Barack Obama did what he does best. Billy Graham once said Bill Clinton could make a great evangelist, but Bubba's not a patch on this president. Mr. Obama early on mastered the cadence of the black church - dropping his voice on the last word of the sentence to make the listener pay attention - and he understands the power of language. He speaks great prose. He understands that a televangelist concentrates on sales, not substance.
The president was on his game Wednesday night, soaring with a promise of partisan geniality and finishing with the resurrection of a corpse. No one in the House chamber would have been surprised if Teddy Kennedy had walked in from Arlington National Cemetery to lead the applause.
The faux humility - the appeal to his Republican "friends" - was intended to seduce the independents who have been deserting his game for weeks. The Republicans contributed to the emotionalism of the evening with an outburst of frustration and bad manners - "You lie!" - that was unexpected manna from Democratic heaven. The ferocity of the media exploitation of the incident reveals the desperation of the Democrats to find something, anything, to stop the bleeding. (Rahm Emanuel, the president's chief of staff, calls Rep. Joe Wilson's shout-out unique in American history, demonstrating once more how little this administration knows of the history of America and the 57 states beyond the Chicago city limits.
But neither the resurrection of Teddy Kennedy nor the exploitation of bad manners is likely to change things. Everyone expected the president to offer something to change the debate but what he delivered was warmed-up leftovers.
If the president and his party were serious about "showing the American people that we can still do what we were sent here to do," he would trash Obamacare, whatever it is, and start over. He could start by applying some of his concern with Wall Street greed to the greed of the tort lawyers who have turned the courts into a casino with payouts that lottery winners envy. Fat chance.
Mr. Obama offered "demonstration projects" in a few states to test ideas for "reforming" the medical malpractice abuses that are driving up the price of medicines and persuading doctors to move their shingles from one state to another, seeking relief. This is the "reform" that tort lawyers, on whom Democratic candidates feed like maggots on roadkill, could cheerfully abide. They know that nothing would come of it because the right honorable senators would kill a serious threat to the casino.
The temper and tone of Mr. Obama's remarks was scolding for everyone who disagrees with him, offering to resolve angry argument by requiring those who disagree with him to change their naughty minds. He attempted to hoodwink his own flanks with a little televangelistic magic, too. He appeared to defend the so-called "public option," which for the unregenerate left is nonnegotiable. He knows this is an empty promise, too. Democratic votes will doom that. Soon we'll see who hits the sawdust when the president makes his altar call. That's the test of every evangelist.
Barack Obama studied law at Harvard, not Yale, as I wrote earlier this week. Apologies to both Harvard and Yale. I was distracted by the boola-boola from the White House.


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.Mvc;
using Twilio;
using Twilio.TwiML;
using Twilio.TwiML.Mvc;

namespace twilio_dotnet.Controllers
{
    public class HomeController : TwilioController
    {
        TwilioRestClient client;

        public ActionResult Index()
        {
            return View();
        }

        public ActionResult Sms(string to)
        {
            client = new TwilioRestClient(Settings.AccountSid, Settings.AuthToken);

            var result = client.SendSmsMessage(Settings.TwilioNumber, to, "Hello there! Your Twilio environment has been configured.");

            if (result.RestException!=null)
            {
                return new System.Web.Mvc.HttpStatusCodeResult(500, result.RestException.Message);
            }

            return Json(new { error=false });
        }

        public ActionResult Call(string to)
        {
            client = new TwilioRestClient(Settings.AccountSid, Settings.AuthToken);

            var result = client.InitiateOutboundCall(Settings.TwilioNumber, to, Settings.BaseUrl + Url.Action("Hello"));

            if (result.RestException!=null)
            {
                return new System.Web.Mvc.HttpStatusCodeResult(500, result.RestException.Message);
            }

            return Json(new { error=false });
        }

        public ActionResult Capability()
        {
            var capability = new TwilioCapability(Settings.AccountSid, Settings.AuthToken);
            capability.AllowClientOutgoing("AP784bd34e34fab9759b8e91d3ef3680b9");

            return Json(new { token = capability.GenerateToken() });
        }

        public ActionResult Hello()
        {
            var response = new TwilioResponse();
            response.Say("Hello there! Your Twilio environment has been configured.");
            response.Say("Good luck during the workshop!", new { Voice = "woman" });
            return TwiML(response);
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


If you have an albino, do they have a technical pattern and color?? I know it's white but like tigers and leopards etc. They are naturally specific colors.
Is albino a primary trait? Like will it always win in the offspring or is it percent like the other traits?
I'm curious to hear other peoples' thoughts about how this should be handled! Maybe there could be Albino and Albino (diluted), which is what foals of albino adults would inherit, which would just dilute the colors of the other parent? Although then the question of what the albino parent's usual colors and markings are... hmmm.
Albinism and color dilution in sams sound awesome!
A 50% chance, if both parents have and 25% if only one has, of being passed down. I think they should be extremely muted colors if not completely white with touches of pink/red (I think this would be the easiest). <3 I adore albino's in nature and I would love for it to be rather close with sams as well (I want to get an albino baby, I won't lie! It is actually next on my Sam Breeding To-Do List, so i'm not trying to have them be impossible but i'm willing to try a few times if I have to <3).
It seems that the animals still have their darker colors they are just washed out so badly.. The elephant and the Rhino (didnt post that) are true testaments to that. They still have ridiculous color but aren't close to white.
Last edited by RikkuGirl on Wed Jun 01, 2016 9:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
Albanism is actually the absence of melanin in the animal (different levels of albinism correlate to different levels of melanin), so in humans (where our primary/only pigment normally is melanin) albinism is pretty intense. Some other animals may have other pigments though, which can result in things like the giraffe or the elephant. :3 I'd assume there could be versions of albinism for each pigment an animal has, and those overlapping could give you total whiteness on an animal with a couple different pigments.
That snake and peacock are Pied I think.
We had a white alligator here in Utah at Hogle Zoo. He was not considered albino, he just had no color pigment to his skin and scales. He had blue eyes.
I think it's different than albino but I'm not 100% sure.
Muted colors and markings sound good to me.
It would also be cool to get a Pied baby.
Yeah, the peacock and python aren't albino, but pied! Similar to the paint gene in horses, and white spotting in cats XD It can also be known as leucism, where the is a loss of pigmentation in the skin, etc. The blue-eyed alligator, not the pink-eyed crocodile, and the giraffe are also leucistic!
The zebra's not albino either, she's got amelanosis, or lack of melanin pigments. It's similar to albinism, but not the same! This zebra is Zoe, and lives in Hawaii on Three Ring Ranch: http://www.threeringranch.org/animals/zoe.html.
Lol thanks for all the info guys!!! Ya pied! That would be a neat trait indeed. I typed this all up quick so i figured it wasn't spot on. Just trying to see what variations everyone would be interested in and those all came up as albino in Google images.
How do you guys think the trait should work with breeding Sams ?
There are a couple of albino sams who have foals!
So it looks like albinism is not a dominant trait? Maybe it's handled more like color inheritance?
Oooo! I like that idea!!!
White with Red eyes and the other is black with Blue???
Totally a win in my book!!!
If I called it anything I would call it Shade Trait. They are either Full White Spectrum or Black and since black and white are not colors but shades... I just figured it would be a good suggestion.
I read somewhere recently that there is also one for the red gene. I can't remember what it's called though.
See... If that is the case then I would see it more as a full trait than a color displacement.
My vote!!! <3 Thanks for that Elven. I knew there was a trait like that!! I just looked it up too, way more cooler than I thought!! Even squirrels have it! crazy.
If you wanted to do all white with dark eyes you could add leucism to the mix too.
Albinism/amelanism would be your white bodies with red eyes.
Leucism would be white bodies with dark/non-red eyes (blue would be possible!).
Melanism would be your black bodies, with any eye color.
Erythrism would be your reddish bodies.


text:
Larry Livermore Spy Rock Memories View all Larry Livermore
Select one... Digital (PDF) - $8.99 Paperback Book - $13.99 Hardcover Book - $22.99
In 1982 Larry Livermore, ex-greaser, post-hippie, burnt out and disillusioned by the Bay Area punk scene, journeyed north into an off the map, off the grid mountain wilderness that lay at the heart of California's Emerald Triangle, in search of something "real."
Things got way more real than he'd bargained for, as he ended up confronting blizzards, droughts, floods, fires, marauding bears, skunks, rattlesnakes, and a posse of ornery pot growers, all while launching a magazine, a solar-powered punk rock band, and the DIY record label that introduced the world to the likes of Green Day, Operation Ivy, and Screeching Weasel.
As he learned valuable lessons in self-sufficiency, taking responsibility, and how to avoid (for the most part but not always) getting punched in the face by irate hippies, Larry also found his place and made his home in the far-flung, disjointed and eccentric community he encountered in the anarchic realm that begins where Highway 101's tattered tarmac dissolves into the dust of Spy Rock Road.
Larry Livermore was the co-founder of Lookout Records, the editor and publisher of Lookout magazine, and a longtime columnist for Maximum Rocknroll and Punk Planet. He lives in Brooklyn.
Praise for Spy Rock Memories
"Livermore writes with deference for his time spent on Spy Rock, finding a way to keep nostalgia from clouding his experiences, and the book's breezy nature finds its middle ground between music memoir and personal essay. Spy Rock Memories paints its characters in lush details, allowing for readers to be welcomed into the culture of Iron Peak, just as Livermore was all those decades ago."
-The AV Club
"Spy Rock Memories is an unflinching look at life in Northern California's Emerald Triangle, a world usually hidden from view. Part social history and part personal history, it is as critically insightful as it is hopelessly romantic."
- Aaron Cometbus
"Greaser, hippie, glam rocker, punk… Larry tells some amazing stories. And I'm stoked he's my friend."
- Billie Joe Armstrong
"A remote mountain neighborhood in remote Mendocino County has inspired this most remarkable memoir by a gifted man who came down from the mountain to bring America some of its best music ever."
- Bruce Anderson
"Larry was always deemed the troublemaker up on Spy Rock for telling and writing the truth."
- Tre Cool
"Livermore's book Spy Rock Memories provides a glimpse at Livermore's trials and tribulations as a brutally outspoken, city-punk, post-hippy, trying to survive in an unforgiving environment that proved to be just as deadly and threatening as it was beautiful and nurturing."
- The Willits News
The Lookouts
Spy Rock Road (And Other Stories)
Larry Livermore
How To Ru(i)n A Record Label
The Potatomen

