Acoustic Guitar Parts | Gear Acquisition Syndrome!!
For my birthday this past Memorial Day weekend, I got a rockin', G.A.S.-y gift!
I had specifically asked for certain acoustic guitar parts, and my family, being the awesome examples of humans that they are, had some nicely wrapped and ready for my open hands as soon as I got up.
My New Bone Bridge Pins!
The present was deceptively small for the considerable impact it will make. I removed the paper, opened the box lid, and lifted out the packet that lay inside. I looked through the clear plastic baggie, and viewed what I had been anticipating… six cream-colored guitar bridge pins….
What I CAN tell you is that swapping my old pins out for these new bone ones made an immediate difference in the sound produced by my Ibanez AE acoustic guitar.
So does replacing parts, like pins, saddles, nuts and such, really make that much of a difference?
Funny you should ask… !
No Petrochemical Synthetic Polymer Malleables!
We all know that we get what we pay for. For guitars under, say, $800, it's pretty common to find lots of parts made of (wait for it… ) PLASTIC. That soft, shape-shifting polymer is everywhere; there's probably not a single room in your whole house that doesn't have something plastic. In fact, it's so ubiquitous, our oceans are full of it and damaging wildlife and the environment.
But… is it a good choice for the tone-transferring parts of instruments?? Not really. The reason mostly has to do with its mass: it's just too soft. Soft materials will never pass along vibration as well as harder, more dense materials.
Add to that, that because of its softness, many find their strings cutting into the plastic nuts or saddles over time, deep enough that the notes become cut short and "muffled" sounding.
Definitely not a boost towards optimal tone!
If you record acoustic guitar with microphones frequently, as I do, you know how important it is to eke out every bit of impressiveness that you can. If we optimize critical components by getting rid of plastic, we'll find we've taken a beneficial step in the right direction.
Here's what I've noticed: when you swap out the plastic nut, saddle and pins on an acoustic guitar for another material, you eliminate a kind of "banjo sound" that plastic produces. The mid-high frequencies seem to be more pronounced by plastic, as well as a muddy low-end.
I also find that plastic emphasizes and DE-emphasizes certain frequency RANGES. This (to my ears) makes the sound more… well, I guess the best word is "separated". It sounds less like a cohesive team of tones, and more like disjointed ranges of notes, throwing dodge balls at each other… in a gymnasium… with green fluorescent lights!
To see what I mean first-hand, just LISTEN TO THIS.
In a nutshell, use plastic parts and you'll sacrifice clarity of fundamental notes, sustain, low bass & overtone frequencies and even, full-bodied tone.
The video above shows us that the difference in materials can produce staggeringly apparent sound differences! But how can the material used to make pieces that are so small make such a difference??
The combination of these cuts, boosts and transfers is what produces the specific "sound" of your guitar.
So, when you strum or pick an acoustic, the vibration of the strings passes through the saddle, the bridge, the bridge pins, and into the top wooden sound board. All of those cut, boost and transfer frequencies.
If one (or more!) of those is made of a substance that stifles vibrations (e.g. plastic), then instead of resonating them, a significant part of your sound, my friend, will just be stolen. And the police can't help ya!!
The biggest reason to upgrade from plastic? For me, it's because parts made of bone produce a more EVENLY-REPRESENTED frequency spectrum. No matter what I play, it sounds like the frequencies are all a cohesive unit, instead of islands of tone that just happen to be in the same room.
The materials you make a musical instrument with matter a lot. If you just want something with 6 strings to play around a campfire every few times a year, then… whatever, put strings on a rake. But if quality of sound is your goal, you MUST consider what raw materials make up your melody-making tool.
So, given that plastic is such a poor medium for vibrational transfer, what other options do we have??
My birthday gift was BONE bridge pins. Bone is definitely a denser material than plastic, so right away we know that we are going to get better sound transference.
I personally found more volume, more sustain, more clarity in tonal center and more evident harmonic content in my Ibanez AE, just from switching from plastic to bone pins! How cool, that we can gain a real boost to our tone for under $20!
If you're wondering what KIND of bone you'll get, well, sadly there's no way of knowing unless you ask the company you purchase through, and even then the person you get on the phone might not know.
Most of the time you're probably getting COW. They use many of the more dense bones of our moo-ing ex-friends, and probably will continue to, as long as humans eat meat, which (tho' I'm a vegetarian) probably will not end anytime soon.
The only downside I've read about using bone is that, because it's an organic substance, its density isn't consistent throughout. In other words, there could be some "dead spots" under certain strings as opposed to others. This makes sense from a scientific standpoint, and the sonic transfer could be affected.
Anything that's alive, or even was alive, will have an unpredictable, organic differences. I get that. Still, the upgrade to bone from plastic was such a clear winner to my ears… even if that IS true, it doesn't matter to me.
So, did you notice the wildly anachronistic animal on the list above?? How in the name of Gibson did that get on there??! Let's see, shall we… ?!
Did you know that, for over 300 years, there has been a legal ivory trade coming out of Siberia… of woolly mammoths?!
It's quite common to dig up the remains of these great beasts in that region. They preferred it there for some reason. Maybe the tundra ice kept their flowing hair locks moisturized!
Regardless, even today it's still legal to trade for the ivory in the tusks of these animals. Yes, MAMMOTH IVORY is rare, and costly, but come on… who wouldn't want to make a connection with an impressive creature that's been extinct for thousands of years? Imagine how its massive mojo could burnish up your tone! Mesmerizing!!
Some scientists estimate that there are probably still 10 million mammoths carcasses buried in Siberia, based on the rate and regions of discovery thus far.
So, if you aren't scared away by price tags that are usually over a hundred bucks, go get for your most favored guitar a set of woolly mammoth bridge pins (like THE ONES HERE) and spread your impressive story to anyone who even MENTIONS your guitar.
So? How would you describe the tone difference you heard in the video? I like it. In fact… I think I'm gonna look into swapping out my bridge now… !
It's important to differentiate, when shopping for guitar parts, between bone and ivory. There is a difference.
The tusks of an animal, what is designated "IVORY", are of a much denser nature than the bones of that same animal. Tusks are basically teeth that have grown out of an animals mouth. They are not considered bone, and they are more prized as a sound transferring material because of their denser characteristics.
Alas, even tho' they are better at sound transference, a political movement has all but eliminated it as a chose for musicians. In 2014 the U.S. Department of the Interior implemented a ban on IVORY, because way too many elephants were being killed for it. That ban is still in effect today.
This had sweeping ramifications for many industries, but the music instrument business was hit extremely hard. For decades, ivory had been used for tuners, saddles, nuts, bindings and purfling… Now suddenly that raw material was off-limits.
There is also legislation out there still protecting walrus, rhinos and even narwhals ("hope you find your dad, Buddy")! They were, for hundreds of years, all secondary sources for international ivory trade.
It's a good feeling to know the lives of rhinos, elephants and walruses the world over are being saved out of extinction. But the instrument companies still had to stay in business, and they needed alternatives FAST!
It's similar to what happened in 1929, the year of the stock market crash that caused the Great Depression: From that point the makers of PIANOS started substituting plastic on top of their piano keys instead of ivory, to cut costs and try to survive through one of the worst financial debacles in history.
In both cases, though for different reasons and at different times, plastic started being used in droves. It saved the day, but it did not save the TONE. As a substitute for ivory, plastic is, in a word, inferior.
We now move on to using material that, yes, was still "alive" once, but is much more accepted as a raw material, and causes less political rallies: WOOD.
If you have a guitar that you feel is too bright, and overly ringy, then you could benefit from swapping your parts out for wooden replacement.
One luthier online even said he had a guitar come in once that had a nut made of (are you ready?!)… matchsticks!
For an excellent example of EBONY versus PLASTIC, go watch THIS VIDEO. If your ears are like mine, it's pretty obvious which are gonna win the "I Sound Better Than You" award!
One thing to remember about wood: it always grows or shrinks based on temperature. So adding more wooden parts to your already-mostly-wood guitar will cause it to be even more susceptible to environmental changes. Finicky about tuning? You have been warned!
Many say a close second to using bone components, or even better than bone, is switching out your plastic with "Tusq" parts. It's basically man-made ivory made by a company called Graph Tech.
Those who are Tusq adherents say that you get a more consistent delivery of vibration from this material because it's totally consistent in mass, thickness and density. They will tell you the shortcomings of bone, based on the 'dead spots' I mentioned, and share the many companies that now ship guitars with Tusq instead of plastic.
Without question, it's a great step up from plastic. I myself am toying with buying some Tusq parts just to test 'em out.
Although I didn't see it a lot, you can, if you dig deep enough online, find acoustic guitar parts made of metal.
To hear a shootout between BONE and BRASS pins, watch THIS VIDEO.
Sounds like going this route really livens up your tone in the high frequencies. I could definitely hear the more "metallic tone" when he used the brass pins.
In fact, it reminded me of playing a Resonator guitar (check those unique creatures in THIS POST), only with the metallic quotient dialed back quite a bit.
Regardless, you will certainly get a different sound, no question, and often that's just the ticket for livening up your mix or your live tones!
But I thought we said that artificial polymers were bad??
Well, certainly any man-made material that is SOFT is going to work against you on a guitar. The ones listed above are all much denser, and thus better sounding than plastic.
Remember that, at the end of the day, whatever materials you use on your axe, it's about how it SOUNDS TO YOU. The ear of the beholder reigns, and for both the player and listener, if it sounds right, it IS right.
What's great is that a lot of these material upgrades to your axe don't have to come at a premium. Many are CHEAP! And as anyone knows… cheap is good for G.A.S.!
Check out THESE BONE PINS that you can have caressing your tone-lusty ears in mere days.
Or THIS SADDLE & NUT COMBO pack that will not only enliven your sound, it'll take your guitar's style up a notch or two!
Or just get everything all in one package, LIKE THIS KIT, and really turn the tables on your tone!
It can't hurt, doesn't cost much and just might take your sound up to the next level for hardly any investment.
Sounds like my kind of Gear Acquisition!
So now that we know all about our options for switching out the nut, pins and saddle… can we do it ourselves?
Yes! But only if you feel comfortable, knowledgeable and skillful enough to take on the task. I would also take my guitar to a luthier IF I found the saddle to be GLUED into the bridge. This is not standard procedure, so you probably won't come across that problem, but if you do… don't try to rip it out yourself. That could damage your bridge and soundboard badly.
How about electric guitars? I don't find they need swapping as much, personally. That's probably because there's so many other factors at play in an electric: pickups, metal bridges, tremolo systems, cables, amps, effects… under that avalanche of tonal elements swapping out a nut would not be nearly as noticeable.
But in acoustics the difference screams.
As a final caveat to all this talk of upping your game tonally, I must mention… none of this material-swapping will be a magic bullet to your sound unless you make sure that every piece you put on is CUT correctly, or shaped appropriately, for the guitar in question.
Measure your guitar parts before you buy. This will ensure that you get the same size nut, saddle and pins that will fit your guitar.
Then, when you get the right-sized piece, make sure the strings naturally sit where they should. If it looks like they don't want to sit where the slots have been cut in the nut, for example, you may have to get the nut recut or buy another one that fits better.
Even pins can be different, tho' they're not so much of an issue. I have one guitar where the pins were a little larger than what the guitar came with. They stick up about 2 mm higher than they should, but they've never popped out once I put new strings on and still improved the sound.
I find that most guitars will take these add-ons just fine, with no needed trips to a local luthier. But keep your eyes open… some guitars are made… well, just a little differently!
The best way I can think of to finish this article is to give you a taste of the options I've discussed.
I planned on doing a video shoot-out, but guess what? Sotos already did a great one, so I figured why re-invent the wheel?
Sotos Bakas is an excellent musician and gear geek from Athens, Greece. In researching guitar parts materials, I came across the parts comparison he has online. He did a bang-up job! He kept everything the same except the parts, watched his proximities, played the same music… the perfect way to really hone in on the parts in question.
And even more… he plays beautifully!
So to get instant insight into the tonal varieties of guitar part materials, watch Sotos in THIS VIDEO.
Thanks for that outstanding comparison, Sotos. You ROCKED it!!
My suggestion to you, in light of all we've covered today, is that you do what I did: buy one or more of the parts that are currently plastic on your guitar, change them out and see if you like the difference.
Remember, most of these parts are under $20; many under $10!!
Switching from plastic will up your tonal game. You'll hear the obvious benefits, and your music and your audiences will gain the benefits.
If you go for it, let us know the results here at Serious G.A.S. Throw us a comment and describe the difference in sound you experienced.
For now, I'm going to go investigate those mammoth parts… I think the caveman in me is COMIN' OUT!!!


