<div class=Sony Fair 2008 starts in Taipei, Taiwan with “HD Entertainment Park”
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Sony Fair 2008 starts in Taipei, Taiwan with “HD Entertainment Park”

Friday, April 4, 2008

The fifth annual Sony Fair, established and organized by Sony Taiwan Limited in Taipei, Taiwan since 2004, started at the North Square of Taipei 101 near the TWTC Hall 3 from April 3 to 13. With more opportunities and chances of Blu-ray and High-definition markets, the organizer named its theme slogan with “High-definition Entertainment Park”.

Since the Sony Fair was established in 2004, several brand new AV-media products made their stages at this show and took good effects in it. And this time, after winning the consumer market in the optical storage battle, I’m proud to announce that “Not only Sony, all our groups are BACK“! With several varied and new technologies, the lifestyle changed rapidly with modern people. A typical example is the invention of LCD Television, that drove the high-definition becoming the mainstream in this digital AV-media era. Since I visited Taiwan 2 years ago, I saw several future miniatures from Blu-ray and high-definition AV-media products. Finally in this [digital AV-media] era, this dream became reality and several accessories like digital cameras and recorders also integrated with those new technologies above and showcased in this fair.
This year of Sony Fair with the main theme of “HD Entertainment Park”, showcased not only newly-launched Sony ? , but also BRAVIA, showcased at 2007 Taipei IT Month, games and consoles of PS3 and PSP, showcased at 2008 Taipei Game Show and 2008 Softex Taipei. Because of marketing strategies [by Sony], we [Sony] brought up opportunities and achievements for high-definition markets like Sony Pictures Entertainment, Chunghwa Telecom, and Public Television Service, who produced several HDTV programs with different styles. By the way, the “Audio Gallery” showcase varied ways to enjoy digital music like Walkman, integrated with Bluetooth technology recently, will be released in the middle of April 2008.

Not only executives supported this show, and high-definition AV-media showcases, but Sony BMG Taiwan will also invite several vocalists to hold some mini concerts in the Sony Fair 2008 to bring up the visitors during holiday nights.

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<div class=Three of Serbia’s neighbours recognize Kosovo
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Three of Serbia’s neighbours recognize Kosovo

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Croatia, Bulgaria and Hungary, all of which border Serbia, announced in a joint statement Wednesday that they will recognize Kosovo as an independent state.

“The decision on the recognition of Kosovo is based on thorough consideration,” the statement said.

Croatia and Hungary later confirmed they had officially recognized Kosovo, while Bulgaria is expected to make an announcement Thursday. Yesterday, Bulgaria’s security council held a meeting regarding Kosovo. Angel Naidenov, spokesman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, praised Kosovo for their efforts in establishing a “multi-ethnic and democratic country.”

The statement says Kosovo’s declaration of independence was prompted by the international community’s failure to work out a solution between Serbia and Kosovo. “In these circumstances the change of the unsustainable status quo was unavoidable,” the statement said.

The three nations express their interest in helping the European Union with stabilizing the region, and they wish to develop ties with a Kosovo that “maintains good relations with its neighbors, enjoys economic growth, and keeps its European orientation.”

Serbian foreign minister Vuk Jeremi? criticized their decision. “Every country that decides to recognize the illegally declared state of Kosovo breaches international law,” he said, adding that countries who recognize Kosovo “cannot have good ties with Serbia.”

“I call on states, particularly those of the region, not to take this step. Do not injure our country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Jeremi? said.

Boris Tadi?, Serbia’s president, had previously warned Croatia that recognizing Kosovo would have a negative effect on their relations. “We want to have the best possible relations with this country,” Tadi? said. “But recognition of Kosovo is certainly not an act of goodwill between neighbours.”

Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader says he does not expect relations to worsen. “I do understand this is a difficult one for Serbia to swallow. That’s one of the reasons we have waited until now. But I don’t expect a worsening of political and economic relations because there is no alternative to good neighbourly relations.”

