Archive for April, 2008

Double figure eight bend

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

The double figure eight bend is a strong bend, used for joining two ropes of similar sizes. To make it, first tie a loose figure eight in the end of one of the ropes, then retrace it, starting from the working end, using the second rope. This bend lays flat and does not slip easily.

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Markov property

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

In probability theory, a stochastic process has the Markov property if the conditional probability distribution of future states of the process, given the present state and all past states, depends only upon the present state and not on any past states, i.e. it is conditionally independent of the past states (the path of the process) given the present state. A process with the Markov property is usually called a Markov process, and may be described as Markovian. See in particular

  • Markov chain
  • Continuous-time Markov process

Mathematically, if X(t), t > 0, is a stochastic process, the Markov property states that

<math>\mathrm{Pr}\big[X(t+h) = y \,|\, X(s) = x(s), \forall s \leq t\big] = \mathrm{Pr}\big[X(t+h) = y \,|\, X(t) = x(t)\big], \quad \forall h > 0.</math>

Markov processes are typically termed (time-) homogeneous if

<math>\mathrm{Pr}\big[X(t+h) = y \,|\, X(t) = x\big] = \mathrm{Pr}\big[X(h) = y \,|\, X(0) = x(0)\big], \quad \forall t, h > 0,</math>

and otherwise are termed (time-) inhomogeneous (or (time-) nonhomogeneous). Homogeneous Markov processes, usually being simpler than inhomogeneous ones, form the most important class of Markov processes.

In some cases, apparently non-Markovian processes may still have Markovian representations, constructed by expanding the concept of the ‘current’ and ‘future’ states. For example, let X be a non-Markovian process. Then define a process Y, such that each state of Y represents a time-interval of states of X, i.e. mathematically,

<math>Y(t) = \big\{ X(s): s \in [a(t), b(t)] \, \big\}.</math>

If Y has the Markov property, then it is a Markovian representation of X. In this case, X is also called a second-order Markov process. Higher-order Markov processes are defined analogously.

An example of a non-Markovian process with a Markovian representation is a moving average time series.

The most famous Markov processes are Markov chains, but many other processes, including Brownian motion (to a close approximation), are Markovian.


Trivia

Punk band Bad Religion has a b-side about this property, appropriately entitled “The Markovian Process.”


See also

  • Examples of Markov chains
  • Memorylessness
  • Semi-Markov process
  • Andrey Markov
  • Markov chain
  • Markov decision process
  • Dynamics of Markovian particles

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Biomodeling

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

Biomodeling may refer to:

  • Computational biomodeling - the scientific discipline of building computational models of biochemical systems.
  • Biomedical modeling - the process of building complex 3D models of body parts through a computer imaging process which allows for perfectly shaped acrylic or titanium inserts to be constructed to replace broken bones or other body parts. For example, Anatomics.
  • BioModels Database - an online database of annotated open biological models, written in Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML)
  • BioModel (software) was software for a biomolecular structure display and analysis developed for Windows by Microsimulations

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USS Belleau Wood

Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

Two ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Belleau Wood, after the Belleau Wood near Château-Thierry in France, the scene of heavy fighting by U.S. Marines in World War I.

  • The first Belleau Wood (CVL-24) was a light aircraft carrier converted from a cruiser hull and in service during World War II (1942–1947), later in the French Navy as the Bois-Belleau (R97) (1953–1960).
  • The second Belleau Wood (LHA-3) was an amphibious assault ship commissioned on 23 December 1978, decommissioned on 28 October 2005, and sunk as a target during the Rim of the Pacific exercise on 13 July 2006 off the coast of Hawaii.

Staging site

Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

Website development usually involves staging and production servers. The staging site is used to assemble, test and review new versions of a website before it goes into production. The staging phase of the software lifecycle is often tested on hardware that mirrors hardware used in the production environment. The development site is often different from the staging site, and provides a QA zone that is separate from the development or production environments.

Normally before deploying an updated version of software to the production environment, the update has been tested in the staging environment.
The staging server will resemble the production environment where the clients can do the user acceptance testing activities.

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Cania Gorge National Park

Sunday, April 27th, 2008

Cania Gorge is a national park in Queensland (Australia), 373 km northwest of Brisbane. The nearest town is Monto.

The park’s most dominant features are the high sandstone cliffs. Wildlife native to the park include rock wallabys, bettong, platypus, geckos and over 150 bird species.

