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Hagio Moto is today a leading figure in Japan's manga industry–indeed, in the country's cultural sphere as a whole. Her oeuvre is broad and deep, with representative works including Pō no ichizoku (The Poe Clan), a depiction of beautiful vampires; Tōma no shinzō (The Heart of Thomas), about life in a boys' boarding school in Germany; 11 nin iru! (trans. They Were Eleven), a science-fiction masterpiece; and the psychological thriller Zankoku na kami ga shihai suru (A Savage God Reigns) (all published by Shōgakukan). These have earned her many devoted readers, particularly women, who eagerly look forward to immersing themselves in the next weekly or monthly installment of her work and experiencing her delicate artistic touch, captivating characters, and thrilling dialogue.
In 2009 Hagio celebrated the fortieth anniversary of her debut as a manga artist. Her creative spark shows no sign of dimming. In this interview she gives her own views on the appeal of Japanese manga.
Pō no ichizoku, vol. 1 (L) and Tōma no shinzō, vol. 1 (R), by Hagio Moto. (Shōgakukan Bunko)
ISOGAWA AKIKO I've long been a fan of your work, excitedly reading new installments as soon as they come out–something I do to this day. I recently reread a number of your manga, and one thing that jumped out at me was the fact that none of them feel dated at all.
HAGIO MOTO I'm so glad to hear you say that. I'm thankful most of all for my readers, who have read my work for so many years now.
ISOGAWA Some of your very finest series, like Pō no ichizoku and Tōma no shinzō, made their first appearances in the 1970s. At the time you were in your twenties. I remember that the girls' manga magazines in that era were mainly filled with light-hearted romance pieces set in schools or tales of drama and hardship on the sports field. But the themes and perspectives in your work were clearly different from anything else in the field of shōjo manga, the subgenre taking adolescent girls as its audience.
HAGIO It's hard to believe I was ever in my twenties! [Laughs] But yes, I do remember questioning the established concepts in the manga world, to some extent, as I wrote those pieces. Of course, I don't remember precisely what I was questioning any more. [Laughs] In my work I tend to stay "off to the side," in a manner of speaking. I don't stick to mainstream themes like love between young men and women, or the experience of youth. This might be why I've been able to stick around this long as a manga creator.
ISOGAWA Young female readers were most attracted to your tales of beautiful young men, like Pō no ichizoku and Tōma no shinzō.
HAGIO At that time, homosexuality was a popular theme among the people around me. Manga artists like Takemiya Keiko and Yamagishi Ryōko were coming out with a variety of pieces along these lines. There were even regular publications like Barazoku [The Rose Clan, published by Daini Shobō] specializing in this work. But when I learned what sort of sexual acts homosexual men actually engage in, it put me off somewhat. [Laughs] Still, when I happened to see the 1964 French film Les amitiés particulières, I found it extraordinarily lovely–it had a lot in common with the world portrayed in Hermann Hesse's writing. "Ah, if relations between boys can also feature this almost painfully naïve sentiment," I thought, "then I'd like to write manga about them." And so I began writing Tōma no shinzō.
ISOGAWA Many of your manga were carried in weekly or monthly publications like Shōgakukan's Shōjo komikku [Girls' Comic]. In those days many of the readers of these magazines–including me–were young teens. But your tales of love between boys whose voices had barely begun to change resonated with us somehow.
HAGIO I could say much the same about myself as the writer. Once I actually decided I would write a piece with love between girls as the theme, and I put together a plot, setting it in a girls' school. But I found the stories more interesting and more enjoyable to write when I set them in a boys' school.
ISOGAWA In 11 nin iru!–your first full-fledged science fiction work–you created a character whose sex remained undetermined until adulthood. This was a comforting thing for your young female readers–the idea of beings who were neither men nor women, who could become either.
HAGIO If you want to deal with sexual issues in your work, once you decide to express them through male and female characters, you end up bound wholly by certain preconceptions. This makes it harder to get at the heart of what you wanted to draw. When I changed the very concept of sex to free myself of this constraint, I found the expressive process became much easier. It might be illuminating to have a psychologist take a look at this phenomenon.
We tend to think of a marriage between a man and woman as the normal version of things, but I believe that in fact, love between people is a much more profound realm. We tend to be satisfied with the accepted practices that are in plain view, but I feel that there must be other worlds out there to consider.
ISOGAWA A moment ago you spoke of staying "off to the side." Would you say that the manga medium is better suited to portraying themes that don't get taken up by television and other mass media, or content of interest to a minority audience?
HAGIO Yes, I'd say that's the case. When readers open up a manga collection, they only need to read the works that truly interest them. If they don't want to read a certain work they can just turn to a different page. From the writer's perspective, this makes things easier to create, as well.
ISOGAWA In the years since your debut, works depicting male-male romance have come under the "boys' love" genre label. They're now such a key part of the girls' comic scene that they can no longer be called a minority interest. The female readers who enjoy this genre even have their own label: fujoshi, literally "rotten girls," homophonous with a term meaning "respectable woman." And this isn't limited to Japan.
HAGIO A young woman from Germany once came to visit me. She told me she was a real fan of Japan's manga–boys' love works in particular. She's engaged to be married and everything. I'd always thought that these homosexually themed comics would be off-limits in a Christian society, but they seem to have universal appeal to women around the world.
While on the topic of global manga fans, I'll mention one more person–not a fujoshi in this case–who decided he wanted to go to Japan after reading Tōma no shinzō. He's now teaching manga theory at a Japanese university.
ISOGAWA Whose work, and which works in particular, influenced you as an artist?
HAGIO A number of manga creators active at the same time as me have had an impact on my work, to varying degrees. But the greatest influence has been Tezuka Osamu. It was after reading his Shinsengumi [Kōdansha] that I knew I wanted to write manga. I learned much from his work when it came to depicting human psychology and crafting a narrative. In terms of drawing technique, I'd name Ishinomori Shōtarō as an influence. His images were truly marvelous. And Mizuno Hideko–I loved the way she drew the folds in dresses! I also appreciated Chiba Tetsuya's work, particularly the way he drew hands. His young men would wipe their cheeks with the backs of their hands–it looked fantastic. I was moved by the beauty of their exposed palms.
All these artists had their own particular area of strength, and I worked as hard as possible to steal what I could from them, copying it in my work. The general public might have seen those publications as nothing more than pulp comic magazines, but to me they were treasure troves of beauty.
ISOGAWA The protagonists in Tezuka's Shinsengumi weren't the famous members of the nineteenth-century band of warriors that went by that name, like Hijikata Toshizō or Okita Sōji.
HAGIO It wasn't possible to alter the main tale of what happened to the Shinsengumi, so he shifted the focus of his work by bringing minor characters to the fore. All these little touches were fodder for my study as well. I'm also a fan of Tezuka's Hidamari no ki [Sunlit Tree, published by Shōgakukan]. It's set after the 1867 end of the Tokugawa shōgunate, in the rapidly changing city of Tokyo, and it's populated with people whose vistas have suddenly opened wide, people with no problem keeping up with the pace of change, and people clinging to the world of the past. I think this is a marvelous portrayal of all these people living through an era of upheaval. It was such a complex time in history. How, I wondered, could Tezuka put it on paper in such an easy-to-understand way?
ISOGAWA So it's important to make things easily understood?
HAGIO Yes, it's important. Personally, I have a hard time reading Japanese novels. They're built on so many assumptions that you have to take for granted in order to advance through their pages. The authors seem to say, "Everyone knows this, right?" but in many cases I don't know those things. I can't stand that feeling of needing a certain level of understanding of writers or the worlds they create in order to read their books. I don't need to grasp all these assumptions to read foreign novels, on the other hand. I guess this is one reason I prefer writers whose prose is relatively "dry" and clear-cut. Among Japanese writers, these would include Ariyoshi Sawako and Shiba Ryōtarō. Upon first glance Tezuka's manga seem to be rather heavy on the "wet" emotion, but in fact they fall on the dry side for the most part, and I always found them easy to read.
ISOGAWA This February the theater troupe Studio Life will bring your 11 nin iru! to the stage. As I noted a moment ago, this 1975 work was your first serious foray into science fiction.
HAGIO I put it out just after the first oil shock. It was also an era of space exploration, with various nations racking up glorious accomplishments like the successful docking of spacecraft in orbit and the sending of probes to Venus. A flood of photographs from outer space were being released, and lots of space-themed magazines were hitting the stands; I also remember observatories going up all over Japan. I was probably influenced by living in that era itself.
ISOGAWA In your manga, youngsters hoping to enter the elite Galactic University board a spacecraft for their final entrance exam. There are supposed to be just ten of them, but they suddenly realize there's an extra person aboard. The hatch is already shut, and their test begins. These are all distinctive characters hailing from different planets throughout the galaxy. I thought the way you set up this story was absolutely thrilling.
HAGIO The motifs in that work were actually something I'd been mulling over ever since I was a high-school student, well before my debut. Northern Japan has folktales about the zashiki-warashi, a spirit that comes to dwell in a home, causing the residents to say, "Wait a minute, there's an extra person here!" I thought it might be interesting to build a science-fiction tale around that. I also wanted to set up the story so all the characters met each other for the first time at its outset.
ISOGAWA All the characters really stand out as individuals, and you manage to frame them all within their own dramatic narratives.
HAGIO There's a stage in the creative process where you've got the plot mapped out, along with the characters' lines, and you begin putting together ideas for their faces. It's strange, but as you draw those faces on the page you begin to perceive the stories in their backgrounds. Once their faces are fixed you see images of their mothers and fathers, their friends, the areas they come from, and even the homes they live in. I was fascinated as I drew 11 nin iru! because all these aspects of the lives of my characters came to my mind's eye.
ISOGAWA Are there times when these images don't come to you?
HAGIO Yes. It's like some portion of my mind is locked away. I might actually be thinking, "I really don't want to draw this part." [Laughs]
ISOGAWA Your eleven cadets all come from different worlds and have different backgrounds and reasons for wanting to enter the university. They're pressed to the very limits of their physical and mental capacity during the more than fifty days they live together, and a variety of accidents and suspicious incidents take place. At first they trade accusations with one another–"You're the eleventh one!"–but gradually they come to a mutual understanding.
HAGIO Recently Japan has been seeing some troubled times in its relations with nearby nations. I believe that communication is the only way we can resolve these issues. We've got to sit down, face to face, and talk things through thoroughly. It takes time and it's tough work, but communication is vital.
Another point to keep in mind is that all eleven of these characters put their individual talents to work in overcoming some difficulty. I feel it's a good idea to master as many skills as possible–they could be anything at all–so you can use those abilities in life. They could be cleaning or cooking; they could be medicine or engineering. It's important to actually put your own hands to work in cooperation with others.
ISOGAWA We've seen some new communication tools come out recently, like Apple's iPad.
HAGIO I think it's a wonderful development. I love to read manga, so I'm hoping we'll be able to use these tools to enjoy older works soon. When you get the sudden urge to read something you haven't gotten to yet, or a piece you remember reading long ago, you run down to the bookstore only to learn that it's out of print, most of the time. When that happens I want to be able to sit down and read it anyway–at full size, two facing pages at once! [Laughs] It's great that these new devices let us read large, legible print. I hope to see lots more manga become available as quickly as possible.
ISOGAWA What do you plan to work on next?
HAGIO I've got a few ideas, but it's been a while since I did a science fiction story, so that's what I'll do first. Then maybe a historical piece, or a "costume piece" that goes heavy on the glamorous clothing.
ISOGAWA How about a sequel to Pō no ichizoku?
HAGIO That's something I can't say for sure, unless I get a great new idea from somewhere . . . [Laughs]
Translated from "Watashi no baai, kaku mono ga sukoshi 'waki ni sorete' irun desu," Voice, February 2011, pp. 174-8. (Courtesy of PHP Institute) [February 2011]


