text:
Contentinople wraps up 2008 with its 2009 predictions
There will be WiMax, LTE, maybe even ice cream – no wait, scratch the ice cream – just the year in stories, Unstrung-style
What's not a PC, not a set-top, not an iPod, and not a broadband pipe, but makes life with all the aforementioned even sweeter?
The company that took over Siemens's BPON and GPON ONT business needs funding fast
This slideshow is safe for work, not that anyone's working today
Light Reading's quirky comments of the year, culled from our news stories
Why are phone companies losing so many customers so fast?
Sometimes we meticulously structure the visual impact of our photojournalism. Other times we just snap
Motorola is trying to keep the BlackBerry maker from hiring fired or soon-to-be fired employees, RIM said in a lawsuit.
Our LRTV countdown shows that AlcaLu likes to watch
Contentinople unveils its 10 most-viewed stories for the past year
Where would we be without the two-headed monster that is Alcatel-Lucent? In a far duller world, that's where!
Our top five most-watched LRTV countdown shows that AlcaLu likes to watch
While the long-term prospects for carrier Ethernet switch/routers remain strong, the 2009 market will be flat compared to 2008
A gander at the good, bad, and ugly for the largest cable MSO in the land
Smartphone emergence and popularity has created a new medium that will eventually begin to entice hackers, causing mobile malware
Broadsoft eats up VoIP system rival Sylantro
New specs unify the interactive architectures of Time Warner Cable and Comcast, and could speed the adoption of switched digital video
Spurning expensive fiber, cost-conscious MSOs are looking to leverage their coaxial cable networks for new 'Ethernet over Docsis' services
Happy Holidays, Comcast! You're being sued
More than $50M less than on Dec. 10
2008 will be a year to remember for the young pretender to the mobile broadband throne
Check out the year's biggest Huawei stories, and find out how the Chinese vendor seems inextricably linked to Canadian rival Nortel
What companies will die in '09?
Two video audience metrics companies face off
Breaking news! One-way Plug & Play TV sets still aren't very popular
CEA charged that the MSO's proposed downloadable conditional access system is proprietary and would end reliance on CableCARDs
Harmonic exec says decisions about people and products tied to Scopus should be flushed out by the '09 NAB confab
Despite some product overlaps, Harmonic says purchase will give it a leg up internationally and in a range of 'emerging markets' UPDATED 1:20 PM
Tellabs still faces some tough times, but its perseverence in a tough 2008 gives reason for hope
The latest informed speculation on Nortel's asset sale(s)
Telenor says its investment in Unitech Wireless will still happen, plus other news from India
Thousands of videos are gone from YouTube, after it failed to work out a renewal with Warner
Telcos need to increase their TV subscriber base, but the recession may make it difficult to compete on anything but price
A trio with recent ties to Comcast and Broadbus has launched Genovation Capital, a firm that aims to get new ideas off the ground
So why did he comment on the option of using LTE just a few days earlier?
System-on-a-chip firm Provigent bags $10M as it gears up to take advantage of the growing microwave backhaul sector
It's been a year of a few ups and a lot of downs for one of Light Reading's most-featured vendors
Repair work has begun on some of the severed cables
Tis the season
Employees at VoD and switched digital division units get the axe as part of a broader layoff that will affect 3,000 employees
Apple is a licensee of Imagination's technology, which could play a bigger role in Apple products in the future as a result of the $4.8 million investment
Three subsea cables linking Europe with the Middle East, Africa, and Asia/Pacific have been cut, according to France Telecom
Life just keeps getting worse
With the DTV transition just two months away, roughly three fourths of homes that rely on rabbit ears have requested box coupons
While traditional Western vendors prepare for a slimmer 2009, Chinese vendors Huawei and ZTE expect to get fatter
Thales stake sale will net AlcaLu €1.57B
Going to Barcelona for MWC? Then read this
But holiday cheer buoys shares in after-hours trading
The demos keep on coming, this time focusing on a single-wavelength test that arguably bests Ciena's
Keep Fabrinet on speed dial
You hate to ruin Adolf Hitler's third birthday
Three of France's main FTTH hopefuls have struck an accord
Vendor fires patent complaint against Clearwire and Sprint, claiming they are infringing its WiMax-related intellectual property rights
Pali's Richard Greenfield cuts MSO to 'neutral' as concerns grow that bankruptcy may be in Charter's future
Given its track record with a direct-to-MSO strategy, this could offer a complementary path of less resistance
Lobbyist organizations hope as much as $100B of the proposed $850B government stimulus package goes toward investments in broadband
Taking a sober look at the economic downturn and what it means for tech startups and venture capital
More money for startups that bring the legacy and NGN worlds together as Mavenir fills its boots
Can next February's Mobile World Congress be as big as this year's?
Organizer reckons the masses will still hit Mobile World Congress
Among Huawei's possible points of entry into the US cable market, the Chinese giant is said to be developing a set-top strategy
The operator is going to start selling a dualmode WiMax and CDMA modem next week
Move Networks moves beyond the PC
In tough economic times, press junkets work
A new carrier-class cable modem termination system from Casa Systems has quietly obtained 'Full' Docsis 3.0 qualification from CableLabs
Local reports from Canada suggest Huawei is about to set up shop just down the road from Nortel's major Ottawa campus
Green is a subjective color
Consumer Electronics Association argues that MSO's waiver extention request would end Cablevision's reliance on CableCARD technology
Are there no prisons? Are there no health clubs?
To help avoid confusion with the broadcast TV transition, a gob of US MSOs volunteer to stop migrating analog channels to digital
Touch-screens in the cold
The company is investing in a modular approach to building handsets that it says could cut the cost of developing cellphones by up to 99%
BT prepares to deploy targeted advertising technology from controversial specialist Phorm
MSO is using simple one-way device from Evolution Broadband to reclaim analog spectrum and pave the path to more hi-def fare
Telcos can be greener without FTTH
Two of the Ethernet access equipment brigade are joining forces as their specialist market continues to grow
Private investment fund snaps up the bulk of the company that brought us the 'Ojo' videophone
It's beginning to look a lot like Weihnachten
End of an era: Former CEO Hassan Ahmed quits as chairman at Sonus
The company behind brands such as Sylvania, Emerson, and Magnavox is entering the tru2way market with a dual-tuner DVR
A chip startup says it's picked up the thread where PMC-Sierra and others left off
Analysts' ratings are too rigid for these crazy times
Microsoft does iPhone
Jefferies analyst George Notter cuts back his 2009 projections for Infinera as tough market conditions bite
How to get on his bad side
Virgin Media has priced its new 50 Mbit/s Docsis 3.0 tier
Clearwire to put Portland, Ore., in the 'Clear' on January 6
ITV specialist looks to gain ground as MSOs deploy enhanced TV apps on legacy Cisco boxes as well as more more advanced tru2way set-tops
IP-Prime ceasing operations
Chinese giant plots Google-based smartphone next year
Telstra's bid to build Australia's national broadband network has been thrown out by the government for failing to meet RFP specs
4G mobile broadband technology LTE passes a major milestone as the specifications meet targets at 3GPP standards body
With tanking stock and market share waning, Palm is hoping a new operating system will help it mount a comeback
Preaching to the worms
Holiday season brings strange gifts
Ben Verwaayen has a dream: to help build networks that blend the creativity of the Web with the reliability of telecom networks
At least that's what the ads say
Ciena CEO Gary Smith says the current slowdown is different from the crippling capex freeze of 2001/2002
One more depressing problem
MSO, buried in more than $20 billion in debt, has called on its financial advisor to help improve its balance sheet
A new, more intense focus on power-efficient tower sites is driving vendors to create new technologies to lower power consumption
VOIP vendor chops 5% of headcount, more may come
License awards imminent, says Ministry, which predicts resulting $29 billion in 3G-related capex in 2009
The industry is just too fragmented and too closed to nurture applications startups, according to panelists at an Ericsson event
The company has a long-term vision of enabling application dialogues across different cellphone platforms or operating systems
CEO Ben Verwaayen announces his strategy, which includes cuts of 1,000 managerial positions and product line decisions
Thank you, taxpayers!
BlackBerry maker bids for Chalk, hard on the heels of hostile takeover plans for Certicom
Smaller telecom operators may not have the deepest pockets, but optical networking vendors should focus on getting a piece of that pie
TiVo recognized about $10.9M in 'technology revenues' from Comcast during the first nine months of the DVR pioneer's fiscal year
Staking the future on mobile broadband
With Baltimore, Chicago, Atlanta, and Fort Wayne, Ind., in tow, MSO hits Docsis 3.0 deployment goal
Big Ben has added more new faces to his management team
Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez reveals President Bush's resistance to an auction of 25 megahertz of spectrum in the 2155MHz to 2180MHz band
The $51 billion acquisition of Bell Canada is off, so the Canadian carrier wants its $1.2 billion breakup fee
Ciena's Q4 financials worse than expected as the 'challenging macroeconomic and industry environment' hits sales
Arena Football League crashes
The numbers aren't pretty
But a mention of the possibility is enough for investors to chop 25 percent off the stock's value
Top two US operators are sticking to their guns on wireless data rollouts, even as economic conditions bite
The Curve 8900, launching in Canada and the U.K., is the thinnest-ever BlackBerry with a full QWERTY keyboard
BitTorrent and Oversi have joined forces to enable application-aware networking gear that is capable of efficiently routing P2P traffic
The 'Ferrari in the fleet' hits the road next week, and 200 Mbit/s could be in its future
Fair's fair
House committee staff report says Kevin Martin manipulated or supressed cable data
The company is making its caching products generally available to ISPs that are looking to speed up video delivery
Maybe some IPTV respect
Reportedly looking at its bankruptcy protection options
The telecom world might be gloomy, but Finisar sees reason to expect an uptick for itself next quarter
Carphone founder quits after breaking stock exchange rules
Light Reading and test lab Iometrix are setting up a live Ethernet service interconnection demo in London next May
The operator's first metropolitan femtocell deployment appears set for mid-2009
TiVo is added to Netflix's long list of stream partners
Company chief says AT&T will surpass that milestone next week while it mulls the addition of a third 'live' HD stream
Satco still bullish on '09 prospects, but halts hiring and non-critical capex projects
Cisco wants to give Web 2.0 the same 'end-to-end' treatment it gave the network
Orange plans to launch commercial enterprise femtocell services next year with equipment from Huawei and NEC
TelePresence is learning to speak
Cablevision COO says MSO has upgraded its network for Docsis 3.0 and expects to deploy faster Internet services 'within months'
Swiss incumbent sets out its fiber access strategy and is looking to share its fiber, and its rollout costs, with others
Operator offers $30M for location-based services
LTE in the new year
IPTV is a hot services sector in many Asia/Pacific markets, especially Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan, where some of the world's most experienced telco TV players are taking service developments to the next level. And then, of course, there's the massive opportunity that is China
The online video firm's new partner ecosystem includes 90 companies
Vendor is preparing to deal with an infrastructure market that, it believes, is set to shrink by at least 5% or even more in 2009
Chalk up another 100-Gbit/s demo, this one showing off a single-wavelength method
A swarm of video probes could help the MSO intercept problems before customers call to complain about them
Clarence Thomas told to shut up
MSO hopes to goose service bundles with three new packages that lump in hi-def services
The SIM- and hardware-unlocked G1 is aimed at advanced developers, sports a unique design, and will cost $399
WiMax vendor Alvarion announced drastic cost cuts, including an 11% workforce reduction, to stay profitable next year
Glenn Britt confirms that the MSO has continued to see the growth of revenue-generating units slow in Q4
The MXE 3000 shows just how ambitious Cisco is getting about video in the enterprise sphere
Here's the TelePresence angle
The company's bet on video is so big, it's created a new word for the network
System outage blocks users from getting to account info, paying bills, etc.
After producing modulators and lasers, Intel says it's hit a silicon home run with an avalanche photodiode
'Sprint 4G' is coming; Clearwire is developing at least some of the software internally
AT&T's planned cuts could be an indication of a tough year for certain types of equipment vendors
Microsoft's Silverlight will provide streaming technology for BSkyB's new service
Save for surging competition, slower sub growth, and reduced ARPU and capex, '09 will be great for Comcast and TWC, analyst predicts
Cable's investment in the Clearwire deal just doesn't add up, according to one analyst
How McCaw and crew got out of Texas and into the 'Clear'
Gartner's latest smartphone market numbers held good news for Apple, but bad news for the industry as a whole
Six retail sites experience outages
5:15 PM -- From our cable biz conference in NYC
The big cable operators boosted HD programming this year, but they're still lagging behind satellite
MSOs weigh which option is best to funnel voice, video, and data services to commercial customers
IPTV players need to keep refreshing their services, marketing, and technology if they're to succeed, says a PCCW exec
FairPoint testing IPTV over old Verizon FiOS properties
Location, location, location
A 4 percent staff cut is in the works as the carrier tries to bring 2009 expenditures below 2008 levels
Italian operator outlines capex cuts for 2009 as part of its new three-year strategy
Italian giant predicts 400% hike in IPTV subs
Comedy Central transforms the site
The vendor has an optical following among Tier 2 and 3 North American customers, a Heavy Reading report finds
Pirelli Broadband will use Airvana's 3G UMTS femtocells in its home gateways
Pics from our Light Reading Live cable event in the Big Apple
But the WiMax provider still might prove to be a better investment bet than it appears to be right now
BlackBerry maker lowers its outlook and launches $53M hostile bid for wireless VPN pioneer Certicom
Nortel teams with Hitachi to deliver LTE core network equipment to KDDI in Japan UPDATED 2:30 PM
Italian operator deepens job cuts
Cox and Bresnan aren't comparable in terms of size, but MSOs share a common goal: to snare business service share from the telcos
CLWRD shareholders take a downward ride on the WiMax stock roller coaster
No, it's not about network dominance. It's about services contracts and software bug fixes
The upgrades continue Nokia's plan to be more than just a cellphone manufacturer
BitTorrent closed its download store last month
Someone out there wants a 20-chassis router
Learning from earlier ratifications
Neither love nor money can buy you a home base station from most of the major carriers in the US
It's still Juniper, at least for now
Nokia strikes back with a new touch-screen mobile computer, the N97
AlcaLu wins a chunk of China Telecom's CDMA expansion
Microsoft hangs an 'end of life' tag on the Connected Services Framework service delivery platform used by the likes of AT&T and BT
Cablevision wants the FCC to grant a waiver extension so it can develop a new 'open' downloadable conditional access system from NDS
Pressure group supports Cable ONE's waiver request for one-way HD boxes, while the Consumer Electronics Association opposes it
Cable's big, advanced ad venture has a Website... but it's clearly a work in progress
Texas Instruments makes a splash in the femtocell market with a new DSP for femtos and reveals existing femtocell customers
Rupert Murdoch's bio is all over the Web, TheFeedRoom buys ClearWire, and Virgin Media does its version of a reality show... kind of
As other Russian carriers cut their capex, alternative operator TTK lines up $1.5 billion for broadband expansion, including FTTH
Clearwire CEO says that the WiMax provider could use LTE in years to come if it 'truly becomes a global standard'
Comstar follows trend of capex cuts in Russia
BT makes internal appointment to fill CFO hole


