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Buying guide: Find the best iPad keyboard
By Dan Frakes
For serious typing sessions—or if you just can't get the hang of the iPad's onscreen keyboard—an external keyboard offers the tactile advantages of real keys without sacrificing the iPad's portability and touchscreen features.
The iPad supports almost any Bluetooth keyboard, but there are many, many keyboards on the market that are specifically made for use with the iPad. These tend to be designed for portability, and they usually include iOS-specific special-function keys for adjusting volume and screen brightness, controlling media playback, opening iOS's Spotlight-search screen, going to the Home screen, and more. Some even offer dedicated cut, copy, and paste buttons. Most iPad keyboards are integrated into some sort of protective case, although a good number are stand-alone models. Regardless of the design, most include rechargeable batteries that last for weeks or months on a charge.
How do you choose the right one? I've tested scores of keyboards, for all iPad models. The result of all that testing is this buying guide, which includes both general shopping advice and specific recommendations. Read on to find the perfect keyboard for you.
Things to consider when shopping
Before I get into the different types of iPad keyboards, and recommended models, here are a few things to think about when shopping.
Always on or removable? If you frequently need a physical keyboard when using your iPad, you'll appreciate the convenience of a keyboard built into a case, as the keyboard will always be with you. If, however, you use an external keyboard infrequently—or you just like to use the iPad unencumbered for non-typing tasks—you may find a bulky, folio-style keyboard case to be a hassle, as it can be difficult to remove. Keyboard shells, described below, are a nice compromise, and stand-alone keyboards offer the most flexibility.
Portability versus usability: With the exception of stand-alone models, iPad keyboards involve usability trade-offs. The thinner the keyboard, the thinner the case, but the worse the feel of the keys. The smaller the keyboard, the more portable it is, but the more crowded the keys are, or the more you'll find keys that are the wrong size or in the wrong locations. Stand-alone keyboards, on the other hand, tend to be larger, and they aren't as all-in-one convenient, but they generally offer standard key feel and size, a standard key layout, and a typing experience closer to that of a desktop keyboard. You'll need to decide which trade-offs you're willing to make in the name of portability—especially if you're a touch typist—and check for these trade-offs when shopping. A literal hands-on test is immensely valuable if you can get one; otherwise, be sure the store or website you're buying from offers a good return policy.
iPad keyboards are exercises in compromise. You need to decide which compromises are best for you.
The typing experience: While plenty of iPad keyboards offer interesting features, an attractive design, or a small footprint, they vary widely when it comes to typing. When making specific recommendations, I place a heavy emphasis on the typing experience: If a keyboard doesn't dramatically improve typing compared to the iPad's on-screen keyboard, I don't recommend it. Similarly, my recommendations are somewhat biased toward touch-typists, so a keyboard that's especially cramped or that organizes keys in a nonstandard layout has to be otherwise very impressive to get my recommendation. (There's likely a good amount of overlap between touch-typists and people who want a physical keyboard, so I'm fairly confident that mine is the right approach.)
Which iPad do you have? Not too long ago, it was easy to figure out which keyboard case would fit your iPad: If you had an original iPad, you needed an older accessory designed specifically for that model; otherwise, you needed a newer keyboard case that fit the second-, third-, or fourth-generation iPad. (The iPad 2, 3, and 4, as I'll call them here, vary slightly in thickness, but if a keyboard case fits one of these models, it usually fits the others, as well.)
These days, you can still find a few keyboard cases for the original iPad, but most are for either the iPad 2/3/4, the iPad Air, or the iPad mini. If you're shopping for a keyboard case—rather than a stand-alone keyboard that works with any iPad—be sure to get the right one for your iPad. To help you out, I've noted in my recommendations which keyboard cases fit which full-size iPads; if you're looking for a keyboard for the iPad mini, I've included a separate section for the mini at the end of this guide.
Just your type With all that out of the way, read on for details on the main types of iPad keyboards (and related accessories) available, along with my recommendations for a few of the best in each category.
Folio-case-style keyboards
Easily the most common type, these keyboards are integrated into a full-body, folio-style iPad case that protects your iPad all over. The all-in-one design of folio keyboards is convenient, and most make it easy to type on your lap—no desk or table required. In the past, most of these models used a leather (or leather-like) folio case, but more and more are using plastic shells to reduce size and weight. These models, along with keyboard shells (below), also tend to include the thinnest keyboards.
Folio keyboards have a few drawbacks that can affect usability and comfort. For starters, the actual keyboards tend to be cramped and have small, poor-quality keys, sometimes using odd layouts. Many also limit the iPad to a single propped-up angle and landscape orientation—even though portrait orientation is often better when you're typing traditional documents. It can be a hassle to remove the iPad from the case, which means you end up carrying the keyboard when you don't need it—yet it can also be inconvenient to use your iPad as a tablet while it's in the case. (On some, you flip the keyboard behind the iPad, making for a tablet-ish, though bulky, package.) My recommended models do have smaller-than-standard keyboards, but they otherwise make solid attempts to avoid these flaws. They also all support the iPad's magnetic sleep/wake feature.
Zagg's ProFolio+
Recommendations: Zagg's $130 ProFolio+ (iPad 2, 3, 4) is pricey and supports only a single (rather steep) iPad angle. But its keyboard is easy to type on and not too cramped, and it even sports backlit keys, allowing you to choose the brightness level and cycle through 14 backlight colors. The ProFolio+ case offers excellent all-over protection thanks to a sturdy back cover; it's easy to remove your iPad from the case; and the ProFolio+ is among the thinnest folio-style keyboards on the market for older iPads. (The $100 ProFolio loses the backlit keys but is otherwise identical. Each model is available in multiple colors.)
Logitech's Ultrathin Keyboard Folio for iPad Air
In terms of traditional "looks like a leather folio" keyboard cases, the best ones I've seen are Logitech's $100 Ultrathin Keyboard Folio for iPad Air (iPad Air) and $100 Keyboard Folio for iPad (iPad 2, 3, 4). The keyboards of the two models are essentially identical. The keys have great tactile response, they're larger than those on most folio keyboards, and they're spaced normally. Logitech accomplishes this feat by making a few symbol keys on the right—[ ] \ ; and '—half-width, and by converting the Tab and Caps Lock keys into fn-key-activated overlays of the Q and A keys, respectively. If you use either Tab or Caps Lock frequently, this arrangement may not be for you, but I suspect that most people will be willing to give up one-touch access to these functions in favor of full-size-keyboard feel. You also get the usual array of iOS special-function keys, accessible as fn-key overlays of the top row of numbers and symbols, as well as text-selection keys as overlays of the arrow keys. I have just two minor complaints about the keyboard: The keys are slightly convex, instead of concave, and the aforementioned Tab/Caps Lock trick shifts the entire keyboard slightly to the left, so your hands aren't centered on the iPad's screen. But you get used to both oddities fairly quickly.
Logitech's Keyboard Folio for iPad
The main differences between the Ultrathin Keyboard Folio for iPad Air and the Keyboard Folio for iPad, besides which iPad models each fits, have to do with the folio itself. Both look nice and include a special fold in the cover that lets you slide your iPad over the keyboard for use as a standard (though thick) tablet. However, the original Keyboard Folio for iPad uses a thick internal frame, has a nylon covering, and is roughly one inch thick, while the Ultrathin Keyboard Folio for iPad Air is considerably thinner (both because the iPad Air is thinner that older models and because the case itself uses a thinner design), has a thinner frame, and is covered in your choice of a similar nylon or a rubbery "PU leather."
Belkin's Qode Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air
Honorable mentions: Many other models in this category are simply bulky leather or faux-leather folios with a disappointing keyboard tacked onto the inside of the case. However, a few products get my limited recommendation.
Belkin's $129 Qode Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air (iPad Air) and $100 Qode Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad (iPad 2, 3, 4) are worth a look, especially for non-touch-typists. (The models differ slightly, but they're basically minor variations on the same product.) First, the bad things: The keyboard is more cramped than those of the recommended models above; Belkin has overlaid the special-function keys with the number keys in the top row (you access the former using the fn key); and a few keys are in non-standard locations that will drive touch-typists crazy. But the keyboard itself is otherwise pretty good; the case offers three different screen angles and a thin, rigid shell that provides good protection; and you can flip the keyboard behind the iPad for traditional tablet use—the keyboard automatically turns off when your iPad isn't propped up. Best of all, the iPad Air version is just over half an inch thick when closed, and the keyboard and iPad Air together weigh under two pounds.
Kensington's KeyFolio Exact Thin Folio with Keyboard for iPad Air
Kensington's KeyFolio Exact line is worth a recommendation because of the keyboard the KeyFolio Exact models share. Though the keys are a bit small, and they don't feel quite as nice as those on the recommended models above (for example, I found that I had to press keys a bit more firmly than on those keyboards), the keys offer good tactile feedback, the key layout is standard, and the keyboard is overall nice to touch-type on. You get a dedicated row of iOS special-function keys, and you also get a couple keys for quickly selecting text. My only major complaint about this keyboard is that there's a raised frame at the front, just below the Spacebar and modifier keys, that's slightly taller than the keys. At times, I "pressed" this frame when I meant to press a modifier key.
Of the KeyFolio Exact offerings, my favorite is the $110 KeyFolio Exact Thin Folio with Keyboard for iPad Air. (The $130 KeyFolio Exact Plus Thin Folio with Keyboard for iPad Air is the same product but with a backlit keyboard.) The overall package is thin, though it's quite deep, front edge to back: 8.2 inches when closed, and 9.5 inches when open with your iPad propped up. In return for this added depth, you get multiple screen angles and a built-in stylus holder, and you can remove the keyboard itself from the folio for a more-ergonomic typing arrangement. It's not the most-attractive keyboard folio—for example, there are some flaps of extra material that will surely show wear and tear over time—but it's versatile.
Kensington's KeyFolio Thin X3 for iPad Air
Kensington's $100 KeyFolio Thin X3 for iPad Air (iPad Air) isn't part of the Exact line, but it's still worth a look. Though its keyboard isn't quite as good as that on the KeyFolio Exact models—the keys are thinner and don't offer the same tactile feedback—it uses the same standard layout with a dedicated special-function-key row. (It also omits the Exact line's raised frame, which is a minor improvement.) Like many recent folio-style keyboard cases, the Thin X3 uses a plastic shell for the iPad, rather than a traditional leather cover, and offers a single propped-up angle, but when closed, the entire package is quite thin and light. The Thin X3's case includes the capability to flip the iPad over the keyboard for tablet-mode use; the keyboard automatically turns off when your iPad isn't propped up for typing. But what makes the Thin X3 worth including here is that its 1650-mAh battery can be used to charge your phone, at full 1-Amp speed, as long as the X3's battery has enough juice left. (You use the included USB adapter along with your phone's own charge/sync cable.) Kensington says that a fully charged Thin X3 battery should give a depleted-battery iPhone 5 or 5s nearly a full charge. It's a really nice feature that I appreciated more than I expected I would.
Latest update: Added Kensington's KeyFolio Thin X3; updated prices on Kensington KeyFolio Exact models; updated names of Zagg models. Previous update: Added Logitech's Ultrathin Keyboard Folio for iPad Air, Belkin's Qode Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air and Kensington's KeyFolio Exact Thin Folio with Keyboard for iPad Air; updated prices; removed Zagg ZaggFolio for iPad 2 and Logitech Solar Keyboard Folio, which have been discontinued.
Clamshell (laptop-case) keyboards
These models essentially turn your iPad into a laptop: The iPad acts as the laptop screen, while the keyboard and its surrounding enclosure, attached by some sort of hinge, play the role of the laptop base, often complete with palmrests. The downsides to most clamshell keyboard cases are that they tend to add a good amount of weight and bulk to your iPad; they usually make it difficult to use your iPad as a tablet (i.e., sans keyboard) when you're not typing; and they use smaller-than-normal keys in a cramped layout. But the quality of the keys is often a step up from that of the average folio-case keyboard; the laptop-style design works well for typing on your lap; and most offer a good range of screen angles. Like folio-style models, most clamshells hold the iPad in landscape orientation, though you may find ones that let you prop the tablet up in portrait orientation.
ClamCase's ClamCase Pro for iPad Air
Recommendations: ClamCase is perhaps the best-known vendor of clamshell keyboard cases, and for good reason: The $169 ClamCase Pro for iPad Air (iPad Air) and $169 ClamCase Pro (iPad 2, 3, 4) are great combinations of clever design, solid iPad protection, and a very good (if slightly cramped) keyboard. The well-built clamshell encloses your iPad in an attractive, aluminum-and-plastic case that looks and functions almost exactly like a laptop—so much so that while testing it, I often reached for a palmrest trackpad that doesn't exist. But the ClamCase Pro is also flexible: Flip the keyboard/base around toward the back, and the solid hinge makes a great stand for watching video; or rotate the base and fold it flat against the back of the iPad to turn the entire package into a thick tablet. (On the iPad Air version, the keyboard even automatically turns off when you flip it back.)
The ClamCase Pro's keyboard itself is one of the best I've seen in a keyboard case. It's a bit cramped, and the modifier keys are on the small side; but all the keys are in the correct place, it's got a nice array of dedicated special-function keys (including Cut, Copy, and Paste), and there's little here that will frustrate a touch-typist. The iPad Air version is, of course, smaller, thinner, and lighter (two pounds, four ounces including your iPad, compared to three pounds for the version for the iPad 2/3/4), but both models use the same overall design and an identical keyboard. The only real difference I found is that the iPad Air version's hinge isn't quite as stiff as that on the "older" version. Overall, the ClamCase Pro models offer one of the best on-your-lap typing experiences of the iPad keyboard cases I've tested.
ClamCase's $149 standard ClamCase—available in black, white, or black-and-white, with specific versions for each iPad generation—is bulkier than the ClamCase Pro, uses an all-plastic case, and has keys that aren't as good. But it's still a decent option if you insist on a clamshell model, or if you have an older iPad.
Zagg's Folio Keyboard Case for Apple iPad Air
Despite the word "folio" in its name, Zagg's $100 Folio Keyboard Case for Apple iPad Air (formerly called ZaggKeys Folio with Backlit Keyboard) is really a clamshell case, as it uses a rigid iPad back shell connected to the keyboard base by a stiff hinge. But unlike most clamshell cases, the Folio does your iPad Air justice by keeping things thin: The closed Folio is just 0.7 inch thick, and the whole package—iPad Air and Folio—weighs just 2.3 pounds. The Folio's excellent keyboard, like that on the ProFolio+, above, is easy to type on and offers backlit keys. The overall design makes it easy to use the Folio on your lap; however, the hinge design makes it a challenge to access the iOS Control Center feature, since the bottom edge of the iPad's screen is so close to the hinge. The shell covering your iPad has nifty channels that redirect your iPad's audio toward you; and both the top and bottom of the case offer a nice, grippy texture. Like the ClamCase Pro, this one offers a very good on-your-lap experience, though at a much lower price.
Zagg's Cover for Apple iPad Air
If you want even less bulk, Zagg's $100 Cover for Apple iPad Air (formerly called ZaggKeys Cover for iPad Air) is essentially an iPad Air version of the company's older ZaggKeys Cover for iPad mini. Like the Brydge, below, the Cover for iPad Air forgoes a protective iPad cover or shell in order to give you an extremely thin clamshell-keyboard design. Instead of such a cover, the back edge of the keyboard base hosts a wide, sturdy hinge with a slot for the edge of your iPad Air. Slip your iPad into that slot—it takes a bit of force to insert or remove—and your bare iPad serves as the "laptop" screen and top case, folding flat against the base to cover the screen for transit. The Cover's keyboard is excellent—it's the standard model used on all recent Zagg keyboard cases, including the Folio, above—and conveniently backlit. The Cover adds only a quarter of an inch of thickness and under a pound of weight to your iPad, and the hinge is sturdy and adjustable, making this another great lap-typing option. My biggest beef is that the hinge, like the one the Folio, makes it difficult to access iOS's Control Center.
(I'm currently awaiting our review unit of Zagg's new Rugged Folio, which combines the Cover's design with rugged, all-over protection.)
Brydge's Brydge+ with Speakers
Honorable mentions: Brydge's Brydge+ with Speakers ($99 for aluminum; $79 for black polycarbonate composite; iPad 2, 3, 4), like Zagg's Cover, above, uses your iPad as the top of the clamshell. Instead of the Zagg Cover's single wide hinge, however, the Brydge+'s base sports two narrow-but-still-sturdy hinges. You slip your iPad into these silicone-lined hinges, and they grab the tablet firmly enough that the keyboard won't detach without some firm tugging. The Brydge+ also includes a pair of tinny-but-decent Bluetooth speakers to give you louder audio. (The company offers an $89 aluminum model that omits the Bluetooth speakers.) The Brydge+ is a well-made and impressively designed accessory—especially the aluminum version—but there's a caveat for touch-typists: Though the keys are nice to type on, they're slightly cramped, and the layout wedges the up-arrow key between the right-hand slash (/) and Shift keys. In my testing, I regularly pressed the up-arrow key, thus moving the cursor to the previous line, when I meant to press Shift. I could never get past this odd layout.
Brydge recently announced the $199 BrydgeAir for iPad Air. I'm awaiting a review unit, and I'll update this section once I've had a chance to test the new model.
New Trent's Airbender Pro
New Trent's $40 Airbender 1.0 Keyboard Case (iPad 2, 3, 4), $40 Airbender 2.0 Keyboard Case (iPad Air), and $75 Airbender Pro (iPad Air) are all variations on a theme. Each has a keyboard that's a tad more cramped than those of the Brydge+ and ClamCase models, and the keys feel just okay, but the Airbender models offer some unique and welcome features. After lifting the "screen," you can rotate the iPad into portrait orientation—in fact, it's the preferred orientation, as the hinge/stand isn't as sturdy in landscape orientation. In addition, the hinge/stand can detach from the keyboard, letting you create a more ergonomic typing station by placing your iPad and the keyboard at different levels. And if you want to use the iPad on its own, a quick-release latch on the stand lets you detach the iPad, still clad in the Airbender's protective top case. The 1.0 and 2.0 use a thin, hardshell top case; the Pro uses a rugged, dual-layer top case with a protective screen cover that even covers the iPad's buttons and ports. If the keys were better, one of the Airbender models might be my keyboard case of choice thanks to the unique versatility. (The company has also released the $30 Airbender Air for the iPad Air, a thinner but less-protective model that has the added feature of letting you fold the iPad over the keyboard for easier tablet use. I haven't yet tested this one.)
Latest update: Replaced the original New Trent Airbender with the newer Airbender 1.0, 2.0, and Pro models; updated Zagg product names; updated price and options for Brydge+. Previous update: Added Zagg's ZaggKeys Folio with Backlit Keyboard for iPad Air and ZaggKeys Cover for iPad Air; updated prices; added info about New Trent's new models for the iPad Air.
Keyboard shells
These models are the thinnest and lightest of the keyboard cases. They integrate a thin keyboard into a rigid shell that protects the front (screen) of the iPad in transit. When you're ready to type, you pop the iPad out of, or pull it away from, the shell; stick it in a prop-up slot above the keyboard; and start typing. Most keyboard shells offer only a single angle for your iPad, though they often let you use your iPad in your choice of portrait or landscape orientation. Keyboard shells can be used on your lap if you're careful, but they're usually less stable on your lap than folios and clamshells, especially if your iPad is positioned in portrait orientation. Some keyboard shells, but not all, can be used in tandem with Apple's Smart Cover.
As with clamshell-case models, the keyboards here tend to be a bit cramped, and the keys are usually smaller than normal. The models I've recommended are nevertheless quite usable, and despite their super-thin profiles, they have keys that feel nice when typing.
Logitech's Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad Air
Recommendations: Logitech's $100 Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad (iPad 2, 3, 4), $100 Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad Air (iPad Air), and $100 Ultrathin Magnetic Clip-on Keyboard Cover (iPad Air)—all variations on the same design—are personal favorites thanks to a clever design, a thin profile, light weight, very good keys, and a standard key layout that's the least cramped I've found in a keyboard shell. Instead of gripping the edges of your iPad, each Ultrathin Keyboard Cover uses a hinge that attaches magnetically to the edge of the tablet; the keyboard then closes against your iPad's screen (again, sticking magnetically) to protect the screen during transit. When you're ready to type, you just flip the keyboard away from the screen, give it a gentle tug to detach the hinge, and then prop your iPad in the slot above the keys. Combine an Ultrathin with a Smart Cover-compatible back shell, and your iPad is completely protected in transit. Though there are many copycat products out there these days, the Logitech models are still the best overall, in my opinion.
The original and iPad Air versions of the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover are very similar to each other, though the one for the iPad Air is, of course, a bit smaller. Each uses a hinge that looks like, and functions identically to, the hinge on Apple's Smart Cover. The Air model includes a few tweaks to its keys compared to the original: It removes the right-hand Command and Option keys in favor of a language key; it gains Previous and Next media-playback keys; it adds special-function keys for Siri and iOS's multitasking screen; and it loses the Spotlight-search key. A few keys are also narrower than on the original version, but instead of fingerprint-magnet glossy black, the area above the keyboard has a nicer matte finish on the Air version.
Logitech's Ultrathin Magnetic Clip-on Keyboard Cover
The very latest model, the Ultrathin Magnetic Clip-on Keyboard Cover, is even thinner, yet it manages to make the actual keys slightly larger, and it even gives you a separate special-function-key row instead of overlaying those functions on the number keys. The newest version's keys aren't quite as nice to type on as the ones on the earlier two models, but they're still very good for this type of keyboard, and their larger size makes up for much of that difference in feel. You also now get a right-hand ctrl key, a dedicated Spotlight-search key, and a dedicated screenshot key. The other big changes are to the hinge and iPad slot. Instead of the Smart Cover-like hinge found on the earlier models, the Magnetic Clip-on Keyboard Cover features a hinge that collapses into the body of the cover when you're using the keyboard; you extend the hinge by carefully sliding your iPad, flat against the cover, toward the hinge until the iPad's own magnets cause the hinge to pop up. This new design looks nice, but in practice it's a bit too fiddly for my tastes. On the other hand, the slot on the new model also features its own stiff hinge, so you can tilt your iPad back as much as 30 additional degrees, allowing for much nicer screen angles when typing (at least when your iPad is in landscape orientation—the additional lean makes a portrait-orientation iPad less stable). This slot hinge is quite sturdy—it takes a good amount of force to change the angle. The only drawback to this feature is that you must remember to manually press the hinged slot back into place before putting your iPad and the cover together for travel.
If you have an iPad 2, 3, or 4, it's easy to decide which Ultrathin to get, as only one of the three models fits those iPads. If you have an iPad Air, you'll need to make a decision: Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad Air or Ultrathin Magnetic Clip-on Keyboard Cover? Both are very good; each has minor advantages, and each has minor shortcomings. Having used both extensively, I recommend buying whichever one you find for a lower price—unless you'd really value the capability to change the angle of your iPad while typing, in which case you'll want the Magnetic.
Zagg's ProPlus
Zagg's $130 Pro Plus (iPad 2, 3, 4; formerly called Zagg KeysPro Plus) uses the same solid keyboard as the company's ProFolio+, above, but in a keyboard-shell body that clings magnetically to the front of your iPad during transit. You just detach the Pro Plus from your iPad, prop your iPad in the slot above the keys, and type away. A nice bonus feature is that, like the ProFolio+, the Pro Plus's keyboard uses backlit keys for easier typing in low-light environments.
Belkin's Qode Thin Type Keyboard Case for iPad Air
Honorable mentions: Belkin's $100 Qode Thin Type Keyboard Case for iPad Air (iPad Air) uses a keyboard similar to the one in the Qode Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air (mentioned in the folio section above), which means that while the keys themselves are nicely responsive, the keyboard is a bit cramped, and some keys are in non-standard positions—like its sibling, this isn't a great option for touch-typists. However, the Thin Type's keyboard bests its sibling's thanks to a dedicated special-function-key row and some interesting keys that correspond to the iTunes Radio options to Play More Like This, Never Play This Song, and Add To iTunes Wish List. The Thin Type uses a Smart Cover-like hinge, and it looks fantastic thanks to a unibody anodized-aluminum body—at the thinner front edge, this is the thinnest keyboard shell I've seen, though the edges are MacBook Air-sharp. The company says the Thin Type's battery, which adds a bit of thickness to the back edge, offers 3,100 hours of standby life or 79 hours of active use. A nifty touch is that when you remove your iPad Air from the Thin Type's slot, the keyboard immediately turns off, so you avoid accidental typing when your iPad isn't propped up for work. If you aren't a touch-typist, this is a nice option.
Belkin's FastFit Keyboard
Belkin's $80 Qode FastFit Keyboard Cover (iPad 2, 3, 4) is similar in design to Logitech's Ultrathin Keyboard Cover, but without the magnetic hinge. Instead, it's got a magnetic, stationary lip along the back edge that holds the iPad in place during travel. It bests the Ultrathin by offering two grooves for your iPad, so you get a choice of two screen angles. However, the FastFit's keys are a bit smaller; the square shape of those keys feels a little off; and the FastFit makes the same touch-typist-thwarting mistake with the up-arrow key as the Brydge+, above.
Anker's TC930 Ultra-Thin Bluetooth Keyboard Cover for iPad Air
If you're on a budget, Anker's TC930 Ultra-Thin Bluetooth Keyboard Cover for iPad Air (iPad Air) looks a lot like an iPad Air-sized clone of Logitech's original Ultrathin Keyboard Cover, though with keys that are a tiny bit smaller and more cramped, and that don't feel as nice. Also, I had to press those keys a bit more firmly than expected for the key presses to register. The result is a typing experience that isn't as good as what you'll get with the other keyboard shells recommended here. But the keys are all in the right locations; you get a proven design; and the TC930 adds a nifty support stand that automatically pops up whenever you prop your iPad Air in the slot above the keyboard, making the iPad a bit more stable than with the original Logitech model. And then there's the most compelling feature of the TC930: It's available for just $30 on Amazon.com.
Latest update: Added Logitech's Ultrathin Magnetic Clip-on Keyboard Cover, Belkin's Qode Thin Type Keyboard Case for iPad Air, and Anker's TC930 Ultra-Thin Bluetooth Keyboard Cover for iPad Air; updated product names; removed Zagg's ZaggKeys Pro, which has been discontinued. Previous update: Added Logitech's Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad Air.
Keyboard overlays
The TacType
Instead of a physical keyboard, several companies offer overlays that lie on your iPad's screen—generally secured using magnets or some kind of sticky silicone–and add a tactile feel to the iPad's own software keyboard. For example, Touchfire's Touchfire Keyboard for iPad (iPad 1, 2, 3, 4; Air version announced; $40 and up) is a clear, silicone overlay that adds little nibs to each virtual key's "top," as well as slighty raised ridges around each key. The Touchfire does make typing a bit more tactile for touch-typists, but the overall experience isn't otherwise much different than typing on the bare screen. And I found that because of the tactile feel, I frequently rested my fingers on the Touchfire's key areas, which resulted in accidental key taps.
The $35 TacType (formerly called the iKeyboard; iPad 2, 3, 4) instead uses a rigid-plastic frame with clear, bubble-like key overlays. This approach prevents accidental keypresses, and I liked typing with it better than with the Touchfire, but I found the bubbles to be too difficult to press compared to good physical keys.
Keyboard overlays can be convenient—they take up quite a bit less space than a full keyboard, and they don't require batteries or charging—but I personally don't find them to be enough of an improvement over the iPad's on-screen keyboard to make them worth the cost. And, of course, you must move them out of the way whenever you want to use the iPad's screen normally.
Continue to the next page for stand-alone keyboards, desktop/tablet hybrid keyboards, stands and cases for keyboards, and iPad mini keyboards.


