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Last update: 8 April 2010
The Crumar Spirit
Nowadays, when you think of synthesisers, your mind probably makes a geographic leap across various ponds to Japan, home of Roland, Korg, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki... oops, sorry... scrub the last of those. When you think about vintage synthesisers, you will almost certainly think of the USA, home of all things Moog-y and ARP-ish. You may even spare a stray thought for the UK's quirky analogue synths - EMS and Analogue Systems among others - or the strange and frequently unfinished Teutonic species from PPG and Waldorf. However, as your consciousness flits around the synthesiser world, it's unlikely that you'll spare much of a thought for Italy. After all, this is the home of ghastly Ekos, insignificant Jens and uninspiring Siels. Yet Italy is the home of two of the greatest analogue synths ever manufactured. In the polyphonic world, the Elka Synthex ranks alongside the Oberheim Matrix 12 and Prophet VS in terms of both price and desirability. And in the monophonic world, there's the Crumar Spirit... a synth so obscure, and of such overwhelming eccentricity, that nobody bought it, nobody used it, and almost nobody remembers it. This month, we're going to change all that.
Cru... Who?
You may be surprised to know that some of the world's best accordions originate in Italy. Indeed, a whole accordion industry developed around the city of Castelfidardo (on the Adriatic coast) at the tail end of the 19th century. Next, in the first half of the 20th century, the Italians embraced traditional organ technology and then, in the '60s and '70s, they jumped onto the electronic home-organ bandwagon. By this time, numerous companies were building keyboards in and around Castelfidardo. These included Elka, Eko, Farfisa, Siel, and - you've guessed it - Crumar, whose founder was a chap named Mario Crucianelli, or Cru-Mar as he may or may not have been known to his friends and family. (It's a cliche that "families" run Italian industries, and another Crucianelli - Piero Crucianelli - was the president of Elka! I wonder how the world would have reacted to the Crupie Rhapsody or Crupie Synthex. Hmm... it's probably best not to follow that line of thought.)
Anyway, anticipating the imminent collapse of the home organ market in the early-70s, Mario Crucianelli directed Crumar down a new path, and the company soon became famous for the cheap'n'nasty electric pianos that were to be its hallmark for the next decade. Fortunately, Crumar's next batch of products was far more interesting, embracing primitive string and brass synthesis, and the company enjoyed a short-lived burst of fame when Emerson Lake & Palmer, Greenslade, and The Enid adopted its quirky 'Stringman' and 'Brassman' keyboards. Unfortunately, the affordability of Crumar's instruments conjured an image of cheap shoddiness, so most serious players avoided them, no matter how innovative later models proved to be. From the groundbreaking "Multiman" to the company's first true synthesisers, the DS1 and DS2 (see box) there was much that was unconventional about the Crumars of the late '70s. Even the cost cutting engineered into 1982's Stratus and Trilogy helped to create unconventional synths that remain unique to this day.
Nevertheless, Crumar singularly failed to make it into the big league so when, in 1983, it announced the Spirit, nobody took any notice. The world's disinterest was only marginally dispelled when Crumar let it be known that Jim Scott (one of the co-designers of the Minimoog) Tom Rhea (another Moog employee best known for writing many of Moog's synthesiser manuals) and none other than Bob Moog himself had helped design it. And that's a shame because, as you will see, the Spirit is one of the most complex, challenging, and - above all - powerful monosynths ever produced.
Technologically speaking...
It's hard to know where to start when describing the Spirit. This is because it is much deeper than other analogue synthesisers. So let's ease into things gently, and start our tour with the one relatively straightforward section in the Spirit... its oscillators.
On the surface, Oscillator A couldn't be simpler, offering just a single control to select the waveform produced. Much like the Minimoog, there are six options: triangle, square, 30% pulse, 15% pulse and 5% pulse, plus sawtooth. The master tuning control let you select the Oscillator A octave with options ranging from 32' to 4'.
Oscillator B is more complex, with six waveforms; triangle, 40% pulse, 20% pulse, 10% pulse and 3% pulse, and sawtooth; four 'octave' ranges: -1, unison, +1 and +2 with respect to Oscillator A; and a detune control that spans ±8 semitones. But what of those range settings marked 'Bass' and 'Wide'? These disconnect Oscillator B from the pitch CV generated by the keyboard, instead offering frequency ranges from 30Hz to 300Hz (Bass) and 2Hz to 10kHz (Wide) that you can modulate and/or use as modulators within a patch. Used together with - for example - oscillator Sync (oops, didn't I mention that?) this allows you to create all manner of unusual and powerful sounds as Oscillator A tracks the keyboard, but Oscillator B drones at constant (or modulated) frequencies. Hmm... did I say that the oscillators are relatively simple? Mea Culpa!
The filter is, as always, the next stage in the signal path. Well, umm... no, that's not quite right. Oh bugger. How am I going to explain this? Let's start again... The dual multi-mode filters are the next stage in just one of the signal paths. Still with me? No, I didn't think so. So let's continue by looking at the filters themselves.
Crumar calls the primary signal path the FILTER/ADSR path, for the simple reason that the output from the oscillators passes through the filter and ADSR/VCA stages in conventional fashion. As I've already stated above, there are two filters, named U and L, for Upper and Lower. However, don't for a moment think that these are low-pass and high-pass filters... the names describe their physical positions on the control panel, not their functions.
Filter U is the more conventional of the two. This is a low-pass device with a master cut-off frequency control, variable keyboard tracking from 0% to approximately 110%, and a dedicated ADSR contour generator with variable depth and both positive and inverted polarities. Furthermore, a simple rocker-switch selects between the 12dB/octave and 24dB/octave cut-off slopes of the filter, allowing you to choose between Oberheim SEM and early ARP (12dB/oct) or Moog and late ARP (24dB/oct) style filtering. (There's nothing remotely Japanese about the Spirit's character, but the ARPs of early Genesis LPs almost leap out unbidden.) Filter U also offers resonance, and this is controlled by a switch that selects between a fixed 'Low' resonance (of approximately Q=1/2) and Variable resonance, which you control using a conventional knob.
Filter L is the weird one, and this offers four modes. The first is 'Out', and this simply removes it from the signal path. In contrast, Overdrive adds both a distortion circuit between Filter U and Filter L, and configures Filter L as a parametric EQ that adds a peak at its cut-off frequency, but without attenuating the signal on either side of the boost. The third mode is 'Band-pass', which is similar to 'Overdrive' but without the distortion. Finally, High-pass acts as you would expect, making the Spirit a more conventional dual-filter synth with high-pass and low-pass filters.
Further to this, the Spirit offers a range of controls over these modes. The first of these - logically, if not on the control panel - is the Dynamic/Formant switch. In the 'Formant' position, this disconnects Filter L from the keyboard tracking, filter envelope and other filter CVs, allowing you to introduce a fixed (indeed, formant) filter into the signal path. Filter U is unaffected, so you can impose this formant on to a conventional LPF sound... nice! Furthermore, the Resonance knob always affects the parametric boost or high-pass filter resonance, whether or not you use the Low/Variable switch to disconnect the low-pass (U) filter.
Confused yet? No? Well then, how about this... Filter L provides a second filter cut-off knob but, rather than control an absolute value for fc, it moves the cut-off relative to that of Filter U. The two fcs (U and L) are the same when the knob is in approximately the 8/10 position, thus allowing you to move the cut-off of Filter L above and below that of Filter U.
Now, if you make the two filters' fcs coincident and select either Overdrive or Band-pass for Filter L, you can play the self-oscillating filters conventionally over most of the range of the keyboard. However, if you offset them slightly, you obtain a unique range of ghostly timbres unique to the Spirit. (This is because the 'knees' of the filters no longer coincide.) And don't forget, you can have one filter tracking the pitch CVs while the other is stationary, so the filter characteristic can change as you play up and down the keyboard. This architecture makes the Spirit hugely flexible and, ultimately, hugely rewarding. However, the filters are far from the end of the story...
The next stage in the FILTER/ADSR signal path is a simple VCA with an associated ADSR envelope. You can bypass the envelope generator using the Bypass switch, and Gate the envelope from a variety of sources. Most conventionally, you'll want to Gate it from the keyboard, using either of the Single or Multiple triggering options. As I discussed in a chapter of Synth Secrets (in Sound On Sound) the keyboard's priority is primarily last-note, but the Spirit also remembers the first note played. Consequently, if you release all subsequent notes while holding the first, the pitch returns to this, but without a re-trigger. This has a very important, and very beneficial consequence... if you brush an unwanted note last, the Spirit will ignore it once you have released it, leaving the desired note sounding, and sparing your blushes. Again, I believe this to be unique to the Spirit, making it a first class instrument for lead and bass lines. To quote the manual, "The Spirit lets you play faster than blazes... you can play articulated passages like a machine gun if you want!" What's more, the keying system also makes the Spirit ideal for lines or phrases where you may wish to return to a 'root' drone between notes or phrases. Wonderful stuff!
However, there are three other sources of Gate: 'X', 'Y', and 'EXT'. So this is an ideal time to look at what is perhaps the most confusing and most powerful part of the Spirit's architecture: the modulation sources with the nattiest names in synthesis... MOD X and SHAPER Y.
What's in a name?
When you think about it, most integrated monosynths offer little in the way of modulation sources. Sure, there's usually an assignable LFO, and any given synth may be graced by dedicated LFOs for pulse width modulation and so on. But unless you fork out for one of the better endowed dual- or triple- oscillator synths, there's little or no chance of audio frequency AM or FM, sample & hold, or an arpeggiator. Inevitably (or I wouldn't have mentioned it) the Spirit has all of these, and much, much more...
Let's begin with MOD X. This offers six modulation sources: triangle wave, square wave, S&H, SHAPER Y, red noise, and oscillator B. There's also a dedicated LFO, which doubles as the S&H clock if that option is selected. Then there's the arpeggiator. This has three modes, the first of which is called Ripple, and which plays any held notes in an upwards pattern at the LFO rate. The second is Arpeggio, and this repeats the held notes, first at the played octave, then the one above, then the one below, thus making all arpeggios into three octave patterns. The final mode is the confusing but rewarding 'Leap', which plays the first note in the arpeggio at the source octave, the second at +1 octave, the third at -1 octave, and then repeats the cycle. This may not sound like much, but imagine that you are holding four notes... the complete cycle is then twelve notes long. Indeed, 'Leap' arpeggios can become very complex, especially if you change one or more of the played notes during the arpeggio. I suspect that this is yet another facility unique to the Spirit, and if you've ever wanted to compose tracks in the style of Steve Reich, this is the way to do it.
Of course, you'll want to control something with MOD X, and a quick hunt to the far left of the control panel will lead you to the Wheel Destinations section, which allows you to direct the modulation to five destinations. These are: the pitches of Oscillators A and B; the pitch of Osc A alone; the pulse width of Osc A; the Upper and Lower filter cut-off frequencies; or the cut-off frequency of filter U alone. Phew!
Oh yes, and the reason that this is called the Wheel Destinations panel (rather than the MOD X destinations panel) is because the modulating CV produced by MOD X passes through the dedicated MOD X wheel before being routed to its destination. This gives you full control over the amplitude of the modulation.
The action of SHAPER Y is, if anything, less obvious than that of MOD X. This, too, has an LFO with a Rate knob, but in this case it's a 'triangular' generator whose waveform you can vary from sawtooth, through triangle, to ramp wave, using the 'Shape' control. But the real power of SHAPER Y lies in its 'Mode' control, which adds four more options to the Spirit's already over-burdened feature-list.
FREE turns SHAPER Y into a simple LFO centred on 0V, thus making it ideal for simple vibrato or tremolo. In contrast, KB HOLD gates the SHAPER Y waveform, so you can use it as a secondary ASR contour generator whose A and R rates are determined by the Shape and Rate selected. RESET is similar to KB HOLD except that it describes an AD contour rather than an ASR contour. Well, it does, as long as you don't retrigger it before it's completed the cycle. If you do this, it resets to zero, and starts the AD contour again. Finally, RUN is an unconditional AD contour that always completes its cycle, even if you take your hands away from the Spirit and start playing something else. This can be very useful for sound effects and drones that you've programmed to continue developing after you've moved your hands to other instruments.
Like MOD X, SHAPER Y passes through a dedicated wheel before being presented with a list of possible destinations. These are: the pitches of Oscillators A and B (again); the pitch of Osc B alone; the pulse width of Osc B; the MOD X LFO frequency; and the cut-off frequency of filter L alone. As you can see, this list perfectly complements that of MOD X.
But hang on a minute... there's also a switch in the Wheel Destinations panel that lets you modulate (or contour) the output from MOD X with that of SHAPER Y. And, if you think back, you'll remember that I've already said that one of the modulation sources within MOD X is SHAPER Y. And now I've stated that one of the SHAPER Y destinations is the LFO in MOD X. Ow! I've got a headache!
Well, if that hurts already, get the morphine ready... because it gets worse! Do you remember that the Spirit has two signal paths? The second of these is the SHAPER Y path, and this passes all the sound sources, including the Ring Modulator (oh heck, I haven't mentioned Ring Mod yet, have I?) through a simple 6dB/octave low-pass filter and then through another VCA whose gain is controlled (or 'shaped' - hence the name) by SHAPER Y. Furthermore, all the MOD X and SHAPER Y modulations are still applied to this signal. [I'm afraid that it's far easier to demonstrate all this that it is to describe it, but that's not much comfort, is it?]
Furthermore (by now, I'm sure that you knew that there had to be a 'furthermore') the Mixer section allows you to mix the Oscillator A and B levels, plus Noise, within the FILTER/ADSR path, to the Oscillator A and B levels, Ring Mod level, and Noise level within the SHAPER Y path. And, like so much else in the Spirit, this turns out to be more than it seems. This is because - even ignoring the myriad other possibilities offered by this architecture - the U and L filters introduce tiny phase shifts in the signal that fatten up the sound considerably when you mix FILTER/ADSR sounds with the same sources passed through the SHAPER Y path.
In use
Clearly, the Spirit is a fantastically complex synth. Indeed, you would be hard pressed to emulate its intricacies using a modular instrument, if only because you would run out of CV inputs and patch leads long before you recreated all its weird and wonderful routings. But if you want to patch the Spirit in simpler fashion, you can ignore MOD X, SHAPER Y, and most of the oscillator and filtering options, and play it like any other dual-oscillator synth. Unfortunately, ignoring and/or switching off all the complex bits is not straightforward, and I've seen experienced players reduced to (almost) tears when presented with a Spirit for the first time. Indeed, I've never heard a great sound emanate from one under those conditions.
But once you've mastered it... WOW! For example, you can build a simple lead patch with just one oscillator, a touch of vibrato, a touch of filtering, and appropriate envelopes to taste. Even with this basic set-up, you'll be amazed at how warm and creamy the Spirit can be. Now add a little portamento (yet another facility I've failed to mention) and grab the Pitch Bend wheel (and another) and you have a superb performance synth with the depth and character of any other 'Moog'. Now add the second filter in Band-pass or Overdrive mode, set the controls and... well, you're moving into very expensive sonic territory. In particular, the Overdrive is a sonic chameleon that offers numerous different characters depending upon the signal level and pitch of the oscillator signal, the resonant frequency of the filter, and the gain. All that, and we haven't yet touched the second oscillator and the myriad modulation options, let alone added the SHAPER Y path to the signal.
Of course, no vintage synth is complete without a selection of rear panel inputs and outputs, and - as you might expect - the Spirit is no slouch in this department, either. For one thing, it offers individual outputs for the FILTER/ADSR and SHAPER Y audio paths, thus allowing you to direct the two timbres to different mixer inputs and effects paths. There's also an EXT audio IN that replaces Noise in the internal signal paths, thus allowing you to apply the phenomenal filtering and shaping power of the Spirit to external signals.
As for voltage control, there's a Filter Pedal input that controls the Lower and/or Upper filter cut-off frequencies, and an Osc B input that controls the pitch of oscillator B (which is ideal for sync sounds). Of course, there's nothing stopping you from using these inputs as general CV inputs if you wish. Oh yes, and there are conventional CV & Gate inputs and outputs too.
All of this means that, despite its 'integrated' appearance, the Spirit is a superb addition to a modular analogue synth set-up. It can provide all the keyboard functions needed, and offers a bountiful supply of voltage controlled wotsits to patch into the modular system itself. Bravo!
Unfortunately, we'll probably never know whether we can attribute the power of the Spirit directly to Bob Moog, but there's no doubt in my mind that, as a performance synth, it ranks alongside the Minimoog itself. Sure, they sound different, but they both beg you to play them. If there is a difference between the two, it's in the Minimoog's immediacy... you can hardly fail to conjure superb sounds from one, whereas the Spirit demands that you learn and understand its complexities. Above all, this is a synth that rewards patience, experience, and a lot of thought rather than aimless knob twiddling. But once you've mastered it, all the classic analogue timbres are at your fingertips: warmth, smoothness, grittiness, and screaming analogue pain, all produced with depth, expression, and as much complexity as you could ever desire.
And afterward...?
Despite its power and flexibility, the Spirit was to be the last monosynth produced by Crumar. Indeed, it was the last instrument to bear the Crumar name because, in 1984, the company launched an analogue polysynth under the name "Bit". Designed by none other than Mario Maggi - the man responsible for the Elka Synthex - with dual oscillators, dual contour generators, and bonuses such as MIDI, velocity-sensitivity, unison, splits and bi-timbrality, it compared favourably to more expensive instruments. But the Bit One was not a DX7, and it provided none of the crisp, new sounds that dominated music from 1983 until 1988.
Nevertheless, Crumar released three incarnations of the Bit. After the Bit One, there was the improved and remarkably affordable (£499) modular version, the Bit01. Finally - in the autumn of '85 - the £699 keyboard version of the '01' appeared. Called the Bit99, this addressed many of the Bit One's shortcomings, and remains a useful but under-rated polysynth to this day.
To give Crumar credit, even in the late '70s it was well aware that the era of analogue synthesis had passed. But whereas adding a microprocessor to an analogue synth was not too expensive - either in terms of development time or cost - designing a true digital synth was beyond its means. Furthermore, Castelfidardo did not have a large industrial base or a university with which to share the R&D burden, so Crumar turned to the USA to co-develop a generation of digital instruments to release alongside its low-cost synths.
Working in collaboration with a New York company called Music Technology, it first produced a groundbreaking digital synth called the GDS (the "General Development System") which was used extensively by Wendy Carlos. This then became the precursor to the Synergy, another pioneering instrument, and one that deserves to sit alongside the Fairlight CMI and the early Synclaviers in the pantheon of synthesiser history. But neither the GDS, the Synergy, nor the Bits could beat off the onslaught from Japan and, in 1987, Crumar ceased trading.
Although Crumar disappeared in the late '80s, other Italian manufacturers were more fortunate... Elka reinvented itself as a manufacturer of MIDI master keyboards, while Siel was purchased by Roland Corporation, and survived as its European division. In addition, Generalmusic (GEM) manufactures digital synths and workstations to this day. But of the deceased Italian synth manufacturers of the '70s and '80s, it is Crumar that is the saddest loss. In retrospect, it was a hugely important company because it made keyboards that were cheap enough for players who would otherwise have been restricted to lusting after unattainable instruments in shop windows. And who knows what it may have developed had it survived? If Crumar had released a polyphonic version of the Spirit it could - with perhaps the honourable exception of the Yamaha GX1 - have become the most sought-after analogue polysynth on the planet. Now, how's that for an endorsement?
You can find my full review of the Crumar Spirit in Sound On Sound magazine, July 2001.
Copyright ©2001, Gordon Reid.


