Do you need information on obtaining your business license in Arcadia?
If you plan to open a business in the the city of Arcadia, you will need to procure a business license. If you have purchased an established business, you will still need a business license because the license will be invalid.
You can pick up an application for your business license at the Business License Office at City Hall, 240 West Huntington Drive in Arcadia. You can also download the application from the City of Arcadia website. The application is only valid for thirty days. In addition to the business license application, the city of Arcadia requires that you submit a Business License City Review and Approval application as well. You can print it from their website, or if you prefer, you can mail a written request to Business License Office, PO Box 60021, Arcadia, CA 91066-6021. All parts of both applications must be completed fully, including the type of business you will be conducting, who owns the property, all state and IRS tax numbers and information, what the type of ownership is, emergency contacts and alarm company information. Copies of your Business License City Review and Approval application may be sent to the Fire Department, Building Division, Health Department and the Pasadena Humane Society, depending on the type of business you will be conducting.
What if I plan to work from home?
If you have any questions regarding whether your occupation would fall under this section, please call the Planning Division at (626) 575-5423. If your planned home occupation does not fall under this section, your application will be denied.
Are there fees that must be paid?
A regular business license will have a fee calculated based on the number of employees, the type of business, and whether or not you have vehicles or rental properties as part of your business. This fee will be paid annually, and lasts from the first day of the issuance of your business license until the last day of the twelfth month. There is also a penalty of 100% for operating any business in the city with out a license. You can find fees for if you are running a home occupation on the city's website.
Is there other important information do I need to know?
The Fire Department conducts unannounced fire safety inspections annually of all businesses operating within the city of Arcadia. The Fire Department may be reached at (626) 574-5100.
You must contact the US IRS for your Employer ID number at (800) 820-1040.
If you plan to sell alcoholic beverages at your place of business, you must contact the State Alcohol Beverages Control Agency.
Food preparation and certain other businesses require permits from the Los Angeles County Health Department. They can be reached at (800) 427-8700.
You will need to check with the with the Planning Division to check zoning restrictions or regulations. They can be reached at (626) 574-5423.
If you plan to be a massage therapist in Arcadia, it is not considered a home occupation and you must apply for a Massage Therapist ID card through the Arcadia Police Department before you apply for a business license. Visit the City of Arcadia website to learn more about regulations and how to apply for your Massage Therapist ID card.
Is there someone I can talk to for more information?
If you have additional questions, you can visit the City of Arcadia website or you can contact them directly by calling (626) 574-5400, or by visiting them in person at 2040 West Huntington Drive, or direct your questions in writing to City Of Arcadia, P.O.Box 60021, Arcadia, CA 91066.


This pass is for unlimited train travel throughout England, Scotland and Wales (the whole of Great Britain).
Please note: When choosing your BritRail Pass, please ensure you select your date of arrival in Britain so we can deliver to you in time.
There are 2 types of BritRail GB pass available. See 'Choose your pass type' below to see which is right for you.
Please note this is not an e-voucher. This is a physical ticket that will be mailed out to you. When ordering a pass, you need to print this document containing important details, and take it with you when you travel. Please check our FAQs regarding delivery times to ensure that you allow sufficient time for your order to reach you.
This product is sold by VisitBritain and is provided by our supplier, ACP Marketing.
What's the difference between a Consecutive pass and a Flexi pass?
A Consecutive pass is valid for a set number of days in a row. For example, if you start using a 4 day pass on a Monday, it will be valid until Thursday.
With a Flexi pass, your travel days do not need to be consecutive – you can travel for a set number of days over a period of 1 calendar month. For example, if you start using a 4 day pass on the 23 March you then have 3 remaining other days that you can use your pass until the 22 April inclusive.
Purchase any adult or senior BritRail pass and we will send you a child BritRail pass of the same type and duration for free.
Please note: Once you buy your pass, you must start using it within 6 months. The Britrail GB Pass can be cancelled within 72 hours of purchase.
You must activate your BritRail pass on the first day that you want to travel. Take it to any UK train station's ticket office where it will be stamped.
Why should I buy a BritRail Pass from VisitBritain?
Huge flexibility – hop on and off any train while your pass is valid, without worrying about ticket restrictions or changing your plans!
How do I board a train once I've activated my pass?
You must fill in the date of travel on your pass before boarding a train. You can then board the train and, if asked, please show your pass to the ticket inspector.
How many train journeys can I make in one day?
You can make as many journeys as you like in one day. The passes are restricted by days, not journeys. A day is classified as one calendar day – not 24 hours from the start of the journey. You therefore need to commence your last journey of the day before midnight.
What happens if there are no trains?
If you have a BritRail consecutive pass and there are no trains on a day during your pass validity (e.g. Christmas Day), you can visit a ticket office to get your pass extended. Your pass will then be valid for one additional day. Please note that if your train is cancelled but you are able to take an alternate route or a replacement bus, you will not be eligible for a pass extension.
Where can I find train timetables?
For information regarding train times, please click on www.nationalrail.co.uk. This is a really useful website for planning trips by train in the UK. All you need to do is type in where you want to go from and where to, with the date you intend to travel and it will bring up all the details you will need (times, changes if needed, facilities on board etc.).
Do I need to make seat reservations?
It is not essential to reserve seats on all trains. Generally speaking it is only really necessary to make reservations if you plan to travel on a popular route (e.g. London to Edinburgh) at a peak time (e.g. Friday at 6pm). To make a reservation with a BritRail Pass you need to take your BritRail Pass to the station that you are going to travel from and the travel centre will make the seat reservations for you (for a small fee).
Is there a tour guide included?
No, there are no tour guides on BritRail trains.
Can I buy food and drink on trains in the UK?
Most trains in the UK have either a shop or a trolley service on board. Virgin trains sell sandwiches, snacks and drinks.
What is the difference between 1st Class and standard class?
1st class tickets include more legroom, your own table, reclining seats and overhead reading lights. Some trains also include complimentary Wi-Fi in 1st class. Buy a BritRail 1st class ticket from our website and enjoy complimentary food and drink on Virgin Trains.
Is there a luggage restriction with BritRail Passes?
There is no specific luggage limit, but please be considerate to other passengers who may also be travelling with luggage. Most trains have small overhead luggage racks and at least 1 luggage compartment per carriage.
Can I use my BritRail Pass on the Heathrow/Gatwick/Stansted Express?
Yes you can, but please be aware that this will be considered as a day of travel. Not valid on airport transfers by bus.
Is there a young person's discount?
Youths between the ages of 16 and 25 (inclusive) are entitled to a 20% discount in both 1st and Standard Class. Please take along a valid proof of age (e.g. passport) when activating your pass. It will not be activated without one.
Is there a senior discount?
Seniors 60 and over receive up to a 15% discount in 1st Class.
Can the BritRail FlexiPass be used for a single berth sleeper on the Caledonian Sleeper train between London and Fort William, Scotland?
You can reserve a bed in a two berth cabin or a single occupancy berth with a BritRail Pass. To do this, you will need to contact ScotRail directly or do it at any mainline rail station. There's a reservation fee that you pay locally, and the fee will vary depending on your class of BritRail Pass and whether you want a shared or private cabin. You can book for services up to 12 weeks in advance, and choose from seated or berth accommodation. ScotRail can be contacted on +44(0)141 555 0888. You will need your BritRail Pass number to do this. We will supply you this number on booking your pass.
If I leave London Euston on, for example, Monday at 9.45pm on the Caledonian Sleeper and arrive at Fort William at 9.54am on Tuesday, does that count as two days travel on the BritRail Flexipass?
Why am I being asked for outbound travel details?
All BritRail passes are only available to non-UK passport holders and if staying for 6 months or less. You may be asked to present proof of return travel from Britain at the time of train ticket inspections.
Prices include booking fee. Please ensure that your chosen date matches your season validity.
Your BritRail Pass will be mailed to you.
BritRail Passes are non-cancellable, non-refundable and non-exchangeable.


