Dr. Long is the owner of Pineview Veterinary Hospital in Bolton, NC. She is also the host of TV show Herd This. Dr. Long is a graduate of NCSU and services the Carolina's with a thriving large animal practice encompassing an area approximately 900 square miles.
Cat Zimmerman, 17, is the co-founder and head trainer at CZ Mustangs, Extreme Mustang Makeover trainer, and the official 2019 Youth Ambassador for the Mustang Heritage Foundation. Cat is a self-taught trainer, developing her own methods for colt starting, mustang gentling, liberty training, trick training, groundwork fundamentals, and so on.
Cat performs and competes at various events across the country with her personal herd of mustangs to help educate the public about the American Mustang, and to showcase the trainability of the breed through liberty and trick performances.
Twenty ago, Brock Griffith traded a bull riding career to pursue his dream of working with horses. He immersed himself in the study and practice of natural horsemanship, gaining valuable knowledge and skills in this methodology and confidence in its application. His unique style is inspired by a variety of influences, personal experience, and an open mind. Brock is a talented horseman, trainer and clinician with an extraordinary ability to communicate effectively with both horses and their human partners.
Brock has won multiple colt starting competitions since 2008 and have successfully helped many horse and rider partnerships achieve their dreams through communication and understanding. Brocks passion for horses shows through the look in his eye, and with every horse he touches.
Darlene is a certified equine sports massage therapist. She employs several different techniques including sports massage, stretch/release, and red light therapy to help horses perform their best and aid in recovery from injury or illness.
Darlene's passion for helping horses has lead to a natural progression of helping owners understand their horse's physiology and how muscle function effects performance. She enjoys teaching owners how they can work with their horses and learn basic techniques they can apply on a regular basis. She has developed a basic owner's guide to bodywork, which helps owners understand saddle fit, joint disfunction and how it manifests in other parts of the body, compensatory pain, and how to help strengthen the horse's back for improved performance.
Ginger Duke is a World Champion Trick Rider appearing this year at the Extravaganza. Ginger will also be doing demos on The Secrets of Being a Trick Rider.


text:
Thomson Medical prices $225m 3-year notes at 4.8% in maiden bond offering
Thomson Medical said the notes are its first step in building a long-term platform to tap the debt capital markets and diversify its sources of funding.PHOTO: THOMSON MEDICAL/FACEBOOK
http://str.sg/oFm9
SINGAPORE - Thomson Medical Group has priced its $225 million senior notes due 2022 at 4.8 per cent, to be issued at par, the mainboard-listed healthcare provider said late on Thursday night.
This is its maiden bond offering and is part of the group's $500 million multicurrency debt issuance programme established on June 28, 2018.
Thomson Medical said the notes are its first step in building a long-term platform to tap the debt capital markets and diversify its sources of funding.
The three-year unsubordinated notes are expected to be issued on July 18, 2019, and listed on the Singapore Exchange on the market day after the issuance. They will be available in denominations of $250,000.
There will be an interest-service reserve account, in which Thomson Medical will maintain an amount equivalent to one interest payment on these notes at all times. The notes will be secured by a charge over this account.
The Series 001 notes were two times oversubscribed, garnering a "robust reception", the company said in a filing.
Net proceeds from this offering will be used to refinance Thomson Medical's existing loan facilities and extend its debt maturity profile.
Thomson Medical seeks to spin off property businesses
The joint bookrunners and joint lead managers for these notes are DBS Bank, Credit Suisse and Maybank Kim Eng Securities.
Shares of Thomson Medical closed at 6.6 cents on Thursday, up 1.54 per cent or 0.1 cent.
The company owns and operates the Thomson Medical Centre and a network of specialist medical clinics and facilities in Singapore for women and children. It operates in Malaysia under TMC Life Sciences Berhad, which is listed on Bursa Malaysia.
SINGAPORE COMPANIES
BOND/DEBT MARKET

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Sen. Tom Cotton Quips: FBI Might Ask Putin for Copies of Missing Hillary Emails
Justin Sullivan/Getty
Neil W. McCabe
2 Jul 2016 Lakewood, Colo.
The Arkansas senator on the list of potential running mates for Donald J. Trump, the GOP's presumptive nominee, told activists Saturday at the Western Conservative Summit that Hillary Clinton's reckless and criminal behavior disqualifies her to become America's commander-in-chief.
A combat veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, Sen. Thomas Cotton (R.-Ark.) said he was glad make it on time for his speech after a series of travel delays.
"We were on the tarmac, I thought Bill Clinton might be boarding my plane to talk to me," said the former Army Airborne Ranger officer.
Cotton said it was shocking, but not shocking to him, that the former president would meet with Attorney General Loretta Lynch — whose department is investigating both his wife and himself for his handling of the Clinton Foundation.
Clinton's decision to conduct all her official business on her own private email account on her own private server and the way she has handled official and media inquires about it was just teaser of how her administration will approach transparency and national security, Cotton said.
The FBI still does not have 30,000 emails the expected Democratic nominee for president claimed to have deleted.
"It has gotten so bad, the FBI is on the verge of asking Vladimir Putin for his copies of Hillary's emails," Cotton said.
In addition to the criminal nature of the former first lady scheme, he said, conducting official and classified business on an unsecured server exposed American national security to our enemies.
Americans should not be surprised that the former secretary of state would put America at risk, he said. Working with President Barack Obama, Clinton oversaw a foreign policy that treated allies as troublemakers and our enemies as victims with legitimate complaints about the United States. Chief among the enemies is the Islamic Republic of Iran, which Obama-Clinton empowered by lifting sanctions, thawing frozen assets, and ignoring Iran's support of violent terrorism.
Cotton was elected to the Senate in 2014 and he serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee. The senator endorsed Trump in May and he told reporters he has not ruled out running for vice-president on the ticket with the New York City developer.
The Western Conservative Summit is hosted by the Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University, Lakewood, Colorado.
PoliticsAttorney General Loretta LynchBarack ObamaBill ClintonDonald J. TrumpFBIHillary ClintonIslamic Republic of Iran


Introduce a personalised touch to your home with this Primed Mache Letter and choose from one of the trendiest crafting techniques to bring this charming alphabet addition to life! Standing at 8 inches tall, this uppercase letter can be mixed and matched with the other letters in the range to create decorative messages and words. These are perfect for home decorations, name plates, signs and so much more!
Cover your letter in glitter, wrap it in fabric, or use paints, stickers, stamps or decoupage to create the perfect design for you! Each letter comes already primed for decoration, providing you with a white canvas on which to create your masterpiece. These letters are ideal as crafty gifts for your loved ones or a special peaceful project just for you.
Try your hand at these chic, decorative letters and see what dazzling display you can create!
8 Inch Primed Mache Letter U is rated 4.8 out of 5 by 4.
Rated 5 out of 5 by char24 from Great! We got these letters for our boys room, sprayed them gold and stuck them on the wall. They look amazing! Great price.
Rated 5 out of 5 by KCAM from fantastic quality I recently bought these letters whilst on offer and I think they are a brilliant quality and a perfect size.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Racey from Great solid letters Super firm, hard letters. pure white too. Perfect for my display.
Rated 4 out of 5 by katkins from easy to get creative I've got all of these letters to spell out my son and daughters names for their rooms. These white ones are the same size as the brown ones but the white is a much easier base so start with if you're painting as the colour shows up much better. They're a lovely idea, easy to decorate and you can really get creative with them. I've used washi tape, paint, glitter, fabric and buttons so far and they've all worked perfectly.