text:
Rust Converter
Jenolite Rust Converter converts rust to a stable compound, ready for repainting. Our rust converter products are an easy-to-use solution which stops rust from getting worse.
Showing the single result
Rust Converter Aerosol | Convert Rust to Ready to Paint Surface | Epoxy Based Formulation£17.99 – £44.99 Buy Now
Showing the single result
Rust converter is different from rust remover – rather than stripping the surface back to bare metal it creates a stable surface to be primed and painted over.
Converting rust may be the best solution for you as it halts the rusting process and can be an easier alternative to tackling rust if it is not too thick. For difficult and stubborn rusted areas, you may be better off using rust remover.
The best rust converter for a fast acting, evenly applied solution is the Rust Converter Spray. Our spray rust converter offers long term protection against weather and corrosion. Use our Rust Converter Liquid for more liberal application.
Read our rust converter vs rust remover article over on our blog section for more information on choosing the right method for you.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Clari — a startup that has built a predictive sales tool that provides just-in-time assistance for sales people close deals and for those who work in the bigger chain of command to monitor the progress of the sales operation — is capitalising on the big boom in interest for all things AI in the business world. The company is today announcing that it has closed a Series B round of $35 million, funding that it will be using to build out its own sales and marketing team and expand its platform capabilities.
The round was led by Tenaya Capital, the VC fund that started its life as a part of Lehman Brothers, along with participation from other new investors Thomvest Ventures and Blue Cloud Ventures, and previous investors Sequoia Capital, Bain Capital Ventures and Northgate Capital. It brings the total raised by Clari to $61 million.
Andy Byrne, the founder and CEO who is a repeat entrepreneur and has been involved in several exits, said the funding closed "definitely at an upround, and much bigger than we thought it was going to be," but declined to give a number. For some context, Clari, according to Pitchbook, had a relatively modest post-money valuation of $83.5 million in its last round in 2014, so my guess is that it's now comfortably into hundred-million territory, once you add in this latest $35 million.
The funding comes at an interesting time for AI startups, particularly those aimed at enterprise IT.
When Clari first emerged from stealth in April 2014, the idea of applying AI to solve pain points for non-technical people in organizations was a fairly nascent and still-novel concept.
Fast forward to today, things have moved very fast, as is often the case in the tech world. Now, you can't seem to move for all the enterprise IT startups that are either using or claiming to use AI in their solutions. There are so many startup hopefuls, and so many organizations looking for the best way to use AI to improve their business and operations, that there are even startups being founded to manage that opportunity of connecting the two pieces together, such as Element AI.
"I'm not saying we were clairvoyant for targeting the idea of using AI for sales in 2013," Byrne said. "There has been a large macro trend and if you happen to be a small company that is along for the ride. When we first launched, we had this thesis about AI for sales. Now it's not the number three or two priority for sales teams, it's number one. It's everywhere. Businesses want to invest and spend more money on AI and making things more efficient."
Clari says that its customer base has tripled in the last year, with customers including Adobe, Audi, Check Point Software, Equinix, Epicor Software Corporation, GE, and PerkinElmer.
Clari's approach for using AI for the sales team comes in two main areas. First, the company's system is aimed to reduce some of the busywork that salespeople have in maintaining and updating files on people, by bringing in a number of different data sources and using them to provide composite pictures of target companies that salespeople might have had to otherwise compile with more manual means. Second, Clari puts a lot of focus on its "Opportunity-to-Close (OTC) solutions" — a type of risk-analysis for salespeople and their managers to help them figure out which leads and strategic directly would be the most likely to produce sales.
"Working with Clari since inception, we have been impressed with its growth and strong execution," said Aaref Hilaly, Partner at Sequoia Capital, in a statement. "Clari has fast become indispensable to many of the most successful sales teams, giving them visibility into their most important metrics: rep productivity, pipeline health, and forecast accuracy."
Indeed, risk and outcome is a smart area to be in: using AI to help model this is a key area of focus in enterprise IT at the moment, according to feedback I've had from a number of others in the enterprise world.
"If you have 150 opportunities presented to you as a salesperson, how do you choose 10 where you should spend your time?" Byrne asked. "A more traditional CRM platform has never showcased your risk and outcomes."
While up to now Clari has focused on providing intelligence on what is already in a company's account database, the next step, Byrne noted, is to draw on data from around the web, providing completely new business leads to the sales team.
When we last covered a funding round for Clari, we noted that the company's laser focus on sales was something that made the company stand out for investors: nailing one aspect of a business's operations without distractions from other parts of the organization and what it could be spending time solving elsewhere (in fact, when you think about it, the very goal that Clari has been aiming to achieve for salespeople through its product).
But four years on, the company is now widening that ambition. It's applying its AI engine now to help marketeers weigh up the best opportunities for reaching out to prospective customers; and interestingly it sounds like it will also be applying its engine to product development and specifically supply chain management.
Byrne described one customer, a medical device maker, that was encountering "inefficiencies" around what they should build and when to meet market demand. "Now that they can predict and forecast order bookings and revenue targets, and what's happened is that their supply chain has become more efficient," he said. "It is great example of how our AI is now being expanded."
"The Clari team has leveraged its deep AI expertise to build a unique platform that surfaces predictive insights for sales reps, managers, and execs during the opportunity-to-close process," said Brian Paul, MD at Tenaya Capital, in a statement. "We see a massive opportunity for AI to transform how sales teams operate which is clearly validated by Clari's customers and the impressive growth the team has achieved."