Listen and obey immediately when Jesus asks you to do something. Give up your way and do his way.
I need to listen and obey immediately when I get direction from God. With Jesus is in my boat, I should follow what he says (because he says so.) As a follower of Jesus Christ, he expects me to obey whatever he tells me to do, even if it appears foolish, doesn't make sense financially, or even if I don't fully understand it (and scared to death about it.). Luke 5:4-5 says, "When [Jesus] had finished speaking, he said to Simon, 'Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.' Simon answered, 'Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets'" (NIV). Not only did Jesus get in the boat, but suddenly he began giving fishing instructions to professional fishermen. Peter's reaction is interesting. First, he didn't argue with Jesus. He didn't say, "Excuse me, Lord. You're a carpenter. I'm a fisherman. And those fish aren't biting! Who are you to tell me how to do my job?" And, he didn't hesitate. When Jesus said to launch the boat, he didn't say, "Why don't we think about this for a minute? Let's form a committee and vote on it" or "We're pretty dirty and tired here, Lord. How about we try again later?" Instead he responded to Jesus with unquestioned obedience. If I can become a because-you-say-so believer, I believe God will bless my life. His instructions do not have to make sense; if God says so, I should do it, trusting him in faith. In short, disobedience will always hurts me, mainly because I'll miss out on the blessing he planned to give me through it. Because of my recent illness and surgery's I have held back on doing what I believe God had asked me to do back in February; beginning to get involved in the lives of those around me (mentoring.) It's scary, however, I know once I take that step forward that God will provide blessing to those around and to myself.


text:
Q: Determining if Windows 8 can install device drivers I need to install unsigned device drivers on Windows 8 machines (getting the drivers signed is not an option at this point in time). I can make this happen by having the user put the machine in a state where it will allow the installation of unsigned drivers. That process is at this web site.
How to disable driver signature verification on 64 bit windows 8.1 so that you can install unsigned drivers.  After the system is then rebooted, my install process works.
How can it tell in my C# program if the system is in that state where it will be allowed to install unsigned device drivers?
How can I force the system into that state?

A: You could just try, and if it fails you know why. However it might be worth trying this way:

*

*Ensure your program is running in admin mode (you need this for drivers anyway)

*Run bcdedit and capture the STDOUT

*Parse the output for nointegritychecks Yes and testsigning Yes (additional whitespace omitted).

