text:
Phone Call From Hell & Other Tales of the Damned by Jonathan Woods
Jonathan Woods, author of the award-winning Bad Juju & Other Tales of Madness and Mayhem, returns with a new collection of seventeen crazed and corrosively funny noir tales: A corporate raider heads down to Key West for some sport fishing and murder; Ernest Hemingway and Graham Greene hit the streets of Havana where both pleasure and danger lurk; a worker in an office tower is seduced by the synthesized female voice in the elevator. Combining the offbeat humor of the Coen brothers with the madness of Jim Thompson, these stories will keep you up 'til the wee hours. And you won't go to sleep without a loaded pistol under your pillow.
Raves for Phone Call From Hell & Other Tales of the Damned
"It is a long time since I pulled an all-nighter with a book. Jonathan Woods' new collection of stories had me up in sheer envy and delight. This is noir as it should be: bleak, funny, dark as sin, in your face, exhilarating!"
—Ken Bruen, award-winning author of The Guards, Blitz, London Boulevard, and the newest Jack Taylor crime novel Purgatory
"Woods' wild mix of smart stories, peppered with Chandleresque imagery, will run you through just enough hell to make you like it!"
—Vicki Hendricks, author of Miami Purity, Iguana Love, and Fur People
"These stories really snap, crackle, and pop. Jonathan Woods is an old-fashioned storyteller, and there is an accent here, a resonant voice, that is drawn from a very deep well of crime fiction and noir films. He's playing with the genre, delighting in its dark discourse, yet there is a wildness running through these pages…Highly recommended."
—Jay Parini, Professor of English and Creative Writing at Middlebury College and author of The Last Station and Robert Frost: a Life
"By all means pick up Phone Call From Hell. Woods' stories are suspenseful, intelligent, original, literate, in short, difficult to trace, impossible to put down."
—Arthur Nersesian, author of The Fuck-Up and Gladyss of the Hunt
"In Phone Call from Hell, Woods walks you right to the edge of sanity, right to that dim borderland where the moral order of the universe is about to collapse. There, just at the point where the world is about to fly apart in tiny, Doritos-sized pieces, is where the action of his stories takes place. These are wildly imaginative tales, and that is an understatement."
—S.C. Gwynne, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of Empire of the Summer Moon
"The stories in Phone Call from Hell are taut and compelling little gems from an exciting and unique talent. I loved this book!"
—Joe R. Lansdale, Edgar Award-winning author of The Bottoms, Mucho Mojo, Bad Chili, and The Thicket
"In Phone Call from Hell & Other Tales of the Damned, Woods offers 17 outlandish, often violent and raunchy, excursions into neo-pulp. The title story involves looking for a date on the suggestion of a random phone call from Charles Manson. In 'Writer's Block,' Ernest Hemingway and Graham Greene hunt for action in 1959 Havana. 'FTS'—well, the title says it all. Some of the yarns are not so much short stories as micronovels—'The Other,' an intense hunt for serial killers; 'Crash & Burn,' an explosive opus on the Texas-Mexico border. Trademark wild-ass similes and metaphors emblazon almost every page: 'The imperious tropical sun beat down relentlessly like the cat-o-nine-tails of the Marquis de Sade'; 'the moon burst above the eastern hills like a floodlight on a prison break'; 'Her eyes glowed like burning German cities after a B-17 night raid.' You want it brazen and loud, Woods really knows how to bang that gong."
—Publishers Weekly 02/24/2014
Read a Sample Story


Natural pink rose quartz crystal heart healing 877. The item "2.95kg natural pink rose quartz crystal heart healing 525" is in sale since Wednesday, October 25, 2017. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Rocks, Fossils & Minerals\Crystals & Mineral Specimens\Crystals". The seller is "bovq4419" and is located in , . This item can be shipped worldwide.


Usually the first piece from a book's serialisation contains by far the most juicy stories, but today's extracts from David Laws's Coalition rather top last week's.
The Tories secretly tried to form a 2015 Election pact with the Lib Dems to keep the Coalition going, according to David Laws.
He says George Osborne proposed a so-called 'coupon election' deal with the Lib Dems, whereby up to 50 Tory MPs would have been written off, ordered to make way for Lib Dems.
If the deal had gone ahead, Clegg would still be in Downing Street in a 'Coalition Mark II'.
And it would have made David Cameron's outright victory last May impossible. Osborne told Laws: 'We should be thinking of a deal in 2015 where we don't fight each other in our key seats… a 'coupon Election'.
Laws and Clegg turned the deal down because the Lib Dems would be seen as Tory 'lapdogs' – and it could spark a 'riot' among Lib Dem activists. Laws' account confirms rumours in 2011 and 2012 that Cameron and Osborne wanted a Con-Lib pact to avoid defeat.
Right-wing MPs claimed it was a Downing Street plot to merge the two parties and water down traditional Tory policies. No 10 denied such a move had been made.
The term, 'coupon election', dates back to 1918 when Coalition leaders Lloyd George and Bonar Law regained power by using coupons to endorse coalition candidates.
This idea may seem quite fanciful now, but in the early days of coalition there were Conservatives calling for a long-term pact, most notably Tory MP Nick Boles who wrote a book about the idea.
Clegg and Laws, howevever, rejected the idea without reference to the wider party, mindful perhaps of how Ming Campbell got stung by Gordon Brown's offer of a rather different deal in 2007 to which Campbell replied 'I'll have to talk to colleagues' and then got stung by a leak from Labour followed by outrage. Instant rejection would have served Campbell and the Liberal Democrats better on that occasion, even if generally wanting to talk to colleagues is a good instinct.
You can order Coalition: The inside story of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government by David Laws here.