The recent mass hunger strike got the prisoncrats' attention even though the prisoncrats seek to downplay or minimize the success of the strike by spoon feeding the media. In particular, their Sacramento Bee spin doctor stooge accepts the official representations which contain very few facts mixed with the typical misleading, provocative and confusing innuendo so as to perpetuate their coined myths.
The public is gullible and must be constantly educated to see through muddy water. Such has been the case for years because of the assumption that government officials and law enforcement allegedly have their safety, security and best interests at the forefront when it's really all about the money or budget. The CDCR purveys to the public that the most dangerous and supposedly most hardened prison gang leaders called for the hunger strike even though they also claim that the modus operandi of gangs are violence and intimidation which is totally contrary to the utilization of a passive non-violent form of protest which requires self restraint and determination.
The secretary, Matthew Cate, stated in a CDCR prepared statement that "hunger strikes are dangerous and ineffective as a means for prisoners to attempt to negotiate." Yet, the administrative appeal process is also dangerous and ineffective as each level rubber stamps the arbitrary decision of the prior level. Even when the decision was obviously in error and a threat to prisoner health and safety, they refuse to accept responsibility and accountability.
What the secretary has not said is that the hunger strike by masses of prisoners have in fact overwhelmed the prison medical department with additional medical expense to an already overburdened prison healthcare system. The strikers pose a more significant problem for the prisoncrats' budget than the shooting and gassing of violent prisoners in prison uprisings or even non-violent prisoners who are also shot, gassed/sprayed and beat with zeal as prisoncrats claim they were a threat to institutional security [see grievance campaign].
Prisoncrats, as any conscious prisoner should know, could not care less about the health of prisoners. They do care about the expense of providing constitutional mandated medical care. Therefore we should question the prisoncrats' claim to have had plans since January to review and change some policies, which were only revealed to us after weeks of food strikes.
Prisoncrats tend to take full advantage of the divide and conquer concept and are at their best when they are able to pit the lumpen divisions against each other for amusement or distraction which is why one should be suspicious of any claim by the prisoncrats to want to eliminate what they have for years encouraged and perpetuated in the penal system to justify the excessive prison budget.
The mass hunger strike may have only lasted 20 days, but it was like a shot across the bow of the CDCR's battleship by an enemy they can not justifiably target with all their massive violent resources and infrastructure. Yes the mass hunger strike got the prisoncrats' attention and their immediate response was to again expand the censorship of information prisoners receive so as to keep us unaware of what's going on. However, it also got their budgetary attention via their healthcare pocketbook.
The hunger strike also got the attention of the CCPOA which realizes that such strikes benefit the SEIU who are gaining more clout in the prison system and custody staff have effectively been rendered impotent as they do not have a real or effective contingency for dealing with non-violent forms of protest that they can not counteract or employ violence to suppress and to that extent the mass hunger strike was a success.
Many are writing in disappointed with the outcome of the California hunger strike so far. But as this comrade points out, the strategy of the hunger strikers was effective in a number of ways. And as the CDCR is given a "brief grace period," as one of the strike initiators called it, we are regrouping. There are many who just found out about the strike as it was happening. If the CDCR continues to drag its feet on making any real changes, as we all expect they will, we should see an even stronger and more widespread response from prisoners across California and beyond. Of course, CDCR is regrouping as well, and we must guard against efforts to trick prisoners into thinking they do not share the same conditions and the same enemies.
I appreciate you sending me the book I had requested. You see, I've got to stay busy to not allow myself to get sucked into the Texas prisoner slave mentality. Just perhaps, being armed with initiative and the right knowledge, I can get these guys minds off of the TV and gossiping, and onto unity and change. It's a very pitiful state here in Texas (no pun intended!) Last week an officer turned off the dayroom TVs during count and left them off for an hour or so. The prisoners went crazy! They were yelling, cursing, making threats and demanding to speak to rank. They're willing to come together and protest over something trivial like the television, but not over important things like parole, our good time and work time being honored, and getting paid to work.
As we know, slavery and capitalism go hand in hand. This is evident because there's no equality; slaves are less than, and whoever is the richest and most famous, their lives are more precious than the common and poor folk. Capitalism takes on a new meaning in Texas prisons. Since we work for free, and the state has enslaved us in their TCI factories to exploit and profit off of us; it's every "offender" for themselves, and some are doing whatever it takes to survive.
While the warden and major sit in their air conditioned offices, and officers are huddled up in the air conditioned pickets, us offenders are sweating like pigs in the scorching hot day rooms and cells. We're running around like savages hustling and conning for a ramen soup, stick of deodorant, a stamp, or a shot of coffee. And the ones who are fortunate enough to have friends and family sending them money to buy stuff from commissary; they're revered, admired, despised, or the next potential victim. Thanks to the state of Texas, petty criminals and first timers become hardened criminals, and whoever has the most money, has either the most power, or has to make the most protection payoffs.
If prisoners were treated as people and paid for their labor like everyone else in civilized society are, they would in turn, act accordingly. There would be real equality, unity and harmony. MIM, please give me some advice on how to make this come about.
On a related topic, I've enclosed my latest timesheet showing I have 213 percent of my sentence completed with all my worthless earned time credits. I want people to view this state issue timesheet so they can see for themselves what a scam this is. The time credits look great on paper, but they're not worth a damn. If they were, I would have been released last February when I reached a hundred percent.
Also with this letter is my last denial letter from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. I want the people to see this too. To see the absolutely ridiculous reasons why we're denied parole and "mandatory supervision." The following is their most absurd: "The inmate has a previous juvenile or adult arrest for felony and misdemeanor offenses." We've all been arrested for a felony or misdemeanor. We wouldn't be in prison if we hadn't. The parole board might as well deny prisoners because they wear white uniforms, since that applies to all of us too.
Truly amazing the Lone Star State is getting away with such widespread and blatant fraud, and exploitation of its prisoners. But, in our capitalist society and capitalist prison system, money and profit always trump humanity and morals.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This writer is correct about the need for unity to fight the injustice in prison. We point everyone to the United Front for Peace in Prisons as a starting point for developing principled unity to fight our common enemy. We do, however, need to point out that the prison economy does not lead to prisons, the state or the imperialists profiting from prisoner labor. It is a system primarily used for social control, not for profit. Though of all states, Texas probably has the most productive industries in prisons, and workers receive no wages, only room and board.
