text:
- Posted February 15, 2013 by
- jcowhick77 Follow
Ft Lauderdale, Florida
This iReport is part of an assignment:
Have you had an abortion?
Abortion and Addiction
At the age of 6 weeks old, I was adopted into a middle class Lutheran family in a small town of Springfield, Illinois with no relationship with God only a religion. As I was growing up I faced many struggles as an adopted child does with abandonment issues and having no idea really where I fit in. Would get teased for being adopted by other kids. A girl would argue with me of who my real parents are. Every time I would say I don't know, they would say well why don't you know. I would hear the song "Somewhere Out There" that was in the movie "American Tail" and would long to find my birthmother. I had a huge whole in my heart where she was missing. My issues of feeling abandoned started at a very young age due to not having a mother/child connection at birth and being placed in a foster home for the first two months of my life. Psalm 139:13-14 says "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I had a closed adoption so I didn't have much information on my birthparents. The only thing from my adoption papers that my parents were addicts but I never knew the extent of it until I became much older. My biological parents were 15 years old and 16 years old. My mother was molested by my grandfather all throughout her life. At the time of the pregnancy she was being molested. My grandfather thought that she was pregnant with his child so he wanted me aborted. A paternity test was ran and found that not my grandfather's child. So my birthmother took a stand and choose to continue with the pregnancy. She wanted to keep me but my grandfather forced her to place me for adoption. As I was growing up I wanted a big family, I wanted to feel loved. I wanted to feel like I was a part of my adoptive family. I never did feel that way the whole time I was growing up. At the age of 13, I ran away from home from the first time and also tried to commit suicide for the first time. My parents would tell me that I was worthless and that I would never amount to anything on a daily basis.
At the age of 19 I met my biological mother and my great grandmother. The day I met my mother is a day that I will never forgot. I knocked on my great grandmother's door at her home and a woman came behind me and asked if she could help me with something. I took my sunglasses off and the woman dropped her bag of groceries. She knew immediately who I was. She was my mom. While meeting her I found out that most of my birth family struggles with addictions and that is exactly what I was a product of. My birthfather used to sell drugs to women for sex. I knew deep in my heart that if I ever met her, my life would change and maybe those abandonment issues would be erased and I could finally live my life. Boy I was wrong! I got into a relationship with man that was physically abusive. I got pregnant by this man and lost the baby. I was blamed for the loss of pregnancy and he started hitting me, put me at knife point, and throwing me down flights of stairs I knew I needed to run and leave my life as it had become.
In May, of 1997, I moved to Kentucky to go to college.. Totally an athesist at this point. I was no longer sheltered, was living 5 hours away from family, and had more freedom then I could ever have. I got into a relationship. I thought my life was perfect, I had a man that I loved with all my heart and that loved me and we married. As I my marriage started to suffer, my husband came up with the idea for us to move to Florida. We were in the process of buying a house and had saved up some money. We took all the money we had saved and moved to Miami.
My husband was Brazilian and when we got here he became very accustomed to the Miami lifestyle. He started visiting South Beach regularly without me and going to parties in Downtown Miami without even my knowledge. My husband no longer put me first in our marriage and that feeling of rejection came back again in my life. Hurricane Wilma hit that following year and we had excessive damage to our apartment. Not only did it put a strain on us financially. I had just received a promotion to start working on high profile homicide cases at the State Attorney's Office and one day I came home from work with an empty apartment, my husband had packed all of his belongings and moved out. A few months after my husband had left I met a man that was going through a separation as well, a relationship that carried on for almost 7 years. A "friend" had introduced us and we hung out for one night, got pretty drunk that night, and from then on this relationship started but not in a healthy way. I missed my husband dearly and he was the replacement in my eyes. Little did I know, I was falling for him. In January of 2007, I was several weeks late and became pregnant. I knew I was pregnant but was in denial. I called my doctor after one of my co workers insisted on buying me a pregnancy test so I would take it. The test was positive. After the doctor confirmed the pregnancy I finally told Jose and he was not supportive at first. He mentioned abortion to me and I immediately told him no. We decided to carry the baby and at 32 weeks I was informed that my son had died. I had to delivery and bury my child. We dealt with the loss of our son in similar ways but not together. After losing my son, I went to Naples and a friend had cocaine and asked me if I wanted to try it. I wanted anything I possibly could to stop the pain of losing my son. My addiction to cocaine started the very first time I tried it. I started working for a law firm in Brickell, making more money then I knew what to do with and instead of being grateful, I took advantage of the money. I partied more to numb the insanity of my life. There wasn't a day that went by that cocaine didn't take over my life. He was in the background for the majority during this time. We only saw each other casually when it was convenient for both of us. . I was at Hard Rock Casino one night, became very depressed while I was high and was also drunk. I drove home with a .18 alcohol level at a high rate of speed listening to song that is about pain. I got home grabbed a razor blade and started to slit my wrists. I was involuntarily committed that night to Jackson Hospital for 72 hours to detox and was under a very strict suicide watch. During the course of the night, many blood tests were ran and I found out that I was 8 weeks pregnant. I lied to the psychologist so I could be released. I got home from the hospital, not caring if I was pregnant and snorted a few lines of cocaine. I needed to feel numb again. At 14 weeks, my boyfriend finally started talking to me about my pregnancy and mentioned abortion. Cocaine was way more important to me then my child who I thought I was going to die anyway so I started calling abortion clinics. At 15 weeks, I had an abortion at Planned Parenthood. At the clinic I immediately felt all the guilt, shame, and regret of having the abortion. I knew what I was doing and I knew it was wrong. My mind said get up but my body wouldn't allow me to. I went home from the clinic and went into straight isolation not wanting to talk to anyone. I text Jose to let him know the abortion was over and all he could say to me was I am sorry you had to go through with this. I needed him, and I had to deal with the abortion all alone. My drug use got worse and so did promiscuity. I started prostituting for drugs and got into the stripper life. I stayed at crack houses and got kicked out for stealing their drugs. My trunk was my closet for many weeks. I took showers at my friends house hoping that no one at my job would know that I was homeless. My boyfriend and I ended up getting back together but he was very abusive to me verbally and emotionally. I found out I was pregnant again, this time with no emotion and I went into an abortion clinic in Miami and got the RU486 which is the abortion pill. There was no way I was going to go through with a surgical abortion again and the trauma that I faced, all the friends telling me that I was to selfish to become a mother. I kept the second abortion to myself until I got sober. I had to drive by Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Plantation every single day while going to work. After many drive bys I finally called the pastor and made an appointment for counseling. Pastor Nichols referred me to Forgiven and Set Free, the post abortion bible study that Hope Women's Centers offer which it took me sometime to make that first initial phone call. I didn't want to take the class but I knew I needed help. I went through the bible study and finally towards the end could tell the work that God was doing in me. Matthew 11:28 says, "Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." I was still partying but not as much. One night, during the Depression chapter of the bible study I prayed and asked Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior during that time. Towards the end of the bible study I was told about Celebrate Recovery. I never started it when I should have. In April of 2010 I went on a Via De Cristo weekend and was sang to by men that had a great love for God. I remember saying to myself I want to have a man in my life that loves God first and then me rather then drugs or other women first and then me. I finally felt like I had forgiven myself for the abortions and selling myself to men. I was finally was able to Let Go, Let God or so I thought. Right after my weekend, I received a phone call from my doctor that they needed to see me. I went in to my doctor and they needed to run some tests that I had HPV. One of those test was cryosurgery and the feeling of my abortion was right in front of my eyes. They were able to send some of cells that they had found to the lab and the test results came back with Cervical Cancer. A hysterectomy needed to be performed as a result of abortions that I had and the damage during the abortions. The day before my surgery I cried out to God and promised him that I would stop doing drugs, I would stop living the life that I was living. I had many awesome accountability people helping me out in the weeks that I was recovering. On July 4th of 2010 I fell again to the insanity of drugs and ended up having money stolen from me right out of my house. After that night, I was going through some things and I saw a note that I made about Celebrate Recovery. I went to my first meeting in August at Calvary Chapel. I feel in love with the program after going to several meetings. I had tried AA and NA before but there was something different about Celebrate Recovery. I loved the fact that it covers all issues not only addiction. In December, I started the 12 Steps with two awesome facilators. On December 31, 2010 I recommitted myself to the Lord. It has been a struggle but as my sponsor told, God is doing amazing work in your life everyday. I finished my Christian Counseling degree from Liberty last year with a speciality in Addictions and Recovery and Post Traumatic and I will starting Trinity International University next month for my masters in Psychology.
What do you think of this story?
iReport welcomes a lively discussion, so comments on iReports are not pre-screened before they post. See the iReport community guidelines for details about content that is not welcome on iReport.


text:
Graduate Recruitment Process
Step 1: Apply online
Applications for the 2016 Graduate Program are expected to open in February 2015.
The online application should take you about 20 minutes to complete.There are a series of questions to answer. You will also need to provide a current resume, academic transcript and proof of Australian citizenship.
Step 2: Online exercise
If your application is successful you will be asked to complete an online written exercise. This exercise is designed to assess your analytical, comprehension and written skills.
| Did you know? Finance is managing the establishment of an intermodal freight terminal at Moorebank in Sydney.
Step 3: Assessment Centre
Based on your results from the online test, you may be invited to participate in an Assessment Centre. These Assessment Centres are conducted in Canberra. If you are located in another state, Finance will arrange for your flights to Canberra for the day.
This gives you a chance to see where you could be working, get a feel for Canberra and attend a networking lunch for you to meet current Graduates and Executives from across the department. Assessments include:
- Group exercise
- Written exercise
- Interview
Step 4: Offer of employment
Based on the results from all assessments we then determine who we will offer a position on the Program.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Home Electronics
Published on Saturday, July 6th, 2013 02:00 pm GMT -4 | by Reid0
The Dual Device Backup Battery
Do you use your smartphone too much when you're out? Does your battery die quickly because you take too many pictures? The Dual Device Backup Battery is the solution to your problems! This device is a pocket-sized battery pack that can recharge two electronic devices, whether it's your tablet or your phone. With the required adapters, the USB charging cable connects to virtually any portable electronic device. The battery pack is about the size of a gum pack, so it will fit in your pockets! It takes up very little space which will be convenient for you!