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Microsoft in the US will launch a program early next year aimed at easing the financial burden for small and medium companies that sign multi-year contracts to license its software.
Called Open Value, the licensing program will allow some customers to spread out software payments over a period of three years when purchasing products such as the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office. It is comparable to "zero-down" financing, a US Microsoft spokeswoman said.
The program is the North American flavour of Microsoft's European licensing scheme for SMEs, which is being gradually rolled out worldwide. Microsoft said Open Value will be available in the US in early 2003. Eligible customers are those with anywhere from five to 500 PCs. Australia will wait a little longer for a similar scheme to be implemented here.
The vendor has also announced a new channel model for the US in which distributors are made licence providers and billing agents, while VARs and direct resellers serve as licensing advisers, earning fees from Microsoft for influencing a purchasing decision.
According to Thomas Kablau, licensing marketing manager for Microsoft Australia, both the new SMB licensing option and the new channel roles will take effect in the US in March 2003, and similar changes will follow in Australia later in the year.
"There is no date set for the launch of a similar SMB licensing option or channel model in Australia, although Microsoft is currently researching the market to determine what model would best suit Australian customers," Kablau said.

subset: commoncrawl


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Interpretive Planning for Museums: Integrating Visitor Perspectives in Decision Making/Interpretation: Making a Difference on Purpose
Related Articles
- GENERAL WORKS. // Reference & Research Book News;Jun2013, Vol. 28 Issue 3, p1
The article reviews several books including "Interpretive Planning for Museums: Integrating Visitor Perspectives in Decision Making" by Marcella D. Wells and Barbara Butler, Judith Koke, "The Transformative Humanities: A Manifesto" by Mikhai Epstein and translated and edited by Igor Klyukanov,...
- Interpretation: Making a Difference on Purpose. Ward, Carolyn // Journal of Interpretation Research;2013, Vol. 18 Issue 2, p101
No abstract available.
- Sam Ham's new book coming in multiple languages. // Legacy (National Association for Interpretation);Nov/Dec2014, Vol. 25 Issue 6, p39
No abstract available.
- Barbara Butler Tree Houses. // Complete Guide to Building Your Own Tree House: For Parents, Kid;2010, Special section p15
Photographs of several tree house designed Barbara Butler including Bel Air Bungalow, Majestic Tree House and Casa de Arbol are presented.
- Making a play. // Architectural Digest;Jun96, Vol. 53 Issue 6, p206
Focuses on Barbara Butler's business of making backyard play structures for children. Some of her creations; Contact point.
- Some Notable Appointments of Women to Faculty Positions. // Women in Academia Report;7/31/2012, p14
The article announces the appointment of Katherine Vaz as Sidney Harman Writer in Residence for the 2012-13 academic year at the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences at Baruch College, New York, the appointment of Barbara Butler to the Shepherd School of Music in Rice University, Houston, Texas...
- The one-stop coffin shop. Darwent, Charles // Management Today;Feb1997, p58
Features the funeral supplies firm Green Undertakings founded by Barbara Butler in Somerset, England. Experiences with the death of Butler's mother; Oligopoly of three big companies of the funeral services and supplies industry; Scale of demand for Butler's services; Partnership with Steve...
- Child's Play. // People;05/10/99, Vol. 51 Issue 17, p207
Profiles Barbara Butler, who builds playhouses for children. Amount parents pay for her constructions; Use of one of Butler's towers in the motion picture `Bicentennial Man'; Background.
- The Job Outlook: Awful. // Time;6/9/1975, Vol. 105 Issue 24, p58
The article focuses on the status of employment for college graduates in the U.S. It mentions the discouraging experience of Barbara Butler who was a graduate student with Bachelor's degree in Humanities at University of Minnesota in terms of looking for a better job. It states that the report...