As we concluded in our article in Under Lock & Key 8 on the U.$. Prison Economy: "A number of articles in this issue include calls from prisoners to take actions against the prison industries that are making money off prisoners, and to boycott jobs to demand higher wages. All of these actions are aimed at hitting the prisons, and private industries profiting off relationships with prisons, in their pocketbook. This is a good way for our comrades behind bars to think about peaceful protests they can take up to make demands for improved conditions while we organize to fundamentally change the criminal injustice system."
Of all the agencies and offices I filed the California grievance petition with, only the U.S. Department of Justice and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation bothered to respond. They only issued form letters disclaiming any responsibility for further investigation, and simply redirected me back to the same dysfunctional process that I had complained of!
MIM(Prisons) responds: It is clear that the U.$. Department of Injustice and the CDCR won't back up their words to give administrative remedy to prisoners with actions when they discover the process isn't working. In fact, it's to their benefit if the grievance system is broken so that they won't have to actually deal with the problems that arise in the prison system. This ensures their control over oppressed nations peoples.
The prisoner who received these defeating form letters asked for more copies of the petition in the same letter. S/he recognizes that the response from the bureaucrats isn't the be-all-end-all goal of the grievance petition. We want to show that if we ask nicely for a solution, we will be given the brush off. We also want to use this petition to recruit others into doing political work, even if it's just sending out the petition to a few administrators. Hopefully this action will be a simple beginning to a long history of contribution to the struggle against oppression.
We currently have grievance petitions prepared for California, Arizona, Oklahoma, Missouri, Colorado, North Carolina, and Texas. If you're experiencing obstructions of your grievance procedure but your state isn't currently covered by the grievance campaign, consider modifying it to apply to your state! Write in for more info, or to get petitions.
America is delusional. One need look no further than the Disney Corporation's attempt to trademark "SEAL Team 6," in order to market the image of paid killers as toys for children. How is this acceptable on any level? It's not, it's insane. In fact, a reasonable psychological diagnosis of the American state would conclude that it is severely schizophrenic.
Americans are indoctrinated since childhood to believe that America is a bastion of freedom, equality, and law; a bulwark against the lawlessness, murder, mayhem and terrorism that is rampant in the world today. Nevertheless, the reality is that America is the number one source of lawlessness and terrorism in the world today and has been for quite some time. Moreover, when America isn't committing acts of terrorism, it is abetting those that do, such as the European settler state in Palestine known as Israel.
America has many fine-sounding laws against assassination, hostage-taking, and torture (in a word "terrorism") but follows none of them. See the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976, 28 USC §1602 et seq.; Civil Liability for Acts of State Sponsored Terrorism Act of 1996, 28 USC §1605 (i.e., the Flatow Amendment); Antiterrorism Act of 1990, 18 USC §2331, et seq.; and Torture Victims Protection Act of 1991, 28 USC §1350 (i.e., the Alien Tort Statute). Further, America is a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, and the International Convention Against Taking Hostages, codified at 18 USC §1203.
All the foregoing laws and conventions expressly forbid the majority of acts taken by the American military in the world, but America ignores them all when it comes to its actions and only applies them to other countries when they dare try to emulate America's propensity for murder and mayhem. Long ago America's rulers chose to follow the old Spanish Colonial aphorism that "the law is to be obeyed but not followed."
The American government's murder of Osama bin Laden on International Workers' Day, May 1, 2011, is no different than Iran's alleged murder of Cyrus Elahi and meets all three of the criteria set by the Elahi court. First, the assassination was a deliberate act. Second, he was not arrested and brought to trial, i.e., afforded judicial process. Third, assassination is illegal in accordance with national and international law. Bin Laden was summarily executed because, as a known CIA asset, he would have exposed secrets the American government did not want exposed.
The American government admitted bin Laden was unarmed and surrounded by his children, who had to be cleared out of the way, and at least one of his wives, who was shot in the leg, so as not to interfere in the U.S. Navy SEALs' hit. And hit it was, as bin Laden was shot once in the chest and once in the head in the classic assassination style known as the double-tap. No doubt there were powder burns surrounding his head wound, where the coup de grace was administered by these cold-blooded killers as he lay on the floor of his home, but we will never know as his body was promptly disposed of as is common in many professional hits.
Earlier the same day, it was reported that Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi's youngest son and three grandchildren were murdered by NATO bombs dropped on their home. Whether it was done by American planes or not is of little matter, as we all know if the American government didn't support this bombing it wouldn't have happened. This was nothing less than an assassination attempt, that included the intentional bombing of civilians in their home, which was done in direct violation of the UN mandate to protect civilians in Libya via a no-fly zone and the laws and conventions cited above.
It should come as no surprise that the assassination target was Qadhafi, who was said to have been at the home and narrowly escaped along with his wife, as the American government has been trying to murder him for years. President Reagan had Qadhafi's home bombed on April 14, 1986, successfully murdering women and children but failing in his attempt to murder Qadhafi. President Obama has proclaimed his authority to assassinate anyone overseas, including American citizens, without a trial, so murdering Qadhafi would be no problem for him. Wives, daughters and sons are all just collateral damage.
America has never hesitated to murder civilians, men, women and children, in their homes. In WWII, America fire-bombed civilian targets in Germany and Japan's cities and used nuclear weapons on Japanese civilians at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as the Japanese government tried to surrender. Post-WWII, the American government has targeted the people of Korea, the Congo, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Haiti, Yugoslavia, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and, now, Libya. My apologies if I left anyone out.
This campaign of control through terror is by no means limited to the rest of the world. Here in the good ol' USA, on May 13, 1985, the infamous "Mothers' Day Massacre" occurred, perpetrated by the police, who murdered 11 MOVE organization members, including children, in their home and incinerated an entire neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with the full cooperation of the American government, who supplied the explosives used in the massacre.
Not to be outdone, the FBI murdered 76 people, including children, in Waco, Texas, by blowing up their home and burning them alive on April 19, 1993. The FBI has proven time and again that it is willing to murder whoever, wherever, whenever, from Fred Hampton and Mark Clark in Chicago, Illinois, on December 4, 1969, to Randall Weaver's wife and son at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in August 1992. "No crime too foul" ought to be the FBI motto.
Speaking of mottos, the infamous mass-murderer and war criminal Harry S. Truman had a motto: "the buck stops here." No doubt, the buck should stop with the American presidents, but it also reaches back into the cesspools known as corporate boardrooms. Consequently, it is time to end this criminal reign of terror. Every single one of these criminals in high office, national or corporate, should be tried and hung as the murderers they are. To continue to allow them to run free, let alone run the country, makes us all complicit in their assassination nation. It is high time we, as Americans, put an end to our complicity and our complacency once and for all!


