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Black 2 Comm is a genre free radio show produced and presented by Paul Jackson. Each track connects to the following in a running order that switches between musical styles, dates and audio quality - often leading to strange and unlikely musical pairings. Avoiding the restrictions of mainstream radio play-listing and genre based programming, the sequence carves its own unique path through pop culture. It is broadcast live at 8 o'clock on Sunday evenings on Resonance 104.4 FM (in central London) and can be streamed from resonancefm.com. Featuring The Stone Roses, MC 900 Ft. Jesus, Monsoon and loads more. Cheq out this clip of vintage Napalm Death filmed for a 1989 BBC2 Arena documentary on heavy metal. They perform "Scum" as well as the mega short "You Suffer" which officially lasts only 1.316 seconds. They pioneered a sound which became know as Grindcore, mixing down tuned metal guitar riffs, ultra fast blast beats and incomprehensible growled vocals while dispensing with melody entirely. Featuring G.B.H. Aretha Franklin, 808 State and many others. Cheq this video of unlikely sex symbol Mr. Yellowman tearing it up inna Jamaica at the Rockers Awards Show in 1984. He performs "Body Move" intespersed with snippets of the rhythm and blues classic "Sea Cruise" as well as his usual brags and lyrical slackness, sending the crowd into a frenzy . . . go deh Yellow! Featuring The Birthday Party, Smiley Lewis, Spacemen 3 and more. Cheq out this early footage of Grandmaster Flash cutting and scratching while graffiti artist and scenster Fab 5 Freddy looks on. The clip is taken from the 1983 film "Wild Style" which captured hip hop culture in its infancy. The footage seems to be filmed in Flash's kitchen as his cooker can be seen behind his mixer and turntables! Featuring The Rolling Stones, Black Uhuru, The Fall and more. Cheq out this cool footage of Brooklyn shoegaze ensemble A Place To Bury Strangers performing "Ocean" at the Austin Psych Fest in 2011. The annual 3 day festival has been going since 2008 and has since been renamed "Levetation" after a track by Austin psychedelic forefathers The 13th Floor Elevators. The clip features plenty of strobe action for all you epileptics plus some ritual guitar abuse.

Trilophodont Gomphothere Trilophodont Gomphothere The gomphotheres, large “shovel-tuskers”, were wide-spread across the globe. They had tooth structures different than elephants. While generally going extinct in the Pleistocene, they may have survived in South America to as recent as the year 400. This specimen representing a new species is 2.8 meters (9 feet) high and 4 meters (13 feet ) long.

Home page » News » What is blockchain? The most disruptive tech in decades What is blockchain? The most disruptive tech in decades What is blockchain? The most disruptive tech in decades Admin26-01-2018, 09:542 624 Blockchain is poised to change IT in much the same way open-source software did a quarter of a century ago. And in the same way that Linux took more than a decade to become a cornerstone in modern application development, Blockchain will take years to become a lower cost, more efficient way to share information between open and private networks. But the hype around this seemingly new, secure electronic ledger is real. In essence, blockchain represents a new paradigm for the way information is shared and tech vendors and companies are rushing to figure out how they can use the distributed ledger technology to save time and admin costs. Numerous companies in 2017 began rolling out pilot programs and real-world projects across a variety of industries - everything from financial services to healthcare to mobile payments and even global shipping. It's unlikely to be a wholly disruptive technology that attacks traditional business models with a lower-cost solution that overtakes other networking technology quickly, according to Karim Lakhani, a professor of business administration at the Harvard Business School. Instead, Blockchain is a foundational technology, with the potential to create new foundations for economic and social systems, Lakhani said in The Truth About Blockchain, which he co-authored. [ Further reading: The top 5 problems with blockchain ] Blockchain adoption is expected be slow and steady, as the changes it brings gain momentum, according Lakhani, a principal investigator of the Crowd Innovation Lab and NASA Tournament Lab at the Harvard Institute for Quantitative Social Science. "Conceptionally, this is TCP/IP applied to the world of business and transactions," Lakhani said in an interview. "In the '70s and '80s, TCP/IP was not imaginable to be as robust and scalable as it was. Now, we know that TCP/IP allows us all this modern functionality that we take for granted on the web. "Blockchain has the same potential." TABLE OF CONTENTS What is blockchain? What does blockchain do? How secure is blockchain? Public vs. private blockchains Which industries use blockchain? SHOW MORE What is blockchain? First and foremost, Blockchain is a public electronic ledger - similar to a relational database - that can be openly shared among disparate users and that creates an unchangeable record of their transactions, each one time-stamped and linked to the previous one. Each digital record or transaction in the thread is called a block (hence the name), and it allows either an open or controlled set of users to participate in the electronic ledger. Each block is linked to a specific participant. Blockchain can only be updated by consensus between participants in the system, and when new data is entered, it can never be erased. The blockchain contains a true and verifiable record of each and every transaction ever made in the system. While it has great potential, blockchain technology is in its infancy and CIOs and their business counterparts should expect setbacks in deploying the technology, including the real possibility for serious bugs in the software. For example, one of the most prevalent blockchain platforms, Ethereum, doesn't support the use of decimal points in its script for smart (self executing) contracts. Those coding a blockchain network would need to create a workaround. The Linux Foundation has created tools for building out blockchain collaboration networks. And in July, the open-source developer unveiled Hyperledger Fabric 1.0, a collaboration tool for building blockchain distributed ledger business networks, such as smart contracts. [ To comment on this story, visit Computerworld's Facebook page. ] While some industry groups are working toward standardizing versions of blockchain software, there are also about 200 startups working on their own versions of the distributed ledger technology. Why is blockchain now getting so much buzz? In a word, Bitcoin. Bitcoin is the wildly hyped cryptocurrency, a method of transacting payments over an open network using digital bits and encryption. It was the first ever decentralized one when it was created in 2009. Other forms of cryptocurrency or virtual money, such as Ether (based on the Ethereum blockchain application platform), have also sprung up and have opened new venues for cross-border monetary exchanges. The term bitcoin was first... well, coined in 2008 when Satoshi Nakamoto (likely a pseudonym for one or more developers) wrote a paper about a "peer-to-peer version of electronic cash that would allow online payments to be sent directly from one party to another without going through a financial institution." What does blockchain do? As a peer-to-peer network, combined with a distributed time-stamping server, blockchain databases can be managed autonomously to exchange information between disparate parties. There's no need for an administrator. In effect, the blockchain users are the administrator. Additionally, blockchain networks can be used for "smart contracts," or scripts that automatically execute when certain conditions are met. For example, users of Ethereum's Ether exchange must meet pre-determined conditions that prove someone owns the cryptocurrency and have authority to send the money they claim to own. In addition, multiple blockchain users can create contracts that require more than one set of inputs to trigger a transaction. While no system is "unhackable," blockchain's simple topology is the most secure today, according to Alex Tapscott, the CEO and founder of Northwest Passage Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in blockchain technology companies. "In order to move anything of value over any kind of blockchain, the network [of nodes] must first agree that that transaction is valid, which means no single entity can go in and say one way or the other whether or not a transaction happened," Tapscott said. "To hack it, you wouldn't just have to hack one system like in a bank..., you'd have to hack every single computer on that network, which is fighting against you doing that." The computing resources of most blockchains are tremendous, Tapscott said, because it's not just one computer but many. For example, the Bitcoin blockchain harnesses anywhere between 10 and 100 times as much computing power compared to all of Google's serving farms put together. There are a variety of blockchain permutations, and they fall mainly into one of two categories - public or private. Public blockchains allow anyone to see or send transactions as long as they're part of the consensus process. There are also consortium blockchains, where only a pre-selected number of nodes are authorized to use the ledger. For example, a group of banks and their clearinghouse might use blockchain as part of the trade-clearing, where each node is associated with a step in the verification process. Private blockchains, in contrast, restrict the ability to write to a distributed ledger to one organization, such as a group of employees within a corporation, or between a set number of organizations, such as a number of banks that agree to a network partnership. Along the way, blockchain - because of its self-policing security - eliminates huge amounts of record keeping, which can get very confusing when multiple parties are involved in a transaction, according to Saurabh Gupta, vice president of strategy at IT services company Genpact. Which industries use blockchain? Shipping. Fintech. Healthcare, Energy. Blockchains are being put to a wide variety of uses in several industries. In shipping, for example, a bill of lading for cargo shipments has traditionally been paper based, which requires multiple sign-offs by inspectors and receivers before goods can be delivered. Even when the system is electronic, it still requires multiple parties to sign off on cargo shipments, creating a lengthy administrative process. To try and streamline that cumbersome process, the world's largest container shipment operator, Maersk, in March 2017 announced it is using a blockchain-based ledger to manage and track the paper trail of tens of millions of shipping containers by digitizing the supply chain. And earlier this week, Maersk teamed up with IBM on a new blockchain-based electronic shipping platform. It’s expected to be up and running later in 2018. [ Further reading: Blockchain breaks out in the enterprise ] Each participant in the shipping supply chain can view the progress of goods through the blockchain ledger, understanding where a container is in transit. They can also see the status of customs documents, or view bills of lading and other data in real time. And, because it creates an immutable record, no one party can modify, delete or even append any one of the blocks without the consensus from others on the network. "Blockchain and distributed ledgers may eventually be the method for integrating the entire commercial world's record keeping," Gupta said. Genpact, for example, announced a service for finance and accounting that leverages blockchain-based smart contracts to capture all terms and conditions between a customer and an organization for an order. Blockchain in FinTech Accenture recently released a report claiming blockchain technology could reduce infrastructure costs for eight of the world's 10 largest investment banks by an average of 30%, "translating to $8 billion to $12 billion in annual cost savings for those banks." In the case of cross-border payments, processing is often complex and includes multiple layers of communication among payment participants to verify transactions - an operation known as payment and settlement. Payments, clearance and settlement in the financial services industry - including stock markets - is rife with inefficiencies because each organization in the process maintains its own data and must communicate with the others through electronic messaging about where it is in the process. As a result, settlements typically take two days. Those delays in settlements force banks to set aside money that could otherwise be invested. Because it can instantly share data with each organization involved in a blockchain database or ledger, the technology reduces or eliminates the need for reconciliation, confirmation and trade break analysis. That helps yield a more efficient and effective clearance and settlement process, according to Accenture. J.P. Morgan has created what is arguably one of the largest blockchain payments networks to date: the Interbank Information Network (IIN). The financial services company announced that the Royal Bank of Canada and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. have joined INN, "representing significant cross-border payment volumes." J.P. Morgan created the blockchain network to significantly reduce the number of participants needed to respond to compliance and other data-related inquiries that can delay payments. "IIN will enhance the client experience, decreasing the amount of time - from weeks to hours - and costs associated with resolving payment delays," said Emma Loftus, Head of Global Payments and FX at J.P. Morgan Treasury Services. "Blockchain capabilities have allowed us to rethink how critical information can be sourced and exchanged between global banks."

Discussion Do you like this car? Used Jaguar C-Type Cars Current rating:(3.4773607748184) based on 417 votes Jaguar C-Type Jaguar C-Type is also known under the name of the Jaguar XK120-C. This racing car was manufactured by Jaguar from 1951 to 1953. The design of the Jaguar C-Type developed Bob knight and Malcolm Sayer specifically for Le Mans. In order to gain admission to the race, it was required to produce not less than 50 cars. In the end, it was released 53 C-Type, most of which were raskupleno private competitors, despite the relatively high price (2350 pounds). Their technical characteristics shows that special vehicle В«zatachivalsyaВ» under the race. The weight of all the 453kg, which in combination with the excellent aerodynamics allowed the pilots of the Jaguar C-Type win many awards at the most prestigious avtosorevnovaniyah. The most significant success in 1951 in Le Mans and its acceptance in 1953. In the latter case, however, played a decisive role updated brake.

National Broadcasting Day was observed on 23 July 2015 across the country. On this day in 1927, Indian Broadcasting Company (IBC) began organized radio broadcasting from Bombay station.Radio Broadcasting in India began during the British rule in 1923 under the imitative of the Radio Club of Bombay. Later in 1927, IBC which was a private entity was granted permission by British Government to operate two radio stations in Mumbai and Kolkata. Since then it has gained immense popularity and had changed the socio-economic life of people. In 1930, British Government took over radio broadcasting and started the Indian State Broadcasting Service (ISBS). Later it was changed to All India Radio (AIR) in 1936 and Akashwani in 1957. Prof Peter Higgs Won Royal Society’s Copley Medal Professor Higgs has won the world’s oldest scientific prize – the Royal society’s Copley Media – for his work on the theory of the Higgs boson. In 1964, while at Edinburgh University, Higgs worked with others on what would come to be termed the ‘Higgs Boson’ and it was for this work that he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2013 and now the Copely Medal. Higgs theorised that particles acquire mass by interacting with a filed spread throughout the universe. The Copley medal was first awarded by the Royal Society in 1731, 170 years before the first Nobel Prize. It is awarded for outstanding achievements in scientific research and has most recently been awarded to eminent scientists such as theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, DNA fingerprinting pioneer Alec Jeffreys and Andre Geim, for his discovery of graphene. Seven Indian Companies Among World’s 500 Largest Companies Seven Indian companies, including Reliance Industries and Tata Motors, are among the world’s 500 largest companies, according to a list compiled by Fortune. The Indian companies on the 2015 Fortune Global 500 list are Indian Oil ranked 119 on the list, with revenues of about USD 74 billion, Reliance Industries (158) with revenues of USD 62 billion, Tata Motors with revenues of USD 42 billion (254), State Bank of India with revenues of USD 42 billion (260), Bharat Petroleum with revenues of USD 40 billion (280), Hindustan Petroleum with revenues of USD 35 billion (327) and Oil and Natural Gas with revenues of USD 26 billion (449). The list has been topped by retail giant Walmart and is followed by petroleum refining giants Exxon Mobil and Chevron at 2nd and 3rd place. UNESCO names Conakry as World Book Capital for 2017 Conakry, the capital of the Republic of Guinea, was named as the World Book Capital for 2017 by United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO). This makes Conakry the 17th city in the World to be designated as World Book Capital. In the year 2003 New Delhi was selected as the World Book Capital. At present, Incheon city of South Korea is World Book Capital for year 2015. The freejobalert website freejobalert.com covers all aspects of current affairs like international , national, india & world, online test, bit bank, quiz and previous questions. Subscribe to our email and SMS job alert services to get free job alert daily about latest jobs. Current affairs site short url is ca.freejobalert.com

She has secretly been studying to become a lawyer for over a year, and is doing a four year-long apprenticeship at a law firm in San Francisco instead of going to law school. Credit: PA Images Kim is setting her goal to take the bar in 2022. "I had to think long and hard about this," she said of her career decision. While she won't be studying at law school, it will by no means be easy for Kim to hit her target of becoming a lawyer. Alongside her supervising attorney, the mum-of-three (soon to be four) will need to be submitting semi-annual progress reports to the California Bar Association, pass a number of exams, and be spending a minimum of 18 hours a week for at least 48 weeks studying at the law firm. And that's just for one year of study. Advert Credit: PA Images She'll also need to pass all four years and get a positive moral character determination, plus even more exams - just like all other budding US lawyers have to. Kim says her potential law career was inspired mostly by her work to help free Alice Marie Johnson from jail last year. She met with the US President, Donald Trump, as part of her campaign "The White House called me to advise to help change the system of clemency, and I'm sitting in the Roosevelt Room with, like, a judge who had sentenced criminals and a lot of really powerful people and I just sat there, like, Oh, sh*t. I need to know more," recalled Kim. "I would say what I had to say, about the human side and why this is so unfair." The reality star continued: "But I had attorneys with me who could back that up with all the facts of the case. It's never one person who gets things done; it's always a collective of people, and I've always known my role, but I just felt like I wanted to be able to fight for people who have paid their dues to society. "I just felt like the system could be so different, and I wanted to fight to fix it, and if I knew more, I could do more." Rachel Andrews Rachel Andrews is an NCTJ trained Journalist at PRETTY52. She specialises in Fashion and Beauty Journalism, and has experience at a range of online and print publications and joined the team in 2017. Contact her - [email protected]

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Email Migration Expert Rob Walton is the founder, and owner, of office365migrate.com . He has over 20 year of experience in the IT industry. Rob has a University Computer Science Degree from the UK, and specializes in messaging projects, focusing on email migrations. Whilst working on multiple enterprise email migration projects, Rob identified a gap in the market for true “email migration experts” – consultants who could not only do the technical side of a project, but also lead the team, and take responsibility for the outcome. Rob has worked on over forty email migration projects covering the UK, Australia, North America, and New Zealand. These have ranged from 100 to 40,000 seats. Some of the last 20 years have been spent working for large vendors, such as HP Enterprise Services – otherwise, Rob has divided his time working independently via emailmigrations.com and for office365migrate.com. Working on email migration projects around the world has allowed Rob to forge links with other like-minded email migration experts, and Rob collaborates with this network on a regular basis, to stay in touch with the latest projects and technologies.

Dennis Burger Tag Of all the excellent points John Sciacca made in his latest piece, “Exclusive Content Causes FOMO & Piracy,” one in particular leapt right off the page at me. Near the end, he recommends an ingenious solution to the problem of Peak Subscription Saturation: A unified “Premier Pass,” where streaming services join forces under a single banner, a single subscription, and divvy up the profits between them. Unfortunately, that seems like an unlikely solution, especially given the corporate politics that have plagued and continue to plague streaming conglomerates like Hulu. But there’s already a precedent for John’s idea. One of the best-kept secrets in all of geekdom, it’s called VRV (pronounced “verve”), and it’s quickly becoming my go-to source for streaming video. A word of warning for you Muggles in the audience: The next few sentences are going to get pretty geeky, so feel free to jump past the next line break. At any rate, I stumbled across VRV in my quest for a way to watch the streaming service Project Alpha in my media room via my Roku. As of late, my wife and I have been watching a lot of Critical Role, in which a group of voice-actor friends stream their weekly Dungeons & Dragons game for the world to watch. It’s honestly one of the most compelling and entertaining programs I’ve ever seen. And yes, you can watch the showfor free on YouTube, but we wanted to financially support its creators as well as gain access to the exclusive character portraits, hit-point counters, and ad-free graphics available only to paid subscribers of Alpha. (You can see those in the clip at right, and contrast them with the graphics for the free Critical Role YouTube broadcasts here). But Project Alpha isn’t available on Roku, so we kept watching on the YouTube app instead. It wasn’t until some months later that I stumbled across the VRV app on Roku completely by accident, and found it offered Alpha content. That immediately seemed like the solution to my problem. What I didn’t realize is that it would be a solution to problems I didn’t even know I had. What makes VRV great is that it houses a number of geeky streaming services under one umbrella, from the aforementioned Project Alpha (split there into separate Geek & Sundry and Nerdist channels), to classic cartoon channels like Boomerang, to anime streams from Crunchyroll and the like. And you can either subscribe to them à la carte and pay anywhere from $2.49 to $6.95 per service or spring for the lot of 12 different services for $9.99 a month total. There’s also a free 30-day trial—during which I noticed that CuriosityStream (a documentary service I already subscribed to separately) was included in the package price. Add up the cost of separate CuriosityStream and Project Alpha subscriptions, and you’re within spitting distance of $9.99 a month anyway, so I just went for the complete package and canceled my standalone CuriosityStream sub. Purchased on their own, the subscriptions to all of these services (via VRV or directly) would add up to nearly 50 bucks a month. So, if nothing else, it’s a value. But more than that, it solves the problem of jumping from app to app, service to service, in search of something to watch. Most nights, my wife and I fire up the VRV app when she gets home from work and don’t leave it until we shut down the media room at bedtime. If we’re not in the mood to start a new episode of Critical Role, there’s a vast collection of old Looney Tunes cartoons just a few clicks away, or that David Attenborough documentary we’ve been meaning to check out, or a compelling collection of curated spooky movies courtesy of Shudder if the mood strikes. VRV also has something most streaming apps don’t: A really gorgeous and simple-to-navigate user interface that includes the features you might expect—like a “Continue Watching” shortcut and a watchlist management tool that puts Amazon Instant’s to shame—along with some unexpected niceties like a universal search function. I get that not everyone will be into the sorts of programming offered by VRV, like video gaming or roleplaying or LARPing or miniature painting or quantum physics or classic cartoons, much less Japanese animation. But if nothing else, VRV serves as a role model for how independent streaming providers can learn to get along. Sure, Boomerang may not be getting as much coin out of me every month as they would if I subscribed to their service directly. But guess what? I almost certainly wouldn’t drop $4.99 a month on Boomerang by itself, no matter how much I love some old-school Scooby-Doo. Of course, it’s not surprising that a bunch of streaming services targeted at nerds were the ones to figure this out. Despite the fact that geek culture dominates popular culture these days, all of this is still—for whatever reason—viewed as niche content. So, the corporate overlords at Geek & Sundry and Nerdist (both owned by Legendary Entertainment), Crunchyroll (owned by WarnerMedia), Boomerang (Turner Broadcasting), NickSplat (Viacom), and others probably figured their chances were better if they banded together. As with most things, though, the geeks were simply the first to figure out a way to make this new paradigm work to everyone’s benefit. Because if mainstream entertainment providers don’t follow the same template eventually, the streaming landscape is going to turn into The Hunger Games. And the odds won’t necessarily be in anyone’s favor. —Dennis Burger Dennis Burgeris an avid Star Wars scholar, Tolkien fanatic, and Corvette enthusiastwho somehow also manages to find time for technological passions including high- end audio, home automation, and video gaming. He lives in the armpit of Alabama with his wife Bethany and their four-legged child Bruno, a 75-pound American Staffordshire Terrier who thinks he’s a Pomeranian. Episode 2 opens with Cineluxe contributor John Sciacca joining hosts Michael Gaughn & Dennis Burger to discuss the reasons why home theaters are making a comeback. At 6:56, Lutron Communications Director Melissa Andresko joins Mike, Dennis & John to talk about the increasing importance of lighting & shading in luxury home entertainment spaces. At 12:13, we all talk about how lighting control can be a form of creative expression, and how interior design is becoming a key element in the creation of multi-use entertainment spaces. And the episode closes out at 23:28 with a quick discussion of ways to beat the wintertime blues. REVIEWS Two minutes into Damien Chazelle’s First Man, I thought I knew exactly what sort of film I was in for. It’s the sort of film I consume ravenously. A ra-ra tribute to the heroes of the Gemini and Apollo programs. A moving monument to the men and women who took us from the earth to the moon. A seat-of-the-pants celebration of the space cowboys who left our little blue marble and turned around to show it to us from a perspective unlike any we’d ever seen. I was wrong. So utterly wrong. First Man isn’t that film in the slightest. It’s unlike any film about the space program to date, and that’s largely because it’s not a film about the space program at all. It’s a film about one man. One beautifully complicated, flawed, enigmatic man who just so happened to be the first to set foot on lunar soil. And what makes it doubly fascinating is that it isn’t even a film about how he became the first man on the moon, or even why, but rather how it made him feel. That’s an interesting approach for a man whose feelings were so guarded. And the result is that First Man is a stunningly quiet, introspective, even at times abstract film. It’s a tone poem comprised of muted tones. And it’s an utterly gripping film for exactly none of the reasons you might expect. I hesitate to say much more, not for fear of spoiling the story, because we obviously all know the story by now. But First Man does make it fresh in the telling, in the choices it makes about what to explore and what to ignore. There is a scene early on that truly made me understand the approach Chazelle was going for here: Neil Armstrong—played nearly perfectly by Ryan Gosling, who really only falters in his inability to recreate the real Armstrong’s fake smile—is the first astronaut to be subjected to the gimbal rig, a multi-axis trainer designed to make trainees puke or pass out. In any other film on the subject, I have to think the rig itself would have been the focal point. But here, Chazelle keeps the camera locked on Armstrong himself while the world around him blurs. That’s really a metaphor for the entire narrative here. It’s amongst a handful of shots that serve to remind the viewer that Armstrong is the sole focus of this story. If it didn’t happen to him or directly affect him or his family, the events of the Gemini and Apollo programs go unsaid, unseen. Another enigmatic thing about the film is its audiovisual presentation. Cinematographer Linus Sandgren shot the bulk of the film on 16mm, with larger-format stocks reserved mainly for First Man’s dénouement. As such, it’s a gritty, grungy, gorgeously organic film with oodles of grain. You might be inclined to think such a film doesn’t really demand a high-quality transfer, but you’d be wrong. This is one of those increasingly rare films whose imagery just can’t be done justice by streaming—even superior streaming sources like Vudu. Without the full bandwidth of a Kaleidescape download (or the eventual UHD Blu-ray release, one assumes), the image devolves into harsh noise. Granted, on Kaleidescape you’ll have to make the choice between Blu-ray quality with Dolby Atmos audio or 4K HDR with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Go for the latter, no matter your usual audio preferences. First Man doesn’t succeed or fail based on its audio—in fact, large swaths of the film are borderline monophonic, and old-school surround sound is plenty sufficient for the handful of aurally active scenes. In large part, the sound is a matter of quality over quantity, and its dense mixing of dialogue will put your center speaker to the test. The visuals, though, absolutely demand to be seen in high dynamic range, especially in the way the HDR grade conveys the stark contrasts and eye-reactive brightness of the lunar surface. It’s an effect that’s absolutely essential to understanding and feeling the alienness of the lunar environs, and Armstrong’s emotional reaction during those strange moments of solitude. —Dennis Burger Dennis Burgeris an avid Star Wars scholar, Tolkien fanatic, and Corvette enthusiastwho somehow also manages to find time for technological passions including high- end audio, home automation, and video gaming. He lives in the armpit of Alabama with his wife Bethany and their four-legged child Bruno, a 75-pound American Staffordshire Terrier who thinks he’s a Pomeranian. I have a friend who turns his nose up at surround sound. Press him on the matter and he’ll demur and hedge his argument, but it’s pretty clear he thinks stereo is where it’s at for movies and music alike. And I think he’s absolutely bonkers. I mention that not to pick on my friend but rather to empathize, because I imagine the face I make at him is the same face our own John Sciacca makes at me when I admit that I just don’t like Dolby Atmos—at least not for movies. That may seem strange given that I’m on record as lauding the format—with its overhead speakers and innovative use of audio objects instead of channels—when applied to video games. You haven’t really played Overwatch until you’ve heard Pharah scream, “Justice rains from above!” from above your actual head. The weird thing is, I love Atmos with gaming and generally hate it with movies for pretty much exactly the same reasons. And to understand why, you’re going to have to do a little homework. Take a lawn chair out onto your front yard and sit in it with your back to the street. Your neighbors may give you strange looks, but this is for science. Just run with it. Now pull out a book and start to read. At some point, a car might drive by behind you. If the book is decent enough, chances are you won’t even notice, unless you live on a street so remote that passing traffic is an oddity. Keep on reading until a plane or helicopter passes overhead. Your concentration immediately broke, didn’t it? OK, maybe not if you live near an airport or airbase, and planes flying overhead are a regular occurrence. But for most of you, I’m sure, if something flies over your head, you’re gonna drop your book and look upward. For me, Atmos is a lot like that. It triggers something in my primate brain. A fight-or-flight mechanism, if you will. I’m reminded of vervet monkeys, who have different words in their rather complex vocabulary for “python” and “eagle.” If a monkey shouts “python,” nearby members of its tribe scan their surroundings. If the cry is “eagle,” on the other hand, the other monkeys drop what they’re doing and run for the nearest hidey hole. And Atmos generally does that to me. There’s just no denying that sound coming from overhead is hardwired into our brains as something we must focus on. And in a video game, that can be critically important. These virtual worlds often contain threats coming from every direction. Hearing that a baddy is attacking you from overhead can be the difference between virtual life and death. But unlike video games, movies aren’t sandboxes. Our focus is on a rectangle of space right in front of us. Someone else gets to decide where our eyes turn. It’s an inherently horizontal experience. Surround sound coming from the sides and behind doesn’t violate that experience. Sounds coming from overhead do. As with our daily lives, anything that happens outside of that horizontal plane is somehow distinct, different, disconnected. And that can actually be kinda cool with movies like Ready Player One or others that live or die purely on audiovisual spectacle. Heck, it’s even great with movies like The Last Jedi, where the overhead sound effects generally work to add ambiance and a sense of space, not vertical sensationalism. But such mixes are few and far between. For the most part, Atmos serves only to distract from the narrative experience for me. And just to be clear, I’m not saying John or anyone else is wrong for liking that effect. I’m merely rebelling here against the increasingly pervasive notion that if you don’t have an Atmos-capable sound system by now, you’re somehow doing home cinema wrong. Try to seek out an Atmos demo before you decide if this “immersive” audio technology is right for you. And if it’s not—if tried-and-true surround sound does the trick—don’t feel like you’re selling your movie-watching experience short. I mean, as long as you’re not just watching movies in stereo . . . —Dennis Burger Dennis Burgeris an avid Star Wars scholar, Tolkien fanatic, and Corvette enthusiastwho somehow also manages to find time for technological passions including high- end audio, home automation, and video gaming. He lives in the armpit of Alabama with his wife Bethany and their four-legged child Bruno, a 75-pound American Staffordshire Terrier who thinks he’s a Pomeranian. ATMOS DEMOS TO DIE FOR Six installments in, we’ve arrived at the end of our tale about turning a trade show booth into a reference-quality home cinema space. But we’re not here to pat ourselves on the back. Yes, the demo room ultimately drew scores of visitors, and praise from the people who experienced it. But this series of posts was meant to be inspirational, not self-congratulatory. Our aim was to encourage you to not give up on “problem” spaces until you’ve exhausted all the possibilities. The technology and expertise definitely now exist to turn rooms that would have once been dismissed as impossible into killer luxury home entertainment spaces. Here are the key takeaways: Even rooms with weird dimensions can make for a great home theater If we had focused all of our design efforts exclusively on performance, there’s no way we would have chosen an overgrown bay window as the geometrical inspiration for our room. The hacked-off corners inside the room were driven by the various needs of the outside of the booth. But with the right choice of gear and some optimization with the speaker placement, we made this kooky space sound great. Choose your speakers carefully—not all luxury speaker systems are made the same This doesn’t mean that one speaker is necessarily the best answer for all applications. Speaker systems come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and configurations. Some are designed like audio spotlights. Some deliver a wider swath of sound. Some subwoofers are designed for in-ceiling placement. Of course, if you don’t have attic space to work with, you might opt for in-wall subs, or even discreet in-room subs (like we did). The point is, you shouldn’t just assume that a speaker is a speaker. Find the right solution for your unique room. It wasn’t that long ago that the room-correction software solutions built into most surround sound systems created more problems than they solved, but in recent years they’ve made monumental improvements. These days, a good room correction system can practically eliminate the need for big bass traps and other gargantuan physical acoustical treatments. And the best of these solutions can even correct for sub-optimal speaker placement. Since room correction still struggles with some acoustical problems, don’t turn your nose up at physical acoustical treatments. You may find that you can even work these treatments into your interior design. Creating a premium entertainment space is a team effort, so pick your players wisely If, for whatever reason, subtle acoustical treatments are an absolute no-no in your luxury entertainment space, encourage your integrator and designer to work together on alternative solutions. A carefully placed bookshelf or even draperies positioned in the right place can work wonders for the sound of your room. But this requires that all of the GoldenEar’s Jack Shafton on the Finished Booth GoldenEar VP of Marketing & Sales Jack Shafton co-authored the 3rd installment of this series with Dennis Burger. Here’s his reaction to experiencing the completed booth at the CEDIA convention in San Diego this past September: “Upon seeing the finished product when the show opened, I was impressed with how the booth turned out (it looked great and highly functional), and also alarmed by the openness of the demo space. There was already a big crowd milling about the booth (kudos to Kaleidescape) and the theater demo was standing room only. The space was basically open to the show floor, just behind a draped entryway. I waited for the next showing and grabbed a seat before the room filled. I should have known, but the demo of Baby Driver caught me by surprise—this system, in this terrible room, just rocked! And other than the small subs, the sound system was basically invisible. It presented a seamless bubble of sound around and above with pinpoint imaging, and the the subs made the air move with a thunder. Of course I kept thinking ‘louder, make it louder’ because it was fun—although they had chosen a good compromise on volume level. I got the impression after the demo that the other people in the room would have liked to kick back and watch the whole movie!” players respect one another and their specific design expertise. There will always be some give-and-take. All parties will have to compromise at some point. But if you can find collaborators who know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em, your luxury entertainment space will be all the better for it. If you’re ready to tame a problem space but aren’t sure where to look for help, the Home Technology Association (HTA) can be a great resource. And, by continuing to showcase unusual but successful home entertainment rooms, we at Cineluxe will do whatever we can to lend a hand. Before we wrap this up, we’d like to thank some of the greatest experts in the business—in particular, Jack Shafton at GoldenEar, Jon Herron at Trinnov, and Anthony Grimani at PMI—for making our pitifully small demo room sound way bigger and better than it ever should have. And we’d like to wish all of you luck with turning your own problem rooms into amazing sight and sound experiences. —Dennis Burger & Michael Gaughn Dennis Burgeris an avid Star Wars scholar, Tolkien fanatic, and Corvette enthusiastwho somehow also manages to find time for technological passions including high- end audio, home automation, and video gaming. He lives in the armpit of Alabama with his wife Bethany and their four-legged child Bruno, a 75-pound American Staffordshire Terrier who thinks he’s a Pomeranian. REVIEWS As Trinnov’s Jon Herron mentioned in Pt. 4 of this series, when you sit down to watch a movie or listen to music, the sound generated by the electronics and speakers is perceived in three key ways. Firstly, there’s the sound that travels straight from the speakers to your ears. Secondly, there’s the sound bouncing off the walls, floor, and ceiling one, two, or three times, which takes a slightly less direct path to your brain. Then there’s the fainter echoes and reverberations that ping-pong around the room. Every room generates its own mix of those three elements. It’s what makes your room sound like your room—its unique sonic fingerprint. But here’s the thing: It’s also what makes your room sound decidedly unlike the claustrophobic interior of a submarine or the rolling dunes of Tatooine or the craggy and cavernous wastes of Cirith Ungol. That’s one of the main reasons I selected the Trinnov Altitude 16 home theater preamp/optimizer to serve as the centerpiece of the trade-show booth’s audio electronics. But as Jon pointed out, to fully deal with all of the acoustical issues in a room, you need a combination of digital signal processing and passive acoustical treatments. The rule of thumb is that you should strive to absorb about 20% of the reflections and scatter 25% of the reflections from the walls and ceiling. You would generally place more absorption toward the front of the room, and interleave the absorption and scattering materials. That last point was one of my biggest sources of stress in helping to design this room—or at least, it’s the source of stress that stands out most in my memory. Why the stress? Because at this point in the design process, my co-conspirators—Mike, Melinda, and Marcelo—were spending most of their time talking about midcentury modern furniture, lighting sconces, draperies, throw rugs, and other floor coverings. And all I could think was, “These people are going to murder me right in my neck if I start hanging egg-crate foam on the walls.” Still, if we wanted the speakers and electronics to transport attendees to other worlds (or at least more interesting corners of this world) with minimal distraction from the room’s temporary and non-traditional construction, I knew we would need some sort of acoustical treatments. So, I reached out to Anthony Grimani—former Dolby Labs and THX exec and current owner of PMI (Performance Media Industries, Ltd)—for his guidance in treating the room as best as possible without making it look like a recording studio. Anthony Grimani explains how a diffuser works Not only was Anthony’s advice invaluable, but his company also just so happens to manufacture exactly the sorts of treatments we needed for the room. We did go back and forth a few times on placement, trading renderings until absorbers were optimally placed to deal with first reflections on the walls and ceiling, and diffusers at the back of the room to randomize reflections into a sense of reverberations and create a more enveloping listening environment. Even after we had the passive acoustical treatments specified and virtually placed, with instructions passed along to the booth construction company, and a followup visit scheduled by Grimani to fine tune the placements during installation, I have to admit that I was still nervous about all of this. In my final rendered sketches of the room, the treatments just sort of looked out of place. They didn’t, to my eyes, evoke the living room environment I knew everyone else on the design team was shooting for. Those fears were allayed the first time I actually laid eyes on the space once it was fully constructed. And they were further allayed as the first attendees filed into the room for a demo. As the first movie clip came to an end, I heard a woman at the edge of the room lean over to a friend and whisper-yell, “I love the 3D sculptures on the walls. They’re so abstract but so pretty!” It took me a second to realize she was confusing Grimani’s diffusers for artwork. Dennis Burger narrates a very quick tour of the demo room. (If you look really close at the video, you’ll notice that the circles in the ceiling are the GoldenEar Invisa 650 speakers mentioned in Pt. 3.) Lessons learned here: Sometimes you can’t plan for every single contingency when designing a home entertainment space. Things in the real world don’t always look like they do in quick 3D sketches. But just as importantly: Don’t assume that performance-oriented design choices will necessarily conflict with décor-oriented design choices. In the end, the acoustical treatments I was so worried about wound up giving the room a funky modern vibe that worked great with the look we were going for. And if we’d had more than a few weeks to work on the design, and if we knew then what we know now, who knows? We may have even made the acoustical treatments the design focal point of the room. Granted, in the real world, that means having conversations with interior designers about the benefits of acoustical treatments, their physical design, and where they need to be placed for optimal effectiveness. But ultimately, all of the pieces that come together to create a luxury entertainment space should be a collaborative—not an antagonistic—process. No necks need to be murdered in the creation of any room. —Dennis Burger Dennis Burgeris an avid Star Wars scholar, Tolkien fanatic, and Corvette enthusiastwho somehow also manages to find time for technological passions including high- end audio, home automation, and video gaming. He lives in the armpit of Alabama with his wife Bethany and their four-legged child Bruno, a 75-pound American Staffordshire Terrier who thinks he’s a Pomeranian. How did I get from “I need something to power these speakers and process all of the audio” to “Gimme one of the most advanced and luxurious audio/video preamplifiers on the planet,” you ask? It was a bit of a winding road, so let’s start at the beginning of it. When we were first understanding what this room would look like and how we wanted it to sound, someone in our design group (I forget who) asked a simple question: “Can we do this with an AV receiver?” It’s a reasonable question, since we wanted the space to evoke a living room environment, and AV receivers—in which all of the digital signal processing and amplification reside in one box—generally power the sound systems in such rooms. But in this case, my back-of-the-napkin calculations told me we needed 160 watts of clean power for every speaker, which is way more than most receivers can deliver. I also knew we needed really amazing digital room correction to compensate for all of the acoustical shortcomings of this space. (If you’re not familiar with digital room correction and how it works, check out my article “Room Correction Revisited”at Home Theater Review.) The long and short of it is that the room optimization software built into most AV receivers wouldn’t be sophisticated enough. So, given that we needed a separate AV preamp to handle the processing and standalone amplifiers to power the speakers, I started thinking long and hard about what was out there. I wasn’t picking between equipment manufacturers; I was picking between room correction systems—two in particular: Dirac and Trinnov. (Lyngdorf Audio’s RoomPerfect probably would have been a great option, too, but I don’t have hands-on experience with it, and given our time constraints I had to go with what I knew.) The advantages of Dirac are that it’s available in much more affordable equipment, and its filters would have made this particular room sound really good with only a little effort. But I was informed that “really good” wasn’t good enough. We needed the best. So, I turned to Trinnov, whose Altitude 16 (shown above) delivers the most advanced and customizable room correction I know of. What’s more, the Altitude 16 can sonically relocate speakers through some deft processing that I don’t even understand. This was handy because, as I said in the last post, sometimes we had to position speakers in such a way as to accommodate multiple standing-room-only attendees. I reached out to Jon Herron, Trinnov’s International Sales Manager, and asked if I could take him on a 3D tour of my latest revision of the booth design via Google Hangouts. Here’s Jon with his own first impressions of the 3D renderings, along with some thoughts on the specific room correction challenges this demo space posed. Jon Herron: So, the challenge was to get sound that is as lifelike as possible in a space that (by itself) would be about as far from lifelike as you can get. The background noise would be high (since it was a trade show). The construction would be temporary and necessarily focused on speed of assembly rather than quality. The shape of the space was also driven to some degree by architectural features not normally found in a home. Imagine trying to get a concert-hall experience in a baseball stadium. Success in any endeavor involves first understanding the nature of the problem. In this case, the problem was largely based on psycho-acoustics—understanding how we humans hear and understand the world around us based on what we hear. A key to understanding how we perceive sound is to understand that we always, without thinking about it, hear three different things: Direct Sound: This is the sound that goes straight from the source (in this case, a speaker) to your ears. Our brains will “hear” this first arrival as the true source and nature of the sound itself. First Reflections: The very next versions of the sound are the first reflections from the surroundings. In a room, these reflections are typically the first bounces from the floor, ceilings, and walls. These tell you quite a bit about the environment you’re in—outdoors (few reflections), or in a larger or smaller room, for example. Subsequent Reverberation: Unless steps are taken to absorb or scatter the sound away from you, sound usually will bounce around for a while. These multiple, later, and smaller versions of the direct sound tell you even more about the environment you’re in. You’d have little or no reverberation outdoors; you’d have quite a lot in a cave; you’d probably hear something in between in your living room or a concert hall. Unfortunately, it’s really easy to mess up what Dennis describes as “room correction” by trying to address all these disparate problems with a single solution. The problems are different; therefore, the best solutions are also different and need to be determined and layered together. If you badly break a leg, you must first realign things, stabilize the leg with a splint, and then put it in a cast for long-term healing. Doing just one of those things, or doing all the things out of order, simply won’t work. It’s the same with using digital signal processing to fix a “broken” acoustical environment. In our diagnosis of how we hear, the second and third items above are “soft” in the high frequencies (imagine turning down the Treble control) for the simple reason that higher frequencies are far easier to absorb or scatter than are lower frequencies. If you don’t make an allowance for the reflected energy sounding different than the direct, you’ll mistakenly ruin the direct sound in a vain effort to fix the environment of the room itself. They are different problems. This, by the way, is why we at Trinnov refer to our system as a Speaker/Room Optimizer. We’re trying to optimize all these different problems with appropriate digital processing solutions, rather than trying to simply “correct” the room with a one-size-fits-all solution. In the trade show demo room, the No. 1 priority was to focus on getting the direct sound as natural as possible. Mitigating first reflections (where we could) was also important, but not if it compromised the direct sound. Similarly, we wanted to provide a more natural reverberant decay (the rate at which sound dies away) that didn’t allow one range of frequencies to stick out like a sore thumb or otherwise call attention to itself. In a good concert hall, when the symphony suddenly stops playing, the entire, rich tapestry of sound should die away together. If the flute section reverberated after the other sounds had faded, even for a moment, it would sound extremely unnatural, even unpleasant. Addressing all these varying challenges in a way that truly lets you enjoy the music or movie you choose without the heavy-handed overlay of the sound of the room you’re in requires (ideally) a combination of passive acoustics and what we at Trinnov have come to call “digital acoustics.” DB again: And that’s the perfect segue into the next post in this series. I knew that physical acoustical treatments, working in conjunction with Trinnov’s digital acoustics, would make this demo room sound its best. But I also didn’t want to make the room look like a recording studio. We’ll dig more deeply into those concerns in Pt. 5. Jon Herronhas been in the audio & video business since he was a teenager. The combination of music and technology was simply too seductive for him to do anything else—that and the fact that no one would likely hire him to do anything else. He has worked in both large and small retail organizations, as a manufacturers’ representative, and (mostly) for a series of audio manufacturers, including Snell Acoustics, Madrigal Audio Laboratories, Wisdom Audio, and Trinnov Audio. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and two terribly spoiled cats. Dennis Burgeris an avid Star Wars scholar, Tolkien fanatic, and Corvette enthusiastwho somehow also manages to find time for technological passions including high- end audio, home automation, and video gaming. He lives in the armpit of Alabama with his wife Bethany and their four-legged child Bruno, a 75-pound American Staffordshire Terrier who thinks he’s a Pomeranian. ALSO BY DENNIS BURGER My wife and I watch a lot of documentaries. No, seriously, a lot of documentaries. Air a special about dinosaur dung or the restoration of a 1967 barn-find VW Beetle or how a famous actress invented frequency-hopping encryption during World War II, and we’re pretty much guaranteed to boost your Nielsen numbers for the night. Here’s the thing, though: We watch a lot of documentaries exactly once. That seems pretty normal to me. After all, do I really need to re-learn how Lego bricks are made? The one exception to this rule is David Attenborough’s captivating nature docs, because there’s absolutely nothing normal about the treasures this wonderful man has bestowed upon the world. If you’ve never seen one of his series, I’m truly envious that you have the opportunity to discover him for the first time. His infectious, childlike sense of wonder about nature, combined with the wisdom you’d expect of a natural historian with 92 years under his belt, makes each of his series seem like a sci-fi/fantasy exploration of a planet in a galaxy far away. There’s a weird and wonderful sense of cognitive dissonance that comes from realizing, somewhere in the middle of one of his shows, that we actually live on this weird and wonderful world. A scant 11 months after the incredible Blue Planet II first aired here in the Colonies, my wife and I have already devoured the series from start to finish three times. And as we were sitting down for our fourth feast this weekend, we finally decided to retire the 4K broadcast recordings clogging our DVR and move on to a proper home video release. Netflix seemed the logical place to turn to, since the series just made its way to the service this month. And it took no more than a few seconds of viewing to note that their version was a huge step up from the original 4K satellite broadcast. Kudos to Netflix’s engineers for compressing such a visually complex image as well as they have. Simply put, Blue Planet II looks brilliant streaming in 4K, as long as you’ve got a good ‘net connection. But shows come and go on Netflix. I can’t count the number of times that utterly re-watchable favorites have been yanked at pretty much exactly the same time I had a hankering to watch them. So, when I noticed that Blue Planet II is also now available on Kaleidescape—along with a whole host of other programming from BBC America—downloading it was a no-brainer. At a hefty 193 gigabytes, the seven-episode mini-series is not an impulse download, but as I said above, this is a show that’s already in heavy rotation in the Burger casa. I knew it was worth the wait. I just didn’t realize how wait-worthy it would turn out to be. As lovely as these alien undersea vistas are via Netflix, they’re positively stupefying in Kaleidescape’s full-bandwidth presentation. The tiniest of details simply fly off the screen here. And thanks to the High Dynamic Range presentation—something Blue Planet II lacks via Netflix, for whatever reason—you can’t help but be sucked right into the image, eyelids peeled, jaw agape, breath bated, mind blown. If the Broca area of your brain can crank out much more than the occasional “whoa” while watching a technicolor cuttlefish hypnotizing its cancrine prey in Episode Three, you’re made of sterner stuff than I. Switch over to the Netflix stream (or the YouTube clip above), and that scene almost seems monochromatic by comparison. Even if you’re not a biology nerd or a connoisseur of great documentaries, Blue Planet II is an absolute must-own on Kaleidescape (or on UHD Blu-ray, if you haven’t made the leap into the discless future just yet). It’s perhaps the most torturous AV demo material I’ve lain eyes on in ages. It’s the title you’ll pull up when skeptical guests ask, “Do I really need this HDR business?” Because Blue Planet II’s answer to that question isn’t a mere “yes.” It’s a yes with an exclamation point, delivered in a charming British accent, with a wink and an unforgettable lesson about the kooky unexplored corners of our own globe. —Dennis Burger Dennis Burgeris an avid Star Wars scholar, Tolkien fanatic, and Corvette enthusiastwho somehow also manages to find time for technological passions including high- end audio, home automation, and video gaming. He lives in the armpit of Alabama with his wife Bethany and their four-legged child Bruno, a 75-pound American Staffordshire Terrier who thinks he’s a Pomeranian. Dennis Burger: At the end of our previous post in this series, I teased the fact that one pair of speakers at the back of the room ended up driving the decision-making process for the entire Atmos surround sound speaker system. It’s worth digging a little more deeply into exactly why that’s the case. Just to remind you what the geometry of our demo space looked like, here’s an overhead view of the back of the room. The rear wall is at the top. You can see a rough approximation of what we thought our seating may look like, as well as the canted walls that made the outside of the booth look so great, but crunched us a bit in the demo space. If we had gone with seven ear-level speakers, that would have meant four speakers in the back of the room, at positions marked A and B. But this would have caused problems for anyone sitting in the back row. Someone sitting next to speaker A on one side of the room wouldn’t have really been able to hear speakers A and B on the other side, and the speakers at the front of the room—for dialogue and screen sound effects—would have been drowned out. Sometimes more isn’t necessarily better. What I really needed was a speaker I could position somewhat closer to the points marked C, but a little higher on the wall so as not to overwhelm any one seat in the back row. The extra height was also added to accommodate anyone standing in the back of the room, so they wouldn’t block the surround sound effects for anyone sitting in front. I desperately needed a speaker that would project its sound out into the room authoritatively, while also spreading its sound out less like a spotlight and more like a floodlight. I also needed an in-wall solution, for reasons discussed in our previous post. One speaker came immediately to mind: GoldenEar Technology’s Invisa MPX MultiPolar in-Wall speaker. The MPX’s bass/midrange drivers don’t point straight out into the room, as do those of most speakers. One of the drivers is rotated a bit to the right, the other a bit to the left. Combine that with the company’s High-Velocity Folded Ribbon tweeter (which squeezes air sort of like an accordion to create low-distortion, room-penetrating high-frequency sounds, rather than pushing air like a normal dome tweeter), and you have the makings of everything I needed here—wide, deep, enveloping sound that wasn’t diffuse. And with that piece of the puzzle solved, the rest of the speaker system started to fall into place. To match the sound of the MPX, I specified three of GoldenEar’s Signature Point Source (SPS) in-walls for the front left, right, and center speakers, and four of the company’s Invisa 650 in-ceilings for the overhead channels. We also had just enough space at the front of the room for subwoofers, so I opted for a pair of SuperSub X subs. Why two subs for such a small space? It wasn’t so much about producing enough volume as it was about delivering rich, even bass in such a weird acoustical environment and making sure every seat in the room experienced the same level of bass. With those decisions made, I called GoldenEar’s Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Jack Shafton, and asked him if I could take him on a virtual tour of our most current 3D design for the booth. I wanted a second opinion from an industry expert, just to make sure I had made the right choices given such compromises. I also wanted his advice on exact speaker placement. Here’s Jack with his reactions to seeing the 3D renderings for the first time, along with some thoughts on what makes GoldenEar’s architectural speakers unique: Jack Shafton: When Dennis shared his plan for this booth at CEDIA, my first reaction was, “YIKES!” GoldenEar always uses a fully enclosed sound room for our own trade-show demos, so this was certainly a new challenge. We agreed that this room would never be ideal, but could certainly be done effectively using the Invisa speakers and SuperSubs. Dennis hit on one of the reasons the Invisa MPX was such a good choice: It’s a direct radiator (important for today’s surround formats) with very wide dispersion. But I would also mention that the power handling and efficiency of the speaker are of great importance given the semi-open nature of this sound room. That’s just one speaker, though (well, two in the case of this room). As for why GoldenEar’s Invisa speakers were the right choice overall, remember that this system needed to impress consumer electronics industry members, not the average consumer who has never heard a great-sounding home theater. One thing that I think sets our in-wall and in-ceiling speakers apart is that we design them using the same drivers and technology employed in our award-winning Triton tower speakers. There is no good/better/best stratification in the GoldenEar architectural speaker lineup; just the best of everything we do. The folded-ribbon tweeter offers exceptional dispersion, amazing fidelity, and great power handling, and it is found in every Invisa speaker. Combine that with our mid/bass driver GoldenEar Invisa MPX technology, crossover design, and GoldenEar speaker voicing, and the result is exactly what Dennis needed to blow people away in a space that had no business sounding as good as it did. Of course, the two SuperSubs helped a lot, as they provide big sub performance in a tiny, vibration-cancelling design. DB again: In addition to confirming my speaker choices, Jack gave me some helpful advice in terms of placement, especially of the front speakers and overhead channels. That guidance was invaluable given the weird geometry of the room. Mind you, the odds you’ll be installing a cinema sound system in a room as compromised as ours are slim. The lesson to be learned here is that when taming a problematic home cinema space, you’ll sometimes find that solving your most daunting problems first makes all of the other pieces fall into place. Still, as amazing as GoldenEar’s speakers are, if we had merely slapped them in the walls and ceilings and provided them with power, they wouldn’t have sounded their best. In our next post, I’ll be discussing how Trinnov’s Altitude 16 home theater preamp/optimizer helped us tame some of the room’s worst acoustical problems and give the GoldenEar speakers room to shine. Jack Shaftonis a 40-year veteran of the consumer electronics industry who has been involved in the design, manufacture, and marketing of some very successful specialty audio products, including two highlighted in Stereophile’s “100 Most Important Audio Products in the Last 40 Years.” Jack’s love of music and movies, combined with a passion to bring better sound into everyone’s home, has been the driving force in his commitment to help the industry grow. He also loves fast cars and cats. (Sorry, dog lovers.) Dennis Burgeris an avid Star Wars scholar, Tolkien fanatic, and Corvette enthusiastwho somehow also manages to find time for technological passions including high- end audio, home automation, and video gaming. He lives in the armpit of Alabama with his wife Bethany and their four-legged child Bruno, a 75-pound American Staffordshire Terrier who thinks he’s a Pomeranian.