Affordable envelope printing by Active Print Solutions Ltd in Leeds.
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Most MK bags are made from Polyurethane or PU, with leather trimmings. You will hear the abbreviation PU a lot in this story, so let me explain what it means. PU is a kind of plastic that can be treated to look a lot like leather. In fact, most bags, shoes, sofa upholstery, you see on the market are in fact made from PU. No animals are killed in manufacturing PU, BUT its non-biodegradable, so after you throw it away, its going to stay in the earth for hundreds of years and cause a lot of pollution.
The leather used in the trimmings is chemically tanned, again a highly polluting process.
Good On You review – 2/5.
According to Good On You, it does not provide relevant information about its impact on the environment and its labor rating is 'very poor'.
LV is best known for their Coated Canvas bags, specially the Monogram and Damier lines. Coated Canvas is a layer of cotton canvas that is treated with the plastic derivative PVC (Polyvinylchloride). They are not found to use Organic Cotton in their Canvas. The bag trimmings are made from leather, which is chemically tanned.
However there is an upside to LV – Their bags are highly durable, so if you buy one, really care for it, and own it all your life, and perhaps even pass it on to your daughters, thats better than buying ten cheap bags.
According to Good On You LV has made a public commitment to reduce its direct and indirect carbon emissions, but has made no commitment to eliminate hazardous chemicals – chemicals are a big step in leather tanning, which is extremely harmful to the environment.
Most C&K bags are made from PU. It is hard to find information on whether or not they use leather for their handbag trimmings. Since C&K is an affordable brand, my guess is that they don't.
I have a lot of respect for C&K because they're a fairly new brand from our part of the world that has taken the handbag world by storm.
But let's not ignore the fact that they use plastic for most of their products.Additionally, when you buy a handbag or wallet from them it comes with a ton of unnecessary plastic packaging. Even the insides of the bag is filled with foam and plastic bubble wrap, and there are several layers of plastic packaging on the outside.
Good On You review – They have not reviewed this brand.
The first thing that comes to mind when you hear of Hermes are the Birkin Bag or the Kelly Bag. So what are these bags made of? Leather – a lot of it ! For example -a lizard skin handbag requires four to five lizards for just one bag. They also use alligator and crocodile skin. Hermes provides no information on their tanning process, and I am pretty sure the leather is chemically tanned. Their bags wouldn't be so flawless if they didn't!
Good On You rating – 1/5 "It has not heeded calls to take part in GreenPeace's 'Detox' campaign to eliminate certain hazardous chemicals, and it is on Rank a Brand's Greenwashing Alert list".
All is all – Disappointing. Hermes bags cost a fortune, so the company can definitely afford to take steps to minimise their carbon footprint, but they haven't.
Most Coach bags are made in Canvas, denim, straw or sateen and use Cow, Lizard, Crocodile, Python and Lamb skin.
One of the biggest issues with Coach is how opaque the Supply Chain is. They provide no information whatsoever about environmental impact (which means they are tanning chemically), how the leather is extracted, and labor standards.
Kate Spade bags are mostly made from leather – Cowhide, Boarskin, and others. All of their leather is chemically tanned. No information has been provided by KS on environmental impacts or the company's efforts to minimise environmental damage from tanning.
Labour – Something really cool that KS has done is setting up a manufacturing unit at an unlikely destination – Rwanda. If you see the 'On Purpose' label inside a KS bag, know that it has been produced in Rwanda. Rwanda isn't the easiest place to manufacture in, with lack of roads, electricity, water source, and fashion manufacturing skills and culture. So this step is pretty commendable.
Good On You rating – They have not reviewed this brand.
Ok the Fashion Industry and every girl who likes dressing up (or dressing down) owes so much to Coco Chanel, so I'm kind of nervous while I type this review, Phew, but here goes.
This breaks my heart into a million tiny pieces – LambSkin.
Yep, the skin of Mary's little lamb that has no business hanging from our shoulders. Some sources also say caviar skin is used, which is more scratch resistant than Lambskin. All leather is chemically tanned.
Most Gucci bags are made of Coated Canvas, just like Louis Vuitton, along with leather trimmings from Calfskin. They also use Snake and Crocodile skin for their purses. Some forums suggest that they also use Pigskin, but I cannot vouch for this. All their leather is chemically tanned.
The company has a policy in place to minimise pollution caused by leather tanning using Chromium. They've also made efforts to reduce waste throughout their supply chain. I cannot stress how commendable this all is, because following through on these commitments isn't easy or cheap. So my respect to Gucci.
My pick – If I had to choose from this list.
My Pick if I had to choose based on these companies' efforts to do better, or the lack of it, it would have to be Gucci. However, I am not the biggest fan of their designs, so I would go for the second contender – Drumroll please – Louis Vuitton.
Wow I've never really wanted an LV and even I'm surprised at this revelation, and the simple reason is this – Durability. Bag manufacturing in general is an inhumane and polluting industry, and Louis Vuitton is no exception to this fact. But the thing is that its better to own a bag forever than to buy 20 cheaper handbags over the coarse of a lifetime and eventually send them all to the landfill.
I might forego leather bags, but i absolutely love faux leather boots and jackets. While 'faux' is considered 'Vegan', the truth is that it is mostly plastic. So what choice do we have?
There are two major innovations worth mention. If I missed any others, please leave a comment!
The product has not gone commercial yet (I could not find any brands using this), but if you ask me this is the future of leather fashion.
Piñatex® was developed by Dr.Carmen Hijosa using pineapple leaf fibre. So no harmful tanning chemicals are used, and no animals are harmed in the process.
In all honesty Piñatex® is not nearly as smooth, shiny and attractive as animal leather, but then if it means not having to kill a lamb, and not ingesting rivers with chromium, its a good option.
I hope the company will be able to improve the product's finish in the near future, and I'll be patiently waiting for that day !
To learn which brands are already using Piñatex®, click here.
Assumption made while writing this article – If a company has not published any information on how their leather is tanned, i am assuming that it is chemically tanned. Most leather worldwide is tanned using chemicals, and vegetable tanning does not produce the smooth finish that you see on most bags (yet!).
Sources – Good On You, Purseblog, Yoogi's Closet, Animals Australia, Ecouterre, Leaf.tv and a whole lot research !
Next post5 ways to celebrate Earth Day !


Income taxation: like kind exchanges: withholding.
04/23/18 In committee: Set, second hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
03/20/18 Re-referred to Com. on REV. & TAX.
03/19/18 From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on REV. & TAX. Read second time and amended.


Friday is here and so we round up some of our picks for top records!
Bristol's Our Nameless Boy have revealed their return with a new EP Tomorrow I'll Be Scared Again, set for release on March 1st through Beth Shalom Records. The EP has a sentimental value and a very personal touch as the making of the record was hindered by vocalist/guitarist Iain Gorrie's near year long battle with testicular cancer.
Iain says: "Most of the EP songs were written right before I was diagnosed and touch on personal past experiences.
On March 8, Pure Noise Records will be dealing out Youth Fountain's latest record Letters To Our Former Selves! The emo-punk duo released their self-titled debut Pure Noise Records EP last year and this new effort is very close to guitarist/vocalist Tyler Zanon's heart.


Bibi Graetz's Sparkling Wine - The Bollamatta!
Bibi Graetz's sparkling dream is finally bottled!
The BOLLAMATTA ("Crazy bubble" in Italian) is a unique sparkling Sangiovese made using the grapes from the green harvest of Testamatta and Colore!
This sparkling wine is not available yet, because the folks at the winery are so happy and excited about this new product that they decided to share with their importers from around the world. Check out the label below!
They've been secretly producing the Bollamatta in 2014, and finally, after almost 2 years the wine is ready! Bollamatta is a long charmat (method of production is Charmat) but the wine last longer on the yeasts! The color is similar to a ruby rosè and the style is between a Champagne but more approachable, and a Prosecco but with more depth.
We can't wait to try this sparkling!


And nothing says that better than ✻ this✻ one of a kind screen print edition.
Each cat has been mono-printed individually directly onto the screen, so no two kitties are the same in this collection! There are blue cats, red ones, tuxedos, tabbies and torties. Their eye colours, patches and stripes are all different too.
😺👉 Please select your cat colour/pattern using the menu above.
This is an original, hand-pulled screen print & mono-print from a variable edition of 50.


Interjet has dropped the price of their flights from Vancouver to San Jose, Costa Rica down to $375 CAD roundtrip including taxes.
The flights have 1 stop each way, in Mexico City for 4-7 hours.
Interjet's lowest prices from Canada to Central and South America include 1 piece of checked luggage.
- But the flight has 2 stops each way.
Can't find this deal anymore? Prices change as deals sell out. The key is to be among the first to know when an amazing deal is posted.
Click here for tips on how to never miss a deal again.
Hit Like if you like this deal! Click Share or Send to show your friends on Facebook.
vancouver, yvr, flight deals, san jose, central america, delta, costa rica, sjo and interjet.


Xiaomi's sub brand Redmi comes with another Note series smartphone after the success of Redmi Note 5 pro, they officially confirmed at the twitter handle that the new note rises on November 22 in India and it goes on sale at Black Friday sale on next day of launch November 23rd 12 noon. In the global version it comes in three colours variant black, rose gold & Blue with the configuration of 4GB + 64GB variant and in India launched in two variant 4GB + 64GB & 6GB + 64GB.
The Redmi Note 6 Pro comes with a taller white colour box with Redmi Note 6 Pro branding along with India's No.1 Smartphone brand tag, out of the box we have the 6.26-inch FHD Note 6 Pro in Blue colour variant with 4GB RAM & 64GB Storage configuration and a transparent protective case as like we can tell but in reality the case is not at the best in quality, then micro USB cable, charging adaptor, SIM ejector pin and manuals & warranty details.
From the initial impression the smartphone looks stylish and gives premium look it has made of metal body at the back having rounded edges in all four sides and has slim design having 8.26mm depth so holding the device in hand is comfortable also, device having slighter slippery feel since its having metal body but after putting the case its safe for handling.
The Redmi Note 6 Pro having 3.5mm headphone jack, noise cancellation microphone and IR blaster at the device Top and in the right side has volume rockers keys & power ON/OFF button and the bottom has dual speaker grill & micro USB port for charging and in the left SIM tray is fixed has hybrid slot that you can put two Nano SIM's or 1 SIM & 1 memory card up to 256GB, then in front within the notch dual camera setup, earpiece is placed and at the back dual camera is mounted horizontally with flash in between and finger print sensor mounted at the back and MI branding in the bottom.
This time Xiaomi's introduce the bigger screen size compared to the Redmi Note 5 pro the Note 6 Pro comes with 6.26-inch Full HD+ display with 19:9 aspect ratio and have a wider notch design in the top, the display has 2280*1080 resolution and 2.5D glass rounded display in all corners with Corning Gorilla glass protection and the display looks cool & premium but the notch feels like more wider this affect notification icon at the side of the notch may be hidden.
For the first time Xiaomi comes with the Quad camera setup in the note series having dual front camera with primary 20MP 4 in 1 super pixel and secondary 2MP depth sensor for Bokeh effect and the front camera supports AI face Unlock, AI Portrait selfie and AI Scene detection, the rear camera has 12MP + 5MP with dual pixel auto focus technology with 27 AI Scene detection and 6 new Bokeh effects also, it supports for Electronic image stabilization for video recording. The both front & rear camera has support of portrait mode with dedicated sensor and also has support for AI based photography. See the below camera samples that are shot in Redmi Note 6 Pro in our nearby.
The Redmi Note 6 Pro is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 Octo core processor with the inbuilt Adreno 509 GPU the Kyro 260 CPU used in this chip and it is an 8-core chip with a clock speed of up to 1.8 GHz and it is made 14nm process technology and this same CPU cores are used in the Snapdragon 660. The Kyro 260 is the combination of four semi custom Cortex A73 cores it works as performance cluster during playing heavy games like pubG this core supports the device to work as fast and smooth user experience and the another four semi custom A53 efficiently cores is used to save the energy & power in the device during idle time or for any lite processing this cores are activated due to that the device will manage battery capacity efficiently for long time also, it has a battery capacity of huge 4000mAh will make then device long time usage for users but it's lack in fast charging support.
Based on AnTuTu benchmark report the Redmi Note 6 Pro scores 113726 marks in CPU, GPU, Memory, UX test and this score is less than the Realme U1, lets check in the full in-depth review soon.
The device comes in two memory configuration as 4GB + 64GB & 6GB +64GB in our 4GB variant model out of 64GB internal memory we'll get 51GB space, since it's runs on MIUI 9 out of the box based on Android 8.1 Oreo, the device has pre-installed with applications like Facebook, Amazon, Phonepe, Netflix, Daily hunt, Opera, Jabong & Teen pathi and system applications based on MI accumulates the storage space and also you can uninstall the application that you don't need.
The Note 6 Pro has face unlock & finger print sensor for unlocking the device after testing the unlocking feature the finger print scanning is more sensitive and work faster but the face unlock is not at the best it takes more than 1 second to unlock the device, we are in testing further we check with other midrange smartphones coming at the same price and we'll back in the review.
Compared to the Redmi Note 5 pro this time Xiaomi brings Note 6 pro additionally with bigger display, Notch design, dual front camera with depth sensor, Xiaomi improved this thing in the new Note 6 pro and all other configurations are remains the same what we experience in the Note 5 pro. The Redmi Note 6 Pro available in Flipkart for the price of 4+64GB – 13,999 & 6+64 -15,999 variants.


