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Totally Faded: Brett Allen
For the next four weeks, XLR8R will chat with four indie engineers who invite us into their studios to discuss production philosophies, gear, and how to set your music free. Our last installment features Snowghost Studios in Whitefish, Montana, where engineer Brett Allen has worked on records with Dan Deacon, Matmos, Christopher Willits, and Death Cab for a Cutie.
Who is the most prepared band you've worked with?
The younger bands. They have nothing to lose–it's kind of their shot. The bigger bands usually feel like they get in the studio and that's the place where they're going to figure everything out. The studio is a place to get good sounds but not necessarily a place to compose. There's too much at stake and too much pressure.
How is it different working with more electronic artists like Christopher Willits or Matmos versus bands?
I got a minor in electronic music at UC Santa Cruz so it's not foreign to me. It's so easy to make beats or loops in Garage Band or Reason, but I would like to hear people make more sample-based music that involves analog sound. Like, recording yourself banging on piece of metal and then shortening it up until it sounds like a snare drum. My biggest complaint with electronic music is how canned it can sound. A lot of that is producers who are more into the finished product than dialing in each sound individually. It's cool to use Garage Band or Reason to get the idea out quickly, but then go back and replace those sounds with something more adventurous or advanced.
What were the challenges of working with Dan Deacon?
Me and Dan have very different styles. My style is to cut things out so that there is lots of room for what you might call the lead. Dan's style is "Let's fill up every inch of space in this spectrum." Working with him the first few times, I would do a mix and then he would show me his mix and I would be like, "That's so dense I can't hear anything." After working together for a while, I found I was able to understand that "wall of sound" approach and he was able to get more clarity out of each individual sound.
What about with Matmos?
It's really easy to work with those guys, but I like things to be very warm and rich and Matmos likes things to be really edgy, borderline ear piercing. They would be like "Turn up the highs on all of that." And I was like "Really? That's making my ears bleed," and they're like "Yeah that's what we're going for." I've learned a lot from working with sound designers like Matmos and Christopher Willits.
What do you spend the most time on?
With mixing, I spend a lot of time on the drums. I always record them and I track them as full and present as possible. It's always a bit of a challenge figuring out where they're going to sit. Are they going to be big stereo drums or tiny present mono drums? There's so much you can do with compression and EQ to make drums sound completely different. I also spend a lot of time on the vocals, generally EQing. Are they going to be full and present or are they going to be like English punk rock, where they sit unintelligibly in the mix? Bass is really problematic and controlling. After I get the mix I want, I spend a lot of time trimming things away so all a mastering engineer would have to do is make things louder.
What is your advice for home producers?
Try to get the mix out of your computer and headphones. Listen to things in an actual environment, not in a vacuum. This is a concept that I'm really stuck on right now. Live recordings from the '50s and '60s sounded so good because they put everyone in the same room; all the playing wasn't so discreet and separate. Compared to digital mixers, a channel on my analog mixer is three centimeters away from the next one. There's going to be bleed from the two pieces of copper that are next to each other. Analog bleed makes stuff real. Even if you take your sounds from the computer, run them into a Mackie mixer, and then back into the computer it's going to be better–you're gaining bleed back.
Where do you stand on plug-ins?
I've had the privilege of recording a guitar into a Fender reverb–that sounds way more present into a computer with a similar plug-in. if you can make great records that work using that set-up, then eventually, when you have money or you get in a studio, you can use the real thing. I can hear it on record. I know when a guitar's not real or a drum's not real or it's a digital synth. Then again, I'm listening on reference speakers, not computer speakers. Most people's argument would be like, what's the point? But I listen to a record not only for the creative content but also the sonic palette. I like DSD or analog over Pro Tools. Using Pro Tools at 4416 is great but if you become an artist and have the funds to record to tape you'll hear the difference. The music industry has kind of tricked everybody. Because it's way cheaper to manufacture CDs, they sold people on this noise floor thing like "[With digital], there's no noise." But without noise, you lose everything that's there on the top end.
Our ears aren't our most sensitive aspect of hearing, our skin is. That's why we feel music when someone is playing a guitar in a room, or the sound of a grand piano in a big hall. The hair on the back of our arms is feeling it. Listening to music on an iPod through ear buds or recording a guitar direct into the computer, your ears can hear that stuff but you don't feel it physically.
What's the best advice you've ever received?
Don't make it too precious. Don't hang on to something because you're trying to make it perfect. You're always going to feel like there's something to fix. The artists that are so prolific just write it, record it, put it out there, and if they feel it could be better, they write a better song next time.
What's the centerpiece of your studio, gear-wise?
Our monitoring set up. I use Wilson audio speakers and transparent cable with Halpro amps. It's a hi-fi set up. The speakers are really, really transparent and they're not really nice to things like fake reverbs and compressions. I like listening to very natural recordings. I like listening to crazy electronic music, but I generally don't listen to it on those speakers. Also the SSL console, which is one of the more ergonomic and advanced analog boards for its time, and the Sonoma DSD recording system that we have. It's got a really high-sample rate, and it's the closest thing we have to analog tape as far as frequency range and dynamic range.
What are the most common mistakes that home producers make?
I learned a lot by making live recordings. Also, the most important thing is not your gear but your mic technique. Understanding, for instance, how a mic is going to react to a glass wall or a shag carpet or a carpeted wall. Knowing the basic principles of obstruction, reflection, and diffusion. The best advice I would give is own a Shure SM-57, maybe a condenser mic. Work with the room that you're in. Throw up a blanket, throw up plywood, record next to a mirror–try different things and see how it sounds.
Who are some engineers you really respect?
I like Steve Albini for his room sounds; his drums sound fantastic. John McIntyre's overall sounds; the stuff he's done for Tortoise, The Sea & Cake, and Jim O'Rourke has really cool, present sounds. Tom Dowd, who did all the early Atlantic stuff, and a lot of the Stax Records which I think to this day stand up as some of the best recordings ever, especially the Otis Redding records.
Do you have a particular philosophy when entering the studio?
Well, sessions at Snowghost only last four days and we've purposely fashioned it that way. Part of the problem with music nowadays is that people spend too long to make it. In the '40s and '50s, bands would go into the studio for a day. Having a time limit, makes bands really focus and hone in on what they do. We don't have time to overthink things, it keeps things really light, and right about that point we start getting sick of each other it's time to go. I like the idea of short creative bursts.
Last Week: Efrim Menuck


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We went to watch Kes at the Oldham Coliseum on Friday night. It was a fabulous production and it has disturbed and gripped me ever since.
Kes, the feral boy. Father left home when he was six, neglected by mother, bullied by big brother. The food he eats is largely stolen from others. Picked on by anyone who feels like it. In trouble with the police.
And then he finds a baby Kestrel and becomes absorbed in training the bird. It takes patience and skill. A boy who never reads, reads voraciously in order to learn.
A teacher is able to pull this out of him and he is transformed into a lad full of enthusiasm, respect and joy as he talks about his Kes. A person with purpose.
But the story is a tragedy. Because in revenge for not putting a bet on a winning horse (Billy spent it on chips for himself) and he because he could not find and beat him up his bullying brother kills the bird.
All this was played out on stage and in my soul. The playright Lawrance Till says: "The bird is a metaphor of his ambition – what he delights in, what he is reaching for, what he runs towards." The tragedy is the destruction of a young boys ambition, which with life so stacked against him, was as fragile and as vulnerable as himself - and as beautiful.
Lawrence continues: "We may not have the extreme events happen to us as happen to Billy Casper, but we all have ambitions, we all have passion, invest in something and, unless we are very lucky, we all have a sense of loss in our lives – divorced parents or the loss of a pet or maybe something more tragic than that."
What are my dreams, my ambitions, what do I run towards, what do I invest so much of myself in? Do not allow the bully destructiveness of the bullying big brother to kill it, nurture and protect it – do not show the indifference and neglect of this story's mother. Be the English teacher, empowering, enabling, interested, mentoring, listening respecting – so that your dream might with patience be tamed and trained and one day take flight but always come back to you.
For it occurred to me last night that each character in this story could be an aspect of oneself – if the kestrel was a metaphor for a boy's ambition then the mother should have been nurturing it.
And I wonder, for myself and others whether if we treat our own ambitions with such violence. If we do, then whether we also treat the dreams, ambitions, delights of others with similar violence - even without realising it.
And it reminded me of growing up in a Lancashire industrial town in the 1980ies with the miners strike, the decimation of manufacturing industry in the area. The state, Government and policy of the time did not care how this crushed and destroyed the communities, the families, and above all the kids of our town - the kids I went to school with. Let us never forget the Billy's of this nation when we make policy and investment, when we make swinging cuts and take austerity measures. Let us not be a state that kills Billy's Kes.
Monday, 6 September 2010
Kes: a metaphor for an ambition
Posted by Radical Mum and Cakemaker at 02:02
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subset: commoncrawl


