichkeit. Die Zeugnisse dafür sind räumlich und zeitlich breit gestreut. Nirgends findet sich ein Indiz für Christentum ohne diesen Brauch oder mit dem Brauch einer anderen Gebetsrichtung."
Dieser Brauch dürfte ab dem 2. Jahrhundert die jüdische Sitte des Betens in Ausrichtung nach Jerusalem abgelöst haben und hatte unterscheidende Funktion zwischen Christen und Juden. Dabei werden die aufgehende Sonne oder der Morgenstern auf den wiederkehrenden Christus gedeutet, während die Juden den kommenden Messias in Jerusalem erwarteten.

In den ersten Jahrhunderten bildete die römische Thron- oder Palastbasilika das Vorbild für den christlichen Kirchenbau. Im Apsisscheitel standen die Kathedra des Bischofs und die halbrunde Priesterbank. Dadurch wurde ein hierarchisches Gegenüber von Priesterschaft und Volk ausgedrückt. Der Altar stand frei in der Apsis und konnte umschritten werden. In den ältesten Kirchen, in Rom und andernorts, lag die Apsis mit dem Altar im Westen; so feierte der Priester oder Bischof die Messe gleichzeitig mit Blick nach Osten und zur Gemeinde (versus populum).

Die Errichtung des Altars am östlichen Ende der Kirche und des Haupteingangs im Westen wurde im Abendland anscheinend zunächst im Fränkischen Reich üblich und im 8. oder 9. Jahrhundert auch in Rom eingeführt.

Wie am Altar der ältesten Kirchen, der im Westen lag, der Zelebrant sich nach Osten wandte, so wandte er sich auch am Altar der Kirchen, die im 9. Jahrhundert gebaut wurden, nach Osten. Jetzt aber stand die Gemeinde hinter ihm: das Gegenüber von Zelebrant und Gemeinde wurde zu einem Beten und Bitten in die gleiche Richtung. Kathedra und Priestersitz wurden aus dem Apsisabschluss weg verschoben, und der Altar wanderte gegen die Ostwand und erhielt im Mittelalter dann Aufbauten mit Retabel und vielfach auch mit Tabernakel.

Auch außerhalb von Rom baute man noch Kirchen mit dem Altar am westlichen Ende und dem Eingang auf der Ostseite, wie in Petershausen bei Konstanz, Bamberg, Augsburg, Obermünster, Regensburg und Hildesheim. Kirchen wurden auch auf keiner Ost-West-Achse gebaut. In seinen Anweisungen auf dem Gebäude und Ausstattung der Kirchen brachte Karl Borromäus, der Erzbischof von Mailand († 1584), eine Vorliebe für die Ostung der Apsis zum Ausdruck, wenn dies nicht möglich sei, könne die Kirche sogar auf einer Nord-Süd-Achse gebaut werden, mit der Apsis im Süden. Außerdem könnte sie im Westen sein, "wo am Hochaltar gewöhnlich die Messe wegen des kirchlichen Ritus von einem Priester mit dem Gesicht gegenüber dem Volk gefeiert wird".

Im Zuge der im 20. Jahrhundert einsetzenden Liturgischen Bewegung begann man, die Heilige Messe häufiger um einen freistehenden oder Volksaltar  (versus populum) zu feiern. Etwa zur gleichen Zeit begann man dem Begriff ad orientem eine Bedeutung zuzuschreiben, die sich nicht mehr unbedingt mit der Himmelsrichtung verband. Früher wurden die meisten Altäre im Petersdom nicht als ad orientem beschrieben, weil sie in verschiedenen Himmelsrichtungen liegen. Der Hauptaltar, an dem die Messe versus populum zelebriert wird, ist fast der einzige, der nach Osten gerichtet ist.

Mit dem Begriff ad orientem wird heute allerdings von manchen Autoren die Zelebrationsrichtung des Priesters bezeichnet, der am Altar mit der Gemeinde hinter ihm steht, unabhängig von der realen Himmelsrichtung. So heißt es: Papst Benedikt XVI. habe ad orientem gefeiert, als er mit Blick nach Westen in der Sixtinischen Kapelle zelebrierte, mit Blick nach Süden in der Paulinischen Kapelle, Papst Franziskus mit Blick nach Norden in der Sebastianskapelle des Petersdoms. In diesem Sinne gebraucht man nunmehr ad orientem und ad apsidem oder versus apsidem ("in Richtung der Apsis") in gleicher Weise.

Das Missale Romanum von Papst Pius V. (1570) und von Papst Johannes XXIII. (1962) verpflichtet den Priester nicht zur Zelebration in einer bestimmten Richtung. Es verwendet den Begriff ad orientem im Sinne von "zum Volk gewandt" (versus populum): Si altare sit ad orientem, versus populum, celebrans versa facie ad populum, non vertit humeros ad altare, cum dicturus est "Dominus vobiscum" "Orate, fratres", "Ite, missa est", vel daturus benedictionem; sed osculato altari in medio, ibi, expansis et iunctis manibus, ut supra, salutat populum, et dat benedictionem. ("Wenn der Altar ad orientem gerichtet ist, zum Volke hin, wendet der Zelebrant, das Gesicht zum Volk hin gewandt, nicht dem Altar den Rücken zu, wenn er spricht Dominus vobiscum, Orate, fratres, Ite, missa est oder wenn er den Segen spendet; sondern, nachdem der Altar in der Mitte geküsst wurde, grüßt er dort, wie oben, mit ausgebreiteten und [dann wieder] gefalteten Händen das Volk und spendet den Segen.") Die Zelebration mit dem Gesicht zum Volk war offenbar vom Messbuch als Möglichkeit vorgesehen, auch wenn sie nur mancherorts praktiziert wurde. Papst Pius XII. akzeptierte ebenfalls die Zelebration "zum Volk gewandt" als Möglichkeit, wenn er sagt, dass man einen Tabernakel auf dem Altar so anbringen könne, dass er ein solches Feiern nicht behindere.

Basierend auf den Überlegungen des Zweiten Vatikanischen Konzils, das die tätige Teilnahme (Participatio actuosa) der Gläubigen und neben dem Opfer- auch den Mahlcharakter der Eucharistie besonders betonte, bestimmte Papst Paul VI. in der Grundordnung des Römischen Messbuchs: "Für gewöhnlich soll eine Kirche einen feststehenden, geweihten Altar haben, der frei steht, damit man ihn ohne Schwierigkeiten umschreiten, und an ihm, der Gemeinde zugewandt, die Messe feiern kann."
Im römischen Ritus ist die Richtung versus populum nicht verpflichtend. In der Regel steht oder sitzt der Zelebrant während des Wortgottesdienstes an der Kathedra oder dem Priestersitz und bei der eucharistischen Liturgie hinter dem Altar. Dies hatte einen nicht geringen Einfluss auf die liturgische Praxis der anglikanischen, der evangelischen und zum Teil der altorientalischen Kirchen, auch wenn dort das Beten "ad orientem" oder "ad altarem" weiter vorherrscht.

Liturgische Bedeutung

Die sogenannte Celebratio versus populum wird von Liturgiewissenschaftlern auf örtliche, namentlich stadtrömische Besonderheit der Ausrichtung der Altäre nach Westen zurückbezogen. Derartige Altäre gibt es auch beispielsweise in den Westapsiden der Dome zu Mainz und Worms. Hier bedingte die celebratio ad orientem den Blick des hinter dem Altar stehenden Zelebranten in das Kirchenschiff. Allerdings sei dennoch eine Gleichrichtung mit der Gemeinde intendiert gewesen, die sich ursprünglich mit dem Zelebranten nach Osten gewendet haben (conversi ad orientem) soll. Von Liturgiewissenschaftlern wird eingewandt, dass die Vorstellung, die Gläubigen hätten bei der Eucharistiefeier dem Altar den Rücken zugekehrt, wenig Wahrscheinlichkeit beanspruchen kann.

Martin Luther hatte die Zelebration des Gottesdienstes versus populum (zum Volk gewandt) gefordert. Dies wurde jedoch in der Folgezeit durch die Ausstattung vieler evangelischer Kirchen mit Retabelaltären verhindert. Im Bereich der evangelischen Kirche in Deutschland ist die Gebetsrichtung zum Altar besonders in evangelisch-lutherischen Gemeinden üblich. Gelegentlich findet sich die Stellung hinter dem Altar, häufiger die Position des Liturgen vor dem Altar zur Gemeinde gewandt. Dies hat nicht nur den Nachteil, dass die ausgeprägt sakrale Ausstattung des Altars mit Kerzen, Blumen und Altarbibel mit der Nutzung als "Hintergrundbild" kontrastiert. Sie hindert auch den Liturgen, der die gottesdienstlichen Texte in der Hand hält, am Einsatz der Gestik. Handlungen am Altar können nicht mehr vortragsbegleitend vorgenommen werden.

