Hope you don't mind taking a few more misconceptions to the dump, because this Mouth trashes a bunch of them.
"People with autism are in a world of their own, and they like it that way." Dump that one first. And remember how facilitated communication was scientifically proven to be a fraud? That one, too.
Guest Editor Zach Rossetti and friends want us to know that even when hearts scream to be heard, anyone can be silenced — by special programs and separate classes, by charity and pity, by being forced to ride on "the retard bus," by the baby talk of bigotry. Non-communicators are "unable," one of them writes, "to touch the world and make a mark." Let them make their mark on your world, today.
People First advises us all to Speak UP!


text:
The Playing
Legends of Taltos:Crusaders
By Steven Page, June 7, 2004 in The Playing
Steven Page 3
The Old Man In The Mountain
Location:Cartersville, Ga, USA
With the non-Reptus guests reticent to ask questions of the Tyrant, dinner passes from course to course quickly. As the last dishes are cleared, Khowloon asks the delegates if they would care to return to the Legation, or remain to watch the execution of the Overlord leaders taken earlier in the day.
Janara and Freen slip outside, followed by Bootknife. The surrounding area is cordonned off by Reptus guards, keeping the crowds at bay. Freen translates some of what he hears for his companions, "That group on the left wants the Child of the Promise brought out to be seen; those over there", he nods right, "want all of us out of town, now."
Janara looks at Freen, "It's pasts Bhoggie's bedtime, but maybe one o'them monks or guards'll come 'n talk to us later. We still gotta find Zeek."
Freen speaks to a monk along the cordon, gives a small bow, and returns. "He will come to the door in an hour or so, to speak to us about the boy." Moving around the building, still under the eyes of a large audience, he sees small boots under a heavy cart. "I think I found him."
Glen 8
Location:Round Rock, TX
"Hmmm....." Erik turns to Rai, "My lady, I think I'd like to see that, if you think it's alright." How do the Reptus execute their prisoners?
Anastrianna 29
Bones Supporter
Location:Lebanon, TN
Rai frowns slightly but nods. She looks to Khowloon and asks, "Perhaps there is a place I can wait outside of the view of the executions?"
styates 101
Grand Pubah of Fantasy Football
Location:Kansas
Ben smirks a bit at the pair of legs visible beneath the wagon. "I guess we'd best collect our small friend and see what he's been up to. Also, since we have an hour or so, maybe we should check on our drover friends and make sure that all is well with the herd."
Zeke lies under the wagon, very deep in sleep. Even a casual look will reveal the wear and tear on the halfling's face. He suddennly, for the first time, looks old.
Spike 160
Goddess of Cupcakes and Cute Orcs
Location:Cartersville, Georgia
Janara crouches down to have a closer look at Zeke. For the first time since she had known the halfling, he appears old. She had never been good at guessing age, especially with other races, but he seems to her almost old enough to be a grandfather now. It is hard for her to believe that he was the same Zeke who had scaled one of the towers of Denelspire so effortlessly the day she first met him.
"Zeke?", she says to him, concerned. "Are ya sick? Did somethin' happen to ya?"
Unglef 1
Location:Cratersville, GA
"Hell, yes, I'd like to see that. I'd like it even more if I could swing the axe," Rune replies with a smile. He stands and bows to the king.
"Most gracious Khong-To, thank you for the wonderful meal. Perhaps, after the executions, we two can speak of battles past over mugs of ale, and possibly discuss whatever you had in mind as far as Dwarven-Reptus relations are concerned." He gives the king another smile and bow and adds, "But, as far as this Dwarf is concerned, any people who can cook as good as this can be my ally any day!"
Rune is visibly puzzled at Rai's request. "Why in the world would you not want to watch those sons of filth executed," he asks her. "Their sole purpose is to take away others' freedom because they're too damn lazy to get a real job. Death's too good for them."
Zeke finally stirs, and smiles at his , "a little sick, and very tired. I have hardly slept since leaving the Spire. I thought I could be of use to you, but I've not. We would have had real trouble if Young Joe and Bhoggie hadn't helped with the driving. Help me inside, please. I need to clean up and get to bed, if I'm to be any use tomorrow."
Khowloon has a serving girl escort Lady Rai to a side chamber, even as the prisoners are led to a stage. All of the Overlords are chained, and their armor has been removed. They do not seem near as defiant as they had earlier in the day. A huge bronze two-handed mace is brought before the crowd, and prayers said over it. Khowloon returns to consult with his ruler and a handful of advisors. He returns to Rune and Erik.
"Our most Excellent Majesty wishes to seal his friendship with you, and the Dwarven Folk, by granting your request. He beseeches you to go forth, take up the Holy Mace, and dash out the brains of the first of the miscreants." He bows to Rune, and the crowd opens a path to the stage, the mace, and the Warbride of Khardullis, still spitting her anger at all concerned.
Rune is stunned by Khowloon's words, not that he will have to do the killing, but that such an honor has been bestowed upon him by someone not a dwarf. He bows once again in the direction of the Tyrant, and says words of thanks that Khowloon translates, then climbs the steps to the stage and takes hold of the mace.
The head of the great weapon is unlike anything Rune has ever seen. Ornate mace heads are not uncommon in Dwarven weapon racks, but this one is different. It has no gems or other ornament, yet the patterns suggest that it was wrought by one who could have put them in if requested. The patterns also seem to tell some kind of story, one that Rune cannot make out. He stares at it for a second longer before nodding slightly to it, and taking a firm grip with both hands at the end of the haft.
While Rune is busy for a few moments examining the weapon, the Warbride has been busy telling him of the origin of his family, most particularly who his mother mated with to produce him. The description is very colorful, and goes into great detail, and is quite an achievement for such a short amount of time. Rune smiles at her and says "Now, now, that is no way for a lady to talk. I shall have to tell your mother of your manners. Next time I'm passing that bugbear brothel in Port Gangrel, I think I will." He smiles, raises the mace higher, and then brings it down with all his strength onto the back of the Overlord hero's skull, relishing in the satisfying crunch that it makes.
Janara helps Zeke to his feet, fighting the instinct to scoop him up and carry him back to the legation like she would sometimes carry Bhogmur when he was too sleepy to carry himself to bed.
"You been plenny-useful, Zeke.", she argues. "You drive the wagon an' cook for us an' look after Bhoggy an' I never heard ya grumble 'bout any of it."
While walking with him back to the legation, she keeps an eye on the more hostile members of the crowd gathered at the entrance. She decides it would be better to wait until the morning to find the wagon and drovers rather than go wandering the streets right now and chance a repeat of the afternoon's run-in with the angry reptus mob.
"Are the drovers, oxes an' wagon somewhere safe?", she asks Zeke. "I s'pose there's beds enough here for all them drovers to sleep in.. even that'un that's a drunk."
She looks toward Freen. "I wish Mister Cow-Loon was here. Whaddaya think Erik, Lady Rai an' Rune are doin' at the feast they went to? Is the reptusses' king nice like Cow-Loon is?"
Rune is stunned by Khowloon's words . . . . He bows once again in the direction of the Tyrant, and says words of thanks that Khowloon translates, then climbs the steps to the stage and takes hold of the mace. . . .
He stares at it for a second longer before nodding slightly to it, and taking a firm grip with both hands at the end of the haft.
While Rune is busy for a few moments examining the weapon, the Warbride has been busy telling him of the origin of his family, most particularly who his mother mated with to produce him. The description is very colorful, and goes into great detail, and is quite an achievement for such a short amount of time. Rune smiles at her and says "Now, now, that is no way for a lady to talk. I shall have to tell your mother of your manners, next time I'm passing that bugbear brothel in Port Gangrel, I think I will." He smiles, raises the mace higher, and then brings it down with all his strength onto the back of the Overlord hero's skull, relishing in the satisfying crunch that it makes.
Erik is also shocked at Khong-to's request. Several seconds pass before he can even form a coherent thought. Not until Rune mounts the stage does Erik's brain begins to function again. He's really going to do it! Smash their skulls with a mace?!?! Erik scans his eyes over the Reptus in attendance, looking for reactions. Well, we hang them . . . or behead them . . . those that won't accept Mercy, anyway. Maybe they think hanging is barbaric?
Khong-to's words run again through his mind, ". . . dash out the brains of the first of the miscreants." The "first"? Oh [email protected]%&! Does he expect me to do the second?!?! Oh Aurellius, I hope not! The thought of being called on to execute one of the captives, in such a brutal manner, with everyone watching, triggers a surge of adrenaline through Erik's body. His flushes a deep red, and beads of sweat break out on his forehead as he watches Rune execute the warbride. His heart beats slow heavy beats, hoping not, but waiting for Khong-to to turn his way.
Zeke looks up at Janara, "They're alright. There's some bunks at the stable. I could'a stayed there, but wanted to check on Joe and Bhoggie."
Freen also watches the crowd for trouble. "I am afraid Fair Orc, that you have missed a rare evening of delights. More food that would strip the finish off dwarven armor, songs in a tongue I doubt they understand, and afterdinner entertainment s such as fire-breathing lizards, juggling monkeys, and the slaughter of today's prisoners. Ah, the thrill of the stage...."
Even in the side room, Rai cannot avoid the crunching, squelching sounds of Rune's mighty blow, followed by the roar of Reptus approval.
As Rune strides back to the Tyrant's table, he is suprised to find many young Reptus warriors pushing through the crowd, to touch his mighty brown arms. the older warriors nod their approval to the dwarven ranger. Strong drink is placed before him.
Erik's concerned look is met by the wise Khowloon. "Of course you wish to equal or better the ...'dwarf of Krung-strenght', but we understand it would be unseemly, and your Lady would lose face should you do so. It is to your credit you are so modest, not to volunteer"
Various Overlords are paraded forth, mighty Reptus heroes take up the Holy Mace, and evil lives are ended. And the young will be fed.
Watching the comtinuing execution, Erik flexes an arm and muses, "A test of strength is not usually something that worries me." Erik then turns and directly addresses Khow-loon, "Had Khong-to offered the same honor to me, I would have accepted." His eyes meet and hold Khow-loon's long enough for the reptus to know the truth of his words. Not wanting to be contentious, Erik breaks eye contact and turns back to the executions. "Khong-to ruled that they should be excuted for their crimes. I am guest in your lands. Had me bid me execute them all, I would have done so willingly. Most Crusaders save their greatest hatred for the minions of the Necropolis. Mine is for the Overlords. My apprenticeship was sold to a cruel master. He would have turned me to his kind if he could have. I ran away and the Crusaders offered me a place as a servant. Forced apprenticeship, indentured servant, call it whatever you want; it all stinks of slavery!"
"My vows as a Crusader would not stop me from fulfilling such a request from Khong-to. It's just the way you execute them. It's . . . it's different from how we execute them. Those that Aurellius thinks may be redeemed are offered Mercy. The rest are beheaded or hanged by the neck until they die."
"I've only killed during battle; never an execution."
kellinator 2
Location:Atlanta, GA
Meanwhile back at the legation, Aridwyn sits with the book of Reptus prophecy, carefully making notes about the "Child of Harmony" on some paper from her backpack. Occasionally she steals a glance at Bhogmur, who is still contentedly playing with Joe, then shakes her head and returns to the manuscript, obviously deep in thought. Could it be? Was it truly compassion for another victim of the Darkspawn filth that made me take him in... or was I simply a cog in a very large wheel? What are the chances that the rare elf who speaks orcish would arrive in the city of the Crusaders just in time to rescue an unnaturally intelligent and gifted orcling who then journeys to the lands of the Reptus and dwarves? Is this all part of some grander design? And why me? I gave up on my own gods, couldn't save my own sister; what business do I have in the care of a child so special? Because Child of Harmony or not, he is destined for greatness in a way I have never seen before.
Aridwyn looks up from her contemplation and finds that the possible savior of Reptuskind has fallen asleep at his game. Aridwyn smiles at Joe as the huge half-orc gently and silently scoops Bhogmur up and carries him off to tuck him in. From the solemn nod he gives her, Aridwyn suspects Joe has been thinking much the same thoughts as she has.
Rune smiles at the actions of the young Reptus, even flexing his muscles a little as they touch his arms. He also meets the gazes of the other warriors, returning their approving looks with nods and small gestures of thanks that all warriors understand. The acceptance of the Reptus veterans fills Rune with an overwhelming pride. Of all the races of Taltos, the Reptus' sheer strength and battle prowess stand out above all others, even the Dwarves. To be accepted, even praised a little, by this mighty race is more than the ranger ever expected when the boat pulled into the dock that morning. His smile is as bright as the sun in this moment.
He realises something else, also. Most beings, of any race, would not feel the way that he does. They would not feel the pride that he does in being cheered by those of a different heritage. This is because they don't understand, as Rune does, that all goodly races, of which he counts the Reptus (and even the Reven) to be a part of, should not show disdain towards one another for no reason. Joe taught him that. These fine Reptus warriors are reinforcing that lesson. If he could only teach more of his clan to feel the same way.
When the drink is offered, he takes it, raises his glass to Khong-To, and cries, in Dwarven and in Taltain, "My our peoples never battle one another again," and downs it in one.
K2h2m3
Sirithiliel
bojesphob
izzylobo