text:
The Called of Christ and the Loved of God
Romans 1 : 6 7 The Called of Christ and the Loved of God
Part One
Romans 1:1-7 (ESV)
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh
4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
What God Has Made of Paul
Paul began his great letter to the Romans by identifying himself not in terms of what he had accomplished, but in terms of God's work in his life. He said in verse 1 that he was a slave of Christ Jesus, that is, Christ had bought him and now owns him and rules him (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). He now exists, as he says in verse 5, "for His name's sake." Then he said that he is called as an apostle. So again it is what Christ did to him, not what he did, that is first. He emphasizes this again in verse 5: "we received grace and apostleship." So the call of Paul to be an apostle was entirely gracious: it was free and undeserved. Christ took the initiative on the Damascus Road and broke into Paul's life and laid hold on him when he was on his way to imprison Christians. Then at the end of verse 1, Paul says that he is "set apart for the gospel of God." Again someone else, not Paul, acts to give Paul his mission and his identity. God does, as we saw, even before Paul is born (Galatians 1:15).
Paul's grasp of the freedom and the sovereignty of grace are profoundly stamped by his own experience of it. He was, in his own estimation, the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). And for some reason, not in himself, but only in the will of God, God chooses freely to set his saving focus on Paul and make him a Christian and an apostle and a servant of the gospel.
So, when he finally comes in verses 6-7 to describe his readers in Rome (and by implication, all Christians!), it is not surprising that he speaks with the same emphasis on what God has done, not what we have done. It's not that what we do is unimportant: verse 5 says that the aim of Paul's apostleship among the gentiles is the "obedience of faith." So what we do is utterly crucial: his whole ministry fails if it does not bring about the obedience of faith in our lives. And not just our lives, but the lives of all nations, or peoples. O may God continue to give us a burden for the nations, the unreached peoples of the earth! May he continue to raise up Paul-type missionaries among us! But when he describes what it means to have a Christian identity in verses 6-7, Paul does not put the first emphasis on what we do. He puts it on what is done to us and for us, just as he did in describing his own identity as a slave and apostle and servant of the gospel.
Called and Loved – the Audacity of It
He uses two words that are massively important in this book of Romans and in the whole of Paul's vision of God and salvation – so massive that I will deal with only one of them this morning. We need to think about these words as the key to our own identity and what it means to be a Christian. The words are "called" and " beloved." Verse 6: ". . .among whom [that is, the nations] you also are the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
Before I say another word about the meaning of these terms, I feel I must address the audacity of it all. We need to feel this, so that when others express it, we are not shaken. Here we are in a small room, compared to the whole area around Poetry And in a very small city compared to the whole United States. And our entire country is a mere 4% of the world's population and shrinking percentage wise. And huge things are happening in the world: the fourth largest country of the world – Indonesia – is near anarchy. India, the second largest country is shaking her atomic weapons in the face of China, the largest county in the world as is North Korea. Israel and the Palestinians are on the razor's edge of explosive strife. Numerous African countries are smoldering powder kegs of unrest. And over against all this huge global reality, I stand here this morning, tiny by comparison, and say that the God who created the universe and holds all these countries and armies and weapons and systems in being is at work in the world, mainly calling individual persons to himself to be part of his people through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And you are among that number. And what God has done in loving you and calling you to Christ may have more eternal significance than who is the political leader of Indonesia or whether India has atomic weapons. Now this seems utterly audacious. But if it seems audacious to us, imagine how it must have seemed to the early Christians. Here is the mammoth Roman Empire, plus the unknown hoards of "barbarians" beyond in every direction. And Paul is virtually unknown in this great empire. And the One he preaches has never been heard of before, Jesus. And he tells this little band of believers in the huge city of Rome that God has loved them and called them and made them, in particular, the focus of his saving work. They are the called of Christ and the beloved of God. In other words, in all this mammoth empire and world, God is dealing with them in a special way. The audacity of claiming this!
Except for,,,,, the Magnificence of the Lord of this Universe
Perhaps, the reason why Paul inserted in verses 2-4 something about this gospel and something about this Christ was the audacity of claiming this! He Jesus, is the fulfillment of the ancient promises to Israel that a ruler would come. And he was raised from the dead and ordained Son of God in power. So today, whether it looks like it or not, all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Christ. And unless we know that and believe that with all our hearts, we will be overwhelmed by the apparent bigness of all that happens in the world. In the absence of that truth, Christianity looks hopelessly insignificant and Christians look foolish. So set your mind on the magnificence of Christ as the Lord of the universe, and on the power and wisdom of God the Father who created all this and plans all this and is managing all this, precisely for the building of his church – his people – by bringing about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations.
Now back to these two key words: Paul describes the Roman Christians – and you and me – by focusing not mainly on what we do, but mainly on what he does: he says we are called and we are loved. That is what makes us Christians. That is what we should know first and foremost about ourselves. Other things are important to know. But nothing is more important that this.
First, in verse 6 he says we are " called to belong to Jesus Christ." And then, in verse 7 he says we are " called to be saints." So, at least twice in these two verses, he emphasizes that who we are as Christians is based on the work of another, the One who calls us.
(God's Call Is not a Democratic Idea)
These 2 verses will not move us and fill us with the gratitude and wonder and worship that it should as long as we think the way typical American lovers of democracy think. Americans believe in government of the people, by the people and for the people. That's probably not a bad idea for humans governing humans. But when it gets transferred to the way God governs the world, it is a very bad idea. It creates the impression that human rights and privileges are at the center of the universe, and that the only thing that should distinguish one person from another is his own effort or intelligence or courage. Otherwise we must all be treated equally and God must do for everyone what he does for anyone.
But what if the human heart is corrupt and hard and rebellious and blind and virtually dead to spiritual reality (Ephesians 4:18)? In that case, the only thing that self-reliance can produce is more death. And the only thing that can save us from our own corruption is a divine, supernatural, powerful, awakening call from God. If we say (in democratic fashion) that God must call everyone the same way he calls anyone, we do not yet understand how deeply sinful and rebellious and undeserving we are. If God calls anyone, it is grace, free and totally undeserved. And he is not obliged to call everyone if he calls anyone, because he does not call any on the basis of human merit
or human distinctives. Democracy proceeds on the basis of universal human rights; but rebellious, sinful humans have absolutely no rights in relation to God. All divine condemnation is just; all divine salvation is gracious. As Romans 9:15 says, "God has mercy on whom he will have mercy." And the fact that anyone is called from darkness to light is a wonder of grace.
Now I am assuming several things here that I need to demonstrate from the Scriptures, they are, 1) that God is the one who calls; and 2) that his saving call is a special act of grace in the lives of some sinners and not all; and 3) that this call is effective – it creates what it commands.
1st God is the One Who Calls
When Paul says in verse 6, "You who are the called of Jesus Christ," he probably doesn't mean "called by Christ Jesus." He probably means, "called by God into the fellowship of Christ Jesus." I say this because this is what he teaches elsewhere in Romans and his other letters. For example, in 1 Corinthians 1:9 Paul says, "God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." So God calls, and the aim of the call is to put us into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. So in Romans 1:6, the phrase "the called of Jesus Christ" most likely means: "those who are called by God to belong to Jesus Christ and enjoy fellowship with him."
2nd His Call Is an Act of Grace Toward Some Sinners
This call of God into the fellowship of Jesus is given to some, not all, and that no injustice is done here because none has a right to the call. Look with me at Romans 8:28-30 (ESV) And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Here we see clearly that not all are called. All things do not work together for good for everyone, but only for those who are called. Then in verse 30 he says it again: "These whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified." So again it is not everyone. The "call" of God, as Paul uses the term, is special and particular. Well, what is it then? Are we not to preach the gospel to everyone?
Indeed we are. Jesus scattered the seed of the Word indiscriminately on every kind of soil (Mark 4:14). And Paul did exactly the same: he would come to a city and he would preach the gospel to the whole synagogue or the whole town square. He would "call" everyone to repent, without exception (Acts 17:30).
But that universal call of the gospel (see Matthew 22:14), which is the same as evangelism and missions, is not the call that Paul is talking about in Romans 1:6-7 and Romans 8:28,30 (or Romans 9:24). Well, what is this call – this call into the fellowship of Jesus? The call that enables Paul to say, "Those whom he called he also justified"? God does not justify everyone. But he does justify all the "called." What then is this "call?"
His Call Creates What it Commands
The third thing that I was assuming and need to demonstrate, is, that the saving call of God into the fellowship of his Son is effective, or effectual – it accomplishes what it calls for; it creates what it commands. The gospel is an offer to everyone that whoever sees the glory of Christ, and is drawn to him, and receives him in his beauty as his or her own precious portion in life, and trusts in this glorious Christ will be saved. Everyone who hears the gospel and believes, on the basis of this faith alone, will be justified and accepted by God.
But when that gospel is preached, what is the final answer to why some believe and some do not? Why did you believe? Listen to Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:23-24: "We preach Christ crucified [that is, we preach to everyone the glory of a loving, self-sacrificing Savior] to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." Paul preaches indiscriminately to all – God means for every ethnic group to be reached with the gospel – "all the nations," as Romans 1:5 says. As he preaches to all and offers salvation to all, most of the Jews regard a crucified Messiah as a stumbling block and reject him. And most of the gentiles regard a crucified Lord as foolishness, and they reject him. But in those two groups, among those who hear – out from them – some are called (a different "call" from the universal call to all). And the effect of their call is that this Christ no longer looks like a stumbling block, and no longer looks like foolishness, but rather he looks like the power and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:24, "But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ [is] the power of God and the wisdom of God."
Why? Because the effectual call awakens the dead, gives sight to the spiritually blind, opens the ears of the spiritually deaf, humbles the proud, softens the hard, and brings forth faith. This is why Paul says in Romans 8:30, "Those whom he calls, he justifies" – even though justification is by faith (Romans 5:1). The call of God takes away every proud obstacle to faith and makes Christ irresistibly attractive, so that willingly, freely we believe.
Let's close by looking at this miraculous process in action in 2 Corinthians 4:4-6. There Paul says,In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." Human rebellion and unbelief are intensified by the devil who hates truth and life. But if you can't see "the glory of Christ" in the gospel because of rebellion, you won't believe the gospel. It will seem like a stumbling block or foolishness.
So what must happen? Preaching Christ and loving people must go on (verse 5): "For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake." That's the universal gospel call (not the effectual divine call). But what will make the decisive difference in who is saved? It will be the divine supernatural call of God, just the same as in the beginning of the world when his call to the light created the light. Verse 6: "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' [in the same way] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."
In other words, until God effectually calls us the way he called light into being at the creation, we will not see "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the gospel." And if we don't see it, we will not love the light and come to the light (John 3:19-20). But if we do see it, we will come. Christ will no longer be a stumbling block or foolishness. He will be to us "the power of God and the wisdom of God." And we will come to him and cleave to him and love him and trust him.
That is what Paul means in Romans 1:6 when he says, "You Romans are the called of Jesus Christ." God has said in your hearts, "Let there be light," and you have seen his glory and come to him and called on him, and he has saved you, and forgiven you and accepted you and poured out his love in your hearts. That is what has happened to us, Christians.
We must: Learn who we are.
Learn how to thank our God, and live in the humble wonder of grace.
And say with me to every unbeliever, on behalf of Christ, and in the power of his Spirit: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" (Ephesians 5:14).