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Citizens of The Pitt!, it is I, Lord Ashur and I bring to you all a chance to fight for your freedom!, once a week The Hole will commence and the strongest of warriors will fight it out, while you workers have the opportunity to fight my other workers and can vote and decide who should be victor.
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The Hole will open on a Tuesday, winner will be announced on the following Tuesday when it all begins again!
A word on Strategic Voting
It has come to Lord Ashur's attention that in this series you may be tempted to vote for a participant to continue not on their merits, but on the perceived ability for another contestant to defeat them easier in later rounds... Rather than discourage the practice, we encourage it! If you want someone to win the final and the division, you are free to vote for whomever you think he'll have an easier time beating, or you may vote for your favourite of the two - it matters not as long as there is plenty of blood and gore!
Starting Tomorrow - A Hole Special Series
Be on the lookout TOMORROW for a special Hole series to commemorate 15 years of Fallout, including the early return of fan favourite FRANK HORRIGAN!
Companion Cup - Semi Final 1- At home on the Range...
|Companion Cup Semi Final 1 - At home on the range
| C: And again we're joined in the Commentary booth by Sulik… Mostly because none of our security staff are brave enough to ask him to leave… Sulik now you've never travelled with either of these companions have you?
Sulik: No, But Grampy Bone says he be meeting Tycho before. Tycho still owes grampy fitty caps after a nights drinking firewater in the Den.
C: Any plans to collect?
Sulik: We be seeing if there be anything to collect from first, but the Hole is no place for the sniper; we be thinking Desert Rangers be able to handle redcaps no problems.
C: Some people think that Boone is going to be more popular than Tycho, what do you have to say to them?
Sulik: Well, Tycho be very popular in the bars, 'specially when spending other peoples money. We and I Never see Boone buy anyone a drink.
C: Well, there you have it, Sulik thanks for joining us
Sulik: We and I be going nowhere.
C: Err, Okay then.
Last week
|Companion Cup Heat 4 - Freak Week
| C: Well, since your still here Sulik, what was your take on Goris' taking out Charon, was the score as close as you expected?
Sulik: Well, Goris, he be a bit like a big kitty in those ghost-people shows we and I be seeing sometimes... he like to play with his food. He be surely doing better if he wanted too.
C:Can either of our current competitors stop him?
Sulik:Nah. They be callin' em Deathclaw not Deadclaw for a reason.