A picnic area is located alongside the main road into the park, 8 km from the Burnett Highway. Facilities here include covered picnic tables, toilets and gas-powered barbecues. The majority of the park’s walking tracks lead from this picnic area, including the 1.1 km trail to Dripping Rock, 1.6 km trail to the Overhang, and the 1.3 km trail to Bloodwood Cave. The longest track in the park leads from a small car park 500 metres south of the picnic area. This 5.6 km circuit takes in Giant’s Chair Lookout, with views across the gorge; and Fern Tree Pool, a permanent waterhole. Only walkers with moderate levels of fitness should attempt this track.


Fact sheet

  • Area: 30.00 km²
  • Coordinates:
  • Date of establishment: 1977
  • Managing authorities: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
  • IUCN category: II


See also

  • Protected areas of Queensland (Australia)
  • Kroombit Tops National Park
  • The Boyne Valley
  • Beautiful Betsy
  • Lake Awoonga
  • Monto
  • Ubobo, Queensland
  • Nagoorin, Queensland
  • Builyan, Queensland
  • Many Peaks, Queensland


External links

  • Cania Gorge National Park

Information

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  • MoCo Loco: Furniture Archives The designers simplified ornate details into their most basic forms by using pixelated versions of period furniture. The resulting work, 'Jean Pape' and
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European Parliament election, 2004 (Slovenia)

Thursday, April 24th, 2008

The European Parliament election of 2004 in Slovenia was the election of MEP representing Slovenia constituency for the 2004-2009 term of the European Parliament. It was part of the wider 2004 European election. The vote took place on June 13.

The biggest surprise was the victory of the New Slovenia Christian People’s Party over the Liberal Democracy of Slovenia and the defeat of the Slovene People’s Party, which did not win a seat. The parties on the right of centre that form the opposition in the Slovenian national parliament won this election.


Results

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Oak Orchard State Marine Park

Thursday, April 24th, 2008

Oak Orchard State Marine Park is a state park located at the mouth of Oak Orchard River at Lake Ontario in the Town of Carlton in Orleans County, New York, USA. The park can be accessed on NYS Route 18. The park is a few miles east of Lakeside Beach State Park.

The park offers picnic tables, a boat launch, and fishing.

The Lake Ontario State Parkway passes close to the park.


See also

  • List of New York state parks


External links

  • New York State Parks: Oak Orchard State Marine Park

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Uncle Wiggily

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008

Uncle Wiggily Longears is the main character of a series of children’s books by American author Howard Roger Garis, seventy-nine of which were published in the author’s lifetime[1]. Garis began writing the stories for the Newark News in 1910. Uncle Wiggily, an engaging elderly rabbit, is lame from rheumatism. Whenever he goes anywhere, he always relies on what Garis describes as “his candy-striped walking cane” - this is a cane striped red and white like a peppermint candy cane.

Uncle Wiggily is only one of many recurring characters in the series. For example, Pipsisewah is an unsavory character that appears as a rhinoceros-like character. His head has a snout with two small horns and beady eyes; he wears a knit or pointed cap, has a cow-like tail, is somewhat stout, and walks upright on two legs. As other characters, he has hands but has hooves for feet. He is normally accompanied by the crow-like Skeezicks, and the two of them rarely get into anything other than mischief harmless to the other characters in the storyline.

There are also several other “bad” creatures in the stories: the Woozy Wolf, Bushy Bear, Skillery Skallery Alligator and the fierce Bobcat, to name but a few. They all seem bent on nibbling Uncle Wiggly’s ears, but he always escapes with the help of an implement he purchased at the store, while on an errand for his housekeeper, Nurse Jane. For example, he once used an umbrella to foil the alligator by sticking it down the creature’s mouth and opening it, so he couldn’t bite the Gentleman Bunny.

He also encounters friendly creatures like Sammie Littletail (another rabbit), Neddie Stubtail (a friendly bear cub) and many others, who he helps get out of some kind of pickle just before one of the “bad” creatures enters the picture.

Most of Garis’ work is now in the public domain and a number of the Uncle Wiggily books are available from Project Gutenberg.


See also

Uncle Wiggily (game)

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Set (gaming)

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

With Tap patented by Wizards of the Coast, the game Ophidian used a very similar mechanic with a similar symbol, .

Like tapping, to set a card is to turn it 90 degrees sideways, which shows that it has been used. Since cards only unset after each Wave, an ability that requires you to set a card is normally only usable once per Wave.

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Seating

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008


Reserved and free seating

Seating arrangements:

  • Reserved seating: each seat is reserved for a specific ticket holder.
  • General admission, open seating, free seating:
    • A seat is guaranteed, but not a specific one, one may choose on a first come, first choice basis; either the ticket is for a specific time/service/performance, or people are admitted until it is full, in that case one has to wait until the next occasion (e.g. in an amusement ride)
    • In e.g. public transport: tickets are for a particular company and trajectory, but not a specific time; anybody with a ticket is admitted, hence there is a risk that one has to stand. If it is very crowded, the situation changes into the one mentioned previously: one may have to wait for the next vehicle, either because a guard refuses to admit more passengers, or because the vehicle is so full it is physically impossible or considered inappropiate to enter it.
  • Festival seating: there are not really seats, but just an open area where a ticket holder is admitted.