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Q: How to remove PPA _compholio_ I trying to remove this PPA without results.
I've Debian 8 as OS and want to remove the PPA since after running
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

it gives the error W: Failed to fetch  http://ppa.launchpad.net/ehoover/compholio/ubuntu/dists/jessie/main/binary-amd64/Packages 404 Not Found
By running sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list I do not find the corresponding PPA e trying to remove it by running sudo add-apt-repository to update the package or sudo ppa-purge to delete it I don't get a solution.
Could someone suggest any solution to this problem?
Thanks all in advance!

A: The relevant files for ppa's are unter /etc/apt/sources.list.d.
apt-add-repository -r ppa:ehoover/compholio And avoid Ubunu-ppa's unter Debian. Debian !=Ubuntu. :D

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
The Citebook
Loaded on Oct. 15, 1995 by Paul Wright published in Prison Legal News October, 1995, page 8
Filed under: Reviews, Court Access. Location: United States of America.
Review by Paul Wright
The Citebook is a 275 page book written by Tony Darwin designed to help laypersons help themselves in researching their litigation. Now in its eleventh printing the book is organized by subject and gives a brief description of relevant cases. This book is in a category of its own. While the Prisoners' Self Help Litigation Manual describes prisoners' rights and tells you how to litigate your claims, this book only lists case law, hence the title.
Its main usefulness will be to litigants who need a quick starting point in their legal research. While it contains a great deal of criminal and prison related cases the book contains citations of case law relevant to citizens interested in knowing what their rights are in a variety of situations: consumer protection, bankruptcy, credit agencies, landlord tenant, insurance, IRS, workers compensation, real estate, etc. Prisoners will find useful the chapters dealing with habeas corpus, parole, prison regulations, sentencing, mail censorship, pro se complaints, cruel and unusual punishment, disciplinary hearings and much more.
While this book is not intended to replace more extensive case law digests it provides a handy reference source. It is also easy to read and gives a brief synopsis of relevant cases. The book contains useful appendices listing all federal courts, federal agencies and federal prisons. I bought a copy of the book several years ago and would do so again. Cost is $27.45, including shipping. Contact: Starlite Inc., P.O. Box 20004, Dept. 34, St. Petersburg, FL. 33742. 1-800-577-2929. Starlite also sells a variety of other self help books.
More from Paul Wright:
From the Editor, Nov. 30, 2022
From the Editor, Oct. 31, 2022
From the Editor, Sept. 30, 2022
From the Editor, Sept. 1, 2022
From the Editor, Aug. 1, 2022
The Impact of Criminalizing Abortion on Prisoners and Mass Incarceration, July 15, 2022
From the Editor, July 13, 2022
The Impact of Criminalizing Abortion on Prisoners and Mass Incarceration, June 27, 2022
From the Editor, June 1, 2022
From the Editor, May 1, 2022
New Book Scrutinizes Data-Driven Policing, May 15, 2021. Reviews, Protests, Searchable Metadata.
Interview: Jodie Sinclair on Her New Book, "Love Behind Bars", Sept. 1, 2020. Reviews.
Book Review: The Habeas Citebook: Prosecutorial Misconduct Is an Invaluable Resource for Challenging Prosecutorial Misconduct, Aug. 1, 2020. Reviews, Databases.
Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Texas Prisoner's Complaint Over Consequences of Prisoner Unrest as Frivolous, April 2, 2020. Retaliation, Toxic Fumes/Chemicals, Eighth Amendment, Vermin, Court Access.
Civilly Dead Prisoner Unable to Sue in Rhode Island, Jan. 12, 2020. Court Access.
Tens of Thousands of Sentencing Decisions Are Hidden Within PACER, Hindering Access by Lawyers and Defendants, Oct. 15, 2019. Court Access, Legal Materials, Sentencing.
$250,000 Awarded to Mississippi Woman After Being Jailed 96 Days Without Bail Hearing or Lawyer, Aug. 10, 2019. Eighth Amendment, Jail Specific, Attorneys, Court Access, Legal Materials, Sixth Amendment.
Court Reporters Likely Fail to Accurately Transcribe Testimony for Speakers of 'African American English', July 16, 2019. Racial Discrimination, Court Access, Trials.
Prosecutors Use Blacklists to Keep Dishonest Officers out of the Courtroom, June 17, 2019. Police Misconduct, Prosecutors, Court Access, Police.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