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Located on the far central eastern part of the Valoranian continent, the human city-state of Noxus is in many ways the moral antithesis of Demacia; it is a settlement where the physically and mentally strong acquire power through any means necessary, regardless of the consequences to their fellow humans. The citizenry of Noxus generally stands behind this principle, regarding the qualities of benevolence and compassion as signs of weakness. Strength begets strength, at least as far as the humans of Noxus are concerned. This seeming cruelty, however, is not an indicator of chaos. As is naturally and necessarily the case with humankind, Noxus is an orderly city-state, where rules protect the citizenry from harm… at least from their peers. In Noxus, however, those with power are clearly protected by the law more than those without it.
The ruling political organization of Noxus is called the Noxian High Command, and it acts as the head of the military. In Noxus, the military controls every aspect of the political landscape; there is no separation between the warfare and politics. The eternally youthful-looking leader of the High Command, General Boram Darkwill, has ruled Noxus for countless years. General Darkwill has far exceeded his average lifespan as a human; it is rumored that he is kept alive through necromantic magic. Such a conclusion would seem to make sense, especially when considering that he has ruled the Noxian High Command since before the time of King Jarvan I of Demacia. His seemingly endless hunger for power and conquest has driven Noxus to be the nightmarish threat to its neighbors that it is today.
Where other human settlements tend to welcome non-humans into their midst, Noxians are decidedly xenophobic. Non-humans are, at best, made to feel unwelcome within the borders of this city-state. There are exceptions to this, but only after the non-humans in question have proven themselves to be either useful or feared (or both). Human visitors and emigrants to Noxus are made to feel only slightly better, again proving themselves only by either demonstrating competence or inspiring terror in their enemies.
Military service in Noxus is compulsory for a period of six years, with all of its citizens retained as active reservists until their golden years. The Noxian High Command reserves the right to draft any of its citizens, regardless of age, into military service in times of dire need. Active Noxian military personnel are afforded a higher level of citizenship in Noxian society, and it is not uncommon for most citizens to remain active in the military for ten or more years. There is seldom a lack of work in the Noxian military, even with the forced quasi-peace that exists between Noxus and their eternal rivals, the Demacians.
The Noxian High Command strategically elected not to oppose the formation of the League of Legends, and even went as far as to give tepid support for its activities. It was clear to Valoran's power brokers that Noxus could read the writing on the wall; to oppose the League, especially with the vast majority of Valoran behind its formation, would have been tantamount to suicide. By supporting its formation, Noxus achieved two ends. First, Noxus would have some degree of forced peace between itself and Demacia. This would allow Noxus to focus its efforts on conquest elsewhere; its track record in this conquest since the formation of the League, however, has been considerably underwhelming. Second, Noxus would focus its considerable magic talent into the League, allowing for a potentially greater degree of success in conflicts against the Demacians. To date, the endless war with Demacia has been just that – endless. The Noxian conflict with Demacia has, for the most part, surrogated itself into the Fields of Justice for considerably less cost in material and manpower. While its mortal foe has been able to relax some, Noxus has been able to relax considerably more without the iron fist of Demacia looming overhead.
Noxus is a city that resembles its inhabitants – dark and sinister. The foundation of the city was built into a granite mountain, and a fair portion of the city lies underground. Structures are built on top of and into the mountain itself. A tremendous man-made moat, filled with a witches' brew of foul and putrid liquids, circumnavigates the city; the moat serves as an excellent means of cutting off access to Noxus through but a few key points, all of which are heavily guarded. At the top of the granite mountain resides the headquarters of the Noxian High Command; the building itself vaguely resembles a human skull from a distance. Beyond the huge city walls lie those Noxian denizens too poor (or too lucky) to live inside.
The subterranean city level of Noxus is almost as large as the top level, with numerous shops, taverns, and residences comprising the seedy underbelly of the notorious city-state. Noxus contains the largest network of dungeons anywhere on Runeterra, with numerous Noxian nobles claiming ownership over the various labyrinthine passages and subterranean rooms.
Source: http://na.leagueoflegends.com/learn/lore/noxus


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Update (Feb. 4, 2013, 1:10 p.m.): Be sure to head over to QNotes to read the editorial, "Critics of Boy Scout policy should follow Scouters' lead," published this morning.
There was much controversy this past week as news broke that the national board of the Boy Scouts of America would be considering ending their national anti-gay membership and leadership policy.
"This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation, and the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with each organization's mission, principles, or religious beliefs," Scouts spokesperson Deron Smith said in a statement. "BSA members and parents would be able to choose a local unit that best meets the needs of their families."
Smith also promised that the Scouts' national leaders would "not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents" and that the national body "would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organization's mission, principles, or religious beliefs."
The news of this week is stunning, reversing decades of exclusion of gay men and boys from participation in the nation's preeminent organization for training and equipping young men with the tools, principles and values necessary for becoming good citizens.
There's no firm deadline determined for making the decision, but it could come down as soon as this coming week's national executive board meeting. And, in the meantime, LGBT and progressive leaders are speaking out with a variety of talking points, some helpful and others I believe ignore the reality of this small bit of forward movement, the chink in the armor of the Scouts' long-standing discriminatory practices that will inevitably give way to extraordinary progress. Continue reading this post…
Queer Lounge, the hotspot for LGBT film gurus during the annual Sundance Festival in Park City, Utah, says it will return to the city and have a presence during the event.
"It's more important for us to be in Utah. It's more important for us because of the passage of Prop 8 in California," said Ellen Huang, Queer Lounge founder and program director. "There were actually a number of organizations looking to us to take the lead."
A boycott of the event would certainly create a noticeable absence. But being there, for the right reasons, represents good leadership. Instead of hiding, Huang and her colleagues will be out and proud. Perhaps that will do more for moving us forward.
Or, it could be that the gay Hollywood types just don't want to give up a party.
Either way, being there says, "We aren't defeated. We aren't retreating. We are who we are and we will survive."


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Economy Fears helps Hillary
This post was written by marc on January 13, 2008
Posted Under: Letters to the Editor
Posted Under: Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor
The more people talk about recession and economic fears the more the voters lean towards Hillary. That's because the Clinton campaign coined the phrase, "It's the Economy Stupid". Not only did they make it the issue, but the delivered on their promise of focusing on the economy like a laser beam. When the Clinton's left office the big issue was how we were going to spend the surplus. So now that the federal debt is approaching 10 trillion dollars voters are less willing to take a chance on risky candidates. The more the economy becomes the issue the more people want to go back to the days when the surplus was the big problem.


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July, 2013
India's Rs 77 trillion (US$ 1.30 trillion)-banking industry is well at par with global standards and norms. Prudent practises and conventional framework adopted by the regulator, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), have insulated Indian banks from the global financial crisis.
The country has 87 scheduled commercial banks with deposits worth Rs.71.6 trillion (US$ 1.21 trillion) as on 31 May, 2013. Of this, 26 are public sector banks, which control over 70 per cent of India's banking sector, 20 are private banks and 41 are foreign banks. Of the total, 41 banks are listed with a total market capitalisation of Rs.9.35 trillion (US$ 158.16 billion) as per the recent statistics.
India's central bank is about to propose fundamental changes in the structure of Indian banking industry. The suggestions include consolidation of some large banks to create two-three global ones, setting up of smaller banks, separate licenses for specific banking operations instead of a single universal one, continuous licensing for new banks and conversion of some urban cooperative banks into full-fledged commercial banks.
Also, the RBI has, for the time being, relaxed the norm that stipulates non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) to have a minimum gap of six months between two non-convertible debentures (NCDs) issues. The move is aimed at streamlining the process of moving into a more robust asset-liability management framework in a non-disruptive manner.
Over the past few years, Indian banking system has majorly went revamp and modernisation. The new infrastructure adopted by the banking system is mainly comprised of information technology (IT) products and services.
Indian banking and securities companies will spend around US$ 422 billion on IT products and services in 2013. That will imply a 13 per cent rise from Rs 37,300 crore (US$ 6.31 billion) spent in 2012. IT services is the largest overall spending category at Rs 13,200 crore (US$ 2.23 billion) in 2013. This ensures that IT service providers lay a strong focus on the financial services sector, according to a study by research and analyst firm Gartner.
Exchange Rate Used: INR 1 = US$ 0.01692 as on July 24, 2013
References: Media Reports, Press releases, RBI Documents.