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We've been using VitaClay MultiCooker for several years, both in my kitchen and my Mom's kitchen. In fact, Mom was the one who cut out an article from Fine Cooking Magazine and sent it to me, urging me to review VitaClay!
Mom bought a VitaClay for herself, and I received one from the company for review.
The VitaClay is like a traditional slow cooker – but with the added benefit of a powerful computerized interface and healthy, chemical-free, organic clay pot.
This clay is "Natural Zisha clay, the legendary secret behind the VitaClay® Chef, was formed over thousands of years by cleansing rainfalls that scrubbed the mountains in southern China, releasing minerals into lakes and forming huge beds of Zisha, known as the "pride of China." Zisha™ is the natural organic material that comprises the VitaClay® pot.
I've found that the clay pot provides even, consistent cooking, more so than the a rice cooker and the slow cooker ceramic pots. The lid of the VitaClay clamps down, so that the juices stay in the clay pot. My other slow cooker only has a glass lid, and a lot of moisture gets lost through the lid.
You can read more about VitaClay and their products here.
Giving away one VitaClay 6 cup Organic Multi Cooker.


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text:
Q: RDLC Report grouped by month and year in ASP.NET I have a ASP.NET MVC 4 app with an ASP.NET Web Form with a ReportViewer control. I'm using Entity Framework.
I want to display a table with Orders(id, date_add, name,quantity, price)
1 | 2011-12-08 | apples  | 4  | 0.99

2 | 2012-01-07 | oranges | 20 | 1.39

4 | 2012-03-04 | plumes  | 80 | 1.59

5 | 2012-05-01 | apples  | 15 | 0.89

6 | 2012-05-03 | pears   | 10 | 1.29

7 | 2012-05-09 | oranges | 18 | 1.49

I want my report to look like this:
December - Sum(price for dec 2011)

1 | 2011-12-08 | apples  | 4  | 0.99

2011 - Sum(price for 2011)

January - Sum(price for jan 2012)

2 | 2012-01-07 | oranges | 20 | 1.39

March - Sum(price for mar 2012)

4 | 2012-03-04 | plumes  | 80 | 1.59

May - Sum(price for may 2012)

5 | 2012-05-01 | apples  | 15 | 0.89

6 | 2012-05-03 | pears   | 10 | 1.29

7 | 2012-05-09 | oranges | 18 | 1.49

2012 - Sum(price for 2012)

How can it be done using drill-through?
And could the month be collapsed and the year visible (at first run)?

A: I've made a SP where I extract the Week, Month and Year no. from the data_add field.
CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[Orders]
AS
   SELECT  id_order, data_add, order_name, quantity, price, MONTH(data_add) as Mn, YEAR(data_add) as Ye, DATEPART( wk, data_add) as Week,
   FROM order
RETURN

In the report's Tablix, I've grouped 2 times( first by month, then by year).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The hottest markets are in the West, and it's creating an affordability issue.
Angie Hicks, co-founder of Angie's List, talks about how to keep your costs in check as a new homeowner.
Home Deport reported sales growth that missed Wall Street's forecasts. The company specifically cited a 'slow start' to spring as a problem. Bad weather did hurt sales. But rising mortgage rates might be a bigger problem going forward.
Processed request in 0.02053 seconds.
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Need I say more about the contrast beauty this bridge and the nature surrounding it has. Especially in November, when I was there, autumn vibes was just everywhere.
This beautiful complex of temples surrounded by magnificent nature, is also a school to monks from all over the country. The beauty of the natures just reminds me some of the Ghibli Studio's scene.
OK, the museum itself is like already amazing. Didn't even know that 5 species of dinosaurs were found here in Fukui. So yes, this is one of the leading dinosaur museums in Asia. But what got me was this escalators… aren't they beautiful.
If you are familiar Saihoji Temple in Kyoto, Heisenji Hakusan Shrine is also known as one of Japan's most famous kokedera or moss temples. If find it reminds me of the Totoro world or Princess Mononoke world… a very peaceful and mystic one.
Geigi or Geiko, is pretty much the same thing, and Maiko is a junior version of that. They all are on the road of Geisha. So here at Ashihara Geigi, there are real Geisha that would help you transform into an authentic… and I say AUTHENTIC… coz they are very detailed about everything… they will even come up with a pose for you.
This small but located by the seaside Aquarium has everything. Like everything… from touching the sea creature to feeding turtles to Dolphin show. I personally love this see through fish tank where you can actually sit and take photo.
We did a lot of crafts and workshops, but photo wise, this place has got this little corner filled with painted paper lanterns being hanged to be dried in the sun. Yes, that is why it's all upside down.
This spot is a must. As much as I'm freaked out by the height of these cliffs, the view was amazing. Also if you're afraid of height, there's a boat tour that allow you to view the cliff from afar, which was nice too.
An amusement theme part by the sea of Japan. Honestly… I didn't expect much, coz if was cold and this place is known for it's giant sliders (got recorded in Guinness too) and an outdoor and indoor pools. But what got me was that they turned their indoor pool into an illumination area for winter!!! And I can just say… it was AMAZING!
เป็นสวนสนุกและสระว่ายน้ำที่อยู่ติดทะเลญี่ปุ่น ตอนแรกก็ไม่ได้หวังอะไรมากเพราะว่าอากาศมันหนาว แล้วที่มีชื่อดังในเรื่องของสไลด์เดอร์ยักษ์ (เคยถูกบันทึกไว้ในกินเนสบุ๊คด้วย) สระว่ายน้ำทั้งในและนอกอาคาร แต่ที่ประทับใจสุดสุดก็คือ เค้าเปลี่ยนสระว่ายน้ำภายในของเค้าให้เป็น Illumination สำหรับช่วงหน้าหนาว คือมันสวยมาก! คือมันเล่นใหญ่มาก!


