text:
TEXAS SHOW PROMOTERS™
WINNERS CHOICE
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.
The following promotion is intended for participants in the United States (excluding Alaska, Hawaii, Florida, and New York) and shall be construed and evaluated according to the laws of the United States. Do not proceed in this promotion if you are not a legal resident of the United States. Further eligibility restrictions are contained in the official rules ("Official Rules") below. Participants are providing information to Texas Show Promoters, LLC, a Texas limited liability company ("TSP") and not to a third party. THIS SWEEPSTAKES IS IN NO WAY SPONSORED, ENDORSED, OR ADMINISTERED BY, OR ASSOCIATED WITH INSTAGRAM, TIK-TOK, TWITTER, YOUTUBE, OR FACEBOOK.
1. DESCRIPTION: The Texas Show Promoters™ Winners Choice Giveaway (the "Sweepstakes") begins at 12:01 am Eastern Time on December 1, 2021 and ends on December 30, 2021 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time ("Sweepstakes Period"). During the Sweepstakes Period, eligible Participants (defined below) will be invited to enter via the methods in Section 3 below ( "Submissions"). The sponsor and administrator of this Sweepstakes is TSP ("Sponsor").
2. ELIGIBILITY: In order to be eligible to participate in the Promotion and to be considered as a potential winner, you must meet the following eligibility criteria (each, a "Participant"):
• be a legal United States resident physically residing within the contiguous United States or the District of Columbia excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Void where restricted or prohibited by law;
• be at least eighteen (18) years of age and have reached the age of legal majority in their state of primary residence at time of entry; and
• must NOT be an employee, shareholder, officer, director, agent or representative of Sponsor, or any of Sponsor's parent companies, affiliates, divisions, subsidiaries, agents, representatives or promotion and advertising agencies, nor can Participant be the Immediate Family Members and/or Household Member of such persons. For purposes of the Sweepstakes, "Household Members" shall mean those people who share the same residence at least three (3) months a year; "Immediate Family Members" shall mean parents, step-parents, legal guardians, children, step-children, siblings, step-siblings, or spouses.
3. HOW TO PARTICIPATE: There are two (2) ways to participate in the Sweepstakes.
• Shopping at Texas Show Promoters. You will automatically receive one (1) entry for every $5.00 you spend at TexasShowPromoters.com during the Sweepstakes Period (exclusive of taxes and shipping).
• Mail Entry. You may also enter the Sweepstakes by submitting a mail-in entry. To enter via this method, handwrite your first and last name, street address, phone number, and email address on a plain piece of paper and mail entry via first-class mail to Texas Show Promoters LLC, P.O. Box 863342 Plano, TX 75086. Mailed entries must be received by December 30, 2021. Limit: Five (5) total mail in entries per day. Each entry must be mailed in a separate envelope and hand written using a 3.5"x5" piece of paper.
4. IMPORTANT: Sponsor will determine in its sole discretion which entries have satisfied the eligibility requirements. All entries must be received during the Sweepstakes Period. If entries exceed the entry limitations, the Participant may be disqualified, at the Sponsor's sole discretion. Participants must accurately provide all of the requested information to be eligible to win. Incomplete, unreadable, or unintelligible entries will be disqualified. All information provided by Participants becomes the property of the Sponsor. ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS MUST SUBMIT THE REQUESTED ENTRY INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE OFFICIAL RULES. NO OTHER METHOD OF SUBMISSION WILL BE ACCEPTED. Participation in the Sweepstakes constitutes Participant's understanding of, full and unconditional agreement to, and acceptance of these Official Rules. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any Participant that the Sponsor determines to be in violation of any term contained in these Official Rules. Sponsor's decision not to enforce a specific provision of these Official Rules does not constitute a waiver of that provision or of the Official Rules generally. Sponsor has the right to change the Sweepstakes Period and all other dates or deadlines set in connection with this Sweepstakes, at any time and in its sole discretion and notice will be posted on these Official Rules.
5. WINNER SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION: At the end of the Sweepstakes Period, one (1) potential grand prize winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries received during the Sweepstakes Period on December 31, 2021. The potential grand prize winner will be notified by a video call to the phone number given during the entry process; if the potential grand prize winner does not answer the phone call, the potential grand prize winner shall be notified by e-mail to the email submitted in the online order or the mail-in entry form. The potential grand prize winner will be required to respond (as directed) to the notification within seven (7) days of attempted notification. The failure to respond timely to the notification may result in forfeiture of the grand prize. The potential winner will be required to verify address, sign, and return within three (3) days of initial notification one or more forms covering eligibility, liability, advertising and (unless prohibited by law) publicity rights and such other documents as Sponsor may require (collectively, "Prize Acceptance Forms"). Failure to return the Prize Acceptance Forms within the specified time period may result in forfeiture of the prize and selection of an alternate potential winner from the remaining eligible entries, time permitting. A prize will not be awarded and Participant will not be confirmed as the "Winner" until all such properly executed Prize Acceptance Forms are returned. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify anyone not fully complying with the Official Rules. All federal, state and local taxes and any other costs and expenses, associated with the receipt or use of the prize are the sole responsibility of the Winner. As required by law, an IRS Form 1099 will be issued in the name of the Winner for the actual value of the prize received.
6. ODDS: Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received during the Sweepstakes Period.
7. GRAND PRIZE: There are (4) grand prizes available to choose from. The grand prize winner will choose one of the four following options: 1) $10,000 cash prize, 2) complete set of Baer Brakes (front & rear) up to $10k value, 3) custom mobile audio system from Next Gen Audio & Video up to $10k value, 4) set of HD Pro Wheels up to $10k value. Winner will have option to choose which prize and select from various styles, colors, sizes, etc. The Prize will be awarded "AS IS" without warranty by Sponsor of any kind. Winner acknowledges that Sponsor has not made nor is in any manner responsible for any warranty, representation or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to any prize offered in this Giveaway, including but not limited to its quality, mechanical condition or fitness for a particular purpose. The depiction of the Prize in any advertising or promotional materials may not reflect the actual product to be delivered to the Winner. Winner is responsible to confirm the safety requirements applicable to their state/county and must use products in accordance with the required regulations. Sponsor will work with the Winner to fulfill the Prize and shall ship the product to a location reasonably close in geographic scope to Winner . Sponsor may, but is not obligated to provide travel for winner to retrieve the prize, which may include flight costs and accommodations. Winner must take delivery of Prize from the location designated by Sponsor. Sponsor shall not be responsible for delays in delivery of the Prize. Sponsor, however, shall use all reasonable efforts to deliver the Prize within one hundred twenty (120) days of completion of verification process. Winner shall bear all risk of loss or damage to the Prize after it has been delivered to the specified delivery site. Winner must personally retrieve the Prize from the delivery site within thirty (30) days of written notification of delivery. Winner cannot assign or transfer the prize to another person. No cash alternatives or prize substitution is allowed except at the discretion of Sponsor. If a prize cannot be awarded due to circumstances beyond the control of the Sponsor, a substitute prize of equal or greater retail value may be awarded. Other restrictions may apply. Any depictions of prizes are for illustrative purposes only. ALL FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL TAXES, AND ANY OTHER COSTS AND EXPENSES, ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECEIPT OR USE OF ANY PRIZE ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNER.
8. CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION/RELEASES: Sweepstakes is void where prohibited or restricted by law. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. By participating, each Participant agrees to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which shall be final in all respects. By participating in this Sweepstakes and/or by accepting any prize that he or she may win, each Participant agrees to release the Sponsor, and all entities involved in the production, sponsorship and/or promotion of the prize or any part thereof, and each of their respective parent, subsidiary and affiliated companies, units and sponsors, divisions and advertising and promotional agencies and prize suppliers, and each of their respective officers, directors, agents, representatives and employees; and each of these companies and individuals' respective successors, representatives and assigns (collectively, the "Released Parties") from any and all actions, claims, injury, loss or damage arising in any manner, directly or indirectly, from participation in this Sweepstakes and/or acceptance or use of the prize. Each Participant authorizes the Sponsor and its designees to use his/her name, voice, likeness, biographical data, city and state of residence and entry materials in programming or promotional material, worldwide in perpetuity, or on a winner's list, if applicable, without further compensation unless prohibited by law; such authorization includes the winner notification video which shall be recorded. Sponsor is not obligated to use any of the above-mentioned information or materials, but may do so and may edit such information or materials, at Sponsor's sole discretion, without further obligation or compensation. The Released Parties shall not be liable for: (i) late, lost, delayed, damaged, stolen, misdirected, postage-due, incomplete, unreadable, inaccurate, garbled or unintelligible entries, release forms, communications or affidavits, regardless of the method of transmission; (ii) telephone system, telephone or computer hardware, software or other technical or computer malfunctions, lost connections, disconnections, delays or transmission errors; (iii) data corruption, theft, destruction, unauthorized access to or alteration of entry or other materials; (iv) any and all losses, damages, rights, claims and actions of any kind in connection with or resulting from participation in the Sweepstakes; (v) acceptance, possession, grant, or use of any prize, including without limitation, personal injury, death and property damage arising there from; (vi) claims based on publicity rights, defamation or invasion of privacy; or (vii) any printing, typographical, human administrative or technological errors in any materials associated with the Sweepstakes. Sponsor disclaims any liability for damage to any computer system resulting from participating in, or accessing or downloading information in connection with this Sweepstakes. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, modify or suspend the Sweepstakes (or any portion of the Sweepstakes) should a virus, bug, computer problem, unauthorized intervention or other cause or problem corrupt or inhibit the administration, security or proper play of the Sweepstakes and, in such situation, to select the Winner from among all eligible non-suspect entries received prior to and/or after such action or in such manner as deemed fair and appropriate by the Sponsor. Sponsor may prohibit you from participating in the Sweepstakes or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines you are attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes by cheating, hacking, deception, or any other unfair playing practices or intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other players or Sponsor's representatives. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE SWEEPSTAKES MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION FROM PARTICIPATION IN THE SWEEPSTAKES. SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK REMEDIES AND DAMAGES (INCLUDING ATTORNEY FEES) TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.
9. INDEMNITY: Winner shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Released Parties from and against any and all claims, damages, actions, liability, loss, injury or expense, including reasonable attorneys' fees and costs, arising out of or in connection with: (a) Winner's participation in the Sweepstakes; (b) a breach or allegation which if true would constitute a breach, of any of Winner's representations, warranties or obligations herein; and (c) acceptance, possession, grant, or use of any prize, including without limitation, personal injury, death and property damage arising therefrom.
10. DISPUTES: This Sweepstakes is governed by the laws of the United States and the State of Texas, without respect to any choice of law or conflict of law principles that would result in the application of any law other than that of Texas. As a condition of participating in this Sweepstakes, Participants agree that any and all disputes which cannot be resolved between the parties, and causes of action arising out of or in connection with this Sweepstakes, shall be resolved individually through binding arbitration, without resort to any form of class action, in accordance with the arbitration provision set forth below.
11. ARBITRATION PROVISION: By participating in this Sweepstakes, each Participant agrees that (1) any claim, dispute, or controversy (whether in contract, tort, or otherwise) the Participant may have against Sponsor arising out of, relating to, or connected in any way with the Sweepstakes, the awarding or redemption of any prize and/or the determination of the scope or applicability of this agreement to arbitrate, will be resolved exclusively by final and binding arbitration administered by JAMS and conducted before a sole arbitrator in accordance with the rules of JAMS; (2) this arbitration agreement is made pursuant to a transaction involving interstate commerce, and shall be governed by the Federal Arbitration Act ("FAA"), 9 U.S.C. §§ 1-16; (3) the arbitration shall be held in Dallas, Texas; (4) the arbitrator's decision shall be controlled by the terms and conditions of these Terms and Conditions and any of the other agreements referenced herein that the applicable participant may have entered into in connection with the Sweepstakes; (5) the arbitrator shall apply Texas law consistent with the FAA and applicable statutes of limitations, and shall honor claims of privilege recognized at law; (6) there shall be no authority for any claims to be arbitrated on a class or representative basis, arbitration can decide only the Participant's and/or Sponsor's individual claims; the arbitrator may not consolidate or join the claims of other persons or parties who may be similarly situated; (7) the arbitrator shall not have the power to award punitive damages against the Participant or Sponsor; (8) in the event that the administrative fees and deposits that must be paid to initiate arbitration against Sponsor exceed $125 USD, and the Participant is unable (or not required under the rules of JAMS) to pay any fees and deposits that exceed this amount, Sponsor agrees to pay them and/or forward them on the Participant's behalf, subject to ultimate allocation by the arbitrator. In addition, if Participant is able to demonstrate that the costs of arbitration will be prohibitive as compared to the costs of litigation, Sponsor will pay as much of Participant's filing and hearing fees in connection with the arbitration as the arbitrator deems necessary to prevent the arbitration from being cost-prohibitive; and (9) with the exception of subpart (6) above, if any part of this arbitration provision is deemed to be invalid, unenforceable or illegal, or otherwise conflicts with the rules of JAMS, then the balance of this arbitration provision shall remain in effect and shall be construed in accordance with its terms as if the invalid, unenforceable, illegal or conflicting provision were not contained herein. If, however, subpart (6) is found to be invalid, unenforceable or illegal, then the entirety of this Arbitration Provision shall be null and void, and neither Participant nor Sponsor shall be entitled to arbitrate their dispute. For more information on JAMS and/or the rules of JAMS, visit their website at www.jamsadr.com.
12. PRIVACY POLICY: Any personal information supplied by you to Sponsor will be subject to Sponsor's privacy policy.
13. WINNER LIST/OFFICIAL RULES: To obtain a copy of the Winner list or a copy of these Official Rules, send your request to Sweepstakes@TexasShowPromoters.com . Requests for the names of the Winners must be received no later than six (6) months after the Sweepstakes Period.
This Promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, or Twitter. Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Twitter are completely released of all liability by each Participant in this Promotion.