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Chobonaino Kazahari 1 Tanabatake Hanawadai Shakado Sannai Maruyama Imojiya Mekiri Ubagasawa Nishinomae Sakai Sannai Maruyama Tama New Town site 471 Tsukanoshita Akagi Ebaradai Gohara Inariyama Shiizuka Shinpukuji Ushiroda Nakappara Isedotai Ipponmatsu Toriidaira 4 Kamitonai III Horiai Yoyama Kamegaoka Kowaze Kajisawa Ryukakuji oasa Horowata Nakayashiki Koshigoe Fuchinoue Wadai Kaido Dokunmae Sori ohinohara Imojiya Hayashi oji Kubo Uenotaira Ogata Tokoshinai Kitsunemori Fukuda Bamba Omuroyama Musashidai Higashi Bibi 4 Kamikurokoma Nakagami Tokoshinai Kamiyamada Kamioka Miyata Nomotetai Minamihatori Nakanogoki 1 Ikoda Arakoji Hatten Shidanai Todateishi Makumae Mamachi Aso 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 2021 Key to numbers Each location is numbered according to the catalogue entry number of the associated dogu, see pp. 88- 165.
24 Encountering Dogu Simon Kaner It is in the northern extremities of Honshu that the story of the discovery of dogu begins. While the Tokugawa Shogunate was getting into its stride in the early seventeenth century, strange objects were being recovered and recorded at Kamegaoka, or the Hill of Jars, in the fields of the Tsugaru Peninsula. A diary from northern Honshu, the Eiroku nikki( 1623), describes the finding of a ceramic body. Such finds were not unique, and the pace of discovery picked up during the latter part of the Edo period ( 1615- 1868), when amateur antiquarians developed a passion for collecting these odd relics of an ancient past, which they usually considered hangovers from the Age of the Gods. 1 But it was not until the end of the Shogunate, and the restoration of imperial rule in 1868, that a new understanding of the archipelago's ancient past developed. Back in the Edo period, a number of scholar- travellers journeyed around Japan recording local customs and curiosities. One of these was Sugae Masumi ( 1754- 1829), who travelled extensively through northern Japan, describing pottery vessels from the region now comprising the prefectures of Akita and Aomori. He assigned these objects to the Emishi, the legendary aboriginal occupants of the archipelago, considered to be forebears of the Ainu. 2 He also described a ' clay face' from Sumikanoyama and another from Akita. He used ancient chronicles as his point of reference for the past, the Nihon shoki ( Chronicle of Japan, AD 720) and Kojiki ( Records of ancient matters, AD 712), which refer to haniwaor terracotta figures, set up around the tombs of the early rulers of Japan ( third- sixth century AD). 3 Another explorer, Murakami Shimanojo, left a detailed account of dogu found near Hakodate ( fig. 2). He describes a ' god body', dug up at Fushikokotan hill, which was female in form with long hair and dots around the eyes and mouth- like tattoos. He also refers to dolls, played with by Ainu girls who dressed these figures in skins. They seemingly had another role and were sometimes placed in graves as substitutes for deceased spouses. Back in the urban centres of Edo Japan - Edo ( now Tokyo) itself, Kyoto and Osaka - dilettanti gathered to show off the old books and antiquities they had collected. An account left by one of these groups, entitled the Tanki manroku and published in the fifth month 1824, contained an ink painting of what was described in the caption as ' two dogufrom Kamegaoka'. To the modern archaeologist's eye, these images look like the front and back view of an early Final Jomon goggle- eyed figure with its large, horizontally slit eyes ( fig. 3). Other doguappeared in different Edo- period illustrated books, including one from Aizu ( modern- day Fukushima) described as having been discovered in 1815 and illustrated from different angles, front, back and sides. Once again, what we now recognize as a middle Final Jomon doguis here described, anachronistically, as a haniwa. 4 As part of the move towards ' civilization' and ' enlightenment', the authorities in the Meiji period ( 1868- 1912) invited foreign specialists to come to Japan to help forge a new, modern nation state. Among these was Edward Sylvester Morse ( 1838- 1925), an American zoologist, who in 1877 undertook the Fig. 2 An early record of a dogufrom the Ezoshima kikanof 1800, an account of discoveries in Ezo ( Hokkaido) by Murakami Shimanojo.


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Why we have to do things differently from other families.
Firstly let me point out the graphic in the picture.
Aiden is in the lower corner of the pic, getting his Stim on, He is not upset or distressed, just using his physical body to bring his stimulations to a more comfortable level, See he is aware that we get dressed up, decorate and do things for special occasions. He enjoys the atmosphere, but finds it harder to participate in the way that others do.
In this pic, Keira and Connor ae getting all dressed up, ready to go 'trick or treating' Aiden is not! That is because he can't understand the knocking on doors and not going in? nor having a final destination to his journey! So we as a family work with what is best for everybody, Not forcing him to do something that he doesn't like, nor forcing the other two to stay at home, because of Aidens feelings. We split our parenting in this time. One of us will chaperone Keira and Connors spooky trick or treating, and the other will stay at home with Aiden, answering the door to the little spooks who come knock on our door. Aiden actually really likes it when our door gets knocked, He likes to go and see the costumes and offer out the bowl of treat for the children to havesmile emoticon
Me and Mommy have learned over the years, what works and what doesn't with our three children. Sometimes we make mistakes.... BIG mistakes, and end up with meltdown central station at rush hour! But we learn from them.
We don't feel that Aiden is 'missing out' because forcing him to participate would just be wrong. If he shows signs in the years to come that he wants to take part, we will give him that opportunity, and if it goes wrong so be it.
I'm explaining this today as it's Halloween and will be more understood by others who may face similar situations, or also question other families lack of involvement.
This 'doing things differently' does not only happen on Halloween, it happens all throughout the year, Birthdays, Parties, Shopping, Christmas etc...
And this is the way that me and my family do things, others may have a different approach. And it's not bad, sad or wrong, It is just the way it is.
Don't feel sorry for us. we get on just fine, just in our own waysmile emoticon
I hope this helps some of you out there who read this, and thank you for your support x


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Welcome To Our Villages
Welcome to the community section of the Blofield Parish Council website.
Here you will find information about what's on in the area, groups you can get involved with, venues you can hire for your event, schools, pre schools, bus services etc.
We hope you find this useful and if you have any suggestions for improvement or any feedback about the website please do get in touch.


