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This is pretty cool!
Filed under: Archaeology | Comments Off
This is pretty cool!
Filed under: Archaeology | Comments Off
I'm currently working my way through the Australopithecus sediba articles mentioned in the previous post. In the meantime, in wandering around the internet there are a number of things make a science story jump out and say "write about me!" First, if it uses a methodology that answers the question "how do we know?" Second, if it is about life history. Third, if it combines the first two with dinosaurs.
Science Daily (World's Oldest Dinosaur Embryo Bonebed Yields Organic Remains) points us to a research paper that has all three (plus more). The paper, Embryology of Early Jurassic dinosaur from China with evidence of preserved organic remains, was published in Nature. I don't have access to the Nature paper so I will have to rely on the Science Daily press release. Continue reading
Filed under: Geology, Paleobiology, Paleontology | Comments Off
Can someone send me the Australopithecus sediba papers that are published in the current issue of Science? links are below
The Vertebral Column of Australopithecus sediba
The Lower Limb and Mechanics of Walking in Australopithecus sediba
The Upper Limb of Australopithecus sediba
Mosaic Morphology in the Thorax of Australopithecus sediba
Mandibular Remains Support Taxonomic Validity of Australopithecus sediba
Dental Morphology and the Phylogenetic "Place" of Australopithecus sediba
I have them now, thanks!
My email address is on the "About" tab.
Filed under: Australopithecus sediba, Uncategorized | Comments Off
Filed under: Uncategorized | Comments Off
Call me disturbed.
Figure 2. Bats caught by spiders. A – Adult female Avicularia urticans feeding on a Greater Sac-winged Bat (Saccopteryx bilineata) on the side of a palm tree near the Rio Yarapa, Peru (photo by Rick West, Victoria, Canada; report # 1). B – Adult Proboscis Bat (Rhynchonycteris naso) entangled in a web of Argiope savignyi at the La Selva Biological Station, northern Costa Rica (photo by Mirjam Kno¨ rnschild, Ulm, Germany; report # 14). C – Dead bat (presumably Centronycteris centralis) entangled in an orb-web in Belize (photo by Carol Farneti-Foster, Belice City, Belize; report # 12). D – Dead bat (Myotis sp.) entangled in a web of Nephila clavipes in La Sirena, Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica (photo by Harald & Gisela Unger, Ko¨ ln, Germany; report # 17). E – A bat caught in the web of an araneid spider (possibly Eriophora sp.) in Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica (photo by Cassidy Metcalf, USA; report # 18). F – Live bat trapped in web of Nephilengys cruentata in a thatch roof at Nisela Lodge, Swaziland (photo by Donald Schultz, Hollywood, USA; report # 47). G – Volant juvenile Proboscis Bat (Rhynchonycteris naso) entangled in web of Nephila clavipes photographed in a palm swamp forest near Madre de Dios, Peru (photo by Sam Barnard, Colorado Springs, USA; report # 7). H – Dead bat entangled in web of a female Nephila clavipes in tropical rainforest in the middle of the Rio Dulce River Canyon near Livingston, Guatemala (photo by Sam & Samantha Bloomquist, Indianapolis, USA; report # 11). I – Dead bat (Rhinolophus cornutus orii) caught in the web of a female Nephila pilipes on Amami-Oshima Island, Japan (photo by Yasunori Maezono, Kyoto University, Japan; report # 35). J, K – A small bat (superfamily Rhinolophoidea) entangled in web of Nephila pilipes at the top of the Cockatoo Hill near Cape Tribulation, Queensland, Australia (photo by Carmen Fabro, Cockatoo Hill, Australia; report # 39). The spider pressed its mouth against the dead, wrapped bat, indicating that it was feeding on it. A Nephila pilipes male also present in the web (K) may have been feeding on the bat as well. L – Dead vespertilionid bat entangled in the web of a female Nephila pilipes in the Aberdeen Country Park, Hong Kong (photo by Carol S.K. Liu from AFCD Hong Kong, China; report # 32).
Evidence of a crocodyliform feeding on a juvenile 'hypsilophodontid' dinosaur:
(Source) Figure 2. Feeding traces on juvenile 'hypsilophodontid' bones (Kaiparowits Formation) compared to those derived via actualistic experiments. A. Skeletal reconstruction of the undescribed 'hypsilophodontid' from the Kaiparowits Formation with known material shown in white (modified from [65]). B. Partial left scapula (UMNH VP 21104) with feeding traces collected from UMNH locality 303. C. Outline drawing of left scapula (UMNH VP 21104) with feeding traces highlighted and colored boxes showing the locations of figure parts D, F, and G (colors match the respective figure parts). D. Bisected pit on the left scapula (UMNH VP 21104). E. Bisected pit on a modern cow femur produced by Alligator mississippiensis during actualistic experiments [20]. F. Small pit (highlighted by white arrow) on the proximal portion of the left scapula (UMNH VP 21104). G. Series of small scores present along the ventral margin of the neck of the left scapula (UMNH VP 21104). H. Distal portion of a right femur (UMNH VP 21107) with feeding traces collected from UMNH locality 303. I. Outline of right femur (UMNH VP 21107) with feeding traces highlighted and colored box showing the location of figure part J. J. Puncture containing an embedded tooth present on the right femur (UMNH VP 21107) and a small pit (highlighted by white arrow) just ventral to the puncture. K. Puncture present on a modern cow femur produced by A. mississippiensis during actualistic experiments [20]. L. Reconstruction of the hypothesized impact of the crocodyliform tooth with the right femur, creating the puncture observed in UMNH VP 21107. M. Reconstruction of the hypothesized fracturing of the damaged crocodyliform tooth crown, resulting in the embedded tooth observed in UMNH VP 21107. Scale bar equals one meter in A, 10 mm in B, E, H, and K, 2 mm in D, F, G, and J. Abbreviations: cort, cortical bone; dis, distal; dor, dorsal; f, tooth fragment; lat, lateral; med, medial; pr, proximal; t, tooth crown. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0057605.g002
I put hypsilophodontid in quotes for several reasons. First, there is good evidence to indicate the taxon is paraphyletic. Second, the authors of the paper the picture was taken indicate the specimens are from a previously undescribed taxon and refer to the specimen as the 'Kaiparowits hypsilophodontid.'
Boyd et al (2013) Crocodyliform Feeding Traces on Juvenile Ornithischian Dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian)
Kaiparowits Formation, Utah. PLoS ONE 8(2): e57605. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0057605
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OH-65 was found in 1995 in the Upper Bed I at Olduvai Gorge. It dates to 1.942-1.785 mya. OH-65 is a nearly complete maxilla that has been attributed to Homo habilis. It's morpholoogy is similar to that of KNM-ER 1470 and the authors of the paper announcing the find use that similary to make two arguments.
This overall concordance of the ER 1470 and OH 65 morphologies with that of the type specimen of H. habilis casts doubt on H. rudolfensis as a biologically valid taxon. Consequently, H. rudolfensis (Alexeev) Groves would be a junior synonym for H. habilis Leakey, Tobias, and Napier …
The architectural similarities between OH-65 and ER 1470 support the judgement that late Pliocene hominids from Olduvai Gorge and East Lake Turkana usually assigned to H. habilis instead represent more than one species…
On the surface these seem to be contradictory arguments unless they are arguing that because H. rudolfensis is a junior synonym for H. habilis the species in the H. rudolfensis group have to be named something else. At any rate, below is a picture of OH-65.
(Picture Source)
Literature Cited
Blumenschine et al 2003 Late Pliocene Homo and Hominid Land Use from Western Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania
Blumenschine et al 2003 Late Pliocene Homo and Hominid Land Use from Western Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania Supplemental Online Material
Filed under: Homo habilis, Know Your Hominin | Comments Off


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By a County Press reporter
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
LIFEBOAT crews on the Isle of Wight were kept busy in 2013, according to figures released by the RNLI.
Collectively, crews from the RNLI stations at Bembridge, Cowes and Yarmouth launched on 112 rescue missions last year, to incidents including commercial vessels in trouble, distressed fishermen, swimmers and leisure marine users.
The busiest of the three was Cowes with 43 launches. In a year of extreme weather, crews from these stations rescued a total of 139 people.
The figures, however, were down significantly on 2012, when crews launched 147 times and rescued 241 people.
Among the notable rescues in 2013 were:
•Bembridge lifeboat crew rescued a man who had suffered a stroke and was stranded on an old military fort in the Solent. The coxswain had to be creative and used a rather unorthodox method of using ropes, a hook and a plastic stretcher.
•Two men whose fishing vessel capsized and sank in the Solent in a matter of seconds were rescued by Yarmouth RNLI. One was still in his sleeping bag when the disaster happened — both were found in a liferaft some hours later.
•Volunteers at Cowes were involved in a search for an inebriated man who had plunged into the River Medina in the middle of the night. He attempted to swim the river having missed the last chain ferry for the night.
The Isle of Wight is also served by independent lifeboats at Sandown and Shanklin, Ryde and Freshwater.
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More Articles...
- Letter to J. Dennis Hastert re: draft Domestic Security Enhancement Act (Apr. 2, 2003)
- How "Patriot Act 2" Would Further Erode the Basic Checks on Government Power That Keep America Safe and Free
- Letter to Congress re: Domestic Security Enhancement Act (DSEA) (Mar. 17, 2003)
- Letter to Interested Persons re: Section-by-Section Analysis of Justice Department draft "Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003," also known as "Patriot Act II" (Feb. 14, 2003)


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Even the friendliest Labrador retriever can seem terrifying to some people. State prison authorities should keep that in mind as they implement a new policy that will subject some prison visitors to checks by drug-sniffing canines. The policy is necessary to stem the flow of illegal drugs into prisons. But scaring away law-abiding visitors could hamper rehabilitation efforts, and authorities should make it clear that visitors with a genuine dog phobia or allergy can opt for a hand-search instead.
The state announced the new rule last month. According to state statistics, in 2011 and the first half of 2012, there were 107 incidents of visitors smuggling narcotics into prison. Overall, nearly half the drugs trafficked into prisons were brought by visitors who came only once. Drugs pose a safety risk and hinder efforts to ensure released prisoners return to society drug-free, so the crackdown is clearly warranted.


