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The outdoor sports company Vaude has just been honoured for their commitment to social and environmental responsibility.
To be honest, I have been quite impressed by the commitment shown by a number of outdoor sports companies, to social and environmental responsibility. Patagonia are an obvious 'name' which has pushed the environmental agenda, Rohan are another big company which is making serious strides in that area too, and there are a number of others which can also claim to have pretty decent environmental cred.
But I am particularly impressed by Vaude, a German company whose reputation for social and environmental responsibility throughout their design and production is pretty much impeccable.
As I say, they have just scooped another award or two, this time at the ISPO, an industry trade show in Munich. They won an overall award for their company wide social/eco activism in regards to their production, and a product award for the Vaude Blue One tent – which is a two man tent I think, I've yet to see one. All I really know is that it's made of a poly cotton, which is 65% organic cotton and 35% recycled polyester (PET1).
They are a pretty impressive company, the sort of people who remind you that there is really no excuse for other companies of a similar nature not to be walking the same path. Among other things they say about themselves:
"VAUDE is mindful in its dealings with people and the environment. Due to our constant inner reflection and unwavering idealism, we are quick and courageous to seek out contact with contemporary subjects and explore our own potential – leading to stories worthwhile in their making."
Sport equipment and clothing is high specification stuff, the good stuff lasts a long time we still have a Vaude rucsac that has been going strong for some time, a veteran of a number of overland expeds and other voyages – other cheaper rucsacs have not fared so well. If you are buying new, which I accept with this kind of clothing or equipment is often the most effective way (ahem – unless you go on ebay – ahem) – then buying from the most responsible producer you can is important. Check out the maker before you buy, and dont let yourself be glitzed by the fashionable looks of a particular jacket or piece of kit, that look will be old in a year or two's time, while the item itself should have many years of life in it.
So well done Vaude, I'm genuinely impressed. I have asked for more info about the Blue One tent, and if and when I get it, I shall share it.


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A crunchy summer salad that combines tomatillos, corn, jicama, tomatoes, Fresno chiles, and a creamy chipotle-avocado dressing.
This salad takes a few Mexican flavors and combines them into a crunchy, fresh side dish. Make the creamy avocado dressing in a blender, then toss it with fresh corn and diced tomatoes, jicima, and tomatillos. Fresno chiles, cilantro, and scallions round out the flavors.... Read More
View Recipe

subset: commoncrawl


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Schneider, Bernhard (16th century)
Bernhard Schneider, an Anabaptist martyr, "a young fellow" from Frisingen near Laubingen, baptized in Neckarweihingen, Württemberg, Germany, was imprisoned with other brethren at Passau and confessed on 18 September 1535, that he had joined the Anabaptists two years before and then moved to Auspitz, Moravia, and lived there until now. "They have no permanent place," but move from one place to another, "wherever God leads them, to places where they are permitted to work and stay." With the Münsterites they had nothing to do, nor were they opponents of government, "if it is with God." Only government that is contrary to God he would not obey, but would not rebel against it either, but leave vengeance to God. He is the author of the hymn, "O Herr Gott, mein Not tu ich dir klagen." He also wrote one stanza of the song "Mit freuden wolln wir singen." (See Philippite Brethren).
Bossert, Gustav. Quellen zur Geschichte der Täufer I. Band, Herzogtum Württemberg. Leipzig: M. Heinsius, 1930: 1180, under "Neckarweihingen."
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon, 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. IV, 83.
Wolkan, Rudolf. Die Lieder der Wiedertäufer. Berlin, 1903. Reprinted Nieuwkoop : B. De Graaf, 1965 : 30 ff., 38, 39, 255.
|Christian Neff
|Date Published
Cite This Article
MLA style
Neff, Christian. "Schneider, Bernhard (16th century)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 25 Nov 2020. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Schneider,_Bernhard_(16th_century)&oldid=144608.
APA style
Neff, Christian. (1959). Schneider, Bernhard (16th century). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 25 November 2020, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Schneider,_Bernhard_(16th_century)&oldid=144608.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 470. All rights reserved.
©1996-2020 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.


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Tag: google
Google Galaxy Nexus With Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
by lokety on Oct.19, 2011, under Posts
The next generation of Google's Android platform with their flagship phone model has been announced in Hong Kong on 18 Oct 2011. This is the fourth major version of the open mobile platform code-named Ice Cream Sandwich.
Here is my take on the new features and capabilities being shown now.
New look and feel – The new font is very pleasing to look with its slight curves at the ends of letters. I've always favoured the darker theme starting with 3.x and this version will do well to give that kind of sophistication to the device.
Face Unlock – Should be quite secure, knowing that face recognition technology can differentiate between a live human face and a photo. My concern is whether the front-facing camera is fast enough to be enabled and unlock the phone compared to existing methods. What about lighting conditions, cultural limitations, and when you are not in a comfortable position to use your face?
Android Beam – Now this is the future of sharing with friends physically near to you. It has always been a hassle to go through the vast data network just to go between devices a few feet away. Bluetooth transfers are not platform-agnostic and tends to be slow.
Voice typing – A useful feature we all know as dictation. Has to be real-time and not have to wait for it to "think" after finishing a sentence. Still, I've yet to see any such voice recognition technology being able to understand all variants of English. I remember IBM used to do this quite well with your own voice being trained first. Compared to Siri on the iPhone 4S, I think this lacks that extra ability to get your phone to do simple tasks without typing, such as create reminders and search for short answers.
Google+ – We already got that everywhere, Google.
Browser – Good to improve on the tab management. I find myself going to the menu too often to move between tabs. This is not difficult to implement, what took you so long?
Gmail – Offline capability is important, as much as people use this on their desktops. Bring it to Google Docs too!
Mobile Data Management – Eh, 3G Watchdog?
Single-Motion Panoramic Camera – Simple trick of recording your shot in video then stitching the best frames together to make that panorama effect. Nothing new or useful here (how often do you look or print a panorama?).
Vibrant high-definition display – 4.65″ sAMOLED with 720p screen? Sorry I don't intend to carry a TV in my pocket and I don't think I'll grow bigger hands any time soon.
Contour Display – Nokia 8110, no thanks.
I'm not greatly impressed by the feature list. While it is good to leave hardware buttons in the past, ICS lacks new ideas on the way we interact with the device. Why don't we make more use of the sensors such as the gyroscope, compass, GPS and microphone?
Location-based services are very useful these days, if you can develop the smart apps for it. Videos and other data-intensive apps need the ability to download via wi-fi and in the background, managed by the Android system.
Use the display in new ways, such as a means to communicate or as a dashboard in the car. We need better graphic API with lower cost of C/GPU usage. I'm not interested in having a 2GHz chip in my pocket when the GUI staggers along!
What are your thoughts on this phone and Android 4.0?
Google Galaxy Nexus – http://www.google.com/nexus
Unwrapping Ice Cream Sandwich on the Galaxy Nexus – http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2011/10/unwrapping-ice-cream-sandwich-on-galaxy.html
Technorati Tags: google, galaxy nexus, nexus, android, android 4.0, ice cream sandwich, google phone
Recover Android Phone Storage Using Temporary Root
by lokety on Jan.30, 2011, under Posts
If you often encounter the dreaded "Phone storage is getting low" notification on your Android 2.2+ phone and have already tried using "Manage applications" (under "Menu" -> "Settings" -> "Applications") and/or "App 2 SD" to remove apps, move apps on phone storage to the SD card, or cleared the cache, you can try the following procedure to move even more "phone-only" apps to your SD card.
I have used this to gain about 30MB of phone storage by moving huge apps such as iGO (17MB), Skype (4MB) and fring (3MB). Although some of these apps have not been configured/enabled by their developers to be installed on the SD card, the procedure overcomes this by using a powerful tool called Titanium Backup.
Not every app should be moved to the SD card. You should not move system or ROM apps such as GMail, Internet, or Youtube. Apps with widgets should be avoided as well, since the widgets will break on your home screens if you move them.
When you have Titanium Backup on your phone, it can also perform detailed backups of your apps and data and remove ROM or manufacturer-installed apps (aka bloatware). Another three apps below allow you to download and purchase apps from Market if you are in a country or with an operator with limited Market access.
Warning: please make a full backup of your phone before attempting this procedure. I am not responsible for any outcome resulting from this procedure.
- Android 2.2 (Froyo) or above phone
- VISIONary+ by MoDaCo (download link)
- Superuser by ChainsDD (download link)
- Titanium Backup by Joel Bourquard (download link)
- Market-Enabler by Andrea Baccega and Tim Strazzere (download link)
- Go to "Menu" -> "Settings" -> "Applications" -> "Development" and check/enable "USB debugging".
- Download and install VISIONary+. Launch VISIONary+ and click "Temproot now". The display will show an icon and some text indicating its progress and return back to the menu. Go back to your home screen.
- Download and install Superuser. You may launch Superuser to look at its interface, but there's nothing you need to do there at this point.
- Download and install Titanium Backup. Launch Titanium Backup and Superuser will interrupt with the following screen (not the exact wording here, just an example). Tap "Allow" to grant Titanium Backup temporary superuser/root access.
- Titanium Backup will now gather the list of apps installed on your phone (dialog will indicate "Building exact app size information"), which may take a few minutes to complete.
- Tap "Problems?" button at the bottom, and tap "Yes, do it". This downloads an additional tool called busybox into Titanium Backup's data.
- Note the amount of free phone storage just above the bottom row of buttons, labelled "Internal". The next few steps should attempt to increase the free amount.
- Tap "Backup / Restore" button at the top, you will see the list of apps that you can backup, remove and other operations.
- For each app that you want to move to SD card, tap the app and tap "Move to SD card". After a while, the app will be moved from your phone storage to the SD card. You can note the additional free space gained in Titanium Backup.
- Optional – If your Market is limited, download and install Market-Enabler. Tap "Settings list" on top and select one of the more popular (read US) operators to fake your phone to. Go back to Market and see if you can search for and download more/premium apps.
I managed to go from 9MB phone storage available to 40MB, which gives more space for data-intensive apps such as Google Maps, Google Reader, Internet and Opera Mini. Hope this helps you, enjoy!
Technorati Tags: android, phone storage, phone storage is getting low, temporary root, titanium backup, low space, low storage, move to sd, visionary, superuser
iPhone 4 Features & Against Android Phones
by lokety on Jun.10, 2010, under Posts
I have been doing video calls on my Nokia phones over 3G/3.5G although the compression ratio may be high and video quality is not as good as FaceTime. Front-facing cameras have been around for years on phones so Apple is not breaking new ground here.
The notable difference here is that Apple is offering this technology in open source format, so I hope this does not only work between two iPhone 4 units for long which sounds more like a marketing strategy now.
Android phones can use Skype and Fring for this with any other phones with the same app.
Retina Display
This technology is very impressive, possibly making the iPhone to have the more defined display quality on a portable electronic display, but I'm not personally bought on this.
To me, the phone is a daytime companion that handles my communication and multimedia needs. It should complement my daily routine, not be in the centre of it. There should be a practical physical size limit to a display on the phone because our hands and pockets don't grow continuously. Thus, how much more resolution can you fit into the same display size? At 300dpi, does it really make a difference in viewing text and images? Personally, I'm not going to spend more time than necessary staring at my phone's screen, which is no more than an hour.
Battery runtime is also directly and significantly related to display properties. I'm happier with a small but comfortable size with efficient lighting. This is where I believe AMOLED displays used in most Android phones outshine Apple's.
Perhaps this is attractive to folks who read a lot on their devices, especially during transit.
Nothing new here too. I've seen Android phones with over ten apps running simultaneously with negligible performance impact.
However, the Android design by default does not require apps to close when they are no longer needed, which takes a mind set change to get used to. This remains to be seen how iOS 4 handles this.
I wonder if double-tapping on the Home button for this will soon wear it out?
HD Video Recording and Editing
Again with the same reasons for Retina Display, I don't want to spend time messing with my videos on my phone. My life doesn't revolve around the phone. If I want to enjoy 720p or 1080p video, I'd do it on my large wide screen display with hi-definition audio without sticking my hand up the whole time.
To record HDV, I've got my videocam with a better sensor and optics.
I wouldn't need this on Android as well, but in both cases it would be nice if they can wirelessly send the video playback to a TV.
The geeks at xda-developers just hacked the Nexus One to record in 720p video…
5-Megapixel Camera with LED Flash
Come on… LED flash? Just how long does it take for manufacturers to use ultra-low light sensors and wireless flash?
Wait a minute, are we talking about a camera or a phone here? Right.
9.3mm Thick
Being the thinnest smartphone isn't a good thing. Do you want to hold a sheet of paper to your face? Steve, we live in a 3D world and our hands are actually big squishy stuff that grab things.
Aluminosilicate Glass Front and Back / Stainless Steel Band
The technology in the band is impressive, but the length and shape of it is not. Together with the two glass pieces, I have doubts on the durability of the construction. The iPhone 4 just feels like a window frame to me, which protects against two axes of pressure.
Now, the HTC Legend and a long-forgotten xda are superior here. They are aluminum enclosures which support pressure from all three axes. Aluminum is lighter, typically by three times. The Legend is even machined out of a metal unibody, like the Apple PowerBooks.
Steel does present better strain rate sensitivity and fatigue performance, but is attracted to magnetic fields. In the case of the phone, this probably has a detrimental effect on the wireless sensitivity since electromagnetic waves are used here.
The fact that Steve Jobs even announced the multi-color Bumper accessory gives me second thoughts on the glass-cum-steel sandwich design and durability.
Dual-microphone Noise Suppression
This is a great feature which is found in the Google Nexus and HTC Desire phones. Clever technology that works well.
One gripe that is common to all phones about dual microphones – it benefits the other parties. Why can't it be used to cancel ambient noise around me by feeding it to my listening speaker?
The location of the speakerphone on the iPhone 4 is weird. On my Nokia N78 and many other phones, there are stereo speakers on either side!
What do you think? Comment below.
Technorati Tags: iphone, iphone 4, apple iphone, review, feature, comparison, android, phone, mobile phone