text:
The compact SPC quick couplings provide excellent flow to reduced exterior dimensions.
Designed for intensive use and up to a million connections, the SPC quick connectors are extremely durable.
The pollution-free flat faced design guarantees the integrity of fluids in the long term. It automatically compensates for any misalignment errors with an interface gap up to 2mm.
|Technical specifications
|Other features
All fluids
High resistance stainless steel
* depending on the model and operating conditions


text:
Growing up in rural Canada, with a mother who didn't like to cook, gourmet cookbooks were non-existent. The first cook book I ever used was given to me for my 8th birthday. It was a cookbook for kids. I must have shown a liking for cooking to have been given it at such a young age! The first recipe I made was deviled eggs. Delighted with myself after preparing them for the first time, I proudly served them to my parents and their friends. Oohs and ahhs were all around!
I made my first brownies when I was about 8, also a recipe from that book (I think). I took them to school and gave them to a boy I had a crush on. He was my age, and played the drums – and was always banging out beats with his hands or sticks he'd pick up in the playground. "Wipe Out" was his favorite song. I was crazy about him. I wonder now if it was him or his drumming that I was nuts about?
I guess it was when I started studying Home Economics at school (at age 12) that I graduated to adult cookbooks. The cookbooks we had around our house were Grannie B's – the spine broken and the pages tattered and stained from years of use – the Purity Flour cookbook (my favorite) and the annual UCW (United Church Women) cookbooks.
Cookbooks were popular fund-raisers in Northern New Brunswick. Not only for the UCW, but for every church in town, as well as the Girl Guides and Four H, and I think maybe even the Boy Scouts (mothers) got in on the cookbook fund-raising gambit.
As Dad was the United Church minister we of course had the UCW book, but I remember the Anglican and Presbyterian cookbooks also on our cookbook shelf. These were both risky, and reliable, to use. Containing the favorite recipes of all the women in the parish who cared to contribute – some recipes were not tested, though many were made by the donor and sold at bake sales, or served at church suppers (more fund-raising activities). People were always trying to raise money for something or other, and things to do with food seemed to be the most popular.
If there was a winning recipe (or a dud) in one of the books, news would travel fast. The books were great for pies, baked beans, cakes and cookies. They always had the best banana bread and coffee cake recipes. Now and then a really good fudge recipe turned up. Mother put her scone and meringue recipes in, as well as toad-in-the-hole and shepherd's pie. Even though she didn't pride herself as a cook, her recipes were absolutely unique, because they came from her British heritage rather than the Canadian heritage of most of the other contributors. There were of course war brides in the community; women from overseas who had married Canadian soldiers and come back to Canada to live.
The books were simple: the recipes typed and printed on a duplicating machine, then bound with plastic coil, or wire. How all these different groups managed to repackage over and over, what were essentially the same recipes, each one credited to a member of that denomination's parish, and sold – year after year after year – is a major accomplishment in the world of packaging and marketing.
Related articles
- Organize Recipes & Cookbooks (simplifybysara.wordpress.com)
- What Is Old Is New (gracelinepaperstudio.wordpress.com)
- A day for baking. (thescarlettletter.wordpress.com)
- it's a cookbook! a cookbook! (fixitordeal.wordpress.com)
- The Best in Virginia Cookbooks (virginiabornandbred.wordpress.com)


text:
SHIJIAZHUANG, China (CNN) -- The former chairwoman of China's Sanlu dairy was sentenced to life in prison and three others received death sentences Thursday in a tainted milk scandal that killed at least six infants and sickened nearly 300,000 others.
Police surround a court building in northern China in late December during the trial.
Tian Wenhua and three other Sanlu Group executives were put on trial for producing and selling fake or substandard products after their arrests in late September.
Tian, who pleaded guilty in December, received a life sentence Thursday. Former deputy general managers Wang Yuliang and Hang Zhiqi received sentences of 15 and eight years, while Wu Jusheng, a former executive heading Sanlu's milk division, was sentenced to five years in prison.
In addition, Sanlu, Tian and Wang were ordered to pay multi-million dollar fines.
The court also sentenced three people to death, including a suspended sentence pending a review, and two others to life in prison. Six more received prison terms of five to 15 years each.
Many of the defendants -- including one who received a death sentence -- were middlemen who sold melamine to milking stations that added the chemical to the milk. Watch more on the sentencings »
Security was tight ahead of the verdicts, as police set up roadblocks a kilometer (0.63 miles) in each direction from the courthouse.
Parents outside the courthouse were outraged by the sentence that spared Tian's life. A mother who's baby died from contaminated milk said she wanted Tian shot to pay for the life of her child.
Twenty-one suspects went on trial late last month. Nine have yet to be sentenced.
Sanlu was one of the main distributors of the tainted milk, which caused kidney stones and urinary tract problems in hundreds of thousands of children.
From early August to mid-September, Sanlu produced 904 metric tons of melamine-tainted baby formula powder and sold 813 metric tons of tainted products made with contaminated milk, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Watch how China's dairy industry has been affected by the scandal »
Chinese investigators found melamine in nearly 70 milk products from more than 20 companies, according to quality control official Li Changjiang, who was eventually forced to resign.
The Ministry of Health has said the contamination likely caused the deaths of at least six babies. Another 296,000 infants suffered from urinary problems, such as kidney stones.
The tainted formula came to light in September after babies who were fed milk powder produced by the Sanlu Group, which recently filed for bankruptcy, had developed kidney stones.
Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. Some Chinese dairy plants added the chemical to milk products so they would appear to have a higher protein level. Learn more about melamine »
Victims of tainted baby formula are expected to be compensated by the 22 Chinese dairy producers that made the milk.
"The enterprises offered to shoulder the compensation liability," the country's Dairy Industry Association said late last month, according to Xinhua.
"By doing so, they hope to earn understanding and forgiveness of the families of the sickened children."
The group said victims will receive a one-time cash payment, but did not provide the amounts, according to Xinhua.
No date for the payments was given. The dairies also raised money to cover medical bills for any after-effects suffered as a result of the poisoning, the association said.
All About Sanlu Group Co. • China • Food Safety