Many music acts prefer festival seating because it allows the most enthusiastic fans to get near the stage and generate excitement for the rest of the crowd. Some performers and bands insist on a festival seating area near the stage.

On December 3, 1979, the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio, was the site of one of the worst rock concert tragedies in United States history. Eleven fans were killed and several dozen others injured in the rush for seating at the opening of a sold-out concert by The Who. The concert was using festival seating. When the crowds waiting outside heard the band performing a soundcheck, they thought the concert was beginning and tried to rush into the still-closed doors, trampling those at the front of the crowd.

The tragedy was blamed on poor crowd control, mainly the failure of arena management to open enough doors to deal with the crowd outside. As a result, concert venues across North America switched to assigned seating or changed their rules about festival seating. Cincinnati immediately outlawed festival seating at concerts, although it overturned the ban on August 4, 2004, since the ban was making it difficult for Cincinnati to book concerts. (In 2002, the city had made a one-time exception to the ban, allowing festival seating for a Bruce Springsteen concert; no problems were experienced.) Cincinnati was the only city in the U.S. to outlaw festival seating altogether.


Chair arrangements

In the case of a game, race, performance or movie, chairs face the playing field, track, stage, screen, etc. This may be in one direction (if the seats are on one side) or in inward direction (if the seats are around the stage, etc.).

In a vehicle seats are facing forward, or partly forward and partly backward, facing each other. Sometimes there are seats facing to a side.

See also Coach (rail)


See also

  • Stadium seating


External links

  • More than 200 beautiful festival seating pictures worldwide
  • Seating aspects of crowd control

Information

Averruncus

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

Averruncus is a minor god in Roman mythology.

Averruncus is the god of aversion. He is said to help in avoiding calamity, while also bringing good fortune to his followers. In other references, Averruncus is also known as the god of childbirth.

Owing to his uniqueness and mysterious nature among the roman mythical Gods, he evokes a cult following in today’s youth! For Example
Blogger Averruncus

Music venue

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

A music venue is any location regularly used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from an outdoor bandshell or bandstand to an indoor sports stadium. Typically, different types of venues host different genres of music. Opera houses, bandshells, and concerts host classical music performances, whereas public houses, nightclubs, and discothèques offer music in contemporary genres, such as rock, dance, country and pop.

Music venues may be either privately or publicly funded, and may charge for admission. An example of a publicly-funded music venue is a park bandstand; such outdoor venues charge nothing for admission. A nightclub is a privately-funded venue; venues like these often charge an entry fee to generate a profit. Music venues do not necessarily host live acts; disc jockeys at a discothèque or nightclub play recorded music through a PA system.


Characteristics

Music venues can be categorised in several different ways. Venues can either be permanent or temporary, be situated outdoors or indoors or play host to live or recorded music. Music venues may be the result of private or public enterprises. Many venues only allow acts of one particular genre; jazz clubs only allow jazz musicians, and opera houses generally host only operas. Music venues can be categorised by size and capacity; a small nightclub will often have a much smaller capacity than that of a stadium.

The majority of music venues are permanent; however, temporary music venues do exist. An example of a temporary venue would be one constructed for a music festival.

Music venues are either outdoor or indoor. Examples of outdoor venues include bandstands and bandshells; such outdoor venues provide minimal shelter for performing musicians and are usually located in parks. A temporary music festival is typically an outdoor venue. Examples of indoor venues include public houses, nightclubs, coffee bars and stadia.

Venues can play live music, recorded music, or a combination of the two, depending on the event or time of day. A characteristic of virtually every live music venue is that one or more stages are present.


History

Although music as an art form has existed since prehistoric times, permanent music venues began with the theatre of ancient Greece. Available at Project Gutenberg.


Types


Opera houses

An opera house is a theatre constructed specifically for opera. The first opera house was the Teatro San Cassiano in Venice, Italy, which opened in 1637. Available at Project Gutenberg. An opera house generally has a spacious orchestra pit, where a large number of orchestra players may be seated at a level below the audience, so that they can play without overwhelming the singing voices.


Bandshell and bandstands

A bandshell is a large, outdoor performing venue typically used by concert bands and orchestras. The roof and the back half of the shell protect musicians from the elements and reflect sound through the open side and out towards the audience.


Jazz club

Jazz clubs are an example of a venue that is dedicated to a specific genre of music.