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Tuesday, July 12, 2011 Joey's Pineapple Relish You've heard of using pickle relish to top hamburgers and hot dogs, right? Why not try something a little different? Why not add a little tropical touch to your next BBQ? Serve this over grilled pork, ham, chicken, fish, burgers, hot dogs, anything at all! It's REALLY easy to make and it's the perfect unexpected something. It kind of has the same sort of dynamic as fried onions, only with a tropical note. Cool, huh? Yes, it's my own recipe and I hope you like it! Oh, and it goes GREAT with a nice smoky BBQ sauce. Try it! Melt butter in a large skillet and add onions. Saute over medium heat until the onions are soft. Add remaining ingredients. Let it continue to saute for about 30 minutes, stirring often. The liquid will evaporate and the texture will become sort of soft and sticky. It's ready when the pineapple's bright yellow color becomes much deeper and almost golden. Serve warm or cold over grilled anything. Tip: You really want to let this saute slowly for a good half hour so that the sugars will caramelize. Don't have honey? Use brown sugar instead! You can easily substitute just about any favorite vinegar instead of the apple cider. Red or white wine, champagne, even just regular white vinegar would be fine. I wouldn't use balsamic vinegar, though. It has a much milder and much sweeter flavor. You want something with a little more punch. If you want to crank it up a little more, add a little diced jalapeno or other chili pepper. No comments: Follow Me on Twitter! CWJ Apparel and Accessories! Email Joey Quaile! Are you looking for a specific recipe? Need help planning a party menu? Do you have a cooking question? Or maybe you'd like to just say hello or offer one of YOUR recipes! Email me at [email protected]! Who wants to go shopping? What's Cookin'? If you're cooking a favorite dish, take a picture of it! Send it to me along with the recipe and I'll be happy to be post it! If you have a story of the recipe's origin, even better!Sharing is caring!Thanx! Click any of the categories or ingredients below if you're looking for something specific!!

Okay, I win for longest title of the daily, ever. (hey, you have to enjoy the small pleasures in life...) I'm going to bed very soon...I swear! But in the meantime, it's officially Wednesday, so I'm starting us off to make up for being a lazybones and not getting out of bed before noon so far this week! Hope everyone has a great morning and that it's gorgeous everywhere like it's been here! Today's plans include going to the gym for the class that always kicks my behind (I always think of your "Pain in the Butt" class, Barb! Do you still take that one?). I've got dishes to do and a ton of laundry calling my name. I'd like to finish putting together the bookcase in the bedroom (the holes in it don't line up with the things I have to use to connect it...I'm going to have to drill some new holes to finish!) and put the books in it. DH and I are heading to the third in our Adult Faith Formation series for Lent. The area churches put this on and it's a great way to learn more about the Bible, history, and such. It's like Sunday school, but for adults...and it comes with a recess that includes coffee and goodies. I just take a tea bag and some Splenda with me and use the hot water. But it's a lot of fun to see our friends from other parishes and hang out. I had to go to the first two on my own as DH was out of town, so it'll be nice to go with him this time. I've still got a few hours left to the day - but it's looking.. I have no idea how I feel about heading back to work after 6 days off! I love not working, perhaps I need to think about my future - career-wise. Tomorrow is another day.. heh cottagebythesea - I don't really enjoy walking in the rain so much, it's REALLY wet and cold, and wet. It's just amazing to me how the rain can continue for days, even WEEKS at a time. When I live out East I definitely enjoyed the rain more. I had a grande 1% cinnamon dolce latte, it was very yummy, although I suspect I am done with them. I am ready to move back to my regular vanilla latte. Boy I am one with long winded answers! annarenee - I am all for a buddy! I lose so slowly that I don't know if I'll make that goal, but I always aim high! beachgal - that sounds like a crazy-busy To Do list. I think I'd stay in bed 'til noon just to avoid it, frankly. swimgirl - I'm sorry your job's not treating you right. Have you started looking around, or are you just in the "uneasy" starting to think about it stage? (I'm in the "paper the town with my resume" stage, right now. ) everyone else - I'll see you in the morning. It's 10:30, and my bedtime. Big presentation tomorrow evening for my Alaska history class (*my* pain in the butt class). It's only 6:30, and already we have 3 posts! I hope you chicks are snug in your beds now, getting some sleep. I had to give myself a pep talk to get ready for Curves, it's so tempting just to stay home, but I'll be glad I went once it's over with. I have the coffee perking now, so it will be ready when I get back. Monica is bringing Carley out this afternoon, and we'll have her until tomorrow, and I'm trying to arrange my schedule around that. I have to remember to grab an extra carseat for one thing. My SIL's show opens tonight, and Monica and Caitlyn are going to see it. Well, I have to blow dry my hair and fly out of here for now. I'll be back! Wow! What a busy place! I love it when the smarty-pants "Westerners" pop in to post when it's still yesterday. Beachgal, I thought you were going to try to get to bed earlier? Do I have to drive down there and read you a bedtime story every night? Aimee, I am still smiling over your weightloss post. I'm so glad you DO aim high. By the way, not working is great but the pay is the pits. Cinderly, I didn't realize you were looking for another job. Good luck with tonight's presentation. About all I know about Alaska is this: native people, Russians, $$$, USA. Feel free to us it! Cottage, good for you with being so loyal to Curves. I absolutely must do some exercise - Meg, Mel and Ilene are on my case. Curves is a half hour drive but there is a fitness place in the next village (10 mins) that may have something. I'll check.....I promise! The Girls and I actually slept in this morning and I woke with a start at 7:15 remembering the garbage had to be at the road at 7:30! The guys just came by and picked it up. Whew! I really didn't want it hanging around as I made dog food yesterday and meat wrappers are smelly. I have six guys to feed at noon today! The "boys" are tapping in my maple bush as the sap is starting to run. I've got a cauldron of pea soup and a big crockpot full of beef stew with veggies - the Old-Fashioned Beef Stew but with lots of potatoes for hungry guys. Two 10" pies from my freezer and some ice cream will round out their "snack". It's amazing how much guys can eat when they are doing physical work! I'll load it all in the car and drive it back to the bush road. They'll meet me there with the snowmobiles. We have tons of snow in the bush. They are using snowmobiles now but will switch to the horses and sleigh to hang the buckets tomorrow and start sap gathering on Friday, if the weather cooperates. Today is the only day I will be providing lunch - it's sort of a celebration for the first day of syrup making and Spring! Later this afternoon, I have a kitchen designer coming to look at my favourite room. My 1950 cupboards are wood and really need updating as they are hard to clean and marked. All the shelves and counters are just a few inches too high. I'm thinking "Shaker-type" wood cupboards in white with darker counter. Of course, I'll be moaning and complaining about the mess when it starts which probably won't be until May by the time stuff gets ordered. Good grief! It's well after eight and I have to get cracking. Have a Happy Hump Day! __________________ Change isnít easy. But if you donít change, you stay the same, and whereís the fun in that? Wow, I feel a lot slower than everyone else. I got up, got everyone out the door (DH, DD, and DS) and now I'm at work, and I just finished reading the comics. More power to those who go to the gym first thing in the morning. I would love to if I had the time and the willpower. I really need to start doing something active. Is it Friday yet??? Ruth,it sounds like a busy but fun day is on "tap" at your place. I'd love to watch the tapping of the trees for maple some day, it sounds fascinating, and I just love maple flavored anything! You are so lucky to have it right in your own back yard! The last time I was in Canada, I stocked up on maple syrup and those wonderful maple cookies shaped like maple leaves. YUM! Ok, I know, it's NOT a part of the SBD plan. I made myself work out hard at Curves, and now that's done for the day. Now I'm on my 3rd cup of coffee and I just made a large skillet of Cola Chicken for tonight, with leftovers for tomorrow. Audrey had a great time celebrating her birthday yesterday, and we had fun making the day special for her. I had quite an uncomfortable moment with that blasted turtle, though! The guy at the pet store put it in a box for me, but Cindy wanted me to get it settled in it's new terrarium at home, which meant that I had to pick it up! I tried to tip the box so it would fall into the terrarium, but the darned thing started falling onto it's back, so that didn't work. I kept telling myself that if the girls could hold it, then I could too, but, EWWWWW! Good morning chicks a quickie for me... had to set up a new anti viruis and such on my computer have a cake in the oven for the kids snack today.... the baby is fussy fussy fussy.... Went for a walk last night that is two nights in a row. Ruth- you lucky chick all those men to look at today. Cottage- laughing I can picture the turtle on it poor little back and you trying to get it out of the box. Have a great day. Beach- hope you got a good nights sleep, I don't think I have ever slept in til noon in my life. But then again I can't stay up late either. Take care hon. Swim- I don't like walking in the rain either but good for you, keep up the good work. Well got to dash the cake needs to come out of the oven and the kids need to be feed. Have a good ones chicks. And a big Hello to the rest of you chicks I missed and the one yet to pop in. __________________ "The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for." Beachgal - I'm jealous of your ability to stay awake! I'm out cold by 11 pm at the very latest. I used to be a night owl, but I think the sunrise is so much prettier than the night sky these days....Wasn't yesterday wonderful? Your AFF sounds great! I hope you have a great time together! Aimee - WOW! ONE IN THE MORNING?!?!? I haven't seen that in a long time.... I love not working as well, but then I get bored and stoic. I have to have a goal each day or I'll just stay in bed! And I agree with Ruth, that pay is not so great! I took a 2 month hiatus from my job and it worked wonders for my motivation. Cottage - Great job getting to Curves this morning! It's tough isn't it? Do you go around the circuit 2 or 3 times? We do 3 right now, but I'm getting bored!!!! Arrgg, oh well, I always feel better afterwards... Ruth - Men and maple syrup....mmmm sounds delish! DH is out with my dad today. They are building a workshop/apartment up on a hill in the middle of nowhere. My parents are planning a log cabin up there and they want to move into a small apartment before they build the big house. My mom makes food for the lot of them and wow can they eat! Fishbulb - I totally hear you about the Friday bit....... Little Chick - Congrats to you on the exercise! Keep going girl! Me - I'm at the library, public this time. I'm going to go grab a bite to eat for lunch and then head up to the college library. 2 papers to write. Here we go! Don't know about exercise today....maybe this afternoon before I grab the kiddo. Adia, I'm lucky that we have a really large Curves club, and we have all the lastest equipment, so we only have to do the circuit 2X to complete our 30 minutes. Do you do the stretching after? It's an important part of the workout. Our Curves is a lot of fun, and the owner keeps it that way and keeps us motivated. I've visited a few others that aren't as active as mine, and I know I would get very bored there. Maggie and I are back at my house waiting for Carley. She's wanting to go outside on the swings, so off I go. Cottage - We have 10 machines and they are in really great shape. I think 2x around equals out to 30 minutes, but I don't really feel it until after the 3rd. Maybe I just need to push more! Our Curves isn't bad on the motivation factor....it's just me I think! I always stretch, it's my favorite part. cinderly - I just started this job in Sept, and it's been good. I have been getting too involved with the girls in my dept lately, and thats where my frustrations lay.... they are immature, and gossipy. I'm also in the position of moving into management, but have been trying to hold off and enjoy having no responsibilities. It's given me time to work on weight loss and enjoying my life, not just working. Ruth - the money thing is definitely why I'm still going to work, I gotta figure out how to make lots of money without going to work, lol. Aren't I a dreamer too? I definitely think it's better to aim high and get close rather than aiming low and succeding. It somehow makes sense to me. 7:15 is sleeping IN? Yikes! My idea of sleeping in is until 10:30! heh. cottage - how often do you go to curves? I've heard different things like going everyday, or going 3 days a week. I think it's a great idea, I haven't been able to try due to the cost, it's 40-45 dollars a month here. Adia - on mine is says 10pm, so we are 3 hours difference. I haven't been up until 1am in a long time! I took off 5 weeks last year after being sick for 6 weeks, my brother paid for me to go stay with him, and covered any bills that came up. Fortunately my bf makes decent money and my bro didn't need to pay for anything besides food/daily things. I spent my days exercising, making sure to eat well, and watching movies via NetFlix. I better go get ready for work, I did get good news though! The store manager is NOT there, and I need to take responsibility for something which I thought was a great idea, but he did not, and threatened to write up the person who did it. I don't think I'll be written up, especially because of my logic behind it. My bf is a manager in the same store, and so once I explained my logic he completely understood, so I'm not too worried. Anyways, off I go! beachgal - They stopped offering the Pain in the Butt class. They now just have an advanced step class which requires more coordination than I have available. I think part of my problem lately is that I can't make any of the evening classes and can rarely make the Saturday morning Powerflex class. I'm finally over my soreness from last Saturday and I plan to be there this Saturday. I ended up working until almost 11 last night. I was able to spare 10 minutes to put Brian to bed but he was not happy that I didnt' get to spend time with him. I'm also working Friday night and Saturday but he will be at a train show for most of that so hopefully, he won't mind. I do work from home when I work at night and on weekends but it isn't like I can do things with him. I am done with meetings for the day and am planning on leaving work a few hours early today so we can do whatever he wants to do. Maybe we'll go for a bike ride.

Animation as a Pathway to College and a Career (Transcript) Okay, so, we're going to start off the master chart right here, and the narrator introduces the film. "Ah, the Natural Selection Pet Shop." Shawn: When they first come into my classroom, I tell them, "This is not a classroom. You are new hires of k9 Studios, and that's what we call our studio here." And that their grade is really their paycheck. Narrator: Shawn Sullivan teaches beginning through advanced animation as part of the artworks career pathway at Sheldon High School in Sacramento, California. Shawn: Animation is definitely an area that covers all of academics. To be able to create something in the computer, you need to understand plotting coordinates, so X, Y, and Z coordinates. Also, if you're creating characters, understanding anatomy, muscle structure, not only human but also looking at animal science, as well. Physics is very important in animation, making things moving believably. Student: What you want to do with the sneeze is try to make the rodent look more round... Shawn: Also, what they're learning is what they can take to any job they do -- working with teams, coming up with an idea and sharing it with others, and seeing it being finished and created. Characters: Yay! Shawn: We spend a lot of hours together, and I really focus on the concept of being a family and working together. If one person is not focused and not wanting to do this project, it will fall apart, but if they all believe in each other and all want to help each other and make the person next to them even better, that's how you get a strong program. Student: I think I found all the sounds we need. Shawn: In here, we just take what their interests are -- I like to call it "stealth teaching" -- and using that to teach in the direction that they want to go in. So if you're doing up close on this shot, you know you have to focus on his size. Shawn: The key is being honest with your students and sharing with them and trusting when they have an idea and guiding them, and they respect that. Okay. Juan Luis: Really, I've been spoiled here. Like, no other kid can say, "Oh, I got to direct a class making an animated film." That's an experience that a lot of people just really think is great. When I went down to interview at USC, they were really impressed by that. Just a little more theatricality. Can you call quiet on the set real quick? Hey, quiet on the set! Megan: You just get a lot of work skills from it, just being punctual, professional, and just really getting a feel of, all right, do I really like this stuff? Is this really what I want to go into? So, where's the edit at right now? Megan: This really helped me decide on what I was going to major in in college. Shawn: Doing an academy is really important. It gives a chance for the students to be around like-minded students. Already having an idea of where they want to go to school and what they want to do for a living is a huge step for a teenager. It motivates them by looking at other people working on the same, similar concepts. It's a very powerful tool. Do you guys need anything else other than just the main color shots? 3D. Megan: Deadline for this film is this Friday, and, yeah, right now, based on what I saw this morning, it looks like we're going to make it. Okay, cool. Thanks, guys. Megan: I'm going to really miss this studio. Narrator: For more information about what works in education, go to Edutopia.org. You are welcome to embed this video, download it for personal use, or use it in a presentation for a conference, class, workshop, or free online course, so long as a prominent credit or link back to Edutopia is included. If you'd like more detailed information about Edutopia's allowed usages, please see the Licenses section of our Terms of Use. There was a lot for Jeff Merker to be happy about on the last Tuesday of the school year. His shop class at Sheldon High School, in Elk Grove, California, was a hub of activity, not just kids talking and signing yearbooks, but actual productive stuff. In the shop yard outside the classroom, sparks sputtered as a student in a welding mask shored up metal table legs. Fifty feet away, a saw blade poked through a shed wall, cutting a door opening large enough for the small tractor that would be housed inside. But the best sounds Merker may have heard that day came from inside the class, where senior Eric Lucas-Jasso shouted, "Mr. Merker, it works!" Lucas-Jasso had just plugged an electric guitar he made that semester into a small amplifier. Successfully turning two pieces of wood into a working instrument was as good as it gets for the 19-year-old senior who plans to study architecture in college. In four years at Sheldon, Lucas learned construction, carpentry, roofing, and engineering. He says this program and strong academics are the main reasons he came to Sheldon High, and they're the reason he's confident about heading to college. "It helps when you reach your goal of going to college to know what field you want to major in," he says. Sheldon Building Trades, and Jeff Merker, have been around since Sheldon High opened 13 years ago. Merker teaches 150 students each semester in four 90-minutes classes every day. They go on field trips to lumberyards, construction sites, and career fairs, and they compete in shed-building competitions. Then they sell the sheds to the public for $2,000 to $4,000 and put the money back into the program. Students can also enroll concurrently at the local community college, earning professional certification in a trade and college credit, for free. A short walk across campus, Shawn Sullivan's students get to meet and work with their idols. Sullivan teaches the animation pathway at Sheldon High, which usually has a waiting list. Throughout the year, his class meets with and gets feedback from artists at Pixar, Disney, and Cartoon Network. At Sheldon High School, animation students work with mentors from Disney, Pixar, and Cartoon Network. Credit: Ethan Pines Sullivan has created a full-fledged animation studio in his class. It even has a name: K9 Studios. But his students learn more than they think. He calls it "stealth teaching" -- he uses art to teach students math, science, and composition. "To be able to create something in a computer you need to understand plotting coordinates," explains Sullivan. "Also if you're creating characters, you need to understand anatomy and muscle structure, not only human, but animal science, as well." Although he sneaks in some core subjects, programs like animation and building trades are not directly integrated into the academic curriculum the way they are in career academies. Another difference is that students don't have to commit to spending three or four years in the program; they can take whichever classes interest them. These programs are commonly known as career pathways and must adhere to federal and state guidelines for quality and content. The U.S. Congress sorted all the possible pathways into broader occupational themes and organized them into 16 career clusters outlined in the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, aka, Perkins IV. The law requires local education agencies to offer at least one career-pathway program that meets a specific set of goals and objectives. Principles: The career pathway leads to an industry-recognized credential or certificate at the postsecondary level or to an associate or baccalaureate degree It includes local industry in defining the skills and knowledge students need to know to be successful in a chosen field. It provides students with information about career clusters and the different pathways within each cluster. It is aligned with core subjects in the high school. Components: It works with industry and teachers to create lesson plans and curriculum that guide students through the classes they need to pursue a career in this particular field. It offers sequences of academic, career, and technical courses and training beginning in grades 9 or 10 that build to advanced levels of knowledge and skills over the four years of high school. It may include opportunities for high school students to earn college credits through dual enrollment at community or four-year colleges. It has opportunities for students to gain firsthand experience in the specific field through internships, job shadowing, mentorships, and project-based learning. Examples of Student Work Sheldon High School's animation sequence is run like a real studio, where students work together to design, write and produce animated shorts that are posted on K9 Studios' YouTube channel.

