Called BD about 10:00 AM, got an appointment for same day at 2:00 PM Daniel knew exactly what the problem was and he fixed it in about 10 minutes. Well worth the price as I am scared of electricity! Glad to have the pro on the job.
Always satisfied with the customer service and level of experience. Thank you for a job well done.
Courteous technician. He worked quickly and professionally. Outstanding!
When you need service they are "Johnny on the Spot" quick service and very thorough.
Recently had two experiences with Black Diamond. Michael M. serviced our dead A/C and Keo V. came the following week to do the annual checkup on the AC/Furnace and Hot Water heater. Both gentlemen were ON TIME, efficient, informative and polite. I am not accustomed to service people arriving ON TIME...that was refreshing!
Again you have come through, arriving within a couple of hours after my contact with you. There is an axiom in business that never fails: "What every customer wants is the best service and the best product for the cheapest price. The reality is that you can only have 2 of the 3." I choose Black Diamond every time because you deliver the first two every time!
Jesus was careful, neat and complete. It is a pleasure to have him in our home.
On time, knowledgeable , clean and friendly . Highly recommend !
Glad We're Crystal Club Members!
Our AC went out during this recent hot spell. We were serviced within 24 hours and because we are Crystal Club members, the Sunday fee was waived and we received a discount on the parts. Our service tech Clay arrived ahead of the scheduled time and inquired if we had any additional concerns. Great job Black Diamond and Clay!
Last week, on Friday, we had a relatively new smoke detector spontaneously go off telling us we had a fire in our bedroom. This was not the case, but it was alarming to say the least. We tried calling the company that installed the unit, but they would not commit to having a serviceman available. As we were going out-of-town for the weekend on Saturday, I couldn't accept that information. As we are now Black Diamond Crystal Club members, I called Black Diamond and they had a serviceman at our door within 1 hour. Now that's what I call service!!!
Competent, courteous & prompt service!
Great service. Appreciate the 10% senior discount.
First time customer. Contacted you because of the referrals from others in my community.
Remove vanity & grab bars.


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Home ■ Core Sciences ■ Biology ■ Marine amphipods increase micro-plastic pollution
Marine amphipods increase micro-plastic pollution
Tiny shrimps destroy plastic bags, but not in a good way, research finds. Meanwhile, another micro-plastics paper is yanked over ethics concerns. Andrew Masterson reports.
Ocean pollution by micro-plastics is an acknowledged and growing threat to marine ecosystems. Now, in a biting irony, it seems that at least one member of those ecosystems is making its own hefty contribution to the problem.
Research by scientists at the School of Biological and Marine Sciences at the University of Plymouth in the UK has found that amphipods of the species Orchestia gammarellus are capable of transforming a discarded carrier bag from a single large oceanic hazard into 1.75 million microscopic ones.
The common amphipod, which looks like a tiny shrimp, is a detritivore – a species that consumes dead organic material. It also, however, feeds off plastic, particularly that which has accumulated a layer of organic material across it, known as a biofilm, during its time floating in the water.{%recommended 1471%}
The team, led by Daniella Hodgson, initially set out to determine whether the presence of a biofilm layer affected the rate at which O. gammarellus consumed different types of plastic.
In a paper published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin, the team reports that experiments in the laboratory as well as shoreline observations found that concentrations of amphipods stretched and tore plastic debris, creating high levels of micro-plastics found in and nearby their faeces.
The animals were equally adept at destroying conventional, degradable and biodegradable plastics, but the presence of biofilm increased the rate of destruction by about four times.
"An estimated 120 million tonnes of single use plastic items – such as carrier bags – are produced each year and they are one of the main sources of plastic pollution," says co-author Richard Thompson.
"They already represent a potential hazard to marine life, but this research shows species might also be contributing to the spread of such debris. It further demonstrates that marine litter is not only an aesthetic problem but has the potential to cause more serious and persistent environmental damage."
In related news, another paper looking at the consumption of micro-plastics by marine organisms has been condemned by Swedish authorities following its removal from the journal Science, the result of ethical concerns and claims that the results may have been fabricated.
The academic site RetractionWatch reports that the paper, Environmentally relevant concentrations of micro-plastic particles influence larval fish ecology, by Oona Lonnstedt and Peter Eklov or Uppsala University in Sweden, was pulled by the journal in early April, and an investigation launched by the university.
In part, the researchers looked at the behaviour of European perch larvae after exposure to micro-plastics and found that their ability to detect and respond to predators was significantly diminished.
The decision to retract was made after it was revealed that ethics approvals for exposing the young fish to predators was granted only after the research had already been conducted.
The paper had already been the subject of heated debate. RetractionWatch reports that one of the scientists' principal conclusions – that fish larvae preferred to eat plastics instead of their natural food – was strongly contested by other researchers.
An investigation in April 2017 by Sweden's Central Ethical Review Board found that there were critical flaws in the research, accused the researchers of "scientific dishonesty", and called for a retraction.
Uppsala University's investigation wrapped up early in December. It found several violations by the scientists, including the key discovery that the research could not possibly have been conducted within the timeline described in the paper.
Disciplinary action is pending.
What we can learn from fish that can change sex
Inside Biology's Black Box
Brain and arteries, working together
Fossil captures plants in transition

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Hi guys! This is Pawel from Nesalis Games. I'm sorry I don't know your language. I'll glad if somebody can translate my text here :) We're really appreciate your interest in our game! Right now we 're working to translate our Steam page to Simplified Chinese. I'd like to also invite you guys to our Steam Community if you like to share your ideas with us!
GMT+8, 2019-4-26 16:23, PE: 0.096557s , QE: 63, Redis On.


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Q: Trying to use IBAction to load a ViewController that doesn't have a Nib file I am trying without success to load  PatientListTableViewController from a button on my first page. I have a tab bar item to get to this page already. However I want this same page accessed from a button on my start page because PatientListTableViewController is a tab item that is not seen on the tab bar when the user first opens the page. How would I code this?
The header file of PatientListTableViewController includes:
@interface PatientListTableViewController : UITableViewController <PatientAddDelegate, NSFetchedResultsControllerDelegate, UINavigationBarDelegate, UITabBarControllerDelegate>{

Thanks in advance for any help
The header file of PatientListTableViewController includes:
@interface PatientListTableViewController : UITableViewController [PatientAddDelegate, NSFetchedResultsControllerDelegate, UINavigationBarDelegate, UITabBarControllerDelegate] {

A: If you are already setting this view controller as a sub-view-controller of your UITabBarController, I'd use either setSelectedIndex: or setSelectedViewController on the UITabBarController.  If you don't do it this way, you're going to have issues because you may have loaded that view controller's view in two different places (under the tab bar, and wherever you're placing it when you load it manually).
Here's some sample code.  I'm assuming that your application delegate has an instance variables myTabBarController, and that you're putting two view controllers in the UITabBarController: myFirstViewController and mySecondViewController.  I'll assume that you've set both of these view controllers as children of the tab bar controller in your NIB file.
- (void)buttonPressed:(id)sender {
    [myTabBarController setSelectedViewController:mySecondViewController];
    // Alternately, you could set the index rather than the actual VC:
    // [myTabBarController setSelectedIndex:1]
}

If your issue is related to loading a view controller without a NIB file, make sure you're setting up your view hierarchy correctly in that view controller's loadView method.

A: Solution above did not work for me after implementing this code into myFirstViewController:
import "MyFirstViewController.h"
import "MyAppDelegate.h"
@implementation MyFirstViewController
@synthesize tabBarController;

*

*(void)buttonPressed:(id)sender { [tabBarController setSelectedViewController:patientListController]