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Je 07:10 atm 10/30/2007, Bruce GILSON skribis:
>The expanded version will also have some words added which Jespersen
>could not have put in in 1930 (things like "televisione" which are
>obviously easy to construct, but which refer to things that didn't
>exist in 1930!)
Actually, the first television was demonstrated in 1884
(electromechanical rather than strictly electronic), and the word
itself dates from 28 years before Novial (1900). I remember reading
somewhere that the first American government official to appear in a
TV transmission (not broadcast) was Secretary of Commerce ... Herbert
Hoover. The world's first color TV transmission was more or less
simultaneous with the publication of Novial (1928).
While I wasn't aware that color had been tried that early, even that fails to make it any less true that "television" was hardly a word that was familiar to most people in 1930, when NL was produced. (Of course, the NL contains a number of rather exotic words. The English words "smallage," "agio," and "roads" were not in my vocabulary when I first saw them in NL, though someone mentioned back in 1997 when I brought it up on the Novial revision committee that "roads:" was a naval term, which explained "Hampton Roads" as a proper name to me. I still have never had any occasion to use either of the other two terms.)
>or didn't think to put in (like some of the chemical elements; he
>put in some, but not all).
On the other hand, there are a number of chemical elements extant
today -- I presume you will include them -- which were unknown, or at
least had different names, in Jespersen's time, including a couple
that are not transuranics (e.g. promethium).
Of course. Chemistry is the field I specialized in when I was in school, so I am quite aware of such things.
Bruce R. Gilson

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Global e-commerce major Amazon has secured the government's nod to invest $500 million in India's food retail sector, a company spokesperson told VCCircle.
Earlier, news agency PTI reported, citing a government official, that the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion had approved the proposal. The matter was pending with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board earlier, which was abolished in May.
The Seattle-based e-tailer had sought government approval to enter India's food-retailing sector with investments totalling $515 million over the next five years. The company, already the number two player in India's fast-growing e-commerce market, planned to open brick-and-mortar outlets apart from an online portal.
Last year, the government had allowed 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in the food processing sector. The regulation allows multinationals to set up wholly-owned subsidiaries in India to retail food products through online as well as brick-and-mortar outlets. The food products need to be produced, processed or manufactured in the country.
The new business unit will sell third-party or Amazon's private labels of locally-produced and packaged food products.
Singapore-based Amazon Corporate Holdings Pvt. Ltd holds 99% of the proposed entity and the remaining 1% is owned by Amazon.com Inc, Mauritius.
In the grocery space, Amazon competes with two home-grown players, BigBasket and Grofers. Both have applied for government approval to invest in the food-only retail business. According to a recent report in The Financial Express, Gurgaon-based Grofers has also secured government approval to open food-only physical outlets.
Amazon's first brick-and-mortar grocery store, under the brand name Amazon Go, is scheduled to launch in Seattle, US, soon. The Amazon Go stores are designed such that there are neither checkout lines nor cashiers. Shoppers just need to scan their Amazon app when entering the store and shop even as the company's proprietary 'Just Walk Out' technology tracks users' virtual carts. Payment is automatically facilitated through customers' Amazon.com accounts.
It's not clear if Amazon would bring the same concept to its proposed physical stores in India.
With the approval gained, India would be the second country to host the Internet giant's physical stores.
The US retail giant, which started operations in India in June 2013, has already invested $2 billion here and has committed another $3 billion, taking total investments in the country to $5 billion.
According to a recent report by Bloomberg, Amazon has held preliminary discussions to buy BigBasket. The online grocer, however, denied any such move, according to the report.