More information can be found here and here.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Coalition NBN Policy: Short-Term Savings But No Long-Term Vision
Peter Gerrand
Yesterday, we outlined some of the unanswered questions in the newly-announced Coalition NBN policy. Here, University of Melbourne professorial fellow Peter Gerrand looks at some of the potential longer-term issues with the policy.
"The superfast broadband of the order of 100+ megabits per second (Mbps) and into the gigaspeed bracket is de rigueur for any nation purporting to be a developed and advancing economy." — Phil Ruthven, "A Snapshot of Australia's Digital Economy to 2050", IbisWorld, June 2012.
The Coalition should firstly be congratulated upon launching a detailed, closely argued policy proposal on their alternative vision for the National Broadband Network and how it can be implemented "faster" and at less cost than the current NBN.
Malcolm Turnbull has moved the Coalition light years — or at least several million fibre optic kilometres — from the Luddite criticisms thrown up by the Opposition during the 2010 federal election campaign. And with his party leader Tony Abbott, he has released a coherent policy five months in advance of the 2013 election, in contrast to the Opposition's broadband policy release just three days ahead of the previous federal election, on 13 August 2010.
That said, it was sad to see the number of debating tricks employed in launching his national broadband policy.
There was the conflation of the government's NBN policies mark I (2007) and mark II (2009), and the selective omission of the "externalities" in the rollout of the NBN — (particularly the long negotiations with Telstra and the business-model-changing interventions of the ACCC) — in order to trash the reputations of both NBN Co and the government, in failing to meet rollout targets announced in either 2007 or 2010.
And there is the claim that the NBN, as a "government-owned telecom monopoly", somehow inhibits retail competition. In contrast, the Australian telecommunications industry recognises that it has only been through part of the current government's NBN policy — the structural separation of Telstra and the positioning of the NBN building blocks as wholesale resources available to all retailers on equal terms of usage — that will allow totally equitable retail competition in the supply of broadband.
There was also Mr Turnbull's claim that in choosing the cheaper FTTN (Fibre to the Node) option, rather than Fibre to the Home (FTTH), the Coalition is following world's best practice. This political delusion — not shared widely within the telecommunications industry — was recently burst by independent journalist Stuart Corner's article in the Telecommunications Journal of Australia, "The politics of speed", where he found that "82 per cent of investment in FTTX (FTTH or FTTN) in 2012-17 in the world's developed countries is estimated to be in fibre-to-the-home (FTTH)" — i.e. only 18 per cent of that investment is destined for Mr Turnbull's preferred FTTN.
These debating points must be debunked because they are part of a smokescreen that portrays the current NBN as being needlessly gold-plated, incompetently managed, and ridiculously tardy in meeting Australia's real needs for broadband — none of which I believe to be true. The reality is that we now have the chance to compare two policies pitched at different timescales of infrastructure need and use — and there are arguments in favour of both approaches. But we need to remember that, under both policies, there will be a world of difference between the timelines set in politicans' election promises and the hard engineering realities of managing any project of such massive scale.
Let me briefly compare the essential differences between the two policies. First, timescale. The current NBN is based upon meeting bandwidth needs, in the case of the lucky 93 per cent with FTTH, for perhaps three decades beyond the rollout completion in 2021. (Just as the copper access network rolled out by the PMG in the 1950s was intended to last — and generally did last — for a further 50 years.)
The current NBN's vision satisfies two key drivers. The first is the need for Australia to grow its digital economy, as the only likely growth sector that can complement, and ultimately overtake, the mining industry. The Ibisworld report, from which I have quoted above, lays out a well-argued scenario in which by 2050 some 20 per cent of the national GDP will be generated by the digital economy — if it is underpinned by ubiquitous high-speed broadband.
The digital economy is already a larger employer than the mining industry, and it has the advantages of providing a much greater diversity of highly paid, high-value jobs, which can be teleworked virtually across Australia — given enough access to bandwidth.
The second driver is the inexorable historical growth in telecommunications access rates, which has been exponential since the 1950s — see the below graph from Rod Tucker's 2010 article, "Broadband facts, fiction and urban myths".
This exponential growth prediction, which is the telecommuncations industry's equivalent to Moore's Law for computing, continues to get empirical support — for instance, Google is currently trialling 1Gbps applications in Kansas City.
The current NBN policy is predicated upon building the major infrastructure — the network infrastructure — only once, and its lasting for decades. For this reason, the current NBN policy must be seen as being far more future-proof than the alternative policy. Optical fibre, already capable of supporting bandwidths in terabytes per second, is considered to have a lifeteime of 40 to 60 years. (A caveat is that the new satellites to be launched in 2015 to support the 3 per cent of homes in remote areas will probably need to be replaced in 15 to 20 years. The fixed radio technology supporting 4 per cent of premises can be replaced or upgraded much more cheaply, but should last a good 20 years without upgrades.)
If the current NBN policy is predicated upon providing international competitive advantage to Australia over several decades, the Coalition's NBN policy can be fairly categorised as a more cost-effective catch-up across Australia of the bandwidth that most households need now, in two stages.
Firstly, within the parliamentary term ending in 2016, their plan aims to universally match the 25 mbps "bar" now set by NBN Co's fixed radio technology, announced two months ago (an impressive doubling of the previously planned 12 mbps download speed, due to improvements in radio technology). In a second stage, to be completed by 2019, they aim to provide 50 mbps minimum access speed to all FTTN and FTTH premises. This is an excellent aim for a cost-effective short-term (six year) plan.
However, in many cases, the proposed new FTTN technology intended for use in 71 per cent of premises will not reach this speed in areas of low copper reticulation (British Telecom's solution in the UK requires the use of two pairs of copper per house connected, which is not universally available here), or in areas of ageing or particularly water-prone copper cables (a frequent situation).
The Coalition's solution is to provide FTTH in these exceptional cases. Without access to their business plan, one cannot see if they have factored in enough cases to affect their budget.
Four quick points in conclusion. Firstly, the Coalition has minimised the likelihood of any rural backlash by basically leaving the current NBN plan intact in rural areas. Secondly, it has not (at the time of writing) released its estimate of the cost of paying Telstra to maintain in working condition the copper network that will link its new FTTN cabinets to customer premises. There is reason to believe that the Coalition will have significantly underestimated this.
Thirdly, the Coalition has behaved extraordinarily like the Gillard government did in 2010 in building an investment case for the NBN that fails to factor in the real benefits to the nation's GDP, such as to the digital economy — let alone attempting to "capitalise" the benefits of social inclusion through facilitating universal broadband access.
Instead, the Coalition's proposal reads like an engineering investment case alone — an impression reinforced by Mr Abbott's statement that his NBN, unlike the current one, will provide "a real commercial return". Given all the cherry-picking that their NBN policy will allow to private developers, free at last to directly compete with the NBN's access infrastructure wherever they can make a profit, there is good reason to think that the Coalition's NBN will, as a result, inevitably operate at a loss.
Lastly, the Coalition makes much ado about saving taxpayers' money through reducing the scope and scale of the NBN. In fact, the only taxpayers' money saved would seem to lie in lower interest payments made by Treasury in the period before the NBN breaks even — in a period of historically low interest rates. These savings need to be offset by the loss to the economy of all the construction jobs associated with FTTH — the most labour-intensive part of the current rollout.
Peter Gerrand is Honorary Professorial Fellow in Telecommunications at University of Melbourne. He is the managing editor of the Telecommunications Journal of Australia, http://tja.org.au/index.php/tja. From 1991-1993, he was the General Manager for Network Strategy and Forward Network Planning at Telstra. This article was originally published at The Conversation. Read the original article.
memeweaver @memeweaver
Did anyone notice that the word "upload" is not mentioned anywhere in the Coalition policy document?
whitewolf @PC
It seems the population are a bit stuck either way. We either have Gillard's plan which Conroy will shove multiple filters on there which will in turn slow it down to the lightning speed of a snail; or the Coalition's policy which is fibre to the node. I think I'd go with the Coalition's plan as it won't cost me, my kids and their kids billions of tax dollars in the future because Labor are such dreadful project managers.
wordsmith @wordsmith
That's pretty much where I fall as well. It's all about risk for me.
Noother Guest
$29.5B now, then add ongoing maintenance, extra costs negotiating with Telstra (if they even negotiate) and extra costs replacing copper where required or laying fibre instead. By the end it will take as long and cost just as much and will need to be replaced with FTTP not long after. In the end it will cost Australia even more and be a much worse system, while only serving 70% of Australia vs 93% of current NBN. They're making savings by cutting back how widely its rolled out and the services provided, it is just smoke and mirrors to make it look cheap up front when after 5-10 years it'll cost more. How about looking to the future somewhat? They'll also sell it off once down and create another Telstra (if Telstra doesn't buy it).
Also the upload speeds will be around 1mb which is low, I'm on that right now and have trouble doing video calls (has to be bad quality) and uploading video to the cloud is very slow and kills the connection. Not to mention that all those people who have issues when it rains will still have it with the Coalition NBN, so a lot of stability issues and disconnects will still exist due to the nature of copper. I think I'd prefer the more stable, cheaper in long run, and faster current NBN as opposed to the half done, slow, unstable, expensive in the long run Coalition NBN which will need to be upgraded later anyway for more 10's of billions.
stevothedevo @stevothedevo
The filter sits very nicely with people of Aboot's slant (never heard a squeak against it from the Libs).
And there are so many negatives to FTTN (remember that's where Labor were planning to go back in 2007) especially when considering that the upgrade cost to FTTP is comparatively small and considering that we KNOW that FTTN will be insufficient in 15-20 years time.
Do it once and do it right or don't do it at all and leave it to the market to provide!
anthonyqld @anthonyqld
FTTP can be easily upgraded to 1tps+ in the future. FTTN can't be.
snowmonkey @snowmonkey
It's pointless arguing about the technological advantages of FTTH, when the argument is purely an economic one. Anyone who wants can have FTTH under the coalition's policy. It's just that they'll have to pay for it themselves, just like users of toll roads. It makes more sense than the taxpayer picking up the tab for everyone. How many hospitals, schools, universities are we willing to forgo so that everyone can download high-def movies?
Last edited 10/04/13 8:50 pm
Danial Guest
No it doesn't, you're just completely flipping ignorant to the facts.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I am evaluating ActiveMQ with PostgreSQL JDBC adapter.
backend DB. However I have seen that this doesn't happen in case of queue.
once successfully consumed by the consumer.
This is a very generic use case which should never happen.