In my MyAppDelegate.h file I have:
IBOutlet UITabBarController *tabBarController;
IBOutlet MyTableViewController *patientListController; .... end
In my MyAppDelegate.m file I have:
@implementation MyAppDelegate
@synthesize patientListController;
@synthesize tabBarController;  ... end
Did I miss something here?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Labour welcomes private sector vultures into health services
The policy is a break from the position of recent years
Private sector involvement in the NHS has always been contested (38 Degrees on Flickr)
Labour's shadow health secretary said on Friday that he would not "shirk" from using hated private sector health firms to reduce NHS waiting lists.
Wes Streeting told the BBC the strategy had proved "effective" when his party was last in power. In a bid to soften the blow, Streeting said that the blame for needing the option lay with Tory governments that have "run down the NHS".
But his statement marked a clear departure for Labour from the position under both Jeremy Corbyn and Ed Miliband. They had focused their health service campaigning on protecting the health service from further privatisation.
The private sector doesn't "help" the NHS by offering its services, because it has very few skilled medical staff of its own. Instead, it relies on short-term poaching of doctors and nurses that work and train in the NHS. That means almost every service provided by private health firms comes at the cost of staff lost to our health service.
And, where it provides services, the private sector cherry picks the easiest, most profitable treatments, leaving the NHS with all the difficult jobs.
During the pandemic, private sector vulture firms tried to present themselves as "additional capacity" to the NHS. But research from the Centre for Health and the Public Interest (CHPI) blows that myth apart.
In its report, For Whose Benefit?, the CHPI shows that almost no Covid patients were treated in the private sector, and that NHS funded treatment in the private sector fell significantly.
In total private hospitals delivered 0.08 percent of Covid care. The NHS paid out huge sums to the private health care firms to provide extra capacity but all that did was reduce the cash available to spend on public health care, thereby pushing up waiting lists.
As the CHPI notes, "Meanwhile, the 26 private hospital companies benefited significantly from the deal.
"[The] government-backed guarantee of their operating costs protected the sector from losses caused by the pandemic," it wrote.
Nationalise private healthcare to protect NHS
"Private healthcare was allowed to continue even when the NHS was under the greatest strain and the sector is now in a position to capitalise on the pent-up demand for healthcare."
The CHPI estimates the cost to the NHS of this "private sector capacity" as between £2 and £5 billion.
Streeting wants to take us back to the days of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Then, Labour governments talked continually of involving the private sector in the NHS because of its alleged skills and experience.
The two Labour leaders pushed the widely-despised Private Finance Initiative as means of building new hospitals. But it soon became clear that the NHS would be forced to make huge payments to vulture construction firms for generations to come.
And, they unleashed the market inside the health service, which forced the contracting out of whole services to the private sector. These firms were safe in the knowledge that should anything go wrong with their largely routine treatments, the NHS would be there to pick up the pieces.
That Streeting wants to shore-up the private sector, and is using pandemic-driven waiting lists as an excuse, should sound a warning to everyone who cares about the NHS.
Topics Health, Keep Our NHS Public, Keir Starmer, Labour Party, NHS
Tories run aground on their own privatisation of the NHS
Midwives demand action over assaults on NHS care
Mandatory vaccinations risk making NHS crisis worse


I don't think we can call Ahana a celebrity but well she is daughter of Hema Malini and Dharmendra so her wedding was a star studded affair.
I awaited this wedding eagerly because the fabulous ethnic wear you get to see in Big fat Indian wedding is a treat to eyes, also Esha deols wedding was a grand affair and I wanted to see what Ahana will wear. But I was pretty disappointed With Ahanas choice of clothes especially for sangeet and Reception , she could have done so much better.
Lets have a look at what she wore for the different wedding ceremonies.
I loved what Ahana wore for Mehendi, the dark blue lehenga with green choli and that floral tiara was a great idea simply because it is very different from the floral jewellery thing everyone is opting for mehendi these days.
Hema Malini looked great in Silk saree and floral jewellery while Esha wore something similar to Ahana . I think that blue dupatta was not a great choice by Esha , she almost matched her sister . Esha could have atleast tried a different drape and let Ahana steal the limelight.
For Sangeet Ahana opted for a blue lehenga and she looked lovely in it. I like how Esha went for a totally different colour and dint match the bride in this ceremony. Hema Malini looked as elegant as ever .
There aren't many pictures of the pheras (private affair?) But in the available pictures Ahana looks lovely.
Another Monochrome look is what Ahana did for Reception (after Sangeet). A floor length anarkali from Manish Malhotra which looked good on Ahana but it was not the best. This look would be good for the brides sister or for a guest not for a bride. Ahana cold have added more colour to her look atleast via her jewellery.
Here is what Aahana had wore at her engagement months back. Not a fan of her look here.
Of all her looks I liked Ahana's Mehendi ensemble the best. I like how the Mehendi Lehenga has horizontal bands on it instead of the traditional vertical flare.
Edit: oops Ahana had a mumbai reception too for which Ahana kept it simple Again as she wore a pastel green gown. Doesn't this give you a cindrella feel?


eStudio 473 Artists and volunteers have recently collaborated with the Muskoka Foundation and local community projects to offer Photography and Urban Art workshops to the youth of several neighborhoods. Setting up shop in the plazas and callejones (alleys) of Guanajuato.
Fall of 2011: Colonia La Venada with Espacios Posibles and the support of the Muskoka Foundation. We ran an 8 week long photography workshop with over 20 children ranging from age 7 to age 15. Click this photo to see some of our work and connect to the Muskoka Foundation's Facebook page.
More projects are in development! Images and more information coming soon!


