text:
'use strict';

const DiscordCommand = require('./DiscordCommand');
const DiscordCommandError = require('./DiscordCommandError');

/**
 * A Discord command that can map 1:1 to a database model.
 */
class DiscordDatabaseCommand extends DiscordCommand {
    /**
     * Creates a new Discord database command.
     * @param {Bot} bot - The bot instance.
     * @param {string} id - The command id.
     * @param {string[]} triggers - The command triggers.
     * @param {Model} Model - The database model.
     * @param {string} type = The command type.
     * @param {Object} [options] - Optional options for the command.
     */
    constructor(bot, id, triggers, Model, type, options) {
        super(bot, id, triggers, options);

        this._Model = Model;
        if (!['list', 'view', 'add', 'edit', 'delete'].includes(type)) {
            throw new TypeError('type is not a valid type (should be one of: list, view, add, edit, delete)');
        }
        this._type = type;
    }

    /**
     * The parameter mapping from the command parameters to the database fields.
     * Fields with the same name can be omitted.
     * If fields are defined as undefined, no mapping occurs.
     * @returns {Object<string, string>|undefined} The mapping from command parameters to database fields.
     */
    get paramsMap() {
        return undefined;
    }

    /**
     * Checks if the command can be executed in its current context.
     * @param {Message} message - The Discord message.
     * @param {*} item - The item.
     */
    canExecute(message, item) {
        switch (this._type) {
            case 'list':
                return this.canList(message, item);
            case 'view':
                return this.canView(message, item);
            case 'add':
                return this.canAdd(message, item);
            case 'edit':
                if (!item || message.author.id === item.owner) {
                    return this.canEditOwn(message, item);
                }
                return this.canEditOther(message, item);
            case 'delete':
                if (!item || message.author.id === item.owner) {
                    return this.canDeleteOwn(message, item);
                }
                return this.canDeleteOther(message, item);
            default:
                return false;
        }
    }

    /**
     * Checks if the current command executor can list items.
     * @param {Message} message - The Discord message.
     * @param {*} item - The item.
     * @returns {boolean} True if allowed; false otherwise.
     */
    canList(message, item) { // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
        return true;
    }

    /**
     * Checks if the current command executor can view an individual item.
     * @param {Message} message - The Discord message.
     * @param {*} item - The item.
     * @returns {boolean} True if allowed; false otherwise.
     */
    canView(message, item) { // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
        return true;
    }

    /**
     * Checks if the current command executor can add items.
     * @param {Message} message - The Discord message.
     * @param {*} item - The item.
     * @returns {boolean} True if allowed; false otherwise.
     */
    canAdd(message, item) { // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
        return true;
    }

    /**
     * Checks if the current command executor can edit their own item.
     * @param {Message} message - The Discord message.
     * @param {*} item - The item.
     * @returns {boolean} True if allowed; false otherwise.
     */
    canEditOwn(message, item) { // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
        return true;
    }

    /**
     * Checks if the current command executor can edit an item that's not theirs.
     * @param {Message} message - The Discord message.
     * @param {*} item - The item.
     * @returns {boolean} True if allowed; false otherwise.
     */
    canEditOther(message, item) { // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
        return this.isCommandAllowed(message.member || message.author, 'other') || false;
    }

    /**
     * Checks if the current command executor can delete their own item.
     * @param {Message} message - The Discord message.
     * @param {*} item - The item.
     * @returns {boolean} True if allowed; false otherwise.
     */
    canDeleteOwn(message, item) { // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
        return true;
    }

    /**
     * Checks if the current command executor can delete an item that's not theirs.
     * @param {Message} message - The Discord message.
     * @param {*} item - The item.
     * @returns {boolean} True if allowed; false otherwise.
     */
    canDeleteOther(message, item) { // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
        return this.isCommandAllowed(message.member || message.author, 'other') || false;
    }

    /**
     * Gets the respective item.
     * @param {Model} Model - The database model.
     * @param {Object<string, *>} props - The model properties.
     * @returns {Promise} The promise with the item.
     */
    async getExecute(Model, props) {
        switch (this._type) {
            case 'list':
                return this.getList(Model, props);
            case 'view':
                return this.getView(Model, props);
            case 'add':
                return this.getAdd(Model, props);
            case 'edit':
                return this.getEdit(Model, props);
            case 'delete':
                return this.getDelete(Model, props);
            default:
                return undefined; // Make linter happy
        }
    }

    /**
     * Gets the items.
     * @param {Model} Model - The database model.
     * @param {Object<string, *>} props - The model properties.
     * @returns {Promise} The promise with the item.
     */
    async getList(Model, props) { // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
        return Model.find({});
    }

    /**
     * Gets an individual item.
     * @param {Model} Model - The database model.
     * @param {Object<string, *>} props - The model properties.
     * @returns {Promise} The promise with the item.
     */
    async getView(Model, props) { // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
        return Model.findOne({ id: props.id });
    }

    /**
     * Gets a new item to add.
     * @param {Model} Model - The database model.
     * @param {Object<string, *>} props - The model properties.
     * @returns {Promise} The promise with the item.
     */
    async getAdd(Model, props) { // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
        return new Model(props);
    }

    /**
     * Gets an item to edit.
     * @param {Model} Model - The database model.
     * @param {Object<string, *>} props - The model properties.
     * @returns {Promise} The promise with the item.
     */
    async getEdit(Model, props) { // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
        return Model.findOne({ id: props.id });
    }

    /**
     * Gets an item to delete.
     * @param {Model} Model - The database model.
     * @param {Object<string, *>} props - The model properties.
     * @returns {Promise} The promise with the item.
     */
    async getDelete(Model, props) { // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
        return Model.findOne({ id: props.id });
    }

    /**
     * Transforms the value of a parameter.
     * @param {Message} message - The Discord message.
     * @param {string} paramName - The command parameter name.
     * @param {*} paramValue - The parameter value.
     * @returns {*} The transformed parameter value.
     */
    transformParam(message, paramName, paramValue) { // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
        return paramValue;
    }

    /**
     * Validates the command parameters.
     * @param {Message} message - The Discord message.
     * @param {Object<string, *>} props - The model properties.
     * @returns {boolean|string} True if all parameters are valid; otherwise a string explaining what is invalid.
     */
    validateProps(message, props) { // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
        return true;
    }

    /**
     * Converts command parameters to model properties.
     * @param {Message} message - The Discord message.
     * @param {Object} parameters - The parameters.
     * @returns {Object<string, *>} The model properties.
     */
    convertParamsToProps(message, parameters) {
        const props = {};
        for (const paramName in parameters) {
            if (parameters.hasOwnProperty(paramName)) {
                const propsName = this.paramsMap && this.paramsMap[paramName] ? this.paramsMap[paramName] : paramName;
                props[propsName] = this.transformParam(message, paramName, parameters[paramName]);
            }
        }
        props.owner = message.author.id; // Explicitly add the owner
        return props;
    }

    /**
     * Formats the result of the performed action.
     * @param {Message} message - The Discord message.
     * @param {*} result - The result.
     * @returns {Promise<string|DiscordReplyMessage|undefined>} The promise with the reply message, string, or undefined if there's no reply.
     */
    async formatResult(message, result) { // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
        throw new TypeError('Derivative should implement format');
    }

    async onCommand(message, parameters) {
        const bot = this.getBot();
        const l = bot.getLocalizer();

        const props = this.convertParamsToProps(message, parameters);
        const validation = this.validateProps(message, props);
        if (validation !== true) {
            throw new DiscordCommandError(validation);
        }

        const item = await this.getExecute(this._Model, props);
        if (!this.canExecute(message, item)) {
            return l.t('middleware.defaults:restrict-permissions.access-denied');
        }
        let result = item;
        switch (this._type) {
            case 'list':
            case 'view':
                break;
            case 'add':
                result = await item.save();
                break;
            case 'edit':
                result = await item.set(props).save();
                break;
            case 'delete':
                result = await item.remove();
                break;
            default:
                return;
        }
        return this.formatResult(message, result);
    }
}

module.exports = DiscordDatabaseCommand;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
@class IOSObjectArray;

@interface OrgOcpsoftPrettytimeI18nResources_ko : JavaUtilListResourceBundle

#pragma mark Public

- (instancetype __nonnull)init;

- (IOSObjectArray *)getContents;

@end

J2OBJC_STATIC_INIT(OrgOcpsoftPrettytimeI18nResources_ko)

FOUNDATION_EXPORT void OrgOcpsoftPrettytimeI18nResources_ko_init(OrgOcpsoftPrettytimeI18nResources_ko *self);

FOUNDATION_EXPORT OrgOcpsoftPrettytimeI18nResources_ko *new_OrgOcpsoftPrettytimeI18nResources_ko_init(void) NS_RETURNS_RETAINED;

FOUNDATION_EXPORT OrgOcpsoftPrettytimeI18nResources_ko *create_OrgOcpsoftPrettytimeI18nResources_ko_init(void);

J2OBJC_TYPE_LITERAL_HEADER(OrgOcpsoftPrettytimeI18nResources_ko)