text:
Over-Exfoliation Explained: Here's How to Avoid This Common Skin Care Mistake
Photo Illustration by C.J. Robinson
It's easy to do too much of a good thing.
By Adam Hurly
Exfoliation is one-third of the basic skincare regimen. Clearing out dead skin is a key to a clear complexion and uniform skin tone. But over-exfoliation can be a big problem. If you want to be maximally handsome, you've got to exfoliate, but it's also a very easy process to take too far and wind up looking like you're blushing for a week straight.
So that's the question: How much should somebody exfoliate? Because going overboard comes with some pretty severe, painful consequences: "Over exfoliation may lead to redness, irritation, sensitivity, and flaking," warns board-certified dermatologist Dr. Ryan Turner, of Turner Dermatology in NYC. And, unfortunately, there's no single answer for how much is too much: "Exfoliating is not one size fits all. Skin turnover and sensitivities vary from person to person." Turner points out that it's not even enough to know how often someone is exfoliating, because products differ so much in strength. Finding this balance—the frequency that works for you, with the product that works best—is something you've got to figure out for yourself.
But maybe we can nudge you in the right direction—with Dr. Turner's help.
The two types of exfoliation
First, there are chemical exfoliants, which can gently dissolve dead skin cells while also accelerating cellular turnover in the skin. (This promotes quick turnover of hyperpigmentation—dark spots—and shrinks the appearance of pores).
Secondly, there are physical scrubs, which buff away dull, dead skin cells, only to encourage the healthier, brighter ones to surface. This keeps skin smooth and also plays a part in preventing pore clogging. Exfoliating scrubs are also a terrific way to remove dead skin cells prior to a shave, to prevent razor drag and ingrown hairs.
Turner prefers chemical exfoliants for his patients. "Chemical exfoliants involve little to no rubbing and are less disruptive to the skin barrier than harsh physical scrubbers," says Turner. "Chemical exfoliants that contain alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs, like lactic acid) or beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs, like salicylic acid) for example, are also great for acne-prone skin and hyperpigmentation."
But that's no knock on physical scrubs. Anyone who has ever used a gritty callus remover knows the benefits of buffing away dead, unsightly skin. The resulting smoothness feels incredible. Of course, with your face, you are dealing with much more sensitive, finicky skin. (When is the last time you had a volcano zit on the ball of your foot, or cared about how quickly a tiny cut healed on your ankle?)
How much exfoliation is too much?
Since the rules of over-exfoliation vary from one person to the next, it's a "you know it when you see it" type of thing. Or, as Turner puts it, "When a person over-exfoliates, the skin can become red, sensitive, and have a burning sensation." Hard to miss!
It's a fairly easy mistake to avoid, too, if you approach exfoliation carefully. First of all, do your research on any ingredients and then do a spot check on your skin: apply a small amount of any chemical exfoliant to your inner arm or the nape of your neck. Wait a couple days to gauge whether or not you react poorly. Start with lower-grade chemical formulas, and begin with a once or twice weekly application. Don't increase the frequency, volume, or potency without following similar spot checks.
With physical scrubs, choose a gentler texture (read on for some suggestions), and start with a once-weekly approach. You can work your way up to twice weekly after you know your skin can tolerate it.
At any sign of over exfoliation, sideline the product until your skin can fully recover. (And consider replacing the product if you think its formula is to blame—but not if your excessive use is the actual culprit).
"When this happens it is best to put your exfoliation routine on pause and moisturize the skin to help calm the it and replenish the skin barrier," Turner says. "Restarting with lower percentage chemical exfoliants or decreasing the frequency of your exfoliation can help to get your skin back on track.
Lastly, consider how your exfoliation is working with other potentially-irritating ingredients. "Oftentimes the combined use of retinoids and chemical exfoliants can increase irritation of the skin," says Turner.
How to recover from over-exfoliation
If you've turned yourself medium-rare, Turner says to switch to a gentle, non-acidic cleanser, and to use a thin layer of a skin protectant to help calm the irritation.
Cetaphil gentle cleanser for sensitive skin
$16$8
Doctor Rogers RESTORE healing balm
He suggests incorporating a ceramide-, squalane-, and/or hyaluronic acid-rich moisturizer, any of which can help soothe skin and preserve moisture levels.
Dr. Jart+ ceramide moisturizer
Perricone MD hyaluronic acid moisturizer
"Recovery may take up to four weeks to allow the skin to complete a renewal cycle," Turner says. "Also, decrease the frequency of shaving to reduce friction on the face and to speed up the recovery process."
The best exfoliating products
Dr. Turner suggests finding chemical exfoliants with gentler, steadier approaches (applied two or three times a week for a consistent balance, versus a once-a-week reset from a stronger product). Carefully working in this toner and serum is a great place to start.
The Ordinary glycolic acid (7%) exfoliating toner
Paula's Choice 2% salicylic acid exfoliant
As for physical scrubs, he says to find something with a fine texture. "Avoid ingredients that cause too much friction," he adds. "I recommend exfoliants with a natural base of rice powder or jojoba beads. They are effective but less abrasive on the skin." Here are two of our favorites that fit the fill.
Skinfood foaming rice scrub
Pai jojoba bead exfoliating scrub
How to Get Rid of Dead Skin
Give your skin—all of it—a fresh, smooth start.
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Home Blog Page 1732
About 200 ISIS Jihadists Killed in Iraq Offensive: US
WASHINGTON: Some 200 Islamic State jihadists were killed by US-led coalition aircraft during an intense battle in Iraq this week, a US military spokesman said on Friday.Baghdad-based Colonel Steve Warren, who represents the US-led coalition that is attacking the IS group in Iraq and Syria, said about 500 jihadists...
China-Russia Heavy Lift Helicopter Contract Deferred To Mid-2016
Russian Mi-26 Heavy Lift HelicopterA contract to develop the Advanced Heavy Lift (AHL) helicopter should be signed between China's Avicopter and Russia's Rostec in mid-2016 instead of end-2015, Dmitry Shugaev, Deputy CEO of Rostec has said."We can say that both sides have a desire to come together and finalize...
The Story Behind India's First-Ever Military Meet at Sea
December 15 marked the first ever Combined Commanders Conference (CCC) outside Delhi and on board a carrier, as mandated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who chaired the annual affairby Jugal R PurohitAbout six minutes before the final, five helicopter ensemble touched down upon the flight deck of aircraft carrier...
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IAF Finds itself in Precarious Position at a Time when Achieving Air Superiority
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L-Arginine Ameliorates Defective Autophagy in GM2 Gangliosidoses by mTOR Modulation
cells-10-03122-v2.pdf (PDF, 4Mb)
additional-files.zip (application/zip, 2Mb)
cells-10-03122.xml (XML, 12Kb)
Castejón-Vega, Beatriz
Rubio, Alejandro
Pérez-Pulido, Antonio J.
Quiles, José L.
Lane, Jon D.
Fernández-Domínguez, Beatriz
Cachón-González, María Begoña
Martín-Ruiz, Carmen
Sanz, Alberto
Cox, Timothy M.
Alcocer-Gómez, Elísabet
Cordero, Mario D.
Castejón-Vega, B., Rubio, A., Pérez-Pulido, A. J., Quiles, J. L., Lane, J. D., Fernández-Domínguez, B., Cachón-González, M. B., et al. (2021). L-Arginine Ameliorates Defective Autophagy in GM2 Gangliosidoses by mTOR Modulation. Cells, 10 (11) https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10113122
Aims: Tay–Sachs and Sandhoff diseases (GM2 gangliosidosis) are autosomal recessive disorders of lysosomal function that cause progressive neurodegeneration in infants and young children. Impaired hydrolysis catalysed by β-hexosaminidase A (HexA) leads to the accumulation of GM2 ganglioside in neuronal lysosomes. Despite the storage phenotype, the role of autophagy and its regulation by mTOR has yet to be explored in the neuropathogenesis. Accordingly, we investigated the effects on autophagy and lysosomal integrity using skin fibroblasts obtained from patients with Tay–Sachs and Sandhoff diseases. Results: Pathological autophagosomes with impaired autophagic flux, an abnormality confirmed by electron microscopy and biochemical studies revealing the accelerated release of mature cathepsins and HexA into the cytosol, indicating increased lysosomal permeability. GM2 fibroblasts showed diminished mTOR signalling with reduced basal mTOR activity. Accordingly, provision of a positive nutrient signal by L-arginine supplementation partially restored mTOR activity and ameliorated the cytopathological abnormalities. Innovation: Our data provide a novel molecular mechanism underlying GM2 gangliosidosis. Impaired autophagy caused by insufficient lysosomal function might represent a new therapeutic target for these diseases. Conclusions: We contend that the expression of autophagy/lysosome/mTOR-associated molecules may prove useful peripheral biomarkers for facile monitoring of treatment of GM2 gangliosidosis and neurodegenerative disorders that affect the lysosomal function and disrupt autophagy.
autophagy, mTOR, GM2 gangliosidosis, L-arginine
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10113122