Kosovo’s deputy prime minister, Hajredin Kuçi said the decision was “very good for the Serbian perception and the people of Serbia that everybody who is in the neighbourhood is recognizing the new reality.”

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<div class=South Dakota duck population gets help from rain
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South Dakota duck population gets help from rain

Thursday, July 21, 2005

A wet late Spring season’s increase in rainfall helped duck populations rebound in the northern Great Plains near the U.S.-Canadian border. A dry Winter and resulting low ground water levels threatened duck nesting grounds in the area.

Much to the relief of duck hunters, who feared a possible 2005 ban on duck hunting, the most-recent waterfowl survey released this week by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service showed duck populations in South Dakota on the rebound.

This contrasted to a May survey that showed fewer ducks and waterfowl nesting areas in the state with the population of breeding ducks numbering 1.6 million, down from 1.7 million in 2004. The same May survey indicated that duck habitats, specifically ponds, had declined more than 35 percent from the historical average.

However, late Spring rains reportedly improved wetland conditions and irrigated grasslands for grazing duck broods and re-nesting hens. The figures are used to set duck-hunting limits for the fall season, which begins in August.

“I have observed many duck broods across eastern South Dakota in July, and grassland cover looks great statewide,” Spencer Vaa, a waterfowl biologist with the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks said in an Associated Press report.

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<div class=Ohio man dies after sitting in chair for two years
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Ohio man dies after sitting in chair for two years

Friday, April 1, 2011

A morbidly obese Ohio man died Wednesday after being found unconscious in his home several days earlier. The man had been sitting in a chair for two years and was physically fused to it when he was discovered by two roommates, one of which was his girlfriend.

Authorities who arrived at the house in Bellaire reported seeing the man sitting amidst his own urine and feces, which were infested with maggots. The man’s skin had become attached to the recliner’s cloth, said law enforcement officers, one of whom had to dispose of his uniform after responding to the home. In order to transport the man to the hospital, officers had to carve out a portion of the wall.

Identified as 43-year-old Richard Hughes, the man died after being taken to Wheeling Hospital in West Virginia. The residence’s landlord said Hughes, weighing 348 pounds (157 kilograms), began sitting in the chair after his knees started to hurt, and refused to get up. Hughes’ girlfriend told police that she fed him because he was unable to move around.

Jim Chase, a city official, called the room where the man stayed “very filthy, very deplorable” and said it was “unbelievable that somebody live[d] in conditions like that.”

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<div class=Additional damage to reservoir prompts evacuation of Kolontar, Hungary
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Additional damage to reservoir prompts evacuation of Kolontar, Hungary

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Kolontar, Hungary is currently being evacuated as new damage was discovered at the burst reservoir that spilled hazardous sludge on Monday 04 October 2010 in Western Hungary. If the embankment dam of the storage pond that already released about 700,000 cubic meters of highly alkaline (pH ~13) red sludge into the area would entirely collapse, an extra volume of 500,000 cubic meters of red mud could be released.

A second spill containing more sediments from the bottom of the reservoir would be heavier and thicker than the first one, and would move less rapidly. The flash flood of Monday already killed seven people, chemically burnt 150 others, and left the land and the surface water devastated by the sodium hydroxide and the iron oxides bearing also traces of heavy metals. According to Reuters the prime minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, arrived in the village Saturday morning.

It is also being reported that the newly discovered damage is minor; however, disaster crews do not want to take any chances and are evacuating the village’s 800 inhabitants as a precaution. The evacuees are being taken to a sports hall and two high schools, which are eight kilometers away from the reservoir in a town called Ajka.

