text:
Wearable telecommunications apparatus with voice/speech control features
A wearable communication apparatus is in the form of a self-contained telephone headset that includes an integral antenna, stand-alone power supply and on-board electronics and circuitry for RF and I/R communication. The headset includes a mouthpiece that is rotatably mounted to a central housing that contains the bulk of the apparatus electronics. The mouthpiece includes an ear speaker and microphone, as well as the rechargeable power supply. The rotating end of the mouthpiece includes an array of electrical contacts that are configured to contact a complementary contact array on the central housing. The electrical contacts provide for the communication of electrical power and information between the mouthpiece and its components and the central housing and its components. The headset can be activated by rotation of the mouthpiece into its operative position and deactivated by rotation out of this position. In the deactivated position, the contact array on the mouthpiece can provided electrical communication with complementary contacts on a base unit. The base unit also provides means for integrating the headset into a local telephone network, The base unit can be connected to the network via a traditional landline, and communicate with the headset via an RF antenna. The headset includes voice recognition capabilities that allow the user to dial telephone numbers, access a memory of stored numbers, and direct certain headset functions simply by spoken commands.
Subject matter in the present application is included in Disclosure Document No. 403212, filed on Aug. 1, 1996.
This invention relates generally to the field of telephony, and more particularly to an apparatus integrating voice recognition, cellular phone technology and telephone headsets.
Presently, a plurality of headset devices are available for use in a typical PBX or telephone system. A variety of such headsets are disclosed in the Hello Direct Catalog, Spring 1997, and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,745 to Silver. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,102 to Rothschild, Ralph F., et al., a headset interface is disclosed that is connected to the public telephone network at a central office. The system includes automated voice features that alleviates the need for an operator to vocalize greetings and responses to users of the telephone system. This system relies upon standard ground-line based telephony, rather than cellular technology.
Cellular technology has been widely applied to car telephone systems. For example, a standard car mounted cell phone with a keypad on the hand set is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,261 to Fujinaka. Dialing a phone number via the keypad is awkward and potentially unsafe while operating a moving vehicle. Even when the portable phone is removed from the vehicle-mounted base, the cell phone mounted keypad still presents the same difficulties to dialing while a person is in motion or in an environment where being visually distracted can be problematic. The cell phone system in the '261 Patent includes a speaker phone feature that frees a driver from having to hold the phone in the car, but this feature only adds marginally to the overall convenience and safety of the device.
Telephone headsets have been proposed for use with cellular systems, such as the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,602 to Regen et al. The headset shown in this patent fails to eliminate many of the problems of using a cellular device. For example, when using the cellular phone in an automobile, the driver is required to be connected to a slave unit containing electronic circuitry that purports to provide a transparent interface between the headset and the existing cell phone. With this system, the headset is directly connected by a cord to the cellular device. Moreover, as with a standard car phone, the user of the headset shown in the '602 Patent is still required to dial using the keypad on the cellular device.
So-called "wearable" cellular phones have been recently promoted. One such compact telephone can be worn as a necklace around the neck. The device described in the article is not useable when being worn. Additionally a conventional extendable antenna is required along with a keypad for dialing. This invention is consistent with the current state of the art devices that require the user to use their hands to operate the device.
In U.S. Pat. 5,042,063 to Sakanishi, a telephone apparatus is disclosed in which a call may be made in response to utterances of a user by speech recognition without manually dialing a telephone number. However, the system still requires some keypad functions in order to communicate, so that is does not permit true hands free operation.
In view of the limitations of the prior communication systems, the present invention contemplates a highly flexible headset communication apparatus. The headset apparatus is self-contained, meaning that it includes its own power source, communications link and circuitry to maintain remote, non-land based communications. In one application, the headset apparatus of the present invention permits use with a base unit linked to an office or landline telephone system. The same headset can be used for remote cellular communication outside the office.
In one embodiment, the headset apparatus includes a port and circuitry for I/R communications with external hardware. For example, in one mode of operation, the user can send and receive data to and from a personal computer, or an ATM.
In one important feature of the invention, the headset is provided with electronics/software for voice recognition. The headset permits voice activation of the headset, voice dialing and audible commands. The apparatus includes electronics to recognize whether the user has issued a voice command, to determine the nature of the audible command, and to control the operation of the headset in response to the spoken word. In one embodiment, the headset apparatus can distinguish between spoken numbers and spoken words. The headset includes electronics to permit spoken number dialing, and to access a database of telephone numbers referenced by spoken words.
In conjunction with the voice recognition features, the headset includes electronics and software for user recording of voice commands. A voice recognition processing unit (VRPU) within the headset processes verbal input and stores a translated version of the spoken words in a local memory. The VRPU can then compare future spoken commands with the translated version in memory to then issue an appropriate electronic command to the headset components.
In one beneficial feature of the invention, advanced antenna technology incorporated into the headset. The advanced antenna overcomes interference and signal degradation that is typically associated with cellular communications. A renewable power supply, such as a rechargeable lithium battery, adds to the flexibility of the inventive telephone headset.
In another feature of the invention, the headset includes a mouthpiece that is rotatably connected to the central housing of the apparatus. The mouthpiece includes a housing end that fits within a complementary configured recess in the housing. An array of electrical contacts are disposed on both the housing recess and the housing end of the mouthpiece. The electrical contacts transmitted electrical energy between the components in the central housing and the components in the mouthpiece, such as the ear speaker and microphone. In addition, the headset apparatus can be energized or de-energized by rotating the electrical contact arrays into and out of electrical connection.
In one feature associated with the rotatable mouthpiece, the electrical contacts at the housing end are arranged to contact corresponding electrical contacts on the base unit. With the mouthpiece rotated into a position in which the headset is not energized by its own power supply, the headset can be linked to the base unit. The base unit can be used to recharge the on-board power supply of the headset. In addition, the base unit can be used to maintain communication through the headset speaker and microphone.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a highly integrated wearable cellular telephone apparatus that is incorporated into a headset. Having the power source, control circuitry and antenna built in to the headset offers a significantly compact and portable communication device that can be operated safely in or out of a vehicle or the office.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a wearable communication system which reduces need for having a separate phone device for your vehicle, home, office or other locations to be fixed. Features of the system allow connection to a PBX or use as a remote stand-alone cellular phone.
It is further an object of the present invention to function with a wireless infrared communication port to transmit data from a computer laptop or other device and to forward the data via the cellular network to other computers or systems.
One benefit of the present invention is achieved by features of the wearable headset that permit voice activated commands. Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the components of a cellular headset according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of the electrical contacts between the mouthpiece and the electronics housing.
FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of a base unit for use with the cellular headset shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the headset shown in FIG. 1 mounted on the base unit shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of the electronic components of the cellular headset shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is a generalized flowchart of the functions performed by the electronics diagrammed in FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a detailed flowchart of one step shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 for executing voice commands.
FIG. 8 is a detailed flowchart of a further step shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 for executing recording commands.
FIG. 9 is a detailed flowchart of another step shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 for executing voice-activated controls.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to one preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated embodiment, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a telephone headset 10 is provided with a headband 12 configured to be supported on the head of a user. The headband 12 is attached to an electronics housing 14 that contains electronic components used with the telephone headset 10. The electronics housing 14 pivotally supports a movable mouthpiece 16 that is configured to wrap around from the side of the face of the user to the front adjacent the user's mouth. The mouthpiece 16 includes a microphone 18 that is mounted at the end of the mouthpiece. Thus, it should be apparent that the mouthpiece 16 is configured so that the microphone 18 can be disposed immediately adjacent the mouth of the user. In one specific embodiment, the microphone 18 is a sub-miniature condenser microphone having an even cardioid unit directional response over the speech bandwidth. In this specific embodiment, the microphone 18 assures extremely low sensitivity to mechanical vibration and reduces handling noise as the mouthpiece 16 is manipulated. In a further specific embodiment, the microphone 18 can include a back-electret element and an integral preamplifier for a refined and accurate signal.
The telephone headset 10 further includes an ear speaker 20 that is engaged within the mouthpiece 16 at the opposite end from the microphone 18. An ear cushion 21 is provided so that the microphone can be supported and seated against the ear of the user. The headband 12 is provided in adjustable sections. The band includes a fixed section 12a that is attached to the electronics housing 14. A strap 12b extends from the fixed section and is adjustably engaged by a movable section 12c. In this respect, the headband 12 can be of a conventional design to permit adjustment to accommodate the head of the user. The movable section 12c can be provided with a counterweight at its free end to balance the weight of the headset components on the user's head.
In the preferred embodiment, the fixed section 12a is engaged to the electronics housing 14 by way of a pair of attachment pins 25 and corresponding attachment recesses 26. In the illustrated embodiment, the pins 25 are shown as extending from the electronics housing 14, while the recesses are disposed within the fixed section 12a of the headband 12. Of course, the pins and recesses can be reversed in their location. In this embodiment, the pins are configured for removable press fit engagement within a corresponding recess to firmly hold the headband 12 and electronics housing 14 together.
In one feature of the invention, the telephone headset 10 is provided with an antenna 22 that is disposed within the headband 12, and preferably the fixed section 12a. In one specific embodiment, the antenna 22 can utilize advanced strip technology to reduce the profile of the antenna to fit within the headband 12.
Two sets of mating contacts 28 and 29 are respectively connected to the headband 12 and electronics housing 14. These contacts provide electrical connection between the antenna 22 and electronics disposed within the electronics housing 14.