Public houses and nightclubs


Concert hall

A concert hall is a performance venue constructed specifically for instrumental classical music. A concert hall may exist as part of a larger performing arts center.


Stadium


Notes and references


See also

  • History of music

Information

Kelson

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

Kelson

The kelson or keelson is the member which, particularly in a wooden vessel, lies parallel with its keel but above the transverse members such as timbers, frames or in a larger vessel, floors. It is fastened to the keel partly to impart additional longitudinal stiffness to it but principally to bind the longitudinal members: keel and hog, to the transverse members: frames and floors.

In an open boat it is often fastened to the keel and hog in such a way that it can be removed for maintenance. Again, it lies above the boat’s frames or timbers as they cross the hog but in this instance, its main function is frequently to provide a means of holding down the bottom boards in such a way that they can easily be removed for maintenance. The keelson of an open boat is normally arranged to be flush with the bottom boards so as to reduce the chance or the crew’s tripping over it.

In an open boat or in a larger vessel, the hog is the structural member which lies immediately above the keel to which it is permanently and securely fastened so that the two form one member to which the lowest strakes (the garboard strakes) are fastened.

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Statue

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

A statue is a sculpture depicting a specific entity, usually a person, event, animal or object. Its primary concern is representational.

A small statue is called statuette. A statue of just a head and shoulders is a bust.

Many statues are built on commission to commemorate a historical event, or the life of an influential person. Many statues are intended as public art, exhibited outdoors or in public buildings for the edification of passers-by, with a larger magnitude than normal words could ever have for the common man.

On rare occasions, statues themselves become historic and inspire their own historic events. In 1986, when the Statue of Liberty marked her one-hundredth anniversary, a three-day centennial celebration in her honor attracted 12 million, said to have been the largest public event in the world as of that date. The guest list was unique. “We invited all the great statues of the world to her birthday party and created giant puppets to represent them,” said Jeanne Fleming, director of the event. “Each one arrived accompanied by native music.”

There is an urban legend concerning a code for mounted statues, whereby the horse’s hooves are supposed to indicate how the rider met his end. One hoof off the floor would indicate the rider died of wounds received in battle, or perhaps was just wounded in battle; two hooves off the floor would indicate the rider was killed in battle. An examination of the equestrian statues in most major European cities shows this is not true. If it ever was true, the practice appears to have died out in the 19th century. [1][2]

Statues are amongst the wonders of the world, with the Colossus of Rhodes and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the Moai of Easter Island among the wonders of the modern world.


Gallery


See also

  • Bust
  • Colossus
  • Equestrian sculpture
  • Living statue
  • Memorial
  • Monument
  • Sculpture
  • Stone carving
  • Stone sculpture
  • History of sculpture
  • List of statues
  • List of statues by height


External Links

  • UK Public Monument and Sculpture Association

Information

  • Spa break in the Pyrenees Large pool: under a vast cathedral of wood bathed in natural light. benches of heated marble, hot and cold plunging pools, massage room, relaxation room
  • Class Gift History at Ohio State 1946: Shelter House on Olentangy River. 1947: Decorative benches. 1948: Fireplace in the Ohio Union. 1949: Bandstand. 1950: Iron lung and electrical organ
  • Colima's Quiet Charm - New York Times They include statues of agricultural deities, baleful and gnomic; flattish sculptures of men and women sitting on benches — a sign of prestige in a
  • Volunteer Park Statue was a feature of the 1909 AYP Exposition held on the US grounds; moved to this the Olmsteds included a bandstand in their design of this park and
  • sec 2 anatownscape final File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTMLTerrace and the George III statue to enhance the lighting. levels to the carriageway. .. form, reverting back to the planters and benches up to the
  • STG:Camaguey There are plenty of benches where you can sit and watch life go by for a while . look at the statues of soldiers and the bandstand and try and figure out

Hide ‘N Seek Children’s Foundation

Monday, April 21st, 2008

Hide ‘N Seek Children’s Foundation is a foundation based in Salinas, California, which was started in 2002.It was started by Executive Director Rebecca Skrdla, a single mother of two. Hide ‘N Seek Children’s Foundation promotes responsible parenting by creating public awareness materials about children’s emotional and financial needs. Every child and adult has played some form of Hide ‘N Seek. It has universal appeal until it becomes a game where parents hide from their responsibilities. Life is very difficult for the children who have a parent that relocates, conceals income or stops being part of their daily lives. Hide ‘N Seek Children’s Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to making communities better places for children in single parent homes to grow up through public awareness of child support issues. Our multimedia materials make children’s emotional and financial needs a priority of the community. The foundation also offers community service hours to local high school students.