text:
CBS 2 - Search Results
Iowa Teen Suicide Rate Grows
CEDAR RAPIDS (CBS 2/ FOX 28)-- Thinking about the good times is how 15-year-old Sarah Hamer has gotten through the last seven months.
Thats one thing Ill remember about him is his smile, Hamer said. Not a day goes by that I dont think about him.
In March, her ex-boyfriend committed suicide. He was just 14.
It came out of the blue, no warning, said Kim Zimmerman, Sarah mother. Its really kind of turned our family inside out.
Sarahs story is one crisis counselors like Alison DeFrance are seeing more of every day.
"Last school year and now this school year, we're getting called out on a pretty high number of calls," DeFrance said who is a licensed therapist and counselor at Foundation 2.
Foundation 2 is a 24 hour resource for those in crisis. The group has more than 20 counselors and a hotline that gets more than 2,000 calls a month.
"There's everything from break ups, you throw in the social media, DeFrance said. The struggles that kids are facing are very large to them."
In 2011, 30 teens committed suicide in Iowa. A number that's grown each year since 2009.
Defrance says parents should take every threat seriously and pay attention to any warning signs.
"Acting out, running away, substance abuse those kinds of things, depression," she said.
Signs Sarah says she now looks for in others, extending a hand to anyone she thinks may need one.
I just dont want to see this happen ever again, Hamer said.
To contact Foundation 2 Crisis Center, call (319) 362-2174.


text:
Date: Sun, 13 Jul 1997 17:26:31 +1000 From: Val Paino (firstname.lastname@example.com) Subject: [BOND] MK Abbreviations For a while now, I've been collecting a list of abbreviations as they apply to machine knitters, as seen in books, patterns, etc. I thought it might be of use to some here, and that you may have additions for me. While they are not Bond-specific, there are Bond terms here and they will also help in converting MK patterns to the Bond. Regards, Val ******************************************************** NB These abbreviations may be found in upper or lower case. A,B,C and D (usually) contrast colours 1/3,2/3}= denotes tensions represented by dots between whole numbers .1,.2 } on stitch/tension dial alt = alternate(ly) altog = altogether ANR = all needle rib (DR,ENR,FNR,K/K) beg = beginning BB = back bed BO = bind off (cast off) BOLT = bind off (latch tool) CAL = carriage at left carr = carriage (cam box) (lock - Passap) CAR = carriage at right CB = cam box (generic term for carriage/lock) CC = clearing cams (generic term for part/slip/empty buttons) CC = contrast colour ch = chain ch.co = chain cast-on (latch-tool/crochet cast-on) cm = centimetre(s) CO = cast on COBH = cast on by hand col = colour COL = carriage on left con = contrast COR = carriage on right cont = continu(e)(ing) CR = carriage release CY = contrast yarn DB = double bed dc = double crochet dec = decreas(e)(ing) DK = double knitting DR = double rib (ANR,ENR,FNR,K/K) ENR = every needle rib (ANR,DR,FNR,K/K) EON = every other needle EOR = every other row ev = every FB = front bed Ff(FF) = fully fashioned FI = Fair Isle fig = figure FL = fine lace (on Brother machines) FNR = full needle rib (ANR,DR,ENR,K/K) foll = following ft = foot (feet) g = grams (grammes) GC = garter carriage GS = garter stitch HK = hand knitting HP = holding position I = working position (needles) (Passap) IC = intarsia carriage in = inch(es) inc = increas(e)(ing) ISM = Incredible Sweater Machine (Bond) K = knit KCI } = dial positions on Brother machines KCII } K/K = knit/knit (ANR,DR,ENR,FNR) kg = kilogram(s) (kilogrammes) L = lace L = left lb = pound(s) (weight) LC = lace carriage LH = left hand LHS = left hand side LOL = lock on left (Passap) LOR = lock on right (Passap) M/c = machine MB = main bed MC = main carriage MC = main colour MC = multi-colour (on Brother machines) mm = millimetre(s) MT = main tension MT-1 = main tension minus one, one whole number less than main tension used in knitting the garment MT+1 = main tension plus one, one whole number more than main tension used in knitting the garment MY = main yarn N(s) = needle(s) Nd(s) = needle(s) Ndl(s) = needle(s) NB = note bien (take note) No = number NRB = needle return buttons NSB = needle selection buttons NWP = non working position 0 = central position on needle bed O = neutral position (needles) (Passap) O/0 = no stitches or rows worked opp = opposite oz = ounce(s) P = purl PAT = pusher aligning tool (Passap) patt = pattern PB = push-button PC = punch card R = right RB = ribber bed RC = return cams (generic term for holding position levers) RC = row counter rem = remaining rep = repeat RH = right hand RHS = right hand side RP - rest position (Passap) RT = rib tension SB = single bed SC = single crochet SD = selector dial (Passap) SRE = silk ribbon embroidery SS = stitch size S/S = stocking stitch (stockinette stitch) st(s) = stitch(es) StS = stitch size std = standard strd = strand st.st. = stocking stitch (stockinette stitch) SY = scrap yarn T = tension TC = transfer carriage TD = tension dial tog = together trans = transfer UWP = upper working position WK = waste knit (K a few rows and release from machine, using WY) WOCO = wind-on cast on (e-wrap) WP = working position WY = waste yarn yd = yard(s) x = times [] = figures in brackets refer to larger sizes () = at end of sentence denote total no. of sts., rows or ns. WEIGHT CONVERSION TABLE *********************** Ounces to grams, calculated to the nearest whole gram 1 oz = 28.35 grams oz gms 1 .. 28 2 .. 57 3 .. 85 4 .. 113 5 .. 142 6 .. 170 7 .. 198 8 .. 227 9 .. 255 10 .. 283 11 .. 312 12 .. 340 13 .. 369 14 .. 397 15 .. 425 16 .. 454 Sydney Australia email@example.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 16 Aug 1997 23:06:48 -0700 From: email@example.com Subject: [BOND] Simple Thought I have been doing the following for years for both hand and machine knitting, when I am doing a garment, irregardless of the amount of colours, the type of wool/yarn etc. I tape a small one inch sample of all the yarns used to the pattern page, just in case I want to use that same colours again and can't remember them. I also tape or actually I staple the band from one of the balls of yarn and put the tension on the back as well as the colour numbers, not the dye lots as these would change over the years. I also use a receipe card box, small one, for recording the tensions and patterns that I enjoy knitting the most, it makes an easy reference when doing keyplate sweaters that I hope the tension matches. Also remember there is a great difference between whites, lights and dark colours in tension swatches due to dyeing and over-dyeing. Friends in knitting, Linda email@example.com Linda Boudreau ------------------------------ Date: 30 Aug 1997 15:24:09 EST From: "Karen E. Bourne" (email@example.com) Here are 2 URL's that have chest size charts for babies and children. National Bureau of Standards Body Measurements Tables (includes all kinds of measurements, not just chest size)http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/6057/nbsmeasure.html
Yarn Forward - CHILDREN'S SIZES (just chest and finished sizes)http://www.yarnfwd.com/childsiz.html
Hope this helps! Karen ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 17:20:28 -0500 From: "Jimmy Simmons" (email@example.com) Subject: Re: [BOND] baby, toddler sizes Here are the standard chest sizes: (Size Baby) Baby = 19" (Size 1-2) 1-2 Yr = 20-1/2" (Size 3-4) 3-4 Yr = 22" (Size 5) 5-6 Yr = 23-1/2" (Size 6-7) 6-7 Yr = 25-1/2" (Size 8) 9-10 Yr= 27" (Size 9-10) 11-12 Yr= 28-1/2" (Size 11-12) 13-14 Yr= 31" - -------------------------------------- WOMAN: Size 12 = 32" Size 14 = 34" Size 16 = 36" Size 18 = 38" - --------------------------------------- MAN Size 34 = 34" Size 36 = 36" Size 38 = 38" Size 40 = 40" Size 42 = 42" Size 44 + 44" etc. - ---------------------------------------- Taking the measurement: Bust or chest: Measure at the fullest part of the bust or chest, putting the tape evenly and *lightly* around. Note: if you take measurements, don't use the actual measurements for the size of the garment. It will be too tight. An allowance must be figured in. For Women and men add about 3" to the actual bust/chest measurement. For a child add about 4". I haven't had too much experience pattern drafting for a baby. I would add about the same amount as for a woman or man (about 3") I hope this helps. One of these days (when I get a round tuit) I'll make a chart of all the major measurements for sizes. (arm-length, waist, neck opening, etc.) Jim --- Jimmy L. Simmons firstname.lastname@example.com://www2.datasync.com/orion
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 07:36:49 -0400 From: firstname.lastname@example.com (McGeveran Nancy) Subject: [BOND] Graph Paper There's a wonderful little shareware windows program that lets you make graph paper in any size you like (say 4spaces horizontally and 5 spaces vertically per inch--one I just used). You just enter your guage per inch, press print, and voila! It can be downloaded fromhttp://knitting.miningco.com/mlibrary.htm
Nancy McGeveran New York ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 09:15:35 -0800 From: Linda Boudreau (firstname.lastname@example.com) Subject: [BOND] Organization + Inovationative Techniques Toilet tissue tubes - don't throw away, use these over the ball winder, by making a small slit in the top of it, insert the yarn put it on the winder and wind as usual. The store upright so that you can see what colours you have left over. Also great for having a centre feed ball for knitting with. Shoe boxes etc - don't throw away, place yarn on its side with the centre pull facing out towards the side. Using a paper punch or hole maker, make a hole in approximately 4 evenly spaced places across the box. Do not make a slit above the hole as the yarn will get caught every time. Put the yarn in the box, insert the ends, through the hole, put the cover on, and you have hassel free intarsia or fairisle knitting. If you also put a panel in the top, and cover it with clear wrap you can see when you are getting close to the end. Clothes pins - I use these for hanging onto the ends of the balls when I am knitting, it always tells me that the end is near. Do not place it right on the end but rather up about a foot and you will be able to catch it in time. Plastic or clay flower pots - Use these for placing the yarns under and feed the colours through the hole in the bottom. Insert yarn through the hole, place the flower pot upside down and knit away, no more rolling yarn, no more tanlged mess. Cuphooks:- Use these on the back of the machine where the yarn feeds from a basket on the floot, pass the yarn through the cup hook, and it passes through without going back and forth over the bed every time as we do not have yarn masts on the ISM> Cuphook plus 6 inch ruler. = To avoid the yarns from getting caught in the row counter screw a cup book through the spot on the ruler where your carriage height is above the counter by at least an inch. Glue on screw this in place at the back of the table. Now put the cup hook below this for an even feed to the top and voila' no more tangled row counters and yarn. Basket on wheels - after the infants abandon the three tiered tray in the nursery, or go to a discount store and purchase one, what I do is copy the pattern by copier , wind off all of my yarn, and place each in a section of the three tier basket depending on how and when I want them finished. I do the same for quilting and sewing. Gift bags - pretty as they are they are wonderful to put behind the table on the floor to hold the yarns, they are also great for putting a whole project in that you want to do some hand ribbing on ( banish the thought), but some