Last week George Osborne converted omni-shambles into omni-rout. The Chancellor, whose ill-devised Budget a year ago left him looking cack-handed, vanquished his political enemies and snookered his Coalition partners with a sure-footed statement on public spending. In the process he cemented the Tories’ victory in the battle of ideas, and opened a new political era.
Even the prospect of the statement set Labour’s Ed Miliband and Ed Balls vigorously waving the white flag of surrender.
For three years their argument has been that with interest rates so low, Britain should borrow and spend more. Yes, the Britain which has the highest annual budget deficit in the EU, and which (as Labour likes to remind us) is adding to the national debt hundreds of billions of pounds on top of what Osborne originally planned.
Labour’s dreamy answer to the country’s debt problem goes down well with trade union leaders but to the public it now seems ridiculous. Families struggling with the mortgage, choking on yesteryear’s easy credit and drowning in plastic card interest payments cannot see how additional borrowing can make any more sense for government than it would for chip card.
Oppositions usually say ridiculous things and must embarrassingly then ditch untenable positions. Labour is right to do so now, to give it a chance of looking sane at the General Election.
Still, these have been hellish weeks for the shadow team. The Labour view of the world is falling apart. They’ve pretty much accepted the Government’s policy on schools (even though Michael Gove’s cunning plot spells the end of local government control and presages the destruction of trade union power).
Worse still for Labour, in a few months the reputation of the National Health Service has crashed. At last, it can be seen for what it is: a final surviving nationalised industry. Like telephones, gas and electricity before privatisation, many of its employees are indifferent to their customers (in this case sick people). The organisation has suffered producer capture, the point where it is run for employees not patients.
Most devastatingly, Labour set up a supervisory body charged by Ministers with covering up every outrage to protect the NHS’s reputation (or rather the Government’s). Anyone who squawked about dying patients was bought off with money that might otherwise have helped dying patients. This ultimate example of Labour spin must have left the NHS’s founder Aneurin Bevan gyrating in his tomb. Labour has nursed the NHS from cradle to grave: once its midwife, it’s now killed it off.
Little wonder that Labour’s not complaining about how little money the Chancellor is giving to health. With increasing numbers of elderly patients, and with new and expensive treatments emerging every day, the squeeze on the NHS would now be horrendous, if we didn’t all know that it had been given money to burn, certainly to waste and misuse, during Gordon Brown’s baleful reign.
Labour’s not squealing much about slashed police budgets either. How can it, when we know of the service’s scandals from sick pay to early retirement, from Hillsborough to Stephen Lawrence? What’s more, another ten per cent has gone from local authority budgets with hardly a whimper from Balls, because only waste has poured out of the town halls as they’ve passed through Osborne’s wringer.
The Government is shrinking the client state: that over-sized group who work for the state, are housed by the state, or live off the state, and who on polling day vote to expand the state.
Without the Cabinet’s hatchet work, the private sector could never recover, crowded out by vested interests and excessive taxation. Nor, indeed, could the Conservatives hope to win another Election.
This all sounds revolutionary, and it is. Britain is being turned around. In the least promising of circumstances – with a listless economy and soaring public debt – the Government is radically reforming schools, universities, health, policing and welfare. It has piled in where Thatcher feared to tread.
Tory backwoodsmen whinge that they have been held back by their Lib Dem partners. The opposite is true. The Coalition has been ‘given permission’ for much more radical policies than would have been tolerated from a Tory government, whether minority or majority. The BBC has felt neither compelled nor authorised to wage savage war against it, as it did against Thatcher. What right would it have to hound a Coalition that represents 60 per cent of electors at the last Election?
If the Tories and Lib Dems fought together they’d keep their ministerial offices and limousines, and continue to do the right things for the UK. But too many backbenchers in both parties yearn for Opposition, preferring hallucinogenic ideological purity and political irrelevance to the mucky reality of governing.
The Lib Dems are going to look mighty silly at the Election. ‘Which bit of what the Government has done do you disagree with?’, they’ll be asked. There’s no good answer. If they give examples, they’ll be asked why they went along with them. If there are no examples, how do they account for ditching their partner and their achievement?
But the Conservatives know that outside the Coalition they stand a poor chance of winning. There’s scarcely any precedent for a governing party increasing its share of the vote.
Thus Labour, the guilty party whose world has collapsed and whose henchmen are being unmasked with each new public sector scandal, may be rewarded by being returned to office.
So why does Osborne’s statement mark an historic moment? He’s abandoning the key flaw in democracy: that it sets politicians in competition with each other to promise too much. They’re then forced to borrow, passing the bill on to the future. That’s how we have a massive debt, and how a generation that had free university tuition, were home-owners and who could expect a comfortable pension, has given way to one that owes money for its fees, pays rent and has no savings.
Click on their website www.smartcardfactory.com for more information.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Veteran yard-sale picker Tim Weisberg shares his voyage of discovery
I'm not talking about the stuff you need. I'm not even talking about the stuff you want. It's the stuff that you didn't know you needed, that you were unaware you wanted, until you see it sitting on a blanket in someone's front yard.
For some, there's a stigma attached to yard-sale shopping, that those who buy such things are doing so because they're poor or needy. Wanting someone else's castoffs doesn't seem normal, even if one man's trash is another man's treasure.
But for some, like me, it isn't so much about the items being purchased as it is the thrill of hunting down bargains and striking a deal.
A 2012 study conducted by the Statistic Brain Research Center said that an average of 165,000 yard/garage sales take place in the United States each week, with an average of 690,000 people purchasing something at one. There are some yard sales I have to fight off a good portion of that number just to get a look into a box of old record albums.
The average price of a yard sale item is just 85 cents, according to the study. I don't know where they're shopping, because to me, the average price seems to be $2. Because whenever I ask how much something is, the most common response is, "I don't know, two dollars?"
Yard sales might just be the only capitalist enterprise where the seller is largely unaware of the value of the items they are trying to sell. It's about feeling out the market, and especially the prospective buyer. Those little neon stickers or tie-on tags are a rarity, as most sales are the result of a drawn-out back-and-forth that usually ends with both sides feeling as if they've won.
To me, this often seems ridiculous because the basic tenet of the yard sale should eliminate the need for excessive haggling. Here's a bunch of stuff I don't want anymore. It's not good enough to be in my house, so it's on my lawn. If nobody buys it, I'm going to put it in a box marked "FREE" and leave it by the curb. But no, I can't accept $8 for that $10 pair of cowboy boots.
Yet the haggling has to happen because that's the thrill. It's what Donald Trump called "the art of the deal." So what if he was talking about billion-dollar properties as opposed to boxes full of old dishes? There's still an adrenaline rush associated with scoring the right item at the right price.
During the past couple of weekends, I took to the main streets and the back roads of the SouthCoast in search of yard sale deals and steals. It wasn't like it was in my heyday, when I'd check The Standard-Times for all the yard sale listings and start plotting out a plan of attack days in advance, filling my truck with gas on Friday night so I wouldn't have to waste time on Saturday morning and missing out on "early bird" deals.
No, weekend work and responsibilities have lessened my yard sale time nowadays to just stopping when we pass one on our way from one place to another. It probably irks my wife Jennifer a little that once I see a yard sale sign, I have to follow it — or if I'm in the passenger seat, force her to follow it — until I see what treasures it might hold. So getting back in the "yard sale groove" felt pretty good.
My first day out on the road, I took Jennifer and our son Adam along for the fun. Both are seasoned shoppers like I am, and my wife and I have buying items on the cheap and turning them around online for profit down to a science. We've been doing it for as long as we've been married, and she's become a first-rate eBayer in that time.
The Statistic Brain study also said that the average profit margin for items purchased at yard sales and resold on eBay is about 462 percent, and that sounds about right based on our experiences. Some say auction websites and the "Online Yard Sale of "?" pages that have popped up on Facebook have ruined the good, old-fashioned all-American yard sale, but trust me, it's still alive and thriving.
After a morning at the soccer fields, we decided to head west. I'd heard about a 16-family yard sale happening in the Brandt Beach section of Mattapoisett. One of the first rules of yard sales is that location is everything, both for the seller and for the buyer. If you're too far off the beaten path, it's going to take a lot of advertising to get the word out, and teaming up with neighbors is a good way to cut costs and help lure traffic.
And buyers know that better neighborhoods mean better items; it may sound socioeconomically biased, but it's true. If you want good stuff, go to the places where people have good stuff.
The 16-family sale, which stretched across three neighborhoods, was the idea of Marissa Perez-Dormitzer, who spent weeks putting it all together.
"I've always wanted to have a yard sale, and I've seen people have them here and there down this way, so I thought it would make sense to have them all on one day," she said. "It's been a community event. I didn't know all of the neighbors, but now I feel I do after they've been contacting me and I've been visiting them as we brought this all together."
"She recently passed away, and they are things we're not using," she said. "We're in a new phase of our lives with kids, and things I have around like earrings I've had since I was a teenager, I don't need them anymore."
While in Brandt Beach, we encountered Diane Perry and her daughter Laura, who were selling an eclectic bunch of board games and other assorted items for near-retail prices. Admittedly, this was Diane's first yard sale, so she was pretty new to how it all worked.
"I just figured if I could get rid of half the stuff I wanted to, I'd be happy, and I almost have," she said.
The centerpiece of the Perrys' wares was a solid oak corner shelf that had an asking price of $300. It was a beautiful piece, one more at home at a furniture showroom than by the side of the road.
Ah, yes — cash. It's still king at yard sales — I can't tell you how many times I've given someone a five-spot to hold on to an item while I ran to an ATM and prayed the whole time that they were trustworthy — but plastic is starting to make some headway (no self-respecting yard sale seller should EVER accept a check). The new Square and PayPal Here readers that allow smartphones to become credit card terminals are finally showing up at yard sales across the SouthCoast, as sellers are willing to cough up a small percentage in fees in order to move bigger-ticket items. It's revolutionizing yard sales, even if it is putting a bigger dent in my credit card bill.
Rolling down the streets of Fairhaven and Acushnet, we stopped at a number of smaller yard sales that just didn't seem to have anything with pizzazz. It was a lot of clutter that had just moved from the house to the front lawn, and nothing really grabbed me. But as I went from sale to sale, I realized I was starting to see some of the same faces shopping alongside me. This is a common occurrence when one decides to "go yard saling." There is a pretty regular bunch of bargain hunters in any given area, and it often becomes as much about beating out the other guy than getting a good buy.
Fairhaven brought about a good stop in which Jennifer scored a roasting oven and buffet serving inserts that will come in handy when people come over, while Adam found a really cool "home planetarium" that projects the stars and constellations onto his bedroom ceiling, complete with a CD of a 45-minute audio presentation. Yet I still hadn't found anything for myself.
Read the full story at www.smartcardfactory.com!
For some, there's a stigma attached to yard-sale shopping, that those who buy such things are doing so because they're poor or needy. Wanting someone else's castoffs doesn't seem normal, even if one man's trash is another man's treasure.
But for some, like me, it isn't so much about the items being purchased as it is the thrill of hunting down bargains and striking a deal.
A 2012 study conducted by the Statistic Brain Research Center said that an average of 165,000 yard/garage sales take place in the United States each week, with an average of 690,000 people purchasing something at one. There are some yard sales I have to fight off a good portion of that number just to get a look into a box of old record albums.
The average price of a yard sale item is just 85 cents, according to the study. I don't know where they're shopping, because to me, the average price seems to be $2. Because whenever I ask how much something is, the most common response is, "I don't know, two dollars?"
Yard sales might just be the only capitalist enterprise where the seller is largely unaware of the value of the items they are trying to sell. It's about feeling out the market, and especially the prospective buyer. Those little neon stickers or tie-on tags are a rarity, as most sales are the result of a drawn-out back-and-forth that usually ends with both sides feeling as if they've won.
To me, this often seems ridiculous because the basic tenet of the yard sale should eliminate the need for excessive haggling. Here's a bunch of stuff I don't want anymore. It's not good enough to be in my house, so it's on my lawn. If nobody buys it, I'm going to put it in a box marked "FREE" and leave it by the curb. But no, I can't accept $8 for that $10 pair of cowboy boots.
Yet the haggling has to happen because that's the thrill. It's what Donald Trump called "the art of the deal." So what if he was talking about billion-dollar properties as opposed to boxes full of old dishes? There's still an adrenaline rush associated with scoring the right item at the right price.
During the past couple of weekends, I took to the main streets and the back roads of the SouthCoast in search of yard sale deals and steals. It wasn't like it was in my heyday, when I'd check The Standard-Times for all the yard sale listings and start plotting out a plan of attack days in advance, filling my truck with gas on Friday night so I wouldn't have to waste time on Saturday morning and missing out on "early bird" deals.
No, weekend work and responsibilities have lessened my yard sale time nowadays to just stopping when we pass one on our way from one place to another. It probably irks my wife Jennifer a little that once I see a yard sale sign, I have to follow it — or if I'm in the passenger seat, force her to follow it — until I see what treasures it might hold. So getting back in the "yard sale groove" felt pretty good.
My first day out on the road, I took Jennifer and our son Adam along for the fun. Both are seasoned shoppers like I am, and my wife and I have buying items on the cheap and turning them around online for profit down to a science. We've been doing it for as long as we've been married, and she's become a first-rate eBayer in that time.
The Statistic Brain study also said that the average profit margin for items purchased at yard sales and resold on eBay is about 462 percent, and that sounds about right based on our experiences. Some say auction websites and the "Online Yard Sale of "?" pages that have popped up on Facebook have ruined the good, old-fashioned all-American yard sale, but trust me, it's still alive and thriving.
After a morning at the soccer fields, we decided to head west. I'd heard about a 16-family yard sale happening in the Brandt Beach section of Mattapoisett. One of the first rules of yard sales is that location is everything, both for the seller and for the buyer. If you're too far off the beaten path, it's going to take a lot of advertising to get the word out, and teaming up with neighbors is a good way to cut costs and help lure traffic.
And buyers know that better neighborhoods mean better items; it may sound socioeconomically biased, but it's true. If you want good stuff, go to the places where people have good stuff.
The 16-family sale, which stretched across three neighborhoods, was the idea of Marissa Perez-Dormitzer, who spent weeks putting it all together.
"I've always wanted to have a yard sale, and I've seen people have them here and there down this way, so I thought it would make sense to have them all on one day," she said. "It's been a community event. I didn't know all of the neighbors, but now I feel I do after they've been contacting me and I've been visiting them as we brought this all together."
"She recently passed away, and they are things we're not using," she said. "We're in a new phase of our lives with kids, and things I have around like earrings I've had since I was a teenager, I don't need them anymore."
While in Brandt Beach, we encountered Diane Perry and her daughter Laura, who were selling an eclectic bunch of board games and other assorted items for near-retail prices. Admittedly, this was Diane's first yard sale, so she was pretty new to how it all worked.
"I just figured if I could get rid of half the stuff I wanted to, I'd be happy, and I almost have," she said.
The centerpiece of the Perrys' wares was a solid oak corner shelf that had an asking price of $300. It was a beautiful piece, one more at home at a furniture showroom than by the side of the road.
Ah, yes — cash. It's still king at yard sales — I can't tell you how many times I've given someone a five-spot to hold on to an item while I ran to an ATM and prayed the whole time that they were trustworthy — but plastic is starting to make some headway (no self-respecting yard sale seller should EVER accept a check). The new Square and PayPal Here readers that allow smartphones to become credit card terminals are finally showing up at yard sales across the SouthCoast, as sellers are willing to cough up a small percentage in fees in order to move bigger-ticket items. It's revolutionizing yard sales, even if it is putting a bigger dent in my credit card bill.
Rolling down the streets of Fairhaven and Acushnet, we stopped at a number of smaller yard sales that just didn't seem to have anything with pizzazz. It was a lot of clutter that had just moved from the house to the front lawn, and nothing really grabbed me. But as I went from sale to sale, I realized I was starting to see some of the same faces shopping alongside me. This is a common occurrence when one decides to "go yard saling." There is a pretty regular bunch of bargain hunters in any given area, and it often becomes as much about beating out the other guy than getting a good buy.
Fairhaven brought about a good stop in which Jennifer scored a roasting oven and buffet serving inserts that will come in handy when people come over, while Adam found a really cool "home planetarium" that projects the stars and constellations onto his bedroom ceiling, complete with a CD of a 45-minute audio presentation. Yet I still hadn't found anything for myself.
Read the full story at www.smartcardfactory.com!
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Norris Launches‘Portrait Pails’
Portrait Pails are clear plastic paint pail-shaped gift items for newborn babies, children’s first birthdays, children of all ages and pets. “My ambition was to create a line of meaningful, memorable gift items that will be cherished for many years, long after the toys have broken or a child’s clothes have been outgrown,” explained Ms. Norris.
Positioned on a turquoise ladder display in the store, the display features the four different Portrait Pails.
The Bebe Bucket was designed to celebrate the birth of a baby; Cake Smash Can was created for a child’s first birthday celebration; Kiddo Can is designed for portraits of children of all ages; and Pooch Pail is offered to hold cherished photos of a family’s pet.
Each Portrait Pail contains a gift card for the recipient to schedule a portraiture session with Heather Norris Photography at her barn studio.
The pails also contain a hand-made wooden frame to hold the photograph of the baby, child or pet, plus one print to be placed in the frame. The cost for each pail is $99.
“A photo session usually costs $150,” stated Ms. Norris. “These Portrait Pail gifts provide the same high level of photography services of a regular portraiture session.”
A mother of three, Ms. Norris commented that she created these gift items because, “I understand how quickly moments pass in our lives and how very important it is to capture special moments. Once a moment occurs, it is gone forever.
At least on the bright side, I was finally able to confirm something I’ve wondered every season as I admire the adorable combo of pairing a mini dress with cowboy booties all these years. Yes, the contestants’ wardrobes on this show are styled for them. Seeing those boys lined up in a row on the couch like they’re at an American Apparel hoodie launch party or the sneak peak at the fall/winter 2014 collection of men’s coats from Canada Goose on the group date, not to mention Ben’s and Michael’s coordinated purple and grey ensembles on the two-on-one pretty much proved that beyond the shadow of a doubt. Sadly, due to budget cuts or something even more unfortunate, like Dez wanting to prove herself as a designer (to, oh I don’t know, further her own career whilst on the show?) Dez’s wardrobe is not. It’s just getting worse and worse. And worse.