WASHINGTON — Retail food prices at the supermarket decreased slightly in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to the latest American Farm Bureau Federation Marketbasket Survey.
The informal survey shows the total cost of 16 basic grocery items in the fourth quarter of 2008 was $48.19, down about 1 percent or 49 cents from the third quarter of 2008.
Of the 16 items surveyed, 11 decreased and five increased in average price compared to the 2008 third-quarter survey.
The overall cost of the marketbasket items in the fourth quarter of 2008 increased by 7 percent compared to the first quarter of 2008, which tracks closely with the federal government's Consumer Price Index for all food during a similar time period, according to American Farm Bureau Federation.
Apples, flour, cheddar cheese and bacon showed the largest retail price decreases.
Apples dropped 29 cents to $1.51 per pound; flour dropped 16 cents to $2.46 for a 5-pound bag; cheddar cheese decreased 15 cents to $4.76 per pound and bacon decreased 14 cents per pound to $3.37.
Several survey items dropped in price by 10 cents or less: whole milk, down 10 cents to $3.82 per gallon; ground chuck, down 9 cents to $2.86 per pound; corn oil, down 8 cents to $3.55 for a 32 ounce bottle; pork chops, down 4 cents to $3.58 per pound; sirloin tip roast, down 4 cents to $3.94 per pound; vegetable oil, down 2 cents to $3.17 for a 32 ounce bottle and a five-pound bag of potatoes, down 2 cents to $3.36.
"Reversing an upward trend over the prior three quarters, ground chuck and sirloin tip roast prices decreased during the fourth quarter," said Jim Sartwelle, an American Farm Bureau Federation economist.
Although the slight decline in the overall cost of American Farm Bureau Federation's marketbasket of staple items provided some relief, consumers are not likely to be dancing with joy in the aisles of their local grocery stores in the near future.
"Despite the recent collapse in oil prices and steep declines in farm commodity prices, food prices have not yet declined significantly and may not for quite some time," said Sartwelle.
However, if the new year brings lower global demand for U.S. commodities as the world economic turmoil continues, retail food prices may moderate somewhat, according to Sartwelle.
Mayonnaise increased in price for the fourth consecutive quarter, up 30 cents to $3.57 for a 32 ounce jar.
Toasted oat cereal increased by 16 cents to $3.13 for a 9 ounce box. White bread increased 9 cents to $1.88 for a 20 ounce loaf.
Large eggs increased 7 cents to $1.78 per dozen. Whole chicken fryers increased 2 cents per pound, to $1.45.
As retail grocery prices have increased gradually, the share of the average food dollar America's farm and ranch families receive has dropped over time.
"In the mid-1970s, farmers received about one-third of consumer retail food expenditures for food eaten at home and away from home, on average. That figure has decreased steadily over time and is now just 19 percent, according to Agriculture Department statistics," Sartwelle said.
Using the "food at home and away from home" percentage across-the-board, the farmer's share of this quarter's $48.19 marketbasket total would be $9.16.
American Farm Bureau Federation, the nation's largest general farm organization, conducts its informal quarterly marketbasket survey as a tool to reflect retail food price trends.
According to USDA statistics, Americans spend just under 10 percent of their disposable income on food annually, the lowest average of any country in the world.
A total of 133 volunteer shoppers in 37 states participated in the latest survey, conducted during October 2008.
WASHINGTON — For the fourth quarter of 2008, shoppers reported the average price for a half gallon of regular whole milk was $2.38, down 19 cents from the prior quarter. The average price for one gallon of regular whole milk was $3.82, down 10 cents.
Comparing per quart prices, the retail price for whole milk sold in gallon containers was about 25 percent lower compared to half gallon containers, a typical volume discount long employed by retailers.
The average price for a half gallon of rBST-free milk was $3.45, up 1 cent from the last quarter and nearly 45 percent higher than the reported retail price for a half gallon of regular milk ($2.38).
The average price for a half gallon of organic milk was $3.70, down 1 cent compared to the third quarter and approximately 55 percent higher than the reported retail price for a half gallon of regular milk ($2.38).
Compared to a year ago (fourth quarter of 2007), the retail price for regular milk in gallon containers decreased by 2.5 percent while regular milk in half gallon containers showed no change.
The average retail price for rBST-free milk rose about 66 percent in a year's time. The average retail price for organic milk in half gallon containers went up throughout the year and was 13 percent higher in the fourth quarter of 2008 compared to a year ago.
For the fourth quarter of 2008, the average price for one dozen regular eggs was $1.78, up 7 cents compared to the last quarter. The average price for "cage-free" eggs increased 5 cents to $3.05 per dozen, around 70 percent more per dozen than regular eggs.
Regular eggs and "cage-free" eggs increased in retail price by about 10 percent between the fourth quarter of 2007 and the fourth quarter of 2008.


Washington D.C. – Round 2 | Drake in D.C.
My friend Katy & I posing for a typical touristy photo in Washington D.C. in 7th grade.
The last time I was in Washington D.C. I was wearing that touristy name tag around my neck all the time. Being in seventh grade, it was probably reasonable to ask us to wear name tags around our necks like dogs in order to keep track of all 80 of us. It was a wonderful experience but I was more concerned about the social aspect with all my friends than really taking in the sites (don't tell my mother). This time however? I'm hoping to do Washington D.C. "right". Not only will I actually remember this trip better but the meaning behind watching a President take on his second term when I had the opportunity to vote for him to be there is incredible.
Sitting on the steps of the Air & Space Museum back in 7th grade! Don't neglect to notice the name tags around our necks!
the start of a new year, a new term offers more potential and opportunity for our country as we move forward. I hope President Obama addresses where he was four years ago and where he'd like to see our country in the next four years. What expectations should I have of him this term? What is he hoping to get accomplished. I don't want such a splendid day to be entirely bogged down with the issues of unemployment, government deficit, etc. Obama's Inauguration speech back in 2009 touched on the hard paths that the Americans before us have overcome and how we're treading our path for future ones. I hope he comes back to this idea on how we're still moving forward.
The Inauguration is a trip of a lifetime. When strolling through the random booths for J-Term trips last spring I couldn't help but go "I could do that next year if I wanted", "I know a book that I could read to learn about that subject" but then the Inauguration? That trip won't be repeated for another four years! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to go to DC and attend the Inauguration for a class and I am so thrilled to be a part of it. DC's culture is fast-paced and cut-throat and I am beyond excited to be a part of it.
While in Washington I hope to learn more about how the past has affected the present and make better connections with our nation's history. I want to take something away from every site we visited and to better understand how our country has unfolded the way it has due to events like the Vietnam War, the Declaration of Independence and the Holocaust. I also want to learn more about what it would be like to work there one day. Working in the political circuit doing PR would be a dream come true for me a few years from now and I want to be able to see if I really could picture myself there. Could I survive and thrive there? We'll find out – D.C. here I come!
Visiting Williamsburg with my locker partner Larissa!