text:
Barbara Fister at Free Exchange on Campus tagged me to participate in the meme sparked by Dr. Crazy's fantastic Why I Teach Literature post.
It's a little funny – I haven't felt the need to write fantastic prose for any of my other posts on this blog, but somehow being tagged and getting a topic like "Why I am a Librarian" makes one feel as if the resulting post should be carefully written. I'm going to try very hard not to succumb to that, and treat this instead as Dr. Crazy treated her original post – written quickly to express the feelings she had at the time, sparked in part by the discussions and ideas she'd been hearing immediately before.
Why am I a librarian? Because I think information matters on so many levels. And it is only becoming more important. I honestly don't think one can be a functional, participating citizen anymore without kick-ass information skills. And I'm not talking about knowing what AND and OR do here. I'm talking about knowing where and how the information you need is produced and provided to you – the ability to apply all of those higher-order Bloom's skills like analysis and evaluation to a situation, and to make sure you get enough information to make decisions that are in your interest and in the interest of the world. The person who's dependent on others for the information they use to make decisions and solve problems is too dependent to effectively make decisions and solve problems. They're at the mercy of others – and others who usually have some other agenda besides "making sure that people have the information that meets their needs."
Except librarians. That is our agenda. That's a huge reason why I am a librarian, and to take that a step further along the lines suggested by this meme – it's also a primary reason why I teach information literacy. To help OSU students get to the point where they can do all of those things one needs information to do — solve problems, make decisions, have fun, explore, discover – without relying on me, or anyone else. And as an academic librarian, I get to do this together with faculty in the disciplines, but I get to focus on this part of it, all of the time, and with students across the disciplines.
And the thing is, I think this is more important now than ever. Maybe at one point it was enough to teach people how to get themselves to trusted, established information sources. Maybe there was a point in the history of publishing, or communication, where the name on the masthead was the last question you had to ask about a source. I doubt it, but maybe. I know it is not now, though.
I kind of like this story to illustrate this because it is so trivial —
I was watching the SAG awards on Sunday night because I love awards shows. I'm also very interested in the writers' strike, with strong sympathies for the writers. So given that the SAG awards are a union show, I was interested how those things would intersect. So I was a little bit surprised when I watched the entire show from the red carpet on E! (shut up! I like red carpets) without hearing much of anything about the strike. "Wouldn't you think that they'd be wearing something like the red ribbons to mark the strike?" I said.
Then the next morning, Shaun showed me the Statesman Journal's story – which announced that the strike talk at the SAG's was "kept to a minimum." Now the Statesman didn't send anyone to the SAG awards, this was just the AP story. Which means it is this story, or a lightly modified version of it, ran in almost all of the country's newspapers. There's a big factual error in the claim that only Julie Christie mentioned the strike among the winners (Tina Fey, unsurprisingly, did so as well), and the story gives the impression that the actors cared not at all about their fellow union members.
So I definitely took note of this headline from Variety when it appeared in my feeds — WGA strike a hot topic at SAG awards. HMM…. In this story you find out that the strike was all many people talked about backstage, and that the actors were wearing little black and silver pins for the writers.
So, if my problem or question is "whether I should support the writers' strike" and the question of whether my favorite actors do or not is a big deal for me — well, yeah, that's pretty trivial on multiple levels. But that's not the point. The point is – that answering even a trivial question is not necessarily easy. And trusting the daily newspaper, or the 24-hour image industry television network is probably not enough.
So that's one reason I'm a librarian.
On another level, though, I am a librarian because I love the scholarly tradition. Because I love the idea of information and knowledge created and shared, and I love the idea of being able to tap into that collective knowledge. Barbara's post talks about this a bit, especially when she updates the conversation about libraries as knowledge "storehouses."
But quibbles aside, libraries remain a significant and still-growing common ground for the academy. What a library provides is a place and space for students to not only find information and use it in their papers, but to see how knowledge itself is made – by people like them. In using a library, they learn how to participate in what Michael Oakeshott called "the conversation of mankind."
Basically, I think that people need to know what it is that scholars and experts do. They need to know why it is important that scholars continue to do it. And more and more, I'm not sure they do. I don't think that students fifty years ago came to college with deep knowledge about how to do scholarship, but I wonder if maybe they (at least within the narrower group of people who got to go to college 50 years ago) didn't have a better idea of what scholarship was.
We talk a lot in libraries, and in higher education, about how technology has made our incoming students different, and I am very skeptical about a lot of those claims. I look at the students I meet today, and I don't see the essential differences that some others see. I do see differences — I think their educational experiences before they get to college are pretty different than mine were. And I think technology means that they have more choices, and can choose not to learn some skills and sources I found valuable, without risking their grades. But I don't think these differences are essential – I see them doing what I would have done had I had my expectations for learning built by No Child Left Behind, and if I had the same tools available to me that they had to them.
I worry when I read Wikipedia discussion pages and see people there dismissing information sources simply because they are the product of scholarly research, or because the researcher has a Ph.D after their name (and yeah, that definitely happens). The difference between what I'm saying and the criticism I associate with The Cult of the Amateur, is that I'm not sure that we're trying hard enough in academia to make sure that people know what we do. That's kind of a strong statement to make without any attribution or examples, but I'm going to make it anyway. Basically, I think we need to get beyond the idea that people need to trust experts "just because" — I mean, experts don't trust each other just because — and really work to demonstrate why our scholarly work should be protected, and valued, and used.
I guess what I'm kind of saying is that I think we need to let go a little bit of the expert/ amateur dichotomy because we all need to act like experts, at least to one specific extent, even in areas outside of our own expertise. Even though we usually don't have the subject knowledge to evaluate things instantly – we still can't trust like amateurs. We have to have an expert's impulse to question, to evaluate, and instinct to know when we've questioned enough.
And I think librarians get to think about that, pretty much all of the time. I'm happier focusing on this concept, no matter the discipline, than I was focusing on building knowledge within a discipline. This gets back to what Barbara says about helping students figure out that knowledge is created, and by people like themselves. And it brings me back to what I talked about in my earlier post on this subject, which means this is probably a good place to stop.
Don't take the tag as anything stronger than "if you have time and the impulse to do so, I'd love to hear your answers to this" – tagging Karen Munro, Jeremy Frumkin and Paula McMillen.


text:
You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'silly' tag.
Bryan has answered seven pressing questions (seven, because he refused to answer any more or less because of his ocd). Enjoy.
1. Do you find Nestle Crunch bars slightly more satisfying than love? Be honest.
When I was young, I did find Nestle Crunch bars more satisfying than love. But, truth be told, love to me then was make believing my high school girlfriend at the time (we'll call her Melody Eclair) was actually a sophomore named Bo while a certain third wheel rocked herself crazily in the corner of my black Chevy S-10. Now, when pressed, I'd have to say the only thing I find more satisfying than love is a good creme brulee, so long as the layer on top gives you that little crunch.
2. What does it mean if a guy has medium-sized feet and squinty eyes? Don't lie.
It means orgasm is probably out of the question for all involved.
3. I haven't gotten a text in hours. Why is this happening to me?
Because you say things like, "I thought you'd never wanted to hear from me again," "cooooooookies," and "my dog peed on me."
4. When are you going to provide me with a homecooked meal again?
You've requested Hamburger Helper of the Cheeseburger Macaroni variety. While technically this meal is beneath my level of skill, I will make this for you next Tuesday, with brownies for dessert.
5. Who would win in a break-neck, all-goes fight between bindo and Val?
I'm going with Val. I have a feeling she knows how to throw elbows. Bindo would get distracted by something depressing and write a wonderful poem about it, though.
6. Who let the dogs out? And what the hell was up with all the coconut in the Bahamas?
You let the dogs out, just the same way that you lost your room key and foolishly thought that, because we spent thousands of dollars to go on a trip together, I wanted to spend time with you. As far as the coconuts go, I didn't see them. I was more impressed with all the men in speedos, which I don't think you noticed because you hadn't hit puberty yet.
7. Don't you secretly wish you had a Blackberry Curve instead of dinky iPhone?
Never. All your readers who have iPhones should download the free App "words with friends" and challenge me, PoeticGrin, to a battle.


