text:
WALLA WALLA -- Possible job cuts at the Washington State Penitentiary were the topic of a lively question-and-answer session Wednesday.
Members of a community task force met with state officials and consultants to go over the mechanics of a study now underway to cut 1,580 beds in the state's prison system. Ordered by state legislators during their last session, the study by the state Office of Financial Management is due out Nov. 1.
Led by Port of Walla Walla Executive Director Jim Kuntz, local officials sought answers to a range of questions regarding how the firm is doing the study, Christopher Murray & Associates, will compile its data, assess facilities and factor in other issues such as cuts in jobs and beds that have already been made at the prison as well as the economic impact of layoffs to the local economy.
Along with Christopher Murray and fellow consultant Kathy Gookin, state officials at the meeting included Richard Morgan, director of prisons; Steve Sinclair, penitentiary superintendent; Carole Holland, senior budget assistant to the governor and Adam Aaseby, budget assistant to the governor.
In opening remarks, Murray outlined the tasks his firm is tackling in compiling the "fast-paced study" which is intended to provide legislators and DOC officials with a plan to eliminate not only the DOC beds but another 485 juvenile and adult beds maintained by the state Department of Social and Health Services.
The prison's main institution is on the "short list" of DOC facilities being looked at, Murray said. That section now houses medium-security inmates, kitchen and laundry facilities that serve the entire institution and correctional industries that provide vocational training.
While the study will examine costs of closing or consolidating facilities, it will also identify possible alternative uses, Murray said. The changes may actually mean some institutions could grow as others shrink.
"Some facilities will get larger due to dislocation of inmates, so part of our analysis...is looking at both sides of the equation," he said.
During the discussion, Kuntz and other officials said they are very concerned that Walla Walla County with its smaller population would suffer disproportionately to other communities if jobs are lost at the penitentiary.
"It's much harder to recover jobs here than in larger communities," said Paul Gerola, the Port's economic development director.
Kuntz asked Morgan which other DOC facilities have given up jobs and beds, pointing out that the penitentiary has already lost 138 positions and 354 beds in an earlier round of cutbacks.
"We realize at the end of the day there's going to be a study and we want it on the records that we've already made sacrifices for the good of the order," Kuntz said.
During the discussion, Morgan recapped how the corrections department found itself caught in a "perfect storm" composed of a shortfall of inmates coming into the prison system combined with the recession, which caused a shortfall of operating funds. After years of building, he said, "we've found ourselves in a situation where we've had to get smaller."
Forecasts that called for "very steep caseload increases" that led to expansions at the penitentiary and Coyote Ridge Corrections Center remained in line with actual numbers up to last year, Morgan said. "Then, like the economy, it changed."
Kuntz also asked Morgan whether corrections officials had a plan in place for closing facilities during the last legislative session.
"Is there a DOC document that identifies what the best thinking was during the Legislature?" Kuntz said. "If so, we would like to make a public request what the DOC's specific closure list was."
Along with Kuntz, other task force members at Thursday's meeting included state Reps. Maureen Walsh and Laura Grant, Walla Walla Community College President Steve VanAusdle, City of College Place Administrator Pat Reay, Port of Walla Walla Commissioners Paul Schneidmiller and Fred Bennett, prison employees and others.Andy Porter can be reached at email@example.com or 526-8318. Check out his blog at blogs.ublabs.org/randomthoughts.
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Gear Review
Great shoe!
I've had these for a few months now and love them. They wear in really nicely, grip good and the slightly pointed toe is great for jamming. The soles have held up nicely, they are peeling back slightly in the heel, but nothing out of the ordinary wear and tear of a climbing shoe. I've used them both on rock and in the gym for multiple hours each time and they are comfortable... well, as comfortable as a climbing shoe can be...
View More Details on Evolv Rockstar Climbing Shoe - Women's

subset: commoncrawl


text:
research guide
editors & contributors
write the editor
Female impersonation need say nothing about sexual identity, but it has for a long time been almost an institutionalized aspect of gay male culture.
Although sparse in images documenting the gay community, pre-Stonewall gay male photography blurs the boundaries between art, erotica, and social history.
Given the historic stigma around making, circulating, and possessing overtly homoerotic images, the visual arts have been especially important for providing a socially sanctioned arena for depicting the naked male body and suggesting homoerotic desire.
Independent films that aggressively assert homosexual identity and queer culture, the New Queer Cinema can be seen as the culmination of several developments in American cinema.
Renowned photographer, teacher, critic, editor, and curator, Minor White created some of the most interesting photographs of male nudes of the second half of the twentieth century, but did not exhibit them for fear of scandal.
The first international fashion superstar, Halston dressed and befriended some of America's most glamorous women.
An artistic movement that grew out of Dadaism and flourished in Europe shortly after World War I, Surrealism embraced the idea that art was an expression of the subconscious.
Film, stage, and television actor Paul Winfield was openly gay in his private life, but maintained public silence about his homosexuality.
Manu Sareen, a promoter of the legislation.
On June 7, 2012 Denmark's Parliament, the Folketing, approved gender-neutral marriage legislation on a 85-24 vote. In 1989, Denmark became the first nation in the world to offer equal legal rights to gay and lesbian couples when it established registered partnerships. On June 15, when the new law goes into effect, Denmark will be the eleventh country to offer equal marriage rights to all its citizens.
Manu Sareen, the Minister for Equality and Church and Nordic Cooperation in the coalition government of the Social Democrats, Social Liberal Party, and Socialist People's Party, helped shepherd the legislation through the Folketing. He said of equal marriage: "It's liberalism, it's diversity, it's equality, it's tolerance, and it's so beautiful."
Under the legislation approved on June 7, same-sex couples may be married both at city halls and in churches, though only the state church, the Church of Denmark (also known as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark), to which 80% of the Danish population belongs, is required to perform same-sex marriages. The legislation allows individual priests to decline to wed same-sex couples, but if they do so they are obligated to assist couples in finding a priest who will marry them.
New rites for the wedding of same-sex couples have been developed and endorsed by ten of the eleven bishops of the national Church.
Plans for the marriage equality legislation was announced by Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt on March 13, 2012, fulfilling a promise made by her newly formed coalition government in October 2011.
The announcement on March 13 came after a period of negotiation with officials of the Church of Denmark, who had resisted previous attempts to pass legislation permitting same-sex marriage.
In 1989, Denmark became the first country in the world to permit same-sex civil unions, known as registered partnerships. The registered partnerships convey all the financial benefits and civil rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples, but it bars church ceremonies and the use of the term marriage (though most Danes colloquially refer to same-sex partnerships as marriages).
In 1997, the Church of Denmark began permitting the blessing of same-sex partnerships. Many priests have violated the registered partnership law by blessing the partners at city halls. However, until this year church officials have consistently opposed legislation authorizing same-sex church weddings.
Like many of the Nordic state churches, the Church of Denmark is rooted in Lutheranism. In the face of the populace's widespread skepticism about religion and religious beliefs, the Scandinavian churches see themselves as "folk churches." From this perspective, dogma is less important than inclusiveness on the basis of ancestry and nationality. Hence, these churches make no distinctions on the basis of sexual orientation in membership and are vague on such questions as to whether homosexual acts are sinful.
It is believed that 70% of Church of Denmark priests are willing to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies. Most of the priests who oppose same-sex marriage are thought to reside in traditionally conservative rural areas and in central West Jutland (the former Ringkjøbing Amt) and on Bornholm.
On March 13, Prime Minister Thorning-Schmidt, who in October 2011 became Denmark's first female Prime Minister, said that "We have looked at two laws that will provide the gay and lesbian community the opportunity to get married in the church and at city hall. . . . I firmly believe that this is a natural step to take in a modern society like Denmark."
On June 15, Denmark will join the following countries in embracing marriage equality nation-wide: Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, and Sweden. Other countries, including Brazil, Mexico, and the United States permit same-sex marriage in particular cities, provinces, or states.
In the video below, a young Dane expresses his delight at marriage equality in Denmark.
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text: This historical villa was insisted upon by my daughter and her partner. As fabulous as they told us it was, it was much more than we imagined. It defines what enchantment really is. So many centuries with the same family, gardens, vineyards and orchards. The help and many great suggestions for short trips to Florence were all perfect. The dinner... More