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Virtual Reality
Virtual reality is a computer-generated world or state of things as they exist. In other words, upon entering virtual reality in its 'perfect' state, we should not be able to tell the difference between the reality we exist in, versus a virtual one.
The goal of VR technology is that a user can replicate and interact with any instance, or enter a virtual world and be convinced that the world exists. This means a user could just as easily attend a virtual concert as they could explore Mars. In theory, the possibilities are endless. Yet, for all its promise, the current state of virtual reality reveals a multitude of problems that prevent this from happening.
All in all, virtual reality's connection to truth is that of experience. If something has happened to us – if we have experienced it, we know that it is a fact. However, virtual reality allows us to experience things that are not necessarily happening in the natural world. So, an immersive virtual experience raises the question – what have we really experienced, and how does it influence our perception of information we receive about the world?
The Recent History of VR:
2016 was coined as the original Year of Virtual Reality – when VR was expected to break the market. Leading companies in virtual reality such as Oculus and HTC did well to push their products and educate consumers, while learning about the market in the process.
Virtual Reality did not break the market, but it did make a dent. VR platforms and equipment earned a total estimate of $1.8B in 2016 and officially put VR on the map.
Over a year later, the consumer market is more educated and understands the potential of the technology – not just what it is today, but what it could be. VR companies must be quick to push the acceleration and adoption of the technology, or end up as a historic springboard for future VR companies to flourish.
To realize the potential of Virtual Reality – that game-changing, truth-challenging experience – will require major industrial changes in how technology and infrastructure has operated over the past 60 years.
Existing Problems
Problem 1: Hardware
Virtual Reality is one of the biggest shifts from previous Man to Machine Interfaces (MMIs) we've ever seen. Like previous technological introductions, virtual reality's primary problem lies in its hardware. This is due to the massive amount of processing required to render and visualize virtual worlds, all the while interpreting the user's interactions within that world. This leads to an incredibly clunky and immobile setup, and an expensive one at that.
For the cheapest virtual reality in-home experience, a minimum investment of roughly $1000 is required. This includes virtual reality goggles, two hand controllers, two sensors, and a low-scale CPU tethered to the goggles, as there are too many processors required to be built into the goggles standalone.
Even with up and coming wireless solutions (an added $300), systems must be connected to a local in-home CPU. This lack of processing power not only attributes to problems with ergonomics and mobility, but display issues as well. According to Oculus' Chief Scientist Michael Abrash's keynote from Oculus Connect 4, virtual reality must go great lengths if we wish to close the gap and replicate human sight - something we are still 5 to 10 years from achieving.
Problem 2: Content
Thanks to its hardware limitations, virtual reality content is one-dimensional – only finding relevant success in the video game niche. After all, video games are the closest platforms to a 'free range' user environment and since realism is often put aside for the experience video games deliver, it's understandable why virtual reality has been most successful in the gaming market.
And yet, virtual reality is so new, there has yet to be a 'breakthrough' in content for the medium. Content creators and storytellers struggle to deliver a unique experience that can take advantage of VR's potential, without being held back by its nuisances. For example, the brain competes with itself when it perceives that the user is moving, when the user's body isn't moving around the physical room they're in, causing users to get dizzy and nauseous.
Cases such as these force content creators to build games and content from stationary points within the story. Therefore, the user's capability is limited to looking around a room without the ability to realistically explore and interact with their environment. That said, new technological mediums like virtual reality, no matter how 'prehistoric' they may seem in their first few states, have still penetrated the market thanks to unique and novel experiences that make up for the realism of the human brain.
But, creating and rendering a real-life environment on a 2D plane is nothing compared to portraying this same environment in virtual reality. Original consoles compare 2 senses as inputs (vision and audio), versus the 3 inputs (vision, audio and touch) that will be necessary for an immersive VR experience.
Problem 3: Architecture
The evolution of previous MMIs – from typewriters, to computers, consoles, and handheld devices – evolved steadily in accordance with Moore's Law. The Law states that the number of transistors per square inch on integrated circuits will double every year since their invention (1965), and continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Until now.
We've arrived at a future that was not foreseen. Like Augmented Reality and AI, Virtual Reality has processing demands that make doubling computer power increasingly difficult without major innovations in the semiconductor industry. Therefore, it is now estimated that between 2021-2024, Moore's Law will be dead and two new semiconductor architectures will be commercialized.
The differences in these architectures are fundamental to understand and analyze what the best path will be for virtual reality over the next five or so years. The first processing architecture consists of quantum computers, which use the mechanics of atomic sub particles to perform operations on data at speeds that are much faster than silicon chips. Future chips will be even smaller than those currently found in our phones, cameras, and other devices, but much faster. The second system is called neuromorphic computing, which relies on chips modeled after the anatomy of the human brain – chips connected to and functioning from the human brain itself. This raises ethical and security debates that complicates the technology.
Existing Solutions
iPhone's success since the 2000s revealed just how important user interface is for consumers. The more natural and simple it is for any consumer to get what they're looking for out of their device, the better their experience. As a result, the leading and most successful MMIs of today's generation offer more 'natural' interaction by capitalizing on human psychology to deliver a seamless user experience between man and machine.
In terms of user experience, virtual reality is no different. But, the challenge lies in how that user experience is replicated. Just as current MMIs consider psychology to anticipate user thought process, VR must understand the psychology of how we will think and act in a new reality, but also the biology that determines how we interpret and perceive that reality. The goal is to replicate reality in convincing the brain that what we perceive is real – whether it is real or not.
In accordance with truth, users will derive this experience from biological inputs of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. Regardless of ethical challenges, validation of this development may be necessary for virtual reality to mimic these components and be psychologically viable. Thus, it's possible that VR technology has more in common with biological technology such as prosthetics, than it does with a game console or smartphone.
Although 2016 was coined The Year of Virtual Reality, the technology will likely deliver a much greater experience and at a lower cost in just 5 years. That said, those with strong presence in the market will not wait 5 years to determine the best architecture to move forward with.
This catches us in a state of purgatory, or rather - a chicken and egg problem. Which will find its breakthrough first: the content, or the hardware? The answer has yet to be determined, but the opportunity exists for either to drive the other.
What do you think?
We want to hear from you. What can be done to improve virtual reality's hardware issues? Will these solutions have any effect on the processing architectures to come?
Do you think the industry will follow content or hardware changes for the sake of a greater experience at lower cost?
Joni the conversation in the EIA Facebook Group or use #EricssonInnovationAwards to tell us what you think!
Click here to register for the Ericsson Innovation Awards 2018 and share your ICT ideas to shape The Future of Truth.
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Family coaching with expert Alan Wilson
Are you finding it increasingly difficult to communicate with your children? Do you spend more time trying to control and discipline than talking with and listening to them? If you are feeling disempowered as a parent, then this podcast may well be the answer to your prayers! Gina talks to family coach pioneer, Alan Wilson, founder of Develop Your Child, about effective ways to engage with and listen to your children, leading to a deeper emotional connection and a more fulfilling and supportive family dynamic.
For further information on family coaching and resources available visit Alan's website at: www.developyourchild.co.uk


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A while back, someone sent me a PM and suggested what could have been interfering with my "morning cuddle in bed" interaction was one of my moviemaking hacks (a bonsai tree that turns off sleeping Zzz's and triggers a nightmare.)
I removed the hack a while ago, but only just noticed the morning cuddle today. :)
Yes the girl is purple with little stars, lol. No, she's not some new kind of Good Witch... she's actually a legacy founder I'm playing. I'd always wanted to make a founder with odd-colored custom skin and eyes, just to see how much/how often the trait will turn up in the legacy (and/or how soon it's completely bred out.) Her bedmate there is the Elder Downtownie I had used in the Standish Legacy... Ben was his name there, but in this game his name is Dickson. I've been calling him Hot Old Downtownie (aka HOD) in my mind, lol.
They just had a baby who is purple with purple eyes... but has red hair! :D


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|3ds Max 2009
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|Product ID:
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|Orbit Studio
Jul 11, 2011
1 High quality Mocap data file in .bip format (Straight walking).
Geometry: About 30000 Quads for Body,Clothing, Hair, Mouth, Teeth and Tongue meshes.
Textures: 4K High quality Maps (Difuse, Specular, Bump, Displacemet, etc).
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The RL Game
WASD your way into this forum to talk about your favorite games.
Post Reply
2 posts • Page 1 of 1
- EsReverniDrawrof
- Pixel Ninja Assassin
- Posts: 36
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- Location: right behind you
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Re: The RL Game
I found SO many strategy guides for this one, its crazy, and it becomes hard to tell which game version the guide applies to. So many were being sold for way too much money, and I didn't find a single walk-through. I did try a few of the "safer" cheat codes, but they either didn't work, or made my game too glitchy.
Post Reply
2 posts • Page 1 of 1


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The ip LDK is an optimized digital telephones system which originated from GDK available in world wide since early 1990s.
It successfully merges LG-Nortel's advanced digital communication system architecture and latest VoIP technology and business productivity applications in order to provide an unsurpassed IP enabled telephony platform.
The ipLDK gives user's access to a rich robust array of voice communication features developed over years of marketing and R&D experience
The architecture is implemented in a highly flexible and scalable system, affordable to small and mid-sized businesses.
A wide range of interface boards, which accommodate analog, digital, broadband digital and IP telephony connections as well as SLTs and a wide range of digital and IP multi-button terminals, plug in to Universal Card slots in the ipLDK cabinet.
Flexible modular growth up to 600 extension ports
Affordable core digital architecture
Sophisticated family of innovative digital multi-button user terminals
Rich & robust standard feature set
-Built in Auto Attendant & Voice Messaging
-Redundant Power option
-Analogue Caller ID
-Virtual Conference Room
-Hot Desk
Advanced Business Applications
-Call Recording
-ez-Phone & ez-Phone Deluxe
-IP Soft phone
-CTI (TAPI) compatibility
-Remote User Connectivity
-IP Networking with Headquarter & Branches (VoIP and Qsig)
-IP Trunk (SIP, H.323)
-Reliable & secure remote communications
Wireless Solutions
-Bluetooth Solution
-Integrated DECT
-Business travellers solution; Mobile Extension,Softphone
Back to PRODUCTS