of us are diehards, put in the appropriate needles, set them beside the door, or better yet, if not in a hurry for same place in the verhicle, next time you are waiting it will amaze you how much you can accomplish when you wait for someone who is shopping. Coloured nail polish - No I have not lost it, this is an age old trick, when you are working a pattern and want to know exactly which needles to use every time and they are not going to move, put a dot of nailpolish on the bar in front or you can use a dot from the stationery store. You will never select the wrong needles again. After you are done a q-tip and polish remover moves it out of the way. Bulletn Boards - Put the patterns of the projects that you plan to do along with a sample of the yarn on the board, everytime you feel you just cannot knit another row look at the board, and be inspired with what is coming next. It also serves as a great palce to put a note of inspiration. Scrapbooks:- I cut the picutres out of sweaters that really interest me, for colour for designs etc., don't forget oriental rug and needlepoints, they have already taken the guess work out of colour combinations and today even the most inexpensive yarn comes in the dull as well as the bright colours. I never used white in a fairisle design, rather use off white, as it makes it stick out like a dot on paper, it is the only colour imaginable that can look straight at you. I learned this from my readings of Kaffee Fassett. When a garment is finished I put about 4 inche pieces of the yarn that I used and tape them to the pattern sheet, then I staple this tape in place and put it in a safe spot so if I ever go to reproduce, I am sure with the yarn lable, and swatch along with the yarn it can be done. Why I now love to do tension swatches - Pick up a set of the clear sheets that you can insert a tension swatch into. As you try a new technique and are inspired by it, pin it in place in the sheet, along with the directions on how you accomplished this. When you have found a better technique remove it from the binder and put it in a basket that you are now saving for a crazy quilt. All you have to do is using a yarn that is either complimentary or selected single crochet around each of these or whip stitch them together on a flat bed sheet. I do not use bedsheets for quilting but use them when I am doing victorian crazy quilt art as they last much longer, and one does not have to qult through them, the design is all on the top, and they are secured by the embroidery stitches. Anove all, relax and enjoy yourself. Remember, to stop and take a break when it seems impossible to go any further, read a good book, go for a walk, and then come back and it will look all new again. Bonding Buddy, Linda B. " I cried because I had no shoes - until I met a man who had no feet." " Live life one day at a time but make it a masterpiece." email@example.com (Linda )http://www.geocities.com/Paris/9197/sheep.htm
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jan 1998 21:45:39 EST From: Sade92 (firstname.lastname@example.com) Subject: Re: [BOND] Re: grams & oz Conversions Ounces = Grams x 0.035 Grams = Ounces x 28.57 Inches = Centimeters x 0.3937 Yards = Meters x 0.9144 Centimeters = Inches x 2.54 Meters = Yards x 1.0936 Weights 3/4 oz. = 21.5 grams 1 oz. = 28.5 grams 1 1/2 oz. = 43 grams 1 3/4 oz. = 50 grams 2 oz. = 57 grams 3 1/2 oz. = 100 grams Hope this helps! Laura in Ohio
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 05 Sep 1998 12:19:43 -0500 From: Carl Andrew Hellner Subject: Re: [BOND] Yellow card > I am a new user and cannot find my "yellow card" can someone please tell me > what the measurements are so I can make one?? The yellow card measures 2 3/8" x 7 3/4" (55mm x 197mm). The green card measures 2 5/8" x 7 3/4" (65mm x 197mm). Carl email@example.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 02 Oct 1998 13:05:59 -0700 From: Jill Delgado Subject: [BOND] Sweater ease I was just rereading Lynda's letter about her success at the fair,where she was wondering about amount to allow for ease, and remembered I had a book with ease formulas. Thought that, at last, I could share something that everyone might use. Finished Bust/chest measurments Body hugging.. subtract 5-10% from actual measurment Close fitting ..... plus 0-5% Normal fitting.....plus 7-10% Loose fitting ......plus 12-15% Oversized .........plus 16-20% Hope this helps... Jillie ----------------------------- Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 13:41:41 EST From: firstname.lastname@example.com Subject: Re: [BOND] Dye question I once heard Sandra Betzina say on Sew Perfect (HGTV) that if you added a cup of salt and a cup of vinegar into the wash water, your fabric would no longer bleed. I have tried it and it worked for me. email@example.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 08:37:05 -0600 From: "Holly Jones" Subject: Re: [BOND] Dye question- hints I know from experience (and my Chemistry teaching parents) that you can set the dye of a garment or yarn by washing it in salt water or vinegar . Salt method Just add a health amount of table salt to the WARM wash water - so the salt will be disolved when you add the item. You can taste the water ( before you add the soap! :) and it should be like sea water. ( This is how the Panama native indains set the bright colors in their multi color Molas- just wash them in the ocean ) You really can not use too much salt. Then add the garment, soap and wash as usual. Vinegar Method Substitute vinegar for salt at least 2 cups per wash load . Any vinegar will do -- the cheaper the better. Combined method For added insurance I add 1 cup or so of vinegar to the FINAL rinse water of the salt water method . I place the vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser. The acid of the vinegar will neutralize and lock in the dye color and make certain that the salt and soap are out . Any vinegar will do -- the cheaper the better. I buy the gallon size at Sam's Club. In Fact I use Vinegar in the rinse the first time I wash any colorful clothes and in the rinse water of all my washable silks. Vinegar makes the color "last" longer and the silks come out with a nicer feel and less wrinkles. Works as a fabric softener but MUCH cheaper and no dye or perfumes to bug my nose and skin . Try it .. Good luck Holly Jones in Carrollton Texas on North edge of Dallas, Texas email@example.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 4 Dec 1998 08:30:17 -0600 From: firstname.lastname@example.com (Shannon R.) Subject: [BOND] Using the Latch Tool I have seen several references about users having difficulty with the latch tool and working up the rib. After struggling myself for quite a while I knew there had to be a "trick" to this and watched the video again. There are two important factors ... keep tension below the area you are latching up -- I either put a thumb underneath or even use the two-prong tool about 1" down to really get a good hold. Second ... hold the latch tool horizontally and move smoothly back and forth. The rhythm of the stitch going over the latch will automatically open it and it will be ready to catch the next ladder. I caught myself holding the tool at a diagonal thus catching and splitting the next stitch almost every time. I hope this helps you because it made a world of difference in my latching speed. Oh, yes, one more thing ... when my tools were new the latch didn't open and close easy -- come to find out there was a small piece of plastic wedged in behind the latch from when they assembled the tool. Shannon aka Quilty Otis KS firstname.lastname@example.com Taking time to stitch isn't a luxury --- it's a necessity! ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 4 Dec 1998 13:12:40 -0500 From: "firstname.lastname@example.com" Subject: [BOND] Using the Latch Tool Hi everyone: Another tip is to hold the latch tool in between the thumb and the last three fingers of your hand and use your index finger to hold the latch open when you have a stitch behind the latch. Lea-Ann email@example.com http://knittingtoday.com Bond Knitters' Club Online! -- http://www.userhome.com/knittingtoday ------------------------------ Japanese mid-gauge and Bond machine comparison (according to Bond) Metric hand knitting | US hand knitting | | Bond 8mm original (no dot) | | | Bond 8mm dot | | | | Brother 8mm | | | | | Bond Elite 7mm | | | | | | Singer/Studio 6.5mm | | | | | | | 2.25 1* 1 1 1.5 2.50 2.75 2* 2 2 2.5 3.00 3.25 3 3.5 3 3.5 3.5 4 1 4.5 4 5 3.75 5 1 6 5 6 4.0 6 7.5 6 7.5 4.25 2 4.5 7 2 8.5 7 9 4.75 5.0 8 10 8 10+ 5.25 3 3 5.5 9 5.75 4 4 6.0 10 * note that the metric equivalent of US size 1 needles is variously given as 2.25 or 2.5 and US size 2 is given as either 2.75 or 3. Sources - ------- A table from a 1989 Bond Keyplate News provided by Donna Crolley. Various sources for the metric equivalents to US sizes including Lois Baker's hand knitting needle size chart http://www.benefitslink.com/knit/knitlink/needles.shtml --------------------------- Keyplate Yarn Type Handknit Needle Size Gauge 1 Baby/Light Sport 6 22-26 sts/4in 2 DK/Sport/Light Worsted 6-7 18-21sts/4in 3 4-ply Worsted 8-9 16-18 sts/4in 4 Chunky/Mohair 9-10 14-15 sts/4in ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 01:09:42 -0800 From: "Lila M. Jones" Subject: [BOND] Yardage requirements. Betty, do you have "Creative?" I got mine from Lea-Ann. The patterns are dated, but the info is wonderful. About estimating yardage requirements: "General rule of thumb for a plain, long-sleeved ladies sweater is: size 12 pullover will require approx. 1000 yards of bulky weight, 1200 yards of worsted weight, and 1400 yards of sport weight. Add or subtract 10% for each size larger or smaller. If you add pattern stitches such as tuck or cable, your will use more yarn. Lace patterns require slightly less." "If you do not have any given yardage for the yarn, try this method used by spinners and weavers. Wrap your yarn around a ruler. Wrap the yarn smoothly so that the strands lie side by side, but do not pull the yarn tightly. Now count the number of wraps per inch. A worsted weight will measure 12 wraps per inch, and sport weight will measure 14 wraps per inch. As in measuring your gauge, it is best to wrap two to three inches, count the wraps overall, then divide by the number of inches." "This correlates to the number of yards required for an average sweater. One wrap per inch for each 100 yards required for the sweater. A worsted weight will measure 12 wraps per inch and will require approximately 1200 yard for the average adult sweater." This was quoted from an article in "Creative" page 12. I hope this helps. Lila ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 09 Feb 2000 18:41:16 From: Susannah Kelsey Subject: Re: [BOND] Yarn thickness >I have a question about yarn. >I don't know about Britain, but in America there are basically 3 types >of yarn. Baby weight or "fingering" I think it's called, sport yarn and >worsted weight. >Am I correct in assuming that: >baby yarn is 2 ply (very thin) >sport weight is 3 ply (medium) >worsted weight is 4 ply (medium to heavy) Instead of the "ply" system that can be very confusing when going back and forth between American and British terminology, I categorize yarns by the number of stitches per inch instead. For example, we think of 4-ply as worsted weight, but British knitters use 4-ply to indicate fingering weight. Baby weight or fingering yarns knit at about 7stitches per inch Sport is 6 sts per inch DK or double knitting is 5.5 sts per inch Worsted is 5 sts per inch Heavy worsted or Aran is 4.5 to 4 sts per inch Bulky or chunky is 3.5 to 3 sts per inch
|Back to the Bond List Hints and Tips Page
Please e-mail any comments to me at email@example.com
Author : Steph Thornton.