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Eulogia of Sparta - Premium Organic Greek Heather Honey (298g)Prev Next
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Heather honey is made from nectar collected from tiny purple bell-shaped flowers of the common heather plant. Most of our products are in limited reserve. Heather honey is included in the elite of Mediterranean honeys!
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🍯 Benefits: Heather honey has high nutritional value, as it is considered to be the most nutritious of all honey varieties and is rich in iron and protein. It is known for its antibacterial, anti-fungal and antioxidant properties; contains minerals and proteins that boost your immune system and metabolism - cherished for its medicinal properties since ancient times
🍯 Origin: Our award-winning organic Heather honey is Greece's well-known natural treasures, is in the elite of the Mediterranean honey and is harvested in the Taygetos mountain region of Greece – Great Taste Golden Fork Award Winner | Best Imported food in UK 2017
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At Home with Beth Katz of Mt. Washington Pottery
We started carrying Mt. Washington Pottery for the first time this summer but I've been a fan of Beth Katz's handmade pieces for a little while now. I love the earthy textures in her work, and her unique talisman wall hangings, which look beautiful in any entryway or small space. Tomorrow we'll be posting our interview with Beth on her career and craft as well as showing you her studio. Today, though, I wanted to share a bit about Beth on a personal level through a tour of her renovated, 1920's cottage and a Q&A with the ceramic artist on all things interior design and style. Beth's home is located in the hills of Mt. Washington, hence the name of her company, and is the coziest spot while still being very minimal. If you've got a soft spot for LA canyon homes like I do, you'll love this space. XXJKE
Rip & Tan: Tell us about your home. What drew you to the space and/or neighborhood?
Beth Katz: My house is like a beach house that got stuck up in the trees. Initially I was drawn to the hilly canyon aspect of Mt. Washington. While I was growing up we lived in Topanga Canyon and then Laurel Canyon. The narrow windy streets and the wild landscape felt instantly like home for me.
Rip & Tan: What renovations or DIY projects have you taken on since moving in?
BK: I added a few windows and French doors in the bedroom when I first moved in. It wasn't until the third year that I added a second floor and took the original house down to the studs, redoing almost everything. It's my understanding that originally it was a two room hunting/weekend cottage built by a woman and her daughter in 1924. By the time I got here the house was a mash up of crown molding and knotty pine. My design goal was to update the house to function as a modern home but to look like I imagined it would if I had built it in the 1920's.
Rip & Tan: How would you describe the decor? Where did you find most of your things?
BK: The décor is eclectic, a mixture of Japanese, Shaker and natural elements. The only requirement I have is that have to love something to bring it into the house. Friends and family have made all of the art and much of the furniture. I love to travel and I am guilty of bringing things home with me from places near and far.
Rip & Tan: What is your favorite corner or room in the home and why?
BK: If I have to choose I'd say the back deck. It has a roof, screened windows, copper gutters and beautiful light all day.
Rip & Tan: How do you tend to entertain here? Who comes over and what do you do or provide?
BK: I like to have people over for dinner. I love to cook and tend to want to do everything myself, from going to the flower market downtown for fresh flowers to creating something delicious for dessert. That said, I've started to do more pot-luck meals so I can relax and enjoy spending the time with my friends.
Rip & Tan: How far apart are your studio and home? How do you travel between them?
BK: My studio is five and half miles from my home. It takes me twenty minutes to drive there during the week and only ten minutes on the weekends. I'm looking at a new studio space that's even closer to home. I would love to be able to walk to work!
Rip & Tan: What are your favorite neighborhood spots?
BK: There was not much in this area when I first moved here. Now there are so many great choices for everything. I love to eat at Yolk and Flour during the week and Amara Kitchen on the weekends. And El Buen Gusto, the pupseria at the bottom of my hill.
Rip & Tan: How would you describe your personal style? What do you tend to live in?
BK: I love textiles and well constructed clothes but most importantly everything must be comfortable. I'm all about how things feel. Sandals, shifts, clogs, cardigans and pajama pants. I wear a combo of these everyday.
Rip & Tan: What do you wear when you need or want to dress up a bit?
BK: Rings and bracelets. I can't wear them when I'm throwing on the potter's wheel so wearing them feels dressed up.
Rip & Tan: What are some of your beauty staples?
BK: I like to keep it simple. I scrub my face with a Japanese linen washcloth and moisturize with organic jojoba oil.
Rip & Tan: What beauty or wellness rituals do you stand behind?
BK: Drinking lots of water and stretching and walking every day.
Rip & Tan: How do you stay healthy?
BK: Getting enough sleep is key for me to stay healthy.
Photos: Nicki Sebastian