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Nothing could be more convenient than the dedicated service of satellite high-speed Internet. Telephones were meant for talking, so talk away while your satellite Internet connection is up and ready. Arizona residents will love the convenience of making telephone calls, sending faxes, and using Satellite high-speed Internet all at the same time. Need to make plans for the weekend? Check out the menu of your favorite Mesa restaurants, catch up with the most current Maricopa County County news by accessing West Side Leader and Mesa Beacon Journal online, and find the latest game scores for the Ohio State University, Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Rockers - while chatting on the telephone all the while! Qualify for Satellite high-speed Internet today!
Satellite Mesa - Connection
Using a small satellite dish antenna (most sizes range from 24 x 36 inches and up), the hardware can easily be mounted to a chimney, roof, or other raised structure that allows clear access to the Arizona sky. Satellite high-speed Internet connection is the most effective way to stay abreast of current events while keeping in touch with friends, family, and the Mesa community. Your Satellite high speed Internet connection will give you instant access to local resources for Maricopa County County, the city of Mesa, and the state of Arizona.
millions of instructions per second (MIPS) - This is a common measure of the speed of a computer processor.
Search for: ADSL Mesa, ATT Mesa, Broadband Mesa, Cable modem Mesa, Direcway Mesa, DSL Mesa, Embarq Mesa, Frame Relay Mesa, High Speed Telecommunications Mesa, HughesNET Mesa, Satellite Mesa, Time Warner Mesa, Web Internet Mesa