Looking again at the mouthpiece 16, a housing 34 is provided adjacent the speaker 20. The housing preferably includes means for supporting the speaker 20 at one face of the housing (not shown). The housing 34 further defines a battery compartment 35 for receiving battery cells 40. Preferably, the batteries 40 are capable of providing five volts DC power to the electronics of the telephone headset 10. In specific embodiments, the batteries can be standard lithium disk cells, as depicted in FIG. 1. In an alternative embodiment, the disk cells can be replaced by a conformal battery that is configured to fit within the electronics housing 14 or a component of the headband 12.
The electronics housing 14 defines a hinged recess 37 within which the housing 34 of the mouthpiece 16 can rotatably reside. The electronics housing 14 further provides a compartment for housing a cellular communication electronics component 30 and a headphone control electronics component 32. Preferably, these two components 30, 32 are standard integrated circuit boards carrying the various electronic components for the appointed functions.
The battery compartment 35 of the housing 34 is closed by a cap 42. The cap 42 includes a cylindrical hinge portion 43 that is preferably configured to be pressed into the battery compartment 35. In a specific embodiment, the hinge portion 43 and the battery compartment 35 can form a circumferential pivoting hinge, such as a ridge and groove configuration, so that the mouthpiece 16 can be pivoted in the direction of the arrow A about the hinge portion 43.
The cap 42 further includes an attachment plate 44 providing a means for supporting the hinge portion 43 relative to the electronics housing 14. The attachment plate 44 can include a plurality of pins 45 that are adapted to be press fit into corresponding recesses 47 defined in the electronics housing 14. The attachment plate 44 is configured so that the housing 34 pivots in close proximity and preferably direct contact with the hinge recess 37 of the electronics housing 14. It is understood that the cap 42, with its hinge portion 43 and attachment plate 44, is one manner for pivotably supporting the mouthpiece 16 relative to the electronics housing 14. Other hinge type supports are contemplated, provided that they maintain a direct pivoting contact between the housing 34 and the hinge recess 37.
The importance of this direct contact can be appreciated with reference to the electrical contact array 50 that is disposed on the outer portion of the housing 34. This contact array 60 is in direct electrical connection with a corresponding contact array 60 mounted to the surface of the hinge recess 37 of the electronics housing 14. The relationship between the two contact arrays 50 and 60 are shown in the detailed view of FIG. 2. The contact array 50 can include individual electrical contacts 50A-50E (note that contact 50e is hidden from view in FIG. 2). A corresponding number of contacts 60A-60E are provided in the array 60 in the electronics housing 14. In a specific embodiment, the contacts 50A and 60A can correspond to an electrical interface with the microphone 18. The contacts 50B and 60B provide volume control, while the contacts 50C and 60C are the electrical connections for the speaker 20. The final pair of contacts in each array is power contacts.
Each of the electrical contacts in the two arrays 50 and 60 can be of conventional design that provides for direct sliding contact. In one specific embodiment, the contacts 60A-60E can be somewhat elongated around the innercircumference of the hinge recess 37. In this manner, direct electrical connection with the corresponding contact 50A-50E can be maintained even as the mouthpiece 16 is pivoted relative to the housing 14.
The telephone headset 10 can include a pair of volume control buttons 52 and 54 mounted to the mouthpiece 16. The pushbutton switches can be used to increase the volume heard through the speaker 20. Signals from the volume control switches are passed to the headphone control electronics component 32 by way of the electrical contacts 50B and 60B. Similarly, signals from the microphone 18 are passed to the electronics component 32 through the contacts 50A and 60A, while signals travel to the speaker 20 by way of the electrical contacts 50C and 60C.
The electronics housing 14 can carry an array of visual indicators. For example, a power indicator 56 can be provided to indicate that the phone headset is activated. This activation occurs when the mouthpiece 16 is pivoted relative to the electronics housing 14 so that the power electrical contacts 50D,E engage the contacts 60D,E. When the headset 10 is in use for telephone communication or other type of data transmission, a busy indicator light 58 can be illuminated by circuitry within the electronics component 32. In the case of both indicators 56 and 58, a low-power LED can be utilized. In other specific adaptations, the LEDs can be illuminated in different colors to provide different indications. For example, the power LED 56 can be red when the telephone headset 10 is activated, and green when the batteries 40 are low on charge. Similarly, the in use LED 58 can be illuminated red when the user is making use of the headset 10 and can be illuminated a flashing green when an incoming call is being received by the unit. Of course it is understood that both the electronics housing 14 and the mouthpiece 16 can be provided with other visual indicators, such as the LEDs 56 and 58, to act as annunciators for various functions of the telephone headset 10.
A further component of the present invention is the base unit 70 shown in FIG. 3. The base unit 70 can include a power input 71 which can provide for connection to an AC source of power. The unit also includes a retractable and extendable antenna 72 to provide a communication link to the telephone headset 10 by way of the antenna 22. The base unit can also include a microphone 74 and a speaker 75 to establish two-way communication between the base unit and a variety of telephone headsets 10. Two volume control switches 76 and 77 can also be provided to adjust the volume of the signal received over the speaker 75.
In one feature of the invention, the base unit 70 provides a means for supporting and providing electrical contact with the telephone headset 10. Specifically, an array of contacts 80A-80E is provided within a support recess 81 defined in the top face of the base unit 70. The support recess 81 is configured to receive a portion of the housing 34 of the mouthpiece 16, in a manner shown in FIG. 4. In this configuration, the mouthpiece 16 is pivoted upward in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 1 so that the arm of the mouthpiece substantially overlies the electronics housing 14. In this orientation, the electrical contact array 50 is exposed beneath the telephone headset 10. When the headset 10 is mounted within the support recess 81, the electrical contact array 50 is exposed to and in electrical contact with the corresponding electrical contacts in the base unit 70. Thus, the corresponding contacts 50A, 50B have complimentary mating contacts 80A, 80E within the base unit. The power and ground contacts 80D and 80E of the base unit are used to provide a recharging capability for the batteries 40 of the telephone headset 10. Thus, in this instance, the batteries 40 are preferably rechargable lithium type batteries. When the telephone headset 10 is mounted within the base unit 70 for recharging, an indicator light 82 can be illuminated to shown the recharging function is occurring. With the telephone headset 10 mounted to the base unit 70, the microphone and speaker of the telephone headset 10 are electrically connected to the base unit, rather than to the control electronics component 32 of the telephone headset 10.
In further features of the base unit 70, a display 84 can be provided for various messages. Circuitry within the base unit 70 can provide messages on the display 84 to indicate the origination of an incoming call, the duration of a call, and other information of interest.
So that the base unit 70 can operate within a telephone system, it is provided with a jack 85 for engaging a conventional telephone ground wire. This jack 85 can be an RJ45 jack as is known in the art. In addition, the base unit 70 is provided with a serial interface jack 86 that can be engaged by a serial cable to a data source, such as a personal computer. In this respect, the base unit 70 can be used to transmit serial data to a telephone headset 10. To effect this function, the base unit 70 includes an I/R interface 88 that can transmit an infrared signal to a telephone headset 10. The headset 10 can therefore be provided with a corresponding I/R interface 89, located on the underside of the mouthpiece 16. Circuitry within the headphone control electronics component 32 can be used to receive and condition signals transmitted via the I/R interfaces 88 and 89. In this aspect, the signals can pass from the mouthpiece 16 to the electronics housing 14 though the microphone contacts 50A and 60A.
It is understood that the I/R port 89 in the telephone headset 10 can be situated in a variety of locations on the headset. In addition, multiple I/R ports can be provided for greater ease of use of this communication aspect. If properly located on the headset, the I/R ports provide means for headset-to-headset communications. The I/R port 89 can also provide an interface to I/R ports on other data transmission devices, such as computers, printers, ATMs and the like. Using components of the headset described herein, a user can enable half or full-duplex communication with a computer or peripheral device. The I/R port can transmit verbalized commands that have been translated using speech synthesizer technology, to control the computer or peripheral.
Referring now to FIG. 5, the general electronics of the telephone headset 10 are depicted diagramatically. As indicated above, the telephone headset 10 includes a cellular communication electronics component 30 that includes circuitry for receiving and processing cellular communications over the antenna 22. In one specific embodiment, the cellular component 30 is integrated with RF interface control circuitry 90 that provide for reception and transmission of RF signals over the antenna 22. Such RF control circuitry 90 is well known in the art, as is the electronics necessary for the cellular interface, as part of the cellular communication electronics component 30. Again, as indicated above, this component is provided as an integrated circuit board or wafer that is configured to be mounted within the electronics housing 14 of the telephone headset 10. The cellular communication component 30 also controls a ring indicator 92. The ring indicator can be a typical electromechanical device that provides an audible sound when a cellular telephone transmission is being received at the antenna 22. The indicator 92 can also constitute or include a vibratory indicator that vibrates when an incoming call is received
Signals processed by the cellular interface component 30 are transmitted to the headphone control electronics component 32 for additional processing and transmittal to and from the microphone 18 and speaker 20. The electronics component 32 is powered by a battery 40, with the control electronics component 32 distributing power to the remaining electrical components of the telephone headset 10.
The headphone control electronics component 32 can be provided with a separate power on/off switch 95 (not shown). However, most preferably, the power on/off switch 95 is integrated with the contacts 60D and 60E. When the power circuit is completed through the contacts 50D and 50E of the mouthpiece 16, the power switch 95 is activated. In this instance, a signal is provided to the electronics component 32, which then illuminates the appropriate LED indicator 56, 68. When the telephone headset 10 is mounted on the base unit 70, the control electronics 32 can also be used to drive the LED display 84 mounted to the base unit 70. In addition, the telephone headset 10 can be provided with I/R interface circuitry 97 that process I/R signals through the control electronics component 32.
In one important aspect of the invention, the microphone 18 and speaker 20 are electrically connected to the control electronics component 32 by way of a voice recognition processing unit 100. The VRPU 100 can be provided with an optional RAM memory 101 for storing a variety of voice recognition information, as described in more detail below. The VRPU 100 provides an important benefit to telephone headset 10 of the present invention. Specifically, the VRPU can translate audible instructions into electronic instructions to direct the mode of operation of an activity of the telephone headset 10. In this way, the telephone headset 10 is truly a hands-free cellular telephone, in contrast to the traditional prior cellular phone that utilizes a keypad for data entry.
The voice recognition processing unit 100 can include a number of application specific integrated circuits (ASIC) to perform a variety of voice recognition functions. For example, one ASIC can be utilized for electronic dialing. This particular ASIC is configured to recognize spoken numbers corresponding to a telephone dialing command. A second ASIC can provide for general speech recognition to recognize specific commands used to operate the telephone headset. A third ASIC can provide means for programming the memory 101 of the VRPU 100 to store various spoken numbers and word commands. A further ASIC can process a variety of spoken instructions for controlling certain functions of the telephone headset 10. Each ASIC includes circuitry for recognizing and processing spoken numbers and words and providing an appropriate signal to the headphone control electronics component 32 for subsequent electrical processing.
The VRPU 100 can also include voice recognition ASICs that permit the headset to "speak" to the user. For example, when an incoming call is received by the cellular interface unit 30, a signal can be generated by the VRPU directing speech simulation software to send an audible, spoken message to the speaker 20. For instance, the message can be the words "You have a call". Other spoken messages can be generated by the headset VRPU 100 depending upon the headset activity.