The way this episode was teased to us at the beginning, I thought (hoped!) we were going to be so devastated by the end we would have confirmed that at least eight guys were serial rapists or something. But no, that action is actually going to be torturously spread out for us at a snail’s pace, all season long. Great.
The first one on one date went to Chris, who busted out his best German accent for the moment (which by the way, is not hot) and there wasn’t even a flutter of excitement stirring within me. Yes Chris is a really nice guy, and I like his confidence, he’s not bad looking, etc. But he’s so plain. So Matzah (the Jewish equivalent to calling someone vanilla and yes I am purposely busting out the Jewish terms because this episode is taking place in Germany – booyah!)
Do I need my man to open doors for me? Yes, that would be nice, thank you. Do I need him to be concerned about my stress level and do everything he can to ease any burden or pain I may be feeling? Yes. But do I need him to frolic and skip for me in a town square? No. There are really no secret ‘deal-breaker’ lists of the perfect man in my possession, where skipping in a must.
Chris handled the Bryden situation like a true gentleman – you could tell in that moment where Bryden (creepily watched and) interrupted their date, that Chris’s first reaction was totally, sincerely just nice. Personally, though Bryden is a swell guy and all that, I couldn’t have cared less that he was leaving. In fact, it was right up there with Brian having a girlfriend (who, by the way, he is apparently back together with – another giant leap forward for womankind…sigh).
Bryden took about 14 hours of screen time to come to the conclusion that it was time for him to go and after a few sniffles, a lovely dinner (though it would have been nice for someone to take Dez’s coat, no?) yet another private concert (haven’t we seen this guy before???), a brutal poem (honestly, any poem crafted and read under these circumstances is brutal – even if it’s good) and some awkward kissing which involved neither party tilting their head whatsoever, all was right in the world again. Have you guys noticed though, how desperate Dez is to kiss every guy? She is always making the first move and often it seems like she is leaping towards their faces, like she can’t kiss them fast enough. Interesting.
The next day it’s group date time and we head into the German Alps, which are unreal. I would LOVE to get onto one of those sleds and motor down that mountain, though I was pretty convinced that someone would end up with a severed head or at the very least, another broken finger (we still don’t know what happened to Michael’s thumb, right?). It seems like every guy there is convinced he and Dez share something unique and special. You’ve got James, telling anyone who will listen about how deep their connection is and then there’s Mikey, who tells us he really wants to work things out with Dez. Truthfully, I’m not sure if he’s referring to their relationship, or if this meathead just wants her to spot him while he benches, but whatever.
I was hoping we could just get right into the fun part, but of course, what’s a group date without some form of embarrassment right? Nothing like forcing a group of men to yodel against their will to prove their love to you, right? Sadly, I think that moment was the only time Juan Pablo has opened his moith in the last three episodes.
Other than crashing into each other at breakneck speeds, the fun and frolicking seemed to go off without a hitch and that hidden snow-tel (though it TOTALLY freaked me out – what if it collapses???) was amazing. It was like a hand job blanket wonderland in there! And there are many points in time on the date where either the guys were shivering under those blankets or having the first ever Bachelorette circle jerk. I guess we’ll never know.
Obviously my favourite part of the date was anything to do with Brooks – because I do heart him just a little bit and I am PRAYING he is the one she picks in the end. It hurt my heart that he witnessed James maneuvering his brick wall of a body to get cozy with Dez and I was so happy he got the rose from her in the end. Clearly though, James was pretty distraught by this fact – between his scarf, chapped lips and side flip, he looked like he’d been wandering in the Arabian desert for years.
Read the full story at www.smartcardfactory.com!
Positioned on a turquoise ladder display in the store, the display features the four different Portrait Pails.
The Bebe Bucket was designed to celebrate the birth of a baby; Cake Smash Can was created for a child’s first birthday celebration; Kiddo Can is designed for portraits of children of all ages; and Pooch Pail is offered to hold cherished photos of a family’s pet.
Each Portrait Pail contains a gift card for the recipient to schedule a portraiture session with Heather Norris Photography at her barn studio.
The pails also contain a hand-made wooden frame to hold the photograph of the baby, child or pet, plus one print to be placed in the frame. The cost for each pail is $99.
“A photo session usually costs $150,” stated Ms. Norris. “These Portrait Pail gifts provide the same high level of photography services of a regular portraiture session.”
A mother of three, Ms. Norris commented that she created these gift items because, “I understand how quickly moments pass in our lives and how very important it is to capture special moments. Once a moment occurs, it is gone forever.
At least on the bright side, I was finally able to confirm something I’ve wondered every season as I admire the adorable combo of pairing a mini dress with cowboy booties all these years. Yes, the contestants’ wardrobes on this show are styled for them. Seeing those boys lined up in a row on the couch like they’re at an American Apparel hoodie launch party or the sneak peak at the fall/winter 2014 collection of men’s coats from Canada Goose on the group date, not to mention Ben’s and Michael’s coordinated purple and grey ensembles on the two-on-one pretty much proved that beyond the shadow of a doubt. Sadly, due to budget cuts or something even more unfortunate, like Dez wanting to prove herself as a designer (to, oh I don’t know, further her own career whilst on the show?) Dez’s wardrobe is not. It’s just getting worse and worse. And worse.
The way this episode was teased to us at the beginning, I thought (hoped!) we were going to be so devastated by the end we would have confirmed that at least eight guys were serial rapists or something. But no, that action is actually going to be torturously spread out for us at a snail’s pace, all season long. Great.
The first one on one date went to Chris, who busted out his best German accent for the moment (which by the way, is not hot) and there wasn’t even a flutter of excitement stirring within me. Yes Chris is a really nice guy, and I like his confidence, he’s not bad looking, etc. But he’s so plain. So Matzah (the Jewish equivalent to calling someone vanilla and yes I am purposely busting out the Jewish terms because this episode is taking place in Germany – booyah!)
Do I need my man to open doors for me? Yes, that would be nice, thank you. Do I need him to be concerned about my stress level and do everything he can to ease any burden or pain I may be feeling? Yes. But do I need him to frolic and skip for me in a town square? No. There are really no secret ‘deal-breaker’ lists of the perfect man in my possession, where skipping in a must.
Chris handled the Bryden situation like a true gentleman – you could tell in that moment where Bryden (creepily watched and) interrupted their date, that Chris’s first reaction was totally, sincerely just nice. Personally, though Bryden is a swell guy and all that, I couldn’t have cared less that he was leaving. In fact, it was right up there with Brian having a girlfriend (who, by the way, he is apparently back together with – another giant leap forward for womankind…sigh).
Bryden took about 14 hours of screen time to come to the conclusion that it was time for him to go and after a few sniffles, a lovely dinner (though it would have been nice for someone to take Dez’s coat, no?) yet another private concert (haven’t we seen this guy before???), a brutal poem (honestly, any poem crafted and read under these circumstances is brutal – even if it’s good) and some awkward kissing which involved neither party tilting their head whatsoever, all was right in the world again. Have you guys noticed though, how desperate Dez is to kiss every guy? She is always making the first move and often it seems like she is leaping towards their faces, like she can’t kiss them fast enough. Interesting.
The next day it’s group date time and we head into the German Alps, which are unreal. I would LOVE to get onto one of those sleds and motor down that mountain, though I was pretty convinced that someone would end up with a severed head or at the very least, another broken finger (we still don’t know what happened to Michael’s thumb, right?). It seems like every guy there is convinced he and Dez share something unique and special. You’ve got James, telling anyone who will listen about how deep their connection is and then there’s Mikey, who tells us he really wants to work things out with Dez. Truthfully, I’m not sure if he’s referring to their relationship, or if this meathead just wants her to spot him while he benches, but whatever.
I was hoping we could just get right into the fun part, but of course, what’s a group date without some form of embarrassment right? Nothing like forcing a group of men to yodel against their will to prove their love to you, right? Sadly, I think that moment was the only time Juan Pablo has opened his moith in the last three episodes.
Other than crashing into each other at breakneck speeds, the fun and frolicking seemed to go off without a hitch and that hidden snow-tel (though it TOTALLY freaked me out – what if it collapses???) was amazing. It was like a hand job blanket wonderland in there! And there are many points in time on the date where either the guys were shivering under those blankets or having the first ever Bachelorette circle jerk. I guess we’ll never know.
Obviously my favourite part of the date was anything to do with Brooks – because I do heart him just a little bit and I am PRAYING he is the one she picks in the end. It hurt my heart that he witnessed James maneuvering his brick wall of a body to get cozy with Dez and I was so happy he got the rose from her in the end. Clearly though, James was pretty distraught by this fact – between his scarf, chapped lips and side flip, he looked like he’d been wandering in the Arabian desert for years.
Read the full story at www.smartcardfactory.com!
Monday, June 24, 2013
Arresting journalists is a double negative
But there's an ongoing government-press conflict that also is important in its effect on journalists' ability to gather and report news, and to the proper role of a free press under the First Amendment: Journalists are being arrested while reporting on public demonstrations or police activity on matters of public interest.
In a latest example, Charlotte Observer religion reporter Tim Funk was arrested June 10 at the General Assembly building in Raleigh, N.C., while interviewing local clergy involved in legislative protests.
As seen in a video of the arrest posted on Facebook, Funk, a veteran reporter, was interviewing members of the protest group while wearing a Charlotte Observer identification card on a lanyard around his neck. He continued to do interviews with several protesters after police ordered the group to disperse. He is standing in front of, not among, the group.
Funk first is grabbed by the arm and then handcuffed with a plastic tie. Later, the reporter was escorted away by three uniform officers. An Observer news story said Funk "was taken along with the arrested protesters to the Wake County magistrate's office to be arraigned on misdemeanor charges of trespassing and failure to disperse."
Gathering news - and performing the Constitutional duty as a "watchdog on government" - requires more than getting a few facts from official sources. It means being at the scene, talking with those involved, observing the news first-hand.
According to a Web site set up to track arrests of journalists in recent years who were reporting on the Occupy movement, in the year ending in September 2012, "more than 90 journalists have been arrested in 12 cities around the United States while covering Occupy protests and civil unrest." Add in a sizable number of arrests in recent years of photographers for taking pictures at the scene of police actions and traffic incidents, and also those swept up in mass arrests of protesters at national and international conferences in the last decade, and there's more reason to worry.
The rights to assemble, peaceably petition the government for change and raise one's voice in doing so are all protected freedoms - along with the right of a free press to gather and report the news without government sanction or disruption.
If police are arresting demonstrators out of legitimate concerns for public safety or for trespassing or such, having an independent news media there to observe and report is a plus. Ignoring that "plus" for whatever reason produces a double negative: Doubt over the unreported motives and actions of officials, as well as the trampling of First Amendment rights.
Former Caseyville Police Chief JD Roth sent a despondent text message to his girlfriend before he went into his backyard, put on a helmet, covered his head with a canvas bag and shot himself in the head, according to a police report.
His pre-paid funeral arrangements and will executed on May 30 were on a plastic-covered table nearby.
"Babe, I can't live with myself anymore. See me in every full moon," Roth wrote in a text to his girlfriend, Analiza Cecil. Roth added, "lugat ca lagi na mahal ko!!" which Cecil told the police means "take care of yourself my love" in Taglog. Cecil is from the Philippines.
Roth left no note, but police documents obtained from the Caseyville and Fairview Heights Police Department showed there was an ongoing investigation by the federal Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Department investigation into the police department that Roth headed for 11 years.
In response to a request for an inventory of firearms held by the Caseyville Police Department, interim Police Chief Frank Moore stated, "The status of other department firearms is part of an ongoing investigation by the ATF. Any information released should come from the ATF."
The federal agency typically does not comment on ongoing investigations. Calls to an ATF spokesman in Chicago were not returned.
After Roth's body was found, "a large sum of money" and multiple guns were discovered inside a safe at Roth's home. Police found 63 guns inside Roth's house, including 19 military-style semi-automatic rifles and carbines, seven less-powerful .22 cal rifles, 22 handguns, seven shotguns and eight large-caliber bolt action rifles. He committed suicide with a shotgun.
Blue and Merrilee Roth were named as the beneficiaries of Roth's estate, the police report stated, and the money was released to them. Neither of the women had a Firearms Owner Identification card, but police told them that they could retrieve the guns after they obtained a FOID card.
Roth was placed on paid leave in May after he was charged in state court with official misconduct with regard to the purchase of a 2003 Dodge Dakota Pickup seized in a drug bust. Roth used the truck for personal and police business until police officers pressured the village board to auction the truck. The village board told Roth to get bids for the truck from local car dealers. The bid process was scrutinized when officers learned Roth purchased the truck from a dealership where his friend Brad Reno worked. The dealership bought the truck from the village for $7,500. Roth purchased the truck less than a month later.
Read the full story at www.smartcardfactory.com!
In a latest example, Charlotte Observer religion reporter Tim Funk was arrested June 10 at the General Assembly building in Raleigh, N.C., while interviewing local clergy involved in legislative protests.
As seen in a video of the arrest posted on Facebook, Funk, a veteran reporter, was interviewing members of the protest group while wearing a Charlotte Observer identification card on a lanyard around his neck. He continued to do interviews with several protesters after police ordered the group to disperse. He is standing in front of, not among, the group.
Funk first is grabbed by the arm and then handcuffed with a plastic tie. Later, the reporter was escorted away by three uniform officers. An Observer news story said Funk "was taken along with the arrested protesters to the Wake County magistrate's office to be arraigned on misdemeanor charges of trespassing and failure to disperse."
Gathering news - and performing the Constitutional duty as a "watchdog on government" - requires more than getting a few facts from official sources. It means being at the scene, talking with those involved, observing the news first-hand.
According to a Web site set up to track arrests of journalists in recent years who were reporting on the Occupy movement, in the year ending in September 2012, "more than 90 journalists have been arrested in 12 cities around the United States while covering Occupy protests and civil unrest." Add in a sizable number of arrests in recent years of photographers for taking pictures at the scene of police actions and traffic incidents, and also those swept up in mass arrests of protesters at national and international conferences in the last decade, and there's more reason to worry.
The rights to assemble, peaceably petition the government for change and raise one's voice in doing so are all protected freedoms - along with the right of a free press to gather and report the news without government sanction or disruption.
If police are arresting demonstrators out of legitimate concerns for public safety or for trespassing or such, having an independent news media there to observe and report is a plus. Ignoring that "plus" for whatever reason produces a double negative: Doubt over the unreported motives and actions of officials, as well as the trampling of First Amendment rights.
Former Caseyville Police Chief JD Roth sent a despondent text message to his girlfriend before he went into his backyard, put on a helmet, covered his head with a canvas bag and shot himself in the head, according to a police report.
His pre-paid funeral arrangements and will executed on May 30 were on a plastic-covered table nearby.
"Babe, I can't live with myself anymore. See me in every full moon," Roth wrote in a text to his girlfriend, Analiza Cecil. Roth added, "lugat ca lagi na mahal ko!!" which Cecil told the police means "take care of yourself my love" in Taglog. Cecil is from the Philippines.
Roth left no note, but police documents obtained from the Caseyville and Fairview Heights Police Department showed there was an ongoing investigation by the federal Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Department investigation into the police department that Roth headed for 11 years.
In response to a request for an inventory of firearms held by the Caseyville Police Department, interim Police Chief Frank Moore stated, "The status of other department firearms is part of an ongoing investigation by the ATF. Any information released should come from the ATF."
The federal agency typically does not comment on ongoing investigations. Calls to an ATF spokesman in Chicago were not returned.
After Roth's body was found, "a large sum of money" and multiple guns were discovered inside a safe at Roth's home. Police found 63 guns inside Roth's house, including 19 military-style semi-automatic rifles and carbines, seven less-powerful .22 cal rifles, 22 handguns, seven shotguns and eight large-caliber bolt action rifles. He committed suicide with a shotgun.
Blue and Merrilee Roth were named as the beneficiaries of Roth's estate, the police report stated, and the money was released to them. Neither of the women had a Firearms Owner Identification card, but police told them that they could retrieve the guns after they obtained a FOID card.
Roth was placed on paid leave in May after he was charged in state court with official misconduct with regard to the purchase of a 2003 Dodge Dakota Pickup seized in a drug bust. Roth used the truck for personal and police business until police officers pressured the village board to auction the truck. The village board told Roth to get bids for the truck from local car dealers. The bid process was scrutinized when officers learned Roth purchased the truck from a dealership where his friend Brad Reno worked. The dealership bought the truck from the village for $7,500. Roth purchased the truck less than a month later.
Read the full story at www.smartcardfactory.com!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
New Zealand is poised to become a world leader
If you needed more evidence that the standard wallet is set to become a thing of the past, consider this: in the last three years, the value of transactions processed via mobile phone technology has soared from US$1 billion to US$30 billion.
Those of us who remained attached to bills, plastic and loyalty cards by the dozen crammed in the leather may cling to tradition but it could be just a matter of years before the digital revolution will render the wallet void of anything other than sentimental value.
Jim Tobin, senior vice-president and general manager of Mobile Solutions for the global multi-billion dollar giant Fiserv, paints a bold picture of the future of banking; one where tellers, bank books and billfolds have been made redundant.
"Mobile wallets are around the corner. There were some starts and stops around contactless technologies but what's happening is people are using their mobile phones to do so much commerce now they are bypassing the resistance to having swipe technology."
Tobin, on a recent visit to Auckland where Fiserv has grown from a team of 80 to more than 200 since acquiring the Kiwi tech company M-Com, predicted that "2014 will be the big year for mobile wallets."
Consumers, at least those who haven't made the leap, will be naturally worried about security; either losing their phones and thus money or else having it siphoned out from under their nose.
Tobin says it's an understandable fear given the explosion of high-tech crimes and increasingly sophisticated computer based fraud. To counter those concerns he points to the surge in R&D aimed at tackling this problem.
"The greatest area of technology spend in the world right now is on mobile security. Computers are being rapidly displaced in some markets just by smartphones and in some markets by smartphones and tablets. Enterprises of all types including banks have to get that security right because they are betting their business on this technology."
It is estimated there are now more than two billion smartphone users worldwide and that number is set to soar as more people make the leap and also as costs come down. With consumers barreling in this direction by the million, Tobin said companies serving this marketplace have recognised a need to ensure security is second to none in priority.
"The effort around security for mobile is where all the best minds, all the best technologies are going. I think the security levels are going to be higher for mobile phones and tablets than they ever have been for PCs."
