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Our name. Our corporate creed. Our engineering philosophy. A philosophy our customers find easy to live with. Especially in a day and age when the compound complications of continuous change, the frustrations of an increasingly complex world and a furious pace are all a part of day to day living. So, we build Simplicity into our powered products to take some of the complexity out of your life.
Simplicity is bred into all our powered products as they begin life on the designers' drafting tables. Every Simplicity product is designed as a unit to make sure each and every part not only does its own job, but works smoothly with every other part. . . right from the very beginning. And we're very careful about the number of parts that go into a unit. Never a complex group of mechanisms when a single part will do just as well. We simply keep it simple.
Simplicity owners agree. That's why they keep their machines longer. Get more on a trade-in when they are ready for new equipment. And that's why they almost always buy another Simplicity. But please. Don't take our word for it. Ask any Simplicity owner. (You can recognize him by the smile on his face.)
Easy-Spin Electric Starting.
A simple little system that starts with the turn of a key, just like your car. It's teamed up with a big, power packed battery and fully regulated generator that keeps you starting all year around. Standard equipment on 14 hp., 10 hp. and 8 hp. models. Optional on 7 hp. and 5 hp. tractors. (110 volt trickle charger)
The Machine for All Seasons.
More than 30 attachments, including snow removal equipment, make your Simplicity tractor a year around performer. Unlike competitors' basic attachments, Simplicity's are designed and manufactured to give you maximum performance from your machine. The Simplicity way to make all 12 months easier and safer for you.
Quick-Switching Is Simplicity Itself.
Mower off ... attachment on. It takes just seconds and no tools at all. So fast and easy that a Simplicity Quick-Switch has actually been timed in 11 seconds flat. A long way from the 20 minutes to a full hour you can spend changing competitive tractor attachments. Simplicity tractors and attachments. Designed together . . . to go together . . . to work together.
Non-Scalp Mowing, a Simplicity Patent.
Our mower is attached to a tilting front axle. So, when the wheels change position with the lay of the land, the mower tilts with them. wide rollers guide the rear of the mower housing to assure non-scalp action. Free floating action that gives your lawn a smooth, even cut. We simply built the mower to follow the ground instead of the tractor.
Comfortable Riding . . . Easy Access.
All tractor seats are specially contoured and padded for support and comfort, adjustable for operator size. Muffler and cooling fan directs engine heat away from the driver. Flip-up bucket seats and hoods on the 14 and 10 hp. models . . . and removable hoods on other models put everything in easy reach for routine checks and servicing.
[Source: 1971 Simplicity catalog, hand-dated 1/21/71, courtesy of Chris Geise.]
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If you aren't too bothered by quality and want a great location then this is a good place to stay. Those who can afford better should go stay at Co Co's, just down the beach. Soon we will visit the resort and write a full review.
here for more on Koh Hai (Ngai).
Andaman Sky, Co., Ltd, 454/2 Moo 1, Ao Nang, Thailand
Taxis and Minivans - Prices and Times
What Tripadvisor says about us

subset: commoncrawl


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This guest column is by Anurag Kapoor, Director, GHV Accelerator
An elevator pitch is an essential tool for every startup to reach important milestones, be it raising funds or getting clients on board.
Usually an elevator pitch can be a simple one-page overview of your business, or even a brief of your business that can be delivered to the investors verbally. It works as an icebreaker with people (usually potential stakeholders) you have just met. You don't necessarily have to sell your business in an elevator pitch; instead you can use it to make people aware of what you do. It should ideally be a small 60 seconds conversation that could eventually lead into a deeper dialogue or generate interest about you and your company.
What is an elevator pitch?
An elevator pitch works as an executive summary of your business, and tells clients and investors details about your company, its market, target audience and why you are going to be successful.
Benefits of an elevator pitch
For startups, it is essential to make a connection with their investors, clients or other stakeholders in just a few minutes, and an elevator pitch can help you do that. Once perfected, an elevator pitch can work as the right tool for career advancement, professional growth and client base expansion. You can make a good impression within the first few minutes of meeting potential mentors, friends, investors or clients, if you have the right elevator pitch.
Key elements of an elevator pitch
1. Attention grabbing
First and foremost an elevator pitch should have an attention grabbing first line. It can be a statement or a question that would make the person sitting in front of you take notice and want to hear more.
2. An impactful summary that explains what your business is all about
Your elevator pitch should give a brief description of your product, as well as who is your target audience. You should also mention in brief how your product or service has a need or requirement or if it will solve a problem.
Elevator pitches are supposed to be short and should ideally last less than a minute so don't try to pack in too much information. Don't talk about the technology behind your product; rather what is the one unique thing that it brings to the table.
3. Advantages of investing in your business
You should talk about why the investor should take a risk to invest with you. What is it that you bring to the table that your competitors don't? You should be able to mention key differentiators that make you a more viable than other competitors.
4. A description of your team
You should give a brief description about the people behind the business, their background as well as their strengths. In your pitch, you can mention how you and your team have the necessary skills to execute your vision and lead it to success.
5. SWOT analysis of your business plan
A good elevator pitch should highlight the gaps in your sector as well as mention the opportunities for scalability. It is also important to note down your strengths and identify areas of improvement.
6. Highlight key differentiators
Talk about why the investor should take a risk to invest with you. What is it that you bring to the table that your competitors don't? You should be able to mention the key differentiators that highlight the strength of your business and sets you apart from your competitors. You should mention your company's USP's, patents or any other entry barriers that you may be creating in your sector. If pitched properly, it can generate interest and lead to business for you.
7. Unit Economics
Most startups will not have clear financial goals and plans. However, it is important to highlight your unit economics, i.e., your revenues and costs per customer. This will provide a clearer picture of your customer acquisition costs and the viability of your company.
8. Milestones
You should mention any important milestones that you have achieved since the launch of the company. You can also talk about upcoming goals, which can give mentors or investors a clearer idea of where you stand and where you are headed.
9. Call to action
Lastly, finish your pitch with a request, it can be anything that you are looking for, whether it's for the next meeting, or asking them to introduce you to investors or look at your business plan. Your goals for the pitch should be clear, and you should not hesitate to let the investors or mentors know exactly what you are looking for.
10. Be Prepared
It is important for you to know all aspects of your business, and you should be prepared to answer all the questions asked by clients, investors or mentors. Lastly, you should be able to convey your passion and enthusiasm for your company in your elevator pitch. Be natural and even if you make mistakes, smile and start over.
Working on an elevator pitch is very important for every startup. It should, most importantly, reflect a complete clarity of though on the part of the entrepreneur and should convey the message in a simple and precise manner.
Remember, the right elevator pitch could lead to your big break in just a few seconds, so work on creating the right pitch that represents you and your company the best!
Image Source – Inc Images


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Merchants in Somalia's central town of Haradhere, formerly a pirate stronghold, are counting their losses after the pirates, whose presence had inflated the price of basic goods, were forced out of town by Islamist insurgents in late April.
"They used to pay twice or more than the actual prices; if something was selling for say 10,000 Somali shillings [about US$0.30], they would be charged 20,000 [$0.60] and they would pay," said Abukar Maolim, a trader in the town.
A 200-litre drum of fuel that used to cost between $280 and $290 while the pirates were in town is now selling for $190.
Maolim said the pirates' presence had caused an inflation of many goods, from khat - a mild stimulant widely chewed in Somalia - to tea and meat.
He added that the inflated prices often hurt the very poor the most.
The pirates had controlled the town for the past four years and used it as a staging ground for their activities.
Many businesses and traders who depended on their business were now suffering, he said. "There are some shops that are now really suffering and letting go of people who used to work for them."
He said there were those who would miss the pirates, "but I am sure the majority here will not".
Good business
Khadijo Ali, a shopkeeper, told IRIN that she had been selling merchandise worth 3,000,000 to 6,000,000 Somali shillings [about $100 to $200] a day when the pirates controlled things. "This week on my best day I sold merchandise worth 400,000 or $12."
She said she used to have two people help her in the shop but now she can manage alone. "I don't have enough to do, so what I am going to do with two other people?" But, she added: "I miss their business and I am not the only one."
She said many women who used to sell tea at a good profit were now back to selling it at regular prices.
"When they were here I would sell a flask of tea [six to seven cups] for 60,000 shillings [about $2] but now I sell it for 10,000 shillings," said a tea seller.
She said her family was now living on "a lot less than we did three weeks ago [when the pirates were chased out]".
Maolim, however, said the pirates damaged the town's economy: "Their spending created a false sense of boom; now look at us. Many people have to re-adjust." He said a number of businesses would most likely close.
A poem for the pirates
Many Somalis regard the pirates as bandits who have spoilt the country's name internationally and wreaked havoc on the economy.
This is how the poet Mohamed Ali Muse described his feelings towards them:
"When my country collapsed, the furious enemy went everywhere - everything was transformed till the unacceptable marched all over;
"The wounds and the agony, the killings and the hatred among us were taken to the high seas as the peace in the sea was disturbed -
Nothing embarrassing or shameful till we see what we had never thought - Pirate!!!! Pirate!!!! Pirate!!!! This is the disease that has cast a shadow over our seas and given us a bad name.
"Never Never Never... piracy has not been our heritage, neither our image nor our attitude as a community of the Horn known for their good hospitality to our guests, neighbours and visitors even in times of wars among us."
Meanwhile, the militant Al-Shabab group reportedly arrived in the town on 13 May, creating tensions between it and the in situ Hisbul-Islam group.
"Hisbul-Islam was not very happy to see these guys [Al-Shabab] here, and want them out," said a resident, who requested anonymity.
He said the two sides were meeting to resolve their differences. "There is no shooting but many people are closing their businesses just in case," he added.
Departing pirates leave Haradhere merchants out of pocket
Merchants in Somalia's central town of Haradhere, formerly a pirate stronghold, are counting their losses after the pirates, whose presence had inflated the price of basic goods, were forced out of town by Islamist insurgents in late April.