In June 2005, Hide ‘N Seek announced that it had teamed with the White House to become a Certifying Organization for the President’s Volunteer Service Award.[1]

The foundation received a $10,000 grant from Harden Foundation.


External links

Information

Box and pan brake

Monday, April 21st, 2008

The box and pan brake is a metalworking machine that allows the bending of sheet metal to form box and pan shapes, and to form bends and creases in sheet metal. It is also known as a bending machine or bending brake.


Description

The brake consists of a flat surface onto which the material is placed, and a clamping bar which will come down and hold the material firmly during the bend. This clamping action may be manual, automatic or operated using a foot pedal. The front, gate-like, plate of the machine is hinged and may be lifted, forcing the material extended over a straight edge to bend to follow the plate.

Different shapes may be fitted to the clamping bar to permit bending of restricted areas of a piece of sheet metal or of already partially formed pieces.

The bends can be to any angle up to a practical limit of about 120 degrees.

After bending, a box or pan form is then completed by screw, solder, weld, or other metal fixing process.

Brakes come in sizes suitable for light aluminum or brass for small boxes and operated by hand, up to industrial sized and counterwighted hand operated or hydraulic machines suitable for large sheets of steel.


External links

  • Build your own vintage Press Brake

Information

Spacecraft Event Time

Monday, April 21st, 2008

Spacecraft Event Time is the time an event occurs at a spacecraft. Since it takes time for a radio transmission to reach the spacecraft from the earth, the usual operation of a spacecraft is done via an uploaded commanding script containing SCET markers to ensure a certain timeline of events. Real time commanding of spacecrafts is done rather rarely, mostly in case of time constraints during an emergency event like going into safe mode for an earth-pointed CME of the sun.
The Spacecraft Event Time of a singular event on the spacecraft can also be defined as equal to the ERT (Earth-received time) minus the OWLT (One-Way Light Time).

Spacecraft Event Time in UTC is also known as Orbiter UTC, and Earth-received time as Ground UTC.

World Productions

Sunday, April 20th, 2008

World Productions is a British television production company, founded in the early 1990s by acclaimed producer Tony Garnett. The company’s first major series was the police drama Between The Lines (BBC1, 1992-94), and throughout the decade they went on to produce a succession of highly successful drama series. The most notable of these include This Life (BBC2, 1996-97), a successful drama about a group of young law students in London which became cult viewing; vampire-based thriller Ultraviolet (Channel 4, 1998); and another police series for the BBC, The Cops (BBC2, 1998-99), which was so controversial in its depiction of the police force that official police advice was withdrawn for the second series.

More recently, the company has found success with the series No Angels for Channel 4 (2004-2006), a drama based around the lives of young nurses, and is hoping for similar success with the new series Goldplated. It also co-produced, with BBC Wales, a one-off This Life reunion special, transmitted in early 2007.


Filmography

  • Saddam’s Tribe (2007) (TV) … Production Company
  • Party Animals (2007) … Production Company
  • This Life + 10 (2007) (TV) … Production Company
  • Lilies (2007) … Production Company
  • (2006) (TV) … Production Company
  • Rough Diamond (2006) … Production Company
  • Perfect Day (2005) (TV) … Production Company
  • Ahead of the Class (2005) (TV) … Production Company
  • Murder Prevention (2004) … Production Company
  • Outlaws (2004) … Production Company
  • No Angels (2004) … Production Company
  • Love Again (2003) (TV) … Production Company
  • Buried (2003) … Production Company
  • Table 12 (2001) … Production Company
  • Trance (2001) (TV) … Production Company
  • Attachments (2000) … Production Company
  • Rough Treatment (2000) (TV) … Production Company
  • Black Cab (2000) … Production Company
  • The Cops (1998) … Production Company
  • Ultraviolet (1998) (TV) … Production Company
  • Hostile Waters (1997) (TV) … Production Company
  • The Heart Surgeon (1997) (TV) … Production Company
  • Beautiful Thing (1996) … Production Company
  • This Life (1996) … Production Company
  • Ballykissangel (1996) … Production Company
  • Christmas (1996) (TV) … Production Company
  • Between the Lines (1992) … Production Company


External links

  • Official company website

Information

Headland, Hartlepool

Sunday, April 20th, 2008

Headland is a civil parish in the borough of Hartlepool, County Durham, England. The parish covers old Hartlepool and the surrounding estates. The Yokels of the Headland are often seen sitting on sofas or rocking chairs in their front gardens drinking moonshine and strumming banjos with their 3 finger hands (mutations caused by close proximity to springfield nuclear plant)

Each household has an approximate population of 12.4 children, 2 horses in the bathroom and 14 lurchers in the backyard.

