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Mars orbiter granted reprieve from government closure
BY STEPHEN CLARK
Engineers returned to work on NASA's next Mars mission at the Kennedy Space Center on Thursday after receiving an emergency exception under federal law to continue launch preparations for a $671 million orbiter to probe the red planet's atmosphere.
After a two-day shutdown, processing work will resume on the MAVEN spacecraft, shown here during an illumination test at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett.
The decision keeps the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, mission on schedule for liftoff Nov. 18 at the opening of a 20-day primary launch window.
"I learned this morning that NASA has analyzed the MAVEN mission relative to the Anti-Deficiency Act and determined that it meets the requirements allowing an emergency exception," said Bruce Jakosky, MAVEN's principal investigator from the University of Colorado at Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics.
NASA sent 97 percent of its civil servant workforce home Tuesday after Congress failed to pass a federal budget, only granting exceptions for activities deemed essential for the protection of life or property.
While administrators, support staffs and scientists were furloughed, operations of the International Space Station in support of its six-person crew continued this week, along with data-gathering activities on the Hubble Space Telescope and NASA's rovers and orbiters already at Mars.
But the government shutdown halted work on missions still in development on the ground, such as MAVEN.
Officials feared an extended government shutdown could threaten the mission's ability to launch by mid-December, the last chance to send a spacecraft to Mars until the planets are in the right positions again in early 2016.
With the MAVEN work stoppage lifted Thursday, engineers lost about three days of work on the spacecraft. But officials with Lockheed Martin Corp., MAVEN's prime contractor, said last week the mission was nine days ahead of schedule going into the shutdown.
"Good news for us, although we're very sensitive to the fact that there are still 800,000 government employees who are furloughed," Jakosky told Spaceflight Now.
Teams returned to work on MAVEN inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at KSC on Thursday afternoon, Jakosky said.
"We have already restarted spacecraft processing at Kennedy Space Center, working toward being ready to launch on Nov. 18," Jakosky wrote in an update emailed to reporters. "We will continue to work over the next couple of days to identify any changes in our schedule or plans that are necessary to stay on track."
Jakosky said it will take a day to ramp up activities and fully resume preparations on MAVEN.
NASA's exception for MAVEN was granted under the guise of the orbiter's importance as a communications relay platform for the $2.4 billion Curiosity rover and the venerable Opportunity robot exploring the Martian surface.
The Mars Odyssey mission and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter currently provide communications support for the rovers, but both orbiters are flying well beyond their design lives.
"Launching MAVEN in 2013 protects the existing assets that are at Mars today," Jakosky said. "A delay in the launch date by more than a week past the end of the nominal launch period, or a delay of launch to 2016, would require additional fuel to get into orbit. This would have precluded having sufficient fuel for MAVEN to carry out its science mission and to operate as a relay for any significant time."
Scientists are also eager to launch MAVEN in time for the spacecraft's suite of solar wind monitors, particle sensors and atmospheric instruments to observe how the Martian atmosphere responds to stimuli from solar activity.
MAVEN is designed to study how gases escape from the upper atmosphere of Mars, which could tell scientists how the red planet evolved from a world hospitable for life to the barren planet of today.
"Although the exception for MAVEN is not being done for science reasons, the science of MAVEN clearly will benefit from this action," Jakosky said. "Launching in 2013 allows us to observe at a good time in the eleven-year solar cycle."


The reality is, however, the sooner you embrace the topic of pensions, the better. Not only will it take one of those big 'life admin' weights off your shoulders, but an early start brings great benefits.
As much as talking to friends, family members and colleagues can help guide you, discussing your situation and your goals with a professional will give you that extra bit of confidence in your decisions.


It doesn't matter what industry you are in, what you're promoting, or how big you are, a solid presence on the web is likely the best approach to connect with your target market. However, it can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to web design. The difficult and always changing nature of web design implies that developing a website for your business really ought to only be attempted by somebody with the required experience. In recent years, the necessity of a website has increased, and thus the number of businesses offering web design services has also increased. Because of the large number of options, who should you choose as a professional Madison web design company? To make the decision less difficult, we have listed some of the factors to keep in mind when selecting a web design firm.
Get in touch with a number of web designers in Madison prior to deciding on any one company, so that you have an idea of what is available. Price is also an important factor in your decision, so be sure to ask for quotes from each company you contact.
Be sure that you choose a responsive web design company, so that you can be certain that it will look great when viewed on a variety of screen sizes aside from desktop monitor sizes.
In addition to marketing and graphic design skills, it is additionally important that the Madison web design service provider you choose has a strong background in coding and web development so your site can be built to be compatible with all major browsers, and will run free of errors or glitches.
Make sure the mobile web design company in Madison you select provides search engine optimization (SEO) services so that prospects can easily find your site when browsing the internet.
Ask for an idea of the length of time the project will take, so you know when your new site will be delivered. A lot of companies will charge extra if you are in a rush to get your site built.
With many years of experience on dozens of sites, we are Madison web designers who are first rate. We can ensure the above issues are thoroughly taken care of, and also provide the following promises to ensure the absolute best outcome for you and your site visitors.
Your business goals are the most important priority, and by offering web design in Madison, NY our agency will do everything we can to guarantee they are fulfilled.
Finally, it's worth noting that we connected right now as a result of your own web search. When it comes to SEO and helping connect businesses with new customers, we really understand what we're doing. With the right website, people in your neighborhood can find your services on the internet by simply doing a web search. To contact us, call now or simply send in the form located above. You may also download our case study about the redesign of the site for a local cleaning company and the fantastic increase in free organic search traffic that followed. Read for yourself – download here.


Having spent some time humming and hawing about the benefits of attending a book conference, I had talked myself out of it in 2017. But as the advertisements for the Dublin Writer's Conference from BooksGoSocial started to arrive in my inbox for 2018, I finally took the plunge and signed up for it.
Yes, the cost of travel, hotel accommodation, and the conference itself were something to consider. And the thought of flinging myself into a room full of strangers was a daunting prospect. I'm an author. I spend most of my time totally alone staring at my monitor! However, hermit existence aside, I can honestly say, having now attended the Dublin Writer's Conference, it was a great weekend and a font of knowledge.
I met some great people who were just like me, Indie, self-deprecating, horrified by the mistakes we had all made and yet so willing to give advice, assistance, and a listening ear.
The speakers at the event had some worthy tips, helpful advice, and some tricks of the trade to learn from, and the organisers crammed a heck of a lot into a short space of time.
Laurence O'Bryan (an author himself) and his wonderful team were a lovely bunch of people and made the event very worthwhile.
If anyone is thinking of attending the Dublin Writer's Conference, I would highly recommend it.
I would also recommend taking the time to visit the BooksGoSocial website for some very helpful author services, as well as some very good books to read, share, and review.
Thank you for sharing, Lisa! It is on my radar for next year.
It sounds wonderful. I can't wait to hear about the tips you've learnt!
Thanks, Lizzie. Yes, tips are on the way!
I'm attending a conference for the first time myself, over Labor Day weekend. I'm looking forward to it.