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Is your vacation lacking a certain… weirdness? These quirky Europe attractions will make your trip!
Sometimes a standard trip to Europe isn't quite strange enough to suit your liking. Fear not, for I have assembled a list of the seven strangest museums, attractions, and haunts to put on your bucket list for your next trip. Learn just how weird Europe attractions can really be.
Sometimes the best way to see a city is by getting to know its wacky past and bizarre customs. Often these bizarre locations are found in the most beautiful and stunning parts of the city. Read on to discover where your odd adventures may be taking you next.
I stumbled upon this museum completely by accident. Of course, I had already visited the flower market, smelled some tulips, ate some delicious cheese and rode bicycles. I tried to get into the Anne Frank house but the line was too long (which it almost always is). That's when, as I was walking along the Singel canal, I came across a weird little hole-in-the-wall museum that is located right downtown.
The Amsterdam Torture Museum is a chilling collection of over 40 torture devices from all over Europe. I'm talking the iron maiden, skullcracker, Judas cradle, thumb screws, the rack, and many more. They are the real instruments used in medieval Europe. The location is stunning and the content is surreal. It's listed as one of the world's weirdest museums and is a little-known tourist attraction.
Also, while in Europe, visit the Torture museum in beautiful Bruges in Belgium. In the gorgeously renovated stone building, let your imagination do its work with the remarkable and spine-chilling collection of instruments of torture on display here.
This park is the result of fifty years of work by an artist named Veijo Rönkkönen. Located near the border with Russia, this park boasts 550 spooky concrete statues. Rönkkönen was a very introverted man who used his sculptures as a way of communicating with the world.
Many of his statues have a resemblance to the artist. He claims that the park is a tribute to the memory of his younger body, perhaps best seen in the Yoga Park that has 250 statues in rather agile yoga poses. There are statues of human bodies, animals, and plants and the collection of them all together creates a very strange environment.
Yes, this is real and yes it is weird. While this may seem like a totally crazy idea, there have actually been tours going on underground in the sewers of Paris since 1889. Originally the tours were done in boats through the sewers (yuck) and on wagons. The reputation has changed a lot since then.
There is a museum up top that holds the history of the construction of the sewer system, the role of sewer workers, and the ways in which water can be treated. There are also informational snippets as you continue deeper into the Paris underground.
This pick from our list of Europe attractions is not for the faint of heart or those with a weak stomach. It is, however, exactly how it sounds: a museum filled with nothing but male genitalia. There are preserved specimens from monkeys, pigs, elephants, whales, and even human beings. All the jars are lined up atop shelves and glass cases with the organs floating in some form of cloudy liquid preservative.
It is likely the only museum in the world to contain a display of every kind mammalian phallic organ that can be found in that country. When I went to the museum I don't know what I was expecting, but I got exactly what was promised: a LOT of strange genitalia.
This cave is bonkers! Mother Shipton's cave has been open to the public and charging admission since 1630. It is a well filled with water rich in sulphate and carbonate so the water essentially petrifys and preserves anything in its path. Standard everyday objects like teddy bears and teapots have been strung up under the constant drip of this mineral water and have been turned to stone.
The cave gets its name from legend. The prophetic Mother Shipton (or Ursula Southeil) was said to have been born in this cave. Mother Shipton was said to be hideously ugly but able to foresee the future. She predicted events such as the Great Fire of London. Though, other than legend and rumor, very little is known about Mother Shipton.
The cave is still open to visitors and is a popular attraction still today.
The Avanos Hair Museum began as a pottery studio and the legend goes that the potter was parting ways with an old friend. He asked her for something to remember her by and she cut off a lock of hair. He displayed the hair in his shop and told the story to his customers and women began cutting off a piece of their hair too and leaving it behind as a momento.
The museum is now estimated to have 16,000 samples of hair and has been included in the Guinness Book of World Records. If you find yourself in Turkey be sure to stop by and leave a lock of hair to be remembered by.
Literally translated, Portugal dos Pequenitos means Portugal for the Little Ones. This is a miniature city created by replicating Portuguese architecture. The park was constructed in 1938 and is nestled beside the Mondego river.
The thematic park was built originally to pay tribute to Portuguese monuments and cultural heritage but in a miniature form. Now you can bound through the park like some kind of giant and feel like the 40-foot woman!
For your next trip consider these oddities to add a little bit of weird to your Europe attractions list.