While mobile banking technology allows for contactless payments, ATM withdrawals and other financial transactions that used to be done via a computer, the facility has also presented other possibilities, including peer to peer lending, and as a form of basic banking for fringe sector customers whom might normally be turned away from banks.
Tobin says in bringing together such a wide range of technology experts from around the world to work here in New Zealand where Fiserv's mobile "centre for excellence" has been situated, has given the company international insights on trends and also potential applications.
"Our office here is a wonderful group of young New Zealanders but it's also people from all over Asia Pacific, and Russia and China and those people bring not only their skills but an awareness of what's going on in their local economies."
But there’s an ongoing government-press conflict that also is important in its effect on journalists’ ability to gather news and report to the rest of us, and to the proper role of a free press under the First Amendment. Journalists — reporters and photographers — are being arrested while reporting on public demonstrations or police activity on matters of public interest. In a latest example, Charlotte Observer religion reporter Tim Funk was arrested June 10 at the General Assembly building in Raleigh, N.C., while interviewing local clergy involved in legislative protests.
As seen in a video of the arrest posted on Facebook, Funk, a veteran reporter, was interviewing members of the protest group while wearing a Charlotte Observer identification card on a lanyard around his neck. He continued to do interviews with several protesters after police ordered the group to disperse. He is standing in front of, not among, the group.
Funk first is grabbed by the arm and then handcuffed with a plastic tie. Later, the reporter was escorted away by three uniform officers. An Observer news story said Funk “was taken along with the arrested protesters to the Wake County magistrate’s office to be arraigned on misdemeanor charges of trespassing and failure to disperse.”
Gathering news — and in the process, performing the Constitutional duty as a “watchdog on government” that the nation’s founders envisioned for a free press — requires more than getting a few facts from official sources. It means being at the scene, talking with those involved, observing the news firsthand.
Read the full story at www.smartcardfactory.com!
Those of us who remained attached to bills, plastic and loyalty cards by the dozen crammed in the leather may cling to tradition but it could be just a matter of years before the digital revolution will render the wallet void of anything other than sentimental value.
Jim Tobin, senior vice-president and general manager of Mobile Solutions for the global multi-billion dollar giant Fiserv, paints a bold picture of the future of banking; one where tellers, bank books and billfolds have been made redundant.
"Mobile wallets are around the corner. There were some starts and stops around contactless technologies but what's happening is people are using their mobile phones to do so much commerce now they are bypassing the resistance to having swipe technology."
Tobin, on a recent visit to Auckland where Fiserv has grown from a team of 80 to more than 200 since acquiring the Kiwi tech company M-Com, predicted that "2014 will be the big year for mobile wallets."
Consumers, at least those who haven't made the leap, will be naturally worried about security; either losing their phones and thus money or else having it siphoned out from under their nose.
Tobin says it's an understandable fear given the explosion of high-tech crimes and increasingly sophisticated computer based fraud. To counter those concerns he points to the surge in R&D aimed at tackling this problem.
"The greatest area of technology spend in the world right now is on mobile security. Computers are being rapidly displaced in some markets just by smartphones and in some markets by smartphones and tablets. Enterprises of all types including banks have to get that security right because they are betting their business on this technology."
It is estimated there are now more than two billion smartphone users worldwide and that number is set to soar as more people make the leap and also as costs come down. With consumers barreling in this direction by the million, Tobin said companies serving this marketplace have recognised a need to ensure security is second to none in priority.
"The effort around security for mobile is where all the best minds, all the best technologies are going. I think the security levels are going to be higher for mobile phones and tablets than they ever have been for PCs."
While mobile banking technology allows for contactless payments, ATM withdrawals and other financial transactions that used to be done via a computer, the facility has also presented other possibilities, including peer to peer lending, and as a form of basic banking for fringe sector customers whom might normally be turned away from banks.
Tobin says in bringing together such a wide range of technology experts from around the world to work here in New Zealand where Fiserv's mobile "centre for excellence" has been situated, has given the company international insights on trends and also potential applications.
"Our office here is a wonderful group of young New Zealanders but it's also people from all over Asia Pacific, and Russia and China and those people bring not only their skills but an awareness of what's going on in their local economies."
But there’s an ongoing government-press conflict that also is important in its effect on journalists’ ability to gather news and report to the rest of us, and to the proper role of a free press under the First Amendment. Journalists — reporters and photographers — are being arrested while reporting on public demonstrations or police activity on matters of public interest. In a latest example, Charlotte Observer religion reporter Tim Funk was arrested June 10 at the General Assembly building in Raleigh, N.C., while interviewing local clergy involved in legislative protests.
As seen in a video of the arrest posted on Facebook, Funk, a veteran reporter, was interviewing members of the protest group while wearing a Charlotte Observer identification card on a lanyard around his neck. He continued to do interviews with several protesters after police ordered the group to disperse. He is standing in front of, not among, the group.
Funk first is grabbed by the arm and then handcuffed with a plastic tie. Later, the reporter was escorted away by three uniform officers. An Observer news story said Funk “was taken along with the arrested protesters to the Wake County magistrate’s office to be arraigned on misdemeanor charges of trespassing and failure to disperse.”
Gathering news — and in the process, performing the Constitutional duty as a “watchdog on government” that the nation’s founders envisioned for a free press — requires more than getting a few facts from official sources. It means being at the scene, talking with those involved, observing the news firsthand.
Read the full story at www.smartcardfactory.com!
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Patient friendly service or danger up ahead?
Doctors sometimes provide patients with drug samples to get them started on a needed medication in a timely manner. Hospital emergency departments (EDs) have also sent patients home with starter doses or unit dose packages from the hospital pharmacy. This allows the patient to start taking the medicine as soon as possible, giving them extra time to get the prescription filled at their local pharmacy. Dispensing samples and starter doses are often seen as “patient friendly” services, but the services can also have unintended consequences. One issue is that packaging and labeling of the medications can sometimes present problems for patients.
One patient experienced severe burning in her eyes and blurred vision when she instilled what she thought was eye drops. A co-worker took the bottle from her and saw the very small notation on the label: “For dermatological (skin) use only. Not for use in the eye.” The tiny sample bottle, which had no pharmacy label since it wasn’t dispensed by a pharmacist, was a professional sample of a cortisone-like medication meant to be applied to the skin. The product also contained 40% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol), which severely irritated her eyes. It had been given to her by her allergist for application after allergy shots. But she inadvertently combined it with the eye drops she keeps at work and grabbed the wrong bottle. The patient saw her eye doctor and the eye was flushed, but the patient suffered blurred vision for several hours.
Another issue is the ambiguous way that drug companies sometimes label these products. It’s not always patient-friendly. When the popular pain medication Celebrex was first marketed, the manufacturer, Pfizer, gave doctors samples to hand out to patients. Each package contained 3 capsules labeled “Celebrex 200 mg.” A rheumatologist gave one of these to a patient along with a prescription for 200 mg twice daily. When the patient got home and looked at the label she didn’t know whether she should take all three capsules for the 200 mg dose, or just one. She called the doctor's office and clarified that each capsule was 200 mg and she should take just one at a time.
Many patients might not have called to clarify the confusing Celebrex label or other drug sample packages just like it. In fact, we checked with Pfizer when the patient called us about this and a drug information professional admitted that they’d received reports of overdoses where 600 mg was taken. The FDA recently clarified that the product strength should always describe the milligram amount of drug per single unit (e.g., tablet, capsule) so there is no confusion as to how much product is contained in a single unit as compared to the total contents of the entire blister card.
Finally, the Consumer Product Safety Commission does not require sample medications to be in child-resistant containers. Manufacturers can also request exemptions for providing child-resistant packaging for medications used only in hospitals but these may sometimes be dispensed to patients by the ER. Thus, danger may be ahead if the medications are sent home and improperly stored, leaving them accessible to children. While many ERs dispense starter doses in properly labeled, child-resistant prescription containers, I’ve often seen starter doses dispensed by hospitals in plastic bags or envelopes. Patients arriving home after a visit to the ER may not be thinking about the need to place that plastic bag or envelope up and away, and out of the reach and sight of children. Instead, these medications may be temporarily placed on a kitchen table or counter.
There are other safety issues associated with dispensing drug samples and starter doses—for example, absent labeling of the product with directions for use, lack of screening for drug interactions, and failure to monitor expiration dates. While many organizations have appropriately addressed these and other issues, they may not have considered the need to assure that sample or starter doses are properly labeled and packaged. With the increased availability of 24-hour community pharmacies and drug company-provided pharmacy coupons for starter doses, these services may not be necessary.
The Boise Co-op has appeared on local "Best Of" lists so often that most people don't have to be reminded of its offerings - artisan beer, exotic spices, elixirs of all kinds, eggs and vegetables produced at farms a bike ride away from its Fort Street home. The story of the co-op's modest origins is less familiar.
A few dozen locals founded the co-op in 1973 as a food-buying club. The philosophy was getting good, bulk food and selling it to members at a discount. The co-op's first home was a back room at the El-Ada community outreach center.
In 1975, the co-op moved to a storefront in Hyde Park, the former home of the Salvation Army. In this era, members had to put in hours at the store to get their member discounts, said Dave Kirkpatrick, a longtime employee. A space on Hill Road, not far from Harrison Boulevard, was the co-op's next stop in 1984.
He credits then leader Ken Kavanagh with the co-op's shift in philosophy. This was an era when "organic" wasn't yet a buzzword, when "foodie" wasn't yet a movement, when gluten was not public enemy No. 1 and the idea of televised cooking competitions would have seemed like something from "Monty Python." But the co-op was in the right place at the right time, anticipating the community's embrace of food as an art form. The co-op began seeking out products like Italian canned tomatoes and high-end olive oil. Indian spices. Beer and wine. And meat.
The change meant that the co-op lost some members who wanted an all-vegetarian store. Others objected to the co-op selling wine and beer. But the change attracted new members, too.
"Todd Giesler (another longtime employee) got it right," said Kirkpatrick. "We had tie-dye and VW vans in the morning, Versace and Lexuses in the afternoon."
When my son Stephen woke up he was so excited to give his dad, Andrew, his presents and cards. Tom, who has autism, was more excited about wearing Andrew’s new Mr Men socks and chocolate ‘medallion’.
The boys gave Andrew chocolates, as well as a book by fantastic author and Twitter friend Mark Richards, or as he is better known by Stephen, ‘Best Dad I Can Be’.
Tom had made Andrew a card at school while Stephen made one at home. As usual though, when I tried to display the cards on the fireplace Tom insisted that they stay on the couch for him to look at. We had a quiet day; Andrew took Stephen to church while I whisked Tom to town for coffee juice and the ‘boat museum’.
For lunch we had a picnic and had a general dozy time. I think I had tired Tom out in the morning so the afternoon was a peaceful affair.
We did have a few moments though where he wanted to throw the newly-purchased plastic golf clubs and bash them on the floor – and in the snail house while being a ninja – but other than that a relatively cosy affair with us all just relaxing together, and the sun even came out to shine.
Dads should be celebrated for all that they do, and those dads who have children with additional needs should have extra celebrations.
It is not easy being a mum to a child with autism so it can’t be any different for a dad. Andrew works full-time, yes, so he is out of the house more and I do more of the caring but if he didn’t work, we wouldn’t have a roof over our heads.
Click on their website www.smartcardfactory.com for more information.
One patient experienced severe burning in her eyes and blurred vision when she instilled what she thought was eye drops. A co-worker took the bottle from her and saw the very small notation on the label: “For dermatological (skin) use only. Not for use in the eye.” The tiny sample bottle, which had no pharmacy label since it wasn’t dispensed by a pharmacist, was a professional sample of a cortisone-like medication meant to be applied to the skin. The product also contained 40% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol), which severely irritated her eyes. It had been given to her by her allergist for application after allergy shots. But she inadvertently combined it with the eye drops she keeps at work and grabbed the wrong bottle. The patient saw her eye doctor and the eye was flushed, but the patient suffered blurred vision for several hours.
Another issue is the ambiguous way that drug companies sometimes label these products. It’s not always patient-friendly. When the popular pain medication Celebrex was first marketed, the manufacturer, Pfizer, gave doctors samples to hand out to patients. Each package contained 3 capsules labeled “Celebrex 200 mg.” A rheumatologist gave one of these to a patient along with a prescription for 200 mg twice daily. When the patient got home and looked at the label she didn’t know whether she should take all three capsules for the 200 mg dose, or just one. She called the doctor's office and clarified that each capsule was 200 mg and she should take just one at a time.
Many patients might not have called to clarify the confusing Celebrex label or other drug sample packages just like it. In fact, we checked with Pfizer when the patient called us about this and a drug information professional admitted that they’d received reports of overdoses where 600 mg was taken. The FDA recently clarified that the product strength should always describe the milligram amount of drug per single unit (e.g., tablet, capsule) so there is no confusion as to how much product is contained in a single unit as compared to the total contents of the entire blister card.
Finally, the Consumer Product Safety Commission does not require sample medications to be in child-resistant containers. Manufacturers can also request exemptions for providing child-resistant packaging for medications used only in hospitals but these may sometimes be dispensed to patients by the ER. Thus, danger may be ahead if the medications are sent home and improperly stored, leaving them accessible to children. While many ERs dispense starter doses in properly labeled, child-resistant prescription containers, I’ve often seen starter doses dispensed by hospitals in plastic bags or envelopes. Patients arriving home after a visit to the ER may not be thinking about the need to place that plastic bag or envelope up and away, and out of the reach and sight of children. Instead, these medications may be temporarily placed on a kitchen table or counter.
There are other safety issues associated with dispensing drug samples and starter doses—for example, absent labeling of the product with directions for use, lack of screening for drug interactions, and failure to monitor expiration dates. While many organizations have appropriately addressed these and other issues, they may not have considered the need to assure that sample or starter doses are properly labeled and packaged. With the increased availability of 24-hour community pharmacies and drug company-provided pharmacy coupons for starter doses, these services may not be necessary.
The Boise Co-op has appeared on local "Best Of" lists so often that most people don't have to be reminded of its offerings - artisan beer, exotic spices, elixirs of all kinds, eggs and vegetables produced at farms a bike ride away from its Fort Street home. The story of the co-op's modest origins is less familiar.
A few dozen locals founded the co-op in 1973 as a food-buying club. The philosophy was getting good, bulk food and selling it to members at a discount. The co-op's first home was a back room at the El-Ada community outreach center.
In 1975, the co-op moved to a storefront in Hyde Park, the former home of the Salvation Army. In this era, members had to put in hours at the store to get their member discounts, said Dave Kirkpatrick, a longtime employee. A space on Hill Road, not far from Harrison Boulevard, was the co-op's next stop in 1984.
He credits then leader Ken Kavanagh with the co-op's shift in philosophy. This was an era when "organic" wasn't yet a buzzword, when "foodie" wasn't yet a movement, when gluten was not public enemy No. 1 and the idea of televised cooking competitions would have seemed like something from "Monty Python." But the co-op was in the right place at the right time, anticipating the community's embrace of food as an art form. The co-op began seeking out products like Italian canned tomatoes and high-end olive oil. Indian spices. Beer and wine. And meat.
The change meant that the co-op lost some members who wanted an all-vegetarian store. Others objected to the co-op selling wine and beer. But the change attracted new members, too.
"Todd Giesler (another longtime employee) got it right," said Kirkpatrick. "We had tie-dye and VW vans in the morning, Versace and Lexuses in the afternoon."
When my son Stephen woke up he was so excited to give his dad, Andrew, his presents and cards. Tom, who has autism, was more excited about wearing Andrew’s new Mr Men socks and chocolate ‘medallion’.
The boys gave Andrew chocolates, as well as a book by fantastic author and Twitter friend Mark Richards, or as he is better known by Stephen, ‘Best Dad I Can Be’.
Tom had made Andrew a card at school while Stephen made one at home. As usual though, when I tried to display the cards on the fireplace Tom insisted that they stay on the couch for him to look at. We had a quiet day; Andrew took Stephen to church while I whisked Tom to town for coffee juice and the ‘boat museum’.
For lunch we had a picnic and had a general dozy time. I think I had tired Tom out in the morning so the afternoon was a peaceful affair.
We did have a few moments though where he wanted to throw the newly-purchased plastic golf clubs and bash them on the floor – and in the snail house while being a ninja – but other than that a relatively cosy affair with us all just relaxing together, and the sun even came out to shine.
Dads should be celebrated for all that they do, and those dads who have children with additional needs should have extra celebrations.
It is not easy being a mum to a child with autism so it can’t be any different for a dad. Andrew works full-time, yes, so he is out of the house more and I do more of the caring but if he didn’t work, we wouldn’t have a roof over our heads.
Click on their website www.smartcardfactory.com for more information.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Experts say that residents should have emergency preparedness plans
Though tornado season rolls into Oklahoma year in and year out, unpredictably dangerous twisters catch many who have no emergency plan off-guard, resulting in injuries or death.
According to the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office, 48 people died in central Oklahoma storms this year. These deaths — from the May 19, May 20 and May 31 tornadoes in Pottawatomie, Cleveland and Canadian counties, respectively — took place in mobile homes, houses, buildings, vehicles or unknown locations, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. None are recorded as taking place inside a shelter.
Alan Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency media relations specialist, said having a plan — including a communication and sheltering plan for before, during and after a tornado — can make the difference between life and death.
“Obviously, in a situation like a tornado, minutes count. If you’re trying to decide what you’re going to do in those minutes, you’re way behind the game. Minutes save lives, and that’s no joke,” he said. “The best thing you can do is have a plan and have a drill. You have to know what to do in a drill, and the only way to know how to do that is to practice it. If you don’t know where to go in the event of a tornado — that’s a recipe for disaster right there.”
While Oklahoma residents shouldn’t feel paranoid about their safety during tornado seasons, Rick Smith, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Norman Forecast Office, said a healthy respect for these storms goes a long way.
“We have to know it can happen again. It may be next spring, it may be 50 years from now, but it will happen again,” he said. “Having a healthy respect just means having a plan for you and your family about what you’re going to do.”
According to FEMA’s website, ready.gov, U.S. residents can take several preparedness steps to protect themselves in the event of a severe weather event.