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
formers
counter-radicalisation, de-radicalisation, disengagement, Foreign fighters, formers, syria
I was quoted in a piece for Canadian media outlet CBC on 3 November, talking about the need for structured and well financed de-radicalisation, disengagement and exit programmes. Those who want to leave violent extremist groups are 'low hanging fruit' – they want out, we need to help them out to ensure they don't end up back in the hands of a fresh set of recruiters. We can either help them, or have them remain a threat to our safety.
Here is a link to the article by Andre Mayer.
we need a more nuanced approach for dealing with british jihadists who want to come home
counter-radicalisation, de-radicalisation, disengagement, Foreign fighters, formers, radicalisation, security, syria, terrorism
There are growing reports that British jihadis fighting in Syria want to come home; it has been claimed that dozens are trapped in Syria unable to leave, and up to 100 are stranded in Turkey having made it out of Syria, but worried or unable to come back to the UK.
This should be no surprise.
Many will be scared for their safety; British jihadis are now being killed at a rate of one every three weeks. The latest fatality was reported this weekend; Muhammad Mehdi Hassan from Portsmouth was just 19 years old and had travelled to Syria with a group of friends. Of the six that went, four are now dead, one remains in Syria and one is in prison in the UK.
Others will be disillusioned. The actions of ISIS – including the horrific murder of four western hostages – paint a picture of a group of blood thirsty, evil barbarians. This is undoubtedly true of many, for whom legal redress feels like a wholly inadequate way of achieving justice for their victims.
There will also be a sizeable minority fighting with ISIS who did not sign up for this kind of terror. Some will have gone there originally on humanitarian grounds and been radicalized along the way. Others will have joined the struggle against Assad, but now find themselves fighting fellow Muslims and murdering innocent people, including women and children.
There will even be those who went explicitly to join ISIS but are appalled by the depths of depravity to which the organization sinks.
Given the truly heinous actions of ISIS, it is not surprising that the UK government's response to the rise of British foreign fighters has been so firm and resolute, looking to ban them from returning to the UK, prosecute those who do come back, and even considering the use of treason laws for the most extreme cases.
While those guilty of crimes must be held accountable, this blanket response misses important opportunities that could strengthen -not weaken – national security.
First, those that return are likely to offer intelligence and insight to improve our understanding of ISIS, a group that has so far out-paced security experts at every turn.
Second, refusing re-entry to scared and disillusioned ISIS members is likely to make enemies of them for life. The testimonies of former violent extremists point to the uncomfortable truth that for many, unexpected acts of kindness from government officials created a chink of doubt that was part of their de-radicalisation process. We should be competing for their loyalty, not leaving them to fall into the hands of yet another set of violent extremist recruiters.
Third, what is more effective in countering ISIS propaganda than a returned foreign fighter who has seen the error of their ways and can speak to the horrors of what ISIS is doing? As the former head of counter-terrorism at MI6 said, "Many of the people who have been most successful in undermining the terrorist narrative are themselves ex-extremists," adding that they can "explain why going abroad to fight is a very bad idea". The success of networks such as Against Violent Extremism (AVE) underlines this point.
The UK government needs to add two new elements to its policy to tackle foreign fighters and the rise of ISIS.
First, it should establish a clearing house near the Syrian border in Turkey to process and return home scared and disillusioned British jihadis. Most will be trapped, having had their passports, mobile phones and credit cards confiscated by ISIS.
In support of this effort, it should run an information campaign within Syria to inform British ISIS members of their return options. This does not mean letting criminals off the hook; those guilty of crimes must be prosecuted on their return. But balanced messaging might just convince some to return home to face justice, rather than opt for a life on the run with a terrorist organization.
Second, the government should set up a national EXIT programme, similar to those operating in Denmark, Sweden and Germany. The Channel Programme targets individuals in the pre-criminal space, but needs to be complemented by a national programme aimed at those who have been radicalized and recruited and want to leave terrorist or violent extremist movement.
Such a scheme should offer a wider range of services than Channel, such as support for post-traumatic stress disorder, medical treatment for physical injuries sustained on the battlefield, de-radicalisation sessions, as well as help reintegrating into the family and wider community and access to education, employment and training.
It should also offer advice and guidance to the parents of foreign fighters, many of whom remain in contact with their children via phone, email or social media channels. In these exchanges, they become de-facto negotiators, desperately trying to keep lines of communication open and hoping to convince their son or daughter to come home. There is already evidence pointing to the effectiveness of these programmes.
The situation in Syria is heartbreaking on every level; innocent lives lost, tortured or brutalized; the destruction of a once thriving middle income country; the corruption of a faith; young people drawn to ISIS's perverse ideology; and the knock-on impact of instability across the wider region. And as events last week in Canada remind us, there is also the risk of the threat coming home to the UK.
The government is right to take a firm stand against ISIS and those who fight in its ranks or support from the sidelines. But we need to face facts: we cannot stop British jihadis returning home; we cannot arrest our way out of the problem; and we do not have the resources to mount surveillance operations against all returning foreign fighters.
Instead, we need a more nuanced approach to deal with the different levels of threat. Arrest and prosecute those who have committed a crime and set an example of those guilty of the most heinous offences. Work proactively to bring back those who are scared and disillusioned, so they come back with us and on our terms. Turn the stories of returned foreign fighters into ammunition against ISIS. And offer those capable of reintegration the support they and their families need to get back on their feet and become productive members of society.
Tough measures are reassuring in the face of a threat such as ISIS. But they usually obscure the most promising opportunities to enhance our national security in the long-term.
This article was originally posted on Huffington Post on 27 October 2014.
foreign fighters: how to win the war of ideas
civil society, counter-radicalisation, foreign policy, formers, internet, media, radicalisation, security, terrorism
Here is an article I have with Ross Frenett on HuffPo arguing for the need to invest resources in films, campaigns and digital activities to push back on the messages that violent extremists use to attract young people to travel to Syria to fight.
Today's report by the UK Parliament's Home Affairs Select Committee warns of the alarming number of westerners traveling to Syria to fight and calls for stronger efforts to counter the recruitment narratives of extremists. As Committee Chairman, Keith Vaz, warned "without the Government helping peer-led projects to tackle this problem, many more may be lost to radicalisation."
Also launched today is a report we have written for the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, (ISD) in which we outline the nature of the problem and what must be done to stem the tide of western citizens willing to become so-called 'foreign fighters' in countries, such as Syria, Mali and Somalia. Drawing on research conducted by ISD on the effectiveness of counter-narratives, our own database of suspected foreign fighters, and interviews with members of the Against Violent Extremism who have travelled and fought in previous conflicts, the report offers a concrete roadmap for success in pushing back on the kinds of extremist messages that draw people to places such as Syria to fight.
We define three distinct messengers that need to be countered:
Violent extremist groups: The formal propaganda wings of the armed movements engage with potential supporters, produce propaganda and provide justification for their actions.
Their supporters: There are many associated groups and networks that use their websites, forums and social media accounts to support and encourage the actions of groups that employ foreign fighters, celebrate martyrs and produce large quantities of propaganda. These are, in most cases, more influential than the violent extremist groups; a recent ICSR report found that two of the most influential supporters and cheerleaders for the Syrian Jihad were not even based in Syria, but were in fact western supporters with a strong social media presence.
Individual foreign fighters: Some foreign fighters tweet from the frontline, sharing their experiences; everything from accounts of their daily routines, to reflections on life on the frontline. The most famous example is the late Omar Hammami, an American Jihadist killed in Somalia. Others, such as Abu Fulan al-Muhajir, tweet their experiences from Syria in English.
Just as there is no single profile of violent extremists, there is no one discernible 'type' of foreign fighter. From ignorant novices who view the trips as a rite of passage, die-hard militants looking for combat and martyrdom, and individuals who go for humanitarian reasons but get drawn into conflict, individuals become foreign fighters for a range of reasons: boredom; intergenerational tensions; the search for greater meaning in life; perceived adventure; attempts to impress the local community or the opposite sex; a desire for increased credibility; to belong or gain peer acceptance; revenge; or misguided conflict experience expectations.
In response, counter-messages or counter-narratives need to mirror these motivating factors. Based on the types of propaganda that are being used to convince young people to travel, we identify five main areas of counter-messaging:
You are being duped – don't be taken in by their propaganda: the idea of betrayal is an especially strong and compelling one for young people. This message could focus on how potential recruits are being misled by propaganda for example, images of dead children taken from other places and presented as happening in the theatre of conflict or stories about al-Shabaab's extensive use of the forced recruitment of children.
We are not all in this together – there are as many divisions as bonds between different Islamic factions. As noted above, the idea of camaraderie and unity is one stressed very often by those groups that utilise foreign fighters. Highlighting the vicious infighting between and within groups could go a long way towards countering this message. This could consist of examples of foreign fighters finding themselves under fire from other Islamic groups rather than the 'enemy', or even examples of foreign fighters who were betrayed and murdered in the conflict zone by the very groups they traveled to join. The most famous and powerful example of this is the American foreign fighter, Omar Hammam, who even live tweeted one attempt on his life.
This is not an Islamic struggle – you do not have a 'duty' to fight. This could include messages about why fighting is not justified within Islam, why it is not a 'just war', and therefore bringing into question the Islamic duty to fight.
You are useless and you'll get in the way – do something more constructive instead: This message could be unpacked in a number of ways: local fighters explaining that foreign fighters will be a liability on the frontline, and may not be allowed to fight anyway; citizens explaining that their need to protect foreigners will put them in danger; refugees on the indulgence of foreigners wanting to have adventure when there are women and children starving in refugee camps. This message could also give very clear 'calls to action': collect money, raise awareness, work for political dialogue, lobby your political representatives, etc.
Conditions on the frontline are terrible – it is not the adventure you are expecting. This message could focus on the reality of poor conditions in these conflict zones, including testimonies from returned foreign fighters, and accounts from journalists or locals on the ground. It could include a 'call to action' linked to the adventure motivation, such as volunteering in other Islamic/Muslim majority countries or regions.
The problem of foreign fighters is not new; it goes back to the Spanish civil war and beyond. But the advent of social media opens up multiple new possibilities for direct communication to encourage ever more numbers of young people to respond to a so-called 'call of duty'.
Social media can also be a tool for good; with concerted efforts and smart campaigns, we too can reach these young people and give them the knowledge to ask the right questions about whether travelling to Syria to fight is the right thing to do. For now, the violent extremists are winning the war of ideas online. It's time for the counter-messengers to raise their game.
can radical compassion win the war against violent extremism?
civil society, counter-radicalisation, de-radicalisation, disengagement, formers, internet, media, radicalisation, security, terrorism, Uncategorized
I'm pleased to be chairing an event in London organised by the Forgiveness Project on 28 April where the focus will be on how former extremists can use their own experiences to help tackle violent extremism.
Sharing their own personal journeys of moving away from extremism will be Tony McAleer, a former white supremacist and former organiser of the White Aryan Resistance in Canada and Hadiya Masieh, a former Islamic extremist who was recruited by Hizb ut-Tahrir radicals, until the 7/7 bombings changed her perspective.
I'm a passionate believer that the stories of former extremists are a credible counter-message to extremist propaganda and I'm working to create a global resource of testimonies through my work at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and via the AVE network we run there.
More information about the event and tickets are available here.