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If printed maxi dresses were the It piece of the summer, then autumn's look du jour has got to be the jumper and midi skirt. Spotted everywhere at fashion week, this season's street style stars became our very own living paper dolls, with each person offering up an interchangeable top and skirt combination, ready for you to pick and choose as you wish. Patent paired with mohair, silken slips with grey cashmere, hoodies thrown over animal print… The options are limitless.
If there's one theme that runs throughout the jumper-and-skirt looks we've seen, it's that bigger is better. With the miniskirt confined to storage, this autumn, it's all about billowing skirts that fall down to the ankle (with plenty of spare fabric to create that "caught in a gust," Marylin-inspired Insta shot). Knits are cosy and crew-necks are oversized this season. One of our favourite street style looks comes courtesy of Kate Osterweis, who looks so great in a patent midi skirt, a fluffy white knit and Western boots.
Karoline Dall also gives us outfit envy with her vibrant cable knit and pleated skirt. Orange has never looked so chic (perfect timing for Halloween, too) than it has this season. Autumn, we're so ready for you. Scroll down to see and shop our favourite looks.
Style Notes: A patent midi skirt can be a tricky piece to pull off, but this street styler makes it work with a fluffy white knit and Ganni's monochromatic Western boots.
Style Notes: A timeless black roll-neck jumper can instantly be kicked into 2018 with a green (set to be big next season) midi skirt. Oh, a cheeky belt bag would also complete the look nicely.
Style Notes: We might've not worn a hoodie since 1999, but for some reason, they're feeling so right this winter. The key is to balance out any slouchy connotations with tailored separates—a knife-edge pleat skirt will do the job nicely.
Style Notes: Karoline Dall stands out from the crowd with this vibrant knit-and-checked-skirt pairing. We like how her jumper brings out the subtle orange tones in the skirt.
Style Notes: Slip skirts are very much still in vogue this autumn and offer the perfect foil to a woolly knit. Pernille Teisbaek gets it so right with a powder-pink skirt, oversized grey knit and chunky gold chain.