As a few of you know I made the purchase of the Crane 2. It arrived yesterday and since I had to clean the 1DX2 extension foot I accidentally burned I was delayed getting it into operation. Not a good idea to be learning new gear into the wee hours of the night but that's what I was doing - just like a child.
Well, the small confusions that existed for me today have vanished and I can report that everything seems to be fine. At this moment I have shot video with the 24-70 F4 and the 11-24. The actual balancing of both is relatively easy especially if you're balanced for one and then switch to the other.
The range of motion with the 11-24 is more restricted but not enough to be an issue IMHO. For example I could walk with the collapsed feet in my midsection like a flagpole without losing control. Great care needs to be exercised if one intends to flip the unit over etc. as certain parts will contact in the extreme movement case and likely scratch something.
So, at this moment I don't feel any twinge of regret in the purchase.
The video I watched where the 70-200 2.8 was mounted looked touch and go but again if you are careful to keep the gimbal upright there should be adequate travel. Perhaps it's reasonable to assume that shooting at 200 is not going to be a situation where you expect major movements.
Being new to video, I'm happy to contribute my thoughts but I have no expertise so hopefully others will chime in on the topic of gimbal stabilizers, technique and so forth.
Thanks Jack, I'm glad to hear its working well. I would think for the most part people aren't going to be flipping the gimbal around. What I would use it for is pans or moving shots of people. If you recommend it, I think I will go ahead and buy one too.
Well, I'm a poor one to depend on in that regard because even if it isn't superb I'm blown away by what it offers me, shaky old me!
I can't imagine you being disappointed but we're all different.
I'm wondering now about remote control over distance (the Bluetooth offers only 10m max). Maybe Scott will advise relative to the CamRanger I previously purchased. If one could plant the camera with 70-200 close enough to wildlife then a really long lens wouldn't be required. Could be for photos or video.
How fast is it to remove the camera from the gimbal to take pictures? Or would it probably be best to leave it on?
The manual states something like this.
Adjust the value of the tilt and roll axis angle to your actual need.
I'm wondering if this is a way to limit the travel so as to not hit any part of the gimbal when a big camera and lens is used?? Lots to learn and not the greatest manual.
It's trivial to remove the camera. If you leave the plate it's 2 seconds or maybe 10 removing the plate with a coin. One thing, I'm thinking of putting a wee bit of lube on the dovetails so they slide a bit easier. The camera and lens is heavy and unless you relive some of the pressure, it's hard to slide a mm. Now if they would have built in a fine adjust screw vernier it would be much easier - coarse balance, lock and then screw adjust. Of course that would add weight and bulk and expense.
I agree with others online that balancing is trivial once you get the hang of it but initially it's confusing.
Here goes another "dumb" question. I presume I can't do anything with the crane 2 from my Windows 7 computer and must use a phone to set the parameters to suit my liking due to lack of blue tooth??
I would assume no you cannot use a computer. I have not had a chance to hook my phone up to it yet, been super busy with easter stuff. I got to use the gimbal yesterday, still getting used to it. I would not think the app would cost anything, but maybe she doesn't have a google play account yet, I think they always want credit card info to just start the account.
Thanks Ethan, I think you're right about Google Play. My wife has no computer background and was then introduced to the cell phone and muddles along like most old folk including me. Our kids are no longer at home so we don't have quick access to help with such things. I had sent her a link thinking she could just download it but now I understand she needs and account first.
I did finally get a daylight video of my deer visiting and it sure is amazing compared to previous attempts without a gimbal!! However, I've got to slow the movements and change the joystick direction.
Update April 3 - as usual when I'm confused there usually is some reason even though I feel like a total dummy. With my wife's help I kind of came up to speed on the android phone and managed to get the downloaded app (there are two or three) functioning (of course it uses Blue Tooth - duh) and changed some parameters, in particular slowing motion to match my novice capability. I've rationalized why I prefer the joystick reversed - it's my previous use of a Jobu gimbal - tip the camera down to raise the lens - the teeter-totter effect, of course.
Finally, it seems there is not as much interest in the Crane 2 as I imagined so I won't likely post more in this thread unless there is a need. There are lots of good videos to Google. Still luvin the gimbal.
HOW to make it work with the CamRanger, oh please??!
I just played around with the app too, Jack. The settings can certainly make it do different things, I wasn't able to play with it enough though.
I finally understand the PF mode after using the gimbal several times.
With the app, you could have the gimbal stationary and use the PTZ control to remotely move it, which is pretty cool.
Hey Ethan ... I think this site is among the best and he goes over all kinds of things, well.
Apparently there is new firmware giving another mode but I haven't gotten into that yet. I can access the gimbal from the phone but didn't succeed with the USB from my Windows computer. The computer started installing drivers and then something went off track, but I'll try again.
Yes it can be on a tripod and fully controlled but my big concern is how do I get the CamRanger video back from the camera so I can see where it's aiming. That would be super for a hide and doing video of birds and animals.
Seems I didn't have the necessary drivers etc. on my computer cause now all is well with the tools app and I've downloaded Firmware V 1.72 that gives the POV mode. This is all just too cool!
I find it much more controllable now from the joystick with the slower settings.
I'm all curious for learning on these. very limited video experience as well, but keep getting asked by buddies to video their shows with an SLR.
Hesitant given some things i've read about gimballs (some don't hold weight well), but sounds like you tried it with a fairly heavy SLR compared to my 80d... so now I am interested... are you still happy? What model? B&H has a few, one with follow focus? do you hand hold it or mount or ?
If it can support our 1dx with big lenses, it will support your 80D just fine.
The Crane 2 has a focus wheel that you can use to manually focus, or I've just been using the DPAF, which I'm sure your 80D would do just fine with too.
You can hand hold the gimbal or mount it to a tripod or set it down somewhere. I am very happy so far with it. I use it at my work for videos.
Just adding a thing or two to Ethan. Although the gimbal is not very heavy, add it to a 1DX2 and a 70-200 2.8 and you've got a body building device. Just look at the upper arms of the guy I linked that's doing all the gimbal videos, they're huge ... unlike mine. However, I'll handle it, just not for really long bouts.
One issue if you go more telephoto is that any movement gets amplified visually and it gets hard to move it precisely with the joystick. And it can be challenging to see the display. However, you can slow those movements down with software so not a big deal. If you've done hand held video, like me, and been embarrassed by the swaying then you'd be thrilled with this. If you're on a big tripod then the gimbal to a large extent is not having to do much and really isn't necessary. This is way more convenient and you can shoot while walking and turning around etc. Amateur shoot turns into almost professional with practice.
There are so many videos that if you watch enough you'll know clearly what the advantages are.
BTW the camera settings are controllable at you thumb and so shooting manual you can tweak the ISO on the fly easily. Since video generally uses a slow shutter like 1/125 for 4K 60, there is more latitude than say shooting BIF at 1/2500 and say ISO 1600.
thanks.. looks heavy on its own, let alone with an SLR and lens.
DPAF (built in by Canon) will give you a reasonable level of focus following a subject. The focus wheel on the Crane 2 I really haven't used yet. I'm not sure how valuable it actually is. It just acts like the focus ring on a lens.
When thinking about weight and bulk what you have to ask yourself is, do I want professional looking video with a 40 lb setup and crew. This is so portable you can walk down a mountain path while panning without virtually any shake. I hate video with jerky movements. The alternative is to set up a tripod. You can't get the same perspective as half running while you're panning or whatever. On the other hand I don't fancy walking though a busy tourist store holding this but an historic church would be OK. You're going to be noticeable for sure but for many situations that's not too problematic.
The focus wheel is very smooth and easy to use however the live view screen is not very large and so manual focus is not something I plan to use much. Tapping on the screen to establish focus on a different area works so well with Canon and its DPAF and it really sticks if you choose tracking.
For sure you have to eat your wheaties and exercise!


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CJTF-HOA deputy commanding general gauges progress in South Sudan
By Senior Airman Codie Trimble
CJTF-HOA, September 5, 2019
U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. James R. Kriesel, deputy commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), meets with doctors from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Juba, South Sudan, Aug. 14, 2019. Kriesl and the CDC team discussed the progress CJTF-HOA is helping South Sudan make through CJTF-HOA's medical civil action projects with the citizens of South Sudan. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Codie Trimble)
USAID Djibouti Health South Sudan medical CJTF-HOA MEDCAP Chaplain AFRICOM Africa Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa Air Force Embassy Ambassador Horn of Africa HOA CJTF director general United Nations US Africa Command mission development United Kingdom Combined Joint Task Force Leaders outreach people build food
U.S., Japanese, French, Italian militaries partner for first multilateral NEO exercise in Africa
Initiated by the Japanese military, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) supported a joint-nation noncombatant evacuation operation (NEO) exercise and training here, Sept. 29.
State, Defense department officials focus on East Africa security
U.S. Embassy representatives from eight East African nations joined military leaders from U.S. Africa Command and Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa at Camp Lemonnier Jan. 24, for the 2017 East Africa Security Synchronization Conference.
AMISOM strength bolstered with AFRICOM vehicle delivery to UPDF
The African Union Mission in Somalia's capabilities to provide security in Somalia were recently strengthened when U.S. military members of U.S. Africa Command and Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa delivered nearly 20 vehicles and two storage containers to the Uganda People's Defence Force here, Sept. 25.
CJTF-HOA civil affairs veterinarians assist in diminishing animal disease, overpopulation in Djibouti
The Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa's 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion (CAB) Functional Specialty Group (FXSP) veterinarians spayed, dewormed and immunized the cats of Caritas Djibouti here, Aug 30.


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Podcast with JUST GENDER film director GEORGE ZUBER
Podcast with JUST GENDER film director GEORGE ZUBER from SHOWBIZ CHICAGO on Vimeo.
George Zuber discusses his new independent educational film, JUST GENDER which reveals the spectrum of personal, medical, financial and societal challenges transgender people experience in their daily lives. The film also challenges viewers to question their notions of what it means to be male or female. For more information visit justgender.com
JUST GENDER, a new documentary directed by George Zuber and narrated by Emmy award-winner Bebe Neuwirth, will screen across the country in a series of special screenings benefitting local transgender and LGBT organizations, in conjunction with LGBT Pride Month in June. Please see the press release below for more information.
The film seeks to counteract the ignorance that drives transphobic discrimination by putting a human face on the transgender community. Recently, the transphobic remarks of Rochester's #1 radio jocks Kimberly and Beck created a nationwide uproar as their thoughtless remarks served as a stark reminder of the type of discrimination that transgender people experience on a daily basis.
Combining personal accounts, professional insight, and historical perspective, JUST GENDER reveals the spectrum of personal, medical, financial and societal challenges transgender people experience in their daily lives. The film also challenges viewers to question their notions of what it means to be male or female.
« MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL AND iTHEATRICS CELEBRATE THE TURNAROUND ARTS PROGRAM AS GUESTS ATTENDING A SPECIAL EVENT AT THE WHITE HOUSE
RIVERWEST MUSIC FESTIVAL TO BRING FORWARD THINKING DANCE MUSIC ACTS TO CHICAGO FOR ITS INAUGURAL YEAR THREE-DAY ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC FESTIVAL TO TAKE PLACE ALONG THE CHICAGO RIVER JULY 4TH WEEKEND »


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Q: Unable to start windows 10 technical preview Few time ago, I have installed windows 10 technical preview and it worked perfectly for the first two weeks. After that, it began restarting every few hours saying that windows 10 has expired. I have continued working on windows 10 (restarting automatically after few hours) but unfortunately now I can't start it any more. In other words, I can't boot on my windows 10.
What i have tried is to boot on ubuntu (from a flash disk) and try to repair windows 10 partion but i have faced new problem: ALL MY DISK PARTITIONS ARE LOCKED. I can't access any of my partitions.
I have tried also to boot on windows 10(from flash disk) and try to find a setting option to repair the windows 10 already installed and locked but nothing found.
The immediate solution is to format the whole disk(all partitions will be ERASED and that's so bad because I have very important files out there :(.
Please help.
Thanks in advance.

A: Windows 10 Technical Preview, as the name suggests, is not for production. I think it's your fault, that you can't access your files.
What I have read, Windows 10 automatically locks if you don't update it, but I don't know how to do it, because I'm not using it.
The only thing that comes to my mind is accesing the Windows 10 partition offline from Ubuntu or other liveCD.