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On literally the hottest, most humid day in August, Colleen, Theresa, and Shayna helped this group of 12 get hair and makeup ready! For the Bridal Party and family, updos helped beat the heat! Light, long wear makeup stayed put through the ceremony, photos, & reception!
Congratulations, John & Michelle! xo.


text:
tattoos-and-art.com
Star Tattoos, Tribal, Cross, Butterfly, Angel Tattoos & more!
Chinese Tattoos
Last updated on October 20, 2010 By David 5 Comments
Chinese art has always been a symbol of elegance and beauty, but over the last decade Chinese tattoos have had an explosion in popularity. The evidence of this can be seen in nightclubs, college campuses and celebrity photos, amongst other places. But what, besides the beauty of the art, would make these tattoos so popular? The main reason is that Chinese symbolism can be used to express so much, while still remaining simple and clean.
One of the most recognizable examples of this are kanji symbols. Though kanji writing has been adopted in Japan, the Chinese style of kanji has some modest differences and a wider vocabulary. These tattoos are often seen expressing certain emotions such as love, peace and even friendship.
Another common example in Chinese tattoos is the Yin and Yang. The exact meaning of this symbol is perfect balance. Each side represents a contrast; Yin being dark, earthly and female, Yang being light, airy and male. However, there are several ways people use this symbol, there is the classic round piece to start. Then the Yin and Yang enclosed in a lotus flower, the lotus flower being a another symbol of balance, not to mention perfection and purity. You can also do a Yin and Yang eye, which represents both an internal and an external balance; or a Yin and Yang heart, which can mean a balance of emotions.
One of the more striking pieces in Chinese tattoos is the dragon. Once associated with criminals, it has since become something of a trend in popular culture. The draw of this particular piece is that the dragon is seen as a symbol of power and even mystery. Many people, though, get these tattoos for aesthetic purposes without knowing exactly how they differ. For instance, a yellow dragon without horns is renowned for its knowledge, while a horned dragon is known to be the strongest of creatures.
Create beautiful scenes. For instance, bamboo — which is considered a symbol of longevity for its strength and resilience — and clouds as a backdrop to cranes, who are considered signs of wealth, long life and power; or deer, who are similarly thought to represent longevity through endurance and grace.
Chinese tattoos have long been associated with their meaning and each individual has their own reason, be it an expression of who they are, or who they want to become; a symbol of change in their life, or a reminder of those they love most. What makes a Chinese tattoo perfect is the variety and simplicity, being able to convey strong emotions with small symbols, not to mention that they will always be aesthetically powerful and graceful.
Related >> Kanji Tattoos, Japanese Tattoos, Dragon Tattoos, Koi Fish Tattoos, Native American Tattoos, Indian Tattoos, Dream Catcher Tattoos, Aztec Tattoos, Mexican Tattoos, Yin Yang Tattoos
Tagged With: chinese symbol tattoos, chinese tattoo, chinese tattoo designs, chinese tattoos
brett odey says
Interested in 2500BC Tao Design, my sons initials are TOA = will travel to acquire the best possible artist
where can i find the meaning of different tattoo symbols?
Erica – You can try this website, they list the top 100 most popular Chinese symbols http://www.chinatownconnection.com/chinese-symbols.htm
how can i make sure the Chinese symbols i want are correct?
parlenk says
yay..is there any software that convert my typing to a tatto? for example, I write my name, and the output is Chinese symbol?
Popular Tattoo Designs
Angel Wing
Hawaiian Flower
Nautical Star
Rebel Flag
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text:
It was an unmarked car, just some nondescript American sedan a few years old, but the blackwall tires and the… - Stephen King, The Outsider.
Hachette Renames Business Imprint Teams With UK Unit
MAIN NEWS HEADLINES
May 24- May 31, 2007 Edition
Hachette Renames
Business Imprint,
Teams With UK Unit
NEW YORK, NY/5/23/07-As part of its buyout agreement with Time Warner Book Group, Hachette Book Group USA is in the process of renaming some of its divisions and imprints to remove the "Warner" name. Several months ago, Warner Books became Grand Central Publishing and the division moved its offices near Grand Central Station in New York. Now, Hachette will rename its Warner Business imprint Business Plus, and will pair up with Business Plus at Headline Hodder in the UK, a Hachette subsidiary.
The new name will become effective with the company's September 2007 titles, bringing with it a joint acquisition strategy with an International focus. Business Plus USA, directed by Rick Wolf, and Business Plus UK, managed by editorial director David Wilson will work as a team to acquire world rights for business titles.
Hachette Book Group USA (HBG) was created when Hachette Livre, a French publishing company, acquired Time Warner Book Group from Time Warner in 2006. Hachette Livre is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lagardère, a company that is active on a worldwide basis in the areas of communications and media (books, press, audiovisual and distribution/retailing of cultural products).
Grand Central's imprints include 5-Spot, Solana, Springboard Press, Business Plus, Forever, Twelve, Vision and the newly-named Wellness Central (formerly Warner wellness).
Other Hachette divisions in the U.S. are FaithWords, Center Street, Little, Brown and Company, Little Brown Books for Young Readers and Hachette Book Group Digital media.


Leonard Manasseh RA, Design for Radipole Lake pumping station, for Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, Weymouth, Devon: plan, elevation and section, 9 April 1979.
Print with black ink, on paper, with pencil, grey, blue and turquoise crayon added and two paper labels, printed with black ink. 83.50 x 98.0 cm. Photo credit: © Royal Academy of Arts, London.
Leonard Manasseh established his architectural practice, Leonard Manasseh & Partners in 1949, the same year he won his first major commission to design the luxury restaurant for the Festival of Britain. However, the plans for the restaurant were cancelled and instead Manasseh designed the public lavatories and '51 Bar.
This proved fortuitous, as Manasseh's practice developed a reputation for creating buildings serving public facility needs on sensitive sites. His Diploma work, given to the RA on his election, Design for Radipole Lake pumping station (1979; pictured), illustrates this, as it depicts a sewage pumping station situated in a nature reserve.
Manasseh trained and was taught at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in Bedford Square, where he formed a lasting working collaboration with Dame Elizabeth Chesterton, a fellow student. Chesterton specialised in planning, particularly in the area of conservation of historic buildings, while Manasseh as architect worked on creating site-sensitive buildings that maintained the historical integrity of heritage sites.
Manasseh's design for Radipole Lake pumping station is a copy print of his plans, to which he added pencil shading and colouring in blue and turquoise crayon. It played a key role in convincing the local officials of Weymouth that the intended pumping station could add to, rather than ruin, the beauty of the area.
The upper half of the plan depicts the elevation of the site, where the outline of the station is seen situated on the edge of the water and reflected in the lake. The lower half of the sheet shows the site plan, incorporated into its wooded location, complete with a line of parked cars nearby.
The artist of the month for May 2016 is Bill Jacklin RA. Read more from the RA Collection.