As the full horror of events in Iraq dawn on a seemingly unprepared international community, the spectre of last August's parliamentary vote on military action in Syria – in which the government was defeated – continues to stalk Whitehall. According to news reports, ministers are unwilling to risk a repetition. It is necessary to lay this particular ghost to rest.
There was no need to seek parliamentary approval for any military action. Constitutional authority lies with the government. It is, of course, essential that governments are scrutinised and held accountable for their actions by parliament but government must not abdicate its responsibility to act as the national interest requires.
The government lost the Syria vote for two reasons. The first, simply, was that not enough work was done to inform and prepare MPs for the debate. The second was that the prime minister trusted Ed Miliband, whose cynical, partisan and self-serving behaviour was yet further evidence of how unsuited he is to hold the highest office.
The issue at stake over Syria was one of upholding international law. Our credibility in the west was damaged as a consequence of our inaction.
None of this should stand in the way of a tough and thorough response to the current crisis in Iraq. Isis poses a threat to our collective security. (I believe that calling the group by its chosen name, the Islamic State, is a political mistake.) Their twisted, barbaric and brutal behaviour towards the civilian populations that they encounter is tragically visible on a daily basis. Their aim of establishing a caliphate that runs from Syria to the border of Iran threatens a potentially catastrophic destabilisation of the wider region. Not only would such an entity be a global magnet to the psychopathy of jihadis but it would encourage and train those who would commit atrocities such as the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby on our own streets.
If this analysis is correct, then we must act in all ways required to defeat the threat, including arming our allies in the region to our sufficient degree and joining the US in taking direct military action to diminish the military capability of our enemy.
It is reported that the prime minister's instincts are to be more interventionist. If that is correct, then Mr Cameron should follow those instincts. Those who advise that it is dangerous to act counter to public opinion need to be ignored.
The danger of remaining in the political comfort zone is twofold. Firstly, public opinion is fickle and one outrage in full view of the media can quickly prompt angry questions about why nothing has been done. The more worrying outcome, however, is that the predictions about the potential threats become fully realised and irreversible. In that scenario those who failed to act in proportion to the seriousness of the risk would, rightly, be held accountable.
There are already a number of questions that need to be answered by western governments, including our own. It had been apparent for some time that the government of Nouri al-Maliki, the former Iraqi prime minister, was failing and that this was widening serious ethnic divisions. Sunni jihadis have been progressing through much of Anbar province for months. What were our intelligence services telling us about the increasingly dangerous conditions on the ground? What were our diplomatic services in Iraq and its neighbouring countries telling us? The argument that we did not see this coming, and that the success of Isis has taken the group itself by surprise, are simply not credible when we look at the sophistication of their planning, funding and communications.
All these questions will need to be answered and parliament will want to scrutinise the responses fully, but this should not prevent us from immediately taking whatever action is needed to deal with the threats we face. After Syria, there will be those who wonder what our word is worth, both allies and enemies. We cannot afford to blink twice.


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Planting hope: East Nashville tornado response
By Meg Morgan
After the recent tornado devastated his neighborhood, one east Nashville resident decided to put his own expertise to work by leading a replanting effort.
Through Micah Puncochar's efforts and the amazing community response, 85 trees were planted in his neighborhood in mid-April. Talk about Nashville Strong!
Read more about Micah's service and the incredible community generosity in our Q&A below. Trees were planted in the Rosebank/Lockeland Springs area of east Nashville. This story was also highlighted through local news on WSMV News4. Inspired to lead a neighborhood planting in your own community? Check out the Neighborhood Planting Captain program.
Trees ready to be planted!
Q: How long have you been in your neighborhood?
A: I've been in East Nashville since 2005 and in this particular neighborhood just since 2018.
Q: Why did you and your family decide to take on a planting project?
A: In the pre-dawn hours after the tornado it was evident that we lost a lot of trees in the neighborhood. Once the sun came up, it was overwhelming to see just how many trees were lost — easily in the thousands of trees just in half a mile or so. Immediately we thought of raising money to plant trees again.
Q: What was the response to the project, and did it surprise you?
A: We started putting the word out on March 4 and the donations came pouring in from all over. Everyone from aunts and uncles far away to other volunteers that were helping in the neighborhood. The response definitely surprised me! It quickly got way bigger than I ever thought it would!
Q: What is your personal connection to trees?
A: As a young child growing up in Williamson County, we had a huge, forested hill across from our house. We'd spend hours up there playing in the woods. At a certain age, maybe 9, I started transplanting small Maple trees from the hill side and into our front yard. My whole family called them "Micah's Maples." So since a young age I've been connected to trees and through Boy Scouts I learned to identify more trees and then as an adult I started a landscaping company and tried to always shine a light on our great native tree species.
My favorite thing about trees is the place they hold in our memories and experiences. Picnics under a shade tree, a swing from a tree, a rope swing into the Harpeth River. People have connections with the trees in their lives and the memories that are entwined with these trees.
Q: Some community members might feel justifiably wary about trees after the tornado. What would you say to them about the importance of replanting?
A: I'd say the key is to plant the right kind of tree in the right place. Plus if people are ever thinking of selling their home, there's tons of data that show that a property with trees always sells for a higher price than the same property without trees. So it's not only an investment in nature and all the wildlife that trees support but also a wise an investment into your property.
Q: What would you want other community members affected by the tornado to know?
A: For those that lost trees I would like them to reach out and get on a list to receive trees that may be available for our community. For those that want to help, I'd like to see folks who can assist in tree planting efforts.
Q: Anything else you'd like to add?
A: I was just one guy asking for donations so we could plant trees and ended up with over $7,000. I think it shows a couple things:
1) Try to help in areas in which you have some experience. If you are a chef, bring your grill and cook burgers for people that are helping. If you're an organizer, then jump in and help. If you're skilled with a chainsaw, then be there the first day, etc. I had some experience with trees and the knowledge on how to buy them for a good price and the wisdom to know that we needed some equipment to help us dig all those holes, otherwise it wouldn't have happened so quickly. We did all the planting of 85 trees in one day!
2) When asking for donations, I think it was key that we started right away. Not two weeks later COVID-19 restrictions started and the economy started shrinking. If we hadn't started the day after the tornado, we may not have raised so much while people were thinking so much of how they could help our community.
All photos provided by Micah Puncochar.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


