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Covering a wide range of topics, from advanced masking to chart creation, Illustrator CS4 Beyond the Basics reveals a whole new level of power, creativity, and efficiency with Illustrator. Instructor Mordy Golding explores how to work with Live Paint groups, get the most out of the Live Trace feature, and take advantage of Illustrator's wide range of effects. He also discusses advanced transformation techniques, powerful 3D functionality, and important color concepts. Exercise files accompany the course.
One of the coolest aspects, in my opinion at least, of the 3D feature inside of Illustrator is its support for something called Artwork Mapping. Now as we know, Illustrator itself is a two- dimensional application; the artboard that we are looking at right now is 2D. We also know that 3D is applied as a Live Effect. So that means that when I'm inside of that Live Effect dialog box, I'm living inside of this 3D world. What Artwork Mapping allows me to do is basically combine these two worlds together. I can take a two dimensional piece of artwork and wrap it around the surface of a 3D object.
Now, because we only live inside of this real 3D world, when the 3D Effect dialog box is open inside of Illustrator, I'm only going to be able to do this Artwork Mapping when I'm inside of that dialog. Now, as we are soon going to see, the only way for me to get two- dimensional artwork into the 3D Live Effect dialog box, I need to turn my artwork into a symbol first. So let's take a look at this example right here. I happen to have these two water bottles here. What I want to do is I want to basically wrap a label around the center part of this bottle right over here. Also take a closer look over here at the top of this bottle, and you could see that I have this kind of cap that exists right over here. Right now this cap should really have some kind of a thread on it. So what I would like to do is simulate some kind of thread effect on this particular cap here to make it look that much more realistic.
By the way, take a look at this transparent cap over here that I have on the top of the bottle; I'll show you how I created that in just a moment. But first, I'm going to come over here, open up my panels here and see what exists inside of my Symbols panel. I currently have two symbols here. Let's look at the first one. I'm simply going to double-click on a symbol. We know that in Illustrator if you double-click on a symbol in the Symbols panel, it actually allows you to edit that particular symbol. So what I have created here is just a simple series of lines, these are all stroke lines. What I have done is I have basically colored them just a shade darker than the color that I have applied to that particular cap.
By wrapping this piece of artwork around that cap, it would simulate the look of some kind of thread or grip that appears on that cap. I'm going to go ahead and click on the arrow here so I can go back to my artwork here. I am also going to double-click on this symbol. This symbol is actually the label that I have created. I'm going to zoom out just a little bit more so you could see this. Again, it's just a simple, regular piece of art that I have created. There is nothing fancy or different about this. It's regular artwork. You can have Photoshop artwork. You can really take anything at all that you would ever want to create into a label. What's important here is I have actually created this label actual size. As we are going to see, when you start working with Artwork Mapping inside of Illustrator, because we can create our 3D shapes to begin with, with very precise measurements, I'll always create the artwork that I want to map with the same measurements, so that way I know that when I map it onto the surface, I don't need to do additional scaling or rotating or so on and so forth. It just makes it that much easier for you later on when you start doing the Artwork Mapping itself.
Once again, I'll go ahead and simply double-click on any blank area to exit the Symbol Editing Mode and go back to my artwork. Now, to define a symbol all you need to do is create any art inside of Illustrator, any piece of artwork, you don't have to group it if you don't want to, simply select all that artwork and then go over to the Symbols panel and click on this button right here to create a new symbol. The keyboard shortcut to define a symbol is the F8 key on your keyboard, and that's the same for both Mac and PC. So that's all that you need to know right now about how to create your artwork. You now know that you have to define your artwork as a symbol. Once you have defined that it's a symbol, you will be able to then wrap that artwork around the 3D object, which we'll get to in just a moment.
But let's talk for a minute more about exactly how the Artwork Mapping feature works inside of Illustrator. Now, as you see over here, I have two bottles that I have created. I have actually created this with the same artwork but with different attributes applied to them. Let me explain to you exactly what I mean. I am simply going to go ahead and click on this object right here. It's a group. I have been able to actually go ahead and revolve all this as one united object here. If you look over here in my Appearance panel, I have here the 3D Revolve that I have applied. But I'm going to simply just turn off the eyeball. One of the things that I love about the new Appearance panel inside of Illustrator CS4 is the fact that you can toggle these effects on and off without actually having to remove them and then reapply them.
So I'm just going to simply go ahead and click on the eyeball here to remove the effect, and see how I have actually created the shape here. I used the guide here as a visual reference to know where that axis is going to be. Then what I have done is I have actually created this shape right over here, one shape over here. I have created another shape for the cap. I have another shape over here. This is actually-- if I click on this right here, I'm using my Direct Selection tool, you will see that I have a shape that's over here that is actually filled white, but that has an Opacity of 50%. That's why I have been able to create this transparent plastic looking cap, because what I'm basically seeing is that shape there, but I'm able to see through it because its transparent.
Whenever you are working with objects inside of Illustrator that you are applying a 3D effect to, as long as you are working with a group of objects, you can basically assign an Opacity level to any object within that group, then that opacity will basically show through in the revolved object. But in this case, you can see that all the objects that I have created have fills but they have no stroke attributes applied. I'm actually going to go over here to this shape. I'm going to click on this one. I'm going to turn its 3D effect off. You will see that I have built the exact same shape, but in this case, all the artwork is made up of strokes but with no fills. I'll go ahead and I'll click on this object, for example. Right here, click the entire object. Notice that I have over here a stroke applied but I have no fill applied at all.
This is an important thing to realize about Illustrator. For some reason the 3D effect does a better job at rendering when you are working with strokes and not filled objects. As we'll start to see about how we create these complex objects, a lot of self-intersection starts occurring when you have filled objects. Basically, the over result just don't look nearly as good. So for example, if I go back over here to this object right here; let's turn the 3D effect back on again; this is actually a good example of how when you start to get complex, this is all real 3D rendering that's happening, it takes that much more time for Illustrator to do its job.
I will go ahead and I'll click on this object here and I'll go ahead and I'll turn its 3D effect on. You notice that the one on the left over here, where I used the strokes, looks better. Take a look over here at the transparency. This looks better. There is some kind of odd kind of reflection going on in this. You see how it's kind of not really a round shape but it's kind of like boxy as opposed to this one, which is really smooth. The overall effect in the appearance of the stroked artwork looks far better than the one that is currently working with the fills. But this is kind of one of those kind of things where you have an either/or kind of experience. What I mean by that is, as we'll soon see, the Artwork Mapping feature takes a look at my artwork and creates these surfaces. What I can do is I can apply artwork to a particular surface.