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Design By Numbers}

Design By Numbers}

Design By Numbers

by

Veronica Wakeham

For a decade and counting as a Vancouver interior designer I’ve shown many clients job satisfaction. The styles and fabrics draw attention away from the budget sometimes. But this has to be avoided. The design and the numbers must work together and get sorted out clearly right from the get-go.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx1WveKV7aE[/youtube]

To remove the guesswork from sourcing materials a designer has to have a good handle on how much is available. Otherwise the cost will spiral out of control. Too many items that make up a design sourcing list can chew into the budget well beyond their worth to the overall project. Start with the total and work within its constraints. All the space planning and color coordination concepts a designer can show on renderings and CAD drawings will fade if later they have to deliver an inflated budget to a client. Or worse if designers spend a lot of time on concepts that were never affordable to begin with they wind up as disappointed as the client. The client always wants to know how much the job will cost. My advice to any designer is to confront budget head on. Do this early in the relationship as you ask your client lots of questions. Find out the scope of work soon enough to inquire about the budget and to qualify the client. Otherwise you may do a lot of up front work in vain. You won’t hurt anyone’s feelings by asking how much they intend to spend for a design project. How else can you give a proper estimation of the quality and scope of work you can provide but to know the size of the budget. This conversation will lay the groundwork for building realistic expectations of what is to be delivered.In my town of Vancouver and in my location in the downtown core, I come across many clients who are busy professionals. They are used to working with the same, with partners and team player to reach corporate or career goals. They are usually short on time and want to give their interior design project to me to save them from wasting time and not getting it done right. Once clients decide on a budget they can be advised on what can be achieved. Each cost of a material or an accessory, a piece of art, the tile back splash, the type of wood for flooring, these all must meet the taste and function wanted by the client and still fit into the budget. Getting approvals and limiting surprises will make the job a whole lot easier for all parties.Finally when interior design projects are at completion and the concepts have been drilled, hammered, painted, hung, caulked, sewn and carried into their new residences, the clients will take to their new environment. When the design has been accomplished the renovated home reflects the client’s desire and never so much as when the job is done on budget.Vancouver Interior Designer

Veronica Wakeham is Resident Designer for The Living Show-Novus Network and owner of Terra Nova Linen House, a finelinen establishment located in the Sinclair Centre in Vancouver, BC. Visit Veronica for

interior design guidance

, window coverings, furniture packages,fine beddingand table linens, or contact her for more information.

Article Source:

Design By Numbers}

<div class=BDSM as business: An interview with the owners of a dungeon
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BDSM as business: An interview with the owners of a dungeon

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Torture proliferates American headlines today: whether its use is defensible in certain contexts and the morality of the practice. Wikinews reporter David Shankbone was curious about torture in American popular culture. This is the first of a two part series examining the BDSM business. This interview focuses on the owners of a dungeon, what they charge, what the clients are like and how they handle their needs.

When Shankbone rings the bell of “HC & Co.” he has no idea what to expect. A BDSM (Bondage Discipline Sadism Masochism) dungeon is a legal enterprise in New York City, and there are more than a few businesses that cater to a clientèle that wants an enema, a spanking, to be dressed like a baby or to wear women’s clothing. Shankbone went to find out what these businesses are like, who runs them, who works at them, and who frequents them. He spent three hours one night in what is considered one of the more upscale establishments in Manhattan, Rebecca’s Hidden Chamber, where according to The Village Voice, “you can take your girlfriend or wife, and have them treated with respect—unless they hope to be treated with something other than respect!”

When Shankbone arrived on the sixth floor of a midtown office building, the elevator opened up to a hallway where a smiling Rebecca greeted him. She is a beautiful forty-ish Long Island mother of three who is dressed in smart black pants and a black turtleneck that reaches up to her blond-streaked hair pulled back in a bushy ponytail. “Are you David Shankbone? We’re so excited to meet you!” she says, and leads him down the hall to a living room area with a sofa, a television playing an action-thriller, an open supply cabinet stocked with enema kits, and her husband Bill sitting at the computer trying to find where the re-release of Blade Runner is playing at the local theater. “I don’t like that movie,” says Rebecca.