In one specific embodiment, the electronics of the control electronics component 32 and the VRPU 100 execute a sequence of general instructions as shown in FIG. 6. When power to the unit is activated in the initial step 110, the power on indicator LED is illuminated in step 112. In the subsequent steps 114, 116 and 118, the various electrical components of the telephone headset 10 are activated, specifically, the mouthpiece 16 is activated at the hook on step, the microphone in the next step, and the volume controls in step 118.
In the following steps 120, 122 and 124, a command recognition ASIC within the VRPU 100 determines whether a spoken command is given corresponding to one of the three illustrated functions. Specifically, the recognition ASIC determines whether a voice dial command is being requested in step 120, a recording command is issued in step 122, or further telephone headset control commands being expressed in step 124. If no audible commands are issued, the telephone headset 10 goes into a standby mode 126. The standby mode is controlled by the control electronics component 32 which permits reduced power usage while keeping the telephone headset 10 activated to receive incoming calls. Once an incoming call is received by the cellular interface component 30, the incoming signal awakes the control electronics component 32 so that full power can be supplied to the remaining electronics of the telephone headset 10.
Referring now to FIG. 7, a flowchart of commands executed by a dialing ASIC within the VRPU 100 is illustrated. If a voice dial command is issued in step 120 (FIG. 6), control is passed to the dialing ASIC which is placed in step 130 in a ready mode to receive a dial command. This control transfer can be initiated by an audible command such as "dial" which is recognized by the command control ASIC. Once control is passed to the dialing ASIC, a determination is made as to whether the next verbal intonation by the user is a number or a word command. A test is conducted in step 132 to determine whether the spoken input is a number command. Thus, the dialing ASIC 66 will include an array of recognized numbers as spoken by the particular user, i.e. "one", "two", etc. If the dialing ASIC recognizes a number, control passes to step 134 in which the spoken number is converted to an electronic dialing command to dial the spoken number. Once the number has been dialed, the voice dialing sequence is turned off in step 136 so that any further spoken numbers by the user will not be interpreted as a dialing command. At this point, direct voice communication can be conducted by the user through the telephone headset 10. In an optional step 138, a voice synthesizer within the VRPU 100 can be activated. The voice synthesizer can issue audible requests through the speaker 20. For example, in step 140, the voice synthesizer can request whether any new numbers need to be dialed by the dialing ASIC. If the answer is yes, then control passes back to step 134 in which the number is spoken by the user and dialed by the dialing ASIC. The voice synthesizer can further request in step 142 whether the user is finished with the current conversation. If the enunciated answer is yes, then control passes to the standby mode at step 144.
Referring back to the beginning of the flowchart in FIG. 7, if a number command is not issued to the ASIC in step 132, control passes to step 150. In this step it is determined whether a word command is being issued that is recognized by the VRPU 100. If no word is uttered, control passes down to step 160. On the other hand, if a word dialing command is issued in step 150, control passes to the next step 152 in which the spoken word is looked up within the memory 101. At this instance, the word command can simply be the name of a person to be called. This name can be stored within a look-up table in the RAM memory 101 to be accessed by the VRPU 100. The dialing ASIC determines a match between the spoken word and the stored word, and the appropriate telephone number is electronically extracted from the memory 101. In the next step this number is passed to the control electronics component 32 to perform the dialing function. As with the branch corresponding to number commands, the voice dialing activation is turned off in step 156 and the voice synthesizer activated in step 158. In step 160 the dialing ASIC requests whether the user is done with the conversation, and if the answer is yes the telephone headset 10 is passed to the standby mode in the final step 162.
When the telephone headset 10 is first activated by a user, it must be educated as to the user's voice. Thus, if no voice dialing commands are being issued in the flowchart of FIG. 6, then the next step 122 is used to determine whether any record commands are being issued by the user. If so, then control passes to the recording ASIC whose executed steps are shown in FIG. 8. In this step, the voice activated recording commands are turned on in step 170. In the next step 172, the recording ASIC determines whether any recordable voice signals are being received. If so, it is determined in step 174 whether the next spoken words are to be recorded. If so, the user speaks the words and they are stored within the memory 101 in step 176. If the user desires to change the particular recorded words, the last entered information can be erased in step 178. In the following step 180, it is determined whether any new recordings are to be made. If not, control passes to step 182 in which the telephone headset 10 is placed in the standby mode.
Referring back to FIG. 6, step 124 determines whether any specific control commands have been issued by the user. If so, then the control command ASIC is activated to follow the steps shown in FIG. 9. Once the control command ASIC is activated in step 185, it is determined whether any new commands have been issued by the user in step 187. If so, the voice command is received in step 189, and the memory 101 is searched in step 190 to find a match for the particular voice command. In one specific embodiment, these commands can be to activate various RF controls in step 192 or to activate I/R controls in step 194.
Depending upon which controls are activated, the spoken voice command is converted to an electronic signal which is then passed to the appropriate control in step 196. After the control signals have been received by either the RF or I/R control circuitry, the corresponding controls are deactivated in steps 198 and 200. If no further commands are received in step 202, the telephone headset 10 passes to the standby mode in step 204. The audible commands executed by the command control ASIC according to the steps in FIG. 9 can correspond to commands for tuning the RF reception of the telephone headset 10 to a particular base unit 70. In addition, when I/R controls are activated, the commands can give effect to various data transmissions over the I/R channel between the base unit 70 and the telephone headset 10. In some cases, the I/R channel can be used to transmit data to the base unit 70 and through the serial interface 86 to a personal computer. Such data can be spoken words processed through speech synthesizer software to be downloaded to the PC, for subsequent transcription, for instance.
The present invention provides the user with a highly flexible communications device that is not constrained by conventional telephone system limits. For example, the headset 10 can be used in the office and integrated into the local PBX system through the base unit 70. The base unit can be programmed to communicate with the headset on a cellular frequency. The headset allows the user to receive or continue a call anywhere in the office. The same headset can be used for remote cellular communication outside the office. The microprocessor 30 of the headset can issue commands to the cellular interface unit 30 to recognize when the unit is being used as part of the office telephone system and as a remote cellular unit.
The I/R port 89 adds a further dimension to the flexible communications achieved by the present invention. The I/R port permits communication that is not frequency dependent. In other words, while RF or cellular communication requires a unit specific address frequency, I/R communication requires no such limiting address. Thus, two headsets can communicate with each other, or a single base unit 70 can issue broadcast communications over the I/R band. Again, the microprocessor 30 of each headset can include software to recognize that an I/R transmission is being received. Various transmission protocols can be implemented to enable the headset to awake from a standby mode and activate the appropriate IR interface circuitry. If security is an issue, the I/R transmission packets can include password information recognizable only by a specific headset.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the foregoing drawings and description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only preferred embodiments thereof have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.
1. A wearable communications apparatus comprising:
- a mouthpiece having a first end and a second end, and including a speaker mounted to said mouthpiece adjacent said first end and a microphone mounted to said mouthpiece adjacent said second end;
- a central housing having a top end and a bottom end;
- means between said first end of said mouthpiece and said bottom end of said central housing for pivotably mounting said mouthpiece to said central housing, said mouthpiece, including said speaker and said microphone, pivotable to a first position in which said microphone is adjacent the mouth of the user of the apparatus;
- a head-band connected to said top end of said central housing and configured for supporting the apparatus on the head of the user;
- an antenna; and
- electronic communication means for sending and receiving signals through said antenna, said means operable for controlling said speaker in response to received signals and for transmitting signals from said microphone for broadcast over said antenna.
2. The wearable communications apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
- said mouthpiece includes a first electrical contact array at said first end, said contact array connected to at least said speaker and said microphone; and
- said central housing including said electrical communication means and a corresponding second electrical contact array arranged to provide electrical connection of said electrical communication means with said first contact array only when said mouthpiece is in said first position.
3. The wearable communications apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:
- said mouthpiece contains a power supply; and
- said first and second contact arrays includes a number of contacts in electrical communication with said power supply when said mouthpiece is in said first position, to thereby provide electrical power to said electrical communication means.
4. The wearable communications apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
- said electronic communications means includes a voice recognition processing unit connectable to said mouthpiece through said first and second contact arrays when said mouthpiece is in said first position,
- said voice recognition processing unit operable to translate verbal utterances received by said microphone into electrical signals usable by said electronic communications means.
5. The wearable communications apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a base unit, said base unit having means for connection to an existing telephone network, an antenna and means for transmitting signals from the existing network to the antenna for broadcast to said headset.
6. The wearable communications apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:
- a base unit having a recharging circuit and a third electrical contact array connected to said recharging circuit and corresponding to said first contact array; and
- means, in said base unit, for supporting said mouthpiece when said mouthpiece is rotated to a second position in which said first and second contact arrays are not in electrical contact, and said first and third contact arrays are in electrical contact.
7. The wearable communications apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
- said mouthpiece includes a power supply electrically connected to said speaker and said microphone.
8. The wearable communications apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said mouthpiece includes a volume control operably connected to said speaker.
9. The wearable communications apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said power supply includes a rechargeable battery.
Referenced Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
|July 10, 1984
|November 20, 1984
|February 5, 1985
|December 10, 1985
|Yasuda et al.
|September 5, 1989
|Iida et al.
|November 21, 1989
|July 1990
|February 5, 1991
|August 20, 1991
|Sakanishi et al.
|March 2, 1993
|Regen et al.
|August 2, 1994
|January 9, 1996
|January 23, 1996
|Rothschild et al.
|April 16, 1996
|August 11, 1998
|December 15, 1998
Other references
- Hitachi, "Hitachi Advertisement," Fortune Magazine, 1st ed., Fortune Magazine, vol. 1, No. 1,) p. 1, (Jul. 21, 1997).
Patent History
Type: Grant
Filed: Jul 31, 1998
Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
Inventors: Jonathan P. Ruppert (Morgan Hill, CA), Thomas M. Hintz (Indianapolis, IN), Kathleen M. Hintz (Indianapolis, IN)
Primary Examiner: David D. Knepper
Assistant Examiner: Robert Louis Sax
Attorney, Agent or Law Firm: Baker & Daniels
Application Number: 09/127,362
International Classification: G10L/1100;