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Software Map
Project Tree
Environment > Console (Text Based)
Browse By:
330 projects in result set. Displaying 20 per page. Projects sorted by activity ranking.
|0. BioMod - BIOMOD is a computer platform for ensemble forecasting of species distributions, enabling the treatment of a range of methodological uncertainties in models and the examination of species-environment relationships.
|Activity Percentile: 100.00
Registered: 2008-11-13 08:31
|1. R/exams: Automatic Generation of Exams - One-for-all exams generator. Exercises: Single-choice, multiple-choice, arithmetic, string, combinations thereof (cloze). Input formats: LaTeX, Markdown. Output formats: PDF, HTML, Docx, Moodle XML, QTI 1.2, QTI 2.1, Blackboard, OLAT, Ilias, ARSnova, ...
|Activity Percentile: 96.30
Registered: 2012-02-12 00:43
|2. partykit: Recursive Partytioning Toolkit - Infrastructure for representing, summarizing, and visualizing tree-structured models. It can be used for constructing or reading tree models from different sources (rpart, RWeka, PMML), sharing
functionality for print/plot/predict methods.
|Activity Percentile: 92.59
Registered: 2008-09-30 11:39
|3. ctm - Maximum likelihood and boosting estimators for conditional transformation models.
|Activity Percentile: 85.19
Registered: 2012-01-12 14:03
|4. BayesR: Bayesian Regression - Developement of R Functions to Estimate Complex Bayesian Regression Models.
|Activity Percentile: 70.37
Registered: 2010-08-20 11:45
|5. diseasemapping - Geostatistics with the geostatsp package, disease mapping for areal data with diseasemapping, and basic mapping utilities with mapmisc.
|Activity Percentile: 48.15
Registered: 2008-12-02 16:49
|6. ctv: CRAN Task Views - Server-side and client-side tools for task views to CRAN-style repositories.
|Activity Percentile: 44.44
Registered: 2007-06-08 16:40
|7. aBenchmarking: variable selection in DEA - We propose an algorithmic method of a selection of variables in a model DEA applied to a group of decision units (DMU's). The method is based on an internal measure, which evaluates the contribution of each of the variables.
|Activity Percentile: 0.00
Registered: 2018-03-04 21:19
|8. Tools for Uplift Modeling - The R Package tools4uplift integrates some tools for exploring and modeling uplift. The content can be separated into the following steps of statistical modeling: categorization, visualization, feature engineering, feature selection and model validation.
|Activity Percentile: 0.00
Registered: 2018-08-31 21:23
|9. topmodels: Enhanced Model Infrastructure - topmodels: Enhanced modeling infrastructure for probabilistic 4-casting, diagnostic graphics, and inference.
|Activity Percentile: 0.00
Registered: 2018-02-01 16:08
|10. Thresher - Thresher is a comprehensive, statistical approach to class discovery combining PCA with hierarchical clustering. It can (1) identify outliers, (2) estimate the number of subgroups, and (3) automate the selection of metrics and linkage rules.
|Activity Percentile: 0.00
Registered: 2014-05-08 14:18
|11. Non-Interactive Spatial Tools for Raster - S3 classes and methods for manipulation with georeferenced raster data: reading/writing, processing, multi-panel visualization.
This is near real-time version with compiled binaries. Actual sources are at GitHub: https://github.com/nplatonov/ursa
|Activity Percentile: 0.00
Registered: 2017-03-17 09:29
|12. Statistical Data Preparation Indicators - During the statistical data preparation process stages of the data are archived (at least raw and the final data). Indicators on missing values, imputations and their impact help to judge the effect of the process and the quality of the final data.
|Activity Percentile: 0.00
Registered: 2017-01-21 14:39
|13. d/p/q/r functions of Coxian distribution - The package provides the d/p/q/r functions of a Coxian distribution.
|Activity Percentile: 0.00
Registered: 2016-12-08 01:53
|14. Robust time series analysis - Provides various approaches for robust estimation of (partial) autocorrelation and autocovariance. There are also procedures for robust fitting and filtering of AR(p) processes as well as for robust change point detection.
|Activity Percentile: 0.00
Registered: 2014-11-11 15:14
|15. Species Distribution Modelling - sdm is an extendable framework to develop species distributions models using individual and community-based approaches, generate ensembles of models, evaluate the models, and predict species potential distributions in space and time.
|Activity Percentile: 0.00
Registered: 2014-05-26 16:09
|16. EBI Metagenomics - An R package for working with data from the EBI Metagenomics Portal: https://www.ebi.ac.uk/metagenomics/
|Activity Percentile: 0.00
Registered: 2016-10-08 19:20
|17. sandwich: Robust Covariance Estimation - An object-oriented implementation of model-robust covariances and standard error estimators for cross-sectional, time series, and longitudinal data.
|Activity Percentile: 0.00
Registered: 2016-09-21 08:36
|18. Ranking Methods for Factorial Designs - Ranking methods for the analysis of factorial experiments with independent observations.
|Activity Percentile: 0.00
Registered: 2016-04-28 05:13
|19. Polyphase - This method accepts the genotype data, the relative physical position of the markers for species of any ploidy and returns the phased output.
|Activity Percentile: 0.00
Registered: 2016-02-18 15:57
330 projects in result set. Displaying 20 per page. Projects sorted by activity ranking.


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IBM Introduction to Networking
This is a basic course for individuals who are involved in the planning, installing, configuring and upgrading of IBM System Networking switches.
This is an introduction course for individuals who are involved in the planning, installing, configuring and upgrading of IBM System Networking switches.
After you receive confirmation that you are enrolled, you will be sent further instructions to access your course material and remote labs. You will then have a 30 day window in which to complete your course. Within this 30 days, the self-paced format gives you the opportunity to complete the course at your convenience, at any location, and at your own pace. The course is available 24 hours a day.
If the course requires a remote lab system, the lab system access is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. When you are not using the elab system, ensure that you suspend your elab to maximize your hours available to use the elab system.
Introduction to Networking is meant to lay the foundation for all courses related to networking. This course will enable better understanding of the theoretical concepts involved behind the major technologies in use related to networking.
This course will provide a broad overview of networking while still concentrating on a few important theoretical aspects. This will involve an introduction to the basic components of networking focussing on understanding the generic hierarchical view, after which the focus will shift to each of these layers and their functions. The course also features an Introduction to Data Link Layer concepts, Storage Area Networks, Local Area Networks, Virtual Local Area Networks, TCP/IP, Applications, Network Management and Security.
This course would serve as a thorough review of all basic networking concepts and will initiate further understanding in courses related to installation, configuration and maintenance of networking components like switches and routers. Course IBM BNT System Networking Implementation (XTRN1IE) or ILO IBM BNT System Networking Implementation (XTVN1IE) - is a three day hands on class and is highly recommended as a follow-on class.
E-Learning IBM Self-Paced Virtual Class (SPVC)
Preis (exkl. MwSt.)
- 660,- €
Nutzungsdauer: 30 Tage
Aktivierungsfrist: 1 Jahre


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Posted on :
1 Sep, 2016
1 Sep, 2016
As the Leading Nutrition Health and Wellness Company, we are committed to enhancing People's lives, everywhere, every day. In fact enhancing lives will influence everything we do together.
A presence in more than 130 countries and factories in more than 80 research centres brings many global benefits. We believe in long term career development and appreciate how challenges and motivation will help you reach your potential. Nestle Nigeria Plc upholds the principle of Non- Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunities in its recruitment processes.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Distributor
Location: Nationwide
Application Closing Date
Not Specified.
Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should forward their Application letter to:
Nestlé Nigeria PLC,
22-24, Industrial Avenue, Ilupeju
PMB 21164, Ikeja,
Lagos State.
For enquiries please call:


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How to see your home through a home inspector's eyes
What you are about to witness is real. Gauteng Home Inspections visited two newly built homes in the same complex just outside of Pretoria and documented incidences of oversight, shoddy workmanship and complete disregard for building standards and architecturally drawn plans.
According to Marissia Robus of Gauteng Home Inspections the findings from these inspections resulted in the clients cancelling the sales and their commercial bank actually cancelling the bonds. "I am doing more inspections later this week and the weekend," says Robus. "What the builder tried to get away with is disgusting and shocking."
Robus says that the best thing is to get a certified home inspector to assist you before you sign off on anything. A great alternative is to arm yourself with the book The Proud Homeowner, authored by Albert van Wyk.
If you are buying, building or doing alterations look out for these potential issues.
Windows and window frames
Contact Gauteng Home Inspections or order The Proud Homeowner