Siehe auch
 Ostung

Literatur
 Klaus Gamber: Zum Herrn hin! Fragen um Kirchenbau und Gebet nach Osten (Studia patristica et liturgica, 18) Pustet, Regensburg 1987 (Neuauflage: VDM Verlag, Düsseldorf 2003), ISBN 3-936755-12-4.
 Joseph Ratzinger: Der Geist der Liturgie. Herder, Freiburg i. Br. 2000/20066, ISBN 3-451-27247-4.
 Martin Wallraff: Christus Verus Sol. Sonnenverehrung und Christentum in der Spätantike. Münster 2001 Jahrbuch für Antike und Christentum. Ergänzungsband 32.
 Stefan Heid: Gebetshaltung und Ostung in frühchristlicher Zeit. In: Rivista di Archeologia Cristiana 82 (2006 [2008]) S. 347–404 (online; PDF; 3,04 MB).
 Stefan Heid: Haltung und Richtung. Grundformen frühchristlichen Betens. In: Communio 38 (6/2009), S. 611–619 (online; PDF, 50 kB).
 Uwe Michael Lang: "Conversi ad Dominum". Zu Geschichte und Theologie der christlichen Gebetsrichtung. Johannes Verlag, Einsiedeln 20105, ISBN 978-3-89411-384-1.
 Stefan Heid: Tisch oder Altar? Hypothesen der Wissenschaft mit weitreichenden Folgen. In: Una Voce Korrespondenz 46/3 (2016) S. 342–367.
 Thorsten Paprotny: Wohin soll ich mich wenden? Liturgietheologische Überlegungen zur Zelebrationsrichtung mit Joseph Ratzinger In: Una Voce Korrespondenz 46/3 (2016), S. 368–373.
 Stefan Heid: Altar und Kirche. Prinzipien christlicher Liturgie. Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2019, S. 244–349, ISBN 978-3-7954-3425-0.

Einzelnachweise

Liturgische Handlung
Gebetsform
Gebet (Christentum)