#endif

#if __has_feature(nullability)
#pragma clang diagnostic pop
#endif
#pragma pop_macro("INCLUDE_ALL_OrgOcpsoftPrettytimeI18nResources_ko")


text:
Australian Zoo Adopts a 'Megaspider' So Large Its Fangs Can Pierce Human Fingernails
In spite of what most Australians would have you believe, the land Down Less than is not a very hot-mattress of venomous arachnids. But each and every now and then, a spider emerges that presents even the most stoic of us a dose of arachnophobia.
Acquire this breathtaking example of a woman funnel-net spider (Atrax robustus) for example, lately handed in to the Australian Reptile Park in New South Wales.
With a leg-span doubling that of a lot of other customers of its species, and fangs extended and strong adequate to punch by way of a fingernail, it is the greatest of its type the park industry experts have witnessed.
So what else do you simply call it, other than Megaspider?
The plan is to milk her venom in purchase to develop much more significantly-desired anti-venom.
"She is unusually big and if we can get the public to hand in much more spiders like her, it will only final result in additional lives being saved thanks to the huge amount of money of venom they can produce," says the zoo's training officer, Michael Tate.
Funnel-net venom is no joke, that contains some seriously powerful neurotoxins that block sodium channels in our nerves. In the worst scenarios, the consequences of a substantial more than enough dose can be lethal around a dozen fatalities have been recorded in modern background.
Strangely, the venom won't look to hassle other mammals. Cats and canines, for example, are not adversely afflicted by feminine bites, with normally a delicate reaction from the male.
Just why funnel-website venom developed to lead to human beings damage is just not apparent, while exploration backs up recommendations it is really an accidental aspect influence of an insect-killing cocktail that also happens to conveniently preserve predators at bay with a painful nip. This is especially useful when the males go on the hunt out in the open for mates.
At times it would not even consider a randy mood to travel the spiders out in the open. Provided plenty of rain – of the type Australia's east coastline has been suffering from lately – they're going to come out of their damp burrows in droves.
Even even now, bites are incredibly scarce, including up to maybe 30 to 40 a calendar year. In all those events, owning more than enough anti-venom at hand is crucial. Funnel-web anti-venom is produced employing the spider's venom itself, which is why researchers are so keen to milk them.
There could also be some valuable chemical compounds lurking in that soup of bioactive molecules for scientists. Clinical experts are eager to see how proteins in the venom may possibly help cut down harm from coronary heart attacks or extend the life of hearts for transplants, for instance.
Milking systems like those at the Australian Reptile Park engage in a critical role in providing health-related and investigate amenities with a new source of these important treatments, and specimens like Megaspider are as prized as a farmer's fattest cow.
"We are actually keen to discover out where by she came from in hopes to discover a lot more enormous spiders like her," states Tate.
A normal funnel-world-wide-web spider's legs could get to close to 4 to 5 centimeters (about 2 inches) from idea-to-tip. Past year, an individual uncovered in Newcastle really pushed these limitations, earning it the nickname Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.
If The Rock was at the leading of the envisioned assortment, Megaspider exceeded it, at an insane 8 centimeters (3.1 inches) – a dimensions that rivals quite a few tarantulas.
(The Australian Reptile Park)
Amazing as it sounds, the park has found heavyweights like it prior to. A 10-centimeter (4-inch) male, dubbed Large Boy, was donated to the park in 2016.
If there are more substantial ones out there, park staff would adore to satisfy them.
"Men and women can carry any collected spiders to the Reptile Park itself," claims Tate.
"Even so, if they won't be able to get to us, we have fall off zones about Sydney, the Central Coastline and Newcastle and all services are offered with a spider safety kit to house the spiders until the Australian Reptile Park workers can come and select them up just about every 7 days."
Tags: Adopts, Australian, Fangs, Fingernails, Human, Large, Megaspider, Pierce, zoo
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Kloster Thedinga (auch Kloster Seyna) war ein Doppelkloster der Benediktiner bei Nüttermoor. Geweiht war es Johannes dem Täufer. Innerhalb des Ordens gehörte es zur Klosterprovinz Köln-Trier. Heute besteht der Wohnplatz aus einzelnen Häusern. Er gehört zum Stadtteil Nüttermoor und liegt am nördlichen Rand der Stadt Leer. Die Bezeichnung Kloster Thedinga ist seit 1787 amtlich.

Geschichte
Thedinga gehörte mit anderen Niederlassungen des Benediktinerordens zu einem Klosterverband, der wohl auf den Heiligen Hatebrand († 1198) zurückgeht. Er war Abt des Klosters Feldwirth bei Appingedam, welches als Mutterkloster der ostfriesischen Benediktinerklöster gilt. Das genaue Gründungsdatum ist nicht bekannt.

Erstmals wird das Kloster in Person des de abt tho Thedinger Monniken im Jahr 1270 genannt. Im Jahre 1475 wird es als Claustrum in Tedingha bezeichnet und seit 1787 ist die heutige Schreibweise gängig. Die Klostergebäude sollen befestigt und mit einem Graben umgeben gewesen sein.

Im Jahre 1399 eroberte Widzeld tom Brok Thedinga und zerstörte es der Überlieferung zufolge völlig. Danach lag das Klosterleben für acht Jahre brach. Die Initiative zum Wiederaufbau soll von der Nonne Pellica  ausgegangen sein. Es war Focko Ukena, der 1424 in Person des Komturs Menno aus der Kommende Langholt erstmals einen Konventsfremden als Abt einsetzte. Dies wurde in der Folgezeit üblich. Unter der Obhut Mennos begann 1424 der Neubau der Klosterkirche.

Am 29. September 1437 genehmigte Papst Eugen IV. die Wahl des Hayungus von Emden zum Abt des Klosters Thedinga. Hayungus von Emden, Prior des Zisterzienserklosters Ihlow, erklärte sich daraufhin bereit, die Leitung des durch kriegerische Wirren und Überschwemmungen schwer beschädigten Klosters Thedinga zu übernehmen. Er soll den Bau eines neuen Dormitoriums, eines Vorwerkes sowie einer Kapelle in Auftrag gegeben haben.

1448 wurde das Kloster Opfer eines Feuers. Kirche und Abtei blieben dabei verschont. Occo von Emden ließ Thedinga wieder aufbauen und stiftete eine Windmühle bei Jemgum und eine Ölmühle bei Emden. Im weiteren Verlauf des 15. und 16. Jahrhunderts unterhielt Thedinga gute Beziehungen zum Grafenhaus. Die Äbte dienten den Cirksena als Gesandte und Räte.

Wann die Reformation Einzug in Thedinga hielt, ist unbekannt. Letzter Abt war Homerus Beninga, Bruder des Chronisten Eggerik Beninga, der am 22. Juli 1502 gewählt wurde. Unter seiner Obhut verbrachte der kranke Ulrich (1499–1531), der 1517 als Page mit dem späteren Kaiser Karl V. nach Spanien gegangen war, seine letzten Tage in Thedinga. Er wurde dort 1531 auch begraben.  Nach dem Tod des Homerus im Jahre 1557 wurde kein neuer Abt mehr gewählt. Auch Mönche sind fortan in Thedinga nicht mehr nachweisbar. Dennoch bestand das Kloster noch für Jahrzehnte. Andreas de Mare baute um 1570 noch eine Klosterorgel. 1573 gab es noch zehn, 1604 fünf und 1605 drei Nonnen im Kloster.

Letztmals wird mit der Priorin Frauke von Jemgum am 20. Januar 1616 eine Insassin in Thedinga genannt. Nach ihrem Tod ließ Graf Johann II. das Archiv sicherstellen. Anschließend verschwand es, so dass nur wenige Urkunden erhalten blieben. Die Gebäude verfielen in der Folgezeit immer mehr. Christine Charlotte schenkte die Steine der Klosterkirche nach deren endgültigem Abbruch im Jahre 1674 der lutherischen Kirchengemeinde in Leer zur Errichtung der Lutherkirche (1675). Heute haben sich keine baulichen Reste des Klosters erhalten.

Wirtschaftstätigkeit
Das Kloster war reichlich mit Landbesitz ausgestattet. Neben dem Thedingaer Vorwerk besaß es ein weiteres in Timmel, ferner zwei Mühlen und zahlreiche Grund- und Erbpachten. Dazu kamen mehrere Häuser in Emden. Nach der Reformation bürdete Graf Edzard II. dem Kloster hohe Zahlungsverpflichtungen auf. Dafür verkaufte Thedinga im Jahre 1573 seine Mühle in Jemgum. Auch das Kloster Thedinga geriet Mitte des 16. Jahrhunderts im Zuge der Säkularisation in gräflichen Besitz. 1605 umfassten diese Ländereien eine Fläche von 707 Grasen. Das entspricht etwa 283 Hektar.

Kunsthistorische Besonderheiten

Wie das Kloster einst ausgesehen hat, ist unklar. Von seiner Ausstattung sind die meisten Gegenstände verschwunden. Graf Enno III. schenkte die Orgel 1609 der Reformierten Kirchengemeinde in Leer. Ein Teil der Pfeifen bildete den Grundstock für die neue Orgel der Großen Kirche, während das prächtige Renaissance-Gehäuse möglicherweise für die Orgel der St.-Georg-Christophorus-Jodokus-Kirche in Stellichte (1610) verwendet wurde und noch erhalten ist.  Erhalten blieben auch die Grabplatten des Abtes Homerus Beninga und der Priorin Etta von Oldersum. Sie befinden sich heute an den Außenwänden eines Gebäudes auf der Klosterwüstung. Ein achteckiger Gedenkstein für den in Thedinga verstorbenen Grafensohn Ulrich wurde später im Giebel des Nordflügels der Lutherkirche in Leer verbaut.

Namensdeutung
Die Bezeichnung Thedinga wird von dem friesischen Familiennamen Thedinga abgeleitet, was möglicherweise auf den ersten Abt zurückgeht, der nach einer alten Überlieferung Tede geheißen haben soll. Der Alternativname Seyna geht wohl auf den Berg Sinai zurück, an dem Moses laut Überlieferung von Gott die Zehn Gebote erhielt.