A popular custom on the headland is to engage your neighbours in conversation about claiming dole whilst the kids burgle their house to take their stash of gear and baccy

Cellaret

Sunday, April 20th, 2008

A cellaret may be a case of cabinet-work for holding wine bottles, or strictly that portion of a sideboard that is used for holding bottles and decanters, so called from a cellar’s being commonly used for keeping wine. Sometimes it is a drawer, divided into compartments lined with zinc, and sometimes a cupboard, but still an integral part of the sideboard.

In the latter part of the 18th century, when the sideboard was in process of evolution from a side-table with drawers into the large and important piece of furniture that it eventually became, the cellaret was a detached receptacle. It was most commonly of mahogany or rosewood, many-sided, octagonal, circular, and occasionally oval, bound with broad bands of brass and lined with zinc partitions to hold the ice for cooling wine. Sometimes a tap was fixed in the lower part for drawing off the water from the melted ice.

Cellarets were usually placed under the sideboard and were, as a rule, handsome and well-proportioned. As the refined, early Neoclassicism of the late-18th and early-19th centuries gave way to its more ostentatious interpretations known as the Empire style, cellarets became heavier and more ornate, boldly over-emphasizing Roman and Grecian motifs, and sometimes even assuming the shape of sarcophagi mounted with lions’ heads and animal-paw feet.

Information

Runabout (car)

Saturday, April 19th, 2008

Runabouts were a popular car body style at the beginning of the 20th Century. They were small, inexpensive, open cars. Most runabouts had just a single row of seats, providing seating for two passengers. Many also had a tonneau at the rear to provide optional seating for four or five. In the vintage vehicle era, nearly half of all car models, and the majority of cars produced, were classified as runabouts.

The 1964 GM Runabout was a three wheel concept car first exhibited at Futurama II, part of the 1964 New York World’s Fair.

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Cane Corso

Friday, April 18th, 2008

The Cane Corso is an Italian breed of dog used mainly as a guard dog. It is of the large molosser type. The name means “Corso Dog”, and if abbreviated should be called a “Corso” as Cane (pronounced kah-nay) simply means “dog” in Italian.


Appearance

The Cane Corso is a very large yet lean molosser-type dog, well muscled and looking more athletic than most other mastiffs. The official FCI standard calls for dogs to stand from 60-68 centimeters at the withers (23.6-26.7 inches), with bitches in the lower region and dogs in the higher. Weight should be in keeping with the size and stature of these dogs, ranging from 40-50 kg (88-110lbs). The overall impression should be of power balanced with athleticism.

Its ears are naturally dropped forward, but where legal, many breeders crop them short and close to the head so that the remaining stubs stand upright. Most Corsos have docked tails as well. The standard calls for docking at the 4th vertebra, although many are docked shorter.

Corsos appear in two basic coat colours: black and fawn. This is further modified by genetic pigment dilution to create blue (from black) and formentino (from fawn) colours. Formentino only express the blue colouring on the muzzle. Brindling of varying intensity is common on both basic coat colours as well, creating tigrato (full brindle), black brindle, and blue brindle. Fawn also has a number of different expressions, ranging from the pale of a formentino to ‘red’ to the more common beige colour, with the back coat hairs tipped with black. In blue dogs, the nose can appear grey, but should be darker than the coat. In all other dogs, the nose should be black. White markings on the chest, toes and on the nose are seen as well, with smaller white patches being preferable.


Temperament

The Cane Corso should be a confident dog, very devoted to its family, and not pose a threat to strangers welcomed into the home. He is easily trained and generally naturally protective of children. Since the breed is very smart and active, it is advised that owners find activities to stimulate the dog. They also often suffer from separation anxiety. A well trained and socialised Corso is not only a good ambassador for the breed, but for canines in general.


History

The Cane Corso is a recently recovered breed, and its history will probably always be shrouded in mystery and differing opinions. The breed was originally to be found mostly in the south of Italy, Puglia, and also similar dogs were found throughout Sicily. It was a farm dog, used for big game hunting, guarding, and many other purposes throughout its history. Recovered from near extinction through the efforts of a group of enthusiasts in the 1980’s, now the Corso is becoming a very popular breed globally.

Probably derived from the same root stock as the Neapolitan mastiff; the Roman war dog “Canis Pugnax”. Where the Neo went for power and weight, the Corso favoured agilty, speed and stamina.


Gallery


References


External links

  • Clubs, Associations, and Societies

    • Cane Corso Association of America - CCAA
    • Friends of the Cane Corso - UK/worldwide based Corso community
  • General Information

    • The Cane Corso Mastiff
    • Cane Corso history (en) - AICC

Information

Jake Lloyd

Thursday, April 17th, 2008

Jake Lloyd (born March 5 1989) is an American actor who gained worldwide fame when he was chosen by George Lucas to play the young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, the first film in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.