Be weather-aware: To protect yourself, you first have to be aware of the weather. The city of Norman’s Emergency Management Coordinator, David Grizzle, said the city’s sirens are designed to be an outdoor warning signal and are not designed to be heard indoors. Residents should take steps to inform themselves on the weather in other ways.
The ready.gov website suggests using multiple platforms such as TV, radio and Internet to hear the latest weather news. Crank radios can be especially useful in case of a power outage.
Residents also are advised to be alert of changing weather conditions and to look for approaching storms, including danger signs such as a dark, often greenish sky; large hail; a large, dark, low-lying cloud (particularly if rotating); and a loud roar, similar to a freight train. If approaching storms show danger signs, shelter should be sought immediately.
Family communication plan: Having a communication plan can help eliminate some of the confusion before, during and after a tornado. The ready.gov website suggests forming plans for each family member depending on where they could be when severe weather strikes.
Norman’s Emergency Management website suggests identifying the safest shelter areas in each possible location, such as an interior room with no windows or the lowest level of a building. The family emergency plan also should determine when to seek shelter in or outside the home and when to possibly vacate.
A meeting place also should be established in the event family members are separated. Cross said families with children should consider practicing their plans.
“It’s kind of like driving a car,” he said. “The first time you get behind a car you’re just scared to death, but the more you do it, the more practiced you get, you’re more comfortable with it. So the more you practice, the better you get at it and it just becomes a habit.”
The ready.gov site suggests completing a contact card for each member of the family to keep handy in wallets, purses or backpacks. Each family member should also have a cell phone, coins or a prepaid phone card for emergency calls.
All families should identify a contact who lives outside of the state or immediate area to contact when getting into a storm shelter, Grizzle said. Long-distance phone calls may be easier to make than across town, so out-of-town contacts could help with communicating between separated family members.
Text messaging may be an effective way to communicate during an emergency because texts often are able to get around network disruptions.
Kits should be assembled in advance of an emergency and should contain sufficient food, water and other supplies to survive on your own after an emergency for at least 72 hours.
Basic disaster supplies kits contain water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days for drinking and sanitation; food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food per person; battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both; flashlight and extra batteries; first aid kit; whistle to signal for help; dust masks; moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation; wrench or pliers to turn off utilities; manual can opener for food; local maps and a cell phone with a charger, inverter or solar charger.
Other items to consider include prescription medications and glasses; infant formula and diapers; pet food and extra water for pets; cash or traveler’s checks; important family documents in a waterproof portable container; first aid book; sleeping bag for each person; complete change of clothing for each person; household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper; fire extinguisher; matches in a waterproof container; feminine supplies and personal hygiene items; mess kits; paper and pencil; and books, games, puzzles or other activities for children.
Maintain kits by rotating food and water supplies every six months, and consider updating kits as family needs change. Having multiple kits on hand in various locations — such as home, work and vehicle — can ensure preparedness at all times.
Click on their website www.smartcardfactory.com for more information.
According to the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office, 48 people died in central Oklahoma storms this year. These deaths — from the May 19, May 20 and May 31 tornadoes in Pottawatomie, Cleveland and Canadian counties, respectively — took place in mobile homes, houses, buildings, vehicles or unknown locations, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. None are recorded as taking place inside a shelter.
Alan Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency media relations specialist, said having a plan — including a communication and sheltering plan for before, during and after a tornado — can make the difference between life and death.
“Obviously, in a situation like a tornado, minutes count. If you’re trying to decide what you’re going to do in those minutes, you’re way behind the game. Minutes save lives, and that’s no joke,” he said. “The best thing you can do is have a plan and have a drill. You have to know what to do in a drill, and the only way to know how to do that is to practice it. If you don’t know where to go in the event of a tornado — that’s a recipe for disaster right there.”
While Oklahoma residents shouldn’t feel paranoid about their safety during tornado seasons, Rick Smith, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Norman Forecast Office, said a healthy respect for these storms goes a long way.
“We have to know it can happen again. It may be next spring, it may be 50 years from now, but it will happen again,” he said. “Having a healthy respect just means having a plan for you and your family about what you’re going to do.”
According to FEMA’s website, ready.gov, U.S. residents can take several preparedness steps to protect themselves in the event of a severe weather event.
Be weather-aware: To protect yourself, you first have to be aware of the weather. The city of Norman’s Emergency Management Coordinator, David Grizzle, said the city’s sirens are designed to be an outdoor warning signal and are not designed to be heard indoors. Residents should take steps to inform themselves on the weather in other ways.
The ready.gov website suggests using multiple platforms such as TV, radio and Internet to hear the latest weather news. Crank radios can be especially useful in case of a power outage.
Residents also are advised to be alert of changing weather conditions and to look for approaching storms, including danger signs such as a dark, often greenish sky; large hail; a large, dark, low-lying cloud (particularly if rotating); and a loud roar, similar to a freight train. If approaching storms show danger signs, shelter should be sought immediately.
Family communication plan: Having a communication plan can help eliminate some of the confusion before, during and after a tornado. The ready.gov website suggests forming plans for each family member depending on where they could be when severe weather strikes.
Norman’s Emergency Management website suggests identifying the safest shelter areas in each possible location, such as an interior room with no windows or the lowest level of a building. The family emergency plan also should determine when to seek shelter in or outside the home and when to possibly vacate.
A meeting place also should be established in the event family members are separated. Cross said families with children should consider practicing their plans.
“It’s kind of like driving a car,” he said. “The first time you get behind a car you’re just scared to death, but the more you do it, the more practiced you get, you’re more comfortable with it. So the more you practice, the better you get at it and it just becomes a habit.”
The ready.gov site suggests completing a contact card for each member of the family to keep handy in wallets, purses or backpacks. Each family member should also have a cell phone, coins or a prepaid phone card for emergency calls.
All families should identify a contact who lives outside of the state or immediate area to contact when getting into a storm shelter, Grizzle said. Long-distance phone calls may be easier to make than across town, so out-of-town contacts could help with communicating between separated family members.
Text messaging may be an effective way to communicate during an emergency because texts often are able to get around network disruptions.
Kits should be assembled in advance of an emergency and should contain sufficient food, water and other supplies to survive on your own after an emergency for at least 72 hours.
Basic disaster supplies kits contain water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days for drinking and sanitation; food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food per person; battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both; flashlight and extra batteries; first aid kit; whistle to signal for help; dust masks; moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation; wrench or pliers to turn off utilities; manual can opener for food; local maps and a cell phone with a charger, inverter or solar charger.
Other items to consider include prescription medications and glasses; infant formula and diapers; pet food and extra water for pets; cash or traveler’s checks; important family documents in a waterproof portable container; first aid book; sleeping bag for each person; complete change of clothing for each person; household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper; fire extinguisher; matches in a waterproof container; feminine supplies and personal hygiene items; mess kits; paper and pencil; and books, games, puzzles or other activities for children.
Maintain kits by rotating food and water supplies every six months, and consider updating kits as family needs change. Having multiple kits on hand in various locations — such as home, work and vehicle — can ensure preparedness at all times.
Click on their website www.smartcardfactory.com for more information.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
A year in the life of the lost
While the "lost year" figure is chucked around with gay abandon on the web, it is a bit hard to pin down the exact scientific source of the estimate, discounting the usual dodgy, publicity-seeking surveys by insurance firms.
Most fingers seem to point toward the US author James Gleick's book "Faster - the Acceleration of Just About Everything".
Gleick explored what he called "hurry sickness", the breaking down of time in modern society into nanoseconds. The faster you go, the more things you lose.
He wrote it in 1999, and while society might have seemed hurried back then, it looks positively relaxed and comfortable compared to today. After all, we were still happy to stand by a fax machine waiting for a document to chug out with that doonk, doonk, doonk sound back in 1999. We still used dial-up modems in 1999, waiting patiently for the squeal of static that signalled they had connected with the internet. We still read paper books back in 1999.
Even allowing for a bad dose of hurry sickness, it still seems ridiculous for anyone to claim we lose a whole year of our life looking for lost possessions. Or does it?
Gleick reckoned the average person spent 16 minutes a day looking for lost stuff - car keys, lip balm, the baby's dummy, your coffee mug, the secateurs you swear you placed on top of the green bin. Sixteen minutes is a believable estimate.
On my calculation, 16 minutes a day equals 5840 minutes a year. The average life span in Australia is 79.7 years for a man and 84.2 years for a woman.
Eighty times 5840 minutes equals 467,200 minutes. A year has 525,949 minutes. So Gleick's guesstimate of 16 minutes a day places us perilously close to a full year over an average lifetime.
Add to this the frustration of looking for lost items, which is physically and mentally draining. It probably takes years off your life.
Last week I spent the best part of an hour on my hands and knees in the office looking for a micro SIM card that had arrived in the post. A SIM card is a small square of chip card, with gold contacts, that you insert into a mobile phone or tablet to enable you to make telephone calls or get mobile broadband internet access. Who knows how they work, they just do. It is magic.
AsEmails sent across the Web are like postcards. In some cases, they're readable by anyone standing between you and its recipient. That can include your webmail company, your Internet service provider and whoever is tapped into the fiber optic cable passing your message around the globe - not to mention a parallel set of observers on the recipient's side of the world.
Experts recommend encryption, which scrambles messages in transit, so they're unreadable to anyone trying to intercept them. Techniques vary, but a popular one is called PGP, short for "Pretty Good Privacy." PGP is effective enough that the U.S. government tried to block its export in the mid-1990s, arguing that it was so powerful it should be classed as a weapon.devices have got smaller, the cards have shrunk too, so that a micro SIM is about the size of the fingernail on your pinky finger.
This SIM card came encased in a credit card-sized piece of plastic. When I pressed it with my thumb it pinged out, ricocheted off my shirt and vanished into thin air.
For the next hour I crawled around and under my desk, dragged filing cabinets to one side, emptied my satchel at least three times, and repeatedly turned all my pockets inside out. Workmates joined me on the floor and the boss even got down on his hands and knees to help with the search. I prayed to St Anthony, of course.
Eventually I sat back down and tried to recreate the moment the card vanished. I traced the trajectory down my shirt. I then looked down the side of the arms of the chair and there, at the point where the metal frame curves under the seat, was just the slightest edge of the SIM card, resting where it had landed.
Like emails, your travels around the Internet can easily be tracked by anyone standing between you and the site you're trying to reach. TOR, short for "The Onion Router," helps make your traffic anonymous by bouncing it through a network of routers before spitting it back out on the other side. Each trip through a router provides another layer of protection, thus the onion reference.
Originally developed by the U.S. military, TOR is believed to work pretty well if you want to hide your traffic from, let's say, eavesdropping by your local Internet service provider. And criminals' use of TOR has so frustrated Japanese police that experts there recently recommended restricting its use. But it's worth noting that TOR may be ineffective against governments equipped with the powers of global surveillance.
Your everyday cellphone has all kinds of privacy problems. In Britain, cellphone safety was so poor that crooked journalists made a cottage industry out of eavesdropping on their victims' voicemails. In general, proprietary software, lousy encryption, hard-to-delete data and other security issues make a cellphone a bad bet for storing information you'd rather not share.
An even bigger issue is that cellphones almost always follow their owners around, carefully logging the location of every call, something which could effectively give governments a daily digest of your everyday life. Security researcher Jacob Appelbaum has described cellphones as tracking devices that also happen to make phone calls. If you're not happy with the idea of an intelligence agency following your footsteps across town, leave the phone at home.
Most fingers seem to point toward the US author James Gleick's book "Faster - the Acceleration of Just About Everything".
Gleick explored what he called "hurry sickness", the breaking down of time in modern society into nanoseconds. The faster you go, the more things you lose.
He wrote it in 1999, and while society might have seemed hurried back then, it looks positively relaxed and comfortable compared to today. After all, we were still happy to stand by a fax machine waiting for a document to chug out with that doonk, doonk, doonk sound back in 1999. We still used dial-up modems in 1999, waiting patiently for the squeal of static that signalled they had connected with the internet. We still read paper books back in 1999.
Even allowing for a bad dose of hurry sickness, it still seems ridiculous for anyone to claim we lose a whole year of our life looking for lost possessions. Or does it?
Gleick reckoned the average person spent 16 minutes a day looking for lost stuff - car keys, lip balm, the baby's dummy, your coffee mug, the secateurs you swear you placed on top of the green bin. Sixteen minutes is a believable estimate.
On my calculation, 16 minutes a day equals 5840 minutes a year. The average life span in Australia is 79.7 years for a man and 84.2 years for a woman.
Eighty times 5840 minutes equals 467,200 minutes. A year has 525,949 minutes. So Gleick's guesstimate of 16 minutes a day places us perilously close to a full year over an average lifetime.
Add to this the frustration of looking for lost items, which is physically and mentally draining. It probably takes years off your life.
Last week I spent the best part of an hour on my hands and knees in the office looking for a micro SIM card that had arrived in the post. A SIM card is a small square of chip card, with gold contacts, that you insert into a mobile phone or tablet to enable you to make telephone calls or get mobile broadband internet access. Who knows how they work, they just do. It is magic.
AsEmails sent across the Web are like postcards. In some cases, they're readable by anyone standing between you and its recipient. That can include your webmail company, your Internet service provider and whoever is tapped into the fiber optic cable passing your message around the globe - not to mention a parallel set of observers on the recipient's side of the world.
Experts recommend encryption, which scrambles messages in transit, so they're unreadable to anyone trying to intercept them. Techniques vary, but a popular one is called PGP, short for "Pretty Good Privacy." PGP is effective enough that the U.S. government tried to block its export in the mid-1990s, arguing that it was so powerful it should be classed as a weapon.devices have got smaller, the cards have shrunk too, so that a micro SIM is about the size of the fingernail on your pinky finger.
This SIM card came encased in a credit card-sized piece of plastic. When I pressed it with my thumb it pinged out, ricocheted off my shirt and vanished into thin air.
For the next hour I crawled around and under my desk, dragged filing cabinets to one side, emptied my satchel at least three times, and repeatedly turned all my pockets inside out. Workmates joined me on the floor and the boss even got down on his hands and knees to help with the search. I prayed to St Anthony, of course.
Eventually I sat back down and tried to recreate the moment the card vanished. I traced the trajectory down my shirt. I then looked down the side of the arms of the chair and there, at the point where the metal frame curves under the seat, was just the slightest edge of the SIM card, resting where it had landed.
Like emails, your travels around the Internet can easily be tracked by anyone standing between you and the site you're trying to reach. TOR, short for "The Onion Router," helps make your traffic anonymous by bouncing it through a network of routers before spitting it back out on the other side. Each trip through a router provides another layer of protection, thus the onion reference.
Originally developed by the U.S. military, TOR is believed to work pretty well if you want to hide your traffic from, let's say, eavesdropping by your local Internet service provider. And criminals' use of TOR has so frustrated Japanese police that experts there recently recommended restricting its use. But it's worth noting that TOR may be ineffective against governments equipped with the powers of global surveillance.
Your everyday cellphone has all kinds of privacy problems. In Britain, cellphone safety was so poor that crooked journalists made a cottage industry out of eavesdropping on their victims' voicemails. In general, proprietary software, lousy encryption, hard-to-delete data and other security issues make a cellphone a bad bet for storing information you'd rather not share.
An even bigger issue is that cellphones almost always follow their owners around, carefully logging the location of every call, something which could effectively give governments a daily digest of your everyday life. Security researcher Jacob Appelbaum has described cellphones as tracking devices that also happen to make phone calls. If you're not happy with the idea of an intelligence agency following your footsteps across town, leave the phone at home.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Tea party activist publicly spar over primary challenge
A Kentucky Republican operative named David Adams is doing everything he can to drive Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell crazy.
Adams, a self-styled tea party activist who worked on Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul’s 2010 primary campaign, is regularly quoted in national media outlets lambasting McConnell, who faces re-election in 2014, and he is making an active effort to recruit a tea partier to challenge McConnell in the GOP primary. The McConnell campaign has attacked him back, creating a public conflict between the tea party and the so-called establishment senator, even as a seemingly unlikely alliance has emerged between McConnell and the more anti-establishment Paul.
A serious challenger to McConnell, who has a 44 percent approval rating according to a May Public Policy Polling poll conducted for Senate Majority PAC, a Democratic group, has yet to materialize. But for the past few weeks, Adams has been announcing to the press that he has found such a challenger. He will not, however, say whom.
“That’s going very well. No timeline. We’re just enjoying immensely watching the McConnell team flail around blindly,” Adams told The Daily Caller in a phone interview Friday. “We’ve got a little bit of time to just sit back and enjoy that. So that’s what we’re doing.”
Adams suggests his expertise stems from his time as Paul’s campaign manager during his 2010 primary election, but Kentucky operatives who worked with Adams on that and other campaigns were skeptical of Adams’ claims and his influence.
“I wore my car out traveling around all over the state trying to help a guy who was a virtual unknown become elected to the U.S Senate. Worked my guts out,” Adams said of his time on the Paul campaign. He parted ways with the campaign after the primary, he said, to go work on Phil Moffett’s unsuccessful gubernatorial bid, something he said he was “setting some groundwork for” before he joined the Paul campaign.
Other people from the Paul campaign tell the story differently, describing Adams as a likable person, but a poor campaign manager.
“David Adams? The guy we fired? He’s just so incompetent,” Jesse Benton, who managed Paul’s campaign after he won the Republican primary and is currently managing McConnell’s campaign, told TheDC in March, regarding Adams’ efforts to find a challenger to McConnell.
Emails sent across the Web are like postcards. In some cases, they're readable by anyone standing between you and its recipient. That can include your webmail company, your Internet service provider and whoever is tapped into the fiber optic cable passing your message around the globe — not to mention a parallel set of observers on the recipient's side of the world.
Experts recommend encryption, which scrambles messages in transit, so they're unreadable to anyone trying to intercept them. Techniques vary, but a popular one is called PGP, short for “Pretty Good Privacy.” PGP is effective enough that the U.S. government tried to block its export in the mid-1990s, arguing that it was so powerful it should be classed as a weapon.
Like emails, your travels around the Internet can easily be tracked by anyone standing between you and the site you're trying to reach. TOR, short for “The Onion Router,” helps make your traffic anonymous by bouncing it through a network of routers before spitting it back out on the other side. Each trip through a router provides another layer of protection, thus the onion reference.
Originally developed by the U.S. military, TOR is believed to work pretty well if you want to hide your traffic from, let's say, eavesdropping by your local Internet service provider.