Literatur
 Josef Dolle: Thedinga. In: Josef Dolle unter Mitarbeit von Dennis Knochenhauer (Hrsg.): Niedersächsisches Klosterbuch. Verzeichnis der Klöster, Stifte, Kommenden und Beginenhäuser in Niedersachsen und Bremen von den Anfängen bis 1810. Teil 2. Bielefeld 2012, ISBN 3-89534-958-5, S. 1411 ff.
 Walter Deeters: Benediktinische Doppelklöster in Ostfriesland. In: Res Frisicae. Ostfriesische Landschaft, Aurich 1975, S. 73–85.
 Friedrich Ritter: Der heilige Hatebrand und die Klöster Meerhusen und Thedingen: die Benediktiner in Ostfriesland. In: Jahrbuch der Gesellschaft für Bildende Kunst und Vaterländische Altertümer zu Emden. Band 20, 1920, S. 145–173.
 Hemmo Suur: Geschichte der ehemaligen Klöster in der Provinz Ostfriesland: Ein Versuch. Hahn, Emden 1838, S. 25 ff. (Reprint der Ausgabe von 1838, Verlag Martin Sändig, Niederwalluf 1971, ISBN 3-500-23690-1); .

Weblinks
 Ortsartikel. (PDF; 39 kB) Ostfriesische Landschaft; abgerufen am 14. Juli 2009.

Einzelnachweise

Thedinga
Thedinga
Abgegangenes Bauwerk in Niedersachsen
Thedinga
Sakralbau in Leer (Ostfriesland)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Discussion in 'Legislation News' started by tandera, Aug 28, 2009.
Hi guys, i got bad news.
My country government using his health instituition has forbidden e-cigarettes here.
Well, let me explain, ecigs are already forbidden here, because my country laws. So it was possible to buy from outside sellers using at personal treatment.
Well, they just had banned all ecigs for now (including personal teraphy/treatment).
i have the of the news but i cant post here!
Please move this thread to the correct place. I wasn't able to create it at news forum.
Sorry to hear about that. What are you going to do now?
I am sorry to hear that. Can you elavorate more about the law in your country? The reasons? Thank you!
Is it strictly the sales of e-cigs that were banned, or are the use and possession of them banned as well?
Well, i'm not going to stop my ecigs trades at all.
That's horrible. Sorry to hear it.
Moved here to News. Well another Country joins the ban wagon. What a travesty.
Use and possesion are not banned. Let me explain.
Here in Brazil we've got a health government institution, named ANVISA. They are kinda FDA in USA, a bit different. On Brazil's law only products approved by ANVISA can be marketed, so ecigs are forbidden for selling here even before they exists.
But we where able to buy from outside sellers, this cannot be applied to Brazil's laws, because they're not selling inside Brazil.
Well, until august 25 we could buy ecigs for personal use, but now they banned the product importation, even for personal/therapy use.
See, we can still bring ecigs, yesterday i got a lot of 084s, easy. The customs do not verify EVERY order, and there are workarounds like send in multiple ships, unassembled.
I really want to put the news url here, but i just can't post yet.
6 more posts and you can put it up. or you can just put it in with a space in it so that it doesnt come over as a complete hyperlink.
Money and lobby (almost criminal lobby) talks there.
Ah. The FDA's bs science is to blame here too.
Wow that was more difficult than I thought.
"Muita gente comprava e trazia de boa fé o cigarro eletrônico com a ilusão de que o aparelho ia ajudar a parar de fumar", disse.
ridiculo. parei de fumar depois de 15 anos e como? E-cig. Tem nada a ver com "boa fe" e nem eh uma ilusao. funciona mesmo! palhacos... .
oh well,...vou ter q arrumar um coyote pro meu 510. hahahaha..
"Muita gente comprava e trazia de boa fé o cigarro eletrônico com a ilusão de que o aparelho ia ajudar a parar de fumar", disse.


Nicole Goodfellow joined Torus in late 2006 as an Associate Producer. After a swift promotion to Producer, Nicole has managed the development of 14 separate titles across 6 SKUs with 3 major publishing partners.
In 1990, Nicole started to pursue a career in media. With a BA in Communications (film, writing and video production) and an Associate Diploma in accounting, she quickly amassed an eclectic work history of television production; including writing, management, video editing and audio engineering. Nicole's skills easily transferred to games production, while at the same time providing a unique perspective on the industry from another media background. Her main personal and professional areas of interest are in animation, film and writing, all of which have provided a strong framework for her current profession in the games industry.
Nicole is currently managing the production of Torus' latest unannounced project while also assisting with Torus business development, as well as investigating the possibility of further postgraduate study in the field of professional writing. She lives Melbourne's East and dreams one day of polishing the dust off her surfboard.


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charlie 189
Paris is installing sparkling water fountains all over the city
The French capital hopes to have at least one of the fountains in each arrondissement
Bridget Hallinan
Published: Nov 03, 2017 | 12:56:28 IST
Photo: MIGUEL MEDINA | Getty Images
Paris—the city of love, lights, and… sparkling water fountains? That's right: Because tap water is so passé, the French capital decided to give their public drinking fountains a carbonated upgrade. The fontaine pétillante, as they're locally called, have been around since 2010, with eight sparkling fountains located around the city. This past month, however, Paris's City Hall scaled this project into a full-blown initiative, with the ultimate goal of having at least one carbonated fountain in each of the 20 arrondissements—Parisians, you'll never have to settle for still water again.
By adding these fountains, city water authorities hope to help Parisians stay hydrated. "People often told me that they were ready to drink tap water if it was carbonated," Anne le Strat, former Deputy Mayor of Paris, told 20 Minutes magazine in 2010. "Now they they've got no excuse not to." Just last week, a new fountain appeared in Square Eugene Varlin, so the project is already well underway; nine new fountains are slated to be installed by December 2018.
Each fountain is connected to the main water line, with a CO2 carbonator added in. The CO2 is added in when the water is exactly 44 degrees Fahrenheit, so it always has a cool, fresh flavour. However, these fountains don't just dispense streams of perfectly chilled seltzer—they also have a green incentive. The French consume an average of 40 gallons of bottled water annually, so the city is trying to reduce plastic waste by providing fresh, clean water at public fountains. And if the water happens to be sparkling, so be it—at least you'll get free quasi Perrier to accompany your picnic at Luxembourg Gardens. Though the fountains have a deceptively downtrodden appearance—many enticingly coated in grime and graffiti—a CityLab writer reported the water was "utterly delicious" and "a magical surprise." Looks like the fontaine pétillante will be yet another addition to Paris's highly enviable food & drink scene.
And while we're on the subject of drinking fountains, make sure you stop by Rome on your next trip to Italy—there's a free, 24-hour wine fountain just outside the city. No further explanation needed.
First published in Condé Nast Traveler USA.


Yes, as I am sure I have said before, the general concept of the Stuck and Double Stuck videos was rather absurd. Not just the getting stuck, but getting stuck for a rather unremarkable pen. And yet finally, inspiration struck. What is something someone really would dig deep under a bed for. I was such a fool for not thinking of this before: the remote!
People will tear about a house looking for the remote rather than just walking up to the TV and turning it on manually. Now, to a certain degree, this is not a fair criticism, in that modern TVs and remotes are necessary for many cable boxes to do anything useful, like change the channel. Even so, a remote control is a much more realistic target than a pen. I should have thought of that before. Oh well, better late than never. And I must admit, there was something fun about making the original Stuck video not only an absurd situation, but based on an absurd motivation.
So now the question is, what point is there in doing yet another one. Well first, it isn't the same two models as the other Double Stuck, and so that makes it of interest, as it is always interesting to see new faces (and more…btw, this video marks the introduction of SJRose to the site – you will be seeing more of her, in every sense of "more"…) But that alone was not interesting enough to me to do another "Double Stuck," particularly where one of the models was in the previous Double Stuck. (Hi Aiya!) What is that other thing? Groping, of course.
The groping in question is not from some third person, but is between Aiya and Sara. It even makes sense, in that Aiya has good reason to doubt Sara's claim that her own pants are being down. So feeling to confirm makes sense. Perhaps I should not be so concerned with this, given the subject matter, but even in an somewhat (or even more than somewhat) absurd-premise video, I like to make things make as much sense as possible. Suspension of disbelief can only go so far. The more genuine the motivations and actions, the more you can lose yourself into the storyline, such as it is. And then you can enjoy the embarrassment as you can perhaps empathize with it, or at least believe it.
Still, these videos push the limit of absurdity as far as what I would like to shoot. But they are still fun. Enjoy… You can see the a preview through here.


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El Torneo «Copa Absoluta» de la Tercera División de Chile 2015 o Campeonato de la Copa Absoluta 2015 o simplemente Copa Absoluta 2015 fue la 1.° edición de la competición oficial de copa doméstica entre clubes amateurs de la Tercera División A y Tercera División B de Chile, correspondiente a la temporada 2014-2015. Se jugó desde el 14 de marzo hasta el 24 de mayo de 2015.

Su organización estuvo a cargo de la Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Amateur de Chile (ANFA) y contó con la participación de 35 equipos, divididos en nueve grupos: ocho grupos de cuatro equipos y un grupo de tres equipos. La competición se disputó inicialmente bajo el sistema de todos contra todos, entre los equipos de cada grupo, y finalmente bajo el sistema de eliminación directa, en partidos de ida y vuelta.

Los equipos estaban compuestos por jugadores menores de 23 años; no obstante, se admitieron cinco jugadores Sub-25 por cada equipo.

El campeón fue Deportes Rengo, que se adjudicó su primer título de la Copa Absoluta, más una bonificación de 3 puntos para disputar la Tercera División A de Chile 2015.

Ascensos y Descensos
Actualizado el 2 de mayo de 2015
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Equipos participantes 2015

Cambios de entrenadores

Equipos por Región

Modalidad del torneo

Los 35 clubes se dividirán en 8 grupos de 4 equipos cada uno, más un grupo de 3 clubes. Los dos primeros equipos de cada grupo (excepto en los grupos 6 y 7, donde solo clasificará el primero) clasificarán a octavos de final. En la Fase de grupos, se jugarán solamente 3 fechas, con las localías ya sorteadas por la ANFA. El club de Tercera B que llegue más lejos en esta copa, ascenderá el próximo semestre a la Tercera A. Por ser una copa, no existirá descensos desde Tercera A a Tercera B, ni de esta última a  las Asociaciones de Origen. El equipo que se corone Campeón, se llevará el trofeo "Copa Absoluta 2015", y +3 puntos de bonificación.