text:
What if blind people like David Faucheux, who has written up the text-to-speech botch on Amazon's new $80 basic model, could enjoy ebooks as easily as the man and girl in the above photo?
Or at least suffer fewer hassles?
Here's to text to speech—not just for blind booklovers but also for others with disabilities, as well as for exercisers and commuters!
Ahead I'll tell how Amazon can do TTS the right way for all Kindle users, especially blind people.
I'll start with the documentation and interface remedies, such as the possible placement of an ear icon on the home screen to help control TTS functions.
Also, I'll explore the business angles such as Amazon's ownership of Audible books. That might be one reason why the company has de-emphasized text to speech in recent years (despite TTS's third-rate version in the new basic Kindle and an audio adapter for current Paperwhite Kindles).
Yes, there are ways for Amazon to provide TTS on books whose publishers allow it, and make more money.
If the basic Kindle can become more of an audio creature than it is now, all kinds of new revenue possibilities could open up for Amazon without detracting from the traditional reading experience.
For example, Amazon could even use more thoughtful audio strategies to promote the sales of human-read audiobooks from its Audible division, as well as sales of digital music.
Meanwhile keep in mind the obvious: text to speech adds value to books for commuters, exercisers and time-short people in general. While possibly trying to protect the Audible Division and sales of multimedia tablets, Amazon might actually be reducing total revenue. It also may be lessening the competitiveness of books against rival media ranging from Netflix to video games.
In addition, I'll mention a possible stick that Washington might eventually be able to use against Amazon if the company still refused to offer decent TTS, as well as other musts such as a greater range of typographical choices.
Ideally, however, enough juicy carrots exist for Amazon to do the right thing voluntarily—for example, more success in the K-12 market.
Getting blind people going with Bluetooth and other basics
We already know that TTS used with Bluetooth headphones would cost next to nothing for Amazon to include despite past arguments of Washington lobbyists.
The existence of the $80 Kindle basic with Bluetooth TTS already has demolished that pathetic excuse—along with size- and weight-related ones.
While a speaker would be nice and I miss that feature present in older Kindles, you don't need one built in. Bluetooth speakers would be one alternative to Bluetooth headphones.
But how to blend a truly blind-friendly interface in with the existing Kindle basic via firmware and otherwise, and also accommodate the needs of sighted people who want TTS? I agree with Nate Hoffelder's post in the Digital Reader: "The gold standard for accessibility is a device which a visually impaired person can use with no assistance at all." Alas, I don't know if ereaders can absolutely meet that standard, not with the complexities of user registration and WiFi setups. But Kindles can come much closer than they do.
As David Faucheux has noted, the issue isn't just interface. It's also documentation—and a nasty Catch-22. You can't benefit from the basic Kindle's existing audio guidance if you don't know how to access it in the first place. And we can begin with the Bluetooth headphones.
If need be, Amazon could sell headphones (and speakers, too?) that offered especially seamless pairing. A bundling arrangement could be available both to blind and sighted people. Extra cost of the phones? Maybe $20. Needless to say, the Kindle could still work with other Bluetooth phones.
Inside the box containing the ereader would be very short instructions in Braille (along with instructions for sighted friends or family members for the benefit of blind people who didn't read Braille—and ideally a pointer to a YouTube with helpful audio). They would tell blind customers to turn on the Kindle and the Bluetooth headphones in the order the devices preferred and tap the bottom of the screen. The Braille directions would also instruct them to tap a small sliver that ran across the very bottom of their home screen or whatever.
The tap would take them to a blind-optimized screen with a terrific audio tutorial and other guidance that Amazon could test on actual blind people. They could then switch on an interface for the blind.
If at any time they were lost, they could tap to hear help messages.
And if all this failed, the messages and links would give blind users the phone number and email of a special Amazon help desk for people with accessibility issues. Apple and Microsoft have such desks, as David Faucheux has pointed out. Why not Amazon?
Speed, pitch, volume, and voices selection options, as well as backwards, forward, and stop ones, would be reachable from the main screen while the blind users were reading. Sighted people ideally could switch on similar features for TTS through a setup screen.
The only voice on the basic Kindle now is too high-pitched for some older people to comprehend the words well. So those voice choices would help.
How to help sighted people enjoy TTS—and improve Amazon's bottom line
But what about sighted people? Via a settings option, they could get rid of the little sliver at the bottom of the home screen or another screen that blind people tapped to reach the audio guidance and a special setup mode.
Meanwhile both blind and sighted people could benefit from an icon near the top of the basic Kindle screen—visible to the sighted as an ear.
The ear icon would appear on the home screen and, when people tapped in the proper place to summon up a command menu, on other screens. The ear would lead to a screen with adjustments for speed, pitch, volume and voices selections, and navigation if there was no way for these options to appear on the page displaying the actual text of the book.
But the Ear screen could offer plenty more. Among other possibilities, both sighted and blind people might see/hear links to:
–Well-done promotions for audiobooks of the titles the customers were reading or listening to at the time. They could download samples of the narrated voices to determine if the humans truly added value compared to the text to speech. Some of the TTS voices are amazingly humanlike, but accomplished narrators and VIP narrators can still win out if people hear actual samples and maybe even see a photo. I didn't just buy Elizabeth Warren's biography an an ebook—I wanted to hear her read it. Audiobooks can also come with author interviews and other extra. On a Kindle Chronicles podcast, Audible CEO Donald Katz told of new features he and his people were adding to audiobooks.
–Other audiobook possibilities involving the same writer or topic or genre. Amazon might allow a few paid links to augment the naturally occurring ones. Just please keep the clutter down.
–Music downloads, with provisions for automatic deletion of songs not played within a certain time, so the file would not overwhelm the Kindle basic's storage. The deleted songs, of course, could still be downloaded through a cloud storage arrangement.
–Lists of audiobooks and other audio items accessed or purchased recently.
I know Amazon has gone on and on about the Kindles being specialized reading devices, but consider that TTS and audiobooks, when used properly, are very much a form of reading. As for music enjoyed when users are not in the TTS mode, it can actually enhance the reading experience as opposed to distracting from it, the way social media does. Amazon should worry less about keeping the Kindle a read-only device and more about avoidance of social media distractions.
So where would the ear icon go? Look at the partial screenshot below from the new basic model.
Notice the space to the right of the search icon, the magnifying glass, second from the right on the second level? Well, it turns out that the space is there strictly for decorative purposes. You can't type your search word into the space. When you tap on the magnifying glass or the space, you go on to the actual second screen where you can enter your search term.
Eureka! Amazon could either reduce the decorative space on the home screen to the right of the magnifying glass or get rid of it entirely to make room of the ear icon. The interface designers also could shrink the word "Search" and place it under the magnifying glass.
The stick
I've tried hard to make the case that TTS would simply be good business for Amazon—notice all the specifics here? But I'll also remind CEO Jeff Bezos of the possible negatives here, and not just continued bad PR in blogs like TeleRead and the Digital Reader. As I've noted before, the Federal Trade Commission has published a pamphlet titled Competition Counts: How Consumers Win When Businesses Compete. I am not a lawyer and don't know if the pamphlet's language applies to Audible or other Amazon properties or activities, but here's the relevant language:
What kinds of business practices interest the Bureau of Competition? In short, the very practices that affect consumers the most: company mergers, agreements among competitors, restrictive agreements between manufacturers and product dealers, and monopolies. The FTC reviews these and other practices, looking at the likely effects on consumers and competition: Would they lead to higher prices, inferior service, or fewer choices for consumers? [Bold added.] Would they make it more difficult for other companies to enter the market?
Hello, Amazon? Is it possible that the pamphlet might cover your purchase of Audible and your eventual de-emphasis of TTS for sighted people? Simply put, making the Kindles extra-TTS friendly might just be a terrific form of anti-trust proofing. If the FTC believes that consumers are not suffering, whether the issue is pricing or availability of TTS, the agency's Bureau of Competition is less likely in the future to initiate suits against Amazon. The same of course would be true in the area of typographical choices. They are quite limited on Amazon's Kindles despite countless pleas from me and others (a sin that the company possibly is getting away with due to such factors as its use of proprietary DRM). But it is the lack of decent TTS capabilities where Amazon just might be more vulnerable on antitrust grounds.
Amazon in 2008 acquired Audible for $300 million. The next year, it introduced text to speech, complete with a loudspeaker, on the Kindle 2. So far, so good from an anti-trust perspective. But could some corporate bean counters have eventually gone on to decide that Amazon could make more money without TTS being available on the E Ink Kindles? Not just because of Audible but also because Amazon wanted to push the sale of Fire multimedia tablets through which it could move videos? The Fire came out in 2011. Then—and here's where it gets interesting—the first Paperwhite appeared without TTS in September 2012. Fires have merits of their own, but they are no substitute for a lightweight E Ink machines, which could offer both TTS and comfortable screens for sighted users. Whatever the reasons, despite all the blessings for the first Kindles and the glories of successors, consumer choice has suffered under Amazon; and the ereader market is woefully lack in innovation, including the TTS-related kind. Amazon itself now owns Ivona, one of the leading TTS companies.
For whatever it's worth, Amazon is not oblivious to antitrust concerns and has even hired antitrust lobbyist Seth Bloom. As reported in the Seattle Times:
Amazon has been the subject of antitrust investigations in Europe and, according to news agency Reuters, in Japan. In the U.S., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has accused Amazon and other big U.S. tech companies of trying to lock competitors out. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has no love for Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, has said that the company has "a huge antitrust problem."
Trump is simply vindictive—he's out to ruin Jeff Bezos, not look out for U.S. consumers who are suffering from a dearth of widely marketed readers with good TTS (even Warren at this point might not be considering the TTS and typography issues). I myself would much rather that possible antitrust concerns related to accessibility be handled in an amicable way. How about it, Jeff? Care to consider the TTS solution I've spent the last few hours laying out?
If antitrust law can't be used as leverage to get Amazon to restore TTS for all, and improve typography, then another possibility arises.
Especially if the Democrats regain control of the Senate in the current election and the House follows in time, the legislative environment in D.C. might eventually be just a little friendlier toward a possible Ebook Accessibility Act and funds to enforce it.
Of course, if Amazon really wants good PR, it will actually support such a measure while serving as an accessibility model for smaller competitors.