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Moroccan Style Wedding Cake
This is my very first wedding cake...i love the colors, bottom is a 10" carrot, middle 8" red velvet with white chocolate buttercream & top 6" mocha chocolate with nutella filling. covered in satin red fondant. anemones are fondant w/gumpaste. border is fondant with gold dust. this was a big challenge for me, but it turned out good.
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Guitar Center Launches Your Next Record With Steve Aoki
-- Remix Contest Offers Unsigned Electronic Musicians a Chance to Work with Grammy Nominated DJ and Producer Steve Aoki
-- Career-Altering Prize offers Studio Time with Aoki at Dim Mak Studios, New Gear, $10,000 Cash and much more
-- Open call for entries beginning Friday, August 1st
Jul 28, 2014, 15:00 ET from Guitar Center
LOS ANGELES, July 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Guitar Center is proud to announce a collaboration with world-renowned DJ and producer Steve Aoki on another installment of the retailer's acclaimed unsigned artist discovery program, Guitar Center's Your Next Record. As one of today's most in demand electronic music producers, Aoki will offer one talented, unsigned artist a career-altering opportunity including studio time with Aoki, new gear and more.
"Discovering and creating new music is what I live for, so I jumped at the chance to team up with Guitar Center to help give musicians an opportunity to be heard," says Steve Aoki. "The world of electronic music and DJing can be a challenging place to break into, but luckily I had a few trusted mentors that helped guide me along the way. I'm honored to be able to offer that guidance and inspiration to a fellow musician."
Watch Stevie Aoki speak about the program here: http://youtu.be/fc94R6VHPvo
How the Competition Works
Unsigned artists 16 years and older are invited to download the Steve Aoki track, "Delirious," on guitarcenter.com/aoki and upload their remixed version along with additional original music to serve as their submission. Participating artists will be ranked based on their social media and online fan growth throughout the submission period. Aoki and a team of trusted advisers will then review the top 100 ranked artists and select one winner to receive the grand prize.
Your Next Record with Steve Aoki Winner to Receive:
- Studio time at Dim Mak Studios with Steve Aoki
- A single executive produced by Steve Aoki and released on Dim Mak Records
- $10,000 Cash
- New gear from brands retailers including AVID, Pioneer, EV, GoPro, 8DM and more
- The opportunity to perform live with Steve Aoki
- A feature in Electronic Musician Magazine
"We created Guitar Center's Your Next Record to give unsigned musicians a platform to get their music heard and their record made," says Dustin Hinz, Vice President of Brand Experience and Entertainment Marketing. "Steve has paved the way for an entire generation of new musicians in the electronic space. We're excited to team with him, Dim Mak and our great MI partners to give emerging artists what they need most – opportunity."
Previous installments of Guitar Center's Your Next Record have featured a wide range of high profile artists including Keith Urban, Travis Barker, T-Pain and Slash.
About Steve Aoki
STEVE AOKI is a Grammy-nominated international producer/DJ, electronic dance music entrepreneur, and founder of the trendsetting record label, events/lifestyle company, and apparel line Dim Mak. Since launching in 1996, Dim Mak has broken bands such as Bloc Party, The Bloody Beetroots, Klaxons, and The Gossip through deftly marketed single and full-length releases and now has nearly 500 releases to date. As a solo artist, AOKI has become a force of nature averaging over 250 tour dates per year. His most recent releases include: "Bring You To Life (Transcend)" with house producer Rune RK and vocalist RAS, the massive Linkin Park collaboration "A Light That Never Comes," "Can't Stop The Swag" his first foray into hardstyle with label mate Coone and of course, "Boneless," his global chart topping collaboration with Chris Lake and Tujamo. "Rage The Night Away" with Waka Flocka Flame and "Delirious (Boneless)," a new version of "Boneless" featuring Kid Ink is out now and will appear on his second artist album NEON FUTURE I, scheduled for release August 12, 2014 via Ultra Music/Dim Mak. NEON FUTURE II will be released in early 2015.
About Guitar Center:
Guitar Center is the world's largest retailer of guitars, amplifiers, drums, keyboards and pro-audio and recording equipment, with more than 260 stores across the U.S. In addition, the Music & Arts division operates more than 100 stores specializing in band instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and students since 1984. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Guitar Center's historic first-steps to helping people make music. With an unrivaled in-store experience and passionate commitment to making gear easy-to-buy, Guitar Center is all about enabling musicians and non-musicians alike to experience the indescribable joy that comes from playing an instrument. All we sell is the greatest feeling on earth. For more information about Guitar Center, please visit www.guitarcenter.com.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140728/130603
SOURCE Guitar Center