Now, when you are working with artwork that is working with fills; in this case here I have no strokes at all, because the artwork is filled, the entire object is solid, there is no inside, there is just the outside of the bottle. But because this has a stroke attribute and not a fill attribute, Illustrator is rendering both the outside and inside. When I start thinking about how many surfaces I have to work with; if you think about this shape right here, because there is no inside, its a solid fill bottle, think of it as just made up of one big piece of plastic, there is no inside of it, I only have the outside surface to work with, so that's just one set of surfaces.
However, if we think about this shape right over here; so this is hollow inside, which means, even though I really can't see it right now, Illustrator will allow me to put artwork around the outside of this bottle, or I could map artwork along the inside surface of the bottle. What does that mean to me? So let's take a quick look and I'll show you. If I click on this artwork first right here, this is the one with the filled objects, I'm simply going to click on the 3D Revolve effect, open up the dialog box, and I'll click on this button here called Map Art. This is the area where we are going to start applying the artwork that can actually wrap around the surface of these 3D shapes. So you can see over here I have this Surface setting. I currently have 1 of 28 different surfaces that I have, and we'll talk about exactly what makes a surface inside of Illustrator. But again, because there is no inside or hollow area of the shape right now, I have 28 surfaces to work with.
However, I'm going to click on Cancel here. Let's click on this shape that appears right over here. I'm now going to go ahead and click on the Revolve effect here, click on the Map Art button, and you can see that I now have 1 of 95 surfaces. So I have that many more surfaces to deal with, and that makes my object a little bit more complex, and as we'll soon see when we actually apply the Artwork Mapping, it can make my life a little bit more difficult. So it's an either/or kind of thing, what do you prefer, do you want to work with fewer surfaces but not get as good of a rendering result, or you can get a much better rendering result but have to deal with more surfaces? Unfortunately, we really care at the end of the day what our artwork looks like.
We don't really care about how we get there. In my opinion, when you are working with these kinds of shapes and especially these kinds of complex pieces of artwork, you really want to get the possible result out of Illustrator. So what I'm going to end up doing is being forced to work in the world basically of these stroked objects here; again, without any fills inside of them. I'll ultimately get a better result, but at the same time, I'm going to have to work that much harder to make sure that my mapping is done correctly. So finally, let's talk for one moment about just the surfaces themselves. We know that we can take now a symbol that we have defined inside of Illustrator and we are going to be able to wrap that around an object, or better yet, let's talk more about the terms that we are speaking with here. We can actually apply a symbol to a surface inside of Illustrator.
Now, you notice when I had this particular object selected, it had about 28 surfaces. The way that it works inside of Illustrator is that I can take one symbol and I could map that one symbol to one surface at a time. Now, I can apply different symbols or even the same symbol to multiple surfaces, but at any one time I can only take one symbol and apply it to one surface. In other words, I can't have two symbols or two pieces of artwork on a single surface. Now, if we think about this shape right here, and I have here a surface, which is the area that I have defined here as a label, kind of an indented area in the plastic. So this whole area circled around the entire shape itself is considered one surface.
So I couldn't have, let's say, two labels; like a label that I put on the front and a label that I put on the back. I only have one label that I can work with. I could create artwork that just looks like two labels that are stacked side-by-side and then wrap that around my piece of artwork, but I can't actually apply one label to the front and then another label to the back as two separate symbols. They would need to live as one symbol. Likewise, I cannot take a single symbol inside of Illustrator and have it wrap around multiple surfaces. For example, as we are soon going to see, this area of the bottle, this area of the bottle, and this area of the bottle are three separate surfaces. So I couldn't take one piece of artwork or one symbol and actually have it display across all these three surfaces at once. What I would need to do is I would need to actually define three separate symbols; one symbol that I would want to go in this area, one symbol on this area and then one symbol on this area, and then I would map them all on to it individually.
So now that we have a better understanding of what we need to create in order to apply this Artwork Mapping feature, and now that we have a better idea of exactly what these surfaces are, we'll now, in the next movie, talk about how we actually apply these artwork to these objects in a way that we can basically turn this now to something truly spectacular.
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A D-Core Pillow Can Save Your Neck
I'd never heard of a D-Core pillow until several years ago I visited the emergency room with an intolerable headache. I had never before suffered anything like this pain, which was so severe it nearly made me nauseous. After lots of tests, the ER doctor suggested that I visit — GASP! — a chiropractor, because the tests showed no organic dysfunction, and, to make a long story short, one of the remedies the chiropractor recommended was something called a D-Core Pillow that (surprise!) her office happened to sell. The headaches, she explained, were caused by neck strain, and the pillow (along with some chiropractic adjustment) would relieve that strain.
Needless to say, I was skeptical that a mere pillow could be part of the solution, and that THIS particular pillow (that the doctor herself was selling) could help, but after a single night's sleep — no kidding, it took ONE night — my headache was barely noticeable. After several days, I was no longer experiencing headaches at all. They were caused, it seemed, by poor cervical alignment, which the shape of the pillow helped to correct as I slept.
How does it work? The pillow is shaped like this:
The core in the center of the pillow, which is shaped (obviously) like a "D," cradles the back of your head, while the surrounding cushion support the natural curvature of your cervical spine. As I've learned the hard way, this curve can be disturbed, or your neck otherwise severely strained, if you sleep on your stomach (my favorite position) or on your side without adequate support for your neck, or if you spend too much time hunched and leaning over a computer keyboard, tablet, or mobile device (have you noticed that Bill Gates' head leans precipitously forward even when he's simply seated upright in an interview chair?). I have tried many (many!) other "cervical support" pillows over the years — memory foam, buckwheat hulls, side-sleeper shoulder-supporting — and each one of them has caused me to awaken with stiffness in my neck and shoulders. The D-Core is the only pillow that not only prevents that morning strain but relieves any strain I've accumulated in my neck or shoulders during the day.
The only bad news about the D-Core pillow is that it's not really packable for travel. You can — as I do — stuff it into a suitcase and compress it to allow room for the rest of your belongings, or you could get the "mini" version that's about half the size.
I'd be thrilled, though, if someone designed an inflatable version so I could more easily take my very necessary neck support on trips, and I'd be interested to know via comment whether anyone has found a comparable inflatable solution. In the meantime, you can get the D-Core Pillow or its smaller sibling fairly easily from Amazon.