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Bernier to have sports hernia surgery
Apr 14, 2014, 11:42 AM EDT
Maple Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier will have surgery to repair a sports hernia on Wednesday. He's expected to be fully recovered for training camp.
From TSN.ca:
Bernier missed five games in March due to the injury.
He then aggravated the problem April 3 against the Boston Bruins and finished the season on the sidelines.
"I felt pretty good," he said. "It was sore but my range, my stretching was fine. I think a lot of players play through that."
Bernier actually missed the last four games with what the club called an MCL strain, though clearly he had other issues as well.
The 25-year-old was excellent this season, finishing with a 26-19-7 record and .923 save percentage. Many have argued the Leafs would have made the playoffs if Bernier had stayed healthy.
In a related story, James Reimer probably won't be back with Toronto next season.
Jackets' prospect Oscar Dansk loaned to Swedish club
Jul 5, 2015, 10:00 PM EDT
He struggled in his first year pro split between the AHL and ECHL.
Report: Semin looking for a one-year deal, not interested in KHL
Jul 5, 2015, 8:06 PM EDT
He was bought out by Carolina last week.
Report: Bolts sign Mike Angelidis to a one-year, two-way deal
Jul 5, 2015, 7:00 PM EDT
He'll make $650,000 at the NHL level and $250,000 in the AHL.
Arbitration filed: Holtby, Nyquist & Stepan highlight list released by NHLPA
Jul 5, 2015, 6:00 PM EDT
Hearings will take place in Toronto from July 20 to August 4
Wings ink Landon Ferraro to a one-year deal
Jul 5, 2015, 5:00 PM EDT
It's reportedly a two-way contract worth $600,000.
Leafs sign Kadri to a one-year contract extension
Jul 5, 2015, 3:55 PM EDT
The deal will reportedly pay him $4.1 million next season.
Report: Mikkel Boedker files for salary arbitration
Jul 5, 2015, 3:08 PM EDT
His peak came in 2013-14: 19 goals, 51 points.
Teacher-pest: Blue Jackets add Jarkko Ruutu to staff
Jul 5, 2015, 2:20 PM EDT
Perhaps Blue Jackets prospects can learn from his scrappy ways.
Lightning sign Tambellini to one-year, two-way deal
Jul 5, 2015, 1:47 PM EDT
Some depth for the Bolts.
Clune is set to attend Leafs camp after signing with AHL's Marlies
Jul 5, 2015, 12:31 PM EDT
He shared his story (and struggles) this past week.
Columnist: O'Reilly deal could be costly for Rangers with Stepan
Jul 5, 2015, 12:03 PM EDT
It may leave them in a "cap vise."
Report: Wild's Haula files for arbitration
Jul 5, 2015, 10:49 AM EDT
That doesn't guarantee that a hearing would take place, though.
Boy, the Blue Jackets aren't exactly taking Reilly rejection in stride
Jul 5, 2015, 9:36 AM EDT
Brandon Dubinsky is the latest to pipe up.
Changes continue for Canucks after reportedly letting go of their head trainer
Jul 4, 2015, 11:20 PM EDT
Vancouver started its development camp this weekend.
Report: Contract negotiations between Blackhawks, Kruger 'progressing OK'
Jul 4, 2015, 10:10 PM EDT
His offensive totals were down, but was regularly used on penalty kill.
Blue Jackets' 2014 first-round pick Milano puts emphasis on getting stronger
Jul 4, 2015, 8:40 PM EDT
Spent most of the 2014-15 season in the OHL.
Putting pen to paper: Wild re-sign Dubnyk
Jul 4, 2015, 7:10 PM EDT
They had agreed to terms last weekend.
Oilers prospect Draisaitl 'totally fine' playing the wing
Jul 4, 2015, 5:40 PM EDT
Played 37 games with Edmonton last season before getting sent back to the WHL.
Report: Plotnikov paid $500K to get out of KHL contract
Jul 4, 2015, 4:10 PM EDT
He signed with Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
Enforcer Depth: Predators sign Bass; Ducks ink Zolnierczyk
Jul 4, 2015, 2:57 PM EDT
Both received two-way deals.
Top Posts
- Arbitration filed: Holtby, Nyquist & Stepan highlight list released by NHLPA 10
- Report: Plotnikov paid $500K to get out of KHL contract 12
- Philadelphia signs '15 first rounder Provorov 11
- Brandon Saad brings championship experience to Blue Jackets 22
- Sharks sign Joel Ward to three-year deal 24
- Sabres lock up O'Reilly through 2022-23 74
- Locked in: Columbus signs Saad to six-year, $36M deal 28
- Oilers sign McDavid to entry-level contract 29
- 'Hawks would like to re-sign Oduya, but still working through 'financial hurdles' 17
- Trade: Caps acquire Oshie from Blues for Brouwer, Copley and draft pick 73
Most Commented
- Blockbuster: Kessel traded to the Penguins (131)
- Trade: Flyers send Rinaldo to Bruins for 2017 third-rounder (105)
- Trade: Jackets land Saad; Anisimov and Dano headed to Chicago (93)
- Bypassing a buyout? Kings terminate Richards' contract for 'material breach' (90)
- Sabres lock up O'Reilly through 2022-23 (74)
- S. Voynov (2563)
- B. Saad (2537)
- Z. Kassian (2437)
- B. Richards (2305)
- P. Kessel (2268)
- M. Green (2215)
- R. O'Reilly (2182)
- M. St. Louis (2134)
- M. Richards (1844)
- J. Eichel (1737)


text:
Going through some of my old Disney music cd's and I came across something on the 45th Anniversary CD. And it made me think of a thread on here and of course, I can't remember which one it was.
But wasn't there someone on here that was looking for the music from Space Mountain (before what it is now.) I'm talking about the one with the guitar solo. Please forgive me, though I've heard the name before, I can't remember the artist.


text:
In a Hurry?
|Go straight to the Quick Selection Guide
|Do you need a few brightly coloured reminders right in your face to keep you on task, or stop urgent matters from disappearing into the deepest reaches of your note management software? Here are some options.
Stickies has been around for a long time and remains a top choice. The notes take the form of resizable windows with a control bar. Basic colour changes and text formatting are easily done, notes can be made transparent, pinned on top, rolled up, or hidden. There is also a note manager for searching and organising your notes.
Stickies has some advanced features that are particularly useful. Some of these features include recurring reminders, alarms, multiple monitor support ,user definable styles, network sharing, and you can email your note. A particularly nice feature allows a note to be attached to any window so when you reopen that window the note will pop up. This means you can add notes to text files, web pages, or whatever you're working on. Next time you open the text file or visit the same web page the sticky note will pop up. Just make sure you set your sticky note to sit on top of the window, otherwise you will have to move your window to find it. You can also create your own skins or download one ready-made. The right skin can provide you with convenient tool bars to speed and gussy up your memo-writing.
Stickies also allows you to use images and draw (or doodle) in your memo. You cannot, however, add an image to, or draw in a text memo. You must first set your memo to "image", add your image or drawing, and then you may add text to your memo. It's a little fiddly but at least image-based memos with a comment or two are possible. Although Stickies will permit you to drop only one image into a single note, it seems to handle large bit maps and jpgs very well.
PNotes.NET comes a very close second to Stickies. It manages sticky notes well and offers all the options that Stickies does. PNotes.Net is also a standalone and portable program . Unlike Stickies, you can easily paste a picture in with your text memo. You are best to stick with relatively small images though. When the image is too large, you simply cannot paste it. The program does not freeze, slow down horribly or do anything else annoying.
PNotes.Net also has some additional features. You can, for example, install plugins so that you can post your notes on social media, and conversely download your posts to your notes. I tested this with Facebook and it was quite straighforward. Backing up to Dropbox was also quick and simple.
Until you add a skin, the PNotes.Net memos are readily resizeable. As skins are not especially necessary, it is a minor flaw that that the use of skins reduces functionality in this way. A much more significant flaw for me was the trouble I had creating a new note. Stickies installed with the hot key combination 'Ctrl+N', and this has proved a very convenient, intuitive way to create a new note that works. So naturally I opened the hot key definition manager in PNotes.Net and added the same hot key combination. Then I opened Firefox and used 'Ctrl+N', expecting this combination to open a new browsing window, as usual. Instead, I got a new sticky memo. I found this incredibly annoying.
7 Sticky Notes comes third in this category with all the basics, and an advanced feature set that is comparable to Stickies. It is not, however, quite as robust as Stickies and PNotes.Net. In particular, I ran into problems when adding images to my notes. Like PNotes.Net, pasting in images with your text is a simple matter. Unsurprisingly, large, high resolution images are a mistake. I experienced a significant slow down when I pasted a 2 MB bit map. A 50 KB jpg dropped in nicely, until I added a further 316 KB jpg into the same note. The program froze for an extended period, and froze again when I tried to delete the offending note.
7 Sticky Notes only lets you create one new unused note at a time, while Stickiesand Pnotes.Net allow you to make as many as you want. I find the ability to generate multiple new notes far more convenient.
Unlike Stickies and PNotes_Net, you cannot attach a note to any window you choose. But 7 Sticky Notes offers two other options for linking your note to a file. You can hyperlink to the original file or embed a copy of the file.
If you wish to network or access your notes from other computers, 7 Sticky Notes has an online synchronisation feature allowing you to make use of cloud computing services like Dropbox and Google Drive.
Overall, 7 Sticky Notes is a promisingly useful utility, but I still rate Stickies and PNotes.NET higher for ease of use.
If you want an application with appealing interfaces in a portable version that can easily be installed, and you don't mind a limited feature set, StickyPad may suit you. Missing features include the ability to search your notes, and reminders for recurring events.
For 3M loyalists there is always Post-it Software Notes Lite, it is no longer officially provided at the 3M web site but I have provided an alternative download link to this classic.
If you want to access your notes from a web browser, there is an extension for Firefox called Internote. The latest version (3.0.1) was issued in January 2011. I found that it worked with no problems with Firefox 16.0.2. It does not yet work with Firefox 20 but a fix appears to be in the pipeline. Diigo and its little brother Diigolet are also browser-based options that combine social bookmarking, highlights and sticky notes.
Related Products and Links
7 Sticky Notes
Post-it Software Notes Lite
This software review is copy-edited by Glyn Burgess. Please help edit and improve this article by clicking here.
|best, top, free, sticky, notes, note, software, digital, computer, utility, tools
Back to the top of the article
Please rate this article:
Has anybody tried Memento?
It's a small program, simple, lightweight(just 345 kB). However it's does support Rich Text Formatting
The stickies reviewed by the writer of this article seems to have reviewed Stickies v 7.
Stickies v 8 is now out and you can very much add images to text notes. In addition, the new Stacked stickies feature absolutely blows all other sticky notes softwares out of the water.
If PNote gets 4 stars, Stickies v 8.0 and above should get atleast 7
Addition using the execrable win 8.1
I need a sticky notes program that will work on the taskbar and does not have adverts.
i cant believe no one has asked this question or hasnt needed this feature already, so here goes:
i need a sticky note that can attach to the OUTSIDE of a windows folder so that when i hover over the folder the note can tell me what's inside the folder without me having to open the folder.
i do a ton of copy-writing and advertising with a substantial amount of versions which are obviously similar in content, title and version number.
as it is now i have to open each folder to see exactly whats in the folder. once or twice a day this is no big deal. but to see inside the folders hundreds of time a day is a time killer to have to open and close folders all day long.
does anyone know of a sticky program that would allow me to attach a sticky to the outside of a folder and see the note when i hovered over the folder?
thanx for any suggestions.
"FileNotes" by JMSoftware might be useful to you.
It's a bit basic and no-frills and hasn't been updated in years but it works fine in x86 Windows 7.
It doesn't operate on mouse-hover though, instead it adds a context menu item to folders and files that lets you open and edit a note specific to that folder or file.
A drawback is that the note window isn't resizable, so long names can get a bit untidy. Also it won't automatically show you what's in the folder ... you would have to generate such a list yourself to copy-paste into the note, but that's easily done and you can edit the folder note directly too.
A couple of screenies -
and the download page -
Alternatively you could use the native Windows ability to add comments to folders and files.
I can't think of anything else at the moment that would do what you want ... QTTabBar comes to mind (mouse-over pop-out submenus) but that only comes as part of an Explorer shell enhancement which contains a whole load of stuff that might be superfluous to your needs.
A recent product I saw recommended elsewhere is GloboNote. Its free and Java based so will run on any platform with Java 6+
was using 7 sticky for a short time but found some bugs. like I could not put more than a few hyperlinks in a note before it started not recognizing the links. otherwise seemed to work well.