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Ted Simons: For major league baseball it's a chance for teams to win a place in history, but in Arizona October is also about the future of Major League Baseball, it's where all 30 major league teams send their top prospects to compete in the Arizona fall league. This year the fall league is celebrating its' 20th anniversary season. We'll hear from the man they call the architect of the Arizona fall league, but first Producer David Majure and photographer David Cano take us to a ball game to see what the league is all about.
They are baseball's top prospects. Minor league players hungry for the majors.
Steve Cobb: There's no question these guys are on a major league track if they're here.
Arizona fall league allows players to show off their skills and work on their games.
Steve Cobb: Development is the theme development is what we're all about here.
Steve Cobb has directed the fall league during its first two decades.
Steve Cobb: This is our 20th anniversary season. It's a year we're going to look at our relatively brief history in the baseball world and really recognize what has been accomplished over the last 20 seasons.
The track record is impressive. 182 major league all stars, 10 league MVPs, three Cy young award winners all once played in the Arizona fall league.
Steve Cobb: I think about last year when we had Bryce Harper and Mike trout in the same outfield. Obviously one year later we know the impact that both those players have had at the major league level. We have sent over 2100 players to the major leagues in our 20-year history, so there's never been a development league like this.
And development doesn't stop with the players. The fall league produces major league managers, coaches and umpires at an equally impressive rate.
Steve Cobb: This league was created by Roland Hemond. And Roland's vision was to create a domestic option for U.S. born players primarily.
Traditionally players had to travel to other countries to play in developmental winter leagues. The Arizona fall league gave players an option to stay in the states.
Steve Cobb: His vision was just fabulous with this. I think it's exceeded his expectation.
Over the years, Hemond has enjoyed welcoming major league al-stars like Albert Pujols into the Arizona fall league hall of fame.
Go, go.
It's an honor that may one day go to any of these current Arizona fall league players. Their training grounds are six of the valley's cactus league stadiums. Baseball talent scouts are always in the stands and games are open to the public.
Steve Cobb: I just think that the ticket prices that we have are second to none, $7 for an adult, $6 for seniors and youth. You can sit anywhere you want to sit. Parking is free. Regardless of what team you support and grew up following, the good thing is they are represented here. All 30 are here.
Each major league team sends seven players to the Arizona fall league. They play together on one of six fall league teams, each with players from five different major league clubs to. Help fans identify who is who the players wear the major league Jerseys of the teams that sent them.
Steve Cobb: The other really good thing is it's a very intimate setting. You really get to hear what is happening on the field. You really can be a part of the action. And I think for most baseball fans it's a breath of fresh air. It's kind of a throw-back. This is just baseball. Pure baseball being played here. The players are very, very hungry. They are hustling. They want to make it. This is the great setting for baseball fans. If you like baseball you can't beat this.
Ted Simons: And joining me to talk about the Arizona fall league is Roland Hemond, one of baseball's most celebrated executives. His career spans six decades and in 2011 he was awarded the Buck O'Neil lifetime achievement award by the hall of fame's board of directors. Hemond currently special assistant to Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall. Roland Hemond is credited with being the architect of the Arizona fall league. It's good to see you again. Thanks for joining us.
Roland Hemond: Nice to be on your show, Ted. Thank you.
Ted Simons: The question was the inference was that this is pretty much what you saw when you envisioned T. is this what you saw in you envisioned it?
Roland Hemond: I envisioned it the way it has developed but I think it has developed even beyond my wildest dreams. I felt that young players weren't playing long enough during a season. If you play a minor league season you start April and you're through Labor Day. Six months of the year you're not working at your craft. That was -- I would try to convince players to go to winter ball but then I realized that there were times when we sent players to winter ball they were standing in the way of the development of some of the Latin players, for instance. Now if we having such great facilities here in Arizona and the climate is perfect in the fall, it was an ideal spot for me to suggest strongly that I felt that we needed a league of this type.
Ted Simons: You suggested strongly, but you had to do some work to convince baseball owners, management, the establishment that this is a good idea.
Roland Hemond: Well, ordinarily when you come up with a good idea there are some skeptics who are shooting you down, but I had a champion that helped me. Al Rosen, general manager of the San Francisco Giants, had been a great player with Cleveland. He spoke up and supported me. However, it didn't take off that particular general manager's meeting. The next year Wayne Granger, who had been a pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals, wanted to address the general managers that he had some people who wanted to fund a league in Florida. Al Rosen said, after Wayne left the office, you guys weren't listening very closely when Roland proposed this last year. Dan O'Brien, Senior, general manager of the Rangers, said if we farm it off to somebody else it be run the way we would want. So, Bill Murray of the commissioner's office presented my idea to the owners at the next owners meeting and they bought into it. The rest is history, and highly successful.
Ted Simons: Indeed. When it first started, the first few years, what kind of challenges did you run into?
Roland Hemond: There were some skeptics along the line, which takes a little time but they found out that players playing in the league found it as a real compliment to them, great boost of morale for the players selected by their organization, that they really felt that they were good major league prospects. Then it became the best scouted league ever, so that all the clubs spend a great deal of time and attention and direct their people to watch these players perform. If you have seven of the best players from each organization you better elevate your game if you want to compete and don't embarrass yourself. That's why they hustle and go all out. We're able to provide the best of instructors and managers. 31 managers have gone started in the fall league and have become major league managers. Dusty Baker, the first year from 1992, that was his only managerial experience. Next year he was manager of the year with the San Francisco giants and he's still going strong.
Ted Simons: Talk about some of the players, as well. Going through the research, Derek Jeter played in the fall league. Obviously, Albert Pujols played in the fall league. I went out to watch Bryce Harper last year, he first time he steps in the batter's box, the first pitch he sees he hits it over the wall. I figure this is a pretty good player, this someone we'll see in the future. But Derek Jeter all the way back to those guys.
Roland Hemond: Yes. He wasn't here very long because he severed a mild injury and the Yankees brought him home, but he did get his start here. When Albert Pujols entered the fall league hall of fame and came in person and addressed the players in the two dugouts, he said he had played class A baseball at Cedar Rapids the year before and the Cardinals had moved them up to their Triple-A club in Memphis to help in the playoffs. So he looked like he was a long way up from the majors except after the fall league he became a great rookie. He said it took -- he took every at bay like it might be his last. And that was a good lesson to the players, that you apply yourself every at bat. That's what's happening in the playoffs. Right?
Ted Simons: Indeed
Roland Hemond: Possess the ability to concentrate until the final hour.
Ted Simons: You talk about a finishing school for future major league baseball players, you can be an Albert Pujols, you could also come in there with a reputation and if you don't cut it in the fall league you have to work extra hard to get back up there. Don't you?
Roland Hemond: That's right. If you did not accept the assignment the way you should you'll live to regret it because now you'll see so many of your teammates or opposing players because we always have 18, 20 players the following opening day that played in the fall league the year before playing in the big leagues. They are so well scouted at least if you're placed in an organization whereby you have some players ahead of you and it's tough to crack it you can perform the way the scouts recommend that you acquire in the trade. Ian Kennedy is a prime example because the Diamondbacks required him in a trade and our scouts felt if we could get him he's going to be a fine pitcher.
Ted Simons: As far as the fans that show up for these games, obviously there's the ticket price is very affordable, but you don't get a huge bunch of folks out there. I personal kind of like that. It's baseball and for baseball fans. But what fans do you see at the games?
Roland Hemond: I have friends from around the country who arrange their vacations to be in Arizona for the fall league. They recognize as real good baseball fans that it's a real treat so that's why I would like to see more people from Arizona attending the games because they are bypassing an opportunity to predict and learn themselves who they think will be in the major leagues next year or who might be the rookie of the year. Mike Stroud appears to be a cinch in the American league for this winter when they make the announcement. But if you didn't see him in the fall league you would pass up an opportunity to see a coming star.
Ted Simons: Not only that but if you're a Diamondbacks fan, a Giants fan, Indians fan, or whatever kind of fan you are you can always go to a game that has your players, young players on that particular team and you can watch the people that you're reading about or you're keeping an eye on for future years.
Roland Hemond: Right. You learn from it by being a fan what a scout goes through and he has to project what's going to take place. It's fun as a fan to play the role of a scout.
Ted Simons: What is the health of the fall league? Last time we talked you said it wasn't necessarily designed to be a money-maker. Are the costs worth it so far as far as the teams are concerned?
Roland Hemond: There's no question about it because players that come to the major leagues at minimum salary and they are winning jobs that's helping the clubs that cannot sometimes compete for the high priced free agent and still build a very competitive club.
Ted Simons: So again if there's not a lot of folks there and ticket sales aren't what you would like to see, it still is considered a healthy league.
Roland Hemond: Well, because of the fact that the clubs know that they are investing their money for the development side. However, we're starting to gain on fans and MLB network does three games now. Nationally it's become a realty to the fans that, let's not pass this up. Let's go.
Ted Simons: Before we let you go, your experience in baseball is so extensive. You've been around the game so much, I wonder sometime, when you go to a baseball game, any game fall league or otherwise, what do you look for? I know what I look for. Other baseball fans watch the ball -- what does Roland Hemond look for in a baseball game?
Roland Hemond: I get there for the first pitch because I don't want to miss anything. Adam Eaton, our young centerfielder, you immediately fall in love with him the way he aggressively runs down the first-base line. He's thinking extra base every time. If he hits a single he's thinking double. If he hits a double he's thinking triple. He plays with that strong desire. If you're there early and he's leading off the game you're getting sheer enjoyment of watching a young player who knows how to go about it.
Ted Simons: Do you watch that kind of thing like individual players, how they go about the game, how they run the base, play defense, how they hit the ball, or do you watch -- provided no one is chewing your year off what do you concentrated for?
Roland Hemond: You watch the middle infield, how much range they have. And any outfielders, what kind of an arm does he have. That's what the good uniformed baseball people do. They are playing against the opposition, they are studying them very well but the opposition is studying your club as well. It's a thinking game. You never know what you're going to see no matter how many games you go to, something comes up that you haven't seen before.
Ted Simons: Last question. When you go to fall league games and look around and you think, 20 years have passed, I asked you this earlier in a different way. Do you just sit back and go this worked.
Roland Hemond: It's very gratifying. It makes you feel good. You know that it has helped so many players, managers, coaches, young people who work the grandstand, work under Steve Cobb and Joe McGrath, learning what it takes behind the scenes. Many of them graduate as interns to major league teams. Even to front office jobs general managers, Tim Pupura became a general manager after being an intern in the early days of the fall league. The White Sox were playing the Astros and he was the opposing general manager. Ken Williams with the White Sox in '95.
Ted Simons: You started something there. So far people are enjoying it. It certainly is a success. Thanks for joining us.
Roland Hemond: Thanks for having me.