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Count to 40. Someone in the United States just suffered a stroke.
Now do that six times. Someone just died from a stroke.
Over 800,000 people will have a stroke annually in America, making it the fifth-leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability.
A stroke is an attack on the brain. It happens when blood flow to an area of the brain is cut off either from a blockage or breakage of a blood vessel in the neck or brain.
When blood can't get to the brain, millions of cells begin to die. And the longer it's left untreated, the more severe the damage.
That means that the clock is ticking when a stroke hits. Knowing what to look for and how to act is of the utmost importance.
While stroke can strike anyone, women, African-Americans and Hispanics over 55 are most at risk, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, stroke kills twice as many African-Americans than Caucasians.
People with a family history of stroke or those who have suffered smaller blockages and strokes are also at greater risk.
If your loved one has recently had a stroke, or if you're worried someone is at risk, Visiting Angels does offer highly customizable home care services.
Caregivers with years of experience treating at-risk patients will provide peace of mind for the family member tasked with daily care for a loved one.
Stroke affects the brain, so it's hard to realize when someone is having one. Detecting the signs of stroke and getting quick treatment is important because medication must be given within the first three hours of the onset of a stroke.
Think F-A-S-T to help detection:
There may be other symptoms, including severe headaches with no known cause, dizziness or loss of balance and vision trouble from one or both eyes.
Prevention is the path of least resistance. Managing any chronic condition and making healthy lifestyle choices can drastically reduce the odds of stroke.
To manage chronic conditions:
To live healthier:
If you're worried that your loved one is at risk or might have suffered a stroke, seek immediate medical attention.
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The Peace of Mind that Ryan, and his staff brought to our family is invaluable. Thank you all so much
The Peace of Mind that Ryan, and his staff brought to our family is invaluable. Thank you all so much


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"You can do good or you can do well. Sooner or later they make you choose." MI5
Mod Squad
'You can say what you want about the South, but I almost never hear of anyone wanting to retire to the North.
Any comparison between American workers & CEO's , with their counterparts in Germany is not in any way shape or form a fair representation.
The German system is so much different than ours here there are no factors I am aware of that can be compared fairly.
I lived/ worked in Germany and other foreign countries for protracted periods of time.
Any flack that tells you the systems are comparable is foolish.
The labor laws alone would make most employers here weep at the very thought.
And happy & lucky to be doing it! My wife's 1st yr starting her retirement & tomorrow
we rally; at the BMWNEF Winter Rally with appox 550 mostly other retirees! I scoped
out the retirement scene a few years before she was ready.... and haven't looked back,
and seldom stay home long. Too many rallys and road trips I allways wanted to take
in. I don't see getting tired of it... hope she feels the same come year end!
"Breathing is easy... living takes effort" John
So, what I hear is, that they cannot be compared. Back to my retirement... & no rallies here as too white!
Sorry , I do not understand your last comment
"& no rally's here as to white"
What does that mean ?
I also should clarify what i said about unfair comparisons of systems/cultures;
many years ago I was asked to make a presentation to our board of directors about my areas of responsibility and earnings.
I gave my presentation and the only question asked was;
How much in " real money " ( read US $$)does all that mean ?
I was appalled , here we were a supposedly international company with a 2.6 billion dollar a year turn over, and the people leading and providing guidance were so small they could not comprehend that the money earned in a foreign operation was just that. Earned from the sweat of our employees in their native currency. Had no bearing on US corporation profitability.
I quickly did the conversions and then stated it would be the only time i would bother with it. It was there responsibility to know if they felt it was necessary.
The board never asked me that question again.
Besides the money mostly had to remain in the countries we were working in as the fees charged by those governments to take the money out and convert it to dollars was prohibitive.
We then actually became an international company by using currencies earned there to buy and trade for goods and services provided by the countries in which
we were operating.
Again , that's why i feel there is no fair comparison of labor /management in the USA vs other countries.