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September 14th, the feast of the Triumph of the Cross, is also the feast of the Irish Dominican province. It is on this day that traditionally new novices are received into the Order. In keeping with that tradition, today the Irish Dominican friars received five novices in a ceremony of clothing during the conventual Mass in Saint Mary's Dominican church, Pope's Quay Cork.
The five novices received today are Gerard Flynn, Kevin O' Reilly, Fr Murchadh O Madagain, Christophe Cole and Sean Crepin.
Gerard Flynn is originally from Clonmel in Co Tipperary. Before joining the Order he has been lecturing in a teacher training college in Dublin. He has recently completed a doctorate in theology.
Kevin O Reilly from Dublin has been lecturing in philosophy both in Ireland and overseas for some years.
Fr Murchadh O Madagain is a priest of the Galway diocese and has held various positions in that diocese. He holds a doctorate in theology (spirituality) from the Dominican university in Rome - the 'Angelicum'.
Christophe Cole is from Trinidad where the Irish Dominicans have had a presence for over 100 years. He is a graduate of the University of the West Indies and has been working in the communications for the diocese of Port of Spain in recent years.
Sean Crepin, also from Trinidad has attended the University of the West Indies and in recent years has held a teaching post.
The Irish Dominicans anticipate receiving one further novice in the coming weeks bringing to 6 the number of novices for the province in 2011-12.
Irish Dominican Vocations wishes our new brother novices every blessing in the year ahead as they take the first steps in their Dominican formation. Please pray for them and for vocations to the friars of the Irish Dominican province.
Bloggers and other media are very welcome to use the images in this blog post, but are asked to credit Irish Dominican Vocations blog www.irishdominicanvocations.blogspot.com
Below are some images from the clothing ceremony today:
The five postulants prostrate themselves prior to receiving the habit of the Order
Gerard Flynn is clothed by the prior provincial
Kevin O Reilly receives the habit of the Order
Fr Murchadh O Madagain is clothed
Christophe Cole receives his habit
The prior provincial clothes Sean Crepin
The rosaries of the five new novices are blessed


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these were in issue #2
400 Hundred Years - Transmit Failure (Lovitt)
Oh my goodness!! Take a strong DC influence, mix it with a strong emo influence, mix it with hardcore and bake on 400. Don't let it cool!! 400 Hundred Years wear all these stripes and don't let anybody down. Take Hoover's heavy parts and that's a good starting point. Not to say that there aren't any quieter parts but just fewer. The lyrics go from personal to political to inspirational: "rise, and take hold, rise, don't let go because there will always be a new excuse to keep us from what we must do to fight for out fear, and live our dreams it's worth the risk to be set free." This is just awesome stuff that has great roots but takes the sound further in a different direction. Get this somehow.
Aclys - helduntergang (per koro)
This is amazing metal-core! It doesn't just focus on the muting chugga parts. Instead they use lots of discordant sounds. It's also got a sort of emo feel to some of the songs with nice quiet intros. The lyrics are in German because the band hails from that country. Why do they have so many good bands? I just have a copy of this so I can't comment on anything else.
Boilermaker - s/t (wrenched records)
This came out I think in Sept. 98. Since then Boilermaker have disbanded. This stuff was not nearly as exciting as the boilermaker I saw in concert and heard on the split with 3 Mile Pilot. Most of these songs take a central theme and just continue with it for 3 minutes. There's no buildup or down and no variation. The CD had some moments but on the whole it was monotonous.
Botch - American Nervoso (hydra head)
Someone described this to me as Fugazi playing metal. I can agree with him. This is super technical but somehow still has the catchy grinding parts. It's definitely one of the crazier albums I've ever gotten. It can be extremely fast or it can be a super slow grind. Did I mention it's incredibly technical and ever changing. Disregard the fact that I used the word "grind" way too often in this review because it's not grind. It's just amazingly good stuff that could very well be the future of metal.
Cave In - Until Your Heart Stops (hydra head)
METAL!!! I was somewhat disappointed when I got this. It's way technical but maybe too much. The ambient sounds in between some of the tracks are kinda cool but eventually the novelty wears thin. I think this is a new singer and his voice is more of the low end gutteral growl/scream. For fans of metal this is a must but for fans of chugga chugga hardcore it may not suit you. I think Beyond Hypothermia was better.
Corrin - plutonian shores (infidel)
When I got this the packaging really stole my eye. It's really nice looking and I mean super graphics. Step 2: is to put it in the player. Okay it's downhill from here. The music is metal-core and pretty boring. Besides not having solos it might as well be straight up metal. The same open E-chord, or is it dropped D, chugging just wore thin really fast.
Force Fed Glass - When Backs Are Turned Knives Are Pulled (pensive)
At first listen I thought this was just noise. But you must listen to this album more than once to understand. The fact that I've seen these guys play twice helps I suppose. They transform into different "beasts" when they start to play. The songs are FAST but they mix in breakdowns and different beats that keep it interesting. I'm under the impression that they are very good musicians from seeing them live. "deadeyes" has awesome lyrics that show this band's anger. I'm a bit disappointed with the production since it was done God City. I expected it to be a little cleaner, but maybe they were going for more of a live raw feel. If you like machine gun drumming, fast as hell guitars with a few breakdowns and totally unintelligible (in a good way) screamed lyrics, then this is for you.
Forstella Ford - Relics of an Unseen Life (the first time records)
These guys used to be called Only Airplanes Count, but when they changed the style of music they played the name went as well. This stuff is really crazy in the rhythm department. Rarely is there a rhythm played for more than a few bars before it is changed. Its kinda hard to listen to at first but then you have to think about how hard it is to play something like this and stay tight. As far as a sound it's hard to pin down. Kinda like the emo/rock thing that is gaining so much popularity mixed with the harder side of Hoover perhaps. See them live and be amazed at the 20 changes in each song and how it just works.
Frodus - conglomerate international (tooth and nail)
Before you stop reading because of the record label: Frodus is not a christian band. Frodus is a three piece band from Springfield, VA. The sound is a bit like Drive Like Jehu; driving guitars with really angular, dischordant melodies. The lyrics are mostly personal but also are a statement against big corporations and the direction that this country is taking into a future filled with a few very powerful men and millions of robot like people following orders. The concept of the album is not only humorous but also speaks a great message. Frodus pull off sincerity and comedy at the same time in the midst of some awesome music.
Grade - Separate the Magnets (second nature)
If you like Hot Water Music and heavier screamy stuff as well, then you're in luck. Grade is one of the few bands I've heard that can pull this off. They have one singer that sings then the other one does the screaming. It's really awesome stuff. How do I explain it? It can be catchy sing along emo/rock and then it can be hard as hell screaming emo. It never goes too far in one direction, which I think makes the sound cohesive. It doesn't sound like it should be two bands. "The Tie That Binds," the last song on the album, is an awesome song about union workers and how they get screwed often. You can't help but sing along.
Jawbox - My Scrapbook of Fatal Accidents (DeSoto)
If you're a Jawbox fan then this rules. It's got 5 songs from a Peel Session, 6 unreleased songs, 4 live tunes, and 7 covers. The packaging is really smooth. It's cardboard but folds out to have two pockets. One has a book of pictures; the other has a list of every show they've played. If you're not yet a Jawbox fan think DC emotional punk and buy their self titled or For Your Own Special Sweetheart. This is a great novelty for the long time Jawbox fan.
Lewistown/Target For Aggression - Killing You With Kindness (Bug/Eight Three Two)
This is an interesting venture since these two bands seem to be everywhere together. Both hail from Richmond, VA but their styles are pretty different. Lewistown plays a slow dischordant hardcore. There's rarely a breakdown dance part which makes the songs sometimes seem as if they never get going. Instead they rely on strange heavy rhythms and vocals that are screamed but don't tend to vary in intensity. It's decent but Target for Aggression is just so amazing! The music ranges from punk rhythms to chaotic screamo type stuff to chugga hardcore. The lyrics are mostly political, but you can tell they are heart felt. This band exudes energy. Just listening to them inspires me to get off of my butt.
The Most Secret Method - Get Lovely (slowdime)
If you thought since Jawbox was dead so was that emotional punk sound, you were wrong. I too cried when that infamous band left but now happier times are upon us. Ringing in these times is The Most Secret Method. This 3 piece from DC pull off the emotional punk sound and take it to new heights. There isn't the 2 guitar layering like Jawbox but somehow it still creates a really fresh sound. The group works really well together. The bass player doesn't just play the rhythm but adds notes and sounds that make the band sound really full. Plus the bass playing is really good. One song will have electric bass the next stand up and I think there's even a fretless at one point too. The music goes from straight up DC punk sound to some other more mellow and drawn out emotional pieces. This has really turned me onto this type of music again. I had all but given up but now I'm anxiously awaiting to hear more.
New Day Rising - we cannot know how much blood it costs (eulogy)
This is a collection of their stuff from 7"s, 10"s and comps. Unfortunately "TV Dinners" is not on here. Initial disappointment aside, New Day Rising set the standard for emo-core. Even they never again put out stuff this good. They could go from beautifully crafted intros to straight up chugga chugga and everything in-between like no one else. This stuff is so good. I wish it had a lyric sheet. Other than that this is the album for anybody into the metallic side of things.
Party of Helicopters - Abracadaver (donut friends/stickfigure)
This is what you get when you cross an indie sound with a little bit of hardcore. I really like it. The guitar plays quirky single note guitar melodies a good bit and the bass is usually pretty fast. The lyrics are sparse allowing the music to take center stage. The production isn't very good, more like that of a 7". Other than that I have no complaints.
Pop Unknown - Summer Season Kills (Deep Elm)
This band features one ex-member of Mineral which, for some people, automatically makes them worth listening to. This is a 5 song EP that starts off in a very promising direction. "Follow You" should be a template for writing great emo/indie. It starts off with a beautiful guitar melody that continues for about half a minute before anything else comes in. Six minutes later, after the song has just continued to build in intensity, the song reverts back to the first guitar melody. Just an awesome song!! Unfortunately, the rest of the album sounds like Weezer. If you're a fan of indie rock ala Weezer with moogs and all, check this out because they do it well. It's just not my cup of tea.
Saetia - (mountain records)
Warning: Be careful when you start this CD. Make sure all levels are fairly low. Saetia waste no time kicking old fashion screamo the way it should be. About a minute into the chaos a nice slow sweet melody appears and quickly disappears. The 2nd song changes up the routine. It starts with a non-distorted part with screaming/singing and gets even softer before the craziness. There may be a little DC or math influence but I'm not sure. They incorporate the quiet parts, screaming, singing, and heavy parts in a great way without making it sound like every other screamo band. Plus the quiet parts are not mearly the distorted part minus the distortion. Instead the guitarists develop entirely separate lines which shows they can play quiet without just strumming a chord. I'm a little biased because this is the sort of stuff I love, but this CD is getting listened to a lot around my apartment.
Seaweed - Actions and Indications (merge)
So Seaweed is back after 2 years. You all know probably know what they sound like by now. So there aren't many surprises on this album. Its just more of that oh so fun to sing along and rock out to post punk. Labels don't really fit because they're not really emo, punk, or rock but they come real close on all fronts. If you haven't heard them think Samiam but better. This album grows on you if you're a long time Seaweed fan. I'm glad they found such a good home as Merge.
You and I - within the frame (Your Best Guess)
If you want the emotional side of hardcore/metal, go here. Dual vocals on top of crazy metal with just the right amount of quiet. The music is awesome but You and I's strong point is in the lyrics and their sincerity. The CD comes with 5 separate cards with thoughts from each member of the band. The guitar work is really creative as opposed to lots of bands like this. They use the two guitars together well, blending in separate parts and coming together for intensity. This CD didn't leave the player for a long time. Go see them live, its an intense emotional experience.