Andy Petherick Builds a BSA Otter .A rest from his skills as a luthier making the wonderful Brook Guitars.
Top Class acoustic Guitar maker, Andy Petherick, builds a BSA "Otter" for long distance trials.
Has a rest from his day job as one of Britians best luthiers.
All Photos Courtesy Andy Petherick.
That's not a BSA "Otter"? No it's a Brook "Otter" Bass, and a special 5 string, one of the few five strings that Brook have made.
I thought I'd let you know how my Otter build went.
I bought last year an early C15T with a WDB40 motor fitted with Metal Profile forks and wheels from an AJS Stormer.
The frame had been crudely altered to steepen the head angle and when I checked the wheels weren't in line with each other and the sprocket were out of line the other way.
Despite this it all worked more or less OK.
My intention was to use it for Long Distance Trials a bit of Trail riding and the odd easy Pre 65 Trial.
Then on the 2014 Exeter Trial the frame snapped the down tube so I decided rather than just repair the old frame I'd bite the bullet and build an Otter type frame.
The only problem was I only had until Easter to get the bike ready for the Lands End trial.
I came across this guy on eBay tom@tube-bender.co.uk , he supplied me with a piece of 2 inch 2mm wall seamless with a 74 degree bend for £35 including postage.
I built the frame on an old kitchen worktop, I simply drew out the angles and screwed some angle iron to act as a jig whilst I joined the head stock to the main frame. Unfortunately I accidentally deleted the photos of this stage of the build.
It was just a matter of setting it upright over a straight line and getting the rest of it welded together.
I used a WD B40 swinging arm, but I didn't like the idea of metalastic bushes, so I made up some spacers and used the hardened pivot, needle rollers, seals and bolt from a GPz500s swinging arm I had in the loft, worked really well and didn't cost anything!
I decided to invest in some decent rear shocks (thanks for the advice) and got a pair of Rock Shocks. Really pleased with them, beautifully made and work well too.
As I was going to use the bike over night on Long Distance Trials I needed to fit a battery so I had decent lights, it took a bit of thought getting it and the oil filter in position, eventually I opted on putting the oil filter up front underneath the exhaust.
The rest of the build went fairly well, just slow and steady. I painted the frame at work (I'm a guitar maker) in two pack, and with a week to spare and a bit of help from my daughter, Xanthia, got it up and running, rode it to work for a couple of days and off we went.
Only problem was I'd spent so much time on my bike Xanthia's DT50 wasn't ready and she had to nick my wife's Beta Alp for the trial.
The trial went well for us and we both came away with Gold medals.
I've attached some photos of the build, not as many as I should have but I was on a bit of a mission.
Let us know if you get an Otter's trial together, I'd be up for a wobble round if you do.
Thanks for putting up the site and for the advice along the way, I really couldn't have done it without your help.
Two nice shots of the finished bike and I must say it does look the part.
You can see how sturdy this frame looks from this shot, 2mm could have been a bit thick for the tubing of a one day trials bike but for a Long distance trial where manoeuvrability is not so important but rigidity and strength are a priority, this was a good idea.
A Sturdy bike built for a sturdy job, Just proves how simple and good a "Otter" frame layout realy is.
But you could have done one of your Sunbursts. to show off your skills.
A bit about Brook Guitars History.
After spending a number of years working with Andy Manson, one of the country's longest standing and most respected luthiers, Simon Smidmore and Andy Petherick formed Brook Guitars, in 1995, initially to produce A.B.Manson & Co.'s standard range of instruments allowing Andy to concentrate on his unique instruments.
The acoustic guitars produced by Brook are some of the finest in the country, And most are constructed from English sourced timbers, and a few constructed using re-claimed timbers from old bank counters etc.
Just Google "Brook Guitars" to take a look yourself.Or watch the video.
Just Team work doing small parts at a time until the finished object comes together and rides, or plays very well indeed thank you.
On a mission to get the bike finished in time and it can be seen in these two shots, pulling together for one cause! To have fun.
First dry run build and the bike looks good.
Even the footrest plates follow the same pattern as the Faber Framed "Otters"
Nice Work you two and good result.On the build.
You can see I was right, and fun was had by all and a jolly good result, all round.
To then Both win a Gold medal after ,building the bike in record time is some achievement.
Thanks for letting us view your skill, not only in crafting Guitars but also building bikes.


text:
La rosa tatuata (The Rose Tattoo) – dramma di Tennessee Williams del 1951
 La rosa tatuata (The Rose Tattoo) – film del 1955 diretto da Daniel Mann
 The Rose Tattoo – album di Freddie Hubbard del 1983

Pagine correlate
 La rosa tatuata

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Dealing with duplication in a message queue I've been arguing with my programmer about the best way of going about this.  We have data that comes in at a rate of about 10000 objects per second.  This needs to be processed asynchronously, but loose ordering is sufficient, so each object is inserted round-robin-ly into one of several message queues (there are also several producers and consumers).  Each object is ~300 bytes.  And it needs to be durable, so the MQs are configured to persist to disk.
The problem is that often these objects are duplicated (as in they are unavoidably duplicated in the data that comes in to the producer).  They do have 10-byte unique ids.  It's not catastrophic if objects are duplicated in the queue, but it is if they're duplicated in the processing after being taken from the queue.  What's the best way to go about ensuring as close as possible to linear scalability whilst ensuring there's no duplication in the processing of the objects?  And perhaps linked to that, should the whole object be stored in the message queue, or only the id with the body stored in something like cassandra?
Thank you!
Edit: Confirmed where the duplication occurs.  Also, so far I've had 2 recommendations for Redis.  I'd previously been considering RabbitMQ.  What are the pros and cons of each with regards to my requirements?

A: p.s: this is the first time in my life that redis website is having problems, but I bet when you visit it, they have solved the problem
> We have data that comes in at a rate
> of about 10000 objects per second.
> This needs to be processed
> asynchronously, but loose ordering is
> sufficient, so each object is inserted
> round-robin-ly into one of several
> message queues (there are also several
> producers and consumers)

My first advice would be to look at redis because it is insanely fast and I bet you can handle all your messages with only a single message queue.
First I like to show you information about my laptop(I like it, but a big server is going to be a lot faster ;)). My dad(was impressed a little bit :)) recently bought a new PC and it beats my laptop hard(8 cpu's instead 2).
-Computer-
Processor       : 2x Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU     T7100  @ 1.80GHz
Memory      : 2051MB (1152MB used)
Operating System        : Ubuntu 10.10
User Name       : alfred (alfred)
-Display-
Resolution      : 1920x1080 pixels
OpenGL Renderer     : Unknown
X11 Vendor      : The X.Org Foundation
-Multimedia-
Audio Adapter       : HDA-Intel - HDA Intel
-Input Devices-
 Power Button
 Lid Switch
 Sleep Button
 Power Button
 AT Translated Set 2 keyboard
 Microsoft Comfort Curve Keyboard 2000
 Microsoft Comfort Curve Keyboard 2000
 Logitech Trackball
 Video Bus
 PS/2 Logitech Wheel Mouse
-SCSI Disks-
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-T20N
ATA WDC WD1600BEVS-2

Below the benchmarks using redis-benchmark on my machine without even doing much redis optimization:
alfred@alfred-laptop:~/database/redis-2.2.0-rc4/src$ ./redis-benchmark
====== PING (inline) ======
  10000 requests completed in 0.22 seconds
  50 parallel clients
  3 bytes payload
  keep alive: 1

94.84% <= 1 milliseconds
98.74% <= 2 milliseconds
99.65% <= 3 milliseconds
100.00% <= 4 milliseconds
46296.30 requests per second

====== PING ======
  10000 requests completed in 0.22 seconds
  50 parallel clients
  3 bytes payload
  keep alive: 1

91.30% <= 1 milliseconds
98.21% <= 2 milliseconds
99.29% <= 3 milliseconds
99.52% <= 4 milliseconds
100.00% <= 4 milliseconds
45662.10 requests per second

====== MSET (10 keys) ======
  10000 requests completed in 0.32 seconds
  50 parallel clients
  3 bytes payload
  keep alive: 1

3.45% <= 1 milliseconds
88.55% <= 2 milliseconds
97.86% <= 3 milliseconds
98.92% <= 4 milliseconds
99.80% <= 5 milliseconds
99.94% <= 6 milliseconds
99.95% <= 9 milliseconds
99.96% <= 10 milliseconds
100.00% <= 10 milliseconds
30864.20 requests per second

====== SET ======
  10000 requests completed in 0.21 seconds
  50 parallel clients
  3 bytes payload
  keep alive: 1

92.45% <= 1 milliseconds
98.78% <= 2 milliseconds
99.00% <= 3 milliseconds
99.01% <= 4 milliseconds
99.53% <= 5 milliseconds
100.00% <= 5 milliseconds
47169.81 requests per second

====== GET ======
  10000 requests completed in 0.21 seconds
  50 parallel clients
  3 bytes payload
  keep alive: 1

94.50% <= 1 milliseconds
98.21% <= 2 milliseconds
99.50% <= 3 milliseconds
100.00% <= 3 milliseconds
47619.05 requests per second

====== INCR ======
  10000 requests completed in 0.23 seconds
  50 parallel clients
  3 bytes payload
  keep alive: 1

91.90% <= 1 milliseconds
97.45% <= 2 milliseconds
98.59% <= 3 milliseconds
99.51% <= 10 milliseconds
99.78% <= 11 milliseconds
100.00% <= 11 milliseconds
44444.45 requests per second

====== LPUSH ======
  10000 requests completed in 0.21 seconds
  50 parallel clients
  3 bytes payload
  keep alive: 1

95.02% <= 1 milliseconds
98.51% <= 2 milliseconds
99.23% <= 3 milliseconds
99.51% <= 5 milliseconds
99.52% <= 6 milliseconds
100.00% <= 6 milliseconds
47619.05 requests per second

====== LPOP ======
  10000 requests completed in 0.21 seconds
  50 parallel clients
  3 bytes payload
  keep alive: 1

95.89% <= 1 milliseconds
98.69% <= 2 milliseconds
98.96% <= 3 milliseconds
99.51% <= 5 milliseconds
99.98% <= 6 milliseconds
100.00% <= 6 milliseconds
47619.05 requests per second

====== SADD ======
  10000 requests completed in 0.22 seconds
  50 parallel clients
  3 bytes payload
  keep alive: 1

91.08% <= 1 milliseconds
97.79% <= 2 milliseconds
98.61% <= 3 milliseconds
99.25% <= 4 milliseconds
99.51% <= 5 milliseconds
99.81% <= 6 milliseconds
100.00% <= 6 milliseconds
45454.55 requests per second

====== SPOP ======
  10000 requests completed in 0.22 seconds
  50 parallel clients
  3 bytes payload
  keep alive: 1

91.88% <= 1 milliseconds
98.64% <= 2 milliseconds
99.09% <= 3 milliseconds
99.40% <= 4 milliseconds
99.48% <= 5 milliseconds
99.60% <= 6 milliseconds
99.98% <= 11 milliseconds
100.00% <= 11 milliseconds
46296.30 requests per second

====== LPUSH (again, in order to bench LRANGE) ======
  10000 requests completed in 0.23 seconds
  50 parallel clients
  3 bytes payload
  keep alive: 1

91.00% <= 1 milliseconds
97.82% <= 2 milliseconds
99.01% <= 3 milliseconds
99.56% <= 4 milliseconds
99.73% <= 5 milliseconds
99.77% <= 7 milliseconds
100.00% <= 7 milliseconds
44247.79 requests per second

====== LRANGE (first 100 elements) ======
  10000 requests completed in 0.39 seconds
  50 parallel clients
  3 bytes payload
  keep alive: 1

6.24% <= 1 milliseconds
75.78% <= 2 milliseconds
93.69% <= 3 milliseconds
97.29% <= 4 milliseconds
98.74% <= 5 milliseconds
99.45% <= 6 milliseconds
99.52% <= 7 milliseconds
99.93% <= 8 milliseconds
100.00% <= 8 milliseconds
25906.74 requests per second

====== LRANGE (first 300 elements) ======
  10000 requests completed in 0.78 seconds
  50 parallel clients
  3 bytes payload
  keep alive: 1