Grupos

Grupo 1

Grupo 2

Grupo 3

Grupo 4

Grupo 5

Grupo 6 (Nuevos)

Grupo de debutantes y repostulantes. Sin opción de ascenso durante este Torneo.

Grupo 7 (Nuevos)

Grupo de debutantes y repostulantes. Sin opción de ascenso durante este Torneo.

Grupo 8

Grupo 9

Fase final

NOTA: El equipo ubicado en la primera casilla de cada llave, es el que ejercerá localía en el partido de vuelta.
NOTA 2: Lautaro de Buin logró el Ascenso a la Tercera A 2015-16 tras ser el club de Tercera B que avanzó más fases.

Octavos de Final

Deportes Rengo, Deportes Recoleta y Jireh FC avanzaron a Cuartos de Final por convertir más goles de visita, pese a que empataron en el marcador global de sus respectivas llaves.

Cuartos de Final

Semifinal

Final

Campeón

Goleadores

Actualizado el

Referencias

Véase también
 Temporada 2014-2015 del fútbol chileno
 Torneo Clausura 2015
 Primera B de Chile 2014-15
 Segunda División Profesional 2014-15
 Copa Chile 2014-15
 Supercopa de Chile 2015
 Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Amateur de Chile

2015


Karate instructors enjoy the challenges and rewards of teaching not only a set of physical skills and fighting techniques, but also of instilling core values of martial arts into their students. Values such as discipline, perseverance and integrity are central to martial arts and make a lasting, positive effect in the lives of students.
Karate instructors teach the martial art of karate to students in groups or individually. They demonstrate techniques and help students perfect their own techniques. Instructors monitor students' progress and prepare them to advance in rank. Instructors test students throughout the year and hold ceremonies to give students their new belts. If students go to competitions, the instructor will help prepare them. In some cases the instructor will travel to the competition with the student to guide and coach him throughout the event. Instructors also help organize seminars or demonstrations hosted by karate schools.
Some instructors must also manage administrative tasks such as enrolling new students, billing students for classes each month, and ordering and selling supplies and equipment such as uniforms and pads. They often market and promote the school with flyers and demonstrations. Karate instructors may also be responsible for cleaning the dojo and maintaining equipment.
The specific requirements for becoming a karate instructor vary. In many cases, instructors must hold the rank of black belt and have experience assisting the head instructor before taking over his own classes. Some schools have their own instructor training programs. Instructors must not only be able to perform techniques, they must also be able to break down each technique and teach it to students in different age groups. They must also know and be able to teach the values and history of karate. In addition, instructors must be confident teaching and demonstrating techniques in front of groups. They should also be comfortable working with students one-on-one, answering questions and talking to parents about a child's progress in class. Since instructors also often handle administrate duties, they should be organized and efficient.
Karate instructors usually work in a dojo, or martial arts studio. In some cases, they may teach in schools, community gyms or fitness centers. Karate instructors usually teach classes for two to five hours in the afternoons, evenings and weekends to accommodate their students' school and work schedules. They work additional hours to teach private classes and manage administrative tasks.


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Le transport ferroviaire en Afrique est relativement peu développé avec une longueur de lignes en exploitation de  à la fin de 2014, soit 5 % du total mondial alors que le continent représente environ 15 % de la population et 22 % de la superficie mondiale. D'environ un total de  de rail au début du , le continent africain a vu son réseau fortement s'auto-annihiler notamment à cause des problèmes de sécurité ; en 2011 la partie fonctionnelle du réseau africain atteignait . Le réseau ferroviaire africain, souvent à voie unique, construit à des écartements différents, est en outre très peu interconnecté, consistant souvent en lignes isolées en impasse, à l'exception de l'Afrique australe qui représente à elle seule 36 % des lignes exploitées, et de l'Afrique du Nord, relativement bien équipée.

Concernant le trafic passagers, en Afrique, tout comme sur le continent américain, les développements routiers et notamment l'apparition des autoroutes ont poussé les voyageurs à déserter le train pour le bus. C'est le cas en Afrique du Sud où la plupart des lignes rail longues distances ont été supprimées. Cela, ainsi que les différents conflits, ont fermé la majeure partie des grands réseaux ferrés africains au trafic passagers, c'est le cas au Soudan, en RDC, au Nigéria et dans bien d'autres pays où une infime partie des réseaux est encore exploitée pour le trafic voyageurs. En Afrique du Nord une grande partie des réseaux ferroviaires nationaux est à écartement standard UIC, les efforts des différents opérateurs ferroviaires nord-africains ont permis de pérenniser le trafic voyageurs avec plus ou moins de succès sur une bonne partie de leurs réseaux.

Histoire

L'un des premiers projets ferroviaire africain remonte à 1833, lorsque le dirigeant égyptien Mohammed Ali Pacha fait étudier une ligne du Caire à Suez. Le projet ne pourra pas être financé. Il faut attendre 1851 pour qu'un nouveau dirigeant, Abbas Pacha, signe un contrat avec Robert Stephenson pour la construction d'un chemin de fer à l'écartement standard. La première section, d'Alexandrie à Kafr el Zaiyat, est inaugurée en 1854, et complétée jusqu'au Caire en 1856. L'Egyptian State Railway (ESR) est ainsi la plus ancienne compagnie africaine.

À l'époque, la France est également présente en Afrique du Nord. Mais la construction d'un réseau ferré en Algérie ne figure pas parmi les priorités du Second Empire naissant. Plusieurs projets ne débouchent sur rien. Il faut attendre le  pour qu'un décret accorde la concession des lignes d'Alger à Blida, d'Oran à Saint-Denis-du-Sig, et de Constantine à la mer à la Compagnie des chemins de fer algériens. La section d'Alger à Blida, inaugurée le , est la première ligne de chemin de fer de la France d'outre-mer. Après cette première ouverture, la compagnie ne peut pas faire face à ses engagements et est mise en faillite. Ses concessions sont reprises par la puissante compagnie du PLM, qui pose ainsi un pied en Algérie.

C'est aussi au début des années 1860 que le rail fait son apparition en Afrique australe. Une première ligne longue de trois kilomètres est inaugurée au Natal, entre Durban et Point, en . Elle est prolongée jusqu'à Umgeni en 1867.
C'est également en 1860 que la Cape Town Railway and Dock company ouvre sa ligne Le Cap-Wellington (96 km) ainsi qu'un embranchement de 10 km entre Cape Town et Wynberg.

Toutes ces lignes sont construites à l'écartement standard. La ruée vers les mines de diamants de Kimberley, à la fin des années 1860, a d'importantes conséquences, car il s'agit désormais de prolonger les chemins de fer sur des distances superieures à 1000 kilomètres. Le , le gouvernement du Cap prend la direction du CTR&D co, ce qui doit en théorie permettre le financement des prolongements. Afin de limiter les coûts, on s'oriente vers le choix d'un écartement plus étroit. En 1869, la Cape Copper company avait ouvert une ligne à l'écartement de 760 mm entre Okiep et Port Nolloth (Afrique du Sud). Cet écartement semble trop faible aux ingénieurs du Cap, qui optent pour un compromis en choisissant un intermédiaire entre la voie standard de 1435 mm et la voie étroite de 760 mm. C'est ainsi que l'écartement de 1067 mm, également connu comme « voie métrique anglaise » ou « écartement du Cap » est retenu vers 1874. Il va rapidement devenir l'écartement standard dans une grande partie de l'Afrique.

Les principaux réseaux ferroviaires africains

  * Mvk : million de voyageurs x kilomètres
  * Mtk : million de tonnes x kilomètres
  ** Chiffre comprenant les statistiques du transport intra-urbain de Metrorail et de Gautrain

Concurrence avec les autres modes de transport

Les voyageurs
Le transport voyageurs par train est comme partout dans le monde concurrencé par l'apparition des moyens de transport plus efficaces: en Afrique du Nord les trains sont relativement rapides et ont pu faire face aux apparitions des autoroutes, les lignes ferroviaires les plus rapides à l'échelle continentale actuellement sont les trajets Tanger - Kenitra,Oran - Alger, Le Caire - Alexandrie et Casablanca - Fez des lignes qui sont toutes à écartement standard UIC et relativement bien entretenues, cependant, l'insécurité conjoncturelle et la subvention massive des carburants en Egypte et en Algérie ont beaucoup pénalisé le transport ferroviaire interurbain. En Afrique australe et en Afrique de l'est la lenteur des trains a poussé les passagers massivement vers l'avion et le bus, l'insécurité dans les transports collectifs en Afrique du sud a aussi nettement réduit le transport ferroviaire de voyageurs: en moins de cinq ans le nombre de passagers interurbains est passé de 4 millions à moins de un million de passagers aujourd'hui pour la compagnie de transport interurbain Shosholoza Meyl.

Les marchandises
Les développements routiers en Afrique ont beaucoup affecté le transport ferroviaire de marchandises. En Afrique subsaharienne, le fret rail est également concurrencé par le transport fluvial ; au nord, la plupart des échanges entre les pays nord-africains se font par voie maritime. Au nord comme au sud le transport terrestre est toujours inhibé par l'insécurité, le terrorisme et les instabilités politiques. Le transport maritime reste toujours prépondérant et les voies ferrées existantes servent à connecter les ports vers les pays enclavés.

Aspects techniques

L'écartement des voies
Largement répondu et majoritaire en Afrique du Nord, l'écartement standard est quasi absent dans le reste du continent qui détient des réseaux à écartements étroits ceci limite en partie les vitesses d'exploitation ainsi que le choix du matériel roulant.