text:
"Normal one" Klopp dazzles on Liverpool unveiling
By Joe Prince-WrightOct 9, 2015, 6:45 AM EDT
LIVERPOOL – Jurgen Klopp strode into the room with the confidence of a man who believes he can turn this great club into something special again.
[ MORE: Klopp's arrival announced ]
The German coach, 48, was unveiled as Liverpool's new manager at a packed out "Reds Lounge" deep in the Centenary Stand at Anfield on Friday, as the former Borussia Dortmund coach signed a three-year deal reportedly making him the richest manager in Liverpool's illustrious history with a salary of over $10 million per season.
His appointment is more than just a soccer-related decision. It's about uniting everyone at the club and Klopp's arrival is key to slotting everything together. The German manager is under no illusion as to how difficult this job will be, but is relishing the challenge.
"I am back in the race, it is the biggest honor I can imagine to be here," Klopp said. "One of the biggest clubs in the world. I will try to help in a situation that is not as difficult as people in this room feel. It is a good moment here and I feel proud. The intensity of the football, of how the people live football in Liverpool, all Liverpool fans around the world. It is not a usual club, it is a special club. I had two very, very special clubs with Mainz and Dortmund. It is the perfect next step for me to be here and try and help."
[ MORE: Klopp's 10 best quotes ]
Holding court for almost half an hour with over 100 members of the British, German and worldwide media, Klopp was asked by a journalist if he could perhaps compare himself to Jose Mourinho, who announced himself as "The Special One" when he arrived in English soccer. Klopp paused and then delivered the following.
"I don't want to describe myself. Does anyone in this room think I can do wonders? No. I am a normal guy. I come from Black Forest. I am the normal one maybe," Klopp said. "I was a very average player, became a manager in Germany at a special club, Mainz, then I had a great opportunity to take Dortmund, a special club for seven years. For both parties it was best to leave and now I am here. I hope to enjoy my work. All the people tell me about the British press so it is up to you to show me they are all liars."
Cue roars of laughter from the media, as Klopp's first box office moment in England had arrived.
[ WATCH: Stream every PL game via Live Extra ]
Not since 2004, when Rafael Benitez arrived from La Liga champions Valencia to lead Liverpool to UEFA Champions League glory in 2005, has the arrival of a Liverpool manager been as heralded as Herr Klopp's. The German realizes the pressure on his shoulders after 25 years without a league title for, but has called for a new era.
"Twenty-five years ago [since the last league title] is a long time," Klopp said. "History is only the base for us, [we shouldn't] keep the history in our backpack all day. I want to see the first step next week and not always compare with other times. This is a great club with big potential. Everything is there. Let's try to start a new way. Everything is different – I don't know it all but I'm a pretty good listener."
Even though he says he doesn't know it all, Klopp did say that he hopes to deliver the title in the next four years at Anfield.
"When I left Dortmund, my last sentence was it was not so important what people think when you come in, it is more important what they think what you leave. Please give us time to work on it. If we want, this could be a really special day," Klopp said. "We could start in a very difficult league but in a special Liverpool way we can be successful. We can't wait for it, I don't want to say we can wait 20 years. If we sit here in four years, I think we win one title. I'm pretty sure. If not the next one, maybe in Switzerland."
Cue laughter again, as Klopp impressed with his forthright nature and ability to bring humor to what was a hugely important moment as he announced himself to the world as Liverpool's manager for the first time. In his seven years at Dortmund, Klopp took a beleaguered powerhouse of German soccer to new levels. He won back-to-back Bundesliga titles. He reached a Champions League final. He worked miracles on a shoe-string budget compared to Dortmund's illustrious neighbors at home and abroad.
VIDEO: Klopp walking towards the Kop for the first time as #LFC boss. #BPLonNBC pic.twitter.com/wrj61AuXj7
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) October 9, 2015
Plus, perhaps most importantly, he became a man of the people, a coach who helped bring the fans closer to the club. Dortmund's famous Westfalenstadion was full to the brim for every home game. Much of that was also to due to the style of play Klopp instrumented, with the two-time German manager of the year admitting he likes "heavy metal" and believes his team play in such a manner compared to the "silent song" and "orchestra" of an Arsenal or a Barcelona who prefer to stroke the ball around.
"I am not here to today to speak too much about our football. First I want to talk to my team about the football. Everyone knows me, I don't change in four months," Klopp said. "It is emotion inside, it is speed, it is transition game so you will see this. All the things make football interesting for me, I want to see on the pitch. We have to see how much time we need. In this time we have to win, to make points, that is true but it is not the day to promise a style of football."
Klopp stepped away from Dortmund in the summer. He left on his own terms and was revered by fans, players and officials at the German club. It has always been expected he would go on to bigger things. The truth is, had there been a vacancy at a big club across Europe over the past three months, at Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona or either of the Manchester clubs, Klopp would have been one of the first names on the list. Liverpool landing him is a coup and the euphoria of fans upon his arrival on Merseyside is palpable. Excitement levels are on the rise with a $165 million redevelopment of the Main Stand underway to help take Liverpool into a new era with more fans, revenue and a charismatic manager leading the way.
In the crowded press conference we asked Klopp if he can compare the situation he found himself in at Dortmund, to the job he has on his hands at Liverpool.
"We did in Dortmund what we had to do, to improve the players, to work for a common idea of play. That is what we did and its the same thing we want to do here. They are not the same players of course," Klopp told NBC Sports ProSocerTalk. "These players from Liverpool are better, more experienced in some ways and younger in other cases. Everything is okay, I am here. I am not here only because LFC was calling. I believe in the potential of this team. Four or five strikers you can work with when they are not injured, midfielders is really good, defenders experienced and very young, goalkeeper is really good. Everything is there.
"Now we have to work. The problem in football is that you can be as good as you want but you always have to play against other teams. You have no influence on how good they are before the game. But in the game, if they are better, you have to bring them to your level. On your level you can kill every team. If they are not so good, you have to win. That is football."
Liverpool's much-maligned American owners, the Fenway Sports Group (FGS), have finally got their marquee manager as they approach their fifth anniversary at the club on Oct. 15, 2015. The decision to fire Brendan Rodgers last Sunday seemed inevitable, as they gambled on a young manager who was unproven at the elite level and failed to deliver trophies but came agonizingly close to winning the Premier League title in the 2013-14 season. Now, they have a man who can help transform their talented, yet drastically under-performing squad which was assembled by Rodgers and Liverpool's much talked about transfer committee, into contenders for at least a top four spot going forward.
That transfer committee which many blamed for the demise of Rodgers is not an issue, as some had anticipated, for Klopp.
"This is a really crazy discussion because it was not a problem for (even) 10 seconds," Klopp said. "We talked about it before. It's enough for me to have the first and last word. We only want to discuss about very good players and discussing on the highest level and I hope that's what we do. I'm not a genius, I don't know more than the rest of the world. I need these people."
Klopp's first media appearance on UK soil as Liverpool's boss ticked all the boxes fans could hope for, as the "Normal One" showed signs he is capable of being far from a normal personality, or manager, in the Premier League.


This issue of the Easterner contains articles about a Cheney town meeting about the expansion of the police force and other topics, access to President George W. Bush's records, the opening of the Cyber Café, karaoke night at Willow Springs, the upcoming football game against Portland State, and the volleyball match for top spot in the Big Sky Conference.
Associated Students of Eastern Washington University, "Easterner, Vol. 53, No. 7, November 8, 2001" (2001). Student Newspapers. 847.


text:
Letter to Martha Berry from Frank R. Chambers
Frank R. Chambers tells Miss Berry that he did his best to write her a recommendation for the Pictorial Review award.
Frank R. Chambers
Miss Berry
Frank Chambers, Pictorial Review Achievement Award
Frank R. Chambers, "Letter to Martha Berry from Frank R. Chambers." Martha Berry Digital Archive. Eds. Schlitz, Stephanie A., Chelsea Risley, Aaron Jackson, et al. Mount Berry: Berry College, 2012. accessed January 27, 2023, https://mbda.berry.edu/items/show/6902.
Chelsea Risley (crisley): Aug 23, 2014 - 8:32:12 am
Aaron Jackson (ajackson): Jun 23, 2014 - 12:01:58 pm
Item Identification #: MB66_10_52_001


text:
package com.amazonaws.services.elasticloadbalancingv2.model;

import javax.annotation.Generated;

/**
 * <p>
 * A specified resource is in use.
 * </p>
 */
@Generated("com.amazonaws:aws-java-sdk-code-generator")
public class ResourceInUseException extends com.amazonaws.services.elasticloadbalancingv2.model.AmazonElasticLoadBalancingException {
    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

    /**
     * Constructs a new ResourceInUseException with the specified error message.
     *
     * @param message
     *        Describes the error encountered.
     */
    public ResourceInUseException(String message) {
        super(message);
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Curtin Singapore scholarship and 2015's English & main courses calendar. The Vietnamese version of scholarship information is attached.
Minimum 9.0 in the high school graduate exam, and IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. Essay 500 words.
Minimum 8.0 in the high school graduate exam, and IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. Essay 500 words.
(*) Note: for students who do not have IELTS or TOEFT score, they are still eligible for the scholarship if they undertake EA3 & pass the final exam, and start the main course in 2015.
If you have students who meet our criteria, please send the application over for assessment.


text:
July 12, 2019 5:25PM EDT Dispatches
ICE Raids on US Immigrant Families Risk Serious Abuses
Trump Administration Policies Fostering Cruelty, Terror
Grace Meng
Senior Researcher, US Program Grace_Meng
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers conduct a targeted enforcement operation in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. on February 9, 2017.
President Donald Trump has reportedly ordered US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to carry out raids on undocumented immigrant families in at least 10 major cities starting Sunday. Although ICE Acting Director Mark Morgan claims the goal is not to instill fear but to follow "the rule of law," ICE officials have openly acknowledged they only expect to arrest "10 to 20 percent of their targets in each city," and instead make "collateral" arrests of any other deportable immigrants they encounter.
Like many of Trump's immigration policies, the effect of these raids will be to foster cruelty and terror with the apparent aim to deter others from seeking refuge or a better life in the US.
Should the planned raids move forward – the American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit seeking to block them – there are fears a cascade of human rights abuses will result.
We will see more families locked up in detention centers, suffering trauma, suicidal feelings, dangerously inadequate medical care, and sexual assault.
We will see more family separations, causing increased numbers of families to experience severe and lasting harm. Homeland Security Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan reportedly called off these raids in early June in part because undocumented parents could be separated from US citizen children. We have already seen that family separations are not temporary – there are families who still have not been identified as separated, let alone reunified since the American public first learned family separations were occurring.
And even more people are likely to go into hiding, pulling children out of school, not reporting crimes, and not seeking medical care, even for children.
Many of the families targeted for this operation are reported to be asylum seekers who have received final orders of removal but remain in the US. Arresting and deporting them will only compound any harms incurred while seeking asylum through a process that repeatedly fails to ensure a fair hearing, with court notices sent to incorrect addresses, lack of legal representation, and the Trump administration's new barriers to asylum. Because of these abuses, many with final orders of removal may be entitled to reopen their asylum cases.
The Trump administration seems determined to double down on its abusive policies, making it imperative that Congress passes legislation to end them. In the meantime, state governments, law enforcement agencies, and companies should take steps to avoid being complicit in these abuses.
For more information on what to do during encounters with ICE, see the ACLU's Know Your Rights webpage.
Immigrant Rights Groups: Congress Must Investigate Separation & Suffering Caused by Trump 'Remain-in-Mexico' Policy
"We Can't Help You Here"
US Returns of Asylum Seekers to Mexico
Immigrant Crime Fighters
How the U Visa Program Makes US Communities Safer
July 11, 2019 Commentary
Beware the Trump Administration's Plans for 'Fresh Thinking' on Human Rights
Russia: A Decade On, No Justice for Natalia Estemirova