text:
Name: Hank Azaria
Job: Star of Broadway's The Farnsworth Invention, which was scheduled to open tomorrow but will be delayed until the stagehand strike ends. Azaria plays David Sarnoff in the historical play by Aaron Sorkin. Also, genius Simpsons voice artist.
Age: 43
Who's your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
Pat Sajak. I'm pretty sure he's been to New York.
What's the best meal you've eaten in New York?
I had a tuna sandwich back in July of '78. It was pretty good.
In one sentence, what do you actually do all day in your job?
Mostly I stare folks down.
Where do you get your coffee?
Why, who have you been talking to?
What's the last thing you saw on Broadway?
I waved a fond good-bye to my Uncle Maury and Aunt Joan. They look great, God bless 'em. Maury's recovering nicely from his hip surgery, and Joan's just been a rock.
Do you give money to panhandlers?
I handle all my own pans, thank you.
What's your drink?
Fizzy lifting.
How often do you prepare your own meals?
I just bite into live, struggling deer.
What's your favorite medication?
What isn't?!!
What's hanging above your sofa?
Do you mean metaphorically?
How much is too much to spend on a haircut?
When's bedtime?
Depends on when daddy gets home.
Brunch: pro or con?
I won't even talk to a person who doesn't love everything about brunch.
What's your thread count?
Take Pat Sajak's thread count and double it. Nay, triple it!!
What do you hate most about living in New York?
Not enough Pat Sajak.
What's your brand of jeans?
I'd like to take this opportunity to announce the launching of Hank Azaria Jeans by Murjani.
When's the last time you drove a car?
Seriously, who have you been talking to?
Who should be the next president?
I would say Pat Sajak, but if anything happened to him, we'd be stuck with President Vanna White.
Times, Post, or Daily News?
This is like Sophie's Choice.
Yankees or Mets?
What makes someone a New Yorker?
Most New Yorkers seem to limp.


text:
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You can now invite anyone to meet at your favorite Starbucks.
Limited-time feature
26 year old woman | Dallas, TX, USA | Seeking men 25-35 within 50 miles
Ready to meet someone special :)
A little bit about myself: I enjoy sports,hanging out with friends, home decorating, Comedy Clubs & Dinner Theater, music, my dog, working out, and reading. I Am a very happy, down to earth kinda person. I can be silly and goofy at times, I laugh at myself a lot, I am self-sufficient, independent, honest, I have a great sense of humor, & family & friends are very important to me. A man who ONLY has eyes for me & can make me laugh are important qualities! I know exactly what I am looking for in a man. I do like kids but I prefer a guy that does not have any, I am attracted to tall, fit/ toned men. I work hard to keep myself in shape and I expect you to do the same. Im not here to find a boy.. I need a grown man who can take care of himself. No Pressure! Let's just relax...become friends & get to know each other... and see what happens.
Book club , Camping , Coffee and conversation , Cooking , Dining out , Fishing/Hunting , Hobbies and crafts , Movies/Videos , Music and concerts , Exploring new areas , Nightclubs/Dancing , Playing cards , Playing sports , Religion/Spiritual , Shopping/Antiques , Travel/Sightseeing , Volunteering , Watching sports , Wine tasting
Aerobics, Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Dancing, Football, Other types of exercise, Running, Skiing, Swimming, Walking / Hiking, Weights / Machines, Yoga
I exercise 5 or more times per week.
I have Dogs
I have a mini schnauzer and a terrier mix
Middle of the Road
Baseball, t.v, books, animals, food, beer
I enjoy going to movies, reading, working out, spending time with my family,
Hunger games series
Z{{Cta}} {{#if HasMoreInfo}} ?{{CtaSecondary}} {{/if}}
|What she is looking for
|5'4" (162cms)
|5'10" (177cms) to 6'8" (203cms)
|Body type:
|About average
|Athletic and toned, Stocky
|Blue, Brown, Grey, Green, Hazel
|Dark brown
|Black, Light brown, Dark brown, Blonde, Bald
|No Way
|No Way, Occasionally
|Social Drinker
|Never, Social Drinker
|Other profession
|Financial / Accounting / Real Estate, Labor / Construction, Medical / Dental / Veterinary / Fitness, Self-Employed / Entrepreneur, Education / Teacher / Professor, Technical / Science / Computers / Engineering, Other profession, Law enforcement / Security / Military, Architecture / Interior design
Service Industry
|$50,001 to $75,000
|$35,001 to $50,000, $50,001 to $75,000, $75,001 to $100,000, $100,001 to $150,000, $150,001+
|Never Married
|Never Married
|Have kids:
|Wants kids:
|White / Caucasian
|Black / African descent, Latino / Hispanic, Pacific Islander, White / Caucasian, Other
1/2 welsh from my dads side.. not quite sure about my moms side, she was adopted.
|Christian / Other
|Christian / Other
|Some college
|Some college, Associates degree, Bachelors degree, Graduate degree
Went to a community college, currently working on getting my cosmetology license.


text:
Chris Brown, Jay-Z Among 2012 BET AWARDS Winners
Live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday, July 1st, BET AWARDS 12 kicked off with a bang when G.O.O.D. Music artists Kanye West, 2 Chainz, Big Sean, and Pusha T exploded onto the stage for a medley of their hits "Mercy" and "Cold" before a one-of-a-kind freestyle from Kanye West that officially jumpstarted this year's "Too Big To Miss" show. Box office superstar and BET AWARDS 12 host Samuel L. Jackson was joined on stage by award-winning director Spike Lee for a hilarious parody of "N***s in Paris" that had Jay-Z and Kanye West cracking up in the front row.
In honor of the untimely passing of music icon Whitney Houston, BET AWARDS 12 pulled together an unprecedented pairing of today's divas, family members, friends, and cast mates for an emotional tribute that even brought BET AWARDS 12 double-winner Beyonce to tears. The incomparable Mariah Carey opened the In Memoriam celebration with a trio of stories, speaking about meeting her friend at the Grammys, working together on their Oscar-winning duet, "When You Believe" from the Prince of Egypt soundtrack and the last time they saw each other—laughing together in Paris in the fall.
Paying tribute to Whitney Houston's undeniable gospel roots—both spiritually and vocally, Monica took to the stage to sing "I Love The Lord." Monica's "The Boy Is Mine" duet partner, Brandy, lifted the mood with up-tempo favorites "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and "I Want To Dance With Somebody." Gary Houston, Whitney's brother, sang "Where You Are," a touching prelude to their mother's performance of "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Cissy Houston dedicated her performance to her late daughter and brought the audience to tears with her emotional rendition of the song. Cissy Houston's performance was followed by a heartfelt and memory-filled account from Whitney's "Waiting to Exhale" co-stars Angela Bassett, Lela Rochon, and Loretta Devine. Chaka Khan helped the crowd—including Soulja Boy—dry their eyes with an upbeat performance of "I'm Every Woman" that got the already standing room only crowd dancing in celebration of the late singer's life.
Other moving In Memoriam tributes included Valerie Simpson's love-filled performance to her late husband, Nick Ashford, Chante Moore singing "Love to Love You Baby" and "Bad Girls" to tribute Donna Summer, and special moments spotlighting the entertainment industry and world's loss of Dick Clark, Hal Jackson, Heavy D, Etta James, Vesta, Robin Gibb, Don Cornelius, MCA, and Chuck Brown.
R&B crooner D'Angelo returned to the television stage for the first time in 12 years for a special medley of his sultry hit "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" and a new track, "Sugar Daddy." Actor, comedian and BET AWARDS 11 host, Kevin Hart, introduced a special performance from MMG featuring Rick Ross that showcased Wale, Rick Ross and DJ Sam's "Bag of Money" and "So Sophisticated" before being joined by Meek Mill on "Black Magic." Closing out the show were Tyga and Ca$h Out performing their hit "Rack City" and "Ca$hing Out."
Other notable performances included Usher's sensual single "Climax," Nicki Minaj's booty popping rendition of "Champion" and "Beez in the Trap" with 2 Chainz, Melanie Fiona's "Wrong Side of a Love Song," Chris Brown's zombie ballet medley of "Don't Wake Me Up" and "Turn Up The Music," and BET Music Matters newcomers Charles Perry and Jannah Bell. BET's SUNDAY BEST judge Yolanda Adams, Season 4 winner Amber Bullock, Season 2 winner Y'Anna Crawley, and Season 2 1st runner-up Jessica Reedy also took to the stage for a crowd-pleasing rendition of The Clark Sisters' hit, "You Brought the Sunshine."
After a special tribute performance of their classics "Can't Get Over You," "Joy and Pain," and "Happy Feelin's" by Joe, Tyrese, and Faith Evans, respectively, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly were honored with the Cadillac Lifetime Achievement Award by presenter Tyler Perry. Dr. Reverent Al Sharpton was honored by BET Networks Chairman/CEO Debra L. Leewith the Humanitarian Award presented by State Farm for his tireless work to bring justice to the underrepresented and marginalized. The BET AWARDS 12 Shine A Light recipients were David A. Boone and Vy Higginsen.
About Author
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- James Franco to Star in New Fox Comedy, WHY HIM?
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- Grammy Winner Kelly Clarkson Exclusively Premieres New Music from New Album on MTV, VH1 & CMT First
- CONSTELLATIONS' Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson Set for THEATER TALK This Weekend