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For the past 25 weeks we've been touring the "State of Anxiety," and living in its capital, "Frustration." Here's what's been happening to us on this long and tortuous detour.
Windows of Opportunity . . .
The people who were going to rent our house changed their minds, which is good in a way, because we've found that the house needs eight new windows and new woodwork. We rationalize that it's better to have this happen now --without occupants in the house -- than to have water-soaked tenants harking us back from the road and dampening our fun. It also gives us a place to stay while we finish remodeling the trailer, i.e., ripping out the front living room and installing a high-tech mobile office. (Even though we've had the trailer since October, we haven't actually lived in it yet because we stayed with friends or relatives throughout our tour of New England.) Another benefit of this unexpected detour is that it gives us an opportunity to celebrate Christmas with loved ones before separating from them for an entire year.
Christmas was not very merry as we tried to squeeze good tidings into a bad situation of living out of boxes in a house under the assault of construction noises, drafts, sawdust and various stages of old windows going out and new windows coming in. Although it was nice to be with our families, we're glad the holidays are over and we can concentrate on getting back on the road, which means . . . finding a new truck and finding out what's wrong with our bright and shiny-new powerbook computer (it keeps corrupting files).
Trucks, Tenants and Technology . . .
Been shopping around for health insurance and responded to a direct mail flyer from a national self-employment association. A friendly, back-slapping sales rep comes out and hurriedly describes the benefits of the plan, boasting that this small insurance company in Texas is better than the more well-known companies because it doesn't use the compromising language of "allowable" fees. And it offers free vision care and disabilities insurance to boot. The rep tells us about the 400,000 members who are enjoying the benefits of this insurance, which is " tailor-made for independent individuals" like us. We are convinced this is a better plan for a better price and make the change from our True Blue insurance to this new aggressive company. Since we'll be on the road and mail will be erratic, we sign up for direct payment from our checking account. We are both relieved that insurance is taken care of. We feel safe. Protected. And part of a large, nationwide family of self-employed people.
Still no tenants. A sweet young couple from Texas come to look at the house. We like them instantly and hope they decide to live here. Only problem: they want an unfurnished house. (Oh no!) That means packing up everything. Everything. Even Ken's workshop in the basement and all his tools. Even the washer and dryer. Everything must go. This is a job for Superman, not Ken. Or Bewitched with her twitchy-witchy nose, not me. But since no one is responding to our ads for a furnished house with all its trimmings, we brace ourselves for the backbreaking, stomach-wrenching, muscle-pulling task ahead.
Next on our mile-long "To-Do" list is to shop for a new truck. But at this time of year, New England does not have the 4 x 2 diesel truck with the specialized equipment we need to tow our new "house on wheels." We had already decided on a Ford because our independent research revealed Ford as the best choice. (The research included stopping at construction sites and asking workers what's the best truck to pull a 30-ft. trailer. Unanimously the answer was, "To tow, go with Ford."). We searched all dealers in the northeast and beyond. Called dealers in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. A dealer in New York found a truck for us, at last, but even they had to have it shipped from Ohio. We buy the truck, sight unseen, over the phone. No deals. Full price. Truck should be arriving in a couple of weeks.
Meanwhile, back at the desktop, the powerbook computer is turning into Godzilla. Neither the tech support help line nor our local computer dealer can solve the problem. Luckily, Ken still has his PowerMac 8100 computer and I still have my trusty Macintosh IIci. Have had that baby for seven years now, never a problem.
Get a call from the local dealer. Logic board and hard drive in new powerbook are replaced. Come pick it up. Go to New Hampshire to pick it up. Take it home. Turn it on. Same problem. Also, the nagging little problems we had since Day One reappear like little gremlins. For example, the computer leg, which was supposed to have been repaired, shoots out like a bullet and ricochets around the kitchen. Boing! Boing! Boing! Almost rips off my eyelid in its flight. The rear panel door is still broken, too. Minor issues, yes, by psychologically enervating. Feel hopeless about mobile technology.
Bad news. Never heard back from the Texas couple. Good news. Get a call from a single guy named Michael who wants the house but needs to find a roommate first. (Uh-huh. Like that might happen.) But at least someone is calling.
Good news. Couple from Texas sends Email asking if house is still available. Get excited.
Red Trucks, Red Hearts and Pink Lines . . .
Got the truck. A Big Red Truck. A metallic Red Giant that growls with the full fury of a diesel engine. Tried to register it. Seems simple enough. But no. First of all, the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (a.k.a. RMV) is almost impossible to find. When I finally locate the building, I see a long line of people snaking out the door. Before I queue up, however, I want to make sure I'm in the right line. I ask the man at the tail end. Yup. This is the line EVERYONE must get into as it's the line to get a number that allows you to wait in line again. "You mean I'm standing in line to get a number to wait in line again?" I ask incredulously. "That's right lady," bites back the unshaven man in the scrappy jacket and oversized jeans that don't quite cover his bum. He seems angry at my ignorance. Or maybe just peeved in general. Who knows? So I fall in line and keep my mouth shut. I finally reach the Central Desk and am denied a number because the dealer in New York didn't fill out the paperwork correctly. "So I have to come back and stand in line again.?" I moan. The clerk shows no mercy. "That's correct," she affirms. "Next," she calls over my shoulder.
Go home. Call the dealer in New York. We FedEx the paperwork overnight to New York. Paperwork is corrected and FedExed back to us. Three days later I find myself again at the RMV in line to get a number to wait in line again. This time I take the paperwork to get the trailer registered as well. But no. Two transactions on the same ticket are not allowed. I must do the truck first and get back in line again. I decide to come back another day to do the trailer. The paperwork for the truck passes inspection, but, I'm told I must pay sales tax on the entire amount of the purchase price, i.e., $29,000 instead of the adjusted purchase price of $23,000 ($29,000 less the trade-in value of Ken's old Ford). When Ken bought the truck, the dealer's accountant had told him that we would only have to pay sales tax on the $23,000, citing some kind of IRS ruling that goes back to horse trading days. Well, at a 5% sales tax rate, that's a difference of about $300, which represents a lot of money to two people who haven't worked since September. So I push back on the RMV. Yes, the RMV is aware of the horse-trading/auto trade-in IRS ruling but tells us the reason we must pay full price, regardless of the trade-in, is because the New York dealer is not on the Massachusetts List of Accepted Dealers. To get on this list the dealer must fill out a one-page form, pay $10 and submit it to the State of Massachusetts. I relinquish my space in line and go home to see if we can get the New York dealer to submit the form and save us $300.
Ken calls the dealer and explains the situation, volunteering to pay the $10 fee if the dealer will submit the form to Massachusetts. Manager at the dealership says no. Seems their accountant advises against it. Back in the line at the RMV, waiting to get a number to wait in line again. Pay the extra $300 sales tax and finally get beyond the lady at the Central Desk. New plates. New sticker. Truck is legitimately allowed on the road.
During all this bureaucratic turmoil I have not been feeling very well. Tired all the time. Can't get through dinner. Head is heavy like a bowling ball. In bed by nine o'clock. Notice I haven't had my period in a while. Figure it's all due to stress. Confide in a friend. "Better get an Early Pregnancy Test. At least rule that out," she wisely advises. Buy the EPT kit, go home. Wake up early next morning, about five o'clock. Do the test. Two pink lines appear. What does that mean? Booklet says two pink lines mean test is positive. But one line is dark pink the other is light pink. Booklet is unclear on shadings. Stunned, I sit on the sofa staring at the early morning clouds and listening to the deadly silence of a world not yet awake. Remain in a crouched position on the sofa till Ken comes down the stairs two hours later. "Hi." He says cheerfully. I drop the news. "It's positive," I say. Ken stops mid-step. "Really?"
Pregnancy is confirmed by official hospital test. Time to make plans for "Baby on Board" the rig. How can we possibly travel for the next 44 weeks while nursing a 40-week pregnancy? Don't want to see a doctor. Afraid Doctor will say trip is "Unthinkable." Use best strategy that always works well in times of crisis . . . delay.
Now something is wrong with my seven-year-old Macintosh IIci computer. Ken tells me he's got tech problems, too, with his PowerMac 8100 computer. Evidently it needs a new hard drive. Our "backup" system, (an old powerbook kept in a closet because the plug never stays in) is our only source of computing now. Dust it off and try it out. It, too, won't work.
Go back to the Mass. RMV to register trailer. Get in line to get a number to wait in line again. No good the Central Desk tells me. Trailer not properly insured. Go to sympathetic insurance agent who straightens everything out. Return to RMV same day. Wait in long line to get a number to wait in line again. (RMV decor of battleship gray is starting to get to me, especially in my newly discovered "condition.") Get to Central Desk, pass paperwork inspection. Time to pay sales tax. The purchase price of the trailer was $17,800. Sales tax should be about $900. No. Sales Tax is $1047! Why? Must pay a penalty for taking so long to register trailer. Disgusted with Massachusetts.
Read the new insurance policy from the self-employment association I joined earlier this year. Discover to my dismay that normal pregnancies are not covered by this insurance company. (Interesting, though, the policy DOES cover termination of pregnancies!) Alarmed, I call the 800 number. Eddy on the other end of the line tells me that this is normally true, but because I live in Massachusetts, and Massachusetts insists that pregnancies be treated like any other illness, I have a rider that will cover the hospital bill. Decide I don't hate Massachusetts' bureaucracy anymore.
Still no word from the couple from Texas. But Michael, the single guy, calls again to tell us he found a potential roommate, Ken (another Ken), and is sending him over to check out the house. They both want to move in. It's set that they will move in and we will move out on March 1st. But Ken (the new tenant) wants to move in earlier cuz he's staying in a hotel and paying $100 a day. We reluctantly agree, even though it will make our move that much more chaotic, especially for this moody pregnant lady.
After several calls to tech help line, we are advised to take our new powerbook back to the dealer again. Dealer has it four days. Calls and says, "nothing wrong." Nothing wrong?! This time Ken is significantly peeved. He goes to the dealer to verify the computer does, in fact, work as they claim. Ken will not leave the premises until the technician sits down with him and demonstrates its performance. Computer fails the test ignobly. It continues to exhibit the same problems at the dealer's shop that occur at home when we are alone with the monster. Powerbook stays with the embarrassed dealer. Ken drives home, vindicated. But we are still without a working computer. Have not been online for two weeks now. Have no idea how many e-mail messages we have. Have no idea if the website is even working. Feel very out of touch.
Storing some things at Ken's sister's house. She is five months pregnant. While there, I brazenly ask her the most personal questions. Feel deceitful not telling her why I'm asking so many questions about her pregnancy. Gaze at her basketball sized belly . . . in just five months! Egad! Going home, I climb into our huge truck and try to imagine climbing in with a basketball belly attached. Figure I'll never get through this trip with my sanity in tact.
Doctor's office sets up an appointment for an ultrasound. Doc wants a base picture established before we leave. Get the ultrasound and the ultrasound doctor says bad news. Baby stopped developing. (What does that mean? ) I am advised that I need to have a D&C. Return to regular doctor. He sets up appointment for D&C next day. Tells me to call my insurance company to make sure it's okay. Meanwhile, tells me that because I have Rh-Negative blood, I need a shot of Rhogam in case I get pregnant again. Then he adds, "I hope you are going to try again." Before I can reply, he launches into a tale of the joys and wonders of parenthood, what a delight children add to one's life. I sit quietly listening, hoping that in the still silence of this tiny room he will hear the sound of his own words echo back to him and will realize that the "joys of parenthood" message is not the appropriate message for a woman carrying a dead fetus.
Go home and tell Ken the sad news. Hospital calls and interrupts our intimate talk. Says my insurance company will not cover the D&C because I am in a "grace period." I cannot believe this! I sent them a check for the entire amount for a whole year's coverage! This company's repeated ineptitude jolts me out of my sadness. I'm furious. The company makes a series of administrative mistakes and I'm the one who pays! Now I am humiliated in front of the hospital and my doctor who probably think I'm some kind of deadbeat. This is the worst insurance company I have ever seen! By far, the worst!
I call the hospital and ask how much the D&C will cost. Estimated amount is $3,500 to 4,000. Meanwhile doctor calls. He is very sympathetic. He offers some very comforting words and adds, "You know, people think insurance companies are here to process claims, but they're not. They're here to NOT process claims." (Suddenly a vision of all the big, glamorous insurance buildings parade through my mind. Of course he's right.) Doc then gingerly suggests that I can have the same procedure done at a clinic down the street for about $350. He assures me the staff is very good. He'll call to set things up for tomorrow. When I hang up the phone, Ken asks, "Where do they cut costs? How can they do as good a job for ten percent of what the hospital charges?"
RINNNNNNG! Telephone bell rips through our intense discussion and stabs my aching heart. Pick up the phone. It is the clinic. The woman at the other end of the phone is so sweet, so kind, so tender about my situation. It feels good to hear a gentle, caring voice. She tries to set up the appointment for tomorrow but no room. Has to be Saturday. First thing Saturday morning: 7:15 AM. All set. "Oh, there's just one thing," she adds cautiously. "On Saturday there will be . . . (pause) . . . protesters." The word reverberates through the phone line like its falling down a well. "P r o t e s t e r s." (So that's it. It's an abortion clinic!) She continues softly, "Now don't talk to them. Don't pay any attention to them. Just come inside as quickly as possible. And when you get inside . . . (pause) . . . don't be alarmed. You'll have to be buzzed in . . . (pause) . . . and a guard will search you. You cannot bring in any bags. Only a small purse. See you Saturday."
That night I can't sleep. Usually when I can't sleep I go downstairs to the living room to read, but no can do . . . our new tenant, Ken, is sleeping on the sofa. He's a nice guy, a real nice guy, but under these circumstances, we wish we were alone. It's so awkward going through all this with a stranger in the house.
Saturday morning Ken and I drive silently to the clinic. It's so early on a Saturday morning that the sidewalk is being tread by only one protester: a bearded man holding a portrait of the Virgin Mary. (Actually, a very pretty portrait. Like you see in museums.) We are the first in the parking lot. We are so close to the man on the sidewalk. So close. He is saying something to me. I try not to listen. But wait. I think it's a prayer he's reciting, not epithets. It all feels so unreal. We walk/run inside the building. It takes a while to find the room we want. We are flushed. We are hurried. We are snapping at each other, as we go down hall after hall, nervously looking for the right room. Suddenly we see a woman and man talking into a speaker, announcing their 7:15 appointment. They are buzzed in. This must be the place. It's my turn to get buzzed in. We are admitted into a foyer with a guard stationed behind a bullet-proof glass booth. He comes out, waves a metal detector around us and lets us in. It's so odd. I never thought I'd ever find myself in an abortion clinic. Isn't life strange? I suddenly recall something a friend once said to me, "Never say never, because you never know . . ."
We shyly enter the waiting room where two other couples are ahead of us. There are forms to fill out. Payment up front. MasterCard is accepted. Forms completed and turned in, I take my seat next to Ken and watch the people around me. The women are staring at nothing, fixed gaze, dead straight ahead; their male companions look around awkwardly, their eyes dart about at nothing in particular. The stillness in the room is thick with suppressed emotions. No one wants to make eye contact. The waiting room fills up. Now a young woman with her mother. Now a young girl with her girlfriend. Another woman and her sister. They all file in with the same expressions on their faces. Every woman here with the same look on her face but with a different sad story behind it. Everyone in shock. Everyone looking at their feet, like in a hushed elevator. Do not make eye contact. Do not make eye contact. Just get through this. JUST GET THROUGH IT.
"Priscilla!" The sound of my name being called makes my heart constrict. Ken and I look at each other, startled and frightened. I am the first to go in. It's a tiny room. The size of a closet. Oh. This is only a blood test. Prick my finger. Finger gets Band-Aid. I am out in the waiting room again. Embarrassed to be back so soon among my fellow patients. Sit down next to Ken. Notice the room is much more crowded. Two young girls are talking. They are making plans for this afternoon, after this is over. They plan to go shopping and then to visit a friend. They call the friend on their cell phone. Talk about plans for the day. Plans? Like it's a regular Saturday. Two other women are giggling. Gallows humor I presume. Like laughing at a funeral. No explanation. It just comes out. This waiting room is so eerie. Please, when will it be over?