– Beauty and the Beast' Red Rose. Include A Red Silk Rose, A Glass Dome, A Wooden Base.
– Bright Glass Dome : Height 8.7′, Diameter 4.3′. Thickness of Glass 0.2′. With Reliable Package.
– A good gift: Rose, as a symbol of love, ideal not only for gifts to loved ones, friend or a teacher occasions.
– Imagine what you dream of, show it in your mind, feel it with your heart.
– Love can turn a man into a beast, and it can also make an ugly man noble.
– True beauty comes from the heart rather than the appearance. Everyone should have their own roses.


In 2011, I rode my motorcycle, a BMW R 1150 GS, from my hometown of Adelmannsfelden in Southwest Germany to Cape Town in South Africa. I was accompanied by my friends Marc (on a BMW R 1100 GS) and Cathleen (on a BMW F 650 GS), and my wife Khukie, with whom I shared my motorcycle. We left Adelmannsfelden on the 10th of May, and we reached Cape Town on the 7th of August. We covered a total of approximately 13,000 km, crossing through twelve countries: Germany, Austria, Italy, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa. This is a photo/video report of our adventures along the way.
The Al-Azhar Mosque was established in 972, and is now part of the second oldest continuously-run university in the world after University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fes, Morocco. Al-Azhar University is often regarded as Sunni Islam's most prestigious university.
The Pyramid of Djoser was built during the 27th century BC for the burial of Pharaoh Djoser by Imhotep.
May 21-30, 2011 – Aswan, one of the driest places on earth (average rainfall: 0.861 mm per year). We spent our first night there at a campsite in the desert. The cold of the night gave way to almost unbearable heat as soon as the first ray of light struck in the early morning.
31 May-4 June, 2011 – After more than 18 hours on the ferry, we reached Wadi Halfa, a small, remote city on the shores of Lake Nubia (as the Sudanese prefer to call their part of Lake Nasser) in northern Sudan. There, we had to wait for our motorcycles for five days, as they were transported on a separate ship. Ever since I visited Wadi Halfa, I have been dreaming of going back. Life in Wadi Halfa is slow, houses are simple yet incredibly beautiful, and people are friendly and open-hearted. Water and desert conspire to create a peaceful ambience for the weary soul.
The temperature that day was significantly above 40 °C (104 °F). The road was in perfect shape; many an American government official would go green with envy! That, however, does not help much if you are "lucky" enough to hit the only stone on hundreds of kilometers of road. My front tire broke internally, resulting in a scary tire bulge. It took us about 2,000 km of (slow and careful) riding until we found a new tire, in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.
A new friend we met in Khartoum introduced us to Sudanese food. The national dish of Sudan is fūl, which is not only delicious but also suitable for vegans! Fūl is a dish of cooked fava beans served with vegetable oil, cumin, and optionally with chopped parsley, garlic, onion, lemon juice, and chili pepper.
June 8, 2011 – Al Qadarif, about 160 km away from the Ethiopian border at Metema. We were trying to find an affordable hotel, unsuccessfully, and the night was beginning to set in. We were about to give up and prepared ourselves to sleep on the ground outside a gas station when we met a local family. They invited us to spend the night with them. We accepted and they took us to their sparsely furnished home, two or three huts with walls made of mud. They prepared fūl for us. After food, they took us along to a wedding. Looking back, this was one of our most memorable nights in Africa. Before we left for Ethiopia the next morning, we offered some money, in an attempt to express our gratitude. They refused. If anybody knows this family, please send me a message. I would love to get in contact with them.
Sudan is still widely untainted by tourism and one of the most beautiful countries in Africa. Its people are incredibly friendly, warm, and generous, and their hospitality is truly humbling.
The fortress-city of Fasil Ghebbi, the remains of which are located in modern-day Gondar, was the residence of the Ethiopian emperor Fasilides and his successors in the 16th and 17th centuries. Surrounded by a 900-m-long wall, the city contains palaces, churches, monasteries, and unique public and private buildings marked by Hindu and Arab influences, subsequently transformed by the Baroque style brought to Gondar by the Jesuit missionaries. The city was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
The bridge in the background crosses the Blue Nile, which originates at Lake Tana in Ethiopia and is one of the two major tributaries of the Nile. 1,300 km earlier, in Khartoum, we saw it merging with the White Nile.
After a straining, yet rewarding 550 km ride from Bahir Dar, a ride we had to postpone once because of heavy rain, we finally reached Addis Ababa, where we stayed at the Ras Hotel, a landmark of downtown Addis. My front tire was in a really bad shape then, as I accidentally drove over a stone in northern Sudan, so we set out to find a new one. After hours of cruising through this buzzing city of three million, we finally found a small roadside garage, which happened to have an old tire that fit my motorcycle. However, despite finding a tire faster than we had expected, we ended up staying much longer than we had planned for, as Marc and I fell sick.
The larger portion of Moyale is located in Ethiopia, the smaller one in Kenya. The border posts' purpose mainly seems to be to control the flow of vehicle-transported goods, as pedestrians constantly cross the border in both directions, without catching the interest of border police. Locals were moaning about a drought that was plaguing the region, and they warned us about ethnic conflicts that could make it dangerous to move in between towns without armed convoy protection in northern Kenya. Unfortunately, a combination of both factors led to clashes in Moyale earlier in 2011, leaving 18 people dead and forcing thousands to flee. It is sometimes hard to see, in particular for those of us who are used to having easy access to tap water, but water is probably our most precious resource.
June 22, 2011 – The Dide Galgalu Desert, somewhere on the road between Moyale and Marsabit in northern Kenya. Well, they call it a "road," but it's really just deep tracks left behind by trucks forcing their way through a seemingly infinite collection of stones and not much else. The 250 km from the Ethiopian-Kenyan border to Marsabit took us three days and certainly were the roughest and toughest part of our journey from Germany to South Africa. We started in Moyale together with a Norwegian film crew that we had met there. They were shooting a documentary for a TV channel in Norway, and they asked us if they may follow us with their cameras. It's always good to have a car around in case of emergency, we thought, and so we agreed. And that's how we ended up being part of a Norwegian TV show! The film crew, however, soon left us, and we were on our own again. The first 120 kilometers or so were okay and brought us to the village of Turbi, where we spend our first night in Kenya. But then the troubles began. The condition of the road worsened quickly, and at a certain point we were forced to walk our motorcycles. Imagine a big BMW motorcycle with two passengers and fully packed luggage bags, totaling almost half a ton. Then add the heat of the desert, and you will get an idea how exhausting this exercise was. At times, it would take us more than an hour just to move another kilometer forward. Then, when the physical strain became too much and our minds and bodies started to fail us, our motorcycles started plunging into the ground. It was only a matter of time until one of the motorcycles, my friend's, gave up, and refused to drive any further. There we were, stranded in the middle of the desert. Luckily, a Kenyan government SUV came by after a while and took Khukie and me to the next village, Bubisa. Marc and Cathleen stayed with the motorcycles. We found somebody with an old truck who was kind enough to take our motorcycles and us to Marsabit. On the way there, we had to make a stop in Bubisa, where we spend our second night in Kenya. Everybody who knows Khukie will not be surprised that, even after such a long and exhausting day, she was able to find a kitchen, and the inspiration to cook for all of us.
I think this was the day on which we first saw free-roaming elephants. Seeing these truly sublime creatures in their natural habitat is one of the things that will change your perception of the world forever, if only a little bit.
After having spent about 400 km riding on gravel and sand, we were very happy to see asphalt again.
While in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, we stayed at a place called Jungle Junction, run by German expat Chris Handschuh. Jungle Junction is a meeting point for overland travelers which includes a garage where Chris and his team repair and service motorcycles and other vehicles. It is a wonderful place to get to know like-minded people from all parts of the world, and to obtain valuable travel information.
One of the photos shows snow on top of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain. How did we get there? That's a long story: We had just crossed the Kenyan-Tanzanian border at Namanga and were riding southwards. We were about to pass the town limits of Longido when suddenly a car rolled onto the highway, disregarding our right of way. The driver saw us, probably panicked, and stopped his car, blocking the narrow highway in its entirety. I had no option but to slam on the brakes, but it was too late. We crashed into the car's side, were thrown over the car, and hit the asphalt. Both Khukie and I passed out. When we regained consciousness, less-than-helpful police officers were there, and the default dozen of curious onlookers. Fortunately, two aid workers with a car came by, picked us up, and brought us to the next hospital, in Arusha. Khukie was dizzy and nauseous, and I was worried that her brain might be injured. As no X-ray equipment to check whether my worries were justified was available at the hospital in Arusha, we had to find another hospital. It was dark already, but I got lucky and found a cab which brought us to the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre in Moshi, about 80 km east of Arusha. The doctor there took a X-ray of Khukie's head and announced that she has a brain bleeding and needs to undergo surgery in Dar es Salaam. As Dar es Salaam is about 600 km away from Moshi, I asked the doctor how we can get there quickly. "There is a public bus that will leave for Dar es Salaam tomorrow morning." Seeing the shock in my face, she adds: "Welcome to Africa!" At that point, I decided to call my German insurance company… Fast forward: Many hours later, early morning. An AMREF ambulance jet, arranged by the insurance company, picks us up, and brings us to Nairobi, where an ambulance is already waiting for us at the airport. At the hospital: MRI, X-ray, and a big relief! Nairobi Hospital's Dr. David M. Silverstein found no brain bleeding and concluded that the X-ray taken in Tanzania was misinterpreted there. Khukie had a mild concussion and a few of her intervertebral discs were slightly deformed, resulting in a day at the hospital, and a week of physiotherapy.
The AMREF Flying Doctors are saving lives in East Africa every day. Please consider making a donation here. If you are a physician, you might be interested to volunteer.
Once Khukie felt better, we utilized our unplanned extra time in Kenya to go on safari.
And felt about the knee.
And all were in the wrong!
Not one of them has seen!
July 13, 2011 – While we were on safari in Kenya's Maasai Mara National Park, we had the opportunity to visit a Maasai village. The Maasai are a Nilotic ethnic group of semi-nomadic people inhabiting southern Kenya and northern Tanzania.
The flamingos are attracted by the lake's abundance of algae. "Nakuru" means "dust" or "dusty place" in the Maasai language.
The ICTR was established for the prosecution of persons responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of Rwanda between January 1, 1994 and December 31, 1994. During that period of time, an estimated 800,000 people were murdered in the East African state of Rwanda, in an ethnic clash between Tutsi and Hutu peoples. The international community watched the Rwandan Genocide unfold and failed to intervene.
One of the photos shows Khukie with our wonderful hosts during our first night in Malawi, at the Safari Lodge in Karonga. We arrived late in the evening and the guest house's kitchen was already closed by then. Thankfully, Brenda (the lady on the right) found somebody who was willing to prepare a modest dinner: French fries with Nali Sauce ("Africa's hottest peri-peri sauce"). The sauce is very popular in Malawi, and rightly so.
Her sons, both significantly more enthusiastic about motorcycles than their mother, would not take off our helmets until I gave each of them a ride around the neighborhood. Faith hosted us during our five-day stay in Zambia's capital, and introduced us to Lusaka's nightlife. She was a wonderful host, and we hope one day we can return the hospitality.
A concerned Botswanan offered to load our motorcycle into his pickup truck and take us to the next city. We declined, and we were lucky enough to meet an elephant on the highway and not to meet any lions.
August 1, 2011 – Reunion with Carla and her family after many years. When I was in high school, I took part in a study abroad program and spent four weeks at Hoërskool Wagpos in Brits. Then, it took me little more than twelve hours by airplane (and a short car drive) to get to Brits, compared to nearly three months by motorcycle. It was great to see Carla and her famliy again, and to meet Carla's husband Phillip and their two children for the first time. Khukie and I also got a chance to visit a physics teacher-turned-farmer whom I remembered dearly, Mr. Visser.
Tonie and Leentjie had just returned from a car trip to Egypt where we first met them on May 20, 2011.
The Big Hole is claimed to be the largest hole excavated by hand in the world.
This is where I leave you, with a beautiful South African sunset, and – hopefully – a desire to visit Africa, the most diverse and beautiful continent of all.