For a current roster of committee members click here.
This congregation has established a "Standing Committee" to manage its affairs in between congregational meetings. Our Standing Committee is charged with managing the congregation's business and property and providing recommendations to the congregation for further action. It also appoints all other committees and makes policies. It calls annual and special congregational meetings and receives reports from other committees. The Standing Committee meets monthly.
The Trustees administer all endowment funds of the church, both unrestricted and those restricted by the donors, currently invested through the Unitarian Universalist Common Endowment Fund. They authorize disbursements from endowment funds to church for authorized purposes, and effect the transfers. The Trustees accept and deposit any new contributions to the endowment funds. They work closely with the Finance and Property committees. The three trustees are elected by the congregation for three year terms, one new trustee each year over three years, providing continuity.
This committee presents a slate of nominations to Annual Meeting for all elected positions and fills occasional vacancies during the year. It ensures membership of committees fairly represent diversity of age, gender, duration of association, and interests of the congregation.
This committee facilitates the congregation's ability to offer compassion and support in times of illness, death, celebration of significant milestones, and short-term emergencies. The committee identifies those in need of meals, visitation, or transportation, and connects member-volunteers who provide the needed services to them.
The duties of the Treasurer and Finance committee are to prepare annual budget; to oversee and manage congregational finances; and to submit annual financial report. They liaise with Trustees concerning endowments, report monthly to the Standing Committee. This committee also purchases and services office equipment.
This committee fulfills congregation's membership growth goals, welcomes and assimilates new members, and arranges a periodic New Member Welcome Service. It maintains the name tag board, maintains parish lists and records in compliance with church by-laws, and reports to the Standing Committee.
This committee reviews staff performance annually; oversees staff contracts and terms of employment; deals with staff grievances; recommends annual salary awards for staff; and reviews evolving staffing needs of congregation. It is an ad hoc committee, made up of members from committees which have staff reporting to them, such as Music and RE. It reports annually, and as needed to Standing Committee.
This committee assumes responsibility for the music program of the church in coordination with the minister and the Worship Committee. It also assists the Music Director in planning the music program, outside of Sunday morning worship, such as Open Stage, Kirtan, organ concerts and chamber music events.
The Property Committee proposes the annual maintenance schedule at beginning of church year and coordinates property budget. It oversees routine cleaning, snow removal, and maintenance and repairs, arranging occasional working parties for church projects. It reports to Standing Committee in June on maintenance performance for year.
This committee prepares for and holds monthly RE meetings. It collaborates with the Director of Religious Education regarding the children's religious education program and with special events for children and families. Its members act as liaison to the Sunday School classes, and assist with teacher recruitment. The committee advises, assists, and evaluates the DRE, and has a level of involvement in the hiring of the DRE. It oversees the RE budget and reports to Standing Committee.
The Social Justice committee coordinates social outreach programs, educates the congregation on matters of social concern, and implements social policy as determined by congregation.
It establishes and oversees ad hoc working groups on particular issues, organizes occasional letter writing and other campaigns, and coordinates response to UUA resolutions. This committee sponsors the congregation's 1% program.
This committee is charged with running the annual canvass 'fund drive' to support the church budget with pledges from members and friends. It promotes support of our church community with time, talent and treasure.
This committee plans and promotes regular events for fun and fundraising within the congregation and out in the community. Subcommittees are formed for the Rummage Sales and BBQ and Blues.
This committee is very active in securing funds for ongoing projects such as the Community Supper and greening efforts for our sanctuary, supporting property committee projects.
The Worship Committee is responsible for providing non-ministerial led Sunday worship. We create collaborative, creative lay-led worship, support congregants who wish to deliver sermons or entire services, and arrange for and support guest ministers and speakers. We also provide welcome and hospitality to ministers who come to PUUC via pulpit exchange with the minister as well as those seeking a neutral pulpit. When needed or requested, we support the minister in preparation and delivery of regular, minister-led Sunday worship. The Worship Committee seeks and welcomes feedback and suggestions regarding all Sunday worship.
The Lyceum Committee stands a bit outside the main committee structure; it has the responsibility to research, plan, and engage 8-10 speakers for the Monadnock Summer Lyceum series, which happens Sunday mornings from late June through August each year. It functions autonomously, raises funds independently, and manages its own budget. Half of the committee members must be PUUC members, to ensure PUUC oversight. According to its bylaws, it is the only committee that recruits and holds committee members from outside our congregation with the intent to invest the Lyceum purpose with a broader community focus. This combination of church members and others from the broader community has worked very well, as reflected in the wealth of intellectual content that appeals to the large attendance on summer Sunday mornings.


Join local artist and monster maker Emma O'Brien before and after the show to create your very own monster friend.
Using the materials provided, you can create your very own friendly/scary/funny monster character that you can take into the performance or leave in Monster-ville to collect after the show.
Emma O'Brien is an illustrator and soft sculptor and has been drawing and creating monsters for 10 years. She will also have a selection of her own monsters available for you to buy.


In this lesson for macOS Mojave, I look at the Notification Center on the Mac and how you can customize notifications for applications on the Mac.
In this lesson for macOS Mojave, I look at how to view the Today View on the Mac, as well as how to customize what is shown in the Today View.
In this lesson for macOS Mojave, I look at Siri on the Mac including Siri's various preferences.
In this lesson for macOS Mojave, I look at how we can manage our open windows and full-screen apps using Mission Control and Spaces on the Mac.
In this lesson for macOS Mojave, I look at how to use split-view when working with apps in full-screen. When you use split-view, you can place two apps or folders side-by-side while in full-screen view on the Mac.
In this lesson for macOS Mojave, I look at how to share files between an iOS device and your Mac using AirDrop.
In this lesson for macOS Mojave, I look at the different options we have with iCloud on the Mac. With iCloud, we can sync our contacts, calendars, and more including our Desktop and Documents folder.


