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A saxophone goes to the octave while a clarinet goes to the twelfth; but why?
In this article, we'll explain why a saxophone goes to the octave while the clarinet goes to the twelfth. It is all due to the instrument's shape...
When a musician changes register, all wind instruments do not have the same behavior. We know that the oboe and the saxophone go to the octave (the second register is one octave higher than the first register) and that the clarinet goes to the twelfth (the second register is one octave and one fifth higher than the first register). But why?
Note : this article is about instruments «closed» by the musician's mouth. Therefore what is stated here is not applicable to flute-like instruments which are «open» at both ends.
Our best friend: input impedance
To answer this question, we can have a look at the input impedance of these instruments. Input impedance peaks provide information about the frequency of the playable notes with any fingering. Let's start with the input impedance of an oboe with Bb3 fingering:
The first impedance peak has a frequency f1 = 234 Hz. This frequency is very close to that of the Bb3 (233Hz). Without a change in register, the musician produces a sound related to this first peak. When they have changed register, the musician produces a sound coressponding to the following peak. The frequency of the second peak here is f2= 466 Hz. An octave is characterized by a doubling of the frequency. So the frequency of a Bb4 is twice that of a Bb3. This is what we obtain here, with f2= 466 Hz = 2 x 233 Hz = 2 x f1.
It is the exact same for the saxophone's input impedance, playing A#3:
The first two peaks are situated around 233 Hz and 466 Hz.
Now, let's have a look at the input impedance of a simplified clarinet (a cylindrical tube, without holes, equipped with a clarinet mouthpiece). This instrument was made to produce a C#2 (70Hz) :
This time, f1= 71Hz and f2= 213 Hz.
When the clarinet goes to the twelfth, the frequency of the sound produced is tripled. In our case, we then go from a C#2 (70 Hz) to a G#3 (210 Hz): f2= 213 Hz = 3 x 71 Hz = 3 x f1.
The input impedance of these instruments explains the behavior of the oboe and clarinet when a register change occurs. But then we come to another question: why do they behave differently?
A question of shape
These differences come from the inner structure of the instruments: the oboe and saxophone have a conical shape, while the clarinet has a cylindrical shape!
The clarinet is considered as a closed-open cylindrical tube. It is open at the bell, and "closed" at the reed, where the musician blows. The instrument's resonances, corresponding to the impedance peaks, can be represented by the shape of the pressure in the tube.
In a tube, the "closed" end has a maximum of pressure, called an antinode, while the open end has a null pressure, called a node (the reality is that the overpressure added to the atmospheric pressure is null at the open end of the instrument, as the pressure is the same as outside).
The picture below shows the pressure in the tube for its first resonance (ie. first impedance peak and first note) :
The internal pressure of a clarinet for its first resonance
The pressure is null when the red curves cross. We then obtain a pressure antinode at the input and a pressure node at the output. The picture below shows the pressure for the second resonance (ie first register change):
The internal pressure of a clarinet for its second resonance
For the second resonance, there are two pressure nodes (output of the instrument and at 1/3 of its length) and two pressure antinodes (input of the instrument and at 2/3 of its length).
Such a result is obtained because in a cylindrical tube waves propagate as plane waves (i.e. their amplitude is constant throughout the tube, there is no energy loss). You can see that in this configuration, the wavelength of the produced sound is 3 times smaller than for the first resonance (the distance between the input of the instrument and the first pressure node is 3 times smaller).
Consequently the frequency of the produced sound is 3 times higher. This matches with the input impedance, as well as with the effect on the sound produced by the instrument (the clarinet goes to the twelfth).
Extending this result to the other resonances, we may see that they are the odd harmonics of the first one (f2= 3 x f1, f3= 5 x f1, etc… so fn= (2n-1) x f1).
Inside a cone, as for the saxophone and the oboe, waves propagate as if they were in a section of a sphere.
Imagine clapping your hands. In the air, the sound propagates much like a sphere from the sound source (the hands). In this case, the acoustic energy (therefore the amplitude of the pressure), considered on a constant surface, is reduced as we move away from the source (the total energy is considered constant, but as the sphere grows when we move away, the local energy is reduced).
The same phenomenon happens in a conical wind instrument: the closer to the bell of the instrument, the lower the pressure amplitude. The instrument's first resonance then has a similar shape as for the cylindrical tube, with the losses added (not easy to see on the picture below):
The internal pressure of an oboe for its first resonance
Again, there is an antinode at the input and a node at the output. The effect of the losses is bigger on the next resonance:
The internal pressure of an oboe for its second resonance
Similar to the cylindrical tube, there are two antinodes and two nodes. Due to the losses, the second antinode is lower than the first.
Another consequence can be seen: the first node is not in the same place. For the cylindrical tube, it was at 1/3 of the tube's length, here it is at half the cone's length. The obtained wavelength for the second resonance is therefore half that of the first resonance, and its related frequency is doubled: an octave difference!
This time, all the harmonics may be obtained<|fim_middle|>, f3= 3 x f1, etc… so fn= n x f1).
Note: defining a clarinet as a cylinder and a saxophone or oboe as a cone are serious simplifications from reality (mouthpieces are not considered, it would be impossible to blow in a complete cone, etc.), but these simplifications are sufficient to explain the physical phenomena that we describe here.
Now we know why the clarinet, the saxophone and the oboe have a different behavior : because of their shape.
Closed-open cylindrical wind instruments go to the twelfth, while closed-open conical wind instruments go to the octave.
Historically, conical instruments were preferred to cylindrical instruments, as they need less tone holes (and less keys) to play every note of a register before changing to the next one.
A register is an octave for a cone, and a twelfth (an octave plus a fifth) for the cylinder.
Special thanks to Thibaut Meurisse, former colleague of Pauline's during their respective PhD research at Ircam, for writing this article!
The clarinet mouthpiece tip opening
The history of the clarinet | with the other resonances (f2= 2 x f1 | 14 |
Tour Universal Studios' Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 360 degrees
By Silas Lesnick | Jul 30, 2018
In celebration of Harry Potter's 38th birthday today, we're exploring Hogsmeade in full 360 degrees. Use any of the players on this page to step inside the Wizarding World!
A truly immersive experience for magic users and Muggles alike, "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" recently celebrated its second anniversary at Universal Studios Hollywood. Since its debut, fans from around the world have gathered to interact with J.K. Rowling's incredible vision. Unwilling to rest on its laurels, the Wizarding World continues to evolve, growing more expansive, increasingly interactive and, as Moviebill recently learned, even tastier.
Among the treats now available in the park are several new forms of Butterbeer. Previously available in both regular and frozen versions, the popular wizarding beverage has been reinvented as ice cream, fudge and, served in a mason jar, a special potted cream. Hogsmeade's local tavern, The Three Broomsticks, has also updated its lunch menu with several new options that have made it over from the Orlando version of the park, including the Sunday Roast Sandwich, the Cheese Toastie with Chicken, and the traditional British Ploughsman's Lunch.
Of course, you might want to just go ahead and ruin your appetite inside the fully stocked Honeydukes sweets<|fim_middle|> though, as Warner Bros. Pictures is gearing up to release "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" in theaters November 16, 2018. In the meantime, aspiring wizards can visit the Wizarding World themselves by clicking here. | shop. There, the sweet toothed will find chocolate frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and lots, lots more Fizzing Whizzbees.
Visitors who choose to invest in an interactive wand ($47) are able to activate certain "spells" hidden throughout the park. Among the new additions to the interactive lineup is a door that begins to open with the proper magical encouragement. As you can see below, there were quite a few waiting for their chance to test their spell casting.
Gladrags Wizardwear has a new summer addition, but it's a bit pricey. A replica of Professor Severus Snape's cloak is now for sale, although it will run you about $500.
Then, it's back to Hogwarts for another semester. The Wizarding World won't be far away in the months to come, | 173 |
Press Statement By IFS and IMANI
Press Statement By IFS and IMANI On Thursday, 12 March 2015, the Minister for Finance appeared before Parliament to make a statement on the implications of the falling crude oil prices on the 2015 Budget. The Minister also used the opportunity to inform the House of the steps government has taken to address the issue to ensure that its macroeconomic objectives are achieved. Click here to view the full statement
RE: Government's Response to IFS/IMANI Press Statement
RE: Government's Response to IFS/IMANI Press Statement On Tuesday, 7 April, 2015, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and IMANI jointly issued a Press Statement in which the two think-tanks advanced a position that the loss of GH₵2.7 billion worth of revenue to the 2015 Budget from the decline in crude oil prices could have been avoided or mitigated, if the Minister of Finance had taken steps to resume the hedging program that was implemented in the 2010-2012 period. Click here to view the full statement
Press Statement on the 2016 Budget
Press Statement on the 2016 Budget The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) held a press briefing on Tuesday, November 24, 2015 to review the 2016 Budget of the Government of Ghana. Prof. Newman Kwadwo Kusi, Executive Director of the Institute, read and issued this statement at the event. Click here to view the full statement
On November<|fim_middle|> year. IFS summarized the points from the presentation and our observations in this press release. Click here to view the full statement | 5, 2015, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) organized a Budget Forum to discuss the economic challenges and risks confronting the country and the issues that needed to be addressed in the 2016 Budget. The Forum identified that, in the last three years, the government has not succeeded in improving the fortunes of the country despite setting ambitious targets every year. And despite the 2015 Budget Statement having a transformational agenda as its main theme, there is no evidence that the economy is being transformed. Real GDP growth has decelerated and, indeed, the projected real GDP growth of […]
Press Conference on Evaluation of IMF Board's Second Review Of Ghana's Extended Credit Facility-Supported Program
Press Conference on Evaluation of IMF Board's Second Review Of Ghana's Extended Credit Facility-Supported Program On Wednesday, 29th June 2016, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) held a press conference to present its evaluation of the IMF Board's Second Review of Ghana's Extended Credit Facility-Supported Program. The event was chaired by Prof. S.K.B. Asante, member of the Governing Council of the IFS. The Head of Research of IFS, Dr. John Kwakye, presented the review on behalf of the Institute. Also present was Prof. Newman Kwadwo Kusi, Executive Director of IFS. Following the presentation, there was an interactive session during which […]
Press Release on Ghana's 2016 Mid-Year Budget Review
Press Release on Ghana's 2016 Mid-Year Budget Review On Monday, July 25, 2016, Ghana's Finance Minister, Hon. Seth Terkper, reviewed the 2016 budget and requested Parliament's approval for supplementary estimates of GH₵1,888.2 million for the 2016 financial | 393 |
Joshua & Natsuko from Chibi Moku is releasing the final project from their Europe trip. This project is a super funky condo in Berlin for interior designers Berlin Rodeo.
When you a creating a pad for a bachelor, there are opportunities for a design that are not available when designing<|fim_middle|> a late evening gathering or summer party. There are many one-of-a-kind pieces in this flat, but also some of the latest materials on the market infused with Berlin Rodeo style.
Come explore the details of this apartment with Ingo, Axel, (and their dachshund Elliot), as they discuss the unique elements and ideas behind their design at this video. This apartment goes to show that you can create a funky bachelor pad by pushing the boundaries of design a little. | other interiors. In "Penthouse Prenzlauer Berg" by Berlin Rodeo, this is exactly the case. Using some a combination of geometric shapes and warm tones, they create a place that is perfect for | 45 |
Meticulously restored and decidedly modern in contrast to it's original character, this flawlessly executed recovery of a 10th century residence seamlessly marries two millennia, delivering stylish modern elegance with a reverence for history and authenticity. Expressive and dramatic, this stunning piece of history has been brought back to glorious life and can set the stage for an unforgettable wedding or event.
Overlooking magnificent views of the Carpini Valley and the<|fim_middle|> arranged on two levels and act as a pivot from the centre of the tower, easily accessible from all seven suites. Two interlinked reception rooms are on the first floor and the kitchen and dining area on the ground floor have ready access to the terraces for dining.
The sprawling gardens are arranged around four terraces with a large formal dining area and a sleek open viewing pavilion that forms an inner courtyard surrounded by herb gardens. The stone reflecting pool and terrace with sunken seating areas overlooks the olive groves and the large pool boasts spectacular picturesque views of the countryside. There is also a surprising and unexpected rooftop infinity pool with magnificent views.
Steeped in history with a vibrant new personality, this extraordinary property is a sensory delight and can serve as an unforgettable venue for weddings and events.
This property is also available for rent through Boutique-Homes. | red tiled roofs of Umbrian villages in the distance, this one thousand year old watchtower complex is nestled into over six hectares of hillside oak forests, olive groves and orchards with stunning 360 degree views of countryside largely unchanged since medieval times.
Originally built to protect the neighboring hilltop town of Montone and once inhabited by knights, the structures were rescued from ruin by architect Christopher Chong and his designer wife Seonaid Mackenzie. Following years of painstaking restoration, the property was transformed into a unique boutique hotel that reinterprets history for the modern age. A stunningly romantic and unique location, this property is perfectly designed for lavish weddings and events.
Shoring up the crumbling tower with concrete, steel and stone, the exteriors remain as they have for centuries, while the interiors have undergone an inspired modern renaissance with glass and travertine stone floors, soft neutrals and elegantly conceived additions and materials that mimic the tone and spirit of the ancient structure. The towering silhouette soars to double heights with stairs leading up to communal living spaces and an atrium and includes seven strikingly modern suites arranged around the center.
Public areas are | 234 |
Samaritan's Purse doctor<|fim_middle|> time and look forward to where God leads us in the future."
It's not the end of the world but coronavirus 'is serious,' warns Samaritan's Purse doctor at NYC field hospital
NYC Council speaker demands Samaritan's Purse to leave over homosexuality views
Michael W Smith leads worship in NYC's Central Park: 'Where are you God in midst of plague?'
Hope Rising raises $1.6M for Samaritan's Purse; TD Jakes says people are uniting amid the crisis | describes time at NYC field hospital: 'It was hard'
CP U.S. | Tuesday, May 12, 2020
By Leonardo Blair, Christian Post Reporter | Tuesday, May 12, 2020
The door of a Samaritan's Purse Truck parked along 5 Avenue in New York City. | The Christian Post/Leonardo Blair
NEW YORK — As the debate over reopening the economy in the wake of the coronavirus continues to divide the nation, Dr. K. Elliott Tenpenny, a doctor who led the recently shuttered field hospital in Central Park for Samaritan's Purse, urged Christians to stand in the gap of that divide and pray.
"There are a lot of difficult decisions ahead, difficult decisions by our leaders, difficult decisions by the states when they need to reopen and people need to go back to work, go back to businesses and that has to happen eventually. … My biggest encouragement to the Christian community would be to pray for our leaders to make wise decisions," Tenpenny told The Christian Post as the remainder of the tents for the field hospital which operated for more than a month was dismantled Monday.
"There is not one side to this argument or this desire to be done with this virus. The world has to open back up but we also have to protect the most vulnerable of our citizens and our people. As Christians, we stand in the gap and can fill that with prayer. We can pray for our leaders and pray for our leadership both locally and nationally that the right decisions are made and that people take this very seriously," he said.
Worldwide cases of the coronavirus surged to over 4 million at the start of this week, with cases in the United States exceeding 1.3 million. Deaths from the virus totaled more than 279,700 globally, including more than 80,000 in the U.S., according to data collected by the Johns Hopkins University.
Workers transport supplies from Mount Sinai Hospital to the Samaritan's Purse field hospital on the East Meadow of New York CIty's Central Park on Thursday, April 2, 2020. | The Christian Post/Leonardo Blair
Doctors and other medical staff from the evangelical Christian humanitarian aid organization Samaritan's Purse treated 333 coronavirus patients during their one month mission in New York City as part of the Mount Sinai Health System, and 190 of them were treated at the field hospital.
While he was unable to share raw data on the number of patients that died under their care, Tenpenny told CP that the death rate was about equal to what the Mount Sinai Health System saw in general for coronavirus patients. And a study from scientists at Sema4, a patient-centered health intelligence company, said that was 22.6%.
"It was hard, honestly. It was hard. We received a lot of patients early in their course of the disease. And that means that a lot of them got better and some of them didn't and they got progressively worse," Tenpenny said.
"We got to know those patients before they had gotten that bad; had spoken to them, had gotten to know them and then some of them would get progressively worse. So it wasn't just a patient with name X, Y and Z. It was a patient you truly knew and you cared about and you knew their name and you had talked to them about their family and ... that made it even harder."
One of the challenges for his team treating the coronavirus patients, he said, was having to deal with the way the virus devastated the ones who didn't survive, who were mostly older adults.
"This disease is a terrible disease. It really devastates people but it does it in a way that's very sudden. So someone can be doing well for a day or two and then all of a sudden just go downhill so fast. They can become so short of breath or as Mount Sinai discovered later they can start having things like blood clots that form that go to their lungs rapidly," he explained.
"We had cases like that that we had to treat but we got to know these patients. We knew them. We cared for them. So when they started doing poorly, it hit the staff hard.'"
During those hard times, Tenpenny said, the staff prayed and supported each other and began ringing a bell every time a patient was successfully discharged as a symbol of hope.
"We sustained ourselves through prayer. We sustained ourselves through supporting each other and sustained ourselves just through the hope of each one of those patients leaving. So that's one of the reasons we starting having a bit of a ceremony — clapping, ringing of a bell — whenever a patient was discharged," he said. "The patients were excited for themselves going home but one of the main reasons was encouragement to the community around us but also to our own staff that there is hope. People do get better. They are going home. They are surviving."
And among the survivors are stories of the "miraculous."
"We saw a lot of really miraculous things happen with patients getting better when they shouldn't have," Tenpenny said. "And it was really amazing to watch."
He had high praise for the City of New York, which he said impressed him with their "grit."
"I really think that the biggest thing that was impressed upon us by the city in general was just the welcoming nature. Speaking personally here, I saw a lot of the sort of grit and ability of the city to rally around itself and to help everyone around that happened during that event," he said.
"I heard many people say the last time there was an event that threatened the city as much as this was 9/11. And I'm seeing the same spirit come out to help New Yorkers, to get New York back on its feet and that was the constant attitude that was shared with us," he noted.
As Tenpenny and his team wrap up their work in New York City, he said the biggest lesson he has come to appreciate is that "everybody has needs."
"The biggest lesson I learned is that no matter who we are anywhere in the world, everybody has needs and God allows us at times to minister to people — in Congo with Ebola and Iraq and war experiences and also right here in New York City, one of the most modern cities in the world," he said. "None of us are over and above our need for God's presence and His healing hand and I just count it as a privilege to have been able to be a part of a team that provided that for a very small period of | 1,346 |
Which Business Models Do VCs Invest In During Economic Crises?
We've all heard that Airbnb, Groupon, and Uber became successes in the wake of the Great Crisis of 2008. Which startups are favored by VCs now, and why?
Experienced investors will tell you that the best deals are made during economic crises. It stands to reason: lame ducks go bankrupt, valuations go down, and exceptional Founders are tested. Only the strong survive, removing many items from the due diligence checklist.
How about the business models? What are the differences between a counter-cyclical and a resilient one? What are the common characteristics these babies born during economic crises share?
We've conducted an in-depth analysis of the deals closed recently and compared to data from past crises.
Why Crises Are Good For (Investors') Business
One of the most shared aphorisms in business says: "Buy low and sell high."
Economic crises tend to occur every seven to ten years. It is also the average time an early-stage VC firm holds shares in startups. It makes sense, therefore, for investors to go on a shopping spree early into the crisis (buy low), to be able to exit at the height of the next bubble (sell high.)
Let's pick an example from the last crisis. The list of companies to choose from is quite long.
You can view the discussion on Twitter here
Take a startup that defied the odds and became a market leader during a time of crisis: Airbnb.
Right Time Right Place
Airbnb was founded in August 2008, just a month before the collapse of Lehman Brothers, which sparked the Great Crisis. (Financial markets had been in turmoil since the year before, but the Lehman crash sent world economies in a downward spiral.)
The story of Airbnb is part of StartupLand lore: how they got into Y Combinator, how Paul Graham couldn't convince Union Square Ventures' Fred Wilson to invest, how Sequoia put the money instead.
How much equity that $600,000 seed round bought Sequoia is not clear, and later fundings undoubtedly diluted it. Still, it must be around 5% to 10% today, given how elite VC firms like Sequoia operate.
Airbnb is currently valued between $18 billion and $31 billion (give or take the health crisis, which will subside over time). Whatever the final numbers are, the initial Sequoia stake is probably now worth north of $1 billion, more than 2,000x the amount of the initial check.
The Darling of Crisis Times
All the rags-to-riches startup stories ring similar, but what makes Airbnb special and investors notice, is that it captured the Zeitgeist of a time in which people were willing to share stuff and pay less. Airbnb is a pillar of the so-called Sharing Economy that sprung up in the context of the 2008 Crisis.
People losing jobs were relieved to find a way to make money at a minimal extra cost by renting out their apartments for short-term stays. Those who wanted to travel could minimize their accommodation budgets and benefit from residents' tips to go around town.
As we will further analyze in this post, Airbnb's business model is a typical counter-cyclical one, which explains its success.
In 2008 we were raising $150,000 at a $1.5M valuation. Here's the response. Think of this next time you're rejected. https://t.co/wZEnQSn0Eq
— Brian Chesky (@bchesky) July 12, 2015
Note that Airbnb's Seed Round investment was announced in April 2009. Given how these deals work, it is safe to assume that Sequoia was looking at the opportunity in late 2008, mere weeks after Lehman's collapse.
As the tweet posted above suggest, Airbnb's Founders had been on the fundraising road since the summer of 2008.
Fast forward to 2020.
Investors know good opportunities will come around now that six months have passed since the Coronavirus crisis outbreak, and its first economic consequences are being felt. Many fledgling startups have gone bankrupt, and VCs have ample material to gauge a founding team's quality by analyzing their last semester's behavior.
What Are VCs Investing In Right Now?
We thought we'd start with the data.
We went to our favorite VC database, Crunchbase Pro, and pulled all the deals announced in the US since September 1st, 2020, then filtered them for stage (Pre-Seed and Seed Rounds) and size (>$100,000 to exclude accelerators' investments). We capture only deals made in the COVID era, excluding those announced since the outbreak but which had started before.
There are 131 deals for c.$360 million raised in total.
We then manually re-coded the industry those startups are in, using data from Crunchbase and the companies' websites when necessary. Here's the split of the number of deals (volume).
Analysis by TytchMe based on Crunchbase data
Note: the same graph ranked by money raised (value) would roughly look the same, with the Biotech/Medtech category higher as expected (11% in value vs. 7% in volume), primarily at the expense of Software (41% in value.)
Unsurprisingly, Software represents the largest category, as it does for Venture Capital overall. Software business models often present<|fim_middle|> couple of startups in our database.
Conjure Raises $4 Million
Moving into a new home is costly at many levels, one being the need to buy furniture. Conjure helps spread that cost over time thanks to a three- to twelve-month lease. They also claim that their customers will pay, on average, half of the retail value of their furniture over the time of the lease.
Once the lease ends, you can either buy out the pieces of furniture at their residual value or start a new lease with a new set.
OnePointOne Raises $12 Million
OnePointOne devised a new way to produce organic food in cities. Their website describes the solution as follows (highlighting is ours):
"Our solution is significantly more efficient, high-tech and flexible than existing farming systems. Using artificial intelligence, LED lighting, high-pressure nutrient spray and a controlled atmospheric environment, our automated facilities have the ability to deliver perfect produce in any location – with far fewer resources than traditional or other indoor farms."
Not only does OnePointOne provide a solution to a long-term issue that will attract some VCs, but it also has short-term productivity advantages.
Startups with counter-cyclical offers also help their clients increase their sales and distribution (more output.)
Or they cater to the current needs of a whole new category of the population, as Zoom did. The video conferencing company has benefitted from lockdowns worldwide (health crisis) and the corporates' need to reduce costs, including travel expenses (economic crises.)
Ditto for home-delivery services, which are sought after to reduce the risk of virus infection. When they also save costs and the planet, these startups become attractive to VCs. ZeroGrocery, which raised $3 million, is the perfect illustration.
VCs try to assess how temporary those bets are. Experienced VCs are unlikely to invest in a startup that will benefit from a cycle for just a couple of years, as they will not be able to exit at a high price over a five- to seven-year horizon.
One More (Unexpected) Category VCs Like
Our database of 131 pre-seed and seed deals announced since September 1st points out to another category that VCs like during crises: anything that will help people no think about the troubled times or help them cope with it on a personal level.
We've already mentioned sports-related apps Flick and Buzzer, which both raised north of $4 million. Many more services are offered to disconnect users from the grim realities (health & economic crises combo) we're living in.
Gaming startups such as Artie, which raised $3.6 million and doesn't even have a running website yet post-reboot, are getting second looks given the surge in video gaming spending that has occurred worldwide since lockdowns started in most countries.
Startups helping people deal with the physiological and psychological impacts of crises have also caught investors' eyes. DirX (raised $5 million pre-launch) and Silk+Sonder (raised $3.6 million) have very different services, but both address a need that is no doubt being felt more pressing.
Silk+Sonder leverages positive psychology and self-help books to help users boost emotional health and achieve mental wellness.
What You Can Do If You Want To Raise VC Money, Too
Strictly speaking, the term "business model" refers to how a company makes money, such as subscription, freemium, licensing, and advertisement-based.
In this post, we expanded the definition to incorporate the characteristics VCs were looking for in startups' offers at the moment.
Having a resilient or counter-cyclical value proposition will be favored by investors for the next twelve to twenty-four months, at least. As established above, experienced VCs are on the lookout for promising investment opportunities because they know the best deals are made at the beginning of economic crises.
We routinely tell Founders investors don't decide what they should do, which companies they should start, or how they should grow them. But if you're looking for VC money, you need to analyze your offer and business model and present it in a frame that investors recognize – and value.
Join our e-mentoring program to ace your VC pitch deck. > Learn more | crisis-resilient features.
We isolated the Biotech/Medtech category because it tends to fare well regardless of the economic climate, although the health crisis may have favored it recently.
Consumer Deals Aplenty
The Consumer category is dominated by startups operating in the financial sector. The largest raise in that category was done by Collective, a startup helping self-employed entrepreneurs to manage their tax and accounting declarations. As more and more people will find themselves out of a job, it makes sense to back startups targeting those who will set up their own business.
The other Consumer sub-category that's high in VC firms' lists at the moment is Leisure, primarily sports. Flick and Buzzer both raised north of $4 million to develop their apps helping sports influencers connect with their followers or fans get live event information. There are not many live events going on due to the health crisis, but we observe this trend in many countries worldwide.
VCs are piling in on value propositions that seem favored by the current environment, whether economic or social-related. More on that below.
Resilient Or Counter-Cyclical Business Models Are Top Of The List
We described in a previous post what resilient and counter-cyclical business models are (see point #8 in our guide on how to manage cash).
In a nutshell, resilient business models resist the crisis, while counter-cyclical ones thrive in dire economic environments.
Software is a typical resilient category provided the startup's offer presents a few features:
High proportion of annual payments vs. monthly ones. Although most startups now reimburse their clients on a pro-rata temporis basis, clients who already paid for a year tend to let that subscription go to its time limit;
Low subscription amount for the client base. This one stands to reason: if the software license costs a few dozens of dollars per month and the startup targets companies with sales over $10 million, the likelihood of cancellation is low;
High switching costs. Startups licensing out software integral to their clients' success, or which is highly integrated into their systems, will be hard to replace. The risks may be too significant compared to the cost of letting it run.
With that in mind, let's look at a couple of software deals in our database.
Roam Raises $9 Million
The largest transaction in the Software category belongs to Roam, a startup offering an online note-taking tool to researchers and executives collaborating online.
Roam presents some of the resilient features we mentioned earlier.
Not only does Roam incentivize its clients to pay annually in advance, offering an 8% discount if they do. They also have a Believer scheme for five years, which saves customers -45% on the list price, equivalent to paying $8 per month.
If you're a researcher or an executive, whom Roam targets, those $8 a month become difficult to cut down, especially when all your notes are in the app. The switching cost is high.
Another characteristic that may have helped Roam raise so much money at such a high reported valuation is its product's counter-cyclical nature.
In a post-COVID era, working remote and sharing ideas with teams will most probably accelerate. Roam's seed round investors certainly bet for that trend lasting in the long run.
MacroMeta raises $7 Million
MacroMeta realized the second-highest fundraising in the Software category. It offers a programmable edge cloud platform to help its clients run event-driven applications anywhere in the world.
As any developer of such apps will tell you, this is not the kind of service you change overnight. Again, the switching cost is high.
Besides, MacroMeta possesses another advantage for VCs looking for potential winners during a crisis: its cost-efficiency. The company claims it can deploy its solution "while reducing cloud costs by 70% or more."
This is counter-cyclicality at its best.
The Main Features of Counter-Cyclical Business Models
The main question Venture Capitalists ask when they analyze the counter-cyclicality of a business model is: how will this startup benefit from the current economic environment?
The counter-cyclical nature of a product or solution can express itself in several ways:
Increase productivity. Any startup helping its clients produce more output with the same amount of input, or produce the same output with less input, will gain from a crisis environment. Companies are typically looking for an optimal husbanding of resources and will consider new ways of achieving that goal;
Save costs. Somewhat linked to the previous point, cost-saving solutions will also soar during crises. Think Airbnb for accommodation, or Zoom for corporate traveling;
Adapt to changing times. It has been repeated ad nauseam, but the two Chinese ideograms for the word crisis are "Risk" and "Opportunity". Things change during troubled times, as people revisit the way they do things. There is room for creative startups helping customers shift and adapt. The Sharing Economy is the best recent example.
Let's illustrate this point with a | 1,008 |
Covid Wales: How are pubs faring as alcohol ban starts?
Pubs and restaurants have had the first full day of trading without being able to serve alcohol.
The entire hospitality sector was also told it must close its doors from 6pm every night, in a bid to curb rising Covid cases before Christmas.
Some in the industry fear many venues will not recover from the latest restrictions.
Others have reported a boom in daytime table bookings, despite a ban on alcohol.
Ben Browne, owner of the Pitch Bar and Eatery on Cardiff's normally bustling Mill Lane said bookings have been decimated, and he will be forced to close during the week.
He said they normally serve about 250 diners on a Saturday, but with the loss of evening trade, it was down to just 30 for the day.
"Turnover wise, we are forecast to take somewhere between 15 and 20% of what we have normally on a Saturday," he said.
"We normally have 70-100 people for Sunday lunch.
"But we've had so many pull out, we're down to 12 so it's not viable to open - it won't cover the chef's wages.
"I don't know if it's lack of choice or people being scared off."
Cardiff's Mill Lane was one of the city's busiest streets for<|fim_middle|> ended on 9 November.
#Covid #Coronavirus
We learn something every day, and lots of times it's that what we learned the day before was wrong.
Bill Vaughan | food and drinks - but now trade is suffering due to the pandemic
He said they have taken a decision to only open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, in the hope the business can survive the restrictions.
"My worry is people think it will go back to normal in two weeks, that is the public perception, but I don't think it will," he added.
"There will be no chance of a New Year's Eve and we will be closed until January.
"I really am worried about what it is going to be like on the other side of Christmas though, a lot are holding on because of December trade."
They may have only been able to serve non-alcoholic wine and beers - but business was booming at the Gwaelod y Garth Inn
But outside the city centre, it is a different story for others in the industry.
At the Gwaelod y Garth Inn in the busy commuter-belt village on Cardiff's outskirts, business has been booming.
"We opened for breakfast at nine-thirty, and we were fully booked," said the pub's manager Rob Pearson.
"We're fully booked for lunch today, and we're fully booked tomorrow - it's bonkers.
"We phoned everyone who had booked for Sunday lunch to ask if they still wanted to come - 175 people. Every single table is confirmed."
He said the village had "rallied round".
"It's too early to see how the no-alcohol sales will affect us.
"We've managed so far. The staff have been throwing ideas around. If you surround yourself with a good team you will have a good business."
A review of the latest restrictions will take place on 17 December, but First Minister Mark Drakeford has already warned there needs to be "a sustained fall" in the number of coronavirus cases to reverse the alcohol ban.
"We would need to see figures coming down across Wales, we need to see a sustained fall in those numbers and be clear that the trajectory is heading down as well," he told a briefing on Friday.
Conservative leader in the Senedd, Paul Davies, said the national approach from the Welsh Government was unfair on areas with low Covid rates.
Plaid Cymru said hospitality was "paying the price" for a lack of stricter measures after the firebreak lockdown | 464 |
hotels.couponvalid.net 9 out of 10 based on 374 ratings. 2551 user reviews.
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Friends and family may have a good or terrible working experience being at a hotel room. You may benefit from their working experience to weed good places to stay from terrible types. As a matter of point, this can be the ultimate way to ensure you don't repent your choice down the<|fim_middle|> online too. You might like to go to hotel room review internet sites which you could examine loads of ratings remaining by people who stayed at distinct places to stay. These ratings will explain when they experienced a good or terrible working experience. It is deemed an best strategy for looking to purchase a inexpensive hotel room without spending any cash. You can expect to only use your web to consider the help you may need. | road. Furthermore, people don't have got a particular interest if they highly recommend something to a person. So, you can depend on their tips.
And lastly, you might like to find a hotel room | 42 |
When you enter The homestay, you will be welcomed by a young and charming couple. Vikas and Monica Sood are the generous hosts of the homestay who prioritize comfort of their<|fim_middle|>. The home-like hospitality keeps guests wanting for more every time they visit the capital. The hosts are informative about Indian spirituality, yoga and meditation and help those inclined towards it. Built in 1974, the house is located in Friends Colony, green and well-structured colony with a jogger's park next to the house.
The decor of the house shows personal touch of the residents, through souvenirs, sticker collection of drinks consumed and places visited. The accommodation includes, modernly styled living area with an attached balcony, dining area and two double-bed bedrooms. The two guest rooms are spacious with large sized comfortable beds. The living area of the house is ideal for enjoying a drink in the evening while making interesting conversations with the guests. The cuisine served in the house is basically North Indian. The variety of dishes ranges from vegetarian to non-vegetarian dishes as per the choice of the guests. Apart from the regular tourist destinations, one can explore South Extension market which is in the neighborhood of South Delhi. Situated on Ring Road, Delhi, it is divided into two parts - South Extension I and South Extension II. This is one of the poshest market places in Delhi, promising international shopping experience. It is a good place for tourists to see locals going about their daily activities. Plan and begin your exploration while enjoying the benefits of hospitality of a modern Indian family. | guests above all. They both love meeting new people and go out of the way to make their guests feel at ease. Being avid travelers, they understand the needs of their guests well and guide them around the city in terms of places to shop, visit, etc | 52 |
Westminster 4<|fim_middle|>2 or brandon.oland@carrollcountytimes.com. | th July Tea Party
This Picture is of LWRN Host Mike Hargadon and wife Jane, participating in the Westminster, Maryland 4th of July TEA Party.
The following is the Carroll County Times article:
Residents protest govt. spending
About 400 participate in TEA Party Day in Westminster
By Brandon Oland
Hundreds of drivers honked their horns on Md. 140 Saturday morning, but it wasn't because of snarling traffic.
Instead, the honks were a show of support for sign-waving demonstrators gathered along the shoulder of Md. 140 near the intersection of Gorsuch Road in Westminster.
The demonstrators were taking part in Westminster's TEA Party Day.
TEA stands for taxed enough already. The Westminster event featured comments from conservative speakers, followed by an enthusiastic gathering along Md. 140.
The TEA party was part of a national movement to protest the spending of trillions of dollars by the federal government.
About 400 supporters carrying American flags and signs were drawn to the event.
They applauded speakers expressing outrage over government spending and laughed when their display of signs drew one honk after the next.
Harold Owen, of Elders-burg, was among the most enthusiastic sign wavers.
His sign asked drivers to "Honk if I'm paying
a. Your mortgage
b. Car payment
c. Tuition
d. Insurance."
His sign was a not-so-subtle hint that he felt he was paying too much in taxes.
At one point, Owen sprinted across Md. 140 to wave his sign in the median.
"I think a lot of people have a general frustration with the federal government," Owen said when asked why he felt so many people were honking.
John Orlando, the chairman of the Republican Liberty caucus, spoke at the event, highlighting his concerns about the federal government trying to take control of all American waterways.
Orlando, of Annapolis, said he was impressed by the turnout and felt that many in the community were upset by excessive government spending.
"It shows that the American people are tired of it," he said.
Reach staff writer Brandon Oland at 4)0-857-786 | 460 |
The results are in! The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has just released their 2019 fitness trends predictions, a report we anxiously await each year here at Action PR.
The worldwide survey, now in its 13th year, asks fitness professionals from around the world to rank a series of trends in order to determine what's likely to be the talk of the industry for the year ahead. For the 2019 survey, there were 39 possible trends. These trends included the top 25 from previous years alongside some potentially emerging trends. The survey received more than 2,000 responses from fitness professionals from just about every continent and included the UK, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan and the United States.
Perhaps one of the more interesting results was the fact that #6, Employing Certified Fitness Professionals, is new to the top 20 trends identified for 2019. There has been an undeniable shift to elevate the credibility of the industry over the last year and it is interesting to see this shift being recognised from a worldwide perspective. Gone are the days of being able to work as a PT with a<|fim_middle|>. They've also gotten a lot more stylish too, becoming both fashion accessory and practical fitness tracker combined.
HIIT was the #1 trend in 2014 and 2018 but has now fallen to #3 for 2019. Perhaps this is due to the increased rate of injury, or possibly the increase of boutique studios offering more choice for fitness enthusiasts.
Group training made a significant return in 2017 as the #6 trend and has been the #2 trend for the past two years. It's no wonder, given the plentiful research on the effects of group exercise on reducing stress and improving mental wellbeing.
Other trends to watch are mobile exercise apps, worksite health and wellbeing programs and post-rehab classes.
The results of this annual survey can be really important in helping health and fitness professionals make important investment decisions for future growth and development. Notably, many decision makers in the industry will be designing campaigns, product launches and promotions based on emerging trends… not the latest product being sold by fitness influencers on Instagram.
To geek out over the full ACSM survey, go here. | basic online course. The industry is clearly demanding more to be employable as a fitness professional.
Wearable technology took over the #1 spot for 2019 after dropping to #3 in 2018. ACSM speculates that this may be a result of manufacturers correcting some monitoring inaccuracies in the past. As both an Apple Smartwatch and Fitbit Versa wearer, I can say first-hand that vast improvements have been made over the last twelve months in terms of both accuracy and functionality | 103 |
The investigating standard of Geek Squad is evidently best in class, which rapidly adapts to client needs at fast rate. Geek Squad Tech Support team renders with accuracy the support for multi-section<|fim_middle|> is increased and customers need active delivery and spontaneous support. Our Geek Squad Support professionals deal in with responsibility and provide you with the best deal to replace your old gadgets and avail with corresponding new one. We take the guarantee and accountability of the lifelong service.
Geek squad Support enables you to find appropriate solutions for wide range of problems at your office. I was immensely satisfied to use the Geek Squad Services. I am grateful.
For active availability and remote services, I recommend the Geek Squad Support. As they are highly professional and communicate with clients with every bit of procedure and tech repairs.
Geek Squad Support services are available 24/7. I do not have to worry to visit any physical service centre and spend chunk of money on unnecessary items. I suggest the services to all my colleagues!" | contraptions. The customers and clients can get to us at any time and wherever to discover answers satisfactorily with the most noteworthy fulfillment. The associations that Geek Squad team gives ensured delivery for tech repairs , substitution of a dead tech devices. Our Customer Services takes care of all the shutdown issues with care and attention. We additionally deal with the exchanging of hardware, covering each device and contraptions. Full and ensured security of the repair with a general redesign about the technique would be given routinely. Electronic and unmistakable additional items including expanded repair are accessible at only a call. The undaunted structure is lessened to immediate and successful work, with security.
Geek Squad gives an anchored and ideal reaction for each degree of the business or home contraption. Client's repair service is open 24/7 with the dynamic support. As a repair star affiliation, we guarantee fitting treatment of the gear with the broadest care of the item wellbeing. The specialized support that we offer unites pushed mechanical gatherings for the required repairs that spread out a productive result. For ease, we especially base on the organized repairs for clients, as it is like way spares time the visits to physical service center. All the fringes, specialized issues for PC, TV, web, switch, LED, hardware, control, programming and so on are considered.
Geek Squad Tech support team offers a sharp procedure for settling the issues effectively. Sensible answers are given to settle the issues in the most financially savvy way. Individuals give an account of the specialized issues and repairs of things like PC, TV, LED, programming application, web security and so on. Regardless, the customers require not to stress as the group of experts insists best repairs and offer a specialized hand, acting to give smart support for various issues. Geek Squad administers the old item substitution and recuperation. On the off chance that the thing the client requires a pressing repair, substitution is a more conceivable elective that we give. The earnestness that we give in repairs is wonderfully fit and dependable.
We are experts in maintaining the electrical and electronic gadgets easily. Our professionals are 24/7 active in delivering support for a wide range of products.
Power fluctuations and power surge problems at home are common and are dealt with priority and efficiency.
We safely transport and transfer your equipment and product from place to another or mediate a deal for electronic products. Call us for necessary help.
The old items are replaced with new one on request and demand. The replaced systems are taken care of meticulously and accuracy.
The electronics and electricals are easily repaired. We cover all your home and office gadgetry. Geek Squad Tech Support technicians provide cost-effective and expense saving methods to deal with the problems and repairs of all your products, anytime and anywhere on the planet. The devices are handled with care and preventive measures to give more life to your product. The long-lasting solutions bear durably with the product and provide active help throughout life.
Geek Squad professionals assist in dealing with the transfer of equipment and home appliances from one owner to another. Customers just need to provide details of the sellers or vendors; the rest will be taken care of by our talented professionals at the first hand. We act as a mediator and find you the best solutions for the daily products with equal benefits to sustain lifelong with the equipment. Dial Geek Squad Support for immediate help with transfer or selling of equipment.
Geek Squad understands the need of replacing the old equipment, as the tech age is advancing the demand for upgraded versions | 708 |
A chronic transcutaneous implant device for enterostomies is disclosed. The implant device is comprised of a barrel portion and flange portion. The barrel portion is provided with means to enable vascularization of the externalized vessel and the flange portion is provided with means to enable the formation of a vascularized biological anchor. The implant device is capable of being permanently positioned under the skin. The implant device is provided with a detachable bag member which functions to receive excrements exiting the externalized vessel.
The present application is a continuation of our U.S. patent application Ser. No. 710,638 which was filed Aug. 2, 1976, which was a continuation-in-part of our U.S. patent application Ser. No. 525,832, filed Nov. 21, 1974, which was in turn a continuation-in-part of our U.S. patent application Ser. No. 338,051, filed Mar. 1, 1973, said U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 710,638, 525,832 and 338,051 now being abandoned.
The present invention relates to a chronic transcutaneous implant device, and, in particular, relates to a chronic transcutaneous implant device which functions as a conduit means for externalizing internal vessels or organs.
There are many situations in which it is necessary to perform an enterostomy on a patient. An enterostomy involves externalizing an internal vessel or organ. The most common vessels or organs which may require externalizing are the ileum, color, ureter, urethra, and the bladder and pelvis of the kidney. Heretofore, enterostomies were accomplished by severing the vessel which was to be externalized or creating a tube from the wall of the organ which was to be externalized and then suturing the wall of the vessel or tube to an opening which had been formed on the surface of the body. The opening was normally formed on the abdomen. Generally, the wall of the vessel and the dermis of the skin surrounding the opening would grow together to permanently secure the vessel to the surface of the body. After the operation was healed, a container was attached to the surface of the skin. The container functioned to receive the excrements which were discharged from the vessel. These excrements were normally corrosive due to the<|fim_middle|> 3 also shows the keratin ring 41 being discharged along the surface of barrel 14 of the implant.
In FIG. 5 is shown an alternate embodiment of the implant device according to the present invention. The device is designed to enable the externalization of an organ such as a bladder which is not formed in the shape of a vessel. The implant 50 is preferably generally bell-shaped comprising an annular wall 51 having a plurality of apertures 52. The wall 51 is integrally formed with flange 54 having apertures 56 formed therein. The wall is also provided with an annular groove 58 which functions as a point of attachment for a bag member.