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P.S. Check out CNN's version, by contrast.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Obama on Afghanistan
P.S. Check out CNN's version, by contrast.
10 comments:
- Bob P said...
I believe that President Obama was trying to gain some more support for the war by using words like "must" and "future." His troop deployment in Afghanistan must be done because they are the "central front" in the war on terrorism, a war the must be fought for the safety of the future. I also found it interesting when comparing this wordle to one of Bush's speeches about Afghanistan (made on Oct. 7, 2001). The most used word is not Afghanistan, but military, and one of the top used words is patience, on that does not show up on Obama's speech wordle.
Wordle At http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1404514/Bush_Afghanistan_Speech_Oct._7%2C2001
- December 2, 2009 at 4:51 PM
- SamGot said...
The word that really pops out to me is "security". Even though you would expect this word to be in his speech the fact that it shows up here a lot really emphasizes how much Obama talked about it. Everyone wants to feel secure in their country and know they are protected. Talking about the security of the country can really make people click with Obama's ideas.
- December 2, 2009 at 5:55 PM
- Lizzy said...
Judging by this wordle, Obama is really trying to unify America, using words such as allies, united, one, and nation. I think that this is a very important aspect of his speech. When he talked about how unified the country was at the start of the war, it made me wonder about our generation. We have been growing up in wartime and in a very argumentative society. This bears stark contrast to when our great-grandparents were helping the war effort during WWII. Obama seems to want to return to that unified time.
- December 2, 2009 at 7:42 PM
- Maeli G. said...
Huh! I happened to notice just the same words as you did, Lizzy. Those expressions of unity are scattered all throughout the address, subtly coloring the president's speech with a demand for togetherness. Obama knows how the American population split apart during the last administration and how the divide stopped progress in its tracks. He's afraid that another such divide will keep his goals for foreign policy from advancing. Basically, he's trying to sell us on the idea of becoming "One nation," as we say so often in the Pledge of Allegiance, so that he has the support of the populace behind him during the new military developments. As we've clearly seen in past Perilous Times (I'm thinking of Vietnam, but I'm sure ya'll can find some others), lose the support of the people, and you diminish your own power.
- December 2, 2009 at 8:44 PM
- T King said...
I too only saw the last 5 or so minutes, but one word from the 'wordle' that sticks out is, "must", which makes me think that he is trying to make the extra troops in Afghanistan seem absolutely necessary. This is supported by what I heard during these last 5 minutes, when Obama was talking about how we were 'unified' in the years before the Iraq war, and how we need to be unified now. This is interesting to me, whether or not you agree with his view is a whole nother' question.
- December 3, 2009 at 8:22 AM
- Sophie M said...
I noticed a lot of the same things as Sam, Lizzy and Maeli. But I think it's important to note that in this speech, the idea of security is reinforced by the idea of unity. If we can unite as a country, we are a secure nation. One relies on and is not possible without the other. I also found this to be an interesting contrast to the Vietnam War era. When the Pentagon Papers were released to the public, the government said that they tried to prevent the release because they were trying to maximize the unity in America. They feared that the Papers contained things that would counteract our unity, therefore diminishing our strength as a nation. But in this speech, President Obama is trying to unify the country by being upfront about what is going on (or at least this is how it appears to the public). For both Johnson and Obama, unity is the root of strength. But what differs about these two presidents is the means of getting there.
- December 3, 2009 at 7:42 PM
- Morgan L said...
There were five words that I noticed (surprise surprise I'm pretty sure they were the five biggest besides Afghanistan) "security, America, Afghan, people, and must". Although we don't know the context of these words I'm making an educated guess on why these appeared the most and how maybe they connect with each other.
Security and people are about the same size, same as Afghan and America. Maybe President Obama wanted to show that he is not only looking out for our (our being Americans) security, but for others to show that this need is greater than just our country. He is looking out for the security of "people" as a whole.
And the fifth word was must, also showing the importance that we must do this. We talked in class about how he had many choices with what to do with this war, but must implies this was a clear choice, this is what we must do.
- December 6, 2009 at 10:19 PM
- StoneA said...
I see two themes in this wordle, unity and objective. I think that Obama might have used the words country, one, nation, national, and every to express the need for universal support for the mission. The widespread dismay for the War on Terror has been a small roadblock towards victory. He might have been stressing the need for the people to recognize that the U.S. will be at war regardless of their personal opinions and the road to victory will be smoother if the public is supportive.
I think Obama stresses the need for a clear objective by using the words years, clear, effort, future, and must. In his speech he recognizes the U.S. can't devise an unrealistic plan or an open ended one.
- December 8, 2009 at 11:04 AM
- The Batman said...
I notice a lot of references to the "War on Terror..." perhaps Mr. Obama is trying to use it to his advantage. Words like "security," "war," "military," "al qaeda," and "taliban" have become powerful, moving words lately. Certainly Mr. Obama's not using scare tactics, but every politician uses at least a little bit of manipulation.
- December 10, 2009 at 2:32 PM
- nathans said...
In this "wordle", of course I see the word Afghanistan, because the main topic of Obama's speech was in fact the country and the plan the US has to help it. I also see the words "allies" as well as "military and "force". That kind of troubles me to see this because when I see this combination I just see war. I see that the US plans on ravaging Afghanistan in the next few years and then trying to win the affection of the people in order to have them as an ally. I also see the word "future", which makes me think that Obama has a long term plan for the country which he and future presidents will help the Afghan government attain.
- January 12, 2010 at 5:46 PM


