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The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick
The Summer Queen is the first in a trilogy of novels telling the story of the medieval queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Eleanor (or Alienor as she is referred to throughout the book) is a thirteen-year-old girl when the novel begins in 1137. Following the death of her father, the Duke of Aquitaine, Alienor is married to King Louis VII of France. At first the marriage is a happier one than either Alienor or Louis had expected, but as the years go by Louis begins to change and their relationship disintegrates. During a crusade to Jerusalem, Alienor makes an important decision regarding her future and with the young Henry, Duke of Normandy – the future Henry II of England – waiting in the background, the scene is set for the next two books in the trilogy, The Winter Crown and The Autumn Throne.
I have read other novels in which Eleanor of Aquitaine has been a character, but in most books the focus is on her relationship with Henry II and their sons (who included two more future kings, Richard I and King John). This is the first time I've read about her early life in so much detail, so I found this book fascinating and informative as well as being an enjoyable read.
As usual, Chadwick's characters feel like people who really could have lived and breathed during the 12th century, rather than modern day characters dropped into a medieval setting. Alienor herself is shown to be a strong and intelligent woman with ambitions of her own, who really cares about the future of her own lands of Aquitaine and the welfare of the people who live there. She is frustrated by her husband's lack of leadership skills and reliance on his advisers, particularly when she believes they are advising him to make incorrect decisions.
Alienor (or Eleanor) is not always shown in such a positive light as she is in this book and I liked this version of her character. In her author's note, Elizabeth Chadwick explains some of the choices she made in writing Alienor's story, particularly how to tackle the questions of whether Alienor may have had an affair with her uncle Raymond, Prince of Antioch, or with one of her own Aquitaine vassals, Geoffrey de Rancon (Chadwick's answer is no to the first and yes to the second). She also tells us why she chose to use this particular spelling of Alienor's name and how she decided what Alienor may have looked like.
I thought the breakdown of Alienor's marriage to Louis was described in a way that felt realistic and believable. As a second son raised for a career in the church, only becoming heir to the throne after the death of his elder brother, Louis proves to be a weak leader and too easily influenced by the stronger personalities around him, particularly the Templar knight Thierry de Galeran. It was sad to see Alienor watch as the young, attractive husband she had once liked and cared for turned into a grim and humourless man, ready to blame his wife for all of his misfortunes (such as her failure to produce the male heir he so desperately wanted). However, Louis is never quite a villain and it's possible to have some sympathy for the person he has become.
I also loved the portrayal of Henry, although he only really comes into the story towards the end. Being confident, self-assured and ambitious, he is the opposite of Louis in many ways and I was pleased to see Alienor find some happiness after so many wasted years, even though history tells us that this happiness isn't going to last forever.
As well as being an entertaining story and providing a huge amount of information on Alienor's early life, The Summer Queen is also a great introduction to the history and geography of medieval Europe and beyond. The route of Louis and Alienor's crusade can be followed using a map at the front of the book and takes us through Hungary, Constantinople, Antioch and into Jerusalem encountering some of the most important historical figures of the period along the way.
I loved this book and am looking forward to seeing how Alienor's story continues in The Winter Crown.
Posted in: Historical Fiction, Reviews | Tagged: 12th century, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Elizabeth Chadwick
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15 thoughts on "The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick"
Kris Holtan says:
I also love this book and think I will re-read it. If haven't already read it, have a look at "The Greatest Knight: It is riveting and you may well fall in love with "The Marshall" as I did.
OMG – I think I confused my self here, had a different Summer Queen in my mind..
Don't worry about it, Kris. Now I'm curious about the other Summer Queen book you read! I have read The Greatest Knight and did love William Marshal, though I still haven't read the sequel, The Scarlet Lion, yet.
Fleur in her World says:
I've been wondering about this one. It's a story I've read before, but I liked Elizabeth Chadwick's take on Matilda and Stephen, so I'm inclined to give it a chance.
I enjoyed her book on Matilda and Stephen too, and this book does overlap with that one, in some ways.
I thought this was really good and like you, I'm looking forward to the next two books (I didn't know what the title of the third was to be so thank you for that). The way she wrote Louis, I agree, she showed his faults without suggesting he was bad and that really adds to the story.
It would have been so easy for her to make Louis the villain of the book but I thought she did a great job of showing how his marriage to Eleanor was much more complex than that.
I've always found Eleanor of Aquitaine such a fascinating figure, and she led such an interesting life. It sounds like this book captures that. I'm definitely going to be reading this series! Thanks for the review.
I had only ever read about her life after her marriage to Henry II, so it was fascinating to have the chance to read about her early life in France.
Called in to my local library today and there on the new books shelf was a copy of this, so of course I had to borrow it. I've not read any of Elizabeth Chadwick's books before, so will be interested to see if I like her.
I've always been interested in Eleanor too. I have three biographies of her, though I don't think I've actually read any of them!
I've only ever read fictional accounts of Eleanor's life, but I'm definitely interested in reading a biography now. She's such a fascinating woman!
HelenC says:
The three I have are by Desmond Seward, Marion Meade and Alison Weir. As I said, I haven't read them, so no recommendations!
Didn't mean to be anonymous – not familiar with this system!
It's okay, the commenting system can be confusing!
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Now that we are into a new year, its a good time to talk about spring cleaning, even though it is still winter. If you have been using Salesforce for any length of time, then it has most likely been customized to meet your business processes. (If it has not been you have a Ferrari that you're not driving more than 10 miles/hour.) As change the seasons, so change your business processes and Salesforce requirements. With things seeming to be in a constant change, what was needed yesterday may not fit for tomorrow.
The great thing about the Salesforce CRM system is that it is extremely customizable. But this can also be a hindrance, and Salesfore can become more difficult to use over time, if you do not stay on top of it. It is easy to add a new field when someone wants it but what about the fields you added last year? Are they still being used, and if so, by how many users?
Once a year, it is a good idea to look at your CRM software infrastructure to make sure you are running a nice tight ship behind the scenes. A cluttered system can lead to less user adoption and faulty data as well as frustration if a field, report, template, or dashboard is hard to find. Let's look at how we can clean this up.
Field usage can be tricky to nail down. If you are on Enterprise edition, there are some free apps on the AppExchange like Field Trip or Percent Complete that you can use to check your field utilization by object. Professional and Group edition users can create reports for each object with all of the fields and then sort on any field to see how much it is being used.
When creating these reports, you should remove the date criteria so you get all records. If you have multiple years' worth of records, then you should run reports for each year's created date. More than likely, you will have over 2000 records so an export to Excel would be needed. With Excel, you can use the "COUNTIF" and "ISBLANK" formulas to give you an accurate usage statistic for each field.
Once you determine which fields that can be removed, DO NOT delete them as any data that they hold will be deleted as well. Also, standard fields cannot be deleted. Fields that have not been used in the past year should be removed only from the page layout. Fields that have been used minimally should be moved into their own section on the page so users can hide them if desired. This leads to a cleaner page layout that is easier for your users to navigate and that may improve Salesforce user adoption.
Keeping your Salesforce custom reports up to date is a fairly painless process since Salesforce gives you a reports report. As a system administrator, create a new report and open the Administrative Reports category. For the report type, select Reports. You can then sort by folder or last run date. Salesforce does not apply storage space to reports so you can have as many as you want but any reports that have not been run in over a year should be moved to an archive folder or perhaps deleted to make things cleaner.
Salesforce even gives you the ability to create a custom report type on reports and dashboards. With this, you can check and see what dashboards are being used and which are not. I used this myself and found some dashboards from the AppExchange that I have not used in over a year! With some organizations having hundreds or thousands of dashboards, this custom report type can come in quite handy.
You cannot report on email templates in the Salesforce CRM system but there is a Times Used and a Last Used Date field on each template page. You can use these to weed out templates that have not been used over a certain time. Please keep in mind that automation like workflow or auto-response rules do not update these fields and mass emails only add one to the count, not the total recipients.
Content and documents can be monitored through their own reports so you can keep up with them and possibly reduce your storage space. The content report is quite handy for reporting on the number of downloads or subscriptions. It will even tell you the number of positive and negative votes. This is a report that you may want to run every month or so to keep your content fresh.
Spring cleaning is never an easy task but it is something that needs to be done. Hopefully, with the tools I have listed, I have made your job much easier.


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to support an interdisciplinary research initiative at The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities focused on diversity and difference in the academy
Oxford, United Kingdom
The System of Higher Education
Other grants awarded to University of Oxford
Finding Archives and Manuscripts Across Special Collections
Awarded $890,000 in September 2019 to support the implementation of standards and practices to improve the discovery of archival collections
Digital Editions of the Enlightenment
Awarded $704,000 in December 2018 to support the prototyping of a digital platform for scholarly editions of primary sources that document the European Enlightenment
Research and Access Infrastructure for Manuscript and Archival Collections - Planning
Awarded $114,000 in September 2017 to support solutions for discovery and access issues in libraries and archives