And criminals' use of TOR has so frustrated Japanese police that experts there recently recommended restricting its use. But it's worth noting that TOR may be ineffective against governments equipped with the powers of global surveillance.
Your everyday cellphone has all kinds of privacy problems. In general, proprietary software, lousy encryption, hard-to-delete data and other security issues make a cellphone a bad bet for storing information you'd rather not share.
An even bigger issue is that cellphones almost always follow their owners around, logging the location of every call, something that could effectively give governments a daily digest of your everyday life.
Security researcher Jacob Appelbaum has described cellphones as tracking devices that also happen to make phone calls. If you're not happy with the idea of an intelligence agency following your footsteps across town, leave the phone at home.
Read the full story at www.smartcardfactory.com!
Adams, a self-styled tea party activist who worked on Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul’s 2010 primary campaign, is regularly quoted in national media outlets lambasting McConnell, who faces re-election in 2014, and he is making an active effort to recruit a tea partier to challenge McConnell in the GOP primary. The McConnell campaign has attacked him back, creating a public conflict between the tea party and the so-called establishment senator, even as a seemingly unlikely alliance has emerged between McConnell and the more anti-establishment Paul.
A serious challenger to McConnell, who has a 44 percent approval rating according to a May Public Policy Polling poll conducted for Senate Majority PAC, a Democratic group, has yet to materialize. But for the past few weeks, Adams has been announcing to the press that he has found such a challenger. He will not, however, say whom.
“That’s going very well. No timeline. We’re just enjoying immensely watching the McConnell team flail around blindly,” Adams told The Daily Caller in a phone interview Friday. “We’ve got a little bit of time to just sit back and enjoy that. So that’s what we’re doing.”
Adams suggests his expertise stems from his time as Paul’s campaign manager during his 2010 primary election, but Kentucky operatives who worked with Adams on that and other campaigns were skeptical of Adams’ claims and his influence.
“I wore my car out traveling around all over the state trying to help a guy who was a virtual unknown become elected to the U.S Senate. Worked my guts out,” Adams said of his time on the Paul campaign. He parted ways with the campaign after the primary, he said, to go work on Phil Moffett’s unsuccessful gubernatorial bid, something he said he was “setting some groundwork for” before he joined the Paul campaign.
Other people from the Paul campaign tell the story differently, describing Adams as a likable person, but a poor campaign manager.
“David Adams? The guy we fired? He’s just so incompetent,” Jesse Benton, who managed Paul’s campaign after he won the Republican primary and is currently managing McConnell’s campaign, told TheDC in March, regarding Adams’ efforts to find a challenger to McConnell.
Emails sent across the Web are like postcards. In some cases, they're readable by anyone standing between you and its recipient. That can include your webmail company, your Internet service provider and whoever is tapped into the fiber optic cable passing your message around the globe — not to mention a parallel set of observers on the recipient's side of the world.
Experts recommend encryption, which scrambles messages in transit, so they're unreadable to anyone trying to intercept them. Techniques vary, but a popular one is called PGP, short for “Pretty Good Privacy.” PGP is effective enough that the U.S. government tried to block its export in the mid-1990s, arguing that it was so powerful it should be classed as a weapon.
Like emails, your travels around the Internet can easily be tracked by anyone standing between you and the site you're trying to reach. TOR, short for “The Onion Router,” helps make your traffic anonymous by bouncing it through a network of routers before spitting it back out on the other side. Each trip through a router provides another layer of protection, thus the onion reference.
Originally developed by the U.S. military, TOR is believed to work pretty well if you want to hide your traffic from, let's say, eavesdropping by your local Internet service provider.
And criminals' use of TOR has so frustrated Japanese police that experts there recently recommended restricting its use. But it's worth noting that TOR may be ineffective against governments equipped with the powers of global surveillance.
Your everyday cellphone has all kinds of privacy problems. In general, proprietary software, lousy encryption, hard-to-delete data and other security issues make a cellphone a bad bet for storing information you'd rather not share.
An even bigger issue is that cellphones almost always follow their owners around, logging the location of every call, something that could effectively give governments a daily digest of your everyday life.
Security researcher Jacob Appelbaum has described cellphones as tracking devices that also happen to make phone calls. If you're not happy with the idea of an intelligence agency following your footsteps across town, leave the phone at home.
Read the full story at www.smartcardfactory.com!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
State of the art goes sky high at Boeing
Hubris can be dangerous when ultimate success isn't assured. Boeing's decision to nickname its new 787 the ''Dreamliner'' was brave considering delivery delays and damaging safety-related dramas have become the norm, rather than the exception, in bringing new planes into service.
There was almost an air of inevitability - not to mention schadenfreude - as newspaper editors around the world sharpened up their ''dream turns to nightmare'' headlines in January.
Two separate battery fires in the space of days struck the first 787s delivered, and suddenly the world was looking askance at the plane that had attracted more glowing headlines than any other since the hyperbolic launch of the massive Airbus A380 in 2007.
That launch was delayed by wiring-harness issues, while subsequent engine availability and production problems slowed early deliveries. A catastrophic engine failure on Qantas flight QF32 in November 2010 over Indonesia caused the temporary grounding of the entire A380 fleet, although no further big issues have been reported.
The A380 has since forged a reputation as a modern and capacious long-haul workhorse. Peter Harbison, the executive chairman of the CAPA-Centre for Aviation, says experience proves the flying public can move on from safety-related dramas.
''I don't think there's a good deal of confidence lost as long as a sequence [of mishaps] doesn't emerge,'' he says. ''The public tends to have a short memory and the 787 looks so different that I don't think there will be any impediment to selling seats.''
Fairfax visited Boeing's 787 factory in Everett, outside Seattle, to see the very first Australian-bound example being built. It is expected to arrive in September, when the mid-size, single-deck, long-range jet will become the flagship of budget airline Jetstar.
It will be joined by two others before the year's end and a further 11 before the end of 2015. After a period of testing, training and certification, paying Jetstar passengers will step on board for the first time in November.
Qantas initially ordered more than 30 of the ultra-modern Boeings, but walked away from the deal after budget constraints hit its operations. It is quick to point out that it opted out before January's safety-related issues. Instead, Qantas will take possession of a dozen Airbus A330s that Jetstar will release as its 787s arrive.
Jetstar will eventually press the 787 into service on its international routes, from Australia's east coast to holiday destinations including Honolulu, Bali, Phuket and Tokyo. First, though, Jetstar plans to stretch the 787's legs with trips to longer domestic destinations such as the Gold Coast, Cairns and Darwin.
A good deal of the budget airline's travellers are infrequent, even first-time flyers, and not accustomed to the rigours of cabin pressure and sensory deprivation that come with long-haul travel. Jetstar expects them to appreciate the 787's big windows, which, according to Boeing, are the largest in commercial aircraft. They have also been raised to eye level so passengers can see the horizon without needing to duck their head. The ubiquitous plastic window blind is also set to become a relic of the past, replaced on the 787 by an electronic system that tints the window by degrees until almost total blackness.
To reduce the physical stress of flying, increased cabin pressures will replicate the atmosphere at 6000 feet rather than the industry-standard 8000 feet, resulting in less oxygen deprivation-related fatigue. Boeing says the 787 is also smoother and quieter in flight, and its cabin air more humid.
Boeing's regional director of product marketing, Carrie Shiu, says she took a test flight on the 787 before it was launched and was impressed. ''When you flew on that airplane for more than six hours you could feel the difference,'' she says.
''We can personally tell you, you just don't get as thirsty, your eyes don't get dry, don't get itchy as much, you don't have the headache. That's the real experience. OK, that's not scientific, but I can tell you, you feel a lot better.''
The 787 cabin has been rethought and one of the greatest aggravations of leisure travel - boarding the plane and finding room in the storage bins for your hand luggage - will be reduced by larger bins that pivot down from the roof, offering significant extra headroom and a more spacious cabin feel. Jetstar plans to install a state-of-the-art entertainment system for every passenger, complete with a 22.8-centimetre screen for economy passengers and a 26.9 centimetre one in business. It will include access to movies and music on demand (after a credit card swipe for economy passengers), and also a passenger-to-passenger chat feature.
Internet connectivity won't be offered at this stage, because it is uneconomic. But Jetstar expects many passengers will bring their own media devices, so it will provide a USB point at every seat and power point access. All of these developments are calculated to improve the physical experience of flying.
But perhaps the greatest step forward for Jetstar's budget-sensitive customers is the high-tech plane construction that is expected to deliver the airline significant fuel savings that should be (partially) passed on to the customer.
Boeing says the carbon fibre composite of the fuselage and wings - moving away from heavier steel and alloys - along with the switch to lighter lithium-ion batteries, will result in fuel savings of up to 20 per cent. Fuel is any airline's greatest single cost, so it's expected Jetstar may be able to pass on discounts of up to 10 per cent on 787 routes.
The stronger composites used in construction also allowed Boeing to throw away the rule book on how it assembles planes, resulting in a process that saves an astounding 160,000 rivets per plane and means far fewer maintenance checks.
Jetstar's 787 program director, Mark Dal Pra, says the airline's cost-sensitive passengers will appreciate any savings it can offer. ''The great thing that this aircraft brings for us is lower operating costs which means continuing to offer our low fares, and an improved customer experience, so it's amazing that we've got something that does both of those things simultaneously,'' Dal Pra says.
The 787's comparatively long range is also a boon for airlines, Harbison says. It will be able to go beyond the ''hub to hub'' limitation of other aircraft, reaching regional international airports and adding significant flexibility in scheduling. 'It's that ability to go non-stop, where other planes need to do a one-stop, that the industry really values,'' he says.
Radical change rarely comes without pain, however, and the cost to Boeing of the 787's two highly publicised battery failures has been high. Images of passengers fleeing an ANA plane via escape slides after an emergency landing in Tokyo were beamed around the world. Along with another similar incident on a JAL plane in Boston the same week, the ''Dreamliner'' tag suddenly seemed somewhat fanciful.
At the heart of the issue is that lithium-ion batteries - used in mobile phones, laptop computers and other self-powered devices - have a known propensity to occasionally self-combust under stress.
Boeing has since placed the offending battery packs inside a fireproof aluminium box that also includes a venting mechanism. It is designed to quarantine any ignition and prevent smoke from entering the cabin. The fix was approved by the US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the grounded 787 fleet resumed service.
Can the 787 emulate the A380 by shrugging off its ignominious start to life and asserting its genre-shifting benefits? Much depends on the next two to three years as Boeing ramps up production of the Dreamliner and more planes make their way into service. Any repeat of January's dramatic scenes would place a question mark next to the 787's ''dream'' tagline.
The 787 shows the potential to become the champion of a changing and improving face of aviation, embedded with groundbreaking technologies that could change the way we travel. The plane making its way into service, the 787-8, seats about 335 passengers and has a range of 8000 nautical miles.Click on their website www.smartcardfactory.com for more information.
There was almost an air of inevitability - not to mention schadenfreude - as newspaper editors around the world sharpened up their ''dream turns to nightmare'' headlines in January.
Two separate battery fires in the space of days struck the first 787s delivered, and suddenly the world was looking askance at the plane that had attracted more glowing headlines than any other since the hyperbolic launch of the massive Airbus A380 in 2007.
That launch was delayed by wiring-harness issues, while subsequent engine availability and production problems slowed early deliveries. A catastrophic engine failure on Qantas flight QF32 in November 2010 over Indonesia caused the temporary grounding of the entire A380 fleet, although no further big issues have been reported.
The A380 has since forged a reputation as a modern and capacious long-haul workhorse. Peter Harbison, the executive chairman of the CAPA-Centre for Aviation, says experience proves the flying public can move on from safety-related dramas.
''I don't think there's a good deal of confidence lost as long as a sequence [of mishaps] doesn't emerge,'' he says. ''The public tends to have a short memory and the 787 looks so different that I don't think there will be any impediment to selling seats.''
Fairfax visited Boeing's 787 factory in Everett, outside Seattle, to see the very first Australian-bound example being built. It is expected to arrive in September, when the mid-size, single-deck, long-range jet will become the flagship of budget airline Jetstar.
It will be joined by two others before the year's end and a further 11 before the end of 2015. After a period of testing, training and certification, paying Jetstar passengers will step on board for the first time in November.
Qantas initially ordered more than 30 of the ultra-modern Boeings, but walked away from the deal after budget constraints hit its operations. It is quick to point out that it opted out before January's safety-related issues. Instead, Qantas will take possession of a dozen Airbus A330s that Jetstar will release as its 787s arrive.
Jetstar will eventually press the 787 into service on its international routes, from Australia's east coast to holiday destinations including Honolulu, Bali, Phuket and Tokyo. First, though, Jetstar plans to stretch the 787's legs with trips to longer domestic destinations such as the Gold Coast, Cairns and Darwin.
A good deal of the budget airline's travellers are infrequent, even first-time flyers, and not accustomed to the rigours of cabin pressure and sensory deprivation that come with long-haul travel. Jetstar expects them to appreciate the 787's big windows, which, according to Boeing, are the largest in commercial aircraft. They have also been raised to eye level so passengers can see the horizon without needing to duck their head. The ubiquitous plastic window blind is also set to become a relic of the past, replaced on the 787 by an electronic system that tints the window by degrees until almost total blackness.
To reduce the physical stress of flying, increased cabin pressures will replicate the atmosphere at 6000 feet rather than the industry-standard 8000 feet, resulting in less oxygen deprivation-related fatigue. Boeing says the 787 is also smoother and quieter in flight, and its cabin air more humid.
Boeing's regional director of product marketing, Carrie Shiu, says she took a test flight on the 787 before it was launched and was impressed. ''When you flew on that airplane for more than six hours you could feel the difference,'' she says.
''We can personally tell you, you just don't get as thirsty, your eyes don't get dry, don't get itchy as much, you don't have the headache. That's the real experience. OK, that's not scientific, but I can tell you, you feel a lot better.''
The 787 cabin has been rethought and one of the greatest aggravations of leisure travel - boarding the plane and finding room in the storage bins for your hand luggage - will be reduced by larger bins that pivot down from the roof, offering significant extra headroom and a more spacious cabin feel. Jetstar plans to install a state-of-the-art entertainment system for every passenger, complete with a 22.8-centimetre screen for economy passengers and a 26.9 centimetre one in business. It will include access to movies and music on demand (after a credit card swipe for economy passengers), and also a passenger-to-passenger chat feature.
Internet connectivity won't be offered at this stage, because it is uneconomic. But Jetstar expects many passengers will bring their own media devices, so it will provide a USB point at every seat and power point access. All of these developments are calculated to improve the physical experience of flying.
But perhaps the greatest step forward for Jetstar's budget-sensitive customers is the high-tech plane construction that is expected to deliver the airline significant fuel savings that should be (partially) passed on to the customer.
Boeing says the carbon fibre composite of the fuselage and wings - moving away from heavier steel and alloys - along with the switch to lighter lithium-ion batteries, will result in fuel savings of up to 20 per cent. Fuel is any airline's greatest single cost, so it's expected Jetstar may be able to pass on discounts of up to 10 per cent on 787 routes.
The stronger composites used in construction also allowed Boeing to throw away the rule book on how it assembles planes, resulting in a process that saves an astounding 160,000 rivets per plane and means far fewer maintenance checks.
Jetstar's 787 program director, Mark Dal Pra, says the airline's cost-sensitive passengers will appreciate any savings it can offer. ''The great thing that this aircraft brings for us is lower operating costs which means continuing to offer our low fares, and an improved customer experience, so it's amazing that we've got something that does both of those things simultaneously,'' Dal Pra says.
The 787's comparatively long range is also a boon for airlines, Harbison says. It will be able to go beyond the ''hub to hub'' limitation of other aircraft, reaching regional international airports and adding significant flexibility in scheduling. 'It's that ability to go non-stop, where other planes need to do a one-stop, that the industry really values,'' he says.
Radical change rarely comes without pain, however, and the cost to Boeing of the 787's two highly publicised battery failures has been high. Images of passengers fleeing an ANA plane via escape slides after an emergency landing in Tokyo were beamed around the world. Along with another similar incident on a JAL plane in Boston the same week, the ''Dreamliner'' tag suddenly seemed somewhat fanciful.
At the heart of the issue is that lithium-ion batteries - used in mobile phones, laptop computers and other self-powered devices - have a known propensity to occasionally self-combust under stress.
Boeing has since placed the offending battery packs inside a fireproof aluminium box that also includes a venting mechanism. It is designed to quarantine any ignition and prevent smoke from entering the cabin. The fix was approved by the US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the grounded 787 fleet resumed service.
Can the 787 emulate the A380 by shrugging off its ignominious start to life and asserting its genre-shifting benefits? Much depends on the next two to three years as Boeing ramps up production of the Dreamliner and more planes make their way into service. Any repeat of January's dramatic scenes would place a question mark next to the 787's ''dream'' tagline.
The 787 shows the potential to become the champion of a changing and improving face of aviation, embedded with groundbreaking technologies that could change the way we travel. The plane making its way into service, the 787-8, seats about 335 passengers and has a range of 8000 nautical miles.Click on their website www.smartcardfactory.com for more information.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
MasterCard exec upbeat on ‘world beyond cash’ in Asia
A world beyond cash is emerging in Asia, and will continue to rapidly grow, predicts MasterCard worldwide president for international markets Ann Cairns who visited Manila as part of her trip to major Asian cities.
“What strikes me about Asia is that it has tremendous opportunity for growth, as its economies are really vibrant, and in many places, the penetration of card products is still extremely low,” says Cairns, who is upbeat about the rise of consumers and businesses shifting to cashless transactions in the region, and sees Asia as key for expansion.
Today, 85 percent of transactions in Asia are still cash-based. The region is falling much behind Europe, where card payments accounted for 41 percent of all transactions in 2011 according to data from the European Central Bank.
To lead the charge into the Asian market, MasterCard employs different strategies and engages with various stakeholders. As Cairns explains, “We are working hard to make people realize the convenience, efficiency, manageability, and rewards of electronic payment solutions. We help merchants and banks understand the costs of cash to their business and change their behavior.”
“To encourage banks to move away from cash, we assist them in launching great card products with wonderful features and superior fraud control,” she adds.
MasterCard also actively promotes mobile payment technologies, a leading area of growth for cashless transactions in Asia according to Cairns. She especially envisions the installation of more mobile payment counters for consumer establishments and the spread of contactless solutions like PayPass, which became hugely popular in Australia and is now being embraced in Singapore.