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Since I turned 18 more than 10 years ago, I have voted in every presidential election. And when I moved from New York to Hong Kong at the end of August, I just assumed that I would have no problem continuing to do so. As I mailed off my absentee ballot request form in early September. I figured the absentee voting process was going to be neat and easy. Then I waited. And waited. And waited.
As mid-October approached with no absentee ballot, or a response of any kind, I became slightly paranoid, so I called the Manhattan Borough Board of Elections. The woman on the other end of the line who was juggling multiple calls informed me that while I was a registered voter, they had not yet received my absentee application and that I should fax another one and mail it as well, just to make sure. I did as told, making it a nightly ritual for a week to call before bedtime to see if they had received my fax. I never got through. (Read about the 7 things that could go wrong on Election Day)
Finally, with less than two weeks to go until the election, somebody answered. She explained to me that they were inundated with absentee applications, that people have been calling repeatedly and get this that the fax machine was broken. She told me to fax my application again, but to a different number. I went through the same motions for the third time, this time including a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB), a back-up ballot (which doesn't include candidates for the state level) used by people like me who aren't able to get their absentee ballots in time. I have never felt so angry, helpless and frustrated with the American voting system, and I had certainly never feared that my vote wouldn't end up counting until now.
"From our standpoint the issue is funding," explains Valerie Vazquez-Rivera, director of communications for the New York City Board of Elections. "If we were properly funded we would have more staff members to work with the increase in voter registration as well as absentee ballots."
As it turns out, I am far from the only American expat feeling frustration. In the 2004 presidential election nearly half of the approximately 6 million American voters living abroad never received their ballots, or received them too late to vote. To make matters more confusing, each state has a different set of requirements for voting overseas.
De Kai, a Hong Kong-based musician who is registered to vote in California, was still waiting for his absentee ballot to arrive in the mail on Oct. 27. "It's really sort of unfathomable that we're still plotting through this medieval paper-based way of voting that is such a nightmare," says Kai. For swing state voters, this waiting game is more agonizing. "I ordered my absentee ballot from Colorado, a swing state, months ago, and never received it," says Kristen Allen, a reporter for The Local, an online daily news website in Berlin, Germany.
Some states like Wisconsin, North Carolina and Virginia require another U.S. citizen to sign the ballot as a witness. That was a challenge for Catherine Thompson-Coffe, who lives on a farm in Vendoges, a remote area of France, where there are no other Americans. She called the U.S. Embassy, who sent her a FWAB. "I think it should be easier to vote," says Thompson-Coffe. A debate stirred in Virginia a few days ago when the Fairfax County registrar was not going to count dozens of military ballots that came from overseas because they were missing the address of the witness which the FWAB doesn't provide space for. Luckily, state Attorney General Bob McDonnell ruled that the state should count the votes even if they don't include the witness' address.
Different problems have cropped up in other states. Los Angeles County, for instance, sent some sample ballots overseas early, before the real ballots were even printed. Mixed in the packet voters received was a line in red print that read, "Some early mailings may not receive Official Ballot Card. If this applies to you, mark choices on Official Sample Ballot pages." Yet Sandy Mansson of Stockholm, Sweden, found it odd. "It was very strange, it was just not what you normally do," says Mansson. Paul Drugan, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Board of Elections, defends the practice. "Our first priority is overseas and military voters, so we send them out first. For this election that was before actual ballots were printed," he says. "Our instructions were clear."
Other countries make it much easier for their citizens to vote from afar. In Sweden, Spain and Ireland, citizens can simply show up at their country's embassy or consulate on election day and vote. "A Swede abroad just goes to their consulate and gets their ballot, it's very simple and there isn't very much red tape to it," says Mansson. Why doesn't the United States do this? "The federal government provides that states administer the elections, and the states have the procedures and legislation in place to carry out election processes," explains Polli Brunelli, director of the Federal Voting Assistance Program. "Our embassies and consulates are federal facilities, and that's where we provide information material and assistance to absentee voters."
In a 2006 report by the United States Government Accountability Office, the GAO listed three main challenges that remained in providing assistance to overseas voters and military: (1) simplifying and standardizing the time-consuming and multi-step absentee voting process, which includes different requirements and time frames for each state; (2) developing and implementing a secure electronic registration and voting system; and (3) proactively reaching all overseas citizens.
The challenges still exist. While reporting this story, I came across people on every continent but Antarctica who were frustrated. Voter outreach simply doesn't make it to everybody. Some people I spoke with were so confused by the process that they ended up not voting. An electronic voting system is in development, but Brunelli says that it may take "several years" before it can be used. Los Angeles County has a website where absentee voters can trace their ballots. The Federal Voting Overseas Program redesigned their website to ease the process and the Overseas Vote Foundation's website walks voters through the application process. But that's not enough to clear up the confusion.
Brunelli insists that things are moving forward: "Annually we send a legislative initiative package to the states and ask them to pass legislation, and many of the states have enacted that legislation, like ballot transit time of 45 days of more, electronic transmission of ballot materials," she says. "We're seeing more and more uniformity and consistency over the years."
We'll see just how far things have come when the overseas votes are counted, after the election on November 4.


text:
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Tel: 077306 76644
Traditional hand rolled thin base Italian style pizza, fresh pizza sauce topped with mozzarella cheese and then the
topping of your choice.
Baked in my mobile wood burning oven
Ready to eat in just 2 minutes!
Available to hire for private parties/weddings or to come along to your event
Est: Sept 2011
Maxine's Mobile Pizza oven is the perfect outdoor food!
My wood burning clay oven gives all of the thin and crispy pizza's I cook that authentic 'hot out of the oven' crispy taste.....
And you don't have to wait long - because the oven is a specially designed clay oven, it only takes 3 minutes to create your pizza, cook it and serve it!
The clay oven is mounted on a trailer so its fully mobile, providing fresh cooked pizza's in many locations.
I'm very proud to say that my pizza flour comes from Caudwell's Mill near Bakewell and the fresh ingredients are locally sourced. Also, the wood I use to heat the oven is from local sustainable forests
EST: Sept 2011
Follow me on Twitter @MaxinesPizzas
The best Pizza ever!
Beccy Griffin - Treacle Market, Macclesfield
I've lived in Derbyshire for many years and love the area. You'll regularly see me at local markets and Fairs across the County.
If you would like me and my oven to come along to your event or festival please contact me to discuss availability & pitch requirements
Having a Party or Event?
You can also hire me and my oven to make fresh, oven baked pizzas for your guests at an outdoor location. click here to find out more
I also hand-make Gluten Free Pizza Bases!!
Customer comment:
''Just wanted to let you know that the gluten free pizza we bought from you today [Macclesfield Treacle Market] was lovely! Thanks for making the effort to cater for coeliacs!''
Vic Jackson - Treacle Market customer
''That was the best pizza I have had in 15 years! ''
Customer Bakewell Farmers Market
Member of National Market Traders Federation
PLI £10m covered. Licenced to trade by High Peak Borough Council. Food & Hygiene Level 2 certificate. Food and Hygiene rating 5*
My Oven is officially on the Clean Air Act Approved appliance list.
The only UK made wood burning pizza ovens certified by DEFRA
I pride myself on being as eco-friendly as I possibly can
I use Biodegradable plates, napkins and boxes supplied by Green Gate Bio-Packaging
I do not use electricity as I cook the pizzas in a wood burning oven. The wood I burn in the oven is kiln dried and only from UK sustainable forests.


