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Wildlife Portrait Photography on Point La Jolla; Year-Round Closure Makes This a Thing of the Past




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Chiles are so important to this state, they made a law about them

For New Mexicans, chile isn't just a food, it's a way of life. Chiles are so important, New Mexico is only state to have an "official" question, "Red or green?"




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Are you brave enough to sleep in the 'Ghostbusters' firehouse this Halloween?

There's something strange going on in this Oregon neighborhood.




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This Italian icon looks like you've never seen it before

For over 500 years, Michelangelo's sculpture of David in Florence has stood unchanged, the marble icon of masculinity, and one of the world's most famous works of art.




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This man built a plane for his family in his garden

It wasn't until he moved near to an airfield in the UK over a decade ago that mechanical engineer Ashok Aliseril Thamarakshan began to seriously consider learning to fly a plane.




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This Horror Film Was Livestreamed: One More Round With Generation Loss

“Change someone’s perception of reality, and they will act how you want.” Ranboo, in a post-game debrief Over sixty years ago the filmmaker William Castle released Mr. Sardonicus in theaters, telling the tale of a horrid wretch of a man whose face was frozen in a rictus grin. Over the course of the movie, audiences […]

The post This Horror Film Was Livestreamed: One More Round With Generation Loss first appeared on ARGNet: Alternate Reality Gaming Network.




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My Family Tree on this USB

I had a customized 2 GB USB pen made for me. It arrived today, complete with the "image" I developed to put on it.

Since Behold will very soon become a portable app, this is a cute way of promoting that ability, and I've now added that pic to Behold's home page beside the Portable Application item.

My daughter pointed out that it would have been better if I left the word "drive" off, because "Tree" rhymes nicely with "USB".

Maybe the next thing I'll make up is a pregnancy shirt embossed with: "Behold, I am expanding my family tree".




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Last Post on this Blog -- Hopefully.

I've finally got through all the technical glitches so now WordPress and bbPress will work together very nicely. Now its just a matter of polishing up the various pages and putting them up.

I'm first going to concentrate on getting my new beholdgenealogy site up, and I'll convert the old site bit by bit. The first part will be this blog. What will happen is I will activate the new blog, deactivate the old one, and change all links to the blog to point to the new site. All my Behold pages should still continue to function during all this, except for the few seconds while I'm actually making the changes.

I'll also be copying all my old Blog posts into the new blog. The Behold User Forum had an area for Blog Comments. I'm going to attach those comments to their corresponding posts in the new blog. I'll have a new RSS feed for the new Blog, but I'll try to see if I can redirect the old one to it so that the old feed will continue to work.

I came up with a new registration system that I'm really happy with. When you register, you go to a page that simply asks for your e-mail address. You enter it and click the register button. It then sends you an e-mail with a link that you click on to verify you are the e-mail address holder. That link takes you to the registration page where you can select your UserID and password and enter any profile info you want. You then are registered. So what I've done is move the e-mail confirmation to the first step. That eliminates webbots from filling in registration forms and getting junk entered into the user database. That will get rid of a big maintenance headache that I currently have due to those webbots.

So the benefits of the blog change to you and me are:

  1. More interaction: You can add your comments directly onto my posts instead of into the Forum.
  2. More visibility: As a WordPress blog, it will be better indexed on Google and elsewhere.
  3. Plays better with others: Feed will be RSS 2.0 (now it's only 0.92) and it will accept Trackbacks and Pingbacks.
  4. Saves me hassle: I will no longer have to manually create my RSS feed or ping services to tell them about new posts.
  5. Brings me up to the state-of-the-art.

Hopefully my next post will be to the new Behold Blog.




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This Feed has Moved. Please Update its Feed Address

I have finally put up my New Blog. There is a new RSS feed that goes with it. This is the last post to this feed.

Please change your feed address to: http://www.beholdgenealogy.com/blog/?feed=rss2




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Holiday Inn Express - SAVE up to 15% this spring

SAVE up to 15% this spring




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Holiday Inn Hotels - SAVE up to 15% this spring

SAVE up to 15% this spring




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Confidence in Every Strand: Shop the Hottest Wigs for Sale this season

Have you noticed that people tend to wear different hairstyles during summertime? So have we and that is why we decided to investigate what types of wigs are the most sought after during this season. If you are looking at wigs for sale wondering which style to get for yourself, we are here to help [...]

The post Confidence in Every Strand: Shop the Hottest Wigs for Sale this season appeared first on Braves News World.




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Beer science: This popular glass keeps your brew coldest, says physics

How do you keep a glass of beer cold the longest? By using science, of course. At least that's what one researcher has turned to, finding the optimal shape of vessel that will keep a poured beer chilled for as long as possible while you drink it.