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With "indoor air quality" and "energy efficiency" becoming household terms for many homeowners, it pays even for remodelers outside of environmentally conscious markets to understand what green remodeling is and how to do it.
In their new book, Green Remodeling: Changing the World, One Room at a Time (New Society Publishers), authors David Johnston and Kim Master explain the basics of building science and how remodeling one part of a home impacts the whole house. Johnston, the president of What's Working in Boulder, Colo., has been in the construction industry more than 30 years and has designed green building programs in Boulder, Denver, Los Angeles and California's Alameda County. Master, a senior associate with What's Working, is LEED accredited.
Focusing on key systems such as foundations, framing, plumbing, windows, heating and finishes, the authors offer "green" solutions to save energy, conserve resources, improve air quality and make the home affordable to maintain. The book includes checklists for each room of the home and an extensive resource list.
To read an excerpt on green remodeling for bathrooms and kitchens, visit www.HousingZone.com/forums/green.

subset: commoncrawl


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The past few days have been rather tumultuous and unsettling for Nigerian hip hop singer, David Adeleke popularly known as Davido with three of his friends being turned up dead by the police after a night of a birthday drinking binge of one of them, identified as Tagbo Umeike.
But it seems the singer's unsettling moments has finally come to end as his mood when he arrived after his lawyer confirmed he has no case on Tagbo's death was convincing that he has been liberated from the accusation leveled against him of knowing what happened to his friends.
Watch as Davido jubilates after being freed by the police.


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Job Posted: Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Expires On: Friday, September 04, 2015
Job Type: Permanent
Desired Salary: $100000.00/yr
Work Authorization: H1-B
Graphics Software Engineer @ (HIDDEN)
11/8/2010 - Current
Role Description
Display driver development for Intel's tablet and Ultrabook platforms.Windows display driver development (Nov 2010 - Jan 2013):- Worked on Intel's Medfield and Clovertrail platforms. Developed features related to internal display, HDMI compliance, Windows 8 power management.Android/Linux display driver development (Feb 2013 - present):-Worked on Intel's Baytrail and Haswell platforms. Development of power conservation features, HDMI compliance. Contributions to Intel i915 Linux driver/DRM.
Learn More


text: Your Name (required) Your Email (required) Company Your Telephone How Many Systems Do you Have? When would you like us to setup your protection? Please Select The Plan That Best Suits Your Needs Bronze-$15 per month/machineSilver-$25 per month/machineGold-$50 per month/machinePlatinum-$100 per month/machine Do you require Managed Online Backup (Recommended)? YesNoNeed More Information Special Needs or Instructions All pricing shown is on a per system/per month basis. There is a one time charge of $35 per connection for Remote Support. Bronze and Silver Plans will be $35 for the first hour and $25 per hour after. Gold and Platinum Plans will only incur the one time $35 connection fee and no hourly after. Managed Online Backup is available as an add-on to any plan for only $5 additional per month plus only $.50 per GB Please Check This Box If you Accept and Understand These Terms. Don't Be Shy If we didn't answer all of your questions, feel free to drop us a line anytime. Get In Touch Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)


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Mohammed Salah scored from the spot on his return to give Egypt their first goal of the competition.
Below are 4 things we learned from exciting clash.
Egypt start well but finish badly
Before this game, Hector Cuper's charges had lost their previous game to Uruguay. They did not look like a team low on confidence in the opening exchanges on Tuesday, though.
The North Africans were calm and composed throughout the first half, sitting back in a compact defensive shape and holding Russia at arm's length.
Cherchesov's men were allowed plenty of possession but their lack of cutting edge made life comfortable for the Egyptinas, who retained a threat on the counter-attack.
Things changed after the interval, though, as Egypt conceded three times to leave the stadium empty-handed.
Salah return not enough for Pharoahs
Following his return to the starting XI after being forced to sit out the opening defeat at the hands of Uruguay last Friday.
The Liverpool man struggled, understandably so given his near month-long layoff, but he and Trezequet both fizzed dangerous efforts narrowly wide in the first half.
Egypt needed much more than Salah to succeed. He will likely leave the tournament early robbed of his chance to make a real impact.
Cheryshev gives Russia new lease of life
It's been a familiar trope of Russia's campaign. The World Cup hosts have regularly been undermined by a lack of pace and goalscoring prowess in the final third. All too often, Stanislav Cherchesov's men have offered too little-to-no threat when it really mattered.
Not now. For with Denis Cheryshev, the Villarreal CF star- the Russian team have finally have at least one player capable of hitting the back of the net with some sort of regularity. Russia have scored eight goals in two games with Cheryshev scoring three.
His example in pressing intelligently from the front encouraged others to follow suit. Cherchesov will need more of such displays from Cheryshev to take the hosts far in the competition.
The underdog tag on Russia could see them thrive in the face of adversity
Russia are not the bookmakers favourite to win the coveted trophy. Not many expected them to make it to the Last 16 but Russia is technically there after winning two games and scoring an incredible eight goals, conceding one; turning doubters into believers.
They have officially made the best start of any host eve and the atmosphere in Saint Petersburg was stunning.
Life will get tougher once the knockout stages commence, but the turnaround for Russia has been amazing for Russia. There aren't too many sides who will want to play them.


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In 2013, Japanese Airline All Nippon Airways launched a website – Lets Do Japan – to allow visitors to create their own Japanese manga personality from their uploaded pictures and learn about Japanese culture and trends.
The campaign targeted US visitors and let them create their own characters through the Manganizer tool, which uses the popular Japanese manga style of comics. Visitors could choose from five distinct personalities that represent Japan as well as the ANA – Executive, Fashionista, Gourmand, Designer or Aficionado.
Visitors were able to upload their pictures or use Facebook Connect to create personalized manga heroes and manga stories with their own pictures using face recognition technology.
The rendered manga could be edited on the site, downloaded or shared on Facebook and Twitter.
The site also offered another interactive feature called 360° Japan, where visitors can explore Japanese cultures, traditions and trends in three settings – a restaurant, design architecture lounge and Akiba café.