text:
A TDK D-60 cassette, a common speech-quality tape with a 60-minute playing time, in a housing similar to that of the original Compact Cassette specification
|Media type
|Magnetic tape
|Analog signal
|Usually up to 30 or 45 minutes of audio per side. Some cassettes have 60 minutes of audio per side
|Read mechanism
|Tape head
|Write mechanism
|Magnetic recording head
|Audio and data storage
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. Although originally designed for dictation, improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant reel-to-reel tape recording in most non-professional applications.[1] Its uses ranged from portable audio to home recording to data storage for early microcomputers. Between the early 1970s and late 1990s, the cassette was one of the two most common formats for prerecorded music, first alongside the LP and later the Compact Disc.[2] Cassette is a French word meaning "little box."
Compact Cassettes consist of two miniature spools, between which a magnetically coated plastic tape is passed and wound. These spools and their attendant parts are held inside a protective plastic shell. Two stereo pairs of tracks (four total) or two monaural audio tracks are available on the tape; one stereo pair or one monophonic track is played or recorded when the tape is moving in one direction and the second pair when moving in the other direction. This reversal is achieved either by manually flipping the cassette or by having the machine itself change the direction of tape movement ("auto-reverse").[3]
In 1958, following four years of development, RCA Victor introduced the stereo, quarter-inch, reversible, reel-to-reel RCA tape cartridge.[4][5] It was a cassette, big (5" x 7"), but offered few pre-recorded tapes; despite multiple versions, it failed.
In 1962 Philips invented the compact audio cassette medium for audio storage, introducing it in Europe in August, 1963 (at the Berlin Radio Show),[6][2][7][8][9] and in the United States (under the Norelco brand) in November 1964, with the trademark name Compact Cassette.
Although there were other magnetic tape cartridge systems, the Compact Cassette became dominant as a result of Philips's decision in the face of pressure from Sony to license the format free of charge. Philips also released the Norelco Carry-Corder 150 recorder/player in the U.S. in November 1964. By 1966 over 250,000 recorders had been sold in the US alone and Japan soon became the major source of recorders. By 1968, 85 manufacturers had sold over 2.4 million players.[10]
In the early years, sound quality was mediocre, but it improved dramatically by the early 1970s when it caught up with the quality of 8-track tape and kept improving.[2] Cassette went on to become a popular (and re-recordable) alternative to the 12 inch vinyl LP during the late 1970s.[2]
The mass production of compact audio cassettes began in 1964 in Hannover, Germany. Prerecorded music cassettes (also known as Musicassettes; M.C. for short) were launched in Europe in late 1965. The Mercury Record Company, a U.S. affiliate of Philips, introduced M.C. to the U.S. in July 1966. The initial offering consisted of 49 titles [11] However, the system had been initially designed for dictation and portable use, with the audio quality of early players not well suited for music. Some early models also had unreliable mechanical design. In 1971 the Advent Corporation introduced their Model 201 tape deck that combined Dolby type B noise reduction and chromium dioxide (CrO2) tape, with a commercial-grade tape transport mechanism supplied by the Wollensak camera division of 3M Corporation. This resulted in the format being taken more seriously for musical use, and started the era of high fidelity cassettes and players.[1]
During the 1980s, the cassette's popularity grew further as a result of portable pocket recorders and hi-fi players such as Sony's Walkman, which used a body not much larger than the cassette tape itself, with mechanical keys on one side, or electronic buttons or display on the face. Sony even made the WM-10 which was smaller than the cassette itself and expanded to hold and play a cassette.[12]
Like the transistor radio in the 1960s, the portable CD player in the 1990s, and the MP3 player in the 2000s, the Walkman defined the portable music market in the 1980s, with cassette sales overtaking those of LPs.[2][13] Total vinyl record sales remained higher well into the 1980s due to greater sales of singles, although cassette singles achieved popularity for a period in the 1990s.[13]
Apart from the purely technical advances cassettes brought, they also served as catalysts for social change. Their durability and ease of copying helped bring underground rock and punk music behind the Iron Curtain, creating a foothold for Western culture among the younger generations.[14] For similar reasons, cassettes became popular in developing nations.
One of the most famous political uses of cassette tapes was the dissemination of sermons by the Ayatollah Khomeini throughout Iran before the 1979 Iranian Revolution, in which Khomeini urged the overthrow of the regime of the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
In 1970s India, they were blamed for bringing unwanted secular influences into traditionally religious areas. Cassette technology was a booming market for pop music in India, drawing criticism from conservatives while at the same time creating a huge market for legitimate recording companies and pirated tapes.[15] In some countries, particularly in the developing countries, cassettes still remain the dominant medium for purchasing and listening to music.[16]
In many Western countries, the market for cassettes has declined sharply since its peak in the late 1980s. This has been particularly noticeable with pre-recorded cassettes, whose sales were overtaken by those of Compact Discs during the early 1990s. By 1993, annual shipments of CD players had reached 5 million, up 21% from the year before, while cassette player shipments had dropped 7% to approximately 3.4 million.[17] The decline continued such that in 2001 cassettes accounted for only 4% of all music sold. Since then, the pre-recorded market has undergone further decline, with few retailers stocking them because they are no longer issued by the major music labels.[16] Sales of pre-recorded music cassettes in the U.S. dropped from 442 million in 1990 to 274,000 by 2007.[18] In 2009, a record low 34,000 cassettes were sold. [19] A reported 2,000 of those were at least 36 months old and purchased at independent retailers in the south Atlantic region. Most of the major U.S. music and record companies had discontinued them by late 2003. However, as of 2010, blank cassettes are still being produced and are sold at many retail stores, and facilities for cassette duplication remain available. Cassette recorders and players are gradually becoming scarcer, but are still widely available and still feature in a notable percentage of Hi-Fi systems[20].
Cassettes remained popular for specific applications, such as car audio, well into the 1990s. Cassettes and their players were typically more rugged and resistant to dust, heat and shocks than the main digital competitor (the CD). Their lower fidelity was not considered a serious drawback inside the typically noisy automobile interior of the time. However, the advent of "shock proof" buffering technology in CD players, the reduction of in-car noise levels, the general heightening of consumer expectations, and the introduction of CD auto-changers meant that by the early 2000s, the CD player was rapidly replacing the cassette player as the default audio component in the majority of new vehicles in Europe and America.
While digital voice recorders are now common, Compact Cassette (or frequently microcassette) recorders may be cheaper and of sufficient quality to serve as adjuncts or substitutes for note taking in business and educational settings. Audiobooks, church services, and other spoken word material are still frequently sold on cassette, as lower fidelity is generally not a drawback for such content. While most publishers sell CD audiobooks, they usually also offer a cassette version at the same price. In the audiobooks application, where recordings may span several hours, cassettes also have the advantage of holding up to 120 minutes of material whereas the average CD holds fewer than 80.[20]
While cassettes and related equipment have become increasingly marginal in commercial music sales, recording on analog tape remains a desirable option for some, however that method is recently being overtaken by portable digital recorders. Musicians in the indie rock community have showed slight interest in releasing cassettes. Artists such as Dirty Projectors and Deerhunter have made recent titles available on cassette,[21] and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth has claimed "I only listen to cassettes." [22]
The cassette was a great step forward in convenience from reel-to-reel audio tape recording, though because of the limitations of the cassette's size and speed, it initially compared poorly in quality. Unlike the 4-track stereo open reel format, the two stereo tracks of each side lie adjacent to each other rather than being interleaved with the tracks of the other side. This permitted monaural cassette players to play stereo recordings "summed" as mono tracks and permitted stereo players to play mono recordings through both speakers. The tape is 3.81 mm (0.150 in) wide, with each stereo track 0.6 mm wide and an unrecorded guard band between each track. The tape moves at 4.76 cm/s (1 7/8 in/s) from left to right.[23] For comparison, the typical open reel format in consumer use was ¼ inch (6.35 mm) wide, each stereo track nominally 1⁄16 inch (1.59 mm) wide, and running at either 9.5 or 19 cm/s (3.75 or 7.5 in/s).
Cassette tapes are made of a polyester type plastic film with a magnetic coating. The original magnetic material was based on gamma ferric oxide (Fe2O3). Circa 1970, 3M Company developed a cobalt volume-doping process combined with a double-coating technique to enhance overall tape output levels. This product was marketed as "High Energy" under its Scotch brand of recording tapes.[24] Inexpensive cassettes are commonly labeled "low-noise," but typically are not optimized for high frequency response.
At about the same time, chromium dioxide (CrO2) was introduced by DuPont, the inventor of the particle, and BASF, the inventor of magnetic recording,[25] and then coatings using magnetite (Fe3O4) such as TDK's Audua were produced in an attempt to approach the sound quality of vinyl records. Cobalt-absorbed iron oxide (Avilyn) was introduced by TDK in 1974 and proved very successful. Finally pure metal particles (as opposed to oxide formulations) were introduced in 1979 by 3M under the trade name Metafine. The tape coating on most Cassettes sold today as either "Normal" or "Chrome" consists of Ferric Oxide and Cobalt mixed in varying ratios (and using various processes); there are very few cassettes on the market that use a pure (CrO2) coating.[2]
Simple voice recorders are designed to work with standard ferric formulations. High fidelity tape decks are usually built with switches or detectors for the different bias and equalization requirements for high performance tapes. The most common, iron oxide tapes (defined by an IEC standard as "Type I"), use 120 µs playback equalization, while chrome and cobalt-absorbed tapes (IEC Type II) require 70 µs playback equalization. The recording "bias" equalizations were also different (and had a much longer time constant). BASF and Sony tried a dual layer tape with both ferric oxide and chrome dioxide known as 'ferrichrome' (FeCr) (IEC Type III), but these were only available for a short time in the 1970s. Metal Cassettes (IEC Type IV) also use 70 µs playback equalization, and provide still further improvements in sound quality.[24] The quality is normally reflected in the price; Type I cassettes are generally cheapest, and Type IV usually the most expensive. BASF chrome tape used in commercially pre-recorded cassettes used 120 µs (type I) playback equalization to allow greater high frequency dynamic range for better sound quality, but the greater selling point for the music labels was that the same Type I cassette shell could be used for both ferric and for chrome music cassettes.
Notches on top of the cassette shell indicate the type of tape within. Type I cassettes only have write-protect notches, Type II have an additional pair next to the write protection ones, and Type IV (metal) have a third set in the middle of the cassette shell. These allow cassette decks to automatically detect the tape type and select the proper bias and equalization. Virtually all recent hi-fi systems (with cassette decks) lack this feature; only a small niche of cassette decks (hi-fi separates) have the tape type selector. Playback of Type II and IV tapes on such a player will produce exaggerated treble, but it may not be noticeable because typically such devices have amplifiers that lack extended high frequency output. Recording on these units, however, results in very low sound reproduction and sometimes distortion and hiss is heard. Also, these cheaper units cannot erase high bias or metal bias tapes. Attempting to do so will result in "print-through."
Tape length is usually measured in minutes of total playing time. The most popular varieties are C46 (23 minutes per side), C60 (30 minutes per side), C90, and C120. The C46 and C60 lengths are typically 15–16 µm thick, but C90s are 10–11 µm and C120s are just 9 µm thick, rendering them more susceptible to stretching or breakage. Some vendors are more generous than others, providing 132 meters or 135 meters rather than 129 meters of tape for a C90 cassette. C180 and even C240 tapes were available at one time, but these were extremely thin and fragile and suffered badly from effects such as print-through, which made them unsuitable for general use.
Although the TDK-D C180 was produced for two decades, it is very rare, because of several technical flaws. The tape had to be so thin that it was nearly transparent and therefore had fewer particles to magnetize, resulting in a poor sound quality and even worse durability. It required a strong motor to be driven, and had high wow and flutter. Finally, it took a relatively long time to rewind.
Other lengths are (or were) also available from some vendors, including C10 and C15 (useful for saving data from early home computers and in telephone answering machines), C30, C50, C54, C64, C70, C74, C80, C84, C100, C105, and C110.[24]
Some companies included a complimentary blank cassette with their portable cassette recorders in the early 1980s. Panasonic's was a C14 and came with a song recorded on side one, and a blank side two. Except for C74 and C100, such non-standard lengths have always been hard to find, and tend to be more expensive than the more popular lengths. Home taping enthusiasts may have found certain lengths useful for fitting an album neatly on one or both sides of a tape. For instance, the initial maximum playback time of Compact Discs was 74 minutes, explaining the relative popularity of C74 cassettes.
All Compact Cassettes include a write protection mechanism to prevent re-recording and accidental erasure of important material. Each side of the cassette has a plastic tab on the top that may be broken off, leaving a small indentation in the shell. This indentation allows the entry of a sensing lever that prevents the operation of the recording function when the cassette is inserted into a cassette deck. If the cassette is held with one of the labels facing the user and the tape opening at the bottom, the write-protect tab for the corresponding side is at the top-left. Occasionally, manufacturers provided a movable panel that could be used to enable or disable write-protect on tapes.
If later required, a piece of adhesive tape can be placed over the indentation to bypass the protection, or (on some decks), the lever can be manually depressed to record on a protected tape. Extra care is required to avoid covering the additional indents on high bias tape cassettes adjacent to the write-protect tabs.
In most compact cassettes the magnetic tape was attached to each spool with a leader, usually made of strong plastic (see right-hand image). This leader protected the weaker magnetic tape from the shock occurring when the tape reached the end. Leaders can be complex: a plastic slide-in wedge anchors a short fully-opaque plastic tape to the take-up hub; one or more tinted partly-opaque plastic segments follow; the clear leader (a tintless partly opaque plastic segment) follows that wraps almost all the way around the supply reel before splicing to the magnetic tape itself. The clear leader spreads the shock load to a long stretch of tape instead of to the microscopic splice. Various patents have been issued detailing leader construction and associated tape player mechanisms to detect leaders.[26] Cassette tape users would also use spare leaders to repair broken tapes.[27]
The disadvantage with tape leaders was that the sound recording or playback did not start at the beginning of the tape, forcing the user to cue forwards to the start of the magnetic section. For certain applications such as dictation special cassettes containing leaderless tapes were made, typically with stronger material and for use in machines which had more sophisticated end of tape prediction.
Compact cassettes were also made that played a continuous loop of tape without stopping. Lengths available are from around 30 seconds to a standard full length. They are used in situations where a short message or musical jingle is to be played, either continuously or whenever a device is triggered, or whenever continuous recording or playing is needed. Some include a sensing foil on the tape to allow tape players to re-cue. From as early as 1969 various patents have been issued, covering uses such as uni-directional, bi-directional, and compatibility with auto-shut-off and anti-tape-eating mechanisms.[28]