Most probably think blues music, Elvis and BBQ when they think of Memphis. And, most Memphians will gladly take credit for that. But nestled along the mighty Mississippi River, this historical city is also home to an array of excellent coffee shops.
Memphis is known as "The Bluff City," and one of the city's many unofficial mottos is "We Don't Bluff," a nod to the city's resilience, grit and go-getter attitude. If you're looking for an apartment to call home that offers convenient access to that daily dose of caffeine to fuel your productivity, here are 10 of the best options.
Located on Front Street, Printer's Alley began life as a historic print shop. That building has been resurrected and converted, and an additional south building has been developed to perfectly complement it.
The print shop is comprised of creative loft apartments, while the south building features more traditional two-story townhouses, complete with garages (something of a rarity in downtown Memphis).
A short walk down to South Main Street leads to Bluff City Coffee & Bakery, a popular café with homemade baked goods. It's also close to Low Fi Coffee, a newer and welcome addition to the Downtown coffee scene, located inside the same building as the boutique shop Stock & Belle.
Gayoso House was originally built in 1842 as Memphis's first luxury hotel. Though it's been faithfully updated and renovated over the years, it retains its distinctly historical feel. To reflect the building's historical character, Gayoso House offers 30 unique floor plans.
Beale Street and South Main Street are a stone's throw away, as are two of the city's best coffee shops. Tamp and Tap is located right on Gayoso Avenue and serves wonderful food and beer in addition to craft coffee. It's a regular favorite of the Downtown working crowd.
A bit further North, you'll also find Qawha Coffee Bar – one of North Main's best kept secrets – which features good coffee and an actual bank vault to drink it in. Nearby is Café Keough, offering great coffee in even better surroundings.
Pembroke Square and Gayoso House – No. 9 on this list – are both in Peabody Square. They also share a lot in common, from the stained glass and soaring ceilings to the bay windows and 1904 tile. The primary difference between them is in the styles and layouts of the apartments themselves.
Pembroke residents are also likely to become regulars at Tamp and Tap, Qawha, Café Keough or any of the coffee shops down the road on South Main Street.
The name 266 Lofts is a nod to the Loft's 266 South Front street address, a hip and lively location that's becoming more popular by the day. In contrast to many of Memphis's older historical buildings, 266 Lofts aims to be modern and meticulously designed.
It's on the south side of Downtown, meaning it's close to Bluff City Coffee & Bakery, as well as Low Fi Coffee. Grab a cup to go and stroll down Front Street on a sunny day, and you'll feel the pulse of a neighborhood that's rapidly growing but keeping its historical past close to its heart.
The Tennessee Brewery is one of Memphis's most well-known historical downtown buildings, and its revitalization as a space for upscale apartments created some serious buzz. The Tennessee Brewery offers one- and two-bedroom floor plans, as well as riverfront access and bluff-level views of the river and Downtown.
It's in the vicinity of South Main Street coffee spots like Bluff City Coffee & Bakery and Low Fi Coffee. Inside the complex is also an I Love Juice Bar featuring a coffee-based smoothie, for those who love both juice and java.
Back when Uptown Square was called Lauderdale Courts, Elvis lived there. The complex has since been brought into the modern era, but the apartment he lived in has been lovingly preserved. You can check it out on your way out the door to grab a cup of Joe.
Uptown Square is close to the coffee shops on the North side of Downtown, but it also offers easy access to The Office@Uptown – a space designed for relaxing with some coffee and food while getting a bit of work done – as well as Little Café Eclectic on nearby Mud Island.
Another renovated historical hotel, the Chisca Apartments are noted for their central location in the heart of Downtown and their pet-friendly policies. A variety of floor plans are offered, and the ground floor features impressive amenities and access to popular restaurants.
Brunch lovers can take in some fine coffee and award-winning Italian food at Catherine and Mary's located on the first floor. The Chisca Apartments are also located right on South Main Street within walking distance of Bluff City Coffee & Bakery and Low Fi Coffee.
Just across from the University of Memphis, you'll find Highland Row, a mix of both apartment homes and retail shops. Highland Strip has grown by leaps and bounds in the past few years, led in large part by the development of the design-forward, urban-flavored Highland Row community.
Since it's the heart of the University District, there's no shortage of strong coffee contenders, including Café Eclectic Highland, Belltower Artisans, Levee Coffee & Creamery and Avenue Coffee.
The Cabinet Shop Lofts are also located in the South Main Arts District on the Southern end of Downtown. If you haven't noticed a pattern yet, there's no denying that Downtown Memphis is a good place to be for caffeine lovers, whether you want to grab a cup and go or post up with a book or laptop.
Management rehabilitated this century-old warehouse, transforming it into a modern three-story complex boasting lots of natural light and a prime location. If you ever wanted to pinpoint the Downtown apartment building that's most geographically central to the highest concentration of coffee shops, we'll save you the trouble – it's the Cabinet Shop Lofts.
You may have assumed that a coffee lover's dream neighborhood would be downtown, but nope, it's the aforementioned University District. Highlander Properties consists of five apartment communities, offering something for every budget and taste.
Not only are these apartments right down the street from the bevy of newer South Highland-area coffee shops, but their location also allows for a straight drive along Poplar Avenue for easy access to indie coffee havens in Midtown and East Memphis, not to mention about a dozen chains.
We looked at all multifamily apartment complexes in Memphis with active listings on ApartmentGuide.com and rent.com and rated them on the number of coffee-related businesses within a half-mile radius. We used an exponentially decreasing scale based on distance from the apartment. For instance, a coffee shop across the street would score higher than a coffee shop a quarter-mile away. Our establishment counts come from commercially available business listings.


text:
KKK Playing the Spanish Bagpipes?
Francisco de Goya: Caprichos, No. 23
Does the KKK (Ku Klux Klan) show up in Spain during Easter Week (Semana Santa) to march in the processions and play the Spanish bagpipes? Here's the story behind the pointed hats of Easter Week in Spain:
Long before the KKK wore pointed hoods and started terrorizing and killing people who were different from them, the pointed hat, or the "capirote", started out as a hat worn by jugglers and clowns in medieval Spain. The capirote became associated with clumsiness and stupidity. People even started making criminals wear the hats to shame and insult them. Thus, the capirote became a symbol of shame and wrong doing.
Later, according to Wikipedia, "during the celebration of the Holy Week/Easter in Mediterranean countries, "Penitentes" (people doing penitence for their sins) would walk through streets with pointed hats. It was a way of self-injury; however, they covered their faces so they wouldn't be recognized."
Francisco de Goya y Lucientes: Geißlerprozession
Today, this tradition continues during Semana Santa. The pointed hoods are bold symbols of humility, penance, and introspection.
So next time you're in Spain and see some hooded bagpipers in a procession, now you know what's really going on. It's more than bagpipes and hooded robes walking down the street. It's a walk of deep history and tradition connected all the way back to the middle ages. A symbol of clumsiness and stupidity evolved into a public, yet private, show of penance and humility.
What do you think about the Spanish capirote? Have you ever seen the processions during Semana Santa in Spain? Let us know your thoughts below or on Facebook.com/spanishbagpipes.
For more photos of the capirote during Semana Santa in Spain, click here.
www.eessayontime.com link
Back to the era where Spanish are reigning, we can totally see a big difference toward the culture and tradition they have before than what we have right now. Back then, every rule should be followed and no one seems to have the interest to break it. But nowadays, people ten to choose to break the law regardless of their race which is pretty sad and disgusting at the same time. This should be changed!