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Curried Seafood Bake
11 Mar 2010
|Elbow macaroni
|3 1⁄2 Ounce
|Green onion tops
|1⁄4 Cup (4 tbs), sliced
|Curry powder
|1⁄2 Teaspoon
|3 Tablespoon
|All purpose flour
|3 Tablespoon
|1⁄2 Teaspoon
|3⁄4 Cup (12 tbs)
|Dairy sour cream
|1 Cup (16 tbs)
|Canned lobster
|5 Ounce (1 Can)
|Canned crab meat
|7 1⁄2 Ounce, drained, flaked and cartilage removed (1 Can)
|Canned shrimp
|4 1⁄2 Ounce, drained (1 Can)
|Crushed rich round crackers
|1⁄2 Cup (8 tbs)
|1 Tablespoon, melted
Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain.
Cook onion and curry in the 3 tablespoons butter till onion is tender.
Stir in flour and salt.
Add milk; cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.
Remove from heat; stir in sour cream.
Stir in macaroni and seafood.
Turn into a 2-quart casserole.
Mix crumbs and melted butter; sprinkle around edge.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes.
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Curried Seafood Bake Recipe


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MAPA to host Maui's first murder mystery fundraiser
March 22, 2012 WAILUKU — Maui Academy of Performing Arts (MAPA) announced that tickets are now on sale for one of Maui's most unique and entertaining fundraising events: "Murder at the Juice Join. more »»
Fireworks and Your Pets
December 29, 2011 Celebrating the New Year with fireworks may seem festive, but it can be highly stressful for pets. more »»
Group takes walks June 30, 2015
HONOKOWAI — A new walking group for all ages and fitness levels meets at Honokowai Park Tuesdays at 9 a.m. There is no charge; all are welcome. Call Jim Grode at 669-1972. more »
Around Maui
Letters FROM the editor
May 3, 2012 Honoring Maui's fallen in Vietnam: Kenneth Kaaihue Some 50 years ago, 42 members of the armed forces from Maui lost their lives in the jungles of Vietnam. more »
Latest Blogs


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Celebrating style, Leonardo DiCaprio attended the opening of the TAG Heuer boutique in Paris on Wednesday (November 6).
The "Departed" stud took a moment to pose with the watch brand's CEO Stephane Linder, while showing off his new wrist candy.
Unable to escape the prying eyes of the paparazzi, Leonardo DiCaprio arrived at LAX airport in Los Angeles on Monday (November 4).
The "Great Gatsby" star kept his head down in a gray hoodie, navy vest, gray newsboy cap, and jeans as he rushed to catch a flight.
Gathering to honor Hollywood's best, stars of all kinds were on hand at the 2013 LACMA: Art + Film Gala on Saturday evening (November 2) in Los Angeles.
Famed director Martin Scorsese was a guest of honor at the swanky affair, which was drew names such as co-host Leonardo DiCaprio and performer Sting.
Stepping out for an evening of classic film, Leonardo DiCaprio was on hand to introduce the restoration premiere of "Rebel Without a Cause" in Los Angeles last night (November 1).
Casual in a button down shirt and a blazer, the "Wolf of Wall Street" hunk was a fill in for director Martin Scorsese, who had a scheduling conflict.
Gearing up for its December debut, a new trailer for "The Wolf of Wall Street" hit the web on Tuesday evening (October 29).
The Martin Scorsese directed film follows the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stockbroker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.
Everything he pursues usually ends up pretty amazing, and Leonardo DiCaprio has a brand new film idea on his radar.
According to a report, the "Catch Me If You Can" actor is eyeing a movie adaptation of the forthcoming crime novel "Blood on Snow," written by beloved fiction author Joe Nesbo.
Stepping out for a day to recharge his batteries, Leonardo DiCaprio went to a local cafe with a group of friends in New York City this afternoon (October 18).
"The Great Gatsby" super star wore a gray setter cap, shades, a dark blue long sleeved shirt and jeans as he chowed down with a few of his closest pals.
Helping China begin to make its mark in the entertainment industry, Leonardo DiCaprio and Nicole Kidman attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Oriental Movie Metropolis in Qingdao, China on Sunday (September 22).


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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Ann Curry is saying her good-byes.
The veteran journalist and morning-show host has confirmed rampant speculation that she'll be stepping down from Today after 15 years, announcing on the show Thursday that her departure is "not easy" but that she is deeply grateful to viewers, whom she described as "the real Today show family."
MORE: Is Ann Curry's Today Show Tenure Coming to an End?
"This is not easy to say but today is going to be my last morning as a regular cohost of Today," she said on the show, choking back tears.
"I will still be a part of the Today show family but I'm going to have a new title and a new role," she added. "This is not as I expected, to ever leave this couch after 15 years, but I am so grateful, especially to all of you who watch. Because Matt [Lauer] and I and everyone who sits on this couch, we often call ourselves a family, but you are the real Today show family. You are why I have ventured into dangerous places and interviewed dictators and jumped off of planes and off bridges and climbed mountains and convinced the Dalai Lama to come [to] our studio."
Through tears, she apologized for turning into "a sob sister this morning," and intoned to viewers, "I have loved you, and I have wanted to give you the world."
The send-off comes hours after USA Today published a lengthy interview with Curry, in which she admitted that breaking the news to viewers was going to be the most difficult part of her farewell.
"That's what makes me more emotional than anything," she said. "I don't want to leave them. I love them. And I will really miss them."
MORE: Good Morning America's Robin Roberts—I Have Bone Marrow Disease
Particularly painful, she lamented, were early media reports about her departure. "I don't know who has been behind the leaks, but no question they've hurt deeply," she said.
Curry also gave props to cohost Lauer, calling out their "terrific relationship" on a "history-making" show.
"You know, Matt and I have had great on-air chemistry for 14 years, been part of the No. 1 winning team for a history-making number of years," she said. "We've had a terrific relationship for all these years, and he's such a star...He's funny and glib, and he knows how the show works. It's been my honor in this last year to sit next to him."
If there's anyone else who knows a thing or two about sitting next to Lauer, it's Katie Couric, and the former Today show cohost provided words of support for Curry.
"It's a tough time over there for everybody," she told the New York Daily News Wednesday at a media luncheon in Manhattan. "I do think that Ann is a trouper for stepping up and giving it her all every day."
MORE: Good Morning America Guest Host Katie Couric Takes on Today's Meredith Vieira; Next Up, Sarah Palin
So what lies ahead for the veteran journalist?
Quite a bit. She'll transition into a new role as Today show anchor-at-large and NBC News national/international correspondent, in which she'll lead seven-member team covering global news stories.
Aside from filling in as anchor on NBC Nightly News, she'll also produce stories for Dateline, Rock Center, NBC Nightly News and, of course, Today.
In other words, we'll happily be seeing more of Curry down the line. We wish her all the best!
PHOTOS: Ann Curry: Celebrity Interviews & More


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Narrow your search
Apple adds natural language search to Spotlight and Siri, which can now figure out what you want before you do, as it plays catch up with Google and Microsoft. Its edge: a vow to protect your privacy.
The shipping store discovered malware in the computer systems of 51 US stores in 24 states. Customer credit and debit card information may have been leaked.
Customer Social Security numbers and call records are exposed in a bid to get smartphone "unlock" codes from AT&T.
The link-shortening service issues an "urgent security update" saying that it has disconnected users' Facebook and Twitter accounts because of a probable breach.
What do headphone specs really mean? The Audiophiliac asks Sennheiser's Axel Grell to explain.
Mobile apps come under the security microscope as research groups report major vulnerabilities.
Flaw in pre-installed keyboard software could allow hackers to eavesdrop on users' calls and damage handsets, a security company discovers.
Already available as an option, the new default encryption will ensure that your Bing searches and results will be protected from prying eyes, including advertisers.
After finding that federal employees' Social Security numbers were stolen, the US government discovers another breach, which exposed data on intelligence agents and others.
Opinion: "Fury Road" lives up to the hype as a truly great action movie. So CNET's Kelsey Adams is driving the wrong way with a little "Yes, but..."


text: There are a lot of Grateful Dead tribute bands out there, so basically it's a buyer's market for hungry Deadheads. The members of Santa Cruz's China Cats are themselves Dead fanatics and take a unique approach to the whole thing. In fact, they don't even consider themselves a tribute band, because they don't attempt to play Dead songs note for note; but rather go for the essence of what the Dead shows were like.