Background

Jake was born in Fort Collins, Colorado to Lisa Flowers. Lisa later married William Lloyd and changed Jake’s last name to Lloyd as well. His name is not Jacob. He has a younger sister named Madison and a dog named Harvey.

He is best known for his performances in the films Jingle All the Way and Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Jake’s latest film, Madison, was filmed in 2001 but not released until April 2005. That year he also gave MTV his first interview since Star Wars in which he stated that he is again auditioning for roles.

In 2007, Jake graduated from Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana. He is currently attending Columbia College Chicago as a Film and Video major.


Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1995 Unhook the Stars J.J.
1996 Jingle All the Way Jamie Langston
1999 Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Anakin Skywalker
2001 Madison Mike McCormick


External links

  • Jake Lloyd Star Wars biography
  • 2005 MTV Interview

Information

The Botanic Garden of Western Pennsylvania

Thursday, April 17th, 2008

The Botanic Garden of Western Pennsylvania was founded in 1988 to develop the first comprehensive botanical garden in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania region.

It is located on 432 acres at Settler’s Cabin County Park about 20 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh, and aims to complement the traditional gardens in the area of the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and the Rodef Shalom Biblical Botanical Garden.


See also

  • List of botanical gardens in the United States


External links

  • Botanic Garden of Western Pennsylvania homepage

Information

Ready-to-assemble furniture

Wednesday, April 16th, 2008

Ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture, also known as “knock-down furniture” or “flat packs”, is furniture supplied as a kit of flat parts and fasteners to be assembled, usually by the end user, with simple tools. Assembled furniture is bulky, and incurs storage and delivery costs disproportionate to its production costs; packaged RTA furniture occupies little more volume than that of its components, and can be shipped at far lower cost. Factory assembly is not necessary, further reducing cost. RTA furniture packaged in a compact carton with detailed assembly instructions. Ready-to-assemble furniture is very common in Europe and North America.

According to IKEA, flat-pack furniture was invented by Swedish draughtsperson Gillis Lundgren who, in order to fit a table in the boot of his car broke off the legs then reassembled it at home. He took his idea to his employers IKEA, who later built their business around it.

Do it yourself (DIY) oriented people can find it enjoyable to assemble RTA units. The ease of assembly required also varies. IKEA furniture for example, is marketed on its completeness including hex keys in the package if they are needed. However, the assembly of some brands require the customer to have access to a much larger selection of hand or even power tools. Ironically, a common complaint is that some RTA packages do not include necessary screws, fixings or even parts required to complete assembly.

The most common types of RTA furniture are living room and office furniture, including bookcases, tables, beds and lounge-ware. Outdoor furniture e.g. swingsets and patio settings is another common example of RTA furniture.

Self-assembly kitchens are available from some retailers. These are made to uniform sizes. They benefit from a wide number of options and the ability to easily update them through the addition of for example, new cupboard doors.

Consider a CD/DVD storage rack. In the design of this furniture the cost of transporting and storing this product is kept in mind by retailing it as a flat pack. A flatter product can be easily stored and the cost of transport is lower overall as more items can be moved in the same space occupied by the assembled product. The cost of labour can also be reduced as there is no need for workers to assemble the product before it is sold. Other cost-cutting techniques can be employed by using particle board laminated with vinyl instead of using solid timber for example.

Information

Melville Henry Cane

Wednesday, April 16th, 2008

Melville H. Cane (April 15, 1879 - March 10, 1980) was an American poet and lawyer. As a Columbia University student Cane worked as a reporter at the New York Evening Post and also wrote poetry. Cane earned his law degree in 1905 and later specialized in copyright law.

Cane was a legal counsel to notable writers like Sinclair Lewis, Upton Sinclair and William Saroyan, and also served on the board of directors for Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc. Cane was also awarded the Frost Medal by the Poetry Society of America in 1971 for lifetime achievement.

Some of Cane’s works are: January Garden (1926), Behind Dark Places’ (1930), And Pastures New (1956) and Snow Towards Evening (1974).

Information

Elijah Bond

Wednesday, April 16th, 2008

Elijah J. Bond was an American lawyer and inventor.

Although he invented and patented many types of items including a steam boiler, he is best remembered for inventing what became known as a Ouija Board. He invented the board in 1889 and filed for a United States patent on May 28, 1890. Charles W. Kennard and William H. A. Maupin were listed as assignees. The patent was granted on February 10, 1891.