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Atheism for Dummies Atheism For Dummies offers a brief history of atheist philosophy and its evolution, explores it as a historical and cultural movement, covers important historical writings on the subject, and discusses the nature of ethics and morality in the absence of religion. A simple, yet intelligent exploration of an often misunderstood philosophy.

AndrewHazelden wrote: Updated the script to have cross-platform Fusion 8.2.1 + Fusion 9.0.1 support. This revised version of the hos_SplitEXR script will not work in Fusion 7 anymore. The script can now be installed as either a Fusion Comp script (Scripts:/Comp/) that is accessible using the main Fusion menubar's Script > hos_SplitEXR menu item, or as a Fusion tool script (Scripts:/tool) and accessed by right clicking on a Loader node in the flow area and then selecting the Script > hos_SplitEXR contextual menu item. Improved the Lua script comments to make the program flow easier to understand for new pipeline TDs who need to customize this script in the future. Improved the error handling and added more verbosity to the error messages. Changed the Fusion preference writing path to use the user preference profile folder since the applications folder is usually write locked for non super-users. Updated the "myLoader = Loader({Clip = exrFileName})" line to use the comp.Loader() prefix to avoid a tool script based error. You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post. Last edited by AndrewHazelden on Wed Oct 04, 2017 2:35 am, edited 2 times in total. ShadowMaker SdR wrote:Andrew, maybe it's a good idea to rename the file to reflect its compatibility? Done. I renamed the revised script to "hos_SplitEXR_fu9.lua". To be honest though I kind of suspect anyone still using Fusion 6.4 or 7 has locked their Windows XP - Windows 7 system in time and turned off all updates from the outside world. Those classic Fusion version using people are also the least likely to be hunting in a WSL "Any alternative to hos_SplitEXR?" thread. I like the idea behind that sentiment but have you looked at the code in the script? (Original script edition if you want to be precise.) I truly think you would not have used that last sentence if you did. Lol. I went through and heavily annotated the script with comments for the parts I could decode and understand so future generations would have more idea what was going on inside. The "simple" act of changing the Lua script filename on disk like you suggested actually modifies how the script works internally for example and will make the old preference files not be read anymore since a new filename is automatically generated. Here is my decoded and commented section from the updated script that explains how the SplitEXR preference file name is derived from the current Lua script name. Everytime you rename the script you get a new preference file. I also added Console printing messages that indicate where the preference file is being read/written from in the update. "To be honest though I kind of suspect anyone still using Fusion 6.4 or 7 has locked their Windows XP - Windows 7 system in time and turned off all updates from the outside world. Those classic Fusion version using people are also the least likely to be hunting in a WSL "Any alternative to hos_SplitEXR?" thread." I respectfully beg to differ. I've been using 7.7.1 on win 10 machines (complete with Msoft's forced updates) for a year and a half on a project that's only now finishing, and uses exr files extensively. I tested fu8 early on and for all sorts of reasons (scripting issues, general instability, OpenCl crashes etc) didn't dare put it into production. The same certainly applied even more so to 9.0.0, which I assume is why BMD rushed to get 9.0.1 out. Don't get me wrong, the port to multiplatform was an enormous amount of work (and a very good thing), to say nothing of all the added features in 9.0, so these issues are not at all unexected. And although I'm currently testing 9.0.1 (which already seems miles better than 9 or 9.0) I'm not yet ready to trust it on a real production with impatient clients, deadlines and the rest. So I suspect I'll have 7.7.1 on my system for some time still, I'm afraid, and I wouldn't be surprised to find I'm not alone. JPDoc wrote:And although I'm currently testing 9.0.1 (which already seems miles better than 9 or 9.0) I'm not yet ready to trust it on a real production with impatient clients, deadlines and the rest. So I suspect I'll have 7.7.1 on my system for some time still, I'm afraid, and I wouldn't be surprised to find I'm not alone. IMHO I see Fu 8/9 users who are happy(ish) and regularly use the new Fusion versions for production use "warts and all" as being the artists primarily running Fu on Linux/Mac who don't have any other version of Fusion they would want to use on their systems. The legacy Fusion 6 or 7 on Windows users tend to want to see the same stability and reliability they always had in the earlier Fusion releases before they would trust/allow themselves to be pulled into the new present day versions. So. Saying it again, but with the upmost respect, I don't think a classic hos_SplitEXR user on Fu 6 or 7 would be hunting for updates for their existing (and currently installed) Fusion scripts and 3rd party fuses/macros/tools/etc... if they are holding their systems together with bailing wire and actively avoiding newer Fu releases. Lol. * * * As an upside, Fu 7 vs Fu 8/9 use a different Fusion user prefs / scripts folder of either the Pubic Users Document folder vs a %appdata% location so the different Fusion Lua script versions don't clash on that front. The MatteControl node input changes (especially when placed inside MacroOperator/GroupOperator nodes) and several other revisions in Fusion also make it harder to bring complex Fu 9 comp files back into Fu 7 without some dataloss so the different versions are acting more as islands now. JPDoc, how are you able to use Fu 9 in your tests without having working (accelerated) OpenCL support that doesn't crash when you go to the OpenCL Prefs window? You've likely got one or multiple NVIDIA GPUs in your Win 10 PC. Mac users are pretty used to having little to no GPU based acceleration so they wouldn't feel the pain of this issue as badly. I'm currently testing (when I get time) on win 10 del precison M6800 laptop with a QuadroK3100m using driver 382.16. I just checked and it doesn't crash on 9.0.1 when I open the OpenCL prefs, and open CL acceleration seems to work, at least on the defocus node, which is about as far as I've got. The next set of tests will be on a win 10 i7-6700K workstation with dual Quadro M4000s and we'll see how it goes. I'm also a 7.7.1 user and use it extensively in a team production environment daily. Some of the scripts I rely on in 7.7.1 work flawlessly and not having experience in updating scripts, it's caused me to not jump on board FU8 or FU9 yet. With more discussion happening on both here and the blackmagic forums I'm hopeful I can make the switch to FU9 for production as it sounds like there's been a lot of updates including 3rd party scripts etc... What's interesting to me in software forums, we usually only hear about the stuff that's broken, so when I'm going through the forums and see stuff isn't working or bugs are found in the latest versions of FU, I shy away from them, because everything is still working well in 7.7.1. But, Andrew with comments like your's it makes me a little less hesitant to move into FU9.

Testimonials Associate Director of Imaging Services We have been using West Physics since 2013 for our ACR accreditation and state testing requirements with MRI, CT, X-ray, Ultrasound, and mammography and have been very pleased with their ability to support our needs. The physicists are knowledgeable and always interact well with the staff at our imaging centers. Their response time for retesting mammography units when a tube or detector has been replaced on short notice has always been prompt to minimize our downtime. Our staff enjoys working with this vendor! Chief Operating Officer Thanks again for the GREAT service provided with our multi-state outpatient imaging centers. Your help in keeping up with the ever changing regulatory environment throughout the accreditation process has made my job so much easier. It is nice to be able to direct my efforts into other important company initiatives while West Physics handles the dirty work. Your team has been helpful in providing information when needed and serve as a great asset in keeping our centers accredited and operating within the rules. Thank you for all your help. Director of Imaging Services West Physics replaced our dedicated in-house staff physicist that retired in 2013 and has been able to meet our expectations for all of our equipment testing and RSO needs since taking over. The West Physics staff has been very responsive and flexible with all my department staff when they need to speak promptly with a physicist regarding their equipment or radiation safety issues. I would recommend them to any hospital that is looking for a full service medical and health physics provider. Chief MRI Technologist “Just want to let you know I got word today that we passed, maybe you already know. I would like to thank you and Zach and anyone else who helped this along. We have used West Physics for if not 12 years, then 10 and this is why. I feel you guys did an excellent job and would still recommend you to anyone, hands down. All your time and efforts need to be recognized, so again thank you.” Chief Nuclear Medicine Technologist “This was our first experience with the ACR accreditation process and we had already been notified that we had not passed our SPECT QC performance criteria using a different Physicist Group. Our MRI department recommended West Physics, and I couldn’t have been happier. From the moment I called, the Staff at West Physics were friendly and professional, and completely understood my concerns and time constraints that I was facing to re-submit my data. When the physicist came to my facility, he was friendly, thorough and professional, and his knowledge of my camera was unsurpassed. I was extremely pleased with West Physics, and I appreciate all their help with our facility passing the ACR! We will always be using West Physics for all of our ACR Accreditation needs in the future.” Radiology Educator “I’ve known Geoff West personally for several years. His company provides a quality service at a fair price. If you are going to make the effort for ACR site accreditation, then physics support is a must. I highly recommend West Physics.” Chief PET Technologist “West Physics Consulting has been providing our Physicist Services since January 2007. As an outpatient PET/CT Imaging Center we require standard services (quarterly audits) as well as assistance obtaining ACR accreditation. The services that they have provided for our facility are excellent; I appreciate their attention to detail as well as personal service. I fully trust the competence and expertise of West Physics. It has been my privilege to work with the staff of West Physics.” Chief Technologist “Having to go through accreditation on 3 brand new modalities seemed to be a messy and stressful process. I was wrong! West Physics made the process so easy and manageable that I will never stress out about it again. It was so wonderful to be able to complete the surveys on a weekend with little downtime and to have such a highly qualified cross trained physicist to be able to handle not only CT and MRI, but PET as well. I have recommended West Physics to other centers we work with and know without a doubt that they are the gold standard in Physics Services and Testing.” Senior Applications Specialist “I’ve been throwing your name out there a lot lately. I’ve been dealing with quite a few physicists that have not done MR testing before. When a site calls for their yearly testing I usually just tell them to call you since we have a high level of confidence in your ability and your familiarity with our product. Keep up the good work!”

Pages Monday, 27 October 2014 The Great Gatsby is one of those classics that almost every eclectic reader is bound to read sooner or later, whether for school or for fun or just to find out what all the fuss is about. It's also, however, a classic that no one really seems to know that much about until they read it (the Baz Lurhmann movie may have changed all that now, I don't know). All I really knew was that there was a narrator called Nick Carraway, lots of decadent alcohol-soaked parties, and that a long-standing romance between the enigmatic Jay Gatsby and a girl called Daisy was important. This was a beautifully written novel with a cast of flawed and interesting characters and a strong dose of extremely pointed social commentary - so why couldn't I rate it higher than I did? Perhaps in some ways the fundamental nature of the characters, their shady backgrounds and compulsive lies and airy aloofness, served to distance me from their story rather than drawing me in. Every time I thought I'd got a handle on a character they got flipped around again. It's skilfully done by Fitzgerald, but it didn't allow me to really invest in anything that happened. To be honest, I think one of the most irritating things for me was that just before I started reading the novel, some idiot on the internet spoiled the ending for me. Obviously I'm not going to say too much, but I really think the climax would have knocked me for six and added a lot to my lasting impression of the book had I not known what was coming. As the novel progressed the contextual themes and philosophical musings occasionally got a bit heavy-handed, but I did enjoy the insight into the shifts and changes happening in Twenties society. Fitzgerald's careful skewering of rampant materialism and consumerism, of the corruption of wealth, and the poignant emptiness of the façade created by 'new money', is very well done. Jay Gatsby is the embodiment of an ambitious self-made man holding on to an impossible dream, Daisy is a shallow butterfly, and her husband Tom is the epitome of arrogant privilege and entitled cruelty. Of course, we only ever see what the gentle (though clearly biased) Nick Carraway wants to show us, but we can read between the lines. I liked this novel. I really did. I think I'll get more from it on a second reading, and I'm definitely looking forward to watching a couple of different adaptations to see how they take this dazzling story into a new medium. I quite liked Jay Gatsby in the end, which I think helped cement my enjoyment of the book as a whole, and I very much liked Fitzgerald's smooth writing style. I'll definitely be reading more of his work - probably starting with Tender is the Night - and immersing myself further in the world of flappers and frippery to which he so frequently returns. A note on my edition: This is the foiled art deco-style Penguin hardback, designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith. It has a bookmark integrated into the back flap of the dustjacket (which OBVIOUSLY I didn't use), a small section of notes in the back, and also an extensive introduction by Tony Tanner, which I recommend reading AFTER you've finished the novel (as I did) as it does contain fairly major spoilers. This introduction may be ideal for students, and definitely contains some interesting perspectives and insights, but it's a bit dry and of the 'Look how many big words I know' ilk if you prefer your intros more informal and personal. It also lost points for this completely straight-faced sentence about how far Nick believes Gatsby's fabrications about his life: - "I would never... suggest that even in the most metaphorical way [Nick] ever goes upon his knees before Gatsby to be 'humbuggingly humbugged"... - followed by repeat use of the word 'hankey-pankey', which I'm not going to lie, gave me the 'Uncle Geoffrey from Bridget Jones' creeps. So... yes. Beautiful edition, though! Sunday, 5 October 2014 Du du DUH DUH DUH... another month bites the dust... sing it with me! Yes, you will have that song stuck in your head for the rest of the day. YOU'RE WELCOME. :) ~ What I Read ~ Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn I've wanted to read this for a while, because I wanted to watch the movie and you know I always prefer to read FIRST - but sadly I didn't like it any more than Dash and Lily's Book of Dares. It was a quick read, quite fun, quite amusing - but also 100% forgettable. Like Dash and Lily, there were some brilliant little moments and some profound lines in there, but it wasn't enough to redeem the book as a whole and I've already forgotten all but the bare basics. I'm glad I borrowed it from the library instead of shelling out for a copy of my own! 3 stars. Red Dragon (Hannibal Lecter 1)by Thomas Harris My first book of the Halloween season - and what a pleasant surprise it was! Hannibal himself is only in it for about 3 seconds, so what you're really left with is a well-written crime novel that focuses almost entirely on two characters: the murderer, Francis Dollarhyde, and the fascinating Will Graham, brought in by the FBI to use his empathic and imaginative talents to get inside the mind of the 'Red Dragon', who has already slaughtered two completely unlinked families in their homes. I found the psychology of both these individuals to be the book's strongest element, with Dollarhyde's terrifying delusions and Graham's intuitive understanding dancing around each other as the FBI gets closer and closer to the truth. I can't wait to read more from this series - an unexpected 4.5 stars! And the Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanksby Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs Finally, my first Beat novel! It's been a long time coming, though I'd always assumed On the Road would be my first... but whatever. I got this one from the library right after I bought Kill Your Darlings on DVD and realised that the book was essentially a thinly-veiled novelisation of the real events depicted in the film. Labelled a 'crime noir', I actually didn't think it felt that way at all; the murder is a fleeting thing right near the end of the book. It's incredibly easy to read, filled with tiny mundane details that build up a picture of a bohemian alcohol-fuelled lifestyle largely consisting of bar hopping and drifting in and out of each other's homes to eat, sleep, love, talk and dream. I also liked the insight into how boys would 'ship out' to work at sea, and how that process worked. An odd one, this, in that I didn't rank it THAT highly, yet I'd really like to reread it and have my own copy at some point in the near future. 3.5 stars. Ketchup Cloudsby Annabel Pitcher This was another book that ended up being a little different from what I expected. From the 'teenage girl writing to a serial killer' premise, I'd expected a thriller more akin to Belinda Bauer's Blacklands. What I GOT was something that was more like a fusion of Laurie Halse Anderson and Malorie Blackman: a pitch-perfect, wry and beautifully told story of a young woman spilling her darkest secrets to someone she hopes might understand. It's gripping, yes, and provocative, but in a heartstring-tugging and realistic way rather than a chilling one. 4 stars - I might read her other novel at some point too. Has anyone read it already? Do you recommend it? Woolgatheringby Patti Smith This is an odd one. In well under 100 pages, Smith manages to cram in photographs, vignettes from her life and a dose of poetry. I picked it up at the library after I saw it reviewed on BookTube, and I'm glad I did, even though I've forgotten most of it already. It's undeniably well written and has its profoundly beautiful moments - I particularly liked the vignette entitled 'Nineteen Fifty-Seven', which manages to combine fire, grief, family and a dog into a heartbreaking few pages - but the poetry and more random 'artistic' moments didn't do much for me, I'm afraid. It came across as a bit pretentious where I think it was just meant to be honest. If Just Kids sticks with Smith's talent for writing and nixes the odd tangents, I think we'll get on just fine. A tentative 3 stars, maybe? World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie Warby Max Brooks My last complete read for the month! Despite having owned it for years, pretty much all I knew about this one was that everyone seems to love it, and it does what it says on the cover - it's an oral history-style zombie novel. I thought it was fantastic! It's so convincing that occasionally, when I was reading a segment more focussed on something not directly zombie contact-related (military tactics, say), I forgot I was reading fiction. In these more technical areas I genuinely have no idea how much detail is real, and how much was entirely fabricated by Brooks. The oral history format also made it extremely addictive, because each person's perspective only lasts a few pages at most, so it's too easy to read 'just one more'. This isn't light reading, exactly, but if I've managed to make it sound even remotely intriguing then I highly recommend giving it a try! 4.5 stars. ~ What I Watched ~ Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008) Starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings, directed by Peter SollettMeeeeeeeh. So, I read the book because I wanted to watch the film, yes? And the trailer looked quite amusing, and MOST of all I wanted to watch it because I have a tremendous crush on Kat Dennings. I have to say, she made a great Norah, and her and her perpetually-intoxicated friend pretty much made the movie for me. Whoever cast Michael Cera as Nick should be shot, but that's another matter entirely. Once again, the ingredients for a good romcom were there - funny bits, kooky characters, great one-liners - but somehow it just didn't come together for me. I watched it on Netflix, and it's definitely not one I'll be buying to rewatch or anything. Oh well. (watch the trailer) Manhunter (1986)Starring William Petersen and Tom Noonan, directed by Michael Mann This one, on the other hand, completely outshone its trailer, and even managed to make the awful synth soundtrack feel faintly ironic instead of just cheesy. I was urged to watch this adaptation of Red Dragon instead of the remake with Anthony Hopkins - and I have to say, it was a good call. Will Graham is portrayed really well (not Hugh Dancy-well, but SSSSH) and Brian Cox's miniscule role as Dr Lecter is the perfect mix of charm and cunning. It also alters the odd double ending of the book, which was possibly an improvement. I'd definitely recommend reading it first - there were so many character details that made more sense that way - but if you're going to watch an adaptation this is WAY better than I expected! (watch the trailer) Kill Your Darlings (2013)Starring Daniel Radcliffe and Dane DeHaan, directed by John Krokidas This was another one that surpassed my expectations - though I had pretty high ones anyway, so it's aaaaaaall good. I absolutely loved it. I'd never even heard of it until I saw it in Tesco, but I bought it on the spot because it's baaaasically another version of the true story behind And The Hippos Were Boiled in their Tanks. It's from the perspective of Allen Ginsberg, and is about him meeting Lucien Carr, being introduced to William Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, and ultimately witnessing the fallout from the murder of David Kammerer, who had been obsessed with Carr for years. As with the novel, however, the film is more about the build-up - the music, the alcohol, the poetry and flirtation and shabby decadence and the development of ideas that would shape the Beats for years to come. It's funny and intoxicating but has its sudden dark, heartbreaking moments, the soundtrack is wonderful, and both Daniel Radcliffe (Ginsberg) and Dane DeHaan (Carr) are amazing. Ben Foster is particularly impressive as Burroughs too. I'm sure Beat experts can find plenty wrong with it - as always happens when real events are translated onto the screen - but it's one of my favourite movies of the year so far. (watch the trailer) ~ What I'm Reading ~ Aside from a brief return to Charles Bukowski's The Pleasures of the Damned, which I dip in and out of whenever I remember I'm reading it, I've been concentrating on Lord of the Flies. I'm not gonna lie, it's taking me a while - though I'm not sure why. It's easy enough to read, and the dark undertones are building nicely - it's maybe just getting a bit... repetitive? I'm not getting enough of life on the island and how the mindsets of the boys are shifting - it's all a bit "and then we traipsed around the beach a bit again and OH BY THE WAY SOME OF US MAY BE GOING MAD". No real insight into why, or how - it just is. I mean, I understand, I just think it would have been more effective to have explored that descent a little more deeply instead of just having another scene of small children eating fruit or playing in the water. Yeah, give it about fifty pages love. Hopefully I'll finish it early this week, I've got so many I want to read this month! Upcoming books may or may not include Pride and Prejudice, Austenland, The Great Gatsby and hopefully some of the non-fiction I've got checked out of the library at the moment. Stay tuned! ME, MYSELF AND I I'm Ellie, and I live with my family in a village smack bang in the middle of England (though we're definitely Northerners in spirit). Until the end of 2013 my mum and I ran a little second-hand bookshop in a quaint tourist town. I have three cats - Millie, Domino and Leo - and I love gerbera daisies, Milkybar buttons, The Mighty Boosh and online jigsaw puzzles. And books, obviously...

Share April 22, 1998's comic on: Transcript Dilbert goes up to the airline desk at the airport. Woman behind the counter says, "Before I check you in, let me explain something.." Woman says, "You're here for a technology conference. I am the only attractive woman who will talk to you for days. I am not free for coffee later." Dilbert asks, "Can I brush your hand when you give me the key?" Woman says, "I'll toss it to you." Transcript Alice says, "His brain shut down from information overload, so I asked a libertarian taxidermist to stuff him." Alice says, "There's a hand hole in the back so we can work him like a puppet." Dilbert says, "It's sort of creepy." Alice says, "You'll get used to it." Transcript Man says, "The engineering department is finishing all of their projects early and we don't know why." CEO says, "Tell them to do a powerpoint presentation at the next executive retreat to share their methods." Asok says, "Now it's my turn to use the dead boss hand puppet!" Alice says, "Uh-oh." Share April 08, 2011's comic on: Transcript Police says, "We have a report of a pointy-haired boss being stunned by data overload, stuffed, and used as a hand puppet." Alice says, "That's ridiculous. It sounds like the plot of a poorly written story arc." Police says, "It sounds poorly drawn too." Alice says, "Case closed, right?" Share August 10, 2011's comic on: Transcript Alice: I'm judging the quality of your business case by your bad haircut and your poor font choice. I plan to use a quart of hand sanitizer when I'm done touching your document. Man: I value substance over style. Alice: How's that working out? Share September 29, 2011's comic on: Transcript Coworker: I put the data on a Flash drive for you. Dilbert: Get that thing away from me. I don't know where it's been. Coworker: I hope you mean the Flash drive and not my hand. Dilbert: I did. But you raise a good point about the hand. Share December 27, 1989's comic on: Transcript Dilbert holds a can of furniture polish and a polishing cloth. Dogbert says, "Doing a little cleaning? Let me give you a hand . . ." Dogbert looks at his paws and says, "Wait . . . I can't lend a hand; all I have are these little paws." Dilbert says, "You'd make a good lawyer." Dogbert says as he walks away, "Charming . . . I offer to help and he insults me."

Jackson Trapp Scout Grade Scouting Report ESPN AnalystUpdated 06/19/2012 Strengths: Jackson has all the traits you look for in a winner, IQ, toughness, and Instinct. He has a very good understanding of how to play more importantly how to win. Offensively he is deceptively quick and can hurt you in a variety of ways with the use of ball ... for full access to RecruitingNation become an Insider

Chlorinated water coming late March The city council decided on January 25 to treat water supplies across the city with chlorine until bore head remediations were completed.Brooke Jenner Chlorination of the city's water supplies will start March 26 in Brooklands, Kainga and Heathcote Valley areas before spreading across the city. In December, the Drinking Water Assessor advised the Christchurch City Council water supplies were no longer secure due to the degradation of below ground well heads. City services general manager David Adamson said minimal doses of chlorine would be added while two thirds of the city's well heads were replaced or repaired. He said although we have very good groundwater "of excellent quality," public health has got to be paramount. He said residents would not notice a difference in taste once chlorine was added to drinking water. "We are going to be using very low dosages [of chlorine], so we are hoping people will notice absolutely nothing different in their water". He advised residents with fishtanks to "fill up drums of water and let them sit for 24 hours as the UV in the sun evaporates the chlorine". Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Dr Alistair Humphrey said: "While we like the taste of our untreated water, it is important that we keep the water safe." "The vast majority [of residents] would rather have a safer water supply than a water supply that might put them or their families at risk." Dr Humphrey believed the Council had "come to the right decision to keep the water safe until such time as the engineers can sign off those bore heads, which we estimate should be around about October". David Adamson said chlorination would continue until the well heads are secure.

After discovering many exoplanet candidates in the past, scientists couldn’t just stay still. Hence, they have discussed the future of exoplanet discovery and breakthrough. The classification methods of identifying exoplanets were given as well. According to Space, thousands of exoplanet candidates were discovered by the Kepler Space Telescope. It was then discussed that a common classification of exoplanet lies between "rocky" planets and "gas" planets. In which could be seen in distinguishing rocky planets such as Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars compared from the rest. Other exoplanets classifications were identified to be its position relative to Earth and position relative to the asteroid belt. Yet, the most famous exoplanet classification attempt was the site Star Trek. Examples in the list include whether the exoplanet is terrestrial, marginally habitable, gas giant, toxic atmosphere or is habitable. The Planetary Habitability Laboratory (PHL) shared their own method of classifying exoplanets as well. Their method was said to be based on mass which is a metric that could be observed by using such instruments such as the HARPS (High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher) spectrograph. Stern and Levison were identified to be the ones to suggest that any classification method should be physically based like on characteristics or on quantity. The first classification of exoplanets by the PHL was called Minor planets, moons and comets which branch out as exoplanets less than 0.00001 Earth masses are equal to an asteroid while 0.00001 to 0.1 Earth masses stands for mercurian. Other classifications by PHL were based on Terrestrial planets (rocky composition) and Gas giant planets. Furthermore, Phys Org also mentioned Mercedes López-Morales from the Harvard Center for Astrophysics then discussed that scientists are now looking into the future of looking for oxygen inhabitable exoplanets. López-Morales then explained that the next generation Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will indeed aid scientists to find oxygen and other habitable zones on other planets. The group’s Breakthrough Starshot initiative was described to launch a fleet of very small spacecraft at a close to light speed in order to study an exoplanet as close as possible. NASA engineer Ruslan Belikov also shared that Starshot's point of view will have its onboard cameras pick up images of exoplanets amid the craft’s possible speed identified to be 90 percent the speed of light.

Monday, March 31, 2008 So, the RCMP has been cleared of accusations of having played politics in the 2006 election by announcing their investigation into a spike in trading of income trusts prior to then-finance minister Ralph Goodale’s announcement that there would be no change to the taxation of income trusts. As many have rightly said, the RCMP would have faced perhaps worse criticism if they had hidden their investigation until after the election. Police can't be conducting secret investigations in a democracy. Like most people, you would feel deceived. You would feel that party had put themselves first, not you, not the issues they campaigned on, and not the national interest, but their interest. Narrow partisanship run amuck. The Liberal Party is doing all that and proudly boasting that it’s their “strategy.” For Stephane Dion, ordering MPs to collect $155,000 a year to skip out on votes, or vote with Stephen Harper so he can extend the war in Afghanistan for at least another three years, gut the public purse, continue to ignore the environment, effectively pull Canada out of Kyoto, and reverse a Liberal initiative to give tax credits for education is a “strategy.” But of course, their “strategy” is a trap: Their only goal is to win an election, but they know they can’t. So they let Harper get what he wants to avoid triggering that election. But stripped of the thin veneer of principles, their power-lust alienates progressive voters to the NDP. Meaning even less appetite for an election. Repeat. People who voted Liberal in 2006 don't need Dion and his "strategies" -- they need something to believe in again. That something is Jack Layton and the NDP. Thursday, March 27, 2008 Liberals who once fretted over the prospect of a Harper majority government are singularly responsible for giving him one, the Ottawa Citizen reports today: "The Official Opposition supported the government on extending the Canadian mission in Afghanistan, motions on its centrepiece crime bill, and on other parliamentary arcana, such as a bill regarding the settlement of international investment disputes … The voting records support the growing contention that the Liberals are not truly functioning as an official Opposition as they seek to avoid running an election behind struggling leader Stéphane Dion.” In the election, Liberals claimed they were dead set against Harper’s “neo-conservative agenda.” They begged Canadians to “choose the Canada you want.” And just in case Canadians were considering choosing the NDP’s Canada, instead of the scandal-ridden and promise-breaking Grits, Liberals stooped to allege in a press release (now no longer on the Liberals' site, of course) that Jack Layton had no principles: “We have to wonder what his real principles are. He would rather risk Stephen Harper's success than be faithful to his own party's principles. But even more than that, Mr. Layton has repeatedly pledged to work with a Stephen Harper government. You're either for progressive social and economic policies, or you’re not. Contrary to what Jack Layton apparently believes, you can not have it both ways.” Oh, the irony. The Citizen article trashes that Liberal talking point: It turns out that when Stephen Harper has needed an ally, he's turned to the Dion Liberals more than anyone else. Liberal MPs are the ones to have broken with their party’s principles and repeatedly worked with a Stephen Harper government -- voting more than 60 percent of the time to support the Conservatives, while the New Democrats voted with the government only 26 percent of the time. The people who voted Liberal in January 2006 were sold a parcel of goods – and they deserve better. They deserve a party that stands for what it believes in, not what party elites think is better for an election they are scared of triggering. Wednesday, March 26, 2008 Back from a 15 month hiatus, the War of Liberal Succession appears to have started afresh, following the Grits’ lacklustre by-election finishes in western Canada. (Oh come on, you knew it had never ended). When they were in government, Liberals could engage in their perpetual West Side Story routine with imperceptible effect on their robust agenda, yet now that they are in opposition, each knife twist and big Broadway number deals them out of the picture entirely, so that only the NDP is left to oppose Harper and call for his defeat. Monday, March 24, 2008 Brenda Martin was waiting anxiously in a Mexican prison while the MP then handling her file mingled with Canadian expatriates at a private reception nearby in Guadalajara, The Canadian Press has learned.Conservative MP Helena Guergis rubbed elbows in late January with Canadians as they nibbled on hors d'oeuvres, say sources who attended the social function. In fact, the gulf between the headline and the story widen with lines like: “Despite the polls, Mr. Layton enjoys solid and widespread support within the party and his caucus.” Doesn’t sound very crumbly. How about this one: “Lesser known, however, is his commitment to consulting every corner of the party's grassroots. From provincial leaders, to candidates, to political leaders on campus, Mr. Layton spends virtually every free moment canvassing NDP supporters. Further, he scolds his Ottawa staff if they have not shown similar zeal.” Nope. That looks like a tight ship. But what about the critique from Allan Blakeney? What Mr. Blakeney says more advice than crumbling, and any part of it that could be otherwise contorted is tempered by: Oh, and there’s also a factual hiccup of saying poll numbers for the NDP are “consistently lower than the 17.5-per-cent support in 2006 in the last federal election” when the most recent Angus Reid poll says 18 and the last Nanos poll said 19. SIGH. Connoisseurs of the perennial “the NDP is doomed” story will be disappointed to recognize this as a particularly weak impostor. Seems you can’t judge a story by its headline. Thursday, March 20, 2008 This week, Jack Layton met with the National Post’s editorial board about his recent meetings in with leaders in Washington DC. Now that’s a tough room. But Jack did incredibly well. (The audio of Layton’s answers – though strangely not the questions - is here.) His answers are confident, rational, and clearly show an experienced leader who’s thought about the issues and knows what he stands for. Among the topics they covered in 18 edited minutes: the need to stand up to entrenched interests so NAFTA can have some hope of benefiting ordinary people; why Harper should stop the sale of Canada’s satellite technology to protect Canada’s sovereignty; the constructive leadership Canada could be offering at the UN to achieve a sea-change in Afghanistan; and when it’s thrown at him, he also bats Dion’s favourite myth out of the park. And to move seamlessly from the substantive to the aesthetic, Jack’s new glasses are also a nice touch. Perhaps Liberals FEEL that it's true, just because after ignoring it for so long, they are super-sensitive to any attack on their atrophied left. Or maybe because Jack Layton's attacks on their failures on poverty, tuition, child care and the environment echo precisely what their conscience tells them about 13 years of implementing the Reform/Canadian Alliance/Conservative agenda. But hurt feelings and a nagging subconscious aren't evidence. They are, well, personal. And may be the kind of thing Liberals should be talking to these people about. And hey, while you're at it, it might be a good time to bring up that victim complex too. Tuesday, March 18, 2008 In explaining the Emersonian ethics behind his finking to the Liberals, Bob Rae has famously said that he has changed, while the NDP has not. For most who have seen the party embrace balanced budgets and abandon old polemics, this explanation seems far too convenient. Then along comes New-MP-Bob to tell us he doesn’t care if Liberal abstentions are helping Harper’s agenda, he doesn’t want Canadians anywhere near a polling booth until the Liberal Party is assured of victory. Rae on the Newman show today: “[Mr Dion has to] weigh these things carefully and choose the moment where you think you've the best chance of forming the alternative government because that's really what it's all about. We don't -- there aren't too many opportunities that come around to do this, and this is a very important moment for Canada as to what kind of a government we are going to have and so the leader has to exercise his discretion in saying, ‘I don't think this is the right moment so we are going to have to take whatever measures have to be done; swallow a little bit of this or that and get on with it.' The big issue is not what -- what goes on in the House of Commons is important. It's -- I’m not saying it's not important. But how is the election going to go?” In short, Rae’s saying Canadians let us down last time, so we’re prepared to let them swallow the Harper agenda for a while, ‘till we figure out how to get back into 24 Sussex. And that’s the way it’s gunna be. How about that? It turns out Rae really has changed. He’s become way more superior, self-serving and manipulative. Just what Canadians are crying out for. Across the country this morning pundits and political junkies are reading the tea leaves of last night’s by-elections trying to conjure trends, or at least figure out why the Elections Canada results page refreshes every 90 seconds. So here’s a tip. The only number worth knowing is 97. Just over two years ago, the Paul Martin Liberals salvaged 103 seats from the rebuke Canadians gave them. And today, they have only 97 remaining. As the result of four floor crossings and stunning by-election loses in Outremont and Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River, the Liberal team is even lighter now than they were in 2006. So here’s a puzzle: To elect Dion Prime Minister, Liberals will need to keep every seat they have (not a small challenge, evidently), and pick up at least 60 more. How? Consider this: There have been nine by-elections since 2006. Of the six held in Liberal ridings, two now belong to other parties and another was very nearly lost in Vancouver Quadra last night. In the remaining three Bloc-held seats, the Liberals were humiliated, coming 3rd in Roberval and fourth in two others, behind the NDP. So, what does that say? It says that in Quebec, Liberals can’t win new seats, or keep the ones they have in Montreal. It says they can’t keep seats they have in rural Canada, and that they can barely hold onto urban Vancouver seats they won in 2006. And growth? Well, that will come in GTA seats they already hold, based wholely on the occasional star power of their candidates. It doesn’t take a Carville-esque strategic mind to figure out that losing seats you hold and failing to grow makes it tough for your leader to begin a sentence with “a Liberal government will . . .” without being greeted by polite eye-rolling and muffled guffaws. Monday, March 17, 2008 We are talking about four by-elections in incumbent Liberal seats – seats Liberals won with votes in some cases near or over 50 percent only 26 months ago. Liberals are virtually assured of winning all four of these seats. Trying to make a big deal out of them now is like rooting for the hero of a movie you just saw last night. It is at best insincere, and at worst delusional. The NDP candidates in all four are truly amazing people. El Farouk Khaki, an accomplished human rights lawyer. Brian Morin, a municipal leader and respected aboriginal activist. Rini Ghosh and Rebecca Coad are both the kind of young women with impressive backgrounds in student politics you would want to have as your MP. But in the end, Liberals can’t be expected to lose four Liberal seats. And for this same reason, it’s implausible to call keeping seats you won "momentum." When it comes to by-elections, not losing is not the same as winning. Keeping a seat you’ve held for 2 years or 26 years is not the same as picking up in new territory. One elicits elation, the other relief. But relief is what Liberals are desperate for. After months and months of keeping the right-wing Stephen Harper government alive, on the war, on his budget and on his environmental neglect, not loosing has become Dion's surrogate for winning. All three are things Liberal MPs said they were dead against. And all three are things a Harper minority government could never have accomplished without help from the Liberals. Yet through their irresponsible abstentions, and now their disgraceful flip-flop on ending the war, Liberals have given Harper his hat-trick. They have handed him more than Conservatives dared to dream possible 26 months ago. The Liberal caucus has proven more useful in impliamenting Harper's agenda than any backbench Conservative. Through two elections and their recent leadership race, Liberals have tried to convince voters they share the principles and strength of the NDP – yet they've proven so much the opposite. That Harper’s agenda has been so victorious tonight is a shameful consequence of a party that has been allowed to fake values and integrity its leadership simply doesn’t possess. Wednesday, March 12, 2008 Embarrassed by their crêpe paper opposition to Harper and blistered from the heat coming off the phones and blogs - and even from Dion’s “friends” - Liberals are desperately spinning the four St. Patrick’s Day by-elections into a story about their rocketing momentum. More positively, Liberals have convinced themselves they will gain momentum and a stronger team next month by winning by-elections in four seats they previously held in Toronto, Saskatchewan and Vancouver. Allegedly "up for grabs” are four seats the Liberals won in 2006; with over 50% of the vote in 3 of them. Four seats where the Liberal MP chose to resign rather than run with Stephane Dion. Four seats where the Liberal Party has had the advantage of organizing in an incumbent riding for between 2 to 24 years. Keeping these four seats in the Liberal column is not momentum. If it were, then the hot shot who’s down $40,000 at one point, yet leaves the casino having broken even would be on a roll! But since we are talking about it, how precisely do the 24 Liberal MPs who have left their party or announced their intent to leave register in the calculation of alleged Liberal momentum? In doing so, Liberals stripped 5,861,776 Canadians of their democratic right to be represented in the House of Commons. Nearly 6 million registered voters in 83 ridings had no say at all last night on whether the Conservative government’s agenda continues or ends. If you live in PEI, or Yukon, or Nunavut you had no say. If you live in Scarborough, Brampton, Mississauga or Sudbury, you had no say. If you live in Cape Breton, Moncton, or Labrador, you had no say. If you live in North Vancouver or West Vancouver, you had no say. In fact, it’s a good bet that if you have a Liberal MP you had no say at all on the Harper agenda last night. All because Liberals are more fearful of voters than they are of Stephen Harper’s agenda. The irony is there was a time, not long ago, when many of these same Liberal MPs were anguished because, they argued, as government backbenchers they lacked the tools and independence to represent their constituents. Remember the "democratic deficit"? Yet today, in opposition, Liberal MPs are even less capable of fulfilling the most rudimentary functions of representative democracy than they were when they were complaining about having no voice under Jean Chrétien. Monday, March 10, 2008 All of Ottawa appears to have "leak-fever." Last week it was Conservative leaks. This week, it's new revelations about old Liberal leaks. Everyone remembers where they were when they heard that the RCMP was investigating the Liberal Government during the 2005 election. The sudden spike in trading that preceded then-finance minister Ralph Goodale’s announcement that there would be no change to the taxation of income trusts led market watchers to speculate on a leak from inside. But Goodale flatly denied that his department bungled the hasty pre-election press conference. “There was no leak,” he implored. And Goodale appeared to have been partially vindicated when a Finance department official was charged, not for leaking, but for allegedly using the information to enrich himself. The Globe and Mail's revelation puts the whole scandal back on the table. A prospect Liberals may perversely welcome -- as being forced to answer for their past indiscretions at least spares them from having to explain why they are hell-bent on helping Harper today. Friday, March 7, 2008 Today, Jack Layton is setting up a clinic on how an opposition party is supposed to behave -- with a real confidence motion linked to a real issue: the environment. Layton’s motion is to resurrect C-30, the Clean Air and Climate Change Act and have MPs finally vote to enact the bill which was re-written in an all-party committee. If the government refuses, Layton is saying the NDP are ready to go to an election over it. The motion is designed to get the support of all parties, including the Liberals. “Mr. Speaker, on the issue of Afghanistan, the Prime Minister has shown a new openness, which we would like to see extended to other issues, such as climate change, one of the worst threats to humankind. The government killed the clean air bill, Bill C-30, a comprehensive plan to combat climate change. Could the Prime Minister not resurrect this plan and hold a debate in this House on the basis of this bill, to prove that his new openness will not be limited to the issue of Afghanistan?” As a recent government report shows, the threat of climate change has never been more real or more serious and the need to get on the right track never more urgent. "They’ll introduce a motion condemning the NDP and Bloc Quebecois for defeating the previous Grit government in November 2005, thereby enabling Stephen Harper’s Tories to win power." That’s right, instead of taking Harper on squarely – something people would expect from the Liberal MPs they elected - the Liberals have chosen to give Conservaitves yet another free ride so they can re-fight losing battles from two years ago. And in doing so, they have ill-advisedly issued a gold embossed invitation to take a trip back to the happy days of Gomery, and contracts let without work, and Liberal staff getting paid by companies that got Sponsorship funds. (Had you already forgotten?) By contrast, the opposition NDP has put forward five confidence motions attacking the Conservatives’ mismanagement of poverty, women’s equality, the environment and the economy. Instead of offering help for people hurt by the Harper agenda, with their motion, Liberals are only offering more satire – akin to their musical chairs abstention routine. Just like a 12:45am Saturday Night Live skit, the Liberal strategy is weak, badly thought out, poorly acted, and kinda makes you want to see what else is on. UPDATE: Liberal bloggers have four words for the Liberal MPs who are using their parliamentary perches to refight the 2006 election: GETOVERITALREADY. Tuesday, March 4, 2008 Does anyone else detect a woeful insincerity to Dion ‘n the Gang’s hyper-inflated rants on the Cadman-file? Recall that these are the same people who just last night suffered upon themselves the humiliating indignity of ordering only seven of their own MPs in the House to vote for their budget amendment out of the fear – God forbid - that the NDP and Bloc might vote with them and end the Harper government. It’s like the high schooler raging against his parents “I hate you both and this #@*^ house and these #@*^ clothes you make me wear … I don’t want to live here anymore!” only to retire to the basement for Wii and microwave pizzas. Is there something to the Cadman allegations? Maybe. Is the party that has done more than any other to implement Harper’s agenda at all credible as its critic, particularly as they contort themselves daily to keep from having to meet Canadians in an election? Hardly. Sunday, March 2, 2008 "Whether it makes sense to have a $350-million election at a time when we are facing economic uncertainty and are teetering on the abyss of a deficit, whether it would make sense to have a $350-million election that the polls indicate really won’t have a big effect on the political landscape, is an important (question)." Depending on which part of the country you live in, you should have by now received a leaflet from Stephane Dion informing you that Liberal MPs "have been working tirelessly to provide Canadians with a strong and principled alternative to Stephen Harper's ultra-right wing Conservative government." Liberals want you to know that they are violently opposed to "Harper's ultra-right wing Conservative government" -- but if it comes right down to it, yeah, no, it's not worth the equivalent of $15 a voter to replace Harper. It's better to have Harper extend a $5 billion war in Afghanistan (with the help of "strong and principled" Liberals) and blow $50 billion on corporate tax cuts instead of child care (with the help of "strong and principled" Liberals) than to spend money on something as frivolous as an election. And Liberals call themselves an alternative? Really? When it comes to producing fiction, the Dion Liberals are now more prolific than Stephen King.