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How has your investment performance been for the last one, five and 10 years? Unfortunately, when asked that question, investors often provide casual observations like "OK", or "pretty good". The truth is that most investors have no idea how they are doing because they have no benchmark against which they compare their investment portfolio's performance.
When was the last time you played golf, tennis, basketball, or any other competitive sport? Did you walk away saying we did "OK" compared to the other team? No - you kept score! Shouldn't you be keeping score the same way when investing? The most efficient way to do this is to employ an investment benchmark and compare it to the performance of your investment portfolio. Read on to find out how to do this.
Setting Benchmarks
What's an appropriate benchmark? A good investment benchmark will have the following characteristics:
- It will be appropriate and will be agreed upon in advance.
The benchmark you select should be consistent with your risk/return objectives and constraints. There should also be an understanding in advance between you and the investment manager that the agreed upon benchmark is representative of the manager's underlying investment strategy and that he or she takes responsibility for the risk-adjusted performance of your portfolio as compared to your benchmark. (For related reading, see Personalizing Risk Tolerance.)
- It will be investable.
You should be able to forgo active management and invest in the benchmark. Do not compare your investment performance to a benchmark that you cannot replicate in the real world. Benchmarks that contain a lot of small, illiquid securities or that have high turnover should be scrutinized. A good way to judge whether your benchmark can be replicated in the real world is to see if there is an index fund or an exchange-traded fund (ETF) available that matches your selected benchmark. (For more insight, check out Benchmark Your Returns With Indexes.)
- It will be properly weighted.
If you are using an index as a benchmark, you should make sure that the index is weighted to reflect a passive (buy-and-hold) investment strategy. Market cap weighted indexes, such as the S&P 500 Index, do not require constant rebalancing and are consistent with a passive investment strategy. Other popular weighting schemes, such as price-weighting or equal-weighting, require constant rebalancing and are not consistent with a passive investment strategy. (For more insight, see Market Cap, Equal Weight And Fundamental Indexing.)
- It will be transparent and easy to understand.
The benchmark you use should have clear, published rules governing things like the criteria used for adding and deleting holdings from the benchmark.It should also have historic holdings and performance data available. This will allow you and your investment manager to better match a benchmark to your investment goals; it will also assist the manager with the portfolio management process.
Different Types of Investment Benchmarks
There are several different types of benchmarks that should be considered when looking for the right one against which to compare your portfolio.
- Absolute Benchmark: This is simply a rate of return objective. An example of this would be a minimum required rate of return or actuarial return. This type of benchmark is easy to monitor and understand, and can be agreed upon in advance. The downside is that it can lack passive investable alternatives.
- Style Specific Indexes: These indexes represent a specific area or manager discipline in an asset class category. An example of these would be large or small cap and value or growth indexes. Because these indexes are concentrated in one area, their exposure to certain sectors or stocks may be too narrow. This narrow exposure may cause some investment managers to deem these style-specific indexes inappropriate as benchmarks.
- Broad Market Indexes: These Indexes reflect a broad market, be it a domestic stock, bond index, or a global stock. Most people are familiar with these indexes. Some examples would be the S&P 500, Russell 3000, Lehman Aggregate, the MSCI World and the MSCI Europe, Australasia and Far East (EAFE) indexes. Many investment managers' disciplines are not this broad, which could make the benchmark a poor match for their investment strategies.
- Investment Manager Universe Average: This is the average investment manager performance from a broad universe of managers with the same discipline. This type of benchmark is good for comparing your investment manager to his or her peers, but it is not investable because the average investment manager in the universe is not known in advance. This type of benchmark is prone to survivorship bias as poor performing managers/mutual funds are always fired/closed over time. (To learn more about manager performance, read How's Your Mutual Fund Really Doing?)
- Custom Benchmark: This benchmark is made up of one or more indexes or groups of securities weighted to reflect an investor's optimal asset allocation, style mix, or investment strategy. For example, a portfolio with a 60% U.S. stock and 40% U.S. government bond split could be assigned a custom benchmark made up of 60% of the Standard and Poor's 500 Index and 40% of the Lehman U.S. Treasury Index. Custom benchmarks are great for investors with more complex investment objectives and constraints and investment managers with narrow niche strategies. Custom benchmarks can be time-consuming to build and rebalance, but are usually worth the effort.
Comparing the risk-adjusted performance of your investment portfolio to an investment benchmark helps quantify the value that you or your investment manager add by pursuing active investment management. With the recent proliferation of indexes and the creation of ETFs, there are now many combinations of benchmarks that can be matched to reflect your investment objectives. Because investing should always be viewed as a marathon and not a sprint, you need to have patience in trying to best your chosen benchmark - and be prepared to be humbled if it proves to be tough to beat.


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01666 861250
Latest News
Hectic Spring Calendar for Golf
Ecosol Turfcare had a busy BTME at Harrogate in January and we were very happy to welcome satisfied customers as well as new clients on to our stand. As a result, the order book for Spring Drill n Fill is filling fast.
Which Sport?
State-of-the-art aeration and drainage
Ecosol Turfcare has a growing portfolio of rugby club clients and is being increasingly recognised for its work improving the quality of their pitches. Whatever your requirement or problem, we have a system or machine to sort it out and a track record to trust.
Compaction and overuse are the primary issues that clubs have to deal with, and specific hard wear areas such as the 5 to15 metre-from-touch channels present particular problems. Waterlogging and bare/weed infestations are the bane of any club. .
Our contracting service features a raft of specialist equipment. We operate the Soil Reliever aerator and decompactor on behalf of the RFU, which is a subsidised service to any club. Conducting anything from aeration to drainage projects; de-stoning to scarification; fertilising to seeding; fraise mowing to sand banding - Ecosol Turfacre can provide it. We also operate the revolutionary Koro Field Top Maker that can strip the top off a pitch and remove all vegetation to any depth. We can introduce a secondary drainage system using a sand slitter, to turf already containing a primary system of pipes and gravel. We can even perform laser grading to create the perfectly levelled pitch! .
Ecosol Turfcare have the ability to dramatically improve your facility. And we are happy to advise and quote for anything - from a specific problem to a complete end-of season renovation or in-season maintenance to complete rebuilding.
Satisfied customers include Bath Rugby, Swansea Neath Ospreys, Yatton, Salisbury, Chippenham, and many other local clubs in Wiltshire.


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How Good Are Those Young-Earth Arguments?
A Close Look at Dr. Hovind's List of Young-Earth Arguments and Other Claims
by Dave E. Matson
Copyright © 1994-2002
Young-earth "proof" #18: The incredible pressure found in oil and gas wells indicates they have been there less than 15,000 years. (Presumably, the oil or gas would have escaped long before then.)
The incredible pressure found in oil and gas wells indicates that the oil and gas have been effectively trapped. The initial, slow accumulation of oil and gas from the source area (primary migration) would hardly have had a chance to build up great pressure if the trapping rock were leaking like a sieve!
Oil and gas do a lot of migrating, and the oil accumulated in a given reservoir may have recently migrated there from another reservoir. Thus, a given pool of oil may or may not have been there for millions and millions of years. A recent geological shift in the rocks might also increase the leakage of the primary oil pool, which had been hitherto sealed for millions of years. Thus, the mere existence of leaky trapping rocks does not prove that a pool of oil and gas was recently created.
The primary migration of oil from 1 to 5 kilometers deep in the earth, where it is produced under a combination of pressure and heat acting on organic matter, probably goes hand in hand with water migration. Certainly, oil and water are often found together, the oil floating on top of the water within permeable rock. The water is squeezed out as the source sediment experiences more and more pressure. Thus, it may interest you to know how fast water migrates down there.
Some idea of the extremely slow speed of fluid motion to be expected can be gained by considering the movement of ground water at shallow depths in dense clays, classed as "impermeable." Under a moderate hydraulic gradient and a reasonable value of permeability for clay, we come up with flow speeds of ground water on the order of 2 to 3 million years per kilometer [3.2 to 4.8 million years per mile]. Yet the permeability of source shales of petroleum is rated at only one-thousandth as great as for clays tested in the surface environment (Wszolek and Burlingame, 1978, p. 573).
(Strahler, 1987, p.237)
Thus, the primary migration of oil from its place of origin will take far longer than the mere 6000 years or so creationists allow for the age of the earth. Creationists have tried to dance around that figure by quoting special cases of secondary migration or by simple smoke screen tactics, but the problem remains (Strahler, 1987, pp.237-238).


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Drug and alcohol addiction can take a heavy toll on a person's physical body. As time goes on, in addition to needing the drug to function on an emotional level, a person can develop a physical dependence on substances like alcohol or drugs. This means they can't physically function properly without the substance. This is particularly true of alcohol addiction and opiate addiction (heroin addiction or addiction to prescription drugs like oxycodone).
Detoxification is the term for removing drugs and/or alcohol from the body. Medically assisted detox is undergoing the detox process with the supervision of medical professionals, and often with the use of substitute drugs to help ease the transition.
How does medically assisted detox work?
The average medically assisted detox process takes 3-7 days. It is done by licensed medical professionals who monitor vital signs and keep patients safe and healthy as they undergo detox and withdrawal. The goal is to successfully wean a drug or alcohol addict off the substance they've been abusing, often by utilizing another drug to substitute for the effects of the original substance.
Common substitute drugs include buprenorphine, Suboxone, methadone, and benzodiazepines. All of these drugs limit the extreme nature of withdrawal symptoms. This is essential, since undergoing withdrawal can be excruciating, and is often what drives a recovering addict to go back to taking the drug.
During medically assisted detox, medical professionals and addiction specialists evaluate a person's history of substance abuse and then prescribe different medications to help ease the transition from alcohol or drug addiction to sobriety.
For example, someone addicted to prescription opiates like OxyContin or Vicodin may be prescribed buprenorphine to help manage withdrawal symptoms and make recovery easier. Some people will stay on a drug like buprenorphine for a short amount of time, while others can remain on it for months, years, or even indefinitely.
Most medically assisted detox programs last a week or less, at which point most people are allowed to go home and take the substitute drug on their own. In some cases, however, individuals must visit a rehab clinic daily. This is usually only the case for those on high doses of methadone, which is most frequently prescribed for those who struggled with heroin addiction.
It's important to note that according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, medically assisted detox does not by itself lead to full recovery. Therapy and other support systems are needed to establish and maintain sobriety. However, experts generally agree that the use of substitute drug helps recovering drug and alcohol addicts handle the rest of the process more comfortably and often more successfully.
What are the advantages of medically assisted detox?
First, safety: the individual is taking the substitute drug in a safe environment, under medical supervision. While the process is normally quite safe, if anything were to go awry, medically-trained professionals are on hand to help immediately.
Second, studies show that for certain people, such as those being treated for prescription opioid addiction (OxyContin, Percocet, etc.), it's actually more effective for patients to continue taking buprenorphine long-term, rather than fully transitioning off all drugs. In this case, medically assisted detox and maintenance therapy (continued use of the substitute drug) is more supportive of full recovery than complete detoxification.
What are the risks of medically assisted detox?
Some of the criticism associated with medically assisted detox is that it simply swaps one drug for another. There is also some risk of an individual abusing an substitute substance, such as methadone, which is often the substitute drug used for those recovering from severe heroin addiction.
Another risk of medically assisted detox is the idea that it's "enough", or that the person is "done" after detoxifying the substance. The fact is, medically assisted detox is solely about reducing or eliminating a person's physical dependence when it comes to drug or alcohol addiction. It does not involve exploring the psychological aspects of the substance abuse, which many say is the most important part of the process.
As with many other components of the recovery process, medically assisted detox is most successful when paired with cognitive and behavioral therapy (both individual therapy and group therapy). Therapy is where individuals explore triggers, or high-risk situations that frequently result in drug or alcohol use. Therapy is also where past traumas are dealt with, which are often the root cause of addiction. Patients also learn coping skills, life skills, and other skills supportive of living a life of joy and freedom, rendering addiction both unwanted and unnecessary.
A successful medically assisted detox will leave a person free of the substance they were abusing, and in a position to continue on their path to full sobriety. It is an important part of the overall process.