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Category: Science

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4G-connected anti-theft system protects this cargo ebike when parked

California's Aventon hauled itself into the utility bike world last year with the Abound cargo ebike. Now the company has added a short-tail version, which comes with an all-new smart system for peace-of-mind security as well as enhanced connectivity.

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Category: Bicycles, Transport

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This Pizza Was Suspiciously Popular. Police Discovered the Secret Ingredient

The incredible popularity of a specific pizza order has led to the bust of an unusual drug trafficking operation.




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This Trendy Appliance Is a More Economical Alternative to an Oven for Cooking Your Meals

Beyond the benefits of quick, oil free cooking, this device has another big advantage: it uses less electricity than a traditional oven.




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This Common Habit Could Be Dangerous: Why You Shouldn't Charge Your Phone While You Sleep

Many people plug in their phones before bed without a second thought, but experts say it's best to avoid overnight charging.




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Here's How To Activate This Hidden Wi-Fi Feature for Faster Internet

Did you know that smartphones and tablets come with hidden settings to boost Wi-Fi speed?




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This Cloud Always Hovers in the Same Spot, and Even NASA Researchers Have Noticed It

A peculiar, motionless cloud near New Zealand's southern coast has caught NASA's attention.




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This Map Shows Who the Biggest Celebrity in Your Area Is

This new online tool reveals the most famous person from any given location worldwide, offering intriguing and sometimes unexpected insights.




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We All Drank It as Kids, but This Familiar Drink Soothes Coughs Better Than Many Syrups

It's a drink we all loved as kids, and it turns out it may be better than cough syrup for soothing coughs and sore throats.




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Replace Google Search with ChatGPT Using This Simple Trick

Many claim that search results from ChatGPT are better than traditional searches, and now there's an easy way to test it out.




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Beware of Hacker Traps: Never Google This Harmless Question

A simple Google search can sometimes have surprising and serious consequences for users.




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No More Fogged Car Windows – This Lesser Known Trick is Extremely Effective

With colder, more humid weather, car windows tend to fog up quickly in fall and winter. Luckily, there's a simple yet unusual trick to keep them clear.




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iOS 18.1 Brings This Helpful Tool to Your iPhone Calls

Phone call recordings and transcripts are a few taps away.




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This DJI Portable Power Station Is at Its Lowest Ever Price as an Early Black Friday Treat

Enjoy a huge $340 off this portable power source while this deal lasts.




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This Arlo Home Camera Is My Favorite Mix of Features and Price

Can't settle on a security cam? Arlo's latest Essential camera does it all for under $100.




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Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor review: This or the Fronx?

Between May 1, 2023 and April 30, 2024, a whopping 44 percent of Toyota’s total sales came from rebadged Maruti products like the Baleno-based Glanza, Grand Vitara-based Hyryder and Ertiga-based Rumion. This model clearly seems to be working for Toyota, and now, there’s a fourth Maruti-based offering, called the Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor.

Toyota Taisor design

This newest Toyota is a badge-engineered Fronx, which is a handsome car to begin with owing to its crossover-esque stance and coupe-like roofline that exert serious appeal. Furthermore, Toyota designers have done a neat job by seamlessly integrating design elements that firmly link it to other models from the Japanese brand. For example, its DRLs are similar to the Hyryder and the grille, with its honeycomb pattern, is similar to the pre-facelift Innova Crysta. As a result, the Taisor looks like it is a part of the Toyota family when viewed from the front. 

If you look closely, the LEDs in the tail-lights in the outer and tailgate section don’t seem to match.

Compared to the Fronx, its 16-inch alloys sport a different design, and at the rear, the outer section of the tail-lamps with C-shaped LEDs are new. The connected LEDs on the tailgate are identical to the Fronx, and when you look closely, the LEDs in the tail-lights in the outer and tailgate section don’t seem to match.

Toyota Taisor interior

Unlike the outside, where the Taisor does get an identity of its own, the interiors are bereft of any significant differentiation – they're identical to the Fronx in terms of the design, colour, quality and even fit-finish. But it is still a smart-looking design and the brown-black colours add some vibrancy to the cabin. Ergonomics are spot on – all the controls are easily within reach, and there's plenty of adjustment to find the right driving position. There’s even an adjustable armrest console to get comfortable with.

Unlike the outside, the interiors are bereft of any significant differentiation from the Fronx.

The Taisor is spacious and its rear bench is comfortable. What’s nice is that there are three individual adjustable headrests and three-point seatbelts too. Sadly, like Maruti, even Toyota doesn’t give load sensors at the back, so even if no one’s here, you’ll need to keep the seatbelts fastened. Otherwise, the rear seatbelt reminder will annoy you for about 90 seconds at the start of every journey.