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


When confronted with revelations in the 2015-16 Annual Report of the Auditor General of unpaid debts, unrecorded assets, improper record of revenues and even separate bank accounts of government ministries, the Tongan Parliament was thrown into turmoil when it resumed its 2017-18 session on 1 August.
The Auditor General's report was among four other annual reports of government ministries that were tabled into parliament on 1 August.
According to experienced members of parliament this Auditor's report was the most transparent and revealing report that had ever been presented to parliament.
not keeping birth and death certificates in order.
He said that most unusual also was the fact that the Ministry of Justice has its own Bank Account.
The former Minister of Finance reminded the House that legally, government ministries cannot establish an account without the approval of the Minister of Finance.
With regards to Public Enterprises he queried why the Tonga Development Bank and Tonga Power have independent auditors, and are not audited by the Auditor General, and why the salaries of the directors of the Water Board are paid in advance.
He suggested for the annual reports of Government Enterprises to be submitted to the House as had been the practice in the past.
A shocking surprise, was how Prime Minister Hon 'Akilisi Pohiva described the report which showed the very poor service that is offered by his government ministries, and how they are mismanaging government properties and finance.
He called on Cabinet Ministers to return to their ministries and call a meeting with their CEOs to address the problems that were pointed out in the report.
Lord Nuku pointed out to the PM that wrongdoing had been committed and a drastic measure should be taken.
The PM however insisted that what he was proposing was for the Ministers and their CEOs to put an end to all these wrong and illegal activities.
Lord Nuku repeated his point that wrongdoings had taken place, and the PM wanted his ministers to go back and put them right.
Lord Tu'ilakepa suggested that since the Auditor General had come under the Speaker and the Legislative Assembly, they should proceed and take legal action against the wrongdoings within government. He reminded the House that in the past, a Cabinet Minister lost his ministerial because he deposited government money into his own personal account.
Lord Tu'ilakepa also queried why the report did not report the case concerning a former Cabinet Minister who was penalised by the Prime Minister for wrongdoing, and was supposed to work without pay for five months. He wondered if the Prime Minister had actually punished the Cabinet Minister as he told the House.
The PM corrected the member that the Minister that he was referring to did not work without pay. He said that the suggestion was only a motion, but it was rejected by the House.
"That is an out-right lie," Lord Tu'ilakepa said, and reminded the house that the PM said he would punish the minister, and he would work without pay.
The Prime Minister insisted that the motion for him to punish the Cabinet Minister was rejected by the House.
Lord Tu'ilakepa insisted that the motion was passed by the House and it was broadcasted on the radio.
The Minister of Police, Hon. Mateni Tapueluelu reminded the Chairman that they were debating over the 2015-16 Annual Report of the Auditor General, and there were a lot of issues for them to get into, but instead they were dealing with an issue that was not in the report.
Lord Tu'ilakepa reminded the Minister that the case he was referring to took place in 2015.
The House on the following day 2 August voted 17-0 for the Annual Report of the Auditor General to be forwarded to the Standing Committee on Finance and Public Accounts of the House to work on then report back to Parliament.
However, before the House voted on the Annual Report, there were a few wild exchanges between Lord Tu'ilakepa and, Light of Day Taka and the PM.
It started off because the PM expressed his concern over the misuse of government vehicles.
Lord Tu'ilakepa said that he had spotted the vehicle of the Chairman of the Whole House Committee, Light of Day Taka, at night at a kava club in their area.
Light of Day said he was there on a church mission to see who was drinking kava.
The PM, however, shifted the topic to remind the House of a cocaine smuggling case with rumours that Lord Tu'ilakepa knew something about. The case was terminated.


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Online chart of the British Pound (GBP) rate to Australian Dollar (AUD)
Düşük: 1.74409
The British pound to the Australian dollar is very popular with Forex traders. Australia and Great Britain are connected by centuries-old and strong economic ties and until now a high level of trade is maintained between these countries, which undoubtedly affects the exchange rate of both currencies.
AUD and GBP are the most stable national currencies in the world, so the GBP / AUD pair is very attractive for novice traders. It is worth remembering that it is necessary to pay attention to changes in the USD rate, since the US dollar has a significant impact on both currencies in the pair. The high interest rate in Australia makes it possible for a carry trade.
The Australian dollar is a commodity currency. The Australian economy is almost 70% connected with China, Japan and the United States. Australia is an agrarian country and one of the leaders in the extraction of precious metals and raw materials.
The pound sterling rate is influenced by external and internal factors. For example, such macroeconomic factors, as an indicator of unemployment, inflation, gross national product and balance of a trade. External factors are economic relations with the United States and Europe, that is, a deterioration or improvement in the economic condition of the UK's partners affects the pound itself.
Using the current exchange rate chart, you can monitor the volatility of a currency pair in real time.
The GBP / AUD pair is built on the principle of direct quotation. The base currency is GBP, the British pound, and quoted - AUD, the Australian dollar. The growth of the currency pair means strengthening of the British pound against the Australian dollar, that is, to buy one GBP, more AUD is required. A decrease in the exchange rate indicates the strengthening of the Australian dollar.
Australian dollar - (bank code: AUD) - the official currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, also has circulation on the islands of Christmas, Cocos Islands and Norfolk Island. In addition, AUD has circulation in the states: Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu. The Reserve Bank of Australia issues the Australian dollar, as well as the regulation of the Australian banking and monetary systems.
British pound, pound sterling or pound - (currency symbol: £, Bank code: GBP) is a currency that acts as the national currency of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, including England, Scotland and Wales. Also the pound is a parallel currency of the crown lands of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. The pound sterling is a legal tender for the British overseas territories: the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The Bank of England has the right of money issue and regulation.
Factor Short
Factor Long
-0.5 -0.1 1.3 0.8
GBP/CAD 1.65037
GBP/CHF 1.1412
GBP/DKK 8.4666
GBP/NOK 12.2529
GBP/JPY 160.959
GBP/ZAR 21.264


A city full of character and history, encircled by ancient city walls, York comes to life in the winter time. Even the cold isn't enough to put the crowds of shoppers off - the cobbled, lamp-lit streets create a magical atmosphere.
With 2,000 years of history to explore, Christmas markets to immerse you in the festive spirit, independent shops to tick off your Christmas list and plenty of pubs and hotels full of heritage to indulge and relax in, you'll be spoilt for choice when planning a winter's afternoon in York.
Even if you only have an afternoon spare this winter, fear not, here's how you can discover the attractions off the beaten track, enjoy a scrumptious food and drinks scene and browse the contemporary independent shops – all in a day's work.
If you're arriving by car, this is one you won't be able to miss as Clifford's Tower proudly stands behind one of York's main car parks. It's a symbol of the power of England's medieval kings and was originally built by William the Conqueror to subdue northern rebels. It has twice been burnt to the ground and was finally rebuilt to what it is today, with its sweeping panoramic views, by Henry III. Before you begin your winter's afternoon, take in the views of York and the surrounding countryside and try to plot where you're planning to visit during the day.
Between 15 and 23 December, head down to Kings Square to visit the St Nicholas Fair, where you can walk amongst the twinkling lights and support Yorkshire's small businesses and their stalls. You'll find everything from Christmas gifts and festive treats, to hand-crafted produce and local delights.
Establishing York as a city, York Minster is arguably one of the world's most magnificent cathedrals. Whether you have five minutes to spare or a little longer, there's so much to discover. You could explore the history, dating back to the birth of modern-day Christianity, join a service, or enjoy the space and its stained-glass windows. Keep an eye out for the Great East Window if nothing else; it's one of its most famous works of arts and has recently been restored to its full glory.
Relax and refuel over afternoon tea in York at The Grand Hotel with stunning views over the city walls, no expense is spared in the pursuit of luxury.
An elaborate tower of a savoury and sweet treats will be presented on a silver tower – they'll be plenty to feast on. Whether you're with children or wish to treat yourselves to optional upgrades of prosecco, champagne or gin and tonic, there's something to suit everyone.
Feeling revitalised? Why not pick up some gifts on your Christmas shopping list (or even treat yourself) at the many independent shops hidden down the side streets of York? The Shambles is home to 500-year-old buildings, its medieval beauty once won UK's most picturesque street and it is the perfect spot for picking up smaller gifts and souvenirs. If that's not for you, head over to Coney Street or Spurriergate for plenty of larger retailers.


Research and development have been at the forefront of Whitford's focus from the outset. A company is driven by solving problems, whether it be through the creation and formulation of new products, or the improvement and continuous development of existing ranges. The Whitford research and development approach remains one of the main advantages we have over our competition.
As a privately held company, Whitford allocates their funds as is felt to be most appropriate, committing one of the highest percentages of company sales to research and development in the entire coatings industry, an annual average approaching ten percent.
Each manufacturing location around the world maintains a complete research and development center and technologically advanced laboratory suite. Expert teams of skilled chemists and technicians have worked to create focused areas of technical excellence globally. Standing by our aim to solve customers' problems, the Whitford technical teams frequently develop tailor-made products.
The Whitford laboratory suites include complete chemical testing and analysis equipment for a wide variety of industries, using a unique combination of analytical capabilities, equipment, technical expertise and quality systems. Specific focus on coating characterization and failure-analysis capabilities allow an in-depth insight into our coatings: understanding the make-up and chemical balance enables our technical teams to not only identify but also solve a variety of coating problems.
Whitford's analytical capabilities provide the basis for a broad range of services, including problem-solving, failure analysis, formulation, chemical analysis, troubleshooting, consulting, experimental design and analysis, and independent laboratory studies. We also offer full analytical capabilities including deformulation (reverse engineering) and contaminant identification.
Due to the complex nature of coatings and our constant focus on research and development, we continuously upgrade laboratory equipment and enhance our services. As well as the more commonplace instruments you would expect to find in a standard laboratory we also have an expansive array of research-grade instrumentation, including but not limited to scanning electronic microscopes, particle-size measurers (to 20 nm), rheometers, TGA-FTIR, and a state-of-the-art sound room.