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The 2011 award, announced this morning, went to Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer, 80. Like many winners, Transtromer had been rumored for years as the likely laureate. Reportedly, Swedish journalists had taken to camping out in front of his home on the morning the awards were to be announced, year after year, hoping for the first interview.
While the prizes for chemistry, physics, medicine and economics typically are non-controversial, because so few people are knowledgeable enough to judge the worthiness thereof, the Nobels for literature and peace always generate a lot of backlash, trash talk and grumbling. Anybody can have an opinion about what they read (or don't read) and about what constitutes "peace."
Doubtless the speculation about 2012 has already begun. (Margaret Atwood, anyone?) In the meantime, settle back with some of Transtromer's lovely, ethereal poems – several are available at poetryfoundation.org – such as "After Death": "It is still beautiful to feel the heart beat / but often the shadow seems more real than the body."


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Upcoming exhibition: Berlin Impressions II - starting July 8th
Upcoming exhibition: Berlin Impressions II - starting July 8th
Upcoming exhibition: Berlin Impressions II - starting July 8th
Previous exhibition: Marek Saenderski - Artistic Reality and Unreality in 3 Dimensions
Contemporary art and intercultural exhibition projects
'art place berlin' offers a forum with a new format for the presentation of exhibitions of contemporary art and intercultural projects in the center of Berlin. The changing exhibitions show painting, photography and graphic by international and Berlin based contemporary artists. "art place berlin" looks back on more than five years of successful cooperation with artists, curators and institutions. Before that, more than 100 exhibition projects were implemented in the former 'Art Center Berlin Friedrichstrasse' >> from the opening in 2005 until its closing in 2010.
Now at 'art place berlin' the monthly more than 30.000 guests and visitors from all over the world have a chance here to experience the encounter with current international art. This makes an exhibition project at 'art place berlin' to one of the most visible and most frequented exhibitions of contemporary art in the city. In the Park Inn at the Alexanderplatz, the most dynamically developing hub of Berlin, the presentation of contemporary art has reached a new dimension with high public appeal.
Upcoming exhibition:
Berlin Impressions II
Starting July 8th, 2015, daily 9 - 21h, no entrance fee!
Previous exhibition:
Marek Saenderski - Artistic Reality and Unreality in 3 Dimensions
Fantastic large-format photographs and unique photographic compositions in 3D
Until June 30th, 2015
More about the previous exhibition
You are welcome to visit the exhibitions by 'art place berlin' -
forum for contemporary art at the Park Inn by Radisson Berlin-Alexanderplatz, the Top 4-Star hotel of superlatives, the second largest hotel in Germany and the tallest in Berlin.
Daily 9 - 21h, entrance free!
Past exhibitions have shown among others artworks by following artists:
ARMAN - Jane Evelyn Atwood - Bruno Barbey - Miguel Berrocal - Joaquim Capa - Corneille - Christo & Jeanne Claude - J.J. Dittloff - Rudolf Draheim - Erró - Debora Fede - Luis Gordillo - Harry Gruyaert - Tomohisa Ishizuka - Ivar Kaasik - Jinaun Kim - Jannis Kounellis - Alexander Kosyak - Helge Leiberg - Markus Lüpertz - Christin Lutze - Roberto Matta - Steve McCurry - Jean Miotte - Christopher Morris - Edo Murtic - Igor Oleinikov - Paolo Pellegrin - Raphael Pollack - Wayne Quilliam - Bernard Rancillac - Michael A. Russ - Cornelia Schleime - Christian Schütz - Antonio Segui - Sergen Sehitoglu - David Snider - Jesus Rafael Soto - Anthony Suau - Anna Tessenow - Moussa Tiba - Emilio Vedova - Florian Westermann - Vanessa Winship - Zhang Xiuzhu... and many more.


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From the Editors: Star-Crossed Fortunes
With print, as with celluloid, the most interesting material occasionally finds its final resting place on the well-littered floor of the proverbial cutting room. Such was the fate this month of a few brief but ultimately extraneous paragraphs in our piece on Napa Valley's Aetna Springs (page 152) that detailed the link between the 19th-century resort and Old Hollywood. The link in question was a woman by the name of Frances Marion, whose father, San Francisco businessman Len Owens, owned the property for a time.
According to actress Gloria Swanson, Marion had "more muscle than most women in Hollywood"—and, she might have added, most men. Born Marion Benson Owens in 1888, Marion eventually migrated south to Los Angeles, where, like legions of others, she pursued cinematic ambitions. Landing a job as a writing assistant for a fledgling production company, she discovered she had a gift for inventing characters and plots—priceless commodities in the Hollywoodland of 1917, which teemed with studio heads hungry for storylines that would transform silver-nitrate images into box-office gold.
Marion launched her career with a spate of silent classics that included Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm and Pollyanna, both of which starred Mary Pickford. Some 130 of her scripts were produced over the next two decades, making her the highest-paid screenwriter of the time, at a reported $17,000 per week. She built one of the largest houses in Beverly Hills, not far from Pickfair, the residence of Pickford and her husband, Douglas Fairbanks—both of whom were known to accompany Marion on holidays to Aetna Springs, where they set a very different tone from that established by the habitués of San Francisco's Nob Hill. Marion was, as Swanson later wrote in her memoir, "a gold mine of ideas—ideas that could become stories that could . . . become films that could save careers, lives, and corporations."
And many of the careers—and lives—of Marion's Beverly Hills neighbors would require saving. As the Silent Era faded, so did the shiniest of its stars. After her 1927 role in It, Clara Bow, for instance, became one of the industry's top five box-office draws. (She would thereafter be known as the It Girl.) Yet within a few years of her zenith, the It Girl was out. Even if her famous Jazz Age face could make the transition to sound, her voice—like that of her supposed lover, leading man John Gilbert—could not: A pronounced Brooklyn accent shattered the siren's mystique, banishing her to obscurity and a future darkened by mental illness.
Even the most talented of Marion's neighbors were vulnerable. Buster Keaton, whose deadpan expressions prompted the press to nickname him the Great Stone Face, elevated slapstick to an art form, combining the physical comedy he had learned in vaudeville with technical innovation. His success led him to marry Natalie Talmadge, sister of screen stars Norma and Constance, and to build a fabulous villa in the hills near Pickfair and Marion's estate. Yet in the 1930s, situational comedies displaced the comic style of which Keaton was master, and the studio system slowly ground the Great Stone Face into dust. He lost his wife and his house—though the latter proved to be his work's salvation: The discovery of a cache of forgotten negatives in a hidden vault would spark, decades later, a Keaton revival.
By contrast, with their demand for dialogue and ever-more-complex plots, the talkies were kind to Marion, who in turn did her utmost for those whose livelihoods sound had torn asunder. In one case, she even managed to save two birds with one script. By the 1920s, another former vaudevillian, silent actress Marie Dressler, was out of work and money. Marion concocted a bait-and-switch plot in which she persuaded MGM to purchase the film rights to a novel written by a writer friend in need of medical care; in her pitch, she substituted the book's unappealing storyline with one of her own, tailor-made for Dressler. Marion would write the adaptation. The film, Min and Bill, earned Dressler the 1931 Oscar for Best Actress and the novelist a hefty fee. Marion had flexed her famous "muscle," and both a career and a life were saved.