While most investors are freaking out about Greece, Jim Cramer thinks it would be more prudent to take a closer look at the price of oil, which has much more of a direct impact to U.S. companies.
The price of oil has been hit hard lately, dropping to about $50 during the day on Tuesday from $59 a week ago. Cramer is still in shock, because when oil was hovering around $60 he was convinced that the independent oil companies might provide some real leadership in the market.
But after the latest session of crude being put through the meat grinder, Cramer's opinion has been thrown out the window.
So what could be next for oil prices?
To find out, Cramer turned to the help of Carley Garner, a technician and co-founder of DeCarley Trading, and a colleague of Cramer's at RealMoney.com.
Looking at the long-term chart of U.S. oil production going all the way back to the 1920s, Garner pointed out that the U.S. has doubled its monthly oil output since the lows of 2008 and is nearly back to its peak levels set back in the 1970s. Thus, unless some sort of unforeseen powerful even occurs, she believes that the oil market will be over-supplied for a long time.
But to really understand what is going on with oil means knowing what the big money dogs are doing with it. That is why Garner took a look at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's weekly commitments of traders report, which tells investors how the big money is betting in the oil futures market.
Garner noted that when oil peaked in June last year, large speculators held a massive net long position of approximately 460,000 futures contracts. That dropped in half when oil collapsed to $40s in March. According to the latest CFTC report, since the bottom in March the big boys have been buying again and are back up to 328,000 futures contracts.
In other words, big money has used 70 percent of its buying power to bet that oil would go higher, and yet they have failed as it hasn't gotten above $65 a barrel. Garner thinks the large speculators have grown impatient at the weakness in energy prices, and that could lead to a huge wave of vicious selling—like the one investors saw on Tuesday.
Additionally, Garner looked at the daily chart of West Texas Intermediate crude. She pointed out that oil has been stuck in a range of $50.50 and the mid $60s. However with the uncertainty in Greece and the prospect of an Iranian nuclear deal, that could all change.
That floor of support was tested on Tuesday when the price of crude dropped as low as $50.58 and rebounded quickly. But how low could it go?
Garner believes that if oil breaks below $50.50, it will easily fall to $41.40 a barrel. And if that level fails, then a quick drop to the mid-to-low $30s could be possible. She doesn't expect oil to fall that low, but she did suggest that if you are going to bet on oil here, you need to be prepared for it.
The good news is that ultimately Garner sees the price of oil recovering significantly to $70 or even $85 over the next 10 to 12 months. However, investors are likely to experience short-term pain before that happens.
On the flipside, if oil goes lower than that means that the airline stocks will be headed higher. Cramer recommended Delta as the cheapest option. Cramer's charitable trust has made its bet, and now he's waiting for lower levels before he puts any money to work in oil.


I'm guessing you haven't heard those kinds of statements in your household lately. Instead, we all tend to grumble, whine, and complain when presented with opportunities to serve God by serving others. We selfishly think that someone else should do whatever task we are presented with. We fail to see that, in reality, each of our daily tasks at work, home, and school is a chance to serve our God. As we look back at the end of the day, how many times did we begrudgingly do something that our Lord had prepared in advance for us to do? Even one time is more than sinful enough to fall under God's eternal judgment.
Thankfully, Jesus never missed a chance to glorify God. He was always looking to do whatever his Father in heaven had prepared for him that day. Sometimes that meant healing and helping. Other times it meant preaching and teaching. Still other times it meant patiently working with someone one-on-one. There was even the time when he washed his disciples' feet! Jesus' entire life was one of doing everything he could for the glory of God. His death was that way too. God had asked him to suffer and die for sins that he did not commit. And he did it. He did it all without grumbling or complaining. He did it because he loved us. He did it because he wanted to glorify his Father in heaven. He did it, so we could be forgiven and saved from eternal condemnation.
There are so many ways that we can thank God for all that he has done for us in Jesus. Most of them are found right in our daily routines! Maybe it is doing the dishes for mom with a smile on your face and love in your heart for the Savior. Maybe it is mowing the lawn because dad asked you to and that is a great way to show gratitude to God. Maybe it is even picking up the dog's messes in the backyard because it is a way to show God how thankful you are for the blessings he has given to your family. Ways to glorify God are all around you and the good news is, God has built many of them into your schedule for today!
Dear Father in heaven, forgive me for the times when I have grumbled at opportunities to serve you. Thank you for your love that you have shown me in Christ Jesus. Help me to see all the ways I can glorify you each day. Amen.


How Marriage-Friendly Is Your Church?
Take the survey. Click here.
Chapter 9 of Marriage On A Lampstand: Exploring a New Paradigm for Modern Christian Marriageby Andrew & Terri Lyke gives roadmap for forming a parish-based marriage support ministry. This survey can be used in Phase One of process.


Hello, hello, and happy Tuesday! I hope everyone had a great weekend and that you got to enjoy some beautiful fall weather! Virginia is now on board with the season, thank goodness. Our weekend was full of celebrating the wedding of two of our best friends! I feel like I've said this a number of times, but 2018 was full of weddings for us. We had six on the books, including our own, so it's been a whirlwind. Now that Nick and Darcy are officially Mr. and Mrs. English, we just have my sister's December wedding to round out the crazy exciting wedding year extravaganza!
Speaking of my sister's upcoming wedding, her bachelorette in Charlottesville, Virginia is this coming weekend! I am so excited to celebrate with my sister and the other bridesmaids. Be sure to check back for a recap of that weekend soon!
Okay, so today's post is a recap of our weekend. Jarrett, my husband, was the best man for Nick, who was our best man. Did you keep that all straight? Ha! So, the weekend festivities kicked off Friday and have continued through today, since one of our close friends, James, stayed with us for the wedding.
Nick and Darcy's wedding weekend kicked off with a rehearsal dinner at Watermans, a fantastic seafood restaurant on the Virginia Beach boardwalk. After the bridal party did the actual "rehearsing," everyone enjoyed orange crush cocktails and crab cakes, with a gorgeous view of the ocean. A few speeches were made, pictures taken, and too much food eaten, but it was such a fun time!
Plus, Nick's parents drove down an incredible groom's cake all the way from New Hampshire! Nick is a Navy helicopter pilot and just look at this cake!
Following the rehearsal dinner, a bunch of friend's who travelled in for the wedding decided to go out on the boardwalk. Again, drinks flowed and a lot of laughs were had! It was the perfect kick off to celebrating our best friends.
Saturday was wedding day and the weather was perfection! Darcy and Nick were blessed with puffy clouds and sunshine, with a crisp breeze and very welcomed 60s. Jarrett and our friend, James, went over around 1pm to get ready with the groom and the rest of the party.
I followed around 4pm, after getting ready at home. I chose this Lulu's dress for the "formal" attire. Knowing that Jarrett would be dressed up in his suit as best man, I figured I could get away with being a little over-dressed. I loved the dress and got a number of compliments, so I highly suggest you checking it out!
I made my way to the wedding venue, The Water Table, bringing a video camera and tripod in tow! Filming the ceremony was my job and I was so anxious about making sure we got the shot! Because of that, I made sure to get to the ceremony site with plenty of time to spare.
The ceremony began at 5pm and was beautiful! Nick and Darcy were married by Nick's cousin and shared personal vows they had written. The only fluke was me having to tell the photographer to get out of the video camera's shot. I definitely didn't want the entire video to be the back of her head!
The ceremony immediately fed into cocktail hour on the deck, overlooking a harbor. Passed hor d'oeurves included the best grilled cheese and tomato bisque shooter, duck on a biscuit, and shrimp skewers!
Party time began at 6:30, with the reception! The bridal party made their entrances, a few speeches were made, and dinner was served. Our table was the dancing table and we were all anxious to get to the dance floor and the photo booth! Nick and Darcy's wedding was so much fun and flew by, considering we danced the night away. I think the only time we left was to grab a few Duck Donuts!
Sunday began a little rough, considering the fun we had at the wedding. Ha! But, we still had James staying with us and wanted to show him around the area. The guys spent the early afternoon at a local brewery, Commonwealth, while I ran a few errands to get ready for the work week. Later in the afternoon, we wandered around downtown Norfolk, playing tourists for the day.
Our walk worked up an appetite for me, so we swung into Jack Brown's, home of the one and only burger I crave. Following dinner, we went back home to relax and watch the Patriots beat the Chiefs!
We had a fantastic weekend and loved getting to celebrate the marriage of our friends, Nick and Darcy! Can we just look at how perfect their little family is?!
Check out my favorite restaurants in Virginia Beach or my ranking of local breweries. Interested in our wedding? Be sure to catch up here! And again, stay tuned to the blog for upcoming posts about my sister's wedding festivities.