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According to reports, Sookram, 35, and his wife, Vidya Bachew came to Trinidad on Tuesday last for a vacation. On Thursday last he began to experience pains about his body and Sookram was taken to the EWMSC in Mt Hope where he was reportedly turned away. He died, according to reports, while being taken to another medical institution. In a press conference at the Ministry of Health, Park Street, Port-of-Spain yesterday, Khan highlighted points from a head consultant at the Accident and Emergency (AE) Department.
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Three French Socialists put themselves forward as potential candidates to run in next year's presidential elections.
After an internal ballot of the party's 200,000 members, Segolene Royal won the nomination.
Ms Royal, 53, was the only woman candidate and the most popular, with a 30- to 40-point lead over her closest rival going into the ballot, according to opinion polls among Socialist voters.
Recent polls have also shown she is the only candidate capable of beating right-wing Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy in the presidential race.
A former environment and family affairs minister, she is currently the leader of the south-western Poitou-Charentes region.
She has shocked fellow Socialists in past months with tough plans to cut crime and by questioning the party's key 35-hour working week policy.
Critics say she is a political lightweight with no experience of big ministerial posts and vague, populist policies that sometimes lean to the right.
Supporters say the mother-of-four brings a new style to jaded politics and is trying to establish a genuine rapport with the French electorate.
One of the old-guard Socialists, the 57-year-old former finance minister and economics professor portrays himself as a "radical reformist", but many in the party accuse him of wanting to usher in liberal policies through the back door.
The charismatic DSK, as he is known for short, was widely credited with engineering the revival of the French economy in the late 1990s under Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin.
As a multilingual former economics professor and a trained lawyer, he is a respected figure in the business community at home and abroad.
A father of four, he is married to the respected political journalist and former TV presenter Anne Sinclair.
In 1999, he was forced to resign following allegations of forgery. A court later cleared him, and he returned to politics as a deputy.
There has been speculation in the media that he may have struck a deal with Ms Royal to be her prime minister if she wins the presidency.
The former Mitterrand prime minister, aged 60, is a political heavyweight who has occupied most of the top jobs in French politics.
More recently, he split the party in 2005 by lobbying to reject the EU constitution in the French referendum - against the party line. He argued that the text was a vehicle for Anglo-Saxon economic liberalism.
He was sacked as deputy leader of the party after France voted "No" to the constitution in the referendum.
Ahead of the ballot, Mr Fabius sought to capitalise on the charter's defeat by courting left-wing voters with promises of a "more social Europe" and an immediate rise in the minimum wage if elected.
He is alleged to have said when it emerged Ms Royal was interested in running for president: "But who's going to watch the children?"
Most Popular Now | 56,514 people are reading stories on the site right now.";


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Written by Elessa, Posted in Blog
Out Of The Beauty Box San Jose Holiday Class will be amazing!!! And I hope that you all will be there. Well.. a few cause this is going to be a small class. 😀
This will be an intimate class where I talk about Holiday looks, do a demo and then it is gift giving time. If you would like to do an exchange with the class you totally can. Bring in one time no more than $10 and we can play a game. This class is $99 dollars but the bestest part!!! I am going to be surprising everyone with Pursebuzz Goodie Bags well over $99 just because it is the holiday and it is time for giving!
This class must remain small so please sign up as soon as possible and once it is closed that is it. This will be our last O2B2 for a while since Koren and I are pulled into so many directions Traveling has taken a huge toll on us. At least for me it is. He will be doing his amazing K-talk all over the place. We will not completely cancel O2B2 but we will have fewer cities for 2012.
So sign up for the Holiday Class if you want to Learn how to do a sexy holiday look,hang out with us, do a Christmas exchange and if you are up for it we can all go to lunch after.
I will be selling a few items in class as well so get ready to do a little shopping.
Get ready to see the most amazing purse hangers of your life!


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Dexter (I tell you again) is answerable for the late Mrs. Eustace's death.
Eustace called him as we jumped into his boat, and rang our soldi on the gunwale.
Nesta did not know it; he would never know it himself; but there was a big difference in Eustace nowadays.
Dinner over and Saunders gone, Eustace went into the library.
She was surprised to see that her friend was staring eagerly before her with a fixity almost equal to that of Eustace.
"Try her with an increase of salary," was the advice of Eustace.
A score of times I proposed to my friend Eustace to share my purse—he met my tender with insults.
But before the fingers had time to loose their hold, Eustace had them in his own.
Eustace had purposely taken time over attending to his horse.
I know Eustace far too well for the future Mrs. Borlsover to like me.