"Priscilla!" Name called again. It echoes through the thick, silent room. Ken and I look at each other again. This is it. "Would your husband like to come with you?" I'm asked by the woman who looks like Today Show host Katie Couric. "No." I reply for Ken. (Why, in the world would he want to come with me? I don't even want to go.) Go into another small room with just a desk and a chair. Oh. So this isn't it either. This is just a counseling session. The dangers are explained to me. The risks. The sedative I will be given. The necessary convalescing time. No lifting for two weeks. Two weeks? But I'm moving. Going away for a whole year. No lifting. That's firm. I am sent back out to that awful waiting room again. Again everyone looks up at me, examines my gait as I walk back to my seat beside Ken. "No she still hasn't had it done it yet," their eyes seem to say as they look up from their magazines. I sit next to Ken. Look for a magazine to hide behind but no more magazines; no more seats either. All are taken by overbooked patients. Overhear the guard tell an employee signing in, "Tough day today. Forty patients." The employee moans as she takes off her coat. (So I am one of forty I note to myself. Forty other women are going through the same thing as I am today. And I'll bet there are forty different reasons why.) I look around at the faces in the waiting room. Every race, every age, every economic class is represented.
"Priscilla!" My name being called again pierces my thoughts, and my heart once again, tightens. My breathing stops. This must be it. THIS IS IT. I am met by a very kind, pale and fragile looking woman who gently ushers me down a white, narrow hall. I smell fresh brewed coffee as I pass one of the rooms. "Mmm . . .coffee smells good," I say. Just then a robust and jovial black woman pops out from another room, "Oh, I'm sorry," she cries. (Why is she sorry? It's only coffee.) She takes my arm from the fragile woman and walks me into the operating room. Gives me a johnny to put on. I like this woman. She is so kind. So friendly. There is a mixture of steady confidence and a happy radiance about her that is surprisingly calming to me.. I really like her. Can't explain why. Wait. I know why. She is like the Ghost of Christmas Present in Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol." My favorite spirit in that story because he loves Life for what it is. That `s what this woman is like. She seems to love life. Every part of it -- good and bad. Well, that's what it seems to me anyway. She is my Ghost of Christmas Present. And I like her. I'm glad she's my nurse.
I don the johnny and hop on the table. Get a needle in the arm and an IV is inserted. Two seconds later, I feel real good. Mellow. Doctor comes in. She looks too young to be a doctor. Looks more like a fashion model. Asks me a few questions. I try to answer but the sedative is making me wobbly. Asks me the name of my doctor. Can't recall doctor's name. Tell her he looks like Governor Weld. She nods. Smiles. Knows exactly who I mean. She leaves the room and I assume she forgot an instrument and will be right back. But nurse takes IV out. It's over. What? Over. So soon?
I am put in a Recovery Room. It is a room lined with big, brown, fake leather Lazy Boy chairs. I recognize the other women from the waiting room. We each sit sadly in our oversized Lazy Boy chairs, feet dangling in mid air. We are all sad at once. All together. We look at each other. All with sorry faces. Each one of us has pain in her eyes. We are all hurting silently. Heavily. Only the eyes tell the pain. Death is hovering above the ceiling, looking down at us. I am cloaked in an overwhelming sadness, sympathy, and love for each woman in that room.
Nurse comes to my Lazy Boy. Gives me the necessary Rhogam shot. Another Band-Aid. It is time to go. A white, rubber basket is handed to me. It contains my belongings. I recognize the clothes I wore this morning, but they seem foreign somehow, like they belong to a different person. I get dressed and am ushered out the door, past the sad faces in the Lazy Boy chairs, and into the anxious faces in the waiting room. The door opens. Everyone jumps at the sound of the creaking door. Ken is the only one who jumps to standing position. He takes my other arm. We leave.
The ordeal is not over yet. It is now 9 o'clock. Surely there are more protesters now. I do not want to see them. We descend the stairs slowly and I can see the bearded man with the Virgin Mary portrait is still at his post. He has accumulated a crowd with him. Other placards. Other visual aids. I ask Ken to get the car and meet me at the door so that I won't have to make that long walk in front of all these people. But even the walk from the door to the car causes a lump in my throat and my chest to contract. The protesters on the sidewalk all stop talking among themselves and turn their eyes on me. It seems like everyone stops breathing. It is unearthly quiet for an instant. I am hated at full volume. They think I killed my baby. But I didn't. Nature did. Words are yelled to me. I try to ignore the attention. Inside the car I have the urge to lock my door. We stop at the corner to check oncoming traffic before turning. I keep my eyes down, staring intently at my shoes. I can feel all eyes on me. Do not look up. Do not look up. Whatever you do, Priscilla, do not look up. What's taking so long? Why are we not moving yet? I look up and see a woman carrying a placard picturing an infant in a womb. The woman is staring at me with cold, hard eyes. Why did I look up? Why didn't I keep my eyes down? Ken is protective of me and angry. I am torn.
Time Flies . . . and so do TV's!
Today is the day we test the truck's ability to pull the trailer and test our own ability to maneuver both. Can this truck really pull a ranch house on wheels? And if so, can we manage it? We've named the truck "Ruby" because of it's Ruby-red exterior. The trailer is named "Harvey the RV." Our plan is to go to a campsite in New Hampshire and see what Ruby and Harvey and me and Ken are made of. It's do or die time. We have never even spent so much as a weekend in a trailer, so this is all new, all foreign, all frightful. Last summer I read three books on trailer life. Every book had a section entitled something like "How to Give Backup Directions without Getting a Divorce." Naturally, this becomes my big dread as we head out this afternoon, especially since I've never been very good at giving directions.
The plan is thus: since we bought the trailer at Campers Inn in New Hampshire, we plan to camp nearby to make sure the rig runs as the brochures so happily proclaim. If not, we can just haul it over and get it fixed. At this time of year, the only place open, or with sites available is the "Friendly Beaver" in New Boston, so that is our destination today, and our home for the next few days.
Since Ken and I are both nervous about the backup situation, we plan to stop at Campers Inn on the way and have our nice RV salesman, Nat, give Ken some driving instructions. But, we are running late and don't get out of the driveway until 5PM. By the time we reach Camper's Inn, the lights are out. "You're on your own" the dark building seems to say. We continue driving, a bit nervously, as the road narrows and the fog thickens. Of course we get lost and have to . . . (ugh!) . . . turn the rig around. I make the suggestion of turning into a church parking lot that looks big to me, but, of course, I've been driving a small sportscar for the past six years. We pull in, hopeful. Forty-five minutes later we pull out, leaving a trail of bad feelings in our wake. Now to go back to that turn we missed.
We drive up a darker, narrower, more ominous road. The grade is steep. The fog is thick. The mood in the cab is damp. Since we left without lunch or dinner, our stomachs growl, while we each nurse our own private headache. Chugging along, I catch a tiny, oblong sign that I think says, "Friendly Beaver." Can that be it? (But there is supposed to be a big beaver on the sign. ) Too late. We miss the turn and there is no possible way to turn back on this narrow road. No way.
We continue driving farther up the mountain and deeper into our despair. Arrive at a crossroad. Take a right turn hoping that the road goes back to town. But pavement ends. We are now frozen in fear that this tiny dirt road will come to a humiliating end at the top of a mountain peak in the middle of nowhere. But we are in luck, there is a fork in the road, allowing us to do a three-point turn and go back. We succeed -- barely missing a farm fence -- but succeed nonetheless.
Head back to the Friendly Beaver sign, take the turn, and find ourselves on a hellish road. We are dipping in a rut on the left, now on the right, waddling down this road, bouncing up and down as we hit mud-moguls that send us flying from our luxurious Captain's seats (glad now we didn't buy bench seats.) We find the camp. It's almost 9PM. We are hungry, angry, tired, flattened. Ken parks the RV and we go inside to see what damage has been done. Office is fine. Kitchen fine. Bedroom in rear, not so good. The two night stands are smashed like jigsaw puzzle pieces. The walls are all blackened by something. What the heck happened? Then we see it. The little 13-inch TV sitting passively, innocently, in the center of the Queen sized bed. Evidently we had neglected to put it on the floor before leaving. The thing has been bouncing off the bed like a cannonball on a trampoline, smashing everything in its path. Also, we discover my clothes in the lower closet are soaked. We've got a leak! Too tired to deal with it. Make dinner. Eat in painful silence. Walk the muddy roads to the Restrooms to do dishes and brush teeth. Go to bed. Don't care about anything but sleep.
Except for the flying TV, the trial run is a success. We are happy with Ruby and Harvey. The RV is warm and cozy and the kitchen is super-fun to cook in. At Camper's Inn, we drop off the trailer, our home, at the service department. They assure us they will seal the leak. Everyone at Camper's Inn is very friendly. But more important, they are very competent. We pick out some clothes and other necessities and head to Ken's sister's house. She kindly invited us to stay with her and her husband while our home is "in the shop."
Ken's sister and her husband are very gracious. Very understanding as our proposed stay extends from a few days to a few weeks. Although Camper's Inn fixed the leak in less than a day, we still have not solved our computer problems. That is what is now holding us up. It is a constant routine of bringing the machines in for repair, then waiting a few days till we get the call to pick them up. Then picking 'em up, taking 'em home, discovering they still don't work. Take them in again and the process repeats. In frustration, Ken is now trying to fix one of the computers himself. In the meantime, we have not been able to check our website for three weeks. Don't know what's happening.
I often think of this trip as a voyage. Like any voyager, there is only so much control one has over the events destined to happen. For a control-freak like me (or like I used to be anyway) this detour is the most difficult part of the journey. I think it's Tom Petty who sings, "the waiting is the hardest part." It's true. For the past four months we've waited for others to come through for us. Now we are waiting for our computers to come back to us. It's like being in a sailboat with no wind. Just a dead calm. Nothing to do but wait for Divine Providence to intervene.
Luckily, I still have pencil and paper to continue writing the old-fashioned way. . . graphite against pulp. It's odd, but I've almost lost the patience to write this way as my thoughts rush on faster than my pencil-gripped hand can keep up. My penmanship is crude and sloppy. Yet, there is something consoling in this process. I love the sound the lead of the pencil makes as I scratch down my thoughts on crispy paper.
"Society never advances. It recedes as fast on one side as it gains on the other . . . for everything that is given, something is taken. Society acquires new arts and loses old instincts . . .
He has a nautical almanac, but does not know a star in the sky.
The solstice he does not observe; the equinox he knows as little.
His notebooks impair his memory . . . "
This makes me wonder: what have we lost since Emerson's time with such things as the invention of the telephone? What have we lost with the use of automobiles? What is television taking from us? And what instinct is the computer stealing from us?
We now have one computer working, the PowerMac 8100, which Ken repaired himself. While we wait for our "backup" laptop computers to come back from the shop, Ken is using the time to create all the Email postage stamps for all the postcards. Every postcard has it's own unique Email postage stamp that depicts either the state bird, the state flower, the state tree, the state flag, or a famous person from the state we are visiting. So that's five stamps per state times 50 states . . . 250 stamps for Ken to design, hand color and create a border and a typeface that will highlight the image. He just finished doing all the state birds and to see them on the computer screen all on one page, like in a stamp-collector's book, is really impressive. So he's having fun with plenty of work to keep him busy while waiting for the computer experts to get back to us. But I'm lost. I guess I'll go read back to reading Emerson's essays.
My bank statement arrives in the mail today. I am shocked to see that the health insurance company (who claimed they never received my paperwork for automatic deductions) has suddenly found my checking account number and has boldly deducted a monthly premium from my checking account. Amazing. I canceled the policy on February 20th and on February 25th I see they made the deduction. I calmly call them to make the correction. My voice is steady at first, but I end up screaming at them in the end. I am assured that a refund will go out in the mail. We'll see . . .
In a last-ditch effort, Ken goes over the head of the manager at the NY car dealership and calls the owner directly to ask him to fill out the Massachusetts dealership form so we can appeal to the State of Massachusetts for an abatement of the extra $300 we paid in sales tax on the truck. The owner says to send him the form , he'll see what he can do. We'll see . . .
The final insult . . . I am in line again at the Massachusetts RMV. This time Ken is with me, though, as both our driver's licenses are due to expire in August, and since we will be far, far away at that time, (we hope) we must renew now. It's not so bad in line when one has a companion to joke with. Occasionally a stranger approaches me to ask if this is the correct line. I explain the absurd procedure to the newcomer and watch him assimilate himself into the process. Once again I am at liberty to study the dreary gray walls, the coffee-stained carpet and the florescent lights that cast a ghastly shade of green on the patron's faces as they wait obediently in line for their assigned number. It seems like an Edvard Munch painting. I want to scream. But of course, I don't. I just wait my turn like everybody else.
The "Cruelest Month" . . .
Some famous writer once said April is the "cruelest month" of the year. It sure seems that way. On April 1st, April Fool's Day, the computer gremlins reappeared to once again prove their pernicious power. The one computer we got working made a big *BANG!* as loud as a gunshot, and the screen went black. Suddenly the sounds of screeching tires, a collision, and busted glass came blaring from the blackened screen. Great! Now what? Geez, did we lose all the postage stamps done so far? Please, no. Quick, call someone. After some phone calls and some deductive reasoning, Ken, our self-appointed computer surgeon, declares the computer monitor dead. It cannot be resuscitated. Need to order a new one. Four hundred dollars and four days later we can have a new one delivered to our door. Okay, wrap it up.
"You are preparing with eagerness to go and render a service to which your talent and taste invite you. . . .Has it not occurred to you that you have no right to go unless you are equally willing to be prevented from going?"
Our next target date to hit the road is April 29th. That is, of course, if all goes well . . .
We did hit the road on April 29th, but only to drive from Ken's sister's house in North Andover to Ken's brother's house in Wellesley. (I guess we're going to inch our way out of Massachusetts). But the move, short as it was, still required all the same trailer -packing procedures necessary as if we were going to another state. Good practice I guess for our State-A-Week schedule and an opportunity for me to marvel at Ken's amazing adaptation to this newfound lifestyle. I am in awe of his skill at getting Ruby and Harvey hitched so quickly and driving Ruby so skillfully as he navigates around the sharp corners of these narrow streets in this thickly settled neighborhood. And he's got the RV backup situation totally under control, too. He backed the 30-foot RV neatly into his brother's driveway --perfectly straight -- and within inches of the house, leaving the other side of the of the two-car driveway still usable. When Ken finished backing up we heard applause coming from the sky. We looked up to see a group of workmen repairing a roof at a neighbor's house. Evidently they had been watching Ken's maneuvering of the RV and were driven to applause when he finished his task so masterfully. That's a good feeling -- darned good -- considering all we've been through with this rig. Ken and I bask in the temporary glory of this unexpected reception and beam in the warm sunshine with hope that maybe May will be the month our luck turns around. So now Harvey is our home as it sits in this residential driveway while we sit at the phone still trying to solve the computer problems. Desperate to continue to look on the bright side of things, I tell myself that at least I'll be here for Mother's Day.
My mother is our Number One fan. No matter what Ken and I go through she remains locked in her belief that we persevere with this problem-fraught trip. "Don't give up," she urges us. "This is the right thing to do, I just know it is," she persists. "Follow your dream, kids, before your body is too old to follow it," she sadly warns us.
So this delay allows me to spend Mother's Day with my mother, the loveliest person I know. "Mums," as I like to call her, never wants us to give her gifts on Mother's Day. She doesn't want our presents, she says, just our presence. Every year she scolds me for having bought her a gift. And every year she reminds me that Mother's Day used to be a day to honor one's mother by simply wearing a red carnation if your mother is alive and a white carnation if she is not. Every Mother's Day when she tells me this, I feel like I've swallowed a brick as I dread the future Mother's Day when I will have to wear a white carnation. I hope it doesn't happen until I'm a white haired old lady, myself, preferably a bit "airy in the attic" as well, so I won't feel the loss so deeply.
1. HAVE NO HOPE . . . Hope only sets one up for disappointment. And it is a lack of faith by forcing my will over God's. If I truly trust that God's plan is better than mine, then I should go with the flow and see where it leads, not try to bend events to my liking. I either trust God or I don't. Hope tells me I don't trust God. So from hear on in I shall have no hope.
2. HAVE NO FEAR . . . I've heard that one's mind attracts whatever fear one holds. If you fear disease, for example, you will contract the very disease you fear. If you fear losing money, you will lose money. If you fear losing love, your love will be lost, etc. Well, my big fear when planning this trip was the technology. My fear manifested itself over and over and over again and grew larger and more powerful every day. So my advice to myself from now on is "fear not."
3. HATE NOTHING . . . Hate only hurts the hater. (I had to re-learn this one.) My hating the technology problems only hurt me, not the inanimate products.
4. LIVE HERE . . . Live in the here and now. The only time one has is the minute in one's hand right now. How many minutes have I squandered minutes and hours hoping for outcomes I cannot control? No more time-traveling.