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Afghan Report: April 4, 2005
April 04, 2005 00:00 GMT
4 April 2005, Volume 4, Number 11
MUSICAL CHAIRS WITH AFGHAN SECURITY CHIEFS
By Amin Tarzi
Authorities have shuffled the security commanders in four of Afghanistan's largest provinces in the past two weeks. The moves appear to be aimed at countering the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan's largest cities, and perhaps serve as a response to the demonstrations that took place in March in the southern city of Kandahar and the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif (see "RFE/RL Afghanistan Report," 11 March 2005).
The security commander of Kandahar Province, General Khan Mohammad, became head of security in the northern Balkh Province, where Mazar-e Sharif is located. Khan Mohammad's predecessor, General Mohammad Akram Khakrezwal, became security commander of Kabul Province. The former security commander of Kabul, General Baba Jan, moved to the western Herat Province. General Mohammad Ayyub Salangi, formerly the security commander of Wardak Province, departed for the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar.
Salangi told the Peshawar-based Afghan Islamic Press on 27 March that people "who do have permission to carry weapons should not enter Kandahar city," adding that unauthorized armed individuals will be "expelled" from the city. He also announced a new regulation requiring vehicles to be properly registered with the traffic police. Owners who do not register their vehicles in the allotted time will be "dealt with severely." Salangi pledged to curb the recent rise in kidnappings in Kandahar. The increasing number of abductions had sparked the demonstrations in that city last month.
Khakrezwal -- now assigned to the capital -- reportedly had strained relations with Balkh Province Governor Ata Mohammad Nur and resisted the governor's previous efforts to remove him. It is unclear whether his appointment to Kabul was linked to Nur's efforts or was part of a castling process. Khakrezwal has vowed that his first step in Kabul will be to organize a professional and properly trained police force.
The Herat daily "Etefaq-e Islam" on 27 March hailed the appointment of Baba Jan in that city, citing his experience in security issues. However, the Kabul weekly "Rozgaran" lamented on 23 March that with crime rates rising "every day," Afghan Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali opted to confront the crisis simply by transferring certain "security commanders from one province to another."
Pointing to Baba Jan and Khakrezwal, "Rozgaran" asked why the two commanders should be moved to other provinces "if they could not ensure" security in Kabul and Balkh. Quoting an Afghan proverb, "Rozgaran" concluded that rubbing "salt into a wound will not reduce the pain."
The Interior Ministry, which is primarily responsible for maintaining domestic security, represents the single largest recipient of earmarked funds in the budget for the Afghan year 1384 (21 March 2005-20 March 2006), with 24 percent of all planned expenditures. The Defense Ministry, by comparison, is slated to receive 19 percent of all state spending. While those numbers are somewhat misleading -- as foreign assistance and the presence of coalition forces also contribute to domestic security and defense -- it is clear that domestic security is the top priority in the Afghan budget.
Given the importance of maintaining and bolstering security in the country, it seems logical that the best and the brightest of Afghanistan should be appointed to direct the security apparatus. As at least one commentary has suggested, Afghanistan is a country struggling to emerge from the shadow of terrorism; it might therefore require a complete overhaul of the security administration in order to prevent it from falling into the hands of criminals.
"The Guardian" noted on 31 March that "ordinary Afghans" are "alarmed by a swelling crime wave" in which the "line between cops and robbers is becoming increasingly blurred."
Playing musical chairs with security commanders might provide a short-term fix, but it is unlikely to be a long-term solution to the declining security situation in Afghanistan.
UN REPORT FINDS DOWNWARD TREND IN AFGHAN OPIUM CULTIVATION.
The Afghan Counternarcotics Ministry and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) announced in Kabul on 27 March that poppy cultivation is expected to decrease this year in three provinces (Helmand, Nangarhar, and Oruzgan) that jointly accounted for more than half of the land given over to poppies in 2004, Radio Afghanistan reported.
The UNODC report, titled "Afghanistan Opium Poppy Rapid Assessment Survey," reveals "a falling trend in opium poppy cultivation in the majority of the 34 provinces, mainly because farmers refrained from planting." The survey expects an increase in poppy cultivation in five provinces in 2005. According to the report, farmers are refraining from planting opium poppies out of respect for the Afghan government's ban and for fear their crops would be destroyed.
Some farmers said their decision to cut back on opium poppies was due to lower yields in 2004, coupled with higher yields for wheat.
In a statement on 27 March, President Hamid Karzai welcomed the UNODC survey. "I'm extremely pleased to note that the people of Afghanistan have responded positively to the call for jihad against the evil of narcotics," Karzai was quoted as saying. Karzai said he hopes the international community also fulfills its responsibility "by providing assistance toward alternative livelihoods" for farmers.
Faced with his country's growing narcotics problem, Karzai in December declared a holy war, or jihad, against drugs (see "RFE/RL Afghanistan Report," 17 December 2004).
Doris Budenberg, head of the UNODC in Afghanistan, told RFE/RL that the trend shows many farmers are taking the government's antidrug commitment and policies seriously. "It is a respect for the government's ban on opium poppy cultivation -- but also fear of [crop] eradication," she said. "The government is very committed to drug control and has announced strict eradication measures. And the farmers are aware of that, and there's also a fear of potential loss of the harvest."
She added that low yields of opium poppies, rising wheat prices, and the end of the drought in Afghanistan also influenced farmers' decisions to cut back on poppy growing.
The UN survey was carried out in February among more than 200 villages that represent more than half of Afghanistan's districts. Work for the detailed annual UNODC opium survey for 2005 will start in April.
The current survey gives trends rather than statistics.
Budenberg noted that there are rising poppy figures in five provinces -- including Kandahar in the south and Farah in the west. She suggests that farmers in those areas have not taken eradication warnings seriously.
"It has to be taken into account that these five provinces in 2004 only covered 10 percent of the total area under opium-poppy cultivation," she says. "So their contribution to the overall poppy harvest is rather limited -- about 10 percent. The increase has probably happened because the farmers did not believe that the government ban on poppy cultivation would be definitely enforced."
Budenberg says international help is needed if the downward trend is to continue.
"The test case will be next year and particularly the years after [as to] whether this reduction in cultivation is sustainable," she said. "Currently, there are a number of factors that play on the decision of the farmers. Whether at one point in time the international community is ready to support the farmers with sufficient funds for alternative development and alternative livelihoods and help them to sustain the reduction in poppy cultivation remains to be seen over the next years. But, of course, to have a reduction in this year is definitely a sign [for] optimism."
Precise figures on Afghan poppy cultivation and production will be included in the UN's Afghan poppy survey for 2005. That report will be released in the fall. (Golnaz Esfandiari)
DISTRICT COUNCILS TO HELP IN FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS.
Counternarcotics Minister Habibullah Qaderi and Rural Rehabilitation Minister Hanif Atmar discussed the role for district development councils in counternarcotics efforts at a news conference in Kabul on 24 March, the Hindukosh News Agency reported.
Such councils have already identified district-level development priorities in eastern Nangarhar, Konar, and Laghman provinces, the two ministers said (see "RFE/RL Afghanistan Report" 7 March 2005). District development councils, which also will determine local-level economic-development priorities, are also being planned for northeastern Konduz, Takhar, Baghlan, and Badakhshan and southern Kandahar, Helmand, and Oruzgan provinces.
Qaderi said the Afghan government is determined to eradicate narcotics and to help farmers switch to alternative crops, and he added that the district development councils can play an important role in the implementation of these policies. "Personal desires and individual priorities should not undermine development priorities," Atmar recommended.
According to Atmar, 2.2 million Afghans, in addition to opium farmers, earn their livelihood from narcotics. Of the estimated $6 billion annually generated by Afghanistan, $2.8 billion is generated from opium trade. (Amin Tarzi)
RUSSIAN OFFICIAL SAYS KYRGYZ SITUATION SHOULD NOT EXACERBATE AFGHAN DRUG TRAFFICKING.
Russian Federal Antinarcotics Service Deputy Director Aleksandr Fedorov said on 29 March that the recent revolution in Kyrgyzstan is unlikely to lead to an increase in the outflow of illegal drugs from Afghanistan, ITAR-TASS reported. If the Kyrgyz government controls the country's territory and the work of law enforcement agencies continues to be effective, "an increase in the drug traffic should not be expected," he said, as Kyrgyzstan is a "country that consistently pursues an antidrug policy." One of the main Afghan drug routes leads through Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Russia and Europe. (Amin Tarzi)
INSURGENCY BECOMES MORE ACTIVE IN SOUTH AND EAST.
Five unidentified insurgents were killed on 22 March in clashes with coalition forces in Khost Province, Radio Afghanistan reported on 23 March. According to the official Bakhtar News Agency, the men were killed in Gorbaz District, near the Pakistani border.
A spokesman for the neo-Taliban, Mofti Latifullah Hakimi, claimed on 23 March that the militia killed 10 Afghan government soldiers in the Sher Ali area of Khost on 22 March, Peshawar-based Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reported. Hakimi also claimed that the neo-Taliban attacked government forces in Gorbaz District. According to Hakimi, reports on the casualties from the Gorbaz operation would be made public later, but no reports were available as of 1 April.
In his telephone interview with AIP on 23 March, Hakimi also said U.S. forces on 22 March killed a neo-Taliban commander in southern Paktika Province. According to Hakimi, Raz Mohammad Khanjari was killed along with his wife and six children when their house in Waza Khwa District came under attack. According to Hakimi, U.S. forces transferred the body of Khanjari and the bodies of two of his sons to Bagram air base north of Kabul. Hakimi also claimed there were U.S. casualties in the operation, but his claim was not confirmed by U.S. or other sources.
In an unrelated incident, according to information from the Afghan Interior Ministry, two members of the neo-Taliban were arrested on 22 March in Mizan District of Zabul Province, Radio Afghanistan reported on 23 March. Some weapons and a motorcycle were confiscated during the operation.
An apparent car bomb exploded on 30 March in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar Province, Radio Free Afghanistan reported. The driver of the vehicle was killed in the blast, which occurred near the governor's office. Neo-Taliban spokesman Hakimi, in a telephone call to AIP on 30 March, claimed responsibility for the explosion, which he said killed eight troops. He also claimed that the driver of the vehicle was not killed, and he apologized "if any passersby were killed." No other source has confirmed Hakimi's claim.
Meanwhile, Abdul Wahed, who is described as a "famous" Taliban commander, has accepted the Afghan government's reconciliation program and will support the government, AIP reported on 31 March. Abdul Wahed, who is also known as Ra'is Boghran, on 30 March voiced his support for the Afghan government in the southern Helmand Province. According to the report, Abdul Wahed is "without a doubt the most important Taliban" to have accepted the government's peace offer (for more on the reconciliation program, see "RFE/RL Afghanistan Report," (4 March and 24 October 2004; 12 January and 11 March 2005). (Amin Tarzi)