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Reid: McCain, Bush Offshore Drilling Plan a 'Cynical Campaign Ploy'
Wednesday, June 18, 2008 at 2:32 pm
As Matt points out, President George W. Bush announced he wants to see the U.S. start drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf and exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, ANWR. Bush's press conference comes one day after McCain laid out the same plan, which contradicted the presidential hopeful's earlier statements that he did not support such drilling.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hit back right today. From Reid's statement:
"This week's flip-flop on offshore oil drilling by President Bush and Senator John McCain is nothing more than a cynical campaign ploy that will do nothing to lower energy prices, and represents another big giveaway to oil companies already making billions in profits."
As Sridhar caught on video, Presidential rival Sen. Barack Obama broke from McCain's new position.
Environmentalists are keeping their fingers crossed that McCain will change his mind again.
2 Comments
Comment posted June 18, 2008 @ 3:56 pm
SHAMEFUL political posturing that is NO different from the oil tax holiday proposed earlier by the likes of BILLARY Clinton — and John McCain!
Comment posted June 18, 2008 @ 10:56 am
SHAMEFUL political posturing that is NO different from the oil tax holiday proposed earlier by the likes of BILLARY Clinton — and John McCain!
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COLLEGE STATION, TX (AP) - The record number of Texas counties with outdoor burn bans has reached 236 as the drought continues.
A Texas Forest Service map Thursday showed southern and northeast parts of the state as the only areas without burn bans. Texas has 254 counties.
Texas in January 2006 had a record 221 counties with outdoor burn bans, but that mark was broken earlier this month during wildfires and lingering dry weather.
The Texas Forest Service says nearly 3.3 million acres have burned during the current wildfires season.
Agency officials are urging caution during the Fourth of July holiday weekend and use of fireworks.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Backpacker Magazine – March 2008
The Goal: Hit the trail and forget you're even wearing a pack.
Sorry Rick but Diamond Head is hardly considered a backpacking trip; used to hike/run it twice a day when I was in Oahu on a business trip. You cannot even stay up there past dark! Anything you can see out of a 4-star hotel room is not considered a "trip", expecially not one to write a book over.
Ditto what the desert fox said. If incredibility is what you aspire to, well, you've made it. Great job guys and gals. Money talks and BS walks I guess. Too bad.
I'm gonna give a lot of credit to Backpacker magazine once i write my book on the backpacking I have ''accomplished''.....on the list for tomorrow is Diamondhead on the island of Oahu
-Rick Overton age 23
These are all good packs, but for me, 2400 to 2500 ci is just not enough for an overnight with a tent, sleeping bag and matress. Although the Osprey Atmos 65 is a bit big for a weekend, at less than 4 lbs it is close to most of these in weight, and it is big enough and comfortable enough to haul 35 pounds including water and food which for me is enough for a five-night trip. If I were to choose just one pack for all around weekend and weeklong it would be the Osprey.
i purchased the Gregory Z 55 after reading your review last year and it is an amazing pack , yet where is it this year ? i have noticed that you have now done this on a number of reviews where a top rated iten is no even listed a year later even when compared to the same items from that year
Do you guys ever review the line of packs from badlands? I would like to know how they stack up in comparison to some of these packs, I know they are more designed for hunting put it would still be nice to a review...
I see 1 Women-specific pack reviewed...What about the other 5??
and where is the Gregory Z-55 in the list? last year you rated it the first 5 Star pack ever reviewed and this year it is nowhere to be found. kinda' weird, don't you think?
The new Mountain Hardwear pack is tha shiz nit!!


