/** @return Zend_Db_Adapter_Abstract */
 function getReadAdapter()
 {
     if (isset(self::$dbAdapter)) {
         return self::$dbAdapter;
     }
     // cron
     if (Zend_Registry::isRegistered('db')) {
         return Zend_Registry::get('db');
     }
     // test code only
     if (defined('ELITE_TESTING')) {
         if (is_null(self::$dbAdapter)) {
             self::$dbAdapter = new My_Adapter(array('dbname' => VAF_DB_NAME, 'username' => VAF_DB_USERNAME, 'password' => VAF_DB_PASSWORD));
             self::$dbAdapter->getConnection()->setAttribute(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_USE_BUFFERED_QUERY, true);
             self::$dbAdapter->getConnection()->query('SET character set utf8;');
             self::$dbAdapter->getConnection()->query('SET character_set_client = utf8;');
             self::$dbAdapter->getConnection()->query('SET character_set_results = utf8;');
             self::$dbAdapter->getConnection()->query('SET character_set_connection = utf8;');
             self::$dbAdapter->getConnection()->query('SET character_set_database = utf8;');
             self::$dbAdapter->getConnection()->query('SET character_set_server = utf8;');
         }
         return self::$dbAdapter;
     }
     // end 'test code only'
     $resource = Mage::getSingleton('core/resource');
     $read = $resource->getConnection('core_read');
     $read->query('SET character_set_client = utf8;');
     $config = $read->getConfig();
     self::$dbAdapter = new My_Adapter($config);
     self::$dbAdapter->getConnection()->setAttribute(PDO::MYSQL_ATTR_USE_BUFFERED_QUERY, true);
     self::$dbAdapter->getConnection()->query('SET character set utf8;');
     self::$dbAdapter->getConnection()->query('SET character_set_client = utf8;');
     self::$dbAdapter->getConnection()->query('SET character_set_results = utf8;');
     self::$dbAdapter->getConnection()->query('SET character_set_connection = utf8;');
     self::$dbAdapter->getConnection()->query('SET character_set_database = utf8;');
     self::$dbAdapter->getConnection()->query('SET character_set_server = utf8;');
     return self::$dbAdapter;
 }