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Featured Portuguese Liga Premier League
Angel Di Maria : I Was Suppose To Join Arsenal
thelaw March 23, 2010
Interesting news are out and it has been reported that Benfica winger Angel Di Maria has revealed that he does not know what happened to a proposed deal to join Arsenal back in 2007.
At the time, the Argentine was with Rosario Central in his homeland but eventually signed with Portugal's Benfica and although he is happy now, he said he was hoping to join the Gunners at the time.
The striker told reporters that : "I don't know exactly what happened with my proposed transfer to Arsenal,"
"I was very excited about joining them but it never happened.
"From what I've been told, the transfer money that was supposed to appear, never appeared.
"And just a day-and-a-half later, Benfica heard about the problem, showed interest in me and quickly hired me.
"But I am sure that Arsene Wenger would have had a lot to teach me."
ArsenalBenfica
Gabriel Agbonlahor Set To Return Against Sunderland
AS Roma Interested In Portsmouth Winger Nadir Belhadj
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At Knife Depot, we pride ourselves on being a business that works toward giving customers the greatest selection of products possible.
So, when we were finally able to sell automatic knives (better known as switchblades), we were downright stoked. We posted on Facebook and sent out an email to our subscribers announcing the arrival of automatic knives for authorized military personnel and law enforcement officers.
Let's just say that the reception was less than enthusiastic.
We received emails from disgruntled fans attacking our automatic knives policy as dumb, ridiculous, and discriminating.
The truth is we whole-heartedly agree with the hate mail. Unfortunately, as a business that conducts interstate commerce, we're bound by the federal law of the United States.
The Switchblade Knife Act of 1958 prohibits the manufacture, importation, distribution, transportation, and sale of switchblade knives between states, but there are a few exceptions in terms of what can be mailed across state lines found in 18 USC 1716 (G) and 15 USC 1244.
If you didn't click on the links to the actual code (and we don't blame you), they basically say switchblades can only be shipped across state lines to certain people, which includes authorized government personnel and those who have the use of only one arm.
So how did we get to this point? Let's go back to the development of automatic knives.
A switchblade is a folding knife that uses a spring-loaded button to fully engage a knife. (If you're curious, I wrote an article about the difference between a switchblade and assisted-opening knife.) The blade's natural position is to be open and the button is absorbing that pressure. Once that pressure is removed, the knife opens up.
Switchblades were around in ewhe form since the mid-18th century, but those mostly used levers and weren't very practical.
It wasn't until the late 1800s did George Schrade help pioneer the modern and functional iteration of the switchblade. By 1916, Schrade had created what we know as the switchblade today. He used a button to engage the knife instead of the old lever system.
A switchblade from Flylock Knife Company from between 1918 and 1929.
Legend has it that the automatic knife was developed in order to make it easier for women to open folding knives without breaking a fingernail. While this is a slight exaggeration, early advertisements did use this aspect as a selling point.
Here's a Schrade advertisement from 1904, according to Gizmodo.
No Breaking of Finger Nails.
Will Not Open in Your Pocket.
Will Not Close on the Fingers When in Use.
The Schrade Safety Push Button Knife, of which we are the exclusive manufacturers, is rapidly becoming the leading knife on the market because of its many advantages over the ordinary pocket knife. Being easily operated with one hand it is far more convenient than the old style pocket knife which necessitates the use of both hands to open and frequently results in broken finger nails… This novel knife is especially suitable for a gift or souvenir, as it is something out of the ordinary, very useful, and when furnished with one of our attractive handles makes an ideal gift.
What made the knife go from a tool that wouldn't break your nails to a weapon that was destroying society? We turn to the 1950s for the answer.
Let's set the scene of the time. The U.S. was undergoing a major economic boom in the wake of WWII, while the onset of the Cold War had shifted the politics of the country right. The Civil Rights movement was gaining steam. Rock-N-Roll was emerging on the scene with artists like Sam Cooke, Buddy Holly, Howlin' Wolf, and others were captivating teens. Juvenile delinquency was up during the time, and movie stars like James Dean weren't helping matters.
The seed that germinated the movement against the automatic knife can be traced back to a 1950 article that appeared in the Women's Home Companion called "The Toy That Kills." It basically lays out how the switchblade will quickly become the weapon of choice in gang warfare if it's not taken care of.
America became obsessed and fearful of the possibility of ethnic gangs and delinquents, and Hollywood seized the opportunity to make films about it.
In the mid-1950s, movies like Rebel Without a Cause, Crime in the Streets, The Delinquents, and others prominently featured violence among the youths and the switchblade became a symbol of delinquency.
Not long after, the senator from Illinois introduced a bill that banned automatic knives in an attempt to reduce gang violence in Chicago. In 1958, the Switchblade Knife Act passed and switchblades have been banned federally ever since.
Over the years, more and more people have realized the original switchblade ban was born out of fear and misinformation, so why does the law remain?
The difficulty of getting anything done in Congress cannot be overstated. Not only that but something as controversial as lifting a ban on switchblades is not easy to come by. Many members of congress do not want their name attached to a lift of the ban.
However, the knife advocacy group Knife Rights did clarify the law a bit when it helped add an amendment to the ban in 2009 that clearly exempts spring-assisted knives.
More recently, Rep. Andy Biggs introduced the Knife Owners' Protection Act of 2017 — a bill thought of and authored by Knife Rights — in the House of Representatives.
This leads us full circle as to why switchblades should be legal. Customers point out that in their states, they can carry switchblades because it's not a regulated item. That's all fine and well, but we can't sell automatic knives across state lines thanks to federal law, which brings us to yet another issue. Many state laws conflict with the federal ban.
The confusion between automatic knives and spring-assisted knives has led to unwarranted arrests and even deaths.
Knife Rights has passed or is trying to pass laws that repeal the ban in various states. For example, in Maine, the switchblade ban was recently repealed, yet we won't be able to sell there unless the buyer is an authorized member of the military.
1. The Switchblade Ban was passed under false pretenses and fear of a phantom menace. It now seems antiquated.
2. Law-abiding citizens can't buy automatic knives from businesses like us unless they're members of the military or only have the use of one arm. It's somewhat of an arbitrary distinction.
3. Federal laws conflict with state laws, causing issues with jurisdiction and confusion on legality.
4. It's difficult to discern the difference between a switchblade and a spring-assisted knife, which can lead to confusion and unwarranted arrests.
This last point is actually bigger than you might think. The whole Freddie Gray incident, in which a man was killed by police after they said he was carrying an illegal switchblade that was actually legal, has brought the issue to light even more. News outlets like the Chicago Tribune have recently questioned the point of banning switchblades as a result.
In New York, tons of people are arrested on charges related to switchblades but few convictions actually happen. These mixups just ruin people's lives and put an extra burden on police.
Aside from our own small issue of not being able to sell automatic knives to everyone, these points perfectly sum up why switchblades should no longer be banned.
They should be legalized completely. I can get my spyderco out and open as fast as a switch Blade and it is sturdier than an auto. If they can make pot legal then why not a piece of cool machinery?
All great points. At this point, the ban is arbitrary. Some assisted openers, which are legal, open faster than autos.
When I was a kid, I ALWAYS had a switchblade in my fishing tackle box, try holding a fish you caught, and fumbling around trying to open a knife to cut a line or dig out a fish hook! Now, what I carry is open assist, basically for the same reason, as a former police officer, there were many instances when a knife was very necessary but trying to open one with your hands full is nearly impossible…an open assist could possible save someones life! i.e. cutting a seat belt!
How about sales done In-State? Still just LEOs and special needs?
This law just reminds me how backward we as a county are in many ways. We have ban on switchblades and yet, just out today, the report on how the TSA failed to identify potential "terrorist" paraphernalia 97% of the time….and yet they want to confiscate my nail clippers because it has a nail file everytime I fly. So my wife and I recently attended a small venue concert and I was asked to either give up my 1.875″ Nano or walk it back to my car. I'm no small guy – about 5′-11″ 230 lbs and decently lean. I told the guy if I wanted to hurt someone I sure as hell wouldn't use this little knife to do it – my bare hands are enough. Or lets talk about guns. I can go to almost any gun shop I want and order an assault rifle…then search the Internet to find a kit to make it fully auto. The point is knives or guns don't kill people. People kill people. Unscrupulous people will use whatever it takes to get what they want…whether it's a knife, gun, broken bottle, chain, bat, Anthrax, Ebola,….you get the point. Continuing to ban certain knives is just idiotic.
When the TSA planned to allow knives back on planes to allow for agents to look for things that were actually dangerous like bombs, people were in an uproar. Now we're seeing terrorist paraphernalia getting through at an alarming rate. It may not be connected, but it's possible they might have caught those things if they weren't worrying about the small things.
Good article. It's hard to find something objective about automatic knives. Since they are legal in my State, I own several. However, while traveling in another state (Illinois) my knife was taken from me by a law enforcement officer. So, let that be a caution to anyone like me is accustomed to an automatic as his everyday carry. I didn't think and it cost me a very good (and expensive) knife.
Thanks. The hardest part for people to understand is the fact that the laws are so varied from state to state that there's a risk of traveling anywhere with automatic knives. In fact, some states still have different laws from city to city. So you could go from legally carrying a knife in one town and then being a criminal in the next. This definitely needs to be addressed.
Out-the-Front (OTFs) automatic knives are nearly legal in Wisconsin.
Want a great auto OTF, checkout RavenCrest Tactical! GREAT quality knives w/ Forever Warranty.! Customizable knives at ~1/2 price of a BenchMade OTF!
• Use "WiscoKid" code to get 10% off your entire order!!!
The old laws were so vague & open to interpretation by the LE officer, they caused many legal issues & frustration.
Hypothetically, assume you're carrying your Auto OTF in your pocket and get pulled over for going 6 mph over the limit. A Wisc LEO had the power to change you with a felony weapons charge (esp if you have prior weapons or violent crimes charges), a concealed weapons charge, and assault of a LE officer if your knife pokes the officer if they perform a pat-down! Basically the laws on the books allowed the LEO to go on a power-trip and really screw up someone's life, just for being a knife enthusiast!
Roy & Tim are right! Illinois has draconian knife laws! NEVER travel there with an OTF or even spring assisted blades!!! If in Chicago, you're begging to go to Cook County Jail… No personal experience, but i've heard way too many stories to ever take the chance of traveling thru Chicago with an OTF!
Great Article, guys!!! Take care.
I don't care how fast ANY automatic knife can ever get. NO automatic knife will ever come out as fast as a fixed blade knife, because it's already out!!
And that is what I carry all the time to avoid the nonsense.
I (and other people I know) can get assisted opening knife out just as quick as a switchblade blade, so what is the point. Plus, when one state has switchblades legal and the they go into a neighboring state where it's illegal with the knife not even thinking about it, that could cause serious trouble.
This was a really great and informative article. Automatic/otf knives sometimes get a bad rap, but as many have mentioned in the comments, they can also have many highly functional uses for everyday carrying.


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Weekly Comic 100s
Deep Dive Reviews
Alex Ross Spotlight
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Comic Books and Geek Culture. Because They're Awesome.
Posted in Comic Books/Graphic Novels
A Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #12 Review – The Day Evil Won
Posted on 02/17/2017 02/17/2017 by primaryignition
TITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #12
AUTHOR: Kyle Higgins
PENCILLER: Hendry Prasetya. Cover by Jamal Campbell.
PUBLISHER: BOOM! Studios
***WARNING: Spoilers lay ahead!***
By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder
I just have to keep reminding myself: The story's not over yet. The story's not over yet. The story's not over yet…
Everything I wrote about Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #11 still applies in this issue. Exposing Tommy and Billy to elements from their future, such as the White Ranger, the Tigerzord, and the Thunderzords, potentially taints the events that occur later in his timeline. Assuming, that is, we don't get a mind wipe at the end of this story. But until we see how the story ends, there's no use poo-pooing what Kyle Higgins, Hendry Prasetya, and the BOOM! Studios crew are giving us here. So we may as well enjoy this whole post-apocalyptic, alternate universe tale they've crafted for us.
MMPR #12 tells us quite a bit about said universe. In this timeline, Tommy remained with Rita and her forces after the events of "Green With Evil," as opposed to teaming up with the other Rangers. As such, Rita eventually conquers the Earth. But not before Zordon creates the White Ranger powers, and attempts to give them to Jason. In the final battle between the forces of good and evil, Tommy steals the White Ranger powers, and merges them with the Green Ranger powers. But Saba, the talking saber that was to have served as the White Ranger's partner, has survived. And for the Tommy and Billy we know, he's the only ally in sight.
On the pages that show is the final days of this great war we see Lokar (who shows up later in season one) the Alien Rangers and Ninjor (season three), and even the Phantom Ranger (Power Rangers Turbo)! Strangely enough, we also have the Pumpkin Rapper, a random monster from season one. I don't mind him being there. But out of all the monsters you could have picked, why the Pumpkin Rapper?
The battle itself really does look like a doomsday scenario where our heroes have their last hope snuffed out. I gripe about Tommy and Billy "knowing too much about their own destiny," as Doc Brown would say. But I do appreciate the fan service that comes with having the Thunderzords, the Alien Rangers, etc. If you're a Power Rangers fan, it has an undeniably epic feel.
On the subject of fan service…um, hi Aisha Campbell? The issue ends with the character that eventually takes Trini's place as the Yellow Ranger showing up as part of a rebellion of sorts, next to Trini herself! Trini and, of all people, Bulk. Again, Tommy and Billy meeting Aisha in this alternate realty potentially spoils the emotional impact of them meeting later in life. But I'll wait 'til the story's over…. *clenches fists*
As I've said previously, Prasetya's main strength on this book is drawing all the extravagant sci-fi stuff. He proves that yet again with a gorgeous splash page of the Tigerzord (shown below). It's very reminiscent of the footage we always used to see on the show, with the crushing of the rocks and the big roar. It's the strongest page in the issue, by far. Of course, the battle stuff is awesome. We get a very strong two-page spread of all the Rangers and baddies in front of the Command Center. It feels every bit as epic as it needs to be.
Question: Does merging the Green and White Ranger powers take a toll on the body of Lord Drekkon? I keep coming back to that weird vascularity we see on his face. If you remember from the "White Light" episodes, the Green Ranger powers were created by the forces of evil, while the White Ranger powers were created from "the light of goodness." So in theory, it would be unnatural to combine them.
My assumption has been that Drekkon was the one to reach out to Rita across the space time continuum. But why? Perhaps to find a younger version of himself to give the power to, and then inhabit? Just a guess…
We also get a brief scene in this issue where we see Rita and her forces have taken over the Command Center. She tells Goldar that she and Finster are working on "a better you." That's damn intriguing, considering how Higgins has written Goldar in this book. He tended to have his own agenda on the show, and that's very much the case here. I'd be surprised if he didn't have a major role in the outcome of this story.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers remains near the top of my stack each time it comes out. But with each passing month, I get more and more nervous about how this story is going to end…
Follow Primary Ignition on Twitter @PrimaryIgnition, or at Facebook.com/PrimaryIgnition.
Author: primaryignition
Tagged: Aisha Campbell, Billy Cranston, BOOM! Studios, Green Ranger, Hendry Prasetya, Jamal, Kyle Higgins, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #12 (2017), Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (BOOM! Studios), Power Rangers, Pumpkin Rapper, Rob Siebert, Saba, Tommy Oliver, White Ranger
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Best of Batman & Superman: The Original Switcheroo
Finding Nemo: A Horror Film
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Rob Watches Star Trek: Fumbling the Ball