Wisconsin Republicans announce they'll call a special legislative session to avoid special elections.
A day after a judge said Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) was violating state law by refusing to call special elections for two vacant seats in the state legislature, the Republican leader of the state Senate said he would explore changing the law so that Walker did not have to call the elections.
Walker decided instead to let the new legislators be chosen in November ― because he said it would save the state money and the legislature wouldn't be in session in any case. His lawyers also said that he didn't have to call special elections sooner because the vacancies occurred in late 2017 and not in 2018, the year of the next regularly scheduled elections. Democrats accuse Walker of not letting the voters weigh in earlier out of concern that Republicans will lose the seats. They sued him in February.
But on Friday, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R) said that Reynolds' order would lead to "chaos." He said he wanted to change the state law and suggested, without further detail, that special elections should align with regularly scheduled elections, according to The Capital Times. Fitzgerald also said that lawmakers could take up such legislation next month.
The Wisconsin legislative session ended this week, but Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) said Friday that they would call lawmakers back for an extraordinary session to consider an elections bill.


text:
Q: RSBarcodes_Swift how to use? Sorry for Google translator...
Hello!
I want to understand the use of the Swift RSBarcodes library.

*

*How to assign a variable scanned code.

I tried to do so:
var MyVar:String = ""

     self.barcodesHandler = { barcodes in
            for barcode in barcodes {
                MyVar = barcode.stringValue
            }
        }

But this has no effect :(

*How to generate code?

I tried to do so:
RSUnifiedCodeGenerator.shared.generateCode("2166529V", machineReadableCodeObjectType: AVMetadataObjectTypeCode39Code)

But this has no effect :( What should I do to see the generated image. I do not understand.
Maybe someone has a full description of the library or working example.
I would be very grateful.
Sorry for Google translator...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
package com.jjjx.data.cache;

import android.os.Environment;
import android.text.TextUtils;

import com.jjjx.utils.NLog;

import java.io.BufferedOutputStream;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileInputStream;
import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.ObjectInputStream;
import java.io.ObjectOutputStream;
import java.io.OptionalDataException;
import java.io.StreamCorruptedException;

/**
 * 序列化缓存类,该类主要提供了序列化缓存数据,读取数据,缓存有效性检查,清除缓存方法;
 * 使用该类中的对象必须实现序列化接口,且必须在Application中初始化sysCachePath缓存路径。
 *
 * @author huxinwu
 * @version 1.0
 * @date 2014-3-5
 *
 **/
public class CacheManager {

	/** 日志对象 **/
	private static final String tag = CacheManager.class.getSimpleName();
	/**
	 * 缓存路径, 建议在BaseApplication中设置 建议设置为getCacheDir().getPath()
	 **/
	private static String sysCachePath;

	public static String getSysCachePath() {
		return sysCachePath;
	}

	public static void setSysCachePath(String sysCachePath) {
		CacheManager.sysCachePath = sysCachePath;
	}

	/**
	 * 在debug模式下保存测试数据到磁盘上,路径为SD卡下面的testData文件
	 *
	 * @param xmlResult
	 * @param fileName
	 */
	public static <T> void saveTestData(String xmlResult, String fileName) {
		try {
			String state = Environment.getExternalStorageState();
			// 判断如果有SD卡且是Debug模式
			if (Environment.MEDIA_MOUNTED.equals(state) && NLog.isDebug()) {
				String sdCardPath = Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory().getPath();
				StringBuilder path = new StringBuilder(sdCardPath).append(File.separator).append("testData");

				File file = new File(path.toString());
				if (!file.exists()) {
					file.mkdirs();
				}

				path = path.append(File.separator).append(fileName).append(".txt");
				file = new File(path.toString());

				FileOutputStream output = new FileOutputStream(file);
				BufferedOutputStream os = new BufferedOutputStream(output);
				os.write(xmlResult.getBytes());
				os.flush();
				os.close();

				NLog.e(tag, "saveTestData success: " + path);
			}
		} catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
			e.printStackTrace();
		} catch (IOException e) {
			e.printStackTrace();
		}
	}

	/**
	 * 保存缓存对象
	 *
	 * @param object
	 *            缓存对象
	 * @param key
	 *            对应的key
	 * @return true表示成功,false表示失败
	 */
	public static <T> boolean writeObject(Object object, String key) {
		try {
			String path = getCachePath(key);
			FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream(path);
			ObjectOutputStream oos = new ObjectOutputStream(fos);
			oos.writeObject(object);
			oos.flush();
			oos.close();

			// update LastModified
			File file = new File(path);
			if (file.exists()) {
				file.setLastModified(System.currentTimeMillis());
				NLog.e(tag, "writeObject object success : " + path);
				return true;
			}

		} catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
			e.printStackTrace();
		} catch (IOException e) {
			e.printStackTrace();
		}
		return false;
	}

	/**
	 * 根据key获取缓存对象
	 *
	 * @param key
	 * @return
	 */
	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
	public static <T> T readObject(String key) {
		T obj = null;
		try {
			String cachePath = getCachePath(key);
			File file = new File(cachePath);
			if (file.exists()) {
				FileInputStream fis = new FileInputStream(cachePath);
				ObjectInputStream ois = new ObjectInputStream(fis);
				obj = (T) ois.readObject();
				ois.close();
			}
		} catch (StreamCorruptedException e) {
			e.printStackTrace();
		} catch (OptionalDataException e) {
			e.printStackTrace();
		} catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
			e.printStackTrace();
		} catch (IOException e) {
			e.printStackTrace();
		} catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
			e.printStackTrace();
		}
		return obj;
	}

	/**
	 * 检查缓存是否有效
	 *
	 * @param key
	 *            缓存key
	 * @param timeout
	 *            超时时间
	 * @return true表示有效,false表示无锡
	 */
	public static boolean isInvalidCache(String key, long timeout) {
		String path = getCachePath(key);
		File file = new File(path);
		if (file.exists()) {
			long last = file.lastModified();
			long current = System.currentTimeMillis();
			if (current - last < timeout * 1000) {
				NLog.e(tag, "the cahce is effect : " + path);
				return true;
			}
		}
		NLog.e(tag, "the cahce is invalid : " + path);
		return false;
	}