The device is implanted into an organ such as the bladder with the flange 54 protruding into the muscle sheath below the dermis. Because the device is implanted into the muscle sheath below the dermis and facia, it is formed with a greater length than implant devices used for externalizing vessels. Before the device is implanted, the wall of the organ preferably is traumatized to promote ingrowth of vascularized tissue into the apertures formed in the device. An opening is then formed in the wall of the bladder and the wall is pulled through the interior of the device and securely sutured to a detachable suture ring which is attached to groove 58 of the device.
With healing, the vascularized muscle tissue will grow through apertures 56 to form a secure vascularized biological anchor for the device and the wall of the bladder will grow through the aperture 52 and into the dermis to form vascularized connection for the bladder.
In FIG. 6, there is shown another alternate embodiment of the implant device which is designed to enable the externalization of an organ such as a bladder. The implant 60 is comprised of a generally funnel-shaped barrel 62 having annular groove 64 formed therein. The base 66 of barrel 62 is flared outwardly and is preferably provided with a plurality of apertures 68. The barrel 62 is provided with flange 70 which is spaced away from the end of the barrel and is provided with a plurality of apertures 72 formed therein. The barrel 62 is further provided with annular groove 64 which functions as a point of attachment for bag member 74. Bag member 74 is provided with a plug 76 which is preferably comprised of a resilient biocompatible and non-biodegradable polymeric material and is attached to the wall of the bag 74. The plug 74 is insertable into barrel 62 and is preferably a chevron plug with flared edges to enable retention of the plug in barrel 62. The plug is provided with grasping means 78 to enable its insertion and removal from barrel 62.
The implant device 60 is implanted into an organ such as the bladder by first exposing the bladder and then forming an opening in the wall of the bladder. The base 66 of the implant is inserted into the bladder and the wall of the bladder is sutured to base 66 through apertures 64. The flange 70 of the implant is then positioned between the dermis and the facia and sutured therein through apertures 72.
With healing, the vascularized muscle tissue will grow through apertures 72 to form a secure vascularized biological anchor for the implant and the wall of the bladder will grow through the aperture 64 to secure the bladder to the base of the implant.
After healing, bag member 74 is attached to groove 84 of implant 60. Since the bladder is a natural reservoir for urine, plug 76 can be inserted into barrel 62 to retain the urine within the bladder until an appropriate time for removal. The bag member may also be provided with a second opening to enable simultaneous discharge of the urine into an appropriate receptacle.
While an embodiment and application of this invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein described. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except as is necessary by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.
a suture ring attached about said barrel member annular groove and extending longitudinally from said barrel member.
2. The implant device of claim 1 wherein said barrel and flange consist essentially of a polymeric carbon.
3. The implant device of claim 1 wherein said barrel is flared at one end and said flange is located along the length of said barrel. | presence of enzymes, etc., and when they contacted the surface of the skin, they caused ulceration. For example, in an illeostomy, the ileum was externalized to the abdomen of the patient and the enzymes, urine, etc., which exited from the ileum caused ulceration of the skin surrounding the point of externalization. This was primarily due to the presence of active enzymes in the small intestines.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a chronic transcutaneous implant device for use in enterostomies which will prevent the excrements which are being discharged from the externalized vessel or organ from contacting the surface of the skin.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a chronic transcutaneous implant device for use in enterostomies which will enable vascularization of the externalized vessel or organ.
These and other objects and advantages are obtained by forming a chronic transcutaneous implant device. The implant device is provided with a first means to enable vascularization of the externalized vessel thereby preventing necrosis of the vessel. It is preferred that the first means comprise a barrel portion having a plurality of apertures which enable the ingrowth of the tissue of the externalized vessel through the implant into the dermis thereby forming a vascularized connection for the vessel. The implant device is further provided with a second means to enable the formation of a vascularized biological anchor and a seal between the device and the dermis. It is preferred that the second means comprises a flange portion having a plurality of apertures which enable the ingrowth of vascularized dermis tissue to form a secure biological anchor for the implant. In an alternative embodiment, limited areas of porous material can be substituted in place, and at the location of, the apertures formed in the first and second means. The porous material preferably has pore sizes of approximately 20 to 100 microns and each pore has an entrance and an exit such that there are no dead spaces within the material. A bag member is preferably detachably attached to the implant device to receive excrements exiting the externalized vessel.
FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of another alternate embodiment of the implant device.
The present invention contemplates the formation of a chronic transcutaneous implant device having a detachable bag member. The implant device is preferably comprised of a barrel portion which is integrally formed with a flange portion. The barrel portion is provided with means to enable vascularization of the externalized vessel thereby preventing subsequent necrosis of the vessel. It is preferred that the means comprise a plurality of apertures. The apertures enable ingrowth of the tissue of the vessel through the implant into the dermis to form a vascularized connection for the vessel and a seal between the vessel and the inside of the implant device. The flange portion is provided with means to enable the formation of a vascularized biological anchor. It is preferred that the means also comprise a plurality of apertures. The apertures formed on the flange portion function to enable the ingrowth of dermis tissue from both faces of the flange when the implant is partially positioned under the skin. The dermis tissue eventually grows together to form a secure vascularized biological anchor for the implant. The apertures formed in the barrel and flange are preferably round holes but can be slots or irregularly shaped holes. In an alternative embodiment, limited areas of porous material can be substituted in place of the apertures formed in the barrel and flange. The porous material may be positioned at the same location as the apertures and extends through the entire thickness of the wall of the device. The material is preferably impermeable and nonabsorbent and a suitable material for the practice for the practice of the present invention consists of carbon. The porous material preferably comprises a plurality of pores formed so that each pore has an entrance and an exit thereby preventing necrosis which is caused by the ingrowth of tissue into dead end pores. The pores are preferably formed having a pore diameter of approximately 20 to 100 microns. Suitable porous material can be formed utilizing the process disclosed in the White, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,107, but it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that other processes can also be utilized to form porous material suitable for the practice of the present invention. It will also be obvious to one skilled in the art that other means may also be utilized to enable the vascularization of the externalized vessel or organ and the dermis tissue.
The implant device is preferably combined with a disposable detachable bag member which functions to receive excrements exiting the externalized vessel. In the case where the internal organ is formed with a natural reservoir, the bag member may be provided with a plug member. The plug member is insertable into the barrel portion of the device and functions to prevent excrements from exiting the externalized organ or vessel. The plug member may be removed at an appropriate time to enable the discharge of excrements into an appropriate receptable.
The implant device is comprised of a material which is non-absorbing, impermeable, biocompatible and non-biodegradable. The implant device is, thus, capable of being partially positioned, in a permanent fashion, below the surface of the skin without causing tissue reaction infections or rejection by the body.
It is also important that the material of the implant device be essentially non-porous, except in areas of intended attachment or vascularization, to enable the discharge of waste products along the surface of the device so that the waste products do not impregnate the device and cause necrosis of adjacent tissue.
The implant device is preferably formed from substantially pure polymeric carbon such as a highly polished vitreous (glassy) carbon or from pyrolytic carbon disposed on a graphite or other substrate. Pure carbon is a nonbiological solid that is completely biocompatible; that is, there appears to be no recognition of or reaction to pure carbon by living tissue. In addition, carbon is not degraded or changed by a biological environment and, therefore, no degradation products are created to cause reactions. Preparation of a vitreous carbon is now well-known in the art. The vitreous (glassy) carbon is non-crystalline but it is also possible to use a crystalline carbon, such as graphite. It will, however, be apparent to those skilled in the art that the implant device can be comprised of other nonporous, biocompatible and non-biodegradable materials such as plastic or ceramic materials.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3, there is shown the preferred embodiment of the implant device 10. The implant device is preferably comprised of a hollow barrel 14 integrally formed with flange 16. A plurality of apertures 18 is formed in the flange 16. A plurality of apertures 20 is formed in barrel 14. The apertures 20 may be positioned in any random pattern but are preferably positioned in two offset rows. The apertures 20 are preferably formed at a 45° angle so that they slope down into the interior of the barrel and are preferably formed only on the lower portion of barrel 14. The distal portion of barrel 14 is provided with annular groove 22. The implant device is provided with a bag member 24 which consists of an elastomer which is impermeable to odors. The bag member 24 is provided with elastic ring 26 and support member 28. The elastic ring 26 is capable of detachable attachment with barrel 14 of the implant device by inserting the ring over the barrel until it engages annular groove 22 of the barrel. The support member 28 is capable of attachment to the body and is preferably an adhesive ring or belt. The support member 28 functions to bear the weight of the bag and contents to prevent traumatizing the skin surrounding the implant member.
Where R is the radius, H is the total height, and h is the distance from the top of the implant.
The implant device may be extremely small, when it is visualized that the thickness of the skin is only a few millimeters thick in the areas at which the implant device would be implanted. The foregoing equation of the lateral surface in polar coordinates provides the shape of implant device shown in the drawings and with a general ratio of parts of the implant device as shown in FIG. 4.
The implant device 10 is inserted into the skin through an opening formed in the body of the patient. The skin is comprised of two layers. The outer layer is known as the epidermis or keratin 30 and is comprised of old, dry, scale-like cells which are continuously flaking off. The inner, second layer of skin is the dermis 32. The dermis 32 is comprised of a layer of fibrous-type tissue interspersed with capillaries. The dermis overlies the facia 34, which is a fatty tissue interspersed with capillaries. The facia 34 perform several essential functions such as providing nourishment to the dermis and insulation to the body.
As shown in FIG. 2, one method of performing an enterostomy comprises first attaching a suture ring or sewing ring 36 to the implant device. The suture ring 36 preferably consists of polyurethane and is comprised of collar 38, annular groove 40 and flange 42 which is capable of locking engagement with groove 22 of barrel 14. The implant device is then inserted into the skin so that flange 16 is positioned between the dermis 32 and facia 34 and the lower portion of the barrel 14 is contiguous to the dermis 32 and epidermis 30. The distal part of barrel 14 extends out of the body of the patient. Vessel 35 is then drawn up through hollow barrel 14 and suture ring 36. The vessel is then folded over the suture ring and sutured to the collar 38. A detachable bag member similar to the bag member 24 shown in FIG. 3 is then attached to groove 40 of suture ring 36 to receive excrements exiting the externalized vessel.
During the healing process, the dermis tissue surrounding the implant grows into intimate contact with the carbon surface so that the dermis tissue integrally interfaces the carbon surface to form a permanent tight seal around the implant. A fibrous connective tissue grows into and through the apertures 18 and 20 to completely fill the apertures with the tissue and complete a vascular pathway through the apertures. As shown in FIG. 3, with the ingrowth of the vascularized fibrin tissue 37 into apertures 18, a secure biological anchor is formed and the implant device becomes securely attached to the body. The ingrowth of a vascularized fibrin tissue 39 through apertures 20 and onto the vessel provides a vascular pathway for the externalized vessel and securely attaches the outer wall of the vessel to the dermis. Apertures 20 may be formed at a 45° angle with respect to the wall of barrel 14 to facilitate attachment of vessel 35 to the dermis 32 and to avoid the stress which would result from a 90° connection.
After the formation of the vascularized fibrin tissue, the distal portion of vessel 35 will become atrophied beyond the distal row of apertures 20. This is due to the formation of the new vascular pathway through apertures 20 and the subsequent change in the blood flow pattern which results in blood flowing only through the new vascular pathway. As shown in FIG. 3, the distal portion of vessel 35 is removed after it has atrophied. The suture ring 36 is then removed and the bag member 24 is attached directly to barrel 14 of the implant device. FIG. | 2,538 |
Vancouver, BC, November 7, 2017—ACL, one of Vancouver's most established tech companies, was today recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers for exceptional commitment to innovative benefits, comprehensive training<|fim_middle|> awarded these accolades, a testament to their ongoing commitment to culture. The ACL team attributes these wins not only to providing attractive perks such as funded leadership training, supporting community initiatives, RRSP matching, and an ACL-branded Gran Torino that employees can borrow whenever they want, but also to fostering a culture that celebrates authenticity, diversity, and innovation. In addition, ACL is a purpose-driven organization that encourages action that leaves a positive impact on the world.
Canada's Top 100 Employers, now in its 18th year, celebrates employers who lead their industries in exceptional workplaces. The selection process is evaluated by the editors who consider Physical Workplace; Work Atmosphere & Social; Health, Financial & Family Benefits; Vacation & Time Off; Employee Communications; Performance Management; Training & Skills Development; and Community Involvement. The full list can be seen in today's Globe and Mail, or on Canada's Top 100 Employer's website, here.
Natalie Davidson, Brix Media Co. | programs and connected culture. The annual competition, managed by Mediacorp Canada Inc., celebrates employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work.
Today's award is not the first time that ACL has been recognized for company culture. Earlier this year, the company was named one of BC's Top Employers and one of Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers. This was the third time that ACL was | 82 |
Racing An IMOCA Crack Up
An IMOCA Crack Up
The Mystery of Why Cheminées Poujoulat Split in Two
By Bruce Gain
The news was not good: Cheminées Poujoulat, with Bernard Stamm and Damien Guillou onboard, was in serious trouble 180 miles from shore as one of the worst storms in decades pounded the Brittany Coast. For those onshore in the safety of their homes during that dark night before Christmas Eve, it was hard to imagine what it would be like to call a mayday as 70-knot winds and 20-foot waves struck the rocky coast.
Many shook their heads and said both sailors had known what to expect and lost after rolling the dice, instead of avoiding the storm. This type of reaction is common among those in the tight-knit offshore sailing and commercial fishing industry. When bad things happen, people often say something like: "They were professionals and knew the risks."
But things were not what they seemed to be in many ways. To begin with, Stamm and Guillou are world-class offshore sailors. More importantly, the sea conditions were not as bad where they were over 150 miles off the coast<|fim_middle|> sail around the world in only 15 knots of wind in Brittany," Stamm said. "We never felt like we had to shut everything down and go inside, which you have to do if the conditions get too bad."
In short, the two sailors thought they were in good shape to head to port the next morning on a tried-and-tested boat sailing well within the limits for which it was designed. But that all changed at around 8:30 p.m. The two sailors were seated at the map table when they heard a loud crack as the boat went over a wave.
Guillou climbed out of the cabin onto the deck and at first thought they had dismasted. But it quickly became apparent that the unthinkable had happened: The boat had broken in two, with most of the back of the cockpit hanging to the rest of the boat by a few cables. They immediately closed the cockpit hatch to prevent what was left of the boat from sinking and radioed for help.
It was very hit or miss during the following 8 to 10 hours. A helicopter from England found them and instructed the sailors by radio to board their life raft and prepare for an airlift rescue. The two men put the lifeboat in the water but could not swim through the pounding and cresting waves to reach it. When they swam back with their lifelines still attached, they had trouble pulling themselves back onto the boat. They finally managed to pull themselves onboard between wave crests that pounded them against the boat. In the process of abandoning the life raft, they lost their satellite phone, emergency water, fuses, and other survival gear.
They finally managed to pull themselves onboard between wave crests that pounded them against the boat.
A plane later flew over them and airdropped five life rafts on top of what was left of the boat, but they were only able to recover one of them. "It was dark and we could not see anything," Stamm said. "The sea conditions were very rough."
A Norwegian container ship arrived a few hours later and maneuvered so that the wrecked Cheminées Poujoulat touched its side. The rescue attempt was risky, but the ship's cargo capacity was almost full, which weighted it down in the water. Otherwise, the ship could have crushed what was left of Cheminées Poujoulat into pieces with the two men onboard as the ship rose and fell with the large and confused waves. Still, at one point, Cheminées Poujoulat drifted near the boat's hull and was pounded against the side, causing it to break up even more.
After several failed attempts, Stamm finally managed to tie himself to a rope the cargo ship crew had thrown down and was pulled up to safety. "It was really a last-minute thing because the boat was starting to sink," Stamm said. "At the end of the rescue, the wind was starting to blow again and we started to get cold."
But once on deck on the container ship, Stamm suffered his worst fright yet. "All I could think about was that I had left Damien behind," Stamm later recounted. "I screamed at the crewmembers, telling them they had to rescue Damien as well, and they told me not to worry."
It was widely reported that Cheminées Poujoulat had sunk and that the two sailors were rescued in just the nick of time. But about two weeks later, a French customs patrol boat found the wreck of Cheminées Poujoulat floating off the French island of Vierge. The boat, mostly submerged, was barely intact, while the back deck remained attached by cables. "Needless to say, I was surprised to see Cheminées Poujoulat after I witnessed it sinking," Stamm said. "Maybe the boat reached the surface again after the keel fell off."
"Needless to say, I was surprised to see Cheminées Poujoulat after I witnessed it sinking."
We may never learn why Cheminées Poujoulat, which remains tied up and half-submerged at the port of Aberwrach, France, cracked up (watch video here).
"We will know more once Cheminées Poujoulat is taken out of the water," he said. "But you have to remember that a large chunk of the boat is missing."
So what does this incident mean for the IMOCA class, following the number of keel and other breakages during the last Vendée Globe?
"What I would say is that I believe the IMOCA structure and safety record speaks for itself," Owen says. "Our greatest problems in the past ten years have been rigs and keels. The new rules have addressed this even if the solution is not to everyone's satisfaction."
Cheminees Poujoulat
Cheminees Poujoulat did not sink completely, while only cables held two large pieces of the boat intact.
Wreck of Cheminees Poujoulat
The wreck was towed to the Brittany port of Aberwrach. | . Indeed, why Cheminées Poujoulat split in two still remains a mystery over a month later. The incident is especially puzzling considering how the design of the Vendée Globe's IMOCA class boats are supposed to be significantly safer and sturdier than they were a decade ago.
"Something like this has never happened before in the history of the IMOCA class," said Merfyn Owen, of Owen Clarke Design, which designed Acciona.
Bernard Stamm
"You don't prepare to sail around the world in only 15 knots of wind in Brittany." -Stamm
The two sailors were on their way from Brazil when disaster struck, after taking third place in the IMOCA class category of the Transat Jacques Vabre. Stamm had successfully skippered Cheminées Poujoulat alone for most of the Vendée Globe course less than a year before without experiencing any major structural breakage, but was forced to abandon the race south of New Zealand due to a hydrogenerator malfunction.
Both sailors had also seen worse, much worse, and as Stamm would later reveal, they had avoided the nastiest part of the storm. They were taking their time when the incident happened, sailing at 12 to 13 knots with four reefs and the wind behind them. The wind was gale force, between 43 and 45 knots, and the seas were big, but the main part of the front was ahead of them.
"You don't prepare to | 305 |
MIS-C: The tip of an iceberg? Looking at cardiac care for this rare syndrome
Posted on August 20, 2020 by Ellen Greenlaw | Clinical Care, Specialty Care
Tags: cardiac research, coronavirus, heart, heart center, mis-c
Members of the Cardiology MIS-C team, from left, Newburger, Friedman, Dionne, and Baker.
In the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, it seemed that children were far less likely to develop serious problems from the disease than adults. Then in mid-March, hospitals started reporting an unusual inflammatory syndrome in children that seemed to be related to COVID-19, now known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).
MIS-C can cause inflammation of many parts of the body, including the heart, lungs<|fim_middle|> lifetimes, there is a new virus that the human race has not been exposed to," says Newburger. "Everyone is getting it at the same time, so we're seeing a spectrum of symptoms. We are learning more every day, and we want to stay on the cutting edge of knowledge."
Learn more about the Heart Center and other MIS-C research at Boston Children's.
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Tagged: cardiac research, coronavirus, heart, heart center, mis-c | , brain, skin, eyes, kidneys, and gastrointestinal organs. Some of the most serious complications of MIS-C involve the heart, including ventricular dysfunction, coronary artery aneurysms, and arrhythmias. Children may also have partial or complete features seen in Kawasaki disease (KD).
As of mid-July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had received reports of 342 cases and 6 deaths from MIS-C in 36 states and Washington D.C. There are still many unanswered questions about MIS-C, but from the start, clinicians and researchers at the Boston Children's Hospital Heart Center have been on the front lines, diagnosing and treating patients, as well as looking for answers about this rare and mysterious syndrome.
"Boston was hit early in the pandemic, so hospitals and institutions in other states are looking to us for guidance," says Jane Newburger, MD, MPH, associate cardiologist-in-chief and director of the Kawasaki Program at Boston Children's. "Long-term effects of MIS-C on the heart are as yet unknown, so we are systematically following affected children and teens for their heart function, coronary artery status, and conduction system/arrhythmias."
Cardiology MIS-C team: Providing clinical leadership
To address these issues and develop guidelines for proper follow-up care, the Cardiology MIS-C team at Boston Children's serves as a national resource for parents and physicians. The team includes international experts on this difficult-to-diagnose condition.
"A member of our team is on call 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week, to provide consultation and care for other providers, children, and their families," says Newburger.
Along with Newburger, the MIS-C team includes Kevin Friedman, MD, Audrey Dionne, MD, Sarah de Ferranti, MD, and David Fulton, MD. In addition, Christina VanderPluym, MD, provides expertise in the coagulopathy in children with MIS-C and Annette Baker, RN, MSN, PNP, coordinates the program. The team has also been working closely with Mary Beth Son, MD; Pui Lee, MD, PhD; and Meghan Day-Lewis, NP, in the Rheumatology Program and specialists in the Division of Infectious Diseases to tailor treatment to each child's individual cardiac status.
In addition, Friedman says the team is uniquely positioned to care for MIS-C patients because of its long-standing Kawasaki Disease Program. "We've been a leader in taking care of Kawasaki disease patients for the past 40 years," says Friedman. "So we already have that infrastructure set up, including a multidisciplinary team of cardiologists who specialize in anticoagulation and heart failure, as well as rheumatologists and infectious disease doctors already in place. The novelty of this disease has left everyone with a lot of clinical and research questions, and our experience makes us well-positioned to answer them."
Newburger says clinicians should reach out to the team with any questions about their patients and MIS-C. "We can arrange to see patients, we can do echocardiograms, and we can also do virtual visits to discuss symptoms and questions," she says. "We're here for questions and to help providers decide if evaluation is needed."
As of mid-July, Boston Children's has seen 40 patients who meet the strict definition for an MIS-C diagnosis according to the Massachusetts Department of Health, as well as at least 40 more who have been screened. Although criteria for diagnosis vary somewhat, they all include fever, laboratory evidence of inflammation, organ dysfunction, and association with COVID-19. "We suspect that immunologic phenomena in response to SARS-CoV-2 are relatively common, and that MIS-C is just the tip of an iceberg," says Newburger. She says that under that tip may be many more children who have other immune symptoms, or who don't quite meet the definition of MIS-C.
Leaders in MIS-C research
As the COVID-19 pandemic marches forward, several clinicians from the MIS-C team are leading and involved in research projects to learn more about this mysterious illness.
Newburger is leading a very large, national, multicenter project that is being funded through the NIH and is going to look at the time course and spectrum of heart disease symptoms in patients who have MIS-C. This project will examine what happens over the long term to coronary artery changes, heart function, and arrhythmias in children diagnosed with MIS-C.
Audrey Dionne has done work on arrhythmias and conduction problems in children with MIS-C, and how the electrical system of the heart does over time.
Friedman and Dionne are the first and senior author in describing the team's experience with the first 25 MIS-C patients at Boston Children's. That paper will be published in Pediatrics.
Newburger, Friedman, and Dionne, along with colleagues in rheumatology have published the team's global experience with MIS-C patients in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, including how their laboratory values compare to those of patients with Kawasaki disease.
Newburger and others on the team are involved in a study through the Pediatric Heart Network and funded through the NIH. As part of this study, Freidman will be running an echocardiographic core laboratory, getting echos from providers across the country to interpret and evaluate.
Friedman is senior author on in multi-center piece that will suggest how patients should be followed clinically.
The team is providing cardiac phenotyping, to see what do the hearts of these patients look like. "We're working closely with clinicians in other divisions who are helping us understand the mechanisms that might determine that phenotype," says Newburger. "As cardiologists, we very focused on the heart, but we also need to understand why some people are so affected and others are not."
The team is also collaborating with researchers in rheumatology to learn more about how the immune system expresses itself. "We want to learn how it's different in MIS-C vs. Kawasaki, vs. toxic shock," says Newburger.
The team is well aware that when it comes to COVID-19 and MIS-C, they have to remain curious and agile. "For first time in our | 1,261 |
Local hops experts meet in Farm-to-Glass Classroom
On Saturday, January 18 the Carey Institute for Global Good will be hosting a Farm-To-Glass Classroom Hops Workshop for farmers, brewers and those interested in the growing local craft brewing movement. Novice and intermediate farmers, as well as brewers will hear from specialists in the field of hops production.
Topics to be covered by a panel of experts include site and varietal selection, infrastructure design, troubleshooting, post-harvest and processing considerations, and farmers' experiences in the field. Speakers will include Steve Miller, Cornell Cooperative Extension's Statewide Hops Specialist;<|fim_middle|> Empire State Development announced the award of $108,000 to the project, dubbed the Helderberg Brewshed; an ongoing fundraising campaign is underway to secure the rest of the project budget. The barn will house three key programs, including a Model Farm Brewery, A Farm-To-Glass Classroom, and a Farm Brewery Incubator. Stay tuned to Facebook for upcoming Farm-To-Classroom events and opportunities to engage with the Helderberg Brewshed Project. | John Arnold and Cory Skier from New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets' Food Safety Division; Dietrich Gehring of Helderberg Hops in Altamont; and Casey and Kelly Holzworth of Kelsey's Quarter Acre Farm in Greenfield. The event will run from 10am to 1pm, and include networking session for farmers and brewers during a break. The fee for the event is $20 at the door; those interested in attending should call 518-797-5100 to reserve a space.
There is no question. New York State is in the midst of a craft brew renaissance. Today, New York State is home to about 170 small breweries, more than five times the number that existed ten years ago, according to Cornell Cooperative Extension. And, more breweries are emerging from the woodwork with the intent to support the State's domestic farmers in the wake of Governor Cuomo's 2012 Farm Brewery Law. The law creates a farm brewery license for operations that purchase at least 20% of their hops and 40% of their other ingredients, including barely and other small grains, from New York State producers through 2018; in the following six years the mandate escalates to a 90% domestic ingredient purchasing requirement.
However, at this time, New York State-grown hop supplies are so meager it is anticipated farm brewers and distillers will experience significant challenges sourcing ingredients to satisfy these benchmarks. In fact, supplies are so meager that a single micro-brewery, something the scale of FX Matt (brewers of Saranac), could consume all of the hops presently raised in the entire state.
Despite cultivating nearly 40,000 acres of hops in 1880 (more than 80% of what was grown in the entire country) according to the United States Census of Agriculture, the vast majority of American hops are grown in Washington, Oregon and Idaho today. Hop and malt-grade grain production went by the wayside in New York State due to a variety of reasons, including the 1913 Blue Mold Blight and the discovery of more-productive, higher-yielding hop lands in the Pacific Northwest.
Nonetheless, New York State's new fascination with craft beer has opened the door for domestic farmers seeking new profit centers for their farms. Up from 65 acres in 2012, Cornell Cooperative Extension Hops Specialist Steve Miller estimates that 150 acres of hops were cultivated in New York State in 2013, and projects reaching 250 acres this summer. However, there are significant challenges and learning curves to be met to bring hops supplies up to speed with demand.
Gearing up for hops production, farmers face substantial financial and labor investments in infrastructure, including purchasing and planting rhizomes, making necessary soil amendments and building hop poles and trellises. There are also risks associated with pests. For example, some farmers in the Helderberg Hilltowns struggled with aphids this summer, a particularly virulent insect that also incubates a damaging fungus. Other impediments, including mites, mildews, root rot and rodents, can cause an entire harvest to go bad.
When it comes to harvesting, farmers face another challenge. Hop harvesting by hand is incredibly time consuming and labor intensive. Without a mechanized hop harvester, which can be prohibitively expensive, farmers invest approximately 200 man-hours into each acre of hops harvested according to Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Furthermore, there are also processing issues associated with hops. After harvesting, hops are typically dried, vacuum sealed and frozen for future use in brew batches. Many new hop farmers are unaware of the food processing regulations associated with vacuum sealing hops. Following harvesting, hops are typically dried at low heat, vacuum sealed and frozen. While passive drying and freezing are not regulated food processing activities, vacuum sealing is regulated. New York State Agriculture and Markets law requires a food establishment license which costs $400 for two years, as well as regular water testing and health department inspections for any operation conducting regulated food processing activities. Furthermore, an additional variance application and approval is required for vacuum sealing at food processing establishments, creating a significant regulatory hurdle for small farms looking to make the jump to hops cultivation.
As hops production comes back into the mainstream in New York State, there are several considerations that require further research, development and education. Furthermore, as the industry is reestablished there is a call from farmers to uncover the institutional and historical know-how associated with hops cultivation.
In step, the Carey Institute for Global Good in Rensselaerville has emerged as a leader in the effort to close the gap between agricultural supplies and demand from brewers and increase capacity for New York State's budding farm brewing industry. Starting in 2014, the Carey Institute will be resurrecting a New World Dutch Barn, circa 1760, on its campus to house New York State's first farm brewery incubator. The Carey Institute has partnered with CSArch, an Albany-based architecture firm, to adapt the barn so it may function as a new economic and social hub that connects farmers, brewers and craft beverage enthusiasts. Last month, | 1,075 |
Chances are that you or someone you know were affected by the flu in recent months. The 2017-2018 flu season was so devastating that Shannon and I decided to share any helpful information we could find on combating it on this week's Addicted to Fitness podcast.
Before doling out our natural flu prevention remedies, we share what are listeners have been saying on the ATF Facebook page.
We recently celebrated getting 100 likes on our Facebook page by completing a 100 push up challenge on Facebook Live. We had several people cheer us on from the comment section including my first martial arts instructor and past ATF guest Master Amir Ardebily. Master Amir has a tremendous story and I encourage you to go back and listen to our interview with him.
After the Listeners Talk Back segment we dive into our training recaps for the week. I've been busy building new workout programs including one for an ETTampa group workout in Shannon and I's neighborhood of Seminole Heights. The owner of Essential Balance Tampa Hayden Sutherland, who you may remember from a past ATF episode, asked if I'd be interested in offering a group class to members of my community and of course I jumped at the opportunity.
If you live in the Tampa Bay Area and are interested in attending this class, visit Essential Balance Tampa's website and reserve your spot.
Shannon has also been busy finishing up the required teaching she needs to perform to receive her "diploma" for her yoga teacher training. She led her mom through a 45 minute yoga session that was cut short by the same person you'll hear when you listen to this week's episode.
We really hope that you and your loved ones made it through this flu season as healthy as possible. If you're looking for another nutritious whole food item that could help give your immune system a boost, grab some sustainable super coffee from the Hemp & Coffe Exchange. Visit their website, hempcoffeeexchange.com, and when you place your order, make sure you use the promo code "ATF" at checkout to get 20% off your order.
We'd also really appreciate it if you leave us a rating & review on our Facebook page and in iTunes. It only takes a few minutes and really helps us reach more listeners.
It's that time again. We've got another Girl Scout cookie challenge on this week's Addicted to Fitness podcast. We're on our third year of this fun fitness challenge and this time Shannon is going to give it a go.
For all those new to this challenge, the ultimate goal is to burn off the calories contained in 3 Girl Scout cookies as quickly as possible.
Just like in previous years, we chose the peanut butter & chocolate Girl Scout cookie known as the Tagalong. We were primarily concerned with the calorie content for 3 of these cookies, but the other nutritional facts are: 14 g fat, 20 g carbs (12 g sugar), 3 g of protein.
Shannon downed three of these bad boys, performed a 5 minute warm-up, then jumped on our beloved Peloton cycle to burn off the 2<|fim_middle|> round out her fitness for the week.
I had my personal training sessions at Title and Tampa Strength, including a session with a new ETTampa client. I've also been working hard on creating new content for you ATF listeners. We'll be making an exciting announcement about our new weekly show real soon!
Thanks to Shannon's Apple Watch, we were able to count down the final seconds before she reached the 210 calorie goal. Make sure you listen to this week's episode to find out how long it took her to complete this year's challenge. Then you can go back and listen to the previous years episodes to find out who completed the challenge faster.
Let us know what you think of this fitness challenge on the Addicted to Fitness Podcast Facebook page. While you're there, please leave us a rating & review, which we'd also appreciate if you could do in iTunes. It only takes a few minutes and really helps us reach more listeners.
All you ATF coffee lovers should definitely check out our sponsors The Hemp & Coffee Exchange. Visit hempcoffeeexchange.com and read about their delicious & nutritious sustainable super coffee and when you place your order, make sure you use the promo code "ATF" at checkout to get 20% off your order. | 10 calories worth of cookies.
While Shannon was doing most of the heavy lifting, or in this case riding, I gave our training recaps for the week.
In addition to doing several sessions on the Peloton, Shannon did yoga almost every single day and got to a yoga class at her home studio, Bella Prana. She also performed a couple HIIT workouts to | 75 |
ISS National Lab Missions Flown
Media Credit: Image courtesy of NASA
SpaceX CRS-6
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft launched from Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air<|fim_middle|> lifelike prosthetics led her to a somewhat surprising testing platform: the ISS National Lab, onboard which she can study materials science in ways not possible on Earth.
Rodent Rocket research: Biomedical Discovery in Space
Rodents provide critical insight into not only the effects of spaceflight that impact astronaut health but also effects that mimic human disease on Earth.
Reshaping Drug Delivery Millions of Crystals at a TIme
These space-based research could one day translate into significant improvements in quality of life for patients with cancer and autoimmune disorders. | Force Station, for their fifth official Commercial Resupply mission to the orbiting lab on Saturday, January 10 at 4:47am EST.
Mission: SpaceX CRS-6
Launch date: Saturday, April 14, 2015 at 4:10 p.m. EDT
Location: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Launch Resources
Mission Overview
The ISS National Lab-Sponsored Investigations Berthed to the International Space Station
The fifth series of payloads launching onboard SpaceX CRS-6 includes a range of experiments sponsored by the ISS National Lab from the commercial and academic communities.
CASIS SpaceX-6 Payload Overview
Research payloads onboard include: OSTEO-4 by NIH, Protein Crystal Growth (PCG-3) by Merk, Rodent Research-2 by Novartis.
Learn about the Official 2015 National Lab Mission Patch
The mission patch developed by actor, creator, and producer Seth Green, represents all payloads intended for the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory in calendar year 2015.
Meet the Scientist: Paul Reichert
Dr. Reichert discusses the importance of crystallizing monoclonal antibodies in microgravity, toward therapeutic applications.
Bringing Motion to Life: Materials Science Research in Space
Dr. Lenore Rasmussen's work with the concept of | 283 |
Dr. Smith is an<|fim_middle|> golf programs. Dr. Smith has over 23 years of teaching experience. | avid researcher and a published author. Of her publications, she has co-authored three books, published a chapter in a collective work, published several articles and published two inspirational journals. She has also presented at many conferences and at Walden's National Faculty Meetings. Her related research includes topics on inclusion, adult learning theory, transformational leadership, systems thinking, change management, and cyber bullying. Her professional experiences encompass professional development in leadership, facilitation, and effective implementations related to sustainability. In addition to her work in the College of Management and Technology, she enjoys serving as a committee member and subject matter expert on the doctoral level. She has designed and published curricula for a variety of demographics and courses as well as presented and facilitated round table discussions on cyber bullying. Dr. Smith strongly believes in promoting positive social change. She is involved in volunteer work throughout her community to support children K-12 in special education programs, theatre programs, and | 188 |
August 2018 update: due to technical difficulties Afinil.eu has changed to a new domain. Click on this link to visit the new site.
Are you located in Europe? Then you must have experienced the dreaded NO SHIPPING TO ____ (fill in the blanks with the name of your country) warning that most of Indian Modafinil vendors prominently display on their shipping pages.
It's no mystery that European customs are very strict when it comes to importing unspecified "supplements," especially when they arrive from developing countries.
Unfortunately, in our case, India happens to be exactly the country that manufactures all the generic Modafinil. This is also the location where you can find all the major online pharmacies selling those "magic" little pills.
For most Europeans, purchasing anything from India brings quite a few questions. Will the customs officers seize my package? Will they record my address? Will the police come knocking at my door in the middle of the night?
One of the popular workarounds is to use a parcel forwarding service such as Skypax.
While<|fim_middle|> Suna Pharma Modalert 200mg, but unfortunately, it was out of stock (something that seems to happen pretty often, unfortunately). We thought we would give Waklert 150mg (Armodafinil) a try.
We decided to test a payment using cryptocurrency. In our case, the Ethereum payment was fast and simple thanks to the barcode displayed on the payment page, all it took was scanning the code and confirm the transaction.
Two days after placing the order, we received an email message containing the tracking link to our package.
The landing page for the website clearly listed all the places through which our package went. Not only that, but it also highlighted the fact that shipping was performed the same day the order was placed.
Not bad, considering we placed the order at 3 Pm!
Shipping to Italy took exactly 7 days including the weekend.
PRO TIP: Aftership is an excellent free app that will help you keep track of all your shipments. It features status updates, push notifications and delivery notices. With its help, you will never miss a delivery again!
Eufinil.com (previously Afinil.eu) ships in plain envelopes, with no indication of its content.
The pills were secured using a rigid cardboard. This did offer some extra protection against bending.
The pills found inside the package were in perfect condition, with the lot number and expiration date clearly printed and visible.
In conclusion, Afinl.eu really impressed us with their level of their customer service, speedy delivery, and great product quality.
For testing purposes, we placed three different orders with three different vendors and these guys came on top as the best option for us Europeans.
Click here to order your Modafinil now!
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Affiliate Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links to Eufinil.com (previously Afinil.eu) and other trusted Modafinil vendors.
We only review and support vendors that we have personally tested and by promoting them, we vouch for the quality of the presented products and services. | they do provide some level of peace of mind, the price they charge makes the whole endeavor extremely pricey. You will have to pay up to 30 British pounds per order. This is not cheap, even if you consider the post-Brexit exchange rate.
After doing quite a bit of research on forums and subreddits, we stumbled upon a recommendation for a new vendor apparently based in Europe. We decided to give it a shot.
Right from the first glance, the Eufinil.com (previously Afinil.eu) site looks extremely legit with its clean design.
We wanted to test their | 123 |
Philips Healthcare has developed a hand-held ultrasound with reportedly advanced imaging quality. The CX50 CompactXtreme hand-held ultrasound system is set to commercially release in the fourth quarter of 2008.
Primarily designed for echocardiography, the CX50 was made with many of the same features from Philips' iE33 echocardiography system, providing clinicians a portable ultrasound that can<|fim_middle|> to the company. | be used for diagnosis, according to Philips.
The company said the system features the PureWave transducer, which produces greater bandwidth and efficiency, yielding better imaging performance. This technology is designed to achieve greater penetration in patients who are traditionally difficult to image, such as obese patients or patients with emphysema. The system also features XRES adaptive imaging that reportedly reduces noise and artifacts, producing greater clarity, according | 82 |
New calendar ready featuring Chilliwack's Nietzsche the Cat
Book Man releases new fundraising calendar, and Martin the Cat comes to visit
Dec. 1, 2017 8:00 p.m.
The Bookman's resident cat Nietzsche has been featured in numerous publications, including newspapers, books and calendars.
Each image shows the long-haired, calm-tempered feline in a different light, from regal and commanding to restful and relaxing. And now, the best of those images are available for the 2018 Nietzsche The Cat Calendar.
All of the proceeds for the calendar sales, as always, will go toward Ena's Community Cats.
For years, Ena Vermerris has been on mission to provide low cost spays and neuters, and affordable veterinary care for financially challenged members of our community. She also provides treatments for worms, fleas, mites and provides low-cost vaccinations and basic first aid care in the home and advice to the best of her knowledge. She has personally taken in over 5<|fim_middle|> the Book Man on Dec. 9. People can have their calendar signed, meet Ena in person, and even have Nietzsche "paw-tograph" their calendars.
The bookmarks and calendars will be available at The Book Man, and calendars will also be available at Minter Country Gardens & Little Mountain Greenhouse.
@CHWKcommunity
jpeters@theprogress.com
Martin (formerly the Video Tonite Cat) has taken up temporary residency at The Bookman, downtown Chilliwack, while his newest owners are on an extended overseas trip.
Nietzsche the Cat does his best to pose with the latest version of his calendar, ready for sale now. The proceeds go toward helping Ena Vermeer mission to spay and neuter cats and kittens.
Beloved Agassiz youth advocate dies at 66
Christmas miracle comes to doorstep of Agassiz family at perfect time | 600 cats for spay/neuter in her career, and does so completely on a volunteer basis.
The Book Man's owner, Amber Price, has been one of Ena's biggest cheerleaders, sharing that same love of cats. Regulars to The Book Man will already know Nietzsche is the downtown Chilliwack store's star attraction. He spends his days wandering the aisles, visiting customers at the door or lazing about in one of two armchairs in the store's windows.
He has his own social media account on Vine, and his images pop up on Instagram regularly.
READ: Cover for Nietzsche the cat in Chilliwack
Over the years, he's drawn the attention of local photographers, including Claudia Wyler. Before long, they had enough photos for a calendar. And Price wanted to help out Ena's efforts. A calendar, along with a selection of affordable bookmarks, were the perfect fit. The first calendar was created in 2012, and in 2013 they expanded to include a long list of other local cats.
But this year, the spotlight is right back on Nietzsche — at least in the world of calendars.
New chapter for Martin
There's also been a bit of excitement at The Bookman over the past few weeks. Regular readers, especially the cat lovers out there, will remember the saga of Martin the Video Tonite cat. For years, Martin was Nietszche's cross-town counterpart, greeting customers of the both the video store and the neighbouring IGA on Menzies and Yale.
But Video Tonite eventually closed last year, and people started to wonder where Martin had gone. Price had heard Martin was in the SPCA, and hoped to bring him to live with Nietzsche at their store. After some more intense sleuthing, Price found Martin — in the loving care of a family in the Fraser Valley.
Price and the family have kept in touch, and when they decided to take an extended holiday overseas, they rang her up and asked if the kitty door was still open for him.
Of course it was. So, from now until the spring, Martin the Video Tonite cat is visiting his old friends. People have been popping in specifically to see Martin, who is often at the counter and ready for a scratch or an ear rub. Even after his brief retirement, it only took a few days for him to get back into the swing of things, Price said.
To see Martin, Nietzsche, or pick up a calendar or a few bookmarks, drop into The Book Man on Wellington. Ena Vermerris will also be having a signing at | 533 |
A fabulous weekend of cross country skiing in Italy designed to improve your cross country ski technique. This is the perfect winter break for those who have done a few days previously and now want to make progress. We offer expert cross country ski tuition on world-class tracks, combined with Italian cuisine, comfort and cappuccini.
We are based in the gorgeous Italian village of Cogne, which is often referred to as the 'Queen of Italian Cross Country' venues. It offers exceptional skiing away from the crowds in the Gran Paradiso National Park, which is home to Italy's highest peak. It is a lovely location with traditional stone-houses and an eighteenth-century chapel.<|fim_middle|>. The pace is relaxed, and the atmosphere supportive.
Mid-morning we usually have a cappuccino and cake break, and lunch is in one of the many local restaurants or cafes. In the afternoon we return to our skis and the stadium area for further practice, consolidating your learning with options to make a short journey.
After a day on the ski trails there will still be time to explore the shops, bars for a pre-dinner apéro or relax in the hotel wellness 'Spa La Baita'. Post ski massages can be booked directly with the hotel.
Today we will once again begin in the stadium, warming up muscles, and getting moving on our skis. Morning coffee stop is, of course, part of the agenda. After some sessions on 'drills', we will normally allow a short session of free time for you to do your own thing in terms of practicing skills where you feel you have weakness.
After another lovely Italian lunch and then we will spend the afternoon doing a journey. The free ski bus means we can explore the tracks to and from the neighbouring villages such as Epinel or Lillaz. With 55km (35 miles) of ski trails, many regional and national cross country ski competitions like the Marcia Gran Paradiso take place in the Cogne valley. The trails around the valley have a lot of variety with stunning views of the mountains. Wildlife such as chamois and ibex are frequently to be found foraging for food beside the ski trails.