31 Aug Premium USB Headset Model Number: AA instructions will assist you in updating or installing audio drivers for your computer. 10 Aug Premium USB Headset Model Number: AA To check if your Logitech product works with Windows 8 or Windows 10, first select the. 31 Aug USB — Wired. Your Logitech USB headset doesn't require any drivers or software, other than the default device drivers built into your operating.
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Hello, Do you have a working driver for Logitech usb headset A?. I have contacted Logitech and they told me the headset is compatible with Windows Once I am directed to "select drivers you want to install". LOGITECH A A DRIVERS FOR WINDOWS - This keyboard has a built-in LCD panel that displays important informa. I tried to search for the drivers on the .


Stowe & so Tea Towel. Cape to Karoo. Set of two.
Home > Gifts for Grahamstown Peeps! > Stowe & so Tea Towel. Cape to Karoo. Set of two.
Two hand printed tea towels.
One red and one light mustard tea towel. Hand printed on a 70/30 cotton linen mix fabric.


TOM CLARK: Real Music & Real Estate . . .
Donald Hall, the big-time English professor at Michigan, had some super-favorite students, and I wasn't one of them. Number one was Jane Kenyon, whom he married. Another was Tom Clark, who became poetry editor of the Paris Review at 22, thanks to Hall.
Clark was at Michigan seven years before me. I bought his first poetry book, Stones, shortly after it came out in 1969. I hitchhiked to Bolinas, but Clark wasn't there. (I met Lewis Warsh instead, another poet.) I had a poem in The World, an East Village mag, and was thrilled. I wrote some more poems.
Clark kept up with poetry. Clark had a wise-acre, yet lyrical, poetic style that reminded me how I would write poetry if I was good, brilliant, and had stuck with it. I went over to prose (for the fame and money).
Clark wrote prose, too – mostly dry bios. I liked just one: The Great Naropa Poetry Wars, an investigation on Allen Ginsberg's weird relationship with a Buddhist leader, Chogyam Trungpa, in Boulder.
I wanted to be Tom Clark for a while.
On Friday Clark was hit by a car and died. He was walking across the street in Berkeley. He was 77. It was an accident. A screw up.
I had an op-ed — "5oth high school reunion time? Just Show up" — in the Cleveland Plain Dealer on Sunday.
I didn't recognize Tom Clark, the poet (as opposed to the lawyer). I am sorry for your loss. May his memory be for a blessing. I did recognize that feeling of not being the favorite student of a respected professor. Rita Dove was in my class. nuf said.
So you made it to Bolinas. I vaguely remember you saying it wasn't your scene, too hippy trippy or something. Correct me if I'm wrong!
To Mark Schilling: Yes, it was too hippy trippy for me. So was the East Village NYC. Drugs (including "grass") spooked me.


text:
Firegento Magento Community Magento-1.x Mirror Github Repository with Patches.

[![Gitter](https://badges.gitter.im/Join%20Chat.svg)](https://gitter.im/firegento/magento?utm_source=badge&utm_medium=badge&utm_campaign=pr-badge)

- [available magento versions](https://github.com/firegento/magento/releases)
- [an overview of all patches](https://github.com/brentwpeterson/magento-patches)

## Installation via Composer

If you do not know what Composer is, please first read [this](https://getcomposer.org/doc/00-intro.md).

To generate `composer.json` and install magento for the first time run:

```
composer require magento-hackathon/magento-composer-installer ~3.0
composer require aydin-hassan/magento-core-composer-installer ~1.2
composer require firegento/magento ~1.9.2.4
```

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Social commitment, especially with regard to the adolescent generation, is a matter of course for nass magnet. Our experience shows that this is by no means a one-way-street.
Mutual respect and appreciation are important key aspects at nass magnet. This is best achieved, if the support we offer is in balance with the effort or the commitment we receive, in return.
Nass magnet establishes and maintains cooperation with schools and universities in Lower Saxony and offers support (both in career and athletic terms) to competitive athletes.
– Our technicians and engineers have put together a program including application-oriented physics lessons and a walkabout experience at our production facilities and laboratories.
Want to find out more? Click here to download information.
– If possible, we offer jobs tailored to suit the needs of competitive athletes. A prime example is light heavyweight judoka Dimitri Peters, former employee at nass magnet and winner of the bronze medal at the London Olympics in 2012.


text:
@interface ViewController ()

@property (nonatomic, strong) CCHDiskCache *cache;

@end

@implementation ViewController

- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];

    self.cache = [[CCHDiskCache alloc] initWithSize:5000000 withName:@"number-cache"];
    [self.cache setObject:@1001 forKey:@"one" withCompletion:^(NSString *key, id <NSCopying> value) {
        NSLog(@"set value %@ for key %@", value, key);
    }];
}

- (void)viewWillAppear:(BOOL)animated
{
    [super viewWillAppear:animated];

    [self.cache objectForKey:@"one" withCompletion:^(NSString *key, id <NSCopying> value) {
        NSLog(@"%@: %@", key, value);
    }];

    [self.cache removeObjectForKey:@"one" withCompletion:^(NSString *key, id <NSCopying> value) {
        NSLog(@"Deleted key %@ of value %@", key, value);
    }];
}

- (void)didReceiveMemoryWarning {
    [super didReceiveMemoryWarning];
    // Dispose of any resources that can be recreated.
}

@end


text:
package org.hawkular.alerts.api.model.condition;

import java.io.Serializable;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;

import org.hawkular.alerts.api.json.JacksonDeserializer;
import org.hawkular.alerts.api.model.trigger.Mode;

import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonInclude;
import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonInclude.Include;
import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.annotation.JsonDeserialize;

import io.swagger.annotations.ApiModel;
import io.swagger.annotations.ApiModelProperty;

/**
 * A base class for condition definition.
 *
 * @author Jay Shaughnessy
 * @author Lucas Ponce
 */
@ApiModel(description = "A base class for condition definition. ",
        subTypes = { AvailabilityCondition.class, CompareCondition.class, EventCondition.class, ExternalCondition.class,
            MissingCondition.class, NelsonCondition.class, RateCondition.class, StringCondition.class,
            ThresholdCondition.class, ThresholdRangeCondition.class })
@JsonDeserialize(using = JacksonDeserializer.ConditionDeserializer.class)
public abstract class Condition implements Serializable {

    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

    public enum Type {
        AVAILABILITY, COMPARE, STRING, THRESHOLD, RANGE, EXTERNAL, EVENT, RATE, MISSING, NELSON
    }

    @ApiModelProperty(value = "Tenant id owner of this condition.",
            position = 0,
            required = true,
            allowableValues = "Tenant is overwritten from Hawkular-Tenant HTTP header parameter request")
    @JsonInclude
    protected String tenantId;

    /**
     * The owning trigger
     */
    @ApiModelProperty(value = "The owning trigger.",
            position = 1,
            allowableValues = "triggerId is set up from REST request parameters")
    @JsonInclude
    protected String triggerId;

    /**
     * The owning trigger's mode when this condition is active
     */
    @ApiModelProperty(value = "The owning trigger's mode when this condition is active.",
            position = 2,
            required = true)
    @JsonInclude
    protected Mode triggerMode;

    @ApiModelProperty(value = "The type of the condition defined. Each type has its specific properties defined " +
            "on its subtype of condition.",
            position = 3,
            required = true)
    @JsonInclude
    protected Type type;

    /**
     * Number of conditions associated with a particular trigger.
     * i.e. 2 [ conditions ]
     */
    @ApiModelProperty(value = "Number of conditions associated with a particular trigger. This is a read-only value " +
            "defined by the system.",
            position = 4,
            required = false)
    @JsonInclude
    protected int conditionSetSize;

    /**
     * Index of the current condition
     * i.e. 1 [ of 2 conditions ]
     */
    @ApiModelProperty(value = "Index of the current condition. This is a read-only value defined by the system.",
            position = 5,
            required = false)
    @JsonInclude
    protected int conditionSetIndex;