The weekend of May 31 to June 2, Sweden's racing elite will visit Scandinavian Raceway!
The weekend will offer lots of fast-paced racing as we are visited by TCR-Scandinavia, Porsche Carrera Cup, Ginetta GT5 Challenge, V8 Thunder Cars, GT4 Scandinavia, Legends Cup and Formula Nordic.
the only track in the Nordic region with Formula 1 history!
On the final day, Sunday 2 June, there is a sports car festival with car exhibition, shows and awards!
When racing takes a lunch break, the circuit is hosted by completely different fast-paced engines, such as drifting on elite level and classic F1 cars!
During the day, Best Car Club and the Festival's finest car will be awarded!
Sports Car owner We will also bring in nice enthusiasts in the exhibition area. If you are a proud owner, do not hesitate to bring your car and bring it out during the day! Maybe your car will be the festival's finest car?
We welcome all car clubs to celebrate the day with their gems and compete for the festival's best car club!
As a registered car club, you will receive exhibition spaces allocated in the area.
More information about SRL and the classes can be found on SRL's website.
Tickets will soon be available for purchase here on the website.


PAYMENT/DEPOSIT: We accept checks or wire transfers. A deposit of $550 per person is due at time of booking. Final payment is due 60 days prior to tour departure. Tours booked within 60 days of departure require full payment before reservations can be confirmed.
CANCELLATIONS/CHARGES: Written cancellation notice by letter, fax, or email must be received in our office to cancel a reservation. For cancellations made more than 60 days prior to tour departure, a $250 per person cancellation will apply. For cancellations made 60-31 days prior to tour departure, a cancellation fee of $550 per person will apply. For no shows and cancellations made 30-0 days prior to tour departure, a cancellation fee of 100% of the tour price per person will apply.
REFUNDS: No refunds for unused services will be issued.
DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY: Kaktovik Arctic Tours reserves the right to make changes and alterations to your trip as necessary for safety, and proper handling of your trip. We work to ensure a safe trip, but outdoor activities of this nature are not entirely "risk free." We cannot and do not accept any liability for any injuries to or death of tour participants, for loss or damage to personal belongings, or for any other additional time or expenses incurred by tour participants. We are not responsible for cost of delays resulting from weather, sea conditions, construction, transportation, mechanical failures, government regulations, acts of God, or any other cause. By payment of the deposit, the tour participant agrees to be bound by all of the above stated terms and conditions.
Copyright © 2015 Kaktovik Arctic Tours. All Rights Reserved.


Moving Companies To Paris – Find The Best. Allez!
The beauty of Paris as a historic city with excellent urban planning dates back to 1853 and the controversial but advanced architect Georges-Eugène Haussmann. It is thanks to him that any movers to Paris have those wonderful wide avenues to traverse. Imagine the spokes of a wheel, and that is what you can see when you look at maps of Paris. So, whichever arrondissements you want your moving company for Paris to take you to, be that the Louvre, St Germain, Canal St Martin or any of the seventeen others, it will be very straightforward. At Movon, you can find the quality moving companies Paris that can take you to or from the capital with professional ease.
Moving can be a traumatic time, it doesn't matter if you are single or a family, relocating to another country can be time-consuming and stressful. Looking for local moving companies that offer the best price for the efficient and safe transportation of your possessions, can have you tearing your hair out! Movon wants to help you keep your shining locks, and therefore ensure that all their movers for Paris provide a professional service with experienced and trained staff.
Make Your Move To Paris A Doddle!
Before undertaking your move, do a bit of 'throwing out'. Yes, it is time to declutter, and really decide if Aunt Lucy's tea service needs to go with you. Make a plan of what you are taking and where you want them to go, then let your cross country moving company do the rest. The moving companies for Paris on Movon's list offer bespoke services, so transporting that grand piano from one doorstep to another is no problem, and they can even pack the tea service if you want! Plus, for that extra peace of mind, know that all the listed movers for Paris are fully insured.
From a precious family heirloom to your son's Star Wars collection, all possessions will be safely transported by the selected movers to Paris, from your old home to your new one. All the quality moving companies for Paris on our list have the latest technology. SatNav and tracking tech lets you know where your possessions are all the time and also helps to find the most efficient routes available. Getting a quote has never been easier or as fast! Complete the online form with the relevant details and get your estimate today.