In terms of equipment, it packs in a heads-up display, auto LED headlamps, cruise control, a 9-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, rear air-con vents and more. It also packs in a useful 360-degree camera, however, its resolution and display quality leaves a lot to be desired. What’s nice, though, is that ESP, hill-start assist and ABS with EBD are standard across the range; side and curtain airbags are reserved for the higher turbo variants.

Toyota Taisor Performance

Like the Fronx, the Toyota Taisor is available with a 1.2-litre petrol engine with a 5-speed manual and automated manual transmission (AMT), and a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol mated to either a 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic. What’s interesting is that while Toyota commands a slight premium for the 1.2-litre variants over its Maruti counterpart, the turbo variants are priced at par with the Fronx turbo, with the same features list. This strategy seems to have been adopted to push turbo petrol sales in the Taisor, since it contributes less than 10 percent to the Fronx’s sales. And in Toyota’s case, it seems to be working as the turbo accounts for nearly 45 percent of Taisor’s total sales. 

The Taisor's 1.0-litre Boosterjet is one of the nicest small capacity turbo-petrol units around.

Speaking of its 1.0-litre engine, it is one of the nicest small capacity turbo-petrol units in terms of smoothness, performance, linearity, as well as refinement. It feels responsive, revs freely and it spins so eagerly that when you’re driving with verve, the 6,000rpm limiter feels a bit too conservative. There’s a mild-hybrid system too which provides electric boost to this engine when under load, but the difference is negligible and you’ll have to look at the animation on the MID to know when this mild-hybrid system is at work.

The 6-speed torque converter is smooth in its operation. It isn’t an enthusiastic unit per se, as the upshifts are quite slow. However, what driving enthusiasts will appreciate is the fact that this gearbox gives you full control in manual mode; it doesn’t upshift automatically. Also, the paddle shifters respond to inputs rather obediently.

Ride is a little busy at low speeds.

We timed the Toyota Taisor too, and it sprinted from 0-100kph in 11.86 seconds. For reference, the timing is similar to the 120hp Kia Sonet DCT’s 11.94 seconds. However, its rolling acceleration times from 20-80kph and 40-100kph of 6.95 seconds and 8.49 seconds, respectively, are similar to the quickest compact SUV in the market, the 131hp Mahindra XUV 3XO.

At low speeds, the Taisor’s ride quality feels a bit busy due to its stiff suspension setup. On the flipside, it feels stable and confident at triple digit speeds. The steering is light, turning radius is tight and even though it isn’t bristling with feel or feedback, the Taisor feels quite engaging to drive.

Toyota Taisor verdict

With the Taisor, the Japanese brand has opened its showroom to a wider set of buyers, many of whom are first-time Toyota buyers. The Fronx is a fundamentally sorted car to begin with, and the Taisor carries forward these strengths such as its spacious and practical cabin, lengthy equipment list, and its engaging driving manners – turbo-petrol or naturally aspirated petrol, take your pick. Toyota also provides a three-year standard warranty, while its Maruti counterpart provides a two-year warranty, although it is worth mentioning that both offer extended warranty up to the fifth year. Hence, between the Maruti Fronx and Toyota Taisor, the deciding factor is their design and an individual’s brand preference, in terms of sales experience and proximity to a service center. But whichever you pick, these are compact crossovers you can’t go wrong with.

Also see: 

Toyota Innova Crysta, Fortuner, Hilux despatches temporarily on hold in India

Toyota Rumion review: Innova's new sibling




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This Coimbatore school teacher has an enviable collection of cacti and succulents

Shemalatha Sundar, a school teacher in the city, sources the plants from across the country



  • Homes and gardens

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Celebrate Madras Day with this easy Madras chicken curry recipe




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Learn to make parottas like a pro at this culinary school in Madurai

Selfie Parotta Coaching Centre helps chefs fluff up the flakiest parottas to soak up the perfect amount of salna




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Millets | This restaurant in Chennai serves a range of millet dishes, South Indian and continental

Millet Magic Meal, a recently launched restaurant in Chennai, presents millets in myriad interesting ways, be it pizzas, fried rice or sizzling brownies along side traditional meal combos and South Indian tiffin items such as idli and dosa




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Pay for the time you spend at this ‘time cafe’ in Kerala

GVQ Time Cafe in Kochi, derives from the anti-café movement where customers pay for the time they spend there




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Column | Kolkata’s Western fantasy Christmas may be a tad tacky — but I always feel homesick for the city this season

In Kolkata, there’s always room for you at the Christmas party. And a slice of rich plum cake




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This Ramzan, Chennai offers Arabian, Hyderabadi and Vegan Iftar boxes

There is a wide range of affordable Iftar take away boxes including vegan, and special Arabian and Hyderabadi dishes are made available on the menu in some restaurants in Chennai throughout the month of fasting




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A collaboration to make Mumbai green this Independence Day

The Bombay Canteen, as part of its their annual Independence Day Daawat, has collaborated with Nature:re [Nature Rebalance], an RPG Foundation initiative to transforming Mahalaxmi’s Captain Namdev Lotankar Park into an ecologically-driven urban oasis.