text:
Left Bank Arts Prize
Review: Stuart Maconie – The Pie At Night @ Ilkley Literature Festival
By Mike Price October 19, 2015
Earlier this year marked passing of 70s lounge lizard, grannies' favourite Demis Roussos. Unbeknown to most, before Demis began his kaftan-induced croonathon, he cut his musical teeth as singer/bassist in cult Greek progressive rockers Aphrodite's Child, a band also boasting a certain Vangelis on keyboards, creating a surprisingly good racket. This and many more curiosities from the annals of popular music history can be discovered while listening to Freak Zone, Stuart Maconie's fascinating Sunday evening trawl through rock and roll's bric-a-brac store, and it's Mr Maconie who is here tonight to talk about his new book The Pie At Night to a pretty full King's Hall in Ilkley, one of the events from the Autumn schedule comprising the town's 45th Literature Festival.
Tonight the audience is treated to selected excerpts from Mr Maconie's latest work and more. Having thoroughly enjoyed Pies and Prejudice, Maconie's wistful take on his former homeland (the North) as well as Adventures on the High Teas, his outsider's tome on Middle England, containing a riveting chapter on home grown music, a fine yardstick for any would-be journalist on the subject, I'm keen to share his thoughts and musings on a number of subjects close to his heart, not to mention grabbing a signed copy of one of his books.
Coming from Wigan, it's not surprising that two of Maconie's book titles contain reference to that favourite northern life-shortening delicacy, informing the crowd that The Pie At Night is kind of a follow up to 'Prejudice', this time focusing on that long held Northern tradition of painting the town red once the factory hooter has sounded. To quote Oscar Wilde "Everything in moderation, including moderation".
Naturally there are plenty of musical references too, including from his book The People's Songs, his take on 50 popular music numbers that paint a social commentary of post-war Britain, tonight choosing to talk about Y Viva España and how this track encapsulates the advent of the package holiday boom of the 1970s, a world away from Maconie's own childhood trips to Blackpool. Staying with Maconie's childhood, one of his claims to fame relates to his mum taking the young upstart to see The Beatles as he shares her take on the event with the audience… queuing for tickets, what the weather was like before and after the show, but alas almost nothing about the actual performance itself, much to her son's frustration.
Another amusing anecdote concerns Maconie's recollection of his victorious appearance on TV's Celebrity Mastermind, despite his chosen subject of 20th Century Poetry being somewhat more demanding than his competitors selections including Nirvana, The Empire Strikes Back and The Academy Awards.
Maconie is also a keen walker, a hobby no doubt formed from his proximity to the Pennines. He recalls how it caused much derision from his townie colleagues when working at the NME. We also get interesting facts about the North's influence on the origins of walking, including the mass trespass of Kinder Scout, plus a witty tale about WA Poucher, the famous walker and guidebook writer whose day job was in perfumery, the contrasting images of a rugged male dressed in hiking gear mixing together the vital ingredients of your great aunt's Lilly of the Valley eau de toilette.
Finally there are tales from Maconie's time on BBC Radio as he confides that it's much less aggro than doing TV, also taking time to share some of the amusing questions from Metropolitan based workmates, alarmed at the prospect of a relocation from the capital to the untamed wilderness of Salford, including "will we still be able to get Wi-Fi?" and best of all, "will we still be able to get The Guardian?" You couldn't make it up!
This week on The State of the Arts: Wendy Cook on why cinema can make everyone's life that little bit better 📽 and… t.co/cH7rwmiTuj
Come along to the @LeftBankLeeds Art Prize opening night on the 17th of July! 6-8 pm with a chance to choose your f… t.co/r86i2biK3Z
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Hey everyone! My name's Mark and I run a site called Shotkit which is all about camera gear and photography.
Amanda has kindly let me guest post here today on Adventures All Around on the topic of choosing a camera for your next trip.
On Shotkit we discuss the professional camera equipment and photography of pros and experienced amateurs, but in this post I'll be keeping all my advice very accessible for you.
Even if you haven't used an inter-changeable lens camera before, by the end of it, I hope you'll feel motivated to have a go yourself!
What makes a good travel camera?
The best camera is the one you have with you, so for most of us, that means our mobile phones. Modern phones do a decent job at taking a pretty picture, but they do have their limitations.
If you want to get creative with your photography, or get that envious 'blurred-background' look, you're much better off investing in a proper (stand alone) camera.
Buying a decent camera doesn't mean breaking the bank – my most recent post was on the best cameras under $500, and there are plenty of good ones to choose from. What I will say though, is that by stretching your budget a little further, you can get a camera that will serve you well for many years to come.
Let's first decide what makes a good travel camera.
My reasons for choosing the above criteria should be quite obvious. In summary, the ideal travel camera should be small enough to fit into a handbag, light enough to carry around my neck all day, non-flashy looking to avert unwanted eyes, take a great photo, not break when bumped, and above all, must be great fun to use!
Cost is of course another major factor when choosing a camera, but since everyone's budgets are different, I've not mentioned it as part of the criteria above.
Instead, I'll recommend a few cameras for travel in a range of budgets.
Canon has had a long history of making well-built, good looking compact cameras. Whilst the Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 HS isn't a perfect all-round performer, it's still up there with the best digital cameras under $200.
Housing a 12x optical zoom lens with optical image stabilizer in such a small, slim body is no mean feat. For those who don't know, 'optical' zoom as opposed to 'digital' zoom means that the camera is using a lens to do the zooming rather than the camera software simply 'cropping' the digital image. Optical zoom is always better quality.
A 12x zoom equates to roughly a 25-300mm lens on a 35mm camera, meaning that you can go from wide angle (for shots of large groups, wide panoramic vistas and city-scapes, for example), all the way up to distant shots of wildlife.
The aperture range of f/3.6-7 doesn't make the lens on the Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 HS particularly 'fast' (i.e. one that can let in a lot of natural light), but the optical image stabilizer does help you achieve a sharper image when the sun begins to set.
A neat feature of the Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 HS is the Intelligent IS mode, which helps even the most novice photographer capture clear, steady images, even in lower light. The Intelligent IS automatically analyzes camera movement and applies the ideal shake correction method for the shooting situation, allowing you to focus more on framing and capturing your shot.
The Sony a6000 uses a combination of a 79-point focal plane phase detection AF sensor, 179 AF tracking points and 11 frames per second to ensure that when you hold down that shutter button, you'll capture what you want.
Aside from blazing-fast autofocus, the focus on the Sony a6000 is also impressive, using contrast-detection and something called Spatial Object Detection to achieve autofocus speeds of 0.06 seconds – definitely among the fastest performance of any camera.
My two favourite features of the Sony a6000 are to do with how you view the image. A 1.4m dot OLED electronic viewfinder delivers 100% frame coverage and am impressively fast refresh rate. This means that you can preview exactly how your image will look through the viewfinder, before you press the shutter button.
My other favourite feature of the Sony a6000 is its 3″ tiltable LCD screen which allows you to get creative with your angles. If I had the choice, I'd always go for a camera with a tiltable LCD screen as it's so good for getting those low down, or high up shots. My only gripe is that the screen only tilts to 45 degrees down (it tilts the full 90 degrees upwards), but I guess it's rare that you'd want to take a selfie of yourself from directly above!
Low light performance of the Sony a6000 is also impressive, with a range of 100-25600. Obviously you'll get some noise when really pushing up the ISO, but thanks to a built-in pop-up flash, you won't miss any of the action at night.
As for recommended lenses to use with the Sony a6000, I'd advise you to start off with the 16-50mm power zoom lens which covers a useful focal range and isn't too heavy or bulky.
Mirrorless cameras are all the range in 2017, and for good reason. Keeping up pace with bulkier dSLRs, mirrorless cameras use the latest technology to produce high quality images in smaller bodies.
I recently included the Fuji X-T20 at the top of the list of the best mirrorless cameras. It uses a 24MP X-Trans CMOS III sensor, which delivers gorgeous, vibrant, clean and crisp images whether you shoot in RAW or JPEG image format.
A fast processor means more responsive start up times, autofocus speeds, shutter lag time and shot-to-shot time. Speaking of the auto focus, 325 selectable AF points deliver some of the fastest and most accurate focusing capabilities ever seen on a mirrorless camera at this price point.
One note about the price – whilst $850 may be within the budgets of some travellers, one thing to remember is that with an inter-changeable lens camera such as the Fuji X-T20, you'll need a lens!
With some many great lens options out there, I put together a guide to the best Fuji lenses which should serve as a helpful starting point for investing in your first lens. For travel, a lightweight zoom lens provides the most flexibility, but for the ultimate in compactness, you should consider a prime (fixed focal length) lens, such as the 35mm f/2.
Make no mistake – the Fujifilm X-T20 is an absolute bargain of a mirrorless camera and a great balance of size to pro-grade performance. If I could have any camera to take on my next trip, the Fuji X-T20 would be top of my wish list!
So there you have it – 3 cameras for travel at 3 different price points to choose from. Whatever you decide, remember that a camera is an important investment in the preservation of your memories!
I'd like to thank Amanda for letting me guest post here today on Adventures All Around. I hope that you enjoyed my short introduction into the geeky world of cameras – remember to visit Shotkit if you'd like to learn more about camera gear and photography.
Guest review by Mark Condon, a British wedding photographer based in Sydney.
This post contains some affiliate links, so if you click on a link and buy something I will get a small percentage to help pay the blogging bills and keep my site ad free. But don't worry, it's absolutely no extra cost to you. Thanks!
If you love taking sharing photos on your travels, you may also like to check out these street photography tips along with my review of the HP Sprocket portable printer . Or if you love taking instant photos on your travels check out the best Instax cameras to choose from.


text:
Politics & Public Policy Today
ABC World News Tonight With David Muir
Early Start With John Berman and Christine Romans
evan perez
The Situation Room : CNNW : June 30, 2015 2:00pm-3:01pm PDT
one, they could possibly be one like happened in garland texas, they weren't aware was ready to carry out an attack. >> bottom line all of a sudden in a statement that we all thought was a routine statement, jay johnson all of a sudden mentions get ready for jump 4th no specific plots. just out of an abundance of caution, we're going to be watching what's going on. there have been increasing statements since then that -- the director from the fbi, the director from the department of homeland security all of a sudden mentioning july 4th that raises concerns. >> absolutely and some of this is coming from the intelligence that they've been picking up for weeks i've been told and we've been aware that they were watching a number of these things they were trying to arrest a number of these people before we get to this weekend. this is not going to end this weekend, either. because they are aware of chatter, of threats that could go on beyond that including the upcoming visit by pope francis in september. >> and the notion that we're in the middle of ramadan, and that's a point that the lea
one, they could possibly be one like happened in garland texas, they weren't aware was ready to carry out an attack. >> bottom line all of a sudden in a statement that we all thought was a routine statement, jay johnson all of a sudden mentions get ready for jump 4th no specific plots. just out of an abundance of caution, we're going to be watching what's going on. there have been increasing statements since then that -- the director from the fbi, the director from the department of...
threat moves from there to europe and the u.s. we've seen it in garland texas. in new york an attack on a policeman. arrests in boston. and of course this attack on the same day as the tunisia and kuwait attacks. this is very much an international threat. the concern as july fourth approaches we see more of it in the u.s. >> we heard that warning from the secretary of homeland security a directive going out to law enforcement across the country. just be on the lookout and watch what's going on. thanks very much jim sciutto. let's get more on what's going on with the chairman of the house foreign affairs committee, republican congressman ed royce is joining us. mr. chairman, thanks very much for joining us. i want to talk about all these threats out there. you just heard police arrested a man in new jersey today on charges of conspiring to provide what's called material support to isis. it seems like these arrests are happening almost every other day. would you consider today's arrest part of some sort of terror cell in the new york/new jersey area? >> well those cells have bee
threat moves from there to europe and the u.s. we've seen it in garland texas. in new york an attack on a policeman. arrests in boston. and of course this attack on the same day as the tunisia and kuwait attacks. this is very much an international threat. the concern as july fourth approaches we see more of it in the u.s. >> we heard that warning from the secretary of homeland security a directive going out to law enforcement across the country. just be on the lookout and watch what's...
country, garland texas, it didn't work out, but this is the reality. >> all three of those attacks in france lyon tunisia, kuwait difference but maybe isis-related and lone wolf inspired if you will. different modus operandi, if you will do you believe they happened on the same day they were related? coordinated? >> it's hard to say if they were related. i don't buy the lone wolf because it was an individual i think you have to track that back. one person can be a coordinated attack. some of the supplies that were gained raises some issues. one had a suicide vest that clearly wasn't made in somebody's basement for the first time. that tells us there was a logistics training involved in that attack. now, not all of them fit that profile, but clearly on the face shows there was an investigation. the fbi domestically has an isis investigation open in all 56 field offices. that's why i think they're concerned. this is a big and growing problem not only here. >> jane almost every other day they seem to be arrested someone. today someone in the united states for supposedly collaborating wit
country, garland texas, it didn't work out, but this is the reality. >> all three of those attacks in france lyon tunisia, kuwait difference but maybe isis-related and lone wolf inspired if you will. different modus operandi, if you will do you believe they happened on the same day they were related? coordinated? >> it's hard to say if they were related. i don't buy the lone wolf because it was an individual i think you have to track that back. one person can be a coordinated...
The Situation Room : CNNW : June 5, 2015 2:00pm-4:01pm PDT
Jun 5, 2015 06/15
month ago today of course there was the attack in garland, texas. tuesday, of course the law enforcement shot and killed a man in boston who was actually in the process of carrying out an attack. they didn't let him get very far with it. both of these are feel good success stories for us here. our intelligence community is doing an excellent job as far as staying on top of these things. unfortunately, as you know we have to be right 100% of the time. all we can do is pray that they continue to do as good a job as what they are doing. but, look when it comes to isis, they are doing their best using social media to inspire people in america who are so inclined who are foolish enough and who are vulnerable enough to buy into their philosophy and theory. they are doing their best to inspire them and, indeed they are getting more bold on social media. as far as getting specific direction to people for times, places and individuals that they would like to see attacked. so this is serious. it's getting more serious all the time. we've got to continue to ratchet up our response to th
month ago today of course there was the attack in garland, texas. tuesday, of course the law enforcement shot and killed a man in boston who was actually in the process of carrying out an attack. they didn't let him get very far with it. both of these are feel good success stories for us here. our intelligence community is doing an excellent job as far as staying on top of these things. unfortunately, as you know we have to be right 100% of the time. all we can do is pray that they continue to...
necessarily specifically directed by these isis members. it's very similar to what we saw in that garland, texas, attack where elton simpson had been talking online to known terrorists. officials are becoming increasingly concerned that this is a pattern that we're seeing among people living here in the u.s. and their online activity. now, today the family of the suspect who was killed usaamah rahim, spoke and through the attorney, said they didn't know anything about rahim's alleged involvement with isis. they cast doubt on that claim coming from authorities, that he was inspired by isis propaganda and also rahim's aunt spoke here's what she had to say. >> i think he felt threatened and as you all know with the current slaughter of black men going on right now across the nation that's enough to make any and all black men feel threatened. >> reporter: and we have learned that rahim made an an anonymous call to his dad right before the shooting. apparently saying his good-byes. we know that because law enforcement had been monitoring him 24/7. that raised the alarm in the fact he allegedly
necessarily specifically directed by these isis members. it's very similar to what we saw in that garland, texas, attack where elton simpson had been talking online to known terrorists. officials are becoming increasingly concerned that this is a pattern that we're seeing among people living here in the u.s. and their online activity. now, today the family of the suspect who was killed usaamah rahim, spoke and through the attorney, said they didn't know anything about rahim's alleged...
gunman killed in garland, texas, last month, the man shot by law enforcement in boston on tuesday, all believed to have been radicalized by isis all highlighting this threat. and isis' tremendous social media prowess gives them unprecedented digital force multiplier. 2,000 core isis supporters pushing the message out. 50,000 people retweeting that message and more than 200,000 receiving and reading that message. the numbers in the u.s. also concerning. the fbi says hundreds perhaps thousands. the challenge for law enforcement is distinguishing between lukewarm supporters and potential terrorists. what you heard from the fbi today is they're taking no chances. and this case in boston is an example of that. once they have an intercepted phone call saying they were ready to go the victim of the shooting saying he couldn't wait, that's when they moved in. that's the kind of thing they're doing more. in texas, that was a case where he was on their radar screen. they didn't act and that was potentially a tragedy. >> i keep hearing from top u.s. officials how baffled they are and pretty impre
gunman killed in garland, texas, last month, the man shot by law enforcement in boston on tuesday, all believed to have been radicalized by isis all highlighting this threat. and isis' tremendous social media prowess gives them unprecedented digital force multiplier. 2,000 core isis supporters pushing the message out. 50,000 people retweeting that message and more than 200,000 receiving and reading that message. the numbers in the u.s. also concerning. the fbi says hundreds perhaps thousands....
the attack last month in garland, texas. >> what do we know about the two associates evan, the two associates of the suspect that were also apparently under surveillance by the joint terrorism task force? >> that's right. they were also just being watched by the fbi. there was no plan really to go after them today. certainly if the interaction with usaama rahim had gone differently, prps perhaps they would not have been picked up. but now they're being questioned. we know there have been searches down by the fbi and the joint terrorism task force there. we expect right now right now there are no charges against them but we expect to hear more about them in the coming day or so. >> let me bring in tom fuentes. usaama rahim, he is now dead, the suspect, two associates. thar they were under surveillance as well. could this hurt basically hurt the fbi's surveillance program if they were on to something potentially bigger? >> it could be. but they have to make a hard decision. at what point do you approach somebody. if he's carrying around a military knife, he could plunge that into any
the attack last month in garland, texas. >> what do we know about the two associates evan, the two associates of the suspect that were also apparently under surveillance by the joint terrorism task force? >> that's right. they were also just being watched by the fbi. there was no plan really to go after them today. certainly if the interaction with usaama rahim had gone differently, prps perhaps they would not have been picked up. but now they're being questioned. we know there...