The 45m/148ft superyacht 'Clan VIII' has recently joined the charter market and will be available for vacations in Caribbean over the winter, before moving to the Mediterranean for the summer charter season.
Launched in 2011 by the renowned Italian shipyard Perini Navi, Clan VIII is the result of a collaboration between Ron Holland and the in-house design team at Perini Navi. She is also the fourth in Perini Navi's steel-hulled 45-metre series.
Distinguishing features include a generous fly bridge and an opening stern that reveals a structural staircase. This leads down to a spacious swimming platform, perfect for enjoying easy access into the waters.
Inspired by a 'classical yet contemporary allure', the interior features an elegant combination of ebony and teak. In the main salon there is comfortable seating and a more formal area to dine in as well as a sleek bar and large desk.
With a full-width master suite and three further staterooms, sailing yacht Clan VIII can sleep up to seven guests.
In 2015, Clan VIII took second place in the overall category at the Perini Navi Cup as well as achieving 2nd in class at the Palma Superyacht Cup. Next year, she is set to compete in the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta and St Barth's Bucket Regatta.
Powered by a Caterpillar C32 engine, she is capable of reaching up to 13.5 knots and cruises at 10 knots.
For more information on renting S/Y Clan VIII, please contact your preferred charter broker.
Inspired by a 'classical yet contemporary allure', the interior features an elegant combination of ebony and teak.


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Kelley Blue Book: The fuel efficient 2023 Kia Seltos is sleek and refined with a hint of ruggedness
Standard AWD on most trims
Roomy for its size
User-friendly infotainment system
IIHS Top Safety Pick
So-so base engine
Unrefined available DCT transmission
No significant changes
Price: The 2023 Kia Seltos has a starting price of $22,890. The top model, the Kia Seltos SX AWD, begins at $28,249. The destination fee is $1,295.
The Kia
Seltos is a practical and stylish choice in subcompact SUVs. It offers unique styling that's sleek and refined with a hint of ruggedness. This is a versatile SUV with a roomy interior for its small size, impressive Kia tech features, and excellent safety scores. All-wheel drive comes standard on most trims, which is a nice bonus.
The Seltos competes in a challenging field of subcompact SUVs. Some of its top competitors are the sporty Mazda
MZDAY,
CX-30, the off-road-ready Subaru
FUJHY,
Crosstrek, and the value-packed Chevrolet Trailblazer. All of the above are worth cross-shopping if you're in the market for a small and affordable SUV.
See: The cars, trucks and SUVS with the best resale value
2023 Kia Seltos pricing
A Kia Seltos LX with AWD begins at $22,840, while the S FWD model starts at $22,890. As an S AWD model, the 2023 Kia Seltos starts at $24,390. The destination fee is $1,295.
A Kia Seltos Nightfall Edition AWD begins at $27,040, while the EX AWD model begins at $26,140.
Capping the lineup is the Seltos SX AWD, which starts at $28,340.
The price of the Kia Seltos is about average for its class. The pricing is very similar to rivals like the Mazda CX-30, Subaru Crosstrek, and Volkswagen
VWAGY,
Taos. A few options in this class that are a little more affordable include the Chevrolet Trailblazer and Nissan Kicks, but you can't get a Kicks with AWD.
The 2023 Kia Seltos
Driving the 2023 Kia Seltos
The base 4-cylinder engine moves the Kia Seltos around just fine. Its performance is merely adequate, but it's fuel-efficient — partially thanks to the CVT transmission — and it's powerful enough for the daily commute.
The available turbocharged engine is an excellent upgrade if you want a little extra pep in a small SUV. It brings a pretty significant improvement in performance with an additional 29 horsepower and 63 lb-ft of torque over the base engine. There's a slight fuel economy penalty, but it's worth it if you're looking for lively performance.
The turbo engine uses a 7-speed DCT automatic transmission. It's better for sporty driving than the CVT that comes with the base engine, but it can be a bit slow to downshift when you want extra zip.
Except for the S trim, every Seltos comes standard with all-wheel drive. The Subaru Crosstrek and Jeep Compass Trailhawk are better off-roaders, but AWD gives the Seltos good all-weather traction and mild off-road capabilities. If you don't want or need AWD, the S trim with FWD is the most fuel-efficient variant of the Seltos.
The Seltos is maneuverable on city streets and easy to park thanks to its small footprint, but some of its rivals, like the Mazda CX-30, offer sportier handling. As for driving comfort, it's reasonably smooth and comfortable for highway cruising, but you might want something with a longer wheelbase if you're looking for long-distance comfort.
One of the biggest strong suits of the Kia Seltos is one of the roomiest interiors in its class. Considering its small size, you might be surprised by the amount of passenger and cargo space in the Seltos. The back seats have adult-friendly legroom, and the cargo hold has more than enough room for most drivers' daily needs.
The interior design of the Seltos is pleasant and upscale for its price tag. All of the controls are easy to use, and it has one of the most intuitive infotainment systems in its class. Interior materials are pretty nice and get nicer as you work your way up the trims. You can't get actual leather seats, but the upper trims have premium leatherette seating.
It's worth noting that the SX Turbo trim is available with a Plum interior color package. If you want an SUV with purple seats, this is one of your few options.
The Seltos is a head-turning SUV that strikes a nice balance of premium and rugged. The ride height and skid plates give it a bit of an outdoorsy look, but the sleek body lines and sharp light signature make it appear modern and high-tech.
The Seltos has some daring paint options like Mars Orange and Starbright Yellow. It's in on the growing trend of contrast roof and mirror options with multiple 2-tone color schemes available.
As for the size, the Seltos is a subcompact SUV slotted between the smaller Soul and the bigger Sportage in the Kia lineup. Its dimensions are similar to the Chevrolet Trailblazer, Mazda CX-30, and Jeep Compass.
Favorite features
UVO infotainment systemThe infotainment system in the Seltos is user-friendly and packed with features. All but the base LX trim upgrade to a bigger and fancier 10.25-inch screen with navigation.
Unique styleAs part of its palette of fun paint color options, the Seltos offers four 2-tone paint schemes with contrasting roofs and mirrors, plus other unique styling options like purple seats.
The base LX trim of the Kia Seltos is well-equipped for the money. It uses a 2.0-liter engine with a CVT transmission, and all-wheel drive comes standard.
Standard features include an 8-inch infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple
AAPL,
CarPlay, a USB port, cloth seats, 17-inch alloy wheels, split-folding back seats, and the basics you would expect like air conditioning and cruise control.
Standard Kia Drive Wise safety tech features include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, lane-following assist, rear occupant alert, automatic high beams, and driver attention warning.
Read: These are the safest new cars of the year
Every trim of the Seltos other than the base LX trim comes standard with a bigger 10.25-inch infotainment system with navigation. A few other nice features on all but the base trim include automatic climate control, remote start, roof rails, and partial or full leatherette seats.
The S trim is the only one available with front-wheel drive, which is nice if you'd rather have better fuel economy than the improved traction of AWD.
If you want the exciting turbocharged engine, it's standard in the Nightfall Edition and SX Turbo models. The Nightfall Edition comes with an appearance package with a unique grille and 18-inch wheels, and dark exterior accents. It also has blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.
The EX model is the top trim you can get with the base engine. It has excellent premium features like a wireless charging pad, full leatherette seats, and a power sunroof.
If you want a Seltos that flirts with luxury SUV territory, the SX Turbo model has Bose premium audio, a larger digital gauge cluster, and more safety tech features like adaptive cruise control (with stop and go), Safe Exit Assist, and the Highway Driving Assist semi-autonomous driving system. It's also available with Plum seats, a unique touch.
Don't miss: Car quality is slipping: These are the brands with the most and least complaints, study finds
There are two engines available under the hood of the Kia Seltos. Most trims are powered by a 2.0-liter inline-4 producing 146 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. The Nightfall Edition and SX Turbo models use a more robust 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-4 rated at 175 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. The base engine uses a CVT (continuously variable transmission), and the turbo engine uses a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.
All-wheel drive is standard in most trims, but the S trim gives you a choice of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The S FWD model is the most fuel-efficient version of the Seltos. The turbo engine comes with a slight fuel economy penalty compared to the base engine with AWD, but every Seltos is pretty good on gas.
2.0-liter inline-4 (LX, S, EX)146 horsepower @ 6,200 rpm132 lb-ft of torque @ 4,500 rpmEPA city/highway fuel economy: 29/35 mpg (FWD), 27/31 mpg (AWD)
1.6-liter turbocharged inline-4 (Nightfall Edition, SX Turbo)175 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm195 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500-4,500 rpmEPA city/highway fuel economy: 25/30 mpg
This story originally ran on KBB.com.
Dow Jones Newswires: Glencore to pay $4.5 billion top-up shareholder returns after 1H profit soared
Alibaba Stock Jumps on Earnings Beat. The Tech Giant Saw a Recovery in June.


