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Yevette's entry in the "Katwalk" program:
"The Wardrobe led me to a place I have never known by sight, but have always known in my heart. My inspiration was Lucy Pevensie, a wide-eyed girl with unwavering faith. She is both a youthful, bright spirit and an old soul at the same time; unafraid to step into the unknown and steadfastly face what is to come. The Wardrobe is filled with styles hinting at eras gone by; accompanied by royal colors of turquoise, deep purple, gold and white; and a femininity which only surfaces through grace. The collection is meant for those who love the forest in their hearts, and yet wear their sparkling hearts on their sleeves. It renders treasured memories and hope for a better tomorrow, until one makes that trip through the wardrobe– where one can be young and old all at once. Into a world of twinkling wilderness and truly enchanting moments. In the wardrobe, one is timeless.
The collection is made from a wide array of largely socially responsible/sustainable materials. Most of the textiles and other materials are either organic, fair trade, reclaimed/recycled goods, or a combination of these.
Design is the medium I have been given to make the change I want to see in the world. Called to be a social entrepreneur, I hope to improve the lives of others using my skills as a designer. I have learned in these difficult last few years that I was called to be courageous, and so I create for those who do not have the same opportunities in life as I have been given. I create beautiful things for them. Hopefully, I will design for those who believe in well-made and sustainable fashions, and then help provide a better life for those in dire need.
I want to say thanks to my dad for teaching me what it means to be a craftsperson at heart, and to never take what you do have for granted. Thanks to my mom for always supporting me in my dreams and driving to fabric stores hours away. Thanks to my sister for always fighting for me. Thank you to my professors for guiding me through these times. And thank you to the Coopers for their love and kind support for my collection, among other generous family and friends. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."


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Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Vocab Test
6 comments:
I tend to annoy my wife with big words. I'll take it later when my brain is more awake.ReplyDelete
I took one of those a while back, one that's supposed to tell you how many words you know. I got a score that was similar to yours (something over 30k words, though I don't remember the actual number). I don't think I buy it as a testing model, though.ReplyDelete
That sounds fun! Okay... so I'm weird...ReplyDelete
I did this a while back and got a fairly similar score. Amazing how hard it got thought, right?ReplyDelete
I think I tried it. Don't remember my score. I think I was disappointed. But yeah, end of year, the posts get pretty sparse. Did you see the Christmas one I posted last year (and then on Black Friday this year)? That's another one you can post (and I have the answers if you want them ;) )ReplyDelete
Mine fell in the top five percent of vocabulary. I know I got a couple wrong.ReplyDelete

subset: commoncrawl


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No worries if you need to change something after publication. Just edit the story and send over the update to your channels.
Step 1. Go to your Stories page, find the story, and click on the Edit link.
Step 2. Make the necessary changes to the story inside the Write and Summary tabs.
Step 3. Once finished, click on the Update tab and then on Confirm to alter the published story on your channels.


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Synopsis: Nelly, the youngest reporter in the world is in Thailand. She is looking for an elephant, which could take care of. She visits a shelter for elephants. She feeds them and cleans them. In the end, there is an elephant named Ebu.
Educational elements:
– Geographical information related to the location and shape of Thailand
– Information concerning the nature of elephants
–A message about beauty and nature conservation
Synopsis: Nelly the Reporter goes to Zanzibar, where there are very high tides. She walks the sea and watches the animals. She finds crabs, starfish and sea weeds. Discovers the seaweed plantation. She meets a native who guides her in the sea and talks about the animals. Nelly talks with a guide in English.
Educational elements:
– Geographical information related to the location of Zanzibar
– Explanation for the tides
– Information concerning the nature of sea animals
– Social information relating to children from Zanzibar
– Basic economic information on seaweed
Synopsis: Nelly ravels to Thailand to experience the tastes of the local cuisine. The tour starts from the streets of Bangkok, where she discovers fried insects. She talks about seafood and fresh tropical fruits. She explains the taste Dragon Fruit and meaning of its name. She goes to water market and shows the daily market life of the inhabitants of Thailand. Then she visits the shop with dried herbs.
Educational elements:
– Geographical information related to the location of Thailand
– Explaining the culinary culture of Thailand
– Showing exotic fruits
– Showing the world of Asian cuisine through the eyes of a child
Synopsis: Nelly is in Indonesia. She has a plan to climb the huge volcano. From its crater miners extract the sulfur. Nelly meets one of the miners, who leads her all the way to the volcano peak .
Educational elements:
– Geographical information related to the position of Indonesia
– Geographical information about volcanoes and the sulfur
– Information on the labor condition of the workers on the volcano.
Synopsis: Nelly travels to Thailand to meet with the tigers.
She visits a shelter for tigers. She learns about the life of small, medium and large tigers. For a while she becomes a mom cat and feeds the tiger with a baby milk bottle.
Educational elements:
– Educational information about the life of tigers
Synopsis: Nelly travels to Bolivia, where she spends three days and two nights in the salt desert in Bolivia. She visits the locomotives cemetery and learns about the inhabitants' life.
Educational elements:
– Geographical information about Bolivia
– Life science information about the salt desert and the phenomena that which can be observed on
– Cognitive information on the locomotives cemetery
Synopsis: Nelly s entering the jungle to learn how to descend on ropes from the waterfall. She overcomes many obstacles, learns to climb down a vertical wall and climbs up on the stones. All under the guidance of a trained guide.
Educational elements:
– Life science information about waterfalls in Thailand
Synopsis: Nelly sets off into the jungle to learn the art of survival. She learns how to behave when meeting a cobra, how to make a campfire and eat a banana trunk .
Educational elements:
– Information about the jungle nature and the survival
– Description of the risks and ways to cope with the dangers
Synopsis: Nelly is in South America. She decides to go with a flashlight in search of nocturnal animals. She gets into a boat and sees only glowing in the dark eyes of animals. She decides to find out what kind of animals she is seeing at.
Educational elements:
– Information about the animals living in the Amazon river basin capybaras, bats and caimans
– Life science information about piranha (piranha fishing)
Synopsis: Nelly is in the Amazon river basin and spends the night in a hut on stilts over the river full of caimans and piranhas. In the morning she sets off in search of pink dolphins.
Educational elements:
– Life science information about the animals living in the Amazon river basin
– Observations of capybaras, pink dolphins, monkeys saimiri and caimans
All Season 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, 12 x 12′-15′


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David Klein
David's work references classical antiquity and renaissance concepts of humanism and the beauty of form. He is famous for his 'Emergence Pieces' where the figure reveals itself from the chiselled stone. David says of his work, 'Carving limestone is like carving through time, slowly revealing the sedimentary layers of this Jurassic rock which was laid down 600 million years ago under the sea.' He has held regular exhibitions in London and in 2007 showed his work at the V&A. In 2010 he was elected a member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors (MRBS) and the Society of Portrait Sculptors (SPS), winning the 'Freakley Prize' for outstanding portraiture at the Cork Street show.
David started his working life in engineering, during which time he met the sculptor John Jennings later becoming his assistant. He went on to change career and do a Fine Art degree at Staffordshire University and continued his studies at the Frink School of Sculpture doing a postgraduate course in figurative sculpting. He now lives and carves on the South Coast of England, close to the quarries where he personally sources his materials.
Read Full Profile


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Fitness Clothes & Sho sho shoe'sssss & accessories
clothes, shoes, watches and other coooool stuff
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Gym Outfit
Workout Outfit
Simplistic and soft, the CALIA™ by Carrie Underwood Women's Keyhole Detail Tank Top keeps you at your best. Smooth fabric delivers an amazing feel next to your skin for comfort with every wear, while back cutouts help keep you cool. A racerback cut unlocks a full range of motion, a curved hemline adds coverage, and an allover heather effect brings subtle style. Improve your fitness experience with the CALIA™ Keyhole Detail Tank Top.


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Why Choose Privilege
Executive Cars?
Pre-journey booking confirmation
To help you plan and keep track of your trip, we send you a pre-journey email confirmation, a reminder text at 7pm the evening before your booking with vehicle reg, driver name and contact details and a notification of our punctual arrival on the day.
Amenities for comfort
With our spacious cars, your journey will be comfortable and stress-free. All cars come equipped with air-con, complimentary wifi, Android and Apple chargers and bottled water.
Quality service
Every aspect of our chauffeur service puts quality first, and you can count on us for reliability and complete discretion. This is why so many of our clients continue to use us – and we're rated 5 stars on Google.
Exclusively Mercedes
Our fleet is entirely made up of Mercedes vehicles, including the E-Class 220 Premium and the V-Class 220. And to keep them looking their best, each one is valeted before every trip. Plus, we regularly invest in new vehicles to ensure all of our cars are under two years old.
Executive Chauffeur Licenced drivers
All of our chauffeurs are hand-picked by our Managing Director and rigorously assessed to ensure they are licenced, certified and up to standard to give you peace of mind and outstanding service with every trip. Each one has an Executive Chauffeur Licence with Leeds City Council, that includes an enhanced DBS (Disclosure) check, an in-depth medical and an advanced driver assessment.
Meet and greet service
When you book with Privilege Executive Cars, you receive our meet and greet service. As they are representing not only our company but yours too, each chauffeur wears a Privilege Executive Cars uniform to ensure they arrive in a thoroughly professional, polished manner.
Our Team
Client Services
Paul Watson
Paul founded Privilege Executive Cars over 15 years ago with one goal: to offer a first-class service to the private hire sector, guaranteeing a safe trip every time, with privacy and comfort assured.
Lucy Taylor
I started working for Privilege Executive Cars in 2009 on a part time basis when my daughter was very young, as was the business. My role now includes managing all aspects of administration including accounts, finance & social media. I really enjoy this fast pace environment and how we are so involved with the latest technology, cars & systems. We have a very loyal customer base and receive great feedback which means so much to us.
Gary LakingI have worked for Privilege Executive cars now for 4 years, 2 years as a full-time Chauffeur and then was given the opportunity to take on the role as the Operations Manager and Fleet Manager. I am responsible for the daily bookings, enquiries, despatching, taking telephone calls, quoting for transfers, whilst keeping up to our growing fleet of Mercedes cars. My job is exciting, and dynamic, fast-paced and never a dull day. When I am not working you will find me on my sailing Yacht, sailing in and around the North Sea on the east coast. Garry Laking Operations manager
Some of our chauffeurs
Kyle Pitt
Garry Waterson
Steve Watson
All of our chauffeurs are rigorously assessed to ensure they licenced, certified and up to standard to give you
peace of mind and outstanding service with every trip.
They are all required to obtain an Executive chauffer licence with Leeds City Council, this includes a full DBS (Disclosure) Check, an in-depth medical by an authorised GP and an advanced driver assessment to ensure they deliver a top-quality service at all times.
Each chauffeur wears a Privilege Executive Cars uniform to ensure every time you see them, they are presenting not only our company but your company as well, in a thoroughly professional, polished manner.