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April Fool's: New design update for Canada.ca: Canada.ca blog
Tired of the simple, minimalist (aka 'boring") design of Canada.ca? Fear not! We've heard you #GCDigital. Canada.ca is getting a brand-new design!
We've heard the feedback that the current design is so 2010s! It's time for bold colours and graphics to grab people's attention. Although we updated the design in 2019 using industry best practices and tested it with people who use GC information and services, there's Just. No. Pop!
The new design is so captivating that people will enjoy just kicking back and spending time browsing all the amazing information we have to share.
What we're changing
Header and footer, consistently inconsistent
We've modified the header and footer to eliminate consistency across the brand. There's no longer a common look and feel. It was just too hard to implement across the system. Instead, we're encouraging departments to embrace their individuality and let their design creativity shine!
Each department will get its own colour. We have over 200 accessible colours to choose from so sign up early…it's first come, first served.
People may have a harder time distinguishing between a real Government of Canada service and those pesky pay-for-service-scammers, but we think that the freedom to do whatever we want is easier and more important.
Redesigning for information, not answers
Don't you love scrolling through pages and pages of information to find a pretty obvious answer? We have a new "Choose your own adventure" pattern. Think of it as the opposite of a wizard – instead of making the answer super easy to find in clear language, people will get to spend hours surfing through all the great information and services the GC has to offer.
Eye-cat-ching graphics
We're also revising the guidance on decorative images. Put those puppies everywhere! Literally. Cats too. People love animals, which means they won't be as frustrated at not being able to do what they came to do. Plus, the more time people spend on our site – even if it's because they're waiting for the page to load – the better! That counts as more "time on page" when you do your analytics reports. Remember the bilingual Alt text so people who use assistive technologies don't miss out on knowing that there's a meme of "Misty the tabby cat falling off the TV"!
Adding a lot of graphics may mean that people in rural areas like Victoria, Barrie or Lévis, or those who have poor internet connections, won't be able to load the pages quickly. Don't worry. Once they do finally load, they'll look great!
Abundant alerts
It's important that people see the most important information on each page so add alerts! We encourage multiple alerts in different colours at the top of pages. Consider using the new "Alert rainbow-effect" pattern and add at least one alert in each colour. We think the ROYBGIV colour order looks great, but you do you!
Flashy status labels
Remember those "new" gifs from the 1990s? Well, just like mom jeans, they're back. What is old is "new" again (sorry, we couldn't resist)…and flashier than ever!
Since we're always making updates and adding new things to Canada.ca, there's no better way to highlight the new, important stuff than with a bright flashing "new" sign!
Site under construction? No problem. We're big fans of iterative design. Slap a digger on there while waiting for bulk approvals.
Least requested
We're adding a new band to bring attention to niche content that we think people should pay more attention to.
Oh wait, we already do that with "Useful links." Sorry, our bad.
Departments will have until April Fool's Day, 2023 to implement the new design for Canada.ca.
If you would like to follow more updates, please visit:
Latest changes to the Canada.ca design system
Users may not be able to do what they came to do on Canada.ca, but they will have an amazingly stylish experience not doing it.
Users love change (NNgroup)
Connect with the Digital Transformation Office at Treasury Board Secretariat
Email: dto.btn@tbs-sct.gc.ca
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Slack: http://design-GC-conception.slack.com
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The collection and use of your personal information is authorized by the Financial Administration Act. Collection and use of your personal information for this site is in accordance with the federal Privacy Act. Your personal information may be used to respond to your inquiries, if applicable, and to help evaluate the effectiveness of Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) programs in responding to client needs. In exceptional circumstances (e.g., individuals who make inappropriate remarks or threats), personal information may be disclosed without your consent pursuant to subsection 8(2) of the Privacy Act.
Any personal information that may be collected is described in the Standard Personal Information Bank entitled Outreach Activities, PSU 938, which can be found in the TBS webpage Information about programs and information holdings.
Any questions, comments, concerns or complaints you may have regarding this Statement, your privacy rights and the Privacy Act may be directed to the TBS Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator by email at ATIP.AIPRP@tbs-sct.gc.ca or by telephone at 1-866-312-1511. You may also wish to contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada by email at info@priv.gc.ca or by telephone at 1-800-282-1376. You have the right to complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada about the handling of your personal information by TBS.
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An egg-cellent source of vitamin D
By Submitted article
Published 9:11 am Wednesday, August 26, 2020
David Crocker
I'd like to introduce you to one on nature's most nearly perfect foods…the egg. In fact, there's so much information on this superfood, this will be one in a two part series.
Eggs are among the very best protein sources. In fact, the biological value of proteins is often evaluated by comparing them to eggs. Surprisingly, both egg whites and egg yolks contain the same amount of protein…3 grams. The main difference is in the calories. A single yolk provides 60 calories, while a single egg white lends just 15 calories.
Here are more amazing egg facts.
1. Eggs are one of the few dietary sources of vitamin D: Many folks "consume" vitamin D through exposure to sunlight. That being said, there are a few foods that actually contain vitamin D. These include eggs, cod liver oil, sardines, salmon and milk. However, to ensure you're getting the most vitamin D from eggs, don't bake them. Eggs bakes at 350 degrees maintain only 39 to 45 percent of their vitamin D, whereas fried or boiled eggs retained 82 to 88 percent.
2. Eggs and cholesterol: Years ago, American public health officials believed cholesterol found in eggs could raise blood cholesterol levels. Now clinical studies indicate the dietary cholesterol found in eggs has but a modest effect on blood cholesterol. While naturally high in cholesterol, eggs don't seem to raise blood cholesterol levels the way other cholesterol containing foods do, such as trans fats and saturated fats. In fact, some studies indicate eggs may actually raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels, and for 70% of folks, there is no increase in total cholesterol. If you're concerned, eat only the egg white, which contain no fat or cholesterol.
3. Great source of nutrients: When it comes to nutrients, eggs are hard to beat. They are rich sources of selenium, vitamins B2, B6 and B12, vitamin D, and minerals zinc, iron and copper. In fact, one of the few valuable nutrients eggs don't contain is vitamin C. Eggs also contain lutein and zeaxanthin. These "carotenoids" are disease fighting nutrients and may also reduce the risk of age related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in older adults.
4. Eggs provide choline: Eggs; more specifically eggs yolks are a rich source of choline and essential nutrient, meaning it required for normal bodily function and human health. Choline is neither a vitamin nor mineral, but rather a water-soluble compound. This nutrient supports numerous bodily functions including cell maintenance, DNA synthesis, metabolism, and nervous system functioning.
5. Eggs are versatile: They can be prepared over easy, sunny side up, shirred, hard boiled, soft boiled, poached or scrambled. In addition, eggs can be made into egg salad, or added to other food dishes. However, don't eat eggs raw, because they contain avidin. Avidin is a protein found in eggs which binds biotin and prevents its absorption. Biotin, is one of the B complex vitamins, so important, it's word origin, comes from the Greek word "biotos, which means "life" or "sustenance". Biotin in necessary for skin, hair, eyes, liver, and nervous system health. It is also crucial during pregnancy, as its important for embryonic growth. When an egg is cooked, its proteins unravel, a process known as "denaturing". That's why turns from clear to white. This process breaks the bond of avidin to biotin, so the nutrient can be absorbed.
Also, to avoid risk from Salmonella (a type of bacterium that can be present both on the inside and outside of eggs), cook eggs thoroughly, and don't hold eggs in the temperature range of 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit for more than two hours. By the way, if you put eggs in your dog's food for a shiny coat, cook them as well.
While eggs seem a common allergen, especially in infants, many children outgrow the allergy. Also, some vaccines are made using eggs, so folks allergic to chicken eggs should check with their doctor before taking the flu vaccine. Next week, we'll continue the incredible egg fact's list.
Question? Email David at dwcrocker77@gmail.com.
David Crocker Diet and Exercise Today, I'd like to introduce you to one of the most healthful vegetable groups on... read more


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Fotovoltaická elektrárna Ráječko je projektovaná v katastrálním území obce Ráječko v okrese Blansko v Jihomoravském kraji. Elektrárnu staví společnost Papeno a. s., projekt počítá s instalovaným výkonem 15 MW na ploše 28 hektarů, ve třech blocích o ploše 14, 8 a 6 hektarů, oddělených zelení. Podle červencových plánů investora měla výstavba začít v srpnu 2010 a být dokončena koncem listopadu 2010, 5. září se psalo, že stavba začala "před několika dny", totéž psal ovšem Blanenský deník již 17. července. Roční odvody obci mají činit 1,5 milionu Kč. Do konce července investor odkoupil již 70 pozemků a zbývalo mu dohodnout se se 4 majiteli. Po dvaceti letech podle starosty musí být elektrárna odstraněna.

Spory o výstavbu
Podle redaktorky Svitavského deníku se elektrárna začala stavět "přes protesty místních". Žena z Ráječka, která si nepřeje být jmenována, pro tento deník uvedla, že zastupitelstvo občany o záměru dostatečně neinformovalo, a proto promeškali možnost uspořádání místního referenda. Proti stavbě elektrárny vzniklo v obci občanské sdružení "Proti devastaci krajinného rázu v Ráječku", které poslalo otevřený dopis obecním zastupitelům. Josef Mikulášek vyjádřil obavy, že elektrárna zvýší riziko bleskových záplav a povodní, objevily se i další obavy (narušení krajinného rázu, škodlivé působení odrazů, údajné nepřetržité noční osvětlení aj.) Podle Simony Profantové firma navzdory dohodě s odborem ochrany životního prostředí MÚ Blansko vykácela křoviska remízků, která měla být zachována jako útočiště zvěře. Vedoucí odboru ochrany životního prostředí městského úřadu Blansko Pavel Konečný připustil, že odstraněním remízku se firma mohla dopustit přestupku. Podle firmy Papeno šlo o náletové dřeviny odstraňované po dohodě s obcí.

Podle starosty Víta Rajtšlégra bude elektrárna v průmyslové části obce a 95 % obyvatel obce ji z domu neuvidí. Údajně má ležet na pozemcích s nižší bonitou půdy. Starosta usuzuje, že hladký průběh výkupu pozemků svědčí o tom, že většina obyvatel o stavbě věděla a souhlasila s ní. Z daňového výnosu chce obec opravovat školu, případně stavět hasičskou zbrojnici a dům pro seniory. .