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Thanks Paulina- ! Paulina is one of my favorite gourmet newlyweds…..
"Hey Marlene! I have a great recipe for you, this is my Moroccan style stew with chickpeas butternut squash and fire roasted tomatoes. I made this last week for dinner and served it with grilled chicken and whole wheat couscous. It is a filling and healthy dinner I know you will love! (keep in mind I added my spices without measuring and those measurements should be adjusted to taste) "- Paulina Ashkenazi
Kosher Recipe Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash cubed
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 celery stalks chopped
- 6 baby bella mushrooms chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 12oz can of chickpeas
- 8 oz can crushed tomatoes (I used 'Muir Glen organic fire roasted tomatoes')
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- crushed red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup of vegetable broth or water
Directions for making this Kosher Recipe
1 . Sauté first 6 ingredients with some salt until soft
2. Add chickpeas, tomatoes and spices until the juices from tomatoes start bubbling
3. Add broth and let simmer for 30 min, if it becomes too thick add more broth/ water
4. Remove bay leaf and finish with handful of chopped parsley
Serving Instructions
Serve with couscous or rice
Delicious with grilled kosher chicken or fish for a hearty and healthy meal!
Share your great kosher recipes! send them to firstname.lastname@example.com!


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text: CASP is the first research project of its kind devoted to the systematic exploration and documentation of the ways in which Shakespeare has been adapted into a national, multicultural theatrical practice. Originally launched in 2004 by Professor Daniel Fischlin, CASP Version 2 was released in 2007 offering more than double the content, including learning, teaching, multimedia, and research resources and pedagogical tools related to how Shakespeare has been adapted into (and out of) Canadian theatre. CASP Version 2 reflects the project's ongoing commitment to blending the best practices of humanities research, new media, online publishing, accessibility, and community engagement.


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Blackjack Strategy
Back 2 the topic of LAS VEGAS
February 2004
I am going to Las Vegas again this summer for the 2004 National Chess Festival, and am wondering if you all can tell me the
BJ casino rules favoring the player on the strip. I'll be staying at Sam's Town Hotel/Casino and the Riviera, 2 nights each.
I stayed last year exclusively at the Riviera but got my ass completely WAXED at the tables!! (I knew BS flawless last year) The dealers couldn't bust! Having hard 15 & 16 and pulling 6's and 5's all the time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But I'm hoping this year can be much different than last year! :shock:
Heh, maybe this year when I go I can not only win big at the tables, but alsso the $2500 U1800 sectionalized prize, but that too will be very tough, knowing as many sandbaggers that compete in Nat'ls... :(
So please, lemme know the best casinos to play with the best rules (possibly surrender?). Thanks a lot!
February 2004
Mandalay Bay or Bellagio would be my favorites.
February 2004
I stayed and played at Sam's Town in Tunica a couple of times. I found their games to be about as good as any and expect LV to be no different.
In LV my best place was the Stardust for years because I knew one of
the floor people and did not pay for anything for several years. On two
occasions, the west coast family and us mid-west folks met and stayed
at MGM (a family reunions thing). I played their games and as you know
its a short walk to many others. Unless you are looking for a specific
game, say double deck with so and so rules, I think which place to play
is a matter of perception rather than fact.................................
February 2004
Check out www.smartgaming.com/research_services/html2/best_of_homepage.htm for the 411 on the best accomodations, restaurants, buffets, shows, games etc. in LV 8)
Of course theres always www.skister.com/bj but not all the info there is up to date :roll:
Best SD games can be found downtown. If ur playing the strip, 2D games r pretty much the same everywhere. From what I heard, Caesar's offers a pretty decent 6D S17 & comps good too. My buddy got the whole RFB enchilada spreading 50-100 & an occasional 150 approx. 5hrs/day :lol:
Btw, if ur scouting for good comps, steer clear of Venetian. My cousin who works there told me they give the shittiest comps becuz they focus more attn on increasing revenue via conventions. If the pit critter asks u for a player's card & u don't have one, don't bet on the critter offering to hook u up wif one even if ur @ a 25 min table :?
February 2004
LayZboy, One of your links paints a bad picture of LV compared to
what I knew from years ago. It looks like 6:5 blackjack is played
more than I thought. Is it limited to single deck as your link seems to
suggest? Also, the "PEN" seems to be bad most everywhere and I
wonder if that is wide-spread or only at a few locations. I've heard
about the Barbary Coast and their heat toward winners, count or not.
Maybe these Mid-West river boats are not as cheap/bad as I have
been thinking.
H17 is also everywhere, that was not the case years back.
February 2004
Thanks guys!
I was basically wanting to know however the casinos with the best
for Blackjack, the ones with the lowest HA.
Can I get some info on that please? Thanks!
February 2004
6:5 bj is exclusive to 1D in LV & it sure is at more places when I was there last month and last year compared to when I was there 2-3 years ago :evil:
Dun have much to offer regarding the pen on 6D as I have been playing only 2D whenever I was there. On 2D they have that notch thing on the discard tray that ensures pen to be close to half a deck at most of the places I have hopped on the strip :?
Lastly H17 is all over the strip except for those places mentioned otherwise in the link. Thats why one is still better off playing downtown or at indian casinos not in LV. In fact I found a sweet indian casino 1 hr from L.A. (where I am at) with S17, dealer shuffle, 75% pen & am thinking of never going back to LV to do any serious gambling again :lol:
February 2004
Actually at the Riviera where I played last year it wasn't H17, it was S17 rather. So are there NO CASINOS on the strip that offer Singledeck 3:2 BJ? All pays 6:5? How unfortunate!
February 2004
If the Bellagio info I have is correct from skister, I would try the Bellagio 2D S17, or Ceaser's same. Bring plenty of $, as these are at least $25 min. or $100 min. stakes. Last updates were 7/03 and 2/02 respectively.
February 2004
Okay, I saw some stuff online... but what's the HA on Bellagio? And what about Stardust? I saw they have DD and is right across from Riviera too right?! Anyway, where can I find info about Stardust BJ odds? Their website doesn't tell me anything... I'm all about STATS & HA and finding the BEST strip casino to play at
February 2004
2D S17 DOA DAS RS4 has HA= 0.17%
6D S17 DOA DAS RS4 LSR has HA = 0.31%
1D H17 DOA noDAS BJ=3:2 has HA 0.14
1D same as above BJ=6:5 has HA 1.38
Good Cards
February 2004
Last thing I see for STARDUST is fromm 2000, 2D DOA DAS RS4 HA 0.17, but that ANCIENT NEWS.
February 2004
Are there any 1D places that have 3:2 BJ but allow you to DAS & S4? Or is it listed what's best offered?
February 2004
What is DOA & RS4 (re-split up to 4 times?)
February 2004
Dead On Arrival or Double On Any two. You got the RS already, I think.
February 2004
Thanks PJ.
Can someone answer my previous question now?
Are there any 1D places that have 3:2 BJ but allow you to DAS, DOA & RS4? Or is it listed what's best offered?
February 2004
The casino in teh J.W. Marriott (can't remeber the name) had a 1D game that reminded me of school yard BJ. Damn near anything went. Split as many times as you like, surrender, double after splt, etc.
It's fun for awhile, but so many people get confused and with a single deck they are almost always shuffleing.
February 2004
You mentioned
, so I'm guessing that it is no longer available?
Anyone know some 3:2 BJ 1D games in Vegas I should definitely check out?
February 2004
you may not like my answer, but when your at the riviera, walk across the street to slots o fun. it's a cheap little casino owned by the mandalay group (suprising) but rumor has it, it may have 3:2 single deck, s17 on one table, i'd bet a black one that if that's not the case, they've still got the lowest HA on the strip or close to it. low minimums there, but that doesn't mean you have to bet low.
February 2004
Slots of Fun
When I was there last 2 years ago they still had $1 blackjack tables. Good rules too. Only .34% house edge. Also all the Heiniken you could drink while you played.
February 2004
Yeah I actually played there and noticed the quite low table mins, and graveyard $1 min!! Hah... yeah, quite nice if only I didn't lose my ass off that's all.
March 2004
Played $10 BJ at Flamingo just three days ago and the pen was around 80 percent... my eyes nearly bugged out. Count never turned favorable and the dealer was pulling 5s and 6s to his stiff hands, knocking me around like his biatch. Ugly.
March 2004
I'm not sure about resplitting, but El Cortez has a $3 single-deck with 3:2 BJ payout, and I'm pretty sure DAS.
Unfortuantely I think they either did away with their $1 craps game or it was just a busy Monday night at 3 am when I was there this week. :( I loved that place for their dollar craps with 10x odds.
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text:
Guy Fieri appeared on Thursday's Today show in response to The New York Times' scathing review of the chef's new Times Square restaurant.
Check out celebrities' dramatic weight loss"It must have felt like a punch in the gut," anchor Savannah Guthrie noted."I just thought it was ridiculous," Fieri said. "The tone, the sarcasm, the question style. I think we all know what's going on here. He came in with a different agenda."To me it's impossible to come in and have a dining experience and have every single thing wrong unless you come in with a different agenda and you wanna sensationalize something and you wanna blow it out of the water," Fieri continued. "It's a great way to make a name for yourself."
Ever confuse Amy Adams and Isla Fisher? Check out more celebrity doppelgangersBut while the Food Network star thought the criticism went "overboard," he did admit there were parts of the review he agreed with. "This is an ever-changing, ever-evolving process," Fieri said of the difficulties that come with opening a new restaurant. "Do we do it perfect? No. Are we striving to do perfect? Yes. ... Let's see where we are in six months."Do you think the critic had an agenda? Watch Fieri's full Today appearance below.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


text: A new O'Neill boys t-shirt will be an important addition to your year round wardrobe. A regular-fit t-shirt made of organic fabric and comes in a great range of colours and different types of printed artworks. Our boys t-shirts are super comfortable, have a great fit and are perfect for layering in the colder months. Get all your favorite colours, because there's no such thing as too many T-shirts!