Posted in Household Leave a comment
Spray Detailer – Have Your Car Look Just Washed Every Day
You get your car washed and waxed, or you spend time doing it yourself. It looks shiny and like new – until it starts to get smudged, or the worst thing: ugly, caustic bird droppings. Could be that an otherwise clean, detailed car with an unsightly dirty spot looks worse than a uniformly dingy car. In any event, you don't want to have to wash 100% of the car when 99% still looks perfect. That's why they invented spray detailer – a "secret" well known to celebrity chauffeurs and car show concours winners. Keep some in the trunk of your car, along with a fairly clean microfiber and you will be ready anytime for the 30 second touch-up.
Every company that makes car care products makes spray detailer: Turtle Wax, Mothers, Meguiars, etc., and they all do the same job. Personally, I prefer Armor All or other products made with carnauba wax. My attitude is the more carnauba wax on my car, the better (and maybe I can get away with going that much longer before I have to wax it again).
Even without some cosmetic catastrophe like a bird bombing attack, you can easily improve the overall look of the car by turning the dustiest part into the shiniest. I find that the little triangular space behind the wheels tends to get dusty and dirty much faster than the rest of the car, so treat those spots and the car looks freshly washed again. Do as little or as much as you feel like doing.
Spray detailer is the perfect product for when you need a little moisture for touch-up to avoid scratching and to add back some shine. Combine it with a California Duster and you just might find out your car looks cleaner than ever with hardly any actual water. What could be easier?
Posted in Gifts for Men, Transportation Leave a comment
WAZE Is the Best GPS App (and It's Free)
Full disclosure – I want you to start using the Waze app on your phone while you're driving to get directions, because maybe someday I'll be on the highway a little distance behind you and you'll be adding to the crowd-sourced speed and traffic information provided to everyone.
Waze harnesses the real-time location information from all its users and distributes it to everyone, so as soon as traffic begins to build up, the word gets out. It will start to route drivers around the jam, so the jam starts to shrink. Or you can be a little more hands-on – when you start to see the brake lights go on ahead, Waze will tell you whether you'll be past it all soon or whether the road is blocked all the way to your destination. Get off the highway and Waze will direct you to the quickest new route.
To get the maximum benefit, it's best to have a copilot/navigator handle the Wazing. There is too much information on the screen to digest while driving, and posting information is a little too distracting (although you can do it with voice commands). To just use navigation, the information is spoken through the Bluetooth connection, politely interrupting the music. The speech can be set on one of the voices that tells you everything: right, left and the full name of the exit or street. Or have the voice of Elvis tell you when to go left or right.
Waze also warns you of objects in the road, vehicles parked on the shoulder, red light cameras and police cars. Its maps are constantly being updated by the Waze user community.
We just priced a new car – the absolute top of the line loaded model differed from the next one down mostly because of the navigation system. That's $3,500 worth of vehicle navigation that will ultimately be obsolete. We decided to go with Waze instead – it's free.
Learn more and get it here.
Posted in Transportation Leave a comment
A Mallory Snow Brush, and You'll Be Ready
If you don't have a Mallory snow brush (or any snow brush) after it snows, that's just too bad. You can't drive to the local auto parts store right then and pick one up without brushing the snow off your windshield, and after that's done, you don't need the brush anymore. Until it snows again.
A snow brush is a simple tool, but so much better than using just your (hopefully gloved ) hands. So get one now, before the next snow. They are cheap and light, and you can put one in your trunk or just on the floor in the back seat. There's no predicting when it's going to snow again – even the weather forecasters seem to get it wrong about half the time. All we know for sure is that it WILL snow again. Especially in Canada, where the Mallory snow brush company is located. A Canadian snow brush just makes sense, and things made in North America are usually better quality than things made in factories in the Far East. They don't have to be shipped as far, either, so less fossil fuel is used. If you want something even more environmentally friendly, check out the Mallory 203, a sturdy wooden model that has probably looked the same since Eisenhower was President.
If you want something a little more modern, and/or one that will easily reach all the windows on your monster truck or Chevy Suburban, Mallory makes many different models of brushes with plastic handles, plus they have scrapers and shovels. There's one only 16″ long to please the owners of Smart cars, and there's one that extends to 53″, which seems like it would be long enough to reach just about anywhere.
They have the integrated ice scraper and the handle is padded and notched for that all-important hand comfort. The next time it snows on your car, you'll be totally ready.
Available from Amazon.
Posted in Gifts for Anyone, Outdoors, Tools, Transportation Leave a comment
Thanksgiving Luxury
Here's a repost from two years ago:
Ten Best Examples of Thanksgiving Luxury
I live in the Northeastern United States for a reason: I love the seasons (and I'm holding onto them as long as climate change will let me). I especially love autumn, though — the colorful leaves, the comfort food, the football, the holidays. All the best holidays occur in the fall; the winter Monday holidays are mostly for quick getaways or shopping bargains, and Memorial Day is a great excuse for a cookout . . . as is July 4th . . . and Labor Day . . . so you see my point? Easter and Passover have their solemn traditions, but for three quarters of the year, nearly all of the holidays we celebrate are both redundant and fairly insignificant. But Thanksgiving . . . Thanksgiving is the middle and best of three holidays that celebrate this part of the year:
1. You'll Never See So Much Food (until next year) – Of course I started with the food! What greater luxury could exist than a holiday dedicated to EATING? Whether you roast your turkey or smoke it, serve mac-and-cheese or mashed potatoes, garnish with cranberry sauce or gravy, prefer Russets or yams, cornbread or Parker House rolls . . . see? That's eight options and I haven't even reached actual vegetables, salad, soup or dessert. The beauty of Thanksgiving is that it's all about the meal. You don't even have to make these choices. You can eat some of everything on the table, make Aunt Edythe happy that you like her cooking, and still have the weekend to work it all off, because Thanksgiving also offers . . .
2. You Have An Extra-Long Weekend – Stay up late watching holiday movies. Go to Best Buy at 4 a.m. (why? I don't know . . .). Spend your days and nights doing whatever you want. You have three full days — literally 72 hours — to catch up on your sleep, make lots of cookies, overdose on college football, find endless ways to serve turkey and stuffing. And that's not including the actual holiday, which is, as I said, all about those things anyway.
3. No Presents – Can't figure out what to get Cousin Martha to match her gingham wardrobe? Don't know Grandpa's shirt size? Save all that worry for . . . well, Friday, maybe, but you can put it off for the weekend if you want. Thanksgiving requires no gifts. Just show up with your appetite, good manners (please), and maybe a pie as a contribution to the National Day of Pot Luck. No trees, no ribbons, no packages required.