1.30% <= 1 milliseconds
5.07% <= 2 milliseconds
36.42% <= 3 milliseconds
72.75% <= 4 milliseconds
93.26% <= 5 milliseconds
97.36% <= 6 milliseconds
98.72% <= 7 milliseconds
99.35% <= 8 milliseconds
100.00% <= 8 milliseconds
12886.60 requests per second

====== LRANGE (first 450 elements) ======
  10000 requests completed in 1.10 seconds
  50 parallel clients
  3 bytes payload
  keep alive: 1

0.67% <= 1 milliseconds
3.64% <= 2 milliseconds
8.01% <= 3 milliseconds
23.59% <= 4 milliseconds
56.69% <= 5 milliseconds
76.34% <= 6 milliseconds
90.00% <= 7 milliseconds
96.92% <= 8 milliseconds
98.55% <= 9 milliseconds
99.06% <= 10 milliseconds
99.53% <= 11 milliseconds
100.00% <= 11 milliseconds
9066.18 requests per second

====== LRANGE (first 600 elements) ======
  10000 requests completed in 1.48 seconds
  50 parallel clients
  3 bytes payload
  keep alive: 1

0.85% <= 1 milliseconds
9.23% <= 2 milliseconds
11.03% <= 3 milliseconds
15.94% <= 4 milliseconds
27.55% <= 5 milliseconds
41.10% <= 6 milliseconds
56.23% <= 7 milliseconds
78.41% <= 8 milliseconds
87.37% <= 9 milliseconds
92.81% <= 10 milliseconds
95.10% <= 11 milliseconds
97.03% <= 12 milliseconds
98.46% <= 13 milliseconds
99.05% <= 14 milliseconds
99.37% <= 15 milliseconds
99.40% <= 17 milliseconds
99.67% <= 18 milliseconds
99.81% <= 19 milliseconds
99.97% <= 20 milliseconds
100.00% <= 20 milliseconds
6752.19 requests per second

As you can hopefully see from benchmarking my simple laptop you probably just need one message queue because can redis handle 10000 lpush requests in 0.23 seconds and 10000 lpop requests in 0.21 seconds. When you just need one queue I believe your problem is not a problem anymore(or are the producers producings duplicates which I don't understand completely?).
> And it needs to be durable, so the MQs
> are configured to persist to disk.

redis also persist to disc.
> The problem is that often these
> objects are duplicated. They do have
> 10-byte unique ids. It's not
> catastrophic if objects are duplicated
> in the queue, but it is if they're
> duplicated in the processing after
> being taken from the queue. What's the
> best way to go about ensuring as close
> as possible to linear scalability
> whilst ensuring there's no duplication
> in the processing of the objects?

When using a single message queue(box) this problem does not exist if I understand correctly. But if not you could just simply check if the id is member of your set ids. When you process the id you should remove it from the set ids. First you should offcourse add the members to the list using sadd.
If one box does not scale anymore you should shard your keys over multiple boxes and check that key on that box. to learn more about this I think you should read the following links:

*

*Redis replication and redis sharding (cluster) difference

*http://antirez.com/post/redis-presharding.html

*http://redis.io/presentation/Redis_Cluster.pdf

*http://blog.zawodny.com/2011/02/26/redis-sharding-at-craigslist/

And perhaps linked to that, should the
  whole object be stored in the message
  queue, or only the id with the body
  stored in something like cassandra?

If possible you should all your information directly into memory because nothing can run as fast as memory(okay your cache memory is even faster but really really small plus you can't access that via your code). Redis does store all your information inside of memory and makes snapshots to disc. I think you should be able to store all your information inside memory and skip using something like Cassandra altogether.
Let's consider each object is 400 bytes per object in total at a rate of 10000 per second => 4000000 bytes for all objects per second => 4 MB/s if my calculation is correct. You could easily store that amount of information inside your memory. If you can't you should really consider upgrading your memory if possible at all, because memory isn't that expensive anymore.

A: Without knowing how the messages are created within the system, the mechanism the producer uses for publishing to the queue, and knowing with queue system is in use, it's difficult to diagnose what's going on.
I've seen this scenario happen in a number of different ways; timed-out workers causing the message to become visible again in the queue (and thus processed a second time, this is common with Kestrel), misconfigured brokers (HA ActiveMQ comes to mind), misconfigured clients (Spring plus Camel routing comes to mind), clients double submitting, etc. There are just a number of ways this kind of issue can come up.
Since I can't really diagnose the issue, I'll plug redis here. You could easily combine something like SPOP (which is O(1), as is SADD) with pub/sub for an incredibly fast, constant time, duplicate free (sets must contain unique elements) queue. Although it's a ruby project, resque may be able to help. It's at least worth looking at.
Best of luck.

A: If you don't mind throwing Camel into the mix, then you can use the idempotent-consumer EIP to help with this.
Also, ActiveMQ Message Groups can be used to group related messages and make them easier to perform duplicate checks and still maintain high throughput, etc...


In the Championship Brentford dropped more points at home, they were held to a 1-all draw by Birmingham at Griffin Park.
Queens Park Rangers won 1-nil at Reading.
Leeds are back on top of the league after a 1-nil win at Hull.
In League Two Wimbledon couldn't follow-up Saturday's win over Oxford with another good result.
The Dons went down 1-nil to Bradford at Kingsmeadow and slip to 17th in the table.
In the Isthmian League Dorking moved up to 4th after a 2-1 win over Whitehawk at Meadowbank.


text:
/*
* X.509 Certificate Extensions
* (C) 1999-2007 Jack Lloyd
*
* Distributed under the terms of the Botan license
*/

#ifndef BOTAN_X509_EXTENSIONS_H__
#define BOTAN_X509_EXTENSIONS_H__

#include <botan/asn1_int.h>
#include <botan/asn1_oid.h>
#include <botan/asn1_obj.h>
#include <botan/datastor.h>
#include <botan/pubkey_enums.h>

namespace Botan {

/**
* X.509 Certificate Extension
*/
class BOTAN_DLL Certificate_Extension
   {
   public:
      /**
      * @return OID representing this extension
      */
      OID oid_of() const;

      /**
      * Make a copy of this extension
      * @return copy of this
      */
      virtual Certificate_Extension* copy() const = 0;

      /*
      * Add the contents of this extension into the information
      * for the subject and/or issuer, as necessary.
      * @param subject the subject info
      * @param issuer the issuer info
      */
      virtual void contents_to(Data_Store& subject,
                               Data_Store& issuer) const = 0;

      /*
      * @return short readable name
      */
      virtual std::string config_id() const = 0;

      /*
      * @return specific OID name
      */
      virtual std::string oid_name() const = 0;

      virtual ~Certificate_Extension() {}
   protected:
      friend class Extensions;
      virtual bool should_encode() const { return true; }
      virtual MemoryVector<byte> encode_inner() const = 0;
      virtual void decode_inner(const MemoryRegion<byte>&) = 0;
   };

/**
* X.509 Certificate Extension List
*/
class BOTAN_DLL Extensions : public ASN1_Object
   {
   public:
      void encode_into(class DER_Encoder&) const;
      void decode_from(class BER_Decoder&);

      void contents_to(Data_Store&, Data_Store&) const;

      void add(Certificate_Extension* extn, bool critical = false);

      Extensions& operator=(const Extensions&);

      Extensions(const Extensions&);
      Extensions(bool st = true) : should_throw(st) {}
      ~Extensions();
   private:
      static Certificate_Extension* get_extension(const OID&);

      std::vector<std::pair<Certificate_Extension*, bool> > extensions;
      bool should_throw;
   };

namespace Cert_Extension {

static const size_t NO_CERT_PATH_LIMIT = 0xFFFFFFF0;

/**
* Basic Constraints Extension
*/
class BOTAN_DLL Basic_Constraints : public Certificate_Extension
   {
   public:
      Basic_Constraints* copy() const
         { return new Basic_Constraints(is_ca, path_limit); }

      Basic_Constraints(bool ca = false, size_t limit = 0) :
         is_ca(ca), path_limit(limit) {}

      bool get_is_ca() const { return is_ca; }
      size_t get_path_limit() const;
   private:
      std::string config_id() const { return "basic_constraints"; }
      std::string oid_name() const { return "X509v3.BasicConstraints"; }

      MemoryVector<byte> encode_inner() const;
      void decode_inner(const MemoryRegion<byte>&);
      void contents_to(Data_Store&, Data_Store&) const;

      bool is_ca;
      size_t path_limit;
   };

/**
* Key Usage Constraints Extension
*/
class BOTAN_DLL Key_Usage : public Certificate_Extension
   {
   public:
      Key_Usage* copy() const { return new Key_Usage(constraints); }

      Key_Usage(Key_Constraints c = NO_CONSTRAINTS) : constraints(c) {}

      Key_Constraints get_constraints() const { return constraints; }
   private:
      std::string config_id() const { return "key_usage"; }
      std::string oid_name() const { return "X509v3.KeyUsage"; }

      bool should_encode() const { return (constraints != NO_CONSTRAINTS); }
      MemoryVector<byte> encode_inner() const;
      void decode_inner(const MemoryRegion<byte>&);
      void contents_to(Data_Store&, Data_Store&) const;

      Key_Constraints constraints;
   };

/**
* Subject Key Identifier Extension
*/
class BOTAN_DLL Subject_Key_ID : public Certificate_Extension
   {
   public:
      Subject_Key_ID* copy() const { return new Subject_Key_ID(key_id); }

      Subject_Key_ID() {}
      Subject_Key_ID(const MemoryRegion<byte>&);

      MemoryVector<byte> get_key_id() const { return key_id; }
   private:
      std::string config_id() const { return "subject_key_id"; }
      std::string oid_name() const { return "X509v3.SubjectKeyIdentifier"; }

      bool should_encode() const { return (key_id.size() > 0); }
      MemoryVector<byte> encode_inner() const;
      void decode_inner(const MemoryRegion<byte>&);
      void contents_to(Data_Store&, Data_Store&) const;

      MemoryVector<byte> key_id;
   };

/**
* Authority Key Identifier Extension
*/
class BOTAN_DLL Authority_Key_ID : public Certificate_Extension
   {
   public:
      Authority_Key_ID* copy() const { return new Authority_Key_ID(key_id); }

      Authority_Key_ID() {}
      Authority_Key_ID(const MemoryRegion<byte>& k) : key_id(k) {}