La signalisation
La signalisation est assez récente en Afrique, la multiplication des accidents ferroviaires sur le continent africain est en partie du au manque de signalisation et de maintenance, n'empêche que dernièrement des pays comme l'Algérie, l'Egypte et le Maroc ont connu des avancées remarquables en termes de signalisation ferroviaire.

L'électrification
Les réseaux ferroviaires sont très largement non électrifiés les premiers pays à avoir électrifié leurs réseaux sont le Maroc dont le réseau est électrifié à 60 % et l'Afrique du sud qui détient un réseau électrifié à 40 %.

Les doublements de voies
À défaut d'être électrifié, c'est le réseau ferroviaire égyptien qui contient le plus de tronçons à double voies et qui totalise 1 466 km soit 30 % du réseau dédoublé. Le réseau ferré marocain est dédoublé à 30 % sur un linéaire de 640 km il est censé atteindre 1 250 km vers 2018 avec les dédoublements des lignes Fez - Oujda, Ben Guerir - Marrakech et la nouvelle ligne Tanger - Kénitra.

La vitesse des trains en Afrique
La vitesse des trains est directement liée à l'écartement des voies ainsi qu'au mode d'alimentation des trains. Dès la fin de l'époque des trains à vapeur la génération des locomotives Diesel a permis de réaliser des trains assez rapides, cependant, la nature même de ce type de trains l'empêche d'aller encore plus vite dans la mesure où il consistait en un générateur roulant assez lourd et bandé de tonnes de carburant Diesel qui lui augmente encore plus sa pondération. La solution fut d'apporter directement l'alimentation à la locomotive par une troisième voie centrale ou par caténaire aérienne comme le modèle actuel. Un autre procédé fut trouvé pour créer des trains avec turbines roulant au gaz naturel plus léger, des trains appelés turbotrains. C'est ce dernier type de trains que la compagnie ferroviaire égyptienne a utilisé pour avoir les trains très rapides (160 km/h) dès 1983. Avant cette date les trains les plus rapides furent les autorails Double De Dietrich construits en 1950 et utilisés en Algérie et Tunisie, il roulaient à des vitesses maximales de 120 km/h, en 1956 l'opérateur ferroviaire marocain commanda une version améliorée baptisée xDd-3 chez le même constructeur avec plus de places assises et roulant à 140 km/h.

En 1984 l'ONCF met en place un service de train navette rapide grâce à l'automotrice électrique ZMC roulant à 160 km/h entre Rabat et Casablanca sur une distance de 100 km. En 2002 l'opérateur a commandé chez le constructeur italien Ansaldo Breda 24 automotrices duplex (à 2 niveaux) Z2M pouvant atteindre 180 km/h et 378 places assises, commande reçue en 2006, le service TNR est prolongé jusqu'à Kénitra et Settat.

En 2006 la SNTF commande 64 automotrices électriques Stadler FLIRT roulant à 120 km/h et d'une capacité de 144 places assises, les livraisons des automotrices Stadler commencèrent à partir de 2010.

En 2008 la SNTF acquiert 17 autorails Diesel auprès du constructeur espagnole CAF, les 17 autorails ont une capacité de 200 places assises et une vitesse maximale de 160 km/h.

Le  l'Afrique du sud met en service à la veille de l'ouverture du mondial du football un train rapide nommé Gautrain de 80 places assises et roulant à 160 km/h sur un tronçon de 20 km entre Johannesburg et son aéroport, le Gautrain sera prolongé progressivement et atteindra 80 km à terme.

Le  l'ONCF commande 14 rames TGV Euroduplex à deux niveaux d'une capacité de 533 places assises chacune pouvant rouler à 320 km/h pour relier Tanger à Kénitra sur une distance totale de 350 km. Les deux premières rames TGV sont reçues et montées à Tanger, les tests statiques sont effectués avec succès, les tests dynamiques commencent fin .

À l'heure actuelle malgré l'existence de matériel roulant rapide en Afrique le nombre de gares intermédiaires empêche les trains longue distance de dépasser 100 km/h de moyenne. Les liaisons les plus rapides en Afrique se présentent comme suit:

 Tanger - Kénitra (Maroc), 200km (sur la LGV en cours) à 255,2 km/h de moyenne ;
 Rabat - Casablanca (Maroc), 100km à 120 km/h en moyenne ;
 Gautrain Pretoria - Johannesburg (ZAF), 62km à 106.3 km/h de moyenne ;
 Alexandrie - Le Caire (Égypte), 208km à 99,8 km/h de moyenne ;
 Fez - Casablanca (Maroc), 325km à 97,5 km/h de moyenne ;
 Tunis - Sfax (Tunisie), 268km à 89,3 km/h de moyenne ;
 Alger - Oran (Algérie), 421km à 88,6 km/h de moyenne ;
 Tanger - Casablanca (Maroc), 420km (sur ligne classique) à 88,4 km/h de moyenne ;
 Tunis - Gabès (Tunisie), 413km à 84 km/h de moyenne ;
 Tanger - Kénitra (Maroc), 250km (sur ligne classique) à 83,3 km/h de moyenne .

Les lignes ferroviaires les plus actives

Lignes fret
Les lignes ferroviaires présentant le plus de volume de fret en Afrique sont principalement des lignes minières consacrées aux export de minerais de charbon, de fer et de phosphates, leur constructions ont été effectuées par les différents pays européens ayant colonisé ces régions d'Afrique, la pérennité de ces différentes lignes est directement liée aux espérances de vie de ces mines. Au début du siècle plusieurs lignes ferroviaires minières ont vu le jour sur le continent dont une grande partie ont disparu à cause des épuisements des mines ou des baisses de prix de leurs minerais respectifs. Ainsi la baisse de prix des phosphates a occasionné l'arrêt d'exploitation de plusieurs anciennes lignes de transport de ce produit en Tunisie, en Algérie et en Egypte, il en est de même pour le charbon qui a perdu de sa valeur et qui fait disparaître plusieurs lignes en Afrique dont l'ancienne ligne marocaine Bouarfa Oujda depuis la fermeture des mines de Jerada. Parmi les principales lignes ferroviaires africaines encore en activité on trouve :

 Ermelo-Richards Bay : 38 millions de tonnes par an pour le transport de charbon sud africain des mines de Ermelo vers l'océan Atlantique ;
 Sishen-Saldanha : 28 millions de tonnes par an d'export de minerai de fer vers le port sud africain de Saldanha sur l'océan indien, un projet de modernisation de ces deux dernières lignes, longues respectivement de 861 km et de 588 km, a pour objectif de réaliser la moitié des volumes de fret de l'Afrique du sud toutes autres lignes confondues ;
 Khouribga-Nouaceur : 16,3 millions de tonnes de phosphates au Maroc  grâce à une ligne électrique à double voies et à écartement UIC des mines de Khouribga vers Nouaceur sur 130 km dont 9,5 million de tonnes sont exportés par le port de Casablanca à 20 km vers le nord et 6,8 millions de tonnes sont acheminés vers le Port atlantique de Jorf Lasfar à 102 km vers le sud ouest ;
 Zouerate-Nouadhibou : 16 millions de tonnes de minerai de fer par an sur 704 km des mines de Zouerate vers le port Atlantique mauritanien de Nouadibou ;
 Benguerir-Safi : 9,2 millions de tonnes de phosphates transportés des mines de Benguerir/youssoufia vers le port atlantique marocain de Safi ;

Lignes passagers
Avant les révolutions dites du printemps arabe la ligne passagers la plus active fut la ligne Le Caire-Alexandrie qui dépassait les 10 millions passagers par an, la grande partie de passagers étaient réalisée par les trains ordinaires non climatisés transportant les jeunes cairotes voyageant debout vers la station balnéaire de Alexandrie, les trains express et les trains spéciaux coûtant plus chers. La ligne Le Caire Alexandrie bien que n'étant pas encore électrifiée possède le grand avantage d'être parmi les rares lignes africaines longues distances à écartement standard entièrement à double voies. En 2015 le total de passagers sur la ligne Alexandrie-Le Caire descend à 7,75 millions de passagers dont 3,75 millions de passagers en trains climatisés et 4 millions en trains ordinaires. Un projet est en cours d'étude pour transformer cette ligne en LGV et de l'exploiter grâce à des TGV électrique à une vitesse de 300 km/h, l'objectif de ce projet est d'atteindre 10 à 18 millions de passagers par an. D'autres lignes passagers longues distances ont été modernisées et continuent à résister au transport par bus malgré l'apparition des autoroutes en Afrique du Nord, si ces dernières survivent c'est possiblement surtout grâce à la quasi-absence du transport aérien régional, les pays d'Afrique australe ayant libéralisé leur trafic aérien intérieur ont vu leur transport ferroviaire passagers disparaître progressivement. Il s'ensuit que les lignes passagers interurbaines les plus actives à fin 2015 sont situées principalement en Algérie, Tunisie et au Maroc qui relient les grandes villes régionales aux capitales de ces trois pays dont les lignes :

 Rabat-Fez : 9,4 millions de passagers réalisés en 2014 grâce à une ligne électrique double voies de 250 km ;
 Rabat-Casablanca : 9,15 millions de passagers sur une ligne électrique double voie de 100 km, une ligne en cours de triplement ;
 Le Caire-Alexandrie : 7,75 millions de passagers en 2015 sur une ligne double voies non électrifiée de 208 km;
 Le Gautrain : 5,70 millions de passagers à fin 2013 sur une ligne électrique double voies à écartement standard UIC de 60 km ;
 Casablanca-Marrakech : 4,5 millions de passagers en 2014 sur une ligne électrifiée partiellement dédoublée, trafic escompté après le doublement total en cours 7,4 millions de passagers ;
 Tanger-Rabat : 4 millions de passagers sur une distance de 300 km, trafic prévisionnel à la mise en service du TGV Tanger-Rabat 7 millions de passagers ;