Pass the Register qualifying exam.
All new entrants now have to have a criminal records check. Having a criminal record won't automatically bar you from becoming an ADI. The DSA look at various factors when assessing how suitable an applicant is.
Simply give us a call on 07595 733380 and we'll put together a quote that's based around you.
Part 1 Of The Driving Instructors Exam: Theory and Hazard Perception.
The test is taken using a touch screen computer and consists of 100 multi-choice questions. English is the only language used for the test. The test duration is 90 minutes.
Part 2 Of The Driving Instructors Exam: Driving Ability.
This is a practical driving test that lasts about an hour. To start with you will need to read a standard number plate from a distance of 27.5 metres. Fail to do this and the test will go no further.
You will then be asked several questions regarding vehicle safety. These questions are the same as the learners show me, tell me test. For full details see our show me tell me test page. Once complete the practical driving test will begin.
The test is of an advanced nature and a very high standard of competence is expected. You will be required to drive in a brisk and 'business-like' manner, demonstrating that you have a thorough knowledge of the principles of good driving and road safety; and that you put them into practice at all times. You will have to drive in a variety of road and traffic environments including heavy and fast moving traffic i.e. motorways and dual carriageways, rural roads and urban areas.
Any deviation away from this standard will earn you a driving fault. You will fail the test if you score six or more such faults.
Part 3 Of The Driving Instructors Exam: Instructional Ability.
The test is a practical test that lasts about an hour. A specially qualified senior DSA Examiner will take you through the test and mark you. It is designed to test whether you can pass on your knowledge to students with different levels of ability through your practical teaching skills.
There are two parts to the test. In part 1, you have to teach a learner with limited driving skills; and in part 2 you have to make an assessment and give remedial instruction to either a learner who is at test standard or a qualified driver who is undergoing driver development training.
The test relies on role-play. An actual learner and qualified driver play no actual role in the test. Instead the Examiner will describe each pupil to you and then role-play the character. You will then need to adapt your instruction to suit the personality and level of ability of that particular student.
The maximum grade attainable in each is six and you must attain a grade of at least four in each in order to pass the exam.
A potential ADI doesn't have to wait until they have passed all three parts of the driving instructor exam before taking on paying students.
Once you have passed parts 1 and 2, have undergone at least 40 hours of training with a qualified ADI and have a qualified ADI sponsor, you can apply for a licence, which will allow you to take paying students over a six-month period.
Instructor training is a big investment so we offer interest free payment options to make the price of the course more manageable. For full costs give us a call on the number below.
Want to break down the cost?
We offer payment options to make the price of the course more manageable.
If you feel you could do with some extra support, help is at hand. Our instructor training should fully prepare you for every stage of learning. But if you feel you need it, extra lessons are available at extra cost to support you through either part 2 or part 3 of your training. Simply call us on the number below.


Set of six dangling resin teapot ornaments. Each ornament consists of a tiny tea cup dangling from the teapot. These holiday resin teapot ornaments are specially balanced to look as if they are pouring holiday tea.
Make this adorable set part of your Christmas ornament collection. Why not give them out as a holiday favor for a Christmas tea? Perfect gift for a teapot collector.
Resin Dangling Christmas Teapot and Cup Ornaments -6 pcs - Average Rating 4 out of 5 ( 2 reviews).
"Wonderful ornaments. I gave them as favors at a Christmas tea. "


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Ernest " Ernie" Isley ( born March 7, 1952) is a member of the American musical ensemble The Isley Brothers. Ernie was born in Cincinnati, where his older brothers formed The Isley Brothers, first as a gospel group, then as a secular singing group.


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Critical Black Studies...
Critical Black Studies Reader
Black Studies and Critical Thinking
Edited By Rochelle Brock, Dara Nix-Stevenson and Paul Chamness Miller
The Critical Black Studies Reader is a ground-breaking volume whose aim is to criticalize and reenvision Black Studies through a critical lens. The book not only stretches the boundaries of knowledge and understanding of issues critical to the Black experience, it creates a theoretical grounding that is intersectional in its approach. Our notion of Black Studies is neither singularly grounded in African American Studies nor on traditional notions of the Black experience. Though situated work in this field has historically
grappled with the question of «where are we?» in Black Studies, this volume offers the reader a type of criticalization that has not occurred to this point. While the volume includes seminal works by authors in the field, as a critical endeavor, the editors have also included pieces that address the political issues that intersect with – among others –
power, race, class, gender, sexuality, religion, place, and economics.
Book (PDF)
New York, Bern, Berlin, Bruxelles, Frankfurt am Main, Oxford, Wien, 2017. XIV, 282 pp.
Part 1: Theories of Critical Black Studies
Part 2: Sociopolitical and Cultural Aesthetics in Black Studies
Part 3: Queer and Transgender Issues in Black Studies
Part 4: Activism and Resistance in Black Studies Past, Present, Future