The Glenlivet is boosting its brand awareness in the busy pre-Christmas period with a momentous pre-Christmas multi-platform campaign running across TV, print, digital and in-store activation.
In a first for the brand, The Glenlivet's entire TV spend will be used for Sky AdSmart targeting, Sky Media's addressable TV technology, to promote 'The Big Night In' partnership with Sky Store. This also marks the first time it has partnered with Sky Store, the convenient destination for both non-Sky and Sky customers to rent or buy the latest films on their TV.
Those shopping in Tesco stores will see in-store banners promoting the partnership between The Glenlivet and Sky Store. Customers purchasing a bottle of Whisky will be eligible for one of 1,000 movie rentals on the Sky Store.
The ads, which show groups of friends enjoying The Glenlivet in different settings, and position The Glenlivet as 'The Whisky', will be served to those who have already bought Whisky in the past and amongst ABC1 men aged 45-64 to drive engagement and brand purchase intent among an established Whisky audience ahead of Christmas.
The addressable TV campaign is complemented with in-store media in Tesco, a Print partnership with The Sunday Times and digital activation on Tesco.com.
The campaign creative was developed in-house by The Glenlivet. The 'Big Night In' promotional concept was developed and executed by Jump, part of Havas Group Media, in partnership with Sky Media. It runs from 2nd November to 20th December.


text:
James Peters
James R. Peters is Professor of Philosophy at Sewanee: The University of the South. He specializes in Ancient and Medieval Philosophy, Environmental Ethics, and Philosophical Theology, and holds degrees from Northern Illinois University and Northwestern University.
Guests on Volume 97: Mark Noll, on how Christian higher education is aided by a commitment to something like "Christendom," a commitment to the assumption that the Gospel has consequences for all of life and all of social experience; Stanley Fish, on how university professors should refrain from bringing their own political, philosophical, and religious commitments into the classroom; James Peters, on how Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Pascal, and many others had an understanding of the nature and purpose of reason quite different from the common modern understanding; Scott Moore, on cultivating an understanding of politics that goes beyond mere statecraft, and on the limits of the notion of "rights"; and Makoto Fujimura, on how his work as a painter is enriched by writing, why artists need to cultivate an attentiveness to many things, and how visual language expresses experience.