text:
package org.fest.assertions.api.robolectric.view;

import android.graphics.drawable.BitmapDrawable;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.ViewGroup;
import android.widget.Adapter;
import android.widget.AdapterView;
import android.widget.TextView;
import org.fest.assertions.api.Assertions;
import org.fest.assertions.api.android.view.AbstractViewGroupAssert;
import org.fest.assertions.api.robolectric.graphics.drawable.BitmapDrawableAssert;
import org.fest.assertions.core.Condition;

public class ViewGroupAssert extends AbstractViewGroupAssert<ViewGroupAssert, ViewGroup> {

    public ViewGroupAssert(ViewGroup actual) {
        super(actual, ViewGroupAssert.class);
    }

    public ViewGroupAssert hasTextViewWithText(String text) {
        isNotNull();
        boolean found = walkTree(actual, new TextMatcher(text));
        Assertions.assertThat(found)
            .overridingErrorMessage("Expected ViewGroup to have a TextView with text <%s>", text).isTrue();
        return this;
    }

    public ViewGroupAssert hasTextViewWithCompoundDrawableId(int resId) {
        isNotNull();
        boolean found = walkTree(actual, new TextViewCompoundDrawableCondition(resId));
        Assertions.assertThat(found)
            .overridingErrorMessage("Expected ViewGroup to have a TextView with resId <%d>", resId).isTrue();
        return this;
    }

    private static class TextMatcher extends Condition<TextView> {
        private String text;

        private TextMatcher(String text) {
            this.text = text;
        }

        @Override public boolean matches(TextView textView) {
            String actualText = textView.getText().toString();
            return actualText.equals(text);
        }
    }

    private static class TextViewCompoundDrawableCondition extends Condition<TextView> {
        private final int resourceId;

        public TextViewCompoundDrawableCondition(int resourceId) {
            this.resourceId = resourceId;
        }

        @Override public boolean matches(TextView textView) {
            return BitmapDrawableAssert.hasDrawableResourceId(resourceId,
                (BitmapDrawable[]) textView.getCompoundDrawables());
        }
    }

    private boolean walkTree(View view, Condition<TextView> condition) {
        if (view instanceof TextView) {
            if (condition.matches((TextView) view)) {
                return true;
            }
        } else if (view instanceof AdapterView) {
            Adapter adapter = ((AdapterView) view).getAdapter();
            for (int i = 0; i < adapter.getCount(); i++) {
                View adapterView = adapter.getView(i, null, null);
                if (walkTree(adapterView, condition)) {
                    return true;
                }
            }
        } else if (view instanceof ViewGroup) {
            ViewGroup viewGroup = (ViewGroup) view;
            for (int i = 0; i < viewGroup.getChildCount(); i++) {
                View childView = viewGroup.getChildAt(i);
                if (childView instanceof ViewGroup) {
                    if (walkTree(childView, condition)) {
                        return true;
                    }
                }
            }
        }
        return false;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Summary and Analysis Part IV: Chapter 49 - Moyamensing Prison
While Geyer goes on his Midwest quest to retrace Holmes's recent steps, Holmes remains in prison in Philadelphia. He begins to manipulate prison life to suit his needs, and he gets what he wants, such as a newspaper to follow his growing fame and Geyer's search for more information. Furthermore, Holmes takes to writing a diary of his prison days and a memoir of his life, likely both distortions of the truth. He also writes a letter to Carrie Pietzel, probably in an effort to document the story he told police about the Pietzel children being with Minnie Williams in England.
Larson develops Holmes's character even more by showing that his insanity has no limits or end. The reader cannot help but wonder why Holmes doesn't give up his charade now that he is in prison and he knows that Geyer is investigating him. Geyer's search for the children only excites Holmes. In these ways, Larson burrows deeper into Holmes's insanity, as the killer revels in Geyer's search for the missing children.
Next Chapters 50-53


text:
Civil Service: Job Reductions
Oral Answers to Questions — Cabinet Office – in the House of Commons at 11:30 am on 25th March 2015.
« Previous debate
All Commons debates on 25 Mar 2015
Next debate »
Brian H Donohoe Labour, Central Ayrshire 11:30 am, 25th March 2015
What assessment he has made of the effect on local economies of the reduction of jobs in the civil service.
Link to this speech In context Individually
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 25 March 2015, c1418)
Francis Maude The Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Although the civil service is now at its smallest size since the second world war, officials have helped to deliver efficiency and reform savings of £11 billion in this financial year to January against a 2009-10 baseline. I pay tribute to the hard work and dedication of hundreds of thousands of civil servants up and down the country.
Brian H Donohoe Labour, Central Ayrshire
Can the right hon. Gentleman explain why he shut an office in my constituency that I fought long and hard to maintain, given that people have more than met the targets they have been given on every occasion in every year? Will he personally—he has not got long to go—have a wee look at that and perhaps write to tell me why he shut that office?
I am not sure which department the office is in, but every department must look to its efficiency and many are transforming what they do and delivering more and better for less. We have shown that that can be done, but there is much more still to do.
Michael Fabricant Conservative, Lichfield
With the news this morning that HSBC is choosing Birmingham over Singapore or Hong Kong, and that Jaguar Land Rover is opening a new plant in the Birmingham area, will my right hon. Friend pay tribute to the civil servants who enabled that to happen in a new, clean, civil service that is lean and effective?
I pay warm tribute to what my hon. Friend has done to support the bringing of employment to the west midlands. He is a hugely energetic local Member of Parliament. Yes, the civil service does these things extremely well. It is a smaller civil service, but it is more effective than it was. I think its leadership would agree that there is still much more to do.
Chris Ruane Labour, Vale of Clwyd
My hon. Friend Mr Donohoe raised the issue of the Government closing down the HMRC office in his constituency. Why is the Minister closing down the HMRC office in my constituency, the Army recruitment centre in my constituency and the Crown courts in my constituency?
As I said to the hon. Member for Central Ayrshire, every Department in Government has to look to its efficiency, make sure it can live within its means and do the job on behalf of the public. The civil service does not exist to provide employment; it exists to serve the public. We found that that can be done more efficiently and effectively, doing more and better for less. At the same time as employment in the public sector has fallen, it has risen in the private sector by 2.3 million.
Gregory Campbell DUP, East Londonderry
Does the Minister agree that in the parts of the United Kingdom where there has been an over-dependence on the public sector and large numbers of jobs in the civil service, such as in Northern Ireland where the Executive are trying to reduce the dependence on the public sector, central Government should support inward investment through the private sector?
I completely agree with the hon. Gentleman. He is quite right to identify both the problem and the solution. The Northern Ireland economy will undoubtedly benefit from more private sector investment, from overseas or from within, with a smaller public sector.


The assembly will include business meetings, presentations, and poster sessions on various aspects of braille.
This is not a comment. I am a Filipino and I am very interested to join your upcoming seminar but I don't know how because I don't have money to spend for . I am hoping someone to sponsor me.