Social networking, file sharing, information search, shopping, banking, are must in today's life. The web browser is among the tool that helps to turn the thing into reality. There are a lot of browsers you can use to search for, reach and explore websites for your Mac. Here below listed is a review of the top five best browsers for Mac with their distinctive features, to help the user to select one according to his particular needs.
The Safari is decent software developed by Apple and is based on the WebKit engine browser for Mac and other Apple Products. Safari's tools include the useful Safari Reader, for distraction-free reading and new Safari contains several extensions, such as 1Password, Save to Pocket and DuckDuckGo.
It is a default browser that has been made available on Apple's devices with built-in functionality to share email, Message, Twitter and Facebook since 2004 together with the Mac OS x Panther, and in its mobile version for iOS since 2007.
Furthermore, Safari is free, faster and more energy efficient than other browsers which have modern security and privacy features, so sites used in this browser are more reliable and also, battery lasts longer in terms of charge.
Developed by Google, Chrome browser for Mac has been gaining its popularity since its release. Google Chrome is an outstanding web browser which is fast, secure and free, running on multiple platforms and uses the Blink engine written in C++ and the majority of its source code is available through the open-source project Chromium.
It has a feature of instant search capabilities, allows the synchronization of bookmarks, settings, and history in devices through a Google Account. And also, gives a user the choice to use the Privacy Mode, which doesn't allow browser from permanently storing browsing history or cookies.
Moreover, it has all of the modern features including extensions, apps and also it integrates directly with Google's apps such as Google Drive, Calendar, Gmail, and others. With all new ideas and features, Google Chrome still considered better than Safari.
Opera Browser is considered an excellent and oldest web browser for Mac developed by Opera Software for regularly work, research or surf the internet. Opera browser has been evolved over the years as a free safe and secure browser and is now available in 42 languages for Windows, OS X, and Linux with more than 350 million users all around the world.
Opera's address bar acts a search bar where users don't have to navigate to a search engine to make a query. Opera also uses voice commands to search and navigate the web and takes you to a list of Google search results.
It has features which include a download manager, pop-up blocking, private browsing, tabbed browsing, a bookmarks bar and many more. It allows the user to download pages and show them in thumbnail form with a speed-up dial. It also has a unique feature such as a turbo mode which compresses web pages before sending them to reduce waiting time.
Firefox is regarded as one of the best web browsers for Mac OS with almost all of the most desirable features which is a free and open source developed by Mozilla Foundation. It has been available since 2002 with many versions for all Windows, OS X, Linux, Android, and iOS.
Firefox uses Yahoo! Search as the default search engine which allows you to access a Google search box with a list of shortcuts to access your downloads, histories, synchronization, and settings. It has features such as tabbed browsing, spell checking, incremental find, live bookmarking, a download manager and private browsing. It also has a capacity to add new themes for more personalized use.
Maxthon is a basic web browser that is compatible with every operating system running smoothly including iOS and Android. Maxathon is independent of operating systems which doesn't let you fill the information on websites you for the next time again as it automatically saves the information for you. Maxathon installs quickly in an operating system and has fast click through speed when navigating between sites which is a good sign of its overall performance.
It has features which include tabbed browsing and bookmarks and also has its own tools and features which is a plus point in consideration to other browsers.
So, these were the Best Browsers for Mac. If you think few other Mac best browsers are missing here, you may recommend us to add or crate new post for you in the future.


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Hamlin Takes Controversial Win At Talladega
Chris Graythen/Getty Images
TALLADEGA, AL (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin captured the checkered flag in overtime at Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Hamlin narrowly beat Wood Brothers Racing's Matt DiBenedetto by 0.086-seconds to win his 44th career win, which ties him with NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott for 18th on the all-time Cup Series win list.
"We just played the strategy and the numbers game to run in the back until we were locked in," said Hamlin. "This one is unexpected to say the least, but proud of this whole FedEx team, Toyota and everyone at JGR for bringing great race cars."
The victory did not come without some controversy. Hamlin drove below the double yellow line in turn 4 passing both the No. 24 of William Byron and the No. 21 of DiBenedetto in the process.
NASCAR reviewed the finish and declared Hamlin the winner but five minutes later penalized DiBenedetto for forcing Byron below the yellow line. DiBenedetto went from finishing 2nd to 21st. The series also penalized the No. 9 of Chase Elliott for going below the double yellow line.
An hour after the initial review and subsequent penalties, NASCAR rescinded the penalty to Elliott and penalized the No. 17 of Chris Buescher for forcing the No. 9 below the line. The penalty dropped Buescher from 6th to 22nd. Elliott was credited with a 5th place finish.
Ten minutes later NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Scott Miller explained the sanctioning body's position.
"It was pretty clear-cut," said Miller. "The 21 (DiBenedetto) hung a left, drove those guys (Byron and Hamlin) below the line. We called that twice on the 22 (Joey Logano) car during the race, so nothing different there. On the 24 (Byron) and the 11 (Hamlin) being down there, I mean, in our judgement there were down there to avoid a wreck."
I don't have many words…just a tough week and that's at the top of the heartbreak list. Our time will come. Thank you all so much for the support ❤
— Matt DiBenedetto (@mattdracing) October 5, 2020
The revised Top-10 finishers were as follows:
Brennan Poole
Ryan Preece
The next race for the NASCAR Cup Series is the Bank of America ROVAL 400 on Sunday, October 11, 2020 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It is the final race in the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Playoffs.
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AVONDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 08: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, celebrates with his parents Cindy Elliott and NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Season Finale 500 and the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on November 08, 2020 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
AVONDALE, AZ (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Chase Elliott knew he wanted to be a race car driver when he was growing up and on Sunday he followed in his Hall of Fame father Bill's footsteps by winning the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Championship.
Elliott passed Joey Logano for the lead on lap 270 and powered to victory in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway to fulfill a lifelong dream.
"I'm not sure I could have sat down and drawn it up any better, you know?," said Elliott. "So for me, it's unbelievable. It's something that I'm not sure — well, I know I haven't let it sink in yet."
Elliott, 24, started racing go-karts as a kid and slowly moved up the short track ranks when NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick signed him to a driver development deal at the age of 14.
"Just so grateful for the opportunities and the things I've had over the years, great people," said Elliott. "My mom (Cindy) and dad (Bill) and their support obviously has been from the beginning. Mr. Hendrick came in and really changed my life when he wanted to help. Not to sound like a NASCAR driver, but NAPA Auto Parts, too, coming in when they did. 2014 wouldn't have happened without them and the championship that came that season. And man, they've been a champion partner for years. Now they have a championship to go with it."
Elliott and his father Bill are just the third father-son duo to win NASCAR Championships, joining Lee and Richard Petty and Ned and Dale Jarrett.
"You know, heck, this is as big as it gets," said Elliott. "I mean, my goodness. I mean, a champion in the Cup Series? Are you kidding me? It's nuts. It's absolutely nuts."
Elliott's championship came on the same day that 7-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson ran his last race, signaling a changing of the guard at Hendrick Motorsports.
"Certainly appreciate his support," said Elliott. "He's been a great support system this week. I've talked to him multiple times. He's reached out on a couple occasions, which is very cool. Very thankful. He's a hero of mine. I think he'll go down as the greatest to ever do this."
Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images
AVONDALE, AZ (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Austin Cindric passed Justin Allgaier on the final lap of NASCAR overtime to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series Desert Dimond Casino West Valley 200 at Phoenix Raceway and capture the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.
The victory was Cindric's sixth of the season and his first in six starts at the one-mile Arizona speedway and his 100th NASCAR Xfinity Series start.
"This was an amazing effort by Brian Wilson and everybody back at the shop," said Cindric. "There was a lot of work put into this Ford Mustang. I've got to thank Roger Penske and everyone from Team Penske plus the Menards family who put so much support into racing itself. It's awesome to get them a championship in NASCAR, to be a champion in NASCAR, and do it in front of all these great people cheering us on at championship weekend. Thanks to Ford Performance, Doug Yates, and everybody at Roush Yates Engines. I'm speechless. I'm pretty humbled by the effort for sure."
Allgaier took the final green flag from the outside of the front row with Cindric behind him and Ross Chastain on the inside. Allgaier's teammate Noah Gragson was inside of Cindric. Allgaier cleared Chastain with Cindric in tow coming off turn four. Gragson was on the inside of Cindric and could have helped his teammate but elected to dive low heading into turn one. That gave Cindric room to get around Allgaier, who was helpless to hold him off.
"I'm disappointed; this racetrack for me lost a lot when we put PJ1 down, and I felt like if we had been able to run the bottom like normal and not run stuck in that high groove, I felt like we definitely would have had the best car," said Allgaier. "So I'm disappointed in that, but at the end of the race today we were on old tires. I knew it was going to be sketchy at best. To be honest with you, to finish the race, it actually really surprises me that we were that close. Austin got that pass and ran through the middle of 3 and 4, and my teammate did a great job of trying to pull up and obviously race for the win. That's what he needed to do. He needed to end the season strong. But I thought if he could have just got up a little bit in front of the 22 and been able to block that run, we may have had a little bit more of a shot, but it just wasn't meant to be."
Gragson finished second followed by Brandon Jones. Michael Annett finished fourth followed by Allgaier.
AVONDALE, AZ (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – NASCAR's Championship 4 Weekend gets started Friday night with the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series title fight.
Four drivers (Sheldon Creed, Grant Enfinger, Brett Moffitt and Zane Smith) are eligible for the Championship in the Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway.
Sheldon Creed (No. 2 GMS Racing Chevrolet):
Creed is tied for the series lead with 4-wins this season. Creed also has 8 top-five and 12 top-ten finishes. Creed also has a series-high 11 stage wins. Creed locked himself into the Championship 4 with a victory at Texas Motor Speedway two weekends ago. Creed has two NGOTS starts at Phoenix with a tenth place finish in 2018 and a 12th place finish in 2019 where he led 16-laps.
Grant Enfinger (No. 98 ThorSport Racing Ford):
Enfinger is tied with Creed for the series lead with 4-wins in 2020. Enfinger also posted 8 top-five and 13 top-ten finishes this season to go along with a stage win. Enfinger locked himself into the Championship 4 with a win last week at Martinsville Speedway. In three NGOTS starts at Phoenix Raceway, Enfinger has two top-five finishes (4th 2018; 5th 2019) and has led 10-laps (2018).
Brett Moffitt (No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet):
Moffitt has one win in 2020 (Kansas Speedway). Moffitt has also posted 10 top-fives, and 15 top-tens, 2nd best in each category for the series. Moffitt is looking to become just the fifth driver in series history to win multiple NGOTS championships, joining NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. (1996, 1998, 2007, 2009), Matt Crafton (2013, 2014, 2019), Jack Sprague (1997, 1999, 2001) and Todd Bodine (2006, 2010). Moffitt has two series starts at Phoenix posting a win in 2018 en route to his championship and a 10th place finish in 2019.
Zane Smith (No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet):
Smith is looking to become just the second rookie to win the championship joining Erik Jones, who accomplished that feat in 2015. Smith captured two wins, 6 top-fives and 12 top-tens in 2020. Smith will be making his NGOTS debut this weekend at Phoenix.
The race starts at 8 p.m. ET on Friday. Television coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on FS1. The race can be heard on Motor Racing Network affiliates and on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.