4. There's Football – If you're a football fan, Thanksgiving is your weekend. With two pro games on Thursday (and this year the Detroit Lions are actually winning), at least two college games on Friday, and the usual line-up of both on Saturday and Sunday, you'll barely need to leave the couch except to refresh the snack bowl. Even a sad Penn State fan might find something to cheer about.
5. It's the Beginning of Extended Holiday Shopping Hours – I have never figured out why, but some people — including some I love dearly — like to line up at midnight to catch super-early holiday sales. Really, I don't understand this desire on a weekend that is built around so much lazy luxuriating, but if dawn at Target is your thing, start napping to prepare. The stores try to make this activity even more appealing by offering deals like plasma TVs for $1; if you go, try not to mow anyone down with your shopping cart. People have been trampled at these sales. Be careful, and enjoy!
6. Black Friday – The original post-Thanksgiving shopping tradition, Black Friday is the shopping day on which retailers plan to return their ledgers to the black, hence the name, "Black Friday." In this endless recession (that allegedly ended in February of 2010), the stores need us more than ever, and who are we not to help them out? After all, consumer confidence is a leading indicator of economic recovery. So come on; it's Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus! Go out and get more stuff for those nice friends of yours who already have too much stuff. They'll thank you for it with some new stuff for you!
7. Santa is at the Mall – Okay, okay, he's already been at some malls for two weeks. But respect Thanksgiving, and treat the day AFTER as the start of the Christmas season. Use the weekend to get those holiday photos of the kids — or you and your best friends — on Santa's lap.
8. Holiday Movies and Animated Specials – As I said above, you can spend all weekend watching them, because they start now. Cable television has an endless supply of channels with nothing to broadcast, and many of them start their holiday programming on Thanksgiving Day. Check your local listings, and I bet you'll find at least one showing of "The Christmas Story," with Peter Billingsley. I don't know how or when it became a classic, but it did, and it really is funny. There'll be more. Take a look.
9. It Has Parades – Macy's is, of course, the Thanksgiving Day Parade to end all Thanksgiving Day Parades, but if you live in a major city, chances are yours has its own turkey trotting down the center of town, with bands, dancers and floats leading and trailing behind. Your local high school glee club, cheerleading squad or marching band may even be participating.
10. It's Ecumenical – Thanksgiving — thank goodness! — is the one holiday celebrated by all of us. Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Atheist; any racial or ethnic group; in America we all have something for which to be grateful to a higher power than our own. You can wish everyone "Happy Thanksgiving" with no fear of the PC police. Whether it's for the opportunity to gather, the people with whom to gather, the food we're overeating, or just the day off, Thanksgiving is the day when all of us, whoever we are, can take a breath and acknowledge that whatever else may be wrong, we at least have THIS. And that's enough.
Posted in Food Leave a comment
Joseph Joseph Index Advance Cutting Boards (MOMA Approved)
I love to cook. I love to cook almost anything, in fact, so much so that we can't eat the leftovers fast enough. As a practical matter, what that means is that I spend a lot of time chopping things — garlic, onions, dried fruit, nuts, ginger, potatoes, bite-size pieces of chicken or beef . . . and that's where the problem arises. For years I have used the same wooden cutting board for everything, which means that after I chop, say, onions and garlic I have to wash it off and try to deodorize it (good luck with that) before cutting fruit for the same recipe, or scour and sanitize it after chopping chicken before chopping other ingredients to add to that. All of this interim cleaning makes for very inefficient cooking, I've found, but recently I discovered a streamlined and organized solution: the Joseph Joseph Index Advance cutting boards.
They're both tabbed and color-coded, so there's no confusion about which cutting board you'll use for which task. The boards are store in a stainless steel file bin, and the boards are tabbed — one each for vegetables, fish, meat, and hot foods — so you know at a glance which one to grab and can reach for a new one after you've chopped the smelly garlic, before you start slicing something sweet for dessert. The non-slip feet at the corners on both sides keep the boards in place while you're slicing and chopping. More importantly, you won't have to worry that you've not sufficiently removed the potentially-germy chicken residue from a board you'll need for other items. The boards' compact storage file is another advantage; they occupy no more than a couple inches of depth on your counter, so they minimize clutter and needn't hog precious drawer capacity.
They are one of the products so stylish that they are offered in the New York Museum of Modern Art catalog, but they are also available from Amazon.
Posted in Gifts for Women, Kitchen Leave a comment
Anco Winter Wiper Blades Will Help You Through Winter Storms
One thing I knew my winter beater needed was the best winter wiper blades – Anco winter wiper blades. I love to drive my vintage Mercedes convertible in warm weather, but in the winter, it's a bad idea. Snow, salt on the roads, bad visibility, other cars skidding – it's time to park it.
The winter beater (love that phrase – a "beater" for the winter, or a machine that beats the winter?) turned out to be a battered 1994 Honda Accord EX on Craigslist with very few miles and a remarkably clean interior. Four pretty new M+S tires, rubber floor mats and a newly repaired ABS braking system were a good start. Plus the heat and defrost were toasty. A few dents were already there, so any new dents would fit right in and not be lonely.
Visibility was a prime consideration. There are few things more stressful than trying to drive on slick snowy or icy roads while more of the same stuff is falling down and accumulating on your windshield. Turn the defroster blower on high and have the washer fluid tank topped off with Rain-X, then you only need one more thing – wiper blades on the outside that won't streak and don't clog.
Anco winter wiper blades are formulated with rubber that will stay flexible at low temperatures. The most distinctive feature, though, is the rubber boot that covers up all the openings and moving parts that can get jammed up with ice too far from the windshield for the fluid or the defroster inside to do much. If the wiper is freezing up or just flopping an icy arm from side to side, your windshield will not stay clear.
Anco wiper blades have been around for nearly a hundred years, produced by the Michigan, USA -based Federal-Mogul Corporation. They cost less than twenty bucks a pair and right now there's a mail-in rebate.
Available from Amazon.
Posted in Outdoors, Transportation Leave a comment
Halloween Luxury
Here's a repost from two years ago:
Ten Most "Luxurious" Things About Halloween
I've thought for a long time that "the holidays" are what helps us North Americans (and others in the Northern Hemisphere) fight back against Seasonal Affective Disorder – the holiday lights keep us from getting depressed after the summer sunshine is gone. The holidays start with Halloween, and that's one of the things I like about it (although there are at least ten more):
1. Jack o' Lantern as an art form – Here's an art genre for you: carve a hollow vegetable into a work of art that involves light from the inside and typically has a theme of horror, and will start to rot within a week or so. I like to use power tools, like a jigsaw and an electric drill, to add an element of drama (and loud noise).