Santa Cruz, Tenerife’s Capital: where to Go & what to See Tenerife was an extremely popular destination in the 80’s and is still very well-known today. However, statistically, in the last few years, Tenerife has not had as many visits as one may think. An island with exotic parks and chic restaurants, quirky and sleek architecture and very interesting museums and galleries — you would think of it as an ideal tourist destination! Moreover, it’s soon Carnival time in Tenerife. This is the second largest Carnival in the world (first is Rio de Janeiro of course) and the most famous carnival in Spain. At Carnival Santa Cruz de Tenerife, hundreds of groups get dressed to impress and parade themselves in tune to fantastically loud and lively music bands. And not only professionals join in, for thousands of people go each day to the streets to participate, most of whom wear a disguise in accordance with Carnival tradition. It has been informed that the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife aspires to be recognized as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Meanwhile it is in process of validation, we recommend you come and see it and experience it for yourself!More about the Carnival, dates, schedule and programme Considered the most important city within the Canary Islands and a common destination where cruise passengers are known to fill up the city’s streets. Here are a few facts for those who have yet to visit Santa Cruz, in the sub-tropic island of Tenerife: History and facts about Santa Cruz de Tenerife The area on which now stands the city and the municipality of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has been the subject of human occupation since the time of the Guanches, approximately 2000 years ago, as attested by the archaeological sites found.This former fishermen’s village rose to prominence after a Volcano destroyed the port of Garachico in the 18th century. Santa Cruz became the major port on the Island. The port is of great importance and is the communications hub between Europe, Africa and Americas, with cruise ships arriving from many nations. The city is the focus for domestic and inter-island communications in the Canary Islands. The city is home to the Parliament of the Canary Islands, the Canarian Ministry of the Presidency (shared on a four-year cycle with Las Palmas), one half of the Ministries and Boards of the Canarian Government, (the other half being located in Gran Canaria), the Tenerife Provincial Courts and two courts of the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands. “Famous battles were fought at Santa Cruz. Admiral Robert Blake destroyed the Spanish treasure fleet here in 1657, more or less ending Spain’s military ambitions in Europe. Interestingly, locals claim that Blake was defeated because he didn’t actually invade. Admiral Nelson was famously defeated at Santa Cruz in 1797, losing his right arm in the process. The culprit cannon, el Tigre, can still be seen at the Castillo de San Cristobal underneath Plaza de España.” What to Do & See – Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre (Museum of Nature and Man) is a museum of archeology and biology resources. – Tenerife Espacio de las Artes(Tenerife Space of Arts – TEA) is a building designed by the Swiss firm of architects Herzog & de Meuron and directed by the Canary architect Virgilio Gutierrez Herreros. –Centro Internacional de Ferias y Congresos de Tenerife (Tenerife International Centre for Trade Fairs and Congresses) is a complex designed by architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava as a multipurpose building that can host major fairs, exhibitions and conferences that take place on the island of Tenerife. – Torres de Santa Cruz (Towers of Santa Cruz) are twin towers finished in 2006 are the highest skyscrapers of the city and the Canary Islands. – Auditorio de Tenerife (Auditorium of Tenerife) – Designed by Santiago Calatrava, the Auditorium of Tenerife was constructed in 2003. The building has an organic and famous structure in the shape of ‘sails’ with white blue rollers. – Parque García Sanabria is a public urban park in the heart of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, it was inaugurated in 1926. It is a large garden area, combined with fountains and architectural groups. – Playa de Las Teresitas is a beach in the village of San Andrés municipality of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It is one of the most important beaches of the Tenerife and the Canary Islands. Colonial Architecture As not one of the prettiest cities of Spain, Santa Cruz makes up for it in parks and plazas. Thanks to it’s warm (and perfect) climate and mostly sunny, outdoor activities are a great way to spend some holiday time. A stroll through the streets of the city show a interesting mix of architectural styles. From cottages to sky scrapers, churches (like Iglesia de la Concepción in the Noria district) to mansions and palaces like Plaza Weyler and La Rambla. Talking about outdoorsy places to visit, a turquoise man-made lake at Plaza de España is most visitors’ introduction to the city. Plaza Weyler has gardens and fountains where to walk and enjoy a soothing afternoon. Parque García Sanabria is a wonderful place to visit if exotic foliage, amusing sculptures and wildlife, such as frogs and parrots are to your liking. Restaurants & Nightlife We suggest you visit Noria district, an area with bustling bars and chic restaurants with varieties of cuisines to choose from. It can be pricey, but some of the most interesintg restaurants are in that area. La Solana, El Libano, Victor Cruz are restaurants found in La Rambla district. Santa Cruz has not been characterized by an intense night life, in contrast to the nearby university town of La Laguna.[citation needed] Nevertheless, there are several clubs and pubs spread across the city. The best known are in the Parque Marítimo César Manrique, May 3 Avenue and back, and in La Noria street Residencial Anaga. Moreover, in the area of Industrial Mayorazgo, three new clubs have opened. There are also pubs that have survived without belonging to a particular location for leisure, as the platform, near the Bullring, which opened its doors in 1991. The downside is that good bars in Santa Cruz can be spread out and valuable mojito drinking time is lost hoofing it between them. Las Américas is the island’s cabaret capital, the metropolitan area (Santa Cruz and La Laguna) offers a more authentic taste of Tenerife’s nightlife with great bars, atmospheric clubs and a healthy live music scene. Shopping Spain is usually known for fantastic shopping and at great prices. However, the Canary Islands, Santa Cruz included, have not got the reputation for great shopping. This said, you will find mainstream Spanish shops like Zara, El Corte Inglés, between others. Also, what you are most likely to find are local wines and cheeses, gourmet food produce from the Spain and local goodies. Puerto de La Cruz Puerto de la Cruz is located in Santa Cruz province and is the most sought for area within the province. With plenty of activities and tours to do, from Water-parks (heated pools too!), Loro park (a famous zoo and park), beautiful botanical gardens, plazas (Plaza del Charco for example) with restaurants and bar to spend your eves in,… the list goes on. La Ranilla is a small fishermans village that would be curious to see and also Castillo San Felipe, a small stone castle located nearby Playa Jardín (the famous gardens that reach out to the sea shore).

04 August 2013 Commentary - Dortmund 2013 round 6 The Kramnik-Fridman game from round 6 of the Dortmund tournament is an outstanding example of high-level master chess. Some thoughts on it, in addition to the game annotations: Kramnik adopts a strategy in the English vs. Queen's Gambit Declined (QGD) setup that he is very familiar with. Although White's setup at first glance appears passive, in fact it contains significant kingside attacking prospects, once Black's early pressure in the center is dealt with. The fact that overall White has scored close to 60 percent from the inoffensive-looking position on move 8 is, I suspect, evidence that the White players who adopt this strategy simply understand the position to a much deeper level than their opponents. Tactical defense is used multiple times by Kramnik in this game to good effect, covering his weaknesses in a dynamic fashion and not tying down his pieces unnecessarily. Kramnik' sacrificial attacking idea that begins with 20. f6 is something born from deep positional understanding of the problems Black will face afterwards on the kingside. It takes Houdini a few moves down its primary path before it is able to see in its evaluation function that White has full compensation for the material. (Another good example of the pitfalls of computer analysis for the uninitiated.) The combination starting on move 29 is the highlight of the game and is worth looking at closely, especially because the initial knight sacrifice appears to come out of nowhere.

| Intuitions | I would say , this is something that is to no purpose.I mean a intact squander of time.Intution is just like mirage.Beleive you me! It is completely.Nothing , just a mirage which you felt ,that it's going to happen but the thing is ; this is never going to happen. | Anxieties | An emphasis weird feeling.This is only detaching the happiness from yourself.Nothing Else.This happens may be because you're desolate from inside.By this ,you're only suppressing your worth by your ownself.And putting yourself in purgatory. . . If you still think , befriending the anxieties & intuitions just bcz they're hitched up with you for so long rather than befriending them , there is no other option left.Than you're wrong.Stop being coward.C'mon ! Face it bcz at the end of the day , your struggling and difficult days are gonna give you the reward.So unfriend them. . #amsgformyownself 👀 Follow @shamin on @mirakeeapp #mirakee#poems#poetry#writersnetwork#quotes#quote#writersofinstagram#stories#ttt#quoteoftheday#writersofig#writersofmirakee#wordporn#writing#writer People think even me too , sometimes thinks that Death is an happy ending , perhaps , bcz it will save me from the situations in which i'm and we all are always entangled.Everyone out there is like , I wanna die , just bcz we can't face the situations or we can't endure the pain.We wanna Die , bcz of the betrayals given by the person who was once a stranger.Like Seriously , So if we've to die just bcz of being ignored by the one whom we love than ,why the hell? We're born? C'mon ! Be a Man , Face the situations !! Just remember ,one thing if you've to die bcz of so called behaviour's than your entity doesn't matter at all."Death is an happy ending"Yes ,it is! But it will not a happy ending ,if you'll die like a coward man.Your's death will be an happy ending ,when you'll unfurl happiness,like being a happiness itself. Follow @shamin on @mirakeeapp #mirakee#poems#poetry#writersnetwork#quotes#quote#writersofinstagram#stories#ttt#quoteoftheday#writersofig#writersofmirakee#wordporn#writing#writer Today , I saw an accident , infront of my eye's , ahh , I just can't tell , Thanks to Allah that the girl who got badly injured was alive , This was so so painful , at that time I wasn't sure about the pain that I was feeling that whether it was for the girl or for the humans who're turned into an animals. . I have a request to all of you people especially the young generation boys , you guys in your showing , in your fun , you guy's literally behave like a blind man , plz think about other's too.What if some dies because of you ? If you feel than plz feel , this is so hurtful !!!! Follow @shamin on @mirakeeapp #mirakee#poems#poetry#writersnetwork#quotes#quote#writersofinstagram#stories#ttt#quoteoftheday#writersofig#writersofmirakee#wordporn#writing#writer

Search form Nov 2016 Blog Train - Final List *****************************************************************************Only post in this thread if you are posting a link to your part for the blog train.*** ************************************************************************** If you'd like to leave comments, questions, thanks, etc, please do so in this post. Please post the following in this thread: Preview Image Link to your blog or direct link to the freebie if you don't have a blog. Your part of the blog train does not need to be live until November 1. Please note that if you are having problems with one of the links, please contact that designer directly. I have no control over their portions. Remember to be polite because they've worked hard to make something wonderful, for free. :) Also, if you're claiming a spot for later, when you're ready to post your part, please post it at the end of the list so people can find it easily. I'll delete your reserve comment. These will be available on Nov 1. on my FB page. [MOD EDIT: Several people have complained they don't use Facebook. If you don't have Facebook, that's fine--you can still see the previews in the middle column and click on the link to the download in the writing with the previews. If you get the silly pop-up covering your screen, just click the "not now" link and it'll slide back down. -HW] *** My website is broken. I have no idea what's wrong with it. The hosting company is supposed to be getting back to me. In the meantime, please visit http://brandiwhitedesign.blogspot.com to grab this! Thanks!

Mirraco @ Jax Bicycle Center Mirraco riders Chris Hughes and Lennie Westfall stopped by Jax Bicycle Center in Yorba Linda, California this past weekend to shred with the locals and give away a bunch of stuff. Check out what went down!

Dedicated BMX only shop based in Southampton in the sunny South of England! Sunday, December 09, 2007 Mutiny Z-Roll Footage After watching Mutiny's new video 'Stoked on being pumped' I think it lived up, or even out-did my expectations. Well to better themselves even more, they've released some extra 'Z-Roll' footage, which again has some pretty sick riding in it. So click this and watch some sick riding and editing. Also, Lotek have made there website annoyingly 'christmasy', and as if it wasn't annoying enough... And finally, Slosh got an 08 New Deal and some new Macneil Blazer forks which have some sweet cut outs in them. It's looking clean!

Other prices Airport transfer price calculator in districts of Budapest You can calculate your airport transfer price from Airport, or to Airport. PickUp point Arrival point Vehicle type (max. 4 persons) PickUp point Arrival point Vehicle type (max. 4 persons) Airport meeting point: Because of the strict airport parking rules, we will be waiting for all our passengers with name board. For this service we will have to charge you 4 EUR, and plus Airport parking cost: 4 EUR. Thank you for your understanding. The prices indicated on the map are one way trip prices including VAT. The prices are regarding trips from Budapest to Liszt Ferenc International Airport or the other way around, single trip for maximum 4 passengers. Our cars only transport you and your company. If you desire to set several pickup locations for your passengers, please ask us about related prices. If you would like an airport pick up, please define the flight number so we can track your flight for delays or earlier arrival times. Please turn your cell phone on after claiming your luggage so we can contact you. Please provide passenger and luggage information when placing an order with us. Please notify us if you wish to use a credit or debit card in advance. Some prices of pre-calculated routes with car Airport transfer prices in outside of Budapest Start Finish Price / Car Liszt Ferenc International Airport Szeged 110 € Liszt Ferenc International Airport Békéscsaba 130 € Liszt Ferenc International Airport Debrecen 145 € Liszt Ferenc International Airport Sopron 160 € Budapest International Airport Wien 170 € *Our prices are included all the Hungarian motorway charges. Waiting fees: Our drivers arrive to the pickup address earlier and will wait for you for ten minutes after the pickup time free of charge. If your delay is exceeds ten minutes, you will be charged 500 HUF for every began 10 minutes , therefore please double check your belongings not to leave any important items behind. In case of an airport pickup planes might be in a delay, but you need not to worry we track your flight and will be there on time, even in case of a long several hour delay. We only charge a waiting fee if you don’t request our car within 30 minutes upon actual landing, in this case we charge 500 HUF for every began ten minutes of waiting. When arriving to or starting from the actual terminal, we have a five minute window according to airport regulations, above that we will have to charge you the extra parking fee we are charged upon exceeding five minutes. Therefore upon airport pickup we kindly ask you to notify our driver of the pickup when you are actually ready with your luggage and your car will arrive within 3 minutes. The rush hours period in Budapest: 7am - 10am, and 4pm - 6pm. The traveling time of this period is more. Budapest districts explained A useful guide to Budapest districts There are 23 different districts which are divided on both sides of the Danube river. The more central downtown districts are numbered V,VI,VII and parts of districts VIII, IX, and XIII on pest side, and parts of districts I, II, and III on the Buda side of the river. You can know which districts is an apartment located at by the two middle digits in its zip code, for example – if the zip code of a certain address is 1051, then the apartment is located in the 5th district.

With the signing of a global partnership agreement on March 30th, WWF and Rabobank have joined forces to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable economy – one within the bounds of the planet's ecological limits. A more sustainable finance sector As part of the partnership, Rabobank and WWF will show how the financial sector can be transformed, and prompt businesses to invest in more sustainable business practices. The partnership is specifically aimed at the international food and agribusiness sectors, with goals of increasing production efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions and water consumption. WWF and Rabobank will set up projects that will demonstrate that sustainable enterprise genuinely produces added economic value for both the environment and local populations, and for companies and financiers active within food and agricultural chains in sectors such as sugarcane, cacao and fisheries. In addition, both partners aim to raise awareness among consumers about how they can contribute to a green economy by opting for sustainable financial products and services. Striving for sustainability Rabobank Executive Board Chairman Piet Moerland: "The WWF and Rabobank both strive to achieve a sustainable environment. We have already demonstrated this shared commitment through our joint participation in the Dutch Greentech Fund, through which we make equity investments in green innovative companies, and via the sounding board role the WWF performed in relation to the formulation of Rabobank’s Food & Agribusiness principles." "This partnership between a financial institution and an NGO, with the aim of setting an example for other participants in the production chain with respect to the concrete effects of sustainable enterprise in practice, is unique." Johan van de Gronden, Director of the WWF in the Netherlands: "Protecting nature reserves is today inextricably linked to human behaviour. Our choices as consumers determine the chances of survival of threatened ecosystems, which are in turn crucial for life on earth." "Nature conservation consequently only works by establishing that connection and by ensuring the sustainability of the entire chain from raw material to plate. This is why having a partner such as Rabobank is invaluable for WWF."

Spring Deanery Tour highlights work of Priests for Life and Lectio Divina By Paula Glover Special to the Register TORRINGTON - Women throughout Wyoming heard a pro-life message and learned a way of deepening their faith called Lectio Divina during the annual Spring Deanery Tour that spanned the diocese. The tour for the Wyoming Council of Catholic Women ended on March 23 with nearly 200 women meeting at the St. Rose of Lima Church in Torrington. The tour featured Bishop David Ricken and Father Frank Pavone, founder of Priests for Life. Along the way, priests also had a chance to meet with Father Pavone for training on how to be more active in pro-life issues. The women also learned about a new opportunity to serve in a pro-life cause, through Gabriel's Closet, a Priests for Life program to counsel and provide layette items for unwed mothers. (See related column on page 19.) "We are all called to do something about the tragedy of abortion," Pavone told the women. "This is the largest single act of violence and the largest group of victims, with an abortion being performed every 20 seconds. "We are winning and people are coming from pro-abortion to pro-life; they are not going the other way," he told the women. In a call to action, he said that while praying for an end to abortion is good, "prayer is not an alternative to action." He said when we pray the Our Father and say "thy will be done," we need to realize that part of God's will is that it will be done through individuals. He said as one prays about an end to abortion, prayer should include the victims, mothers who get abortions because they feel no freedom or choice, for fathers, those who have had abortions, for judges and politicians, and for the medical community "hijacked by the pro-choice community and using hard-earned medical skills to end life, rather than support life." He said people should pray that lawmakers recognize their responsibility to write legitimate laws based on the authentic validity of God's laws; that priests preach the sanctity of life "to be pastoral and clear in their preaching, not to hold back on truth, that nothingget in the way of preaching the word of God. He also suggested that an end to abortion be brought up in any prayer context, whether it is small groups, Holy Hours or during rosaries. "When we are done in prayer, we should not feel rested, we should feel restless, not that we have done our duty, but that we have been given our duty," Pavone said. Pavone was ordained a priest in 1988 by Cardinal John O'Connor, and by 1993 he received permission to become the national director for Priests for Life. Pavone told the story of his involvement in bringing Norma McCorvey - the "Jane Roe" of Roe v. Wade - into the Catholic Church. He said the story of how McCorvey changed from an unwitting tool for the pro-abortionists to Christianity through the love and acceptance shown to her by pro-life activists indicates how Christian love can change lives. "There is a difference between thinking what a person does is evil and that the person is evil," he said. "The dignity of a person doesn't depend on their size, dependency, or how they look; it also doesn't depend on whether they have the wrong ideas." Pavone frequently appears on EWTN and has addressed the House of Representatives Pro-Life Lobby, along with speaking to priests in India at the invitation of Mother Teresa. He speaks at schools, connects with people through the Internet, and provided a wealth of written material and tapes for those at the meeting. Through his examples of bringing prayer to abortionists, he told the group that abortionists participate in abortion because they lack a respect for their own lives. "The only way many will come to a pro-life position is when they recognize the dignity of their own lives," he said. He works with a group of former abortion providers, called The Prodigal Project, who are now reaching out to abortionists, and who also are apologizing to former patients for the abortion. Lectio Divina Following Father Pavone's talk. Bishop Ricken provided an experiential seminar on Lectio Divina, a process of praying the Bible. "The Bible is the living word of God," he said. "The words will strike you and ask you to pay attention." In the Lectio, people take the time to pay attention to the words of God. There are four basic stages to Lectio Divina, lectio or reading, meditatio or meditation, oratio or prayer, and contemplatio or contemplation. In our modem world of hurry, work and distractions, he said it is important to take quiet time to focus on God. He said to handle internal distractions by "just noticing them, then let them go out; don't fight them; just let it go." Bishop Ricken said in the first stage, people should calmly and carefully read the daily verses. He recommended coordinating the private reading with the liturgical cycle of Sunday readings, saying it would increase one's understanding of the readings and homily. In the meditation phase, he suggested a method to "picture yourself as one of the people in the story. It is an incredibly powerful way of using the imagination." He also suggested writing down a scripture verse and keeping it with you, looking at it during the day. "That way, work becomes permeated with prayer and prayer is our work." In the prayer portion, Bishop Ricken said it is time to speak to God about the reading or experience in meditation. A prayer might include "help me to see if there are people I need to bring healing to," after a daily reading about healing. Then, listen. "God will speak in different ways, depending on your state of life and the ways you listen," he said. "We need to spend time with our best friend - Christ our Lord." In the contemplation session he said, "we rest with God, empowered by the Holy Spirit in a restful and peaceful way." The most important portion of the Lectio is not keeping each phase to 10 minutes, or keeping the stages in order - the most important is fidelity to the prayer. "If you get distracted, just go back to the text," he advised. "People have trouble letting God love them, just be receptive and let God love you," he said. Part of the afternoon session included a chance to try the Lectio and learn to develop an improved relationship with God. "To be ignorant of the sacred scriptures is to be ignorant of Christ," he said.

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After seeing what Ty did to decorate with Megan's modern, artistic style, Amy is anxious to see what he did for her more traditional taste. "What I was really trying to go for was a sophisticated, romantic room," Ty says. To create this feeling, one of Ty's ideas is an eye-grabbing headboard, made by framing four pieces of white latticed wood together. "It's going to pop off the wall and give it a little depth," he says. "But to give it some sexiness, I'm actually going to light this thing to get a little illumination." Ty adds the ambient light by stringing LED lights along the bottom of the headboard. "It's so pretty," Amy says. "It does look more like me. You really did find our differences."

Crossing the border with Blue Jays beat reporter Jordan Bastian. Cito clarifies comments; Game 112 lineups TORONTO — Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston wanted to clarify some comments he made Tuesday afternoon during a MLB Network SIRUIS XM radio interview with Jim Bowden. Gaston is not considering returning as Toronto’s manager after this season. According to Bowden’s Twitter page, Gaston said, “If I was pushed to stay another year I would … but if I’m asked to step aside I will.” Gaston explained his comment to reporters prior to Tuesday’s game against the Red Sox at Rogers Centre. “You should’ve heard what he said,” Gaston said of the interview. “He said, ‘It’s unacceptable for you to leave.’ So I said to him, ‘You should be my agent,’ and he said, ‘Ten percent,’ and he’ll do it. So I said to him, ‘No. You know what? I’m going to leave.’ I said, ‘If they ask me to come back, I might think about it, but I’m probably still going to leave.’ That’s the way that went.” Gaston plans on shifting into an advisory role with the Blue Jays following this season and general manager Alex Anthopoulos is currently in the midst of conducting a search for a new manager. Asked if the issue of returning or retiring was completely settled in his mind, Gaston said it was. “In my mind? Yeah, it’s pretty final for me that I’m going to leave,” Gaston said. “I’ve said it a few times that I think it’s best for the ballclub. I think they’ll get somebody in here that’s going to be here for a few years. As I told him, if I was a little bit younger, and I wanted to be around for two or three more years, which I think that would be OK, then I’d probably be kicking and screaming trying to stay here. “But, that’s not the case for me. If I do come back, it would only be for one year, so what is that going to do for anybody unless it gives them time to find who they want. But, Alex, I’m pretty sure he’s on the job looking right now. It’s OK. I’m ready to go. No problem” NOTES: SS Yunel Escobar was a late scratch with a sore right knee. … CF Vernon Wells is sidelined with a dislocated right big toe. Wells and Gaston were both optimistic that the center fielder would return to the lineup on Wednesday. Wells said the toe will be taped and noted that there is more discomfort when running than when hitting. … LHP Brett Cecil cut his left knee this week and has been pushed back until Saturday for his next start. Cecil required three stitches, according to Gaston. … LHP Brad Mills will start on Thursday and then will be sent back to Triple-A Las Vegas. The Jays will promote LHP Marc Rzepczynski from Vegas to start on Friday. … RHP Brandon Morrow is being given some extra rest after Sunday’s 137-pitch gem. Morrow’s next start will be on Aug. 17. … All of this means the upcoming rotation will be Romero (today), followed by Shaun Marcum, Mills, Rzepcznynski, Cecil, Romero, Marcum and Morrow. ————————————– UPDATE: Here is the transcript from Gaston’s interview with Bowden earlier today on the MLB Newtork Radio channel on SIRIUS XM: Bowden: “Cito, you said before the season started that you would step aside after the season, maybe stay in an advisory role, but your club is seven games over .500. This is a team that’s up and coming, it’s developing, it’s only going to get better. I think it’s unacceptable that you step aside. Will you reconsider your position?” Gaston: (laughs) “I like that. You should be my agent.” Bowden: “Well for 10 percent I’m willing to take it on. Call me after the show.” (laughs) Gaston: “Well, you know what, if I was a little bit younger I would love to stay here ’cause I can see them moving forward nd I want to be a part of it and I will be a part of it, but probably as an advisor. If I was pushed to stay here another year that’s fine, but I think they really need to get somebody in here that’s going to be around here two or three, maybe three more years and I don’t intend to stay that long one way or the other. So you know what, it’s no problem for me to step aside and as I said before if I’m asked to stay another year I might think about it, but I doubt it. I’m just going to be on the outside looking in and trying to help a little bit while I’m looking in.” Like this: Related 3 Comments I guess first point is why would anyone trust Jim Bowden. Clearly, that ******* Bowden tried to set Cito up, why is that a surprise this is the guy who took graft under the table from Latin American signings and kept Washington in the hinterlands for years. It seems as though the Best Bet Diet is very close to the Paleo diet and is just slightly less restrictive in that some select grains can be eaten on the Best Bet Diet. Then, there is the MS Recovery Diet which indicates that it is also very similar to the Paleo Diet.http://www.jeansonlineclothing.com/ Meta The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.

Watch Snowpiercer (2013) Online Set in 2031, the entire world is frozen except for those aboard the Snowpiercer. For 17 years, the world’s survivors are on a train hurtling around the globe creating their own economy and class system. Led by Curtis, a group of lower-class citizens living in squalor at the back of the train are determined to get to the front of the train and spread the wealth around. Each section of the train holds new surprises for the group who have to battle their way through. A revolution is underway. RELATED MOVIES Related Post Watch-Free.me is a movie site that import all information about films and TV series using open public API from external resources like IMDB or TheMovieDB. All streaming links will be submitted by visitors using a comment section. We never upload any files or allow movie streaming from our site. The content files usually are stored on external sites like Movshare, Divxstage, Realvid, Vodlocker any others. We do not check the links and have no influence on videos that are hidden behind the streaming link. If you feel that any content on our site in any way infringe your rights as copyrighter do not hesitate and let us know about your problem. Watch movies online for free on 1WatchFree.me!