Podle Simony Profantové firma práce zahájila ještě před změnou územního plánu, která ji měla umožnit. Zástupce investora namítl, že úpravy do tři sta metrů čtverečních je možno dělat bez územního plánu a stavebního povolení. Stavba byla v polovině července 2010 zahájena bez stavebního povolení, na přelomu září a října 2010 firma podala žádost o dodatečné povolení stavby. Hrozí jí pokuta ve výši milionu Kč, tedy plánovaného denního výdělku elektrárny, nebo odstranění stavby.

Společnost Papeno sice stavební povolení dodatečně získala, jenže nestihla termín, do kterého mohla získat dotaci od státu. Nedostavěnou elektrárnu proto demontovala a odvezla pryč.

Reference

Související články
 Seznam největších fotovoltaických elektráren v Česku
 Podpora výroby elektřiny z obnovitelných zdrojů v České republice
 Fotovoltaika v Česku

Externí odkazy

 Karolína Opatřilová: Ráječkovští brojí proti elektrárně, Blanenský deník, 17. 7. 2010
 Helena Vaculová: U Ráječka postaví solární elektrárnu, iDnes.cz, 31. 7. 2010
 Vladěna Šebelová: V Ráječku by měla stát solární elektrárna, Blanenský deník, 26. 8. 2009
 Vladěna Šebelová: Bojí se, že panely způsobí záplavy, Svitavský deník, 5. 9. 2010
 Otevřený dopis zastupitelům obce Ráječko, na webu Ráječko.info zveřejněn 7. 8. 2010, podepsáno občanské sdružení "Proti devastaci krajinného rázu v Ráječku", žádná osoba oprávněná jednat jménem sdružení není ve zveřejněné verzi dopisu uvedena (v databázi Ministerstva vnitra ČR je sdružení "Proti devastaci krajinného rázu v Ráječku", IČO 22861394, evidováno s datem vzniku 21. 7. 2010)

Ráječko
Ráječko
Firmy v okrese Blansko
Ráječko
Stavby v okrese Blansko

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Do the HPL Asserted Patents cover MMS messaging?
The asserted Helferich Patents do not "cover" the MMS messaging standard.
On August 14, 2013, Helferich Patent Licensing, LLC's patent infringement litigation was dismissed on the basis of the doctrine of patent exhaustion. On August 29th, 2013, HPL stated their intention to appeal the decision. In case you still have reservations about using SMS with links then you should consider sending your links in an MMS instead. I will explain to you why sending an MMS message does not infringe on their asserted patents.
Similar to IMAP email headers, an MMS notification message contains the message subject and other information in it. The Helferich patents are limited to notifications where the content is not included in the message. The reason an MMS notification contains the "subject" field is so that if the mobile device is not setup to automatically fetch the MMS content (or the data service is turned off) this allows the MMS device client to present the message information to the end user without the device retrieving the message. The end user would see the From, Subject and Timestamp but not the message. The end user can then decide whether to download the MMS content.
MMS operates the exact same way as your IMAP email client works today and has worked since IMAP was invented in 1988. I am purposefully emphasizing the date and the spec because it predates the HPL patents priority date of 1997 and the technology was released freely to the world by the hundreds of collaborators who actually invented it. It is prior art. Lets go over the IMAP process real quick. First your email device registers with the email server. The email server pushes the message headers to the email client first with headers and identifiers so it can fetch the whole message later. Next your email client (manually or automatically) tells the email server which identifiers it wants to download and retrieves the email message content.
The creators of the 3GPP MMS standard based MMS on the Email spec to prevent patent exploitation and because it was so widely used and successful. Today, MMS routing between two carriers is done through email and MMS uses the same multi-part mime formatting within the message body so it can be transported through email without any issues. MMS and EMAIL are fundamentally the same thing only is presented a different way on the device (MMS uses SMIL vs. Email uses HTML).
1) The HPL patents are limited to selective call signals where the signal does not contain the content. MMS messaging notifications, or MM1 notifications contain a subject, as well as other "flags". The subject in the notification IS ALSO contained in the content file or body. The flags MAY ALSO be contained in the content file. In other words, the subject is in the notification and in the body. The content is therefore in the message notification and therefore not infringing.
2) The HPL patents are limited to a selective call signal. While an MMS message notification can be delivered in a single selective call signal they are often broken up into multiple selective call signals in order to deliver the full notification payload. The reason it may or may not be able to deliver the full payload in a single selective call signal is that the information IS contained in it. An SMS is limited to 160 characters so mobile network operators use message concatenation to break up the notification and merge it again at the device.
3) MMS messages are delivered by a mobile network operator, not by the advertiser, brand, service provider. So unless you are a mobile network operator actually delivering an MMS message then your company is a "downstream user" for this technology. In other words, the asserted patented method is entirely performed by the mobile network operator. There is also no way for a downstream user to know whether or not the mobile network operator is infringing since they are neither sending the selective call signal, adding information to the call signal, hosting the link or hosting the content.


MommaPeachez had a bountiful harvest of butternut squash this year.
Four of these Tennessee grown squash made it home with me, thanks mom.
Butternut squash can be intimidating. They have a rock hard exterior that can easily deflect even a sharp kitchen knife. They are big and heavy. What to do with four of them??
I've challenged myself to find some new recipes and to use up every single one of them before, say, my youngest daughter graduates college. That should give me plenty of time. Or I could cook them up this winter. yeah.
My trick to managing these behemoth squash is the microwave.
Cook the whole squash in the microwave on high for about 5 minutes. This will soften it up enough to make it easy to split open. Cut the squash right down the middle, scoop out the seeds and put it back in the microwave for 12-15 minutes on high. There you go, cooked squash.
Squash #1 went down today. I adapted (substituted squash for sweet potatoes) this recipe for Sweet Potato Pound Cake that was in my paper this week. This recipe comes from a new cookbook by Melissa Gray and is titled All Cakes Considered. Melissa is a producer for "All Things Considered" on NPR and she tested all her recipes on the "All Things Considered" staff.
I love pound cake and this one is delicious. yum.
Squash are really good for you. They're great diced into stew too. Hey, I'm a poet.
My Mom made "pumpkin" pies with them all the time. You couldn't tell the difference.
That looks yummy. I love yellow squash but I've never tried butternut. Now you have me thinking.
That looks yummy! I tried butternut squash for the first time last week in the form of ravioli. It was sweet and a little different, but still good!
I use it instead of pumpkin in pumpkin pie. Serioulsy, you cannot tell the difference.
You MUST roast the seeds too!! They are SOOO Yummy!! Do them similar to pumpkin seeds – but they are much better (crunchier and not as tough and chewy!) mmmmm….
On my way to get butternut squash! Trader Joe's sells it peeled and cubed! Thanks for the recipes. My favorite dish at my favorite pasta place is Rigatoni Zucchati. LIGHT cream sauce made with rosemary, mixed with fresh spinach, mushrooms and sauteed butternut squash, poured over pasta. Delish!
I usually hate squash. Probably because of the texture when it's all mashed up. This sounds like a perfect way to sneak some into my diet!


text:
Q: SQL Update statement error What's wrong with this SQL UPDATE statement?
try
{
   int ageValue = Int32.Parse(age.Text);

   string updateQuery = "Update \nMyTable \nSet \nFName = '" + fname.Text.ToString() + "',\nLName = '" + lname.Text.ToString() + "',\nAge = " + ageValue + ",\nCome = '" + from.Text.ToString() + "',\nTo = '" + to.Text.ToString() + "' Where Age=" + ageValue + ";";

   MessageBox.Show(updateQuery);

   OleDbConnection con = new OleDbConnection("provider=Microsoft.JET.OLEDB.4.0; Data Source = Database5.mdb");

   OleDbCommand com = new OleDbCommand(updateQuery, con);

   con.Open();
   com.ExecuteNonQuery();
   con.Close();
}
catch (FormatException ex)
{
    MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
}
catch (OleDbException ex)
{
    MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
}

I received that error

Syntax error in Update statement

What is wrong in that SQL Update?
Tools:

*

*Microsoft Access 2003

*Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 C#

Please help and thanks in advance

A: Try getting rid of the \n junk.
string updateQuery = "Update MyTable Set FName = '" + fname.Text.ToString() + "',LName = '" + lname.Text.ToString() + "',Age = " + ageValue + ",Come = '" + from.Text.ToString() + "',To = '" + to.Text.ToString() + "' Where Age=" + ageValue;

Output the result of the concatination and try to run it.  If that doesn't work, post the result of the concatination here and someone should be able to help.  Without knowing the result of the concatination, it's difficult to know what's wrong.