text:
nrs437v week 3 assignment Applying Ethical Frameworks in Practice
nrs437v week 3 assignment Applying Ethical Frameworks in Practice
Professional college paper writers: #1 Best Essay Writer: Are you looking for a custom essay service to accommodate your specific needs? At study-tutors.com, we have earned the reputation for being a leading provider of original, high-quality essays at affordable prices. Our professional writers will do their best to create a paper you need and help you succeed in studying. Our custom essay writing service is aimed at giving you the professional writing help you need to succeed. If you do not have the time for all your college writings, our experienced essay writer will have your back.
Order Original and Plagiarism-free Answers Written from Scratch
- Any citation style
- 24/7/365 Live support
- 100% Original
- No hidden charges


text:
LOS ANGELES – An investigator's report states Frank Ocean told investigators that Chris Brown threatened to shoot him during a fight over a parking space last month.
The report was included in a prosecution motion seeking to have Brown's probation revoked over numerous discrepancies and lax supervision of his community service sentence for the 2009 beating of Rihanna.
The report says Brown punched Ocean after the pair argued over a parking space at a West Hollywood studio on Jan. 27. Ocean told police that at one point, Brown shouted he and his entourage could 'bust' Ocean, which prosecutors wrote is a street slang term for shooting someone.
Ocean, who has said his first love was a man, also told investigators that he may have heard someone shout a gay slur during the confrontation.


text:
For many weekend visitors, the Piedmont region of Central Virginia is an escape from the hectic work week and a get-away to explore scenic byways through rolling hills, countryside rich in history and beauty. A chance to unpack a picnic basket filled with local artisanal cheeses and a fresh baguette alongside picturesque vineyards and uncork a bottle of Virginia wine or bubbly. For others, this is a privileged daily way of life; residents in and around Charlottesville hail from all over the world and choose to live here because of the temperate four seasons, the proximity to major East Coast metropolitan areas and the abundance of recreational, educational and cultural opportunities. In this particular case, the Tiemeyers, who have owned several homes and traveled globally, ultimately selected Keswick as their retirement home. The approach to Keswick Estate transitions through the Keswick Hall resort, past tennis courts, a small vineyard, the splendid "Hall" hotel and Keswick Country Club. Passing through the electronic gate, a peaceful community of estate homes on acreage awaits, surrounded by the newly redesigned Pete Dye golf course at the foothills of the Southwest Mountains. The estate home at 849 Club Drive was designed with attention to the smallest detail and is currently on the market for the very first time. We launched the listing with an invitation to meet not only the builder and designer, but also one of our favorite local wine makers, Claude Thibaut of Thibaut-Janisson, internationally known for his sparkling wines made in the traditional Methôde champenoise. Claude was born in Reims France, renowned for it's world class Champagnes and from there brought this style of wine-making to the United States. I can't think of a better way to enjoy this home than sitting outside and taking in the view with a glass of Claude's bubbly.
Guests previewed the exquisite home and gardens with a flute of chilled sparkling TJ Xtra Brut offering a relaxed atmosphere to chat with builder, Baird Snyder and Jimmy Grigg, architect of Daggett + Grigg about the elements that went into designing the home. All three- Baird, Jimmy and Claude have built their reputations on excellence and the home itself is equal in it's perfection. The home, lovingly known as Woodford House, was inspired by the owner's childhood in Essex, UK and was created to reflect the stately elegance of an English manor surrounded by soft layers of landscaped formal and natural gardens. Sited on 2.49 acres on a gentle slope above the golf course, the home features over 7600 sq.ft, 4 fireplaces and a stunning loggia for outdoor entertaining, a clear favorite.
The automatic humidity controlled Victorian style Hartley Botanic greenhouse adds a sense of fantasy to the garden, imagine enjoying morning coffee amongst the flowers or sipping champagne inside as the snowflakes fall. The golf course lot gracefully undulates to a gazebo and brook flowing just inside a sheltered fringe of trees.
A convenient 15 minutes to downtown Charlottesville, 7 miles to historic Monticello, minutes to lovely Keswick Vineyards and a golf cart ride to dining and amenities at Keswick Hall. To make Keswick Estate your new home and enjoy the best of Central Virginia and to schedule a showing, please contact Traugott & Associates, 434.882.0824 at WelcomeHomeCharlottesville.com


text: Okay, so someone learned how to use Photoshop. Yes, this looks like a collage a la 9th grade, but I just wanted to thank all of the very special people in my life who have always made my birthday (and everyday) so very special for me. I love and appreciate you all. Thank you for being a part of my special day and part of my life!


text:
As evidenced through the violence, wars, famine, destructive forces of nature, financial crises, personal tragedy and general devastation reported by the media each day, we are surely living in the time of great confusion prophesied by the Lord when he said,
"And in that day … the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men's hearts shall fail them" (D&C 45:26).
" And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear. . ." (Luke 21:25-26)
Elder Russell M. Nelson, a current apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and former award-winning heart surgeon recently shared a personal "heart stopping" experience as a lesson on how we can move past fear and live with peace in our heart. No matter what may happen to us, or how bad things may become in our life, Elder Nelson assures us there really is hope. Don't miss watching his priceless, heart-felt message!


text:
The library is pleased to announce that Middlebury College has just become a member of the Center For Research Libraries (CRL) (http://www.crl.edu/). CRL is a partnership of over 240 university, college, and independent research libraries. The CRL collection includes:
- the largest collection of circulating newspapers in North America, including international, U.S. colonial titles, U.S. ethnic titles, and Civilian Conservation Corps camp newspapers/newsletters
- 38,000 foreign journals rarely held in U.S. libraries
- 800,000 foreign dissertations
- major microform and paper collections from Africa, Latin America, Middle East, Europe, Asia, Southeast Asia, and other locations
- a total collection of almost 5,000,000 rarely held books, journals, pamphlets, newspapers, and primary source materials
Membership in CRL provides Middlebury library patrons with access to the entire CRL collection via InterLibrary Loan (ILL). Loan periods, and the amount of material that can be borrowed at any time, are considerably more generous than traditional ILL. Some CRL materials can be digitized on demand and can be provided via e-mail or other electronic delivery.
How do I use CRL?
CRL materials are requested the same way as any other traditional ILL request: through Middlebury's ILL department: go\ill (on-campus) or go.middlebury.edu\ill (off-campus). If you know ahead of time that you need to borrow a large quantity of material, or you need to borrow something for an extended period of time, please indicate this clearly in the "Notes" field when you fill in the ILL request form.
You also have the option of searching the CRL catalog directly at: http://catalog.crl.edu/ If you locate something that's of interest, leave a note in the ILL form indicating that you found the item in the CRL catalog. This will save time by alerting ILL staff to route these requests directly to CRL.
If you have any questions about this service, please feel free to contact one of our librarians, or contact Terry Simpkins, Director of Research and Collection Services, at 802-443-5045. If you have questions specifically about ILL matters, you can contact Rachel Manning at 802-443-5498.
We are excited to be able to provide you with access to this extraordinary collection, and hope you find it to be a valuable resource for your teaching and research.
Terry Simpkins
Director of Research & Collection Services


text:
Erving, Julius
Erving, Julius ûr´vĭng [key], 1950–, American basketball player, b. Roosevelt, N.J., known as
Dr. J.An excellent shooter, rebounder, and ball-handler, he played for the American Basketball Association's Virginia Squires (1971–73) and New York Nets (1973–76) and for the National Basketball Association's Philadelphia 76ers (1976–87). He led the ABA in scoring three times (1973–74, 1976) and was named most valuable player four times (ABA, 1974–76; NBA, 1981). With 30,026 career points in both leagues, he ranks third on the all-time scoring list. A spectacular leaper, Erving was the first leading practitioner of the
airgame later exemplified by Michael Jordan. Since leaving the court Erving has been a successful business executive, a television sports analyst, and an executive with the Orlando Magic.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Sports: Biographies