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(Left Up) Tiramisu
(Right Up) Hazel Nut
(Left Down) Rum n raisin
(Right Down) Dark Choco
(Right Up) Hazel Nut
(Left Down) Rum n raisin
(Right Down) Dark Choco
I have always been obsessed with mille-crepe. I still remember the day when a friend brought me a piece from the famous Malacca cafe (oops I forgot the name, never been there though), I was just fall at first bite. Alright it actually created a very strong urge in me to crave for it later. And now, whenever I heard of mille-crepe, it will definitely be listed into my must-try list, automatically. Haha..
So, here is this restaurant/cafe in The Strand, Kota Damansara, which is selling this mille-crepe with different sort of flavors. It's actually located at upper floor of a shop, and its been decorated very nicely and warm. Oh and they do serve meals too, not just cakes. It's a very good place for your bunch of friends to gather, or for a family to relax there.
Anyway, so the other day I was feeling so crave for cakes, and couldn't wait more, then I went there to have my cakes take-away. Bought 4 flavors, and all 4 of them are just so yummy!
Well, my very strong recommendation is the Tiramisu, and Rum n raisin ! If you like mille-crepe too, go to their shop and pampered yourself with one ! Of, of course you may have more than that ~
Also, you may refer to this...


text: Drew 0 Posted September 5, 2013 Well it was a matter of time but Sony finally put out a 4k camcorder style camera in the form of the FDR-AX1, a prosumer 1/2.3" 8.3mp CMOS sensor camera with XLR mic in and uses 2xXQD cards as media.The camera records 1080p and QFHD (3840x2016) up to 60 fps and is global, so it can also do 25/50fps. The professional version is called the PXW-Z100, which further shoots actual 4k resolution (4096x2160p) at 50/60fps at 10 bit Intraframe 4:2:2 at 500/600mbps, while shooting HD (1080p) at 223mbps, all in XAVC-S MPEG4/H.264 compressed format used on the F55 bigger sibling. Apparently there is a limit on the recording time in the highest 4k quality XAVC which will be corrected with a firmware upgrade in 2014. Pricing rumors have it under $6500, which isn't that much more than the FDR-AX1 for the extra 10bit 422 600mbps recording capability. Sony Announces the FDR-AX1 Digital 4K Video Camera RecorderSony announces three new video cameras. The ground-breaking model is the FDR-AX1 Digital 4K Video Camera, which supports 3840 x 2160 4K resolution; the other two new models are the HDR-AS30V HD POV Action Camcorder and the HDR-MV1 Music Camcorder.NYC, NY (PRWEB) September 04, 2013 -- Sony has just announced three new video cameras. The ground-breaking model is the FDR-AX1 Digital 4K Video Camera, which supports 3840 x 2160 4K resolution. The other two new models are the HDR-AS30V HD POV Action Camcorder and the HDR-MV1 Music Camcorder. The HDR-AS30V is an update on last year's HDR-AS10 and HDR-AS15 action camera models, while the HDR-MV1 is a one-of-a-kind compact camcorder designed specifically for capturing high-quality audio to match the Full HD video.The Sony FDR-AX1 Digital 4K Video Camera is Sony's 4K camcorder that affords about four times the resolution of a Full HD 1080p camcorder and is outfitted with a variety of professional controls including independent zoom, focus, and iris rings. The Sony FDR-AX1 features a high-performance image processor and a back illuminated 8.3MP Exmor R CMOS image sensor that work in concert to facilitate 3840 x 2160p 4K video recording at 60 fps. This means that one will be able to record at the camera's maximum frame rate—even when shooting 4K video.The Sony FDR-AX1 supports the XAVC-S 4K/HD recording format, which is usually reserved for professional applications. However, since the XAVC-S codec will save as an MP4 wrapper, one can still create web-friendly videos that can be easily shared on social media sites like YouTube. Another highlight of the XAVC-S recording format is its ability to record images at 150Mbps in 4K and at 50Mbps in Full HD. The FDR-AX1 has also adopted a more professional type of recording media, thanks to the inclusion of dual next-generation XQD media card slots. Both XQD card slots support fast 4K/HD writing and reading rates. Another feature that makes the FDR-AX1 a professional-class video camera is its audio-recording capability. It records 2-channel Linear PCM (LPCM) audio with a built-in high-performance stereo microphone. However, the camera also features dual integrated professional-class XLR audio inputs for connecting external microphones. Photographers will even be able to mix audio tracks from the internal microphone with the audio recorded from any connected external mics. The camera's other connectivity options include a headphone jack, a USB 2.0 port, an HDMI output, an analog A/V output, an accessory shoe, and more. The HDMI output facilitates playback of 4K/60p video on a compatible 4K Bravia LED TV.PXW-Z100 Press Release: Camcorder uses Sony's XAVC recording format and XQD media cards Basingstoke, UK, Sept. 4, 2013: Sony today announced the PXW-Z100, a professional 4K handheld XDCAMcamcorder featuring a 1/2.33" Exmor R CMOS sensor. The sensor has total of 16 million pixels and is able to acquire stunning 4K content (4096x2160) at 50p or 60p. The camcorder marks Sony's latest step in expanding the 4K world to everyone, from high-end cinema to corporate and event productions. The PXW-Z100, together with the fixed 4K-compatible high-performance G Lens, weighs less than 3kg. It uses the XAVC recording format first used in the PMW-F55 CineAlta camera. As with the F55, 4K (4096 x 2160, 50p or 60p, 4:2:2, Intra-frame, 10-bit recording in MXF file format) is possible at a high-bit rate of 500Mbps or 600Mbps. QFHD (3840x2160) and HD (1920x1080) resolutions can also be selected, both of which are compatible with most 4K TV's. Since the PXW-Z100 is based on the same shooting ergonomics as a conventional handheld professional camcorder, it is possible to record 4K content without extra equipment. In addition, during editing, downscaling from 4K to HD provides new possibilities for HD content production. "This incredible new camcorder is capable of capturing stunning 4K content, making 4K acquisition accessible to a wider range of professional users than ever before," said Bill Drummond, Strategic Marketing Manager Entry Level Production. "Corporate and Event camera operators can deliver 4K today for distribution via an emerging number of 4K platforms including online, digital signage and large venue projection applications, and will be able take advantage of the greater flexibility in post-production that 4K acquisition offers when delivering in HD". The PXW-Z100 will be available from November and comes packaged with a two year PrimeSupport contract via authorised Sony Professional Solutions Specialist dealers. Sony has also announced the new FDR-AX1 Handycam at IFA 2013. The FDR-AX1 has a similar specification to the PXW-Z100 but is only capable of QFHD (3840 x 2160) recording with the XAVC S format. The FDR-AX1 uses 4:2:0, Long GOP and MP4 file format. Key features 1. 4K (4096x2160) 50p or 60p shooting The camcorder provides extremely high sensitivity due to the back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor. With 8 million effective pixels, the 1/2.33" sensor captures 4K images at 50p or 60p. The inbuilt high-performance G Lens offers maximum shooting flexibility, including a wide angle of 29.5mm (equivalent to 35mm) and 20x powerful optical zoom. 2. XAVC recording format at 4K 50p/60p, 4:2:2 10-bit at 500/600Mbps, HD at up to 223MbpsThe PXW-Z100 uses Sony's XAVC recording format first employed in the PMW-F55 CineAlta 4K camera. MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 compression is used for HD (1920x1080), QFHD (3840x2016) and 4K (4096×2160) content. Image sampling is 4:2:2 10-bit, with an intra-frame system that compresses each frame individually at a maximum bit rate of 500Mbps or 600Mbps during 4K 50p or 60p recording respectively and 223Mbps during HD 50p or 60p recording. The XAVC format is ideal for those looking to implement a high-quality, secure and worry-free workflow. A non-chargeable firmware update is planned for the middle of 2014 to support the Long GOP mode for extended 4K recording time and to add support for AVCHD recording. 3. XQD Memory Card recordingThe XQD Memory Card is a new standard of solid state memory, which was recently defined by several industry leading companies. XQD uses the ultra-fast PCI Express interface and Sony's unique camera processor to enable stable video recording at 500Mbps or 600Mbps. The PXW-Z100 features two XQD Memory Card slots. Multiple cards can be used in various ways, such as for relay recording. When the first card becomes full, recording continues on the second card without a break. * The use of new S Series XQD cards (QD-S32E or QD-S64E which supports 180MB/s transfer speed) is recommended. 4. HDMI interface for 4K output and 3G HD-SDI interface for HD outputThe HDMI interface on the PXW-Z100 can output 4K as a 50p/60p signal. When the PXW-Z100 is connected to a Sony 4K-compatible BRAVIA TV, the recorded 4K image can be displayed in 4K 50p/60p quality. A future firmware upgrade is planned to provide compatibility with the new HDMI 2.0 standard and enable 4K 50p/60p output to a wider range of devices. Other features include a 3G HD-SDI interface that supports output up to HD 60p. It also supports HD output during 4K recording. 5. Paint function for more creative freedomThe PXW-Z100's paint function enables multiple image parameters to be adjusted including gamma curve, black level, skin detail and colour. The range of settings is similar to those available in the PMW-F55. Together with other setting options, parameter settings can be recorded as a camera profile onto a memory card. The recorded camera profile can then be used to set the same parameters in another PXW-Z100 to enable the matching of quality and image tones when using a multi-camera setup. 6. Remote control with WiFiFocus, zoom, aperture settings and 'record start/stop' can be remote controlled using the browser function of a smartphone or tablet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text:
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30 of 33
Smooth Salsa Verde
Spoon it on anything that needs a splash of heat.
This fresh tomatillo salsa recipe has a pleasant kick of heat. Try spooning it on Tequila Shrimp and Asadero Quesadillas, Carne Asada, or Chilaquiles—washed down with a big Tequila Sunrise. Game plan: If you prefer a more mild salsa recipe, seed and devein the chiles first.... Read More
View Recipe