A: Try changing the query like this (removing \ns and the final ;)
string updateQuery = "Update MyTable Set FName = '" + fname.Text.ToString() +
    "', LName = '" + lname.Text.ToString() + "', Age = " + ageValue +
    ", Come = '" + from.Text.ToString() + "', To = '" + to.Text.ToString() +
    "' Where Age=" + ageValue;

A: I would suggest you put the Sql Profiler on and trace your update query because it is easy to read the concatenated query string

A: Hello you can try with this code
StringBuilder  stringBuilder = new StringBuilder() ;
stringBuilder.Append("Update MyTable Set FName = ") ;
stringBuilder.Append(fname.Text.ToString()) ;
stringBuilder.Append(",\nLName = ") ;
stringBuilder.Append(lname.Text.ToString()) ;
stringBuilder.Append(",\nAge = ") ;
stringBuilder.Append(ageValue) ;

stringBuilder.Append(",\nCome = ") ;
stringBuilder.Append(from.Text.ToString()) ;
stringBuilder.Append(",\nTo = ") ;
stringBuilder.Append(to.Text.ToString()) ;

stringBuilder.Append(" Where Age=") ;
stringBuilder.Append(ageValue) ;
stringBuilder.Append(";") ;

var result = stringBuilder.ToString();

A: This is how I write my inline SQL in C sharp:
string strSQL = "";
strSQL += "  Update MyTable Set  ";
strSQL += "  FName =  '" + fname.Text.ToString() + "'  ";
strSQL += "  ,LName = '" + lname.Text.ToString() + "'  ";
strSQL += "  ,Age =   '" + ageValue              + "'  ";
strSQL += "  ,Come =  '" + from.Text.ToString()  + "'  ";
strSQL += "  ,To =    '" + to.Text.ToString()    + "'  ";
strSQL += "  Where Age = '" + ageValue + "'  ";

Easy to read and works fine.
You can also add this just below your query before you connent to your database:
Response.Write(strSQL);
return;

this will show you whats being posted to the server and makes it a little easier to find errors.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Xilinx provide the IPIF and the Create Peripheral Wizard (discussed in the Custom Peripheral HowTo) to simplify the creation of custom peripherals. However, unless you are using the more advanced features of the IPIF (and even then) it can be simpler to bypass the IPIF and interface directly to the OPB.
The OPB (On-chip Peripheral Bus) is quite straight forward to connect to, the following sections will describe creating a peripheral without using the wizard.
When creating a new system within XPS, you can enter a repository location to tell the EDK tools where to find extra board definitions and peripherals. If you've followed the Simple Project HowTo, you will have used a third party library for the XUP-V2Pro board. The repository can hold multiple libraries each holding their own set of board definitions and peripherals.
It's a good idea if you intend to create a number of peripherals to put them into your own library so that they can be included in any future EDK system. Below is the contents of an example user EDK repository.
The XUP-V2Pro directory is the library downloaded from Xilinx. The MyProcessorIPLib is the location for your own custom peripherals. You can see that they both contain a pcores directory which hold a number of different peripherals. When specifying the repository path (see Repository Control) you just select the location of the edkLib directory and the EDK tools will find both the XUP-V2Pro data and your own.
As shown in the image above, the MyProcessorIPLib library contains a peripheral called prng_v1_00_a. This is a pseudo random number generator, and will be used to describe how to create your own OPB based peripheral.
The image below shows the files and directories that make up the peripheral.


text:
<?php

/*# declare(strict_types=1); */

namespace Phossa\Config\Exception;

use Phossa\Shared\Exception\LogicException as LGException;

/**
 * LogicException
 *
 * @package Phossa\Config
 * @author  Hong Zhang <phossa@126.com>
 * @see     ExceptionInterface
 * @see     \Phossa\Shared\Exception\LogicException
 * @version 1.0.0
 * @since   1.0.0 added
 */
class LogicException extends LGException implements ExceptionInterface
{
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Monday edition - July 7, 2008
Bush, Medvedev Agree on Iran, Not Missile Defense
Voice of America - 7-7-08
US President George Bush and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev say they are united in trying to convince Iran to stop enriching uranium...
Veterans could be the swing vote
Seattle Times - 7-7-08
But this time, Republican vets are angry, and, if my research is correct, things are about to change. This research suggests veterans are becoming increasingly alienated from the American political system, especially the Republican Party,
Al Qaeda not in Iraq but in Pakistan, says lawmaker
Economic Times, India - 7-6-08
WASHINGTON: An influential Democratic lawmaker who backs Senator Barack Obama for the Presidency has said the al Qaeda is not...
27% of Americans will use Stimulus Payment to buy siphoning equipment - Grant Gerver, www.seriouskidding.com
www.buckfush.com
The-World-Is-A-Safer-Place-Without Saddam
US military deaths in Iraq war at 4114 The Associated Press
US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 468 The Associated Press
US soldier dies in Iraq AP
Relative Calm in Iraq Ends as Attacks Take 16 Lives Washington Post
Female bomber kills two in Iraq market blast AFP
27 civilians killed, Afghans say; in Kabul, bomb kills 7 Los Angeles Times
Iraq Vet in Famous Press Photo Dies from Overdose
Bomber Near Pakistani Mosque Kills at Least 11 New York Times
Deadly attacks further divide East and West Jerusalem Los Angeles Times
Iraq's al-Maliki wants short-term US agreement The Associated Press
US Helps Remove Uranium From Iraq New York Times
BushThink: What You Don't Know Won't Hurt You
Only about a dozen reporters are currently embedded with U.S. forces in Iraq -- a shockingly low number. The latest is Scott Hadly of the Ventura County (Ca.) Star, who arrived in-country on Thursday, along with a freelance photographer.
Awaiting his first mission, he sent back from Baghdad a blog posting to his paper about another freelance photog, Zoriah Miller, who has been kicked out of his own embed after he published on his blog a photo of a dead U.S. Marine. The military says this violated embed rules. Miller says he took every step possible to guarantee that the Marine could not be identified in any way, and that left him within the rules.
Condoleezza Rice told Judy Woodruff Friday that she is proud of the decision to invade Iraq. The interview aired all weekend. July Fourth is a day when Democrats drink beer, Republicans drink Scotch, and the Bush administration drinks the Kool-Aid. - Argus Hamilton
Bertha becomes hurricane CNN
Joe Wilson Was Right Five Years Ago and Is Still Right Today
So much has been said and written about the outing of former CIA operative Valerie Plame -- and the cast of characters that swirled around it, from Judith Miller to Karl Rove -- that today, on the fifth anniversary of how it all began, it seems proper to quote the first lines of the fateful Joseph C. Wilson IV op-ed in the July 6, 2003 edition of The New York Times:
"Did the Bush administration manipulate intelligence about Saddam Hussein's weapons programs to justify an invasion of Iraq? Based on my experience with the administration in the months leading up to the war, I have little choice but to conclude that some of the intelligence related to Iraq's nuclear weapons program was twisted to exaggerate the Iraqi threat."
As a result of the Supreme Court ruling about detainees' legal rights, the White House is trying to scare the public with statements like this one from press secretary Dana Perino: "I'm sure that none of us want Khalid Sheikh Mohammed walking around our neighborhoods." Wait a minute. Now that the Supreme Court has also ruled we can all own handguns, walking around our neighborhoods is EXACTLY where we want him. - Laugh Lines
Hunt Oil Deal Documents Raise More Questions Washington Post
McCain Camp Hits Obama Again on Iraq FOXNews
McCain touts plan to create jobs, help workers AP
Republicans open war chest to attack Obama on energy guardian.co.uk, UK
John McCain works with speech coach Telegraph.co.uk
Gov. Crist Engaged To Socialite Tampa Tribune
Bush celebrates 62nd birthday on the fly AP
Glenn Beck on how the US should treat Gitmo detainees: We're going to shoot them all in the head
Yo From The YoYo
U.S. President George W. Bush on Monday kept up his tradition of informal relations with fellow world leaders by summoning Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper with a brusque "Yo Harper!"
Liberals Ask Obama: Are We 'Stuck in the Middle With You?'
Obama picks 75000-seat stadium for convention speech CNN Political Ticker
Obama, Clinton to hold joint fundraisers in NY AP
Obama "puzzled" by Iraq comment frenzy Reuters
Why some conservatives are backing Obama San Francisco Chronicle
Mechanical hitch for Obama plane The Press Association
GOP: Locked and Loaded
Barack Obama has proved to be a difficult target to hit — just ask Hillary Rodham Clinton. Opposition researchers, though, hope that they've found a weapon to wound Obama in his own voice as recorded for the Grammy Award-winning audio version of his 1995 memoir, "Dreams from My Father."
A Sacramento couple has been threatened with a $746 fine after they let their lawn die in an attempt to save water during Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's statewide drought emergency. Luckily, they'll be able to easily pay the fine by selling the gas still in the lawn mower they don't use anymore. - Laugh Lines
OPEC president blames ethanol for crude-price rise MarketWatch
Venezuela calls on OPEC to subsidize oil for poor Tehran Times, Iran
China Oilfield Agrees to Buy Awilco for $2.49 Billion (Update2) Bloomberg
NBC Universal, partners to buy Weather Channel Washington Post
GM mulling thousands of job cuts, sale of brands: report Reuters
Microsoft to Offer Office, Security Suite Subscription For $70 a Year DailyTech
Down time plagues popular Web sites Sun-Sentinel.com, FL
Federal Reserve officials have been delighted to announce that, owing to the low dollar, China is pouring millions of dollars into the United States. They are somewhat less thrilled about the name the Chinese are giving it: foreign aid. - Laugh Lines
This should be my license plate!
China Inspired Interrogations at Guantánamo New York Times
Cheney Surprises New US Citizens In Boston WBZ
Larry Harmon, the longest-running Bozo the Clown, is dead at 83. Over 300 fellow clowns attended his memorial service. They all got out of the same car.- Laugh Lines
All Hat No Cattle CD review:
"Songs of the Bushmen" by Harry Shearer
Comedic actor, writer, director and musician Harry Shearer's new CD lampooning the Bush administration is well worth checking out. And don't just take our word for it.
The right wing already is recoiling with self-righteous horror at Shearer's musical dissection of Dubya and his crew. Billboard ads for Shearer's just-released "Songs of the Bushmen" have been refused by Clear Channel – the arch-conservative radio station and outdoor advertising conglomerate – because the CD cover features President Decider with a bone through his nose. How's that for an endorsement?
To gauge political or cultural hot buttons here at All Hat No Cattle, we occasionally utilize the CAST Barometer (Conservatives Are Soiling Themselves): If the far right finds something particularly objectionable, it's often because there is an intrinsic truth or some highly redeeming social value to the statement or issue. Using the CAST Barometer, "Songs of the Bushmen" registers 8.2 on a 10-point scale because it really pisses off neo-cons with some inconvenient truths.
Here are a few lyrical tidbits from Shearer's tribute to Bush and his legacy.
A think tank did the counting
The numbers still could rise
Total what we were told before the war: 935 lies …
Couple hundred thousand Iraqis
Said their early goodbyes
It's the gift that keeps on giving, thanks to 935 lies
-- selections from "935 Lies", a bluesy piece (and our personal favorite) about the Bush Administration's illegal war
He was the soul of loyalty
Wouldn't even look at a drink
Now it's the reward of royalty
Scooter's skatin' past the clink …
No cooler for the Scooter
In a way that was the point,
He's still free to bend over
Scooter's rescued from the joint
-- selections from "No Cooler for the Scooter", a soft jazz rendition on the prison pardon granted to vice presidential hatchet man Scooter Libby after his felony conviction
Karen do they love us again?
Do they see Uncle Sam as their friend?
Does their heart swell with pride
Knowing God's on our side?
Is the whole hatred thing on the mend?
-- from "Karen", a lilting country ballad dedicated to former White House Communications Director Karen Hughes
"Songs of the Bushmen" contains seven other songs, each dedicated to a different player in the administration:
"Gym Buds" (Condoleeza Rice)
"Stuff Happens" (Donald Rumsfeld)
"Wolf on the Run" (Paul Wolfowitz)
"Turd Blossom Special" (former Karl Rove)
"Carrot Soup" (John Bolton)
"Who Is Yoo" (John Yoo)
"Smooth Moves" (Colin Powell)
"Songs of the Bushmen" was released July 1 by Courgette Records on digital platforms including iTunes and Amazon. The CD is a follow-up to Shearer's release last year of "Songs Pointed and Pointless", which was nominated for a Grammy for best comedy album. Although his latest musical effort seems headed for similar success, Shearer admits to a twinge of regret over the imminent departure of the Bush Administration because it will be "sorely missed by comedy writers everywhere."
"Songs of the Bushmen." See it here.
About Harry Shearer
Harry Shearer is best known to millions worldwide over the past two decades because of his voice work on The Simpsons television show, in which he plays the characters Mr. Burns, Smithers, Ned Flanders, Rev. Lovejoy and Scratchy.
The Los Angeles native entered the entertainment industry in his teens with guest appearances on TV shows including The Jack Benny Program, General Electric Theatre and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
In 1968, Shearer joined a news satire team at KRLA-AM called The Credibility Gap, which developed a strong fan following with comedy such as alternative live commentaries on the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena. The Gap crew formed a band to play local clubs and eventually recorded a number of comedy albums.
In the early 1980s, Shearer and friends Michael McKean and Christopher Guest, along with director Rob Reiner, began to incubate an idea for a fake documentary about an aging heavy metal band. The resulting movie, This Is Spinal Tap, became the granddaddy of the "mockumentary" genre.
Shearer's other film credits include Real Life, The Right Stuff, Portrait of a White Marriage, The Fisher King, Godzilla, The Truman Show, Small Soldiers, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration.
On TV, he has been a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live during two different time spans.
Theatrically, Shearer has collaborated with writer Tom Leopold and composer Peter Matz to create the book and lyrics for an original musical about J. Edgar Hoover titled J. Edgar!: The Musical. The play premiered at The Aspen Comedy Festival and currently is being developed for Broadway.
On radio, Shearer's one-hour satirical sandbox Le Show is heard weekly on stations worldwide.
In 2006, Shearer released his first novel, Not Enough Indians (Justin, Charles & Company). The book takes a darkly comic look at the proliferation of Native American gaming and what happens to a fictional town when it transforms into the sovereign nation of a long lost tribe. The critically acclaimed novel is also available in paperback and on tape.
In 2007, Shearer plunged into the on-line video universe when the Harry Shearer Channel became a cornerstone of My Damn Channel ( (www.MyDamnChannel.com), an entertainment studio and new media platform specifically created to empower artists to co-produce and distribute episodic video content. Each week a new political or pop culture satire written by and featuring Shearer is unveiled.
I hope you had a good time today
Please support All Hat No Cattle
Lisa Casey
Ashford. AL 36312
Click here to e-mail a comment
Planet's core is similar to Earth's, Messenger shows Rocky Mountain News
Nose Cone Caves In On Florida-Bound Jet Local6.com
9 injured in Spain's bull run The Associated Press
Irish woman seeks "husband" for 120 litres of beer Reuters
Wis. stun gun thief who posted video gets prison AP
Arrest made after FedEx sends drug to wrong place AP
Man rips off wax Hitler's head AP
Kent Couch lifts off from his gas station in Bend, Ore., in his lawn chair rigged with more than 150 giant party balloons, Saturday, July 5, 2008. Couch, 48, is making his third cluster balloon flight and hopes to go more than 200 miles to Idaho before running out of daylight or helium.
Photo/Jeff Barnard