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Medicated Pete Is Singing With Adam Barta, Starring in a Movie With Sal and Richard, and Showing All of Himself to JD
Wack Packer also attempts to tell Howard about breaking up with his girlfriend recently
When Medicated Pete was originally scheduled to come in for Tuesday's Stern Show, he was supposed to be with his new girlfriend. Those plans changed, however, after the Wack Packer revealed they'd recently broken up. Pete still stopped by this morning and tried to tell Howard what went wrong between them.
According to Pete, he met this girl while out at a bar that his friend's band was playing at. Though he describes himself as being "socially awkward," Pete claimed to have a good conversation with her that night. So good, in fact, he managed to score her digits without even asking for them.
"All of a sudden she gives me her number and I'm like, 'Is this really happening? I don't think that usually happens,'" Pete recalled.
He worried the phone number might be a fake, but when he called it the next day his dream girl did indeed pick up. They set up another night to have an official first date and before long Pete and the girl began seeing each other on a regular basis. But when he asked her to come with him to the Stern Show, that's when things took an abrupt turn for the worse culminating with her breaking up with him in a text message.
"It just stalled out, basically," Pete explained. "We never got to the point of knowing what was going on between us … we didn't know if we could take it to the next level or not."
Pete told Howard there was no sexual issues between him and the girlfriend and suggested she was completely satisfied. As Pete has proven in previous Stern Show appearances, he was blessed with an above-average sized penis which didn't go unnoticed by his ex.
"I think she was impressed," Pete said with a smile. "She didn't tell me but I can probably tell … from her expression."
Someone else impressed by Pete's manhood is Stern Show staffer JD Harmeyer. He admitted on Tuesday to being jealous of the Wack Packer's endowment. "I can't get it out of my mind for some reason," JD said with a laugh.
Medicate Pete shows himself to Richard Christy and JD HarmeyerPhoto: The Howard Stern Show
Fellow Stern Show staffer Shuli Egar added how Pete once told him he'd be willing to star in porno – so long as they didn't film him.
Adult movies might not be in Pete's future but he just recently appeared in a new horror comedy film. "It's called 'Halloweed Night,'" he told Howard. "My character escaped from an insane asylum."
Co-starring with him in "Halloweed Night" are the Stern Show's own Sal Governale and Richard Christy who play gay lovers in the film. They were on set the day Pete was due to shoot his one scene in the movie but when Pete showed up, he had no idea what any of his lines were.
"They were literally getting ready to film him and I go, 'Pete, your scene is great,' because I read the script. And he goes, 'Oh, it is?'" Richard told Howard.
Pete wound up ad-libbing his lines and he's confident what he came up with on the spot is funnier than anything that was on the page.
"I like the acting thing," he told Howard. "If I can get more roles here and there that'd be cool."
If Pete's acting career doesn't get off the ground, perhaps his singing career will. He debuted a new track on Tuesday that he recorded with Adam Barta and producer Electropoint, who also worked with Tan Mom on her hit songs. Pete's single is called "In My Opinion," the lyrics of which deal with him overcoming his Tourette Syndrome. Take a listen to the audio (below).
Howard wondered if maybe Tan Mom was upset to see another Wack Packer recording music with her usual producer.
"Maybe there's a little jealousy there. She didn't say anything but I can sense that," Pete said, adding he hasn't even been in contact with Tan Mom recently so he had no way of knowing how she felt about him working with Barta.
"Maybe I'm wrong, I mean, who knows … I just get that sense," Pete concluded.


PLAINFIELD, N.J. – A New Jersey woman distracted by her cellphone was injured when she fell over open basement access doors and fell 6 feet (1.8 meters) into the opening.
Surveillance video captured the woman on Thursday as she walked along a Plainfield street. The 67-year-old landed in the cellar of Acme Windows, where workers were repairing gas lines.
The woman, whose name was not released, was taken to a hospital. Police said her injuries were not life-threatening.


First Meal: Yes, I am lucky! Gary asked me this morning, "what would you like to have for breakfast, I'll make you anything?" I asked for Yellow Potatoes. I didn't give any more details. Gary filled in the blanks. He made Home Fries with a cheesy sauce made from organic Silken Tofu, organic Miso and Nutritional Yeast.
Second Meal: We are heading out to the theater tonight, the first of a few shows we'll be seeing as I begin to celebrate my birthday 12 days early. I put together a quick late lunch, reheating the cook organic Black Beans and organic Millet together, warming up some organic Corn Tortillas and serving it up on a bed of organic Spring Mix greens. I also steamed a big head of organic Broccoli which I knew would go well with the cheesy sauce Gary made earlier today. There was also some leftover Spicy Peanut Sauce I had made.
Third Meal: We came home after seeing King Lear starring Glenda Jackson. She gave a powerful performance. Unfortunately everything else about the show was "meh". This New York Times review says it all. But it was worth it to see Glenda Jackson at work. It was unforgettable. We came home hungry. I made Steel Cut Oats and Millet Waffles and Gary made the Blueberry/Strawberry Coulis to go on top.


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Q: Hiding implementation to client I am studying the design patterns and there are some things I don't get to understand.
For instance, I have often come across the idea of hiding the implementation to the client.
For example, with respect to the factory pattern I read that the logics of the application must not know the subclasses of the user interface, not even during the creation.
I don't get why hiding the implementation to the client is an advantage. The only reason I can think of is that of simplicity. Indeed, I guess in this case the client needs to know only the interface, and not the various subclasses, in order to use the objects, thus making everything easier, since you don't need to know the whole implementation of the subclasses. Am I right?
However, I think it might happen that you need to call a specific method of a subclass, in which case you are force to cast the subclass in order to call the method.
Having said that, I would like to ask you the following questions:

*

*What does the idea of "hiding concrete classes or hiding the implementation to the client mean? What's the advantage? Is it just a matter of simplicity and maintenance?

Moreover, I would like you to give me some advice on books and online resources (theory and practice) on software engineering. Indeed, there are several aspects of it which are unclear to me. Namely independent objects and programming to interface.
Thanks for your help

A: Suppose that you are working for company A and you developed an API and made everything public. Other developers of the company in different locations and time zones used your API to develop their own applications. Your API is used by hundreds of others in 10 different projects. Since your code is used in a lot of places, you wanted to make it better. You developed faster algorithms and even reduced the line of code 20%. You happily committed your code on Friday evening and left. When you come to your office on Monday morning you will realize that you broke everybody else's code. People cannot compile their code because you have deleted or changed the code that they depend on. You will get a lot of angry e-mails and calls and eventually you will have to rollback your API to the previous version.
This is why you have to hide your implementation. Once it is public you cannot change that. Think about it what happens if Google changes a method name or return type of a method in Android SDK. They break thousands of applications. There is always a tension between API developers and users. Developers want to hide everything and users want to access everything. If you release a very small interface people will not use your API, if you expose a lot of implementation details you will not be able to change your code.
Users of an API should not worry or think about concrete classes. It is not their business it belongs to API developer. If you want to learn about it more you can read Effective Java and a Design Pattern book. I recommend Head first Design Patterns.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Bernard K. Passman
Bernard K. Passman (22 January 1916 - 10 February 2007) was a sculptor and jeweller, founder of a black coral jewelry company and brand, Passman (currently produced by Glyptica, Inc. under license[1]).[2]
Passman founded his company in 1975 on Grand Cayman. He created black coral and gold sculptures for the White House, the British Royal Family, and various museums. Examples of his work include the Cayman Islands's gift of a 97-piece set of sterling silver and black coral tableware for Prince Charles and Lady Diana's wedding in 1981; a black coral horse and corgi dogs for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, and commissions for the Pope and various celebrities. Other well-known works are his Can Can Girls and his statues of Charlie Chaplin.[2][3]
Passman died in 2007 aged 91. His company was acquired the same year by Cayman Islands-based Active Capital Ltd.[4] This is a private equity firm belonging to the family that founded Dart Container. There were Bernard K. Passman galleries and retail outlets in Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands, George Town, Cayman Islands, Las Vegas, Beverly Hills, etc.[5][6][7][8][9] In May 2013 the galleries and business faced closure after the CEO of the past owner of Passman, GEM Manufacturing LLC pleaded guilty to illegally importing a batch of black coral.[10]
In 2014 the production of the Passman collection was renewed using sustainably harvested black coral when Glyptica, Inc. under Tchavdar Tchouchev (previously Passman's Director of Design Development), has acquired the license.[1]
^ a b "About Us - Passman Jewelry". Retrieved 26 December 2014.
^ a b Bernard Passman", The Scotsman, April 19, 2013.
^ Spanish Main Gold and Bernard Passman Design Archived July 26, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
^ Travel Markets Insider, p 47
^ Laura Rapp, Diane Rapp, Cruising the Eastern Caribbean, Hunter Publishing, 2004, p. 75 [1]
^ Darwin Porter, Danforth Prince, Frommer's Portable Cayman Islands, John Wiley & Sons, 2011, p. 148 [2]
^ Darwin Porter, Danforth Prince, Frommer's Virgin Islands, John Wiley & Sons, 2011, p. 101 [3]
^ Lynne M. Sullivan, Adventure Guide Virgin Islands, Hunter Publishing, 2006, p. 91 [4]
^ Mary Herczog, Jordan S. Simon, Frommer's Irreverent Guide to Las Vegas, Frommer's, 2004, p. 167 [5]
^ Bernetia Akin, "Bernard K. Passman Black Coral Galleries to Close" Archived 2013-11-01 at the Wayback Machine, St Thomas Source, May 6, 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
Passman Jewelry, current official site
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bernard_K._Passman&oldid=889505047"
20th-century American sculptors
American male sculptors