      MemoryVector<byte> get_key_id() const { return key_id; }
   private:
      std::string config_id() const { return "authority_key_id"; }
      std::string oid_name() const { return "X509v3.AuthorityKeyIdentifier"; }

      bool should_encode() const { return (key_id.size() > 0); }
      MemoryVector<byte> encode_inner() const;
      void decode_inner(const MemoryRegion<byte>&);
      void contents_to(Data_Store&, Data_Store&) const;

      MemoryVector<byte> key_id;
   };

/**
* Alternative Name Extension Base Class
*/
class BOTAN_DLL Alternative_Name : public Certificate_Extension
   {
   public:
      AlternativeName get_alt_name() const { return alt_name; }

   protected:
      Alternative_Name(const AlternativeName&,
                       const std::string&, const std::string&);

      Alternative_Name(const std::string&, const std::string&);
   private:
      std::string config_id() const { return config_name_str; }
      std::string oid_name() const { return oid_name_str; }

      bool should_encode() const { return alt_name.has_items(); }
      MemoryVector<byte> encode_inner() const;
      void decode_inner(const MemoryRegion<byte>&);
      void contents_to(Data_Store&, Data_Store&) const;

      std::string config_name_str, oid_name_str;
      AlternativeName alt_name;
   };

/**
* Subject Alternative Name Extension
*/
class BOTAN_DLL Subject_Alternative_Name : public Alternative_Name
   {
   public:
      Subject_Alternative_Name* copy() const
         { return new Subject_Alternative_Name(get_alt_name()); }

      Subject_Alternative_Name(const AlternativeName& = AlternativeName());
   };

/**
* Issuer Alternative Name Extension
*/
class BOTAN_DLL Issuer_Alternative_Name : public Alternative_Name
   {
   public:
      Issuer_Alternative_Name* copy() const
         { return new Issuer_Alternative_Name(get_alt_name()); }

      Issuer_Alternative_Name(const AlternativeName& = AlternativeName());
   };

/**
* Extended Key Usage Extension
*/
class BOTAN_DLL Extended_Key_Usage : public Certificate_Extension
   {
   public:
      Extended_Key_Usage* copy() const { return new Extended_Key_Usage(oids); }

      Extended_Key_Usage() {}
      Extended_Key_Usage(const std::vector<OID>& o) : oids(o) {}

      std::vector<OID> get_oids() const { return oids; }
   private:
      std::string config_id() const { return "extended_key_usage"; }
      std::string oid_name() const { return "X509v3.ExtendedKeyUsage"; }

      bool should_encode() const { return (oids.size() > 0); }
      MemoryVector<byte> encode_inner() const;
      void decode_inner(const MemoryRegion<byte>&);
      void contents_to(Data_Store&, Data_Store&) const;

      std::vector<OID> oids;
   };

/**
* Certificate Policies Extension
*/
class BOTAN_DLL Certificate_Policies : public Certificate_Extension
   {
   public:
      Certificate_Policies* copy() const
         { return new Certificate_Policies(oids); }

      Certificate_Policies() {}
      Certificate_Policies(const std::vector<OID>& o) : oids(o) {}

      std::vector<OID> get_oids() const { return oids; }
   private:
      std::string config_id() const { return "policy_info"; }
      std::string oid_name() const { return "X509v3.CertificatePolicies"; }

      bool should_encode() const { return (oids.size() > 0); }
      MemoryVector<byte> encode_inner() const;
      void decode_inner(const MemoryRegion<byte>&);
      void contents_to(Data_Store&, Data_Store&) const;

      std::vector<OID> oids;
   };

/**
* CRL Number Extension
*/
class BOTAN_DLL CRL_Number : public Certificate_Extension
   {
   public:
      CRL_Number* copy() const;

      CRL_Number() : has_value(false), crl_number(0) {}
      CRL_Number(size_t n) : has_value(true), crl_number(n) {}

      size_t get_crl_number() const;
   private:
      std::string config_id() const { return "crl_number"; }
      std::string oid_name() const { return "X509v3.CRLNumber"; }

      bool should_encode() const { return has_value; }
      MemoryVector<byte> encode_inner() const;
      void decode_inner(const MemoryRegion<byte>&);
      void contents_to(Data_Store&, Data_Store&) const;

      bool has_value;
      size_t crl_number;
   };

/**
* CRL Entry Reason Code Extension
*/
class BOTAN_DLL CRL_ReasonCode : public Certificate_Extension
   {
   public:
      CRL_ReasonCode* copy() const { return new CRL_ReasonCode(reason); }

      CRL_ReasonCode(CRL_Code r = UNSPECIFIED) : reason(r) {}

      CRL_Code get_reason() const { return reason; }
   private:
      std::string config_id() const { return "crl_reason"; }
      std::string oid_name() const { return "X509v3.ReasonCode"; }

      bool should_encode() const { return (reason != UNSPECIFIED); }
      MemoryVector<byte> encode_inner() const;
      void decode_inner(const MemoryRegion<byte>&);
      void contents_to(Data_Store&, Data_Store&) const;

      CRL_Code reason;
   };

}

}

#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Two interesting events have been witnessed and thoroughly enjoyed by the public of twin city (Islamabad/Rawalpindi) held at Centaurus and Safa Gold Mall respectively. The event caught eye balls when "JazzTube" a popular VOD (Video On Demand) platform and "Mofun" a gaming platform took attention of hundreds of citizens present at the biggest shopping malls of Islamabad. Participants of all ages enjoyed their favorite movies, games and fun-filled activities.
During the event several performers presented their skills with acrobatic and thrilling dance moves on beats that caught attention of all audience. Hundreds of people participated and tried their luck while playing the Wheel of Fortune and several Lucky- Draws promised some great chances to win valuable prizes.