You can save thousands on a used car in Fort Pierce by visiting Coggin BMW Treasure Coast. Our dealership has a wide variety of high-quality used cars to choose from. Each vehicle on our lot has undergone a meticulous inspection by our auto technicians to ensure the Coggin BMW Treasure Coast standard for superior pre-owned vehicles. We are your destination for a used BMW, and we are proud to provide Fort Pierce with well-maintained used cars at low prices. We look forward to seeing you soon at our Fort Pierce BMW dealership.
If you cannot find a particular new BMW or used car in Fort Pierce, simply complete our no-obligation CarFinder form and we will notify you when a matching vehicle arrives at Coggin BMW Treasure Coast. The finance department at our dealership will help you find the car loan or lease option that fits your budget. Contact Coggin BMW Treasure Coast right now by calling, or visit us in person at 4429 S. US Highway 1.
**Price excludes tax, tag, and other governmental fees, $98* private tag agency charge and $799.00* predelivery service charge. *This charge represents costs and profit to the dealer for items such as inspecting, cleaning, and adjusting vehicles, and preparing documents related to the sale. All inventory is subject to prior sale. While every reasonable effort is made to ensure the accuracy of this information, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions contained on these pages. We do not and cannot guarantee that every vehicle sold will be recall-free. For questions about recalls, click here. Please verify any information in question with Coggin BMW. In order to receive the internet price, you must either present a copy of this page's internet price, or you must specifically mention the internet price to the dealership and have the same referenced in your contract at the time of purchase.


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Q: Vue computed value as data property value Simplified example component code:
<template>

{{ z }}

{{ compZ }}

{{ x }}

</template>

After a second results are:
true
true
[ { "visible": false } ]

I need x[n].visible to change when compZ changes. Any ideas on how to cleanly keep reactivity?
This is required, because i have 22 potential steps, that are visible depending on certain flags that can change after initialization.

A: You can add watcher for your z.
  watch: {
    z: function (newValue, oldValue) {
       // here you can change x.y
    }
  },

A: Found a workaround, but i think it's ugly:
<template>

{{ refFlag1 }}

{{ compRefFlag1 }}

{{ x }}

</template>

Watch for changes in any relevant flag and then using JS eval() set the visible flag anew.
There's got to be a better way...


text:
HomeStart UpByju's plans to open new tuition centres
Byju's plans to open new tuition centres
Byju's, the edtech unicorn, will be opening more physical tuition centres and is "working very hard" to become profitable by 2023, according to co-founder and CEO Byju Ravindran in a year-end email to employees. While he did not specify a timeline, he had specified a target of March in October.
The Tiger Global-backed company saw its losses increase to ₹4,589 crores in FY21 from ₹232 crores the previous year. The leading edtech firm has not yet submitted its FY22 financial reports to the Registrar of Companies.
Byju's has switched its strategy from exponential expansion to sustainable growth to achieve its profitability goal, which it had not planned before 2024. "Macroeconomic changes of 2022 meant we had to embark on the path to profitability this year itself," said Ravindran. According to a report from Bloomberg, the company violated the restrictions for its $1.2 billion overseas term loan B by failing to submit the FY22 results by September.
Byju's had to lay off almost 2,500 employees across its product, content, media, and technology teams due to the changes in strategy. Cost-cutting measures might improve unit economics and lay the groundwork for the company's IPO.
"The prevailing macroeconomic conditions and the integration of our acquired companies made it (layoffs) inevitable. We shifted our model towards inside sales, which is a result of Byju's strong brand visibility and deep customer trust," said Raveendran.
Byju's recently raised $250 million from existing investors through a rights issue to boost growth. Through a loan from its fully-owned subsidiary Aakash Educational Services, it received ₹300 crores. In 2022 alone, it opened more than 300 physical centres.
Majority of employers in manufacturing sector plan to hire in Q4: Report
InCred Capital buys Orowealth to enter into retail wealth-tech with launch of InCred Money


Gerhard Daiger was suggested as "Encourager of the nation" at Germany's most successful small and medium-sized businesses initiative by the mayor of Radolfzell/Germany, Dr. Jörg Schmidt, which results from the initiative of "Das Örtliche".
Gerhard R. Daiger gave everything to purchase an enterprise standing shortly before the end. Today Dr. Walser Dental GmbH exports its dental matrix system from Radolfzell in over 80 countries. A case for "Encourager of the nation". Who wants to acquire an enterprise has usually much capital in the hindquarters. Differently Gerhard Daiger who sees a future in the independence after a successful manager activity abroad.
In 1998 he discovered the Dr. Walser Dental GmbH in Radolfzell. But the problems began first after the take-over. With head, hand and heart blood he fought for his enterprise and brought it within ten years on a run of success.
In connection with this, he was suggested by the mayor of Radolfzell/Germany, Dr. Jörg Schmidt, as "Encourager of the nation" - now Gerhard R. Daiger candidates at Germany's greatest small and medium-sized businesses campaign at which the Deutsche Handwerkszeitung and the Handwerk Magazin are involved as media partners.