Production Master is back with another one.
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text:
Opposition legalised: new liberal party gets registration
Published time: 19 Feb, 2009 14:14 Edited time: 19 Feb, 2009 17:14
The new liberal opposition party Right Cause has been officially registered at the Ministry of Justice on Thursday.
The certificate of registration was handed over to the co-chairmen of the party George Bovt, Leonid Gozman and Boris Titov by the Deputy Minister Aleksey Velichko.
Now the party's main objective is to get into the State Duma in the next elections, Boris Titov, one of the party's chairmen says.
The co-chairmen of the new party handed over to Velichko a copy of the decree signed by the emperor Alexander II about the abolition of serfdom – today is148th anniversary of this important event. Thus the party leaders wanted to stress the main political positions of their party: "freedom, property and order".
Opposition or not?
The newborn party's leaders say they are ready to co-operate with all political organisations, except extremists. However, there should be a bilateral desire for co-operation, Gozman says.
Many politicians call Right Cause a pro-Kremlin party adding that it can't be considered real opposition.
Some political parties and organisations have already stated that they won't co-operate with Right Cause. Among them are opposition party Yabloko and the political coalition The Other Russia. The leader of Yabloko says that theythemselves "are an opposition party, and [Right Cause] is not. How can we be allies?"
The leader of The Other Russia Eduard Limonov also thinks Right Cause is far from being true opposition adding that it's "an artificially made party, they have no future."
The new party's background
The new party has assembled former members of other liberal parties that broke up last autumn, namely the Union of Right Forces, Civil Force and Democratic Party of Russia.
The foundation meeting of Right Cause party was held in November last year, and documents on registration were been submitted on January 21, 2009. At that time the party had more than 56,000 members and had branches in 73 regions of Russia.
No Moscow branch yet
Right Cause still has no branch in the key region – Moscow. The foundation conference is expected to take place on February 28.
However the question of who will head the Moscow branch remains on the agenda.
Earlier, the former head of a large cell phone company Euroset, businessman, Evgeny Chichvarkin, was in charge of creating the Moscow department of the party. However, he is now abroad hiding from the law as he was named a suspect in a criminal case involving abduction and extortion.
Many public figures have already been offered the opportunity to head the Moscow branch of Right Cause. However all have so far refused to take the post.
Now co-chairman Georgy Bovt is the most likely candidate. The decision is expected to be made on February 28.
Opposition party fails to secure Moscow foothold
Interpol may hunt ex-cell phone tycoon
Who will head Moscow branch of opposition?
Medvedev says no to false history
Heated debates as WWII commemorated
"NATO will never attack Russia" – Rasmussen
WWII memorial blown up in Georgia to be rebuilt in Moscow – Putin
NATO military exercises planned as Baltic States hit panic button
European Court decision on WWII veteran– attempt to rewrite history
Russia not to sell S-300 missiles to Iran


text:
Q: Counting the number of upper triangular matrices in $GL_n(\mathbb{F}_p)$
How many matrices are in $GL_n(\mathbb{F}_p)$ are upper triangular? How many upper triangular matrices with 1 on the diagonal are there?

$\textbf{proof.}$
Let $U$ be the subgroup of upper triangular matrices of $GL_n(\mathbb{F}_p)$ and let $D$ be the subgroup of upper triangular matrices with diagonal entries 1.
To find the order of $U$, we note that the diagonal entries can never by zero, since if one diagonal entry was zero the resulting matrix wouldn't be invertible. Also a row in an invertible upper triangular matrix will never be a multiple of a row above it, since the diagonal entry of the preceding row can only be zeroed out by multiplying the row by zero. Thus
$$
\lvert U \rvert
= (p-1)p^{n-1} \cdot (p-1)p^{n-2} \cdot \ldots \cdot (p-1)
= (p-1)^n p^{1 + 2 + \ldots + n-1}
= (p-1)^n p^{n(n-1)/2}.
$$
To find the order of $D$ we divide out the nonzero diagonal entries
$$
\lvert D \rvert
= \frac{\lvert U \rvert}{(p-1)^n} = p^{n(n-1)/2}.
$$
//
Is this correct and is it articulated alright? If there are other ways of counting this I'd like to know as well, thanks.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
MTV Music Awards 2014 steht für:

 MTV Africa Music Awards 2014
 MTV Europe Music Awards 2014
 MTV Video Music Awards 2014

Siehe auch:

 MTV Movie Awards 2014

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: How to stream and record MySQL binlog remotely For data redundancy goals, I want to record the binlog of a few hundred mysql servers in a central location. To run a full replicator for each stream would require lots of resources (multiple servers) because the execution of the statements take a lot of cpu. My assumption is that just recording the binlog would take significant fewer resources.
How to do it? I found http://search.cpan.org/~alfie/MySQL-Replication-0.0.2/bin/MySQLReplicationClient.pl but that seems to use non-native replication (it requires an extra database) and seems to be in alpha state.
Perhaps another solution is to install a full mysql server as a replication slave, but somehow disable the execution of replicated statements and just log them.
Thanks!

A: Thanks to NickW!!
This is exactly what I need:
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.6/en/mysqlbinlog-backup.html

--stop-never: Stay connected to the server after reaching the end of the last log file and continue to read new events.