text:
The Twisty, Bumpy Journey of EA's Long-Running Video Game Racing Franchise
By Humza Aamir August 2, 2021
PCI Express Bandwidth Test: PCIe 4.0 vs. PCIe 3.0 Gaming Performance & Limited VRAM Memory Buffers
Best Value CPU Battle: Core i5-12400 vs. Ryzen 5 5600X
GPU Availability and Pricing Update: January 2022
Part 1 – Ignition
The Need for Speed (1994)
Need for Speed II (1997)
Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit (1998)
Need for Speed: High Stakes (1999)
Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed (2000)
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 (2002)
Part 2 – Peak RPM
Need for Speed: Underground (2003)
Need for Speed: Underground 2 (2004)
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005)
Need for Speed: Carbon (2006)
Part 3 – Hits and Misfires
Need for Speed: ProStreet (2007)
Need for Speed: Undercover (2008)
Need for Speed: Shift (2009) and Shift 2 Unleashed (2011)
Need for Speed: The Run (2011)
Need for Speed: Rivals (2013)
Part 4 – Check Engine Light
Need for Speed: Payback (2017)
Need for Speed: Heat (2019)
The Need for Speed lives on... coming 2022
TechSpot's Outstanding Video Game Series
Most racing games have a deceptively simple, strict premise: be the first to cross the finish line. Second is the first to lose, as the great Ayrton Senna would say. Over the years car fanatics have been living and driving the dream, all made possible by games like the iconic Need for Speed.
The Need for Speed franchise has been with us for nearly three decades, and is estimated to have sold over 150 million copies during this time. It's easy to see why, as this mostly arcadey series has been delivering fun and setting pulses racing in a myriad of ways, while also disappointing fans in a number of occasions.
Licensed cars? Check. Kickass driving soundtracks? Check. Epic trailers? Check. Crashing past Diggy's donut shop in Rockport to disable cops? Check. Outrunning the antagonist in dark, twisty canyons? Check. Cheesy characters and dialogue? Check. Deep, satisfying car customization? Check. Casual open-world and track racing? Check.
In terms of car culture, there's not much that the several dozen entries haven't touched over the decades in the series. However, Need for Speed has also had its fair share of struggles, the kind any franchise of this scale usually suffers from. Like the only movie adaptation that it spawned in 2014, most entries in the last decade have failed to leave a mark, while a few spin-offs just aren't worth mentioning.
Today, we'll fasten our seat belts for a quick drive down memory lane and take a look at all the mainstream Need for Speed games – PC & console – from the 1994's original to Need for Speed Heat released in 2019. A new titles is also in development slated for 2022 as of writing.
Fire up any early 1990s racing game on a DOS emulator today and the potential for the genre to explode was clearly on display. Cars had finally started to look more than just colorful matchboxes, even if they still handled like one. As with any other exciting pastime, it has always been about quick reflexes and adrenaline with racing games, not to mention the urge to keep that accelerator button pressed hard down for magically squeezing out some extra top speed. Referring to kb/m users, of course, and not the analogue (pedal/triggers) crowd.
Developed by EA Canada's Pioneer Productions, the first Need for Speed game drove onto the scene with a small roster of exotic cars, a few point-to-point courses, circuits, and game modes. What set it apart though, was the attention to detail. Cars had realistic performance attributes, thanks to data from Road & Track Magazine, and that meant your choice of car mattered.
RPM and Top speed, the only gauges that needed to work
Also, the game had a realistic cockpit view for every car, a core feature of racing games that -- much to the frustration of NFS fans -- has since made sporadic appearances in the series and was last seen in 2011's track-focused Shift 2.
Need for Speed's simple menu took gamers straight into the action, allowing them to briefly take a Lamborghini Diablo VT over 200mph. It became an instant classic, whose success paved the way for an even better sequel.
Need for Speed II's intro featured actual car footage to give players a taste of the fast machines that awaited them. The in-game visuals, expectedly, weren't anything like the cutscenes, but no one was none the wiser.
The game spiced up the garage collection with amazing car concepts like the Ford GT90, the fictional FZR 2000, and legendary production cars like the McLaren F1 and the Jaguar XJ220. Players also had a choice of coating cars in one of several paint colors, with Rom Di Prisco's trance music keeping it lively in the menus.
If a Ferrari felt too mainstream, you could always switch to a racing dinosaur or an FZR 2000
For those with road rage tendencies, the game provided an amusing way to crash opponent cars with just a honk of the horn via cheat codes, some of which only worked on the game's special edition.
Dart through the difficult corners of Nepal's Mystic Peaks in a Lotus Elise GT1 or take a T-Rex through the Hollywood-based monolithic studios track, Need for Speed II had something to offer for every type of racer, making it one of the most memorable and beloved entries in the entire franchise.
Arriving just a year later, Need for Speed's third entry improved considerably in the way of visuals, but the game's Hot Pursuit mode was the star of the show, later turning into a staple element of the franchise.
While the original Need for Speed did have police cars, trying to lose them was more exciting in Hot Pursuit. Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto had also demonstrated how radio chatter and unpredictable cop chases made for engaging gameplay, and Hot Pursuit with its licensed cars and on ground experience made it feel a lot more realistic.
Get 3 tickets and it's game over
Players also had to avoid roadblocks and spike strips, or they could deploy them while playing as cops and issue tickets to other racers. Doing so would unlock additional pursuit vehicles, allowing them to switch from a Ford Crown Victoria to a Corvette or a Diablo.
The sheer speed of vehicles would often push the graphical limits of the time, with some trees and hills in the environment still taking their final shape as cars scorched past them. EA Canada's Hot Pursuit was a resounding success and the studio's next installment would take the stakes even higher.
The fourth Need for Speed carried over all the good stuff from its predecessor and added a new damage system. Players could visually see which car part -- engine, suspension, body -- and even handling would be affected by collisions.
High Stakes also added a bunch of new game modes, including the all-important Career mode. Although it was just a combination of the usual race modes like Knockouts and Tournaments scattered across tours, a High Stakes 1v1 race at the end of each tour would reward the player with the opponent's car upon winning.
Drop the top of your Firebird, tune it, or see how it compares against other cars
The Career mode added a much-needed sense of progression, as players could now spend money earned from winning races to repair cars, apply a custom color, or install new body kits and performance upgrades.
To be given such freedom in 1999 with cars like the BMW M5, 69's Dodge Charger or the Ferrari F50 was a petrolhead's dream. For its next trick, Need for Speed would be cementing its position among the greatest racing games of all time by partnering with a car brand of equal stature: Porsche.
Exclusive licensing deals usually maximize profits or give a business advantage at the expense of consumers. However, Porsche Unleashed was a rare, glaring example for when such an arrangement – that took place between EA and Porsche - also scored a win for racing fans.
The franchise's fifth installment could have easily called it a day by reskinning High Stakes and adding a few tracks and modes that only Porsches could drive on. However, Porsche Unleashed ditched the series' arcadey roots for the first time and came up with an enjoyable racing simulator built on a completely new game engine.
Cars no longer seemed to float or bounce, and had a much more realistic damage model and cockpits. Porsche also had EA developers brought to Germany for test driving its vehicles, taking notes on the Autobahn and racing tracks.
Drive past a corner and feel the body roll. Porsche Unleashed had sublime handling for its time
All that hard work shone inside the game's Evolution Mode, which gave players a fascinating, deep dive (and drive) into Porsche's legacy. From the 1950's classic 356 and the gorgeous 550A Spyder, to the 1970's legendary 911 Carrera RS and the crazy 935 Moby Dick, players had to handle their way across beautiful locales and claim final victory in a 2000 911 Turbo.
It's just a shame that we never saw EA properly capitalize on its 17-year-long Porsche exclusivity beyond this game. Who knows what a sequel or a remaster would have brought to the table. Nonetheless, the one big upside of this agreement terminating (in late 2016) was more Porsches – and not RUF models – in more racing games.
Cop chases still had a lot of life left in them and a sequel to Hot Pursuit arrived in 2002, taking Need for Speed back to its arcadey roots. Players could now max a Lamborghini Murcielago or a Ferrari 360 Spider to blast past spike strips, while also avoiding explosive barrels dropped by the newly added police helicopters.
Intro scenes don't come better than this
EA perfected the racers vs. cops recipe with Hot Pursuit 2. Top-notch graphics, casual, enjoyable handling, tracks peppered with useful shortcuts, and running cops into oncoming traffic in exotic cars made for hours of non-stop fun.
The idea worked so well for EA that it later had Criterion Studios reboot the formula with 2010's Hot Pursuit, which equipped racers with weapons for taking down cops. The latter received yet another remaster in 2020, packing an updated car roster and tweaked visuals.
Beautiful vistas and dreamy supercars had filled everyone's appetite. It was time for Need for Speed to deliver something fresh, another facet of car culture the series hadn't explored before. That turned out to be street racing and the tuning culture.
Half a million-dollar exotics had suddenly lost their appeal in favor of more attainable, neon-lit, Japanese imports like the Nissan Skyline, Mazda's RX-7 or the Mitsubishi Eclipse. The trend had already been put in motion by the (still ongoing!) Fast and Furious films and Rockstar's well-received Midnight Club series. Need for Speed: Underground raised the bar though with a fantastic collection of cars, tracks, music and customization.
Underground's wonderful take on tuner culture made the game enjoyable on and off the streets
Besides the usual racing modes, Underground added Drift and Drag races, alongside a story-driven career mode. Stories in racing games usually take a back seat, where its mostly about starting from scratch and racing yourself to the top. Underground was no different in this regard, but the game offered other tempting reasons for players to carry on.
It was all about customization and performance upgrades. Putting on the right set of rims, spoiler, exhaust tip, scoops, neon underglow and body kit for a nitrous-equipped blast down the fictitious roads of Olympic City, with Rob Zombie's Two Lane Blacktop on the stereo.
Underground became an instant hit with Need for Speed fans and gained a whole new audience of players. A sequel was pretty much guaranteed at this point and that's exactly what we got.
Underground 2 built on the strengths of its predecessor and added even more customization and memorable soundtracks. For some fans, this entry remains the best Need for Speed to date.
The story once again faded into the background. Your faceless character who'd been wronged yet again had to rise their way to the top in the fictitious city of Bayview. Aside from new game modes like Outrun and Street X, Underground 2 also featured SUVs for the first time, and an abundance of modification options.
Can never have enough speakers in the trunk
Most of these customizations didn't really add much to the actual gameplay, but posing for those magazine and DVD covers made all the effort worthwhile. Underground 2 also had free roam that allowed players to take a break from the action and cruise around the roads of Bayview at night, occasionally coming across AI opponents to trigger an optional 1v1 duel.
EA Black Box was firing on all cylinders and ruling the streets with its Underground series. However, there was still plenty of fuel left in the tank. The game's next installment would deliver yet another blockbuster hit, featuring what has since become Need for Speed's poster car: The BMW M3 GTR.
The success of Underground 2 proved that Need for Speed fans had quite the appetite for an open-world racing game where they could customize vehicles to their heart's content. Add police chases into the mix and it was yet another eureka moment.
Most Wanted wanted players to take its story a bit more seriously, with a blacklist of 15 drivers that needed to be written off. The game featured full-motion video cutscenes with over-the-top characters that were an impressive sight technically, but a bit cheesy and uneasy to watch. Though they didn't feel as uneasy as the time when Sergeant Cross keys our lovely M3 GTR.
Although Most Wanted dropped quite a few customization options from Underground 2, it effectively made up for them with amazing cop chases in the superbly designed fictitious city of Rockport.
A Grand Theft Auto-like wanted system ramped up the difficulty as the player caused more wreckage and gained higher heat levels. Police SUVs, aerial surveillance, roadblocks and spike strips kept pursuits intense, while radio chatter and gripping music filled the background.
There were faster cars than the BMW M3 GTR, but its signature whine elevated it above all else
It was totally up to the player if they wanted to lose the heat, which they had a better chance of doing by crashing into one of several Diggy's donuts shop or a water tank to disable cops and then hiding in a cooldown spot. Or, they could ramp up the heat level and try out their luck escaping police Corvettes.
The original Most Wanted and Underground games remain cult favorites to this day. It's hard to choose between them, but that just goes to show how good Need for Speed was during its golden era. An era where the series would keep its split-screen mode (on consoles) for just one more installment.
A solid entry in its own right, Need for Speed: Carbon had its shining moments in the dark, gloomy streets of Palmont, but it wasn't a complete home run. Drifting and canyon races inspired by F&F: Tokyo Drift were a welcome addition, but drag races were dropped and the police chases weren't as exciting as Most Wanted or Hot Pursuit.
Thankfully, car customization moved forward with the new Autosculpt feature. Players could now spend hours fine-tuning the shape of various body parts like scoops, rims, spoilers, bumpers, and exhaust tips. It just felt right most of the time to have the slider on 100 percent for maximum effect.
The new AutoSculpt feature enabled endless pimp potential
Carbon carried over Most Wanted's story to a new location, once again not taking long to separate the player and their M3 GTR. They'd start from the bottom with either an Exotic, Muscle or Tuner class car, form a crew and take down rivals controlling parts of Palmont City. Unlike Most Wanted, where a modified RX-7 could compete against a Porsche Carrera GT, Carbon's 3-tier system for its 3 car classes meant players eventually had to leave their favorite low-tier car as they progressed further for a final duel with Darius in his Audi Le Mans Quattro.
It had now been a fairly long run with open-world, mildly story-driven arcadey racing games that firmly put Need for Speed on the map. In the quest to deliver something fresh, the series headed off to the track and came up with ProStreet.
With the bar set so high by consecutive, hugely successful entries year after year, the pressure on ProStreet was larger than ever. Need for Speed was also no longer the hottest racer in town as shown by the likes of Test Drive Unlimited, Colin McRae: Dirt, and the maturing Forza Motorsport series.
ProStreet's attention to detail for a track day festival was authentic in all the right and wrong ways. Cars had a proper damage model and could now be customized according to race type, with blueprints available for various game modes. Carbon's Autosculpt feature played a larger role in ProStreet, allowing players to not only tweak visuals but also aerodynamics for improved performance.
For an authentic feel, players had to warm up their tires before a drag race
What didn't sit well with most NFS fans though, was ProStreet's stiff car handling, mediocre track selection and an announcer that blasted their voice throughout the game's career mode. ProStreet didn't come with all of Need for Speed's existing strengths (cops, open-world, great soundtracks), and the new features it did bring failed to combine a simulator-like experience with a decent car roster and customization features.
ProStreet was a misfire for many fans, who craved for the series to return to its roots. As it turned out, the game's next installment would be yet another disappointment, even with the inclusion of cops, and an open-world with a plot. A flawed Most Wanted was up next, called Need for Speed: Undercover.
An overly serious story in an uninspired open-world were the deal breakers in Undercover.
Although EA brought all the ingredients for the tried and tested Need for Speed recipe, Undercover lacked the delicate balance that had previously made Underground, Most Wanted and Carbon irresistible.
Covered in some sort of sepia filter, the world of Tri-City Bay provided little to no incentive for exploration, save for some decent cop chases. The cars' floaty handling was also a weird mix of arcade and simulation, and the visuals appeared to be a downgrade from ProStreet.
A 'Most Wanted' game in spirit, less so in execution
Squeezed even more by brilliant new entries like Codemasters' Race Driver: Grid and Rockstar's Midnight Club: Los Angeles, 2008 proved to be a tough year for Undercover.
EA's annual release schedule meant Need for Speed barely had time for a pit stop. Two back-to-back disappointing laps with ProStreet and Undercover were followed by the much better track-focused Shift series.
Perhaps the best thing about Shift and Shift 2 was the return of cockpit view. After a 9-year hiatus, players could finally experience racing from the driver's seat in a Need for Speed game. Combined with a sensational sense of speed, Shift was a bold take on track racing that shone best at breakneck speeds and was otherwise a decent racer.
Unlike most racing games where the driver's head appears fixed, Shift featured a dynamic camera view that reacted to player inputs, moving them back and forth and side to side subtly or violently as g-forces dictated.
Slightly Mad Studios' slightly mad helmet cam lives on in their Project CARS series
Shift 2, the sequel that arrived after 2010's Hot Pursuit reboot, took it even further with the love-or-hate-it helmet cam. That meant the action got as real and intense as it could from behind a visor, with the in-game camera simulating a racing driver's reflexes and glancing towards an upcoming corner to inform the player. Useful stuff if their vision wasn't already disoriented by all the bumps and shakes.
The Shift series did just enough to keep Need for Speed on the radar, which by now had plenty of blips to divert the attention of racing fans. Forza Motorsport, Codemasters' Dirt and Ubisoft's Driver: San Francisco had arguably pulled ahead of Need for Speed in 2011, each with their unique gameplay style and presentation. That same year, EA Black Box returned to stir things up and came out with The Run.
Out of all installments in the series, The Run was probably the most uniquely bizarre NFS experience. A scaled-down coast to coast race across the US, prompted by a last second escape from a car crusher and ending with a handsome cash prize.
The Run was a return to arcadey, action-packed Need for Speed, where the story faded into the background again, giving players an excuse to drive a decent collection of cars to defeat opponents and escape the cops on their way to the top.
While the continuous changes to locations, game modes and cars throughout the game's campaign was an original idea, the lack of car customization and a free roam option didn't sit well with fans.
Not enough time to appreciate the scenery when you're on the run
The Run's visuals, however, didn't disappoint. Used to create FPS chaos across battlefields, DICE's Frostbite 2 engine did a stellar job of rendering vehicles and real-life locations. From canyon roads and muddy trails to snow-covered tarmac and urban streets, The Run's varying environments were perhaps its greatest strength. If only the game offered more freedom to explore them, its reception might have been more than lukewarm.
For the next Need for Speed, EA tapped Criterion Games to offer their rendition of a Most Wanted game. The studios' expertise with the Burnout series made for a rather impressive 2012 installment.
Criterion's spin on Most Wanted was quite different from the 2005 original and a solid entry in itself. Hence it would be unfair to skip the game from this list. EA's 2012 entry trimmed the fat of a story mode and focused entirely on fun, arcadey driving and drift-friendly handling, complementing it with Burnout-style crashes.
Compare it to the classic Need for Speeds or the early 2000 greats, and this Most Wanted would be a speck in the back view mirror. However, the series had been struggling to find its footing for quite some time and Criterion's showing made for one of the strongest entries in years.
It looks and sounds great for a 9-year-old game. Or maybe that's just the LFA
Fairhaven's open world was rewarding to explore, peppered with cars that could simply be unlocked and switched to by driving next to them in free roam. Damaged vehicles could also be repaired, repainted and re-energized with nitrous on-the-fly by driving through repair shops. Even the barebones customization, accessible directly from the Autolog system, aligned well with the game's overall seamless approach to racing.
It also had police chases inspired by the original Most Wanted, intense action on wide highways and narrow streets, minus Diggy's donut shops and the slow-motion takedowns. Need for Speed fans could never get enough of police chases, and the game's next installment doubled down on the feature.
Like the reimagined Most Wanted, the best bit about Need for Speed: Rivals was that it didn't have any glaring flaws to it. The visuals were also a nice step up, with cars looking near-photorealistic in menus and out in the open world. Too much moisture perhaps, but that was just the Frostbite 3 engine flexing its muscle.
Rivals attempted to depict the conflicting psyches of a racer and a cop, and had separate career modes for each role in the game. Centered mostly around high-speed pursuits, the game had a variety of upgradeable hi-tech weapons for cops and racers to counter each other during chases.
Frostbite engine = Top-notch visuals
Car customization was nothing to write home about, but the upside to that was more time to drive and explore the pretty, fictitious city of Redview County in an equally pretty Ferrari F12 Berlinetta.
After a decade of non-stop annual releases, EA finally took a year off with the racing series in 2014, though the gap was somewhat filled at the time by Need for Speed's first and only film adaptation, starring Aaron Paul.
With teasers that started surfacing months prior to release, it looked like Need for Speed was finally getting its modern Underground game. Jaw-dropping screenshots of a green Porsche 911 RSR with its massive wing, the angry, imposing Ford Mustang head-on and the sweet rear-end of a Nissan 180X had NFS players salivating.
Thankfully, Need for Speed, as it simply called itself, was just as impressive visually when it came out and weirdly, looks on par if not better than later installments. The car customization feature was also a huge step up for the series. It was arguably more enjoyable to spend time in the garage, tweaking your ride to perfection, rather than driving it around in the dark streets of Ventura Bay.
As close as it got to a modern Underground game
Like the graphics and customization, Need for Speed also got its music mojo back with a great collection of soundtracks. It all seemed too good to be true. There was no way for EA or Ghost Games to drop the ball, right? Unfortunately, they did, with an absurd, always-online requirement for the game's single-player mode that meant players couldn't even pause the action to take a water break. Also, be prepared to say goodbye to your rides whenever the game's servers are shut down and it becomes unplayable.
Besides the visuals, audio and car tuning, this title had little else to offer. The campaign's cringey characters annoyed more than they motivated during cutscenes and with in-game phone calls, alongside an unpredictable AI and frame rate issues that spoiled the experience. Need for Speed's 2015 reboot aimed high and missed the mark in some ways. Its next installment, however, missed it in most.
A Need for Speed that corrected the wrongs of the 2015 reboot and built upon its strengths would have done really well in 2017, a year when some quality sequels arrived for long-running franchises like Gran Turismo Sport, Forza Motorsport 7 and Dirt 4. Instead, NFS fans got a knock-off F&F style racer with a flimsy story, grindy mechanics, and a bland open world.
Although Payback didn't look bad, it wasn't a visual upgrade like its predecessor. The game featured a somewhat interesting car collection, which also had players roam around the map to look for abandoned vehicles. Its cutscene heavy story, however, meant the control was often taken away in the heat of the moment, hurting player engagement.
Payback offered some wild modifications, but there was a heavy price to pay
Another frustrating element was Payback's loot box-style card-based system for boosting car performance.
It was either grinding, gambling or paying up with real money for unlocking upgrades. Payback wasn't the only racing game guilty of using microtransactions, but it was the first paid Need for Speed title to go there.
To ensure that their next installment was well-received, Ghost Games had to undo Payback's woeful economy and get the basics right. They did just that with Need for Speed Heat.
Heat's player-controlled day and night cycle and cross-play multiplayer are perhaps Need for Speed's best new features in years, packaged in an overall decent racer. Players now had more control over how they progressed through the game, with a different set of rewards assigned to the two-time intervals.
The streets of Miami-themed Palm City opened to races in daytime that awarded cash (or bank) for acquiring new cars and parts, while nighttime with its aggressive cops earned players reputation points for participating in illegal races and successfully evading pursuits. A simple yet effective concept that kept the experience interesting, much more so than the lackluster story and repulsive music.
Excessive backfire, pops & crackles. Heat doesn't hold back!
Paired with robust car customization featuring engine swaps, exhaust tuning and a new companion app for vehicle management, Heat did players right by dropping Payback's microtransactions and card system. It didn't have a high bar to clear in the first place, but the core gameplay treaded a well-worn path that ultimately made for an uninspiring driving experience.
Heat would also turn out to be Ghost Games' last attempt at a Need for Speed game as EA handed the reigns to Criterion for developing future installments.
We might have got a few teasers of the final game by now had EA stuck to the original 2021 schedule for its next Need for Speed. But, delays have disappointingly become a rule now rather than the exception.
Instead of releasing alongside the upcoming Battlefield, EA pulled Criterion from its 'next-gen' Need for Speed title to assist DICE with finishing off its highly-anticipated military shooter.
Nonetheless, EA's previously shared brief 'work-in-progress' footage does look promising. Lifelike cars and faster load times are features worth getting excited about, however, what most racing fans will be looking forward to in 2022's Need for Speed is whether Criterion can deliver an experience on par or better than the current leader in open-world arcade racing: Forza Horizon 4, or its upcoming sequel that's set to launch this November.
Sit back, grab some Doritos and Mountain Dew as we revisit some of the most memorable PC video game franchises, from their inception to becoming game series and ultimately cultural phenomena.
17 Years of Call of Duty
26 Years of The Elder Scrolls
17 Years of Far Cry
13 Years of Assassin's Creed
21 Years of Hitman
King's Field: The Roots of Elden Ring & Dark Souls
20 Years of Pro Evolution Soccer
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Photographs 16 x 20 "
All photographs were taken by myself during my fishing or gold prospecting expeditions in beautiful British Columbia, Canada.
All photographs were taken with Canon equipment on Fuji Velvia slide , 50 ISO speed.
Unfortunately, on internet you can see only small fraction of print quality but believe me, colors and details are outstanding.
All prints are standard size 16 x 20 inch ( 40 cm x 50 cm ) with black frame. Please call if you want other sizes.
All prints have black frame around but you can have them without frame 11 x 16 inch (28 x 40) which is a full slide frame. I prefer a black frame photographs.
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Learning to Talk to people?
I recently started peer counseling in school. I never realized before how much difficulty I had in talking to people. When I talk about things that are/were huge parts of my life, traumatic, depressing, etc., I show no emotion. LIke my face doesn't allow me to cry. It's almost as if I feel the person I'm talking to thinks I'm making things up because I have flat affect and I just am awkward talking to people.
I really don't know how to get over this. I've tried therapy before and it did not work so much because I just do not know how to express emotion.
Any tips on getting through this?
You are so very brave coming here and posting your feelings so you got some courage. Talking to people is hard. it's good you've seeking counseling at school that is a huge step taken. Next step is to let your parents know you have fears of talking with people and they might be able to help, maybe they could take you to private counseling to help with these fears...it'll be hard for you to tell your parents, but that would be a big first step and one that also show maturity and would get you better help.
How brave of you to do peer counceling in school. If I had not been repressing then I don't think I would have been that brave.
As for your manner when your speak, I do the same exact thing and I have been in therapy 2 years. I only cry if I talk about the abuse in whole. I was abused for 15 years by 4 people. I only recently had a small breakthrough in my therapy releasing some of my old anger.
This is a very normal thing, your body/mind is still trying to protect you from the "harmful" thing that you feel. So you are numbing or in a small way dissociating.
It takes such a long time to come around to feeling the anger, the rage and the tears.
I suggest you find a therapist trained in "trauma" and go back to therapy. It will take a while by once the break through happens you will start to feel better. Make sure the therapist is trained in trauma abuse though, or you will be waisting good time and money.