Last modified on : 14th February 2000.


text:
Attention seafood lovers! One of the best value seafood buffet in town is now happening every Friday and Saturday in Gobo Chit Chat at Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur for only RM 108++. We were here on a Friday evening and we were fairly surprised that despite the heavy downpour and horendous traffic jam, they still manage to draw a good crowd. Gobo Chit Chat's décor boasts of modern sleek design … [Read more...]
Seafood Buffet Dinner @ Gobo Chit Chat, Traders Hotel2,545 views
Sunday Masquerades Lunch @ Shook! in Starhill Gallery14,755 views
One of the most memorable meals we've had in year 2012 was in Shook!, Starhill Gallery. We were there for the Sunday Masquerades Lunch, which happened to be one of those rare meals where everything was perfect. Everything starts from the food, the service, the ambiance down to the booze, the entertainment and the souvenirs makes it an unique dining experience. Shook!'s team really went all out … [Read more...]
RM 32.80++ Nagomi Shabu Shabu Buffet @ Menara Hap Seng, Jalan P Ramlee18,386 views
*closed down* If you are going to be stuck in traffic along Jalan P Ramlee or Jalan Sultan Ismail, why not make a detour to Nagomi Japanese Restaurant? Every weekdays from 6pm to 10pm, one gets to enjoy shabu shabu buffet with over 80 varieties for only RM 32.80++ here. The buffet is also available during weekends and public holidays, from 12noon to 230pm and from 6pm to … [Read more...]
B4 Buffet @ QbaLatin Bar & Grill, The Westin KL9,355 views
I just had an awesome weekend with the girls at the Qba courtyard. Thanks to the invitation extended by Ming and Yoke May from the Westin Group, we were given the privilege to indulge in some delectable Latin America food and free flow of alcoholic beverages. … [Read more...]
Tao Cuisine All-You-Can-Eat Japanese Buffet @ Sunway Giza50,123 views
It's no secret that we KL-lites especially the younger generation are infatuated by Japanese Buffet in general. Apart from the fame Jogoya, Munakata, Tenji, Saisaki, Shogun and various other hotels' Japanese buffet as well as Sunday ala-carte buffet offered by Umaiya, Rakuzen and Xenri, the latest addition is Tao Cuisine who hails all the way from Penang! *yay* the briny & juicy behemoth … [Read more...]
Munakata Unlimited Ala Carte Japanese Buffet @ Jalan Sultan Ismail11,051 views
Munakata Unlimited Ala Carte Japanese Buffet Lunch: 12noon to 3pm Dinner: 6pm to 11pm (last order 1030pm) Closed for lunch on Sundays and Public Holidays Adult: RM60+10% service charge Children: RM35+10% service charge look at the spread! only a fraction of what we had! Few weeks back, we went for Munakata's Buffet Dinner (RM 60+) in the company of people who like to eat as much as we … [Read more...]
50% discount again? Saisaki & Shogun Japanese Buffet Promotion144,672 views
Japanese Buffet Promotion at 50% Off31,798 views
Yaki-Yaki Grand Opening: 50% on All Dining Period From: 16 Mar 2009 - 30 Apr 2009 Price (before discount): Lunch RM65++, Hi-Tea RM55++, Dinner RM75++, Supper RM65++ Yaki Yaki Japanese BBQ Buffet Restaurant Ground Floor, Federal Bowl, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03- 21428111 *Terms and conditions apply. Limited 2 hours dining time With 5% government tax and 10% service … [Read more...]
Xenri Japanese Buffet Promotion @ Menara Hap Seng21,708 views
It seems like the talk of town is no longer Tenji Japanese Buffet as everyone has changed their attention to Xenri - with a larger buffet spread and a much lower price instead! Read from boo's post that said it's really hard to get through to Xenri's line and this is so true! I've been calling them for the past few days and the line is either engaged or you'll get directed to voice mail. Since … [Read more...]
3 Days, 2 Birthdays & A Bulging Stomach – Part II4,796 views
Everyone sing the birthday song and have the birthday child sing along. The birthday is deep in thought, hmmm I wish for more toys, more candies, (more chicks)…… Awwww so cute! The portrait of a happy family. We adjourn to Heritage Bay Club at Pulau Duyong for High Tea buffet after that. The RM300 million a year yacht race called … [Read more...]
Lunch Buffet @ Noble House Imbi12,418 views
(NON-HALAL)CAUTION: Not for the famished/starved and the on diets with weak determination!Time flies, one week to go and it marks the end of my internship. I feel the fleeting of every moment, deeply. Everyone asks me, "Do you know what you're doing after graduation? I feel a little bit overwhelmed because there are so many things to be considered, the pathways are blur - to continue with master … [Read more...]
Happy Anniversary – Simple Dinner & Lavish Buffet @ Rakuzen14,207 views
That special day is here again, 26 August. On our anniversary I'd like to remind you how very special you are to me. You will never know how it thrills my heart every time I see you.Over the pass three years, we've had our troubles and woes, but our love for each other had no attached strings. I am so very grateful for your unconditional love and support in a world full of conditions. I would like … [Read more...]


text:
It seems that Bailey took a few days off after Jackson's case and she comes back to some awesome news -- the Chief wants to make her an Attending as soon as she's done with her residency in July, since he needs someone new in general surgery. She's thrilled beyond all belief and happy to be back as long as she doesn't have to work on a potentially dying child. So she goes to spend the day working with Dr. Dixon... on a young girl with a heart condition. Bailey freaks out and spends the whole day trying to compose herself, but when the surgery doesn't go well she literally walks out. Later, however, she figures out how to treat the child and Arizona points out that she would actually make a great pediatric surgeon, and Bailey is left to contemplate that, along with everything she learned about helping calm down someone with Asperger's. Earlier, Bailey has a joyous outburst when she realizes how to help the child, and all the screaming, heated emotions and hugging causes Dixon to have a meltdown. When Bailey goes to find Dixon to try and help, she winds up hugging Dixon tightly, which she learns helps calm the nervous system. Cristina comes in and participates as well until Dixon is back to normal.
Continue reading this entry on Television Without Pity.


text:
- Home
- About ASF
- What is Autism?
- How Common is Autism?
- Early Signs of Autism
- Autism Diagnosis
- Following a Diagnosis
- Treatment Options
- Beware of Non Evidence-Based Treatments
- Autism and Vaccines
- Autism Science
- Autism Research Strategic Plan
- Research by Topic
- Research by Year
- Interviews with Scientists
- Science Journals
- Autism In The News
- Recommended Reading
- Participate in Research
- NIH ACE Grants
- NIMH Resources
- Autism Research Glossary
- Quick Facts About Autism
- What We Fund
- Funding Calendar
- ASF Funded Research
- Research Results
- Grant Outcomes Reports
- Apply for a Research Grant
- Apply for a Research Mini-Grant
- Apply for an Undergraduate Summer Research Grant
- Apply for IMFAR Travel Grant
- Get Involved
- Resources
- Day of Learning & Evening of Celebration
- Contact Us
Repeats in Human DNA may Aggravate Autism Symptoms
Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative
Date Published:
April 21, 2014
Certain DNA repeats that increased exponentially during human evolution are directly related to the severity of autism symptoms, according to a preliminary study published in PLoS Genetics. The repeats each span 65 amino acids and are collectively referred to as DUF1220, for 'domain of unknown function.' There are six types of these repeats, each with a slightly different sequence and all of which diverged from a common ancestor.