text:
With a less than a week left of the Motley Group reading of Joyce's Dubliners, I am lingering a bit too long, I realize, mid-collection, thinking about what I've read, how the stories talk to one another, undercut or intensify each another. I get pulled out of the book altogether for a few days at a stretch by the other calls on my time. I have to get going here…onward into "Clay" and "A Painful Case" today. I might even have to set a reading schedule to make sure I have enough time to hang out in "The Dead." I can't remember when I have ever read a collection this slowly, with breaks, and rereads, and trips out to my fellow readers' blogs and to this site. And I know I have not walked down the long driveway in search of the mail with such anticipation in a long long time.
This is as close as I have ever come to what I asked of my students and their blogging back in my teaching days. Yes I blogged with them, but never on equal terms, at best as guide. In fact I stayed off our class blogs for the most part, posting on my own blog in meta-reflection so as to keep their conversation open, playful and free between peers instead of performance for the teacher, something I've written about many times over the years here, including the final paragraph of one of those long-long posts of mine from 2005 (with lots of broken links):
"And it is the Motherblog that keeps them linked within a community–they venture back and forth onto one another's blogs, taking comfort in their peers' experiences, pushing one another, and learning from one another. And I'm rarely on the blog at all. Isn't this what we're after in a liberal arts education? The students naturally, on their own, gravitate towards the learning ecology. I'm keeping these second-wave bloggers in mind as my young first-years wonder aloud why we're doing this public blogging thing. I want them to read the Blogging-the-World blog, and I want them to look down the road at where they might be in two years. If I teach them the grammar of the blog well, and they take to it, they can use the medium (or whatever other tool will be in play by then) to make their learning real, active, and worth crowing about."
I'm realizing that this Motley reading experience is as close as I've ever come to being absolutely inside classroom blogging–as a reciprocal apprentice. I see the personalities come into play–who likes posterous, who their own blog, Flickr, postcards. Who dropped out, never started, is still thinking about starting, is on the fence about continuing, is doing her own thing with responses. Absolutely fascinating. I'm learning more about my own inclinations as a reader as I hear Lanny's puzzlement over the postcard I sent him, and how the image is linked in any way to the reading experience. In learning about how the others are approaching and responding to the stories, I think more deeply about my own readings, my own way of reading. I really don't think I did that enough as a teacher. I see now how much I continued to dominate my classes even when I tried my best not to, even though I believed that students would learn how to think and communicate if they had to rely on one another as much as on me. This experience almost has me hankering over another go in the classroom. Almost.
Something else has me stumbling over my departure from the classroom. My old student, now my good friend and teacher, Stephanie Saldana, has been visiting for the past couple of days as she tears about the country on her first book tour. Yesterday she gave a splendid, moving reading at the college. Four former students were in the audience: three still at the college and another, Stephanie's best friend here fifteen years ago, another gifted writer, who drove over from Maine. Stephanie read to an audience made up of townspeople, students and her former professors–a reading that showed her big heart as well as her considerable intellect, a reading that allowed us to glimpse her struggle with a broken world from the vantage point of living in the Middle East. I thought, how brave, to come back here where you were a star poet/scholar and read from a book so human, so real, so true. Later, a young Palestinian remarked to me that this was the first lecture/reading about the Middle East he'd been to here that hadn't been dissecting, theorizing, and/or intellectualizing the trauma. There was no sense of the personal, the lived in those other lectures and readings as though problems could be understood and solved purely from knowing enough. Stephanie's reading and discussion gave him the space for his own story. There it was again, the heart, the heart. Later that evening, my two old students and another grad from that time sat on the floor of my livingroom and shared how they felt that their undergraduate classes had been far too much about the intellect. Where was life in the classroom? How did community outside the school have anything at all to do with what was going on in the classroom? Where were the hearts of their teachers?
If I could do it all over…I would have been a more radical teacher than I was, and isn't it too bad that I have to say that teaching from the heart in a liberal arts college is radical? For a moment, I wanted another chance…but no, I am getting another chance…this way: with Motley readers, with my students turned teachers, with my messy work with storytelling in communities (ALL about heart), with my fumblings with camera.
It's funny how I'm coming across this reminder repeatedly this week. This morning, I opened T.S. Eliot's essay on Dante to find:
"In my own experience of the appreciation of poetry I have always found that the less I knew about a poet and his work, before I began to read it, the better. A quotation, a critical remark, an enthusiastic essay may well be the accident that sets one to reading a particular author; but an elaborate preparation of historical and biographical knowledge has always been to me a barrier. I am not defending poor scholarship…At least, it is better to be spurred to acquire scholarship because you enjoy the poetry, than to suppose that you enjoy the poetry because you have acquired the scholarship." ("Dante" 1929 Essay p. 205 in Selected Prose of T.S. Eliot)
That's what I so like about writing and receiving postcards as well as posts–they feel like little bursts of felt response–by readers who love to read and love to feel the pen on a card, having to move within the confines of that small white square, and caring enough to take the time to find a postcard, a stamp, go to the post office after engaging with the text. Bound together by a love of reading, the freedom to come and go as we wish, the playfulness of responding however we like, and, for me, a commitment to speaking from the heart as well as head and to stick with it even if I don't have time, love all the stories, or feel I have anything useful to say. You just never know when you'll stumble upon the new, or touch someone, or learn something you thought you already knew.
Filed under: Classroom Blogging, community, Emergence, Leaving School, Questioning, Reading, Teaching and Learning, transitions | Tagged: dubliners, heart, joyce, learning, motleyread, stephanie saldana, teaching | 5 Comments »


text:
A new financial malware program that communicates with attackers over the I2P (Invisible Internet Project) anonymity network is for sale on a Russian cybercrime forum.
The malware is called i2Ninja and uses the I2P network as a command-and-control (C&C) channel, according to security researchers from Trusteer, who claim to have seen the announcement.
I2P is a distributed peer-to-peer network that uses several layers of encryption to allow secure and anonymous communication, establishing what is known as a darknet, a separate network within the Internet. Like Tor, a similar but more popular darknet, I2P was designed to allow various services to run and be accessible only from within the network itself.
Anonymous websites running on .i2p pseudo-domains can only be accessed through EepProxy, a proxy program that connects a browser to the I2P network.
What it does
According to the announcement posted by the i2Ninja creator, the malware has most of the features found in other financial malware. For example, it can steal information entered into web forms and inject rogue content into HTTP and HTTPS sessions in Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome. It can also steal log-in credentials from 33 FTP clients and some of the most popular online poker clients.
For botnet operators, using darknets like Tor or I2P provides considerable benefits. First, the traffic between the malware and the command server cannot be easily blocked by intrusion prevention systems or firewalls because it's encrypted, said Dmitry Tarakanov, malware researcher at antivirus vendor Kaspersky Lab, Thursday via email.
Blocking this malicious traffic would mean blocking all I2P or Tor traffic because extracting the exact destination from such a network packet in order to only block connections to a particular address is impossible, Tarakanov said. In addition, by hiding their C&C servers inside the I2P or Tor networks attackers can make it much harder for security researchers to find and take down those servers, he said.There have already been cases of malware using Tor as a C&C channel, like the case of the Mevade botnet, which was responsible for a significant increasein the number of Tor users in August.
Sold to cybercriminals
It's not clear whether i2Ninja has peer-to-peer capabilities like the Gameover or Hlux/Kelihos botnets in which infected computers can relay information and commands directly to each other. If that's the case, it might be hard to take down botnets based on this malware, Tarakanov said.
It's not known if i2Ninja is already being used to infect computers. Trusteer based its report on the cybercrime forum announcement, and there are no sample hashes that would help antivirus companies search for the malware in their databases.
Since i2Ninja is being sold to other cybercriminals, it will probably be distributed using the usual methods for this type of malware: spam emails, drive-by-download attacks launched from websites infected with exploit kits and by direct installation through existing botnets, Tarakanov said.


text:
Given your area has a choice, would you prefer to use a shotgun or a muzzleloader? Very rarely would range be an issue for me, for the most part I would be shooting under 100 yards. Also not driving or pushing, I would be ground or stand hunting.
Given your area has a choice, would you prefer to use a shotgun or a muzzleloader? Very rarely would range be an issue for me, for the most part I would be shooting under 100 yards. Also not driving or pushing, I would be ground or stand hunting.
I got bit with the Black Powder shooting years back and the infection has only getting worse. I take one out during the regulatory Rifle season now and I use an ML shotgun for Turkey hunting.
Great fun and adds a nice dimension to the sport of hunting. Even the cheap ones will shot MOA at 100 out of the box so clover leaf accuracy is easy to obtain if you spend a little time with loose powder and work up a load. Otherwise a lot of guys just use the pellets, it sacrifices a little in accuracy for convenience, but if you're primarily shooting sub 100 yds, you'll find it will still do the job nicely.
Only reason i go for shogun is convenience and quickness of loading and unloading, to remain legal.
I think its just personal preference really, but gbk makes a good point about the simplicity of the shotgun...hard to go wrong with a Savage 20 gauge slug gun
Don't limit yourself. Both are great. I have a good collection of muzzleloaders that need more field time but for a wet day or for hunting the swamps it's hard to beat a shotgun
I hunted a controlled hunt that was shotgun or muzzleloader last year. I did not even bring the modern muzzleloader with a scope and 209 primers, I left both the shotgun and inline gun at home and took a side lock without only a patched round ball. I would have shot a larger deer a day earlier if I had the shotgun (had a hang fire) but got a deer with a mid 1800s style rifle, which is much cooler than another deer shot with the 870.
I hunt 92B ML guns only.
I never understood the logic behind this but what can you do?. So I don't have a choice! lol
If I could use a shotgun I would in a heart beat. It would be a Savage 220 slug gun!
In NS talking to my cousin. They have a separate Bow / Muzzle Loader season Oct 1 - Oct 31 with a separate tag. Gun season which runs Oct 30 - Dec 1 and then back to bow and Muzzle Loader till the end of Dec.
A muzzle Loader here would extend my season 1 week but no extra tags.
"This is about unenforceable registration of weapons that violates the rights of people to own firearms."Premier Ralph Klein (Alberta)Calgary Herald, 1998 October 9 (November 1, 1942 March 29, 2013) OFAH Member


text:
Christmas is around the corner, and a Christmas T-shirt is a wardrobe staple this season. As a leading Christmas T-shirts manufacturer in India, the team at Gag Wears has modeled the T-shirts in a regular fit that offers unmatched comfort. You can pair these smart T-shirts with your favorite jeans, and you are good to go for your Christmas party!
The entire team of Gag Wears prioritizes customer and market demands ahead of their business goals and profits. Gag Wears homes to a proficient team of Christmas T-shirt designers which owes their worth with their creativity. Clinching in professional excellence in customization of t-shirts as per customer's requirements imparts competitive supremacy to the firm. And that is why Gag Wears is a leading Christmas T-shirts supplier in India!
Your quest for searching the ultimate Christmas T-shirts in India is over. We, at Gag, Wears offer highly affordable and unique T-shirts no matter what your requirement. Explore our website now and pick all your favorites!


text:
Cameron has gritted his teeth to comment on Boris' high-flying success:
"If any other politician anywhere in the world was stuck on a zip wire it would be a disaster. For Boris, it's an absolute triumph."
Apparently "London is very lucky" to have him. He couldn't sound more like he doesn't want him…
Yesterday the Sun reported of the Mayor:
"In a surprise visit to the beach volleyball in Horse Guards Parade, he also patented the "Boris wave". He tried to get the 15,000 crowd to do a Mexican wave but his initial effort prompted everyone to stand and throw their hands up at the same time."
Today he's reached even greater heights. Tomorrow?