The first cassette machines (e.g. the Philips EL 3300, introduced in August, 1963 [29][9]) were simple mono record and playback units. Early machines required attaching an external dynamic microphone. Most units after the 1970s also incorporated built-in condenser microphones, which have extended high frequency response, but may also pick up noises from the recorder motor. A common portable recorder format still common today is a long box, the width of a cassette, with a speaker at the top, a cassette bay in the middle, and "piano key" controls at the bottom edge. The markings of "piano key" controls near the handle were soon standardized and is a legacy still emulated on many software control panels, though many DVD panels have eliminated the fast forward and rewind buttons in favor of next and previous tracks, which are only implemented on machines which have logic to search for blank spots in the tape. These symbols are commonly the square for stop, right pointing triangle for play, double triangles for fast forward and rewind, red dot for record, and a vertically-divided square (two rectangles side-by-side) for the pause button. Another format is only slightly larger than the cassette, also adapted for stereo "Walkman" player applications.
Stereo recorders eventually evolved into high fidelity and were known as cassette decks, after the reel-to-reel decks. Many formats of cassette players and recorders have evolved over the years. Initially all were top loading, usually with cassette on one side, VU meters and recording level controls on the other side. Older models used combinations of levers and sliding buttons for control.
A major innovation was the front-loading arrangement. Pioneer's angled cassette bay and the exposed bays of some Sansui models were eventually standardized as a front-loading door into which a cassette would be loaded. Later models would adopt electronic buttons, and replace conventional meters (which could be "pegged" when overloaded) with electronic LED or vacuum fluorescent displays, with level controls typically either being controlled by rotary controls or side-by-side sliders. BIC and Marantz briefly offered models which could be run at double speeds, but Nakamichi was widely recognized as one of the first companies to create decks which rivaled reel-to-reel decks with frequency response from the full 20–20,000 Hz range, low noise, and very low wow and flutter.[30][31] The 3-head closed-loop dual capstan Nakamichi 1000 (1973) is considered to be the first truly Audiophile High Fidelity Cassette Deck ever made. Unlike typical cassette decks, the recording and playback functions were split onto separate heads (with the third head being the erase head), allowing each to be optimized.
Other contenders for the highest, "HiFi" quality on this medium were two companies already widely known for their excellent quality reel-to-reel tape recorders: Tandberg and Revox (consumer brand of the Swiss professional Studer company for studio equipment). Tandberg started with combi-head machines like the TCD 300 and continued with the TCD 3x0 series with separate playback and recording heads. All TCD-models possessed dual capstan drives, beltdriven from a single capstan motor and two separate reel motors. Frequency range extended to 18 kHz. When Tandberg entered the much more competitive TV-market it folded and revived without the HiFi-branch these came from.
Revox went one step further: after much hesitation about whether to accept cassettes as a medium capable for meeting their strict standards from reel to reel recorders at all, they produced their B710MK I (Dolby B) and MK II (Dolby B&C) machines. Both cassette units possessed double capstan drives, but with two independent, electronically controlled capstan motors and two separate reel motors. The head assembly moved by actuating a damped solenoid movement, eliminating all belt drives and other wearable parts. These machines rivaled the Nakamichi in frequency and dynamic range. The B710MKII also achieved 20–20 kHz and dynamics of over 72 dB with Dolby C on chrome and slightly less dynamic range, but a larger headroom with metal tapes and Dolby C. Revox adjusted the frequency range on delivery with many years of use in mind: when new the frequency curve went upwards a few dB at 15–20 kHz, aiming for flat response after 15 years of use and headwear to match.
A last step taken by Revox produced even more advanced cassette drives with electronic finetuning of bias and equalization during recording. Revox also produced amplifiers, a very expensive FM tuner and a pickup with a special parallel arm mechanism of their own design. After releasing that product, Studer encountered financial difficulties. It had to save itself by folding its Revox-branch and all its consumer products (except their last reel to reel recorder the B77).
Note that while Nakamichi violated the tape recording standards to achieve the highest dynamics possible, producing non-compatible cassettes for playback on other machines, both Tandberg and Revox kept to the standards and produced cassettes which could be played back on other machines.
A third company, the well known Danish Bang & Olufsen, invented a special, improved system for improving headroom at high frequencies, to reduce tape saturation despite lower bias levels. This "head room extension method, HX" was called Dolby HX Pro in full and patented. Their finest machine with HX Pro was the Beocord 9000, which indeed performed excellently. However, this machine's transport possessed only a single capstan and a single drive motor - as opposed to multiple motors dual capstan arrangement. This did not make the B&O contender a popular choice with HiFi enthusiasts. Most of them favored Nakamichi, Tandberg or Revox instead, which were all more mechanically complex. HX Pro was adopted by other manufacturers including Technics, while Aiwa incorporated the technology into their top of the range personal stereos.
As they became aimed at more casual users, fewer decks had microphone inputs. Dual decks became popular and incorporated into home entertainment systems of all sizes for tape dubbing. Although the quality would suffer each time a source was copied, there are no mechanical restrictions on copying from a record, radio, or another cassette source. Even as CD recorders are becoming more popular, some incorporate cassette decks for professional applications.
Another format that made an impact on culture in the 1980s was the "boom box" which combined the portable cassette deck with speakers capable of producing significant sound levels. The boom box became synonymous with urban youth culture in entertainment, which led to the somewhat derisive nickname "ghetto blaster."
Applications for car stereos varied widely. Auto manufacturers in the U.S. would typically fit a cassette slot into their standard large radio faceplates. Europe and Asia would standardize on DIN and double DIN sized faceplates. In the 1980s, a high end installation would have a Dolby AM/FM cassette deck, and they rendered the 8-track cartridge obsolete in car installations because of space, performance and audio quality. As the cost of building CD players declined, many manufacturers offered a CD player, but some cars, especially those targeted at older drivers still offer the option of a cassette player, either by itself, or sometimes in combination with a CD slot. In fact, the 2009 Lexus ES 350 still comes with a cassette player as standard equipment. The newest cars are not often designed to accommodate cassette players, but the auxiliary jack advertised for MP3 players can also be used with portable cassette players.
Although the cassettes themselves were relatively durable, the players required regular maintenance to perform properly. Head cleaning may be done with long swabs, or cassette-shaped devices that could be inserted into a tape deck to polish the heads and remove smudges and dirt. Similarly shaped demagnetizers used magnets to degauss the deck, which kept sound from becoming distorted. A common mechanical problem occurred when a worn-out or dirty player rotated the supply spool faster than the take-up spool or failed to release the heads from the tape upon ejection. This would cause the magnetic tape to be fed out through the bottom of the cassette and become tangled in the mechanism of the player. In these cases the player was said to have "eaten" the tape, and it often destroyed the playability of the cassette altogether, and resulted in the common sight of tangled tape on the side of the road.[32] Cutting blocks, analogous to those used for open reel 1/4" tape, were readily available though, but mainly used for retrieving valued recordings, through removing the damaged portion of, or repairing the break in, the tape. Creation of compilations was usually by re-recording rather than splicing sections of songs because of the much smaller tape area.
The Compact Cassette was originally intended for use in dictation machines. In this capacity, some later-model cassette-based dictation machines could also run the tape at half speed (15⁄16 in/s) as playback quality was not critical. The Compact Cassette soon became a popular medium for distributing prerecorded music—initially through The Philips Record Company (and subsidiary labels Mercury and Philips in the U.S.). As of 2009, one still finds cassettes used for a variety of purposes such as journalism, oral history, meeting and interview transcripts and so on. However, they are starting to give way to Compact Discs and more "compact" digital storage media.
The Compact Cassette quickly found use in the commercial music industry. One artifact found on some commercially produced music cassettes was a sequence of test tones, called SDR soundburst tones, at the beginning and end of the tape, heard in order of low frequency to high. These were used during the recording process to gauge the quality of the tape medium. Many consumers objected to these tones since they were not part of the recorded music.[33]
In the 1980s, Tascam introduced the Portastudio line of four and eight-track cassette recorders for home studio use.
In the simplest configuration, rather than playing a pair of stereo channels of each side of the cassette, the typical "portastudio" used a four-track tape head assembly to access four tracks on the cassette at once (with the tape playing in one direction). Each track could be recorded to, erased or played back individually, allowing musicians to overdub themselves and create simple multitrack recordings easily, which could then be mixed down to a finished stereo version on an external machine. To increase audio quality in these recorders, the tape speed was sometimes doubled to 3 3/4 inches per second in comparison to the standard 1 7/8 ips; additionally, dbx, Dolby B or Dolby C noise reduction provided compansion (compression of the signal during recording with equal and opposite expansion of the signal during playback), which yields increased dynamic range by lowering the noise level and increasing the maximum signal level before distortion occurs. Multi-track cassette recorders with built-in mixer and signal routing features ranged from easy-to-use beginner units up to professional-level recording systems.[34]
Although professional musicians typically only used multitrack cassette machines as "sketchpads," Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska," was recorded entirely on a four-track cassette tape.
Most compact cassettes were sold blank and used for recording (dubbing) the owner's records (as backup or to make mixtape compilations), their friends' records or music from the radio. This practice was condemned by the music industry with such alarmist slogans as "Home Taping Is Killing Music." However, many claimed that the medium was ideal for spreading new music and would increase sales, and strongly defended at least their right to copy their own records onto tape. For a limited time in the early 1980s Island Records sold chromium dioxide "One Plus One" cassettes that had an album prerecorded on one side and the other was left blank for the purchaser to use. Cassettes were also a boon to people wishing to tape concerts (unauthorized or authorized) for sale or trade, a practice tacitly or overtly encouraged by many bands with a more counterculture bent such as the Grateful Dead. Blank Compact Cassettes also were an invaluable tool to spread the music of unsigned acts, especially within tape trading networks.
Various legal cases arose surrounding the dubbing of cassettes. In the UK, in the case of CBS Songs v. Amstrad (1988), the House of Lords found in favor of Amstrad that producing equipment that facilitated the dubbing of cassettes, in this case a high-speed twin cassette deck that allowed one cassette to be copied directly onto another, did not constitute the infringement of copyright.[35] In a similar case, a shop owner who rented cassettes and sold blank tapes was not liable for copyright infringement even though it was clear that his customers were likely dubbing them at home.[36] In both cases, the courts held that manufacturers and retailers could not be held accountable for the actions of consumers.
As an alternative to home dubbing, in the late 1980s, the Personics company installed booths in record stores across America which allowed customers to make personalized mixtapes from a digitally-encoded back-catalogue with customised printed covers.
The Hewlett Packard HP 9830 was one of the first desktop computers in the early 1970s to use automatically controlled cassette tapes for storage. It could save and find files by number, using a clear leader to detect the end of tape. These would be replaced by specialized cartridges such as the 3M DC-series. Many of the earliest microcomputers implemented the Kansas City standard for digital data storage. Most home computers of the late 1970s and early 1980s could use cassettes for data storage as a cheaper alternative to floppy disks, though users often had to manually stop and start a cassette recorder. Even the first version of the IBM PC of 1981 had a cassette port and a command in its ROM BASIC programming language to use it. However, this was seldom used, as even then floppy drives had become commonplace in high-end machines.
The typical encoding method for computer data was simple FSK which resulted in typical data rates of 500 to 2000 bit/s, although some games used special faster loading routines, up to around 4000-bit/s. A rate of 2000-bit/s equates to a capacity of around 660 kilobytes per side of a 90-minute tape.
Among home computers that primarily used data cassettes for storage in the late 1970s were Commodore PET (early models of which had a cassette drive built-in), TRS-80 and Apple II, until the introduction of floppy disk drives and hard drives in the early 1980s made cassettes virtually obsolete for day-to-day use in the US. However, they remained in use on some portable systems such as the TRS-80 Model 100 line until the early 1990s. Due to the high price of disks, cassettes also remained the primary data storage medium for 8-bit computers in many countries (for example, the UK, where 8-bit software was mostly sold on cassette until that market disappeared altogether in the early 1990s.)
In some countries, including the United Kingdom, Poland, Hungary and the Netherlands, audio cassette data storage was so popular that some radio stations would broadcast computer programs that listeners could record onto cassette and then load into their computer.[37] See BASICODE.
The use of better modulation techniques like QPSK or those used in modern modems, combined with the improved bandwidth and signal to noise ratio of newer cassette tapes, allowed much greater capacities (up to 60 MB) and speeds (10–17 kB/s for data rate) on each cassette. These were typically used as hard disk backup for PCs in the late 1980s.[citation needed] They also found use during the 1980s in data loggers for scientific and industrial equipment.
Technical development of the cassette effectively ceased when digital recordable media such as DAT and MiniDisc were introduced in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Anticipating the switch from analog to digital, major companies such as Sony shifted their focus to new media.[38] In 1992, Philips introduced the Digital Compact Cassette (DCC), a DAT-like tape in the same form factor as the compact audio cassette. It was aimed primarily at the consumer market. A DCC deck could play back both types of cassettes. Unlike DAT, which was accepted in professional usage because it could record without lossy compression effects, DCC failed in both home and mobile environments, and was discontinued in 1996.[39]
The microcassette has in many cases supplanted the full-sized audio cassette in situations where voice-level fidelity is all that is required, such as in dictation machines and answering machines. Even these, in turn, are starting to give way to digital recorders of various descriptions.[40] Since the rise of cheap CD-R discs, and flash memory-based digital audio players, the phenomenon of "home taping" has effectively switched to recording to Compact Disc or downloading from commercial or music sharing websites.[41]
Because of consumer demand, the cassette has remained influential on design over a decade after its decline as a media mainstay. As the Compact Disc grew in popularity, cassette-shaped audio adapters were developed to provide an economical and clear way to obtain CD functionality in vehicles equipped with cassette decks. A portable CD player would have its analog line-out connected to the adapter, which in turn fed the signal to the head of the cassette deck. These adapters continue to function with MP3 players as well, and are generally more reliable than the FM transmitters that must be used to adapt CD players to MP3s. MP3 players shaped as audio cassettes have also become available, which can be inserted into any tape player and communicate with the head as if they were normal cassettes.[42][43]