By Course Sort Reviews By Showing Results for Most Detailed Reviews K 11 months ago Kalyani Pinninti MCA Student Average college but good Placements!!3/5 This is an average college..Thew infra of the college is OKAY, not so good. Classes and the labs of the college are very small and normal, computer labs are also okay. There's no playground in the college and also there are no sports as such. College library is small and the number of books available is also very less/limited. Canteen is available but is not good, they provide only snacks there.. Hostel is present upstairs and is not big however, the facilities provided in the hostel are good and the hostel food is also fine. PGs are hard to find nearby the college. There is no entrance test to take admssion into the college. Yearly fee is very low here. It is around 35k/year. Though the college lacks some of the major things but the education provided here is of good quality.. PLACEMENT4/5 The one good thing about the college is that the placements from the college are good. Around 70-80% students are placed from the college. Max package varies from 3.5-4 lakhs Salary Package Less than 2.5 Lakhs Faculty3/5 Faculty of the college is good enough. The teachers teaches very well. They are also very helpful and cooperative Anonymous B.Tech Student This college is a heaven for learners 3/5 A very good college if are you are passionate about your studies and goals. A good infrastructure, excellent libraries, vast play grounds, good hostels, good encouragement for sportsmen,etc,..Do not opt this college if are not really interested in the course you are pursuing.. PLACEMENT3.5/5 Many companies visit the campus frequently. Salary Package Less than 2.5 Lakhs Faculty3.5/5 Every teacher has their unique way of teaching and interactive skills Admission State / National Entrance Exams Admission Criteria: I scored 75 marks out of 160 marks..with a state rank 30k..I have opted this college as it is well known for its great academics and good placements.. the college is located in a healthy environment.. Divya B.Tech Student Good College4/5 My experiences in the college has been amazing, the fee is quite feasible, there is a scholarship facility for the students.Teachers are very understanding, placement is good, students are selected on the basis of their talent. AMBATI ARUNKUAR B.Tech Student Kalyani Pinninti MCA Student Average college but good Placements!!3/5 This is an average college..Thew infra of the college is OKAY, not so good. Classes and the labs of the college are very small and normal, computer labs are also okay. There's no playground in the college and also there are no sports as such. College library is small and the number of books available is also very less/limited. Canteen is available but is not good, they provide only snacks there.. Hostel is present upstairs and is not big however, the facilities provided in the hostel are good and the hostel food is also fine. PGs are hard to find nearby the college. There is no entrance test to take admssion into the college. Yearly fee is very low here. It is around 35k/year. Though the college lacks some of the major things but the education provided here is of good quality.. PLACEMENT4/5 The one good thing about the college is that the placements from the college are good. Around 70-80% students are placed from the college. Max package varies from 3.5-4 lakhs Salary Package Less than 2.5 Lakhs Faculty3/5 Faculty of the college is good enough. The teachers teaches very well. They are also very helpful and cooperative Divya B.Tech Student Good College4/5 My experiences in the college has been amazing, the fee is quite feasible, there is a scholarship facility for the students.Teachers are very understanding, placement is good, students are selected on the basis of their talent. Anonymous B.Tech Student This college is a heaven for learners 3/5 A very good college if are you are passionate about your studies and goals. A good infrastructure, excellent libraries, vast play grounds, good hostels, good encouragement for sportsmen,etc,..Do not opt this college if are not really interested in the course you are pursuing.. PLACEMENT3.5/5 Many companies visit the campus frequently. Salary Package Less than 2.5 Lakhs Faculty3.5/5 Every teacher has their unique way of teaching and interactive skills Admission State / National Entrance Exams Admission Criteria: I scored 75 marks out of 160 marks..with a state rank 30k..I have opted this college as it is well known for its great academics and good placements.. the college is located in a healthy environment.. Showing Results for Most Helpful Reviews A 2 years ago Anonymous B.Tech Student This college is a heaven for learners 3/5 A very good college if are you are passionate about your studies and goals. A good infrastructure, excellent libraries, vast play grounds, good hostels, good encouragement for sportsmen,etc,..Do not opt this college if are not really interested in the course you are pursuing.. PLACEMENT3.5/5 Many companies visit the campus frequently. Salary Package Less than 2.5 Lakhs Faculty3.5/5 Every teacher has their unique way of teaching and interactive skills Admission Selection Procedure: State / National Entrance Exams Admission Criteria: I scored 75 marks out of 160 marks..with a state rank 30k..I have opted this college as it is well known for its great academics and good placements.. the college is located in a healthy environment.. Divya B.Tech Student Good College4/5 My experiences in the college has been amazing, the fee is quite feasible, there is a scholarship facility for the students.Teachers are very understanding, placement is good, students are selected on the basis of their talent. Kalyani Pinninti MCA Student Average college but good Placements!!3/5 This is an average college..Thew infra of the college is OKAY, not so good. Classes and the labs of the college are very small and normal, computer labs are also okay. There's no playground in the college and also there are no sports as such. College library is small and the number of books available is also very less/limited. Canteen is available but is not good, they provide only snacks there.. Hostel is present upstairs and is not big however, the facilities provided in the hostel are good and the hostel food is also fine. PGs are hard to find nearby the college. There is no entrance test to take admssion into the college. Yearly fee is very low here. It is around 35k/year. Though the college lacks some of the major things but the education provided here is of good quality.. PLACEMENT4/5 The one good thing about the college is that the placements from the college are good. Around 70-80% students are placed from the college. Max package varies from 3.5-4 lakhs Salary Package Less than 2.5 Lakhs Faculty3/5 Faculty of the college is good enough. The teachers teaches very well. They are also very helpful and cooperative Photos (16) Videos (2) Latest News & Articles Andhra Pradesh Engineering, Agriculture and Medical Common Entrance test (AP EAMCET) was recently conducted across the country from April 20 to April 24, 2019 by JNTU Kakinada. The authority has decided to release the result by the third week of May, 2019. ...Read more The first day of Andhra Pradesh Engineering Agricultural and Medical Common Entrance Test (AP EAMCET) commenced across the state on April 20, 2019 and no incident of any issue during the examination reported from either the test takers or the exam authority. A total of 115 exam centres were established in the major cities of the state for both engineering and medical exam takers. ...Read more Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kakinada has yesterday released the admit card/hall ticket for upcoming AP EAMCET 2019 on its official website. Candidates can visit the site to download the admit card using login credentials. The hall tickets can be downloaded before April 20, 2019. ...Read more Awards 9th Among professional colleges in South India 9th Among professional colleges in South India by Silicon India More Scholarship Merit Scholarship The Institution is offering Scholarships for Meritorious Students for every academic year based on ranks in State Level Common Entrance Test, which will be helpful to the poor and needy student community. More About Aditya Engineering College, Kakinada Aditya Engineering College, being the first of its kind in the district to be recognized by the AICTE and certified by the prestigious ISO 2000, speaks volumes of what Aditya is. Owing to the rapid changes in the field of education, subjects like Computer Science, Bio-technology, Bio-chemistry, Micro-biology and Electronics have gained enormous significance as they provide great career opportunities. Aditya, with its enviable position in coaching and achievements in intermediate examinations and a plethora of state ranks like 2nd, 4th, 6th, 9th, and 10th in EAMCET and district first rank in IIT, AIEEE, EAMCET, BITSAT, has brought great repute to Kakinada in the entire state of Andhra Pradesh. More Rate Your College The more you express, greater is the extent to which you can help other aspiring students. Your Experience is extremely valuable. Pallavi Mohan Shendkar B.Tech Student Overview5/5 I have given the entrance test result JEE for the admission here and the education in the college is best and the placements are also provided to the students and it is the best college in Pune in my opinion for engineering course. ...Read Full Review

Saturday, March 19, 2016 Slow Saturday Special: Banking on Buryakov NEW YORK — A Russian banker accused of participating in a Cold War-style spy ring pleaded guilty Friday to a conspiracy charge and agreed to spend up to 2½ years in prison, making it likely he’ll be returning to his homeland in the next year. Evgeny Buryakov, 41, pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to act as an agent of a foreign government without registering with the U.S. government.Is he with AIAPC? When Buryakov was arrested last year, prosecutors said he had teamed up with diplomats from 2012 through January 2015 to gather sensitive economic intelligence on potential U.S. sanctions against Russian banks and on U.S. efforts to develop alternative energy resources. They also said he purposely failed to register as a foreign agent to conceal his true role as a covert operative embedded at a Manhattan branch of Vnesheconombank, or VEB.There was no mention of spies during the plea proceeding, but U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara embraced the secretive nature of the alleged scheme in a statement.‘‘An unregistered intelligence agent, under cover of being a legitimate banker, gathers intelligence on the streets of New York City, trading coded messages with Russian spies who send the clandestinely collected information back to Moscow. This sounds like a plotline for a Cold War-era movie, but in reality, Evgeny Buryakov pled guilty today to a federal crime for his role in just such a scheme,’’ Bharara said.It likely is!Assistant Attorney General John P. Carlin added in the same release that foreign nations which ‘‘attempt to illegally gather economic and other intelligence information through espionage pose a direct threat to U.S. national security.’’ Related: The Israeli Spy RingIt's hands off that one.Earlier U.S. government claims that Buryakov worked for the SVR, the foreign intelligence agency headquartered in Moscow, were not included in the charge Friday.Buryakov has been behind bars and will remain so until sentencing, which was scheduled for May 25. Prosecutors and the defendant agreed as part of the deal that a 30-month sentence is appropriate.Buryakov told U.S. District Judge Richard Berman on Friday that he had agreed to let an official with Russia’s Trade Mission in New York to direct him to take certain actions without having registered with the U.S. attorney general’s office as a Russian agent. He said he spoke on the telephone in May 2013 with the official about information the official had requested.Outside court afterward, defense attorney Scott Hershman declined to comment.The defense previously had argued that laws exempted Buryakov from registering because he already was a visa-carrying official with a financial institution that is an arm of the Russian government.The government said Buryakov had obtained a work visa by lying on paperwork and saying he wouldn’t commit espionage. WARNING for European visitors: European Union laws require you to give European Union visitors information about cookies used on your blog. In many cases, these laws also require you to obtain consent. As a courtesy, we have added a notice on your blog to explain Google's use of certain Blogger and Google cookies, including use of Google Analytics and AdSense cookies. You are responsible for confirming this notice actually works for your blog, and that it displays. If you employ other cookies, for example by adding third party features, this notice may not work for you. Learn more about this notice and your responsibilities.

iSCSI Stands for "Internet Small Computer Systems Interface." iSCSI is an extension of the standard SCSI storage interface that allows SCSI commands to be sent over an IP based network. It enables computers to access hard drives over a network the same way they would access a drive that is directly connected to the computer. iSCSI is a popular protocol used by storage area networks, which allow multiple computers to share multiple hard drives. For example, data centers can be spread out over multiple locations using iSCSI and a standard Internet connection. While the data access time may be slower over the Internet than compared to a direct SCSI connection, iSCSI can serve as a helpful means for creating off-site backups and sharing large amounts of data across multiple locations.

Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower: 2017 Endeavour Awards Entegra Signature Structures was placed as a top 5 finalist in the 2017 Endeavour Awards for the Most Innovative Manufacturing Company Award in Australia. The 2017 Endeavour Awards took place on Thursday the 11th of May and were in conjunction with National Manufacturing Week, running now in their 14th year. The 2017 Endeavour Awards are presented annually by Manufacturers’ Monthly and is recognised as the most premier Awards Program that promotes, recognises and rewards excellence within the manufacturing Industry. The Award Program gives Australian organisations the chance to be widely recognised nationally as top leaders within their industry and encourages all of those involved in manufacturing across Australia to celebrate their achievements, help share ideas within the industry to a broader audience, to network with other leaders and to learn more about the remarkable personalities behind these enterprises and success stories. Entegra Signature Structures came in as a top five finalist for the Most Innovative Manufacturing Company Award, where they attended the awards night dinner to gain exposure and gain wide-recognition to other leading enterprises within the manufacturing industry. Entegra Signature Structures would like to thank the Endeavour Awards Program, National Manufacturing Week and Manufacturers’ Monthly for this amazing opportunity and Entegra wishes to participate again in more awards next year.

The Importance of Consistency Across Your Branding Efforts Articles and discussions about branding, re-branding, and brand consistency are everywhere on the internet. That is because a company’s brand is at the very heart of who the company perceives itself to be and how it is represented. The brand presents a clear message to the outside world about who the company is, it guides the company internally, shapes product, marketing, and operating decisions, and even tells the general story of how the company came to be. Re-branding your company can go a long way toward revitalizing it and often it makes sense to take this step. However, re-branding should not be confused with poor branding consistency. Taking new and different branding steps each time you sign up for a social networking site, release a new ad campaign, or repaint your storefront is not rebranding; it is simply inconsistent branding. What is Brand Consistency? Brand consistency refers to consistently presenting the same, unified message and look to the public. This relates to things like using the same font and graphic in your logo, identifying your company by the same name in all of your ads, press releases, and interactions with customers. This can even include using the same handle and avatar on various social networking sites. One aspect of brand consistency is for your company to look the same across all platforms. However, brand consistency is about more than just visual appearance. Brand consistency is also about the attitude, focus, and culture of your company. It is about marketing yourself in similar ways each time. Are you a cost-friendly, low prices company or a cutting edge, luxury company? It represents the position you are taking in your industry as your sales proposition. Why Does Brand Consistency Matter? Brand consistency matters because it helps customers figure out who you are as a company and even whether or not they want to do business with you. In the example above about portraying yourself as either a company of low prices or one of luxury and quality…this matters because you don’t want to send conflicting messages that could cause you to lose major segments of both target groups. For instance if you want to appeal to customers on a tight budget, but they have just seen your commercial featuring trendy, rich actors in leisurely, high-life activities, then they won’t immediately think of you as a company in their price range and may not even bother to check your actual costs. On the flip side a customer who is label conscious and looking for only the highest quality, regardless of cost, may immediately rule you out without even checking your actual product quality if you’re perceived as as the value option. Apart from helping your customers understand who you are as a business, brand consistency also makes you more recognizable. If you do business under many different names, logos, colors, slogans, etc. then there’s a good chance that your customers won’t even recognize you as the same company they just purchased from. This prevents you from building up a cache of goodwill and trust. It also dilutes all of your marketing and advertising efforts. How Does a Company Improve Brand Consistency? Improving brand consistency comes down to making conscious, thoughtful decisions every time you make your company visible to the public. This means doing things such as consistently calling your company by the same name. For example if your business is called “Rob’s Electronics” then make sure that you always call it exactly that rather than occasionally answering the phone “Rob Smith’s Electronics” or releasing a press release and using “Rob’s Electronics Store” or placing a commercial and using the name “Rob’s Speakers and Electronics.” Instead every time your name is released to the public it should always be “Rob’s Electronics.” Furthermore, if someone else writes an article about your company or references it online or in print in general, make sure that they are also using the correct name. If you see your company referenced incorrectly then go ahead and politely request that a correction is made. Far from being nitpicky this actually helps remove confusion for potential customers and even does a service for the audience receiving the message. As mentioned above it is also important to use a similar username across various social networking sites and it is even helpful to use a similar looking avatar so that your company is quickly and easily recognizable. If you have a company motto or slogan, make sure that it always appears the same way until you officially change it, and avoiding changing it too often so that it truly does make an impression with your customers. The same advice should be taken regarding your logo. Whenever you release advertisements make sure that a similar message is coming across each time. Once again this means not promoting yourself as a value company in one ad and then turning around and promoting yourself as a high-end company in the next. Figure out your focus and target demographic and consistently stick to it so that your marketing dollars get the most bang for their buck. Building a strong, consistent brand image can be a challenge. This is especially true if your company is just starting out or needs to recover from previously sloppy branding efforts. However, there is no denying its importance. Effective, consistent branding is one of the strongest things you can do to support your company in its effort for growth and success.

2 suspects remanded for allegedly beheading 5-yr-old The two suspects arrested in connection with the beheading of a five-year old at Sokoban in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, have been remanded into police custody to reappear on 27th March. The two, Vikuriba Joe Zoot and Kozel Borama have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and murder. [contextly_sidebar id=”pqNEjVKrBbzBtRQAKCj8CXeyseto2dLx”]The state prosecutor told the court it has sent the docket to the Attorney General for advice. Head of the deceased’s family, Doodah Babakparabanah, said the family is looking forward to a severe punishment for the suspects. “We did not even know we were coming to court today. The CID asked us to come so that the body of the boy will be released to us. It is not right for the young boy to be in the mortuary for long. Now that the suspects are in the custody of the Police, the law must deal with them.” Background The two; Vikuriba Joe Zoot, 21, and Kozel Borama, 25, were arrested on March 7, 2018 with the human head in their possession at Ampabame near Sokoban in Kumasi. The deceased, identified as Silas Kunsana, a twin, was picked up by the suspects at Suame, a suburb of Kumasi. According to police, the suspects lured the deceased with Yoghurt and took him to the uncompleted building in a Taxi cab to commit the act. The suspects approached a spiritualist, Sheik Alhaji Mohammed Maheey at Suame to buy the human head who accepted to buy the head for GHc 2,500 and secretly alerted the police. The Police proceeded to the residence of the spiritualist at Suame Zongo and arrested the suspects with the fresh head, which was concealed in a black polythene bag. The suspects later led police to retrieve the decapitated body at an uncompleted building on the outskirts of Sokoban. Mother of murdered boy wants culprits beheaded Mother of the victim has since appealed to the IGP to punish the perpetrators in equal measure. 30-year-old Janet Salifu believes this is the only remedy that will lessen her pain and give her some respite.

In remarks on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, reiterated his months-long call for Congress to debate and vote on U.S. military action against ISIL – a mission that has gone on since August without congressional authorization. In his remarks, Kaine made two requests: 1) that President Obama follow through on his commitment to engage Congress and immediately demand a debate and vote on an authorization for use of military force; 2) that Congress stay in session until a debate and vote is held. “We have gone four months without any meaningful debate about this war,” Kaine said.” Now many are saying that we need to delay until after the New Year. … So the unilateral war would extend to at least five months and in all likelihood longer before Congress gets around to any meaningful discussion of the ISIL threat.” For over five months, Kaine has been urging the Obama Administration to seek a specific authorization for use of military force against ISIL while pressing his Congressional colleagues to take action. In September, Kaine introduced a draft authorization that supports the mission laid out by President Obama but includes four key limitations: 1) no U.S. ground troops; 2) a repeal of the 2002 Iraq Authorization for Use of Military Force; 3) a sunset after one year; and 4) a narrow definition of “associated forces.” “Giving any president a greenlight to wage unilateral war without any meaningful debate or authorization would be deeply destructive of the legitimacy of the legislative branch of our government,” Kaine said. “It would be deeply disrespectful of our citizens; and it would be especially disrespectful of the troops who are risking their lives every day while we do nothing.” Full transcript of Kaine’s remarks today is below: Madam President, next Monday will mark four months since the President commenced military action in Syria and Iraq against ISIL. As of December 2, Operation Inherent Resolve, which the administration calls a war on ISIL, has involved more than 1,100 coalition airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, the vast majority carried out by American airmen and women. The President has authorized currently 1,400 U.S. ground troops who are deployed in Iraq to train and advise regional forces. The President has authorized an additional 1,500 U.S. troops to serve in that train and advise capacity. This past Monday, 250 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division of Fort Bragg, North Carolina were sent to Iraq and the total cost of the operation thus far to the U.S. taxpayers is in excess of $1 billion. There have been three deaths of Americans serving in Operation Inherent Resolve. On October 1, Marine Corporal Jordan Spears of Memphis, Indiana was lost at sea while conducting flight operations over the Persian Gulf. On October 23, Marine Lance Corporal Sean Neal of Riverside, California, died in Iraq. On December 1, Air Force Captain William Dubois of New Castle, Colorado died in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. Senator King and I visited Al Udeid Air Force Base in Qatar in October to see the Combined Air Operation Center in action and we saw — I saw many Virginians there working with colleagues from all service branches and many other nations in coalition nations that are directing the airstrike campaign. So, Madam President, let’s not make any mistake about this. America is at war. The number of air and ground troops deployed is steadily creeping upwards every day. Our troops are dying. And the fiscal cost to American taxpayers is growing every day. But, Madam President, this is a most unusual war. While all the activities of war are occurring, there’s a strange conspiracy of silence about it in the White House and in the halls of Congress. The President has not offered any proposed authorization for the war despite his suggestions that one is needed. Congress has not debated on, taken committee action on, or voted on the ongoing war. The House is contemplating adjourning for the holidays on December 11 without saying anything about an ongoing war. And because neither the President nor Congress has undertaken the necessary public debate over the war, the American public have not had the chance to be fully educated about what’s at stake and why it’s in our national interest in to ask our troops to risk their lives thousands of miles away. We owe it to our troops serving abroad, troops who are engaged in war even as we think about recessing and leaving Washington on December 11 for the holidays, to do our job and to have a debate and vote about the war that our Constitution demands. Let me make an earnest request to our President and to my colleagues in Congress. To the President: I had previously taken the floor to strongly argue that the President needs new legal authority to conduct the war on ISIL. When the President spoke to the nation on September 10 he said that he would — quote — “welcome a congressional authorization.” And on November 5, he affirmatively asserted that a new congressional authorization was needed and that he would — quote — “engage Congress in passing one.” But, to this date four months after the initiation of war, the Administration has not even been willing to present a draft authorization of the mission to Congress. In testimony yesterday at the Armed Services Committee, no DoD Witness could recall a single other instance in which a president told Congress of the need for a war but failed to present a proposed authorization spelling out the dimensions of the military mission. Instead, the President has persisted in a war that is not within the scope of his Article II powers, that is not authorized by any treaty obligation, that is not justified under either of the congressional authorizations passed in 2001 or 2002. The President’s unilateral action has even extended beyond the 60 and 90-day timing requirements created by the War Powers Resolution of 1973. And the President’s willingness to push a war without engaging Congress has even violated his own solemn and wise pronouncement of just one year ago. Quote–“I believe our democracy is stronger when the president acts with the support of Congress. This is especially true after a decade that put more and more war-making powers in the hands of the president while sidelining the people’s representatives from the critical decisions about when we use force.”–close quote. And so I request our president, make good on your promise to engage Congress. Do what other presidents have done. Demand that we debate and vote on an authorization and that we do it now. The votes are here in this body to support the President. I am a supporter of the need for military action against ISIL, and I know that is a position held by a strong majority of the Senate, a strong majority of the House. There is no reason for the President to not demand that we actually have that debate and have that vote. And to my congressional colleagues, I have a similar request: Let’s not leave this capitol without a debate and vote on this war on ISIL. We’ve gone four months without any meaningful action about this war. First, we were told that Congress would get to it after the midterm elections. And so we recessed for seven weeks in the middle of a war without saying one thing, shirking our constitutional duties. And now, many are saying that we need to delay until after New Year before having any meaningful discussion of this war. And so the unilateral war would extend to at least five months and, in all likelihood, longer before Congress gets around to any meaningful discussion of the ISIL threat and what we should do to counter it. Giving this president–giving any president–a greenlight to wage unilateral war for five or six months without any meaningful debate or authorization would be deeply destructive of the legitimacy of the legislative branch of our government; it would be deeply disrespectful of our citizens; and it would be especially disrespectful of the troops who are risking their lives every day while we do nothing. Madam President, I yield the floor. Stable Craft Brewing is a manufacturer of quality, craft beer and requires a motivated, results-driven Sales Manager to lead its sales department. More information: click here.

Used when describing a Bermudian alcoholic beverage called "Dark n' Stormy". The phrase is usually used when speaking to the bar-tender, asking for a more strong or potent drink. Hurricane Force drinks tend to have around 3 shots of rum in them, opposed to the usual one

President Donald Trump has brought new tension to U.S.-Colombian relations, threatening to cut crucial funding at a pivotal moment in Colombia’s peace process and to decertify that agreement for a perceived failure to tackle the drug trade. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Colombian coca production has risen to an all-time high, with around 90 percent of cocaine entering the U.S. coming from that Latin American country. U.S. officials blame the cocaine resurgence on Colombia’s decision to halt aerial spraying of Monsanto’s glyphosate herbicide – a controversial tactic considered to have serious health and environmental impacts by some, but rejected by others. Now, with Colombia’s fragile internal truce taking hold, the Trump administration’s stance – reminiscent of the War on Drugs strategy of the 80s and 90s – could be a great hindrance to peace, with knock-on negative effects for Colombia’s rural population and world-renowned biodiversity. The source of the souring of U.S.-Colombia political relations: a coca plant. The Colombian government recently sought to combine eradication with alternative rural development to break the cycle of coca growing. The U.S. under Trump wants a return to the drug war, including aerial spraying, which Colombia has banned for health and safety reasons. Photo by Enn1.jpg: Dbotany / Ilmari Karonen CC-BY-SA-3.0. Plan Colombia pumped nearly ten billion U.S. dollars into the South American nation to fight drug trafficking, and is lauded as a drug interdiction success story by some experts. For others, the program is seen as a disaster, a socially and environmentally destructive game of cat and mouse between law enforcement and traffickers, with farms, farmers and ecosystems sprayed aerially and widely with fumigants, especially Monsanto’s controversial glyphosate. Under President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the U.S. appears to be renewing its international War on Drugs, just as Colombia is gearing up for peace, implementing a fragile peace accord that also offers a rare opportunity to protect the country’s extraordinary biodiversity. Deforestation in Colombia. Since peace was achieved between the Colombian government and FARC, both legal and illegal activities have ramped up, and deforestation has soared in former rebel held areas, threatening the country’s fragile biodiversity. Photo credit: Matt-Zimmerman on VisualHunt / CC BY Trump tough on crime, tough on Colombia During a first meeting last May, Trump congratulated Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos for a “magnificent job” in crafting a peace accord with the FARC, Colombia’s foremost rebel foe for many decades. However, Trump did not expressly state whether he supported the peace process or not; instead he focused on concerns over Colombia’s rising coca and cocaine production. Months later, the White House released a harsh Presidential memo stating that the administration had “seriously considered” listing Colombia as one of the countries, alongside Bolivia and Venezuela, that had “failed demonstrably” to take significant steps to reign in rampant cocaine production; a step that would jeopardize millions in U.S. aid dollars for Colombia. Trump’s threat came after a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) report revealed that roughly 90 percent of cocaine in the U.S. could be traced back to Colombia, along with other indicators from the DEA and U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), showing that coca production has risen sharply. UNODC found that the area of coca cultivation in Colombia increased by 52 percent between 2015 and 2016, up from 96,000 hectares (370 square miles) to 146,000 hectares (564 square miles). The DEA, using a different methodology, calculated that 188,000 hectares (726 square miles) of coca was planted in 2016; the largest amount ever recorded in the country by the agency. The exact cause of this huge up-tick is debatable. The DEA, however, blames a halt in aerial eradication, a decline in manual eradication, and the Colombian peace negotiations with the FARC. It is widely believed that coca farmers planted far more of the illegal crop in the run up to the peace deal in order to benefit from crop-substitution programs. USAID under the Obama administration helped fund alternative crop opportunities to coca farmers in Colombia. Cacao, the base ingredient of chocolate, was, and is, a common alternative crop. Trump administration critics argue that more aid should be flowing into this effort, rather than less. For the moment, potential USAID cuts to Colombia remain in limbo due to the 2018 budget impasse in Congress. Photo by Thomas Cristofoletti/ USAID CC BY-NC 2.0 via Flickr U.S. threatens to withdraw aid Analysts say that tensions between Colombia and the U.S. are now strained. The Trump administration has slammed Colombia for not doing enough to curb coca production and for veering away from its hard line on producers. At the same time, the U.S. has sought to slash crucial funding dedicated to the Colombian peace process. Before leaving office, President Obama pledged $450 million in aid, promising to reshape “Plan Colombia” into “Peace Colombia” by redirecting military and anti-narcotics funding toward social development. In May 2017, Trump signed the Obama-initiated bill, ensuring that the aid package went through. But Trump’s “America First” campaign pledge has thrown the longevity of Colombian aid into limbo. His 2018 budget proposal, publicized last May, stripped back that aid to $291 million, a 16 percent cut from 2016 levels, as part of wider draconian foreign aid reductions that have received bipartisan criticism from Congress. Trump has since reiterated his threat to cut aid from countries that are involved in drug trafficking, saying that “I look at these countries, I look at the numbers and we send them massive aid, and they are pouring drugs into our country and they are laughing at us. So I’m not a believer in that, I want to stop the aid.” Trump did not specify which countries he was referring to. If Trump’s deep cuts are approved, that would be terrible for the Colombian peace process, says Gimena Sánchez-Garzoli, director for the Andes at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA). $125 million dollars worth of cocaine seized in Puerto Rico. According to the DEA, around 90 percent of the cocaine seized in the U.S. in 2016 was produced in Colombia. Photo by Coast Guard News CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 via Flickr On one hand, she says, Trump is chastising Colombia for not doing enough to fight drug trafficking, while on the other hand he is threatening to withdraw the money that helps it do so. The U.S. “want[s] to basically cut the soft [social development] money, which is something that has evolved over the past 15 years to be seen as the way to fix the [drug] problem… because the military aid and the anti-narcotics aid hasn’t given the results they wanted.” The deep Trump cuts are likely to be avoided, as both the House and Senate versions of the aid bill restored some funding to Colombia. The House requested $335 million and the Senate $391 million. However, the final package is still being thrashed out in Congress, which has now kicked a decision on the 2018 budget down the road four times since September. (With a vote now planned for, but unlikely to occur, this week, most experts expect a delay into March.) So no one currently knows what the final numbers will be. And certainly, no one can predict what the foreign aid budget will look like under Trump, over the next three years. Whatever the result, the price of peace will not come cheap, says Maria Alejandra Silvia Ortega, a research associate at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs. Peace, she says, in this case, is more expensive than war. With the U.S. having contributed billions to the Drug War effort in Colombia, it would be concerning for the United States to not now financially support peace, she said. What is more troubling for Sánchez-Garzoli is that Trump’s budget, along with the House and Senate versions, allot the lion’s share of U.S. aid to military assistance, and not to peace-oriented solutions, which is where she says the spending needs to go. The golden poison frog (Phyllobates terribilis), is endemic to Colombia’s Pacific coast and is one of over 600 species of amphibians found in the country. It is one of the species that has lost out due to agricultural land conversion, both legal and illegal, and is now considered endangered. Photo by Sebastian Moreno CC BY-ND 2.0 via Flickr Colombia’s peace dividend at risk Colombia’s peace comes with a tremendous conservation opportunity. During the 52-year civil war, vast swathes of the nation were shut off to outsiders. Now, these no-go zones have been opened up and scientists and conservationists are rushing in to catalogue Colombia’s natural wonders. Colombia is home to a whopping ten percent of the world’s biodiversity, much of it unstudied and undescribed. However, Maria Fernandes Torres and Julieth Serrano, biologists with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, warn that the research opportunities that peace provides to researchers, has also offered a golden opportunity to those wishing to exploit Colombia’s bountiful natural resources, both legally and illegally. The civil war reduced deforestation, since logging companies couldn’t do business safely. But in 2016, with peace breaking out all over, deforestation in Colombia shot up by 44 percent, with 178,597 hectares (441,322 acres) felled compared to 124,035 hectares (306,497 acres) in 2015. Many of the areas seeing increased deforestation were in zones previously controlled by FARC. Experts say the rebel group’s demobilization has caused something akin to a power vacuum, allowing illicit gold mining and illegal logging to become rife in the newly opened up territories. The Parque Nacional Natural Farallones de Cali along Colombia’s coast is one of the national parks under threat by coca and other illicit activities such as gold mining. Photo credit: World Resources on Visualhunt.com / CC BY-NC-SA According to a study carried out before the peace deal was struck, reigning in environmental damage, particularly by stemming deforestation and reforesting lost areas, will bring Colombia a windfall worth billions of dollars over the coming years. “Avoided costs” include cash savings from not having to clean up oil spills and health benefits due to lower exposure to mercury, which is commonly used in illicit gold mining. However, to ensure the government receives this environmental peace dividend, it needs to quickly extend its authority into regions once held by the FARC. But that opportunity is fast slipping away, says Sánchez-Garzoli: “We are seeing already that there is increased pressure by extractive industries and others who want to go into the area.” Proposed U.S. aid cuts are especially troubling, she says, because European donors are simultaneously trimming their economic contributions. Colombia’s government has announced that vast areas formerly controlled by the FARC are now part of an expanded protected network. However, while that enlargement of national park territory is all well and good, says Torres, whether the land is actually protected on the ground is another matter. The Colombian government has proposed a pragmatic strategy for dealing with this enforcement problem: turning former FARC rebels into conservation guardians to stem the tide of environmental harm occurring in areas once under their control. However, this seemingly sensible plan too has run afoul current U.S. policy. At present, the FARC are still listed by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), a designation which prohibits any U.S. funds from reaching them, or any financing operations that benefit them. A State Department spokesperson told Mongabay that any future review of the FARC as an FTO would take into account “new facts” such as “whether through implementation of the peace agreement the FARC disarm and engage in peaceful activities and give up violence.” FTOs are reviewed periodically, but the State Department spokesperson did not specify when FARC’s status will be reconsidered. U.S. War on Drugs déjà vu It’s not only the Trump administration’s slash and burn approach to foreign aid that is troubling Colombia, an out of touch and seemingly retro U.S. drug policy is also causing concern. In the absence of any official policy document, piecing together a Trump administration international and domestic drug policy is challenging, says Hannah Hetzer, a senior international policy advisor at the Drug Policy Alliance. But, she adds, Trump “and his administration have proven to be real bad news for drug policy reform efforts broadly.” Hetzer notes that while huge strides in reforming drug policy were made under President Obama, “major regressive steps” are occurring under Trump, both at home and abroad. To her, some harsh administration statements, especially by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, hark back to the 80s and 90s, when DEA agents were battling the Cali and Medellin drug cartels. Meanwhile, Colombia’s own drug policy approach, driven by President Santos since taking office in 2010, has evolved, shifting from a war footing, and crystalizing around the need to promote rural development in order to break the poverty cycle that led farmers to rely upon the alluring profits of drug trafficking. Criminalizing those who produce the drugs, Santos has said, is part of a failed strategy and should be left behind. Despite statements like this, the Colombian peace process and its enlightened drug policy reform, remains far from secure. Last October, six coca farmers were killed and 19 more injured during protests against the manual eradication of coca crops. The U.S. State Department responded to a request for comment on its position on alternative development and the peace process in Colombia, stating that in the past the U.S. government through USAID has spent roughly $50 million per year on alternative development projects, supporting “over 35,000 families and over 520 organizations,” creating jobs and building connections with rural communities: “By continuing this line of effort, in regions of strategic importance to both the U.S. and the Colombian governments, USAID will assist in addressing some of Colombia’s most vexing challenges: illicit coca cultivation, expanding state presence, and establishing the conditions for a sustainable and inclusive peace,” said the State Department. Glyphosate herbicide damage to a banana plant. Opponents to aerial spraying argue that the use of glyphosate in Colombia infringed on human rights, had health impacts and damaged legal crops while doing little to stem the growth of illegal crops. Others argue that aerial spraying was an effective way of tackling the drug problem. Whether its use will return to Colombia as urged by the Trump administration remains to be seen. Photo credit: Photo credit: Scot Nelson on Visual hunt / CC BY The aerial spraying controversy A major drug policy sticking point between U.S. and Colombian officials is aerial fumigation, the heart of Plan Colombia. In the past, U.S. funded and Colombian administered use of herbicides to eliminate illicit crops brought international allegations of human rights abuses. The chemical employed, Monsanto’s glyphosate, has been continually and controversially, linked to cancer, water pollution and the destruction of biodiversity, though U.S. regulatory agencies continue to deny its harm when properly applied. Glyphosate’s alleged adverse health effects were instrumental in the Colombian government’s decision to ban its use completely in 2015. Recently, the State of California labelled it as a possible carcinogen, a decision being challenged in court. However, U.S. officials, and some in Colombia, continue insisting that aerial spraying was one of the most effective weapons employed against drug producers, prompting repeated suggestions for a return to its use. But it’s not only U.S. Republicans who potentially support that position. At a recent Senate drug policy meeting, Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein of California suggested that “we take another look at this glyphosate.” Mongabay reached out to the senator for clarification on her position; she said via email: “The United States has to find a way to prevent the influx of cocaine from Colombia. A key strategy is assisting Colombia’s efforts to halt production of coca crops. Colombia has banned the use of glyphosate in aerial eradication, but we should continue to support all allowable forms of eradication and interdiction to reduce the coca supply used to produce illicit cocaine.” Her position would seem to be at odds with California’s labelling of the herbicide as carcinogenic. A Bird of Paradise in Colombia. The country has over 50,000 species of plants, but is facing immense challenges to protecting this diversity, as areas once controlled by FARC rebels are now opened to natural resource exploitation. Photo by Rhett A. Butler / Mongabay Secretary of State Rex Tillerson described the recent coca production numbers as “eye-popping,” and revealed that he has had conversations with Colombia stressing that “we’ve got to get back to the spraying.” However, whether that means a specific return to aerial spraying with glyphosate is unclear. In a separate U.S. State Department statement a spokesperson said: “Colombia has concluded, and we concur, the best approach to countering narcotics production is eradication, including forced eradication, and interdiction… we emphasize the choice of methods is a sovereign decision of Colombia.” In Colombia, high-ranking officials such as the Colombian Attorney General and the Fiscal-General, have called for aerial spraying to be back on the table. John Collins, Director of the International Drug Policy Unit at the London School of Economics, believes current U.S. pressure on Colombia to toughen its drug policies might well come to nothing: “There’s a much smaller constituency for the War on Drugs in Latin America than there was years ago,” he says. “It’s certainly going to be harder for the U.S. to make the case for the War on Drugs.” Despite this, he fears that we could see a return to aerial spraying in the future, even though “it was horrendously expensive, horrendously inefficient and actively damaging to the communities involved and to the environment.” President Santos, while opposed to a return to aerial spraying, has allowed continued manual spraying as part of forced eradication efforts around the country. According to a recent statement by the Colombian Defense Department, 92 percent of its eradication target had been reached by mid-November, 2017 with 42,000 hectares {103,784 acres} removed from production. A return to aerial fumigation would represent a “major setback,” according to Hetzer, as it would prolong a failed strategy of the drug war. “But unfortunately, it’s a conversation that’s happening within Colombia and the U.S.” Colombia’s Parque Nacional Paramillo. The park covers 460,000 hectares. 1,300 hectares were used for coca plantations in 2016 according to the UNODC, nearly double the amount as in 2015. Photo by Agencia Prensa Rural CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 via Flickr A return to aerial spraying: more deforestation, or not In the past, say some experts including Kendra McSweeney, of Ohio State University, the aerial spraying of fields simply resulted in coca cultivators pushing farther and farther into remote forests, placing pressure on Colombia’s most biodiverse conserved areas, and leading to deforestation. McSweeney and others point to many of the country’s national parks, which have been pockmarked by illegal coca plantations, as evidence. The UNODC found 16 Colombian national parks containing illicit coca plantations in 2016, the same number as in 2015, with around 7,000 hectares (17,297 acres) cleared. The majority of coca was in three parks; Sierra de la Macarena, Nukak and Paramillo. “The [seriousness of the] situation in the parks doesn’t depend on how much coca is in them,” explains Leonardo Correa, Coordinator of the Integrated Illicit Crops Monitoring System at the UNODC in Colombia. Whether it’s one hectare or one thousand, a single cleared plot can create an opening for other illegal activities. However, Liliana Davalos, an evolutionary biologist at Stony Brook University, suggests that coca cultivation is only a minimal contributor to Colombian deforestation. Rather, it is part of a much wider problem, one which she argues touches on deeper issues of land use. Her research shows that even if illegal coca was completely eradicated, the agricultural frontiers that push into forested areas, those that drive deforestation, would still advance regardless, simply relying on another crop, albeit a legal one, for the expansion. The Blue-billed currasow is one species that faces an uncertain future due to Colombia’s peace. Illegal activities shrank its habitat considerably and it is now feared that the species could be finished off as former conflict areas are logged and converted from forest to croplands. Photo credit: wolfehr on VisualHunt.com / CC BY-NC-ND Correa notes that there is little to no government strategy in place to guide or control Colombian agricultural expansion in non-developed areas. As a result, he fears that the frontier of illicit activities will continue moving into conservation areas. For her part, McSweeney worries that a return to a repressive coca control approach that rips up or aerially sprays a farmer’s illegal crop without offering an alternative crop or way of life, will only ramp up environmental damage to the national parks, bastion of Colombia’s unique biodiversity. The overriding view of experts interviewed for this story is that Trump’s Colombian policy appears to have been cobbled together from two components: a desire to drastically cut foreign aid spending, while embracing past failed and costly hard-line drug war strategies. Depending on the administration’s decisions going forward, the U.S. could be of great help to the Colombian peace process at a pivotal moment and assist in building a more environmentally secure future for the Latin American country. Or it could be a hindrance, calling for a return to aerial spraying and military-style interdictions, while depriving Colombia of urgently needed development aid. Only time, an errant Twitter feed, and this year’s Colombian election, will tell which road is taken. FEEDBACK: Use this form to send a message to the author of this post. If you want to post a public comment, you can do that at the bottom of the page. Telipogon diabolicus, a new species of critically endangered orchid that was discovered in Colombia in 2016. Scientists are certain that a wealth of new, and often endemic, species exist in unexplored regions now opening up as Colombia’s internal conflict ends. But researchers are also concerned that they are in a race against time to document this biodiversity, before it is placed in renewed danger by deforestation due to logging, crop cultivation, cattle herding and mining. Photo by Marta Kolanowska