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Deledio Pushes Aside Retirement Talk
When a dejected Brett Deledio trudged off the MCG after the GIANTS were beaten by his old side Richmond in last year's preliminary final, the veteran thought his career might not see a 14th season.
7:09pm Mar 30, 2018
Deledio Good to Go
GIANTS veteran Brett Deledio will play his first opening-round fixture since 2015 when he runs out against the Western Bulldogs at UNSW Canberra Oval on Sunday.
2:05pm Mar 22, 2018


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Pine Bluff (PBHS) Class of 2014 Alumni List
Help us Update the Pine Bluff 2014 Class List by adding any names missing from the list below:
Registered Alumni
2014 Class List
- Robyn Battles
- Rashaad Branch
- Christina Bryant
- Tyler Cowser
- Jason Debro
- Quintine Donson
- Demonique Duckworth
- Khalia Everett
- Tashay Holmes
- Kenya Johnson
- Dasmine Johnson
- Regina Jones
- Shannon Lanewood
- Darren Matthews
- Marques McKay
- Michael Morris
- Jamul Pryor
- Maria Ramirez
- Omotola Robinson
- Jorge Sweet
- Charla Taylor
- Emmanuel Thomas
- Devan Willis
- Devon Willis
Know Pine Bluff Class of 2014 graduates that are NOT on this List? Help us Update the 2014 Class List by adding missing names.
Reunions and Pine Bluff High School News
More 2014 alumni from Pine Bluff HS have posted profiles on Classmates.com®. Click here to register for free at Classmates.com® and view other 2014 alumni.
The Pine Bluff High class of '14 alumni are listed below. These are former students from Pine Bluff HS in Pine Bluff, AR who graduated in 2014. Alumni listings below have either been searched for or they registered as members of this directory.
If you haven't already, we also encourage you to register for free on this site. You may also want to check out the latest news and school memories.


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Trading pure play iron companies
Atlas Iron is one of the major 'pure play' iron ore companies listed in Australia. Due to most people being unable to trade iron ore directly, trading a company such as Atlas Iron allows a trader the potential to profit from their views on the future iron ore price.
Iron ore:
The iron ore price has recently seemed to follow a cyclical price pattern. Over the last few years, the iron ore price has typically bottomed out between June and September before it makes a new run higher, the exception being 2011 when it didn't bottom out until the end of October. This year the trend so far is similar with iron ore falling from $139.70 per tonne in December 2013 down to a bottom of $89.00 per tonne recently, before recovering slightly to a current level of just over $93 per tonne. If recent history repeats, there is a good chance that we have already seen the low in the iron ore price for 2014.
Technical Analysis:
Atlas Iron has had a terrible year in terms of share price performance; however this has provided the opportunity of a much lower entry point for those with a bullish view on iron ore and the Chinese economy in general.
Recently there was a double bottom observed over June and July 2014, which is a strong bullish signal that the share price may have bottomed in the short term. Strengthening this view is another strong bullish signal, a positive divergence that occurred in the RSI at the same time, with the RSI recording a higher low in July when the share price showed an equal low.
Source: IG trading platform
Corporate activity:
With BC Iron's recent takeover offer for Iron Ore Holdings (IOH), and the recently completed joint Baosteel/Aurizon takeover of Aquila Resources (AQA), the iron ore sector is currently one of the hottest sectors of the Australian share market to be involved in. Atlas Iron has also been tipped in the past to be a prime takeover candidate. Its recent resource and reserves upgrade will do nothing to harm this theory.
The bear case:
Analysts have been forecasting for years that the price of iron ore will fall from its current multi-year highs on the basis that supply will catch up to demand on the back of large new and expansion projects due to be brought into operation by iron ore companies including Rio Tinto and BHP, which will drive the price back down towards its long term level.
Potential trading idea:
I would potentially be looking to place a buy on stop order above the recent high of $0.735. In this case I would be looking for confirmation of a move higher before entering the trade. If I were to buy at current prices I would get a cheaper entry level, but the stock may be confined to the current trading range for some time and the break-out may never eventuate. So in this case I am looking to take advantage of momentum that may eventuate from a price break out.
I would potentially look to set a stop loss just under the recent low. If the share price falls below this level it is a sign of significant share price weakness as it would have broken through the recent strong support level and would mitigate potential losses.
Once the trade has been entered, I would look to set an initial profit target at around $0.90, this was a recent price support level which may act as a resistance level in the future.
Alternatively I could look at a short trade and profit from a potential move lower. Here, I would look to potentially set a sell on stop order slightly under the recent support level of $.0545. If the market has moved through my stop and the position filled, I would look to set a stoploss a few cents higher than the support level in case it proves to be a false break.
By Matt Chambers for IG Australia
This information has been prepared by IG Markets Limited. ABN 84 099 019 851, AFSL 220440. We provide an execution-only service. The material on this page does not contain (and should not be construed as containing) personal financial or investment advice or other recommendations, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument, or a record of our trading prices. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at his or her own risk. The information provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who view it. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of the comments and for any consequences that result.


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Maggie Perrone's Genuine Journeys offers spirituality programs, custom seminars, retreats and workshops. Each experience is oriented to your group's specific needs.
Lively, dynamic, yet deeply grounded and educated in theology, Maggie creates a safe space for individuals to get in touch with their inner selves.
She works hard to engage participants on many different levels, blending lecture, meditation, small group discussions, art, music, journaling and other creative tools.
Upcoming Events
Catholic University Labyrinth Walk
March 2, 2018
St. Maximilian Kolbe
Sign up for our mailing list to receive a free ten minute guided meditation and updates on upcoming programs!
Here is a Sampling of Genuine Journey Programs:
Prayer-based journeys can touch the inner spirit and deepen the relationship with God in an effort to come closer to our true selves.
A program of reflection to focus on understanding yourself, your choices, and the opportunity to explore your power to change.
Enhance interpersonal communication and build a more cohesive team by developing a deeper understanding of self and others.
Personal Growth
Individuals, couples or groups journey to uncover their authentic selves, and realize their strengths, as well as their weaknesses uncovering gifts and passions which lead to a deeper, richer and more meaningful way of living.
Find inner knowledge and peace by utilizing the labyrinth as a contemplative prayer tool.
With a deep understanding of the issues of healthcare providers, Maggie creates programs to teach methods for coping with disease, chronic illness, trauma, and PTSD also provides programs specifically geared toward healing the healers themselves.


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Ethereum (ETH): Blockchain to become more game friendly with ERC-1155 token standard
By Pinaz Kazi506 Views 0 Shares
Ethereum might become gaming friendly platform with the new token standard created by Enjin coin Co-founder Witek Radomski.
For those aren't aware, Enjin is a service, allowing users to build video games on the blockchain. The coin, which goes by the name of ENJ has a value of $0.05 and ranks 163 on CoinMarketCap. Radomski, who is also the Chief Technical Officer [CTO] of Enjin created the first non-fungible Ethereum token, ERC-721 in 2017 and it was released to the public after August, that year. Soon ERC-721 became widely popular as the standard for blockchain gaming and digital art. However, it had its own limitations.
See also: Ethereum (ETH) price goes below $430, hits 2.5 month low
According to Ethereum World News," Radomski said, "The non-fungible tokens being used today have defined a new class of user-owned virtual items. However, there are many problems with the existing token model. It is very expensive and inefficient to deploy large databases of items that mainstream game developers use.
Radomski further added, "Our new ERC-1155 Crypto Items standard allows for infinite numbers of fungible and non-fungible items in a single deployed contract. We needed it to be lightweight and easy for the network to handle. If this does take off, the gaming industry alone will require tens of millions of new items–but the application of this standard is by no means limited to the games market. ERC-1155 tokens could be used to certify all forms of ownership, tangible or digital."
See also: Ethereum classic [ETC] gets support from Metamask: Opens door to endless possibilities
The ERC-1155 token standard allows tokens creation with a little twist. Unlike the previous standard, the items are stored in one contract and each token need to define a new contract for itself. The new standard also allows easy atomic swaps between tokens. According to previous standards, a swap between two tokens required 4 steps. However, new Ethereum tokens can be swapped in just 2 steps because there's only one approval step. It also allows users to send a number of items to one or a number of recipients on the blockchain in one transaction. In a way, saving gas costs and congestion. The standard also allows the creation of fungible and non-fungible items.
To make tokens one need not be an experienced token developer through the Enjin program. Anyone can make tokens with ERC-1155 since the smart contract is simply a store of data and behaviours, which features a GUI to launch and create tokens.
Image via Shutterstock
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In the sleepy village of Scharnebeck in Niedersachsen, one of the world's largest shiplifts moves up to 100 m long ships over a vertical height of 35 meters. An information center explains how it works.
The road passes below a high, bridge-like construction. From the sidewalk we can look down into an empty concrete basin with technical and nautical equipment of unclear purpose: gates, steel cables, cranes, and bollards. A sheet of water rains down from above although the weather has been friendly for several days. Tourists are standing about, and the nearby pizzeria and ice-cream parlour is doing a good business.
A trail leads up to the top of the construction, which is in fact the end of a water canal crossing the countryside well above the ground. On a small watch tower, families, passing cyclists and gangs of motorcyclists in full gear look excitedly down at MS Sabrina just entering the peculiar building: The high-level part of the Mittelland canal ends here, and the canal continues 35 meters deeper on the regular level of the surrounding land. Two huge concrete towers hold a pair of oversized bathtubs that can be moved up and down with the help of counterweights. Every time the watergates open to let ships in and out of the basins, some water drips out, but on the whole, the elevator seems to run quite smoothly. It takes a while to fit the larger transport barges into the trough, and small sport boats always go in last. Unlike the kids on the watch tower, they can't skip the elevator and rush down the stairs towards the ice-cream parlour.
Then sign up for email notifications (via feedblitz; of course you can unsubscribe any time, and we don't use your e-mail for any other purposes), atom feed, or like us on Facebook. (see upper-right hand corner)


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Custom Palo Santo Healing Bracelet
Custom Palo Santo Healing Bracelet
You've looked through every bracelet, but you still can't find one that's right for you? I totally get it. I'm happy to make a custom palo santo healing bracelet for you.
Select the type of bracelet you would like (single, double, triple) and when prompted at checkout tell me what you feel you need to heal right now. I'll recommend the proper crystal combination to soothe your body mind soul right now.
You'll have the chance to review the stones I suggest prior to me making your bracelet.
All strands are approximately 7.5"- 7.34" wide. If you need your custom order smaller or larger, please let me know.
Custom Orders are not able to be returned.
She arrives in an orange jute bag...lovely for gifting yourself or a lucky soul sister.
If you need her to be larger or smaller, get in touch.