text:
I set up this simple little tracing activity one afternoon for my daughter.
It's a little tricky for small hands and it took a little bit of work, but she enjoyed the activity.
Supplies needed:
White paper
Buttons (or some type of shape that is rather flat)
Start by using a small piece of tape to tape down each button to your paper.
Then invite your child over to trace around each shape.
Anna like to peel off each button and the piece after she was done to see her tracing...
Then as an added bonus, have them try to identify the shape they traced and color it the same color as the button.
After they have colored all the shapes, you can play a little matching game to match up the buttons and the tracings.
Overall, it's a simple activity, but great for fine motor development and pre-writing skills!!


text:
Secure IP is a leading provider of premium telecommunications services including prepaid pinless, wholesale international long distance, mobile top-ups, and international egift cards. The company's commitment to provide the highest quality services through the use of advanced engineering techniques, high-grade network facilities, and leading edge technology, consistently draws top marks for Secure IP from its industry peers and customers alike.
Since its inception in 2006, Secure IP has been a company dedicated to providing high quality telecommunications services. Through its America Voice brand, the company provides its services at over 5,000 retail locations throughout the US. Secure IP's wholesale division provides premium international long distance to carriers globally.
We provide innovative solutions to our customers through multiple products and services.


text:
Tubing Flawed Specimens
Tubing flawed specimens will be designed specifically to suit your exact qualification or training requirements. This approach enables customers to select specimens which represent the range of tubing sizes applicable to their scope of work or training program.
The specific parameters considered when designing tubing flawed specimens include:
- Code or Specification
- Material Types and Grades
- Tube Thickness Range
- Tube Diameter Range
- Joint Designs
- Welding Processes
- Filler Materials
- Relevant Flaws
Flaw Sizing Tolerances are on the Manufacturing Process page.


text:
Gormenghast is a fantasy series by British author Mervyn Peake, about the inhabitants of Castle Gormenghast, a sprawling, decaying, gothic-like structure.
There are three novels, Titus Groan (1946), Gormenghast (1950), Titus Alone (1959) and a novella, Boy in Darkness (1956), whose canonical status is debated. Peake was writing a fourth novel, Titus Awakes at the time of his death, which was later completed and released by Peake's widow in 2009.
I first read the first two books in the 1980s and was impresses with the rich, evocative writing that has stayed with me. The books were made into a four part TV series in 200, which I'm sure I saw in TV. The DVD was released in 2008.
This re-viewing does show up some of the production values of the time. Everything that is a model, looks like a model. And it's lit like a stage production. Clearly most was produced on a sound stage. There are some great performances, notably Ian Richardson, Christopher Lee and Stephen and Fry. John Sessions is great as the nutty doctor.


text: Today's draw is a sort of stepping-back to look at what has come in recently to see what has been less helpful than you'd hoped. What needs to go, even if it's only been around for a short time? Relax, breathe, and trust your instincts about where you're headed. It's ok to keep making changes on the fly — we all do it every day. It's just that some of those decisions need to be more visible, more conscious, than others. And it's ok to be confused about what you're doing. Again, that's true for a lot of people. Hell, we're all pretty much just winging it as best we can. But don't let confusion stop you. Don't let yourself get stuck fiddling with the compass or staring at the map trying to figure out what to do next. Just start moving. If you find out later that you're going the wrong way, that's fine. You'll just turn around and go another way. But get moving, and watch the signs as you go.