2. Children in costumes – Halloween is most definitely a holiday for children, but they will come right to your door to show you their costumes (whether you want them to or not).
3. Costumes as an art form – Those of us who have children, or are invited to masquerade parties, get another opportunity to express our creativity. My idea for an adult costume, a bicycle racer with syringes and blood bags hanging off of his arms, has not gone over too well …
4. Candy – Yes, candy.
5. Halloween videos – Can't, absolutely can't write this post without mentioning "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." Just can't. On the big screen, there are movies like "The Nightmare Before Christmas."
6. Seasonal beers – For those of you who are fans of craft beers, you can be almost 100% sure that your local brewery will have a seasonal pumpkin ale or something similar to get you in the holiday spirit.
7. No gifts. Even department stores haven't yet started pre-pre-pre-holiday sales, or mounted holiday decorations before you've gotten the artificial cobwebs out of your trees. Your only obligation, should you choose to accept it, is to dole out piles of candy to those sweet little goblins, Avengers, and Spidermen that appear at your door.
8. It's ecumenical. Like Thanksgiving, Halloween is a holiday that can be celebrated by everyone. Though some consider it Satanic, I fail to understand how streets or parties full of children and adults dressed, often badly, as their favorite superhero or Presidential candidate could possibly reflect the worship of evil to any serious person. Halloween is all in fun. Try to take it that way.
9. There's no snow on the ground — at least, not usually. Hallow'en is celebrated while the air is crisp but, typically, still mild enough not to require a parka or boots. Leaves are still on the trees, you can just begin to smell wood burning in neighborhood fireplaces. It offers no lyrical waxing about sleigh bells, silver bells, or jingle bells — just hayrides through scarecrow-guarded fields and an occasional bob for apples.
10. Haunted houses, prisons, or mental hospitals. Halloween provides innumerable opportunities to have the bejeezus frightened out of you. If you like to be terrified, now's your chance, and you can often do it in the most unpleasant surroundings imaginable. Creaky old mansions, converted penal institutions, places with straightjackets and handcuffs and maniacs — oh, my! — have been repurposed into sites where ordinary people dress up as zombies, monsters, vampires, and mummies to frighten other ordinary people for a small fee.
Posted in Children Leave a comment
Meyer Lemons Will Keep Some Summer Inside
The days are getting shorter and colder in a lot of places (North America, Europe, etc.), so could it be time to grow a Meyer lemon tree in your home? OK, maybe you hadn't thought of that, but every time you put some citrus seeds in the garbage you wonder what might have been. You could put any orange, lemon or lime seeds in a pot of soil, but it requires some patience before you get much of a plant that way. They have layers of coating that the seedlings have to work their way through. If you are going to wait that long, use the right seeds – Meyer lemons.
Growing Meyer Lemons
Meyer lemons are dwarf lemons to begin with, so they are the right size for a house plant. You will get some fruit, and Meyer lemons are very useful – they are half lemon and half mandarin orange, so they are sweeter than ordinary lemons and therefore more versatile for cooking. They are available in stores during the cold months, so go ahead and try them to see if you like them. They will have seeds inside, of course, so you can try growing some. Keep them moist, and follow one of the many available growing guides. You will need a sunny location and some potting soil with very good drainage.
Better yet, order one that's already a few feet tall. You won't want to wait any longer than you have to for fragrant flowers that will soon turn into lemons. Meyer lemons are self-pollinating, so one is enough. You order one, and it miraculously makes its way through the mail from its warm tropical home in the nursery to its new home in the cold, dark North.
Or do both. Try rooting some seeds, and at the same time order its big brother. Then you'll have more than one.
Available from Amazon.
Posted in Food, Household, Kitchen Leave a comment
LastPass Remembers Passwords So You Don't Have To
Pick a password that's impossible to remember, but don't write it down. Say what? And use a different, impossible to remember password for every site. There's no way. So what happens? If you're like I was, you use the same password for everything, cleverly substituting numbers for letters, or maybe adding an exclamation point. Good luck with that. Some day soon, one of those sites WILL get hacked, and you'll have to go to all the other sites and change your password.
LastPass frees you from all that. It even frees you from typing them in (especially helpful for the elderly or disabled). Set it up with a master password, and it will enter all your passwords automatically. It will even generate nearly uncrackable passwords for you, and then remember them. If you get nervous, it will let you go back look up all these passwords and see what they are. Put it on all your browsers and it will cost you … nothing. It's free. It also fills in forms for you with your address and credit card numbers.
Better yet, spend $25 to get a YubiKey and another $12 a year for LastPass Premium and you'll have the ultimate in security. The Yubikey is a little device for your keychain that generates a unique password each time, that you plug into a USB port. LastPass Premium lets you use LastPass on your smartphone; that alone is worth $1 a month. It makes a great gift, especially for someone you feel might be a little more vulnerable to being hacked than the rest of us.
LastPass also has an export feature, in case you want to switch to something else or just know that you can down the road. Try it – remember, it's free, and see how you like liberation from worrying about passwords.
Posted in Gifts for Anyone, Office Leave a comment

subset: commoncrawl


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When looking for a construction loan it is important to find a lender who will work closely with you from the time you apply for the loan until the time you move into your home, and beyond. Wallkill Valley Federal is that lender. We will put our expertise to work for you to ensure you understand the unique aspects of construction loan financing. With the financing in place you are free to concentrate on what is truly important – building your dream home! Whether you are constructing a stick built, modular, or kit home our programs can be tailored to your meet your needs.
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Pirates lose 1st in 4 games, 8-2 to Astros
PITTSBURGH After working on a shutout through five innings, Charlie Morton was sent to the showers in the midst of a rocky sixth.
Just like the rest of the Pirates, it was a game he'd like to wash off.
One of Hunter Pence's three hits was an RBI single during a five-run sixth, Bud Norris pitched seven strong innings, and the Houston Astros snapped Pittsburgh's three-game winning streak with an 8-2 victory Wednesday night.
A day after climbing four games over .500 this late in a season for the first time in 19 years, the Pirates (45-42) fell back into third place in the NL Central by losing for the first time in four games.
Surprising Pittsburgh, which was 10-4 in its previous 14 games to move within 1 1/2 games of the division lead, hasn't lost consecutive games since June 17-20.
"That's because we wash it off," centerfielder Andrew McCutchen said. "We lose a game, we wash it off. We win a game, we wash it off. We're still doing some good things."
The struggles the Astros were facing finally reached the point they needed a 75-minute team meeting Wednesday to air some things out.