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SAN JOSE — On Thursday afternoon, Buster Posey was named the Most Valuable Player in the National League. This came as a stunning surprise to almost nobody.
Probably not even to Posey. He claimed to be grasping for his thoughts upon hearing the news, but then made an acceptance speech worthy of a seasoned politician.
"It's tough to put into words," Posey said when asked for his emotions after hearing the news. "I think it's an accomplishment that is shared with the whole Giants organization. It's a great place to come and play ball every day. I couldn't be more honored to have my name alongside the previous winners."
He carries himself with such maturity, we often forget how young he is. At age 25, Posey becomes the sixth-youngest National League player to win the MVP — behind only Johnny Bench (22), Stan Musial (22), Willie Mays (23), Hank Aaron (23) and Paul Waner (24).
That is a fairly impressive list. All five of those men eventually reached the Hall of Fame. All five showed not just uncommon talent, but uncommon baseball instincts and maturity at an early age. Likewise, Posey has always been an old pro in a young pro's body.
Here's what I mean: Posey may have won Thursday's award for his play in 2012. But he began winning it from the moment he was drafted in the first round out of Florida State in 2008. In fact, as I watched this Giants season unfurl, with the way Posey upped his game to take charge of things after the drug suspension of Melky Cabrera in mid-August, it simply certified the opinion I developed the first time I saw him.
That was in the spring of 2009. Posey was playing for the minor league San Jose Giants at Municipal Stadium. He was in his first full season as a pro, after only 15 games the previous season at the rookie and Class A level. That day, Posey emerged from a clubhouse meeting and was eager to start infield practice. He said we had 10 minutes to talk in the dugout. I tried to break the ice by asking if he'd found anyplace good to eat in San Jose.
He looked back at me with a slight grin and shook his head.
"Do you know someplace?" he asked, then explained: "I spend a lot of time here at the field. I mean, I'm out here a majority of the time. My goal is to just get better, come to the park and do it every day."
The rest of the 10 minutes were just as businesslike. Posey politely answered the questions. But he kept staring out at the infield. You could tell he was clawing mentally to get out there and work. I remember writing down in my notebook that I had never met a more intense and focused Class A player. He was 22. Usually, 22-year-old minor leaguers know a few spots in town to find a burger.
I remember something else from that day, too. The San Jose Giants' president in 2009 was Jim Weyermann, who now works for the Golden State Warriors establishing their developmental league team in Santa Cruz. After interviewing Posey that day, I dropped by Weyermann's office to see if he had any insights into Posey.
Absolutely, said Weyermann. In his position, he was used to having players seeking help with transportation, favors, obtaining concert tickets or other special considerations.
"Buster hasn't been in my office yet, asking for anything," Weyermann said. "And I can't say that about every first-round pick who's been through here."
In other words, Posey was not thinking anything but baseball. He never let other stuff get in the way. And he still tunes out clutter magnificently, getting to the heart of the matter.
As a general rule, I'm not big on MVP awards in team sports. But baseball is different. It's a game of one-on-one matchups. It also has the longest season among our major sports. It takes a certain type of personality to endure through the 162 games and produce on the field, while making sure the clubhouse mindset never wavers. If someone accomplishes all that, he deserves an MVP trophy.
You can read all of Posey's statistics and see what he did on the field. You can cite his comeback performance from a mangled ankle to demonstrate his guts. But he gets huge bonus points for the way he became the clubhouse's gravitational center after Aug. 15, the day Cabrera was suspended and left the ballpark without talking to his teammates.
Many of the Giants were peeved about how their teammate — and their leading hitter at the time — had let them down. Posey was the one guy who stood up in the clubhouse and more or less declared they were going to win without him.
"I think I come across as quiet to the media," Posey said Thursday after the MVP announcement. "But in the clubhouse, I'm a little more loose and relaxed. My goal is to win."
In that way, Posey reminds me most of Bench, another catcher who made a big impact at a young age and became a leader for a championship team. Bench was 22 when he won MVP honors in 1970. However, he had to wait another five years to win his first World Series ring. Posey has already won two.
In a nice twist, Posey once won the Johnny Bench Award to honor college baseball's best catcher. Bench presented the award and had great things to say about Posey's future. I was thinking about all that during the playoffs when Posey hit his grand slam against the Reds — Bench's former team — to help win the decisive Game 5 in Cincinnati.
Did I mention how young he is? We'll see what happens to Posey's career after this, where it might go. It's funny to think about now, but when I went back and found my notebook from that day in 2009, it contained a quote from Andy Skeels, then the San Jose Giants manager. Skeels believed that Posey had a bright future but was concerned about expectations.
"My fear," Skeels said, "is that people will expect him to be an All-Star before he's even in the big leagues."
As it turned out, Skeels might have underestimated Posey. We might even be underestimating him now. For Posey, this MVP award is a perfect conclusion to a remarkable season. But it could be just the start of even greater things for the old pro.
Contact Mark Purdy at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/mercpurdy.


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Welterweights Jason High (13-3 MMA, 0-0 SF) and Quinn Mulhern (15-1 MMA, 0-0 SF) are set to fight at Strikeforce Challengers 16.
High announced the fight today on his official Twitter account, and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) subsequently confirmed the matchup with sources close to the promotion.
Strikeforce Challengers 16 takes place June 24 at ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash. The night's main card features lightweight prospect Ryan Couture (2-0 MMA, 2-0 SF) against an opponent yet to be determined, as well as a light heavyweight matchup between Lorenz Larkin (10-0 MMA, 1-0 SF) and Gian Villante (7-2 MMA, 0-1 SF).
As MMAjunkie.com reported earlier this month, Mulhern was targeted for the early summer event after signing a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce.
A 13-time King of the Cage veteran, Mulhern made his debut in 2007. He currently carries a seven-fight win streak that began after his lone career defeat, an October 2009 loss to UFC vet Michael Guymon.
Mulhern has fought the distance just twice in his 16-fight career, and 10 of his victories have been earned via submission.
Mulhern fought most recently in April, when he earned a first-round submission victory over Anselmo Martinez. In 2010, the Santa Fe Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu product fought six times, including three times in a seven-week span that included a TKO victory over longtime veteran Rich Clementi.
High most recently was seen on the HDNet-televised Titan Fighting Championship 16 event, where he submitted Strikeforce and Bellator vet Rudy Bears with a guillotine choke in 51 seconds. It undoubtedly was a relief to score a quick win after he took respected Japanese veteran Hayato Sakurai the distance at DREAM "Dynamite!! 2010" and scored a huge upset with a split decision.
The pair of victories upped High's streak to four after a pair of high-profile losses sent him back to the drawing board. He entered the 2009 DREAM welterweight grand prix and dispatched Yuya Shirai and Andre Galvao in the opening and semifinal rounds, respectively, before getting knocked out by a head kick from Marius Zaromskis in the tournament finale. He then signed a UFC contract only to be released by the promotion after a points loss to Charlie Brenneman at UFC Fight Night 21.
For more on Strikeforce Challengers 16, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Jason High)


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On February 6 Phenomenal Handclap Band release their new album, Form & Control, through Tummy Touch. On December 12 they release a single taken from that record, which is 'Unknown Face at Father James Park'. There's also a video for it, and we've got the first showing, so get your eyes on it below.
But first...Kindly enough they band have written a bit about the video, too. Have a look below to read about it, to take a bit of context.
"As a teenager, Father James Park was the local park where my friends and I were able to go and not be bothered by our parents or other authority figures. We used to meet there as often as possible to hang out and clear our minds, and since there were no adults around, it also became the place we'd go to expand our minds. The Unknown Faces at Father James Park is about the inherent peer pressure, confusion, and tumultuous times that teenagers have.
For the video, we thought the best way to reflect this subject matter would be to edit together found footage along the lines of the various PSAs (Public Service Announcements) we were subjected to in high school. They were so humorless and terrifying at the time, but looking back, it was a lot of unnecessary warning against what turned out to be healthy experimentation."
The band are on tour with Bryan Ferry at the moment, but they come to the UK later this month, supporting the man at the Shepherd's Bush Empire on December 13 and 14.