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Related Cast Andy Cohen is an Emmy Award-winning host, producer, and author best known as the host and executive producer of “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen,” Bravo’s Late Night, interactive talk show. The series is the only live show in Late Night television and consistently makes headlines with bold interviews viewers don’t see anywhere else. Because of this, “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” has become a nightly destination for some of the biggest names in pop culture including Meryl Streep, Cher, Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Lawrence, Ryan Reynolds, Mariah Carey and Lady Gaga. He also serves as executive producer of “The Real Housewives” franchise and hosts the network’s highly rated reunion specials. In Fall of 2015, Cohen launched “Radio Andy,” a personally curated channel on SiriusXM focused on pop culture, celebrities, lifestyle, relationships and the dish on all topics deep and shallow. The channel is a fun, uncensored entertainment and talk destination with celebrity hosts including Cohen, who has daily and weekly shows on air. In 2016, Cohen also launched his own book imprint Andy Cohen Books and in November became a New York Times best-selling author for a fourth time with the release of his latest book, “Superficial: More Adventures from the Andy Cohen Diaries” and achieved similar success with “The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look At a Shallow Year” as well as with the hardcover (May 2012) and the paperback (May 2013) versions of his first book, titled, “Most Talkative: Stories from the Frontlines of Pop Culture.” Cohen is the host and executive producer of “Andy Cohen’s Then & Now,” a Bravo series that explores the nostalgic moments of some of the most significant years in history. “Andy Cohen’s Then & Now” is produced by World of Wonder and Cohen’s Most Talkative Productions. Cohen also hosts the hour-long revival of the iconic relationship show “Love Connection” on Fox. Much like the original version, each episode will feature single men and women in search of romance. When he isn’t in the host seat, Cohen tours the country with Anderson Cooper for “AC2: An Intimate Evening with Anderson Cooper & Andy Cohen” where the dynamic duo discuss all topics deep and shallow in front of sold out audiences across the country. In his ten years as an executive at Bravo he was responsible for an aggressive slate of unscripted series and specials including hits such as "Project Runway,” “Top Chef,” “Queer Eye For the Straight Guy,” "The Millionaire Matchmaker,” the “Million Dollar Listing” franchise, “Being Bobby Brown,” “Shahs of Sunset,” “Flipping Out,” “Top Design,” “Work Out,” “Make Me a Supermodel,” “Blow Out,” “Kathy Griffin My Life On the D List,” “The A List Awards” “The Rachel Zoe Project,” “Work of Art: The Next Great Artist,” “Bethenny Ever After,” “Tabatha’s Salon Takeover,” and “The Real Housewives” franchises. Cohen started at Bravo in 2004 as Vice President, Original Programming and most recently, Cohen served as Bravo’s Executive Vice President of Development and Talent from November 2011 to January 2014. Cohen received an Emmy award when season six of “Top Chef” won Outstanding Reality Competition Program at the 2010 primetime Emmy Awards and has been nominated for 17 additional Emmy Awards as Executive Producer of “Project Greenlight,” “Project Runway,” “Top Chef” and “Queer Eye For The Straight Guy.” In 2005, Cohen was awarded a Peabody Award for his role as Executive Producer of the TRIO documentary “The N Word” and another in 2008 as an Executive Producer of “Project Runway.” Cohen ran Original Programming and Development for the pop culture and arts cable channel TRIO, beginning in July 2000. He was responsible for developing and supervising all of TRIO's original productions including the critically acclaimed original documentaries “Gay Republicans,” “Easy Riders/Raging Bulls,” and “Brilliant, But Cancelled.” He spent ten years (1990-2000) as a producer at CBS News, working on “CBS This Morning” and “48 Hours”. Born in St. Louis, Cohen is a graduate of Boston University where he received a Bachelor of Sciences in broadcast journalism. Cohen is currently on the board of directors for charity Friends In Deed and resides in New York City. Andy has over three million followers on social media; follow him on Facebook, Twitter (@andy), Instagram (@bravoandy) and Tumblr (therealandycohen.tumblr.com). Hector was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he started his cooking career working under chef Gioanna Huyke at the El San Juan Hotel & Casino. His cuisine combines classic and avante garde cooking techniques with Latin American ingredients and inspirations. Since opening his own restaurant, Pura Vida, in Atlanta, he has received many awards, including "Best Tapas or Small Plates" by numerous publications, being named a "Rising Star Chef" for Atlanta by StarChefs.com in 2007, and making it onto the "Long List" as a James Beard nominee for "Best Chef, Southeast” for the last two years (2008 & 2009). A constant student, Hector has done stages with chefs Jose Andres, Wylie Dufresne and Andoni L. Aduriz. His goal is to bring to light Latin American products, culture and cuisine. He is currently working on a project on hot peppers, and their new and different culinary uses like "taming the heat.” Tyler is the super hyper and energetic Culinary Director for all four of John Elway’s restaurants. He’s been an Executive Chef at four white tablecloth restaurants and has cooked at the James Beard House more times than he can remember. He’s also worked with Michael Mina and Michel Richard. In 2007, he was voted “Top Chef Denver” by 5280 Magazine, and in 2008 was the National Winner of the 19th Annual Taste of Elegance competition. Tyler goes big or doesn’t go at all, and has used that quality to work up the ranks and control some of the best restaurants in Colorado. As the local Boston chef, Stacy Cogswell embraces her passion for food and cooking. Her humble beginnings have instilled in her a love for the craft. Stacy's early-and-often exposure to the homemade foods and flavors of New England's changing seasons sparked her passion for cooking and inspired her to enroll in Johnson & Wales' Culinary School. After graduation, she traveled the US and the world uncovering and learning from many different local traditions. Her extensive travels brought her through Singapore, the Caribbean, along the eastern US, and ultimately to the local kitchens of two world-renowned chefs to hone her skills and further develop her own unique cooking style. Her style focuses on seasonality. Chef Brian Huskey is a native of Pasadena, California. After attending UCLA, where he had his first job as a short order cook, Brian moved to San Francisco to get his formal culinary education at CCA. After CCA, Brian went on a culinary journey, traveling to places as far as the Caribbean but eventually landing back in Los Angeles. For the past two and half years, Brian has been working directly with Chef Ricardo Zarate in opening his three restaurants: Picca, Mo-chica, and Paiche. Throughout this process, Brian has been able to travel and learn how to incorporate Asian, French, Peruvian, and Californian influences into his food. Taylor Armstrong is a stunning Oklahoma native who moved to Beverly Hills nine years ago. Taylor is a published author, with her memoirs becoming a New York Times bestseller. The mother of a seven-year old daughter, Kennedy, Taylor continues to dedicate time to charity, and has flown around the country to give speeches to empower women Graduating first in her class at the Culinary Institute of America, Kelly is one of the country’s most promising female chefs. In 2008, she was featured in Bon Appetit’s “Women Chefs: The Next Generation” and was a 2009 and 2010 James Beard Semi-Finalist for Best Chef Southwest. A small town girl at heart, she has passed up on offers from heavyweight chefs including Charlie Trotter and Daniel Boulud to stay in Colorado where she feels grounded. Kelly cooks seasonal American cuisine with a strong commitment to locally sourced organic ingredients. She loves to make soup, lamb and anything grilled. Chef Karen Akunowicz is a 2015 James Beard Nominee for "Best Chef Northeast." She is originally from New Jersey, but has called Boston home for over a decade. Following Culinary school, Karen worked in various Boston restaurants including Via Matta, before she moved to Italy in 2008. She lived in Modena for a year as the chef at a small enoteca where she perfected her pasta skills and found inspiration in preparing of the simplest of ingredients. She returned to Cambridge as the Sous Chef at Oleana restaurant. Her food is as soulful, fiery and passionate as she is and she strives to create crave-able dishes at her funky Asian diner, Myers+Chang. Karen is a Queer Femme lady who loves yoga and the lamb sandwich at Flour Bakery. Daniel is a quirky and hugely creative chef who opened Seasonal Pantry, a market and supper club in Washington, DC, two years ago. Here, he gets to do what he wants, and even created a Wu-Tang Clan-inspired menu for one supper club dinner. Seasonal Pantry has been awarded the coveted Washington Post Editor’s Pick, and was also named one of “10 Best New Restaurants” in the Washingtonian. After a three month internship at Le Laurier Hotel in France, Daniel went on to serve as Executive Chef at Mill Creek Golf Club in New York, Sous Chef at Equinox and Executive Sous Chef at Bibiana Osteria, both in DC. Born and raised in rural New York where he worked in the family garden, most of Daniel’s cooking is country rustic. The five ingredients he keeps on hand at all times is capers, fleur de sel, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and duck fat. Andy Cohen is an Emmy Award-winning host, producer, and author best known as the host and executive producer of “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen,” Bravo’s Late Night, interactive talk show. The series is the only live show in Late Night television and consistently makes headlines with bold interviews viewers don’t see anywhere else. Because of this, “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” has become a nightly destination for some of the biggest names in pop culture including Meryl Streep, Cher, Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Lawrence, Ryan Reynolds, Mariah Carey and Lady Gaga. He also serves as executive producer of “The Real Housewives” franchise and hosts the network’s highly rated reunion specials. In Fall of 2015, Cohen launched “Radio Andy,” a personally curated channel on SiriusXM focused on pop culture, celebrities, lifestyle, relationships and the dish on all topics deep and shallow. The channel is a fun, uncensored entertainment and talk destination with celebrity hosts including Cohen, who has daily and weekly shows on air. In 2016, Cohen also launched his own book imprint Andy Cohen Books and in November became a New York Times best-selling author for a fourth time with the release of his latest book, “Superficial: More Adventures from the Andy Cohen Diaries” and achieved similar success with “The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look At a Shallow Year” as well as with the hardcover (May 2012) and the paperback (May 2013) versions of his first book, titled, “Most Talkative: Stories from the Frontlines of Pop Culture.” Cohen is the host and executive producer of “Andy Cohen’s Then & Now,” a Bravo series that explores the nostalgic moments of some of the most significant years in history. “Andy Cohen’s Then & Now” is produced by World of Wonder and Cohen’s Most Talkative Productions. Cohen also hosts the hour-long revival of the iconic relationship show “Love Connection” on Fox. Much like the original version, each episode will feature single men and women in search of romance. When he isn’t in the host seat, Cohen tours the country with Anderson Cooper for “AC2: An Intimate Evening with Anderson Cooper & Andy Cohen” where the dynamic duo discuss all topics deep and shallow in front of sold out audiences across the country. In his ten years as an executive at Bravo he was responsible for an aggressive slate of unscripted series and specials including hits such as "Project Runway,” “Top Chef,” “Queer Eye For the Straight Guy,” "The Millionaire Matchmaker,” the “Million Dollar Listing” franchise, “Being Bobby Brown,” “Shahs of Sunset,” “Flipping Out,” “Top Design,” “Work Out,” “Make Me a Supermodel,” “Blow Out,” “Kathy Griffin My Life On the D List,” “The A List Awards” “The Rachel Zoe Project,” “Work of Art: The Next Great Artist,” “Bethenny Ever After,” “Tabatha’s Salon Takeover,” and “The Real Housewives” franchises. Cohen started at Bravo in 2004 as Vice President, Original Programming and most recently, Cohen served as Bravo’s Executive Vice President of Development and Talent from November 2011 to January 2014. Cohen received an Emmy award when season six of “Top Chef” won Outstanding Reality Competition Program at the 2010 primetime Emmy Awards and has been nominated for 17 additional Emmy Awards as Executive Producer of “Project Greenlight,” “Project Runway,” “Top Chef” and “Queer Eye For The Straight Guy.” In 2005, Cohen was awarded a Peabody Award for his role as Executive Producer of the TRIO documentary “The N Word” and another in 2008 as an Executive Producer of “Project Runway.” Cohen ran Original Programming and Development for the pop culture and arts cable channel TRIO, beginning in July 2000. He was responsible for developing and supervising all of TRIO's original productions including the critically acclaimed original documentaries “Gay Republicans,” “Easy Riders/Raging Bulls,” and “Brilliant, But Cancelled.” He spent ten years (1990-2000) as a producer at CBS News, working on “CBS This Morning” and “48 Hours”. Born in St. Louis, Cohen is a graduate of Boston University where he received a Bachelor of Sciences in broadcast journalism. Cohen is currently on the board of directors for charity Friends In Deed and resides in New York City. Andy has over three million followers on social media; follow him on Facebook, Twitter (@andy), Instagram (@bravoandy) and Tumblr (therealandycohen.tumblr.com). Hector was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he started his cooking career working under chef Gioanna Huyke at the El San Juan Hotel & Casino. His cuisine combines classic and avante garde cooking techniques with Latin American ingredients and inspirations. Since opening his own restaurant, Pura Vida, in Atlanta, he has received many awards, including "Best Tapas or Small Plates" by numerous publications, being named a "Rising Star Chef" for Atlanta by StarChefs.com in 2007, and making it onto the "Long List" as a James Beard nominee for "Best Chef, Southeast” for the last two years (2008 & 2009). A constant student, Hector has done stages with chefs Jose Andres, Wylie Dufresne and Andoni L. Aduriz. His goal is to bring to light Latin American products, culture and cuisine. He is currently working on a project on hot peppers, and their new and different culinary uses like "taming the heat.” Tyler is the super hyper and energetic Culinary Director for all four of John Elway’s restaurants. He’s been an Executive Chef at four white tablecloth restaurants and has cooked at the James Beard House more times than he can remember. He’s also worked with Michael Mina and Michel Richard. In 2007, he was voted “Top Chef Denver” by 5280 Magazine, and in 2008 was the National Winner of the 19th Annual Taste of Elegance competition. Tyler goes big or doesn’t go at all, and has used that quality to work up the ranks and control some of the best restaurants in Colorado. As the local Boston chef, Stacy Cogswell embraces her passion for food and cooking. Her humble beginnings have instilled in her a love for the craft. Stacy's early-and-often exposure to the homemade foods and flavors of New England's changing seasons sparked her passion for cooking and inspired her to enroll in Johnson & Wales' Culinary School. After graduation, she traveled the US and the world uncovering and learning from many different local traditions. Her extensive travels brought her through Singapore, the Caribbean, along the eastern US, and ultimately to the local kitchens of two world-renowned chefs to hone her skills and further develop her own unique cooking style. Her style focuses on seasonality. Chef Brian Huskey is a native of Pasadena, California. After attending UCLA, where he had his first job as a short order cook, Brian moved to San Francisco to get his formal culinary education at CCA. After CCA, Brian went on a culinary journey, traveling to places as far as the Caribbean but eventually landing back in Los Angeles. For the past two and half years, Brian has been working directly with Chef Ricardo Zarate in opening his three restaurants: Picca, Mo-chica, and Paiche. Throughout this process, Brian has been able to travel and learn how to incorporate Asian, French, Peruvian, and Californian influences into his food. Taylor Armstrong is a stunning Oklahoma native who moved to Beverly Hills nine years ago. Taylor is a published author, with her memoirs becoming a New York Times bestseller. The mother of a seven-year old daughter, Kennedy, Taylor continues to dedicate time to charity, and has flown around the country to give speeches to empower women Graduating first in her class at the Culinary Institute of America, Kelly is one of the country’s most promising female chefs. In 2008, she was featured in Bon Appetit’s “Women Chefs: The Next Generation” and was a 2009 and 2010 James Beard Semi-Finalist for Best Chef Southwest. A small town girl at heart, she has passed up on offers from heavyweight chefs including Charlie Trotter and Daniel Boulud to stay in Colorado where she feels grounded. Kelly cooks seasonal American cuisine with a strong commitment to locally sourced organic ingredients. She loves to make soup, lamb and anything grilled. Chef Karen Akunowicz is a 2015 James Beard Nominee for "Best Chef Northeast." She is originally from New Jersey, but has called Boston home for over a decade. Following Culinary school, Karen worked in various Boston restaurants including Via Matta, before she moved to Italy in 2008. She lived in Modena for a year as the chef at a small enoteca where she perfected her pasta skills and found inspiration in preparing of the simplest of ingredients. She returned to Cambridge as the Sous Chef at Oleana restaurant. Her food is as soulful, fiery and passionate as she is and she strives to create crave-able dishes at her funky Asian diner, Myers+Chang. Karen is a Queer Femme lady who loves yoga and the lamb sandwich at Flour Bakery. Daniel is a quirky and hugely creative chef who opened Seasonal Pantry, a market and supper club in Washington, DC, two years ago. Here, he gets to do what he wants, and even created a Wu-Tang Clan-inspired menu for one supper club dinner. Seasonal Pantry has been awarded the coveted Washington Post Editor’s Pick, and was also named one of “10 Best New Restaurants” in the Washingtonian. After a three month internship at Le Laurier Hotel in France, Daniel went on to serve as Executive Chef at Mill Creek Golf Club in New York, Sous Chef at Equinox and Executive Sous Chef at Bibiana Osteria, both in DC. Born and raised in rural New York where he worked in the family garden, most of Daniel’s cooking is country rustic. The five ingredients he keeps on hand at all times is capers, fleur de sel, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and duck fat.

You are here Preparing for the Indo-Pacific Century: The Australian Army Perspective Title Preparing for the Indo-Pacific Century: The Australian Army Perspective 08 December 2017, 13:00 RUSI Whitehall RUSI Members Only Lieutenant General Angus Campbell, Chief of the Australian Army, delivered an address focusing on the Australian perspective of the Indo-Pacific Century. In 2016, the release of the Australian Government’s Defence White Paper signalled a comprehensive review of the regional strategic environment and formally named a stable Indo-Pacific region as a Strategic Defence Interest whereby the security and prosperity of the country depends on ‘a stable Indo-Pacific region and a rules-based global order’. As the economic and strategic weight of the Indo-Pacific region grows, Australia and its defence forces are preparing for the ‘Indo-Pacific Century’. In this address, Chief of the Australian Army, Lieutenant General Angus Campbell detailed the Australian Army’s perspective on the strategic outlook as global economic and political power shifts to the region. Speaker Biography Lieutenant General Angus Campbell joined the Australian Army in 1981, graduating from the Royal Military College - Duntroon in 1984. He was assigned to the Royal Australian Infantry Corps and initially served as a platoon commander in the 3rd Battalion (Parachute), The Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR). He has served in a variety of troop and squadron commands as well as a range of staff appointments. In 2005 he joined the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet as a First Assistant Secretary to head the Office of National Security and was subsequently promoted to Deputy Secretary and appointed to the position of Deputy National Security Adviser. In these roles he was responsible for the preparation of advice to the Prime Minister on national security matters and coordinating the development of whole-of-government national security policy. Upon his return to the Australian Defence Force in early 2010 he was appointed to the rank of Major General and led the Military Strategic Commitments staff in Defence headquarters until January 2011, when he assumed command of Australian forces deployed in the Middle East Area of Operations. He subsequently served as Deputy Chief of Army from February 2012 to September 2013, when he was promoted to his current rank to command the Joint Agency Task Force responsible for the implementation of Operation Sovereign Borders. Lieutenant General Campbell was appointed Chief of the Australian Army on 16 May 2015. Corporate Individual RUSI members enjoy privileged access to the RUSI Journal, Newsbrief and Defence Systems as well as invitations to our full programme of exclusive members’ lectures and seminars. Members also have access to our renowned Library of Military History and online catalogue.

A story in Sunday's Orlando Sentinel about a state... August 21, 1985 A story in Sunday's Orlando Sentinel about a state investigation of Greater Metro Investigative Services, an Orlando repossession agency, referred to the business as Metro. There is no connection between Greater Metro Investigative Services and Metro Security Systems Inc., an Orlando company that provides investigative, polygraph, alarm and guard services and goes by the name of Metro. Metro Security Systems is not being investigated by the state.

A spectator lifts up a rope as Tiger Woods, left, rides in a cart with his caddy Joe LaCava, center, after play was suspended due to approaching inclement weather during the first round of the Cadillac Championship golf tournament, Thursday, March 6, 2014, in Doral, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Those who left early didn't miss anything from the world's No. 1 player. Woods' abbreviated day at the Cadillac Championship ended after 10 holes, after rain interrupted play for nearly 2½ hours and forced the first round into Friday because of darkness. His numbers: two bogeys, eight pars and maybe most newsworthy, no noticeable grimaces on account of the balky back that forced him to withdraw Sunday in the final round of the Honda Classic. "Warmup was good and I felt good all day, even through the delay," Woods said. "I'm ready to go back out tomorrow and play well." His day ended with a bogey at the par-5 10th, and that left him five shots behind the overnight leaders, with Harris English the only one of those to actually finish the opening round. Of the 68 players who were on the course Thursday, only seven failed to make a single birdie. Woods was one of them. Going back to the third round of the Honda, he has only one birdie in his last 26 holes. He'll play 26 more holes Friday, weather-permitting. "Should be a long day for all of us," Woods said. But first, he'll have to do some rallying in the morning to avoid a rarity for him on the Blue Monster. In 39 completed rounds so far for Woods at Doral, he has only shot over par three times. That includes a 73 in the final round in 2007 when he won the CA Championship. "Hopefully, tomorrow I can get back out there in the morning, play well and work back to even par by the end of the first round," Woods said. "Then shoot a low one in the afternoon." There was a sense that good things were coming for Woods when the horn blew to stop play at 2:22 p.m. He left his first two birdie putts of the day short, scowled a bit on each of those opening holes, and did a bit of stretching while grabbing at the right side of his back after his drive on the par-4 third hole found the left side of the fairway. Alas, no cause for concern. His birdie try on that hole hit the back lip but wouldn't fall. His tee shot on the par-3 fourth left him somewhat exasperated, sailing long and leaving him saying "How the hell did it go that far?" as he walked back to his bag. That led to his bogey, but he had birdie putts on Nos. 5 and 6 — both missed — and then was in the fairway at No. 7 when play was suspended because of rain. Woods seemed in good spirits throughout, fist-tapping one fan after the sixth hole, chatting for a brief second with a volunteer as he walked off the seventh, smiling a bit as he stretched again on the eighth during a brief delay caused by Sergio Garcia needing a ruling in the group ahead.

Unum Group to present at the Barclays Select Series Insurance Forum CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Unum Group (NYS: UNM) announced today that Kevin McCarthy, executive vice president and chief operating officer, will be representing the company at the Barclays Select Series Insurance Forum, March 18, 2013, in New York City. McCarthy is scheduled to speak at 8 a.m. Eastern and will discuss the company's business strategy and future growth opportunities. There will be a live audio webcast of the presentation available on the "Investors" page of the company's website, www.investors.unum.com. The presentation will be accessible on the "Webcasts and Presentations" page of the Investors section of the site for one year following the event. ABOUT UNUM GROUP Unum Group (www.unum.com) is a leading provider of financial protection benefits in the United States and the United Kingdom. Unum's portfolio includes disability, life, accident and critical illness coverage, which help protect millions of working people and their families in the event of an illness or injury. The company reported revenues of $10.5 billion in 2012, and its subsidiaries - Unum US, Colonial Life and Unum UK - provided $6.3 billion in benefits last year.