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What does starch have to do with your gut health? Watch this video now to find out about this powerful appetite suppressor. Click the Red More Button in your email or the image below if you are on our website.
Looking for a chiropractor near you? Dr. Marsh is a local chiropractor in Maryville, TN. Dr. Marsh has been practicing in Blount County for over 34 years. Dr. Marsh specializes in stress, headaches, pregnancy, fatigue, immune system function, back pain, hip pain, neck pain and stiffness, and arthritis.


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Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu published a new report on Wednesday in which they outlined some of the changes coming to iOS 13.
From the report:
Apple's next operating system update, iOS 13, will include a Dark Mode option for easier nighttime viewing and improvements to CarPlay, the company's in-vehicle software.
It's not just for "easier nighttime viewing" because Dark Mode, as expertly explained by The Wall Street Journal, could improve battery life on OLED devices like the iPhone X/XS series.
That's because unlike with LCDs, the OLED pixels light up individually instead of using a power-hungry backlight module to illuminate every millimeter of the display. A system-wide Dark Mode would keep most of the OLED pixels switched off so that any part of the screen that's supposed to be black actually just stays off.
There will also be iPad-specific upgrades like a new Home screen, the ability to tab through multiple versions of a single app, like pages in a web browser, and improvements to file management.
So, I'm guessing this means that iOS 13 will remove a few major obstacles to fulfilling Apple's vision of iPad being a viable PC replacement.
The way I read it, iOS 13 will let us plug storage devices like USB flash drives or digital cameras to our iPads in order to copy files to the tablet ("improvements to file management"). Plus, we should be able to open documents in tabs within an app and cycle through them easily, boosting our productivity ("improvements to file management").
TUTORIAL: How to view two Safari tabs side by side on iPad
The Bloomberg write-up mentions that the Cupertino tech giant will also launch a new magazine subscription service and its original video programming "via iOS updates this year," implying there will be more than one update to enable these services.
We're thinking that iOS 12.2, currently in testing, will enable a new Apple News Magazines subscriptions service. As for the rumored video-streaming service along with subscriptions in the TV app, those would be released via another iOS software update in mid-April.
Here's an awesome iOS 13 concept by Jacob Rendina.
None of this stuff is necessarily new: Bloomberg actually first reported about this in the summer of 2018, hinting that iOS 13 would bring an overhauled Home screen, tabs in all apps, multitasking enhancements, improvements in the File app and other perks.
Which new features would you like to see in iOS 13?
Let us know by leaving a comment below.


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Need the perfect gift? Give the gift of great skin health with a Bemedispa Giftcard.
Purchase here >>
Your skin is the biggest organ on your body and you should take very good care of it. There are certain cosmetic tightening treatments you can receive in order to ensure that your skin looks and feels its very best. At Be MediSpa, we offer a comprehensive list of skin treatments to improve the quality of your skin and even reverse the signs of aging.
The skin tightening treatments we offer include:
Our facility is operated by a highly skilled husband and wife team that truly cares about your well-being. We have more than 20 years of experience in the field and are dedicated to achieving the best possible results. If you are unsure of which treatment or treatments is right for you and would like to schedule a free consultation, please give us a call today at (859) 266-5483! We look forward to hearing from you soon to help you improve the quality and appearance of your skin.
We offer a professional, convenient, relaxing, state of the art location at 812 East High Street, Lexington KYLearn more
Many Med Spas DO NOT have a physician on site that specializes in non-surgical cosmetic procedures.Learn more
We create a personalized plan so that you can achieve the best success for your investment.Learn more
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We remain a leader in the number of non-surgical cosmetic procedures performed annually by physicians.Learn more
We have been awarded SKIN INC Magazine's national distinction, Best of the Best Medical Spas.Learn more
We have been voted a Lexington Reader's Choice Favorite for 8 years.Learn more
We take pride in the work we do and the lives that we've changed for the better. It isn't hard to succeed when you make people feel better.Learn more


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I swapped out the metal scorpions above with Finecast ones to keep them from being top heavy on those nice Secret Weapon bases. The Finecast was actually... just fine o_O You could have knocked me over with a feather.
|Bolter drill.
|Yes, all those options for the Sgt and special weapons are magnetized. Buy your tickets for the raffle now...
|Exarch is magnetized too :)
NOCF Charity raffle information (Go get some tickets):
The beneficiaries of this effort - Doctors Without Borders (DWB) - www.doctorswithoutborders.org
You DO NOT have to be present at the NOVA Open to win, they will ship the armies to anywhere in the world in sturdy, custom-cut, KR Multicases!
There are other armies/collections in the works for 40K, Halifax, and Flames of War. Tickets purchased for each of these other armies benefit a variety of other charities including Fischer House, and the Wounded Warrior Project.
NOCF blog - novacf.blogspot.com
NOCF website - novaopenfoundation.org
NOCF Facebook page - www.facebook.com/pages/NOVA-
Open-Charitable-Foundation/ 1436421689964668?fref=ts
Models and supplies for the armies being painted are provided by the sponsors below:
Atlantis Games & Comics (USA) - http://www.atlantis-comics.
KR Multicase (UK) - http://www.krmulticase.com
Element Games (UK) - http://elementgames.co.uk
Secret Weapon Miniatures (USA)- http://www.
Next Post: I begin to add color to all of these minis. Batch painting incoming, paging Dr. Air Brush... Thanks for stopping by, check the blog roll, post some comments and remember; you can't spell painting without a little pain :)


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What We'll Create Together
You'll work directly with marketing automation expert & CEO of SixthDivision, Brad Martineau, to create a concrete strategy that will take your new customers and clients from initial purchase to repeat buyers of your products or services… All while you sleep.
Using Brad's methods, you'll…
- Build & implement a revolutionary new customer onboarding experience that will change the trajectory of your clients' relationship with your brand (AKA: get off on the right foot with your customers so that they keep coming back for more)
- Leverage 4 proven, fill-in-the-blank templates to make crafting the perfect onboarding experience as easy as "FILL IN THE BLANK & SEND" (and since it's all automated, you don't even have to be there to hit the "SEND" button :wink:)
- Develop an understanding of what marketing automation really is (and what it isn't) and, more importantly, what it can do for every aspect of your business… no matter your industry.
- Simplify to MAXIMIZE: Optimize and improve your customer indoctrination and onboarding experience…WITHOUT having to completely start over from scratch (this is key)
- Scale your entire business by using this proven automation process to deliver marketing messages, sales messages, and even deliver your products or services… all without you being present.
…By the time we're finished, you'll have a fully automated customer onboarding experience that converts your new customers into raving fans of your brands. Here's a sample of what you'll receive…
Sign up today, and let's put your onboarding strategy on "Autopilot"…
What You'll Learn
High-Impact Strategies You Can Implement For Your Business In Hours…Not Weeks.
The process of building a proper Onboarding experience used to take WEEKS. Luckily, things have changed.
We'll take you, step-by-step, through the entire process of crafting emails, scripting & recording a welcome video, and optimizing your onboarding process…all in a matter of hours. Not days and certainly not weeks. This workshop is meant to expedite the process of crafting a new customer onboarding campaign and save you valuable time.
What Marketing Automation Really Is (and what it isn't)…
…and, more importantly, how it can impact every aspect of your business. Just because someone decided to purchase your product or service, doesn't mean they will automatically come back to give you more of their hard earned cash. You'll use your new automated onboarding experience to make that happen…over & over again
The Ins and Outs of Marketing Automation…From the Best in the Business
Brad Martineau has grown his company, SixthDivision, into a multi-seven figure marketing automation agency using the exact same processes and templates he'll teach you in this workshop. By the time you finish this training, you'll have a fully mapped out onboarding campaign that will not only indoctrinate your new customers to your brand, but keep them coming back for more.


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The Committee of Secret Correspondence to [Arthur Lee], 12 December 1775
The Committee of Secret Correspondence to [Arthur Lee7]
ALS:8 Maine Historical Society
Philada. Dec. 12. 1775
By this Conveyance we have the Pleasure of transmitting to you sundry printed Papers, that such of them as you think proper may be immediately published in England.
We have written on the Subject of American Affairs to Monsieur C. G. F. Dumas, who resides at the Hague. We recommend it to you to correspond with him, and to send through his Hands any Letters to us which you cannot send more directly. He will transmit them via St. Eustatia. When you write to him direct your Letter thus, A Mons. Monsr. C. G. F. Dumas chez Made. le Ve. Loder, ?a Hague;9 and put it under Cover directed to Mr. A. Stuckey Merchant at Rotterdam.
Mr. Story may be trusted with any Dispatches you think proper to send us.1 You will be so kind as to aid and advise him.
It would be agreable to Congress to know the Disposition of Foreign Powers towards us, and we hope this Object will engage your Attention. We need not hint that great Circumspection and impenetrable Secrecy are necessary. The Congress rely on your Zeal and Abilities to serve them, and will readily compensate you for whatever Trouble and Expence a Compliance with their Desires may occasion. We remit you for the present Two Hundred Pounds Sterling.2
Whenever you think the Importance of your Dispatches may require it, we desire you to send an Express-Boat with them from England, for which Service your Agreement with the Owner there shall be fulfilled by us here.
We can now only add that we continue firm in our Resolutions to defend ourselves, notwithstanding the big Threats of the Ministry. We have just taken one of their Ordnance Store Ships, in which are abundance of Carcasses and Bombs intended for burning our Towns.3 With great Esteem, we are Sir, Your most obedient humble Servants
B Franklin
John Dickinson
John Jay
Committee of Correspondence
7. A tear at the bottom of the second page obliterates what once was apparently there, "Arthur Lee, Esq."; see Richard Henry Lee, Life of Arthur Lee. . . (2 vols., Boston, 1829), I, 54.
8. In BF's hand.
9. See BF's letter to Dumas above, Dec. 9, written in the name of the committee. The printed papers enclosed in that letter were presumably the same as those with this one. Mme. Loder was in fact Mme. Dumas, a widow whom he had married some years before: J.W. Schulte Nordholt, "Dumas, the First American Diplomat," in Owen D. Edwards and George Shepperson, Scotland, Europe and the American Revolution (Edinburgh, 1976), p. 18.
1. Story carried the letter to Dumas and, we assume, this one as well.
2. Congress had just put $3,000 at the committee's disposition. JCC, III, 423.
3. Along with the great mortar that Gates mentioned in his letter above, Dec. 5. Carcasses, or shells filled with combustibles, were ammunition for the mortar.