text:
the bump
You're almost there. Log in if you're a member or join now to connect to Facebook.
Request a new password
popular: ovulation calculator
Find your most fertile days and start TTC >>
moms love: pregnancy calendar
Count down to delivery with your calendar >>
moms love: your baby this week
Sign up to receive weekly updates on your baby >>
moms love: baby name finder
Search through 1000s of baby names >>
moms love: personalized tickers
Track TTC, pregnancy, or baby's age >>
moms love: pregnancy week by week
Let us guide you along week-by-week!)
powered by:
I have $34 good start checks. I would like to trade these for Enfamil checks.
Please email me at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Thank you.


text:
Valentine's Prix Fixe
Monday, February 14
Monday, February 14
Monday, February 14
Monday, February 14
Monday, February 14
Monday, February 14
King Estate Restaurant & Tasting Bar
Celebrate Valentine's Day at the King Estate Restaurant & Tasting Bar with our four course dinner. This special menu is available by request on Saturday, February 12th & Sunday, February 13th and is the only menu offered on Monday, February 14th.
First Course
Watercress, Hazelnuts, Green Apple & Roquefort Dressing
With 2008 Domaine Pinot Gris
Belgian Endive, Aged Goat Cheese, Candied Walnuts with Raspberry-Champagne Vinaigrette
With 2008 Unity Pinot Gris
Second Course
Seared King Salmon, Confit of Cabbage, Potato and Pearl Onion with Port Wine Sauce
With 2008 Signature Pinot Noir
Diver Scallop, Potato Dumplings, Leeks & Winter Chanterelle Ragout
With 2008 Pfeiffer Pinot Gris
Third Course
Roasted Smoked Chicken, Black Truffle Mashed Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts & Sherry Chicken Jus
With 2006 next: Pinot Noir
Beef Tenderloin, Roasted Parsnips and Chestnuts, Swiss Chard, Shallot Marmalade & Sour Cherry Demi Glace
With 2008 NxNW Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Hearts of Passion Fruit, French Meringue & Coconut Ice Cream
With 2007 Signature Pinot Gris Vin Glace
Enchanted Black Forest Cake with Chocolate Hearts & Brandied Cherries
With 2007 NxNW Columbia Valley Syrah
Price is $75 per person for food & wine but does not include gratuity. Reservations are required: 541-942-9874, ext. 132.


text:
Dining Chairs
You and your guests will sit pretty with our selection of traditional and modern dining room chairs. Deck out your kitchen or dining area with stately wooden or luxuriously upholstered dining chairs. Dine in style now!
SAVE Baxton Studio Laine Wenge-Style Faux Leather Dining Chair - Set of 2
Was From $355.99 Now From $307.61
SAVE Baxton Studio Sonore Solid Wood Mid-Century Style Accent Chair
Was $349.99 Now $275.44
SAVE Baxton Studio Birch Sapling Plastic Accent / Dining Chair - Set of 2
(1 review)
Was From $189.99 Now From $144.99
SAVE Anna Collection Black Dining Chair
Was $105.99 Now $86.31
SAVE Baxton Studio Moira Modern Dining Chairs - Set of 2
Was $374.99 Now $302.43
SAVE Baxton Studio Regal Leather Dining Chairs with Leather Legs - Set of 2
Was $249.99 Now $241.20
SAVE Baxton Studio Honeycomb Acrylic Modern Dining Chairs - Set of 2
Was $342.99 Now $299.99
SAVE Baxton Studio Lamar-Style Modern Dining Chairs - Set of 2
Was $174.99 Now $138.35
SAVE Baxton Studio Pollard-Style Modern Dining Chairs - Set of 2
Was $169.99 Now $130.31
SAVE Baxton Studio Magness Modern Dining Chairs - Set of 2
Was $218.99 Now $202.99
SAVE Metro Pleated Back Parson Leather Dining Chair
Was $240.00 Now $119.99
SAVE Metro Button Back Parson Leather Dining Chair
Was From $190.00 Now From $83.99
SAVE Metro Parson ECO Leather Dining Chair
Was $180.00 Now $89.99
SAVE Metro Parson ECO Leather Chair with Nail Heads
Was From $195.00 Now From $99.99
SAVE Merlot Collection Wood Dining Chair
Was $195.00 Now $102.00
SAVE Baxton Studio Overlea White Plastic Chair Set
Was $112.99 Now $94.50
SAVE Baxton Studio Wood Modern Dining Chair Set
Was $155.99 Now $131.76
SAVE Baxton Studio Leather Modern Swivel Chair
Was $368.99 Now $366.99


text:
Contact: Jürg Schönenberger
University of Vienna
Caption: A Sooty-capped bush tanager (Chlorospingus pileatus) is shown holding a freshly removed stamen of Axinaea costaricensis in its beak. Flowers of A. costaricensis, which already lack some of their stamens, are visible in the background.
Credit: Copyright: Florian Etl
Usage Restrictions: None
Related news release: Novel type of bird pollination mechanism discovered in South America


text:
Q. Is the grantee administrator of a DOT grant allowed to pay himself or herself professional fees without first soliciting bids or proposals for those services?� Does the grantee have to enter into a signed contract with the terms and conditions for professional services?� Our past executive director was paying herself substantial amounts of money from a DOT grant for "professional services." There are no bills submitted for these services and minimal documentation of the services rendered.� One DOT grant was awarded for a feasibility study in which the past executive director paid herself thousands of dollars for her services.
A. There appears to be a number of problems with the situation you describe.
Under certain circumstances, it is appropriate for a grantee's employees or officials to perform professional services in connection with a grant.� For example, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), "Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations (OMB Circular A-122)," 2 C.F.R. Part 230, acknowledges that the costs of grantee officers and employees of performing project work can be eligible costs.� Specifically, 2 C.F.R. Part 230, Appendix B, Section 8, provides in pertinent part, as follows:
Appendix B to Part 230--Selected Items of Cost
Thus, if a grantee employee or official performs professional services in connection with a grant and generally receives his or her customary salary as a grantee employee, then that arrangement can be viewed as a comparable to "force account" work that could be an eligible cost under OMB Cost Principles.� In addition, any charges for a grantee employee or official's work would be expected to meet FTA standards for cost eligibility of "force account" work stated in FTA Circular 5010.1D, Subsection 4.e.; see, http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/C_5010_1D_Finalpub.pdf.
But if the grantee's employee or official performs professional services in connection with a grant and charges the value of those professional services as a project cost, although OMB Cost Principles do not expressly prohibit that arrangement, many issues must be resolved before FTA can justify those costs as reasonable. First, a grant program manager/administrator needing the professional services would be required under the FTA's force account standards at FTA Circular 5010.1D, Subsection 4.e to: * * * * *
Then the grant administrator/manager would still need to obtain the approval of a grantee official with delegated authority to approve the arrangement before costs could be billed to the project.� The grant administrator/manager could not simply contract with whomever he/she chose.
FTA requirements for sole source contracts are described in Chapter VI, Subparagraph 3.i(1)(b) of FTA Circular 4220.1F, "Third Party Contracting Guidance."� A grantee's failure to comply with the FTA requirements for full and open competition because it did not obtain the proper grantee approvals for its sole source contract would probably result in the grantee being required to return to FTA any funds expended for that procurement.
Second, another very serious problem with this situation concerns the problem of a personal conflict of interest on the part of a grantee official. Chapter III, Subsection 1.a of FTA Circular 4220.1F, describes the Federal prohibitions against personal conflicts of interest (real or apparent).� At a minimum, this arrangement should have been disclosed in the grant application and approved in advance by FTA.
The FTA Best Practices Procurement Manual (BPPM) discusses conflicts of interest in section 188.8.131.52.2 - Standards of Conduct and Conflicts of Interest: Personal and Organizational. The BPPM is available online. � Third, we question whether, in your example, the costs for the professional services paid the executive director, in fact, were reasonable under the standards of OMB Cost Principles.
Fourth, we also question whether, in your example, the executive director performing the professional services was "double-billing" under the grant, both for a portion of her salary as executive director involved with the project and as a "consultant" performing professional services.� This is prohibited by OMB "Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations (OMB Circular A-122)," 2 C.F.R. Part 230, Appendix A, Paragraphs A.2.f and C.1.� (Revised: July 2010)
Q. Why can't negotiations just be done with the best-qualified, top ranked firm on an RFP for professional services?
A. Grantees are required to comply with either DOT regulations, "Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments," 49 C.F.R. Part 18, or DOT regulations, "Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations," 49 C.F.R. Part 19, as applicable. These regulations limit the use of qualifications-based selection procedures to procurements of architectural/engineering (A/E) professional services; see, 49 C.F.R. § 18.36(d)(3)(v) and 49 C.F.R. § 19.40(f)(2),
For all other procurements using competitive proposals, awards are to be determined on the basis of price and other factors; see, 49 C.F.R. § 18.36(d)(3)(iv) and 49 C.F.R. § 19.43� FTA's enabling legislation, however, does permit award to be made "to other than the lowest bidder if the award furthers an objective consistent with the purposes of this chapter, including improved long-term operating efficiency and lower long-term costs," 49 U.S.C. § 5325(c). (Revised: July 2010)
Q. Does FTA Circular 4220.1F govern legal service contracts that provide only general counsel representation for an agency if the representation is not related to a transit project?
A. Whether FTA Circular 4220.1F, "Third Party Contracting Guidance," applies to a contract awarded for general operating services, such as legal services for general counsel representation, depends upon whether FTA is participating in the costs of that contract.
If the grantee has a grant for a specific project and the grantee is billing FTA an overhead charge under the grant, and the overhead charge includes a portion for general legal services, then FTA Circular 4220.1F applies to the contract for general legal services.� Because a grantee may choose to charge or not to charge overhead costs to the grant, we cannot assume in our answer that the grantee is in fact billing FTA for general counsel costs as part of its overhead costs.� If there is no billing for overhead costs, and the general counsel costs are not otherwise billed as direct costs to the grant, then the general counsel's contract would not be covered by FTA Circular 4220.1F.