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I expect this to turn out to be highly problematic for UKIP. A narrow victory for staying in would have been immediately followed by a fresh campaign to get us out and a further injection of arguments that there was a simple cure to all our problems, which could all be traced back to the existence of the EU. A narrow win would have been a hollow victory and we'd have been left with a far right that was continuing to grow in popularity and to make inroads into national opinion by promising that they had the perfect solution to our problems.
Instead the narrow victory for exit means that the out camp now have a real problem on their hands. They have promised a great number of things to a great number of people. Now they have to deliver. So the housing crisis has to go. The wait for a GP appointment has to go. The economy has to improve. Farmers have to keep their subsidies. Workers and women have to keep their rights. But all those pesky regulations have to go. And, of course, all those immigrants have to go. The gap between the rhetoric and the reality will now start to be exposed.
The majority of the country believed the argument that the extraordinarily wide alliance of people who warned that leave would damage British interests were engaged in a "project fear". The majority decided that there really wasn't much to worry about and the good times were just around the corner. The establishment were all in a conspiracy to protect their own positions and couldn't be trusted. This conspiracy was pretty wide ranging. It involved the last four Prime Ministers, the TUC, the CBI, the Labour Party, most Conservative MPs, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, the Scottish Nationalists, Plaid Cymru and the Bank of England. Instead of believing their endlessly repeated warnings the public decided to trust the brave anti-establishment figures of exit.
As the reality of implementation begins to bite it will become evident that these strange allies weren't all scare mongering. The value of the pound really did drop on the first day. As a consequence the price of petrol and supermarket goods really will go up. Investment in British firms really will drop and jobs really will go. There really will be months and years of messy negotiation and we really are likely to find it somewhat harder to sell to our major export market.
We have been promised that any problems of this kind will be temporary but we needn't worry because the rest of the world will want to trade with the fifth biggest economy. If that doesn't happen then a lot of people are going to start to be cross with the new establishment. In my experience most people only buy goods and services from abroad when they are cheaper, better made and offer interesting innovation or design. They don't tend to buy them because some politicians on the other side of the world has declared that the goods come from a proud independent nation. How long is the patience of the British public going to last when the sudden surge in our sales abroad doesn't happen?
We are therefore likely to be faced with some very disappointed and angry voters. Some of them will head even further right and we have already seen just how horrible this can be with the political murder of Jo Cox. The best way forward for those of us who have a different vision of the future is now a very simple one. We have to state clearly and strongly the positive alternative vision of the future that we hold. We have to find a way of not just grudgingly accepting the decision to exit but of turning it into a positive.
For me this means reviving a concept that I was very critical of throughout the campaign. We have to construct an alliance for a positive exit. If we are going to make our own decisions then let's start arguing for ones that take us forward. I believe that the world is on the cusp of a major change in technology as we move away from oil driven economies and into low energy products and services. To stand any chance of being at the front of this new industrial and social revolution we need to invest in modern skills and modern technology. If we leave it to the free market alone to make this change then we will fall behind countries like China or Dubai that are using a successful mixture of state planning and private enterprise to make sure their employers are well placed to succeed. We therefore need a strong planned drive to invest in the latest science, technology and skills and this is going to need an active intervention by the British government.
It is time for the left to start to use some the tactics that have worked so well for Farage and the far right. They took on the establishment with a vision of the country being proudly independent and successful which was based on little more than wishful thinking. They are now the establishment and that thinking is about to be shown to be empty rhetoric. So we now need to take on the new establishment and show that Britain can indeed be great again. But only if it recognises how the world is changing and creates the skills and the technology that are going to be needed in that new post oil economy. Only if it has a seriously thought through economic and social plan designed to modernise and transform the economy.
The young people of Britain voted solidly for an optimistic inclusive society which gets on with the rest of the world. In the deeply uncertain political and economic climate that the country is now entering the best way of facing down the reactionary mood that has been set in train is by contrasting it with the opposite. We need to clearly articulate our strategy for creating a modern scientifically successful country that is ready to face a radically different economic environment.
Our vision of the future has one big advantage over the UKIP vision that narrowly succeeded this week. It actually works. And as their vision unravels we must never cease to assert our positive alternative.


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After a loved one dies, initial concerns arise from the need to make final arrangements. Family ties and memorials require immediate attention. But after those important milestones come and go, the business of life resumes. The business of the decedent's estate goes on. And a private investigator might be needed very shortly after the decedent expires.
California Probate Code §§ 9600 to 9606 list the duties imposed by California law on the personal representative. (Some people call this person the executor. "Executor" and "personal representative" mean the same thing under California law.)
Under Probate Code §§ 9650 to 9657, the executor has a duty to inventory the decedent's estate assets, pay the expenses of the last illness, and pay any bills as they stream in. The inventory will need to include every item of personal property, jewelry, bank accounts, motor vehicles, investments, furniture – even clothing and personal memorabilia. And the inventory will need to list all the real estate owned by the person who has died. There may be many more assets to list than you might think.
And people have been known to hide assets. From their children, their spouses, their creditors, even their lawyers.
Developing an estate asset inventory is where the private investigator can help the most.
And the private investigator is very useful to the executor and heirs for another reason. The heirs and family expect to receive a thorough inventory. Sometimes emotions run high, especially as regards personalty like jewelry, firearms, automobiles and personal property like art, home furnishings and clothing.
The single best way for the executor to avoid unwarranted charges of omitting items from the inventory, or playing favorites by distributing items "off the books" is to have a private investigator prepare a thorough asset report, reflecting an asset search. The private investigator has no conflict of interest. A private investigator also has access to accountants, computer experts, insurance records, real property listings, military records and much more.
And, perhaps most importantly, a private investigator has objectivity. Because the private investigator is not a family member, heir or other beneficiary or insider.
And everything said above about the executor is equally true for heirs.
Who is an heir? Under Probate Code §44, "Heir" means any person, including a surviving spouse, who is entitled to take property of the person who has died.
Do you think the executor is leaving assets off the inventory? A private investigator can help you determine which assets have been left out. If an heir suspects misconduct or a lack of candor from the executor, the first step in finding out what was left out is to hire a private investigator to conduct a thorough estate asset search.
To start an individual asset search investigation, or if you even suspect something might be amiss with an estate, contact a licensed professional private investigator at AssetSearchPro.com for a free quote today.
Your rights are at stake. Do not delay.
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There's a lot of free porn out there—here's lookin' at you, Pornhub—but sometimes you're in the mood for something a little more low-key than your typical offerings. If you've already burned through our 'female-friendly' porn round up or you're looking to just dip your toe into the world of visual stimulation, head over to Tumblr. Yes, Tumblr. Black-and-white GIFs of footjobs with string lights in the background? Yeah, there's a Tumblr for that.
You may not know it, but besides Twitter, Tumblr is one of the only social media or blogging sites that allow NSFW content on their platform, and believe us, there is some good stuff out there. So grab one of our toys and read on for our favorite free Tumblr porn...
Romantic Pornography
Don't be fooled by the title—there is nothing fairytale about the content of this blog. One of the most popular sites and around since 2012, Porn4Ladies aims to provide aspirational masturbation material with the tagline "Yes, women actually masturbate. Happy orgasming!" (The authors caution that this is only their interpretation, and isn't meant to represent all women.) If you take sexy pics or videos, and you're feeling bold, you can submit them directly here.
Audio Porn
Brought to you by the wonderful people at Romantic Pornography, this Tumblr features sexy soundscapes to get you going. All the auditory stimulation of porn without the imagery. This is amazing if you're someone who prefers to use their imagination or needs to close their eyes to focus. They also take submissions, if you're feeling inspired.
Treating Porn As Art
The name kind of says it all. This account it a mixed bag with everything from GIFs of more 'traditional' porn scenarios to beautifully lit, sexy selfies and vintage queer porn. With the author asking "What if we thought about pornography the same we think about any other form of art? This isn't just about eroticism, it's about aesthetics. And sex, and horniness." We're on board.
Taste This Kitty
"Sorry I'm late for work, I was masturbating." So says the author's tagline on this blog, and it's pretty much giving us life. Unapologetically dirty pics, GIFs and even longer video clips from amateur players to pro performers, and an archive that dates back to 2013. Yeah, we'll see you later.
How to Make Me Come
It's not all pics and GIFs out there. This collection of essays from anonymous female authors focuses on the female orgasm, and starts with this fantasy: Imagine you could give this essay to a past or future sexual partner, free of judgment or repercussion. What would you want them to know? Talk about a tension-builder...make sure you've got a toy handy.
Hot tip: The author, Emma Koenig, has recently compiled her favorite essays into a book, Moan: Anonymous Essays on Female Orgasm, now available for pre-order and releasing in May 2018.
Not quite a free porn site, this one reviews releases on DVD or paid membership sites from a feminist perspective, and gives you all the information, from the director to the year of release to the ages of the performers. Mostly focused on studios that release so-called 'feminist' porn, the written reviews and preview pictures are a great way to try before you buy, and get a sense of who your favorites might be.