How does the machine know what the ships look like. There were no dedicated rom chips in the machine. It had a diode matrix that operates as it's rom. If you look at the schematic of th player memory boards you can see the rom images. (Link at bottom of post to get pdf of user manual.) Above the 74150 chips, which are used to access the memory, you can see the bitmap of the ship. It's a 16 bit high by 12 bit wide picture. There are 9 seperate images, which is over 800 bytes of memory stored by diodes.
The 74151 chip is a decoder, or demultiplexor. It takes the 4 lines of input and enables one of it's 16 output lines, this enables the row of bytes we are interested in. Enabling the output, means that we place 5 volts on that line. The 74150 is a multiplexor. The 4 control lines pick which of the inputs to choose. Such that if the control lines were set to 4, the output would be whatever was at input number 4. This allows us to choose which bit to look at. The 74151 choose which line, or you could say which byte, and the 74150 chooses the individual bit from that byte. The 74151 provides 5 volts, however if the line selected by the 74150 does not have a diode, there will not be 5 volts on it's output.
Unlike a modern machine, because of system constraints, we only use one bit at a time. This is because there is no ram, to hold th entire picture that will be displayed all at once. Later we will look closer at th video display process. 10 points for anyone that knows why there are 2 diodes on the top of each picture. That is a little bit of a cheat. If you follow the lines in the full pdf, you will see it goes to the thrust circuitry. These diodes put dots under the ship when thrust is being pressed. This way they didn't have to make another set of images with thrust shown.
Why doesn't it make a big line all the way down the screen. That's because of the logic gates, that only enable those two diodes on the proper lines. But they also pulse the thrust, to give it the impression of movement. That's what the 4 inverters are doing. The capacitor accross the second one turns them into a waveform that is generated only when thrust is applied. The movement illusion, is because the two pixels alternate, while the ship is repositioned. A pretty neat trick. The schematics are in pdf form at the killer list of video games inside the owners manual.


text:
NLCS Preview: Phillies vs. Giants
For the third straight season, the Phillies will be battling it out for a chance to move on to the World Series with a team from California. This year the Dodgers sit at home, while a new contender, the San Francisco Giants, has stepped up. As the Phillies look to become the first National League team to win 3 straight National League Championship Series, the Giants will seek to surprise many around baseball, as they are widely considered the underdog.
The focus in this series will be on the pitchers and each team will send its ace to the mound for game 1. For the Giants, it will be Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, who tossed a complete game shut out against Atlanta in his postseason debut last week. For the Phillies, it will be Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay, who hurled a no-hitter against Cincinnati in his postseason debut last week. Neither pitcher expects a repeat of their gems from his last time out, but that doesn't mean both men won't be trying.
Offense is expected to be at a minimum in this series, which means every little thing counts. It'll be up to the teams to play as flawlessly as they can, as the squad with the fewest mistakes could very well prevail as the victor.
Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and loads more information on this series.
Game 1 in Philadelphia- Saturday 10/16, 7:57pm. Tim Lincecum (16-10, 3.43 ERA in regular season) vs. Roy Halladay (21-10, 2.44 ERA in regular season). In 7 career games against the Phillies, Lincecum is 2-1 with a 3.17 ERA and a .199 batting average against. In his last 7 starts, Lincecum has posted a 6-1 record with a 1.62 ERA. Chase Utley is 2-for-20 (.100 avg) with a homerun in his career against Lincecum. In 16 road starts this season, Lincecum went 7-3 with a 3.17 ERA. In 3 career starts against San Francisco, Halladay has a 0-2 record with a 7.23 ERA. Halladay has thrown 7 or more innings and allowed 0 runs in 4 of his last 10 starts. Pat Burrell is 6-for-18 (.333 avg) in his career against Halladay. In 15 starts since the All-star break, Halladay has posted a 12-3 record with a 2.58 ERA.
Game 2 in Philadelphia- Sunday 10/17, 8:19pm. Jonathan Sanchez (13-9, 3.07 ERA in regular season) vs. Roy Oswalt (13-13, 2.76 ERA in regular season). In his last 8 starts, Sanchez has posted a 4-1 record with a 1.06 ERA. In 9 career games against the Phillies, Sanchez has a 3-1 record and a 2.86 ERA with a .175 batting average against. Sanchez has allowed just 2 earned runs in 14 innings pitched at Citizens Bank Park in his career. Jimmy Rollins is 1-for-16 (.086 avg) in his career against Sanchez, while Jayson Werth is 0-for-12 against Sanchez. In 17 career starts against the Giants, Oswalt has a 6-8 record with a 3.61 ERA. In his last 5 home starts, Oswalt is 3-0 with a 2.18 ERA. Juan Uribe is 6-for-16 (.375 avg) with a homer against Oswalt in his career.
Game 3 in San Francisco - Tuesday 10/19, 4:19pm. Matt Cain (13-11, 3.14 ERA in regular season) vs. Cole Hamels (12-11, 3.06 ERA). In 5 career appearances against Philadelphia, Cain has a 0-3 record with a 6.23 ERA. In his last 5 starts, Cain is 2-1 with a 2.20 ERA. Jimmy Rollins is 6-for-10 (.600 avg) with a double, 3 triples and a HR in his career against Cain, while Chase Utley is 7-for-15 (.467 avg) with a double and 3 homers against Cain. In 15 regular season starts after the All-star break, Cain posted a 7-3 record with a 2.91 ERA. In 18 home starts this season, Hamels posted a 7-6 record with a 3.14 ERA. In 8 career starts against San Francisco, Hamels is 4-2 with a 4.67 ERA. In his last 8 starts, Hamels is 6-1 with a 1.22 ERA. Cody Ross is 9-for-30 (.300 avg) with 4 homeruns in his career against Hamels.
Game 4 in San Francisco- Wednesday 10/20, 7:57pm. Madison Bumgarner (7-6, 3.00 ERA in regular season) vs. Joe Blanton (9-6, 4.82 ERA in regular season). In his last 7 starts, the left-handed rookie Bumgarner has posted a 3-2 record with a 1.43 ERA. In 8 starts at home this season, Bumgarner had a 1-3 record with a 4.60 ERA and a .303 batting average against. In 7 career starts against the Giants, Blanton has a 2-3 record with a 4.72 ERA. Blanton has not lost a start since July 21st. The Phillies are 10-1 in Blanton's last 11 starts. Juan Uribe is 1-for-11 (.091 avg) in his career against Blanton.
Game 5 in San Francisco if necessary- Thursday 10/21, 7:57pm.
Game 6 in Philadelphia if necessary- Saturday 10/23, 3:57pm or 7:57pm.
Game 7 in Philadelphia if necessary- Sunday 10/24, 7:57pm.
Aaron Rowand is a .293 hitter with 23 HR in 150 games played at Citizens Bank Park in his career. In 207 career regular season games played at AT&T Park, Rowand is a .250 hitter with 17 HR.
Brian Wilson posted a 1.65 ERA in 32 road games this season. In 8 career games against the Phillies, Wilson is 0-1 with 4 saves in 6 chances and a 6.43 ERA.
Andres Torres is 2-for-16 (.125 avg) thus far in the playoffs.
Carlos Ruiz has a .299 batting average in 35 career playoff games. In 20 career games against San Francisco, Ruiz has a .228 average.
Jimmy Rollins is a .221 hitter in 35 career playoff games. Rollins is 1-for-11 (.091 avg) thus far in this year's playoffs.
In 6 career games against San Francisco, JC Romero has a 1-1 record with a blown save and a 10.13 ERA. In 24 career postseason games, Romero has a 3.20 ERA.
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I'll be appearing live on 97.3 ESPN's Weekend Sports Guide with Tyrone Johnson on Saturday around 1:15pm. Tune in live online by clicking HERE.
Posted by Jay Floyd at 12:00 AM
Labels: Aaron Rowand, Carlos Ruiz, Giants, JC Romero, Jimmy Rollins, Matt Cain, Phillies, Roy Halladay, Series preview, Tim Lincecum
Phils will bounce right back in game two. That won't happen again.
Sunday School: Phillies History Lesson 78
Happy Halloween From the Phillies Broadcasters
Arizona Fall League is Launching Pad for Stars
Yankees Fans Effect Team's Shot at Landing Lee?
A Reintroduction
Jayson Werth Press Conference Audio
Werth Gives Unofficial Farewell
Missed Opportunities Cost Phillies Their Season
This Guy Speaks For All of You
Bats Over Hoops for "Moose" Mattair
Resilient Phillies Bring NLCS Back Home
Phils Drop Game 4, Mismanagement to Blame?
Victorino Positive with Back Against the Wall
NY Fans Quit, Nolan Ryan Laughs as Rangers Crush Y...
Cain Shuts Down Phillies Offense, Giants Lead Series
Story Time with JC Romero
Oswalt and Rollins Shine as Phils Pull Even
Ryan Howard Appears on Eagles TV Broadcast
Ross an Unlikely Hero as Giants Take Game 1
Ryan Howard's Late Show Top 10
Shameful Giants Playoff Anthem
Phils Pitchers Look to Stay Hot
MLB's Final Four All Set
Blanton Ready, Oswalt Impersonates Charlie & More
Phillies Advance to Third Straight NLCS
Sunday School: Phillies History Lesson- Eppa Rixey
Phillies Lead NLDS 2-0 Over Reds
MLB Jeopardy Part 12
Halladay an Inspiration to Young Prospects
Halladay Untouchable in Playoff Opener
Scott Franzke Calls Final Out of Halladay's NLDS N...
NLDS Series Preview: Phillies vs. Reds
Experts Predict the 2010 MLB Postseason
De Fratus and Team USA Cruising in Pan-Am Qualifiers
Phillies Draw Reds in Division Series
Playoff Rotation Set, Potential Opponents Cringe
Series Preview: Phillies at Braves, 10/1-10/3


Glancing at many front pages, an uninformed observer would understand only that Mitt Romney said something controversial and wrongheaded.
As the political press argues about how voters are going to react to Mitt Romney's "47 percent" remarks, if at all, it's worth taking a quick look around America to see how it's playing on the front pages of newspapers. For the most part, the Romney campaign can't be liking what they saw Wednesday.
One reason these remarks could theoretically hurt Romney is that the 47 percent of voters he disparaged include GOP supporters and winnable swing voters. I agree with Ramesh Ponnuru when he says that "a lot of the people in the 47 percent won't feel insulted because they don't know they're in it." What perusing these newspaper headlines brings home is the fact that to the uninformed observer this news just comes across as Romney having said something stupid.
"Romney Trips in Tight Race" may well be the takeaway for a lot of barely-paying-attention Americans.