Hubbub is an international team of scientists, humanists, artists, clinicians, public health experts, broadcasters and public engagement professionals. We explore the dynamics of rest, noise, tumult, activity and work, as they operate in mental health, neuroscience, the arts and the everyday. We are based in London as the first residents of The Hub at Wellcome Collection from October 2014 to July 2016.
Our interdisciplinary project was awarded a £1m grant by the Wellcome Trust. The grant-holding institution is Durham University, and the project also draws on the resources of The Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, and the University of York.
The Hub at Wellcome Collection is an exciting new space that will provide resources and a stimulating space for researchers and other creative minds to collaborate on a project that will explore medicine in historical and cultural contexts. The Hub will make a central contribution to the Trust's vision of improving human and animal health and be a flagship interdisciplinary environment that nurtures this approach.
Posted on 17 Apr 2015, under Projects.
A. How do members of different stakeholders groups (health professionals, patients and unpaid family carers) use metaphor to talk about their experiences, attitudes and expectations of end-of-life care (e.g. palliative treatment, preparations for dying, etc.)?
B. What does the use of metaphor by these stakeholder groups suggest about (a) the experiences and needs of the members of these groups and their mutual relationships, and (b) the nature of metaphor as a linguistic and cognitive phenomenon?
The method we have employed to identify and analyse metaphor in our data is both qualitative and quantitative. Our approach includes the exploitation of an online semantic annotation tool developed by a member of the team, which has enabled us to identify metaphorical expressions more systematically than is possible with other methods for the study of metaphor in large data sets.


I just turned eighteen – and I mean just. But I don't 'feel' eighteen. I'm not sure what it's supposed to feel like, but I'm pretty sure I don't feel it… But turning eighteen has made me reminisce about the past eighteen years, and there are a few people I'd like to thank.
Firstly and most obviously, my parents for just, making me really… but really – thank you parents for giving me all the support anyone could ever wish for, even when I do things which are really stupid! Secondly, my brother for sharing a sense of humour with me, and always making me feel as though a rubbish day can have a little bit of sun. To my family and friends, thank you for making me feel worth when it's hard not to see past the failures. And thank you to everyone – even the kind strangers on a bus who offer you a seat, or an American till worker helping me figure out what change I had in New York – for helping my experiences to have a flicker of fun in them all.
Thank you, also, to all those who have helped me to gain enough experience for my future – to everyone who reads my blog, to those at the BBC for letting me gain work experience (and to the woman who made it happen!) to everyone reading this now, you've helped me so much – and to the organisers of What's On, I thank you for giving me the opportunity month after month to do what I love.
This year has been a bag of mixed emotions. Although my exams were the most stressful they've ever been (well, until this year) the results day was worth it, by setting me up comfortably for this year's exams. When my friends and I managed to survive climbing over mountain after mountain and treacherous terrain during our Duke Of Edinburgh Award (without those ladies I really don't know if I'd have finished, but the endless laughter of the absurdity of the least outdoorsy people managing to fall in cow poo every five seconds made the treks bearable). When I got offers from all of the Universities I had applied to – and that my first choice university was my lowest offer! Getting the chance to speak on BBC Radio Cymru on International Women's Day was one of the most exciting things I think has happened in my life. Completing my last show with my stage school after acting for eleven years.
Seventeen has been brilliant. It's also been hard. But with the summer on its way, and the prospect of getting in to University spurring me through my exams, I can't wait to see what eighteen has in store. With my last day in secondary school next week it seems that eighteen has a great beginning. And the fact that I can drink (legally)!
Thank you to everyone who made seventeen great. Let's make eighteen spectacular.


text:
All Quiet on the Gaza Front
July 9th, 2008 - by admin
Uri Avnery / Gush-Shalom – 2008-07-09 09:01:04
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/avnery/1214084739
(July 8, 2008) — AND SUDDENLY: quiet. No Qassams. No mortar shells. The tanks are not rolling. The aircraft are not bombing.
In Sderot, sighs of relief. Children venture out. Inhabitants who have exiled themselves to other towns return home.
And the reaction? An outburst of jubilation? Dancing in the streets? Applause for the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense, who at long last have come to their senses?
Not at all. The expression on the nation's face is a grimace of disgust. What kind of thing is that? Where is our victorious army?
The people of Sderot are really angry. OK, so there are no Qassams, but this was supposed to happen only after the army had entered Gaza and wiped it out.
Haaretz headed its front page with the mendacious headline: "Israel pays with deeds – and gets promises".
"It's fragile," Ehud Olmert soothes us, it can come to an end any minute. And the other Ehud, Barak, who pushed for the cease-fire, has an excuse: we have to go through the motions before starting the Big Operation in Gaza. For the sake of Israeli and international public opinion.
And nobody says: Thank God, the killing has stopped!
WHY? WHAT causes this almost unanimous reaction of disappointment? Why is there a general feeling of humiliation, almost of defeat?
It's because the national ego is hurt. How wonderful it would have been to see the Israeli army in Gaza destroying Hamas, together with the entire city. But, instead of the crushing victory, we have something that smacks of a rout. And that in spite of the assertions of those now rooting for re-occupying the Gaza Strip: that at any minute, with just a little more starvation and closure, the population would have broken and rebelled against Hamas.
From the military point of view, a year of war in the Gaza Strip has ended in a draw. IDF-Hamas 1:1. But the IDF and Hamas are not two football teams of equal standing. Hamas is an armed political-religious movement, what is termed in current Western parlance "a terrorist organization". When such an organization achieves a draw with one of the mightiest armies in the world, it can justifiably claim victory.
The aim of Olmert's war was to topple the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip and to destroy the organization itself. This has not been attained. On the contrary, according to all reports, Hamas is stronger than ever, and its hold on the Strip is solid. Even in Israel that is not questioned.
For a year, the Israeli government has maintained a total blockade of the Strip – on land, at sea and in the air. It has enjoyed the unqualified support of Europe, which assisted in starving a population of one and a half million men and women, children and old people. The US was, of course, a full partner in this glorious enterprise. Hosni Mubarak's Egypt, dependent on the US, collaborated, if unwillingly.
All this was not enough to beat poor and crowded Gaza, a narrow strip of land 35 km (22 miles) long and 10 km (6 miles) wide, into submission. Not only did the rockets not stop, but their range increased. Their victims in Israel were few, a child could count them, but their impact on morale was immense.
The Israeli army was helpless against this primitive weapon, which costs next to nothing. The army killed wholesale and in retail, on land and from the air, with missiles, shells and infantry weapons. To no avail.
Hamas has survived, but it, too, did not achieve its aim. It had no answer to the blockade. Only the pressure of international public opinion (as well as the Israeli peace forces) prevented total starvation, but in the Strip there was a shortage of everything. Unemployment was rampant, fuel disappeared, many inhabitants suffered from undernourishment, bordering on starvation.
That is the nature of a draw: neither of the two sides is able to force a decision and impose its will on its opponent.
A CEASEFIRE only comes about when both sides need it. (True, Carl von Clausewitz, the Prussian military philosopher, has said that in war it is impossible for a situation to be beneficial to both sides at the same time, that something that is good for one side is necessarily bad for the other. But in real war there are exceptions.)
Indeed, the Israeli army needed the ceasefire no less than Hamas. That became clear from the comments of the "military correspondents", almost all of whom are thinly disguised army spokesmen. Of course, not one of the cabinet members would have agreed to a ceasefire if the army brass had objected.
Usually, the army bosses press for one more action, one more operation, one more war. Have they suddenly turned into doves? Not really. But they knew that they had to choose between two "bad" options: a ceasefire or the "Great Operation" – the re-conquest of the entire Gaza Strip.
The commanders did not like the first option, and that is an understatement. It means admitting failure. But the second option they liked even less – much, much less.
The Great Operation, which a large part of the public yearned for, which almost all the media demanded at the top of their voices, is very problematical. Hamas has had a lot of time to prepare for it. No army likes to fight in a built-up area, among a crowded population. Every alley is a potential trap, every man – and every woman – a potential suicide bomber. Even if the army succeeded in entering and occupying the strip with only "tolerable" casualties, that would just be the beginning of the troubles. Every day soldiers would be killed. The mutual bloodletting would be endless. See: the Iraq war.
Public opinion is fickle. Every dead soldier whose smiling picture is shown on television increases the pressure to get out. Sooner or later the army would be compelled to leave – and the situation would revert to what it was before, only worse.
The army chiefs know this. Olmert and Barak also know this. The lesson of the Second Lebanon War has not been forgotten. There is no mood for war.
THE CEASEFIRE has far-reaching political implications. It changes the Palestinian – and perhaps the regional – map.
One can protest from here to eternity, one can shout from the rooftops that "we don't negotiate with Hamas" and that "we have no agreement with Hamas" – every child understands that we indeed do, and indeed have.
This is an agreement between the Government of Israel and the Gaza authorities. It means a de facto recognition of the Hamas government there. In Gaza, too, every child understands that the Israeli government was compelled to agree because it was unable to break Hamas by force.
In the eyes of the Palestinians, the situation is clear: Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah has not got anything from the Israelis, Hamas has.
Abbas tries by peaceful means. He is the darling of the Americans and the Israelis. But since the great performance in Annapolis, not only has he not achieved any meaningful concessions at all and not freed a single prisoner, but additional prisoners are being taken every night, the settlements are being enlarged and the Israeli government announces grandiose new building projects in East Jerusalem and the entire West Bank. And the Israeli government would not dream of agreeing to a ceasefire there.
While at the same time Hamas, besieged by the whole world, losing fighters every day, has attained a significant military and political achievement: goods will flow into the Strip, cars will again bounce along the potholed roads, the Rafah crossing, which cuts off the Strip from the world, will be opened. In the coming prisoner exchange, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be released in return for the captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit.
The conclusion? Everybody can ask themselves: if I were a Palestinian, what conclusion would I draw?
The ceasefire affects the balance of power within the Palestinian people. Hamas has proved that it can maintain an orderly government. Now it is proving that it can control the radical organizations, too.
The wisest thing Mahmoud Abbas can do now is to form a Unity Government, based on both Hamas and Fatah.
WILL THE ceasefire hold? The correspondents report that nobody expects it to.
When Olmert says that it is fragile, he knows what he is talking about.
There is no written agreement. No orderly mechanism for settling disputes. No arbitrator to decide, in case of need, which side is responsible for a violation.
If somebody in Israel wants to break the ceasefire, nothing will be easier: a squad leader opens fire on a group of Palestinians near the border fence, because he suspects that they are about to plant an explosive device. A spy helicopter pilot believes that he is being shot at and launches a missile. The army intelligence chief claims that large quantities of arms are being smuggled into the Strip.
It can be done in other ways, too. The army will kill half a dozen Islamic Jihad militants in the West Bank. In response, the organization will fire a salvo of Qassams at Sderot. The army will announce that this is a violation of the agreement and answer with an incursion into the Gaza Strip. It will even be right formally, since the ceasefire does not cover the West Bank.
Every agreement holds only as long as both sides believe that it serves their interests. If one of them thinks otherwise, it will break it (and assert that the other side broke it first). In this case, the first to break it will most likely be the Israeli side.
A CEASEFIRE is not peace (salaam), and not even an armistice or truce (hudnah). It is no more than an agreement between combatants to stop shooting for some time.
In the nature of things, each side will use the ceasefire to prepare for the next round of fighting – to breathe deeply, to rest, to train, to plan, to obtain more advanced weapons.
But the ceasefire can become more than that. It can lead to Palestinian unity, to Israeli re-thinking, to a practical advance towards a peaceful solution. At the very least, every day of the ceasefire saves human lives.
And in the meantime the Hebrew and the international dictionaries have acquired another Arabic word: Tahdiyeh, calm.
Posted in accordance with Title 17, US Code, for noncommercial, educational purposes.