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An automated vehicle includes a navigation system which carries out a dead reckoning calculation of the vehicle's position based on inputs from sensors on the motion of a steering wheel in the preceding time interval, Δt. Parameters of the system including the heading angle, the spatial position x,y the angular drift in the steering angle α, a crabbing angle β and a variation 1dm in steering wheel radius are updated by the addition of the product of a Kalman gain calculated by computer and an error signal produced each time an observation is made by laser bearing finding equipment on the vehicle.
1. A navigation system for a wheeled vehicle having steering means and means for controlling the steering means in response to a stored program, said vehicle in operation having a heading angle and a spatial position within a predetermined coordinate frame of reference, and a bearing and a range to a target at a known predetermined position within said frame of reference, said navigation system comprising:
(a) means for determining a linear distance traveled by the vehicle and an amount of rotation of the vehicle about a predetermined center of rotation during each of a plurality of successive time intervals;
(b) means coupled to said determining means for producing, in response to said linear distance and said amount of rotation determined during each said time interval, updated estimates of said heading angle and said spatial position of the vehicle within said predetermined coordinate frame of reference;
(c) means coupled to said updated estimate producing means for determining at least one of said bearing and said range to a target at a known predetermined position within said reference frame, and for deriving an error signal as a difference between an actual measured respective one of said bearing and said range and a respective one of said bearing and said range that should have been measured if the vehicle was actually at the estimated position with the estimated heading; and
(d) filter means responsive to said error signal for producing corrected estimated values of said heading angle and of said spatial position of said vehicle and also for producing a corrected estimated value of at least one further parameter of said vehicle for substantially continuously calibrating a respective one of said means (a), (b) and (c).
2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the further parameter comprises an angular offset error in the measurement of a steering angle.
3. A system as estimated in claim 1, wherein the further parameter comprises a "crabbing" angle representing an offset between the actual direction of movement and the heading of the vehicle.
4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the further parameter comprises an error in the measurement of the radius of a wheel which steers the vehicle.
5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filter means is operable not to produce corrected values of the parameters when the error signal exceeds a predetermined threshold.
6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filter means uses a Kalman filter algorithm.
7. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the filtering step comprises producing a correction factor for each parameter using a Kalman filter algorithm, multiplying each correction factor by the error signal and adding the product to the previous estimate of that parameter to produce a corrected estimate.
8. A method of controlling an automated wheeled vehicle, comprising the steps of:
(a) sensing a linear and angular displacement of the vehicle in each of a plurality of successive time intervals;
(b) updating estimates of a current position and heading of the vehicle after each said successive time interval in response to the sensed linear and angular displacements;
(c) taking at least one of a bearing and a range from the vehicle to a target at a known position;
(d) calculating from the estimated position and heading of the vehile at least one of an expected range to said target and an expected bearing to said target at the time at which it is taken;
(e) deriving an error signal as a difference between respective ones of the expected and measured ranges and bearings;
(f) filtering the error signal to produce corrected estimates of the position and heading and of at least one further parameter used in at least one of the steps (a) and (b) which is subject to an error; and
(g) using said at least one further parameter to substantially continuously correct a respective one of steps (a), (b), (c) and (d).
9. A navigation system for a wheeled vehicle having steering means and means for controlling the steering means in response to a stored program, said vehicle in operation having a heading angle and a spatial position within a predetermined coordinate frame of reference, and a bearing and a range to a target at a known predetermined position within said frame of reference, said navigation system comprising:
(a) means for determining a linear distance traveled by the vehicle and an amount of rotation of the vehicle about a predetermined center of rotation during each of a plurality of successive time intervals;
(b) means coupled to said determining means for producing, in response to said linear distance and said amount of rotation determined during each said time interval, updated estimates of said heading angle and said spatial position of the vehicle within said predetermined coordinate frame of reference;
(c) means for measuring at least one polar coordinate in relation to the vehicle of said target, and for deriving an error signal as the difference between an actual measured coordinate and a coordinate that should have been measured if the vehicle was actually at the estimated position with the estimated heading; and
(d) filter means responsive to said error signal for producing corrected estimated values of said heading angle and of said spatial position of said vehicle and also for producing a corrected estimated value of at least one further parameter of said vehicle for substantially continuously calibrating a respective one of said means (a), (b) and (c).
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to navigation systems particularly for automated vehicles which move in accordance with programmed control without the use of guidance wires or tracks.
2. Description of Related Art
Navigation control for automated vehicles systems are described in GA-A-2 143 395 and GB-A-2 158 965. In the system of GA-A-2 158 965 the path of the vehicle is determined by a dead reckoning system which calculates the linear and angular movement of the vehicle during a short time interval from the angle of rotation and the steering angle of a guidance wheel, for example a castor wheel, on the vehicle. In this way the system predicts its own position at any time. The position so predicted by the dead reckoning system is checked at intervals by taking a bearing to a retro-reflector of known position using a scanning laser source on the vehicle. The positional error, detected by means of such a bearing operation, is then used to correct the position information by means of a filter.
This system suffers certain disadvantages, because of inherent errors in the measurement of the linear distance and angle through which the vehicle has moved within each time interval. These errors arise as a result of variations in the castor wheel radius caused, for example, by wear, inaccuracies in the measurement of the steering angle of the castor wheel during each time interval, and because the vehicle may tend to move with a "crabbing" motion.
The present invention provides a navigation system for a vehicle having steering means, and means for controlling the steering means in response to a stored programme, said navigation system comprising:
means for determining the linear distance travelled and the amount of rotation about a predetermined centre of rotation during each of a plurality of successive time intervals,
means for producing an updated estimate of the heading angle (ψ) and the spatial position (x,y) of the vehicle within a predetermined co-ordinate frame of reference,
means for producing a bearing and/or range to a target at a known predetermined position within the reference frame, and deriving an error signal as the difference between the actual measured bearing or range and the bearing or range that should have been measured if the vehicle was actually at the estimated position with the estimated heading, and
filter means for producing a corrected estimated value of the heading angle, spatial position (x,y) of the vehicle and also of one or more further parameters of the vehicle in response to said error signal.
In the prior art system the error signal derived by carrying out a bearing was used only to correct the heading and spatial position data. Now, in accordance with the present invention, the error signal is also used to correct other parameters such as parameters used to determine the linear distance travelled and the amount of rotation of the vehicle during each time interval, and/or parameters used in converting the linear distance travelled to movements in the spatial position of the vehicle. Where the linear distance and rotation are determined by sensors for measuring the steering angle, and the angle through which the castor wheel rotates in the time interval, additional parameters that can be corrected by the filter means are the offset in the measurement of the steering angle, the offset in the measurement of the angle of rotation of the wheel during each time interval, and the error in the radius of the steering wheel. A further source of error may arise as a systematic angular offset between the estimate of heading direction of the vehicle and the actual direction of movement. Such an error can arise because of a "crabbing" effect in which the vehicle moves consistently to one side of the heading direction. This can be caused by mechanical misalignments of the chassis, axle or wheels, for example, or torque mismatches at the driving wheels of the vehicle. This type of error may also arise due to misalignment in the apparatus used for producing the bearing or range to a target which can also produce an apparent crabbing motion. This systematic angular error as a result of the combination of these effects is referred to here as the "crabbing" angle.
By continually using the error signal to effectively recalibrate the determining means and estimate producing means each time a bearing is taken, not only is the exact position of the vehicle effectively corrected so that the control means can cause drive and steering means to make the necessary corrections to ensure correct route following, but also there will be a continued increase in accuracy of the position of the vehicle as measured by itself, since the determining means and estimate producing means will become more accurate after each successive bearing is taken. The described system can also dynamically correct for drifts in the sensors used to measure the angles, wear of the steering wheel and drifts in the crabbing angle.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a vehicle equipped with a navigation system in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the crabbing angle; and
FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the operation of the navigation system of the vehicle.
Automated vehicles which can control their own movements in accordance with a stored programme so that the vehicle follows a programmed path have been proposed. Such a vehicle is described in GB-A-2 143 395 and GB-A-2 158 965 to which reference may be made for a description of how a vehicle can fix its own position and be programmed for route finding respectively. It will be appreciated that the programmed control must make appropriate steering and speed demands on the vehicle so that it follows the required path within programmed constraints, such as the maximum vehicle speed and available path width. The present invention is concerned with the navigation system which allows the vehicle to estimate its own position and correct those estimates by taking bearings on or ranges or a combination of bearings on and range to targets at known positions. Only this aspect of the control system will be described in detail herein.
FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle 2 located in an arbitrary Cartesian co-ordinate frame of reference, which will be referred to as the factory frame as it generally represents the working area of a factory in which the vehicle is constrained to move. The position of an arbitrary point P on the vehicle 2 is defined in terms of its co-ordinates (x,y) in the factory frame. The arbitrary point P is, for example, the mid point of a shaft carrying a pair of drive wheels 4 which are connected to a drive motor (not shown). A steering wheel 6, which is a castor wheel is mounted centrally at the forward part of the vehicle a distance, d, from the point P. The castor wheel 6 can be pivoted about a vertical axis to give a desired steering angle, α, between the vertical plane of the castor wheel 6 and a heading vector 8, which represents the direction in which the vehicle is travelling. A castor wheel is not the only possible form of steering arrangement for such a vehicle. For example, steering may be provided by differentially driving a pair of wheels one on each side of the vehicle. The following description will assume steering by means of a castor wheel 6.