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Pre-viz software increases options for lighting designers
For rock group Journey's summer tour, lighting director Warwick Price designed setups for 42 songs using WYSIWYG at Prelite Studios last spring.
Today's professional lighting designers usually find themselves trying to create pleasing, yet functional stage and exhibit lighting environments on crazy deadlines, while often relying on limited light fixtures and constrained by tight budgets. They are increasingly turning to computer software to pre-visualize complex lighting set-ups via detailed 2D and 3D imagery.
As lighting hardware has evolved to new levels of complexity, the use of computer control systems to operate hundreds, even thousands, of fixtures needed to achieve extremely sophisticated stage-lighting environments has evolved right along with it. The reliance on computer software to play a significant role in designing stage lighting has also evolved significantly, but without as much fanfare.
The reason for this important breakthrough is the obvious advantage digital pre-viz technology has given designers for exploring various setups and alternatives. Like their feature film and television brethren, stage designers are increasingly immersing themselves in the joys of digital lighting design.
"Software has actually been a part of lighting for many years, but for much of that time, it's been imbedded in hardware systems [for control purposes]," explains Fred Foster, CEO and founder of Middleton, Wis.-based Electronic Theatre Controls [ETC], a major industry-lighting manufacturer. "With the advent of personal computers, early programs such as our ETC Edit migrated the software components of lighting systems outside of the console and made offline editing of show data a possibility. Additional software-based tools added support to the lighting design process. Now the development of visualization tools like [CAST Lighting's (Toronto)] WYSIWYG program, allows designers to see their designs before realizing them in the theater."
The problem, says Foster, with early digital lighting tools was that, until recently, applications from different manufacturers didn't work that well together. Design software, offline rehearsal software, and control software were usually independent of one another and required loads of logistical improvisation in order to move information from one system to another.
"The individual benefits that each package brought were frequently overwhelmed by the difficulties inherent in moving the data from one program or platform to another," Foster says.
Recent advances have been aimed at bringing all those disparate applications under one umbrella. Most of the well-known tools available to the stage lighting industry consist of separate modules, or options available, for pre-viz, control, and so on.
Still, lighting experts add that while pre-viz in the "plotting" stage has numerous advantages and can serve as a learning tool at minimal cost, it isn't about to replace the organic experience of actually setting up and operating lighting systems any time soon. They the experts add that there is a major learning curve facing designers — many of whom come from traditional theater backgrounds and are not particularly computer savvy — in learning how to efficiently use such tools. In addition, the investment in the computer hardware infrastructure necessary to operate such software is costly and time-consuming.
Many designers have been approaching digital design slowly and warily. To serve the interest of these designers, SRO hereby presents the thoughts and experiences of a few pre-viz software users, designers, and manufacturers, and a rundown on some of the industry's leading tools for these kinds of applications.
Seeing is Believing
Manny Cabanas, house designer and master electrician at the Event Center at San Jose State University, has been designing lighting presentations at that arena for the past six years. Cabanas, who also worked for 13 years as a lighting designer and electrician, is a 10-year member of I.A.T.S.E. (The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists, and Allied Crafts), so he understands the ins and outs of designing a good show at the front end.
A rendering from the design phase of U2's "Elevation" world tour (top), created using WYSIWYG software (v. 3.5). A picture of the actual stage from the tour (above).
"The Event Center is a multipurpose venue, and we light everything from concerts to theater shows to sporting events," he says. "When it's an in-house production, we'll produce everything from the lighting plot to actually operating the lights during the show. In deciding where the lights are placed, and wearing the hat of lighting designer, I try to visualize the lighting needs of the specific event, and how we can help make the production special. My goal is to effectively and dramatically illuminate the performance space."
To design an event's lighting in a short space of time, where more than 500 fixtures might be required, Cabanas almost has to use a digital pre-viz approach to get things done creatively and efficiently and on time. The Event Center, for instance, recently hosted a large, two-day Tahitian dance festival. Once the budget was established with the client, Cabanas sat down with them and sketched out some ideas. Then, using Cast Lighting's WYSIWYG program, he rendered some 3D images with various lighting designs, also called "plots."
WYSIWYG, designed for Windows, has become an increasingly popular option for lighting professionals in recent years. The package integrates control, paperwork/report, and educational modules with powerful design tools, and was designed to be compatible with most of the industry's leading lighting consoles.
Cabanas emphasizes that pre-viz applications like those available within WYSIYG are "being used more and more, but mostly at the higher end of the industry."
"The major program we use is WYSIWYG, which produces computer renderings of plots as a 2D or 3D color image," he explains. "You really can see what it will look like before going onsite. The advantages are lower costs on manpower for the client, and it's a real time-saver on programming a show."
Cabanas emphasizes that the practical benefits that might result from actually setting up lights and experimenting with the various configurations he can now design in minutes on a computer are far outweighed by the fact that it would take many hours, and sometimes days, to experiment on an actual stage.
"Being a good lighting designer/director is about using the best technological solutions, like today's pre-visualization software packages and really listening to your clients," he says. "WYSIWYG and other programs like it help me give my clients what they want before getting to the venue, which saves both time and money."
Pleasing Clients
Giving clients more options seems to be the driving force behind these technological advances, and they are also changing the industry by paving the way for new companies wholly dedicated to the art of digital design.
Norm Schwab, CEO of Prelite Studios (San Francisco, New York), emphasizes that quick, efficient, and flexible design capabilities are central in meeting the demands of clients who often have less time and money to spend than in the past. That capability is important to people like Schwab. Already a lighting designer and partner in a company called Lightswitch (San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando), he has long been involved in the art of lighting design, and now with Prelite Studios, he is making pre-viz the centerpiece of his craft.
"Our company, Lightswitch, is essentially a consortium of designers," he explains. "Our areas of design include architectural, corporate, theme parks, and entertainment lighting. But two years ago, I decided that I wanted to open a new studio to work exclusively on virtual lighting [pre-visualization projects] using 3D computer environments, so I formed a separate company with [designer] Tom Thompson called Prelite Studios."
In the last year, Prelite has been busy, working for a host of lighting design firms and production companies on major events, including the 2002 Winter Olympics, major concert tours for Journey and U2, TV programs, and other events.
ETC's Emphasis is a high-end lighting control system used for theater and other live events that now includes various design and pre-viz capabilities.
Both Schwab and Thompson are major advocates of using computers for lighting design. Schwab even refers to lighting design as "a combination of art and science." He insists that computer pre-viz is a discipline that will inevitably proliferate in coming years.
"As computers get more powerful, and lighting instruments and productions get more complicated, using design software becomes vital," says Schwab. "It's the ease of use and rehearsal aspect that's the real allure of pre-visualization software."
Thompson, his partner, adds that "after doing shows for years the old-fashioned way, it's a great feeling to get on location knowing that everything's under control and there will be an absolute minimum of technology issues to overcome due to the pre-viz work that we've already done. It's also great to discuss the show with a producer or stage manager, and show them the look needed. Programming in the lush atmosphere of the studio, rather than in the stressful world of the show site, is also a plus."
Schwab, Thompson, and other industry veterans cannot emphasize enough the importance of being able to work out problems and solutions in a comfortable environment before you get on a job site, where the cost of the lighting equipment, venue, and labor to install everything is many times the cost of the studio time. "To be able to offer a designer or creative director the ability to explore ideas and see them in 3D before you get on the job site," says Schwab, "can save money and time correcting problems or miscommunication."
Both designers point to design work Prelite completed for the two-year concert tour by the rock group U2. Working from a rendered 3D image (see illustration, page 44), the stage and lighting crew executed the lighting design visualized by the image — a design that designers created using several different software packages. The final stage and lights, in the subtle shape of a heart, looked almost exactly like the 3D image rendered on the computer.
Saving Cash
Prelite is not the only industry player moving aggressively into the area of lighting pre-visualization services. Spectacle Lighting Design (Ypsilanti, Mich.) is making similar moves. The company offers complete design, programming, and production services for theatrical events, including product announcement shows, exhibits, award ceremonies, and large-scale indoor or outdoor light shows. Other services include CAD, 3D visualization, illustrations and animations, control system rental, and accurate lighting system synchronization with sound, video, and stage mechanics.
Robert Wertheimer, Spectacle's owner, says it made a world of sense to add pre-viz to the company's service roster, because it allows designers to prove to clients, in advance, that the financial limitations of their job and its creative requirements can go hand-in-hand.
"A lighting designer's first and foremost job is to create and enhance environments using light," says Wertheimer. "Though some may disagree, I also feel that it's also the responsibility of the designer to provide and [as much as possible] engineer a solution to his own design. A designer that just creates pretty 3D pictures is only doing half the job. These pictures must be doable engineering-wise and be within the client's budget."
Wertheimer concedes that clients often are skeptical if they haven't been through the pre-viz process before, but after a while, they begin to comprehend how cost savings can be accomplished without sacrificing creativity.
"I think there are a number of clients out there that really don't see the benefits to putting money into the pre-visualization work of a show, and thus, they don't allow designers the amount of billable hours that could save them thousands of dollars when setup crunch time comes," says Wertheimer. "Even something as simple as a light casting the proper wire-frame beam onto a simplified set in a CAD illustration can speak volumes. How many fixtures are needed? How much overlap do they have and how good is the angle? The information a computer-generated lighting plot provides is invaluable."
Cast Lighting's WYSIWYG pre-viz software.
Beyond that, pre-viz also gives even the most seasoned lighting director more confidence about the accuracy of his or her load list (the order of events). Wertheimer has faith in this concept and has been working on it for years.
"In the mid-1990s, I started using a software program called Microlux [from LuxArt (Longueuil, Quebec)] for show pre-viz because I knew how important it was to work in a 3D environment," says Wertheimer. "Try drafting in 2D with any confidence when you have lights hanging on an angle in two different planes [as from a tent support]. You either draft every single light out, or guess and cross your fingers. I'll take the 3D environment any day."
But Wertheimer can recall working strictly in the 2D environment back in the days of AutoCad 12.0 in the early '90s. As he recalls, it wasn't a simple process.
"Back then, it was too much of a pain to do things on a computer in 3D, and before that, there was the good old pencil and paper," Wertheimer says. "In the past, it could take me days to draw out even the most simple plot. Admittedly, I was a horrendous draftsman, but it still took a very long time, and if you made a mistake you had to start all over. Now, with today's software solutions, I can have even the most complicated plot done in a day, and have all the client paperwork looking 100% professional."
Code Warriors
In terms of the digital weapons available to today's designers, there are a plethora of software packages available on both the PC and the Macintosh platforms for pre-visualization and lighting design at every level of complexity and price. Following is a summary of just a few of the more popular packages mentioned by industry pros.
Chauvet Lighting's ShowXpress software, available only for the Windows platform, is a popular solution. A limited version of the software is available for free download, and that availability has helped many designers experiment with computer design tools — many for the first time.
Chauvet markets ShowXpress by emphasizing what it claims is an easy user interface that, with minimal effort, can permit digital novices to get to work designing complex setups with little practice. The software's pre-viz function is designed to permit users to replicate the ease-of-use of the system's control module. Designers can easily move lights around their computer screen in the same way that the control module manipulates actual, intelligent lighting systems on stage during an actual show, thanks to its reliance on widely used DMX control language protocols.
Barry Abrams, Chauvet's product development manager, says the package includes a useful tool — the Sizing module, which permits show designs and setups to be retained and rescaled for venues of different sizes. Let's say you build an effective lighting show for use in a small room about 10'×50', but the next week, you're in a 50'×100' room. Abrams says the ShowXpress software will permit designers to automatically adjust lighting parameters for the new room's dimensions.
Elation Professional is another leading manufacturer that focuses on low-cost software tools for special event applications. According to John Lopez, the company's product manager, Elation's Compu Ware product, another Windows-based, DMX-based control system, has added design and teaching functions aimed at educating prospective designers on the nuances of the discipline.
"Every function of a lighting fixture is laid out in front of you on one computer screen," Lopez explains. "3D Visualizer is an added bonus that comes with the software and allows you to set up a light show and get a good concept of what the show will look like in realtime."
LuxArt's newest version of its Microlux software, Microlux 2000, is another package for Windows that integrates design and control functions. A basic package includes a comprehensive library of spots, trusses, gels, and gobo icons, helping users create fully rendered 3D views and beam representations, and it will even calculate light illumination for designers. The package includes a Microlux Vision module that permits designers to visualize the intensity of a spot on their computer screen, exactly as it will be controlled by the console in real time. The light's intensity can be shown with a beam representation on the plan, or it can be displayed in a table format, thus allowing the software to pre-program a lighting board without the spots.
Microlux 2000 can also read and display information on up to 1,536 dimmers or lights. These capabilities let designers program cues, rehearse a show on their computer screen, and then produce 2D and 3D drawings. The software also allows global assignment modifications, and the importation of images from other CAD software packages.
VectorWorks Spotlight is another well-known software tool, available to designers on both the Windows and Mac platforms. The software merges sophisticated 2D drafting and 3D modeling capabilities with lighting design tools, making it easy to create light plots and visualize design concepts in 3D, according to company officials. In particular, they claim that the advanced modeling features enable designers to create complex 3D forms within Spotlight — using a new module called 3D Power Pack — or to import 3D models from many other applications.
For Macintosh, MacLux Pro, from MacLux, is a complete lighting design program that is available only for Mac and Power Mac G3/G4 laptops. MacLux Pro permits users to create light plots by using pre-made icons, and creating additional icons, representing light symbols and hanging positions on top of imported graphics. Information is attached to the drawing as you work, which means the equivalent of paper plots can be created, printed out, and applied to specific designs. In addition, the software can turn on lights, not only showing light beams, but also actually allowing the creation of show cues.
From Europe, also for the Mac platform, comes Stardraw 2D (version 3), from English manufacturer Stardraw.com — a 2D drawing and plot paperwork software with extensive truss engineering and equipment inventory control features. Another solution popular in Europe that has added pre-viz features to long-standing control capabilities is LanBox-LC from CDS Advanced Technology of Holland. It comes with a DMX control module and software that supports both the Mac OS X and Windows XP platforms.
Basic versions of many of these software programs, and others, are now available for less than $1,000. Industry experts insist, the complete merging of digital technology with lighting design, well underway, is inevitable. It's true that the current crop of off-shelf, lighting pre-visualization software tools can't replace good taste and artistic expression, but they have evolved the industry to a place where lighting professionals can now more easily get the most out of two irreplaceable commodities — their equipment and their time.
Tom Patrick McAuliffe is a freelance writer, entertainer, and A/V maven living in Northern California. Contact him at email@example.com or visit his website at www.tompatrick.com.
Cast Lighting (WYSIWYG) www.castgroup.com
CDS Advanced Technology www.cds.nl, www.lanbox.com
Chauvet Lighting www.chauvetlighting.com
Elation www.elationlighting.com
LuxArt www.luxart.com
Prelite Studios www.prelite.com
Spectacle Lighting Design www.spectaclelighting.com
Web Resources
Crescit Software (distributor of many different brands) www.crescit.com
Macintosh Software for the Theater http://home.earthlink.net/~adschaefer/macstheatre.html (This site is maintained as a public service for Mac-based members of the theater community. It has a wide variety of links to retailers and lighting manufacturers. It also has information on the ways people have adapted mainstream programs for various lighting applications. There are also templates and symbols users share.)
Lightsearch www.lightsearch.com (A great site for searching for information on lights and lighting.)