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This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Short interspersed nucleotide elements (SINEs), a type of retrotransposon, are widely distributed in various genomes with multiple copies arranged in different orientations, and cause changes to genes and genomes during evolutionary history. This can provide the basis for determining genome diversity, genetic variation and molecular phylogeny,
Short Interspersed Nucleotide Elements (SINEs) are a class of retrotransposons widely distributed in eukaryotic genomes. They integrate into a new genomic locus through RNA reverse transcription [
Although numerous copies of SINEs in certain eukaryotic genomes compose a SINE family, these copies are not identical and their sequences vary by 5–35% [
The approaches described above mostly depend on a probe that is specific to a particular region of SINEs to isolate repeated elements. Here we describe a new, simple, and efficient method to obtain probe sequence for rapid isolation of SINEs, in which inverse PCR, library construction, and screening are entirely omitted. This method is based on two PCRs with only one primer for each to make DNA fragments containing SINEs as a template for a biotin-labeled probe. The probe is then bound to a magnetic particle and used to isolate SINEs from genomic DNA. Here we used the grenadier anchovy
The results of B-PCR of genomic DNA from eight fishes are shown in
Only the A primer to box A of tRNA-Leu-like region was used to perform PCR amplification of SINE copies from genomic DNA. The band patterns of PCR products are shown in
A total of seven clones that contained SINEs were isolated from
The BLAST homology search revealed that the tRNA-related region of the consensus Cn-SINE family was most similar to tRNALeu in
Analysis of the full-length SINEs isolated from
In the present study, we exploited the structural features of SINEs to capture novel SINE families from the genome of
The Cn-SINE family that we isolated in this study has not been reported previously, and belongs to a novel family. This success in finding previously undescribed SINEs validates our approach. The box A and B sequences of Cn-SINEs are 91% identical to that of the tRNALeu genes of
More than 100 SINE families have been described from the genomes of various eukaryotes [
The Cn-SINEs have a 3′-terminal tail with poly(A), or an AT-rich region. The length of the tail region is 17–48 bp. Two types of secondary structures were inferred from the sequence of the tail region of SINEs in different clones (
The organisms studied are eight species belonging to three families and three orders, representing various ecotypes of fish including freshwater, estuary, seawater, and anadromous populations. One individual of each of the eight species—
Genomic DNA was extracted from small amounts of ethanol-preserved muscle by proteinase K digestion in lysis buffer at 55 °C for 2–3 h, following the manufacturer's protocols for the UNIQ-10 DNA Extraction Kit (Sangon, Shanghai, China). The purity of DNA preparations was determined using a BioPhotometer (Eppendorf, Hilden, Germany) and electrophoretic run on 1% agarose then stained in ethidium bromide. DNA was stored at −20 °C.
We call this method B(A) PCR. The single primer was designed against the conserved box B or box A of the tRNALeu genes from various organisms. The SINE isolation strategy is shown in
PCR products were separated by 1.0% agarose gel electrophoresis and visualized by ethidium bromide staining, then purified using a UNIQ-10 column PAGE gel DNA purification kit (Sangen, Shanghai, China) according to the manufacturer's protocol. Purified products were inserted directly into the pMD19-T vector (Takara, Dalian, China) and then used to transform
Genomic DNA (~1 μg) was completely digested for 2 h at 37 °C with
The adaptor is a partially double-stranded DNA composed of a long strand annealed to a short strand to yield
Excess double-stranded adaptor was added to the above 50 μL of prepared
The adaptor primer used for PCR amplification of genomic DNA corresponds to the 5′-end sequence of the long strand of the adaptor. The primer sequence was 5′-GTAATACGACTCACTATA GGGC-3′. The adaptor-ligated DNAs were amplified by PCR in a 20 μL volume composed of 15.6 μL distilled water, 2.5 μL 10× PCR Buffer, 0.5 μL of 10 μM primer, 0.2 μL of 10 mM dNTPs, 0.2 μL of
The magnetic particle system was used according to the manufacturer's instructions (MagneSphere magnetic separation products; Promega, Germany). The isolation strategy for SINEs is described elsewhere [
The forward (F) and reverse (R) PCR primers used to synthesize biotin-labeled probes were designed by Primer premier 5.0 [
The denatured biotinylated probe above was added to the tube containing the denatured genomic fragments with adaptor at their ends. These were annealed at 55 °C for 2 h then incubated at room temperature until completely cooled to allow the biotin-labeled probe to hybridize with the adaptor DNA fragments.
A volume of 0.6 mL of MagneSphere magnetic particles was washed three times with 0.5× SSC (300 μL per wash), and the wash solution was carefully removed using the magnetic stand. The washed magnetic particles were resuspended in 100 μL of 0.5× SSC, added to the prepared probe-adaptor DNA hybrid solution, and incubated at room temperature for 30 min so that the biotin present in 5′ end of the adaptor DNA-hybrid probe specifically attached to the magnetic particles.
The supernatant containing DNA strands not attached to the magnetic beads was removed by washing four times with 0.1× SSC (300 μL per wash). The magnetic stand was used to separate the magnetic beads from the supernatant. Finally, the probe-target DNA complexes were eluted from the magnetic particles in 50 μL of distilled water at 94 °C for 5 min.
The target DNA fragments were used as a template for PCR with the adaptor primer. The PCR volume and profile were as described above. The PCR products were inserted into
Using a developed protocol that combines PCR and magnetic bead, we isolated and identified a novel Cn-SINE family from the genome of
The authors express their sincere thanks to Xiaodu Zhou and Wanxiu Cheng, students at Shanghai Ocean University, China, for their help. This research was supported by grants from the Ministry of Education's Doctoral Discipline Foundation for Young Teachers in Higher Educational Institutions (20103104120001), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31172407), and the Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest (201203065), and the Foundation for Hydrobiology Key Discipline Development of Shanghai (S30701) and the Innovation Program of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (12YZ132).
Results of B-PCR (
Results of two single-primer PCRs. Alignment of clone sequences from PCR products that were obtained using primer B (4 upper sequences) or primer A (11 lower sequences). The primer sequences are replaced by the following marks: >>, primer A and <<, primer B. Regions of box A and box B are enclosed by solid lines. Direct repeats are underlined. Asterisks indicate identical nucleotides; dash rules denote gaps; a pair of internal primers used for probe biotinylation is marked with lateral arrows; and the insertion site is shown by vertical arrows. GenBank accession numbers: JQ083287–JQ083297.
Alignment of the inserts in two clones obtained using primer A. Vertical lines indicate paired nucleotides.
Cn-SINEs from
The secondary structure of tRNALeu(CAG) in
Putative secondary structure inferred from the tail region of Cn-SINEs. (
Scheme of primer design for short interspersed nucleotide elements (SINE) isolation using B-PCR and A-PCR. "<" and ">" denote the orientation in B PCR amplification; "<<" and ">>" denote the orientation in A PCR amplification. Shaded tracts show the boxes A and B in SINE. Number 1 and 2 indicate cloning and sequencing after PCR amplification.


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The Mother Monster is going to launch the film festival on May 11, and the G.O.O.D Music rapper is going to perform next week.
Lady GaGa will help kick off the festivities at the Cannes Film Festival in France on Wednesday, May 11 by playing an exclusive concert for the A-list crowd. The pop superstar is in the country to promote her upcoming album "Born This Way" and she will make a stop in Cannes on the opening day of the famous movie event to perform for guests.
GaGa will take over a stage on the famous Boulevard de la Croisette for a special show, which will be broadcast on Le Grand Journal TV show, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Kanye West is also expected to perform during the festival next week.
In another news related to the film festival, it's reported that Carla Bruni has pulled out of plans to attend the upcoming Cannes Film Festival in France due to "personal reasons". France's first lady, who is married to President Nicolas Sarkozy, was due to make an appearance at the event to promote her new movie, Midnight in Paris, with director Woody Allen.
The romantic comedy will open the festival on Wednesday, May 11, but Bruni has now confirmed she won't be able to attend the glitzy premiere, telling RTL radio, "I was dreaming of going (to Cannes)... I regret it but I cannot go for personal reasons and for professional reasons, unfortunately."
The news comes amid rumours Bruni and Sarkozy are expecting their first child together, but when asked about the stories, the former model refused to comment, adding, "(My) lips are, in a sense, sealed."


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In late summer 2012, Carey Kish and Fran Layman embarked on an eight-day, 70-mile trek on the International Appalachian Trail through Gaspésie National Park. Gaspésie is a vast expanse of high summits, alpine tundra, dramatic escarpments, deep valleys, old growth forests and pristine waters located just inland from the St. Lawrence River on the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec. They will show spectacular pics from their adventure.Co-sponsored by the Maine Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club.
Tuesday, May 7, 7 p.m.
Location: Fields Pond Audubon Center, Holden
Presenter: Carey Kish and Fran Layman
Cost: Free
This post was contributed by a community member. Submit your news →


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Interests Running, Trekking and sport
Winter climbing
Best Climbing Experience
Mont Blanc Summit June 2010, Pic de Aneto(Oct 2010),Mera Peak May 2007(6476m), various Lakes,Snowdonia, Brecons Pen Y Fan Near right gully 2010. Mainly scrambling and ridge walks. Want to climb Pen y Fan northface central gully in winter(Not happened yet!). Did 3 peaks challenge Oct 2011.
Favourite Climbing-Related Discussion Topic
Recent Postings
Interests Outside Climbing
Running,most sports(golf,football+cricket)and computers.
Photo Gallery
Click to view avayaman's gallery. (11 photos)
Click to search for photos of climbers called avayaman.
Click to list photo comments written by me. (1 comment)
I've voted for 2 photos, average vote 5.0.
(100% superb - 0% good - 0% average - 0% poor - 0% rubbish)
Anything Else We Should Know
Trying to get 1/2 marathon below 1.40.
Still trying.
Been Climbing For
4 to 10 years
Best Onsights
Scrambling - 2
Winter - I
Main Sport/Activity
Winter Climbing
Best Magazine
Trail (UK)
I Climb...
Several times a year
In the UK & Europe
Favourite Climbs
Anything in Snowdonia
Brecon and Lakes
Latest Climbs
Daear Ddu Ridge (Winter) I/II
Arete des Cosmiques AD
... list all 2 climbs
Ticklists BETA
... not setup
Climbs Wishlist
... not setup


text: The bigger the conspiracy theory, the harder it would be to keep secret. pro tip: if you ever think that there might be a secret conspiracy to commit nefarious or illegal deeds, count the number of civilians who would have to keep quiet to keep it under wraps. Once you get to around 10, stop counting. There's no way 10 civilians are going to be able to keep those secrets.