text:
Bombing in Sunni mosque in Iraq kills 28
A bomb struck a Sunni mosque during Friday prayers north of Baghdad, killing 28 people in the latest eruption of violence to rock the country, officials said.
The bombing hit the village of Umm al-Adham on the outskirts of Baqouba, a former militant stronghold 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of the Iraqi capital, according to police officials.
At least 41 people were wounded in the attack, said police and health officials who provided details on the casualties. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
Iraq is weathering it deadliest bout of violence in half a decade, raising fears the country is returning to the widespread killing that pushed it to the brink of civil war following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
The months-long surge of bloodshed is taking place against the backdrop of rising tensions between Iraq's Sunni and Shiite Muslims. The tensions are being inflamed in part by the sectarian divisions reflected in the civil war in neighboring Syria.
Members of Iraq's Sunni Arab minority have been protesting against the Shiite-led government since December, angered over what they see as second-class treatment of their sect and what they see as unfair application of tough anti-terrorism measures. Attacks surged after a deadly crackdown on a Sunni protest camp by security forces in April.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Friday's attack.
Al-Qaida's local branch, known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, and other Sunni extremists have tried to harness the anger of many Sunnis, even as more moderate members of the sect appeal for calm.
Al-Qaida has claimed responsibility for a number of large-scale bombings in recent months and is believed to be behind other coordinated attacks. It frequently targets Shiite civilians, members of the security forces and those seen to be closely tied to the country's Shiite-led government.
There has also been a spike in attacks on Sunni mosques in recent months. While it is possible that Sunni extremists could be to blame, Shiite militias that had been largely quiet for years may also be behind those assaults.
More than 4,000 people have been killed in violent attacks since the start of April, including 804 just in August, according to United Nations figures.
Baqouba itself was hit with deadly violence just this week. Three car bombs targeting outdoor markets killed at least 10 civilians and wounded more than 30 there Tuesday.
Associated Press writer Adam Schreck contributed to this report.


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Selah: What You See Isn't Always What You Get
- David McCreary CCM Magazine
- 2004 20 Sep
Consider this: a blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman with a soulful, husky voice; a young father of twins, who loves to rock out; and a piano prodigy, who also happens to love bluegrass and Dolly Parton. When you put the three together, for a group that sings mainly classic hymns and holds the lion's share of its concerts in traditional churches, the individual members of Selah are quite different from what one might think.
But that's the beauty of this Dove Award-winning trio, previously listed among the "25 Most Important Artists Shaping Christian Music Today" by CCM Magazine. Each inimitable member contributes distinctive life experiences and diverse musical styles to the mix. Nicol (Smith) Sponberg is the pop/R&B songstress, her brother, Todd Smith, represents the 1980s-style rocker, and Allan Hall comprises the acoustic bluegrass/country lover. "Selah is its own little musical gumbo," Allan quips.
Todd and Nicol, along with two other siblings, were raised as missionary kids in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa. They grew up in an outpost home, where they ate mangos and coconuts, learned the native Kituba language and grew to love African tribal music.
Meanwhile, back in the American environs of Knoxville, Tenn., Allan took up piano playing at the ripe age of 7. He learned to read music from church hymnals; and then, some 10 years later, he enrolled in formal lessons. At his first competition in Nashville, he took first prize. Allan vividly remembers one judge's comments, which read: "I've been dazzled a lot by technique today, but no one's playing made me feel anything until you came to play. I can hear your heart." And with those comments to boost his self-esteem, he continued honing his talent beyond high school.
These three artists forged similar paths that would eventually cross in the early '90s. Allan and Todd met in 1992 at a mutual friend's Nashville recording session. Nicol, meanwhile, had moved to Music City, where she worked as a waitress at the popular Green Hills Grille and began landing studio gigs, singing background vocals for the likes of Margaret Becker, Michael Bolton, Twila Paris, CeCe Winans and Cindy Morgan, among many others.
Nicol first met Allan in 1994, when he and Todd performed at a Belmont University concert. Todd, thinking it wise to bolster their sound, had invited his sister to lend her voice. Later, when Nicol was offered a chance to perform at a youth-oriented event, she requested that her brother and Allan accompany her onstage.
While the three quickly realized a special chemistry was developing, Nicol's solo career seemed on the verge of taking off. By 1995, Mike Curb, the influential founder of Curb Records, discovered that one of his family's favorite waitresses had pipes like nobody's business; and Nicol soon entered an artist development relationship with Curb's label.
When the release of Nicol's self-titled debut was delayed for a few years, she, Todd and Allan eventually found themselves on an unexpected career path. These talented performers had grown up singing classic hymns and seemed to share common threads musically and spiritually. "My mom had just inherited some money, and she gave us, like, $2,000 to record some songs," says Todd.
That custom recording ultimately landed at Curb Records, where the label decided to add strings, guitar and percussion to the mixes and then released the revised version as Selah's 1999 debut, "Be Still My Soul." The disc went on to sell more than 130,000 copies, according to SoundScan and earned Selah its first Dove Award in 2000 for "Inspirational Album of the Year." Riding that momentum, the group captured a second consecutive Dove in 2001 for its sophomore project, "Press On" (Curb), which surpassed 200,000 units in sales and also generated a pair of No. 1 inspirational singles with the title track and "Wonderful, Merciful Savior." Then in 2002, Selah released "Rose of Bethlehem," a Christmas album that struck a chord with the trio's core audience.
With the past two years bringing such life-changing transition, it's any wonder the group was able to record a fourth album, "Hiding Place" (Curb), which hit stores in May and at press time held the No. 1 spot on SoundScan's Top Christian Albums chart in its third week of release. Easily Selah's fastest-selling album to date, it's taken less than a month for "Hiding Place" to eclipse 50,000 copies sold, never mind that each member has also embarked on a solo project. And the group has continued to tour every other weekend.
So, how have they done it?
"It's tough because you are trying to do what you love; but, at the same time, you have a wife and kids who are supposed to be your priority," says Todd of his wife and 19 month-old twin daughters. "I remember Christmastime on this last tour we did. My daughter Ellie didn't recognize me when I came home," he shares somberly. "That was so hard. We do have to tour, not just to pay the bills but to share with people what we believe. But my wife and kids pay for that, to some degree."
Nicol also weighs in on the demands of touring and the logistics of traveling from Chicago, where she now lives with her husband, Greg, of one year (a seminary student at Moody Bible Institute), to Nashville to record a new album. "During our first year of marriage, Greg thought it was really important for us to be together as much as possible," she says. "He'd come out on the weekends [while Selah toured]. Seeing the same concert 100 times over isn't necessarily fun, plus he had an incredible community of friends at Moody that he missed. But he believed we needed time together, and he stuck to it."
On "Hiding Place," Selah remains true to its trademark of offering traditional hymns, fresh arrangements of modern choruses and several upbeat African songs, albeit with a slightly edgier tone overall. The album's highlights include Irish chorus and radio hit "You Raise Me Up" (which, at press time, hit No. 1 on the AC charts, a first for the group in that format), a cover of Andraé Crouch's "Through It All" and a soul-stirring rendition of "O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus."
One cut in particular, "By and By," stands out for Todd, mainly due to the family ties involved. "The song begins with a recording of my grandfather baptizing hundreds of Congolese people who came to Christ," he says. In addition, Todd had the privilege of performing the song as a duet with his father, Jim, in Kituba.
For Nicol, it's not the recording process that's most rewarding but rather performing live. "It's such a tremendous release to sing the type of songs we do," she says. "You get to cry out to God right up there onstage. Some days you don't feel like doing it, but there's something freeing about singing, 'Precious Lord, take my hand/ Lead me on, let me stand/ I'm tired, I'm weak, I'm worn/ Through the storm, through the night/ Lead me on to the light/ Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home.'"*
With lyrics like these, it's obvious that even in the most hectic times, this group knows when it's appropriate to pause.
*Lyrics from "Precious Lord, Take My Hand' by Thomas A. Dorsey. The song appears on Selah's debut release," Be Still My Soul."
In addition to Selah's continuing musical ministry, each member released a Curb solo project on August 10.
Nicol Sponberg
Unlike her counterparts in Selah, Nicol Sponberg has previously recorded a solo album, a self-titled Curb project released in 2000. Unfortunately, the effort yielded disappointing sales numbers; but Nicol is happy for a second chance. Behold her sophomore disc, aptly titled "Resurrection" and produced by Mark Heimermann (Stacie Orrico, dc talk).
"I think the new album title is really symbolic because my first solo record completely 'tanked,'" she reveals. "Just when you think something is over and dead, it's like God says, 'Wait a minute, I can make something happen,' and the things we think are lifeless He resurrects."
Nicol, whose musical influences include Aretha Franklin and Karen Carpenter, previously sang backup for artists as diverse as Amy Grant, Wynonna Judd, Dallas Holm and 4HIM. She says she's especially grateful to Mike Curb, founder and chairman of Curb Records, for affording her the opportunity to record another solo project. "He's one of the few people left who believes in giving time to developing artists," she says of Curb. "It was his idea for me to do this record."
With "Resurrection," Nicol delivers a groove-filled selection of pop/R&B tracks in the vein of Ashley Cleveland and Joni Mitchell. Throaty vocals and spirited rhythms abound, including the silky balladry of "Safe" and the piano-driven intonations of "All That I Believe In." Not surprisingly, an unyielding message of hope and redemption prevails throughout.
Todd Smith
Become a rock star. That was singer Todd Smith's "dream" back in the 1980s, a time when he enjoyed listening to bands such as Boston, Journey and Kansas. And yet, he has long been influenced vocally by Christian artists such as Russ Taff, Michael English and Bob Carlisle, "especially when he was with the group Allies," he says.
"If you had told me back then that I would end up in a trio with my sister, singing hymns, I would have said, 'What in the world are you talking about?'" On his debut solo release, "Alive," Todd unleashes his inner rock star with an energetic set he says is mainly geared toward male listeners. Todd produced a portion of the project, along with the capable assistance of Matt Bronleewe (Michael W. Smith, Natalie Imbruglia) and Jimmy Collins (Selah, Plumb).
Todd explains that he read the book "Wild at Heart" (Thomas Nelson) by John Eldredge, and that its theme of living passionately for Christ inspired him to record a solo project. "The whole album conceptually encompasses a conversation I'm having with men," he says.
Driving tracks like "Lukewarm" speak to the importance of being accountable to others, while the title track addresses going beyond the comfort zone of faith. "On one of the verses, I talk about jumping off a cliff and bringing the death of my old self," Todd shares. "I want to get to the point where I can say, 'OK, God, I don't know what plans You have for me; but whatever door You open, I'm going to take that step.'"
Allan Hall
Sporting a distinct, East-Tennessee flavor, Allan Hall's solo disc, "House of a Thousand Dreams," teems with the bluegrass and country influences he loves most. "I've made the album I really wanted to record," he says with fervor. "It's great that Curb has given me the creative freedom to do something like this."
Allan's supple tenor voice and expressive keyboarding are well-suited for the relaxed offerings found on Dreams, produced by the artist himself along with Jason Kyle (Selah). Whether it's the much-too-brief rendition of "Down in the River to Pray" (Think "O, Brother Where Art Thou?") or the peaceful minimalism of "Nearer My God to Thee," he delivers an album filled with serene melodies and memorable refrains.
For someone who enjoys a wide variety of music, it's interesting that Allan's solo project gravitates more toward country than any other genre. "I can go directly from listening to Beethoven to a Journey song and then go to Patsy Cline," he says, before adding, "But Emmylou Harris is my favorite."
Allan also is quick to mention that one of his career highlights happened just a few years ago when he had the opportunity to sing with country sensation Dolly Parton. "She recorded a duet with me on our [Selah] Christmas album, and that was such a privilege," he says. "She was so gracious and kind, and she even told me how proud she was that I had moved away from home and was able to make a living playing music in Nashville."
As it turns out, both musicians hail from East Tennessee and each left home at age 18 to set out for Music City. "I'm out here living my dream," Allan says.
© 2004 CCM Magazine. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Click here to subscribe.