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Route Guide - iPhone / Android - Partners - Forum - Photos - Deals - What's New - School of Rock
Routes Sorted
L to R R to L Alpha
Excellent route. Sustained A3, it adds up towards the end. In terms of danger, the crux is p4, the Coral Sea. It's best to link this with p3 for a 190' pitch. Other cruxes are the Wing, which steep, and Golden Nipple, a slabby pitch at the end.
south east face, start between Highway to Hell and El Cap Tree. Start by climbing up a tree and get on the wall after 20 feet where there is a jug/ledge on the wall. best start of any el cap route i'm sure!
a full aid rack. pins, hooks, beaks, a couple heads in case, stoppers, cams to 4 inches.


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Personal FavouritesOddment OdysseysOddlings
Ask a Question
Left: a basket of roses made of butter, by Frederick Nicholson, general manager of the Sussex Dairy Company, Brighton. "At one exhibition at which this basket was shown, several ladies and others stooped down to smell the flowers, quite thinking they were looking at a basket of real, yellow roses."
Right: A dahlia and roses made of lard. "The dahlia … has sixty-two petals, each one of which has to be fashioned separately and then frozen, before the flower can be built up. It seems it is far more difficult to make flowers out of lard than out of butter, on account of the former substance being much softer and more oily. Mr. Nicholson says it takes him three minutes to make a rose-bud; four minutes to make a tuberose; five minutes to make an arum lily; six minutes to make a full-blown rose, and no less than three-quarters of an hour to make a dahlia."
(From Strand, February 1898)
Vertumnus, a portrait of today: Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor painted as Vertumnus, Roman God of the seasons, c. 1590-1, by Giuseppe Arcimboldo.
Arcimboldo's conventional work, on traditional religious subjects, has fallen into oblivion, but his portraits of human heads made up of vegetables, plants, fruits, sea creatures and tree roots, were greatly admired by his contemporaries and remain a source of fascination today.
At a distance, his portraits looked like normal human portraits. However, individual objects in each portrait were actually overlapped together to make various anatomical shapes of a human. They were carefully constructed by his imagination. Besides, when he assembled objects in one portrait, he never used random objects. Each object was related by characterization.
The Lost Gardens of Heligan, near Mevagissey in Cornwall, are one of the most popular botanical gardens in the UK. The style of the gardens is typical of the nineteenth century Gardenesque style, with areas of different character and in different design styles.
The gardens were created by members of the Cornish Tremayne family, over a period from the mid-18th century up to the beginning of the 20th century, and still form part of the family's Heligan estate. The gardens were neglected after the First World War, and only restored in the 1990s, a restoration that was the subject of several popular television programmes and books.
The gardens now boast a fabulous collection of aged and colossal rhododendrons and camellias, a series of lakes fed by a ram pump over a hundred years old, highly productive flower and vegetable gardens, an Italian garden, and a stunning wild area filled with primaeval-looking sub-tropical tree ferns called "The Jungle". The gardens also have Europe's only remaining pineapple pit, warmed by rotting manure, and two figures made from rocks and plants known as the Mud Maid and the Giant's Head.
(Source: stumbleupon.com)
Centennial Theme by One by Four Studio. Powered by Tumblr.


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Two time zones away.
No League Pass; click on the link.
Laptop and earbuds.
In-game thread is up.
Lots of people are missing.
Must be at the game!
On cue, chanting starts.
'Here we stay! (clap) Here we stay!'
Goosebumps on my arms.
Game thread going nuts.
I am chanting out loud, too!
Waking up the kids...
ARCO - deafening.
Cameras shake from all the noise.
Kings fans standing strong!
I pause and tilt my head.
I thought I just heard something.
Step onto back porch.
Nothing. Wait, what's that?
ARCO thunder can be heard
Clear out in Texas!!
Magical evening
Comes to a close. Will they stay?
Even now, uncertain.
One thing is sure, though.
Kings fans made their voices heard -
Like never before,
I'm proud - no, I am honored
To be a Kings fan.


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The reason you're reading this right now is because of the 1997 Giants. I was a baseball fan before, but that was the season that sent me over the edge into obsession and made me a writer. The 1996 Giants were abysmal, and in the offseason, they traded their second-best player for a handful of magic beans. It was supposed to be a long, grueling rebuilding process.
Then they went 17-7 in April. And it was supposed to be an early season fluke. They went 14-14 in May, despite being outscored by almost 30 runs. This went on all season, and the whole time, Giants fans were told why it wasn't going to happen.
So I'm sensitive to the plight of surprise teams. When they said the Indians couldn't do it last year, I stood up on the table, raised an angry fist, and shouted, "Hey! You be nice to the Indians!" Then the Indians embarrassed me. Also, the librarian told me to leave. But I'm not going to write a downer post about how the Orioles aren't likely to keep this up. It's possible they won't. It might be probable that they won't. But it's baseball, where the only way to look truly stupid is by affecting an air of certainty.
Instead, this is a look at what kind of hope the Orioles can give the perpetually rebuilding teams right now. Forget the horrors the rest of the season might bring: Right now the Orioles are a success story. They're the losers who got popular, like Brian Austin Green after the first season of 90210, when he moved from gangly, unliked freshman to guy hanging with Luke F'n Perry. You all know what I'm talking about. Don't pretend like you're better than me.
The lessons of hope the Orioles can offer:
1. You, too, can keep your homegrown players without worrying too much!
The Royals already had a leg up on this strategy, as they've been busy locking up every player with more than a few days of service time. So in that respect, the Adam Jones extension isn't that novel. But the Orioles can offer hope with the long-term deals that didn't go quite as they expected. Nick Markakis's $66 million extension essentially kicked in this year. When the Orioles agreed to it, they thought they were locking up a future star and a face of the franchise. They instead locked up a guy who was, in scouting terms, a'ight. He wasn't bad. Just not as special as they'd hoped. And while the Brian Roberts extension wasn't exactly a team locking up a young player, it was a team keeping a fan favorite.
Neither deal worked out as planned. Neither deal prevented the team from acquiring complementary pieces in the offseason, extending a player like Jones, or offering large bonuses to players like Matt Wieters and Dylan Bundy. There are risks with long-term deals. The 2012 Orioles look a team that can succeed despite some financial flops with those risks.
2. Trades for loose ends can work out
Not every deal has to be Erik Bedard for Adam Jones. Rebuilding teams don't have to always target top-100 prospects and look for the big score. When the Orioles had Koji Uehara locked up for a couple of years, nice and cheap, they still figured that a flier on the Dave Kingman promise of Chris Davis was worth the risk. Add in the unexciting-but-competent Tommy Hunter, and it was an unexciting trade that's worked out so far.
Plus, Chris Davis has more wins than Cliff Lee, so you know it was a good deal.
3. You don't have to jam your rotation full of upper-level prospects just because you feel like you have to
Developing pitchers doesn't mean pounding them against the wall over and over again like a racquetball, figuring they'll eventually get it with enough trial-by-firing. The Orioles took some international fliers to fill two of their rotation slots, and they exchanged Jeremy Guthrie for someone with a little more upside. The Jason Hammel trade was similar to what the Royals tried to do with the Jonathan Sanchez trade -- acquire a hard-throwing project, and hope everything falls into place. It sure worked out for the Orioles. Sorry about that, Royals!
Feels like I'm picking a lot on the Royals so far. Don't mean to. It's just that they're the argument against everything I'm writing, and I hate them for it.
4. Stopgaps who aren't blocking anyone: always a good idea
There's a knee-jerk response every time a bad team acquires a familiar name over (or close to) 30. The commonly used phrase is "won't be around for the next good team." I might have used that one a few times myself.
But there's a difference between the Orioles signing Pudge Rodriguez to play over Wieters and the Orioles getting Wilson Betemit and Nick Johnson. The acquisitions of the latter two didn't block a hot, major-league ready prospect. Betemit has quietly built a solid career (.265/.333/.447 in over 2,000 PA, with the ability to play several positions), and he signed for not much over the minimum. Johnson had a hilarious .000/.133/.000 line in April.
Both are helping now, even if only a little bit. They're reminders that rebuilding teams don't always need to acquire good young players. Simply good players will do. And if the young talent comes into their own around them, you'll be glad they're around. This is similar to what the Royals tried to do with Jeff Francoeur before they ... yeah.
I made it through this passage without making a Nick Johnson injury joke! Think I'm maturing, guys. Though not so much that I can resist re-appropriating this Confused Nick Johnson picture from Productive Outs:
There are still 117 games left in the season for the Orioles. In the 2268 games before this season, the Orioles were not a good baseball team. So the Winston Wolf quote applies. But if you take a snapshot of the 2012 season right now, the Orioles can offer hope to the downtrodden. For a couple of months, the method to their madness proved sound.