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The Fall 2011 Meeting of the NELRC was a tremendous success with almost 50 people in attendance. Cheryl Hackney of Shreveport presented a wonderful experience for those present as a "take back to school" activity. Pictures were taken of participants to place on the NELRC website, presentations were made to the Newspapers in Education winners for the 2010-2011 school year. Case Drurey was presented the 1st STATE winner award for kindergarten, and Trace O'Neal received an honorable mention for STATE for 2nd grade NIE. The boys' pictures were taken with past president Dr. Peggy Wheelis as she presented their awards. Both boys are from West Carroll Parish and students at Oak Grove Elementary. Officers for the 2011-2012 were installed by past LRA president Kathy O'Neal. Comments on Fall Meeting: As part of our positive discipline I used a 4 Tab Foldable to illustrate the 4 CUBS expectations for our school. The kids had a blast with it, as it was much more fun than just copying down in their notes, and it made a terrific reminder display for our halls. Such a great workshop - one of the best I've ever been to. By Tammy Temple of Ouachita Jr. High School 8th Grade Language Arts teacher The NELRC Executive Board met on Wednesday, August 3, 2011 for long range planning for the upcoming 2011-2012 school year. Please see Meeting Minutes for more detailed information about the meeting. The Board reviewed the 2 year focus for the council. The new theme will be "The Power of Reading". Meeting location will be the Ouachita Jr. High School Library and date will be either the last Saturday in Sept. or the first Sat. in Oct. and a mini conference in April. Recommended speakers for the event are being contacted by upcoming president, Dwanna Eady. Membership ideas were discussed as well as the Project Board (council promotion)-Dona Packer, IRS form-Curtis Pate, webpage updates-Kathy O'Neal, installation of officers-Jean Brown, awards will be presented at the fall meeting to NIE and Young Author winners-Peggy Wheelis, and committee chairs will be contacted-Dwanna Eady, Exemplary Reading Program-George Welch and ? were recommended. Plans for the upcoming year include a fall meeting and a mini-conference in April 2012. Several partnerships were discussed: fitness. President Eady will contact district directors from each of the 12 school districts and ULM for continued support of LRA's goals. The NELRC website will include a leadership link from the Louisiana Reading Association's site www.lareading.org. The link will include information for leaders with LRA. A mini-conference planning session was scheduled for Thursday, September 8, 2011 at 4:30PM at the Ouachita Parish Media Center Library. NELRC and Technolgy Fair Saturday, March 5, 2011 The Northeast Louisiana Reading Council partnered with the Northeast Louisiana Technology Fair at West Monroe High School. Educators throughout the region participated in an outstanding day of quality professional development. 9:00 Business Meeting 10:00 Julie Teague, Co-Owner of Learning Wheels, Inc. will present a two hour training that will leave you with ideas you can take back and use right away in your center, for tutoring or in your regular classroom teaching. No matter where you use these games and activities, you are guaranteed to love what they bring! This is no boring "sit and get" session - this is a fast paced, hand-on interactive session that will leave you wanting more! 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CLU’S you can use Professional Development Professional Literature Opportunities for grants to promotes literacy Opportunities to meet published children’s authors Improve reading instructions FIRST MEETING IS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2009 OUACHITA JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 5500 Blanks St., Monroe, La. 71203 The Northeast Louisiana Reading Council is a professional organization dedicated to promoting high levels of literacy for all by improving the quality of reading instruction, disseminating research and information about reading, and encouraging the lifetime reading habit. Our members include classroom teachers, reading specialists, consultants, administrators, supervisors, university faculty, researchers, psychologists, librarians, media specialists, and parents. With members and affiliates in 99 countries, our network extends to more than 300,000 people worldwide. The Northeast Louisiana Reading Council serves its members with professional resources designed to further five goals: Professional Development to enhance professional development of reading educators worldwide Advocacy to support research, policy, and practice that improves reading instruction and promotes the best interests of all learners and reading professionals Partnerships to establish and strengthen national and international alliances with other organizations, including governmental, nongovernmental, and community agencies, businesses, and industries Research to encourage and support research that promotes informed decision making by reading professionals, policy makers, and the public Global Literacy Development to identify, focus, and provide leadership on significant literacy issues For further information about the Council, browse through this section of our website by selecting pages from the menu on the left or contact one of the officers or membership directors. Officers were welcomed and instructed to sign in and pick up a meeting agenda. The meeting was conducted by Dr. Peggy Wheelis, Council President. She opened the meeting with the words to the song by Brad Paisley “Welcome to the Future.” The Council’s focus and theme for the next two years were discussed. The question was asked, “What will it take to get teachers to come out to a meeting on a Saturday morning?” Suggested topics from the group included: Using Centers, Differentiated Learning, Brain Based Research. Dr. Wheelis suggested a projected schedule for council meetings: 9:00 officers’ meeting, 10:00 Keynote speaker, and 11:00 break out sessions. After discussion, the group decided a theme: “The Future of Reading: Curriculum, Technology, and Strategies.” The focus for the next two years will be on Brozo’s strategies in the state Comprehensive Curriculum, integrating technology into classroom instruction, Brain Based Learning strategies, and Using Centers in Differentiated Instruction. The Council’s long range goals are to achieve IRA Honor Council and LRA Honor Council. Possible meeting locations and dates were discussed and choices selected. Dr. Wheelis will contact the principal of Ouachita Junior High School for permission to meet there. The date for the 1st meeting will be Oct 3, 17, or 10. (Availability of meeting place will determine exact date). This will be the first regular council meeting for this year. Curtis Pate, Principal of Boley Elementary, brings an author to his school each year. Officers decided for our council to partner with him and have our next meeting at the same time as his meeting at school. This meeting will be in late January or early February. Spring Council Meeting will be held February 28 or 21. Dr. Wheelis will contact possible keynote speakers such as Ann Buisson, Karen Williams, and Carrice Cummins to determine their availability and speaker fees. Speakers for break-out sessions for each meeting will also be contacted. NELRC will be partnering with the LA Association of School Librarians (LASL) for the next two years and a break-out session will be provided at each meeting that appeals to school librarians. Also, we would like to provide a session that appeals to middle school teachers in order to increase membership of middle school teachers. Officers were given list of possible dates to remember for the 2009-2010 school year. The group brainstormed for other dates to highlight during the year. One date will be highlighted each month and teachers will be asked to report how they recognized the date in their classrooms. These reports will be posted on the NELRC website by Kathy O’Neal. Specific dates that will be recognized are: International Literacy Day, National Newspaper Week, National Young Readers’ Week, etc. The suggestion was made to post a link to the NELRC web site on each parish website in our council area. All officers were asked to double check their IRA membership to be sure it is current so that we will be eligible for IRA Honor Council. Officers were encouraged to pay their LRA/NELRC dues today. (Membership goes from July 1 to June 30.) Ideas for a Membership Drive were discussed. Ideas included: · Encourage all Reading Interventionists to join. · Post the enrollment form on our website. · Email NELRC and IRA membership application forms to parishes and ask them to post them on their websites. · Have building representatives to have applications on first day of school in-services and offer door prizes for those who join. NELRC will offer a gift card to the building rep who gets the most members. Honor council requirements were distributed and presented by Leah Biley since attaining IRA and LRA Honor Council are the two long range goals for the Council. Discussion by the group followed which offered suggestions of how to meet each requirement in order to reach our goal. A list of committees was distributed and possible names discussed for assignments. Dr. Wheelis will contact members to confirm assignments. A Project Board Display for NELRC is needed. Leah Biley will have all the materials for the board and she will get them to DeWanna Eady who will create the board. Payment for materials will be reimbursed by the council. The display board will be completed by August 10 for use by Kathy O’Neal and for use by Dr. Wheelis on Aug. 11. Dr. Wheelis gave each officer a packet with CD of files about LRA etc. All IRS forms are included on the CD with instructions to prepare the report. Curtis Pate, Treasurer will complete this task for NELRC. New ideas for the web page should be sent to Kathy O’Neal. Officers will be installed at the fall meeting by Director Jean Brown. DeWanna Eady made a motion that travel costs be reimbursed to members (Leah Biley and Melba Collum) who attended the LRA Leadership Awards banquet. Carolyn Harden seconded. Treasurer Curtis Pate wrote checks and distributed them. Discussion was held about purchasing promotional items for council meetings. Kathy O’ Neal suggested we have something with the council website address on it, such as a pen. Betty Rogers will get samples and prices and report to Dr. Wheelis. · President Nancy Smith called the business meeting to order and introduced executive board members. · A discussion was held concerning the affirmation of appointed officers due to no nominations or election. The executive board agreed to Nancy Smith’s appointment of officers as the following: Curtis Pate – Treasurer, Dwanna Eady – Membership, Glynda Cobb – Recording Secretary, Melea Walker – Corresponding Secretary. Other officers already elected included: Nancy Smith – President, Peggy Wheelis – President Elect, and no Vice President was appointed. In the Fall Professional Development Meeting, a motion may be made to accept the appointed positions until nominations are received. · Nancy stated that an award will be presented at the Spring Meeting for past president since she was not available. · Nancy Smith paid IRA dues personally for appointed officers, so the NELRC would meet Honor Council deadlines. · IRA will be held in Atlanta, GA. · Janet Fisher sent Young Author packets to each school district 2 weeks ago. · LRA meeting will be April 18-19, 2008. · NELRC spring meeting will be April 26, 2008. · A conference stipend of $75 will be given to a new NELRC member attending the 2007 Conference in Baton Rouge if they have paid their own way (not reimbursed in anyway). One new member’s name will be drawn from a hat to select the recipient. If no new members, then one member attending the conference and paying his/her own way will be drawn. · Author’s Night for Professional Development at Boley Elementary in Ouachita Parish will be Jan. 29, 2008 at 6PM. The author will be Shelly Gill from Alaska. Boley will host the Author Jan. 28-31, 2008. NELRC members may bring teacher or student supplies to donate for the International Project on Jan. 29 at Boley. The supplies will be submitted to LRA and donated to a school in south Louisiana. Boley has hosted the Author’s Night for at least 7 years with Principal Curtis Pate. · LRA/NELRC membership is from July 1 until June 30 of each year no matter what date the dues are paid. IRA dues are paid annually and expire one year from the date they are paid. · LRA 2007 Conference is Nov. 7-9, 2007 in Baton Rouge. Registration forms are available today. · Membership forms are available today or may be downloaded at www.nelareading.org. · NIE forms are available today. The NewsStar plans to host a reception to honor NIE teachers and select a 2007-2008 NIE Exemplary Teacher of the Year. · Nancy Smith solicited student teacher memberships at LaTech (Nancy spoke to Student Teachers in August 2007) and ULM (Nancy contacted Dr. Flowers and sent materials.) · AlphaFest with Cindy Foust will be in February and NELRC will partner to work with parents using Cindy’s literacy activities as a community service project. · The Jr. League of Monroe requested a partnership with NELRC for Barkdull Fall School in Monroe City System on the Reading Night. The Jr. League provides food from food bank and a special night with parents including reading, math, technology and other activities. They have requested NELRC’s help on Reading Night. Roll call was taken by the sign-in sheet. Seven officers and three members were present. Melba Collum, recording secretary, distributed the minutes. A motion by Lynn Morris, seconded by Carolyn Harden, to accept the minutes with amendments was passed. Treasurer Donna Brumley provided the financial report. Amendments to the budget were discussed due to an additional Wal-Mart grant that was received the morning of the meeting. Action of the amended budget will be taken at the fall meeting. President O'Neal installed the new officers. President O'Neal announced that proposals were due by August 28th for the LRA State Conference in Lafayette. She also announced that a location and date for the 2006 LRA State Conference in Monroe would be set by September 18. The board discussed the necessity of changing the council's acronym of NLRC, as it is also the acronym of another reading council in the state. Nancy Smith made a motion to change the acronym to NELRC. Leah Biley seconded the motion. The motion passed four to two to change the council's acronym to NELRC. Crystal Fant made a motion to secure author Mike Artell as keynote speaker for the NELRC Fall Meeting. The motion was seconded by Dr. Peggy Wheelis and passed unanimously. A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Lynn Morris and seconded by Carolyn Harden. The meeting was adjourned at 11:16 A.M. The foregoing minutes of the Northeast Louisiana Reading Council Executive Board Meeting are hereby submitted. Melba Collum, Recording Secretary NLRC Business Meeting Saturday, April 17, 2004 University of Louisiana-Monroe Strauss 148 President Kathy O'Neal called the meeting to order and asked President-elect Lynn Morris to lead the group in prayer. Recording Secretary Melba Collum called roll. Officers' reports were presented: Kathy O'Neal stated the names of guests for the Spring Meeting, requested that the group remember to pray for Awards Chairperson Vickie Green due to her diagnosis of cancer, requested the group also remember Carol Pevehouse's knee surgery, stated that NLRC would recognize Katherine Vaughn as Educator Emeritus, stated that Dr. Harry Miller had also been contacted, but he could not attend, stated that Reading Promotion Projects would be judged on 1st floor of Strauss beginning at 8:45-9:15 A.M., stated that 2 authors were available for Fall Authors in the Schools and needed to be approved, stated that author Cindy Foust was present with book display. Lynn Morris stated her request for officers to remain for 2004-2005 and that nominations were made at last meeting due to her dissertation and also Nancy Smith's request as well, stated that door prizes and refreshment would be available, stated that she had appointed a conference committee and that state and district will help with conference and that others were welcome to join the committee. Vice President Nancy Smith stated that the LRA leadership would be July 15-17, 2004 in Baton Rouge, 2004 conference would be in Lafayette on Nov. 10-12, 2004, NLRC Leadership Retreat would be May 1, 2004, an IRA delegate was needed for Reno, LRA conference proposals were available on literature display, stated speakers names also. Melba Collum documented attendance with sign-in, delivered minutes, and stated that certificates would be available. Motion was made to accept minutes and were approved. New Corresponding secretary Peggy Wheelis was asked by President to send Blanco a thank you for support of literacy, Walmart grants would not be utilized this year, surveys were available, and that superintendents and BESE member be sent honorary memberships from NLRC. Treasurer Donna Brumley reported balance after Prelude, Jerry Pallotta, Bonita Elem.'s 100%. Motion was made to accept treasurers report and were approved. Membership director Crystal Fant was not present. Kathy ONeal requested all members update address and email information when signing in, stated that membership drives were held during the Alpha-Fest, Jerry Pallotta, and that the LRA conference received the greatest increase in membership. Kathy ONeal encouraged everyone to attend and get information out to their schools.The greatest increase in membership came from Morehouse and Richland this year. District reports were requested: Melba Collum documented district members present. Ouachita parish's director Janet Fisher stated that Carolyn Harden would represent Ouachita parish. Madison parish director Pat Candler was present with a group of educators. Parishes represented were Morehouse, Richland, West Carroll, East Carroll, Madison and Catahoula. Committee Reports were presented: Awards will be presented at Spring Meeting and ballot samples with the election ballot was available for suggestions. Bylaws/Election - election ballot will be included in the dual ballot. Community Project is parents' night with author and Dollywood project is available. Educators as authors presenter Kathy Sims was not present. Grants and scholarship forms available on display. Exemplary school needed to be recommended, only one site visit required. Honor Council chairperson Leah Biley stated that eveyone needs to provide documentation to her for NRLC's Honor Council-Carrice reminded everyone that May 1 was the date for 1st form to be submitted. International project-reminded everyone to bring supplies for Tanzinia-other countries would be considered upon request. Legislative Advocacy-IRA press release praises Bush for adolescent literacy. Student membership-Dr. Dawn Hardin will help other professors at ULM. Literacy-study group date change to July 31, 2004. Speakers' Bureau needs suggested speakers for fall and spring-must have credibility for CLUs,Hospitality refreshments and door prizes. Newspaper in education presenter Kathy Sims not present. Pubications consider membership cards, brochure with website-goals-dates, etc. Public Relation possible chairperson Dr. Frank Hoffman and requests of Cindy Foust to speak with Joyce Revoir since she is marketing major. Long Range Planning Committee meet with Dona Holloway and Peggy Wheelis for Conference 2006. Position papers-several articles were recommended for reading from websites. Partnership with Cindy Foust and requests for ULM sorority with Lynn Morris. Young author state winners will be announced at Spring Meeting. Old Business: officer nominations, conference committee meeting dates at later time, new chairpersons needed, literacy study group dates, approval of conference chairperons. New Business: approval of officers, no dates or location for conference set, approval of authors in school with credentials recommendations to Kathy O'Neal & committee, approval of Election/award ballot to be mailed in fall and postmarked by 1-31-05 to chairperson. Adjournment Executive Board Meeting Joe-Muggs Cafe/Books-A-Million Saturday, March 27, 2004 Begin 9:30 A.M. President Kathy O'Neal called the meeting to order. President-Elect Lynn Morris lead in prayer. Secretary Melba Collum took roll with attendance sign-in. Of those members present, 5/6 officers were present. Minutes from past meeting will be read at Spring Meeting. Officers report: President Kathy O'Neal reported: 1. 2006 conference Chairperson and Committee was needed to be recommended, so it can be given to LRA at April 3 meeting. 2. Past presidents will be recognized at Spring Meeting. 3. Chairpersons needed for: young authors (Carol Pevehouse has had an unsuccessful knee surgery and she is taking care of her husband with cancer), awards (Vickie Green has been diagnosed with cancer and is traveling for treatment),and public relations positions needed to be filled. 4. LRA Meeting in Ruston on April 3, 2004 at Ramada Inn. 5. Corresponding secretary is needed. 6. Reminder for all officers to keep a current IRA membership for Honor Council and all Awards. 7. Nominations and selection of awards for Spring Meeting. Vickie called and asked Kathy to finish the awards process. Award nominations and selections will be presented at Spring Meeting: Reading Teacher of the Year-Leah Biley, Librarian of the Year-Melba Collum, Principal of the Year-Nancy Smith, Educator of the Year-Lynn Morris, and Celebrate Literacy Award-Kathy O'Neal (nominated by Nancy Smith and announced in January by Peggy Wheelis Literacy Chairperson at Literacy Book Study.) 8. Scholarships and grants are not being sought for from NLRC members. President-Elect Lynn Morris and Vice President Nancy Smith requested that due to extenuating circumstances, all officers remain for the upcoming year of 2004-2005 to continue in the best interest of the council. Hospitality Chairperson Dona Holloway requested recognizing Katherine Vaughn for her outstanding work in past years with the NLRC as well as past presidents. Nancy Smith suggested the recognition be callled Educator Emeritus for the dedication of many years of service to the NLRC. Recommendations were made for Dr. Frank Hoffman as Public Relations, Janet Fisher as Young Authors, and Jerrilene Washington as Awards. Lynn Morris, President-Elect recommended Dr. Dona Holloway as Conference Chairperson and Dona requested Dr. Peggy Wheelis as a co-chair. Dona selected a committee that would include Nancy Smith, Cyrstal Fant, and Leah Biley. Several members expressed concern for including all parishes in the conference due to past council history of fading interest of other parishes. Nancy Smith suggested including each parish by them having take a part in each day's events at the LRA conference. Each committee members will have contact with individual parish members to bring consistency throughout northeast Louisiana. Dona will contact the Monroe Tourism office to gather information about possible sites for the conference and lodging. Several members stated that they plan to attend the LRA Meeting on April 3, 2004. The number will be submitted to LRA president for breakfast. Kathy O'Neal suggested that Peggy Wheelis become corresponding secretary for the upcoming year. Kathy O'Neal recommended that Peggy Wheelis be nominated as Vice-President when Lynn Morris becomes president and Nancy Smith become President-elect. Kathy O'Neal stated that she would accept a nomination as corresponding secretary after her presidency to help new officers with responsibilities. Hospitality committee will provide muffins and juice for Spring Meeting. A suggestion was made to contact Dr. Dawn Hardin about ULM student involvement to secure scholarships. New business: Lynn Morris made the motion and Nancy Smith seconded for a nomination of officers that will be approved at Spring Meeting. Meeting adjourned at 10:05 A.M. The Literacy Study Group met at 10:05 A.M. with Dr. Peggy Wheelis as facilitator and Ms. Melba Collum as coordinator. Dr. Wheelis provided chapter 1 and a table of contents. Ms. Collum provided materials as needed. The group enjoyed discussion of the book and was excited about the next opportunity to share. At the close of the session, Dr. Dona Holloway recommended that the next study include the March 2004 Issue of EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP due to the extensive promotion of literacy within the issue. The group decided to have the Literacy Study Group on Saturday, July 17, 2004, after the 2004-2005 officers' installation at ULM Strauss Room 202 rather having another meeting. The meeting adjourned at 11:00 A.M. Many members lingered in Books-A-Million for more discussion and to purchase books.

The Boxer Rebellion is made up of a menagerie of origins, a splintered influence pool that sets their sound apart from other English rockers. Lead singer (and swoon-worthy) Nathan Nicholson injects a Jim James worthy Tennessee wail into the rhythm section's Brit-rock skeleton, while guitarist Todd Howe layers on Australian riffs. The result of their shaken (not stirred) sound is a contagious, coercive, and clean aesthetic with a little bit of American Southern funk coating the edges. Here the band moves effortlessly through their catalog, including the best of their most recent The Cold Still, serving up a refreshing blend of effortless cool for the heated crowds of Austin. Artist Bio With all that's befallen them, London-based quartet The Boxer Rebellion have a history that reads like a grand, intricately woven design. For a band who have been together almost ten years - during which their first (and, to date, only) label went bust shortly after their debut release and a key member had a near-death experience - such fluctuating fortunes would surely see most bands imploding in frustration. So what marks The Boxer Rebellion out from the rest? How have they endured in relative obscurity, held down day jobs to self-release a follow-up, and arrived at a kind of renaissance so far down a jagged career path? Well, one could point to the quality of the songs or the almost wanton uniqueness of their sound, but that would be remiss - they've always had the talent. Perhaps it could be faith in their own abilities - a bloody-mindedness that refused to go away? Not so - every band that has ever existed (or not) tends to think they're the reincarnation of The Beatles. The simple fact is, the reason The Boxer Rebellion have endured thus far resides in a single word, a concept that was the insignia of their second album: Union. In an industry replete with egoism, showmanship and self-aggrandisement, The Boxer Rebellion have always remained refreshingly understated, whilst producing a musical output that is anything but. Comprising a line-up that neither eschews nor basks in the spotlight, what you get with this band more than any other is a sense of shared purpose - a unity impervious to external influence or critical sloganeering, which divides itself into equally vital parts of a greater whole. "We've always been a band that's had a sense of seclusion, which has helped us extract the essence of what we are as a unit," guitarist Todd Howe reveals of their working process, a point succinctly and wryly punctuated by frontman Nathan Nicholson: "I think if we were solo artists, we'd have all quit by now." It's this sense of alliance that has allowed The Boxer Rebellion to navigate a path beset with industry indifference and financial hardship to forge a career that has set industry landmarks from the base materials of undeniable talent and a cast-iron will. One such landmark came in the band's recent live appearance on the silver screen in Going The Distance, a Hollywood feature film starring Drew Barrymore. In the movie, the band play themselves and effectively superimpose their name into the popcorn-chomping eyes of movie-going audiences throughout the world - performing two tracks from the Union LP ('Evacuate' and 'Spitting Fire') while also providing an original song, 'If You Run', for the film's finale. All this on the back of a chance encounter with film industry spotters at a showcase in LA, who were so impressed with the band's sold-out performance at The Troubadour, they promptly nudged the film's director, Nanette Burstein, to make them the movie's musical focal point. Since then, the band have found themselves attending red-carpet premieres in Los Angeles and London (in a location literally around the corner from where two of the band used to work in a shoe shop), before launching into a packed-out 20-date US tour in September 2010. Having self-released and virtually self-financed the follow-up to debut Exits, the band's Union LP saw them make history by becoming the first unsigned band to enter the US Billboard 100 Albums Chart (no. 82) on digital sales alone. By the end of 2009, iTunes US declared Union their Alternative Album of the Year. A fitting climax to a year of toil and tussle, after this The Boxer Rebellion were primed and ready to embark on their third studio record. "There's no conventional approach or formula to how I work," the producer states. "But working on this album, I felt there had to be some natural way of recording, because the tracks were coming fast. So recording it live seemed like the logical thing to do - there was a synchronicity to writing and recording, and the way it all came together so naturally I think adds to the whole feel of it." The result of this dynamic - and the first album The Boxer Rebellion have handed over to a single producer - is the forthcoming breathtaker that is The Cold Still, an album that might never have seen the light of day from a band of lesser conviction. And beyond everything that has sought to restrain them, this is one band who have taken the trials of their formative years and built themselves a future that glows from the resurgent embers of the determination that refused to be extinguished all those years ago, and burns ever brighter still. For The Boxer Rebellion, what's past is their prologue. Here's where their story truly begins...

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Subscribe to our newsletter Carbon Fast for Lent What do you do during Lent, the 40 days leading up to Easter? For Christians, Lent is the time to remember the 40 days that Jesus spent in the Wilderness, facing challenge and temptation. It is a time to reflect on God’s purpose for our life. In recent years, many Christians have adapted this noble tradition to become more mindful of – and reduce - their impacts on Creation. Prayer, penance, repentance of sins, atonement, giving to others (almsgiving) and self-denial are ways that help Christians remember this time in Jesus’ life and wait and prepare for the celebration of His resurrection at Easter. Traditionally, Christians have practised fasting and abstinence from festivities during Lent, just as Jesus did in the Wilderness. These practices feature in many religions. For example, Muslims will fast during Ramadan. They will also practice self-restraint in body and mind. This fasting, from dawn until sunset, is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is a time to purify the soul, refocus attention on God, and practice self-sacrifice – just as numerous Christians do in Lent. A lot of people use this period of fasting as a way to trial or begin a positive change to how they live some aspect of their lives. In recent years, many Christians have adapted this noble tradition to become more mindful of – and reduce - their impacts on Creation. Anglicans have been at the forefront of this move. A Carbon Fast challenge for Lent originated in England. Six dioceses in southwest England then developed resources for individual people and church and school communities to reflect and tread more lightly on the Earth. In 2014, the Carbon Fast became a part of their Lenten spiritual devotion, and helped them discover the financial benefits of stewarding resources. They undertook a specific challenge to reduce energy consumption by 40 percent for the 40 days of Lent. (This is a significant challenge in England in early Spring!) In 2015, the focus was on the link between our use of water, which needs to be pumped, cleaned and stored; energy use and the things we ‘consume’. In 2016, the Lent Carbon Fast reminds us that that God is our Creator as well as our Redeemer, and emphasises reconnecting with the Earth. ‘It is in deepening our awareness of the web of life and our interconnectedness with all things, that we can deepen our love of God and appreciate and protect the planet for the future.’ For Lent this year, the Anglican Communion Environmental Network again challenges us to take on a Carbon Fast and to reduce actions that damage God’s Creation. I like the way it includes reflections and actions at both individual people and church levels. If you would like to take on a specific challenge for the whole of Lent, some good ideas for 2016 are: change your mode of travel. ACTSmart is running Change your Mode for March. Challenge yourself, friends and colleagues. Register by 5pm on 29 February to be part of the online competition and be in the running for prizes. joining the Lent Plastic Challenge. Give up some or all or your use of ‘single-use’ plastics. This is a way of reducing a raft of adverse impacts on Creation (especially wildlife and visual amenity) from our current lifestyle. try the traditional Lenten challenge of eating meat-free meals. This is the origin of Carnivale (literally ‘meat farewell) – the lead-up to the period of avoiding meat during Lent. Undertaking a Carbon Fast is a great way look at how we go about our daily lives and try new ways of doing things. I especially like the way it is only for a limited time…it’s a way of trying out more difficult changes before committing to them permanently. Lent provides a good focal point for undertaking a Carbon Fast– or you can do it any time you wish. Checking your environmental footprint before you start the fast and again when you have finished is a great idea. It can be very enlightening and can help you see what impact your individual efforts have. There is no better time than now to try new ways of living that reduce our adverse impact on Creation. Join me and Anglicans around the world as we fast from carbon during Lent. Here is a prayer from the other side of the world to get us going:

Beta-cyfluthrin??(cyano-(4-fluoro-3-phenoxyphenil)-methyl-3-(2,2-dichloroethenyl)-2,2-dimethyl-cyclopropanecarboxylate) is a relatively new compound and a third generation man made synthetic pyrethroid that is highly photo-stable, low odor, and provides rapid insect control. It is the active ingredient of insecticide formulations used to control a wide variety of pests on cotton, corn, sunflower and soybean crops. Like other pyrethroids, beta-cyfluthrin presents stereoselective interaction with a fraction of the sodium channels of the neuronal membranes, resulting in a prolongation of the inward sodium currents evoked in neurons by every incoming pulse of excitatory stimulation. Scope of the Report: This report focuses on the Beta Cyfluthrin in global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application. Beta cyfluthrin is a kind of pyrethrins insecticide which was developed by Bayer in 1991. Beta cyfluthrin is widely used in agriculture and home deinsectization. The effect is better than other pyrethrins insecticide. In the global the main manufacturers include Bayer, Youth Chem, Liwei Chem, and Huangma Agrochem. Global demand of beta cyfluthrin will increase to 912 MT in 2015 from 764 MT in 2010. It is estimated that supported by downstream industries, global demand of beta cyfluthrin demand will keep increasing with an average growth rate of 1.79% in the coming five years. In addition, similar with that of globe, the demand of beta cyfluthrin in China will increase from 455 MT in 2010 to 502 MT in 2015, with an average demand growth of 1.68% in the coming five years. Compared with foreign giants, beta cyfluthrin e produced by Chinese manufacturers still has a certain gap. Chinese beta cyfluthrin manufacturers are dedicated to improving their technology and narrowing down the performance gap with foreign giants. We tend to believe that this industry still has a bright future, considering the current demand of beta cyfluthrin. As for product prices, the slow downward trend in recent years will continue in the next few years, as competition intensifies. Similarly, there will be fluctuations in gross margin. The worldwide market for Beta Cyfluthrin is expected to grow at a CAGR of roughly -0.4% over the next five years, will reach 34 million US$ in 2023, from 34 million US$ in 2017, according to a new GIR (Global Info Research) study. Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into Agricultural uses Home uses Other There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Beta Cyfluthrin market. Chapter 1, to describe Beta Cyfluthrin Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force; Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Beta Cyfluthrin, with sales, revenue, and price of Beta Cyfluthrin, in 2016 and 2017; Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017; Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Beta Cyfluthrin, for each region, from 2013 to 2018; Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the market by countries, by type, by application and by manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions; Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2013 to 2018; Chapter 12, Beta Cyfluthrin market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2018 to 2023; Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Beta Cyfluthrin sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source

AndreWolff wrote: Yes, but I can’t detect the recipe of the color changes. What are the rules, which determines the colors? The current colors are for me not understandable, so can I switch of the colors?

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This is jointly a celebration of the movement entering its second month, and a bit of solidarity for all the camps that were wiped out this week. Check out Occupytogether.org to find your local action and see how you can get involved. Today is also a day of waiting for the London camp, as eviction notices were served last night: Okay, I posted that first one ’cause there is an adorkable picture of a tent with a protest notice on it. Like, I’m ridiculously charmed by it for no good reason. I agree with the protesters though – the City of London screwed up by serving notice on ALL the tents. At least they included a map with it, but still – how the hell are they damaging stone? That’s probably one of the biggest problems with the main London camp; there’s not really a good way to moor their tents. But still – the protesters think they have a good case against the City of London, and because of the location and the wishes of the church, we aren’t as likely to see the violent clear-out that the US camps have seen. This is brinkmanship, and while the wealthy think the threat will maybe drive the campers away, I don’t think they really understand what’s going on. If the super-wealthy DID understand, we wouldn’t see hilarities like this: I’ll take a second to make the usual caveat statements: I am not a Democrat. I have never watched MSNBC. I do not give a flying fig about the talking heads. And yet, every time I see something from Keith Olbermann, I am generally charmed by his skill as an orator. That does a lot more for me than all the Colberts and Stewarts out there; they might provide some amusing points, but that’s their job – they’re comedians. Anyways, with that aside – do watch this, as it makes a fantastic point about how all the attempts to quash the movement only serves to inflame it, and all the out-of-touch gaffes only serve to – you got it, further fuel the movement. So sure Bloomberg – change the laws to serve yet another term past what you should have served; you’ll do more good for the movement than harm, no matter how many spin pieces your media empire spins to say these people are bad and wrong. Oh yes, and if you’ve not seen it yet – don’t forget to check out The Occupy Wall Street Press!

share Dubai: Iraqi troops were on Wednesday battling insurgents after they seized government buildings in northern Iraq, security officials said. At least five soldiers were killed in the fighting in the town of Sulaiman Beik, some 170 kilometres north of Baghdad, according to Shalal Abdul, a local police chief. Agency reports said at least three gunmen were also killed, with a dozen or so injured. A conflicting agency report said nine police officers were killed in fighting on Wednesday, with the toll climbing towards 20 by the day’s end. The fatalities come a day after at least 27 people were killed and dozens injured in clashes that followed the army’s crackdown on Sunni protesters in the town of Haweja, near the oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk. A similar number of fatalities were also reported elsewhere in the restive region, which has been wracked by simmering sectarian conflict that has boiled over since last weekend. The security clampdown by troops has further infuriated the Sunni minority amid deep resentment against the Shiite-led government. “This is a real massacre,” said Shaikh Abdullah Sami, a member of the Kirkuk local council. “Our young people were treacherously killed ... We want their killers to be punished.” Gunmen also attacked a Sahwa anti-Al Qaida militia checkpoint in Khales, northeast of Baghdad, killing four of the militiamen and wounding a fifth, a police lieutenant colonel and a doctor said. Gunmen wounded a policeman in the northern city of Mosul, while a soldier was wounded in another shooting to its south, police and a doctor said. Three of the gunmen were killed in the Mosul attack. Three people were also killed in apparently unrelated violence. A car bomb against a police patrol killed two police and a civilian and wounded at least seven other people in Tarmiyah, north of Baghdad, an Interior Ministry official and a medical source said. And in Fallujah, west of Baghdad, a mortar attack targeting the home of a provincial council member wounded a man and two children, although the politician was unharmed, a police captain and a doctor said. Protesters have taken to the streets in Sunni-majority areas for more than four months, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki and decrying the alleged targeting of their minority community by the Shiite-led authorities. The wave of violence that began on Tuesday is the deadliest to date linked to the protests. MY GULF NEWS GulfNews.com is the most widely read newspaper, and online site in English in the Middle East. With a daily BPA audited paid circulation of over 108,000, and an online audience of 3.5 million uniques every month, it is your go to source for information on the region. Sign up below to begin personalising your experience

Exhausting Week... But Storms in My View Posted on 1st May, 2017 The week just gone has been probably one of the most exhausting of my career, whereby I think I only managed about 3 routine eye examinations in the 70+ appointments I saw. The rest were either complicated in some way or another, with each patient needing a little longer than the appointment time allocated to be seen. Unfortunately this meant early starts, reduced lunch breaks and also late finishes, so stress levels have risen and energy to do much else than try and relax where possible have not been mustered. Still, an extra day off this weekend due to it being a bank holiday has really been welcomed and, has allowed me some chance to write this blog post (even if it is 3pm and I'm sat here in my pajamas bottoms still...). As work is a given in each week, the unexpected storms to hit Britain last Tuesday were a huge bonus and definitely helped make the week more manageable. Leaving work with the knowledge it was going to be stormy (an optometrist is not the profession to have if you like looking at the weather from your office - my room for the day was in the middle of a building with no windows!) I glanced out the third floor window of the eye hospital and was greeted by this monstrous looking cloud: Stormy skies toward the north east of Bristol Naturally, I rushed out to see the clouds in full view - and they didn't disappoint. The atmosphere was charged and I was very hopefull for some thunder and lightning, although sadly it didn't produce. That didn't stop me from having my forehead glued to the bus window on the way back, watching and hoping though... I got off the bus slightly early as the walk would take me a route where I can see further in the direction the cells were coming from. With the Netweather Storm Radar open and cells in sight, I calculated that it would be about an hour until another cell passed overhead, so visited the Turnpike pub (near the end of my road) and sat with a beer until it hit. The below video is the result: April showers over Staple Hill, Bristol on Tuesday April 25th 2017 If you want more Bristol storm action; check out my Storm Blog shortly as I was treated to another show today (and yes...I had to abandon writing this post to follow it!). Bar a few more days of work and a visit to Gloucester to see Hannah, the week has otherwise been uneventful. Saturday involved a morning of work, before an afternoon editing the website, before I decided to watch Bristol City (sorry for swearing) play Brighton on Sky Sports over at the Bar 501. Although it was entertaining to watch Taylor miss an easy shot again, credit where credit is due, City played well and won the game 1-0. The main highlight of the weekend was that of Bristol Rovers' last game against Millwall. Rovers had nothing to play for, Millwall had the Play-Offs to drop out of. It was a charged game with both teams refusing to be beaten. Some of the players that have been a bit lacklustre of late appeared to be hungry to finish the season with a flourish. Sadly, the first two goals went to Millwall, under quite dubious circumstances - especially their second - with their goalscore a clear 2 yards offside with his strike. Soon after Jermain Easter finished a great eeffort from Billy Bodin to make it 2-1. Our elation was short-lived as Millwall soon made it 3-1 after some poor defending by Chelsea loanee, Jake Clarke-Salter. The game went into half time at 3-2 after Billy Bodin set up Rovers' fan and highly ranked player Chris Lines, who drilled the ball beyond the hands of the Millwall goalkeeper. It was a superb shot and well taken goal. Millwall were looking rather edgy when the second half began and, with the strong wind now on Rovers' side, they pushed forward and applied heavy pressure on the Millwall defence. A free kick just outside the box was awarded after a Millwall foul and Man of the Match, Billy Bodin, stood up and scored a tremendous free kick. 3-3 and as it stood, Millwall were out of a play-off place. Many stewards and police officers surround the Millwall supporters Tensions were high and, as elated as Gasheads were, I'm sure many were anxious in case there was trouble after the game. It wasn't long before we lost the ball (a clear foul on Luke James as he was clear through on goal - but not given) and led to a Millwall corner, from which they scored from. The game ended at 4-3 and, despite the loss, most Rovers fans were left feeling exhilarated from an exciting game of football. It's going to be some time before our next game - friendly, competitive or otherwise, so will be a bit of gap before I catch up with my football buddies Jack and Liam, as well as seeing my uncle Andy as often. Still - roll on the 2017/18 season and fingers crossed for another thriller. Enjoying the match atmosphere with my uncle Andy, Jack and Liam And with that, comes the end of another week. Lots planned for this week ahead, so keep tuned for my next update. Until then, have a great week! Jason P.S. Here is the video of the storm that distracted me from this blog entry! Enjoy!

2017 Scion FR-S Displays Updated Styling The Scion FR-S has a decent fan base here in the United States, as well as overseas where it’s better known as the Toyota GT86. The 2016 model recently became available for purchase, but what we’re really excited about is the refreshed 2017 model, which will take off the mask and reveal itself for all to see sometime next year. A few months ago, Motoring reported that the main change to the 2017 Scion FR-S would be to its exterior styling, while the engine would remain pretty much untouched. A new front end with a larger lower grille would give the sports car new life and a more aggressive look, while the exhaust outlets would move toward the rear corners. Pictured: The 2016 Scion FR-S Recently, the upgraded GT86/FR-S was caught testing with a camouflaged front and rear end, verifying the rumors of its redesign. Despite the coverings, you can easily see that the front of the vehicle has bigger air intakes, hew headlights, and a revised nose. On the rear end, it’s clear that the 2017 FR-S will have a larger spoiler, new LED taillights, and a redesigned bumper. We don’t know any details about the engine, but rumors point to the FR-S keeping its current 2.0-liter four cylinder, but increasing the power by around 5% to make 208 horsepower total. Additionally, a new suspension should make for a smoother ride.

Creative Composites: The Lady of Versailles $27.00 Course Overview In this course I take you through a full composite project, from start to finish, of a beautiful queen in the Palace of Versailles! I’ll show you how to use multiple elements and combine them seamlessly into one gorgeous composite. I’ll show you how to create a glamorous look of a royal woman in Versailles. This is a very fun project that includes all of the source files so you can follow along and create the same composite. Lessons 5 Length 1 Hour 33 Minutes Level Beginner Required Lightroom CC & Photoshop CC Lessons Background Preparation and Clean Up In this video we are going to erase all of the tourists by using a not very well known option tool - Stack Modes ! Background lights Next we are going to add a lot of rays of lights coming from the windows and re-light the entire Hall of mirrors of Versailles! Skin clean-up Using Frequency Separation we are going to clean up the skin of our star! The Mask Let's make some precise selections and refine the edges so it blends seamlessly.

Latest News Rob Babcock was asked if Jose Calderon will be able to contribute anything to the Raptors next season. "He'd better," Babcock said. The comment from the club's general manager was made light-heartedly. But really, Babcock wasn't kidding. In case you hadn't noticed, the Raptors aren't deep at the point. As of yesterday, they have Rafer Alston and Calderon, a 23-year-old, 6-foot-3 Spaniard who has played in the Spanish pro league, for the Spanish national team and in the Olympics, but never has set foot on an NBA court. "Some (other) teams asked, but for me, I don't hear it," Calderon said during a media conference. "When I talked to Rob and when I visited the city, I liked it. For me and my wife, we can live well here. I only saw Toronto." Obviously, he hasn't been here on one of our really smoggy days. Regardless, Babcock described Calderon as a "classic" point guard, despite the fact he averaged only 3.0 assists last season. "The first time I went to Europe to scout a point guard, I charted him as having nine assists in the game," Babcock said. "I got the stats afterward and he had three. To get an assist in Europe, basically the player has to shoot a layup. John Stockton would have averaged three assists in Europe." So does that mean the Raptors are prepared to head into next season with Calderon as their primary backup point man? "He's going to have to earn that, but that's what we signed him to be," Babcock said. Still, Babcock admitted he would like to add a veteran point guard to complement Alston and Calderon. Alvin Williams still is on the roster, but his battle- and surgery-scarred legs remain a huge question mark. And second-round pick Roko Ukic decided to stay in Europe for now, although Babcock said Calderon presently is far more ready for the NBA than the 21-year-old Ukic. "We have prepared as if Alvin is not going to play, and that's the way we have to look at it to protect ourselves," Babcock said. "If he is able to play, that's a bonus. "Generally, in most years you need to have three point guards, or three guys who can play the point. Right now, we don't have that backup 2-1 guy (someone to fill in at both shooting guard and point guard). That's an area we still will be looking at." The thing is, the Raptors don't have much monetary wiggle room as they divvy up their $5-million US mid-level salary-cap exception. They've signed Calderon and will re-sign forward Pape Sow any day now. They claim they still want to keep forward Matt Bonner, but their stance remains solid with regard to salary. After speaking to two sources, it was reported here yesterday that Bonner's original contract request was for something close to $3.5 million US per year, over five years. For the record, that was disputed yesterday by Bonner's agent, Kenny Grant, who claimed the original contract request was for $2.5 million over five years. Either way, the Raptors and Bonner aren't on the same page. "It's unfortunate, because Matt is a fan favourite in Toronto," Grant said. "But if it doesn't work out there, Matt will just have to be a fan favourite some place else." Whatever happens with Bonner, it's going to be a challenge for the Raptors to add a veteran point man who truly can help them. "It probably will be minimum-salary guys who we're looking at, because once we use up that (mid-level) exception, we're pretty much done," Babcock said. PURSUING TRADES "That is, unless a trade occurs, and we still are pursuing some trades. But after this first wave of trades and signings takes place around the league, teams re-evaluate and that helps trades to get further pushed. "So, we'll see what happens. I don't anticipate anything major right away. At this point, with the amount of money we have left, we're looking at the second and third waves." Will adding a crop of rookies, re-signing some backups and mining the NBA's "second and third waves" provide enough depth for the Raptors to compete next season in a noticeably improving Eastern Conference?