Today we plan to put all our skills into practice and make a longer tour that can be adapted to suit everyone's level. Our aim is to ski up to the upper valley of Valnontey. This snow filled valley is famous for ice climbing, and it's possible to see ice climbers tackling the spectacular frozen waterfalls that line the valley on both sides. We will stop for lunch at the characterful family run Albergo of La Barme. Think heavy stone tiles on the roof, ancient woodwork, and a tiny hamlet of old wooden houses.
After lunch we tour further up the valley on undulating trails by the rivers edge with views ahead of the mountains surround the Gran Paradiso, the highest summit in Italy. Our return journey includes some enjoyable downhill sections which can again be tackled or if you feel your legs have done enough there is always the ski bus which you can take back to Cogne.
A final Italian meal and overnight concludes this trip, where we hope you have enjoyed exploring both the joy of cross country skiing and the charm of the Italian Alps.
Please make note of your equipment hire on our Booking Form. We will need to know your height, weight, normal shoe size (you must give us your everyday shoe size and not your personal adjustment for wearing boots) and the measurement of your height up to your armpits for ski pole hire.
A fun film made by one of our guests, Richard Hughes, on our Italian Ski weekend. | We only work with instructors who are truly passionate about the sport, and with small groups to ensure quality tuition. If you are new to cross country skiing then you might like to consider our 'Beginners' Italian Ski Break, details of which can be found here.
On this long weekend you will improve your 'classic' technique on the excellent tracks at Cogne which offer a wide range of terrain from completely flat, to substantial hills. There really is something for everyone in this gorgeous Italian valley. It is worth noting that cross country skiing can be a very aerobic activity, which also makes it ideal for winter 'cross-training'. On the other hand you can relax, take your time and just enjoy being out in the mountains.
We begin our trip with a short walk to the ski hire shop where we will fit your skis and boots, and then it is only a few metres to the stadium in Cogne. The village hosts several important cross country ski races every year, and as a result it has a beautifully prepared stadium area which is totally flat and has up to 8 sets of tracks groomed each day. It really is the perfect arena to re-visit your 'classic' cross country ski skills. Our Instructors are fully qualified professionals and have the necessary skills to ensure you will soon be making progress. The morning will most likely be spent re-visiting various exercises to encourage you to feel 'comfortable' on the skis | 289 |
SERVES 6 TO 8<|fim_middle|> to cook is great fun. | Anna Esposito's hearty casserole makes a great one-dish dinner or adds interest to a buffet table. It's sure to become a favorite of all lamb lovers.
Preheat the oven to 425F.
Pour half of the olive oil into a deep baking pan and turn the pan so the sides are coated with the oil to make serving easier.
Layer half the potatoes in the bottom of the pan. If some slices are thicker than others, use these on the bottom layer. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the layer of potatoes. Mix the garlic, parsley and rosemary together and sprinkle half of it over the potatoes in the pan. Arrange the lamb slices evenly over the layer of potato slices.
Add more salt and pepper and drizzle the rest of the olive oil over the lamb. Sprinkle the cheese over the lamb. Then layer the rest of the potatoes over the top. Sprinkle salt and pepper and the rest of the herb mix over the potatoes and add about a quarter cup of water to the pan.
Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour. Add 1/2 cup more water to the pan and bake another hour, or until a fork easily pierces through the meat and potatoes. Serve immediately.
This recipe is featured on Season 25 - Episode 2518.
I just found your show on PBS and I'm glad I did. Learning old new ways and things | 290 |
Ricketts endorses Regent Jim Pillen in governor's race
'Authentic' Foltz mourned following crash in Wisconsin
spotlight featured
Brian Christopherson
Jul 25, 2016 Updated Aug 1, 2017
"Sam was universally loved and respected by everyone he touched and on whom he had a positive influence each and every day," NU coach Mike Riley said of Sam Foltz, who was killed in an automobile crash Saturday night.
MATT RYERSON, Journal Star
Tears in the eyes of many, they moved toward a team huddle no one could have imagined taking part in when the weekend began. Husker players asked for fans to join in too.
Several feet from the Brook Berringer statue, there were about 200 people with their hands raised together. Their voices met in unison: "1-2-3 -- Sam!"
It was loud, the noise bouncing off the Memorial Stadium walls and into the clouds. Then the huddle broke and the pain and disbelief remained. Sam Foltz was no longer here.
The Nebraska senior punter was killed in an automobile crash Saturday night in Merton, Wisconsin, the news stunning a team and fan base that had come to admire him as much more than just a football player.
As Husker senior fullback Graham Nabity said in prayer during a team vigil: "Lord, you spent your time on Sam."
In a statement released Sunday afternoon, football coach Mike Riley described Foltz, who was 22, as one of the best young men who has ever worn the Nebraska uniform.
"Sam was universally loved and respected by everyone he touched and on whom he had a positive influence each and every day," Riley said. "His tragic loss is immeasurable to his family, his friends, his classmates, his teammates and his coaches, and our thoughts and prayers are with all of them. The young men in our football program are hurting but I know that their strength of character and resolve will bring us together and we will honor Sam every day moving forward."
Riley had to get to know a roster of more than 120 players last year, but he quickly connected with Foltz. "Sam the Punter," he affectionately called him.
Foltz's coach at Grand Island High School, Jeff Tomlin, said Foltz was as authentic as they come. Just as he was advertised to be. He never forgot where he came from.
"The best word I can use to describe Sam is uncommon," Tomlin said.
According to the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department, Foltz was a passenger in a Mercedes-Benz sedan traveling west on Beaver Lake Road at 11:43 p.m. The driver lost control on wet pavement, the car left the roadway, struck a tree and caught fire. Speed appears to be a factor in the crash, authorities said.
One person who lives near the area west of Milwaukee told the Journal Star there was a torrential rainstorm in the area Saturday night.
The driver of the car was Michael Sadler, 24, a former Michigan State punter. He and Foltz were pronounced dead at the scene. A second passenger, Colby Delahoussaye, was transported to Waukesha Memorial Hospital. Delahoussaye is a senior place-kicker at LSU.
Authorities said it's unclear if any of the three were wearing seatbelts.
The three were helping with a weekend punter's camp in southern Wisconsin, officials with Kohl's Kicking Camp confirmed.
The camp for prep kickers at Kettle Moraine High School in Wales, Wisconsin, included 50 college athletes working as student instructors.
The crash scene is about 10 miles north of the high school. A spokesperson for the sheriff's department said they were headed to a home in the rural area.
"We mourn today with the Foltz and Sadler families," Kohl's Kicking Camp director Jamie Kohl said in a statement. "We mourn today with the football programs of Nebraska and Michigan State. We mourn today with all of the people who were better men and women for knowing Sam and Mike."
Sadler, a former All-Big Ten punter, was to start classes at Stanford Law School this fall.
Foltz picked up his degree in agronomy from UNL in May.
At the vigil held Sunday afternoon outside North Stadium, Husker athletes and fans sang a couple Christian songs as Nabity played the guitar, prayed for the families of both Foltz and Sadler, cried, and held up Foltz as an example to admire.
"He passed away trying to get better," said a good friend of Foltz, offensive lineman Samuel Hahn. "How typical was that?"
Foltz was going to be Hahn's best man when he got married. "He was my best friend in the world. It still hasn't sunk in yet. I'm just sitting here like, 'I don't really think this is happening.' But it has. We're not going to see him again until we get to go to heaven like him."
The tragic news came just a day before Big Ten Media Days in Chicago. Nebraska officials said that Riley and scheduled players will not attend.
Husker athletic director Shawn Eichorst described Foltz as a person who represented everything that a Nebraska student, athlete and friend should strive to be.
"While his loss is devastating, his impact will be felt forever," Eichorst said.
"My heartfelt prayers for the Foltz family," tweeted former Husker defensive coordinator John Papuchis, who was on the staff when Foltz began his NU career. "Sam represented all that is right about college football. May your memory be eternal."
Foltz was someone who made clear his strong faith. The first line of<|fim_middle|> and friends with the critical support and love that they need at this time."
Foltz
Sam Foltz
Jeff Tomlin
Michael Sadler
Mike Riley
Punter
Graham Nabity
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Teammates, fans gather to remember Foltz
Updated Aug 1, 2017
Before the hymns, prayers and tears for a fallen Husker football player Sunday, four young fans from Lincoln clad in Nebraska apparel laid red…
Players, fans respond with tributes to Sam Foltz
Husker players, Nebraska football fans and followers across the nation reacted to the news that Husker punter Sam Foltz died in a weekend auto…
Steven M. Sipple: Foltz's character shines in recent thank-you card
You hear plenty about Sam Foltz's strong character.
Husker Extra video
Mike Riley's favorite moments with Sam Foltz
Nebraska head football coach Mike Riley recalls some of his favorite memories of Sam Foltz during a news conference at Memorial Stadium in Lin…
Photos: Huskers hold vigil for Sam Foltz
Nebraska athletes gathered outside Memorial Stadium on Sunday, July 24, 2016, to hold a vigil for Sam Foltz. Photos by FRANCIS GARDLER, Lincol…
Photos: Sam Foltz as a Husker
Watch: Sam Foltz prayer vigil
Nebraska football teammates and Husker athletes gathered on Sunday, July 24, 2016, for a prayer vigil for punter Sam Foltz, who died Saturday …
Husker players, Riley grieve on the day that 'will be stuck in time forever'
Kieron Williams could not believe it. He had just become a Husker. No. 27. Sweet number. His number.
Two men killed in Saunders County plane crash are ID'd
Two men, including an airman from Offutt Air Force Base, died in the plane that crashed Sunday in Saunders County, according to the Saunders C…
Freshman Husker punter thanks Foltz for his lessons and inspiration
He hasn't been here long. Caleb Lightbourn didn't have to be to learn Sam Foltz was going to push him just like he'd push himself.
Foltz eager for double duty as Husker walk-on
Grand Island grad Sam Foltz is walking on to Nebraska as not just a wide receiver, but also a punter, a position that has seen plenty of walk-ons make significant impacts as Huskers.
Foltz's legacy of hard work connects to Grand Island, Greeley, family
Let's not rehash the weekend. Let's think of what came before and what drew so many to him. Let's think of that 10-year-old boy the principal …
Family and friends come together, remembering Foltz as "a man of passion"
GRAND ISLAND — The streets around the church had turned into mini lakes. The morning downpour was that great. | his Twitter bio reads, "Follower of Jesus."
The next line read, "Slaying limits."
He certainly was doing that on the field. Many believed he had an NFL leg. Foltz was the Big Ten punter of the year last season and was on this year's Ray Guy Award watch list as one of the nation's best punters.
The Husker punter was also very active off the field. He volunteered his time with the team in hospital visits, School is Cool Week, the Lincoln Marathon and Nebraska's Sportsmanship Rally.
He was named to the 2016 Brook Berringer and Tom Osborne Citizenship teams, and made the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete honor roll four times.
One of Foltz's last tweets came after he took part in Nebraska's Uplifting Athletes Road Race on July 17. Attached was a picture of a young boy running alongside, the child looking up at Foltz, who tweeted, "You never know who's watching ... What impact do you wanna leave on the next generation to aspire too?!"
Foltz was preparing for his fourth year as Nebraska's starting punter.
He led the Big Ten in punting in 2015, averaging 44.2 yards per punt. His career average of 42.6 yards ranks fifth in Nebraska history.
Earlier this week, Foltz had a tweet that seemed to symbolize him well as a player. "I'm a walk on who wasn't recruited. I'm not entitled to anything, all I do is put my head down and work."
His humility, hard work and strong faith couldn't help but remind many of the late Husker quarterback who died in a small plane crash 20 years before. A few roses sat at the base of the Berringer statue on Sunday afternoon.
By evening, as the sun began to set, fans had added more flowers, a mini helmet, a football, and a note.
The words were typed out. "Sam Thank you for being what we want our Huskers to be ... the best of us."
Riley Johnson contributed to this report.
Statements from Mike Riley, Shawn Eichorst
FOOTBALL COACH MIKE RILEY
"Last night, we lost one of the best young men who I have ever had the honor to coach and who has ever worn the Nebraska uniform. Sam was universally loved and respected by everyone he touched and on whom he had a positive influence each and every day. His tragic loss is immeasurable to his family, his friends, his classmates, his teammates and his coaches and our thoughts and prayers are with all of them. The young men in our football program are hurting but I know that their strength of character and resolve will bring us together and we will honor Sam every day moving forward."
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR SHAWN EICHORST
"Our prayers of love and support go out to Sam's family during this difficult time and we will do all that we can to help comfort them in this time of sadness. Sam was truly a tremendous young man, who represented everything that a Nebraska student, athlete, teammate and friend should strive to be. While his loss is devastating, his impact will be felt forever. Along with Coach Riley, our focus is on providing Sam's family, teammates | 679 |
The human eye is a complicated structure that sends information to the brain and includes such parts as the pupil, cornea, retina, lens and optic nerve. The eye acts as a camera, taking pictures of objects. Light enters the eye after it is reflected off of an object and then passes through the structures in the eye, permitting us to see.
The human eye contains the following structures: pupil, cornea, retina, lens, optic nerve, aqueous humor, sclera, choroid, arteries<|fim_middle|>-like substance that is located behind the lens.
The sclera is a dense, white membrane that forms the external portion of the eyeball and is known as the "whites of the eyes." The retina is the inner lining of the back of the eye and has about 137 million specialized cells called photoreceptors, which are rods and cones. They handle how we see in both black and white (rods) and in color (cones) by converting the light that comes into the eye into electro-chemical signals that are sent to the brain. The optic nerve sends the signals to the brain by acting like a specialized cable that connects the eye with the brain.
The human eye's main function is "to work with the brain to provide us with vision. The eye and brain translate light waves into a sensation we call vision," according to the website Mama's Health. When the eye takes pictures of objects, as a camera does, the light bounces off those objects and passes into the eye through the aqueous humor. According to the website WebMD, "Depending on how much light there is, the iris may contract or dilate, limiting or increasing the amount of light that gets deeper into the eye." Then the light passes through the lens, which focuses it. Finally, the light reaches the retina, where the photoreceptors take the picture and allow us to see a black and white image or one in color. | and veins, vitreous humor and ciliary muscle/body.
The pupil is defined as the small, round black center of the iris. The pupil constricts or dilates to allow light into the eye. The iris is what we know as the colored portion of the eye. The cornea is the clear, dome-like structure that acts as a window for the eye.
The aqueous humor is the liquid between the cornea and the lens and keeps a constant pressure in the eye, while the vitreous humor is a transparent, jelly | 110 |
Asbridge, M., Brubacher, J. R., and Chan, H.
In this Canadian study, data<|fim_middle|> drivers using a cell phone were compared to more than 900 matched cases that did not involve cell phone use. Police reports were assessed for crash culpability using a standardized scoring tool that was adapted to account for Canadian driving conditions.
The results of this study showed that the odds of a culpable crash increased by 70% when drivers used a cell phone as compared to drivers who did not use a cell phone. In addition, the subgroup analyses revealed an association for male drivers, unimpaired drivers, injured and non-injured drivers, and for drivers between 26 and 65 years of age. Authors suggested that future research examine whether the association between handheld and hands-free phones and crashes continues, and gauge the effectiveness of existing policies that restrict the use of cell phones while driving.
Asbridge, M., Brubacher, J. R., & Chan, H. (2012). Cell phone use and traffic crash risk: a culpability analysis. International Journal of Epidemiology, 42(1), 259-267. | from the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia Traffic Accident System were used to determine whether cell phone use while driving increased motor vehicle crash culpability. Crashes involving | 30 |
For the first time in eight years, we have a new President leading the country. Goodbye President Barack Obama and<|fim_middle|> on my team, so at Brigade Bookkeeping, we don't compromise on that. In the past, even if I didn't have a position open when I meet a talented individual, I kept track of them in case I needed someone in the future.
So hopefully during this new year, business growth will lead you to need a few new staff members. Follow my advice to hire and retain the best employees. Until then, let's wish our new President and ourselves lots of luck and God bless the U.S.A.!
Previous Previous post: Find Time to Sharpen the Saw. Here's How. | hello President Donald Trump. No matter what your party line, the fact of the matter is that there's a new captain at the helm and a whole new crew to support him. I wish our new President luck because the better he does, the better off the U.S.A. could be.
HIRE RIGHT FROM THE START – Hiring the right person means doing a lot of research and interviews with your potential candidate. Do you need a professional with years of experience or are you looking for someone who may be young and a fast learner? Does that person have the ability to do the job? Do they believe in your same work philosophy? Sometimes overlooking one quality over another is a must, but making sure the person is a right fit from the start is the best way to retain a top prospect and keep them happy on the job.
A TEAM PLAYER – Besides making sure someone has the right qualifications, it's important to thoroughly interview a candidate to make sure he or she is going to be an asset on your team. Does your candidate believe in the team approach or is he or she a loner? Hiring someone with the same mindset and goals is a great idea and a strong precursor of a great future employee.
PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT – Hiring a recruiting company is a good idea. But if you want to have the best team, then make sure you are involved in the hiring when it comes to your top executives or key employees. I find hiring the best people, with the best qualifications, usually results in increased work productivity and employee retention.
DON'T COMPROMISE – If you are looking for a certain talent, but haven't found it, don't give up. You shouldn't choose second best in talents and qualifications because you need to fill a position. I always like to have the best | 361 |
UK government launches e-health research service
The Clinical Practice Research Datalink will give life sciences researchers unprecedented access to anonymised NHS patient data
The UK has launched a new online research service that will give life sciences companies unprecedented access to large sets of anonymised NHS patient data.
The government wants to provide "a world-class health research service" with the new Clinical Practice Research Datalink, which it says will also provide "novel and powerful ways" to undertake clinical trials.
Minister for universities and science David Willetts said: "The UK is a world leader in life sciences, but both the research base and industry tell us that we could make better use of data in order to drive medical breakthroughs<|fim_middle|> will help cement our reputation as world leaders in life sciences research."
Specifically, the MHRA said it would be able to initiate "new surveillance methodologies helping all parties, including pharma companies, meet the public health needs of knowing about real world safety, effectiveness and the benefit-risk relationship".
The UK last week unveiled tax reductions, including a 'patent box', to make the country a more competitive place for life science investment. The same week saw large investments from both GlaxoSmithKline and Eisai.
Principal Medical Writer, Vaccines, Medical Communications agency, Location open anywhere in UK
Takeda and KSQ Therapeutics to develop immune-based cancer treatments
OPEN Health is a family of expert practices, working in partnership to drive positive change in healthcare communications & market... | .
"The Clinical Practice Research Datalink will provide researchers with access to safeguarded data that respects patient confidentiality. This will give valuable insights into serious health conditions and ultimately help reduce the time it takes to develop new treatments."
The CPRD combines the General Practice Research Database (GPRD) run by the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) and Department of Health's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research Capability Programme.
It is the world's largest computerised database of anonymised longitudinal medical records from primary care that is linked with other healthcare data.
MHRA chief executive Professor Sir Kent Woods said: "The Clinical Practice Research Datalink will provide new data and research services that will improve the health of patients and also make the UK a world leader in life sciences research."
The MHRA will host and manage the CPRD, which builds on the Research Capability Programme's pilot scheme. This pilot showed the availability of more population-based data and more linked data would have a beneficial effect on both observational and interventional research.
The new online service is a key part of the government's Plan for Growth and aims to help researchers to better understand the causes of illness and protect public health, while ensuring that the UK is "the place for new health research projects".
Health Minister, Lord Howe, said: "This is an exciting and unique resource which will be of huge value to researchers as they develop new treatments to the benefit of patients right across the NHS. It | 298 |
Resident Evil 6 Review
May 19, 2018 May 22, 2018 Kinglink2 Comments
Also available on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3.
Ahh, Resident Evil, one of the most famous series in all of gaming, with so many different games in its history. The original tank based controlled puzzlers, the more action based and silly Resident Evil 4, the even more actiony Resident Evil 5. Now we have the First person horror game Resident Evil 7, which I hope to get to one day. And then there's Resident Evil 6. This is… Resident Evil 6.
With over five million sales in one of the strongest franchises ever, yet called one of the worst in the series, I had to wonder if what I was hearing was true. Is Resident Evil 6 so bad, or did it not meet the high standards of the fans, who even disliked Resident Evil 5.
The fact is I enjoyed Resident Evil 5, it was not horror, and the co-op took away a lot of the fear from the game, but I enjoyed the story and had fun with the game as it was. So I wondered if the fans were wrong, maybe there was a successful game hidden in a game that a diehard fan had a hard time with.
The game doesn't waste time and starts with a problem, and while this didn't shade my impression of the game it's still ominous. The game helps me set my brightness like it asked me to. It looked alright and then I entered the game. The first thing I noticed was how dark the world was. I adjusted the brightness up in the game (which doesn't let you pause ever even if you're playing alone, so this was done on the fly.) I kept adjusting it up until I was almost at maximum brightness. I went from around a 12 to a 23 out of 30 possible points.
Now when I got the brightness adjusted correctly I never touched it again, but it's strange that the first thing the game instructs me on doing, is something they get so wrong that the next half hour is spent with me tweaking the setting until I feel right with it.
The game also starts with a very linear opening where Leon is with this woman named Helena, a new character. The game doesn't even attempt to introduce her. Instead, Leon's on a mission to learn how to use health in the game and take out minor enemies. It's a good tutorial, but it's also a tutorial that's from the end of Leon's story, rather than the beginning. In fact, it ends with a cliffhanger at the final bosses' location. Why choose that scene? Why not introduce some characters first, or even place the scene at the beginning of the game? This won't be the last time I question this game.
So there are four campaigns, and I took them in order. Each Campaign is different in tone and style. The first one involves Leon (who was the President's secret service until the president turns into the zombie in the first scene, good job dude). He teams up with Helena and she tells him they have to go to the church. That's all she pretty much says for a chapter, that they have to go to the church, and she can't tell him why yet. She says this so much that I wondered why Leon didn't point his gun at her and force her to give him some more information.
Get use to this, she says it a lot.
Yeah, the story here can be a bit of a problem. Now I'll talk about the gameplay later, but the story is a mixture. Some of these characters have interesting stories, and some of them like Leon's are just a reason to keep going on. There are good moments, but there are also some "reasons for gameplay" ideas in here also.
So I finished with Leon's campaign, and then there's Chris' campaign. A campaign where Chris has a new backstory where he had a group of men, killed by something in his past. He's teamed up with a fellow BSAA member Piers, and this is more of a dudebro story and campaign. In fact, Chris doesn't see any true zombies but fights against J'avos, which are mercenaries who shoot back and can mutate into the same beasts as the zombies.
Well, they're called J'avos, apparently, the game decided not to tell the player except for a single name drop for over two hours. The entire first chapter of Chris' campaign is spent fighting unnamed enemies. At the beginning of the second chapter, there's an explanation of what they are. I still don't understand why that single paragraph talking about them couldn't have been done at the beginning of the game to explain what you are fighting so it's clear to the player.
With Chris' new backstory (that will upset longtime fans of the series, but you haven't seen anything yet), there's an attempt to have a good story, but we come to the first real problem I have with the game.
When playing Leon's story, Chris and Leon meet up, and Leon stops Chris from killing a specific person. This seems sane as Leon needs to arrest that person as she has intel. The problem is when you play Chris' story, that scene makes absolutely no sense. Chris has every reason to kill the target, but more so, Piers, the guy who's gone through everything that Chris has, gets a clean shot and never even attempts to take it, and I don't see a reason for either one of<|fim_middle|> pace, but they change from a slow crawl to a slightly different slow crawl, and it's a shame because Call of Duty style games can be fun if they are done right, giving the player a chance to go through a number of different and outlandish settings.
The driving sections aren't even that impressive to look at.
Resident Evil 6 doesn't get the setting or pacing right. They have good cutscenes, but they don't have the gameplay that the players who enjoy these types of games will enjoy, nor the ammo surplus needed to get that same effect.
So at this point, I went through two campaigns and honestly, I wasn't impressed but I thought the game could be enjoyed. Then I played Jake's campaign that's where the game started coming off the rails.
Some people claim Jake's campaign is based on Uncharted. But I like Uncharted, and Uncharted had good enemies and difficulty. Jake has some good cinematic moments of his jumping large gaps but that's about it. Then, Sherry doesn't get those same moments she has to either be helped up or walking around awesome set pieces. But more important Jake and Sherry's campaigns go for the cinematic moments, but also revolve around running away. About half of Jake and Sherry's campaign feels like it's running away from the enemies.
For me, I'd probably make the notion of Resident Evil 3, with Nemesis constantly chasing you. And Nemesis is a great character, he's scary, he's horrific, and when you hear him say "Stars" you get nervous before he attacks the player. So to recreate that you have the enemy Ustanak. Unfortunately, Ustanak is no Nemesis.
Rather than make his presence known, the game shows him running in through cutscenes and there's almost no backstory for the character, he's just an unstoppable force, that chases Jake and Sherry for most of their campaign. Even when you lose him, he still will show up much later and in another country as if by magic.
Then there are other scenes where the two characters traipse through a snow covered area and need a minimap (that barely helps) to find objects. It's just not compelling gameplay. The idea of running from Ustanak constantly might have made it work, but he only shows up when it's convenient to the story. Instead, the game throws you into a secret lab, takes your weapons and makes Jake play unarmed, but needing to attack with an overcomplicated melee system. Strange because there was already a melee system and a dedicated button. This could bring the game back to the idea of horror as you don't have much power, but Jake isn't weak, he's able to kill enemies with a single powered up punch. And yet for some reason, Jake doesn't pick up the gun that the enemies drop when he kills them.
All of this is very uninteresting and ultimately I got very bored with the idea of the game here. I'm not sure if it was Jake's campaign in particular or the fact I was working on a third campaign, but I pressed on to finish the review. That's really the only reason I kept playing.
Finally, there's the fourth campaign, and again I'll avoid spoiling who it is. However this is the one that attempts to be the most like Resident evil, but it's more like Resident Evil 4 than the original, and even there, it's not as strong. Without anything even close to the campiness of Ramon Salazar, and with a gameplay system that doesn't have that true horror feel as in the original it's lacking the enjoyment of the classic series. There's fetch puzzles, at least one good puzzle to solve, and objects you have to collect. The problem with it is the game often tells you where to go get stuff. The one time it didn't, I got lost in a room because I didn't realize I could look through an object until I searched the entire room four times and somehow missed the "use this" indicator.
The other puzzles give you locations of what you need to get as keys, and it takes much of the mystery out of it.
On the other hand, you don't get very powerful weapons in the fourth campaign until the end and the game tries to make you play the game stealthily, and honestly it almost works, except that for the most part, you can also just run past enemies. There's not much forcing you to fight enemies, or even wait for enemies to attack you. Ignoring enemies in almost any level shows you how easy the game can be.
In addition, the final campaign seems to reuse areas to tell the story. For storytelling this is effective, but the level design is very random and overall not that interesting for the second playthrough.
The thing is by that point you've already seen most of the story, and the fourth campaign is intended to tie the story up but if you've been paying attention you should have figured it out. Instead, you just rush to the end just to call it a day. It's also the shortest campaign, where the others took about 8 hours a piece, the final one took just over 5.
Really the biggest problem with the game comes from the last dozen paragraphs. You have four VERY different games here. You have Resident Evil 5, Call of Duty (Gears of War), Uncharted/Resident Evil 3, and Resident Evil 4.
I don't know many experienced game developers who think putting any two of these four different styles together. I doubt I can find many who think four different game designs would work well and this is not the game to disprove it. There was a time when developers were trying this in the early PlayStation era and even into PlayStation 2 but most companies understand that they should focus on what they understand or know, or gain a new concept.
Resident Evil 6 ignores that and chases the modern trends, trying to make four very different games in one engine, and ends up making four average games at best. It's a rookie mistake and the only thing I can imagine is the publisher wanted to change Resident Evil to be something different. The end result is the true horror.
Unfortunately, it's the only horror in the game. While there are some good attempts at horror, I admit running from Ustanak is scary, and there's a boss in campaign 4 chapter 4 that's pretty good, the rest of the game doesn't lend itself to horror. A big piece of that is the game constantly gives you ammo and the weapons to fight. You have the ability to melee attack almost every enemy and when you can't for some reason, there will be ammo to fight that same enemy, even giving you the magnum entirely too early and if you're conservative you never run out of that ammo since you never need it.
The other problem is that doesn't lend itself to horror and ultimately that's also a problem with all four campaigns. Where Resident evil is supposed to be a scary game, there are odd pieces here but nothing that is frightening unless you hate butterflies or cockroaches. But it's also the fact the game doesn't try to be scary, it's made to appeal to the action fans out there and tries to do that. The problem is there's a ton of games that appeal to action fans, and what made Resident Evil stand out isn't in this game.
So I mentioned the Co-op, and there's a good idea there. In fact, it's one of the best ideas in the game. There are seven characters in the game, there are also seven unique loadouts. For instance, Leon carries the "Wingshooter" a pistol that can be dual wielded and a knife, Helena carries a Picador which is a different handgun but also carries a Hydra which is a shotgun with an automatic mode. In addition during the campaign, they can find other weapons, but the two characters have different base weapons. The same is true for every character in the campaigns.
In addition, both characters are tasked to do different things at times. Often times the game splits up the two players, but sometimes there's not a strong reason to split up. Maybe Leon or Jake has to boost Sherry or Helena up to a place they can't go. However, there are a lot of examples where the characters have asymmetrical co-op.
The thing is, asymmetrical co-op or gameplay is my holy grail of gameplay. I love the idea of two teams or two characters who have different experiences or goals, and for the most part Resident Evil 6 does that, but it doesn't do that all the time and when it does it usually is a detriment. Often one character has to wait for the partner. This works with the AI because the AI tries to catch up, but with another player, sometimes you don't have the ability to win until the other player does something special.
Since you aren't aware of what the other person is doing (unless you have a mic and a partner willing to talk) the brilliance of asymmetrical gameplay doesn't really work here. You just have two different games, rather than a really smart system.
There's also a really interesting concept of four-person co-op. At a number of times during each campaign, two groups will meet up. For instance, Leon meets up with Sherry and fights Ustanak. It is a great concept, however, I never saw another person playing the other team, though I did get a number of players to team up for normal co-op. It's a good concept but needed a much larger and heavily active player base for you to sync up with someone when the game only gives you 60 seconds to make a connection.
Of course, there's a health meter, and in multiplayer, a partner can revive you, just as an AI might, however, there's also an idea that every checkpoint allows you to continue from that checkpoint with full health if you restart there. But, in co-op you kind of feel like a jerk to use this trick, I'm not sure why the game didn't just give you full health at checkpoints to avoid needing this exploit.
Then you can also play as an enemy in another player's game in a mode called Agent Hunt. As a concept it's interesting but as an in-game experience, it doesn't work extremely well. I only saw this once and I don't know if my AI partner kept killing him or I did, but it was really obvious what monster was played by an AI. They appeared to drop really good items (First aid kits which are full heals) but the experience made me question why to invest the time into this. Then again this goes along with the four campaign modes and more. This is just another feature someone wanted to have and it doesn't fit with the game. I don't know if I could ever accept the gameplay behind the Agent Hunt mode in a story driven game, but in this game it doesn't even work as a concept.
One annoyance I really want to call out is that often when you come out of cutscenes there is an enemy inches from you and I've gotten hit immediately after cutscene because of bad planning on the designers part. There's a specific one at the beginning of campaign four where enemies storm in to attack you. Before the cutscene, you were allowed to move around. If you stand in front of the door, you're going to take at least one shot if not a couple. If you're in cover by the door, you'll easily kill the enemies with no shots taken. It's infuriating, and most cutscenes don't even play by those rules, you just end the cutscene where you are supposed to and the enemy gets a free attack. It's a horrible experience and it's something that comes up multiple times per campaign.
So we come to the bosses, and really… the bosses are one of the big issues of the game. There are good bosses. Leon's final boss seems epic. The only problem is the key problem with this game. He doesn't stop appearing. You kill him one time, and you think that's it. Then you see him again at the end of the game, and you kill him again, then there's another scene and you kill him again, and then there's a final scene where you have to defeat him again.
If he was the only one this wouldn't be such a huge problem, but on Chris' version, his final boss keeps coming even though it looks like it's safe. He has an additional problem that the true final fight seemed to only be doable with a weapon Piers had. I don't think that Chris alone can't beat him. The only issue is it was a rare moment in that campaign when I didn't have a co-op partner and without a partner the AI got dumb. The AI in Resident Evil 6 for the co-op partner is rather solid, but this was a perfect example of just an awful experience for a single player.
Then Jake had Ustanak follow them from the first chapter all the way through and yet never built him up. It's shocking because Ustanak had the perfect story to keep getting developed but instead they went with almost nothing about him. However, I'll say that Ustanak IS the proper use of the reappearing boss. He's never vulnerable, and he just keeps coming. The other enemies who rise from the dead are just annoying, but at least for Ustanak, it's effective if a bit outlandish.
Finally, the fourth campaign's ending is depressing, it uses the same boss as Leon's in the same fight. It does try for three-player co-op but I didn't find a party so it was just a bore that I had seen before.
There are also enemies who reappear multiple times after killing them, and they serve as mini-bosses, but the idea that you never kill anyone until chapter five is just a depressing problem. It's also not the only issue with the bosses.
Bosses don't flinch often enough. There's no health bar, but some fights will not end, you're just supposed to survive for a set time. Other bosses are supposed to be killed, but even on bosses you're supposed to kill some appearances don't allow you to injure them. You can't tell when a boss is vulnerable, or when you're doing the right attack, or if you should just flee. The game doesn't give you a way to know this until it decided to say a line that helps you figure it out.
Quite a few major enemies look impressive, but they don't have the best gameplay.
There's a crossover moment with Ustanak, at that point Jake and Sherry know he's invincible. It's about all they know about him. I played through this section as Leon first. So when the big baddie appears I shoot him a few times with my shotgun until Jake says "he's invincible". I just wanted to ask "Why didn't you say so before I wasted my good bullets on him." This is true about a number of bosses. They get "Plot armor" or at most, they do a minor flinch so using a magnum isn't worthwhile. Then other battles you're supposed to kill them. Without health bars or a good flinch animation, I didn't know which was the "real fight" or when I was doing real damage to the enemy. Thus my best weapons remained unused.
Finally, there are Quick Time Events. Listen… if everything else I've said has made you think "I might want to play this game." Fine. QTEs aren't going to stop you. But they are bad and overdone. This is just the wrong implementation. Many of them come fast, and a few require perfection but pop up so fast you have little chance to complete them. You might have to hammer A through three appearances and then hit A at the right time twice. If you fail the fourth motion, you're going to die but have to finish the sequence to see the death. They're QTEs and they appear entirely too often.
There's still more, there's a skill system that I barely dove into, but a lot of the skills require far more kills than they should. There are hints you need 1500 kills with one weapon? I barely hit 1000 shots in a single run with a weapon.
So to conclude, there are games that I have different opinions on. I didn't like Destiny 2, and I found it weak, but it's not a bad game, and if someone liked it, I get it. Then there are games like this and I'm amazed this game got a 60 percent on Metacritic. It has a 77 percent on Steam and it is a perfect example of why I became a game reviewer, not that I think people are wrong but I feel that the consumer isn't getting an honest opinion by people. Someone can look at this game and say it's "ok"? That it's better than a hypothetical average? The fact is Resident Evil 6 is one of the reasons I'm a reviewer, because it's one of the cases where game reviewers have failed the gaming public, and I'm glad I'm taking the attempt to fix that even if I had to play through this game to get there.
Honestly, I've presented all the facts here, and thinking about this game depresses me because I just dislike everything about it. But there's another important fact. The feeling I had when I finished the game. I didn't feel like I had finished some great journey or learned more about characters I cared about. Instead, I said "Thank fuck that's over, now I can play something I like." and I have. I remembered why I like gaming, and I remembered what good games were like, but Resident Evil 6 was a long journey and not one I wish on anyone. Go find something else.
Final thoughts: Easily the worst game out of the entire main series. This is a bad game, not just a bad Resident Evil game. Go play just about anything else instead of spending your time here.
Stats: 26 hours 33/70 achievements
I bought this in a Humble Capcom Rising Bundle. I bought the bundle to flesh out my game library, but did buy the bundle specifically intending to play Resident Evil 6 along with others.
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2 thoughts on "Resident Evil 6 Review"
This Gaming Guy says:
That's a shame. I've played RE 1,2,4 and 7 an enjoyed them but was actually looking to buy 5 and 6 just to see for myself if the criticism was warranted. Think I'll just give it a miss now though! Thorough and honest review though, good job and thanks for saving me some cash!
nicefunfungirl says:
Resident Evil 5 though is surely good. I used to like RE6, maybe out of blind love for Resident Evil? But now even I can see why it's bad.. It's such a shame.. | them to accept what Leon says. In fact, Chris could say one line, and he should be able to change Leon's mind.
It's a constant problem with the story in this game. Characters are forced to cross over, but not only are you seeing the same scene twice, it makes less sense when you get the other side of the story.
So on to the third campaign, there is Jake Muller, who we find out might be immune to the C-virus because he's the son of Albert Wesker. Except he didn't really know his father. He learns about the story and Albert Wesker from his partner Sherry Birkin, so he doesn't have the strongest bond with his father.
Yet, later on, he threatens Chris for "killing his dad". Sigh… again, a single line from any of the people about who Albert Wesker really was may have helped explain it. It's not that he was close with his father, he found out who his father was and then who killed him, and suddenly blames Chris.
The level of this storytelling is weak, but it matches the game. I think Capcom wanted a game where there was a feeling that you were getting four stories about four (or seven) interesting characters, and the idea could have worked, but the execution and more importantly the stories they chose to tell just don't work well enough. Even the meshing of the story seems acceptable and then on a different playthrough you realize how poorly they are done.
There is a fourth campaign and it's unlocked immediately in the current game, but I've heard it was once hidden as a surprise, so I won't spoil who it's about, but the storytelling there tries to be the most interesting, but unfortunately all the surprises from that story are already obvious because of the three campaigns before it. And the surprise of who it is becomes obvious due to you team up with this person at different points in the game.
The other side of this is that when Chris meets Leon you already know what's going to happen because you saw Leon's story. The same is true with any other combination of characters, so really when you start the game if you already have a favorite character, I highly recommend starting with that character so you can properly enjoy their story. I started with Leon and felt Leon got the best story, mostly because I hadn't already seen spoilers about his character.
The other problem with Resident Evil is the game never tries to be scary. There is a scene where the president appears normal and appears to be a zombie in the next scene, this could be a tense moment but it happens too fast, and it's so obvious when it's about to happen. It never has a chance of being a surprise. Even when it tries to get the same feeling as the first game, it's done in a poor way. At its heart, Resident Evil 6 is not a horror game, it tries four different formulas for gameplay and storytelling and they are all tonally different but it never tries to return to its roots, at least to the point where it's still a horror franchise.
So moving on to gameplay, the first thing I have to mention before we get into the four campaigns is Resident Evil 6 is a co-op game, at least for the first three campaigns. The fourth campaign is single player. It's a driving force behind how this game was designed, and while there's some value there, well … I'll discuss that further down below.
Going through the campaigns in order again, Leon and Helena's campaign feels the most like Resident Evil 5. Action, gunplay, and combat. It's the most like the "Resident Evil" however Leon never really has a lack of items, he's never at a heavy disadvantage from the enemies, and is able to use melee attacks to increase his ammo efficiency.
The game definitely remembers its roots, and looks great in cutscenes.
A common thread throughout all four campaigns is that at the beginning of the game, the enemies don't drop much ammo, but by the end of the game almost every kill drops something, whether it be ammo or items. So out of 5 chapters, the first two or three chapters you have to be efficient with the ammo and use melee or avoid enemies, but by chapter 4 there's enough ammo that you never have to use a melee attack again.
There are a few interesting segments in Leon's campaign but for the most part, it's going through the levels as designed. I will say however that Leons is my "favorite" campaign if I can say that. It felt the most like a Resident Evil game, and while it's still a far way off. if the entire game was like Leon's. I might have given the game a better evaluation.
Then there's Chris and Piers' story, now I honestly don't know which types of games that Capcom tried to pattern each campaign after. I have no relation to that studio, but I can make some strong guesses. In Chris and Piers' case, it's clear they are clearly based on either Call of Duty, or even Gears of War. There's cover mechanic, every enemy has a long range attack, there are often multiple shooters from multiple angles, they have a very "Dudebro" vibe to their story. If they threw in fist bumping after killing everyone, I feel like we could have another Army of Two on our hands.
Call of Duty games have an odd taste. I admittedly like them in the same way I like rollercoasters. They're fun for the time you're on it, but they aren't going to change your worldview. The problem here is that Chris and Piers are missing one thing that makes a Call of Duty game work, copious amounts of Ammo. Again in the early game (first three chapters), you can't unload magazines into enemies because you can't find huge caches of ammo. Even in the late game, ammo is never plentiful enough to really be a "Call of Duty shooter" while the game constantly pushes you towards that mentality of cover-based shooting, and that cover-based shooting is pretty terrible (hitting LT changes the A button from dive over a table to ducking behind the table).
There are moments where they embrace the "Call of Duty shooter" style change of gameplay, where there's a driving level or a place where Chris flies a plane, but in the driving section it's co-op and one of the characters is doing almost nothing, until they switch places in the vehicle and then the other player does almost nothing. These are attempting a change of | 1,340 |
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Sometimes you can go back.
I'm 17. I'm with the band.
This photo (no shocker that it was my entry into Edenland's Dork Olympics many years ago) was taken one autumn during my high school years. I was a proud member of the marching band, we of the ridiculously hot and unfashionable uniforms and the furry hats designed by Coneheads from France. I played the piccolo — it was the lightest instrument of all and you could always hear my part. I was a squad captain and a serial dater* of members of the drum section. Band was my social group. Yes, we were super-nerds, but we were super-nerds together.
My high school is now in its 50th year, and to celebrate, the current marching band director invited all band alumnae to play last week at the Homecoming game under the Friday night lights.
It was cold, drizzly and miserable — a 40 degree drop from the temperatures the day before. I almost didn't go. Would<|fim_middle|> was Lisa Simpson before there was Lisa Simpson (except Lisa can play a heck of a lot better than I ever could, lol).
I love that you had a band reunion! Kind of made me think of the end of Mr. Holland's Opus (which always has me bawling).
I played clarinet up until 9th grade. But we did not have a marching band. Your school was way cooler.
We had an alumni marching band in college … I always thought they were fabulous. And my college chorus invited alumnae back each year to sing … there was something magical about that experience. Because your friend is right; we are still ourselves … and not. Love the picture of you here. Thanks for taking us on this trip!
But seriously, I really enjoyed this post and especially your reflections of being in two places at once standing on that field and thinking about the current band members lives before them and what might or might not happen along the way.
Your then and now photos are fun too! | I know anyone? Would I recognize anyone? Could I still play? Would the whole thing bore my children?
Luckily, come Friday afternoon my friend DeDe, a flautist, made me hold up my earlier invitation that we go together. I no longer had a stylin' hat but I still had my piccolo, my mad Star Spangled Anthem skillz, and a love of wearing the purple. Roger and Reed enjoyed the football game and Tessa enjoyed hanging out with the high school teenagers who were warm and welcoming to we old-timers.
Our friend and brass player Ralph joined for this photo, taken by Tessa.
Longtime readers know I like to time travel. And as I played the school fight song and closed my eyes, I was in two places at once. I was a fresh-faced 17 year-old who hadn't dealt with any real tribulation (but who considered an ill-placed zit a MAJOR TRAGEDY!) and who was chomping at the bit for independence, yet fearing it. I was also a middle-aged mom breathing in the cold night air and giving thanks for the paths my life had taken.