La sécurité ferroviaire

Aspects politiques

L'harmonisation

Ouverture à la concurrence

L'interconnexion des pays

Transport voyageurs

Fret

Corridors internes

Corridors régionaux

Les développements ferroviaires en Afrique

Les développements récents

Les chantiers en cours

En projet

Voir aussi
 Transport ferroviaire par pays

Liens externes

 African Passenger Railways


While I hate not getting any more of the story I did love the parts that you finished. I hope that just because you are not investing more time in this story doesn't mean that there won't be others. Hats off to all you achieved!


text:
Google Translate adds real-time camera conversion for 13 more languages
By Sharmishta Sarkar 2018-10-11T23:43:37Z
A Babel fish in your pocket
Starting this week, the Google Translate app for iOS and Android will be getting an upgrade of its camera mode to recognize an additional 13 languages. This takes the number of languages that Google Translate can do real-time text translation for to nearly 50.
The new languages include Arabic, Punjabi, Bengali, Vietnamese, Thai, Gujarati, Kannada, Nepali, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam. With Hindi included in the languages the app's camera mode can recognize, Google Translate now supports four of the world's 10 most spoken languages.
To make use of the camera mode feature on the app, users can navigate to the camera icon on the home screen. That brings up a prompt to line up the text that needs translating with the handset's rear camera to take a photo.
Google Translate then uses a tech called Neural Machine Translation (NMT) – a machine learning process – which presents a translation in real time into the language of choice. How accurate that translation is can vary, though.
Camera support for the new languages is available to users on both iOS and Android and worldwide rollout has already begun.
Mind your language: Google Pixel Buds and the translation tech helping the world to speak
The Elder Scrolls 6: release date, news and rumors


text:
Shimmer – Snippet 6
Hey, S. M. Boyce here. Shimmer is the second book in the Fairhaven Chronicles, a series inspired by the beauty of the west coast. Enjoy the first 6 chapters on the house and ride along as Victoria Brie (yes, like the cheese) and her best friend Audrey Xavier continue their journey.
Did you miss the previous chapters? Here they are:
Chapter 1: http://oriceran.com/shimmer-snippet-1/
Here's chapter 6:
Glow: The Revelations of Oriceran, The Fairhaven Chronicles, Book 1
By S. M. Boyce & Martha Carr
Audrey was careful to keep her eyes peeled on her way home. She had stayed behind to train with Bertha after Victoria headed back to the house to come up with a plan. While most of the city were scared of whatever darkness plagued them, Audrey and Victoria could handle themselves.
Grinning, Audrey fiddled with the magic stone in her pocket. She could definitely handle herself now that she had secret magic that could create sparks and feed her energy. Part of her ached to use it, even wished she would run into a creature so that she could discover the true capacity of these crystals' magic.
But she knew better. She shouldn't invite danger into her life just to play with power she didn't understand.
Aside from a few shifty glances from strangers she passed in the street, nothing notable happened on her way home. No attacks. No eerie sensations.
As she closed the front door behind her, the homey aroma of cooking pasta captured her attention. She smiled and followed her nose into the kitchen, to find Victoria ferociously stirring a pot while Styx sat on the edge of the counter kicking his tiny legs.
"You're stress-cooking," Audrey said.
Victoria laughed. "What, I can't do something nice for my friend?"
Audrey crossed her arms and quirked an eyebrow, giving her friend a once-over. "I've known you since middle school. You only cook when you're stressed out about something. Spill."
Victoria's shoulders drooped, and she put a bowl filled with some kind of creamy sauce on the counter. "Just eat my food."
Audrey chuckled and sat at the table. "If you insist."
Victoria set a banquet on the table, everything from spaghetti and meatballs to a tray of dumplings. Starchy, carb-filled goodness.
Audrey grabbed two plates from the cupboard. "Oh man, V. Are you trying to make me fat?"
Victoria chuckled. "Maybe."
With no one to bother them and the evening to themselves, they tucked into the feast. Audrey lost count of how many dumplings she ate. Each one tasted better than the last. "How can you be so good at making food when you only stress-cook?"
"I'm going to let you figure that one out, genius."
Audrey laughed. "Well, let's not think about stressful things."
Victoria chewed slowly on one of the dumplings and leaned back in her chair. "That rules out Fyrn."
"Yeah, no kidding. If he ever smiled, I'd check to see if someone was wearing a Fyrn mask."
Victoria laughed. "He's better than Diesel. My God, that wizard is insufferable."
"Because he's arrogant, or because he thinks you're soul mates?"
Audrey laughed and batted her eyes, doing her best to imitate Diesel's baritone. "Victoria, my truest amour, if I badger you enough perhaps I'll wear down your defenses and you'll fall madly in love with me!"
Victoria threw a piece of spaghetti at Audrey's head. Audrey tried to catch it in her mouth, but the noodle splatted on her face. They chuckled.
Audrey reached for another dumpling, even though her stomach felt as though it would explode. "These things are addictive."
"No kidding. Bertha taught me the recipe and I can't stop making them." Victoria popped another in her mouth.
"If we're too fat to protect Fairhaven, it's her fault."
"Basically."
The girls lounged in their seats, arms draped over the armrests and feet resting on the other chairs around the table.
Audrey resisted the impulse to grab another dumpling, mostly because it would require moving. "So, say we kill Luak. It's done. We're free from the need for revenge, and Fairhaven's free from his control. What's next?"
"For you? You should go home to your family and go to college. I'll give you my fortune. You go start the next big company that sells for billions."
Audrey laughed. "As fun as that sounds, we've been over this. I'm not leaving you, Victoria."
A thin smile crept onto Victoria's face, and it warmed Audrey's heart. It was thanks enough. Victoria didn't have to say a thing.
"Well, if you stay here with me, at least we'll live comfortably." Victoria gestured to the grand house.
"Are you used to being rich yet?"
Victoria snorted. "Hell, yeah. I love it, but I won't forget where I came from. It's just a tool to make our lives easier."
"Much easier."
Victoria laughed and tossed a dumpling at Audrey this time, which she caught effortlessly in her mouth.
"What will you do?" Audrey prodded.
With a happy sigh, Victoria settled back in her chair. "Stay here. Take care of Fairhaven. Maybe usurp the throne."
Audrey laughed. "The important thing is to set achievable goals."
They chuckled, and in that moment everything was perfect. It was like when they had gotten together in Victoria's empty house for sleepovers while her parents were on assignment. Just the two of them, and loads of food.
Those had been good times. Too bad Audrey had to ruin the mood. "Tell me why you're stressed, Victoria."
"I'm not—"
Audrey caught her friend's eye and quirked her brow, daring Victoria to finish the lie.
"Ugh. Yes, fine. I'm stressed out."
"That's understandable. But don't worry, we'll figure something out. We'll find whatever's attacking people—"
"It's not that," Victoria interrupted.
Audrey hesitated, squinting a bit in confusion. "So what's going on?"
Victoria bit her lip, shaking her head as she stared out the kitchen window. "A lot is going on. Too much. It's been two months since my parents died, and I'm no closer to killing Luak. I've been training hard, but my body can only take so much. I'm not strong enough to wield the Rhazdon Artifact as it should be used. Fyrn's looking for a spell that can make me stronger, but I'm not optimistic."
"Victoria, we'll figure it out."
Victoria sighed. "That's not even the worst part, Audrey."
Audrey waited for Victoria to continue, heart skipping beats as she nervously wondered what was coming next.
"I've been ignoring you," Victoria finally said.
"Except for little moments here and there, I've completely ignored you lately, and I'm sorry. I've been so caught up in revenge and bloodlust that I haven't spent time with you. I'm gone every day, and Bertha works most of the time. She can't train you constantly. You must be bored to tears."
Audrey was a bit confused. She didn't quite know how to take this. On one hand, Victoria was absolutely right. She had left Audrey to her own devices. On the other hand, the jealousy within Audrey burned brighter every day, and she wished with all her heart she could lock it away.
"I think you're being too hard on yourself," Audrey said.
"I don't," Victoria said softly.
Audrey laughed. "What on Earth has you feeling so guilty?"
Victoria studied Audrey for second, and the intensity made her squirm. It was like she knew something Audrey didn't—and Audrey didn't like that one bit.
"Do you still trust me?" Victoria eventually asked.
"Then why are you hiding something from me?"
If Audrey had been drinking something she would've spit it out from sheer surprise. Victoria knew. Somehow, someway, Victoria knew.
"Victoria… " Audrey didn't know what to say. She rubbed her neck, searching for the words to make this right.
Someone banged on the front door, and Audrey couldn't help but be grateful for the interruption. At first Victoria didn't budge. She didn't even look at the door, keeping the full weight of her gaze focused on Audrey.
"I'll get it," Audrey said. She hurried to the front door and swung it open, to find a small creature hovering in the doorway. It was no more than two inches tall, and looked like a very tiny human with long brown hair and rapidly humming wings that had faintly green coloration.
"I must speak with Victoria Brie at once," the fairy said, her voice high-pitched.
The tap of boots in the hallway meant Victoria had heard. Seconds later, she appeared beside Audrey and shook her head. "I'm a little busy."
"Fyrn needs to speak with you at once," the little fairy said.
"He can wait."
"Please, Miss Brie, I urge you to hurry. He said you will want to hear what he has to say."
Victoria sighed, one hand on her hip as she stared into the distance, no doubt weighing the pros and cons of interrupting the conversation she had started with Audrey. "Fine. Tell him I'm coming."
The fairy bowed and darted off. Victoria slammed the door and stared at Audrey.
To fill the silence, Audrey nodded toward the door. "Do you think he found the strength spell he was looking for?"
Victoria shrugged. "I doubt it. I don't mean to be pessimistic, but my gut says it's not possible."
Audrey ran her hand through her hair, unsure what to say. "Look, I don't… I'm not sure how to… "
Victoria lifted a graceful hand to silence Audrey and shook her head. "You don't have to tell me anything. That's what being friends is all about—you never have to do anything. At least not with me. I'm just… Well, Audrey, I'm hurt, that's all. I'm hurt that you don't trust me enough to tell me what's going on, but maybe I deserve it for not being here for you lately. But here's the thing: I will always be there for you: to help you, to listen, to give you whatever you need. I'm sorry if I've been a terrible friend."
With that Victoria opened the door and took off into the street, leaving the door ajar so as not to slam it in Audrey's face. Styx flew after her, moving so fast he was nothing but a white and brown blur. As Audrey watched her friend head toward Fyrn's house, she wondered if she was doing the right thing by keeping her new magic a secret. Victoria probably wouldn't be jealous. She would probably celebrate with Audrey, do everything she could to help Audrey learn to control this magic she channeled through the white stones.
But that deep, dark voice in Audrey's soul warned her to be silent. This was deadly magic, coveted magic, and all who knew of it were at risk.
Available to read now. (FREE if you're a member of KU!)
Read on Amazon Kindle