FOUR U.S. SOLDIERS KILLED SOUTH OF KABUL.
A U.S. military vehicle was destroyed in Logar Province on 26 March when it hit a land mine, AIP reported. Initially, a spokesman for the Logar administration said he could not confirm the report. In a different report on 26 March, AIP quoted Cindy Moore, a spokeswoman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, as confirming four U.S. servicemen were killed in a mine blast. She said that while the incident is under investigation, the U.S. military thinks the mine "had been planted some time ago." It was the deadliest incident for U.S. soldiers serving in Afghanistan in the last 10 months, "The Indianapolis Star" reported on 27 March. The four soldiers were attached to an Indiana National Guard unit. (Amin Tarzi)
INTERIOR MINISTER EXPLAINS NEW SECURITY ARRANGEMENT.
At a news conference in Kabul on 22 March, Ali Ahmad Jalali explained provincial administrative changes following riots in the southern city of Kandahar earlier this month (see "RFE/RL Afghanistan Report," 11 March 2005 and feature above), Afghanistan Television reported. Jalali explained that some of the complaints he heard from residents of Kandahar were that the "administration had changed from a government and national administration to a tribal administration." This problem is not limited only to Kandahar, Jalali explained. The first step to rectify this problem is to replace the heads of departments, as has been done in Kandahar. Jalali added that a 400-member police force was dispatched from Kabul on 21 March to ensure that the administrative changes in Kandahar are implemented. He listed several other provinces, including Herat in the west and Balkh in the north, where similar administrative reforms will be implemented. Jalali blamed the system, not individuals, for the problems, adding that "the purpose of replacing individuals [therefore] is to establish a [new] system."
Meanwhile Afghan presidential spokesman Jawed Ludin on 22 March dismissed rumors that Jalali will be fired as interior minister, the "Kabul Times" daily reported on 24 March. "The government has no program for changing or dismissing the interior minister," Ludin told a news conference.
Rumors of Jalali's dismissal began to circulate after the riots in Kandahar and complaints about the deteriorating security situation. (Amin Tarzi)
PROTESTERS IN NORTH DEMAND REMOVAL OF OFFICIALS.
Protesters estimated in the hundreds marched in Hayratan in Balkh Province on 28 March demanding the removal of Mohammad Sa'id, commander of the border forces, and Habibullah Qorayshi, security commander of Kaldar District, AIP reported. Hayratan is the main town in Kaldar and the main crossing point between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. The demonstrators accused the two officials of involvement in killings and other brutalities. In a 28 March report, state-run Radio Afghanistan said 3,000 people marched in Hayratan. Demonstrators say they have complained to Balkh Governor Ata Mohammad Nur, but that he has not taken any action. Earlier, a demonstration in Balkh's provincial capital, Mazar-e Sharif, called for the removal from office of Nur himself (see "RFE/RL Afghanistan Report," 11 March 2005).
In an unconfirmed report, AIP on 31 March quoted "informed sources" who indicated that the Afghan Interior Ministry has removed Mohammad Sa'id from his post as the security commander of border forces in Hayratan. (Amin Tarzi)
WATCHDOG URGES PRESIDENT TO CLARIFY STANCE ON MEDIA.
In a 29 March press release (http://www.rsf.org), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called on President Karzai to "take a clear and definitive" stance in support of cable television and diversity in the broadcast media in Afghanistan. RSF warned that Afghanistan's Ulema Council, which is headed by Chief Justice Fazl Hadi Shinwari, is leading a campaign to ban television stations that are considered "anti-Islamic." "It is up to the [Afghan] public to decide about television programs," RSF wrote to Karzai. According to the press release, a member of the council told an Afghan news agency that "telecasts that have dances" are "absolutely contrary" to Islamic jurisprudence and are therefore banned under Article 3 of the Afghan Constitution, which prohibits anything that is contrary to the tenets of Islam
While assessing the draft of the Afghan Constitution, "RFE/RL Afghanistan Report" warned of the dangers of this article, stating that "the most dangerous legislation here regarding the role of religion remains Article 3, however, because it might easily be used by conservative religious forces to undermine legislators that they deem to be 'un-Islamic.' The interpretation of which laws might be 'contrary to...Islam' is an open-ended proposition that is not immune to abuse" (see "RFE/RL Afghanistan Report," 6 November 2003).
Meanwhile the Chief Prosecutor-General's Office summoned the editor in chief of "Arman-e Melli" on 23 March and interrogated him, the daily reported on 24 March. Mir Haydar Motahar, who also owns "Arman-e Melli," answered all the questions posed, according to the report, and the paper plans to publish all the questions and answers in future issues. The interrogation of Motahar is being carried out at the request of the Commission for the Evaluation of Violations of the Mass Media Law, which was established by the Ministry of Information and Culture, the report added. The report did not elaborate on any possible charges against Motahar. (Amin Tarzi)
DAM BURSTS IN SOUTH-CENTRAL AFGHANISTAN.
An irrigation dam near Khwaja Omri village in Ghazni Province burst on 29 March AIP reported. Ghazni Governor Asadullah Khaled told AIP that part of Sultan Dam burst "due to flood water," and flooded a large area before reaching Ghazni city. Khaled put the initial death toll at six, but in a later report, AIP quoted Ghazni security commander Abdul Rahman as saying that at least 14 people were killed. Ghazni city Mayor Hakimullah Ghazniwal said that 2,000 to 2,500 people have been displaced by the flooding, which also destroyed an estimated 2,000 shops and two bridges, Kabul-based Tolu television reported on 29 March.
The Afghan Interior Ministry in a 29 March press release indicated that it has dispatched 120 personnel to assist those who are affected by the flooding. According to the statement, the intensity of the flood has decreased but it has devastated agricultural land, houses, and shops
A statement issued on 29 March by the presidential press office indicated that President Karzai was "deeply disturbed" by the news of the bursting of the Sultan Dam, Radio Afghanistan reported. Karzai was quoted as saying that it is sad that heavy rains, while a blessing for the drought-hit country, are causing unexpected calamities. Karzai praised the rapid response from authorities, who saved lives by providing early warning to villagers in the path of the flood. Karzai pledged assistance to the affected people in Ghazni. (Amin Tarzi)
OPPOSITION FIGURES FORM ALLIANCE.
A dozen Afghan political personalities have formed a political alliance that was announced on 31 March in Kabul, international news agencies reported. The National Understanding Front (Jabha-ye Tafahom-e Melli) is led by former Education Minister and presidential candidate Mohammad Yunos Qanuni and three deputies: Mohammad Mohaqeq and Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai, both former presidential candidates, and Najia Zhara, Tolu Television reported on 31 March. Former Transportation Minister Sayyed Ali Jawed is the alliance's spokesman.
"A government without a parliament or opposition will drift toward dictatorship," "The New York Times" quoted Qanuni as saying on 31 March. According to Qanuni, the goal of the alliance is "not war against the government," but establishing a "legal body, and monitoring and serving as a check on the government as a political bloc."
The most important aim of the alliance, he added, is to try to change the strong presidential system enshrined in the Afghan Constitution into a parliamentary system to create a more representative system (for more on Afghan elections, see http://www.azadiradio.org/en/specials/elections). (Amin Tarzi)
KARZAI INAUGURATES ROAD PROJECT IN WEST.
In a rare trip outside Kabul, President Karzai paid a short visit to Herat Province on 31 March to inaugurate the reconstruction of the Herat-Kandahar road, Sada-ye Jawan Radio reported. "We hope that all Afghanistan's roads will be reconstructed," Karzai said. The 557-kilometer road is to be rebuilt at a cost of $250 million, AIP reported on 31 March. (Amin Tarzi)
U.S. FIRST LADY TRAVELS TO AFGHANISTAN.
Laura Bush paid a five-hour, previously unannounced visit to Afghanistan on 30 March, RFE/RL Radio Free Afghanistan reported. Bush said that she has wanted to visit Afghanistan for the past two years, but security concerns prevented her from making the trip. Bush and her accompanying delegation met with President Karzai.
Bush also visited the Teachers Training Institute and the Ashiana Organization, which supports orphans and children without guardians, Afghanistan Television reported on 30 March. Afghanistan Television reported that Bush met with Zinat Karzai, the wife of the Afghan president, who requested U.S. assistance in improving the health sector for Afghan women.
The Afghan first lady is rarely seen in public and never with her husband. Bush had lunch with U.S. troops based in Bagram air base, north of Kabul, international news agencies reported. (Amin Tarzi)
PRESIDENT SAYS NO TO POSSIBLE USE OF AFGHAN TERRITORY FOR STRIKES AGAINST IRAN.
Hamid Karzai said on 29 March that "there is no room" for the possibility of the United States using Afghan territory for attacks against Iran, IRNA reported. Karzai added that there is no evidence to "prove" that this could happen and that neither American nor Iranian officials have discussed the issue with the Afghan side.
Karzai said his country has friendly relations with both the United States and Iran, and emphasized that one "should not forget that the Americans are the vanguard of reconstruction in the war-shattered country of Afghanistan." (Amin Tarzi)
TRIAL FOR SUSPECTS LINKED TO ASSASSINATION OF AFGHAN COMMANDER OPENS IN PARIS.
The trial of eight alleged Islamists, four of whom are suspected of having links to the assassination of Ahmad Shah Masud, opened on 29 March in Paris, LCI Television reported. Assassins believed to be linked to Al-Qaeda killed the military leader of the United Front (aka Northern Alliance) on 9 September 2001. The four are suspected of giving logistical support to two Tunisians who, posing as journalists, killed Masud. The suspects include two Frenchmen, a Franco-Algerian, and an Algerian. (Amin Tarzi)
KARZAI APPOINTS ECONOMIC ADVISER.
President Karzai issued a decree on 30 March naming Mohammad Ishaq Nadery his senior adviser on economic matters, Radio Afghanistan reported. Nadery, a longtime professor of economics at New York University, will be in charge of establishing a department to support of national economic programs. (Amin Tarzi)
FIRST FEMALE GOVERNOR TAKES OFFICE.
Governor Habiba Sorabi assumed her post as governor of central Bamiyan Province on 23 March, Radio Afghanistan reported. President Karzai appointed Sorabi as the first female governor of an Afghan province earlier this month (see "RFE/RL Afghanistan Report," 11 March 2005). (Amin Tarzi)
NATIONALIST PASHTUNS IN PAKISTAN DEMAND ABOLITION OF DURAND LINE.
Speakers at a political gathering in Peshawar, Pakistan, called on 30 March for the abolition of the border separating Pakistan from Afghanistan, known as the Durand Line, Karachi-daily "Dawn" reported on 31 March. The Pakhtunkhwa Qaumi Party, which organized the gathering, advocates a single homeland for all Pashtuns living on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border (see "RFE/RL Afghanistan Report," 7 August 2003). Mufti Kifayatullah, a representative of the Muttahida Majlis-e Amal party, spoke against the abolishment of the Durand Line, saying such a move would be tantamount to the breakup of Pakistan. (Amin Tarzi)
THIS WEEK IN AFGHANISTAN'S HISTORY
26 March 1936 -- Treaty of friendship signed by Afghanistan and the United States.
29 March 1955 -- Prime Minister Mohammad Da'ud warns Pakistan of "grave consequences" if Pashtun areas of North-West Frontier Province are included in a unified West Pakistan.
31March 1991 -- Khost captured by mujahedin forces headed by Jalaluddin Haqani.
Sources: "Historical Dictionary of Afghanistan," Third Edition, by Ludwig W. Adamec, (Lanham: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2003).