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Book Review
Hello World: How to Be Human in the Age of the Machine. By H. FRY (London, UK: Doubleday, 2018). pp. 244 + xii, hardback (ISBN 978-0-8575-2524-6), £18.99.
"In the age of the algorithm, humans have never been more important." With these words, Hannah Fry concludes her exploration of the state of the art of AI (but see below) as it affects everyday life. Mathematician Fry will be best known to people in the UK, where she's built a reputation as an excellent science communicator. She presented the documentary The Joy of Data for BBC4, and co-presents The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry on BBC Radio 4. She also recently started a regular slot, The Maths of Life, on Lauren Laverne's breakfast show on BBC Radio 6 Music.
There's Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Computational Statistics
Hello World focuses mostly on Machine Learning (ML) rather than AI per se, although the mainstream media (and some tech companies, who really should know better) often equate the two. And, as Fry notes, when people say "Machine Learning" what they are really talking about is computational statistics. Don't let this put you off, however. You don't need to be an expert in maths or statistics to understand what's going on here. Where a little extra knowledge is needed to grasp a particular concept, Fry provides it in a concise, easy-to-understand way. So those who aren't familiar with (as well as those who can't remember!) Bayes' Theorem, for example, will come away with a basic idea of how it works, as well as how and where it's being used.
No Silver Bullet
The Big Tech companies, amongst others, would have you believe that AI (read ML) is the solution to all our problems. Fry debunks this myth in a clear and highly readable manner that will appeal to people of all abilities. She begins with a high level description of ML, and the algorithms involved, before moving on to critique how it is being (and has been) deployed, using a plethora of examples showing how the algorithms are having an impact on our everyday lives.
For the most part, ML is used in areas where we rely on human decision-making. We know from the work of people like Dan Kahneman that human decision-making is far from perfect, particularly when there's a lot of data, and not a lot of time to come up with a suitable answer. In these situations we often rely on what Kahneman calls System One thinking (in his excellent book, Thinking, Fast and Slow), which is quick and works fine a lot of the time. It can lead to problems, however, in those cases where we should really have spent more time deliberating over the problem using the slower System Two thinking. One classic, albeit simple, example used in the book is:
A bat and ball together cost £1.10.
The bat costs £1 more than the ball.
How much does the ball cost?
(The answer is given at the foot of this review.)
From Chess to the Arts via Self-Driving Cars
Fry examines the power of ML algorithms, and the ways in which data is being harvested to feed them, some of which she describes as creepy. She illustrates the power starting with the familiar tale of the chess match between Garry Kasparov and Big Blue. While many will know the original outcome, they may be less aware of some of the clever behaviours that Big Blue was programmed to exhibit, and how it changed the way that Kasparov plays chess. The discussion about data will be a bit of an eye-opener for some people when they discover that there are companies — data brokers — whose sole business model is to sell your personal data; it may also make you think twice about signing up with genealogy companies that ask for your DNA.
It would be almost impossible to provide comprehensive coverage of all the areas where ML is being used, but Fry offers a very good cross-section. She shows how ML is already affecting our lives, for better or worse, in areas such as determining the length of custodial sentences in criminal justice; diagnosing cancer; helping cars to drive themselves; aiding the prevention and detection of crime; and even in making works of art, including music. In each of the different areas Fry critically appraises what the algorithms can do, always making sure that we're aware of the bad as well as the good. While some of the examples will be familiar, having received coverage in the press, others will not. There is enough detail in the main text, however, to satisfy the interest of both casual readers and passing experts. Anyone wanting a more detailed exposition can follow the endnotes to the extensive list of references at the back of the book.
Fry shows that the consequences of using ML are often relatively benign, but sometimes they can be very disturbing, as in the case of Steve Talley. He was severely beaten when he was arrested for carrying out two armed bank robberies. Talley was mistakenly identified, using face recognition (AI) software, and it took him over a year to clear his name, even though he had a cast-iron alibi.
The chapter on cars was of particular interest to me. Although research into self-driving cars has been around since the 1950s, it has really taken off in the last 20 years or so. These cars employ a plethora of sensors, and use Bayes Theorem to try to make sense of the world that the car perceives as it drives along. Current forecasts suggest that there will be autonomous vehicles on the roads from about 2020. They'll be rather more limited than some people would have you believe, however, and there are still many problems to be solved. These include technological ones, such as how to cope with faulty or failed sensors, and how to break the car's pre-programmed "rules of the road" so that you can do things like drive on the pavement to let an ambulance pass. But there are others too, such as the ethical problem of choosing between two possible outcomes, when both will lead to fatalities.
Rather than just allowing the cars to take over, Fry suggests that we should perhaps be thinking more in terms of the car working together with the driver. So, in some (limited) situations the car would be in control and act as a sort of chauffeur, while in others it would act more as a monitor to make sure that the driver, who is in control, is paying appropriate attention. Toyota is following this approach, which gives you the best of both worlds.
People + Transparent Technology
Fry picks up on the need for people and technology to work together from Bainbridge's classic Ironies of Automation. Many of the problems described in that paper are still prevalent some 35 years later. Fry goes on to suggest that we should be exploiting ML as a tool to support human decision-making, rather than replacing it. That way we can exploit the fact that people are better at doing some things, while technology is better at others. It also means that the responsibility for taking actions based on the final decision ultimately rests with the human. This strongly resonates with our approach when designing the FLORENCE (Fuzzy LOgic REspiratory Neonatal Care Expert) system a few years ago. FLORENCE was designed to help junior doctors make decisions when treating premature babies with Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Even though FLORENCE could have automatically implemented its decisions, we decided that they would always be carried out by the doctors. We also let staff use their own discretion in implementing FLORENCE's suggestions. As long as they gave their reasons for doing so, they were allowed to override FLORENCE.
The other main thing that Fry singles out is the need for algorithms to be transparent, so that we can understand how they arrive at their decisions. It's just like school, where you always had to show your working in mathematics… at least in my day! We designed FLORENCE to be able to provide its line of reasoning on request. This need for explanation is critical, because when any technology goes wrong—which it will, at some point—it is invariably the user (pilot, driver, whoever) that has to step in. In order to do so, however, they need to know what the system is currently doing.
Hello World is an excellent book. It's a very easy read, and requires no prior knowledge of ML (or AI, more generally). For novices and casual readers, it provides a very good introduction to ML and its strengths and weaknesses. For those with a background in ML, it provides plenty of pointers for futher investigation in the references. Hello World won't teach you how to write an ML algorithm, although it can be used to generate a set of principles (covering data collection, transparency, accuracy thresholds and so on) to help guide anyone who does. The book is very current, using several recent examples to illustrate its points. There is now a paperback edition available too, which includes an extra chapter. I highly recommend Hello World to everyone with an interest in ML, from those wanting to find out a little bit more about AI — ML, in particular — to those who are (or will be) developing ML algorithms.
ANSWER: For those who are still wondering about the bat and ball problem, the ball costs 5p (and the bat costs £1.05). Many people when they first encounter the problem think that the ball costs 10p, but that would mean that the bat costs £1.10, so the cost of both bat and ball would be £1.20, rather than £1.10.


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England have added pace bowlers Sam Curran and Craig Overton to their squad as they go in search of an unprecedented 5-0 one-day international series whitewash of arch-rivals Australia, it was announced Wednesday.
Eoin Morgan's men took an unassailable 3-0 lead in Nottingham on Tuesday when they posted a new world record total at this level of 481 for six.
Spin bowlers Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali then shared seven wickets between them at Trent Bridge as England won by the colossal margin of 242 runs.
It was England's heaviest ODI victory, in terms of runs, and world champions Australia's largest defeat.
But with pace-bowling all-rounders Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes missing the series through injury, England have decided to bolster their attack ahead of two ODIs in four days.
"Surrey's Sam Curran and Somerset's Craig Overton have been called up from the Lions (the national A side) to join England's squad for the final two Royal London ODIs against Australia," said an England and Wales Cricket Board statement issued Wednesday.
"Both players will travel to Chester-le-Street today and will be available for selection on Thursday at Emirates Riverside and the final match of the series at Emirates Old Trafford on Sunday, providing additional fast-bowling options," it added.
Uncapped Surrey left-armer seamer Curran will now join his brother Tom in an England squad for the first time -- having been named alongside him on Tuesday in the 14-man party chosen for the upcoming Twenty20s against Australia and India.
Somerset's Overton has also yet to make his ODI debut.
"I just feel they are one world-class seamer short of being one of the great one-day teams of all time...that world-class fast bowler that can really just take the game away from the opposition.
"It's just probably the one missing link. I don't want to put down the quicks they've got, they are obviously doing a job as well," Hussey added.
In the short term, England are concerned about the dangers of over-bowling their regular ODI pacemen Mark Wood, David Willey and Liam Plunkett.
Indeed, even in the afterglow of Tuesday's extraordinary victory, England ODI captain Morgan warned: "I think with only a day (before) the next game, it makes it more difficult for us to put out our strongest team.
"We've always looked at series like this, and games with one day in between, as quite rigorous for the bowlers.
"Their risk of injury goes through the roof. So we'll have to see how they pull up, and what they can do," Morgan added.
Yet it took England a mere 37 overs to dismiss Australia at Trent Bridge, with the most bowled by any of their quicks the seven apiece by Wood and Willey.