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I just had to drop my baby off at Daycare for the first time on Monday and it was rough. I have a lot of ideas to help you make the first drop-off go more smoothly if you're going back to work at some point too.
1.) Bring Something Familiar from Home.
I should have thought of this for her first day, but unfortunately I didn't. I did however, bring her bunny on the second day and it helped a lot (the teachers even thought so). The night before I brought Bunny, I even slept with it in the hopes that it might faintly smell like me. Bunny is her 2nd Favorite toy. I don't dare bring Lovey for fear that something might spill on it, another child might grab it or it might get lost. Lovey is her favorite thing ever and so I want him to stay home.
Bunny has a similar face to Lovey and I think that helps too. Bringing a toy from your baby's home environment will bring him or her comfort when everything around him or her looks strange. Does your little one bring a toy to daycare?
2.) Make Drop off Quick.
This really is the best way. I know how excruciatingly painful it is to a first-time mom, but we have to keep in mind what's going to be best for the child. Lingering will only make it tougher. I used to be a kindergarten teacher and I used to be a preschool teacher so I've seen it from that end too. Trust me when I say this: after you leave, the child stops crying real quick once they find something to play with or get distracted by something else. They really will be okay. That experience didn't make dropping my baby off any easier, but I knew what needed to be done and I did it.
We had also gone in to show Cupcakes the room and meet the teachers before we actually dropped her off and that helped. If you do that, the environment isn't completely foreign.
3.) Don't Peek!
I know it's hard. Believe me. I peeked the first day and that made my afternoon so much harder than it needed to be. That little crying face absolutely broke my heart! It took everything I had not to run in there and hold her, but I knew doing that would make things so much worse. Day one was rough; I'm not going to lie. You just have to make it through. They said the second day would be worse because Cupcakes would know what was about to happen when she saw the room, but she had a MUCH better day the second time so that was awesome. <3
4.) Get [Positive] Updates.
Most daycares are really good about updating you if you call. They are happy to let you know how your little one is doing. And [hopefully] they know to tell you the positives of how the day is going. Luckily, I get to work in the same place where my daughter is in daycare and the people I work for are family friends. My boss and the other teachers are people I've known since high school and they knew I was having a hard time. So they would come to my room and tell me how she was doing and give other words of encouragement. (They did this when they caught me peeking too, lol). I really, really appreciated the updates!
5.) "Pray
hope and DON'T WORRY" – Saint [Padre] Pio. Great saint. Great advice. Pray for strength for you and your baby. Just talk to God; tell Him how you're feeling; tell Him your concerns and He will bring you peace.
Good Luck!
Let me know how YOUR first drop off goes (went) or if you have any additional tips.
Other updates – my new job is going okay… I tweet when I can. I miss twitter, my blog, pinterest and many more Internet gems, but the pay is much better at a job. 🙂 Also, we have chosen an apartment!! We picked Ruby Lane and got approved. Now we just have to wait until one becomes available. More updates as they come. 🙂


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This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States. Biomarkers are needed to detect this cancer early during the disease development and for screening populations to identify those who are at risk. In cancer, "biomarker" refers to a substance or process that is indicative of the presence of cancer in the body. A biomarker might be either a molecule secreted by a tumor or it can be a specific response of the body to the presence of cancer. Genetic, epigenetic, proteomic, glycomic, and imaging biomarkers can be used for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and epidemiology. A number of potential biomarkers have been identified for pancreatic cancer. These markers can be assayed in non-invasively collected biofluids. These biomarkers need analytical and clinical validation so that they can be used for the purpose of screening and diagnosing pancreatic cancer and determining disease prognosis. In this article, the latest developments in pancreatic cancer biomarkers are discussed.
Pancreatic cancer incidence and mortality rates are almost five years in the United States. Due to the difficulty in detecting pancreatic cancer, it is not typically diagnosed until the disease has progressed to advanced stages and treatment options are limited [
The risk factors for pancreatic cancer include smoking, long-standing diabetes and alcoholism, however, hypermethylation of p14 and p16 is now considered a risk factor in K-ras mutated subjects [
A biomarker is a characteristic that is objectively measured and evaluated as an indicator of normal biologic processes, pathogenic processes, or pharmacologic responses to a therapeutic intervention. Identifying and validating a biomarker which can be used in a clinic setting with high specificity and sensitivity has always been challenging. Pancreatic cancer is a unique cancer where early detection markers have not been identified and validated [
RAS is a tyrosine receptor which is involved in multiple cancers and plays a key role in cell growth, transformation and maintenance of tumor phenotype [
In most studies involving pancreatic cancer, the methylation component of epigenetics has been studied more than histone modifications, miRNA profiles, and chromatin conformational changes [
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding transcripts involved in many cellular mechanisms, including tumorigenesis. Recently, attempts have been made to identify pancreatic cancer associated miRNAs and develop methods to determine their quantity at initial and advanced stages of cancer development. miR-21 and miR-196a are among those miRNAs which exhibit differential expression in pancreatic cancer [
Serum is a good source of biomarkers for detecting pancreatic cancer. Some investigators have performed serum profiling studies and found more serum profiling variability from pancreatic cancer patients than from healthy controls [
Messenger RNA (mRNA) expression profiles have been used to detect pancreatic cancer [
Circulating endothelial cells in serum of patients undergoing treatment have been observed and may serve as biomarkers for response to treatment [
Attempts have been made to isolate pancreatic cancer markers in the stool of patients but the specificity of markers identified has been too low to warrant further investigation [
Blood has been recognized as a highly important source of disease-related biomarkers [
The development of effective tools for the early detection of pancreatic cancer, or its precursors, in high-risk subjects could play a key role in reducing the burden of this disease, which is the most lethal among solid gastrointestinal tumors [
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma has a tendency to recur and adjuvant therapy is recommended after surgical resection [
For all biomarkers, especially genetic biomarkers, the guidelines developed by the Evaluation of Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention (EGAPP) Initiative, established by the National Office of Public Health Genomics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, should be followed [
Multiplexing and use of multiple markers (genetic, epigenetic, and proteomic) in the same sample may increase the sensitivity and specificity of biomarkers in diagnosis but validation of such an approach has not been accomplished yet and should be considered. Although an abnormal tumor marker level may suggest cancer, this alone is usually not enough to diagnose cancer. Therefore, measurements of tumor markers are usually combined with biopsy results to diagnose cancer. Furthermore, patient related information (family history, diet and life style, behavior) helps tremendously in the accurate diagnosis of cancer. Finally, we are still waiting for a group of biomarkers or a specific biomarker to identify patients with asymptomatic pancreatic cancer. This needs collaboration of epidemiologists, population scientists, basic and clinical scientists, industry and funding agencies.
We are thankful to Christine Kaefer, Linda Anderson, Muin Khoury and Britt Reid for reading the manuscript and providing their suggestions.


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Recycling Program
The recycling program at Rutt endeavors to reduce waste at our manufacturing facility, promote the recycling of materials, and maintain a clean, environmentally concious workplace. Every year Rutt recycles tons of solid waste including wood waste, paper, plastic, cardboard, and spent solvents. The following is a brief summary of our 2008 recycling efforts:
- 400 tons of wood waste downcycled for use as animal bedding
- 960 cubic yards of wood waste downcycled for use as landscaping mulch
- 26 1/2 tons of cardboard, paper, and plastic recycled
- Over 8 tons of 5 gallon finish pails recycled
- 128 light bulbs recycled


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Palmerston North - Dunedin
Flight and town sightseeing.
My long travel started an early morning the 14 nov at 6 am leaving my home in Palmerston North aiming for the airport and the plane taking me to Dunedin. Smooth flight with a short stop in Christchurch where I didn't even have to leave the plane. Arrived in Dunedin at 10am and picked up my rental car. I'm a bit surprised that it doesn't feel more strange to drive on the wrong side, sit on the wrong side of the car and have the direction stick on the wrong side of the steering wheel. It's just my third time driving a car in this country. Lucky I've been biking all year in the traffic to at least get used to the left side traffic. Some unwanted starts with the windscreen wiper happened by pure reflex when quick decisions were made, but it just concludes that my driving still sits in the back of my spine.
Arrived to my hotel after a short drive, left my car there, since it was too early for checkin, grabbed my camera och headed for town center with the map in my hand. First destination was the railway station, both to look at the historic building and book my train ticket for the trip two days later. An amazingly beautiful building with such details, both inside and outside. The floor in the hall and stair case were both covered in mosaic tiles and there were two colourful glas windows above. After a short strol I arrived to the Octagone square. And yes, it's actually is eight sided. A green sloping oasis right in town. Surpricingly relaxing even if the traffic passes through. Along side the square were historical buildings with the cathedral and Municipal Chambers and a long row of cafés and restaurants. Grabbed lunch at one of them and enjoyed the view over the sunny square. Continued my walk to look at the First church and totally got blown away by the amazing arched wooden ceiling inside. First church I've been in that the floor and benches sloped slightly towards the front. And I've been into lots and lots of churches in my life, I can asure you. Next aim was the Botanic garden on the outskirts of town were I looked at amazingly colourful Rhododendrons in all sizes, from small bushes to huge trees. They also had a nice rose garden, which wasn't in full bloom right now, and a great looking conservatory. On my way back to the square I passed the University and some nice old wood buildings with details. Back to the hotel after a 5 hour sightseeing walk, I rested my legs, feet and back and planned for the next day nature and animal adventure.
Posted by JMarianneL 19:44 Archived in New Zealand