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Archive for June 2004
Think I'm getting a job :)
Catching the outsourcing train a little late… here's the description of my (possibly) new part time job:
Use an XML parser to convert text to XML and then proof read the stuff to check until the validator says it is 100% okay. period.
I am sure I can handle that easily!! :) wish me luck.
Yesterday/Today (18 June) was Anastasia's 103rd Birth Anniversary. God bless her soul.
Talking about books…
Yay! Jon got the shipping money.. moh books ah coming to may!!
You're The Fellowship of the Ring!
by J.R.R. Tolkien
Facing great adversity, you have decided that your only choice is to
unite with your friends and neighbors. You have been subject to a ton of squabbling and
ultimately decided that someone humble is your best candidate for a dangerous mission.
You're quite good with languages and convinced that not all who wander are lost. If you
see anyone in black robes on horseback, just run. That's just common sense.
Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.
Tired as ever
Why do I over stress myself like this?
It's past 3:30 AM and I'm still online. My back, hands and legs are paining :/ This is bad for me.
Anyway, I love being with my online friends :) and also to work late at night – a lot of the software that I have written was coded overnight.
I am going to sleep now. amit and Niki are here… eve thay are sleeping, getting up and sleepign again – I'm the one who was driving all the way to Loni and back (after a 4 hour sleep yesterday). and with no sleep in the afternoon – it comes to an average 4 hours of sleep per 24 hours.
I can see it staring in my face – "hashu you are going to die sooner than your time" and I don't give a damn about it.
Good night world.
Working on AEML…
Yesterday I showed int80h my *another* new website design. and he pointed out that I'm wasting my time on designing a hundred pages rather than working on my important projects like the Emotion Engine and Anastasia.
So thanks to int80h, I got working on the projects and got some documentation done. The temporary link is:
I am still going to redesign the website. And there's a lot of restructuring to be done hence that link is temporary.
Kay, must get to work.
Today, "today" a user on SDF challenged me to write a simple brute force function that can generate words of arbitrary length. Of course myself not being a mathematician is still working over the solution (past 1 hour).
I am sure that even though that is the problem with me, I'll get over it soon :) Let's see how soon.
Bloging script of my own!
I already have designed a blogging script in Python… see http://data.freeshell.org/projects/sdfblog/ for what I mean. I am planning on building a similar but much more reliable blogging system.
A community blog, that allows various levels of users – users, moderators and administrators. Unlike usual blog software that is personal-centric. Moreover I also wish to incorporate a search feature and a 'show blog by number' feature (which is available in the SDFBlog) in this new blog script. Plus later add facility for comments.
All this will be done using Python, XML and NO EXTRA SOFTWARE. Hope I can pull this off :)
At last… after quite a few days I am bloging again :)
Feels really good.
Just installed FreeBSD 4.9 on my system (was 5.1 previiously) I have downgraded because of some practical reasons:
- I get some of the latest softwares readily ported.
- Much of the bug fixing has been done (for which I'll be getting the patches)
- Much of the docs are for 4.x
That's about it. But enough reasons to switch – at least till 5.1 gets a more mature ports tree.
Oh and before I forget – Mozilla ROX! This blog is coming from Mozilla's extension – Deepest Sender. Go Open Source!


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Cincinnati Bengals
Mike Pollak - G
|6' 3"/ 300 lbs.
|Scottsdale, AZ
|Arizona State
|Years played
|2008, 2nd round, 28th pick by Colts
Bengals' boldness something to watch
It's very apparent that head coach Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis is willing to make assertive, calculated risks this season.
Bengals place PK Nugent on I.R.
The Bengals placed PK Mike Nugent on injured reserve Friday and promoted CB Chris Lewis-Harris from the practice squad.
Bengals claim WR Sanzenbacher, place CB Kirkpatrick on I.R.
The Bengals claimed WR Dane Sanzenbacher off waivers from the Bears and placed rookie CB Dre Kirkpatrick on injured reserve.
Week 16 Players of the Week
This week, PFW selects Russell Wilson, Geno Atkins and Blair Walsh as its Players of the Week.
AFC North Spin cycle: The Steelers' wasted season
The Ravens are AFC North champs, and the Bengals are playoff-bound, too. Meanwhile, the Steelers are left to ponder a lost season.
Bengals make playoffs after 13-10 win over Steelers
A.J. Green caught 10 passes for 116 yards, including a 21-yarder to set up the game-winning field goal as the Bengals beat the Steelers.
Coaching calm a Bengals trait
The NFL's coaching carousel frequently spins, but not often in Cincinnati.
Key matchup: Bengals running game vs. Steelers run defense
The Bengals' success in the ground game will go a long way in determining whether they can beat Pittsburgh on Sunday.
Seahawks-49ers highlights Week 16 action
Eric Edholm looks ahead to Week 16, which features some key divisional matchups that will have major playoff ramifications — including Seahawks vs. 49ers.
Bengals' run defense sharp entering rematch with nemesis Pittsburgh
The Cincinnati defense has slammed the door on opposing ground games in recent weeks.
AFC North Spin cycle: Ravens wobbling down the stretch
The Ravens are in the playoffs, but they hardly look like contenders, and now they have to deal with the talented, desperate Giants.
Bengals sign FB Conner
The Bengals filled their void at fullback Saturday, signing ex-Jets FB John Conner, per reports.
Friday's 60-second rant: Lewis is not the Bengals' answer
In his 10th season with the Bengals, Marvin Lewis' enduring struggle to inspire his team's best is proof that a coaching change is needed.
Opportunistic Bengals defense crushes Eagles
An opportunistic defense forced five turnovers, including Wallace Gilberry's fumble-return TD, and the Bengals beat the Eagles 34-13.
Dolphins claim WR Binns
The Dolphins claimed former Bengals WR Armon Binns off waivers, PFW correspondent Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer first reported.
The Bengals signed Pollak, who was an unrestricted free agent.||||||| Pollak is a sixth-year veteran out of Arizona State, and has played in 59 NFL games, with 41 starts. Pollak entered the NFL in 2008 as a second-round draft choice of the Indianapolis Colts. He signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Carolina Panthers last season.
The Carolina Panthers have signed Pollak to a one-year deal. The team announced the move Thursday.||||||| Pollak played in 58 games, including 41 starts, for the Indianapolis Colts and can help fill the void after left guard Travelle Wharton was released earlier this offseason in a salary cap move. Pollak, a four-year veteran, provided protection that allowed Peyton Manning to lead the league in yards passing in 2010 and rank second in 2009. The Colts allowed the fewest sacks in the league both seasons.
Pollak did not travel with the team to San Diego on Friday and will not play Saturday against the Chargers in the playoffs.||||||| Pollak, a starting guard, has not practiced all week because of an ankle injury he sustained in last week's 23-0 victory over Tennessee. Coach Tony Dungy has said that if Pollak cannot play, Dan Federkeil would start in his place. Federkeil started the first three games this season at right guard when Pollak was out with a knee injury.
On the eve of training camp, the Colts agreed to terms with five draft picks including their top choice, Pollak, in a dash to get all nine draft choices into camp on time.||||||| Pollak agreed to his deal with Indianapolis late Wednesday afternoon but had not yet signed the contract and terms were not disclosed. Pollak's agent, Ken Zuckerman, confirmed the deal in a text message to The Associated Press but was not immediately available for comment after boarding a plane. Pollak, a second-round pick and No. 59 overall, is expected to compete for the starting guard spot that was vacated when Jake Scott signed with Tennessee in free agency.