text:
Connector Basics
Contributors: SFUptownMaker, Member #23999
Connectors are used to join subsections of circuits together. Usually, a connector is used where it may be desirable to disconnect the subsections at some future time: power inputs, peripheral connections, or boards which may need to be replaced.
Covered in This Tutorial
In this tutorial we will go over:
Basic connector terminology
Categorize connectors into distinguishable categories
Talk about the differences between connectors within those categories.
Show how to identify polarized connectors
Talk about which connectors are best suited for certain applications
You may find these concepts useful before starting on this tutorial:
What is a Circuit?
Every electrical project starts with a circuit. Don't know what a circuit is? We're here to help.
Voltage, Current, Resistance, and Ohm's Law
Learn about Ohm's Law, one of the most fundamental equations in all electrical engineering.
How to Power a Project
A tutorial to help figure out the power requirements of your project.
An introduction to polarity in electronic components. Discover what polarity is, which parts have it, and how to identify it.
Connector Terminology
Before we get started discussing some commonly used connectors, let's explore the terminology used to describe connectors.
Gender - The gender of a connector refers to whether it plugs in or is plugged into and is typically male or female, respectively (kids, ask your parents for a more thorough explanation). Unfortunately, there are cases where a connector may be referred to as "male" when it would appear to be female; in the examples section, we'll point a few of those out as we discuss individual component types and explain why that's the case.
Male (left) and female 2.0mm PH series JST connectors. In this case, gender is determined by the individual conductor.
Polarity - Most connectors can only be connected in one orientation. This trait is called polarity, and connectors which have some means to prevent them being connected wrong are said to be polarized, or sometimes keyed.
A polarized North American wall plug. By having two different widths for the plug blades, the plug will only go into the outlet one way.
Contact - Contacts are the business portion of the connector. They are the metal parts which touch each other, forming an electrical connection. This is also where problems occur: the contacts can become soiled or oxidized, or the springiness required to hold the contacts together may fade with time.
The contacts on this connector are clearly visible.
Pitch - Many connectors consist of an array of contacts in a repeated pattern. The pitch of the connector is the distance from the center of one contact to the center of the next. This is important, because there are many families of contacts which look very similar but may differ in pitch, making it difficult to know that you are purchasing the right mating connector.
The pitch of the pins on the headers on a standard Arduino is .1".
Mating Cycles
Mating cycles - Connectors have a finite life, and connecting and disconnecting them is what wears them out. Datasheets usually present that information in terms of mating cycles, and it varies widely from one technology to another. A USB connector may have a lifetime in the thousands or tens of thousands of cycles, while a board-to-board connector designed for use inside of consumer electronics may be limited to tens of cycles. It's important that you select a connector with a suitable life for the application.
Mount - This one has the potential for being confusing. The term "mount" can refer to several things: how the connector is mounted in use (panel mount, free-hanging, board mount), what the angle of the connector is relative to its attachment (straight or right-angle), or how it is mechanically attached (solder tab, surface mount, through hole). We'll discuss this more in the examples section for each individual connector.
A comparison of three different methods of mounting the same barrel connector: (left to right) board mount, inline cable mount, and panel mount.
Strain relief - When a connector mounts to a board or cable, the electrical connections tend to be somewhat fragile. It is typical to provide some kind of strain relief to transfer any forces acting on that connector to a more mechanically sound object than the fragile electrical connections. Again, there will be some good examples of this later on.
This 1/8" headphone jack comes with a strain relief "boot" slid over the cable to prevent forces on the cable from being transmitted directly to the electrical joints.
USB connectors come in two flavors: host and peripheral. In the USB standard, there is a difference between the two, and the connectors on cables and devices reflect this. However, all USB connectors will have some things in common:
Polarization - A USB connector can only nominally be inserted one way. It may be possible to force a connector in wrong, but that will result in damage to the device.
Four contacts - All USB connectors have at least four contacts (although some may have five, and USB 3.0+ connectors have even more). These are for power, ground, and two data lines (D+ and D-). USB connectors are designed to transmit 5V, up to 500mA.
Shielding - USB connectors are shielded, such that a metal shell which is not part of the electrical circuit is provided. This is important to keep the signal intact in environments with a lot of electrical "noise".
Robust power connection - It's important for the power pins to make connection before the data lines, to avoid trying to power the device over the data lines. All USB connectors are designed with this in mind.
Molded strain relief - All USB cables have plastic overmolding at the connector to prevent strain on the cable that could potentially damage the electrical connections.
A USB extension cable, with some of the common features of USB connectors labeled.
USB-A Connectors
USB-A female is the standard "host" connector type. This is found on computers, hubs, or any device intended to have peripherals plugged into it. It is also possible to find extension cables with a female A connector and a male A connector on the other end.
Female USB-A ports on the side of a laptop. The blue connector is USB 3.0 compliant.
USB-A male is the standard "peripheral" connector type. Most USB cables will have one end terminating in a USB-A male connector, and many devices (such as keyboards and mice) will have a built-in cable terminated with a USB-A male connector. It's also possible to find USB-A male connectors that are board mountable, for devices like USB memory sticks.
Two types of Male USB-A connectors, on a SparkFun Cerberus cable and an AVR Stick development board.
USB-B Connectors
USB-B female is a standard for peripheral devices. It's bulky, but robust, so in applications where size is not an issue, it's the preferred means for providing a removable connector for USB connectivity. It is usually a through-hole board mount connector, for maximum reliability, but there are panel-mount options for it as well.
Arduino boards, including this Uno, have long used the female USB-B connector, due to its low cost and durability.
USB-B male is almost exclusively found at the end of a cable. USB-B cables are ubiquitous and inexpensive, which also contributes to the popularity of the USB-B connection.
USB-B male connector on the end of a SparkFun Cerberus cable.
USB-Mini Connectors
The USB-Mini connection was the first standard attempt to reduce the size of the USB connector for smaller devices. USB-Mini female is typically found on smaller peripherals (MP3 players, older cellphones, small external hard drives), and is usually a surface mount connector, trading robustness for size. USB-Mini is slowly being phased out in favor of the USB-Micro connector.
USB-Mini female connector on a Protosnap Pro Mini.
USB-Mini male is another cable-only connector. As with USB-B, it's extremely common, and cables can be found cheaply almost anywhere.
USB-Mini male connector on the end of a SparkFun Cerberus cable.
USB-Micro Connectors
USB-Micro is a fairly recent addition to the USB connector family. As with USB-Mini, the primary concern is size reduction, but USB-Micro adds a fifth pin for low-speed signalling, allowing it to be used in USB-OTG (On-the-go) applications where a device may want to operate as either a host or a peripheral depending on circumstances.
USB-Micro female is found on many newer peripherals, such as digital cameras and MP3 players. The adoption of USB-micro as a standard charge port for all new cellular phones and tablet computers means that chargers and data cables are becoming increasingly common, and USB-Micro is likely to supplant USB-Mini in the coming years as the small-factor USB connector of choice.
USB-Micro female connector on a LilyPad Arduino USB board.
USB-Micro male is also a cable-only connector. There are generally two types of cables with USB-Micro male ends: one for connecting a device with a USB-Micro port as a peripheral to a USB host device and one for adapting the USB-Micro female port to a USB-A female port, to be used in USB-OTG capable devices.
USB-Micro male connector on the SparkFun Cerberus cable.
Adapter pigtail for using USB-OTG capable devices having only a USB-Micro port with standard USB peripherals. Note that not all devices supporting USB-OTG will work with this pigtail.
USB 3.0 micro-B Cable
USB 3.0 micro-B cables look similar to USB 2.0 micro-B connectors but they include additional pins for two differential pairs and a ground.
USB 3.0 Type A to Micro-B Cable
USB 3.1 C Cable
USB C packs 24 pins into the USB connector. Unlike the previous versions predecessors, this version is reversable! The design of the USB C cable also allows for current above 500mA for your power hungry devices.
USB 3.1 Cable A to C
Heads up! Depending on the cable, not all of the pins are broken out for USB C. Some cables may be limited to the USB 2.0 specification with 4 pins as opposed to the full USB 3.1 specification. The reversible USB A to C cables and SuzyQable are a few examples. Depending on the USB port that is used, you may also be limited in the amount of current that can be provided to your device.
Reversible USB
With the advancements in technology and manufacturing, USB connectors can be inserted either way! Below are examples of a reversible type A and type micro-b connector from the catalog.
Reversible Type A Connector End Reversible Type Micro B Connector End
If you are looking for a USB connector or cable, check out our USB Buying Guide or catalog.
SparkFun USB-C Breakout
In stock BOB-15100
The SparkFun USB-C Breakout supplies up to 3 times the power as previous USB board while breaking out each pin on the connect…
GPIB-USB Controller
Only 9 left! BOB-00549
Use this unique device to download data and control GPIB bus enabled oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, function generators, pow…
SparkFun USB Type A Female Breakout
This simple board breaks out a female USB type A connector's VCC, GND, D- and D+ pins to a 0.1" pitch header. If you want to …
SparkFun USB MicroB Plug Breakout
We have no idea what USB device you are hooking up to, but if you want to access the microUSB port on something, you might wa…
Another familiar connector group are those used for audio-visual applications--RCA and phono. While these can't truly be considered to be of the same family, as the various USB connectors are, we'll consider both of them to be in the same vein.
"Phone" Type Connectors
You'll probably immediately recognize the 1/8" version of this connector as a the plug on the end of a pair of headphones. These connectors actually come in three common sizes: 1/4" (6.35mm), 1/8" (3.5mm), and 2.5mm. ¼" size connectors find a lot of use in the professional audio and music community- most electric guitars and amplifiers have 1/4" tip-sleeve (TS) jacks on them. 1/8" tip-ring-sleeve (TRS) is very common as the connector for headphones or audio output signals on MP3 players or computers. Some cell phones will provide a 2.5mm tip-ring-ring-sleeve (TRRS) jack for connecting to headphones that also include a microphone for hands-free communications.
The common availability of these connectors and cables makes them a good candidate for general purpose connectivity applications--for instance, long before USB, Texas Instruments graphing calculators used a 2.5mm TRS connector for a serial programming connector. It should be remembered that tip-sleeve connector types are not designed for carrying power; during insertion, the tip and the sleeve can be momentarily shorted together, which may damage the power supply. The lack of shielding makes them poor candidates for high-speed data, but low speed serial data can be passed through these connectors.
Headphone-type TRS phone plug, 1/8". Typically, tip and ring will carry the stereo audio signals while sleeve will be connected to ground.
1/8" phone plug. Note the lack of a ring contact on this connector.
1/8" board mount headphone jack with pins corresponding pin connections labeled. When no jack is inserted, an internal switch connects the tip and ring pins to the adjacent unmarked pins, allowing insertion detection.
Familiar as the home-stereo connector of choice for many decades, the RCA connector was introduced in the 1940s by RCA for home phonographs. It is slowly being supplanted by connections like HDMI in the audio-visual realm, but the ubiquity of the connectors and cables makes it a good candidate for home-built systems. It will be a long time before it is obsolete.
Female RCA connectors are usually found on devices, although it is possible to find extension or conversion cables with female jacks on them. Most RCA connectors are connected to one of four types of signals: component video (PAL or NTSC, depending on where the equipment was sold), composite video, stereo audio, or S/PDIF audio.
Female RCA connector, for video signals. Typically, NTSC or PAL video signal connectors will be yellow.
Male RCA connectors are usually found on cables.
Male RCA plugs. Red and white are usually for audio applications, with red denoting the "right" audio channel.
While many connectors carry power in addition to data, some connectors are used specifically to provide power connections to devices. These vary widely by application and size, but we will only focus on some of the most common ones here.
Barrel Connectors
Barrel connectors are typically found on low-cost consumer electronics which can be plugged into wall power via bulky AC wall adaptors. Wall adaptors are widely available, in a variety of power ratings and voltages, making barrel connectors a common means for connecting power to small projects.
The female barrel connector, or "jack", can be purchased in several varieties: PCB mounted (surface mount or through hole), cable mount, or panel mount. Some of these connectors will have an additional contact that allows the application to detect whether a power supply is plugged into the barrel jack or not, thus allowing the device to bypass batteries and save battery life when running on external power.
Female barrel connector. When no plug is inserted, the "insertion detection" pin will be shorted to the "sleeve" pin.
The male barrel connector, or "plug", is usually only found in a wire termination variety, although there are multiple methods of attaching the plug to the end of the wire. It's also possible to get plugs that come pre-attached to a cable.
Unattached male barrel plug, for attachment to any power supply. Note that the sleeve connection is designed to be crimped onto the wire for extra strain relief.
Heads up! There are varying opinions on the gender of the jack and plug for these low power coax connectors. Depending on where your get these connectors, the jack can be referred to "male" barrel connector due to the pin in the center and vice versa for the plug. Make sure to check out the product image and specs to find what you are looking for!
Barrel connectors provide only two connections, frequently referred to as "pin" or "tip" and "sleeve". When ordering, there are three differentiating characteristics of a barrel connection- inner diameter (the diameter of the pin inside the jack), outer diameter (the diameter of the sleeve on the outside of the plug), and polarity (whether the sleeve voltage is higher or lower than the tip voltage).
Sleeve diameter is most commonly either 5.5mm or 3.5mm.
Pin diameter is contingent upon sleeve diameter; a 5.5mm sleeve will have either a 2.5mm or 2.1mm pin. Unfortunately, this means that a plug designed for a 2.5mm pin will fit in a 2.1mm jack, but that the connection will be, at best, intermittent. 3.5mm sleeve plugs usually mate to a jack with a 1.3mm pin.
Polarity is the final aspect to consider; most often, the sleeve will be considered 0V and the tip will be a positive voltage relative to the sleeve. Many devices will have a small diagram indicating the polarity expected by the device; care should be taken to adhere to this, as an improper power supply may damage the device.
Plugs of both sleeve sizes are usually 9.5mm long, but longer and shorter ones do exist. All SparkFun products use a negative 5.5mm sleeve and a positive 2.1mm pin; we recommend sticking to that standard where possible, as it seems to be the most common flavor found in the wild.
Common polarity diagrams for AC adaptors with barrel plugs. Positive polarity (tip positive, sleeve 0V) is most common. Diagram courtesy Wikipedia user Three-quarter-ten.
"Molex" Connectors
Most computer hard drives, optical drives, and other internal peripherals get power through what is typically called a "Molex" connector. To be more accurate, it's a Molex series 8981 connector--Molex is actually the name of the company which initially designed this connector back in the 1950s--but common usage has denuded that fact somewhat.
Molex connectors are designed to carry a lot of current: up to 11A per pin. For projects where a lot of power may be needed--a CNC machine, for instance, or a 3D printer- a very common method for powering the project is to use a desktop PC power supply and connecting the various system circuits through Molex connectors.
The Molex connector is one where the male/female terminology is a bit odd. The female connector is usually found on the end of a cable, and it slips inside of a plastic shell which surrounds the male pins on the male connector. Usually, the connectors are press-fit only, and very, very tight--they are intended to be connected and disconnected only a few times and, as such, are a bad choice for systems where connections will frequently be changed.
Male Molex connector. The gender of the pins inside the connector is what signifies the gender of the connector as a whole.
Female Molex connector on a project power supply.
IEC Connector
As with the Molex connector, this is a case where a generalized component name has come to be synonymous with a single, particular item. IEC connector usually refers to the power supply inlet which is commonly seen on desktop PC power supplies. Strictly speaking, that's an IEC 60320-1 C13 (female) and C14 (male) connector.
C14 male IEC power inlet, on a DC project power supply. Note that, as with the Molex connector, the gender of the connector is defined by the pins within the hood.
C13 female IEC power connector, on a fairly standard AC power supply cable. Cables with this end can be found all around the world, usually with the dominant local AC connector at the other end.