I'm running 5.5 but I'll backport the 5.6 mysqlbinlog util.
Also of interest might be Percona Xtrabackup with xbstream continous backup feature:
http://www.percona.com/doc/percona-xtrabackup/glossary.html#term-xbstream


CWP Technologies takes safety very seriously. It is our responsibility to supply information regarding precautions for safe usage, as well as any Hazard Identifications such as "First Aid" if needed.
Please select the product of interest from the links below. Your .pdf file will be displayed.


text:
Q: Marketing cloud sandbox integration with Salesforce sandbox using V5 marketing cloud connector I am trying to integrate Marketing cloud sandbox with salesforce sandbox using V5 marketing cloud connector, i have followed all the steps involved in the documentation for integration (Integration Documentation but still i am getting the following error

A: Update: As per conversation with MC support MC sandbox doesn't support marketing cloud connect. That means we cannot integrate with sales cloud


Brushing your teeth alone is not enough to achieve excellent mouth health. Aside from regular brushing, as well as flossing and dental visits, you should also carefully monitor what you eat to improve your mouth health. There is nothing wrong with eating what you want, but you should also consider if these foods are good for your mouth health.
Candies and chocolates can cause tooth decay, but sugar found in other sweet foods like pastries and ice cream can also negatively affect your mouth health. Soft drinks and other carbonated, fizzy drinks are loaded with sugar and acids that can wear away the natural enamel of your teeth. If you cannot avoid drinking soda, sip it quickly to prevent it from staying too long inside your mouth. Similarly, a cup of sweetened coffee may raise the risk of dental cavities, so it would be best to prefer black coffee instead. If you have kids, tell them that munching on cereals without milk can hurt their teeth in their early age.
Dried fruits or fruit crisps and chips may be full of vitamins, but these can also be packed full of sugar. Potato chips contain starch, yet they can also be detrimental to your mouth health. After eating dried fruits, be sure to gargle to remove excess sugar from your mouth that might stick to your teeth and trigger the onslaught of cavities. A better way to gargle is to use tea, which can soothe mouth sores, gum pain and thrush.
Fresh fruits and vegetables that are naturally crunchy can help invigorate teeth and enhance overall mouth health. Chewing on apples, celery sticks, broccoli and carrots is an alternative way to whiten your teeth without the use of chemicals that may even cause harm to your teeth. Eating vitamin C-rich fruits such as oranges and lemons can also help reinforce gums to prevent gingivitis and further encourage mouth health. Some herbs like mint, thyme and parsley can even combat bad breath.
Mouth health does not involve only your gums and teeth, but also your breath. To eliminate bad breath or halitosis, drink green or black tea. Tea contains compounds that help diminish stinking breath and lessen the occurrence of tooth decay. Eating yogurt with its live active cultures is also an effective aid in freshening your breath.
Toothache can be a result of gum disease, cavities or a cracked tooth. It can range from having mild to acute pain. When you have a toothache, use garlic as a strong painkiller by pounding one clove and pressing it on the affected tooth.
Always combine these tips with frequent brushing and flossing after eating. Do not disregard going to the dentist for a checkup twice a year. Improving your mouth health not only involves regular cleaning of your teeth and gums, but also taking care of mouth problems that you may already have in order to get rid of them totally.


text:
Ideas + user stories

(only for 1 player)

1. Needs to start on frame 1.
2. Needs to move on to frame 10.
3. Each frame needs 2 rolls unless roll 1 is a strike.
4. Frame 10 may have up to 3 rolls depending on strikes.
5. Frame 10 should also = the final score.

ideas

1. First frame strike check method
2. Second frame spare check method
3. Frame 10 extra roll methods

user stories

1. as a user
	 I would like to be able to input my score.
	 So that I may score a bowling game.

2. as a user
	 I would like to be able to view my score
	 So that I may keep track of the game.

3. as a user
	 I would like to be able to view which frame I am bowling on.
	 So that I may keep track of the game.

4. as a user
	 I would like to be able to input a username.
	 So I may bowl as my bowling alias.

method ideas

next frame
calculate frame?
create an array to store all scores?
current frame index
frame score array?
spare method }  these 2 can check the store array
strike method }
10th frame method
actual bowl method

mid way ideas

- break frame +1 after frame 10 - end game method?
- carry over array for strikes + spares
- 3 framescore arrays incase of 3 strikes in a row. Most possible multipliers should cover 3 frames
- if strike / spare the array should pop off into a holding array.
-

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
def divider(num1, num2)
  division = nil
  begin
    division = num1 / num2
  rescue TypeError
    puts "non numeric types"
  rescue ZeroDivisionError
    puts "tried to divide by zero"
  end
  division
end

puts "num 1"
num1 = gets.to_i
puts "num 2"
num2 = gets.to_i
puts divider(num1,num2)


text:
Kim Wilde Interview: Going Live
Kim Wilde has rarely taken a conventional approach to the business of being a pop star. But now, a mere 38 years after her chart debut, she's finally ready to release a live album. "I feel like I've been working up to this point my whole life," she tells Paul Kirkley…
"My career kind of happened back to front," says Kim Wilde, reflecting on her four-decade journey across the shifting sands of pop. "Sometimes I look at other artists who came out fully formed, like Lady Gaga or Madonna, and I think: how did they know how to do that so young? I'm only discovering myself now. It's a really strange thing. But we all have our own paths to make, and mine is a curious and unique one, I think."
Few, surely, would argue with that. Key to this voyage of self-discovery, meanwhile, has been the 58-year-old's slow, cautious passage to becoming a fully-fledged live performer, which last year culminated in her hitting the road for her first headline tour in more than 30 years.
"It was very clear, as soon as the tour started, that something really special was going on," she recalls of those 2018 shows in support of her turbo-charged Here Come The Aliens album. "There was a really great energy about the record, and it transferred instantly into the live situation. It was the best tour I've ever been involved in doing, working with the best band that I've ever worked with. So we felt it was time to put it down on tape."
Coming Late To The Game
Hence the arrival this month of her first live album, showcasing songs of every Wilde vintage – from the sugar-rush electropop of opener Stereo Shot (from Here Come the Aliens) to a euphoric encore of Kids In America – recorded at dates across Britain and Europe.
"A lot of artists start out playing live and then progress, whereas I've sort of progressed to playing live," observes Kim. "I came a bit late to all that. I guess I just didn't make it my thing. I've sort of grown into myself at a rather later age."
This is all the more surprising because, as the daughter of 50s heartthrob Marty Wilde and former Vernon Girls singer Joyce Baker, Kim was practically raised in the wings of theatres and concert halls. "I was born to perform," she agrees. "I know when I was watching my dad from the side of stage, all the time some part of me was longing to be there, doing the same."
Aliens Live is dedicated to her father. "It was him who inspired me to want to be on stage and entertain," she says. "The joy of it has never left him. He still loves life on the road."
But while Marty Wilde earned his stripes playing rock'n'roll, Kim was discovered by RAK records boss and pop svengali Mickie Most while laying down backing vocals for her brother Ricky. Which is how, before her feet could touch the ground, the 20-year-old found herself on Top Of The Pops, pouting sulkily beneath a peroxide feather cut to the urgent throb of the Ricky/Marty-penned Kids In America.
A run of naggingly catchy singles – Chequered Love, Water On Glass, Cambodia – followed, and by the end of the 80s, Hertfordshire's "suburban Monroe" was the decade's most charted British female artist. None of which left much time – or much incentive – for slogging round provincial tramsheds honing her live craft.
"I did a bit of touring, but it wasn't a big part of my career," says Kim. "A bigger part of my career was making videos, travelling, doing a lot of TV. And a lot of miming – I was the best in the business!"
Justify My Place
One live engagement she did undertake in the late 80s was supporting Michael Jackson on the European leg of his stadium-munching Bad tour. With audiences averaging between 80,0000 and 100,000, it was quite the baptism of fire.
"It was one of those sink or swim situations," recalls Kim. "I didn't have an option to not be good. I had to find a way to justify being on stage for half an hour before Michael Jackson. Believe me, it took a lot for me to get my head around that. When I first got offered it, I said no, I can't do this, this is crazy. I'm not ready for it, I'm not a seasoned performer. But then, of course, I had my mum telling me I can do anything, like mums do. So I took it on, and it paid off. It was an inspiring time, watching him at the peak of his career."
Inspiring, perhaps. But it also afforded her a cautionary glimpse into the rarefied upper echelons of pop superstardom. "It was very sobering," says Kim, who met the headline act only briefly, during a photocall. "Seeing the circus that surrounded him, I felt very lucky that I could go home and still go down to Tesco, and that life could be pretty normal for me.
"I just knew that it would have killed me, that lifestyle. It would have crushed my spirit. I would have felt like a caged animal. I'm sure he did feel like that a lot."
A couple of years later, Kim opened for David Bowie on his Sound+Vision Tour. "That was amazing. He was a really sweet, lovely guy, very much more down to earth. He'd pop in and wish me luck, and gave me a bunch of flowers when the tour started. I remember I was just completely infatuated with him."
There were times, admits Kim, when "it felt like things were going to go on forever". But Dame Pop is a fickle mistress. "There were lots of ups and downs. There were albums that came out that disappeared very quickly. I'd had to adjust to a lot of success and a lot of people making a big fuss of me, and then I had to adjust to people doing exactly the opposite. There were some hard lessons to learn along the way. It was a rollercoaster, and I think it did take its toll on my confidence a lot of the time."
Turning 30, Kim found herself in a dark place: exhausted by the demands of the pop treadmill, she fell into a period of depression. She was also lonely, and more than anything just craved a normal family life where, as she told one newspaper, she could spend her days doing the school run and picking up her husband's underpants.
That dream of domestic bliss – dirty smalls and all – came true when she married musical theatre star Hal Fowler, with whom she has two grown-up children, Harry and Rose. She also executed one of pop's more unusual career swerves by reinventing herself as a horticulturalist (winning a gold medal at Chelsea Flower Show for her troubles).
"I was totally out of love with my career," she explains. "So I got out. If something's not fun anymore, you've got to stop doing it. I was bored of being Kim Wilde."
By this point, she was convinced she'd sung Kids In America for the last time, claiming she "never wanted to hear that bloody song again".
"I really did think that," she says. "And for a few years, when I was being asked to tour with the likes of Nik Kershaw and ABC, I turned it down." But the thought of joining some of her favourite chart contemporaries – plus "a bit of cash" – eventually persuaded her to dip a toe in the water and join the bill of the 2001 Here & Now 80s package tour.
"I just thought, well, it'd be fantastic to be on the road with The Human League and Clare Grogan," she recalls. "But I didn't really count on the amazing reception that I got from the public. As soon as I went on stage, I knew I felt fantastic about it. I think that was when I started to reinvent myself, although I didn't know that's what I was doing at the time. I thought I was going to do the tour, and then come home and just get on with life."
A Whole New Me
Prior to the tour, Kim had been certain no one would be interested in hearing "a Hertfordshire housewife and mother-of-two" belting out her old hits. "I felt the public really only had one version of me they wanted to see, and I really wasn't that girl any more," she says. "But it turns out that they weren't that fussed that I wasn't quite size 8 anymore, or not 21 anymore – or not available anymore! They love me, mortgage and all."
With hindsight, she probably knew, even in her darkest hour, that she wasn't really done with music, or it with her. "I got really excited about being Mrs Fowler, and having children, and horticulture, and that kind of filled the gap for a while. But music was always knocking on the back door; it was always there waiting for me to fall in love with it again. That's the nature of love: it ebbs and flows, and the love affair I've had with music has been like that. But when it came back, it was stronger than ever. That's the amazing thing.
"When I started playing again, I really felt that I was developing as a live artist. My voice was stronger, for starters. It had matured, and I discovered I had this much wider range, which has only got better and better."
If the Here & Now shows rekindled her passion for pop, it was the Here Come The Aliens Tour that fully ignited the flame. As well as embracing costume changes and dance routines for the first time in her career, Kim is enjoying the whole experience of life on the road. "I love going from town to town," she says. "That's still romantic for me.
"It's a beautiful thing, a rare thing," she adds. "I'm in a small minority of people on the planet who get to stand on a stage and be adored. I can't pretend that isn't a phenomenal feeling. It's sort of real and it's not real. I don't expect that kind of response from people all the time. Gigs are just of the moment, and they create their own special energy."
It helps, of course, to have her brother and lifelong musical soulmate Ricky on stage, along with her niece Scarlett and two drummers, Emily Dolan Davies and Jonathan Atkinson – a trick she happily admits to stealing from her old pal Adam Ant. "As a unit, we're incredibly strong," she says, "and we have a lot of fun travelling together."
So much fun, in fact, that they haven't really stopped. This summer, the KW roadshow continues to roll across Europe, and in December she'll be back in the UK for her Wilde Winter Acoustic tour. Plus there are "exciting plans" in store for 2020. "Next year is a big year for me, because I'm 60," she says. "So we're going to celebrate in style."
As she approaches her seventh decade, then, it's clear Kim Wilde has figured out how to successfully combine the roles of laundry-gathering Hertfordshire housewife and platinum pop bombshell.
"I feel like I've been working up to this point my whole life," she beams. "And that's really exciting. I don't look back and wish for who I was. The past has its place, and I have some wonderful memories. But this is the place I really need to be right now."
Paul Kirkley
Click here to read more exclusive Classic Pop interviews…
Aliens Live
Heaven 17 40th anniversary tour unveiled
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The Godfathers of Pop – Leee John interview
Gears For Fears: The Proclaimers interview
Classic Album: Welcome To The Pleasuredome
Q&A with Vuromantics' lead singer Sam Christie
Stormy Weather: Huey Lewis interview
Currently listening to… ow.ly/TYj650Db28r
About 15 minutes ago from Classic Pop magazine's Twitter via Hootsuite Inc. · reply · retweet · favorite