The frustrations built up over a five-game losing streak and losses in 10 of their past 11 were all taken out on the Pirates in that big sixth.
"The meeting was something we needed to come together and bring the unit back together and kind of just realize where we're at," Norris said. "It was a good meeting, and we were excited about then going out there and doing the little things well. That's what it's all about - and that's exactly what we got today."
Houston took the field less than 90 minutes after the meeting that longtime observers of the club said lasted longer than any they had seen in-season. Heading into the day, the Astros were 6-24 since June 3. They have the majors' worst record (30-58).
After Morton limited Houston to three hits over the first five innings, seven of the eight batters who faced him in the sixth reached.
Angel Sanchez, Carlos Lee, Jeff Keppinger and Clint Barmes also had RBI hits in the inning.
The five runs Houston scored in the sixth matched what it had in the previous three games combined.
"It kind of got out of hand," Morton said of the inning. "It kind of crept up on me, and all of a sudden it just kind of fell apart."
Morton (7-5) was making his second start since having his turn in the rotation skipped due to arm fatigue. The Astros did not get to him until the sixth, when they had six hits and benefited from two errors.
McCutchen had both RBIs, and Michael McKenry went 2 for 3 for the Pirates.
Lee, Keppinger and Barmes each had two hits, with Pence extending his hitting streak to 11 games. He and Michael Bourn both scored twice, and Pence and Keppinger both had two RBIs - each adding one during a three-run Houston ninth.


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+ - The Stratos balloon is filling!-> 2
Submitted by madcarrots
madcarrots writes: The Red Bull Stratos space jump is about to take place. The balloon is filling up and launch is expected around 10 AM MDT. Check out the live feed of the inflation process... it's beautiful!
Link to Original Source
Link to Original Source


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Vanderburgh County coroner candidates Q & A
EVANSVILLE - The Courier & Press provided questions to the two candidate for Vanderburgh County Treasurer. These are their written responses.
Name: Annie Eickhoff-Groves (Democrat)
Age: 55
Education: Reitz High School (1975); state certified medicolegal death investigator (1999); attended Master Death Investigation Course at St. Louis School of Medicine (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011).
Current employment: Coroner at Vanderburgh County Coroner's Office
Prior public service: Present coroner, prior to that I was the chief deputy coroner for eight years and deputy coroner for 12 years.
Name: Gary B. Gulledge (Republican)
Age: 58
Education: Certificates held related to the coroner office: Medicolegal Death Investigation — St. Louis School of Medicine; Homicide Investigation — University of Louisville; Crime Scene Investigation — Northwestern University; Forensic Fingerprint Classification and Identification — Forensic ITC, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Child Death and Injury Investigation — National Criminal Justice PATC, Indianapolis; Photograph Techniques — National Criminal Justice PATC, Indianapolis; Leadership Training for Administrative and Financial Matters — Nashville; Critical Incident Stress Management and Debriefing; Cold Case and Missing Person Investigation — Indiana State Police;
Current place of employment: Retired from Evansville Police — June 2012.
Prior public service: Evansville Police Department — 23 years
1. Why are you seeking office?
Eickhoff-Groves: I have 24 years of experience in the coroner's office. I know the investigated end, the administrative end and have the compassion to deal with a family during the worst times of their life.
Gulledge: I have the experience, professionalism, and training, to improve this office. As a police officer, I came into contact with people who had lost loved ones due to natural or unnatural causes. The survivors shared stories of their loved ones passing with me, and relayed their anger when loved ones died by violence. I listened and understood people who were experiencing these difficult times. During my career in law enforcement, I met people of all ages, nationalities, races, and standings in life. They all had one thing in common — the desire to be treated fairly and with understanding and compassion in their time of sorrow. This office and the personnel will do this with my leadership.
2. What is the most important issue facing our community as it relates to this office and how can you make a difference?
Eickhoff-Groves: The issues facing this office are the number of people dying from prescription drug overdose and suicide. I am serving on several boards that are working on this problem. To solve this problem we need to educate that there is a problem and that is what I am presently working on.
Gulledge: Prescription drug overdose, accidental or intentional, has currently surpassed combined deaths from cocaine and heroin. Education with local pharmaceutical groups, addictions centers, and education for parents, and mental health centers would assist in reducing the incident of drug overdose and would increase awareness of this problem. I would make this a priority for the coroner's office and pledge to partnership with mental health groups, parents and addiction organizations.
3. Identify an issue important to you and how you would make it a priority for the office.
Eickhoff-Groves: Bullying, this is a major issue facing our children. I have been speaking to difference schools on this issue and would like to see the program grow. I am hoping to get a sponsor for this program.
Gulledge: Lack of communication and understanding between the community and the coroner's office. After announcing my candidacy numerous individuals have relayed their personal story about what they saw as a cold and uncaring attitude from the coroner's office. For years I worked with personnel at the coroner's office and found them to be outstanding people to work with — I believe this misunderstanding in the community is due to a part-time coroner and lack of leadership from the current officer holder. When elected, I will begin a training program that will reinforce caring and compassion from personnel in the coroner's office.
4. What is something that needs changed or maintained and why?
Eickhoff-Groves: I would like to see the commitment to prevention of deaths to be maintained. Many of lives have been saved in our county due to the coroner's office being so involved in prevention.
Gulledge: Leadership is certainly lacking in the coroner's office. Currently there is a part-time coroner making a full-time salary of $63,088. Part time leadership soon develops into a lack of desire to excel and to maintain professionalism by your personnel. You have to lead by example — excellence is a habit. I promise to be a full-time coroner and lead by example, to ensure that the Vanderburgh Coroner's Office is an asset to the community, to have a position on the Indiana State Coroner's Association, and to have an open relationship with the community.
5. How could you save taxpayers' money?
Eickhoff-Groves: The coroner's office operates 24/7 and already has one of the lowest budgets in the county. Most of the budget is a direct reflection on how many deaths occurs in the county.
Gulledge: The coroner's office annual budget is small ($578,000). The coroner's office and position is a State of Indiana legislative office regulated by Indiana Code. Within that code are certain demands and laws that have to be followed, with some limited flexibility. Reducing the need for autopsies through prescription drug education, mental health programs, new parents education, would lead to a reduction of autopsies and a continued stabilized budget. Most importantly, I will be a more consistent manager of the coroner's office, which will allow me to monitor and analyze expenses on a regular basis.