IEC connectors are used almost exclusively for AC power input. The nice thing about using one on a project is that IEC-to-wall cables are extremely common and available with localized wall plugs for most international locations!
JST Connector
At SparkFun, we frequently refer to "2.0mm JST Connectors". This is yet another generalization of a specific product- JST is a Japanese company which makes high-quality connectors, and our 2.0mm JST connector of choice is the PH series two-position polarized connector.
All of SparkFun's single-cell lithium-polymer ion batteries come standard with this type of JST connector, and many of our boards include this connector (or a footprint for it) as a power supply input. It has the advantage of being compact, durable, and difficult to connect backwards. Another feature, which can be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on how you look at it, is that the JST connector is wicked hard to disconnect (although a carefully applied diagonal cutter can be helpful!) once it's mated. While this makes it unlikely to fail during use, it also means that disconnecting the battery for charging can damage the battery connector.
2-Pin JST male connector on a LilyPad Arduino USB board. Again, as with the Molex, the pins inside the hood determine the gender of the connector.
Male and female 2-pin JST connectors.
There are PH series connectors with more than two positions; SparkFun even sells them. However, our most frequent application is for the 2-position battery connection.
SMA Antenna Connectors
Next up is the explanation of the confusing naming conventions for SMA connectors. If you would rather not understand why the convention is the way it is, you can just look at the 4 pictures and move on. Otherwise, have fun with the read!
RF Connector Conventions
SparkFun uses SMA-type connectors on a few boards that need a 50 Ohm impedance connection to an external antenna (GPS, Bluetooth, cellular, Nordic, and XBee). However, some of these boards use different genders and polarities of the SMA connector. Therefore, we need different antennas to match the specific gender or polarity of the RF connections.
There are 4 different types of SMA connectors using a combination of gender, which refers to the center pin and polarity, which refers to…..uh, this is where it gets confusing. Wikipedia tries to explain it. But from what I have found there was an original "old" design for SMA connectors.
SMA Connectors
The original SMA design called for two compliant connectors:
SMA Male
Center Pin, Inner Threads SMA Female
Center Hole, Outer Threads
The above two connectors were designed to be used together, but there was a problem with this configuration and the FCC started moving towards Part 15 compliance. All this means is that all the SMA RF connectors are changing gender (center pin). Really annoying for those of us who need to mate an antenna to an RF device. The FCC gender change was instituted to prevent home users from damaging RF equipment (think home WiFi) when screwing on an antenna. If all antennas are female, there is no way to damage the center connector.
There is one consistency however; all antennas, cables or anything was being attached to a potential stationary object used an outer nut or inner thread design and all stationary devices used the outer thread design. This applies for all SparkFun products. All of our antennas are either SMA male or RP-SMA female. All of our boards are either SMA female or RP-SMA male.
RP-SMA Connectors
The only thing that changed with the Part 15 compliance was the center pin, thus reversing the polarity of the connection and forming a "new" standard; the reversed polarized SMA (RP-SMA). The RP (reverse polarity) is named after its "thread gender" and has an opposite-gender pin.
The next two photos are considered reversed polarized (RP-SMA).
RP-SMA Male
Center Hole, "Male" Inner Threads RP-SMA Female
Center Pin, "Female" Outer Threads
If the board does not have a u.FL connector to attach an external antenna, SparkFun RF boards and antennas will use a combination of the old (SMA) and new (RP-SMA):
Cellular and GPS (900/1700/1800MHz and 1.57542GHz respectively) generally use the old convention: SMA male for the antennas and SMA female for the modules.
Anything 2.4GHz (Bluetooth, ZigBee, WiFi, and Nordic) generally use the new convention: RP-SMA male on the antennas and RP-SMA female on the modules.
Really, you can ignore the gender descriptor. If you have a RP-SMA board or module, you need a RP-SMA antenna and so forth for SMA. Pretty simple, right?! Just make sure to match the antenna frequency with the your board.
And just in case if you happen to find the old and new mixing, we sell a SMA male to RP-SMA male and a RP-SMA female to RP-SMA male connector that will most combinations of antenna and connector to be mated.
RPSMA Male to SMA Female Adapter
In stock WRL-09232
This is an adapter that converts an RP-SMA board to an SMA antenna. The adapter will connect to any of our 2.4GHz wireless bo…
SMA Male to RPSMA Male Adapter
This is an inner thread (outer nut) adapter that will connect to any of our wireless boards or interface cables and allow you…
I hope you are not thoroughly confused!
If you are looking for an RF connector or antenna, check out our RF Connector Buying Guide or catalog.
GNSS Multi-Band Magnetic Mount Antenna - 5m (SMA)
In stock GPS-15192
The ANN-MB-00 GNSS multi-band antenna is extremely unique from other GNSS/GPS antennas in that it is designed to receive both…
LoRa Fiberglass Antenna Type N - 5.8dBi (860-930MHz)
Out of stock WRL-15597
If you need maximum distance for your LoRa project you need this incredibly durable, outdoor antenna with 5.8dBi gain.
GNSS Multi-Band L1/L2 Surveying Antenna (TNC) - TOP106
Only 12 left! GPS-17751
The TOP106 from TOPGNSS is a GNSS/GPS antenna capable of receiving the L1/L2 bands for GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou cons…
GNSS Multi-Band L1/L2 Helical Antenna (SMA) BT-560
The BT-560 antenna is a small, very light weight GNSS/GPS L1/L2 multiband antenna for GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou const…
Pin Header Connectors
Pin header connectors comprise several different means of connection. Generally, one side is a series of pins which are soldered to a PCB, and they can either be at a right-angle to the PCB surface (usually called "straight") or parallel to the board's surface (confusingly referred to as "right-angle" pins). Such connectors come in a variety of pitches, and may have any number of individual rows of pins.
Right-angle female header pin connection on an FTDI basic board.
The most commonly seen pin headers are 0.1" (2.54mm) single or double row connectors. This is a standard breadboard compatible pitch. These come in male and female versions, and are the connectors used to connect Arduino boards and shields together. Users can easily connect jumper wires to breadboards.
0.1" pin header connectors, male and female, on an Arduino Uno board.
Other pitches are not uncommon; for instance, the XBee wireless module uses a 2.0mm pitch version of the same connector. Below is a top view showing the SMD 2.00mm pitched female header soldered on the board. As you can see, the two rows of plated through holes for standard breadboard compatible headers next to the headers are spaced at 0.1" (2.54mm) apart.
XBee Explorer USB with SMD 2.00mm pitch headers soldered on the board.
A common variation on this part is a "machine pin" version. While the normal version is formed out of stamped and folded sheet metal, machine pin connectors are formed by tooling the metal into the desired shape. The result is a more robust connector, with a better joint and longer life, making it somewhat more expensive.
Female machine pin headers. Note that these are designed to be snapped apart into smaller sections, while standard 0.1" female header pin connectors are not. It's also important to note that not all non-machine pin header connectors will mate with the machine pin variety.
Cables made to connect to these pin headers are usually one of two types: individual wires with crimp connectors on them or ribbon cables with insulation displacement connectors. These can simply be clamped onto the end of a ribbon cable, which creates a connection to each one of the conductors in the ribbon cable. Generally, cables are only available as female gender and expect a male pin to mate with.
Six-position crimp-type cable. Each wire is individually stripped, a connector crimped to it, and then the connectors are inserted into the plastic frame.
2x5 insulation displacement connectors (IDC) on a ribbon cable. This type of cable can be quickly assembled because it does not require stripping of individual connectors. It also has polarizing tabs on each end, to prevent incorrect insertion in the mating board-side connector.
Flexible circuits can also use solder tabs spaced with the standard 0.1" pitch. These tabs are stapled through a flexible substrate in order to make contact with the semi-conductive material.
Solder tab stapled on a flexible sensor.
Depending on your project application and skill set, there are a few methods of connecting to the solder tabs. Users can insert the solder tabs into breadboards or solder directly to the pins However, the thin solder tabs can break over time when bent excessively and can become loose in a breadboard socket. Flexible sensors can also be sensitive to heat due to the semi-conductive material. As an alternative, the Amphenol FCI Clincher connectors were designed with thicker leads and breadboard compatible sockets for a more reliable connection.
Amphenol FCI Clincher connectors crimped on flexible sensors for a more reliable connection.
Temporary Connectors
Screw Terminals
In some cases, it may be desirable to be able to connect bare, unterminated wire to a circuit. Screw terminals provide a good solution for this. They are also good for situations in which a connection should be capable of supporting multiple different connecting devices.
The downside of screw terminals is that they can come undone fairly easily, leaving a bare wire waving around in your circuit. A small dab of hot glue can address this without being too difficult to remove later.
Screw terminals are typically designed for a narrow range of wire gauges, and wires that are too small can be as big a problem as wires that are too big. SparkFun carries four types of screw terminal – a 2.54mm (0.1" breadboard standard), a 3.5mm, 5mm, and 10mm pitch version.
Screw Terminals 5mm Pitch (2-Pin)
In stock PRT-08432
Screw Terminals with 5mm pitch pins. Comes in 2 or 3 positions and have the really cool feature of slide-locking together to …
Screw Terminals 2.54mm Pitch (2-Pin)
These are simple 2-position screw terminals with 2.54mm pitch pins. Rated up to 150V @ 6A, this terminal can accept 30 to 18A…
Screw Terminals 3.5mm Pitch (2-Pin)
Screw Terminal 3.5mm pitch pins with slide-locking together to form any size you need. Rated up to 125V @ 6A, and can accept …
Terminal Block - 3 Position (15A, 600V)
Retired PRT-13060
This 3 position screw terminal block provides a simple way to connect wires to a single connection point. These blocks allow …
1 Retired
Click Here for More Screw Terminals
Most screw terminals are highly modular, and they can easily be extended at the same pitch by simply connecting two or more smaller sections together.
3.5mm pitch screw terminals, showing the insertion point of the wire to be connected, the retention screw which holds the wire in place, and the modular connectors on the sides of the individual units allowing multiple pieces to be ganged together.
Spring Terminals
Alternatives to screw terminals include spring terminals (a.k.a. "push-in", "cage-clamp", or "poke-home" connectors). Spring terminals work in a similar fashion as screw terminals. However, instead of tightening a screw to make a connection with piece of wire, a spring clamps together pieces of metal together.
Spring terminals provide an alternative to screw terminals. They work better in environments with a lot of vibrations (i.e. automotive applications) or when a wire expanding/contracting due to temperature cycling. Additionally, the tension is automatically adjusted to the wire gauge (assuming it is within the accepted wire thickness) as opposed to variances in tension when a user tightens the screw terminal. Below are a few spring terminal connectors that SparkFun carries in the catalog.
Spring Terminals - PCB Mount (3-Pin)
These are small spring terminals. Open the aperature with the small arm, insert the wire, release the arm and the wire is hel…
Only 1 left! PRT-08077
Speaker Terminal - 4 Spring
Retired COM-11145
You may recognize these as the connectors that are commonly used for home stereo speakers. They happen to make good spring te…
Certain boards (like the gamer:bit, LumiDrive, and Qwiic MP3 Trigger to name a few) are populated with a spring terminal for easy access to I/O pins.
A ball-point pen pressing down on the tab of the gamer:bit's poke-home connector to connect a piece of wire.
Most pieces of power test equipment (multimeters, power supplies) have a very simple connector called a "banana jack" on it. These mate to "banana plugs", crimped, sprung metal plugs, meant to make a single power connection. They are frequently available in a stackable configuration and can be easily connected to any type of wire. They are capable of carrying several amps of current and are inexpensive.
Stackable banana plug. Note that there are two different ways to plug in an additional banana plug.
Extech variable bench supply with banana jacks on the front.
Named for obvious reasons, alligator clips are good for test connections to posts or bare wires. They tend to be bulky, easily cause shorts to nearby bare metal, and have a reasonably poor grip that can be easily compromised. They are primarily used for low-cost connections during debugging.
A "third hand" tool, which uses alligator clips to hold work pieces, holding a wire terminated with an alligator clip for electrical test. Note the plastic boot surrounding the alligator clip, to make it less likely to short to other connections.
IC Clip (or IC Hook)
For more delicate probing operations, there are a variety of IC clips on the market. These are sized to allow a user to clip them onto the pins of an IC without contacting adjacent pins; some of them are delicate enough to be clipped onto even fine-pitched SMD component legs. These smaller clips can be found on logic analyzers as well as test leads, which are great for prototyping or troubleshooting circuits.
A large IC clip on the end of a wire. This clip is still small enough to be connected to a single leg on a through-hole chip without causing a problem for adjacent pins.
RJ-type Modular Connectors
Registered jack connectors are standard for telecommunications equipment into a local exchange. The names one normally hears associated with them (RJ45, RJ12, etc) are not necessarily correct, as the RJ designator is a based on a combination of the number of positions, the number of conductors actually present, and the wiring pattern. For example, while the ends of a standard ethernet cable are usually referred to as "RJ45", RJ45 actually implies not only an 8 position, 8 conductor modular jack, it also implies that it is wired for ethernet.
These modular connectors can be very useful, since they combine ready availability, multiple conductors, moderate flexibility, low cost, and moderate current carrying capacity. While not originally intended to deliver a great deal of power, these cables can be used to deliver data and a couple of hundred milliamps from one device to another. Care should be taken to ensure that jacks provided for applications like this are not connected to conventional ethernet ports, as damage will result.
A standard 8p8c (8-position, 8-conductor) "RJ45" modular jack. Be aware that if you intend to use this type of jack to pass DC signals and power, you must avoid using connectors with built-in signal transformers.
D-sub Type Connectors
Named for the shape of their shell, D-subminiature connectors are a classic standard in the computing world. There are four very common varieties of this connector: DA-15, DB-25, DE-15, and DE-9. The pin number indicates the number of connections provided, and the letter combination indicates the size of the shell. Thus, DE-15 and DE-9 have the same shell size, but a different number of connections.
Female DE-9 board-mount connector. Gender is defined by the pins or sockets associated with each signal, not the connector as a whole, making this connector female despite the fact that it effectively inserts into the shell of the mating connector.
DB-25 and DE-9 are the most useful to the hardware hacker; many desktop computers still include at least one DE-9 serial port, and often one DB-25 parallel port. Cables terminated with DE-9 and DB-25 connectors are widely available, too. As with the modular connector above, these can be used to provide power and point-to-point communications between two devices. Again, since the common usage of these cables does not include power transmission, it is very important that any repurposing of the cables be done cautiously, as a non-standard device plugged into a standard port can easily cause damage.
You should now have a good idea which connectors are suited best for certain applications and which connectors will be useful to you in your next project. Please check out these other links to lean more about connectors.
Giant database of connectors and pinouts - Everything you never wanted to know about pretty much any connector, ever. A good site for basic info about connectors, but often quite shy on interface details.
Wikipedia article on registered jack connectors - More on the confusing world of the registered jack (RJ) connector, which is often misunderstood and misused.
Wikipedia article on D-subminiature connectors - As with the registered jack connector, misinformation abounds on the D-subminiature standard. Wikipedia has a great article about it.
Mouser electronics catalog - Browsing an electronics supplier catalog is often a great place to start looking for the name of an unidentified connector; Mouser's enhanced online catalog is just as good as the print version, with fewer papercuts!
Interested in learning more foundational topics?
See our Engineering Essentials page for a full list of cornerstone topics surrounding electrical engineering.
If you'd like top explore more SparkFun tutorials, check out these other offerings:
Asynchronous serial communication concepts: packets, signal levels, baud rates, UARTs and more!
Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI)
SPI is commonly used to connect microcontrollers to peripherals such as sensors, shift registers, and SD cards.
An overview of electric power, the rate of energy transfer. We'll talk definition of power, watts, equations, and power ratings. 1.21 gigawatts of tutorial fun!
Alternating Current (AC) vs. Direct Current (DC)
Learn the differences between AC and DC, the history, different ways to generate AC and DC, and examples of applications.
Three Quick Tips About Using U.FL
Quick tips regarding how to connect, protect, and disconnect U.FL connectors.
Or check out these related blog post:
Headers or No Headers?
The Wild World of Connectors
New Connector System
Sections Introduction Connector Terminology USB Connectors Audio Connectors Power Connectors SMA Antenna Connectors Pin Header Connectors Temporary Connectors Other Connectors Resources and Going Further