text:
News: Gaming Steve is back! Check it out! http://rollforcombat.com/
Gaming Steve Message Board »
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Site News »
Topic: Front page updated!
Author Topic: Front page updated! (Read 80307 times)
PatMan33
Fable Hero
M I RITE? STICKERS?
Re: Front page updated!
Krakow Sam
Dungeon Sieger
Stern dissaproval
Pah, screw assassin's creed. Heres a must have title for you:
« Last Edit: November 29, 2007, 02:23:22 pm by Krakow Sam »
Quote from: Interitus on January 16, 2007, 05:00:54 am
Sam is basically right, he's just cranky.
Damn you Sam! Damn you!!!!!
Ensign Seventh Class
Well... whatever.
Haha. Brilliant.
Here's some.
and in case that's not your style.
SunDog Pilot
Bbrrrraaaaaiiiiinnnnssss
I think we found that internet meme...the one people were trying to make in that one thread..forgot which one.
They're collectible! Sorta...
Hey look, another update.
Danzik
Gyruss Gyrusian
Front page doesn't seem to be coming up for me...
TotalSandwich
Vanguard Venturer
Tersonal Pext?
Two updates in as many days.
The second coming? I fear it cannot last.
The moon is a sickle cell; it will kill you in time.
Quote from: TotalSandwich on November 29, 2007, 10:41:47 pm
Doubt not The Steve.
Quote from: Gaming Steve
Popular Gamespot Reviewer Fired Over Kane and Lynch Review?
Penny Arcade Gamespot Take
A very interesting story has been zipping across the Internets today concerning video game "journalism" and review scores. According to the rumor, Jeff Gerstmann, a very popular and well known editor at Gamespot, was fired because he gave the game Kane and Lynch a score of 6.0. Eidos, which just happened to have an enormous marketing campaign plastered all over the Gamespot site right now, was not too pleased with his review and demanded the score to be changed.
But why would Eidos want the score changed so badly? Well it seems that Cnet, the owner of Gamespot, promised a certain "type" of score in exchange for their marketing dollars and that "understanding" didn't come through. Of course, Cnet didn't exactly promise a specific score, but rather a "positive tone" to the review. Gerstmann refused to change his score/review so he was fired. No official word has been made at Gamespot, and no word from Gerstmann so this is all hearsay and speculation at this point, but Gerstmann has not been on the site or in his regular Gamespot segments for several days now.
Could this rumor be true? Who knows ... but it should be pointed out that Gamespot has changed scores in the past. Last year Gamespot reviewed Company of Heroes and gave it an 8.9, but a few days later changed their score to a 9.0 and gave the game an "Editors' Choice" award (the official word is that they changed the score because of an SLI issue that was fixed, but that seems a bit too convenient).
But the real question is this, do gaming publications trade good reviews for exclusive access, marketing dollars, behind-the-scene interviews? Could the influx in thousands of dollars in ad revenue in any way shape and form affect the so-called "game reviews" that you read? I mean, what are the chances that upsetting one of the few big-game publishers in the industry could possibly hurt your chances at future access to their games and content?
(Please note, the previous paragraph should be read with a tone of heavy sarcasm to get the full effect. Thank you.)
All I have to say is this -- Gamespot Perfect Dark Zero review ... final score, 9.0 and an Editors' Choice award during the launch of the Xbox 360 and an enormous Microsoft marketing campaign at Gamespot. Amazing coincidence ... or was Perfect Dark Zero, the launch title for the Xbox 360, just that good of a game. You decide.
Oh yes, bonus fun at Penny Arcade with their take on the rumor.
Front page quoted in case it seems to be not working for anyone else.
Also, the tone of this post really made me miss Steve's straight forward attitude from the podcasts.
« Last Edit: November 29, 2007, 10:54:02 pm by Danzik »
Mr. Consideration
Goddess of Phobos
Merry Christmarx, one and all!
I'm really quite irritated by the utter lack of intergrity on GameSpot's part. This basically proves to me that I should never trust GameSpot reviews.
In an act of defiance, we should boycott GameSpot! Thus, the marketing ploy will fail if we encourage enough people to simply never use GameSpot again.
I'd be boycotting too, but, as I never use Gamespot, thats not so difficult.
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone elses opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation." - Oscar Wilde
Yes, I am aware of the irony.
I also posted this in the comments section on the front page, but it bears repeating.
Gamespot members are voting with their feet and panning Kane and Lynch simply to flip gamespot and Eidos the bird: http://uk.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/kanelynchdeadmen/players.html?tag=readerreviews%3Balluser
Holy hell. Look at all those player reviewers giving it a 1/10 over the event. That's insane and wont be good for the game. A pity, all the work put into a game and it's effectively ruined by corrupt companies and bored teenagers. But then again, I s'pose Eidos didn't help any.
Oye... need a facepalm smiley...
Plank of Wood
Final Fighter
ITSA BEEN UPDATED AGAIN!
the real saviour of this forum
Gorman Conall
Due to the recent updates you now know why i always said NEVER trust professional reviewers listen to the players the ones who buy the game to play it.
Holy hell, Steve. Three updates in three days. Making up for lost time now.
Anyhow, those curious about the controversial interview but too lazy to go look it up:
Interesting multiplayer mode
You'll see a variety of different scenery as you play.
Artificial intelligence is quite lacking.
Weapons don't feel right
Characters and storyline do everything in their power to drive you away from the game
No online co-op mode.
Io Interactive is best known for its stealth-focused Hitman series, but there's nothing quiet and sneaky about its latest release, Kane & Lynch: Dead Men. This time around, the developer put together a crime-themed shooter that starts out with a couple of simple, heist-like objectives and then rapidly spins out of control until, without much warning, you're gunning down soldiers in the middle of a foreign revolution. While the journey sounds interesting at first, and has a few bright points, it's weighed down by bad storytelling, a real lack of character development, and a host of gameplay-related issues. The end result is a game that squanders much of its potential and just doesn't come together as well as it probably should have.
Kane and Lynch don't get along--not in an especially interesting way either.
The story mode opens with you in the role of Kane, a death row inmate on his way to his execution, apparently convicted of being a very savage criminal as part of a notorious gang called The7. You're on your last ride with a quirky guy named Lynch who tells you to cover your head. After an explosion, you're both busted out and on the run. That might sound great, but it's a fate worse than death. The surviving members of The7 have busted you out to force you to recover something they think you stole from them. They consider you a traitor and will kill Kane's family if he doesn't comply. Lynch is sent along for the ride to watch over Kane and report in if anything weird happens. Circumstances change over time and the back half plays out like a revenge tale, but it's a revenge tale where you don't actually care if anyone actually gets their revenge. Every single person you play as or encounter is despicable and wholly abrasive; thus, it'll probably be tough for you to find anyone to latch onto and care about, even if you typically go for this sort of crime drama on TV or in movies. You can play through this story alone or with a friend in co-op mode, though this mode is only available locally and takes place on a vertically split screen that makes it difficult to follow the action, even on a widescreen TV.
The core gameplay in Kane & Lynch is your standard third-person shooter with cover elements and a light dusting of squad tactics. You can fire from the hip, but it's somewhat more accurate to fire while aiming. Unfortunately, even when you're aiming, hitting your targets is more difficult than it should be because your automatic fire has a wide spread on it. Kane is supposedly a badass arch-criminal; he should be able to hit his targets with short, controlled bursts. You're able to get behind cover and either blindfire or pop out for aimed shots, but there's no easy way to stick to walls. You don't press a button or anything; instead you sort of get up against a wall and turn sideways. Then after jiggling the controls back and forth a bit, you'll eventually snap into place to get behind cover. It's such a pain that you'll rarely want to use it, and it seems like you're always snapping into cover behind something at the most inopportune times, making the game quite frustrating. There's no health meter, but if you go down, you don't die immediately either. You can be revived by one of your teammates with an adrenaline shot. If you get that shot too frequently, you'll overdose and die. If your teammates don't reach you in time, you'll die too. Also, if one of the guys on your crew gets dropped, you have to make sure he gets revived. If he dies, the game ends. Between your poor accuracy, the enemy's sharp accuracy, and the boneheaded AI from your squadmates, this all adds up to you keeping your squad on a very short leash.
When you've got a team with you, you can order team members around individually or order the team all at once by telling it to regroup to your location, move to a specific spot, or attack specific targets. Telling team members to move to locations is the most effective move because you can keep them close and revive them when they get shot down. Sending them after targets results in your squad running around aimlessly and trying to get too close to targets. That leads to them getting dropped in the line of fire, where you probably won't be able to rescue them. So whether you're doing the shooting yourself or hanging back and letting your men do the dirty work, the game is a real disappointment, especially when you consider how well this same sort of stuff worked in the developer's previous squad-based game, Freedom Fighters.
There's only one multiplayer mode in Kane & Lynch, and it's a great idea. Unfortunately, the idea doesn't translate into a great or long-lasting experience. It's called Fragile Alliance and puts up to eight players in one team of criminals. Then, it sets the team off to steal money, cocaine, and jewels from various locations seen in the single-player game. So you might start out in front of a bank, run in, collect a bunch of cash, and then escape from in a van out back. The catch is the way the money is split up among teammates. If you all work together, the money is split evenly. But at any point, a player can go rogue and gun down one of his teammates. This brands you a traitor; thus, any money you collect and escape with is yours to keep. Of course, this also means that other players who are still part of the team will try to waste you before you escape with their hard-stolen loot. So every round is a tentative affair where you always expect the worst--you're just never sure when someone's going to finally turn on you. When you die, whether it's from the AI that opposes you or another player, you respawn on the other side of the heist. Now you need to stop the heist by eliminating the other players and you earn money by collecting it before the criminals collect.
It's a bummer that the multiplayer is mucked up by a few different things. First, you're still playing Kane & Lynch, so all of the inaccurate firing issues and poor cover tactics from the single-player still apply. But another problem is that you can see the names of the other players over their heads from a distance and through walls, even if they're on the other side. While you can run while crouched to make your name disappear, it's pretty weak that you can see the names of the police team members as they head your way. There's no element of surprise. Also, there are only a handful of different scenarios for this, and they play out the same way every single time. The security guards are always in the same positions in the bank and the cops are always waiting for you right outside, so it gets old fast.
While it might seem like a basic heist game, Kane & Lynch does a good job of moving the action around, and you'll see a variety of different environments and situations, ranging from banks, to prison breaks, to full-scale conflicts in the middle of illicit poppy fields. It also has some good-looking player models, with Kane and Lynch both looking appropriate as over-the-hill criminals. And even though their faces don't animate much in-game, they still look good. Most of the animation isn't so hot, though, and you'll see a few ugly textures here and there too. Some of it looks a bit unfinished, like the way you see guys go through the motion of hitting you with an adrenaline shot, but their hands are actually empty.
The multiplayer mode is a really cool idea that leaves you wondering who's going to turn traitor on you, but it isn't strong enough to make you forget the game's other problems.
The soundtrack is probably the best part of the whole game, delivering some tense music when the game calls for it. There's a lot of voice acting in the game. The voices are appropriate for the characters, but the dialogue is hokey and filled with gratuitous cursing. The good ol' F word is certainly appropriate, given the nature of what these guys are doing, but when it's every third word out of every character's mouth, it comes across as a crutch that drags down the rest of the game a bit. Lynch frequently responds to your squad-orders by just shouting "F*** you!" Things like that just make the game feel purposely abrasive, and not in a "gritty" or "cool" sort of way.
The game is available on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 as of this writing, and the differences between the two versions are minimal. Both games have occasional frame rate issues and the control issues with finding cover and hitting targets are noticeable in both. The only real difference is that the PlayStation 3 version doesn't seem to have voice chat support. The multiplayer mode only really clicks when you can talk things out with other players and try to convince them that you're not going to turn traitor--only to turn traitor on them and then laugh about it. Without that, the whole experience feels a little dry. The Xbox 360 version also has the standard set of 1,000 achievement points, a few of which reward you for specific moments in co-op, like having the player controlling Lynch put a few cops out of their misery, rather than leaving them to writhe on the ground.
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men is a premise with promise, and if you've been waiting patiently for a game to really dive into the whole "crew-based heist tale" concept, you might be able to look past some of the story flaws. But when you consider the nearly ridiculous number of extremely high-quality shooters available recently, there's not much room for something like Kane & Lynch, even taking into account the somewhat unique nature of its story. That said, the multiplayer is a smart idea that's worth seeing, even if playing it makes you wish that it was used in another, better game.