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A Study in Dark and Light
December 5, 2008
- Date Acquired: October 6, 2008
- Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 131771993
- Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
- Resolution: 260 meters/pixel (0.16 miles/pixel)
- Scale: This image is about 260 kilometers wide (160 miles)
- Spacecraft Altitude: 10,200 kilometers (6,300 miles)
Of Interest: Visible near the top of this NAC image are two distinctive craters, imaged for the first time during MESSENGER's second Mercury flyby. The crater at upper left has light-colored material around its rim and on its floor. In contrast, the larger crater to the right is surrounded by a halo of dark material. Craters with distinctive light and dark materials were also seen during the mission's first Mercury flyby, such as the craters Poe and Sander located within the Caloris basin. (The crater Sander was named in April 2008, while the name of Poe just recently received official approval.) The dark and light materials likely represent rocks with different chemical and mineralogical compositions and as such offer an opportunity to learn about variations in the components that make up Mercury's surface.
Topics: Disaster Accident, Sander, MESSENGER, Mercury, Environment, Atget, Caloris Basin, Poe


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Sensys Networks wireless sensors based on TI microcontrollers help manage traffic for 10+ years without maintenance
Sensys Networks leverages TI's ultra-low power MSP430 MCUs and RF transceiver to enable smart transportation technology that reduces traffic congestion and emissions
The Sensys wireless sensors are based on TI's MSP430F14x and MSP430F16x MCUs that run at ultra-low power levels to ensure maximum life of the system, drastically reducing maintenance effort and cost. The data from the sensors is transmitted real-time to a nearby location via TI's CC2430 RF transceiver, and is then transmitted to a local traffic controller or off-site traffic management system.
Key features and benefits of using TI's MSP430 MCUs and RF transceiver:
- MSP430 MCUs ultra-low power consumption (<1us clock startup and <50nA pin leakage) enables 10+ year battery life
- Intelligent digital and analog peripherals integrated into MSP430 MCUs provide high performance, even during RF transmissions, and consume no power when not in operation
- 16-bit RISC CPU architecture of the MSP430 MCU enables more effective processing, smaller size and high code density to maximize performance while minimizing memory and power requirement
- CC2430 RF transceivers are the world's first IEEE 802.15.4 system-on-chip solution and operate in the 2.4-GHz range, making them ideally suited for reliable, low power digital wireless applications
- TI's scalable MCU portfolio consists of hundreds of devices that meet varying price, performance and ultra-low power requirements
"Helping us to extend the life of our product well beyond that of our competitors, we chose TI's MSP430 MCU for its ultra low power capability," said
Pricing and availability
The Sensys Networks systems have been deployed around the world in more than 30 U.S. states and 20 countries. The System is available for purchase through Sensys Networks directly or their worldwide distribution network. For more information on the Sensys Wireless Vehicle Detection System, please visit www.sensysnetworks.com.
Find out more about TI's MCUs, RF transceivers and MCU tools by visiting the links below:
- TI MSP430: www.ti.com/msp430
- MSP430 tools page: www.ti.com/msp430tools
- TI's microcontrollers: www.ti.com/mcu
- TI's low power RF: www.ti.com/lprf
- MCU tools videos: http://community.ti.com/media/g/microcontrollers/default.aspx
- TI E2E MCU community: https://community.ti.com/forums/35.aspx
- TI eStore: www.ti.com/estore
- TI energy blog: http://TInergy.ti.com
- Follow TI on Twitter: www.twitter.com/txinstruments
About Sensys Networks
Sensys Networks is the world's leading provider of wireless traffic detection and integrated traffic data systems. Our patented, wireless magnetic sensors install in a fraction of the time with far less disruption to highways and intersections than traditional detection technologies. The Sensys Wireless Vehicle Detection System is deployed in more than 30 U.S. states and 20 countries. It is the technology standard for the world's largest traffic data systems.
Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) helps customers solve problems and develop new electronics that make the world smarter, healthier, safer, greener and more fun. A global semiconductor company, TI innovates through design, sales and manufacturing operations in more than 30 countries. For more information, go to www.ti.com/.
All other registered trademarks and trademarks belong to their respective owners.
SOURCE Texas Instruments


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Tank ON - Modern Defender
1,000,000 - 5,000,000 downloads
- Addictive
- Simple and easy to learn, yet entertaining
- It might be too simple and repetitive
"They're coming!"
Reviewed by Peter Warrior / Apr 02, 2013
Defend your city from incoming waves of armored vehicles
Tank On falls into that big rag bag of "active defense games", meaning that you control a turret on the leftmost part of the screen and have to move it up and downwards to shoot at incoming enemies. In order to do so, you can fire a huge cannon or a fast twin machine gun, both upgradeable thorugh silver and golden currency. in addition, you can protect yourself with an energy shield.
This Tank On is a good example of how simplest games can be the more addictive and interesting. You don't have to think, you don't have to learn. Just move up and down and let the game entertain you. Three saving slots allow it to be shared with your brother or whoever, or try different upgrade paths in the skill tree. Graphics are average, sound is average.
Therefore, if you are just looking for a game to have a good time and are tired of bursting bubbles or throwing birds, here's Tank On: the standard game you were looking for
Control the turret which moves in front of your base, and fires machine gun or heavy cannon at the enemies. The turret is protected by a force field, so it can "catch" the enemy shells, preventing the damage to the base.
Use special weapons:
• The Orbital Ion Cannon capable of destroying multiple targets at once
• The impact of electromagnetic waves that paralyzes enemy vehicles
• The force field that protects the entire base and
• The Nuclear bomb which blast covers the whole battlefield.
For every enemy destroyed you get silver coins, and gold coins for the completing of missions, and protecting your base.
Spend the coins between missions to upgrade weapons and protection of the base, and to improve special weapons as well!
Get awards for various achievements, and even for the fact of starting the game! Play every day, and your daily award will be bigger and bigger!
- Allowed to move the game to SD card
- Fixed some bugs
Previous updates:
- New option in game settings allows to turn off the message about daily bonus
- 35 new levels for strongest players
- 15 levels were added for the most tough players! In order to play the new levels you must complete the main game at normal or hard difficulty.
Some lists where this application appears: Reviewed by Peter Warrior.
I think u send to much enimies out at the same time try to send a bit out because i always fail.There are to many jeeps coming out however i like the game and graphics.
I love this game. I have it on my Xperia z phone and my Nexus 7 tablet. It just needs more levels and I'll be happier. :)
Great fun for all
This is a copy of defender he's just copyd the game but with tanks!