I looked at the current generation of marching band members — fresh-faced kids — and could see that they were in for many of the experiences that people in my class had faced since we were last high-stepping on the field. Some would find satisfying careers and some would be stunted job-wise. Some would age well and others not so much. Some would face loss, cancer, widdowhood, tragedy, sadness, and death. Some would revel in children, grandchildren, accomplishments and triumph. Their paths would be a curious combination of luck and effort, of making things happen and of letting things happen.
Just like mine has been. And continues to be.
* By "dater" I mean that I had a crush on one drummer or another, mostly unrequited.
I love that you see past, present, and future. So, does Roger play the drums????
Guitar! Not too many guitarists in marching band.
I love this post. It brought back so many memories of high school, marching band, hot uniforms, white shoes with purple soles, and Q-tip hats.
I still tell my kids that AWHS is the best high school in the state. Now that they are in high school, they disagree with me (on this subject and on many others :). I am so glad you went that night, even though it was cold. And I loved your time-traveling description. Thank you for sharing this with us.
We just had our graduating class high school reunion this year to co-ordinate with us all turning 50. It was fun going back – for just a weekend!
Love that you went! And the drummers…oh the drummers….
I never played in the band as I played guitar but I loved your story and enjoyed hearing about your time you spent in the band and getting to revisit and play again.
I love that photo Lori!! The marching band at my high school was just starting to be revived when I was 17 yrs old, so I didn't participate. But I had many good friends who did and I was an active member on the pep band during that time.
I love the description of you being in two places at once. Remember all the cares and worries of your 17-yr-old self while being aware of the Lori of today. There are days I wonder what I would tell my younger self if I had the chance. But then there are moments where i don't want to, because despite the heartache I live in now I know that all of this (the good and the bad) is my life.
Thanks for the time warp.
My man played sax in the marching band in high school and at Cal. And band tailgates are where we met so I have a special place in my heart for marching bands. They seem to be a great place for life long friendships to thrive. I love the picture. Thanks for posting!
I have continued to go back to all my high school reunions. However, there is a drop in attendance each time, so it seems many others give up on returning. I love catching up with everyone, allthough since Facebook, there is less of a need.
Love this post. I have great memories of marching onto the football field with the band and all the girls on the flag squad.
Oh, you were one of the cool ones!
The lovely thing about time, is that so many things don't change. You're still you, I'm still me, Ralph is still Ralph. The kids in the band are still the most kind and generous teenagers you are likely to meet. I hope we were so gracious. Even though today's band uniforms are light years ahead of ours, style-wise, they are still not very cool. And the music is still in my head!
Here's to High School Super Nerds everywhere!
A good friend of mine, we met after college, was in the marching band in college. We went to a football game and she was aghast when the band members took off their jackets while sitting in the bleachers. Evidently that was not done in the 70's!
"Back in our day" (said in a creaky voice), that was forbidden!
What a fun post! A few years ago my niece, a 2nd generation high school marching band member, was invited back along with other band members past and present, to participate in her hometown's bicentennial celebration. Her daughters saw how much fun she had, and I'm proud to say, they are now 3rd generation marching band members! They all boast about how much fun they have at band camp!
I love that you got to have that experience; that you also stepped up and grabbed that experience. And for what it's worth, I absolutely adore the picture of you from high school.
Love the cone head hat..
Loved that you shared this! You took me back with you. I was never in the band, but my brother was. He was the first-chair saxophone player and a serial dater of the pom and cheer squad. For realz. I was always jealous of the commaradery the band shared. I'm sure those were some fun years for you and I'm glad you got to relive them! And with your family too!
I was a serial dater* of the sax section. Just so happened, I actually dated a few members of the ROTC drill team. I went to every single home football game even though we only one 1 game the entire 4 years I was there. I wanted to be in the band so bad that I joined several plays the drama team produced that needed a musical section (Lil Abner and Fame). There wasn't exactly a section in the matching band for viola. We didn't wear q-tips but did have to submit to having to make a black satin dress as chosen by orchestra director. Puffy sleeves and a chin-instrument don't go well together. Thanks for the flash back.
We did not have homecoming at my high school on the Canadian Prairies in the 1970s, & the band program was fairly new… we marched now & then (& generally hated it) when we were begged to appear in local parades, but we were definitely NOT a marching band per se, we were better (well, at least comparatively speaking, lol) as a concert band. My mother insisted that both my sister & I take music & join the band; she played clarinet in her own Minnesota high school and said it was the best time of ther life… and much as the teenage rebel in me hated to admit it at first, it was the best part of my high school years too. : ) I played alto saxophone. I was the only girl saxophonist almost until the very end of my band career. I like to say I | 1,639 |
RIM says jailbreaking voids your warranty | BlackBerry Blast!
This is not surprising news, but it is official. RIM<|fim_middle|> device increases the risk to data loss and overall security. He might be right, but I think it could be the other way around. | has now confirmed that jailbreaking, or rooting your BlackBerry will void its warranty. Adrian Stone, Director of the BlackBerry Security Incident Response Team (BBSIRT) confirmed the policy on the BlackBerry Business Blog.
To be clear, RIM recommends against installing any jailbreaking tool. Customers who use a jailbreaking tool on BlackBerry products void the manufacturer warranty and also increase the long-term risk of negatively impacting the stability and user experience of their BlackBerry products. Use of a jailbreaking tool could also amplify the impact and severity of a future security issue, making your personal data more vulnerable to theft and more difficult to protect.
Mr. Stone believes rooting a | 128 |
AIRTO > News > AIRTO is delighted to welcome Glass Futures as a new member
AIRTO is delighted to welcome Glass Futures as a new member
Glass Futures is a not-for-profit company, created as a core entity to develop two UK-based
Catapult-like" Centres of Excellence in glass comprising R&D, innovation, technology incubation and implementation, training and up-skilling. It brings<|fim_middle|> pilot facility in St Helens, Merseyside
High Tech 'Cold' glass research centre at the University of Leeds.
These two centres will be supported by a series of smaller research hubs across UK academic and industry research groups.
The very essence of Glass Futures is to drive changes in technology and culture to facilitate growth and innovation and create a sustainable future for the glass industry.
www.glass-futures.org | together the global glass industry and academia.
Led by some of the World's largest glass manufacturers, supply chain partners and leading UK University research groups, our aim is to create two centres of excellence:
Unique open access multi-fuelled 'Hot' glass | 50 |
August 21, 2017 is just under full year away. For Dr. John Helferty and his College of Engineering students, it can't come soon enough. As the 2016-17 school year goes by, this group will be preparing to take part in a historic event next summer that has already garnered national attention.
The group effort will put together a high-altitude balloon to capture the first total solar eclipse visible exclusively across the continental United States in recorded history. Helferty's lab has been working on the balloon, which will reach near-space heights while carrying cameras that will photograph and stream the event to NASA's website for global viewing. Temple's team is part in a nationwide effort bringing together 80 schools across 41 states, organized by the University of Montana for NASA.
This total solar eclipse is the first visible in the United States in almost 40 years and the first to cross the continent since 1918. It will travel a thin band starting in Oregon and arcing south through the Northwest, the Midwest, and continuing through the South, crossing the Atlantic coastline in South Carolina. While the eclipse will pass through portions of<|fim_middle|> 100,000 feet in VR goggles, looking up at the eclipse, down to the Earth, back down to the stars," he said.
He credits his Software Tools class with Dr. Picone as a key resource in preparing him for this project. "His class really helps you with working full, entire systems. Not just working systems but efficient systems that work under grueling conditions."
After some equipment and weather issues, the group finally tested the balloon in the last weekend of October on the school's Ambler campus. "It went pretty well," said Sydnes. "The first time we didn't have enough helium in the balloon to launch, that was our fault. Trying to figure out how to launch a balloon was new for us. We got it a couple hundred feet in the air, tethered of course." The group also used a remote-controlled quad copter to observe the balloon and capture some footage.
The balloon group has made significant investment in raspberry pies. No, this isn't for a celebration. These "pies" are microcomputers found in hobbyist stores that runs Linux and can handle various operations. They interact with different sensors and motors used in the launch and flight.
While the balloon got off the ground (and back) successfully, there's still work to do. Sydnes noted communications could improve. The plan for the eclipse launch moved their site from Tennessee to Kentucky to improve the landing site and recovery of the payloads. The team will also integrate a VR camera to the payload. The group has worked with professors from other schools to solve problems, along with groups from Souderton High School and Montgomery County Community College.
Eddie Macmurchy brings his mechanical engineering expertise to this project. He has worked on the launch sequence and timing, along with protecting the components and video in temperatures that will be below -60 degrees Celsius. Success will likely hinge upon the balloon reaching the proper altitude of 80,000 to 100,000 feet in a set window, as eclipses last no longer than seven minutes. "It will take a little bit of math, moreso a lot of practice in terms of how we launch it," he said. "The process of launching a balloon is kind of involved."
Watch the video of their test launch.
Stay tuned for Part 2 coming next semester. | about 15 states, a partial eclipse should be visible for thousands of miles from the main path. In Philadelphia, that means we will enjoy a glimpse into the historic event but nowhere near the awe-inspiring sight of the full eclipse. The Temple Engineering group plans to travel to Kentucky, directly in the path of the total eclipse.
Temple and Dr. Helferty have a strong relationship with America's space agency. Dr. Helferty worked in jet propulsion for NASA at their facilities in Pasadena, California in the 1990s. During his 30-year tenure at Temple he has sent many of his students to the summer program at the NASA John Glenn Research Facility in Ohio, Marshall Flight Center in Alabama, Goddard Flight Center in Maryland and Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
One student who got that great experience at the Glenn Research Facility is electrical engineering senior Abby Sydnes. She brought some of that experience into this project. "One of the things I did at Glenn was communications work, related to antennas," she said. She's also used her experience with microprocessors and software tools, along with coding in Python. "There's been a lot of overlapping topics from some of the classes we've taken."
Another team member, Michael Mazzanti, spent part of the past summer attending training sessions held by NASA learning about payloads and the systems used in the balloon launch. After imparting this knowledge to his colleagues, he's working on the video aspect of the event. "You can be at | 309 |
Chapter 65 Preparations
"Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst"
― Common idiom
"We sent him to the valley to be safe from Red Claw and now look at him... He goes back to fight Red Claw."
Terri closed her eyes at the words of her mate. Dein was indeed correct that they had originally sent Chomper to the Great Valley in order to be safe from the vengeful Red Claw. That was back when they thought that they were his primary targets, not the valley itself. Back when the Great Valley seemed to be a sanctuary and not a valley under siege.
"He is with his friends. He can't have better company than that."
As she spoke she considered the irony of that statement. Back when Chomper was sent into the valley it was felt that he would be threatened by the leaf-eaters if anything. They had relied on the diplomacy of Ruby and the supportive words of his friends. Back then they were simply leaf-eaters, though Chomper did have a special affinity for them. In many ways Littlefoot was almost considered a brother or a second father by the small sharptooth due to the effects of imprinting. She remembered Chomper telling her that Littlefoot had never judged him despite being of the same kind that killed Littlefoot's mother. It seemed that the bond between them went both ways. However, Littlefoot was still a leaf-eater and their friendship would have had to end at some point.
Until the change.
Now his friends shared Chomper's fate. They were sharpteeth who had been tested by both hunts and battles. To any outside observer it would seem that Chomper's friends had been born and raised sharpteeth. However, she and Dein knew the truth. The only reason that Chomper and the pack were still alive was because of their change into predators. Had they had not been 'killed' in the valley then the adults of the valley would not had improved their defenses. Without those defenses and the help of the pack the Great Valley might have already fallen to Red Claw's apocalyptic plans. In a way that cursed stone had granted the pack the ability to keep Red Claw in check and it had granted her son the permanent friendship that he had yearned for. But like all things in nature there had to be payment in kind. For every successful hunt someone had to die. For every victor in battle there had to be a loser.
And for the great gift that had been bestowed upon them they would have to fight. She knew that her son and his friends would stand by one another until the bitter end. She just hoped that the end for Chomper was many years away.
"He could have better company."
Terri turned her head towards her mate. What was he going on about now?
"Dear?" She asked with her head tilted in confusion.
Dein sighed for a moment. A deep, growling sound emanated from the massive sharptooth. He was obviously considering something that he was not fond of. The proof of that was in his expression. Dein was not known for being especially introspective or reflective so to have him be lost in his own world was a rare experience. Terri, for her part, remained silent until he finally spoke.
"He could have us at his side."
Terri stared at her mate for several moments. Both of them had stood aside while Chomper and his friends had journeyed to the valley prior to the first battle. They may not have known that Red Claw's attack was imminent at that point, but they still allowed their son to venture off into danger. It was something that still haunted her to this day.
However, her son was emancipated at this point. He had asserted his rights as a member of another pack to venture off with those to whom he sworn his fealty. They had no right to obstruct him at that point and had they left their lands then they could have a battle on their claws when they returned. Despite the emotions involved they had made the right choice to stay behind. But now that they knew for certain that a battle was coming between the valley and Red Claw, could they really stand aside? Yes, they were trying to keep the bloodline going in the event that Chomper fell in battle, but what future would there be for their bloodline if Red Claw was allowed to be victorious? Would anyone be safe then? Would it even be possible to escape from his victorious hordes?
Terri frowned at the thought that just entered her mind. It was against tradition and instinct, but under these circumstances it was obviously the right choice. Even Dein had suggested the same.
"Well, dear... What do you think the valley will think about two sharpteeth entering their lands?"
Dein stared at her for a moment before responding jocularly.
"I don't really care; just as long as the longnecks don't greet us like they did the last time we entered the valley."
Terri smirked. By 'last time' Dein meant 'the only time'. When they had entered the valley it had been to look for their son after he had hatched. They had no idea at the time that the longnecks they had fought with were the grandparents of the longneck that their son had imprinted on. Nor could they have foreseen that he was one of the legendary five leaf-eater children who had bested Wrath, the sadistic son of Red Claw. It truly seemed that Chomper and his friends were<|fim_middle|> other thing?"
Terri nuzzled her son again as she allowed him on her back while she went into a stalking posture. Two full-grown sharpteeth and two packs of fastbiters would travel much faster if they didn't have to wait on a slower juvenile sharptooth. She then answered her son's question.
"We were wrong about what our family was."
Chomper looked confused by this. "Huh?"
As the stomping of the sharpteeth dominated the sounds of the landscape, Terri addressed her son's confusion. "Look around you, Chomper. What do you see? Because you realized something before we did." Chomper did as she asked and answered uncertainly.
"Uh... I see grass, trees, you and daddy..."
Terri finished Chomper's train of thought. "And your friends... we were wrong when we simply thought of our family as me, you, and your father. Your friends were with you when you hatched... they were there when you went into the valley... and they were there when you were attacked... they are as much part of the family as we are." She then looked sternly ahead. "We shall fight as one family."
Chomper could only nod at those words. His thoughts were in complete agreement.
And we shall win as one family.
66. Chapter 65 Preparations
Fantasy Books with Demons
Poems For Adults
Mature Mystery Books
Books About Prison
Books About Knights
Books Similar to 'The Jungle Book'
Books Similar to George R.R. Martin's
Books Similar to 'Pride and Prejudice' | fated to meet. That being said, Terri suspected that there meeting with the longnecks would be a lot more peaceful than there last encounter. At least she hoped.
"Well, dear. As long as the children do the talking then I am sure that we will be fine."
Dein snorted. "It isn't like any of us can speak the sap-sucker language. So they will have to do the talking."
Terri rolled her eyes. "A shame that they will miss out on your wit and charm."
In response to her deadpan insult, Dein lightly nudged her with his head, which caused her to mock fight him with her stubby arms. After a few moments, however, both of them settled down. It was still nighttime and both of them would need to retire early if they were to announce their intentions to the pack before they left early the next morning. But that was when they heard it.
Singing.
The packs were singing about those who they had lost.
Terri frowned. It was a touching display, but also a very sad one. Each song represented a loved one who had lived, fought, and died in the sharptooth way. It seem that regardless of whether it was Littlefoot's pack, Thud's pack, or Thud's new apprentices that sang that Red Claw had touched them all with his malice. She spoke sternly into the air.
"We will have to make sure that Chomper's song doesn't end for a long time."
She didn't turn around, but she heard Dein's response nonetheless.
"And make sure that Red Claw's song ends with his death."
As the two sharpteeth laid down and fell into a peaceful slumber, they had no idea that many miles away another pair was looking up at the same sky and thinking about the same pack.
"How do you think they are doing?"
Logos did not stir as her mate asked that question into the air. Both of them were resting on their backs, staring at the distant stars. Stargazing had been a hobby of each of them ever since they had been children. Even when they were on their original homeworld each would stare in awe at the majesty of nature. This wonder had only grown during their academy days. But it wasn't until they met one another that each found a confidant who shared their interests and temperament. Logos had to smile. It seemed that their decision to take their relationship to the next level was many years, and many planets, in the making.
However, Chronos's question did demand an answer. The children had been through an astonishing metamorphosis over the last year. In fact the biological changes were only the beginning. In a short span of time they had become formidable hunters, fighters, and schemers. They had gone from being innocent leaf-eater children to being feared in the Mysterious Beyond. Even though their intelligence and cunning had been with them ever since their first journey to the valley, it was obvious that the Stone of Cold Fire had greatly improved their abilities. This had undoubtedly helped them during their transformation.
"I am sure they are fine, dear." Logos answered softly. "The Stone of Destiny continues to serve them well."
Chronos remained silent for several moments as the two of them continued to look at the stars above. Logos then made an observation after looking at the fourth planet in the system.
"Isn't it amazing that of the three planets in this system that are suitable for life, it only exists here?"
Chronos gave a soft affirmative grunt. "It is. One is a hellscape; the other is an ice ball. Only this one harbors macroscopic life."
Logos looked over at her mate. She then noticed that he was already staring at her. She gave him a coy smile. "I thought that you were staring at the stars?"
Chronos smiled back. "Well, I have been staring at one..."
Nip!
Chronos reeled back. "What was that for!?" He had a surprised look on his face, but he wasn't really upset. He should have been used to Logos giving him a playful bite by now.
"That..." Logos coyly replied. "Was for trying to use one of Mr. Thicknose's suggested pickup lines."
Chronos blinked. "How did you know?"
Logos chuckled to herself. "Dear, for one thing you don't have a romantic bone in your body. So I know that you didn't come up with that on your own." Chronos gave a look of exaggerated offense, but Logos knew that he was simply being humorous in his own way. "And for the other thing, I know that if you came up with something that it would be better than that."
Chronos questioned her mockingly. "But I thought that you said that I didn't have a romantic bone in my body."
Logos nodded. "You don't. Whatever you would come up with would be incredibly lame, but at least it wouldn't be sappy."
Chronos stuck out his tongue at her in response. His verbal response was equally juvenile. "Well, my dear, we are all sap-suckers now so we should be fond of sappiness."
Logos smiled back. "I guess old habits die hard. You are a failed physicist who became an officer in the Consortium and I am a failed engineer who did the same. We aren't exactly the most romantic people in the universe, dear."
Chronos chuckled. "Yeah..." He then took on a cheeky smile. "But at least we aren't as bad as Mr. Threehorn."
Logos chuckled as well. "Yeah, at least there is that."
The two of them turned their attention to the stars again as each fell into a comfortable silence. To the two rainbowfaces there was nothing more romantic than simply looking up at the wonders of the universe. They would never again visit the distant worlds out there, but they still had their memories of back when they were interstellar explorers. Furthermore, they still had the ability to explore this world and to impart their sense of wonder onto the next generation. Overall things were going quite well.
Well, except for the whole 'Red Claw trying to destroy the valley and kill everyone in it' thing.
It seemed that Chronos had gotten into the same line of thought as her as he suddenly broke the silence. "What do you think about Whitehorn's latest idea?"
Logos considered the question for a moment before answering. "Well... He does have a point. Even though Red Claw will probably attack in the spring we still need to prepare defenses."
Chronos chuckled. "The valley did not seem enthusiastic about that idea."
Logos nodded. "Putting people to work is never a popular action. But with the support of the longnecks and flyers it was foregone conclusion his suggestion would pass."
Chronos could only agree with that. "Yeah... I guess the good deeds of the children helped to rehabilitate the longnecks in the valley's eyes. Though things aren't the same."
Logos gave an affirmative grunt. "Yeah... Things will not go back to the way things were before..." She then took on a smile as a thought grabbed her. "Speaking of which I think that it is time for us to go back to the cave."
Chronos looked surprised. "I thought that you wanted to look at stars tonight?"
Logos gave him a coy smile. "I thought that you wanted to look at 'one' star tonight. Perhaps you will get a better look at that star in the cave..."
Chronos could be thick at times but even he was not dense enough to not get the blatant hint from his partner. As the two rainbowfaces quickly disappeared into the cave that served as their home, peaceful silence descended upon the Great Valley. At that moment no resident could imagine how things would change in the days to come.
That evening would be the last peaceful night that the valley would have for quite some time.
Hanging Rock, the next morning:
"Rise and shine, kids!"
Detras tried but failed to suppress a smile as he heard the groans of the children. Fast runners were early risers by nature, but that did not apply for younglings. Their growing bodies needed all of the sleep that they could get. However, on this day the kids would have to get to work. They might have a journey on their hands.
Orchid was the first one to say something coherent. "Dad! Just a little more time..."
Detras was startled slightly when his mate embraced him upon entering the cave. He quickly recovered and returned the gesture as she then spoke to the groggy children.
"Come on, children!" She said cheerfully. "We might have guests today and we need to get some food for them!"
Arial rubbed her eyes and tiredly addressed her mother. "But..." She then yawned in her exhaustion. "...but what if they don't get here today? What if today they don't get here?"
Detras smiled. The speech impediment was rather common in his family line, though their tendency to repeat their words typically only occurred when they were flustered or tired, with Ruby being a noticeable exception. Even though he knew that she found it to be cute as well, it annoyed his mate to no end. It had taken her nearly a year before she finally gave up on curing Ruby of her vocal tick.
"Now, Arial..." Pearl began. "What have I told you about repeating yourself?" She then repeated herself in a playfully teasing manner. "What about repeating yourself have I told you? Do you see how annoying that repeating yourself can be?"
"Mom!" Arial protested as both Detras and Pearl laughed at her daughter's annoyance. She may have been agitated at her mother at the moment, but at least she was quite awake.
Detras finally regained his composure and cheerfully addressed his children again. "Alright, kids! Let's head to the stream and see what we can find. We will either get food for our guests or we will have a large dinner if they don't arrive..."
Now the children were motivated to catch some food. As the two children cheered and sprinted ahead, Detras and Pearl exited the cave side-by-side. Regardless of what the future held for them, they were together.
Ignis smiled at the scene below her. A fast runner family was gather fish from the stream in apparent harmony.
"Hey! That was my fish, Orchid!"
"Not anymore, sis!"
"Ow! That hurt, Arial!"
"Now children..."
Ignis laughed. Well... near-harmony. She chuckled to herself. The antics of the two children mirrored her own memories of how she and her siblings would play and occasionally scuffle back in her father's pack. Those were happy times.
She sighed. Were happier times... Now she and her father were estranged and her siblings remained behind in the territory of her people. She did not regret her decision to take the fight to Red Claw, but she did regret the consequences of that choice. She would probably die out here with her fellow volunteers, never to see her family again.
Or would she?
The more that she considered her situation, the more that she realized that they might actually have a chance. They had a small group of hidden runners and a family of fast runners, but they also had the formidable valley as well. The leaf-eaters were the stuff of legends. Not only was the valley protected by numerous hidden entrances, but they were also protected by its reputation. What sharptooth would attempt an attack on over a dozen united herds unless he or she had truly massive forces? That more than anything else had kept the valley safe until now.
But times had changed.
Red Claw now had a massive force at his disposal and she could only assume that the coming of the Cold Time brought even more forces to his side. The valley may have met its match.
But then there was also the matter of Seeker's pack.
The hidden runners had heard of a ferocious pack that had kept Calin at bay in the Land of Shallow Waters, but they hadn't paid much heed to those rumors. That was until Rinkus tried to convince them that Seeker and Sandstorm had tricked Red Claw into attacking the hidden runners. Westron had not believed the flyer's words when he had first made his speech and Ignis did not believe them when they were retold to her after she joined the mission. It was just the sort of lie that Red Claw would say in order to confuse his enemies and embolden his allies. Despite Banton's angry attack on Petrie, no other hidden runner had bought the story either. The apathy of the other hidden runners was simply a matter of fear and complacency.
With her father being the main culprit.
She could only sigh at the thought of her father. Despite her anger at being struck by him that was not what upset her the most. No, what upset her was how he was willing to trust in the ways of the past despite the grave threat that their kind now faced. She had grown up looking up to him as a role model, but it recent years she had grown to see his faults in addition to his virtues. His conservative mindset was very good at maintaining power and order, but less well-suited to adapting to the unknown. She knew that now and she hoped that he would learn that someday as well before it was too late.
"Children are amazing things aren't they?"
Ignis nodded absentmindedly at Viscond's words. Taking this as an invitation he continued.
"I guess that this is the host family that Spotter was telling us about. The ones who will lead us into the Great Valley. Though I wonder why the valley would trust these fast runners. They can still eat eggs... wouldn't the valley consider them a threat?"
Ignis shrugged. She had to admit that the same thought had crossed her mind. "Maybe they had an arrangement with these fast runners. After all, Seeker's pack is rumored to have fought on the valley's side. So if the valley was willing to have sharpteeth for allies then why not a potential egg-stealer?"
She didn't turn around to see Viscond nod, but she did hear his response to her thought. "That is true, Ignis... but you don't know leaf-eaters like I do. They do not trust sharpteeth of any kind and they despise egg-stealers. So to have them form alliances with one another is almost unheard of. I wonder how that got started..."
The two hidden runners sat in silence for a few moments as they watched the family pile up fish after fish into two large heaps. The hidden runners were cautious by nature, hence why they were placing the family under surveillance until they made themselves known to them. But Ignis had to admit that they looked normal enough. There was no sign of danger here. There was just a happy family fishing together in a stream. Two children, a mother, a father...
Wait a moment. Where did the father go?
Ignis had gotten so absorbed into her thoughts and her conversation with Viscond that she had not noticed the father slip off away from the family. Despite the fact that he would not be a danger to them even if he were hostile for some reason, the fact that he had gotten out of sight annoyed her. She was supposed to be a good tracker and watcher. Now one of her targets had gotten away. Did he go to relieve himself somewhere? Did he go to fish at another area of the stream? She was just about to mention the sudden disappearance to Viscond when both hidden runners heard something that made them rise to defensive positions.
"Ah! I didn't realize that our guests were already here."
Both hidden runners rose to their feet and placed their clawed hands in defensive positions. The fast runner had sneaked behind them all without any of the other watchers noticing! They were awestruck at this development and more than a little freaked out.
"Who... are you?" Ignis choked out.
Detras smiled. "I am Detras!" He replied cheerfully. "The other three of us you were spying on was my mate, Pearl, and my two beautiful children, Arial and Orchid." His smile turned into a grin as he noticed that both of them had shocked expressions. "Oh! You are wondering how I knew that you were all spying on us?"
The two hidden runners nodded in exasperation. Was their technique this bad?
Detras continued. "It was simple really. I knew that you were coming because Spotter told me... And considering that you are all hidden runners, I knew that you all would probably spy before making yourselves known. The reputation of your kind precedes you..." Viscond sighed as Detras finished his thought. "When you consider that I already know the terrain around here and all the best hiding spots and secret passages... Well, it wasn't too hard to track down where all of you might be hiding..."
At that moment Westron broke through the crevice. "Halt intruder!" He then looked at the stunned expression of Viscond. "Sir! Are you alright..."
For his part, Viscond waved him off. "It is alright, Westron. This is our host, Detras." He then gestured towards the fast runner who gave a quick bow to the newcomer. The slightest hint of annoyance crossed his features as he elaborated a bit further on the fast runner. "It seems that he has some tracking skills of his own..."
The rest of the hidden runners then barged in behind Westron, who quickly gave them a 'stand down' order with a wave of his clawed hands. This caused an outburst from Detras.
"Goodness! It is a good thing that we have caught a lot of fish! There are quite a few of you, isn't there? There almost isn't enough for dinner."
Westron looked stupefied. "Dinner?"
Detras laughed. "Yes, dinner! It is only proper for the host to provide food for his guests!" He then gestured widely with his arms towards where his family was down below the bluff. "Now, come on! The fish aren't going to eat themselves!"
With a happy and self-satisfied expression, Detras walked through the group of hidden runners and went onto the mostly hidden trail that lead to where his family was still gathering fish. In the process, Ignis could have sworn that she heard the fast runner say 'I always wanted to do that!' but it seemed that no one else heard that exclamation. As he left the hidden runners began to follow a respectful distance behind the male fast runner. As Ignis and Viscond exited the crevice that had been their observation post, Viscond said only one thing to her with equal parts annoyance and awe focused on the fast runner who had showed them up.
"Where in the hell did he come from?"
Petrie was amazed by the speed of his journey to the valley. In order to get word out to the valley as soon as possible he had directed his uncle to wake him at the crack of dawn. It would be pointless to fly at night when most of his frames of reference would be lost, but he could waste no time in getting word out to the valley.
"Wake up, Petrie..."
"Urgh... Let Petrie sleep... Petrie tired..."
"Red Claw won't wait, Petrie."
Petrie snapped awake. Suddenly the events of recent days flooded into his mind and he again became aware of the necessity of his mission. Pterano and Nunti had to recruit the carrion flyers, while the duty of warning the valley fell upon him. For all that he knew Red Claw could already be in transit to the valley so he would have to hurry. He might be the only warning that the Great Valley received before Red Claw's imminent attack. His answer came quickly.
"Me awake. We need to leave now."
Pterano nodded. "Yes. I must admit... that I am unsure about my task. I am not even sure exactly where the flyers are."
Petrie placed a comforting wing on his uncle's shoulder. "Me sure that you do fine, uncle! Even if flyers don't follow, you can still help in valley."
Pterano gave a sad smile. "I don't think that my face would be appreciate there, Petrie."
Petrie gave a dismissive wave of his wing. "It no matter! Valley fight to live! Every extra flyer will help."
Pterano gave his nephew a smile as he returned Petrie's supportive gesture by placing a wing upon him. "Very well! I will help as well..." He then took on a confident expression. "And I am sure that I will be bringing help back with me!"
Petrie gave his nephew a smile. "That good, uncle! Me almost believe you..."
Pterano laughed at his nephew's faint praise for his attempt at charismatic speech. "You know, Petrie... only a year ago you would have believed that display word for word... what changed?"
Petrie shrugged. "Me grow up me guess... But me know that really important. We try to help valley." He then looked at his uncle with a knowing expression. "This first time you try to convince others since the valley?"
Pterano nodded. "I resolved to never use my words to mislead others after my debacle in the valley... yet here I am."
Petrie gave him a reassuring pat with his wing. "You tell them that Red Claw there and that meat wait winners. You not lie. You try to convince. It different."
Pterano spoke darkly. "I will still be sending others to die."
Petrie spoke softly in response to this. "That not be crime if you willing to do same." Petrie stared at his uncle. "This may be valley last days. This may be Petrie last days. Will you fight with us, uncle?"
Despite the probable disagreement with the valley on the matter Pterano's answer was unequivocal. "Absolutely. I will not let you all fight alone."
Petrie nodded. "Then we go do our jobs. Me meet you in the valley." He then paused before breaking away from his uncle's embrace. "Stay safe, uncle."
Pterano smiled at his nephew as he wished him well. "You too, Petrie. May the winds carry you swiftly."
Petrie smiled at the memory. His departure from the valley had occurred a mere six hours ago, but he had made remarkable progress in his flight. The passage of the storm had shifted the wind currents in the Mysterious Beyond to the standard winter pattern with powerful currents heading in the direction of the valley. As soon as he had gained altitude by using the thermal updrafts, he had simply opened his wings and followed the prevailing currents. With the swift currents at his back, he had covered more distance in mere hours than a two-footer could cover in a week.
In fact, the outskirts of the valley were already in sight.
The narrow ravine that had served as their trail out of the valley bended to and fro as some of the geographic features of the Great Valley are came into view. The Smoking Mountains, curiously without their name-sake smoke, stood in the distance like a silent guardian watching over the valley of legend. Also in the distance the rocky form of Saurus Rock could just be seen. Despite his nearly a year of experience living outside of the valley, he had to suppress a sense of nostalgia at seeing those sights again. He was returning home. His old home.
"No sign of Red Claw. Look like Petrie in time." Petrie noted to himself. However it was odd that he wasn't discovered by a flyer scout yet. They were endemic during the pack's escape from the valley and their first return to the valley. Surely they hadn't become so complacent that...
What that?
Petrie did a double take at the scene in front of him. At first it seemed like there was nothing in front of him, but then the slight forms of two objects could be seen in the sky. Each was smaller than Rinkus and Sierra so Petrie immediately calmed down, but their size did surprise him. There were no adult flyers in the valley that Petrie knew of that were that small. This could only mean...
Caw!
Petrie grinned. He recognized that flyer! Even though it was an alarm call, he could tell by the tone of the caller's voice exactly who that was.
It was Valaria, one of his sisters.
Quickly responding to the alert call with a 'stand down' call, he quickened his pace towards the duo. Surely one of the other flyers was a sibling of his as well.
Petrie had to suppress a chuckle as his sister again issued an alert call. A tone of annoyance was clearly present in her voice as the intruder had dismissed her call. She undoubtedly wanted the alert to go out to the other flyers.
Smirking, Petrie then gave another 'stand down' call in order to pester his sister. He wondered how long he could keep this up before his mother or another flyer would come out and investigate. Would his sister get the point before that happened. Despite the immaturity of his actions, he was enjoying having a bit of fun at his sibling's expense. He had very few chances to be on the winning side of sibling pestering. In fact he was usually the target of his sibling's jokes and taunts. He did not harbor any real anger at his siblings for this as they nearly always did this in a joking matter, but it still felt cathartic to return the favor to his former tricksters. He was feeling quite pleased with himself until a familiar voice came from behind him.
"Pestering your sister, Petrie?"
Petrie shifted heavily to his left as he struggled to circle around to see the source of that voice. This action proved to be unnecessary as the source of the voice began to fly beside the sharptooth flyer. Petrie couldn't contain himself as the familiar face of his mother came into view.
"Momma!"
Volant laughed in both joy at seeing her son again, but also in hearing a 'vicious' sharptooth happily greet his mother. There was no doubt in her mind that Petrie was still the same old Petrie deep inside, regardless of whatever he called himself now. She quickly greeted her son.
"It is nice to see you again, Petrie!" The sound of Valaria giving the 'stand down' call could be heard in the distance. The fact that Volant was chatting with the sharptooth flyer was clear enough indication as to who this flyer was. "I must admit that I didn't think you would be back until the spring."
Petrie was about to answer when another voice greeted him from the other side of his body.
"Yeah, this is kind of surprising!"
Petrie swung his head towards the unexpected voice. "Guido!"
Guido laughed as he glided in formation with the other two flyers. "It is good to see you too, Petrie!"
Petrie sputtered a bit. "Me glad to see you, but how do you sneak up on Petrie. Me sharptooth! Me not suppose to be snuck on!"
Volant laughed at her son's distress. "Well, son... You may be very good at what you do..." She put an emphasis on 'what' as she obviously did not want to spell out or reflect upon how her son now survived by eating the flesh of others. "But we leaf-eaters want to protect ourselves. How do you like the new security measures?"
Petrie looked exasperated. "They good... They keep Petrie from seeing you." He reflected on this for a moment. "They could allow you to sneak up on bad flyers..."
Valaria then joined into the formation of flyers. She was flying just above Petrie. That was suspicious...
Petrie smirked. "You not poop on Petrie!?" It was both a question and a threat.
The smile could be heard in Valaria's voice as Guido tried to stifle a laugh. "The thought crossed my mind, brother. You were acting like a jerk..."
Petrie protested this humorously. "Of course me jerk! Me sharptooth!"
The rest of the flyers laughed at this. Even after everything that had happened they were still capable of flustering the sharptooth flyer. This was still the Petrie that they all knew and loved. After they settled down Volant's voice could again be heard.
"Your sister came up with the hiding technique, Petrie. It seems to work well. Whitehorn was pleased."
Petrie nodded. "Yeah... It work on Petrie." He then looked at his mother. "How it work?"
Volant opened her mouth but then quickly closed it. It was as if something had crossed her mind and caused her to immediately stop what she was doing. Her expression was then replaced with an apologetic smile. Her response to her son's question was equally soft and apologetic.
"I am sorry, Petrie. But I cannot tell you. Whitehorn's orders."
Petrie stared at his mother for a moment with an unreadable expression. His mother had kept secrets from him in the past, such as where babies came from and what the flyer 'gathering' entailed. However she had always done that in order to protect himself and his siblings from knowledge they were not ready for. He realized that now. But this was different. She was not keeping this information from this to protect him.
She was hiding it to protect them from him.
He was not a part of the valley anymore and he was a potential threat. Their parents surely realized that they would not willingly betray their own families even though they were now sharpteeth. However Petrie realized that if they ever became dangerously hungry then things could quickly change. Petrie did not like to think about the possibility, but he knew that if it were necessary to save Ducky or his other packmates then he would kill a valley resident. Despite the pain that his mother's refusal caused in him, he could not discount the sound logic of it. He was on the other side of the divide now. He was an adversary of his former kind. He would simply have to get used to being treated like one. Petrie's answer was spoken softly and without malice.
"Me understand. If me get hungry then even me could be threat."
Guido tried to cushion the blow.
"Petrie..."
Petrie shook his head at his friend. "It okay, Guido. Me not angry." Guido looked somewhat relieved at this though he still looked guilty about keeping something from his friend. "Me sad, but me understand. The valley have to keep safe and pack not part of valley anymore."
Volant's voice then greeted Petrie's ears. "I am glad you understand, son. It isn't easy on me either, but the valley voted to keep some of our secrets from the pack. I did not really vote for it but..."
Petrie smirked. He could assume which herd would be the loudest voice pushing for tougher security. "Threehorns?"
Volant nodded with a knowing smile. "Threehorns."
The four flyers had now settled into a stable flight into the valley. As they crossed over the threshold into the valley proper, the loud bellowing call of Whitehorn could be heard. It was not an alarm call, but a meeting call. It seemed that anytime a sharptooth was allowed into the valley constituted a reason to immediately call a meeting.
Good call. Petrie thought to himself. Valley under threat right now. However this caused a concerning thought to arise in his mind.
"Keep some flyers on watch!"
Volant nodded at her son. "They are, Petrie!"
She then stared at her son for a moment. She was so relieved and happy to see him that she had not thought to ask why he had arrived a season earlier than expected. His anxious words made a disturbing possibility pop into her mind about his journey. Maybe he was hear early because something bad happened... or was about to happen. She was about to speak when Petrie caught the meaning of her concerned look an answered the unspoken question with a grave voice.
"Red Claw not attack valley in spring. He attack in Cold Time!" His mother's look of shock was joined by gasps of surprise above and beside him. "Pack on way now! We bring allies."
Volant tried to calm her quivering beak as she tried to keep her flight level. The spiketail herds had agreed to rejoin the valley in the spring, which meant that they would not be available to support the valley for a winter attack. The valley would have even fewer defenders than they had in the Haven Valley! This did not bode well for the combined herds. Despite her mounting fear, her response sounded a lot more certain than she felt at that moment.
"We will need them, Petrie... We will need them..."
Without warning, Volant then gave the alert call. After a pause Guido, Petrie, and Valaria joined in as well. The message was now clearly sent. This was not just a meeting. This was a battle in the making.
They could only hope that the valley was up to the task ahead.
"Alright, gang! It is time to go... Do we have everything?"
At Littlefoot's words, there was a moment of silence as each of the packmates seemed to be taking stock of their situation. Each of the pack members, including Thud and his new associates, were now fully dressed in their armor of vines. Each also had two pointed sticks stuffed between their vines and the skin of their backs. In this way they could travel quickly without losing their protection or their weapons. Despite the discomfort that all of this entailed, no one dared to complain. Each of them realized that it might be the very thing that kept them alive in the days ahead.
Spike was the first to respond. "I think we do." But his answer in the affirmative was tentative. "It is a shame that we are leaving so many pointed sticks behind..."
Ruby interjected at this point. "We only have so much room to carry them. We could carry more if we had more room."
Cera nodded. "Yeah... I guess that the hidden runners will have to do the best that they can. Maybe if we have enough time in the valley then we can prepare more?"
"Or maybe you could just have us carry them."
The eleven sharpteeth turned in surprise at the source of those words. It was Chomper's parents. Were they here to say goodbye to their son?
"Mommy! Daddy!" Chomper affirmed happily. "Are you here to wish us goodbye?"
Dein shook his head. "No, son. We are here to ask if you wanted two more sharpteeth at your side."
Chomper stared in stupefied silence at his parent's affirmation. After thinking that this could be the last time he would see his home or his parents... after thinking how poor their chances were due to Red Claw's change in plans... after several days of preparation and stress... it now seemed that the pack had something to be cheerful about.
As Chomper and his parents shared a tearful nuzzle, Littlefoot spoke with the confidence of a leader.
"We would welcome your help!" The rest of the pack began to cheer at their new allies, while Thud and his associates looked pleased but remained more subdued. The addition of two full-grown two-footers improved their chances but there was still every possibility than some or all of them might not return home. This might very well be their last journey as a pack. Nevertheless they all were sure that they would fight to the last sharptooth no matter the cost. If they had to die in the days to come then they would die together.
As Dein picked up some of the stockpiled pointed sticks in his mouth, Chomper asked one final question of his parents.
"What made you change your mind?"
Terri smiled slightly as both Tyrannosauruses began to move forward as the pack set off. Since Dein had his mouth full, she would speak for him.
"Our kind values family above all else, Path. Even over allies and individuals. But we were wrong about two things."
Chomper looked up curiously. "What was that, mommy?"
Terri smiled. "If Red Claw is permitted to win then our family won't have a future. We have to fight now while there is still a chance of victory, otherwise we will have to fight when there is no hope."
Chomper blinked at those profound words. "And the | 7,592 |
Home Ben Wilkoff Thank you everyone for attending.
Thank you everyone for attending.
I'm trying to find other schools and districts who are really engaged in using Google Apps as a true LMS. I know a lot of folks are experimenting and using Google Apps broadly for learning, but I would love to connect a few schools/districts together in a hangout to discuss the systems to support this in more than a single classroom or team of teachers.
Please fill out the Google Doc to set up if you would like to be on the video hangout or if you would like to simply be a viewer.
I'm kind of impressed by the amount of creation that is possible with these.
We really appreciated this google hangout – thanks, Ben!
Brett and the Philly folks.
Wish I could have watched live, but had a class and firewall issues. Watched the archived video of the session. Nice<|fim_middle|> panel! Looking forward to more great presentations. | job, great | 3 |
"Deadwood" actor Powers Booth dies at 68
PUBLISHED: May 14, 2017 at 12:00 a.m. | UPDATED: September 6,<|fim_middle|> leader Jim Jones in the TV movie "Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones." He also had memorable roles playing the ruthless saloon owner Cy Tolliver in "Deadwood," the gunman Curly Bill Brocius in "Tombstone" and the corrupt senator in "Sin City."
A private service will be held in Texas where he was from.
This is the most valuable airline reward program
Horoscopes Jan. 27, 2023: Patton Oswalt, make upgrades | 2018 at 12:00 a.m.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Powers Boothe, the character actor known for his villain roles in TV"s "Deadwood," and in the movies "Tombstone," ""Sin City" and "The Avengers," has died. He was 68.
Boothe"s publicist says he died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles Sunday.
Beau Bridges tweeted the news and called him "a dear friend, great actor, devoted father and husband."
The veteran actor won an Emmy award in 1980 for playing cult | 127 |
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KMLabs History
Wavelenght-Photon Energy Calculator
Founders and Leadership<|fim_middle|> to joining KMLabs, Matt served as GM of Data Solutions and then GM of Ad Exchange at Sovrn. Matt holds a BA in biology from Brown University and an MBA in Finance from the University of Colorado at Boulder Leeds School of business.