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Vikram Luthar is senior vice president and chief financial officer of ADM's Nutrition business, and a member of the company's Executive Council. As such, he has responsibility for driving strategic priorities of the company's Nutrition business, including global growth initiatives and portfolio management, as well as providing financial insights and analysis to drive returns and profitable growth.
Luthar has served in a variety of senior-level positions since joining ADM in 2004 as vice president and treasurer. Prior to his current role, he was president of ADM's Health & Wellness business. Before that , he was president, Bioactives and CFO of the company's Corn Processing segment. He has also served as senior vice president, Strategy, and as group vice president, Finance, with oversight of ADM's global treasury, credit, business planning and development, as well as M&A functions.
Before coming to ADM, Luthar spent 11 years with General Motors Co., serving in various treasury and corporate finance positions in the United States and Asia.
Luthar holds a bachelor's of technology in aerospace engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.


A good plan can save time and dramatically increase your output and efficiency.
Are you one of those people who sees writing as a creative act?
If so, you're right—but only partly. Writing is perhaps 20 percent creative; the other 80 percent depends on good time management.
That may sound heretical, but much of writing is mundane. You have research and interviews. You must write sentences and later edit them.
Over the years, many writers fall into dysfunctional writing habits. We delay and procrastinate, making writing more challenging. Many of us become addicted to email, social media or other online distractions.
If only we could plan our time better and use it more efficiently, we'd be able to write more productively, right?
1. Understand your writing speed. I know I can write 400 (hard) or 650-750 (easy) words in 30 minutes. This knowledge allows me to plan my writing day. If you don't know how many words you can write in 30 minutes, start timing yourself.
The actual number doesn't matter. What matters is that you know what it is. Once you have this information you'll be able to plan your day.
2. Begin every assignment by reverse-engineering it. As I explain in my book, 8½ Steps to Writing Faster, Better, writing consists of a series of discrete steps that are best tackled individually and in a particular order. Research before you write, for example, and only edit when you have finished writing.
When you receive an assignment, your boss or editor won't care when you perform these tasks so long as you meet the deadline, but you must care. Don't leave the planning up to chance. Instead, attach a date and a timeframe to each task. Enter them in your calendar.
3. Understand when you work best. I write most easily in the morning, so I try to reserve my time before 11 a.m. for writing, which means I usually schedule meetings or interviews for afternoons.
I also know that no matter what time I wake up or how big a breakfast I eat, I am always hungry by 11:30 a.m., so I make sure to get a snack at that time. Respect your preferences and make them work for you rather than against you.
4. Try to shorten the time you allow for writing. You might be familiar with Parkinson's Law, which holds that work will expand to fill available time. Don't let loose planning steal hours from your day.
Write with a noisy timer ticking in the background to create some discernible pressure while you're working. It's better to feel that you're not going to have quite enough time—rather than more than enough time—to finish your writing. Play "beat the clock" with your timer and see if you can finish ahead of schedule.
5. Set appointments with yourself to do your writing and other daily tasks. Appointment setting is the secret sauce to becoming ultraproductive. Blocking off slices of time has made a profound difference in my life.
I began by setting up a Word table, in which I divided the day into 15-minute chunks and slotted in tasks for each of them. This was too tedious for me, so I switched to 30-minute chunks. Now, it takes me no more than five minutes each morning to schedule my day.
I schedule simple jobs, like making phone calls or filing papers, between more energy-intensive tasks like writing or editing. This scheduling makes my day productive and still leaves room for breaks.
Remember to make your schedule flexible. If someone cancels a meeting at the last moment, you can always slot something else in. You can't predict how the day will go, but following a schedule will minimize time wasted checking email or social media.
You may be wondering how I arrived at the 113 percent productivity improvement figure. It's an estimation, of course, but I'm certain that I've more than doubled my productivity in the last few months. I believe you can as well. All it takes is strategically scheduling your day and sticking to the plan.
How do you protect your writing productivity? Feel free to share any tips in the comments.
A former daily newspaper editor, Daphne Gray-Grant is a writing and editing coach. Follow her on Twitter @PubCoach. A version of this post first appeared on Publication Coach.