Perhaps the most poignant moment came at the end of the night when Shankbone was waiting to be escorted out (to avoid running into a client). Rebecca came into the room and sat on the sofa. “You know, a lot of people out there would like to see me burn for what I do,” she says. Rebecca is a woman who has faced challenges in her life, and dealt with them the best she could given her circumstances. She sees herself as providing a service to people who have needs, no matter how debauched the outside world deems them. They sat talking mutual challenges they have faced and politics (she’s supporting Hillary); Rebecca reflected upon the irony that many of the people who supported the torture at Abu Ghraib would want her closed down. It was in this conversation that Shankbone saw that humanity can be found anywhere, including in places that appear on the surface to cater to the inhumanity some people in our society feel towards themselves, or others.

“The best way to describe it,” says Bill, “is if you had a kink, and you had a wife and you had two kids, and every time you had sex with your wife it just didn’t hit the nail on the head. What would you do about it? How would you handle it? You might go through life feeling unfulfilled. Or you might say, ‘No, my kink is I really need to dress in women’s clothing.’ We’re that outlet. We’re not the evil devil out here, plucking people off the street, keeping them chained up for days on end.”

Below is David Shankbone’s interview with Bill & Rebecca, owners of Rebecca’s Hidden Chamber, a BDSM dungeon.

Contents

  • 1 Meet Bill & Rebecca, owners of a BDSM dungeon
    • 1.1 Their home life
  • 2 Operating the business
    • 2.1 The costs
    • 2.2 Hiring employees
    • 2.3 The prices
  • 3 The clients
    • 3.1 What happens when a client walks through the door
    • 3.2 Motivations of the clients
    • 3.3 Typical requests
    • 3.4 What is not typical
  • 4 The environment
    • 4.1 Is an S&M dungeon dangerous?
    • 4.2 On S&M burnout
  • 5 Criticism of BDSM
  • 6 Related news
  • 7 External links
  • 8 Sources
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<div class=Reus to miss Euro 16 due to injury
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Reus to miss Euro 16 due to injury

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Today, Joachim Löw, manager of the German national football team, dropped Borussia Dortmund midfielder Marco Reus from the UEFA Euro 2016 squad. Marco Reus, who turned 27 years old today, is suffering from a groin injury. He also missed the 2014 FIFA World Cup with an ankle injury.

Löw said their medical staff wasn’t sure Reus could meet the demands of the forthcoming games. He added, “Marco has serious fitness problems; he can only run in a straight line at the moment.”((de))German language: Marco hat massive gesundheitliche Probleme, im Moment kann er nur geradeaus laufen.

Löw also did not include other Bundesliga players Karim Bellarabi, Julian Brandt, and Sebastian Rudy from the provisional squad in the final selection. Thanking the four German internationals for their performance in training, he said, “It’s not a decision against those four players, but rather one in favour of the other 23.”((de))German language: Es ist keine Entscheidung gegen vier Spieler, sondern eine Entscheidung für 23 Spieler.

Germany are due to play their final friendly match before the start of Euro 2016 on June 4 against Hungary. On June 12, Germany will open their account in Euro 2016 when they face Ukraine in Lille, France.

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<div class=National Hockey League news: March 1, 2008
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National Hockey League news: March 1, 2008

Saturday, March 1, 2008

There were 7 games played in the National Hockey League on February 29, 2008.

Contents

  • 1 Game summaries
    • 1.1 Washington Capitals @ New Jersey Devils
    • 1.2 Montreal Canadiens @ Buffalo Sabres
    • 1.3 Minnesota Wild @ Florida Panthers
    • 1.4 San Jose Sharks @ Detroit Red Wings
    • 1.5 Toronto Maple Leafs @ Tampa Bay Lightning
    • 1.6 Columbus Blue Jackets @ Vancouver Canucks
    • 1.7 Calgary Flames @ Anaheim Ducks
  • 2 Sources
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