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Scottish biomaterials start-up Biogelx, a company supported by Strathclyde University Incubator, walked away with the biggest prize at this year's Engage Invest Exploit (EIE14), Scotland's largest new business showcase, after delivering the best pitch of all participating companies.
Biogelx, who supply peptide hydrogels for the global cell culture market, were named 'Pitch of the Day' winners after impressing audiences with their customised gel products, aimed at improving cell biology.
Where before cell biologists were largely faced with a one size fits all approach to growing cells in the laboratory Biogelx's gels can be designed to match the properties of different types of cells in culture, to mimic the behaviour of the body's tissues and organs.
CEO David Lightbody said, EIE14 was a great opportunity to showcase Biogelx to the investment community. We are delighted to have won the Pitch of the Day award, as it highlighted the potential of our technology to address a major market opportunity and served as an appreciation that we have a team in place who can deliver success.
EIE14, Scotland's premier annual investor event, brought together talent from the thriving Scottish start-up scene to talk to a variety of investors, with 60 companies taking part in the event at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh.
The event, organised and sponsored by Informatics Ventures, allowed time for three keynote speakers in between pitches and networking: Stagecoach co-founder Sir Brian Soutar, Chairman and CEO of Julie Meyer MBE, and after-dinner speaker Eve Muirhead, current Curling World Champion and Team GB Olympic Skipper.
EIE aims to facilitate communication between as many investors and start-ups as possible, setting up stalls for businesses to showcase their products and meet with interested parties.
Several companies are selected to present longer pitches on the day, with the most successful being chosen as winners.


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We practice in the following areas of discipline to create successful financial plans.
Our financial planning process is done on a fee basis, which puts our clients in control of the planning process, and allows us to act in a fiduciary capacity. Our approach is to listen to our clients. We discover who they truly are and what makes their lives significant. We do this by discussing their goals and objectives, their family situation, priorities, and time sensitive objectives. This is a deeply personal process that establishes our relationship of trust and mutual respect.


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A cute little drawstring bag to store baby teeth for the tooth fairy to collect.
Available in a range of colours which can be personalised with the child's name. Ideal and unusual gift for a boy or girl as their milk teeth begin to wobble!
Bag measures 5.5x9cm-a perfect size to be placed under a child's pillow.
Text can be printed in a range of different colours and a name can be added for personalisation. Please add name to Etsy notes when ordering or message for further details.
UK shipping is sent by Second Class Standard by Royal Mail (Delivery 2-3 days from shipping date)
All International shipping is sent by International Standard by Royal Mail. (Maximum Delivery 2-3 weeks from shipping date). PLEASE NOTE this shipping is not tracked. If you would like your item tracked and signed, please select the additional shipping option when making your purchase.
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Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
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But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
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Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
Apr 4, 2017