Henry C. Kapteyn, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer
Henry C. Kapteyn is co-founder of KMLabs Inc and Co-Chairman of the board. Henry is well-established as a leading researcher in the area of ultrafast optical science, and is Professor of Physics and a fellow of JILA, a joint NIST/University institute at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He received a BS from Harvey Mudd College in 1982, an MS from Princeton University in 1984, and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1989. He and his wife and long-term collaborator, Margaret Murnane, are well known for their research in femtosecond lasers, and for understanding how to coherently upconvert this light to make a "tabletop x-ray laser" that they have applied to pioneering studies of material behavior at short length- and time-scales. He has published more than 200 papers (h-index 88), and is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the Optical Society of America, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His awards include the Adolph Lomb Medal of the OSA in 1993, the Ahmed Zewail Award of the ACS in 2009, the R.W. Wood Prize of the OSA in 2010, the Arthur Schawlow Prize of the APS in 2010, the Willis Lamb Award in Quantum Electronics in 2012, and membership in the National Academy of Sciences.
Daisy Raymondson, Vice President of Operations
Daisy Raymondson has been with KMLabs for over a decade and brings extensive experience in laser design, as a KM researcher, and then progressive responsibility in factory operations, engineering, quality assurance, and worldwide service. In research, Daisy has developed some of the most unique and capable systems for KMLabs, including high power systems and facility-class laser systems. In her role as global service manager, Daisy managed an extensive portfolio of systems and created the training and certification program for KMLabs' worldwide distributor network. Most recently she served as Director of Operations and Service, coordinating teams in production, service, materials management, and quality assurance. Daisy holds a BS in Physics and Mathematics from UC Davis and a PhD in Physics from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
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Matt Harada, President
Matt Harada, President of KMLabs, brings extensive experience in applying analytical rigor across business operations and executing business initiatives. He is responsible for ensuring KMLabs' continued leadership in high technology laser products, overseeing engineering, production, finance, and customer relationships. Matt developed his skills in data-driven operational optimization at several small and mid-sized companies including HomeAdvisor. There, he advanced from Financial Analyst to VP of Financial Planning and Analysis and led both internal initiatives and analytical M&A activities. At Trada, Matt built the Finance and Operations functions of the business and then was selected to take over leadership as CEO. Directly prior | 134 |
Back Pain Took Me Out of the Race. This Salve Got Me Back on Track
How BioFreeze revived this ailing collegiate sprinter's career.
by Amy Garcia Published: Dec 21, 2017
Cheryl Seligman
Whether it's a favorite pair of shoes, a beloved set of mittens, or even a trusty thermos, we've all fallen in love with products that makes our running lives better. With Man, I Just Love This… we at Runner's World have decided to share some of our life-changing favorites.
I was a sophomore on the varsity track team at Johns Hopkins University when my back started acting up. I didn't want to stop running, but there wasn't really much of a choice. My back hurt even when I was just sitting in class—no chance it would hold up through repeat 300s around the track.
Hoping to sort out the issue, I sat through doctor's appointments, hours of physical therapy, and painful trigger-point sessions—to no avail. I was frustrated at the lack of answers, and terrified that I might not be able to run again. Still unsure of what was wrong, I was cleared to return to practice, but the pain persisted, so I continued to rest, dejected.
Until my mom offhandedly suggested I try some random pain relief cream I'd never heard of before, called Biofreeze. With nothing to lose, I grabbed a tube of the stuff at the pharmacy, smeared it all over my back, and jogged out for my first practice in a year.
I didn't feel a thing as<|fim_middle|>'s called Biofreeze for a reason. It works as cold therapy, providing the benefits of ice but without the accompanying skin irritation. My back felt ice cold for about 15 minutes after I put in on. But the alternative was burning pain.
Once the elation and shock of running pain-free wore off, the first thing I noticed was BioFreeze's pungent smell. The mighty musk of mint made me immediately think of the starting line of a race, where other battered athletes also turned to miracle salves to help them train and compete. It's got the same shocking scent—harshly minty, with the sort of kick you get from eating a glob of wasabi—as Bengay and other pain-relieving creams.
It's off-putting to many, but to me, it's the smell of success.
After the next Biofreeze-fueled practice passed pain-free, and the practice after that, and the practice after that, I couldn't contain my excitement. I was running again! I was training, and I could get back to racing.
I brought Biofreeze everywhere. There was a bottle in my locker to take to practice. There was one in my backpack to bring to class. And there was a backup bottle in my room just in case I lost any of the others. I would never allow those muscle spasms to take over my life again.
Now, as a post-collegiate runner, I sprint less and log more miles. The aches and pains are different, but my trust in Biofreeze is unchanged. I still carry a bottle around all the time, even though my muscle spasms aren't nearly as bad as they used to be. Better safe than sorry.
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WHERE HISTORY MEETS LUXURY.
At the Colcord Hotel, luxury means the gold standard of service and comfort. Luxury is the promise we keep to our<|fim_middle|>
Colcord_Hotel
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YOU BOOKED. | guests, every day. Whether you're a business traveler or a local in need of a staycation, you will be greeted by our helpful staff and treated with abundant amenities. Stay for a night or for a while. We aim to exceed expectations and provide anything you may need.
HOSPITALITY NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE
If buildings could talk, the Colcord would tell you it's seen some changes over the last century - from its own contemporary renovations to the burgeoning development of nearby businesses.
When the Colcord Building was completed in 1910, at 12 stories, it was the first skyscraper in Oklahoma City. Every luxury of the time was incorporated in the construction, many of which remain today: The original marble still adorns the columns and walls of the main lobby; the original nickel and bronze letterbox and elevator doors still shine; and the original ornamental plaster ceiling still crowns the space. This landmark was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Though the building's trademark elegance and historic architectural elements have been preserved, the revamped Colcord now has an updated style and is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies that suit the needs of our guests.
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Four Diamond Award, AAA, 2017-2018
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#4 Best Hotel of Oklahoma, U.S. News & World Report, 2017
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9.2 State Winner | 406 |
Paul Kelly's 'Christmas Train'<|fim_middle|> No. 8.
Get weekly updates straight to your inbox | Stops at No. 1 on Australia's Albums Chart
Paul Kelly receives an early Christmas gift: an ARIA Chart crown.
Paul Kelly Presents The Merri Soul Sessions live for fans at the 2015 Byron Bay Bluesfest on April 6, 2015 in Byron Bay, Australia.
Cassandra Hannagan/WireImage
Paul Kelly scores an early Christmas gift, as the veteran Australian singer, songwriter and wordsmith bags the chart crown with his holiday collection.
Kelly's "2022 Edition" of Christmas Train (GAWD/EMI) stops at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, published Dec. 9. That's one better than Christmas Train's No. 2 debut and peak position following its original release in 2021, an effort that made it the highest-charting Christmas album of the year in Australia.
See the latest videos, charts, and news
View the latest videos, charts, and news
Christmas Train collects a batch of classics, and features a new recording of Ron Sexsmith's "Maybe This Christmas" — recorded with Kelly's live band at Soundpark Studios in Melbourne — and, of course, Kelly's own holiday standard, "How to Make Gravy," a tale of a prisoner reflecting on the friends and family he'll miss while he's locked up for Christmas.
Marlon Williams and Waleed Aly are guest vocalists on this LP, as is Kasey Chambers and Kate Miller-Heidke. Vika & Linda Bull are also included.
Another Aussie Christmas set is blazing to No. 1 last week, Jimmy Barnes' Blue Christmas (down 4-1 this cycle), ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd is calling the result "amazing" and "one more thing to celebrate as we enter the festive season. It's amazing to see such a accomplished and important national storyteller continue his success ."
Kelly had to wait until his first No. 1. It finally came in 2017 with Life Is Fine, his 23rd studio album. Its followup, 2018's Nature, also scaled the summit.
A smattering of Christmas gifts are placed on the ARIA Charts, including Michael Buble's Christmas (Reprise/Warner), up 36-8 on the albums survey, and the Bocellis' A Family Christmas (Decca/Universal), which holds at No. 9.
Leaping in at No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Chart, just behind Taylor Swift's Midnights (Universal), is Australian Frog Calls: Songs of Disappearance (via MGM), an album that features calls from 43 of Australia's most threatened frogs.
The set is a collaborative project of Australia Museum FrogID project, the Bowerbird Collective, Listening Earth and Mervyn Street of Mangkaja Arts, and aims to raise awareness for Australia's declining frog population. One in six Australian native frog species is currently endangered.
The amphibian benefit recording is from the same well as Australian Bird Calls: Songs of Disappearance, an album of bird songs that reached No. 2 on the national chart in 2021.
Also new to the ARIA Albums Chart is Metro Boomin's Heroes & Villains (Republic/Universal), new at No. 5, while BTS star RM's starts at No. 26 with his solo debut Indigo (Interscope/Universal), and Magic Dirt singer Adalita bows at No. 29 with Inland (Liberation/Universal).
Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, Sam Smith & Kim Petras' "Unholy" (Capitol/Universal) unseats "Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero" (Universal) after six weeks, while Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" (Columbia/Sony) races 11-3.
Metro Boomin' has the top debut on the singles survey with his Heroes & Villains release, "Creepin'" featuring the Weeknd and 21 Savage. It's the new | 847 |
Welcome to my Web page. I'm glad to have the opportunity to present my credentials to you. It's important that you feel comfortable with me as your physician in the hospital or in the preoperative clinic.
I am originally from Manila, Philippines. Although I come from a family of physicians—including my mother, uncles and grandfather—my first college degree was in hotel and restaurant administration. I've always loved gourmet cooking, and I even had a<|fim_middle|> hospitalist, which means that my primary duty is the care of members who have been admitted to the hospital. I feel my skills and training as a general internist and intensivist who takes care of critically ill people are best utilized in the hospital. I get a great sense of personal satisfaction in being able to help comfort the pain, alleviate suffering when I can, and hopefully achieve a cure for acutely ill patients.
I have been married for fifteen years. My wife and I do everything together. To relax mentally and physically, we pursue our passion of Argentine tango. We enjoy cooking fine cuisine and testing new cookbooks and cookware. We broaden our horizons with travelling. I am a serious collector of commercial airliner models. | catering business for a while, but it was my destiny to pursue a career in medicine. I completed my medical education at the University of the Philippines, and moved to the United States in 1980 to begin my postdoctoral training in internal medicine at Kettering Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio. After that, I moved to California to complete an intensive care medicine fellowship at Loma Linda University Medical Center. I worked as a general internist in Orange County from 1985 to 1989, after which I joined Kaiser Permanente since 1989.
I have focused my practice for the past 25 years on being a full-time | 140 |
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Use twice a day on clean skin. Apply evenly and gently massage in a circular motion, concentrating on targeted areas where stretch marks form. Massage until cream is fully absorbed. Apply onto new or old stretch marks | 223 |
Mullineaux... go on an getchyasum This is simply a French Saison, just drink it. 6% abv.
This is one monster of a Brown Ale! 4 Hands uses an obnoxious amount of chocolate malt and roasted barley to give this beer a cask iron backbone. The oatmeal brown pours a dark mahogany with aromas of dark chocolate and coffee.
This Chocolate Milk Stout pours as black as the night sky with aromas of dark chocolate, chocolate malt, and more chocolate. With a firm tan head and a rich velvety mouth-feel 4 Hands' Chocolate Milk Stout is a perfect complement to the change of seasons.
Rise up and tantalize your taste buds with the Mosaic hopped IPA! Resurrection pours amber in color with a firm off white head. Look for loads of tropical flavors in this medium bodied IPA. Aromas of passion fruit, pineapple and candied fruit dominate.
4 Hands' American blonde ale is a soft and delicate ale brewed with pilsner malt and jasmine flower. The addition of jasmine adds a floral and slightly fruity layer. Single speed pours a crisp golden hue with floral undertones. What's your speed?
Purple Haze is a crisp, American style wheat beer with raspberry puree added after filtration. Therefore, you may see raspberry pulp in the beer. The raspberries provide the lager with a subtle purple coloration and haze, a fruity aroma, and a tartly sweet taste.
This is a rich brown ale perfect for the fall. Exclusive use of all Belgian specialty malts give a rich yet dry finish to this beer. Original Gravity: 1.056 Alcohol by volume: 5.75 Original Gravities are target values and are subject to fluctuation, as are alcohol percentages by volume.
This unfiltered dry-hopped ale is hazed in its natural state and infused with a Crystal and Centennial hop blend, creating a flavorful aromatic brew.
This traditional Belgian-Style Abbey Ale is brewed using five malts<|fim_middle|> cloudy, bottle conditioned and dry hopped for a perfectly refreshing balance of spicy malts, hops and yeast. 4.5% Alc./Vol.
An artisan amber ale brewed in the Flanders tradition. Deep amber with earthy caramel, spice, and sour fruit notes developed through natural barrel aging. Unfiltered, unpasteurized and blended from barrels ranging in age from two to ten months. 7.2% Alc./Vol.
Left Hand Brewing Imperial Stout 22oz.
Belgian Style Ale bred with chamonille flowers.
San Antonio Cardinale is a sweet red wine. It is a proprietary blend created by the Riboli family. Cardinale can be enjoyed by itself or with your favorite cuisine. Serve slightly chilled. Gold medal winner in national competitions. | , two hop varieties and authentic Trappist Belgian Yeast.
This Belgian-Style IPA is brewed using four malts, three hop varieties and is fermented with authentic Belgian Trappist yeast. Dry hopping this ale ensures a highly-hopped nirvana.
An artisan farmhouse ale that is golden, naturally | 60 |
Home / Bible Commentaries / Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers/ Isaiah
Sermon Bible
LVIII.
(1) Cry aloud . . .—Literally, with the throat, i.e., with no faint whisper as from stammering lips, but with full strength of voice. The work of the preacher of repentance is not to be done slightly or by speaking smooth things (comp. Ezekiel 13:10-15). The "trumpet" of the next clause emphasises the thought yet further.
(2) Yet they seek me daily . . .—The "seeking" is that of those who come, like the elders in Ezekiel 20:1, to "enquire" of Jehovah, and looking for an oracle from Him. The words point to the incongruous union, possible in the reign of Manasseh, but hardly possible after the exile, of this formal recognition of Jehovah with an apostate life. Every phrase rings in the tone of an incisive irony,, describing each element of a true devotion which the people did not possess.
(3) Wherefore have we fasted . . .—The words remind us of those of a much later prophet (Malachi 3:14), but the complaints of the unconscious hypocrites who are amazed that their service is not accepted as sincere are in every age the same. Only one fast, that of the Day of Atonement, was prescribed by the Law. In practice, however, they were often held in times of calamity (comp. Isaiah 32:12; Joel 1:13; 2 Chronicles 20:3),and we may legitimately think of them as having been more or less frequent under Hezekiah (Isaiah 37:1-2). Now, as though that had been a meritorious work, the people ask what good had come of it? After the exile fasts were instituted, commemorative of the siege of Jerusalem, its capture, its destruction, and the murder of Gedaliah (Zechariah 7:3; Zechariah 8:19), and those who maintain the later date of the book naturally suppose that these are the fasts referred to.
In the day of your fast ye find pleasure . . .—Better, ye carry on your business. Fasts were not governed, like the Sabbath, by a fixed law, and the people consequently lost sight of the true end of fasting—prayer, meditation, penitence.
Exact all your labours.—The words are rendered by some critics more vividly, though with the same meaning, ye oppress all your labourers. (Comp. James 5:4.)
(4) Behold, ye fast for strife and debate.—The words possibly point to the psychological fact that an unspiritual fasting irritates the nerves and embitters the temper. Extremes meet, and the disputes of fasting controversialists are often as fierce as those of drunken disputants. (Comp. the conspiracy of Acts 23:21.)
(5) A day for a man to afflict his soul.—The phrase comes from Leviticus 16:29, and describes the soul-sorrow which was the true ideal of fasting. In contrast with this we have the picture, reminding us of Matthew 6:16, of the mechanical prostrations, which are as the waving of a bulrush in the breeze. The image suggests a new aspect of our Lord's statement, that the Baptist was not as "a reed shaken by the wind" (Matthew 11:7), scil., that his fasting was not outward and ceremonial, like that of the Pharisees.
(6) To loose the bands of wickedness.—The words do not exclude abstinence from food as an act of discipline and victory over self-indulgence, but declare its insufficiency by itself. So in the practice of the ancient Church fasting and almsgiving were closely connected, as indeed they are in Matthew 6:1; Matthew 6:16. The history of the emancipation of the slaves and of their subsequent return to bondage presents a curious illustration of the prophet's words (Jeremiah 34:8-22). The truth which he proclaimed was recognised in the hour of danger and forgotten in that of safety. Comp. Joel 2:13.
To undo the heavy burdens.—Literally, the thongs of the yoke, the leather straps which fastened the yoke on the head of the oxen as they ploughed. Again we trace an echo of the thought and almost of the phraseology in our Lord's teaching (Matthew 11:29-3<|fim_middle|> that the Sabbath is as holy ground, on which no profane foot must tread (Exodus 3:5).
Thy pleasure.—Better, thy business.
Nor speaking thine own words.—Literally, speak words, as in Hosea 10:4, for idle unprofitable talk (Proverbs 10:19, Ecclesiastes 5:3).
(14) I will cause thee to ride upon the high, places of the earth.—Better, of the land: i.e., of Canaan, the idea being that of a victorious march to occupy all commanding positions, and thus connecting itself with the full enjoyment of the heritage of Israel in the next clause.
Ellicott, Charles John. "Commentary on Isaiah 58:4". "Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers". http://odl.studylight.org/commentaries/ebc/isaiah-58.html. 1905. | 0; Matthew 23:4). The Pharisees who fasted laid heavy burdens on men's shoulders. He, who was thought not to fast, relieved them of their two-fold yoke of evil selfishness and ceremonial formalism.
(7) To deal thy bread.—Literally, to break bread, as in the familiar phrase of the New Testament (Matthew 26:26; Acts 20:11; Acts 27:34). The bread of the Jews seems to have been made always in the thin oval cakes, which were naturally broken rather than cut.
The poor that are cast out.—The words include all forms of homelessness—tenants evicted by their landlords, debtors by their creditors, slaves fleeing from their masters' cruelty, the persecuted for righteousness' sake, perhaps even political refugees. Note the parallelism with Matthew 25:35-36.
From thine own flesh.—Usage, as in Genesis 29:14; Nehemiah 5:5, leads us to refer the words primarily to suffering Israelites, but those who have learnt that "God hath made of one blood all the nations of the earth" (Acts 17:26) will extend its range to every form of suffering humanity.
(8) Then shall thy light . . .—The dawning of a new day, as in 2 Samuel 23:4; the growth as of new and healthy flesh after long illness; "righteousness," i.e., the sentence of acquittal in the eyes of all the world, as leading the van of a triumphant march, the "glory of Jehovah" following in the rear as a protection; all these images are heaped together to paint the fulness of blessing that follows on that true renunciation of the old evil selfishness of which fasting is but a symbol and a part.
(9) Then shalt thou call.—The words point to the secret of the prayer which is answered in contrast to the formal worship that found no acceptance (Isaiah 58:2; Isaiah 58:4).
The putting forth of the finger.—The gesture (Cheyne compares the "infamis digitus" of Persius ii. 33) has in well-nigh all nations been a natural symbol of scorn. It is in action what the words "Raca" and "Thou fool" are in the language of Matthew 5:22.
(10) Draw out thy soul.—The words have been interpreted as meaning (1) giving up sensuous desires for the sake of others; (2) ministering of thy substance; (3) extending thy sympathy. On the whole, (3) seems preferable.
Then shall thy light rise.—We note the recurrence of the imagery of Isaiah 9:2.
(11) In drought.—Literally, droughts, either with the force of intensity or as meaning "dry places."
And make fat.—Better, shall strengthen, or make supple.
Like a watered garden.—Comp. Psalms 1:3, Isaiah 44:3-4, Jeremiah 31:12, in the last of which we have the self-same phrase.
(12) Shall build the old waste places.—The prophet contemplates primarily the restoration of the public and private buildings of Jerusalem, but the words have obviously a wider spiritual application.
The foundations of many generations—i.e., those that had been lying in ruins, with no superstructure, for even a longer period than the seventy years of exile.
Thou shalt be called . . .—This was to be the special work, and was to constitute the enduring fame, of the new Israel.
Paths to dwell in—i.e., the streets of the city shall be once more flanked with houses on either side, and not merely roads from one point to another.
(13) If thou turn away thy foot.—The teaching of Isaiah 56:4-7, as to the Sabbath is resumed. The form of the phrase implies the idea | 848 |
Movie Review: "The Homesman" Premieres At AFI
With his second directorial effort, Tommy Lee Jones transports audiences back to the American frontier<|fim_middle|>'s novel of the same name, "The Homesman" is a unique take on the Western in that it's told from the perspective of a fierce pioneer woman, played by the always reliable Hilary Swank.
The straightforward screenplay manages to touch on all the genre's common themes without getting bogged down by unnecessary subplots, and still leaves room for some gun-toting goodness. Aside from the colorful characters portrayed by the veteran cast, the stark Nebraskan landscape also plays a critical role, and the elegant cinematography captures the location in all its stormy glory. Sporadically slow but ultimately enjoyable, "The Homesman" will mostly appeal to nostalgic Western fans, a genre that isn't easy to come by these days.
It's 1855 in the recently established Nebraska Territories, and Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank), a strong-willed, god-fearing woman, is desperate to land a husband. In a world as harsh and isolated as the unforgiving Great Plains, not having a husband to build a family with could potentially drive some to insanity.
In fact, this very condition has afflicted three local women (Miranda Otto, Grace Gummer and Sonja Richter) to the point where the town preacher (John Lithgow) has arranged for them to be taken in by an Iowan caretaker and his wife (Meryl Streep). Needing to transport these women by wagon across state lines but unable to recruit a man for the job, the preacher assigns this potentially fatal task to none other than Mary Bee.
With minimal resources and a treacherous road ahead, Mary Bee quickly realizes she isn't equipped to handle this journey alone. She soon finds a travel partner in George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones), a scheming drifter who is indebted to Mary Bee for saving him from certain death. Along the way, they face many hardships, not the least of which is sharing a confined space with these damaged women, all while facing their biggest obstacle, the elements.
Tommy Lee Jones takes a minimalist approach to his storytelling, putting his faith in the well-drawn characters and bare-bones premise, and the bet pays off. Aided by Oscar nominated cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto ("Brokeback Mountain," "Wolf of Wall Street") Jones isn't afraid to let his scenes breathe, which allows the surrounding environment to underscore the film's central theme of man (or in this case, woman) versus nature.
Hats off to the rest of the creative team as well, including production designer Meredith Boswell, costume designer Lahly Poore, and composer Marco Beltrami, whose windswept score was recorded outdoors to evoke the desolate Great Plains.
As one might expect from a cast of this caliber, "The Homesman" is driven by dominant performances from Oscar winners Hilary Swank and Tommy Lee Jones. Swank's Mary Bee is an emblem of virtue in a decidedly wicked world, and the two-time Oscar winner masterfully captures her daily struggle against sin, particularly in the company of Jones' low life persona. Speaking of Jones, it's a pleasure to see him in a scrappier, less dignified role than he's played in recent years. Miranda Otto, Grace Gummer (Meryl Streep's daughter) and Sonja Richter as the mentally unstable women are also notable, as they pull off the tricky task of acting without dialogue in almost every scene. Standout cameos include James Spader as the disreputable proprietor of an ill-fated hotel and Tim Blake Nelson as a troublemaking traveler they meet on the trail.
Period pieces often suffer from on-the-nose dialogue, but here, the words ring true, which is a testament not only to the writers (Jones, Kieran Fitzgerald and Wesley A. Oliver) but the actors who make them sing.
By Lucas Mirabella
Rated R for violence, sexual content, some disturbing behavior and nudity.
http://thehomesmanfilm.com | in the Western drama, "The Homesman," starring himself, Hilary Swank, Meryl Streep, James Spader, John Lithgow, Grace Gummer and Miranda Otto.
Based on Glendon Swarthout | 45 |
At the time of his retirement in <|fim_middle|>, to husband," said Todt. | 2013 George Todt had coached 44 seasons of boys soccer and set a state record of 642 wins that that he still holds.
Todt's soccer career started at Father Judge High School where he was an all catholic soccer and baseball player.
"I didn't go here (Ryan) because it wasn't built yet," said Todt.
After high school Todt attended St. Joseph University where he majored in French and minored in Education. When he was finished college Todt was 21 years old and hired to teach French at Archbishop Ryan High School. Along with being teacher Todt also became the boys varsity soccer coach.
"I developed the program and at the time I wanted to rival North Catholic and Cardinal Dougherty who were the best at the time," said Todt.
During the 70s Todts teams made it to the playoffs every year and in 1981 he led his team to their first championship. He coached for 43 years and never had a losing season in that time. Todts teams won 13 of 20 championships that they went to, in the 80s won 6 straight championships,and from 1983 to 88 won 61 games without a loss. Todt also taught the his players a very important rule.
"The most important rule that I had for my players was that family comes first," said Todt.
During his time Todt was able to coach both of his sons and coached players who went on to play at higher levels. One of these players was Juan Forero who played in the 1983 FIFA world youth championship in Mexico. Also Todt was able to coach the sons of some of his former players or sees them at Ryan now.
" It's fun to see Will Stackhouse after I coached the 7 Stackhouse brothers," said Todt.
Though Todt had offers to coach elsewhere he never left and he retired as the soccer coach. Though Todt is most known for his accomplishments in soccer during his time at Ryan he coached boys tennis for 33 years .
Although Todt has received countless awards, holds several records, and has been inducted into several soccer hall of fames he said the most important was the field at Ryan.
"You can't play soccer on a bad field, my legacy will live on after I'm gone because of the field being dedicated to me," said Todt.
Till this day Todt is the athletic director at Ryan after more than 40 years.
"These days I go from AD, to popop | 531 |
Discard 1999 Constitution, revisit 2014 confab resolutions – YCE
Taiwo Ojoye
Olufemi Atoyebi, Ibadan
The Yoruba Council of Elders, on Wednesday, rose from its 19th National Executive Committee meeting at its secretariat in Ibadan, calling for the 1999 Constitution to be discarded.
It said the legal document represented a unitary constitution in disguise and encouraged large-scale corruption.
The meeting, which was presided over by the President-General of the group, Chief Idowu Sofola (SAN), also had in attendance its Secretary-General, Dr. Kunle Olajide; its Treasurer, Chief Bola Doherty; among others.
In a communiqué read at the end of the meeting, the elders congratulated the South-West governors on the outcome of their meeting in Abeokuta on Monday.
The YCE also commended the commitment of the governors to regional integration in agriculture, economy, education and security.
According to the communiqué, the resolution of the 2014 National Conference must be used as a template to draft a new constitution for Nigeria, stressing that it was the only solution to the multifacetted challenges confronting the country.
The council stated, "The 1999 Constitution, which in fact is the old military Decree 24, is a pseudo federal constitution, a unitary constitution in disguise and it cannot work in a multi-ethnic country like Nigeria.
"A constitution that neutralises the local government system, which is nearest to the people, has invariably consigned the people to irrelevance and put development at the grass roots in reverse gear.
"A constitution and system of government that continue to exploit natural resources to enrich the ruling class at the expense of the people cannot endure. This constitution compels corruption."
The communiqué added, "Our country is presently confronted with daunting challenges of increasing youth and graduate unemployment, which is fuelling insecurity, kidnapping, armed robbery and separatist agitations. These challenges show that Nigeria's problems are foundational and structural, therefore, constitutional.
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"Unending piece-meal amendments of the constitution cannot work because<|fim_middle|>, should decide what they want because this present parliament will not do the right thing.
"The 1963 Constitution and resolutions of the National Conference did not recommend full-time legislators. What we have now are full-time legislators who will throw out any change that will call for part-time legislators," the YCE added.
Tags: 1999 constitution 2014 confab report | it will merely be postponing the doomsday.
"The constitution must be discarded. The 1963 Constitution with the resolutions of the 2014 National Conference should be used as a template for a new constitution which will be submitted to the people in a referendum."
The YCE Secretary-General, Olajide, said the present democratic structure was built on a faulty foundation that only favoured the North because more local governments were created in the region while other parts of the country had limited council areas despite growth in population and land mass.
"The people, through a referendum | 116 |
This week, Hoy and Tabitha return to the Kestrel from the mine, and Captain Darrow's mayday is received. To read this book from the beginning, go here. My idea of Tabitha, is Olympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds.
Hoy and Tabitha returned to the Kestrel from the mine and met Stubbs on his way back to the bridge. Tabitha stood back in silence as Stubbs saluted Hoy and offered a quick update.
Stubbs left, and Hoy<|fim_middle|> to be useful. As she headed for her cabin, Stubbs was waiting for her at the sick bay door.
'Sounds like you did all right,' he said.
Hoy went to his cabin, quickly showered and changed, and returned to the bridge. A short while later the comm station sounded.
While Hoy was waiting, Chambers arrived. He was telling Hoy about the work on Level Two when Blackwell's voice was heard again.
Hoy left Chambers on watch, while he went to put on his suit and go out to the Captain.
At the pithead, Holland received the message from Blackwell just as Reuel arrived.
He showed Reuel the operation of the hand cutter while the suit was brought. Within minutes Reuel left the stores airlock and was speeding round the dome towards the opencast workings. | turned back to Tabitha.
Tabitha felt as though she grew several centimetres under Hoy's praise. She had worked hard, but mostly to cover up her nerves, and although it wasn't pleasant work, it was a good feeling | 50 |
The first responsibility of a spiritual believer who seeks to restore a fallen brother is to help pick him up. When a person stumbles, his first need is to get up, and often he needs assistance in doing it. An integral part of church discipline, therefore, is helping a fallen brother get back on his feet spiritually and morally.
Even if a man is caught in any trespass, he deserves help and encouragement as well as rebuke. Caught may imply that the person was actually seen committing the trespass, indicating there was no doubt about his guilt. But the Greek verb (prolambano) also allows for the idea of the man's being caught by the trespass itself, as it were. That is the sense of the King James rendering, "overtaken in a fault," and seems appropriate in this context.
That interpretation is also supported by Paul's use of paraptoma (trespass), which has the<|fim_middle|> down, and wrote on the ground. And when they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones." When Jesus then asked her if any of her accusers had stayed to condemn her, she replied, "'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you; go your way: From now on sin no more'" (John 8:3–11).
Jesus was not interested in destroying the woman but in helping her, and that should be the attitude of His followers toward other people, especially toward fellow believers.
Jesus' command "Do not judge lest you be judged" (Matt. 7:1) is often used by Christians to oppose discipline in the church and is sometimes quoted by outsiders in opposing the church's taking strong stands against certain evils. As the context makes clear, however (see vv. 3–5), Jesus was talking about a self-righteous, condemning person who acts as judge, passing sentence on others, since he sees only the best in himself and the worst in everyone else. If such a person confesses and is cleansed of his own sin, the Lord went on to say, he then is qualified to confront his brother with the purpose not to condemn but "to take the speck out of [his] brother's eye" (v. 5). He is then spiritual and has the right and even obligation to help his brother overcome a trespass.
James's similar warning about judging others is also often used to oppose discipline. But again the context makes clear that in his saying, "Who are you who judge your neighbor?" James was not talking about helping a brother out of a sin but about judgmentally speaking condemnation "against a brother" (James 4:11–12). A Christian who "speaks against a brother" is proud, self-righteous, and cruel. He seeks only to exalt himself by pushing down others. A spiritual believer who humbly seeks to restore a sinning brother, however, is not speaking against him but serving him in the best possible way.
Only spiritual believers have the wisdom or the right to discipline fellow believers, just as only spiritual believers have the right to leadership in the church (1 Tim. 3:1–13; Titus 1:5–9). Before God, in fact, they do not have the right not to discipline. They are commanded to restore such a one. When a church is committed to restoring fallen members, it is on its way to being pure and usable.
Katartizo (to restore) literally means to mend or repair and was sometimes used metaphorically of restoring harmony among quarreling factions in a dispute. It was also used of setting a broken bone or putting a dislocated limb back in place. That is the figure used by the writer of Hebrews in calling on believers to "strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is fame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed" (Heb. 12:12–13).
Spiritual believers restore a fallen believer first of all by helping him recognize his trespass as a trespass. Until a person admits his sin, he cannot be helped out of it. Once he has done that, he must be encouraged to confess his sin before God and turn away from it in repentance, sincerely seeking God's forgiveness.
Restoration of fallen brothers and sisters is always to be done in a spirit of gentleness, which is characteristic of those who walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:23). A Christian who is critical and judgmental as he attempts to help a fallen brother does not show the grace of Christ or help his brother, but instead stumbles himself.
After a church has exercised proper discipline, the members should "forgive and comfort" the one who has been disciplined, "lest somehow such a one be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow" (2 Cor. 2:7). He should not be regarded "as an enemy, but [admonished] as a brother" (2 Thess. 3:15).
From the caution each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted, it is clear that even spiritual believers can stumble. They are made of the same stuff as those who have fallen. Because the exhortation looking to yourself is so vital, Paul uses a strong word (skopeo, to observe or consider) in the present tense, which emphasized a continual, diligent attentiveness to their own purity. They, too, could be tempted and even fall into the same sin for which they disciplined a brother.
The attitude of every Christian should always be the attitude of Jesus. And when a believer needs to help discipline a fallen brother, he should ask for a special portion of Christ's love and gentleness. If the Father does not want even one of His own to be devastated (Matt. 18:14), and if "the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them" (Luke 9:56), how much less do His followers have the right to be destructive rather than helpful? | basic idea of stumbling or falling. The man does not commit the sin with premeditation but rather fails to be on his guard or perhaps flirts with a temptation he thinks he can withstand. Or he simply tries to live his life in his own power and fails, producing a deed of the flesh instead of the fruit of the Spirit.
Responsibility for the discipline of those who stumble, as well as for those who commit more serious sins, rests on the shoulders of church members who are spiritual. Spiritual believers are those walking in the Spirit, filled with the Spirit, and manifesting the fruit of the Spirit, who, by virtue of their spiritual strength, are responsible for those who are fleshly.
It should be noted that, whereas maturity is relative, depending on one's progression and growth, spirituality is an absolute reality that is unrelated to growth. At any point in the life of a Christian, from the moment of his salvation to his glorification, he is either spiritual, walking in the Spirit, or fleshly, walking in the deeds of the flesh. Maturity is the cumulative effect of the times of spirituality. But any believer, at any point in his growth toward Christlikeness, can be a spiritual believer who helps a sinful believer who has fallen to the flesh.
The spiritually and morally strong have a responsibility for the spiritually and morally weak. "We who are strong," Paul says, "ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves" (Rom. 15:1). Spiritual believers are to "admonish the unruly encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men" (1 Thess. 5:14).
It is not that spiritual believers are to be suspicious and inquisitive. Those are hardly qualities of spirituality. But they will be sensitive to sin whenever and wherever it may appear within the Body and should be prepared to deal with it in the way God's Word prescribes.
When the scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus the woman caught in the act of adultery, they reminded Him that the law of Moses required that she be stoned to death. Instead of replying, Jesus bent down and began writing in the sand-perhaps listing sins of which those in the crowd were guilty. "When they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, 'He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.' And again He stooped | 511 |
The Louisiana Agriclimatic Information System (LAIS) is a network of 23 automated weather stations operated by the LSU AgCenter. The network is managed by the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering (BAE).
As of this writing, the database contains data from late August, 2001, to present.
The Microsoft SQL database consists of two tables. One contains the one-minute data for all stations. The other contains hourly and daily (both midnight and 7am) summaries for all stations.
The Louisiana Agriclimatic Information System (LAIS) collects, processes and distributes detailed climatic data relevant to agricultural production, natural resource management, environmental protection and public safety.
The LAIS is a network of electronic weather stations located primarily at farms of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center. These automated stations collect air temperature, soil temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind and solar radiation observations. These data are regularly transmitted to a centralized computer and are subsequently made available, via the internet, to the public.
DATALOGGERS: Each LAIS station is equipped with a model CR23X datalogger manufactured by Campbell Scientific. A datalogger is a specialized computer which accepts electronic signals from various instruments, performs mathematical functions on the data, and records summaries in internal memory at designated intervals.
COMMUNICATION: Most stations transmit data to a centralized computer every two minutes by using a combination of RAD brand short-haul modems, buried communications cable, and a Lantronix UDS-10 network interface. Some stations have radios substituted in place of the buried cable, and some still use telephone modems. Where the network interface and the weather station are not within the same local calling area, data<|fim_middle|>-3 tipping bucket rain gauge. It transmits a signal to the datalogger each time .01 inches of rainfall accumulates.
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE: All stations in the LAIS network also observe barometric pressure. | is generally transmitted only once per day.
POWER: The dataloggers operate on 12 volts direct current. In most cases, this is provided by an internal battery that is kept fully charged by a 30-watt solar panel. In some cases, the internal battery is kept charged by an adapter plugged into a regular 110-volt AC outlet. Some stations substitute a larger sealed lead-acid battery for the internal battery.
SOIL TEMPERATURE:Most stations have four Type T (copper-constantan) thermocouples at depths of 0 (just barely covered by dirt), 5, 10 and 25 cm, in the center of bare soil plots at least 8 feet square.
AIR TEMPERATURE AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY: A dual sensor measures temperature and relative humidity. Each station has a Vaisala HMP45AC, which has a platinum temperature sensing element, and a Humicap relative humidity sensor.
BACKUP AIR TEMPERATURE: All stations have a second temperature sensor to help in judging the quality of the primary temperature sensor's data. If both temperatures agree, it is unlikely that they are far off from actual air temperature. In many cases, the backup sensor is identical to that used in National Weather Service electronic Maximum Minimum Temperature Systems. All stations will soon have the Campbell Scientific 107 thermistor as the backup, along with a matching sensor at a height of 9 meters.
SOLAR RADIATION: Solar radiation is measured with a LiCor pyranometer at every station.
PHOTOSYNTHETICALLY ACTIVE RADIATION (PAR): Many stations have a LiCor quantum sensor that measures that portion of sunlight that is photosynthetically active.
WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION: All stations measure both wind speed and direction with an RM Young Wind Monitor, configured for use with Campbell Scientific dataloggers, at a height of 10 and 3 meters. As an additional note, an indicated "North" wind is a wind that is generated from the North traviling towards the "South"
PRECIPITATION: : All stations have Hydrological Services TB | 437 |
2021 Tullis Moot Court Competition finals to take place at LSU Law on Nov. 8
The LSU Law community is invited to attend the final round of the 2021 Tullis Moot Court Competition on Monday, Nov. 8, at 6:15 p.m. in the Robinson Courtroom on the second floor of the Paul M. Hebert Law Center. The final round of competition will also be live streamed on the LSU Law Advocacy Programs Facebook page.
In the final round, two teams of second-year students will face off in appellate oral arguments in a hypothetical U.S. Supreme Court case. Colin North and Blake Vick will represent the petitioner, Whale Quick Clinic, a walk-in medical clinic that conducted a blood test for the respondent, Mary Margaret Blanchard, an elementary school teacher who was required to get testing for "CURSED-19" by her employer.
Ms. Blanchard will be represented at oral argument by Tyler Frederick and Luke Dupré. Ms. Blanchard claims that Whale Quick Clinic improperly sent her an unsolicited text message containing her test results; this text message was seen by a fellow teacher, which led to Blanchard losing<|fim_middle|> a reasonable person as defined by § 652B of the Second Restatement of Torts.
The distinguished panel of judges who will decide which team wins the 2021 Tullis Moot Court Competition includes Shelton Dennis Blunt, a Partner at Phelps Dunbar LLP; Thomas C. Galligan, Jr., LSU President Emeritus and LSU Law Professor; Hon. Scott Johnson, United States Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana; and Christopher K. Jones ('02), a Partner at Keogh Cox & Wilson LLP and President of the Baton Rouge Bar Association. | her job. Ms. Blanchard then sued Whale Quick Clinic.
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on two issues: Whether a consumer must suffer actual concrete damages for that consumer to have standing to sue under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act; and whether an unsolicited text message disclosing blood test results would be highly offensive to | 63 |
Business | The market for chief executives
Bosses for sale
Are headhunters to blame for the damaging cult of charisma?
Oct 3rd 2002 |
WHEN Bank One got into a mess in 1999, Andrea Redmond, one of Russell Reynolds's top headhunters, found a sparkling new chief executive: Jamie Dimon, recently shoved out of Citigroup, a victim of political infighting. "The board was very impressed by how execution-oriented he was," she recalls, "and he has certainly proved to be an excellent executor."
Mr Dimon has been a ferocious cost-cutter, but it is still not clear if he will be able to turn the bank round. More obvious is the touching faith of the Bank One board in the power of one man to transform a company, especially when its industry has hit a rough patch. Mr Dimon's appointment is examined in a new book, "Searching for a Corporate Saviour" (Princeton University Press), by Rakesh Khurana of Harvard Business School, one of a growing band of economists turning a critical eye on corporate management.
Hiring Mr Dimon, he argues, was a classic case of a firm picking an outsider as boss when it is in a<|fim_middle|>75% of outsiders appointed in 1985-2000 had previously been chief executives or company presidents.
The sort of boss this process delivers does not necessarily have the skills to run the new firm well. That is not entirely the fault of headhunters. Boards want—or wanted—big names, to boost the share price and impress analysts, says Mr Connet. "It used to be a case of 'Get me a name, even if they can't run the firm.' Boards didn't seem to care if a person would fit in: they just cared about marquee value."
In fact, when Jim Collins wrote his bestseller, "Good to Great" (HarperCollins), a study of companies that did outstandingly well in their industries, he found that the best companies were definitely not those whose bosses had marquee value. Rather, exceptional companies were disproportionately likely to recruit their bosses internally. And those they selected were half as likely to appear in newspaper articles as the bosses of less successful companies. "Quiet, workmanlike, stoic leaders bring about the big transformations," he argues.
"The trophy CEOs have been replaced by the everyday executive with a long track record of performance"
The market may now be taking this discovery on board. Companies still want ability and passion, reports Mr Carey, but integrity has shot to the top of their list of desirable characteristics (perhaps not surprisingly, if you sit on the Tyco or WorldCom board). And would-be chief executives are warier of overpromising and underdelivering. "There is appropriate trepidation", he says, "about blowing one's own trumpet." Joseph Daniel McCool, editor of Executive Recruiter News, an industry newsletter, sees the same trend. "The trophy CEOs have been replaced by the everyday executive with a long track record of performance. It's less about personality, and more about past performance and integrity." To make sure that recruits have spotless pasts, companies now hire "investigative consultants", he says, to run background checks.
The market may have altered, but its inherent inefficiencies remain. Even Mr Khurana is stumped for ways to make the market for bosses work much better. Letting shareholders elect their chief executive, perhaps from a slate of competing candidates, is likely to remain the stuff of corporate-governance fantasy. Changing the way headhunters are paid might discourage them from ignoring internal stars in favour of external candidates, particularly expensive ones. But they are likely to remain at the heart of the market, for the only practical alternative is for the board to do the search itself—a hunt that might not extend far beyond the 19th hole of the nearest golf club.
The best hope is that boards, closely watched by today's more vigilant large shareholders, will be clearer about the problems a new boss must solve. They should forget about hiring another firm's boss on the strength of his eloquence on CNBC, and care more about operational skills and an ability to read a balance sheet. In the market for bosses, as in any other, the best way to improve efficiency is for consumers to remember the ancient rule of caveat emptor, or buyer beware.
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline "Bosses for sale"
Business October 5th 2002
But not forgotten
Damned if you do
Rule Britannia
Life after dotcom death
Follow the yellow umbrella
Strategic caring
From the October 5th 2002 edition
The curse of the corporate headshot
A strangely pervasive custom of odd poses and forced smiles
Can Amazon deliver again?
The pioneering e-commerce giant battles soaring costs and a stagnating legacy business
Elliott and fellow activist investors take on big tech
Languishing Silicon Valley stocks attract Wall Street's mischief-makers | mess. The board's unreasoning faith in the ability of a superstar leads them to offer huge rewards. Hiring a high-profile outsider can destabilise the firm and destroy the loyalty of senior managers, including good internal candidates. It rarely restores the firm's fortunes.