Should we Ban the Box Worldwide?
Just recently on Huffington Post's website, an article was published talking about how Ban the box is a win for women all around the world. This great uproar of Ban the Box all started when people witnessed President Obama signing an order to Ban the Box, which will create a more level playing field for people who have criminal records.
People who have criminal records have been struggling to get into the work world and find a good job that will support them financially for a stable and long amount of time. However, ever since President Obama signed the executive order to Ban the Box, people with criminal records have been able to open up more and are now being considered by work companies all around the world.
This box that everyone keeps talking about is known as the box on job applications that people are required to check or mark in if they have a criminal record. This "incarceration" box has completely caused several people to lose any chance they had of gaining a job, which is what brought about the fight and protests for this box to be banned immediately.
As said before, those who checked this box on job applications are constantly shut out by companies once they see that the applicant has a record. However, this causing a negative effect to take place over all people with criminal records. Many people who carry these criminal records have tried several times to get back on their feet and get jobs in order to start their lives and provide for themselves and their family members, like kids, if they have any. Unfortunately, this has not been an easy task for this people, as most companies automatically think negatively of them when they see they have marked the criminal record box on job applications.
After many years of complaints, the idea of banning this box on job applications finally came into place, causing many organizations, like 9to5, to step up and press on for the box to be banned. The article goes on to state how 9to5 has made a tremendous impact in the Ban the Box movement. The company states that nearly 60-70% of Americans are without jobs because companies do not like the fact that they have criminal records and convictions, even if those convictions were false. 9to5 is highly against discrimination, so they decided to chip in and make sure to spread this Ban the Box campaign all over the world in states like Wisconsin, Colorado, Georgia and more.
In one of 9-to-5's conferences and rallies for Ban the Box, the company leader, Daphine Lay, spoke out to crowds in front of the White House to catch President Obama's attention, telling her story of how she constantly saw men and women in her neighborhood get rejected from companies because of their old criminal convictions. She also talked about how she made one mistake as an 18-year-old and suddenly, everything changed. She now had a criminal record and couldn't seem to get a job to start her life over again. She never got call backs, and was constantly looked down on by companies. She also stated how she had three children who needed her providence, but she couldn't so, so the government had to take care of her family for her.
After Daphine's speech at the White House, thousands of calls and petition signatures to the company came in. Many people had finally seen the importance of Ban the Box. In fact, even some people tried to call and catch Obama's attention to Ban the Box. Finally, Obama did sign the order to Ban the Box, which left 9to5, Daphine Lay, and many other people with criminal records all around the world extremely ecstatic.
Dalphine Lay stated how she was overjoyed about the President's decision and she knows this will go down and history and it will pave the way for many people with criminal records who want to create a better life for themselves and for their family members. No longer will those with criminal records be knocked of their feet and their chances of getting a job are much, much higher now.
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Daphine Lay and her team are very happy about the President's decision, however, his order was not a world-wide one and it is still going to take a little bit of time to have Ban the Box make its way throughout the entire world. Daphine knows that this can be done, but it will just take time, but by hard work, determination, and dedication, Daphine and her team know that Ban the Box will soon be worldwide.


Here we have a complete original Caterpillar 236, 246, 252, 262 XR Skid Steer Loader Service Manual for sale. This manual covers all repair operations and procedures for the machine and engine. This Service Manual covers the following serial numbers. Very good, lightly used condition. All pages are included and readable. Includes Operation and Maintenance manuals.
See picture 2 for Table of Contents. CAT Part number RENR4830, 946 pages long. The item "CAT Caterpillar 236 246 252 262 Skid Steer Loader Repair Service Manual operator" is in sale since Saturday, February 24, 2018. This item is in the category "Business & Industrial\Heavy Equipment Parts & Accs\Manuals & Books". The seller is "oem_cat_manuals" and is located in Portland, Oregon.


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