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Alba Witkin was inducted into the Philanthropy category in 2014.
Alba Witkin founded the Bernard E. and Alba Witkin Charitable Foundation in 1982 and, since then, has facilitated the distribution of more than $15 million in charitable contributions to Bay Area organizations, many of them in Alameda County. Alba has had a profoundly positive impact on young children's lives through her charitable giving, focusing much of the Foundation's support on programs that assist children in the formative years leading to age 5 so that they are best prepared to learn when they enter school. Alba has also led the Foundation's growing support of youth transitioning out of the foster care system. Many of these young people face significant obstacles as they move into adulthood, and Alba's support offers a significant boost to their chances of transitioning to happy and productive independence.


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As an active Looker, you will receive notifications for Looks as they come available in your area. As an independent contractor, you are free to accept or decline any Look and will not be penalized in any way.
Please note:
1. When another Looker in your geographic area completes the Look, he or she will gain more experience and become more important in the notification algorithm.
2. If the number of Lookers in the area is low, we may have to recruit more Lookers in the area which will increase your competition in the future.
Please keep in mind that, as a Looker (independent contractor), you will never be forced to accept any Look at any time.


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Adult English Courses Johannesburg
English Language Classes for all levels
LETA is the only language center in Vienna that focuses solely on the English Language. Our English courses are conducted by experienced trainers who are native speakers. At LETA, your success in learning the English language is our number one priority. To ensure this we:
- Undertake an initial assessment to understand your current level of English
- Learn about your background and tailor the course to meet the needs of all participants
- Only have small interactive classes
- Ensure a relaxing environment at our specialist center


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Horses and Ponies love these high fibre treats. They contain natural fibre, are non-heating and are suitable for laminitics. 4kg bag.
Often used in Treat Balls.
Oatfeed, Alfalfa Meal, Molasses, Micronised Unmolassed Sugarbeet, Extracted Linseed Meal, Flavours of Essential Oils, Distillers' Grains.
Digestible Energy:
8.5MJ/kg , Protein: 8.5%, Oil: 2.75%, Fibre: 22.5%, Ash: 6%


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Boucher Gold and Pave Bowknots with Pendant Tassels Clip Earrings
Scroll down for more pictures
: gold plated base metal, rhinestones
: Boucher C, 9080E
: Mark dates this to 1964. Our thanks to Roberto Brunialti for sorting out the dates of the Boucher serial numbers, and generously sharing the information.
: Excellent
: 2.8" x 0.65"
Price: US$365
- see our Sales Policies (link below) for any shipping charges
Please quote Item # bou2166 in your email
All materials on this site
(including patent and vintage advert reproductions) are covered by the provisions of the Copyright Act, by other laws, policies, regulations, and by international agreements.
Such provisions
prohibit reproduction of materials without written permission from N&N Vintage Costume Jewelry
none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none


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Soldier Honored: Brendan J. Buffy
Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland
Branch of Service: Navy
Rank: Lt. (JG)
Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade Brendan J. Duffy, of Annapolis, Maryland, was assigned to the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier. He was assigned to the unit the VAQ-130Zappers, an electric warfare squadron that jams enemy radar to open a path for attack jets. Lt. Duffy sacrificed his life in the line of duty on November 8, 1998 when his EA-6B Prowler jet crashed during a nighttime training exercise off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia. Three others were also killed in the incident. He was 27 years old.
Lt. Duffy graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1990 and the University of Virginia in 1995 with a degree in aeronautical engineering. Commissioned through the Navy's Reserve Officer Training Corps, he graduated from the Naval Academy in 1995. Lt. Duffy went on to flight school in Pensacola, Florida, aspiring to be a naval aviator just as his father had done. "He was extremely proud of what he was doing and felt like he was making a significant contribution to his country," his dad said. "He was pursing his life-long dream."


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Variable Width Unicode Fallback Fonts in Emacs
I haven't talked about it here before, but it is important to me that all my applications are capable of rendering symbols in a typographically pleasing way. This is nearly impossible to accomplish without the use of fallback fonts, which is what any well-designed program11 Going by this requirement, almost no terminal emulators are well designed. For a while there, I honestly thought that iTerm2 on the Mac OS X was the only terminal emulator that did font fallback cleanly. I have since found one or two terminal emulators for Linux that also do it well. does when it wants to show a symbol that is missing in the current font: it picks an alternative font to use for the missing symbol – hopefully one that blends in well with the rest of the type.
For a while now, I have used just the basic built-in stuff in Emacs to deal with that. In other words,
;; Set my main variable-width font (set-fontset-font "fontset-startup" 'unicode (font-spec :name "Linux Libertine O" :size 16.0)) ;; Use variable-width symbol font as a fallback (set-fontset-font "fontset-default" 'unicode (font-spec :name "Symbola" :size 16.0))
This is okay, but not ideal. My main problem is that for some specific ranges of
characters22 Specifically, box drawing characters., I want a fixed-width
font. The
set-fontset-font stuff doesn't easily let me do that unless I split
my main font into a bunch of sub-ranges.
Eventually, I gave in and decided to try to use the
package. What it doesn't say in the readme is that it expects Emacs to use a
fixed-width font. All default fallbacks are configured with fixed-width fonts in
That is ugly, so I came up with a crude solution that will have to suffice for the time being.
(use-package unicode-fonts :init (use-package persistent-soft :config (unicode-fonts-setup)) :config (setq unicode-fonts-overrides-mapping (append '((#x0000 #xffff ("Linux Libertine O" "Symbola"))) unicode-fonts-overrides-mapping)))
This simply overrides all default mappings for the entire basic multilingual plane33 The basic multilingual plane (the bmp, to use jargon) are the 16 bits that "ought to be enough for anybody". Turns out human languages are so complex that we can't even number all the symbols they use with 16 bits. No wonder some hypothesise that our brain really evolved to deal with language, and anything else it can do is just a side effect of that … with just the two choices of my main font or my fallback font. So far, that seems to do a fairly good job.
The difference from the previous solution, is that now I can simply add more
overrides for certain characters, and
unicode-fonts will take care of
calculating how all other ranges must be adjusted.


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Check out my second episode of The Champion Next Door Show, a podcast designed to help you learn more about the awesome competitive runners right here in our community.
On this episode we talk with Brett Stover. Brett is a Dayton-based runner who went from average high school sprinter to 2:45 marathoner this past fall. Learn how Brett continues to improve in his fourth year of running.
Follow Brett:
- Instagram @stoverbl
Follow Andy:
- Instagram @ohloru
Listen & Subscribe:
Thanks for listening!


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July 6, 2014, marked the last day that the Kara Walker "A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby, an Homage to the unpaid and overworked Artisans who have refined our Sweet tastes from the cane fields to the Kitchens of the New World on the Occasion of the demolition of the Domino Sugar Refining Plant" exhibit would be shown to the world. The sugar and molasses structures would be destroyed along with the huge factory that it was displayed in and I am so honored to have received the opportunity to be in the presence of such greatness before it's demise.
I gain inspiration from art. It's sort of a creative outlet for me and for a moment in time, I can try and figure out the depth and thought process that might've gone into a certain piece of artwork and/or sculpture. Simultaneously, I love African American history. I love to learn about the resilience of my people. Pride fills my soul as I take in all the sacrifices that my ancestors had to go through so I could live a better life. How could I ever repay them? I often ask myself this very question. All I can honestly do is promise them excellence; Excellence in myself, my work, my commitments, my education, and my life. I am committed to making my ancestors proud and never letting their legacy die.
I get a sense that Kara might feel the same way. Her installation revitalized the issue of race, slavery, rape, industrialization, westernization, and femininity (along with many other things). She reopened the conversation and exposed the harsh realities of slavery and the free labor of African Americans which built the very foundation of this country; The Mammy Sphinx was a powerful sight to witness. Standing tall, with its Afrocentric features and profound physical assets, I was filled with so much pride in its presence. One of the best moments of this exhibit was listening to the casual conversations among visitors as they discussed the various meanings and purposes behind Subtlety. Some bystanders stood silent, enamored by the sphinx while others just wanted to be pictured with it.
All in all…Thank You Kara. You've made history.


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Tyler Green has more today on the brewing deaccessioning controversy at the University of Iowa. (He refers to the current proposal to find out what the painting at issue might be worth as an "assessment/possible forced deaccessioning.")
Among other things, Tyler is concerned about conflicts of interest in that the wife of the regent "who first called for the university to explore a forced deaccessioning" is on the board of the Des Moines Art Center: "Gartner's position with the university's board of regents and his wife's at DMAC raises serious questions about whether Gartner is trying to leverage a forced deaccessioning of the UIMA Pollock to a museum in which his wife is active."
Look, I know I seem to lack the deaccessioning-outrage gene, but my first reaction to hearing about a possible deal with the DMAC is, "What's so bad about that?" If $100 million or so could go to the University to help it deal with its flood-related problems, with the Pollock moving a mere 115 miles down the road (plus a promise to "allow UIMA to show the painting occasionally"), how exactly does that amount to a catastrophe? Even if you buy the argument that "this collection belongs to the people of Iowa," a deal between two Iowa institutions wouldn't seem to be a problem. Or does this collection really belong to the people of Iowa City? Hard to keep track sometimes.