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Botched Spot Fanmade Strip #15 by joey2132132
Martytholath posted another Botched Spot fan strip about Bret Hart's Hall of Fame attacker! Check it and more of his work out on his Deviant Art page!
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Wrestlemania 35 Predictions!
on April 2, 2019 at 10:24 pm
The Show of Shows is here! It's the biggest Sunday of the year in sports entertainment, and there are fifteen matches to get through. Fifteen! And that doesn't even include anything they might throw in with Elias or Cena. When I started watching wrestling I'd get upset if my favorite wrestlers were on early in the card- now I'm hoping they are because I know I'll be wiped by the last half of Wrestlemania. Anyway, let's see what we're in for with these predictions!
Women's Battle Royal
I could see WWE giving the win to Asuka after she was dropped from the World Title picture only a couple of weeks before Wrestlemania. If nothing else it might quell "Asuka" chants during the show.
Who will win: Asuka
The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Braun's the only one building this match, so he's the one I'm going with.
Who will win: Braun Strowman
Buddy Murphy vs. Tony Nese for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Last time I saw Tony Nese the only way he could stand out was by counting his abs, so I'm guessing he's made some huge strides in 205 Live to get to a Wrestlemania title match. I'm picking him to win just because Murphy's held the title for so long.
Who will win: Tony Nese
AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton
This feud is only about a month old, but I've loved it the whole time. Randy and AJ's promos have been great so far by riding the kayfabe line without actually breaking it. This is one of the matches I'm looking forward to the most, despite it not being for any title and the winner not really mattering. I'm picking Orton to win, but I think AJ has just as much of a shot at it.
Who will win: Randy Orton
Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre
I like Drew and I wish WWE had the time and energy to make this match bigger, but on a card with fifteen matches it feels like a filler feud for Roman until he can fight for the world title again.
Who will win: Roman Reigns
Kurt Angle vs. Baron Corbin
Kurt's in bad shape, so I'm guessing he's going to beat Corbin in about 20 seconds flat.
Who will win: Kurt Angle
Shane McMahon vs. The Miz
This match is going to be a trainwreck, but I'm definitely looking forward to it. Shane's matches are only as good as whatever he falls from, but with the "falls count anywhere" stipulation I'm sure they'll find something high enough to earn it at least a couple of stars. I'm guessing Miz will win and Shane will be a face again by Summerslam.
Who will win: The Miz
Samoa Joe vs. Rey Mysterio for the US Championship
Joe and Rey have both been great, and while I would've loved to see Joe face Cena and Rey face Andrade at Wrestlemania, these two men will still have an amazing match together. I think Joe's going to win and I hope he holds onto the championship for a long time.
Who will win: Samoa Joe
The Demon Finn Balor vs. Bobby Lashley for the Intercontinental Championship
I love Finn, but damn did he look goofy sticking his tongue out on Raw last Monday night. It's been a while since we've seen his Demon side, but I'm guessing he's still unbeatable. To be honest, between the title hopping on and off of these two men and Lio Rush being in and out as Bobby's manager, this match feels like it doesn't matter at all. I could easily see them switching the title back the next night.
Who will win: The Demon Finn Balor
The Boss and Hug Connection vs. The Divas of Doom vs. The IIconics vs. Nia and Tamina for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships
Beth Phoenix has been awesome since her return. Just awesome. I'm not saying I think she'll win, but if she did I'd have no problem with it. I think Sasha and Bayley are most likely to win, but I could see WWE giving the Divas of Doom a fun little nostalgia run. As for the other two teams, I think the IIconics need to get a bit better in the ring before holding the belts and I think Nia's still destined to be a single's star.
Who will win: The Boss and Hug Connection
The Usos vs. Aleister Black and Ricochet vs. The Bar vs Rusev and Nakamura
This match was just kind of thrown together, so I have a hard time imagining the Usos losing here. The Bar and Rusev and Nakamura have been an afterthought for a while, so I don't think they're winning and I suspect Black and Ricochet will be split up after the Superstar shakeup.
Who will win: The Usos
Triple H vs. Batista
I love that this whole match is built around a huge, successful movie star being obsessed with Triple H. That's like the most Triple H feud ever. The build up for this match has been simple and effective, but not enough to make up for a lackluster match if they give it to us. I like big Dave and I hope he delivers, but even when he was active he wasn't lighting that ring on fire. The whole feud started with Batista calling out Triple H for never beating him, so I'm picking Hunter to win (also HHH's job is on the line).
Who will win: Triple H
Daniel Bryan vs. Kofi Kingston for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
I want Kofi to win and I think he'll win, so I'm picking Kofi to win. The only reason I think Bryan might retain is because of his sweet hemp championship, but he's had it for a while now, so it might be okay to have Kofi bring back the leather belt. I'm terrified though that Big E or Xavier will turn on Kofi the next night on Smackdown. You know how Vince's mind works.
Who will win: Kofi Kingston
Seth Rollins vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship
Before Roman came back I was sure Seth was winning. Now I'm sure Seth is losing. The idea of Roman getting cheered while facing Brock Lesnar is just too tempting for Vince to turn down.
Who will win: Brock Lesnar
Ronda Rousey vs. Becky vs. Charlotte for the WWE Women's Championships
It's got to be Becky. It has to be. I don't think WWE would have put this much effort (too much effort) into this storyline just to have Becky lose. The match will probably end with Becky tapping out Charlotte so Ronda can go leave and not have a family while staying undefeated.
Who will win: Becky Lynch
Well I'm tired just from writing out these predictions, so I can't imagine how I'll feel once the show ends with Becky holding the championships. I think maybe the Revival will defend against Ryder and Hawkins too? I don't know. There aren't any matches I'm dreading on the card though and I think most of them will be pretty good, which isn't something I can say about most Wrestlemanias. Look, I'll be happy as long as Kofi and Becky win, and that's not too much to ask for, right?
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Elimination Chamber 2019 Predictions!
We are fully entrenched in the Road to Wrestlemania, folks! All of the buildup! All of the intrigue! All of the angles starting and getting stretched out for another two months! While I know many deride the Elimination Chamber as another cheap steel cage knock off, I personally love the gimmick. It started in the early 2000's, right when I started watching wrestling, and I bought into the hype of the chains and the pods and the timer in a way that I haven't been able to shake since! Historically they're not always the best matches, but they're memorable, right? Let's get into these predictions!
Buddy Murphy vs. Akira Tozawa for the Cruiserweight Championship
I haven't been keeping up with 205 Live, but I can't imagine Murphy losing his title on this preshow when the Wrestlemania preshow is only a couple of months away.
Who will win: Buddy Murphy
The World's Greatest Tag Team (Miz and Shane) vs. The Usos for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships
I don't think the McMiz tag team are losing the titles here, and it's not just because of Jimmy's drunken incident with the cops. I'm guessing the end goal is to have Miz and Shane fight at Wrestlemania 35 and we'll see the cracks starting to form in their relationship somewhere between now and when they lose the titles at Fastlane.
Who will win: Miz and Shane
Ronda Rousey vs. Ruby Riott for the WWE Raw Women's Championship
You gotta feel bad for Ruby Riott. I'm sure she's glad to get a title match and all, but WWE has made it painfully clear that she has no chance of winning. I mean they cut away from her match last Monday night to show Becky Lynch thinking about apologizing!
Who will win: Ronda Rousey
Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush vs. Finn Balor in a handicap match for the Intercontinental Championship
I think the only reason WWE would make this a handicap match is so Finn could pin Lio to win, so I'm predicting Balor to win the gold here. I think they'll all wind up in a giant eight person ladder match for the title at Wrestlemania anyway.
Who will win: Finn Balor
Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin in a No Disqualification Match
It sure is nice having all of these fresh matches, isn't it? Remember back when Baron Corbin was in charge and we saw the same crap week after week? I have no idea what this match is supposed to lead to, but we haven't seen Drew McIntyre in a while, so I'm guessing he'll return and help Baron Corbin win.
Who will win: Baron Corbin
Fire and Desire vs. The Boss and Hug Connection vs. The Riott Squad vs. The IIconics vs. Fabulous Glow vs. Nia and Tamina in The Women's Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships
This is a tough one to call. Sasha and Bayley are clearly the best fit to represent the new division, but with Sasha's injury I have trouble imagining it happening. While I would like to predict a team winning that's been together for more than two weeks, I think Naomi and Carmella have the best shot over everyone else, mostly because they're babyfaces and almost all of the other women on both brands are heels.
Who will win: Fabulous Glow
Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton vs. Samoa Joe vs. Kofi Kingston in an Elimination Chamber match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
This is going to be an awesome match with a lot of great talent in it, but I just don't think WWE would've made a whole new belt for Bryan only to take it away a month later. After Kofi's performance on Smackdown I hope he's positioned as the one to face Bryan at Mania though, because it would be a great new face in the World Title picture and it would also be good for the New Day to conquer another division.
Who will win: Daniel Bryan
After going through the card I have to say it looks… short. The Royal Rumble was roughly about 10 hours long, so it will be nice if they keep the show to this short length. I don't see many matches that look like they'll be good, but I'll at least be excited for the Chamber matches and to see if Becky shows up anywhere.
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BotchedSpot is copyright 2008 - 2020 to James Hornsby