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Beverly Hills News – Weinstein Ousted from the Academy
Posted: Sunday, October 15, 2017 – 7:16 PM
(CNS) – Disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein has been ousted from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the latest fallout from a week of cascading sexual harassment and assault allegations against the co-founder of The Weinstein Company.
"The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Board of Governors met (Saturday) to discuss the allegations against Harvey Weinstein, and has voted well in excess of the required two-thirds majority to immediately expel him from the Academy," Board members said in a prepared statement. "We do so not simply to separate ourselves from someone who does not merit the respect of his colleagues, but also to send a message that the era of willful ignorance and shameful complicity in sexually predatory behavior and workplace harassment in our industry is over.
"What's at issue here is a deeply troubling problem that has no place in our society. The Board continues to work to establish ethical standards of conduct that all Academy members will be expected to exemplify."
Weinstein was a 20-year member of the organization behind the Oscars.
He won an Oscar in 1999 as a producer of best-picture winner "Shakespeare in Love." His companies have also been distributors of Oscar winners "The Artist," "Chicago," "The King's Speech" and "The English Patient.'
However, during the past week, the 65-year-old mogul has been accused of sexual harassment by a number of actresses. Some allege he appeared naked in front of them, asked them for naked massages or otherwise propositioned them while discussing possible film roles. At least four women, most recently actress Rose McGowan, have accused him of sexual assault.
The Academy has more than 8,400 members. It has only expelled one other member in its 90-year history, "The Godfather" actor Carmine Caridi, who was punished in 2004 after screener copies of movies that were sent to him turned up online.
Some pundits questioned whether the Academy would expel Weinstein, noting the organization's membership still includes director Roman Polanski, who is considered a fugitive in Los Angeles for having unlawful sexual contact with a minor in the 1970s, and comedian Bill Cosby, who has been accused of drugging and sexually assaulting dozens of women.
A petition on www.Change.org calling on the Academy to expel Weinstein had more than 100,000 signatures as of Friday.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts, or BAFTA, announced Wednesday it has suspended Weinstein's membership.
The board of the Producers Guild of America had also planned to meet Saturday to consider expelling Weinstein, but postponed the session until Monday.
On Thursday, it will be the Television Academy of Arts & Sciences turn to review the allegations against Weinstein and decide whether to revoke his membership in that group, which is responsible for the annual Emmys competiton.


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M*Azing milk cocolate bar with M&m's Minis crunchy chocolate candies!
This t-shirt, my x-mas present to myself.
Words added to the gsf-ish wanking fic.
Words also added to the Chernobyl fic.
Words also added to the Chris barfing fic, and the "other crackfic," and various bits of trickC just layin' about.
Windy rainy day, and ducks on the lake.
None of the above fics suitable for sesa.
....strange how the balance feels so weighted toward the Sad.
Sigh. When he's all kind of raw like that. Also the lovely hint of batshit crazy.
Add this photo to both categories, please.


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New chancellor named for UNC Wilmington
A business dean at West Virginia University will be the next chancellor of UNC Wilmington.
Jose "Zito" Sartarelli, WVU's chief global officer and dean of its College of Business and Economics for the past five years, will take the helm at UNCW on July 1 at an annual salary of $350,000. He was elected to the UNCW position Friday by the UNC Board of Governors, at its meeting at East Carolina University.
Sartarelli succeeds Interim Chancellor William Sederburg, who has led UNCW since former Chancellor Gary Miller left last year to become president of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Sartarelli, 65, is a native of Brazil who spent three decades in marketing and management for three large pharmaceutical companies – Eli Lilly, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson.
During his short time in higher education administration, he increased WVU's global presence by recruiting more international students and forging partnerships with universities in Germany, China, Israel, Brazil and other countries. As business dean, he helped establish six new joint degrees with other university departments and launched a fully online master of business administration degree program.
At UNCW he will oversee a coastal campus with 14,000 students, an array of undergraduate and master's programs, plus doctoral degrees in marine biology and educational leadership.
On Friday, Sartarelli talked about the importance of bringing in the best students and faculty, and providing them the right elements for excellence in learning and scholarship.
"How do you create an environment in the university, which is proactive, which provides the students experiential learning?" he said. "How do you make sure that you enable students to succeed and grow? Because education is not just educating to get a job necessarily. It's educating to get a job plus become a citizen. How do you make sure you educate students to become citizens of this great country?"
At WVU, Sartarelli said he was aggressive in bringing in companies to recruit students for jobs and internships. And he said fund raising would be a major goal at UNCW.
Sartarelli received his undergraduate degree at a university in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He was a Fulbright Scholar at Michigan State University, where he earned master's and doctoral degrees in business.
UNC President Tom Ross said Sartarelli has the perfect blend of experience.
"He has incredible international experience that's going to help Wilmington connect globally," Ross said. "It's going to help students understand the world in which we're living. ... I think he brings great business acumen that will help manage the university well, which is important. But what struck me when I talked to him was a deep commitment to education and an understanding of university life."
Stancill: 919-829-4559;
Twitter: @janestancill


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Install the WordSolver Android App!
3 Definitions of Wit
The definition of wit, the meaning of the word Wit:
Is wit a scrabble word? Yes!
- n. - A message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter
- n. - Mental ability
- n. - A witty amusing person who makes jokes
Wit is worth 6 points in Scrabble, and 6 points in Words with Friends
There are 3 letters in wit: I T W
Words that can be created with an extra letter added to wit:
2 words found using the letters in "Wit"
2 Letter Words


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By Tom Newberry
Up there with Fontainebleau and Bishop, Rockland's main draw is the endless sea of quality sandstone boulders. As a climber it's hard to believe a playground like this exists outside a dream. Found in the Cederberg Mountains, 250km north of Cape Town, the rural, semi-desert setting gives a very isolated and safe feel. Wild Rooibos tea bushes (red bush to us) thrive among the rocks. At the higher elevations of 3,000 feet you find the Clanwilliam Cedars, from which the nearby town gets its name. Baboons huck big dynos on the short cliff bands then howl triumphantly on the summit. And nothing beats staring into the red western sky to conclude a day's climbing; Van der Post wasn't wrong, African sunsets are biblical.
From June through to late August it's hard to ignore the constant stream of Instagram feeds regularly updated with pictures of the world-class boulders of Rocklands, South Africa. A Mecca for boulderers across the globe; social media feeds are dominated by the who's who of climbing as they dispatch yet another unfathomably hard problem. Rocklands has undoubtedly become famous for its high standard of elite level bouldering that attracts the likes of Dave Graham, Nalle Hukatival, Daniel Woods and Jimmy Webb year after year. Flashing 8B+s and establishing new 8Cs, the standard portrayed in Rocklands by the media seems astronomical. Yet, this should not deter the mortal climber from sampling the countless amenable classics. In fact, a vast majority of the developed boulders in Rocklands are below 7B/V8. The aesthetic formations lend themselves to glorious juggy features, offering amenable grades through some unlikely terrain - problems such as Roof on Fire (6C+) and Creaking Heights (6C) are justifiably sought out by every climber that visits. What's more, climbing side by side with the world's best boulders you get to learn from these masters of stone. As if Messi would rock up for a kick about with you at the local park. Watching how they grip holds, how they use their feet, how they talk and how they think as they transform a set of moves that appear blatantly impossible into something that the human body can execute.
Gav Atikins enjoys Orange Heart (6C). Photo: Callum Coldwell-Story
The large number of bouldering areas, and unique weathered shapes provide the ultimate playground with blocs of all heights, angles, aspects and styles. Add to that reliable weather, the beautiful surroundings of the South African wilderness, with its mesmerising flora and fauna, and it's easy to see why these orange, grey and black boulders have become such a draw. Most of the problems follow strong lines; wandering among the featured boulders you barely need the guidebook as you eye up arêtes, roofs, and well-featured walls. The style is predominately gymnastic and the grainy rock is far from forgiving, so looking after the fingers is essential. Fortunately, many of the problems are basic and easy to read, but it's one thing figuring out what to do, and another to actually do it. Rocklands' top-outs deserve a special mention. Unlike the smooth, bald summits of Fontainebleau, Castle Hill and Albarracin, most Cederberg boulders feature giant chicken heads, bulbous protuberances that peer down curiously from the top like medieval gargoyles. Few moments are as sweet as lassoing one of these features with groping hands to successfully complete a problem, then effortlessly levering onto the summit and taking in the sweeping red stained valleys and the racing alpine clouds. The Cederberg backdrop never gets old.
A trip to Rocklands isn't just about the climbing. As the African sun sets, the smell of Brai (BBQs) and beers fill the air. The social scene during the high season is akin to the beach bars of Tonsai, Thailand or Miguel's Pizza at Red River Gorge. The scene mostly centres around the bar, De Kelder, in Clanwilliam, where you can share a burger or down shots of tequilla with your idols, or at De-Pakhuys campsite which also hosts the yearly Rocstock festival; a mid-season party that has been running every year since 2007.