If the grantee is receiving operating assistance under a grant, then FTA Circular 4220.1F applies to all costs of the grantee's operations incurred for contracts or purchase orders that are included in the computation of the grantee's� net operating deficit.� But if the grantee is receiving operating assistance and can demonstrate effectively that it did not use FTA assistance to finance a specific operations contract or contracts, then FTA Circular 4220.1F provisions would not apply to those contracts except for certain DBE principles discussed in that circular in Chapter II, Subparagraph 2.b(2)(b) of that circular. (Revised: July 2010)
Q. How could I justify using the FTA Best Practices Procurement Manual (BPPM) as criteria for a procurement process that procures medical services? I am conducting an audit of an agency that procures medical services. Your BPPM is the best I've seen, but medical services are quite different than transit projects.
A. The BPPM sets forth many Federal requirements, as well as transit industry "best practices" that are either not directly applicable or not relevant to buying medical services with non-federal funds.� However, the basic principles underlying the requirements of the BPPM may be helpful.� FTA grantees, for example, would be expected to comply with FTA requirements as expressed in the BPPM when they procure medical services using Federal funds.
For your purposes, the BPPM contains a guide to fundamental procurement principles, rather than precise procedures, especially when they pertain to the procurement of professional services.� Beginning at Section 6.4* - Professional Services, of the BPPM, note that, "it does not make sense to buy the services of a brain surgeon through a low bid process."� The BPPM also reminds you to consult your State law regarding any relevant statutes pertaining to the procurement of professional services to see what is specifically permitted or required.
When judgments will be necessary for the procuring agency to select competent, qualified service providers at reasonable prices, you should use a competitive negotiated (proposal) procurement process (not sealed bidding).� Negotiated procurements are covered in Section 4.5** - Competitive Proposals (Request for Proposals), which addresses evaluation of proposals, including evaluation criteria and scoring mechanics, as well discussions and clarifications with the offerors.
As far as the agency's documentation of its selection decision and actual negotiation of the contract, you may find Section 5.4.2*** - Negotiated Procurements, helpful. Another useful section of the BPPM may be 5.1 - Responsibility of Contractor.� The procuring agency will need to determine that the service providers have the resources and a history of successful performance under other contracts.
* Section 6.4, Professional Services, of the Best Practices Procurement Manual (BPPM) is available online.
** Section 4.5, Competitive Proposals (Requests for Proposals), of the Best Practices Procurement Manual (BPPM) is available online.
***Section 5.4,2. Negotiated Procurements, of the Best Practices Procurement Manual (BPPM) is available online.
**** Section 5.1, Responsibility of Contractor, of the Best Practices Procurement Manual (BPPM) is available online.
Q. Can you define the difference between "Professional Services" and "Operations/Management Services"?
A. FTA has not established formal definitions for "professional services" or for "operations/management services."� Generally, however, we consider "professional services" to be a subset of or related to "operations/management" services.
"Professional Services"
FTA recognizes services identified in 49 U.S.C. § 5325, "program management, architectural engineering, construction management, a feasibility study, and preliminary engineering, design, architectural, engineering, surveying, mapping, or related services" as "professional services." In addition, we recognize the services of accountants, appraisers, archaeologists, business consultants, business development managers, lawyers, physicians, professors, public relations professionals, researchers, real estate brokers, translators, and web designers to be professional services.� Frequently, but not always, individuals that perform professional services are required to have a license.� Those identifying themselves as "independent" are sought after on the basis of knowledge, reputation, ethics, and creativity, as well as price.� While FTA grantees are required by law to select contractors performing professional services in connection with construction identified in 49 U.S.C. § 5325 on the basis of their qualifications, Federal law and regulations require Federal grantees to select contractors offering other professional service on the basis of their cost as well as other factors important to the grantee.
Professional Services: We would suggest that you read the coverage on "Professional Services" in the FTA Best Practices Procurement Manual (BPPM), Section 6.4 � "Professional Services."� The BPPM is available online.
The BPPM notes that different States have defined "professional services" in different ways, and with some having established regulations covering the procurement of those services.� Thus you will have to consult your State law to determine if the legislature has defined professional services and prescribed procurement regulations.
FTA's enabling legislation requires grantees to procure professional architectural engineering (A&E) services on the basis of qualifications, rather than price competition.� FTA recognizes services such as "program management, architectural engineering, construction management, a feasibility study, and preliminary engineering, design, architectural, engineering, surveying, mapping, or related services," as specified� in 49 U.S.C. § 5325(b)(1), eligible for qualifications-based procurement procedures, provided that those services are directly in support of, directly connected to, directly related to, or lead to construction, alteration, or repair of real property.� The nature of the work to be performed and its relationship to construction, not the nature of the prospective contractor, determine whether qualifications-based procurement procedures may be used.
In contrast, even though State law may provide otherwise, DOT laws and regulations require the use of competitive price evaluation factors in conjunction with the technical/qualifications evaluation factors for such services as legal, medical, accounting, etc.� FTA's enabling legislation, however, does permit award to be made "to other than the lowest bidder if the award furthers an objective consistent with the purposes of this chapter, including improved long-term operating efficiency and lower long-term costs," 49 U.S.C. § 5325(c).
"Operations/Management Services"
FTA again has not defined the term "operations/management services," but would generally use that term to contrast capital activities, eligible for certain types of Federal assistance, from other activities needed to provide public transportation.� The term "operations," however, is used in several different contexts in FTA's regulations and policies, and thus its meaning varies with the circumstances. The term "operations" is used in a broad sense when referring to FTA grants for grantee "operations," as opposed to grants for "capital projects."� Here the term "operations" refers to everything the grantee is doing in order to use and manage its capital assets to provide public transportation.� Thus, "operations/management services" would include such functions as accounting, legal, procurement, etc., as well as operating the transit vehicles.
Q.�Using qualifications-based procurement procedures is required for AE services, but in FTAC4220.1F,VI-11, it indicates the that it could be used for other procurements if permitted by state law.� Can the two-step method be used as long as all proposal prices are considered instead of just the most qualified proposer (like AE procurements require)?
Background: The County is considering procuring the services of one or more transportation operations/management contractor(s/provider(s). We want to encourage small/local providers to submit proposals. It seems best to pre-qualify firms to see what kind of companies are willing and able to provide the services and then negotiate on price based on what you have to work with.� Please respond by email if possible.
A.� The FTA Circular 4220.1F, Chapter VI 3.e. - "Two- Step Procurement Procedures," is not a "qualifications-based" selection procedure as that term is used when procuring A&E services.� Procurement using qualifications only (no prices) is permitted by FTA only for A&E services, and not allowed for other types of procurements - see Chapter VI 3.f.(2).� The two-step procedure described in VI 3.e. of the circular permits grantees to evaluate technical qualifications first and then determine which companies are qualified to submit price proposals in step two; i.e., to determine the "competitive range" on the basis of technical qualifications.� Having determined which contractors are qualified to perform the work, price proposals are then solicited in step two from all qualified firms.� Ultimately both technical factors and prices are considered when making the contract award decision (in accordance with the evaluation criteria published in the RFP).� If step two is a sealed bid approach, then the low responsive and responsible bidder will win the award.�� This two - step approach is permissible for all types procurements when the grantee deems it advisable to "prequalify" bidders as to their technical capabilities to perform before soliciting prices.� The Circular is available online:
http://www.fta.dot.gov/laws/circulars/leg_reg_8641.html� (Posted: February 18, 2011)
Q.�Under the old OMB Circular A-102, attachment O, there was a provision for professional services contracts. In Pennsylvania is it required that a municipal authority receiving federal funds do an RFP for legal services?
�A.�Recipients of FTA grant funds are required to comply with the FTA Procurement Circular 4220.1F, which is available online: http://www.fta.dot.gov/laws/circulars/leg_reg_8641.html FTA requires grantees to procure professional services and solicit price proposals, which must be considered when awarding the contract.� This includes legal services.� Procurement using qualifications only (no prices) is permitted by FTA only for A&E services, and not allowed for other types of services - see Chapter VI 3.f.(2) of the Circular.� (Posted: February 25,�2011)


text:
Photos: Eden Bakti
He might not be a household name, but Mike Elizondo has been involved in the making of an astonishing number of hit recordings. Since his credits first began appearing on official releases 10 years ago he has, as a bassist, keyboardist and guitarist, performed on albums by a strikingly wide range of artists, among them the likes of Eminem, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Ice Cube, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Macy Gray, Sheryl Crow, Ry Cooder, Avril Lavigne, Ricky Lee Jones, Gwen Stefani and many, many others.
The high proportion of hip-hop artists in this list reflects Elizondo's close partnership with Andre Young, aka Dr Dre. Elizondo worked on the instrumental version of the producer's 1999 solo album 2001, and the pair ended up co-writing and co-producing. As a team, Elizondo and Dre were the creative forces behind the music for recent mega-hits like 'The Real Slim Shady' and 'Just Lose It' by Eminem, 'In Da Club' by 50 Cent, 'Let Me Blow Your Mind' by Eve featuring Gwen Stefani, 'Family Affair' by Mary J Blige and several more. Since then, Elizondo has begun producing in his own right. Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine was the first entire album he single-handedly produced, and has attracted universal acclaim, while he also worked on Pink's latest album I'm Not Dead.
Speaking from his home in Los Angeles, where he lives with his wife and three young daughters and has a state-of-the-art recording studio, Elizondo reflects: "My father is a professional musician and an avid record collector, so I grew up with a very broad sense of what kinds of music are available. Everything from P-Funk to Al Green, to Jimi Hendrix, to the Beatles, John Coltrane, everything. I was really fortunate to be able to listen to music without boundaries. In working as a bass player, songwriter and producer I try to take the same approach, which is to have no boundaries and just be open to the different experiences that come up. I don't want to be pigeonholed.