For the rise of the myth of the superstar boss, Mr Khurana blames mainly the big executive-search companies. They run the job market for chief executives. Any big company that considers recruiting from outside will turn to somebody like Ms Redmond or Tom Neff of Spencer Stuart. Both vigorously deny that their search activities do corporate harm. Ms Redmond argues that some companies are in such a mess that it is extremely hard to find anybody willing to take on the top job. That view is born of her "toughest assignment ever"—the superhuman task of finding someone to run troubled United Airlines. As for Mr Neff, ask him how many of the chief executives he places work out for the companies, and he replies: "100%".
Well, maybe. Certainly, finding new bosses is one of the few bits of the search industry that is reasonably robust. By 2000, headhunting had boomed so fast it had 34-40% overcapacity, says Mel Connet, a recruiter from Silicon Valley who specialises in finding top executives for technology firms. Since then, the two main publicly traded headhunting firms, Heidrick & Struggles and Korn/Ferry, have each laid off more than a third of their staff. The world's sixth-largest search firm, Ray & Berndtson, recently went bust and was acquired by A.T. Kearney. Revenues have plunged (see chart).
Recruitment of top bosses is faring much better than the hiring of middle managers, a market that is still moribund . Dennis Carey, who specialises in chief executive recruitment for Spencer Stuart and is co-author of a recent book on the subject—"CEO Succession" (Oxford)—says cheerfully, "I've never been busier." He has just been rebuilding the top tier at Tyco International, recruiting six new board members, a new chief finance officer and a new legal counsel—as well, of course, as a replacement for the disgraced chief executive, Dennis Kozlowski. "Troubled companies are a great source of activity for executive search—and there are a lot of troubled companies out there," he says. You can see what he means: he has just embarked on the search for a new boss for WorldCom.
This little piggy went to market
Even if a company is in dire straits, is an outsider likely to be the best person to rescue it? Mr Khurana insists that is rarely the case. As markets go, that for chief executives works in a spectacularly unsatisfactory way, he argues. Its three key characteristics are: a small number of buyers and sellers; high risks to both; and widespread concern about the market's legitimacy. The selection process puts socially defined characteristics, such as the outsized reputation of an executive like Mr Dimon, ahead of relevant practical skills and experience (Mr Dimon had little knowledge of retail banking or credit-card operations, two of Bank One's biggest and, in the second case, most problematic businesses).
The market is also characterised by extreme secrecy. Companies may run advertisements for technicians and accountants, but they rarely advertise the top job—and if word of a candidacy leaks out, the person concerned usually has no option but to rule himself out of the race. Mr Khurana argues that the search process, with its emphasis on confidentiality, restricts the hunt for potential candidates and puts enormous power in the hands of the recruiting firm. And, precisely because it is such a restricted and secretive market, it is bad at price-setting. Hence the immense sums that companies offer outsiders to persuade them to take the job, sums that then influence the pay of other chief executives. Because a search firm's fee is typically one-third of a new recruit's negotiated annual cash compensation, they have every reason to push up pay.
True, the market finds only a small (but rising) minority of all the bosses appointed each year. Most big firms still choose an insider for the top job—though many boards assume their inside recruit would be available for hire in the marketplace, and so still pay the "market" price for him. Once a firm opts to look outside, any internal candidate inevitably comes to look less impressive than the names on recruiters' lists: | 925 |
Notice anything different? Yea…..no snow. In fact it was in the mid sixties while we were there. And<|fim_middle|> really are sweet though! | that was a bit below normal for this time of the year.
The first night Don gathered the Crowe clan and threw a good old fashioned Texas Barbeque with a pile of beef brisket, potato salad, cole slaw, beer and wine. A Texas Barbeque sandwich is kinda unique. It consists of white bread, sliced beef brisket, onions, dill pickle slices and Texas barbeque sauce. Different than southern barbeque but still very good…..just to make sure I liked it prepared that way I had three of them……and twice as many beer's.
It was a BYOB joint and we brought a lot of B. Those Texas wine glasses the ladies are holding hold ½ a bottle of vino as evident by the empty bottle. Kit made friends with Juana and had a nice conversation even though Juana did not speak English…..and Kit speaks no Spanish. I had some of the best Carne Asada in my life. All in all a great night with great folks.
They really enjoy getting caught up on each others lives. Here you see them using their new "pink" Dell Netbooks to share family news via Instant Messaging. When they tired of that they e-mailed each other or communicated via Facebook. An amazing time we live in when two sisters can stay in touch via the internet. It's almost like actually being there!
Speaking of Kit's new "pink" Netbook we are traveling with two laptops this year. I have the hand-me-down Dell Inspiron running DOS while the princess has the newest, fastest and most capable of the two…..and to make sure I don't touch it she ordered it in pink! Anyway, this arrangement makes for a more pleasant morning when we both want to check our favorite web sites and check e-mail or I have a hankering to work on these travel journals. Kit's Netbook rides in the truck so when she "needs" to check e-mail, Facebook or what's happening in the world she plugs in the Verizon Broadband Aircard and surf's away. Having internet connectivity in the truck as we are rolling along also helps research what's coming up down the road.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010: Enjoyed our final morning having breakfast with Char as Don had to go to work early. We got on the road at around 1100 and headed southwest toward San Antonio. We stopped at Lackland AFB campground so we could dump our holding tanks. However we also took the opportunity to visit the Base Exchange, which is like a modern shopping mall and drop by the Commissary for groceries. Since it was getting late we decided to stay the night at the base campground where we enjoyed full hookups.
Thursday, January 14, 2010: Keeping with our evolving plan of heading more westerly we decided to take US-90 out of San Antonio. We originally thought of heading south into Corpus Christi and then to Big Bend National Park for a few days however decided to save that trip for later. We gassed up at the Lackland AFB service station and picked up some "road snacks" at the Class Six Store (That's for you, Bob).
Not on the road ten minutes and we noticed a mosquito in the cab of the truck. A good sign actually…..mosquitoes mean warm weather. It's 57 degrees with drizzle, fo shizzle (that's for you, Balz).
Our rough destination is Del Rio, on the Mexican border. Passing through Castroville, Texas we spotted a Bush's Fried Chicken Stand…..glad George is keeping busy after his eight years in the White House.
In Medina, Texas we spotted a store called Ima Antique Shop. I bet the owners name is Ima….or maybe just has a since of humor. Didn't stop…..we were afraid she would put us on display.
Crossed a bridge over The Blanco River…..which was dry, The Frio River…..which was dry, The Dry Frio River….which, you guessed it, was dry, and The Mud River…..which actually had some water in it. Go figure.
All along US-90 there were those hunting preserves that seem to be everywhere in this area. A lot of the places appeared to actually be private hunting ranches covering hundreds of acres. At one there was a large lodge with a barn alongside. Affixed to the side of the barn there must have been a hundred deer antlers bleached starkly white by the sun which was a striking sight against the side of the red barn.
Came across a banner across the street in a little town of Brackettville, Texas that read "Kinney County Livestock Show and Barbeque, January 23rd and 24th". I'm guessing if the livestock in the show don't win a ribbon then they are invited to be the feature at the evening's barbeque.
Kit needed some "retail therapy" so when we spotted the Wal*Mart in Hondo, Texas we had to stop. Kit went shopping and Bill went for a stroll around the attached strip mall. You know…..a strip mall isn't what I thought it was. Talk about false advertising…..really disappointing.
We decided to stop for the night at a camping facility in Lake Amistad which is about 20 miles west of Del Rio, Texas. Amistad National Recreational Area is the United States portion of the International Amistad Reservoir, which is formed on the Rio Grande along the border of the US and Mexico. With the damming of the Rio Grande, an interesting boundary was created…..the international border is now in the middle of the lake. According to the campground literature, there is reported to be great fishing and citizens from both countries can fish freely from boats in any part of the lake. However if an American citizen should inadvertently happen to set foot on the Mexican shore line than they must proceed to the nearest border crossing and be processed back into the United States. If a Mexican citizen should inadvertently happen to set foot on the American shore then they will likely run really fast…..due north.
Since it has been raining and part of the road was under construction it has been a long day. So we just hunkered down in the trailer, had dinner, checked e-mail and followed the terrible news out of Haiti. Turned in early to get an early start tomorrow……well actually because we are old. Most likely we won't get underway until 1000 or so.
Up at Mt Abram and we're enjoying reading Kit & yours latest adventure.
FYI, four inches of fresh powder.
One, two, three testing! Hope this gets through. Still snowing.
Mosquitoes must love you because you are so sweet!
I hate when people say that to me, makes me want to slap them like the mosquitoes. Buy gallons of OFF.
p.s. You | 1,420 |
You are here: Home / HBCUs / Winston-Salem State University to build new digital space with $1 million grant from Adobe
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Winston-Salem State University to build new digital space with $1 million grant from Adobe
When Wanda White first saw the Adobe Digital Lab at Clemson University a year or so ago, she knew Winston-Salem State University should have one. And now the university will. Adobe recently announced a $1 million grant to WSSU for the creation of a digital space on campus, part of Adobe's new Anchor School Program.
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"When I saw Clemson's (digital) lab, it was a showcase. I was like 'I want one of those'," said White, the director of the Center for Innovative and Transformative Instruction at WSSU. "They had this space given to them by Adobe, and I inquired how we could get one."
Dr. Wanda White, Director of the Center for Innovative and Transformative Instruction at WSSU
WSSU was already an Adobe partner. The university has been an Adobe Creative Campus since 2018, which means WSSU provides for students to use Adobe Creative Cloud products at no cost to them while enrolled as students. Another plus to being an Adobe Creative Campus is that faculty and staff receive access to the tools and free training on Adobe products.
The Adobe Digital Lab grant will be used to convert tentatively the second floor of the C.G. O'Kelly Library on the WSSU campus or another designated area into a large digital space. The Adobe Digital Lab grant will also fund personnel training, faculty development and equipment.
"This space will not look like a regular classroom…It will be a digital lab, a learning space that will serve students, faculty and staff and we are discussing how<|fim_middle|> said Adobe gives the university almost total autonomy in setting up the lab and digital literacy programming.
"Their definition is pretty open-ended. It is for digital literacy, that it will include equipment and space for digital innovations and simulations."
In a press release announcing the award, Adobe said its Anchor School Program gives (Adobe) the opportunity to partner with universities to develop unique solutions that expose students to careers in tech and prepare them with the creativity and digital skills of the future.
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White said the impact of the Anchor School Program is going to be far-reaching.
"Digital skills are necessary skills. We used to call it a soft skill, but now it's necessary. When you have this on a resume, it sets you apart…Digital fluency will definitely change career paths and success for our students. When they walk across the stage as seniors, they will have been immersed in it for four years. It definitely gives them an edge when it comes to digital literacy."
Source: WSSU Newsroom | we could include people from the East Winston-Salem area in it. It's going to be a place where faculty can work with students on projects, where students can create and do simulations."
White | 39 |
Image courtesy of 'City Journal'.
Paul Hollander (1932-2019)
22 April 2019 Blog
The Hungarian-born anti-communist scholar, Paul Hollander, for many years a professor of sociology at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst), passed away last week.
As Lee Edwards writes at Law & Liberty:
[Hollander] came by his anticommunism naturally, having been born in communist Hungary and escaped following the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 with only the leather jacket on his back. After earning degrees at the London School of Economics and Princeton, he taught at Harvard before settling in at UMass Amherst to teach political sociology.
At City Journal, Theodore Dalrymple writes:
The clarity of his prose was obviously a reflection of the clarity of his mind, but clarity did not exhaust his intellectual virtues. He was always intellectually honest, but he also seemed to possess an almost effortless originality of mind, such that, as anyone who was in his company would soon have noticed, he could say something on any subject that had the quality of being both obvious and revelatory — one felt<|fim_middle|>. | foolish for not having thought of it oneself.
Hollander was often cited, particularly in conversations with libertarians, classical liberals, and conservative scholars (that is, those who best understand the threat of collectivism). It is clear from conversations, and from the two tributes referred to above, that Hollander was widely admired, earning the respect and affection of generations of students and colleagues. Were it not for the postponement of a recent planned trip to the U.S., one of our editors would have had the honor of meeting Hollander in his adopted hometown of Northampton, Massachusetts.
Alas, things did not work out — and, as with many things, we are now filled with regret for having postponed that trip | 145 |
We only stayed in Singapore for 4 nights but looking back it's amazing how much we managed to fit in.
We realised after we booked our holiday that the Deepavali public holiday fell on our first full day in Singapore. This didn't prevent us from doing any of our planned activities, it just meant that it was busy…….really busy.
On our first morning we walked down to the Aquarium and had to queue to buy tickets. I took Alita with me in the queue while Dad entertained the boys nearby, we queued for so long that Alita had fallen fast asleep by the time we got the tickets so we decided to go for a coffee and let her have a sleep before we went in.
The Aquarium was running a Treasure Hunt for the kids called The Spooky Seas, each child was given a treasure map and a Trick or Treat bag before we went in.
It was at this point that Loki announced that he needed the toilet so Dad waited with Alita and Mikey while I dashed back to the toilets with Loki. We quickly found out how busy it really was when we entered the first underwater tunnel and Alita announced that she now needed the toilet (didn't need to go 10 mins earlier though!) Dad waited in the tunnel with the boys while Alita and I tried to<|fim_middle|> with a 4 year old would you still recommend Legoland Malaysia? It looked like such a magical place for young children and even though Singapore has so many great entertainment activities they look like they could be enjoyed at any age.
Hi Clare, I wouldn't recommend going to Legoland just for a day trip. If you are going to go I would recommend at least one night at the Legoland Hotel (its a big part of the Magic). We got a transfer (booked via Legoland Hotel website) directly from the Legoland hotel to the Airport in Singapore when we left -we had a night time flight, so we got to spend the day in the theme park and then went back to the hotel to collect our bags and catch our transfer. I'm not sure if that is an option for you.
In short, If you can only manage a day trip to Legoland then I would give it a missing stick to the attractions in Singapore.
If you can stay at the Legoland Hotel, go for it!
Hi Van, we did manage to arrange 3 car seats for our Transfers. It took a bit of extra planning as no-one seemed to have 3 car seats available but the concierge at our hotel managed to hire an extra car seat for us from another company.
I would also recommend checking that the seats are installed properly before you get in the car.
Wow! Looks like a wonderful holiday! I've been trying to convince my hubby to take our triplets overseas, but he's not brave enough! | make our way back to the toilets against the flow of people – It was like trying to walk against the flow at the end of a footy match!
We finally re-united with the boys and began our adventure through the Aquarium. There is so much to see and all the tanks are beautifully lit. Some of the highlights were the Sharks in the big tunnel, the Jellyfish and the Dolphins. Loki missed some of the highlights due to falling asleep in my arms.
We found each checkpoint on the treasure map and everyone got their maps stamped and a handful of chocolates for their bags at each point. At one of the checkpoints they were all given a shark hat which lead to lots of running around and general craziness (fueled no doubt by all the chocolate) in the relatively open space of the Ocean Dome viewing area.
The shark tunnel was a lot quieter on the way out and we spent quite a while watching all the sharks and rays swimming around us and above our heads – enough time for yet another toilet trip!
Everyone handed over their completed maps at the end and they were given some stickers and more chocolate as a prize.
Even though it was very busy we all enjoyed our undersea adventure.
The Sentosa Merlion is one of those great photo opportunities, it's proof that we really did go to Singapore with toddler triplets. On our 2nd night there was a festival in the plaza to celebrate Deepavali so we decided to have a look on our way back to our hotel after dinner.
Alita enjoyed watching the dancing and listening to the Bollywood style music. There was a stall offering free henna tattoos so all 3 of our children ended up with Henna flowers painted on their hands – much to the fascination of all the on-lookers/paparazzi.
We weren't sure how much our 2.5 yr olds would be able to do at this water park or whether they would be allowed on the bigger slides but we packed up our swimming gear and their float vests and set off anyway. The journey to the park wasn't a quick one, we walked from our hotel to the tram station, caught the free tram to the beach and then set off walking for what felt like an eternity. I ended up carrying Alita while Dad carried both boys and our backpack.
All the standing around in the sun left Mum and Dad with a nasty case of sunburn (yes we did use sunscreen, but obviously not enough). The kids were all fine though, they didn't stand still for long enough to catch the sun.
All the running around, sliding and swimming led to the inevitable sleepy toddler syndrome and left Mum and Dad facing that huge journey back with 3 sleeping toddlers. It was a mission but we managed to get back and then took it in turns to have a warm bath to try to recover from all that sun.
We set aside a full day for Singapore Zoo, the taxi ride was less than 40 minutes but all 3 still managed to fall asleep on the way. When we paid to go in we were asked if we wanted to purchase tickets for the train – we did, and I'm so glad we chose to because there's only so much walking that toddlers legs can manage and only so much carrying that Mum and Dad can handle!
Mikey enjoyed looking for crocodiles in the water on the walk in and all three were amazed to see monkeys in the trees. Our 3 all love wildlife and animals so there was a lot to entertain them. We had a rough spell when all 3 announced that they were thirsty but the machine that we found wouldn't take our notes. Eventually we found a machine that did take our money but there wasn't any water in the machine, thankfully they were happy with an orange flavored drink instead.
The train was a welcome rest and also created a pleasant breeze in the humid heat, it was a great opportunity for us to all re-charge ready for the next section.
Some of the other areas that we enjoyed were the Hippo's, the turtles, the Orangutangs, the big cats and the Elephants.
The highlight of the day for Alita (and probably the boys as well) was their first ever pony ride. Each of them patted the pony while they were riding and Alita wanted to stroke the pony's nose to say goodbye as well. There was also a carousel which they managed to go on twice by agreeing to have their photo taken with the girl at the desk. The ticket we bought also included a horse and carriage ride but we couldn't find where to get on it and the staff weren't being very helpful at that stage so we gave the tickets away to another family who could use them.
We probably didn't see everything that the Zoo had to offer but we decided to head back before everyone started falling asleep again – within minutes of getting into the taxi all 3 were fast asleep.
We had heard that the Hard Rock Hotel had an amazing beach style pool which we were allowed to use as our hotel shared the facilities. Unfortunately due to the lack of information in our room about any facilities we had no Idea how to get there. On our last full day, Jesslyn, the Concierge (who went out of her way to help us to enjoy our stay) directed us through various doors and corridors to the pool, which did live up to everything we had heard about it. It even had a kids slide to the delight of Loki, Mikey and Alita.
We were lucky to get the assistance from Jesslyn during our stay, but I could imagine that a lot of families would end up having a very mediocre stay due to the lack of facilities at the Festive hotel and the lack of information to guide you to the facilities that you are entitled use at the other hotels.
6. The Singapore cable car and Vivo.
I had to go and have a look to see what they were talking about. What they were looking at were the cable cars with all their lights switched on slowly floating through the sky. I explained what they were and we agreed that we would have a ride in one before we left.
It was our last day in Singapore when we finally made the trek up to the Imbiah lookout (lots of walking, escalators, a tram ride then lots more escalators) where you can board the cable car to cross over to the mainland and take a short walk to the Vivo shopping center.
The car that we got in on the way over was decorated with dried flowers. All 3 children enjoyed looking out at the pools and boats and trees below us and showed absolutely no fear of heights. On the other side we took the lift down to the ground floor and walked across to the Vivo shopping center. Have you ever been shopping with toddler triplets? We danced to the music out the front of the surf shop while Dad had a look around and we had to stop for everyone to try the shaking platform exercise machines outside another shop. We went out to the kids play area but were disappointed to find that there was no shade and you could easily fry an egg on the surface of the slides, we quickly moved on from there and after a few minutes of walking followed by requests to be be picked up, the trio started falling asleep. We took this cue to find a coffee shop with bench seats and laid all 3 down for a sleep while we had a coffee and took it in turns to go and have a look at the shops without kids in tow.
When the coffee was finished and everyone was awake again we headed back out to the play area where Dad had spotted some electric motorbikes for the kids to ride. We paid for 5 mins for all 3 to ride at the same time and watched the chaos unfold. Let's just say that Alita won't be getting her bike license any time soon. The most coordinated of the 3 was Loki, but he still managed several crashes in his allotted 5 minutes. Then came the fun of trying to remove the trio from their bikes when their time was up….hmmm I don't think we'll be going back there any time soon.
At this point we decided that it was time to head back to the cable car. The boys were thrilled to find the inside of our cable car decorated with a Batman theme this time.
We had planned to visit the Butterfly and insect park on the way back but we decided to give it a miss as we were running out of time and needed to get back to the hotel to catch our transfer to LEGOLAND!
Watch this space to read about our experience at Legoland Malaysia.
Thanks Gayle, that's fantastic information that I somehow couldn't find on the internet. Thank you! Yes, we are definitely going to be spending 2 nights at the Legoland hotel now. I'm excited!
I'm glad I could help Clare, enjoy your trip!
So I just wanted to get your opinion – if you only had 3 nights in Singapore | 1,811 |
U.S. Women Advance to World Cup Finals with 2-1 Win Over England
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U.S. Women Crush Thailand 13-0 in World Cup Opener
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Announcer Goes Nuts When Carli Lloyd Scores World Cup Goal
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Carli Lloyd Leads US Women To World Cup Title Over Japan
Carli Lloyd's hat trick led a deluge of American goals in the first-half, and the United States routed Japan, 5-2, in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup final in Vancouver, British Columbia on Sunday.
U.S. Women Face Japan Tonight For World Cup Championship
In a rematch of the 2011 Women's World Cup final, the U.S. women will face Japan tonight for the FIFA Women's World Cup Championship. Japan beat the U.S. for the title in 2011, but the U.S. came back to top Japan in 2012 for Olympic gold. Tonight's game will be the first repeat f…
U.S. Reaches World Cup Final With 2-0 Win Over Germany
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U.S. Women Face Germany Tonight In World Cup Semifinal
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US Women Top China, 1-0, Advance To World Cup Semifinals
Carli Lloyd scored the only goal of the game early in the second half, and the United States beat China, 1-0, in the quarterfinals of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Ottawa, Canada on Friday night.
US Women Beat Colombia, Advance To World Cup Quarterfinals
Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd scored goals, and the United States defeated Colombia, 2-0, in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Round of 16 at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Canada on Monday night.
U.S. Battles Sweden To Scoreless Draw in Women's World Cup
Meghan Klingenberg headed<|fim_middle|> equalizer in the 55th min…
Dave McCord | a Sofia Jakobsson kick into the crossbar to prevent a goal, and the United States and Sweden battled to a 0-0 draw in their Group D match at the Women's World Cup in Winnipeg on Friday.
Megan Rapinoe's 2 Goals Lead U.S. Women's Team World Cup Win
Megan Rapinoe scored twice and the United States beat Australia, 3-1, in the U.S. Women's National Team World Cup opener in Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada on Monday night.
US Soccer Team Advances to Finals of the Women's World Cup [VIDEO]
Abby Wambach scored the go-ahead goal, and the United States woman's soccer team defeated France on Wednesday, 3-1, clinching a spot in the finals of the Woman's World Cup.
After the US took an early 1-0 lead, France began dominating the game's possession, finally scoring an | 187 |
evening standard archive
music journalism mostly
THE SONS (AND DAUGHTERS) OF MUMFORD – Evening Standard, 2 Nov 2012
November 8, 2012 in Dawes, Little Green Cars, Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, Of Monsters and Men, Profiles, Staves, Willy Mason
The second album that has launched them into a new stratosphere of fame, the Hollywood marriage, the snobbish critical derision that comes with being prominently displayed in Tesco — Mumford & Sons are currently having their Coldplay moment. Just as Coldplay's second long-player, A Rush of Blood to the Head, brought the band global fame and Chris Martin the hand of Gwyneth Paltrow around a decade ago, now the folk-rock quartet are on a similarly dizzying trajectory.
This year, not long after singer Marcus Mumford married actress Carey Mulligan, his band's second album, Babel, hit No 1 on both sides of the Atlantic. In the US, the album had almost double the first week sales of the year's previous biggest release, Justin Bieber's. They have played as Bob Dylan's backing band at the Grammys and sung to Barack Obama at a state dinner. Many have criticised their sharecropper outfits, their ubiquitous banjo and this brand of folk that relies more on chest-beating anthems than sensitive guitar-plucking, but many more desire a piece of their sepia-tinted world.
Which is why, heading to a barn dance near you soon, are Mumford's other sons — the less well-known bands also trading in careworn acoustic music. Like Fifty Shades of Grey knockoffs they largely come packaged in "authentic" waistcoasts and will be marketed hard to the vast Mumfords fanbase, but that doesn't mean<|fim_middle|> until one songwriter left and they discovered checked shirts as an option. Named after the fiddle-playing grandfather of brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith, Dawes Lafayette Goldsmith, they've said that "all the music we've been inspired by was made right here in California. We pride ourselves on that." They've been credited with helping to revive the Laurel Canyon sound of the Seventies. Jonathan Wilson, the producer of both their albums, North Hill and last year's Nothing is Wrong, is a kind of fifth member and an acclaimed songwriter in his own right in the same scene. (dawestheband.com)
Hear this: Album Nothing is Wrong, out now on Loose
See this: Supporting Mumford & Sons, Dec 11, O2 Arena, SE10 (0871 984 0002,theO2.co.uk); headlining Nov 29, Dingwalls, NW1 (020 7267 1577, dingwalls.com)
The old timer of this bunch, low-voiced Martha's Vineyard singer-songwriter Mason was doing well in the middle of the last decade (his 2005 single Oxygen is an inspirational cult classic) but lost momentum having released nothing since 2007. He's still only 27 though, and lately he's popped up on the Mercury-nominated album by soul singer Lianne La Havas and is benefiting from a friendship with Mumford & Sons — he's just finished an Australian tour with them. His third album finally appears in December, led by the breezy strum of the comeback single, I Got Gold. It's his first release on Fiction Records, which specialises in taking the careers of longer-running bands such as Elbow and Snow Patrol to the next level. (willymason.net)
Hear this: Album Carry On, out Dec 3 on Fiction
See this: Dec 5, The Scala, N1 (020 7833 2022, scala-london.co.uk)
Tags:2012 Dawes Evening Standard Little Green Cars Lumineers Mumford & Sons Of Monsters and Men Staves Willy Mason
← MERCURY PRIZE/ALT-J – Evening Standard, 2 Nov 2012
THE VACCINES, Hard Rock Cafe – Evening Standard, 7 Nov 2012 →
Copyright © 2019 DAVID SMYTH. All Rights Reserved. The Arcade Basic Theme by bavotasan.com. | there isn't some fine music to be found here. Saddle up and take your pick.
Mumford & Sons play Dec 11 and 18, O2 Arena, SE10 (0871 984 0002,theO2.co.uk). A deluxe edition of Babel, featuring a live CD and a concert DVD, is released on Island on Nov 26.
Coming closest to the Mumfords' look and sound, and approaching their popularity levels too, this Denver trio have sold a million copies of their single Ho Hey. It's a ballad augmented by mandolin and shouting that is one of the year's loveliest songs and may even manage to maintain a good reputation despite its appearance on a new electricity advert. Sounding as rustic as a pasty, their acoustic music includes contributions from cellist Neyla Pekarek, while Wesley Schultz's singing has the slightest rasp to stop them from sounding too polished. Handclaps and simple rhythms, reminiscent of Marcus Mumford's thumping foot drum, add to the campfire feel. (thelumineers.com)
Hear this: Album The Lumineers, out Monday on Decca
See this: Supporting The Civil Wars Nov 6, Roundhouse, NW1 (0870 389 1846,roundhouse.org.uk); headlining Nov 12, Koko, NW1 (0870 432 5527, koko.uk.com); Feb 20, O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire, W12 (0844 477 2000,o2shepherdsbushempire.co.uk)
Operating firmly at the rabble-rousing end of the folk-rock spectrum, this year this Icelandic sextet have become more successful chart-wise than even their best-known neighbour, Björk. If you don't know the name, you'll be familiar with their hit song Little Talks, its exuberant horns and hollered vocals making for one of the catchiest singles of recent months. Elsewhere, dual singers Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Raggi Pórhallsson share vocal duties in a way that has also seen them compared to a more upbeat Arcade Fire. Though they lack the otherworldly oddness of Iceland's previous musical exports, they make up for it with huge hummable tunes. (ofmonstersandmen.is)
Hear this: album My Head is an Animal, out now on Island
See this: March 5-7, O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire, W12 (0844 477 2000,o2shepherdsbushempire.co.uk)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ryXtuofNyQ
It's odd that sisters Emily, Jessica and Camilla Staveley-Taylor hail from Watford, given that they sound as if they should be singing from the back of a trailer in Thirties Oklahoma. Though a long way from Mumford & Sons' strident sound, the old timey, O Brother, Where art Thou? feel to their songs seems to come from the same world. It's all about the voices, sweet harmonies over a barely-there acoustic backdrop singing lines such as: "Time may spin and years may pass, the song is still the same." Having first appeared on Tom Jones's 2010 gospel album Praise and Blame, singing backing vocals, they're making a deserved move to the foreground with a beautiful debut album this month. (thestaves.com)
Hear this: Album Dead & Born & Grown, out Nov 12 on Atlantic
See this: Supporting Bon Iver Nov 8, Wembley Arena, HA9 (0870 060 0870,wembleyarena.co.uk); headlining Nov 19, Village Underground, EC2 (020 7422 7505, villageunderground.co.uk)
Little Green Cars
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua7OT1nmWFU
It's still early days for this Dublin quintet, who formed when they were just 15, but they've already made the right connections. They're newly signed to Glassnote, Mumford & Sons' label in the US, and their debut album will be produced by Markus Dravs, who's worked on the most recent albums by Mumfords, Coldplay and Arcade Fire. They've got a heavier sound than the other bands on this page, with a slow-moving, distorted electric guitar dominating their first single The John Wayne, yet the warm group harmonies on this and other tracks such as River Song put them in the same Americana ballpark. (facebook.com/littlegreencars)
Hear this: single The John Wayne, out Nov 26 on Universal-Island
Mumfords' choice for support band on their upcoming arena tour is this California-roots rock quartet, who used to be an edgier indie band | 1,070 |
New Year's Day, another lazy day. Brian was off from December 24 until January 5 and we had the ultimate stay-cation. Blaise started Brian's time off with a 104 fever, which he then passed to Laine on Christmas day, and Saige joined in the sick club with a cold (no fever). The entire time he was off someone was battling some sort of ailment. Even Brian and I enjoyed a slight cold. Blaise and Laine were good to go on New Year's so he took them out to a movie and then to the neighborhood playground<|fim_middle|> Sunday night I received an email saying they had two openings on Mondays at noon… which is immediately following dance class. Normally I wouldn't book two activities in one day but we're going with it. The lesson was great! They limit the class to three students but it's just Blaise and Laine so it's basically a private lesson. Despite Laine saying she didn't want to at first, she was a trooper and both did very well (especially for being tired from dance class).
Tuesday kicked off the winter session of school. Thankfully it wasn't as cold as it had been but we still bundled them up to be toasty warm since they are outside the whole time. Brian had taken them to REI to pick out new hats and gloves the week before so they were excited to wear them. School was great, Brian said drop-off was smooth with Laine heading to the art table and Blaise telling him it was okay to leave (now).
While they were at school, Saige and I hit the trail. It was her first outing in the BOB stroller and her first time on the trail. She stayed awake long enough to know she went and I was able to get a run in while pushing her along. Nothing fancy or long, just enough to feel like I might get my fitness back… especially after pushing her up the hill coming back home.
Saige and I stopped at Target on our way to pick up the kiddos from school. Indoctrinating her young as a Target shopper.
Thursday was day two back to school and the kiddos came home zonked from a busy week, ready to relax for the day. Blaise even admitted to being tired and said he wanted to lie down on the couch. It was an afternoon of watching Annedroids on Amazon (great show!).
Brian's mom came into town Thursday night and we had a semi-lazy, at-home visit through the weekend. The kiddos worked on their letters with Bananagrams (my latest for homeschooling purchase).
Sunday was somewhat typical: Saige and I slept in while Brian and the kiddos played downstairs. We had a late breakfast, Brian ran on the treadmill, and then we all headed down to the trail. I wanted to run and the kiddos wanted to show Grams the dock and feed the ducks. Laine took along her babies (that she hasn't played with in months) and had them ride with Saige. | across the street. Saige and I stayed in and enjoyed the quiet.
For Christmas, the kiddos were gifted an art bin with a ton of random supplies. Blaise and I made stick animals while Laine painted. Saige supervised.
Monday kicked off our new schedule, adding dance and swimming classes to our week. Brian went back to work and the kiddos and I left for Laine's first dance class. She had been asking to take ballet so we signed her up. The entire time since signing her up and starting class, she kept saying she couldn't wait to go to dance class. And how adorable is she in her outfit?! When I signed her up, I asked Blaise if he wanted to take the class too, he said no. And of course, as soon as we got to the dance studio and Blaise saw the class start, he asked to join the fun. The studio was great; they let him into the class. I love that it doesn't even faze him that he is the only boy in a class of seven little girls wearing pink tutus.
The kiddos had been taking swimming lessons through the City of Issaquah, and still would be if they hadn't closed their pool for renovations. Several of our friends take their kiddos to swimming lessons at Tiger Mountain Aquatics and say nothing but great things about it there. When I contacted them to find a class for the kiddos, they were fully booked and we got wait-listed. | 302 |
"Day Walks in the North York Moors" is the sixth title in Vertebrate Publishing's series of compact and portable hill walking guidebooks. This book showcases 20 circular routes, between 6 and 14 miles (9km and 22km) in length, suitable for hill walkers of all abilities. The routes are split into three areas - The Cleveland Hills, Central Moors and Coastal Walks - and include walks to the most historic and beautiful areas of the Moors, including Lord Stones, Wainstones and<|fim_middle|>magic.com on Day Walks in the Peak District) "An invaluable addition to any walker's library." (Lakeland Walker Magazine on Day Walks in the Lake District)" | Clay Bank, Rievaulx Abbey, Blakey Ridge and Farndale, the Hole of Horcum, and the stunning coastline at Robin Hood's Bay and Ravenscar. The author of this guidebook, Tony Harker, is a Moors local and keen hill walker. This is Tony's second book with Vertebrate Publishing, following the successful and popular "North York Moors Mountain Biking". Each route in this guide is described with easy-to-follow directions and details of distance, navigation information, refreshment stops and is plotted on clear and easy to use Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 mapping. Also included is a detailed Appendix. Vertebrate Publishing is dedicated to producing the very best outdoor leisure titles.We have award-winning and bestselling titles covering a range of activities, including; mountain biking, cycling, rock climbing, hill walking and others. We are best known for our own titles such as "Lake District Mountain Biking", "Dark Peak Mountain Biking" and "Revelations", the award-winning autobiography of rock climber Jerry Moffatt.
"One of the best walking guides we've used." (OUTDOORS | 235 |
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"The Times Leader is an integral part of our community, promoting our greater good along with recognizing our accomplishments large and small. It is clearly apparent that all of the personnel are a dedicated and caring group. Congratulations to all on the presentation of the Legacy Award." - David P. Hourigan, Broker/Owner at Century 21 Smith Hourigan Group
The Times Leader has been in operation for more than a century, since the merger of the Wilkes-Barre Times and the Wilkes-Barre Leader in<|fim_middle|> the Greater Wilkes-Barre community in which the Times Leader Media Group will play a vital role.
"The leadership and staff of the Times Leader genuinely care about and engage with our community. They see all of the positive things happening and accurately report our community's progress instead of focusing on the negative." – Christian Wielage, CEO at PlanGuru
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© Copyright 2019 Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce. All Rights Reserved. Site provided by GrowthZone - powered by ChamberMaster software. | 1907. Through those publications, it traces its roots well back into the 19th
century. During those many decades, the paper has called downtown Wilkes-Barre home. In the past year, it has renewed that commitment to center city, with a major investment in its East Market Street building, which is now home to the editorial, advertising, circulation, and production departments.
The Times Leader remains the only daily newspaper that is printed in the City of Wilkes-Barre, with each day's edition rolling off the presses at East Market Street. While the Times Leader is its flagship publication, Times Leader
Media Group also produces the Pittston Sunday Dispatch, Abington Journal, and The Weekender, as well as two real estate products and timesleader.com.
The Times Leader and its sister newspapers play a vital role in informing the community of the happenings, public safety messages, and charitable events of the day. In its stories, the Times Leader seeks out positive content that encourages readers. Because its dedicated staff wants the community to remain strong and united, the Times Leader and its professional team are truly committed to their work, this area, and their readers. There is a strong future ahead for | 247 |
Although I've done a lot of hillwalking in the Lakes and am nearing completion of the Wainwrights, I'd never before done Jack's Rake. I got most of the way up one February day around ten years ago, but retreated below the top as I was concerned about the potential for ice. A recent hut weekend in Chapel Stile with Burnley Mountaineering Club provided me with the perfect opportunity to put that right.
I left New Dungeon Ghyll at about 9 am and make rapid progress up Mill Gill, despite the warm and humid conditions, as I was keen to get the rake to myself if I could. As I climbed, I encountered a large number of people descending, whose t-shirts declared them to be participants in the D of E Award Diamond Challenge.
The water level in the gill was very low, and it did occur to me that it would have been quite possible to have done the scramble up the gill too. Ah well, another time.
The waters of Stickle Tarn were incredibly still with barely a ripple disturbing the surface.
I didn't hang around at the tarn, as there were two people just behind me and I didn't want them to get to the rake before I did. Not because I'm not a sharing person you understand, but there is some loose rock on Jack's Rake, and I didn't want any of it being sent down to me from above. As it turned out, I needn't have worried as they were climbers whose sights were obviously set on harder routes.
Reaching the bottom of the rake turned out to be the worst part of the day, as the path is now very loose. I was glad of my poles for that part of the route, though of course I made sure to stow them securely for the ascent of the rake itself.
The ascent of Jack's Rake (Grade 1, 500 ft of climbing) is fairly easy for the most part. I did find that couple of the moves needed of a bit of thought, but that's probably more of a reflection on my lack of condition than on the difficulty of the scramble. For all that, I thought it was a fantastic route and would quite happily have done it all over again.
I had a quick breather on the summit of Pavey Ark (2300 ft), before heading first for Sergeant Man (2414 ft), then Codale Head (2395 ft) and High Raise (2500 ft).
I stopped for lunch on the summit of High Raise, before pressing on for perhaps the least-distinguished summit of the day, Thunacar Knott (2372 ft). It does possess a nice tarn though.
After walking in relative solitude for most of the day, it was a bit of a shock to the system to find the summit of Harrison Stickle thronged with people. Who could blame them though?
As the day was still young, I decided to visit the other two Langdale Pikes, Loft Crag (2231 ft) and Pike o' Stickle (2326 ft). I was surprised by how few people seemed to bother with the former; I spent quite a while on the summit and had it to myself the whole time.
Pike o' Stickle must be one of the best summits in the Lakes. Not only is it the perfect shape, but you can't get to the top without using hands as well as feet. It's certainly one of my favourites.
Leaving Pike o' Stickle, I headed across the featureless expanse of Martcrag Moor. I took special care as the previous time I'd walked across there, I tripped and sprained my ankle, which made my descent to the valley excruciatingly painful. Luckily, there were no mishaps this time.
Reaching Stake Pass, I decided I still had time and energy for one last top, so headed for Rossett Pike (2136 ft). Earlier in the day, I had even entertained ideas of heading up Bowfell too, but the heat and humidity had taken their toll on my energy levels and I decided that this would be too much.
Leaving Rossett Pike, I couldn't resist a quick peek at Angle Tarn, in my view one of the most beautiful spots in the Lakes. I must camp out on its shores some day.
I suppressed a shudder as I looked down at the old path that used to run straight down Rossett Gill. A steep, endlessly shifting river of scree, it must have been one of the least pleasurable of Lake District paths to walk. Thankfully, the old packhorse route nearby was brought back into use some years ago and makes for a much more forgiving descent.
As I trekked back along Mickleden, my weariness was alleviated slightly by a group of buzzards riding the thermals far above me. What a magnificent sight these birds are – even though they are pretty common these days, I never tire of watching them.
As so often seems to be the case, I enjoyed the best weather of the day as I walked the last couple of miles. A good reason to do more wild camping, I suppose.
This entry was posted in Lake District on June 16, 2016 by neilsmountains.
Mellbreak<|fim_middle|> day out. However, the prospect of another warm and sunny day meant that a relatively moderate walk was just what we were looking for.
We started from Lanthwaite Wood, near the foot of Crummock Water. It was wonderfully cool in the woodland, and the sun was creating beautiful patterns of light and shade through the trees. Every now and then, gaps in the trees allowed us tantalising glimpses of Mellbreak across the beck.
Emerging onto the lake shore, we enjoyed the fabulous views down the Buttermere valley, before striking out across farm pastures to the foot of Mellbreak. This section of the route was quite fiddly as the route of the path across the farmland wasn't entirely obvious. As usual, I found that I needed the map far more in the valley than I did on the tops.
Above Highpark farm, more lovely woodlands led us to the base of the hill. There were many small dragonflies hereabouts, but as they didn't land for long enough for us ever to photograph one, we were unable to identify them.
The climb up to Mellbreak's north top is every bit as steep as it looks from below, but thankfully, the breeze increased rapidly as we gained height. Less welcome were the midges that we found in the more sheltered spots. We found the loose scree rather tiresome, but it didn't go on for too long before we were back among rock and heather. Once established on the eastern edge, there were stunning views down to Crummock Water, by this time well below us, and further down the valley towards Buttermere.
There were quite a few people about on the north top, though most of them seemed only to be doing this one, and not continuing to the higher south top. The intervening ground between the two is not at all what you would expect from below – an undulating heathery plateau, with various boggy hollows, much more reminiscent of the Pennines than the Lakes. The views in all directions are superb however, thanks to the Mellbreak's precipitous sides.
I had to agree with the general consensus that the south top is inferior to the north in terms of both views and character. As though aware of its failings, it manages only a feeble summit cairn, though there is a better one a few feet lower down, which also happens to have better views than the summit.
A steep but rapid descent brought us to the beck that flows from Scale Force, which we had visited two days previously. As it was still only fairly early, we decided to make a detour to Buttermere for ice cream. Walking back along the shores of Crummock Water, I was struck by just how much wilder the western side of the lake is than the east. Here we were still very much in mountain terrain, with the slopes of Mellbreak soaring directly above us, complete with crags, heather and bogs, while on the other side of the lake was the road to Buttermere and lush green farm pastures.
This was a fantastic walk and I was glad that we hadn't left Mellbreak for a bad weather day, or a quick half-day, as is often the case with the lower hills.
This entry was posted in Lake District on June 8, 2016 by neilsmountains.
We were keen to get going as early as possible for the punishingly steep ascent of Fleetwith Edge, but even though we left Gatesgarth at 8.30 am (OK, I know it's not very early, but the hostel didn't serve breakfast till 7.30), the sun was already high in the sky. Luckily one or two of the steeper sections were still in the shade, but we were still pretty warm by the time we arrived at the summit of Fleetwith Pike (2126 ft). At least the heat gave us a good excuse for regular stops to take in the view – and what a view it is. This must be one of the finest routes up any mountain in the Lakes.
While admiring the view from the summit cairn, Georgina spotted a ring ouzel nearby. Given that I'd only seen my first one two weeks previously, I was pretty pleased to see another one so soon. I was even happier when another two came to join it!
We were soon joined on the summit by a chap who asked us if we'd seen anybody wearing a red sash – the first of several people to ask us this question. I gather that they were participants in the Lakes Hunt, a cross between hide-and-seek and tag for grown-ups. We never saw any of the 'hares' (the people who wear the red sashes and who are pursued by the 'hunters'), but we were to hear their horns several times throughout the day.
Beyond Fleetwith Pike, I made a detour to visit the summit of Honister Crag (2077 ft), a Nuttall summit that was only 'discovered' fairly recently – too recently to feature in the book, in any case.