    /**
     * A composed key for the condition
     */
    @ApiModelProperty(value = "A composed key for the condition. This is a read-only value defined by the system.",
            position = 6,
            required = false)
    @JsonInclude
    protected String conditionId;

    @ApiModelProperty(value = "Properties defined by the user for this condition.",
            position = 7)
    @JsonInclude(Include.NON_EMPTY)
    protected Map<String, String> context;

    public Condition() {
        // for json assembly
    }

    public Condition(String tenantId, String triggerId, Mode triggerMode, int conditionSetSize, int conditionSetIndex,
            Type type) {
        this.tenantId = tenantId;
        this.triggerId = triggerId;
        this.triggerMode = triggerMode;
        this.conditionSetSize = conditionSetSize;
        this.conditionSetIndex = conditionSetIndex;
        this.type = type;
        updateId();
    }

    public int getConditionSetIndex() {
        return conditionSetIndex;
    }

    public void setConditionSetIndex(int conditionSetIndex) {
        this.conditionSetIndex = conditionSetIndex;
        updateId();
    }

    public int getConditionSetSize() {
        return conditionSetSize;
    }

    public void setConditionSetSize(int conditionSetSize) {
        this.conditionSetSize = conditionSetSize;
        updateId();
    }

    public String getTriggerId() {
        return triggerId;
    }

    public void setTriggerId(String triggerId) {
        this.triggerId = triggerId;
        updateId();
    }

    public Mode getTriggerMode() {
        return triggerMode;
    }

    public void setTriggerMode(Mode triggerMode) {
        this.triggerMode = triggerMode;
        updateId();
    }

    public String getConditionId() {
        return conditionId;
    }

    public String getTenantId() {
        return tenantId;
    }

    public void setTenantId(String tenantId) {
        this.tenantId = tenantId;
        updateId();
    }

    public Map<String, String> getContext() {
        if (null == context) {
            context = new HashMap<>();
        }
        return context;
    }

    public void setContext(Map<String, String> context) {
        this.context = context;
    }

    private void updateId() {
        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(tenantId);
        sb.append("-").append(triggerId);
        sb.append("-").append(triggerMode.name());
        sb.append("-").append(conditionSetSize);
        sb.append("-").append(conditionSetIndex);
        this.conditionId = sb.toString();
    }

    public Type getType() {
        return type;
    }

    @Override
    public int hashCode() {
        final int prime = 31;
        int result = 1;
        result = prime * result + ((conditionId == null) ? 0 : conditionId.hashCode());
        return result;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean equals(Object obj) {
        if (this == obj)
            return true;
        if (obj == null)
            return false;
        if (getClass() != obj.getClass())
            return false;
        Condition other = (Condition) obj;
        if (conditionId == null) {
            if (other.conditionId != null)
                return false;
        } else if (!conditionId.equals(other.conditionId))
            return false;
        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return "Condition [tenantId=" + tenantId + "triggerId=" + triggerId + ", triggerMode=" + triggerMode
                + ", conditionSetSize=" + conditionSetSize + ", conditionSetIndex=" + conditionSetIndex + "]";
    }

    /**
     * @return The dataId, can be null if the Condition has no relevant dataId.
     */
    @ApiModelProperty(value = "Data identifier used for condition evaluation. dataId is used in conjunction with " +
                "operators defined at subtype condition level.",
            position = 8,
            required = true,
            name = "dataId")
    public abstract String getDataId();
}


Wondering how, where, and why to renew your car insurance policy? Look no further! Perhaps you've never renewed a car insurance policy before or you're just curious how it all works. (It's not as complicated as you may think!) Whatever the case may be, check out these five important things you need to know about policy renewals and share a comment below: when it comes to car insurance, what else are you curious about?
While you can make changes to your policy at any time through an endorsement, you'll find that your renewal period is a good time to make sure everything is current, including the little details like your address and phone number.
You may have gone through some big life changes too, in which case you may want to revisit your liability limits or consider adding term life insurance (which is a great choice for new parents). Maybe you're commuting further for work and could benefit from the peace of mind that comes with a roadside assistance plan. Or, maybe you'd like to add a car or a driver, since your niece will be moving in with you. Along with adding/removing cars, drivers, and products when renewing your policy, you can also change your coverage, coverage limits, and deductible amount.
Changing your payment plan could help make your protection more affordable, especially if you've changed jobs and are receiving your paycheck at a different time, or you've moved and your rent is due at a different time. Your policy renewal period is a great opportunity to work around these changes and adjust your insurance payment due date.
Many car insurance companies offer policy renewal discounts to their customers. Typically, you could qualify for a renewal discount on your insurance premium if you've had no policy lapse in the prior 12 months (and you renew your policy within 7 to 10 days of the policy expiration date).* When renewing, you could also qualify for other great insurance discounts like a mileage discount, homeowner discount, or multi-product discount. Score!
A renewal discount could help lower your premium, but changes to your coverage levels, deductible, or annual mileage could increase or decrease your premium too. If you've moved, added or removed a driver, or changed vehicles, you could also see a change in how much you pay.
Now let's say you've been in a fender bender or two this last year. Worried that your cheap car insurance rate will go up? Don't! Before you get your pants in a bunch, know that not all car accidents or claims will raise your rate. They could, but it depends on a number of factors like your driving history and whether you were at fault.
Did you know? Not all insurance companies offer you the choice to renew your policy online, over the phone, or in a store–regardless of how you originally purchased it. As a Direct Auto & Life Insurance customer though, you have choices! Call, click, or visit one of our more than 400 store locations to renew your policy. It's up to you!
Our customers have choices at every bend in the road, and that's the way it's been for the last 25 years. Not a Direct customer yet? We've got perks like low rates, flexible payment options, and an easy-to-use website…in other words, what are you waiting for? Visit your local store, give us a call, or simply go online to learn more. We're here to help in whatever way we can.
What a pleasant surprise! We do more than tell our customers that we appreciate them. We show them too! Learn more and visit your local Direct Auto store any Friday during the month of April for free food and great giveaways!
*Renewal period varies by state and Renewal discount not available in VA. Policy reinstatement without a lapse in coverage is subject to terms and conditions and is not guaranteed.
**Material in these articles is for general information or entertainment purposes only. Direct General does not endorse and is not affiliated with any of the companies or apps listed in this article. Direct General is not responsible or liable for the availability of links to websites or resources, or for any content, advertising, products, services or other materials on or available through these websites or resources. Any references to third party rates or products are subject to change without notice. Trademarks are property of their respective owners.


My name is Sarah, I'm a fully qualified and insured eyelash technician working in the Biggleswade, Bedfordshire area.
Contact me to book your cluster lash treatment either in the comfort of your own home, or at my salon in Stevenage. I'm happy to travel to the Biggleswade, Bedfordshire area to treat you. Cluster lashes (also known as party lashes) cost £15 for a full set.
Cluster lashes typically consist of groups of 3-5 blunt-end eyelashes knotted together into a bunch. These cluster eyelashes add instant fullness because of their multi-lash flare and range in lengths to enable you to create the look you want.
The groups of lashes are carefully placed all along your natural lash line, so mould into your lashes and eye shape creating a more natural look than strip lashes, but still giving your lashes extra oomph and making your eyes stand out.
With typical strip lashes ranging in price, usually £5 upwards and only lasting you the evening, Cluster lashes are reasonably priced and would usually last you between 3 and 7 days.
They are the cheaper alternative to individual eyelash extensions and are the perfect feel good treat for nights out or weekends away!
The treatment usually takes between 15-20 minutes.
With all eye treatments, avoid using oily eye make-up removers as the oils will strip the tint from eyelashes & eyebrows, & will dissolve the adhesive used to apply Cluster Lashes.
Do not pick at the lashes as they will pull your natural lashes out. Avoid rubbing your eyes and try not to get the lashes too wet. Do not apply mascara for at least 24 hours to allow the adhesive to set. Lashes can be removed by gently wiping the lashes with baby oil.
The amount of time Cluster Lashes last vary from person to person. If the natural lash is near the end of it's cycle and falls out, the cluster lash will fall out with it. If properly cared for, Cluster lashes can last up to a week or more.
If you're looking for something more permanent, please take a look and my individual eyelash extensions page.
In total I've had semi permanent lashes three times now and i am pleased with how they look every time, I had them done for my holiday and they were perfect!! They normally last around 4-5 weeks for me depending on how much I look after them. I would definately recommend to anyone.
Bunches containing 3-5 lashes are placed on top of your natural lashes to add instant fullness, lasting between 5-7 days.
Working mobile I can perform your cluster lash treatment in the comfort of your own home. Alternatively for a small discount on the listed prices you can visit my home based salon in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.