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Media Article # 407
Thursday, June 13, 2002
By Paul WillisABC News
Reporter Paul Willis goes into the Blue Mountains near Sydney to meet Neil, a high school teacher who claims to have had several hundred encounters with a large bipedal ape like creature in the bush, and hes not alone; many of his neighbours have seen it too. So far there is a distinct lack of scientific evidence that such a creature exists, Paul wants to find out just whats going on? Big Hairy Men have been seen all around the world. They go by the name of Sasquatch, Yeti and Bigfoot. In Australia, its the Yowie that terrorises people in the bush. Catalyst looks at whats behind these mysterious sightings. Does the yowie really exist or is it a hoax? Are people imagining things or is it a case of mistaken identity? We canvas all the options, assess the evidence and get to the bottom of the Mystery of the Yowie. Could it be there really is a large creature, as yet unknown to science roaming through the bush? Is it a case of mistaken identity, or a hoax? Or is there something going on in our minds that creates a monster from bits and pieces of unexplained information? We explore the Mystery of the Yowie. (full transcript...) Reporter: Paul Willis Producer: Louise Heywood Researcher: Owen Craig Full Program Transcript:Narration: Just outside Sydney there have been reports of encounters with human-like creatures otherwise unknown to science. Neil: Its around 2.1 metres. It has a long thick coat, very dark and the face is largely hairless, very deep skin folds.Narration: So far there is no hard evidence, no specimens, no bones, but plenty of sightings. Yeti, Yowie, Bigfoot, all over the world there are stories of large hairy human like creatures roaming through the wilderness. But whats behind these mysterious sightings? In Australia, Big Hairy Men are known as yowies. Here in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, Neil, claims to have had over 300 encounters with Yowies over the last decade. Many of his neighbours have had encounters too.Neil: The closest Ive been is probably about 6 feet. At the time I wasnt even aware it was thereNarration: Neil and a friend having heard the sound of footsteps in the bush decided to follow itNeil: When I got close to where I thought it was last standing, I turned to Robert and said, I think its somewhere around here, just be careful I'm going to turn the light on and see what happens. So I walked down into the swamp, turned on the light and without knowing it the thing had been so close to me, and it stood up directly to the front of me and slightly to the side, leant towards me and just roared in my face. The only thing I really remember was the basic outline, its height, the red eyes, because I had the torch shining at it, or above its head and it was black skinned. Narration: Neil and his neighbours have had hundreds of encounters with Yowies and gone looking for evidence of their movements. He claims these deep gouges are made by yowies biting into trees in search of grubs. (short discussion re tree bites). And its not just Australians who are reporting encounters with Wild Men and Women. Dr Hemut Loofs-Wissowa is an anthropologist whos catalogued similar reports from around the world, particularly Vietnam and Laos.Dr Hemut Loofs-Wissowa: I came across this wild man phenomena there and I eventually found out it was really a worldwide phenomena.Narration: This is a drawing of a wild man supposedly found in Vietnam. When Helmut showed it to villagers in Laos, they identified the drawing as a creature theyd seen in their forests. Helmut believes these creatures are Neanderthal men living in remote areas and thinks theyre being dismissed too readily. Dr Hemut Loofs-Wissowa: You say youve seen one youre lying, you must be lying because they dont existNarration: Not everyone is so sceptical. Anthropologist Alan Thorne thinks mavericks like Helmut are crucial to the progress of science.Alan Thorne: Its the person who goes outside the envelope who produces the goods. Lots of people do and fail and as we look back in science we see these magical people who at the time were mavericks, looney tunes, but when they come up with the goods and prove the theory we say fantastic.Narration: But maverick or not neither Helmut or Neil or anyone else for that matter has come up with incontrovertible physical evidence that Yowies exist. Heres Neils evidence, does it constitute hard data.Neil: This is an original footprint from the one we call Fatfoot
.Narration: But he admits the evidence he has collected so far is ambiguous, so why is there nothing more concrete?Neil: Its difficult for me to explain cos I have a problem with that too I find it disappointing that we dont find more of it
.What about the bite marks? Dont they constitute evidence? Narration: We took Richard Turner, specialist in the damage various animals do to trees, to have a look at the bite marks with Neil.Paul Willis (Reporter): What do you think about itRichard Turner: This to me is quite clearly a track from a bulls Eye borer thats been ripped open by a yellow tailed black cockatoo.Neil: I find it hard to believe that a yellow tailed black cockatoo could do this
.Narration: One problem for Neil with the black cockatoo theory is hes convinced that some of these marks were made at night.Neil: Unless the black cockatoo is nocturnal, I would suggest another predator is going after these grubs.Richard Turner: In my experience they are diurnal, they go to roost at night. Well the midnight theory is interesting.Narration: Perhaps theres another explanation for experiences with mysterious monsters, perhaps its a case of mistaken identity. If these people come to you and tell you we have seen these creatures why should you not believe them. Bill Von Hippel: Eye witnesses in general are very fallible; they are doing their best to tell us what they really saw but we know that peoples memories and their perceptions are quite fallible. Narration: Psychologist believe that when we get fleeting glimpses of something, our mind fills in the gaps, what we interpret it to be is moulded by our expectations. Bill Von Hippel: If people have an expectation that its out there be it ambiguous, blurry, seen at night or very fast moving, but that tiny little bit of something people can latch onto and they can end up seeing things in very different ways then it was.Narration: But Neil is not convinced by this explanation. Neil: Well for the vast number of encounters weve had
were not imagining this thing.Narration: So whether these creatures are really roaming through the bush remains to be seen, but science will continue to demand proof before accepting the claims. But Alan Thorne warns against being too sceptical.Alan Thorne: There in the totally searched out Blue Mountains west of Sydney there suddenly pops up the Wollombi Pine, a totally new family of trees I think. So its a warning we dont know everything and maybe theres still quite a lot of surprises out there and if those turn out to be hairy men then so be it.
Click here to view the original article


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Dear Boys,
I decided to give your mum a 'me time' for the hardwork she put in helping you, Ian with your exams. So I took you boys out so that your mum can go for her nail message, compliments of Auntie Chai Ping.
Where can we go, 3 male members of the Lim family? The Istana was hosting an open house and it is free entry for Singaporeans, so why not? We packed up and headed out, looking forward to spending some time at the official residence of our President. After all, it is free entry and its been a long time since I've step foot in the Istana for a visit.
We reached the place and found it to be raining a little, and got heavier as we approached the Main Building. the compound is really a nice place to visit, with the sprawling greenery, and magnificent lawn. Once we passed the tight security, the first sight that draws us towards was the Swan pond.
The both of you were fascinated with the single white swan there and snapped pictures like it was the last living White Swan on earth. Thankfully the turf on the Istana ground is quite well maintained, despite of the rain, and wet grounds didn't translate into a muddy quagmire, despite of the heavy trampling by the large crowds.
As we walked up and towards the slight gradient, the both of you chatted that this was where they saw on television the funeral procession of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, and wondered where is the Sri Temasek.
The Sri Temasek
The premises was out of bounds and we can only stop to appreciate the diminutive building, where so much of our country's history has happened there. While we watch, our minds played the mental image of Mr Lee's cortege rolled out from the place, in a wet day no different from the day we visited Istana.
The Main Building
We had to seek refuge there along with many 'un-umbrella' folks, as the sky decided to open up on us. We learned from a Scout there, that we can actually buy a ticket to go into Istana for a house tour. With nothing better to do, I decided to leave the 2 of you with the Scout and headed out in the downpour to get the tickets. There is no photo taking allowed inside so we have to keep our pictures in our head.
The interior is a grand place, which is of course, as we have to host our nation's guests there. There is an air of importance as well as decorum, you can't help but feel the importance of such a place to us ordinary Singaporeans. it is important that we host our country's guests in the highest pristine so that we get the respect and voice in the global community.
The Gun Terrace
This is certainly the highlight for the both of you as you boys take turns to take pictures of it, walk around it and explore this World War 2 relic.
The Military Guardroom
We did a few fun shots there with a few ornamental mini cannons, your little brother, as usual, is such a pain when it comes to making him look at the camera and do a decent pose!
Our signature childhood photo
This is the kind of photograph where we can look back, decades from now and relish the memories. I am sure many of us and our parents out there has a photo like that taken with a soldier standing at attention. This will certainly be a journey I hope the 2 of you can cherish and remember fondly.
Posted November 19, 2015


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The P.G. Wodehouse exhibition at the British Library that I mentioned a few weeks ago is now happily in place, and Marion and I visited while in London earlier this week.
It is a fairly small affair, in the Sir John Ritblat Treasures of the British Library room. The last exhibit I saw in that space was devoted to Karl Marx. The Wodehouse one is cheerier. It is a sample of the manuscripts and other items recently sent to the Library by the Cazalet family (on permanent loan, I think).
There are some photos and first editions, but the manuscripts are the interesting things.There is a chapter plan of Aunts Aren't Gentlemen (my favourite Wodehouse title, though not his best novel) and some manuscript pages that show copious rewriting to get the light and informal tone just right. Anyone pondering a Ph.D. subject could do a lot worse than to follow a Wodehouse novel from plan to print, finding out exactly what he added at each stage.
There are letters, too.A charmingly devoted one to his wife, Ethel, and a 1921 letter to his step-daughter Leonora that shows quite how financially successful he had become by this time;
Mrs Westbrook has written to say that the Strand have raised my price from one hundred and fifty quid to two hundred per short story, which with the American rights will make about a snappy six hundred quid per s.s. – noticeably better than dab in the eye with a blunt stick.
The letter I liked best though is not by Wodehouse, but one sent him by his literary admirer Evelyn Waugh. Since they were on such friendly terms, Wodehouse suggested that Waugh should call him 'Plum', as everyone else did. Waugh replied:
Dear Dr Wodehouse,
There was an awful moment about 25 years ago when Edith Sitwell leant towards me like a benevolent eagle and said, 'Mr Waugh, you may call me Edith.' I did not dare address her for four years….
This Wodehouse exhibition is small, but most worth seeing. The big show at the British Library is by contrast enormous. Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms: Art,Word, War is a true block-buster, with astonishing manuscripts lent from all over the world and collected together here to give a portrait of an age. It is immensely impressive, but left me feeling how little I know of the six centuries covered by the show. But one can't know everything, and I'm not too bad on the years 1890-1930, I tell myself.