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John Linehan, president of the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, laments, Typically, we will not discover appropriate locations for animals dumped on us. If people would stop buying animals illegally and animals they simply can not take care of, it will save plenty of misery for lots of animals."11. Fennec Foxes are incessantly described as a mix between a dog and a cat.
It seems that potential 'exotic' pet homeowners may be motivated to avoid outcomes that might straight harm them, but not their pets. I might preserve exotic animals as pets however a crocodile – no. They ultimately grow out their enclosures and require extra space and food as measurement and age will increase exponentially. The Pygmy Goat is a hardy, good-natured animal; a mild and responsive pet, that loves to be with its own sort.
They get their name for their love of candy foods and the ability to glide via the air. Uncommon Exotic Pets has a great selection of Reptiles, Provides and Feeder. The Squirrel Monkey is extremely intelligent, social and super affectionate, making them well-liked with exotic animal homeowners. As an example, the top of South Africa's Western Cape Environmental Crime Investigation unit estimates that 90 % of exported reptiles die inside a year.eight Hedgehogs, who roll themselves into tight balls, can easily become injured if youngsters attempt to uncurl" them or if cats attack them.
When people succumb to the temptation to buy unique" animals similar to hedgehogs, macaws, lizards, and monkeys—even tigers and bears—from stores, auctions, or the Web as a way to keep them as pets," it often results in pain and death for these animals, who can easily endure from malnutrition, loneliness, and the overwhelming stress of confinement to an unnatural and uncomfortable setting.
Our Pet Food section offers a broad vary of specialist foods, which has seen us turn out to be a market leader in supplying fresh, healthy livefood, and high quality frozen meals for reptile keepers and falconers. The bulk of our web site is devoted to the search for unique animals specializing in reptiles and arachnids. Sugar gliders are very social animals, and if they are not given enough consideration, they may mutilate themselves or die from the stress of loneliness.9.


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Short Form Content
Using our short form and cross platform expertise to craft high-impact content for the BBC
Our team of digital content specialists are based at BBC Broadcasting House six days a week where we capture, create and curate short form audio and video for BBC Radio and BBC Music.
We are known for producing impactful assets which are highly shareable, snackable and optimised for digital engagement. We create stand-alone content from long form radio and tv programmes, tailored to reach increasingly fragmented audiences across bbc.co.uk and associated social media.
We can help you with your digital content ambitions so don't hesitate to get in touch.
Project Manager: Dan King | Producers: Rob Shiret, Louise Havell, Leon Gower, Andrew Jones, Ken Ellwood


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Owner of AKI and Leroy Merlin to open 18 new stores and hire 1,000 people
Eighteen new stores and 1,000 employees hired by 2021 in Portugal – these are the main goals of a new "convergence plan" announced by France's ADEO, the owner of DIY and home improvement chains AKI and Leroy Merlin.
"The convergence between AKI and Leroy Merlin will increase current market and consumer demands," the group said in a statement, not revealing the actual investment involved in the merger.
ADEO added that it is still debating whether to eliminate one of the brands and that a decision would be announced by the end of the third quarter of 2018.
"The convergence process towards one company structure is ongoing with the help of external entities. It will be a process of gradual transformation and integration over the next three years, both in terms of central structure and stores."
French company ADEO (formerly Leroy Merlin) is the third largest home improvements group in the world and owns several international brands such as Weldom, Bricocenter, Zodio, Aki and Bricoman.
It operates in France, Spain, Portugal, Russia, Poland, Ukraine, China, brazil, Greece, Cyprus and Romania.


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Last Tuesday, July 4, we held our annual Independence Day celebration in the Project Pengyou Courtyard. Read our event recap here!
On Tuesday July 4th, We held our annual Independence Day BBQ at the Project Pengyou Courtyard – recap of the event here; video recap below: Thank you to the 100+ attendees, the volunteers, and the Project Pengyou team! We hope to see you again next year! Check out photos from last year's BBQ here.
China's 13th annual Lianghui government meeting last week brought delegates from around the country to Beijing to pass new laws, discuss China's goals for this year, and form the 13th Five-Year Plan.
Project Pengyou intern, Tammy Tian, collects slices of life from Pengyous in Beijing in this eighth installment of the Humans of New York-inspired photo in series.
Project Pengyou intern, Tammy Tian, collects slices of life from Pengyous in Beijing in this seventh installment of the Humans of New York-inspired photo in series.
The Bookworm Beijing is offering exclusive tickets to two lucky pengyous who enter our contest (see details below,) to win tickets for themselves and a friend to their upcoming Comedy Night!
Our four summer interns, Hannah, Olivia, Shirley and Kamilla, present your guide to street food in Beijing!
Find yourself in Beijing on the 4th of July weekend? Here are some ideas to bring a bit of 'Murica to China.
Project Pengyou intern, Kim Chen, collects slices of life from Pengyous across China in the sixth installment of her Humans of New York-inspired photo series.
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If we're being honest, the premise of a blind date is pretty awful. Meeting a stranger, probably for a drink (because a little bit of alcohol is the only way to make this survivable), hoping the whole time you're romantically, or otherwise, compatible, because that's the only reason you've changed out of your sweatpants. Welcome to Silo's The Blind Date Project.
The Basement's main stage is unrecognizable as a fully functioning bar, courtesy of Celery Productions. The Karaoke Klub has beer on tap, a crowd of tables for customers (audience members), and old-school karaoke jams. Each night, Anna (Natalie Medlock) waits at the bar for her date, but who's showing up is anyone's guess. With a revolving cast of possible Tinder matches (actors), neither Natalie, nor the audience, know who's coming through the door.
Director Tanya Goldberg leads the actors through out the show via live text messages and phone calls, shaping the performance from the perspective of the audience. Apart from this, the hour-long show is entirely improvised, with a few set talking points- porn, and a herb edition of 'fuck, marry, kill' are mainstays, along with Bryony Skillington as the surly hostess/karaoke queen.
On opening night Jamie Bowen plays the part of mystery date. He's only just walked in the door and Anna's already rating him on a 0-10 scale- he's late so he just lost a point, but he bought her flowers so he's up a point again, except he's left the price tag on from the petrol station, so he's back where he started. The vodka shots flow and Bowen's initial playfulness unravels, revealing a deep, dark, resentment of his surprise 5-year-old daughter, who keeps calling every few minutes. Anna didn't sign up for someone with so much baggage, and such a bad attitude, and the date is heading for a grisly end. It's been a tempestuous night- from ridiculous karaoke renditions, to belligerent drunken discourse, but Medlock and Bowen rescue the date back from the edge and depart together looking for the Holy Grail of after hour drunks- Denny's (for the pancakes).
The Blind Date Project is undeniably authentic, and especially suitable for anyone who enjoys a pastime in people watching. The anticipation of what could happen next (answer: anything) makes up for any slower moments, which are far outweighed by some truly clever one liners, and a whole lot of laughing out loud anyway. Each night is entirely different, but that's all part of the fun.
The Blind Date project plays at The Basement until November 29th. Get a ticket, grab a drink, and start swiping right for a date, or two.
All Imagery // Andrew Malmo


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ACE – Facing the future with pride in the past
ACE has a future, we have a plan and we are very determined. We will build on our community development in Ely and Caerau over the past ten years to challenge social and economic disadvantage, not just locally but across Cardiff. Our support will be provided by enabling community action, direct provision and campaigning based on the intersection of need, community assets and funding. Our efforts will focus on social and economic development in communities, working with people, community groups, organisations and businesses, allowing ACE to direct its resources in a sustainable and effective manner.
Over the next three years we will:
- Play to our strengths by continuing to develop and deliver projects and services that have a proven track record in tackling poverty and creating community resilience.
- Continue experimenting with new approaches that allow local people to take an active lead in these initiatives.
- Use freedom from the constraints of Communities First to pilot new ways of integrating projects.
- Work across Cardiff supporting communities to develop, delivering community led projects and exploring partnership opportunities with like-minded organisations.
- Continue our journey towards sustainability by pursuing new forms of funding, especially by further developing our skills related to social enterprise and contract tendering and delivery.
We look forward to continuing to deliver a range of projects, activities and community led actions under the following themes:
- Community Support
- Employability
- Health and Wellbeing
- Children, Young People and Families
- Community led activity
- Social Enterprise and Local Economic Development
- Culture, Arts and Heritage
- Community and citywide influencing and campaigning


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It's me. I'm the one. Gotta get this apartment clean, and I've got to stop smoking the schmiggy. I tried yesterday, and then I failed after work, and right now, here, as I'm sitting and talking to you, the porch is looking very appealing. I've got a long day ahead of me. My coworkers are already at the office. It's a skeleton crew. I'm going later. Two hours and a half from now. There's an event tonight. The first poet laureate of Utah and the woman who approached us about having the event. I'm slated to work. This is the event that was supposed to be at the local diner. It's been a shit show from the get go. It would be nice if I could just take a nap.
What time are you going on your lunch today, asks Musette, and I tell her that I don't know. You might have to take the car and pick me up after work.
She hates that. Once she's home, she likes to stay home. Once her clothes come off, they don't go back on. She's naked most of the time. She's naked before I even sit down. It becomes my responsibility to take the dog out. It's one of the few things that I'm good for. That and doing the dishes. I am up, however, for cleaning the bathroom. Musette usually does it, but she's pregnant and upset with me for constantly making a mess. She doesn't think that I try to be tidy just because I don't hold onto my penis when I pee. I tell her that it's not necessary, but she thinks that the proof is in the pudding. The Squatty Potty is speckled with my crusty driblets.
It's all about pulling it off, I say. It's hard to get my penis back into my pants without making a mess. If I'm lucky, there's a wet spot in my underwear; If I'm unlucky, I make a mess of the rim and floor.
I don't want anymore excuses, she says. Just clean up your act.
I'm all for it, if only I could. I don't want to be a dirty person. I want my life to be as clean as my art. A simple sort of minimalism, but my fingernails aren't even clipped, and I've got to cut them. I can't greet people like this, and if I don't get my toenails clipped, then I'm going to have cuts on the insides of my toes.