Matt and I first connected when I was pulling together a college outreach program at Eastern Illinois University for past client Donate Life Illinois. EIU's PRSSA group was kind enough to help out with our organ donor registration efforts and Matt was a big reason the program did so well on EIU's campus.
Matt now works as a Public Affairs Specialist on the social media team for State Farm Insurance. Enjoy Matt's insight below and be sure to connect with him on Twitter.
State Farm is a big company. Big companies almost always have a high degree of struggle in figuring out where social fits into the larger communications platform. Tell us how it breaks down at State Farm along with your role.
Matt - already hitting rock star status.
There are two filters placed on us by virtue of being who we are. We're a company of more than 68,000 employees and more than 17,000 agents in the U.S. and Canada. And we exist in one of the most regulated and risk-averse industries. So, in everything we do – both internally and externally – we must include all stakeholders in the approval process. At the same time, social media demands immediate response to be effective. And the evolution of this space has taught us we can't expect positive return from one-way communication.
Our social effort is multi-pronged and highly coordinated. It includes representation from Public Affairs, Marketing, Strategic Resources, Human Resources, Agency, Creative Services and our IT department. Together, we've worked to develop both internal and external strategies. Jeremiah Owyang, Founding Partner Customer Strategy at Altimeter Group, wrote a great piece about how organizations structure social media. Without sharing proprietary information, I'd say we're organized one of those ways.
We attend regular BlogWell conferences to garner and share best practices in the space with other large corporations. We also serve on the Social Media Business Council, which meets to collaborate, discuss and share information about issues facing top social media leaders at large enterprises like ours. We use social media as a channel to build and enhance relationships, first and foremost. Driving direct sales, managing our reputation and supporting other metrics are essential, but everything in social media starts and ends with relationships.
I'm on a tripartite team that "owns" our Twitter presence, @statefarm. We monitor all content in this space, as well as user-generated content as a whole, through search terms we set up on various sites and search engines. For the most immediate responses, this approach seems to work best. Though we certainly have measurement vendors that provide high-level overviews of State Farm in the landscape to help shape our content strategies. In addition, we create videos and photo sets from State Farm events and loss mitigation efforts that we feature on YouTube and Flickr, respectively. I personally conduct a great deal of blog outreach for our initiatives, as well as lead our measurement efforts. Currently, I'm serving as the PR program lead for one of our largest marketing efforts, the State Farm® Home Run Derby®.
In your mind, what's the biggest challenge State Farm currently faces with social media?
There are several challenges every company faces in social media, both internally and externally. We encounter all the same obstacles in that regard. What's interesting is, larger brands like ours have less credibility in this space than small ones. The democratization that is social media provides an opportunity for us to shape our voice and the way we engage with customers and other publics. Did I mention how many employees and agents we have? Our goal: Empower internal brand advocates while adhering to state and federal regulations, all while speaking with one voice as a company and preventing brand splintering. Those who know the power of social will agree, it's probably the biggest opportunity we've ever seen.
Let's be honest – insurance doesn't immediately bring to mind thoughts of extremely exciting dialogue. What type of content or engagement tactics are you using to differentiate State Farm from other competitors?
Fair enough. You're right. Insurance isn't the most exciting category, and we don't see as much social engagement as other, more product-oriented brands. But when people tweet us, they're either elated or furious. Most of the time, it's one or the other. For the furious folks, we respond to ask if there's anything we can do to help. Because of customer privacy and regulation issues, we work directly with our executive customer service team to resolve those issues.
Several times, customers have been so excited we helped them on Twitter, they've blogged and created other media based on the experience. We have about 6,000 followers on Twitter, and we provide honest, authentic engagement to all of them. That's not to say we're the only insurer on Twitter. We're not. But we're the largest personal lines insurer in the U.S., and we think that is translating well. Success is relative and based on subjective metrics in this space, so it's impossible to say we're doing "better" than our competitors. Sure, Justin Bieber has more followers. But it's apples to oranges.
You're a pretty recent grad and landed a gig in the social media space. How'd you land said gig and what advice can you give to other recent grads trying to crack into our cherished niche?
Don't narrow your internship search to social media; apply for internships everywhere, in every business category. Social media expertise is a pre-requisite for any recent graduate. You'll be EXPECTED to be an expert communicator in this space. Read about it. Start a presence everywhere. Follow thought leaders. Learn the nuances of each channel. The more you explore, the more value you add to your brand.
I've had my insurance at state farm for years , I've seen you on google reader ,keep up the good work .
Will do, Greg. Sorry I just noticed this. Thanks for reading!
Next Post Twitter Visuals for Nonprofits?


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Q: iPhone app rejection for using ICU (Unicode extensions) I received the following mail form Apple, considering my application:

Thank you for submitting your update to Νομοθεσία to the App Store.  During our review of your application we found it is using private APIs, which is in violation of the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement section 3.3.1; "3.3.1 Applications may only use Documented APIs in the manner prescribed by Apple and must not use or call any private APIs." While your application has not been rejected, it would be appropriate to resolve this issue in your next update.
The following non-public APIs are included in your application:
u_isspace
ubrk_close
ubrk_current
ubrk_first
ubrk_next
ubrk_open
If you have defined methods in your source code with the same names as the above mentioned APIs, we suggest altering your method names so that they no longer collide with Apple's private APIs to avoid your application being flagged with future submissions.
Please resolve this issue in your next update to Νομοθεσία.
Sincerely,
iPhone App Review Team

The functions mentioned in this mail are used in the ICU library (International Components for Unicode).
Although my app is not rejected at this point, I don't feel very secure for the future of my app, because it relies heavily on the Unicode protocol and on this components in particular.
Another thing is that I do not call these functions directly, but they are called by a custom 'sqlite' build (with FTS3 extensions enabled).
Am I missing something here?
Any suggestions?

A: I would recommend not publicly venting about the issue (that will only hurt you in the long run), but responding politely to the application review email address you were given, explaining that you are using a custom SQLite build which references the ICU framework.  Given that this is a standard third-party framework, I would argue that these are not Apple's private APIs that you are using.  It may be that they were simply overzealous in the inclusion of symbols in their scanning software.
If you are unable to convince them otherwise, you might contemplate switching from SQLite with FTS3 to something like Aaron Hillegass' BNRPersistence, which just added fast full-text searching.

A: If they have trouble with linking to the system ICU, why not simply import the ICU source code into your project?

A: Hmmm...it is possible that Apple also uses ICU components. The best response would be to politely explain what's going on, and hopefully things should sort out okay.


If you're looking to add a hit of color to your portable audio experience but don't want to go the Urbanears route, the latest headphones from Sennheiser could be just what you're in the market for. The new Momentum On-Ear Headphones from Sennheiser are available in four different colors – Blue, Ivory, Pink, and Green – and offer the quality listening experience you'd expect from the 70-year-old company. The Momentum On-Ear's are a lighter and smaller option in the stylish and well-made Momentum line. Price should be known shortly but look for them to be in the $200 range.


Do you know how clean your surfaces really are? Do you have a way to measure unseen biological contamination? Do you want to show clients how well you're cleaning their facility?
Until recently, these were difficult questions for Facility Managers and Facility Service Providers to answer. Now, Kaivac delivers the industry's first turnkey cleaning delivery and measurement program by combining the soil and microbial removal capabilities of its patented No-Touch Cleaning® systems with the rapid detection capabilities of the SystemSURE PLUS ATP measurement system.
Whether in a restaurant, school, office building, food processing facility or hospital, ATP testing makes it possible to show just how clean surfaces are by detecting the level of microbial contamination on surfaces in just seconds. Designed with state of the art electronics the SystemSURE PLUS palm sized system is easy to use, extremely sensitive and very affordable. SystemSURE PLUS measures Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), the universal energy molecule found in all animal, plant, bacterial, yeast, and mold cells. After cleaning, all sources of ATP should be significantly reduced. When ATP comes into contact with the unique liquid stable luciferase/luciferin reagent in the Ultrasnap testing swab, light is emitted in direct proportion to the amount of ATP present. The higher the reading the more contamination present. ATP hygiene monitoring provides accurate and traceable verification of the hygienic status of a surface, which is a key component of a good hygiene program. ATP testing is a universally recognized tool used by organizations of all sizes for measuring the hygiene levels of surfaces in order to ensure consistent sanitation practices as well as public safety.


I just got the pictures of the Vinyl Test Shot for the UGLY UNICORN! Very Exciting :-D This flesh cast looks so nice and shiny, and it makes me psyched for the red and yellow that should be up late next week from Tokyo!
Pre-orders are staying up in the shop for another week (until 9/9 in America), or until they sell out (whichever comes first). Following that I will be starting on the painted runs for Superfestival in Tokyo on September 25th, and also the pieces for New York Comic Con in October! More info on releases and all that very soon! Here's the figure!
UGLU UNICORN Pre-Sale Going Live!
It's an extraordinarily exciting time for me right now; having moved to Japan, and now announcing the official release of my very first Soft Vinyl Toy! I hope some of you guys like this little fellah, as I'm SUPER Excited to make more already!
'Pre-sale goes live on Tuesday 8/16 @ 8pm EST (5pm West Coast or Wednesday 8/17 @ 9am Japan Time) in the SHOP.
A little more back-story: The UGLY UNICORN (アグリー ユニコーン ) is a mysterious creature believed to come from a planet where cake and frosting are the main source of sustenance. Via some semingly random circumstances (a wormhole perhaps?) he has come to earth and now seeks the only thing that can keep him alive - CAKE! Due to his absurdly rediculous size (measured by scientist to be somewhere around 75' - depending on his food intake at time of measurement), UGLY tends to make a mess of his search for food; destroying things and leaving rubble in his wake.
Many thanks to all the folks who have checked out, voiced interest, blogged about or otherwise helped in getting word out about this thing! YOU ROCK!
Also, I'll get a post up soon that details the ENTIRE process of sofubi production - start to finish - sculpt to vinyl casts - including PLENTY of photos and VIDEO! Have to make use of my new video editing software ;-) I just have to sort out my 'alien registration' stuff first!
OK - quickest post EVER! I got pics from Velocitron of the WAX proto for the UGLY UNICRON sofubi figure! PSYCHED! Pre-sale in the shop soon for blanks - bright yellow and red, HEADER carded!!! Here are the pics!