This Order from last week exposed a potentially pretty significant rift. It's one thing to require electric vehicle charging capacity in new residential and commercial construction, but providing charging stations on public streets basically means that only those who can afford a $100,000+ Chevy Volt or comparable vehicle will be able to use those parking spaces. [Correction: It's the Tesla Model S that went for ~$100K. The Chevy Volt apparently goes for ~$30K.] It's understandable that people without driveways might want a mechanism for charging their cars (since running power cords across the sidewalk or down the street is not an option), but how will it go over with the neighbors if only some people are privileged to use these parking spaces?
Unfinished Business #3. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Vice Mayor Devereux, Chair of the Ad-Hoc Rules Committee, for a public hearing held on Tuesday, Jan 16, 2018 to discuss and suggest changes to the City Council Rules and transmitting recommended changes to the City Council Rules.
I honestly don't know what Rules Changes they finally settled on at last week's meeting. The meeting materials only show the suggestions from the Ad-Hoc Committee and it's simply not worth reviewing the video to find out what the Council decided on before referring the revised version to Unfinished Business. It's primarily just nickel-and-dime stuff anyway.
Communications #16-25 and #27 transmitting written opposition to the Peter Kroon, et al. Harvard Square Overlay District Zoning Petition.
In addition to these communications, most of the public comment at last week's Ordinance Committee meeting was against the petition. I believe there may now be or will soon be expressed written opposition from more than 20% of the affected land ownership which means that a three-quarter super-majority vote would be needed to pass the Kroon Petition, i.e. 7 votes instead of 6 out of 9. I don't think it had the votes anyway, but it apparently doesn't matter because the Ordinance Committee failed to move it out of committee so it can't be passed to a 2nd Reading on Monday and it therefore cannot be ordained prior to the expiration date. It seems likely that a revised version will be filed after the Feb 19 expiration.
One particularly offensive part of the Ordinance Committee discussion centered on term limits on membership on the Harvard Square Advisory Committee and the desire of the petitioners and some councillors to drive one particular person out of the Chair and maybe even off the advisory committee entirely. There is a notification in this week's agenda for the reappointment of two 20+ year members to the Library Board of Trustees. Will the City Council now argue that they should be booted from the Board in the quest for "new blood"? City boards & commissions benefit greatly from having a mix of newer members and long-time members who carry a lot of institutional memory and skills. Having a good balance is what's really important.
This is a timely order. The Trojan horse of medical marijuana facilities has already entered the city and it has the munchies.
It is quite apparent that groups like the Harvard Square Business Association and the Central Square Business Association are already taking on some of the rules associated with a Business Improvement District. This may be the right time to make this official in Central Square. The benefits are many and the down sides are few.
PS – The Central Square Business Association and its most excellent Executive Director Michael Monastime hosted an especially good charrette on Saturday on the future of Carl Barron Plaza in the heart of Central Square. This was just the first of what will be many opportunities for public input on the upcoming River Street reconstruction project (from the river to Carl Barron Plaza) that will commence at some point in the next year or so.
This is a welcome request. Most people have no idea what spaces are available for use and what rules govern the use of these open spaces and meeting spaces. It will be great if this information can be made available along with information on all City-owned resources that are available for public use. Ideally there should also be a list of all spaces in churches and other buildings that are available for use at modest cost for meetings and events.
Suffice to say that if during the construction of that dedicated sewer line the century-old water mains and gas mains are replaced (which will have to occur at some point anyway), that is, in itself, significant mitigation. If some of the electrical infrastructure can also be renewed and moved from poles to underground that would be even better.
This is a complicated project with the potential for a lot of benefit and a fair amount of disruption during construction. I won't offer any opinions just now, but there are plenty to go around. It's worth the read.
Communications & Reports from City Officers #2. A communication was received from Mayor Marc C. McGovern, transmitting the City Council Committee Assignments for the Council Term 2018-2019 pending adoption of the Rules as amended.
One of those EV cars was quoted as being in that range. In any case, I paid $1200 for my Bus in 1999.
(1). Most private commercial parking garages in Boston and perhaps Cambridge have installed electric charging stations—between 1 and 5 per garage. Residential garages as well.
(2). Commercial garage owners began installing these five years ago thinking that electric vehicle populations would rise reasonably quickly but they have not. In general, privately installed electric charging stations in garages are very lightly used. Most residential garages have installed electric charging stations as well. For private enterprise, the cost of installing such stations has been near zero because the companies involved in providing them charge for the charging service and recoup their costs in this manner.
(3). The City of Cambridge will discover, I believe, that the idea of delivering power to a street charging station is only feasible where street lighting power can be diverted to this use. Otherwise, there is no obvious City Controlled source of power for the purpose. Placing charging stations in City property including garages and public lots might be easier because appropriate sources of power would probably be more readily available.
(4). If the City installed street electric stations, they will discover that there will be unique parking enforcement issues related to such spaces in any areas where parking supply is currently tight. This might be a source of discomfort for non electric vehicle owners like Mr. Winters (not to put words into his mouth) who suddenly are at a disadvantage to electric car owners.
(5). Any resident of Cambridge that buys an electric car—even a hybrid—almost automatically buys a home charging station because their use of the car requires a reliable and regularly available charging source for a significant period of time during a period that is expected to be "down time" for their auto. Market penetration of electric vehicles of any type in Cambridge is probably 1% or so. It would require something like 20% penetration to require City installed or "common" electric charging stations for Cambridge residential benefit. Therefore, if the City installs street charging stations now, those will principally serve visitors or commuters TO Cambridge.
(6) On the subject of expense of these vehicles, I would note that I have been personally looking at the possibility of buying an electric car for the past five years and I have not, to date, because these vehicles do not yet have a combination of range, battery life and cost that justifies a purchase vis a vis a car deliberately chosen for high fuel efficiency. I believe that most of us are rational and have discovered essentially the same thing and that this is why so few electric cars have been sold to date. This line of thinking suggests that the City should view all of its early forays into electric car usage and infrastructure provision as an experiment—as a useful way to learn about the various ideas associated with the new technology.
In keeping with everything I said above, I would advise the City to absolutely proceed with various experiments to understand how electric vehicles would work in our City but with the understanding that experiment means just that—doing just enough in a controlled way to understand the various principles involved. That suggests a program that has a budget of, say, a few hundred thousand dollars total rather than some very substantial financial commitment. Vis a vis purchase of electric vehicles, I believe that the City will find that there are as many problems with electric cars as there are with conventional ones at this time. Five to ten years from now, it might be different.
One final comment. Electric cars, while running on electricity, actually run on whatever power source produces the electricity. For us in New England that means hydroelectric and natural gas principally. Electric motors are more efficient than internal combustion engines but there are inneficiencies in the delivery of electric power as well. Electric cars are a very interesting idea but they should not be regarded as some kind of holy grail until or unless a way is found out to make them as user-friendly as internal combustion vehicles.


text:
Yana Paskova
A supporter of U.S. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (D-NY) at the Javits Center in New York, NY on Election Day, Nov. 08, 2016. #WTF. November 2016. Despite winning the national popular vote, on November 8, 2016, U.S. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton suffered a surprise loss via the Electoral College to her Republican rival Donald Trump. Trump's victory made the seventy year old the oldest and richest person to assume the American presidential seat, and the first without previous governmental or military service. One study argues it was Trump's grandiosity which attracted voters, while others claim it was his populist message paired with a dislike for Clinton. These are some of Clinton's stunned female supporters at her Election Night headquarters, the Javits Center in New York, who got a front row view as poll numbers began to favor Trump as the presumptive winner.
A supporter of U.S. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (D-NY) begins to cry at the Javits Center in New York, NY on Election Day, Nov. 08, 2016. #WTF. November 2016. Despite winning the national popular vote, on November 8, 2016, U.S. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton suffered a surprise loss via the Electoral College to her Republican rival Donald Trump. Trump's victory made the seventy year old the oldest and richest person to assume the American presidential seat, and the first without previous governmental or military service. One study argues it was Trump's grandiosity which attracted voters, while others claim it was his populist message paired with a dislike for Clinton. These are some of Clinton's stunned female supporters at her Election Night headquarters, the Javits Center in New York, who got a front row view as poll numbers began to favor Trump as the presumptive winner.