Cairns is very positive about mobile payments taking off in the Asian market, that she feels it is no longer a question of the technological solution or the acceptance by the population, but of putting the right regulatory frameworks in place.
It is in developing these frameworks, she explains, that MasterCard will play a crucial role, drawing from its vast experience in many different markets around the RFID tag.
Above all, Cairns is confident about MasterCard entrenching its leadership in the Asian card payments market, through the company’s “very deep relationships with clients, customers and other stakeholders.”
In the Philippines, MasterCard reached out to different segments through product lines that cater to their specific needs. Today, it offers debit and credit cards targeting students, young professionals, women, corporates, among other niche markets. It is also looking to tap into the unbanked population by offering prepaid cards.
Moreover, the company has partnered with leading telecommunications firm Smart to launch the Smart Money MasterCard, a reloadable payment card. With similar partnerships in development phase, MasterCard is poised to achieve even more breakthroughs in the mobile payments domain, and the payment solutions industry in general.
Naturally, Cairns is proud of the accomplishments of the Philippine team. She says, “In the Philippines, we are now in an excellent position to seize the market, and realize our company’s vision of a world beyond cash.”
Under the scheme, central government employees and beneficiaries can register using their identity card details. According to the website, beneficiaries will be sent a password to the registered mobile phone. The beneficiary can use the password to log in and view his/her medical history.
Very few employees and retirees have used the facility so far. While employees say they would rather meet the doctor in person, retirees have been unable to access the facility.
T. Sadagopan, who runs a district information centre for retirees in Pattabhiram, said he had been trying to help the beneficiaries but without success. “My father retired from service and is covered under the CGHS. I have taken him for treatment several times to CGHS hospitals. The CGHS revises its panel of hospitals and diagnostic laboratories from time to time. We need to access such information regularly,” he said.
“Every time my father is provided medicine at a CGHS hospital, I receive an SMS alert. I have registered online and I received the password to log in. But I have tried several times but have not been able to open the account,” Mr. Sadagopan said. He said, no one has helped him or other beneficiaries to resolve the issue. “The CGHS helpline which works from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. provides information. Online registration is a good move as beneficiaries from other states can access details about facilities elsewhere. This helps especially when they are either transferred or opt to settle in another city after retirement,” he said.
T. K. Damodaran, joint secretary of Ordnance Factory Pensioners Welfare Association said the beneficiary ID can help locate all the details such as the disease and the medicine provided. “But I have not been able to log in. CGHS beneficiaries in Chennai have not been given the smart cards which we can use whenever we seek treatment,” he said.
When contacted, a senior official at CGHS said a registered beneficiary can access information about facilities available, entitlement, empanelled hospitals and holidays etc. “We launched the facility two months ago and we have had no complaints. Those who face problems can come to our Besant Nagar office and we will demonstrate it to them. They can also go to the nearest CGHS dispensary where the staff will help them,” he said.
“What strikes me about Asia is that it has tremendous opportunity for growth, as its economies are really vibrant, and in many places, the penetration of card products is still extremely low,” says Cairns, who is upbeat about the rise of consumers and businesses shifting to cashless transactions in the region, and sees Asia as key for expansion.
Today, 85 percent of transactions in Asia are still cash-based. The region is falling much behind Europe, where card payments accounted for 41 percent of all transactions in 2011 according to data from the European Central Bank.
To lead the charge into the Asian market, MasterCard employs different strategies and engages with various stakeholders. As Cairns explains, “We are working hard to make people realize the convenience, efficiency, manageability, and rewards of electronic payment solutions. We help merchants and banks understand the costs of cash to their business and change their behavior.”
“To encourage banks to move away from cash, we assist them in launching great card products with wonderful features and superior fraud control,” she adds.
MasterCard also actively promotes mobile payment technologies, a leading area of growth for cashless transactions in Asia according to Cairns. She especially envisions the installation of more mobile payment counters for consumer establishments and the spread of contactless solutions like PayPass, which became hugely popular in Australia and is now being embraced in Singapore.
Cairns is very positive about mobile payments taking off in the Asian market, that she feels it is no longer a question of the technological solution or the acceptance by the population, but of putting the right regulatory frameworks in place.
It is in developing these frameworks, she explains, that MasterCard will play a crucial role, drawing from its vast experience in many different markets around the RFID tag.
Above all, Cairns is confident about MasterCard entrenching its leadership in the Asian card payments market, through the company’s “very deep relationships with clients, customers and other stakeholders.”
In the Philippines, MasterCard reached out to different segments through product lines that cater to their specific needs. Today, it offers debit and credit cards targeting students, young professionals, women, corporates, among other niche markets. It is also looking to tap into the unbanked population by offering prepaid cards.
Moreover, the company has partnered with leading telecommunications firm Smart to launch the Smart Money MasterCard, a reloadable payment card. With similar partnerships in development phase, MasterCard is poised to achieve even more breakthroughs in the mobile payments domain, and the payment solutions industry in general.
Naturally, Cairns is proud of the accomplishments of the Philippine team. She says, “In the Philippines, we are now in an excellent position to seize the market, and realize our company’s vision of a world beyond cash.”
Under the scheme, central government employees and beneficiaries can register using their identity card details. According to the website, beneficiaries will be sent a password to the registered mobile phone. The beneficiary can use the password to log in and view his/her medical history.
Very few employees and retirees have used the facility so far. While employees say they would rather meet the doctor in person, retirees have been unable to access the facility.
T. Sadagopan, who runs a district information centre for retirees in Pattabhiram, said he had been trying to help the beneficiaries but without success. “My father retired from service and is covered under the CGHS. I have taken him for treatment several times to CGHS hospitals. The CGHS revises its panel of hospitals and diagnostic laboratories from time to time. We need to access such information regularly,” he said.
“Every time my father is provided medicine at a CGHS hospital, I receive an SMS alert. I have registered online and I received the password to log in. But I have tried several times but have not been able to open the account,” Mr. Sadagopan said. He said, no one has helped him or other beneficiaries to resolve the issue. “The CGHS helpline which works from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. provides information. Online registration is a good move as beneficiaries from other states can access details about facilities elsewhere. This helps especially when they are either transferred or opt to settle in another city after retirement,” he said.
T. K. Damodaran, joint secretary of Ordnance Factory Pensioners Welfare Association said the beneficiary ID can help locate all the details such as the disease and the medicine provided. “But I have not been able to log in. CGHS beneficiaries in Chennai have not been given the smart cards which we can use whenever we seek treatment,” he said.
When contacted, a senior official at CGHS said a registered beneficiary can access information about facilities available, entitlement, empanelled hospitals and holidays etc. “We launched the facility two months ago and we have had no complaints. Those who face problems can come to our Besant Nagar office and we will demonstrate it to them. They can also go to the nearest CGHS dispensary where the staff will help them,” he said.
Friday, June 7, 2013
Instead tried to make it interesting
It took me a while to get it, but the hardest-working people don't work hard because they're disciplined. They work hard because working on an exciting problem is fun. So after today, it's not about pushing yourself; it's about finding your tennis ball, the thing that pulls you. It might take a while, but until you find it, keep listening for that little voice.
Let's go back to the summer after my graduation, the summer you're about to have. One of my fraternity brothers, Adam Smith, and his friend Matt Brezina were starting a company and we decided it would be fun for all of us to work together out of one apartment.
It was the perfect summer — well, almost perfect. The air conditioner was broken so we were all coding in our boxers. Adam and Matt were working around the clock, but as time went on they kept getting pulled away by potential investors who would share their secrets and take them on helicopter rides. I was a little jealous — I had been working on my company for a couple years and Adam had only been at it for a couple months. Where were my helicopter rides?
Things only got worse. August rolled around and Adam gave me the bad news: they were moving out. Not only was my supply of Hot Pockets cut off, but they were off to Silicon Valley, where the real action was happening, and I wasn't.
Every now and then I'd give Adam a call and hear how things were going. Things were always pretty good. "We met with Vinod this afternoon," he would tell me. Vinod Khosla is the billionaire investor and cofounder of Sun Microsystems. Then Adam dropped the bomb. "He's going to give us five million dollars."
I was thrilled for him, but it was a shock for me. Here was my faithful beer pong partner and my little brother in the fraternity, two years younger than me. I was out of excuses. He was off to the Super Bowl and I wasn't even getting drafted. He had no idea at the time, but Adam had given me just the kick I needed. It was time for a change.
They say that you're the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Think about that for a minute: who would be in your circle of 5? I have some good news: MIT is one of the best places in the world to start building that circle. If I hadn't come here, I wouldn't have met Adam, I wouldn't have met my amazing cofounder, Arash, and there would be no Dropbox.
One thing I've learned is surrounding yourself with inspiring people is now just as important as being talented or working hard. Can you imagine if Michael Jordan hadn’t been in the NBA, if his circle of 5 had been a bunch of guys in Italy? Your circle pushes you to be better, just as Adam pushed me.
And now your circle will grow to include your coworkers and everyone around you. Where you live matters: there’s only one MIT. And there's only one Hollywood and only one Silicon Valley. This isn't a coincidence: for whatever you're doing, there's usually only one place where the top people go. You should go there. Don’t settle for anywhere else. Meeting my heroes and learning from them gave me a huge advantage. Your heroes are part of your circle too — follow them. If the real action is happening somewhere else, move.
You already know this feeling: at MIT we call it "drinking from the firehose." It’s about as fun as it sounds, and all of us have the internal bleeding to prove it. But we’ve also learned it's good for you. Today, one valve shuts off. Now you need to go out and find another firehose.
Dropbox has been mine. As you might expect, building this company has been the most exciting, interesting and fulfilling experience of my life. What I haven't really shared is that it's also been the most humiliating, frustrating and painful experience too, and I can't even count the number of things that have gone wrong.
Fortunately, it doesn't matter. No one has a 5.0 in real life. In fact, when you finish school, the whole notion of a GPA just goes away. When you're in school, every little mistake is a permanent crack in your windshield. But in the real world, if you're not swerving around and hitting the guard rails every now and then, you're not going fast enough. Your biggest risk isn't failing, it's getting too comfortable.
Bill Gates's first company made software for traffic lights. Steve Jobs's first company made plastic whistles that let you make free phone calls. Both failed, but it's hard to imagine they were too upset about it. That's my favorite thing that changes today. You no longer carry around a number indicating the sum of all your mistakes. From now on, failure doesn't matter: you only have to be right once.
I used to worry about all kinds of things, but I can remember the moment when I calmed down. I had just moved to San Francisco, and one night I couldn't sleep so I was on my laptop. I read something online that said "There are 30,000 days in your life." At first I didn't think much of it, but on a whim I tabbed over to the calculator. I type in 24 times 365 and — oh my God, I'm almost 9,000 days down. What the hell have I been doing?
So that’s how 30,000 ended up on the cheat sheet. That night, I realized there are no warmups, no practice rounds, no reset buttons. Every day we're writing a few more words of a story. And when you die, it's not like "here lies Drew, he came in 174th place." So from then on, I stopped trying to make my life perfect, and instead tried to make it interesting. I wanted my story to be an adventure — and that's made all the difference.
My grandmother is here today, and next week we'll be celebrating her 95th birthday. We talk more on the phone now that I’ve moved out to California. But one thing that's stuck with me is she always ends our phone calls with one word: "Excelsior," which means "ever upward."
And today on your commencement, your first day of life in the real world, that's what I wish for you. Instead of trying to make your life perfect, give yourself the freedom to make it an adventure, and go ever upward. Read the full story at www.smartcardfactory.com!
Let's go back to the summer after my graduation, the summer you're about to have. One of my fraternity brothers, Adam Smith, and his friend Matt Brezina were starting a company and we decided it would be fun for all of us to work together out of one apartment.
It was the perfect summer — well, almost perfect. The air conditioner was broken so we were all coding in our boxers. Adam and Matt were working around the clock, but as time went on they kept getting pulled away by potential investors who would share their secrets and take them on helicopter rides. I was a little jealous — I had been working on my company for a couple years and Adam had only been at it for a couple months. Where were my helicopter rides?
Things only got worse. August rolled around and Adam gave me the bad news: they were moving out. Not only was my supply of Hot Pockets cut off, but they were off to Silicon Valley, where the real action was happening, and I wasn't.
Every now and then I'd give Adam a call and hear how things were going. Things were always pretty good. "We met with Vinod this afternoon," he would tell me. Vinod Khosla is the billionaire investor and cofounder of Sun Microsystems. Then Adam dropped the bomb. "He's going to give us five million dollars."
I was thrilled for him, but it was a shock for me. Here was my faithful beer pong partner and my little brother in the fraternity, two years younger than me. I was out of excuses. He was off to the Super Bowl and I wasn't even getting drafted. He had no idea at the time, but Adam had given me just the kick I needed. It was time for a change.
They say that you're the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Think about that for a minute: who would be in your circle of 5? I have some good news: MIT is one of the best places in the world to start building that circle. If I hadn't come here, I wouldn't have met Adam, I wouldn't have met my amazing cofounder, Arash, and there would be no Dropbox.
One thing I've learned is surrounding yourself with inspiring people is now just as important as being talented or working hard. Can you imagine if Michael Jordan hadn’t been in the NBA, if his circle of 5 had been a bunch of guys in Italy? Your circle pushes you to be better, just as Adam pushed me.
And now your circle will grow to include your coworkers and everyone around you. Where you live matters: there’s only one MIT. And there's only one Hollywood and only one Silicon Valley. This isn't a coincidence: for whatever you're doing, there's usually only one place where the top people go. You should go there. Don’t settle for anywhere else. Meeting my heroes and learning from them gave me a huge advantage. Your heroes are part of your circle too — follow them. If the real action is happening somewhere else, move.
You already know this feeling: at MIT we call it "drinking from the firehose." It’s about as fun as it sounds, and all of us have the internal bleeding to prove it. But we’ve also learned it's good for you. Today, one valve shuts off. Now you need to go out and find another firehose.
Dropbox has been mine. As you might expect, building this company has been the most exciting, interesting and fulfilling experience of my life. What I haven't really shared is that it's also been the most humiliating, frustrating and painful experience too, and I can't even count the number of things that have gone wrong.
Fortunately, it doesn't matter. No one has a 5.0 in real life. In fact, when you finish school, the whole notion of a GPA just goes away. When you're in school, every little mistake is a permanent crack in your windshield. But in the real world, if you're not swerving around and hitting the guard rails every now and then, you're not going fast enough. Your biggest risk isn't failing, it's getting too comfortable.
Bill Gates's first company made software for traffic lights. Steve Jobs's first company made plastic whistles that let you make free phone calls. Both failed, but it's hard to imagine they were too upset about it. That's my favorite thing that changes today. You no longer carry around a number indicating the sum of all your mistakes. From now on, failure doesn't matter: you only have to be right once.
I used to worry about all kinds of things, but I can remember the moment when I calmed down. I had just moved to San Francisco, and one night I couldn't sleep so I was on my laptop. I read something online that said "There are 30,000 days in your life." At first I didn't think much of it, but on a whim I tabbed over to the calculator. I type in 24 times 365 and — oh my God, I'm almost 9,000 days down. What the hell have I been doing?
So that’s how 30,000 ended up on the cheat sheet. That night, I realized there are no warmups, no practice rounds, no reset buttons. Every day we're writing a few more words of a story. And when you die, it's not like "here lies Drew, he came in 174th place." So from then on, I stopped trying to make my life perfect, and instead tried to make it interesting. I wanted my story to be an adventure — and that's made all the difference.
My grandmother is here today, and next week we'll be celebrating her 95th birthday. We talk more on the phone now that I’ve moved out to California. But one thing that's stuck with me is she always ends our phone calls with one word: "Excelsior," which means "ever upward."
And today on your commencement, your first day of life in the real world, that's what I wish for you. Instead of trying to make your life perfect, give yourself the freedom to make it an adventure, and go ever upward. Read the full story at www.smartcardfactory.com!
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Chills, adventure await in Zpocalypse and Darkest Night
Two new horror-themed board games promise to provide thrilling adventure and a host of chills: Zpocalypse, a zombie survival game from GreenBrier Games, and Darkest Night, a cooperative fantasy game from Victory Point Games.
In Zpocalypse, two to four players start out in an underground bunker and prepare to survive a zombie apocalypse. Each player receives two characters to join his squad, and their various stats are combined on an impressive squad board, complete with stat dials. Your squad is as smart as its smartest player, but only as fast as its slowest player. The characters' hit points and armor are all combined.
Each scenario is divided into days, each divided into four phases. During the first phase, players scavenge for supplies, food and weapons. During the second phase, players must make sure their squad's characters are fed and equipped, or risk losing members of the team. Players can also build up fortifications to slow the zombie advance, depending upon materials gained during the scavenge phase. Phase three is known as Something's Happening, in which players draw an event card that contains some nasty surprises. Finally, players engage in a combat phase in which their squads move around the game board and kill legions of the undead as they advance mercilessly toward the bunker entrance.
First of all, the components are just phenomenal. Dozens of plastic molds represent the players' squads and the hordes of zombies. The game board is a composite of puzzle pieces that are put together during game play. Various character, equipment, weapon and event cards ensure variation in every game.
Zpocalypse is faced with an important question, however: with zombie board games hitting the shelves like the endless horde of the undead themselves, can it successfully compete? The answer is, yes it can. And then some. While Zpocalypse isn't necessarily the best zombie board game out there, it is undoubtedly near the top. The squad mechanic in this game is really a unique twist, as most other zombie board games allow for only one character per player. And the fortification building is also a lot of fun, making Zpocalypse something of a tower defense game.
The game play can bog down at times, however, and it does take awhile to get to the zombie slaying, which is the heart of any zombie board game. Still, Zpocalypse generally succeeds in creating a creepy, fun and dynamic board game experience.
Depending on the scenario, the game, which contains scary and violent imagery, generally lasts about an hour and a half and is recommended for players 14 years old and up.
In Darkest Night, an evil Necromancer has taken control of a fantasy kingdom and has spread blights and monsters throughout the land. One to four players take on the role of heroes who must defeat the Necromancer in order to save the kingdom and restore peace and justice.