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I've been using the Portainer add-on from the Home Assistant add-on repository for quite a while now, and using it to manage several docker hosts. I recently went to add a few Kubernetes clusters as endpoints for Portainer only to realise that the add-on was Portainer 1.x instead of 2.x (which doesn't support Kubernetes). It doesn't appear that there's going to be an update to 2.x on the existing Home Assistant add-on, so I've created a new one based on the Portainer-CE 2.1 code.
Installation requires an additional repository to be added to Home Assistant. The repository URL is: https://github.com/MikeJMcGuire/HASSAddons. From there, the installation is pretty much the same as the original add-on. You turn off protected mode (as it needs to manipulate the docker host on which it runs), and turn on the sidebar option.
The only real difference I've seen so far is that the 2.x version of Portainer doesn't have a "no authentication" option. The original 1.x add-on used this as the interface to Portainer was protected by the Home Assistant ingress option. Therefore, the 2.x version requires you to login. The default credentials are admin/portainer and you can change that password as soon as you log in the first time. I've kept the add-on fairly basic, but if there's any changes/features needed they're quite straight forward to add.
If you're looking for changes to the add-on, call it out here in a comment, or on the repository for the add-on code.
- Expose Portainer ports (8000/9000 TCP) outside of the container for those that wish to have an alternative to HA ingress – done.
Update (26 May): Upgraded to Portainer 2.5.
~ Mike


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ADS Board of Directors Duties
Please click the link below to review the ADS Board of Directors member duties and responsibilities. If there is a position you would be interested in filling, please contact a current board member. Each position is a 2-year term and changes over at our annual awards banquet. The board meets the second Thursday of each month.


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Worldwide adoption of IP-based TV is expected to grow significantly in coming years, though the U.S. will only be a bit player in the market, according to researchers from In-Stat Tuesday.
The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based market research firm predicts 32 million subscribers will be watching TV provided by telecommunications providers in 2009, up from 1.6 million at the end of 2004.
According to the In-Stat report, "Telco TV in Mass Deployment Phase," worldwide revenues in the premium services space will surpass $600 million in 2009.
IP-based providers can also bundle the TV service into the highly sought-after triple play of the broadband world: VoIP
The U.S., which requires new entrants to sign local franchise contracts before they can provide television, is expected to lag behind the rest of the world, according to Michelle Abraham, In-Stat analyst.
"The current franchise regulations — needing a franchise license to serve a community — really does require a lot of negotiation with each community," she said.
According to Abraham, the North American region is expected to make the least significant contribution to the predicted 32 million subscribers by 2009. The lion's share of the subscribers will come from Europe and Asia, where the telco providers in those countries have already been providing the service.
She said many other countries can deploy TV services after gaining federal government approvals, not through negotiations with local communities.
The leaders in the IPTV space, Abraham said, are companies like France's Free Telecom and France Telecom, Italy's FastWeb, Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom and Japan's Yahoo BB.
Abraham said the North American telcos are definitely picking up the pace of their IPTV activities. Baby Bells like SBC
and Verizon
are rolling out miles of the fiber-optic cabling needed to provide the service, and are looking at the premium services that will help fund the initiative.
SBC plans to pass 18 million homes in the next three years, while Verizon has been working on securing franchising agreements with local communities.
There are indications state authorities are looking for the means to get IPTV into the communities quicker than the existing method. Recently the Texas state lawmakers passed a bill to grant a statewide video franchise, which the governor is expected to sign.
Commissioners from the Federal Communications Commission are looking for the means to update the current policy.


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I'm definitely dazzled by Dazzler
This is the first bloom of Gaillardia 'Dazzler' – who I grew from seeds. I have five of them in my rose garden and gave some to my Mom, too. They are supposed to be different colors. We shall see.
Notice the canna seedlings in 6″ pots in the background. They are coming along nicely, already showing their own personalities. Some are shooting straight up. Others are short with curly leaves. Cute. It is a joy to watch them grow and develop.


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Reus Imperials, Valencia Giants, & Badalona Dracs Make Statements in Spain
The Reus Imperials and Valencia Giants are continuing along a path that will lead them to a first round clash in the playoffs as the Spanish League wound up its sixth week of play.
The Imperials came from behind to defeat the Valencia Firebats while the Giants disposed of the Murcia Cobras. Meanwhile, the Badalona Dracs remained unbeaten in Spain in trouncing the Barbera Rookies.
Reus Imperials (5-1) 35 – Valencia Firebats 22 (2-4)
The Reus Imperials firmly established themselves as the second best team in Spain in beating 2016 finalists the Valencia Firebats. The Firebats did not make it easy however as Reus found themselves trailing 22-21 late in the contest before quarterback Brady Huber connected with Nazhi Essalhi for the go ahead touchdown and two point conversion. Defensive back Tobias Fuchs sealed the win with an interception for a touchdown.
Huber threw three touchdown passes for the Imperials to Nate Stephens, Henri Laine and Essalhi and Juan Clavijo scored on a rushing touchdown. Valencia quarterback Juan Pablo Terán, who was replacing the injured Fernando Altarriba kept the Firebats in the game scoring on a 50 yard run in the first half and then throwing a touchdown pass. He also rushed for another touchdown in the second half.
The Imperials and Firebats went into the halftime break tied 14-14. After a Huber touchdown pass to Laine, Terán engineered an 80 yard touchdown drive capping it with both a touchdown and the two-point conversion giving the Firebats their first lead of the game.
With two minutes left though, Huber hit Essalhi and Terán was picked off giving Reus the all important win.
Valencia Giants (3-3) 37 – Murcia Cobras (2-4) 14
The Valencia Giants laid claim to the third playoff berth with a convincing 37-14 defeat of the Murcia Cobras. The Giants left no doubt as quarterback TJ Tutone struck early and often throwing four touchdown passes and three two-point conversions. Valencia jumped out to a 14-0 lead before the Cobras found the scoreboard on a touchdown by Joan Andoni González late in the first half.
Tutone threw his second touchdown pass of the game to TJ Murphy early in the third quarter extending the lead to 22-6 before González caught another touchdown pass to pull the Cobras to within 22-14. But Tutone was in a rhythm and connected with Ralph Pienda to increase the Giant's lead again to 30-14. Finally, Valencia defensive back Jorge Huete picked off an errant Cobras pass and returned it for the final score.
Badalona Dracs (6-0) 65 – Barbera Rookies (0-6) 3
The Barbera Rookies kicked a field goal on their opening drive after falling behind 6-0, and that was the end of the scoring for the winless Rookies. Badalona scored on the ensuing kickoff and the rout was on. Despite marching down to the Badalona three yard line two series later, Barbera came up empty handed fumbling the ball away.
The Dracs raced out to a 44-3 halftime lead before easing off a little in the second half.
Dracs receiver Hunter Lee was spectacular, scoring five touchdowns in the first half, two on punt returns while quarterback Sergi Gonzalo threw five touchdown passes giving him 31 for the season. Joan Carles Bartra scored a kickoff return touchdown while Ferran Llinàs, Xavi Gonzalo and Edu Morlans all caught passes for touchdowns.
With the win, the Dracs have a stranglehold on first place in Spain.


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In the future, you don't carry cash or credit cards, and you don't wait in line. Instead, a magical piece of wearable tech is your everything.
There's a gadget that's already testing this vision of tomorrow, and it's not the Apple Watch. It's at Disney World, of all places. Wired has an interesting report on Disney's new $1 billion gamble: a smart wristband preprogrammed with the user's trip itinerary, granting them access to the entire Disneyworld park without the need to carry cash or card.
The Magic Band, connected to the guest's credit card, would mean that meals, rides, accomodations, concessions, and souvenirs would be taken care of with a quick scan. So, too, would be checking in to existing reservations at the park, with the wristband sent weeks ahead in anticipation of the visit. As guests entered a restaurant for dinner, they would be greeted by name and sit where they like, and still have their food find them. It will mean being able to reserve a space on a ride instead of waiting in long lines by building a trip itinerary from beginning to end.
More From Popular Mechanics
Even if you're not planning a family vacation to the Magic Kingdom, it's time to take notice to a real-world test of what everybody expects the real tomorrow land to look like.
Source: Wired