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Proposals & Bids
Home » Calif. High-Speed Rail Moves Forward, Slowly
CaliforniaCalifornia Construction News
Calif. High-Speed Rail Moves Forward, Slowly
Conceptual designs depict a bright, open structure for one of 24 stations in California's high-speed-rail system.
Image Courtesy of California High-Speed Rail Authority
Sections of high-speed rail will surmount construction challenges, such as seismic zones, extensive tunneling and integration with urban spaces.
Greg Aragon
The California High-Speed Rail Authority's $68-billion high-speed-rail project recently announced a probable joint-venture team to construct its first phase, but that doesn't mean trains will be leaving the station soon. The embattled project still faces lawsuits and questions, even from former supporters.
"High-speed rail is at a crucial point," says Quentin Kopp, former chairman of the authority. Over the past 18 months, "missteps and violations" of the 2008 Proposition 1A bond measure have changed public opinion, he says.
Kopp, who co-authored the bill creating the state's high-speed rail, cites a March 2013 poll by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) that found 54% of likely voters opposed the project, compared to the 52.4% who voted in favor of Prop 1A in November 2008.
But Jeff Morales, current CEO of the authority, sees it differently. "We've got clear momentum, and as we go forward the project will gain momentum as people see jobs being created and progress being made," he contends.
To get more people onboard the high-speed-rail idea, the California authority will have to get costs under control, say industry observers.
"This is the first attempt at high-speed rail in the country that looks like it's actually going to happen," says Joshua Schank, president and CEO of Eno Center for Transportation, a Washington, D.C., non-profit that studies transportation safety and sustainability. "It's a huge amount of money, and taxpayers want to make sure the money is spent effectively."
The PPIC poll showed support among voters rising to 55% if costs were lower.
Funding will be the biggest challenge, Schank says. Securing more federal money will be tough because of partisanship, controversy and the government's own financial problems, he says. Further, private investors may be leery because extracting profits from rail is a slow process. "The best hope California has is to tax the citizens in some way to pay for it," Schank adds.
While negotiating for funding for future phases, the authority is focusing on its so-called Contract 1, which it will formally award to a joint venture in June.
Recent Articles by Greg Aragon
LAX's Delta Sky Way Flies 18 Months Ahead of Schedule
California & Northwest 2020 Top Specialty Contractor of the Year: Giroux Glass
Air Hazards Pause Construction Jobs in Western U.S. Wildfire Zone
Greg Aragon is a freelance writer from Los Angeles, who writes about construction around the Golden State.
Calif. High-Speed Rail Backers Push 'System Blend'
Bid Results Announced for First Leg of Calif. High-Speed Rail
Transportation Work Drives Revenue For Design Firms
California Top Contractors; Northwest Top Contractors
Top Specialty Contractors Report Strong Revenue
Tweets by @ENR_CA