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This blog post will not be written with any kind of skill or coherence. Just getting that out there before you actually decide to commit five minutes of your life to reading it. Don't say I didn't warn you.
So, a few things, in no particular order.
First, I SUBMITTED MY THIRD BOOK TO MY PUBLISHER. This is a pretty major event for me, because I've really been struggling to write for the past seven months. And, indeed, was struggling as recently as last week. But last weekend, I was given the gift of just over 24 hours without children – the first night I've spent alone in more than 4 years – and managed to lock up the inner critic for long enough to get the book finished. I'm still more than 50% sure my editor will come back to me and say what the heck is this load of old rubbish, but to be honest, completing the thing at all feels like a huge achievement.
Second, my second book is out in paperback in a week's time. I've arranged precisely nothing in the way of promotion. However, I will be doing a book signing in Waterstones Milton Keynes on 13 August, if you happen to be in the area.
In brief, the retreat from social media is for my own mental health. The internet can be great for showing people they're not alone. It can also be the loneliest place in the world. And when you're already feeling like a talentless loser, there's so much on Twitter and Facebook just waiting to confirm that for you. It gets to the point where everything, no matter how small, feeds into your own insecurity and self-doubt. It's so easy to compare yourself negatively to other people. To take things personally that weren't meant personally. And when you add that to all the anger and hate and political arguments that devolve into insults … I guess it can be overwhelming. Certainly I was finding it a drain on my energy. I've only been gone a week, and I already feel a lot better just from detaching for a bit.
Writer's block is a goddamn thing.
I never used to think it was. I always thought it was a bit of a silly concept, really. You can't think what to write? Just write something else! If you're struggling to complete a scene/chapter/book, simply switch to writing a different scene/chapter/book and all your problems will be solved. It doesn't matter what you write, after all, as long as you're writing.
That's probably reasonable advice for a normal case of being stuck, but true writer's block is different. Or at least, the thing that I'm now calling writer's block – having experienced it, and still experiencing it right now – is different from any other kind of writing struggle I've had before.
I've posted a few times recently about the difficulty I'm experiencing with my third Darkhaven novel, and people have come back with a ton of advice. Set a certain amount of time aside for writing each day – it doesn't matter if you only write a sentence during that time, as long as you're doing it. Write something else, something fun instead of deadline-driven. Give yourself a break – walk away, do other things, come back to it when you're feeling refreshed. I love all my writer friends, and I really, really appreciate the time they've taken to support me. But the thing is, I'm on a deadline.
Now, I usually love deadlines. They're the main impetus I have to get anything done. In the past, writing without a deadline has been equivalent to never finishing, because I have no reason to draw a line under what I've done and say That's good enough. So I just tinker endlessly. But with this particular deadline … well, I've already pushed it back once, and that's once too many. I meet deadlines. I pride myself on meeting deadlines. I don't want to feel like I'm failing as a deadline-meeter as well as a writer.
At this point, you may be detecting a certain level of obsessiveness. Everyone misses deadlines sometimes. It happens. Just ask for another extension. But my problem with that is that I'm afraid it will push me deeper into the cycle of I can't do this. I'm already pretty deep in it. I need it to crack open and release me, not sink its teeth in further. Having more time would stretch the problem into the future, making it more daunting, and sending my brain more tightly into its relentless spiral of self-doubt.
So as a result, I don't have time to take a break or write something different. And while setting aside a certain amount of time for writing every day would be lovely, it's not going to happen. I get time when I get time. Sometimes my children are ill. Sometimes my husband needs help with something. Sometimes there's another job to do. And since I get a maximum of two hours a day for everything that's not kids or work, there's no way I can consistently spend those two hours on writing.
But all of this is missing the point, really. Because the thing about writer's block is that it stops me from writing anything at all. (Fiction, anyway – I seem to be perfectly capable of writing reviews and opinion pieces and articles about goddamn writer's block.) No matter whether the period of time I have to write in is big or small, no matter what I try to write, there's a little voice that tells me I'm useless. And not only that – there is what almost seems to be a literal block in my brain, preventing me from being able to think about what I'm working on. I try and think about it, and my brain throws up distractions – or, failing that, it just goes completely blank. And yet when I'm not writing, that exact same brain nags me constantly about it: you should be writing. You're going to miss your deadline. You're going to fail. So even the option of relaxing and doing something else is closed to me, because I can't relax. Ever. Ever.
I can imagine some of the more seasoned writers among you nodding wisely and saying It sounds as though your heart isn't really in this book. You don't love it enough. Maybe your subconscious knows there's a plot hole, maybe you've made a narrative or stylistic choice somewhere that you don't like, maybe you're simply fed up with the characters. But honestly? I'm pretty sure that none of that is true. I like this book. I think it could be the best one yet. I just don't know how to get it out of me.
My fingers have moved faster over the keys, typing this article, than they have done for months writing the thing I want and need to write. That's pretty sad.
The end of the year is upon us, and so it's time for the obligatory navel-gazing. This time, it comes with something of an announcement.
Partner: No, you're not. I've been watching you for the past five minutes and you're just sitting there staring into space.
Me: Staring into space is part of writing.
Partner: Uh-huh. And before that, when you frowned at the screen, typed in a single word, frowned some more, then sighed heavily and deleted it again - that's part of writing too, is it?
Partner: And those times when you swear and slam the lid of your laptop shut, before stomping off to the kitchen to eat chocolate - they're also part of writing?
Partner (without opening his eyes): Unloading the dishwasher.
Casual acquaintance: So, I gather you've written a book.
Casual acquaintance: I've often thought I'd like to write a book.
Casual acquaintance: Yeah. I mean, how hard can it be? People write books all the time.
Casual acquaintance: It must be nice, getting paid for just sitting there scribbling all day. Like getting paid to daydream.
Casual acquaintance: Have you signed up with a publisher yet?
Casual acquaintance: I'd go for Penguin, myself. I reckon my name would look good on one of those classic book cover mug things. So what's your book about?
Casual acquaintance: Like Harry Potter?
Casual acquaintance: Oh. To be honest, I don't read much fantasy. I don't read much fiction, actually. I prefer celebrity biographies, stuff like that. I got Peter Andre's autograph the other day.
Casual acquaintance: Still, not reading other people's fiction means I won't be influenced when I come to write my own, right?
Casual acquaintance: Like I said, how hard can it be?
Me: This scene we wrote yesterday is actually pretty good.
Myself: Er, no, it's not. It's terrible.
Me: But look how witty the dialogue is! How cleverly we built the suspense! How successfully we revealed character through action!
Me: Yeah, you're right. I don't know what I was thinking.
Myself: Let's go and eat chocolate.
Me: I know we said we were going to give up writing, but I just can't help myself.
Myself: I know. Me neither.
Me: So what are we going to do with this scene? Scrap it and start again?
Myself: Actually ... it's pretty good.
* The sad thing is, this woman probably will end up getting a multi-book deal and a six-figure advance. C'est la vie.
** Like play Gollum in the LOTR movies.
or, How to write a blog post when you're completely lacking inspiration, in 15 easy steps.
1. Switch on your computer. This is a pretty fundamental first step; if you can't summon the energy even to do that, I'm afraid there's no hope for you.
2. Check your emails. Read them all thoroughly, even the one informing you that you've won a million pounds in a competition you never entered, run by a company you've never heard of.* Refresh your inbox. Repeat until you're sure no new mail is going to come through.
3. Log in to all your social networking sites. 'Like' at least three photos of cats being mildly amusing. Spend half an hour composing a tweet that perfectly reflects your brilliance.
4. You must be hungry by now. Go and get a snack.
5. Return to your computer and check your emails again.
6. Log in to your blogging site, create a new post and stare at the blank page.
7. Find someone to distract you. A small child is your best bet, because they'll distract you whether you want them to or not. Other possibilities include a partner, a relative, a friend or, at a pinch, a door-to-door salesman.
8. Return to your computer and check your emails. Follow a link to someone else's blog. Note that this person blogs every day on a range of varied and interesting topics. With colour illustrations.
9. Make yourself a consoling cup of tea. Whilst drinking it, remind yourself that only three people and a dog read your blog anyway, so it's not as if you're under the same pressure as Ms Ten Thousand Subscribers.
10. Pause for a brief daydream about when you are a famous author with a hundred thousand subscribers and can laugh in the face of colour illustrations.
11. Return to your computer. Do not check your emails. Open your current work-in-progress and start tinkering with Chapter 7.
12. An hour or so later, remember you are meant to be blogging. Also realise that it's dark and you have to get up for work tomorrow.
13. Mix yourself a reviving gin and tonic.
14. Go back to your empty blog post and dash off a few hundred words about what you've been doing all day. Post it under the guise of being helpful to your fellow writers.
** The dog will, at any rate. He has a suspicious mind.
'Tis the first Sunday in August, and thus my self-imposed banishment has come to an end. As is customary for a person in exile, I've spent much of it thinking: about writing, about parenthood, about life. And as is customary for me, the vast majority of that thinking has ended up with me doubting my own decisions.
Call it the natural self-analysis of anyone who is forced to leave their homeland (er, this website) for a prolonged period of time (er, three weeks), but since I left, I've been questioning all sorts of things. Was I right to return to work five days a week and leave Baby Smith with someone who isn't his mother (even if, admittedly, it's his father)? Can I be a good parent and a good wife and still be a good writer, or any sort of writer at all? Is it really worth dedicating my time to blogging and interviewing when there are so many other things clamouring for my attention?
What proportion of my life do I have a right to keep for me, and what proportion do I have a responsibility to give to others?
I've visited forums on parenting sites where some of the mums are of the opinion that being a mother requires dedicating 100% of your life to your children. By that reckoning, I'm a pretty terrible one. I work, which to a certain subset of the population automatically disqualifies me from good motherhood (why have kids if you're just going to leave them with someone else?). And when I'm home, I often spend Baby Smith's naptimes and the evenings after he goes to sleep on my computer, which means certain chores get neglected to the point of, well, not being done at all. I annoy my husband, I know I do. And sometimes I annoy myself. Why can't I just focus on making a home for my family instead of indulging in what is essentially a time-consuming hobby?
The thing is, I never intended to be a working mum. Well before I had Baby Smith, I was of the opinion that I wanted my children to be looked after by one of their parents. And I always assumed that parent would be me. Yet when it came to it, it made more financial sense for me to be the one who worked full time. I have a steady job; my husband works on a freelance basis, which you'll know if you've ever done it is notorious for its unpredictability. With a bigger house to pay for and a baby to look after, we couldn't afford unpredictable. And so he got the most challenging and most important role - raising our offspring - while I went back to the office. I was torn about it, but now, if I'm honest, I'm relieved. I'm well aware that I got the lighter load.* Sure, some days are frustrating or confusing or, you know, work, but on the whole it's good to be using my brain for what it's been trained to do. I miss Baby Smith, but at the same time ... I'm glad I don't have to spend 24/7 with him.
Bad Parent Test #1: check.
And so to the writing. I'm already out of the house five days a week while someone else brings up my baby. What possible right can I have to extra time for myself? Isn't the fact that I work full time enough? Am I not, in fact, being incredibly selfish in snatching every available hour for something that isn't for my husband or my baby or us as a family, but for me?
I could argue that my job isn't for me at all - if money was no object, I'd happily give up my existing career so that Mr Smith and I could take turns raising the baby and pursuing our dreams (and, you know, maybe going on an actual date once in a while). But I don't think that's really the point. What it comes down to is the fact that I think it's more important to write than it is to clean the bathroom. And no matter how hard I try to tell myself that I should bake and sew and polish and sweep and weed, as soon as a little fragment of free time comes along, I'm right back on my computer again.
Bad Parent Test #2: check.
Yet I have a justification for all this, though perhaps not one you will agree with. It isn't the time-honoured cry of the breadwinner throughout the centuries, I work hard so I deserve a break (we've already established that's a premise built on very shaky ground). It isn't I'm doing this for my family, because one day I'll be a bestselling author earning millions of pounds; I know full well I'm doing it for me (and how remote a likelihood it is that I'll ever earn that much by writing). No, it's simply this: it makes me happy.
I may pass my own bad parent tests, but I love my son. He's happy, he's healthy, he's clever and funny and affectionate. He doesn't need anything he doesn't get, physically or emotionally. And without having the balance of my other passions in my life - without writing and reading and drawing - I would lose myself. I would become less of a person. Because I firmly believe, and I have always believed, that although being a mother is a wonderful and important thing, it can't be all there is. Same with being a wife. When all the things we are to other people are stripped away, there has to be something left. Otherwise, what is it we bring the people we love? We need the ability to be happy independently of them, or we are doing no more and no less than putting the burden of responsibility for our happiness on their shoulders. And without passions of our own, how can we teach our children to find theirs?
The balance between family and self is a difficult one to get right. I still doubt my decisions. I still beat myself up over it all. But in the end, I came back from exile. Make of that what you will.
* I really mean that. Apart from maybe brain surgeon or firefighter, no job is quite as difficult or comes with quite as heavy a burden of responsibility as bringing up a child. And at least if you're a brain surgeon or a firefighter, you're not doing your job every minute of every day for eighteen-plus years. To all you men (and women) out there who come home to your childcaring partners and moan about the stress of your jobs and expect a sparkling clean house and dinner on the table, I say: get over yourselves. Seriously.
So, recently Baby Smith decided that sleep was his Least Favourite Thing in the World Ever. This may be because there's been an unusual amount of sunshine for a British summer (i.e. some) and so the house keeps getting up to temperatures more commonly seen in the cooking instructions on a pack of sausages. It may be because I'm now back at work five days a week and he's decided that if he can't see me in the daytime, he's damn well going to see me at night. Or it may just be because he's a baby, and mixing things up to keep the parents on their toes is what babies do (after all, life would be no fun if it was predictable, right?).
Whatever the reason, the net result is the same: I've been spending my nights up and down like a deranged yo-yo, and my days trying to do a good job even though my eyeballs are covered in sand and the only recognisable thought in my head is a single giant yawn. Any other commitments have been left by the wayside in a jumbled heap marked 'to be picked up later'. Which is why, dear friends, I am writing to you from the shade of a palm tree* on one of my very own barren islands.
* OK, it's not technically barren. What's the point of being the Ultimate and Supreme Ruler of the Barren Islands if I can't bend the rules a little on my own behalf?
I'm up to my eyeballs in various kinds of busyness at the moment, so let's keep this short.
Last month, Baby Smith had his first fall. I'd sat him on my bed to get ready for his nap and had just turned away to draw the curtains when I heard the most spine-chilling sound imaginable: the thud of a small body hitting the carpet. I spun back round and there he was. Face-down on the floor. He'd obviously tried to crawl to the edge of the bed and peer over, with inevitable and disastrous results.
My immediate response was, naturally, ohmygodohmygodohmygodhe'sdeadhe'sdeadhe'sdead. But once I'd finished panicking, berating myself as the worst parent in existence, checking him all over in search of the tiniest scratch, comforting the tears I'd called up with my alarm, and berating myself some more — once I'd ascertained that he hadn't damaged so much as a hair follicle — I started thinking about why he was OK. (This was about a week later, when I'd stopped having flashbacks and was able to remember the incident calmly instead of bouncing off a flashing neon wall of terror in my brain marked The Time I Nearly Killed My Child.) And it occurred to me that babies can fall without getting hurt because they're not frightened. They don't tense up. They don't go into it expecting pain. They just fall.
Over time, children learn what to expect from a fall, and they know it isn't very nice. So they begin to try and prevent it from happening, by flinging out a hand to catch themselves or by avoiding accident-prone situations. In short, they learn fear. And of course when they do fall, it hurts more — because they're expecting it, because they try and save themselves from it, because knowing the risks of what you're doing always makes you more tentative and therefore less wholehearted.
The thing is, life is all about falling. Unless you're that one in a billion who will never ever experience setback or rejection or failure, life is really just a series of falls. Unfortunately, most of us get worse and worse at falling as we get older. We stop taking risks. We take our failures to heart. Each one of those falls makes it that little bit harder to get up again.
Of course we shouldn't be reckless. I'm not advocating that you jump without even checking to see how high the drop is. But if you're aiming for something you really want, you could do a lot worse than fall like a baby would: without any expectation of pain. And when the pain does hit you? Let it happen. Learn from it. But never let it make you afraid to try again.