Heading now for Haystacks, we dropped down to pass Dubs Hut, one of the few MBA bothies in the Lakes. It seemed that there was a work party in for the weekend, though they were out when we arrived. It was impressively clean and well maintained, so if any members of the work party read this, thanks guys!
The climb up to Haystacks was a delight; nowhere steep, but a succession of heathery hummocks, small crags and infant becks. It's easy to see why it was Wainwright's favourite.
The path also passes a couple of delightful tarns, both of which would make idyllic camping spots. Innominate Tarn is of course famous as Wainwright's final resting place, but I thought Blackbeck Tarn was just as attractive. No doubt it is less popular too!
Blackbeck Tarn. The increasing haze made photography difficult.
We stopped for lunch on the summit of Haystacks (1958 ft), which also boasts a lovely tarn. It also gave us chance to boost our energy levels for the second big climb of the day, from Scarth Gap to the summit of High Crag.
The ascent of Gamlin End wasn't as bad as it looked from below, though it was unpleasantly loose at the top. Still, somebody has done an amazing job of repairing the lower two thirds of the route.
The summit of High Crag (2441 ft) is the beginning of the fabulous High Stile ridge, a lofty promenade that offers vertiginous views down into Burtness Comb, with Buttermere below.
The ridge leading to High Stile gave us great views of Grey Crag, home to some classic climbs. That we only saw one pair of climbers on the crag on a warm and dry bank holiday weekend I think speaks volumes about current trends in climbing – increasingly, traditional mountain crags are seemingly being abandoned in favour of sport climing, bouldering and indoor walls.
High Stile (2631 ft) is the literal and metaphorical high point of the ridge, with stunning views down into Buttermere and Bleaberry Comb.
Our final summit of the day was Red Pike (2477 ft), an accurate if unimaginative name for the peak. It's another stunning viewpoint, and one that we were lucky to have to ourselves for a few minutes.
We didn't fancy the look of the horribly loose and eroded path leading down to Bleaberry Tarn, so opted for the longer but more forgiving descent via Scale Force. This is perhaps a less dramatic route, but it is quiet and does give good views towards Mellbreak and Crummock Water.
The highlight of our descent route was Scale Force. This was a popular spot with Victorian tourists, and still seems pretty popular today. Today's tourists have to walk though, unlike the Victorians, who were ferried across the lake in boats to the foot of the waterfall.
Fleetwith Pike seen across Buttermere from our return route to the village. Our ascent route was via the edge in the centre of this photo.
The return to Gatesgarth via the lakeshore was a beautiful walk, as always, and I was lucky enough to see a family of goosander enjoying an evening swim.
Luckily the haze that had been so prevalent for much of the day began to shift as evening began, allowing me to enjoy probably the clearest view of Fleetwith Pike I'd seen all day, a beautiful end to a fabulous day.
This entry was posted in Lake District on June 2, 2016 by neilsmountains. | (1680 ft) is a hill that I'd been intending to climb for a long time, but somehow had never got around too, mainly I think because it's fairly isolated from other hills and so doesn't really make for a full | 50 |
Ujjala Padukone threw light on Deepika Padukone's childhood in their reecnt interview.
One of the most loved movie stars in the country, Deepika Padukone is currently enjoying her post-marital bliss and often shares moments from her life<|fim_middle|>aderie and Ujjala also took a trip down the memory lane to share many interesting anecdotes from her daughter's childhood.
The doting mother threw light on how Deepika was as a child and revealed that she was totally different from what she is now. "She was a tomboy, hyperactive until she was about 4 or 5. She sobered down when Anisha was born and then she became very motherly and very responsible. Whenever there were quarrels between the two, Deepika used to always get the firing and then I used to realise that it was actually the younger one to be blamed," Ujjala said as the two had a hearty laugh.
On the other hand, Deepika credited her mom for being the backbone in the family and revealed that everything she expects from her husband Ranveer Singh, comes from her mother. "We were all her priority. She allowed us to pursue our passion and, at the same time, disciplined all of us."
"Today if Ranveer says 'my wife expects us to be home at a certain time, go to bed at a certain time'— all those things come from her," she added. | on social media. Her name might be synonymous with success today, but her route to reach the top of her game was not an easy task. At every stage of life, the actor has had her parents Ujjala Padukone and Prakash Padukone standing by her as her source of strength. More than her daddy, DP is often spotted with her mommy dearest and the two are one such mother-daughter duo who never fails to leave us in awe with their cuteness. In a recent interview with Firstpost, the two got candid about their warm camar | 115 |
This entry was posted in Clubs, Events, Students and tagged auburn university, Investment Club, Student Investment Fund Competition on February 27, 2013 by Wire Eagle.
AUBURN UNIVERSITY – A group of Auburn students is learning the value of investing through a friendly competition with other universities.
The Auburn University Investment Club is competing in the Student Investment Fund Competition sponsored by Sterne Agee, a Birmingham-based investment bank which distributed $50,000 to each of the four schools in the Southeast participating in the equity portfolio management challenge. The schools also include the University of Alabama, the University of Georgia and the University of Mississippi.
The winner will collect the full monetary value of its return while the other schools will receive half of their return; all prize money won by Auburn will go to the College of Business.
Auburn's Investment Club is led by president and CEO Juan Castano, a senior finance student, and is comprised of 25 students from across campus. "The investment club is one of the College of Business' best kept secrets, in my own opinion," said Castano.
Most members are from the College of Business and are working toward degrees in finance. However, the club is open to all students and has recently included engineering and math majors.
"Having served as president for the last four years, I am both proud and mesmerized by the natural expansion of our members and the growth of sophistication behind our investment strategies," Castano said.
The investment competition got under way in October and will end in April. At this point in the competition, Auburn has generated a 7 percent return, which is close to its goal of 8 percent; the club finished second last year and hopes to climb to the top spot this year, Castano said.
Each year the competition develops in a different way, and the club invests in a variety of companies. A winning investment in the past has been Apple, but it has become a stock that is providing low returns, Castano said. Michael Kors, CBS and Yahoo are currently showing the strongest returns and are large contributors to the club's current success.
The competition is governed by a set of rules put in place by Sterne Agee upon releasing the funds to each<|fim_middle|> Only 10 percent of the $50,000 can be invested in a single company, which encourages each school to diversify its stock portfolio.
The Auburn University Investment Club has been a part of campus activities for over a decade and has helped students by providing real-world investment experience. The club meets on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. in 005 Lowder Business Building and is always looking for new members. More information is available by contacting Castano at jpc0014@auburn.edu. | school. The money can only be invested in stocks. | 11 |
The 2019 Pittsburgh Penguins are back vs. Consol Energy Center. The Mellon Arena is an indoor arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The arena seats 16,958 for ice hockey and features 56 luxury suites and 1,696 club seats. Seats are arranged as Balconies E/F, Rear Balcony E, Levels A/B/C/D, End Zone Levels A/B/C, Igloo, Gold Circle, Glass End Zone, Glass, and Suites. It is home to the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League and was formerly home to the Pittsburgh Hornets of the AHL; the Pittsburgh Rens of the A<|fim_middle|> the NHL off season. Enjoy your time at the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game.
Pittsburgh Penguins hockey match tickets, Consol Energy Center luxury box suite tickets, rinkside center ice tickets, & current home game schedule. | BL; the Pittsburgh Pipers and Pittsburgh Condors of the ABA; Pittsburgh CrosseFire of the NLL; and Pittsburgh Spirit of the MISL (among others). The arena, known as Pittsburgh Civic Arena and "The Igloo", is the largest retractable stainless steel dome roof in the world, with 170,000 square feet of pure Pittsburgh steel. Inside, there are also two clubs, the Blue Line and the Igloo. It is also an easy walk from Downtown pubs and restaurants. Parking is impressively easy, although entering and leaving the arena usually leads to deadlock traffic. The Pittsburgh Penguins are back in 2019 for another amazing season at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh Penguins tickets are going fast. The best seats to watch the Penguins hockey match at Consol Energy Center are in sections close to the center ice area, rinkside, in the club level, lower level goal, lower level center, lower level end zone, and of course in the VIP box suite areas. For box suites at Consol Energy Center, view the Pittsburgh Penguins ticket listings below to see what box suites are available. Suite tickets are best for large groups and parties. Consol Energy Center luxury box suites are usually catered and parking passes may be included. View the directions to Consol Energy Center before leaving for the Penguins game. Pittsburgh Penguins season tickets may be found in the ticket listing schedule below during | 293 |
Sunset Music Festival
Taco and Margarita Festival
BayCare Ballpark
Duke Energy Center - Mahaffey Theater
Ed Smith Stadium
Florida Strawberry Festival Grounds
George M. Steinbrenner Field
Jannus Live
MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fair Grounds
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Tampa
TD Ballpark
Yuengling Center
Raymond James Stadium Tickets
SunJan 2320223:00 PM
NFC Divisional Playoffs - TBD at Tampa Bay Buccaneers2022-01-23T15:00:002022-01-23T23:59:00See NFC Divisional Playoffs - TBD at Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on January 23, 2022 3:00 PM.
Raymond James Stadium - Tampa, FL
SunJan 302022TBA
NFC Championship Game - TBD at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (If Necessary)2022-01-30T23:59:002022-01-30T23:59:00See NFC Championship Game - TBD at Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on January 30, 2022 11:59 PM.
SatFeb 0520227:00 PM
Monster Jam2022-02-05T1<|fim_middle|> Chart
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Raymond James Stadium currently has 13 events with tickets available to purchase. Browse the full list of events here to find the date you need, and then select the right seats from our large ticket inventory. Raymond James Stadium ranks among the most popular venues in Tampa, FL and has events scheduled through 2022.
Tickets are on-sale now for NFC Divisional Playoffs - TBD at Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on 01/23/2022. This upcoming event is only 6 days away and there are currently 5504 tickets available to purchase. The cheapest tickets start at $151 per ticket. NFC Divisional Playoffs - TBD at Tampa Bay Buccaneers is scheduled to start at 3:00 PM local time. Tickets for events at Raymond James Stadium can be purchased at TicketCity. Buy Tickets to Next event
The Raymond James Stadium Seating Chart lets customers view the available tickets, and ticket prices, by clicking on that section of the seating map. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers seating chart is displayed below the event listings for customers who want to see the venue layout. Customers can select the section and row of the tickets the want to purchase at Raymond James Stadium. | 9:00:002022-02-05T23:59:00See Monster Jam at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on February 5, 2022 7:00 PM.
SunFeb 0620223:00 PM
SatMar 12202212:00 PM
Taco and Margarita Festival2022-03-12T12:00:002022-03-12T23:59:00See Taco and Margarita Festival at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on March 12, 2022 12:00 PM.
SatMar 192022TBA
Innings Festival Tampa - 2 Day Pass (3/19 - 3/20) (Green Day, Incubus, The Lumineers)2022-03-19T11:59:002022-03-19T23:59:00See Innings Festival Tampa - 2 Day Pass at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on March 19, 2022 11:59 AM.
Innings Festival Tampa - Saturday (Green Day, Incubus, 311)2022-03-19T12:00:002022-03-19T23:59:00See Innings Festival Tampa - Saturday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on March 19, 2022 12:00 PM.
SunMar 202022TBA
Innings Festival Tampa - Sunday (The Lumineers, Khruangbin)2022-03-20T23:59:002022-03-20T23:59:00See Innings Festival Tampa - Sunday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on March 20, 2022 11:59 PM.
Kenny Chesney (Rescheduled from 5/9/2020, 5/1/2021)2022-04-23T17:00:002022-04-23T23:59:00See Kenny Chesney at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on April 23, 2022 5:00 PM.
SatMay 282022TBA
2022 Sunset Music Festival - 2 Day Pass (5/28 - 5/29)2022-05-28T23:59:002022-05-28T23:59:00See 2022 Sunset Music Festival - 2 Day Pass at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on May 28, 2022 11:59 PM.
Coldplay2022-06-14T19:00:002022-06-14T23:59:00See Coldplay at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on June 14, 2022 7:00 PM.
SatSep 032022TBA
BYU Cougars at South Florida Bulls2022-09-03T23:59:002022-09-03T23:59:00See BYU Cougars at South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on September 3, 2022 11:59 PM.
Howard Bison at South Florida Bulls2022-09-10T23:59:002022-09-10T23:59:00See Howard Bison at South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on September 10, 2022 11:59 PM.
Raymond James Stadium Seating | 913 |
This easy recipe for homemade chicken noodle soup can easily be prepared almost as quickly as the packaged stuff, and<|fim_middle|> minutes you will see diminishing returns, though. | is actually made with real chicken.
Before you do anything, you need to fry up roughly half a pound of chicken breast. Your chicken should be thoroughly cooked before using it for this soup recipe.
Chop up your celery and onion. You will need about a half cup of each. Add more or use less depending on your opinion of sort-of-crunchy things.
Bring a large pot to medium heat and add a tablespoon or two of butter. Cook your celery and onion in the butter for between 5 and 10 minutes, or until they begin to soften.
Once the celery and onion begin to soften you can pour in your chicken broth. You should add about six to eight cups of broth. More broth would just give you more soup but unless you balance out the broth with more soup-stuff then it probably isn't worth it.
Now you can add your (already cooked and cut) chicken, about a cup and a half of egg noodles, some chopped carrots, and your spices. You should use a teaspoon or less of both oregano and basil, and as with anything else, you can add salt and pepper to taste.
Once you have everything combined in the pot, bring the soup to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat and let your chicken noodle soup simmer for about twenty minutes.
Basil, oregano, salt and pepper are just recommendations. This is an area where you can easily experiment or just use something you like better.
Homemade chicken broth is an obviously better choice than the canned stuff but for the purposes of this simple recipe, the canned stuff is probably more reasonable.
As with most soups and stews, letting this chicken noodle soup simmer longer will result in an overall better soup. Beyond twenty | 357 |
1. Statická
<|fim_middle|> building, its conversion into a hotel and operational connection to the neighbouring Grandhotel building.
Links (CZ)
Legal regulations (CZ)
Why work in our company | Statics & dynamics of buildings
"Growing" family house, Ujezd nad Lesy
Location: Ujezd nad Lesy
Architect: Vysehrad atelier
Client: Private investor
Implementation of project: 03/2005
Activities implemented: Complete static element of project documentation
Construction time: 2007
In the first phase of construction, this family house was designed as a two-storey structure without a basement, with a regular rectangular ground plan and flat roof. Additions are planned – the house will "grow". The load-bearing structure consists of clay blocks; the ceiling structure and roof are of monolithic reinforced concrete. Adjacent to the house, there is a carport of treated-wood and steel construction with tempered PVC sheathing. The stairs of subtle steel sections leading to the gallery are particularly interesting for structural engineers.
16 row houses in Sestajovice
Location: Sestajovice
One of the first projects for the Vyšehrad architectural studio. These are simple row houses with an individual character. The load-bearing structure is the simplest possible – clay-block walls with ceramic-panel ceilings.
Construction of a new family house, Decin
Location: Decin - Vaclavov
Architect: Ing. Arch. Michal Jirasek
An interesting family house with one subterranean and two above-ground floors. The basic material of the load-bearing part of the structure, including the ceilings, is POROTHERM blocks. Of course, due to the segmentation of the building and requirements for large spans, clay blocks are supplemented with concrete, steel and wood. Another notable feature is the reinforced-concrete portal on the south facade with a span of 17.5m, winding into a spiral staircase leading to the terrace of steel construction.
Construction of a new family house, Horomerice
Location: Horomerice
Two-storey family house with brick load-bearing walls and reinforced-concrete ceiling. An interesting aspect of the project is the cantilevered part of the building, which appears to levitate freely in space. The roof span in the area containing the indoor swimming pool is approximately 7.5m.
Construction of a new family house, Kladno – Rozdelov
Location: Kladno - Rozdelov
Architect: ANLOC s.r.o.
Construction time: -
A modern family house of classic materials – concrete foundations, brick load-bearing walls, clay-block ceiling and wooden roof structure. Elegant solutions using steel elements appear where the architect incorporated subtle designs. The house was completed using a single-stage project, which eased the way both at the local building authorities as well as during the actual construction process.
Construction of a new family house, Na Samote
Location: Prague 4 - Kunratice
Construction of this family house was unusually demanding due not only to its volume (two subterranean + three above-ground floors + a service building), but also because of the diversity of technical details. These aspects, in combination with the client's perfectionism, resulted in a project that is more extensive than many apartment buildings. The load-bearing structure consists of monolithic reinforced-concrete supplemented with steel elements. The substructure was designed using waterproofing technology. Thermal bridges were eliminated with Isokorb. The English courtyard features a glazed roof.
Construction of a new family house, Prague – Troja
Location: Pragu 7 - Troja
A luxurious family house in Prague near the zoo. The house has a total of three floors and a finished attic, and is mostly embedded in a steep slope. The site had unfavourable geological characteristics and thus the project was modified during the course of construction. The load-bearing structure is fully reinforced concrete, including the pyramidal roof with the roofing panels having 32.5° pitch. According to the latest information, a 20m tunnel linking the parking area with the house is being prepared.
Family house in Dedinka při Dunaji
Location: Dedinka pri Dunaji, Slovakia
Architect: Architektura s.r.o.
Construction of a new family home in Dedinka pri Dunaji (Slovakia). This partial basement house has an irregular ground-plan and two above-ground floors, whereas the second above-ground floor is located only over the basement part of the house. The building's single-pitch roofs have an incline of 5°-60°. The house's load-bearing walls are made of clay-concrete blocks; ceilings are of monolithic reinforced concrete.
Family house in Kozovazy
Location: Kozovazy, okr.Praha-vychod
Construction of a new family house with a wall-type load-bearing system; walls are made of POROTHERM blocks. The ceiling structure is also composed of POROTHERM. The building has a saddle roof with a purlin load-bearing structure. The project also involved renovation of an existing barn and its conversion into a dwelling space.
Family House in Lounovice
Location: Lounovice
Wooden structure design with the so-called platform frame system (two-by-four). The house has an irregular ground-plan, two above-ground floors, and a single-pitch roof.
Family House in Ricany
Location: Ricany
Implementation of project: 2007
Irregular two-storey house with brick walls and monolithic ceilings. For the firm implementing the project, the most difficult aspect was the pitched roof panels, which offered a challenge for the concrete workers. Once this work was completed, however, another interesting house had been created.
Family house, Cernosice – Slunecna osada
Location: Cernosice
This family house has one subterranean and two above-ground floors. The house has a regular rectangular outline and the basement beneath the entire ground-plan. The subterranean floor, including a slab on 0.00, is designed with reinforced concrete. The above-ground storeys are constructed of treated wood and OSB panels (lightweight wooden frame). Interesting aspects for a wooden structure are the atypical details of the cantilevered second above-ground floor. This was a demanding project requiring precise implementation.
Family house, Dolnokrcska, Prague
Location: Prague 4
Architect: Ing. Arch. Zdenek Ourednicek
A family house in a row development, consisting of classic materials: concrete, bricks, steel and wood. An interesting element is the vaulting of an existing well with a concrete joist, which bears three floors of the house. The site's unfavourable geological characteristics necessitated modification of the project. Following excavation of the foundation base, it was discovered that the neighbouring house did not have foundations. It was necessary to modify the project and underpin the neighbouring house.
Family house, Klanovice
Location: Klanovice
An architecturally interesting family house with an irregular ground-plan and distinct inset windows. The load-bearing structure is a combination of clay-brick walling and monolithic reinforced concrete. The concrete roof slab is cast in a slant; the lower face of the ceiling and roof are of facing concrete.
Family house, Tocna
Location: Prague - Tocna
This is a three-storey family house with a regular rectangular ground-plan, placed on a slope. The load-bearing structure consists of POROTHERM clay-block walls cast into blocks of permanent formwork in combination with monolithic reinforced-concrete ceilings. The building has a concrete-slab foundation. The project included retaining walls on the lot. The house has been structurally modified so that a swimming pool can be placed on the roof. Construction of an additional storey is incorporated into the project.
Passive family house, Čerčany
Location: Cercany
Passive family house in modern style. Load-bearing walls are made of water-shedding concrete blocks, ceiling of monolithic reinforced concrete and the roof of STABIL wooden beams.
Renovation and expansion of a family house
Originally a garden house from the 1950s, this building was not suitable for modern living. The architects designed an interesting project of renovation and expansion. In the old part of the structure, a two-car garage was constructed in the basement, and the attic was enlarged with the addition of two dormer windows. A new wooden structure on concrete stilts was attached to the old house. Though this was a complicated project, the result was outstanding.
Renovation of a villa and addition of a swimming pool, Barrandov
Location: Barrandovská st., Prague 5
Architect: Ing. Arch. Karel Ther
Renovation of a functionalist villa in Barrandov. This project involved a freestanding building with one subterranean and two above-ground floors. The building has a combined structural system; in the basement there is a bidirectional wall-type system supplemented with several reinforced-concrete columns, and the above-ground floors rely on a reinforced-concrete monolithic frame. The building has a reinforced-concrete girder ceiling structure. In the course of renovating the existing building, the inadequate ceiling structures were reinforced and the foundations were underpinned. The building was expanded with the addition of an indoor swimming pool and winter garden. A separate garage – without basement – was also constructed.
Residential complex, Na Mýtce, Stará Boleslav
Location: Stara Boleslav
Client: UNISTAV Invest s.r.o.
Activities implemented:
Construction time: In hand
A total of 32 family houses included in the first phase of construction on the site. The project comprises both row houses and 13 freestanding units. The load-bearing structure was designed with emphasis on simplicity and the reproducibility of details. The load-bearing walls and ceilings were designed using ceramic elements, exchanges and steel girders. The project contains the basic principles of marquee construction.
Administr. buildings
Factory buildings
Family houses
The new Municipal Office in Dolni Mecholupy 2009-06-30
A newly constructed building which has two above-ground and one subterranean floor.
Grandhotel Zlaty lev 2009-01-20
Comprehensive renovation of an existing | 2,114 |
Buy-Side M&A Strategy Success
/buy-side-ma-strategy-success/2/8260
Brad Mewes | Published: June 7, 2017
Source: abluecup/iStock
Take<|fim_middle|> and executives. I find it fascinating that many of the challenges are similar regardless of company size or industry. Good business fundamentals are the same, whether you run a two person startup or a 100,000 person multi-billion dollar organization. Consistent repeatable business processes drive operational results which drive financial performance.
Set Yourself Apart
A client of mine recently remarked to me, "Most business owners in this industry are running blind and making money despite themselves. I don't want to be like most." The best strategy is worthless without solid execution. Warren Buffett, Carl Icahn, and Henry Kravis built multi-billion dollar empires based on this premise. Companies in the automotive aftermarket like Caliber Collision, FinishMaster, LKQ, Driven Brands and many, many others operate on this premise.
A buy-side M&A strategy, or simply buying companies as part of a business growth strategy, is quite literally the embodiment of the sage advice of my professor to "Buy the Firm!" Companies that build successful buy-side M&A campaigns are often those that have identified a way to solve a business challenge, and wish to leverage that success across multiple business through acquisitions. Perhaps management has simply identified a way to execute in a more predictable and efficient way. Often these solutions depend on building scale to create a competitive advantage, but not always.
If your business does something better than most of its competitors, perhaps it is time to "Buy the Firm!" The competitive advantage you have developed does not necessarily need to be revolutionary to successfully implement a successful buy-side M&A strategy, although that can certainly help. Rather, a focus on repeatable business execution is often enough to successfully position your firm to launch a buy-side M&A strategy. Look no further than Warren Buffett, Carl Icahn and 3G Capital for role models.
Written by Brad Mewes
Brad Mewes is the founder of Supplement!, a strategic, financial and M&A advisory firm specializing in the automotive aftermarket industry worldwide. He has been featured in publications globally including ABRN, Driving Sales News, Aftermarket Business World, Repairer Driven News, Ratchet + Wrench, Australasian Paint and Panel, and Motor China Magazine.
Brad has an MBA from the University of California, Irvine with an emphasis in Finance. He graduated in the top 10% of his class. Brad received his undergraduate degree in International Economics with a concentration in Latin American Business from George Washington University in Washington, DC where he graduated with honors (cum laude). He has lived in both Mexico and Chile and has completed assignments in 14 countries on three different continents. Brad speaks Spanish fluently.
What Is a Platform Acquisition?
Crazy M&A Myths You Need to Stop Believing Now
A Guide to Merger and Acquisition Designations
10 Brand Architecture Strategies After M&A
Who Will Buy My Company?
Developing a Proactive Acquisition Strategy for Mid-Market Businesses
Strategic Buyer
Buy Side
Leveraged Buyout (LBO)
Reverse Take Over (RTO)
Virtual Data Room (VDR)
Free Cash Flow (FCF)
What concerns do buyers have during due diligence?
Why do deals fall apart?
What do buyers of small businesses really want to know? | away: There are many reasons not to buy a business, but sometimes you just need to pull the trigger on a potential acquisition and fix up the business to your liking.
If your business does something better than most of its competitors, perhaps it is time to "Buy the Firm!" and implement a buy-side M&A strategy. When I was in business school, I had a professor that was fond of exclaiming "Buy the Firm!" In fact, his solution to many business problems or questions that arose in class was to enthusiastically shout "Buy the Firm!" His lesson in this exclamation was that there is no perfect business, and that unaddressed business problems detract from the overall value of a business. But business problems that had been identified and solved (or simply improved upon) created value. Thus, the most direct solution to solve any particular business challenge is to buy the firm, fix the problem and capture the ensuing increase in value.
Who Applies This Strategy?
For a man who had spent the vast majority of his adult life in academia, it was (and still is) an incredibly entrepreneurial response to corporate governance. It is also a response applied by many private equity firms and activist investors across the world to create billions of dollars in wealth. Carl Icahn built his fortune by using a buy-side M&A strategy by purchasing small positions in publicly traded companies and then threatening, cajoling and otherwise forcing boards and executive teams to solve the particular problem he identified, then selling his shares once the value had been realized. Warren Buffett, has effectively done the same, albeit with a much less adversarial approach than Carl Icahn. George Roberts and Henry Kravis of KKR also aggressively use a buy-side M&A strategy. The founders of 3G Capital, currently one of the most successful buyout firms on the planet, have also adopted this approach with amazing success.
The Investment Thesis
Across the automotive aftermarket, private equity groups continue to sense opportunity to build wealth using a buy-side M&A strategy by investing in companies and backable management teams. Part of the investment thesis is to build topline sales by acquiring multiple smaller companies in fragmented industries. Part of the investment thesis also involves building scale and improving the cost structure of the business. But part of the thesis is also about management and operations — identifying opportunities to do business differently and capture the value that results.
I have the great opportunity to interact with a wide spectrum of business owners, investors | 494 |
Hugo Construction Chooses Vermeer for Pipeline Equipment Partner
When cutting trenches for new pipelines in the Permian Basin, caliche rock combined with daunting oil company deadlines pose challenges to even the most seasoned trenching companies — so how would a relative newcomer to trenching work tackle the job?
"We are out there cutting through caliche rock at a rate of 2,000 feet per day … faster than a lot of competitors," said Stephen Elliott, superintendent and part owner of Hugo Construction. By way of comparison, when trenching through normal soil conditions, the company can cut 4,000 ft. per day, he added.
The San Antonio-based start-up, launched in early 2018 by brothers Clay, Charlie, Colt Bush and Operating Partner Stephen Elliott, have meteorically established themselves as a "go-to" trenching company in the great (and highly competitive) state of Texas. Recently, Hugo completed a 20-mile trench along the Texas-New Mexico border, near Orla, Texas, that will accommodate a 16-in. steel gas pipeline midway between Pecos, Texas, and Carlsbad, N.M. Hugo cut the trench 30-in wide and 5 ft. deep. This particular job was a lateral line, but Elliot said he is comfortable cutting main lines at a width of 42-in.
The latest cut was typical for Hugo — it encountered caliche rock most of the way. Caliche is common in the Permian basin, especially in New Mexico. The "dirt" is an accumulation of calcium carbonate that hardens like rock and makes up a sizable amount of the soil in the dryer regions of the southwest. Typically, it's found just below the surface of the ground.
Prior to forming Hugo Construction, Elliott had experience in the oilfield, although not specifically in trenching. He and his partners knew just enough about trenching to know that they needed to talk to the local Vermeer dealer, Vermeer Texas-Louisiana located in Selma, Texas. Clay Bush and Elliott walked in to Vermeer Texas-Louisiana's showroom, without an appointment, and announced to Chris May, the Vermeer Texas-Louisiana sales representative that happened to be in the office at that moment, that they wanted to buy two new trenchers.
"That was one of the most interesting days of my Vermeer Texas-Louisiana career," said May. "It's not every day you have someone you've never met before tell you they want to buy two new machines especially over $1.2 million each."
"We just knew that we wanted Vermeer," Elliott said. "It is the name in trenching and we wanted to go with the best. When I think of Vermeer, I think top-shelf. We didn't even consider another manufacturer. We bought two T1055III machines and we rented a T955III. We also have another T1055 on order."
That's proven to be a smart decision so far, according to Elliott.
"We haven't had have a lot of down time, because our [Vermeer] equipment is new," he said. "About the only issue we have is that we do run into granite sometimes out here, and when we do, we change a lot of teeth. But that's to be expected.
<|fim_middle|> trenching, HDD, or anything else we do. So training is hugely important, and we offer all the training an operator needs," May said.
That commitment to safety is demonstrated by Vermeer engineering both the T955 and T1055 with in cab operator's presence among some of the safety features. The machine being hydrostatic helps with safety, uptime, and maintenance without costly repairs due to clutch issues. On this pipeline trenching job, Hugo Construction is working for Courtney Construction of Carthage, Texas. Anadarko, among the world's largest independent oil and natural gas exploration and production companies, is responsible for the pipeline itself. Every oil rig has three pipelines associated with it — saltwater, gas and oil — and every pipeline contractor subs out the trenching and boring. For its work, Hugo, in turn, uses Southern Transport of Midland, Texas, for its transport needs. Hugo Construction has a lot going on in addition to the Anadarko work.
"We are currently on three jobs," said Elliott. "One of the jobs has three lines, so we are busy. And we're also looking into getting in to the padding business."
Hugo Construction is a division of the K3 group of San Antonio — a food services, remote site management and disaster relief contractor, which among its plethora of recent work, housed 500 linesman on three-story floating dormitory vessels to assist with restoring power to Puerto Rico in aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Elliott also is the director of maintenance for K3. | Elliott added that changing four to five teeth per day when cutting through hard rock is prudent; otherwise, he could wind up needing to change 30 at one time, which would take hours to do.
"We have three brand new Vermeer machines and one on order," he said. "No one out here has that amount of new machinery. You'll get less down time with Hugo because of that. Vermeer Texas-Louisiana also always answers the phone … they are always there for me when I need them."
In addition to ensuring its customers are back up and running when its equipment needs servicing, Vermeer Texas-Louisiana offers other important services, too.
"Safety is our number-one priority when it comes to | 147 |
Home Staffing Hiring Vets: Connect the Dots
Hiring Vets: Connect the Dots
5 years ago by Ken Huxley | Comments Off on Hiring Vets: Connect the Dots
Peter Schutz, the former CEO of Porsche and motivational speaker, laid out a now popular axiom, "Hire character. Train skill." In essence, Schutz's mantra nailed the concept and advantages of hiring military veterans into your business.
The good news about military veterans speaks to the first half of Schutz's statement: hire character. Along with the technical training and experience military members receive, they're shaped and matured by a culture that values the very same "soft skills" virtually every civilian employer desires in its workforce. These range from the basic (honest, punctual, respectful and disciplined) to the altruistic (loyal, dedicated, and committed). Military veterans have been trained to work as part of a team, to overcome obstacles and lack of resources, to think creatively and objectively,<|fim_middle|> street, recent graduates of high school or college. So, yes, they're trainable — if nothing else, their military experience proves it. And in many cases, they've been trained on highly complex, technical systems, platforms, or procedures. Even better, they've been successful in putting that training to use — and succeeding at their job — in some of the harshest environments imaginable, and in many cases they do so from a position of leadership. In fact, it's not unusual for military members, even very early on in their service, to have responsibility for the supervision and success of others, even while caring for extraordinarily expensive equipment and supplies.
In short, there are countless reasons behind a young person's decision to serve in the military, ranging from the altruistic to the economic, but in a 2011 Pew survey of post-9/11 military veterans, more than half specifically cited the opportunity to learn skills they could use in the civilian workforce was an important factor in their decision to serve. As employers, we have a great opportunity not only to help veterans achieve their goal of a successful transition to the civilian workforce, but to achieve our own in the process: hiring the best employees possible to ensure the success of our own organizations.
At S3, we're honored to serve our military veterans, and it's part of the DNA of our company. We started small, developing and launching our first military hiring initiative in October 2013, hiring four veterans with no staffing industry or IT experience and teaching them our business from the ground up as part of a new central sourcing team concept. Since that time, we've grown the team to nearly two dozen veterans and they've been credited with helping our recruiters make more than 1,000 hires for our customers.
"Hire character. Train skill." It works.
MORE: Essential soft skills for managers
Tags: featured, veterans
Ken Huxley
Ken Huxley, a retired Air Force Colonel, is VP of talent acquisition for Strategic Staffing Solutions. | all in order to see a task through to its conclusion: to get the job done.
PREMIUM CONTENT: ACA's Effect on Bill Rates and Strategies
That's all well and good, you may ask, but are they trainable? On the surface, it may seem difficult or impossible to connect the dots between the vacant job you're trying to fill and a soldier who operated an M1A2 Abrams tank, a Marine responsible for large-unit combat logistics, a sailor medically trained as a combat corpsman, or an airman responsible for loading cargo or weapons on aircraft; however, the reality is that before these veterans acquired their military skills and experience, they were all just the kids next door or from down the | 144 |
Given the number of people injured and killed in car accidents each year, the safety of automobiles is important. In fact, many buyers rely on safety rating programs when choosing their next vehicles. One such rating program is the NHTSA's safety ratings, which as one of the most trusted and reliable sources of safety ratings for the public, provides car buyers with comprehensive safety information when shopping for new and used vehicles.
In November 2013, the NHTSA released its most recent safety ratings for vehicle manufacturers, dealers, and advertising agencies. Each year, the NHTSA announces a lineup of model year passenger vehicles that will be tested as part of the agency's 5-star rating program, testing those vehicles with the highest sales volumes. For 2014, the NHTSA will rate approximately 87% of 2014 model year vehicles that will be sold in the U.S.<|fim_middle|> five star ratings is misleading the public. Those advertisements that do not conform to the guidelines may result in "Buyer Alert" warnings, removal from the ratings programs, or referral to other federal or state authorities for appropriate action.
As you can see, traffic crashes remain a major cause of injury and death for Texas citizens. If you, your family or friends have been involved in a motor vehicle accidents and sustained injuries at the hands of a negligent driver, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the San Antonio personal injury attorneys at Carabin & Shaw today. Our Law Firm always offers a free initial consultation on all cases and we are only paid if we win, which means that there is never a fee unless we successfully resolve your case. | for frontal and side collision protection and 92% for rollover resistance. Of the 48 vehicles included in the rating system, there are 22 passenger vehicles (including 2-door, 4-door, hatchbacks, and station wagons), 18 sport utility vehicles, 5 pickups, and 3 vans, and various makes and models.
The agency also unveiled updated advertising guidelines aimed at help to ensure that consumers receive accurate and consistent information regarding vehicle safety ratings. According to a press release issued by the NHTSA, the updated guidelines now explicitly states that ratings are always whole numbers and that the NHTSA does not award a rating higher than 5. As a result, manufacturers and advertising agencies should not advertise ratings with decimal points or ratings over 5. This means that any advertisements that claim more than | 169 |
I met up with the entire Harnish clan for some family portraits at Hubbards Beach. This is always one of the highlights of the year for me, because I have been capturing this sweet family every year for the past 3 or so years. It's been an amazing experience watching them change, grow, and add new family members!
We wanted to get the whole family together before the busy club season started up. That's the only time when all the family members are able to be together at the same time, after all. And it was, of course, extra special to meet on the beach that means so much to the family.<|fim_middle|> you enjoy the summer and cherish these images for many years to come! I'm already looking forward to when I get to see you all again! | I always love when my families pick out a place for their sessions that has special meaning, because it really gives the family pictures even more depth.
I'd already met the little boys in this family—Rhys and Alex—but little baby Abby was new to the scene. She was literally the cutest and most well-behaved baby I think I have ever met! Kate and BJ should be so proud of their little girl.
And of course, the boys were so fun as usual. We even managed to capture a few smiles while they were busy playing . And my favourite moment of the whole session was when the kids put on their Shore Club hats. Talk about a family tradition! Just try not to absolutely melt when you see that!
I can't thank you enough for letting me capture your sweet family each and every year! I hope | 168 |
The popular loop-powered transmitters we know as guided wave radar (GWR) burst onto the scene in the late 1990s. Here are some insights into this breakthrough technology and the effect it has had on the level measurement world.
In GWR transmitters, the principle of time domain reflectometry (TDR) utilizes pulses of high frequency electromagnetic energy to measure distances. When a pulse reaches a dielectric discontinuity created by the surface of the process medium, the pulse is reflected and modern low power circuitry measures the time of flight.
Magnetrol® experts were among the pioneers in the field of guided wave radar. In 1998, MAGNETROL released the first guided wave radar transmitter, the Eclipse® Model 705. Over the years, the ECLIPSE family has expanded to include a variety of probes for a broad range of applications, an enhanced version of the Model 705, and most recently the high-performance, cutting-edge Model 706 with best-in-class performance.
Initially, the ECLIPSE was not considered to be very revolutionary. Why would a customer use a "RF capacitance-looking device" with a probe? Non-contact devices were also available at that time, and appeared to have clear advantages over a contacting device. With ultrasonic and radar transmitters already carving out their own niche in the marketplace, installing a probe seemed almost archaic.
However, what the process industries have discovered over the past 20 years is that a probe contacting the process medium can be the key to accurate level measurement in those difficult low dielectric, high temperature applications. A probe offers a conductive path into the vessel upon which the extremely low energy signal can travel. This allows the maximum amount of energy to reach the surface, where it is reflected and sent back to the transmitter for interpretation. Liquids with very low dielectrics and specific gravities can be measured accurately. In addition, since the probe is a conductive path that maintains control of the signal, energy is not scattered within the tank where it can encounter objects that can create false targets. In other words, the initial perceived weakness of the product requiring a probe is actually the strength of the entire system.
The ECLIPSE family has also solved many nagging measurement problems over the 20 years of its existence. One major issue often found with radar devices is a relatively low signal-to-noise ratio, or SNR. If there is a noise level interfering with detection of the actual signal, level measurement can be affected. MAGNETROL leads the industry in guided wave radar devices with superior SNR. ECLIPSE devices also feature Overfill Safe Operation, a function that allows the probe to measure true level throughout the tank, with no "dead zones" at the top of the probe.
Difficult process conditions, such as high-temperature, high-pressure, or saturated steam applications, do not affect ECLIPSE devices, which are able to measure<|fim_middle|> 20 years. To learn more about our transmitters, visit radar.magnetrol.com. | accurately even in challenging environments. These are just a few of the ways that MAGNETROL guided wave radar transmitters stand head and shoulders above other radar-based products.
MAGNETROL continues to innovate in the field of guided wave radar, as we have for the past | 54 |
You are at:Home»News»The Rees Named 'Best Ski Hotel 2<|fim_middle|>000 salmon smolt released into Lake Tekapo | 019' in World Ski Tourism Awards
The Rees Named 'Best Ski Hotel 2019' in World Ski Tourism Awards
By Margo Berryman on November 24, 2019 News, Snow
The Rees Queenstown has been officially recognised as the 'Best Ski Hotel in New Zealand 2019' at the World Ski Awards in Kitzbühel, Austria.
The annual premiere awards programme now in its 7thyear celebrates excellence in ski tourism and brings together representatives from ski nations across Europe, Asia, North America, South America and Australasia.
It is the fourth consecutive time the luxury 5 star hotel, luxury apartments & lakeside residences on the shores of the Wakatipu overlooking the Remarkables has been voted the number one world class performer.
The win is an international stamp of approval by peers, agents, industry groups and guests as the hotel has no oversight over who votes.
Sion Rapson, Managing Director of the World Ski Awards calls the win a "remarkable achievement".
"Throughout the year, a record number of votes have been cast by leading ski tourism professionals as well as hundreds of thousands of ski consumers from across the globe. Ski tourism's highest accolade is truly deserved and rewards your commitment to excellence and determination to become the undisputed market leader," he says.
The Rees is dedicated to ensuring both skiers and snowboarders have a truly unforgettable New Zealand winter experience. Year-on-year the hotel's innovations and collaborations seek to raise the service benchmark to the next level.
"We love the challenge of creating personalised experiences that lift the bar not only for the winter season, but all year round," says Mark Rose, CEO of The Rees Hotel.
The smorgasbord of snow packages the property offers is extensive. They cater to all levels from the beginner to the elite freestyle powder-hound. From heli-skiing in the heart of the Southern Alps to exclusive access to backcountry terrain and all the top skifields that Queenstown has to offer.
"We launched our 'Soho Experience' this season – it's an exclusive skiing experience over 260 hectares of the private backcountry Soho Basincomplete with snowcat transfers that ends with a gourmet three-course lunchwhich has proven to be a fantastic collaboration that we're really proud of," Rose says.
Skiing families are a specialty too at the luxury property with cute activity packs for every child on arrival, in-house babysitters, degustation menus even private cooking lessons with the Executive ChefCorey Hume.
All guests enjoy the convenience of an on-site ski locker plus in-room custom fittings for all ski rental equipment. The fuss free bespoke service is simple and made online prior to arrival. Follow-up service and collection is included.
For the last decade The Rees has been a dedicated accommodation sponsor of the Queenstown Winter Festival as part of its commitment to support one of the most significant winter tourism events at New Zealand's most popular tourism destination.
Real Journeys General Manager Paul Norris honoured by New Zealand Order of Merit
Queenstown GM Wins Top Award
50, | 641 |
Plymouth Albion now have 7 wins from 8 games and have been certainly been showing what they are made of.
Albion delivered another dominant defensive display last weekend which helped<|fim_middle|> with a more disciplined display, Albion Head Coach, Kieran Hallett, was pleased with how his side handled it.
"They ran a lot at us in the second half and made some nice offloads; we were more stressed, but I think we handled it well. We were dominant and calm throughout the first half, though, which was pleasing" said Hallett.
So, looking ahead to this week's game against Bishop's Stortford, Albion are looking to avoid a repeat of when both teams met at the Brickfields. Whilst the game ended in a 23-19 win for Albion, it was a late show of power that allowed Albion to escape with the win.
The recent results coming through for Bishop's Stortford are showing more similarities to that of Albion. Bishop's Stortford have been playing well, with 4 wins on the bounce and racking up 144 points. The back three for Bishop's Stortford have certainly been causing the other team's a problem, so it is something Albion will be mindful of when stepping out on the pitch this Saturday.
Unfortunately, Albion will still be without, Dan Pullinger, Luke Chapman & Ashlee Crouch, all of which are recovering from injury. However, Dan Collier is back from injury, so could feature at some point this weekend.
The game, being played at the Silver Leys Ground, Bishop's Stortford, this Saturday 9th February – Kick Off at 3pm. | Albion to a third win in a row and a move up to seventh place in National League One, following the 21-10 victory over a physical Cinderford side.
The visitors never got a sniff in the first half, with excellent kicking and chasing from the home side's backs keeping the ball at the Cinderford end for a 14-0 half-time lead. And, while Cinderford fought back after the break, outscoring their hosts | 94 |
The University of Alabama sorority recruitment begins on August 11th with Bid Day on Sunday August 19th. With the university holding the largest sorority recruitment in the country, finding your home away from home is a major accomplishment.
Lou<|fim_middle|> happies and bid day baskets for all eighteen sororities. All gifts are hand wrapped with a personalized card.
Lou & Company offers a variety of different bid day packages, that will be delivered to the new member's sorority house during the scheduled delivery times set by each sorority. All packages are filled on a first come first served basis, so we encourage you to order soon to get exactly what you want by Bid Day.