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Different Types of IU Accounts | Local Administrator Account
Managing User Accounts
An account is a set of credentials consisting of both a user name and password that allows access to a system's resources. Your computer accounts and passwords are assigned to you alone. You must never share them with others! Protect your accounts by logging out when you are finished using them.
At IU a user name is automatically assigned and consists of letters based on last name, first name, and possibly a middle name. An email address consists of a user name followed by the appropriate campus designation.
Different Types of IU Accounts
When you accept computing accounts at Indiana University, you agree to use the University's computing resources responsibly. A major part of responsible use is maintaining the security and confidentiality of your computer accounts and the information you store on them. You are also responsible for following all applicable IU policies.
As an IU student, staff, or faculty, you will need a Network ID or ADS (Active Directory Services) domain account in order to:
- Create additional accounts
- Synchronize or change your passwords
- Access your email account(s) on the IU campus
- Access the IU dial-in modems
- Log into any Mac OS X or Windows computer in the IU Student Technology Centers
- Obtain certain software and downloads via IUware Online
- Connect to the IU network via VPN
To see the various services that can be accessed by both the Network ID and the ADS Domain accounts, go to:
There are also other types of university accounts used for email, file storage, web space, printing, instructional databases, guest accounts, etc. For more information on Accounts and Passphrases, you can go to:
Also, to create and manage computing accounts and passphrases, you can go to:
Local Administrator Account
Another type of account is a local Administrator account. A local account is like a domain account except that a local account only controls access to one single, physical computer. Your local account credentials, which include a user name and password, are stored locally on the computer's hard drive, and the computer checks its own files to authenticate your login. This is different from network domain accounts, which are created and stored on domain controllers. The local account's settings determine your rights for running programs, installing and removing programs, accessing files, and enabling or disabling services. Without administrative rights, you cannot perform many system modifications, such as installing software or modifying network settings. The local administrator account cannot access network resources since the local account is recognized only on the local computer; however, it is the account to use when you want to install software or modify system settings.
When you install the Windows operating system, a built-in Administrator account is created with full administrative privileges, and each user account you create during setup becomes a member of the Administrators group. This provides convenience because administrative privileges are necessary in order to run many programs. However, always running as a computer administrator makes your computer and network more vulnerable to virus attacks. If a malicious attacker takes control of your machine while you are logged in as an administrator, then he or she will have administrative rights on your local machine. Therefore, for security reasons, one of the first things you should do after installing a Windows operating system is to rename this built-in Administrator account and to assign it a strong password. Later in the tutorial, we will discuss some guidelines for selecting strong passwords.
During some Windows installations, you will be offered the option of renaming this Administrator account. If you recieve that option, you should take it.
The procedure for securing the built-in administrator account is:
- Look at the members of the Administrators group to see what accounts are there and why.
- Rename the built-in Administrator account to something other than Administrator.
- Give the Administrator account a strong password if this was not done during the initial setup.
- Remove administrative privileges from accounts that don't need them.
The Principle of Least Privilege
If you look at major threats to computers, they are from user interaction with the Web through tools like browsers and email clients. If you are logged on with administrative privileges and are attacked, a Trojan horse could do things like reformat your hard drive, delete all your files, create a new user account with administrative access, etc. Some malware works only because the user browsing the Web is an administrator. When logged on with administrative privileges, there is much less protection against modifications being made by intruders to system setup and configurations on your local system. Therefore, anyone running the Windows operating system should avoid logging on for everyday use with an account that belongs to the Administrator's group.
The Principle of Least Privilege means that the user logs on with an account that has the minimum system privileges for everyday or routine activities, such as running Microsoft Internet Explorer or Outlook and instant messaging. Unfortunately, almost all Windows users today continue to use the administrator account for these daily tasks.
Always secure your own system by setting all daily use accounts to run with least privileges. The key is to log in as Administrator only when you need to install software or perform various other administrative tasks. This practice helps to minimize the risk of someone maliciously damaging a system's configuration or infecting the machine with a virus or Trojan horse.
Not only do many Windows users run with an administrator account because "Administrator" is the default new account for Windows Vista and 7(or an account that you name, that is placed in the Administrators group), but restricting users to a limited account can be frustrating at times because some applications, as well as some Windows-based tasks, expect users to have administrative privileges. As a result, some applications and tasks will fail to operate correctly when launched by a least-privileged user account (LUA). However, developers are constantly trying to improve their programs so that almost everyone can run as an LUA and still complete their regular daily work without encountering undue inconvenience or special workarounds.
In the next section, you will learn how to secure the Administrator account and how to create a new LUA account, depending upon your IU role and the control that you may have over your own local machine.
Option 1: Only the LSP Manages the Local Machine
DO NOT make any changes to any administrative accounts at IU unless you have first checked with your LSP. There must be at least one account that you or someone else can use to gain access to your local computer with administrative privileges. Your LSP may have already set up an Administrator account on your local machine and may not want you to create any new accounts, especially accounts with administrative privileges.
Option 2: The User Manages the Local Machine
If you manage and have control over your own machine, either at work or at home, then securing the built-in Administrator account, as well as creating new accounts, will most likely be your responsibility. Next we will rename the built-in Administrator account.
Renaming the Built-In Administrator Account
Be sure to log on as the Administrator. Click the screenshot below to see the simulation on how to rename the Administrator account:
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
To set a password for this Administrator account, press Ctrl + Alt + Del, and then Click Change password. Enter the new password in the New Password and Confirm Password fields. The next time you log off and back on, you will be required to enter the new administrator name and password.
Note: Another default account set up during the Windows Vista and 7 install is the Guest account, which provides convenient access for occasional users, By default, the Guest account is disabled, but renaming this account offers a little more protection from would-be attackers. If you occasionally need this account, enable it only when necessary. You can rename the Guest account following the same procedure as renaming the Administrator account.
Removing Your Domain Account from the Local Administrators Group
Once you have secured your built-in Administrator account, the next step is to make sure that your everyday user account is not a member of the Administrators group. At Indiana University, the University Information Security Office recommends that you normally run your Windows computer as a member of the Users Group and not as an administrator or as a member of the Power Users Group.
Setting up an account with restricted privileges is fairly simple. If the account you use for everyday tasks is your ADS domain account and if it has local administrative privileges, you should change it to a non-administrative account by removing the account from the Administrators group and placing it in the Users group.
You will need to log in as the Administrator to perform the following steps to remove your domain account from the Administrators group.
Click the screenshot below to see the simulation on removing an account from the local Administrators group:
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
Adding Your ADS Domain Account to the Users Group
Once you have removed your ADS domain account from the Administrators group, the next step is to add it to the local Users group so you will have log-in rights. Be sure to log in as the Administrator before trying to perform this step.
Click the screenshot below to see the simulation on adding your ADS domain account to the Users group:
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
Creating a New User Account
If you do not have an ADS domain account or a regular user account (except the Administrator account), then it is important that you create a new local account for everyday usage (for example, on your home PC).
Windows XP Home edition or Windows Vista in a standalone environment supports two levels of user privileges: computer administrator and limited. Users with limited accounts have permissions to do things that affect only their own account, such as changing or removing a password, changing theme and desktop settings, or viewing and editing files that they created.
Next, you will see how to create a new user account, which will have limited privileges in a standalone environment. In a network environment, the account will be a regular user account and, therefore, a member of the Users group.
Click the screenshot below to see the simulation on how to create a new user account:
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
This is the account with which you should perform everyday routine tasks, which include email and browsing the Web.
Performing Administrative Tasks Using the Run As Command
If you need to perform administrative tasks, such as upgrading the operating system, you can log off and log back on as the Administrator. However, a better option than logging on as the Administrator is to use the Run As Administrator command in Vista or Windows 7 (or "Run As..." in XP) to start or run programs as a local administrator.
To open the Run As dialog box, in Windows Explorer, Right-Click the executable program file that you want to open and click Run as administrator. Log in with your local administrator name and password.
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