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In winter 2017, the latest fashion in Australian Federal politics seems to be having dual citizenship. At the time of writing, there are six members of the current Parliament who have been referred to the High Court to determine, amongst other things, if they were ever validly elected. Potentially, they could have to repay their salary, legislation they voted on may be invalid and so on. What happens from here is unknown and there are various claims and counter claims being made by 'interested stakeholders' including the Prime Minister.
The government is moving closer towards unilaterally referring four Labor MPs to the High Court to have the validity of their election tested, in a move that would mark a dramatic escalation of the citizenship stoush that has so far seen six MPs - Nationals Barnaby Joyce and Matt Canavan, former Greens Scott Ludlam and Larissa Waters, One Nation MP Malcolm Roberts and Nick Xenophon - referred to the High Court to have the validity of their election examined.
The four ALP MP's have immigrant backgrounds, however
A senior Labor source warned: "if we go down this path, it will destroy them."
The ALP was, the source said, "confident in our vetting processes, while they don't have one, that's why they need the High Court".
Others have the resources to cover the ins and outs of this brouhaha with far greater timeliness that this blogsite, but they probably don't get time to look at the demonstration of the morals and ethics displayed by the various players in this confected circus.
First up, Section 44 of the Constitution is there for a reason. Depending on your point of view it could be as relevant today as it was in the 1890's or it could be a throwback to the days of the white Australia policy and should be repealed. Bill O'Chee (former National Party Senator in the 1990's) seems to think there is a valid reason for the exclusion of dual citizens from the Parliament — the article is one point of view. Regardless, given that transport and communication around the world is considerably faster than it was in the 1890's, it's not so hard to understand that the chances of someone being a dual citizen (and being found out if they are) are significantly greater now than they were 120 years ago or thereabouts. All who nominate for Federal Parliament are reminded of their obligation in the Australian Electoral Commission's nomination form, so there is clearly no excuse for suggesting that anyone who chooses to run is not aware of the requirement to renounce any other citizenship.
The list of those that have been 'found out' as well as those that have questions surrounding their nationality continues to grow. There seems to be two groups of people caught up in this mess: those that are a victim of circumstance, and those that are not. The second group include Scott Ludlam, Malcolm Roberts and Matthew Canavan. Ludlam was born in New Zealand, immigrated to Australia and should have known that at some stage of his life he was a New Zealand citizen. Malcolm Roberts has a history of deliberate vagueness and irrationality, this being no different to his attitude to climate change. Matthew Canavan's excuse that his mother signed him up to be an Italian citizen in his 20's has as much creditability as Shane Warne's defence when he was temporarily banned from high level cricket for taking a banned diuretic drug in the early noughties, the dog ate my homework, it's only a flesh wound and many other worn out clichés.
Which leaves us with those with similar claims to Larissa Waters, Nick Xenophon and Barnaby Joyce, who seem to be victims of circumstance. While Waters was born in Canada to Australian parents studying in Winnipeg, she apparently was unaware that her birthplace gave her automatic Canadian citizenship according to their law. Waters left Canada when she was 11 months old. Ironically, the Canadian law was changed a week after her birth to an 'opt-out' system. Joyce holds New Zealand citizenship by virtue of his father being born there, according to New Zealand law (since repealed). Xenophon is a dual Australian/UK citizen by virtue of his father, a Greek Cypriot. When his father emigrated to Australia in the 1950's, Cyprus was a British Dominion and his father (despite trying to 'escape' the British), travelled to Australia on British travel documents.
The High Court is the place for the various claims and counterclaims to be determined, not a blog site, or for that matter by the pronouncements of Malcolm Turnbull, a relatively successful and prominent lawyer who appeared in front of the High Court, who has subsequently struggled as Prime Minister:
Based on advice from the solicitor-general, the government is very confident the court will not find that the member for New England [Joyce] is to be disqualified from the parliament
A blog site is in contrast, the place to make some observations about the way the various political parties are handling the dual citizenship matter. The basic issue here is does every Australian Federal Parliament representative meet the requirements of Section 44 of the Australian Constitution? In the case of the Greens, Coalition and One Nation — the answer is on the face of it, apparently they don't.
The ALP claims:
We are confident that every member of the Labor caucus has been properly elected," ALP Acting National Secretary Paul Erickson said.
The Labor Party works closely with all our candidates to ensure that their nomination is sound and compliant with the constitution.
This is a critical part of our nomination processes.
At the time of writing, the ALP's statement seems to be correct in that no ALP MP or Senator has been confirmed as a dual citizen, something that Manager of Opposition Business, Tony Burke, went some way towards explaining in Parliament a week or so ago:
"Every member of the Labor caucus has been properly elected. We have processes in place, that go back to grandparents, making sure that wherever citizenship needs to be renounced, that the full requirements of the Constitution are taking into account."
It didn't stop Shorten slapping the Greens administration practices with a wet lettuce leaf:
"I think Australians will say 'what is going on with the Green political party? Are they ready to be serious political operators? Are they up for the job?' And so I think that this sort of inadvertently damages people's confidence."
Turnbull's initial reaction was less that sympathetic.
"Obviously Senator Ludlam's oversight is a pretty remarkable one when you think about it — he's been in the Senate for so long," Mr Turnbull said.
In a separate interview with Channel Nine, the Prime Minister said:
"It is pretty amazing, isn't it, that you have had two out of nine Greens Senators didn't realise they were citizens of another country.
"It shows incredible sloppiness on their part. You know, when you nominate for Parliament, there is actually a question — you have got to address that Section 44 question and you've got to tick the box and confirm that you are not a citizen of another country.
When it came to Joyce's bona-fides being questioned a few days later, the situation was apparently completely different and the attack dog in Turnbull surfaced:
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has accused Labor leader Bill Shorten of "conspiring with a foreign power" to steal government, as he fights for survival following Barnaby Joyce's citizenship bombshell.
The reality is that Fairfax media had been 'sniffing around' the issue for a while, at the same time as a member of ALP Senator Penny Wong's staff asked a friend in the New Zealand Labour Party (and member of the New Zealand Parliament) about citizenship matters. The New Zealand Parliamentarian asked a question in Parliament which was later called inappropriate. Turnbull criticising two people networking while not touching the elephant in the room — Fairfax was going to publish the story anyway — is interesting. The Coalition claim to promote business, and should understand that networking is a large part of successful enterprise!
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop went hysterical:
"New Zealand is facing an election," Ms Bishop said. "Should there be a change of government [to Labour], I would find it very hard to build trust with those involved in allegations designed to undermine the government of Australia."
As Fairfax media reports:
However, NZ's Minister of Internal Affairs Peter Dunne [and leader of the United Future Party] said the rhetoric around NZ Labour was completely overblown.
'This is so much utter nonsense - while Hipkins' questions were inappropriate, they were not the instigator. Australian media inquiries were,' he said, referring to persistent questions from Fairfax Media.
The Australian High Court is the final arbitrator of who can legally sit in Australia's Federal Parliament. The increasing list of Federal Parliamentarians who have fallen foul of Section 44 of the Constitution through either citizenship or 'receiving profit from the crown' issues will have their day in court. The Greens Senators that have been affected by Section 44 of the Constitution announced their resignation from the Senate. The same can't be said for the National Party or One Nation Senators and Members of Parliament — Canavan resigned from the ministry (his portfolio being taken over by Joyce) while Joyce and Senator Nash have retained their 'responsibilities' while under investigation. One Nation Senator Roberts has not resigned, neither have Xenophon or the Coalition MP and Senator who may have a case to answer over the subclause of Section 44 prohibiting MPs and Senators from receiving income from 'the crown'.
Perth barrister, Dr John Cameron, brought down the first section 44 scalp, the Greens senator Scott Ludlam, by sending evidence of his New Zealand citizenship to the clerk of the Senate last month, an uneasy political detente held.
Xenophon claims that 'platoons of parliamentarians and their staff are now at work trying to knock each other out of the game'. If Xenophon is correct, we all have to question the calibre of those that the political parties consider suitable for public office, as they should be using their taxpayer provided resources for the public good rather than settling of personal grievances. Politicians in general need to understand that others do have differing opinions on certain issues (heck even some in their own faction do) and nobody has the absolutely correct answer to every problem. There is nothing wrong with opinions being different — the problem is when opinions are forced down people's throats as immutable facts. The Hawke era is still a demonstration of consensus between different groups generally resulting in a better outcome for all. The concept seems to have been lost since the 1980's probably due to slick political marketing and politicians playing to win at all costs overwhelming the discussion of ideas and concepts for the betterment of Australia.
Maybe the ALP does have bullet proof pre-selection processes or maybe they have just been lucky to date. Either way, maybe they are have learnt from past experience that 'sitting back, observing and eating the popcorn' is sometimes a much better strategy than throwing petrol onto a burning fire.
While the ALP was implicated, Fairfax media was going to run the story on Joyce's dual citizenship anyway, so the massed indignation of political interference was good theatrics — and that's about it. The Coalition, instead of admitting they had a problem and addressing it (as the Greens did through their Senators resigning from their job) thrashed around looking for someone else to blame for their own less than robust administrative process. Despite overwhelming evidence that the fan was starting to rotate anyway due to the investigations of Fairfax media, the Coalition tried to blame their political opposition. So much for the 'adult government' that are the only people with the skills necessary to govern the country. They can't even take responsibility for their actions — while not being afraid to give advice to the Greens on their administration practices less than a week earlier! What's that saying about pots and kettles?
The High Court will make their decision and depending what it is, the next few months could be really interesting to watch.
What do you think?
Let us know in comments below.
Related Posts
An ode to Mal Brough2353NM, The Political Sword, 20 March 2016Malcolm Thomas Brough was born in December 1961. He is the current Member of Parliament for the seat of Fisher – based on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. Between 1996 and 2007, he was the Member for Longman – based on Brisbane's outer northern suburbs. Brough recently announced his retirement from Parliament would take effect at the next election. Read more here:
And the Robbie nominees are. . .2353NM, TPS Extra, 4 March 2016Welcome to the 2016 Australian Federal Election Awards. We are here tonight to present the nominations for the tri-annual awards, based on form and practice during the past two years leading up to the scheduled election this year. Read more here:
Recent Posts
Inequality amblyopia
Ad astra, 6 August 2017
Inequality amblyopia is a condition affecting some conservatives, who simply cannot see inequality when looking directly at it. The facts and figures that convince objective observers that there is increasing inequality in our nation, are simply not visible to them.
As in childhood amblyopia, or 'lazy eye' as it is called colloquially, there is nothing wrong with the eye. Amblyopia results …
Dutton for PM — no thanks
2353NM, 13 August 2017
If the conservative ideologues get their way, Peter Dutton could be Prime Minister within a few months. If Dutton became Prime Minister, he would be the eighth person to be Prime Minister with double letters in his last name. For the record, if you get asked the question at a trivia night, the others are (in order) Cook, Scullin, Fadden, Rudd, Gillard, Abbott and Turnbull. The history of the last four is well known and in all cases their terms …
Are algorithms ruling your world?
Ad astra, 20 August 2017
A year or two ago, how many would have known what the word algorithm meant? Now it is a word in common use. It crops up whenever automation or artificial intelligence is mentioned.
The term 'automation' once conjured up images of robots doing manual tasks; now it encompasses intellectual or cognitive tasks being undertaken automatically. We are told that …
For more posts on The Political Sword, click here.