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Gibson's Italia is an overachiever. There's not just that great Gibson's steak but platters of crudo, towers of shellfish and delicate house-made pasta. On three levels. With two fireplaces and a roof deck that wows with skyline and river views. The antipasti selection seduces from arancini made with one year aged risotto to lighter-than-air meatballs and pasta is hand made daily with Italian heritage organic stone-ground flour. Healthy eaters will go for oven roasted veg or an Italian Grain Bowl with arugula, farro, barley, lentil, black-eyed bean, avocado and dried flower pollen. Hearty panini ranges from grilled eggplant and zucchini to Italian Prime Rib. If you're indulging infrequently or it's a special occasion, consider the pure Japanese Kobe cut to order. It's all fabulous since everything is USDA Gibsons Prime Angus. Choose among 25 wines by the glass or a Midwest whiskey from a small-batch distillery.
Recommended for Italian because: It's everything you love about Gibson's plus sophisticated Italian dishes, an extensive wine list and drop dead gorgeous looks.
Jacky's expert tip: The name "Gibson's" is synonymous with steak, but vegetarians have fantastic options like the new Caramelle pasta and cauliflower with cheese fonduta, chive oil, hazelnuts and shallots.
The intimate and casually romantic dinner spot serves delicious Italian food from the Piedmont region of Italy (bordering France and Switzerland at the foot of the Alps). The tiny dining area is lined with white lights and candlelit tables. The eatery is best known for fresh pasta, which Chef Cameron Grant learned how to make in Langhe, Italy. Other popular choices include a favorite of the region - raw Piemontese beef, cured egg yolk, crispy shallots and rosemary cracker bread. Piemonte produces high-quality hazelnuts so opt for any dessert featuring the rich nut. Piedmontese wines, like Barolo, can be redolent of cherries, roses and love, so order a bottle!
Recommended for Italian because: Osteria Langhe serves exceptional, seasonal, Piemontese fare and the lush wines of the region in a completely comfortable setting.
Jacky's expert tip: Chef offers Trifecta Tuesdays: choose an antipasti, a secondi and a dolci from the dinner menu for $38.
Piccolo Sogno, Italian for "little dream," is just that. The first restaurant of partners Tony Priolo and Ciro Longobardo is still satisfying diners after 11 years on the competitive Chicago dining scene. The menu is studded with hand-made seasonal rustic Italian dishes and an impressive all-Italian wine list checks in at over 400 varieties. The River West eatery, with its serene interior and shaded patio, provides an intimate refuge from the noisy city streets. Lucky you - it's open for lunch Monday through Friday and dinner seven days a week. The menu is full of incredible dishes from an earthy Ribolitta (twice cooked Tuscan bread and vegetable soup) to ethereal pasta like toasted flour ribbon pasta tossed with mixed mushrooms, herbs and Parmesan. Locals rave about the whole Branzino sided with braised fennel and wood-fired pizzas.
Recommended for Italian because: Piccolo Sogno is an excellent Italian restaurant lauded for its fresh rustic fare, outstanding service and one of the most enchanting patios in Chicago.
Jacky's expert tip: Parking is free at lunch and $13 at dinner which is a bargain. Or take a taxi to River West - you won't be disappointed.
For Northern Italian cuisine, Tuscany is a fine choice in Little Italy that's as popular with Millennials as it is with business folks and families with grannies and kids. The Phil Stefani classic has delivered rich Tuscan flavor and juicy Italian wines to Chicago for over a quarter century. During brisk Chicago winters, the scent of wood-fired gourmet pizzas is positively heavenly. Enjoy a menu curated by Executive Chef Victorio Padilla: one-of-a-kind pasta dishes like the popular Ravioli Pera (roasted pear, Parmigiano, toasted nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, mascarpone cream); perfectly prepared steak, veal and chicken dishes; as well as fresh seafood. In the summer, get a seat on the elevated patio offering the sights of Little Italy. Consider ordering a glass from Phil's favorite hometown vineyard - Fattoria di Montechiari. The restaurant also has two suburban locations, in Oak Brook and Wheeling.
Recommended for Italian because: Not just for locals, Tuscany has wowed out-of-towners such as former President Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore.
Jacky's expert tip: Tuscany is open for lunch on weekdays only. Consider drink and appetizer specials in the bar from 4 – 7 pm Sunday – Thursday.
At the intersection of Texas, Italy and Top Chef, you'll find Monteverde, Chef Sarah Grueneberg's ode to her birthplace, wanderlust and the inventiveness that tv viewers witnessed on season 9 of the Bravo show. If you're looking for traditional dishes, you're in luck but there are also adventurous new flavors not usually seen in an Italian kitchen. You may get religion trying handcrafted pasta made fresh daily - either classic Italian pastas or Grueneberg's innovative riffs like wok-fried arrabbiata or tortelli verdi with roasted white miso. Nibble Stuzzichini (snacks), primi piati (before pasta), sizable entrees and dessert. Oma's Green Mountain Salad is full of seasonal crunchy vegetables served with a family dressing recipe with house-made lemon pepper and garlic salt. Try an updated version of Chef's grandmother's dish, Lillian's Stuffed cabbage redolent of mushroom bolognese, a vegetarian choice that is as hearty as any meat dish.
Recommended for Italian because: Near the United Center, choose Monteverde before a game or concert for exceptional snacks or a big bowl of Ragu Alla Napoletana feeding 2-4 people.
Jacky's expert tip: There's always room for walk-ins - the bar and patio serve the full menu on a first-come, first-serve basis.
RPM Italian is celebrity-owned (Bill and Giuliana Rancic), but don't hold that against it because it's a great Italian restaurant in Chicago close to hotels, shopping and Michigan Ave. RPM's space is outfitted in modern black, white and grey decor. It's known for a housemade pasta program, featuring more than a dozen seasonal pasta at any given time. Start with one of the signature cocktails or a bottle from an extensive wine list, and then choose from the housemade pasta like Maine lobster ravioli and seafood risotto evocative of Mediterranean, slow-roasted meats, wild fish and seafood and Italian classics with just enough contemporary flair to make it sensually interesting. Don't think twice about paying for bread because the truffled garlic bread circa 1963 is transportive. RPM Italian was recently named one of OpenTable's Top 100 Restaurants in America. Steaks are impressive (the sister restaurant is RPM Steakhouse) as is service.
Recommended for Italian because: Excellent food and service make this stylish. modern restaurant in the heart of tourist-heavy River North a fine choice.
Jacky's expert tip: Stop by the bar weekdays between 4-6pm for Apertivo Hour for $5 "cicchetti" like Provolone stuffed peppers and Big Eye tuna.
We can bet that some of your favorite Italian dishes are Roman: Cacio e Pepe studded with black pepper and Pecorino Romano cheese; Bucatini all'Amatriciana starring spicy pork cheek ragu; and eggy Carbonara. You can get exceptional versions of all as well as other Roman delights like crispy Jewish style fried baby artichokes, stuffed rice croquettes (Suppli) and an array of different meatballs at Bar Roma. Chef Fred Ramos (Printer's Row, Gioco, Angelina) steers the gondola at the Andersonville charmer that features a tavern style bar/lounge and an open kitchen dining room. In addition to perfectly executed Roman cuisine, expect interesting craft cocktails and a wine listed curated by one of the top somms in town.
Recommended for Italian because: Bar Roma is everything one could want in an independent neighborhood Italian eatery: warm and welcoming, with outstanding food and wine.
Jacky's expert tip: In addition to dinner nightly, Bar Roma offers an exceptional happy hour and (bottomless) bubbly brunch on Sundays.
Quartino calls itself, "Chicago's Italian restaurant" and if you've never been you might think that a tad presumptuous. It's not. People love this place as evidenced by tables filled with chatty diners every night of the week. Unlike too many other River North eateries, Quartino offers exceptional food at reasonable prices. Waitstaff can be slammed but still attentive and cheerful. There's wonderful artisanal salumi, cheese and olives, delicate house-made pasta, a quartet of risottos prepared with aged rice from Piemonte and countless Neapolitan thin-crust pizzas exiting the kitchen. Hearty specialties include farmhouse chicken and braised pork shank or go light with wine bar plates such as veal meatball slider, polenta fries with red pepper dipping sauce and house-made goat's milk ricotta. Tasty classic and specialty cocktails, Italian sodas, a deep wine list and a dozen decadent desserts including dark chocolate fondue round out the perfection of Quartino.
Recommended for Italian because: Quartino has it all: winning wine and food, attentive service, cheery atmosphere and reasonable prices.
Jacky's expert tip: Stop by for lunch ($8 sandwich special) and the weekend brings Italian brunch items like a Tuscan skillet and house-made stuffed zeppole.
How does Chef/Partner Tony Mantuano continue to crank out the most ethereal pasta, sophisticated antipasti and jaw-dropping second courses after all these years? He cooks from the head and the heart and is smart to hire simpatico creative chefs like Season 15 winner of Top Chef, Joe Flamm, a south sider making Chicago proud. Ideal for date night, Spiaggia offers Mag Mile and Lake Michigan views coupled with simple but expertly created dishes featuring seasonal produce and delicate, handmade pasta. Service is impeccable and desserts irresistible. Cafe Spiaggia, on the same floor, is a sweet European cafe with calming colors and an equally inviting menu. Wonderful shared plates include Emilia Romagna on a Plate (puffed fried gnocco, Prosciutto, fonduta and balsamico); or try fried peppers, fennel and smelt. Outstanding hand made pasta like lumache with lamb Bolognese and Parmigiano Reggiano make you a pasta amnesiac for all other noodles.
Recommended for Italian because: Attention to detail, thoughtful cookery, fine wine and fetching views make the restaurant and cafe wholly memorable.
Jacky's expert tip: This is one of Chicago's finest restaurants, so be sure to reserve a table and don't overlook Cafe Spiaggia for lunch or dinner.
Puglia is a wealth of rustic cuisine, juicy wine, plentiful seafood straight out of the Adriatic and stunning vistas. Osteria Trulli is the only authentic Pugliese eatery in the area via chef/owner Giovanni DeNigris, a native of the region. Warm crusty bread and chewy, slightly charred pizza exit the wood-fired oven filling the charming space with heavenly aromas. Ingredients are imported from Puglia (or made on site) including the luscious burrata on pizza (with organic arugula, cherry tomatoes and mortadella) - simple and exquisite. Eggplant (melanzane) rolled around spinach and bread crumbs then doused with pomodoro sauce melts in your mouth. Chef shuns butter and cream so homemade gnocchi is bathed in a melange of mascarpone and broth reduced to a dreamy consistency. Nuclear-sized Adriatic prawns baked in the wood oven are surely Instagram stars. Finish with heavenly dessert, homemade limoncello and Pugliese espresso and start planning your return visit.
Recommended for Italian because: Osteria Trulli is the only authentic Pugliese eatery in the Chicago area and it's worth the drive. It's independently owned and a real find.
Jacky's expert tip: You'll think your GPS is wonky taking you through a residential street. Trust it because the restaurant is tucked behind Hintz Rd.