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Ricci Curvature and the Chern Class of the Levi-Civita For a (compact) Kahler manifold $M$, the Ricci tensor is the symmetric $2$-form
$$
r(u,v) = \text{tr}\big( w \mapsto (D_wD_u - D_uD_w - D_{[u,w]})v\big).
$$
The Ricci curvature is the $2$-form
$$
r(u,v) := r(I(u),v).
$$
So the question! The first Chern class of the Levi--Civita connection for $\Omega^{(0,1)}$ is a $(1,1)$-form. The Ricci curvature of $M$ is also a $(1,1)$-form. Are these two forms related in any way? For example, might one be a scalar multiple of the other?

A: Yes, this is a classic result of Chern's.  If $\rho = \sum R_{a\overline b} dz^a \wedge dz^{\overline b}$ is the Ricci form, then $\frac{i}{2\pi} \rho$ represents the first Chern Class of $M$.
Among the results of Yau's classic paper Calabi's conjecture and some new results in algebraic geometry, one finds a stronger statement.  Any $(1,1)$-form on a compact Kähler manifold $(M,g)$ which represents the first Chern class of $M$ is the Ricci form of a unique Kähler metric in the same Kähler class: that is, one whose Ricci form is in the same class as the Ricci form of the original metric.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Jméno Adéla Nováková se může vztahovat k následujícím osobnostem:

 Adéla Nováková (geografka) (* 1987) – geografka a zakladatelka projektu Život bez HA
 Adéla Nováková (dabérka) (* 1998) – česká dabérka
 Adéla Nováková (* 2000) – česká reprezentantka v běhu na lyžích


text:
* Get The Print Publication *
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H – Ma
Mi – Ne
No – S
LODD
Delaware State Fire School Mourns the Passing of its first Director Louis J. Amabili
Dec 29, 2017 | 0 |
On September 28, 2017, the Delaware State Fire School lost its first Director and the Volunteer Fire Service of the United States lost a close friend and pioneer, as Louis J. Amibili passed away at the age of 88.
Lou had been an icon of the Delaware Fire Service, serving 60 years beginning his service as a firefighter with the Hockessin Fire Company in 1947,where he remained an active member.
The Delaware State Fire Commission named Mr. Amabili Director of the newly formed Fire School, assuming the position on November 1, 1964. The Fire School was in its infant stages and development was to take place from the very beginning. His job description was to supervise all firefighting training in the State, conduct annual fire school training and locate a site for a permanent training center.
He took his tasks seriously and moved quickly. Settlement was made in July the following year on 30 acres of property on Chestnut Grove Road. Lou soon was able to expand the DSFS staff, including full time instructors, and was able to expand the available training. He helped initiate and encouraged the ongoing development of many of the
programs still in place today. Lou maintained that position for over 30 years, retiring in 1996.
According to Fire Chief Editor-in-Chief of Fire Engineering Magazine, many developments took place as a result of Mr. Amabili's efforts considered routine today, were revolutionary at the time. These included Statewide Training Agencies, which were few. Sequential training was a new concept still used today. The dream of a National Fire Training Academy was also in Mr. Amabili's thoughts.
The Federal Government and Office of President Richard Nixon began to recognize the fire problem in the United States in the early 1970s.
Mr. Amabili would be asked to take his dedication, passion and
knowledge to the next level and was appointed to the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, which produced the
landmark report American Burning.
Mr. Amabili worked with the Congressional Fire Service Institute where he was still on the Board of Directors, and was actively holding
positions with other national and federal organizations to promote
emergency services education, like the NFPA, IAFC, and IFTSA.
After his retirement, Mr. Amabili was always available when asked to give guidance to the staff of the Delaware State Fire School.
There are several awards given in Mr. Amabili's honor such as, the New Castle County Fire Firefighter of the Year award, along with an annual scholarship through the Delaware Volunteer Firefighter's Association thanks to the Hockessin Fire Company.
Upon his retirement the Governor of the State of Delaware named the Kent County Training Center the "Louis J. Amabili Fire Training Center".
In a recent interview with Chief Halton,
Mr. Amabili stated how he always appreciated how everyone recognized him and continued to call him 'Director.' Mr. Amabili was truly an icon of the fire service that cannot be replaced.
Louis J. Amabili will surely be missed by all associated with the Fire Service locally, statewide and nationally as a treasure that cannot be replaced.
– Submitted by Michael Lowe, DSFS
PreviousDelaware Fire Service Icon Lou Amabili
NextCFSI's Louis J. Amabili
Fire Held in Galloway Twp.
Masonic Lodge Destroyed in Athens
Garbage Truck Rollover
5 Injured in Waterloo 2-Car MVA


An Estate Appraisal, or Estate Valuation, is often needed to determine the amount of tax that will be paid upon the date of death of the owner of a Limited Partnership, Limited Liability Company (LLC), Promissory Note, Closely Held Stock, Business, or other non-liquid investment for which there in no readily obtainable value without an independent third party Estate Appraisal from an expert. Many persons will plan in advance arrange to valuation, prepared for a will, and other plans before the death of the family member. This process is usually referred to as an Estate Plan.
The most common Estate Valuation is for a family owed small business or real property. Sometimes the wife has very little knowledge of the business that is usually operated mostly by the husband. The deceased may have also invested in a Limited Partnership, Limited Liability Company (LLC), Promissory Note, or Closely Held Stock. In many cases, one deceased person owned one of these non-liquid investments in their company sponsored self-directed 401k plan, or self-directed IRA. In this situation a 401k Plan Appraisal needs to be performed for the Estate Valuation. For all these non-liquid investment situations the Estate Appraisal needs to be completed by an independent expert.
For relatively small businesses and investments, it usually suffices to follow the valuation guidelines set forth in IRS Revenue Ruling 59-60. For businesses and investments of substantial value, it may be appropriate to follow the guidelines set forth in Financial Accounting Standards, FAS 157.


text:
Q: How to run kivy after 1.9.1 on windows? After the installation of Kivy 1.9.1 on Windows using the commands of Kivy installation tutorials, I can't run the program using "kivy ***.py". I don't know how to set up the environment variables, and I can't find it on the official websites.

*

*Kivy: 1.9.1

*Python: 3.4.4

*Windows 10

Please HELP!
Thanks

A: Make sure you're running the command from the folder where the *.py file is located, "kivy *.py" should run from there.

A: To run kivy application on windows it's simply
python *.py

But on MacOS it should be
kivy *.py


There are many forms of breathing techniques employed in kung- fu practices but these are too elaborate and extensive to go into. However we will go into this topic lightly. Let us start with what is called reverse breathing. Reverse breathing is used for increasing and accumulating energy. This can be done standing sitting or lying. As you breathe in, pay attention to, and become aware of the expansion which takes place in your lower abdomen. Your lungs expand as a result of your diaphragm moving downwards thereby drawing in air and oxygen. Normally as you inhale your lower abdomen expands outwards as the diaphragm moves down. Reverse breathing involves reversing this pattern. Now you can try this. As you breathe in put your attention into your lower you abdomen, 2-3 inches (5-7 cm) below your naval, this is your lower energy fieled, the lower tan tien. As you breathe in, hold your attention and mind at this point and consciously contract the muscles in your lower abdomen. This function like a weight-lifter lifting weights. The more pressure and tension you put into a given area, the stronger it becomes. Repeat this as much as you feel the need. As you breathe out, let your lower abdomen relax and expand.
It is best to do this practice with your eyes closed, but if that is not possible, because you are driving, working or engaged in a conversation, it can just as well be done with your eyes open - and nobody will know that you're doing it. Do if for as long as you feel confortable. This practice builds strength in the Lower Tan Tien. Do it any time you want to replenish and increase your energy resources. See how it makes your feel.


Break out of your shell. The world desperately needs your art! All the suffering your harbour has served you on your path. Anchor yourself in the present, and the best thing in you will come forth from your suffering.


Step-1 Register... Login and complete a user name (the name that you will be identified at the Future Masters) and a password.
Each applicant must be registered under his own e-mail address i.e. if parents are registering siblings each child must have a separate email to login.
Step-2 Complete your on-line application...Please complete all information. The selection is based on information submitted in your application. Include golf tournaments that you have played within the last 2 years, number in that field and where you placed in the field.
Step-3 Upload your picture...A school picture is required. This photo may be used in media, printed materials, on the digital scoreboard, etc.
Step-4 Make payment using PayPal/Credit Card...PayPal is a secure site that charges most credit cards.
Step-5 Submit your application...Applications will be reviewed on April 30th for the selection to be completed on May 1st. If you submit your entry early, you may update your application at a later date.
Step-1 Register... to receive periodic emails and live-score updates during the tournament....You may register to receive emails, text, and scores from the Future Masters. Standard text messaging rates will apply depending on your wireless plan. During the tournament, live scoring will be posted on our website. You may sign up to receive updates of the round of any age group or one particular player.
• Your entry will be accepted by special invitation which will be delivered via mail.
• This form is NOT an invitation. An invitation will be mailed separately.
• Please get your entry in early to be considered for selection on May 1, 2019.
• After each age group is filled, replacements are filled from a waiting list.
• Entry fee is not refundable after June 16, 2019.
• Withdrawals must be made by phone, letter or email.
• No caddies allowed. 10-Under will be provided a scorer. Their bag will be placed on a cart and driven by the scorer. The player must walk.
• Pullcarts will be allowed for all age groups during practice and tournament rounds.
• Yardage measuring devices will be allowed for tournament play.
Entry applications and tournament program of events will be available to contestants in January each year.
The Future Masters has become the proving ground for future PGA Champions. Click here for a look back.
GROWING GOLF since 1950 is a commemorative edition of 65 years of The Press Thornton Future Masters. This inaugural history book of the Future Masters includes stories, photos and many memories, along with excerpts of the Dothan Country Club's 90 year history.
The FM History Book will make a great gift for any golf lover. Available for $29.95 at local locations (Dothan Country Club - Golf Shop, Northcutt's on Main, Dothan Area Convention & Visitor's Bureau, Arts & Frames and GolfPlus) and also at FutureMastersGolf.com/history-book.