	/**
	 * 根据key得到缓存路径
	 *
	 * @param key
	 * @return
	 */
	public static <T> String getCachePath(String key) {
		if (TextUtils.isEmpty(sysCachePath)) {
			throw new IllegalArgumentException("CacheManager sysCachePath is not null.");
		}
		StringBuilder path = new StringBuilder();
		path.append(sysCachePath);
		path.append(File.separator);
		path.append(key);
		return path.toString();
	}

	/**
	 * 根据key清除对应缓存
	 *
	 * @param <T>
	 * @return boolean
	 */
	public static <T> boolean clearCache(String key) {
		File file = new File(getCachePath(key));
		if (file.exists()) {
			return file.delete();
		}
		return false;
	}

	/**
	 * 清楚所有缓存
	 *
	 * @return
	 */
	public static boolean clearAll() {
		if (!TextUtils.isEmpty(sysCachePath)) {
			File file = new File(sysCachePath);
			if(file!=null && file.exists()){
				return removeDir(file);
			}
		} else {
			NLog.e(tag, "sysCachePath is null");
		}
		return false;
	}

	public static boolean removeDir(File file) {
		File[] files = file.listFiles();
		for (File f : files) {
			if (f.isDirectory())// 递归调用
			{
				removeDir(f);
			} else {
				f.delete();
			}
		}
		// 一层目录下的内容都删除以后,删除掉这个文件夹
		return file.delete();
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Company STRESS KICKERS is located in the city of EAST PALESTINE. The legal address of the company is 5532 BYE RD. Other interesting information can be found on working days by phone (330) 565-7559. The scheme of travel to the company STRESS KICKERS can be viewed on the interactive map.


text:
The Missing Pages in the Jan. 6 Report
Donald Trump didn't march to the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But Christian Nationalism did.
The House Select Committee that's been investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection spent time highlighting how Trump told supporters he would march with them and even argued with staff who successfully prevented that from occurring. But none of the hearings covered the ideology of Christian Nationalism that inspired many who did storm the Capitol, attack police officers, threaten congressional members, and try to overturn a free and fair election.
The silence about Christian Nationalism in the hearings came even after several leaders of Christian denominations urged the committee to "focus questioning and discussion on Christian Nationalism and the role it played in bolstering, justifying, and intensifying the Jan. 6 attack." The leaders explained that as Christians they "are deeply concerned about Christian Nationalism and its danger not only to our constitutional democracy but in its distortion of Christianity." But those prayers went unanswered.
Then after 17 months of investigations, hundreds of interviews, several successful court battles to get documents, and nearly a dozen public hearings, the House Select Committee on Thursday (Dec. 22) released its 845-page final report. But don't bother flipping through it to find the documentation on Christian Nationalism's role in fueling the insurrection — because the committee virtually ignored the topic.
The report only names Christian Nationalism once. As it describes the movement led by Nick Fuentes (who recently dined with Trump and Kanye West), it notes in passing that Fuentes and his followers "have repeatedly promoted White Supremacist and Christian Nationalist beliefs." Bizarrely, there are as many instances of "Islamic terrorism" in the report as Christian Nationalism.
There's another reference to "the self-proclaimed 'Judeo-Christian' Jericho March organization," and three references in footnotes to a Washington Post article by Peter Manseau about the religious influences of one insurrectionist. And those are all the times "Christian" shows up (except one more time as a person's name).
A video presentation plays showing former President Donald Trump, as the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol holds its final meeting on Dec. 19, 2022. (Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool Photo via AP)
Other religious terms don't show up in the report much either. Just a few references to "God" or "prayer." And none to "Bible" or "crucifix" despite insurrectionists carrying such symbols along with the Christian flag (also not in the report even though Confederate, Trump, and QAnon flags are highlighted). And just one occurrence of "Jesus," but it was uttered by someone attacked because of Trump's lies about the election. Reading the report, one would almost think religion had nothing to do with Jan. 6. But unfortunately it did.
In this issue of A Public Witness, we review the significance of Christian Nationalism in what occurred on Jan. 6, and then we offer a word of warning about what is missed when this piece of the puzzle is left out.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Abuja Panel Discussion Day – World IP Day
Home Updates Abuja Panel Discussion Day – World IP Day
By Stillwaters Law | Updates | 0 comment | 2 April, 2017 | 0
Next was the Panel Discussion in celebration of the World IP Day hosted by the American Embassy in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, in collaboration with the IP First Group and the IP Committee of the NBA-SBL. Our Mr. Nwokedi was a panelist in that session.
Stillwaters Law
Stillwaters is a law firm based in Nigeria. The firm was established in 2001 and specialises in corporate and commercial law, intellectual property (IP) law, tax advisory services, Media-Entertainment-Technology and Sports (METS), and Litigation/Dispute Resolution.
More posts by Stillwaters Law
Awaiting a New Copyright Act in Nigeria
By Stillwaters Law | Comments are Closed
Quite an honour to have our Principal Partner and Group Head, Mr. Afam Nwokedi appointed by the Director General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission as the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee ON STRATEGIC ADVOCACYRead more
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In a bid to provide tax defaulters an opportunity to defray all unsettled tax liabilities, the Federal Government in Nigeria recently approved the Voluntary Assets Income Declaration Scheme. Under the Scheme, tax defaulters are requiredRead more
The Supreme Court's Position on Appeals from the National Industrial Court
Until recently, the general belief and practice in relation to matters decided by the National Industrial Court (the Court) was that all decisions of the Court were final and could not be appealed against exceptRead more
A Bill Repealing the Legal Practitioners Act
The Legal Practitioners Act CAP L11 LFN 2004, which is the main legislation that sets down the guidelines and regulations for the legal profession in Nigeria may soon be repealed come December 1, 2017. ThereRead more
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In a bid to encourage and stimulate economic growth in the country, the National Assembly on the 27th of May 2017, passed into law, The Credit Reporting Act 2017 and The Secured Transactions in MovableRead more
Stillwaters Signs first-time MOU with Oxford Business Group for New Publication
By Stillwaters Law | 0 comment
Nigeria's far-reaching reform package, which includes further privatisation plans and new incentives for investors, will be a key focus in a report out soon by the global research and consultancy firm Oxford Business Group (OBG).Read more
INTA Pre-Annual Reception
Next stop, the INTA pre-annual meeting reception jointly hosted by the law firms of O. Kayode & Co and Johnson Bryant.
Okafor's Law Saga: Writers/Producers/Cinemas Beware!
The recent brouhaha surrounding the ownership of the film "Okafor's Law" said to be owned/produced by Omoni Oboli, a popular actress cum director and the recent vacation of the interim order against the film's releaseRead more
Corporate Commerical