Very gooooood
Good game


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Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon
1 portrait of Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon
by Harold Tomlin, for Daily Herald
modern bromide print from original negative, 22 August 1935
image size: 203 mm x 152 mm
Given by IPC Newspapers Limited, 1984
Photographs Collection
NPG x36483
Click on the links below to find out more:
Sitterback to top
- (Robert) Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon (1897-1977), Prime Minister. Sitter in 42 portraits.
Artistsback to top
- Daily Herald. Artist associated with 146 portraits.
- Harold Tomlin (active 1930s), Photographer. Artist associated with 21 portraits.
Linked publicationsback to top
- Owen, Elizabeth, Fashion in Photographs 1920-1940, 1993, p. 102


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Woman found dead by the side of a swimming pool in upscale bungalow
Published on Mar 19, 2014 2:26 PM
A female body was believed to have been found by the side of a pool in a bungalow just off Coronation Road on Wednesday.
Several police officers, including crime scene investigators, were seen canvassing the neighbourhood and collecting evidence at the house located along Victoria Park Road when The Straits Times arrived at the scene earlier.
A large blue police tent had been used to cover the woman's body, which was lying on the wooden deck by the side of the swimming pool in the upscale bungalow.
Investigations are still ongoing.


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Chelliah dreams of a global spread of Carnatic music, whereby its greatness and uniqueness reach all parts of the world.
After the mass, everyone in the church wanted to shake hands with me and thrust money into my hands
SFN Chelliah, retired Professor of English from Loyola College, is an intellectual who has not yielded to any formula. He holds his own – no straitjacket - and thus eludes description. He has delved deep into and even liberated church music from its restricted vision and version –— Gregorian chant and Four Main (thai) ragas — to embrace the many subtleties of Carnatic Music.
His work, Karpom Karnataka Isai (Let us Learn Carnatic Music) in two parts, presents Carnatic music from its most rudimentary level to the varnam and kirtana stage. Well-sorted and neatly classified, these would put even the uninitiated learner at ease. Christian lyrics may form the content, but the essence of the original has been grasped, nurtured and is seen to reside faithfully in these books and the accompanying cassettes and CDs. Eminently self-taught he had been inspired by his maternal uncle who has sung along with MKT and Chinnappa.
Chelliah is also a vaggeyakara in the true sense of the word and has in his bag nearly 400 compositions in Sindubhairavi, Natakapriya, Vachaspathi, Madhuvanthi, Lathangi and Kanakangi, ragas hitherto untouched by composers of Christian songs. A conversation with him reveals his personality — his open-mindedness and eclectic outlook, his erudition and his deep sense of commitment to holistic music (music without barriers/divisions).
He talks about his performance in Austria. "It was held in Innsbruck, a place as important as Vienna itself. I had been there to take part in an International Congress of Religions with participants from the world over.
Live broadcast
"The audience comprised Germans and Austrians and I sang for the first time in several ragas (Mohanam, Bagesri, Sunadavinodini, Thilang, Maand, Saaranga and Shanmukhapriya) and this was broadcast directly – first performance of an Indian to be broadcast live. There was no mike and the hall was acoustically built for special reproduction of sound. After the mass, everyone in the church wanted to shake hands with me and thrust money into my hands by way of recognition and appreciation. They repeatedly used the word 'heavenly' and this was one of the greatest experiences, not merely at a personal level but as an Ambassador of Indian Music."
"A God-given-role, without an iota of doubt," he continues, "I was also interviewed by BBC Radio. It was only for four minutes but I still made my point. The question, in short, was — what was the relevance of Indian Music (to me this means Carnatic music) to the world and will the European audience understand this music at all. I replied saying that music was not understood but was relished and what was expected and obtained was an emotional response. Anyone, therefore, could respond to any music in the world."
He observes that Carnatic music is in the hands of people who are not universally exposed and he wants this to change. He wants to see attempts being made for a global spread of our music, whereby its greatness and uniqueness is explained to the world. He cites an example. The violin has been drawn from the Western world of music and it has bowed to our needs. It is played in the sitting posture, unthinkable and unimaginable to the Westerner and to top it all we have innovatively incorporated the gamaka, which is the real stamp of our music. These days you can rarely think of a Carnatic music concert without a violin. Other examples are the clarionet, the guitar, the saxophone and the mandolin.
Open out and Carnatic music will immensely benefit — that is his prescription.


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Michael Phelps fades late, finishes second in 200-meter freestyle at Arena Grand Prix
Story | Jun 21, 2014 | 7:41 PM
Michael Phelps fades late, finishes second in 200-meter freestyle at Arena Grand Prix
Story | Jun 21, 2014 | 7:41 PM
Ledecky wins fourth gold, sets second world record
Story | Aug 4, 2013
Bethesda native Katie Ledecky came into Saturday's 800-meter freestyle final at the FINA World Championships with three gold medals and a 1,500 freestyle world record last week. On Saturday, she again was the swimmer to beat, and again, nobody was able to...
Towson native Pelton pushes Franklin in 100-meter backstroke
Story | Jun 29, 2013 | 1:12 AM
Eighteen-year-old Missy Franklin is the American record holder in the 100-meter backstroke, but Towson native Elizabeth Pelton tested the Olympic gold-medal winner Friday at the Phillips 66 National Championships and World Championships Trials in...
Pelton back on the international stage after failing to qualify for 2012 Olympics
Story | Jul 27, 2013 | 12:04 AM
Elizabeth Pelton says she felt like "the little kid in a candy store." From a swimming standpoint, why wouldn't she? She had just finished second in the 200-meter backstroke final at the Phillips 66 National Championships on June 25 and swam a...


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Why Mario Is A Series That Can Stand The Test Of Time
By captaincool246 0 Comments
Very few series have been as successful,admired,and recognizable as the Mario franchise. Many people tend to think this series should end and that Nintendo should retire Mario completely but i disagree for a few reasons. The first reason is Mario built Nintendo without that franchise Nintendo wouldn't see the sales they did and no other franchise would be created as a result. Second is that Mario largely defined the platformer genre it was something that was often imitated but never duplicated and to this day it still remains the most successful of the genre. Third is audience you have a much wider audience with the characters in the Mario universe than with the FPS and shooter genre that is popular today the theme of the Mario games are more innocent fun rather than violence and murder that create controversy and limit who can play. Fourth is depth the Mario universe has a multitude of characters some with their own unique games that expand upon the series and make it a deep franchise that you can get into. Finally there is familiarity along with innovation people know what to expect with a Mario title but there is always room for innovation as Nintendo has shown games like the Mario sports and puzzle games along with the RPG's are a great example of this and all prove that Mario can stand the test of time with it's core audience and more.


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