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Anamorphic lenses have been the domain of high-end cinema for a long time. They were a way to get around the limitations of relatively narrow film to shoot widescreen (and wider) footage. As digital sensors have typically taken on the traditional 4:3 and 3:2 aspect ratios of film (yes, there are a few 16:9 ones out there), anamorphic lenses have become favourites with digital, too.
But anamorphic lenses are expensive. Crazy expensive. It seems, though, that more affordable solutions may be on the horizon from Samyang/Rokinon. Backed by the Korean Film Council, it seems that Samyang already has at least a working prototype, according to these photos.
The budget-friendly Samyang has yet to make an official announcement of their own, but the Korean Film Council initially mentioned the idea of Samyang anamorphic lenses back in December.
LEE Joon-dong, acting chairman of KOFIC, announced the results of several KOFIC supported projects to the approximately 100 industry professionals in attendance. Technological advancements that were presented include DMLITE's 'LUMOS Glow Panel 400C' as well as a new high quality anamorphic lens created by Samyang Optics that comes at a price that is 50% lower than similar products offered by foreign competitors.
"At a price that is 50% lower than similar products" is quite vague. Whether that means half the price of Cooke or half the price of SLR Magic remains to be seen. But the T1.4 aperture shown in the image above appears very optimistic. By all accounts, anamorphic lenses tend not to perform so well at such large apertures, with Cooke's $30K lenses maxing out at T2.3.
Price aside, though, it seems that Samyang has been working away on their anamorphic cinema lenses, as a new post shows. And it looks like they may be full frame anamorphic lenses, too. One report suggests that the camera it's currently being tested on is a Sony Venice. I don't know enough about the Venice to be able to confirm, but I do know it's a full frame cinema camera.
There's no word yet on whether these would become part of Samyang's line of Xeen cinema lenses, or something entirely new. Nor, obviously, are there any details about exactly which focal lengths they are pursuing (although a 50mm looks a safe bet) or the mount types. And, definitely no word on price or availability.


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Media under attack
Jammu and Kashmir: Shujaat Bukhari, editor of 'Rising Kashmir', shot dead in Srinagar
Bukhari, the editor of a local daily, is said to have received multiple bullets in the head and abdomen.
Jun 14, 2018 · 07:47 pm Updated Sep 28, 2020 · 09:24 pm
Shujaat Bukhari/Twitter
Suspected militants on Thursday shot dead Shujaat Bukhari, editor of the Rising Kashmir daily, in Press Colony of Srinagar, ANI reported. A personal safety officer guarding him was also killed, while another was injured.
Bukhari had been taken to hospital after the attack, NDTV reported. The journalist is said to have received multiple bullets in the head and abdomen, according to Free Press Kashmir
Bukhari was given police protection after an attack on him in 2000.
Reactions from journalists and politicians
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed her shock at the murder. "The scourge of terror has reared its ugly head on Eid," she tweeted. "I strongly condemn this act of mindless violence."
Shocked & deeply saddened by the sudden demise of Shujaat Bukhari. The scourge of terror has reared its ugly head on the eve of Eid. I strongly condemn this act of mindless violence & pray for his soul to rest in peace. My deepest condolences to his family.
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) June 14, 2018
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh described Bukhari's killing as an "act of cowardice", and "an attempt to silence the saner voices of Kashmir", ANI reported.
Killing of Rising Kashmir editor Shujaat Bukhari is act of cowardice. It is an attempt to silence the saner voices of Kashmir. He was a courageous and fearless journalist. Extremely shocked & pained. My thoughts and prayers are with his bereaved family:HM Rajnath Singh (file pic) pic.twitter.com/wZJx1IvFBp
— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2018
Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed his shock at the attack and shared a snapshot of their last text conversation. "I cannot believe the mulaqat [meeting] we were going to fix will never take place now. Life is just too uncertain and often too unkind," Abdullah tweeted.
My last DM exchange with #ShujaatBukhari. I can't believe the mulaqat we were going to fix will never take place now. Life is just too uncertain & often too unkind. pic.twitter.com/8yED2iZKzl
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) June 14, 2018
Congress President Rahul Gandhi paid his condolences to Bukhari's family. "I am anguished to hear about the killing of Shujaat Bukhari, editor of Rising Kashmir," Gandhi tweeted.
I'm anguished to hear about the killing of Shujaat Bukhari, editor of @RisingKashmir. He was a brave heart who fought fearlessly for justice and peace in Jammu & Kashmir. My condolences to his family. He will be missed.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 14, 2018
The Editors Guild of India also condemned the attack on Bukhari. "The Editors Guild of India unequivocally condemns the assassination of Rising Kashmir Editor Shujaat Bukhari," the guild tweeted. "This is a grave attack on press freedom and democratic voices."
Attacks on journalists
There have been a number of attacks on journalists in India in the recent past. In April, unidentified gunmen shot journalist Anuj Chaudhary, who works with Hindi news channel Sahara Samay. But, he survived the attack.
Journalist Sandeep Sharma, who was investigating illegal sand mining cases in Madhya Pradesh, was killed after being run over by a truck in Bhind district the same month.
Shujaat Bukhari
attack on journalists
Rising Kashmir
NHRC issues notice to Uttar Pradesh government over death of journalist who exposed sand mafia