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text:
Nick Drake Under Review
Michael Monahan
Michael is a musician, a support analyst, and a long time audiophile and tech/music geek.
Nick Drake Under Review is a wonderful documentary available currently on Amazon Prime that should not be missed by any music fan. This is not the typical Hollywood documentary that spends the majority of its time on fluff. This is a deep dive into the music of Nick Drake, much of it described by the artists who were around while he was alive and recording. It's a treasure trove of insight into how his playing was influenced by a cross section of jazz and traditional English folk music, which served as a multilayered foundation for lyrics that were influenced by poetry from the likes of Baudelaire, Blake and Tennyson.
Drake was a gifted multi-instrumentalist, as equally accomplished on piano or saxophone as he was on guitar. It was probably his ability to think and hear in terms of each of these individual instruments that allowed him to create such unique melodies and vocal phrasings within his songs. It also explains his extensive use of alternate tunings on the guitar, as he seemed determined to stretch the constraints of traditional tuning in order to bend the sound of his guitar to what he needed to match the sounds that he heard in his head as he composed the songs.
Nick Drake made only three albums, Five Leaves Left (1969), Bryter Layter (1971), and Pink Moon (1972). To his great misfortune, they could probably not have been made at any worse point in time from a career perspective. Five Leaves Left was released at a time when it competed directly with the likes of Abbey Road by The Beatles, King Crimson's In The Court of the Crimson King, Tommy by The Who, Dylan's Nashville Skyline, and debut albums from Blind Faith, Santana and Crosby, Stills and Nash. His record label at the time didn't have the resources to promote his work under even the normal pressures of the business, and to compete against these era defining releases was just too far out of their league. Under these circumstances Five Leaves Left struggled to sell even a couple of thousand copies, despite now being ranked in retrospect well within the top 20 released records from that year.
Last Album
Bryter Layter met with the exact same fates in 1971, despite his producers bringing in John Cale from The Velvet Undergound and members of the British band Fairport Convention. It also suffered from miserable sales and mixed reviews at the time of its release, and it too is now routinely listed as one of the top 100 records released in 1971. Compounding the label's inability to properly promote the album with airplay, Drake suffered through a short series of disastrous live performances, the last of which he aborted just three songs into his set, when he walked off the stage never to be seen by a live audience again.
By the time Pink Moon was released in 1972, the entire landscape of modern music had shifted, and what now sold well were mostly records that had less to due with melody and structure and more to do with power chords played at an ear splitting volume. The fact that the tiny label he recorded for was bought up by the bigger and much more powerful Island Records didn't aid him at all, as they weren't expecting or even wanting a new release from him when he simply walked into the company headquarters, handed the master tapes to a secretary and left. Pink Moon is a return of sorts to the more minimalist approach of Five Leaves Left except darker and much more personal. Once again, his record received little attention and sales were poor.
Thirty years later his music was included as part of the motion picture soundtrack for the movie Garden State, and of all things, a Volkswagen commercial. Suddenly the world knew who Nick Drake was, and appeared to want much more from this mysterious singer songwriter, but there was no more to be had. Although a fourth album had been started, it would never be completed. Drake had been severely depressed by his lack of success and in early November 1974, he took an antidepressant medication to help him sleep. Whether intentional or not will never be known, however he was found dead the next morning lying across the bed in his room at his parent's house. He was 26 years old. By 2014, his three albums had sold more than 2.4 million copies.
If you haven't taken the time to listen to the works he left behind, you absolutely should, and you should pick the right circumstances to take it all in. Pick a perfect fall evening with the windows open and a gentle breeze in the air, sit in your most comfortable chair and just listen to the music without any other intrusions from our now far too busy lives. Unforgettable.
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a poet and activist in baltimore i'm still trying to find out more on clattery machinery?
who was that masked man Tonto?
don't ya jes luv the internet?
why- did George Chapman secretly write all of Blake? or was it maybe Nostradamus? was it, perhaps, Oscar Wilde, having time travelled backwards?
I'm trying to figure out how that surreal bit "Shine out, faire sunne" appears in Chapman's "Masque"? (set by Ben Britten in "Spring Symphnoy"- happy spring Clattery) o i do need help today (but i'm not going to get it- and neither are u old top.
I snagged the El Greco off the web somewhere. But I am sincerely glad you like the collage, which I wanted to paste together by cutting up the originals. You can use it, and buy yourself your favorite dish with the money you might have spent. I had fried clams last night myself. But that'll save me or my estate the trouble of contacting the Christies people.
was ben johnson part of a consipracy along w the us government at waco?


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For the extended french program please follow the link below to print and complete the registration application PDF.