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Despite the strength of new entries "Monsters University" and "World War Z," last week's even bigger opener "Man of Steel" fell more than expected by 65% to end up in third place. With three strong 3-D performers leading the way, and two sleeper holdovers continuing to gross well, this weekend's Top Ten grossed a solid $226 million, the second best of the year (after the "Fast & Furious 6" opening). For all of this weekend's strength, and with the boost of so many premium 3-D tickets, it's surprising that the overall total didn't reach #1 for the year.
Preopening expectations were that Pixar's "Monsters" would claim the top spot, with Brad Pitt's "World War" and "Steel" fighting it out for second. Instead, the former beat the "Superman" reboot by $24 million for the weekend, beyond anyone's expectations, suggesting that even strong openers are vulnerable to new competition — something that could be an issue in upcoming weeks as more major new releases appear every week.
Still, the total is a healthy jump from a year ago ($163 million for the top 10), as each week narrows the gap for annual year-to-date performance. The 2013 box office now stands at $150,000 below 2012, after lagging much further behind so far. That gap could be closed over the next two weeks–although it is set against the backdrop of the most expense production costs ever for the summer season.
A24's "The Bling Ring" expanded to 650 theaters and a $2 million gross, just missing the Top Ten; this movie could be grabbing traction with a younger than usual audience for a specialized release.
1. Monsters University (Buena Vista) NEW – Cinemascore: A; Criticwire grade: B; Metacritic score: 64
$82,000,000 in 4,004 theaters; PSA (per screen average): $20,480; Cumulative: $82,000,000
Pixar scores again (its 14th consecutive #1 film), with the (3-D surcharge enhanced) second-best opening gross ever for one of their releases (only "Toy Story 3" was bigger) and third-best ever for an animated film ("Shrek the 3rd" is first). This despite falling at the lower end of critical reaction for their films, which clearly doesn't matter at this point with Pixar's brand recognition. On the other hand this film is a pre-branded sequel and skews younger male than most wide-audience Pixar blockbusters.
"Monsters, Inc." in 2001 opened–without the 3-D premium– to around $63 million, ultimately grossing close to $300 million (a huge multiple for that level of opening weekend gross).
Buena Vista is having an incredible year — this is their third boffo opening after "Oz: the Great and Powerful" and "Iron Man 3," though all the pictures, including this one (which likely cost far in excess of $100 million; the first "Monsters" was budgeted at $115 million) were all very expensive and need to perform at this level to justify their cost.
What comes next: This has a two week jump on "Despicable Me 2" domestically (which Universal is opening overseas earlier), so it has room to build up a big initial gross on its way to being one of the biggest hits of the summer.
2. World War Z (Paramount) NEW – Cinemascore: B+; Criticwire grade: B-; Metacritic score: 62
$66,000,000 in 3,607 theaters; PSA: $18,298,000; Cumulative: $66,000,000
With all the anticipation for the summer releases, question marks hung over several of the more expensive productions such as the disappointing "After Earth" and the upcoming "The Lone Ranger," but "World War Z" has warranted more attention in advance of its release due to its costly reshoots. But to the surprise of many, and coming with a major publicity push by star and co-producer Brad Pitt, this has opened above expectations both domestically and worldwide. It also opened in less than a third of foreign territories to around $46 million for the weekend, ahead of "Inception"'s totals in those countries (Nolan's film ended up grossing over $800 million worldwide).
Its production budget, rumored at a minimum of $200 million and likely higher, makes this initial strength critical. The B+ Cinemascore is normally the minimim required to sustain more than a short-term run, so its domestic future is not certain ("Man of Steel" fell 65% with an A Cinemascore in its second weekend), although the foreign initial take does provide hope for ultimate global success.
This is Pitt's best opening since "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" (which with lower ticket costs and no surcharges opened to $50 million with more tickets sold), his biggest ever in unadjusted numbers. Though he has sustained a quarter century career as a star, he rarely has ventured into tentpole/high-budget studio films – the "Ocean's" series and "Troy" along with "Smith" are the biggest exceptions. Coming at this point of his career, this is a strong statement of his continued appeal.
For eclectic director Marc Forster, whose films range from Bond film "Quantum of Solace" (still his best opener) and "Finding Neverland" to "Monster's Ball," "Stranger Than Fiction" and "The Kite Runner"), this is a huge comeback after his most recent effort "Machine Gun Preacher," which failed in limited release to gross $1 million. But his reputation is still tarnished by the need for substantial fixes imposed by the studio, including not only reshoots but an ILM VFX overhaul.
What comes next: The second weekend will be affected as everything else by continued new releases, but this will give a far better indication of its strength ahead. Still, this opening is a clear triumph for Paramount and its production partners.
3. Man of Steel (Warner Bros.) Week 2 – Last weekend: #1
$41,215,000 (-65%) in 4,207 theaters (unchanged); PSA: $9,797; Cumulative: $210,006,000
This is the first $100 million+ opener to fall to third place in its second week (of the other 24, only four didn't repeat at #1), with a percentage drop that is exceeded only by five others (three from the "Twilight" series). And the fall is a bit steeper with last weekend's figures not including the $12 million from the 7 p.m. Thursday shows, most of whose attendees likely would have attended weekend screenings otherwise. One strong reason is the strength of the new films, including one which was aimed at much of the same audience. Despite the size of the drop, $41 million is still a strong figure, and the cumulative take is also decent (but not summer's best), as initial international openings leading to $350 million will put this very expensive production on the road to profit. Still, the drop suggests that this latest attempt to revitalize Superman is not going to reach anywhere close to the levels of Marvel Comics' top efforts ("The Avengers" and "Iron Man 3"), and could easily fall short of winding up as the second-biggest-grossing film of the summer.
What comes next: Like the slightly less expensive "Star Trek Into Darkness," this is another franchise whose expense could factor into sequel plans. But Warners managed the trick when they relaunched the Batman series with creative casting in "The Dark Knight," so figure they have the ability to build from what despite this big drop still looks like a viable franchise going forward.
4. This Is the End (Sony) Week 2 – Last weekend: #2
$13,000,000 (-37%) in 3,055 theaters (unchanged); PSA: $4,255; Cumulative: $57,792,000
A terrific hold building on this all-star comedy's strong opening last weekend, this has already equalled the domestic total of Sony's supposed early summer tentpole "After Earth" at a fraction of its cost. This has potential to go much further as an alternative to more heralded seasonal fare.
What comes next: Sony actually has another film set for next Friday (with "White House Down"), but this has a head of steam that will allow it to push ahead on its own, with a $100 million+ gross now likely.
5. Now You See Me (Lionsgate) Week 4 – Last weekend: #3
$7,870,000 (-29%) in 2,823 theaters (-259); PSA: $2,788; Cumulative: $94,451,000
A fourth week drop of only 29% would be impressive at any time, but against such heavy competition this clearly attests to the continued sleeper appeal of this unherald magician caper that is turning into a minor sensation. Lionsgate has a strong reputation for grabbing success with a range of films, often lower-budgeted than typical studio fare (as well as an eye for franchises like "Hunger Games"), but rare word-of-mouth audience hits reminds that taking risks with original material and creative participants can work, even in the heart of the summer.
What comes next: At this point, with overseas yet to come, this looks headed to at least $125 million domestic.
6. Fast & Furious 6 (Universal) Week 5 – Last weekend: #4
$4,730,000 (-51%) in 2,417 theaters (-958); PSA: $1,955; Cumulative: $228,410,000
An even more important and impressive figure – the combined worldwide total is now nearing $650 million, with its time in the domestic top 10 still having perhaps two more weeks ahead.
What comes next: Is this the James Bond series for a new era? It doesn't have the same zeitgeist attached to it, but it's becoming the second most reliable action genre franchise of our time.
7. The Purge (Universal) Week 3 – Last weekend: #5
$3,410,000 (-59%) in 2,201 theaters (-390); PSA: $1,550; Cumulative: $59,430,000
Its steep drop continues, but with a production cost of $3 million plus marketing costs, at this point it's just extra profit for this latest Blumhouse Productions success, whose ultimate gross will fall about double its initial weekend, a very low multiple.
What comes next: The formula will continue work, as Universal now has a powerhouse producer in the fold to add to its recently revitalized in-house team.
8. The Internship (20th Century-Fox) Week 3 – Last weekend: #6
$3,425,000 (-52%) in 1,916 theaters (-1,483); PSA: $1,788; Cumulative: $38,365,000
A 50%+ drop continues the disappointing performance for this Owen Wilson/Vince Vaughn comedy, which will fall short of its $58 million production cost in domestic gross, and possibly the lowest performer ever from normally reliable director Shawn Levy.
What comes next: This kind of comedy with appropriate stars usually has default success opposite flashier films, but this time failed to connect. Edgier comedies like "This Is the End" may gain more production traction as studios respond to their relative reactions.
9. Star Trek Into Darkness (Paramount) Week 6 – Last weekend: #8
$3,000,000 (-52%) in 1,565 theaters (-766); PSA: $1,917; Cumulative: $216,611,000
Hanging on in the mix of films late in its run, J.J. Abrams' latest "Trek" effort continues to amass respectable, if not sensational totals (compared to its nearly $200 million cost), with foreign at this point having about the same take at this point (though with late-opening countries ultimately pushing the overseas total ahead of domestic for the first time in the series).
What comes next: This expensive franchise has shown its appeal again, but expense is now an issue going forward.
10. Iron Man 3 (Buena Vista) Week – Last weekend: #10
$2,175,000 (-26%) in 924 theaters (-725); PSA: $2,354; Cumulative: $403,120,000
Impressively sticking around in the top 10 with a small drop in gross though it lost close to half of its theaters, 2013's likely #1 film now has crossed $400 million domestically (and over $1.1 billion worldwide), letting "Man of Steel" and other potential rivals know how far they need to get to challenge it for the top.
What comes next: Star Robert Downey has signed for two "Avengers" sequels as Iron Man, with other reprises as the character in this series still to be finalized.
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The customer with effective demand never bargains with any supplier as he or she can divert the order to many suppliers offering quality goods and services on good terms. Therefore the customer is the reason why business men and women exist in business and without current and potential customers will mean the end of the global economy. You cannot produce goods and services if you are assured of effective demand. You cannot therefore run a profitable business empire rotating on your personal needs as your personal needs are not the needs of customers. In business we do not assume of effective either current or potential customers unless we have done some research on it .This is what Henry Ford says about the customers;
The customer is the centre of business activities
Everything done in the business including procurement, finance, production, staffing and marketing among others rotates on the customer. Without the customers all the business processes will not take place. They are the customers who inspire entrepreneurs to venture into business as they are assured of effective demand.
Employees exist because of customers
I am always surprised by the ignorance of employees about their key role in an organisation. Each employee thinks that he or she is unique and special and forgets about their key role. Some of them are quite annoying as they are arrogant enough to say that they have nothing to do with customers as that was not part of terms of employment. It is important for all staff to know and appreciate their key role in an organisation as to attract, serve and retain customers. Short of this the affected employees should be encouraged to leave as they do more harm to the organisation than the little benefits if any they bring on board. Many of the internal challenges faced by organisation are mainly caused by employees who are negative about the customer and at the same time not business oriented. The only smart employees are those who can fulfill their key role towards customers.
Customers can be engaged as ambassadors
If you are smart enough you can engage your customers as your unpaid ambassadors provided you supply them with quality products and services and at the same time accord them VIP customer service treatment. Loyal customers want to associate with their suppliers of quality products and services. They can produce quality products and services only if they receive quality products and services from their suppliers.
John Muhaise Bikalemesa
Director: Big Drum Advisory Services Limited