Solar Energy for Your Business, Farm or Ranch – Now is the Time!
Reducing your operating costs and overhead while investing in a valuable, long-term asset is a good move for most businesses, especially when, with the flick of a switch, that asset provides effortless financial benefit to you every day for decades!
A solar power system can do exactly that, and the government of Canada is now offering an accelerated capital cost allowance incentive to encourage businesses to adopt the use of renewable energy.
This incentive program may not last forever, so now is the time to check it out. Click on the link below for more info, then call or email Peace Energy Cooperative. We'll evaluate the solar potential of your business location, and then supply and install everything you need!
Now is the time to go solar!
Solar Power For Business – SIMPLE!


more you could browse the search on this website.
after that we will consider 2020 toyota 4runner redesign as well as lots of things. But occasionally we have to find out about 2020 toyota celica to understand far better. It is not far away with the essential 2020 toyota corolla sedan. If you intend to open up the photo gallery please click image picture listed below. You could likewise download for your image collection.


text:
COVID-19: Extraordinary measures to support business solvency.
On 12 March, a raft of support measures for firms and the self-employed, amounting to €11 billion, were approved to address the impact of COVID-19.
These measures were geared to protect viable firms whose income has fallen sharply owing to the persistent reduction in activity prompted by the pandemic.
The measures are divided into four lines of action:
COVID-19 direct assistance facility for firms and the self-employed, to service debt arranged from March 2020 and to make payments to suppliers and other financial and non-financial creditors, as well as to cover the fixed costs incurred as of that date. This assistance is aimed at firms and the self-employed with registered office in Spain whose annual turnover in 2020 fell by at least 30% as compared with 2019 and that operate in certain sectors.
Flexibility for loans with public guarantees. This flexibility allows such financing to be included in forbearance procedures agreed between banks and their customers. Exceptionally, and as a last resort, the flexibility allows for the possibility of a reduction in the principal of the guaranteed loan. The eligibility criteria for this facility will be established by agreement of the Council of Ministers, which will also develop a Code of Good Practice aimed at ensuring that debt renegotiations focus on shoring up the viability of the firm or self-employed worker in question.
Recapitalisation fund for firms. This fund will provide public resources to viable firms experiencing solvency problems on account of COVID-19 and that need additional capital support following application of the measures described above.
Other measures are also included, such as the extension of the moratoria for the automatic triggering of insolvency proceedings and the extension of the deadline for repayment of public loans managed by the Spanish General Secretariat for Industry and SMEs.
This raft of measures is regulated under Royal Decree-Law 5/2021 of 12 March 2021, on extraordinary measures to support business solvency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Click the following linkAbre en ventana nueva for further details (in Spanish).
PREVIOUS Banking services you need to be familiar with before becoming an entrepreneur
NEXT Guidelines on applying for solvency support measures for companies and the self-employed


text:
Jung Je Won
정제원
Jung Je Won, or One, as he's better known as, is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He was born in Seoul, South Korea, on March 29, 1994 and made his debut as a member of the hip-hop duo, 1Punch, in 2015. Later that year he signed with YG Entertainment and made his debut as both a solo and an actor in 2017. Since then he has appeared in several television dramas including, "Hwayugi" (2017), "Room No. 9" (2018), and "Her Private Life" (2019).
Mar 29, 1994 (age 25)
YG Entertainment (Korea)
Room No. 9
ONE And Kim Bo Ra Talk About Working Together In New Summer Romance Film And "Her Private Life"
Watch: ONE And Kim Bo Ra Exude Summer Vibes In Poster And Trailer For Upcoming Romance Film
Kim Jae Wook And Park Min Young Meet The Mother Of All Questions In "Her Private Life"
Watch: Kim Jae Wook And Park Min Young Share Heart-Stopping Moments In "Her Private Life" Making Video
ONE Looks Dashing Behind The Scenes On Set Of "Her Private Life"


text:
C4 to stream dead hippo feast
UK pubcaster Channel 4 is lining up Hippo: Wild Feast Live, a live streaming natural history event which will see a decomposing hippo carcass being devoured by predators such as hyenas and crocodiles.
By Adam Benzine
Streamed on Channel4.com, the broadcaster says it will use a host of cutting edge technology to bring the African savannah "straight to the desktop, classroom and lounge."
Fixed-camera rigs, motion detectors, infra-red cameras, laser thermometers, digital microscopes and electronic tracking systems – including micro-transmitters – "will connect natural history aficionados with all the predators, scavengers, birds and insects that feast on the hippo."
The network added: "The hippo carcass will be located in Zambia's Luangwa Valley by a section of the Luangwa river frequented by a range of predators and scavengers including leopards, lions, Nile crocodiles, hyena, wild dogs, baboons, monitor lizards and marabou storks – known as the 'undertaker birds' which use their 10-foot wingspan to swoop down and see off other smaller vultures."
The event will be streamed live online beginning today (October 21), with a final 1 x 90 minute program airing on TV on November 7 at 9 p.m. GMT.
There will also be a series of two-minute live TV updates on location, presented by Mark Evans (Inside Nature's Giants, Brave New World), on Channel 4 each evening from October 21-26. The live streaming will be an interactive experience with viewers encouraged to tweet questions to Evans.
Channel 4′s specialist factual commissioning editor Tanya Shaw said: "This interactive project builds on the success of Elephant: Life After Death, which followed a five-tonne elephant being transformed into six million calories worth of fat, meat and guts, feeding a whole new cycle of life.
"This time, by streaming the action live, we are dealing with wildlife at its most raw, bloody and immediate – it will be fascinating to see how events unfold, and we want viewers to interact with the experts and share this unique content with their friends."
Hippo: The Wild Feast is being produced by Endemol-owned Tigress Productions (Elephant: Life After Death). Dick Colthurst is executive producer, Sarah Peat is producer and Jonny Young is director.
In a statement, Evans said: "The river is a prime location for some of the biggest predators in Zambia – we may well see fierce showdowns between rivals for these vital calories – from Nile crocodiles and lions to hyenas and the notoriously vicious honey badger.
"The eating mechanisms of the different animals is fascinating – from crocodiles who use each other as leverage for a 'death roll' to twist off the meat – to marabou storks who gulp down pounds of flesh which they store in their gullets."
C4, Channel 4, hippo, Hippo: Wild Feast Live, Inside Nature's Giants, Mark Evans, Tanya Shaw, Tigress
DAZN Group unveils new structure, leadership changes
// Author Page
Doc/Fest: C4′s Quilton dissects failure of "Seven Days"
Interactive series "Live and Lost" returns for season three
Realscreen presents: Trailblazers 2011
Wildscreen '12: Multi-platform lessons from C4, BBC


Dewell, A.; Hollenbeck, C.B.; Bruce, B.
Postmenopausal women are at an increased risk of developing coronary artery disease (CAD). This increase is due primarily to elevated cholesterol concentrations accompanying the loss of endogenous oestrogen secretion. Recently, the consumption of soya foods has been shown to reduce serum cholesterol concentrations. Phytoestrogens (PE) have been proposed as the responsible agents of the hypocholesterolaemic effect of soya foods.


A man appeared in court on Monday after he was caught trying to sell a British mortar bomb to an undercover police officer.
The Hawks in Secunda initiated the sting operation after receiving information last week about a suspect trying to sell stolen jewels in Nelspruit.
An urgent operation was launched and on Friday the man was caught in Henshall Street, Nelspruit.
An undercover police officer allegedly approached the 29-year-old suspect. To the officer's surprise, the man also offered him an 80cm British mortar bomb as part of the deal for which he wanted R150 000.
The man was immediately arrested, and the loot confiscated.
The bomb was deactivated and destroyed by the Nelspruit bomb squad. The bomb parts will be used as evidence.
The man is facing charges of possession of an explosive as well as stolen property.
The case was postponed to April 15 for a formal bail application.


text:
Q: Windows 10 - How to turn off "This app has prevented you from shutting down" Windows 10 does not always shutdown because "an app is preventing you from shutting down". Is there a setting to force shutdown regardless of "potential save loss"? I don't care if I lose work. This has become a problem for me because sometimes I stand up and walk away, and I come back 3 hours later and my computer is still on...

A: Create a shortcut, for example on your Desktop, to the command
shutdown /t 30 /s

and name it something description such as "Shutdown in 30 seconds".
As you'd expect, double-click the shortcut to run it. Your machine will shutdown after 30 seconds. Head to START and type shutdown /a if you didn't intend to do that!
Another useful shortcut is for a restart,
shutdown /t 30 /r

You can adjust the timeout up or down from 30 seconds as you like. (It must be non-zero; I tend to use 10 seconds as my "do it now" value.)

A: Click on Cancel, and then close both apps. If the files in the apps have been saved, it will not prevent shutdown.  Just be sure files are saved.
I see this and how I describe is how I handle this.
You do have to deal with the issue as it will wait for a response.
So when you shut down, watch for this and deal with it. Better to save files frequently.