Award season has arrived in Hollywood, and it's also here at Snakes & Lattes. December means it's time to announce the winners of the Snakey Awards. Every year we honour new games (or new to us games) that are big hits with our customers and our Game Gurus. Previous winners have included such games as Lords of Waterdeep, Love Letter, Word-Around, Kulami, and Word on the Street.
This year we got introduced to a lot of great games, some brand new, some a little older that have finally made their way to our shelves. We have five categories to award this year: Best Party Game, Best Kids' Game, Best Co-op Game, Best Light Strategy Game, and Best Game.
So, without further ado, here are the Snakey winners for 2014!
Splendor, from Marc Andre and the Space Cowboys design house, was nominated for the Spiel des Jahres this year, and many were surprised that it didn't win, including most of the Gurus at Snakes & Lattes. Splendor has quickly become a go-to gateway game for customers who are looking to open the door to the Euro-game phenomenon. With its simple mechanics and low teach time to play time ratio, it's no wonder our Gurus love it. Players are competing gem merchants, trying to earn the most prestige by getting bigger and better facilities and attracting the attention of important noble patrons. Like other SDJ candidates over the years, Splendor is a great ambassador to the hobby of gaming. Simple rules, engaging choices to make, and attractive production make this a great choice to help introduce your non-gaming friends to the world of games beyond Monopoly. And it's deep enough that the serious enthusiast will find the game engaging and rewarding.
The Hare & the Tortoise is the third installment of Iello's "Tales & Games" series. Designed by Gun-Hee Kim, and originally published in 2011 under the name Royal Turtle, The Hare & the Tortoise is a great little racing game suitable for kids, but engaging enough for adults to enjoy as well. The Hare has challenged the Tortoise to a rematch of their famous race, and this time all the animals want in on the competition. Tortoise, Hare, Fox, Wolf, and Lamb all think they have what it takes to win. Who will come out on top? That is up to the players. Each player selects up to two animals to secretly back, scoring points if their animals win, or at least make it to the podium. Players take turns playing animal cards until enough have been played to trigger a running round. Each of the five animals moves based on how many cards of their type got played, modified by each animal's special rules (Tortoise moves one space even if no one played any Tortoise cards, Hare won't move if he's in the lead, etc.). It will take a number of running rounds to finish the race, and only the first three animals to cross the finish line score points.
While not a new release of 2014, we did only acquire this little gem of a game this year, so it gets the nod for best party game for us this year! Buster Balloon by Fran's Rookmaaker is ridiculously simple: don't pop the balloon. Like Jenga, Buster Balloon is tense, exciting, and has one loser. Inflate a balloon and secure it in the little plastic gibbet of balloon-esplodey-containment. The cage has sockets all around it that take graduated plastic pokers. On your turn, you role the die and make that many "clicks" with the various pokers. Try not to pop it! The moment you make your first click, you will immediately have a visceral understanding of what makes this game so awesome.
Matt Leacock's latest co-op design takes the Pandemic franchise to a whole new level. Beautifully produced with tons of custom dice and nicely thematic syringe trackers, the game is a tactile as well as tactical experience. Each of the different specialist roles has its own set of custom dice that allows it to do something none of the other roles can do. Both player actions and infections are controlled by rolling dice, so there is more randomness in this than in the original, but not as much as it seems at first glance. The infection dice are not true six-sided dice. They have been carefully designed so that each disease will only rear its head in specific regions of the board. The randomness of the player dice is mitigated by the fact that until a die gets used (or comes up "biohazard"), the player can roll it again and again to get the desired result. One of the things that all this dice rolling and other random elements do is mitigate the alpha-player problem present in so many co-op games. The alpha-player is the "expert" who knows what everyone's best move is, and tries to dominate the game. The random nature of the game ensures that the "best" move is much harder to pin down. The Cure is more complicated looking to people who are unfamiliar with Pandemic, but it offers new and harder challenges that fans of the original will enjoy. Snakes & Lattes had the privilege of helping Matt playtest The Cure in its early stages of development a couple years ago and we've been eagerly awaiting its release. It did not disappoint.
And the Snakey Award for our favourite game of the year goes to Plaid Hat Games' Dead of Winter by Jonathan Gilmour and Isaac Vega. There are a lot of zombie games on the market, and this one quickly rose among the ranks to become a standout favourite with the Gurus and customers at Snakes and Lattes. Dead of Winter is a cooperative game with a twist. Like other "co-opetetive" games before it, Dead of Winter uses a betrayal mechanic that will keep you guessing which of your friends you can trust, and like Saboteur or Shadows Over Camelot, in Dead of Winter you never know if someone at the table actually is a betrayer or not. Each player is given a personal objective that must be achieved, while striving to also complete the group objective. Sometimes one player will have a betrayer objective, and so must work against the group. Even if you aren't the betrayer, your personal goal may be at odds with the group, and you may suffer the wrath of your fellow survivors for it. The secret objective aspect eliminates the problem of the alpha-player, because anyone who pushes too hard on a particular agenda will be seen as a possible threat. And with each player having a private goal, the only player who knows your best move is you!
One aspect that has made the game so popular around here is the Crossroads Deck. It's a deck of cards that provide players with moral and situational dilemmas to face. Players never know when a Crossroads card may come up, or what effect the choices they make will have on the outcome.
If you think that the true threat during a zombie apocalypse is the other survivors you have to co-operate with, then Dead of Winter is the zombie game for you. Plaid Hat recently increased their print run on Dead of Winter by a factor of ten, so there will be plenty of copies to go around!
Looking for a little shopping help this holiday season? Wondering what to get for the gamer that has everything? Check out Snakes & Lattes 2014 Holiday Buying Guide. All the help you need for the gamer in your life!
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There is a term in the board game hobby for games that introduce new players to the wonderful world of modern board games: gateway game.
Gateway games are accessible examples of Euro-style games that are frequently used by gamers to convince their non-gamer friends and families that the modern board game movement has created a lot of interesting games that go well beyond what the average person thinks of when you say board game ("you mean like Monopoly and stuff?").
There is a sacred trinity of gateway games. Most gamers played these games early on in their gaming lives and even many non-gamers will have heard of at least one of these titles: Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, and Ticket to Ride. Many gamers who joined the hobby ten to twenty years ago, may find that these games do not do it for them any more (although that certainly isn't the case for all gamers – I play Ticket to Ride and Carcassonne on my tablet quite a bit), but they likely were part of their first steps into the world of gaming. And if you're just getting into the hobby yourself, you should definitely pay these games a visit; they aren't that complicated but they allow for a variety of play styles, and they introduce you to a variety of game mechanics that will lay the foundation for your comprehension of more challenging games down the road. The trinity are by no means the only gateway games, but they are some of the earliest modern games to achieve mainstream success.
But what if you have played the gateway games? What's next? There are a lot of steps to take between Ticket to Ride and the seriously heavy games like Agricola, Game of Thrones, or Caylus. Not everybody wants to take the journey all the way. You might find that gateway games satisfy your gaming needs completely. But then again, you may find that they don't. You may find yourself yearning for something deeper.
When you are ready to move beyond the gateway, what should you be looking for? That all depends on you. Some players will be ready to plunge right into the deep end of gaming after they've had a little exposure, but this article is not for them. This article is for you. You are unsure of what to play next; you want to avoid having a bad gaming experience or getting in over your head. One of the best ways to avoid getting out of your depths is to look for games that provide a sense of familiarity in some respect - theme, mechanics or designer can all offer a through line that will allow you to expand your comfort zone without ever leaving it.
If you enjoyed Ticket to Ride, there are a number of train games you could try that will likely entertain you. Trains by Hisashi Hayashi and AEG games takes the trains on a board aspect of Ticket to Ride and pairs it with a deck building mechanic that will prepare you to play games like Dominion or Thunderstone in the future. Trains & Stations by Eric Lang and Whizkids combines train building with a push your luck dice mechanic that prepares you to play other games that ask the question: should you be happy with what you have or risk losing it to get something better?
Carcassonne's tile placement and area control mechanics open the door to tons of other games. Qin, one of Reiner Knizia's recent games from Gigamic games, is a gateway game in its own right, but is also a good next step from Carcassonne because it builds on the ideas of growing the board with tiles and claiming areas of the board with your pieces and adds a more direct sense of conflict that is harder to come by in Carcassone. Another good next step from Carcassonne is Vegas Showdown from Hasbro's Avalon Hill line. It uses tile placement to build casinos but it adds an auction mechanic that will prepare you for other auction games like Ra, For Sale, and Modern Art. Jonathan, our senior Game Guru and host of the SnakesCast, says that once you've played Carcassonne, you're ready for Suburbia (which is basically like SimCity the board game) because "each player lays down their own tiles, building their own little borough with its own distinct personality."
After playing The Settlers of Catan, you are prepared for any number of "modular board" games, such as Nexus Ops, Last Night on Earth, or Kulami. These are games where the board will be different every time you play and, like Settlers, you will have to adjust your strategies to adapt to that.
Other games with an agricultural or colonial theme may also appeal to someone looking to go beyond Settlers. Santiago from Z-Man Games is a great agricultural game that adds auctioning and bribery to your skill set. Puerto Rico and Stone Age are both agricultural worker placement games that rely on gathering resources to build your empire. Puerto Rico has a lot more moving parts and substantially deeper strategies than Settlers, so it isn't the next step for every gamer, but it should definitely be on your radar if you've developed a taste for good Euro games.
To hear Jonathan and some of our other staff talk further on the subject of Beyond the Gateway, listen to the episode of the SnakesCast of the same name.