For more than 40 years Antonio's Flying Pizza and Italian restaurant has been all about family. Opened in 1971 by our father, Antonio Rosa, it is still family owned and operated, and our father can still be seen greeting guests in the dining room. From fresh clams and calamari to hand tossed pizzas, our menu remains largely unchanged from the early days. Our customers like it that way, and we don't blame them.
By focusing on the freshest ingredients and sticking to our father's original recipes we hope to continue the tradition of exceptional, classic, heart-warming dishes that Houston has come to expect from us. We treat our customers like guests in our home, and if we haven't had the pleasure of your company, we hope you'll join us very soon.


text:
Title: Adaptive variable structure control of a class of non-linear systems
Authors: Efe, Mehmet Önder
Keywords: sliding mode control
tuning laws
non-linear systems
Abstract: The problem of tuning the parameters of a controller operating in the presence of noise, time-varying parameters, non-linearities, and uncertainties in practice requires the process of continuous adjustment of the parameters influencing the performance. When the diversity of the challenges in the domain of real-time applications is taken into consideration, it becomes apparent that the adopted controller structure must be sufficiently flexible, and its operating principles must be well explained, particularly in accounting for the stability issues. in this paper, a method is proposed for tuning the parameters of controllers whose outputs are linear in the adjustable parameters, utilizing variable structure systems theory. The method discussed constructs the best error measure at the controller output, and uses this quantity with a suitably designed tuning law, which drives the system under control to a predefined sliding regime and maintains the sliding mode. It is shown analytically that the parametric evolution takes place in a finite volume space, indicating that the controller parameters evolve bounded. In the simulation studies, the approach presented has been tested on the control of a double pendulum system and the superior performance of the strategy has been shown under the existence of noisy observations and large non-zero initial errors.
URI: https://doi.org/10.1243/09596518JSCE257


I have to take an unexpected trip this coming weekend and I am getting pretty anxious about it. To keep myself busy while I anxiously wait, I decided to put down the quilts for a bit and start making bags.
I skipped the madness that I call the "Weekender Woes" and just bought the Vera Bradley Grand Traveler.
Forgive me, oh quilting gods, for my sin.
To compensate, I decided to make all the things I need to FILL it.
I actually made one in November for my .do good stitches swap and have been meaning to make one for myself.
The only difference is that I added a small flap because my cuticle clippers would not stop falling out.
Love this Anna Marie Horner Garden Line!
Again, I had a free pattern from about 5 years ago I never used. I guess that five years ago the tissue packs were smaller because mine did not fit, so I had to make a second one with larger dimensions.
I also added the snap. I like my tissues contained!
I have been DYING to make one for about twenty trips ago! This one was a blast. I did not use any particular tutorial, I just scrounged the internet images to see what shapes I liked.
I based the layers on the sharpie roll I did a few years back and went with it.
I added a flap and intentionally made sure it was captured in on the sides.
And my vision worked! I can flip it entirely to the outside to access all my brushes and tubes.
The only thing I'm on the fence with is the green ties.
I was trying to give it a little jazz and intentionally used the pink thread to make it pop. Not sure if I nailed it! I can always change it...but it might be growing on me.
Yup. This is my WORK IN PROGRESS. It has changed, transformed and has sat here like this the last three days. I CANNOT decide what I want to do.
I DO know that I like the fabric choices and the leftover EPP star I had hanging on my design wall.
I don't have a picture, but I am also making a snack bag for my everyday bag with more of this lovely Anna Marie Horner fabric (Garden). It just seems to want to be in all my other Vera Bradely totes for daily use. Button has ripped a few ziplocks the last few weeks!
So I might actually look like a grand traveler.....but I promise, I'm just pretending to be one.
Any bags or little projects that you have had on your "bucket list" that you just haven't gotten to?
That make-up roll is awesome! You totally nailed it with the green ties and pink thread :) I'm making the Aeroplane bag by Sew Sweetness right now and so far it has been pretty awesome.
Smart choices for your Vera Bradley bag!! Love all the pretty colors you used!
I can never resist Vera!


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Netflix movie service comes to the UK
Earlier this year, the popular US-based video streaming provider Netflix, landed in the UK. The Netflix brand, despite only having been available stateside until 2012, was already well recognised globally, and its arrival is long overdue. Netflix, to those who do not know, offers streaming of video material – mostly films, but with a selection of television thrown in – direct to your computer, for a monthly fee. For the flat rate of £5.99 a month, you can stream unlimited video content, not just to your computer but also your Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii or PlayStation 3. On the face of it, this seems like the future.
Netflix's main rival is Lovefilm (see our rundown of the online DVD and Blu-ray rental services), the online DVD rental-by-mail service provider, with thrown in streaming subscription service. Lovefilm had a fourteen month head start in the UK streaming market, launching their first Lovefilm players in November 2010. So if you've not paid attention to the online streaming market so far, which company is worth your money?
There are nearly 10,000 titles in the Netflix collection and fewer than 6,500 in the Lovefilm collection, both of these include TV shows as well as films. It is important to note that over 1,000 of Lovefilm's collection is pay-per-view and so you have to pay per episode/film, on top of your subscription. Both offer a varied selection of content that will suit different people – Netflix with a greater selection of UK television for example.
Both are easy to use on your computer, and boast very simple interfaces for the consoles and tablets that they both cater for. Netflix's simplistic design looks like it was designed for TV usage, unlike Lovefilm which looks a lot nicer on your monitor.
Overall, both services are still underdeveloped in terms of content and this is the main thing that holds them back. Netflix's arrival will hopefully put an end to this, however, as competition will surely shift each team up a gear, to grab a more diverse and fuller range than the other. Make use of the month's trial and see how it works out for you.
Visit Netflix UK »
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