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Make your properties shine brighter this Diwali!

Hi there! As we light up our homes and hearts to welcome the joyous festival of Diwali, we want to extend our heartfelt wishes to you and your family for a season filled with health, happiness, and prosperity. ????✨ In … Continue reading




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Is This The Year Of Peak Energy Emissions?

On one hand, 2024 is likely to be the year of global peak energy emissions. “It is a historic moment,” cheers the World Economic Forum (WEF) in this year’s edition of DNV’s Energy Transition Outlook. On the other hand, we have so much more work to do before we can ... [continued]

The post Is This The Year Of Peak Energy Emissions? appeared first on CleanTechnica.




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3 Pinterest Home Décor Trends Worth Trying This Fall

If you like your home to have a different feel each season, you’re probably thinking about switching things up and redecorating this fall. There are many home décor trends worth trying this season, and these three made it to Pinterest’s lists of trend predictions for fall 2024. Peaceful Colors Fall is often seen as a […]




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Best Windows apps this week

Six-hundred-twenty in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 and 11 on the Microsoft Store and elsewhere in the past seven days. The core Windows apps Notepad and Paint are getting more AI features. Some of them are reserved for Copilot+ PCs, others are available for all Windows 11 devices. As always, if I've missed an app or game that has been released this week that you believe is particularly good, let me know in the comments below or notify me via email. Discounts this week The following list is… [Continue Reading]




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Memes and GIFS: Is This…the Future of Your Brand?

The new influencer marketing – memes and GIFs: There is increasing popularity for memes and GIFs on social media. Every brand is making its story simple with memes and Gifs for attracting distracted audiences. Creating brand awareness between millennials and Gen Z is not an easy task as brands need to satisfy both the generations. […]

The post Memes and GIFS: Is This…the Future of Your Brand? appeared first on The Design Inspiration.




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New: Google Search Supports C2PA Metadata For About This Image Feature

A couple of months ago, we reported how Google Search will label if an image was AI-generated, edited by photo editing software or taken with a camera by working with Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) as a technical standard. Well, now Google officially supports C2PA metadata in the about this image feature.

Google wrote this morning, Google Search now supports this [C2PA] metadata in the "About this image" feature."

Google updated its image meta data documentation to add a new section for "How C2PA metadata can appear in Google Search results."

The new section reads:

If an image contains C2PA metadata, Google can extract those details and may show information in the "About this image" feature, such as how the image was created or if it was edited with AI tools. This metadata comes from a signer, which is usually an app, device, or service (for example, photo editing software, the camera itself, or other services that modify or create images) that meets the following conditions:

  • The app, device, or service has adopted C2PA version 2.1 or later.
  • The image's manifest must be signed by a certificate from a Certification Authority on the C2PA Trust List.

It does seem like Adobe products, like Photoshop, Illustrated, and others, do support this metadata.

I just wonder how it handles the image above, which I generate using Midjourney AI and then edit later in Photoshop.

Forum discussion at X.




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This 8 Letter Tweet Just Changed Search Forever

Welcome back to another episode of the Niche Pursuits News Podcast! This week Spencer and Jared break down the latest news affecting SEOs and small publishers, they share their side hustle progress, and they talk about some weird niche sites…

The post This 8 Letter Tweet Just Changed Search Forever appeared first on Niche Pursuits.




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Airline lost your luggage? This new Apple feature could help find it

The update is rolling out to several airlines soon, including United. Here's how it works.




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This quick Mac tip will save you lots of clicks over time. Here's how

Here's how to make Mac apps open automatically at startup and why I always do.




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This Kindle accessory seriously improved my reading experience (and it's on sale)

Strapsicle's silicone straps secure my Kindle Paperwhite and give me the perfect grip for comfortable reading.




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Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children

Frederica shares with us the special prayer entitled "Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children."




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The Akathist to the Theotokos

On Fridays during Great Lent, it is the tradition of the Church to sing a hymn to the Theotokos known as the Akathist. These beautiful words were penned by St. Romanos the Melodist, and today Frederica reads her own translation of this inspiring hymn taken from her book, Lost Gospel of Mary.




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St Matrona the Blind Akathist

Frederica introduces us to St. Matrona the Blind and reads her akathist hymn.