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Cold war , Great Britain
Scimitar FV107
The Scimitar is part of the CVRT range of light fast vehicles introduced to replace armoured cars in the British army. With it's high speed and powerful 30mm Rarden cannon the Scimitar acts as a reconnasance vehicle for both armoured and infantry formations.
Cold war , Great Britain
Scorpion FV101
The Alvis Scorpion was the first of the CVRT range of light fast vehicles introduced to replace armoured cars in the British army from 1973. With it's high speed and accurate 76mm gun the Scorpion acted as the eyes of the army. In the 1980s it began to be supplimented and eventually replaced by the Scimitar and Sabre in British …
Cold war , Middle East wars
The ZSU 23-4 Shilka came as a shock to NATO on it's introduction in 1965. The Shilka was an automated all weather SPAAG that would prove devastating to low flying aircraft. The 4x23mm cannon able to deliver upto 4000rpm would also go on to prove effective in the ground support role. Successfully exported to many nations around the world and …
Cold war , Great Britain
Landrover WOMBAT
In the 1960s the landrover was adapted to carry the powerful 120mm WOMBAT anti-tank gun. In continued in service even after the introduction of anti tank missiles up until the 1980s as a reserve weapon. It also remained in service with the Berlin Brigade, as ATGM were of limited use in built up areas.
Cold war , Israeli
GAZ69 jeep (x2)
Soviet built 4×4 "jeep" widely used throughout the Soviet block and allied nations. Produced from 1952 to 1975 and still in service in the 80s, Used in a similar way to the US jeep. Functions inluded: command transport, recon. FO, casualty evacution and support weapon transport. (2 models included)
Cold war , Middle East wars
MTU-55 Bridge only
This is the bridge only, it allows a second bridge to be assembled in the open or closed position.
a multipart kit requiring some modelmaking skill.
Cold war , scale 10mm
Armoured scissor bridge built on the T55 chassis. Used by most Warsaw Pack nations and Soviet supported nations. Used by Syria in the Golan attack in 1973.
The tank can be built with the bridge folded or as 2 seperate items, bridge and tank.
This is a multipart kit requiring some modelmaking skill
Cold war , Middle East wars
B-10 82mm Recoiless Rifle, Arab
Soviet 82mm recoiless rifle. It was introduced into service 1954 and supplied to many nations. This lightweight support weapon was used by infantry to fire HE and HEAT rounds
Pack contains 3 weapons
Cold war , Middle East wars
PMP pontoon bridge, Kraz Truck
Soviet Pontoon or Ribbon Bridge, this innovative design was notably used by Egyptian engineers to bridge the Suez Canal during the Yom Kippur war of 1973. The 150m wide canal was bridged in 2 hrs using this system, allowing tanks to cross. The massive all-terrain Kraz trucks were used in many other functions including artillery tractor and heavy transport. The …
Cold war , Israeli
M51 Super Sherman 105L44
Israeli development of the Sherman using a modified French 105mm gun from the AMX30 MBT and more powerful US diesel engine. These saw action in the 6 day war(1967) and Yom Kippur (1973) they proved capable of defeating much more modern Soviet armour
Cold war , Middle East wars
GAZ 66 truck
Soviet truck first designed and built in 1966, since then almost 1 million have been produced until production ceased in 1999. This rugged 4×4 truck has been exported around the globe with many specialist versions including paratrooper and rocket artillery versions. Truck payload 2 tons. Model can be built open or with canvas back
Cold war , Middle East wars
Soviet Infantry Fighting Vehicle deployed in 1967. It was first used in combat in the 1973 Yom Kippur war by Egypt and Syria with mixed results. It gave infantry armoured transport and close support with it's unique 73mm GROM gun and longer range tank defence with the Sagger missile system. To keep the vehicle amphibious the armour had to remain …
Cold war , Middle East wars
Post war Soviet AA tank. Intended to keep pace with armoured units, the manualy aimed clear weather system soon became out dated by the development of high speed jets in the 1960s. But the twin hard hitting 57mm guns often found use as ground support and still proved deadly against slow flying aircraft. This versatile rugged weapon has remained in …
Cold war , Israeli
Israeli Paratroop AT 106mm jeep (x2)
The M38 Jeep fitted with the American 106mm recoiles gun was used by IDF forces as a mobile support weapon and to provide light forces such as Paratroopers with a stand off anti-tank weapon.
Cold war , Israeli
Israeli Paratroop recce jeep (x2)
The M38 Jeep was widely used by IDF forces as a recon and liaison vehicle. Often seen with the windscreen removed and a camo net across the bonnet for rapid use. There could carry several MGs for defence or hit and run attacks.
Cold war , Middle East wars
Excellent tank developed from the T54, this tank incorporated the first 115mm smooth bore gun, a technology since copied by most nations. It has taken part in most cold war conflicts since its introduction in 1962. The T62 was widely exported and is still in reserve in Russia.
Cold war , scale 10mm
BTR-60 Command
8×8 Soviet command vehicle with telescopic radio mast and communications suite. Designed to protect the crew from artillery fragments and small arms fire. Providing fully amphibious transport that could keep up with armoured units
Cold war , Great Britain
Chieftain Mk5
The Chieftain tank was an icon the 60s & 70s. A huge, deadly, and tough tank. It suffered from unreliabilty issues and low power but still proved a potent machine. Serving with the UK, Iran and Jordan
Cold war , Israeli
M3 Half track APC
Israeli development of the American M3/M5 half track with ball mount MG for the commander, many were heavily upgunned with .50 cal and even 20mm cannons
Cold war , Israeli
IDF Infantry
Regular IDF infantry wearing US M1 helmet, in light marching order with mixed weapons including FN FAL, LMGs, Uzi and Anti tank ( 20 figures) enough to form approximately 2 squads. Suitable 1960-80s
Cold war , Israeli
Centurion Shot Kal
Israeli development of the Centurion using US diesel engine
Cold war , Egypt
T54e Egyptian upgrade 1970s
T54 upgraded with German and Yugoslav optics in mid 1970s; with laser rangefinder and night vision equipment, Model now comes with fuel drums
Cold war , Middle East wars
Sagger ATGM teams x5
Egyptian Sagger "suitcase" anti tank missile teams. These can be used for most Arab nations 1960-80s
Cold war
Showing 73–96 of 126 results


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We are a Cellaris franchise which means we only use parts directly from Apple. Cellaris is a worldwide leader in cellular accessories. We have a brand you can trust.
Same Day Service
You want your phone back ASAP that is why we make sure you receive your phone back in tip top fashion the same day. No need to mail your phone off or wait a few days like some repair services.
Trained & Certified Technicians
We are trained to repair your phone the right way. Beware of repairs from non certified facilities they may cause damage to your phone.
90 Day Ironclad Warranty
We offer a 90 day warranty on all Apple product repairs. If you have any problems just bring your phone back to our repair center.
We Beat Our Competitors Pricing!!!
(Keep checking for drops in our Iphone 6 pricing. New model phones are priced higher at first then they gradually drop in price.)