The heading vector 8 defines an angle ψ with the X axis of the factory frame.
In order that the vehicle may confirm its position, a number of targets T, for example retro-reflectors, are distributed around the factory frame. The vehicle 2 is provided with laser bearing finding equipment (not shown) which is conveniently located at the point P on the vehicle. A suitable form of bearing finding equipment is described in GB-A-2 143 395. In some applications it may be more appropriate to measure the range to a target rather than a bearing. This may be appropriate, for example, if the targets have to be at relatively large distances from the vehicle. In this case greater accuracy may be obtainable by measuring range. In other embodiments both the bearing and range may be measured, i.e. both polar co-ordinates of the target in relation to the vehicle. In the following we have assumed that bearings are used but it will be appreciated that the system could readily be adapted to use range measurements in addition or as an alternative.
The bearing finding equipment emits a beam of laser light towards a rectro-reflector T. When the beam is accurately targeted on the retro-reflector, the bearing finder receives back the reflected laser light energy. The bearing θ between the direction in which the laser beam is transmitted and the heading vector 8 is noted by the control system. The control system of the vehicle is programmed so that the bearing equipment produces a bearing to a retro-reflector T whenever a target is sensed by the equipment. Thus such bearings are available at intervals during operation of the vehicle. Since the control system continuously calculates its own position and contains in its memory a map of the factory frame, the expected bearing θ of an appropriate rectro-reflector can be calculated. However, the actual bearing will generally be somewhat different from the calculated value of θ. Accordingly, the bearing apparatus provides an error signal equal to θ-θ which enables corrections to be made to the navigation system's estimate of the vehicle's own position. If range finding equipment is used the error signal becomes the difference between the actual measured range and the expected range.
It will be appreciated that alternative designs of bearing and/or range finding equipment can be utilised apart from the laser system described in order to provide the required error signal.
FIG. 2 illustrates the two contributions to the "crabbing" angle of the vehicle 2. Due to mechanical misalignments or torque mismatches and the reaction of the vehicle with bumps in the floor surface the vehicle 2 exhibits a tendancy to move in the direction of vector 10 rather than along the heading vector 8. The mechanical misalignments and torque mismatches produce a constant, though possibly drifting, value of β1 between the vectors 8 and 10. The variations in β1 due to the interaction between the castor wheel 6 and the floor surface produce a random noise disturbance which may be regarded as having a Gaussian distribution. The other contribution β2 to the crabbing angle arises from the setting of the bearing finding equipment. The laser measures bearings with respect to a reference direction 12 within the vehicle frame. Ideally this reference direction 12 is aligned with the heading vector 8, however the reference direction may be shifted by an angle β2 with respect to the heading direction. In the navigation system to be described the correction system will tend to produce an estimated value of the heading angle ψ which corresponds to the vector 12 rather than the vector 8. If the change in spatial position of the vehicle is calculated using this value of ψ, errors will be introduced so that it is necessary to carry out the transformation using ψ+β to obtain the new spatial position of the vehicle correctly, where β is, in this case, the sum of β1 and β2.
The vehicle navigation system will now be described with reference to FIG. 3.
The vehicle navigation system includes a dead reckoning position predictor 20 which updates the position of the vehicle after successive time intervals Δt by means of input signals from sensors associated with the castor wheel 6. A typical value of Δt is 60 ms. The sensors (not shown) detect the steering angle α, the angle γ through which the wheel rotates in each time interval, Δt and provides these values as inputs 22 and 24 to the predictor 20. The angle sensors may, for example, be fixed magnetic or light sensors which co-operate with reference marks located around the periphery of the wheel 6 or on a mounting shaft of the wheel 6. The navigation system memory also contains a measurement of the radius Rc of the castor wheel 6. This measurement is updated during operation of the navigation system in a manner to be described more fully later. The dead reckoning position predictor 20 utilises the inputs 22 and 24 from the sensors to calculate the linear distance V(t) moved in the direction of the heading vector and the amount of rotation U(t) of the vehicle about a vertical axis defined through the point P in the time interval, Δt commencing at time t as outputs 26 and 28 respectively. The values of V(t) and U(t) in time Δt are given as: ##EQU1##
However, Rc and α may be subject to drift errors. In the case of Rc the radius of the steering wheel may have varied from the value stored in memory. In the case of α the measurement may be subject to a calibration error. Therefore correction parameters are introduced so that the radius of the wheel 6 becomes Rc (1+1dm) and the actual steering angle becomes α+δ. Therefore equations 1 become: ##EQU2##
There may also be calibration errors in the measurement of γ but these can also effectively be taken account of by the parameter 1dm. The parameters 1dm and δ are constantly updated by the control system in a manner to be described in more detail later. The current value of δ is fed on line 30 to an adder 32 to which the measured value of α is input on line 22. The output of the adder 32 is fed to the dead reckoning position predictor. The current value of 1dm is fed along line 34 to a multiplier 36 which receives the measured value of δ as its other input on line 24. Input line 24 is also fed in parallel to one input of an adder 38 the output of which is fed to the dead reckoning position predictor 20. This input represents the factor δ(1+1dm) required in equations 2.
It is clear that the present heading of the vehicle at time t+Δt, (t+Δt), is represented by:
ψ(t+Δt)=ψ(t)+U(t) 3a
Therefore ψ(t+Δt) is produced by adding U(t) to the value of ψ(t) in an adder 40. The value of ψ(t) is derived from the output of the adder 40 via a delay line 42.
The value of ψ(t) is corrected when an error signal is available as a result of a target observation by the addition of a correction factor, k.sub.ψ times the error signal. The derivation of the gain k.sub.ψ will be described in more detail later. The addition is carried out in an adder 44 preceding the delay line. The present heading of the vehicle ψ(t+Δt) is fed along line 46 via an adder 48 to a kinematic transform processor 50.
It will be assumed that the actual direction of movement of the vehicle is the estimated heading angle plus the crabbing angle designated by the parameter β. Thus the change in position of the vehicle reference point P will occur along a direction vector 10 at an angle ψ+β plus independent white Gaussian noise vectors associated with both the calculated value of ψ and the estimated drift error parameter β. The current estimate of β is fed along line 52 to one input of adder 48 so that the input to the kinematic transform processor 50 represents ψ+β. The value of V(t) on line 26 is fed directly to the kinematic transform processor 50.
The function of the kinematic transform processor 50 is to produce continually updated estimates of the position (x,y) of the vehicle in the factory frame. The values of x(t+Δt) and y(t+Δt) are output on lines 54, 56 to adders 58 and 60 and also in parallel to an observation calculation processor 62.
At intervals the adders 58, 60 each add a respective correction factor, kx or ky times the error signal to the estimated value of x (t+Δt) and y (t+Δt). The output of each adder is passed through a respective delay line 64, 66 to provide corrected inputs of x(t) and y(t) to the kinematic transform processor 50.
The Kinematic transform processor calculates the updated estimates of (x,y) from the input information as follows. It is clear that
x=V(t) cos (ψ+β)
y=V(t) sin (ψ+β)
Integrating these equations over the time interval t+Δt it can be shown that: ##EQU3##
The value of [ψ(t+Δt)+β(t+Δt)] is fed at time t+Δt to the kinematic transform processor 50 as the output from adder 48. One previous value is stored for use as ψ(t)+β(t) in calculating x(t+Δt) and y(t+Δt) from equations 3b and 3c above.
The values of ψ, x, y are fed to the observation calculation processor 62. The estimates of these values are updated every Δt which is typically 60 ms. At longer, possibly irregular, intervals the laser bearing finding equipment produces a bearing θi on a target located at position (xi, yi) in the factory frame. When a bearing is available the observation calculation processor 62 calculates the predicted bearing θi from the estimated values of ψ, x, y and input data on the position (xi yi) of the target on which the bearing is taken. The estimated bearing is fed to an inverted input of an adder 67. The other input 68 to the adder 67 is the actual bearing derived from the bearing finding equipment. The output of the adder 67 is an error signal representing the difference between the estimated and real bearings θi -θi which is fed to six multipliers 72 to 82. For a target at xi yi we can show that: ##EQU4## Since the observed angle θi will be corrupted by random noise ε74, we can write ##EQU5##
The Kalman filter includes a processor 70 having six outputs each representing a Kalman gain factor for each of the parameters {ψ, x, y, δ, 1dm, β}. Each factor is fed to a respective multiplier 72 to 82 in which it is multiplied with the error signal. The output product is fed to an adder in which it is added to the previous estimated of the associated parameter to correct it for the effect of errors which can be considered as white Gaussian noise. The adders 44, 58 and 60 for adding the correction factors to the estimates or ψ, x and y respectively have already been referred to above. Each of the parameters δ, 1dm and β also have a similar arrangement of a delay line 84, 86, 88 and an adder 90, 92, 94 such that: ##EQU6##
The Kalman filter gains are preferably computed using the processor 70 which has a bank of inputs 96 representing the current estimates of all the parameters ψ, x, y, δ, 1dm and β. The Kalman filter programme utilises established filtering techniques for linear systems subject to random or write Gaussian noise. These techniques are described and derived in the text book "Optimization of Stochastic Systems" by M Aoki published by Academic Press 1967 to which reference may be made, in particular to pages 179 to 182. Although the present description refers exclusively to the Kalman filter algorithm it will be appreciated that other filtering algorithms may be used as appropriate to compute the necessary gains.
From the above discussion, we can write down a complete set of non-linear difference equations which describe the kinematics of the vehicle for the example give above and the evolution of the drift correction terms, as follows: ##EQU7##
Where in the above equations: ##EQU8## And ε.sub.ψ, εx, and εy are random variables representing any disturbance of the vehicle motion due to, for example floor roughness. The drift parameters δ, 1 dm and β are modelled as random walks where ε.sub.δ, ε1dm and ε.sub.β are random variables disturbing them.
At the position ψ(t+Δt), x(t+Δt), y(t+Δt) the measured angle to the target `i` is:
θi (t+Δt)=tan-1 {(yi-y (t+Δt))/(xi -x(t+Δt))}-ψ(t+Δt)+ε.sub.θ (t+Δt) 7
Where xi, yi are the co-ordinates of target `i` and ε.sub.θ is a random variable representing the error in the measuring device.
Given an estimate of the position and drift parameters of the vehicle at time t using all the data gathered up to time t:
{ψ(t|t),x(t|t),y(t|t),δ(t|t),1dm (t|t),β(t|t)}
The following definitions can be made of the variables in equations 5, 6 and 7: ##EQU9## And: ##EQU10## Where ψ(t+Δt|t) x(t+Δt|t) etc are estimates of the position and drift parameters of the vehicle at time (t+Δt) using all the data gathered up to time t. They are computed in the dead reckoning position predictor 20 and kinematic transform processor 50 already described, in accordance with the following equations: ##EQU11##
The above estimates can be used to compute the best estimate of the angle to target `i` at time (t+Δt) thus:
θ(t+Δt|t)=tan-1 {yi -y(t+Δt|t))/(xi -x(t+Δt|t))}-ψ(t+Δt|t)
Equations 5, 6 and 7 can be expanded by Taylor series about ψ(t|t), x(t|t), etc and ψ(t+Δt|t), x(t+Δt|t) etc and thus, by neglecting higher order terms can be expressed in the linear form:
Δz(t+Δt)=At �Δz(t)+εz,Δθ(t+Δt)=Ht+.DELTA.t �Δz(t+Δt)+ε.sub.θ. 8
Where the vector
Δz(t)={Δψ(t),Δx(t),Δy(t),Δδ(t),.DELTA.1dm (t),Δβ(t)}
and the measured error signal