text:
When searching for a name you can use * for truncation
To advanced search
For more advanced searches and combinations please use the Språkbanken tool Karp. This is particularly relevant for researchers seeking to analyse the information contained in SKBL (Biographical Dictionary of Swedish Women).
To Karp (External link)
Women A-Z
About SKBL
Gerda Maria Ahlm
Artist, conservator-restorer
Gerda Ahlm was an artist and an art conservator. She emigrated to America and was considered there to be one of the best and most knowledgeable conservators.
Gerda Maria Ahlm was born in Västerås in 1869. She was the daughter of Augusta Ebba and Lars Vilhelm Ahlm. Her father was a chief accountant. Gerda Ahlm had two sisters and also two half-sisters and a half-brother from their father's previous marriage. Gerda Ahlm was even as a child fascinated by art and old pictures, and she applied therefore to the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts where she studied in 1889–1891.
After her studies, she made several journeys, first to Germany, Italy and France. In Paris she was given the opportunity of studying at the Académie Colarossi for Deschamps, and she got to know many other Scandinavian artists, among others Gerda Roosval-Kallstenius and Lotten Rönquist. The Scandinavians often gathered in the evenings at the Régence café and restaurant. Included in the group of acquaintances were also Fanny Låstbom and Ellen Thesleff, Aleksander Federley and Pekka Halonen from Finland. They participated in French cultural life and often visited museums and exhibitions.
1893 was the year of the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and Gerda Ahlm participated there with the painting Eftersommar. She painted in oils and acrylic and her motifs were often poetic or dramatic landscapes and interiors. In 1894–1895, she travelled once again to France and Italy to study and also to England. In 1896, she attended the so-called Tallbergska course. Axel Tallberg was a graphic designer, painter and writer who had the previous year started an independent course in etching and relevant methods of engraving for the students at the Academy.
After having studied etching, Gerda Ahlm travelled to Norway in 1898 and to Belgium in 1900. When the Swedish artists' association Svenska Konstnärernas Förening had its spring exhibition in 1901, the critic on the major daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter found that her "talent had not developed beyond the student stage" while his colleague on the other major daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet praised her Belgian motifs as being "finely and sensitively treated colour-wise". Sweden's public art society, the aim of which was to engage and activate young artists by buying and raffling out their works, bought a couple of her interiors from the Netherlands.
Gerda Ahlm also painted and etched portraits of women, and participated in an international art exhibition in Munich. When the Svenska Konstnärernas Förening once again had an exhibition, Gerda Ahlm, Esther Kjerner and Hilma af Klint all received press acknowledgement that they were worth a mention among the younger artists. Gerda Ahlm was also an illustrator, and she contributed illustrations to "Den första och sista nattvardsgången" in De Ungas Tidning. She also illustrated Amy Palm's book Borta eller hemma from 1907. Sven Österberg's music publication Änglarna sjunger i himlen from as late as 1994 also includes illustrations by her.
In 1903, Gerda Ahlm packed her bags to emigrate to America where she settled in Chicago. She became more and more interested in art conservation. Through important contacts in Sweden and applications to the German government, Gerda Ahlm was given permission to study conservation with FC Sessig at Alte Pinakothek in Munich. Thanks to her previous studies and experiences, Gerda Ahlm was well equipped to receive the closely guarded secrets held by the profession. She later accepted many important assignments, among others that of restoring family portraits in the collection of the Swedish queen Victoria. Once back in America, she was given the appointment of assistant conservator at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. There she learned the art of cleaning and restoring etchings.
Gerda Ahlm found a challenge in a picture on roughly planed wood that was so badly damaged that it was impossible to see if it was a portrait or a landscape. After thorough work on it, the picture was shown to be a portrait painted by Albrecht Dürer: Madonna and Child. Her next great challenge was a painting by the Italian master Giovanni Bellini, contemporary with Dürer. These works rewarded Gerda Ahlm with an article in Fine Arts Journal in 1916, in which she was acknowledged as one of America's most skilled conservators. She later worked as a conservator at the Art Institute of Chicago, as well as for other institutions and private collectors all over the world.
Parallel to her work as a conservator, Gerda Ahlm continued to paint and exhibit her own works. In some of them she was clearly inspired by impressionism. In her landscapes, water flows quiet and sparkling under the trees' greenery and in her portraits of women, one can read both melancholy and wisdom. In 1905 and the years following, she exhibited her works at the Art Institute of Chicago. She was one of the first women to show her works at the Swedish-American art exhibitions in Chicago in 1905, 1911, and 1912. She also participated in exhibitions in Berlin, Dresden and Munich as well as in Copenhagen and Stockholm. After this period, she only sporadically showed her own works up until 1953. Today she is represented at the association Riksföreningen Sverigekontakt in Gothenburg, formerly the nationalistic Riksföreningen för svenskhetens bevarande i utlandet.
Gerda Ahlm died in 1956 in Chicago at 87 years of age.
Ulla Åshede
(Translated by Margaret Myers)
You are welcome to cite this article but always provide the author's name as follows:
Gerda Maria Ahlm, www.skbl.se/sv/artikel/GerdaAhlm, Svenskt kvinnobiografiskt lexikon (article by Ulla Åshede), retrieved 2022-01-19.
Show complete information Visa förkortad information
Civil Status: Unmarried
Mother: Augusta Ebba Ahlm, född Nordstedt
Mother: Augusta Ebba Ahlm, född Nordstedt (1844-10-20 – 1944-11-02)
Father: Lars Wilhelm Ahlm
Father: Lars Wilhelm Ahlm (1819-04-13 – 1907-01-26)
Landskamrer
Brother: Lars Gustaf Ahlm
Brother: Lars Gustaf Ahlm (1850-10-16 – 1929-08-01)
Sister: Anna Elisabeth Ahlm
Sister: Anna Elisabeth Ahlm (1853-01-19 – ?)
Sister: Anna Elisabeth Lovisa Ahlm
Sister: Anna Elisabeth Lovisa Ahlm (1856-09-06 – 1863-06-07)
Sister: Ebba Alfhild Josefina Ahlm, gift Nelson
Sister: Ebba Alfhild Josefina Ahlm, gift Nelson (1865-05-04 – 1954-10-31)
Sister: Ebba Elisabet Ahlm, gift Kempe
Sister: Ebba Elisabet Ahlm, gift Kempe (1873-09-29 – ?)
Yrkesutbildning, Stockholm: Konstnärlig utbildning, Kungliga Akademien för de fria konsterna (Konstakademien)
Yrkesutbildning, Stockholm: Konstnärlig utbildning, Kungliga Akademien för de fria konsterna (Konstakademien) (1889 – 1891)
Studieresa, : Konststudier i Tyskland och Italien
Studieresa, : Konststudier i Tyskland och Italien (1892 – )
Yrkesutbildning, Paris, Frankrike: Konstnärlig utbildning, Académie Colarossi, privatskola
Yrkesutbildning, Paris, Frankrike: Konstnärlig utbildning, Académie Colarossi, privatskola (1892 – )
Studieresa, : Konststudier i Frankrike, England och Italien
Studieresa, : Konststudier i Frankrike, England och Italien (1894 – 1895)
Yrkesutbildning, München, Tyskland: Konservatorsutbildning, Alte Pinakothek
Yrkesutbildning, Stockholm: Tallbergska kursen (Axel Tallbergs etsningsskola)
Yrkesutbildning, Stockholm: Tallbergska kursen (Axel Tallbergs etsningsskola) (1896 – )
Studieresa, Norge
Studieresa, Norge (1898 – )
Studieresa, Belgien
Studieresa, Belgien (1900 – )
Profession: Konstnär
Profession: Konstnär (1890-talet – 1950-talet)
Profession: Konservator, Metropolitan Museum
Profession: Konservator, Metropolitan Museum , New York, USA
Profession: Konservator, Art Institute of Chicago
Profession: Konservator, Art Institute of Chicago , Chicago, USA
Mentor: F C Sessig
Mentor: Axel Tallberg
Colleague: Gerda Roosval-Kallstenius
Colleague: Lotten Rönquist
Friend: Fanny Låstbom
Friend: Ellen Thesleff
Svenska Konstnärernas Förening
Sällskapet Nya Idun
Ledamot
Ledamot (1903 – ?)
Union internationale des beaux arts et des lettres
Artists' Guild of Chicago
Birthplace: Västerås
Västerås (1869 – 1888)
Stockholm (1885 – 1903)
Chicago, USA (1903 – 1956)
Place of death: Chicago, USA
'Gerda Ahlm', Konstnärslexikonett amanda (Hämtad 2021-03-23)
'Gerda Ahlm', Wikipedia (Hämtad 2021-03-23)
Gerda Ahlm. Illinois Women Artists Project
Gerda Ahlm. Sällskapet Nya Idun (Hämtad 2021-03-23)
Palm, Amy, Borta och hemma eller Mera om barnen på Broby: berättelse för barn, 3. uppl., Hökerberg, Stockholm, 1907
Richards, Agnes Gertrude, 'The Romance of Restoring', Fine arts journal, 1915(33):5
Further References
Westerdahl, Elisabeth, 'Vem var Gerda Ahlm?', Antik & auktion, 2002:1, s. 49-51
Westerdahl, Elisabeth, 'Gerda från Västerås blev berömd konservator', Vestmanlands Läns Tidning, 2001-08-18
By Gerda Ahlm
Roosval, Johnny & Lilja, Gösta (red.), Svenskt konstnärslexikon: tiotusen svenska konstnärers liv och verk. 1 Abbe-Dahlander, Allhem, Malmö, 1952
[ TO THE TOP ]
Gerda Ahlm in Hildebrand, Albin & John Kruse (red), Svenskt porträttgalleri XX, Stockholm, 1901. Photographer unknown
19th century 20th century Artists