Plans are moving forward for the construction of a major new residential project that will bring 176 apartments to a two-acre lot in Westchester.
An initial study published by the Department of City Planning last week provides a glimpse at the project, which would replace an office building at 6733 Sepulveda Boulevard. Close to the Howard Hughes Center, it's one of several projects reshaping the area lately—including a major redevelopment of the mall itself.
Renderings from architect Johnson Fain show that the building would rise to five stories at its highest points, with several lower-slung common areas, including a large pool deck.
In addition to the apartments, the project is set to include 256 parking spaces in a primarily below-ground parking structure. An additional 194 bicycle spots will also be included. The building's units will be a mix of 82 studios, 75 one-bedrooms, and 19 two-bedroom apartments.
Urbanize LA notes that the project's developer, Sandstone Properties, also plans to spend around $87,000 on streetscape improvements to Sepulveda Boulevard. Renderings suggest these could include new trees and terraced gardens fronting the building at street level.


text:
Q: Backbone + RequireJS: Making Collection Persisting? I'm using Backbone with RequireJS, and my View needs to switch between like, say, 20 collections corresponding to respective RESTful APIs.
The "normal" way handles things fine, except that for each API a new Collection needs to be defined, resulting in a hugely bloated codebase:
Collection (x 20 times)
define(function(require) {
    var Backbone = require('backbone');

    var c = Backbone.Collection.extend({
        url: '/path/to/api-1'
    });

    return new c();
});

View
define(function(require) {
    var Backbone = require('backbone'),
           c1 = require('./collections/collection-1'),
           ...
           c20 = require('./collections/collection-20');

    var v = Backbone.View.extend({
        /* Some methods to toggle between Collections here */
    });

    return v;
});

By only doing return c; inside the Collection, and calling new c({url: /path/to/api-1}); inside the View, I was able to cut down the highly duplicated Collection defines; but now on each new c(); calls, the APIs will always be poked to retrieve a new copy of data, which is a waste to resources and something I do not want.
Is there any way to make Collections "persistent"? Which better meets all of the criteria below:

*

*For each API's corresponding Collection, only one new is performed;

*Each Collection can be shared/accessed across different Views defined using RequireJS;

*The definition of the Collection can be reused by all APIs;

*The global namespace is not polluted at all.

A: You don't need to make a new file / collection.
You could just do something like this in your view:
var collections = [];
collections.push( Backbone.Collection.extend({url: '/path/to/api-1'});
collections.push( Backbone.Collection.extend({url: '/path/to/api-2'});
collections.push( Backbone.Collection.extend({url: '/path/to/api-3'});

...
collections.push( Backbone.Collection.extend({url: '/path/to/api-20'});

var view1 = Backbone.View.extend( {data:collections} );
var view2 = Backbone.View.extend( {data:collections} );

You will then have an array loaded with all your collections

A: In a similar vein to the other answer, you could have a collections array defined as an AMD module:
Collections
define(['backbone', 'underscore'], function(Backbone, _) {
    var collections = [];

    var urls = ['/path/to/api-1', '/path/to/api-2', '/path/to/api-3'];

    _(urls).each(function(url) {
        collections.push(Backbone.Collection.extend({
            url: url
        }));
    });

    return collections;
});

And your views could use it like this:
View
define(['Backbone', 'collections'], function(Backbone, collections) {

    var v = Backbone.View.extend({
        /* Some methods to toggle between Collections here */
    });

    return v;
});

A: Found a rather hackish solution:
Wrap your Collection with another Model:
define(function(require) {
    var Backbone = require('backbone'),
        m = require('../models/model');

    var wrapper = Backbone.Model.extend({
        initialize: function() {
            var $_path = this.get('path');

            var c = Backbone.Collection.extend({
                model: m,

                url: $_path,

                initialize: function() {
                    this.deferred = this.fetch();
                }
            });

            this.set({
                collection: new c()
            });
        }
    });

    return wrapper;
});

Then, define a Cache container:
define(function(require) {
    return cache = {};
});

Require both the Cache container and the wrapped Collection in your View module:
define(function(require) {
    var $ = require('jquery'),
        _ = require('underscore'),
        Backbone = require('backbone'),
        cache = require(cache),
        wrapper = require('../collections/collection');

    var v = Backbone.View.extend({
        render: function($_path) {
            var c = cache[$_path] || cache[$_path] = new wrapper({
                path: $_path
            }).get('collection'));
        }
        ....
    });

    return v;
});

This way you get both the benefits of instantiate new Collections with dynamically-generated $_path values, and being able to cache data fetched from your APIs so long the page is not refreshed - implement localStorage if you'd like the data to persist through page refreshes.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I recently moved some furniture around in my living room and now the animals have a bird's eye view to the back yard. (Literally–the bird feeder is right outside the window). Mulder thinks it's a fabulous TV show!
He'll sit for hours, chattering at the birds and pawing at the glass to get at them.
This must be in Hi-Def.
There is a limit to how much TV he can watch without getting bored.
I am so sick of beach volleyball!
He has his own ANIMAL PLANET right there at your house!
Nuthin' too good for my little boy!


Aerodynamic Aluminum Wing: UCI Compliant 3:1, aerodynamic aluminum wing has zero drop from clamp to brake extensions. Combined with a shorter reach, this design translates to better control.
Stackable Risers: Slim, sleek risers fine-tune armrest/extension height to get a perfect blend of aerodynamics, power and comfort.
Integrated Bracket: Lightweight, simple and easy to adjust – the patent-pending bracket system simultaneously clamps the extensions while attaching the brackets to the wing. This design yields a smaller profile in the wind, creates less drag, and minimizes corrosion issues from exposed bolts.
F-35i Injected Armrest:3x fore/aft positioning, providing 30mm of adjustment for customized fit.
T4+ Aluminum Extensions: The high-performance shallow ski-bend T4+ Aluminum extension offers a single neutral wrist angle with a low extension height for better aerodynamics.
The F-35 armpad comes in 3 different thicknesses to maximize comfort and fit.


Microsoft's Satya Nadella expands the company's vision with the concept of "conversations as a platform." That's where Skype, HoloLens, and Cortana now need developers to usher those tools deeper into the conversation,, which means tools aplenty now and to come.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella opened up the Build 2016 Conference in San Francisco with the idea of a new platform in the "...-as-a-platform" vein -- Conversations as a Platform. Much of the talk centered on that concept, with much of the new tools that were introduced having to do with a number of communication apps.
Visual Studio 2015 Update 2: It officially came out of RC status, and has gobs of new features: latest version of VS Tools for Apache Cordova, VS Tools for Universal Windows App Development, improvements to the slew of language tools, More information here; our last news coverage on the RC release is here.
Microsoft HoloLens Development Edition: Alex Kipman and Kudo Tsunoda, co-developers and team leaders for the HoloLens, officially announced the availability of the HoloLens and the HoloLens Development Kit today (we wrote about it here). It's mainly aimed at serious developers and enterprise early adopters who want to start writing code to the device.
Cortana Intelligence Suite: Effectively, it's a renaming of the Cortana Analytics Suite, but there are few more new features of the suite that were introduced today. The suite comes with a full compliment of data-crunching tools that developers can tap into and manipulate from within their apps: Cortana Cognitive Services, which is a collection of intelligence APIs that can take advantage of the various methods of input -- speech, touch, image recognition. Also brand new within the suite is the Microsoft Bot Framework, which will allow natural language types of conversations between and among apps that are aimed at communication: Skype, Outlook, SMS, Office 365, and others.
We'll cover lots of these as well as some of the nuggets announced during the show (including Bash for Windows, which got a genuine round of applause during the keynote) in future articles on this Website, so stay tuned.
Nadella's keynote will be available on demand on the Channel 9 site here.