Δθ(t+Δt)=θi (t+Δt)-θi (t+Δt|t)
εz is the vector of random variables ε104, εx, etc.
The matrix At is derived by computing the derivatives of the function in the equations 5, 6 and 7, at the point ψ(t|t), x(t|t), etc. Thus, symbolically: ##EQU12## Where: ##EQU13## and the observation vector is: ##EQU14##
The linearised equation 8 may be used to compute the vector of Kalman gains {k.sub.ψ, kx, ky, k.sub.δ, k1.sbsb.dm, k.sub.β } using the algorithm defined by H. Aoki "Optimization of Stochastic Systems" pages 179 to 182. The algorithm requires the statistics of the random variables vector εz and measurement error ε.sub.θ to be specified. A suitable form is to assume zero mean, normally distributed random variables with variances defined as follows:
E{εz �εz '}=Ct �Q�Ct ';E{ε.sub.θ2 }=R
Where Q is a diagonal matrix of covariances and Ct is a rotation matrix. Typically, the matrix Ct rotates the random disturbances in the x and y co-ordinates to align with the vehicle heading: ##EQU15##
The algorithm for computing the Kalman gains is recursive in nature (see Aoki) and requires an initial covariance matrix for the estimates:
A suitable initial choice for this matrix is diagonal in form with diagonal elements of sufficient magnitude to represent the initial lack of knowledge of the position of the vehicle and the drift correction terms.
The programme implemented by the computer 70 is designed such that every time an observation is taken the matrices At and Ct are computed. Then an "a priori" covariance matrix P is calculated as follows
P=At GAt '+Ct QCt '
Where G is the "a postiori" covariance matrix from the previous observation. If this is the first observation G0 is used.
The observation calculation processor 62 produces the predicted angle θi and the adder 67 outputs the error signal to the multipliers. If the error signal is below a predetermined threshold the observation matrix Ht+Δt is computed. Then the Kalman gain factors are computed from the relation ##EQU16## These values of the Kalman gain factors are used to correct the estimated values of ψ(t+Δt), x(t+Δt), y(t+Δt), δ(t+Δt) 1dm (t+Δt) and β(t+Δt) by means of the multipliers 72 to 82 and adders 44, 58, 60, 90, 92, and 94 respectively as described previously.
The "a postiori" covariance matrix G is updated as
G=P-Kt+Δt Ht+Δt P
for usse when the next observation is taken.
If the error signal from the processor 62 is above a threshold the Kalman gain factors are not calculated by the computer 70. The new value of G becomes the last value of P. Therefore the corrected estimates remain as the original estimates produced by the dead reckoning position predictor and the kinematic transform processor and the values of the parameters δ, 1dm and β remain the same. The threshold may be recalculated from time to time depending on factors such as the time for which the vehicle has been running which gives an indication of how large an error signal is probable. By using a threshold, obviously wrong error signals caused, for example, by the bearing being from a different target than that for which the expected bearing has been calculated, or spurious laser reflections from things other than targets, can be discarded in order to prevent large and unnecessary course corrections being made.
Various techniques may be used to simplify the matrix manipulations required to be performed by the computer 70. By taking advantage of certain symmetries, the fact that many of the matrices contain several zero terms and by writing the matrix A as the sum of the identity matrix plus a matrix with only off-diagonal terms, the number of multiplications and additions can be reduced to a manageable value to allow the processing to be carried out in real time.
It will be appreciated that any suitable co-ordinate system may be used in place of the x, y cartesian system described. This will have an effect on the equations representing the kinematics of the vehicle but will not alter the underlying principles. Similarily design variations to the steering arrangements of the vehicle or the measurement of the motion during each time interval will modify the terms of the kinematic equations. It will be appreciated that for any appropriate design of vehicle and definition of parameters, a system of kinematic equations that can be linearised as above and used in a filtering algorithm, may be set up.
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iHerb Customer Reviews
Posted by Reviewer1948557 on Apr 05, 2012
Taking Folic acid making me not easy to have "output". It is very good for me especially no constipation after taking this DHA supplement.
Very good
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Very good
good DHA
Posted by Reviewer2155835 on Dec 08, 2011
good material and good price,I think I will order new ones in the near future.
Pretty good
Posted by Reviewer1887865 on Dec 14, 2011
Is the right one what I want, but if the price can be more attractive, I'll bring more friends
Excellent for me!
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Life is Too Short to Listen to Bad Headphones
These days, we spend a lot of time listening to music with headphones. Every minute you spend enjoying your music should be the best it can be, but ordinary headphones can't deliver the rich dynamics, full range, and emotional impact of your favorite music.
Sound So Incredible, We Had to Call Them In-Ear Speakers
Monster Turbines truly deliver the big sound, power, and clarity that you'd expect from full size high-end speakers. That's why we had to call them speakers, not headphones.
Bass So Deep, it Sounds Like There's a Subwoofer
Unlike other headphones that can't reproduce deep bass, Monster Turbines accurately reproduce even the lowest bass notes without distortion. You'll hear thunderous low-end for incredible sound with every kind of music,from the thumping bass beats of hip hop tracks to the deepest pipe organ notes in classical compositions.
Less Noise, More Music
A Personal Message From the Head Monster
Hi music lovers, this is Noel Lee, The Head Monster. Let me take a few minutes to talk about how Turbines came to be, our Monster design philosophy, and the unique approach we took to engineer the sound that you will hear with Turbines.
We're Passionate About Audio
I founded Monster Cable because I was passionate about music and getting the best sound possible. At Monster, we're all critical audiophiles and music lovers, and we want you to experience every nuance of your favorite music whether it's hip hop, jazz, vocals, classical, or rock. We want you to feel the full impact of seeing a live concert.
Our Monsterous Design Approach
Our design approach to headphones is that they must reproduce everything that full size speakers can. Today, people aren't listening to speakers because we're all listening to headphones with our portable media players. We wanted to deliver the same sound that recording engineers, performers, and producers hear in the studio on their big wide-range monitor speakers, with a compact in-ear headphone design.
The Head Monster's Audio Specifications
These days, it seems like everybody publishes a bunch of specifications for their headphones, numbers that are for practical purposes, meaningless. For instance, most headphones have a frequency response rated at 20-20,000Hz. But all headphones sound different, so what good is that spec? Because we're passionate about audio here at Monster, I'd like to share what my specs are for great sound, for things like frequency response and dynamic range, and what we've achieved with Monster Turbine In-Ear Speakers.
Overall: We wanted Turbines to be able to reproduce EVERY detail of the music. Firstly, we engineered Turbines to present a balanced, smooth frequency response without the peaks and valleys typical of other headphones, where some things are overemphasized to the point of fatigue.
Low Frequency Response: The impact of low-end bass needs to be like a great subwoofer. Many headphones can't handle the low frequencies of an organ pedal note or the deep bass you hear in today's hip hop music. We engineered Turbines to deliver extended low frequency sound at real life volumes, without any distortion. You'll hear and feel the impact of a foot pedal of hitting the bass drum head.
Midrange Frequency Response: This is where vocals and most instrument fundamentals are reproduced. Vocalists need to sound like they're in the room with you: clear, clean, unobstructed, and uncolored, real, and live. The body of acoustic instruments must sound natural, as they do in real life. Turbines are precisely tuned to reproduce the natural timber of every performer's instrument and voice.
High Frequency Response: Everything must be as clear as a bell: all the details of delicate percussive sounds, such as the crisp ring of a triangle, to a drumstick caressing a cymbal. You have to be able to hear the "air" in the room. Those of you who are real audiophiles will notice Turbines deliver more sense of space, air, and openness than any other headphones in the world.
Full Range Dynamics and Efficiency: The Monster Turbines sound incredible, with any MP3 player. Most MP3 players don't have the power to drive today's in-ear headphones to lifelike levels. The efficiency of the Turbine driver lets you experience the full dynamic range from the delicate sounds of the softest violin to the boom of the loudest kettle drum. The "attack" and dynamics of Turbines is first rate. You'll hear every detail even at low volumes, with full dynamic peaks without compression or distortion.
Transient Response: Lastly there's what we call the bite of the music, what gives it the "you are there" feeling. The incredible speed of the Turbine driver lets it respond with perfect accuracy when the music tells it to, so you'll hear everything that's there, and nothing that isn't.
Specifications? Monster Turbines are ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC.
So music lovers, sit back and relax, and enjoy the sound that comes from the advanced engineering, the care, and the passion that we put into Turbines. When you listen to your favorite music with Turbines, I'll bet it will sound as though you were listening to it for the first time again.
Good listening, and may you always hear the music. Remember, life's too short to listen to bad headphones!
Noel Lee The Head Monster
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(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
Great Product
By Nicola
from Wellington, New Zealand
About Me Value Oriented
Comments about Monster® Turbine High Performance In-Ear Speakers:
Ive had the Monster Turbine In-ear earphones for over 2 years now and I can confidently say that they are one of the best purchases I have made. At first I thought the price was a bit steady but to this day I have not incurred any problems. I use this product daily and love the sound quality, almost as good as over ear headphones. The only problems I have found with this product is that the ear bud piece is quite heavy, therefore it cause the cord to tangle very easily. Overall the design is very sleek and the variety of buds provided to interchange is very convenient, also the earphone cases that the earphones came with are of high quality and make a very nice feature to my purchase. I am very impressed with the life span of this product and can guarantee I will purchase again in the future.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Decent, but Issues prevail
By Eric
from Omaha, NE
About Me Quality Oriented
I have had these headphones for less than a year now, and while they do sound good in terms of quality, I've already had to return them once and am in need of sending them in again to be replaced as I write this. I take very good care of the stuff, these have never been tangled and are always returned to their case after use, but twice now I've had the sound cut out of one side of the headphones. I'm disappointed with this in terms of the product quality; for the money spent of these they should definitely last more than 6 months with gentle, minimal use!
By Sheep
from WI
Really good earbuds!
Replacement of my Turbine headphone
By Pierre
from Montreal
I would like to thank you for the replacement.It was with great pleasure yesterday, I received the Turbine headphone product replacement as it was new.I thought Monster will not replace the product that I liked and appreciated so much ... for what the great quality that product is.I am also glad to see that Monster customer support is at the same quality level as their products... I will share this experience with all the people that I know ....that is for sure.Again thank you Monster for all your assistance.
(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)
Monster Turbine Review
By Jacelyn Kong
from Monterey Park, CA
These are one of the many IEMs that I buy. Sound quality of Monster Turbines are nice. The packaging and visual aesthetics on the product can compare to some of the higher end products. Bass and lower hz sounds are never muddled or distorted. Treble is warm and good sounding. It's a great product for it's price range. My only concern is that the metal housing is now loose; I've only used it for a few days. But, other than that, this product would be a great addition to those that like to enjoy their music without the hassle of larger products.


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