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reviews for: listing #79775 - Seven Springs, Pennsylvania House rental
- bedrooms 6
- pool no
- type House
- baths 4½
- hot tub no
- community Fern Mountain
- sleeps 18
- pets allowed no
rates (USD)
$3,700 - $4,500 /wk
$10,000 - $16,000 /mth
A great place for my mom's 95th birthday celebration
Review submitted: November 5, 2013 Date of arrival: November 1, 2013
Redwood is an absolutely beautiful home. Our group had 11 people ranging from 15 to 95, and we found the accommodations to be very spacious, luxurious and comfortable (the king bed I slept in upstairs was incredibly comfortable). The views of the pond and woods from the great room were very picturesque. The kitchen was fully stocked. The tea, coffee and huge coffee pot (with filters provided) were a nice touch. All 11 of us could sit comfortably around the gigantic granite-topped island.
Some other added bonuses - fast WiFi, pool table, multiple large screen TVs, lots of soap and shampoo in all the showers, provided laundry detergent, and finally, a heated massage chair in the master suite.
We went running on miles of empty dirt roads around the home. The not-yet-developed wooded surrounding area is beautiful, particularly on a sunny, fall day.
There were only a few things we came across while we were there. The grill was in need of maintenance, but after reporting it, the owner said she would take care of it. The last hour before our departure, we took showers, ran the washing machine and the dishwasher, and the water pressure dropped pretty drastically. We had not seen this the whole weekend we were there though, so it was probably just too much water usage at one time.
Finally, Shari was great about responding to phone calls and emails with answers to any questions we had. If you are looking for a luxurious retreat for a large group, I highly recommend Redwood.
Recommended for: age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway
Do you find this review helpful? Yes No
Helpful votes: 2 / 2
Great House
Review submitted: January 25, 2013 Date of arrival: January 18, 2013
We stayed there for MLK weekend. The house is so spacious. We had lots of fun cooking, playing pool, watching the game and other activities. Great kitchen cookwares. Plenty of driveway space for multiple cars. It's a bit of a drive from the resort if you don't cut through Fire Tower Rd (due to past experience, we avoided that road), but overall, it was great. The only concern we had was the hot water. Hot water tends to run low when we run multiple showers at the same time. The water can be hotter. Additionally, I would recommend the owner install some towel racks or clothe racks in the bathroom. There is no where to hang our clothing or towels in the bathroom when taking a shower. Conclusively, thank you for accommodating us.
Recommended for: adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers, sight seeing
Do you find this review helpful? Yes No
Helpful votes: 4 / 5
Fabulous Family Reunion
Review submitted: July 28, 2012 Date of arrival: July 4, 2012
Redwood is an amazing home, well suited for a large group. We had family coming from CO, MO, OH, PA, VA, Washington DC, and CT for my wife's dad's 80th birthday party, 4 generations worth of us. The house is filled with luxury touches, large bedrooms, plenty of bathrooms, a fabulous back deck with 2 patio tables with chairs. Definitely a cut above most vacation homes. The level yard was perfect for yard games, the firepit area very nice, the driveway very large to accommodate our various cars. Owner was wonderful to work with - always very prompt to answer my many email questions. We had a small issue with A/C and owner immediately took care of. Would definitely recommend and hope to return!
Recommended for: adventure seekers, girls getaway, sight seeing
Do you find this review helpful? Yes No
Helpful votes: 3 / 5
Awesome House
Review submitted: March 19, 2012 Date of arrival: March 16, 2012
The house is exactly as pictured, even more beautiful in person! It is very clean and well maintained. The owners were very accomodating and easy to work with. We stayed for 2 nights and had 6 adults and 8 kids (ages 11-5), the house was perfect. We had plenty of room for everyone. There is a nice game room right off the kitchen, perfect for the kids to watch movies & do crafts. The kids had fun running around the nice level yard too. The back deck is huge & there is a nice firepit for roasting smores! There is a pizza place close by that delivers. Also, we ate at a great restaurant 10 minutes away. Seven springs is approximately 15-20 minutes away but it's very convenient. The house is not far off the PA turnpike Donagal exit, it is very easy to find. We would recommend this house and hope to stay there again some time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes No
Helpful votes: 5 / 6
Redwood Is Wonderful!
Review submitted: December 6, 2011 Date of arrival: November 24, 2011
We celebrate 'Thanksmas' with our family of 11 grown ups and children. Redwood turned out to be the perfect retreat and our laughter could be heard every day. We trimmed our little tree, made a turkey dinner, gave gifts and went to Breakfast W/Santa and Living Treasures Zoo.
The owners thought of all the basic comforts of home. It's the little things that count: sharp knives, fully loaded kitchen, clear instructions, cleaning supplies, more than enough towels, soaps and detergents...they thought of everything! Beautiful pool table! Great tv's and wi fi connections made it terrific for our tech savvy gang.
When we arrived, each bedroom was lovely but the master suite is spectacular. Who should stay there? Our kids said, "You get the suite, mom and dad...because you are old." Hubby said, "It's good to be old!"
Even the yard was fun. I turned the rock garden into 'the moon' and the little ones named each rock for their trucks...Julian Mountain, Tranquility Base, Samantha's Stone and Caleb Creek. We pretended to have a campfire in the cold and sang songs in November. We walked and ran the mountain road.
Memories and pictures. We hope to go back sometime. Thanks for making the planning so easy. Thanks for soft, beautiful beds. Thank you so much for your eye to detail.
Recommended for: age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing
Do you find this review helpful? Yes No
Helpful votes: 5 / 6
Splendid vacation home for large group
Review submitted: July 6, 2011 Date of arrival: June 30, 2011
Rented this spotless home plus the neighboring Sundance for a family reunion ranging in age from 8 to 82, and couldn't be happier with the top notch quality of the appliances, finishes, bathrooms, bedding and layout. Gorgeous public spaces, while bedroom wings afford privacy when needed. Had a great time cooking meals in the chef's kitchens and walking back & forth between properties for visits. Owners could not have been more accomodating throughout whole process with details, directions, & suggested outings. Went white water rafting, go-carting, and toured Falling Water, and although we barely touched the surface of outdoor opportunities in the beautiful Laurel Highlands, we could have just stayed in this gorgeous home and been satisfied. Sarnelli's market & country pie shop conveniently close for the daily food items we forgot or ran out of. Our entire group was extremely happy with the accomodations & the location, and would strongly recommend it to others. Thanks for a memorable time!
Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway
Do you find this review helpful? Yes No
Helpful votes: 4 / 5
Beautiful Luxury Home wonderful layout
Review submitted: April 27, 2011 Date of arrival: April 22, 2011
We stayed at Redwood with 16 of my friends and family members just as the new recreation room was being completed. The property is stunning and impeccably clean on the inside. The management handled our transaction professionally and promptly. Redwood at Fern Mountain is a place we will come back to, we especially enjoyed the back deck and campfire area. The horses on the neighboring ranch made us feel like we were out west. The Laurel Highlands has so much to offer that we were not aware of.
Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, people with disabilities, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway
Do you find this review helpful? Yes No
Helpful votes: 3 / 5
Reviews are the subjective opinions of VacationRentals.com travelers and not of VacationRentals.com, Inc.


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Researchers make colourful discovery
Modified metals that change colour in the presence of particular gases could warn consumers if packaged food has been exposed to air or if there's a carbon monoxide leak at home. This finding could potentially influence the production of both industrial and commercial air quality sensors.
"We initially found out by accident that modified rhodium reacts in a colourful way to different gases," says Cathleen Crudden, a professor in the Department of Chemistry. "That happy accident has become a driving force in our work with rhodium."
Rhodium that is modified using carbon, nitrogen or hydrogen–based complexes changes to yellow in the presence of nitrogen, deep blue in the presence of oxygen, and brown in the presence of carbon monoxide.
This colour change occurs because of the way that the gases bind to the compound's central metal, according to the researchers.
Another remarkable aspect of this discovery is that the chemical changes take place without disrupting the exact placement of each individual atom in the compound's crystalline lattice. Dr. Crudden notes that this type of transformation is virtually unprecedented.
Rhodium is the main metal used in the production of catalytic convertors to reduce the toxicity of car exhaust emissions. Dr. Crudden's team, including graduate student Eric Keske and postdoctoral fellow Dr. Olena Zenkina, is currently investigating whether cobalt, a significantly cheaper metal than rhodium, reacts similarly.
For more information, please visit Dr. Crudden's lab website.
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The city of Saginaw held a news conference Friday regarding their internal investigation into the Milton Hall shooting.
As a result of that investigation and at the recommendation of Acting Police Chief Brian Lipe, three Saginaw Police officers will be disciplined for violating department policies in connection to the shooting.
The supervisor at the scene that July 1st day, a sergeant in rank at the time, was demoted to the position of patrol officer. City officials say the then supervisor failed to take control and command of the scene.
Two of the patrol officers at the scene received written reprimands for not turning on the audio device associated with the mobile video taping system on their police cruiser.
The other three officers involved in the Hall shooting were not disciplined.
City manager Darnell Earley said an administrative review task force that handled the internal investigation said the task force took into account the Michigan State police investigation, as well as the findings from Saginaw County prosecutor Mike Thomas.
The news conference had some heated moments after statements were made by Lipe and City Manager Darnell Earley. Many of the questions from the crowd were fiery in nature and pushed Lipe to defend his department's handling of the situation.
WNEM.com will be posting the news conference in its raw form shortly.
Earley made the following statement regarding the investigation on Thursday:
"This has been a very challenging situation for the entire community. Nevertheless, it was imperative that we examine all available policy and guideline sources to determine how best to respond to this issue from an employer/employee relationship perspective with an objective, comprehensive, transparent, and focused view of the facts. I am satisfied that this has been accomplished and I hereby concur with Chief Lipes' recommendations."
On July 1, six Saginaw police officers shot and killed Hall in the parking lot of the Riverview Plaza shopping center. Officers were initially called to the scene on a report that Hall had spit on a clerk at a nearby convenience store. During the course of about a half hour, the scene escalated.
Police officials said Hall, armed with a knife, made threatening moves at the officers. The confrontation between police and Hall erupted into at least 46 shots fired at the homeless man who was known to have mental issues.
The officers involved were suspended with pay for 30 days and then returned to the job and were put on desk duty.
Last week Saginaw County Prosecutor Mike Thomas said there wasn't enough credible evidence to file criminal charges against the six officers involved in Hall's shooting death.
Stay with WNEM.com and TV5 as we learn more about the finding of the internal investigation.
Copyright 2012 WNEM (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
More drugs to explore -- Milton Hall shooting More>>