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Trouver plus de MAYHEM
Limited to 1.000 picture vinyl in a lush gatefold incl. 12-page vinyl booklet.
The most notorious black metal band of all times is back! By the power of darkness and the might of black-hearted will no two MAYHEM albums have been or will be the same.
Thus, the newest offering »Daemon« is unto itself. It's not the next chapter but rather the next tome in MAYHEM´s authoritative oeuvre. Composed and decomposed with the same lineup— Necrobutcher (bass), Hellhammer (drums), Attila Csihar (vocals), Teloch (guitars), and Ghul (guitars)—that handled »Esoteric Warfare« and performed »De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas« in its entirety over the last few years,
»Daemon« also isn't a retrofit of classic songs like 'Freezing Moon' , 'Pagan Fears' , or 'Buried by Time and Dust' .
That's what the live album, »De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Alive« (2016), was for. »Daemon« is a chance for change, for new hells to be envisioned and offered.
DIMMU BORGIR, CRADLE OF FILTH, BELPHEGOR, BEHEMOTH, IMMORTAL, BATHORY, CD Massaker, MARDUK, MYRKUR, DARKTHRONE, VENOM, SATYRICON, CELTIC FROST, EISREGEN, MELECHESH, SEPTIC FLESH, DEVILMENT, VENOM INC., PRIMORDIAL, WATAIN
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At its most basic, an electric guitar need only be some wood, wire and a single pickup. But there are many ways and mods that can supercharge your sound or just make your Gibson guitar play more efficiently. Here are just a few…
You can have a vibrato retro-fitted to just about any guitar, but it can cost you a considerable amount by a pro repairer. So it's probably best to decide if you want a vibrato from the off, before you buy.
Many of the ES-series guitars from 1958-onwards came with a factory-fitted Bigsby vibrato. Although a classic design, Bigsbys have a love/hate reputation for some players. Bigsbys are certainly not great for "divebombing" solos but for dramatically wobbling chords and riffs in rock, jazz and country, they have a unique appeal. There are still quite a few production Gibsons with a Bigsby fitted – the 2014 Les Paul Recording, the Luther Dickinson ES-335, the Gibson Memphis ES-195, the Chris Cornell ES-335 and more.
Signature artist Johnny A is a big fan of Bigsbys. "I just love Bigsbys," he tells Gibson.com. "I feel they are akin to a vocalist's vibrato. Totally expressive, but in a subtle way. Almost everything I do involves a Bigsby."
Gibson have their own vibrato designs, of course but – just like a Bigsby – some players originally found them erratic. No longer. 2014's 1961 Les Paul Tribute come with a stylish Deluxe Vibrato unit (commonly known as the "Sideways Vibrato" for its side-to-side action) comes with a totally re-engineered unit for smooth action with perfect pitch return. Or consider the SG Original, which comes with a Vibrola tailpiece with Lyre cover, or the blingin' Kirk Douglas SG which has a stunning Lyre vibrato in gold finish.
The Les Paul Axcess Standard is factory-fitted with a Floyd Rose tailpiece andR4 locking nut, which will handle the most flamboyant of whammy action. See also, the metal-friendly Gibson M-III with its black Floyd Rose hardware.
New Pickups!
Ever since Gibson's Seth Lover invented the "PAF" (Patent Applied For) humbucker back in the mid-1950s, there's been a market for replacement pickups. Why? Sometimes you just want a different tone on the same guitar. There are plenty of Gibson pickups, from exact recreations of past pickups to bespoke designs for AC/DC's Angus Young and Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi.
Here's a 101 on Gibson Humbuckers.
And it can really change your sound. The P-94R and P-94T are classic Gibson P-90-style single-coil pickups, but in a humbucker-size mounting. Or check out the Tuned Coil Tap technology for betting the best-of-both from 'Buckers and single-coil sounds.
Changing pickups can be a chore, as it used to involve soldering. No longer. Gibson's QuickConnect pickups are now on a number of select models, so swapping out between your favorite sounds has never been so easy. Only a screwdriver is required to remove the pickup mounting rings, then simply unplug the current pickup, put in your new one and play with a completely new core tone.
Sometimes it's little things. New Speed or Top Hat knobs, a new different color pickguard or even just different pickup mounting rings. Or the TP-6 Stop Bar/Tailpiece, an easy retro-fit that allows micro-tuning at your guitar's bridge, as favoured by BB King. Have a look at the Gibson Store. It's quite easy to pimp your favorite Gibson axe.
Get a Gibson with Min-ETune™
One of the most talked-about guitar innovations in recent years, this discreet "robot tuning" system that will ensure you never have a studio or live-playing worry again. At the push of a few buttons you'll always be in perfect tune… and in numerous different tunings.
You can buy a Gibson USA-made 2014 SGM (with Min-ETune™) for $816 or a USA-made Gibson 2014 LPM (Min-ETune™) for $925, which is great value.
Given the price on its own, you should probably decide if you want Min-ETune technology first. But you probably will. It's a superb add-on, and if you want it included for an superb price see all the 2014 Gibson models fitted with Min-ETune or watch Gibson's Min-ETune demos.


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Home > Uncategorized > Welcome to our law firm!
Welcome to our law firm!
September 2, 2011 Leave a comment Go to comments
Our law firm helps with bankruptcy, loan modification, and debt consolidations.
We file chapter 7 and chapter 13 bankruptcy cases.
It stops:
– Lawsuits,
– Creditor Calls,
– Repossessions,
– Foreclosures,
– Garnishments,
– it wipes out your unsecured debt like credit card debt, medical bills, and payday loans.
Bankruptcy cleans up your credit from negative reports and allows you to get a fresh start.


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- deannalg3
- 7 years ago
- Wedding: September 2014
We recently decided to consider a destination wedding instead of a local wedding… reason being is #1. cost… and we both decided this was really what suited us best… beautiful intimate tropical destination wedding!! No fuss! 🙂
We are considering an "all inclusive" destination wedding… The two locations we have checked out so far were Jamaica and Punta cana.
Has anyone ever done a destination wedding or is doing one… and to where? We would like a carribean tropical all inclusive… budget friendly preferred. 🙂
Any info or recommendations would be GREATLY appreciated!!!


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Saturday, August 25, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
A Special Memorial For Amber - Home Sweet Home
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Ashley & Brian's Shades of Purple
The different shades of purple roses, lilies and lysianthus are set off with a few white roses. These flowers press very nicely and look wonderful in a painting.
Posted by CurlyArt at 11:41 AM No comments:
Bernadette's Paris Themed Wedding
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THERE have been many, many famous games between Wanderers and Blackpool but we thought we'd bring you one of the more obscure.
This friendly, in the summer of 1999 at Bloomfield Road, finished as a 1-1 draw.
It is not recognisable for many things – Wanderers' goal on the day was supplied by Blackpool defender Paul Beesley who turned a cross from Ricardo Gardner into his own net.
The Tangerines equalised in the second half through Phil Clarkson.
Other than that, the 90 minutes was famous only because it was the debut for Olaf Snorrason – one of Wanderers' little known Icelanders. He replaced a better known one, Eidur Gudjohnsen in the second half.