Paul Lewis is is aiming to keep his spot after his return to the starting 11 against Cheltenham Town.
The 24-year-old started the match on the right wing, having not even been named in Cambridge United's squad since their 1-0 defeat to Exeter City.
He looked as though he was playing his way into the team earlier this season after a disrupted career at the Abbey so far, featuring heavily in November and December, before an injury before the Notts County game curtailed his progress.
And now he said he has got to work hard to earn his place back.
"It's frustrating," he said after United's defeat to Cheltenham Town.
"Obviously I got myself in the team, got myself a few goals then just before Notts County I didn't play with a knock.
"That's football, you've got to deal with those things. You've got to keep working hard and see if you can get yourself in the plans.
Lewis was one of five changes made to United's line-up at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium, and he admitted that no one really did themselves justice.
"People will think that [the amount of changes cost them the points], but at the end of the day it's a squad game, the lads who have come in for them have got to be at it," he said.
"That's not an excuse to say just because there's five changes that we can accept what happened out there. Getting beat 2-0 away from home, I don't think anyone can come away thinking they've done themselves justice.
Indeed, using the ball better was mentioned by both the midfielder and his head coach after the defeat, and Lewis said that the U's have to take the game to other teams.
"We were a bit sloppy to start with," he said. "We maybe had one or two half chances before they scored, if we put them away then we might have got something out of the game.
United missed the chance to go 10 points clear of relegation on Tuesday match, and ahead of a massive trip to fellow strugglers Yeovil, Lewis said they have to be better.
He added: "They're all big games with the position that we're in.


वेब मीडिया पर शिकंजा कसने की तैय्यारी में केंद्र सरकार!
ShareNewYork, American media is abuzz with speculations about Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's political ambitions. Mark Zuckerberg has kicked off a political storm in America with his "Personal Challenge 2017" campaign. Many of American political pundits are seeing this campaign as "Politically Motivated" and claim that it is kick off of Zuckerberg's 2020 Presidential Election campaign.


The tulle skirt—pretty much the ultimate in party dressing—just got even more festive, thanks to a ball-gown silhouette and a smattering of metallic polka dots. From J.Crew's spring/summer 2016 wedding collection, the Dalila Tulle Skirt looks wedding-ready even when it's paired with a plain white T-shirt; for your wedding day, pair it with something a little more special—or not. It's your party, after all. Dalila Tulle Skirt, $750. We're not sure it would work, but we'd love to see what happens with that skirt over this crepe de chine bridal jumpsuit, also from the most recent collection. Crepe de Chine Bridal Jumpsuit, $495. Here are the rest of the newest pieces for brides: And here's a fresh crop of bridesmaid dresses from the brand, including some new silhouettes, and some existing silhouettes in new colors. Of course, some of these would work for moms and wedding guests as well. If you're in the market for a bargain-basement deal, shop last season's bridesmaid dresses for as low as $84. In other news, watch really successful women tell us about their very first job.
The tulle skirt—pretty much the ultimate in party dressing—just got even more festive, thanks to a ball-gown silhouette and a smattering of metallic polka dots. From J.Crew's spring/summer 2016 wedding collection, the Dalila Tulle Skirt looks wedding-ready even when it's paired with a plain white T-shirt; for your wedding day, pair it with something a little more special—or not. It's your party, after all.
We're not sure it would work, but we'd love to see what happens with that skirt over this crepe de chine bridal jumpsuit, also from the most recent collection.
Crepe de Chine Bridal Jumpsuit, $495.
And here's a fresh crop of bridesmaid dresses from the brand, including some new silhouettes, and some existing silhouettes in new colors. Of course, some of these would work for moms and wedding guests as well.
If you're in the market for a bargain-basement deal, shop last season's bridesmaid dresses for as low as $84.
In other news, watch really successful women tell us about their very first job.


text:
Home / Articles / USS Oklahoma Sailor Clifford Goodwin Identified
USS Oklahoma Sailor Clifford Goodwin Identified
Grave marker for Unknown remains of the USS Oklahoma
It's a headline that's popped up dozens of times since 2015: The remains of a sailor from USS Oklahoma (BB-37), the ill-fated battleship that capsized and sank during the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, is identified after more than seven decades and is returned home to be buried alongside his family. No matter how many times it happens, however, it's an event that provides some degree of comfort to yet another family whose loved one was lost seven decades earlier. One such family is that of Clifford Goodwin.
From a Farm in Missouri to USS Oklahoma
Clifford Goodwin
More than 76 years ago, Clifford George Goodwin, a young man who once lived on a farm in Missouri, was serving aboard USS Oklahoma when a fleet of Japanese fighters and bombers launched an attack on the US naval base. A few minutes before 0800 on December 7th, 1941, Japanese aircraft opened fire on airfields across the island and the ships lined up at Pearl Harbor. Among the primary targets was USS Oklahoma, which, after being struck by torpedoes, capsized and sank, taking with her 429 sailors.
Among those killed in the attack on USS Oklahoma was Clifford Goodwin, who had joined the Navy in April of 1940. Seaman First Class Goodwin was one of more than 350 sailors of Oklahoma whose remains were unidentifiable using the technology of the time. Rather than being given a proper burial, the remains of Goodwin and his fellow sailors were eventually buried in mass graves at the National Cemetery of the Pacific, where they stayed for more than 70 years.
Clifford Goodwin Returns Home
Seal of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
In 2015, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency began work on a project to unearth the unidentified Pearl Harbor remains and, with the help of DNA matching, provide them with the recognition that was unavailable to them in 1941.
In early May 2018, Goodwin's remains arrived at his hometown of Diamond, MO for a procession and funeral service held on the 12th of the month. Among Goodwin's family members at the funeral was his niece, Donna Goodwin Vance, who recalled the fateful decision the young sailor made that could have changed his life. On the evening of December 6th, 1941, Clifford Goodwin had returned with his fellow crew after maneuvers. Rather than return to shore to spend the night at his older brother's house, he remained aboard his ship.
His brother (and Donna's father) Daniel was already serving on Oklahoma when Clifford Goodwin enlisted, but Daniel was not on board when the Japanese began their attack on the harbor. As Donna recalls, her father Daniel felt guilt for the remainder of his life, passing away in 1988 before his younger brother could be returned home.
Clifford Goodwin was buried with full military honors in his hometown cemetery. His second cousin, Reverend Phillip McClendon, gave a eulogy that honored the belated return of the Pearl Harbor hero.
"Rosie the Riveter" Inspiration Has Died
As we watch the number of Pearl Harbor survivors dwindle,...
Fallen USS Oklahoma Twins Identified
On August 10, 2019, a pair of twin brothers who...


text:
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	<cache name="employeeCache" maxElementsInMemory="10000" eternal="false"
		timeToIdleSeconds="120" timeToLiveSeconds="120" overflowToDisk="true"
		maxElementsOnDisk="10000000" diskPersistent="false"
		diskExpiryThreadIntervalSeconds="120" memoryStoreEvictionPolicy="LRU" />
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text:
Carbon Ring Storage Could Make Magnetic Memory 1,000 Times More Dense
Attach a couple of cobalt molecules to a ring of carbon and you have the dream memory material.
by Emerging Technology from the arXiv
There's a challenge facing electronics engineers attempting to build magnetic memory that can store data for more than 10 years or so. The density at which this data is stored depends on the size of the magnetic grains used for this process. Engineers have known for some time that they just can't continue to make these grains indefinitely smaller.
But today, Ruijuan Xiao at the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, in Dresden, Germany, and a few buddies have worked out how to solve the problem. And get this: their fix doesn't just tweak the density of magnetic data storage. They reckon that they can get an improvement of three orders of magnitude.
Here's some background. In magnetic storage, the data is stored in the orientation of the field in a specific magnetic domain. So the task for data-storage guys is to find a material in which the spontaneous reversal of this magnetic field occurs significantly less often than once every 10 years. This is related to how easy it is to flip the magnetic field from one direction to another, known as the magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE).
It turns out that cobalt has the highest MAE of the ferromagnetic elements, which is why it is the material of choice for magnetic data recording.
The trouble is that the MAE of any material depends on its structure. The grains of cobalt in state-of-the-art data storage consist of about 50,000 atoms in a hexagonal close packed structure. In this formation, cobalt has an MAE of 0.06 meV per atom.
It should be possible to reduce the size of these grains to about 15,000 atoms, but in grains any smaller than that, it becomes impossible to guarantee the hexagonal close packing. And without that structure, the MAE drops precipitously and the data is lost over much shorter timescales.
What Xiao and co have found is a way to trick cobalt dimers into thinking that they're in a hexagonal close packed structure. Their idea is to attach the dimers to a hexagonal carbon ring such as benzene or graphene. In this scenario, one of the pair of cobalt atoms bonds with the carbon ring, and the magnetic field between the cobalt atoms can be switched by applying a weak magnetic field and a strong electric field.
Now in this setup, the MAE of cobalt is calculated to be about 100 meV. And while chemical bonds usually have a significant effect on the MAE, Xiao and co say that the carbon hexagons do not.
If they're right, carbon ring storage should allow engineers to access this extraordinary stability, and that could lead to fantastically long-lived memory.
It should also allow much higher memory density too. The cobalt grains now used in magnetic storage are roughly 8 nm across. Benzene rings, on the other hand, are merely 0.5 nm across.
The only question now is whether this team's calculations hold true in the real world.
Ref: arxiv.org/abs/0906.4645: Co Dimers on Hexagonal Carbon Rings Proposed as Subnanometer Magnetic Storage Bits
Emerging Technology from the arXiv