text:
What to expect when the Wizarding World at Universal Studios Hollywood opens in April
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens April 7 at Universal Studios Hollywood.
(Universal Studios)
By Brady MacDonald
The curtain will soon be pulled back on the long-awaited West Coast version of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Let's tackle a few questions about what's in store for fans when the Boy Wizard arrives in Southern California.
When will Wizarding World open?
After 2½ years of construction, the grand opening of Wizarding World in California is officially set for April 7. A red carpet premiere scheduled for April 5 will likely include several stars from the Harry Potter film franchise.
Universal has been testing the rides in Wizarding World for months and has shot several television commercials within the new land - raising the possibility of a soft opening prior to the official debut.
Hogsmeade entry arch
Where will the new land be located?
Universal tore down the 40-year-old Gibson Amphitheatre and the adjacent Adventures of Curious George water play area in 2013 to make room for Wizarding World.
The new themed land will be squeezed between the studio backlot tram station, the WaterWorld stunt show and the Shrek 4-D movie theater.
Hogsmeade village
The overall project, which will include facility and infrastructure upgrades at the adjacent television and movie studio, has been pegged at $500 million.
The original Wizarding World, which opened in 2010 at Universal Orlando in Florida, reportedly cost $265 million.
How big will the new land be?
Universal officials have said that the California Wizarding World will be similar to the Florida version.
The 6-acre Hollywood site will be about half the size of the 13-acre Orlando location - but two-thirds of that land in Florida is dedicated to the Dragon Challenge dueling coaster.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
What attractions will be added?
The new themed land will include the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey motion-based simulator ride inside a replica of the Hogwarts castle. Forbidden Journey is generally considered to be one of the best rides in the amusement industry.
The family-friendly Flight of the Hippogriff by German-based Mack Rides will be slightly taller (50 feet), longer (1.300 feet) and faster (40 mph) than the Florida version of the roller coaster.
The Potter land in Florida featured the re-themed Dragon Challenge dueling twin-track roller coaster which won't be replicated in California.
Three Broomsticks restaurant
What about the shops and restaurants?
Three Broomsticks restaurant will replicate the inn and pub from the movies, serving fish and chips, shepherd's pie and turkey legs.
The shops in Hogsmeade village will include Ollivanders wand shop, Zonko's joke shop, Honeydukes candy store, Dervish and Banges clothing store, Filch's Emporium of Confiscated Goods gift shop, Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment, Gladrags Wizardwear and Owl Post stationery shop.
Just how good is the Butterbeer?
The frothy shortbread and butterscotch flavored drink is the most popular food item sold at Wizarding World in Florida. And at $10 a pop with a souvenir mug ($11 frozen), a certified money-making phenomenon for Universal. No trip to the Potterverse is complete without a creamy pint of Butterbeer goodness.
Flight of the Hippogriff
Where are the other Wizarding Worlds?
The first Wizarding World of Harry Potter depicting Hogsmeade Village opened in 2010 at Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park in Florida.
In 2014, a second land modeled after Diagon Alley debuted next door at Universal Studios Florida with a Leaky Cauldron restaurant and a Gringotts Wizarding Bank dark ride coaster.
A replica of the original Hogsmeade Village also opened in 2014 at Universal Studios Japan.
The $3.3-billion Universal Studios Beijing theme park set to open in 2019 will include both a Hogsmeade Village and Diagon Alley.
Ollivanders wand shop
Should Disney be worried?
The instant success of Wizarding World in Florida forced Disney World to unveil two massive counterattacks: a reinvention of Fantasyland for 2012 and the creation of Pandora: The World of Avatar set to debut in 2017.
Disneyland has taken the same approach, announcing plans for a 14-acre Star Wars Land designed to counteract Wizarding World West.
Expect the Boy Wizard to steal second-day visitors away from Disney California Adventure. Regional parks like SeaWorld San Diego, Six Flags Magic Mountain and Knott's Berry Farm will have to step up the competition.
Honeydukes candy shop
Is there room to grow in California?
It's not inconceivable to imagine the powers that be at Universal wondering where they would put a Diagon Alley sequel in Hollywood should Wizarding World prove as popular on the West Coast as it has on the East Coast.
While space is tight at the Hollywood park, a Diagon Alley expansion of Wizarding World is reportedly envisioned for the Waterworld stunt show arena location, according to a source who has seen the blueprints.
32 best new theme park additions of 2016
8 unanswered questions about Disneyland's Star Wars Land
Disneyland 2055: What the future may hold for the original Disney park
Disneyland 1955: 'Walt's Folly' got off to a nightmare start
21 creepiest abandoned amusement parks
> Sign-up for our weekly In the Loop theme park newsletter
> Follow the Los Angeles Times Funland theme park blog on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Instagram
Get inspired to get away.
Explore California, the West and beyond with the weekly Escapes newsletter.
Brady MacDonald
Brady MacDonald is a freelance reporter and former senior producer for latimes.com.
New snow and high winds reach SoCal mountains and more is coming
Many of these local mountain spots are wearing a new coat.
Column: Complaints about movers soar as millions relocate because of the pandemic
California says complaints about moving companies more than doubled last year as millions of Americans sought new homes because of the pandemic.
Stanford students aim to be youngest to conquer nearly 8,000-mile Triple Crown of hikes
Sammy Potter and Jackson Parell set out New Year's Day to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. They plan to also traverse the Continental Divide and the Pacific Rim.
Disneyland killed its annual pass program. Why, and what comes next?
For Disney, ending the annual pass program might be "a blessing in disguise," a theme park expert says: Now the company can revamp the program to boost profits.
At Lake Tahoe, unfurling the statewide welcome mat is 'awkward' as pandemic rages
Tahoe's western shore will be partly reopened for the holiday weekend, helping the economy but renewing fears about COVID-19 and crowds.
Most major U.S. airlines ban guns in luggage for Washington flights
Airlines say they are stepping up security on flights to Washington before next week's inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
Disneyland is scrapping its annual pass program
Disneyland and Disney California Adventure are axing their annual pass program as they look to better manage pandemic-era crowds. Pass holders who paid for days beyond the parks' closure last March are to get refunds.
Travel with your 'pod' on a private hiking or biking tour
Hiking and biking on backwoods trails offer travelers a couple of ways to explore — and still keep their distance from others.
FAA to crack down on unruly airline passengers: 'First strike and you're out'
Airline passengers who disrupt flights "with threatening or violent behavior" won't get warnings anymore, the FAA says. It plans to launch legal enforcement actions, with fines of up to to $35,000 and jail terms.