So I'm trying to find a primer, foundation, powder combo that will make me look poreless (well less pores than I have now, haha) and also hide my fine undereye wrinkles and one fine wrinkle in my forehead. I'm about to be filmed for a TV thing so I want to be able to feel confident and have my makeup be on point. I went to Sephora and after a makeover bought the MUFA HD foundation. I currently use the Monistat chaffing gel as a primer and powder with Ulta's wet/dry powder foundation. I also use Laura Mercier's concealer. Should I switch to a water-based primer? Switch foundation? Powder? Hellppp. I'm only 22 and this makeup combo is making me look haggard.
Maybelline's pore eraser primer is supposed to be great, and you can just use that with your normal foundation and powders, I always see it recommended on this sub.
Try tapping/patting your primer into the areas with visible pores/fine lines. This will help get the product into your pores/fine lines to fill them in and minimize their appearance. A water-based primer would be worse at filling in pores (in my experience, anyway).
Have you tried the Wayne Goss powder-under-foundation trick? Yes, you can still use it with powder foundation. The loose powder helps fill in pores a bit.
Try using liquid instead of powder foundation with a light dusting of colourless setting powder. Use a beauty blender to apply.
I don't really buy into any of these pore reducing products, every one I have tried seems to separate after some time and become very obvious. I really like smashbox photo finish primer, but a lot of people find it makes them oily.
You can get heaps of samples from Sephora to try different combinations out before buying. You should also try to stay with either oil based or water based formulas, not a combination.


What Happens to the Price of a Stock During a Buy-Out?
but good to establish some fundamentals.
You must keep in mind that the function of markets is to constantly predict the future value of a stock and then set the current price based on the return needed to justify the risk taken. Note that this is called "discounting." If a stock will be bought out in two months at $35 per share, and you buy it at $34.50, you are virtually guaranteed to get a return of $.50 per share for two months investment (virtually guaranteed, because deals do fall through).
As soon as rumors of a stock buy-out occur, the stock price will often start to head up. At this point the price offered is not known, so the market tries to figure out what it will be and price the stock just under that buy-out price (in actuality, people continue to offer higher prices until they feel there is no substantial profit to be made, then the price stops moving up). Note that it is dangerous to buy stocks with takeover rumors since, if the buy-out doesn't happen, the price can fall quickly. Even if it does happen, if the buy-out price is less than the market price, you can still lose money. I still remember buying Stop and Go in the 1970's for $12 per share, only to have a buy-out at $10 announced a few weeks later.
Once the deal is announced, the price will usually stay near the buy-out price. Sometimes it may move above it, if, for example, investors think the offer may not be accepted by shareholders and be raised. If it looks like the offer might fall through, the price may drop.
I usually find that once an offer has been announced, you might as well sell and move onto something else. The price can change up until the deal closes, and there is little upside for the risk you are taking. Also, you are losing the chance of seeing your money grow during that time by keeping it locked up in a stock that probably isn't going anywhere. An exception might be if you can delay realizing the gain for tax purposes. Even still, the risk may not be worth the savings.


text:
Federal Circuit Agrees that CORN THINS and RICE THINS are Least Merely Descriptive
In Real Foods Pty., Ltd. v. Frito-Lay North America, Inc., [2017-1959, 2017-2009] (October 4, 2018), the Federal Circuit affirmed in part, vacated in part, and remanded the TTAB's decision that the Real Foods marks CORN THINS and RICE THINS were merely descriptive and have not acquired distinctiveness.
Real Foods argued that the marks are merely suggestive, and not descriptive, and even if they are descriptive, they have acquired secondary meaning. The Federal Circuit, however, agreed with the TTAB that the marks were merely descriptive.
When determining whether a mark is merely descriptive, one must consider the commercial impression of a mark as a whole, viewed through the eyes of a consumer. One must consider the mark in relation to the goods for which it is registered, asking whether someone who knows what the goods and services are will understand the mark to convey information about them.
The Federal Circuit found that substantial evidence supports the TTAB's finding that the proposed marks are highly descriptive, noting that "corn" and "rice" are grains from which the products are made, and "thins" describe the physical characteristics of the products. Viewing the marks as composites does not create a different impression.
The Federal Circuit rejected Real Foods arguments about the source of evidence of public understanding of its marks, noting evidence of the public's understanding of a term may be obtained from any competent source. The Federal Circuit also rejected Real Foods' arguments that the TTAB failed to properly consider third party registrations containing "THINS," noting that these did not compel registration, because each application must be examined on its own merits.
The Federal Circuit also found that substantial evidence supported the TTAB's finding of a lack of acquired distinctiveness. To determine whether a mark has acquired secondary meaning, courts consider the following:
advertising expenditures and sales success;
length and exclusivity of use;
unsolicited media coverage;
copying of the mark; and,
consumer studies.
Real Foods' sales and advertising figures weigh against a finding of acquired distinctiveness. Further, Real Foods spent a relatively small amount on advertising as compared to other expenditures. Finally, research conducted by a third party on behalf of Real Foods demonstrates that consumers have low brand loyalty to and low preference for Real Foods' corn and rice cakes, as compared to its competitors.
Frito-Lay's evidence further showed a low recognition that the terms are marks.
The Federal Circuit rejected Real Foods' argument that the TTAB ignored evidence of substantially exclusive and continuous use, finding that the TTAB expressly acknowledged the evidence and was within its discretion to discount it. As to other evidence, this too was within the TTAB's right to weigh evidence, and declined the invitation to re-weigh the evidence.
In regard to the TTAB's dismissal of Frito-Lay's claim that CORN THINS and RICE THINS are generic, Frito-Lay argued that the TTAB improperly narrowed the genus of the goods and services — tracking Real Foods' amendment to the description of goods, which related to the species of goods, rather than considering the genus. Accordingly, the Federal Circuit remanded for the TTAB to reconsider its selected genus and conduct its genericness analysis in light of that genus.
Hutchinson Revisited Surname + Merely Descriptive Term May or May Not Be Registrable
TTAB Scores a ZERO in Evaluating Genericness and Acquired Distinctiveness
Federal Circuit Affirms that Mattress.com is Generic
Federal Circuit Skewers Trademark Applicant
When is July 4 this year? When is North Carolina's FIRST TUESDAY Lottery? and Descriptiveness


Congratulations and THANK YOU to everybody who voted!
This is literally a situation where we can say that it was BECAUSE OF YOU - you voted, you shared, and now Hurley Children's Hospital has won $50,000 from a contest sponsored by Credit Unions for the Children's Miracle Network of Hospitals.
Not only that, but the Sheppy Dog Fund (created by pediatric dentist Dr. Alan Klein) pledge to donate an extra $20K if Hurley won. So, their total comes to $70K.
In 2016, the winning money went to fund 14 more private hospital rooms for kids. In 2017, it went to a special room used for kids who had been physically abused.
You can literally SEE the good the money does them. Congrats, Hurley!