So you want to be an electric blues guitarist. What do you need to know and do?
I posed such questions to a guitar hero, Kim Simmonds, who was at the forefront of the late '60s wave of British blues that gave the world the Yardbirds, Cream, Eric Clapton and others, including his band Savoy Brown.
I interviewed him before the Savoy Brown performance at the Narrows Center for the Arts on Saturday, September 18, 2010. I wanted to get hands-on practical advise for the aspiring guitarist. And he gave it.
First of all, "my advice has always been to focus in on one particular music," he said. "Hone in on the style at the exclusion of everything else. I mean to this day I can't play a Beatles song." When he became interested in guitar, he listened to jazz, old style R & B, etc., but by the time he was a teenager he realized he wanted to play the electric sounds emanating from Chicago courtesy of Muddy Waters and others. So he focused on that style as he learned to play his instrument.
Another piece of advice to the would-be electric blues guitarist: "Don't start on the acoustic guitar because it's very difficult to make the swap...The first thing you should do if you want to play good electric blues guitar is start with electric guitar and an amp. Because it's a different head space altogether." While he plays acoustic blues when he performs solo, he says he's still learning how to play the acoustic guitar.
Thinking about becoming a lead guitarist in a blues band? "You don't play scales. You don't do anything technical...you start off listening to records, you start off getting licks, you know, you get one or two licks, you play those, you get a couple more licks, and you build up a library of guitar licks..." He never knew what a scale was until he was in his 30s, well after he became a blues guitar star. "It's all about feeling, you know, and playing scales is too technical."
He adds new original licks to his repertoire nearly every performance. "Which is a big surprise to myself. I'm trying that hard every night to play the instrument...it's a very nice feeling to have. It means that you're on the edge, it means that you're really pushing yourself, and you're trying to improvise."
Anybody out there can play what I play, he says. "But can you play it and mean it? That's the only difference." When you play a simple phrase, it has to carry meaning. "You've got to find a way to make that full of meaning," like Muddy Waters and other classic old-time blues guitarists did.
"I intend to live to a ripe old age"
She is the Morning DJ on WMVY!


The world of field service is quickly evolving - gone are the days when technicians relied solely on paper-based scheduling. This is no longer relevant or useful - the convergence of technology (especially mobile), customers expectations and consumerization of service has led to new metrics and measurements of success.
Manufacturing, HVAC, Equipment are beginning to see that customers expect the same level of transparency and service as they receive from modern day e-commerce. As you think about mobility and how technology will impact your service future, we would like to share with you some findings from recent studies.
The future of mobility in technology must be about customer experience and empowerment of the field team to deliver on service promises. This infographic will help you make a strategically strong choice to unlock your service and revenue potential.


The 1st digit indicates the year of manufacture for the 4 & 5 digit serial numbers, these were used from 1989-1999.The 1st and 2nd indicate the year of manufacture for the 6 digit serial numbers which we've been using since 2000.The only difference is the addition of this batch indicator.
Most will be 5 to 6 digits in length, but the earliest examples feature 4 digit serial numbers.
There should be a space after the 1st digit with the 4 and 5 digit serial numbers, and no space with the 6 digit numbers.
The sixth number is now a batch number- batch 0 starts at the beginning of the day, and once we stamp 699, the batch number will change to 1.
"We were able to maintain the cool retro vibe and art deco appearance of the historic tuners while improving the functionality." said Richard Akers.


text:
Q: JFileChooser getCurrentDirectory returning wrong current directory? I am using JFileChooser in an app to browse for a directory however when I select the directory it returns the path to the folder above the folder I selected.
i.e. I select "C:\Test" and it returns "C:\"
Here is the Code I'm Using
            JFileChooser c = new JFileChooser();
            c.setFileSelectionMode(JFileChooser.DIRECTORIES_ONLY);
            int rVal = c.showSaveDialog(c);
            if (rVal == JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION) {
                txtDirectory.setText("");
                CC_Test.MsgBox(c.getCurrentDirectory().toString());
                txtDirectory.setText(c.getCurrentDirectory().toString());
            }
            if (rVal == JFileChooser.CANCEL_OPTION) {
                txtDirectory.setText("");
            }

A: For getting the selected file or directory, use:
c.getSelectedFile();

If you use
c.getCurrentDirectory();

the return depends on the operating system.

A: You have to use JFileChooser.getSelectedFile(). The File class is both for directories and files.

A: You should use
c.getSelectedFile()

instead of
c.getCurrentDirectory()

in order to get the selected file (aka directory in this case). Otherwise it yields the directory which is shown in the filechooser's panel (which is the parent) and not the one which is selected.


text:
Q: start output buffering in one class method and end it in another class method I have been programming in php for many, many years and have used output buffering in several of my classes and class methods. Recently, while writing a template class, my mind began to roam. The following is where my mind went :
This is just an example.
class someClass {
    protected $contents;

    public function __construct() {
        ob_start();
        // execute some code here.
    }

    private function someMethod() {
        // execute some code here.
        $this->contents = ob_get_contents();
    }

    public function someOtherMethod() {
        ob_end_clean();
        echo $this->contents;
    }
}

Consider the example code above.
Questions

*

*Can output buffering be used like this?

*The use of output buffering prevents code from being written before headers are sent, but what, if any, other benefits would come from this?

*If this is possible, is it practical?

A: Debugging is the biggest benefit, especially when responding to ajax requests ( ie. must return valid json even on errors, when you have no control over the other endpoint ) so you cache all out put and if a shutdown is hit ( -via- register_shutdown_function() ) you format the output as json - with the appropriate error and trace data ect. that's the biggest use i have for it. You'll have issues with nested ob_start though.  Even then it's a bit debatable if that is really useful or not.  It can also be good to dump the output to text files, for error reporting, but that is beside using it in a method, and is more dependent on your projects needs.
I do very sensitive work that needs to obscure 99% of error outputting and log it to text, and just show generic errors to end user;
this might save you some headaches
/**
     * dump all levels of ob_start into message
     * @return string
     */
    public static function obGetCleanNested(){
        $message = '';
        for($i=0; $i < ob_get_level(); $i++){
            $message .= ob_get_clean();
        }
        return $message;
    }

A: class buffer {

        public $output;

        public function __construct($content) {
            ob_start();
            $this->output = $content;
        }

        public function endBuffer() {
            $buffer = ob_get_clean();
            $this->output = $buffer;
            echo $this->output . "<br>";
        }

        public function showBufferStatus() {
            if ($this->output == null) {
                echo "nothing inside.";
            } else {
                echo $this->output;
            }
        }
    }

    $buffer = new buffer("Test"); // starts buffer
    $buffer->showBufferStatus(); // checks content inside buffer
    $buffer->endBuffer(); // ends it
    echo "still there: ", $buffer->showBufferStatus(); // checks again

Basically, with the function ob_get_clean() you actually save one move nowadays, hence no extra method. Since it executes both ob_get_contents() and ob_end_clean() at once.

A: "Can output buffering be used like this?"
Yes, it can
"The use of output buffering prevents code from being written before headers are sent, but what, if any, other benefits would come from this?"
You can simple do any operation on output (compress it/change some parts)
**"If this is possible, is it practical?"**
It depends on needs. If code is written in proper way, probably you don't have to use output buffering in my opinion in most cases. However sometimes especially if you want to modify your output it's very convenient to use output bufferring

A:
Can output buffering be used like this?

Yes.

The use of output buffering prevents code from being written before headers are sent, but > what, if any, other benefits would come from this?

That's pretty much the only benefit.

If this is possible, is it practical?

That's a matter of opinion. My opinion is no, someone else might say yes, and even someone else might say it has no "practical" effect, since php doesn't really care where, why, or how many times you call ob_start() or ob_end_clean().

A: answers:

*

*Off course you can use it this way. Why would it not work?!

*other benefits are you can suppress certain output that you don't want outputted at all. In your example, all output generated between $this->contents = ob_get_contents(); inside someMethod() and ob_end_clean(); inside someOtherMethod() will never be outputted.

*it could be practical if you purposely don't want to output certain code. And off course as you said, to delay outputting until are headers are sent. But do be careful with how many times you call ob_start() as each time it will go one level deeper.


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Illustrated Misplaced Modifier Examples to Make You Smile
Everyone knows that misplaced modifier examples can be hilarious, thanks to a certain invasive elephant. It's clear that they're funny, but it's high time we address the elephant in the room (or in the pajamas). Why, exactly, are misplaced modifiers funny?
A misplaced modifier is a phrase, clause, or word that is incorrectly separated from the word it modifies. It occurs when the modifier has no clear referent, often causing confusion and twisting the meaning of words in an unintended fashion. Most commonly, misplaced modifiers are funny because the modifiers describe the wrong element in the sentence.
Since everyone loves it when people explain jokes, here goes: in the case of the elephant in the pajamas ("One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got into my pajamas I'll never know!"), the intended meaning of the sentence is that the subject (I) is in his pajamas when he comes upon the elephant. However, the humor comes from the fact that the modifier is misplaced, incorrectly seeming to describe the elephant as wearing pajamas.
Now that that's out of the way and we're all on the same page, here are some more misplaced modifier examples to illustrate the concept more fully and, better yet, to tickle your funny bone!
So there you have it! A whole new list of misplaced modifier examples to help you better understand what a misplaced modifier is. Now that you understand the format, it might be fun for you to try creating some of your own. Share them with us on Facebook or Twitter!
Image source: AmmenTorp/BigStockPhoto.com
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