Don't allow your passengers to drink in your vehicle dude! What's wrong with you?
As the driver you could be charged under section 32. (1) of the Liquor Licence Act, the maximum penalty under this section is a fine of $100,000 or imprisonment for a term of not more than one year or both. Now I doubt you would get something that harsh on a first offence but it still is not worth the risk. I have quoted and linked to the law below if you want to read further.
32. (1) No person shall drive or have the care or control of a motor vehicle as defined in the Highway Traffic Act or a motorized snow vehicle, whether it is in motion or not, while there is contained in the vehicle any liquor, except under the authority of a licence or permit. R.S.O. 1990, c. L.19, s. 32 (1).
(b) is packed in baggage that is fastened closed or is not otherwise readily available to any person in the vehicle. R.S.O. 1990, c. L.19, s. 32 (2).
Passenger is "liquor other then home."
If your are not drinking maybe liquor readily available.
Not sure about prices , just don't do it.
Charge wordings & fines below.
Also note that by consuming alcohol in your vehicle, police have full authority to search you, your vehicle and the occupants.
admin wrote: Don't allow your passengers to drink in your vehicle dude! What's wrong with you?
I was curious cuz i enjoy gettin hammerd while others drive me around, doesnt everybody?... is it legal in a limo?
seemsok wrote: is it legal in a limo?
seemsok wrote: I was curious cuz i enjoy gettin hammerd while others drive me around, doesnt everybody?
No its not normal to do that, and you might have a drinking problem if you are contemplating such things. Why dont you just drink in a bar and then get your friend to drive you around after? You should not drink in the car as a passenger. Thats a very stupid thing to do. It also gives drinking access to your driver (who might ask you for a sip if hes also that stupid enough to allow you to drink in his car, while driving you around to get "hammered").
ha i was just curious, i wouldent drink in a car.


How do you grow a company overseas? Should you take the leap with your idea? How do you make a sale to a big company? In the case of PageProof, delivering on these questions relies on the founders getting amongst it and making it happen, backed of course by a great team.
Page Proof are a company offering an online tool to proof, track, and approve work across teams and companies, in a secure and professional manner. With workflows, to-dos, and encryption, it's a tool companies around the world are loving.
Simon Pound spoke with Page Proof founders, Gemma Hurst and Marcus Radich, about how they took an idea and made it into a global company, and how they grow their international markets. They're fresh back from SaaStr, which they attended with Callaghan Innovation – and they also give us a debrief about what that conference offers SaaS companies and what they've taken from it.


text:
Cinnamon-Raisin Swirl Nutella French Toast
Yeah, that's a mouthful. But a delicious mouthful. For years I have been sporadically buying cinnamon-raisin bread at the supermarket, just for making French Toast. I would occasionally stuff the French Toast with cream cheese or something else, but I was distracted by a jar of Nutella. If you haven't heard of Nutella, it's a hazelnut and chocolate concoction about the consistency of peanut butter, and it's just delicious.
On to the making of the French Toast –
1/4C milk
Raisin bread
Syrup (maple is best, of course)
Preheat a skillet with 1T butter
Beat the egg in a shallow bowl until it's well beaten. Add the milk and mix well.
Spread Nutella on two pieces of bread, and cover with two more slices, ending up with two Nutella sandwiches on raisin bread. Already a good start.
Dredge the sandwiches in the egg mixture, both sides, and transfer to the skillet.
Cook for about two minutes, until golden brown, then turn and cook the other side to golden brown.
Serve with syrup. More butter optional. A sprinkle of powdered sugar will make it a bit prettier, but doesn't really do much for the flavor.


Links and subcategories within the Calendars and Timekeeping section are provided below.
Learn about the astronomical phenomena of the blue moon, which only happens when an extra full moon appears during the year. The next blue moon will occur in November 2010.
Civil time is occasionally adjusted by one second increments. A detailed explanation of what a second actually is, and why leap seconds are necessary.
Explains the mathematical rules for the Chinese calendar.
This page contains a short explanation of the calendar,leap years and the year 2000 AD.