By 1907 Bond had relocated his toy production company to West Virginia and there is evidence that he produced a game called Nirvana which he received a United States patent for on June 18, 1907. The “toy” incorporated a swastika as its logo and he even called his company The Swastika Novelty Company.

Information

Utopia Parkway

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

Utopia Parkway is an album by Fountains of Wayne. It was released in 1999 through Atlantic Records. It was preceded by Fountains of Wayne in 1996 and is followed by Welcome Interstate Managers, released in 2003. Like its predecessor, it focuses on showcasing upbeat, fun-to-create power pop music. Utopia Parkway was named an “Album Of The Week” by People Magazine in 1999 upon its release, and got very good reviews in major media outlets.

Utopia Parkway contains two fan favorite songs from the Fountains’ live performances: “Red Dragon Tattoo,” about a boy who gets a tattoo to impress a girl, and “Denise,” a faux-grunge power-pop confection where the songwriters show their intentionally bad and comic writing with “She works at Liberty Travel//She’s got a heart made of gravel.” “Troubled Times,” originally written by Chris Collingwood when he and Adam Schlesinger were in a previous incarnation of Fountains of Wayne called Pinnwheel, is also a fan favorite. The rest of the album, excepting “Utopia Parkway,” was less popular than the seven or eight concert-ready pop songs from their debut.

Following this album, Fountains of Wayne was dropped by their label, Atlantic Records, after sales failed to meet expectations.

Utopia Parkway is also the name of a major street that connects the neighborhoods of Utopia, Beechhurst and several other neighborhoods in the Queens borough of New York City. The street sign on the cover of the Fountains of Wayne album is from this street.


Track listing

  1. “Utopia Parkway”
  2. “Red Dragon Tattoo”
  3. “Denise”
  4. “Hat and Feet”
  5. “The Valley of Malls”
  6. “Troubled Times”
  7. “Go, Hippie”
  8. “A Fine Day For a Parade”
  9. “Amity Gardens”
  10. “Laser Show”
  11. “Lost in Space”
  12. “Prom Theme”
  13. “It Must Be Summer”
  14. “The Senator’s Daughter”

Information

Model 3107 chair

Monday, April 14th, 2008

The Model 3107 chair is one of the most popular chairs in Danish design history. It was designed by Arne Jacobsen, using a new technique in which plywood could be bent in two dimensions. It has been produced exclusively by Fritz Hansen A/S ever since its invention in 1955. It is also the most copied chair in the world.

Being a “copy” itself contributes some irony to that fact. The chair, along with the Jacobsen’s Ant chair, was, according to Jacobsen himself, inspired by a chair made by the husband and wife design team of Charles and Ray Eames.

The chair comes with a number of different undercarriges - both as a regular four-legged chair, an office-chair with five wheels and as a barstool. It comes with armrests, a writing-table attached, and different forms of upholstring. To some extent, these additions mar the simple aesthetics of the chair, while contributing with some practical elements.

The chair is widely believed to have been used in Lewis Morley’s iconic photograph of Christine Keeler; however, the chair used in this photograph was in fact an imitation and not the original Jacobsen model.


External links

  • – The Keeler chair compared with the Model 3107

Information

List of asteroids/118001–119000

Sunday, April 13th, 2008

! colspan=”5″ style=”background-color:silver;text-align:center;” id=”001″| 118001–118100 [ edit]

! colspan=”5″ style=”background-color:silver;text-align:center;” id=”101″| 118101–118200 [ edit]

! colspan=”5″ style=”background-color:silver;text-align:center;” id=”201″| 118201–118300 [ edit]

! colspan=”5″ style=”background-color:silver;text-align:center;” id=”301″| 118301–118400 [ edit]

! colspan=”5″ style=”background-color:silver;text-align:center;” id=”401″| 118401–118500 [ edit]

! colspan=”5″ style=”background-color:silver;text-align:center;” id=”501″| 118501–118600 [ edit]

! colspan=”5″ style=”background-color:silver;text-align:center;” id=”601″| 118601–118700 [ edit]

! colspan=”5″ style=”background-color:silver;text-align:center;” id=”701″| 118701–118800 [ edit]

! colspan=”5″ style=”background-color:silver;text-align:center;” id=”801″| 118801–118900 [ edit]

! colspan=”5″ style=”background-color:silver;text-align:center;” id=”901″| 118901–119000 [ edit]

Information

Making News

Saturday, April 12th, 2008

Making News is a television drama set in the world of journalism produced by Thames Television for the ITV network.

A pilot was screened in 1989, followed by one series of six episodes in 1990. The leading cast members included Bill Nighy, Alphonsia Emmanuel, Paul Darrow, Annie Lambert and Tony Osoba.