We are happy to help brighten your loved one's week, and would be honored to get to be a part of her recruitment experience! Give us a call at 205-535-7576 to order your recruitment gifts! | & Company would love to be a part of your daughter's recruitment experience during this exciting time. We offer non-greek rush week | 26 |
Pinkham Award
Alice Parker Award
TMF GALA 2022
The Miracle of Light
Letters to Our<|fim_middle|>0, Coro has introduced audiences to 26 world premieres, including 15 works commissioned by and for Coro Allegro, all from composers from under-represented groups—LGBTQ+, BIPOC, MENA, women and gender minorities. We offer a welcoming, affirming and supportive environment for performers and audiences alike of all sexualities, gender identities and expressions, races, ethnicities, and religions.
Experience that pride and community for yourself. Join the Coro Family of friends, allies, and members of the LGBTQ+ community as a singer, supporter, or volunteer.
Join our mailing list to stay updated on Coro Allegro's upcoming concerts, auditions, and fundraising events.
Support Coro Allegro
Donate now to help sustain Coro Allegro's award-winning programming and mission of building bridges between disparate communities through extraordinary music. Coro Allegro also receives proceeds from Amazon if you use the following link:
Copyright © 2022, Coro Allegro. All rights reserved. | Children
Letters Project
The White Raven
Amplifying Black Voices
Season Archives
Audience Reviews
JOIN US FOR FANFARES, SUNDAY 3/12
Coro Allegro marks the centennial of acclaimed and beloved Boston LGBTQ+ composer Daniel Pinkham with fanfares and works for double choir, brass quartet and organ by the late composer. Join us in the beautiful sanctuary of the Church of the Covenant, as we also celebrate Ralph Vaughan Williams' 150th anniversary with his lovely Mass in G minor, another double choir work. We then introduce Boston audiences to a 12-voice motet by composer Shawn Crouch, based on the poems by American Iraq War veteran Brian Turner which are juxtaposed with works by 12th Century Persian poet Hāfez, selected, reinterpreted and translated by contemporary Iranian poet, Sholeh Wolpé. Tickets start at $25, with significant discounts for seniors and students. Learn more.
The White Raven!
Coro Allegro marks 30+ years with Artistic Director David Hodgkins with a work written by Pinkham for Coro Allegro in celebration of the extraordinary, and the diversity of creation. Pinkham's setting of 18th century English neurodivergent poet Christopher Smart is paired with Hadyn's mass for troubled times, plus a spiritual arrangement by Dr. White-Clayton, reimagined with Black lives and Covid losses in mind, which Coro Allegro was honored to premiere with the Boston Landmarks Orchestra this summer.
Add an open message of support for LGBTQ+ youth to this powerful letter writing campaign. At a time when rights of transgender and other LGBTQ+ youth are being eroded and LGBTQ+ topics are being silenced, Coro Allegro, the Boston Alliance of GLBTQ+ Youth (BAGLY) and other community partners are gathering and sharing letters from the LGBTQ+ community and allies to support queer youth and their families, with the power of our collective voices. Learn about the moving letters to transgender kids and survivors of conversion therapy that inspired us and add your voice!
Letters Concert Replay
Watch for a digital replay in 2023 of our recent acclaimed concert, Letters to Our Children: Voices across Generations for LGBTQ+ Youth. Don't miss the world premiere of HERE I AM: I AM HERE by Andrea Clearfield, based on true stories and powerful letters of love to a transgender child and a survivor of conversion therapy by LGBTQ+ youth advocates Mimi Lemay and Sam Brinton — plus resonant and soaring works by Ronald Perera and Ola Gjeilo. We thank the amazing audience who stood with us, our guest artists, and community partners. Learn more and get updates.
About Coro Allegro
Coro Allegro is proud to be Boston's LGBTQ+ and allied classical chorus. Under the baton of Artistic Director David Hodgkins, Coro Allegro is known for award-winning programming, powerful commissions, and critically acclaimed performances and recordings of works by diverse classical and contemporary composers. Since our founding in 199 | 634 |
I cannot tell you how excited I am about my latest finish. I am a huge fan of Jacquie Gering's work - I just love the simple, clean and modern style of her designs. I love her colour choices and I especially love her passion for what she does. She inspires me.
When I decided to make myself a wall hanging for the bedroom a few weeks ago, I knew it needed to be something similar to Jacquie's work here. That picture had been on my Pinterest board for a long time and it was perfect for the wall closest to my side of the bed.
Modern log cabins are so much<|fim_middle|> Aurifil 50 wt in Dove to quilt a square spiral, starting in the centre of the quilt and working my way out. This made for lots and lots of turning, but it was so much worth the effort. I just love the look of the quilting on this wall hanging.
The finished size is 36" square. I am beyond proud of this and I smile every time I walk into my bedroom and see it hanging there!
I will be linking up at Amanda Jean's for Finish It Up Friday and at Crazy Dutch Bird Quilts for TGIFF.
So tell me - who inspires you when you quilt? | fun to make - so liberating. I chose Kona Coal, White, Bahama Blue and Citrus. I love the little pops of yellow with the grey, white and blue.
To quilt it, I used my walking foot and some | 49 |
We have very good news that we would like to share with you.
The excellent start of our campaign has caused quite a stir. Indeed, we have received solely positive feedback to the WIE MÄNNER ÜBER FRAUEN REDEN teaser and have raised awareness within the movie industry.
Various movie distributors have contacted us and expressed great interest in a potential partnership. For strategic reasons, we do not want to name any specific companies right now.
However, we can tell you that we will not immediately accept or reject any<|fim_middle|> release. While he mostly works behind the scenes, he is now introducing himself to you Companists. Enjoy the video! | of the inquiries we have received. Instead, we will decide on a suitable partner together with Douglas Welbat. As always, we will keep you posted.
Speaking of Douglas Welbat: As we recently informed you, the successful producer of movies such as "7 Zwerge - Männer allein im Wald" ("7 Dwarves - Men Alone in the Wood") has joined WIE MÄNNER ÜBER FRAUEN REDEN and will advise us on all aspects related to the movie's marketing and | 104 |
At the end of January, we hosted our first Symplectic user meeting of 2018 at Deakin University, Melbourne.
Attended by over 70 institutional representatives from around New Zealand and Australia, our user meeting formed part of a 3-day Digital Science extravaganza that also included sessions on Dimensions, Figshare, Altmetric and Digital Science Consultancy. Here's a short overview of the highlights.
The first day started with a traditional welcome from Christoper McAvaney, Director of eResearch at Deakin University.
We then heard from CEO Jonathan Breeze, explaining who Symplectic are (for those not yet familiar with us), giving a quick overview of Elements, our services and the features and functionality we've introduced since our last Australasia meeting.
Jonathan calculated that we had issued 63 pages of release notes in 2017 (!), including the launch of (and subsequent improvements to) Automatic Identifier Claiming, Repository Tools 2 for both EPrints & Figshare for Institutions, as well as improvements to the Assessment Module, and some of the positive feedback we've heard from the community about these. We then heard about some future projects that are being worked on.
After this, representatives from the universities of Melbourne, Auckland, Adelaide, Deakin and La Trobe formed a panel session to talk about how they each re-use the data captured in Elements.
We always enjoy listening to our clients talk about how they make use of Elements, and it was particularly pleasing to hear Murray from La Trobe explain how they had decided to widen their adoption of Elements from 'just' publication management to now also include researcher profiling as part of their recent decision to adopt VIVO (hosted by Symplectic).
For all our clients, data quality and completeness remains an ongoing challenge – both from external and internal systems – but in passing data to Elements, they have been able to identify and address data issues in upstream systems (e.g. HR and Grant Management systems). In such cases<|fim_middle|> Elements API to further the automated annotation of outputs in Elements.
We then heard from a number of Elements clients that have started to make use of the Elements Assessment module to capture contextually rich data in support of internal reviews and other data collection exercises. One thing that we were really pleased to hear was that the Assessment module was "easy to use"! This came from a business user of Elements who explained how non-technical staff at his University had been able to create bespoke forms and surveys independent of IT. This is something we hadn't considered when developing the Assessment module, but it was a point well made: the availability of IT resource at major universities can choke lower priority projects and so it was great to hear how the Assessment module has empowered business users to independently capture data they need without calling on IT.
Following the parallel session, we held a short Q&A on pushing affiliation data to ORCID (including audience participation from a number of researchers that attended our session as it was part of the Digital Science event) and then it was time for us to thank everyone for attending Symplectic's user day and to ask them to return on the following day for the Digital Science sessions.
On the Wednesday, we held a really positive meeting with our New Zealand clients who are all super busy using Elements to capture the portfolios required for the PBRF, and we held another "live SQL" session on querying the Elements Reporting database to help reveal the level and value of ORCID adoption within an institution.
Finally, Simon Porter from Digital Science provided a great tutorial on producing network visualisations using data captured in the Elements Reporting database. The event then continued as the Digital Science Showcase Week, with more from our partners at Altmetric and Figshare.
This was a particularly enjoyable few days, and we would like to thank staff at Deakin University and all our attendees for making it such a success. We can't wait to return next year! | , Elements not only breaks down data silos but also helps improve their data quality.
Following the panel session, Kate gave a great overview of our latest Repository Tools 2 work, including a demonstration of depositing to Figshare and a comprehensive overview of the Open Access Monitor.
Before lunch, Marko took to the stage and provided a live demonstration of updating the status of publications eligible for annual collections in batch, using Excel as a front end with a cunning bit of VBA to update and return statuses via a new API endpoint we will add to Elements v5.9.1. This was really exciting for many people in the room and another great example of how the Elements API can be used to reduce manual data curation.
After lunch, we saw a few short demos of other features we've been working on during the last year. We then split for workshops, both of the Assessment Module, and optimising the use of Automatic Claiming. Meanwhile, representatives from both UTS and Deakin gave some fascinating talks on how they are using the | 210 |
*Must be replacing oil fire heating system. Offer valid while funds last. **Outside Seattle – Other rebates may apply.
The City of Seattle is committed to reducing Seattle's carbon footprint.
By switching from dirty, expensive heating oil, to an energy-efficient heat pump using clean electricity, you reduce your heating and cooling costs, improve comfort and health, all while helping the environment by cutting use of fossil fuels. And, with generous combined incentives from the City of Seattle and Mitsubishi, there's never been a better time to make the switch!
Mitsubishi Electric Cooling and Heating allows you to replace traditional central furnaces with no need for ductwork. They work with the existing ducts or use ductless systems to more efficiently cool and heat your entire home with compact systems that will easily fit into your home.
Mitsubishi Hyper Heat technology detects the slightest changes in temperature and automatically adjusts for precise comfort and only use the exact amount of energy you need.
Heat pumps offer 40-50% efficiencies above industry standards. The Hyper Heat technology helps you avoid any costly electric back up heat.
Mitsubishi Electric systems are engineered for peak performance with guaranteed quality and durability.
Mitsubishi's engineering achieves quiet operations inside and out! Units are quiet enough to meet Seattles strictest noise ordinances.
Mitsubishi's low profile outdoor units are great for tight spaces and limited visibility. Plus they are made of 83% recycled components.
Connect your thermostat using the Kumo cloud mobile app. It puts complete control of your home's heating and cooling at your fingertips.
*Outside Seattle – Other rebates may apply. **Must be replacing oil fired<|fim_middle|> Now! | heating system.
Offer valid while funds last.
Contact A Participating Diamond Contractor | 15 |
The Version Of Us review!
Some moments can change your life for ever. Have you ever wondered, what if...?
A man is walking down a country lane. A woman, cycling towards him, swerves to avoid a<|fim_middle|> me crying but it really tied the stories together.
This book is out in June so I suggest you go pre-order as it is such a fantastic read and I enjoyed every moment of it. Or should I say every version of it! | dog. On that moment, their future hinges. There are three possible outcomes, three small decisions that could determine the rest of their life.
Eva and Jim are nineteen and students at Cambridge when their paths first cross in 1958. And then there is David, Eva's then-lover, an ambitious actor who loves Eva deeply. The Versions of Us follows the three different courses their lives could take following this first meeting. Lives filled with love, betrayal, ambition but through it all is a deep connection that endures whatever fate might throw at them.
The Versions of Us explores the idea that there are moments when our lives might have turned out differently, the tiny factors or decisions that could determine our fate, and the precarious nature of the foundations upon which we build our lives. It is also a story about the nature of love and how it grows, changes and evolves as we go through the vagaries of life.
My review - I absolutely ADORED this story.
Whenever I read a book I always think, hm what would have happened if this happened, and The Version Of Us gives you that.
We follow Eva and Jim on their journey of heartbreak and love, together and apart and it was just fantastic. There was three different versions and I think they all played out perfectly. All had the different versions of them and their lives and it was just great to read.
Sometimes I loved Jim in a version of the story and sometimes I hated him in a different version but all in all he was a really great character.
It's such a different kind of story that I've never read and I really enjoyed how the 3 different versions fitted in perfectly with each other. They all had a different story-line but in the end they all had the same outcome.
I have to admit I shed a few tears at the end of the book.
Each version was beautifully written and all in all it was just brilliant.
I really enjoyed the character of Eva, she was different in each version but somehow the same and I just thought she was an interesting character.
Her and Jim went through so much in each version and I was happy with the ending of all three. Some had | 439 |
Today's shoppers are better informed, digitally aware, and in search of ways to merge the online into everyday reality. Terms like virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality (more on these later), are driving retailers to make in-store and online changes to keep up with the new demands in consumer shopping behaviors and expectations.
In a February report published by YouGov, 17.9 percent of consumers already conduct virtual reality activities when shopping online. Brick-and-mortar retail is changing and virtual technology is leading the charge. Industries like automotive and luxury goods already embrace interactive visual modeling for online product displays, custom designs, and consumer engagement.
It's no surprise that companies are taking notice and marketing methods are shifting to adapt to this boom in virtual technology demand. Where once the virtual experiences were considered only for gamers or those willing to drop serious cash on software tools, the new face of virtual is open to all individuals, affordable, and surprisingly life-like. It's no longer a fad, but instead, the new norm. By 2019, eMarketer projects 49.2 million people in the United States will be using virtual reality and 54.4 million will engage with augmented reality technologies.
Opportunity knocks. Furniture industry answers.
Furniture and lifestyle ecommerce innovators Wayfair and Houzz have already started promoting their visual commerce solutions and augmented reality apps. They're giving shoppers the tools to invest time and money into the decision-making and purchasing processes.
With most consumers valuing unique furniture and room designs, it's essential for retailers to engage those shoppers with multi-dimensional, interactive visual technology. Immersing online shoppers with high-resolution and 3D imagery plays a significant role in fostering consumer commitment and seller success.
The e-learning blog, Sh!ft, explains that "90 percent of information transmitted to the brain is visual [and that] visuals are processed 60,000x faster in the brain than text".
By nature, humans think in multi-dimensional forms and space. Even before computer and smartphone technology, we have been designing in three dimensions—think elementary school dioramas, playdough, and how about Sir Charles Wheatstone's 1838 invention of the stereogram (no, not Instagram!).
The digital world of today looks a lot different and a lot more realistic than it ever has before. Software continues to elevate the visuals associated with 3D modeling and shoppers continue to expect it. "When consumers have the opportunity to see products from any angle, adjust style preferences,<|fim_middle|> manufacturers to render 3D product models for their digital catalogs.
After consulting the Magic 8 Ball app—yes, this is a thing, the virtual technology predictions sound truly amazing!
3D Printing: This printing trend is growing and the idea of creating and assembling custom furniture with a mouse-click or screen tap may not be that unheard of. More developments on this are sure to happen.
Virtual Accessories: Headsets, glasses, and wands have been present in VR applications since the technology began, primarily in the gaming community, but these accessories are now entering the virtual commerce arena. "Virtual accessories allow shoppers to design 3D room plans and arrange virtual furniture, then use the wearables to 'walk' through that space for an immersive experience," says Ron Gordon, Senior Vice President of Technology at MicroD. As accessories prices drop, expect immersive virtual commerce to rise.
Haptics: The science of touch is going digital. Imagine giving consumers the ability to touch and feel the furniture they are looking to purchase. Haptics applies computerized tactile sensations by using a glove or other device (maybe yet to be invented?) to allow shoppers an even more realistic and immersive experience.
If you've made it through the article this far, great job. Information overload and futuristic whiz-bang tools can be hard to conceptualize on paper. Visual technology, whether you embrace it now or later is happening and it's already affecting how shoppers shop and retailers sell.
The perks of visual technology are significant—don't believe me?
As you consider the direction your retail business will take in the next few years regarding visual technology and visual commerce, remember your in-store and online showrooms are extensions of each other and exist to service your customers in the most comprehensive way possible.
Integrating tools and solutions that are engaging, exciting, and immersive, shows that you can adapt to the changes in consumer behavior, understand the new shopping experience, and plan to thrive in the digital environment. Maybe it's time for me to throw on my virtual accessories and take a mixed reality walk through your virtual brick-and-mortar.
Hayley Leocha has spent more than 10 years in the furniture industry working with retailers and manufacturers to overcome their digital challenges. She can be reached at hayleyleocha@microdinc.com. | fabrics and finishes and then arrange those items into a room scene, it's as if the retailer has brought the showroom right into that shoppers home," explains John Thompson, Enterprise Sales Director at MicroD LLC. The virtual design experience should be magical, fun, and profitable.
Virtual Reality (VR) is a digital environment which allows a user to interact within that space as if actually present. In regards to furniture, a virtual reality setting is created by the user or interior designer through 3D room planning software to replicate a shopper's home or to imagine a new space completely—hello HGTV design shows. When applied to furniture models, virtual reality allows the shopper to spin, rotate and inspect the merchandise from every angle and viewpoint, as if in-person.
Augmented Reality (AR) is an extension of VR and blends the computerized environment with the physical environment (Pokémon Go ring a bell?). In the case of furniture, shoppers use the camera on a mobile device to snap pictures of their physical space and then drop virtual items into that space. A room scene will contain 3D furniture models that can be swapped out, customized, and repositioned without breaking a sweat.
Mixed Reality (MR) is exactly how it sounds. In mixed reality, multiple platforms are brought together into one digitally complex environment. The combination of platforms allows users to bring in other items like product data, virtual walls, and videos. A shopper can be looking at a photo of their room scene, but layered over top, also watching a video of how to assemble their furniture or an animation of the pieces expanding to show features and components.
There's a good chance retailers with a design-centered business have already started to enhance shoppers' virtual experiences through 2D room planners or product configuration tools. Moving towards a VR, AR, and MR environment simply takes the willingness of retailers to find the right service provider, update their room planning software, and share their opinions with manufacturers.
Most virtual technology solutions are turnkey with plug-and-play catalogs; however, catalogs are only as good as the photography provided by manufacturers. By expressing the desire to go virtual, retailers can guide | 430 |
Want to enjoy a round of golf in Pearland – take your pick from three, championship 18-hole golf courses! Bowling, disc golf, miniature golf plus fishing and hunting exhibitions are also close at hand in Pearland. We also have Major league sporting venues just a short drive from Pearland with NRG Stadium for NFL, Minute Maid Park for MLB and the Toyota Center for NBA games.
Locally you'll find the Pearl Theater, home of the Pearland Theatre Guild, with staged productions designed to enrich the cultural life in the city. Enjoy a flick at a local movie theater with two, nearby cinemas.
You'll find over 175 acres of beautiful park land and miles of walking, hiking, jogging, and bike trails in Pearland. Splash pads, tennis courts, basketball courts,<|fim_middle|> amenities you'll find in our parks which are perfect for relaxing, picnicking or bird-watching. For swimming, the Natatorium is a state of the art facility with a competition pool and 4 diving boards; a water depth of 7′-13′ and activity pool; zero depth entry and 4 lap lanes.
Visitors and local residents alike enjoy Pearland's annual events. The programming is scheduled throughout the year and includes a variety of events appealing to kids of all ages including Paws in the Park; Concerts in the Park; Pearland Wine & Food Festival; Pearland International Festival; Pearland Art & Crafts on the Pavilion; and Hometown Christmas just to name a few.
Birding in Pearland is popular as the City is located in northern Brazoria County, home to the Upper Texas Coast – Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. Pearland preserves several habitats that are critical for birds flying in for migration. Birds fly in from across the Gulf of Mexico and as the saying goes "location is everything". Luckily for bird watchers, novice and seasoned alike, Pearland is a perfect stop for birding – prepare to love it!
There are a wide variety of experiences to choose from in Pearland. Choose from Golfing, Shopping, Birding, Touring, and Eating your way through our many regional activities. | volleyball courts, dog parks and picnic tables are just a few of the | 14 |
Esteemed friends of wisdombreeze, it is with a grateful heart that I joyfully say "Merry Christmas to us"
Yes it is Christmas! A season of love as we all know, i mean true love from<|fim_middle|> happiness, joy, success, good health and above all a true and lovely people around you.
I love you, merry Christmas and a joyous celebration and Happy New Year in Advance. Cheers!
Won't you wish me a merry Christmas too? I would love to hear from you, kindly use the comment box below, thank you.
I appreciate you saying that and I'm glad you stop by. I wish you a Lovely days ahead. Happy New Year in Advance! | the heart and not the lips. Agape love. An unconditional love, my dear friends, please be there for someone today, be in present.
Gift or without gift be true and be you. Let your presence in someone's life makes today's celebration a lovely and memorable.
Just like the presence of our Lord Jesus is more than any riches, wealth and all the material things that can be offered in this world.
To all my fellow bloggers, merry Christmas to us! I wish everyone | 98 |
Steve Brown Launching Barrio Logan Bar, Debuts Dinner & Documentary Series
by admin | Mar <|fim_middle|>, heading up to the Bay Area for several events with his Japan travel companions. The chef and his cohorts will be the first Americans to import an entire A5 Satsuma Wagyu steer, which will star in a butcher demo dinner on April 29 with Guy Crims at Pape Meat Company in Millbrae. Brown tells Eater that he's looking forward to showcasing the off cuts of the animal and using the prized beef fat in pastries and baked goods that will be offered at his dinners and supplied to local coffee shops.
The dinners continue with Jared Montarbo of Alexander's Steakhouse in Cupertino and Jackson Yu of Michelin-starred Omakase Restaurant teaming up with Brown at Bashamichi restaurant in San Francisco before the chef returns to Barrio Logan on May 8 for a collab with Christine Rivera of Galaxy Taco, with the goal of taking the dinner concept full circle back to Japan. Working with a cinematographer, Brown is filming each of the dinners as episodes for a new documentary series that he plans to shop to well-known networks; watch a preview trailer now. | 17, 2017 | Chef's Blog
If you thought that Steve Brown couldn't possibly fit one more thing on his plate, you'd be wrong. The industrious chef, who already has a brewery restaurant in the works in Imperial Beach and a brick-and-mortar home for his Cosecha pop-up primed for Coronado, has just signed on as chef/partner of Bar Logan, a new beer and wine bar in Barrio Logan that's aiming to open by early summer. Joining forces with owner/developer Alan Cassell, Brown will create a menu of upscale modern American small plates for the bar that will have Baja-influenced flavors and ingredients. Baja will also have a significant presence on the beverage side; the 1,600-square-foot space, which features a 20-seat bar, will have a Baja-heavy craft beer list and a wine list from wine director Fernando Gaxiola of Baja Wine + Food that will stock more than 50 labels from the top family-owned, boutique producers in the Valle de Guadalupe. The bar's high-tech wine system will enable many of the wines to be available by the glass.
Brown, who recently returned from a tour in Japan sponsored by the Japanese Wagyu Committee, is doubling-down on Barrio Logan. The private space where he kicked off a weekly residence in January will be the home base for a dinner series he calls "A Beautiful Contradiction". Just named the official chef brand ambassador for A5 Satsuma Wagyu, Brown and guest chefs will cook 12 to 22 courses featuring the imported luxury beef and locally grown vegetables from non-profit partner Wild Willow Farm. Starting with a dinner this Friday, March 17 in collaboration with Claudette Zepeda Wilkins (Top Chef Mexico, Liberty Station's incoming El Jardin), the series will make a detour to 1500 OCEAN on April 12 with Hotel del Coronado's Meredith Manee before returning to Barrio Logan on April 20 for a dinner with Tidal's DJ Tangalin followed by a surf and turf feast with Azuki Sushi on April 24.
From there, Brown will take "A Beautiful Contradiction" on the road | 466 |
As part of the rebrand, I'm redesigning the logo of OAC Photography.<|fim_middle|> also very creative, using a wedding ring as the lens (as possibly flash?) for the camera.
This logo is extremely clever. The Red Snapper is a fish, constructed from the aperture symbol. Very playful.
This logo uses negative space to suggest the lens of a camera, which with the shapes around it create a whole camera, putting across the theme of photography extremely well.
I like the idea of using the view finder framing in logo design, it really screams the theme of photography, making it easy to communicate the client's skill set.
Another logo using the view finder framing, it works really well, and definitely puts across the theme of photography very easily. | I'm researching into existing logos for photography companies/individuals. To see if I can draw any elements of their design, to perhaps implement into my own logo design.
The Wedcake logo seen in the top right of this image is extremely well thought out. It uses the zoom of the lens to cross represent and three tiered wedding cake, using negative space to separate the tiers. The Weddring logo is | 83 |
Category: Europe
July 10, 2020 January 16, 2021 M England, History, References
Lord Mayor's Show
The long garage was empty. Under the neon lights the black and gold painted dragon on wheels looked like a float waiting for the Lord Mayor's Show. It was pointing towards the sliding doors and the hatch of the armoured cabin stood open.
DR. NO Chapter 19
James Bond has just finished Dr. No's obstacle course and disposed of the Dr, and is now, along with Honeychile Rider looking for a means to get away from the compound, which is in pure chaos at the moment. He spots Dr. No's "dragon" and it reminds him of a float for the Lord Mayor's Show.
The Lord Mayor's Show is one of the oldest annual events in London, being 802 years old as of 2020. In 1215, King John attempted to win over the city of London to his side by appointing a mayor who would be loyal to him. According to the event's website:
The King added a careful condition: every year the newly elected Mayor must leave the safety of the City, travel upriver to Westminster and swear loyalty to him. The Mayor has now made that journey nearly 700 times, despite plagues and fires and countless wars, and pledged his or her loyalty to 34 kings and queens of England.
https://lordmayorsshow.london/history/origins
As the procession went up to Westminster by river, this is why to this day, vehicles used in processions are referred to as "floats." In 1757 a magnificent State Coach was commissioned. The coach had "gilded coachwork and painted panels depicting London's majesty, piety and global reach." The Black and Gold dragon of Dr No brought the State Coach to Bond's mind.
Lord Mayor's Day 1958, during the events of Dr No.
May 31, 2018 May 31, 2018 M England, References
Royal Zoological Society
"Bryce, John Bryce."
She wrote busily. "Permanent address?"
"Care of the Royal Zoological Society, Regent's Park, London, England."
"Ornithologist."
Dr No, Chapter 13
Founded in 1826, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of animals and their habitats. In 1829, King George IV gave the society a Royal Charter.
James Bond uses the ZSL as part of his cover story in Dr No, when he and Honey Rider arrive in the reception area of the Dr's headquarters on Crab Key. Bond lists his next-of-kin as M (using his real name), describing him as his Uncle, and giving his address as Managing Director, Universal Export, Regent's Park, London.
Thus, the Regent's Park location of the Zoological Society and the London zoo, is conveniently located near Bond's office in the secret service building in Regent's park.
A more modern look at the offices of the Zoological Society.
August 26, 2015 M France, Travel
Hôtel Ritz Paris
When James Bond arrives in Paris, after having departed the Orient Express in Dijon, he heads to the luxurious Ritz Hotel.
Bond's taxi pulls up to the Rue Cambon entrance of the hotel.
Ritz<|fim_middle|> it. He thrust the memory of the last three days away from him. Tatiana saw the tense lines in his face relax. She reached over and took his hand. He moved and sat close to her. They looked out at the gay villas on the Corniche* and at the sailing boats and the people water-skiing.
The train clanged across some points and slid quietly into the gleaming station of Trieste.
The station in Trieste opened in 1857, and was in its centennial year when the events of From Russia With Love
took place. In the post-WWII years, Trieste was something of a political hotbed, with both Italy and Yugoslavia claiming territorial rights. from 1947-1954 the city was under UN protection, in two zones, one for each nation.
In Bond's view, things may be looking up, but that will quickly change with the arrival of an unannounced agent.
Fleming notes that "The sun shone through the tall clean windows of the station in golden shafts."
*A "Corniche" is a cliff-side road, many times overlooking a body of water. | Hotel, Paris. Rue Cambon Street side.
He goes into the hotel, takes a left and goes into the Ritz bar, where he has a double vodka martini.
Bond feels wonderful at the moment. After finishing his martini, he goes to the concierge lodge, is given a pass-key (and a sharp look) on orders from Rene Mathis, and heads to his destination – room 204.
Here are a couple of the suites from the Ritz Paris, which has been under renovation for the last few years. These are from prior to the renovations.
It was a typical Ritz sitting-room, extremely elegant, with good Empire furniture. The walls were white and the curtains and chair covers were of a small patterned chintz of red roses on white. The carpet was wine-red and close-fitted.
In a pool of sunshine, in a low-armed chair beside a Directoire writing desk, a little old woman sat knitting.
The novel From Russia With Love ends inside this room 204 of the Ritz Hotel, Paris.
August 19, 2015 June 30, 2017 M Europe, Travel
All Orient Express Stations In From Russia With Love
For the last few months, we've been taking a deep-dive into the journey on board the Orient Express during the events of From Russia With Love.
While doing this, I've plotted the course on the new Google My Maps feature, and I'm pleased to show it to you here:
The map is interactive – you can zoom in and out, open it full screen, and click on any of the markers for photographs and links to the posts about that station.
Here are the stations in order of the events from the novel:
Istanbul (Turkey)
Uzunkopru (Turkey)
Alexandropolis and Pithion (Greece)
Thessaloniki (Greece)
Idomeni (Greece)
Belgrade (Yugoslavia – Serbia)
Vincovci and Brod (Yugoslavia – Croatia)
Zagreb (Yugoslavia – Croatia)
Ljubljana (Yugoslavia – Slovenia)
Sezana (Yugoslvia – Slovenia)
Poggioreale (Italy)
Maestre, Venice, Padua, Vicenza and Verona (Italy)
Domodossola (Italy)
Iselle (Italy) and Brig (Switzerland)
Lausanne and Vallorbe (Switzerland)
Dijon (France)
August 18, 2015 M Italy
Domodossola Train Station (Italy)
James Bond is in the midst of an intense talk with Captain Nash when he senses change.
The train began to slow down.
Domodossola. The Italian frontier. But what about customs? But Bond remembered. There were no formalities for the through carriages until they got to France, to the frontier, Vallorbes.
The station of Domodossola is another in the series of 19th century train stations still in use today, having opened in 1888.
August 18, 2015 M Switzerland
Lausanne and Vallorbe
After departing the station of Brig, Switzerland, James Bond has some cleaning up to do in his compartment on board the Orient Express.
Tatiana Romanova is sleeping and Bond does not wake her while he tidied up. When he does attempt to wake her, they are nearly to the station of Lausanne.
Then an hour later, they reach the French frontier of Vallorbe. Bond waits in the corridor, lest the officials see the mess he made of his compartment.
Then they are in France and on the home stretch.
July 23, 2015 M France, Travel
Dijon Railway Station
In From Russia With Love, after James Bond has a disagreement with Captain Nash, he decides to take Tatiana and leave the train at Dijon. (Gare de Dijon-Ville)
At last they were down the steps and on to the hard, wonderful, motionless platform. A blue-smocked porter took their luggage.
The sun was beginning to rise. At that hour of the morning there were very few passengers awake. Only a handful in the third class, who had ridden 'hard' through the night, saw a young man help a young girl away from the dusty carriage with the romantic names on its side toward the drab door that said 'SORTIE'.
They make their own way to Paris.
Platform at Dijon, late 1950's.
Dijon Station, 1945
The station in Dijon was opened in 1849 and remains in operation to this day. By the way, SORTIE is just a designation for an exit.
June 29, 2015 August 18, 2015 M Italy, Switzerland, Travel
Simplon Tunnel
In From Russia With Love, the Simplon Tunnel is the planned killing ground for Red Grant/Captain Nash to do away with James Bond and Tatiana Romanova, completing the SMERSH plan to embarrass the British Secret Service and eliminate Bond, who has been a thorn in their side.
Nash took a quick glance at his wrist watch. 'In about twenty minutes we go into the Simplon tunnel. That's where they want it done. More drama for the papers. One bullet for you. As we go into the tunnel. Just one in the heart. The noise of the tunnel will help in case you're a noisy dier – rattle and so forth. Then one in the back of the neck for here – with your gun- and out the window she goes.
A few moments later, Nash explains the appeal for the press:
Old man, the story's got everything. Orient Express. Beautiful Russian spy murdered in Simplon tunnel.
Bond then knows that he's walked right into the trap.
The Simplon Tunnel is 12 miles (20km) long and connects Italy with Switzerland through the Alps. The first tunnel was completed in 1905 and the second in 1921. This allowed the Orient Express to get through to Italy while avoiding pro-German territory.
Italian Side of Simplon Tunnel.
Swiss Side of Simplon Tunnel.
The station on the Italian side of the tunnel is the Stazione di Iselle di Trasquera. After passing through the tunnel, the train arrives in the Brig Railway Station in Switzerland.
Brig Station, 1950.
June 11, 2015 M Italy, Travel
Maestre, Venice, Padua, Vicenza and Verona
After meeting up with Captain Nash at Trieste, James Bond is relieved to have some help, and an opportunity to eat and spend some time with Tatiana.
After eating dinner in the restaurant car – tagliatelli verdi (Green, narrow ribbons of pasta) and an escalope (slice of meat pounded thin and breaded) they retire to their berth. It is just as they are pulling into Mestre – which is the mainland station of Venice.
After Mestre, they head to Venice, Bond asks Tatiana if she'd like to see the station, but she says it's just another station, and she has something else she wants to do with Bond at the moment.
Venezia Santa Lucia station. (Venice)
They then fall asleep, continuing to sleep as they pass through Padua (Padova):
La stazione di Padova (Padua)
And then Vicenza:
There was then a "fabulous sunset over Verona."
After passing through Verona, Bond awakes as the sun is going down. He looks out over the Lombardy Plain. He's feeling good.
That is soon to change.
May 18, 2015 May 18, 2015 M Italy, Travel
Trieste Centrale station, Italy
After Poggioreale, the Orient Express is fully into Italy, and James Bond is feeling a bit better about things.
We've made it, thought Bond. I really think we've made | 1,697 |
Installing a home aquarium can be a big job. The more complex the concept, the more difficult the installation. Often times, the right product for a customer is the one that is tailored to their needs. This might mean a standard saltwater tank, but supplying the fish, coral reefs, and adornments for that tank can be difficult. Likewise, custom installations can be a nightmare in water circulation, feeding, and proper maintenance. A poorly installed tank won't last long, and not understanding the proper pH balance could lead to disaster. That's why we leverage over 40 years of experience and hundreds of installations to get the job done right.
The goal of residential installs is to provide the peace of<|fim_middle|> bring to a home. Studies have shown that home aquariums can lower heart rates, alleviate blood pressure, and reduce stress levels for owners who routinely maintain their fish tank or aquarium. Additionally, spending just a few minutes a day viewing an aquarium has been shown to increase happiness and cause higher levels of relaxation.
Having an aquatic habitat in your home can do wonders for your mental wellbeing and bring the family together in ways beyond what you can image. Be it an indoor aquarium with freshwater nano fish to an outdoor pond or water feature. Our aquarium installation experts will do everything they can to create the right habitat for you and your family. Click here to get a free estimate from Living Art Aquatic Design, Inc. or give us a call at (310) 822-7484 and create your own aquarium! | mind and serenity that natural environments can | 8 |
At the American Academy of Cosmet<|fim_middle|> Cosmetology enter the work force with well-honed technical skills as well as valuable work experience.
Come share your artistic personality with us! New classes starting every 5 weeks. | ology (AAC) we prepare students for a successful career in the modern cosmetology, barbering, facial, and manicuring related fields.
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Learning takes place in the classroom as well as in a salon environment where you will receive hands-on training and experience working with experienced instructors. Graduates of American Academy of | 212 |
Sports Hochi Explains Why Naito<|fim_middle|>018 September 24, 2018 Yoko 0 Comments Hi No Kuni, Intercontinental Championship, Los Ingobernables de Japon, Tetsuya Naito
By Sports Hochi
"This is why Naito deserves to be the MVP of Pro-Wrestling"
The Spots Magazines "Number" revealed the current standings of the "Puroresu Sousenkyo (fan vote)".
Naito Tetsuya has a clear lead over the man in second place, Tanahashi Hiroshi. We can expect that he's likely going to repeat as winner.
On April 29th, "Wrestling Hi No Kuni 2018" took place in Kumamoto. Naito showed exactly why he is so popular. After Naito defeated Suzuki Minoru, he spoke to the crowd.
"Did you guys enjoy Los Ingobernables de Japons' great pro-wrestling, for the first time in over 2 years, Kumamoto?" he said, "There was a big disaster two years ago here in Kumamoto". The venue, Grand Messe, served as an evacuation center in Kumamoto, after an earthquake hit, two years ago. Naito continued, "I know that many of you still haven't got over it, but I want to tell everyone to not be afraid of the the future and change. I want you to have courage."
Naito had momentum years ago, while being known as the "Stardust Genius". An injury in 2012 forced him to step back. He struggled, eventually being booed every time he stepped into the ring. After an excursion to Mexico in 2015, he had a breakthrough, with his own faction 'Los Ingobernables de Japon'. He encouraged fans in Kumamoto to take inspiration from his own struggles.
Backstage, he told press, "Even though they probably had forgotten, I promised Kumamoto 2 years ago that we'd be back, after the last canceled show here. I was finally able to fulfill that promise."
If he was only conceited, he would have only spoken of regaining the Intercontinental title. Instead, he spoke of the people in Kumamoto. This is pure Naito.
Every time takes the mic, the first thing he does is thank the fans. If we look back to the G1, we remember him saying, "I said this in the ring, I am thankful to the fans who made this moment great for me."
We asked Naito if this attitude is something he learned in Mexico, or was he always like this.
Naito looked straight at us, "I think I've always been that way. I was always a big fan of New Japan. I don't want to forget how I felt then. I believe I can reach these fans more than anyone else."
That was 8 moths ago, and Naito hasn't changed a bit. In every venue, we see fans with Los Ingo's hats and T-shirts (more than any other faction). Naito's attitude, 'Fans come first' has never changed.
He still says that the Intercontinental title is meaningless, even after becoming champion, and always complains about the decisions the company makes. But his 'rebel' attitude comes from being the biggest fan of New Japan, he knows what the fans want.
And we see through his speeches and in his fights, that the fans matter to him. As soon as his theme music, 'STARDUST' hits, they chant, 'Naito'. The fans have the ability to see what is real and true in a wrestler.
← Update on Numbers Fan Vote
Okada Believes Best of 3 Falls Stipulation Favors Him →
Naito Talks About The First Time He Was Told To Be 'Tranquilo'
Hiromu Wants Roppongi 3K To Risk The Belts Mid Tournament | Should be the MVP of Pro Wrestling
May 4, 2 | 14 |
Experience all that Glacier National Park has to offer in this gateway town offering easy access to the park and every conceivable outdoor activity.
Hike to the pristine Two Medicine Lakes, explore Glacier National Park and enjoy sightings of wildlife while staying in this rugged Montana town.
Stroll through a downtown with upscale restaurants and charming shops and galleries or discover unique festivals in a Montana outdoor capital.
Stay in St. Mary for big views and quick access to the Going to the Sun Highway or just about any outdoor activity you can name in Big Sky Country.
Only 9 miles from Glacier, visit this hospitable Western town for unforgettable outdoor activities and attractions including an arboretum and a dam.
Tour museums, parade through galleries and unique shops in the cultural capital of Glacier or check out Flathead Lake or Flathead National Forest.
Each of the nearby towns to Glacier National Park offers something special for the northwestern<|fim_middle|> lake gives you some well-deserved solitude on your vacation, as it is relatively isolated.
In Hungry Horse you'll get the chance to get a taste of the type of hospitality you'll only find in Montana. Only 9 miles from Glacier National Park, it is a great place to make your home base for your vacation activities.
There is so much to do in these two small towns on the edge of Glacier National Park. Fishing and hiking opportunities abound. These communities are so close to the western entrance, it makes it easy to get into the interior of the park rapidly.
Check out the town of Browning to find many historic attractions and a variety of hiking trails that take you into the backcountry. There are plenty of lakes and streams for fishing and campsites for marvelous camping.
Cut Bank is perfect for hunting, fishing and sightseeing. Big game like elk, deer and bighorn sheep attract hunters from all over. Fishing the clear lakes and rivers brings you cutthroat and rainbow trout.
Eureka, in Tobacco Valley, is surrounded with lakes and forestland, making it an ideal vacation destination, with outdoor recreation such as swimming, kayaking, hunting and much more. Close to the Whitefish Mountain Resort, it also makes a great winter vacation spot.
The Libby area offers wilderness adventures with the Kootenai National Forest surrounding, and its hundreds of miles of hiking trails. Camp out in a scenic spot and fish the Kootenai River.
If you want to have some northwestern Montana adventures, there's no better place to start than Rollins. In this quaint town in the Big Sky Country you'll discover nearby Flathead Lake gives you more than you bargained for in the way of outdoor fun.
St. Mary, Montana, on the eastern edge of Glacier National Park, is one of the best places to access Glacier National Park and travel the Going to the Sun Highway. Only a mile from the park's interior, you can make this your base for all your vacation activities. | Montana visitor, and each one is worth a stop on your Glacier vacation.
Surrounded by wilderness areas, Kalispell is the perfect stop for outdoor enthusiasts, with lots of hiking trails, wildlife and scenic views.
For a destination full of adventure, be sure to stop in Whitefish. On the northwest corner of Flathead Lake, you'll find water sports galore, as well as a wide array of accommodations and eateries.
Over on the northeast corner of Flathead Lake, Bigfork, Montana provides beautiful natural surroundings where you can spot wildlife like bears and wolves. Hiking trails are abundant, too, with nature all around.
Columbia Falls, Montana is one of the gateways to Glacier National Park. You simply must experience the recreation available to you here as well as a scenic drive along the North Fork of the Flathead River.
Glimpse the sweeping vistas of the mountains nearby, and enjoy Flathead Lake and all the fun it has to offer when you come to Polson.
Access the Going to the Sun Highway from West Glacier and drive through the heart of Glacier National Park. West Glacier is also on the river, providing many fishing opportunities.
East Glacier, on the eastern side of Glacier Park, lies within the Blackfoot Indian Reservation and provides many outdoor adventures and scenic wonders to all those who venture here.
Marvel at the pristine lakes, mountain landscapes and spectacular scenery at Swan Lake. The | 284 |
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Gregory Snider was born in Riverside,<|fim_middle|> the fundamental limits of dissipation in computation. He is a senior member of the IEEE, and a member of the American Physical Society and the American Society of Engineering Education. He has authored or co-authored over 100 journal publications and over 140 conference presentations. | CA. He received his BSEE degree from the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona in 1983. From 1983 to 1985, he worked for the Motorola Government Electronics Group on integrated circuit design. He received the MSEE and PhD degrees from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1987 and 1991, where his dissertation research was on the design and fabrication of quantum point contacts. As a post-doc from 1991 to 1993 in the Applied and Engineering Physics Department at Cornell University, he worked on ballistic transport devices. From 1993 to 1994, he worked for Galileo Electro-Optics Corporation on dry-etching techniques for the fabrication of microchannel plates. In 1994 he joined the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Notre, serving as Assistant Professor until 2000, as Associate Professor from 2000 to 2005, and as Professor since 2005. His current topics of research concentrate on the area of nanoelectronics and fabrication, molecular electronics, and the issues of | 247 |
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