The board offers several locations, including a monastery that offers the only haven from the Necromancer's evil. Players start at the monastery and can return to heal and gain other advantages, though they can accomplish little by camping out there. Other locations include a castle, a mountain, a swamp and deserted ruins. Each has their own characteristics, and players must roll a successful dice number in order to search these locations for items and power cards to help them defeat their enemy.
Each player must start his turn by drawing an event card, which generally contains some challenge to overcome, then he may take an action like move, attack a monster or search a location. Players have two important scales they must always track for their character: grace and secrecy. Grace allows players to restore themselves after a monster deals them an otherwise fatal blow, and secrecy allows players to hide from the Necromancer.
The last two guys who’ve asked me out on first dates suggested we go running on the Katy Trail. My first thought was, “Oh, no, I don’t want to smell your BO when I hardly know you.” I also thought it to be a bit curious that these two similar date requests came back-to-back.
Was it because I enjoy fitness and these fellas were trying to select a date they thought I’d enjoy? Or was it because active first dates are the wave of the future in the land of dating? I got to thinking about it and decided I’d very much appreciate it if it were the latter. For starters, coffee dates are getting pretty boring. So are the “grabbing drinks” dates. Why do we always have to be consuming some sort of liquid? But if a guy asked me to pick up a bow and arrow and attend an archery class, that would be a first. I’d be intrigued, perceiving that he was incredibly cool for thinking outside the box.
In the spirit of switching up the run-of-the-mill dating routine, I’ve compiled a list of 10 fitness first dates that sound like a blast and would also provide a backdrop for chemistry and openness. Another perk of an active first date is that the attention isn’t solely on the conversation and the coffee breath. The action is stealing some of your focus and nerves, allowing you to be free and let your guard come tumbling down.Click on their website www.smartcardfactory.com for more information.
In Zpocalypse, two to four players start out in an underground bunker and prepare to survive a zombie apocalypse. Each player receives two characters to join his squad, and their various stats are combined on an impressive squad board, complete with stat dials. Your squad is as smart as its smartest player, but only as fast as its slowest player. The characters' hit points and armor are all combined.
Each scenario is divided into days, each divided into four phases. During the first phase, players scavenge for supplies, food and weapons. During the second phase, players must make sure their squad's characters are fed and equipped, or risk losing members of the team. Players can also build up fortifications to slow the zombie advance, depending upon materials gained during the scavenge phase. Phase three is known as Something's Happening, in which players draw an event card that contains some nasty surprises. Finally, players engage in a combat phase in which their squads move around the game board and kill legions of the undead as they advance mercilessly toward the bunker entrance.
First of all, the components are just phenomenal. Dozens of plastic molds represent the players' squads and the hordes of zombies. The game board is a composite of puzzle pieces that are put together during game play. Various character, equipment, weapon and event cards ensure variation in every game.
Zpocalypse is faced with an important question, however: with zombie board games hitting the shelves like the endless horde of the undead themselves, can it successfully compete? The answer is, yes it can. And then some. While Zpocalypse isn't necessarily the best zombie board game out there, it is undoubtedly near the top. The squad mechanic in this game is really a unique twist, as most other zombie board games allow for only one character per player. And the fortification building is also a lot of fun, making Zpocalypse something of a tower defense game.
The game play can bog down at times, however, and it does take awhile to get to the zombie slaying, which is the heart of any zombie board game. Still, Zpocalypse generally succeeds in creating a creepy, fun and dynamic board game experience.
Depending on the scenario, the game, which contains scary and violent imagery, generally lasts about an hour and a half and is recommended for players 14 years old and up.
In Darkest Night, an evil Necromancer has taken control of a fantasy kingdom and has spread blights and monsters throughout the land. One to four players take on the role of heroes who must defeat the Necromancer in order to save the kingdom and restore peace and justice.
The board offers several locations, including a monastery that offers the only haven from the Necromancer's evil. Players start at the monastery and can return to heal and gain other advantages, though they can accomplish little by camping out there. Other locations include a castle, a mountain, a swamp and deserted ruins. Each has their own characteristics, and players must roll a successful dice number in order to search these locations for items and power cards to help them defeat their enemy.
Each player must start his turn by drawing an event card, which generally contains some challenge to overcome, then he may take an action like move, attack a monster or search a location. Players have two important scales they must always track for their character: grace and secrecy. Grace allows players to restore themselves after a monster deals them an otherwise fatal blow, and secrecy allows players to hide from the Necromancer.
The last two guys who’ve asked me out on first dates suggested we go running on the Katy Trail. My first thought was, “Oh, no, I don’t want to smell your BO when I hardly know you.” I also thought it to be a bit curious that these two similar date requests came back-to-back.
Was it because I enjoy fitness and these fellas were trying to select a date they thought I’d enjoy? Or was it because active first dates are the wave of the future in the land of dating? I got to thinking about it and decided I’d very much appreciate it if it were the latter. For starters, coffee dates are getting pretty boring. So are the “grabbing drinks” dates. Why do we always have to be consuming some sort of liquid? But if a guy asked me to pick up a bow and arrow and attend an archery class, that would be a first. I’d be intrigued, perceiving that he was incredibly cool for thinking outside the box.
In the spirit of switching up the run-of-the-mill dating routine, I’ve compiled a list of 10 fitness first dates that sound like a blast and would also provide a backdrop for chemistry and openness. Another perk of an active first date is that the attention isn’t solely on the conversation and the coffee breath. The action is stealing some of your focus and nerves, allowing you to be free and let your guard come tumbling down.Click on their website www.smartcardfactory.com for more information.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook Review
Try to sell most of us a laptop that can’t run normal programs, never mind traditional operating systems such as Windows 8 or OS X, and instead only runs a web browser – forcing you to do everything online – and we’d hesitate.
ut that’s precisely what a Chromebook like the HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook is; a laptop that boots into the lightweight operating system Chrome OS, where all you can do is launch Google’s Chrome web browser.
It might sound like a product that nobody in their right mind would buy, but there are two reasons why it’s not as clear cut as that. The first is that we’ve actually come to quite like Chromebooks here at TechRadar, and not just because they’re cheap – we’ll come to why shortly.
The other reason, though, is that what started as a tiny dribble of models and manufacturers has turned if not into a torrent then into a steady trickle. Of course just because we’re seeing an increasing number of Chromebooks hit the market it doesn’t mean they must be successful, but PC manufacturers wouldn’t bother making and marketing Chromebooks if they didn’t think there was at least a potential market.
Chrome OS won’t suit everyone. It may not even suit most people yet, but it’s true that it’s constantly evolving, and so are our computing habits and plastic card. So while you can’t currently do video editing, professional photography editing or coding on a Chromebook – although online services are springing up that at least begin to address these demands – many of us would cope fine with just a web browser.
Think about what you do on a traditional PC, for example, and there’s a good chance either that you do essentially everything through a browser anyway – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, webmail – or that those things that you currently do with regular apps such as Word and Excel could be replaced with web services such as Google Docs.
You might think, that’s all very well, but if these are all web apps, I have to be online to use them, and since the Pavilion 14 doesn’t have a SIM card slot for 3G mobile browsing, it’s just a useless door-stop when I can’t get Wi-Fi access. But as we’ll see, that’s not quite the case.
Let’s start, though, with the specs. Now, specs with a Chromebook mean a little less than they do with normal laptops, so we can’t just put a Chromebook next to a laptop from Lenovo, Asus, Dell or even HP and say that because it has a weaker processor, less storage, a lower-res screen and fewer, lower-specced ports that it’s worse.
That’s because, since Chrome OS is a lightweight operating system whose only job is to run a browser – albeit a fast, capable browser with support for complex HTML 5 and Flash – the hardware needs comparatively little oomph to do its job well.
Storage is courtesy of a 16GB SSD, which we think is the right choice; the 320GB hard disk in the Acer C7 is a bit redundant in a computer that’s designed to be a thin client to web services, and because hard disks are slower than solid-state drives, all it did was slow the overall responsiveness of the machine down.
Put together, nothing about these core specs suggest anything other than pedestrian performance, but in fact they’re more than sufficient for a Chromebook. The HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook feels slick and fast and responsive, and it coped well with everything we threw at it.
There are three USB 2.0 ports – no, no USB 3.0, but that’s totally fine, since a Chromebook would have no real use for a faster connection, at least in its current incarnation – and an HDMI port, which is extra useful now that Chrome OS supports extended desktop view as well as mirroring on an external monitor.
The HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook’s lacklustre battery life is in part because of the large 14-inch screen that needs to be backlit, and in part because of the Intel processor. It might seem silly to harp on about battery life, but if you’re constantly worried about running out of juice, never mind not able to do a full work day on a single charge, owning a laptop won’t be a particular pleasure.
But on the other hand, the Intel processor does mean that the Pavilion 14 is fast and capable, and although its fan is very noisy, it only kicks in if you’re really hammering it. Unlike with the ARM-powered Samsung Series 3 (which we still like a great deal), it happily plays iPlayer HD streams, even if the mediocre display doesn’t showcase them particularly well. The trade-off, though, is that the Samsung Chromebook lasts for about twice as long on a charge.
It’s not just the screen that lets it down as a movie machine, though; despite the Altec Lansing logo – a brand we’ve come to respect for mid-range speaker docks – the speakers are thin. In their favour, they’re plenty loud, and don’t really break up much unless you’re right at 100%, but at no point along the volume slider would you think of listening to your music or watching movies by choice.
The layout isn’t quite to our taste either. It’s nice that the generous chassis gives us space for another vertical row of keys for page up, down, delete (as well as backspace) and more, but any keyboard that doesn’t put your backspace key at the top-right is likely to play merry hell with your muscle memory.
What’s more, we’re not fond of the arrow keys, with full size left and right, but two half-height keys sandwiched between them for up and down.
Still, we like the dedicated Chrome OS keys for navigation and window management, and unlike on some Chromebooks, there’s a caps lock key as well as two system-wide search buttons. Plus, although the trackpad keys were a bit clunky (you can enable tap-to-click as well), we were quite fond of the textured trackpad surface.
ut that’s precisely what a Chromebook like the HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook is; a laptop that boots into the lightweight operating system Chrome OS, where all you can do is launch Google’s Chrome web browser.
It might sound like a product that nobody in their right mind would buy, but there are two reasons why it’s not as clear cut as that. The first is that we’ve actually come to quite like Chromebooks here at TechRadar, and not just because they’re cheap – we’ll come to why shortly.
The other reason, though, is that what started as a tiny dribble of models and manufacturers has turned if not into a torrent then into a steady trickle. Of course just because we’re seeing an increasing number of Chromebooks hit the market it doesn’t mean they must be successful, but PC manufacturers wouldn’t bother making and marketing Chromebooks if they didn’t think there was at least a potential market.
Chrome OS won’t suit everyone. It may not even suit most people yet, but it’s true that it’s constantly evolving, and so are our computing habits and plastic card. So while you can’t currently do video editing, professional photography editing or coding on a Chromebook – although online services are springing up that at least begin to address these demands – many of us would cope fine with just a web browser.
Think about what you do on a traditional PC, for example, and there’s a good chance either that you do essentially everything through a browser anyway – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, webmail – or that those things that you currently do with regular apps such as Word and Excel could be replaced with web services such as Google Docs.
You might think, that’s all very well, but if these are all web apps, I have to be online to use them, and since the Pavilion 14 doesn’t have a SIM card slot for 3G mobile browsing, it’s just a useless door-stop when I can’t get Wi-Fi access. But as we’ll see, that’s not quite the case.
Let’s start, though, with the specs. Now, specs with a Chromebook mean a little less than they do with normal laptops, so we can’t just put a Chromebook next to a laptop from Lenovo, Asus, Dell or even HP and say that because it has a weaker processor, less storage, a lower-res screen and fewer, lower-specced ports that it’s worse.
That’s because, since Chrome OS is a lightweight operating system whose only job is to run a browser – albeit a fast, capable browser with support for complex HTML 5 and Flash – the hardware needs comparatively little oomph to do its job well.
Storage is courtesy of a 16GB SSD, which we think is the right choice; the 320GB hard disk in the Acer C7 is a bit redundant in a computer that’s designed to be a thin client to web services, and because hard disks are slower than solid-state drives, all it did was slow the overall responsiveness of the machine down.
Put together, nothing about these core specs suggest anything other than pedestrian performance, but in fact they’re more than sufficient for a Chromebook. The HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook feels slick and fast and responsive, and it coped well with everything we threw at it.
There are three USB 2.0 ports – no, no USB 3.0, but that’s totally fine, since a Chromebook would have no real use for a faster connection, at least in its current incarnation – and an HDMI port, which is extra useful now that Chrome OS supports extended desktop view as well as mirroring on an external monitor.
The HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook’s lacklustre battery life is in part because of the large 14-inch screen that needs to be backlit, and in part because of the Intel processor. It might seem silly to harp on about battery life, but if you’re constantly worried about running out of juice, never mind not able to do a full work day on a single charge, owning a laptop won’t be a particular pleasure.
But on the other hand, the Intel processor does mean that the Pavilion 14 is fast and capable, and although its fan is very noisy, it only kicks in if you’re really hammering it. Unlike with the ARM-powered Samsung Series 3 (which we still like a great deal), it happily plays iPlayer HD streams, even if the mediocre display doesn’t showcase them particularly well. The trade-off, though, is that the Samsung Chromebook lasts for about twice as long on a charge.
It’s not just the screen that lets it down as a movie machine, though; despite the Altec Lansing logo – a brand we’ve come to respect for mid-range speaker docks – the speakers are thin. In their favour, they’re plenty loud, and don’t really break up much unless you’re right at 100%, but at no point along the volume slider would you think of listening to your music or watching movies by choice.
The layout isn’t quite to our taste either. It’s nice that the generous chassis gives us space for another vertical row of keys for page up, down, delete (as well as backspace) and more, but any keyboard that doesn’t put your backspace key at the top-right is likely to play merry hell with your muscle memory.
What’s more, we’re not fond of the arrow keys, with full size left and right, but two half-height keys sandwiched between them for up and down.
Still, we like the dedicated Chrome OS keys for navigation and window management, and unlike on some Chromebooks, there’s a caps lock key as well as two system-wide search buttons. Plus, although the trackpad keys were a bit clunky (you can enable tap-to-click as well), we were quite fond of the textured trackpad surface.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
The Dark Tower
I've just watched the season finale of Revolution, and there were things in it so dumb, so utterly idiotic, that if it ended here I'd be overjoyed. The opening montage just reminded me of some of the truly abysmal plots and characters that we've been subjected to since it all began, but they decided to top that with some complete head-slap sequences here, probably too many to mention within the word count I'm prepared to write on this subject.
But before I get to some of those, let's summarise by character where after twenty episodes we are. Jason hates Tom, loves Charlie. Tom loves only Tom, and the wife that he never sees. Rachel dearly loves Rachel, and dead Danny, and Miles, not so keen on anyone else, though she makes attempts to like Charlie occasionally. Miles is deeply in flaming love with Bass, and Rachel, and Nora, and himself, and thinks he's Charlie's father. Bass hates everyone other than Miles, whom he wants to marry, and he hates himself more than anyone else. Aaron loves walking, meeting new and interesting people, but he hates horses and being surprised by events.
But on top of that, we have a science fiction show that's based on special science that doesn't withstand even the most modest amount of analysis, or even care if it makes any rational sense. That's why we have a blast door designed to withstand a direct nuclear strike overcome by piling plastic explosives against it (really?). And, people using incendiary weapons in corridors that can avoid the blast by hiding around corners. And, gunship crews so inept that they can't shoot an unarmed man in open space with a gun that can fire 6,000 rounds a minute. And, a suite of LCD panels that haven't been working for over fifteen years, yet all work, and look like they were bought the day before.
But as I watched the 'plot' of The Dark Tower (Stephen King deserves a big apology for using that title), I began to realise that not making sense was only part of the issues it was confronting. From the outset, the layout of the Tower wasn't explained, and as such people running around in corridors that could go anywhere just seemed totally confusing. To that they then added a drainage system that started on Level 11, but somehow came out on the surface, like water can flow uphill. What also seemed odd, was that given the importance of Level 12, there seemed to be numerous ways to get to it. The key-card game harked back to what I said last week about the writers liking Half-Life, because these are always a puzzle mechanism in these games, and without them you usually can't progress.
The upshot of all the running and shooting was the fatal injury of Nora. Given that she's shrugged off being stabbed in almost exact the same part of the body in Soul Train, I wondered if she'd survive. But season finales generally need some scalps, and she was the first major character to get hers. Like Danny, I won't miss her.
So out of all this hokum, which one thing in here was just dumber than any other? Well, it was going to be the bit where Miles came and cut Bass loose, which reminded me so much of Austin Powers. Specifically the bit where Dr Evil says, "I have an even better idea. I'm going to place him in an easily escapable situation involving an overly elaborate and exotic death." Except in this case they have a dangerous and sociopathic individual who they tie to a tent pole, and then leave entirely alone. A person, who in the previous scene had come into the tent had metal handcuffs on, and now has simple leather ties that Miles can cut! Yes, that was wholly moronic, but it wasn't the worst scene in here by a long chalk.
No, they saved that till near the end, when Aaron finally overcomes his irrational fear of the Enter key, and brings the power back on. And, it comes back on! Eh? So entirely unattended power stations across the globe, they can do that? What are we paying people to work at them for? And, all of the infrastructure to distribute that power, it all works automatically too? What huge piles of steaming BS is this show the proud owner of.
Well that pile got even deeper, when Randall launches two ICBMs that have sat unattended in their silos for 15 years, but now work perfectly. It all ends with the President cheered by the news that Randall has succeeded in making the US east coast uninhabitable for the next 10,000 years, conveniently forgetting that prevailing weather conditions might irradiate the rest of the country that he's supposedly trying to unify. All framed by CGI worse than most teenagers could produce in a lunch break, for good measure.
It's supposedly a cliff-hanger, but that rather assumes anyone watching this would remotely care about these characters or the cities about to nuked, or how the story might progress from here. Who cares? Obviously those writing this travesty don't, so why should we?
If when it returns in the fall, and I can be got drunk enough to carry on covering this show then I've already accepted that I'm going to need to get creative about it. Because the normal criteria on which I normally assess TV shows don't apply to this one at all. Perhaps I could talk about the fashions or the amounts of light and dark in the pictures, because talking about plots and characters is quite obviously meaningless, and likely to cause me to seek long term psychiatric support should I continue.