text:
Ale's Stones
Ale's Stones at Kåseberga, around ten kilometres southeast of Ystad.
|Scania, Sweden
|Coordinates: 55°22′51″N 14°03′28″E / 55.38083°N 14.05778°E
|Nordic Iron Age
Ale's Stones (Swedish: Ales stenar or (Swedish: Ale stenar) is a megalithic monument in Scania in southern Sweden. It is a stone ship, oval in outline, with the stones at each end markedly larger than the rest. It is 67 m (220 ft) long formed by 59 large boulders, weighing up to 1.8 tonnes each.
The carbon-14 dating system for organic remains has provided seven results at the site. One indicates that the material is around 5,500 years old whereas the remaining six indicate a date about 1,400 years ago. The latter is considered to be the most likely time for Ales Stenar to have been created. That would place its creation towards the end of the Nordic Iron Age.[1]
In 1989, during the first archaeological excavations performed in order to scientifically investigate and date the monument, archaeologists found a decorated clay pot with burned human bones inside the ship setting. The bones are thought to come from a pyre and to have been placed in the pot at a later date. The pot's contents varied in age; some material was from 330–540 CE while a piece of charred food crust also found inside was determined to be from 540–650 CE.[2] The archaeologists working on the project also found birch charcoal remains from 540–650 CE underneath an undisturbed boulder.[3] According to the Swedish National Heritage Board, carbon-14 dating of the organic material from the site indicates that six of the samples are from around 600 CE, while one sample is from ca. 3500 BCE. The diverging sample came from soot-covered stones that are believed to be the remnants of an older hearth, found close to the ship setting.[3] On the basis of these results, the Swedish National Heritage Board has set a suggested date of creation for Ales Stenar to 1,400 BP,[1] which is the year 550 CE.
- ^ a b "Ales stenar". Swedish National Heritage Board. 2008-08-05. Archived from the original on 22 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-10.
- ^ Strömberg, Märta (1997-05-19). "Det stora skeppet på åsen". In Jonas Ellerström and Gad Rausing (ed.). Amico amici: Gad Rausing den 19. maj 1997 (in Swedish). Signum. pp. 51–71. ISBN 91-87896-30-3.
- ^ a b Kobos, Andrew M. (2001). "Ales Stenar: When? Who? What for?". Archived from the original on 2010-03-28. Retrieved 2009-05-10.
External links[edit]
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ales stenar.


text:
[Simple short message for ECM.
Will need 2 props: 1. A "crown" (paper cutout) & 2. The word, "LOWLY" (printed out, folded into triangle so it stands up on its own]
Good morning everyone! Merry early Christmas! Okay, so today, I wanted to step inside the Christmas story a little bit. We will start low, and end on a high note. You see, there are many characters in the Christmas story, like Mary and Joseph, who were humble and lowly. Although we might think the action ought to all be in the king's palace somewhere, God's focal point really is with the lowly. <Bring out LOWLY sign, put on table in front.> We all know that Jesus was not born in a well-furnished mansion, as we might have expected, but to a lonely peasant couple, in a filthy setting of a barn. Today, that might be comparable to finding a baby under a highway underpass, lying in a shopping cart with crumpled up newspapers. It's a sad, miserable picture, but this is how God chose to reveal his glory.
Today, we're going to experience a little bit more of that lowly taste of Christmas. You see, not only was Jesus born in lowly conditions, he was also proclaimed to lowly people. Does anyone know who could have said "Angels we have heard on high" on that very first Christmas? Yeah, it was the shepherds! To give a little bit of background on the shepherds, it definitely wasn't a walk in the park. Shepherds were social outcasts, on par with, or slightly above, the prostitutes and tax collectors. They were poor and uneducated and therefore were looked down on to a point where they could not even witness in court. Furthermore, they were also religious outcasts. Since they came into contact with all sorts of animals and carcasses, they were considered unclean and were unwelcomed in the temples. These are the people that God chose to reveal his angelic host to.
Let's go ahead and read Luke 2:1-20…
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
These shepherds were minding their own business, when suddenly "Hallelujah!" all of these angels show up! They hear about good news of great joy for all the people, a promise of a Savior and a Lord, and they get to see him! But "Good news of great joy that will be for all the people"? Really? All the people? It's so hard to believe. Not just the strong ones, the talented ones, the rich ones, the pretty ones, the smart ones? Well, the angel was pretty clear about this: this good news will cause great joy for all the people. That's really something to think about. Does that mean, God wants something to do with the poor, the uneducated, the injured, the depressed, the ugly, the weak, the kind of people that we wouldn't want to talk to or even be? If we remember how Jesus came: to a lowly peasant couple, to a lowly situation in that unhygienic barn, proclaimed to lowly shepherds who were rejects of society… we can conclude that yes, God wants something to do with lowly people. And then the question becomes, does God want something to do with me? … You see, I'm not that good. I'm extremely forgetful, I'm often late, I'm lazy and I get easily irritated at people. Are you telling me that God wants something to do with a person who's pretty messed up, who's annoying to her friends and has a dirty heart? Are you saying that God actually wants something to do with me? Yes, I think so. If God came to the shepherds who were at the outskirts of town, if God came to Mary and Joseph who couldn't even find a decent place to stay for the night, if God chose those kinds of people to see Jesus first, then maybe God wants something to do with me, too.
Well, what is this good news of great joy that he wants to tell me? I mean, isn't a baby born in a manger actually sad and pathetic news? I know what I consider good news of great joy. This past weekend, one of my best friends got married and I got to join in on the celebration! That's certainly good news of great joy! But.. even though it's good news for my friend and her family, it's not good news for all the people. Hm. Ok, how about this: What if ____ won the million dollar lottery, and she's going to share it with everyone in this room! Wow! That's good news of great joy for all the people, right? Well.. I don't know about that, either. Maybe everyone will be richer, but where does that leave someone if they were depressed, disabled in some way, or even extremely sick? No amount of money will fix their condition. So it's not really that great, after all. So what could be so great about some dirty baby, born in some remote barn, to a poor peasant couple? How can he affect every single one of us?
Let's go back to what the angels said. "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to YOU; he is the Messiah, the Lord." So, that means that we need a Lord, or king, and we need to be saved! And it's very clear what we need to be saved from: our very own selves, who are the wrongful kings. If you remember from 2 weeks ago, we talked about who was going to be king in our lives: us or God. <Bring out crown, move to front of self to represent "us", lifting up crown on upper right to represent "God".> Now, we all know that God's a whole lot smarter than we are and better at directing the universe, but when it comes down to, for example, one annoying roommate, suddenly at least for me, I have a battle with God. God says, "Love your neighbor as yourself" <lift crown up> and I say, "Go away, neighbor!" <yank crown to self>. So I often experience that I fall short of God's heart and his standards. Jesus really ought to be king, but now that I've messed up in letting him direct my heart and actions, I need someone to save me from the consequences of my sin, which is death. Now, whether we reject God knowingly or not, we are people who are not perfect in our relationship with God. We might say, "Sure, I'm not perfect, but nobody's perfect." But the thing is, before a perfect God, our imperfection, no matter how small, deserves separation from God and all of his goodness and life, forever. <put crown on table in front>
Far from being perfect, this is how lowly we are. We are lowly because we lack in character, love, and purity. If all of our thoughts that went on in our heads were projected on a screen for everyone to see, we would be ashamed and it'd be clear that we are messed up sinners from the inside out. I imagine that being here, too, in a nursing home, would feel like we are in a lowly position. Maybe we feel lowly because of our bodies, which lack the independence that it once had. Maybe we feel lowly when our family or friends have passed away or are distant because of our sense of loneliness or isolation.
Even though we've all sinned and fallen short of God's perfection, that's exactly why the good news of great joy is for all the people, even those of us who feel like we are the lowest kind of people. You see, even in our sin, the holy God still loved us. He saw that we were helpless to our fate, so sent His Son, Jesus, to take the punishment of death that we deserved. The good news is that if we confess that we are sinners, believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he died for us on the cross and rose again, we can accept God's forgiveness and accept Jesus as our King and Savior. <lift up crown and put back down.>
Let's go back see how the shepherds responded. The angels told them, "A Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord." And that means he was born to each one of us, to all people, even the humble people like the shepherds, even to someone as lame as me, and also to you. Salvation is available to any one of us. This is the good news of great joy for all the people: even though we all have sinned, we are all welcome to invite Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. Man, the shepherds were overcome with not only joy, but awe and wonder! And their response was to tell everyone the news, even to complete strangers who came from all over the nation!
Now, we don't have angelic hosts singing today, but we've all heard many Christmas songs about Jesus. We also don't see the bright glorious angelic lights that the shepherds did, but we have Christmas lights. We may not see any barns, but we've seen plenty of nativity scenes. The shepherds responded so freely and immediately to the invitation to meet Jesus, and then spread this good news that brought amazement to those who listened! Even though they were the rejects of society, even though they were considered as nobodies who couldn't testify in court, God gave them front row seats to testify about his humble Son, Jesus. So, we don't need to pretend that we are perfect, because to be honest, we're not. It's ok to admit our brokenness and lowliness, <lift up LOWLY sign> because that's where God can meet us. That's exactly where God did meet us on that first Christmas. <put sign down> He came into the world in a lowly way: in a filthy barn, and died in a lowly way: on the rugged cross. God chooses to enter into our lowly and filthy hearts, too, if we would only first acknowledge our lowliness and our need for him.
So, this is the story of Christmas. Jesus is a Lowly King <arrange LOWLY on stage right, and crown stage left on table>. He also is the King of the lowly <switch props>. <pause>
We know much more than the shepherds do about Jesus. And just like them, we too ought to move toward this good news of Jesus coming to save us from our sins. If we are Christian, let's spread this good news of great joy to everyone that we can find! Just like the shepherds, we can say that even though we are so lowly in some way, God still loves someone like me, so he must love someone like you! We ought to rejoice like the shepherds did, and then have that joy overflow to others! And if you are not sure if you've had this kind of joy before while acknowledging our lowliness, I want to encourage us to find Jesus to be good news of great joy for ourselves. If it is your prayer that we are lowly and broken and that we need Jesus to be our king and to save us from our sins, or if it's your prayer to find courage to spread this good news to others who need to hear even though we feel so lowly ourselves, if that is your prayer today, would you please raise your hand? Ok, let's pray.