text:
// (c) 2013 uchicom
package com.uchicom.podof;

import java.io.FileInputStream;
import java.io.IOException;

import org.apache.pdfbox.pdmodel.PDDocument;
import org.apache.pdfbox.pdmodel.PDPage;
import org.apache.pdfbox.pdmodel.PDPageTree;
import org.apache.pdfbox.pdmodel.common.PDRectangle;

/**
 * @author uchicom: Shigeki Uchiyama
 *
 */
public class TrimMain {

	/**
	 * @param args
	 */
	public static void main(String[] args) {
		for (String arg : args) {
			change(arg);
		}

	}

	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
	public static void change(String filename) {

		System.out.println(filename);
		System.out.println("----------------------------------------");
		try (FileInputStream fis = new FileInputStream(filename);
				PDDocument document = PDDocument.load(fis);) {

			PDPageTree pageList = document.getDocumentCatalog().getPages();
			float pixel_bleed = ((int) Math.ceil(3.17 * 600 / 25.4)) * 72 / 600f;
			for (int i = 0; i < pageList.getCount(); i++) {
				PDPage pdpage = pageList.get(i);

				System.out.println("getCropBox:" + pdpage.getCropBox());
				System.out.println("getMediaBox:" + pdpage.getMediaBox());
				System.out.println("getArtBox:" + pdpage.getArtBox());
				System.out.println("getBleedBox:" + pdpage.getBleedBox());
				System.out.println("getTrimBox:" + pdpage.getTrimBox());

				//クリアする
				pdpage.setCropBox(null);
				pdpage.setArtBox(null);

				PDRectangle bleedBox = pdpage.getMediaBox();
				//                bleedBox.setUpperRightX(value);
				//                bleedBox.setUpperRightY(value);
				//                bleedBox.setLowerLeftX(value);
				//                bleedBox.setLowerLeftY(value);

				System.out.println("----------------------------------------");
				System.out.println("setBleedBox:" + bleedBox);
				pdpage.setBleedBox(bleedBox);

				PDRectangle trimBox = new PDRectangle();
				trimBox.setUpperRightX(bleedBox.getUpperRightX() - pixel_bleed);
				trimBox.setUpperRightY(bleedBox.getUpperRightY() - pixel_bleed);
				trimBox.setLowerLeftX(pixel_bleed);
				trimBox.setLowerLeftY(pixel_bleed);
				pdpage.setTrimBox(trimBox);
				System.out.println("setTrimBox:" + trimBox);

			}
			document.save(filename + "_bleedtrim.pdf");

			System.out.println("============================================");
		} catch (IOException e) {
			e.printStackTrace();
		}
	}
}


text:
The Valley Vagabond: Adventures in Pandemic Travel, Ireland, the Flight (Part Two)
September 19, 2021 by Guest Post
[Guest Post by Jeff Lewis]
When we last left Jeff and Diane Lewis, they had finally navigated all the steps to be able to board a flight and deplane in Ireland to visit their daughter. Surely their trip would now run smoothly, right? Read on to find out…
Online check-in using a smartphone app is a breeze. All of your flight details are right at hand. Boarding passes are easily shown right from your phone at the gate.
My wife isn't a fan of all things digital, so she insisted that we get paper boarding passes for both of our flights that day; having these hard copies turned out to be a blessing later in the day.
We didn't have baggage to check, so we easily bypassed the rest of the front desk at the airport and went straight to the hell that is the TSA checkpoint. One can pay a fee and get prescreened in the planning ahead department, avoiding TSA's seemingly endless wait line. It's like having a fast pass at Disneyland where you can go straight to the front of the line.
Once through TSA, it was off to our departure gate where we learned that there were "air traffic delays" for our flight to Chicago. At first, it was "a short delay" that later turned into a 4-hour delay that would put us into Chicago after our flight to Dublin had left. We asked the Alaska personnel at the gate about changing our flight to Dublin.
Unfortunately, because our reservations weren't made through the same company, we were told we had to go to the other end of Seatac and speak with a United representative. The United agent told us to get on the app or call their toll-free number, but looking at their flight information, she said we had to schedule another flight to Dublin.
We tried the app, no luck. It has limitations when trying to deal with live and active real-world changes. The toll-free number promised to call us back as soon as an agent was available, which turned out to be an hour and a half later and just minutes before our flight to Chicago finally started boarding.
The best they could do was to get us on the next day's flight, downgrading our seats from premium to economy, charging us an extra $200, and putting us into separate rows. Fine! Just do it. I gotta go, and if that's the best we can do, then do it. We'll find a place to stay overnight in Chicago then get a fresh start the next day.
Our flight to Chicago was uneventful until we got close. We then learned that the earlier delays were caused by tornado warnings driving the O'Hare tower to evacuate for most of the day. The storm was delaying hundreds of flights both in and out of Chicago all day. We circled for about an hour, then finally got clearance to land.
Photo by Austin Tiffany on Unsplash
Just as the pilot was about to touch down, he fired up the engines, pulled us up over the runway, and put us back up into the air again. The plane before us didn't exit the landing strip, so we had to pull out and get back in line again. An hour later, we were safely on the ground and had internet service available again.
It was then that we learned that our original plane to Dublin had been delayed along with everyone else and was still in Chicago! The bad news was that it would be boarding within the hour, but we were no longer booked for it! We had a chance to get to the gate and rearrange our travel plans back to our original itinerary if we hurried.
If you have ever traveled through O'Hare airport, you know that it is the size of a small city. Getting from one terminal to the next takes time. Getting from the far end of terminal 1, where we landed, to terminal 3, where United's flight to Dublin was resting, was going to take some doing. We got directions from a friendly security officer who recommended that we hustle, and I started running with my wife waving me on, promising to catch up sooner or later.
As I ran past the customer service desks, hundreds of stranded passengers waited in line to rearrange their plans. I bypassed these and went straight to the gate where there were no lines. Here, I found an angel in gate attendant clothes.
I showed the attendant my original boarding passes for this flight and explained the entire story of our flight changes. She let me know that our premium seats were gone, but she did have two seats in economy but not together. I didn't care as long as they were on the flight, which she assured me would happen. She didn't stop there, however. She spent the next half hour working just with me to juggle other passengers' seats to get us together.
She went back and forth from phone to computer, trying to work the best situation for us possible. Meanwhile, my wife arrived-exhausted and near tears. Our agent assured her that she would take care of us, which she did. Because so many flights had been diverted away from O'Hare, she saw that there were several passengers that, while they hadn't canceled, would never make it in time. After getting approval from her supervisor and just minutes before boarding (it was now close to 10 pm local time), she handed me two new boarding passes.
Row 5. First Class. No charge.
The day had been long and exhausting. Boarding our flight and sitting down in a truly luxurious little pod that was all mine was spectacular! The food for both our dinner and breakfast meals was near restaurant quality. Having my wife right next to me to enjoy this little slice of heaven-sent goodness was more than I could have hoped for! We were able to fully recline flat with plentiful pillows, blankets and a pair of slippers to catch some shut-eye on the trip through the night into Dublin, where we would be starting another full day, was priceless.
Arriving in Dublin on a sunny summer morning, we made our way through the thoroughly modern and surprisingly nearly vacant Dublin airport. The seven-and-a-half-hour flight was perfect in every way – excellent service and a smooth ride! The customs facility was also empty, so we strolled right up to the first officer who checked our vaccination records and passports; then, he wished us well. Within minutes, we were boarding a bus to the center of the capital city to our hotel.
We had finally arrived and were ready to take in nearly two weeks of everything this beautiful country had to offer!
Next, in Part III, Jeff and Diane explore Ireland!
Filed Under: Guest Articles, North Bend, Snoqualmie, Snoqualmie Valley Info, Travel, Valley News Tagged With: Top Stories


Awesome view of the ocean and very nice villa.
Just three houses from Bottom Bay Beach. Peter and Connie, our landlords, were great. Anything we needed, they handled it in no time. Even enjoyed a couple of evenings with them.
Surely most luxurious and beautiful BIG house at best beach in Barbados!


After enjoying his one shining moment -- and a national championship -- former Westchester County high school basketball star Ty Jerome is eyeing the pros and has declared for the NBA Draft.
Jerome, who honed his craft as a star at Iona Prep in New Rochelle and cut down the nets after winning the NCAA Tournament with Virginia last month, has announced he's leaving the University of Virginia and has declared for the NBA Draft.
Jerome was a key contributor in throughout the NCAA Tournament, and starred in the Final against Texas Tech, finishing with 16 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. Similar to the Cavaliers' unlikely Final Four win over Auburn to make it to the final, Jerome was key in assisting on one of the final plays in regulation to help his team tie the game with seconds left on the clock.
Jerome, who scored in double-figures in all six of the Cavaliers' NCAA tournament games, announced his decision to forgo his senior season in an Instagram post on Monday morning.
According to ESPN's "Best Available List," Jerome is ranked as the 30th best player in the country and eighth-best point guard, making him a likely candidate to be a late first-round or early second-round pick. His performance in the National Championship may have bolstered his already impressive resume even further.
"He's gone," said one source close to the program, ESPN reported.
"The last three years at Virginia have been everything I could have dreamed of in a college experience," Jerome wrote. "When Coach (Tony) Bennett recruited me he said he would never stop challenging me to improve, on and off the court - and he meant it. He did that every single day, and he made me a better basketball player and better man. I am eternally grateful to him and the entire coaching staff, and fans. I also want to give a special thank you to our strength coach, coach (Mike) Curtis and our athletic trainer, Ethan Saliba; the best in the business!
The 6-foot-5 point guard enjoyed a stellar regular season, starting each game for the Cavaliers, leading the team in assists (130), free throw percentage (.902 percent), and played the third most minutes for Virginia, behind standouts Kyle Guy and Devon Hall. Jerome was also named the ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Week in January after he scored a career-high 31 points in a one-point win over Boston College.