Volkswagen hopes to change that perception with the Polo GT TSI. Under the hood is a modern, turbocharged, direct-injection petrol motor that replaces the 1.6-litre engine and brings along quite a few firsts to the segment. These include a seven-speed, twin-clutch automatic gearbox (the only gearbox you can get with this car) and Electronic Stability Control.
The GT TSI’s motor may displace just 1.2 litres, but with the help of technology, it makes as much power as the now defunct Polo 1.6 and even more torque. And, because it’s a smaller engine, Volkswagen claims that the power doesn’t come at the cost of fuel efficiency.
Now, because the car is called the GT, you might expect a sporty suspension set-up, but that is not the case here. Ground clearance remains the same as the other Polos in the range, while the spring and damper rates have clearly been tuned with comfort in mind. Push it hard through corners and the Polo GT will stick with you most of the time. There’s decent body control, the steering is direct and accurate enough (it lacks any real feedback and is a bit too light, though) and there’s good grip from the 185/60 R15 tyres (the same as on a regular Polo Highline).
The ride, on the other hand, is quite pliant and the suspension handles most bumps quietly and efficiently. For all other purposes, the Polo GT TSI looks identical to its lower-powered siblings, and this might not be a very good thing. The only external clues are the GT badging on the front grille, some rather aftermarket GT TSI stickers on the C-pillar (VW hasn’t bothered lacquering them either) and, you guessed it, GT and TSI badging on the bootlid. Strangely, there is no ‘Polo’ or ‘Volkswagen’ badge anywhere on the car. It even has the same alloy wheels as the regular Polo Highline.
However, on the inside, there are quite a few changes. The seats now get sportier black and grey fabrics with contrast stitching, the climate control system from the Vento, as well as a new 2-DIN audio system that incorporates USB, aux-in, an SD card reader and Bluetooth connectivity. The GT TSI also gets rear parking sensors.
Plastic quality and fit and finish are good, but not exceptional like on the bigger VWs. Space and comfort are exactly the same as you would find on a regular Polo, which means there’s good space up front, cramped rear quarters and a fairly big boot.Click on their website www.smartcardfactory.com for more information.
But before I get to some of those, let's summarise by character where after twenty episodes we are. Jason hates Tom, loves Charlie. Tom loves only Tom, and the wife that he never sees. Rachel dearly loves Rachel, and dead Danny, and Miles, not so keen on anyone else, though she makes attempts to like Charlie occasionally. Miles is deeply in flaming love with Bass, and Rachel, and Nora, and himself, and thinks he's Charlie's father. Bass hates everyone other than Miles, whom he wants to marry, and he hates himself more than anyone else. Aaron loves walking, meeting new and interesting people, but he hates horses and being surprised by events.
But on top of that, we have a science fiction show that's based on special science that doesn't withstand even the most modest amount of analysis, or even care if it makes any rational sense. That's why we have a blast door designed to withstand a direct nuclear strike overcome by piling plastic explosives against it (really?). And, people using incendiary weapons in corridors that can avoid the blast by hiding around corners. And, gunship crews so inept that they can't shoot an unarmed man in open space with a gun that can fire 6,000 rounds a minute. And, a suite of LCD panels that haven't been working for over fifteen years, yet all work, and look like they were bought the day before.
But as I watched the 'plot' of The Dark Tower (Stephen King deserves a big apology for using that title), I began to realise that not making sense was only part of the issues it was confronting. From the outset, the layout of the Tower wasn't explained, and as such people running around in corridors that could go anywhere just seemed totally confusing. To that they then added a drainage system that started on Level 11, but somehow came out on the surface, like water can flow uphill. What also seemed odd, was that given the importance of Level 12, there seemed to be numerous ways to get to it. The key-card game harked back to what I said last week about the writers liking Half-Life, because these are always a puzzle mechanism in these games, and without them you usually can't progress.
The upshot of all the running and shooting was the fatal injury of Nora. Given that she's shrugged off being stabbed in almost exact the same part of the body in Soul Train, I wondered if she'd survive. But season finales generally need some scalps, and she was the first major character to get hers. Like Danny, I won't miss her.
So out of all this hokum, which one thing in here was just dumber than any other? Well, it was going to be the bit where Miles came and cut Bass loose, which reminded me so much of Austin Powers. Specifically the bit where Dr Evil says, "I have an even better idea. I'm going to place him in an easily escapable situation involving an overly elaborate and exotic death." Except in this case they have a dangerous and sociopathic individual who they tie to a tent pole, and then leave entirely alone. A person, who in the previous scene had come into the tent had metal handcuffs on, and now has simple leather ties that Miles can cut! Yes, that was wholly moronic, but it wasn't the worst scene in here by a long chalk.
No, they saved that till near the end, when Aaron finally overcomes his irrational fear of the Enter key, and brings the power back on. And, it comes back on! Eh? So entirely unattended power stations across the globe, they can do that? What are we paying people to work at them for? And, all of the infrastructure to distribute that power, it all works automatically too? What huge piles of steaming BS is this show the proud owner of.
Well that pile got even deeper, when Randall launches two ICBMs that have sat unattended in their silos for 15 years, but now work perfectly. It all ends with the President cheered by the news that Randall has succeeded in making the US east coast uninhabitable for the next 10,000 years, conveniently forgetting that prevailing weather conditions might irradiate the rest of the country that he's supposedly trying to unify. All framed by CGI worse than most teenagers could produce in a lunch break, for good measure.
It's supposedly a cliff-hanger, but that rather assumes anyone watching this would remotely care about these characters or the cities about to nuked, or how the story might progress from here. Who cares? Obviously those writing this travesty don't, so why should we?
If when it returns in the fall, and I can be got drunk enough to carry on covering this show then I've already accepted that I'm going to need to get creative about it. Because the normal criteria on which I normally assess TV shows don't apply to this one at all. Perhaps I could talk about the fashions or the amounts of light and dark in the pictures, because talking about plots and characters is quite obviously meaningless, and likely to cause me to seek long term psychiatric support should I continue.
Volkswagen hopes to change that perception with the Polo GT TSI. Under the hood is a modern, turbocharged, direct-injection petrol motor that replaces the 1.6-litre engine and brings along quite a few firsts to the segment. These include a seven-speed, twin-clutch automatic gearbox (the only gearbox you can get with this car) and Electronic Stability Control.
The GT TSI’s motor may displace just 1.2 litres, but with the help of technology, it makes as much power as the now defunct Polo 1.6 and even more torque. And, because it’s a smaller engine, Volkswagen claims that the power doesn’t come at the cost of fuel efficiency.
Now, because the car is called the GT, you might expect a sporty suspension set-up, but that is not the case here. Ground clearance remains the same as the other Polos in the range, while the spring and damper rates have clearly been tuned with comfort in mind. Push it hard through corners and the Polo GT will stick with you most of the time. There’s decent body control, the steering is direct and accurate enough (it lacks any real feedback and is a bit too light, though) and there’s good grip from the 185/60 R15 tyres (the same as on a regular Polo Highline).
The ride, on the other hand, is quite pliant and the suspension handles most bumps quietly and efficiently. For all other purposes, the Polo GT TSI looks identical to its lower-powered siblings, and this might not be a very good thing. The only external clues are the GT badging on the front grille, some rather aftermarket GT TSI stickers on the C-pillar (VW hasn’t bothered lacquering them either) and, you guessed it, GT and TSI badging on the bootlid. Strangely, there is no ‘Polo’ or ‘Volkswagen’ badge anywhere on the car. It even has the same alloy wheels as the regular Polo Highline.
However, on the inside, there are quite a few changes. The seats now get sportier black and grey fabrics with contrast stitching, the climate control system from the Vento, as well as a new 2-DIN audio system that incorporates USB, aux-in, an SD card reader and Bluetooth connectivity. The GT TSI also gets rear parking sensors.
Plastic quality and fit and finish are good, but not exceptional like on the bigger VWs. Space and comfort are exactly the same as you would find on a regular Polo, which means there’s good space up front, cramped rear quarters and a fairly big boot.Click on their website www.smartcardfactory.com for more information.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
You have never been to Hamilton then
My friend Nicola and I were out for dinner in town the other night. It was dark, cold and miserable and we were huddled by the ticket machine at the south end Victoria St car park, both of us bereft of coins for the slot. The machine also wasn't accepting my plastic card, or anyone else's.
It wasn't a good start to the evening. There was a small queue, and we stood to one side while I scrabbled in the bowels of my handbag for coins that may have eluded me. I was just wondering about upending the bag on the ground so I could sift it properly when a young woman in the queue stepped forward, pressed $2 on us, and said something like, "here, have this on me".
We thanked her profusely, and promised we'd do the same for someone else next time such a situation arose. While not wanting to quote the cheesy-but-heartwarming movie Pay it Forward, it did seem an appropriate thing to say.
I've not yet had the opportunity because I'm still in debt to thoughtful people: a week or so later when I drove into the same car park, a woman who was exiting rolled down her window and spontaneously handed out her parking ticket. "There's still an hour to go on this," she said. "Help yourself."
They're small gestures, but they leave you with a smile on your face; they are the perfect counterpoints to the doomsayers who say all is not well with our world, that we've misplaced our ability to connect with others.
I listened to one such doomsayer last weekend at a conference in Wellington, a guest speaker who repeated this myth that we've lost our sense of community in New Zealand, that the glue that holds people together has gone soft and we're too focused on ourselves.
I'd like them to meet the Kawhia people who restored a World War I memorial lychgate at the town's Anglican church, and celebrated with a beautiful rededication ceremony. It is another angle on a close-knit town that's been in the news over some challenging stuff recently.
I'd like them to go out with the St Vincent de Paul volunteers who do a nightly food delivery around the streets of some of Hamilton's lower-income suburbs, dispensing sandwiches, fruit, friendship and Milo to kids who relish the extra snacks and the camaraderie in their neighbourhood. It would be good for the doomsayers to meet the spunky kids as well as the volunteers.
I'd like to take them into the 40-year-old Purple Patch store in Barton St where women sell lovely handmade knitting and sewing; their strong friendships and a sense of collective good underpin this unique venture. A trip to the streamlined Waikato Hospice campus on Cobham Drive would be enlightening, too. Among other things, they could see the results of a huge, generous regional fundraising effort.
And maybe they could squeeze in a visit to Pirongia woman Pamela McCarthy who volunteers for Freeset, an organisation that rescues prostitutes from the notorious red-light district of Kolkata in India. Last year McCarthy raised $74,000 for these women.
That's just a handful of the things I see in my daily life. There are plenty more community efforts like this. On a bigger scale, the neighbourhoods of Christchurch and the West Coast (the latter in the wake of the Pike River mine disaster) have countless stories to tell about people helping each other out.
The world, of course, is not perfect and for every good news story there is almost certainly a bad news event, and some people do become isolated from others.
But I would argue that our sense of community still strongly exists. It may not be centred on the rural hall or the local church or even service groups any more, but it evolves and adapts to different circumstances, reinvents itself as needed.
Nowadays it might mean handing a stranger a $2 coin with a smile in a public carpark, or working in a community vegetable garden that can help feed many families, or ambling around Frankton Market, Cambridge Market and similar places. Catching up with old friends, making new ones, while you do the shopping.
Over months of writing stories for a recent Times series on suburban Hamilton streets, our reporting team saw that neighbourhood relationships are still pretty strong. In the first street I visited, an Indian woman pointed to each house from her front gate, described who lived there, and talked about the shared Christmas meal they all enjoyed each year.
Neighbourly relations are certainly doing fine where I live. Last Sunday afternoon when I got back from the conference in Wellington, my neighbour Diana came over with a bowl of homemade vegetable soup for my dinner. It was delicious, comforting. I'd have liked the man who said we've lost our sense of community to have had some of it as well.
First of all, we concentrate on Sunday's action and our nap selection is our old friend Marchese Marconi, trained by Aidan O'Brien at Listowel. Having started the season getting beat at long odds-on in Dundalk, he has since notched up a double on his favoured heavy ground and he will get similar conditions again today. He was given an initial rating of 87 going into his last race and despite winning that conditions race by an easy six lengths, the handicapper has given him a chance and left him off the same mark for today's contest, his first handicap.
He should easily capitalise on that before moving up the ranks. Whilst he is a long way below yesterday's Derby winner Ruler Of The World there are similarities between the two. They both share the same sire in Galileo, both horses are trained by Aidan O'Brien and both are unbeaten in cheekpieces! That may not be the end of it either as Marchese Marconi might just win the Derby as well, except in his case it may be the 'Pitmen's Derby', aka the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle at the end of the month. Today is his trial for that so expect him to take it in style.
Yesterday, the Tabor/Smith/Magnier alliance brought us the aforementioned Ruler Of The World at Epsom and today they bring us the slightly less imperiously named Ruler Of France at Listowel. The David Watchman trained two-year-old ran a cracker behind Expedition at Limerick a month ago. He should go on and win this today, despite the presence of yet another Aidan O'Brien trained Galileo and a decent prospect of Dermot Weld's that finished third in a Leopardstown maiden which has subsequently worked out well.
If anything, the fact that these two powerful stables are represented in the race should ensure that we get a better price on Ruler Of France. Aidan O'Brien's colt will need to be very smart to beat our selection on his debut whilst the trip should stretch Weld's horse on breeding so Ruler of France gets the next best selection today.Click on their website www.smartcardfactory.com for more information.
It wasn't a good start to the evening. There was a small queue, and we stood to one side while I scrabbled in the bowels of my handbag for coins that may have eluded me. I was just wondering about upending the bag on the ground so I could sift it properly when a young woman in the queue stepped forward, pressed $2 on us, and said something like, "here, have this on me".
We thanked her profusely, and promised we'd do the same for someone else next time such a situation arose. While not wanting to quote the cheesy-but-heartwarming movie Pay it Forward, it did seem an appropriate thing to say.
I've not yet had the opportunity because I'm still in debt to thoughtful people: a week or so later when I drove into the same car park, a woman who was exiting rolled down her window and spontaneously handed out her parking ticket. "There's still an hour to go on this," she said. "Help yourself."
They're small gestures, but they leave you with a smile on your face; they are the perfect counterpoints to the doomsayers who say all is not well with our world, that we've misplaced our ability to connect with others.
I listened to one such doomsayer last weekend at a conference in Wellington, a guest speaker who repeated this myth that we've lost our sense of community in New Zealand, that the glue that holds people together has gone soft and we're too focused on ourselves.
I'd like them to meet the Kawhia people who restored a World War I memorial lychgate at the town's Anglican church, and celebrated with a beautiful rededication ceremony. It is another angle on a close-knit town that's been in the news over some challenging stuff recently.
I'd like them to go out with the St Vincent de Paul volunteers who do a nightly food delivery around the streets of some of Hamilton's lower-income suburbs, dispensing sandwiches, fruit, friendship and Milo to kids who relish the extra snacks and the camaraderie in their neighbourhood. It would be good for the doomsayers to meet the spunky kids as well as the volunteers.
I'd like to take them into the 40-year-old Purple Patch store in Barton St where women sell lovely handmade knitting and sewing; their strong friendships and a sense of collective good underpin this unique venture. A trip to the streamlined Waikato Hospice campus on Cobham Drive would be enlightening, too. Among other things, they could see the results of a huge, generous regional fundraising effort.
And maybe they could squeeze in a visit to Pirongia woman Pamela McCarthy who volunteers for Freeset, an organisation that rescues prostitutes from the notorious red-light district of Kolkata in India. Last year McCarthy raised $74,000 for these women.
That's just a handful of the things I see in my daily life. There are plenty more community efforts like this. On a bigger scale, the neighbourhoods of Christchurch and the West Coast (the latter in the wake of the Pike River mine disaster) have countless stories to tell about people helping each other out.
The world, of course, is not perfect and for every good news story there is almost certainly a bad news event, and some people do become isolated from others.
But I would argue that our sense of community still strongly exists. It may not be centred on the rural hall or the local church or even service groups any more, but it evolves and adapts to different circumstances, reinvents itself as needed.
Nowadays it might mean handing a stranger a $2 coin with a smile in a public carpark, or working in a community vegetable garden that can help feed many families, or ambling around Frankton Market, Cambridge Market and similar places. Catching up with old friends, making new ones, while you do the shopping.
Over months of writing stories for a recent Times series on suburban Hamilton streets, our reporting team saw that neighbourhood relationships are still pretty strong. In the first street I visited, an Indian woman pointed to each house from her front gate, described who lived there, and talked about the shared Christmas meal they all enjoyed each year.
Neighbourly relations are certainly doing fine where I live. Last Sunday afternoon when I got back from the conference in Wellington, my neighbour Diana came over with a bowl of homemade vegetable soup for my dinner. It was delicious, comforting. I'd have liked the man who said we've lost our sense of community to have had some of it as well.
First of all, we concentrate on Sunday's action and our nap selection is our old friend Marchese Marconi, trained by Aidan O'Brien at Listowel. Having started the season getting beat at long odds-on in Dundalk, he has since notched up a double on his favoured heavy ground and he will get similar conditions again today. He was given an initial rating of 87 going into his last race and despite winning that conditions race by an easy six lengths, the handicapper has given him a chance and left him off the same mark for today's contest, his first handicap.
He should easily capitalise on that before moving up the ranks. Whilst he is a long way below yesterday's Derby winner Ruler Of The World there are similarities between the two. They both share the same sire in Galileo, both horses are trained by Aidan O'Brien and both are unbeaten in cheekpieces! That may not be the end of it either as Marchese Marconi might just win the Derby as well, except in his case it may be the 'Pitmen's Derby', aka the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle at the end of the month. Today is his trial for that so expect him to take it in style.
Yesterday, the Tabor/Smith/Magnier alliance brought us the aforementioned Ruler Of The World at Epsom and today they bring us the slightly less imperiously named Ruler Of France at Listowel. The David Watchman trained two-year-old ran a cracker behind Expedition at Limerick a month ago. He should go on and win this today, despite the presence of yet another Aidan O'Brien trained Galileo and a decent prospect of Dermot Weld's that finished third in a Leopardstown maiden which has subsequently worked out well.
If anything, the fact that these two powerful stables are represented in the race should ensure that we get a better price on Ruler Of France. Aidan O'Brien's colt will need to be very smart to beat our selection on his debut whilst the trip should stretch Weld's horse on breeding so Ruler of France gets the next best selection today.Click on their website www.smartcardfactory.com for more information.
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