text:
Story by
Nick Summers
Nick Summers is a technology journalist for The Next Web. He writes on all sorts of topics, although he has a passion for gadgets, apps and Nick Summers is a technology journalist for The Next Web. He writes on all sorts of topics, although he has a passion for gadgets, apps and video games in particular. You can reach him on Twitter, circle him on Google+ and connect with him on LinkedIn.
This post is brought to you by Jaguar. Experience F-TYPE.
Minority Report. The sci-fi flick was released in cinemas over a decade ago, but viewers are still captivated by the idea of accessing and moving data with their hands.
The idea still feels like a pipe-dream however, given that many of us still work with a traditional keyboard and mouse/trackpad setup in our office and home. The dream of swiping through the air or talking to a personal assistant like Jarvis from Iron Man feels exactly that – a dream, but nothing more.
Many firms are exploring these ideas, however and pushing what's possible with our present technological capabilities. The results are fascinating and often deviate from the input and interfaces that we've come to long for in Star Trek (holodeck please!)
These are useful, experimental platforms that will influence the way people engage and work with technology. Better yet, some of them are available right now.
Leap Motion
It's refreshing to point or swipe at a screen and see content react accordingly. There's an immediate connection of both action and reaction that clearly reflects how the user would interact with a physical object in the 'real' world.
Leap Motion is this and more. The device, announced last year, is unique because it's tiny and unobtrusive. A tiny metallic bar sits between the keyboard and monitor, which anyone can then approach and start using simply by waving their hand.
It's incredibly accurate, offering detailed handwriting, precision pinch-to-zoom and all sorts of intuitive hand gestures that are both natural and concise. No standing up or arm-flapping required. Just quick and effortless interaction.
A casual onlooker might not see the advantages of MYO straight-away. The user attached an inconspicuous armband, which is used to measure various muscle activity as they wave and point at the screen.
The clear advantage over Leap Motion is that it isn't location-specific. Promotional videos have shown the user walking away from a desktop computer and then altering the volume on the other side of the room, simply by moving his wrist in a circular motion.
Professionals delivering a presentation can forego a remote and simply swipe two fingers in the air to move to the next slide. The use-cases are almost endless, although the clear limitation is that it's following only one portion of the body. One arm, one control input.
Oculus Rift
The applications for hardware-enabled virtual reality experiences are mouth-watering. Being able to walk through a digitally rendered field and look left and right, at will, to see what's around lends an entirely new level of depth and immersion. The opportunity to combine this with sound and touch feedback also hints at fully realized worlds for the user to explore.
Oculus Rift is a head-mounted virtual reality headset being developed by Oculus VR, a company that raised $2.4 million on Kickstarter to develop and release the product to the public.
It's still early days and in truth, the hardware is far from perfect. Yet the promise of building an immersive, one-to-one first person perspective has been realized and that's fascinating in its own right. These futuristic goggles are being aimed at gamers in particular, but the opportunity to use it for personal computing is also plain to see.
Google Glass
From the moment Google formally unveiled Glass at its I/O developer conference in 2012, everyone couldn't stop talking about it. The idea of wearing a pair of perfectly normal glasses, fitted with a powerful computer and head-mounted display seemed impossible.
Yet Google seems to have nailed it. Even better, the company plans to release the device to the public in the not-so-distant future. It offers a point-of-view camera capable of shooting photos and 720p HD video, as well as a small touchpad for navigating menus and the onscreen interface.
Glass appears to be the epiphany of mobile computing. The device can be taken anywhere and is accessible at anytime. It's alo small and relatively inconspicuous, which means the device is out-of-the-way when the user wants to focus on their surroundings.
Kinect, version 2.0
Motion controls have had a tough old-time in the video game industry. When the Nintendo Wii was launched, it heralded a new age of remote waggling in the living room. Third-party developers struggled to take advantage of the technology in a meaningful way, however and had to compete with counter-offers from both Microsoft and Sony.
Kinect, a motion sensor that uses an infrared projector and camera to analyze the player's movements, was a novel idea when it launched in 2010. The ability to track the entire body produced a couple of memorable experiences such as Dance Central and Child of Eden, but it suffered from frequent accuracy issues.
Microsoft unveiled the next version of Kinect simultaneously with the Xbox One, its new video game console launching this year. The resolution has been upped to 1080p, and an ultra wide-angle lens means that it can be used in the even the smallest apartments.
The kicker, however, is that like the original Kinect, Microsoft will also be launching it for Windows next year. The previous version was embraced by the modding community and resulted in a number of innovative and off-the-wall experiments. Even better hardware should produce more of the same.
Still looking to re-enact Minority Report? G-speak, built by Oblong Industries, is the closest working product to realizing that dream. Users don a pair of specialized gloves that can then be used to interact with data through various arm movements and hand gestures.
It integrates with large screens and multiple surfaces, encouraging large-scale collaborative projects and a more direct approach to problem-solving.
The gloves themselves are a little unattractive, but it means that anyone can use the system without re-calibrating the hardware. It's a little way off Tony Stark's personal lab in Iron Man 3, but the groundwork is there to realize this pioneering form of interaction.
Google Talking Shoe
At South by Southwest (SXSW) 2013, Google showed up with an interactive playground and a pair of talking sneakers, nicknamed henceforth as 'The Talking Shoe'.
It's not a consumer product – which is probably a good choice – but it does highlight the sort of wacky, off the wall thinking that even high-profile companies such as Google are coming up with.
This high-tech pair of trainers comes equipped with a pressure sensor, accelerometer and gyroscope, which tracks the user's movements to deliver progress reports, advice and general abuse, such as: "Sitting down on the job, are we?"
It's all a bit silly, but isn't that what experimental projects are all about?
Microsoft: Live, Work, Play
Microsoft has built what it likes to call an 'Envisioning Center', where employees develop and prototype ideas that could be used by consumers in the next five to ten years. Back in March, the company released a promotional video offering a glimpse of the future, which involved an awful lot of touchscreens that are connected with one another.
Forget wallpaper, as some of these screens will take up the entire wall in your living room, kitchen or bedroom. Users are seen clamping a Surface tablet into a large desk – similar to what an architect might use – which is equipped with a huge touchscreen for cross-platform creation.
The same device, but fitted in the kitchen, expands on the concept of pinning artwork and notes to the refrigerator door, enabling users to bring up photos and word documents created on any device around the home.
Each wall screen is also fitted with a Kinect-style webcam for analyzing objects in the room. One demonstration has the user raising an ingredient and asking what he should cook with it; cue a series of recipes and step-by-step instructions, displayed on a kitchen table-top.
Touch screen devices are nothing new, but the idea of seamlessly combining them into one unified surface, alongside huge mounted wall screens, could easily change users' behavior and workflow around the house.
Remember those amazing wristwatches that James Bond used to wear? The Rolex with a small laser beam in Never Say Never Again, or the Seiko Quartz watch with a built-in telex for sending mission critical messages? Well, unfortunately those don't exist.
What we do have, however, is Pebble. It's the first truly successful smartwatch, combining expansive functionality with attractive, robust hardware. Funded via Kickstarter – and breaking a few records in the process – Pebble offers a small e-ink display that communicates with an Android or iOS device over Bluetooth.
The Pebble comes with a few apps pre-installed, but the company's open SDK means that anyone should be able to push the platform forward with new and interesting software.
One of the more interesting trends in the last few years has been the development of voice recognition software for various hardware ecosystems. Siri is one of the most notable, having been launched by Apple in October 2011 as a personal assistant for the iPhone and iPad. Users can use everyday words and phrases to execute tasks for a number of different applications, including reminders, email and weather.
Google has introduced its own interpretation as part of its standalone Google Search app for iOS and Android. It's fast, accurate and intuitive, to the point where Google has also decided to introduce it as part of the Chrome web browser on the desktop.
Barking commands at a nearby smartphone or tablet can feel a little jarring at first, but the applications are numerous. Being able to prepare a dish in the kitchen and ask for the next instruction, for instance, without washing your hands and swiping across the screen is rather helpful.
The aforementioned Kinect controller is also starting to use this technology for the living room; users will be able to simply say "Xbox, ESPN" to switchover to a live sports game without rooting around for the controller.
Touch, speech, gestures. It's a brave new world
The emergence of all these platforms points to a future where a traditional keyboard and mouse might be the exception, rather than the rule, for interacting with technology.
That's not to say we'll stop using laptops in the next 12 months, or we'll all be shouting at our monitors in the office for nine hours straight, but there's a clear opportunity to try new, experimental ideas with our current rate of technological advancements.
The future of user interface is therefore bright, unknown and also pretty darn exciting.
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