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Home NEWS National News Remembering the Instrumental Black Women Who Served in WWII
Remembering the Instrumental Black Women Who Served in WWII
Special to the AFRO
Years' worth of backlog mail was stacked from floor to ceiling in warehouses throughout Birmingham, England in February 1945. The letters and packages were sent from loved ones to soldiers in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) of World War II.
Organized to tackle the problem, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-Black, all female military unit was formed, but not without conflict. Also nicknamed, "The Six-Triple Eight," the unit's determination to overcome strife and complete their mission resonated with Edna Cummings, a retired Colonel of the United States Army.
Millie Dunn Veasey, 100, served as a staff sergeant with the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, becoming a military trailblazer, educator, and Civil Rights icon. (Courtesy Photos)
"It was more than just standing up to the officers and the Red Cross in Europe . . . this started back in the United States when Black women were fighting for equality," Cummings told the AFRO, referring to the concerns that led to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps was converted into the Women's Army Corps (WAC) and was created by a law signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on July 1, 1943.
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt along with civil rights leader and advisor to the War Department, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, championed for the inclusion of Black women in WAC to serve overseas.
In November 1944, the War Department "acquiesced" or reluctantly agreed to enlist Black women according to the Women of the 6888th website, a subset of The Buffalo Soldier Educational and Historical Committee.
The postal battalion consisted of 824 enlisted personnel and 31 officers, all Black, who were recruited from the WAC, the Army Service Forces, and the Army Air Forces. Major (later Lieutenant Colonel) Charity Adams Earley was selected to command the battalion.
"They went to the recruitment station and they were barred from applying, one lady had to move to Washington just to apply so this was the beginning of a civil rights movement that people don't talk about," Cummings said.
Cummings, also a member of the Buffalo Soldier committee in the East Coast, Washington D.C. area, explained how the military has been on the forefront of integration. "Before the formal movement of integration happened in terms of what history talks about [the] Civil Rights Movement made it a law to discriminate," Cummings told the AFRO. "You had a whole fraction, a group of Black women, Mary McLeod Bethune, with the help of Roosevelt and his commander standing up for the rights of these women," she said.
On February 3, 1945, the postal battalion boarded the ship, the Ile de France, headed to Britain and later arrived in Glasgow, Scotland. The women travelled by train to Birmingham, England for their first assignment. "I personally feel that when they boarded those ships to Europe they parted the ocean so the rest of us could follow through," Cummings said.
Their motto of "No Mail, Low Morale" served as motivation to get the undelivered mail to their appropriate recipients. Work was constant as the unit members were organized into three separate shifts, seven days a week. Still a segregated unit, the women had to eat and sleep in different locations from the White male soldiers.
The American Red Cross did not welcome the Black WACs and in turn Major Adams refused their offer of equipment for a separate recreational facility. When the back log of mail was cleared, the postal battalion sailed to France on June 9, 1945. They arrived in Le Havre and then took a train to Rouen where they encountered another back log of mail in which they cleared, too.
In October 1945 the 6888th moved to Paris where their officers were quartered in the Hôtel États-Unis, and the enlisted women were quartered in the Hôtel Bohy-Lafayette. Due to the end of World War II, the battalion was reduced by nearly 300 personnel, with over 200 more women eligible for discharge in January 1946. By February 1946, the remainder of the unit returned to the United States and was disbanded at Fort Dix, New Jersey.
The women were college educated and went on to pursue successful careers and remain active activists for civil rights of Blacks. "So, you have very highly skilled, highly educated population who came back and became active in the community," Cummings said.
However, upon their return, Cummings noted that the women did not receive any acknowledgement of their service.
As a member of The Buffalo Soldier Educational and Historical Committee, Cummings is working to help build a monument in honor of the women who served in The Six -Triple Eight.
The committee's goal is to raise $70,000 by the end of May. Once $70,000 is raised, the process of building the monument and requesting proper paperwork from the secretary of the Army can occur.
Cummings said the monument is an act of, "gratitude and appreciation for their hard work."
She believes these women have paved the way for others to partake in opportunities.
"If it hadn't been for their contributions we wouldn't have the success that we have not just for White women or Blacks, but for the underrepresented population in society as a whole," Cummings said.
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Triangular in shape. Size - 12 x 8 ml. Cufflink part - Silver Plate. Delivered in presentation box. Colour � 'Posh Purple' - A sumptuous combination of gold, lilac, and a little pink and black set in a rich mulberry/purple base. This is a lovely collection to wear with Autumn colours this season.