Meta Leah isn’t your average kid. Well, sorta. See, she has a mom, a step-dad, and a little (half) brother. Pretty normal, right? What Leah doesn’t have is a Dad, of the biological variety. You see, her mom used a donor to have her. Donor 730, to be exact. While Leah has always been ok with this, it has made her the victim of ridicule in school when her classmates don’t understand her family dynamic. And sometimes she does feel like she isn’t really a part of her family at home. Due to a number of things going on in her (like moving to a new state, getting her period, making new friends, and struggling with her identity), she decides to seek out her donor siblings. The problem is, Leah’s mom thinks that she already has all the family she needs. My So-Called Family is an interesting look at a family that many kids may not consider in their daily lives. While sperm donors are fairly common, I don’t think many kids are aware that there are kids out there who have come from those donors. Leah’s journey in this books allows her and the reader to address many ideas of “family” that they might never consider otherwise. Sheinmel captures the voice of an unsure 13-year old very well. Leah doesn’t know who she is yet, and convinces herself that finding her donor siblings will solve all her problems. But just as that is rarely the case in real life, she learns that there is a lot more to happiness than knowing your biological siblings. *The opinions expressed here are my own, and do not represent the opinion of the Cybils panel as a whole.

Analysis and player ratings from the Union’s loss in Columbus. Rotating rosters, cheap turnovers, an absence of attacking runs, poor ball movement – is the offensive malaise creating a confidence problem in the defense? They came to see Ronaldo and the stars of Madrid. They left talking of Michael Farfan, checking their cell phones to see replays of an incredible goal. The Union lost 2-1 to Real Madrid, but a strong performance should give the team confidence heading into the second half of the MLS season.

For that special gift, choose a holiday at the Cavallino Bianco Would you like to give the gift of a weekend or wellness holiday in Trentino? We have exactly the thing: wellness offers in Trentino from the Cavallino Bianco. Check out our offers and if you don't find what you're looking for, request a quotation for a personalised offer. You can pay via bank transfer using the following details: Si. Da. di Elisabetta Fedrigoni Banca IntesaBIC SWIF:BCITITMMEUR IBAN: IT15M0306934673100000000146 Please specify your name and voucher request in the payment description.Once you have paid, the gift certificate will be sent via email in the form of a PDF.

Sponsored Links Sponsored Links The new, sixth-generation Ford Mustang GT (S550) had just a short stint as the new kid on the block before General Motors fired back with the latest evolution of their rival pony car: the Chevrolet Camaro. Tacking itself onto the end of one of the most high-profile, emotionally violent car rivalries in human history, Motor Trend conducted an all-important comparison test. So, how does the 2016 Ford Mustang GT with optional Performance Package fare against the ground-up redesign 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS? Unfortunately, the former doesn’t quite cut it. The new Camaro has migrated to the smaller, lighter platform of the Cadillac ATS, giving it a distinct weight advantage: 3,672 pounds, next to the Mustang GT’s 3,825. As we all know, weight affects everything. This could be seen – or rather, felt – in how the 2016 Mustang GT handled itself around corners much the same as its predecessor did, despite the addition of an independent-rear suspension. Motor Trend reported that the pony with the Blue Oval badge experienced a lot more pitch, roll, and general tossing-around than did Chevrolet’s Camaro. The 2016 Ford Mustang GT is working with a relative power deficit, too, offering 435 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque to the Camaro’s 455 hp and 455 lb-ft. Largely because of that, the Camaro SS was able to sprint to 60 mph in just 4.0 seconds, while the Mustang GT managed a less-expedient 4.6 seconds. Quarter-mile times were tested at 12.4 seconds versus 12.9 seconds, at 114.6 mph versus 110.0 mph, respectively. Even still, while the 2016 Chevy Camaro SS may beat the 2016 Mustang GT in numerical terms, the difference is slim enough that no self-respecting Ford pony car fan need ever feel embarrassed.

The Visitation Ministry is a ministry of love and compassion to those who are shut-in. Our teams of one or two individuals are committed to serve by becoming a spiritual lifeline to nursing home residents, the homebound who are confined to their homes because of illness or disability challenges, and those in the hospital. Members of the visitation team are there to pray, encourage and share a word of healing with the love of Christ. Sometimes people would like to chat, but just aren’t up to receiving a visit in person, so we also provide phone visits. Water baptism is the Christian’s response to the grace and forgiveness of God through Jesus Christ. Water baptism says to God, and all those present, I’m in all the way – that’s why we baptize by full immersion in water. It says, “I want to be immersed in the Holy Spirit and fire”, “I want to be immersed in the Body of Christ”, “I want to be immersed in the righteous life God has for me”, and much more. ​ Our water baptisms are generally scheduled for the evening service on the last Sunday of the Month. Please call the church office to confirm the date and time. ​ Special Note to Parents or Viewers: Children 12 and under need their parent or guardian’s approval to be baptized. We at The Tabernacle are here to make certain that your wedding day is as beautiful as you always dreamed it would be. It is our utmost desire that you develop a lasting, happy marriage. We recognize that because your marriage is a religious rite, one of the most important members of your wedding party is the officiating pastor. Your government recognizes this when it gives pastors the authority to legally marry people. In addition to the legal responsibility placed on the pastor, there are also spiritual responsibilities relevant to the nature of your marriage. ​ Since you are about to make a lifelong commitment to one person, the Tabernacle Pastoral Staff is committed to protecting the sanctity of that relationship by making your wedding ceremony sacred and worshipful. Our goal is to do all that we can to assist you as a couple to successfully meet the many challenges of married life. For this reason, the pastor that you choose to officiate will want to counsel with you concerning your approaching marriage; we want to be sure that you realize fully the responsibilities of this covenant relationship. ​ While most weddings are performed either in the Sanctuary or the Prayer Center, the pastors are willing to officiate your ceremony at a venue of your choice. Please reach out to secure the date and time of the ceremony and also your choice of officiating Pastor. ​ A wedding coordinator will be available to see that very detail is carried out exactly as you wish, once you have decided to hold your wedding here at The Tabernacle. Planning a funeral or memorial service can be an overwhelming task. It can be a challenge to work through the details while walking through a time of loss. As a church family, the Pastors of the Tabernacle are always available to assist families during these difficult times of transition. We work very closely with the family, as well as the funeral director, to make sure the wishes of the family are carried out in every detail. ​ There are several differences between a Funeral Service and a Memorial Service. Both celebrate and honour the life of a loved one. A Funeral Service is more traditional while a Memorial Service tends to be more non-traditional. Memorial Services are becoming increasingly popular as more people are choosing cremation. A funeral will usually occur within a few days of the individual’s’ death. At the discretion of the family, a funeral will have an open casket ceremony (where the body can be viewed) or a closed casket ceremony. A Memorial Service also pays tribute to the life of the deceased; however, the body of the person that has died is not present. The Memorial Service can occur days, weeks, even months after the person died. ​ Typically, services are held in a church building, however, they can be held at the funeral home or at the cemetery. Along with Scripture and song preferences, the pastor will ask for details of the deceased’s life to allow those in attendance to truly focus on the person who has passed away and remember specific details about them.

Millennials, tired of sprawl and lengthy drive times, want to live in downtowns and are willing to downsize into smaller housing to do so. Grand Rapids-based Urbaneer LLC wants to help them. The company, a tenant at the Start Garden incubator downtown, has closed on more than $1 million of a planned funding round of $1.5 million. Raul Fernandez, vice chairman and owner of Washington, D.C.,-based Monumental Sports & Entertainment, and Wakestream Ventures LLC, the DeVos family office in Grand Rapids, led the funding. Previously, Urbaneer was a proof-of-concept unit at Grand Rapids-based Rockford Construction testing the theory that it makes commercial sense to design smaller, smarter living spaces for urbanites. Through subcontractors, Urbaneer designs and builds movable walls, wall beds, wall tables and kitchen islands that go from coffee-table height to counter height to provide functionality to smaller living spaces. The company received two patents on its movable walls in 2015. For example, a couple renting a 900-square-foot apartment in a downtown doesn't need as much square footage in their bedroom during the day as at night. So, Urbaneer designed a wall that moves back at night to make a full-size bedroom and moves the other way by day to make the bedroom tiny and turn a cramped space on the other side of the wall into a comfortable dining area. In January, Forbes featured Urbaneer in an article on intriguing gadgets for home use that were on display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Urbaneer's $8,000-plus wireless kitchen featured counters with built-in wireless power for mobile devices, laptops and other smart kitchen appliances. "We want to design the right housing for a changing population that wants smaller, more efficient spaces," said Bruce Thompson, Urbaneer's co-founder and president. "People moving into cities won't need as much space or have as much stuff. We want to be that company that builds the next generation of building spaces." Thompson said Urbaneer employs four full-time employees and four contractors and will use the current funding round to ramp up sales and marketing and on product development. "Where we live and how we live is changing. Our cities are changing. As a result, developers and builders are seeking new solutions that create more livable spaces. Urbaneer is a new breed of company, with a powerful vision, and its products are creating the next generation of living spaces," said Wakestream Investment Director Kim Pasquino. Experienced innovator "Urbaneer's sweet spot is how we create a smarter space that works more efficiently in urban spaces as real-estate costs go up with demand and as people want to return to cities," said Paul Moore, a director at Start Garden. "Bruce is one of those seasoned and smart guys who blows up the mythology of startups being incubated out of dorm rooms. The ones that grow really smart and really fast are grown by people who have been successful in other areas." Indeed, Thompson's CV goes well beyond the dorm room. In 1988, he founded Online Management Services in Colorado, which he acknowledges was too far ahead of the Internet curve and went out of business two years later. He has also worked with Grand Rapids-based Computer Design Inc., an early developer of computer-aided design systems; joined MCI Telecommunications' new business development team in Washington, D.C.; was vice president of corporate development for Washington-based Proxicom, a systems integrator Fernandez founded; and was VP of corporate development at Virginia-based Objectvideo, which provides video software for security, public safety and business intelligence. Thompson later returned to his hometown of Grand Rapids as a partner in RC Logistics before becoming chief strategy officer at Rockford Construction. He and Rockford CEO Mike VanGessel co-founded Urbaneer in 2013. Photo Urbaneer Rendering shows 800-square-foot model house in Grand Rapids built with Urbaneer designs. Manufacturing community "Western Michigan is a really good place to do this. The office-furniture industry means there is an established supply chain for us," said Thompson. West Michigan is home to Grand Rapids-based Steelcase Inc., Zeeland-based Herman Miller and Holland-based Haworth among other furniture manufacturers. Jennifer Boezwinkle, Rockford's vice president of communications and strategy, said the construction, real-estate development and property-management company wanted to get ahead of trends in the market place. Engineering News-Record ranks Rockford as one of the top 150 contractors in the nation. Founded in 1987, the company claims projects totaling nearly $4 billion in more than 800 cities across the U.S. "Millennials prefer to live in cities," Boezwinkle said. "But with an influx to cities like Grand Rapids, the supply gets very expensive, which is why the small-space movement is growing." Rockford has incorporated some Urbaneer designs in two of its recent redevelopment projects. Two Urbaneer apartments were built at the 18-unit 600 Douglas project as models. Some Urbaneer design was included in all 99 apartment units at The Morton, a rehabbed building built in the late 1800s in downtown Grand Rapids. The Morton apartments range from 500 square feet to 1,200 square feet. Rockford and Urbaneer also built a small demonstration house in Grand Rapids. So far, Thompson said, 400 living units in projects in Traverse City, Detroit, Washington, D.C., Chicago, New York City and Austin, Texas, have incorporated Urbaneer design. "We are extremely jazzed about this. We showed we could do it in a renovation as well as in new construction," said Boezwinkle. "Affordable housing is a challenge in Grand Rapids, and this is certainly a piece of the solution. And there are opportunities moving forward in student housing, in senior housing and in creating a better work environment. It's all about creating spaces that can transform."

Overreaction Of The Week: Orioles Offense Shows Signs of Life Welcome to Overreaction Of The Week, my over the top, uninhibited, Baltimore sports-fan takes on this week’s Orioles activity. What Happened? It’s no secret that the Orioles’ offense got off to a slow start in 2018. It has been well documented, so I won’t belabor the facts. However, the past four games have seen an uptick in production. Buck Showalter held a closed-door meeting after an 8-4 loss to the Rays to cap off an 11 game stretch that included just one win. Since that meeting, the Orioles have scored at least five runs in four of five games. Outside of those four games, the Orioles had only scored five runs in a game seven times all season, The meeting seems to have jump-started the offense, and the Orioles should be able to get recover and meet expectations. A couple big bats returning to the lineup will certainly help as well. My Take The Orioles actually lost the game after Showalter’s berating. However, they scored five runs and racked up 16 hits, much more production than the fans had become accustomed to. Manny Machado had been the only one performing up to expectations, if not exceeding them. So far, he has been named AL Player of the Week, and has already nearly matched his WAR from last season. Other than Machado, the Orioles’ offense has struggled mightily. However, in the four of the five games since Showalter’s meeting, things have been quite different. Pedro Alvarez has hit four home runs and driven in six runs within that span to help Machado carry the team. Trey Mancini has been a steady presence at the top of the order and has slowly pushed his OPS higher. Adam Jones seems to have lowered his hands in an adjustment to his batting stance, but his production has been uneven. Jones’ batting average on balls put in play is .270, and is likely to rebound to his career average, especially since his percentage of hard hit balls is higher this year than it has been over the course of his career. Adding slugger Mark Trumbo back to the roster adds another dangerous bat and length to the order. Though he is a strikeout candidate and showed some rust last night, he can also hit a home run at any moment. To add another bat of his caliber to the lineup adds depth and length, and does not let any pitcher relax for even a batter, rendering him prone to mistakes. Trumbo is coming off of a tough 2017 season, in which is weighted on-base average, a weighted measure of standard offensive statistics, was .295, well below his career average of .327. While he is aging, it is possible that the 2017 was an outlier and the regression isn’t as drastic as anticipated. If he can approach his projections for the season, a .325 wOBA, he will be a key cog in the Orioles offense. Jonathan Schoop is another player expected to return soon, he has been on the disabled list since April 14. Even he was performing well below expectations, and I expect him to get back to his All Star form. I feeling is that he was pressing, opening the season with such high expectations and hitting in the three spot in the order. With other players contributing, there will be less pressure on Schoop to produce and he can return to his 2017 approach and cut down on his strikeouts. The Overreaction The Orioles’ current roster has warmed up offensively and is finally giving the pitching staff some support. When the runs weren’t coming, there was even more pressure on the pitching staff than usual. Several sabermetrics point to players like Jones and Schoop improving their offensive output and Mark Trumbo’s return adds another bat with major power and depth to the order. While things looked bleak for the Orioles’ offensively, there are signs of life, and the Birdland Power Co. will put a charge in baseballs once again. — Every weekday morning at 8 AM, we publish our “Daily Feature” — it’s our favorite piece of the day, the one we don’t want you to miss. You can read our “Daily Feature” here on BSR or have it emailed to you by adding your address to the sign up box in the sidebar (or below if you’re browsing BSR on a mobile device). Tejus Kulkarni is a writer for the Baltimore Sports Report. He graduated from the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, and now lives in enemy territory in New York City. Tejus is a diehard Orioles, Ravens, and Terps fan and is burdened by everlasting optimism about each of his favorite teams. Tejus’ favorite live sports experiences are Maryland’s upset of Duke in 2013 and Ed Reed’s 108-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Eagles in 2004. It’s a shame because we’re actually getting half decent starting pitching had we done this last year 15 and 13 we’d have a nice long playoff stretch going. It’s time to wake up and smell the roses though Manny isn’t coming. Trade him to the dodgers or wait till the deadline and see who offers the best deal. BSR? Our mission is to provide the best local sports commentary in the Baltimore area. We love the Baltimore area and all of its teams, but we like adding a fair counterweight to the dialogue just as much. In other words, we take jabs because we care. You can get the score anywhere, but we’d like to think that this is one of the few places online that provides an authentic view of our region’s varied sports culture.

How To Avoid Bad Guitar Advice: Interview And Review With Tom Hess Do you have the habit of looking through Google or YouTube trying to find good guitar advice? If so, you are like almost every guitar player these days. Most guitarists get nearly all of their information for learning guitar directly from the internet. However, the internet is of course full of both people who ‘know’ what they are talking about, and people who merely repeat anything they are told. That said, it can often be very difficult to understand the difference between good and bad guitar advice if you are not already a great guitarist. The truth is, a great deal of the advice offered in online guitar playing communities, comments on music blogs, or amateur guitar videos can actually do more harm than good. After spending a great deal of time working on a guitar related project, I decided to seek additional information through the advice of Tom Hess, pro guitar player and member of Rhapsody Of Fire. After talking for a while, I decided it would be useful to make the interview into an official “Tom Hess review” from which other guitar players could gain value. Read Tom’s review below to see what was discussed: Guitar Playing Myth Number.1: Ryan Buckner: What do you think about this common line of thinking Tom?: “The key to learning new things for guitar is practicing them in isolation until you have reached a level of mastery.” Tom Hess review of this guitar playing advice: Tom Hess: Initially, this style of thinking makes a lot of sense. Of course, you WILL have to practice new ideas on guitar on their own in order to progress with them. However, the issue with this approach is that it has a very narrow and limited focus. The truth is, when you begin learning a new chord, scale or technique on guitar, you do not learn it simply for the sake of the skill itself. Instead, you want to know how you can use this skill in order to create nice sounding music (whether you are aware of this or not). As an example, think of most metal guitarists who want to play lead guitar. In most cases, these guitar players learn how to play scales or arpeggios at high speeds; however, when it comes time for them to actually APPLY what they know into real music, they have no idea what to do. Of course, these guitar players did not learn to play fast merely for the sake of playing fast. They simply wanted to play the great music of their favorite guitar players who just so happen to play fast or technical music. In order to get the most out of the new skills you develop on guitar, you must learn how to put everything together and apply it creatively in a musical manner. By doing this, you will be able to put what you learn in isolation into good use and avoid having a bunch of disconnected guitar skills that cannot help you make good music on their own. Guitar Playing Myth Number.2: Ryan:“Never practice guitar without a metronome.”…What do you have to say about this common advice? Tom Hess review of this guitar playing advice: Tom: A lot of guitar players assume that using a metronome is essential to making progress as they practice. Many of these guitar players will praise the metronome as a tool that has helped them become faster and better at guitar technique. In reality, you can use a metronome to effectively improve your guitar playing in some (but not all) areas of your playing. However, many guitar players do not truly understand how it should be used to get the best results from their guitar practice. For instance, if you were use a metronome to build your guitar speed, you would see very limited results at best. This is because using a metronome actually has NOTHING to do with “building” speed on the guitar (or learning new techniques, for that matter). These areas of your guitar playing are improved by understanding and mastering the small movements you make in your hands at slow speeds without a metronome. The metronome should then be used as a tool to check up on your progress, rather than as something that will enable you to play faster on guitar. Guitar Playing Myth Number.3: Ryan:What do you have to say to those who believe that learning guitar on your own will get you faster results than working with a guitar teacher? Tom Hess review of this guitar playing advice: Tom: If I were to choose one of the worst pieces of commonly given guitar advice, this one would be one of them. Why? If you do not work together with a guitar teacher, you will waste endless hours practicing guitar exercises and techniques that don’t really help you reach your goals. On top of that, most guitar players who learn on their own are completely unaware of their guitar playing goals in the first place. As a result, guitar practice becomes an increasingly frustrating task with no real sense of direction. By choosing to work with a good guitar teacher, you gain all the insight of someone who has already accomplished the guitar playing goals you want to achieve. This will help you to establish and achieve your musical goals in a much shorter period of time than if you were merely learning on your own. To get the most benefit from working together with a guitar teacher, you must seek out someone who can demonstrate clear PROOF of his ability to get results for his guitar students. Guitar Playing Myth Number.4: Ryan:A lot of guitarists subscribe to the belief that becoming a fast guitar player comes from starting slow and slowing building up to speed. What are your thoughts on this approach? Tom Hess review of this guitar playing advice: Tom: This particular guitar advice needs more context in order to be truly useful. The method of practicing slowly in order to build speed is ‘one’ approach for becoming a fast guitarist. However, this will only produce limited results for most guitarists because they do not have a speed building strategy in place to help them reach their guitar goals. In order to quickly increase your guitar playing speed, you must first determine your highest speed related goals, and then create an effective strategy that employs several methods to help you target different aspects of your guitar playing. Guitar Playing Myth Number.5: Ryan:One of the most common beliefs that guitar players have is that you must practice at least five hours a day in order to become a great guitar player. What do you think about this belief Tom? Tom Hess review of this guitar playing advice: Tom: A lot of guitar players who are just beginning to improve their skills are told about legendary guitarists who practiced non-stop throughout the day to eventually get to a high level in their playing. They are then lead to believe that in order to get good at guitar, the only way is to take this same path. For guitar players who do not know any better, this advice is very easy to believe. However, in most cases these guitarists end up making progress at a very slow rate because they become overwhelmed with too many practice items. As a result, they become completely lost in their guitar practice and feel frustrated because they are not reaching their musical goals. The key to making progress in your guitar practice is NOT to simply “practice more”. Instead, you must focus on getting the most out of every second of your practice time (regardless of ‘how much’ time you spend). To get started, it is absolutely essential that you understand your long term guitar playing goals. Without first determining your goals, you will have no real sense of direction in your guitar practice. By doing this, you will easily be able to eliminate anything in your guitar practice that isn’t truly necessary to your progress toward reaching your goals. After you have done this, you need to create a guitar practice schedule that will help you use your practice time as effectively as possible. Ryan:Thank you Tom for taking the time to talk today. To the readers of this Tom Hess review, learn more about how to become a great guitar playeron Tom’s musician development website. Tom: No problem Ryan, you’re welcome. About the author: Ryan Buckner is a professional musician, guitarist and songwriter. He has written many instructional articles on guitar, songwriting and music theory. Album Reviews Please note - we are no longer accepting albums for review, and haven't been for some time. I'm now getting too many requests to even respond to, if an album review goes up it's because we've had the CD for a long time, before we stopped doing them. It'll still take us a long time to get those done, so apologies in advance. If you'd like coverage on Shredaholic, the best thing to do is write a lesson. It's giving back to your fanbase and is quick for us to put on the site. We still welcome user submitted album reviews, so please feel free to send those in.

New Data: GOP Can Make Inroads with Latino Voters on Immigration The folks over at Latino Decisions came out with a new poll a few weeks ago. Basically, immigration reform is now the most important issue for Latino voters, and the GOP has an opportunity to make gains within the Latino electorate if it is able to take on a larger role in passing immigration reform with a path to citizenship. You can read a quick synopsis of the polling here. In essence, the GOP doesn’t have to win a majority of the Latino vote to be competitive with Democrats again in capturing this growing voter block, but they just need to get back to the high 30 percentage mark again instead of only winning 27 percent as Romney did in November.

- Rules and Information for Art and Photography-Welcome to the Art and Photography Section!Here you can share art you did or pictures you took with other members!There are just a few simple rules to keep in mind while posting:1. Please only post work YOU MADE, this is not a section to share other peoples work unless you have their permission. 2. No outside links unless they have been approved by a mod or admin! 3. Try to put all of you art in one thread and all of your photos in another, just to make it easier to navigate.

M&M Stand Up Paddling Tours, SUP weekend, SUP trips and Sup & Yoga events. We organise several events at our homespots Blijburg aan Zee and the Amstel river during the season. Next to these sup and sup yoga events we also offer a couple of sup and sup yoga trips abroad: Austria, Bonaire and we're working on some more trips to South Africa, Corsica and Croatia. All info on these events and trips are to be found on this page. If you are interested in attending one of these let us know, it is also possible to book these trips with a group of your own. For all trips abroad we can customise activities and with a minimum of six people, and a maximum of twelve we are able to offer you a week or weekend filled with different activities next to sup and sup yoga. At Bonaire we add kiteboarding, regular yoga and TRX to our program and in Austria we have some fun mountain hikes and yoga in addition. SUP YOGA KITE WEEK LANGEBAAN, SOUTH AFRICA Together with Windtown Langebaan (SA) we offer another sup yoga kite week. The location is perfect for morning paddles as the lagune is calm then and the wind only starts blowing around lunchtime. While paddling you might even meet some seals. Afternoons are perfect for kiteboarding or other activities we offer such as a mountainbike tour and a game darive to spot some wildlife. During this you stay in one of the (shared) rooms at Windtown Hotel in Langebaan at about an hour drive from Cape Town The rooms are shared with two or three. If you want a room for yourself we charge an extra €325 for the week. Airport transfers can be arranged by Windtown and cost €220. You can share the transfer car with three persons to split costs. Or you could rent a car for the week if you also want to explore the area in the free time.

Legal Governance & Risk Whilst strong governance underpins public confidence and supports sustainable performance, it’s much more than a set of rules, policies and processes. As the global business landscape continues in its complexity, a regularly communicated robust governance framework is essential. Investor Relations The readiness of regulators and investors to publicly scrutinise and hold boards to account means sophisticated and coherent two-way dialogue is more essential than ever. Communication is key to building trust, confidence, long-term relationships and an open, honest exchange of views. HR & Reward The HR landscape is dramatically changing, so communication strategies must follow. Creating two-way, real-time dialogue has never been so vital given the proliferation of technology, political and economic uncertainties, continued scrutiny over executive pay, and the evolution of work culture. Corporate Responsibility With customers, employees and investors engaging with businesses based on community, societal, and environmental measures, establishing a consistent and authentic approach is vital. This strategy must be supported by a communication plan that intertwines CR within the culture of the business, aligning actions to its values. Share Plans With the proliferation of technology, political and economic challenges, and the evolution of business culture, the workplace landscape is set to change dramatically. It’s our duty as fellow industry experts to ensure share plans continue to have a vital place in the remuneration mix of the future. Communications With stakeholder and work-life boundaries blurring, content efficiencies can be gained if a bridge between departments is created successfully. This can help overcome content shock, whilst increasing consistency and engagement.

Listen Pets Health Care Tip from Experts You are here: January 2019 When thinking about cardiac issues we automatically assume that it’s a human problem. After all, we have been led to believe that heart issues are an inevitable result of a bad diet, alcoholism, and lack of exercise. Believe it or not cardiac issues in dogs is pretty common. Compared to humans, dogs are less likelyRead More About Get pet care advice from the professionals. This is the animal care blog for all of the normal users. In 2017 The pets care is the most popular blog.

You state in a question to Stuart Meyer: "Most people in the open-source community downplay the SCO suit as frivolous. Do you take it seriously?" With all due respect, I consider this a very poorly researched and understood statement. Were you to really understand the stance of the open-source community, you would find that it takes this matter extremely seriously, because the lawsuit seriously threatens a very important part of the community. Linus Torvalds, Eric Raymond and Bruce Perens, key figures in the open source community, have all published responses to the SCO Group's claims. They are dealing with the matter in a very respectable and honest manner, with their sole intention being to settle these disputes by ridding their software of any infringing code. They can't do this, however, without SCO disclosing the alleged code, because they can't find it. Not because they are attempting to hide it, but because it is, seemingly, not there. While an intellectual property claim against open source software is very serious and should be dealt with immediately and effectively, the SCO claims are, at this point in time, more or less baseless. What's more, they themselves are stopping this matter from being resolved. They would much rather spread fear, uncertainty and doubt and continue to collect license fees from Linux's enemies, as well as attract media attention, than to actually see this matter come to a fair end.

Police seek public’s help A.M. Sheehan The Journal Scene Friday, November 1, 2013 Provided Do you know this person? Video surveillance caught the armed robbery suspect. Photos Photo Provided Suspect’s car is a small, gold, two-door Pontiac Sunfire. Summerville Police are seeking the public’s help in identifying an armed robbery suspect involved in an attempted robbery at both Target in Azalea Square and the Shoe Department in North Main Market at approximately 2:50 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31. The suspect, who was described as a black male, presented a handgun to a manager at Target and wanted access to the safe. The suspect left the store before he could complete the robbery. About 40 minutes later the same suspect went to the Shoe Department and pointed a black handgun at an employee and demanded money. The suspect fled with an undetermined amount of the money and got into a small gold two-door Pontiac Sunfire with tinted windows and front driver’s side damage. Anyone who can identify the suspect or who has any information is asked to contact the Summerville police Department at 851-4100 or Crime Stoppers at 554-1111. Comments Notice about comments: The Journal Scene is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. We do not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not The Journal Scene. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Read our full terms and conditions.

Suicides down slightly in August, Army announces Oct. 1, 2013 - 04:56PM | Related Links There were 12 suspected suicides among active-duty soldiers in August, a slight decrease from the month before, the Army announced Tuesday. Two of the deaths have been confirmed as suicides and the others are still under investigation. In July, the Army reported as many as 19 suicides among active-duty soldiers; three have been confirmed and the others are still under investigation. So far this year, as many as 106 soldiers are believed to have committed suicide. Of those, 51 deaths have been confirmed as suicides. Among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, the Army is reporting eight suspected suicides. Five of the soldiers were in the Army National Guard and three were in the Army Reserve. One of the eight deaths has been confirmed as a suicide. In July, the Army reported 10 suspected suicides among soldiers in this population. Three cases have been confirmed. So far this year, as many as 102 soldiers from the reserve component are believed to have killed themselves. Of those, 70 have been confirmed as suicides. The Army continues to focus on suicide prevention, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. John Campbell said in September, which was suicide awareness month. “This is something we can’t just look at in one month,” Campbell said, according to an Army news story. “It has to be a 365-day mission to make sure we can provide our soldiers with the tools they need to deal with the stressors of everyday life, and help them understand that seeking help is a sign of strength not weakness.” Year-to-date numbers were down for active-duty soldiers but higher for the reserve component. In January through August 2012, 131 active-duty and 80 reserve-component soldiers not on active duty were believed to have killed themselves. The number of those cases confirmed was not immediately available.

In the United States, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer mortality. A growing body of evidence indicates that CRC deaths could be greatly reduced through appropriate screening. However, CRC screening continues to be underutilized, particularly by racial/ethnic minorities. According to ethnicity-specific data from California, CRC ranked among the top three most common cancers in both men and women from several Asian ethnic groups. Moreover, foreign-born Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders presented at a later stage of disease than U.S.-born individuals. A recent study showed that Asian men were significantly less likely to receive a sigmoidoscopy compared with White men. Two convenience surveys of the largest U.S. Asian subgroup, Chinese Americans, supported this finding by revealing low CRC screening rates: 11% and 16% reported Fecal Occult Blood Tests (FOBT) during the past year; 22% reported FOBT during the past year and sigmoidoscopy during the past 5 years; and 30% reported sigmoidoscopy in the past 5 years. The Program The Colorectal Cancer Screening In Chinese Americans Project is a clinic-based educational program aimed at promoting FOBT screening among lower-income and less-acculturated Chinese Americans. Knowledge and barriers are addressed through CRC screening education by a bicultural Chinese American health educator who is trilingual (English, Cantonese, and Mandarin). Educational materials include: A motivational video on CRC screening, produced in Cantonese and dubbed into Mandarin A bilingual CRC motivational pamphlet A bilingual CRC informational pamphlet from the Federation of Chinese American and Canadian Medical Societies An FOBT kit with instructions in Chinese and English Community Preventive Services Task Force Finding This program uses an intervention approach recommended by the Community Preventive Services Task Force: small media interventions (Colorectal Cancer Screening). Time Required The educational program is given during the patients' clinic visits and is tailored to the needs of the patient. Therefore, the time required may vary. For example, systematically addressing expressed barriers to CRC screening through personal health education may take more time than just giving the pamphlets to a patient. The video is just over 15 minutes long. Intended Audience The intended audience for this intervention is lower-income, less-acculturated Chinese immigrant men and women, aged 50-78 years. Suitable Settings This intervention is suitable for community clinics that provide comprehensive primary care services, with access to a bilingual health educator for patients who do not speak English. The Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Chinese Americans project was evaluated by using a randomized controlled trial to assess FOBT screening adherence. Participants were recruited from a community clinic that provides comprehensive primary care to a predominantly Asian population in the metropolitan area of Seattle, Washington. Patients were randomized into either a treatment group that received clinic-based education, or a control group that received usual care. Usual care consisted chiefly of FOBT ordered by primary care providers, with medical assistants implementing all orders and instructing patients to return completed FOBT cards to the clinic laboratory for processing and documentation of results on a laboratory form. A total of 210 eligible participants had a scheduled appointment during the 14-month study period. Patients were categorized as age 50-64 (54.3%) and age 65 or older (45.7%), with 62.9% being female and 37.1% male. The outcome measure, FOBT screening within 6 months of random assignment to one of the two groups, was based on chart audit. Patients with three FOBT cards documented in their medical records were considered as having completed FOBT screening. Key Findings Among the intervention patients, 69.5% received FOBT screening, compared with 27.6% of control patients: OR=5.98 (95% CI=3.29, 10.85).

Canada to legalise marijuana to ‘make it more difficult for kids to access’ December 16th, 2017 by iGGDBfCR Sunday, April 16, 2017 In order to put the cannabis drug (marijuana) out of reach of minors, the Canadian federal government announced a bill to legalise cannabis for the age group of eighteen and above, on Thursday. The bill would allow adults to possess cannabis publicly, previously a criminal offence. Canada’s health minister Jane Philpott tweeted, “Today we tabled new legislation to legalise, strictly regulate, and restrict access to cannabis. Our goal: keep it out of the hands of youth, and profits out of the hands of criminals.” ((fr)) French language: Ajd nous avons déposé un nouveau projet de loi pour légaliser le cannabis, le réglementer de manière stricte et en restreindre l’accès. Notre objectif: garder le cannabis hors de la portée des jeunes, & les profits hors des mains des criminels. The Canadian government, via their official website, explained cannabis is available illegally, and their measures to stop it did not work. Criminal organisations are making money selling cannabis. Under-aged people can obtain the drug easily; they said, “it is easier for our kids to buy cannabis than cigarettes.” The bill allows provinces and territories to set the age limit above eighteen. In order to prevent criminal gangs from making a profit, selling the drug needs a license permitting its sale. Adults can purchase the drug online from a licensed producer if a retail shop is not available in the province. Adults can carry up to 30 g (slightly over an ounce) of cannabis and grow at most four cannabis plants at home, for personal use. The plants should be no taller than a metre, the bill proposed. Selling cannabis to minors would be a specific criminal offence. The legislation requires parliamentary approval and royal assent. If passed, the bill would be under effect by July 2018, the government said. Health and safety experts and law enforcement were consulted before proposing the legislation. Except for medical purposes, possession of the drug remains illegal until the bill is passed. Regardless of the status of the bill, import and export of the drug would be illegal. Previously when the government increased the taxes on cigarettes to discourage citizens from smoking, a black market for cigarettes developed. Along with legalising cannabis, the bill would also permit the police officials to use tools like oral fluid drug screeners to detect if drivers are under the influence of the drug. Zero tolerance against drivers under influence of drugs is proposed. The government would also implement a public awareness campaign on the perils of driving under the influence of drugs. The government still working on the restrictions. Lawmaker and former police chief Bill Blair said, “We do accept that more important work remains to be done.” If the bill is passed, Canada would be the second country to legalise cannabis completely. Uruguay is the first. Some countries, such as Germany, allow medical use of cannabis, but recreational use is prohibited.