I was born in 1943 at St Monans Hospital – Cremorne?
I went to Sunday School at the Congregational church in Belmont Road – now Uniting? To primary school at [then] SCEGGS Redlands.
My mother and I lived in Central Ave [my RAAF father was posted missing WW2 – still missing]. There was a milk dairy at end of Medusa St and we had an ice box with blocks of ice delivered.
We shopped at Spit Junct. in the greengrocer and grocery store where biscuits were in big tins, bought by the lb. Iced Vo Vo and milk arrowroot for example. Milk shakes for a birthday treat in the Spit J milk bar and penny icecream cones. Supermarkets came in the 1960s I think??
My father's family had moved from Narromine to live in Muston St. nearer Mosman junction, probably 1920s. I often visited so knew and loved that area well. My aunt took me to still remembered productions of operetta and musicals at Mosman Town Hall and Legacy Christmas parties were held there for primary school age children whose fathers had died or were missing WW2. A bag of fruit and chocolates for my mother. We were entertained by a ventriloquist which I found disturbing!
I remember the Scottish bagpipe bands marching down to Mosman from Spit Junction.
In the 1950s we moved to Medusa St. when my mother remarried.
A primary school was built across the road [Beauty Point infants] which my [half] siblings attended and there was still virgin bush down the road nearer middle harbour. The greengrocer and egg man delivered.
I think the trams were still running as I remember them going to Balmoral and the Zoo. One tram went into the water at the bottom of the Zoo hill. Did trams go down to Mosman Bay ferry? The hair-raising ride in a double decker bus down to Musgrave St wharf.
I also remember the long toil up Awaba St. hill walking home after swimming at Balmoral and the steep steps up from Parriwi Rd to Spit Rd after catching a tram home from town -as we called the city.
Catching the ferry to the Quay sometimes for school [SCEGGS Darlinghurst] & College. Visiting Mosman library on saturday mornings.
Now I live in UK. I always have a ferry ride to Mosman Bay when back in Sydney which is peaceful and picturesque on the Harbour.
Hi. I also was born at St Monan's, in 1950. We lived in Reynolds Street Cremorne and I attended Middle Harbour Primary school. We then moved to Clifton Gardens, from where I caught the bus to SCEGGS Redlands. I now live in Melbourne and just remember the trams at Mosman junction, I think they went in 1956. Of course we do still have trams here in Melbourne.
The tram that went into the water at Athol Wharf – the conductor was a Sydney Uni Engineering student & the tram waiting at the wharf while the thirsty tram slithered past was also a Sydney Uni Engineering student – what were the chances of that?
I was prompted inadvertently to Google St Monan's Hospital. I was born here on 24 May 1954, delivered by Dr Begg. I had never seen a photo before or made a "pilgrimage" there, even though I spent a lot of my childhood and school holidays in Cremorne. We have two "family" recipes of biscuit slices that come from St Monan's. A different home-cooked slice, biscuit or cake was served for afternoon tea each day, or so my mother used to say. My grandparents lived on Royalist Rd, so I suppose that is why I was born here, but I am not aware of the actual reason, especially as my sisters were born in larger hospitals closer to home, Glebe Point at the time. The Arts and Crafts architecture of Cremorne-Mosman-Balmoral is still my favourite.
I too, was born at St Monans.
It looked like a Victorian two-storey house or mansion, not like a hospital at all.
However, it was a private hospital and the sort of place that appealed to those who could afford it. Small, quiet, secure with excellent facilities and superior patient comfort. I think Mum's doctor was Bob Day, who had rooms in North Sydney opposite the oval in Miller St. I remember going to his rooms as a kid for checkups, shots and the occasional stitch.
St Monans was at the Cremorne end of Holt Ave, just one or two houses back from Military Rd. Replaced today – of course – by a block of flats.
The border between Cremorne and Mosman is Spofforth ST, so St Monans was in Cremorne.
I too was born at St Monan's Hospital in July 1930. At the date the address given on my birth certificate is listed as Raglan Street Mosman although it could be a mistake as my parents were living in Raglan Street at the time.. I moved to Melbourne when I was a month old. If someone could send me a photo of the hospital I'd appreciate it very much.
Hi Jill, I also went to Middle Harbour around your time. One of my teachers was Mrs Hays.
I too was born in St.Monan's, Holt Ave, Cremorne. The private hospital was owned by my grandmother's sister and her husband. They lived two doors down the hill in a Federation style building on a large plot of land, now units. They grew their own vegetables at the back and had a disused tennis court I think. The gentleman may have used a wheelchair. I can't remember their names. I lived in Mosman Bay with my grandmother for about a year perhaps and attended Mosman Public School on Military Road. I think the trams did go down to Mosman Bay Wharf and the tram tracks used to be visible and maybe still are.


Has some one used/evaluated the solution manager tool for BI module.
Do you mean project management?
thnx for the reply. Well i am clear with the project management part of Solman but i need sth related to SAP BI Implementation in particular. If you can provide some more info related to this then it will be helpful. I think the project mgmt cycle will remain same for any component whether its for BI or CRM or R3, plz provide the info specific to BI implementation.


text:
Dubowitz is a surname. Notable people with it include:

 Lilly Dubowitz (1930–2016), Hungarian-born British paediatrician
 Mark Dubowitz (born 1968), executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies
 Victor Dubowitz (born 1931), English neurologist

See also
 Dubowitz Score, a method for estimating the gestational age of babies
 Dubowitz syndrome, a rare genetic disorder

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Vintage Computer Forum > Genres > Texas Instruments > Dvorak alternative history?
View Full Version : Dvorak alternative history?
There's some interesting... ahem, anecdotes in this article.
3. the high cost of manufacturing compared to rivals, which is odd considering it's even more vertically integrated than Commodore's manufacturing process was. I suppose a lot of that had to do with the fact that the 9900 was less of a commodity item than say a Z80 or 6502 processor and the insistence of upper management to use only TI parts.
The keyboard just wasn't that much of an issue. If it was, you can bet there would have been more aftermarket keyboards for the 99/4 than the Commodore PET. Were there even any at all?
The biggest issue was speed. It was slower than molasses. The second biggest issue was cost. By the time you got a cassette drive hooked up, you could have bought an Apple ][+ and Disk ][.
The 9900 was a poor design, and the 99/4 in an attempt to water down the 9900 even further, was very crippled.
TI made two big mistakes in my opinion: First they built a theoretical machine rather than a practical one. Second, they did something that was real popular everywhere except at Commodore (until Tramiel left!); they thought they could sell a bigger, better one by purposely selling a lesser unit first.
The TI 99/4a was a game console more than computer, and the Atari 400 games were much better than anything TI offered. There were features in TI-BASIC documented in the Manual that were never actually implemented in the computer. I forget if it was a rewind or backspace function for tape operations that passed through the interpreter but did nothing. TI was not going to sell a 16-bit computer for that price that was going to take sales away from their business machines. The assembly language for the 9900 was nice; the instruction set was powerful; but you just could not do anything with it from the computer.
The TI CC-40 and HEXbus peripherals- CC-40, read about all the promised HEXbus products in the pipeline, but the computer- use it for one application. The age of "Vaporware". It was an 80C85 processor. TI seemed good at components, good at calculators, but computers- just did not provide the support required to make a computer system work.
Not good at calculators either. At the same time as the TI 99/4A, TI also was working on the TI-88 which was slow and buggy. It got canceled and the factory was turned over to increase TI 99 production. So not only did TI lose even more money on the 99, TI also managed to disappear from the high end programmable calculator market for a few years. Not a good time for those of us who didn't want to buy from HP.
Aye, it was definitely slow, but I dunno about cost of a cassette system vs. an Apple II unless the 99/4 was different than the 4A. Our first "real" computer was a 99/4A (the "first" being a TS/1000). My dad bought a one before the big price drop for $310 at KMart and we used a portable cassette deck we had around the house at the time. This would have been about late 1982 or early 1983? Maybe there was a rebate too, not sure. I do remember my dad complaining that they offered the machine shortly after for substantially less. A complete system was astronomically expensive to be sure, but once you added 32K to the system it was considerably faster (although still not a speed demon).
Looking at some of the information on the Wiki page it sounds like they were planning for some parts that would have substantially reduced the parts count that never materialized in production.
Only a serious programmer would complain about the TI-99/4A's keyboard "missing keys". Having terrible flat membrane keyboards never stopped the Atari 400 and Sinclair ZX-81 from being huge sellers. For around the same price, TI gave you a "real" keyboard that you could actually touch-type on.
And Dvorak needs to check his eyesight, because as far as I am aware, no popular keyboard layout has ever had a dedicated question mark key! Typing a "?" is still a two-finger process regardless if it's Shift-/ or Fctn-I. Maybe the former was more familiar to existing computer users, but someone new to computers could just as easily get used to the latter.
All of the characters that the TI required you to hold down Fctn to press were normally Shifted on most other home computers of the time. And the TI gave you typable characters that many other early '80s computers lacked, such as braces, backslash, pipe, tilde, and grave accent.
The PET 2001 has a dedicated ? key. In fact, that keyboard is a BASIC programmer's dream. You almost never need to press shift at all.
I don't have a problem with the TI-99/4A keyboard. I don't remember the 99/4 keyboard well enough to comment on it. I could certainly get used to the 99/4A one if Ihad to. There were much worse keyboards. Actually, it has a halfway decent feel.
As a serious programmer, I have some serious gripes about the 99/4A. But the keyboard isn't one of them.
I had the 99/4a- Keyboard was fine, no complaints with it. You could even buy them at Radio Shack after the computer was long gone for hobby work.
The 99/4 had a "Chiclet" keyboard? I never had one, but played with one at a store- remember not liking it.
The SR-56 got me through calculus class. The teacher would take a numerical solution if you could write the code during the test period and turn in the programming sheet for the answer.
Someone new to computers would be expecting a typerwriter keyboard layout, not function-I to produce a question mark (or function-B on the TI 99/4). A common use for a new home computer purchase was word processing, and I'd suspect "?" was a fairly common character. So I think the criticism is valid. Even the Apple II got this correct, years earlier.
I think there's a little bit of merit to the criticism, but I can't recall much said about it at the time.
FWIW, I thought it was a rather unfortunate thing that the Atari 8-bit machines would place the return key above the home row, but I see that my ADM-3a does as well.
The TI-99/4 did not sell for the retailers lucky enough to get some. Magazines may have been favorable but the general public wasn't. An inconvenient keyboard is more acceptable in a very cheap home computer than the $1,000+ TI thought the original 99/4 should command.
Statistically speaking, only /most/ contemporary typewriters "got it right". Anyone used to a typewriter was in for a surprise switching typewriters, let alone switching to computers.
The Apple ][ more resembles a teletype than a typewriter.
As a typist, Apple scored lower with me than TI for lack of lower case.
So did the Apple II and II Plus.
Citation needed. I believe there were some issues with key size, but not placement.
People didn't like it having the backslash key between left Shift and A and the tilde key between the quote and Enter keys, causing accidental keystrokes if you didn't reach far enough for Shift or Enter. Although this layout did eventually become the norm in Europe (the ISO layout), IBM changed the placement of those keys on the AT's keyboard to resolve those complaints (further improved with the Model M and standardized as the ANSI layout).
How early 80s do we get to compare? The B128 has an utterly awesome keyboard, except I hate it for one reason: the key layout is significantly different from the other Commodores.
Ten points to vwestlife for typing an up arrow without using a C64. That is slick! :D But I have to know, can you type the left arrow? It bugs me that I cannot, because my assembler makes extensive use of that symbol.
The second half of this I fully concur with, but not the first. I always found the 9900 to be a very sane early 16-bit design with a decent number of registers and a solid instruction set. The ALU was a little weak, but it had full 16-bit data paths internally and out and was well-documented and easy to program for. TI really did the chip a disservice with the board implementation and the architecture didn't deserve that black eye.
I wish I had had the opportunity to see the TMS9900 in action in a proper 16-bit computer implementation.
The TI-99/4A hardware implementation was just insane. Imagine running a computer where all of your system memory was on your video card, and your video card was attached via a parallel port. Your only programming language for it is in an interpreter, which itself is implemented in an interpreter, and the ROMS that contain most of it are also connected to your computer via a parallel port. Internally, that's the TI-99/4a for you.
Only 128 bytes of true 16-bit RAM and a little bit of 16-bit ROM. And the above and expansion peripherals were dumbed down to 8-bit. So even if you had the 32k memory expansion, it was still only using probably at best half its speed potential. And then the expansion gets in to the whole mess of sidecar-type peripherals.
The small keyboard was nothing. Once you got used to it, it was fine. Trying to use it after being used to a full keyboard can be jarring (no dedicated backspace key!), and the keyboard overlays have usually long since walked off.