We are moving from Pune to Hyderabad for my job and my son just completed his 9th with MARATHI as his second language.
Now he is willing to take Hindi as his second language while we get transfer to Hyderabad school.
Can someone please help suggesting some solution to this concern?
He is also fantastic on grasping languages in general. ..
marathi as his registration process to Std X is already completed in std IX.
Bothe Std IX and X are considered with an integrated academic approach .


Baby NeutronLad is trying hard to become Toddler NeutronLad as he learns to walk and starts baby talking. In more geeky news, I've got a review of the Shadowrun first-person shooter for Xbox 360/Vista, an announcement about my Libris Mortis review on The Tome podcast and geek out over Apple's new edition of Mac OS X.
I also take a look at Google's new themes for its personalized iGoogle home page service, and do an in-depth review of the Star Wars: Saga Edition RPG from Wizards of the Coast.
My review of Libris Mortis is up on The Tome. It's a reprint of a review I did a while back for Radio Active.
Luke is on the cusp of walking — he's taken a bunch of tentative first steps, and if we sit down on the floor, he'll walk between us. But he's not quite up for walking from Point A to Point B.
Suddenly interested in baby dolls — fascinated by their faces and putting them in and out of Jordan's baby stroller. Probably just mimicking his big sister, but I think he's getting really interested in people, real and otherwise.
He's talking a mile a minute. None of it makes any sense, but it seems like he's starting to come up with his own baby talk words for things. A favorite is "Da-Doh", which is not Daddy; we have no idea what it is.
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference kicked off today with a Steve Jobs' keynote and a bunch of announcements regarding the new Leopard edition of Mac OS X.
Naturally, as a Mac fan, I'm geeky out. And eager to get my hands on the new OS.
Stacks: Browseable lists of files; seems to work like my right-clickable Dock folders do now.
Quick Look for viewing popular file types; I expect this to be very useful at work, when I need to view fills but don't need to launch Photoshop to do it.
New Finder will allow searches across multiple Mac; this would be useful now when my primary computer is a PowerMac desktop and I'm working on my work MacBook Pro laptop, but might not be as handy when my primary home computer becomes a mac book.That said "Back to my Mac" search allows you to look at computers even when you're on the road, across the net, which is very cool.
Spaces — multiple virtual desktops — is nothing new for Linux users (and even Mac users who've tried one of the many third party or Unix options. This is integrated into the new OS though, and I see this as being very handy — I expect to have "Web", "Writing" and "Audio/Video" spaces as soon as I have Leopard.
It's not all about Mac though. I've been enjoying iGoogle, which is a slightly enhanced version of Google's personalized home page. It integrates nicely with Google Reader, which is rapidly becoming my primary feed reader; mouse overa feed item and you get a preview.
Too bad Gmail and Google Docs/Sheets doesn't do that.
Love the "Google Themes", which allow you to pick themes such as "Beeach", "Tea House" and "City Scape", set your zip code, and then have the scene change based on your current weather and time of day.
I find the beach very relaxing.
Third edition of Star Wars RPG released by Wizards of the Coast.
Unlike previous efforts, this is the first one that doesn't feel like "D&D in Space".
Streamlined skill system that collapses Spot, Listen, Sense Motive and other "notice" type skills into one "perception check". Spending skill points is replaced by a binary "you're trained, you're not trained" system designed to replicate the movies tendency for everyone to be minimally competent.
Force powers are overhauled; now it's a skill check.
Talent trees replace many classes; you can now have three very different kinds of soldiers, Jedi, scouts or whatever based on what talent trees you pick.
Force points do more: they can buff rolls, but they can also save a character about to die and can be used to power special abilities.