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Department Store Debit Cards Pros & Cons
June 5, 2013 | Posted By: Christine Luken | Categorized in: Finance, Shopping
As a financial coach, Im well-prepared for the onslaught of high-pressure credit card sales pitches that seem to come EVERY time I get in the checkout lane when shopping. No, no, NO credit cards for me! I havent had a personal credit card in close to ten years. Id gotten myself into plenty of trouble with credit cards in the past and its just better that I dont have one. I have debit cards for two personal checking accounts and my business account, and havent missed having a credit card at all.
As a coupon queen, there are times when I envy the discounts and extra coupons that store credit card holders enjoy. Then I remind myself that numerous studies have shown that people spend 12 18% more when shopping with a credit card versus cash or a debit card.
So I was totally caught off guard at the Target checkout a month ago when the cashier said, Would you like to apply for a Target credit or debit card? Oh, no thank you, I said. Wait What? Did you say debit card? Yes, thats right! You can get the SAME benefits of having a Target credit card without going into debt and paying 22.9%. The same goes for Nordstrom. The Target and Nordstrom debit cards link to your existing checking account and have all the same discounts and rewards as the store credit card. (These cards do not replace your bank debit card, as they can only be used in that particular store.)
There are several other major retailers that have pre-paid debit cards, which are NOT linked to your personal checking account. The Kroger grocery chain has pre-paid debit cards which can be loaded at the register with cash or via direct deposit from your bank. This enrolls shoppers into their 1-2-3 Rewards Program to earn free groceries and other perks. Even Wal-Mart has a pre-paid debit card program in partnership with American Express, called Bluebird.
Is there any downside to having a store debit card? There are some possible risks to consider, but I think they can be overcome. One downside to store debit cards is that they may not have the same fraud protection as credit cards or a bank debit card with a Visa or MasterCard logo on it. You might want to open a checking account just for the purpose of having that store debit card attached to it, rather than linking it to your regular checking account. This way you can limit the amount of money that is exposed to possible fraud. However, in order for someone to use your debit card, it can ONLY be used at that store or website and the person must also have your PIN. The other downside is that it can take a few days for the debit transactions to clear, and if you dont have enough money in your checking account when it does, youll be charged an insufficient funds fee. Heres your easy solution: Keep enough money in the account to cover your purchases! The nice thing about the pre-paid cards is that you cant over draw them.
So, will store debit cards now be the wave of the future? Theres a growing movement in personal finance to shun credit cards and be more responsible when it comes to spending, due to the teachings of people like Dave Ramsey and the state of the national economy. Only time will tell if the store debit card trend will catch on. Its not just a benefit to the consumer. Stores benefit by paying fewer bank processing fees when the customers purchase with a store debit or credit card. Sounds like a win-win to me!
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June 5, 2013 | Posted By: boards5503
The author's failure in choosing debit cards over credit cards demonstrates how she must be an awful financial coach. There are many reasons that credit cards are superior to debit cards and any good "financial coach" should have the discipline to be able to take advantage of the CC benefits while avoiding the pitfalls.
I guess a second grader can truly teach a first grader everything they need to know.
June 5, 2013 | Posted By: MarsdenFubar
Thanks for the reply boards5503! I agree and disagree at the same time. I am all about responsible credit card use, and using the advantages to the max. On the flip side, some people really shouldn't have a credit card. They can't control the spending, and that can lead to high interest payments on a big debt. Debit cards allow people the convenience of a credit card, but restrict how much they can spend with some perks thrown in as a bonus.
June 5, 2013 | Posted By: MissCrabette
I think boards5503's point is that it's kind of sad when a so-called "financial coach" does not have the self-discipline to utilize credit cards to her advantage.
I guess there's always someone in worse financial shape than you who will see you as the pinnacle of financial know-how and will eat up whatever financial advice you have to dish out.
But back on the topic of store debit cards, I don't see the difference between charging too much on a credit card (and failing to pay the balance in full) and overdrawing your checking account via one of these store debit cards. What's that? Overdraft protection, you say? What good will that do you when you have no more cash in your account to buy food and other necessities?
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Josh Bard, Anyone?
From MLBTRADERUMORS.COM:
San Diego is expected to activate Josh Bard from the DL this week, and will immediately place him on the trading block.
Bard struggled this year, but was pretty good the last couple of years (atleast with the bat). He is a switch hitter, but his splits this year indicate he is better from the left side.
Negatives are he is not that great throwing out base stealers, as he has only thrown out 19% runners on his career, but that is a bit skewed by a terrible 2007 number of only 8 %. He is also 30, maybe older than the Reds would want to go if they are going to trade for a catcher.
All 3 of our catchers are Free Agents after this year, and I don't really expect the Reds to resign any one of them to be a starter, maybe one to serve as a back up. (Most likely Bako).
Of course, Texas has 3 really good young catchers on their MLB roster right now. Taylor Teagarden, Max Ramirez, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. It would take atleast Homer Bailey and maybe another piece like a Chris Dickerson to make that happen.
I fear if we don't trade for one, we will be stuck with Michael Barrett next year.


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Some girls mature earlier than other girls, and when that happens, they want to fuck a manly cock! They don't want some silly boys cock; these lovely young ladies have their sights on their Stepdad's big dick! Now these horny hotties can fuck all day and night... they just have to make sure mom is gone!


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Mum about town with Angellica Bell: I've become an over-excited mother (From Surrey Comet)
Contact us: Got a photo? Text 'SLPICS' to 80360. Got a story? Call the newsdesk: 020 8722 6318
Mum about town with Angellica Bell: I've become an over-excited mother
6:00am Sunday 26th January 2014 in News By Angellica Bell
One of the great things about my job filming for The One Show is that I get to meet lots of interesting people all over the country.
I find out about what they do, where they work and what makes them happy and in turn they want to know about Michael and my children.
Well to be honest, I don't really need an excuse to talk about my family, as I seem to do it all the time.
Sometimes I have to hold back as I fear it can be a little boring for some people, especially those without children.
I've become one of those overexcited mothers who get their phone out at any given opportunity to show pictures of their children to anyone who'll look and listen.
To be fair, although I have no memory space left on my phone due to the thousands of pictures stored on it, they do come in handy when I am away filming and this week I had to be away for the night.
Now Michael is more than capable of looking after the children when I'm away and no I don't text, ring or set up hidden cameras to check up on them all, but I do miss them a lot.
It was so strange. I woke up in the middle of the night disorientated.
Where was Michael? He wasn't lying next to me.
I sat bolt upright in the dark. Where was my baby daughter?
The panic set in. It took me another few minutes to realise all was well and I was in a random Premier Inn tucked away in the Northumberland countryside. Phew.
I managed to get back to sleep eventually, but it's at times like this I realise there really is no place like home.
l officialangellicabell.com


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happy, non scary stuff.
I guess it's because my mom always made the holiday
so fun...not scary in the least.
the decorations in our house growing up would be so cute, festive & happy.
I loved it!
Still do...
I'm so not a scary girl.
So when I saw these yard decorations at a pumpkin patch
not too long ago - I had to have them.
Only my car was FULL of people & there was no room to store them
for the ride home...they were HUGE.
I took their picture & decided...I'd go back the next day for them.
Only...they were gone. :(
I asked about any more & the farmers market I was visiting said they were
the last ones. I was SAD!
I've held on to these pictures for a year or so now
& decided when I saw the American Crafts Nightfall line
they'd be PERFECT on a scrapbook page.
Today I'm excited to share with you
my layout I did of these cute guys that was up on the
American Crafts blog yesterday for the start of
Halloween Week:
To see all the CUTE Nightfall goodies I used, check out the blog.
here's a halloween card I made too:
you can check out all the supplies & see more inspiration by visiting the blog
hope you're having a GREAT day!
If you're following the World Series...
our Texas Rangers played a GREAT game last night!
So proud of them!
GOOO Rangers, go! Just one more win & they've got it.
our Texas Rangers played a GREAT game last night!
So proud of them!
GOOO Rangers, go! Just one more win & they've got it.