Britain's world speedway championship contender Tai Woffinden spectacularly crashed out of his home Grand Prix at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium last night. He now faces a massive battle to be fit for the next round of the championship.
Woffinden was left with a broken collarbone from a crash in the 14th race of the night at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium and has only two weeks in which to recover before the next round.
With a 40,000-plus home crowd behind him, the Scunthorpe-born rider took a win and two second places from his opening three qualifying rides and looked set to breeze into the semi-finals.
But in the fourth of his five qualifier heats, Woffinden collected too much drive on a closely fought first lap and crashed. He brought down race leader Nicki Pedersen as he fell and Fredrik Lindgren was forced to lay down his machine to avoid the resulting tangle of fallen riders and bikes.
To make matters worse for the Brit, his riderless bike then appeared to strike him as it came to rest by the track's outer fence. The 22-year-old was treated on the track and taken away by ambulance, to take no further part in the meeting.
The accident knocked the wind from the sails of the British speedway followers, who were revelling in watching a Brit take on the world for the first time in over a decade. Woffinden's lively performances had them waving Union flags and sounding air horns, but the atmosphere under the Millennium Stadium roof went flat after his departure. The mood wasn't helped by delays following crashes. The temporary track is laid within the stadium in the days before the event and an inconsistent surface proved difficult even for the best riders in the world.
At the time of Woffinden's crash he was leading the world championship standings from Russian Emil Sayfutdinov, who made a poor start to British speedway's biggest night of the year.
But with Woffinden out of the running, Sayfutdinov found his form and scraped into the semi-finals, then made it through to the final and overcame Denmark's Niels-Kristian Iversen and Pole Krzysztof Kasprzak to win the event. It was the Russian's third Grand Prix win of the season and he now leads the championship by eight points after five of 12 rounds.
Woffinden remains in second place as his seven qualifying points count towards his tally, but with only two weeks' recovery time before the next round in Gorzow, Poland, his world championship hopes seem to have taken as hard a knock as his collarbone.


The All-Star Futures Game is an annual exhibition game between top minor league prospects.
Joe Jimenez is headed back to the All-Star Futures Game.
For the second straight year, the right-handed reliever will represent the Detroit Tigers for the World Team.
Joining Jimenez in the game will be Class-A Lakeland outfielder Christin Stewart, who will play for the USA Team.
Jimenez, 21, has allowed one earned run in 271/3 innings between Lakeland and Double-A Erie. He has struck out 46 and walked seven. Jimenez is armed with an upper-90s fastball and a developing slider. He was promoted to Erie late last month.
There is a chance Jimenez could make his major league debut before rosters expand in September, but the Tigers think he still needs seasoning in the minors.
Stewart, 22, was the team's first-round pick out of Tennessee last year.
He's hitting .252 with 18 home runs and 43 RBIs for Lakeland in the Florida State League, which is not known for its power output.
Stewart hit .285 with 10 homers and 44 RBIs at the lower levels of the minors last season.
The All-Star Futures Game is an annual exhibition game between top minor league prospects from the United States and around the world. This year's game will be at 7 p.m. July 10 at Petco Park in San Diego as part of the All-Star Game festivities.