text: The Bony Puzzler Is a very addictive game that will leave you hours in front of the computer always wondering what could've happen if you tried harder. Aim well and hit the Halloween Pumpkins with the little skeletons that come out of the cannon to finish the level. Watch out for the obstacles because they might obstruct the way. This game can lead you through numerous levels, each different and funny in its own way.


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Old Time Country
Let's travel down memory lane – back to black and white TV, back to sequined suits, and back to some classics from yesteryear.
Tennessee Ernie Ford sings Sixteen Tons.
Jimmie Rodgers sings T For Texas/Blue Yodel No 1.
Grandpa Jones sings Good Old Mountain Dew.
Ray Price sings Crazy Arms.


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I feel this unintentional pressure from everyone that my cancer is over, that it's forever gone. It is the collective hope of so much love from friends and family, to wish a disease gone by positive thinking. I want so much to be on board with you.
But the truth is…
I never stop thinking about it. I cannot escape it. Always, at the back of my mind, every day is the idea that my cancer is going to come back. There is no "normal" in my life. I am haunted by the words of my doctors… "your cancer is aggressive," "we're surprised that you have cancer because you have no warning signs, no history." Oh, it goes on and on. The lucky ones are the predictable ones (and how f*ed up is it for me to say that?).
I am fearful of the foods I eat, too much sun, too much stress, missing my medicine, wondering if there was some treatment I missed out on, wondering if the treatments I did will end up being a waste of time. Wondering if I will wait four years to have kids, be just about done with "treatment," just about ready to start planning a family and find out WHAM it's back. How am I supposed to live my life? Do I live it like every day could be my last or with the hope that I will have a future?
I work hard to plan for a future but should I chuck it all to the wind and go out there and see the world? Am I wasting my time planning for a future that I may never see? The tiny silver lining is that some people die so unexpectedly that they never have the jolt of life grabbing them by the lapels and screaming "NOW OR NEVER," but my problem is recognizing that… is THIS my now or never? Is this my now? Will it suddenly be my never?
How do I take the ideals I was raised on–hard work, commitment, adaptability, patience–and apply it to the life I lead now, a life that odds are will be limited on time? The recurrence rate of cancer for me is high. The numbers suck. The odds are NOT in my favor. Even if they were, they're just numbers and when it's odds and numbers, if there's ANY chance of recurrence it's scary shit. I'm 30 years old and I'm facing life decisions that my parent's generation is just beginning to face. I'm sorry, people, but what the fuck? Should I be considering a Will at 30?
Then there's the attempt at living a normal life. Yes, I would like to be 30 years old and really enjoy it. I want to drink a few beers and not think at the back of my mind that 1) what will the alcohol do to and remaining cancer cells, feed it? 2) will a run down immune system help remnant cancer recuperate? 3) lack of sleep, cancer; 4) dehydration, cancer; 5) life, cancer… At what point can I stop worrying and go back to a carefree existence?
And there's always the one thing that is so hard to explain… my body is 30 but has been through so much in the last two years that it behaves as if it is much older. I cannot recover quickly. One day on the boats–actually, four hours–and my back is so sore. I get out of breath easily, talking too much or too fast, tying lines, walking up a hill with a lot of gear… why am I out of breath? It's embarrassing and it's sad and it's frustrating. I cannot do the job I have for much longer; it's too physically demanding. So there goes my spirit, my passion; crushed into a pile with my strength. It's demoralizing.
It does make me get creative on figuring out what I can do and what I should do; how do I find a job that keeps my mind occupied but is somewhat less physical? Maybe something that allows me to balance what's important in life.
So here we find ourselves in the middle of December during my all-time favorite season: the holidays. And I don't want you to walk away from this read frustrated and exasperated. I want you to take a page from my book: here's what pisses me off that you can fix… if there's something in your life that you can change for the better, do it. Don't wait for some big life event to come along and totally fuck it up for you and force you to change. Change it on your own time. Because if a big life event is forcing you to change, then it may be too late. It usually is. Let me be your life event…
And get your shit together for god's sake!
I don't care if it's committing to eating healthy, having a baby, quitting smoking, quitting drinking (or just drinking five beers instead of six each night), just fucking do it. Don't act like no one is watching and try to get away with that extra beer. Really, you're letting yourself down. And me. And really, I'm almost always on my death bed (when I feel extra dramatic) so if you let me down, I will kick your ass.
Truthfully, my sense of family has always been strong but since I've been sick it has gotten stronger and deeper. Basically, anyone in my life is my family. So that means anyone of Facebook is mi familia. And I'm watching you.
In review: make your new year's resolution and make it good. Make it to your benefit. Make yourself happy. Whether it's emotional, physical, spiritual, health, job, family, relationship… whatever, just fucking do it already. Put yourself out there. Try it. Because one day you could find a lump, and it could be cancer, and it could just change your whole life perspective…


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A Mighty Wind
Mockumentary captures the reunion of 1960s folk trio the Folksmen as they prepare for a show at The Town Hall to memorialize a recently deceased concert promoter.
Chicken Little
After ruining his reputation with the town, a courageous chicken must come to the rescue of his fellow citizens when aliens start an invasion.
Two girls wander away from a White House tour and meet President Nixon.
Father Figures
Upon learning that their mother has been lying to them for years about their allegedly deceased father, two fraternal twin brothers hit the road in order to find him.
For Your Considerati
Three actors learn that their respective performances in the film "Home for Purim," a drama set in the mid-1940s American South, are generating award-season buzz.
The Simpsons Movie
After Homer accidentally pollutes the town's water supply, Springfield is encased in a gigantic dome by the EPA and the Simpson family are declared fugitives.
This Is Spinal Tap
Spinal Tap, one of England's loudest bands, is chronicled by film director Marty DeBergi on what proves to be a fateful tour.


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Follow: janet tv, janettv.com, erin hamlin, sochi olympics, luge, 2014 olympics, winter olympics Janet TV on the Radio and host Coach Cheryl Dickens, welcome World Champion and 2-time Olympic Luge athlete Erin Hamlin. In this exclusive interview, Erin discusses her sport, her goals, how she became a luge athlete, and her
Basketball Coach Anne Donovan interviewed by JanetTV on the Radio
Valarie Jenkins Dishes on Disc Golf
Janet TV's Coach D interviews Valarie Jenkins about the emerging sport of Disc Golf, her success in the sport, and her travels around the world playing. Click below to hear. Valarie Jenkins is 3x Disc Golf World Champion, 29x National Tour Champion, and 15x Major Champion. Interview by Coach Chery Dickens, JanetTV.com


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October was a real treat: sunny, warm and calm but it seems that November is trying to make up for it by being very uncomfortable. We have had gale force winds for nearly two weeks and if we are honest it is getting a bit on our nerves.
|Windguru hasn't got good news for us
Seal monitoring becomes a real challenge when your paper and your cheeks rattle in the wind, your bins get rained on and then splashed by sea spray, your notebook turns into papier-mâché, your eyes water from the gusts and your whole body sways as if drunk.
Don't go too close the edge is the motto!
The seal mums also have a much harder job looking after their pups and the pup survival rate has dropped since the start of the bad weather: one day there are five pups on the beach and the next day it's deserted.
One of our pups has been swept all the way to Ramsey and to our delight and astonishment its mum was able to follow it. Have a read of Ramsey's exciting blog about our adventurous pup 193.
|New born pup 193 with mum on North Haven beach on the 22nd October
Last Saturday we had a four hour respite of the gale force winds and Leighton made the best of the weather window and left the island for the winter. When we woke up in the morning the sea was lead grey, the swell threw white frothing waves onto the beach and foam was flying past the house – we never ever imagined that two hours later we would be going over to Martin's Haven in sunshine and calm seas.
Since then Ed and myself have been alone on the island… well not really alone, today we shared the island with 265 seals – the haul-outs are building as more and more immature seals and moulting seals rest on the beaches at low tide.
|The seals are congregating on the sheltered beaches
And still new pups are getting born, this pup was born today on North Haven beach, it's mum was keen to get it to suckle but I think it didn't quite know what to do...
...but eventually it got the hang of it.
(Skomer Warden)