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Just five days after setting a new winter peak for power demand in the Tennessee Valley, TVA reached its second highest power demand ever during the winter this morning shortly after 7 a.m., when temperatures across the 7-state region averaged only 6 degrees Fahrenheit.
To cope with the Arctic cold and snow, electric furnaces, heaters and heat pumps pushed power demand from TVA up to 32,768 megawatts, just shy of the winter peak set last Friday at 33,353 megawatts when temperatures averaged 7 degrees.
TVA spokesman Jim Hopson said the federal utility met the near-record demand without having to interrupt power to any customers, including more than 1,200 which are under contracts that allow TVA to limit power during high-demand periods.
"Our units performed well with all of our nuclear and hydro units at full generation and we were able to purchase more than 3,000 megawatts of power at the peak," Hopson said.
Read more from our news partners at the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
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Chattanooga, TN 37405
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Hello All!
How would I test/compare the Address Bar text so that I can forward the user based on its value? Okay, I know that does not make sense.
I have a domain that points to a main domain. When the user arrives at the main domain the address bar actually reads the original domain name. I would like to point the original domain to a sub directory inside of the main domain but my provider told me they cannot do that.
So I thought I could test that text and redirect based upon the info.
Domain 1 -------> main domain/domain1
Domain 2 -------> main domain/domain2
Domain 3 -------> main domain/domain3


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I'm taking a break for a week.
Will return then with paintings I hope :>)
See you
Paintings Prints and Stuff, a blog about painting, drawing, sketching, sketchbooks, works in progress, artists, exhibitions, art books, art classes, printmaking, digital imagery, techniques, art materials ........... and more!
I'm loving these little paintings, Vivien - this one is just beautiful. Enjoy a very restful break.
Thanks Brian :>)
I plan to all being well
i like the moody colors
love the other sea scapes as well
This is beautiful, Vivien--you really captured the cool glow of the moon; and I love the band of ultramarine (?) in the sky.
I've missed so many of your glorious art these last few months Vivien and I'm catching up in bits and pieces, but every piece I see, I love...well, since I'm a fan, it couldn't be any different! each of these paintings of yours is beautiful!
hope you're holding up and you and your famuly are still very much in my prayers!
They are lovely little gems and I hope that things are well enough for that restful break.
Rob, Laura, Ronell and Annie - thanks :>)
I've just come home from a week in Cornwall looking and looking at the sea :>) and moors and ancient stone circles and quoits - so more on the way!


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The reaction you can see below is called Pharaoh's serpent, and it is both bizarre and amazing to watch:
So how does this work? The starting chemical is mercury thiocyanate (also known as mercuric sulphocyanate – Hg(SCN)2). Which sounds really bad, because it contains the poison mercury combined with a cyanate (i.e. cyanide). For more info see on mercury and cyanide see:
- Are you poisoning yourself with fish? and How is mercury made, and where does it come from?
- How does potassium cyanide work?
The fumes from the reaction contain mercury, and so does the solid left behind. Although people (even kids) used to play with this chemical, smart people don't do this reaction anymore except under controlled conditions. It's just too poisonous.
Today you can buy fireworks that look a little like Pharaoh's Serpent, but are not quite that dramatic. These are called black snakes. Usually the safe versions are made with sugar and baking soda. The sugar burns just like it would in a marshmallow to create a lightweight carbon ash, and the heated baking soda makes carbon dioxide gas that inflates the ash. Here is one way to try it out yourself:
Making Black Snakes or Glow Worms
[[[Jump to Fun with Chemistry #23 - Making a huge glow stick]]]


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Grafik a ilustrátor na volné noze
Grafik a ilustrátor z Prahy, České republiky s více než 15 lety zkušeností. Více než 10 let pracoval v reklamních agenturách a grafických studiích v Praze, Španělsku a Velké Británii. Petr dává velký důraz na detaily. Je spolehlivý a kreativní.
Graphic designer & illustrator from Prague, Czech Republic with over 15 years of experience. For over 10 years he worked in advertising agencies in Prague, Spain and UK. Peter has strong attention for detail. He is reliable, fair-minded and last but not least creative.
"Petr always added perfect micture of deep knowledge of the client's needs, very creative graphical solution and perfect technical execution. It was a pleasure to work with him."
Daniel Kafka owner @ Fragile media s.r.o.
"Petr is excellent worker in any point of view. It's pleasantly to work with him. You can rely on him at any time in any way. And that's what matter."
Jan Kremlacek self-‐employed at designKREMLACEK
"Petr was always very responsible in deadlines and helped me greatly to make visual dreams of our clients true."
Jiri Rydl Public Relations Manager at Warhorse Studios
"Petr is one of the most precise people I know. When I was at Samba Digital Media (where he was a web designer), I wasn't able to understand how one can tweak a single pixel for a long time, so it looks marvelous. Every time he played with Flash, the animation he just guided to be born was amazingly animated, fluent and accurate to the last detail. And well, he's a great furniture craftsman!"
Václav Vančura Designer at Xamarin
"I can't praise this guy enough. We have hired Petr many times, and each time he manages to impress. Very professional, very talented, you are guaranteed to get some excellent results when you hire Petr. I know he will be upping his rates when he reads this, but, what the hell, he's worth it. I have worked with Petr on and off for at least 10 years and have watched him steadily grow in confidence and skill to become the most reliable designer in the agency. Petr can be relied upon to deliver an extremely professional range of ideas and executions that absolutely exceed any of our client's expectations. Petr can also be relied upon to be a valued member of the team who manages to inject some of the most interesting and stimulating insights, just when they are needed. I have no doubt that Petr will be extremely successful in whatever direction he chooses to follow."
Kevin Thompson Marketing and Advertising


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- Running
- Cycling
- Triathlon
- Fitness
- Race Results
- More
About This Activity
Whether your passion is running or WODing, join us Saturday November 2nd at Buffalo Wild Wings Gardendale for the 1st annual CrossFit Gardendale Gridiron Games and School Spirit 5K! The CrossFit Gardendale Gridiron Games is a 2 person team event. It will start at BWW & proceed to the GHS stadium to put you and your partner?s fitness level to the test! The School Spirit 5k will start at BWW and proceed thru the City of Gardendale. Proceeds will benefit the Gardendale Athletic Club.
Registration and Fees
The School Spirit 5k registration fee is $30.00 until October 26, 2013. After October 26, 2013 it will be $35.00. There will be same day registration for the School Spirit 5k.The CrossFit Gardendale Gridiron Games registration fee is $80.00 until October 26, 2013. After October 26, 2013 it will be $90.00. Registration for this event ends at 6:00 p.m. on October 31st.
The Gridiron Games is a twist on a 5k run. The 2 person team will run together & stop along the route at 4 different stations to perform various movements. The standards are as follows: RX: Tire Flips, HSPU, Hang Cleans 135/95#, Partner Carry, Stadiums (2), Total run will be approximately 3.1 miles. SCALED: Tire flips, Push-ups (hand release) - can be on your knees, Hang Cleans 95/53#, Bear Crawls, Stadiums (2), Total run will be approximately 3.1 miles.
$150 Cash Prize to Male & Female 5K winner & $300 Cash Prize to Male & Female Gridiron Games RX Team
There will be three divisions for this race. A Rx, Scaled and Traditional 5k. This run will take place at Buffalo Wild Wings Gardendale at 9:00 a.m. WODs and route will be posted at a later date.
Map & Direction
Saturday, November 2, 2013 @ 9:00 AM (CDT)
Buffalo Wild Wings Gardendale 2505 Caufield Drive Gardendale, AL 35071Get Directions


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GAFFNEY, S.C. – Are those turkeys? Thigh high, bigger than a Thanksgiving dinner plate, and sporting talons long enough to carve themselves, sure enough two young turkeys were fighting near the park entrance on my first trip to Cowpens National Battlefield.
Not what I was expecting of a Revolutionary War site, but then Cowpens is not your average tourist stop. Read more
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 401 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.


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Heidi's save the date
The Design: I used our initials to create a playful double entendre in the design…both sweet (AH) and practical (A)aron (H)eidi. Hummingbirds are a central theme in our wedding…they are my good luck charm and they symbolize peace, love and happiness! They also harken to our playful spirit and love of nature (our wedding is being held here: http://magc.org/)
The Process: It took SO long to come up with the design and then produce it! Being a designer is a benefit and a curse in this regard. I created the design in illustrator cs3 and printed the cards via gocco (my first gocco project!) Each card had to be printed twice to have the pink stand out against the chocolate brown. The backside features basic information and our wedding website information. I used Paper Source Papaya cover stock, smart carnival chocolate brown envelopes, and custom labels. My color palette is like a peach…features pinks, peaches, a little orange, yellow, right up to the stem…bright green leaf and brown stem!
The Suite: I'm about to get started on the invitation suite soon, but I can tell you that the invites will feature a laser-etched design, akin to Tord Bootjne!!! More to come on that! I am aiming to kickstart my own custom invitation business next year, post wedding.
[images from Heidi]
6 Comments to "Heidi's save the date"
Ashley Says:
November 18th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
How adorable!! It's got a soft, but fun look!
Natalie Says:
November 18th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Where were you able to purchase a gocco machine from?
Spitfiregirl Says:
November 18th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
I borrowed my gocco from a good friend, but you can buy them here:
don't believe the hype that they are no longer being made…they are!
Michelle Says:
November 18th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
so cute! How do you make those custom address labels that are on the envelope? Are they a standard sized label you can buy at the store? I have been looking around and can only find pre-designed ones at Paper Source.
Spitfiregirl Says:
November 18th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
thanks michelle!
i created them in illustrator using just a standard full label sheet.
tina Says:
November 19th, 2008 at 5:15 am
These are absolutely adorable!
Leave a Comment
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Grants may be awarded based on a student's financial need, ethnicity, religious affiliation, record of achievement, association, or special interests.
Click on the links below to learn more about the different types of grants that are available.
- Federal Pell Grant - The Federal Pell Grant Program provides grants to undergraduate and postbaccalaureate students. Grants are need-based and are designed to help low-income students pay for schooling. Grant amounts are dependent on the cost of education and the student's expected family contribution (EFC).
- Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant - The FSEOG Program supports post-secondary education by providing need-based grants to low-income undergraduate students. Grant amounts vary. Students who get this grant typically have a very low EFC and are usually Federal Pell Grant recipients.