First thing you need to do when modeling a new object is to set up the object's key. The following guide describes how to set up a composite key for a primary object. If part of your composite key is essentially a reference to another object's key with the same field names, then you may also want to consider just making your object a child object of that other referenced object.
Here are the steps involved in defining a composite object key.
First, you generally need to define a dedicated fieldset in the model for the key fields of your object, which you will not be able to use for any other object's composite key. The only exception to this rule is when your composite key needs to just reference the key of another already existing object, which typically happens either in child objects or when there is a 1-1 or 0-1 relationship between two objects.
Add a fieldset element to the fields group element of your object.
Set the ref attribute to the dedicated fieldset for your object key. If the key fieldset just references another object's key then set it to the dedicated fieldset for the referenced object's key.
If the key values are entered/supplied by the user then set the key attribute to supplied.
If the key is a reference to another object's key then set the key attribute to reference.
Set the required attribute to true if the key fields cannot be null.
Set the name attribute if your object may have another non-key reference to this fieldset or have fields with the same names as the fields in the fieldset.
Provide a description of the key fieldset in its child element doc > summary as necessary.
Below is an example that demonstrates these steps.


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RICHMOND HEIGHTS, MO (KTVI) - Residents of a small St. Louis County community have wondered for years whether their homes will be bought, knocked down, and redeveloped.
Now, it seems Hadley Township residents finally have an answer.
This Richmond Heights community was built more than a century ago to house brick company workers. Some families have stuck around for generations, but many homes have since been boarded up and knocked down. It's why a lot of residents and city officials are relieved that a new development is nearly a done deal.
On Tuesday night, the Richmond Heights City Council gave a preliminary approval to Menards to build a new store in Hadley Township. It'll sit east of Hanley, just south of Highway 40.
Longtime resident Kem Johnson says it's about time. "It's bad. It really is. They need to hurry up and get this done. Because they're making everybody move out, by promises that they'd buy the houses a long time ago and never did," he explains.
Jones has a hunch these projects failed because the city refused to use eminent domain to take property from unwilling homeowners.
This time, the development's boundaries avoid many of the properties with reluctant residents.
"They have contacted all the residents, and have signed letters of intent with the residents," says Jones.
With the tentative approval, longtime resident Gwendolyn Smith will start house hunting, but with a heavy heart.
If all goes according to plan, the Menards will open in 2015, bringing jobs and sales tax revenue to Richmond Heights. It's progress, albeit bittersweet.
"It's the end of an era," says Smith.
Residents say they don't know when they'll have to move out. This, and other details, will become clearer after the development's final approval, which is expected to come at Richmond Heights' next city council meeting.


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text:
https://www.nhregister.com/lifestyle/article/New-Haven-stamp-collectors-celebrate-100-years-11380465.php
New Haven stamp collectors celebrate 100 years
Published 8:13 pm EDT, Friday, October 10, 2014
Frank Chasney, left, and Bob Eldridge of the New Haven Philatelic Society with the club's 100th anniversary cover.
Photo: ED STANNARD — NEW HAVEN REGISTER
NEW HAVEN >> In 1914, Yale started playing football in a big bowl, a Broadway show opened on the new Shubert stage and, on Oct. 15, a group of stamp collectors met for the first time.
But philately, as stamp collecting is known, goes back even further than the 100 years of the New Haven Philatelic Society. It even goes back further than U.S. stamps, which were first issued in this country in 1847.
In 1845, New Haven postmaster Edward Mitchell created a 5-cent die that he stamped on envelopes and signed to show postage paid. That original die, now owned by the New Haven Museum, was used to make 1,000 commemorative envelopes, known as covers.
They will be sold for $10 as collectible keepsakes on Saturday at an open house and an evening banquet.
"What makes (the cover) valuable is this is the original die, manufactured in 1845," said Bob Eldridge, centennial committee chairman. "This is before there were stamps. This is before there was a U.S. Postal Service."
"I think there's a great deal of history in stamps," said Frank Chasney, president of the club. "Every country has a story to tell and they tell it in stamps."
Stamps have changed since 1914, when most featured George Washington or Benjamin Franklin. Now, they celebrate comic book characters, the Simpsons, Harry Potter and Jimi Hendrix. Chasney and Eldridge said they hope young people will come to the open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1205 Chapel St. and be introduced to what's known as the hobby of kings. Both in their 70s, each man started collecting as a child.
"I've been collecting since I was 10 years old and now I'm 73," said Chancey. "My father started me. I've been at it ever since."
"We try and appeal to all types of collectors," said Eldridge, who's a third-generation stamp collector. "The neat thing about stamp collecting is there's no wrong way to do it."
And if you leave it for a while, even a few years, it will still be there when you come back.
Eldridge suggested a new collector focus "on things you like to do or maybe where your family comes from. The important thing is that it's fun. It doesn't go on strike; it doesn't get sick; it doesn't demand a pay raise. It just gives you pleasure."
Tickets are available for the banquet, which will be held at the Graduate Club at $40. The speaker will be Patricia Kaufmann, ex-president of the Confederate Stamp Alliance. For reservations, call Ray Osborne at 203-287-9208.
This story was edited to correct the spelling of Bob Eldridge's name. Call Ed Stannard at 203-680-9382.