"I began playing piano at age nine, saxophone at age 12, and bass aged 14 at high school because there were no other bass players, so I did not have any competition and could immediately become the best bass player at school! The reason that playing bass stuck was that the role it has, whether you're playing acoustic or electric or keyboard bass, is very appealing to me, because you are the link between the rhythm and the melody. I also enjoy not being the lead singer or lead guitarist, instead remaining in the background, knowing that I have an integral role but that not everyone is watching me."
Similarly, as a songwriter and producer Elizondo plays a fundamental part in the creation of music, without attracting too much attention. For him production and playing bass are complementary activities. "It appears to me that a great number of bass players are able to hear everything in an arrangement, what the drums and the lead vocal and the harmonic instruments are doing, and then wrap themselves around this. Without a doubt this means that you're listening to music in a production sense. I love being around the process of making music, whether it's producing, writing a song, or just playing bass. I get equally excited about these things, which is why I'll continue to do session work. But of course with so many production opportunities now coming my way, I'm very selective about the sessions that I choose to do."
Elizondo's career-defining moment occurred when he first joined Dr Dre in 1996, at the age of 24, for the recording of The Firm (featuring Nas, AZ and Foxy Brown), on the recommendation of an old school friend, Richard 'Segal' Huredia, who was working as an engineer with Dre. Elizondo was at the time also working with big-name producers like T-Bone Burnett, Matthew Wilder, Matt Wallace, Glen Ballard and Steve Lindsey, but it was his work with Dre that took him to another level.
"I came in and played some bass lines on a few songs, and fortunately we hit it off musically," recalls Elizondo. "He kept calling me for more sessions, and this evolved into me participating more with songwriting, beginning with Eminem's 'The Real Slim Shady' [2000], and then moving into production. The things I did with the other producers opened up opportunities as well, but Dre gave me my first writing and production credits."
'The Real Slim Shady' was released as a single and as part of Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP (2000). "The album had already been mixed," explains Elizondo, "and we had some time to kill in the studio, and that song arrived in the same way all the others had. Basically, we began with a drumbeat that Dre programmed into an MPC3000. At the time we were working with a keyboard player called Tom Coster Jr, who had this harpsichord-like sound, and I was playing bass, and we simultaneously came up with the parts that evolved into the track. Eminem was in the studio, and when he heard the piece he immediately reacted to it, and had a concept ready to go. I later doubled the electric bass with a keyboard bass that I had programmed on a Nord Lead.
"The MPC is Dr Dre's priority instrument, above anything else. It has become a staple in so many forms of music because it is very musical and intuitive. We have a lot of sound libraries for it at our fingertips. We sometimes use a sample from a record to create a small loop and maybe layer it with a kick or snare, but in general Dre likes to have all parts separated, and so prefers to program everything in the MPC. When you have a loop there's only so much you can change in the balance by adjusting low end or high end. So the drumbeats were usually started from scratch in the MPC.
"The MPC is the session brain from which the MIDI clock is run as well. During the sessions with Dre we set up with maybe two or three musical stations, and my station will have a guitar rig and a bass rig and a soft-synth rig, which is basically a G5 with everything from Reason to Logic and a whole library of sounds and samples and soft synths. I have Native Instruments libraries and the ESX sampler in Logic. I also have a loop machine that receives MIDI clock and that allows me to loop a guitar or bass. It might be a four- or eight- or 16-bar idea, and I can punch myself in and out of a particular loop that is synced up to the MPC.
"The main loop machine that I use is called a Repeater, made by a company called Electrix. It's primarily made for DJs to grab bits and pieces of records, have MIDI if they're programming drumbeats, and they can then loop things and have it be in time. You can also plug your bass into it, or a Fender Rhodes, anything, and it allows you to record in time to a MIDI clock. As for the G5, at the time it was the only Apple machine with a processor powerful enough to allow for extensive layering of sounds without crashing. Now that Apple have come out with laptops with the Intel Core processor you can get the power of a G5 in a laptop."
Several other mega-hits in which Elizondo was involved, like 'In Da Club' by 50 Cent and 'Family Affair', by Mary J Blige, came into being according to a similar process, with Dre, a keyboardist and Elizondo working on backing tracks. "On a good day we'll get anything from 10 to 15 ideas in one session," says the bassist. "Rather than separate all the sounds, we make a decent stereo mix of an idea, record it, and move on to the next idea. We used to record to DAT and now record to CD-R, but the aim is the same: to quickly catalogue all the ideas we have. The engineers make notes of all the sounds, so that when the artist comes along and he wants to work on a certain track, we can immediately recall everything.
"Dre and I had written 'In Da Club' for a different artist and it sat around for a few months, until 50 Cent came into town and we played it for him. He immediately gravitated towards it, started writing, and very quickly got the hook and the intro. That track was finished pretty quickly after he started to work on it. 'Family Affair' was again Dre with an MPC3000, myself and a keyboard player throwing out ideas. Mary J Blige added her vocals to that track."
The Human Machine
Perhaps the most crucial piece of kit in Mike Elizondo's arsenal is the son-of-MPC3000, the MPC4000. "The MPC4000 is the machine I learned my sequencing skills on, and it continues to be the quickest way to sequence for me. I've done a lot of sequencing in Logic as well, but I know how to operate the 4000 without thinking. So I often use sounds in Logic, but sequence them with the MPC. For me, working with a computer is very different than with a workstation. There are certain inaccuracies that allow dedicated machines to feel almost human-like. They are very intuitive, you can get a great feel out of them, and it's easier to manipulate things to feel a certain way. The MPC4000 has a certain feel, just like the old SP1200 drum machine had a certain feel, or the Roland 808.
"One issue big for me are the computer screens. What did we look at while making records not so long ago? Nothing. Now we all look at screens and sometimes I wish we could go back to the days when we just listened with our ears. I have my screens set up in such a way that I can move them away from the mixing monitors. That definitely helps at times. Computers are great tools, but I don't necessarily like looking at them. I have separated my computers into two separate rigs. One computer is dedicated to soft synths and keyboard sounds, and another is set up for Pro Tools. When I'm working in Pro Tools I don't want to be dealing with keyboards, and vice versa. Even so, I'm still most comfortable working with the MPC4000. I may abandon it in the next few years and only do things in my computer, but my journey hasn't led me there yet."
"Once the vocals are laid down, we get into a different mindset, focusing more on the overall arrangements, where you try to make certain sections, like the chorus, come alive. With hip-hop you have four or eight bars repeated over and over again, and the trick is to make that interesting, trying to get an arrangement where there may be a sound in the second verse that's nowhere else in the song. It may be subliminal, but might give a certain mood or texture. Even though the basic track in hip-hop tends to stay the same throughout, you are embellishing parts, based on the rhythm of the vocals or what is being talked about lyrically.
"Embellishing is a matter of trial and error, trying different parts, different keyboard sounds and sections, for instance, on 'In Da Club', an eight-note guitar part in the chorus to make that come alive, and so on. With 'Family Affair' we adjusted the arrangements in relation to her verse, chorus and bridge. I think we added a string part after the second chorus, where she goes into this really swirly vocal thing. We probably also added some Fender Rhodes chords here and there or some string pads, to embellish the mood of what she sings. By contrast, Eminem's 'Just Lose It' didn't need a lot of extra stuff, because his vocals carried most of it.
"Each song has its own challenges. Even though it is the same harmonic progression, you can do things to really lift certain sections, to make it sound as if there is some sort of form to the song, as opposed to just a bland loop without any changes. It's actually very challenging to make a four-bar loop or chord progression sound interesting for three and a half minutes, to make it sound like the chorus is lifting up for instance. A lot of these embellishments happen as we are simultaneously mixing. Dre is very hand-on with the mix, and he'll make suggestions to add parts or bring certain things out."
Surprisingly, it wasn't until Eminem's fourth album, The Eminem Show (2002), that Dre and Elizondo made use of digital recording. Elizondo gives the lowdown on why they stuck with analogue for so long. "The first two Eminem records we worked on, The Slim Shady LP [1999] and The Marshall Mathers LP [2000], were recorded to two-inch analogue, basically for sonic reasons. Sound quality is really important for Dre, and he's extremely in tune with how things fit in a track. I learned a lot from watching him and the attention to detail he has — the amount of time he can spend on just getting a snare or a bass drum sound. But once Pro Tools stepped up their game in terms of sonic quality with the 192 audio interfaces and HD, we began using that, mainly because of the speed with which you can work.
"With analogue you have to take out the razor blade to do edits, but with Pro Tools you have this instantaneous ability to move things around. When we used analogue we were more or less obliged to play parts from beginning to end, all the way down. Even as you tried to play it like a loop, you still had a human element to it. Now with Pro Tools we have the option of looping things. It depends on the track whether you want that human element to it, or have everything just totally locked. On 'The Real Slim Shady' I played the bass line all the way down, but 60-70 percent of 'In Da Club' was sequenced.
"By the time we did [Eminem's 2005 hit] 'Just Lose It', we had completely embraced the Pro Tools process of working. That song had a lot of sequencing. I think the bass sound came from a Minimoog soft synth made by Arturia, while the main keyboard riff came from a soft synth called Plastix, and there was another sample that [keyboardist] Mark Batson played, which was a random snippet of a percussion part from a sample library. The song was mainly soft synths, all done in the G5."
By the time Elizondo worked on 'Just Lose It', he had established an impressive pedigree as a co-writer and co-producer on a range of massive hits. The co-production credits with Dre were in recognition of, said Elizondo, "my involvement in the bulk of the music and having a hand in the arrangements". All this resulted, one imagines, in the Californian having a tidy sum of money at his disposal, and like many musicians in his position, he set up his own studio. Called Phantom Studios, it is based around an SSL AWS900 analogue mixing console/DAW controller and three Pro Tools 192 units.