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Wawa: The 45th Anniversary Exhibit
Wawa, Inc. celebrates the 45th anniversary of its popular convenience stores in April 2009. The company's long history began in 1803 with an iron foundry and expanded to include grist and saw mills, a glass works, and a cotton textile mill. Profits from cotton textiles enabled the establishment of a dairy farm in Wawa, Pennsylvania in 1902. The dairy's operations eventually spawned the convenience store chain which is now well-known throughout the mid-Atlantic region.
The Hagley Library helps tell the story of Wawa, Inc. through collections of photographs and archival materials from the company's public relations department.
45 Years of Wawa Convenience Stores
Tommy Summers, Wawa milkman, 1955
Wawa was originally known for its dairy products and customer service. For Wawa, Tommy Summers exemplified the trust customers placed in the company. Summers, like other Wawa delivery men, were entrusted with their customer's house key.
Grahame Wood (1915-1982)
In the early 1960s, company president Grahame Wood anticipated the continuing decline of home delivery service of milk. He proposed building convenience stores to sell Wawa Dairy products. The company sold fresh meat, produce and dairy products in clean neighborhood-friendly stores. Store #1 opened on April 16, 1964 in Folsom, PA.
The Folsom store
The Folsom store (above), along with the two other Food Markets opened in 1964, were almost instant successes. By 1970, there were more than 50 Wawa Food Markets in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland.
Wawa Food Market advertisement
Wawa ad promoting the convenience and time-saving benefits of shopping in their stores "for people on the go."
Wawa Food Market, circa 1971
By 1971, Wawa Food Markets were experiencing increased competition as supermarkets extended hours and installed deli counters. Consumers' changing tastes spurred Wawa to alter their stores to increase customer convenience. Parking lots were enlarged, stores were redesigned, and the number of store associates was doubled. This positioned Wawa stores for growth in the food service business.
Richard D. 'Dick' Wood, Jr.
In 1977, Richard D. 'Dick' Wood, Jr. (Grahame's second cousin, b. 1938) became president of Wawa Food Markets, and CEO in 1981. Dick Wood presided over Wawa's growth during the 1980s and 1990s, which included adding coffee to the stores'; expanding the line of hoagies and other food service products introducing technological innovations to product control, store management, and foodservice; and adding gasoline pumps to many stores.
By the 1990s, Wawa's stores increased in size to provide more space in the retail and food service areas, enlarged parking lots, and added gasoline pumps at many locations.
Hoagie Advertisement
Customer feedback led to Wawa "power branded" hoagies in the early 1990s.
Customer Terminals
Wawa used technology to improve convenience and the speed of service. Customer activated terminals are used to order hoagies and other hot and cold sandwiches and foods.
Generous support for the exhibit and digitization was provided by Wawa, Inc.
Exhibit Home
Wawa Today


There's just one thing… Steven has quite the struggle between managing his "mortal" life with his magical powers. But that doesn't get in Steven's way from joining the Crystal Gems on their exciting adventures; and when things don't turn out right for Steven — he still always has a positive look on it!
Cartoon Network stated in their press release, "Steven (voiced by Zach Callison) is an energetic, lovable, half-Gem boy who is still trying to figure out his powers to become the true hero he is destined to be".
The multi-talented Zach Callison will be the voice of "Steven" in Steven Universe. Zach Callison has exhibited his talent in projects including Disney Junior's Sofia The First where he voices "Prince James". Zach Callison is also the voice of "King Tut" in the upcoming Dreamwork's film "Mr. Peabody and Sherman"; and is currently working on a series alongside consummate actress, Kristin Chenoweth.
Stay connected with Zach Callison by following him on Twitter: @ZachCallison and be sure to tune into the premiere of Cartoon Network's Steven Universe!


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What's the Difference? Fiberglass vs. Vinyl Windows
Compare price, durability, energy efficiency, and other key considerations to choose the best windows for your home.
By Michelle Ullman | Updated Feb 8, 2022 12:20 PM
Whether replacements for existing windows or part of new construction, your home's "eyes" to the outside world involve quite a few decisions to find the right set. Chief among them is the material for the frame and sash of your windows.
Currently, two of the most popular manmade materials for windows are vinyl and fiberglass. Vinyl is actually a truncation for polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a type of plastic. Fiberglass has a base of glass that's melted under very high heat and then pulled into extremely fine fibers, which are woven together. If intended for solid construction, such as window frames, fiberglass is impregnated with various resins so it can be molded into shape.
Both fiberglass and vinyl are strong, durable, easy-care, and water-resistant materials that hold up to the elements far better than wood. Although it's still considered the gold standard for window frames and sashes—thanks, mostly, to its lovely, traditional appearance—wood requires considerable maintenance to keep its good looks and prevent wear and tear.
If you're in the process of narrowing down your window options, read on! We're putting vinyl and fiberglass head to head in the categories most important to homeowners. Here's how the two stack up.
Fiberglass gives a wider range of decorative options.
While both materials look similar from a distance, and both can be quite attractive, fiberglass offers more variety in terms of window appearance. Fiberglass frames tend to be slightly thinner than vinyl, leaving more glass exposed—desirable when you want to let as much natural light into a room as possible. And while both materials come in a wide range of colors, fiberglass is paintable and vinyl is not. Finally, fiberglass can be textured to look like real wood, whereas vinyl is generally smooth.
Vinyl windows are less expensive.
While fiberglass windows are generally slightly less costly than wood, vinyl is usually significantly less expensive than both. Depending on your location and the size and number of your windows, you'll typically pay anywhere from 10 to 30 percent less for vinyl. That can really add up, considering that the price for replacing a wooden window can be as much as $1,000.
Fiberglass is the most durable.
Both vinyl and fiberglass tend to outlast wood, as they don't rot or decay from moisture or insect damage, but fiberglass is the hardiest choice. A high-quality vinyl window will last around 30 years, while its fiberglass counterpart can still be gracing your home more than 50 years after installation. Fiberglass is stronger than vinyl and resists warping and cracking even under prolonged weather extremes. Vinyl expands and contracts with fluctuating temperatures, meaning that in the most severe climates, the seal between the window frame and glass pane can break, greatly reducing the insulating abilities of the window.
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A handy DIYer can install vinyl windows.
If you're reasonably competent with a power drill, hammer, tape measure, and utility knife, you can install vinyl windows yourself—a savings of between $100 to $200 per window. Because vinyl is slightly flexible, it's far easier to install than rigid fiberglass; it's also more forgiving of very slight measurement discrepancies. Plus, you'll find pre-made vinyl windows in standard sizes at many home improvement centers, whereas fiberglass windows must be ordered from the manufacturer. Note that many manufacturers of fiberglass windows will void the windows' warranties if not installed by a professional.
Fiberglass is more energy efficient.
Although both materials are fairly good insulators and adequately control temperature loss or gain through the window, fiberglass does a better job. In fact, fiberglass was created in the 1920s specifically for use as insulation and it's still commonly used for that purpose today. As a rough rule of thumb, fiberglass windows are as much as 15 percent more energy efficient than vinyl. And thanks to its glass base, fiberglass is very effective at insulating against sound, too—an important consideration if you live near a highway or other noisy area.
Both are nearly maintenance-free.
Compared to wood, which requires periodic sealing, painting, and patching, vinyl and fiberglass windows are virtually care free. If mud, dust, or moss build up on them, simply scrub the grunge away with a sturdy brush or sponge and warm water. The only caveat is for painted fiberglass windows, which will need repainting when they eventually fade or peel, a strong possibility if you live in an area with extreme temperatures. And if temperature swings cause the seal on vinyl windows to break, you'll need to caulk them to restore insulating capabilities.
Fiberglass is more eco-friendly.
Because fiberglass is more energy efficient than vinyl, it reduces energy consumption. And although not easy to recycle, most fiberglass is made from recycled glass, which means less glass in landfills and less need for new glass production. Plus, the manufacture of fiberglass doesn't release harmful chemicals into the environment, nor will fiberglass windows off-gas or release potentially harmful byproducts should there be a fire in your home. By contrast, vinyl is not easily recyclable, produces harmful chemicals during production, and releases harmful fumes if melted in a fire.
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