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After Decades of Music, we may be upon the best one yet
When thinking back on your life, you'll likely have fond memories of the music you grew up listening to. The progression of popular music throughout the years has left us with decades of diverse history and specific memories to go along with each era. While most new music trends progress and build on the music that came before it, each music scene (italicizes) has been extremely different.
The 70's were ruled by rock bands such as Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. Reggae music became popular worldwide. And let's not forget about Disco. It was either loved or hated, and was a major defining genre for the era. If you need help to visualize the music culture, just catch up on some of That 70's Show.
With the help of MTV, hip-hop, r&b, pop, and metal became much more mainstream during the 80s. Mostly remembered as the decade of girls with big hair, bright neon clothes, and lots of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, the 80s were a favorite for many.
Grunge and pop-punk artists exploded into the 90s, where band's power ballads and lyrics fueled the teenage angst of fans. While hip-hop, rap, and pop continued to expand its influence in the 90s, these genres particularly rained supreme during the early 2000's. Girls continued to obsess over boy bands like The Backstreet Boys. Adult contemporary ruled the early 2000's with the help of artists such as Beyoncé, Nelly, Kelly Clarkson, and Justin Timberlake.
All these eras were undoubtedly awesome in their own way. Pop culture has been shaped tremendously by each decade's music. But I believe the music era we are currently experiencing is the best one yet. Call me biased, but I'll explain why.
It's yet to go in the history books, but I think it's safe to say we're living in the age of electronic music. Radio's Top 40 charts are filled with electronic songs and artists, and EDM festivals are extremely popular all over the world. While many mainstream fans are just now discovering this genre over the most recent years, many original electronica fans know it really started emerging post-disco.
The scene is built on morals of peace, love, unity, and respect.
No matter how it came about, it exploded onto the scene in recent years and has had a massive influence. It's had such an influence on people that I've heard and read stories of people saying the EDM scene saved their lives. The scene is built on morals of peace, love, unity, and respect. Because of that, everyone is looking out for each other at live music events. And its the only music scene in my opinion where everyone is accepted for exactly who they are.
There isn't a preferred way to dress at these festivals, or one way you are suppose to dance. You can be gay, straight, black, white, old, young, super southern, goth, a hippie love child, wear almost no clothes at all, or wear a dinosaur costume, and you still fit in. If you look like you're having a great time, everyone around you will love you.
You can't say the same about the music scenes of the past. If you were a middle-aged forty year old dude who wanted to see a boy band in the early 2000s, you would get weird looks from all the teeny boppers and their mothers. If you didn't head bang or get into a mosh pit at a 90s punk show, you might get ridiculed or get into a fight for not belonging. If you didn't look a certain way at a 80's rock or hip hop show, some people might give you trouble.
While there were specific types of expected audiences for most of the live music scenes of the past, that's not the case at EDM shows. Everyone belongs. You could be a 7 foot tall, skinny, white dude doing some type of Irish step dance while wearing a tutu, and everyone in the crowd would think you were magical. These crowds dress however they want and they know they won't get ridiculed. Hell, the crazier you dress the more friends you'll probably make. The dance music scene is one of the only environments we have these days where we can be our 100% genuine selves, while surrounded by diverse people just being themselves. Festival goers are constantly making life long friends out of strangers they meet along the way. Most of my closest friends are people I've met through the electronic music scene. They're people who I can trust, have a freaking blast with, and they accept me for who I am. This genuine kindness and acceptance is what makes our music scene something truly special.
9 MUST SEE Talents to Discover at EDC Orlando 2016!
Emir Duru - Stay With Me


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