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By Kara Herlihy
The renting years -- known to Twenty-Something's as a housing black hole where apartments are found or lost over the inclusion of utilities (and roommates are a necessity) -- might be described as the years between or before college and reaching 30 years old.
Those are the years when young people typically begin working, taking entry-level jobs or trying their hand at employment by working seasonally at summer or winter jobs. And in The Valley (and beyond) those are the years when housing is often catch as catch can, with people struggling to cover rent, transportation, utilities and groceries. But is the issue of housing worse in The Valley than elsewhere in Vermont or the country?
In the Valley, affordable housing is a tough proposition -- for many it is impossible.
There are three types of renters in The Valley. The first are the full-time year-round renters who live and work here. Second are the part-time seasonal renters most often found working at the ski areas or associated businesses. Remaining are the part-time seasonal renters -- most of whom are vacationers from flatter lands.
Living in The Valley is costly, and the numbers are quite telling.
A sampling of classified ads for housing rentals from one issue of The Valley Reporter shows that the average rate for a two bedroom apartment in The Valley is $895 per month -- no surprise, above the state average of $797. (Utilities were not taken into consideration.)
State and federal guidelines call for housing costs to range between 25 and 30 percent of monthly/annual income. A worker earning $25,000 and paying 30 percent of his/her income for housing could pay $7,500 annually, or $625 per month.
Someone earning $35,000 could pay $10,500 (30 percent) of his/her income and afford housing costing $875 a month.
However, the average annual in 2006 in Valley towns falls below $35,000 and $25,000. According to Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce 2007 Community profile, the average annual wage in Warren in 2006 was $17,101. That wage in Waitsfield was $30,988. In Fayston, the average annual wage was $29,920. In Moretown the average annual wage was $44,717. Duxbury's was $35,584 and Waterbury's was $39,800.
That same profile exports that a Vermont household needs to earn $31,897 to afford fair market rent of $797 per month. With Valley averages almost $100 higher per month, based on an informal survey of classified ads for housing in <MI>The Valley Reporter<D>, it's no wonder young workers complain about the high cost of living and the lack of affordable housing.
In a 2006 report to its members, the Mad River Valley Planning District reports, "The Valley falls short of being affordable; meaning the average house in any of the three towns is not affordable to the average household. Our 2006 housing study indicates a current unmet need of 54 rental units, 38 units of elderly housing, a need that will escalate over the coming years."
The problem is not tied solely to The Valley; it is a statewide trend where living and working in Vermont has become nearly impossible for the youth that grew up here.
"The average Fair Market Rent for a modest two-bedroom apartment in Vermont reached $797 in 2006, a 10 percent increase since the year before and a 42 percent increase since 1996," according to Central Vermont Community Profile (CVCP).
"Vermont had the tightest rental housing markets in the nation in 2006. The rental vacancy rate was 3.6 percent. The state's most recent housing needs assessment showed Vermont has a shortage of 21,000 affordable rental units and will need 12,300 more owner-occupied units by 2010," according to the CVCP.
Owning a home doesn't look any easier.
Take Fayston -- the land of Sugarbush's Mount Ellen and Mad River Glen -- a resort town with an average annual wage of $28,920 in 2006, according to the Central Vermont Community Profile (CVCP). Take that number and sit it next to their average home sale price of $393,050.
The data speaks to what would be considered a statistical outlier, or anomaly in any other state, but Vermont is just that -- an exception to the rule. The seasonal economy in Vermont brings in droves of vacationers and, no surprise, second home buyers.
In Warren the gap is even bigger. The average annual wage is $17,101, with an average home sales price of $319,942 in 2006. The same factors apply in Warren, given its status as a resort town, home of Sugarbush's Lincoln Peak.
Moretown? Their average annual wage is $44,717, with an average home sales price of $189,056. And Moretown hosts a landfill and receives some $300,000 a year in tipping fees! Waitsfield's average annual wage is $30,988 with an average home sales price of $290,421 -- slightly more realistic but still a staggering statistical gap when considering a young person trying to get started in Vermont.
The aforementioned data is just the tip of the affordable housing iceberg. This is the first in a series of articles attempting to answer the question of why there are so few young people in The Valley. While it is easy to hide behind Vermont's increasingly high tax rates, there are many other factors that are helping chase the young people out of state.
Jobs seem to be disappearing to other communities (Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Mad River Canoe, Northern Power, Black Diamond) and seasonal jobs are no longer filled by the trusty ski bum. Rather, seasonal employers now hire seasonal workers from overseas, for a variety of reasons. And finally, there's no place for young people to congregate for socializing and nightlife and there's no public transit. No jobs, no housing, no social outlets, no transportation = no young people.
Next week The Valley Reporter will examine the demographics of who lives in The Valley today (compared to the heyday of the ski-bum era) and where those people work (or in the case of older residents -- don't work).


text: I am a primarily abstract artist. I am exploring the digital manipulation of photographs. I take all of my photos and edit them on my phone.I have a lot of art so if you see something on here https://www.instagram.com/metazoaart and it isn't on artpal just message me and I'll put them up. I'm slowly putting all my work up.