"The studio has about 1000 square feet of floor space, and there's a live room, a control room and a lounge," explains Elizondo. "Because I have a family, I wanted to have a studio close to home. I also wanted a studio where I would have everything I need, and am able to create on the spot. And I wanted a studio that would be comfortable enough for established artists, yet where I can also work with people who don't have a budget or deal. To be able to do what I want is to me the greatest freedom.
"When I first built the studio I had a Pro Control in here, and soon after the studio was completed SSL announced the AWS workstation, so I had to move things around to have that wired in. Having that console is a huge advantage to me: it's an analogue mixer with SSL EQs and everything, and it also enables me to control Pro Tools. It's great to do everything in Pro Tools and then be able to separate things out across 24 channels for mixing.
"I like to embrace both the analogue and the digital worlds. I like to juxtapose some of the digital harshness with analogue warmth. I have lots of different analogue boxes, like Urei 1073, API 5050 and 5060, Avalon, Universal Audio, Urei 1176, Neve 2254, Manley line mixer, and so on. It's a combination of older and newer gear. I also have a lot of microphones, like the Telefunken M250 that's great for vocals, the Royer 122, which I love, and I'm a big fan of the Blue Bottle, which is probably the most versatile microphone I have. Unbelievable. I also have a couple of C12s, U67, U47, Sennheiser microphones, SM57s and so on."
While the AWS plays a crucial role in integrating this wealth of analogue kit with Elizondo's digital system, he's far from a retro man. "I'm plugged in like crazy," he says. "I have every plug-ever in made, everything from Waves stuff to Digidesign stuff. I recently received the Waves SSL plug-in, which gives you an amazingly accurate compressor and EQ based on the signal path of what I think was a G-series SSL strip.
"I'm also a big fan of soft synths. There's nothing that beats the real thing, like a Fender Rhodes or a Wurlitzer, but in the context of a track you're not going to pick up all the missing nuances between reality and a soft synth. Not everybody can afford every synthesizer in the world, let alone have space for them. At the same time I have picked up a number of keyboards over the years, like the Fender Rhodes, a Wurlitzer, an old Clavinet, Minimoog, Prophet 5, Roland Jupiter 8, Oberheim OB8 and Juno 106. I love the original keyboards and fortunately have the space and means to put them here."
Elizondo has had his studio up and running since the autumn of 2004, and immediately put it to use writing, recording and producing songs with Pink for her I'm Not Dead CD (from their sessions, only the track 'I Got Money Now' is included on the album), and most notably, as player, arranger and main producer on Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine — an album which had a tortuous gestation period. Despite the fact that Apple's first two albums had gone platinum in the US, Sony/BMG refused to release her third album when she delivered it in the beginning of 2003. Made with arranger/producer Jon Brion, the label judged it too arty and abstract. Furious fans began a campaign for its release, and eventually Apple and her record company started talking again. The singer was perhaps moved by the fact that when tracks from the album were leaked on the Internet, many agreed with the record company that the carnivalesque orchestral arrangements were laboured and indulgent. Apple agreed to re-record her songs with another producer, and in the beginning of 2004 hooked herself up with Elizondo.
"I was presented with the material that Fiona had worked on with Jon Brion, and for one reason or another she wanted to hear different interpretations of them," recalls the bassist/producer. "I used his versions to learn the material, sitting down at the piano to work out the chord progressions and get a sense of what Fiona was doing vocally. I didn't use or borrow anything from what Jon had done. Not to say that Jon's versions were demos, but I get presented with artist's demos to work from as a springboard a lot of the time, and working like this was no different. I would do two or three songs at a time, and then presented them to her."
Elizondo declares himself a big fan of Mitchell Froom, and his production on the Fiona Apple album certainly recalls Froom. Strange sounds come in and out all the time, without distracting from the songs. "The album was actually recorded before my studio was finished," explains Elizondo. "So it was done in a bedroom here in the house while my studio was being built, with Pro Tools and a small little controller, and some Neve modules.
"I would lay down the basic tracks and then I brought in other musicians to embellish things. We used a combination of soft synths and real keyboards for the keyboard sounds. There were some Mellotron and Chamberlin sounds from a library, and in other cases we used the real thing. Sometimes we went to Gigastudio for some cool string sounds or some harp sounds, thing like that. To be honest, we used whatever was available to us on the day. Those weird sounds at the beginning and end of 'Get Him Back' for instance are from the library of Keefus Ciancia, one of the keyboardists. On the track 'Timps' I programmed a rhythm on the MPC4000 that I thought would sound cool with Fiona's vocal, and then we layered that with real marimbas, vibes, piano, a whole load of keyboards, and I played Minimoog bass on it. I felt that Fiona's piano parts called for something ethereal.
"We tried to create something unique for each song. I like to push the envelope and come up with interesting sounds and arrangements, while at the same time serving the artist's vision." At this, he's been more successful than most.
Inside Track | Secrets Of The Mix Engineers
Thirty years after Led Zeppelin ended, Robert Plant has reached a second career high. His latest hit album was tracked and mixed by Mike Poole, using a mouth-watering selection of vintage equipment.
Nashville Guitars: Recording Today's Country Guitar Sounds
Interview | Engineers
With country guitars, what you hear on the record is what was played in the studio. We asked Nashville's leading engineers how they capture those tones.
Mike Vernon: Producing British Blues
Interview | Producer
Mike Vernon produced some of the greatest blues records of all time. A full decade after retiring, he's back in the studio with some of the British blues scene's brightest lights.
Happy Birthday Sound On Sound!
Some of the friends we've made over the years share their congratulations on our 25th birthday!
Labrinth: Producing Tinie Tempah
Interview | Music Production
The man behind the biggest UK single of the year — 'Pass Out' by Tinie Tempah — is 21-year-old musical prodigy and maverick Labrinth.
Oval (aka Markus Popp): Recording Oh And O
Electronica Production
One of electronicas most adventurous spirits, Markus Popp has returned with an album that sounds surprisingly... musical. But is everything as it seems?
Jon Burton: Mixing & Recording The Prodigy Live
Interview | Engineer
As the Prodigy's chief live sound engineer, Jon Burton gets to unleash untold kilowatts of bass power on an unsuspecting world. He has also made multitrack recordings of every show on their 26-month world tour.
Silver Apples: Early Electronica
Interview | Band
Silver Apples jammed with Jimi Hendrix, counted John Lennon as a fan, and produced extraordinary electronic music — with nothing but a drum kit and a pile of electrical junk.
Paul Worley: Producing Lady Antebellum
Interview | Producer
Nashville heavy-hitter Paul Worley was so impressed by Lady Antebellum that he gave up his high-profile job at Warner Bros to produce them. With Clarke Schleicher at the desk, the gamble paid off in style.
Four Decades Of De-evolution
Pioneers of everything from circuit-bending to multimedia art, Devo have always belonged to the future.
Andrew VanWyngarden & Ben Goldwasser: Recording Congratulations
MGMT could have followed up their smash hit debut album with more of the same. Instead, they headed straight into left field, with help from a legend of British psychedelia.
40 Years Of Krautrock
In 1969, Faust used their massive record company advance to build a unique studio and a collection of weird, custom-made effects units. The same experimental spirit lives on in their new album, Faust Is Last.
Producing The Defamation Of Strickland Banks
Plan B entered the public eye as a rapper, but its as a soul singer that he has conquered the charts. He and his production team revisit the tortuous story behind The Defamation Of Strickland Banks.
Secrets Of The Mix Engineers: David R Ferguson
Inside Track: Johnny Cash | American VI: Ain't No Grave
Sometimes the simplest-sounding music takes the most work to get right, and so it was with Johnny Cashs posthumous hit album American VI: Aint No Grave. Engineer and mixer David R Ferguson was on hand at every stage of Rick Rubins production.
Steven Wilson: Recording & Marketing Porcupine Tree
Every new Porcupine Tree album sells over a quarter of a million copies. And with founder Steven Wilson in control of everything from songwriting to shrink-wrapping, theres no middle man to take a cut. Read his valuable advice for SOS readers wishing to do likewise...
From Rock Producer To Pop Songwriter
Phil Thornalley learned his trade as a rock engineer and producer in the 80s. Then he co-wrote a little-known song called Torn...
Five Decades In The Studio
Legendary songwriter and Kinks frontman Ray Davies got his first taste of recording in 1964, and hes never looked back.
The Stargate Writing & Production Team
Mikkel Eriksen
From humble beginnings in provincial Norway, the Stargate team have gone on to become one of Americas leading hit factories. Songwriter and producer Mikkel Eriksen explains how their hard work and talent brought success.
Dave Stewart: Creating A New Album From Archive Material
Time Trial: Bringing Multitracks and MIDI into the 21st Century
Dave Stewarts career has spanned several generations of music technology (from National Health band in the 1970s to hits with partner Barbara Gaskin. For his latest project, he faced the challenge of bringing his old multitracks and MIDI sequences into the computer age.
Secrets Of The Mix Engineers: Humberto Gatica
Inside Track: Michael Bublé 'You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You'
In a rare interview, legendary engineer and producer Humberto Gatica explains how he and singer Michael Bublé breathed new life into big-band swing music — with stunning results.


text:
How We Dress Now: An Oral History, Part III
The third entry in our multi-part series on the evolution of men's style over the last decade or so
By The Fashion Editors
BASTIAN: I'd be in the fitting room at Bergdorf with the tailors, and there'd be other guys getting their suits done. What I noticed, which was really interesting, was that even the classic-suit guys would put their hands in their pants pockets to nudge them down a little bit, so the pants sat more on their hip bones, not up at their waist. We weren't pushing that rise on them — that's what they started to be comfortable in.
Slim-fit casual pants ($275) by Michael Bastian