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Ms. Susan Manning, hometown impresaria of song and stage, dropped by the archives recently with a bundle under her arm.
Ms. Susan Manning, hometown impresaria of song and stage, dropped by the archives recently with a bundle under her arm.
Flashing her biggest smile, she produced a true wonder of antiquity.
Cased within a battered old picture frame, Susan had brought us a displayed collection of old playbills from the Grand Opera House. Dated from 1884 to 1886, the playbills gave us a glimpse into a former age when performers arrived by train dressed in top hats, tails and Parisian gowns.
From the baggage cars came trunks carrying costumes, props and backdrops. Carriages and carts would be waiting at the depot to carry the cast, crew and baggage to the fabulous new Bethel House Hotel in downtown Columbia. They would be performing that very night at the Grand Opera House that some 30 years later would become known as the Princess Theater.
Star-struck fans would be waiting for them at the hotel, where the players of the evening�s entertainment would alight from their carriages with a flourish. This was the only chance for poor folks to see such celebrities, as tickets often ran to 50 cents!
In 1882, Captain W. D. Bethell opened his namesake Bethel House Hotel. Built as a part of the complex of retail, service and hospitality businesses, the Grand Opera House hosted the entertainment. This was the day before movies were even thought of, and all entertainment was live.
Troops of entertainers worked in well-organized circuits, with the more famous entertaining in metropolitan theaters, while the lesser-knowns worked the �tank towns� of Podunkia. We, in Columbia, ranked with the later.
And yet, in the South where life was just beginning to set itself straight after the rigors of Civil War and Reconstruction, a real theater with real actors was a joy to behold. Entertainment had been only of the home-made variety for a long, long time. In 1884 the theater acts had great variety. You might buy a ticket to see a bit of Shakespeare, along with some jugglers, trained dogs, a singer or two, and an acrobat. Of course every act that came to town was the �best,� the �finest,� and the most �wonderful.� They had performed to standing ovations before the crowned heads of Europe, (but probably not) and had gained glittering newspaper reviews in New York and Chicago (which were hard to find.)
This form of theater carried the beginnings of Vaudeville, but there was nothing naughty or suggestive about the acts. This stuff was squeaky clean, or else the local sheriff would bring the whole show to a screeching halt with a blizzard of arrest warrants on moral�s charges.
The circuits ran right along the railroad lines, with shows in Nashville coming to Columbia the next night, and onto Pulaski for the following evening. Pulaski�s old opera house still stands on the southeast corner of the public square. Look toward the southeast from the Giles County courthouse, and the roof line will give it away.
On the appointed evening the crowd would arrive at the Grand Opera House, perhaps after having dinner next door at the Bethel Hotel restaurant, and would proceed down the long hall into the theater. Gaslights would cast a soft and golden glow as the patrons found their seats and settled in for the evening�s entertainment. Small talk among the gathering crowd would be muted, as the gaslights were slowly extinguished, then a hush descended over the multitude as the foot lights were lit.
With a great sweep the curtains were pulled back, and the show began. Remember that these folks had no television, no radio, no telephone. For many, this was the greatest event of their lives.
There are 14 playbills in the collection brought to us by Susan Manning, but there is only room for one of them here, and that is of the play, �Under the Lash.� Featuring the original New York cast of 12 players, there were also two dogs, Hero and Hector, with the advertised value of $10,000. These dogs probably did not have speaking parts as they were imported.
Next week we will visit a talented musical family with the extraordinary name of Pieczonka.
Bob Duncan is director of the Maury County archives. He may be contacted by e-mail at email@example.com.


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And now, the end is here...
It's the last day of 2011 here. Some years, it's like you've won a sprint (you know the sort of win; the one where there's noone anywhere near you and you can make a show of dancing to the finish line, or posing for photos before running through the ribbon), and some years it's like you've crawled your way out of the jungle with a body covered in bug bites, a snake trying to swallow your leg and an alligator biting your butt.
2011 has been an alligator butt year in a lot of ways, but mostly I'm so thrilled to have had so many positive experiences. I participated in 21 Secrets, which means I've learned a load of new tricks and techniques.
I'd decided not to do any courses, but changed my mind about 21 Secrets. So, so glad I did. The women running the workshops have all changed the way I look at art, and quite a few of them really hammered home for me the idea of art as therapy. Not in terms of hiring an art therapist, though that's certainly something to consider in the future, but in terms of using art on your own as a way to let go of the bad stuff and work through the complicated stuff. Quite a few of the workshops used hidden or not overly legible journaling, and I've taken to it like a duck to water. This probably sounds horrible, but I've learned more practical problem solving techniques and coping strategies in a few months of art classes than two years of actual therapy.
I applied to university this year. I told no one, because I was so, so sure I'd not get in. But I did. I start my creative writing degree in February, and I'm flitting between elated and terrified by the notion of dedicating the next 3 years of my life to something so fully. Especially since there are plans starting to take root and grow for a big, awesome, time consuming non profit endeavour.
2012? It's going to be epic.
I'm signed up for Life Book over here, which is promising to be a huge, fun, brilliant adventure. At first when I got into uni I was a bit nervous Life Book would be too time consuming, but now I'm seeing it as a creative outlet and something outside of focusing entirely on writing. I work better when I flit between things, and I can't wait till Life Book starts (22ish hours to go, but you can join any time of year and not miss anything).
I can't wait to hit the ground running in 2012.
Seriously, though, no matter how your year has been, I hope your last day/hours of 2011 are joyful and wonderful, and a perfect lead in to the magic and brilliance of 2012. May the new year bring all you can dream of and so much more.


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Bro Gets Pranked Into Thinking He's Going to Bang Two Girls on the Bang Bus
Prank videos are getting pretty lame, but props to Real Life Trolling coming up with a somewhat original concept. Driving around in a van with adult film stars Tara Lynn Foxx and Layton Benton, they convince a computer repair guy that it's the Bang Bus. He's game, until….
[H/T: Daily Dot]


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1 The Strand, Portaferry, BT22 1PE, Co. Down
The Slip is situated on the shorefront of Portaferry, overlooking the Marina and Strangford Lough. We are the only pub on the seafront and enjoy amazing views from the bar and our upstairs lounge area.
Read more about The Slip | Photos


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We've had a fantastic week of beautiful new sets from Power Poppy in the Scents and Sensibility Collection, and now it can all be yours! We're here to kick it all off with a fun Blog Hop.
Christine Okken (you are here)
Cindy Lawrence
Dawn Burnworth
Julie Koerber
Kathy Jones
Katie Sims
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker
be sure to stop by to tell Marcella how much you love this release!


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Free Download Soundcloud
Substance Hip Hop Orchestra Live on BBC Radio 1
This performance was recorded live at the Custard Factory in Birmingham as part of BBC Radio 1's 'One Live in Birmingham' event back in 2001. Performing alongside the likes of Basement Jaxx and others, we were the only band from Birmingham to feature on the broadcast. Probably not the most polished of performances you're ever likely to hear but certainly brings back fond memories. The band, an extended line up of the Substance house band, was made up as follows:
VOCALS: Mad Flow
TURNTABLES & SAMPLER: Chris Read
TURNTABLES: Roc-1
DRUMS: Ed Lawes
BASS: Ian Harper
PERCUSSION: Magoo Robertson
GUITAR: Frank Moon
BACKING VOCALS & FLUTE: Alison Symmons
GUEST VOCALS: Mighty Elements.


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|Biosequences .. Software .. Molbio soft .. Network News .. FTP
Thanks, that's looks promising! I'll have a look at that. However, after I sent out my question I found a public program that seem to solve the problem at least for prokaryotes. It's Sequin at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Sequin/ It has quite a nice feature that checks the differences between old and new sequence, let you scroll thorugh them and then updates. The input is fasta format and a tab-separated textfile with annotations. Sequin then creates a genbank entry that can be updated with new sequence in fasta format. My problems now seem to be solved :)) Mrcus > > Use the NUCmer wrapper for the MUMmer whole-genome alignment program, > > <http://www.tigr.org/software/mummer/>. > > A brief discussion of NUCmer may be found in the MUMmer manual, > > <http://www.tigr.org/software/mummer/manual/#alignment>,