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Never assume you know what you're going to find – sites always throw up surprises. SCAPE's project with the Sanday Archaeology Group in Orkney is a perfect example… who thought we'd find a Bronze Age well during a reconstruction project!
Our Day of Archaeology 2014 was very eventful, and to get an idea of the hive of activity, see a time lapse film of the first two hours on site. The Day came half way through our project on Sanday, where we were working with the local group to relocate a previously excavated Bronze Age site. Local residents had reported structures revealed on a beach after a storm, leading to an emergency evaluation (it was thought that there might be a burial within the stone tank). The excavation had showed the site to be one of only a handful of burnt mounds with surviving structures within them. After the excavation, the sea continued to attack the stone tank, orthostats and a corbelled cell, and the local group wanted to preserve something of the site by moving some of the stones to their newly opened Heritage Centre, away from the sea. The group contacted SCAPE's Scotland's Coastal Heritage at Risk Project – and a plan to relocate the stonework was devised as a ShoreDig project.
Before we could transfer the large stone slabs to the Heritage Centre, we had to reveal the masonry from under the beach cobbles. The original excavation had located a corbelled cell buried in the coastal section, but health and safety concerns had prevented full excavation. By the time we started digging in early July, the sea had eroded back the coast edge, allowing access the cell. After getting our Shetland stonemasons, Jim Keddie and Rick Barton, to check the structure, we excavated demolition and backfill material to reveal six steps leading down to an underground chamber.
The prehistoric structure stood three metres high to the top of its corbelled roof. The lower chamber was full of water; and the silt at the bottom of the well was full of remarkably well-preserved organic material (I've never seen Bronze Age seaweed before). Part of our Day of Archaeology was spent sampling the organic silts, bagging 100% of the material for future analysis.
Burnt mounds often have a large trough or tank, and in Scotland, some of these tanks are made of large, flat slabs of stone. We excavated the cut for the stone tank, finding that the base was far larger than the size of the tank – and that the four side-stones had been placed on the flat slab at the bottom.
Much of our Day of Archaeology was spent moving the last of the stones to the reconstruction site. We plotted the relative positions of the stones with an EDM; and photographed, numbered and drew all the stones before lifting them. Jo and Ellie from SCAPE worked with Sanday Archaeology Group members to prepare the site so that the stones could be lifted. A second team of local volunteers were ready with tractors, trailers, digger and slings to move the stones off site.
Once the base slab was lifted, we saw that it had been built over an earlier, possibly corbelled, structure, perhaps explaining why such a large stone was used. This was very unexpected, and we managed to capture the moment as part of the filming we were doing for possible inclusion in the next series of Digging for Britain.
Our Day of Archaeology was a great success – to learn more about what we found, (and what was under the slab) visit our Facebook page; or follow us on Twitter.


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Burned out on September 11th
Sun | Nation & World
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Dare she say it? Donna Nobles is fed up with being made to relive September 11th.
The elementary school teacher's aide shared the fear Americans felt that day. She understands the need of families to memorialize loved ones who died.
But she thinks the continuing hand-wringing is radiating an air of weakness to our enemies. And she says it's time to stop.
"Enough is enough," Nobles, 47, says as she prowls the stands at Raleigh's Farmers Market. "We need to realize that life is for the living."
Nobles is far from alone in voicing frustration -- even vehement resentment in some corners -- at what many feel is an unhealthy fixation on things 9/11.
Perhaps some are jaded at seeing entrepreneurs make money on T-shirts, hats, anything with the FDNY logo. Maybe they're sick of digging deep to make donations, only to hear victim families say the money didn't reach them or that they didn't get enough.
Or it could be post-traumatic stress, the crush of pain and sorrow simply too much to bear.
Callous though some sentiments might sound, mental health experts say "9/11 fatigue" is as natural a response as the waves of patriotism and grief that swept the nation after terrorists struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
"Americans have a hard time living with uncertainty," says psychologist Debra Condren, who has offices in New York and San Francisco. "We want closure. We want quick fixes. In this case, there is no resolution."
Closure is precisely what Brian Pilant craves. "Shut up about it!" the 28-year-old bagpiper from Tempe, Ariz., grumbles when asked about the attacks, plugging his ears with his fingers for emphasis.
When the attacks occurred, Pilant was as shaken as any other American and, like family and friends, was glued to the television.
"I thought it was the end of the world at first," he says.
Now, he says all the sorrow is getting counterproductive.
"I'm not sick of hearing about things that we didn't know that we know now," he says. "I'm sick of the whining and that 'What about the children?' sort of mentality.
"We need to drop it. Talking about things that we can do and take care of, OK. But stuff we can't do anything about -- like the fact that it happened -- we can't change that."
Others, though, say the continued reminders are necessary to avoid becoming complacent.
"Living in Columbus, Ohio, you feel safeguarded in a way and that's not good, because we're not," says Bridget Molloy, 39, who still takes time to read victim profiles when The New York Times publishes them.
"As Americans we have very short memories," Molloy says. "My concern is that people will slip back into a comfort zone. That's when we'll get caught again."
But some feel that we, as Americans, have a nasty habit of overdoing some things and, perhaps, not doing enough about others.
In Evansville, Ind., bank security guard Leslie Barnett notes what he sees as the unfairness of the attention and money given to the September 11th victims and their families.
"What about people killed in (bombings in) Oklahoma or Africa?" says Barnett, 65. "Or what about the servicemen killed whose families just received military life insurance? Somewhere, you've got to draw the line."
Others are afraid to vent their frustrations. They worry how it will sound if they remind people that not all firefighters and cops are heroes, or say out loud that they're weary of widows' tearful interviews.
New Yorker Mark Prindle is one who says it pains him to say so -- but he's tired of hearing about September 11th. He worked on the trade center's 104th floor six years ago, and went down to gaze at the smoking rubble after the attacks.
Now, he feels the barrage of news stories and remembrances is making it impossible for the victims' families to overcome their grief. And in the end, Prindle says, all the attention cheapens the very event it is intended to memorialize.
"Some people here were worried that they might make a national holiday of it," the 29-year-old public relations specialist says. "It'll just be like Memorial Day, where it's like, 'All right. A long weekend. 9/11. Let's go to the beach."'
Sam Sears, an associate professor at the University of Florida Health Science Center and a licensed clinical psychologist, says some people might be feeling what is known as "compassion fatigue." It is hard to hold a lot of compassion and empathy for long periods, and events such as the terrorist attacks -- which fill people with sorrow and fears for their own safety -- stretch the capacity to sympathize with others.
"Being empathetic to somebody else takes a lot of work. And, honestly, this is such an event that has evoked such empathy and such compassion that is very difficult for people to feel comfortable," Sears says.
While people are often empathetic, the human brain also has developed the ability to compartmentalize or even shut things out before they can cause irreparable emotional and even physical damage, says neuroscientist Craig Kinsley.
"As humans, we possess the capacity to engage in a form of intellectual cud-chewing, like a thoughtful deer, mulling and re-mulling events in our minds to the point where we are able to accept their existence, no matter how awful," says Kinsley, a professor at the University of Richmond in Virginia. "Little reminders of 9/11 act like puffs of gasoline on a dying fire, but soon the fuel burns out."
Shannon Allen, offering peach slices to passers-by at the Farmers Market, says he is dreading the attacks anniversary.
He had worked in New York for several years, and his daily train commute ended in a station beneath the twin towers. At first, he couldn't get enough news of the attacks, watching on TV while a friend on the phone from New York described the scene from her roof.
But soon, all the September 11th funds, the tribute songs, the celebrities shedding tears and asking for donations just became too much.
"You could almost choke on it," he says.
Allen wishes the anniversary could be observed respectfully, and, most of all, in silence.
"We're aware of what happened. We know it's the anniversary. What more is there to say?" he says.
The television networks have been struggling mightily to strike the right balance in their coverage. Kinsley says each of us must seek that same middle ground.
"We, as humans, have a need to memorialize, in the sense of memory and recognition, and the human spirit is a constant source of amazement," he says. "But evolution did not prepare us to be paralyzed in the face of such losses that occurred on 9/11. Those who suffered and are suffering still must, at some point, tear their eyes away from the past and look ahead.
"That's where life is."


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Why Say That Marriage Is Like Christ and the Church?
When I asked Noël if there was anything she wanted me to say about marriage, she said, "You cannot say too often that marriage is a model of Christ and the church."
I think she is right and there are at least three reasons:
- It lifts marriage out of sordid sitcom images and gives it the magnificent meaning God meant it to have.
- It gives marriage a solid basis in grace, since Christ obtained and sustains his bride by grace alone.
- It shows that the husband's headship and the wife's submission are crucial and crucified. That is, they are woven into the very meaning of marriage as a display of Christ and the church, but they are both defined by Christ's self-denying work on the cross so that pride and slavishness are cancelled.
Adapted from the 2007 sermon "Marriage: God's Showcase of Covenant-Keeping Grace."


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December 21, 2008
Sunday Type: NYC to GA
- In my office I've got a black metal-and-enamel "Bklyn Bridge" sign from the subway station where I used to switch trains when I was new to New York. (No, I didn't steal the sign–though I didn't ask the seller a ton of questions.) I miss the city, and I enjoyed reading The (Mostly) True Story of Helvetica and the New York City Subway. [Via]
- "Mmm… sexy type." Seb Lester has skills. Check out his lovely F-bomb. [Via]
- John Boardley of "I Love Typography" has started the My Favorite Letters Flickr Pool where you can share you favorite letters of your favorite typefaces. [Via]
- Filippo Minelli's Contradictions project "writing the names of anything connected with the 2.0 life we are living in the slums of the third world is to point out the gap between the reality we still live in and the ephemeral world of technologies."
- Type-related quip o' the month: "The runoff in the Georgia Senate race was won this week by Saxby Chambliss, who is the incumbent Republican senator and not, as I believed, an obscure font." –Amy Poehler
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