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Volunteer of the Month Blog: Lucy Soderstrom
Lucy Soderstrom is a Minnesota native who took her love of the Boundary Waters with her all the way to Tacoma, Washington. She's a Save the Boundary Waters Volunteer Ambassador who leads a group of volunteers in the Tacoma/Seattle area. She started her team in the summer of 2019.
At monthly meetings, Lucy and her team write letters to editors of local newspapers and try to spread the word about the organization's mission. The team tables mainly at the University of Puget Sound, where Lucy is a student, but also at local coffee shops. Soon, they'll be setting up a table in Patagonia in Seattle. Lucy also spends a lot of time connecting with local groups like the Sunrise Movement, a group of young people looking to make fighting climate change a priority across the United States. They're currently working on collaborating on a crowd-sponsored event.
Lucy spends as much time as she can in her family's cabin in Ely, Minnesota, at the edge of the BWCA. As a kid, she went to Camp Widjiwagan, a YMCA summer camp for canoeing and backpacking in the Boundary Waters, for 7 years as a camper, and 2 as a counselor. She says she "loved being able to invite kids to explore the boundary waters, learn about themselves through that space, and watch them grow in confidence in themselves and love of nature."
One of her favorite memories from the Boundary Waters comes from Camp Widjiwagan. As a counselor, she led a trip with four 13- and 14-year-old girls "and it was like 29 hours of rain, straight rain, no pauses, and it was difficult to stay positive during that. And then the next morning, the sun came out and we were all so excited. We got out, we all just ran into the lake and went swimming because it was really nice."
Lucy became interested in Boundary Waters activism in the 10th grade when she wrote a research paper about the PolyMet mine project. Soon afterward, she began volunteering for Save the Boundary Waters. After moving to Washington for college, she kept up to date on what was going on in the Campaign. After some reflection, she says, "there were a lot of people that I knew who care about the Boundary Waters, and I knew we could harness that energy. . . I realized that this is a perfect spot for a regional team," she said. She loves hearing stories about people's unexpected connections to the Boundary Waters.
After moving to Washington, being an ambassador for Save the Boundary Waters has connected Lucy to her former home. "I just love feeling like I can do something, and that I'm involved, and I'm seeing tangible accomplishments being made, because out here in Washington, it feels far away, and I miss the Boundary Waters," she said. "It feels good to still be having an impact on the places I care about most."
Learn more about our Volunteer Ambassador program here!


You may be one of the thousands of people who have suffered a brain injury or spinal cord injury. We can help you get the compensation that you need and deserve. Whether you were injured in a car accident, truck collision, motorcycle catastrophe, or slip and fall accident, we have the legal experience and insight to help you get the support you need. You may have a limited ability to work or be unable to work as a result of your challenges. The quality of your life may have been significantly altered. If an individual, an organization or a manufacturer was in any way responsible for your injuries, call us to discuss ways that we can hold them accountable.
Symptoms of spinal cord damage may include excruciating pain, numbness, tingling, lack of coordination, inability to stand or walk, and even diminished bladder control. Any trauma that causes the spinal cord to be compressed, cut or misdirected may cause spinal cord injury. Such injuries can have massive short and long-term effects on your life. Our attorneys will take into account these long-term effects when we pursue justice and compensation for you.
Each spinal cord injury case has characteristics that make it unique. We have handled numerous cases involving complex spinal cord injuries and have significant experience in documenting injuries to the cervical and lumbar discs. We have relationships with the types of medical experts needed to demonstrate the devastating effects of these injuries.
More than any other injury, brain injuries have the greatest potential to alter the lives of afflicted individuals and their families. People affected by even mild brain injuries often suffer memory loss or amnesia, altered emotions and personalities. Brain injuries can also lead to cognitive and intellectual problems and result in debilitating life-long pain.
Our Los Angeles brain and spinal cord injury lawyers' extensive experience handling brain injury cases puts us in a unique position to identify and prove the life changing difficulties that clients and families will face in the future. Many brain injury victims are injured because of another's negligence, as can be the case in car accidents, falls, violent attacks, recreational activities, and sports injuries. Such cases are extremely complex but we routinely work with leading brain injury experts in California and around the country. Our experience pays dividends in settlement negotiations as well as at trial.
As with all of our seriously injured clients, we will be more than happy to come to your home or hospital to meet with you at your convenience. If you, your family or your loved one is unfortunate enough to have sustained a brain or spinal injury resulting from an accident, please contact us immediately so we can begin assisting you.


The morning after the election has arrived and the local political landscape is clearer.
Frank Isganitis, the owner of the Limerock Inn and president of the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce Board, won the seat for the single Rockland City Council.
Isganitis received 1,194 votes compared to 1,026 for incumbent Mayor Brian Harden who was seeking an unprecedented fifth consecutive three-year term on the city council. Dale Hayward finished third with 758 votes.
There was clearly a lot of sentiment in the community that Harden had been in office for too long. That is simply a fact of politics that at some point voters want change. Nearly everyone that runs for public office wants to serve their community and Harden has done that for 12 years.
In the Rockland area District 47 House race, Democrat Elizabeth Dickerson defeated Republican Gordon Mank Jr. with 72 percent of the vote. Dickerson collected 2,558 votes in the district that includes all of Rockland and a part of Owls Head while Mank got 992 votes.
That's a stunningly large percentage for a first-time legislative candidate.
That race was not much in doubt, however, to many observers because of the controversy over whether Mank lived in Rockland and about his arrest a few years ago for assault.
Dickerson will succeed Democratic Rep. Edward Mazurek of Rockland. She plans to remain on the city council with her term running through November 2014.
And in the closely watched state Senate race for District 22, which covers much of Knox County, Democrat Mazurekwon over incumbent Republican Christopher Rector. Mazurek said he received a telephone call from Rector on Wednesday morning, congratulating him.
Mazurek said that be believes there was some backlash against Rector for his support of some of Gov. LePage's initiatives. But, he also credited hard work by Democrats. He said it was a hard-fought campaign between two well known and well respected people.
Mazurek won in Rockland (2,057 to 1,173); Camden 1,748 to 1,266; St. George 794 to 711; Owls Head 508 to 428; Rockport 1,066 to 1,012; Vinalhaven 449 to 211; South Thomaston 483 to 377; and North Haven 179 to 54.
Rector won in his hometown of Thomaston 760 to 626, in Warren 1,068 to 772, and in Union 712 to 611. The two candidates tied on Matinicus both with 24 votes. Rector has served six years in the Maine House and has been in the state Senate for four years.
Mazurek has served eight years in the Maine House representing Rockland and part of Owls Head. He had been a mayor of Rockland a retired coach and teacher.
And incumbent Rep. Chuck Kruger will be serving another term in the Maine Houe with wins in Thomaston and St. George for the Maine House District 48 seat. Kruger won in Thomaston 760 to 626, and in St. George won 924 to 558. Collins won in Owls Head 199 to 188.
Rep. Joan Welsh won a third term for Maine House District 46, representing Camden and Rockport. Welsh won 1,141 to 965 in Rockport and 2,039 to 1,017 in Camden.
And with unofficial results, independent Jeffrey Evangelos of Friendship appears to have been elected to the Maine House, succeeding Republican Rep. Wes Richardson did not seek re-election because of term limits. Evangelos won in his hometown 476 to 213 over Republican Bob Carter. Evangelos also won 450 to 317 in Cushing; and in Union 727 to 577. Carter won in his hometown of Warren.
Evangelos had been the target of some nasty outside attack ads but he weathered those to win a seat in Augusta, beginning next month.


Build my own link cable?
Questions have been asked frequently about the cost of the cable to link between personal computers and TI Graphics Calculators. A number of people have wanted details to build their own cable, perceiving it to be merely a matter of matching the RS-232 port TX and RX lines to the proper pins on the calculator plug.
Texas Instruments wants the interconnection of the Graphics Calculator to other devices to be as simple and cost effective as possible. For this reason, the link port on the calculator is not designed like RS-232. A RS-232 type port requires accurate timing and involves circuitry that consumes significant power. The calculator's link ports have two data lines and a ground, using simple CMOS digital levels in a self clocking protocol that does not require any precise timing, but can operate well above 9600 bits per second. This allows the linking between two calculators to be accomplished at minimal cost and power drain.
In line with this strategy, our first link cable (the black one), utilized relatively simple transistor circuitry and did not even use the RX and TX lines of the RS-232 port. Instead, it used the RS-232 "control" lines (2 for inputs and 2 for outputs) to operate the data lines. The reason we had to change away from this approach is that many Macintosh computers do not have all the necessary control lines available on their serial port connections. To make a MAC compatible connection we had to communicate through RX and TX and this required putting an eight- bit, crystal controlled oscillator, PIC microcontroller in the cable. This microcontroller communicates with the PC at a standard baud rate and converts each bit into the self clocking protocol to communicate to the calculator. The power for the cable is derived from the PC and doesn't impose significant drain from the calculator. Overall, this approach provides a reasonable cost link without any cost burden to the calculator user who does not use a link to personal computers.
Due to the specialized components and also because some parts of the design are necessary to ensure compliance with FCC radio frequency emission regulations, it is not practical for individual users to build their own cables on a general basis. We hope this explanation helps you understand why this is.